"Animal Kingdom"

Ewan attend the premiere of Sony Picture Classics "Animal Kingdom" at the regal cinemas on June 23/2010 in Los Angeles California

Ewan McGregor & Danny Boyle

Ewan McGregor & DANNY BOYLE.He is best known for directing Oscar-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire and Trainspotting, one of the most popular films of the 90s.

Now, British film-maker Danny Boyle is about to add another string to his bow, as he has been selected as the artistic director for the Olympics opening ceremony when it comes to London in 2012.

For the 53-year-old from Manchester, becoming a movie director was a far cry from his first career choice, which was to train as a priest.

At the age of 14, Boyle began to make arrangements to attend a seminary, before a priest warned him against it.

"Whether he was saving me from the priesthood or saving the priesthood from me, I don't know. But quite soon after, I started doing drama," Boyle told The Telegraph last year.

Boyle began his new career in theatre, landing the job of deputy director at the Royal Court, before moving to the BBC to work as a producer.

He produced a number of TV films, including Alan Clarke's Elephant, before becoming a director on several episodes of Inspector Morse and the 1993 series Mr Wroe's Virgins.

'Betrayal'

His first feature, the low-budget 1994 movie Shallow Grave starring Ewan McGregor and Christopher Eccleston, was a surprise hit.

It also marked the beginning of the successful relationship between Boyle, McGregor, producer Andrew Macdonald and writer John Hodge.

Boyle won a Bafta award and was named best British newcomer at the London Critics Circle Film Awards.

But it was the 1996 adaptation of Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting two years later, that really got people talking about the director.

The movie picked up an Oscar, which went to Hodge for his screenplay, and was a massive commercial success, propelling the careers of McGregor and co-stars Jonny Lee Miller and Robert Carlyle.

Screened out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival, Trainspotting went on to become the highest-grossing British film that year.Boyle's next movie - A Life Less Ordinary - saw him once again joining forces with Hodge, Macdonald and McGregor.

In 2000, Boyle made his first big-budget Hollywood feature The Beach, which was based on Alex Garland's acclaimed novel of the same name.

However, the changed-ending of the movie left audiences unsatisfied and the film failed to match box office expectations.

It was the casting of Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role that created headlines and led to the demise of McGregor and Boyle's working relationship.

The Scottish actor revealed that he had been due to play the lead until DiCaprio stepped in.

In 2000, Boyle spoke about their spat and told The Independent newspaper that McGregor "feels we betrayed him, and I think he's right."

And five years later, McGregor himself opened up to US magazine Playboy about his feelings over their argument.

"We had a director-actor relationship unlike any other I've had. But Boyle and his people didn't treat me very well.

"It wasn't just about The Beach, it was that they were dishonest with me about it. It cost us our friendships. I had the rug pulled out from under my feet. It was a betrayal."

Bafta interruption

It has been reported that the pair have put their differences behind them, but there are currently no plans to make Porno - the follow-up to Trainspotting - despite Boyle apprently being keen.

In 2003, McGregor said he had no plans to sign up to the project.

"It would be a terrible shame to make a sequel to Trainspotting if it wasn't as good," he said.

"I'm very proud of that film and I wouldn't do anything to damage it. I read the book [Porno] and I didn't think it was as good as Trainspotting."

Beautiful and Talented

Ewan McGregor and Natalia Vodianova by Peter Lindbergh in "Magnificent Obsession" for Vogue US, July 2010

Magnificent Obsession. Magazine: Vogue US, July 2010

Ewan warms to cold crowd in Sydney

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Nice guy ... Ewan pleases the fans in Sydney

LAST in Sydney in 2001 for the premiere of locally made blockbuster Moulin Rouge, handsome Scot Ewan has wasted no time catching up with old friends after flying into town on a promotional tour for his latest film The Ghost Writer.

Ewan told Confidential he had spent time with Oscar winning art director Catherine Martin on Sunday prior to his trip down the red carpet at the State Theatre that night.

