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Comic-Con: Gerard Butler loves the ladies

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 06:07:34 GMT

The only girls who weren’t at the Comic-Con “Twilight” session were waiting for the “Rocknrolla” one.

And that’s because Gerard Butler was on the bill.

No, really, the place went nuts at the mere mention of “Phantom of the Opera.”

Butler held court Thursday afternoon while promoting Guy Ritchie’s upcoming crime caper. The film “is so good, it’s better than sex,” he told the crowd. “Well, not [sex] with me.”

He managed to come up with the best answer to a Comic-Con fan question yet. Asked if he had a favorite moment while shooting, Butler replied:

“Nothing but getting a shot of B12 in my arse by Guy’s wife, Madonna. I was sick, and she was a nurse. . . . She was amazing. ‘Drop your pants.’ I whipped my little bottom out and she jabbed me in the ass. It didn’t work because I got more sick, but I appreciated the effort.”

Throughout the panel, Butler chucked chocolates meant for the talent to the crowd. The audience ate it up, and so did the actor.

“It’s starting to be like Sea World in here,” he said. In response to another fan question, this one about what’s coming up next for the actor, he kept it randy: “Halle Berry.”

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300 actor Gerard Butler set to win £1million Versace deal

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 20:10:49 GMT

SCOTS hunk Gerard Butler's muscular physique in sword-and-sandals epic 300 has caught the eye of fashionista Donatella Versace.

The design diva is so impressed by his toned abs and perfect pecs she wants to offer him a £1million modelling contract.

The Scot is being lined up to replace Grey's Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey as the face of Versace menswear.

Gerard, 38, was personally invited to Donatella's summer runway show in Milan and was also honoured at a private party thrown by Men's Vogue where he was pictured with Donatella's daughter Allegra and fellow actor John Malkovich.

Fashion insiders say the hunk - who has has been linked with a string of the world's most desirable women including Naomi Campbell, Rosario Dawson and Cameron Diaz - would be ideal for a big ad campaign.

One source said: "Gerard has it all - the dark good looks, the physique and the right image. Donatella saw him in 300 and fell in love with him on the spot.

"Men want to be like him and women simply adore him, especially when they see his six-pack.

"He is starting to make his mark in the mainstream movie world but also retains an edginess that a label as savvy as Versace know could really work for them."

Glasgow-born Butler now lives in New York but admits to feeling homesick. He said: "I miss everything about Scotland."

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Bob Thompson: RocknRolla's Gerard Butler’s got Game too

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 20:09:23 GMT

Fans of Gerard Butler -- and I know you’re out there -- appreciate the fact that the affable Glaswegian can go either way.

Butler can do sweet and charming as illustrated by P. S. I Love You and Nim’s Island. And he can also kick butt with the best of them as his Spartan king underscored in his break-out movie 300.

Looks like the 38-year-old returns to the action front for his next few films. In Guy Ritchie’s gangster picture RocknRolla -- set to premiere at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival -- he plays One-Two, a gritty street-savvy crook involved in a real-estate scam.

In the futuristic thriller Game, out this fall, he’s cast as Kable, the top-ranked warrior running for his life in a video blood sport called Slayers.

OK. So after his huge hit 300, producers must be opening up the treasure chest to sign up the actor. Maybe and maybe not.

“You know what, the money is better, but not in every job,” Butler says. “The first couple I did after 300 I was still taking less money than I did on Phantom of the Opera because I wanted to do them.”

For instance? “Guy Ritchie,” says the actor. “I wasn’t going to have them pay me a lot of money on RocknRolla. The thing is I’m still going by what’s interesting and if you want to stay doing interesting jobs you can’t always get a payday.”

In the end, he’s thrilled with RocknRolla, and predicts the crime thriller will return Ritchie to his lofty Snatch status.

Game was more of the same must-do kind of movie, although much more demanding on Butler. “I probably had to run through 200 explosions in that one,” he says of the shoot in New Mexico earlier this year.

One particular sequence still resonates with him. “I’m wearing like a skimpy combat shirt, but it’s rolled up to here,” recalls Butler. “And the fact is that there’s a whole building exploding behind me and just before we go, they say ‘Everybody, make sure all your skin is covered. And stay at least a hundred feet from the explosion.’

Shaking his head, Butler adds with a smirk, “I’m twenty feet maybe.”

