Brando, Pride release date, TPV DVD

Don't forget - the first part of the Brando doc airs tomorrow. EN participated in the Turner Classic Movies documentary. Part 1 airs Tuesday night 8PM ET/PT on TCM and Part 2 airs Wed 8 PM as well. On the TCM Brando website, scroll down to the bottom and there is a link to a clip of EN talking about Brando.

Comingsoon.net gives a release date of 1/4/08 for EN's next film "Pride and Glory". Don't put it on your calendar yet, it may change in the future [Thanks to David for the info!!!].

The Painted Veil will be released on DVD on May 8th. I was hoping that more info on the special features would come out with the release date coming closer. Unfortunately, it looks as if the only "special feature" will be the movie trailer according to Amazon and Warner Home Video. Painted Veil DVD

Green or Gray Hulk?, Nike+, Interviews

The first controversy after the casting of EN as the Hulk has been the green versus grey Hulk (I can't believe that I am reporting this). An interview with Marvel ex-CEO Avi Arad lead to speculation that the Hulk would be gray firstshowing.net: The New Incredible Hulk Is Not Green - He's Grey?!. But days later on EmpireOnline, Arad clarified his remarks stating that the Hulk would be "a different shade of green" (maybe it's seafoam green). Another interesting fact from this article is that EN turned down the earlier version directed by Ang Lee. Also in the article "the casting of 'an amazing' Betty – Banner’s love interest – should be confirmed within the next couple of days." Who is this "amazing Betty"? Hollywoodgrind.com claims that it's Jessica Biel, EN's co-star from The Illusionist. Let's talk Abomination. I'm sure speculation on who will get the part of The Abomination is probably running wild, so we'll probably hear some names soon [Thanks so much to Hugh for the info!!!]

EN does a voiceover for a Nike+ commercial titled "Addicted". The ad is up at Adweek.com [Thanks to Donna for the info!!!]

Time Out has an interview with EN about TPV [Thanks to Robin for the info!!!]. ikeagirl has posted scans of another EN interview, this one in the June issue of Total Film on her website edwardnortonforums. TPV opens in UK theaters this Friday so we should be seeing more articles coming out.

Hulk- Day 2

It's hard to focus on anything beyond the unbearable tragedy of Virginia Tech. Everything else seems trivial. But as with any other film whose release date is announced before a single frame of film is shot, The Incredible Hulk is big news in the entertainment world. Comingsoon.net has posted an interview with Hulk screenwriter Zak Penn, who has effusive praise for EN

"I couldn't be happier about Ed Norton," he told us. "I worked on the first 'Hulk' movie and I remember talking about how awesome it would be if we got Ed Norton to play this part. He really was up for it the first time. I think Ed Norton's one of the best actors working, and even I was pretty shocked that he wanted to do it. It's one of those rare things where it turned out better than I [expected]. Look, there's a lot of really good actors who wanted to do it even before I wrote my script. I'm not just saying this, but I cannot think of a better person to play Bruce Banner. In this case, Ed Norton would have been at the top of my list.

"To me, the thing about Bruce is that he's a physicist, he's a super-smart guy who has a lot of repressed anger. To me, that is the essential thing you need to know about him. He could be tall or short, but you have to believe that he's a physicist, you have to believe that life is frustrating for him physically. Ed went to Yale. He's a really smart guy. He has an intelligence that you can see on-screen, which a lot of people who are great actors don't project that. He projects the guy that is smarter than you, and he also projects anger in a lot of his movies, 'Fight Club' being the most obvious example. If you think about 'Fight Club,' he has a lot of similarities to the Hulk as a character. Tyler Durden is his Hulk."

We also asked Penn to describe his take on the movie in terms of whether it's a sequel, a revamp or something different. "It's not going to be a sequel, but it's hard to describe," he admitted. "The best description I would say is something like 'Batman Begins' where it's not necessarily out of continuity with the other movies, though that was more of an origin story. It's much more of a reboot, the way that 'Aliens' is a sequel to 'Alien,' but the kinds of movie are different. It keeps the mythology of the worlds, but it's a totally different structure. It's more of an action movie than the first one was. This one is much more of a thriller, I would say. I don't think it's unfair to say like a 'Bourne Identity' type feeling to it. Certainly I've mentioned that the Bruce Jones comic book run were very influential or the TV series. It definitely harkens back much more to that, emphasizing a guy on the run with a secret, who cannot feel emotion and cannot risk having any close relationships with people for fear what it's going to do to them."