However he didn't manage to cross paths with her partner, Moulin Rouge director Baz Luhrmann.

"Baz's in New York," he said. "I did catch up with CM (Martin) today so that was nice. Hopefully I'll see Baz somewhere along the way."

Ewan showed why he is loved by peers and fans alike at the Sydney premiere of his new political thriller.

Noticing dozens of fans standing out in the winter cold, the actor dodged traffic to cross Market St and sign autographs and chat for 10 minutes.

Ewan McGregor sends fans crazy at Sydney Film Festival

SYDNEY was abuzz on Sunday night as Ewan hit the red carpet for the Australian premiere of his film The Ghost Writer. MY DEAR EWAN greeted a large crowd of cheering fans outside the State Theatre, taking time to stop for autographs and photos before speaking to media.

Directed by Roman Polanski, the political thriller features Ewan as a ghost writer hired to write the former British prime minister's memoirs and who starts to uncover more than he is meant to. Also starring Pierce Brosnan and Kim Cattrall, tickets to The Ghost Writer have been some of the most hotly contested in the Sydney Film Festival, even before Ewan's announced visit. Sunday night's showing played to a full house and the second screening on Monday was also sold out. Australian stars including Barry Otto, Hugo Weaving and Catherine Martin were at the premiere, while it was hard not to miss Miranda Otto who graced the red carpet in a vibrant orange dress. `I'm a big Polanski fan, so I'm always keen to see what he's doing,'' Miranda told AAP.

Polanski is currently under house arrest in Switzerland, where he is facing extradition to the United States for sentencing in a 1977 child sex case. Ewan said with The Ghost Writer, Polanski was ``on really top form'' and he had not heard of any negative public reaction towards the film because of the situation. ``I haven't met anybody that - There may well be but I haven't met anybody. Nobody's come up to tell me that,'' Ewanr told reporters on Sunday, adding that he enjoyed working with the director. ``Every director's great, different and unique. You can learn a lot working with someone who's a first time director as you can working with someone who's kind of a master.'' Ewan said he found The Ghost Writer's political storyline ``exciting'', but when it came to following the the British election, he wasn't so thrilled. ``I didn't really follow them to be honest. I'm not really interested in politics,''Ewan said. ``I don't ultimately think it makes very much difference, so I don't know. ``We (Britain) seem to have a Conservative Liberal Democrat government. How does that work? I thought they both had very different ideas about things and yet now they're both governing the country.''

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McGregor ducks issue of director Polanski's sex charge

EWAN McGregor is very fond of Roman Polanski and considers him one of the best directors he has ever worked with. But the British actor does not want to talk about the director's possible extradition to the US to face a 33-year-old sex charge.

"It just doesn't involve me," said the star of Trainspotting, Moulin Rouge and three Star Wars movies in Sydney.

McGregor, who stars in Polanski's new political thriller The Ghost Writer, admits there is a reason for his reticence. The 76-year-old filmmaker has asked to be talked about as a director "and not make any comment because it's better for him if we don't".

"Knockout"

6/11/2010 Steven Soderbergh's Spy Thriller, 'Knockout,' Becomes 'Haywire' & Now Set For A January 2011 Release When we first reported about Steven Soderbergh's spy thriller, "Knockout" starring mixed martial arts champion Gina Carano, we did say the title of the film was a working one and would probably change, did we not? And change it has. According to tweets by Jules Asner, Soderbergh's wife, and other tweets and message board reports at a recent screening, the film is now titled, "Haywire" and has been set for a January 2011 release. The film has an incredible supporting cast including Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas, Michael Fassbender ("Inglourious Basterds," "Hunger"), Channing Tatum, Antonio Banderas, Bill Paxton (who made a last minute sub-in for Dennis Quaid who had to drop out), Michael Angarano, French actor and director Mathieu Kassovitz ("Amelie," Spielberg's "Munich"). The film centers on a black ops soldier (Carano) who seeks revenge after she is betrayed and set up during a mission. We read the Lem Dobbs-penned script earlier this year and it is no frills, taut and lean to the bone at just over 90 pages; a riveting and sharp read. If the picture is screening, has a title and is scheduled, it sounds like it's basically done and awaiting its release by Lionsgate. The action thriller was shot all over the world including Barcelona, New Mexico and Dublin. Next up for Soderbergh is the Scott Z. Burns-written virus thriller "Contagion" which is scheduled to shoot this fall in 3D and features an amazing all-star cast that includes Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard and Laurence Fishburne. Warner Bros. has already given it a October 21, 2011 release date. POSTED BY EDWARD DAVIS AT 12:15 PM LABELS: ANTONIO BANDERAS, CHANNING TATUM, EWAN MCGREGOR, MATHIEU KASSOVITZ, MICHAEL ANGARANO, MICHAEL DOUGLAS, MICHAEL FASSBENDER, STEVEN SODERBERGH

