Russell Crowe Page 5

This week is pretty much all about The Hunger Games as Catching Fire arrives in cinemas around the world. After last week's world premiere in London, the cast headed back to America for back-to-back premieres in Los Angeles and New York. Meanwhile, a range of clips and short online features have whipped up fan frenzy to potentially record-breaking box office potential. Take a look over all the best bits of the American premiere's here or our The Hunger Games: Catching Fire critics round up here or just read our own review here. 

Slightly less flashy was the New York premiere of the Christmas drama Black Nativity, attended by stars Angela Bassett, Jennifer Hudson and Forest Whitaker, all caught by paparazzi on the red carpet looking very glamorous. The film opens in time for the holidays. Check out our videos from the event Jacob Latimore and Angela Bassett arrive, Jennifer Hudson shows off her stunning pixie crop and Forest Whitaker takes his family to 'Black Nativity' NY Premiere.

Continue reading: A Week In Movies: Catching Fire Lands In Cinemas, Black Nativity Premieres, A First Peek Into Noah's Ark

Winter's Tale is certainly not a movie that claims to be based on a true story but it certainly does profess to be a tale of true love. With a stellar cast, the marvels of New York City, a love story for all ages and a sprinkling of magic, the stage is set for this new Akiva Goldsman movie to be one of next year's cinematic highlights.

'Winter's Tale': This Romantic Fantasy Tale Will Be Released Just After Valentines Day 2014.

Colin Farrell plays Peter Lake, a burglar who lives and robs in early 20th century New York City. He is wanted by his former gangster boss, Pearly Soames (Russell Crowe), to repay a debt. Peter breaks into a mansion one day only to find a beautiful girl sat at her piano who is strangely not startled by his arrival.

Continue reading: Colin Farrell's 'Winter's Tale' Is An Uplifting Story Of Everlasting Love [Trailer + Pictures]

George Clooney has had to explain himself after being quoted with some not-so-nice words for two of Hollywood's leading men: Russell Crowe and Leonardo Dicaprio. The hunky actor became a talking point earlier this week after apparently bad mouthing Leo and his entourage, as well as reliving the feud started between himself and Crowe - sparked by Crowe in 2005 - and revealing that there is still bad blood between them.

George's comments were taken out of context

In the interview for Esquire magazine, the 52-year-old actor recalled playing a basketball game against Leo, and complained particularly about the way in which his friends behaved before and during it. After finding himself on the winning side of an 11-0 drubbing, Clooney told the glossy, “And the discrepancy between their game and how they talked about their game made me think of how important it is to have someone in your life to tell you what’s what. I’m not sure Leo has someone like that."

Continue reading: George Clooney 'Rant' Against Russell Crowe & Leonardo DiCaprio Explained By His Publicist

George Clooney has moulded an image of himself as the nice guy around Hollywood, regularly pitching in on humanitarian projects around the world and hosting and attending fundraisers and the likes for example, but it turns out that Mr Nice has a few bad bones in his body too. In a no-holds-barred interview with Esquire for their December issue, the actor took some unexpected verbal shots at Russell Crowe and Leonardo Dicaprio.

No more Mr. Nice guy

Crowe and Clooney apparently have a long-standing feud, one that Crowe attempted to bring to an end, only for Clooney to laugh off his attempts at reconciliation. Their beef began when Crowe called the 52-year-old Clooney a "sellout" some years ago, with Clooney saying that he has shot down every attempt to win his favour since then.

Continue reading: George Clooney Reveals Feud With Russell Crowe & Bad Mouths Leonardo DiCaprio In Latest Interview

Darren Aronofsky is facing a strange few months. His film, Noah, which stars Russell Crowe and Emma Watson (that’s not the weird bit) was put in front of Christian and Jewish test audiences, only for them to oppose the film because it diverges from the biblical telling of the story.

Russell Crowe Stars as Noah In Aronofsky's Movie

 When you break it down, this is - quite simply - fans of a book complaining the big screen adaptation isn’t true to what the author was trying to say. And it’s not like we haven’t seen that before. Problem is, Christianity and Judaism can’t really be boiled down to a ‘set of fans’ – there’s all this culture, art, food and years of persecution to think about.

