Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox divided audiences but his latest appears to be just the ticket for those wanting a return to form (i.e. familiar) and you can expect the words ‘quirk’ and ‘charm’ to be used in equal measure until the film sees its release in May of this year.

Leaping over the animated delights of F Mr.F we look back to The Darjeeling Limited and its companion short Hotel Chevalier for our last live-action film from the director and as usual there’s an excellent cast, with the scattering of Anderson regulars, and the trailer is quirky as it is charming. See.

Here’s a cute synopsis,

Set on an island off the coast of New England in the summer of 1965, MOONRISE KINGDOM tells the story of two twelve-year-olds who fall in love, make a secret pact, and run away together into the wilderness. As various authorities try to hunt them down, a violent storm is brewing off-shore — and the peaceful island community is turned upside down in more ways than anyone can handle. Bruce Willis plays the local sheriff. Edward Norton is a Khaki Scout troop leader. Bill Murray and Frances McDormand portray the young girl’s parents. The cast also includes Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, and Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward as the boy and girl.

 

Here’s your trailer, pick an Apple to see a version with clarity,

Last week I had the unparalleled pleasure of asking Bradley Cooper a few questions about his controversial movie hit, Limitless.

For anybody who hasn’t seen the movie yet, you can take a peek at Adam’s review. We picked his brains from here to Hollywood but the fun didn’t stop there… During the roundtable with The Hangover star it became apparent to us all that Cooper is a delightfully knowledgeable film buff! Swoon.

On Limitless: 

Audiences most popularly know you as ‘Phil from the Hangover,’ has it been refreshing playing and promoting a completely different character like Eddie Morra?

I love Phil from the Hangover and I love Eddie too so it was nice to be cast in a different genre of movie for sure and where the burden of the storytelling was really on my shoulders; I loved that challenge. Also being able to play a guy who goes through such a transformation, physically and emotionally. But I don’t mind being associated with the Hangover, I’m honoured to be a part of it.

Do you think Eddie’s a good guy?

I do. I don’t think that he is malicious in anyway at all. Certainly we don’t know what his objective is on the drug. It’s not to make money that’s for sure. We don’t ever really know what it is.

He becomes very powerful and focused when he takes NZT, do you think power always corrupts or does Eddie escape that?

I don’t think he escapes it. That’s sort of the point of the movie that it’s a treacherous road. That’s the main thrust if there’s any particular theme to the movie. It’s about, not the price of power but the challenges of power.

Would you say there’s an undercurrent on how men and women deal with failure and success?

I think that calls along the line of the power question in how you deal with a lack of power or alternatively a surplus of power?

If you could take NZT and it were risk-free, would you?

Yeah, I’d probably take it both ways!

We all wonder if the real life superstars have some sort of pill for success, if there is a secret formula, what do you think it is, purely hard work or does luck play a role as well?

In terms of being successful as an actor I think luck plays a huge role! It’s like what Oprah said, although maybe she echoed somebody else, but she said ‘luck is preparation meets opportunity.’ That’s pretty true. I know that I certainly went to Grad school with guys who were tremendously talented as actors! I remember certain opportunities that we would all have but the way some people deal with that is by sabotaging themselves. It’s interesting; luck plays a huge role. But it’s impossible, I think, to do anything for any duration if you don’t work hard. Definitely as an actor, from my experience I don’t know how you could do it without working hard.

You’re also a producer on the film, how did the project come to you?

I ran to it! It was out there and I read it and I loved it. Then I tried to get a meeting with Neil Burger who had just signed on to direct it. It had been around for years – Leslie Dixon wrote it in 2007, I think or 2008 – and Heath Ledger was going to take it on at one point and then Shia LeBeouf. So it had been around for a while and I just went for it.

How was it balancing your role as an actor and a producer on the film?

It was actually a wonderful marriage because basically all that credit does is allow you to participate without apologizing! Instead of saying, ‘I’m sorry…but what about this?’

If you could use NZT to perfect any talent or language, what would it be?

German. I’d love to learn German. You remember the movie A Fish Called Wanda? Where John Cleese just loves German? That’s like me!

During the movie Eddie rockets through this vast emotional spectrum, were there any particularly interesting scenes for you to get into?

