Robbie To Ruin

by Jason Adams

Correct me if I'm wrong (I'm not as great as our host Nathaniel at keeping up with every single festival) but with a little digging it doesn't look like Mary, Queen of Scots is premiering at any of the Fall festivals? Perhaps that is why I've seen some people side-eying its awards chances lately? Personally I'm always down for dramatic wig acting, and with Saoirse & Margot under them wigs I'm hooked already (and that before you even get to James McArdle's Beard).

Margot is why we're here today though - she's just signed up for a new role and it's one that's got my interest right out of the gate. She is going to star opposite my beloved Matthias Schoenaerts in Ruin, the new film from Snowtown and Macbeth (and yes okay Assassin's Creed) director Justin Kurtzel. It's a World War II thriller - it actually sounds kind of similar to Paul Verhoeven's Black Book, which starred Carice Van Houten (sidenote: a happy birthday to the great Carice today!) and, hey look at that...

... Matthias Schoenaerts in a small role. First place I remember seeing him actually! Anyway Ruin is about a Holocaust survivor (Robbie) who teams up with a former SS officer (Schoenaerts) to hunt down the members of his former death squad. Tonally that could go... an awful lot of directions, so we'll have to wait and see how Kurtzel & Co take it. While we're waiting why don't we all head over to MNPP where I just posted a bunch of Matthias pictures inspired by this news? It'll help pass the time.

Showbiz History: Intolerance, Pee Wee, and Nightcrawler

9 random things that happened on this day, September 5th, in showbiz history...

1847 Outlaw Jesse James is born. 160 years later he'll be assassinated by Oscar nominated "supporting" actor Casey Affleck on the big screen.

← 1914 Stellar makeup artist Stuart Freeborn born in Leystone, London. You can thank him for the iconic looks of the original Star Wars trilogy (hello Chewbacca and Yoda) and the original Superman quadrilogy, and Peter Sellers transformations in Dr. Strangelove. He also worked on classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Bridge on the River Kwai and Murder on the Orient Express. He was never Oscar nominated so how did he not even get an Honorary Oscar?

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Showbiz History: Sandra Oh, Operation Valkyrie, and yet more Batman?

Since the right now is so depressing let us look back into showbiz history for (mostly) easier things to think about then the here and now.

wee Natalie Wood with cat

11 random things that happened on this day (July 20th) in relation to showbiz history...

1930 Sally Ann Howes born in London. She starred as "Truly Scrumptious" in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. She's one of the 200 oldest living screen stars. Happy 88th, Scrumptious!

1938 Natasha Gurdin born in San Francisco to immigrant parents. Five years later she makes her screen debut as "Natalie Wood" and becomes one of the rare child stars whose fame only grows as she ages...

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Westeros Comes to Hollywood: Casting News for Game of Thrones Actors

Margaret here to talk about Hollywood casting directors' collective infatuation with the actors on Game of Thrones. HBO's fantasy epic is a ratings juggernaut and has been Emmy-nominated a hundred times over. Its enormous cast (more series regulars than any other show on television) is getting a lot of attention, and many of them are landing high-profile movie roles. The prestige cable effect, so often noted for its ability to bring movie stars to TV, seems to be working in the other direction for Game of Thrones. 

Let's check in on the upcoming projects from our Westerosi friends: 

Carice van Houten

GoT Role: Melisandre, spooky red-headed priestess

Recently Booked: the Jesse Owens biopic Race. The Dutch actress will play legendary German filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl.

Aidan Gillen

GoT Role: Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish, slippery schemer.

Recently Booked: Recently greenlit sequel The Maze Runner Chapter II: The Scorch Trials. It's reported that he'll be playing the villain, Janson. 

Gwendoline Christie

GoT Role: Brienne of Tarth, lady warrior

Recently Booked: Star Wars: Episode VII. Her role is top-secret, but the movie is about as high-profile as they come. Her combat experience and 6'3" frame are likely to feature. She's also booked a small part in the final Hunger Games film, as a military commander.

More Westerosi movie news after the jump..

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European Film Award Wi -- what? Scorsesaywhat?

I watched a bit of the European Film Awards live streaming earlier today and the first sight that greeted me was Anke Engelke looking like she'd stepped out of the Capitol to announce the next Hunger Games. The only thing she got wrong was that her hair and makeup were too demure. Tim said she looked a "teensy bit too lindt bunny" which made me giggle.

While attempting to watch the show I was pulled into an endless twitter debate about misogyny and glorification/condemnation thereof in The Wolf of Wall Street - a conversation which I expect will rage throughout awards season unless the veritable army of Scorsese stans succeeds in stamping out open discussion about the movie's merits; they're weirdly adamant that one should only do adrenaline fueled wolf howls at it which is, I don't mind saying, one of the worst things that can happen to a movie that merits any kind of considered conversation.

SOOOOOO, while I didn't make it all the way through the EFAs and am ashamed to note that I missed Catherine Deneuve's tribute altogether (argh) here are 5 thoughts from the ceremony...

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