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Tag: Josh Gad

  • Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel Had A ‘Frozen’ Reunion That Your Kids Are Going To Love

    Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel came together this weekend for a little Frozen reunion for a very worthy cause.

    The reunion made for some great video for every Disney fan — young and old.

    “Singing #frozen songs with the effervescent @idinamenzel at a benefit for her @abroaderway foundation :)” Kristen shared on social media Sunday afternoon. “#frozen friendship xoxoxo.”

    Joining “Anna” and “Elsa” on stage was their Frozen co-star Josh Gad.

    “Team #Frozen back together again for #broaderway,” the actor who lent his voice to the character of Olaf posted. “Love these girls! @kristenanniebell and @idinamenzel.”

    If the photos weren’t enough for Frozen fans, Josh also shared a glimpse at one of Kristen’s performances Sunday morning. While taking the stage bright and early at 10 a.m., the actress shared a cut song from Frozen that could only be described as “insane.”

    Needless to say, the reunion is likely to fire up fans for Frozen 2 , which is reportedly coming soon.

    “Forecast: Winter weather ahead!” Disney shared on Instagram last spring. “@DisneyAnimation developing #Frozen2 with Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee.”

    Producer Peter Del Vecho and songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, who won the Academy Award for Let It Go, will contribute to the film that has yet to have a release date.

    Kristen is also starring in another soon-to-be Disney classic, Zootopia, playing the sloth.

  • Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting Breathing Easier These Days

    Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting is breathing much easier following her recent surgery. The Big Bang Theory star didn’t have a nose job, as many media outlets reported. What she had instead was sinus surgery, and she’s already feeling much better since having it.

    “I have not been able to breathe since I can remember, so I had to have this sinus surgery, and I had it only two weeks ago,” she said, also saying she couldn’t stand watching old episodes of Big Bang Theory due to her nasal voice. “Every time I watched it I knew I couldn’t breathe… But now my nose spray days are done. ”

    She even berated her Wedding Ringer costars, Kevin Hart and Josh Gad, for ignoring her while she was laid up from surgery.

    “Neither of you sent me a get-well card!” she said, jokingly.

    Kevin Hart threatened to test out her improved nasal passages, asking if she could smell anything yet.

    “I can’t even breathe through my nose yet!” she laughed.

    He started to move his behind closer to Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting, with the intent of breaking wind.

    “I can smell enough! Stop!” Cuoco-Sweeting laughed as Hart got closer.

    Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting recently came under fir for some comments she made about feminism.

    “What most people I hope would understand that was a three-and-a-half hour conversation that someone saw two sentences [of] and then saw dot, dot, dot. So there was a lot more said,” she said of her recent interview with Redbook. “If I offended anybody, I talk a lot, and I am sorry if I offended anybody. I love being a wife. I think I said [I love] serving my husband, I love to make him dinner, I love being that person and the whole feminist comment there was–again, so much more [was] said.”

    The actress said her comment about not being a feminist because she already felt equal, but was instead coming from a place of gratitude–not ignorance.

    “I had felt that I had been so blessed in life today in my life and in my business that I felt like such an equal for so long and I haven’t felt like I’m trying to [move up]. I feel like I’m there. I feel like I’m powerful and that’s where it was coming from,” she said.

    Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting is no doubt breathing twice as well as before–first off from her recent sinus surgery, and second from airing her thoughts about her misconstrued beliefs.

  • Zach Braff Kills the Subjunctive Mood, Doesn’t Care

    Zach Braff isn’t known for his good grammar, and he’s getting lots of heat from academic types who have accused him of killing the subjunctive mood in the title of his new film Wish I Was Here. They think Braff has committed a huge grammatical faux pas and can’t see the film for lack of getting past its title.

    Zach defended his choice in an interview with Vulture.

    “The whole film is about a dad who’s not an academic trying to teach his kids, and his kids know more than he does,” Zach Braff said. “His daughter is constantly correcting him when he says who instead of whom; and so the title, although it has another meaning, we grammatically did it incorrect on purpose, because it’s about a father who is actually learning from his children who are brighter than he is.”