He survived that and many more special effects like it. And all things considered, he can’t wait for audiences to see Game results. “It’s different than anything I’ve ever seen,” he says.

Meanwhile, Butler grins and bears the fame and the recognition that makes him more public than he ever intended to be.

“I do get recognized and the problem is that when I am recognized the reaction is often very strong just because of the kind of movie that 300 was or even sometimes Phantom,” he says.

Phantom? Really?

“Phantom’s a movie that you either loved or hated,” reports Butler. “But if you loved it, you really do, and I’ve seen some very, very strong and passionate reactions.”

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Bees & The Duchess Highlight TIFF Premiers

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 20:07:11 GMT

The Toronto International Film Festival announced nine more feature-film premieres yesterday, and the big names attached to the projects provide an early indication of the star power that could be coming to town this September.

Among the celebrities starring in the two gala and seven special presentations are Keira Knightley, Gerard Butler, Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah, Paul Bettany, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear, Ralph Fiennes and Jeremy Piven.

TIFF, which runs Sept. 4 to 13, will host a world premiere gala for Gina Prince-Bythewood's Secret Life of Bees, starring Fanning, Latifah, Keys, Hudson and Bettany in a film based on the bestselling novel of the same name.

The second gala is Saul Dibb's The Duchess, with Knightley as Georgiana Spencer, the duchess of Devonshire. Based on the award-winning biography by Amanda Foreman, the duchess was England's original "It Girl," a remarkable woman who helped to usher in sweeping political changes. Fiennes plays her husband.

Special presentations include Guy Ritchie's RocknRolla, a feature about a Russian mobster and London's criminal underworld, starring Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Thandie Newton and Piven. Also announced was David Koepp's Ghost Town, with Gervais cast as a man who dies but is revived, only to realize that he can now see ghosts.

James Stern and Adam Del Deo's Every Little Step is a documentary on the making of Broadway's A Chorus Line. Larry Charles's Religulous follows political humorist Bill Maher as he travels the world interviewing people about God and religion. Wong Kar-wai's Ashes of Time Redux is a rework of his only martial arts film. In addition, there are Mike Leigh's comedy Happy-Go-Lucky and Ari Folman's Waltz with Bashir.

Thirteen titles were also added to the Masters and Contemporary World Cinema categories, including Jan Troell's Everlasting Moments.

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Animal Crackers (excerpt)

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 20:05:29 GMT

Scots actor Gerard Butler, star of the historical epic 300, has recently come out as a dog lover. The former Glasgow law student is often seen in Hollywood's trendiest haunts with Lolita the Pug.

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Gerard Butler cr*ps like us all

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:58:44 GMT

GERARD BUTLER may have locked lips with CAMERON DIAZ and co-starred with Bond girl GEMMA ARTERTON in his new movie.

But he reckons he's still the same as everyone else by going to the toilet and 'taking a c**p'.

The 300 star is taking centre stage in GUY RITCHIE's upcoming flick RocknRolla, but has managed to stay grounded from A-list looniness.

He said: "You're still the same person who has to deal with getting out of bed every morning, going to the toilet, taking a c**p, whatever.

"I think there's a part of you that always imagines that if you encounter success, every fibre of your being will change.

"You know your whole cellular strcuture will change. And you will suddenly think and feel and behave like a different person."

He added: "And you don't. You're still, 'Oh, so and so didn't call me' and 'F**k, I have to take care of that bill.'"

Brunette Gemma also opened up about her Quantum of Solace role, telling Total Film: "I've seen nothing - not even the trailer!

"All I can say is it's going to be really, really action packed - more than the other one."

She also confessed she was worried about fame because she is "quite wild".

And it seems MADGE's better half has recognised the error of his ways with flops Revolver and Swept Away.

Guy said: "On RocknRolla, within 10 seconds I knew the weather was warm where I was going... On the last two, it felt like me walking up a hill on my own, dragging a lot of people with me.

"Whereas with this, it's... me walking down a hill and a lot of people want to go with me!"

RocknRolla is released on September 5

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Transcription of Gerry's interview (extracted of Total Film Magazine)

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:53:26 GMT

So, how has life changed since 300?

