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Cannes: EOne Announces Itself As Player In U.S. Distribution By Acquiring Naomi Watts-Starrer ‘Diana’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Thursday May 23, 2013 @ 10:34am PDTTags: Cannes Film Festival, Diana, eOne, Naomi Watts
Mike Fleming

Diana Movie Naomi WattsEXCLUSIVE: Entertainment One has acquired U.S. distribution rights to Diana, the Oliver Hirschbiegel-directed drama about a secret love affair that Princess Diana had shortly before her tragic death. With Naomi Watts as the princess, this was one of the higher-profile pictures shopped at the Cannes Film Festival and eOne bought the rights from Embankment Films and Ecosse Films. eOne will also distribute with major releases in the UK, Canada and Spain with the U.S. film coming in Oscar season later this year.

Hirschbiegel helmed the Oscar-nominated Downfall, and screenwriter Stephen Jeffreys wrote The Libertine. Watts, coming off an Oscar nom for The Impossible, stars with Naveen Andrews (best known for ABC’s Lost and The English Patient) in this drama about Diana’s covert love affair with Dr. Hasnat Khan, a Pakistani heart surgeon. This happened in the last two years of her life, before she met Dodi Fayed, and the need for privacy led to her meeting her lover in disguises. This gave her a sense of living an anonymous life, but her incredible worldwide fame became an issue. The film is produced by Ecosse Films’ Robert Bernstein and Douglas Rae. READ MORE »

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Clashing Buyer Screenings Causing Chaos?

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Wednesday May 15, 2013 @ 3:56pm PDTTags: Cannes Film Festival, Cannes Wrap-Up, Diana, Judi Dench, Naomi Watts, Philomena
Mike Fleming

Ah, Cannes got off to such a nice, sunny start. But the skies opened up this evening with rain and thunder, and buyers tomorrow morning are going to have to deal with the clash of two high priority acquisition … Read More »

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James Franco Eyeing Werner Herzog’s Gertrude Bell Pic

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Thursday April 25, 2013 @ 9:35am PDTTags: Gertrude Bell, James Franco, Naomi Watts, Queen Of The Desert
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: I’m not certain it’s going to happen as they try to sort scheduling issues, but Werner Herzog’s Queen Of The Desert has James Franco circling the role that Jude Law was going to play. If you recall, … Read More »

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Naomi Watts To Join Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Chris O’Dowd In ‘St. Vincent De Van Nuys’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Monday April 22, 2013 @ 4:59pm PDTTags: Big Deals Film, Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts, St. Vincent De Van Nuys
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Naomi Watts is in talks to star in St. Vincent De Van Nuys, the film that Ted Melfi will direct from his script for The Weinstein Company, Chernin Entertainment and Don Cheadle’s Crescendo. Watts will … Read More »

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Sundance: Exclusive Releasing Acquires ‘Two Mothers’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Wednesday January 23, 2013 @ 1:23am PSTTags: Big Deals Film, Exclusive Media, Naomi Watts, Robin Wright, Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Wrap-Up, Two Mothers
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: In another late night Sundance Film Festival deal, Exclusive Media-owned Exclusive Releasing is closing a deal for U.S. rights to Two Mothers, the Anne Fontaine-directed drama that premiered last Friday at the Eccles Theatre. Deal is a low seven figure advance and includes a few other territories, but most of the foreign territories belong to Gaumont, which funded the film. Pic is described as a gripping tale of love, lust and the power of friendships of two lifelong female friends who fall in love with each other’s sons. Naomi Watts and Robin Wright play the moms, and Xavier Samuel and James Frecheville also star. Oscar-winning screenwriter Christopher Hampton penned the adaptation of Doris Lessing’s short story.

The deals calls for a traditional theatrical release through Exclusive Releasing, the distribution company that Exclusive co-chairmen Guy East and Nigel Sinclair launched last September, headed by Scott Pascucci and Matt Brodlie. There is a significant P&A and screen commitment for what will shape up as a specialized film release in the summer. Numerous bidders circled the film, some proposing a multi-platform strategy, but Exclusive Media’s Exclusive Releasing was most aggressive for its new release enterprise. CAA brokered the deal with Brodlie and Gaumont International chief Cécile Gaget. Read More »

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Goya Nominations Announced In Spain, ‘Blancanieves Nabs 18, ‘The Impossible’ Scores 14

By NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor | Tuesday January 8, 2013 @ 5:44am PSTTags: Blancanieves, Naomi Watts, The Impossible

Although Blancanieves missed making the shortlist for the foreign language Oscar, the entry from Spain leads nominations for the Goyas, the country’s equivalent to the Academy Awards. Pablo Berger’s black-and-white and silent re-telling of Snow White … Read More »

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OSCARS Q&A: Naomi Watts

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Thursday November 22, 2012 @ 3:00pm PSTTags: Awardsline, Naomi Watts, Oscars

Christy Grosz is Editor of AwardsLine.

