Back in November last year, we heard that Phillip Noyce (Salt) was closing in on the director’s job Timeless, a sci-fi drama set up at Relativity Media, written by Bill Kelly (Enchanted).

Those talks went successfully for Noyce, who is confirmed to helm the film, and MovieHole are now reporting that rising young star Liam Hemsworth, Chris’ brother, is in talks to take the film’s leading role.

“[H]e would play a recently married man who loses his wife and then discovers she left him a fortune. Haunted by an unresolved issue between himself and his beloved, the man invests the money to build a time travel device, just to see her one last time.”

Hemsworth has a few feature films under his belt already, including most recently The Last Song and Triangle, but it will be next year when we see whether or not he’ll really be a permanent name in people’s minds for years to come – and somewhat shrug off being known solely as Chris Hemsworth’s brother – when he stars in Gary Ross’ upcoming adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, due out here on 23rd March.

I must admit, I’ve not seen the younger Hemsworth starring in anything, so I’m keeping an open mind about the projects he’s lining up for himself. The plot of the film itself does sound a little cheesy on paper, but that doesn’t mean the script won’t be good. Kelly’s last film, Enchanted, was very well received back in 2007, so let’s hope he can recreate some of the magic of that for Timeless.

Phillip Noyce-directed Salt may not have topped many people’s favourite film lists of last year, but it did turn almost $300m. from a $110m. budget, and now it’s looking like a sequel could well be on the cards, Deadline report.

After leaving the window open for a possible sequel at the close of the first film, Kurt Wimmer, who wrote the first Salt, has officially signed on and is now working on the script for the second film.

Director Phillip Noyce has said that he doesn’t plan on returning to helm the sequel, so with Wimmer now beginning to write the follow-up, Sony Pictures will no doubt be starting to look for a director to take his place. Personally, I think that Wimmer himself would make an excellent choice. Having written the original, he knows the characters, and I thought his directing in Equilibrium was brilliant. The studio may well decide to opt for a bigger name, with more directing experience, but I think Wimmer would be more than capable to tackle the job should he be considered.

Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura (Salt, Red, Transformers) talked to IGN at the end of last year and said,

“We’re definitely talking about the possibility of Salt 2… Angie, I know, loved that character, and would love to explore the character some more first and foremost.”

Having Angelina Jolie on board is of course of the utmost importance, and the project can’t really work without her approval. But given that she’s expressed interest already in making a sequel, it looks like everything is moving in the right direction for the project. With Wimmer now getting to work on penning the sequel, we can no doubt look forward to announcements of the director and cast in the coming months, and who else will be returning alongside Jolie.

Nicole Kidman is in early talks to topline Our Wild Life.

A spokesperson for Kidman said she has read and liked the script but “she is currently not attached”. She will next be seen in Joel Schumacher’s Trespass alongside Nicolas Cage.

Our Wild Life is said to be a sweeping drama that will explore the life of Dame Daphne Sheldrick, a wildlife conservationist well known for her work with elephants.

Phillip Noyce (Salt) is attached to direct, with distributors close to acquiring the film for worldwide release.

Production is expected to begin in September.

Source: THR

Phillip Noyce (Salt) has closed a deal to direct Hunter Killer, an adaptation of the novel Firing Point by George Wallace and Don Keith.

Hunter Killer will be produced by Relativity Media, Worldwide Productions and Original Film.

The script was penned by Jamie Moss (X-Men: First Class), John Kolvenbach (Coney Island) and Arne Schmidt (Chain Reaction).

An untested submarine captain must work with a Navy SEAL team to rescue the Russian president, who has been taken prisoner during a military coup, in an effort to stop a rogue Russian General from igniting World War III.

Production is expected to commence later this year.

Source: Deadline

Salt is released on Blu-ray today on DVD and Blu-ray and to celebrate, Sony Home Entertainment have been kind enough to give us three copies of the movie to give away on Blu-ray. Salt stars Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, and Chiwetel Ejiofor and is directed by Phillip Noyce.

Synopsis: Angelina Jolie stars as Evelyn Salt, a trusted and loyal CIA operative who is forced to go on the run when a Russian defector convinces her superiors that she’s a double agent sent to assassinate the President of the United States. As the intense manhunt heats up, Salt uses all of her skills as a covert operative to elude capture as she fights to uncover a secret so explosive it could change the course of world history.

