| Hugo Wins Helen Hayes Award; Full Elissa Blake Interview |
[02 May 2012|09:11pm] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
 grateful |
] |
First off, thanks to everyone for their patience while I was away, and as I continue to work on getting my computer repaired.
As I mentioned last time, Hugo Weaving and several castmates from STC's Uncle Vanya were nominated for Helen Hayes theatre awards for their performances in the Washington DC run of the production. As many of you probably already know, Hugo indeed won the award for Best Supporting Performance in a Non-Resident Production. (Cate Blanchett took honors for Best Actress.) Of course, neither was able to pick up the award in person; Hugo continues his two-month run in Les Liaisons Dangereuses in Sydney while Cate continues touring in a different production, STC's Gross Und Klein, in London.
But Hugo did comment on his nomination in the recent Elissa Blake interview conducted for the Sydney Morning Herald and its affiliated papers (more on that shortly), indicating he is touched by the honor and by the fact the play was so well-received and attended during its August run: "I presume they’re the Washington theatre awards?...So that’s really nice. It’s always lovely – we knew when we were there that the audiences really loved it and it was going very well, and they hadn’t – didn’t expect us to - in that particular period people tend to leave Washington and it’s not – apparently not a theatre time [of year]... theatre doesn’t [usually] do well in that period of time in Washington. But we did very well and we were getting a lot of feedback from audiences and very good reviews. ... So we knew we’d been well received, and that was lovely; it’s really nice."
You can read more on the Helen Hayes Awards at Variety, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Daily Telegraph, Theatre People, Theater Mania, The Australian, and ContactMusic. The Sydney Morning Herald piece included this lovely new photo of Hugo by James Brickwood, presumably taken during rehearsals for Les Liaisons Dangereuses.
Next, and possibly even more of a boon for fans, was the posting online of Elissa Blake's full interview transcript of her conversation with Hugo during Liaisons rehearsals. While some of this material was posted in the Sydney Morning Herald and Herald Sun on 25 March and 3 April, a lot of it wasn't, and a lot of what was was edited for space and succinctness. While this is standard practice in journalism, and Blake edited her interview judiciously, she's done Hugo's fans a great service by posting the full test to her blog, along with a great new photo of Hugo (below). Hugo doesn't really speak in sound-bites; he gives answers full of thoughtful pauses, reflection and depth. His longer radio interviews are defined by these qualities, and by sharing what Hugo actually said in full, Blake allows us to better "hear his voice", so to speak. I won't copy the full text here, and a lot of it was already printed in the published pieces I mentioned, but I'll give you a few excerpts, and you really should read the whole thing at her blog. (I know some of you probably have already.) ;) It's one of the most gratifying, in-depth Hugo interviews in the past few years, from an interviewer who understands what's really important to him. Comments in brackets are mine.
On Cloud Atlas:
"...Well, this is a huge film that’s directed by Lana and Andrew Wachowski, who directed The Matrix and V For Vendetta that I did, and also Thom Tykwer, who’s a German director – he directed a film called Run Lola Run, amongst other films – and you know from the book there’s six separate stories, so – it’s a huge cast. We filmed it in Berlin and Majorca and Glasgow and in Saxony, but mostly in Berlin, and the six stories take place in different time zones, different geographies, but they’re told more like in a mosaic way rather than the way they are in the book, and the actors were playing more than one role, so many of us had one role in each story and it’s like souls reborn through time, which is sort of suggested in the book....
There’s quite a lot of prosthetic changes we were all undergoing, and it was a mad – well, it wasn’t mad, it was wonderful and fiendishly difficult and challenging and a great script and a wonderful experience... very difficult to make it work, but everyone knew that when they jumped in; and great, fabulous actors and a very exciting project, but fiendishly difficult; a big adventure." [Sorry, no new character hints. ;) Though Hugh Grant has been dropping a few on CinemaBlend and MTV.]
On The Hobbit:
"HW: Well, I was over there [in New Zealand] with Cate last year – we went for a couple of weeks around the same time just to do a small block. So, yeah, great to go back there again and see everyone. I think they’re still filming – they had a little period off and then went back into it, and they’re still all over there now.
EB: Will there be two Hobbit films?
HW: Yeah.
EB: And will you be in both of those?
HW: Yes.
EB: Peter Jackson has released a few small videos of how it’s going on and Ian McKellen was saying that they’re all “happy actors cavorting around” (laughs). Did you feel like there was a lot of cavorting?
HW: It’s easy to cavort with Ian. He’s great. Yeah, they’d only really just begun, actually, when I was there, so – the dwarves were – they were getting used to dealing with the full-on preparation for each day, to get into these massive suits, prosthetic was really hard for some of them, I think, to sit in that every day. So that was something they were dealing with, but they were cavorting as much within that as they could, and enjoying themselves; good group of people. And Ian was – it was lovely to sort of see him again. But I was only really there for about three weeks, I think. So we’ll see whether I have to go back for any hiccoughs or not this year, or next year, I don’t know, but I suspect, knowing Peter, that that’s what will happen.
EB: So that whole series, that’s been enjoyable for you to work on that?
HW: Yeah, yeah." [Finally, confirmation Hugo will be in both films! And yeah, I'd bet he'll have to return to New Zealand for reshoots. Peter Jackson approaches Kubrick in his perfectionism.] ;) Confirming he's not interested in endless supervillain roles or Captain America sequels: "EB: Will there be any more superheroes?
HW: No, I don’t think so.
EB: You’ve finished with that?
HW: Yeah."  Hugo during Les Liaisons Dangereuses rehearsals
On his future artistic plans:
" EB: So is there anything else on the horizon that you can tell us about? I guess after this play, what happens for you –
HW: After this – after about five weeks we go Uncle Vanya in New York and there’s a film, hopefully, which will be happening in Australia after that, but it just depends on – it’s a film that’s been floating around for a little while, so whether that happens or not I don’t know. Hopefully.
EB: And maybe a stage work next year?