The scene where he finds the dead body. We were very keen to make it feel real. So often in the movies you see those scenes and they’re not right. I remember when I was a kid and my parents would ask me to turn the lights off before I come upstairs. There was one light in the living room and I would always turn it off and from the minute I turned it off until I’d run up the stairs I wouldn’t stop screaming because I thought I would scare away any of the ghosts. So when we were doing that scene and he hears something in the background and he just starts yelling. That just sort of happened and it felt like a real thing that Eddie would do as opposed to a typical ‘I find a dead body, I call the cops’ scenario if somebody’s not used to that world. That was a scene I found really fulfilling because we really made to make it different and make it like if a regular guy were to walk into a room and see a dead body, like what the fuck would you do?

[SPOILER:]

Which ending for the film did you prefer?

The one that’s in the movie. For sure. I feel like the ending that we chose for the movie was more ambiguous for the viewer in terms of: is he on the drug/is he off the drug? Was he lying to Carl Van Loon (Robert De Niro) or not? Because it could be just as dark an ending as the alternate if he’s lying to Carl. That whole thing was a ruse in a way. He’s not off the drug, he’s still taking the drug and he doesn’t know what the hell he’s going to do. He claims, ‘look I’m off it but I’ve retained some of the power.’  We departed from the ending in the book before I came aboard. Leslie Dixon’s script chose a different way to go.

On The Crow, Hyperion and Paradise Lost:


How far down the road are you with the remake of The Crow?

I’m not sure where we are with that. I mean, it makes tracks on the internet but I’m really not sure.

What about Hyperion?

We are just finishing the deal to write that so that’s going ahead. If you haven’t read the books then they’re fantastic. Oh my God! Ideally we’d like to do them all but we’re actually combining them because it’s kind of a mammoth undertaking, these four books, to consolidate and turn them into script form. The first one, we’re going to write two scripts, so the first is kind of a combination of Hyperion and the Fall of Hyperion and Endymion, which is three out of the four, and then we’ll see where that takes us in terms of the second one.

Are you still keen to direct it?

It’s a dream! But that’s like saying you want your first movie to be Avatar! I’d have to have NZT and give it to the studio head in order for them to let me direct that movie.

How far a long are you with Paradise Lost?

We just finished, hang on, I’ll show you. [Cooper takes out his Blackberry to show us a photo for him wearing a skintight black suit covered in sensors] It’s going to be motion capture and I had never done anything like that! We’ve been doing these tests all this week. So yeah, we’re still shooting, I hope so anyway! (laughs) That would suck if I went through all that and we don’t shoot it! Yeah, it’s full on. That was our second day and we were just testing out the different rigs and doing some preliminary work in terms of a few scenes. We did one where Lucifer lands and talks to his minions and it’s really exciting. We’ll start shooting in January I think.

How do you feel about playing the biggest baddy there ever was?

Oh man, I can’t wait. I can’t believe I am doing it! I remember on the A-Team tour we were here actually, in London, and I had met Ralph Fiennes; I’d never met him before but he’s a friend of Liam’s [Neeson]. I remember we were just talking and he asked what I wanted to do and I said it’s crazy, there’s this project Paradise Lost and all I really want to do is play the devil. I remember he said to me, ‘You’re going to do it.’  And the way he said it to me, you know when somebody says something and it seems so real, like they know something, and I thought, ‘Great, yeah.’ But you never know until you’re shooting. I mean I say it now and then bam, Shia Lebeouf is Lucifer in a month! (laughs) But we’re all scheduled, with Alex Proyas, who is wonderful! He did the original Crow movie, and Dark City, I don’t know if any of you saw it but it was fantastic.

On The Hangover:


You’ve played a huge variety of roles from the cool suave guy to the jerk in Wedding Crashers, was there any character that stood out for you, one you’d go back and do again?

Well, Phil wasn’t easy at all. The guy in the Hangover. In fact I was probably had the most trepidations about that character more than anyone I’ve played. Just because I didn’t think I could pull it off. He’s such a commander and chief and is so secure with himself and so quick-witted. He’s just cool, to me he’s like the coolest guy in the world. And he’s got this moral philosophy which is just so bizarre! He’s got to run the show in a lot of ways and so when Todd [Phillips] cast me I was worried that I wasn’t going to be able to pull it off. But now I feel we’ve created a guy that, I mean the second film, it was so effortless to play Phil and I love him so much that I would do five Hangovers just to play him because I really do love that character! And he’s changing for example in the second movie you saw his vulnerability with Alan and I just really love that guy.

