November 4, 2006
Remember, Remember, the Fifth of November
Comrades! Time for an encore viewing of V for Vendetta, now on HD DVD. Past Due Time to put on your V mask, and rise up against creeping fascism before it’s too late! What will the upcoming US elections bring to the world?
Natalie Portman’s Current Projects
Natalie Portman as Goya's "MilkMaid"
GO GOYA!!
The intriguing Goya’s Ghosts “English” trailer is uploaded to you tube. Director Milos Forman spoke at the New Yorker Film Festival, and implied the film’s “unhappy” tone makes it a difficult sell to distributors. The story about innocents persecuted by the Catholic Church during the Spanish Inquisition still looks to open at the end of the year, then expand in 2007. Visit the wonderful Goya’s Ghosts Website, where you’ll find notes on the production and quotes from the crew and cast. Goya’s Ghosts will have premiers in several Spanish cities, followed by a release in Spain. The premier in Madrid is on Nov 7th and Natalie is likely to attend.
The Other Boleyn Girl Filming is underway in London, where Natalie has been occasionally photographed by the paparazzi, going in and out of events and clubs escorted by her protective bodyguard.
(((((( GOSSIP ))))) The Latest filed under "Don't believe everything you read" Natalie is rumoured to be set to marry wealthy Jewish/British banking heir Nat Rothschild after they were spotted sharing dinner and car ride along with friends in London.
Elsewhere in London, Natalie and Gael Garcia Bernal were allegedly sighted a couple of times. Gael has resided part-time in London since attending the Central School for Speech and Drama. He finished shooting his movie in Argentina, and then turned down an offer to star as the Villain in the 'Bourne Ultimatum' so he could spend time editing his directorial debut, although he was still prematurely damned for selling out. Gael gave a well-received Q&A talk at the National Film Institute and attended the Babel premier at the London Film Fest. I thought Natalie might show up to the Babel after-party, as she attended a party for director Iñárritu's film “21 Grams” back in 2003.
Until next time, see you on the BLOG.
September 11, 2006
[Let’s honor the memory of those who were killed on Sept 11, 2001, with the truth, not by lying about history and politicizing the terrorist attacks.]
Hey all. That last post took a lot out of me; I really miss our good buddy Greg. Sorry for the downtime, but none of us here at np.org have had the time to update, and honestly, there hasn’t been a whole lotta real news. Except that our main man JC got married. Cheers!!!
Natalie News??? If you are a Natalie fan, you know that she exists in the ethers and rarely appears in the news or the gossip magazines anyway, which is how she likes it. Because Natalie will continue to live her life whether we know about it or not, we at np.org aren’t going to try and keep up with it. For now, np.org will be more of an archive of Natalie Portman news on all the important stuff, like Natalie’s upcoming movies and projects, dvd releases, and appearances. Pues, and a little gossip, tambien.
RECENT NEWS:Last week and yesterday, Natalie was snapped by the paparazzi in London, where she’s preparing for her next starring role in The Other Boleyn Girl. Natalie will join Eric Bana and Scarlett Johansson in the BBC Film based on the historical fiction by Philippa Gregory. Natalie will play Anne Boleyn, while Eric will play King Henry VIII, and Scarlett will play Anne's sister, Mary. The story tells the racy tale of two ferociously ambitious and scheming sisters who fought for the King’s bed and to be his Queen. One of the sisters is famous for losing her head. \\\\\ CHOP/////
According to Scar-Jo, the actresses will use English accents, as will Bana, who is Australian. The film begins shooting any week now and is planned for a Fall 2007 release. The production will probably get some press attention as both Scarlett and Natalie are top Hollywood hotties right now. With secret hottie boyfriends.
VIVA GOYA!!!
Natalie’s much-awaited film with Milos Forman and Javier Bardem, Goya’s Ghosts, is rumoured to be unfolding in limited release by the end of the year, just in time for Oscar consideration. No official word on whether it is even finished or not, or whether there is a US distributor. Warner Brothers, who made a nice profit with Natalie in V for Vendetta, has been mentioned as distributor. I’d love to see this in theaters by mid November, to make it more eligible for some of the earlier awards.