HW: Yeah, with STC, hopefully something next year; and then at the end of this year Cloud Atlas will come out, so I think there’s a big thing planned for that. I don’t normally sort of get interested in press junkets or anything, but it would just be lovely to go back to Berlin and see everyone and I can’t wait to see that because it’s – who knows what it’s going to be like, but it was a pretty interesting project to work on." [Is the Australian film the oft-delayed Strangerland, or something we don't know about yet? Whichever, it's about time Hugo did another Australian indie. He's often at his best in those films. Not that I won't be lining up for Cloud Atlas the second it opens, mind you. ;) ]
On his off-hours:
"We were up at the farm [in Hunter Valley] about three weeks ago, just before we started this play. Katrina [Greenwood, his partner] and I were up there for about five or six days and just lots of – planted a whole lot of spotted gums, which is good, and put in another – we planted a walnut tree, actually, which is a bit bizarre because it’s not...native, but kind of interesting in that particular spot. And our macadamias are going so well up there, and the fig tree’s going so well, so we thought we may as well put in some other nut trees, so we put a walnut in and a hazelnut tree....[W]e flood up there regularly. It doesn’t affect the house-- [it's] just above the river, but it absolutely – no, we’ve been stuck up there a number of times, not able to get out. The bridge just before our property on the Williams River goes under in a flood – it’s designed to. So we’ve been cut off – I haven’t been able to get back for a couple of things on occasions.
EB: Has that been worrying?
HW: No, it’s great. If you can’t get out, you can’t get out." *** To read Hugo's thoughts on the pros and cons of theatrical acting, more on communing with nature (specifically fish), and what Hugo's been reading/viewing lately, do read the full interview. And click on the image of Hugo atop the transcript on its source page a few times. You will be rewarded. ;) Finally, there's a new review of Les Liaisons Dangereuses at Northside Magazine online, which includes an interesting account of the actors' professionalism during technical difficulties. HOBBIT UPDATE: Elrond does indeed briefly appear in the 10 minutes of preview footage from The Hobbit which Peter Jackson recently screened at CinemaCon (Las Vegas, April 23.) One of Theonering.net's fearless informants was on hand and provides oodles of spoilery details on TORN's website... unlike some early, contentious responses to the material (actually, mostly to the 48 FPS cinematography), these comments are very enthusiastic and heartening, from a fan who obviously knows Tolkien's material inside and out but understands adaptations... well... must adapt novels in translating them to the big screen. ;) |
|
| More Liaisons Photos and Reviews |
[14 Apr 2012|04:39pm] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
 restless |
] |
Thanks to all my friends and readers for their patience as I've dealt with a major computer meltdown here. My machine is now in the shop for diagnostics and (hopefully) repairs, and until I get it back in working order, my online sessions will be somewhat limited and curtailed, as I'm borrowing computers from friends and relatives who don't have my files and software in place.
Fortunately, though, I can still share links and photos, and will do so whenever the opportunity presents itself. Sydney Theatre Company's production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Christopher Hampton continues to draw sellout crowds and new rave reviews. I'll post a selection of the latest bunch below, but first I'll alert you that there's a great slideshow of new and previously seen photos from the play over on Australian Stage Online. All photos (including the pair below) are by Brett Boardman.
Time Out Sydney: ""The play's most extravagant warrior/player is the rake Valmont (Hugo Weaving), who is the sexual equivalent of a guerilla. But the master strategist is his ex-lover Merteuil (Pamela Rabe), who plays her cards very close to her breasts. The young lovers they manipulate like pawns, under the guise of assistance and training, are the novice Cécile (Geraldine Hakewill) and the space cadet Danceny (James Mackay)... The small semi-circular theatre of Wharf 1 helps build intimacy (perhaps even complicity) with the audience; a larger venue would have returned more revenue but at an artistic loss... The twin necessities of translating from page to stage and from French to English proved a fertile mother of invention; Hampton invented a remarkable language with the complex syntax of 18th century French over a contemporary vocabulary from our present age of international English. The text combines the wit of Wilde for its comedy and the bite of Albee for its tragedy. In the mouth of a mediocre actor such long sentences could be confusing and cumbersome; in the deep and perfectly modulated voices of Rabe and Weaving they are a delight to hear and a pleasure to interpret."
 Justine Clarke with Hugo Weaving (in mirror)
ArtsHub: " "With his fabulous cast and excellent creative team, director Sam Strong brings us a magnificent production - fluid, almost conematic - that enthralls, horrifies and has you on the edge of your seat. De Laclos’ book, upon which Hampton’s play is based, was first published in 1782. The play, full of ironic, almost Wildean wit, was written in 1985... Pamela Rabe as the ruthless Marquise is magnificent, thrillingly cruel and powerful, elegant and poised in her silver bobbed hair. As the satyr-like and charming but aging rake, the Vicomte, Hugo Weaving is superb: hypnotic and devilishly desirable, an aristocratic Don Juan.... Only rarely are you able to see such an intricate, multi-layered production featuring such fine acting from the entire ensemble."  Hugo Weaving
PagesDigital: "I’m partial to negative reviews. Purges the body and all that. Unfortunately, Sydney Theatre Company’s Les Liaisans Dangereuses gives me nothing to work with. The play, which was penned by Christopher Hampton in 1984, and is based on the 18th century scratchings of Choderlos de Laclos, is disappointingly brilliant and troublingly good. It is a lavish and engaging exploration of the libertine excess of pre-revolutionary France, performed by an unobligingly incredible cast that includes the likes of Hugo Weaving, Pamela Rabe and Heather Mitchell.... Hugo Weaving has been well cast as the plays philandering, scheming, misogynist Viscomte de Valmont. His performance delivers much of the energy, charm and humour of the production. His accomplice, played by Pamela Rabe, is similarly striking as the caustic and manipulative Marquise de Merteuil.... Hampton’s script is witty, honest and fresh, blending a modern accessible style with 18th century syntax. The stage is similarly well put together with the entirety of the drama unfolding within a single room of the house. This, and the theatre’s limited seating, make for an intimate setting.Les Liaisons Dangereuses will be showing at Sydney Theatre Company’s wharf theatre until 9 June 2012.Get involved." (Wonderfully cheeky, and further proof Australian critics don't just hand out accolades.) ;)
Finally, there's a bit more about Hugo's Best Supporting Actor win at the Film Critics' Circle of Australia Awards at Screen Daily.
|
|
| The Latest Liaisons Reviews and Photos; Hugo Wins Film Critics' Circle Award |
[10 Apr 2012|01:18pm] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
pleased |
] |
Before I haul out the latest Les Liaisons Dangereuses pics, links and excerpts, let me congratulate Hugo Weaving on his latest Best Supporting Actor prize for his role in Oranges and Sunshine, this one from the Film Critics' Circle of Australia. The awards were announced and live-tweeted a few hours ago.
