Director Lisa Cholodenko recently sat down with The Playlist moments before her panel with fellow alum Shari Springer Berman and Nicole Holofcener at the Columbia University Film Festival this week, to debate the glass ceiling and how it affects making their films — during the course of which, Cholodenko let slip a couple of her yet-to-be announced projects among her other updates.

Witherspoon is also slated to produce and star in one of Cholodenko’s other new projects, an adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s memoir of her 1,100-mile solo hike in the wake of personal tragedy, “Wild: Lost and Found on the Pacific Crest Trail.”

“The author sent it to Reese, going, ” ‘I can’t imagine who else would do this,’” Cholodenko said. “And then I sniffed around it, without realizing ‘Wild’ had already been given to her [to produce], and then I somehow got involved in it, and now I’m doing that.” Chodolenko will write and direct, while Strayed confirmed over email that she’s acting as a resource and a consultant as the script is developed, and that she will be an associate producer on the film as well.

- IndieWire.com

HitFix.com have an interesting preview of the movie’s chances at Cannes, which is worth a read.

RopeOfSilicon gives us the lowdown on the plot, and clips are embedded below:

McConaughey stars as the title character as it explores his friendship with a 14-year-old boy named Ellis (Tye Sheridan). The two first meet when Ellis and has best friend are exploring the nearby Mississippi river and discover a deserted island where they encounter Mud, a dirty, desperate yet oddly compelling stranger.

Mud is on the run for a crime of passion, and bounty hunters are closing in on him. Moved by the romantic notion of his story and intrigued by the promise of a great adventure, the boys conspire to aid Mud in his escape and reunite him with the love of his life, Juniper (Reese Witherspoon).

You know that approximately $40,000/plate fund-raiser that your friend George Clooney is hosting on May 10? The same $40,000/plate dinner whose value was crudely estimated by campaign staff to be just $200? And the same one that you would certainly be attending if you hadn’t already made plans for that night with friends you’ve already canceled on like three times and can’t bring yourself to cancel on again? Well, as it turns out, the event was not always supposed to be hosted by occasional Obama dinner partner George Clooney. According to The Hollywood Reporter, campaign officials surveyed the L.A. metro area for the coolest (and most presidential) party mansion before deciding on Clooney’s abode.

In addition to the Oscar winner’s house—already opened to political supporters of all kinds in February—organizers considered the Brentwood home of Reese Witherspoon. The actress, who attended this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner in D.C., was reportedly looking for ways to become more involved with the president’s re-election campaign. Organizers also dismissed the idea of an L.A.-area hotel ballroom, and if they have any of the same considerations as your high-school prom committee, passed on the local science center, the aquarium, and, most annoyingly, that awesome cruise ship that promises a “dance club atmosphere.” DreamWorks Animation head Jeffrey Katzenberg was originally slated to host the event, but construction on his Beverly Hills estate will not be finished in time.

Alas, Clooney’s house is already working out just fine: the fund-raiser has reportedly pulled in $10 million, making it the most lucrative Obama-campaign event to date.

- VanityFair.com

Interesting trivia fact: Ethan Randall who played Harry in the movie, later worked with Reese again in Sweet Home Alabama, playing Bobby Ray.

Browse through 900+ screencaptures from this film in our Gallery…

• A Far Off Place > Film Screencaptures x936
• A Far Off Place > DVD Screencaptures – Menu’s x1

Reese fans will know those very wise words come from the (foul) mouth of Vanessa Lutz, whom Reese played in 1996 movie Freeway, and today I have added screencaptures from that movie! This is definitely one of Reese’s most memorable roles, and a cult classic to some of her fans. Reese is almost unrecognisable, completely wild, yet very hilarious in it. The movie itself is an interesting tale… a modern and very sick take on the old story of Little Red Riding Hood. Some people have described it as so bad it’s funny, and I’d tend to agree. I’d definitely recommend it to the braver Reese fans amongst us.

So, screencaptures from the film itself have been added to the Gallery today, and caps from the DVD extras (of which there were quite a few!) were added a few weeks ago. Links are below. Reese was so expressive in this movie so there are some hilarious expression shots in there.

