January 31, 2002
- Ananova reports today that Joseph Fiennes is to play a religious leader
Joseph Fiennes is to star as Martin Luther in a new film. Luther is the story of a simple monk challenging the political and religious leadership of his time. It will also feature Peter Ustinov and is being directed by Eric Till. Filming will begin in February in Germany, Bavaria, Italy and the Czech Republic, reports www.screendaily.co.uk.
Here's the report from Screen Daily:
Fiennes takes lead in $10m Luther biopic
Martin Blaney in BerlinUK actor Joseph Fiennes has signed up to play religious reformer Martin Luther in a $10m feature film biopic to be directed by Eric Till. Luther, the story of a simple monk challenging the political and religious leadership of his time will also feature Peter Ustinov, Bruno Ganz, Mathieu Carriere, Uwe Ochsenknecht, August Diehl, Jochen Horst and Benjamin Sadler. It begins shooting in February at original historical locations in Brandenburg, central Germany, Bavaria, Italy and the Czech Republic. The project reunites Canadian-born director Till with the Berlin-based NFP Neue Filmproduktion. They previously worked together two years ago on Bonhoeffer – Agent Of Grace about the Second World War resistance figure and priest Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Luther is being produced by NFP in association with the US partner Aid Association for Lutherans, and the ARD network’s Degeto Film, with additional financing from the Federal German Film Board (FFA), Mitteldeutsche Medienfoerderung MDM and Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg. "With this film, we are making our leap to the big screen", said executive producer Alexander Thies. "Our aim is to produce important historical stories for an international market with a focus on North America."
January 30, 2002
- There is a 1:48 mins long Japanese KMS trailer (Real player file) on darkhorizons.com. The Japanese Killing me Softly site has some more trailers and pics.
- The IMDB release date for Dust is now 12 April in UK and Feb 1 in Italy.
January 29, 2002
- From the Internet Movie database:
Heather Graham refused to wear a "modesty pouch" while filming steamy sex scenes with Joseph Fiennes for a new movie. The protective pouches have become a staple in Hollywood to help actors avoid genital contact but the stunning star says she felt comfortable enough to be naked with the British star. She says, "Yeah, we had to be naked. But I felt really trusting of Joseph. We were both nervous and felt very vulnerable, but we liked and trusted the director and each other. You wouldn't want to do those scenes with an actor thinking he might take advantage of the situation." Killing Me Softly features a series of love scenes between the pair but Heather says there's nothing gratuitous going on. She says, "It's about the passion these two people have for each other, and how that passion becomes twisted." (WooHoo)
January 27, 2002
- For more pictures from Joe & Fiona from the Judi Dench Bafta tribute event click on "Screen Captures and Audio Clips".
Photo of Joe and Fiona arriving: in "Arrivals" page, top row - 4th. photo.
Photo of Joe on stage at podium: in "Tribute" page, 10th. row - 3rd. photo.
Candid photo of Fiona in audience: In "Audience" page (last section) Fiona smiling sitting next to Maggie Smith, 3rd. row- 3rd. photo.
Joe, Fiona and Maggie Smith in audience: 4th. row - 4th. photo.
January 26, 2002
- The Puffin Books site shows a cover picture of the Celebrities Bedtime Stories Audiobook and tells us this:
The Mail on Sunday's YOU magazine and Puffin Audiobooks have produced an exclusive 80-minute cassette of children's stories to raise money for the NSPCC. The stories are read by celebrities including Joseph Fiennes, Patsy Palmer, Richard E Grant and Fay Ripley.
The cassette costs just £4.99, including p&p, and all profits will go to the NSPCC Full Stop Campaign.
Either call the 24-hour orderline on 01634 226203 with your credit card details.
Or write to Bedtime Stories Tape, PO Box 300, Rochester, Kent ME2 2HJ, enclosing your name, address, the number of copies you require and a postal order or cheque (made payable to The Mail on Sunday). (Subject to availability. Offer closes 31 January 2002.) Orders received by 17 December will be delivered before Christmas.
