Wicker Man Star Edward Woodward Dies
Edward Woodward, star of The Wicker Man, Callan, Hot Fuzz and classic TV show, The Equalizer, has died at the age of 79.
His agent, Janet Glass, has confirmed that Woodward passed away, surrounded by his family, at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, following a long illness.
Film fans will remember him fondly for his role as the strait-laced copper and tragic, Sgt. Tom Howie, in Robin Hardy’s classic horror, The Wicker Man.
But the Croydon-born star, affectionately nicknamed Ewah Woowah, was perhaps most famous for his iconic TV roles – he played ace secret agent Callan in the British series of the same name from 1967 to 1972, and then the titular The Equalizer, aka Robert McCall, in the wildly successful US TV show in the mid-80s.
He also did a stint on EastEnders earlier in the year, a stint which marked his last on-screen appearance.
His film career was equally well regarded however, with highlights including Breaker Morant, Champions and Hot Fuzz, in which he played the seemingly fun-loving Tom Weaver.
Woodward is survived by his wife, Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em star, Michele Dotrice, and four children.
Brian Cox Rumoured For Role As ‘Hobbit’ Dwarf
Brian Cox (he of Bourne and Braveheart fame) is strongly rumoured to be on the verge of signing up for a role in The Hobbit.
According to the ever-reliable Ain’t It Cool News, the Scottish actor is a leading contender to play one of the 13 dwarves on a quest to mug Smaug the dragon and steal his treasure in the movie version of JRR Tolkien’s timeless book.
Andy Serkis and Sir Ian McKellan – both of whom starred in the Lord of The Rings movies – are the only confirmed actors on The Hobbit so far.
It is all but confirmed that the project will be split into two separate films targeted for release in 2012.
That’s providing the world doesn’t come to an end first – bloody Mayans.
Stellar British Cast For ‘The King’s Speech’
How many students can you fit in a phone box?
No matter how tightly you squeeze those tax-dodging layabouts, you won’t outdo Tom Hopper’s new record for filling one film with as many distinguished British actors as possible.
Over the weekend it was announced that the director’s new film, The King’s Speech, which will tell the story of a British monarch with a speech impediment, will see Helena Bonham-Carter, Michael Gambon, Derek Jacobi, Guy Pearce, Jennifer Ehle and Timothy Spall join Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth for the project.
Firth will be playing the lead role of George VI, father to the current Queen and reluctant ascendant to the throne after his brother ran off to marry an American divorcee and muck about on the Riviera.
George was unprepared for the throne however and suffered from a stammer that made him very reluctant to speak in public. Rush is set to play the speech therapist that helped him and turned him into a bit of a lothario.
Other roles are as yet unconfirmed, but the word is that Helna Bonham-Carter will be playing Queen Elizabeth, aka the late Queen Mother, but whatever – with a cast this good, what can go wrong?
Well actually it never worked for Harry Potter – come to think of it, wasn’t it this lot that did those films?
‘Magneto’ Movie Seems Even More Unlikely
Eagerly anticipating an X Men Magneto movie? Well we hate to be the bearers of bad news – but don’t hold your breath, it won’t be arriving any time soon.
The man who penned X-Men Origins: Magneto, David Goyer, has said the movie should not be a priority for Fox, further increasing doubts that it will ever be made.
Franchise producer Lauren Shuler Donner recently claimed that – while Goyer’s script is ‘brilliant’ – the film was a lower priority than the planned Deadpool movie, a Wolverine sequel and X-Men: First Class.
“I tend to agree with her,” FlashForward co-creator Goyer told MTV News. “Fox is still trying to figure out what they want to do, whether or not they’ll do a different X-Men movie next or another Wolverine movie next.
“If they want to make Magneto, that’s awesome. In the meantime, I’m just going to move on with my other projects.
“Even taking FlashForward aside, I’m booked up for another year and a half. I have no complaints.”
It’s a good job that Ian McKellan has already said that he wouldn’t play the comic villain anymore – he might not live to see a Magneto movie anyway.
Twilight New Moon Stars Forced Out Of Hotel
What do you know?
It appears that feverous, boggly-eyed stalkerdom sometimes pays off.
Because for the brave few that have camped outside of The Dorchester Hotel waiting to see their idols on Wednesday, Christmas most definitely came early.
E! reports that Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner and director Chris Weitz were forced to flee…. ok, ‘leave’ the hotel on Wednesday after a fire alarm was set off during press interviews.
Eyewitnesses (read; boggly-eyed stalkers) said that “everyone was out on the street. There [Rob] was with his entourage, including Kristen.”