    Wish I Was Here stars Kate Hudson, Mandy Patinkin, Ashley Greene, and Josh Gad in addition to Zach Braff. Zach and brother Adam Braff co-wrote the screenplay.

    Yahoo points out that as he defends his title to Vulture, he even uses the word ‘incorrect’ incorrectly. It should actually have been ‘incorrectly’ in the context he used.

    This isn’t the first time Zach Braff has had to defend the title of his film. He said the following during an interview with Empire.com.

    Wish I Was Here sounds cooler than Wish I Were Here. Then the movie’s about a father who’s trying to teach his kids at home despite not being much of an academic himself. So it works in two ways, really, but yeah, I take your point,” he said when called out by his interviewer.

    All of these grammatically incorrect statements made the Washington Post’s Alexandra Petri’s skin crawl.

    “Listen, buddy,” she wrote–addressing Zach Braff. “You like yourself some wistful counterfactuals, do you? Well, let’s get one thing straight. There are two ways to express a counterfactual wish. One way is with the subjunctive. The other way is wrong.”

    People have even taken to Twitter to bash Zach Braff.

    Okay, so Zach Braff likely gets it. Still he doesn’t seem to care. What he does care about is whether or not people are going to see Wish I Was Here.

    So far it sounds like it’s battling–based on box office sales–to get a full nationwide run in theaters.

    Is Zach Braff’s film Wish I Was Here on your go-see list?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Kristen Bell Performs “Do You Want To Build A Snowman” Live [Video]

    The viral ability of Frozen covers, and the actors singing songs from the film seems to be endless. Most recently, Kristen Bell was seen performing “Do You Want To Build A Snowman” for a live audience, and used all three of her character’s voices to do it.

    Kristen Bell was poised with an interesting task when playing the character of Anna, and some people may not realize this, but she voices her during her child, teen, and adult years. While “Let It Go” has become the anthem of the film, “Do You Want To Build A Snowman” was also a huge hit, and fans of the film will love Bell’s recent performance.

    Speaking on the character of Anna, Bell said “I feel like I’m so, so proud of Anna because of all those things and her ability to believe in people even when they stop believing in themselves is very apparent.”

    Being able to play a Disney princess also helped fulfill a lifelong dream of Kristen Bell’s, and she said that Anna was the type of heroine that she would have identified with when she was 5 to 10 years old, feeling lucky to be able to share the character with people all over the world.

    Frozen has an incredible run in the theaters, becoming the biggest Disney film of all time, and the hit animated film was just released on DVD and Blu-Ray recently. It is a film aimed at younger audiences, but people all over the world have fallen in love with it, and it has made over $1 billion at the box office.

    “Let It Go” has become a huge hit with kids singing it, and tons of people recording cover versions of it. There was also an special video that was created that showed Elsa singing the song in 25 different languages, which quickly became a viral hit.

    In addition to winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Film, Frozen has been wildly popular with its soundtrack, and was even on the Billboard Top 200 for a long time. The cast reunited once already for a live performance, and fans continue to want more.

    Frozen has quickly become the biggest Disney film, and it is a musical that has been a huge hit with a wide variety of audiences. In order to make it the musical hit that it has become, the film brought in multiple Broadway stars including Idina Menzel, Josh Gad, Kristen Bell, and Jonathan Groff.

    Image via Youtube

  • Kristen Bell Sings Live With “Frozen” Cast In L.A.

    Kristen Bell Sings Live With “Frozen” Cast In L.A.

    Did your inner child ever think it would be cool to see Aladdin, Belle, or Ariel do more than traipse around Disneyland with a smile so fake that it looked kind of painful?

    Sure, they did. Our inner kids still want to see them do a full out majestic song and dance routine – and that’s just what the cast of Frozen offered fans this weekend.