Naomi Watts plays the matriarch in The Impossible, the unbelievable story of a family reuniting after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Though Watts’ performance has been praised for the emotion she … Read More »

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‘The Impossible’ Exclusive Featurette: Video

By PETE HAMMOND | Friday November 16, 2012 @ 5:35pm PSTTags: Ewan McGregor, Juan Antonio Bayona, Naomi Watts, Summit Entertainment, The Impossible, Tom Holland
Pete Hammond

EXCLUSIVE:  One of the sleeper entries in this year’s Oscar race is the emotionally wrenching true story, The Impossible which chronicles a family split apart in the terrifying Tsunami in Thailand in 2004 and their efforts to survive and find each other, despite horrific injury and unspeakable devastation at the … Read More »

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Hot Trailer: ‘The Impossible’

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Tuesday August 21, 2012 @ 10:50am PDTTags: Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, The Impossible

The Impossible tells the story of a family’s experience in the devastating 2004 Southeast Asian tsunami and the chaos that followed. The film, directed by Juan Antonio Bayona, stars Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor. Its North American premiere is set for September at the Toronto Film Festival. Here’s the … Read More »

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Lionsgate Dates Tsunami Movie Dec. 21st

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Wednesday July 18, 2012 @ 4:36pm PDTTags: Ewan McGregor, Lionsgate, Naomi Watts, Summit, The Impossible

Lionsgate has slated Summit Entertainment’s The Impossible, the Naomi Watts-Ewan McGregor movie about a family that survived the 2004 tsunami, to open December 21st in New York and Los Angeles. The Spanish-made movie was directed by J.A. Bayona (The Orphanage) from a script by Sergio G. Sánchez.

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Remstar Buys Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Directing Debut For Canada

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Tuesday June 19, 2012 @ 7:07am PDTTags: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Naomi Watts, Scarlett Johansson
Mike Fleming

MONTREAL/TORONTO – June 19, 2012 – Remstar Films is pleased to announce that is has acquired Canadian rights for DON JON’S ADDICTION written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and TWO MOTHERS written by Academy-Award winner Christopher Hampton and directed by Anne Fontaine. These new acquisitions are expected to be released in 2013.

Currently in production, DON JON’S ADDICTION will star Scarlett Johansson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Julianne Moore. Produced by Ram Bergman (LOOPER) and Nicolas Chartier (THE HURT LOCKER, Academy-Award winner for Best Picture), this is the first feature film written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt whose filmography as an actor includes the upcoming Batman trilogy conclusion THE DARK KNIGHT RISES and such films as INCEPTION and 50/50. DON JON’S ADDICTION is the journey of a contemporary, porn-addicted Don Juan-type as he attempts to become less selfish.

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Cassian Elwes Preps Herzog’s ‘Queen Of The Desert’; Weinstein Selling ‘Bodies’

By NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor | Saturday May 19, 2012 @ 10:51am PDTTags: Cassian Elwes, Naomi Watts, Rooney Mara, Werner Herzog

EXCLUSIVE: Wind and rain have been sweeping the Croisette but Cassian Elwes says, “I feel like I’m on fire.” The former WMA head of independent film who’s now producing and packaging indies has skin in the game in Cannes with … Read More »

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Naomi Watts To Play Princess Diana In ‘Caught In Flight’

By NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor | Thursday February 9, 2012 @ 2:52am PSTTags: Naomi Watts, Princess Diana

Ecosse Films today announced that British-born Academy® award nominated actress NAOMI WATTS (J. Edgar, Eastern Promises, Fair Game, 21 Grams) will play the role of Princess Diana in the upcoming movie CAUGHT IN FLIGHT.

Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel (Academy® Award nominated Downfall), and based on the screenplay by Stephen Jeffreys, production will begin in the UK later this year.

CAUGHT IN FLIGHT is a compelling portrait of Diana, Princess of Wales during the last two years of her life. It charts how finding true personal happiness for the first time allowed her to achieve her defining successes evolving into a major international campaigner and humanitarian.

