'Thor' director Kenneth Branagh in talks to direct 'Cinderella' Mark Romanek recently exited the fairy tale film starring Cate Blanchett BY HITFIX STAFF THURSDAY, JAN 31, 2013 4:18 PM (HIT FIX)

"Thor" director Kenneth Branagh may help "Cinderella" live happily ever after at Disney.

Just three weeks after original director Mark Romanek ("Never Let Me Go") exited the project, Disney is reportedly in talks with Branagh to come aboard the fairy tale film.

It's scheduled to begin production this fall in London, and the studio is understandably in a hurry to ink a deal with Branagh, according to Vulture.

Cate Blanchett is still attached to play the wicked stepmother, although the search for Cinderella herself is still on. The film has been in the works since 2011, following the massive success of Tim Burton’s "Alice in Wonderland."  The initial script was by Aline Brosh McKenna ("Devil Wears Prada"), but Vulute reports that "Twilight: New Moon" director Chris Weitz has since re-written it.


Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/news/thor-director-kenneth-branagh-in-talks-to-direct-cinderella#RQEBWFKUOacKAuJZ.99 

Set Visit Preview: Kenneth Branagh and Chris Pine are rebooting 'Jack Ryan' KEVIN COSTNER NOTES WHY PINE IS PERFECT FOR THE TOM CLANCY HERO By Daniel Fienberg MONDAY, JAN 7, 2013 12:03 PM (HIT FIX)

LONDON - If franchise rebooting were hip-hop, Jack Ryan would be the Sugar Hill Gang -- maybe not the first on the block, but certainly far enough ahead of the curve to look cool.

Tom Clancy's dogged CIA analyst, whose rise in the literary series would take him all the way to the White House, was played by a svelte Alec Baldwin in "Hunt For Red October," became Harrison Ford for a couple '90s hits and then was embodied by Ben Affleck in "Sum of All Fears."

It's early October in London and Jack Ryan is being rebirthed for a new generation under the careful watch of director Kenneth Branagh and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, as well as producer Mace Neufeld, who has had a hand in each of the franchise's previous incarnations.

The first of his adventures not to be based on a Clancy novel, this origin story is simply titled "Jack Ryan" and, on the film's set, those the producers tease a plot that they mostly promise will be contemporary.

"Our world right now faces incredible economic uncertainty," hints di Bonaventura. "The notion of what is a superpower has evolved and who actually can carry what muscle and what is America's role in the world and a terrorism and all those things exist in this movie. It feels incredibly contemporary, particularly the economic aspect of it and the sense that a lot of the larger kinda 'earthquake' moves that precipitate this movie have to do with the fact of what is the economic order and who's trying to take control over it. So it's not a movie about economics, but the effect of what is going on in the world is very, very driven and very, very clear in this movie, the relationship with that."

Adds David Barron, "It's a very real central premise to the story and it's something that, when you do get to know what that central premise is, if you think back there was something in the news quite recently where two international superpowers were... somebody contemplated the very thing that's happening in our story... It's very real, very contemporary and a lot of fun."

All of the producers credit Branagh's involvement, hot off of "Thor," with kick-starting the long-gestating project, while he, in turn, tips his hat to a script so juicy it even made him want to take a key supporting role.

Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/the-fien-print/set-visit-preview-kenneth-branagh-and-chris-pine-are-rebooting-jack-ryan#Dj9Gk7Axwkbut04G.99 

Kenneth Branagh recalls the opening ceremony of London 2012 27 July: the actor relives working with Danny Boyle to help create the dazzling opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics (GUARDIAN)

"I have never learned a part more thoroughly": Kenneth Branagh performs at the opening ceremony. Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters

I was in Liverpool on a location scout for the film Jack Ryan when I got the call. Danny Boyle rang me and explained that they'd had a great tragedy – Mark Rylance's daughter had passed away and he was pulling out of his role in the opening ceremony. He asked if I would take over. I was standing on a street corner and I was so shocked at Mark's news that I didn't really take in the second part.

A couple of days later I went to see Danny at the Olympic Stadium. It was three weeks before the ceremony and the place was packed with thousands of people all doing things impressively. Danny seemed to know everybody's first name – it was like taking a walk with the Pied Piper. We climbed on to the hill that I'd eventually be doing my piece from. It was quite a lot to take in. Danny said, "You'll be here in the person of Isambard Kingdom Brunel performing Shakespeare to the accompaniment of Elgar," and I said, "God, that's a lot of Great Britons all at once." I asked him where the prompter or autocue would be and he said, "Oh, no we won't have one of those." I have never learned a part more thoroughly in my entire professional career. The notion of screwing up in front of a billion people concentrated the mind very strongly.

On the opening night the energy was incredible and hard to resist. There was a temporary structure built as our dressing rooms and all the children involved were on the top floor. They were so wild with excitement the building was shaking. I remember being in my dressing room with the Arctic Monkeys rehearsing "Come Together" for the 5,000th time next door, and on the other side of the partition, Rowan Atkinson and Simon Rattle were discussing, in minute detail, how to be funny in two minutes and 11 seconds. Across the way Danny Boyle was talking JK Rowling off the ledge because it was her first time performing in public. As for me, I was just trying to keep my head straight and going through my lines: "Be not afeard. The isle is full of noises…"


READ MORE: http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2012/dec/23/kenneth-branagh-danny-boyle-olympics

Tom Hiddleston Wanted to Direct "Thor" Sequel Posted: December 25th, 2012 by WorstPreviews.com Staff (WORST PREVIEWS)

Now that Tom Hiddleston is becoming a household name, he is getting interested in getting behind the camera. In fact, he approached Marvel head Kevin Feige about directing the upcoming "Thor" sequel.

The actor recently sat down with Empire magazine and was asked whether he has any interest in directing. "Yes, I do," he replied. "I did ask, half-jokingly, Kevin Feige about directing 'Thor 2' and he said, 'Do you have something to show me?' I said 'no.' He said, 'If you made something and showed me, I might consider it.' But it's better for the world that he said no. It would be such a responsibility, but I think I'd enjoy it."

The job eventually went to Alan Taylor ("Game of Thrones") and is now set to hit theaters on November 8th, 2013.

Source: Empire

Read more: http://www.worstpreviews.com/headline.php?id=27020&count=0#ixzz2G6yTN8if