Notizie

Being a child star can be deeply challenging. There are a lot of elements to both acting and fame that can be too much to handle for developing minds, not to mention that being on set all the time leads to a very different childhood than the average kid. There's a reason why quite a few child stars end up having "normal" jobs as adults — fame is a seriously tough mistress. So, it's really not a huge surprise when child stars disappear from the limelight as adults, but in the case of young actor Mara Wilson, it did seem a little shocking. After all, at just nine years old she was fast becoming one of the biggest stars in Hollywood as the titular character in "Matilda" and it seemed like she could have whatever career she wanted as an actor. However, after making the critically panned "Thomas and the Magic Railroad" in 2000 opposite Alex Baldwin,...

Starz has announced the movie and TV titles that will be available on the service in August. The Starz August 2024 schedule includes the season finale of Down in the Valley, featuring Nico Annan from P-Valley, and the season two final of The Serpent Queen, starring Samantha Morton and Minnie Driver.

On the film front, Spoiler Alert, Ordinary Angels, Armageddon Time, M3GAN, and several other notable titles–including the first four movies in the popular Jason Bourne franchise–join the Starz app in August.

The Serpent Queen Season 2 Starz August 2024 Highlights

Down In The Valley

“Down in the Valley” concludes its first season on Friday, August 2 at midnight on the Starz app. On linear, the season finale will debut on Starz on Friday, August 2 at 9:00 p.m. Et/Pt in the U.S. and at 10:00 p.m. Et in Canada.

“Down in the Valley,” a groundbreaking new docu-series hosted...

Ireland Baldwin is continuing to show her love for her dad, Alec Baldwin, in the wake of an accidental shooting involving the actor on the set of his Western film, Rust. In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Oct. 27, the 26-year-old model shared a screenshot of a comment from a fan who recalled their experience working at a company that produced Alec's 2000 children's movie, Thomas and the Magic Railroad. According to the fan, Alec, now 63, only had one simple request in his rider at the time: that he "had milk and cereal in his hotel room for when his daughter was visiting." "That was it. That was the whole rider," the user said of the actor's personal requests. "I'll...

Thomas the Tank Engine is making a return to the big screen in a new feature being developed by Mattel Films and Marc Forster’s production company 2Dux².

The new project, to be co-produced and directed by the World War Z and Quantum of Solace filmmaker, will be a mix of live-action and animation based on the popuar kids’ franchises which has spanned TV and toys.

Renée Wolfe, co-founder and co-ceo of 2Dux² will also produce. Alyssa Hill (A Taste of Power) and Jesse Wigutow (upcoming Tron3) TRON3” – upcoming) have wrote the script. Robbie Brenner, executive producer, and Kevin McKeon, supervising producer, will lead the project for Mattel Films.

“Thomas is a beloved global franchise that focuses on the importance of friendship, a theme that resonates deeply with children and parents around the world,” said Brenner. “Marc is an incredible storyteller and I look forward to partnering with him to...

Simon Brew Published Date Monday, October 10, 2016 - 05:33

There are some utterly chilling passages in Mara Wilson’s book, Where Am I Now? True Stories Of Girlhood And Accidental Fame. The tome is Wilson’s memoir of sorts, collected in chapters where she deals with certain topics that have been pertinent throughout her 29 years. As it turns out, there are lots and lots of pertinent topics, and a sense at the heart of it of someone who’s clung onto her humanity and moral compass, in the face of at-times mind-boggling difficulties.

Buy Mara Wilson's Where Am I Now? True Stories Of Girlhood And Accidental Fame now from Amazon

Furthermore, it’s clear that Wilson is very much the author here. There’s a craft and care in her words, and a voice that comes through, that displays a very enviable talent for getting what’s in her head compellingly onto the page.

Children will likely be chuffed by this feature-length adventure featuring the voice of Eddie Redmayne, but others may be derailed by the similarity to Lost

Thomas the Tank Engine doesn’t exactly have an exemplary track record when it comes to movie adaptations. Just witness the mess that was 2000’s Thomas and the Magic Railroad for proof. Not only were all the trains given creepy new faces that made them look as if Gollum had been stretched across the rim of a bass drum, but the Fat Controller was ousted in a dramatic coup and replaced by what appeared to be a dust-obsessed French policeman played by wilderness-era Alec Baldwin. It was, pun very much intended, a trainwreck.

Continue reading...

