Keanu Reeves and Denise Richards set for Euro road trip movie

Keanu Reeves and Bond girl Denise Richards are being tipped to star in the Swedish-backed thriller The Devil's Tears.

The film is about a couple on the run from the mob and is set in the Netherlands.

Reeves' character goes on the road after trying to sell £5 million worth of jewels back to the Amsterdam company they were stolen from.

Mikael Haafstrom is directing the drama from a screenplay by Hans Aake Gabrielsson with the production likely to start in late summer.

An insider told Ananova: "What's fascinated Keanu and Denise is the cross-section of cultures as the film moves from Holland to Denmark to Sweden.

"It's the ultimate Euro road trip."

Reeves has just finished making the sequel to The Matrix.

Story filed: 15:17 Monday 25th February 2002

William Gibson: Prophet of Cyber-Grunge

Writer William Gibson has seen the future -- and it is Grunge.

GIBSON IN MOVIELAND

Because of his detail-heavy descriptions, Gibson's novels and short stories have been disparagingly called "art direction" by Hollywood types.

So what did he learn from the experiences of working on the movie version of his short story Johnny Mnemonic (1995), a film starring Keanu Reeves and directed by artist Robert Longo?

"That really, really large sums of money, like multiples of millions, have their own peculiar momentum," he answers hesitantly. "People talk about having control and losing control, and I look at that very differently now."

"In terms of practical application, I don't think I'm going to know until I get there," he says cryptically.

And there were no obvious "lessons" after he passed through the experience?

"Only that it's all a lot more serious a business than you can imagine before you've actually been there," says Gibson, alluding to the prototypical shark-like behavior of studio execs and others in the entertainment "industry."

Johnny Mnemonic was shot in Canada -- in part because of tax incentives for investors. "I was there on set in Canada quite a bit," says Gibson. "Considerably more so than a screenwriter ordinarily would be. Because of my relationship with Robert Longo and also because the script was changing as it was shot."

And who was responsible for that?

"I was responsible," admits Gibson freely. "It had to do with how we started. We started with a modestly budgeted independent film. Initial estimates held the budget at one to three million. Then the inflation began."

"I wasn't very concerned with that at the time," he says. "I think the top end might have been seven or eight [million] which wouldn't have been a very big deal."

"We started with an actor who wasn't -- on the day we signed him -- a movie star. When we started with Keanu [Reeves], Speed had not been released. And Keanu was not a star in the way he was after Speed was released. So Keanu's suddenly bankable status as an action star definitely put a spin on what was happening, and it got us a gradually expanding budget. And it also got us in TriStar's pocket because of the escalating budget."

"So what we wound up with -- in the end -- I've always said that it's what you would have gotten if the studio had recut David Lynch's Blue Velvet and marketed it as a mainstream detective story."

Was there a lot of editing after it was "in the can" -- more or less completely shot? Being diplomatic, I said, "There were a lot of controversial aspects to it. It got dissed pretty regularly."

"It might not have been dissed if you'd have the film that I wrote and Longo shot," says Gibson. "It got so radically reconceptualized that when I watched it for the first time, [I said] 'Oh my God, it doesn't make sense.' To some extent, it had been intentionally a comment film, a very alternative sort of SF film, very self-conscious about its genre in an ironic way. When the frame for that was lost -- it got lost after the last cut -- they recut it to their specs."

So was the Johnny Mnemonic experience somewhat of an abortion -- with the sense of loss and what could have been?

Gibson is non-committal. He says simply, "It was a learning experience."

And whose idea was it to cannibalize the "Bridge" -- a future squatters version of the famous San Francisco hallmark -- from Virtual Light and put it in the film?

"That was mine," answers Gibson. "At the time, I didn't think that I'd have a chance to do anything else. I saw Johnny Mnemonic as I wrote it, and we shot it as a collage of a lot of things. It was about a particular kind of science fiction. It's not about Virtual Light but about that sort of environment. The set that Longo constructed was stunningly great, and the cut that emerged -- you scarcely get any sense of it. It was probably one of the most beautifully realized science fiction sets since Blade Runner. Really really great. And as we shot it, the film made considerably more use of it, but it did not make it to the screen."

So was Longo's and Gibson's "vision" not the same as the "suits," the studio execs and the producers? Or what happened?

Gibson answers tentatively, "After a certain point, the suit who was most supportive of us throughout the process -- he would speak to my position by saying, 'At this point I have to speak for the members of our audience who are 'Gibson-challenged' -- and at that point I knew that I was in trouble. This guy was saying that 'whatever it is you're laying down here, bud, they ain't going to get it.' He was just doing his job."