Continue reading: Religious Audiences Argue Noah Story Diverges From Bible, Even Though It Never Happened

Having final cut is important to auteurs. Most studios - and almost all of the major ones - finance movies for one thing: to make a profit. Directors understand this, though getting final cut of a project they've worked on for months and often years is the very least that filmmakers ask.

It seems a dispute over the issue has erupted between Darren Aronofsky and Paramount regarding final cut of the $125 million epic Noah after troubling reactions from Jewish audiences in New York, Christians in Arizona and the general public in Orange County in California. 

Multiple sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Aronofsky and Paramount have been at odds over the version of Noah that will get a full release on March 28. It's still not clear whether the director - whose last effort Black Swan grossed $329 million worldwide and won an Oscar for Natalie Portman - has held onto the right to final cut.

Continue reading: Darren Aronofksy And Paramount Feud Over Final Cut Of $125 Million 'Noah'

Meg Ryan was once one of the biggest actresses in the world and a regular in the gossip columns, and then she was suddenly gone! It turns out that the one-time golden girl of the box office has decided to retreat from the public eye in favour of a quiet life in New York City.

Meg, pictured with lover John Mellencamp, does her best to avoid these types of encounters with paps

Ryan stars as the cover girl for the latest issue of People, with the magazine discussing her decision to go from leading lady to quiet housewife. The decision to do so wasn't because the offers dried up, quite the contrary, as Ryan simply wanted to spend more time with her daughter Daisy, 8, and her boyfriend of nearly three years, rock singer John Mellencamp.

Continue reading: Meg Ryan Ditched Hollywood For 'Quiet' NYC Life

Sigourney Weaver is re-teaming with the man who gave her her big break; Ridley Scott, to co-star in the director's upcoming Bible epic Exodus. The 20th Century Fox production will see Weaver star as Tuya, mother of Ramses (played by Joel Edgerton), in the movie, with John Turturro already signed on to appear as her husband.

Weaver will star as Tuya in one of 2014's two biblical movies

Weaver re-unites with Scott for the first time since the 1979 sci-fi classic Alien, in a film that is already looking like a star-studded affair, even though casting hasn't yet finished.

Continue reading: Sigourney Weaver And Ridley Scott To Join Forces Once Again For 'Exodus'

Man of Steel may not have won everyone over yet, but the latest Superman adaption still went on to show that the man from Krypton still knows how to pull in a crowd, with the new film collecting a whopping $125.1 million at the box office in it's opening weekend. This figure now makes Man of Steel the top grossing debut in the month of June, and should this success continue then it could be on course to draw over a billion dollars in ticket sales.

The phenomenal takings for the film means that it has already come close to recouping it's suspected $225 million budget, and as well as being to top grossing film in June of all time (beating Toy Story 3's 2010 record of $110.3 million), it is also the top grossing film that any of the movie's stars have appeared in. That includes Kevin Costner, Laurence Fishburne and even Russell Crowe, as well as any films that Henry Cavill or Amy Adams have appeared in or director Zack Snyder has worked on, not bad for a film that was so routinely given a hard time by critics in the lead-up to the actual release.

Right now, the film looks as though it could make up the entirety of it's budget within another week, although there has been a trend lately that has seen audience number plummet after first week sales and Man of Steel could be the latest to adhere to the trend. Eitherway, the early signs will probably be enough to encourage Warner Bros. that they have another hit or their way and, therefore, should determine whether we'll see another Superman film at some point. It should also go some way towards deciding whether a Justice League film should be made, which we hope happens with every fibre of our bodies.

Continue reading: Man Of Steel Enjoys 'Super' Opening Weekend; Scoring +$125 Million At Box Office

The Man of Steel is the latest foray onto the big screen from arguably the comic book-world's biggest star; Superman. There is often a sense of anticipation surrounding a new Superman adaptation whenever one is made, but now it seems as though anticipation levels are in over-drive, and with good reason too, as the latest big screen take on the man who wears his underwear on the outside of his trousers has the potential to be one of the biggest comic book movies to date. However that doesn't necessarily mean that the film will be a hit, as this overview will try to explain why the film could be as big a disappointment as Superman Returns.