Les Liaisons Dangereuses continues to draw mostly rave reviews, apart from a few cranks from the Daily Telegraph who won't shut up. ;) As I mentioned in the last entry, even other reviewers from the same paper disagree with their Tall Poppy snideness; The Sunday Telegraph praised the play and Hugo's performance lavishly. I linked to the online version of their review in the previous entry, but will include the print review because it includes a new photo of Hugo and Pamela Rabe. The Australian's print review is also included under the cut, so those of you stymied by their subscriber's only restrictions online can finally have a look.
( Liaisons Print Reviews 8-9 April )
 All photos: Brett Boardman
Here's the new photo by itself, for those of you with glitchy browsers. ;)
STC also added this striking new panorama image of the cast to its Facebook page; it's a bit spoilery, but shows off the impressive staging:
The latest online reviews include:
Stage Noise by Diana Simmonds: "...There is no visible blood, but the heedless cruelty and beauty of the Vicomte and Marquise are shocking....Even more shocking is how funny it is. It's partly the rarified and subtle comic skills of Pamela Rabe, who squeezes more out of a raised eyebrow than most can find in a carefully scripted comedy routine; and partly her foil - Hugo Weaving's ennui-sodden libertine is both excruciating and droll....Altogether, this production is a triumph of substance over style; and there's plenty of style too.... The arc of the drama is clearly defined, however, and by the end it is heart-rending to witness the inevitable. Wonderful theatre - a triumph for all, particularly the lucky audiences."
Australian Stage Online: "Hugo Weaving and Pamela Rabe absolutely inhabit their roles. It was a privilege to watch two such charismatic performers ply their craft. The great, destructive love between Valmont and Merteuil is ultimately the driver of the plot, but what is perhaps more important is their friendship, full of witty, clever repartee, and Weaving and Rabe got the balance between the two just right. Justine Clarke provided an excellent counterpoint as the moral Presidente de Tourvel....What results is an incredible piece of theatre from a group of masterful theatremakers. It is suspenseful, sexy, dark, and provocative. Easily one of the best shows of the year to date."
Curtain Call: "...One is constantly in admiration, awe and envious of the sheer excellence, sophistication and biting wit of Hampton’s construction, in which he deploys words and phrases like rapiers and scythes. Weaving and Rabe, particularly, make the very most of it, with accompanying looks and gestures that imbue a further touch of malevolence. They are dressed in modern garb; a good decision, backed eloquently by the artistic directors, in their programme notes, where they’re upfront in saying 'Sam has dispensed with the frills, laces and powdered faces, as much to draw the line straight to today as to allow the play, situation and characters to sing, unencumbered'."
Curiously, given the multiple interviews by the cast and director discussing their interpretive choices, a few critics are getting hung up on the fact that Hugo isn't playing Valmont as a dandified clotheshorse... Hugo has explained in interviews, as has Mark Strong, that this version of Valmont has become so bored with his life and image as a serial seducer that he's no longer bothering to keep up appearances. Thus the "cheap suit and shoes" aren't an oversight or inconsistency, but a deliberate character trait. Diana Simmonds is the one critic who seems to get this: "... Given that nothing on a stage is there by chance, the range and choice of shoes is fascinating. The Marquise's footwear is sumptuous and elegant, Cecile's sensible beige lace-ups signal that they were chosen by her mother and are intended to protect her virginity just as long as possible; Madame de Rosemonde's shoes are as luxe as the Marquise's but, she is an older woman, and she has graduated to comfort and flats. Most curious of all are Valmont's black slip-ons: at first glance they are merely chic and informal, but they're soon revealed as a little the worse for wear, verging on seedy-- rather like Valmont himself."
Audience reviews (on Twitter, Facebook, etc) continue to be ecstatic.
|
|
| More Liaisons Reviews and Images |
[07 Apr 2012|06:40am] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
impressed |
] |
The responses to STC's new production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, starring Hugo Weaving, Pamela Rabe and Justine Clarke, continue to appear; I'll add links and excerpts here as they do, along with the latest photos.
Hugo Weaving and Justine Clark (All photos: Brett Boardman)
Aussietheatre.com loved the production and lavishly praised all of its actors, as well as Sam Strong's direction and reimagining of Christopher Hampton's text:
"Sam Strong’s direction coupled with astonishing performances realizes every intricacy, nuance, intrigue and emotion in Hampton’s brilliant script...Weaving’s performance is like examining layers of tissue paper, torn a little here and there so we see the libertine surprised by his own chiaroscuro, falling in love so late in his career. Rabe, as the tortured marquise is poised, ice cold and indescribably cruel. The air between them crackles with intensity and hidden import....Pitch perfect is the term which comes to mind for the whole cast...It is seldom that one is privileged to watch such a strong but delicate latticework of theatre unfold faultlessly. The danger lies in missing it."
Hugo Weaving and Pamela Rabe
The Sydney Morning Herald's Jason Blake also praised the adaptation; as it turns out, this review text was first posted online in Eight Nights A Week, which I excerpted here yesterday.
The Sunday Telegraph has printed a new review that somewhat makes up for the clueless one in The Daily Telegreph two days ago: "The simplicity of the staging throws the focus on the writing, which is beautiful, witty and incisive...Rabe is sensational as the Marquise - nailing her showy glamour, sharp, dry humour and duplicitous nature...As jealousy hardens her steely resolve, her body language changes, her features freeze and eyes glint dangerously. It's a brilliant performance. She is well matched by Weaving as Valmont, whose emotional journey from calculating rake to surprised lover is subtly but beautifully wrought."
|
|
| Les Liaisons Dangereuses: First Reviews and Pics! |
[06 Apr 2012|04:48am] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
 hyper |
] |
At long last we have some images to go with the tantalizing descriptions of STC's new production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses that the actors and director (and preview audience tweeters) have been teasing us with for a week. ;) The first formal review has been posted at Stage Whispers, featuring four images from the modern yet still lavish, decadent production (all pictures by Brett Boardman) :
Hugo Weaving and Geraldine Hakewell (interesting to compare this with the photo from the 1987 production in the previous Hugonuts post). ;)
Justine Clarke and Hugo Weaving
Hugo Weaving and Pamela Rabe
The set (and cast trying to look innocent) ;)
Stage Whispers was mostly enthusiastic, though they couldn't resist recycling the old predatory feline metaphors prevalent in 1987: "...It has been one of the most keenly anticipated plays of the Sydney year. The STC debut of Griffin Artistic Director Sam Strong with an A list cast. The result lived up to the hype... Hugo Weaving played the rapacious scoundrel Le Vicomte De Valmont. He moved around the stage like a panther stalking his prey. It was a role he played several decades ago, and it has matured on him like a good vintage red wine." More reviews (and, hopefully, images) will be added as they roll in. Audience comments via Twitter and Facebook have been uniformly rapturous. (The one dissent, rather predictably, was from the Daily Telegraph critic, who, IMO, doesn't seem to understand that the dynamic between Merteuil and Valmont IS one of hatred, not of love or lust.)
