November 30, 2007 - Dream cast keeps medical thriller taut - "Awake" is not the somnambulistic enterprise one might have expected. A thriller with a gimmick that offers easy pickings for film critics and headline writers, "Awake" actually rejects predictability and provides a minor pleasure for those already tired of relentless holiday cheer.
Well-cast throughout, "Awake" takes advantage of the stars' resumes to give viewers a sense of familiarity and order. Newcomer Joby Harold, who wrote and directed the film, cleverly uses the actors' own images, letting some stand and others twist so that the usual signals don't hold true. Read more....
November 30, 2007 - Awake' will keep you up - "You're a hospital patient, you haven't been given enough anesthesia, and the operation is about to begin. I don't know about you, but the mere thought certainly scares the daylights out of me. The set-up should be all it takes to give you a major case of the willies about "Awake," a modest little thriller with a built-in scare factor anyone can relate to.
In fact, the movie has all the right elements, so it would take a lot to mess up the result. Thankfully, writer-director Joby Harold doesn't let that happen, and does so in a very tidy way that runs less than an hour-and-a-half. I've always found a bigger fear factor in films that delve into psychological terror, rather than those with actual monsters that extend tentacles or destroy Tokyo, so this certainly is up my alley of scares.
Like the recent parking-garage melodrama "P2," "Awake" is one of those little holiday-season treats that sneaks in, aims straight and achieves what it intends. Which, in this case, is to keep you awake long after it's over. Read more...
November 30, 2007 - AWAKE
Bottom Line: Sleep won't be an option - "Sometimes in their urgency to prevent critics from seeing their dreck, film companies throw out the baby with the bathwater. Such is the case with this nifty little thriller that opened Friday without being screened in advance for the press.
Director Joby Harold's script has more than its share of credibility problems, not the least of which is its depiction of a major operation occurring in what seems to be a deserted hospital. But he also succeeds in creating a quietly ominous tone that never lets up, with this being the rare modern horror effort that relies on suspense rather than bloodshed.
Other pluses are the handsome widescreen photography by Russell Carpenter, who makes fine use of numerous New York locations, and the sterling cast.
Christensen delivers a low-key performance that is ultimately quite appealing, and he's well matched by the beautiful Alba. Olin brings unexpected depths to what could have been a stock role, and Terrence Howard uses his easy ability to project innate decency to excellent effect. And veteran character actors Christopher McDonald, Fisher Stevens and Arliss Howard deliver highly effective supporting turns. Read more....
November 30, 2007 - Movie puts Darien brother, sister, husband 'on the map' - "Tunnell, a 1994 Darien High School graduate, co-produced the film starring Jessica Alba and Hayden Christensen about a man (Christensen) that finds himself awake and aware, but paralyzed, during heart surgery. His wife (Alba) wrestles with her own demons as a drama unfolds around them.
Hewson, a 2000 DHS graduate, has a small part, acting in a scene with Alba.
Tunnell and Hewson teamed up with Joby Harold, Tunnell’s husband and the film’s writer/director, on the movie that first went into production more than two years ago. And Tunnell knows how important the “biggest film she’s been involved with” has been to each of their careers.
“It’s really been instrumental in putting me and Joby and Charlie on the map,” she said. Read more....
November 30, 2007 - 'Awake' star Hayden Christensen doesn't look for hero roles - "Hayden Christensen bristles in an understated way when it's suggested that he's not afraid to play unsympathetic characters. It was meant as a compliment.
"I'm a little curious as to where you're coming from," he says mildly.
Exhibit A is the villainous side he displayed as Anakin Skywalker in the recent "Star Wars" prequels. Exhibit B is the world-class fabricator Stephen Glass he played in "Shattered Glass."
"I definitely don't play the hero," Christensen concedes. "I'm drawn to characters that are a little more conflicted and have qualities that aren't attractive. But I don't necessarily think that makes them unsympathetic. I try to portray them in a way to make their wrongdoings understandable and invite sympathy." Read more....