Are there any plans for further Hangover adventures or is it too soon to tell?

No plans but I hope there is. I think there should be a trilogy to close it all up. Done.


On Directing and the Future:


You’re doing a lot behind the camera then, do you think one day you’ll move on from acting completely into directing and producing?

Just a director. I’d love to direct. Yes, I’d retire absolutely.

Who are your top directors then, whose footsteps do you aspire to follow in?

Oh there’s so many! Jonathan Glazer, Paul Thomas Anderson and Scorsese and Spielberg. Catherine Bigelow’s great. Julian Schnabel’s fantastic, Guillermo Del Toro’s great. I don’t have this idea of making just David Leen movies or something like that.

If your long-term aim is to duck out of acting and move into directing what’s going to be your King Lear to crown your acting career?

I think the reason why I imagine giving up acting is because I would love directing so much that I would probably then only want to direct. That’s why that would happen I think if my hunch is right about how much I would love directing. I don’t really have a part in mind it’s more really about working with directors. That’s the motivation for me, to be on a Jonathan Glazer or Paul Thomas Anderson or Wes Anderson set; that’s the goal for me. It may change and it may become a role but at the moment it’s that.

Have you got any projects lined up with any of those directors?

None! (laughs) Honestly, I’ve been trying to just sit down with Jonathan Glazer for about 8 years! I’m not kidding, I even went to high school with his agent and I’m like, ‘Hey man, is there any way I can get a meeting’ and he’s all shrug, ‘I dunno.’ So maybe one day.

Are there any actors you aspire to work with in the same way?

Oh well, Daniel Day Lewis for sure! Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix, Cate Blanchett and Kate Winslet. There’s so many, Tom Hardy, I’d love to work with Tom Hardy, I think he’s incredible! I think Michael Fassbender’s incredible and Carey Mulligan is great, there’s a lot of young actors that are really good and who I’d love to work with.

Limitless is Available on DVD and Blu-ray from 1 August 2011

Over the last couple of months we’ve been hearing news of the increasing eclectic line-up of actors to join the cast for Wes Anderson’s next feature, Moonrise Kingdom. Alongside regular players like Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand and Tilda Swinton are all onboard.

Now First Showing has news that none other than Harvey Keitel (where has he been of late?) is another addition here. The film is Anderson’s first period piece (although all his previous films exist in their own lovingly-crafted retro/modern universe) and tells the story of two young lovers who take off from their New England hometown causing friends and family to embark on a search for them.

Further details have been sketchy, but it’s known that Willis play’s the town sheriff, and Murray and McDormand are the young girl’s parents. Edward Norton is a Boy Scout camp leader and The Playlist has unearthed this rather fuzzy image on set (below) of the actor in his full uniform. Murray has also been snapped with what looks like a couple of fans.

That’s it for now folks, but more images will undoubtedly surface in the coming weeks. The first live-action film from Anderson since 2007’s underappreciated, The Darjeeling Limited, this new project certainly holds a fair amount of intrigue, which must partially stem from the decidedly left-field casting of Willis (wonder how he’ll fit in Anderson’s world?) and from seeing what two solid female talents like McDormand and Swinton will bring to the film. Norton is a welcomed presence too, and looks worryingly at home in his camp leader outfit.

It will come as no surprise to fans of Anderson’s and Schwartzman’s that the latter has joined Anderson’s new movie, Moonrise Kingdom.

Schwartzman’s acting debut saw him take the lead in Anderson’s second film, Rushmore, which, like all of Anderson’s films, is something of a cult favourite. The two have since worked together on The Darjeeling Limited, which Schwartman also helped to write, and on 2009’s Fantastic Mr. Fox, and their pairing over the years has been incredibly successful. The two clearly must have a great connection with each other, having started their careers much at the same time together, and there is every reason to expect that Moonrise Kingdom will be another Anderson success.

Schwartzman was last seen on the big screen in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World as the last of Ramona Flowers’ boyfriends, he has since been seen on HBO in Bored To Death, playing the lead in a TV series alongside Zach Galifianakis (whose name I always need to double- (okay, triple-)check I’ve spelt right) and Ted Danson.

