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Tag: russel crowe

  • Biblical Epic Noah by Darren Aronofsky set to release in India

    Biblical Epic Noah by Darren Aronofsky set to release in India

    MUMBAI: Director Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan) was fascinated by the compelling story about Noah since a very young age, and is all set to present his take on the larger-than-life story of courage, sacrifice and hope, titled Noah based on the popular biblical stories. Paramount Pictures recently released the first pulse-racing trailer of the film, which has attracted amazing response from the audience across the globe.

     

    The film boasts of a stellar cast, comprising of Academy Award winners Russell Crowe (Gladiator) and Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind) as Noah and his wife, Naameh, respectively. It also features Oscar Award winner Anthony Hopkins (Silence of the Lambs) and the ‘Harry Potter’ actress, Emma Watson. The director, Darren Aronofsky, who has given the world remarkable award winning films like Pi, Black Swan and The Wrestler, had been working on the screenplay of the epic since 2004.  

    The adventure packed film has spectacular VFX with mass scale production. The film features Noah having visions of an apocalyptic deluge, taking measures to protect his family and saving the innocent animals from the coming flood. In a world ravaged by human sin, Noah is given a divine mission: to build an Ark to save God’s creation from the devastating flood. Noah and his family build a massive ark, large enough to give shelter to two of every type of animal, who, when the time is right, appear at the foot of the great ship to board. What follows is a battle for Noah’s Ark, so that the storm can be survived.

     

    With the film due for a worldwide release next month, filmmaker Aronofsky has certainly left the audience looking forward to the grand cinematic experience. Presented by Paramount Pictures, the film is slated for release on 28 March by Viacom18 Motion Pictures in India.

  • Russel Crowe set to host two AACTA award ceremonies

    Russel Crowe set to host two AACTA award ceremonies

    MUMBAI: Russell Crowe will host two of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts‘ upcoming trio of awards ceremonies that will commence with the AACTA International awards. The event will be held in Los Angeles on 26 January, which also happens to be Australia Day.

    Taking the AACTA‘s awards season forward will be a luncheon party on 28 January where the craft award and the prestigious Raymond Longford Award for lifetime achievement will be given. The star will then fly to Sydney to host the main awards ceremony on 30 January.

    Following the withdrawal of local actor Hugh Sheridan who cited a scheduling conflict Crowe is stepping in to the host the events. The actor will join Geoffrey Rush (AACTA president) and Cate Blanchett (Australian Film Institute-AACTA Ambassador) in the lineup of AACTA awards presenters.

    Leading the nominations for the second annual AACTA Awards is indigenous hit musical The Sapphires, which was named on Wednesday as the top-grossing Australian film at the box office in 2012, taking AUS$14.5 million ($15.3 million) in its home territory.

    The Sapphires is up for a total of 12 awards, including best film, where it is vying for the top prize against Jonathan Teplitzsky‘s Burning Man, Cate Shortland‘s Lore and Kieran D‘Arcy-Smith‘s Wish You Were Here.

    AACTA CEO Damian Trewhella said that Crowe has shown his commitment to the Australian Academy since its launch 18 months ago.

    “Russell Crowe is a formidable talent whose work has been recognized through peer assessed awards the world over, including through the Oscars, BAFTAs and AFI Awards,” Trewhella said.

    “That Russell is hosting two events for the Australian Academy in L.A. and Sydney within the space of a week attests to both his support of the Australian screen industry, and his leadership with AACTA as we promote a voice for the Australian industry in the U.S,” he added.

    Crowe will be reunited with his Les Miserables co-star Hugh Jackman who is up for best actor at the AACTA International Awards.

  • ‘Da Vinci Code’ crew says it’s entertainment not theology

    ‘Da Vinci Code’ crew says it’s entertainment not theology

    CANNES: The maker of The Da Vinci Code – director Ron Howard – and the cast and crew today stated that it is the media, which is looking for a story that has created the hype around the so called religious controversy. “The controversy has actually been very limited,” says Alfred Molina, who plays the part of Bishop Aringarosa.

    Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou and Ron Howard at Cannes (Picture from www.canada.com)The film, which has created a storm in India with news channels and newspapers giving blanket coverage to the calls for the movie to be banned, is no stranger to controversy. Information and broadcasting minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi on Tuesday said that he “will not allow the controversial film Da Vinci Code to be screened unless representatives of Catholic churches along with the Censor Board watch the movie and clear it.”

    Even for newly launched English movie channel from the Sony stable SET Pix (Sony Pictures is distributing the film worldwide), the hullabaloo has come as a big dampener. Amongst other marketing activities it had planned, it had also scheduled a special screening of the movie in Mumbai for the cable and media fraternity on Saturday.

    Speaking to the media after the film’s screening Howard said, “Right from the beginning I expected controversy. We were talking about a global bestseller,” said Howard. “We were expecting it to be upsetting to some people. But we cannot forget that this is a piece of fictional entertainment people who have not seen the movie are talking about. What I would tell them is see the movie and then form your opinion. And if you are going to be upset by the movie don’t watch it. The movie will arouse different reactions from various people. We wanted to stir debate, we wanted people to think.”

    Added Tom Hanks: “This is not theology, it is entertainment, and if people can remember that, it will be good. It is a piece of commercial cinema.”

    When asked if the religious community put any pressure on him before he enacted the role of Robert Langdon, Hanks said, “Thankfully, brains score over emotion and fiction.”

    Ian McKellen, who essays the role of Sir Leigh Teabing added in lighter vein that the fact that Jesus was married puts to rest the speculation that he was gay. Tom Hanks avoided the question saying that he was not around then.

    As far as box office goes, Howard said that his partner in Imagine Entertainment expected the movie to do well. His partner Brian Glasser, who begins work on Imagine’s next project American Gangster with Russel Crowe and Samuel Jackson in Harlem two months from now, said he expects it to do very well. “A big winner,” he said.

    That remains to be seen though. With calls for bans and the like coming in from across the globe as well as the tepid reviews the film has been getting, the producers might be hoping for a miracle in expecting that viewers will flock into the theatres.