Opening in theaters on April 26th is the new comedy/drama Arthur Newman from first time director Dante Ariola. The film stars Academy Award-winner Colin Firth (The King's Speech), Emily Blunt (Looper), and Anne Heche (That's What She Said). 

IAR's Managing Editor Jami Philbrick recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Colin Firth and Emily Blunt to talk about their work on Arthur Newman. The two actors discussed their new film, portraying characters that pretend to be other people, why they are trying to escape from their lives, how they bond with each other, and their lack of rehearsal time on set.

After taking cracks at three decidedly more British (okay, one Welsh) actors, the new Oldboy remake may have found an actor to play its villain on an entirely different continent.  The new take on the South Korean revenge classic is being directed by Spike Lee, and with its leading man and lady signed up and ready to go, the task has been finding the right guy to play the heavy.  It seems Sharlto Copley is the latest actor to be offered the role of the mysterious man messing with Josh Brolin.

More than a month ago, we ran a story with the headline, "Will Colin Firth Play the Villain in Spike Lee's Oldboy?"  The answer to that question is an emphatic "No."  The Oscar-winning British thespian was offered the antagonistic role in the American remake of the incredible 2003 South Korean film, but he recently passed on the part, which would pit him against Josh Brolin, who is set to play the lead.  Well, if an American Oldboy has to happen, at least it involves some fascinating talent.  The latest potential addition is Clive Owen, who has reportedly been offered the role that Firth declined.

Currently in theaters now, and opening wide on January 6th, is the new espionage thriller from Swedish director Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In) called Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, which is based on the popular book by author John le Carre. The film stars a who's who of the best British actors working today including Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight), recent Oscar-winner Colin Firth (The King's Speech), Tom Hardy (Warrior), Mark Strong (Green Lantern), Ciaran Hinds (Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance), Benedict Cumberbatch (BBC's Sherlock), Stephen Graham (HBO's Boardwalk Empire), Christian McKay (I Melt with You), Toby Jones (Captain America: The First Avenger), and John Hurt (Immortals).

IAR's managing editor Jami Philbrick recently had an opportunity to sit down with Gary Oldman, and Mark Strong to discuss Tinker Tailor Solider Spy. The actors talked about the new film, their secretive characters, the life of a spy, adapting the novel, and working with each other on the project.

Today in potentially great casting news, Colin Firth has reportedly been offered the role of the villain in Oldboy, the remake of Chan wook-Park's incredible 2003 South Korean revenge tale.  Over the summer, Spike Lee signed on to direct the new film, which will combine elements of the 2003 movie, the Japanese Manga by Nobuaki Minegisha and Garon Tsuchiya on which it was based, and some all-new material.  Josh Brolin is set to star as a man inexplicably imprisoned in a crummy room for fifteen years and suddenly set free to find revenge.  If Firth signs on to Oldboy, he'd play the sadistic bastard responsible.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, the adaptation of John le Carre's classic novel of Cold War-era espionage and intelligence agency treachery, has yet another brand new trailer, and it is a doozy.  The film played the Venice Film Festival last week, and the ensuing reviews were roundly enthusiastic, praising an unstoppable cast of British thespians, taut direction by Tomas Alfredson, and a solid story effectively condensing le Carre's labyrinthine novel.  This trailer suggests that theses reviews are not incorrect; it's a remarkably confident and controlled bit of marketing that promises a smart, grown-up spy thriller refreshingly free from pithy one-liners or sharks with laser beams affixed to their heads.  Dither no longer, watch the new Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy trailer.

An adaptation of one of author John le Carre's many spy novels, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy promises to be the sort of espionage film in which intelligent, paranoid operatives attempt, by means of deduction and subterfuge, to root out a mole in MI6.  Basically, it's not the sort of spy movie in which a megalomaniac commandeers a nuclear weapon and lots of henchmen with terrible aim are easily dispatched by a suave secret agent.  As such, the poster campaign has not involved heroic poses and guys holding guns.  Instead, we've been consistently treated to the faces of awesome British actors rendered in Cold War era code.  The latest poster is the second to feature the impeccable Gary Oldman as George Smiley, and this time he's looking right out at you. 

An essential, often overlooked ingredient in any proper Cold War spy thriller is the presence of frequent and well-chosen code names, along with innocuous phrases loaded with hidden meaning for the agents of espionage playing out the film's story.  The first clip from the upcoming John Le Carre adaptation Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is absolutely loaded with such code words, as John Hurt, who plays a Circus (a sly title for the MI6 intelligence service) director codenamed Control, lays out a list of potentially traitorous moles within the organization to Mark Strong as Jim Prideaux, who conspicuously lacks a codename.  That's okay, though, because the suspects are known as Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, and Poor Man, along with also un-monikered George Smiley, the principal character played by the great Gary Oldman, who is also seen briefly in the clip.

If you live in America and are excited for Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, the John Le Carre adaptation that is overflowing with phenomenal British actors, then you may have noticed that the film hits cinemas in the United Kingdom very soon, on September 16th.  Here in the Colonies, however, the film's release date has long been scheduled for a full two months later,  hitting American theaters on November 18th.  Well, your wait to take in some Cold War era espionage and top-notch thespianism just got a little longer, as Deadline reports that Focus Features will now release Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy Stateside three weeks later, on December 9th.