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Is Chloe Moretz's Next 'Huge Project' 'The Hunger Games?'

By Perri Nemiroff (Subscribe to Perri Nemiroff's posts), Posted Mar 31st 2011 9:50AM
Filed under: Movie News, Cinematical
It's about time we get some 'Hunger Games' news to report that doesn't revolve around the casting of Katniss, Peeta or Gale. When this whole casting clamor began, Chloe Moretz was at the top of the list to lead as Katniss. Clearly that didn't end up working out, but, on the bright side, Lionsgate's decision to go with Jennifer Lawrence for the part made another role accessible to Moretz: Katniss' younger sister, Prim.

In the books, it isn't Katniss that's selected to be thrown into the brutal Hunger Games, but rather her little sister, 12-year-old Primrose, or Prim for short. Thanks to the Capitol's volunteering policy, if a girl's name is read and another girl between the ages of 12 and 18 would like to take her position, she's able to do so and, sure enough, Katniss seizes the opportunity and spares her sister. After that, Prim's role is fairly minimal, but in the third book in particular, she certainly steps into the spotlight.
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Scenes We Love: Moon

By Perri Nemiroff (Subscribe to Perri Nemiroff's posts), Posted Mar 29th 2011 7:00PM
Filed under: Features, Trailers and Clips, Cinematical


With director Duncan Jones preparing to make his debut in the world of big-budget Hollywood production with his upcoming film 'Source Code,' why not take a look back at the little indie that got him here? Just about two years ago, Jones showed off his writing and directorial chops with his very first feature, 'Moon.' The film only pulled in about $9.8 million at the worldwide box office on a supposed $5 million budget, but made enough of an impression on critics, moviegoers and the folks over at Summit Entertainment, to secure Jones another gig.

'Moon' stars Sam Rockwell as Sam Bell, an employee of Lunar Industries wrapping up a three-year contract harvesting helium-3 on the moon. The gig is a one-man operation, so Sam is by his lonesome except for the base's computer host, GERTY (voiced by Kevin Spacey). As Sam readies himself to call it quits in outer space and head home to reunite with his beautiful wife and child on earth, some strange occurrences divert his attentions.
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'Hunger Games' Peeta Short-List Includes Hutcherson, Parrish, Till and More

By Perri Nemiroff (Subscribe to Perri Nemiroff's posts), Posted Mar 26th 2011 12:00PM
Filed under: Movie News, Cinematical


With Jennifer Lawrence a lock, Lionsgate is moving ahead with the casting of the male leads for the big screen adaptation of 'The Hunger Games.' Even before director Gary Ross had his Katniss, we were swimming in talk of who's reading for the roles of Peeta and Gale, which at this point feels like nearly every hot young actor in Hollywood. Well, now, according to THR's "insiders," the selection has narrowed because testing for the role of Katniss' Hunger Games co-Tribute, Peeta, happened today and they've got the list of guys who are in contention.

First off, there are the much-talked-about potentials, Josh Hutcherson, Lucas Till and Hunter Parrish. While Hutcherson has been a personal top choice since the start, with Lawrence leading as Katniss, he's feeling far less like a proper fit. The same goes for Till just in terms of looks alone; they may both be 20-years-old, but Till has a far younger look. Parrish, on the other hand, could be a winner visually and talent-wise.

But that's not all we're working with anymore; we've got some new names to toss into the mix.
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What Are the Most Profitable Movies of All Time?

By Perri Nemiroff (Subscribe to Perri Nemiroff's posts), Posted Mar 22nd 2011 12:35PM
Filed under: Movie News, Cinematical
What are the most profitable movies of all time? No, it's not 'Titanic' or 'Avatar.' We're not talking the highest grossers, but rather the ones that got the most bang for their buck. Over at CNBC.com, there's a list ranking the most profitable movies of all time by comparing their budget to their gross revenue. For example, let's take 'Avatar.' The film took in a whopping $2.8 billion worldwide, but its budget sits at a hefty supposed $300 million, making the film's return on investment only about 933 percent.

Sounds like a lot, right? Well, not compared to the film that holds the 15th position on this list. With a $111 million budget and $1.1 billion to show for it, 'The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King' comes in with an impressive 1,008 percent return on investment. From there we've got 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' 'There's Something About Mary,' and 'The Hangover' followed by 'Jaws,' 'Ghost' and 'Home Alone.' Next up is 'The Passion of the Christ,' 'American Beauty' and 'Star Wars.'
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Jennifer Lawrence Is Katniss in 'The Hunger Games,' So What Happens Now?

By Perri Nemiroff (Subscribe to Perri Nemiroff's posts), Posted Mar 18th 2011 1:00PM
Filed under: Movie News, Cinematical
It's official: the role of Katniss Everdeen belongs to Jennifer Lawrence. As reported by MTV, the 20-year-old actress will lead the cast of their big-screen version of 'The Hunger Games' and Lionsgate and Suzanne Collins are thrilled about it. Of Lawrence, Collins, the author of the book, said, "So powerful, vulnerable, beautiful, unforgiving and brave. I never thought we'd find somebody this perfect for the role. And I can't wait for everyone to see her play it."

And, of course, director Gary Ross had a little something to say about his new leading lady: "I'm so excited to work with Jen and see her bring this character to life. Katniss requires a young actress with strength, depth, complexity, tenderness, and power. There are very few people alive who can bring that to a role. Jen brings it in spades."
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'The Hunger Games' Movie: Jennifer Lawrence Close to Playing Katniss

By Perri Nemiroff (Subscribe to Perri Nemiroff's posts), Posted Mar 12th 2011 9:00AM
Filed under: Movie News, Cinematical
Is it finally over? Does Gary Ross finally have his leading lady? According to Variety, the role of Katniss Everdeen is just inches away from being cast. Who is it? Not Chloe Moretz, not Hailee Steinfeld, but Jennifer Lawrence. The source claims she's "close to getting an offer." No, this isn't a sure thing, but it's as close to it as you can get.

Now that the whole casting debacle is just about over, the battle will surge on via this question: Is Lawrence right for the role? Oddly enough, Lawrence is technically too old to play Katniss whereas her top competition was too young; Moretz and Steinfeld are just 14 while Lawrence is 20. Katniss, the young girl fighting in the Hunger Games on behalf of District 12, is 16. What's another four years in Hollywood, right? Well, yes, but should 'The Hunger Games' spawn a franchise, that's where we might run into some trouble.
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Cinematical Seven: Awesome Aliens to Hang Out With

By Perri Nemiroff (Subscribe to Perri Nemiroff's posts), Posted Mar 10th 2011 10:00PM
Filed under: Features, Cinematical


Good friends are hard to come by, so when you spot one in a movie, you can't help but to dream -- even when that potential pal is not of this world. On March 18th, we're going to meet Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen), an alien who crash lands on Earth, is held prisoner by the government and decides now is the time to escape. That's when Paul meets Graeme and Clive (Simon Pegg and Nick Frost), two nerdy guys on their way to check out Area 51. The little gray guy has his own Predator mode, enjoys Reese's Pieces, has an endless supply of wisecracks and even manages to wiggle his way into his new friends' hearts so much so that they're willing to do whatever it takes to get Paul home.

They're fun, loyal and out-of-this-world. Who wouldn't want to have an alien as friend? Well, odds are, it isn't happening, but there's certainly no harm in dreaming. Should my extra terrestrial pal ever beam him or herself down to Earth, I'm hoping he or she would be something like one of these unearthly movie characters.
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