González Iñárritu to Receive Director of the Year Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival

Posted on December 21, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Alejandro González Iñárritu may have a little extra spring in his step after his latest award…

The 51-year-old Mexican film director will receive this year’s Director of the Year Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival‘s 26th annual Awards Gala on January 3.

Inarritu, who has said that Birdman is a semi-autobiographical project, has already received Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice nominations for his co-writing and direction of the project.

He previously received PSIFF‘s Director of the Year Award in 2007 for his work on Babel (2006).

Other previous recipients of the PSIFF prize include Steve McQueen for 12 Years a Slave (2013), Robert Zemeckis for Flight (2012), Stephen Daldry for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011), David O. Russell for The Fighter (2010), Jason Reitman for Up in the Air (2009), Sean Penn for Into the Wild (2007) and Alexander Payne for Sideways (2004).

“By creating the illusion that the film was shot in one take and directing award-worthy performances by Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone and a star-studded cast, Inarritu,” PSIFF chairman Harold Matzner said in a statement. “Inarritu has created a brilliant and original dark comedy.”

The film festival will run January 2-12.

González Iñárritu Wins Best Screenplay Award from the Boston Society of Film Critics

Posted on December 8, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

He may not have earned the Best Director award from Boston’s film critics… But Alejandro González Iñárritu didn’t go home empty-handed.

The 51-year-old Mexican filmmaker was awarded the Best Screenplay award from the Boston Society of Film Critics for co-penning his critically acclaimed dark comedy Birdman with Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo.

Due to a tie in the category, González Iñárritu and his co-writers share the award with Richard Linklater, who penned the coming-of-age story for Boyhood.

In all, González Iñárritu’s film picked up four awards, including Michael Keaton and Emma Stone for acting and Emmanuel Lubezki for cinematography.

Here’s the complete list of winners:

Best Picture – Boyhood
Best Actor – Michael Keaton for Birdman
Best Actress – Marion Cotillard for The Immigrant and Two Days, One Night
Best Supporting Actor – J. K. Simmons for Whiplash
Best Supporting Actress – Emma Stone for Birdman
Best Director – Richard Linklater for Boyhood
Best Screenplay – (tie) Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo for Birdman & Richard Linklater for Boyhood
Best Cinematography – Emmanuel Lubezki for Birdman
Best Documentary – Citizenfour
Best Foreign-Language Film (awarded in memory of Jay Carr) – Two Days, One Night
Best Animated Film – The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
Best Film Editing (awarded in memory of Karen Schmeer) – Sandra Adair for Boyhood
Best New Filmmaker (awarded in memory of David Brudnoy) – Dan Gilroy for Nightcrawler
Best Ensemble Cast – Boyhood
Best Use of Music in a Film – Inherent Vice

Gonzalez Inarritu’s “Birdman” to Close the New York Film Festival

Posted on August 6, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Alejandro González Iñárritu is bringing his bird to the Big Apple…

Birdman, a dramedy co-written and directed by the 50-year-old Mexican filmmaker, has been selected as the closing night film at this year’s New York Film Festival on October 12, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The film, which is being distributed by Fox Searchlight and will be released in theaters on October 17, will have its world premiere on the opening night of the Venice Film Festival on Aug. 27.

Birdman stars Michael Keaton as a washed-up movie star trying to revive his career on Broadway. The cast also includes Emma Stone, Andrea Riseborough, Zach Galifianakis, Merritt Wever, Edward Norton, Amy Ryan and Naomi Watts.

The film was lensed by Oscar-winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki (Gravity), reportedly in a way that gives the appearance that the entire film is one continuous shot.

A González Iñárritu film closed the NYFF once before: 21 Grams screened in that slot in 2003. (The director’s first trip to the fest, though, was in 2000, with Amores Perros.)

International Trailer Released for González Iñárritu’s “Birdman”

Posted on August 2, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Alejandro González Iñárritu’s ready give audiences the bird(man)…

Fox Searchlight has released the international trailer for the 50-year-old Mexican filmmaker’s black comedy Birdman, which will have its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

Michael Keaton leads the ensemble cast that includes Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, Zach Galifianakis, Amy Ryan and Andrea Riseborough.

He portrays an actor, famous for having portrayed an iconic superhero, who struggles to mount a Broadway play.

Birdman marks a big departure from González Iñárritu’s more gritty and dramatic fare, including Babel, 21 Grams and Biutiful.

“It’s inventive and light” and full of surprises, says one of the film’s critics.

González Iñárritu’s Black Comedy “Birdman” to be Released in October

Posted on April 13, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Alejandro González Iñárritu’s next project will be migrating to theaters in October…

Fox Searchlight co-president Stephen Gilula has announced that the 50-year-old Mexican filmmaker’s Birdman will open in theaters on Friday, October 17.

The film isn’t expected to complete post-production until late May or early June, with producers it eyeing fall festivals for its premiere.

It’s González Iñárritu’s first black comedy, following the Academy Award-nominated director’s dramatic films Amores perros (2000), 21 Grams (2003), Babel (2006) and Biutiful.

“It’s the heart of the fall, and a great time historically for us with films like Sideways, 12 Years A Slave, and historically Slumdog Millionaire and Black Swan,” Gilula tells Deadline.com. “We’ve had great success launching films at festivals, but this hasn’t been screened for anyone, despite the speculation. Alejandro is famous for his meticulous work in post-production, and this film is unusual for him in that is has some visual effects, and an unusual sound design. The most important thing is to make sure that the film is right.”

