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We finally have our first look at Cate Blanchett in her new role in the film, RUMOURS, directed by Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson. Bleecker Street unveiled the first look on their special reel celebrating their 10th year anniversary. They will be distributing the film in the US later this year.

RUMOURS will premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival as part of the Out of Competition section. During the announcement of the official selection. Thierry Frémaux said that the film is a political comedy and that Cate’s character is “kind of Ursula von der Leyen (President of European Commission).

RUMOURS – Evan JOHNSON, Galen JOHNSON, Guy MADDIN
#HorsCompétition #OutOfCompetition #Cannes2024

— Festival de Cannes (@Festival_Cannes) April 11, 2024

 An extended trailer for Borderlands was shown during Lionsgate’s panel at CinemaCon. Details below.

Rumours

“Rumours” follows the seven leaders of the world’s wealthiest liberal democracies at the annual G7 summit after they become lost in the woods and face increasing peril while attempting to draft a provisional statement regarding a global crisis.

In an interview with Winnipeg Free Press, the directors said that after seeing Cate Blanchett mentioned Guy Maddin during her visit at the Criterion closet while promoting Todd Field’s TÁR pushed them to ask Cate to star in the film.

Italian director and actor, Rolando Ravello mentioned in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter Roma that Cate is playing the German chancellor, while he plays the Italian prime minister, Charles Dance is the US President, Denis Menochet is the French president.

“It still has his sense of humour, his [Guy Maddin] affinity for melodrama, a retreat — or an ascent — to surrealism, when the time is right. As usual, there will be a feeling for intense artificiality when it’s called for,” Evan Johnson says.

“But I’d say this is a bit different because of the budget and the scale and because of the stars attached, but mostly because of the premise which involves G7. It’s a contemporary movie with something like real world figures. It has a stronger foundation in reality, I guess you’d say, compared to what people are used to from Guy’s movies.

“You can’t get our DNA out of it, but it will look and feel different.”

Johnson confirms that seeing Blanchett praise Maddin gave them hope she might participate in the film.

“She was someone we were interested in before that, but we thought it wasn’t even worth trying,” Johnson says.

Below is Google translated from Italian to English

Rolando Ravello: I don’t know how much I can say, I don’t want to put them in difficulty, but I think I can point out to you that it is an absurd G7, more than you can imagine but also fun, where everything happens and with a very often subtext which is a criticism of politics and to the system, to what we have become. A work that mixes various genres and reading levels. The cast is crazy: Charles Dance is the US president, Cate Blanchett the German chancellor, Denis Menochet the French president, just to name a few: I still wonder what I’m doing there in the middle.

How can I define it without giving spoilers? Part political film, part slapstick comedy. Here it is: between Ken Loach and Buster Keaton!

THR: And who is your character, Antonio?

RR: Someone completely outside the stereotypes of the Italian, both as a politician and as a man. He is an elf, a candid soul, a strange guy. He is the one who brings the most smiles in the film.

THR: There must be something you didn’t like about this experience!

RR: No, it was a wonderful adventure. Don’t expect Hollywood payments, it’s a super independent project, but something beautiful happened there too. In addition to the pay, which was still satisfactory, they gave me, without asking, 4 percent of the film. A gesture that struck me, who would have done it in Italy? However, everything was beautiful, even the sets only and always at night and very cold – and we didn’t have campers, but tents – because, in fact, everything takes place in this forest where we get lost at sunset.

THR: What remains of this film that will never leave you?

RR: Two beautiful things. Two dedications. The first, of the three directors – Rumors is also written by the two screenwriters Evan and Galen Johnson as well as Guy Maddin – who wrote me a thank you email in which they tell me that they could tell the film even just with and through the looks, the plans of listening to my character, that inside my eyes there was the profound meaning of the work. “Thank you for the gift you gave us, the whole film can be told through Antonio’s eyes”, now I found the email, they closed it like that. I shouldn’t have read it to you, maybe, it seems like I’m bragging. But it’s to make people understand what wonderful people they are.

THR: You spoke of two dedications, the second out.

RR: No, then I really sound like a mythomaniac.

