ROSARIO DAWSON: Yes, I was 15. They were shooting a Vibe commercial on my block, and my dad said to go hang out downstairs because I might get cast. So I stood down there the whole weekend and ultimately ended up being checked out by Harmony Korine and Larry Clark [the writer and director, respectively, of Kids (1995), who were scouting locations for their movie].

HC: You were ultimately cast in Kids. That must have been an interesting initiation into filmmaking.

RD: Yeah, I remember being very quiet and shy and excited about the whole thing. I was supposed to play this very lippy, precocious, sexual girl, which I was not at that age. Finally, I just owned it, and it got me really excited about taking on a persona that wasn’t necessarily my own.

HC: You’ve done a number of indie projects, as well as big-budget studio fare like this month’s Alexander and the forthcoming Sin City. How is it to navigate those two worlds?

RD: I like the risks that independent projects sometimes take, but I’ve also worked on some great big-budget stuff. I’ve never had a particular loyalty to any one type of filmmaking. And it’s been great to participate in some other things. It brought in a lot of new experiences as well as different types of directors and approaches, which I probably wouldn’t have had if I’d stuck to just one thing. Plus I always wanted to work with Oliver Stone [Alexander's director].

HC: In the film you play Roxane, the wife of Alexander. Tell me about the role.

RD: It was a kind of character I’d never played before–she lived in a time and place where everything was life or death. And it was interesting to play a woman who was so fierce and strong, but so limited in her power. She couldn’t be persuasive, so she had to be manipulative. And because the film takes place from 350 to 285 B.C., you had to be in a bubble making it; we were out in the middle of the desert in Morocco for three months, totally away from everything.

HC: What do you think it was about this story that made Oliver Stone so committed to bringing it to the big screen?

RD: You can’t learn about a character like Alexander and not be moved. I think it’s why his story is still so relevant. It’s not about trying to match the politics of that time with what’s going on in the world today, though it’s easy to do. It’s the reason why history persists.

HC: I understand that Sin City is based on the graphic novels of Frank Miller and that you had to do a lot of green-screen work. Sounds like it couldn’t have been more different from Alexander.

RD: In some ways Sin City was equally extraordinary, but in a completely different way. The film is going to be black and white, but with spots of color, like red lips or a red dress–very surreal and film-noirish. But the other thing that’s so incredible about the film is [co-director] Robert Rodriguez’s dedication. Frank Miller is considered a god in the comic world, and this is going to be the most fully realized comic adaptation in history.

HC: So, tell me about politics, jail, and the dangers of wearing masks. [both laugh]

RD: Oh, goodness. Stephen Marshall, who is one of the creators of GNN, which stands for the Gorilla News Network, wanted to do a remake of this old film called Medium Cool (1969), which takes place during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. His version [called This Revolution] takes place at the 2004 Republican convention and deals with issues of journalistic integrity. What happened is that we were shooting footage during the convention, and one of the crew started talking to someone from BET [Black Entertainment Television]. I didn’t want to be identified, so I put my mask up to hide my identity. Then cops grabbed us and pulled us over and were like, “You’re wearing a mask. That’s against the law.” But when I turned to the cop and said, “We’re making a movie. We have permits,” he arrested me anyway. Contextually, I completely understand why they responded the way they did, but there were a lot of people who were arrested who weren’t doing anything. It only amplified the reason why I was doing the movie, and the reason why I’m involved with the [Lower East Side] Girls Club [a group that helps provide services to financially disadvantaged girls]–trying to empower people to know their rights. That’s another thing I got from Alexander. You look at people like Socrates and Aristotle who participated governmentally and philosophically and in the arts. They understood what it was to be a free man, and they respected it in a way that we just don’t nowadays.

According to The Sun, the movie promises to send adrenalin pumping with a thrilling lightsaber clash between Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) while they surf on lava.

“Anakin and Obi-Wan fight on platforms on the lava. They control these like surfboards,” a source was quoted as saying.

“There’s going to be a big announcement soon. They’ve tried lots of titles but the most popular is Birth Of The Empire,” he added.

The movie which will be out next May also features Anakin’s transformation into evil Darth Vader and his baby son, Luke, being smuggled to safety to the desert planet Tatooine. (ANI)

Hayden Christensen and his brother Tove Christensen have teamed with Emmy-winning documentarian R.J. Cutler to produce a reality project for FX. The project, tentatively titled “Masterpiece,” is going to chronicle a young artist’s rise to fame. A talent search is under way for a budding artist to star in “Masterpiece,” which has received a pilot presentation order from the cable network. The unscripted project marks Hayden Christensen’s (“Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones”) first foray into producing. Tove Christensen served as a producer on the Hayden Christensen starrer “Shattered Glass.” The Christensen brothers are not complete strangers to reality TV. The two competed in Mark Burnett’s “Eco-Challenge Fiji Islands.” In addition to “Masterpiece,” Cutler is developing another reality series project for FX that will tackle race relations in today’s America (HR 4/29). Hayden Christensen, Tove Christensen and Cutler are repped by CAA.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) – Hayden Christensen is getting into the “Star Wars” spirit. The actor who plays the future Darth Vader in “Attack of the Clones” and the upcoming “Revenge of the Sith” will make a cameo in the new “Star Wars” trilogy DVD boxed set, report news sources.

Christensen will appear as the spirit of Anakin Skywalker at the end of the new version of “Return of the Jedi” DVD, replacing the face of Sebastian Shaw.

Other similar changes have been made to reflect casting continuity, including changing the holographic broadcast of the Emperor in “The Empire Strikes Back” to look and sound like Ian McDiarmid, who plays the role in “Jedi” and the first two prequels. In “A New Hope,” the digital image of Jabba the Hut that was added in 1997 has been recreated to look more realistic.

