Starring Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston in the leads, Wanderlust has the potential to be brilliant. We saw a great first trailer for the film a few months ago, and now we’ve got a great new clip to share with you with Rudd showing off his guitar skills, taking on the Spin Doctors song, Two Princes.

Directed by David Wain and co-written by Wain and Ken Marino, whose Role Models proved a huge success back in 2008, the film has a great supporting cast that includes Justin Theroux, Malin Akerman, Marino himself, Alan Alda, Kathryn Hahn, and Ray Liotta.

“George and Linda are an overextended, stressed out Manhattan couple. After George is downsized out of his job, they find themselves with only one option: to move in with George’s awful brother in Atlanta.

On the way there, George and Linda stumble upon Elysium, an idyllic community populated by colorful characters who embrace a different way of looking at things. Money? It can’t buy happiness. Careers? Who needs them? Clothes? Only if you want them.

Is Elysium the fresh start George and Linda need? Or will the change of perspective cause more problems than it solves?”

This new clip, via Metacafe and Collider, sees Rudd go up against Theroux on the guitar and coming out a little worse for wear, with Aniston looking brilliantly impressed by Theroux instead of Rudd.

Wanderlust is set to hit the big screen here on 2^nd March, a week after its US release on 24^th February, and by all accounts looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun. Here’s the new clip to give you an idea of what we can expect.

Sally Hawkins (Made in Dagenham), Paul Giamatti (Win Win) and Paul Rudd (Knocked Up) have signed on to star in dramedy Lucky Dog.

Lucky Dog centers on two rival conmen who pair up on a get-rich-quick-scheme to sell Christmas tress in New York.

Phil Morrison, the filmmaker behind the acclaimed Junebug, will direct from a screenplay penned by Melissa James Gibson.

Lucky Dog will be a co-production between Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, HanWay Films and GreeneStreet Films, with shooting expected to begin next month in New York City.

HanWay Films will shop the worldwide distribution rights at the European Film Market in Berlin.

Source: Deadline

The first image for Judd Apatow’s Knocked Up sequel, This is 40, has been released this week, showing Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann) reprising their roles from the original film to take the lead roles.

The new image, courtesy of feature piece with the L.A. Times this weekend, is a first look at the leading couple and their daughters. The feature also detailed that the film “picks up with the family a few years after ‘Knocked Up’ where Pete’s music label is struggling and Debbie’s vanity business, a dress shop staffed by the comely Desi (Megan Fox) and the awkward Jodi (Charlyne Yi), needs to help cover the household budget.”

“It’s the kind of stuff about marriage that you don’t get to see in movies,” said Mann. “It’s about getting older. What the hell happened? Am I making all the right choices? Is this where I’m supposed to be? Is this it? All of those dreams that you had when you were young, all of the possibilities, when you lock into marriage and kids, do the possibilities dwindle or go away?”

Mann also commented that the film is partly based her and Apatow’s own real-life 14-year marriage. “The good moments are me and Judd,” the actress joked. And the bad moments? “Oh, those are all Paul Rudd and his wife.”

This Is 40 also stars Jason Segel in a brief cameo, Chris O’Dowd, Melissa McCarthy, John Lithgow, Lena Durham, and Annie Mumolo, as well as Albert Brooks joining as Rudd’s father, and is set to be released on 21st December.

(Source: IndieWire)

Ever since the heady days of ‘the lean’ rom-com posters have been suitably low on inspiration.  Not a day went by where you didn’t see Matthew McConaughey leaning toward some hire-a-face actress who in turn was leaning toward him. Oh how they leaned! The only thing stopping them from collapsing into a self satisfied heap of attractiveness was the mutually supportive lean based construction the two had created , it’s foundations composed entirely of commercially motivated whimsy and the structural integrity of McConaughey’s abs.