Moonrise Kingdom has already got an impeccably strong cast lined up for itself, with Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, and Anderson-favourite Bill Murray attached to star too. The Guardian have a bit more to say on the plot:

“Moonrise Kingdom is a 60′s set tale which revolves around two young lovers who take off from their New England hometown causing friends and family to embark on a search for them. Willis, according to previous reports, will play the town sheriff, who’s also having an affair with the missing girl’s mother (a role pencilled for McDormand), while Norton has his eye on the part of a scout master. Murray will play the girl’s father.”

I am a really big fan of all of Wes Anderson’s films to date, and I truly can’t wait to see how Moonrise Kingdom turns out. It certainly has potential based on that plot, and given that Anderson will be at the helm with such a terrific cast to work with, at the very least I can see it taking a strong position in my Top 10 of 2012.

Anderson has co-written the script with Roman Coppola (son of Francis Ford Coppola), and filming is to begin in the coming months in Rhode Island. With Owen Wilson’s schedule currently looking relatively light, mostly filled with upcoming animated film Turkeys and David Frankel-directed The Big Year, I am hopeful – expectant, even – that Wilson will be confirmed for Moonrise Kingdom before long. Having starred in all six of Anderson’s feature films to date, it just wouldn’t seem right without him.

Bruce Willis, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Bill Murray and Edward Norton are in talks to join Moon Rise Kingdom.

Wes Anderson (Fantastic Mr. Fox) will direct from a script he co-wrote with Roman Coppola. Shooting is expected to commence in Spring 2011 as long as financing can be secured.

Synopsis: [The film] is set in the 60s. Two young adults fall in love and run away. Leaders in their New England town are sticking the idea that they’ve disappeared and go in search of them. Norton will play a scout leader who brings his charges on a search. Willis is in talks to play the town sheriff who’s also looking, and who is having an affair with the missing girl’s mother, the role McDormand is in talks to play. Murray, a regular in Anderson films, will play the girl’s father, who has his own issues.

Deadline reported this one.

Fans of indie hipster filmmaker Wes Anderson will be pleased to learn that following his first foray into animation (this year’s stop-motion delight Fantastic Mr. Fox), he has another film coming in 2011.

The Playlist have reported Production Weekly dropped the news (via Twitter) that the Rushmore auteur is planning to shoot sometime next spring.

There’s no information on his IMDB page as yet, but Anderson was known to be developing a script for a film called My Best Friend, although The Playlist is saying that his next could now be a different project to that.

Whatever the outcome, I’m always happy to see Anderson back in the director’s chair. The Fantastic Mr. Fox was considered by some critics something of a comeback for him (although I loved The Darjeeling Limited personally), but I’m just glad the New York-based director is still finding the funds to make films from his unique vision.

According to a recent article at Variety we will soon be seeing a French Jacques-Yves Cousteau biopic and it will be released in 3D.

The French production company Pan Europeenne is behind the $37 million project which will be an adaptation of ‘Capitaine de la Calypso’, a biography of Cousteau written by Cousteau’s friend and colleague Albert Falco. There is no word yet on casting and in particular who will play Cousteau but Jerome Salles is set to direct.

Hopefully a resurgence in interest in Cousteau’s documentaries might result in new DVD/Blu-Ray releases and hopefully finally some English subtitled releases. I would love to own a Cousteau Blu-Ray box set that includes his original narrations.

There has, of course, already been a fictional film based on Jacques Cousteau in the form of The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou. Although the character of Steve Zissou was inspired by Jacques Cousteau it is certainly not a biopic.

Here’s Wes Anderon talking about Jacques-Yves Cousteau and The Life Aquatic from an interview with National Geographic News.

The inspiration for this one is Jacques Cousteau and his films. I’ve always been curious about and fascinated by Cousteau. He had the kind of mind that allowed him to invent all kinds of things that, before he came along, people had never dreamed of. He helped invent scuba and developed some of the first submersibles.

I remember watching an old National Geographic [TV] special on Cousteau narrated by Orson Welles. I was fascinated. To me Cousteau, his crew, and their adventures seemed an idea for a movie as much as they seemed like an actual group of explorers.

I do love The Life Aquatic but I would also really like to see an actual biopic of Cousteau, whose life was truly remarkable. I’ll be following the news surrounding this film closely and I’ll be keeping you all informed of any further developments.

A couple of weeks ago, HeyUGuys got to speak to some of the men who made The Fantastic Mr. Fox come to life. Ian McKinnon from McKinnon and Saunders, the specialist puppeteers (who also worked on The Corpse Bride ) and Andy Ghent and Andy Biddle (stop-motion animator and Aardman alumnus).