November 29, 2007 - 'Awake' Is Not Expected to Be Sleeper Hit - "But rival studios aren’t laying awake at night over Weinstein Co.’s “Awake,” starring Hayden Christensen as a patient whose failed anesthetic leaves him alert but paralyzed during open heart surgery, and Jessica Alba as his troubled wife. The movie opens Friday at 2,002 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, and at best will be a distant second for the weekend behind Disney’s “Enchanted,” currently in theaters, but more likely will end up in third or even fourth place, according to industry executives and analysts.
The lack of new release competition should enable Awake, which was made for under $10 million, to eke out more business than it would have otherwise generated in today’s crowded marketplace. Grosses for holdover titles typically fall off by 50 percent a week.
This gives us our best window of opportunity, said Clark Woods, president of domestic distribution at MGM. Traditionally the box-office trend for the weekend is low-grossing, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do some business.
The film’s target demographic is females under 25, the sweet spot for the horror-suspense genre in recent years. Weinstein’s advertising shows off its handsome star, who played Anakin Skywalker in the latest Star Wars movies, and the romantic relationship between the Christensen and Alba characters." Read more...
November 29, 2007 - AWAKE REVIEWS! - Finally some reviews about Awake from people who have actually seen the movie. As with other films, Hayden Fan News will post the good and the bad. Reviews will be posted as they come in. Beware of possible spoilers. Apparently there were a few early screenings for movie critics today.
Operation Fear - "Then we meet our hero, Clayton Something the Third (Hayden Christensen), a young zillionaire with a cute horny girlfriend (Jessica Alba) and a terminal cardiac condition. At the movie's opening, Clayton is submerged in a bathtub. For a long time. A nice creepy touch." Read more....
The Arrow Review of Awake - "Hayden Christensen (Clay) nailed this one! Just goes to show how good he can be when George Lucas isn’t directing him. He had the quiet strength, heart on his sleeve thing going on and I lapped it up. Terrence Howard (Jack) took a fairly small role and brought nuances to it. Awesome! Jessica Alba (Sam) had the sweet girl thang down pat and shared genuine chemistry with Christensen. Lena Olin (Mother) brought the f*cker home with her focused, intense, internal and hypnotizing display. With the material this lady is quite the solid actress!" Read more...
November 29, 2007 - Beat Ben at the Boxoffice - The creepy medical thriller Awake hits theaters this weekend, and guess what, guys? I haven't seen it yet! Why, you ask? Because I was in London? Nope. Because the studio didn't screen it for me! Always a bad sign, people. The film was shot a few years back and has been languishing on the shelf, which is also a reliable sign that the film is, well, not good.
My Call: I say Jessica Alba and Hayden Christensen only pull in $7.2 million this weekend.
Here's Why: Nobody's talking about the film the buzz just isn't there. And after a huge Thanksgiving weekend at the box office, look for Enchanted and This Christmas to do big numbers again. Sorry, Jess, not every movie can do Fantastic business.
Your Turn: Am I totally nuts on this one or dead-on (as always!)? Vote below, then hit me in the Comments. Source
November 28, 2007 - Total Recall: Malice and Medicine - Exploring the mal of medical practice. - "Imagine what it might be like if you needed surgery. You're more than a little nervous about the whole idea. In fact when you think about it, you'll admit you're frankly terrified by the whole idea. What if something goes wrong? What if the doctors make a mistake? And what if you don't wake up after the surgery? Or worse yet, what if you wake up during the procedure?
One of the scarier stories about medical mishaps in the last few years is about a phenomenon called "anesthetic awareness." Patients talk about actually being awake and aware throughout an entire procedure and feeling every sensation that the anesthetic is supposed to suppress, while being completely unable to move or communicate with the doctors. That's the basic premise of this week's Awake, starring Hayden Christensen and Jessica Alba. A man with a heart problem (Christensen) goes in for a transplant, but wakes up during the procedure, yet totally unable to move. And as if that wasn't bad enough, he hears his own doctor discussing plans to kill him. Talk about adding insult to injury. Read more...
