The promising western Jane Got a Gun, which stars Natalie Portman in the title role, kicked off principal photography on Monday, but did so without a director.

Production has managed to stay more or less on track despite the sudden departure of Lynn Ramsay, however, as producers snappily hired Gavin O'Connor to take over directorial duties within about two days.  As it gained a new helmer, however, the film lost Jude Law in a pivotal role.

Author, illustrator, and filmmaker William Joyce has had a vast and illustrious career in several different mediums. 

In addition to writing and illustrating over fifty children’s books including George Shrinks, and Rolie Polie Olie, he has also worked as a conceptual artist on such Pixar classics as Toy Story, and A Bug’s Life, produced the hit film Robots, and most recently won an Academy Award for writing and directing the short film The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. Not too mention that his book The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs has been made into the upcoming 3D computer animated film Epic, which opens in theaters on May 24th. But he is probably best known for his popular series of novels entitled The Guardians of Childhood, which were adapted into last year’s box office smash Rise of the Guardians and will be available on Blu-ray and DVD beginning March 12th. 

Each book in the series builds a super hero mythology around holiday characters like Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, The Sandman, and the Tooth Fairy. The film takes those characters, as well as new addition Jack Frost, and builds a Justice League type team that must take on the evil Pitch Black, also known as The Boogeyman. Rise of the Guardians, which was directed by Peter Ramsey (Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space) and produced by DreamWorks Animation, boasts an impressive cast of voice actors including Alec Baldwin (The Hunt for Red October) as Nicholas St. North (Santa Clause), Hugh Jackman (X-Men) as E. Aster Bunnymund (Easter Bunny), Isla Fisher (Bachelorette) as Tooth (Tooth Fairy), Chris Pine (Star Trek) as Jack Frost, and Jude Law (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows) as Pitch Black. 

I recently had a chance to speak with author, illustrator, and executive producer William Joyce about his work on Rise of the Guardians, and the possibility of a sequel. The multitalented novelist and filmmaker discussed the recent movie, the concept for the project, what inspired the idea and its characters, the incredible cast of voice talent, if he ever considered writing the film’s screenplay, legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins (Skyfall), and the prospect of making a sequel to the film. 

Scott Z. Burns has worn many different hats in Hollywood. 

The filmmaker first gained attention for directing the 2006 film Pu-239, and would eventually go on to produce former Vice President Al Gore’s Academy Award-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth, as well as write the box office hit The Bourne Ultimatum. But it is his frequent collaborations with Oscar-winning director Steven Sonderbergh, including The Informant!, and Contagion, that has made everyone take notice. 

Since then the scribe has penned a draft of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, a sequel to Rise of the Planet of the Apes, as well as being attached to write The Man from U.N.C.L.E., which is based on the popular ‘60s spy series starring Robert Vaughn. But first, he has reunited with Soderbergh again on, what may be the director’s final theatrical film, a psychological thriller entitled Side Effects, which Burns wrote and produced, and will opens in theaters on February 8th.

Side Effects centers on Emily (Rooney Mara) and Martin (Channing Tatum), a successful New York couple whose world unravels when a new drug prescribed by Emily’s Psychiatrist (Jude Law), which is intended to treat anxiety, has unexpected side effects. In addition to Law, Mara, and Tatum, the excellent cast of actors also includes Vinessa Shaw (Puncture), Mamie Gummer (The Ward), and Academy Award-winner Catherine Zeta-Jones (Chicago). 

I recently had a chance to speak with producer and screenwriter Scott Z. Burns about his work on Side Effects. The accomplished filmmaker discussed the new film, its unique concept, his research, plotting its twists and turns, why he writes every role for Matt Damon, the film’s impressive cast, collaborating with Steven Soderbergh, and if he truly thinks Side Effects will be the acclaimed director’s final theatrical film. 

Side Effects, which hits theaters in just over one week, is likely to be the last theatrical feature from Steven Soderbergh, one of most prolific and fascinating auteurs.  If that's not enough to get folks to pay attention to Side Effects, then the fact that the film looks like a twisty, sexy psychological thriller ought to do the trick.

Open Road Films has released a barrage of abbreviated trailers to promote next Friday's release, and one in particular demonstrates the potential of this drug-addled tale, giving a sense of just how propulsive and dangerous the story gets.

Synopsis: A provocative thriller about Emily and Martin, a successful New York couple whose world unravels when a new drug prescribed by Emily’s psychiatrist – intended to treat anxiety – has unexpected side effects.

With the film's debut just weeks away, Open Road Films is getting serious about drumming up anticipation for Side Effects, which may or may not be the final theatrical feature from Steven Soderbergh. 

Today, the promotional effort means that we get to see the first clip of Rooney Mara and Channing Tatum in action, as well as a spoiler-filled TV spot that puts the focus on Jude Law's character.

American has yet to collectively gorge on turkey in order to give thanks, yet we're nonetheless inundated with Christmas-related commercials, sales, and products.  Since we're already embracing the Christmas spirit with abandon, this new clip from next week's Rise of the Guardians is well-timed.

Synopsis: The story unfolds in its original late-19^th-century Russia high-society setting and powerfully explores the capacity for love that surges through the human heart, from the passion between adulterers to the bond between a mother and her children. As Anna questions her happiness, change comes to her family, friends, and community.

If you've got an ensemble movie where most of the members of that ensemble are superhero-inspired reimaginings of familiar childhood figures like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, you put each character front and center.  That's exactly what DreamWorks has been doing to sell Rise of the Guardians, and six new character posters for the animated adventure provide a quick primer on the central heroes.

A week of featurettes for Rise of the Guardians wraps up with a two-for-one featurette that presents two more figures of childhood imagination as superhero-style protectors of holiday virtue.  This time, we're looking at the flying, action-oriented versions of the Sandman and the Tooth Fairy.