"The first movie is not about Bruce Banner dealing with the repercussions of being the Hulk, it's much more about him becoming the Hulk," he continued. "He gets taken to a base and put under observation pretty quickly. This movie is about Bruce Banner on the run and what life is like. There's stuff that I didn't want to deal with that was in the first movie. You're not going to see anything about his father or his experiments or anything, because to me, as a fan, that was the part that I found most frustrating and nooooooo dogs. I liked the fight, but I didn't like the poodle."

Just like the first sight of EN in the Smoochy costume, it's going to take me a while to get used to this. I was thinking more in the realm of early Coen brothers, not prosthetics and action figures. Hopefully, the supporting roles will go to some strong actors and hopefully his participation is contingent on him having a say on the large decisions. I couldn't help thinking while I was reading the interview with Penn, "He hasn't yet had EN approach him with script changes." What I'd really like to know is EN's take on all this: with all the other projects he could have done, why "The Hulk"? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

A Real Marvel

Just this morning, I was thinking "I can't wait for EN to start working on a new film." Be careful what you wish for: Variety has just announced that EN will be playing Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk. It will start shooting in Toronto in the summer and it has an opening set for June 13, 2008." Plus, "[Marvel] seeks to make a sequel that is less self-serious and more in line with the comic series and TV show." I hate to be negative right out of the gate, but this seems like a really, really bad idea. Where the fuck is Motherless Brooklyn? I've been reading Jonathan Lethem interviews lately to try get an idea, and he has no clue either. [Thanks to Melanie for the news!!!].

Speaking of decisions that are all about money, I might as well mention that Air America president Mark Green is a fucking idiot for getting rid of the Sam Seder Show from the daily airwaves and banishing it to the backwater of Sundays. But of course, it's better to make a profit than to have a soul.

It's been a rough few weeks, I hope to catch up soon.

Sarasota Film Festival

EN will attend the Sarasota Film Festival on April 14. He and The Illusionst co-screenwriter and producer Brian Koppelman will be honored with the Humanitarian Award. Ed Norton named honoree at Sarasota Film Festival

Green Party, Painted Veil DVD

On Mar 15, EN attended Domino Magazine's Green Issue Party. There are images up at Getty Images and WireImages, and coverage of the event is at Eccorazi and RadarOnline [Thanks to Danielle, Mary Ann and valeri for the info!!!

The Painted Veil DVD will be released on May 8. You can already preorder it through Amazon.com. It does not mention what features will be available. I also tried to check Warner Home Video and found no mention of the upcoming DVD. [Thanks to Mary Beth for the info!!!]

EN Guardian interview

EN's interview with The Guardian after a screening of The Illusionist is by far the most comprehensive discussion of his work for a long time. It's quite remarkable. Guardian interview pt 1, Guardian interview pt 2 [Thanks to Natasha, Mary Beth, Robin, Goldi, Amo and Melanie for the info!!!]

The interview covers a lot of interesting aspects of EN's films and I feel like I need some time to process it fully. There is one thing that I will pull out (and it really worries me that in a substantive article, this is the thing I discuss first): the inclusion of "Catch Her in the Eye" in EN's film credit list. Did nobody bother to actually read the list after printing his filmography off of IMDB? Other than the fact that it sounds like a porn and it is supposed to be distributed by Queer Screen Ltd., EN is supposed to be J.D. Caulfield, there is no other cast, and no director, producers, etc. listed [if you managed to get EN in your film, wouldn't you make sure that your name would be listed as prominantly as possible?]