Despite these minor alterations, the most significant thing fans will notice is the improved visual quality thanks to a thorough restoration. Bonus features include rare production photos, TV commercials, trailers, posters, clips of actors who auditioned for but did not land the parts of Han Solo and princess Leia and a preview of “Episode III,” which will be released in May 2005.

The “Star Wars” DVD trilogy four-disc box set will hit retail shelves on Tuesday, Sept. 21.

Besides the “Star Wars” movies, the 23-year-old Christensen has also starred in “Shattered Glass” and “Life As a House.”

Source: Zap2It.Com

Or so one film distributor argues, and the latest to get that special treatment is Hayden Christensen, star of Billy Lay’s Shattered Glass.

“I feel very privileged, very lucky,” Christensen says in an interview held in a sumptuous room at the Park Hyatt hotel overlooking the Shinjuku district of Tokyo.

“This is where I stayed last time here. Everyone here is very nice. I really like the hotel. It wasn’t a response to the Lost in Translation film,” he grins, referring to the film that was largely shot in the hotel.

What about Kobe beef?

“Kobe beef is just something you don’t have very often in North America, and it’s delicious. So I wanted to make sure I’ve got some of that meat before I leave.”

Shattered Glass tells the story of Steven Glass, who was once a star journalist before being found to have fabricated more than two dozen articles published in such prestigious magazines as The New Republic and Rolling Stone. Christensen plays the lead role of Glass himself. But did the Canadian actor enjoy portraying someone falling from grace?

“Very much so,” he says.

In what respect?

“Your character goes through some sort of evolution…to start at one place and end up somewhere completely different is always more intriguing because there’s more to do, because there’s more to portray,” he says.

In the movie, Glass keeps his big lie from colleagues, who respect him as one of the best journalists around. The movie does not make him out to be a professional con man, but portrays him as a caring and introverted young man.

“You have all these sensibilities that you’re trying to juggle,” Christensen says. “Trying to make it seem real enough that this person you’re creating could pull all these things off was daunting at times.”

In preparation for the role, Christensen spoke to Glass’ former colleagues at The New Republic and read all the articles Glass wrote, which he says, gave him a good sense of what kind of storyteller Glass was.

But he couldn’t meet Glass himself.

“He didn’t want us to make it,” he says. “I mean, for a good reason…Imagine you’re going to a video store and seeing sort of the worst time in your life put on a cassette on a video shelf for someone to go and rent whenever they please.”

Christensen says Glass even threatened to file a suit against the filmmakers if they went ahead with the production. “Glass said, ‘If you make a movie, I’ll sue you because it’s not true and I didn’t actually do any of this,’” he says.

In the end, however, Glass went to see the movie.

“Apparently he said it was very painful to watch because it’s re-creating a very painful time of his life. But he thought we did a good job. He thought we approached it with integrity and told the story as it happened. We didn’t sensationalize the story. Nor did we attempt to villainize him, either. It felt real to him, he said,” Christensen explains.

‘Star Wars’ and star status

Christensen acquired stellar status in Hollywood after his role in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of Clones, in which he plays Anakin Skywalker, later known as Darth Vader. He landed the part in competition with about 400 other actors who auditioned for the role.

“To get a part in Star Wars was a huge shift in my career. It was big news for me,” he says. “Things are very different. My career’s obviously different. It’s been a very rapid change in a small period of time. I was very young, still I’m very young, but…a lot is coming at me.”

With the buzz gradually building up ahead of the release of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, our talk inevitably shifts to the third and final installment of the Star Wars prequels.

“We’ve just finished” the shooting of Episode III, he says. “We finished principal photography a little over a year ago. We were back in London, doing reshoots and got to see a little bit of the film. It was very exciting and the third one looks everything we hoped it to be.

“I think this is the one everyone is really looking forward to. It’s a Darth Vader story. It’s sort of that final evolution into Anakin becoming the greatest villain of all time,” he says.

Come to think of it, Anakin is also a character who falls from grace–in this case from a noble Jedi to the evil Darth Vader. Maybe that’s exactly the right kind of part for Christensen.

Source: Daily Yomiuri On-line

The title was unveiled right at the end of the presentation, after Star Wars Fan Relations guru, Steve Sansweet had conducted an interview with producer, Rick McCallum and Darth Vader himself, Hayden Christensen. A brief Q&A followed, during which Christensen revealed that the Anakin-Obi-Wan relationship is the true fulcrum of the picture, McCallum hinted that Samuel L. Jackson’s Mace Windu is the pivotal point that begins Anakin’s descent toward the Dark Side, and in which we got to see Christensen don the Vader armour for the first time, to tumultuous cheers from the audience (many of whom were suitably dressed for the occasion). Christensen wouldn’t be drawn, though, on how long he would be spending in the Vader suit.

Then came the title, revealed in a montage displaying the titles of the previous five films, one by one. Then, as III was displayed on the screen, the word ‘Revenge’ flashed briefly on the screen, before pulling out to reveal ‘Revenge of the Sith’. And lo, the approval was great. Even the guy who told McCallum that Jar Jar had ‘ruined the series’ must have been pleased. And the good news for those who fear that George Lucas might do what he did with Return of the Jedi and delete the word ‘ revenge’ at the last minute? “This time,” laughed Sansweet, “George tells us he’s going to keep ‘Revenge’ in the title. ” Too bloody right.

Source: Empire Online

After panning across a plywood set and watching Lucas and Rick McCallum play ‘draw’ with blaster pistols, we are introduced to the challenge of segueing from the last of the prequel trilogy to the first of the original films. “We’re in one world trying to link two basic films,” explains McCallum. “We have to deal with Episode III but, much more importantly in a lot of ways, we have to make sure that everything we do in III rings true for Episode IV. ”

Cut to Lucas surveying a table full of lightsabers. “Well, is this the one that’s given to Luke?” He asks, while pawing a distinctly familiar weapon. “So this is the one that Obi-Wan takes, he takes it with him after that fight. So that’s basically the way it works; we just have to go from Ewan to Alec.”