And I gotta say I'm glad Hugo's gone with the same look in the play's advertising... it really suits him. Um... so to speak. ;)
STC has finally posted some production photos to their blog; some are duplicates of those above, but these two are new (all by Brett Boardman) :
Pamela Rabe and Hugo Weaving
Hugo and Geraldine Hakewell
UPDATE: another rave from Eight Nights a Week: "Written in 1985, Hampton’s adaptation of Choderlos de Laclos’ epistolary novel of 1782 remains a scintillating dissection of two predators and Strong’s sparely elegant production serves it well, privileging the sophistication of its ideas over its capacity to titillate....The careful regulation of tone results in a first half that seems worryingly arid at times, but that avoidance of emotion works to set the audience up for a vivid second act whose energy seems to mirror Valmont’s brief flowering as a man in love....Unrecognisable for a moment under her feathery silver bob, Rabe plays Merteuil as a fearless and calculating player....By contrast, Weaving’s rakishly over-the-hill Valmont is a consummate portrayal of a shapeshifting seducer who callously wrecks the lives of the 15-year-old convent girl Cecile (Geraldine Hakewill, excellent in the role) and Mme. de Tourvel (a heart-rending Justine Clarke), whose faith in God and humanity Valmont is compelled to destroy."
|
|
| Liaisons Then & Now, Vanya Tickets on Sale |
[03 Apr 2012|02:33am] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
good |
] |
After a drought of Hugo Weaving interviews that lasted many months, we're suddenly seeing a new one every other day or so. ;) Today sees the fourth new interview in the past week. Technically, this seems to be another excerpt from Hugo's conversation with Elissa Blake, the bulk of which was published in the Sun-Herald and Sydney Morning Herald a week ago.
This part of the interview finds Hugo musing on the different styles and approaches of the two versions of Les Liaisons Dangereuses that he's acted in. The first production, at Sydney's Nimrod Theatre in 1987, was a traditional costume piece with overt melodramatics. Hugo hints that the new version-- currently in previews-- takes a more modulated approach. We're still not allowed any glimpses of the new production, though that will surely change after the formal premiere on Thursday. Early, informal fan reviews are highly enthusiastic. But the new production has provided various websites with pictures of the 1987 production to open their vaults, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to see this glimpse of one of Hugo's early iconic stage performances. (I am, however, a bit relieved they're not going the whole powdered-wig route this time around.) ;)
 Hugo Weaving and Angela Punch-McGregor in Nimrod's 1987 production. (SMH)
 1987 SMH photo from director Richard Cottrell's website; he also quotes their review of the Nimrod production: "This is a triumph, the best production we have seen this year, as compelling as grand masters' chess as its forms of power play unfold, combine, retreat, rally and re-form. Hugo Weaving gives the best performance of his always-promising career. Here is command, relish and panache, all combining to show us intellect unbridled by scruple, going into action with the deadly precision of a tiger. It is thrilling acting. First rate."
As seems to be the pattern, there were slightly different pictures in the online and print versions of the new article.
( Print Version Below )
Today was also the first day tickets for the New York production of STC's Uncle Vanya, starring Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving and Richard Roxburgh, went on sale to the general public. You can still buy your own at Lincoln Center's website (good seats are available for most nights), but act fast!
I am working on something special for Hugo Weaving's birthday tomorrow... I hope I can finish on time. If not, I hope you all celebrate in your own special ways.... Hugo will probably just focus on working, as he has a performance that night. ;) I would like to correct him on two minor points he made in the SMH interview, though: 1. Hugo is not "too old" to play Valmont, nor is he "over the hill". He would certainly have a large, willing pool of applicants if he suddenly decided to mimic Valmont's...um... exploits. (I know he wouldn't, and I've always respected him for that... I merely speak hypothetically.) ;) 2. I can't vouch for the success of "falling on one's knees" , but kissing a lady's hand on the first date still works. Just ask my boyfriend of five years. ;)
|
|
| Les Liaisons Dangereuses Preview; New Cast Photos |
[31 Mar 2012|05:58am] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
 giddy |
] |
There's another wonderful new preview of Sydney Theatre Company's Les Liaisons Dangereuses in today's Sydney Morning Herald Spectrum; fortunately the text was posted online too. As seems to be typical lately, both versions feature different images from the same photo session, so I'm featuring both here. Click on the link for the SMH Online version; here's the pic they included:
 Photo: James Brickwood, SMH
And here is the full printed version, under the cut due to image sizes:
( Spectrum article )
Hugo's modesty when asked if he wants the STC gig is particularly charming. ;) I also have posted a slightly enlarged version of the second group portrait here. If anyone knows where to find higher resolution version of these, I'd love to know. It's frustrating that some of the best recent photos can only been seen in newsprint or low-res digital scans based on it. But they're still amazing photos. :)
Also for your viewing pleasure: this alternate pose from the Entertainment Weekly LOTR Cast Reunion in 2010 has been making the rounds online; the magazine version is here. This photo has been posted uncredited all over the place; I'll assume Hugh Stewart, credited in EW, took both.
Hugo Weaving, Miranda Otto, Cate Blanchett and Ian McKellen, Sydney 2010
|
|
| Les Liaisons Dangereuses Updates |
[25 Mar 2012|11:06pm] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
bouncy |
] |
Sydney Theatre Company's blog has posted an AMAZING retrospective of Hugo's past performances on their stages over the past thirty years, including a majority of rare images from their archives that I'd never seen before. Fans should rush over there without further ado, though I'll post a selection of my favorites under the cut.
( Classic Hugo Weaving stage performances )
Even better, they added a delightful new image of Hugo at rehearsals for Les Liaisons Dangereuses.