• Freeway > Film Screencaptures x1408
• Freeway > DVD Screencaptures – Menu’s x6
• Freeway > DVD Screencaptures – Featurette x106
• Freeway > DVD Screencaptures – Interviews x90
• Freeway > DVD Screencaptures – On Location x71
• Freeway > Theatrical Trailer Screencaptures x35

Enjoy the pretty new HD screencaptures in the Gallery …

• Rendition > Film Screencaptures x306

Photos from the events can be seen in our Gallery, and information/tidbits from them can be read further down this post.

• White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner x31
• Bloomberg & Vanity Fair Cocktail Reception Following The White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner x8

Washington prepares for its annual edition of dining with the stars

George Clooney, Reese Witherspoon and Steven Spielberg are among the celebrity guests at this year’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, an event that has seen its star power grow over the years.

The annual gathering — a fundraiser for journalism scholarships — takes place at the Washington Hilton Hotel on April 28.

But the growth in the dinner’s stature means the scramble for guests begins months in advance, and that, in turn, has transformed the one-night gala into a weekend-long event.

Seven parties, including one hosted by The Hill, get the celebration started on Friday evening. And the festivities conclude on Sunday with John McLaughlin’s traditional brunch. Sandwiched in between are another brunch, multiple pre-dinner receptions and four after-dinner parties.

Media guru Tammy Haddad, who hosts a brunch the Saturday afternoon of the dinner, said social media has contributed to the explosion of interest in what was once an inside-the-Beltway event.

“The Internet has made politics more accessible and more relatable to power centers around the country,” she explained.

The infusion of star power began in 1987, when then-Baltimore Sun reporter Michael Kelly invited Fawn Hill, of the Iran-Contra scandal.

Twenty-five years later, the dinner has turned into a competition among the news organizations for the most head-turning celebrity guests — along with the best (and the most) tables.

Not all media outlets have released their guest lists — or the full list of attendees — because celebrities have been known to cancel at the last minute, but The Hill has learned several names from among the chosen few who are invited by news companies to attend the exclusive event.

Those include “The Help” actress Viola Davis, “Modern Family” star Sofia Vergara, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Rudd and Dakota Fanning.

They’ll join major figures of President Obama’s reelection team and his administration, including chief adviser David Axelrod, CIA Director and retired Gen. David Petraeus, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Attorney General Eric Holder and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

Sandra Fluke, the Georgetown Law student who became a national figure thanks to Rush Limbaugh, will attend, as will New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) and controversial conservative Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.).

Guest List:

Newsweek/The Daily Beast:
Reese Witherspoon
Viola Davis
J.R. Martinez
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.)
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine)
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.)
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.)
California Gov. Jerry Brown (D)
CIA Director David Petraeus
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano
U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer

- Read the full article (no further mention of Reese) with more information on the weekend’s events, at TheHill.com

White House Correspondent Association Dinner 2012: Red Carpet Arrivals From Hollywood And DC

It was a glitzy affair at the White House Correspondent Association Dinner, with some of the most powerful names in politics and media assembling with the likes of celebrities at the gala event Saturday night.

Held in the ballroom of the Hilton in Washington, DC, the 92nd annual event rolled out its red carpet to a swarm of Hollywood A-listers, including George Clooney, Steven Spielberg, Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Daniel Day-Lewis, Diane Keaton, Rashida Jones, Lindsay Lohan, not leaving behind showbiz’s favorite reality stars like Kim Kardashian and her mother Kris Jenner.

Also in attendance were Sofia Vergara, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet from the Modern Family hit TV series, the Washington Post reported.

Presidential candidates Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and former Secretary of State Colin Powell were amongst the politician guests who made their presence felt at the event. The media elite included CNN’s Wolf Blitzer and Piers Morgan, Arianna Huffington, NBC’s Ann Curry, Chris Wallace of Fox News and several other acclaimed journalists, the Daily Mail said.

Bigwig comedian Jimmy Kimmel played host at the dinner bash, taking shot at everything from Cartagena’s Secret Service scandal to the presidential campaign, the report said.

“Who will it be this year?” asked Kimmel to a packed crowd.”If you’re looking for the greatest threat to America right now, she’s right there,” he said, pointing to Kim.

As of the guest of honor, President Obama tuned into his own funny side as in last year, taking a crack at Donald Trump and other fellow politicians including himself.

Formed in 1914, the White House Correspondent Association acts as a link between the media and the President. The event honors several journalists for their exceptional work in their profession and proceeds from the dinner go towards scholarship funds for college students, the Huffington Post said.

