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Home , CinemaScore, Ed Helms, Night at the Museum

lifestyle WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

Music & Movies on ‘,’ packing on 40 pounds and turning 40

ven if “American Sniper” missed out on Golden Globe nominations, of my favorite films, dealing with the psychology of that character. Jason Midnight Meat Train,” with Ryuhei Kitamura, and was very collaborative in it still emerged as one of the big winners of season. Hall came with me with this story. I it right away as a war movie but the editing room with him. Todd Phillips was like that too with “The EClint Eastwood’s drama about Navy SEAL Chris Kyle has grossed a told as a Western. But everything changed when Chris died and Steven Hangover.” By the time we got to “Limitless,” Ryan Kavanaugh at Relativity stellar $2.2 million since it opened in only four theaters on Christmas, and Spielberg came in and said, “We need to make this movie now.” That’s encouraged me to be part of it in the post-production process, and I the Warner Bros release expands on Jan 16. The Oscar lead actor race is when I fell in love with the guy. It was an incredible experience-the inves- became an executive producer. If a director is open to me helping him or especially overcrowded this year, but as ballots are due on Thursday, vot- tigative process of trying to get inside a human being’s mind and emo- her tell the story, I’ll be there as much as they want. I’m lucky that David ers should take a look-if they haven’t already-at Bradley Cooper’s career- tions. O. Russell enveloped me with both arms and made me his partner. And best performance. It’s a transformation that had Kyle’s widow, Taya, in Clint was the same way. tears the first time she saw the film, and she’s been talking about how Q: Did you and talk about framing it as a Western? Cooper captured her husband’s essence. In the last few weeks, many Cooper: Oh yeah. I constantly talked about “Unforgiven.” When Chris actors, including , Jane Fonda, Julia Roberts and , says to his son, “It’s a heck of a thing to stop a beating heart,” it was really have also been singing Cooper’s praises. right out of “Unforgiven,” when Will Munny says, “It’s a hell of a thing, To play Kyle, Cooper spent six months working out 4.5 hours a day, killing a man.” At the end of “Unforgiven,” when he goes down to get his but the role went beyond the physical. He practiced a Texas drawl with a friend Ned, there’s this storm outside. In terms of Chris’ last tour, we did dialect coach, learned how to shoot three military sniper rifles and spent this desert storm. He’s almost Will Munny 20 years prior to “Unforgiven.” time with Kyle’s family and friends, who gave him access to his emails and home videos. Cooper, who turns 40 on Monday, had a strong 2014. Q: How much time do you spend in the gym preparing for the He picked up a second consecutive Oscar nomination for “American role? Hustle,” performed the voice of Rocket Raccoon in “The Guardians of the Cooper: In the actual gym? Probably 4 hours a day. Galaxy” and is now on Broadway in “The Elephant Man.” He spoke to Variety over the weekend. Q: Was it similar to your workout for “The A-Team”? Cooper: That was totally different. That was cardiovascular and high Q: “American Sniper” is doing really well in only four theaters. Are reps for bodybuilding. This was weightlifting. There was no cardio. There you surprised by the film’s success? was no toning of muscles. It was just get strong. Bradley Cooper: I’m always surprised when things do well, because you can never bank on that. We were just hoping that awareness was Q: And when you see yourself onscreen? going to be enough for people to see it on Christmas. It was such a com- Cooper : My main thing, after each take, the only thing I would ask petitive market that day-with “Into the Woods,” “Unbroken” and “The anybody, “Hey man, am I too big?” When I watched the first cut of .” We were happy that people came out in droves for “American film, I was so monstrous, I thought any more pounds, it would have been Sniper.” And then the A-plus Cinemascore. I didn’t even know they had farcical. that. Q: Did you feel like you got it right as