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| Bloom, Hawke, Thirlby 'Love' N.Y. An eclectic group of thesps and helmers are fanning out across Gotham's five boroughs to shoot "New York, I Love You." Orlando Bloom, Olivia Thirlby, Hayden Christensen and Ethan Hawke are among those who have boarded the omnibus pic, a mixture of contemplative romance and unabashed civic boosterism. The anthology of shorts follows the format of "Paris, je t'aime," a surprise specialty hit released last year. A few names had been rumored online since the project was first announced last spring (Woody Allen has nothing to do with it, contrary to reports). Paparazzi have swooped down on the production, currently midway through a planned 10-week shoot, and blogs started to teem with photos, especially when Scarlett Johansson started lining up shots. Johansson, like fellow thesp Natalie Portman, is making her helming debut on the project. Portman also stars in a separate short. Directors include Mira Nair, Brett Ratner and Alan Hughes, plus international helmers such as Fatih Akin, Andrey Zvyagintsev and Wen Jiang. The pic's producers include Marina Grasic, exec producer of "Crash"; Marianne Maddalena, of the "Scream" pics; and Jan Korbelin, exec producer of Lionsgate's "The Lucky Ones." Domestic rights are still being negotiated, and Bill Bloch's QED is selling international. Using a similar approach, "Paris je t'aime" quietly racked up nearly $5 million at the domestic B.O., quite a feat for a French-language title. First Look distribbed in the U.S. "Paris je t'aime" kicked off producer Emmanuel Benhiby's planned global series that could see numerous locales get the "I love you" treatment, with Shanghai and Africa on the drawing board. The timing is right, the filmmakers add. "This is a way for directors to play with a format that isn't 90 minutes," Korbelin said. "With films like 'Crash' and 'Babel,' the approach to narrative has changed," Grasic said. "People are getting more sophisticated about watching content in shorter forms." In one business respect, "New York" stands out amid the current tide of pics such as "Sex and the City" and "Enchanted" that have spotlighted Gotham locations. NYC & Co., the official marketing and tourism organization for the City of New York, is fully behind the pic, throwing its weight into sponsorship deals. A major airline is in final talks to help ferry talent to and from the city and promote the film on its aircraft, for example. Such co-branding deals go well beyond the typical offer of a few bus shelter ads and minor marketing considerations. "Given that this film is a valentine to the city, the city feels extra responsibility," said one person involved in dealmaking. So what's to separate the movie from simple testimonial tourism promos that would run in a taxicab or on a billboard? The filmmakers say that the explicit auteur approach, as well as interstitial material that weaves together the shorts into a planned 100-minute whole, will steer clear of overt shilling. Still, "This is a natural for New York," Grasic said. "It's definitely going to be cross-promotional." In the end, they say, New York will be a character, as it has been in films since the silent era, with a special nod to the diversity of 21st century Gotham. "There are a lot of culture clashes and love stories involving people of different races," noted Grasic. Other confirmed thesps include Carlos Acosta, Kevin Bacon, Justin Bartha, Rachel Bilson, James Caan, Bradley Cooper, Chris Cooper, Drea de Matteo, Irrfan Khan, Cloris Leachman, Blake Lively, Emilie Ohana, Maggie Q, Shu Qi, Eli Wallach, Saul Williams, Robin Wright-Penn, Anton Yelchin and Ugur Yucel. |
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| Orlando Bloom, Hayden Christensen and Ethan Hawke are among the stars lined up for New York, I Love You. The movie, which comprises 12 short films from different directors, is currently shooting across the city's five boroughs, reports Variety. Olivia Thirlby (Juno), Rachel Bilson, Kevin Bacon, James Caan and Gossip Girl's Blake Lively also star. Natalie Portman is appearing in one of the shorts as well as directing a separate segment. Scarlett Johansson, Mira Nair, Brett Ratner, Allen Hughes, Fatih Akin, Andrey Zvyagintsev and Wen Jiang are also wielding the megaphone. The Hollywood Reporter claims that Shia LaBeouf, Julie Christie and John Hurt are starring in the film Anthony Minghella wrote before his death. Shekhar Kapur has taken over directing duties. Meanwhile, other confirmed actors include Robin Wright Penn, Carlos Acosta, Chris Cooper, Drea de Matteo, Bradley Cooper, Cloris Leachman, Eli Wallach and Anton Yelchin. Follow-ups in the planned franchise are expected to be filmed in Shanghai, then locations in South America and Africa. |