November 28, 2007 - Opening November 30: Awake - Jessica Alba, Hayden Christensen, and Terrence Howard star in first-time director/screenwriter Joby Harold's nerve-jangling psychological thriller about a man who experiences the frighteningly common surgical phenomenon known as "anesthetic awareness," in which those laid out on the operating table remain acutely aware of what is going on around them despite remaining completely paralyzed and unable to cry out for help. When a successful young man (Christenson) goes under the knife and realizes that the anesthesia hasn't quite done its job, the horror quickly sets in as his worried wife (Alba) waits anxiously and a terrifying drama unfolds in the operating room. Source
November 28, 2007 - Critical Consensus: Awake Not Screened For Critics - This week at the movies we have a grand total of one new wide release: Awake, starring Jessica Alba and Hayden Christensen. What do the critics have to say?
Actually, not much. Awake -- which features Christensen as a surgery patient who overhears his own murder plot while under the knife, and Alba as his wife entrusted with preventing the deed -- isn't being screen for critics. You know the procedure: Guess That Tomatometer Source
November 28, 2007 - "Awake"
MGM - "MGM will try to make the most of the first open playing field for some time this weekend as it opens the Hayden Christensen-Jessica Alba starrer "Awake" in more than 2,000 venues.
Awake" revolves around the romantic relationship between the two leads and a heart surgery needed by Christensen's character. Early reviews for the film have been a bit iffy, but "Awake" targets a youthful audience and should prove fairly critic-resistant. Read more...
November 28, 2007 - 'Awake' exaggerates anesthesia awareness? - Carol Weihrer who acted as a consultant on the movie Awake addresses all the talk about Awake and "anesthesia awareness".
"The terrifying experience that Christensen's character goes through -- in which he is fully awake, feeling absolutely everything but completely paralyzed -- "if we were to estimate the incidence of that, we're probably talking 1 in 50,000 or 1 in 100,000. It's much more rare than the movie suggests," Brown claims.
Carol Weihrer, the founder and president of the Anesthesia Awareness Campaign, doesn't believe those numbers. She says that about 100 to 200 cases of anesthesia awareness are reported in the United States every day and that many more cases go unreported.
Weihrer lived through an "Awake" experience" herself in 1998, she told CTV Newsnet." Read More...
November 28, 2007 - Cut up - "Be prepared: ‘Awake’ is not a feel-good movie to pass the time between holiday shopping trips - The film stars Hayden Christensen, who is known to legions of fans as Anakin Skywalker from the most recent Star Wars flicks. He plays a surgery patient who finds himself in a weird state of awake paralysis while under anesthesia.
Something is definitely not right about the people operating on him, leading Christensen’s character to believe they plan to murder him. You may never view your doctor the same way again after watching this medical conspiracy theory thriller." Read more...
November 27, 2007 - Recent Hayden Video Links
Jessica about Hayden: We realized we hated each other......
Hayden: Cardiatic Myopathy of undetermined etiology
Hayden and Jessica on Reelzchannel.com
Hayden: Like being buried alive.....
Good Day Sacramento
Awake Clip: Wife...
Jessica Alba on Live with Regis and Kelly
You might have to hit enter again or forward in your browser when you reach the page.
Hayden: Not the best clip to walk out to
Hayden on The View
Are you still Awake Hayden?
Hayden on ET Canada (Awake, with Jessica Alba)
Dr. Matt (tongue in cheek): do you feel having a name like Christensen is pushing religion on people...
Carpet Bagging At The Premiere of Awake
Jessica and Hayden at the New York Premiere of Awake
Awake Premiere
BBC Interview with director Joby Harold
Joby Harold on Awake
November 27, 2007 - EXCL: Awake's Joby Harold - "Something strange happened on the way to the release of filmmaker Joby Harold's directorial debut Awake. He already had a production company backing the movie and Harvey Weinstein was ready to release it with his new company, but after filming it, the movie went into a long gestation period akin to post-production hell as Harold fine-tuned it in editing and FX. Finally, after two years, it's seeing the light of day, being "awoken" if you like, and the world will find out if it's ready for a thriller based around the medical phenomenon known as "anesthetic awareness."