However, the annual dinner has drawn heavy criticism in the recent years for showing less importance to the actual purpose of the event and instead leaning more towards the celebrities gracing the occasion.

- ibtimes.com

George Clooney, Reese Witherspoon, and Attendees of the 2012 Vanity Fair White House Correspondents’ Dinner Party

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these partiers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds. Twas a damp, cloudy, humid night in our nation’s capital, and at the residence of the French ambassador, guests of the Vanity Fair and Bloomberg party completed their post–White House Correspondents Dinner rounds under white tents, aided and abetted by space heaters, liquor, and overcoats. The air was chilly; the mood, warm.

The belle—breed?—of the ball: undoubtedly Uggie, the canine star of the Oscar-winning film The Artist. “Where’s his bowtie?!” VF.com demanded of his human handler, who responded by procuring a black bowtie from his pocket and affixing it around Uggie’s neck. (Treats, he said, were few in number—the well-behaved dog required few to hew to appropriate party mores.) Uggie, naturally, was adorable unadorned—the dress code simply called for formalwear.

VF.com personally saw Uggie embraced by Reese Witherspoon and Colin Powell. (Is Uggle the first dog and/or human to be able to make such a claim? We’d like to think so.) Running a close second in the night’s most-popular category: the impossibly charming couple Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann, who chatted with George Clooney, Rashida Jones, Daniel Radcliffe, Paul Rudd, Kate Hudson, Rachel Zoe, Rodger Berman, and Martin Short. Elsewhere: Harvey Weinstein and a stunning Georgina Chapman, Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel, White House speechwriter Cody Keenan, Arianna Huffington, Claire Danes, New Jersey governor Chris Christie, Jay Carney, David Axelrod, Chris Matthews, a pregnant and glowing Samantha Power and Cass Sunstein, Salman Rushdie, Colin Powell, and Andrew Sullivan.

Braving the inclement weather on the back porch: Woody Harrelson talking with New York Times reporter Ashley Parker, Malin Akerman, Jeffrey Wright, and longtime New Republic literary editor Leon Wieseltier. Back inside, Aziz Ansari posed for pictures with a stunning, cream-silk-clad Kate Upton, whose stature in Washington has already far outmatched that of her congressman uncle, Fred Upton (R-MI).

VF.com’s official vote for most charming attendees: an effortless Goldie Hawn and a casual and silly Elizabeth Banks. Cutest couple: Bo Derek and John Corbett, who showed up before most guests and danced to oldies by the coffee bar. Least cute couple: Jimmy Kimmel and Chris Christie—mocker and mockee—both stopped by, though we did not see them interact. Most valuable player: the lobster rolls, whose satisfying, sea-salty presence made the stormy weather seem almost thematically appropriate.

By two a.m., attendees began filtering into cabs and pairing off underneath grand wooden umbrellas, steeling and shielding themselves for the nippy walk back to the Hay Adams and the Hilton. A quick sleep, a car ride, and it’s back at Union Station, where out-of-town attendees—sans the unifying lobster rolls and bewitching ambassador’s residence—will converge again for the subdued ride back north. Esprit de corps comes more naturally on a buttery bun.

- VanityFair.com

The success of the blog turned book turned movie Julie & Julia sent Hollywood on a frenzied search to uncover possible blogs for film adaptations. Back in 2010 Sony had jumped on mommy blogger Ree Drummond’s The Pioneer Woman, optioning it for a possible Reese Witherspoon vehicle. The blog—like the book that would follow The Pioneer Woman: From Black Heels To Tractor Wheels—detailed how Drummond’s kismet meeting with a charming cowboy inspired her to leave behind her city slicker life in favor of a home on the range.

With Witherspoon’s warm yet sharp charisma, this proposed picture seemed a good fit for her. Unfortunately, The Pioneer Woman stalled out in 2011 when executive producer Laura Ziskin died. The unfinished screenplay—penned by Robert Harling of Steel Magnolias fame—was shelved and he moved on to create the ABC dramedy series GCB. Witherspoon remained attached to the property, but the future of The Pioneer Woman movie was uncertain.