A hop, skip and jump to the Creatures department reveals the eight foot (at least) hirsute frame of a wookiee character having his (her?) lustrous mane groomed by one of the modellers. “This isn’t Chewbacca, I don’t think,” observes Lucas. “This is somebody else. It was funny because when we first did it [Peter Mayhew, who plays Chewbacca] was the tallest guy we could find in England. Now, just take any basketball team and they start at seven foot six.”

We then take a look inside Ewan McGregor’s dressing room as his make-up is applied and the director muses on the challenge of bringing the Scotsman’s images one step closer to Alec Guinness’s in Episode IV. Keeping with the grooming theme we are subsequently treated to a look at young Hayden Christensen sporting a wig that screams ‘Def Leppard’ louder than it does ‘emergent Sith Lord’. “You know, I actually thought Mark Hamill’s haircut was really cool,” says make-up supervisor, Nikki Gooley. it takes all sorts.

Natlie Portman, Hayden and Ewan perform on-set read-throughs, the latter two engage in some lightsaber sparring and Anthony Daniels clunks around in his shiny Threepio outfit. This is all very entertaining but the highlight of the entire featurette has to be Costume Props Supervisor, Ivo Coveney’s references to Anakin’s final costume.

Leafing through photographs of a deeply familiar suit of black armour, Coveney muses on Vader’s various incarnations. “You can start to tell the difference between some of them on these [chest] plates right here. For Return of the Jedi they’d resculpted this.” We cut to a cast of Christensen’s head placed within a cross-sectioned Vader helm. “Although we’ve got Hayden’s head cast, until we start putting it on his body we just don’t know exactly what’s going to happen. But we know that George wants to keep the scale the same.” Looks like some serious lifts will be in order to bring Christensen up to David Prowse’s six foot seven frame.

Source: Empire Online

Allow us to take you back for a moment to the heady days of early 1996, when Jar Jar Binks was no more than a pixel in George Lucas’ eye and we had yet to be introduced to the Episode I universe.

You may recall the excitement that greeted the launch of the Episode I soundtrack, offering as it did the first taste of the most eagerly anticipated film in history. And your ears may still be ringing from the shrieks of horror from spoiler-averse fans that greeted the track listings “Qui-Gon’s Noble End” and “Qui-Gon’s Funeral”.

Yes, Lucas gave it all away on the soundtrack cover. Now, with the trailer for the Episode III game, reported here on Coming Soon, it is once again time for fans to be cautious. It may be that what you see here bears no relation to the action of the film, but it looks spoilerific indeed.

We’re not going to reveal anything more about the game, except to say that the graphics are really rather good, and the action looks impressive – Hayden Christensen apparently did the motion capture himself. That’s due out on May 5, 2005, just as excitement about the film reaches fever pitch.

The highlight of the space epic is expected to be a light sabre duel between Obi-Wan Kenobi, played by Ewan McGregor, and Anakin Skywalker, played by Hayden Christensen, while surfing on lava.

A movie insider revealed: “Anakin and Obi-Wan fight on platforms of lava, which they ride like surfboards.”

The movie, which is the sixth in the series, also features Anakin being transformed into the evil Darth Vader when he falls into the lava, and his baby son, Luke, being smuggled to safety to the desert planet Tatooine.

The source added: “‘Birth of the Empire’ is the favourite title so far.”

The film is due to hit cinema screens next May.

It’s right there – in small tantalizing bites, of course, but it’s there – sneak peaks of the lightsaber duel to end them all, a chilling glance at the doning of the Darth Vader mask.

George Lucas knows how to whet the appetite of his fans. He knows how to tempt and tease and stir up the anticipation for next summer’s “Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith.” So we see actor Hayden Christensen fitted for his Darth Vader mask; later we see him put it on. And we watch the awe-struck reaction of the Industrial Light & Magic crew at the sight of him walking on the set.

And that’s nothing. This four-disc “Star Wars” set, long overdue in its release, is out of this world. The only downside is that these aren’t the original theatrical releases. Lucas did a bit of tinkering a few years back for the “special edition” versions; he’s done more here – most of what we could do without. A universe-wide celebration scene added to the end of “Return of the Jedi,” for instance, feels phony.

But overall, this is fantastic. The much-anticipated and highly debated lightsaber duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan (the battle leading to the creation of Darth Vader) is shown as actors Christensen and Ewan McGregor practice it and then act it out in front of a bluescreen. That bluescreen footage is short but makes the point of how powerfully aggressive young Anakin has become.

Want more? Each of the three films in this middle trilogy – “Star Wars,” “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi” – has commentaries by Lucas, actress Carrie Fisher, sound designer Ben Burtt and effects supervisor Dennis Muren. “Empire” also has commentary by director Irvin Kirshner, whose robust voice and clear memories are very entertaining.

It’s intriguing to hear Lucas discuss his shortcomings and admit mistakes, including killing off the ever-popular Boba Fett. Listen carefully: He also throws out tidbits that could be clues (or decoys) for “Revenge of the Sith.” He refers to the “death” of Anakin, something sure to ignite growing Internet debate that Anakin didn’t merely go to the dark side but that he was killed by Obi-Wan.

A fourth disc includes featurettes and “Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy,” a wonderful documentary that never bores during its 150 minutes. It includes new, very open interviews with Lucas, Fisher, Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and many others.