 (Photo: Grant Sparkes-Carroll)
UPDATE: STC just held their pre-season briefing for Liaisons yesterday. Hugo Weaving was in attendance with the rest of the cast and crew. A somewhat blurry photo was taken and posted to STC's Twitter feed, along with choice tidbits. Hugo was quoted as saying he was "far too young" to attempt the role on his first go-round in 1987. If more details turn up, I'll share them as soon as I can.
|
|
| New Interviews Promoting Les Liaisons Dangereuses |
[24 Mar 2012|05:08pm] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
cheerful |
] |
As promised, here are the first pair of interviews promoting Sydney Theatre Company's new productio of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, which opens in just a few days on March 31. The first is a Pamela Rabe interview from The Daily Telegraph featuring a pic of Rabe and Hugo Weaving in rehearsals, the second the first new Hugo Weaving interview in months (!) and well worth the wait. Hugo mostly focuses on the play, but also throws in a few tidbits about Cloud Atlas, The Hobbit and Uncle Vanya (which he'll be tackling again in New York in a few months-- which is not as metaphoric as it sounds, given some of his comments.) ;) The photo accompanying the piece is actually from 2010, but it's still a good one. Both article scans are below the cut for those with glitchy browsers. Like me. ;)
( Les Liaisons Dangereuses Interviews, Australian Press )
I'll add new interviews, promotion and other info about the play as it becomes available. I'm already envying anyone lucky enough to have tickets. ;)
UPDATE: Elissa Blake's interview with Hugo Weaving has now been posted in the online version of the Sydney Morning Herald; text and photo are the same as above, but this will expand its readership exponentially.
|
|
| Uncle Vanya New York Tix Now On Sale To Lincoln Center Members |
[22 Mar 2012|11:38am] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
ecstatic |
] |
I promised everyone a heads up once more info became available on the Lincoln Center Festival run for STC's Uncle Vanya... Lincoln Center posted the full schedule of dates and has now (as of 10am this morning) made single tickets for all festival events available to members. This means you'll have to fork over $75 in addition to the ticket cost, which can range up to $200 for front Orchestra. Yes, I know that's steep. If it's any comfort, I promise it's worth it if you're lucky enough to go. Tickets will be available to the general public on April 2. There are only 10 performances in total, running July 19-28. The full cast of the Sydney and Washington DC productions will be reprising their roles, including Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Richard Roxburgh, Hayley McElhinney, John Bell, Jacki Weaver, Anthony Phelan, Sandy Gore and Andrew Tighe. (Yes, I remembered that from memory... they're all just that great.) ;) You can read more at Variety and Theater Mania. Here's Lincoln's Center's festival annoucement video, featuring a glimpse of Weaving and McElhinney tussling it out as Astrov and Sonya.
Meanwhile, Hugo Weaving will be acting in a very different theatrical production, STC's Les Liaisons Dangereuses, opposite Pamela Rabe, later this week. I've heard at least one new interview is in the pipeline, which I'll make available here as soon as it's published. Meanwhile Sydney Theatre Company's blog has posted some behind the scenes info on the costumes and sets, featuring intriguing glimpses of the working designs and staging, though no photos of the cast yet. We should be hearing more soon, but it already sounds deliciously intriguing.
|
|
| Uncle Vanya in New York, US Oranges and Sunshine DVD, Hobbit Video #6 |
[11 Mar 2012|07:44pm] |
|
A few new items to share while we await news of Hugo's current project, STC's new production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses (it opens March 31.)
First up, Lincoln Center has announced the full schedule of performances for Hugo's other big theatrical engagement of the year, Sydney Theatre Company's Uncle Vanya, which will be performed as part of New York's Lincoln Center Festival this July 19-28. (The production won raves and a slew of awards and nominations during its previous runs in Sydney and Washington DC). So far, only expensive three-play subscription ticket sets are available... even these are selling quickly. No word on specifically when single tickets for Vanya go on sale, though the full Lincoln Center Festival schedule will be announced March 22. There will be only ten performances of Uncle Vanya this time, in contrast to the much longer slate in Australia and DC, so seats may be hard to come by. I'll post updates as they become available. You can also keep tabs on Facebook. As tends to be the case with these high-demand, limited theatrical runs, subscribers and members get a priority ticketing period. One early bonus at the Lincoln Center website is an additional publicity photo I hadn't seen before, from Lisa Tomasetti's wonderful series on the Sydney production:
Hugo Weaving with Andrew Tighe, Sydney 2010 photo: Lisa Tomasetti
Next, Cohen Media will finally release the US (Region 1) DVD and Blu_ray of Hugo's film Oranges and Sunshine (costarring Emily Watson and David Wenham) on June 26. More details at New Video Group. Bonus features are promised, but no specifics given; I assume they're the same as or similar to those on last year's UK and Australian editions. The cover art shown at New Video is identical to that used in the UK... I was hoping they'd go with the lovely US promotional poster (see below). But this is more than welcome news. Oranges and Sunshine features some of Hugo's most heartfelt work (which won him this year's AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actor) and was criminally short-changed in its meager US theatrical release last fall.
Finally, in case anyone on the planet missed it, here's the most recent (#6) in Peter Jackson's production videos from the set of The Hobbit. ;) No trace of Hugo (or Elrond) this time around, but some marvelous glimpses of the New Zealand location shooting, and interviews with cast members including Andy Serkis and Sir Ian McKellen.
|
|
| Updates on Uncle Vanya, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Voiceless |
[29 Feb 2012|06:03pm] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
 contemplative |
] |
There hasn't been a lot of breaking news about Hugo Weaving lately; he took an extended break after filming wrapped on Cloud Atlas (in December) and he's now about a week into rehearsals for Sydney Theatre Company's new production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, which costars Pamela Rabe, Justine Clarke and Heather Mitchell. (All of whom have played opposite Hugo in film or onstage before, coincidentally.)
Not many new details about STC's new twist on the old favorite have been released, but the best source for breaking news will probably be STC's Blog; they've already posted reports on the play's director, Sam Strong, on the music, and an overview of the Pierre Choderlos de Laclos novel and Christopher Hampton play, and the many film and stage adaptations of both over the years. By all accounts the new production will eschew the ornate period costume drama trappings of past versions to focus more intimately on the characters and their various schemes. There was recently an interview with playwright Christopher Hampton in The Australian. It's not readily available online unless you're a subscriber, but you can read a scan of the print version here: Page 1, Page 2. Alas, no cast interviews or production stills yet, apart from the delicious promo photos of Weaving and Rabe such as the one below. That should change as the play's opening date (March 31) approaches, so watch this space for updates.