It’s weird. You’re still the same person who has to deal with getting out of bed every morning, going to the toilet, taking a crap, whatever. I think that there’s a part of you that always imagines that if you encounter success, every fibre of your being will change. You know your whole cellular structure will change. And you will suddenly think and feel and behave like a different person. And you don’t. You’re still ‘Oh, so and so didn’t call me’ and ‘Fuck, I have to take care of that bill’.

But people’s reaction to you must have changed.

Oh yeah. You get people in the street where they literally, at times, go crazy: “You don’t understand, this was the best film I ever saw!” And it’s the strength of the reaction that’s most overwhelming. Or things like, when the film had been out for like three weeks, and you’re told it’s overtaken Gladiator at the box office, which to me has always been the epitome of the most successful, cool, masculine movie that ever was.

Career-wise, it’s gotta help.

Of course. But you’ve got to be careful with your choices. And there’s downsides, like the paps. And the way some people react around you. You try and take it all with a pinch of salt, and keep the sycophants and the phoneys at bay. But I’m a Scots boy - it’s pretty easy to tell who’s genuine and who’s not.

So is it true you’re working with Brian De Palma on a sequel to The Untouchables?

Sadly, that is very much on the back burner. It’s actually an incredible script but like many projects you get involved with and then aren’t, I think there was issues with who had the rights to the script and casting and Capone - who was going to do that. So it’s taken its place in one of the dusty cupboards at the moment. But I can totally see that coming back, the script is such a classic, I mean it’s great, but no, it’s not happening tomorrow.

But you are working with Frank Darabont on Law Abiding Citizen? And you’re producing, too?

Yes, with Lucas Foster [Mr. & Mrs. Smith]. We’ve got quite a few things moving along. We just signed Frank the day before I came over here - I was with him for about five hours doing notes on his script. So that’s all going ahead. We also have Lasse Hallstrom (My Life As A Dog) attached to one of our other projects, which was written by the fellow who wrote Groundhog Day so that’s not a bad start.

Extracted of Total Film Magazine August 2008

It’s only RocknRolla…but we like it…

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:46:51 GMT

Guns, girls, geezers…Guy Ritchie returns to diamond form with the Brit sleeper set to snatch 2008. With unrivalled access and a shoot by the director himself, Total Film finds out why crime really does pay…
“What do you think? Are they straight yet? What about now? Now?”
Total Film is sitting in the pub with Guy Ritchie. It’s a very old, traditional British boozer – thick carpets, darkwood bar, pictures of Churchill and the Queen on the wall. The only nods to the present are the dishwasher under the bar and an absence of cigarette smoke. Ritchie has made the mistake of straightening one of a dozen small, framed pictures behind him. Trouble is none of them were lined up properly to begin with. By correcting one, the rest look even more askew. He starts to straighten another. No better. Then another. Still doesn’t help. For a second, an afternoon of obsessive compulsive behavior looms. Then, a shrug. He sits down. “I really shouldn’t have started that…” he grins. We are here today to discuss pictures. But not the ones on the wall. Ritchie has agreed to shoot some portraits for Total Film (the ones you can now see on these pages, of the cast from RocknRolla) and he wants to check what the brief is. A few vague mutterings from us follow. “Good. Great. No worries. I get what you’re after,” he says reassuringly. The photo shoot is, of course, to promote his new film which – after the castaway missus in Swept Away and the, well, it just kind of misses, Revolver –sees the writer/director return to more familiar territory. He candidly admits the reaction to his last two films gave him pause.
“Maybe I was too ambitious about what I thought people could accept,” he says with neither bitterness nor regret. “Rather than try and intellectualise it I just understand it. You’ve got to be clear about what film you’re making when you’re making it. And I just think I’m clear about that now. Sometimes you don’t make things for people, you make films for you but ultimately you want a reconciliation of making films for people and making films for you. On RocknRolla, within 10 seconds, I knew the weather was warm where I was going, if you know what I mean. On the last two, it felt like me walking up a hill on my own, dragging a lot of people with me. Whereas with this, it’s…me walking down a hill and a lot of people want to go with me!” he laughs. “So you just feel the difference in the climate.”
The result is Ritchie’s most enjoyable film for years, a smartly plotted, stylishly directed and – best of all – fun crime caper that reminds you why he was so successful in the first place.

