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Tag: scarlett johansson

  • Natalie Portman in Talks to Star in Steve Jobs Biopic

    Natalie Portman is reportedly in talks to star in the upcoming Steve Jobs biopic, Jobs.

    According to Deadline, Portman may have a major role in the film that is struggling to get off the ground.

    Sony dropped its backing for the project completely last week, and it was picked up by Universal.

    The screenplay was written by The Social Network‘s Aaron Sorkin and Slumdog Millionaire‘s Danny Boyle is set to direct the movie based on Walter Isaacson’s 2001 Steve Jobs biography.

    Reports claim Michael Fassbender is set to star as Jobs, replacing Christian Bale, and producers were reportedly reaching out to Scarlett Johansson, although it looks like the role may now go to Portman. Seth Rogen is also reported to be the choice for the part of Steve Wozniak.

    Portman, who won an Academy Award for her role in Black Swan, is currently in post-production on her directional debut, A Tale Of Love And Darkness. The movie, in which she will also star, is an adaptation of Israeli writer Amos Oz’s memoir. She is also co-producing Burr Steers’ Pride And Prejudice And Zombies and is starring in two upcoming Terrence Malick films.

    Busy girl!

  • Keira Knightley on Why She Decided to Pose Topless

    Keira Knightley says that her decision to pose topless in a recent photo shoot was to protest against “unrealistic expectations that are placed on women, especially those in the public eye.”

    The British actress was photographed for Interview magazine in August by famed photographer Patrick Demarcherlier.

    In an interview with The Times of London, Knightley explained her reasons for taking her top off for the shoot.

    “I’ve had my body manipulated so many different times for so many different reasons, whether it’s paparazzi photographers or for film posters,” she said.

    “That [shoot] was one of the ones where I said: ‘OK, I’m fine doing the topless shot so long as you don’t make them any bigger or retouch.’ Because it does feel important to say it really doesn’t matter what shape you are,” explained Knightley, who was angry several years ago when her bosom was digitally enlarged for the poster of King Arthur.

    Knightley has posed nude or semi-nude in the past. In 2006, she posed naked for the cover of Vanity Fair with Scarlett Johansson. Fashion designer Tom Ford was also included in the photo fully-clothed. Knightley said the threesome wanted to emphasis conflicting demands on men and women’s sexuality.

    “I think women’s bodies are a battleground and photography is partly to blame,” she told The Times. “It’s much easier to take a picture of somebody without a shape; it simply is. Whereas actually you need tremendous skill to be able get a woman’s shape and make it look like it does in life, which is always beautiful. But our society is so photographic now, it becomes more difficult to see all of those different varieties of shape.”

    Knightley also addressed the difficulty women face as they age.

    “It’s really desperate, the image we have of women, and when women became invisible or when you hear someone say, ‘She’s let herself go,’ whatever the f— that means. What — because she’s got grey hair? I do think it’s something that needs to be addressed,” she said.

  • Scarlett Johansson, Romain Dauriac Spark Marriage Rumors

    Scarlett Johansson and Romain Dauriac, who just welcomed their first child together in September, were spotted out and about in New York City last week for the first time in several weeks. The couple managed to spark marriage rumors in that short time, as Dauriac was reportedly wearing a gold ring.

    Although it’s no secret that the duo have been engaged since late 2013, the presence of a ring on Dauriac’s finger may mean the two decided to exchange vows in secret after the birth of their daughter, Rose Dorothy. However, reps for the couple have not confirmed a wedding.

    Johansson said recently that she’s happy to be moving on to the next phase of her life, as she’s tired of being pegged as the “sex symbol”.

    “I don’t want to be the ingénue any more. That part I’m happy about. It’s nice to be glamorous, but I don’t want to always have to be trendy and glamorous and an object of desire. I don’t want to be stuck in that forever. Because it doesn’t last,” she said.

    The actress recently signed on with Sony TV to executive produce and star in an eight-episode television series called Custom Of The Country, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Edith Wharton. In her first major television role, Johansson will play heroine Undine Spragg.

    Johansson can also be seen next year with her return to the Marvel universe in Avengers: Age Of Ultron. The actress was pregnant during some of the film’s production, so three separate stunt actors were used to help get her through several scenes. Director Joss Whedon said recently that he was adamant about making the movie work no matter what.

    “She’s not going to spend the whole movie carrying groceries. We didn’t trim any scenes. We’re like, ‘We’ll make it work,’” he told Entertainment Weekly.