    On Sunday, Feb. 9, Kristen Bell (Anna’s voice), Idina Menzel (Elsa’s voice), Josh Gad (Olaf’s voice), and Santino Fontano (Hans’s voice) lit up the stage of Vibrato Grill Jazz Club in Los Angeles with several songs from the animated feature. The stars of the musical flick brought the number to life with the help of an orchestra playing alongside them that was conducted by David Metzger.

    Aside from “Let It Go”, the star ensemble belted out some other ballads from the Golden Globe award-winning picture, like “Love Is an Open Door” and “In Summer.”

    However, Frozen fans weren’t the only ones moved by the live Disney gig. Kristen Bell observed her husband, Dax Shepard’s enthusiasm as the show ensued, saying, “He’s endlessly supportive,” before admitting, “But he cries every time he sees me sing. I think he must have cried three times tonight.”

    Josh Gad told USA Today, “We take for granted since so many people have seen the movie that we have never actually seen these songs performed live — in any venue, in any capacity,” following the show. He went on to say, “But we performed these songs for an audience tonight. It was a thrill.”

    In addition to the big names behind the voices, the actual songwriters, directors, producers, and the composer, joined in on the event. The only voice missing from the star lineup was the one belonging to Jonathan Groff (Kristoff).

    Gad joked about Groff’s, absence, saying it was “not because he sings the only Disney song with no beginning, middle or end,” before adding that he was actually ill.



    Image via Youtube

  • Idina Menzel Willl Perform Frozen’s Hit Song “Let It Go” At The Oscars

    The momentum and hype continues to build for the latest Disney film Frozen, and the music that was involved. With “Let It Go” being nominated for Best Original Song, Idina Menzel is set to perform at the Oscars.

    The film has already received great praise, and in addition to its Oscar nominations for Best Original Song and Best Animated Feature, the film has already won the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature.

    Frozen is unlike most animated films with its quality of music, and was able to become the number one album on the Billboard Top 200, with “Let It Go” reaching No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100.

    In the film, Idina Menzel plays Elsa, the new queen, while her sister Anna is played by Kristen Bell. The film also stars Jonathan Groff as Kristoff and Josh Gad as the talking snowman, Olaf.

    As if fans of the film couldn’t get enough of Idina Menzel’s song “Let It Go,” Disney recently released a version of the song that is a mash-up of the lyrics in 25 different languages. Fans can now relive the song in a new way, and learn new words in the process.

    In addition, three of the cast members, Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, and Josh Gad all reunited for a special stage performance on Sunday to celebrate the film. One group of fans were granted the opportunity to see their favorite Frozen characters perform the songs live, and during the show, they played “Do You Want To Build A Snowman?”, “Love Is An Open Door”, and, of course, “Let It Go.”

    The Oscars have a tradition of having certain nominees perform live during the show, and this year will have Idina Menzel on display to sing “Let It Go,” which is clearly the most popular of any songs that were included in a film this year.

    In addition to “Let It Go” from Frozen, the other nominated songs are “Happy” from Despicable Me 2, “Ordinary Love” from Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and “The Moon Song” from Her. The nominees are down to four due to the Academy removing “Alone Yet Not Alone” from the list of nominations.

    Frozen has been a huge success, and has already earned $900 million at the worldwide box office. The upcoming performance at the Oscars will mark the first time that Idina Menzel has performed “Let It Go” for a global live audience.

    Idina Menzel has gained fame as both an actress and a singer, and other notable films of hers include Enchanted and Rent.

    Tune into ABC on Sunday, March 2nd in order to see “Let It Go” performed live.

    Image via Youtube

  • Frozen’s Let It Go Sequence Performed In 25 Different Languages [Video]

    Frozen has been hailed as one of the best Disney films of all time, and its music has been something to marvel at as well, with the soundtrack becoming almost just as popular as the film.

    The film’s song “Let It Go” has been nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe, and the song was partly what made the film such a delight to experience. In the film, the song is performed by Idina Menzel, who plays Elsa, the new queen.

