Moviefone Open Thread: Is Justin Timberlake a Celebrity?

The 2009 weekend was the the most effective pretty-good of occasions and worst not-great of occasions for Justin Timberlake. He was offered one of the lead roles in 'Inside Llewyn Davis,' the completely new drama within the Coen brothers and sisters in regards to the Greenwich Village folk scene in sixties NY. That's excellent! Sadly, the purchase came when his first foray becoming an action star was scuffling within the box office. Released on over 3000 screens, 'In Time' acquired only $12 million, finishing a distant third behind 'Puss in Boots' and 'Paranormal Activity 3.' Not great! Which enhances the question: Is Justin Timberlake a real celebrity? The short fact is a resounding yes. Ultimately, Timberlake is certainly an actress who appears in movies by simple definition, he's a celebrity. But is he a star? You understand, the type of actor audiences flock to find out on opening weekend, whether or not their movie just looks plain bad? You will discover two techniques for searching at Timberlake's burgeoning career. On one for reds, if 'In Time' may have starred Hugh Jackman or Tom Cruise, it seems likely the film may have bending its opening weekend receipts. This doesn't work constantly -- hello, The Actor-kaira Pitt and 'The Rum Diary'! -- however, if stars are stars, they acquire a nearly Teflon quality. Alternatively, Timberlake retains a techniques to visit before he may also be considered an authentic leading guy, a thing that has more associated with chance than other activities. His financial accomplishments becoming an actor ('Shrek the next,A 'The Social Media,A 'Bad Teacher') have include supporting roles just like a lead, he's become two chances: 'Friends With Benefits,' which opened up track of $18 million inside the summer season visiting $55 million, now 'In Time.' Neither were clean-outs, which only means he'll convey more chances to prove themselves afterwards. (Though since 'Inside Llewyn Davis' is poised being another ensemble -- and arises from the Coen brothers and sisters -- more expensive that being his box-office breakout.) So, is Timberlake a celebrity? Not. But unlike Ryan Reynolds -- about whom this debate was elevated with unimpressive results inside the summer season -- Timberlake can be a genuine celebrity. He's easily one of the 15 famous males on the planet -- a personality that you just, your mother, your cousin in addition to grandmother has not only learned about, but many likely likes. That counts for something. Whether Timberlake can make the most of that fame remains to look. The floor is yours, dear Moviefone site visitors: you believe JT a celebrity? Or just a pop star and celebrity who occurs are available in movies? [Photo: Getty] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook RELATED

Olsen: A sisterly sensation

Elizabeth OlsenElizabeth Olsen, the younger sister of twins Mary-Kate and Ashley, chose a different route to a career in acting than her older siblings.Shunning child roles, the creation of designer backpacks and paparazzi stampedes, Olsen focused on stage work and the academic rigor of attaining a degree from NY U.'s Tisch School of the Arts.That strategy has already begun to reap rewards. Her performance in "Martha Marcy May Marlene" has won critical acclaim and awards buzz.In "Martha," Olsen plays a troubled woman who recently escaped from a cult. Through flashbacks, an intimate character study unfolds, revealing past emotional trauma and its continued impact.Olsen says she was not daunted by the role's complexity."I was cast just 2 1/2 weeks before shooting," she says. "If I had more time to think about it, I might have freaked out."She had been auditioning for parts only seven months before she read "Martha." "It was the only script that required me to do work," she says. "That really excited me."Years earlier, Olsen decided she would study acting before diving into it."I knew no matter what I did, whether it was good or bad, I was always going to be compared to my sisters," she says. "I just wanted to make sure that whenever I put myself out there I would feel as confident as I could."Olsen is completing three of the last five classes needed for her degree."I'll finish the other two when the time is right," she says. "I will finish -- that's very important to me -- but I'm not giving myself a deadline so that I can still work in the meantime. But I'm so close."Lucky break: "'Martha Marcy May Marlene.' It was my second movie but the people I got to work with were people I want to work with for the rest of my life."Favorite film: "I can watch 'Gone With the Wind' and 'Annie Hall' again and again.Career I'd like to emulate: "Kate Winslet. I think she's been able to balance all different types of genres, and also different media. I think she chooses really smart work."10 ACTORS TO WATCH 2011:Benedict Cumberbatch | Jean Dujardin | Luke Evans | Josh Hutcherson | Felicity Jones | Taylor Kitsch | Brit Marling | Elizabeth Olsen | Octavia Spencer | Shailene Woodley Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

