Last year we brought you the news that World War Z and Cloud Atlas were filming in Glasgow, which was expected to boost the profile and success of the city. Now, the Glasgow Film Office has released figures showing that films brought a kilt-raising total of £20.15 million to the city’s economy over the past year.

Brad Pitt’s zombie adventure was filming in Glasgow for 17 days in the summer of 2011, and it ended up bringing-in £3.33 million. Fantastic, but where did the rest come from? Well, it turns out that many other projects have recently also chosen Glasgow as one of their locations. Apparently, if you combine Cloud Atlas, starring Halle Berry and Tom Hanks, Under The Skin, starring Scarlett Johansson and Young James Herriot, a TV production about the university life of vet-come-writer, the city of Glasgow gains a total of nearly £5.5 million. Add to this the £2.2 million that was raised by low impact productions with brief two-day shoots in Glasgow, and you’re well on your way to the £20.15 million grand total.

The film-hype is not yet over, with the Glasgow Film Festival coming up this February from the 16th to the 26th. Those who are interested in attending what will without a doubt be a fantastically quirky celebration of all things cinematic should check out our competition, where they can win tickets to a screening of their choice at the festival.

Leading the pack is the hot favourite for Best Film: The Artist. The French masterpiece received 12 nominations in total, which include: Best Film, Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing and Leading Actor and Actress acknowledgements for Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo.

The film is up against: The Descendants, Drive, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Help for Best Film.

Meanwhile Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is nominated in 11 categories, Martin Scorsese’s Hugo has nine, and British effort My Week with Marilyn boasts six nominations. The Help and War Horse scored a total of five acknowledgements apiece, while the Harry Potter crew will be pleased with their four nominations for Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2.

The nominees in the acting categories are a fairly predictable bunch. Dujardin is up against George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender and Gary Oldman for the Lead Actor accolade. And My Week with Marilyn‘s Michelle Williams is up for the Lead Actress title, with competition from Bejo, Meryl Streep, Viola Davis and Tilda Swinton.

The nominees for the Orange Wednesdays Rising Star Award, were announced earlier this month too, with an eyebrow-raising lack of actresses to vote for. This year our choice is between: Adam Deacon, Chris Hemsworth, Chris O’Dowd, Eddie Redmayne and Tom Hiddleston.

On a plus note, the ceremony will be hosted by national treasure Stephen Fry instead of usual pick, Jonathan Ross. The ceremony will take place at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, Sunday 12th February 2012.

See the full list of non-mentioned nominations:

Outstanding British Film
My Week With Marilyn
Senna
Shame
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
We Need To Talk About Kevin

Outstanding Debut
Attack the Block – Joe Cornish
Black Pond – Will Sharpe, Tom Kingsley, Sarah Brocklehurst
Coriolanus – Ralph Fiennes
Submarine – Richard Ayoade
Tyrannosaur – Paddy Considine, Diarmid Scrimshaw

Director
The Artist – Michel Hazanavicius
Drive – Nicolas Winding Refn
Hugo – Martin Scorsese
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – Tomas Alfredson
We Need To Talk About Kevin – Lynne Ramsay

Supporting Actress
Carey Mulligan - Shame
Jessica Chastain – The Help
Octavia Spencer – The Help
Melissa McCarthy – Bridesmaids
Judi Dench - My Week With Marilyn

Supporting Actor
Jonah Hill – Moneyball
Kenneth Branagh – My Week With Marilyn
Jim Broadbent – The Iron Lady
Christopher Plummer – Beginners
Phillip Seymour Hoffman – The Ides of March

Documentary
George Harrison: Living In The Material World
Project Nim
Senna

Original Screenplay
The Artist – Michel Hazanavicius
Bridesmaids – Annie Mumolo, Kristen Wiig
The Guard – John Michael McDonagh
The Iron Lady – Abi Morgan
Midnight In Paris – Woody Allen

Adapted Screenplay
The Descendants
The Help
The Ides Of March
Moneyball
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Animated Film
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn
Arthur Christmas
Rango

Original Music
The Artist – Ludovic Bource
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
Hugo – Howard Shore
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – Alberto Iglesias
War Horse – John Williams

Cinematography
The Artist – Guillaume Schiffman
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo – Jeff Cronenweth
Hugo - Robert Richardson
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – Hoyte van Hoytema
War Horse – Janusz Kaminski

Editing
The Artist – Anne-Sophie Bion, Michel Hazanavicius
Drive - Mat Newman
Hugo – Thelma Schoonmaker
Senna – Gregers Sall, Chris King
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – Dino Jonsater

Production Design
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Hugo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse

Costume Design
The Artist – Mark Bridges
Hugo - Sandy Powell
Jane Eyre – Michael O’Connor
My Week With Marilyn – Jill Taylor
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – Jacqueline Durran

Sound
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Hugo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse

Make-Up & Hair
The Artist – Julie Hewett, Cydney Cornell
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 – Amanda Knight, Lisa Tomblin
Hugo – Morag – Ross, Jan Archibald
The Iron Lady – Marese Langan
My Week With Marilyn – Jenny Shircore

Special Visual Effects
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Hugo
Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes
War Horse

The winners won’t be announced until both ceremonies are held in January, of course, but we finally know which films and performances caught the eye of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) and the Screen Actors Guild. Unsurprisingly they have similar ideas.