  • Scarlett Johansson: Another Movie Star Headed To TV

    One of Hollywood’s biggest movie stars is headed to the small screen.

    Scarlett Johansson has signed on with Sony TV to executive produce and star in a new series called Custom of the Country. The show is based on Edith Wharton’s 1913 Pulitzer Prize winning novel of the same name. British screenwriter Christopher Hampton (Dangerous Liaisons, Atonement) is adapting the book for television.

    Custom of the Country is planned as an eight-episode series. The show could possibly appear on a premium cable channel. Hampton reportedly adapted the novel for the big screen twenty years ago as a vehicle for Michelle Pfeiffer. However, the film never came to fruition, instead Hampton published the script as part of a collection of screenplays in 2002.

    Johansson will play heroine Undine Spragg. It will be her first major television role. Here’s the synopsis for the novel:

    First published in 1913, Edith Wharton’s The Custom of the Country is a scathing novel of ambition featuring one of the most ruthless heroines in literature. Undine Spragg is as unscrupulous as she is magnetically beautiful. Her rise to the top of New York’s high society from the nouveau riche provides a provocative commentary on the upwardly mobile and the aspirations that eventually cause their ruin. One of Wharton’s most acclaimed works, The Custom of the Country is a stunning indictment of materialism and misplaced values that is as powerful today for its astute observations about greed and power as when it was written nearly a century ago.

    Johansson, 29, welcomed a baby girl named Rose into the world in early September. It is the first child for the actress and fiancé Romain Dauriac. Prior to giving birth, Johansson said in an interview that she plans to embrace the aging process. She also claimed to be tired and frustrated with her sex symbol status, “I don’t want to be the ingénue any more. That part I’m happy about. It’s nice to be glamorous, but I don’t want to always have to be trendy and glamorous and an object of desire. I don’t want to be stuck in that forever. Because it doesn’t last.”

    Perhaps taking a role as a ruthless social climber will help change her image?

  • Scarlett Johansson May Put Off Wedding

    Scarlett Johansson May Put Off Wedding

    Scarlett Johansson is a busy lady these days; between her roles in Avengers: Age Of Ultron and Lucy–which beat out Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Hercules at the box office last weekend with an impressive haul of over $40 million–and preparing for the birth of her first child, she has a lot on her plate. That may be why she’s reportedly going to postpone a wedding to beau Romain Dauriac.

    The couple have kept a low profile since news of the star’s pregnancy first broke, with Johansson taking a break from Comic Con this year, and according to a source, she’s putting off a wedding until after the baby is born.

    “She is telling friends that she is not getting married until after the baby,” the source said.

    According to a rep for the actress, the couple have definitely not set a date, although the star has spoken out in the past about the media being so invasive when it comes to her personal life so it wouldn’t come as a surprise if she was keeping things under wraps on purpose.

    “Just because you’re in the spotlight, or just because you’re an actor or making films or whatever, doesn’t mean that you’re not entitled to your own personal privacy. I think no matter what the context, if that is besieged in some way, it feels unjust. It feels wrong,” she said in 2011.

    Johansson recently won a lawsuit against a French author who used her name and described her image in his book La Premiere Chose Qu’on Regarde (The First Thing We Look At); Gregoire Delacourt says it wasn’t meant to be anything but praise to the actress, even though the character in his book is compared to the actress and is then treated like a sex object throughout.

    “It was meant as the highest praise. She is an archetypal beauty of our times, very human with a touching fragility. She is a wonderful, iconic actress. I was hoping that she might send me flowers because this book is, in a way, a declaration of love. If I had known she was going to kick up such a racket, I would have picked another actress,” he said.

    Indeed, Johansson is so iconic that even a new haircut makes headlines; she was spotted out with her fiance recently with a new pixie ‘do.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Lucy Overpowers Hercules at Box Office

    “It’s a great result in every depressed marketplace … And I think it says that more female action stars are called for.”

    Although the 2014 summer box office numbers are down by one-fifth as compared to last year, Luc Besson’s French action film, Lucy, hit big at theaters this weekend.

    Lucy, starring Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman, follows a 25-year old American woman studying in Taiwan who is tricked into carrying a packaged drug inside her abdomen. The drug, CPH4, a synthetic superdrug that can increase the user’s brain function capacity, is accidentally released in Lucy’s system when one of her captor’s kicks her in the stomach. After that, all hell breaks loose.

    Lucy is the latest in summer female-power films, overpowering its predecessors Maleficent and The Fault in Our Stars at $44 million. In fact, in the first weekend, females made up 50 percent of ticket buyers for the new film.