Director Forman will likely talk about Goya’s Ghosts at the New Yorker Film Festival, October 7. The Goya’s Ghosts trailer is reportedly already playing in Spain. More screening and release dates to come, as soon as things firm up.
Milos Forman is best known for Amadeus, his Oscar-winning film about Mozart. Goya’s Ghosts is another colorful historical drama, about the artist Francisco Goya. The story takes place during the Spanish Inquisition, when many non christians were tortured, imprisoned, and killed at the orders of the Catholic Church. Could this be another controversial film for Natalie, taking on religion and torture again?
ATTENTION: Be sure to check out Natalie Portman’s “Clothes Off Our Back” Auction to raise funds for research on Blooms Syndrome. People magazine had a feature on Natalie’ssweet charity to help a young friend named Milo. The auction ends on September 15, so get your bids in. Her Star Wars snow globe is up to $2,000. It’s fun to see which celebs donated items as Natalie’s “friends.”
MORE NATALIE MOVIE & DVD NEWS
*The international trailer for Paris Je 'Taime can be found here (STOR for streaming video) and right click 'save as" here for download. The film may finally get a Feb 2007 release date. If not, at least it could be on DVD by then. Unfortunately there were many internal problems with the producers and directors. Tom Twyker directed Natalie Portman and Melchor Belsin in one of the five-minute shorts making up one of the twenty “love stories” by twenty different directors, all featuring a neighborhood in Paris. (thanks to natalieportman.com for the links)
*Also out on DVD and showing at Jewish Film Festivals: Free Zone, the film Natalie made in Israel with Amos Gitai. Although the acting of the three actresses is usually praised, Gitai’s film-making is often criticized as being pretentious and the film was never released in many theaters. However it may have a new life on dvd, where it seems to play better on the small screen. We’ll post a link to the Free Zone dvd when available. For now you can read more about it at the 'Free Zone' yahoo.movies page, where it currently has a grade of B-.
*dVd 4 Vendetta! Get V for Vendetta on dvd now. Widescreen Special Edition, Two Disc Set. Disc 2 has a hidden ‘easter egg’ of Natalie’s SNL rap if you scroll up and click “More” under the main menu and then click the icon at the top.
*Last summer Natalie finished filming her small part in indie My Blueberry Nights alongside Nora Jones and directed by Won Kar-wai. She spent time in the heat of Nevada and her hair was died blonde for the role.
((((( GOSSIP )))))
*There have been some other rumoured Natalie film projects, but nothing definite yet.
*Natalie is rumoured to be dating every single man she’s been seen or photographed with, including Jake Gyllenhaal and violinist Joshua Bell. In late July, Natalie was seen vacationing in Patagonia and being accosted by paparazzi in Buenos Aires with Gael Garcia Bernal. Gael is in Argentina filming a movie, where he has been followed relentlessly by paparazzi and the tabloids.
The Personal Is Political
Do what you feel in your heart to be right - for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't. ~Eleanor Roosevelt
I’ll close with some of heartfelt images from Natalie’s trip to Israel in late August 2006, after the cease fire in the war between Israel and Lebanon. Natalie visited family and spent time with war wounded in a long term rehabilitation hospital in northern Israel:
(thanks to Ryan for uploading the pics)
Natalie visited the hospital along with her cousin and One Family Fund, an organization she was introduced to when her cousin was injured in a terrorist attack several years back. She has made a few hospital visits to victims of terrorism in Israel since then. As her life in pictures and captions often goes, Natalie was criticized for comforting only “one side” of the Middle East war, and for supporting her people and the troops. I don’t understand how anyone can begrudge Natalie for giving a smile to the young soldiers who’ve lost limbs and are damaged for life. Aren’t we all human? Just because a person supports the troops, doesn’t mean she supports the war, the government, and the killing of civilians. Some people complained that Natalie didn’t speak out and make some kind of political statement during the war. But instead she walked the talk and cheered up some of the injured victims of war and terrorism. A girl after my own heart.