Family is forever, fictional or not. After Mara Wilson heard Robin Williams died Monday, she tweeted, "Very sad, very upset, very glad I did not have to hear about this though Twitter. Probably going to be taking some time off it for a while." Three days later, the 27-year-old writer, who played Williams' daughter in 1993's Mrs. Doubtfire, broke her silence in a touching blog post. "Everybody grieves in their own way. When I heard about Robin's death, I was shocked, confused angry, regretful, and above all, sad," said Wilson, whose last film was 2000's Thomas and the Magic Railroad. "All I wanted was to talk to my family and friends and cry." For now, she would like...

After Mara Wilson heard Robin Williams died Monday, she tweeted, "Very sad, very upset, very glad I did not have to hear about this though Twitter. Probably going to be taking some time off it for a while."

Three days later, the 27-year-old writer, who played Williams' daughter in 1993's Mrs. Doubtfire, broke her silence in a touching blog post. "Everybody grieves in their own way. When I heard about Robin's death, I was shocked, confused angry, regretful, and above all, sad," said Wilson, whose last film was 2000's Thomas and the Magic Railroad. "All I wanted was to talk to my family and friends and cry."

For now, she would like to grieve in private. "A few news outlets asked if I would be willing to talk about him on the air, and while I usually like interviews, I knew I wasn't in a good place to do that,...

After Mara Wilson heard Robin Williams died Monday, she tweeted, "Very sad, very upset, very glad I did not have to hear about this though Twitter. Probably going to be taking some time off it for a while."

Three days later, the 27-year-old writer, who played Williams' daughter in 1993's Mrs. Doubtfire, broke her silence in a touching blog post. "Everybody grieves in their own way. When I heard about Robin's death, I was shocked, confused angry, regretful, and above all, sad," said Wilson, whose last film was 2000's Thomas and the Magic Railroad. "All I wanted was to talk to my family and friends and cry."

For now, she would like to grieve in private. "A few news outlets asked if I would be willing to talk about him on the air, and while I usually like interviews, I knew I wasn't in a good place to do that,...

After Mara Wilson heard Robin Williams died Monday, she tweeted, "Very sad, very upset, very glad I did not have to hear about this though Twitter. Probably going to be taking some time off it for a while."

Three days later, the 27-year-old writer, who played Williams' daughter in 1993's Mrs. Doubtfire, broke her silence in a touching blog post. "Everybody grieves in their own way. When I heard about Robin's death, I was shocked, confused angry, regretful, and above all, sad," said Wilson, whose last film was 2000's Thomas and the Magic Railroad. "All I wanted was to talk to my family and friends and cry."

For now, she would like to grieve in private. "A few news outlets asked if I would be willing to talk about him on the air, and while I usually like interviews, I knew I wasn't in a good place to do that,...

After Mara Wilson heard Robin Williams died Monday, she tweeted, "Very sad, very upset, very glad I did not have to hear about this though Twitter. Probably going to be taking some time off it for a while."

Three days later, the 27-year-old writer, who played Williams' daughter in 1993's Mrs. Doubtfire, broke her silence in a touching blog post. "Everybody grieves in their own way. When I heard about Robin's death, I was shocked, confused angry, regretful, and above all, sad," said Wilson, whose last film was 2000's Thomas and the Magic Railroad. "All I wanted was to talk to my family and friends and cry."

For now, she would like to grieve in private. "A few news outlets asked if I would be willing to talk about him on the air, and while I usually like interviews, I knew I wasn't in a good place to do that,...

Remember that thing you loved from your childhood? It's coming back. We're not talking specifics here, we're talking everything.

New movies or TV shows revolving around everything from Scooby Doo to Ninja Turtles, Danger Mouse and Bananaman are on the horizon - you could accuse producers of running out of new ideas, but how long before they run out of old ideas?

Nostalgia can give you a warm and fuzzy feeling, but sometimes it isn't always a good thing. Digital Spy suggests 9 instances when looking back to the past resulted in a questionable present:

The Saint (1997)

A movie adaptation of popular TV series The Saint had been mooted for some time. It finally limped into cinemas in 1997 with Val Kilmer as Simon Templar - he was no Roger Moore, but let's face it, who is?

The film, which is a relatively low-key (if somewhat eccentric) spy caper, suffered because it...

Remember that thing you loved from your childhood? It's coming back. We're not talking specifics here, we're talking everything.

New movies or TV shows revolving around everything from Scooby Doo to Ninja Turtles, Danger Mouse and Bananaman are on the horizon - you could accuse producers of running out of new ideas, but how long before they run out of old ideas?

