After much ado about casting and re-casting, in round three of who will kick-up some dust and dig in his spurs opposite Oscar winner Natalie Portman in her New Mexico western “Jane Got a Gun”, her Star Wars co-star Ewan McGregor has come into focus!
Both are experienced in NM filming as Portman has been here for both “Thor” and “Brothers”, and McGregor starred in “Men Who Stare at Goats” back in and returned with Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender and Gina Carano for “Haywire”.
As everyone knows all too well nothing is confirmed until all hands are on deck, all stars are on their mark and the director yells, ACTION!
So here’s to a great shoot for all involved, how ever things fall out on this and every AWESOME production rolling right now here in New Mexico!
Frank co-stars Michael Fassbender and Maggie Gyllenhaal. The indie comedy is about a wild band lead by Fassbender, as Frank with Gyllenhaal as his “intense”, right-hand woman. The story is told through the eyes of the group’s newest addition Domhnall Gleeson (Anna Karenina). Scoot McNairy (Argo), and Jack White drummer Carla Aza costar. Leonard Abrahamson (Adam & Paul) is directing from a script by Jon Ronson and Peter Straughan (The Men Who Stare At Goats). via THR
New Mexico native, Demi Moore may be hesitant to return to her home state, but her daughter Rumer Willis is set to star in NM indie, “The Odd Way Home”.
July 10, 2012, SANTA FE —New Mexico Film Office Director Nick Maniatis announced today that New Mexico production companies Slant Productions and Sandia Media will start production on the independent feature film, “The Odd Way Home.” Production will begin mid July through August and will shoot in and around southern New Mexico including Las Cruces, Deming, Hillsboro and Silver City.
The production will employ at least 38 New Mexico crewmembers including fifteen 15 interns from New Mexico State University (NMSU) in Las Cruces and 22 New Mexican principal and background talent.
Starring Rumer Willis (The House Bunny, Hostage), Chris Marquette (The Girl Next Door, Alpha Dog), Brendan Sexton III (The Killing), Veronica Cartwright (Alien, Witches of Eastwick) and Bruce Altman (Matchstick Men, Glengarry Glen Ross).
Directed by local New Mexico resident Rajeev Nirmalakhandan who worked for Universal and Dreamworks before teaching film at NMSU’s Creative Media Institute. Produced by locals Peter Touche (Goats, Blaze You Out) of Sandia Media, Patrick Nelson and Victor Kearney as executive producer.
“This film would not have been possible without the support of NMSU’s Creative Media Institute and its talented students,” Peter Touche stated. “We are also most grateful to the communities of Las Cruces, Deming, Hillsboro and Silver City, all of whom have enabled this project. This is truly a New Mexico project born and bred.”
Written by Rajeev Nirmalakhandan and Jason Ronstadt, The Odd Way Home tells the story of Duncan (Chris Marquette), a man with autism, who meets Maya (Rumer Willis) escaping her life in Los Angeles. They embark on an inspirational journey though the great American Southwest.
Posted by Sindicator on February 16, 2012 | Comments Off
UPDATE:Image Entertainment has acquired North American rights to Goats! The indie film distributor, which also released NM production Passion Play, is planning a theatrical release this spring.
Thanks Brent via THR
Christopher Neil’s directorial debut recently screened at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival in Park City Utah. His film, Goats shot right here in NM last spring and featured some of our favorite local talent, including Vince McDaniel and Shenita Moore.
Here are a few reviews from that screening:
“Goats is…filled with gorgeously composed shots and some absolutely stunning cinematography by Wyatt Troll. The shots in the desert are of a painterly beauty…” – Movie City News
A “perfectly balanced, albeit insane cast.” – Screencrave
“The cast presents the subtle humor and the deep touching moments eloquently. This film is a must see for anyone that enjoys a coming of age story…” – Christian Cinema
“Goats defies convention by blurring the lines between genres and challenging the notion of what the typical coming of age story needs to be. The film surprises at every turn.” – Pro Networks
Synopsis:
Having a self-absorbed New Age mother and an estranged father means 15-year-old Ellis Whitman has grown up relying on an unconventional guardian: a goat-trekking, marijuana-growing sage called Goat Man. So when Ellis decides to leave the alternative ways of his desert homestead for a stuffy East Coast prep school, major changes are in store. But not in the way you’d think. Though often stoned, the exceedingly smart and capable Ellis effortlessly aces school and excels at track. As the year progresses, it’s his relationships with the adults in his life that test him, challenging his beliefs about responsibility and trustworthiness.