June 9, 2006
(A small update) We have a new quote by The Princess Diaries' Anne Hathaway, about her theory on Hollywood's casting:quote:
Anne Hathaway insists she only lands top roles turned down by more accomplished actresses. Hathaway claims filmmakers work their way down a list of stars and her name is near the bottom. She says "I'm on the long short list. But I'm not on the short short list, which is Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson and Keira Knightley".Although she's not usually the first choice, she insists she's thrilled to even be considered. She adds, "I'm happy to be in the race with this level of people. I'm the person who gets the script three people after Natalie Portman turns it down that's awesome!"
We also have a new picture, from People magazine:
Afternoon delight: Natalie Portman, who turns 25 today, eases into the big occasion by kicking up her feet to enjoy a sunny afternoon in Paris's Jardin du Luxembourg on Wednesday.
June 9, 2006
692006 - 691981 = 25
/me looks around.
On behalf of Cal and Sonoyta, Happy 25th Birthday to Natalie Portman!!
JC
May 23, 2006
After a month without an update, we finally have some very good news: Natalie is set to star along with Jude Law, Rachel Weisz and Norah Jones, in director Wong Kar-wai's new movie "My Blueberry Nights"
April 22, 2006
*TV ALERT*
In case you missed it the first time, or if the VCR ate your tape like mine did, Natalie’s Saturday Night Live hosting episode will be repeated tonight, April 22 on NBC, and again on August 5. Natalie was named the “best, by far” host from last season, NY Daily News. WHAT!?#@*!?
“Who is the world’s sexiest vegetarian?” Once again, Natalie is leading in PETA’s annual "Sexiest Vegetarian Poll." She won a few years ago, along with Jude Law. Be sure vote here for Nat.
'V 4 Vendetta' Box Office Update from Box Office Mojo. Natalie’s controversial film has actually held quite strongly over the spring break season despite dumping theaters every week, and despite a boycott by the misinformed but influential. 'V 4 Vendetta' has topped $66 million in the US, $105 million total. Now playing in under 900 theaters, it will fall out of the top ten but hopefully stay in theaters long enough to squeak to $70 million.
Precious Memories, How They Linger: One year ago today, we lost our dear friend Greg but we will always remember him and keep him close in our hearts. Today Greg's family is scattering his ashes in Pacific Grove. Rest in Peace, Greg.
Greg with the cast of 'Gilmore Girls' his favorite tv show. Happily Ever After.
Please visit the Greg Muskewitz Online Memorial at Natalie Portman AQMB Forum.
April 9, 2006
For all of us who can't wait to hear about Natalie's new project Goya's Ghosts, here are some words from the movie's responsible of photography, Javier Aguirresarobe, interviewed by Diario de Noticias de Alava, a Spanish newspaper:
"The film finished rolling around Christmas and Milos Forman is doing the cutting in New York. The film will be ready at the end of July and, almost certainty, will be released this year. From what I've heard there are very good impressions and the people who have seen the first cut are very enthusiasted. For me, this movie has been very special because of the opportunity to work with Milos Forman and because it has been a film that, in spite of being an American production, it has been tremendously human in it's production. It will be unforgettable. Plus, now that I am in Prague I'm remembering Amadeus and I have Forman's cinema very present in my mind. What I'm really hoping is that Goya's Ghosts turns out to be a wonderful film."
April 4, 2006
REMINDER: Natalie's film with Israeli director Amos Gitai, Free Zone, will open in limited US release on Friday, April 7.
TV ALERT: Repeat Broadcast on WED April 5th, of Natalie's appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman on CBS.