Nostalgia can give you a warm and fuzzy feeling, but sometimes it isn't always a good thing. Digital Spy suggests 9 instances when looking back to the past resulted in a questionable present:

The Saint (1997)

A movie adaptation of popular TV series The Saint had been mooted for some time. It finally limped into cinemas in 1997 with Val Kilmer as Simon Templar - he was no Roger Moore, but let's face it, who is?

The film, which is a relatively low-key (if somewhat eccentric) spy caper, suffered because it...

Mara Wilson has said that she is against the idea of a Mrs Doubtfire sequel.

Robin Williams is expected to return as cross-dressing Daniel Hillard in an upcoming follow-up to the 1993 movie.

However, Wilson - who played daughter Natalie in the comedy - has revealed that she doesn't want to be involved in any sequel, and that she hasn't been told about the plans.

There are many, many reasons I don't want to be in Mrs. Doubtfire 2. But they haven't even asked me (yet), so no need to worry.

— Mara Wilson (@MaraWritesStuff) April 17, 2014

Chris Columbus is in line to direct the project, while Elf's David Berenbaum will write the script.

Former child star Wilson quit acting at the turn of the millennium, recently telling Us Weekly: "Film acting is not very fun. Doing the same thing over and over again until, in the director's eyes, you 'get it right',...

Everyone’s got that favorite childhood film — maybe even the tattered VHS version stowed away in your parents’ basement — that you could watch over and over again, even though you didn’t necessarily understand all the jokes or adult character dialogue. It’s that one film where the imagery sticks like fly paper to your brain and affirms some special truth you believed about your kidself. For me, that film is 1996’s Matilda, directed by Danny DeVito, starring Mara Wilson, Rhea Perlman, Embeth Davidtz, and also DeVito, and based on the Roald Dahl novel.

Much like (and even pre-dating) another kid-with-special-powers,...

The cast of 1996 family comedy Matilda have reunited.

Danny DeVito, his wife Rhea Perlman, Embeth Davidtz, Pam Ferris and Mara Wilson posed for a group photograph at a weekend celebration.

[Left to right, back row: Million Dollar Sticky star, Brian Levinson (Michael Wormwood), Pam Ferris (Miss Trunchbull), Jimmy Karz (Bruce Bogtrotter), Leor Livneh Hackel (Julius Rottwinkle)

Left to right, front row: Jacqueline Steiger (Amanda Thripp), Rhea Perlman (Mrs Wormwood), Mara Wilson (Matilda Wormwood), Kiami Davael (Lavender Brown), Sara Magdalin (4-year-old Matilda Wormwood), Danny DeVito (Mr Wormwood/Narrator), Embeth Davidtz (Miss Honey)]

Matilda was directed by DeVito, and starred Wilson as a young girl who used her telekinetic powers to escape from her overbearing parents (Perlman, DeVito).

The movie was adapted from the 1988 novel of the same name by famed author Roald Dahl.

Wilson stepped away from Hollywood in 2000, choosing to focus on her education rather than further her career.

She was also recently in the news for writing an article about why child stars often 'go crazy' while trying to transition to adult success.

The actress's...

He spits bullets, he pees fire. The Ghost Rider sequel starring Nicholas Cage looks set to go out in a blaze of glory …

We can all agree that Ghost Rider was a stupid film. Even judged against the outer extremities of stupid Nicolas Cage films – like the one where he swaps heads with John Travolta, or the one where he dresses up as a bear and punches a woman – it was a stupid film. Even judged against all the other films about middle-aged Carpenters fans who set themselves on fire and ride motorbikes up the sides of burning buildings, it was a stupid film. And that's why, four years on, nobody cares about it.

However, next year sees the release of Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, and with it a chance to right all the wrongs of the original. Will it succeed? Perhaps it's time for a trailer comparison …

Ghost Rider...

Last month, The Guardian launched a campaign to rescue Nicolas Cage. Today, we're coming to the aid of Alec Baldwin

Yesterday's news that Alec Baldwin plans to quit acting wasn't particularly surprising (it's a promise he's made several times before). But it was, still, saddening. When other actors threaten to leave the profession - invariably because their egos have convinced them that they'd make brilliant politicians - you know that the giant salary and global adoration will always pull them back in.