Work the past couple of weeks has been all consuming and it actually seemed as if I had to shut down parts of myself to get through it, which feels disconcerting to say the least. Nothing I write in the next paragraph has anything to do with EN (or much of anything), but I just wanted to get it out. I saw Le Petit Lieutenant and thought Nathalie Baye was just wonderful. I think that in too many cop dramas (both film and TV), there is this need to try to capture attention by making the crime outlandish or involving VIPs or nonstop action or high drama. I think that you can reach a saturation point with the genre because there is little of substance behind the flash. This film starts from the routine policework and ends with life-changing consequences. I rented two excellent DVDs "Our Brand is Crisis" and "Cocaine Cowboys". "Our Brand is Crisis" disturbed me a great deal. It's about American political consulting firm Greenberg Carville and Shrum (GCS) managing the Bolivian presidential campaign of Goni (Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada) in 2002. They created his slogans, put together his advertising, engaged in negative campaigning, and conducted polls and focus groups among Bolivians to see whether the message was getting across. And this is not unusual, they are involved in political campaigns in different countries around the world with candidates that share their view of democratic and economic policies. There is something so inherently wrong about getting involved with another country's elections that I just can't put it into words. Ususally, it's just confined to a public misstep. In the film, days before the election, the US ambassador to Bolivia, denounced candidate Evo Morales and basically threatened Bolivia's aid if he was elected. Morales finished 2nd in the election, up from his fourth(?) place days earlier. I believe Bush also spoke harshly about Ahmadinejad before Iran's presidential election. But to think of private individuals quietly behind-the-scenes guiding candidates around the world who follow their kinds of policies (no matter how well intentioned), it feels very threatening. "Cocaine Cowboys" follows cocaine smuggling in the 1970s and 80s in south Florida, from it's introduction, to the skyrocketing success, to the disintigration into violence. It features interviews with cocaine smugglers, a hit man, as well as law enforcement and reporters. It's a very slick, very flashy kind of doc, in keeping with the conspicuous consumption of the day and also has the synthesizer music reminicent of Scarface and other 80s films. For all my admiration of Edward Norton, documentaries tend to be my weakness. Sometimes, I'll hear about them at festivals and desperately want to see them. It's scary to admit how thrilled I was to find out that Maxed Out will be arriving in DC in a few weeks. I feel that way now about trying to see By Invitation Only after hearing an interview with filmmaker Rebecca Snedeker. The documentary is about looking into Mardi Gras Carnival krewes and their traditions from the perspective of an insider (generations of Snedeker's family have been Carnival royalty). I've been trying to purchase a DVD of the film, but haven't heard back. Unfortunately, purchasing DVDs of these smaller docs is getting to be a growing habit since some never make it to the rental market. It seemed to be the only way to see State of Fear, the excellent documentary on the violent terrorist organization Shining Path and the brutal response of the Peruvian government (another good one to see about this topic that is available at Netflix is The Fall of Fujimori, about Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori). In the case of "The Revolution will not be Televised" (also known as Chavez - Inside the Coup), which looks at the 2002 temporary coup against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (I was lucky enough to see at a screening ) it doesn't even seem to be available at all through conventional means, but it is apparently available on Google video (take a look). It's surprising that this doc doesn't get more exposure. “Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple” will be premiering on PBS on April 9th, so you might want to mark your calendar. Okay, I think I'm done boring you with this post.

Pride and Glory reshoot, EN at National Film Theatre

EN and Jon Voight did some reshoots Friday in downtown Manhattan. Photo thumbnails are posted on WENN [Thanks to Kayla for the info!!!]

This Friday, EN will be at a special screening of The Illusionistat the National Film Theatre in London. It will also include an interview with EN by The Guardian. More info [Thanks to Katy for the info!!!]

Vanity Fair

EN is one of the actors featured in the upcoming Vanity Fair Hollywood issue. Check out the Vanity Fair website for a preview [ Thanks to Kayla, Melanie, and spurgonia for the info!!!]

BRANDO

Turner Classic Movies sent out a press release stating the newest additions (EN being one of them) participanting in BRANDO, their two part documentary which will premiere on May 1 and 2. EN starred with Marlon Brando in The Score. BRANDO press release

Nothing new, Oops from Netflix

As I mentioned back on Jan 11, there is a RUMOR that EN was one of the actors being considered for the role of Two-Face in The Dark Knight. Now the casting rumor has bubbled up again yesterday and I've gotten some emails. Compared with what was said on the 11th, there is no new information as far as EN is concerned.