Natalie is currently filming Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium in Toronto, where she and cast-mates Dustin Hoffman and Jason Bateman are frequently seen out and about enjoying the city. Northernboy made a collage and chloie posted some of the images at AQMB Forum:
Power to the People! Did you notice? Since V 4 Vendetta’s release and Natalie’s appearances on various outlets to talk about the movie, we’ve been witnessing some of the largest gatherings of public protest in US history. Hundreds of thousands of people are marching, protesting against the government’s policies, and making their voices heard. More and more people will join the protests, as it’s almost impossible to believe the lies and propaganda anymore -- especially after watching V for Vendetta.
>V 4 Vendetta Box Office Update:
Vendetta is now into it’s third week, with Box Office Mojo showing over $57 million domestic, $25 million in international markets, and a healthy $82 million overall in 17 days. So far Natalie’s latest studio film has not become a box office savior, but it has made back its production costs, advertising, and more; so it is definitely a success. Hopefully Warner Bros will keep it in theaters through the summer, as more and more people discover this great movie. V4V is performing similar to R-rated comic book movies “Sin City” and “Constantine,” with weekend drops around 50%, which might mean about $70 million domestic total.
March 28, 2006
Results are in for the Natalie Portman.org V 4 Vendetta Prizes Drawing Contest: Congratulations to NatAHLee (Tshirt), Tufkad (poster), floothe (poster), S3Project (poster), Kimanjo (poster), and thewhitepony (poster). Woo Hoo!
March 23, 2006
We have four new pics on Natalie on the set of Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium:
sonoyta..
March 19, 2006
UPDATE: Natalie Portman's `V for Vendetta' Opens as Top Weekend Film With $26 Million!
Am back to remove ads and such.
Oh and btw, Natalie Portman is back on msn's front page. *Presently* #1 in search queries.
Just in case you missed it, vforvendetta.com has the global release dates in chronological order.
March 18, 2006
The Vendetta is Unleashed!
Well, the reviews have been holding fairly steady at a strong 75% Fresh at RT and all sorts of intelligent people are giving the movie a view before judging. Still, this is a divisive movie, and while the opening weekend looks solid, it's difficult to predict how V will take on the box office. I've heard people planning to take friends and family for second and third viewings, so that's a good sign.
To commemorate the opening, Natalie Portman .org is sponsoring a V 4 Vendetta Prizes Drawing courtesy of WarnerBros marketing. Thanks to Jane. We have 1 women's T and 5 posters to give away.
March 13, 2006
Pictures from tonight's V for Vendetta premiere in NYC:
Thanks to chloie for the last three pics!
sonoyta..
March 12, 2006
(Portman at Columbia University) Here are the pictures of Natalie being a stand in prof at Columbia last Monday:
And oh the other side of the Atlantic, the V for Vendetta London premiere took place this past Wednesday. Here's Natalie and some of the cast during a photocall in front of London's Houses of Parliament:
And during the night's premiere:
In other news, Natalie didn't make the cover of Vanity Fair, but the pictures and the article are in the april's issue (credit goes to np.com):
sonoyta..
March 9, 2006
Just to remind everyone that Natalie will appear on The Late Show With David Letterman next Tuesday, March 14th. She's also scheduled to appear on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart (Wednesday, March 15th.)
sonoyta..
March 6, 2006
Natalie Portman ROCKS SNL
Natalie showed off her ensemble stage talents and mean rap chops during her comedic appearance as host of Saturday Night Live on March 4.
Looking gorgeous throughout, Natalie wizzed through a Star Wars themed monologue, and featured in skits playing a fertility doctor, a Jewish girl at bar mitzvah, an energizer-bunny Jamba Juice employee, 'Sasha Cohen' performing jokes for judges, and a daughter bringing home a date to meet her eccentric family.
And then she appeared in the most amazing Natalie promo ever: a hard core rap parody of her celebrity and image. Who knew Natalie was such a badd-ass crazy mofo.
Natalie’s wicked-nasty rappin’ & cappin’ is downloadable at NBC-SNL, but be warned it’s not for the easily offended.
