The International Press Academy has revealed the nominees of the 20th Satellite Awards and Ridley Scott's "The Martian" led the pack with nine nominations including Best Film. Winners will be announced on February 21st.
Here's your complete list of nominees of the 20th Satellite Awards:
Motion Picture
Spotlight, Open Road
Sicario, Lionsgate
Room, A24
The Revenant, 20th Century Fox
The Martian, 20th Century Fox
Carol, The Weinstein Co.
Brooklyn, Fox Searchlight
Bridge of Spies, DreamWorks
Black Mass, Warner Bros.
The Big Short, Paramount
Director
Tom Hooper, The Danish Girl
Thomas McCarthy, Spotlight
Steven Spielberg, Bridge of Spies
Ridley Scott, The Martian
Lenny Abrahamson, Room
Alejandro González Iñárritu, The Revenant
Actress in a Motion Picture
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn
Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Carey Mulligan, Suffragette
Brie Larson, Room
Blythe Danner, I.ll See You in My Dreams
Actor in a Motion Picture
Will Smith, Concussion
Tom Hardy, Legend
Michael Fassbender,...
Here's your complete list of nominees of the 20th Satellite Awards:
Motion Picture
Spotlight, Open Road
Sicario, Lionsgate
Room, A24
The Revenant, 20th Century Fox
The Martian, 20th Century Fox
Carol, The Weinstein Co.
Brooklyn, Fox Searchlight
Bridge of Spies, DreamWorks
Black Mass, Warner Bros.
The Big Short, Paramount
Director
Tom Hooper, The Danish Girl
Thomas McCarthy, Spotlight
Steven Spielberg, Bridge of Spies
Ridley Scott, The Martian
Lenny Abrahamson, Room
Alejandro González Iñárritu, The Revenant
Actress in a Motion Picture
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn
Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Carey Mulligan, Suffragette
Brie Larson, Room
Blythe Danner, I.ll See You in My Dreams
Actor in a Motion Picture
Will Smith, Concussion
Tom Hardy, Legend
Michael Fassbender,...
- 1/13/2016
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Johnny Depp arrests his decline with a transformation into gang boss Whitey Bulger
With the career-threatening whiff of hammy howlers such as The Lone Ranger and Mortdecai still lingering in the nostrils, it seems damning with faint praise to say that this true-crime thriller, co-written by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth, is Johnny Depp’s best film in years. Yet while director Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Out of the Furnace) coaxes an all-but-unrecognisable performance from Depp as Boston crime boss James “Whitey” Bulger, it isn’t quite enough to lift the drama out of the formulaic doldrums. Lacking the deft interpersonal intrigues of Mike Newell’s Donnie Brasco, this settles instead for broad, sub-Scorsesean strokes, right down to a too-close-for-comfort riff on Joe Pesci’s terrifying “Funny how?” routine from Goodfellas.
Continue reading...
With the career-threatening whiff of hammy howlers such as The Lone Ranger and Mortdecai still lingering in the nostrils, it seems damning with faint praise to say that this true-crime thriller, co-written by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth, is Johnny Depp’s best film in years. Yet while director Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Out of the Furnace) coaxes an all-but-unrecognisable performance from Depp as Boston crime boss James “Whitey” Bulger, it isn’t quite enough to lift the drama out of the formulaic doldrums. Lacking the deft interpersonal intrigues of Mike Newell’s Donnie Brasco, this settles instead for broad, sub-Scorsesean strokes, right down to a too-close-for-comfort riff on Joe Pesci’s terrifying “Funny how?” routine from Goodfellas.
Continue reading...
- 11/29/2015
- by Mark Kermode, Observer film critic
- The Guardian - Film News
Johnny Depp plays real-life Boston gangster Whitey Bulger in a preening, macho drama that brims with confidence and verve
Since its premiere at Venice earlier this year, Black Mass has been labelled Johnny Depp’s “comeback” picture, although I’m not so sure he ever went quite as far away as everyone thinks. A career as prolific as his is bound to have some dry spells. At any rate, Depp carries this big, brash and horribly watchable true-life crime drama, written by Jez Butterworth and Mark Mallouk and directed by Scott Cooper, and the movie has valid insights into the political roots of gangsterism.
Depp plays south Boston wiseguy James “Whitey” Bulger, whose heyday was the 70s and 80s. With his bald head and weird blue eyes, Depp’s Bulger is a fully paidup sociopath with a groany-deep voice like Ray Liotta in GoodFellas. His brother, Massachusetts State Senator Billy Bulger,...
Since its premiere at Venice earlier this year, Black Mass has been labelled Johnny Depp’s “comeback” picture, although I’m not so sure he ever went quite as far away as everyone thinks. A career as prolific as his is bound to have some dry spells. At any rate, Depp carries this big, brash and horribly watchable true-life crime drama, written by Jez Butterworth and Mark Mallouk and directed by Scott Cooper, and the movie has valid insights into the political roots of gangsterism.
Depp plays south Boston wiseguy James “Whitey” Bulger, whose heyday was the 70s and 80s. With his bald head and weird blue eyes, Depp’s Bulger is a fully paidup sociopath with a groany-deep voice like Ray Liotta in GoodFellas. His brother, Massachusetts State Senator Billy Bulger,...
- 11/26/2015
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Whether he likes it or not, Johnny Depp is going to be a part of this year's Awards Season for his mesmerizing portrayal of Whitey Bulger in "Black Mass" (See my review right here).
The actor, previously nominated for "Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl," "Finding Neverland," and "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street," infamously told BBC Newsbeat that he "doesn't want to win one of those things ever." Well, guess what? He maybe nominated and perhaps win! Why? Because he's just been baptized by the Palm Springs International Film Festival with its Desert Palm Achievement Award. And that's a good sign as we traverse Awards Season.
This is in my hood and I'll give you reports from the red carpet! Here's the complete press release:
Palm Springs, CA (November 17, 2015) . The 27th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) will present Johnny Depp with the Desert Palm Achievement Award,...
The actor, previously nominated for "Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl," "Finding Neverland," and "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street," infamously told BBC Newsbeat that he "doesn't want to win one of those things ever." Well, guess what? He maybe nominated and perhaps win! Why? Because he's just been baptized by the Palm Springs International Film Festival with its Desert Palm Achievement Award. And that's a good sign as we traverse Awards Season.
This is in my hood and I'll give you reports from the red carpet! Here's the complete press release:
Palm Springs, CA (November 17, 2015) . The 27th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) will present Johnny Depp with the Desert Palm Achievement Award,...
