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15 October 2008 12:00 PM, PDT | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

Robert De Niro has landed the chance to develop at least one new television series after signing on to make a string of shows with a U.S. network.

De Niro and his Tribeca Productions partner Jane Rosenthal have made a deal to develop and executive produce three shows for CBS network - with a guarantee that at least one of projects will be produced as a series pilot.

The first project will mark the TV-writing debut of Oscar-winner William Monahan - who scripted Leonardo DiCaprio's latest film Body of Lies and his 2006 movie The Departed.

Rosenthal will not elaborate on the subject of the show, but tells Daily Variety of the deal: "It's right in his wheelhouse, though, and set squarely in New York. Bob (De Niro) and I are huge fans of his movies and the characters he writes.

"We wanted to stretch into television, and I worked at CBS and have a long friendship with (CBS President) Les Moonves. It felt like home."

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15 October 2008 11:00 AM, PDT | From Pastemagazine.com | See recent PasteMagazine news

Release Date: Oct. 10

Director: Ridley Scott

Writer: William Monahan

Cinematographer: Alexander Witt

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Mark Strong, Golshifteh Farahani

Studio/Run Time: 
Warner Bros., 128 min.

Didactic, ripped-from-the-headlines thriller offers brisk entertainment, nothing more

Near the beginning of Ridley Scott's topical thriller Body of Lies, CIA bigwig Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe) says the question of whether the United States belongs in Iraq or not is irrelevant. We are there already, and what's done is done. Even so, it is that very question the film seems hell-bent on answering.

14 October 2008 4:51 AM, PDT | From The Movie Fanatic | See recent The Movie Fanatic news

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe Director: Ridley Scott Release Date: October 10, 2008 Running Time: 128 min MPAA Rating: R Distributor: Warner Bros. - - - Yes, you've seen it before. It was only a couple of weeks ago that Eagle Eye, the Shia Labeouf flop, used the same device to drive its plot to hell, but unfortunately not back again. That movie’s characters had insight on how to defeat the odds of their fate thanks to people who could see them but they couldn’t see where their help was coming from. Body of Lies is a more complex, grown-up version of that movie - and that isn’t a good thing. Their only differences are found in the actors and directors, which Body of Lies holds a superior command over any movie this year for that matter. Using this device in an intelligent film, director Ridley Scott doesn’t

13 October 2008 1:09 AM, PDT | From JoBlo.com | See recent JoBlo news

Plot: C.I.A operative-Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio), under the guidance of his handler, Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe) sets in motion an elaborate plot designed to nab the leader of a murderous terrorist cell operating out of Yemen. Review: I had high expectations for Body Of Lies. I mean, c.mon- a spy thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio & Russell Crowe, directed by Ridley Scott, and written by William Monahan- how could it possibly not be amazing? Quite easily, it seems- as this is...

Chris Bumbray

10 October 2008 8:03 AM, PDT | From Cinematical.com | See recent Cinematical news

I found myself asking one simple question during Ridley Scott's Body of Lies, a well-shot, big-name intelligence thriller that sees Leonardo DiCaprio's CIA man caught up in action in the Middle East -- namely, what is Body of Lies for? I don't mean that in the sense of asking what it supports or believes in -- although, with the film's mix of Hollywood heroics and sneering cynicism, you're certainly left with that question -- but rather in the sense of asking what it is that Body of Lies means to accomplish or communicate. Part of the film feels like an attempt at a sprawling, globe-trotting story of realpolitik and moral complexity, in the mold of Syriana or Scott's own Black Hawk Down; other parts feel like Dolby-pumped slam-bang action, in the mold of Tony Scott's Spy Game or the Bourne Films. And some of Body of Lies feels like a weird,