Now, at long last it seems The Pioneer Woman will ride again. Julie & Julia producer Laurence Mark and former president of Laura Ziskin Productions, Pam Williams, have recently been on the search for a fitting screenwriter to finish the forgotten script, and Deadline reports they’ve now got two, hiring Hysteria scribes Stephen Dyer and Jonah Lisa Dyer to rewrite Harling’s draft. This is an inspired pick on Sony’s part as the married screenwriting team found inspiration for their Tribeca Film Festival offering by looking into the surprising true story of the invention of the vibrator, which was created as a tool to cure women from the amorphous disorder for which the movie is named. The Dyers were able to look at a tale that on its face seemed absurd and found the humanity of it without killing the humor. It’s a tricky balance that’s winning the comedy attention, and should serve The Pioneer Woman well.

- cinemablend.com

Husband-and-wife writing team Stephen Dyer and Jonah Lisa Dyer, who scripted the invention of the vibrator pic Hysteria that just played at the Tribeca Film Festival, have been hired by Sony Pictures to rewrite Pioneer Woman. That is the film adapted from Ree Drummond’s blog/cookbook and memoir The Pioneer Woman: From Black Heels To Tractor Wheels that Sony optioned for producer Laura Ziskin Prods back in 2010, with Reese Witherspoon attached to play Drummond, and Robert Harling attached to write.

Related: Tribeca: Mike Fleming Moderates Universal’s Centennial Panel With Robert De Niro And Judd Apatow

Hysteria Movie The project languished when Ziskin passed away, and Steel Magnolias scribe Harling moved on when he got his TV series picked up. Then, Laurence Mark came aboard to produce with Pam Williams, who was president of Ziskin’s production company. After Williams saw the Tanya Wexler-directed Hysteria at the 2011 Toronto Film Festival, she invited the scribes to pitch their vision for Pioneer Woman, and they got the job over other writers. Witherspoon is still attached. Hysteria‘s exhilarating run at Toronto climaxed in a distribution deal with Sony Pictures Classics.

Stephen Dyer also produced The Playroom, which played Tribeca, so they had two films at the Gotham festival, and a job waiting for them when they get back. The Dyers are repped by Original Artists.

Drummond’s blog and her book detail how a spontaneous detour on a trip from L.A. to Chicago led her to Oklahoma, where she met the cowboy of her dreams and transformed from spoiled city girl to domestic ranch wife. Drummond has a large following for a blog she writes from the cattle ranch that covers everything from cooking to tips on home schooling. The film will explore the fantasy of trading big-city living for a wholesome, simpler life. The first time that Deadline revealed Sony was developing a movie on Drummond, the reaction from commenters was enormous. This is certainly a different movie from Fifty Shades Of Grey, but the subject matter seems to have hit the target with a wish-fulfillment tale aimed at adult women.

- Deadline.com

• Just Like Heaven > Film Screencaptures x1381

Bridesmaids director Paul Feig is in negotiations to come aboard Disney’s comedy fantasy Wish List.

Reese Witherspoon is attached to star in the project, which Mark Ciardi and Gordon Gray of Mayhem Pictures are producing. The story centers on a career-oriented woman whose perfectly tailored life is thrown for a loop when all the wishes she made as a child are suddenly granted.

Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, the writers behind the international animation hit Kung Fu Panda 2, penned the script for the project, which initially was set up in 2001 as a vehicle for a male comedy star.

Before Bridesmaids, Feig was best known for creating the short-lived but passionately loved TV show Freaks and Geeks. The 2011 Universal comedy starring Kristen Wiig made him an A-list comedy director, but while he’s attached himself to a couple of projects, he has yet to make another film.

Feig, repped by CAA and Sloane Offer, was scheduled to shoot a Bridget Jones sequel but left in the fall due to creative differences. He remains attached to a Universal rom-com titled The Better Woman.

It is unclear if Wish List, with Witherspoon attached and a studio hungry to get movies into production, will be his next movie.

- HollywoodReporter.com

Charlize Theron took a break from new mommy duties on Thursday night to catch up with her pregnant pal Reese Witherspoon.

The Academy Award-winning actresses took in some girl talk over dinner at Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood, where the two “genuinely [appeared] to have fun with one another,” an onlooker tells PEOPLE, adding that Theron sipped on wine, while expectant Witherspoon drank sparkling water.

Theron, who sported a white blazer and jeans with her hair pulled back, was all smiles, according to the source, who says Witherspoon was glowing in a casual short dress.

After greeting friends who approached the ladies’ table throughout their meal, Theron and Witherspoon called it a night around 10:20 p.m. and headed to pick up their cars from the valet.