- 11/17/2015
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
The 27th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) will present Johnny Depp with the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor at its annual Awards Gala for his performance in “Black Mass.” Each year the festival selects an actor and actress to receive this award. The Awards Gala, hosted by Mary Hart and presenting sponsor Entertainment Tonight, will be held Saturday, January 2, at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The Festival runs January 1-11. Above Amber Heard and husband, Johnny Depp, at 2015 Hollywood Film Awards – Nov 1 “Johnny Depp is one of the most versatile and dynamic actors of our time,” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “In his latest film, Black Mass, Depp, in a stunning transformation, creates a gripping and multi-layered portrait of infamous gangster James ‘Whitey’ Bulger. He delivers an astounding performance that has earned raves from both critics and audiences and is sure to garner awards attention. It is our...
- 11/17/2015
- by HollywoodNews.com
- Hollywoodnews.com
While visiting a competing pop culture news website that shall go unnamed, I was greeted with one of those annoying autoplay video ads. My reflexes kicked in and I clicked it closed but in the half second or so before that happened, I got a glimpse of a scene I was actually surprisingly intrigued by; a woman sitting at a table in a holding cell, another woman across from her, and some kind of creepy Anubis-like figure looming over both of them. I saw the name “Sunflower” so I did some research and discovered that the writer of well received crime drama film Black Mass was doing a comic book. A little more digging and I got some contact info. A few e-mails later and I had a Pdf of issue #1 in my hands. I had little understanding of what I was getting myself into before I opened that Pdf,...
- 10/30/2015
- by Chris Melkus
- Destroy the Brain
Johnny Depp has become known over the past decade more for affectations than performances, with his larger-than-life strutting for Tim Burton and the interminable Pirates franchise overshadowing his earthier talents as a dramatic actor.
At a glance, you'd be forgiven for assuming Black Mass is more of the same – sporting a silver slick-back and pale prosthetics, Depp looks not at all far from one of Burton's gothic creations in the role of vicious gangster James "Whitey" Bulger.
But this is the kind of full-bodied, substantial performance that Depp hasn't given in perhaps a decade, teased out by director Scott Cooper in a film that would benefit from capitalising more on its characters. Loosely framed by the testimony of three former Bulger henchmen (Jesse Plemmons, Rory Cochrane and W Earl Brown), Black Mass charts Bulger's reign over South Boston's criminal world throughout the 1970s and 80s, and the FBI's checkered past as his enforcer and enabler.
At a glance, you'd be forgiven for assuming Black Mass is more of the same – sporting a silver slick-back and pale prosthetics, Depp looks not at all far from one of Burton's gothic creations in the role of vicious gangster James "Whitey" Bulger.
But this is the kind of full-bodied, substantial performance that Depp hasn't given in perhaps a decade, teased out by director Scott Cooper in a film that would benefit from capitalising more on its characters. Loosely framed by the testimony of three former Bulger henchmen (Jesse Plemmons, Rory Cochrane and W Earl Brown), Black Mass charts Bulger's reign over South Boston's criminal world throughout the 1970s and 80s, and the FBI's checkered past as his enforcer and enabler.
- 9/20/2015
- Digital Spy
Mark Mallouk, co-writer of the Johnny Depp starrer Black Mass that Warner Bros opened today, has written the graphic novel Sunflower for 451 Media Group. It debuts at New York Comic-Con in October. It’s about a woman living in isolation after a tragedy involving her husband and daughter. A decade later, she receives a postcard in the mail with only a single word – Sunflower — and she believes her daughter is still alive. Mallouk is currently writing the screenplay on the…...
- 9/18/2015
- Deadline
Johnny Depp’s performance as Boston mobster Whitey Bulger has earned rave reviews – but with unreliable narrators and a penchant to place style over substance, what does the film get wrong?
This story contains spoilers
Black Mass, directed by Scott Cooper, and written by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth, tells the rise and fall of James “Whitey” Bulger, who along with his notorious crew, the Winter Hill Gang, and some help from the FBI, ran the streets of Boston in the 1970s and 80s. The film opens in the Us this weekend and Depp’s performance has already been tipped for an Oscar nod, but does the Boston in the film accurately portray the city and culture Bulger knew?
Continue reading...
This story contains spoilers
Black Mass, directed by Scott Cooper, and written by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth, tells the rise and fall of James “Whitey” Bulger, who along with his notorious crew, the Winter Hill Gang, and some help from the FBI, ran the streets of Boston in the 1970s and 80s. The film opens in the Us this weekend and Depp’s performance has already been tipped for an Oscar nod, but does the Boston in the film accurately portray the city and culture Bulger knew?
Continue reading...
- 9/18/2015
- by Susan Zalkind in Boston
- The Guardian - Film News
Black Mass is not necessarily a bad mob film, but it’s a mob film too concerned with emulating the cool of other, better mob films to develop any real voice of its own. Director Scott Cooper clearly had Martin Scorsese on the brain as he put this film together, but Cooper brings none of his own creative intent to the table. David O. Russell recently aped Scorsese with even wilder abandon in American Hustle, but with more of a purpose – emulating the 1970s era his film was set in, and drawing a parallel between his con-man characters and today’s rampant economic corruption. Cooper’s film seems happy to coast on the assumption that his film will be Scorsese enough for us until the next actual Scorsese comes along.
Black Mass dramatizes the true story of notorious Boston gangster James “Whitey” Bulger (Johnny Depp), focusing on his rise to...
Black Mass dramatizes the true story of notorious Boston gangster James “Whitey” Bulger (Johnny Depp), focusing on his rise to...
- 9/18/2015
- by Patrick Dunn
- CinemaNerdz
Chicago – “Black Mass” is a well crafted, if somewhat conventional crime tale. It won’t win any awards, but it’s entertaining enough. The story of real life Boston crime boss “Whitey” Bulger has no shortage of juicy details, and while the saga of this mob boss slash FBI turncoat falls short of greatness, Johnny Depp turns him into an otherworldly presence.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
With slicked back thinning hair, speckled teeth, skin that looks like it was prepped by a mortuary, and blue contact lenses, Depp goes all out and plays Bulger as a black hearted ghoul. It’s not entirely possible to forget it’s Johnny Depp up there on screen, but he gives one of his better performances in recent years.
Joel Edgerton’s role isn’t as flashy as Depp’s, but he’s just as important. He plays an FBI agent who grew up a few doors down from the Bulger family.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
With slicked back thinning hair, speckled teeth, skin that looks like it was prepped by a mortuary, and blue contact lenses, Depp goes all out and plays Bulger as a black hearted ghoul. It’s not entirely possible to forget it’s Johnny Depp up there on screen, but he gives one of his better performances in recent years.
Joel Edgerton’s role isn’t as flashy as Depp’s, but he’s just as important. He plays an FBI agent who grew up a few doors down from the Bulger family.