    Frozen is based on the fairy tale The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Anderoson. In addition to Menzel, the film stars Kristen Bell as Princess Anna as well as Jonatahn Groff as Kristoff and Josh Gad as the talking snowman, Olaf.

    The film has taken the No.1 spot at the box office on several occasions during the time that it has been in theaters. In its second week out, Frozen dethroned the powerhouse film The Hunger Games: Catching Fire to take the top spot.

    If fans somehow thought that the song could not get any better, think again. Disney recently released a version of the song that is a mash-up of the lyrics in 25 different languages. It can be a cool way for people to learn phrases in other languages, and a great way for fans to continue to relive the song in even more ways.

    In almost unprecedented ways, the Frozen soundtrack has been continually climbing the Billboard charts, and it is currently the number one album on the Billboard top 200, right above Beyonce’s recent album.. Frozen‘s hit song “Let It Go” is also at No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100.

    Jennifer Lee, the co-director and writer of Frozen, spoke about “Let It Go” and its importance to the film when saying “The song was so special that I literally had to rewrite a lot of the movie to support that song.”

    She also said that what makes Frozen so special is anchored from that song. It is also significant because thematically, it was the day Elsa became more interesting as a character. She wasn’t just a villain anymore, and it was the day she became somebody who you could really care about.

    The video of Frozen‘s “Let IT GO” being sung in 25 languages has instantly become a viral hit, and the music of Frozen continues to gain attention. In addition to receiving nominations for best song, Frozen has already won the award for best animated feature at the Golden Globes, and it is likely to take the Oscar home as well.

    Image via Youtube

  • Russell Johnson, Gilligan’s Island Actor, Dies At Age 89

    Russell Johnson, the actor who will always be remembered for his significant role as “The Professor” on Gilligan’s Island, has died at the age of 89. He died on Thursday, January 16th.

    The veteran actor had appeared in a handful of western and science fiction films before starring in the 1960s sitcom that made him famous.

    The news of his death was reported by his agent. “He died at 5:21 a.m. of natural causes at home in Washington state.”

    Johnson was married three times, and had two children and one stepchild. He was accompanied by his wife Constance, and his daughter Kim, at the time of his death. He also had a son who died of AIDS at the age of 44, which got him active in AIDS fund-raising efforts.

    Russell Johnson was born in Pennsylvania in 1924, and was sent to a boarding school following the death of his father. He served in World War II, and was a decorated veteran before pursuing his acting career.

    Following his death, his wife said “[He was] a very brave guy who knew what he wanted, and he wanted to be at home.” They had been married since 1982, and had one child together.

    Gilligan’s Island was a show followed four men and three women stranded on a tropical island after being shipwrecked on the S.S. Minnow. It ran from 1964 until 1967, and has gained even more popularity in its many years of syndication.

    The show is also being made into a film after all these years, and it is set to star Josh Gad, but his part is currently unknown.

    Before getting his big break with Gilligan’s Island in 1964, Russell Johnson starred in several popular television shows during the 1950s and 1960s including Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone, and The Adventures Of Superman.

    He also appeared in a variety of shows following Gilligan’s Island including Dallas and The Bob Newhart Show.

    Russell Johnson was the last surviving male member of the Gilligan’s Island cast. The only other members of the cast that are still alive are Tina Louise, who played Ginger Grant, and Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann Summers.


    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Gilligan’s Island ‘Sets Sail’ for the Big Screen

    Maybe the S.S. Minnow isn’t lost! After more than 30 years in the CBS vault, the hit TV show Gilligan’s Island is no longer ‘shipwrecked’, as its about to ‘set sail’ yet again – as a movie! The quirky 1960’s television show about seven castaways stranded on a tropical island is headed to the big screen. The film version of the television series reboot will feature ‘Book of Mormon’  star, Josh Gad.

    According to Deadline, Warner Bros. has put a film feature in motion based on the series.  While Gad’s character in the film has not yet been disclosed, TODAY reports that there is a strong possibility he will likely play the popular role of Gilligan. The role was originated by actor Bob Denver.

