A timeless classic of British literature is about to be brought life for the 20th time. Hold on to your bonnets: BBC Films is about to make yet another adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre and bring it to the big screen. If your love of Brontë alone isn't enough to send you racing into the theaters, then perhaps the film's star will; Ellen Page has just signed on to play the title character.

Known mostly for her work in contemporary indie comedies, this will mark the first time Page will star in a period piece. … continue reading

Anna Chlumsky, the gal who played everyone's favorite tomboy in the early '90s coming-of-age film My Girl (and its unnecessary sequel, My Girl 2) is staging one major comeback.

She has just been cast in the upcoming feature film The Loop, a political satire co-starring James Gandolfini. The movie is based on a loose adaptation of the BBC series The Thick of It. Chlumsky will play a U.S. government assistant in this parody of the daily workings of American and British government offices. (Think The Office meets The West Wing.)

Chlumsky in My Girl (1991)

Chlumsky at the Conde Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards on Oct. 10, 2007

Photo credit: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images

Chlumsky, like many child actors, didn't transition well into mainstream movies as an adult. Her fall into obscurity, although, was a fairly soft one. … continue reading

When I first saw this headline, "Emma Watson replaces 'old' Johansson," my first thought was that I was about to get my feminist on in a major way. I mean, is this what we've come to in Hollywood? Scarlett Johansson, at the age of 23, is considered too old to star in a romance?

Photo credit: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

As it turns out, though, the casting change is at least a bit better justified than I originally thought. The film in which Watson is now set to star is called Napoleon and Betsy, and the role she will play is based on a real-life figure.

Photo credit: Dave Hogan/Getty Images (Watson)

Lucia Elizabeth "Betsy" Balcombe was 13 or 14 years old in 1815 when the exiled French emperor Napoleon was brought to live on her father's estate on the British island of St. Helena. The girl and the captive emperor struck up a friendship that would last three years until 1818 when the Balcombes moved to Australia.

Betsy later wrote a memoir of her time with Napoleon, published in modern times as To Befriend an Emperor: Betsy Balcombe's Memoirs of Napoleon on St. Helena. There's also a novelization of the story for younger readers, by American writer Staton Rabin.

What seems to have been added to the story for the film version, though, is an element of romance between Betsy and Napoleon. Since Napoleon, historically, would have been 46 when he first met Betsy, I'm assuming that they're going to update her age to about 18 or 19 (at least, I hope they are, because otherwise … ew. And even so … well, still kind of ew).

Of course, if Napoleon isn't "too old" at 46, you might ask why Johansson has to be considered "too old" at 23 if the story's going to be fictionalized anyway, but … well, that's Hollywood for you. … continue reading

If you've been wondering when Hollywood will finally get its act together and make a major motion picture about George W. Bush, well then, I have some very exciting news for you: Oliver Stone has come to our rescue. The controversial director is working on a new biopic about Dubya, and the film will be titled simply W.

The strangest part about W (aside from the fact that it is actually being made) is that we're all familiar with the people that the movie will be about. They have had the pleasure of being a part of our lives for eight agonizing years.

Photo credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images

I don't envy the job of casting agents who have to find actors who will be believable in these roles. I mean sure, we praise their past decisions when they cast Helen Mirren as The Queen and or Cate Blanchett as Bob Dylan (and Cate Blanchett actually made Bob Dylan look sexy — is there anything this woman can't do?). But there isn't much artistic freedom when it comes to casting the first family or Bush's cabinet members. They're sort of … well, boring.

We all know who Barbara Bush is and what she looks like, and we've heard all about the drama surrounding Bush's booze-loving daughters, Jenna and Barbara. So it's interesting to see who are the lucky actors who have been cast in these roles. Let's break down some of them, shall we? … continue reading

It's official: The new X-Files movie, which lands in theaters July 25, will be called I Want to Believe. As many people remember, the phrase was imprinted on a poster that Mulder (David Duchovny) had in his basement office.

Series creator Chris Carter told the AP that "It's a natural title. It's a story that involves the difficulties in mediating faith and science. 'I Want to Believe.' It really does suggest Mulder's struggle with his faith."

The movie will not deal with the series' mythology — the often convoluted plot involving a government conspiracy, little green men and alien babies — but rather will resemble the standalone episodes in which Mulder and Scully investigate a paranormal event or crime. Carter said that this movie aims to bring in both new fans (who were probably too young to watch the scary show in the '90s) and satisfy X-Philes. "The reason we're even making the movie is for the rabid fans, so we don't want to insult them by having to take them back through the concept again," he said.