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| Orlando Bloom, Shia LaBeouf, Julie Christie, Ethan Hawke, and Kevin Bacon are reportedly among the group of actors and directors taking part in the anthology feature New York, I Love You. The project, a collection of 12 shorts shot in each of New York's five boroughs, is being compared to Paris, je t'aime, the French-language film that used a similar approach with Paris as the setting. Names have been swirling around the Internet for the past year, but on Wednesday (April 10), the trade papers reported a comprehensive listing of those involved, both in front of and behind the camera. Hollywood Reporter reports that LaBeouf is starring with Christie in a segment, written by the late Anthony Minghella and directed by Shekhar Kapur (Elizabeth: The Golden Age), about a woman who checks into a hotel somehow caught between worlds. There, she meets a young man and the two discover a connection and begin to understand their situation. The short is being described as similar to Minghella's feature Truly Madly Deeply. Natalie Portman is making her directorial debut with a short (she also stars in one), as is Scarlett Johansson, who is directing a segment that follows the journey of a lonely man and his vision of the city. Photos of Johansson lining up shots made the rounds in the blogosphere last month. Variety reports that directors Bret Ratner, Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding), and Alan Hughes are among those sharing helming duties. In addition to Bacon, Hawke, Bloom, Christie, and LaBeouf, the other actors reportedly confirmed for the movie include: Carlos Acosta, Justin Bartha, Rachel Bilson, James Caan, Bradley Cooper, Chris Cooper, Drea de Matteo, Irrfan Khan, Cloris Leachman, Blake Lively, Emilie Ohana, Maggie Q, Shu Qi, Olivia Thirlby, Eli Wallach, Saul Williams, Robin Wright-Penn, Anton Yelchin, and Ugur Yucel. The movie is said to be about halfway through a 10-week shoot. Domestic rights are still under negotiation. |
| QUOTE (Jocy @ Apr 11 2008, 04:49 PM) |
| I wonder, if they're gonna plan something like with London... Orlando could star in there, aswell :flirt: : |
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| Trio cast in short written by the late Anthony Minghella Shia LaBeouf, Julie Christie and John Hurt are starring in a "New York, I Love You" segment written by the late Anthony Minghella. The production is an anthology of 12 short films set in each of the city's five boroughs. "Love" is being put together by a variety of directors, including Natalie Portman, who is making her writing and directing debut. Those cast in the anthology film includes Hayden Christensen, Rachel Bilson, Chris Cooper, Anton Yelchin, Drea de Matteo, Ethan Hawke and Kevin Bacon. Among those directing are such notables as Allen Hughes, Brett Ratner and Scarlett Johansson. Johansson's entry follows the journey of a lonely man and his vision of the city. The movie follows on the heels of the similarly formatted "Paris, je t'aime," which dealt with love encounters in the City of Light. LaBeouf and Christie's segment, written by Minghella and directed by Shekhar Kapur, who stepped in after the director died, centers on a woman who checks into a hotel that is between worlds. |
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| Vivendi, Palm fall for 'New York' Vivendi Entertainment and Palm Pictures have secured U.S. rights to "New York, I Love You," the ensemble collection of 12 short films currently in production in Manhattan. Pic is produced by Emmanuel Benbihy and Marina Grasic. The companies plan to release the film early next year. Shooting is almost two-thirds complete. Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson make their helming debuts on two of the shorts, all of which are love stories of various kinds. Among helmers onboard are Brett Ratner and Fatih Akin, and the cast already includes Kevin Bacon, Orlando Bloom, Julie Christie, Chris Cooper and Shia LaBeouf. Theme pic follows Benbihy's subtitled "Paris, je t'aime," which grossed a surprising $4.9 million domestically last year. The concept of revolving stories centered on a specific city will be further developed, with versions based in Asia, South America and Africa planned. For Vivendi Entertainment, the pic reps a new chapter. Formerly known as Vivendi Visual Entertainment and no relation to the conglom that owns 20% of NBC Universal, the company is an established player in the DVD space. It recently announced an expansion into theatrical releasing with plans to partner with filmmakers to distribute a slate of eight to 14 films per year. Vivendi and Palm, of which Grasic is a managing partner, have had a DVD distribution deal for three years. |