Wondering what all the fuss is about with “Star Wars”? Check out the featurette, “The Force is With Them: The Legacy of Star Wars” and hear filmmakers including Peter Jackson, James Cameron, Ridley Scott and John Singletary discuss seeing “Star Wars” for the first time and how it affected them.

Cameron quit his truck driving job to become a filmmaker; Jackson based his “Lord of the Rings” trilogy on the “Star Wars” ethos; Singletary, then 9, knew what he wanted to do from that moment on.

And Scott? It was so good, he says, that he “was depressed.” And also inspired. His next film was the sci-fi masterpiece “Alien.”

“Unfortunately, I didn’t get to keep the costume,” he told a gathering of 6,500 fans at Comic-Con.

Christensen immersed himself in the villain’s lore, and was such an expert at lightsaber dueling that he asked the makers of an upcoming tie-in video game to change his digital character’s stance to better reflect Vader’s fighting style.

But some questions about the “Star Wars” universe left him at a loss, including this one: “Is the dark side of the Force stronger than the light?”

He was better at answering “What was it like to be Darth Vader?” a role he said he’d been looking forward since he started working on the previous “Star Wars” installment, “Attack of the Clones.”

“It was overwhelming. That has always been the exclamation mark in the back of my head throughout this entire process. Getting to put on the dark helmet and walk onstage as Vader … It was orgasmic.”

Source: Hollywood News

The handsome Canadian can be seen lounging on a bed with slicked-back hair, an elegant black suit, crisp white shirt and black leather gloves in the new print ads.

Christensen, who plays Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequels, isn’t the only big name to grace Louis Vuitton ads-Jennifer Lopez was the company’s spokesmodel for their 2003-2004 season.

Source: Teen Hollywood.Com

In 2005, Christensen will square off against Ewan McGregor in the most dynamic and dramatic lightsaber duel of the saga. For fans looking to live that action, LucasArts is currently developing the Episode III video game. “It is scheduled to premiere May 5 — two weeks before the movie,” said Sansweet. “Details of the game and platforms will be released by LucasArts soon, but here, for the first time, is a look at the making of the game.”

Sansweet then screened an advance perview of Episode III: Making the Game, a documentary that is included as bonus material on the Star Wars Trilogy DVD. In it, Nick Gillard and Hayden Christensen guide the crew of artists and developers from Lucas Arts in the making of the Episode III game.

“Episode III completes George Lucas’ Star Wars saga,” said Sansweet.” It ties up loose ends and answers many of the questions that have long lingered in our minds. The movie is jam-packed with action, from the opening space battle to the closing battle — almost too painful to bear — that pits friend against friend, Master against Padawan, while the fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance. But at its core, it is the story of how a gifted, idealistic young man switches his allegiance from the side of light to that of the dark side, how and why Anakin Skywalker becomes the evil Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader.”

With that, audiences were given a first glimpse at “The Return of Darth Vader,” an edited version of the featurette to appear in this fall’s Star Wars Trilogy DVD.

“It either scares you, or it thrills you,” said James Earl Jones, describing the Dark Lord’s presence. The documentary takes a close look at the Costume Props Department, led by supervisor Ivo Coveney, as they painstakingly create a new suit of Darth Vader armor, to be worn by Hayden Christensen in the film.

Circling back to this quip about the Episode III title, Sansweet then introduced a new piece of video cut for the Comic-Con audience. This showcase of the Star Wars saga included all the episode titles to date, including the newly unveiled Episode III title, Revenge of the Sith. For Hyperspace members, here is the video screened that day.

Before Jayson Blair, the infamous fabulist of the New York Times, there was Stephen Glass, who made up stories for The New Republic.

Like Blair, Glass was caught and dismissed in disgrace. Now Glass’s downfall is on display in Billy Ray’s directorial debut, Shattered Glass, which opens today.

Glass calls it “my own personal horror film.”

“It was extremely painful and difficult to watch. There were large chunks of it, or at least significant chunks of it, that I looked at the ground, I didn’t look at the screen.That being said, it’s a good movie. Some of the performances are unbelievable,” Glass says, singling out Steve Zahn’s performance as the online reporter whose digging led to his exposure in 1998.

“It was a tour through the worst parts of my life, the parts of my life I’m the most ashamed of – things I wish I had never done, and things I feel a great deal of remorse for.”

Hayden Christensen – far removed from his Anakin Skywalker role – plays Glass with a puppy-dog disingenuousness (“Are you mad at me?” he keeps pre-emptively asking). The movie has received mostly rave reviews.

“The one thing that the movie doesn’t get is, I don’t think there’s ever an expression of why or what it felt like to be the person doing this,” Glass says. “I think that’s the area where the movie sort of is incomplete.”

Glass, 31, didn’t profit from or co-operate in making the movie, and Ray concedes that “I’m sure if he and I would have been speaking regularly, I would have gotten manipulated into showing that inner turmoil. But I don’t think that would have made it a better movie.”

At a recent screening, the film’s writer-director urged audience members to ask themselves whether they thought Glass was a sociopath, a pathological liar or just a guy who made some bad choices.

Ray doesn’t suggest an answer himself, and his movie doesn’t offer an explanation.

“I think you could spend a long time with Stephen and come away just more confused. It also, by the way, just doesn’t interest me that much,” says Ray, whose screenplay credits include Hart’s War and Volcano.

“I’m interested in how people relate to the truth v personality. Why Stephen did what he did is almost immaterial to that story.”

Ray made the movie based on his belief that Woodward and Bernstein – The Washington Post journalists whose Watergate reporting led to President Nixon’s resignation – were heroes and their legacy must be maintained by the generations that follow.

“I think it’s tougher to maintain now because the temptations that are dangled in front of reporters to become stars are greater than the temptations used to be. There’re just so many different ways to get yourself on television now. But I think the lure of fame is very real. And I don’t think that’s a good thing,” he says.