James Rocchi

10 October 2008 4:31 AM, PDT | From Rope Of Silicon | See recent Rope Of Silicon news

Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio in Body of Lies

Photo: Warner Bros. Body of Lies, as purely entertainment, is a lot of fun. It has plenty of action, some great performances and as always, director Ridley Scott delivers a beautiful film that is technically more evolved than the majority of its counterparts. The film's storyline and its proximity to Iraq may cause some viewers to shy away, as it primarily focuses on the war on terror and striking a balance between the boys in the comfy seats back home and the men on the ground doing the dirty work. Overly sensitive moviegoers may not enjoy it for its grittier elements including a torture scene near the end that leaves several possibilities for an ending up in the air, but there is enough spy gadgetry and clandestine eye-in-the-sky coolness to remind you that you are watching a Hollywood movie and not real life.

Brad Brevet

10 October 2008 12:11 AM, PDT | From GetTheBigPicture.net | See recent Get The Big Picture news

Body of Lies

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, and Mark Strong

Directed by Ridley Scott

Rated R

The first time I remember seeing somewhat believable spy satellites in movies was Enemy of the State, directed by Tony Scott. Now his older and more revered brother, Ridley, uses a more believable variation of that technology to follow CIA agent Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio) through scorching equatorial deserts in Body of Lies. Ironically, in the first film, the spying is to know too much, while in Body of Lies, too little is known in spite of it.

The film is based on a novel by David Ignatius - adapted for the screen by The Departed screenwriter William Monahan - about a search for a high-ranking terrorist that involves the incompatible methods of the intelligence communities of the United States and Jordan.

Ferris is on the ground doing the dirty work of Ed

Colin Boyd

9 October 2008 1:06 PM, PDT | From avclub.com | See recent The AV Club news

Has any other great director seemed as content to make merely good movies as Ridley Scott? Visionary at his best, workmanlike at his worst, Scott has a bad habit of making films whose handsomeness almost, but doesn't quite, hide their shortcomings. Like last year's American Gangster, Body Of Lies has elements of greatness in it but never quite performs the alchemy needed to convert them, settling instead for mere goodness. Still, it's not like the screens are so flooded with decent movies that we couldn't use another, particularly a timely, clear-eyed thriller about the Middle East and the role of the U.S. therein. Screenwriter William Monahan (The Departed) adapts a novel by journalist/novelist David Ignatius and the results play like a more comprehensible and explosion-filled Syriana. Body Of Lies opens with a terrorist incident in Manchester, shifts to Iraq, then expands to reveal a web of decisions and deceptions.

Keith Phipps

8 October 2008 3:32 PM, PDT | From Cinematical.com | See recent Cinematical news

Despite having six new wide releases last week, only Beverly Hills Chihuahua and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist cracked the top five. In its third week of release, Appaloosa expanded into an additional 1,031 theaters, allowing it to take the number five spot. Here's the top five.

1. Beverly Hills Chihuahua: $29.3 million

2. Eagle Eye: $17.7 million

3. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist: $11.3 million

4. Nights in Rodanthe: $7.3 million

5. Appaloosa: $5 million

Body of Lies

What's It All About: In this Ridley Scott film, Leonardo DiCaprio plays a CIA agent tracking terrorist activity in Jordan, with Russell Crowe playing the veteran agent who helps him infiltrate the terrorist underground.

Why It Might Do Well: This film reteams DiCaprio with William Monahan, the screenwriter behind The Departed, and the flick is sporting a 70% fresh rating at rottentomatoes.com.

Why It Might Not Do Well: This being an election year, there are already enough lies kicking around.

Matt Bradshaw

7 October 2008 10:52 PM, PDT | From fantasymoguls.com | See recent Fantasy Moguls news

Steve Mason is now on Facebook. It is hard to think of a movie with a more impeccable pedigree than Body of Lies (Warner Bros.), set for wide release this Friday. Three-time Academy Award nominee Ridley Scott reteams with Oscar winner Russell Crowe for the fourth time in the film adaptation of the David Ignatius bestselling novel, adapted for the screen by William Monahan, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of The Departed. Add to the mix Leonardo DiCaprio, with 3 Oscar nominations of his own, and you have a project with exceedingly bright commercial and artistic prospects.