    Although some may argue that Gad would probably be more comparable for the role of Skipper, originally portrayed by Alan Hale, Jr., there is no doubt the comedic reenactment will definitely be lauded as a highly anticipated feature.

    It has also been confirmed that not only will Gad play a key role in the film, but he will also be a major contributor to the script. Gad will be writing the new script along with notable writers, Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez. Warner Bros. has also confirmed that Lloyd J. Schwartz, Ross Schwartz, Tracey Silvers and Cathy Silvers will serve as the film’s executive producers.

    The Gilligan’s Island sitcom was originally created and produced by former television production mogul Sherwood Schwartz. The show aired on the CBS Network for three seasons, with a total of 98 episodes, from September 26, 1964 to September 4, 1967. Schwartz, who is the father of the upcoming film’s executive producers, Lloyd and Ross, was also known for his work as the credited creator for the Brady Bunch.

    No further details have been released for film scheduling or upcoming release dates.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons | Gilligan’s Island TV Series

  • Josh Gad To Star In Film Adaptation Of Gilligan’s Island

    Something that most people probably did not expect to ever see happen is now being set in motion. Gilligan’s Island is being adapted into a film, and will star Josh Gad in the revival of the classic television show that everyone adored during the 1960s.

    The original Gilligan’s Island aired from 1964-1967 on CBS, and featured the comedic story of seven shipwrecked passengers of the S.S. Minnow.

    The main characters on the show were Gilligan, the Skipper, the Professor, an actress Ginger, Mary Ann, and millionaires Mr. and Mrs. Howell.

    It is currently unknown which character Josh Gad will be playing, although the title character of Gilligan is likely.

    Josh Gad was previously nominated for a Tony for his role in the Broadway production of The Book Of Mormon.

    Most recently, his voice was used in the animated holiday film, Frozen, which grabbed the No.1 spot at the box office after its second week of release. He also starred alongside Ashton Kuther this summer in the biopic about Steve Jobs in Jobs.

    In addition to being the star of the film, Josh Gad will write the script with Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez, the screenwriters behind the television series 1600 Penn. Gad was also one of the stars of 1600 Penn, and has experience working with the writers already. The feature film based on the classic sitcom from the 1960s will be presented by Warner Bros.

    The original series that aired on CBS starred Bob Denver as Gilligan, Alan Hale Jr as Skipper, Jim Backus and Natalie Schafer as Thurston and Lovey Howell, Russell Johnson as The Professor, Dawn Wells as Mary Ann, and Tina Louise as Ginger.

    Others are clearly opposed to the making of this film. How do people feel about this upcoming film? Discuss.

    Due to its immense popularity, Gilligan’s Island has continued to show reruns over the years, which is much of the reason that younger audiences would know about the show already. It also spawned the idea for three different made-for-television movies.

    While Josh Gad’s role is unknown at this time, he is set to have a starring role in the upcoming Gilligan’s Island film. He is also working on a biopic of stand-up comedian Sam Kinison, which is titled Kinison.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Ashton Kutcher’s ‘Jobs’ Biopic Release Delayed for Additional Marketing

    You’re going to have to wait just a little bit longer to see Ashton Kutcher’s Steve Jobs biopic.

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, Open Road Films has decided to push back the release of Jobs. The film, which was originally slated for an April 19th release, is being postponed so that it can benefit from additional marketing, according to the sources.

    There’s no new date to report, only that it’s been pushed back from April 19th.

    Jobs (previously titled jOBS), premiered at the Sundance Film Festival back in January. The reviews were mixed, with many praising Kutcher’s portrayal of Steve Jobs while at the same time dismissing the films as disappointing, “saccharine,” and “too respectful.”