For your auditory pleasure we have compiled the interview into a special edition podcast, taking a look at the making of the film.

The stop motion version of Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox came on on DVD yesterday, is directed by Wes Anderson and features the voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Michael Gambon and Willem Dafoe.

You can check out the full ‘FoxCast’ by Ben Mortimer below and check out official MouthOff Podcasts here.

[gplayer href="http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/audio/fantastic_mr_fox/animators_interview.mp3"] Audio Interview with Ian McKinnon, Andy Ghent & Andy Biddle: [/gplayer]

As the fanboy dust settles and Sony’s decision to reboot the Spider-Man series, taking the beloved series back to school, is assimilated the long journey to the expected 2012 release date of Degrassi: Spiderman High has begun.

Deadline Hollywood are speculating that the big names on Sony’s list to head up the teenage years reboot of Spider-Man are James Cameron, David Fincher, Wes Anderson and Marc Webb, with the last name on that list being supposed most likely to take on the job.

Whether this is merely fanning the hype flame in the wake of the sudden ditching of the Raimi Spidey series by Sony it is clear it has done the job as people are talking and aligning the director of last year’s acclaimed (500) Days on Summer with the webslinger. Given that Christopher Nolan signed on to direct a rebooted Batman series after breaking out with Memento, it makes sense that Sony would latch onto Webb as his 2009 film was a massive success, and Webb ably directed the emotional paths of his characters with style.

Quite how, if he was to sign on (and remember this is all huge speculation at the moment), he would tame a high budget 3D monster of a production and bring in a film pleasing to fans and Sony’s fiscal expectations is unclear. Perhaps it is the right thing to do as the other directors on the list would surely overshadow the film’s main draw, such as it is, a fresh new Spider-Man.

So, what do you think to (500) days of Spidey?

This week sees the release of Fantastic Mr. Fox in the US, an adaptation of the classic Roald Dahl children’s story. Wes Anderson directs. Best known for adult themed, quirky comedy dramas, there is a question over whether he has been able to craft a movie with his unique style of humour that also appeals to a younger audience.

Whilst past Dahl adaptations like Matilda and James and the Giant Peach have been firmly aimed at children, it has been proved that his stories can be made to appeal to both young and old. The brilliant Gene Wilder stars, as we look at 1971′s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Willy Wonka opens with Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum). The youngest member of a truly working-class family, Charlie lives with his hard-working mother, and two sets of bedridden grandparents. The definition of paupers, they all struggle to exist on little more than cabbage water, with a simple loaf of bread considered a luxury item. Big hearted Charlie works a paper route after school, to contribute what little he can towards his families meagre existence. It’s an ordinary day at school for Charlie when word comes in that Mr Willy Wonka is opening the doors of his factory for one day only. The world famous chocolatier has been a recluse for many years, since a fallout with now rival Slugworth. No-one ever goes in or out of Wonka’s factory, and it’s a mystery how he manages to produce vast volumes of wonderful chocolate.

The whole world goes Wonka mad, as literally millions of bars of chocolate are bought up, everyone hoping to find one of just five lucky golden tickets that entitles the bearer entry to a confectionary paradise. Charlie is no exception, and dares to dream that he has a chance as good as anyone’s, despite not being able to afford more than a couple of bars of Wonka’s favourites. Four lucky children find tickets, could Charlie possibly be number five?

Willy Wonka is almost a game of two halves. Charlie’s under privileged existence, and his dreams of sampling just some of the luxuries others around him take for granted, is heart wrenching. His love for his family, and particularly his Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson) are touching. Charlie inevitably finds his ticket, and the scene where Grandpa Joe staggers out of bed for the first time is genuinely moving, his song ‘I’ve got a golden ticket’ beautiful, despite his lack of a good singing voice. The first thirty minutes of Willy Wonka, the story of a poor hard working young boy achieving his greatest wish, are almost Dickensian.

Then Gene Wilder turns up, and the story is turned on it’s head. What starts off as a story of childhood innocence becomes a cutting look at what is wrong with the ‘youth of today’. Gene Wilder’s song, and the beautifully realised confectionary garden replete with chocolate waterfall are awe inspiring, a children’s fantasy land brought to splendid technicolor life. But despite the brightly coloured scenery, the tale takes a decidedly dark turn. Augustus Gloop’s gluttony, Violet Beauregarde’s passion for gum are their downfall, the greedy and spoilt Veruca Salt and square eyed Mike Teevee also get their just desserts.

