Over the weekend, this writer finished reading "Persuader," one of Lee Child's dozen plus books centering on ex-military man turned drifter/problem solver Jack Reacher, and it only underscores how divisive the casting of Tom Cruise is in "Jack Reacher," based on "One Shot." In the books, Reacher is a six foot something, larger than life bruiser whose sheer physical size can be intimdating to those who cross his path — not exactly the kind of image you get from the 5'7" Cruise. But with a new image now landing, writer/director Christopher McQuarrie is ready to address the doubters.
"I have an abiding respect for the fans," he told Entertainment Weekly in their recent fall issue. "But until they see the movie, there's not really a discussion to be had. I only answer to Lee Child, who said, 'Why wouldnt I want the biggest star in the world to play this character I created?' ” Touche.
"Jack Reacher" opens on December 21st. [Kinopoisk]
In a wholly different kind of literary adaptation, Joe Wright reteams with Keira Knightley for Leo Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina" which will premiere at TIFF before rolling out into theaters worldwide. And as usual, Wright is upping his game a little bit.
As has been widely reported so far, the big wow factor of this incarnation of the tale is that it was shot entirely in a studio, and it turns out that creative decision had a fiscal benefit as well. With a budget of $30 million, had the film gone out on location, the price tag likely would've been twice as much, and considering how hard it is to get dramas these days made, it might've proved to be a stumbling block to getting the picture made at all.
Starring Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Aaron Johnson, Kelly Macdonald, Holliday Grainger, Oliva Williams and more, "Anna Karenina" will open on U.S. shores on November 16th. [Kinopoisk]
Lastly, while Saoirse Ronan starred last year in Joe Wright's assassin flick "Hanna," she had another less showy killer flick on the fest circuit in "Violet & Daisy." And with a fall release date in the works, a new image and poster have landed.
Co-starring Alexis Bledel, James Gandolfini, Danny Trejo and Marianne Jean-Baptiste, the film follows a pair of teenage assassins (Ronan, Bledel) who are lured into what is supposed to be just another quick and easy job, only to find complications as the man they’re supposed to kill is not what they expected. The film comes from Oscar winning "Precious" writer Geoffrey Fletcher, who is making his directorial debut, and premiering at TIFF last fall, reviews weren't kind with our own saying: "[The film] is, in many ways, about girls and death and pop culture and friendship, and you may find the distracted profusion of dramatic elements doesn't match the articulate expression of Vanja Cernjul's camerawork, Joe Klotz's editing and von Brandenstein's set design."
No word on an exact date, but you can check out the poster below as well. [Shadow & Act] 