Directed by Phillip Noyce (Clear and Present Danger, Patriot Games), SALT was written by Kurt Wimmer. Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Sunil Perkash produced, with Ric Kidney and Mark Vahradian serving as executive producers.

To be in with a chance of winning this great prize, all you have to do is answer the following question using the form below:

What is the name of Liev Schreiber’s character in Salt?

The small print:

• This competition is open to the UK only
• Only one entry per household will be counted
• The competition will close on Monday 20th December at 23.59 GMT
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received

The usual T&Cs can be found here. Good Luck!

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

Extras:

DVD Special Features

• The Ultimate Female Action Hero
• Spy Disguises: The Looks of Evelyn Salt
• Radio Interview and Audio Commentary with Director Phillip Noyce

Blu-ray Special Features

• The Ultimate Female Action Hero
• Spy Disguises: The Looks of Evelyn Salt
• Radio Interview and Audio Commentary with Director Phillip Noyce

Top Secret Blu-ray Exclusives

• Salt Declassification – An Undercover Look at the Secrets of Making SALT
• The Real Agents Featurette
• The Modern Master of the Political Thriller: Phillip Noyce
• False Identity: Creating the New Reality
• Spy Cam Picture in Picture Track
• Movie IQ

Relativity Media have acquired the rights to Timeless, a script by Bill Kelly (Enchanted).

Timeless centers on a recently wed man who loses his wife and discovers she has left him a fortune. Haunted by an unresolved issue between himself and his wife, the man invests the money to build a time travel device, just to see her one last time.

Phillip Noyce, who directed Angelina Jolie in the action-thriller Salt, is currently in talks to direct.

Deadline reported this one.

This evening, London’s Leicester Square saw the European Premiere of Angelina Jolie’s latest movie, Salt. The lady herself was in town to promote the movie and our friends from Upbeat have just sent us the official premiere report which you can watch below.

The report contains an interview with Jolie where even she doesn’t let us know the answer to the question we’re all asking – ‘Who is Evelyn Salt?’

Salt also stars Gaius Charles, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Liev Schreiber, is directed by Phillip Noyce and is released in UK cinemas this Friday, 20th August.

HeyUGuys Live was there in the thick of the action, tweeting in real-time about the nights events, guests and questions. Follow us at @HeyUGuysLive on Twitter.

Despite Angelina Jolie’s Salt not actually having been released yet in the UK, The Los Angeles Times is reporting that a sequel may well be in the works. The film, which has already made $150 million, see’s Jolie’s character accused of being a Russian sleeper spy and follows her attempts to (maybe) clear her name – can you tell I haven’t seen it yet?

The site is reporting that the film’s screenwriter, Kurt Wimmer (Law Abiding Citizen), has “ideas for how to advance the story”, while director Philip Noyce (The Bone Collector) has also showed interest in a sequel. This, the films current box office takings combined with Jolie’s openness to reprising the role, suggest that a continuation of the story may be inevitable (I’m guessing her character makes it out of the first one alive – *spoilers*). With neither actor or director committed to anything else in the immediate future we may not have to wait too long if a part 2 is greenlit.

Sony are purported to be waiting for the film to play to international markets before pushing forward with a sequel and, naturally, we will keep you up to date with any future developments.

Salt opens on the 18th of August in a theatre near you.

This past weekend Salt opened in the US, and is an espionage thriller directed by Phillip Noyce starring Angelina Jolie as Evelyn Salt.

Salt is a CIA operative who, during an interview with a Russian walk in named Orlav, is accused of being a sleeper Russian spy with plans to assassinate the Russian President.  Liev Schreiber co-stars as Ted Winter, Evelyn’s colleague and friend who at first can’t believe the accusations but finds himself starting to doubt her innocence as the film progresses.  Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Peabody, the agent in charge of apprehending Salt before her alleged mission is carried out.