You´re so sexy

In Sidney

Ewan ghosts into Sydney June 11, 2010 Ewan in Sydney for the opening of his movie The Ghost Writer. Ewan is very fond of Roman Polanski and considers him one of the best directors he has ever worked with. But the British actor does not want to talk about the director’s possible extradition to the US to face a 33-year-old sex charge. “It just doesn’t involve me,” said the star of Trainspotting, Moulin Rouge and three Star Wars movies in Sydney today. Ewan, who stars in Polanski’s new political thriller The Ghost Writer, admits there is a reason for his reticence. The 76-year-old filmmaker has asked to be talked about as a director “and not make any comment because it’s better for him if we don’t”. In The Ghost Writer, which premieres at the Sydney Film Festival on Sunday, Ewan plays a writer hired to pen the memoirs of a former British Prime Minister. Polanski finished the movie while under house arrest in Switzerland, where he faces possible extradition for sentencing over illegal sex with a 13-year-old in 1977. Ewan is far from reserved when it comes to the real-life parallels in a movie that has a fictional ex-British PM, played by Pierce Brosnan, accused of war crimes for authorising the seizure of suspected terrorists who are tortured by the CIA. “It’s pretty obvious that it’s making comment about Tony Blair and Tony Blair’s involvement in the Iraq war,” he said. “The fact that rendition flights and ‘did he torture people on behalf of the American government?’ and all of these things even since we made the film have been coming out ... [It’s] almost life imitating art.” Ewan said the movie urged “that our politicians should be responsible for their actions and held accountable for those actions and I think that’s a good thing.” The 39-year-old actor said he had reservations about the lack of accountability for both the British and American leaders over the treatment of suspected terrorists. ”If you break the law, you break the law. And because you’re the Prime Minister of Great Britain or the president of America, you shouldn’t be above the law. I think Bush has just retired to the golf course - he’s just off - and will never be held accountable for any of the stuff he’s done and I think that’s not right.” Ewan said he remained troubled about Britain’s involvement in the Iraq war. “We’ve never got to the bottom of it – have we? – of what we were told and why we were told we were going into those wars and the reality of the situation, in that there were no weapons of mass destruction ... There’s been no explanation. I think we deserve to have one.”

Ewan takes to the skies in Remembrance of Battle Of Britain

Ewan McGregor takes to the skies in Remembrance of Battle Of Britain

WEBWIRE – Thursday, June 10, 2010

Ewan McGregor and his RAF pilot brother, Colin, are set to relive the experiences of young airmen in a bid to find out what it was like to live and fight through the most significant air battle in British history.

The one-off documentary, The Real Battle Of Britain, will be shown on BBC One this September as part of a wider season to mark the 70th Anniversary of the Second World War air campaign.

Ewan McGregor says: "The Battle Of Britain was a dramatic turning point in the history of the Second World War and a defining moment in world history. It is a privilege for Colin and I to make this documentary; not only to mark the 70th anniversary itself, but to be able to pay tribute to the courage and sacrifice of those who fought during the battle"

Flying across the skies of England, the brothers will get hands on experience of the fighter aircraft of the time; experiencing the excitement, pressures and strains of air combat. For Colin, it’s a chance to see if his modern jet fighter training compares to the seat-of-the-pants skills needed to master a Spitfire. Along the way they will meet some of the heroes who fought in the battle some 70 years before. Real pilots, radar operators and ground-crew will instruct and guide them through their own Battle Of Britain.