Watch The Man Of Steel Trailer

There are two names hanging above Man of Steel that seem to indicate big things for the movie: Zack Snyder and Christopher Nolan. Snyder has been lauded since his take on Frank Miller's 300 graphic novel and his work with Supermna is the first time he has had the chance to work with a proper superhero, and he now has the chance to bring something new to the Superman tale, a chance he is sure to take. As tempting as Snyder's name is, the real excitement is surrounding Christopher Nolan, the man who remade Batman and turned comic book movie-making into what it is today, and with the Brit filmaker on hand to write the story for the film, the chance to see a Superman film that retains the dark, seriousness of The Dark Knight shouldn't be one that you would want to pass up too easily. What usually happens when two greats come together though is usually a little underwhelming,a nd with Man of Steel this might be the case again - and the critical reception the film has so far received seems to indicate just that.

Continue reading: Is The 'Man Of Steel' Really The Superhero Movie We've Been Waiting For?

Today, Friday 14 June 2013, marks the day when the world falls back in love with Superman as the Man of Steel flies into cinemas across the globe as the man in the bright red underpants has been reinvented for the big screen once again and this time we might have a reboot worthy of rivalling the 1970’s movie series. At least, that’s what the movie execs behind the film are hoping for, however the expectations of movie producers is rarely met by audiences and critics and with Man of Steel, we may have another case of a rather disappointing foray into film by the planet Krypton’s most famous son.

On the whole, the critical response to the film has been mostly lukewarm, and only on occasion has a critics staunchly defended the film and said that it is the summer blockbuster we’ve all been waiting for (since The Avengers or The Dark Knight Rises at least). After a week of critical response to the film, it currently holds the rather underwhelming 58% on critic aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, however the film does have a much more appealing 82% approval rate from audience, with a number of people commending the film for being a successful enough spectacle to make the occasional detours into generic blockbuster territory barely discernible. With such a stark contrast between the two percentages, it might leave a few people scratching their heads and wondering whether it will be worth seeing or not, but the only real way to see who has the better opinion of the film would be to go see it yourself.

The overall criticism with the film, it seems, is that the overall spectacle that Zack Snyder has created is too erratic and all-over-the-place, rarely giving the story or development of the characters room to breath. But still, it is a spectacle and one that is still highly entertaining to watch, even if it is pretty hard to follow (think of a smarter version of Transformers).  David Sexton’s review for the London Evening Standard seems to summarize the film pretty competently, saying; “some films make you wish you were 12 again so you could appreciate them as they deserve.”

Continue reading: What’s The Final Word On Superman ‘Man Of Steel’?

Henry Cavill as Superman in Man Of Steel

This summer will see a new Superman movie, Man of Steel, attempt to supersede the Batman Dark Knight trilogy as king of the comic book movie. No mean feat, but judging by the trailer, it’s got a good chance.

We’re not saying there haven’t been any good superhero films since Batman; the Iron Man franchise is strong, as are The Avengers movies, and The Wolverine is showing promise, but The Dark Knight stands as the saviour of the genre, and set the standards to which other films are judged. This epic trailer for Man of Steel takes us on a journey. From Superman’s journey to earth, to that incident on a bus, to saving humankind from the evil that threatens to destroy it. At 3 minutes, this is a ‘make a coffee’ trailer, so do that and watch. And let us know what you think! Either way, with the Superman movies so far being far from satisfactory, this will be a welcome addition to the franchise.

Continue reading: Man Of Steel Trailer Hits - Will Superman Be The New Dark Knight? [Trailer & Pictures]

Downton Abbey's Jessica Brown Findlay appears to be suffering from a bout of topless scene regret. The 23-year-old actress, who plays Lady Sybil in the ITV drama, went topless for a scene in her first movie 'Albatross' in 2011, though now regrets the decision and wishes she'd have said no.

"To be honest, 'Albatross' was naivety and not knowing that I could say no," Findlay told the Radio Times, "I had no idea what was going to happen and thought I was going to be shot from behind." The scene was far more revealing than Findlay had assumed and her character pulled up her top to prove her age when buying cigarettes at a newsagent. "Hollywood is not for me. I love acting, but I also love London," she reflected.

Findlay announced that she is to leave Downton Abbey earlier this year, in search of a new challenge. "Being afraid and going into the unknown excites me and what scared me more was to keep going and then one day discover it was all I could do and wish I had pushed myself more. I'd prefer to fail and fall flat on my face," she said. One thing's for sure; nude scenes probably aren't on her to-do list.

