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November 29, 2002

- Join our Joeplay mailing list which we originally founded in 2000 for the Edward II play in Sheffield in March 2001 - now we have reopened it for the Love's Labour's Lost play in London in spring 2003!
You can either send an email to joeplay-subscribe@yahoogroups.com to join or go to subscribe to joeplay

- From the 3am column in the Mirror:

LABOUR OF LOVE FOR JOE

Joseph Fiennes is to return to the National Theatre in the Bard's Love's Labour's Lost. The 32-year-old Shakespeare In Love actor will play Berowne in the play, which was adapted for the screen by Kenneth Branagh. A spokesman told 3am: "It will be one of the highlights of our schedule next spring. The play will be directed by Trevor Nunn and will preview from February 15, and run until March 18.

During rehearsals, Joseph will no doubt run into hunky brother Ralph, starring in The Talking Cure at the same theatre until February 5.

The official site of the National Theatre has all the booking info.

- 29th November 2002 - What's on Stage News by Terri Paddock

Joseph Fiennes Follows Brother to NT for Love's

Joseph Fiennes, star of Shakespeare in Love, will follow his older brother Ralph onto the boards at the National Theatre in the new year, joining the cast of Love's Labours Lost, Trevor Nunn's farewell production as artistic director, which opens at the NT Olivier on 21 February 2003, after Nunn's twinned musical production of Cole Porter's Anything Goes. Joseph Fiennes will play the lovestruck Berowne alongside Simon Day's King of Navarre in Nunn's production of the Shakespearean comedy, the cast of which also includes John Barrowman (Dumaine), Denis Quilley (Boyet), Robin Soans (Holofernes), Anthony Cable, Paul Grunet, Richard Henders, Akiya Henry and Tam Mutu. The production is designed by John Gunter, with lighting by David Hersey. Although not seen on the London stage since the Royal Court's 1998 premiere of Real Classy Affair, Joseph Fiennes caused a stir in March 2001 when he took the title role of the homosexual king in Michael Grandage's production of Marlowe's Edward II at the Sheffield Crucible. His earlier stage credits include A Month in the Country (Albery Theatre), The Woman in Black (Fortune) and numerous RSC productions. In addition to the Oscar-winning Shakespeare in Love, Fiennes' other screen credits include Luther, Enemy at the Gates, Elizabeth, Martha Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence. Meanwhile, older brother Ralph Fiennes appears next week at the NT Cottesloe in the world premiere of The Talking Cure, Christopher Hampton's play about Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, directed by Howard Davies and running from 12 December 2002 to 18 January 2003 (previews from 6 December). Next spring he'll appear in a revival of Ibsen's Brand, Adrian Noble's swansong production as artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company. It opens in Stratford before transferring to the West End's Theatre Royal Haymarket in May 2003.

- Hello Magazine, 28 November 2002

Kevin Spacey's star status should help guarantee that his latest project – a website aimed at finding the next generation of would-be filmmakers - is a success. The actor was certainly able to generate some high-voltage celebrity support on Monday, with famous faces from Sir Paul McCartney to Oscar nominee Helena Bonham Carter turning out in London to help him kick off the high-tech talent search.

The American Beauty actor admits his own road to Tinseltown wasn't always easy – and that's what led him to develop wwww.triggerstreet.com, which gives aspiring filmmakers a place to post their work. "I know what that feels like, and I never want to forget it," he says. "I was lucky, I was an actor. If you are a writer or director, you can't even audition."

Those who sign up on the site will have a chance to submit scripts and films, and may also evaluate the submissions of others. Kevin's production company Trigger Street is behind the project, and will have an option for 90 days on scripts and films voted into the website's top ten.

The new endeavour also features plans for a short film festival, judged by Hollywood stars such as Sean Penn, Ed Norton and Mike Myers.

Big name supporters at last night's event included Geri Halliwell, Joseph Fiennes, Jade Jagger, Jeremy Irons and Peter O'Toole.