- 9/17/2015
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
At one point, it seemed rather inevitable that Johnny Depp would one day win an Academy Award. He was a golden boy of sorts, but then Depp fell off the wagon a bit. The allure of playing Captain Jack Sparrow repeatedly and fooling around with Tim Burton in his various flights of fancy more or less, with the exception of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, removed him from the Oscar map. It’s been that way for a while now, but this week, Depp is back in a big way with Black Mass, his first legitimate awards vehicle in years. With that, he’s once again a contender in the Best Actor field. The film is a look at notorious Boston gangster James “Whitey” Bulger and the alliance he had with the FBI, specifically with John Connolly. Depp plays Bulger and Joel Edgerton plays Connolly and we...
- 9/17/2015
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Black Mass
Written by Mark Mallouk & Jez Butterworth
Directed by Scott Cooper
USA, 2015
Black Mass is the true-life crime story of the infamous gangster, James Whitey Bulger. Bulger, the brother of a state senator, spent thirty years as an FBI informant while forging his way to the top of Boston’s criminal underworld. Despite the fascinatingly sordid subject matter, director Scott Cooper adheres to a script that shows preference towards stringing along a series of events over telling an emotionally gratifying story. The big draw here is Johnny Depp, whose strong performance isn’t enough to elevate the uninspired source material.
Black Mass is a straightforward biopic, which works to the movie’s detriment. Bulger never becomes a sympathetic character or even an anti-hero; he’s a stone-cold psychopath and the film doesn’t come up with excuses to root for him. What transpires onscreen is a clinical observation of a cold-blooded killer,...
Written by Mark Mallouk & Jez Butterworth
Directed by Scott Cooper
USA, 2015
Black Mass is the true-life crime story of the infamous gangster, James Whitey Bulger. Bulger, the brother of a state senator, spent thirty years as an FBI informant while forging his way to the top of Boston’s criminal underworld. Despite the fascinatingly sordid subject matter, director Scott Cooper adheres to a script that shows preference towards stringing along a series of events over telling an emotionally gratifying story. The big draw here is Johnny Depp, whose strong performance isn’t enough to elevate the uninspired source material.
Black Mass is a straightforward biopic, which works to the movie’s detriment. Bulger never becomes a sympathetic character or even an anti-hero; he’s a stone-cold psychopath and the film doesn’t come up with excuses to root for him. What transpires onscreen is a clinical observation of a cold-blooded killer,...
- 9/17/2015
- by Victor Stiff
- SoundOnSight
'Maze Runner 2: The Scorch Trials' with Dylan O'Brien. 'Maze Runner 2' to beat Johnny Depp 'Black Mass' The 20th Century Fox release Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, the sequel to the 2014 hit The Maze Runner, and Warner Bros.' Johnny Depp star vehicle Black Mass will be battling it out at the North American box office this coming weekend, Sept. 18-20, the last (astronomical) summer weekend of 2015. According to Variety, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials will “likely” end up at the top of the U.S. and Canada box office chart. In fact, more than just “likely,” in case tracking is on target. Including Thursday evening shows, Maze Runner 2 is expected to collect somewhere around $35 million from 3,790 sites, while Black Mass should take in $22 million or so from 3,188 theaters. 'Maze Runner 2' vs. 'The Maze Runner' Maze Runner 2 will then open only about 10 percent ahead of the original,...
- 9/17/2015
- by Zac Gille
- Alt Film Guide
Chicago – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 40 pairs of advance-screening movie passes up for grabs to the new crime drama “Black Mass” starring Johnny Depp and Benedict Cumberbatch!
“Black Mass,” which opens on Sept. 18, 2015 and is rated “R,” also stars Dakota Johnson, Joel Edgerton, Kevin Bacon, Peter Sarsgaard, Corey Stoll, Jesse Plemons, Rory Cochrane and David Harbour from director Scott Cooper and writers Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth. Note: You must be 17+ to win and attend this “R”-rated screening.
To win your free passes to “Black Mass” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just get interactive with our social media widget below. That’s it! This screening is on Monday, Sept. 14, 2015 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago. The more social actions you complete, the more points you score and the higher yours odds of winning! Completing these social actions only increases your odds of winning; this doesn’t intensify your competition!
“Black Mass,” which opens on Sept. 18, 2015 and is rated “R,” also stars Dakota Johnson, Joel Edgerton, Kevin Bacon, Peter Sarsgaard, Corey Stoll, Jesse Plemons, Rory Cochrane and David Harbour from director Scott Cooper and writers Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth. Note: You must be 17+ to win and attend this “R”-rated screening.
To win your free passes to “Black Mass” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just get interactive with our social media widget below. That’s it! This screening is on Monday, Sept. 14, 2015 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago. The more social actions you complete, the more points you score and the higher yours odds of winning! Completing these social actions only increases your odds of winning; this doesn’t intensify your competition!
- 9/12/2015
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Telluride – For most moviegoers the new drama “Black Mass” will feel inherently familiar, and the reason is obvious. The story of notorious Boston crime lord Whitey Bulger (Johnny Depp) and the FBI agent who essentially protected him, John Connolly (Joel Edgerton), inspired Martin Scorsese’s 2007 Oscar-winning drama ‘The Departed.” The difference between the pictures is that “Mass” notably fleshes the story out with distinct historical detail that film lacked. Yet, with a number of high-profile crime thrillers set in Boston over the past eight years “Mass” has to rely on Johnny Depp’s inspired portrayal of Bulger and a strong ensemble to truly captivate. There are worse problems to have. Set mostly in the ‘70s and ‘80s, “Mass” starts off by attempting to frame Bulger’s rise to prominence through the plea bargained testimony of his notorious Irish-American Winter Hill gang, namely Kevin Weeks (Jesse Plemons) who went from...
- 9/8/2015
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
★★★☆☆ After his portrayal of Depression-era bank robber John Dillinger in Michael Mann's Public Enemies (2009), Johnny Depp returns to the criminal underworld with his take on James 'Whitey' Bulger in Scott Cooper's glossy, competent yet strangely unengaging Black Mass (2015). Adapted from the book by Dick Leher, Cooper's film tells the story of the South Boston criminal leader who, through his connections with the FBI, rose from a small time thug to an out and out king pin. The film begins with local boy Bulger up to nothing much but no good. It's 1975 and Bulger has been back from a stint in Alcatraz. He has a bar and hands out beatings as he controls petty crime on his own turf.
Local thug Kevin (Jesse Plemons) introduces us to him and at first the film looks like it might take his point of view - a young man's rise under the...
Local thug Kevin (Jesse Plemons) introduces us to him and at first the film looks like it might take his point of view - a young man's rise under the...
- 9/4/2015
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
As the days get darker and the cold winds of Autumn approach, it’s time to look ahead at the upcoming movies set to hit cinemas this Fall.
The huge slate includes the return of the Jedis, the rebirth of Frankenstein and a new age of Good Dinosaurs. These movies will take audiences to a Galaxy Far, Far Away, on a voyage to Mars and to the summit of the world’s highest mountain, Everest.