With its expansive vision of family and passel of delicious oddball characters transposed from screenwriter Poirier’s novel with deadpan naturalism, GOATS wryly balances satire with poignancy and tenderness. Ellis’s eventual disillusionment with his various “parents” forces him to seek and find strength within and to realize the truth about love: it’s never perfect, but it is always there. – C.N.
The Goats script is an adaptation of the 2001 novel of the same name. Both the novel and the screenplay were penned by Mark Poirier.
The film stars David Duchovny, Vera Farmiga, Ty Burrell, Justin Kirk, Anthony Anderson, Keri Russell, and Graham Phillips. In addition to the New Mexico shoot, the 2011 production also filmed in Tucson, Arizona and Watertown, Connecticut.
While Paul is in theaters, Let Me In is hot on Netflix and more and more NM Films roll around the world, with many more to come – the GOATS shoot is ON!
Heading into its second week in production Duchovny’s epic hair reportedly faces little competition on set, extras casting continues and we just got word that funny man & actor extraordinaire Anthony Anderson is a part of the cast – pictured here with one of NM’s Own most handsome, Vincent E. McDaniel hard at work!
Anderson is in-n-outta here…vaya con dios compadre…why do I hear Spanish when I see him? Is that just a weird subconscious fantasy of mine or did he whip out some Español in a role or two? Anyhoo…every pic, word and deet we get a trickle of from the Goats production sound like it’s gonna be a WINNER!
UPDATE 3/15/11: Now casting for 18 year old males who could play 16 in the feature film Goats. Needed by tomorrow night for a fitting. They will work Friday and maybe Saturday. Email ASAP please jimburleson@yahoo.com.
UPDATE 3/2/11: Goats Casting Call for boys and men who can pass for 14-18 years old prep school students. Tomorrow at noon at Nativo Lodge in Albuquerque, NM.
Note: Come clean shaven, hair groomed. Think Prep School. Ready to meet Director who will be picking actors on the spot. Noon to 3pm.
Nativo Lodge
6000 Pan American Freeway NE
Albuquerque, NM 87109
Goats starring Graham Phillips, and David Duchovny is looking for school aged looking adults to play as private school attendees and also administrators and teachers. Please send current headshots and resume including age and wardrobe sizes asap to jimburleson@yahoo.com. Shooting starts March 12th. This is a paid extra’s job.
The forthcoming zombie comedy-horror penned by Director
Chris Gabriel has cast none other than the evil Dr. Calico, Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange, [tv] CSI, The Mentalist, Entourage, Heros) in the lead.
Posted by Sindicator on March 31, 2010 | Comments Off
Academy Award winning actor Jeff Bridges has been hard at work in New Mexico filming The Men Who Stare at Goats with George Clooney and Ewan McGregor in ’08, his Oscar winning turn in Crazy Heart in ’09, and currently starring alongside Matt Damon and Josh Brolin in the latest Coen Brothers NM film True Grit.
Bridges will perform with his band in a first ever live show at the Lensic in Santa Fe on April 18 at 3:00 p.m.
According to Santa Fe dot com: “In addition to the live performance, there will be a screening of ‘Crazy Heart’, a silent auction of movie memorabilia and a raffle. This charitable event is being staged to raise money for New Mexico Film Makers Give Back, a program of IATSE Local 480, which raised over $100,000 last year to fund local charities…
The Lensic is located at 211 West San Francisco Street. The Box office can be contacted at 505-988-1234 or www.ticketssantafe.org”
Posted by Sindicator on March 8, 2010 | Comments Off
Our locally televised post-Oscar coverage decided to tell us which 4 Oscar winners since 1902 have eventually come to live in or visit NM.