    Jobs details the major moments and defining characters that influenced Steve Jobs on a daily basis from 1971 through 2000. Jobs plunges into the depths of his character, creating an intense dialogue-driven story that is as much a sweeping epic as it is an immensely personal portrait of Steve Jobs’ life. The filmmakers were granted unprecedented access during shooting to the historic garage in Palo Alto, that served as the birthplace to Apple Inc,” according to the film’s producers Five Star Feature Films.

    jOBS stars Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs and Josh Gad as Steve Wozniak. It also features Dermot Mulroney, Lukas Haas, J.K. Simmons and Matthew Modine. It’s directed by Joshua Michael Stern, who brought you the 2008 political comedy Swing Vote.

  • Early jOBS Reviews Are Mixed, Generally Approving of Ashton Kutcher’s Steve Jobs Portrayal

    On Friday, the Ashton Kutcher-led Steve Jobs biopic jOBS had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. The film, which is directed by Joshua Michael Stern and co-stars Josh Gad as Steve Wozniak, will open to the public on April 19th.

    Here’s a look at some of the early reviews, which are mixed.

    CNET calls the film “saccharine” and says that viewers will spend two hours “watching cardboard cutouts lose arguments to Ashton Kutcher”:

    My primary disappointment was in how shallow the film felt, given the extensive historical record. In the early days Jobs’ co-workers had to wrestle with a man who smelled bad, who cried often, who yelled constantly, who missed deadlines, who overspent his budget by millions. He did it in service of products we love and use daily, and yet his obsessions took a toll on those around him. He also inspired others to do the best work of their lives, pushing themselves further than they ever imagined they could go. There is great drama to be found in all that, but it is not to be found in the saccharine “jOBS.”

    The Guardian gives the film two out of a possible five stars, calling Ashton Kutcher’s portrayal of Steve Jobs as a “surprisingly effective turn.” Still, The Guardian laments that it’s everything else that falls short:

    The results, then, are mixed. This is far from the bomb some would have envisaged, but neither is it the character illumination one would wish for. Jobs appears so consumed by his work here that little else mattered in his life. That may be true, but we’re left none the wiser as to what made the man tick, beyond what we already know. Apple will no doubt feel satisfied, even relieved. Those wanting a sharper, more incisive view will have to wait for Sorkin.

    The Hollywood Reporter says that the film is “a biopic that’s perhaps too respectful of the tech icon’s innovations still remains frequently engaging.”

    Playing somewhat like a two-hour commercial covering the first 20 tumultuous years of Apple’s development, Joshua Michael Stern’s biopic of Steve Jobs is a passably entertaining account of the career of one of the 20th century’s great innovators that doesn’t break any stylistic ground, hewing closely to public perception of the tech giant.

    Writing for Gizmodo, reader Seth Kinkaid gives a fan’s review. He says that despite some clear inaccuracies and exaggerations, “it was the experience [he] wanted.”

    I wasn’t sure exactly what I would get, but it turned out to be surprisingly nice. It was… satisfying. It also proved that I could enjoy Ashton Kutcher’s acting as Silicon Valley’s most prized CEO. Although his performance wasn’t perfect, it felt right. The rest of the movie was just as good.

    The Next Web’s Matthew Panzarino calls the film “entertaining, if impressionistic,” but adds that “this isn’t going to be the canonical Steve Jobs biography movie.”

    [O]verall, jOBS works. The lead actors are likable and appear to have put serious effort into getting the spirit of the characters right. The film looks (mostly) good aside from some of what could likely be ascribed to budgetary constraints. And though the director is a tad indulgent here and there, it doesn’t take away from the overall feeling of ‘decent’ that I came away with.

    Film School Rejects gives it an upside…

    An often-solid performance by Kutcher; a very solid series of supporting performances (particularly by Gad); surprisingly well-paced and quite entertaining.

    ..and a downside:

    Relies on basic and unimaginative filmmaking tricks, particularly a score calibrated to make audiences think “something triumphant and bold is happening!” and long-winded montage sequences; “tells” rather than “shows” large swathes of character development and exposition; leaves many unanswered questions (you know, like, why computers?).

    Check here for more coverage of jOBS.