Here’s our list of the 2015 Fall movies that we can’t wait to see!
September
The Visit (Sept 11)
Writer/director/producer M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Signs, Unbreakable) and producer Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity, The Purge and Insidious series) welcome you to Universal Pictures’ The Visit. Shyamalan returns to his roots with the terrifying story of a brother and sister who are sent to their grandparents’ remote Pennsylvania farm for a weeklong trip.
The huge slate includes the return of the Jedis, the rebirth of Frankenstein and a new age of Good Dinosaurs. These movies will take audiences to a Galaxy Far, Far Away, on a voyage to Mars and to the summit of the world’s highest mountain, Everest.
Here’s our list of the 2015 Fall movies that we can’t wait to see!
September
The Visit (Sept 11)
Writer/director/producer M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Signs, Unbreakable) and producer Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity, The Purge and Insidious series) welcome you to Universal Pictures’ The Visit. Shyamalan returns to his roots with the terrifying story of a brother and sister who are sent to their grandparents’ remote Pennsylvania farm for a weeklong trip.
- 9/3/2015
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
"Guardians of the Galaxy" composer Tyler Bates is set to return for director James Gunn's upcoming sequel to the Marvel space adventure. Gunn has completed work on the screenplay for the film which is said to be more emotional than the first. [Source: Collider]
Q: A Love Story
Lionsgate is in negotiations for the film rights to Evan Mandery's 2011 time-travel romance novel "Q: A Love Story". Matt Tolmach, Francis Lawrence, Erwin Stoff and Pouya Shahbazian would produce.
The story revolves around an unsuccessful New York writer calling off his wedding to the titular Q after a warning delivered by his supposedly future self. He's then visited by an array of his future selves with contradictory advice about life. [Source: Variety]
Calabrese Mob
"Black Mass" scribe Mark Mallouk has been set to script a film about extortionist and hitman Frank Calabrese Sr and the crime family he ran...
"Guardians of the Galaxy" composer Tyler Bates is set to return for director James Gunn's upcoming sequel to the Marvel space adventure. Gunn has completed work on the screenplay for the film which is said to be more emotional than the first. [Source: Collider]
Q: A Love Story
Lionsgate is in negotiations for the film rights to Evan Mandery's 2011 time-travel romance novel "Q: A Love Story". Matt Tolmach, Francis Lawrence, Erwin Stoff and Pouya Shahbazian would produce.
The story revolves around an unsuccessful New York writer calling off his wedding to the titular Q after a warning delivered by his supposedly future self. He's then visited by an array of his future selves with contradictory advice about life. [Source: Variety]
Calabrese Mob
"Black Mass" scribe Mark Mallouk has been set to script a film about extortionist and hitman Frank Calabrese Sr and the crime family he ran...
- 8/21/2015
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Exclusive: Black Label Media has set Black Mass scribe Mark Mallouk to script a film about Frank Calabrese Sr and the crime family he ran out of Chicago that was known as The Outfit. The story will be driven by Kurt Calabrese, the son who was brought into the crime game by his father, and watched as his brother, Frank Jr., volunteered to become an FBI informant — and didn’t ask for compensation or a sentence reduction — helping to bring down his father when the made man…...
- 8/20/2015
- Deadline
Producer-financier Black Label has hired Mark Mallouk for the story based on the Kurt Calabrese life rights.
Calabrese’s father Frank Calabrese Sr was an extortionist, street loan lender and hitman with the Chicago mafia who forced his children into the business when they were barely in their teens.
Eric Shepherd and Jeff Chianakis will co-produce with Black Label co-founders Molly Smith, Thad Luckinbill and Trent Luckinbill.
Production company Tool Of North America and content creator Humble have started principal photography on North in Detroit. Matt Ogens directs the post-apocalyptic adventure starring Jacob Lofland, Sophie Kennedy Clark and Patrick Schwarzenegger. Kyle Lierman and Ogens co-wrote the film, a Mother + Father production in association with 77 Films.
Calabrese’s father Frank Calabrese Sr was an extortionist, street loan lender and hitman with the Chicago mafia who forced his children into the business when they were barely in their teens.
Eric Shepherd and Jeff Chianakis will co-produce with Black Label co-founders Molly Smith, Thad Luckinbill and Trent Luckinbill.
Production company Tool Of North America and content creator Humble have started principal photography on North in Detroit. Matt Ogens directs the post-apocalyptic adventure starring Jacob Lofland, Sophie Kennedy Clark and Patrick Schwarzenegger. Kyle Lierman and Ogens co-wrote the film, a Mother + Father production in association with 77 Films.
- 8/20/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Read More: Johnny Depp Heading to Venice Film Festival for 'Black Mass' World Premiere Johnny Depp looks ready for his Oscar in the chilling new trailer for Scott Cooper's "Black Mass." Based on the book of the same name by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth, the drama stars Depp as notorious Boston gangster James "Whitey" Bulger, who became an FBI informant to eliminate criminal competition from the '70s to the early '90s. The film also stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Kevin Bacon, Dakota Johnson, Joel Edgerton and Peter Sarsgaard, among many others. The film will have its world premiere at an out-of-competion screening at the Venice Film Festival. It hits theaters September 18. Read More: Watch: Johnny Depp Turns Cold-Blooded Mob Boss In The New Trailer For Crime Drama ‘Black Mass’...
- 7/30/2015
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
"Black Mass" (directed by Scott Cooper) presents Johnny Depp in elaborate makeup as usual, as Boston criminal Whitey Bulger, from the 70s through the 90s. He is supposed to be scary in a "Goodfellas" Joe Pesci kind of way. Ahead of the film's September 18 debut from Warner Bros., "Black Mass" will screen on Friday, September 4, in the Sala Grande venue in the Lido's Palazzo del Cinema. Warner Bros. showed the film in rough early form to Cannes, but it wasn't finished in time. At CinemaCon, it looked like Depp is going overboard with the makeup as usual, aging as he goes and wearing strange contact lenses as the Irish mobster James “Whitey” Bulger. Read More: Fall Festival Contenders: What's Coming Up, from Cheadle to Spielberg, and What's Not The screenplay by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth, based on the book by Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neill, centers on the...
- 7/24/2015
- by Anne Thompson and Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
Read More: Watch: Johnny Depp Turns Cold-Blooded Mob Boss In The New Trailer For Crime Drama ‘Black Mass’ Just days after the New York Film Festival lined up the world premiere of Don Cheadle's directorial debut "Miles Ahead," the fall film festival circuit continues to take shape thanks to the 72nd Venice Film Festival, which has secured the world premiere of Scott Cooper's "Black Mass." The Johnny Depp-starring drama will screen out-of-competition. Based on the book of the same name by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth, the drama stars Depp as notorious Boston gangster James "Whitey" Bulger, who became an FBI informant to eliminate criminal competition from the '70s to the early '90s. The film also stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Kevin Bacon, Dakota Johnson, Joel Edgerton and Peter Sarsgaard, among many others. The film will be released on September 18. The Venice Film Festival runs September 2-12. As previously announced,...
