Knowing

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 25 Passes to ‘Adam’ in Chicago With Rose Byrne, Hugh Dancy

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:52:56 -0600

CHICAGO – In our latest edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 25 admit-two run-of-engagement passes up for grabs to the new film “Adam” in Chicago.

“Adam” stars Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Peter Gallagher, Amy Irving, John Rothman, Terry Walters, Susan Porro, Maddie Corman and Jeff Hiller from writer and director Max Mayer. To win your free pass to “Adam” in Chicago courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, all you need to do is tell us your love story in this Web-based submission form. That’s it!

The free pass will be good at Landmark Century Centre Cinema in Chicago for the duration of the film’s run. “Adam” opens on Aug. 7, 2009 in Chicago. Directions to enter this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup and immediately win can be found beneath the graphic below.

The movie poster for “Adam” with Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne.
Image credit: Fox Searchlight Pictures

Here is plot description for “Adam”:

Romance can be risky, perplexing and filled with the perils of miscommunication – and that’s if you aren’t Adam for whom life itself is this way.

In this heartfelt romantic comedy, Hugh Dancy (“The Jane Austen Book Club,” “Confessions of a Shopaholic”) stars as Adam: a handsome but intriguing young man who has all his life led a sheltered existence until he meets his new neighbor, Beth (Rose Byrne) (“Damages,” “28 Weeks Later,” “Knowing”).

Beth is a beautiful, cosmopolitan young woman who pulls him into the outside world with funny, touching and entirely unexpected results. Their implausible and enigmatic relationship reveals just how far two people from different realities can stretch in search of an extraordinary connection.

To secure your free “Adam” pass, you must be logged into your HollywoodChicago.com Web site account. If you don’t yet have one, you can quickly register here. Having a free Web site account with a valid e-mail address is required to win this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup.

Next, simply tell us your story of the most you’ve ever done for love. You must submit your answer using this confidential, Web-based submission form. Please do not comment in this Hookup. Your entry will be invalid if you only comment here and don’t submit into our Web-based form. Please only submit your answer using this submission form.

You must include your first and last name, e-mail address and physical mailing address in your submission. Your personal information will be kept strictly confidential and is only for awarding winning entries. Your personal information will not be sold or shared.

Tell us the most you’ve done for love now!

This HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film is simple: 25 HollywoodChicago.com readers will be randomly selected as the winners of our “Adam” Hookup! The winners will be mailed the passes at our expense. Good luck!

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Interview: Alex Proyas, Director of ‘Knowing’ With Nicolas Cage, Rose Byrne

BrianTT — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:57:37 -0600

CHICAGO – “I want to make movies that touch people in unique ways and affect people in unique ways. And, you know, that’s what I’ve tried to do with this film.”

“Knowing” director Alex Proyas has defied categorization throughout his career. Sure, all of his movies are what could be called “dark” and there’s a sci-fi edge to most of them but there’s such a variety of scope in his films. From the massive budget of a film like “I, Robot” to a more personal project like “Garage Days” to the beloved cult flicks “The Crow” and “Dark City”. His newest work is “Knowing,” starring Nicolas Cage and Rose Byrne, opening on Friday, March 20th, 2009.

Proyas recently sat down for a conference call to talk about his new blockbuster film, why he chose to write it, the trend of disaster-driven films, the spiritual side of his work, casting Nicolas Cage, and much more.

Director Alex Proyas on the set of Knowing, a Summit Entertainment release.
Image credit: Summit/Vince Valitutti

Getting an Oscar-winning actor in Nicolas Cage and a rising star like “Damages“‘s Rose Byrne for your film instantly raises its profile. Proyas revealed that he had always wanted to work with Cage and that they almost had several times in the past but schedules couldn’t be worked out. Nick reportedly read the script for “Knowing” and loved it, making this the perfect match.