When asked about the film directed by Abel Ferrara, New Rose Hotel (1999), also based on another Gibson short story, he says, "New Rose Hotel was a really interesting film. I had absolutely nothing to do with it, so it was kind of a new experience."

"Ferrara has a tiny stable, maybe two who do all the screenplays," he continues. "You can't go too far wrong with a film that stars Christopher Walken. It's a very interesting piece of work. It's ferociously idiosyncratic as a film, one that you'd expect from Ferrara."

"Probably it would give some people pause," says Gibson. "It's really interesting because it's ostensibly a science fiction film, ostensibly a genre film, but it pays less attention to doing that than any genre film ever made -- which I though was quite admirable. It's completely about character and the metaphorical nature of the world these guys have. They say it's the future, but it's really a world that consists of airplanes, hotel rooms, board rooms, and brothels. That's it."

Sounds like the basic LA lifestyle.

Asia Argento played the girl. "Asia's hot enough in that film to fry a dozen eggs on the street," says Gibson. "She's really, really terrific. And on the basis of that role, she should get a lot of work. That is one funny sexy girl."

Maybe she'll get out of that Italian horror genre thing. "Well, she was born into that. You know, her dad Dario Argento, is the grand master [of Italian horror.]"

Tom Green, Stallone leading in `worst' way

By David Germain
Associated Press
Published February 12, 2002

LOS ANGELES -- Tom Green got fingered by the Razzies, a movie-award spoof that singled out his "Freddy Got Fingered" with a leading eight nominations, including worst picture of last year.

Joining Green's tacky comedy in the worst-picture category were Sylvester Stallone's racing flick "Driven," Mariah Carey's pop-star bomb "Glitter," the war epic "Pearl Harbor" and Kevin Costner's Elvis-impersonator heist thriller "3,000 Miles to Graceland."

Contenders for the 22nd annual Razzies, organized by the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation, were announced Monday, a day in advance of Oscar nominations. Razzie "winners" will be announced March 23, the day before the Academy Awards ceremony.

Green and Stallone tied for most individual nominations with four each. The foundation's 500 members cited Green for worst actor, director, screenplay and worst screen couple ("Tom Green and any animal he abuses").

Razzies founder John Wilson said he expected "Freddy Got Fingered" to be the front-runner for worst picture.

"The movie has no redeeming value," Wilson said. "If his point was to be offensive and stupid and obnoxious, then, my gosh, he made a masterpiece."

Stallone was nominated for worst-supporting actor, screenplay and screen couple (with co-star Burt Reynolds) and shares the worst-picture nomination as a producer of "Driven." Named worst actor of the century by the Razzies in 2000, Stallone has a record 29 nominations and nine "wins."

Up against Green for worst actor are Ben Affleck, "Pearl Harbor;" Costner, "3,000 Miles to Graceland;" Keanu Reeves for both "Hardball" and "Sweet November;" and John Travolta for "Domestic Disturbance" and "Swordfish."

Carey is the clear favorite for worst actress, named on 93.3 percent of the nominating ballots, Wilson said. The singer's cleavage also was nominated for worst screen couple.

Other worst-actress nominees are Penelope Cruz ("Blow," "Captain Corelli's Mandolin," "Vanilla Sky"), Angelina Jolie ("Lara Croft: Tomb Raider," "Original Sin"), Jennifer Lopez ("Angel Eyes," "The Wedding Planner") and Charlize Theron ("Sweet November").

Besides Green, worst-director nominees are Michael Bay for "Pearl Harbor," Peter Chelsom (with Warren Beatty) for "Town & Country," Vondie Curtis Hall for "Glitter" and Renny Harlin for "Driven."

RAZZIES REALLY SOCK IT TO 'FREDDY'

February 12, 2002 -- TOM Green lost Drew Barrymore, but he might yet get to take home a prize - for worst film of the year. The tacky comic got fingered yesterday by the Razzies - the anti-Oscars awards spoof - for his critical fiasco, "Freddy Got Fingered."

The gross-out comedy, which features scenes of animal abuse, led the field with eight nominations, including worst film, worst actor, worst director, worst screenplay and, for worst screen couple, "Tom Green and Any Animal He Abuses."

Other flops nominated for worst picture in the 22nd annual Razzies included Sylvester Stallone's race-car drama, "Driven"; Mariah Carey's unintentionally comical "Glitter"; the overblown "Pearl Harbor"; and "3000 Miles to Graceland."

The non-profit Golden Raspberry Award Foundation names its Razzie nominees a day before the more prestigious Oscar nods are announced. The "winners" will be announced March 23, the eve of the Academy Awards ceremony.