From Actorfest to 'Pan Am' in 2 Days

Ready for career takeoff? Ebrima N'Dure sure is. Like a lot of the 2010 Actorfest NY participants, N'Dure turned up towards the Metropolitan Pavilion vibrant and in early stages the morning of Sunday, March. 23 to make use of the annual event's open call auditions and myriad skill-strengthening sections and participants. Little did he realize that following a brief trip to the Grant Wilfley Casting open call, he'd land a featured background role on "Pan Am," the lately released ABC dramatic series having a delicious sixties aesthetic certain to boost the reel associated with a artist lucky enough to end up aboard its friendly skies.The Grant Wilfley Casting open call is a staple of Back Stage's Actorfest NY going back many years, and it is rapport which has demonstrated advantageous to both event participants and casting personnel alike. "Many people who're a new comer to the town the ones we do not see constantly at our other open calls [attend Actorfest]. New faces towards the city will always be great for us," describes GWC senior casting connect Allison Hall, whose current TV projects include Boardwalk Empire, Royal Pains, and Smash, additionally to many high-profile movies featuring NY models."We are forever in another place for 'Pan Am,'" Hall continues, mentioning towards the show's globe-trotting weekly itinerary. "We needed a more youthful Haitian boy, however i was getting a difficult time finding somebody that looked youthful but was still being over 18."Fortunately, Hall and her on-site team found their guy in Actorfest attendee N'Dure. Not 2 days after meeting him at their open call, these were delivering the youthful actor to some wardrobe fitting, preparing him for his first trip to the fabled "Jet Age." "We sent him to obtain fit, and he's working in a few days,Inch Hall verifies.N'Dure wasn't the only person who obtained a ticket aboard Pan Am via the 2010 Actorfest NY casting event. Hall states that her team found several new faces to portray stewardesses and aircraft pilots. They'll join the ranks of 2010 Actorfest NY attendee Colin Buckingham, who arrived focus on Males in Black 3 because of Grant Wilfley's on-site open call this past year, additionally to some part on 30 Rock after an Actorfest "park and flyInch session with casting director Barbara McNamara the identical day.Make sure to look out for N'Dure with an approaching episode of "Pan Am." And when you are a West Coast readers, don't miss Actorfest LA, which is held November. 5 in the California Market Center in downtown La. Open call auditions include NBC, Telemundo, mun2, and Disney Parks Talent Casting. For more information and also to sign up for the big event, visit world wide web.actorfest.com.Find Out More ON BLOG STAGE

Matraga (A hora e a vez de Augusto Matraga)

A Prodigo Films presentation and production, in association with Orkestra Filmes, with the participation of TeleImage, Studio Quanta. Produced by Adriano Civita, Beto Gauss. Exective producer, Elisa Tolomelli. Directed by Vinicius Coimbra. Screenplay, Manuela Dias, Coimbra, based on the short story by Joao Guimaraes Rosa.With: Joao Miguel, Vanessa Gerbelli, Jose Wilker, Chico Anysio, Antonio Petrin, Ze Dumont, Teca Pereira, Ivan de Almeida, Irandhir Santos, Gorete Milagres, Werner Schunemann, Claudio Jaborandi, Vinicius de Oliveira, Odilon Esteves, Romulo Braga, Julio Andrade, Alexandre Zachia, Evil Reboucas, Geraldo Peninha, Glicerio Rosario Dias, Joao Dinico, Iami Lobato Silva, Melissa Isabelli, Carolina Franca.A Brazilian bandit farmer sees the light, only to be faced with more violent enemies in "Matraga," the kind of film where you'd half-expect to see a miniature angel and devil do battle while perched on the protag's shoulders. But newcomer Vinicius Coimbra's suave but simplistic adaptation of the 1946 short story by literary giant Joao Guimaraes Rosa is too invested in being a feijoada Western, seasoned with regionalist touches, to really plumb the depths of Matraga's opposing interior forces. Quadruple wins at the Rio fest should help local odds, while curio factor will inspire some sprocket-opera shootouts. In an unspecified time, fearless rural troublemaker Augusto Matraga (Joao Miguel, adequate) is taken in by two religious outcasts (Ivan de Almeida, Teca Pereira) after being left for dead by his adversaries. He subsequently becomes a God-fearing citizen, until a powerful landowner (Jose Wilker) crosses his path. Lensing and art direction are especially elegant, though the bronzed, leathery faces and whiskey-colored firelight imbue a nostalgic, yellowed-paper quality that romanticizes the violence, to the detriment of psychological insight. Helmer Roberto Santos' earlier "Matraga" adaptation played Cannes in 1966.Camera (color), Lula Carvalho; editor, Alexandre Boechat; music, Sasha Amback; production designer, Moa Batsow; costume designer, Beth Filipecki. Reviewed at Rio Film Festival (competing), Oct. 14, 2011. Running time: 106 MIN. Contact Boyd van Hoeij at news@variety.com