“I think [Nick is] an incredibly versatile actor,” says Proyas. “That’s really why I’m such a fan of his work because he’s always different. He really embraces his characters and runs with them. And this is no different in that respect. I mean he’s created a very strong character, I think. And it’s not about Nick Cage, it’s about the character. And that’s really important I think. It’s an incredibly important thing for a director to know also that your leading actor understands what you’re trying to do in terms of the movie and is a collaborator with you. And we’re telling a story together which I think Nick was so great at.

“From a very early point when he first read the script he embraced this story and he really made it his own. He really felt it spoke to him as an individual. Just as I felt. We felt compelled to tell the story together and I think that really shows in the movie.”

“With Rose Byrne, Rosie is someone that I’ve known a very long time. We’re quite good friends and we’ve - because we both come from Sydney in Australia so we’ve known each other for awhile now. And she’s, again, someone that I’ve wanted to work with. And, you know, the character seemed perfect for her. And I was delighted that she was also available.”

Proyas wrote “Knowing,” something he likes doing because it makes him a deeper part of the process. “I like going into a movie with something that I feel is as well crafted as we can make it,” Proyas said. “And that’s often a result of ripping it apart and putting it back together again repeatedly. Because it’s much easier to work stuff out at the script stage obviously than in the cutting room when you realize you’ve got, you know, structural problems or character issues or whatever can come up at that stage.”

Director Alex Proyas on the set of Knowing, a Summit Entertainment release.
Image credit: Summit/Vince Valitutti

“So I get as involved as I possibly can. I mean, the process is always different every film. Some projects I initiate, others I come in at a later stage, like in the case of Knowing, and rewrite substantially. So it really every time is different. But I do certainly like to have as much involvement with the script as possible. I like to have as much involvement with every aspect of the movie process really. I think I wanted to have a sort of unique voice and it’s got to come from someone so it might as well be me.”

“Knowing” is about past and future tragedies and disasters. Naturally, the subject of 9/11 came up pretty quickly, but Proyas says that this script was written before those tragic events occurred.

But “Knowing” does follow a post-9/11 trend of disaster-driven movies, something that Proyas is keenly aware of with this project. He says, “I think when people live in uncertain times I guess it’s something that we dwell upon and there’s obviously something. We all know what the current potential doom scenarios are for our civilization. And I think everyone’s genuinely concerned and movies are a reflection of that - a way of analyzing the situation in whatever dramatic form and helping us perhaps find a solution. Or at worse, prepare ourselves. So I think it really is a sign of the times.”

Science fiction cinema has come a long way in just the time that Proyas has been making movies. The technology of special effects improves with each project. With “Knowing,” it was the first time that Proyas shot a movie digitally. He had always tested the latest digital cameras but always went back to film.

Slideshow: 22-Image Gallery From ‘Knowing’ With Nicolas Cage, Rose Byrne

BrianTT — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 10:52:40 -0600

CHICAGO – This 22-image slideshow contains the available press images for Summit Entertainment’s “Knowing,” starring Nicolas Cage, Rose Byrne, Chandler Canterbury, and Lara Robinson. The film, written by Alex Proyas, Stuart Hazeldine (“Riverworld”), Ryne Douglas Pearson (Mercury Rising), Juliet Snowden & Stiles White (The Need, Boogeyman) and Richard Kelly (Southland Tales, Donnie Darko), and directed by Proyas, opens on Friday, March 20th, 2009.

Synopsis: “Academy Award® winner Nicolas Cage (National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Leaving Las Vegas) stars in Knowing, a gripping action-thriller of global proportions about a professor who stumbles on terrifying predictions about the future and sets out to prevent them from coming true.

Rose Byrne (Troy, “Damages”), Chandler Canterbury (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Repossession Mambo) and Lara Robinson (“Saved”) also star in director Alex Proyas’ (I, Robot) riveting feature about a father’s desperate battle to save his child—and the world.

In 1958, as part of the dedication ceremony for a new elementary school, a group of students is asked to draw pictures of what they think the future will look like. Their drawings will be sealed into a time capsule and stored for 50 years. But one mysterious girl fills her paper with rows of apparently random numbers, which she says are being whispered to her by unseen people.