Well now that such lean-centric advertising has fallen into the realms of cliché and parody the first poster for Wanderlust is out and it looks set to revolutionise the way actors and actresses pose for promotional material that wishes to signal “fun and frothy romantic comedy!”:

George (Rudd) and Linda (Aniston) are an overextended, stressed out Manhattan couple. After George is downsized out of his job, they find themselves with only one option: to move in with George’s awful brother in Atlanta. On the way there, George and Linda stumble upon Elysium, an idyllic community populated by colourful characters who embrace a different way of looking at things. Money? It can’t buy happiness. Careers? Who needs them? Clothes? Only if you want them. Is Elysium the fresh start George and Linda need? Or will the change of perspective cause more problems than it solves?

I’m guessing it’s going to solve all of their problems. Just a hunch.

Yep from the poster it seems there’s going to be a lot of ‘throwing caution to the wind!’ and ‘living life down the path less travelled!’ and a load of other shouty potentially comedic stuff. Oh, and a redemptive ending that tells you that working the 9 to 5 grind might not be the best way to go about your life. The whole jumping into the unknown thing the new poster’s got going on has loads of potential. Just stick your actress and McConaughey of choice into the actress and McConaughey sized gaps and you can promote any film with it. As a matter of fact I might copyright it right now. This poster’s got legs.

In reference to the film itself all we have to go on is the trailer. The trailer where the comedy looks to be found largely in the culture shock induced when one joins a hippie commune, that and Paul Rudd. And I love Paul Rudd.

Well everything seems in order then. Let’s hope it lives up to its potential. And that Aniston is funny for once.

Source: IMP Awards.

Three new images for writer and director Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower have been released this month, which emphasise the film’s romantic setting as Emma Watson and Logan Lerman lead in this young adult novel adaptation.

The story follows a shy, unpopular high-school freshman, Charlie (Lerman), who is coping with his mental issues while trying to find a place to belong. Through a series of letters to an anonymous person, he explores his awkward adolescence and is introduced to a world of drugs and sex by his senior friends Sam (Watson) and Patrick (Ezra Miller) in 1991 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The cast for this adaptation also includes Johnny Simmons, Melanie Lynskey, Mae Whitman, Nicholas Braun, Dylan McDermott and most excitingly, Paul Rudd.

The film will be written and directed by Chbosky, with Summit releasing the film sometime in 2012.

Here are the new images, thanks to IndieWire:

Bridesmaids, this summer’s sleeper hit (and welcome respite to the tired and hollow escapades of Carrie Bradshaw and her Haute Couture cronies) comes to DVD and Blu-ray, having simultaneously held its own against the other big-hitters from the season, while helping to launch the careers of a number of small-screen comedic talents.

Starring and co-written by ex-Saturday Night Live member Kristen Wiig (in a breakout performance), she plays Annie, a single gal in her mid-thirties who is struggling with life. Financially she’s suffering (her dream business has gone bust, swallowing up any savings she had) and on the relationship front, her only sexual outlet is a series of cold, no-strings-attached rendezvous with a heartless cad named Ted (a loose and very funny Jon Hamm).

A ray of sunshine comes in the form of childhood best friend Lillian, who announces she is engaged and would love Annie to be her maid of honour. Annie’s plans to give her BBF a bachelorette party she won’t forget prove to be tougher than she envisioned when she runs into competition from Helen (Rose Byrne), the wife of Lillian’s fiancé’s boss and all-round do-gooder, whose own luxurious celebratory schemes differ greatly from Annie’s budget-restricting plans.

Thus begins a series of disastrous get-togethers with the trio and the rest of the bridesmaids (including Melissa McCarthy’s Zach Galafiankis-esque turn as future sister-in-law Megan) where friendships are tested and violent bowel movements are inadvertently triggered.