Continue reading: Topless Scene Regret For Downton Abbey's Jessica Brown Findlay

Look! In the sky! It's a plane; it's a blur, no wait! It's actually a picture of a 'UFO' taken by Russell Crowe himself! The Oscar winner has posted a movie on YouTube filmed near his home in Sydney that he claims shows an unidentified flying object, with the actor posting the footage on his Twitter soon after.

Crowe and a friend of his had apparently set up a stop motion camera in the Sydney Royal Botanical Gardens to capture images of fruit bats, but when they checked the reel they got a little more than was expected. "UFO? Time Lapse Photos Outside RC's Woolloomooloo Office (THESE ARE REAL!)" Crowe posted to his Twitter account with the YouTube clip, with the actor adding in a later post, "Canon 5D, No Flash, can't be a lense flare because it moves, camera is fixed."

Unfortunately for Hollywood's latest UFO enthusiast, three grainy shots of a red blur does not constitute as proof of intelligent life making a pit stop on Earth, as many of the Twitter comments agree. Still, Crowe seems pretty sure and was so far posted five Tweets in the space of eight hours about the alleged UFO incident, and yes, for those of you still wondering, there is a place called Woolloomooloo.

Continue reading: Close Encounters Of The Blurred Kind: Russell Crowe Films 'UFO' Footage (Video)

Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe are all well-respected actors, who’ve carved out hugely successful careers. But that didn’t mean they got a free pass into Les Miserables – no – they had to audition, and by that we mean sing, like everybody else.

Hugh Jackman & Russell Crowe (left) and Les Mis Director, Tom Hooper

Continue reading: Oscars 2013 – Les Miserables Cast Sang For Their Roles In The Film

We could hardly bring ourselves to visit Russell Crowe's Twitter page when first hearing that he'd responded to Adam Lambert's criticism of Les Miserables. We assumed the boisterous Australian would take apart the former American Idol star inch-by-inch, so imagine our surprise when the actor appeared to agree with Lambert.

The singer had initially taken to Twitter after seeing the film, telling his two million followers, "Les Mis: Visually impressive w great Emotional performances. But the score suffered massively with great actors PRETENDING to be singers." In fact, his thoughts on the movie mirrored those of the critics, who gave the film generally positive reviews, though nothing out of the ordinary. Lambert added, "I do think it was cool they were singing live - but with that cast, they should have studio recorded and sweetened the vocals.The industry will say 'these actors were so brave to attempt singing this score live' but why not cast actors who could actually sound good?" Hugh Jackman and Amanda Seyfried have singing experience, though the likes of Crowe and Anne Hathaway were effectively debuting their singing voices for the first time. Crowe, who plays Javert in the epic based on Victor Hugo's novel, tweeted in response, "I don't disagree with Adam. Sure it could have been sweetened, Tom Hooper wanted it raw and real, that's how it is." MASSIVE anti-climax.

Les Miserables - described by Rolling Stones' Peter Travers as "perfectly marvellous" - is likely to score numerous Oscar nominations in the January 10 announcement. 

There is always some enormous risk in remaking well loved stories, be they originally films, plays, television series or literature. There will always be hype and there will always be people who prefer the original, think the film ruined the book, consider the remake redundant or those who simply don't like it. Along with all of these risks, movie makers also come across the problem of how to remake something while at once being true to the original and yet also being able to make their own mark on it. Tom Hooper has managed to tread these very lines well with his latest movie, Victor Hugo's Les Miserables.

Les Mis was loved even before it was published. Hugo was already a much adored poet and when the first of the five volumes were published in 1862 it had sold out in Paris within two days. With it's award winning and long running musical that has delighted theatre audiences for decades, the popularity Les Miserables has managed not to fade. Speaking to Time, Hooper explained his decision to include the brand new song, 'Suddenly', for Jean Valjean and performed by Hugh Jackman. "There's an inspiring line in the book" he says, "that goes something like... 'The bishop had taught him virtue. Cosette taught him the meaning of love'... these two epiphanies [are] the central transformative moments. The musical nails the first one but the second one is kind of underwritten." Adding, "So I took this wonderful paragraph and asked Claude Michel and Alain Boublil [the writer and lyricist], 'Can you write me a song about what it is like to fall in love with a child, to experience parental love out of nowhere?'" And they did.