Donation Hotline: if you would like to make a donation to the NSPCC, please call 0800 73 111 37
January 25, 2002
- This week's Hello Magazine (UK) has an advertisement for
"Celebrity Bedtime Stories"
Puffin Audio Celebrity Bedtime Story tape NSPCC Full Stop campaign.
£4.99 including packaging and postage
To get it phone: 01634 226206
or write to
Bedtime Stories Tape
PO Box 300
Rochester
Kent ME2 2HJ
Closing date is 28th February, 2002
It mentions that one of the stories is read by Joseph Fiennes. We've heard a rumour before that he read "The Emperor's New Clothes" so that might be the one.
Also, Bobbi personally called and learned they do not sell/mail out of the UK - we are really sorry about that.
January 23, 2002
- When Love Speaks information:
Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart, Desree, Lord Attenborough, Alan Rickman, Gemma Jones, Fiona Shaw, Peter Bowles, Susanna York are just some of the names that will be appearing. There is a website with details on the concert which went live today and will be regularly updated with names of the artists appearing. The website address is:
www.love-speaks-live.co.ukIf you would like to purchase some of the CDs you can purchase them direct from RADA Enterprises. Box office number is now open and is on 0207 369 1722
January 21, 2002
From Yahoo News:
Sundance Film Festival briefs (Reuters)
Sunday January 20 10:27 PM ETPARK CITY, Utah (Variety) - Emerging Pictures, a Gotham-based digital production, management and exhibition company, has formed an alliance with Parseghian Planco, the shingle of former William Morris agents Johnnie Planco and Gene Parseghian.
Parseghian Planco represents such talent as Paul Schrader, Peter Bogdanovich, Daniel Day-Lewis, Joseph Fiennes and Mary-Louise Parker. Linking with Emerging gives the shingle full digital-production capability, allowing its clients to pursue projects in that arena.
January 20, 2002
- From thisislondon.co.uk:
Shakespeare sets sights on charts
by Luke Leitch, Arts ReporterForget Robbie Williams, SClub7 and the Stereophonics. Come this Valentine's Day, pop's usual suspects will find an unexpected name vying for supremacy of the album charts - William Shakespeare.
Annie Lennox, Des'ree, Bryan Ferry and Rufus Wainwright are just a few of the singers who have lent their voices to When Love Speaks, a new album aiming to raise millions of pounds for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada).
To music composed by Michael Kamen, the singers have the daunting task of doing justice to some of the most exquisite lyrics in the English language - Shakespeare's love sonnets.
Many more of the Bard's 14-line emotional excerpts are included on the album but without musical accompaniment.
A host of former Rada students, including Alan Rickman, Diana Rigg and Fiona Shaw, read sonnets on the recording. Lord Attenborough, Rada's chairman, who reads sonnet 17, said: "To have this wonderful galaxy of stars performing will hopefully bring in a young generation who might be put off by the word Shakespeare."
Fiona Shaw, present holder of the Evening Standard's best actress award for her performance in Medea, said that Shakespeare's sonnets held the key "to some sort of DNA of emotional life". When Love Speaks is launched in time for the Valentine's Day rush - and, on 10 February, The Old Vic will host a benefit for Rada, featuring many of the artists on the album. Its finale will be a rare reunion on stage for Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart.
A more lasting Valentine's token than roses, When Love Speaks could see Shakespeare earn new fans - and Rada money to nurture future stars.
January 19, 2002
- From BBC Online:
Big Break Diary: The film directorBBC News Online's Big Break Diaries break in the arts and entertainment world. Would-be film director Jan Dunn meets big British screen stars and sees her film Nosferatu open in London.
7 December: It was the Women in Film and TV Awards at lunchtime today at The Hilton Hotel, Park Lane, London. I had a lovely time and took two guests, actress Pauline McLynn and Alan Harris, director of finance at Grosvenor Park film finances. I met lots of stars but was only impressed with two, actress Kathy Burke and actor Joseph Fiennes. I'm glad I finally met Joseph - star of Shakespeare in Love - we've been talking with his agent about him playing Don Juan in my next short.