- Total Film January 2003:

Turkey 2002

1. Rollerball
2. Killing Me Softly
Joseph Fiennes meets Heather Graham. They do sex. Joseph turns bad man. They do sex. Twist happens. They do sex. Absolute woodchip.
3.Bad company
4.Thirt13en Ghosts
5.Boat Trip
6.Pluto Nash
7.Beginners Luck
8.Unconditional Love
9. D.Tox
10.Halloween Resurrection

November 27, 2002

- Some nice Joe pictures from the Kevin Spacey Triggerstreet.com event on wireimage.com and on rex features. (Thanks Karen.)

- Ananova.com reports:

Story filed: 06:32 Wednesday 27th November 2002 Spacey backs website for would-be writers Oscar winner Kevin Spacey has helped put budding movie writers on the road to success with the backing of some of Hollywood's finest.

The American Beauty star was in town for the London launch of a new website, Triggerstreet.com, which aims to introduce unknown script writers to the industry's decision makers.

Joining him at the glittering event were Jeremy Irons, Helena Bonham Carter, new Bond girl Rosamund Pike, Joseph Fiennes and Rhys Ifans. Sir Paul McCartney, Ronan Keating, Geri Halliwell, Lulu and Elton John's partner David Furnish were also on hand to promote the website, which was launched in the US last week.

The website will provide tips for budding writers and allow them to send in scripts which could be viewed by movie bosses, organisers said.

November 25, 2002

- Judith has found a new Sinbad webpage. Not much content yet but feel free to check back by accessing it's link on our More links page for more information as we get closer to the release dates.

- Vanina in Argentina reports that Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas will be released in Argentina on July 2003. The distributor is United International Pictures Argentina.

November 24, 2002

- According to this week's People Insider, Joe was at the Harry Potter premiere:

Ah, the life of a teenage movie star. One minute you're rubbing elbows with glamorous celebrities at the premiere of your new film, the next you're collecting rubbish. Such was the case for young English actor Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. On 11/4, the day after attending the London premiere of Chamber--where Grint met up with stars such as Joseph Fiennes, Glenn Close and Eric Idle--the 13-year-old lad arrived at his London school without his gym equipment (or as they say in England, his "games kit"). As punishment, Grint had to spend a couple of hours cleaning up garbage on the school grounds. Bet that wouldn't have happened at Hogwarts.

November 22, 2002

- Some nice Joe pictures from the De Beers opening on wireimage.com

November 21, 2002

- KMS is scheduled for a video release on January 6, 2003 in the UK

- Joe is attending a controversial opening:

Rock solid against the activists
The Times Online
By Xan Rice

THE diamond giant De Beers has threatened to sue campaigners for tribal bushmen in Botswana who plan to disrupt the launch of its first retail outlet in London tonight. The activists, Survival International, claim that De Beers is complicit in forcing the removal of Gana and Gwi bushmen from their ancestral lands in the Kalahari desert. Last month the De Beers store, in London’s West End, fell victim to guerrilla marketing by the campaigners. A giant poster of Iman, the model and the face of advertising campaigns by De Beers, was replaced by a picture of a bushman with the slogan “The bushmen aren’t forever”.

De Beers has planned a glittering launch tonight to be attended by the celebrities Joseph Fiennes, Sophie Dahl, Elizabeth Jagger and Rosanna Arquette. A spokeswoman for the campaigners said they were undeterred by the threat from De Beers. Nicky Oppenheimer, chairman of De Beers, said: “If Survival International damages De Beers’s reputation, we will be forced to take action.” He denied that his company was involved in removing the bushmen from their tribal lands.

De Beers mines in Botswana through a company called Debswana, equally owned by De Beers and the Botswana Government. Festus Mogae, President of Botswana, has admitted Botswana’s policy of relocation, but said that this had nothing to do with De Beers and was unrelated to any plans for diamond mining in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Oppenheimer says: “This is not a diamond issue but a government issue. If you are in the business of standing up as the conscience of the world, you have got to be careful with your facts.” It is not De Beers’s first brush with protesters. Global Witness alleged in 1998 that the company was involved in “conflict diamonds” in Angola.The organisation said diamonds produced by the late Jonas Savimbi’s Unita rebels were finding their way into the marketplace despite United Nations sanctions.