So far responses to the song have been fairly positive, despite the mixed reviews it's been receiving, with Time's own review naming Hooper's direction 'bad', while Variety has said it would "have made Victor Hugo proud". Starring Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfriend, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baren Cohen and introducing the adorable and talented Isabelle Allen as the young Cosette, Les Miserables will be in cinemas nationwide on January 11th.

Continue reading: Tom Hooper's Les Miserables: Making Something New Out Of The Old

Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe entertained the crowds at the Les Miserables premiere in Sydney, Australia, on Thursday (December 20, 2012), laughing and joking while also pretending to race each other down the red-carpet! Tom Hooper's big screen adaptation of the musical based on Victor Hugo's classic novel has received cautious praise from critics, though Jackman's performance in particular came in for specific fanfare.

Brothers in Arms: Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe Light Up The Red Carpet In Sydney, Australia

Speaking to The Australian, Jackman admitted that musicals aren't for everyone, "When it doesn't work, it stinks to high heaven, musical theatre. It can be very phoney. If it's not done well, it doesn't affect you in any way. I think musicals are the Mount Everest of moviemaking - I don't think there's anything more difficult to pull off."

Continue reading: Jokers! Hugh Jackman And Russell Crowe Fool Around At Les Miserables Premiere Down Under

Les Miserables may well score a plethora of Oscars at the Academy Awards in February, though it won't be on the back of critical acclaim. Sure, the movie has received its fair share of strong reviews, though a fairly average 71% on Rotten Tomatoes is enough to suggest that not everyone thinks the big budget project starring Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe has worked.

Richard Corliss of TIME Magazine was the most biting in his criticism, though directed most of his venom towards director Tom Hooper, who scooped the Oscar of Best Director for The King's Speech a couple of years ago. "Tom Hooper's problem is soiling good projects with bad direction. Even if his Les Misérables wins as many Oscars as The King's Speech did, it's a habit he really needs to correct," he wrote. Ouch. Catherine Shoard of The Guardian seemingly had a terrible experience sitting through the musical-drama, "By the end, you feel like a piñata on the dancefloor: empty, in bits, the victim of prolonged assault by killer pipes," she said. The Village Voice's Scott Foundas had sympathy with the British director, suggesting, "The moist-eyed storybook romanticism of the source material proves resilient to [Hooper's] efforts."

Despite the mixed reviews, Les Miserables has emerged as the second favorite to win the Oscar for Best Picture, though Steven Spielberg's Lincoln is expected to take that honor come 2013.

Continue reading: Has Tom Hooper Soiled 'Les Miserables' With Bad Direction?

After a more conservative look at the London premiere last week, Anne Hathaway set tongues wagging with this racey number

Props to the main stars of Les Miserables, they're putting in the effort on the film's run of premieres. Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman and the rest of the cast were all out in force again at the New York City premiere of the novel adaptation less than a week after they'd ran the red carpet gamut in London. What a difference a continent makes, though; whilst across in the UK Hathaway and the rest of the female cast dressed prettily but conservatively, at the Ziegfield Theatre they held nothing back, both Hathaway and Seyfried causing jaws to drop with their outfits. 

Continue reading: Pictures: Anne Hathaway And Amanda Seyfried's Outfits The Talking Point Of The New York Les Miserables Premiere

Anne Hathaway is back on the town and back to her stylish self after undergoing a massive transformation for her latest role as Fantine in Les Miserables, having been spotted around the nightspots of London shortly after arriving in the city.

Hathaway has made a series of appearances in the English capital since she flew in to promote the new film earlier this week, and it looks as though the actress was more than happy to finally be back on the town following her rigorous weigh-loss campaign for her role in Les Miserables. The actress dropped a further 25lbs from her already slim figure to get ready for her dramatic role as the Fantine, which involves her having to sell her hair and body in order to survive during the French revolution.

Anne and her fellow co-stars, including Amanda Seyfried, Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman, were in the capital for the world premiere on Wednesday (Dec 5) night, with Anne out for a meal with a male friend the following night looking seriously glamourous once again. Despite having to go down to her super-slim size, the dedication may pay off come February, with bookies making her one of the favourites to take home the Best Actress Oscar next year. That said, she still has stiff competition from the likes of Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook) and Sally Field (Lincoln).

