Thanks to M for the heads up.

1) Saoirse Ronan – Top of the list is a teenager who has already taken the film world by storm, acting flawlessly in a wide range of movies which has directors bowing at her feet and leaving critics speechless. This girl deserves top spot as she will continue surprising audiences all around the world.

Past: The role which launched her career was starring next to Keira Knightley and James McAvoy in the Oscar winning Atonement (2007). The film revolves around Ronan’s character, Briony Tallis, who witnesses something she does not understand which results in a catalyst releasing a series of injustice. For a twelve year old, her performance was remarkable and created the base for another two actresses to portray Tallis as she grows in age and starts to realise the consequences of her actions.

Present: After also appearing as the main character in both The City of Ember (2008) and The Lovely Bones (2009) Ronan’s latest leading role is in Hanna (2011), also directed by Atonement’s Joe Wright. The Irish starlet portrays a trained assassin in the thriller where she is sent on a mission across Europe whilst having to deal with agents being dispatched to kill her.

Future: Ronan’s next role is a biggie, playing Melanie Stryder in another book adaptation by the same author who brought us the extremely successful Twilight Saga. The Host (2012) shows an alien race called ‘Souls’ taking over Earth and its inhabitants, although Stryder rebels to cooperate as a host for the Soul, Wanderer.

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Thanks to Caro for the link of this new interview.

She’s the Oscar-nominated star of Atonement, whom director Peter Jackson calls “amazing on screen”. But when we meet, I’m given an early reminder that Saoirse Ronan (it’s pronounced “Sir-sha”, by the way) is still only 17. I’ve just told her that I’ve seen the final Harry Potter film. “I can’t believe it’s the last one,” she squeals, flushed with excitement, her blue eyes widening. “I’ve basically grown up with Harry Potter, as so many kids my age have. It’s kind of a part of my life. I’ll go see it no matter what.”

Five years ago, she auditioned for the role of Harry’s fellow Hogwarts pupil Luna Lovegood (eventually won by fellow Irish actress Evanna Lynch). “I was too young – but at the time I thought, ‘I’d love to be in Harry Potter.’ When I was younger, I used to think they had the best job in the world.” But now it’s different. Potter is over – and it’s Ronan who is in the enviable position. With directors clamouring to work with her, she also doesn’t have to deal with hordes of screaming fans like her Potter peers.

Rather than mania, Ronan seems to inspire loyalty wherever she lands. “Saoirse is the most focused and dedicated actor I’ve ever met in my life,” says Joe Wright, who directed her in his film of Ian McEwan’s Atonement and in this year’s teenage assassin tale Hanna. “She drives herself harder than anyone else ever could or would.”

Stanley Tucci, her co-star in Jackson’s adaptation of Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones, in which she played the murdered teen Susie Salmon, notes, “She handles herself as well as any seasoned actor. I wouldn’t even be able to finish a sentence at her age. She’s a real actress. Bottom line.”

(more…)

The seventeen-year-old actress and star of Lovely Bones, Hanna and the new animation Arrietty explains why Quentin Tarantino is like no one else in the film business.

There’s no one out there like Quentin Tarantino. His films have a signature look, and they never just stick to the same kind of story.

In Inglourious Basterds, and really in all of his films, the scenes go on for a long time and you don’t get that on film a lot anymore. You don’t notice the length though because the dialogue has been written so well it feels like a conversation.

I haven’t worked with him but I’d love to. I’ve talked to people who have and they all say he’s mad and that it’s fantastic fun working with him. They worked on Inglourious Basterds for months and months – I can imagine working with Tarantino is like nothing else.

Music is really important in all of his movies and he puts so much time and effort into picking out what music he wants – it can go from ‘Jungle Boogie’ to Chinese music in the same moment. There are so many things that are so strong in his films – the editing, the music, the dialogue, the bizarre acting style. He completely understands what he wants and he knows his characters extremely well. He tends to work with the same actors every now and again, so they can read each other. There’s always such an ensemble feeling in his films too. In Kill Bill for example, of course Uma Thurman is the star but it really feels like it’s a group effort. He’s often in his own films, which I think is great: he’s so different looking he’s got an amazing face.

Pulp Fiction was the first film of his that I saw and it really blew my mind. It’s a long movie, and quite complicated; it jumps back and forth like a lot of his films do and so much happens in it. It feels like you’re watching a comic book on screen. Each of his films are a collection of styles – which I think is great.

Even now he’s a big inspiration to so many people, and he will be in years to come.

Arrietty is out in cinemas from July 29

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BONUS FEATURES EXCLUSIVE TO Blu-ray

· ADAPT OR DIE
This featurette reveals the intense training and acting process Saoirse Ronan went through to become Hanna.

· CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE ALLEGORY
The filmmakers and cast reveal their boldly original approach to this adventure thriller.

· CHEMICAL REACTION
A look at The Chemical Brothers’ creative process of writing and scoring all of the music in the film, as the musicians themselves talk about their unique approach to the task of composition.

· THE WIDE WORLD OF HANNA
Join the filmmakers as they travel from icy Finland to scorching Morocco and then from empty deserts to post-punk Berlin, finding the perfect locations for HANNA.

· HANNA PROMO

BONUS FEATURES AND FEATURETTES (BLU-RA and DVD)

· ALTERNATE ENDING

· DELETED SCENES

· ANATOMY OF A SCENE – THE ESCAPE FROM CAMP G
This feature breaks down the complexities of Hanna’s daring escape, from getting the actors prepped to the special effects it took to make this action-packed sequence.

· FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR JOE WRIGHT

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Outtakes from the photoshoot that Saoirse did for Bullett Magazine have been added to the gallery.

Saoirse is part of the voice cast for the UK version of “Arrietty“, she will voice Arrietty herself in the adaption from Mary Norton‘s The Borrowers by Hayao Miyazaki, Keiko Niwa.

[...] And it will sound pretty good too – note that the UK dubbed version will feature a different (and indeed, preferable) voice cast to the US iteration. We in blighty will get Saoirse Ronan, Olivia Colman, Mark Strong and Phyllida Law.

Anyway, a good cast. The US get Bridgit Mendler, Will Arnett, Amy Poehler, Carol Burnett – none of whom exactly seem to match the setting or tone so well. Score one to Optimum, the UK distributors.

Having said all of that, I’ll still opt for a subtitled version, personally.

The film will go on release on July 29th, though Picture House Cinemas will be screening it as their Kid’s Club in the 23rd. Adults will need to have a kid with them, but there’s a lot of Little Bleeders with families, I know.

Let’s score Optimum another point for getting the film out this year. US audiences will be waiting until February 2012. If I were in the States I’d start shopping for a multi-region Blu-ray player now.
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Saoirse Ronan will star in the film based on Stephenie Meyer’s best-seller.

Open Road Films has closed a deal for U.S. distribution rights to Saoirse Ronan starrer The Host—based on Stephenie Meyer’s best-selling novel—and will release the film on March 29, 2013.

It’s the first Open Road Films title to be dated. The distribution company, headed by veteran executive Tom Ortenberg, is a joint venture of AMC Entertainment and Regal Entertainment.

Director Andrew Niccol is scheduled to begin being shooting The Host in February 2012 in Louisiana and New Mexico from his adapted screenplay.

The Host is about an alien race called Souls which take over Earth, and inhabit the bodies of humans. But when one “wild” human refuses to succumb, she and the alien spirit become unwilling allies and set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love.

The Host producers are Nick Wechsler, Paula Mae Schwartz, Steve Schwartz and Stephenie Meyer. Marc Butan, Jim Siebel and Inferno Entertainment’s Bill Johnson are executive producers, with Inferno handling international sales.

“I’m thrilled to be adding another fantastic partner to an already amazing group. Everyone involved has so much passion for the project. It really is a dream team,” Meyer said in a statement.

Published in 2008, The Host was No. 1 on New York Times Bestseller List for 26 weeks.

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Filmbase are celebrating their 25th anniversary this week with festivities taking place on Friday June 24th and Saturday June 25th. Events include a public interview with Oscar nominated actress Saoirse Ronan which will take place on June 25th. Saoirse is one of Ireland’s most successful actresses having played starring roles in Joe Wright’s ‘Hanna’, ‘Atonement’ and Peter Weir’s ‘The Way Back’.

Celebrations kick off at Filmbase’s Temple Bar location on Friday 24th June at 7pm with a special ‘Road to the Oscars’ panel session. The panel including Juanita Wilson (The Door, As If I Am Not There), Steph Green (New Boy) and Nicky Phelan (Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty). The panel will discuss how they got to the Oscars with their work following a screening of the Oscar-nominated short films.

Other events at the Filmbase 25th celebration include a Birthday Party, sponsored by Jameson, at Filmbase from 6pm-8pm on June 25th and screenings of short films, filmmakers speaking in the café in Filmbase, animation demos and top tricks and demo for the DSLR camera throughout the Saturday.

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Just came across two photos of Saoirse while she visited RTÉ Tubridy Radio. You can read our previous update to listen to the interview.

Unfortunately Saoirse will be in “Anna Karenina” according to IFTN.

Keira Knightly and Jude Law are reportedly attached to the film to play the title character and her husband. Despite reports indicating her involvement in the project, IFTN have also received confirmation that Saoirse Ronan is no longer attached to the film.
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