The Conspirator (2011) - official trailer

The Conspirator is a period drama based on true events following the assassination of President Lincoln. Robin Wright will play Mary Surratt, the only woman among a group charged with conspiring to kill the president. James McAvoy will play Frederick Aiken, an idealistic young war hero who reluctantly defends Surratt and in the process comes to believe she is innocent.

Synopsis: In the wake of Abraham Lincoln's assassination, seven men and one woman are arrested and charged with conspiring to kill the President, the Vice-President, and the Secretary of State. The lone woman charged, Mary Surratt, 42, owns a boarding house where John Wilkes Booth and others met and planned the simultaneous attacks.

Against the ominous back-drop of post-Civil War Washington, newly-minted lawyer, Frederick Aiken, a 28-year-old Union war-hero, reluctantly agrees to defend Surratt before a military tribunal. As the trial unfolds, Aiken realizes his client may be innocent and that she is being used as bait and hostage in order to capture the only conspirator to have escaped a massive manhunt, her own son.

A suspenseful thriller with action throughout, The Conspirator tells the true story of a woman who would do anything to protect her family and the man who risked everything to save her.

Release: April 15, 2011

Follow movie on Twitter: @1865Lincoln

Read more information about The Conspirator

Robin Wright and James McAvoy

Alexis Bledel

Toby Kebbell (John Wilkes Booth)

Kevin Kline

Justin Long

Evan Rachel Wood

Photos:

Arthur Christmas (2011) - teaser trailer

Here's a preview of Arthur Christmas which will be out next year.
Starring: James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton and Ashley Jensen.

Synopsis from Sony Pictures:
Set on Christmas night, the story of Arthur Christmas at last reveals the incredible, never-before seen answer to every child's question: 'So how does Santa deliver all those presents in one night?' The answer: Santa's exhilarating, ultra-high-tech operation hidden beneath the North Pole. But at the heart of the film is a story with the ingredients of a Christmas classic – a family in a state of comic dysfunction and an unlikely hero, Arthur, with an urgent mission that must be completed before Christmas morning dawns.

James McAvoy leads the cast as Arthur, the good-natured but clumsy younger son of Santa. Arthur LOVES everything to do with Christmas; indeed, he is the only one in his family still captivated by the magic of the holiday. Hugh Laurie will play Arthur's older brother Steve, heir to the reins, a cool, incredibly capable guy who has given the North Pole high-tech efficiency, military-style precision. Jim Broadbent plays Santa, who pictures himself as the guy in charge at the North Pole, but is now more of a figurehead as the operation has outgrown him. Bill Nighy plays Santa's 136-year-old father, Grandsanta, a cranky old codger who hates the modern world, is always grumbling that Christmas 'was better when I was Santa' and has a tense relationship with Steve, who he calls 'A postman with a spaceship.' Ashley Jensen will play Bryony, a lowly elf from the Giftwrap Battalion, with an eager-to-please attitude and an obsession with wrapping and bows. Imelda Staunton rounds out the cast as Mrs. Santa, dedicated wife and mother to her husband and sons.

The Conspirator - movie clips & interviews

The Conspirator debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2010. Director Robert Redford says he and his cast strived for accuracy to shed light on a little-known part of Abraham Lincoln's assassination.

On left: Redford directing James McAvoy who portrays Frederick Aiken, the lawyer defending Mary Surrat (Robin Wright) who is accused of conspiring to kill President Lincoln.

Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions have acquired distribution rights and are planning to release the film in spring of 2011.

Wright and McAvoy

Alexis Bledel (Aiken's fiance)

McAvoy and Tom Wilkinson

Watch 3 minute video of press conference!

Robert Redford, Robin Wright, James McAvoy, Justin Long, Kevin Kline

another video: Redford talks about The Conspirator
(and the similarities of the political social climate to today's 9-11)

Scene with Robin Wright and James McAvoy


Scene with James McAvoy and Evan Rachel Wood


and just because...a clip from 1994 with Redford:)

photos: USA Today

More information on The Conspirator

Arthur Christmas (2011)

From THR:
James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton and Ashley Jensen have joined the voice cast of Arthur Christmas, a 3D, CG-animated family comedy from Aardman Animations.

Sarah Smith is directing and co-wrote the screenplay with Peter Baynham. Barry Cook is co-directing the pic, which is produced by Sony Pictures Animation and sports a release date of Nov. 23, 2011.

The story answers every child's question -- "So how does Santa deliver all those presents in one night?" -- and focuses on Santa's ultra-high-tech operation hidden beneath the North Pole.

McAvoy plays Arthur, the good-natured but clumsy younger son of Santa and the only one in his family still captivated by the magic of the holiday. Laurie plays Arthur's older brother Steve, the heir to the operation who has given the North Pole a high-tech, military-style precision.

Broadbent plays Santa, who pictures himself as the guy in charge at the North Pole but is now more of a figurehead as the operation has outgrown him. Nighy plays Santa's 136-year-old father, Grandsanta, a cranky codger who hates the modern world, is always grumbling that Christmas "was better when I was Santa" and has a tense relationship with Steve.

Jensen plays Bryony, a lowly elf from the Giftwrap Battalion, and Staunton rounds out the cast as Mrs. Santa.

Michael Giacchino and Adam Cohen are composing the score.

View teaser trailer

Gnomeo and Juliet (2011)

A very loose adaptation of Shakespeare's tale of doomed lovers...

"Directed by Kelly Asbury (co-director of Shrek 2) and showcasing both classic and original songs by Elton John, the film features the voices of James McAvoy and Emily Blunt as Gnomeo and Juliet, who have as many obstacles to overcome as their quasi namesakes when they are caught up in a feud between neighbors." [comingsoon.net]

Other actors who provide voices include:
Michael Caine, Jason Statham, Maggie Smith, Patrick Stewart, Stephen Merchant, Matt Lucas, Jim Cummings, Julie Walters, Richard Wilson and Ozzy Osbourne

What do you think???