"The film stars Hayden Christensen (you may know him as Analkin Skywalker) playing a young, wealthy stock investor about to undergo a heart transplant operation. When he's put under via anesthesia, he learns to his horror that he can sense everything around him and feel every painful slice into his body. This real-life horror concept of "anesthetic awareness" is only one part of the movie, though, as he has a romance with Jessica Alba despite the disapproval of his mother (Lena Olin), and there's a plot by a couple of doctors, including one played by Terrence Howard, to kill the young man during the operation for reasons you can only learn by seeing the movie."
November 27, 2007 - MOVIE MINUTE: AWAKE - "Christensen talks about what attracted him to the film. "I liked the concept. I liked the characters. I haven't done a thriller before and I felt like it was a really smart one. I think it will have sort of like that same effect that Jaws had for people going into the water. I think it will have the same effect for people going in for any sort of operation where they're going to have to be put under." Source
November 27, 2007 - As Oscar season nears, lots of films hit screen - "A botched anesthetic procedure leaves a man (Hayden Christensen) fully conscious but physically paralyzed during heart surgery. “Awake” features a memorable performance from Christensen who, despite being confined to an operating table for much of the film, exhibits a wider range of emotion than he did in the “Star Wars” movies. Source
November 22, 2007 - Jumper Books New Editions - Steven Gould has hq's of the new movie tie in covers for Jumper and Jumper: Griffin's Story on his blog. Eat Our Brains-SG blog
Click to Enlarge
November 22, 2007 - Christensen Talks Beast Of Bataan - Empire Online - "It's essentially a courtroom drama," he says. "It’s a very powerful story. It comments on how war is wrong and there is no right side and it’s all sort of ****** up...I play an American solider coming back from the war who is assigned to defend this Japanese general simply because he studied law before he went into service. The Americans are trying to set him up for the fall. My character becomes aware of that and really does his best to get him off the hook. Because of the corruptness of war, it doesn’t really work out for him...It felt like a good way of commenting on what is going on around the world without actually saying what is going on around the world. Read full article.
November 19, 2007 - The View on Just Jared - Just Jared has the You Tube video up. Click here
Click the picture to go to the video
November 19, 2007 - The View Recaps - Todays show is up on The View's recap page. Click here
November 19, 2007 - Hayden on MTV TRL - Hayden made a surprise visit to MTV's Total Request Live today. He appeared for only a few minutes and was there to promote Awake. Sorry, I didn't get the information in time to post it but watch out for any clips on You Tube. If anyone saw MTR TRL today and would like to send a recap of what happened, just email me.
November 19, 2007 - Awake Red Carpet Video - Carpet Bagging At The Premiere of Awake - " The Zaz! went undercover sending “Dr.” Matt Zaller to the red carpet premiere of the film Awake, starring Jessica Alba and Hayden Christensen. Awake is about a nasty plot discovered when anesthesiology goes wrong. Our Doctor chats with Lena Olin, Hayden Christensen, Fisher Stevens, Jessica Alba, and Joby Harold!"
CLICK HERE
November 19, 2007 - Your Hayden hug for the day - A recap for those of you who don't get The View - After an intro by Sherri Shepherd and showing an intense surgery clip from Awake, Hayden looking totally cool, was welcomed by the co-hosts and audience to The View. Casually dressed in jeans and a brown v-neck sweater over a white t-shirt with brown shoes, Hayden came on stage and gave all the ladies a big hug.