Firmly a product of a more innocent time, Willy Wonka is none the less still relevant for our time. Ok, so the idea of the world coming to a stand still for a glorified Cadbury’s World tour is a little out of touch. And the wonderment of seeing people with brightly coloured hair and orange faces is now a mundane experience to anyone who frequents Essex nightclubs. But the concerns over greedy, overweight ASBO teens, obnoxious, addicted to TV are more pressing now than ever. Slugworth’s attempts at industrial espionage are an everyday occurrence in corporate America and Britain. And the idea of promotional chocolate wrappers was ahead of it’s time, today products of all kinds are subject to this style of marketing.

There are some good performances here. Peter Ostrum as Charlie Bucket is almost TOO sickly sweet, and most of the children and parents are passable. But Jack Albertson as Grandpa Joe is wonderfully confident and understated. And the stand out performances by Gregg Kinnear and particularly Julie Dawn Cole as father and daughter Salts far outshine the other members of the tour party. But Gene Wilder owns the screen from his first appearance to the end. Known for great adult comedy roles, it’s perhaps ironic that his greatest performance came as a character in a children’s story.

A touching children’s story with wonderfully written songs, and a darkly comic undertone make Willy Wonka an amazing movie, with much for all ages to enjoy. If Anderson’s Mr. Fox turns out half as good as this, it’ll be well worth watching.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is on general release in the UK now, and opens in the US this Friday 13th November.

Bazmann

The 14th of October is the start of the 53rd London Film Festival and HeyUGuys will be there relaying the biggest news from the best films playing this year.

Ultimately it’s a celebration of cinema and British cinematic culture, it’s the place to find exciting new talents whose stars are on the rise, and enjoy the latest from established and innovative directors.

Tonight the stars turned out as London felt the first chill of Autumn and Wes Anderson, resplendent in a Mr Fox suit, along with the stars of his festival opening film Fantastic Mr Fox. You can check out some of the films we’re looking forward to after the jump.

The Men who Stare at Goats.

Jon Ronson’s curious take on the US military’s delving into the use of paranormal and psychological warfare, including training their best men to stare at goats. Until they die. George Clooney’s second festival film (out of three – see below) also stars Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey and a goat and looks like being a bizarre entry in the festival line up.

Up in the Air

Jason Reitman’s follow up to the epically successful Juno is based on the 2001 novel by Walter Kirn about a corporate downsizer (George Clooney, again) flying from place to place firing hapless employees and loving the life he leads, in permanent transience. It’s a philosophical deconstruction of the lives we pull around ourselves, and should benefit enormously from a great cast including Jason Bateman, Sam Elliott and J.K. Simmons.

The Road

Director John Hillcoat brings the celebrated novel by Cormac McCarthy to the big screen and has received high praise indeed from earlier screenings. Telling the post apocalyptic journey of a father and a son (Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee) to find shelter, other survivors, safety and a hopeful future. The book is a heart breaking work and all indications are that this film will sit well alongside The Coens’ own McCarthy adaptation No Country for Old Men.

Other films we’re looking forward to are the Coens’ latest A Serious Man, the unrelenting French prison drama  A Prophet, Michael Haneke’s Palme d’Or winning The White Ribbon as well as the festival’s closing film, the John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy the feature debut of Sam Taylor-Wood.

It’s an exciting time in London, and HeyUGuys will be there to celebrate the festival. If you’re not already following us on Twitter you should click here to get our latest updates from the silver screen in the Big Smoke.

All images copyright Getty Images.

Here’s the second full length trailer for Fantastic Mr. Fox. This trailer really shows off what the film is about and I cannot wait to see it. My one criticism is that Roald Dahl (author) isn’t mentioned once in the trailer. Wes Anderson (screenwriter/ director) gets a mention but the guy behind the original concept doesn’t get a look in which has frustrated me. I then got thinking that I don’t think J.K. Rowling gets a mention in every Harry Potter trailer so maybe I’m just being picky?

The movie is to premiere on opening night at the London Film Festival and is then in cinemas on 23rd October. Check out the new trailer below (or at Apple in HD) and let us know what you think in the comments.