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Ben Mendelsohn Joins Naomi Watts, Robin Wright In Anne Fontaine Drama

By NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor | Tuesday February 7, 2012 @ 12:09am PSTTags: Naomi Watts, Robin Wright

Animal Kingdom star Ben Mendelsohn has joined the cast of Coco Before Chanel helmer Anne Fontaine’s English-language directorial debut. Naomi Watts and Robin Wright topline the drama which has been going by the name The Grandmothers, but which is now expected to get a title change. Gaumont’s Cécile Gaget also confirms to me that Sophie Lowe of Aussie TV hit The Slap and veteran actor Gary Sweet have boarded the picture with Animal Kingdom co-star James Frecheville and Twilight: Eclipse‘s Xavier Samuel.
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OSCARS: ‘J. Edgar’ Campaign Rolls Into High Gear With Eastwood, DiCaprio, Watts, Hammer At Packed Screenings, Q&As

By PETE HAMMOND | Saturday November 5, 2011 @ 12:11pm PDTTags: 84th Annual Academy Awards, Academy Awards, AFI Fest, Armie Hammer, Clint Eastwood, J. Edgar, Kathryn Bigelow, Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts
Pete Hammond

With its splashy world premiere as the opening-night film of AFI Fest on Thursday and a series of Q&As and receptions, Warner Bros’ campaign for J. Edgar — one of its big Oscar hopefuls — swung into high gear this week. In addition to the hoopla around the premiere, director Clint Eastwood did a DGA screening and discussion with Academy directing governor and fellow DGA and Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow on Tuesday night; stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts and Armie Hammer appeared for a Q&A in front of a packed-to-the-rafters SAG audience on Wednesday night (I moderated that one); and on Friday they all appeared for yet another screening, Q&A and reception at the LA County Art Museum. The latter was a prelude to Saturday night’s inaugural Art + Film gala, where Eastwood is being honored. Warners plans many more voter opps like these in the coming weeks.

First reviews of the film that opens next week are mixed to good depending on what you read and who you talk to (Rotten Tomatoes has it at 57% fresh, but only seven reviews are up so far). But it is done in classic and classy Eastwood style and, whatever the ultimate commercial and critical fate of the film, it is absolutely clear DiCaprio has a strong stake on a Best Actor Oscar nomination. As the complex and controversial FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, DiCaprio ages from his 20s to late 70s with seeming ease and has some heavy dramatic scenes — including one in which he dons his dead mother’s dress and another fight/kiss encounter with Hammer, who expertly plays his constant companion Clyde Tolson (and could be a Supporting Actor contender himself). Older Academy voters who remember Hoover should particularly respond to this well-crafted look at his complicated personal and professional life. Read More »

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AFM: Naomi Watts And Matt Dillon On ‘Sunlight Jr’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Monday October 31, 2011 @ 11:29am PDTTags: Matt Dillon, Naomi Watts
Mike Fleming

NEW YORK, NY – October 31, 2011 – Principal photography has begun on SUNLIGHT JR., it was announced today by Original Media’s Charlie Corwin and Freight Yard Films’ Andrea

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Hot Trailer: ‘Dream House’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Thursday July 21, 2011 @ 10:53am PDTTags: Daniel Craig, Dream House, Jim Sheridan, Morgan Creek, Naomi Watts, Rachel Weisz, Universal Pictures
Mike Fleming

Universal and Morgan Creek have put up a trailer for Dream House, the thriller that stars Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz and Naomi Watts. The Jim Sheridan-directed film will be released September 30. The trailer certainly lays out a lot of the plot and is it me, or is some of … Read More »

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MPAA Upholds R Rating for ‘Dream House’

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Wednesday July 6, 2011 @ 1:47pm PDTTags: Daniel Craig, Dream House, Morgan Creek, MPAA, Naomi Watts, Rachel Weisz, Universal Pictures

The film from Universal stars Daniel Craig, Naomi Watts and Rachel Weisz and will be released in September. Here’s the MPAA release:

LOS ANGELES — The Classification and Rating Appeals Board today upheld the R rating given to the

… Read More »

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Naomi Watts Joins ‘J. Edgar’ Hoover Cast

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Tuesday January 25, 2011 @ 7:21pm PSTTags: Armie Hammer, Brian Grazer, Charlize Theron, Clint Eastwood, Ed Westwick, Josh Lucas, Ken Howard, Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts, Ridley Scott, Ron Howard
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Naomi Watts has signed on to star in J. Edgar, the Clint Eastwood-directed biopic. Watts will play Helen Gandy, J. Edgar Hoover’s loyal secretary for 54 years. Hoover (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) called her indispensible and she was the … Read More »

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