Movie Muser

If you’re going to change directors, swapping Steven Spielberg for Clint Eastwood is a great trade. With a limited US release of December 25th, American Sniper is now gearing up to be in the Oscar race, with Bradley Cooper aiming for his third Oscar nomination in a row with the movie.

Alan Rickman is a great actor, but now he’s turning director (technically for the second time after 1997’s The Winter Guest) and going period drama with A Little Chaos.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘A LITTLE CHAOS re-imagines the creation of the Rockwork Grove, one small element of the Sun King, Louis XIV’s building of the magnificent Palace of Versailles.

‘Madame Sabine De Barra (Kate Winslet) is an unlikely candidate for landscape architect of the still?to-be-completed Palace of Versailles. She has little time for the classical, ordered designs of the man who hires her, the famous architect Le Nôtre (Matthias Schoenaerts). However, as she works on her creation, she finds herself drawn to the enigmatic Le Nôtre and forced to negotiate the perilous rivalries and intricate etiquette of the court of King Louis XIV (Alan Rickman). But Sabine is made of strong stuff; her honesty and compassion help her to overcome both the challenges of her newfound popularity, and an unspeakable tragedy from her past, to win the favour of the Sun King and the heart of Le Notre.’

A UK release is set for April 17th, 2015.

James Franco’s plans have certainly changed in the past few days, as rather than running around promoting the release of The Interview, the cancellation of the film’s release means he’s lying relatively low instead. However just so we don’t forget about him, the trailer for True Story has arrived, a film that hopefully won’t have hackers threatening to commit terrorist atrocities.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘When disgraced New York Times reporter Michael Finkel meets accused killer Christian Longo — who has taken on Finkel’s identity — his investigation morphs into an unforgettable game of cat and mouse. Based on actual events, Finkel’s relentless pursuit of Longo’s true story encompasses murder, love, deceit, and redemption.’

Franco plays Longo, with Jonah Hill as Finkel. Felicity Jones and Ethan Suplee also star. The film premieres at Sundance, with a US release set for April 10, 2015. No UK date is currently set.

A few weeks ago the main trailer for Disney’s live action Cinderella emerged, but there was a bit of problem – for a film based on a fairy tale, it didn’t look that magical. Indeed it looked like despite his success with Thor, director Kenneth Branagh may have returned to the somewhat journeyman role that’s hampered quite a few of his movies.

However now a new trailer has emerged via Disney New Zealand, which suggest there will indeed be a bit of enchantment in the film, even if most of comes from CGI.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘A live-action feature inspired by the classic fairy tale, “Cinderella” brings to life the timeless images from Disney’s 1950 animated masterpiece as fully-realized characters in a visually-dazzling spectacle for a whole new generation.

‘The story of “Cinderella” follows the fortunes of young Ella (Lily James) whose merchant father remarries following the death of her mother. Eager to support her loving father, Ella welcomes her new stepmother (Cate Blanchett) and her daughters Anastasia (Holliday Grainger) and Drisella (Sophie McShera) into the family home. But, when Ella’s father unexpectedly passes away, she finds herself at the mercy of a jealous and cruel new family. Finally relegated to nothing more than a servant girl covered in ashes, and spitefully renamed Cinderella, Ella could easily begin to lose hope. Yet, despite the cruelty inflicted upon her, Ella is determined to honor her mother’s dying words and to “have courage and be kind.” She will not give in to despair nor despise those who mistreat her. And then there is the dashing stranger she meets in the woods. Unaware that he is really a prince, not merely an apprentice at the Palace, Ella finally feels she has met a kindred soul. It appears her fortunes may be about to change when the Palace sends out an open invitation for all maidens to attend a ball, raising Ella’s hopes of once again encountering the charming Kit (Richard Madden). Alas, her stepmother forbids her to attend and callously rips apart her dress. But, as in all good fairy tales, help is at hand, and a kindly beggar woman (Helena Bonham Carter) steps forward and – armed with a pumpkin and a few mice – changes Cinderella’s life forever.’

The movie is due out on March 27th, 2015. Take a look at the trailer and poster below.