Photo by James Green; STC
Hugo's previous dramatic role, as the seductive Astrov in Chekhov's Uncle Vanya, is also still getting a lot of positive attention. The STC's adaptation of the play, which had runs in Sydney in 2010 and Washington DC in 2011 has been nominated for several Helen Hayes Awards for the latter. The Hayes Awards celebrate theatrical productions in the metro-Washington DC area; Vanya was nominated in several categories for "Non-resident productions", including Best Actor for Richard Roxburgh, Best Actress for Cate Blanchett, and the gender-neutral "Best Supporting Performer" category for Hugo Weaving and Hayley McElhinney. All are well-deserving, though I would argue only Roxburgh is a lead performer in the production; McElhinney and Blanchett have about equal stage time, and their characters are of equal importance. In fact it's truly an ensemble piece which depends on excellence from the entire cast for its dramatic fireworks to combust properly. Some critics are sniping that Blanchett probably won't attend the ceremony, but that's petty of them. The awards should go to the best work, no matter how famous or obscure the actor. ;) I personally thought this was one of the best theatrical experiences of my life, and I don't say that lightly. You can read more about the Helen Hayes Awards in The Ausralian, The Daily Telegraph, DCist, The Washington Post, theatrewashington.org and TheaterMania. The Australian reports confirm the welcome news that the entire cast of the Sydney and Washington engagements will reteam for the play's New York/Lincoln Center run this coming July 19 -28. I'll post more information about that run and ticket sales as it becomes available. (Lincoln Center has said they'll announce the Lincoln Center Festival info sometime "in early spring.") The Helen Hayes Awards wil be announced on April 23.
Hugo Weaving with Hayley McElhinney in the Washington DC production; photo: Amanda Voisard, Washington Post
Finally, I wanted to post Hugo's recent PSA for the animal welfare organization Voiceless again, in case anyone missed it...
The TV spots featuring Hugo and fellow Voiceless ambassador Abbie Cornish have made quite a splash in Australia. For further details, read The Sydney Morning Herald, Mumbrella, National Rural News, Tambourine Mountain Daily Star, B&T, Australian Animals Unleashed and of course Voiceless's web page.
|
|
| Hugo Weaving Surfaces In New Voiceless Campaign Against Factory Farming |
[18 Feb 2012|11:03am] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
happy |
] |
We haven't heard much from Hugo since Cloud Atlas wrapped initial photography back in December; he was unable to attend the AACTA Awards last month for undisclosed reasons, though he won the Best Supporting Actor prize for Oranges and Sunshine. Hugo has remained in Sydney by most accounts, and will probably begin rehearsals for STC's Les Liaisons Dangereuses soon, if he hasn't already. (The first performance is on March 30.)
But this week Hugo resurfaced briefly, appearing in the latest series of Australian TV ads for the animal welfare charity Voiceless (voiceless.org.au) advocating against factory farming. (Abbie Cornish appears in another.) I'll embed the clip below, with the caveat that some content is meant to be disturbing. The Cloud Atlas shoot prevented Hugo from attending the Voiceless Grant Awards last year as he usually does; I'm glad he's still working with them.
Speaking of Cloud Atlas, Hugh Grant told Empire a few tidbits about his characters in the film; he, like Hugo, is playing six roles, all against type as "incredibly evil" characters. (Grant's comments lead one to believe he'll play a member of the savage Kona tribe in the postapocalyptic tale "Sloosha's Crossin' an' Everythin' After", and possibly the venal Boerhaave character in "The Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing".) So it's good to know Hugo hasn't simply been handed all of the baddie roles this time; two in one film is enough. ;)
|
|
| Hugo Wins AACTA Award For Oranges and Sunshine |
[31 Jan 2012|06:30am] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
jubilant |
] |
This is breaking news, so I'll continue updating as any further reports or pics come in, but Hugo Weaving has won his fourth AFI/AACTA Award, for Best Supporting Actor, for his heart-wrenching performance in Oranges and Sunshine. No word yet on whether Hugo attended the ceremony; he hasn't appeared in any Red Carpet pics from the event, but might have simply avoided the public entrance. (He's always said that element of the business made him uncomfortable, but he's collected each of his prior AFI Awards-- For Proof, The Interview and Little Fish-- in person. He has been in Sydney in recent weeks, but I don't know if he's there at the moment.) More news at The Sydney Morning Herald... and if you're a fan of Geoffrey Rush, Cate Blanchett, Richard Roxburgh, David Wenham or Jacki Weaver, they were all in attendance and well represented in early photographs.
In Lieu of any new pics of Hugo, I'll post a few old ones; the Daily Telegraph and AACTA websites both posted galleries of past winners, and included some great shots of Hugo at past ceremonies:
Hugo, Russell Crowe, Jocelyn Moorhouse and Lynda House celebrate Proof's multiple AFIs in 1991
 Hugo walk the red carpet in 1998
 ... and wins Best Actor for the Interview
 Hugo attends the 2005 AFI Awards...
 ...he won for Little Fish that year
Congrats to Hugo on a well-earned accolade... and fans who haven't yet seen Oranges and Sunshine should do so at their earliest opportunity. It demonstrates once and for all that there's much more to this magnificent actor than his genre baddie roles. :)
More updates as they become available...
UPDATE: According to multiple reports via Twitter, Hugo was apparently not in attendence to collect his AACTA. The edited telecast didn't even show his award being presented... I'm certain if Hugo had been there, they wouldn't have edited it out. No explanations have been given, but those ignoramuses who suggest Hugo "doesn't respect" the award should look at the above photos and shut up, already. ;)
|
|
|
[28 Jan 2012|11:38pm] |
|
|
|
[03 Jan 2012|01:00am] |
Excellente année à Hugo et pour tous !!!
Great year to Hugo and for all !!! :-)
|
|
| Cloud Atlas Wraps Production, Hobbit Location Filming, New Hugo Scans |
[24 Dec 2011|06:29pm] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
bouncy |
] |
Here's my Odds and Ends Christmas Entry... though we don't have any new news about or photos of Hugo Weaving specifically, some important items about his two big 2012 films have come out in recent days, so I'll share those without further ado.
First, Cloud Atlas recently wrapped primary photography at Babelsberg studios in Berlin, so the cast have presumably dispersed to their homes around the world for the holidays. Though no stills or behind the scenes pics of the actors have emerged recently, the filmmakers did share this group photo of the directors (including the elusive Wachowskis) and producers with a tantalizing array of props symbolizing each of the story's six sequences. I won't divulge their significance here, as many readers haven't read the novel, but you can learn more at Empire Online, Collider, IndieWire and BoomTron. The photo was originally posted at Empire, but has since made its way to pretty much every other movie blog. ;)
Pictured are (far back) executive producer Uwe Schott, novelist David Mitchell executive producer Philip Lee. Front row: producer Stefan Arndt, director/writers Tom Tykwer, Lana Wachowski and Andy Wachowski and producer Grant Hill.