Co-producer Judd Apatow has once again assembled some serious talent together (it’s his biggest-grossing production yet), and with old collaborator Paul (Freaks and Geeks) Feig at the helm, they’ve fashioned a very funny, sometimes moving tribute to sisterhood which doesn’t skimp on the gross-out quota either (the aforementioned dress fittings session which rapidly descends into a shower of body fluid messiness is just as funny and disturbing on second viewing). The ensemble cast all manage to bring something to the table too, but it’s the fantastic Wiig’s show, and she proves to be a real comedic tour de force, particularly during an ill-fated flight to Las Vegas the ladies embark upon. Her scenes here truly establish her as a major talent, and she’s something of a snarky, coarser version of Diane Keaton.

It’s also nice to see a couple of faces from the land of UK TV in amongst the American cast. Matt Lucas has a small role as Annie’s overbearing flatmate but it’s The IT Crowd’s Chris O’Dowd who is the export that really shines. His winning and extremely likable turn as a sympathetic cop and potential suitor for Annie is a welcome addition to a largely female cast, and he looks completely relaxed and at ease as the romantic interest.

While Bridesmaids hardly rewrites the rules of the genre (it tends to stick pretty close to that tried-and-tested comedic formula) and suffers from the apparent insistence from Apatow that all his films need to run for over two hours, there’s much to like here. The film will undoubtedly find that similar-sized audience who trekked in droves to see it on the big screen and (for the most part), it’s fully deserving of that success.

****~ (4/5)

Extras

There is the option here (seemingly commonplace for all US mainstream comedy films of the last few years) to access an ‘Unrated Version’ of the film alongside the theatrical one.

Feature commentary with director Paul Feig, co-writer Annie Mumolo, and the bridesmaids from the film, minus Rose Byrne (Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Ellie Kemper).

Also included is a gag reel, ‘Line-O-Rama’ (verbal gags from the film all played together), three deleted scenes (one involves none other than Paul Rudd as one of Annie’s blind dates), extended and alternate scene, and a horrid in-film commercial for Cholodecki’s (the jewellery store Wiig’s character works at).

With the release of The Muppets a few months away (10th February, 2012), Jason Segel has this week confirmed that his character from Knocked Up will return in Judd Apatow’s This Is Forty and that he also hopes to make a new puppet film in vein of Goonies and Labyrinth.

Now that we’re all excited for the release of The Muppets, which you can read all about here, Segel has revealed to The Playlist this weekend that he hopes to return to his very first project in Hollywood that he sold the script for a decade ago, which will again combine live action and puppets.

“It’s a kids adventure movie in the style of ‘Goonies’ or ‘Labyrinth’ or something like that,” says Segel. “I think that’s the next big thing I’d like to try to tackle.”

Segel added that it may even include an entirely new kind of puppet, yet he remained quiet about any other details. “I don’t want anyone to steal [the idea] yet,” Segel responded. “There are parts I could play, but I’d be happy to just produce it.”

Segel also went on to discuss Judd Apatow’s Knocked Up sequel, This is Forty, which will follow Paul Rudd’s Pete and Leslie Mann’s Debbie from the original film taking the lead roles. Segel will be making a brief appearance in the film, and confirmed that he will continue playing his original role as Jay, the inappropriate stoner.

“We just finished [shooting],” says Segel. “It’s the same character and it’s only a few scenes. I just pop in. It was kind of like a cameo that I did in that, which was fun. I’ve never done anything like that. I popped in for a couple of days and they treated me real nice. It was very little pressure. It was just about coming in and being funny and hanging out with the old gang. It was actually really fun.”

This is Forty also stars Leslie Mann and Megan Fox and is set to be released on 21st December, 2012.

Universal Pictures have released the first official trailer for Wanderlust, offering hysterics, nudity and an all round entertainment.

Directed by David Wain (Role Models), Wanderlust stars Jennifer Aniston, Paul Rudd, Malin Åkerman, Justin Theroux, Lauren Ambrose, Alan Alda, Kathryn Hahn and Ken Marino.

George (Rudd) and Linda (Aniston) are an overextended, stressed out Manhattan couple. After George is downsized out of his job, they find themselves with only one option: to move in with George’s awful brother in Atlanta.