''Law Abiding Citizen'' filming in Chicago

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:59:14 GMT

FILMING HERE? Unless a Screen Actors Guild strike gets in the way, there's word Catherine Zeta-Jones and Gerard Butler may be in town for a couple of days of shooting later this summer for ''Law Abiding Citizen'' (mostly filming in Detroit).

[url=http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/zwecker/1032527,CST-FTR-zp01.article]Fuente[/url]

2008 Comic-Con

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:57:08 GMT

125,000 people. That's the estimate Comic-Con International provides as the attendance for last year's massive four-day convention in San Diego. That's more people than the largest college football or NASCAR stadium can hold. Long portrayed as "geek chic" by the mainstream media, Comic-Con has more than evolved. It's exploded and it's gone mainstream. Bigtime.

Over the past decade, the nonprofit convention has grown from its comic book origins into a pop culture happening with as much importance to the movie and TV industries as prestigious American events such as the Sundance or Toronto Film Festivals. Yes, science-fiction, fantasy and action flicks drive the entire show, but when the summers top movies are "Iron Man," "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," "WALL-E" and "The Incredible Hulk" -- all films that presented at last year's gathering -- we're talking entertainment fueled by Middle America. The convention has moved past its perception as a stereotypical gathering of sci-fi fans that live in their parent's basements (not that there is anything wrong with that) -- and both movie studios and TV networks have noticed. The festival was the launching pad for publicity campaigns for all four of the previously mentioned blockbusters and created major buzz for recent hits such as "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," "300" and "Sin City," just to name a few.

What are most important to these previews are, of course, the fans and that's a huge differentiator for Comic-Con compared to other genre events. The Con's takes over the entire San Diego Convention Center (its massive Hall H seats 6,500 people) and is constantly packed with lines around the building of people trying to get in for a chance to ask a question to their favorite star. And for the few hours some of them stand in the hot sun, it's well worth it. Want a taste of some of the big names that have rocked the hall over the past few years? How about Angelina Jolie, Clive Owen, Edward Norton, Eva Mendes, Jessica Alba, Robert Downey Jr., Jennifer Love Hewitt, Andre Benjamin, Andy Samberg, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Liv Tyler, Milla Jovovich, Rosario Dawson, Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Topher Grace, Kate Beckinsale, Arnold Schwarzenegger (pre-governor), Jack Black (performing a mini-concert with Tenacious D no less), Jamie Foxx, Jessica Alba, Natalie Portman, Nicholas Cage, Samuel L. Jackson, Hilary Swank, Jason Statham, Scarlett Johansson, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Gerard Butler, Elijah Wood, Charlize Theron, Hugh Jackman, Michael Cera and Seth Rogen. And those comprise just the movie talent that have appeared. The presence of small screen stars has been growing by leaps and bounds since Joss Whedon first brought the stars of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" to the Con in 1998. Last year found the entire cast of "Heroes" in attendance with 5,000 people trying to cram into an already packed smaller hall to hear them speak (organizers are smartly graduating them to the bigger Hall H this year).

According to David Glanzer, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Comic-Con International who has been associated with the event for almost 25 years, the Con has had a relationship with Hollywood since it began way back in 1970.

"It's easy to look at Comic-Con in the eyes of 2008 where we've seen guests like Ben Affleck or Angelina Jolie, but we're the same people, for the most part, who were here at the beginning," Glazer says. "So, for us, Frank Capra [attending] or Lucasfilm taking a booth to promote 'Star Wars' in 1976, that was a huge thing for us."

But according to longtime studio consultant Jeff Walker, the industry's love affair with the conveniently situated event south of Los Angeles didn't really begin until the simultaneous release of the "Lord of the Rings," "Harry Potter" and "X-Men" trilogies over the past decade -- properties that all had genre origins, but cast a much wider net.

"After the last 10 years, more filmmakers, directors and actors are coming down and participating," Walker says. "A lot of them are fans that came of age and made films and wanted to share them with fans they grew up with. And that's particularly true of people like Bryan Singer and Peter Jackson. These are all fans themselves."

And as fans, they understand the enthusiasm of previewing material of an anticipated movie for the first time or making casting announcements in front of a captive audience. It's probably an exaggeration to say the studios have it down to an exact science, but they rarely misjudge the appetite of the fans. Paramount, in particular, had a smashing line up last year with the buzzworthy first footage of "Iron Man" and a "live" cutaway to the set of "Indiana Jones" where Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford and Shia LaBeouf, the latter only weeks after the success of "Transformers," chatted with the spectators.