- 7/24/2015
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Johnny Depp crime-drama biopic will play out of competition at the 72nd Biennale.
Scott Cooper’s Black Mass, which tells the true story of notorious Boston gangster James “Whitey” Bulger, will receive its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival (September 2-12) on September 4 in the Sala Grande at the Palazzo del Cinema at Venice Lido.
Johnny Depp stars as Bulger alongside Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game), Joel Edgerton (Warrior), Dakota Johnson (Fifty Shades Of Grey), Peter Sarsgaard (Jarhead), Rory Cochrane (Argo), Jesse Plemons (Paul) and Kevin Bacon (Apollo 13).
Edgerton plays an FBI agent who forms an alliance with Bulger in an attempt to take down their mutual rival the Italian mob.
Producers are John Lesher, Brian Oliver, Scott Cooper, Patrick McCormick, and Tyler Thompson, with Brett Ratner, James Packer, Peter Mallouk, Ray Mallouk, Christopher Woodrow, Brett Granstaff, Gary Granstaff, Phil Hunt and Compton Ross serving as executive producers.
Warner Bros. Pictures...
Scott Cooper’s Black Mass, which tells the true story of notorious Boston gangster James “Whitey” Bulger, will receive its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival (September 2-12) on September 4 in the Sala Grande at the Palazzo del Cinema at Venice Lido.
Johnny Depp stars as Bulger alongside Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game), Joel Edgerton (Warrior), Dakota Johnson (Fifty Shades Of Grey), Peter Sarsgaard (Jarhead), Rory Cochrane (Argo), Jesse Plemons (Paul) and Kevin Bacon (Apollo 13).
Edgerton plays an FBI agent who forms an alliance with Bulger in an attempt to take down their mutual rival the Italian mob.
Producers are John Lesher, Brian Oliver, Scott Cooper, Patrick McCormick, and Tyler Thompson, with Brett Ratner, James Packer, Peter Mallouk, Ray Mallouk, Christopher Woodrow, Brett Granstaff, Gary Granstaff, Phil Hunt and Compton Ross serving as executive producers.
Warner Bros. Pictures...
- 7/24/2015
- ScreenDaily
A new trailer for the film Everest was released the other day, and it looks like it might be that rare “must-see” IMAX movie. I know you’ve probably heard that line before, but this one looks like it could deliver some definite jaw-dropping moments (and maybe even a bit of drama too). Take a look for yourself.
Inspired by the incredible events surrounding an attempt to reach the summit of the world’s highest mountain, Everest documents the awe-inspiring journey of two different expeditions challenged beyond their limits by one of the fiercest snowstorms ever encountered by mankind. Their mettle tested by the harshest elements found on the planet, the climbers face nearly impossible obstacles as a lifelong obsession becomes a breathtaking struggle for survival.
More About The Film:
Everest: Directed by Baltasar Kormákur (2 Guns, Contraband) and produced by Working Title Films’ Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, Cross Creek Pictures...
Inspired by the incredible events surrounding an attempt to reach the summit of the world’s highest mountain, Everest documents the awe-inspiring journey of two different expeditions challenged beyond their limits by one of the fiercest snowstorms ever encountered by mankind. Their mettle tested by the harshest elements found on the planet, the climbers face nearly impossible obstacles as a lifelong obsession becomes a breathtaking struggle for survival.
More About The Film:
Everest: Directed by Baltasar Kormákur (2 Guns, Contraband) and produced by Working Title Films’ Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, Cross Creek Pictures...
- 7/16/2015
- by Mike Tyrkus
- CinemaNerdz
Johnny Depp is known for characters such as Jack Sparrow, Mad Hatter, Sweeney Todd and the like, but he has transformed himself completely for Black Mass.
A new trailer has been released showing Depp as notorious Boston gangster Whitey Bulger.
The film follows the true story of Bulger, the brother of a state senator and the most infamous criminal in the history of South Boston. While heading up one of Boston's most feared gangs, he also acted as an FBI informant.
The film is based on the 2001 book Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob written by Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill.
Penned by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth, the adaptation stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Joel Edgerton, Kevin Bacon, Juno Temple and Dakota Johnson.
Depp has signed on to reprise his roles as the Mad Hatter in Alice Through the Looking...
A new trailer has been released showing Depp as notorious Boston gangster Whitey Bulger.
The film follows the true story of Bulger, the brother of a state senator and the most infamous criminal in the history of South Boston. While heading up one of Boston's most feared gangs, he also acted as an FBI informant.
The film is based on the 2001 book Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob written by Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill.
Penned by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth, the adaptation stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Joel Edgerton, Kevin Bacon, Juno Temple and Dakota Johnson.
Depp has signed on to reprise his roles as the Mad Hatter in Alice Through the Looking...
- 5/23/2015
- Digital Spy
Warner Bros. showed some footage this week at CinemaCon; it looks like Depp is going overboard with the makeup as usual, aging as he goes and wearing strange contact lenses as Irish mobster James “Whitey” Bulger. For me, that pulls you out of a movie that seems reminiscent of the Martin Scorsese classic "Goodfellas." The sprawling cast is strong: Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jesse Plemons, Kevin Bacon, Rory Cochrane, David Harbour, Dakota Johnson, , Julianne Nicholson, James Russo, Adam Scott, Corey Stoll, Juno Temple, W. Earl Brown, Bill Camp, Brad Carter and Jeremy Strong. The screenplay by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth, based on the book by Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neill, centers on the Whitey Bulger empire in South Boston, from the 1970s to the 90s. FBI Agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) persuades Whitey Bulger to collaborate with the FBI and turn against their common enemy, the Italian mob.
- 4/23/2015
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Over the years, we've seen Johnny Depp in a wide variety of make-up and wigs, but rarely have we seen him like this. The first photo from the forthcoming crime drama Black Mass has surfaced, and it shows a balding Depp as real-life, infamous crime boss Whitey Bulger in the story about how this brother of a state senator (Benedict Cumberbatch), became the most feared gangster in Boston while also serving as an FBI informant to take down the Italian Mafia. On set, director Scott Cooper says of Depp's look, "A lot of people on set knew Whitey intimately. They got chills at the resemblance. Some of them couldn’t even look at him.” Here's the first photo from Scott Cooper's Black Mass from EW: Black Mass is directed by Scott Cooper (Out of the Furnace, Crazy Heart) and written by Jez Butterworth (Edge of Tomorrow, Get on Up) and newcomer Mark Mallouk.