Steve Mason

7 October 2008 5:51 AM, PDT | From Rope Of Silicon | See recent Rope Of Silicon news

Nope, the well dressed gentleman behind Leo is Not the villain

Photo: Warner Bros. I had very low expectations when I walked into Body of Lies last night. The trailers I had seen online told me nothing and to be honest I really had no idea what kind of film to expect. The New York Times told me to expect a film about the Middle East yet the trailers only occasionally mention terrorism, show a few random explosions, helicopter chases and a lot of phone calls between Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe. If I went based off the trailers I would think I was getting an Enemy of the State style Verizon commercial... Can you hear me now? The "Times" article I linked to above implies Warner Bros. is gambling with a return to the Mideast. However, based on the marketing you might not actually realize it. The latest TV

Brad Brevet

4 October 2008 5:37 PM, PDT | From GetTheBigPicture.net | See recent Get The Big Picture news

Ostensibly, the fall awards season really kicks off next week with Body of Lies. I don't necessarily believe it has Oscar potential, based on what I've seen, but it's clearly the first movie of the fall with this kind of pedigree: Ridley Scott, Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, and screenwriter William Monahan.

It's a deluxe set-up, that's for sure. Leo plays a CIA guy sent into Jordan to track down a high-profile terrorist, but the operation he's trying to run on the groundmay not be the operation the intelligence bosses are running in the war room. They've got other ideas, and they've got a drawled-out, paunchy Russell Crowe.

To give you a bit of a head start, here are nine clips from Body of Lies.

I Am Thinking Straight

I Have Never Failed You

Colin Boyd

30 September 2008 8:00 PM, PDT | From MoviesOnline.ca | See recent MoviesOnline news

We sit down and un-cover lies and espionage with Ridley Scott, Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio in Body of Lies! MoviesOnline sat down with actors Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio, director Ridley Scott, producer Donald De Line, screenwriter William Monahan, and author David Ignatius at the Los Angeles press day for their new film, “Body of Lies.” The film is based on Ignatius’s compelling spy thriller about the murky underworld of today’s high-stakes global espionage where power is measured not by weaponry or technology, but by the amount of vital inform...

13 September 2008 6:27 AM, PDT | From GetTheBigPicture.net | See recent Get The Big Picture news

One of the best miniseries in the history of television will soon get a big screen makeover, courtesy of director Jim Sheridan. Dark Horizons reports that Sheridan (My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father) will adapt Robert Graves' classic historical drama I, Claudius.

The novel was immediately praised upon its release in 1934 and has long been considered one of the best novels of the 20th Century. Claudius eventually became one of the greatest and most progressive Roman emperors, despite being afflicted with most likely either Tourette's Syndrome or cerebral palsy.

Graves' book was turned into an epic ten-episode BBC miniseries in the 1970s, which starred Derek Jacobi, John Hurt, Patrick Stewart, and others.

Relativity Media will produce this new version of I, Claudius, which has no production date scheduled yet. Just about a year ago, there were reports that Leonardo DiCaprio and screenwriter William Monahan were interested

Colin Boyd

12 September 2008 8:35 AM, PDT | From screeninglog.com | See recent screeninglog news

Ray Winstone is set to replace Robert De Niro in Martin Campbell's upcoming thriller "Edge of Darkness," according to Variety.

Last week, De Niro dropped out of the project because of what his spokesperson called creative differences. Principal photography has been under way since August. 

Winstone will take over the role of an operative sent to clean up evidence in the murder of  a young woman. Mel Gibson stars as the girl's father, who discovers her secret life after he death.

Also starring are Danny Huston, Shawn Roberts and Bojana Novakovic. Campbell is directing a script by William Monahan and Andrew Bovell.

Winstone recently starred in "Beowulf" and "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." His upcoming projects include "The Cup" and "The Sweeney."