Will Hugo be using any of these props? Too soon to tell, though if the film follows the novel closely, he'll be consigning one of them into a large body of water. ;) Somehow I doubt he'll be playing Papa Song, though, if the balloon likenesses are a match.
Next up: Peter Jackson's released another lovely Production Video (#5 to be precise) just in time for the holidays, with the promise of another to follow early next year. Since this segment is primarily about location filming, there are no glimpses of Hugo or of Cate Blanchett, as their scenes were completed on a sound stage earlier this year. (Some day it'd be nice to see Elrond someplace other than Rivendell, wouldn't it... I guess that'll have to wait for an adaptation of The Silmarillion.) ;) But I defy you not to get misty at Elijah Wood's set tour of the new Hobbiton. Wood recently got a bit testy with the British chat show host Graham Norton when the latter blithely suggested Hobbiton "isn't real"; this clip will give you some insight into Wood's deep feelings about the issue if you don't already share them. I'll also embed the trailer in case anyone's been in a deep coma for the past week and missed it. ;) I think both are sublime, and reassure me that the film(s) will be very much worth the long wait
Finally, I have a batch of new Hugo-related scans posted to my Flickr Archive, including the full press kit for Proof's 1992 North American release-- including a lot of photos-- an Oranges and Sunshine preview from FilmInk (featuring extensive comments from Hugo, including his mother's reaction to some of his work) ;), and a vintage 1988 preview of The Dirtwater Dynasty featuring photos and a funny little blurb about Barlow & Chambers (aka Dadah is Death, aka A Long Way From Home.)
Proof Press Kit Photo 1
Photo 1 closeup
Photo 2
Photo 2 closeup
Photo 3
Photo 3 closeup
Color Slide 1
Color Slide 2
Color Slide 3
Color Slide 4
Proof Press Kit Cover, Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8
Dirtwater Dynasty Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4
Oranges and Sunshine Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Review
Oh! And here's a new article from the Adelaide Advertiser about next month's AACTA Awards. This critic likes Hugo's chances. ;)
The vet waiting room scene in Proof (1991), from the film's press kit
Happy Holidays everyone! Next year should be particularly exciting for Hugo fans.
|
|
| Here it is: The first Hobbit trailer! |
[20 Dec 2011|10:07pm] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
hyper |
] |
Courtesy comingsoon.net. they also had a copy of the film's first poster:
Already they're trying to help us keep the dwarves straight... and very effectively stoking our LOTR nostalgia. ;) I can't believe anyone would find fault with it really... apart from the Elrond shortage, (though we see glimpses of Rivendell and Galadriel (Cate Blanchett). ;) Also, anyone fretting that Peter Jackson would exise Tolkien's songs from his adaptation should be greatly reassured.
|
|
| STC'S Uncle Vanya To Play in NYC July 2012, Mr McGee |
[18 Dec 2011|04:17pm] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
jubilant |
] |
This breaking news was just posted to the New York Times Arts Blog about an hour ago, so details are spare as yet, but this is major, so I'll repost the whole thing as written:
"December 18, 2011, 2:44 pm
A New York Stop for Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving and Uncle Vanya
By James C. McKinley Jr New Yorkers will have a chance to see the Sydney Theater Company’s celebrated production of Uncle with Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving next summer. The production, which received rave reviews when it appeared last August at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, will be presented at City Center from July 19 through July 28 as part of the Lincoln Center Festival, a festival spokeswoman, Eileen McMahon, said. Ms. Blanchett plays Yelena, and Mr. Weaving plays Astrov in the farcical-yet-heartbreaking production, which was staged by the Hungarian director Tamas Ascher. Ms. Blanchett’s husband, Andrew Upton, provided the actors a new English translation of Chekov’s in 1897 play in Russian."
Fans in the New york vicinity will probably want to bookmark Lincoln Center's web page right now, though details about next year's Festival haven't yet been added to the site. (It will be formally announced in January, and you can sign up for email updates now.) This is only a ten day run, so tickets might be even harder to come by (and more expensive) than they were in Washington DC. But if you didn't see the production there or in Sydney-- I highly recommend it. It's one of the most transcendent theatrical experiences I've ever had, and Hugo shows much more much more humanity, dimension and (yes) sex appeal as Astrov than any of his high-profile American roles have permitted. The blurb above doesn't specify whether the rest of the excellent cast (including Richard Roxburgh, Jacki Weaver and Hayley McElhinney) will be back too. The Twittersphere is already lit up with the news.. the one down side will be that it probably means US residents won't be able to see a US reprise of Hugo playing the Vicomte du Valmont in Les Liaisons Dangereuses, which he'll star in back home in Sydney next April. So Hugo seems to be refocusing on theatre next year, though he'll also have two rather prominent films opening fall/winter too. ;)
The Sydney premiere of Uncle Vanya, 12 November 2010; Cast are (left to right): Andrew Tighe, Anthony Phelan, John Bell, Sandy Gore, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Jacki Weaver, Richard Roxburgh and Hayley McElhinney. Photo by Caroline McCredie/Getty Images
No updates on where specifically the new Hobbit Trailer will stream online tomorrow, though we were told to expect a 15-minute presentation tomorrow at 10pm EST and Dec 21 at 9am EST. (I suspect the trailer itself will be readily available online after that.) Even TORN (TheOneRing .net) has no specifics, but I'd keep checking their site... they seem to be ahead of the curve on all things Hobbit. ;)
Finally, the trailer for Hugo's most recent narration project, The Adventures of Mr McGee, has resurfaced on YouTube after appearing and as quickly disappearing earlier this year. One member of the creative team behind the project posted some behind the scenes details to his site, The Optimistic Painting Blog, earlier today. The trailer is embedded below; to see it in high def, go here. This remains a "test" trailer, so there is no series to follow as of yet.
|
|
| Oranges and Sunshine US Release, Happy Feet Two, Year-End Accolades |
[16 Dec 2011|05:30pm] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
happy |
] |
First off, sorry this entry has been delayed for so long. In addition to prolonged power failures, health issues and work issues, this is generally a chaotic time of year. ;) There hasn't been any breaking news on Hugo, or his current project Cloud Atlas, for some time. (Hugo was still in Berlin as recently as December 9; I have no idea whether or not production will continue through Christmas.) No new casting confirmations have been announced, but Halle Berry did give the New York Times some broad hints about the range of her characters.
But I have promised a compilation of Oranges and Sunshine material from the recent, all-too-brief US theatrical release for some time, and I need to deliver on that. ;) Unfortunately, Cohen Media never opened the film beyond its announced list of about twenty US locations and did very little to publicize it. Emily Watson did a handful of interviews for the US media, but most of these were only posted online, and didn't attract the attention they deserved. Nonetheless I have saved all of the US coverage and reviews, and I'll share a selection here.