Today's LA Times has an article about how Netflix inadvertently sent out a screener DVD of The Painted Veil to a customer. Netflix sends unauthorized 'Veil' DVD

American Way, Current TV

The December issue of American Way magazine has an excellent interview with EN where he talks about his time in China and makes some travel recommendations Off the Beaten Path [Thanks so much to Rosa for the info!!!]

Current TV had a wonderful interview segment with EN, TPV director John Curran and screenwriter Ron Nyswaner. Bill sent the link to me back on MLK's b-day, but somehow I missed it [Thanks so much to Bill for the info!!!]. Current TV interview

Just finished an exhausting project for work so I'm kind of out of it. I set up my TiVo yesterday to record EN's interview. When I came to watch it, I realized that theTiVo didn't change the channel and recorded some other program. But my mother caught it and she described it to me over the phone while I was barely conscious. I'm looking forward to sleeping this weekend

EN TV appearance

Tomorrow, EN is scheduled to be on "Live with Regis and Kelly" tomorrow morning promoting TPV [Thanks to Katrina for the info!!!].

Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust

The Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust has put out a press release Edward Norton, John Grisham Support Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust.

With help from Edward Norton, John Grisham, and grants, the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust in Kenya is supporting 14 primary schools and providing running water and electricity to the local dispensary, and planning to employ a doctor. The Trust is now employing 30 game scouts to assist the the Maasai landlords in creating conservancies in the Group Ranch.

[Further down ]

Edward Norton, who has generously supported with Cartier our Simba Project, kindly introduced Luca and Samson in the New York fundraising: thank you Edward.

John and Renee Grisham participated too and made an extremely generous donation: thank you John, thank you Renee.

Samson wanted to thank both Edward and John personally, and presented them with a "stick" of command, "orinka" in Maa. It is the stick that chiefs use in all their meetings.

More on 826LA event

Variety.com has more on Tuesday's 826LA event that EN attended.

Showbiz busy for charity

826 LA event nets a quarter million

By DANA HARRIS

Can we be real people?" Host Judd Apatow put the question to a sellout crowd that gathered Tuesday night to honor philanthropic wannabe Seth Rogen in the name of Dave Eggers' 826 LA charity.

As it turned out, the answer was yes. Ben Stiller, Ron Meyer, J.J. Abrams and Edward Norton ate KFC box dinners, handed to each guest as they walked inside the Vanguard.

Onstage, Dave Grohl kept his cool while being groped by Will Ferrell as they dueted on "Leather and Lace." Stiller begged Ted Danson to offer his dinner company at auction. "I'd rather not," he replied.

"Come on," Stiller said. "Not even 'Appetizer with an Icon?' "

The event still netted a quarter million -- enough for 826LA to open a writing and tutoring center in Echo Park.

826LA

Wireimage.com has posted thumbnails of EN along with Keeping the Faith costar Ben Stiller at Judd Apatow and Dave Eggers Present An Evening of Best Intentions Benefiting 826LA Honoring Seth Rogen which was held last night at The Vanguard in Hollywood. 826LA is non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18. 826LA website

A Run for the Presidency

Today, Illinois Senator Barak Obama took the first step in launching a 2008 presidential run by filing paperwork to form a presidential exploratory committee. EN's production company Class 5 Films is producing a documentary on Senator Obama. Just days ago, The Chicago Tribune had a snippet on EN's opinion of Senator Obama.

Could Edward Norton have the inside track on Sen. Barack Obama? Norton, who stars in "The Painted Veil" with Naomi Watts, told Armour & Co. he expects Obama to make a run at the White House in 2008. And Norton, who has met Obama, said he will be active in the Illinois Democrat's campaign if he makes the announcement. "It would be a privilege to support a guy like that," the actor said. "In my adult life there have been so few people in the political spectrum that I have really gotten excited about. I think he's got the goods."

TPV Box office

The Hollywood Reporter has info on TPV box office this weekend.

Warner Independent Pictures' "The Painted Veil" also seems to be keeping pace. The film starring Edward Norton and Naomi Watts grossed an estimated $1.2 million for the four-day frame, generating a per-screen average of $6,139 on 202 screens. Its cume stands at $2.8 million.