- 4/22/2015
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
A Walk Among the Tombstones, starring Liam Neeson (Non-Stop, The Grey, Taken series) and Dan Stevens (The Guest, “Downton Abbey”) debuts on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD on January 13, 2015 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Based on Lawrence Block’s best-selling series of mystery novels and directed and written by Academy Award-nominated writer Scott Frank (Out of Sight, Minority Report, The Wolverine), A Walk Among the Tombstones is produced by Jersey Films’ Danny DeVito.
In this intense thriller, Liam Neeson plays Matt Scudder, an ex-nypd cop turned unlicensed private investigator who reluctantly agrees to help a drug trafficker (Dan Stevens) hunt down the men who brutally murdered his wife. When the Pi learns that this is not the first time that these men have committed this sort of twisted crime — nor will it be the last — he must blur the line between right and wrong as he races to track the...
In this intense thriller, Liam Neeson plays Matt Scudder, an ex-nypd cop turned unlicensed private investigator who reluctantly agrees to help a drug trafficker (Dan Stevens) hunt down the men who brutally murdered his wife. When the Pi learns that this is not the first time that these men have committed this sort of twisted crime — nor will it be the last — he must blur the line between right and wrong as he races to track the...
- 1/11/2015
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
For the second consecutive year, Warner Bros. Pictures International has exceeded the coveted $3 billion mark at the international box office. This benchmark comes on the heels of the release of The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies, a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, which surpassed $400 million at the international box office this weekend and is still going strong.
Nine Warner Bros. Pictures films have exceeded $100 million internationally, topped by Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar (with Paramount Pictures), which has taken in an astounding $467 million outside of the U.S. to date, and Godzilla (with Legendary Pictures), which has earned $327 million overseas.
Four titles – Doug Liman’s Edge Of Tomorrow (with Village Roadshow Pictures), Phil Lord & Christopher Miller’s The Lego Movie (also with Village Roadshow Pictures), and Noam Murro and Zack Snyder’s 300: Rise Of An Empire (with Legendary), along with the 2014 spillover grosses from The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug...
Nine Warner Bros. Pictures films have exceeded $100 million internationally, topped by Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar (with Paramount Pictures), which has taken in an astounding $467 million outside of the U.S. to date, and Godzilla (with Legendary Pictures), which has earned $327 million overseas.
Four titles – Doug Liman’s Edge Of Tomorrow (with Village Roadshow Pictures), Phil Lord & Christopher Miller’s The Lego Movie (also with Village Roadshow Pictures), and Noam Murro and Zack Snyder’s 300: Rise Of An Empire (with Legendary), along with the 2014 spillover grosses from The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug...
- 12/30/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Benedict Cumberbatch has signed on to replace Guy Pearce in the Whitey Bulger biopic "Black Mass" at Warner Bros. Pictures.
Cumberbatch will play Whitey's brother Billy, the former President of the Massachusetts State Senate. Though never implicated, Billy's political opponents often uses his brother's reputation against him.
Johnny Depp and Joel Edgerton remain onboard in the leading roles of Whitey himself and his longtime friend and FBI agent John Connolly respectively.
No official word has been revealed regarding the reason for the casting change. Also hopping onboard is Adam Scott who has signed on to play FBI agent Robert Fitzpatrick.
Scott Cooper is directing from an adapted screenplay by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth. Shooting is currently under way in Boston.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter...
Cumberbatch will play Whitey's brother Billy, the former President of the Massachusetts State Senate. Though never implicated, Billy's political opponents often uses his brother's reputation against him.
Johnny Depp and Joel Edgerton remain onboard in the leading roles of Whitey himself and his longtime friend and FBI agent John Connolly respectively.
No official word has been revealed regarding the reason for the casting change. Also hopping onboard is Adam Scott who has signed on to play FBI agent Robert Fitzpatrick.
Scott Cooper is directing from an adapted screenplay by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth. Shooting is currently under way in Boston.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter...
- 5/22/2014
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Benedict Cumberbatch has been brought on to replace Guy Pearce in the untitled Whitey Bulger biopic, TheWrap has learned. Johnny Depp stars as crime boss Whitey Bulger in the movie that tells the story of his time as an FBI informant, his later flight from justice, and eventual capture. Based on the book, “Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob,” written by Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill, the film is directed by Scott Cooper from a screenplay by Mark Mallouk and Cooper. Also read: Benedict Cumberbatch to Play Hamlet on...
- 5/22/2014
- by Jason Hughes
- The Wrap
With Johnny Depp as the star at the centre of true-crime Boston mob drama Black Mass, his gravitational pull has been attracting other actors. Director Scott Cooper now has Juno Temple and Jesse Plemons in talks for the film.Cooper has reworked Mark Mallouk’s script for the film, itself loosely based on Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neil’s book Black Mass: The True Story Of An Unholy Alliance Between The FBI And The Irish Mob. Depp will play infamous Boston crime figure Whitey Bulger, who masterminded a violent gang in Boston while also reportedly turning federal informant to take down rivals. It seemed to be working out well – particularly with corrupt FBI agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) helping to smooth things – but when the Bureau began making arrests, agents double-crossed Bulger and prosecuted him. Bulger fled in 1994 and was captured in 2011 in California. Guy Pearce is set as Senator William ”Billy” Bulger,...
- 4/2/2014
- EmpireOnline
She's on our screens now (however briefly) in Need For Speed, but the main focus of Dakota Johnson's career right now is a certain film about 50 Shades Of Grey. She's also just picked up a prime role in Black Mass, the Johnny Depp-starring drama about Boston mob man Whitey Bulger.With Scott Cooper calling the shots and rewriting Mark Mallouk's script, the film is gathering quite the cast around Depp. Guy Pearce is aboard as Bill, Bulger's brother who became a Massachusetts Senate president and power broker, while Joel Edgerton is John Connolly, a childhood friend of the family who worked for the FBI and ended up tipping Bulger off that the bureau was set to arrest him.Johnson is set to play Lindsey Cyr, who met the mobster when she was 21 and he was 36. They began a long-standing relationship and even had a son, Douglas, together.
- 3/24/2014
- EmpireOnline
Warner Bros. Pictures have snapped up the distribution rights to the James 'Whitey' Bulger biopic "Black Mass" starring Johnny Depp. They've also announced an October 2015 release date.
A few weeks ago Tom Hardy was said to be in talks to co-star as FBI agent and Bulger's childhood friend John Connolly, a role Joel Edgerton was originally slated to play a while back.
Now, Hardy isn't involved and Edgerton has come back to the role. Scott Cooper ("Out of the Furnace") directs from a script by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth.
Filming will take place in Boston starting late April. With Warners taking on the project, they've advised that they will not proceed with another Bulger film they had in development with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon attached.
Source: Deadline...
A few weeks ago Tom Hardy was said to be in talks to co-star as FBI agent and Bulger's childhood friend John Connolly, a role Joel Edgerton was originally slated to play a while back.