Photo credit: Diyah Pera

In the past, episode titles have given clues to an episode's story line, but in keeping with the tight security surrounding leaks from this new movie (the select few who were allowed to read the script had to read it in a locked room fitted with surveillance cameras), even the title is vague. And while the phrase "I want to believe" brings back fond memories (of basking in the glow of my computer screen reading tons of fanfic — I admit it!), I'm not sure it's a title I entirely love. … continue reading

The AfterEllen.com Forum has a discussion in progress about which TV character you'd like to date. I suppose I'm a bit too literal for that version of the game, since my first requirement for dating a woman is that she be a lesbian and, given the state of TV at the moment, that narrows the field to, well, zero. But if movies are included, I don't even have to think. Allegra from Puccini for Beginners wins hands down — and up and anywhere else she wants to put them. Sigh.

My crush on Allegra has naturally transferred to Elizabeth Reaser, who played her. And having a crush on Reaser is not as easy as some of my other crushes because her star seems to be rising more slowly than I would like. I just don't get to see her enough. … continue reading

One of my most anticipated movies of 2008 now has a U.K. release date. The Edge of Love — a biopic about the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, starring Keira Knightley and Sienna Miller and scripted by Knightley's mother, Sharman Macdonald — will be the opening night film at the Edinburgh International Film Festival on June 18. It will open in London two days later, and then across the U.K. June 27.

Why all this anticipation, I hear you ask? Well, if for no other reason, I'd be excited by this movie as a chance to see two actresses I really like together on-screen. With apologies to those people — and I know there are quite a lot of them, especially people from Pittsburgh — who find Sienna Miller madly annoying, I actually think that she's quite a good actress. And, no, it doesn't hurt that she looks like she does. (It doesn't hurt that Keira Knightley looks like she does, either.)

Adding to my interest, though, is the hint that the relationship between their characters might not be entirely platonic. In the film, Knightley plays Vera Phillips, a singer and former flame of Dylan Thomas', while Miller plays the poet's wife, Caitlin MacNamara.

Lindsay Lohan was originally attached to star in Miller's role, and back in 2006 she told MTV: "[Keira] is older than me, but she kind of has a mysterious relationship with my lover. And then there's somewhat of a lesbian undertone." … continue reading

I swear I meant to see the Broadway revival of Maury Yeston's Nine in 2003.

It had one the best casts ever: Jane Krakowski, Mary Stuart Masterson, Laura Benati, Chita Rivera. But despite my best intentions, I was a big loser and I never got around to seeing it. Alas.

Now I know next to nothing about the show, just that it's based on Federico Fellini's 8½, which I've never seen. I also know that the show features only one man and the rest of the cast is women. (And the New York Times review made it clear that the heart of the show was the women.) Basically, I wish I had not passed up the chance to see another Chita Rivera show, and I'm sorry that I missed Mary Stuart Masterson and Jane Krakowski onstage. And, of course, Laura Benati has been fantastic every time I've seen her on Broadway.

But now I — and everyone else who missed it — will have an opportunity to see a different version with a cast full of amazing women. Rob Marshall (Chicago) is directing a film version, tentatively scheduled to begin production in the fall. … continue reading

As the Sex and the City movie fast approaches (May 30, have you circled the day on your calendar with a big red pen yet?), new photos of the fabulous foursome have been released to promote the premiere. The ladies look like no time has passed since they first began sipping cosmos together on-screen a decade ago. Ah, Hollywood magic. Still, some news outlets are expressing surprise that the actresses may have been digitally enhanced in the promo pictures. Um, duh?  

U.K. newspapers the Telegraph and Daily Mail both had pieces “exposing” the airbrushed shots. Help me out, British AfterEllen.com readers: Do people not use Photoshop across the pond? Or have we Americans been so conditioned to expect extreme reality makeovers that we no longer notice a digital nip here or computerized tuck there? Heck, even the women's original Sex and the City photo shoot for the TV show 10 years ago was retouched. See:

Today the fab four are all in their 40s and beyond: Sarah Jessica Parker (43), Cynthia Nixon (41), Kristin Davis (43) and Kim Catrall (51). But from these new solo shots, I‘d put their ages somewhere between 28 and mannequin. … continue reading

Madonna wants to remake Casablanca. Maybe. OK, fine, this is just a fairly unsubstantiated rumor. But still, the mere thought of remaking such a Hollywood classic gives cinephiles everywhere the vapors.