Salt is the Jason Bourne-esque espionage thriller which originally had Tom Cruise attached to it. Apparently Cruise dropped out to do Knight and Day, and I’m wondering if that turned out to be such a good choice for him.  Salt has a lot of the typical traits of your standard espionage thriller; intrigue, action, chase scenes and nifty gadgets, she’s even a bit of a MacGuyver as well.  She packs light, but efficiently and really, that is something most women have trouble doing.  She can handle herself and her weapons and even displays a bit of parkour with out exerting much more than a light grunt.  She also has the smarts to kick off her heels before she runs and after changing her clothes, goes with sensible shoes.  That’s not something you see very often.

This film served up pretty much what I expected, as director Phillip Noyce who is no stranger to the espionage thriller genre, having done Clear and Present Danger and Patriot Games previously (but the major win was Blind Fury with Rutger Hauer – not an espionage thriller but full of awesome none the less).  Noyce keeps the action going and doesn’t let the film get stagnant, there are foot chase scenes, car chase scenes, fist fights, shoot outs, explosions, and alternative uses for fire extinguishers.

The leads, Jolie, Schreiber and Ejiofor all handle their roles as they should, each are fine actors in their own right and it’s no different in this film.  Jolie likes to play those female leads that are tough and can kick your ass, she’s good at it and should continue playing those types of roles. However that being said, my one complaint I have with the film lies with her character.

The problem isn’t how she played it, it’s more of an issue of how the character was written.  We don’t get to find out too much about her.  We know she’s CIA and she’s been through some pretty hairy situations in her time with the agency.  She’s married and her husband is the main reason she goes on the run.  But that’s about it.  There is a tad more info, but for the sake of keeping this spoiler free, I won’t mention it.  The film tells the story of their relationship through flashbacks but you don’t get a real sense of how deep their union runs.  Yeah, you know she loves him, but the reasons she does what she does isn’t so much explained as it is implied.  The character of the husband is quite muted and you don’t feel his presence much in the film at all.

I adore both Liev Schreiber and Chiwetel Ejiofor and was very pleased to see them both in this.  For some reason Schrieber gets cast in an agent-type role often.  He’s got THAT look.  He just fits.  The rest of the cast is relatively forgettable as the film is basically centered on the main three.  There is a blink-and-you-miss-him cameo by Andre Braugher, which took me by surprise.

I don’t think it’s any surprise that the studio would like to turn this into a franchise if they could.  The film definitely ended in a way that other stories could be told using the Salt character.  Time will tell however and if the box office doesn’t show it, the studio probably won’t go for it.  If it remained a stand alone film, that would be fine too.  It can really go either way.

While I wasn’t disappointed in the film, I wasn’t overly excited afterwards either.  I can honestly just say, I liked it but I didn’t LOVE it.  It was entertaining and surprisingly complex in parts, but in the end I would have liked a bit more cohesion and motive.  I had tweeted prior to the movie starting that I was getting ready to watch Salt and I hoped it would make me forget that I didn’t have any on my popcorn.  It helped take my mind off the fact, but I still missed it.

Salt opens in the UK on August 20th.

You can find me on Twitter at @baddladd

Four new Salt banners have turned up online. With only a week left until the film is released in the US, Columbia Pictures are presumably pushing the marketing, hoping to cash-in on opening weekend.

The brand new banners are simple, yet strangely effective, creating mystery as to who the title character is, what she stands for, and what she wants.

Salt, starring Angelina Jolie (Mr & Mrs Smith), Liev Schreiber (Taking Woodstock) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (2012), centres on Evelyn Salt, a CIA officer whose loyalty is questioned when she’s accused of being a Russian spy, after which, the only thing left for her to do is run. Every time she attempts to disprove the allegation, it only makes her look more suspicious.

Directed by Phillip Noyce (The Bone Collector), the film has already attracted some moderately good reviews in the trades. In the UK we’ll see this one on the 20th of August.

Check out the banners below.

IMP had these.

Reported by Jamie Neish

We’ve teamed up with our friends at MoviePosterShop.com to bring new a new weekly competition which we have decided to call, ‘Movie Poster Monday’! Each week, we’ll be bringing you a competition to win a poster from a movie that is going to open that week.

About Movie Poster Shop: MoviePosterShop.com is an online retailer of movie posters, TV posters, lobby cards and more. They offer over 600,000 items, including many hard to find foreign-version posters. Head over to MoviePosterShop.com and embrace your inner movie fan!