Chuck Lane, the New Republic editor who fired Glass, says when you go back and read Glass’s stories with the knowledge that they’re fake, it’s interesting to see why they were believed.

“One of the parts of the answer that I’ve settled on is that so many of his stories revolve around stereotypes,” says Lane, now a reporter with The Washington Post.

“They fit into the pre-existing grooves that are already etched into everybody’s heads – things we think or are predisposed to believe are true.

“So he’s got stories about young conservatives who turn out to be total hypocrites about morality; he’s got stories about department store Santa Clauses who turn out to be pedophiles; and he’s got a big story about a pseudo-scientific exploration about why African-Americans are too lazy to drive taxicabs but immigrants will.”

Peter Sarsgaard, who plays Lane, also blames gullibility as much or more than the fabricator’s mendacity
.
“I think what made all of this possible for him has more to do with the public than it does him. It’s more interesting to think about why people believe people like that than why they lie. Why is our culture only interested in the hyperbolic, the entertaining, in journalism?” he wonders.

Through therapy, Glass says, he’s come to understand the root of his falsehoods.

“There’s a deep feeling of self-loathing and feeling that I was not good enough in any respect. I wasn’t a good enough journalist, or a good enough friend, or a good enough boyfriend, or a good enough son, or a good enough brother,” he says.

“And so I believe I lied to deceive people into thinking better of me.” That made him want to come up with “perfect stories”.

“I wanted stories that, frankly, don’t exist that often. I wanted stories that weren’t just, like, good stories or great stories; we’re talking about, like, home-run, grand-slam stories. And so I made things up constantly to have the perfect quote or the A-plus anecdote,” says Glass.

“And then from each of those lies I had to lie another step and another step and another step, and lie to guard all those steps as well. I kept lying at every stage. That’s how it became lies upon lies upon lies.”

As part of his effort to reclaim his life he’s been writing letters of apology to those he feels he wronged.

Lane has received one of those missives, but he concedes he finds the expressions of remorse “hard to square,” because, among other reasons, The Fabulist – Glass’ autobiographical novel _ depicts various people he’s now apologising to in “a very, very negative way, and quite inaccurately and meanly”.

Can Lane believe anything Glass says?

“I think: Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.”

Whether it’s true or not – and Glass himself admits it’s fair to wonder – Glass says he’s trying to rebuild his life, even while he sounds continually remorseful.

“I feel what I did was terrible and horrible. And it’s something I’m deeply ashamed of. And I recognise that in many ways it has defined my life. And so I think when people consider me they have to consider that – and it’s fair for them to consider that. I hope that over the course of my life I’ll do other things that will make the picture of who I am more complicated.”

He has “a wonderful personal life” and enjoys the emotional support of his family, girlfriend, a dog, four cats and various friends. He’s also at work on a second novel. A law school graduate, he has passed the New York bar exam’s written test.

But he still must pass the character and fitness committee review.

“My application will obviously require a great deal of consideration,” he says.

Source: Daily Telegraph

Hayden Christensen was 2 years old when George Lucas released his third Star Wars film, Return of the Jedi, in 1983. Now the actor who would be Darth Vader gets a magical cameo in the DVD version.

That’s the biggest of several changes found in the movies that make up the Stars Wars Trilogy, available only in a four-disc box set that arrives on DVD Sept. 21 ($70).

For more than a year, Web sites have traded rumors about what might be in store from Lucas, who added to the films for 1997′s Special Edition releases in theaters and on VHS. A few fans held out hope that the DVDs might include the original versions of the films. (Related story: Filmmakers pay tribute to Lucas and the movie that started it all).

But an early look at the DVDs reveals Lucas continues to exercise creative power over his Star Wars empire, and in his mind, the original versions are no more. The latest changes in the films — the most requested DVDs since the launch of the format seven years ago — are minor and mostly cosmetic:

•Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. Christensen, who plays Anakin Skywalker in Episode II: Attack of the Clones and in the upcoming Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, now appears at the end of Jedi as Anakin’s spirit. He replaces Sebastian Shaw, whose face you still see when Luke Skywalker removes the iconic black Darth Vader mask. (In all three films, David Prowse wore the Vader suit, and James Earl Jones provided the voice.)

•Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. In another change for continuity’s sake, the Emperor, whose face is seen in a hologram broadcast, goes uncredited, but he sounds and looks like Ian McDiarmid, who played the Emperor in Return of the Jedi and Senator Palpatine in Episodes I and II. (Clive Revill is listed as the Emperor in the Empire credits.)

•Episode IV: A New Hope. Only subtle changes here. The cantina shootout between Han Solo and the green-snouted bounty hunter Greedo is virtually identical, but now it seems their guns fire almost simultaneously. Lucas had changed the original for the 1997 rerelease because it seemed that Han had fired first. Also, Jabba the Hutt has gotten a makeover and looks more realistic in his scene with Han than when it was added in 1997.

Undoubtedly, Lucas and his crew have made many other smaller tweaks. But they go by so quickly most viewers won’t notice.

Overall, the expected changes on the DVDs aren’t as dramatic as those for the Special Editions in 1997, says Scott Chitwood, one of the co-founders of TheForce.Net, a Star Wars fan/news site. “I think a few of the changes will only make sense after Episode III,” he says.

Star Wars fan Mark Madison, 37, of Myrtle Beach, S.C., and a member of USA TODAY’s Pop Culture Panel, is unconcerned about the changes. “What made these movies so great is the story and the relationship between the main characters.”

The trilogy’s major transformation comes from the restoration project that brings the look of the films into the 21st century. Using transfers made from the original films’ negatives, the Burbank, Calif., digital restoration house Lowry Digital Images cleaned up the movies so they look fresh.