On the way there, George and Linda stumble upon Elysium, an idyllic community populated by colourful characters who embrace a different way of looking at things. Money? It can’t buy happiness. Careers? Who needs them? Clothes? Only if you want them.

Is Elysium the fresh start George and Linda need? Or will the change of perspective cause more problems than it solves?

Wanderlust will hit U.K. cinemas on March 2, 2012.

Watch the promising trailer below:

Source: Yahoo Movies

Okay, so there is no shortage of material already out there for “Our Idiot Brother”, Paul Rudd’s latest lead role, as an Idiot Brother.

The trailers so far (you can catch up on everything so far right here) show that Paul Rudd is indeed an idiot and these latest two offerings do nothing to detract or dissuade from that.

The red band trailer and tv spot are NSFW due to a bit of swearing and drug reference, but otherwise they are very much along the lines of what we have already seen. It should be a lot of fun, what we don’t know is whether Rudd can elevate the material above the predictable and give us something a little more special.

Thanks to Film Filia.

I say must watch and that is simply because it has Paul Rudd in it and as we all know, anything with Paul Rudd in has to be awesome! To coincide with the release of his new movie, Our Idiot Brother, Funny or Die have got both Rudd and legendary Producer Harvey Weinstein to conduct this silly but great video where Rudd does his best to pitch his mad ideas to Harvey.

It’s a great watch even if you do never see the two performers on screen at the same time!

Now UK release date as yet for Our Idiot Brother but we’ll keep you posted. You can see a trailer for it here.

Our Idiot Brother is a Paul Rudd comedy, so it’ll immediately have charmed many of you into submission and while I can’t find it easy to forgive the bass slapping dance thing out of I Love You Man* I’ll buy him as a likeable stoner who annoys his family when he arrives on the doorstep of his three sisters.

Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel and Emily Mortimer are those sisters and are the focus of the new clip and it’s always a pleasure to see Mortimer on screen even when she’s being harangued by the other two. Steve Coogan turns up in this one too as husband to a sister and the trailer we saw recently made it look as if there’s a decent script to go with the so so premise.

The film played pretty well at Sundance and there’s just over three weeks until it turns up on America’s door with a blunt in one hand and a guitar in the other demanding to be let in. No news as to a UK release.

MovieWeb served this one up,

* This is what I mean…

The last poster that we got for Our Idiot Brother, the upcoming comedy led by Paul Rudd, wasn’t exactly the best thing we’ve ever seen, to put it nicely. But now HitFix have got the new poster for the film, and it’s looking much better.

We now get to see Rudd’s co-stars, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, and Emily Mortimer, who play his sisters in the film, with Rudd clearly getting on their nerves just by being his laid-back self.

The film premiered at Sundance at the start of the year to some good reviews there and in case you missed it you can see a trailer here. To me, there aren’t that many comedians that have a great track record, but Rudd is certainly one of them. He’s been going from strength to strength over the past decade, following his break in Clueless, starring as Phoebe’s boyfriend and then husband in Friends, as well as taking supporting roles in a number of Judd Apatow-related movies, including Anchorman, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and the upcoming Wanderlust opposite Jennifer Aniston and the next Apatow-directed feature, This Is Forty, a spin-off from Knocked Up.

In Our Idiot Brother, Rudd stars as Ned, an upbeat, laid-back guy that gets arrested when he sells cannabis to a police officer. After his release, he successively moves in with his sisters and manages to disrupt their lives and (hopefully) cause general comedic chaos for the family.

Banks, Deschanel, and Mortimer have of course all been rising to bigger and bigger recognition in recent years, and it’s great to see a comedy with such a good line-up like this. Also co-starring alongside them all will be Steve Coogan, who is a bit of a comedy genius, and Rashida Jones, who starred with Rudd in I Love You, Man and who played the junior lawyer defending Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network last year.