This week, give you the chance to have Angelina Jolie on your wall! You can read Jon’s review of the movie here. Salt is released in US 23rd July and  & in the UK  20th August and stars Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Yara Shahidi, Gaius Charles and is directed by Phillip Noyce.

We have the chance for three lucky readers to win a poster with the main winner receiving a framed version and the two runners up receiving the poster. MoviePosterShop.com can post to anywhere in the world so feel free to enter, wherever you are! The guys at MoviePosterShop.com have also been kind enough to give all our readers 25% off all posters bought using thecode ‘angelina’ at checkout. This offer expires on 26th July also.

The poster we are giving away can be seen here along with huge batch of other posters from the movie, all available from MoviePosterShop.com. It’s 27″ x 40″  (68.6cm x 101.6cm) and will look great on any wall!

To be in with a chance of winning this great prize, you must become a fan of the HeyUGuys FaceBook Page and also the MoviePosterShop.com Facebook page and answer the following question using the form below.

Which movie did Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie star in together?

The small print:

• This competition is open worldwide – you can enter from any country
• Only one entry per household will be counted
• The competition will close Monday 26th July at 23.59 GMT
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received

The usual T&Cs can be found here. Good Luck!

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

A brand new clip from Angelina Jolie’s new movie, Salt has been released on Yahoo.com. The clip is called ‘Call Me’

Boxed in an interrogation room, Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) attempts to elude a CIA tactical team.

Salt also stars Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Andre Braugher and is directed by Phillip Noyce. It’s set for release in the UK 20th August and I’ve placed the synopsis below for your reading please. Scroll down to view the new clip.

Accused of being a Russian spy, Evelyn Salt goes on the run, using all her skills as a covert operative to stay one step ahead of the CIA.

Columbia Pictures have released a couple of new TV spots for Angelina Jolie’s new spy, action thriller, Salt which also stars Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor and is directed by Phillip Noyce who previously brought us the Clancy classics Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger.

Synopsis: As a CIA officer, Evelyn Salt (Jolie) swore an oath to duty, honor and country. Her loyalty will be tested when a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy. Salt goes on the run, using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative to elude capture. Salt’s efforts to prove her innocence only serve to cast doubt on her motives, as the hunt to uncover the truth behind her identity continues and the question remains: “Who is Salt?”

Source: Latino Review /  The Movie Box

Columbia Picture have released six new images via Filmofilia from Angelina Jolie’s new action movie, Salt. The action movie sees the Jolie being chased by her own agency, the CIA after being accused of becoming a Russian Spy.

Salt also stars Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor and is directed by Phillip Noyce who previously brought us the Clancy classics Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger. Salt is released July 23rd in the US (no UK release date as yet). Click the images below to enlarge.

As a CIA officer, Evelyn Salt (Jolie) swore an oath to duty, honor and country. Her loyalty will be tested when a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy. Salt goes on the run, using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative to elude capture. Salt’s efforts to prove her innocence only serve to cast doubt on her motives, as the hunt to uncover the truth behind her identity continues and the question remains: “Who is Salt?”

Earlier today, a Russian version of the Salt trailer managed to leak onto the Internet and it was quickly culled by Sony. I’m glad as it was worth the wait to see it in HD. On other sites, it’s been compared to a Bourne-style conspiracy theory but what do you think? I’ve embedded it below or you can head over to Yahoo to view in HD.

Salt Stars Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Andre Braugher and is directed by Phillip Noyce who has previously brought us Patriot Games and the Bone Collector which also starred Jolie. This means that Noyce is also no stranger to action as Patriot Games in my opinion was awesome and gave both Harrison Ford and Sean Bean a chance to shine. Check out the synopsis below then watch the trailer and you’ll soon see the similarities to the Bourne series. Salt is scheduled for release 20th August.

Synopsis: Before becoming a CIA officer, Evelyn Salt swore an oath to duty, honor, and country. She will prove loyal to these when a defector accuses her of being a Russian sleeper spy. Salt goes on the run, using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative to elude capture, protect her husband, and stay one step ahead of her colleagues at the CIA.