He said the clip wasn't the best introductory clip to walk out to with everyone covering their eyes. They then talked briefly about the horrifying experience of "anesthesia awareness". Barbara Walters read from the movie's production notes about people being warned about seeing the movie if they have surgery sheduled and Hayden agreed and said he wouldn't see this movie if he knew he was going to have surgery and would see it later. The clip shows Hayden's character Clay being readied for surgery and then completely freaking out as he begins to realise he is entirely awake, feeling everything, but paralyzed and not being able to move or speak to tell anyone.
Okay, I can see I'm going to be in a dark theater ready to shut my eyes tight and fingers ready to go in my ears.......la la la la la la la la........so I can't hear poor Hayden scream.
Hayden also mentioned the family farm north of Toronto, spoke about how Star Wars changed his life and was asked how he keeps his private life private. Joy Behar noted that Hayden does not pursue the limelight to which Hayden answered he has other interests and lives primarily in Canada away from California.
Keep an eye on You Tube for clips to show up of the interview.
November 19, 2007 - Jumper Review - Here's a great Jumper movie review and summary of the making of the movie by Channel 4 Film.
"In August 2006, a mere two weeks before shooting was due to start, the cast was rejigged to attract a better known lead. Step up Hayden Christensen. In October, it was announced that Palmer was also being replaced, by Rachel Bilson (Zach Braff's The Last Kiss). Bilson joined after filming had started, with the production based in Toronto. It was also reported in November 2006 that Eminem had been offered a role - for a nice juicy $8 million. The rap star turned it down." Read more....
November 18, 2007 - Hayden on The View - Don't forget to watch Hayden on The View on Monday. The View airs on ABC usually at 10:00 a.m. CT / 11:00 a.m. ET. To be sure of the time in your area you can check the "when to view" page by clicking HERE
Click to Enlarge
November 18, 2007 - 2007 HOLIDAY MOVIE GUIDE - BLEAK TIDINGS TO ALL: Deep, dark films dominate the holiday season. Nov. 30 "Awake" - Hayden Christensen plays a man undergoing surgery who experiences "anesthetic awareness" -- his body is numb but his brain can process what's happening to him.
Backstory: Joby Herald, making his writing-directing debut, was inspired after learning that one in every 700 patients regain some consciousness during surgery.
November 18, 2007 - Jessica enjoyed working with Hayden - "He may be recognised the world over as evil Anakin Skywalker aka Darth Vader in the hit Star Wars prequels, but according to Jessica Alba, Hayden Christensen is as modest an actor as they come.
"Hayden is lovely. Very sweet, very humble," the 26-year-old actress told Extra. "I guess he's the opposite of what people think of somebody with his amount of success and notoriety in this business. He's known all over the world. Girls scream at him everywhere but he's so shy.
"He's not that cocky guy. He gives everyone hugs. On the first day on set, he brought me cupcakes he got with his grandparents. He's a real good person."
We knew that! Fans say ditto. Source
November 18, 2007 - Awake - Anesthetic Awareness - Could this happen? Hollywood take on anesthesia is real -- but rare - "An upcoming Hollywood horror movie promises to do for surgery what Jaws did for swimming in the ocean. Awake, opening at the end of the month and starring Jessica Alba and Hayden Christensen, is about a patient whose failed anesthesia leaves him conscious but paralyzed during surgery. Doctors assumed he was "put under" but he was not. Could this actually happen? Unfortunately the experience, known as anesthesia awareness, is real, not fictional. Read more...
November 17, 2007 - Can anything be scarier than "Awake"? - "I know it's been a few weeks since Halloween but I had to post this. I recently wrote an entry on the funniest horror movies , and I mentioned that I'm not a fan of them, especially the ones that focus on violence and gore. But none of those compare to the new movie "Awake."..... The movie stars Hayden Christensen (our friendly neighborhood Anakin Skywalker) as Clay, a patient who is about to get heart surgery. While he "goes under," he experiences anesthetic awareness, which allows him to stay awake during the surgery but paralyzed. The gist of it is that he knows what's going on in the operating room but his surgeons don't. And his surgeons appear to want to kill him.... But although I'm thoroughly freaked out, I think I'll lay aside my fears and go watch it. It looks like it's a very interesting thriller.... I'll probably be scared senseless and I'm eating my own words but it will be a change from the typical camp horror film. I'm willing to give it a try." Read article.