The box set’s bonus disc includes a preview of the final Star Wars chapter, due in theaters May 19, 2005, which will bring to an end three decades that Lucas has spent on the space saga.

“In the beginning … it appeared the story was about Luke, but if you see all six films, then you realize the story is really about Darth Vader,” Lucas says in the commentary track from Return of the Jedi. Carrie Fisher also assists on the commentaries, as do other crew members. Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill are seen in several of the extras.

There’s also a collection of trailers, TV commercials, posters and rare production photos. “It is a way of having a piece of the Lucasfilm archive,” says Jim Ward, executive producer of the DVD collection. “But it’s also a way for fans who think they know everything to become inspired, surprised and amazed all over again.”

Source: USA Today

Episode III continues to gain momentum as the May 19, 2005 date looms ever nearer. The next big milestone has been scheduled — the round of additional photography (also known as “pick ups”) that fills in the missing pieces of the current edit of the picture. As was done in the previous films, the first round of principal photography is followed by months of editing that generate new angles, scenes, and ideas. These will be captured onto HD in a brief but intense stint of additional photography.

“We’re honing in a second cut of the film for July,” says Producer Rick McCallum. Director George Lucas has shown the rough cut to select department heads and close friends, and the evolving edit currently has a number of placeholder animatics that will have to be replaced with new footage.

Starting August 23 and running through September 4, Director George Lucas will again roll cameras on Episode III, this time in the UK. “We’ve got two full weeks of shooting,” says McCallum. Among the cast members slated to work in that period are Silas Carson, Hayden Christensen, Anthony Daniels, Samuel L. Jackson, Ian McDiarmid, Christopher Lee, Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman.

Returning from the Sydney shoot, Creature Shop Supervisors Dave and Lou Elsey will be on hand, as will Costume Designer Trisha Biggar and Supervising Art Director Peter Russell. The rest of the small crew will be mostly new hands.

“It will be primarily blue and greenscreen shooting. There won’t be any full sets, but there may be large set pieces. This round of shooting is mostly just patching holes and providing transitions,” adds McCallum. “We do have a whole new sequence with Hayden and Yoda.”

Meanwhile, at ILM work continues at a steadily increasing pace to meet the April 1, 2005 deadline of over 2,000 visual effects shots. Joining the production as a Visual Effects Supervisor is Roger Guyett. His previous projects as VFX supervisor include Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Timeline, Tears of the Sun and Saving Private Ryan. He joins Visual Effects Supervisor John Knoll and Animation Supervisor Rob Coleman .

“On Episodes I and II, we had three supervisors from the very start, but this time we’re bringing them in over time,” says McCallum. “Roger will have huge sequences. John Knoll’s unit will end up having about 1,000 shots, and I can easily see Roger having 1,000 as well.”

Guyett is currently overseas shooting exotic background plate photography for what will become the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk.

Source: Star Wars.Com

Promoting a smaller film like Garden State, the popularity of the Star Wars films affords Portman the added benefit of extra exposure. “It’s a wonderful opportunity that I’ve had to be in those films because it does get people more familiar with you, and maybe, hopefully, will make them see other things that you are working on.”

With the release of Episode III looming less than a year away, Portman says she is about to go back for her final work as Amidala. “I finished principal photography on the third one last summer, like a year ago, and we do re-shoots in a month in London. I haven’t been told anything. For all I know, it could be, like, walking, or a shot of my hand… Or it could be, like, a whole new storyline, so I will be as surprised as you are.”

With all the recent rumors about the latest reworking Lucas is doing for the original trilogy’s release on DVD in September, I asked Portman if she had shot scenes for the original films. She didn’t really seem to know what I was talking about, so that probably answers that: “I don’t really know much about that, unfortunately.”

Both Hayden Christensen and Portman alike were met with some harsh criticisms in regard to their chemistry in Episode II. Portman says that having now both experienced the Star Wars world in at least one previous film, their second time around went well. “I think we both really work well with each other. He’s a great actor and he did a really great job in this. I think we worked really hard on this and we all were really comfortable. And this is also the first time that each of us has had experience in a Star Wars film before, because it’s such a different kind of movie that, you know, because of all the blue screen, you have to create so much and you have to imagine the different characters and locations and stuff in your mind, and so it’s a lot more work. It was very challenging, so I think we all put in a lot of effort on this one.”

After spending nearly a decade working on the Star Wars prequels, Portman says that, while she is looking forward to her future, she will also miss everyone she’s worked with on Star Wars. “I think everything, every end in any phase of your life, there’s always an excitement to start something new and a new phase and always a little bit of sadness in leaving the last phase, obviously. Now, having made three Star Wars films, it’s been like ten years of my life from when I signed on to when the final one will come out. And, I mean, being 23, that is really significant. It is a huge portion of my life and I’ve met some amazing people and it’s been a really unique experience so, you know, I look back on it and it’s part of forming who I am now and I am happy to start something new.”

Be sure to check out the full interview with Natalie Portman next week. The as-yet-untitled Star Wars: Episode III opens on May 19, 2005. Garden State hits screens next week on July 30th.

Source: Film Force

Portman added that her onscreen chemistry with co-star Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker) has improved since the second prequel, Star Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones, because he is no longer distracted by the technical difficulties of making a Star Wars film. “Because it’s such a different kind of movie, because of all the blue screen, you’d have to imagine so much,” she said. “You’d have to create other characters and locations and sets in your mind. So it’s a lot more work, and it was really challenging. [Now], each of us had had experience on a Star Wars film before.” Star Wars: Episode III is scheduled for release on May 19, 2005.

LOS ANGELES – The teaser trailer for the next – and reportedly last – Star Wars film landed in theatres on Friday.