you were shooting? Q: Actors have been reaching out to you. Cooper: I knew it was working. I felt him. I felt like I had successfully Cooper: I’ve got to say that’s been the most amazing thing. I just entered the world of his, so I would be able to tell the story. If you do all heard from and Jonah Hill. I don’t know Ashton Kutcher that the research, you let yourself be open. I had hours and hours of home well, but he made the effort to contact me to say how he felt about the videos, and all of their email exchanges, and even his workout playlist. I Q: How did your career change after your first Oscar nomination Bradley Cooper work and the movie. I’ve never experienced anything like that. It really basically had a dossier on this man’s life. And I had his children, his par- for “Silver Linings Playbook”? does make me feel like we’re a community and we’re all invested in each ents, his wife and the people who knew him. It was a huge amount of Cooper: You could probably tell me more than I could. I can’t tell you other’s work. information to be digested. Once that all happened, and then I got to the how many times people came up to me after “Sniper,” and said, “Hey man, size, and I felt comfortable in his voice, or my voice as him, and I got com- I didn’t know you could act.” I can’t concern myself with that, or I’ll go Q: You recently screened “American Sniper” at Fort Hamilton mili- fortable with the three sniper rifles that he used, then it was like, “OK, let’s crazy. tary base. What was that like? tell the story.” Cooper: We showed it to veterans. A few years ago, I had the opportu- Q: You’re now starring in “Elephant Man” on Broadway. How do nity to take “Silver Linings Playbook” to Walter Reed (National Military Q: What did you learn from the emails? you feel about your career as you’re about to turn 40? Medical Center). Without us even realizing it, Pat Solatano was a charac- Cooper: Just how fiery their relationship was-how much love there Cooper: I’m the most fulfilled I’ve ever been artistically. Nathan Lane ter that many young males and women could relate to coming back from was, how much lust there was. And how much their relationship is relat- has got it all figured it out. This lifestyle of doing it, being able to show up war. It was a really impactful film at Walter Reed. That was probably the able. How I could relate to it, and I think anybody who could read them and tell a story to 740 strangers every day and sometimes twice a day, best experience I’d ever had showing that movie. could relate to it. It just humanized him in a huge way. and you have the rest of your day free. It’s ideal, and in New York, it’s And so, when we were making “Sniper,” I thought if I could make a absolute heaven. movie that people could relate to in this field, I imagined showing it at Q: Your first producing credit was on 2011’s “Limitless.” Why did Walter Reed, which we’re going to do on Jan 13. We are also going to take you decide to go down that path? Q: Will you do another Broadway play? it to San Antonio, a hospital there, with Chris’ father and brother. That’s Cooper: I started way before. It was when I was doing “Alias.” I used to Cooper: I have to finish this one first. And then I think we’re going to when you really get to experience storytelling and the impact that it get everybody’s dailies. They were video cassettes. I would get back to take it to London for three months this summer. I’ll spend half the year could have. my little apartment that I was renting, a bottom floor of this woman’s doing theater. house in West Hollywood, and I would watch them all day long, and then Q: There have been a handful of movies about the War, I would go into the editing room. I would only work three days a week, Q: Are you going to do a “Guardians of the Galaxy” sequel? including “The Hurt Locker.” Why did you sign on to produce Chris’ and I was from the East Coast, and I was going to shoot myself living in Cooper: Hell yeah, if they’ll have me. — Reuters story? LA I was just so fascinated by the process of making this show. I did that Cooper: I love the character study. Growing up, “Unforgiven” was one for a year, basically. It was like going to school. Then I went to “The