The film is directed by Jesse Peretz, who directed the Zach Braff-starrer, The Ex, a few years back, and who also has a number of great music video credits, including Foo Fighter’s Learn To Fly, which won him a Grammy Award in 2001. Currently scheduled to be released in the US on 26th August, and with no date scheduled for the UK, it looks like we may have to wait until its DVD/Blu-Ray release to catch this one, which is a shame. Without further ado though, here’s the new and improved poster. As usual, click to enlarge.

What do you get when you put Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd and Jack Nicholson in a film together?  Answer: an impressive cast, which is greater than the sum of what is on offer here.

How Do You Know is very much like a recipe that should work, but lacks a lightness and assured touch which is surprising considering the talent involved.  It is labelled as a romcom, but it is neither one or the other despite the pedigree of its cast and the punch that James L. Brooks usually helps deliver on The Simpsons and in his previous films.

I began to watch How Do You Know having seen or heard nothing about it.  I enjoy romantic comedies so felt quite excited about the prospect of watching a film with the Brooks connection, but it soon became clear that there was little humour to enjoy.  Owen Wilson’s performance did lighten the mood a little, but overall this seemed like a vehicle that was turned down by Jennifer Aniston because it felt too much like Friends With Money and therefore another near miss.  Even Witherspoon’s perkiness could not help pick up the pace or detract from the fact that the film is overlong, and did not stray from its formula nor inject any spark of wit or surprise to justify its running time or reward audiences for sticking with it.

Halfway through I caught myself wishing that it was written and directed by Woody Allen, as it seemed to be the kind of comedy it was aiming for and not quite reaching.  The DVD is out on release now, so if you want to complete your Nicholson, Wilson or Witherspoon collections this film will certainly be worth buying.  But it does feel as though this one will be available to buy in Blockbuster for three quid before long and be considered among the quirkier of the pre-eminent careers of those involved.

The perfunctory extras don’t add to the experience, and the blooper reel is often funnier than the film itself.

Extras:

• Commentary with Filmmakers
• Select Scenes Commentary with James L. Brooks and Owen Wilson
• Deleted Scenes Commentary by James L. Brooks
• Blooper Reel
• Extra Innings

**~~~ (2/5)

I’ll need to buy a pair of boxing gloves when this poster hits the streets as I want to punch it in the face.

What happened to this poster? Eh? I have no idea what this is meant to mean, or who it’s meant to appeal to, or what that tagline means, can anyone tell me?

And it’s a shame as the trailer didn’t do the film any harm and there’s an excellent cast in there somewhere. Oh well, book/cover/judge etc.

Before the horror, here’s the synopsis,

Synopsis: Every family has one: the sibling who is always just a little bit behind the curve when it comes to getting his life together. For sisters Liz, Miranda and Natalie, that person is their perennially upbeat brother Ned, an erstwhile organic farmer whose willingness to rely on the honesty of mankind is a less-than-optimum strategy for a tidy, trouble-free existence. Ned may be utterly lacking in common sense, but he is their brother and so, after his girlfriend dumps him and boots him off the farm, his sisters once again come to his rescue. As Liz, Miranda and Natalie each take a turn at housing Ned, their brother’s unfailing commitment to honesty creates more than a few messes in their comfortable routines. But as each of their lives begins to unravel, Ned’s family comes to realize that maybe, in believing and trusting the people around him; Ned isn’t such an idiot after all.

Coming Soon. They are who are owed thanks.

Yahoo have released the full theatrical trailer for The Weinstein Company’s new movie, Our Idiot Brother which has a simply fantastic cast including Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Emily Mortimer Rashida Jones, Hugh Dancy, Kathryn Hahn, Shirley Knight, Janet Montgomery, Adam Scott and Steve Coogan. Jesse Peretz directs the movie whcih is set for release in the US 26th August. No UK release date that I can find as yet.