The film has an all-star cast that includes Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, Emma Stone and his muse Naomi Watts, who appeared in the director’s Babel and 21 Grams.

Keaton plays a washed up actor who once played an iconic superhero who tries to mount a stage play despite his dysfunction and the dysfunction of others in his repertoire.

Inarritu wrote the film with Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. and Armando Bo.

Richie Named to People’s Top 10 Best-Dressed List

Posted on September 19, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

There’s no denying Nicole Richie has gone from The Simple Life to a fashion icon…

The 31-year-old part-Mexican American former reality television star, fashion designer and Fashion Star celebrity mentor has been named to People magazine’s top 10 best-dressed list for this year.

Richie, a contributor for Style.com’s Style Map blog, ranks No. 3 on the list behind Scandal star Kerry Washington and Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence.

But Richie isn’t the only Latina on this year’s best-dressed list…

Zoë Saldana, who reportedly secretly wed Italian artist Marco Perego this summer, ranks No. 4.

The fashionable Saldana made a splash at this year’s Oscars in a Alexis Mabille Couture dress, Neil Lane jewelry, Roger Vivier shoes and a Salvatore Ferragamo clutch.

Emma Stone, Lily Collins, Kate Bosworth, Jessica Chastain, Solange Knowles and Jenna Dewan-Tatum round out the list.

del Toro Lands All-Star Cast for His Next Film “Crimson Peak”

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Guillermo del Toro has rounded out an A-list ensemble for his next film…

The 48-year-old Mexican filmmaker has cast Benedict Cumberbatch, Jessica Chastain, Emma Stone and Charlie Hunnam in his haunted house thriller Crimson Peak for Legendary Pictures.

The film – the next movie to be directed by del Toro after helming the highly anticipated Pacific Rim, which comes out later this year – and is set to begin shooting in January 2014.

del Toro, who originally wrote the ghost story script with collaborator Matthew Robbins for Universal Pictures, is having Lucinda Coxon rewrite the script.

del Toro previously told Deadline.com that Crimson Peak is best described as “a very set-oriented, classical but at the same time modern take on the ghost story. It will allow me to play with the conventions of the genre I know and love, and at the same time subvert the old rules.”

Legendary will produce the film and be a participating financing partner, with Universal retaining an option to finance at a later date.

Meanwhile, del Toro’s Pacific Rim is due out July 12 via Warner Bros.

González Iñárritu Casts Edward Norton in “Birdman”

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Alejandro González Iñárritu has found the foil for his first comedy film…

The 49-year-old Mexican filmmaker, known for dramatic films like 21 Grams, Babel and Amores perros, has cast Edward Norton in his dark comedy Birdman.

From Fox Searchlight and New Regency, the film will center on a former actor ( played by Michael Keaton) who once played a superhero who puts together a play on Broadway based on a short story by Raymond Carver. Unfortunately, the ex-superhero’s plans to soar again are threatened by his egotistical lead stage actor portrayed by Norton.

Along with Norton and Keaton, the cast includes Emma Stone, Naomi Watts and Zach Galifianakis.

The film will be shot in a Broadway theater in New York beginning mid-April.

Walsh Cast in Amazon’s “Zombieland” Pilot

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Maiara Walsh will be fending off the walking dead…

The 24-year-old half-Brazilian actress has landed one of the leading roles in Amazon’s comedic television adaptation of the 2009 hit film Zombieland.

The comedy continues the events of the feature, with new actors taking over the roles of Columbus, Tallahassee and Wichita, previously played by Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson and Emma Stone, respectively, in the 2009 Ruben Fleischer feature.

Walsh, who has most recently appeared on ABC Family’s Switched at Birth, will play Wichita, a natural con-woman and tough girl who with her younger sister Little Rock (Izabela Vidovic) teams up with Columbus (Tyler Ross) to survive the zombie apocalypse and search for survivors.

Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick will write the script for Sony Pictures Television, which is producing the pilot for Amazon.

Walsh previously played Eva Longoria‘s niece, Ana, on ABC‘s Desperate Housewives. She also appeared on the CW‘s The Vampire Diaries and the TV movie Mean Girls 2.

Cannavale Starring in “Movie 43”

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

He may be reportedly dating actress Rose Byrne, but Bobby Cannavale still has plans for a little speed dating later this month…

The 42-year-old half Cuban actor, nominated for two SAG Awards this year for his recurring roles on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire and Showtime’s Nurse Jackie, will appear in Movie 43, a series of interconnected short films that follow three kids as they search the depths of the Internet to find the most banned movie in the world.

Cannavale appears as Fake Superman in the segment called “Super Hero Speed Dating,” opposite of Uma Thurman as Fake Lois Lane.

The cast of Movie 43 includes Kristen Bell, Halle Berry, Gerard Butler, Josh Duhamel, Richard Gere, Terrence Howard, Hugh Jackman, Emma Stone, Jason Sudeikis, Naomi Watts and Kate Winslet.

The film’s segment directors include Steven Brill, Peter Farrelly, Griffin Dunne and Brett Ratner.

Movie 43 opens January 25.

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