May 4th, 2011
09:34 AM ET
Rachel Weisz in talks to play witch in 'Oz'Oscar winner Rachel Weisz may soon show off her wicked side. The actress is circling the role of the Wicked Witch of the East in Disney's upcoming "Wizard of Oz" prequel, "Oz: The Great and Powerful." According to the Hollywood Reporter, Weisz is close to signing on to play Evanorah, the evil witch who would ultimately have a house land on her when Dorothy drops by Oz. The prequel finds Evanorah attempting to rule the land and trying to draw her kid sister Theodorah — the future Wicked Witch of the West — over to the dark side. Mila Kunis has already been cast as Theodorah in the fantasy film, and James Franco will play the titular Oz, a snake-oil salesman who encounters real magic when his balloon carries him to the mysterious land somewhere over the rainbow. That leaves one more role up in the air, so we ask: Who do you think should play Glinda the Good Witch? 
May 3rd, 2011
08:00 AM ET
What should James Franco do next?Seriously, is there anything James Franco can't do? Actor, director, student, teacher, singer, soap opera star, social media critic, host of major awards shows (we didn't say he did them all well). The dude is a veritable James of all trades. The recent news that Franco is set to direct a dance theater program got us to thinking about a few things we'd like to see Franco take a stab at. FULL POST 
May 2nd, 2011
10:47 AM ET
James Franco to direct dance theaterJust when you thought James Franco had taken a break from all those projects, the everywhere actor picks up another gig. This time, he's making his debut as a dance theater director for the upcoming multimedia show "Collage," reports Gothamist. "'Collage' is a mixed-media piece that uses sound and visuals to play with the idea of how different art mediums interact," producer John Morrow says of the show, which runs at the Stella Adler studios in NYC from May 8 -15. "Using video, dance, poetry, theater and music, we have created a performance that will be an engaging experience for the audience." Adds choreographer Chloe Kernaghan, "The overall piece has been a continuous exploration of how using disparate elements can create a cohesive idea." 
April 26th, 2011
05:41 PM ET
Hilary Swank headed to 'Oz'?Hilary Swank's next acting gig could take her somewhere over the rainbow. The two-time Oscar winner is being eyed for a role in the upcoming "Wizard of Oz" prequel. According to Vulture, director Sam Raimi wants Swank to play an elder witch in "Oz, the Great and Powerful." The upcoming fantasy flick tells the backstory of such beloved characters as the Wizard and Glinda the Good Witch, and reveals info about the lesser-known Wicked Witch of the East, Evanorah, who had a house fall on her when Dorothy dropped in. But if Disney has its way, Swank will get cast when monkeys fly: The studio reportedly is urging Raimi to hire Michelle Williams instead. 
April 22nd, 2011
05:30 PM ET
James Franco pursues yet another degreeThe best teachers know that there’s always more to learn, and newly minted NYU instructor James Franco is planning to continue his own education at the University of Houston. The institution confirmed to CNN that the Oscar nominee and published author has been accepted into the doctoral program in literature and creative writing at the University. According to the Houston Chronicle, only 20 people are admitted to the doctoral program each year out of 400 applicants. Those attending the U of H will have to wait a bit for the tireless actor to join their ranks – Franco deferred until 2012, a rep for the school told CNN. (And understandably so; think about how many projects the 33-year-old is currently signed up for.) At this rate, Franco may be running out of room to hang all of his degrees: He's already acquired an undergraduate degree from UCLA, an MFA in writing from Columbia and is currently tackling Yale's doctoral English program. 
April 4th, 2011
12:39 PM ET
James Franco: Social media is overHe may be everywhere these days, but good luck finding James Franco on Twitter. The outspoken actor, who has had an account on the social networking site since February, suddenly went missing on April 1. "Social media is over. Still up there. Going down. You heard it here first," the Oscar nominee told Politico at a Washington, D.C. event that same day. |
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