Synopsis: Every family has one: the sibling who is always just a little bit behind the curve when it comes to getting his life together. For sisters Liz, Miranda and Natalie, that person is their perennially upbeat brother Ned, an erstwhile organic farmer whose willingness to rely on the honesty of mankind is a less-than-optimum strategy for a tidy, trouble-free existence. Ned may be utterly lacking in common sense, but he is their brother and so, after his girlfriend dumps him and boots him off the farm, his sisters once again come to his rescue. As Liz, Miranda and Natalie each take a turn at housing Ned, their brother’s unfailing commitment to honesty creates more than a few messes in their comfortable routines. But as each of their lives begins to unravel, Ned’s family comes to realize that maybe, in believing and trusting the people around him; Ned isn’t such an idiot after all.

Check out the trailer below and let us know what you think in the comments section.

After creating some pretty damn positive buzz at Sundance Festival, we’ve now got the first look official poster for Paul Rudd vehicle ‘Our Idiot Brother’ and it’s really rather cool.  Rudd seems to be walking in The Dude’s footsteps, with vests and flipflops a must have staple part of the outfit; starring as ‘Ned’ a hippie farmer who sells weed to a policeman.  Dear God he’s stupid right?!

Once he’s released back into the world of the free, Ned has to go back home to live with his mum and sisters; cueing all kinds of charmingly bashful comedy and heart warming goodness.  Check out the trailer below for a rough idea of what’s instore, as Rudd is joined by a strong cast of Emily Mortimer, Elizabeth Banks, Steve Coogan and Zooey Deschanel.

Source – Moviefone.com.

We all know that playing the same role for years is very risky for an actor, as audiences start identifying you with your fictional alter ego and that’s it, you just can’t shake it off. But this hasn’t happened for Emma Watson, it seems, if the pictures that have started circulating from the set of her new movie (courtesy of TheSnitchSeeker.com) are anything to go by.

They show a smiling and confident Watson, dressed in a quirky – if slightly nerdy – ensemble and with a rather grown up hairdo – and nothing seems to be left of good old Hermione Granger. The movie, called The Perks of Being a Wallflower, is an adaptation of Stephen Chbosky’s homonymous novel. In it Emma – who is currently on a hiatus from her American university studies – plays Sam, one of the main characters, alongside Paul Rudd, Logan Lerman and Mae Whitman.

Book Synopsis from Amazon: Charlie is a freshman. And while he’s not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it. Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But Charlie can’t stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.

No release date has been set, but fans and critics alike are already eagerly waiting to see how she will perform out of the comfort zone of Hogwarts.

Johnny Simmons (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) has signed on to star in The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Simmons will star opposite Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Mae Whitman, Paul Rudd and Nina Dobrev in the feature film adaptation of Stephen Chbosky’s acclaimed novel.

Charlie, an introvert freshman, learns everything from drug use to suicide after being taken under the wings of step siblings Sam and Patrick.

Chbosky will make his directorial debut with the feature, with production due to start this summer.

Simmons will next be seen in The Conspirator, which opens in the UK on July 1.

Source: /Film

Jesse Peretz’s new Sundance-favorite comedy Our Idiot Brother has a new trailer out, and doesn’t it truly live up to the name? The film follows the long-haired hippie Ned, played appropriately by Paul Rudd, as he is busted and jailed for selling pot to the guy you DON’T SELL POT TO. After jail, Ned proceeds to make himself a nuisance and inconvenience at any possible opportunity in the lives of his 3 more responsible sisters (played by the stellar Emily Mortimer, Elizabeth Banks and Zooey Deschanel). I can’t wait! Check out the trailer below (via Slash Film), and set aside some time on August 26th to check it out in theaters!

Paul Rudd (40 Year Old Virgin) and Nina Dobrev (The Roommate) have joined the cast of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the feature film adaptation of Stephen Chbosky’s romance novel.

Rudd and Dobrev will star opposite Emma Watson (Harry Potter), Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief) and Mae Whitman (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World).

Tells the story of an introvert freshman named Charlie who learns everything from drug use to suicide after being taken on the wings by step siblings Sam and Patrick.

Chbosky is attached to make his directorial debut on the film, with shooting expected to begin next month in Pittsburgh.

Source: Deadline