Franck Tabouring

5 September 2008 2:23 AM, PDT | From Aceshowbiz | See recent Aceshowbiz news

Drama thriller "Edge of Darkness" has just lost one of its star players with Robert De Niro's departure. The 65-year-old bailed out from the adaptation movie days after he arrives on the set in Massachusetts due to creative differences. On his sudden change of heart, his spokesman explained, "Sometimes things don't work out; it's called creative differences."

In the movie, De Niro has actually been signed to portray CIA officer Darius Jedburgh who is sent to clean up the evidence in the murder of a young woman. Because principal photography has been started since August 18, director Martin Campbell will have to settle with the shooting around De Niro's character until the filmmakers find his replacement.

Adapted from 1985 BBC television series by William Monahan and Andrew Bovell, "Darkness" centers its story on Boston Police Department's homicide detective, Thomas Craven, who investigates the murder of his daughter, Emma. Along the way,

AceShowbiz.com

5 September 2008 1:04 AM, PDT | From GetTheBigPicture.net | See recent Get The Big Picture news

Here's a message from the Damn Shame Department: Variety reports that Robert De Niro has left the set of Edge of Darkness, and he won't be coming back.

Last month, we expressed a cautious excitement about De Niro and Mel Gibson working side-by-side on this revamped version of Edge of Darkness. Both the film and the BBC series on which it is based have Martin Campbell (Casino Royale) in the director's chair, and the update was written by William Monahan. The film just began shooting two weeks ago in Massachusetts, with Gibson playing a Boston cop investigating the murder of his daughter. Through his digging, he uncovers some pretty unsavory things, including "government collusion." In the BBC series it was nuclear secrets. That's a plot point that could easily be changed.

Bobby D was scheduled to play a government agent sent in as a cleaner after the murder. Now the

Colin Boyd

29 August 2008 7:16 AM, PDT | From JoBlo.com | See recent JoBlo news

Those scoundrels at Cinematical have scored the first poster for Ridley Scott's Body Of Lies. We don't know how they got it and we don't like to ask. Although since it's for a badass movie written by William Monahan and starring Leo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, it probably involved a big bag of money or at least a half a kilo of blow. The film hits theaters on October 10th.

James Thoo

28 August 2008 2:33 PM, PDT | From Cinematical.com | See recent Cinematical news

There's a lot of cinematic power behind Warner Bros. upcoming political thriller Body of Lies: It's directed by Oscar-winner Ridley Scott (Gladiator), it's written by Oscar-winner William Monahan (The Departed), and it stars reliable talents / big-time movie stars like Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe. Based on the novel by David Ignatius, Body of Lies tells the story of a journalist who is enlisted by the CIA to help track down a suspected terrorist. That's only the sketchiest of plot synopses, but since I haven't read the book, I'd like to enjoy Body of Lies without knowing the whole story.

And we're very pleased to bring you the very first look at the official one-sheet for Body of Lies. (It's behind the jump!) The film hits theaters on October 10 -- and since it's a Ridley Scott film, you just know I'll be there opening night. If it's half as good

Scott Weinberg

22 August 2008 12:00 AM, PDT | From The Movie Fanatic | See recent The Movie Fanatic news

Every Friday, tMF will pick a couple of movie trailers- for their uniqueness and relevance and for their entertainment value. Most of them feature some of our favorite actors, who may play lead or supporting roles in these movies. But most of all, these movies are definitely worth your while. This Friday, we're a bit more picky, featuring only two topnotch movie trailers! One of them is Body of Lies. - - - - - - Movie Trailer #1 Body of Lies Body of Lies (http://www.body-of-lies.com/) is an upcoming 2008 American film adaptation of the novel of the same name by David Ignatius about a CIA operative who goes to Jordan to track a high-ranking terrorist. The film is directed by Ridley Scott, written by William Monahan, and stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe.

1-20 of 25 articles from 2008   « Prev | Next »