The Artist is in the lead with six nominations at the Golden Globes including Best Motion Picture: Comedy or Musical and three nominations at the SAG awards. George Clooney’s The Descendants and The Help have five nods apiece at the Globes, while The Ides of March, Midnight in Paris and Moneyball received four. BBC Film My Week With Marilyn has also done well, with three at the Globes and two at the SAG’s.

In the Acting categories, there are some surprises. No one expected Meryl Streep to not receive nominations for The Iron Lady (the only nods the film received), but I doubt anyone thought comedy hit Bridesmaids would get recognition. The film received three acting acknowledgements; one at the Globes and two at the SAG’s.

A-listers Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and George Clooney will compete for the Male Lead in a Motion Picture accolades at both ceremonies while The Artist‘s Jean Dujardin also has two nods. In the supporting categories, My Week With Marilyn‘s Kenneth Branagh and Jonah Hill (Moneyball) received two nominations apiece.

The female categories on the other hand, see Michelle Williams recognised by the SAG and HFPA for her enchanting portrayal of Marilyn Monroe, while Carnage co-stars Jodie Foster and Kate Winslet are up against one another for Best Actress in a Motion Picture: Comedy or Musical at the Globes. Other actresses to receive nominations from both awards include:  Tilda Swinton for We Need to Talk About Kevin, Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs and Viola Davis for The Help.

For the full list of nominations including the television categories, visit the Golden Globes official site here, and the SAG site here.

Catch the Hollywood Foreign Press Association presents the 69th Annual Golden Globes ceremony on 15th January and the 18th Annual The Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG) ceremony on 29th January 2012.

It seems to be one hurdle after another for the actress’ first directorial attempt. In the Land of Blood and Honey first encountered major problems during filming last year, when Bosnian officials withdrew Jolie‘s permit after accusations that the film would feature a Bosnian woman falling in love with her Serbian rapist.

Eventually, only three days of filming took place in Bosnia itself, even after Jolie and her team proved that there was no rape scene, and their license was reinstated.

However, it seems that the film may face further delays, if Croatian journalist James Braddock is successful with the complaint which he has recently filed at a court in Illinois. Braddock claims that the script for Jolie’s film, written by Jolie herself, was based upon his 2007 book, The Soul Shattering.

More than just a case of coincidental plot similarities, Braddock argues that he approached the film’s executive producer, Edin Sarkic, about the possibility of turning his book into a film, back in 2007. The author also claims that he met with Sarkic on several occasions to discuss the book, as well as sharing email and phone correspondences, before learning that the film was being made without his involvement.

Although Jolie denies the allegations, the film’s release could be blocked, or at least significantly delayed, if there proves to be any truth in Braddock’s claims. In the Land of Blood and Honey, a love story between a Serbian soldier and a female Bosnian prisoner of war, was due to for release in the US on 23rd December this year.

The film already received its New York première last night, which was attended by the cast, as well as Jolie and partner Brad Pitt. Jolie’s brother, James Haven, was also in attendance, but the pair kept their distance – unlike the pair’s post-Oscars appearance back in 2000, where their red carpet kiss sparked controversy after Jolie announced that she was “just so in love with my brother right now” during her acceptance speech.

In the Land of Blood and Honey does not yet have a UK release date, but we’ll keep you posted!

Snow may not have arrived in the UK yet, but Londoners were treated to the next best thing on Sunday 20th November at the Happy Feet 2 premiere. The stars walked up the snow white carpet following the adorable penguins prints running up its length, at an Arctic-themed Empire in Leicester Square. The stars of the film in attendance included, Modern Families Sofia Vergara and her Happy Feet co-stars, Elijah Wood and Robin Williams. 

The original 2006 Happy Feet revolved around Mumble (Wood), the only penguin who could not sing – a serious issue for an Emperor Penguin who is supposed to find his soul mate through song. However he could tap dance up a snowstorm and attracts the eventual acceptance of the other penguins and the love of his life Gloria.