- People.com

2012 may well go down as the official “Year of the Mom,” with motherhood taking center stage in the bright – and sometimes glaring – spotlight of the media.

The International Mothers Hall of Fame (IMHOF) with the message that “Every day should be Mother’s Day, released its list of this year’s Hall of Fame honorees Monday, April 23.

For 45-years the IMHOF, a non-profit organization founded by Texas businessman Doug Stroud, has worked to promote the positive messages of motherhood. Since its inception, more than 250,000 women have been inducted into its Hall of Fame by people who love them.

This year the International Mothers Hall Of Fame begins a new tradition, an annual list of women chosen to be honored as “International Mothers of the Year.” Selected by the IMHOF Board of Directors, the yearly list will comprise a mix of women from different backgrounds who have all made motherhood headlines in a positive way.

Some will be famous, some known best only to those that love them most, but all the women, spokesmen say, will be part of the great sisterhood of mothers and that makes them heroes because every mother is one. This year’s honorees are:
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Victoria Beckham, singer and fashion designer
Lisa Belkin, Huffington Post journalist
Stephanie Decker, Indiana housewife and tornado survivor
Betty DeGeneres, author & activist
Michelle Obama, first lady: wife of President Barack Obama
Meredith Olafson, North Dakota nurse and surrogate mother
Holly Robinson Peete, actress and television host
Ann Romney, philanthropist and wife of Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney
Summer Sanders, Olympic medalist
** Reese Witherspoon, Academy Award-winning actress

As Barack Obama stated last week – and every woman already knew – there is NO tougher job than being a mother. IMHOF Executive Director, Mitchell Mortimer, says that mothers need respect and recognition more than ever before.

“Too often mothers are pitted against each other” says Mortimer. “They need to celebrate the bond that motherhood creates among women and not get caught up in the labels and stereotypes. There is no such thing as a ‘super mom’ rather all moms are super!”

This year’s honorees will each be presented with a special commemorative gift, and their names will join those of women from around the world in the IMHOF Hall of Fame. And plans are currently underway to create a lasting tribute to mothers in IMHOF’s headquarters home state of Texas. An 8-acre International Mothers Hall of Fame Gardens will be built (ground has been broken) in Horseshoe Bay, Texas, and will include a granite wall monument engraved with the names of all the Hall of Fame inductees (current & future).

To learn more about the International Mothers Hall of Fame, read profiles of this year’s International Mothers of the Year honorees, or induct the special mother figures in your life into the Hall of Fame, visit our new website at Mothhershof.org .

- Examiner.com

Reese Witherspoon says giving birth is “very intense”.

The actress is believed to be expecting her third child, but is yet to confirm the pregnancy.

In an interview conducted before she was spotted showing off a visible baby bump, Reese discussed her experiences of labour.

She has two children – 12-year-old Ava and Deacon, eight – with her ex-husband Ryan Phillippe and admits becoming a mother changed how she looks at herself.

“Giving birth is a very intense, also on a physical level,” she is quoted as saying by Italian magazine Gioia. “But now I am aware of my body, and I feel sensual. When I was young I was unsure about my body. Now it’s different – I have cellulite and stretch marks.”

The 36-year-old star is happily married to Hollywood agent Jim Toth.

They are believed to have told their close friends and family that they are expecting their first child together.

Reese loves being a mom and her children will always come first in her life. The close-knit family enjoy being outdoors and keeping active.

“I am trying to spend as much time as possible with my children,” she explained. “We go to the cinema, we walk and sing. Ava loves running and Deacon loves riding. We have a ranch in Ojai with a lot of different farm animals. We spend a lot of time looking after them.”

When Reese isn’t working or exercising with her family, she loves cooking up a storm in her kitchen. She learned how to prepare her favourite meals from her grandmother.

“I grew up in Tennessee and I love cooking. Food is part of the culture in the South. I am great at preparing traditional dishes like fried chicken or recipes with cabbage,” she added. “I am also good at making grits. I learnt these recipes from my grandma, an amazing cook.”

Walter Salles’ On the Road, Lee Daniels’ The Paperboy and Michael Haneke’s Amour will join Rust and Bone by Jacques Audiard and David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis for a trip to the 65th annual Cannes Film Festival.