We’ll give you the scoop on present day New Mexico connections:
Right out of the gate NM’s Own NPH high-kicked-off the show. As predicted Jeff Bridges and Ryan Bingham each picked-up an Oscar for their contributions to NM film Crazy Heart.
Nominated film A Single Man has New Mexico roots behind the lens as director Tom Ford is a current resident. Precious‘ NM connection too is through it’s nominated director. Lee Daniels shot his 2008 film Tenessee in part here.
Oscar contender A Serious Man was the most recent Coen Bros release. It was just two years ago that the Bros won Best Picture with New Mexico’s No Country for Old Men. Joel and Ethan are currently at work on their adaptation of the Carles Portis Novel True Grit shooting right here with last night’s nom Matt Damon and other veteran NM actors.
The Academy’s beloved George Clooney didn’t take home a new statue and his NM film, Goats did not get any mentions nor did Crazy Heart’s Maggie Gyllenhaal’s bro. Jake & company’s Oscar worthy turn in NM’s Brothers was snubbed all together.
This year’s Best Picture winner didn’t make to New Mexico as recollected and jeered about between co-star Anthony Mackie and his interviewer here.
We’ll likely catch Bigelow and Mackie (if he’s lucky) shooting in our neck of the woods on the flip side…
p.s. KOAT did air a noteworthy look at NM’s Avatar connection though it’s ill~accessible on their website.
As the sun begins to set on the office of El Majico (formerly known as The Commerce Secretary of Hearts, a.k.a. The People’s Governor), we’d like to start the new year and a new feature by naming him our mas caliente, numero uno, scorcher on our Scoville’s Scale of Separation.
Governor Richardson easily takes the top spot highlighting the heat of a prominent, public personality who promotes and furthers the entertainment industry in New Mexico.
You cannot get hotter than being a New Mexican, living in New Mexico, holding its top public office and driving the entertainment industry train lo these many years.
Below is a chart for your reference where you can see that on the Scoville Scale of Heat the mighty Bhut Jolokia chile ranks just under U.S. Law Enforcement Grade Pepper Spray – that’s our Majico.
The mighty-movie-star BP would reach his Scoville ranking via the following equation:
Brad Pitt + Goerge Clooney = Ocean’s 11-13 + George Clooney = Men Who Stare at Goats = New Mexico
Brad achieves 3 Scoville’s of Separation to Nuevo México – and we will strive to show you that nary will the “human web” take you further than 6 Scoville’s from NM.
Posted by Sindicator on October 21, 2009 | Comments Off
Yesterday – Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen is now available on DVD, featuring NM’s World Record setting scene for the biggest explosion on film w/actors present.
Today – The Loop, directed by Margaret Whitton, starring Rachel Nichols (G.I. Joe), Buck Henry and Rocco Sisto is currently filming in Santa Fe.
Mañana – Men Who Stare at Goats starring George Clooney & Ewan McGregor set for wide release on November 6.
Posted by Sindicator on September 8, 2009 | Comments Off
Speaking of Big Papís and Italia – George Clooney and Ewan McGregor are in Italy for the Venice Film Festival to premier The Men Who Stare at Goats, the New Mexico film production we told you about here.
Below Clooney receives more of the same kind of welcome he’s used to during an international press junket via another proposition by a member of the “press” flesh.
Posted by Sindicator on December 19, 2008 | Comments Off
Scottish actor Ewan McGregor filming “stunt scenes” in NM, Dec. 18 for feature film ‘Men Who Stare at Goats’ w/George Clooney at Gun Club Road & Hwy 47, Albuquerque – Thanks Callie
KOAT-7
Do-gooder, Academy Award ® Winner and Actor George Clooney filming at the New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, NM this week. Roswell, NM – Birthplace of Demi Moore, circa 1962.