Martin Davidson, Commissioning Editor, History and Business, says: "I am really proud of the Battle Of Britain Season across BBC Television, which I hope will bring the nation together with some really inspiring programmes. From Ewan and Colin’s experiences in The Real Battle Of Britain, to the BBC Two drama First Light and the range of thought-provoking documentaries, the season will not only commemorate what many historians view as the most significant air battle in our history, but also hopefully bring it to life for the modern audience"

Also on BBC One, Dig 1940, is a three-part series that sees presenter Jules Hudson and his team of experts excavate wartime artefacts and the wreckage of aircraft shot down during 1940. Hitler’s Germany was determined to invade our small island, and all that stood in the way was the men and women of Britain. Accompanied by the people who witnessed events for real, the programme will unearth secrets that have been buried for 70 years, revealing some poignant and personal stories of heroism from Britain’s most perilous year.

Leading the programming on BBC Two, First Light is an intimate one-off drama-documentary, that tells the extraordinary story of nineteen-year-old Geoffrey Wellum – one of the youngest pilots to participate in the battle, who was posted at the beginning of the war having never flown a Spitfire.

Based on Geoffrey’s personal and deeply moving memoirs, the film will deliver a compelling testimony of his wartime experiences, revisiting the stark emotions and fiery action that dazzled and terrified him as a young man and which changed his life forever.

Serving as a pertinent reminder of courage and sacrifice, providing the audience with a unique opportunity to relive real experiences and emotions, the programme combines evocative drama on the ground and in the air, with computer graphics and real-time spitfire flying, capturing the claustrophobia of the cockpit and the frenzy of back-to-back dog fighting.

Also on BBC Two, Battle Of Britain – The Real Story (wt); writer and historian James Holland presents a unique examination of the tactics, technologies and intelligence on both sides during the extraordinary summer of 1940. Drawing on specialist research, and first-hand testimonies from both the Germans and the British, Holland presents a striking new analysis of this most epic of stories and evaluates the impact of the battle and its place in history.

In a one-off special, the Culture Show explores the extraordinary and diverse works of art that came out of the darkness of the Second World War. British artists created a kaleidoscope of colour; huge canvases and intimate sketches; posters and portraits, cartoons and chaotic battle scenes; some of which have become iconic images, enduring art works that instantly evoke the period. Others have been virtually forgotten. But whether their creators were official war artists or anonymous graphic designers they were responding to the most intense human experiences imaginable.

On BBC Four, Wellington Bomber takes a look at a challenge posed by the RAF and the War Ministry during the war – could a Wellington Bomber be built from scratch in a single day? Combining archive footage of the attempt with testimonials from the workers involved at the time, this fascinating film documents the amazing attempt bolt by bolt.

Other programmes on BBC Four include Spitfire Women, the story of the remarkable women who, against all odds, flew planes for the Air Transport Auxiliary from 1939 to the end of the Second World War. Using archive footage and testimonies from the surviving members and their relatives, Spitfire Women captures the drama, danger and significance of the story of these unsung heroines, who came from across the world to fight for Britain but whose tales of courage and determination remain largely unrecognised.

On the Battle Of Britain anniversary weekend in September, BBC Two will be covering the special Battle Of Britain 70th Anniversary memorial service at Westminster Abbey as well as featuring a special night of reflection, debate and archive programmes on BBC Four’s live Battle Of Britain evening.

BBC Archive also takes audiences back to the time that has become known as Britain’s finest hour. Original radio recordings include interviews with some of the Battle Of Britain pilots who flew Hurricanes and Spitfires, revealing the struggles that "the few" faced as they set out on missions from which they knew they may well never return. Commander-in-Chief Hugh Dowding speaks about his clashes with Winston Churchill and a television documentary takes some of the people who built Spitfires during the war back to the site of their factory where they modestly recall their incredible achievements.