Now, Hardy isn't involved and Edgerton has come back to the role. Scott Cooper ("Out of the Furnace") directs from a script by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth.
Filming will take place in Boston starting late April. With Warners taking on the project, they've advised that they will not proceed with another Bulger film they had in development with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon attached.
Source: Deadline...
- 3/1/2014
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
First he was on board. Then there was a deal disagreement and for a while there, it appeared that Johnny Depp wouldn’t end up playing notorious Boston gangster Whitey Bulger. Now, thanks to some fresh overtures and the presence of Crazy Heart’s Scott Cooper in the director’s chair, Depp has signed on to star as Bulger in Black Mass, with the producers talking to Tom Hardy about playing corrupt FBI agent and long-time Bulger friend John Connolly.This one was first floated back in early 2013, with Barry Levinson directing and Depp in discussions to play Bulger from a script by Mark Mallouk. That in turn was adapted from Dick Lehr and Gerald O’Neill’s book, subtitled The True Story Of An Unholy Alliance Between The FBI and The Irish Mob. The film will track Bulger’s life, masterminding a violent gang in Boston while also reportedly...
- 2/9/2014
- EmpireOnline
Johnny Depp is confirmed to be returning while Tom Hardy is in early talks to join the Whitey Bulger biopic "Black Mass".
Depp previously signed on and then quit the project last year which seemed to stall until Scott Cooper entered talks to direct last month.
Depp would play the notorious Boston gangster has also served as the inspiration for a number of fictional Boston crime bosses. If he joins, Hardy would play his FBI handler John Connolly who was also a childhood friend of Bulger.
In the 1970s, the pair joined forces with Bulger turning in his rivals to consolidate his power while Connolly scored the professional benefits of being the man who helped dismantle the mob.
Eventually, Connolly was convicted of racketeering, obstruction of justice, and second-degree murder. Bulger was finally captured in 2011.
Mark Mallouk penned the script based on Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill's 2001 book. Cooper...
Depp previously signed on and then quit the project last year which seemed to stall until Scott Cooper entered talks to direct last month.
Depp would play the notorious Boston gangster has also served as the inspiration for a number of fictional Boston crime bosses. If he joins, Hardy would play his FBI handler John Connolly who was also a childhood friend of Bulger.
In the 1970s, the pair joined forces with Bulger turning in his rivals to consolidate his power while Connolly scored the professional benefits of being the man who helped dismantle the mob.
Eventually, Connolly was convicted of racketeering, obstruction of justice, and second-degree murder. Bulger was finally captured in 2011.
Mark Mallouk penned the script based on Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill's 2001 book. Cooper...
- 2/8/2014
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Not that long ago, the Whitey Bulger biopic Black Mass was all set to star Johnny Depp and Joel Edgerton, with Barry Levinson at the helm; then the film shut down, and the whole thing seemed dead in the water for a good long while. Proving that you can’t keep a good film buried for too long, Black Mass has returned in force, with Depp officially in place to star and a replacement director in the form of Scott Cooper (Out of the Furnace).
Black Mass is based on the book Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob, by Dick Lehr and Gerald O’Neill, with a script by Mark Mallouk. Depp is now confirmed for his starring role and Tom Hardy is reportedly in early talks to play opposite. Depp will be Whitey Bulger, the Boston mobster who...
Black Mass is based on the book Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob, by Dick Lehr and Gerald O’Neill, with a script by Mark Mallouk. Depp is now confirmed for his starring role and Tom Hardy is reportedly in early talks to play opposite. Depp will be Whitey Bulger, the Boston mobster who...
- 2/7/2014
- by Lauren Humphries-Brooks
- We Got This Covered
Johnny Depp hasn't shied away from playing real-life criminals, like gangster John Dillinger in Public Enemies or cocaine kingpin George Jung in Blow. So we shouldn't be too surprised that Cross Creek Pictures and Exclusive Media have convinced the eccentric A-lister to play the notorious Whitey Bulger for Black Mass. Reporting out of the European Film Market, Deadline reveals Depp has officially signed on to star in Black Mass, a biopic that will chronicle the highlights of career criminal Bulger, who went from Boston's cruel kingpin to a fugitive at the top of the FBI's Most Wanted list. Joining him in this endeavor could be English hunk Tom Hardy, who has earned a reputation for growling tough guys with lead roles in Lawless, The Dark Knight Rises and Bronson. Hardy is said to be in early talks for the film's other lead role. Rush producer Mark Mallouk wrote Black Mass...
- 2/7/2014
- cinemablend.com
At one time set to be directed by Barry Levinson with Johnny Depp and Joel Edgerton starring, the Whitey Bulger drama "Black Mass" was shut down and seemed like one of those projects that may be forever troubled. Well, scratch that. Last month, it burbled back to life with Depp circled and "Out Of The Furnace" director Scott Cooper attached to helm, and just a couple of weeks later, the project is moving full steam ahead. Deadline reports that not only is Depp now confirmed for "Black Mass," but Tom Hardy is in early talks to co-star. Yes, please. Based on the bestselling book by Dick Lehr and Gerald O’Neill, "Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob," and penned by Mark Mallouk, the film will tell the story of one of the FBI’s Most Wanted men and the...
- 2/7/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Exclusive: Johnny Depp has made his deal to star in Black Mass, the drama Scott Cooper will direct about the Boston crime kingpin-turned-fugitive Whitey Bulger, for Cross Creek Pictures and Exclusive Media. Now, they are in early talks with Tom Hardy to play John Connolly, the FBI agent and childhood pal of Bulger, who is in prison for tipping Bulger that he was about to be indicted. That led Bulger to go from ruthless Boston crime kingpin to the top of the FBI’s most wanted list. Domestic distribution hasn’t yet been decided and there are some territories that Exclusive is selling at Berlin, a task made easier by these casting developments. Production will begin in May. Depp was originally expected to play Bulger when Barry Levinson was attached to direct, but the deal fell through over money even though the deal was near $20 million. Deadline revealed last month...
- 2/7/2014
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
After delivering the fantastically performed, but poorly concluded gritty drama Out of the Furnace, director Scott Cooper is heading into period drama territory. Deadline has word that Cooper is currently in talks with Universal to rewrite and direct Black Mass, the biopic about Boston crime kingpin Whitey Bulger that once had Barry Levinson in the director's chair with Johnny Depp on board. The actor fell away from the project, but the sale of the film at Cannes was a little softer than anticipated, and Depp refused to lower his payday to fit in with the lower budget. However, Depp is again in talks to star in the revived project. Last we heard of the project, screenwriter Mark Mallouk just recently completed an entirely new screenplay based on the book after Bulger, who was on the FBI's Most Wanted list for over 10 years, was captured in June of 2011. The true story...