January 17, 2002
- From NME.com, a short article about "When Love Speaks":
SONNET BOOM!RUFUS WAINWRIGHT, ANNIE LENNOX, BRYAN FERRY and DES'REE are amongst the artists to feature on a forthcoming new album which sees SHAKESPEARE's sonnets set to music.
'When Love Speaks' sees over 40 of the Sonnets interspersed with eight musical tracks set to Shakespeare's verse. The role-call of performers reading the works includes Alan Rickman, Ralph Fiennes, Kenneth Branagh, John Hurt, Diana Rigg, the late Sir John Gielgud and Richard Briers.
The record, due for release on February 4, was launched today (January 17) at RADA in London's Piccadilly by Lord Attenborough and the man behind the project, leading contemporary composer Michael Kamen. Kamen put the album together with actor Alan Rickman. Profits from the sale will go to RADA.
A live concert to showcase the album will take place at The Old Vic in London on February 10. The 'luvvie-fest' will be hosted by Attenborough and Rickman and will see Des'Ree and Eurythmics perform.
- From this week's Now Magazine (UK):
Thespian Joseph Fiennes singles out Jack Lemmon's role in "Some Like It Hot" as one he'd love to have played for it's comic timing. And, of course, for getting to star with Marilyn Monroe.
January 15, 2002
- Here is a link to a Judi Dench Bafta tribute event with pics (Joe is there as well) and reviews. Click on "Bafta Memorabilia" for the complete guest list.
January 13, 2002
- Here's another link to the War Poets reading online. Joe's on around 43 minutes into the programme.
- Joe and Ralph read Shakespeare's poetry:
Alan Rickman has helped compile an album of songs based on Shakespeare's work set to music. Among the artists who have recorded tracks for the album are Annie Lennox, Ralph and Joseph Fiennes, Kenneth Branagh and Bryan Ferry. The Express had an article about the project. The CD of Shakespeare's sonnets is scheduled to be released by EMI for St. Valentine's Day and launched with a concert at the Old Vic on February 10. The CD, which will be out on February 4, can be pre-ordered here:When Love Speaks or from our Merchandise Page.
Joe's tracks are are both from The Tempest.
Here's the first one:
Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices
That, if I then had waked after long sleep,
Will make me sleep again: and then, in dreaming,
The clouds methought would open and show riches
Ready to drop upon me that, when I waked,
I cried to dream again.
And the last one:
Our revels are now ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits, and
Are melted into air, into thin air,
And like the baseless fabric of this vision
The cloud-capt towrs, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,
And like this insubstantial pageant faded
Leave not a wrack behind; we are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.
January 11, 2002
- The War Poetry reading is downloadable as a ram file at www.theorangeword.com Go to archive and click on "An anthology of war poetry by writers and soldiers" or go to the direct link here. We hope that the difficulties in downloading will soon be over.
January 10, 2002
- Upcomingmovies now has a site for Joe's new film Leopold Bloom. Filming is expected to start within the first three months of this year. The link is on our More Links Page.
January 7, 2002
- From the "Staging In Hollywood Website":
FIENNES, SHUE AND SHEPARD SET TO ‘BLOOM’
Joseph Fiennes (Enemy At The Gates), Elisabeth Shue (Hollow Man) and Sam Shepard (BLACK HAWK DOWN) have been attached to star in London-based Scala Productions pic LEOPOLD BLOOM. Set in the American South, Shue will play an unfaithful wife who grows increasingly neglectful of her son - the result of an adulterous relationship - upon mounting suspicions of her husband's infidelity. In a separate story, Fiennes plays a gifted writer facing the world after being locked away in prison for 15 years. He finds work at a diner, whose owner will be played by Shepard. Slated to begin production in early 2002, the script was penned by siblings Massy and Amir Tadjedin and is to be directed by Mehdi Norowzian (Killing Joe). Scala's Jonathan Karlsen (Vicious Circles) is producing, with the company's Nik Powell exec producing. Massy Tadjedin and Erica August are also producers on the film.
- BBC Online reports the Judi Dench BAFTA tribute programme will be shown this Saturday 12 January 2002 10pm -11.05 pm GMT on BBC One. (Hope they caught Joe on Camera!)