But Baldwin's announcement was depressing not just because he seems convinced of his intentions this time, but because he's arguably one of the best actors around. To lose him purely because he can, sometimes, be a bit of a sourpuss borders on the tragic.

Fortunately he's not threatening to retire until 2012, so we've got plenty of time to change his mind. By hook or by crook, we need...

The popular children's book character Thomas the Tank Engine is once again heading to the big screen, proving that Hollywood has no original ideas left whatsoever. Or that the industry will put anything on screen it thinks will make money. Or both. Thomas and his gang of anthropomorphic vehicles currently appear on PBS on Thomas and Friends.

The character has already starred in the movie Thomas and the Magic Railroad starring Alec Baldwin (who also narrated the television stories for years). Is that really enough time between revamps? Is it the fact that the youngest generation recycles every seven years, which has kept Disney in business forever?

Given his association with the franchise, it would be a crime if Baldwin didn't at least get a voice-over role in the movie (and preferably a full cameo). In the meanwhile, he'll have to content himself with his Emmy-winning role on 30 Rock. 

Filed under: TV on the Bigscreen,...

Hey look... someone found a kid's brand that hasn't been turned into a movie in almost 10 years! British TV series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends is coming back to the big screen courtesy of HiT Entertainment. The popular children's show has been around since the '80s and was based on The Railway Series of books by Rev. W. Awdry. The TV series was crudely animated with moving model trains that had static faces on them (which I always found sort of creepy) and occasional stop motion animation, but this will be a mix of live action and CGI. Some may remember that Ringo Starr narrated the original U.K. version of the TV series, while Alec Baldwin narrated a later U.S. version and played Mr. Conductor in the previous 2000 feature film Thomas and the Magic Railroad. Neither will be involved in this movie, but Josh Klausner (Shrek the Third...

Someone clearly thinks that there's still steam in the chamber for a Thomas The Tank Engine movie. Yes, despite the fact that the last time the Rev Wv Awdry's train creation brought us Thomas And The Magic Railroad (which still makes Alec Baldwin cry every time he's reminded he was in it), Hit Entertainment is laying tracks for his return. "Thomas & Friends is a phenomenally successful and versatile brand that appeals to children and families worldwide," says Julia Pistor, head of the Hit movie...

.

All aboard! Thomas the Tank Engine is heading back out on the tracks.

The cheeky children's book character is en route to the big screen via Hit Entertainment, which has hired screenwriter Josh Klausner ("Shrek the Third") to write a script for a feature based on the tiny-train world "Thomas & Friends" created by the Rev. W.V. Awdry in the 1940s.

Julia Pistor of Hit Movies, a newly launched unit of Thomas caretaker Hit Entertainment, is producing. The UTA-repped Hit also owns the Barney and Bob the Builder franchises, and it launched the film division to bring those family-oriented properties to the multiplex.

"'Thomas & Friends' is a phenomenally successful and versatile brand that appeals to children and families worldwide," said Pistor, who heads Hit Movies. "Generations of children have grown up with the adventures of 'Thomas & Friends' with its storytelling tradition, positive values, timeless lessons and rich train history. We...

Britt Allcroft, creator of the worldwide children's programming franchise Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends, on Monday announced the launch of her new independent production company, Britt Allcroft Prods., in Los Angeles. British-born Allcroft said she has set up the company to create and produce a variety of television, film and theater projects, the first of which is the children's live-action adventure TV series Scoobs. Scoobs, which is being launched at MIPTV in Cannes, is targeted for kids ages 6-10 and follows the adventures of a kids scuba-diving team nicknamed the Scoobs. The series was created by Allcroft, David Kuehler and Greg Lee. Kuehler is the director of Project Platypus, a product-development initiative within the girls division at Mattel, and Lee was a writer, contributing producer and host of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning PBS children's show Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? Allcroft also is a best-selling author featured on the New York Times children's best-seller list for Thomas and the Magic Railroad.

Easy Rider (1969) star Peter Fonda is still bitter with co-star Dennis Hopper 31 years after the release of the classic road movie. The actor believes Hopper, who directed the film, has tried to take all the credit despite being conceived and produced by the 61-year-old Fonda. He fumes, "To hear Dennis tell it, he did it all himself. I didn't even have to show up for work, he just put his Peter Fonda suit on and got the other bike going." Fonda's latest film, Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000), is based on the classic children's books of W.H. Auden, and he says, "I still have this eight-year-old inside me who says 'Pretend to be this character, pretend you can talk to trains'. And I get paid for doing it."...