    Lucy is one of many recent films in which Johansson portrays an action hero, including Iron Man 2, The Avengers, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

    “The main reasons for coming to see the film were the story, and then Scarlett,” said Nikki Rocco, Universal’s president of domestic distribution. “She’s very diversified in what she does. Luc brought out the best of her in this movie.”

    The R-rated film received mixed reviews in the Twitter world.

    But, despite differing opinions and only receiving a C+ CinemaScore, Lucy beat Dwayne Johnson’s Hercules, which received a B+, in the first weekend.

    Dawn of the Planet of the Apes finished in third at $16.4 million for the weekend.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Scarlett Johansson Plans to Marry Fiancé Romain Dauriac in August

    Scarlett Johansson is apparently planning on getting married next month.

    The 29-year-old actress was overheard telling fellow guests at a dinner thrown by Martha Stewart on Saturday that she and French journalist Romain Dauriac — with whom she is expecting her first child — will marry in four weeks, the New York Post’s Page Six reports.

    The wedding venue is still unknown at this time, but The Avengers star will likely either marry in her fiance’s native Paris, or in the Hamptons, where they have been hanging out this summer.

    Johansson and Dauriac were joined at the dinner held at Stewart’s East Hampton estate with fellow guests and Hampton regulars — Howard Stern, Katie Couric, Matt Lauer, Barbara Walters, Rachel Zoe and Harvey Weinstein. The dinner was held to celebrate the launch of Dom Pérignon’s P2-1998 champagne — a vintage that retails for $400 a bottle.

    The nuptials will likely be rather simple — the actress has admitted she would probably “wing it” on her wedding day.

    “I don’t plan anything. I’m terrible at planning. Yeah, I’m not gonna plan anything – I like to wing it!,” Johansson told Access Hollywood.

    This will be the second marriage for the Lucy star. She was married to Ryan Reynolds from 2008 until 2011 and has admitted she finds it “easier” to date someone who is not a celebrity.

    “It is [easier to be with someone who isn’t famous], but it’s more than that. We do different things. He’s [Romain] in the whole art-scene world. So it’s nice, because we can enjoy each other’s worlds, but we don’t have our crazy conflicting schedules and all that other stuff to contend with,” she said in Vanity Fair’s May issue.

    Image via YouTube

  • Scarlett Johansson: Behind The Scenes Video For D&G Shoot

    Scarlett Johansson is preparing for motherhood at the moment, but before the news was released that she’s expecting, she was glamming it up for Dolce & Gabbana in a photo shoot for their new eye color, which will debut in the fall.

    The 29-year old actress looks a bit like Marilyn in the new ads with her blonde curls and polka dots, but it was her eyes the company was most interested in when they chose her to be the face for the campaign.

    “When we were looking for someone whose eyes embody the innermost essence of the Dolce & Gabbana woman, we could only think of one person: Scarlett. Her eyes can speak even when she does not, evoking intense emotions just by catching your glance. She has the look of a true star,” Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana said in a statement.

    Johansson has been a busy lady of late, between her spokesperson gigs and filming, and is promoting her new action film Lucy at the moment as well. However, she noted recently that she does understand that motherhood will mean making some sacrifices when it comes to her job.

    She hasn’t sacrificed style, that’s for sure; the chic mom-to-be made headlines recently in a cute red and black ensemble with a soft motorcycle jacket on top and clogs on the bottom.

    Image via YouTube

  • Scarlett Johansson Ready To Film Coen Bros. Movie

    Scarlett Johansson has played many a role on the big screen, but her latest two movies are shaping up to be quite interesting.

    Lucy, which comes out July 25th, stars Scarlett Johansson as a drug mule who absorbs some of the drug she is charged with into her system.

    This drug allows her to use way more of her brain than the average person. However, this new brain power comes at the expense of her humanity.

    Awesomeness ensues…

    Scralett Johansson destroys a good chunk of Paris in the movie during a crazy car chase.

    She also has the power to slow and speed up time, as well as a few other super-human tricks she keeps up her sleeve.

    Watch the trailer:

    Scarlett Johansson’s Lucy will open at the 67th Locarno Film Festival on August 6th. It looks pretty fantastic, but not as interesting as her new role in the new Coen brothers movie Hail Caesar. She is set to join the likes of Jonah Hill, Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Channing Tatum, Tilda Swinton and Ralph Fiennes.

    Quite a star-studded movie! Who wouldn’ t want to be part of a Coen brothers production, after all?

