Articles tagged with ‘Keira Knightley’
Keira Knightley and Jude Law Begin Filming Anna Karenina!
Posted on October 5th, 2011 at 3:23 pm by SBGLA
Production of the epic love story Anna Karenina has officially commenced, according to the film’s U.S. distributor Focus Features. Filming is taking place on location in both Russia and in the United Kingdom
The project reunites actress Keira Knightley, who is playing the title character, with English director Joe Wright after the two previously worked together on Pride & Prejudice and Atonement. Knightley’s on-screen husband, the character Aleksei Karenin, is being portrayed by Jude Law. English actors Aaron Johnson and Matthew Macfadyen are also part of the cast.
The story of Anna Karenina has been adapted for film by Tom Stoppard from Leo Tolstoy‘s famous novel of the same name. The movie, which is being produced by Working Title Films, is expected to be released in the Fall of 2012.
It will be interesting to see what type of chemistry, if any, Keira and Jude have in their first feature film together.
Keira Knightley and Rupert Friend Split!
Posted on January 13th, 2011 at 4:36 pm by
Two of Britain’s brightest young stars, Keira Knightley and Rupert Friend, have parted ways. Knightley’s father recently confirmed the breakup news to The Sun when he revealed: “Yes, they have broken up. But that’s the way things go, unfortunately. The only option is to get on with things.”
Mr. Knightley added: “They were together for quite a long time and it is always hard breaking up. She’s focused on her work.” The primary reason for the split has not been confirmed.
The actors first met in 2005 on the set of their movie Pride and Prejudice in which Knightley played Elizabeth Bennett and Friend portrayed Mr. Wickham. Both thespians have continued to establish respectable acting careers with Knightley starring in features like Never Let Me Go and Friend starring in pictures such as The Young Victoria. The couple persistently kept their relationship out of the public eye and both continue to avoid discussing their love lives in interviews.
As Keira’s father quite simply stated, breakups are in fact always hard. It appears that Keira and Rupert were not meant to be; however, hopefully life will imitate Jane Austen art and the two will go on to find their respective true loves after splitting not unlike their Pride and Prejudice characters Ms. Bennet and Mr. Wickham.
Keira Knightley to Play Anna Karenina!?!?
Posted on November 19th, 2010 at 2:17 pm by
One of the most quintessential literary heroines, Anna Karenina, will potentially be played by one of the most refined young actresses of our time, Keira Knightley.
The London-based production company Working Title Films has commissioned screenwriter Tom Stoppard to write an Anna Karenina screenplay and Joe Wright to direct the ambitious project. The production would reunite Knightley with Wright, who directed the Brit actress in two well-received films, Pride and Prejudice and Atonement.
Tim Bevan, a top executive at Working Title Films, to the Daily Mail said: “We’re developing a number of projects with Joe [Wright], and Anna Karenina is one of them, I’m not saying I’ve made up my mind, but there’s something about Anna Karenina, Tom Stoppard and Joe Wright that sounds right.”
If Knightley is officially offered and accepts the role of Karenina she would be following in the footsteps of legendary actresses who have portrayed the title character of Leo Tolstoy’s famous novel throughout cinematic history, including Greta Garbo and Vivien Leigh.
I agree with Tim. The idea of reuniting Keira with Joe to re-tell the acclaimed Russian story about love, betrayal, and social conflict seems like the perfect vehicle for rekindling the remarkable creative synergy exhibited in both Pride and Prejudice and Atonement. I hope Keira gets this role, as I cannot imagine anyone better suited for it, and I hope the film gets produced sooner rather than later.
Keira Knightley does Play Time in The Children’s Hour in the West End!
Posted on October 27th, 2010 at 8:24 am by
The Never Let Me Go actress has agreed to star in a production of the play called The Children’s Hour, scheduled to open early next year in London’s famous West End. Knightley was last seen on stage in 2009 in The Misanthrope at the Comedy Theatre.
In The Children’s Hour, Knightley will star opposite Elisabeth Moss who is best known for playing Peggy Olson in the award-winning American television series Mad Men. The production marks Moss’s West End debut.
The two actresses will portray teachers accused of having a homosexual relationship by a disgruntled student. The play was written by Lillian Hellman in 1934.
Knightley can next be seen on the big screen in a dramatic film called Last Night opposite Avatar star Sam Worthington. This movie was recently screened on opening night of the 2010 Rome Film Festival.
The West End awaits your triumphant return Keira. Good luck!
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Knightley’s Name in the Frame to Play Princess Diana
Posted on October 17th, 2010 at 7:55 am by
Producers at film company Pathe (the same team that brought us The Queen) continue to remain tight-lipped, however, I hear they have started work on a project about the life of Diana, Princess of Wales and British actress Keira Knightley is hotly tipped to star as Diana with Dame Helen Mirren in the frame to portray her mother, Frances Shand Kydd.
Diana ‘the movie’, will chart the early years of the Princess’s life, with much of the focus being on her ill-fated marriage to Prince Charles, their separation and the lead up to her death which occurred at the Pont d’Alma tunnel in Paris in August 1997.
One insider said: “The project is in the early stages but Pathe has chosen 2011 quite deliberately. It will be in the same vein as The Queen and will detail the ups and downs of Diana’s marriage and the early lives of the Princes.”
The source added: “There’s a real buzz about this. Pathe also made The Duchess, which starred Keira as the Duchess of Devonshire – the great-great-great-great aunt of Diana – and controversially used an image of Diana to trail the movie.
“They think Keira will be perfect to play Diana.”
And I couldn’t agree more with them, I thought Knightley was superb with her portrayal as Georgiana Cavendish in The Duchess, I think her shy on-screen innocence would be a perfect match to that of Diana’s once endearing personality we all knew and loved. I hope she accepts the role if offered!