US Reviews: The Village Voice, The New York Times, Cinespect, Time Out New York, New York Observer, Living in Cinema, Whistleblower, Bloomberg News, Christian Science Monitor, Working Author, Tonight At The Movies, YouSayToo, Glendale News Press, RamaScreen, Paste, San Francisco Weekly, San Francisco Chronicle, TwinCities.com, Dallas-Fort Worth Entertainment, BerkeleySide, Boston Herald, Roger Ebert
Emily Watson interviews: Looseleaf Report, Collider.com, Working Author, Celebs.com, MovieWeb (includes Jim Loach)
Jim Loach interviews: ShockYa
Margaret Humphries interviews: Social Workers Speak, LA Times, ShockYa, Tonight At The Movies (includes Jim Loach),
Coverage of O & S's Hamptons Film Festival premiere: Showbiz 411, Huffington Post
Unfortunately, the US DVD release date has not yet been announced, though I'd guess it will probably happen early next year. This is the sort of film that could have a fulfilling second life on DVD, since many of the fans eager to see the theatrical release never got to. The British and Australian DVDs have been available for several months now and have similar bonus features. The Aussie DVD features Hugo more prominently on the cover art, but the UK DVD is much less expensive-- I ordered a new copy from Amazon UK for only $12 including shipping to the US.
I've compiled a selection of trailers, interviews and other video publicity for Oranges and Sunshine here; this includes clips of Hugo and David Wenham at the film's Australian premiere in June as well as the worldwide promotion done by director Jim Loach, author/social worker Margaret Humphries and lead actress Emily Watson.
Hugo Weaving and Emily Watson in Oranges and Sunshine
Fortunately the film's been more properly appreciated in its overseas release (particularly in Australia, where it was one of the biggest home-grown hits of the year.) While Oscar nominations for any of the cast are highly unlikely at this point, Hugo, Emily Watson and David Wenham have been nominated for awards in less glitzy (but also less political and publicity/fame-driven) venues. Hugo, David Wenham and Emily Watson were nominated for Best Supporting Actor, Best Actor and Best Actress respectively by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (the AACTAs, formerly the AFIs), and the film itself was nominated for Best Picture and several other awards. (Read more in the Hollywood Reporter and Encore Magazine). Hugo was nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Emily Watson for Best Actress at the international, much more crowded Satellite Awards as well. The Satellite Awards will be handed out on December 18, the AACTAs on January 30. Hugo probably stands a better chance of winning the latter, as the film made its strongest impression in Australia. (Also, Hugo won't have to compete with Christopher Plummer there.) ;)
Happy Feet Two performed more modestly at the box office than its Oscar-winning predecessor did, and received a more mixed critical reception as well. I saw the film in 3D and wasn't sure where the hostility was coming from.... the plot is a mess, but so was that of the original Happy Feet. ;) I would guess people who enjoyed the first will enjoy this one. The animation in particular is gorgeous, much better than that in some of the year's more vaunted animated sequels featuring pandas and cars. If you're only going because Hugo's among the voice cast, you might be disappointed-- he has maybe ten lines. Noah the Elder remains a crochety, feisty old geezer but is no longer Mumble's enemy, so he's not as central to the plot. (Characters played by Sofia Vergara, Anthony LaPaglia, Common and Pink are also in the film much less than you'd think given the advertising.) Noah's big moment involves a showdown with some villainous and incontinent skuas. ;) (You can read my full review at my personal LJ). I did enjoy Hugo's voice work, and the fact that Noah was able to reform without much change to his essential personality. But your reaction to the film will probably be based more on how you like the rest of it-- the chaotic plot (it's basically two different films coexisting), the characters, etc.
 "Damn skuas!" ;)
The most interesting reviews are as follows (these are both positive reviews and mixed ones that make interesting points):
Roger Ebert, Filmonic, Boston.com, Prizm, Entertainment Weekly, Toronto Globe and Mail, Knoxville.com, Salinas Californian, DNA, Free Press Journal, KoiMoi, Comingsoon.net, Perth Community News, Galveston Daily News, At the Movies (Australia), The Reading Eagle, The Manicunean
There's also an extended interview with director George Miller in Animation Magazine. Hugo didn't do any publicity for Happy Feet Two; he rarely does promotional work for voice roles and has been busy in Berlin in recent months. ;) Curiously, no footage of him from character voicing sessions has emerged either (as did during promotion for the first film), just the photograph I shared in an earlier entry. There's an extravaganza of footage of other actors, though, as well as most of the film's trailers and teasers, and Trailer Addict.
Finally, Sydney Theatre Company's Uncle Vanya, which had a sold-out run at The Kennedy Center in August, is popping up on year-end Best Of lists in the Theater category, including those of Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, which placed the very top of its list. Anticipation is already high for Hugo Weaving's next theatrical role for the STC, that of the Vicomte du Valmont in Christopher Hampton's Les Liaisons Dangereuses. The production debuts next 30 March. Here's the latest publicity photo:
Pamela Rabe and Hugo Weaving, from STC's promotional email
The Hobbit's first promotional trailer will be debuting any minute now (you can read a breathless description of its contents at the ever-reliable TheOneRing.Net.) Once it's online, I'll repost it here. Unfortunately, Elrond isn't prominently featured. ;) You can also read a lengthier new synopsis at many sites, including Flickering Myth, and an interesting article about the development of the Gollum character at MovieWeb. Next year at this time, we'll finally get to see what the whole thing looks like. ;)
HOBBIT BREAKING NEWS: Warner Bros has announced that "The 15-minute satellite feed for “The Hobbit” trailer will stream on Dec. 20 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, then again Dec. 21 at 9 a.m. ET/PT." No specifics on whether this means they're actually screening 15 minutes of footage or not... most early descriptions of the trailer clock it at only about a minute and a half. The trailer will also screen in theaters before showings of Peter Jackson's new animated collaboration with Stephen Spielberg, The Adventures of Tintin, which opens 21 December in most US cities. For more info, and a new pic of Martin Freeman as Bilbo (possibly on the Rivendell set, definitely with Dwarves in the background) see The Examiner, USA Today or HeyUGuys,co.uk .
|
|
| navigation |
| [ |
viewing |
| |
most recent entries |
] |
| [ |
go |
| |
earlier |
] |
|
|
|
|
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif?v=92.1){kind=small}
hugonuts