    Scarlett Johansson plays an actress in the 1950’s who gets pregnant in Hail Caesar.

    It shouldn’t be too difficult to play that part, as Scarlett Johansson announced in March that she actually is pregnant with her first child with fiance Romain Dauriac.

    Sounds like a full load for the mom-to-be! For now, Scarlett Johansson is just enjoying her work and being engaged. She said of her relationship with Dauriac, “We do different things. He’s in the whole art-scene world. So it’s nice, because we can enjoy each other’s worlds, but we don’t have our crazy conflicting schedules and all that other stuff to contend with.”

    Hopefully she has time to rest between work and romance!

    Image via YouTube

  • Scarlett Johansson No Sex Object, Wins Lawsuit

    Scarlett Johansson has won a lawsuit against an author whose book featured a character bearing a very similar likeness to the actress. She filed suit against author Gregoire Delacourt for making “fraudulent use of her name, fame and image” in his book titled La premiere chose qu’on regarde (The First Thing We Look At). The book features a character described as Scarlett Johansson’s ‘exact double.’ That character is treated like a sex object throughout the book.

    Delacourt, however, claims he used Johansson’s likeness on the written page as a means of complimenting the Avengers actress.

    “It was meant as the highest praise. She is an archetypal beauty of our times, very human with a touching fragility. She is a wonderful, iconic actress. I was hoping that she might send me flowers because this book is, in a way, a declaration of love. If I had known she was going to kick up such a racket, I would have picked another actress,” he said.

    “I wrote a work of fiction. My character is not Scarlett Johansson,” the author said in an interview with a French newspaper. “I’m not sure she’s even read the book. It’s not been translated.”

    And speaking of translated, Scarlett Johansson wanted to make sure the work is never translated into any other languages or adapted for film use, and she sought an injunction that would hopefully prevent any of these things from happening. The court threw it out, however.

    Johansson will soon be back on the big screen in a film called Lucy, in which she plays a ‘merciless warrior.’ She decides to fight back against some people who have taken extreme advantage of her.

    Gregoire Delacourt’s publisher claims that since the lawsuit is now settled the novel could in fact be published again–in English this time.

    Scarlett Johansson only received 2,500 euros–the equivalent of 3,400 U.S. dollars in the suit. She sought the equivalent of $70,000. Do you think she deserved more respect from the French courts than this paltry award? Do you think the novel will eventually wind up published in English? That will no doubt open up a whole new lawsuit from which Johansson will hopefully get more money and stop the author who has unfairly portrayed her as a sex object.

    Scarlett Johansson is sexy, but definitely no object in the upcoming Lucy. This may be one of her most enthralling roles to date.

    Image via YouTube

  • Scarlett Johansson Wins Lawsuit Against Author Using Her as ‘Sex Object’ in Book

    Scarlett Johansson, 29, won a defamation lawsuit against an author who wrote a book featuring a character based on the Avengers actress.

    In the lawsuit, the Captain America star accused French writer Gregoire Delacourt of making “fraudulent use of her name, fame and image” in his book La premiere Chose Qu’on Regarde (The First Thing We Look At).

    The character in the book is described as Johansson’s “exact double” who is treated as a “sex object” because of her looks.

    Delacourt claims he only used her image as a way of giving Johansson a compliment.

    “It was meant as the highest praise. She is an archetypal beauty of our times, very human with a touching fragility. She is a wonderful, iconic actress. I was hoping that she might send me flowers because this book is, in a way, a declaration of love. If I had known she was going to kick up such a racket, I would have picked another actress,” said Delacourt.

    The actress, who is currently expecting a baby with French fiancé Romain Dauraic, sued for $69,302, accusing the novelist of using her likeness to promote the story.

    Delacourt has sold more than 100,000 copies of his novel and was surprised when the actress brought the lawsuit against him.

    “I wrote a work of fiction. My character is not Scarlett Johansson,” he told the French newspaper Le Figaro. “I’m not sure she’s even read the book. It’s not been translated.”

    A court in Paris, France, ruled in Johansson’s favor, but she was awarded only $3,397. The Lucy actress also sought an injunction to stop the novel from being translated into other languages or adapted for a movie, but the court threw the request out.

    Delacourt’s publisher said that now that the suit is settled, the publishing house is open to offers for an English translation.

    Image via YouTube

  • Jennifer Lawrence Named ‘Sexiest Woman in the World’

    Jennifer Lawrence has inherited the crown of the “Sexiest Women in the World” from Mila Kunis this year.