Though I’m told much secrecy surrounds the biopic on the late royal, it already has a release planned for next year timed to coincide with what would have been the Princess’s 50th birthday. 2011 is also the year that marks 30 years since Diana was married to Charles.
Wow, I can’t believe it’s been that long since Diana’s death, I can still remember where I was and how I felt when I first heard the news… Can you?
Andrew Garfield, The Social Climber!
Posted on October 2nd, 2010 at 11:56 am by
The film The Social Network, written by Aaron Sorkin (Charlie Wilson’s War) and directed by David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), premiered in North American theaters this weekend and while box office tickets sales have not been tallied yet, the critical darling is well on its way to becoming a hit with audiences. As The Social Network climbs to the top, one of the film’s stars, Brit actor Andrew Garfield, is climbing right along with it. In addition to starring in the Facebook drama, Garfield can also currently be seen in another major film, Never Let Me Go, with Keira Knightley and Carey Mulligan.
Had Garfield’s parents known their son would become a big Hollywood celebrity, they might not have moved him from Los Angeles to Surrey, England when he was three years old. Despite the move, Garfield has managed to make his way back to Hollywood and shine. Growing up outside of the entertainment industry might have been what actually kept the actor grounded and on the path to success.
“I love working,” the actor said to The Los Angeles Times, “so I’m taking one day at a time and making sure I keep going back to London to see my school friends and my family, so they can make sure I don’t turn into an arse. They can make sure I can stay grounded,” he said, laughing. He added: “I’m going to focus on what I want to focus on, which is doing the work and getting lost in this world.”
Fincher, who directed Garfield in the film about the origins of Facebook, described his first impression of the rising star when he said: “I met with him and thought, ‘He’s great, he’s obviously a very skilled actor and kind of an amazing presence.‘” Regarding Garfield’s talent, Fincher stated: “He has such incredible emotional access to his kind of core humanity[...]”
I think most people will agree that Garfield has an extraordinary ability to exhibit an emotionally captivating performance on screen and did just that in the role of Eduardo Saverin in The Social Network. Next, Garfied will be going from social climber to wall-crawler as the title character in the upcoming Spider-Man movie. I still have doubts about the talented actor effectively personifying the super-hero, but I will try to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Andrea Riseborough Rises to the Occasion!
Posted on September 14th, 2010 at 2:52 pm by
As this year’s Toronto International Film Festival gets underway, British actress Andrea Riseborough is emerging as a tour de force in the film industry. The rising star can be seen in three films being screened at the festival and consequently is catching attention from both industry insiders and the media.
Riseborough, 28, is not a newcomer to the scene. The actress is a former member of the National Youth Theatre, studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, and has continuously worked on stage, TV, and in film. Riseborough played a young Margaret Thatcher in the British television production Margaret Thatcher: The Long Walk to Finchley, worked on stage with Kenneth Branagh in Anton Chechov’s play Ivanov, and appeared in Mike Leigh’s 2008 film Happy-Go-Lucky (one of my personal favorites.)
The three films in which Riseborough can currently be seen in at the Toronto festival include Never Let Me Go, starring Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley, and Andrew Garfield; Made in Dagenham, starring Sally Hawkins; and Brighton Rock starring Lord Richard Attenborough.
Regarding Riseborough’s talents, Brighton Rock’s director Rowan Joffe said: “What Andrea has that many actresses of her generation do not have is a bona fide chameleon-like ability to be totally different from part to part.” Nigel Cole, who directed Riseborough in Made in Dagenham, also credits her with the same unique ability.
It sounds like Andrea’s prevalence in Toronto might just be the beginning of her rise to even greater prominence!
Brit Actor Andrew Garfield Cast as Spider-Man!
Posted on July 2nd, 2010 at 10:40 am by
Is it just me or is it difficult to imagine Peter Parker having tea and crumpets? This, however, might be what you see on the set of the next Spider-Man movie since Sony Pictures just announced British actor Andrew Garfield will portray the web slinger in the upcoming Spidey reboot. The 27-year-old, who was born in California and raised in the UK, is expected to start working on the film in December.
Spider-Man producer Avi Arad said: “We believe we have found the perfect choice to take on this role and lead us into the future.”
The announcement comes after Garfield’s predecessor, Tobey Maguire, along with Kirsten Dunst, and director Sam Raimi moved on from the Spider-Man franchise. The next installment will retell the story of Spider-Man’s beginnings, when ordinary Peter Parker was bitten by a radio-active spider and became a superhero. The upcoming film has not been given an official title yet, but is scheduled to hit theaters July 3rd, 2012.
Garfield steps into the legendary red and blue tights as a relatively unknown talent. The dual British-American citizen earned his early acting credits on numerous UK telly series including Freezing, Doctor Who, and Red Riding. In 2008 Garfield won a BAFTA TV award for best actor resulting from his work in the drama Boy A. Subsequently, Garfield earned supporting roles in well-known Hollywood films including Lions for Lambs, The Other Boleyn Girl, and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus opposite the late Heath Ledger. The rising star can next be seen alongside Keira Knightley and Carey Mulligan in the dramatic thriller Never Let Me Go being released later this year.
Regarding the announcement, Marc Webb, who will direct Garfield in the next Spider-Man installment said: “Though his name may be new to many, those who know this young actor’s work understand his extraordinary talents. He has a rare combination of intelligence, wit, and humanity. Mark my words, you will love Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker.”
I am marking Marc’s words and hoping I will love a British actor’s interpretation of a beloved American super-hero! What’s next, Geri Halliwell as Mary Jane and Margaret Thatcher as Aunt May!?!?