Razzie head John Wilson says he has a personal preference for "Freddy Got Fingered."

"It is a new - and, I hope, all-time - low in bad taste, unfunny humor and bad career judgment," he says. "I hope we give all the awards to Tom Green because he might not be back."

Stallone, who won the Razzie Worst Actor of the Century trophy in 2000, was nominated for worst supporting actor, worst screenplay, worst screen couple (with co-star Burt Reynolds) and for worst picture as one of the producers of "Driven." This brings Stallone's career Razzie total to 29 nominations in 22 years.

Besides Green, the worst actor nominees were Ben Affleck for "Pearl Harbor," Kevin Costner for "3000 Miles to Graceland," Keanu Reeves for "Hardball" and the tear-jerker "Sweet November," and John Travolta, nominated for both "Domestic Disturbance" and Swordfish."

Carey was nominated as worst actress for the box-office disaster "Glitter," along with Penelope Cruz in "Blow," "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" and "Vanilla Sky"; Angelina Jolie for "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" and "Original Sin"; Jennifer Lopez for "Angel Eyes" and "The Wedding Planner"; and Charlize Theron, for "Sweet November."

Entertainment: 'Freddy Got Fingered' leads Razzie nominations with 8

Copyright © 2002 AP Online

Search for more stories about: Oscars Golden Raspberry Award Foundation Get headlines in your inbox with Nando newsletters By DAVID GERMAIN, AP Movie Writer

LOS ANGELES (February 11, 2002 2:45 p.m. EST) - The Razzies, a movie-award spoof, singled out Tom Green's "Freddy Got Fingered" with a leading eight nominations, including worst picture of last year.

Joining Green's tacky comedy in the worst-picture category were Sylvester Stallone's racing flick "Driven," Mariah Carey's pop-star bomb "Glitter," the war epic "Pearl Harbor" and Kevin Costner's Elvis-impersonator heist thriller "3000 Miles to Graceland."

Contenders for the 22nd annual Razzies, organized by the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation, were announced Monday, a day before Oscar nominations come out. Razzie "winners" will be announced March 23, the eve of the Academy Awards ceremony.

Green and Stallone tied for most individual nominations with four each. The foundation's 500 members cited Green for worst actor, director, screenplay and worst screen couple ("Tom Green and any animal he abuses").

Razzies founder John Wilson said he expects "Freddy Got Fingered" to be the front-runner for worst picture.

"The movie has no redeeming value," Wilson said. "If his point was to be offensive and stupid and obnoxious, then my gosh, he made a masterpiece. But then, it still is offensive and stupid and obnoxious."

Stallone was nominated for worst supporting actor, screenplay and screen couple (with co-star Burt Reynolds) and shares the worst-picture nomination as a producer of "Driven." Named worst actor of the century by the Razzies in 2000, Stallone holds the group's record with 29 nominations and nine "wins."

Up against Green for worst actor are Ben Affleck, "Pearl Harbor"; Costner, "3000 Miles to Graceland"; Keanu Reeves for both "Hardball" and "Sweet November"; and John Travolta for "Domestic Disturbance" and "Swordfish." Travolta received worst-actor dishonors last year for "Battlefield Earth" and "Lucky Numbers."

Carey is the clear favorite for worst actress, named on 93.3 percent of the nominating ballots, Wilson said. The singer's cleavage also was nominated for worst screen couple.

Other worst-actress nominees are Penelope Cruz ("Blow," "Captain Corelli's Mandolin," "Vanilla Sky"), Angelina Jolie ("Lara Croft: Tomb Raider," "Original Sin"), Jennifer Lopez ("Angel Eyes," "The Wedding Planner") and Charlize Theron ("Sweet November").

Besides Green, worst-director nominees are Michael Bay for "Pearl Harbor," Peter Chelsom (with Warren Beatty) for "Town & Country," Vondie Curtis Hall for "Glitter" and Renny Harlin for "Driven."

Latest Hollywood script deals

NEW YORK (Variety) - Fox-based New Regency has made a preemptive purchase of "Brad Pitt Wants My Girlfriend," a comic pitch to be written and directed by Les Firestein, an executive producer of "The Drew Carey Show."

The film was conceived in the spirit of "Being John Malkovich" in that it will attempt to employ the title character and because, like Malkovich, Pitt had no idea the project was being hatched.

Firestein will be paid near seven figures to write and make his directorial debut; he previously drew $1 million to write "Beautiful Asian Brides" for Danny DeVito's Jersey Films as a starring vehicle for Lucy Liu.