Awards season kicked off in earnest this week with two major critical bodies - New York Critics and the National Board of Review - both naming the Osama bin Laden raid thriller Zero Dark Thirty as their film of the year. Jessica Chastain stars in the movie, which reunites director Kathryn Bigelow with The Hurt Locker writer Mark Boal. The new trailer promises another exciting, intense military action drama.

Another major awards contender is Tom Hooper's film of the epic musical Les Miserables, with a high-powered cast including Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne and Amanda Seyfried. All of them attended the glitzy red carpet world premiere in London this week. The film opens in America on Christmas Day, and in Britain in early January.

Continue reading: A Week In Movies Feat: Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty, Tom Hooper, Les Miserables, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Matt Damon, Martin Freeman And More!

To undertake a cinematic reimagining of Les Miserables is to approach the proverbial poisoned chalice with gusto, with added virulent infections and - yes the cliched metaphors are done now - a rounded panning from the public and press, who have enjoyed the stage show and don't look upon change kindly. 

But that hasn't been the case for Tom Hooper, who bravely took the helm to take this iconic stage show onto the big screen. Featuring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway, and not to mention the brilliance of violinist Henry Salmon, 2012's Les Mis has enjoyed a positive reaction from a difficult circle of critics to please.

"Not only is Les Miserables a great film," write popular film website, HeyuGuys, "but it is now the textbook example of how to adapt a musical for the screen, all the while maintaining an utterly straight face. Glorious," they add, giving the film an impressive 5/5.

Continue reading: At The Movies: Les Miserables Review Roundup

Anne Hathaway and her fellow cast members in Les Miserables were forced to sing live, MTV News have reported. They spoke to the movie’s director, Tom Hooper, who explained that it was of the utmost importance to have the actors singing live, to make the performances believable. The cast agreed, so Hathaway, Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman all had to put their vocal talents on display if they wanted to be part of the film.

“The whole sense that the character is producing the song, rather than the character is following a song, completely changes the medium of the music,” Hooper told MTV. “It's amazing how much more visceral and how much more real it is. I, for one, find lip-syncing; it's always made me find it fake. Even the great musicals, I have to kind of forgive them for miming. It's a real step forward in the form, which we are all really excited to be involved in.” Hathaway reportedly spent four months with a vocal coach before joining the rest of the coach for the nine-week filming schedule and it looks as though her hard work paid off.

The movie version of Les Miserables premiered at New York’s Lincoln Center. The Hollywood Reporter say that although Anne Hathaway’s performance as Fantine is a brief one, she makes an “indelible impression” and already, mutterings of potential Oscar nominations have begun to surface. 

Continue reading: No Lip-Syncing Here: Anne Hathaway Forced To Sing Live For Les Miserables

Russell Crowe turned down Hugh Jackman's Wolverine part in the X-Men movies, though recommended the Australian star for the role. Crowe had just finished Gladiator and opted to work with Ron Howard on A Beautiful Mind - a film that scooped multiple Oscars including an acting nomination for Crowe.

In an interview with Australian radio station Triple M 104.9FM (via Yahoo), Jackman explained, "Bryan Singer asked Rusty to do Wolverine, and he said, 'Nah mate I've just done 'Gladiator', it's not for me but you should look at this guy..." Luckily, Crowe appeared to be right on the money with his endorsement, as Jackman's portrayal was a huge hit with movie fans. He's since appeared as the clawed mutant three times, with a second X-Men spin-off 'The Wolverine' due out in July 2012. Crowe and Jackman have been good friends for many years, and the X-Men star said, "He's a great guy in every way, I have so much time for him and to watch him work, everyone says he is a great actor, when you actually get to work with someone like that... He's that good when it matters, in that moment, in that close up tough moment, you just sit back and watch you know someone's got that confidence and is going to deliver. I learnt a lot from him."

2013 is likely to be a big year for both stars, with Jackman appearing in the forthcoming musical-drama Les Miserables (as is Crowe) as well as The Wolverine and thriller The Prisoner with Jake Gyllenhaal. Crowe is shooting the fantasy Winter's Tale, Superman flick Man of Steel and his Oscar tipped blockbuster Noah. 

Continue reading: Russell Crowe Turned Down Wolverine Role (But Recommended Hugh Jackman)

It’s been a long time since a movie musical challenged for an Oscar, yet with the predictions and rumors starting to fly round there are suggestions that one could be in the reckoning to take the main Academy Award for the first time since Chicago triumphed way back in 2002.

