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Archive for the ‘News & Rumors’ Category
Saturday, January 21st, 2012
“Underworld Awakening” begins with a tidy, three-minute wrap of the series’ first two movies (the third, a 2009 prequel minus star Kate Beckinsale doesn’t figure into the equation) before revealing the current grim state of affairs for its clashing vampires and werewolves.
Humans, at least those oblivious to the charms of the “Twilight” movies, have decided to stop killing each other and focus on eradicating creatures possessing fangs. Our vampire antiheroine Selene (Beckinsale) finds herself cryogenically frozen in a laboratory before someone (or something) mysteriously breaks the glass, facilitating her reemergence. Conveniently, her captors have left her spandex suit and knee-high black boots right next to her pod, though you’d think wiggling into that get-up after a dozen years of slumber would require a dexterity beyond even her extraordinary skills.
And make no mistake, those superhuman skills receive a workout in “Underworld Awakening,” a brisk creature-feature that ditches the series’ dreary mythology in favor of a more direct, action-oriented approach. The “Underworld” movies could never exactly be called “fun,” but Swedish directing duo Mans Marlind and Bjorn Stein manage to bring a bit of visual affair to the bloodletting along with another quality previously in short supply — competence.
That either makes “Awakening” the best movie in the burgeoning “Underworld” franchise or the worst, depending, I suppose, on how deeply you value the series’ previous strained attempts at myth-making. Here, the four credited screenwriters have created a workable (though easily solved) mystery surrounding the 12-year-old girl (India Eisley, Shailene Woodley’s little sister on the ABC Family series “The Secret Life of an American Teenager”) who was frozen along with Selene, while wasting little time setting up a scenario that pits vampires against steroid-pumped werewolves (or Lycans, if you must) in numerous CGI-aided scenarios.
Beckinsale, playing Selene as a memory-swiped Jason Bourne, finally manages to perfect the monotone delivery she’d been honing for the series’ first two entries. As if by explanation, she tells the girl at one point, “My heart’s not cold. It’s broken.” At least she has all that spandex and leather to keep her warm.
One of the outright pleasures of the “Underworld” movies has always been watching fine British thespians — Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy, Derek Jacobi — chew scenery along with various other body parts. “Awakening” gives us two new additions: Stephen Rea playing a mad scientist with all the relish of a man about to go into a sensory deprivation tank and, on the other side of the spectrum, a campy Charles Dance as the pragmatic leader of one of the last remaining vampire covens.
As to whether either will be around for the fifth film that this movie’s finale dutifully sets up, we can’t say. But that’s OK. Now that the “Harry Potter” movie franchise has come to a close, there are plenty of notable English actors available. Hopefully they can keep the costumes along with the paychecks.
Article Source: latimes.com
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Saturday, June 11th, 2011
I received an email from PopSugar announcing that Kate Beckinsale has been nominated as PopSugar’s Top 100 Favorite Imports. So if you’re a fan, which obviously you must be if you visit this site and read this, please mozy on over to PopSugar.com to cast your vote so Kate will rise to the top. 
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Thursday, April 21st, 2011
The ‘Underworld’ actress has been offered the role of Lori – the difficult wife of lead character Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell) – in the remake of the 1990 sci-fi thriller which is being directed by her husband Len Wiseman.
A number of actresses including Eva Green, Eva Mendes, Rosario Dawson and Paula Patton are said to have auditioned for the two main female roles with Jessica Biel reported to have landed the part of Melina, who helped protagonist Douglas solve a futuristic scandal on Mars in the original film, which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as Douglas Quaid
The original film tells the story of Douglas, a construction worker who thinks he’s a secret agent, but the new version – based on a script written by James Vanderbilt and Mark Bomback – will be closer to the book it was based on ‘We Can Remember It for You Wholesale’ by Philip K. Dick.
Producer Neal Moritz said: “It’s closer to the book, the big difference is we don’t go to space. Instead of it being a spaceship that takes us to another planet, there’s something that takes us from one side of the planet to another that’s really interesting.”
Shooting on ‘Total Recall’ is set to begin in Canada on May 15.
- uk.news.yahoo.com
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Sunday, April 10th, 2011
Production is underway in Vancouver, British Columbia, on the 4th installment in the highly successful Screen Gems/Lakeshore Entertainment Underworld franchise. Underworld 4: New Dawn brings a stunning new dimension to the epic battle between Vampires and Lycans, as the first film in the franchise to shoot in 3D.
Kate Beckinsale, star of the first two films, returns in her lead role as the vampire warrioress Selene, who escapes imprisonment to find herself in a world where humans have discovered the existence of both Vampire and Lycan clans, and are conducting an all-out war to eradicate both immortal species.
India Eisley (pictured inside) is the newest cast member, starring as “Eve” (Selene’s daughter?), while the previously announced Michael Ealy takes on the role of “Detective Sebastian”. Sandrine Holt (Starship Troopers 2, Resident Evil: Apocalypse ) and Robert Lawrenson round out the cast.
Underworld 4, scheduled to arrive in theaters January 20, 2012, is helmed by Swedish directors Mans Marlind & Bjorn Stein, who co-directed the 2009 thriller Shelter starring Julianne Moore and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Their feature credits also include the award-winning Swedish film Storm.