November 16, 2007 - Hayden on The View - Hayden is scheduled to appear on The View Monday November 19, 2007 at 11:00 a.m. ET on ABC. Schedules are subject to change so I'll keep you updated here.
November 15, 2007 - Awake Headlines - Here are links to more of the news stories today about the Awake Premiere. You can find more further down the column.
Aspect Medical Systems - Anesthesia Awareness Education Resources Following Premiere of the Movie AWAKE
Alba and Christensen Wide Awake (UK)
Awake Film Premiere Cast Photos
November 15, 2007 - The Daily 10 covers Awake Premiere - The Daily 10 on the E! network also had a segment on the Premiere of Awake. You can catch repeats of The Daily 10 tonight at 11:00 p.m. CT / 12:00 midnight ET and in the morning at 11:30 a.m. CT / 12:30 p.m. ET.
November 15, 2007 - E! News covers Awake Premiere - E! News covered the New York City Premiere of Awake with comments from Jessica and Hayden. If you missed the first showing of E! News tonight you can catch the next one at 10:00 p.m. CT / 11:00 p.m. ET. Get the DVR's going. They also show E! News in the morning at 11:00 a.m. CT / 12:00 noon ET.
November 15, 2007 - Awake Premiere - A nice Christensen family moment on the red carpet at the Awake premiere in New York last night. Click the picture below for the larger one.
November 15, 2007 - More From Awake Premiere - Two hq's for you today. Click on the picture for the larger one.
November 14, 2007 - Awake Premiere - The New York Observer Presents the Premiere of Awake - The stars turned out at the Chelsea West Cinemas in New York for a premiere viewing of the film Awake. Among those in attendance were the cast of the film Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba, Lena Olin, actor producer Fisher Stevens along with director Joby Harold and executive producer Harvey Weinstein. Also in attendence were Lasse Hallstrom, Georgina Chapman, Rachel Bilson and Tove Christensen.
Hayden's mother Allie, brother Tove, sister Kaylen and his grandparents were also there which made for a nice family moment on the red carpet. You can view pictures of the event on Getty Images Just use Getty's search box and enter Awake Premiere.
Links to early articles
Debra L. Rothenberg Photography
- "Stars Jessica Alba and Hayden Christensen got a loud clapping ovation tonight (something the NY Celebrity photographers do not often do) and they so deserved it. They posed for every area where the still photographers were, both alone and together. Talk about accomodating! The rest of Hollywood needs to take a lesson from these 2. Rachel Bison also posed long and looked great. The Weinsten Company also did a great job and gave us more room to work with and did not get in the way on the carpet. THIS IS HOW A PREMIERE SHOULD BE RUN. Kuddos to all involved.
Faded Youth Blog
- "For the star-studded night, which was presented by The New York Observer, Jessica looked radiant in a sheer black lace dress and dazzling Christian Louboutin peep-toes. Hayden, meanwhile, was cooler than cool in a tailored pinstripe Prada suit."
November 14, 2007 - New Awake Clips - IESB.net - "Two New Film Clips from Jessica Alba's Awake! - The IESB has been supplied two clips from the upcoming psychological thriller Awake starring Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba and Terrence Howard.
Check out the clips by clicking the links below."
Click Here - Awake
Click Here - The Facts
November 13, 2007 - Jumper Q&A - Learn more about next year's teleporting action title
IGN: Tell us a little bit about the Jumper universe, what inspired it, and how it will stand out as an independent entity in a film culture that's heavily saturated with science-fiction storylines.