The short clip is a promo for Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, which will be released on May 19, 2005. Hayden Christensen appears at the Toronto premier of ‘Attack of the Clones’ in 2002.The movie is the third in George Lucas’ prequel trilogy, and fans of the space series expect that it will tie up all of the six-part saga’s loose ends.

It stars Canada’s Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi Knight who becomes Darth Vader.

The trailer shows glimpses of a lightsabre duel on a volcano planet between Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor).

It also shows an army of Wookies, the shaggy aliens that are like a cross between dogs and apes.

Natalie Portman is seen sporting a bun hairdo similar to the one originated by Carrie Fisher in the original Star Wars film, which came out in 1977.

Portman’s character, Padme, will become the mother of Fisher’s Leia in Revenge of the Sith.

The trailer is available online to members of Hyperspace, the Star Wars fan club, and AOL subscribers. It will be available for free starting Monday.

It is also being shown in theatres this weekend ahead of The Incredibles, the newest animated feature from Pixar.

Already, Star Wars devotees are dissecting the trailer in internet discussion forums, pointing out such arcane facts as the name of the volcano planet: Mustafar.

Lucafilm and 20th Century Fox have released the official teaser poster for director George Lucas’ Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.

Darth Vader is in the foreground while Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) is seen in the background holding his red lightsaber.

The third and last prequel in the “Star Wars” saga will be opening on May 19 and picks up when the Clone Wars are nearly at an end after three long years of relentless fighting. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) is ordered by the Jedi Council to bring General Grievous, the deadly leader of the Separatist droid army, to justice.

Meanwhile back in Coruscant, Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) has grown in power and his political changes transform the war-weary Republic into a mighty Galactic Empire. He’s also attempting to lure his closet ally, Anakin to the dark side by revealing the true nature of power and the promised secrets of the Force.

The dark side of the Force rules in “Revenge of the Sith,” the finale of the Star Wars saga, due in theaters May 19, 2005.

Looking for proof? Filmmaker George Lucas expects the film to have a stricter rating than any of his previous Star Wars adventures, all of which have been rated a family-friendly PG.

The sixth “Star Wars” film (actually “Episode III” in the mythical timeline) details how Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) falls prey to “the dark side” and becomes Darth Vader, the iconic baddie first seen in 1977’s “Star Wars,” now called “ Episode IV: A New Hope.”

“This is the darkest of them all,” said Lucas, speaking at a New York event to promote the recent release of his “ THX 1138” DVD. “I don’t think it’s going to be rated like the other ones. It’s just more emotionally intense.”

The PG-13 rating makes sense, considering the story line, said Scott Chitwood of TheForce.Net, a “Star Wars” news Web site.

“From the original trilogy, we know that in ‘Episode III,’ Anakin is horribly burned, Padme (Amidala, the queen and senator who becomes the mother of Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia) dies, Mace Windu dies, Luke and Leia are separated, and the Jedi are wiped out,” he said. “It would be hard to do them justice without the film being PG-13.”

A move to that rating for “Sith” isn’t likely to hurt attendance. Those with children ages 10 and 11 might think twice, said Paul Dergarabedian of box office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations, “but their kids probably already have video games at home that are PG-13 in violence levels.”

Source: RGJ.Com

The Christensens are working with Cutler on “Masterpiece,” which has received a pilot presentation order from FX. The show will look at a budding young artist and his rise to fame. Casting for the show’s central artist is already moving forward.

Source: Zap2it.Com

Lucasfilm has created stir by slowly releasing details, including a Sith “teaser trailer” that premiered last month with “The Incredibles.”

“Ever since the trailer came out, the fans have really been revving themselves up,” Lucasfilm fan relations chief Steve Sansweet says by phone from Spain.

He is there talking with fans at Sitges Film Festival.

The dark plot of “Sith” follows Anakin Skywalker’s (Hayden Christensen) transformation into Darth Vader.

While the first two Star Wars prequels grossed $431 million and $311 million, respectively, many fans didn’t believe they lived up to expectations.

Lucasfilm is launching a force of publicity behind “Sith”:

Hasbro rereleased a line of classic “Star Wars” toys and action figures to coincide with the fall release of the original trilogy DVD box set.

The Millennium Falcon and the Darth Vader Voice Changer mask have been hot holiday sellers. The hard-to-find mask retails for $35 but is selling on eBay for $150. In February, Hasbro will introduce a preview line of “Episode III” action figures.

This month, the official StarWars.com began offering new “Sith” stuff, including mugs, hats, T-shirts and a Christmas ornament with Yoda dressed in a Santa suit.

A new season of Cartoon Network’s Emmy-winning animated series “Star Wars, Clone Wars” will première March 21. The series bridges the gap between “Episode II” and “III.”

The “Sith” theatrical trailer and poster will be released in March.

About 30,000 fans are expected to turn out for Star Wars Celebration III, a fan convention April 21-24 in Indianapolis. Four-day admission is $40 to $95.

In New York, 350 members of NYLine.org will hold a “Star Wars”-themed sidewalk party outside the Ziegfeld Theater beginning April 30.
“The event aspect surrounding ‘Star Wars’ has always been there, but even more so this time with the final chapter of the saga,” says Green, a member of NYLine.org.

“It may be the last ‘Star Wars’ film that George makes, but it’s not the end of ‘Star Wars’,” Sansweet says.

Lucasfilm is eyeing future possibilities including games, comics and television, he says.

“As long as fans want it, ‘Star Wars’ will be there for them.”

Source: Tucson Citizen

Well, this week The A-List has been counting down the top 20 “Hottest Canadians”. Amongst the singers and actors named, Ryan Reynolds (who you can currently catch co-starring in Blade: Trinity as Hannibal King) topped the list, followed by hottie Pamela Anderson, and uber-hottie and sweetheart Elisha Cuthbert.