De Beers, which denied that it knowingly traded in conflict diamonds, closed its Angola office in 1999 and announced that it would no longer buy diamonds in that country. Civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone have brought the issue of blood diamonds further to the fore. Global Witness’s campaign culminated in an historic meeting in Interlaken, Switzerland, a fortnight ago, which set in place an agreement called the “Kimberley process”, after the town where the De Beers empire began.

More than 35 countries, including South Africa, Botswana, Angola, Sierra Leone, the US and Canada, as well as the European Union, signed up to the agreement to provide a system of warranties for all diamonds. The certificates, which will be introduced from next January, will show the origin of the gems. Further certificates will be issued for each subsequent movement of the stones across countries until they are cut into the finished jewels.

Oppenheimer says: “This whole Kimberley process is tremendous because the diamond industry is very disparate, yet it has been able to see the danger of the tag of conflict diamonds. “The chain of warranties is going to make it possible for people to give the absolute assurance that the diamonds they are receiving do not come from areas of conflict.” He gave warning, however, that the issue of blood diamonds would not disappear overnight. “We are going to have to be continually engaged in this area. At the moment, thank goodness, the amount of conflict in Africa seems to be declining,” he said. “Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone are looking better, but that can change at any time.”

November 15, 2002

- This Brazilian site announces that KMS was released in Brazil (under the title "Mata-me de Prazer") on November 6.

November 8, 2002

- Rex Features has two pictures showing Joe at the Leo Premiere.

From the Regus London film festival Official Site:

Norowzian’s Leo premieres in West End
Director Mehdi Norowzian was on hand to present his debut feature, the Ulysses inspired drama Leo. The Brits were out in force last night when director Mehdi Norowzian was on hand to present his debut feature, the Ulysses inspired drama Leo, at the Odeon Leicester Square. He introduced the movie’s star, Joseph Fiennes, whose sister Sophie’s documentary, Hoover Street Revival, is also showing at the festival. Calling him the "graceful force behind the film", Norowzian added: "without him the film would never have been made". Veteran British producer Nik Powell, whose critically acclaimed and popular works include Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, The Crying Game, Little Voice and Divorcing Jack, also attended and was applauded for his overwhelming support as Executive Producer. Also on hand were producer Sara Giles and director of photography Zubin Mistry, both of whom were thanked warmly for their creative input. In a touching display of support for the project Norowzian, who dedicated the film to his late brother, settled down with his guests to join the enthusiastic crowd and watch the movie.

November 7, 2002

- Joe at London Film Festival

Yahoo News, November 6, 2002

Audrey Tautou, an actress who made her name in the French hit "Amelie," attended the opening of the 46th-annual London Film Festival on Wednesday to watch her new movie, "Dirty Pretty Things." Director Stephen Frears' film, about the underbelly of immigrant life in England, recently drew strong reviews at the Venice Film Festival. Tautou, 24, dazzled the crowd outside the Odeon cinema in downtown London when she showed up dressed in a delicate chiffon top and trousers. In the movie, the French actress plays a Turkish chambermaid. Other stars who showed up for the opening included Woody Harrelson, who is staring in the London play "On An Average Day," and actor Joseph Fiennes. Gwyneth Paltrow, the star of "Shakespeare in Love," also was on the guest list, but she failed to turn up, disappointing the many fans who had braved the rain to stand outside the theater. The London Film Festival, which runs until Nov. 21, will showcase about 200 new films, including "8 Mile," which stars Eminem (news - web sites), and "The Quiet American," a Graham Greene thriller with Michael Caine.

November 5, 2002

- Dark Horizons reports that Killing Me Softly, the Joseph Fiennes/Heather Graham flick, is set for a November 28th release in Australia.

- Read an article about William B. Breuer's book "The Great Raid" being turned into a movie with Joe Fiennes.