A Dorchester Hotel spokesperson called it a “minor incident” although for those lucky twi-hards camped outside, it was probably “the greatest moment of their lives”.
For more Twilight goodness, read our article on the Press Conference – we were there and everything (oh, and Kristen Stewart fans should probably look away too)….
Twilight Star Vows To Keep Getting Naked
After whinging for a couple of weeks about the difficulties of taking his shirt off for the camera, Twilight star Taylor Lautner has performed a U-turn that any politician would be proud of.
“One thing I heard recently which is not true, I didn’t say it, is that I believe I was quoted saying, ‘I will never take my shirt off for a movie again”, he explained to reporters.
“I didn’t say that! If I have to, if the character requires it, I will. Who knows, in ten years, I might do that. And like I said earlier, if the character requires me to lose 40 pounds, I’ll do it. It’s just all what the character requires. So that was interesting to see.”
The 17 year-old clearly can’t wait to get naked again…
Harvey Keitel Signs Up For Little Fockers
After Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, you would have to be crazy not to want Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro to do another film together.
And luckily for us, they are. Keitel has signed on to the third film in the Meet The Parents series.
Little Fockers, which is due to start filming next year, will see Ben Stiller return to the role of male nurse, Greg Focker and welcomes back regulars Owen Wilson, Teri Polo and Blythe Danner (you’ll recognise them when you see them).
Although details of the plot (and the possible return of Dustin Hoffman and Barbara Streisand) are still unclear at this stage, we can reveal that Keitel will be playing a contractor who will no doubt come into conflict with ex-CIA man Jack Byrnes.
Should be good.
Caine Calls For Return of National Service (Eeep!)
After rounding up all of Jeremy Kyle’s children in Harry Brown, Michael Caine has called for the return of national service to give Britain’s youth a “sense of belonging rather than violence”.
Surely a couple of years in the Marines is enough to make anyone recant their violent ways – hang on….
Caine, 76, did two years of national service, served in the Korean war and famously teamed up with Sylvester Stallone and Pele to defeat the dreaded Gestapo in a game of football.
“There should be a great plan to re-educate these youngsters,” he said at the London premiere of his new film last night. “It’s such a waste – they all feel society has let them down.”
“I’m just saying put them in the army for six months. You’re there to learn how to defend your country. Then when you come out, you have a sense of belonging rather than a sense of violence.”
Harry Brown opens this Friday, and sees an OAP fight back against the louts of the estate in spectacular fashion.
The film’s director, Daniel Barber, said he had spent time with police officers working in similar areas prior to making the movie. “It’s unbelievable the amount of violence out there that doesn’t get reported,” he said. “What they have to deal with is something else. This film is the tip of the iceberg.”
Twilight Author To Appear on Oprah
If you’re bright enough to go on the Oprah Winfrey show without jumping all over the woman’s sofa – then a place on everyone’s A-List could await.
But that isn’t necessarily something that Twilight author, Stephanie Myer wants. She is quite happy not to be universally recognised despite being richer than the pope.
However the 36 year-old writer blogged that she was very excited about appearing on Winfrey’s show this week to give New Moon extra publicity (as if it needed it).
“You know I’ve been doing the hermit thing this last year, insofar as media is concerned, and I’m not changing that now, but I am making an exception,” Meyer posted.
“I’m doing this for a good reason: I am so pleased and amazed and thrilled with what Chris Weitz has done with New Moon that I want to talk about it, and to show my support for him. And since I’m only doing one interview, better make it big. Really big. So… I will be on The Oprah Winfrey Show on Friday, November 13.”
Are they going to make Twilight: Breaking Dawn into two separate films? We suspect they might…
Will Smith Eyes Flowers For Algernon
There are some roles which just scream “Academy Award please” at the top of their voices. Examples include Forrest Gump, anything done by Meryl Streep and Charlie from Daniel Keyes’ novel Flowers For Algernon.
Will Smith has apparently already realised this and his own production company, Overbrook Entertainment are currently setting up the project with Sony.
Tracy Nyberg, who was behind the scenes on I Am Legend and Hancock, is set to produce the Fresh Prince’s latest Oscar bid.
After twice missing out, it seems that Smith has decided to blend many of his previous roles together with this one. The original story tells the tale of Charlie, a man with below average IQ, who undergoes experiments to make him a genius.
The cost is alienation from everything and everyone he knows, before it’s revealed that the process was flawed and its effects are only temporary. The Algernon of the title is a lab-mouse whose fate foreshadows Charlie’s.
Sounds like a mix of sci-fi and heart-rending drama – I, Robot meets Seven Pounds anyone?
Will Smith’s obviously not banking on getting an Oscar for a potential cameo in EastEnders then….