In fairness, if Les Miserables was decent it was always going to have a chance; the book was considered one of the finest novels of the 19^th century, whilst the musical was one of the most high profile of the last century. Switching it to film though obviously had a huge pressure, and people finally got a chance to see how British filmmaker Tom Hooper had handled that as his film of Les Miserables screened for the first time last Friday (November 23), according to The Hollywood Reporter.

No one at the screening, which took place at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, was allowed to give their review of the film. What can be revealed is that Hooper himself was there and addressed the crowd. "I'm grateful that I finished it [the film]... “ he said in a speech, adding “I'm grateful to the thousands of people who have been on this journey, particularly the wonderful cast... and I'm grateful to Victor Hugo (who wrote the novel upon which the Broadway play upon which the film is derived), who unfortunately can't be with us." Starring Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Helena Bonham Carter among others, the cast certainly has the chops for the Awards season, only time will tell whether the film matches up to the profile.

David O'Russell's new movie Silver Linings Playbook, starring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, appears to have a one-way ticket to the Oscars ceremony in February. Strong reviews for the movie with an all-star cast means it's likely to be competing for the major prizes in 2013. Lawrence is the massive favorite to win best actress, Cooper will battle Daniel Day-Lewis and Joaquin Phoenix for best actor, though could Robert De Niro win his first Academy Award since 1981? (Raging Bull)

De Niro plays the father of Pat Solitano, a former school teacher who loses everything - his house, his job and his wife. Living back home with his parents, (mother played by Jacki Weaver), Pat attempts to rebuild his life and meets the mysterious Tiffany, played by Lawrence. De Niro is superb throughout, and is likely to be nominated for best supporting Actor, though can he go all the way? There's an interesting group of contenders this year, with Philip Seymour Hoffman a shoo-in for a nomination. His L. Ron Hubbard style character in The Master won fierce praise from critics, and the 45-year-old is a favorite of the Academy for sure. Ben Affleck could win best director for Argo, while the movie is the frontrunner for best picture, though it also has a couple of supporting performances worth a shout. Bryan Cranston plays a CIA officer in the political drama and has made a huge name for himself in Hollywood for his performances as Walter White in Breaking Bad - easily one of the finest characters in television drama for years. In the same movie, Alan Arkin also turns in a fine comedic performance with Jon Goodman and, of course, the Little Miss Sunshine actor has had his hands on the supporting actor gong before. Tommy Lee Jones is likely to get a nomination for Lincoln, while Leonardo DiCaprio will be disappointed to not make the shortlist for his turn as the evil Calvin Candie in Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained. 

Outsiders for a shot at the statuette include Javier Bardem for Skyfall, Russell Crowe for Les Miserables and William H Macy for The Sessions. Let's be clear, Philip Seymour Hoffman will take all the beating here, though De Niro's performance will not be ignored by the Academy. His co-star Bradley Cooper said it would be "insane" should he win Best Actor for Silver Linings Playbook and it certainly would be unthinkable for Daniel Day-Lewis not to walk away with that award come February, but best supporting actor? That's not so clear cut.

Continue reading: Has Silver Linings Playbook Got Robert De Niro Back Into Oscars Contention?

All eyes are on Flight and Wreck It Ralph this weekend as the main contenders for box office glory. Denzel Washington’s performance in Flight has already sparked whispers of an Oscar nomination from insiders, something that’s always guaranteed to get people fleeing to the movie theaters. However, with much of the East coast of the USA blighted by Hurricane Sandy earlier in the week, the attentions of much of the US public will be elsewhere as people try to recover from the devastation caused there.

Denzel Washington last won an Oscar in 2002, for the crime thriller Training Day. Flight is Washington’s latest stab at the prize. Described on Rotten Tomatoes as an “action packed mystery thriller,” Denzel plays the lead role of the pilot Whip Whitaker, who manages to land a passenger plane after a mid-air catastrophe and saves everyone on board. After being hailed as a hero, it soon becomes clear that something may be amiss with Whitaker and all is not as it seems.