This time around the theme is much the same. Mumbles son, Erik is struggling to find his own talent that sets him apart from the rest of the penguins, while his father attempts to guide him. “I loved the idea that Mumble’s grown up and is trying to figure out his role as a father,” Elijah Wood said of his character. His fatherly duties are put on hold however when he discovers a threat to the Emperor Penguin world.

Many of our favourite characters are back, along with some new faces. Pop star Alecia Moore, aka Pink, has been drafted in to replace the late Brittany Murphy in the role of Gloria, while Hank Azaria is a notable addition as the flying penguin Sven. Watch out for cameos from Matt Damon and Brad Pitt as the hilarious Krills – Will the Krill and Bill the Krill.

While the film could be seen as a subtle education for kids about global warming and its effect on the icecaps, above all else it is a heart warming tale of acceptance and the rewards of determination, appropriate for any age. Unless you count the substitution of the word ‘fluff’ in the phrase “Fluff off! as inappropriate.

It’s a guarantee you’ll be bopping in your seat to the catchy musical numbers. Janet Jackson’s ‘Rhythm Nation’ and an amusing rendition of Justin Timberlake’s ‘Sexy Back’ are notable mentions. Penguins are ‘bringing fluffy back’, don’t you know?

Happy Feet 2 is out 2 December 2011, just in time for Christmas.

This week, Brad Pitt formally announced he sees himself quitting the acting industry when he reaches the age of fifty. The 47-year-old Hollywood star has been acting for 24 years, but now he feels like it is time to move on. This must have put a downer on the Australian interview show, 60 minutes, on which Pitt was promoting his new film, Moneyball.
After making the comment, he was reported saying, ‘I’m really enjoying the production side and getting stories to the plate that may have had a harder time otherwise’. The Hollywood heartthrob implied that one of the reasons for cutting his career short was to spend more time with his six children.
He believes that since becoming a father, his perspective on life has changed. He said, ‘If I’m choosing a film now I want it to be, maybe, less immature than things I’ve done in the past. I’m very conscious that they’re going to see it as adults. I want it to mean something to them. I want them to think: ‘Dad’s all right’. It changes everything.’

Pitt doesn’t seem afraid of those dreaded grey hairs intruding in his famous golden locks and claimed, ‘I like ageing. With age comes wisdom and I have said it before and I say it again, I will take wisdom over youth any day. ‘

Luckily for his fans, he has signed up for Happy Feet 2, World War Z and Cogan’s Trade, which are to be released next year. So before he disappears completely, let’s get the lowdown of Brad Pitt’s top five films over his career.

1. Troy – This epic Trojan war story has a star-studded cast, seeing Brad Pitt act alongside Orlando Bloom and Eric Bana. Directed by Wolfgang Peterson, the powerful war film was nominated for the Academy Award for Costume Design. It also took in a staggering $497,409,852 in the box office.

Pitt plays the legendary warrior, Achilles, whose mission was to lead troops into Troy to recapture his wife, Helen (Diane Kruger), who was kidnapped and taken to Troy by Paris (Orlando Bloom) who fell in love with her. The film is full of authentic and bloody fight scenes. Every swing and smash of the sword makes your heart skip a beat. Surely Brad Pitt’s most epic and powerful performance.

2. Oceans 11 (2001) – We see Mr. Pitt take on a smooth master criminal in this clever remake of the 1960 Rat-Pack original. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, this comedy-crime film features Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Matt Damon, who together, attempt to pull off one of the greatest robberies of all time. Pitt is the ultimate ‘cool’ character: he lays back in his chair while devising clever plans and smoking cigars, speaking in a low gravelly voice and wearing sleek suits. Could he be any more cool?

3. Inglorious Bastards (2009) – This brutal World War II movie from Quentin Tarantino, sees Brad Pitt play Lietenant Aldo Raine, who recruits a team of eight Jewish-American soldiers to go behind enemy lines and frighten German serviceman. When he demands they bring back Nazi scalps, the film doesn’t leave anything to the imagination, right down to the spine-tingling, ripping and peeling sound effects. Despite being serious film, Pitt’s accent is sure to make you smile because takes you a while to get used to his character’s voice.

4. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – This fantasy-drama film is loosely based around F.Scott Fitzgerald’s 1922 short story of the same name. It sees the Hollywood heart-throb age in reverse; he is born an old man and grows up to be a young strapping lad. When he falls in love with Cate Blanchett, we feel his emotional pain, as the love of his life slips away from him, as she grows old and he gets ever younger. They are so deeply in love but they can only be together for a short while. As he grows younger, they re-unite after several years and he dies in her arms as an infant. It is a moving and emotional film.