Gangsta gangsta Natalie rap link here
Download the other SNL skits at YouTube
Thanks to Ryan for making the screencaps and posting them on the SNL thread at AQMB.
Only two more weeks until V for Vendetta, and the buzz is growing and spreading. Check out the Official V 4 Vendetta site for the latest news and tons of new V pics and spoiler movie clips.
In the meantime, Richard Corliss of TIME magazine gives V4V a positive review:
"Natalie Portman, always an eye magnet, does her sharpest film work yet. In her sobbing scenes, when her will must be broken, then forged anew, she comes darn close to acting."
March 5, 2006
Just a really really abbreviated update. First up, if you happen across the March edition of Vanity Fair mag at your local newsstand, you'll note that they made a 'boo-boo' when they declared she has just ''one play'' to her name. I beg to differ, I count 2 major plays to her name: ''The Diary of Anne Frank'' and ''The Seagull.''
Also, I'm seeing ads for ''V for Vendetta'' deep in ''my neck of the woods,'' even near bus-stands (yep, outdoor advertising). What about you good folks?
Just 2 recent links that may be of interest:
Saturday Night Live: Natalie Portman: excerpt: ''Natalie Portman's Monologue - Good Lord, she's gorgeous.''
Gee, you think?!
Time mag asks: Can A Popcorn Movie Also Be Political? This One Can.
JC
Feb 28, 2006
We have a few articles from the V4V screening:
First, some of the highlights of the event, courtesy of gossip columnist Liz Smith. James Wolcott (a Vanity Fair contributor) also wrote a very interesting article.
A couple of new reviews hit the net, the first from Fox News, and the second from Comic Book Resources.
Six new clips from V4V and two interviews (with Natalie and Hugo Weaving) are available here.
Finally, Comics2Film posted a new interview with Natalie. A very interesting read.
sonoyta..
Feb 24, 2006
(A November release for Goya's Ghosts?)
According to this article (in Spanish), the movie's screenwriter Jean-Claude Carriére announced today that he's planning a November release for his novel "Goya's Ghosts", the same month in which the movie will be released. His comments about the book:
"I decided to write the book when we were writing the movie's script; suddently I thought I could write a novel about Goya's life, and released at the same time as the movie's opening date."
Vanity Fair hosted a V for Vendetta screening in New York; Pasha & Chloie found some pictures of the event:
sonoyta..
Feb 17, 2006
The Vogue pictures are here:
(Thanks to missportman.com & np.com)
sonoyta..
Feb 16, 2006
Lets start this update with a couple of pics from the V4V afterparty in Berlin:
Reuters has posted a new video of the V For Vendetta premiere in Berlin which includes new clips from the movie at the 3:38, 4:22 and 5:08 minute marks! Also included are interviews with Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving and director James McTeigue.
Warner Bros. has provided ComingSoon.net with 47 photos from the movie. Click on the link to see the gallery.
And finally, we have the pics of Natalie's visit to Japan to promote the movie:
EDIT: I just found an article with a great mention: Natalie will be the April 2006 Vanity Fair cover girl. Click here to read all the details!!!
sonoyta..
Feb 13, 2006
Natalie attended the premiere of V for Vendetta at the Berlin Film Festival. Here are some pictures from her arrival to the press conference...
...and from the movie's premiere:
sonoyta..
Feb 10, 2006
Dazza reported yesterday (over at np.com) that Nat is going to be on the cover of Entertainment Weekly. Follow the link for an online-excerpt from the magazine's Feb. 17, 2006, cover story.
In addition, a picture from the article...
...And a small glimpse at the cover:
sonoyta..
Feb 08, 2006
(Just a small update...) A new Natalie pic is featured in the Vanity Fair March 2006 issue. Here's a small glimpse (thanks to keiraweb.com & orionsaint):
In other news, V for Vendetta will be part of the lineup at the 2006 Berlinale. We have a new pic courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter:
sonoyta..