 The critical response to Flight has been largely positive, with Roger Ebert hinting at the power of Denzel’s performance by saying “Not often does a movie character make such a harrowing personal journey that keeps us in deep sympathy all of the way.” High praise indeed from Ebert. In fact, the bulk of the praise for Flight is centered on Washington; Rolling Stone’s Peter Travers surmises “Flight reminds us of what Washington can do when a role hits him with a challenge that would floor a lesser actor. He's a ball of fire, and his detailed, depth-charged, bruisingly true performance will be talked about for years.” Sounds like one not to be missed! Wreck It Ralph might not have ‘Oscar Winner’ stamped all over it but it’s still shaping up to be a strong contender in the popularity stakes this weekend, with only one dissenter failing to give it the thumbs up on Rotten Tomatoes’ round-up of the top critics’ remarks.

Continue reading: Hot Tickets! This Weekend's US Cinema Releases: Flight, Wreck It Ralph, The Man With The Iron Fists, Vamps

The mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg has been making sure that the city's residents were fully prepared for Hurricane Sandy, which hit New York last night. And whilst the majority of New York citizens paid heed, TV presenter David Letterman decided to pay heed instead to that age-old motto from the world of entertainment. "the show must go on!"

According to MTV, Letterman wasn't going to let a minor detail like the biggest storms to ever hit the USA stop him from filming one of his late night chat shows. He did, however, film the episode of The Late Show With David Letterman without the presence of his usual live audience. He may have been prepared to brave the elements to get the show filmed but he wasn't about to let the general public endanger themselves in the process. The same applied to Jimmy Fallon's show, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. 

Other shows weren't so lucky. Jimmy Kimmel was forced to cancel one of his tapings in Brooklyn, announcing on Twitter "Though it pains us to do it, JKL from Brooklyn tonight is cancelled. I'm disappointed too, but we want you to be safe." Over at Comedy Central, however, the laughter stopped for the night. Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart both cancelled the filming for their shows. 

Continue reading: The Show Must Go On? David Letterman Props Up Entertainment Industry During Hurricane Sandy

Yes, photos prove that Russell Crowe has got old and fat since the break down of his marriage. However, his altered appearance isn't due to the emotional strife he has been enduring over the past few months, and instead is in aid of his new movie Noah, in which he plays mankind's saviour amid the Biblical flood. 

The Gladiator has been snapped with a long grey beared and a spare wheel or two around his waist, on set of Dan Aronofsky's upcoming ambitious movie based on Noah, as he builds the ark, and attempts to save two of every species on Earth. Ray Winston, Emma Watson and Jennifer Connelly will be starring alongside Crowe, as part of the $78m budgeted epic. This update of one of the best loved stories of the Bible is to be set in a more contemporary era, and will be released in 2014, reports the Daily Mail. 

Acknowledging the alteration in appearance, Crowe made light of it in a tweet 'The beard will be gone mid November so, no, I'm not booking Christmas shows #missedopportunity.' Although the star has gained a few pounds he has nevertheless kept up an intense work-out regime, and is generally keeping himself very, very busy since he filed for divorce. The pair's 9 year marriage simply couldn't handle the Hollywood pressure, as once source told the Daily Mail "a showbusiness marriage should still be a two-way street and he has been less behind her career than she has been behind his."

Russell Crowe and Danielle Spencer have separated, Reuters reports today (October 15, 2012).

Although the news has not been officially confirmed by Russell or Danielle, her father, Don Spencer has told the Australian TV station Ten Network that the couple have officially split and that their main priority was their children.

Academy Award-winning actor Crowe and his musician wife Spencer started dating back in 1989, when they co-starred in the film The Crossing. They married in 2003, at Russell’s cattle ranch in New South Wales. They have two sons together, Charles Spencer Crow (b. 2003) and Tennyson Spencer Crowe (b. 2006). The cause of the couple’s split is currently unclear and Danielle’s father didn't give any hints as to what may have prompted the separation. Russell Crowe’s Twitter currently gives no hints as to the situation. Crowe is currently in the United States, filming the biblical epic Noah. Spencer has remained in Sydney with their sons. Though it has widely been acknowledged that Spencer has been responsible for calming Crowe’s notorious temper since they have been together, when she was asked about it, she told the Sydney Morning Herald “All that stuff has nothing to do with me as a person,” when asked about her husband’s fame and reputation.

Continue reading: Divorce On The Cards? Russell Crowe And Danielle Spencer Separate