    The men’s magazine FHM released their annual list, and the Oscar-winner has won the title because, according to the magazine, she is “so freaking cool”.

    In addition to her obvious talent and natural beauty, FHM notes the Hunger Games actress’s new short do – which is being copied by sweet young things world-wide – and her photo-bomb during Taylor Swift’s interview with Ryan Seacrest at the Golden Globes.

    “The past 12 months have seen Jennifer’s career rocket off into the stratosphere,” the magazine wrote about the American Hustle actress.

    British actress Michelle Keegan – who stars in Coronation Street – came in second, although she was named “sexiest woman in the UK” by the magazine.

    “I’m totally taken back by this, it really does mean a lot,” said Keegan in a statement. “Thank you so much to the readers of FHM and everyone who took the time and voted for me, I’m so flattered. I believe that being ‘sexy’ isn’t wearing lots of heavy make-up or having the perfect hair or figure, it’s about self confidence, being comfortable with yourself, smiling and being happy!”

    Rihanna finished third and model Emily Ratajkowski and Kaley Cuoco rounded out the top five spots.

    Last year’s winner – and mom-to-be – Mila Kunis finished sixth this year.

    Other names on the list include Beyonce (7), Scarlett Johansson (10), Emilia Clarke (11; she was recently dubbed ‘Most Desirable’ by AskMen, ironically knocking off Jennifer Lawrence), Katy Perry (12), Emma Stone (20), Taylor Swift (27), Zooey Deschanel (34), Jennifer Aniston (36), Kim Kardashian (38), Selena Gomez (56), Miley Cyrus (79) and Shakira (87).

    Past queens of the “Sexiest Women in the World” list include Megan Fox (2008), Jessica Alba (2007), Keira Knightley (2006), Britney Spears (2004), Halle Berry (2003) and Jennifer Lopez (2001 and 2000).

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Scarlett Johansson Discusses Her Failed Marriage

    Most of Scarlett Johansson’s adult life has been documented and scrutinized in the public eye. However, there is one thing that she likes to keep private … her personal life.

    So, it was quite a shock when Scarlett recently decided to open up about her failed marriage to her ex-husband Ryan Reynolds.

    Johansson and Reynolds married in 2008 and then divorced after only two years in 2010. During an interview with C Magazine, Johansson revealed that her divorce was one of the loneliest times of her life. [The divorce] was a very lonely thing. It’s like the loneliest thing you’ll ever do, in some ways,” she explained. “I’ve had a fair amount of time to process the experience and go forward. I continue to get to know myself better as I get older, and that helps me in my relationships.”

    The divorce took quite a toll on Scarlett, but she has since moved on and is expecting a baby with her fiancé Romain Dauriac, a French journalist. During an interview with Vanity Fair, Scarlet discussed her blossoming romance with Dauriac and said it is much easier to be with someone outside of the acting world.

    “We do different things,” she explained. “He’s in the whole art-scene world. So it’s nice, because we can enjoy each other’s worlds, but we don’t have our crazy conflicting schedules and all that other stuff to contend with. And, you know, of course, actors, in general, they’re obsessed with emotions. Although, he’s French, so he’s also probably overly into his emotions.” Although they only dated for nine months before getting engaged, the couple felt the timing was right and called their pregnancy a “welcomed surprise”.

    Ryan has also moved on, and recently married Gossip Girls star Blake Lively.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Scarlett Johansson Only Enticement in ‘Under the Skin’

    Scarlett Johannson appears as an alien seductress in a new film called Under the Skin, and most reviews claim she is the only enticing part of the film.

    “Darkness, underscored by violins imitating a busy beehive. A flash of circular light that clarifies into a blinking eye. Fragments of familiar words in a woman’s voice, as if she were learning a new language. One female figure stripping another of her clothes and putting them on. An alien entity has come to Earth (Scotland, to be exact), called herself Laura and assumed the most beguiling of human forms: Scarlett Johansson’s,” the Time magazine review of Under the Skin begins. And while that might alone be enough to lure movie goers to the box office, the negatives of the review begin after this one short paragraph.

    The review goes on to say that after the first few minutes of Jonathan Glazer’s film that any thought of it being an artful thriller quickly goes by the wayside.

    Lest you’re quick to judge, however, do keep in mind that fans are provided with the opportunity to see Scarlett Johannson in the buff. In her role as Laura the alien, she is seen undressing, but is compared to a beast more so than a sexy seductress. In other words her body is hot–her actions are not.