Also screening in the competition are Holy Motors by Leos Carax, The Angels’ Share by Ken Loach, John Hillcoat’s Lawless, which stars Shia LaBoeuf, Tom Hardy, Guy Pearce and Gary Oldman alongside Jessica Chastain in a Prohibition-era drama, and more U.S. titles such as Jeff Nichols’ Mud and Andrew Dominik’s Killing Them Softly with Brad Pitt and Ray Liotta. All in all, U.S. filmmakers will have a strong presence on the Croisette this year.

President Gilles Jacob and artistic director Thierry Fremaux announced the official selection for the May 16-27 festival at a press conference in Paris late Thursday morning.

While the 2011 competition lineup was light on U.S. directors and star power, the Cannes team certainly made up for it this year. “American cinema has come back relatively en force,” Fremaux said.

Pitt, Robert Pattinson, Nicole Kidman and Marion Cotillard and Matthew McConaughey — who both have multiple projects in Cannes — will add glam to the fest as they make their way down the world’s most famous cinema catwalk.

Joining them in the competition will be veteran French filmmaker Alain Resnais, who is approaching 90. He says it all with the title of his new film, Vous N’avez encore rien vu (You Haven’t Seen Anything Yet), an adaptation of Jean Anouilh’s Eurydice, starring Cotillard and Cannes veteran Mathieu Amalric.

But some big names didn’t make the program. Fremaux addressed the notable absence of Terrence Malick’s Burial from the lineup. “There were a lot of rumors,” he said. “It’s not ready.”

International media gathered at the Grand Hotel Intercontinental to hear Fremaux announce which titles would be screened on the French Riviera alongside Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom, the previously announced opening-night film, which will also be in competition. DreamWorks Animation’s Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted also is expected to cause a stir on the red carpet.

Amid the excitement and red carpet glitz, the festival also will pay homage to director Claude Miller, who died April 4, with a special closing-night screening of his last film, Therese Desqueyroux, starring Gilles Lellouche and Audrey Tautou.

Among the special screenings announced Thursday are The Central Park Five by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns and David McMahan and Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir by Laurent Bouzereau.

The out of competition film slate includes Io e te (Me and You) from Bernardo Bertolucci.

Italian director Nanni Moretti, who scooped a Palme d’Or for The Son’s Room in 2001, will preside over the jury. However, Fremaux and Jacob did not immediately announce the rest of the jury Thursday. The Artist star Berenice Bejo will host the fest’s opening and closing ceremonies.

Fremaux chose from the 1,779 titles submitted for consideration this year and picked 54 films from 26 countries. “A Cannes selection is a trip through the cinema and through the world,” he said Thursday.

Marilyn Monroe graces the festival’s 2012 poster, blowing out a candle on a birthday cake. The event will mark its 65th anniversary with a Hollywood-flavored big-screen birthday cake topped with French frosting. Jacob’s documentary Une journee particuliere (A Particular Day), co-directed with Samuel Faure, will have a special screening in its very own “65th anniversary” category May 20, complete with a celebration of the fest’s birthday.

Kidman will head to the Croisette with Paperboy alongside co-stars McConaughey and Zac Efron.

Audiard’s Rust and Bone stars Cotillard as a marine park worker who has a horrible accident and forms a relationship with a homeless man. Cotillard will be a force on the Croisette this year, also appearing in Resnais’ film.

Haneke again will declare his love for the Festival de Cannes with his new film Amour, about an elderly couple dealing with the wife’s stroke, with former Cannes jury president Isabelle Huppert playing their daughter. Sony Classics picked up North American distribution rights to the title just a few days before the announcement.

Dominik’s mobster film Killing Them Softly will bring Pitt to the Croisette for the director’s follow-up to 2007′s The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. And Nichols will present a coming-of-age drama set in Arkansas that stars McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon, his anticipated follow-up to last year’s Take Shelter.

Paris will be center stage in Carax’s much buzzed-about competition film starring Denis Lavant, Michel Piccoli, Kylie Minogue and Eva Mendes.

Former Palme d’Or winner Loach will be back in town to share his latest film with the world, as will fellow winner Abbas Kiarostami with the Japan-set Like Someone in Love.

Meanwhile, Im Sang-soo will follow up his critically acclaimed soap-like thriller The Housemaid with another thriller, The Taste of Money. And Mexican director Carlos Reygadas’ semi-autobiographical Post Tenebras Lux also will be joining the film fiesta. “We missed him in Cannes,” Fremaux said.