Other names on their list included Scott Speedman, Shania Twain, Hayden Christensen, and Avril Lavigne.

THE A-LIST TOP 20 HOTTEST CANADIANS:

20. Avril Lavigne
19. Jennifer Tilly
18. Glenn Lewis
17. Estella Warren
16. David Usher
15. Natasha Henstridge
14. Paul Gross
13. Tamia Hill
12. Hayden Christensen
11. Kim Cattrall
10. Trish Stratus
9. Keanu Reeves
8. Kristin Kreuk
7. Shania Twain
6. Jesse Palmer
5. Rachel McAdams
4. Scott Speedman
3. Elisha Cuthbert
2. Pamela Anderson
1. Ryan Reynolds

Source: The Gate’s News

A bunch of very cool and interesting pictures have made their way to the web this past week. We’ll start off with a couple of shots from the upcoming STAR WARS: EPISODE III – REVENGE OF THE SITH. IESB was sent this promotional image of a very disturbed Anakin Skywalker from the latest trailer and the shot below shows that very same Anakin about to lay the smacketh down on a whimpering Dooku. Look ma, no hands.

Source: JoBlo

With just five months to go chatter about the final instalment of George Lucas’ Star Wars franchise, Star Wars: Episode III Revenge Of The Sith, is heating up and today The GATE has snagged two of the first images from the film. One, featuring a close-up of Anakin and another of Anakin with Obi-Wan.

Without any further ado, here they are. The top picture shows Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi, alongside Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker, while the bottom one is a closeup of Christensen as Anakin.
Star Wars: Episode III opens in theatres on May 19, 2005 and stars Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Christopher Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, and Frank Oz.
The Story: After three long years of relentless fighting, the Clone Wars are nearly at an end. The Jedi Council dispatches Obi-Wan Kenobi to bring General Grievous, the deadly leader of the Separatist droid army, to justice. Meanwhile, back on Coruscant, Chancellor Palpatine has grown in power. His sweeping political changes transform the war-weary Republic into the mighty Galactic Empire. To his closest ally, Anakin Skywalker, he reveals the true nature of power and the promised secrets of the Force in an attempt to lure him to the dark side.

Source: The Gate

The soundtrack comes out a little more than two weeks before the film itself, the third prequel in George Lucas’ epic SF saga and presumably the last Star Wars movie. Episode III, starring Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor, opens May 19.

Source: Canoe-Jam

The term “drop-dead gorgeous” applies with a rather matter-of-fact accuracy to actor Hayden Christensen, a k a Annakin Skywalker of the “Star Wars” series and one of America’s most visible teen heartthrobs.
He sauntered into the interview room of the Shinjuku Park Hyatt Hotel (“My favorite place to stay in Japan!”) with an easy, effortless grace before sinking into a chair and asking politely for a cup of tea.
He then turned to the interviewer and some subconscious inner switch seemed to light up inside him, unleashing a warm flow of charm, wit and natural, unaffected sophistication. The atmosphere in the room shifted perceptibly and all those present seemed to bask in the golden glow — confirming for all of us what it was to be in close quarters with Hollywood glamour.

Christensen was in Tokyo to promote “Shattered Glass,” a project he started and engineered through his own production company. His role is real-life journalist Stephen Glass, who completely fabricated over 20 stories while working as a reporter for The New Republic. The movie showcases the range and nuances of Christensen’s acting ability and personality, hitherto mired in the digital netherlands of “Star Wars.”

What got Christensen involved in such a project, which is a far cry from the movie that made him famous? “I got the idea from an article I read in Vanity Fair about Stephen Glass. I was fascinated by him. It’s not that I recognized myself in him, but I got the feeling his life and the things he chose to do would make a great film.”

Glass and Christensen do, however, share some qualities: They both had an irresistible, boyish appeal that works its magic on both men and women. (In the movie, Glass’s colleagues defend him until his professional demise.) And Christensen is also more bookish than his Hollywood profile suggests: “I like writing and writers. . . . One of my favorite authors is Herman Hesse and I’ve always wanted to do a movie based on one of his books. I’m not trying to justify what Stephen did but at the same time I can recognize his talent.”

What made Stephen Glass do it? “I think he had a deep emotional neediness and this was how he did tended to it. Despite his brilliance as a writer, there were parts of him that he just didn’t bother to develop, and he had to pay for it later. Basically, his problem was family.”

Indeed, in the movie Glass gets upset at the mere mention of his strict parents — they were against him becoming a journalist and wanted him to go to law school. “To earn the support of his parents, he had to really excel at writing. I imagine the pressure was enormous.”

And what about Christensen’s own parents? “I’m very lucky. . . . My parents have always supported my career. I’ve been doing it all my life, practically.”

Now 23 years old, Christensen has been acting since the age of 7 and made his movie debut with John Carpenter’s “Into the Mouth of Madness.” While “Star Wars” has brought him the Hollywood brand fame he had once only dreamed about, Christensen says he thinks he’s at a time of his career when he “should be doing roles that are difficult and contradictory and real.” And when it comes to challenges, “Shattered Glass” fits the bill. “Most of the shots were long ones, filmed without breaks and so everything depended on the delivery of the dialogue, the changing of facial expressions.”

The crucial moment for him came in the scene where Glass is finally called on the carpet by The New Republic editor Chuck Lane for his fabrication of stories. “There I am, sweating through every pore and helpless and humiliated. Stephen is at his most vulnerable, life for him is ruined. And then, one minute later, he has the audacity to ask Chuck for a ride to the airport. I felt like the whole essence of both Stephen’s character and of the film, was condensed into that one line. As an actor, it was a scene I’ll never forget.”