That day was also a keen reminder of how much the festival has changed. As many members of the press noticed, the hall was filled with families, a growing segment of the convention.

"We went out and looked at the line to come into that that room and you would have seen probably 30-40% under 15," Walker recalls. "There were families with kids in strollers. There were young teenagers and preteens in line there."

Glazer adds, "When someone makes a disparaging joke about Comic-Con attendees it's a lot less funny then it used to be, because our attendees are a very diverse group of people"

The convergence of Hollywood's marketing machine and the broadening of the convention attendees may hit a tipping point this year. The expected influx of Hollywood talent is why this year's four packed days have been the subject of rumor and conjecture for months and should lead to the convention's most star-packed line up ever. Here's a quick run down of who is tentatively scheduled to appear ... the key word is "tentatively," as Comic-Con loves to keep the element of surprise intact:

"Twilight" -- The stars of the latest Internet and literary phenomenon, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, greet their fans.

"Max Payne" -- Mark Wahlberg makes his first Comic-Con appearance to promote the upcoming adaptation of the popular videogame.

"RocknRolla" -- Gerard Butler, Jeremy Piven, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges and director Guy Ritchie. Can anyone say, "boys' club"?

"Race to Witch Mountain" -- Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson knows how to work the con crowd like no one else. You can also guarantee a fan will ask him: "When are you returning to the WWE?" for the millionth time (the answer is "no time soon").

"X-Men Origins: Wolverine" -- Hugh Jackman is back as everyone's favorite self-healing mutant.

"The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" -- The popular franchise returns with Brendan Fraser and Maria Bello stepping in for Rachel Weisz.

"The Day the Earth Stood Still" -- Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly are scheduled to chat about their remake of the '50s sci-fi classic.

"Death Race" -- Jason Statham, action-star extraordinaire, pitches this late summer thriller.

"Push" -- Dakota Fanning and Chris Evans promote next spring's sci-fi thriller. And yes, that's not a misprint. Dakota Fanning will be taking fan questions!

"Pineapple Express" -- Seth Rogen returns to the convention floor after last year's hilarious "Superbad" panel to pitch his latest (and greatest) comedy with co-star James Franco and the rest of the cast.

"Watchmen" -- Zack Snyder brings his cast down for next March's highly anticipated adaptation of the legendary comic series. Patrick Wilson, Javkir Earle Haley, Matthew Goode, Billy Crudup, Carla Gugino, Malin Akerman and Jeffrey Dean Morgan scheduled.

"Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins" -- He keeps denying it, but Christian Bale is set to appear along co-stars Sam Worthington (Hollywood's next "it" leading man), Bryce Dallas Howard, Anton Yelchin and director McG.

"Star Wars: The Clone Wars" -- George Lucas and the voice of C-3PO, Anthony Daniels, will discuss the franchise's first animated cinematic endeavor.

Also this year, the TV contingent is going to come close to eclipsing their big screen brothers. As previously teased, for the first time ever, the casts of "Lost" and "Heroes" are scheduled to great the fans in the massive Hall H, a venue previously only reserved for movies. And proof that the convention is continuing to evolve beyond genre, Rainn Wilson is scheduled to moderate a panel on "The Office" (no word on if Steve Carell will also attend) and the casts of "24," "Prison Break," "Bones" and the comedy "The Big Bang Theory" will also have their own panels.

New shows looking for love are J.J. Abrams' and Whedon's latest, "Fringe" and "Dollhouse," respectively. "Knight Rider" and "Life on Mars" are also set. Returning favorites include "Ghost Whisperer," "Battlestar Galactica," "Chuck," "Pushing Daisies," "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" and "Kyle XY."

And, as always, the fest never continues to surprise. Snoop Dogg and Paris Hilton have "graced" the convention with their presence in the past and this year Tori Amos -- yes, that Tori Amos -- will appear to promote her new anthology book "Comic Book Tattoo." So, to recap: the convention will have Amos, Dakota Fanning and Ludacris all in attendance. Clearly, July's biggest party will be in San Diego.

Stay tuned, true believers. MSN Movies, MSN TV and MSN Video are teaming with Xbox this year and invading Comic-Con. We will provide daily updates, blogging and video coverage from the convention beginning Wednesday, July 24.

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