A half-century later, a new generation of students examines the capsule’s contents and the girl’s cryptic message ends up in the hands of young Caleb Koestler (Chandler Canterbury), but it’s Caleb’s father, astrophysics professor John Koestler (Nicolas Cage), who makes a startling discovery: the encoded message predicts the dates, death tolls and coordinates of every major disaster of the past 50 years with pinpoint accuracy. As he further unravels the document’s secrets, John discovers that it foretells three additional catastrophes—the last of which hints at destruction on a global scale.

John’s efforts to alert the authorities about the impending catastrophes fall on deaf ears and his fears intensify with the realization that Caleb is somehow connected to the mystery. Enlisting the help of Diana Whelan (Rose Byrne) and Abby (Lara Robinson), the daughter and granddaughter of the prophetic message’s author, he embarks on a heart-pounding race against time to prevent the ultimate disaster.”

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos are credited to Vince Valitutti and Summit Entertainment. All rights reserved.

Knowing_01: Nicolas Cage stars in Knowing, a Summit Entertainment release.
Knowing_02: Nicolas Cage and Chandler Canterbury star in Knowing, a Summit Entertainment release.
Knowing_03: Nicolas Cage and Rose Byrne star in Knowing, a Summit Entertainment release.
Knowing_04: Nicolas Cage stars in Knowing, a Summit Entertainment release.
Knowing_05: Nicolas Cage stars in Knowing, a Summit Entertainment release.
Knowing_06: Nicolas Cage (far right) stars in Knowing, a Summit Entertainment release.
Knowing_07: Nicolas Cage and Rose Byrne star in Knowing, a Summit Entertainment release.
Knowing_08: Rose Byrne and Nicolas Cage star in Knowing, a Summit Entertainment release.
Knowing_09: Rose Byrne and Nicolas Cage star in Knowing, a Summit Entertainment release.
Knowing_10: Nicolas Cage stars in Knowing, a Summit Entertainment release.
Knowing_11: Lara Robinson stars in Knowing, a Summit Entertainment release.
Knowing_12: Lara Robinson stars in Knowing, a Summit Entertainment release.
Knowing_13: Chandler Canterbury stars in Knowing, a Summit Entertainment release.
Knowing_14: Knowing, a Summit Entertainment release.
Knowing_15: (Left to right) Chandler Canterbury and Lara Robinson star in Knowing, a Summit Entertainment release.
Knowing_16: Rose Byrne (left) and Lara Robinson star in Knowing, a Summit Entertainment release.
Knowing_17: Rose Byrne stars in Knowing, a Summit Entertainment release.
Knowing_18: Rose Byrne stars in Knowing, a Summit Entertainment release.
Knowing_19: Director Alex Proyas on the set of Knowing, a Summit Entertainment release.
Knowing_20: Director Alex Proyas on the set of Knowing, a Summit Entertainment release.
Knowing_21: DP Simon Dugan (center left) and director Alex Proyas (center right) on the set of Knowing, a Summit Entertainment release.
Knowing_22: Lara Robinson (left) with director Alex Proyas (center) and Chandler Canterbury (right) on the set of Knowing, a Summit Entertainment release.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Video: DVD Trailer For Nicolas Cage’s ‘Knowing’

HollywoodChicago.com — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 15:12:45 -0700

CHICAGO – The studio for the new Nicolas Cage film “Knowing” has provided to HollywoodChicago.com the DVD trailer for the movie, which also stars Rose Byrne, Chandler Canterbury, Ben Mendelsohn, Nadia Townsend and Adrienne Pickering.

The film, which is directed by Alex Proyas (“I, Robot,” “The Crow”), opens nationwide on March 20, 2009. The “Knowing” DVD trailer can be watched below.

