Watson, Gosling in New Set Photos, First Look at 'Gatsby'

Showbiz Buzz
Coveted role in Catching Fire down to three?
    * E! Online cites an anonymous source as saying Catching Fire studio Lionsgate has a short list for the role of Finnick Odair, who, as fans of the novel know, is a major player in the second book. The list: Garrett Hedlund, Taylor Kitsch, and Armie Hammer. My money is on Kitsch, despite his terrible 2012 thus far (box office duds John Carter, Battleship).

    * EW.com has exclusive new images from the set of Sofia Coppola's The Bling Ring, starring Emma Watson and Kirsten Dunst.

    * New photos from the set of Only God Forgives, the new film from the team that brought us Drive: Ryan Gosling and Nicolas Winding Refn.

    * WARNING! New photos reveal a major spoiler from the set of Iron Man 3.

    * Zac Efron, Jason Bateman, and Leslie Mann highlight the prospective cast of This is Where I Leave You, about a family airing its dirty laundry while sitting shiva for the patriarch.

On Set Photo of the Week
Blood Ties co-stars snuggle up

Blood Ties co-stars Zoe Saldana and Billy Crudup look like a natural couple on the set of their new film, directed by Guillaume Canet.

Oscar Watch 2013
The word on Moonrise Kingdom, Les Miserables
    * This week brought the first glimpses of two prospective Oscar films: The Great Gatsby (see above) and Les Miserables, Tom Hooper's (The King's Speech) adaptation of the classic Victor Hugo play. Yes, this version of Les Mis will be a musical and, if there's anything the trailer proves, it will also be very cinematic. Featuring many moving parts, Hooper looks to be going all out in his quest to update the tale of convict Jean Valjean (played by Hugh Jackman). Hooper's camera has never been more alive and this film looks like a throwback to the classic Merchant Ivory productions of the early '90s (Howard's End, The Remains of the Day). Look for Hooper to collect his second Best Director nomination for this one.

    * Zimbio Review - 'Moonrise Kingdom,' a Celebration of Love Above All

    * The first film on our list of prospective Oscar favorites will debut this week. Moonrise Kingdom, Wes Anderson's Cannes-opening ode to love, does not disappoint. Containing many of the themes (parentless children, infidelity) and styles (dollhouse set cross-sections) of his past films, Moonrise manages to stay unique with its romantic depiction of two youngsters who would rather risk it all and run away than stay miserable living their current lives. Critics are nearly unanimous in praise of the film which could spell Oscar gold for Anderson. He has previously been nominated for Best Original Screenplay for The Royal Tenenbaums and for Best Animated Feature for Fantastic Mr. Fox.

Trailer of the Week
The Great Gatsby

We got our first glimpse of one of the most-anticipated films of the year this week. The glimmering one, Baz Luhrmann, has truly made F. Scott's Fitzgerald's tale of the roaring '20s his own. The trailer starts off like early 2000s Scorsese as we fly into New York City and enter one of Gatsby's legendary parties. The trailer takes off with the help of Jack White's cover of U2's "Love is Blindness," which tears through the background. The pageantry and glamour are pure Luhrmann, who seems born to breathe life into Gatsby. With a tendency to overdramatize, some critics worried about the Moulin Rouge director's ability to adapt the classic novel. The trailer doesn't exactly assuage these concerns, but the presence of Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, and Tobey Maguire as the film's leads should help balance them out. This may be another Oscar-worthy turn for Leo, especially.

Red Carpet Photo of the Week
Baldwin the chivalrous

Alec Baldwin lends his less-than-practically-adorned girlfriend, Hilaria Thomas, a hand up the staircase at Cannes. Click the photo for an entire album of some of the best shots of the week from the Festival.

Reynolds, Johansson Tackle New Roles... Still Divorced

Oscar Watch 2013
First looks at Hitchcock, The Master
A first cut of Cloud Atlas premiered at Cannes this week and word is the film pushed three hours, but is a promising adaptation of a very tough novel. The story weaves through centuries and production enlisted the help of three directors: Tom Tykwer, and the Wachowski brothers to convey the six different stories. It's too early to tell how awards-worthy this one will be, but its impressive cast (Tom Hanks, Halle Berry) and holiday release schedule (Dec. 6) place it in a position to compete come Oscar season.

Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh (X17online.com via Yahoo)
Here's a first look at Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh on the set of Hitchcock, the film about the production of Psycho starring Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock. Again, we'll need to see more to judge if Hopkins performance has legs, but he has a history of cherished roles and biopics are pure Oscar-bait.

The biggest treat of the week was this short clip out of Cannes providing the first look at Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master. The clip shows Joaquin Phoenix's frantic performance backed by Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood's (There Will Be Blood) ominous new score. It actually looks like a straight sequel to There Will Be Blood with the music and beach setting.

Trailer of the Week
You've got to hand it to the brains behind the James Bond franchise. They know how to name a movie. The newest addition, Skyfall, debuted a teaser trailer this past week. Due to be released November 9, the film should rake it in at the box office this Fall. Daniel Craig returns for his third turn as 007 and will look to up the stakes yet again. Always on the cutting edge of action movie-making, the new Bond films typically feature death-defying stuntwork and the requisite gorgeous bombshells that are the series' trademark. Don't expect heavy meaning in the script, but the new teaser does gives a good look at the scope of the action sequences. One glaring omission: no sign of Javier Bardem, who will play the villain, Raoul Silva.

Red Carpet Photo of the Week
Hayek owns the red carpet at Cannes

Standing before a throng of pool photographers, Salma Hayek stands out like an elegant black swan in a puddle of ketchup.

Casting Corner
Reynolds as Highlander? 

Nothing is definite yet but there's some news out of the the Highlander remake that Ryan Reynolds is at the top of the producers' wish list. Reynolds would play the role of Connor MacLeod, made famous by Christopher Lambert in the 1986 original. Talks are ongoing at this point as The Green Lantern star is entertaining other offers as well. Juan Carlos Fresnadillo is onboard to direct the remake. Reynolds has also been attached to the possible Green Lantern sequel as well as an adaptation of Deadpool (another sword-wielding warrior) which has been rumored for well over a year.
News out of Cannes: Natalie Portman is supposedly attached to Lynne Ramsay's new project, Jane Got A Gun, a new female-led western that was included on the 2011 Black List. Ramsay, who directed last year's We Need to Talk About Kevin, has a penchant for strong female lead performances so this newest venture seems right up her alley. The story is about a young wife whose husband returns riddled with bullet wounds. She is forced to defend her farm when the husband's gang tracks him down at home.