Townsend: Jumper, based on the Steven Gould novels, is unique in that it takes a simple premise like the ability to "jump" and turns it into a high stakes thriller occasionally blurring the lines between good and evil. Unlike a lot of sci-fi, the Jumper universe is based in reality so while special effects are inherent to the story, the approach to the visuals is subtle and the focus is placed on the conflict between the Jumpers and Paladins. The film also has a very distinct look and feel based on the unique aesthetic created by director Doug Liman. This combined with the rich fiction of Gould's books creates an excellent backdrop for a completely new and exciting universe. Click here to read the entire Q & A and to see the first pictures from the game.
November 13, 2007 - TV Alerts - Awake will be in theaters November 30 so be on the look out for cast appearances and interviews in the next few weeks. If anyone hears about an appearance on the talk shows by any of the cast of Awake (Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba, Terrence Howard) please send me an email. Thanks.
November 13, 2007 - MTV Total Request Live - Jessica Alba is scheduled to appear on today's MTV TRL at 2:30 p.m. CT/3:30 p.m. ET. Since the premiere of Awake will take place in New York on Wednesday, hopefully Jessica will be on TRL to talk about the movie and bring some clips. Crank up the DVR. (thanks Sophie for the heads up)
November 13, 2007 - Brash Entertainment Announces Jumper Video Game - "Brash Entertainment announced today the development of a Jumper video game, to release alongside the film of the same name from Twentieth Century Fox and Regency Enterprises. Jumper is the eagerly anticipated science fiction-action-thriller directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity), and starring Hayden Christensen, Rachel Bilson, Jamie Bell, and Samuel L. Jackson.
"Jumper is shaping up to be the action adventure film of 2008, and Brash is excited to be there, at the beginning, with a game that further explores the Jumper universe," said Mitch Davis, co-founder and CEO of Brash Entertainment. "We've been working closely with our partners at Twentieth Century Fox to create a game that delves into the world of the Jumpers and the Paladins." Read more......
November 13, 2007 - Jumper Video Game Coming Soon - You knew it was coming right. Press a button and land on the top of the Sphinx in Egypt. Think to slow and you might end up in a Florida swamp in quicksand.........or do it right and jump just in time to see a sunset in Fuiji with your girlfriend. Scratch that last one. That's just my fem fantasy that will probably never make it into a video game.
Brash leaps on 'Jumper' - Sci-fi actioner, which stars Hayden Christensen, Rachel Bilson, Jamie Bell and Samuel L. Jackson and is directed by Doug Liman, is Brash's first title aimed at the core gamer aud of young males. Publisher's first game will be an adaptation of "Alvin and the Chipmunks," coming in December.
"Given its futuristic setting, chase elements and the focus on teleportation powers, Brash execs said "Jumper" was a natural to turn into a vidgame. From the very first script read, we knew this had to be made into a game," said Brash prexy Nicholas Longano. "The teleportation elements make for some very compelling gameplay." Game will follow Jamie Bell's character, a supporting role in the film, as he tries to avenge the death of his parents. Brash has secured likeness rights to Bell, Christensen and Jackson, though deals aren't done for any voice work." Read more....
November 8, 2007 - Jamie Bell - Jamie Bell did a BBC radio interview with Edith Bowman in August and talks about Jumper. Edith has a cute mention of Hayden. (thanks to Sophie for sending in the item) BBC Radio Interview
November 7, 2007 - Jumper's New Release Date - According to Steven Gould's blog and /Film, the official site has updated Jumper's release date, moving it up one day to February 14, Valentine's Day. The movie will premiere on Thursday instead of Friday. A good sign of confidence for the movie, yes? Now lets get to changing all those February 15th and President's Day graphics.
Click for large poster.
November 7, 2007 - Awake Trailer - Moviefone has the official trailer up on their site. If you have a blog or journal you can also embed the trailer on your webpage. Click here for trailer
November 7, 2007 - EXCLUSIVE: 'Awake' Poster Premiere! - Cinematical has the first look at the poster for Awake along with a short article about the movie.
Click poster to enlarge.