Feb 06, 2006
The new V for Vendetta Super Bowl trailer is available on the official web page.
In other news, Jason Bateman has been cast alongside Natalie and Dustin Hoffman in Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. The film is set to begin shooting next month.
And to finish with this update:
Orionsaint found out that Natalie will be the host of the March 4th episode of Saturday Night Live. I just can't wait for that episode!!!
sonoyta..
Feb 03, 2006
Natalie is the Vogue March 2006 cover girl:
sonoyta..
Feb 01, 2006
We have a couple of pics from the Public Sings' event:
Natalie also attended the Knicks-Lakers game, looking very good (credit goes to np.com):
Finally, french joker found two new pics of V4V, this time from French magazine Ciné Live:
sonoyta..
Jan 30, 2006
The Public Sings: 50th Anniversary Celebration is a one-night-only event dedicated to the rich history of musicals produced by The Public Theater, including Hair, A Chorus Line, Bring in ‘Da Noise, Bring in ‘Da Funk, Caroline, or Change, and many others.
Here are Natalie & Zach Braff during rehearsals:
sonoyta..
Jan 27, 2006
Vendetta gets bigger in IMAX + new Natalie pictures
IMAX Corporation and Warner Bros. Pictures today announced that V For Vendetta, a thrilling action-adventure from the creators of "The Matrix" trilogy, will be simultaneously released to IMAX® and conventional theatres on March 17, 2006. Produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski Brothers, directed by James McTeigue and starring Natalie Portman, V For Vendetta will be digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® through IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. Warner Bros. Pictures will be the exclusive distributor of the film to IMAX theatres worldwide.
"We're excited to give fans the opportunity to experience 'V For Vendetta' in IMAX's spectacular format," said Joel Silver, producer of V For Vendetta. "The clarity and immersive quality of The IMAX Experience adds a dynamic dimension to the film's powerful visuals, breathtaking action and multi- layered storytelling."
In other news, Celiana found some pictures of Natalie attending the opening night for Sarah Jones' "Bridge and Tunnell" on Broadway:
sonoyta..
Jan 24, 2006
The V for Vendetta reviews are coming in, and today Kurt Loder (the guy from MTV) posted his review:
This Movie Will Kick Your Ass... The Wachowskis' 'Vendetta' is an amazing movie - not like 'The Matrix,' exactly, but amazing in a whole new way.
Here's something to look forward to, besides spring. On March 17, seven years to the month after the release of their fantasy classic, "The Matrix," the Wachowski Brothers' long-fermenting "V for Vendetta" will finally arrive in theaters. It's an amazing movie. Not in exactly the way "The Matrix" was (how tired would that be?), but in a new way. Apart from its elegantly constructed plot and its unusual moral ambiguity, "V" has its own rich color and lighting (it was shot in Berlin and London), and an explosive new style of action choreography that's blessedly free of high-flying "wire work" clichés. It's a fascinating picture, dark and exciting, and it will almost certainly be an enormous hit. ...
...The movie is enriched beyond the call of genre by the performances of Natalie Portman and Sinéad Cusack (as a doctor with a hideous secret in her past), and especially by Hugo Weaving (he was Agent Smith in the "Matrix" movies), who gives what must be the most expressive man-in-a-mask performance in screen history - we never see his face, but thanks to Weaving's subtle mastery of vocal and physical inflections, we're never in doubt about what he feels. ...
...What most distinguishes "V for Vendetta," though, especially from the "Matrix" movies, is its overwhelming emotional power. The movie's themes of liberty and the necessity of armed resistance to totalitarian control are thrillingly depicted, and they're perfectly complemented by Dario Marianelli's vibrant score, which is punctuated with musical quotes ranging from Beethoven and Handel to Cat Power and the Rolling Stones. It's a great movie, and it builds to a spectacular, near-operatic climax that may leave you weeping at the end, if only in simple consumer gratitude. ...
Click here to read the entire article.
sonoyta..