Producing are Tom Rosenberg (The Lincoln Lawyer, Million Dollar Baby,), Gary Lucchesi (The Lincoln Lawyer, Million Dollar Baby, Underworld), Len Wiseman (Underworld, Live Free Or Die Hard) and Richard Wright (The Lincoln Lawyer, Underworld). The film’s executive producers are David Kern (The Lincoln Lawyer, Fame), David Coatsworth (John Adams, Grey Gardens) Henry Winterstern (Conan The Barbarian, Underworld Evolution) and Skip Williamson (Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, Crank).
The screenplay for Underworld 4 is by Len Wiseman (Underworld, Underworld: Evolution), John Hlavin (The Shield), and Allison Burnett (Gone, Fame).
The talented behind-the-scenes team includes cinematographer Scott Kevan (Death Race, The Losers), Genie award-winning production designer Claude Pare (Barney’s Version, Night At The Museum), Academy Award nominated costume designer Monique Prudhomme (Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Juno), and editor Jeff McEvoy (Wonderland, The Lincoln Lawyer).
- bloody-disgusting.com
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Tuesday, January 25th, 2011
An action movie starring Mark Wahlberg and Kate Beckinsale is filming near City Hall and the surrounding areas beginning Tuesday, according to the city’s film office.
Farraday Films is shooting “Contraband” from now through Feb. 2 between Bolivar Street and South Prieur Street north of Interstate 10.
No parking will be allowed on those blocks or under the I-10 overpass until after Feb. 2, and “no parking” signs have been posted in the area, according to a news release.
People in the area may hear gunfire and explosions during the filming, and New Orleans police officers will be in the area to oversee traffic and monitor safety.
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Friday, January 21st, 2011
Eva Longoria and Kate Beckinsale are reportedly planning a baby shower for friend Victoria Beckham for her support during her recent marriage split.
The ‘Desperate Housewives’ star has reportedly joined forces with actress Kate Beckinsale to throw a lavish bash for their friend – who is currently expecting her fourth child with soccer star husband David Beckham – that will also be a farewell party for the fashion designer and her children Brooklyn, 11, Romeo, eight, and five-year-old Cruz, who are heading to England to be with David while he is training there.
A source told more! magazine: “Eva Longoria and Kate Beckinsale are organizing a little get together so they can congratulate Victoria, but also say goodbye.
“They’re really sad that there’s a chance she’s going to be away from Los Angeles for so long. But there’s happy news too, with the pregnancy.
“They’re planning on getting all their mutual friends together for tea and cakes at Eva’s.”
Eva – who split from her husband Tony Parker in November – has promised to spare no expense for the party, which will be held at her Los Angeles mansion, and is even having her friend’s favorite treats flown in from Europe.
The source added: “She’s planning to lay on cupcakes and Laduree macaroons, which she’s getting flown over from France because she knows Victoria’s absolutely loves them.”
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Wednesday, January 12th, 2011
Kate Beckinsale has revealed she was a “nightmare” in her youth.
The Underworld actress may be one of Hollywood’s best groomed stars, but she insists her early years were not quite so glamorous.
“I was an awkward child. I would not want to go out of the house unless I wore tartan tights, a stripy skirt and spotted T-shirt. I was a nightmare,” Kate told The Sun.
“I was quite fat as a small child. I suddenly had hips and I was about 4ft 11in at 14. Then I grew in height, massively. I am 5ft 7in now.”
Kate, who lost her actor father Richard at the age of just five, said her teenage years were particularly difficult.
The 37-year-old, who is married to director Len Wiseman and has a 11-year-old daughter Lily with actor Michael Sheen, credits her mother Judy Loe as a great support during her tough times.
“I loathed being a teenager. If something traumatic happens when you are very young, it takes a long time to get used to it,” she added.
“My mother is gorgeous. She went on to become the breadwinner after my father’s death and kept us both. The lesson was in how she dealt with tragedy – and how she brought me up to deal with problems.”
- banburyguardian.co.uk
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Thursday, December 16th, 2010
I recieved an email stating that Kate Beckinsale was featured on hellomagazine.com‘s website among other lovely Hollywood ladies in 2010′s Most Elegant. If you think Kate is elegant, which all us fans do, then please vote for her! She deserves it Kate Fans!!
Vote Vote Vote!
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Monday, November 15th, 2010
Screen Gems and Lakeshore have signed Swedish directors Mans Marlind and Bjorn Stein to direct “Underworld 4.”
Marlind and Stein helmed supernatural thriller “Shelter,” starring Julianne Moore and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Kate Beckinsale signed in September as the lead in the fourth installment of “Underworld.”
Production on the latest tale of vampires vs. werewolves is set to start in Vancouver in March. Screen Gems has already set a Jan. 20, 2012, release date.
Lakeshore’s Tom Rosenberg and Gary Lucchesi are producing with Len Wiseman. John Hlavin penned the script with revisions by J. Michael Straczynski.
The three “Underworld” pics — released in 2003, 2006 and 2009 — have combined for about $300 million worldwide B.O.
- Thanks JJ for pointing out the article
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