In true French festival fashion, last-minute additions are expected to be announced in the coming days.

- hollywoodreporter.com

View the full line-up list at the official Cannes Film Festival website.

Check out 60+ photos – over half of which are in pretty HQ – from the event in our Gallery, and scroll on down this post to read more about the event, plus watch the music video itself (Reese is not in it).

• Paul McCartney’s “My Valentine” Music Video Premiere x65

Paul McCartney launches new star studded music video

Paul McCartney released his latest music video on Friday at a star-studded affair at his daughter Stella McCartney’s West Hollywood boutique.

Attending the A-list event were actresses Gwyneth Paltrow, Reese Witherspoon, Jane Fonda, Kristen Stewart, Pamela Anderson, and Julie Delpy, rockers Joan Jett and Gwen Stefani, model Miranda Kerr, and record producer Quincy Jones.

The video, for his latest song My Valentine, from his album of jazz-inspired tunes Kisses on the Bottom, stars Natalie Portman and Johnny Depp.

It was directed by the former Beatle and was based on an idea by Stella McCartney. It features Natalie Portman performing sign language to the song’s lyrics, and Depp playing a soulful guitar part.

The video is simple and sparse, captured on 35mm film in black-and-white by Oscar-winning cinematographer Wally Pfister (Dark Knight, Inception).

McCartney said he was pleased to have Portman and Depp perform for him.

“Well they’re just nice people, some friends from way back, and they were just very kind to do it, I was very pleased to work with them,” McCartney said.

Kisses on the Bottom is Paul McCartney’s fifteenth solo studio record and features two original compositions, My Valentine and Only Our Hearts.

It is mostly covers of popular jazz standards written by the likes of Irving Berlin and Johnny Mercer. The album also features collaborations with jazz singer and pianist Diana Krall.

- telegraph.co.uk

If you’re interested in seeing more, better quality, screencaps of Reese’s character in this movie then let me know, as I will be able to make HD caps from the film if you’re interested.

• Monsters vs. Aliens > DVD Screencaptures – Modern Monster Movie-Making x48

I also want to say a quick but big thank you to those of you that have posted comments here recently – I’m just going through them and replying. I really love reading your thoughts on Reese and our updates here, and I appreciate you taking the time to comment. I’m glad you enjoyed our Birthday Special!

Enjoy all the fantastic new HQ photos in the Gallery:

• “Water For Elephants” New York Premiere x147 more

They are the CIA’s best, trained for any situation…except one. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment plays the ultimate spy game as two best friends fight for the right of one woman’s hand in THIS MEANS WAR, coming to Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Download May 22. Starring Academy Award® winner Reese Witherspoon* (Walk the Line), Chris Pine (Star Trek) and Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises), the laugh-out-loud comedy gets even better on Blu-ray with three alternate endings that answer the question – what if she chose the other guy?

The world’s deadliest CIA operatives, FDR Foster (Pine) and Tuck (Hardy), are inseparable partners and best friends until they fall for the same woman (Witherspoon). Having once helped bring down entire enemy nations, they are now employing their incomparable skills and an endless array of high-tech gadgetry against their greatest nemesis – each other.

Directed by visionary filmmaker McG (*Charlie?s Angels*), *THIS MEANS
WAR *features a funny and talented supporting cast including Chelsea Handler (?Are You There, Chelsea??), Angela Bassett (*Notorious*) and Abigail Spencer (*Cowboys & Aliens*). The Blu-ray is loaded with special features including three alternate endings, an uncensored gag reel, outrageous bachelorette party, action-packed deleted scenes and commentaries by McG and more! The Blu-ray and DVD will be available for an average retail price of $25.00 and $20.00, respectively. Prebook is April 25.

THIS MEANS WAR Blu-ray Combo Pack Special Features

• Alternate Endings w/ Optional Commentary by Director McG
- Warehouse Alternate Ending
- Alternate Ending #1
- Alternate Ending #2

• Bachelorette Party

• Uncensored Gag Reel

• Deleted Scenes w/ Optional Commentary by Director McG
- Trish & Lauren Chat / Shooting Range
- Jonas’ Funeral
- Post Pizza
- Ex-Girlfriends
- Visiting Joe
- Lauren Freaking Out

• Alternative Opening Concept (Previz w/ Optional Commentary by Director McG)

• Audio Commentary by Director McG (standard and extended versions)

• Theatrical Trailer