"Inglourious Basterds" is off to a good start in Europe, scoring the best opening day ever in France for a Quentin Tarantino pic with a Wednesday gross of $1.4 million from 499 playdates.

Universal Pictures Intl. also opened the film in Belgium and French-speaking Switzerland to best-ever numbers for Tarantino. Pic also finished No. 1 in Australia, where it opened Thursday, grossing $490,000 from 201.

"Basterds," about a tough band of soldiers who slip into Germany to battle Nazis, kicks into high gear Friday, when it opens in 3,165 theaters domestically. The Weinstein Co., U's partner on the film, is domestic distrib. Overseas, the pic rolls out into a total of 2,620 playdates in 22 territories, including the U.K. and Germany.

It opened last night (Wednesday) in three territories -- Belgium, France, French-Switzerland -- and scored the highest Tarantino opening ever in those three markets. "The results are great. We opened No. 1 in all three markets and grossed: Belgium $143K at 63 locations, biggest Tarantino opening day; France $1.4M at 499 locations, biggest Tarantino opening day; French-Switzerland $61k at 24 locations, biggest Tarantino opening day," an insider tells me.

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Inglourious Basterds Will Compete at Cannes Film Festival

Quentin Tarantino and his World War II film Inglourious Basterds will compete the Cannes Film Festival this year.

The Brad Pitt starrer, set in Nazi-occupied France, has been invited to play in competition at the Cannes Film Festival. Insiders said Tarantino, a longtime favorite of the French, has accepted the offer and has told the film's backers -- the Weinstein Co. and Universal Pictures -- that the pic will be ready for its world premiere during the May fest.

The movie, which follows a band of Jewish-American soldiers whose mission is to take down a group of Nazis, will bow Aug. 21. Both the Weinstein Co. and U declined comment. Cannes organizers, who will announce the fest's lineup April 23, could not immediately be reached. Tarantino is no stranger to the Palais. The helmer became one of Hollywood's most in-demand directors after his "Pulp Fiction" won Cannes' Palme d'Or in 1994.

The 2008 festival runs May 13-24, 2009. Can Tarantino pull off another win? It's hard to say. Buzz about the unspellable film has been mixed.

Posted on April 1, 2009
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Brad Pitt and Natalie Portman to Star in New Romantic Comedy

Brad Pitt and Natalie Portman are set to star in an adaptation of the book Important Artifacts and Personal Property From the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion and Jewelry by Leanne Shapton (Farrar, Straus & Giroux).

Paramount won an auction for the book rights Tuesday night. Pitt's Plan B will produce with Portman's Handsomecharlie Films banner. Portman brought the book to Pitt, whose company is Par-based. The book takes the form of a Sotheby's-like estate auction catalog, with 325 entries and photographs depicting items that reveal the private moments and the rise and fall of a four-year relationship between the fictitious couple Hal Morris (a 40ish photographer) and Lenore Doolan (a New York Times food columnist in her late 20s).

The project will be developed as a romantic comedy to star Pitt and Portman. Shapton, an illustrator and art director of the Times' op-ed page, uses items that range from clothes to notes, emails and heirlooms to convey the excitement, hopes, dreams and, ultimately, the heartache of a love affair that runs its course.

That sounds incredibly difficult to film. We do feel fairly certain that they're going to shorten that title.

Posted on March 18, 2009
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Trailer for Inglourious Basterds

The new trailer for Quentin Tarantin's World War II film Inglourious Basterds is here. The clip features Brad Pitt talking to his men about what he expects from them during their mission behind enemy lines: it's intense. Take a look:



Posted on February 11, 2009
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The New Trailer for Burn After Reading

Here's the new trailer for Burn After Reading, the Coen Brothers next film after No Country for Old Men. The film stars Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, George Clooney, John Malkovich and Tilda Swinton. It's a dark comedy about a disgruntled former CIA agent (Malkovich) who writes his scandal-laden memoirs. The spy's soon to be ex-wife (Swinton) steals the disk, then accidentally leaves the CD with the manuscript at the gym, where it's found by a trainer and the gym owner (Pitt and McDormand) who want to blackmail the owner of the CD. Madness ensues.



Posted on May 31, 2008
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George Clooney and Brad Pitt Honor Julia Roberts

George Clooney sent in a video to American Cinematheque's tribute to Julia Roberts, which aired last night on AMC. The tribute was shot in bathroom stall and...well, you'll just have to see for yourself.



Posted on December 6, 2007
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Brad Pitt Walks Out on State of Play

Brad Pitt pulled out of the political thriller State of Play because of his concerns over the script. The script can't be changed now because of the writers' strike.

The move comes after a couple of weeks of meetings between Pitt and director Kevin Macdonald ("The Last King of Scotland") in an attempt to iron out the concerns. The script cannot be worked on because of the Hollywood screenwriters' strike.

Universal is on the fast track to replace the star. Sources said the studio is looking at Johnny Depp, whose movie "Shantaram" just got postponed at Warner Bros., as well as Russell Crowe. Pitt was set to star with Edward Norton, Helen Mirren, Rachel McAdams, Jason Bateman and Robin Wright Penn in the Matthew Michael Carnahan-scripted adaptation of the British miniseries. He was playing a political consultant-turned-journalist who heads a newspaper's murder investigation involving a fast-rising politician (Norton).

Universal issued a statement confirming that Pitt is no longer attached to the film and used language that it is reserving all its rights in the matter. In other words, Pitt may be getting sued for backing out of the project.

Posted on November 23, 2007
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Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow to Star in Movie Together

Ex-fiances Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltro will soon be together again: in the movies, that is. The two are both signed to star in the upcoming film about the women of Watergate.

Brad Pitt, Sharon Stone and Jim Broadbent have joined Meryl Streep, Annette Bening, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jill Clayburgh in a new film about former US President Richard Nixon, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The movie Dirty Tricks follows the women involved in the Watergate scandal and will star Meryl Streep as Martha Mitchell, the whistle- blowing wife of Nixon chief of staff John Mitchell.

Annette Bening plays White House correspondent Helen Thomas, the recipient of many of Mitchell's leaks. Gwyneth Paltrow will play Maureen Dean, the wife of John Dean who, unlike Mitchell, stood squarely behind her man as the administration went down in scandal. And Jill Clayburgh will play Pat Nixon, who grew to loathe Mitchell for destabilizing the presidency.

So the film is called Dirty Tricks, eh? Wonder what Angelina thinks about Brad starring in a movie with his ex?

Posted on October 17, 2006
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