    Time didn’t publish the only not-so-great review of Under the Skin. The Guardian says Scarlett Johansson “closely resembles Mick Jagger” in one of his film roles with “her black hair, ruby lips and panda eyes.” Can a female Mick Jagger be deemed sexy?

    While many will want to see Under the Skin simply for a shot at seeing Scarlett Johansson naked, critics suggest true film lovers wait and buy it when it comes out on DVD. In addition to the glimpse at Scarlett, they do believe sci-fi buffs will be mildly entertained by the film’s translation from the book.

    Image via YouTube

  • Scarlett Johansson Gains Special Abilities In “Lucy” Trailer [Video]

    There are a couple of big upcoming films for Scarlett Johansson this year, and one of them has just debuted its first trailer. She will be the star of an upcoming science fiction film called Lucy.

    Her character gains superhuman powers after ingesting a substance, while working as a drug mule for the mob. It is an action-packed film, and she should be fully prepared for the role after starring as Black Widow in The Avengers franchise.

    The film is directed by Luc Besson, who is a native of France, and has made some odd films that have become cult hits throughout his career. Previous films that he has done include The Fifth Element, Leon: The Professional, and The Messenger: The Story Of Joan Arc.

    Scarlett Johansson plays Lucy, a woman living in a futuristic Taipei, Taiwan, and it takes place in 2069 AD. Things truly get exciting in the film after she inadvertently ingests a drug that she was carrying in her stomach, which was intended to be transported.

    The substance essentially gives her superhuman powers much like superhero would, and some the effects that it has on her include eyes that change color, the ability to write Chinese, superhuman strength, and unlimited intelligence.

    The new powers may end up costing her life, and as shown in the trailer, she becomes the target of several crime organizations. She becomes less like a human after every new ability, and could be forever changed.

    The film is set up as a thrill ride with Scarlett Johansson leading the way in an exciting thriller, and is sure to be a hit when it is released. It also stars Morgan Freeman as a scientist and professor who can possibly expand her life expectancy.

    Featuring Scarlett Johansson as a female lead in a futuristic thriller should remind fans of Luc Besson’s previous work such as The Fifth Element, which had Milla Jovovich in a major part. That film also featured complicated crime organizations, and a variety of people that were on the hunt for her.

    Lucy will open in theaters this summer, with a release date on August 8th. Her other film Under The Skin is also being released to theaters soon.

    Image via Youtube

  • ‘Lucy’ Trailer: Scarlett Johansson Develops Super Powers

    After a bag of drugs bursts in her stomach, Scarlett Johansson develops superhuman powers.

    In the new Sci-Fi thriller Lucy, by filmmaker Luc Besson from his EuropaCorp studio, Johansson plays Lucy, a woman forced to carry experimental drugs for a mob organization. The ingested drugs explode inside her, and then she gains enhanced mental and physical abilities. These new powers may cost her life.

    Enter Morgan Freeman as a scientist and professor who can possibly expand her life expectancy. In the trailer, Freeman addresses a lecture hall full of pupils ready to soak up his knowledge by saying: “It is estimated that most human beings only use 10% of the brain’s capacity. Imagine if we could access 100%.  Interesting things begin to happen.”

    In the trailer, it appears that Lucy becomes the target of several crime organizations, one of which beats her, forcing the drug package to burst in her stomach and her powers to develop.

    Lucy’s trailer shows lots of action sequences, especially of Johansson’s character seeking revenge on the mob members who implanted the drugs inside her body. Additionally, Lucy’s trailer makes sure to highlight that Lucy soaks up knowledge like a sponge. The more abilities Lucy gains, the less human she becomes.

    Lucy is set in a futuristic version of Taipei, Taiwan, 2069 AD. It also stars Analeigh Tipton (Crazy, Stupid, Love), Amr Waked (Odysseus), Min-sik Choi (Old Boy), and Mason Lee (The Hangover Part II).

    Lucy resembles some of Besson’s most famous works by featuring a strong female lead, involving crime organizations, and taking place in a world beyond our realm, such as his previous films La Femme Nikita, Leon, The Fifth Element, and The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec.

    The film premiered some scenes last week at CinemaCon in Las Vegas. Lucy’s official release date is August 8, 2014.

     

    Image via Youtube

  • Scarlett Johansson Says No Sex Symbol Title For Her

    Whether she’s playing a sexy character in one of Woody Allen’s films like Match Point, or whether she’s kicking butt in action flicks like The Avengers, Scarlett Johansson has been driving men crazy for quite some time now.

