Aaron Eckhart boards Clint Eastwood’s Captain Sully movie

Earlier this summer, Tom Hanks was found genial and competent enough to play Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger in the Clint Eastwood-helmed film about the Miracle On The Hudson events. We at The A.V. Club were somewhat skeptical of Hanks’ ability to portray an ordinary man who must overcome extraordinary odds, in part because he’d once befriended a volleyball. The Hollywood Reporter has somewhat set our minds at ease with the news that Hanks will have some help in the film: Aaron Eckhart has been cast as Sully’s co-pilot and co-miracle worker.

Eckhart will play Jeff Skiles, Sully’s first officer and co-pilot who was manually flying the plane when it ran afoul of some Canadian geese. Although Skiles never received a sweet nickname from a mayor, he was instrumental in safely landing the plane in the Hudson. Eckhart’s been slumming in Gerard Butler-led action films and action-horror hybrids lately, but he could apply what he learns about performing a daring rescue in “real time” to help Hanks look good on film.

The film will be based in part on Sullenberger’s book, Highest Duty: My Search For What Really Matters, with a script from Todd Komarnicki (Perfect Stranger) for Warner Bros. The as-yet-untitled project is in pre-production and will be released some time in 2016.

source: avclub.com

Aaron Eckhart to Play an Exorcist in INCARNATE for Director Brad Peyton

Brad Peyton of “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” fame will direct the film, which will shoot in November.

Coming off the $40 million opening of Insidious: Chapter 2, Blumhouse Productions is hoping to launch another horror series with Incarnate.

Aaron Eckhart is on board to star in the microbudget horror movie that will be directed by Brad Peyton, who last directed Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.

Ronnie Christensen wrote the script, which, according to Blumhouse, tells of “an unconventional exorcist who can tap into the subconscious of the possessed who meets his match when a 9-year-old boy is possessed by a demon from his past.”

A November start in Los Angeles is being planned on the picture, which will be co-financed by Blumhouse and IM Global.

Blum is producing. Exec producing are Blumhouse’ Couper Samuelson as well as Stuart Ford, Charles Layton, Michael Seitzman, Trevor Engelson and Peyton.

 

London Has Fallen attacked for ‘insensitivity’ by 7/7 victims’ trust

The chairman of an organisation set up to honour the memories of the victims of the 7/7 terrorist strike on London has labelled a new trailer for the Hollywood disaster movie London Has Fallen “extremely insensitive”.

Babak Najafi’s film, a big budget sequel to 2013 action thriller Olympus Has Fallen, stars Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart and Morgan Freeman in the story of an attack on the capital. Chair of the 7/7 Memorial Trust, Philip Nelson, said the timing of the trailer’s release was wrong just a few days before the 10th anniversary of Britain’s worst terrorist strike of recent times.

“This is not the first time that Hollywood has been insensitive,” he told the Mirror. “If the story is about terrorism then this is extremely insensitive. People have also recently died of a terrorist attack in Tunisia.

“I have seen an image of Big Ben with the clock face blown out, that’s also insensitive. “[Our Trust] has had lots of help from America so I just think that these are the wrong images to portray. Is the summer the best time to be promoting this film anyway?”

It was not clear whether Nelson contacted the Mirror to express his concerns or was approached for a comment by a reporter seeking to put together a story. However, the trailer for London Has Fallen has also provoked upset on Twitter.

Fifty-two people died and more than 700 were injured in the bombings at Russell Square, Edgware Road, Aldgate and Tavistock Square, London on 7 July 2005. 

London is Fallen is due to be released in the US on 22 January.

Aaron Eckhart to Star in ‘Live!’, An Action Movie Shot in Real-Time

Aaron Eckhart (OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN, THE DARK KNIGHT, upcoming BLEED FOR THIS, MY ALL AMERICAN and Blumhouse/Universal’s INCARNATE) is set to star in the high concept action film LIVE!, it was announced today by producers Myles Nestel (THE NOVEMBER MAN, LAGGIES), co-founder and partner of The Solution Entertainment Group and Skip Williamson (UNDERWORLD franchise, GAMER, CRANK) of 5B Artist+Media.

The Solution is producing the film, which will begin principal photography in October.  Onboard to fully finance and co-produce is Fubar Films, headed by producer Colin Bates (MAGGIE). Executive producers are Fubar Films’ Peter M. DeGeorge, William Stetson and Lindsey Howery.

The Solution’s Lisa Wilson and Craig Chapman and Sentient’s Christopher Tuffin and Renee Tab are also executive producing the film.  LIVE! marks the first picture in a multi-picture collaboration between Fubar and The Solution.  The Solution is also handling worldwide sales on the project.

Written by Jeremy Drysdale, LIVE! will be co-directed by award winning second unit action directors/stunt coordinators Darrin Prescott & Wade Allen (JOHN WICK, INSURGENT, DRIVE, THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM, 2 GUNS) who will make their directorial feature film debut.

Shot in real time, the original script tracks disgraced cop, Kyle Penny (Eckhart), on his hunt to rescue Police Commissioner

Volk’s kidnapped daughter, trapped somewhere in the city with only 80 minutes to live.  A deranged killer on his heels, Penny’s only hope is teaming with Ava Brooks, an ambitious young online reporter who films the wild chase live.

“There are very few independent action movies being made and this one truly kicks ass,” said producer Nestel. “We’re thrilled to have Aaron star as he will bring an intensity and authenticity to the role of Kyle Penny that will elevate the material to another level.  And with Darrin and Wade at the helm, LIVE! will set the bar for today’s action audiences.  We are so excited that this is the first project that we are partnering with Fubar on and look forward to this being the first of many!”

“Having worked shoulder to shoulder with Darrin and Wade on several action films over the years, I could not be more amped to watch them in the director’s chair where they will bring out many of the stunts and action sequences they have always wanted to do,” added Williamson.  “Teaming them with a true actor of Aaron’s caliber will create something the action crowd will love.”

On behalf of Fubar, Colin Bates added: “We are thrilled to be coming onboard LIVE! and to join forces with The Solution in the first of many co-productions. The intensity and uniqueness of the script combined with the talents of Darrin, Wade and Aaron make for a sure fire success.”

Aaron Eckhart stars opposite Miles Teller in The Solution’s highly anticipated boxing biopic BLEED FOR THIS.  Executive produced by Martin Scorsese, the film will be released by Open Road Films. Eckhart is also starring in MY ALL AMERICAN which will be released in the fall, as well as Blumhouse/Universal’s INCARNATE.  Eckhart’s previous credits include playing Harvey Dent aka “Two-Face” in Christopher Nolan’s critically acclaimed and worldwide box office sensation THE DARK KNIGHT and OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN with Morgan Freeman and Gerard Butler. He will reprise his role in the sequel, LONDON HAS FALLEN, coming to theatres in January 2016 through Focus Features. Eckhart was nominated for a Golden Globe for his leading role in THANK YOU FOR SMOKING.