  • First Clip From jOBS Hits The Web [Video]

    Entertainment Tonight has posted the first clip we’ve seen from the upcoming Steve Jobs biopic jOBS, starring Ashton Kutcher and Josh Gad as Jobs and Steve Wozniak. The clip features the duo in a scene talking about Wozniak’s operating system.

    Kutcher and Gad will appear at Macworld/iWorld next week to talk about their experiences playing the roles of Apple’s co-founders.

    The film also got an official release date this week: April 19.

    [via Slashgear]

  • jOBS Release Date Announced as April 19th

    UPDATE: The very first clip has also been released. Check it out here.

    The highly-anticipated Steve Jobs biopic jOBS just got an official release date: April 19th. The last we heard on this, we simply received a generic “April” release target.

    The film stars Ashton Kutcher in the title role of Steve Jobs, and will make its world premiere on the closing night of Sundance.

    “jOBS details the major moments and defining characters that influenced Steve Jobs on a daily basis from 1971 through 2000. jOBS plunges into the depths of his character, creating an intense dialogue-driven story that is as much a sweeping epic as it is an immensely personal portrait of Steve Jobs’ life. The filmmakers were granted unprecedented access during shooting to the historic garage in Palo Alto, that served as the birthplace to Apple Inc,” according to the film’s producers Five Star Feature Films.

    From what we’ve seen, the casting looks pretty good. Kutcher is a dead ringer for a young Jobs, and Josh Gad looks passable as a young Steve Wozniak.

    jOBS stars Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs, as well as Dermot Mulroney, Josh Gad, Lukas Haas, J.K. Simmons and Matthew Modine. It’s directed by Joshua Michael Stern, who brought you the 2008 political comedy Swing Vote.

    No word yet on that other Steve Jobs movie.

  • jOBS Stars Ashton Kutcher And Josh Gad To Speak At MacWorld/iWorld

    Ashton Kutcher and Josh Gad, who will be seen in the roles of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, respectively, in the upcoming film jOBS, will appear on the main stage at the Macworld/iWorld event on Thursday, January 31.

    According to the MacWorld/iWorld site (via 9to5Mac), the two will share their experiences “playing the technology industry’s two most celebrated and influential personalities”. I wonder what Bill Gates thinks about it.

    Last week, some photos of the two in their respective roles hit the web, and while they’ve drawn some criticism from some Apple fans, the two seem pretty good for the parts to me, at least based on appearance alone.

    Kutcher, Gad

    jOBS image: USA Today

    MacWorld/iWorld starts on January 31, and runs through February 2 at Moscone Center West in San Francisco.

    jOBS is expected to be released in April, and in addition to Kutcher and Gad, stars Dermot Mulroney, Lukas Haas, J.K. Simmons and Matthew Modine.

    Another Steve Jobs biopic is in the works as well, being written by The Social Network scribe Aaron Sorkin.

  • Check Out Josh Gad as Steve Wozniak in ‘jOBS’

    We know that Ashton Kutcher looks so much like a young Steve Jobs that it’s kind of scary. Seriously, in terms of physical appearance, it’s hard to think of a better casting job. Now, whether or not that uncanny physical appearance will translate into a good performance, and if a good performance will be able to carry the movie is left to be seen.

    Of course, we’re talking about the upcoming film jOBS, which “details the major moments and defining characters that influenced Steve Jobs on a daily basis from 1971 through 2000,” according to makers Five Star Feature Films. “jOBS plunges into the depths of his character, creating an intense dialogue-driven story that is as much a sweeping epic as it is an immensely personal portrait of Steve Jobs’ life. The filmmakers were granted unprecedented access during shooting to the historic garage in Palo Alto, that served as the birthplace to Apple Inc.”

    Today, we get another look at how the cast is shaping up. This time, it’s Josh Gad as Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.

    USA Today provided the still from the new film and we tacked on an old photo of Jobs and the Woz. What do you think? On a purely physical level, does Gad fit the role? I think the pair looks pretty good.