    But when it comes to being a sex symbol, the blonde actress says she doesn’t care for the title at all, and when all is said and done she rather be remembered for the characters she plays, not her physical appearance.

    “I don’t want to be the ingenue anymore,” she said. “It’s nice to be glamorous, but I don’t want to always be an object of desire, because it doesn’t last.”

    Johansson said something similar in a separate interview, because for years now she’s been doing her best to shy away from that sex symbol image.

    “I don’t like being labelled as the ‘sexiest woman alive,’” she said. “As an actress I prefer to maintain the anonymity.”

    This month Scarlett Johansson, who’s now pregnant with her first child, is on the cover of Wall Street Journal magazine, where she talks about everything from her fiance Romain Dauriac, to living in Paris for the first time.

    She also talked about the pressures of being a working mom in Hollywood and said she can see why some women have troubling balancing both their family and career.

    “It seems so stressful to not be able to spend time with your family because you’re constantly chasing the tail of your own success,” said the 29 year old. “There must exist a world in which I can balance those things, be able to raise a family and still make a film a year, or work on my own, develop things, do theater. I want to be able to have it all.”

    Additionally, Johansson says she envies male actors a little bit, because after they have children nobody looks at them differently, but with women actors it’s the exact opposite.

    “I know there will be some sacrifices,” she said. “I know that’s the struggle with working mothers and successful careers….With [male actors] it just doesn’t happen that way. You can be every woman’s fantasy, and nobody thinks twice about the fact that you have eight kids or whatever.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Scarlett Johansson Takes Dylan Farrow To Task

    Ever since Dylan Farrow’s open letter to Woody Allen was published in The New York Times, the reaction has been all over the place, as some have lashed out at the filmmaker for allegedly abusing Farrow, while others felt Farrow went about addressing Allen the wrong way.

    Besides taking Allen to task, the 28 year old Farrow was also critical of some of the people he’s worked with.

    “What if it had been you, Emma Stone? Or you, Scarlett Johansson? You knew me when I was a little girl, Diane Keaton. Have you forgotten me?” wrote Farrow.

    Well now, one of the actors she mentioned is answering back, as Scarlett Johansson–who’s worked with Allen on several projects including Match Point and Vicky Cristina Barcelona–said Farrow was wrong for addressing a family situation so publicly.

    “I think it’s irresponsible to take a bunch of actors that will have a Google alert on and to suddenly throw their name into a situation none of us could possibly knowingly comment on,” said Johansson in an interview with The Guardian. “That just feels irresponsible to me.”

    Earlier this month at the Oscar Awards, actor and Oscar winner Cate Blanchett thanked Allen during her victory speech for casting her in the movie Blue Jasmine, and when the filmmaker’s name was mentioned, the crowd pretty much went silent, but Johansson says she’s not going to pass judgement on Allen, because she has no idea what the truth really is.

    “It would be ridiculous for me to make any kind of assumption one way or the other,” said Johansson. “It’s not like this is somebody that’s been prosecuted and found guilty of something, and you can then go, ‘I don’t support this lifestyle or whatever.’”

    “I mean, it’s all guesswork…..I think he’ll continue to know what he knows about the situation, and I’m sure the other people involved have their own experience with it.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Emily VanCamp: Revenge, Captain America and Shoes

    Emily VanCamp prances around the Revenge set wearing a wealth of designer heels that shoe lovers would absolutely die to get their hands on. But Emily would much rather be scuffing around the set in a pair of comfortable old boots. She claims it’s far more her style. Costume designer Jill Ohanneson has the say as to what Emily wears–at least when playing her Revenge role/roles of Emily Thorne/Amanda Clarke.

    “We have found what works best for each character: Victoria [Madeleine Stowe] loves Manolo Blahnik, Charlotte [Christa B. Allen] works really well with Jimmy Choo. Emily [Emily VanCamp] would be happiest in boots, but we have to find that heel that still looks beautiful. She looks great in Manolo, and we have some Christian Louboutin. I also use Charles David and Steve Madden. It’s really such a mix,” Jill said during a recent interview.

    Because of the prominence of haute couture footwear on Revenge, the show has become a platform for shoe brands to advertise their designs. Might there be a future collaboration between shoe companies and Revenge? Could there be a Revenge shoe line in the making? Ohanneson is a bit coy when answering that question.