Here is the plot description for “Knowing” (source):

A teacher (Nicolas Cage) opens a time capsule that has been dug up at his son’s elementary school. In it are some chilling predictions – some that have already occurred and others that are about to – that lead him to believe his family plays a role in the events that are about to unfold.

Nicolas Cage (left) and Rose Byrne in “Knowing”.
Image credit: Summit Entertainment

A second trailer for “Knowing” can be watched below.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

2009 Summit Pictures Preview: ‘New Moon,’ ‘Push,’ ‘Knowing,’ ‘The Brothers Bloom,’ ‘Sorority Row,’ ‘Astro Boy,’ More

BrianTT — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:54:27 -0700

CHICAGO – Summit Pictures sent over release dates, cast & crew, and synopsis information for their entire 2009 slate and even included a few available images for their upcoming slate.

The 2009 Summit films with available production stills include “Push,” “Knowing,” “Next Day Air,” “The Brothers Bloom,” “Sorority Row,” and “Astro Boy”. 2009 pictures without images released yet but with film information below include “The Hurt Locker,” “Bandslam,” and “New Moon,” the highly anticipated sequel to “Twilight”.

“Push”
Release date: February 6, 2009
Cast: Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Camilla Belle, and Djimon Hounsou
Directed by: Paul McGuigan
Written by: David Bourla
Synopsis: A riveting action-thriller, Push burrows deep into the deadly world of psychic espionage where artificially enhanced paranormal operatives have the ability to move objects with their minds, see the future, create new realities and kill without ever touching their victims. Against this setting, a young man (Chris Evans) and a teenage girl (Dakota Fanning) take on a clandestine agency in a race against time that will determine the future of civilization.

“Knowing”
Release date: March 20, 2009
Cast: Nicholas Case, Rose Byrne, and Chandler Canterbury
Directed by: Alex Proyas
Written by: Ryne Douglas Pearson, Richard Kelly, Juliet Snowden, Stiles WHite, Stuart Hazeldine, and Alex Proyas
Synopsis: Academy Award® Winner Nicolas Cage (National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Leaving Las Vegas) stars in KNOWING, a gripping action-thriller of global proportions about a professor who stumbles on terrifying predictions about the future—and sets out to prevent them from coming true. His increasingly desperate efforts take him on a heart-pounding race against time until he finds himself facing the ultimate disaster—and the ultimate sacrifice.

“The Hurt Locker”
Release date: Spring 2009
Cast: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Ralph Fiennes, and Guy Pearce
Directed by: Kathryn Bigelow
Written by: Mark Boal
Synopsis: When a new sergeant, James, takes over a highly trained bomb disposal team amidst violent conflict, he surprises his two subordinates, Sanborn and Eldridge by recklessly plunging them into a deadly game of urban combat. As the men struggle to control their wild new leader, the city explodes into chaos, and James’ true character reveals itself in a way that will change each man forever.

“Next Day Air”
Release date: May 8, 2009
Cast: Donald Faison, Mike Epps, Wood Harris, Omari Hardwick, Emilio Rivera, Darius McCrary, Cisco Reyes, and Mos Def
Directed by: Benny Boom
Written by: Blair Cobb
Synopsis: Life isn’t going smoothly for Leo Jackson. He still lives at home, he just broke up with his girlfriend and he’s had so many complaints about his sloppy work habits that his own mother is threatening to fire him. But Leo isn’t one to let a few bad breaks ruins his day—as long as he’s got plenty of weed to take his mind off his troubles. But when the wacked-out courier accidentally delivers a box containing 10 kilos of high quality cocaine to the wrong apartment, it sets in motion a hilarious and harrowing chain of events that could cost him his life.

“The Brothers Bloom”
Release date: May 15, 2009 (limited); May 29, 2009 (wide)
Cast: Rachel Weisz, Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, Rinko Kikuchi, and Robbie Coltrane
Written and Directed by: Rian Johnson
Synopsis: The Brothers Bloom are the best con men in the world, swindling millionaires with complex scenarios of lust and intrigue. Now they’ve decided to take on one last job - showing a beautiful and eccentric heiress the time of her life with a romantic adventure that takes them around the world.

“Bandslam”
Release date: July 31, 2009
Cast: Alyson Michalka, Vanessa Hudgens, Gaelen Connell, and Lisa Kudrow
Written and Directed by: Todd Graff
Synopsis: When gifted singer-songwriter Charlotte Banksasks new kid in town Will Burton to manage her fledgling rock band, she appears to have just one goal in mind: go head-to-head against her egotistical musician ex-boyfriend at the biggest event of the year, a battle of the bands. Against all odds, their band develops a sound all its own with a real shot at success in the contest. When disaster strikes, it’s time for the band to make a choice: Do they admit defeat, or face the music and stand up for what they believe in?

“Sorority Row”
Release date: October 2, 2009
Cast: Briana Evigan, Leah Pipes, Rumer Willis, Jamie Chung, Audrine Partridge, and Carrie Fisher
Directed by: Stewart Hendler
Written by: Josh Stolberg & Peter Goldfinger
Synopsis: When five sorority girls inadvertently cause the murder of one of their sisters in a prank gone wrong, they agree to keep the matter to themselves and never speak of it again, so they can get on with their lives. This proves easier said than done, when after graduation a mysterious killer goes after the five of them and anyone who knows their secret.

“Astro Boy”
Release date: October 23, 2009
Cast: Freddie Highmore, Nicolas Cage, Kristen Bell, Nathan Lane, Bill Nighy, Eugene Levy, Matt Lucus, and Donald Sutherland
Directed by: David Bowers
Written by: Timothy Harris
Synopsis: Set in futuristic Metro City, Astro Boy is about a young robot with incredible powers created by a brilliant scientist. Powered by positive “blue” energy, Astro Boy is endowed with super strength, x-ray vision, unbelievable speed and the ability to fly. Embarking on a journey in search of acceptance, Astro Boy learns the joys and emotions of being human, and gains the strength to embrace his destiny. Ultimately learning his friends and family are in danger, Astro Boy marshals his awesome super powers and returns to Metro City in a valiant effort to save everything he cares about and to understand what it takes to be a hero.

“New Moon”
Release date: November 20, 2009
Cast: Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson
Directed by: Chris Weitz
Written by: Melissa Rosenberg
Synopsis: Bella Swan is devastated by the abrupt departure of her vampire love, Edward Cullen but her spirit is rekindled by her growing friendship with the irresistible Jacob Black. Suddenly she finds herself drawn into the world of the werewolves, ancestral enemies of the vampires, and finds her loyalties tested.

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos credited to Summit Pictures.

AstroBoy: “Astro Boy”
Knowing01: Nicolas Cage in “Knowing”.
Knowing02: Nicolas Cage in “Knowing”.
Knowing03: Nicolas Cage in “Knowing”.
Knowing04: Nicolas Cage and Rose Byrne in “Knowing”.
Knowing05: Poster for “Knowing”.
NextDayAir: “Next Day Air”.
Push1: Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning in “Push”.
Push2: Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning in “Push”.
Push3: Dakota Fanning and Djimon Hounsou in “Push”.
Push4: Djimon Hounsou and Camilla Belle in “Push”.
Push5: Poster for “Push”.
SororityRow: “Sorority Row”.
BrothersBloom01_2: Rachel Weisz in “The Brothers Bloom”.
BrothersBloom02_0: Adrien Brody in “The Brothers Bloom”.
BrothersBloom03_2: Adrien Brody in “The Brothers Bloom”.
BrothersBloom04_2: Rachel Weisz in “The Brothers Bloom”.

Read our Taylor Lautner casting story for “New Moon”.
Read our Robert Pattinson story on “Parts Per Billion” and “New Moon”.
See our high-quality, 28-image “Twilight” slideshow.
Read our “Twilight” opening-weekend box-office story.
Read our “Twilight” sequel story prior to opening weekend.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com