"Pitt" revolves around an attractive couple that grows estranged because the girlfriend feels the guy is taking her for granted. While on a trip to Canada, she meets Pitt as he's shooting a film. The actor takes a shine to her, and the boyfriend tries every way he can to win her back.

New Regency executives will approach Pitt while Firestein is writing the film. It is unclear at present how they'll work around the fact that Pitt's married to Jennifer Aniston.

"The nightmare for a guy is that if you screw up with a girl and someone else takes an interest in her, who would be the worst possible person," Firestein said. "That would be Brad."

Of course, if Pitt isn't interested, it could be most anyone famous except Malkovich, and only then because it would be confused with being a sequel.

"It could be Bono, it could be Kobe, Lenny Kravitz, Keanu Reeves, George Clooney, David Duchovny or Tiger Woods," Firestein said. "We're talking a minimum of $25 million in the bank, access to a jet and superstardom, leading the other guy to wonder what possible ammunition he could have to win his girlfriend back."

What might impress the potential star is that the storyline paints him with a most flattering brush.

"This isn't being done with Brad's permission or against him; if anything, it will make him look even better than the Brad we know. The conceit of the movie is that these stars can be more fabulous than we know," Firestein said.

NEW YORK (Variety) - Paramount Pictures has acquired screen rights to "The Bridge," a novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist Doug Marlette, which will be developed as a potential starring vehicle for Tom Cruise.

"The Bridge" (HarperCollins) revolves around a cartoonist, fired from his Gotham newspaper gig, who relocates his family to the Southern house in which he grew up and tries to come to terms with his past and family. Marlette has been a cartoonist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Newsday.

The feature will be developed by Paramount-based producers Donald De Line and C/W Prods., the production shingle Cruise runs with Paula Wagner. Cruise has made no commitment to star in it, but approved the hiring of Oscar-nominated screenwriter Mark Andrus ("As Good as It Gets").

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Gale Ann Hurd has optioned feature and television rights to "t-babe," a virtual pop star created by Glasgow Animation co-founders Tessa and Sascha Hartmann. Hurd's Valhalla Entertainment will develop and produce the project with Glasgow.

T-babe is an 18-year-old "virtual" singer who speaks several languages and embodies such teen-like qualities as adoring Bruce Willis and Internet shopping. The cyber-starlet, who recorded the single "Peter Pumpkineater," was named the most beautiful new pop artist by the Italian edition of Cosmopolitan. T-babe has even inspired a virtual rival in TMmy, a competing computer-generated confection that is the Christina Aguilera to t-babe's Britney Spears.

While Valhalla has not decided whether to launch t-babe's onscreen career in television or film, the storyline is expected to be an update of the "Pinocchio" tale, in which t-babe escapes her virtual world to attain her dream of living with real people.

Reuters/Variety

An American film studio is hoping to persuade Brad Pitt to play himself in its new film.

Brad Pitt Wants My Girlfriend is a comedy about a couple who begin to grow apart.

The girlfriend meets Brad Pitt when the couple take a trip to Canada.

Pitt decides he likes the woman, and her boyfriend tries every way he can to win her back.

According to www.variety.com Pitt knew nothing about the film until recently.

Les Firestein, who will direct the film, says if Pitt decides he doesn't want to be involved it won't be a problem: "It could be Bono, it could be Lenny Kravitz, Keanu Reeves, George Clooney, David Duchovny or Tiger Woods," said Firestein.

"We're talking a minimum of $25 million in the bank, access to a jet and superstardom, leading the other guy to wonder what possible ammunition he could have to win his girlfriend back."

"This isn't being done with Brad's permission or against him. If anything, it will make him look even better than the Brad we know."

There's no word on how the producers plan to get round the fact that Pitt is married to Jennifer Aniston.

Story filed: 10:45 Friday 8th February 2002

Brad Pitt to play himself

Hopeful producers chase the stars

Brad Pitt has been approached to play himself in a new film called Brad Pitt Wants My Girlfriend. The American film will tell the tale of a couple who grow apart when the girl meets Pitt while on a trip to Canada. When Brad decides he likes her, her boyfriend has to try and win her back. But it seems that both the title and the star are open for change. If Brad decides Jennifer Aniston might object, the director, Les Firestein, will approach other celebrities. 'It could be Bono, it could be Lenny Kravitz, Keanu Reeves, George Clooney, David Duchovny or Tiger Woods,' he said. "We're talking a minimum of $25 million in the bank, access to a jet and superstardom, leading the boyfriend to wonder what possible ammunition he could have to win his girlfriend back.'There's no word on whether Pitt has agreed to be involved, but producers are hopeful. 'This isn't being done with Brad's permission or against him. If anything, it will make him look even better than the Brad we know,・said Firestein.