- 1/15/2014
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
Scott Cooper is negotiating to rewrite and direct the Whitey Bulger biopic "Black Mass" at Cross Creek Pictures, Exclusive Media and Universal Pictures.
Johnny Depp was in talks last year to possibly play Bulger in the project, but those fell apart over finance. Now, talks with Depp have rekindled.
The story deals with the feared South Boston criminal Whitey Bulger, who was betrayed by the FBI after he became an informant to bring down a rival crime family. Bulger was captured in June 2011 in Santa Monica following a 16-year manhunt.
Joel Edgerton remains attached to play Bulger's childhood friend, FBI agent John Connolly.
Mark Mallouk adapted the screenplay, while Brian Oliver, Tyler Thompson, Nigel Sinclair, Tobin Armbrust, John Lesher and Christi Dembrowski will produce.
Source: Deadline...
Johnny Depp was in talks last year to possibly play Bulger in the project, but those fell apart over finance. Now, talks with Depp have rekindled.
The story deals with the feared South Boston criminal Whitey Bulger, who was betrayed by the FBI after he became an informant to bring down a rival crime family. Bulger was captured in June 2011 in Santa Monica following a 16-year manhunt.
Joel Edgerton remains attached to play Bulger's childhood friend, FBI agent John Connolly.
Mark Mallouk adapted the screenplay, while Brian Oliver, Tyler Thompson, Nigel Sinclair, Tobin Armbrust, John Lesher and Christi Dembrowski will produce.
Source: Deadline...
- 1/15/2014
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
There have been two film projects about mobster-turned-informant Whitey Bulger in development in recent years, and neither has had an easy journey. The version in the Ben Affleck / Matt Damon camp seems to have permanently stalled, but the signs are improving for its rival Black Mass. Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart) is now negotiating to rewrite and direct the film, and there is speculation that Johnny Depp may once again be circling the lead role.Black Mass is adapted from Dick Lehr and Gerald O’Neill’s book, subtitled The True Story Of An Unholy Alliance Between The FBI and The Irish Mob. Mark Mallouk originally wrote the screenplay, tracking Bulger’s life masterminding a violent gang in Boston while also turning federal snitch to take down rivals. Bulger went on the run in 1994 when the FBI began making arrests and agents double-crossed and prosecuted him. After years on the Most...
- 1/15/2014
- EmpireOnline
After making his sophomore feature last year with the acclaimed Out of the Furnace, it looks like Scott Cooper has settled on his follow-up, with news surfacing that the writer-director is in talks to board Black Mass, the drama about the notorious Boston crime kingpin-turned-fugitive, Whitey Bulger.
Deadline reports that Cooper is negotiating to both direct and rewrite the script, which was first penned by Mark Mallouk, a co-executive producer on Ron Howard’s Rush.
And not only is the film coming close to finding its director, but the report also notes that talks are igniting once more with Johnny Depp to take the lead, after he exited the project last year, reportedly over salary, when Barry Levinson was then at the helm.
The title for the project is taken from Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neill’s 2001 best-selling book, Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance...
Deadline reports that Cooper is negotiating to both direct and rewrite the script, which was first penned by Mark Mallouk, a co-executive producer on Ron Howard’s Rush.
And not only is the film coming close to finding its director, but the report also notes that talks are igniting once more with Johnny Depp to take the lead, after he exited the project last year, reportedly over salary, when Barry Levinson was then at the helm.
The title for the project is taken from Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neill’s 2001 best-selling book, Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance...
- 1/14/2014
- by Kenji Lloyd
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
After being rumored for Doctor Strange earlier today, we’re now hearing that Johnny Depp, coming off the box office bomb that was The Lone Ranger, is looking to head back into talks for the Whitey Bulger biopic, Black Mass. Furthermore, Out of the Furnace director Scott Cooper is on board to helm and re-write the screenplay, according to Deadline.
If you recall, Depp was attached to this project last year but when he was asked to take a pay cut, he departed. Now, however, the actor is looking to re-join the Mark Mallouk-penned film, which is based on Dick Lehr and Gerald O’Neill’s bestselling novel Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob.
Of course, the story would focus on Bulger, the infamous gangster who found himself on the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted list for many years.
If you recall, Depp was attached to this project last year but when he was asked to take a pay cut, he departed. Now, however, the actor is looking to re-join the Mark Mallouk-penned film, which is based on Dick Lehr and Gerald O’Neill’s bestselling novel Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob.
Of course, the story would focus on Bulger, the infamous gangster who found himself on the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted list for many years.
- 1/14/2014
- by Matt Joseph
- We Got This Covered
Barry Levinson, the man behind Good Morning, Vietnam, Rain Man, Bugsy and more, last directed the dull found footage thriller The Bay. The film had its supporters, but trust me, it wasn't any good. Since then he's been attached to the Whitey Bulger biopic Black Mass, which I featured on my list of most anticipated films of 2014 and again this morning in my list of book adaptations heading to the screen this year. Well, scratch any hope of it hitting theaters this year and it appears scratch any hope of Levinson directing. Levinson's film was expected to feature Joel Edgerton while Johnny Depp as original slated to star, but then bounced, allegedly over money. Rumors of Depp bouncing on the project and off again persisted, but it seems the camel's back has broken. A new report from Deadline suggests Levinson is off the project, Depp may actually be back on and Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart,...
- 1/14/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Okay, here's a quick recap: you might recall that this summer, Johnny Depp was slated to shoot the Whitey Bulger pic "Black Mass" with director Barry Levinson and co-star Joel Edgerton, but then things went south. Production company Cross Creek Pictures asked Depp—who they were already paying $20 million—to take a pay cut (along with everyone else), when budget went from $50 to $63 million. They couldn't manage to renegotiate his contract and the movie fell apart. But it may be coming back to life. Deadline reports that Depp is now circling the movie again, with "Crazy Heart" and "Out of the Furnace" director Scott Cooper to rewrite and direct the film. The initial script was penned by Mark Mallouk, and is based on the bestselling book by Dick Lehr and Gerald O’Neill, "Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob,...
- 1/14/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
You may have noticed, yesterday's start to my list of this year's most anticipated movies got off to a bit of a cynical start. Well, I hope to change that with today's batch of ten films as I think we are getting into better and better territory and a group of films I feel far more genuinely excited to see, and a couple of which that may end up being the most talked about films of the year. Again, featured directly below is a navigation for this year's most anticipated feature, linking to yesterday's ten films and I will be updating it with links for the installments to come. Most Anticipated 2014 Navigation #1-10 | #11-20 | #21-30 | #31-40 #30 The Fault in Our Stars June 6 Photo: 20th Century Fox amz asin="0525478817" size="small"I get the feeling this is a film that will either be just another sappy, melodramatic adaptation of a much-loved novel,...
- 1/7/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
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