EN on Obama, Illusionist last Sundance

Two news items today from the same newspaper The Chicago Tribune has a paragraph on EN's opinion of Senator Barak Obama. What is missing from the piece is that EN's production company Class 5 films is producing a documentary on Obama (which is mentioned in his bio) Obama has Edward Norton's vote

Could Edward Norton have the inside track on Sen. Barack Obama? Norton, who stars in "The Painted Veil" with Naomi Watts, told Armour & Co. he expects Obama to make a run at the White House in 2008. And Norton, who has met Obama, said he will be active in the Illinois Democrat's campaign if he makes the announcement. "It would be a privilege to support a guy like that," the actor said. "In my adult life there have been so few people in the political spectrum that I have really gotten excited about. I think he's got the goods."

The Chicago Tribune has an article on the films from last year's Sundance Film Festival. Below is there summary on The Illusionist

"The Illusionist." This Edward Norton-starring magician movie was pooh-poohed at its Sundance premiere, and its primary financier, Bob Yari, wound up releasing it under his own banner.

Nice move: It became one of the year's sleepers, grossing close to $40 million.

Something weird

This morning, I came across an article from Canada's National Post called Lucky Streak: Joe Carnahan worried he'd never work in Hollywood again. His action-packed comeback proves fortune favours the bold and found something a little strange. "His screenplay for Pride and Glory, another cop drama -- this one featuring Colin Farrell and Edward Norton--is near completion." Pride and Glory finished filming last year.

Two-Face Edward Norton?

A casting rumor has EN as one of the possibilities for Batman villian Two-Face. From CinemaBlend.com

[Jamie Foxx]’s one of several names they’ve gleaned from the always unreliable "anonymous source". They’re also suggesting Edward Norton and Eion Bailey may be up for the role. Bailey is someone who apparently tested for the role of Batman in Batman Begins, and now he’s supposedly getting consideration for another role. Edward Norton’s people have already denied his involvement, but denials aren’t always the honest truth.

More EN interviews, EN and environmental causes, EN video clips

Still more EN interviews. This is a great one by The Onion's A.V. Club: Edward Norton [Thanks to Goldi, Pat, Robin, and Susanne for the info!!!]. Some others: San Bernadino County Sun: Edward Norton's year [Thanks to Melanie for the info!!!], Ottawa Citizen: The Painted Veil 'a rare opportunity' for Norton TheCinemaSource.com: Spotlight on Edward Norton San Antonio Current: Inside Ed's Head

ABCNews.com has an article on celebrity involvement in environmental causes. The first part of the article focuses on EN. "'I think clearly the state of our environmental instability is the defining issue for our generation,' Norton said." What's Hot in Hollywood? Going Green

YouTube has a section of a Q&A after screening where EN is talking about directors as well as The Illusionist NY Premiere [Thanks to Goldi for the info!!!]

God Grew Tired of Us

Last night, EN attended the LA premiere of God Grew Tired of Us, a documentary about the "lost boys" of Sudan that was produced by his Fight Club costar Brad Pitt. Thumbnails are up on wireimage.com, but Susanne was kind enough to send full size pics, which I'll be posting later [Thanks to Susanne and Kamila for the info!!!]

Baltimore Sun, Illusionist DVD, Maugham estate praise, RATS!!!

Today's Baltimore Sun has an article on EN Enduring illusionist.

The Illusionist will be released on DVD on Tuesday. While it's not mentioned on all the retailer sites (including distributor Fox), there is a commentary track by writer/director Neil Burger (according to a Boston Globe review). The other special features are a "Making of The Illusionist" featurette, and a Jessica Biel on The Illusionist" featurette, as well as the theatrical trailer (so not a lot). I'm disappointed that it doesn't have a commentary track with EN, I always find them fascinating. Just a warning for those who are going to pick up the DVD, it is offered in two editions: a widescreen and full screen (I prefer the widescreen). Unfortunately, the packaging is virtually identical so make sure you have the right one before trying to open the inpenetrable wrapping.

Today's Variety reports that TPV has received a good review from a welcome source.