5. Mr and Mrs Smith – This tongue-in-cheek, action spy film, yet again portrays Brad Pitt rather than being the King of Cool, instead the Secret Agent of Cool. He is a sply who is unaware that his wife also works in the same line of business. When they both receive a mission outline to kill each other, the race is on. It is a light-hearted action movie with some good special effects and of course, we see our man get dirty and sweaty in the fight scenes, making the ladies swoon and the men go green with jealousy.

Pitt plays Billy Beane, the manager who  does something unprecedented when he employs computer analysis to try and choose a winning team.

Based on a true story, Moneyball documents the success of the team as a result of controversial tactics and decisions made by a man who is a former player himself. With a limited budget, he has to think outside the box, and that is where computer nerd Peter Brand, played by Jonah Hill, comes in.

This film is much more than just a story about baseball. It charts the conflicts between the ‘old’ and the ‘new’. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays the traditional baseball advocator Art Howe and it is directed by Bennett Miller.

Of course this film will appeal to baseball fans, but it is also reported to have been particularly well-scripted and directed. The real test will be if people who aren’t big baseball fans are still singing this film’s praises after it’s release.

Moneyball comes out in the UK on November 25th and you can find more Brad Pitt-related stories here.

Scottish city welcomes Philadelphia and zombies

Major excitement was created in the city of Glasgow when it was announced that it had landed a starring role in the film adaptation of World War Z, a book by Max Brooks. The city was transformed into Philadelphia for the dramatic crash scenes that have been filmed here. While it has been a great boost for Glasgow, emphasizing its place on the map of high-profile film locations, the question on many people’s lips is why are the scenes being filmed here and not Philadelphia?

Basically, the reason is financial, with uncertainty over the availability of tax breaks for film makers in Philadelphia. So, the producers of the film were left with a choice of where looks most like the US city, and apparently that is Glasgow. The Scottish city is described as looking visually similar to the US one, making it an ideal replacement.

While natives of both the cities may not see the resemblance, the film producers have definitely made a good effort. With Philadelphia emergency service vehicles, road signs and even newspaper stands appearing around the place, the similarities can be seen.

Whether or not it is a successful replacement, the action scenes are sure to be exciting. And even if it wasn’t possible to film in Philadelphia, Glasgow has had a good injection of publicity and the residents got the chance to do some celebrity spotting.

Told primarily by Brooks, a United Nations agent, World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War is a story of a ten-years-gone mass conflict between the living and the undead. It’s written in the style of a traditional history book, and this original slant combined with good writing made it a huge success, whether Dawn of the Dead was your thing or not.

Brad Pitt has the role of the agent and will be shooting his scenes for the film in August, in Glasgow. Harris and Fox are due to play unannounced roles, alongside Julia Levy-Boeken. Empire suggests Harris as the “meaty military man,” which may mean the character Todd Wanio, but there’s such a huge cast of characters that “meaty military mean” could just be a by-word for “there’s probably an angry soldier in here somewhere” (kidding, Empire, we’re still friends, right? Right?).

I think Fox would be a great fit for T. Sean Collins, a tough mercenary hired to protect a fortress full of celebrities from the zombie hordes, given his rough-and-ready performance in the recent West End play In the Forest Dark and Deep.

This looks like it could be a really interesting film, and we’ll definitely be keeping tabs on it here at TFR. Until then, people.

Attending the LA screening of his new movie The Tree of Life, which won the Palme D’Or at this year’s Cannes, Pitt was seen sans beard, making him look years younger.

Jolie also attended the screening instead of the New York première of her own film Kung Fu Panda II. She seemed as happy as the rest of us with his new look, which could possibly include a change of hair colour too. What do you think, has Brad hit the bottle?

Jolie has said in the past that she took the role in the animated film for the sake of her children and it appears Pitt is also picking film roles with the brood in mind, he said:

“Becoming a father certainly changed the way I choose films because I’m very aware they are going to see them one day. I want them to be proud of their dad in the end, when they grow up and figure out what we actually do for a living.”

Taking on the role of a strict father to three sons in 1950s suburbia has also got him thinking about his other important role in life, being a father to six children.

“It’s so obvious to me that when I come home my kids are aware of everything that’s going on. So it’s quite important for me not to put my frustrations on them or bring them to the door. In the film it’s the exact opposite of that.

“It’s a very sad man who feels embittered by his situation, doesn’t feel like he’s able to get ahead, always feels like he’s on the losing end and feels quite oppressed by his surroundings and predicament.”

So there you have it. Pitt really is a family man. Anyway, if you’re planning on watching The Tree of Life or Kung Fu Panda II, you can be safe in the knowledge that Pitt no longer has that horrendous beard/ goatee thing.

To watch the trailer for The Tree of Life click here and if you want to read about last time Pitt shaved of his beard take a look at this.