'Pretty Soon, It All Will Be Over': Director Roland Emmerich Thinks You are a Lemming

Throughout Game 5 around the globe Series between your St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers on Monday evening, Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa made a number of progressively inexplicable pitching moves within the eighth inning, which assisted lead to his team's loss. After the overall game, LaRussa blamed the bizarre changes (sports fans and non-sports fans can see about the subject here) this is not on unsuccessful strategy, but a faulty bullpen phone. It appears the Texas crowd am noisy the Cardinals' bullpen coach had trouble hearing which pitchers LaRussa was requesting when he known as lower. On ESPN Radio today, hosts Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic imagined one reason behind the telephone disaster: Bullpenfone. Thanks, ESPN? In reaction, Moviefone checked along with the actual Mr. Moviefone to discover what he considered the incident: "Sounds in my experience like Tony LaRussa could have been best calling in the real Moviefone," he stated. "Tony, make use of your day off to look at 'Moneyball' -- you never know? You may learn something!" Press one, TLR! [via ESPN] [Photo: Getty] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook RELATED

Becoming Pro Bono

It wasn't my intention to time this blog to GLAAD's Spirit Day, but things just worked out that way...I would call "Dancing with the Stars" a guilty pleasure, except I feel no guilt over it. There's something gleeful and innocent about a show that brings together people to compete not for money or prizes, but a mirrorball trophy. Still, I was never a fanatical viewer; my participation depended on how invested I became in the contestants. I sort of tuned out during seasons like Nicole Scherzinger (what fun is it when the obvious winner is a gorgeous, athletic woman whopreviously belonged to a song and dance group). But then I would watch every episode of Jennifer Grey's season with baited breath, rooting the "Dirty Dancing" star on.Going into Season 13 (holy cow!), I didn't really have much investment in any of the contestants. They had the typical archetypes filled: the older participant (Nancy Grace), the athlete (Mehta WorldPeace), the redeemed wild child (David Arquette)and I was aware of some grumbling surrounding the casting of Chaz Bono, advocate/author/son of Cher/transgender man. But because I am blessed to live in Los Angeles in the year 2011, I really didn't think it was a serious controversy.How wrong I was. First, Monica Cole of the America Family Association made an announcement stating: "We will not be able to watch the show with Chaz on there. This is going to be very confusing for children and should not be included in their cast." Then, in one of those sweeping statements that would be funny were the person not actually serious, Fox News' Dr. Keith Ablow said children could "turn transgender" from watching Bono on the show. His actual insipid quote: "It's possible that if someone is celebrated and lifted to heroic proportions like that of a civil rights leader, that somebody who is somewhat uncomfortable with his or her gender might say, 'You know what, I'm going down that road.' " CONTINUE READING ON BEHIND THE SCENES

See Matt Saracen and Arnold Schwarzenegger on the Set of 'The Last Stand'

There is an unofficial rule here at Moviefone: if Matt Saracen Zach Gilford and Arnold Schwarzenegger are in a picture together, it must be posted on the blog. As such: check out this picture that the former Governator tweeted from the set of 'The Last Stand,' his first starring vehicle since leaving office. It features Gilford! And Arnold! Texas forever, folks! In 'The Last Stand' Schwarzenegger plays a border-town sheriff tasked with stopping an escaped drugkin from crossing over into Mexico. Gilford co-stars as his deputy, with Forest Whitaker, Luis Guzman, Jaimie Alexander, Rodrigo Santoro, Peter Stormare and Johnny Knoxville rounding out the cast. The film is due in theaters on Jan. 18, 2013. [via @schwarzenegger] [Photo: Twitpic] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook RELATED