| Sept 5,2001 Phoenix 'Signs' to spell Ruffalo in Dis thriller By Zorianna Kit and Chris GardnerLOS ANGELES (The Hollywood Reporter) --- Joaquin Phoenix has been tapped to replace Mark Ruffalo in M. Night Shyamalan's upcoming feature "Signs" for the Walt Disney Co. The project is set to start shooting this month.Ruffalo was forced to drop out last week for health reasons following surgery to remove a cyst from his inner ear (HR 8/30). Phoenix will star in the role opposite Mel Gibson.Although the project is being guarded closely, it is described as a supernatural thriller focusing on the sudden appearance of mysterious crop circles on a family farm in Bucks County, Pa.Producing "Signs" are Shyamalan, Frank Marshall and Sam Mercer along with executive producer Kathleen Kennedy -- the same team that collaborated on Shyamalan's 1999 sleeper hit "The Sixth Sense." Touchstone Pictures has slated "Signs" for a 2002 release.The casting move comes on the eve of the world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival of Phoenix's "Buffalo Soldiers," a dark war comedy in which he stars opposite Ed Harris.Phoenix, co-repped by CAA and Iris Burton, was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance opposite Russell Crowe in DreamWorks/Universal Pictures' "Gladiator," which won the Oscar for best picture.His other recent credits include "Quills" and "The Yards," and Phoenix recently wrapped shooting "It's All About Love" for director Thomas Vinterberg. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sept 5,2001 Phoenix sees ``Signs'' By Michael FlemingNEW YORK (Variety) - Joaquin Phoenix (''Gladiator'') will star with Mel Gibson in ``Signs,'' the supernatural thriller written and to be directed this fall by M. Night Shyamalan. Phoenix will replace Mark Ruffalo, who was forced to ankle the project because he is recovering from a minor ear operation. ``Signs,'' which will begin shooting in October, is set in Bucks County, Pa., and revolves around the mysterious appearance of an array of enormous circles and lines carved into the crops of a farm family.The project is set up at Disney, which distributed Shyamalan's two previous efforts, ``The Sixth Sense'' and ''Unbreakable,'' in most territories. The two films posted a collective worldwide gross north of $900 million.Since his Oscar- nominated turn in ``Gladiator,'' Phoenix has starred in the Gregor Jordan-directed ``Buffalo Soldiers,'' which is playing at the Toronto Film Festival, and he recently completed ``It's All About Love,'' starring with Claire Danes for director Thomas Vinterberg. Reuters/Variety REUTERS |
| 11-06-01 The "Chino in the morning" show on Philadelphia Radio station q102 recently scooped an interview with Gibson. They had been stalking him at the Bensalem studio set so he decided to call their bluff and rang up the radio station for a chat. He spoke for a while about the movie but was very guarded. Unfortunately the presenter seemed so amazed that Gibson had actually rung up the show that he didn't managed to ask any probing questions about the movie, but Gibson did confirm that it will be out next summer 2002 "around July or August". You can download an mp3 of the whole six minute conversation here. |
| 11-12-01 Well, the shoot in Bucks County is due to wrap next week after two months on location. Wonder where they're having the wrap party? The production will then move on to Hollywood to add some "finishing touches". We've had some insight into some of the filming thats been going on inside the - not so - secret studio built inside a warehouse in Bensalem PA. As well as shooting internal scenes they've been shooting what are referred to as "b-unit shots", which are fill in shots for existing scenes. They included the insertion of hands in one scene and the filming of a dog in another. Gibson was recently interviewed in USA Today and talked briefly about the movie "What it boils down to is a story of a man who loses his faith and regains it... But the machinations of that small journey are so out there." He described Shyamalan as "pretty good at misdirection", whatever that means! |