The collection also features rarely seen BBC documents that tell the story of the controversial news report on a dogfight over the Channel, revealing the importance of the anti-aircraft gunners and searchlight operators who protected Britain on the ground. Also included is a confidential report that talks about the character of captured German pilots.

BBC Archive’s Battle Of Britain collection will be available online from July 2010 and can be found by visiting bbc.co.uk/archive. Notes to Editors

The Real Battle Of Britain (BBC One 1 x 90 minutes) Lion TV Production. Executive producers are Nick Catliff (Lion) and Maxine Watson (BBC)

Dig 1940 (BBC One 3 x 30 minutes) 360 Production. Executive producers are John Farren (360 Production) and James Hayes (BBC)

First Light (BBC Two 1 x 75 minutes) Lion/Manray Media. Executive producers are Richard Bradley and Madonna Baptiste (Lion Manray Media); and Cassian Harrison (BBC)

Battle Of Britain: The Real Story (BBC Two 1 x 60 ), Maya Vision International Production. Executive producers are: Rebecca Dobbs (Maya Vision ) and Cassian Harrison (BBC)

Spitfire Women (BBC Four 1 x 60 minutes) Love West Productions. Executive producers are Kieran Smith (Love West Productions) and Cassian Harrison (BBC)

Wellington Bomber (BBC Four 1 x 60 minutes) Peter Williams Television. Executive producers are Peter Williams (Peter Williams Television) and Cassian Harrison (BBC)

History on BBC Television

The BBC is committed to providing a broad range of compelling history content across all channels and platforms. BBC history programmes are known for their thought-provoking themes, meticulous research and expert contributors. Recent successes like Empire Of The Seas – How The Navy Forged The Modern World and History Cold Case demonstrate the BBC’s continued investment in developing the genre. Audiences can continue their journey with BBC history by visiting bbc.co.uk/history.

McGregor brothers take to the skies in BBC1 doc

The BBC has enlisted Ewan McGregor and his RAF pilot brother Colin to recreate the experience of World War II fighter pilots for a major season to mark the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

The brothers will fly across the skies of England in Spitfires in the one-off BBC1 documentary, The Real Battle Of Britain, guided by surviving pilots, radar operators and ground-crew from the war.

The 90-minute documentary sees Lion Television take to the skies again following its aerial geographical history series Britain From Above. BBC history and business commissioning editor Martin Davidson has assembled a series of programmes across the BBC to mark the September anniversary.

Ewan in Donate to Soccer Aid 2010

Donate to Soccer Aid 2010 and help some of the world's poorest children

On 6 June, celebrities and football legends will play a match for Soccer Aid to help some of the world's poorest children. The money raised from ticket sales and pledges will fund projects in Africa, where vaccines are in short supply, nets are needed to prevent malaria, and drop-in centres needed to support children living on the streets. The appeal will also fund day-care centres for under-fours living in the shanty towns of Peru, and also make a difference to children in earthquake-hit Haiti.

UNICEF Ambassador and Soccer Aid supporter*** Ewan *** said: "For Soccer Aid 2010 I travelled to Peru to meet families living in poverty in the shanty towns of Lima. I met Maria – a fantastic mother of five children. She’s doing all she can but she’s struggling to provide the food and care her children need. UNICEF is putting it right for Maria’s children, providing a safe place for them to go every day to get the food, healthcare and support they need to grow and develop to their full potential." www.unicef.org.uk/ewansoccer or text 'DONATE' to 70442 (£5)

JACKBOOTS ON WHITEHALL

Official Trailer for WWII Puppet Film Jackboots on Whitehall

June 3, 2010 Source: Twitch by Alex Billing Nazi puppets! Twitch has debuted the first trailer for the new puppets/claymation/stop-motion animation film Jackboots on Whitehall. The film presents a satirical alternative history of World War II where the Nazis seize London and England must band together to prevent a full on invasion. We featured some spiffy photos of the film earlier this year, but haven't heard or seen much about it since then. That said, this looks totally awesome, in a crazy absurd Team America kind of way. Remarkably, it features the voices of Ewan McGregor, Rosamund Pike, Tom Wilkinson, Alan Cumming (as Hitler!) and Timothy Spall. Check it out!