THR: I won’t stop asking until he gives in.

RR: Ok, it’s so beautiful that I framed it next to the official photo, the portrait of the politicians at the end of the summit, of the whole cast. Normally I don’t put images at home in the projects I star in or direct, but in this case I made an exception.

THR: Don’t beat around the bush. We want the dedication and who made it.

RR: Cate Blanchett, on card. And above it was written a wonderful message that ends like this: “How have I lived all this time without knowing you?”. She is a special woman. After a few days on set we found ourselves drinking wine one evening and talking about beautiful, profound things for five hours. She is politically committed, we are on the same side, and she works for what she believes in. Even for this film: they all got much less than they normally get and in the markets, with the other actors, Rumors goes around like “the film with Cate Blanchett”. She gave herself generously to a deeply political film, which talks about very current issues, and which if people don’t like it will damage her above all.

THR: Do you know that you have just attracted the dislike of every man on the face of the earth?

RR: But no, I know who I am, there was nothing erotic! But it’s true that a special atmosphere was created on set, it helped me to be an empathetic badass.

THR: Explain this fascinating definition to us.

RR: I am someone who loves creating a climate of empathy on set, as an actor and as a director. And to do this I use laughter. From the bad joke said with innocence to dropping my trousers to make the cold and tired set and crew members explode with laughter.

THR: Are you telling me that you won over Cate Blanchett with an act of exhibitionism?

RR: No, with a cacio e pepe on the third day of filming. Can I say it? Everyone on the set enjoyed eating it and I also enjoyed seeing them eat it. Can you believe that when I get her WhatsApp messages or calls from her and I read “Cate Blanchett” on the screen I look around thinking that someone has forgotten her mobile phone at my house?

I remember that day as if it were yesterday: my partner Gioia and my seven-year-old son Tito had arrived the day before with the overseas food supply. Pecorino, good pasta and with these and other provisions the next day we all go to Cate’s apartment in Budapest – we filmed in Hungary – and eat, talk and laugh.

Only my son Tito was strangely silent. Then after half an hour he gets up, points his finger at her and says “Anyway I speak English very much!”. She fell off her chair laughing, looking like a little Greenie looking for attention.

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Borderlands

Borderlands is featured in the new issue of Empire Magazine out today.

Attendees were treated to a video message from leading stars, Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Jamie Lee Curtis (The schtick of the video is Curtis talking the whole time while everyone tries to get a word in.)  with Roth and Greenblatt appearing in the flesh. Even without everyone physically there, it was clear that the team had a wonderful time turning the title from a video game into what will likely be an on-screen phenomenon, with those of us in the audience catching an extended sneak peek of the action that will unfold on August 9.

Taking the reins on a popular game and turning it into a feature-length production isn’t a small feat by any stretch of the imagination, but from the latest look, Roth has things fully under control. The chemistry between the actors is oozing as the team goes on an otherworldly adventure filled with explosions, flame throwers, and quippy one-liners with a hefty side of dysfunctional chosen-family dynamics. The adaptation of the game series that’s been around for well over a decade is stunningly vibrant, completely pulling audiences in and making them feel that they’re not only part of the story but part of the family as well.

During a brief Q&A session, Roth revealed that what began as a “faith-based” project quickly began to flourish after Blanchett joined the cast. The director, who found a box office hit and franchise opportunity last year with Thanksgiving, said that the Tár and Carol actress was excited to step out of the roles that she was used to appearing in and eager to pick up a flame thrower and get her hands dirty in a completely different genre.

Another description of Borderlands footage shown at CinemaCon

At CinemaCon 2024, with ScreenRant in attendance, Lionsgate revealed an extended trailer for the Borderlands movie. The trailer opens with the group in a car, bickering about a smell. Lilith is in a standoff with some bandits, and Roland and Tina arrive in a truck and pick her up, and they’re led on a chase through a canyon. It’s a very visually striking movie, with action, explosions, and alien fights. The trailer ends with the group looking at a flower, saying hope grows in the most unlikely places, only for Claptrap to jump on the flower and smush it.

Source: Winnipeg Free Press, THR Roma, Empire, Collider, CBM