Liisa Repo-Martell still longs for Chekhov

This time out, it's a novella set in Russia circa 1900

Theatre can conjure magic out of thin air.

Consider, for example, the Theatre Smith-Gilmour production of Chekhov's Shorts, which used clown technique and minimal set and props to tell a rich and compelling story.

The show drew sellout crowds to Toronto's Factory Theatre during the total of 15 weeks it played there and was also seen in Edmonton, Vancouver, Dartmouth and Halifax before embarking on a sold-out run in Hong Kong.

Well, it's time to send in the clowns again. Theatre Smith-Gilmour is back at Factory Studio Theatre with a new show called (what else?) Chekhov's Longs: In The Ravine.

Directed by Dean Gilmour and Michele Smith, the production features Smith, Gilmour, Colombe Demers, Ann-Marie Kerr and Liisa Repo-Martell. It opens on Tuesday and runs until March 3.

This time around, the team has turned to a Chekhov novella set in the Russian countryside in 1900. In The Ravine tells the story of the Tsybukin household ・father Gregory Petrovich, sons Anisim and Stepan, and their wives Akysinya and Lipa.

It is, says Repo-Martell, a portrait of a peasant society, the merchants in the story being people of the same class who have managed to better themselves slightly.

And two aspects run through the story, with people who represent the "rapacious, corrupt peasant drive," and those symbolizing love of the land and innate community loyalty.

Repo-Martell plays Lipa, a young and innocent peasant woman who marries the older son Anisim. "She's at the mercy of these people," says Repo-Martell. "She has no kind of protective covering."

Both shows were created collectively, with all the actors contributing scenes and ideas to the process. Repo-Martell worked on both.

"Dean and Mimi (Michele Smith) wanted to do more Chekhov because we all loved it so much and had read so many fantastic stories," she says.

"We spent about a month of half-days again around a table reading Chekhov stories to each other. In The Ravine emerged for a number of reasons. We felt it was really dramatic, with a strong, powerful plot to it and that it also contained five really vivid characters."

The collective spent much time trying to figure out how to tell the story. "We got stuck for quite a long time on set-up, and there was much banging of heads, " says Repo-Martell. "We created a lot of material that we then had to throw out."

Keeping the narrative flow proved to be quite a challenge. "The story seems to be going one way, then another character picks up the thrust of it, and you move on to something else. You don't get a real payoff until the end, and even then, there's not a payoff for each character."

Being part of a collective is like being in a family. "We fight and we go through tough things together, but it is really a testament to the commitment of this group that we have been able to weather all kinds of stuff together and keep this really democratic, open way of working.

"You can't go home and complain about the director because you are all the director, and you can't complain about the play because you are all writing it. You really have to take responsibility.

"It really uses all your resources, right?"

Toronto-born Repo-Martell, who turns 31 this month, started working in the theatre at 15. Her parents ・university professors and education activists ・were very supportive.

"I don't remember always wanting to be an actor," she says, "but I do remember my parents facilitating it when I expressed an interest."

Repo-Martell quit school at 16 and went to Ryerson very briefly: "I guess my parents' activism went too far in my case."

Instead of theatre school, she became "a scene-study junkie," taking numerous acting classes around town.

In her first show, Passion Or Death at Trinity St. Paul's Church, "we were all naked and covered in clay and acting out the horrors of the Third World. I thought, `This is fantastic. I have come home.'"

Her second show was DNA Theatre's groundbreaking This Is What Happens In Orangeville, and Repo-Martell appeared naked again, moving slowly through the audience, sweat trickling down her body.

"I don't know how I did it," she says now. "It was really nerve-racking, but I felt okay about it because it was a non-sexual scene."

She did a lot of television and movie work during the first part of her career, but for the past five years, it has been theatre most of the way.

She starred in Judith Thompson's Perfect Pie at Tarragon Theatre, was a wonderfully fragile Laura in London's Grand Theatre production of The Glass Menagerie, and received some highly laudatory reviews for her work in the Soulpepper productions of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya and Ionesco's The Lesson last summer.

She also played Ophelia opposite Keanu Reeves' much-talked about Hamlet at Winnipeg's Manitoba Theatre Centre. "It was pretty awful. I wasn't very good, either."

The classics, new plays, collective creations ・Repo-Martell's career is exactly where she wants it to be.

"I'm doing what I want to do," she says simply. "I just hope it lasts."