Everybody aboard the new Murder on the Orient Express
All the new ideas they considered were worse, apparently, so Fox has decided to make a new movie version of Murder on the Orient Express.
Maybe you once read the 1934 Agatha Christie novel, about a killing with many suspects, aboard a moving train. Mystery buffs love it because it turns out that … well, never mind that.
Sidney Lumet directed the fine 1974 movie, with Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Sean Connery, Anthony Perkins, Michael York, Ingrid Bergman, Jacqueline Bisset, etc.
The new version, too, features some moderately big names, Variety tells us, starting with Kenneth Branagh, who will direct and star as detective Hercule Poirot. Also aboard: Johnny Depp, Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi, Tom Bateman, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley and Michael Pena. Angelina Jolie, however, has lost interest. Production starts in November.
Big news! Producers of the James Bond movies, having considered pretty much every actor on the face of the Earth, regardless of race, creed or colour, have decided that the person they really want to star in the next movie is … wait for it … Daniel Craig.
Producer Callum McDougall, who’s worked on nine Bond films, was on BBC’s Radio 4’s Today show the other day, and said the
big-shot producers crave Craig:
“We would love Daniel to return as Bond. Without any question he is absolutely Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson’s first choice.”
Is this depressing, or what? I mean, we’ve heard every name from Aidan Turner to Idris Elba to Amy Schumer, and this is the best they can do?
This summer there was a story, not substantiated, that Craig had been offered US$150 million to re-up. Not sure I believe that number, but whatever the offer is, he’s still saying no. So far. Calvin Harris was Taylor Swift’s boyfriend-before-last, remember? They split in June, and then she spent the summer with Tom Hiddleston.
That ended, too (and there’s no sign of a successor). But now TMZ says Taylor and Calvin are talking to each other again. Solely by text, mind you — there’s no ember-fanning going on here — but at least they’re no longer so acrimonious. TMZ.com says they’re texting somewhat cordially back and forth.
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon bicker, in a funny new commercial, about who’s closer friends with Tom Brady. People in New England have strange tastes.
The ad promotes a contest: You donate to the boys’ tripartite charity fundraiser and win a trip to Boston to hang out with the three “over pizza and a beer.”
These guys already have more money than they can count, of course. This is for three charities: Affleck is supporting the Eastern Congo Initiative, which he founded. Damon backs Water. org, which works on Third World water quality.
Brady, however, is working not for the wretched of the Earth, but to maximize “the health, well-being and athletic potential of elite young (U.S.) amateur athletes by providing free access to the best available post-injury rehabilitation.”