January 5, 2002
- From the Guardian online Friday 4 Jan 2002:
Dennis Hopper, Deborah Unger and Donnie Wahlberg have all signed up for indie picture Leopold Bloom. The trio join Joseph Fiennes, Elisabeth Shue and Sam Shepard for the film, which was written by brother and sister team Massy and Amir Tadjedin and will be directed by newcomer Mehdi Norowzian. The film starts shooting early this year and tells the story of a young mother (Shue) who alienates her son, while an ex-con (Fiennes) has to find a way to help both himself and the boy. Hopper will play the owner of the diner where Fiennes's character works.
- Dark Horizons is reporting that KMS is released in Australia on January 31, 2002. See here for all info on KMS from the Dark Horizons site. Meanwhile, the KMS trailer is being shown on Italian TV.
January 3, 2002
- A greek newspaper recently reported:
Joseph Fiennes will be in Greece July 2002 for a new movie, EL GRECO, directed by John Smaragdis with costumes by Vachlioty Oldridge and music by Vagelis Papathanasiou. Filming will also take place in Italy and Spain. He will play the role of Dominicou Theotocopoulou. Also mentioned in the article as part of the project was Jeremy Irons.
- More of Joe's projects are mentioned in the "Bill and Lee's Excellent Adventures" article in The Scotsman:
. . . "Despite his grumbles about "Four Eyes," (Bill) Bryden has forged a visionary professional partnership with (Lee) Hall. After the box-office success of Billy Elliot, Hall is on a roll. His next screenplay for Miramax will be an adaptation of the Dunbartonshire-born AJ Cronin’s novel, The Stars Look Down, the story of an idealistic miner’s son, who goes to university to study medicine, but temporarily forgets his political resolve when he marries. Bryden will direct.Carol Reed’s 1939 movie version - there have been several television adaptations - ends with a rousing call for nationalisation of the mining industry, "to purge the old greeds". Bryden says he and Hall are determined to film the book, the rights of which are now being negotiated. "This is an exclusive for The Scotsman, by the way," he confides.
It was Hall’s seemingly effortless ability to mix humour and pathos, to tell sad and funny stories of personal struggle with unflinching honesty and a pervasive tenderness, that won Bryden over. Joseph Fiennes (who Bryden will also be directing later this year in the West End), will play the young doctor. Tara Fitzgerald will play his wife.
. . .
"Bryden has just directed his wife, the actress Angela Douglas, for the first time in a Radio 4 version of John Osborne’s The Charge of the Light Brigade, with Joseph Fiennes, Charles Dance and Donald Sinden. It will be broadcast in the autumn." . . .
January 2, 2002
- A FIENNES MESS (From the Online Mirror):
IT SHOULD have been the perfect love nest, fit enough for a Hollywood star and his beautiful girlfriend.But just five months after splashing out £1.2million for his dream home, film heartthrob Joseph Fiennes is being forced to demolish it and start again.
The Shakespeare In Love actor initially planned to renovate the derelict six-bedroom former squat in London's fashionable Notting Hill.
But surveyors discovered severe structural problems so he has decided to tear it down and build his own dream home, keeping just the historic facade of the original building.
Fiennes, 31, called in a team of top architects and is said to be "thrilled" at their design.
Plans lodged with Westminster City Council in the name of his girlfriend Fiona Jolly show that the basement of the house will have a kitchen, dining room, study and utility room.
The ground floor will have a magnificent living room while the first floor is a giant master bedroom with its own bathroom and a huge dressing room.
On the second floor there will be two further bedrooms, a bathroom and a room which friends believe Fiona has earmarked as a nursery.
The rear of the house will have giant windows on three floors overlooking a 50ft-walled garden.
A property developer who viewed the derelict property with its shattered windows and rotting woodwork, told us: "I was amazed when Joseph bought it. It was always clear the place was going to need a fortune spent on it.
"I'm not surprised he is going to have to tear it down and start from scratch. The smell was enough to put you off."
Experts reckon he will have to spend more than £500,000 on his new home which will take months to complete.
But Fiennes will be able to keep an eye on the work as he lives in a flat just around the corner.