"Cinematical has just received the first poster for Awake (click on the image for a larger version), starring Jessica Alba, Hayden Christensen and Terrence Howard. The film tackles one of my (and I'm sure most of you as well) worst fears of all time: staying awake on the operating table during surgery. I'm not talking about getting a tooth pulled, while the dentist numbs certain areas. I'm talking the real deal -- a guy suffers "anesthetic awareness" (meaning he's awake, aware and paralyzed) during heart surgery. God, just writing about that freaks me out to no end. I imagine the entire film could be about that; dealing with it, figuring out how to make it through alive." Read More....
November 7, 2007 - "Incomplete Top 10: - The Absolute Best Things Tom Cruise Has Ever Done
4. Shattered Glass: No, Tom doesn't appear onscreen in Ray Bans, but he is credited as an associate producer and is known to be very proud of Glass. As well he should be. Great casting Hayden Christensen, Peter Sarsgaard, Hank Azaria and stellar story structure prove that Tom has a great touch when it comes to cautionary tales about lying." Source
November 7, 2007 - Beast of Bataan - "Hayden Christensen is moving from being the fantastical Dark Lord of the Sith to defending one of the real world dark lords, as the young actor joins the production of Beast of Bataan as both actor and producer." Read More.....
November 7, 2007 - Jumper - You'll enjoy this behind the scenes encounter by some film students who lucked out and joined Doug Liman and Hayden and the camera crew for some pick up shots in Ann Arbor a few weeks ago.
My brush with stardom on State Street - "Some time later, the director went off to shoot exteriors and I was left to have an hour-long conversation with Hayden Christensen.
I had thought it would be impossible to try to make small talk with someone like Christensen without being dumbfounded by his star power, but something about the fact that he had ordered and eaten a 8-incher from Jimmy John's made it easier to strike up a conversation. I was pleasantly surprised to find the actor engaging, polite and respectful of the many fans who walked by begging for autographs.
I asked him, "Do you mind all this?" " Read More....
November 5, 2007 - Beast of Bataan Confirmed - The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed previous reports that Hayden will be starring in the upcoming movie "Beast of Bataan". Starring Willem Defoe and William Hurt, the movie will be directed by Fred Schepisi from a screenplay by Chris Carlson and Mark Jean based on the Lawrence Taylor book "A Trial of Generals". The movie is produced by Jonathan Sanger and Sarah Black along with Hayden's production company, Forest Park Pictures headed by Tove Christensen. Filming is to start Febrary 2008 in Australia.
Christensen retained for indie 'Beast' - "Hayden Christensen is starring in "Beast of Bataan," the true story of the trial of Masaharu Homma, the Japanese general who was implicated in the Bataan Death March........Koji Yakusho, known to American audiences as the father of Rinko Kikuchi's character in "Babel," is in negotiations to portray Homma.
Based on Lawrence Taylor's tome "A Trial of Generals," the story follows the aftermath of the 1942 Bataan Death March, in which 10,000 American and Filipino POWs died on a forced march to captivity. Christensen is playing Homma's young lawyer, trying his first case and fighting against the death penalty for his client, who is being tried for war crimes by U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur." Read More
Christensen retained for Bataan Death March film - "Hayden Christensen will star in "Beast of Bataan - Christensen is playing the rookie attorney who defended the general, Masaharu Homma, during his war crimes trial in the Philippines." Read More
Christensen to Star in Beast of Bataan - "According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jonathan Sanger and Sarah Black will produce the period indie along with Christensen's production company Forest Park Pictures, headed by Tove Christensen." Read More
November 3, 2007 - Awake - The Hayden Christensen Fan News movie page for Awake is up. Click on the poster below. The page contains a trailer, synopsis, review, news, articles, information, links and trivia on Awake.
November 2, 2007 - Jumper Poster First Look - JoBlo has an exlusive look at an amazing Jumper Poster with "Anywhere is Possible". You can take a look at the small and huge size poster at JoBlo.com
November 1, 2007 - IMDB Daily Poll - You still have time to vote for the November movie release you're most looking forward too. Awake is on the list. Cast your vote now at IMDB Daily Poll
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