Popcorn!

Recent film news column I did for the Irish Independent...

N.W.A. biopic to come straight outta Hollywood
Andrea Berloff, journalist and screenwriter of World Trade Centre, has been assigned to write Straight Outa Compton, the biopic of N.W.A. The Californian rap group released their debut album in 1988, which went onto sell 9million copies and was pivotal in the creation of gangsta rap. The inevitable squabbling and break-up followed, with Dr Dre later becoming a solo rapper and music mogul and Ice Cube becoming an actor and film producer. Sadly, another band member, Easy-E died of an AIDS-related illness. Original member Ice Cube will be among the film’s producers, along with Tomica Woods, the widow of Easy-E.


Naomi Watts ready for the Impossible
Good news for Naomi Watts fans: the lovely and talented Australian has two high-profile projects on the way, courtesy of Summit Entertainment (the Twilight series). First up she’ll star in the thriller Fair Game for director Doug Liman (Swingers, The Bourne Identity) and then she’ll be starring in The Impossible opposite Ewan McGregor. The latter will be directed by Juan Antonio Bayona (The Orphanage). Set in Spain and Thailand, The Impossible will revolve around the tsunami of 2004.

Breaking Dawn director addresses fans
And while we’re talking about Summit…Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters, Dreamgirls) director of the next two Twilight films has posted a message on Facebook for fans of the series. The outrageously overqualified director hopes to maintain contact with fans throughout the films’ production: “Please feel free to ask questions and I'll do my best to answer them. I hope that this will be the first of many occasions I'll get to check in with you as we set to work bringing Breaking Dawn to the screen. I am excited and grateful to have all of you alongside me for my Twilight journey.”

Rambo 5 a no-go
Does this qualify as good news? It depends on how you feel about campy action movies. While talking to Empire about his latest opus, The Expendables, Stallone has nixed rumours that there’ll be a 5th Rambo film: “I think Rambo’s pretty well done. I don’t think there’ll be any more. I’m about 99% sure”. Aintitcool.com had previously posted some entertaining rumours that Rambo 5 would have been a pseudo-science-fiction film, with the antihero facing off against a “metaphysically icky mega-beast”. That might’ve been fun!

Spielberg gets on the War Horse
Sometime after his Tintin movie (which opens Christmas next year) and probably before his Gershwin biopic, Stephen Spielberg will direct War Horse. The World War 1 epic will tell the story of the friendship between a boy and his horse. The child and animal are separated during the Great War, but their lives intertwine throughout the conflict. Richard Curtis (Love Actually) is among the film’s screenwriters. It all sounds very promising: like a strange hybrid of Saving Private Ryan and ET.


Lynn Redgrave: 1943 – 2010
Very sad news: Following a battle with breast cancer, actress and writer Lynn Redgrave passed away at the age of 67. Probably still best-known for her star-making role in Georgie Girl in 1966, she also did some stellar work in Tom Jones, Shine and especially Gods and Monsters. Her family issued a statement saying ""She lived, loved and worked harder than ever before. The endless memories she created as a mother, grandmother, writer, actor and friend will sustain us for the rest of our lives.”