Scarlett Johansson signs on to star in DreamWorks’ ‘Ghost in the Shell’

ollowing the success of “Lucy,” Scarlett DreamWorks principal is Johansson looks ready to take on anoth- a huge fan of the original and has long want- Fer action pic, this one coming from the ed to get this film off the ground. A commit- world of Japanese anime. Johansson is set to ment from a star like Johansson should help star in DreamWorks’ adaptation of the popu- in getting the pic greenlit for production. lar anime pic “Ghost in the Shell.” Deadline Besides Angelina Jolie and , Hollywood had reported that the actress had Johansson is becoming one of the few the offer to star but at the time she was still actresses in town with the clout to get a proj- undecided about taking the role. Sources ect greenlit on her name alone. now say she has agreed to star in the pic. The “Lucy” made $394 million worldwide and story follows the exploits of a member of a Johansson can be seen next in “Avengers: covert ops unit of the Japanese National Age of Ultron,” bowing in May. Johansson has Public Safety Commission that specializes in also done a nice job of balancing action- fighting technology-related crime. heavy tentpoles with serious dramas and Rupert Sanders is on board to direct. Avi comedies. She received rave reviews for Arad and Steven Paul are producing the film Spike Jonze’s “Her” and is a part of the from a script by Bill Wheeler. Mark Sourian is ensemble of the Coen brothers’ next pic “Hail, exec producing. Insiders also tell Variety that Caesar!” She is repped by CAA and LBI Paramount has the option to come on as co- Entertainment. — Reuters Scarlett Johansson Channing Tatum producer and financier and that decision is expected in the coming weeks. Channing Tatum’s X-Men spinoff to hit ‘The Hobbit’ holds on at theaters in 2016 top at N American box office wentieth Century Fox has set Channing Tatum’s X- Men spinoff “Gambit” for Oct 7, 2016. The Gambit Tcharacter, who debuted in 1990, is an expert card- antasy epic “The Hobbit” enjoyed a third week atop the “The Hobbit.” It took in $21.7 million over the weekend, for a about Louis Zamperini, an Olympic athlete taken captive by the thrower and has the power to manipulate kinetic energy. North American box office while controversial North total of $220.6 million since its release three weeks ago, accord- Japanese during World War II. The movie took $18.2 million. “Gambit,” written by Joshua Zetumer, will be Fox’s eighth X- FKorea comedy “The Interview” earned another $1 million ing to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations. In second place for A newcomer, “The Woman in Black 2” opened in the number Men movie. “X-Men: Apocalypse” debuts on May 27, 2016. in its limited release, figures showed Monday. “The Hobbit: The a second week was Disney’s “Into the Woods”, the star-studded four spot. The horror flick starring Helen McCrory and Jeremy “Gambit” will face off against Warner Bros’ “Live by Night” Battle of the Five Armies,” by Oscar-winning director Peter big-screen adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim musical. The Irvine earned $15 million in its debut weekend. Following close and Universal’s “Monster High.” Jackson, is the last of six films adapted from J.R.R Tolkien’s books film took $18.7 million in its second weekend. Third place was behind was “: Secret of the Tomb,” the third Fox also announced Monday that it had set or shifted and the third and final installment based on the author’s novel occupied by “Unbroken,” the Angelina Jolie-directed drama movie in the franchise about a museum security dates for six other films-most notably, moving its next guard trying to keep track of exhibits that come to life. “” movie back a year to July 14, 2017. The studio had originally planned to open its ninth “Planet of Popular series the Apes” on July 29, 2016. Instead, Fox has taken the The family comedy earned $14.5 million in its third week in “Fantastic Four” sequel off July 14, 2017, and moved it for- theaters. “Annie,” about the adventures of an orphan girl star- ward six weeks to June 2, 2017. Fox successfully rebooted ring Quvenzhane Wallis in the title role and Jamie Foxx as the the “Apes” franchise in 2011 with “Rise of the Planet of the tycoon who takes her under his wing, brought in $11.3 million, Apes,” which grossed $482 million worldwide. This year’s good enough for sixth place. “,” about a “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” was even more successful code-cracking mathematician and logician during World War II, with over $700 million. rose to seventh with $7.8 million, beating out “Hunger Games: Fox’s reboot of “Fantastic Four,” directed by Josh Trank Mockingjay, Part 1,” which slipped into eighth place. and starring Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan and The sequel, one in the hugely popular series starring Jamie Bell, will open on Aug 7. “Mike and Dave Need Jennifer Lawrence, earned $7.6 million this weekend, bringing Wedding Dates,” a comedy to be directed by Jake its total seven week take to a whopping $323.7 million. Szymanski, has been set for July 29, 2016. The script by Rounding out the top 10 were “The Gambler,” starring Mark Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O’Brien focuses on two Wahlberg, which earned $6.3 million, and Disney animated hit brothers posting an online ad for wedding dates. “Big Hero 6,” with $4.8 million. Meanwhile, “The Interview,” play- The studio dated two films for next year’s holiday sea- ing in 581 independent movie houses, after threats from hack- son-vidgame adaptation “Assassin’s Creed,” starring Michael ers who claimed a cyberattack of Sony Studios, which the White Fassbender with Justin Kurzel directing, has been dated for House said was orchestrated by Pyongyang, added $1 million Dec 21, 2016; and P.T. Barnum biopic “The Greatest to its two-week theatrical take. The film has also earned mil- Showman on Earth,” starring Hugh Jackman, will open Dec lions in online rentals and sales, making it what Sony said was 25, 2016. Romance movie “The Mountain Between Us,” star- the studio’s “#1 online film of all time”. — AFP ring Charlie Hunnam and Rosamund Pike, has been set just before Valentines Day on Feb 10, 2017. — Reuters