    We recently learned the jOBS will screen on the closing night of the Sundance Film Festival, and will be released to the public shortly after that, some time in April. Earlier this month the film got a distribution partner, Open Road Films, which is an independent distribution company founded in 2011.

    The film also stars Dermot Mulroney, Josh Gad, Lukas Haas, J.K. Simmons and Matthew Modine. It’s helmed by Joshua Michael Stern, who brought you the 2008 political comedy Swing Vote. And as always, it’s not to be confused with Sony Pictures’ upcoming Steve Jobs movie, which is being written by Aaron Sorkin.

    [USA Today via The Verge]

  • Steve Jobs Biopic Gets a Villain

    Steve Jobs Biopic Gets a Villain

    The indie biopic that is in the works starring Ashton Kutcher as Jobs and Josh Gad as Steve Wozniak (Book of Mormon) has officially cast a villain. We also now know that the film is currently being directed by a relatively unknown in Joshua Michael Stern (Swing Vote). It will concentrate on Job’s life from 1971 on.

    Matthew Modine (Joker from Full Metal Jacket) will pay the role of Pepsi CEO John Sculley. Sculley is known as the guy who “fired” Jobs in 1985. The two clashed early on, which led to Jobs being removed from the company two years later. Scully was the CEO from 1983 to 1993. During his reign Apple rose fast and then came to the verge of being completely irrelevant.

    Matthew Modine broke the news on CBS:

    Modine waxes poetic on how being fired by Sculley actually helped Jobs be the man he came to be, drawing comparisons to basketball great, Michael Jordan:

    “The interesting thing about that is some people may look at John Sculley as a villain in the story, an antagonist in the story. You know the story of Michael Jordan. When he was playing high school basketball, he was kicked off the team. He was cut. And had Michael Jordan not been cut, a lot of people believe he wouldn’t have found the aspiration and desire to show his coach that he was wrong and become the Michael Jordan who changes the game of basketball.”

    “It’s my feeling, and I think there’s a lot of people who feel, that had John Sculley not fired Steve Jobs from Apple Computers and Steve go on the journey that he did when he was away from Apple Computers that we wouldn’t be speaking about Steve Jobs today.”

    Modine also reveals that they will start filming in a couple of weeks and the film could be out as early as this Fall. That may be a stretch, but if they are working as fast as they say they are, we could definitely see it by Christmas.

    The movie is now being called “jOBS”, with the “j” intentionally left lower-case – to be cute, I guess. Early reports of the working title called it “Jobs: Get Inspired”. I don’t know which is cheesier.

    [img source: The Verge]

  • Josh Gad To Play Steve Wozniak In Jobs Biopic?

    Broadway star Josh Gad may be about to take on the role of Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak in Jobs, the indie biopic about the life of Steve Jobs. Slated to begin shooting next month, the film will follow Jobs’s life from 1971-2000 – beginning five years before the founding of Apple in 1976, and ending four years after Jobs’s return to Apple in 1996 (and seven years before the introduction of the iPhone in 2007).

    According to a report last night by Hollywood Reporter, Broadway star Josh Gad is currently in talks to play Wozniak, who co-founded Apple with Jobs in 1976. Gad, 31, has done some film and television work during his career, but is is primarily known for his role as Elder Arnold Cunningham in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical The Book of Mormon. He is rumored to reprise the role in a film version of the play, which is slated for a 2014 release.

    As we reported at the beginning of the month, Ashton Kutcher has been cast to play Steve Jobs, a choice that left many people wary and confused until they started looking at pictures of the two side-by-side:

    (image)

    While many felt that the casting of Kutcher was an odd choice, one important person felt it was great: Steve Wozniak. Wozniak’s approval of Kutcher in the role of Steve Jobs left the question of who would play the role of Wozniak himself, who will certainly be a major character in the movie.

    Jobs is scheduled to begin shooting next month and is targeted for a fourth quarter 2012 release. It is being directed by Joshua Michael Stern and produced by Mark Hulme.

    What do you think? Is Gad a good casting choice to play Wozniak? Let us know in the comments.