Watch the first trailer for Edward & Rory McHenry's Jackboots on Whitehall:

Jackboots on Whitehall was both co-written and co-directed by British brothers and first-time filmmakers Edward McHenry and Rory McHenry. The film was produced in the UK by E-Motion Pictures and Media 8, but is an independent production so it doesn't actually have a US distributor yet. It hasn't played at any film festivals yet either, so we have no clue when it'll be hitting theaters. A sales sheet from AFM mentioned that "Jackboots on Whitehall boasts pioneering techniques in animation," but beyond using puppets, we're not sure what that means. Stay tuned for any updates on Jackboots on Whitehall, only if you want. Thoughts?

Read more: http://www.firstshowing.net/2010/06/03/official-trailer-for-wwii-puppet-film-jackboots-on-whitehall/#ixzz0ptJ853Vb

COURT HALTS 'I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS' RELEASE! WILL THE MOVIE EVER COME OUT?

Wed Jun 02, 2010 @ 11:36AM PST

By Eriq Gardner and Matthew Belloni

EXCLUSIVE: A California District Court judge has issued a preliminary injunction preventing the U.S. release of the indie comedy "I Love You Phillip Morris," starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor.

The Glenn Ficarra/John Requa film, about a married man who gets into a car crash, discovers he's gay and goes on a crime spree that eventually lands him in jail, was produced by French movie studio EuropaCorp, which licensed domestic rights to Consolidated Pictures Group. We saw the film at its premiere at Sundance in 2009, where it received a warm but not overwhelming response. Buyers weren't exactly jumping at the difficult subject matter, but upstart distributor Consolidated took U.S. rights and planned to release it, first in February, then March, April, and then July.

However, the Luc Besson-backed EuropaCorp says it never got the full $3 million advance that Consolidated agreed to pay last year. An agreement between the two parties was amended in February to allow Consolidated to pay in three installments, but EuropaCorp says it still didn't receive any money.

In April, EuropaCorp rescinded its distribution agreement and filed a lawsuit against Consolidated alleging breach of contract and copyright infringement. The studio demanded the return of the movie and marketing materials. Gossip sites suggested they were looking for another distributor.

In response, Consolidated argued that EuropaCorp hadn't delivered the film on time, had breached its agreement by entering into distribution agreements with Virgin Atlantic and other airlines, and that its failure to pay wasn't a sufficient material breach. Consolidated requested a stay so it could hash out the dispute in an arbitration proceeding at the IFTA.

Now, in her decision, California District Court Judge Dale Fischer says EuropaCorp is likely to succeed on the merits of its claims and portrays the defendant's arguments as weak. As a result, the judge has granted EuropaCorp's request for an injunction provided it put up a $500,000 bond pending the ultimate outcome of the case. The dispute will now head to the IFTA arbitration, hopefully within the next two months, we're told.

"This was only a preliminary ruling pending a final determination by the arbitrator," says Consolidated's lead attorney Robert Chapman. "We believe the arbitrator will find in favor of my clients."

Lawyers for EuropaCorp didn't respond to a request for comment. UPDATE: Europa attorney Dale Kinsella tells us the following: "No amount of spin from Consolidated can mask the fact that Europa persuaded a federal district judge that Consolidated breached the contract by never having paid a dime for this picture, and that they had therefore no right to claim to be a distributor or claim to distribute the film, period. Nothing in the judge's order in any way effects Europa's right to distribute the film from this point forward."

Regardless of the outcome, the film won't be in theaters next month as planned. In fact,the movie's website has even disappeared, and we're told October is now Consolidate's target release date, just in time for Oscar season.