The Daily Mail (so put a whole rim of salt around that margarita of a rumor) claims that Madge is interested in remaking and modernizing the iconic war-time romance. According to the paper, the Material Girl wants to set the story in Iraq and star in the Ingrid Bergman role. Their anonymous source said: “She wants to update the story and maybe set it in a modern war zone such as Iraq. There is no script yet. Madonna and her people are testing the waters to see if this is the right vehicle for her and if a major studio will get behind the project.”

The paper goes on to say that studios have been lukewarm to the idea. Lukewarm? I'm downright icy at the idea. Not that I have anything against Madonna. On the contrary, I love her. But her movies? No so much. Swept Away, anyone? No, I didn't think so. … continue reading

I'm one of those women who try her best to remain female positive. I really do. I root for talented women to seek their bigger and better slices of the corporate and entertainment pie. High-fiving female successes is one of my favorite past times. Come on, now…up high, come on, don't leave me hangin'! You know that old saying: Behind every strong and successful woman…is a long line of other women being snide and catty about her hair and shoes! Well, nah, that's not me. So, it's with a heavy heart that I must confess to actually cringing when I read that Mariah Carey has a new movie set to debut. Tennessee will have its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 26. Hmmm…

Tennessee, is the journey of two brothers, Ethan Peck and Adam Rothenberg, to find their estranged father after learning that one brother is diagnosed with terminal leukemia. Carey plays, Krystal, an aspiring singer who flees from her controlling and somewhat abusive husband and joins two brothers on their journey. OK, that doesn't sound all that bad, does it? A little? Sort of? So, is Mariah using a southern accent for the role?

I dig Mariah Carey as a singer. Yes, she's a diva, I know, but I will shout from the mountaintop my adoration of Mimi! I was so glad she was emancipated and put it down on her previous album.

The girl can sing. When she poured out "We Belong Together", I believed her! And even back in the day when she said "I Don't Wanna Cry," hell I didn't want to cry either but that was such a good break up song and her voice and lyrics made me verklempt. I'm actually looking forward to Mariah's new album release due out in a couple of weeks and yes, that's a blog for another day, but this acting thing? Well, I'm worried. Why? One word. Glitter. … continue reading

It's been ten long years since the last X-Files film, based on the hit FOX television series of the same name, came out. In that time, star Gillian Anderson got married, got divorced, had a baby and went back to being a blonde--though not necessarily in that order. (And yes, she also received a slew of award nominations for her acting on stage and screen.) David Duchovny had a couple of kids with his real-life wife, Tea Leoni, donated his movie wife's heart to Minnie Driver in Return to Me (2000) and played a hand model in Zoolander.

Yeah, they really do need to go back to their government jobs.

Below are a few sterile and redundant stills from the film:

Last summer, Dorothy Snarker gave us the preliminary scoop on the movie, and yesterday the filmmakers themselves dropped some maddeningly vague hints about the sequel.

While attending the 25th annual William S. Paley Television Festival along with co-writer Frank Spotnitz, director (and series creator) Chris Carter told reporters, "I know what I want it to be, but Fox has ideas of their own...I know what it should be." While the original film centered on the "alien mythology" storyline that came to dominate the series in later years, the sequel will reportedly be a standalone feature, like the "monster of the week" episodes that originally defined the television show. Spotnitz added, "It will not be a mythology movie, but it's true to everything that's come before."

The film, which also stars Amanda Peet and Billy Connolly, is set to hit theatres July 25. … continue reading

Not surprisingly, Ellen Page's power as a box office draw has skyrocketed since we all fell in love with her as Juno. (Don't tell me if you didn't love Juno because I won't believe you anyway.)

The Tracey Fragments, which captured attention at 2007's Atlantic and Berlin film festivals and garnered Page the Best Actress in a Canadian Film award from the Vancouver Film Critics Circle, finally will have its U.S. release on May 9.

Page plays Tracey Berkowitz, a 15-year-old who's riding out a blizzard in the back of a city bus, wearing nothing but a shower curtain. She's looking for her brother Sonny, whom she hypnotized into believing he's a dog. The movie uses complex Mondrian-style multi-frame editing throughout the entire movie to convey Tracey's fragmented thoughts as she tells her story.

… continue reading