'Painted' praise for Maugham film

Author's grandson calls adaptation a 'triumph'

By PAMELA MCCLINTOCK

John Curran's period piece "The Painted Veil" may have traveled an arduous road to the bigscreen, and its kudos prospects are still shaping up, but the film has gotten a key endorsement -- from the estate of W. Somerset Maugham, on whose book the pic was based.

In a cheery letter to the producers of "Veil," the author's grandson Julian Hope praises the perfs of Edward Norton and Naomi Watts and says he's sure everyone in his family would agree the film is "simply a triumph."

The jury's still out on whether "Veil" will generate major kudos attention. Some worry it was released too late in the game.

But the delay was a necessary one, as Warner China Film had to work closely during the editing process with the Chinese government, which allowed the film to be shot in that country.

Date in print: Mon., Jan. 8, 2007

Variety also reports good news as to TPV's box office performance this past weekend "Warner Independent's drama "The Painted Veil," meantime, starring Edward Norton and Naomi Watts, jumped 32% in biz. Pic, playing 75 engagements, averaged $6,667 per screen to take in $480,000 and bring its cume to date to $1.24 million.Warner indie banner will up "Veil" to 200-plus runs in the pic's next expansion." 'Labyrinth' leads limited releases

Today's NY Times has an article on TPV composer Alexandre Desplat Thinking in Colors and Textures, Then Writing in Music

I don't ususally heap praise on ContactMusic.com, but I will credit them with a nice understated headline "PAINTED VEIL STARS TREATED TO CANADIAN CUISINE IN CHINA" as opposed to the headline run on Zee News on the same story: "Watts, Norton may have eaten 'rats' passing off as chickens". The reason I'm not to fond of these news sites (and don't worry, I'm going to get to the rats in a second) is that they never mention their source (which in the past has been talk show interviews). So I thought may be this tidbit might have come from last week's Canadian TV interview "The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos". I watched the online video and got the feeling that it wasn't the entire interview shown on TV. Anyway, I've been overwhelmed with the number of interviews EN has given to promote the film. I'd like to think that I would have remembered rats. Anyway, I'm at a loss as where this originated.

ContactMusic.com: PAINTED VEIL STARS TREATED TO CANADIAN CUISINE IN CHINA"

The producers of new movie THE PAINTED VEIL were so worried about stars EDWARD NORTON and NAOMI WATTS falling sick on set in remote areas of China they hired a Canadian cook. The film backers were worried that local mountain cuisine near Beijing, Guangxi and Shanghai would leave cast members ill and so they insisted a proper chef was employed to serve up set treats. Norton says, "We had a Canadian woman who was an all-star chef on set. I don't know how she fixed up things she fixed up in the remote places that we were." But, although Norton was amazed with the cuisine, he wasn't always convinced he was eating what he was told he was eating: "She was probably telling us it was chicken and it was bamboo rat or something, but it was good.

new role?

Australia's Herald Sun reports that EN "might" voice a character in an upcoming animated film by Adam Elliot. Toni Collette is supposed to be close to signing on to Mary & Max, which is about "two lonely pen pals, a chubby eight-year-old Melbourne girl and a 44-year-old Jewish New Yorker with Asperger's syndrome". For the role of Max, "Phillip Seymour Hoffman has been ruled out, but Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Woody Allen and Billy Crystal have been touted as potential stars." Adam draws on Collette

Roundtable Discussion

The Hollywood Reporter moderated a roundtable discussion with EN, Ben Affleck, Nicole Kidman, and Forest Whitaker. They've posted an article on it . Dramatic Tension

Canadian TV - EN interview

EN will be interviewed TONIGHT on "The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos" at 11pm on CBC Television in Canada. But don't worry if you're not in Canada, this interview will be posted on the web tomorrow morning - CBC interview [Thanks to Paul for the info!!!]

2 more articles

Happy New Year! Two more articles on EN: One from the Miami Hearld (which apparently originated from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, but there's been so many articles lately, I'm having a hard time keeping track) An actor in firm control of his illusions and one from the Toronto Star The man behind the Veil (the title makes it sounds like he's a cross dresser in the film).

I checked both Variety.com and the HollywoodReporter.com this morning for news on the TPV and its expansion into new cities this past weekend and found no news on the box office returns.