    “There is an amazing moment coming up. I can’t talk about it too much because we’re in negotiations with shoe companies to showcase their [brands]. One of the characters talks about lusting after this style. It’s an opportunity to showcase a great, interesting shoe,” she says.

    Well, fine. Jill Ohanneson certainly isn’t the only one keeping secrets these days. Just check out the tweet ABC’s Revenge shared with fans before Sunday’s airing.

    Revenge isn’t Emily VanCamp’s only claim to fame these days. She is also appearing in Captain America: The Winter Soldier alongside Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson. Appearing in a role like this one–and constantly looking sexy on Revenge–requires lots of heavy duty fitness for the 27-year-old actress.

    “I am constantly getting ready for something,” she said during a recent interview. “I try to stay in shape as much as I can. I started Captain America when I was doing Revenge, so I already had to be in shape but, at a certain point, I’m going to have to take the time to really get in there if I am going to keep doing these physical roles. It takes a lot out of you. It is exhausting!”

    Emily VanCamp may be exhausted but she has pulled off her dual roles quite successfully. Now if she’ll just wear those uncomfortable heels long enough for Revenge to launch its own line of designer shoes, she’ll have women singing her praises all the way to their podiatrist’s office–but they’ll look incredibly fashionable while limping en route.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Scarlett Johansson Gets Love From “Iron Man 2” Director

    Scarlett Johansson announced recently that she’s expecting her first child with fiance Romain Dauriac, and the news came as a surprise to many. But to those who know her well, it was an excuse to talk up one of their favorite people.

    Jon Favreau, who directed the actress in “Iron Man 2”, heaped praise on the 29-year old, saying there’s no doubt she’ll be a wonderful mom.

    “She’ll be wonderful,” Favreau said during an interview at SXSW. “She’s one of my favorite people because she’s smart, she’s talented and she’s really down to earth and a hard worker. I like a hard worker. She really did a lot of work to train to play Black Widow [in the Avengers movies]. She’s always pleasant to be around and she’s got really good instincts about scenes, she helped me on Chef, she helped me a lot with the script and her character. She’s good people.”

    Johansson was reportedly as shocked as we were to find out she was with child, but a source says she and Dauriac are very happy.

    “She’s about four months along,” the source said. “The baby was a welcome surprise!”

    The actress is still working on “Avengers: Age of Ultron”, but producers are reportedly “tweaking” some things to make filming safe for Johansson and for the continuity of the story.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Scarlett Johansson Defends Her Role as SodaStream Spokesperson

    Back in January, Scarlett Johansson was at the center of a controversy regarding her new role as SodaStream’s first official spokesperson. Soon enough, however, public attention shifted to her current and upcoming movie roles and the news that she’s expecting a baby with fiancé Romain Dauriac.

    But in an interview published on Friday in The Telegraph, Johansson revisited the controversy.

    SodaStream is headquartered in an Airport City, Israel office park that sits at the junction of Haifa, Jerusalem, and Tel Aviv. Its main manufacturing facility is located in an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank.

    “I’m not an expert on the history of this conflict, and I’ve never professed to be,” Johansson said. “But it is a company that I believe in, that I think has the ability to make a huge difference, environmentally. [SodaStream’s CEO] Daniel Birnbaum has said many times that this factory is one he inherited, and that he doesn’t want to fire people – the majority of those people being Palestinian.”

    In late January, Johansson ended her ambassadorship with humanitarian organization Oxfam International after they took issue with her SodaStream deal.

    She released a statement addressing her decision to part ways with Oxfam:

    “Scarlett Johansson has respectfully decided to end her ambassador role with Oxfam after eight years,” it said. “She and Oxfam have a fundamental difference of opinion in regards to the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. She is very proud of her accomplishments and fundraising efforts during her tenure with Oxfam.”

    Oxfam’s response: “Oxfam has accepted Scarlett Johansson’s decision to step down after eight years as a Global Ambassador and we are grateful for her many contributions. While Oxfam respects the independence of our ambassadors, Ms. Johansson’s role promoting the company SodaStream is incompatible with her role as an Oxfam Global Ambassador.”

    “Some of the best times of my life have been when I’ve travelled with Oxfam to see the amazing work that they’ve done,” Johansson said after her resignation.

    She has vowed to continue using her celebrity to advocate on behalf of others, saying she plans to travel to Africa later this year to draw attention to the refugee situation there.

    “The bigger issue here is global poverty. I have the ability to raise awareness and raise money – that’s a gift that’s been given to me – and I want to continue to use it. So I’m not going to shy away from doing that kind of work.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons