HARRISON FORD TO JOIN "ENDER'S GAME"? NOVAK DJOKOVIC IN "THE EXPENDABLES 2"! LEA MICHELE, TAYLOR SWIFT AND SCARJO FIGHT FOR "LES MISERABLES" ROLE! "BONESHAKER" MOVIE ADAPTATION

As you know, fantasy sagas for teens and kids are, for some strange reason, currently the biggest hit in Hollywood, and beside THE HUNGER GAMES and THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS, another

one of these will be ENDER'S GAME. According to "Variety", the movie adaptation of Orson Scott Card's sf novel from the 80's has just got its lead star: little Asa Butterfield (whom you've seen recently in the trailer for Scorsese's HUGO, and before that in BBC's MERLIN) will take the role of a gifted young gamer with an almost preternatural capacity for strategy and logistics who is recruited by the government to help battle an insect-like alien race. It is interesting that Harrison Ford might get the role of Colonel Hyrum Graff, the Commander of Training for the International Fleet, an elite boys' military academy, while little Hailee Steinfeld could get the role of the girl from the Salamander Army. Coming to cinemas in 2013, the film is directed by Gavin Hood (WOLVERINE, TSOTSI).

HOLLYWOOD SPY HEADLINES

Well, the whole world loves Serbia's Novak Djokovic, world's tennis player number one, and it seems he will carry his natural charm and comedic talent to the movie world as well. Apparently

he has visited the sets of THE EXPENDABLES 2 in Bulgaria. He will have a small bad guy role in the movie with the incredible cast which includes  Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Liam Hemsworth... As you know the upcoming movie adaptation of famous novel LES MISERABLES by Victor Hugo, already has Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway and Eddie Redmayne, which means that one of the roles left unoccupied is the one of young Eponine. According to latest rumors actresses currently fighting for this one include Lea Michele from GLEE, country star Taylor Swift and sex bomb Scarlett Johansson. Lea is apparently the top contender so far.

According to "MovieWeb" we shall be watching a movie adaptation of Cherie Priest's fantasy novel BONESHAKER some time in 2013. Nominated for famous Hugo award back in 2010, this

steampunk science-fiction incorporates futuristic innovations into a Victorian setting with the story which is set in an alternate version of 1880s Seattle, where the city has been walled in and a toxic gas has turned many of its remaining residents into "Rotters", more commonly known as zombies. A young widow hunts for her teen son in the Seattle underworld, while dealing with airship pirates, a criminal overlord and heavily armed refugees. The saga has two more books - DREADNOUGHT and GANYMEDE. The whole project is described as Jules Verne meets Resident Evil :)

SHEKHAR KAPUR HELMS "LONDON FIELDS" AND ANNOUNCES WORK ON "ELIZABETH III"! TOM HANKS "IN THE GARDEN OF BEASTS"! ZAC EFRON IS "THE LUCKY ONE"

One of my three most favourite directors in the world, Shekhar Kapur (who brought us three legendary, flawless, deeply moving and stunning epic dramas ELIZABETH, ELIZABETH THE GOLDEN

AGE and THE FOUR FEATHERS) is returning behind the helm after a very long break. According to "The Hollywood Reporter" he will take the director's chair of LONDON FIELDS from equally fantastic Michael Winterbottom. This is basically a movie adaptation of Martin Amis' novel which is narrated by an American writer, Samson Young, living in London who has had writer's block for 20 years and is now terminally ill while other main characters include a psychic woman, Nicola Six, who meets two men in a bar and senses that one of them will murder her on her 35th birthday. But the main piece of news, which made HOLLYWOOD SPY's heart beat a bit

faster :), is that Shekhar is apparently also working on the preparations for the third installment of ELIZABETH, the best historical saga in cinematic history with the unbeatable performance by Cate Blanchett!

HOLLYWOOD SPY HEADLINES

One of the upcoming films, which my ladies, and those nice people with a tender heart, will surely love is THE LUCKY ONE.

Premiering next April, this is basically a movie adaptation of Nicolas Spark's bestselling novel in which the touching and heartwarming story revolves around a Marine who survives three tours in Iraq. He attributes his good fortune to a photograph he carried of a woman he has never met, and he sets out to meet his good-luck charm when he returns to North Carolina. The cast of the film is lead by Zac Efron, also known as the owner of the best body among Hollywood hunks, who is trying to build up a career of a more serious actor after his teenage escapades in pop films. The film is directed by Scott Hicks who brought us amazing NO RESERVATIONS in which Catherine Zeta Jones gave one of her best performances ever.

One of the main stories today over at "The Hollywood Reporter" was on Universal's film adaptation of IN THE GARDEN OF BEASTS, a recent non-fiction bestseller from Erik Larson.

Published this spring, the book brought the true tale of William Dodd, the United States' reluctant and mild-mannered ambassador to Berlin in 1933, and his daughter Martha, a vivacious socialite who had romantic affairs with a Gestapo official and a Soviet spy. Dodd and his family at first naively navigated life in Nazi Germany (Dodd's daughter was excited when Adolf Hitler kissed her hand) but they slowly gained awareness of the mounting brutality around them. The film will be produced by Tom Hanks, and there are gossips that he might take the lead role himself as well.

HOLLYWOOD SPY'S BEST AGE DEFYING ACTRESSES ARE MARCIA CROSS AND EMMA THOMPSON. NEW POLL: SECOND PART OF BEST AGE DEFYING ACTRESSES!

Well, the first part of our latest poll is over and THE BEST AGE DEFYING ACTRESSES are Marcia Cross (26% of your votes) and Emma Thomps (22%), followed by legendary Meryl Streep (15%).

MARCIA CROSS

It's interesting how Marcia Cross managed to become one of the most popular television actresses thanks to one legendary role in DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES. Her marvelous, refined and deeply intelligent portrayal of Bri Van De Kamp in the popular show has created one of television's biggest female characters in history. And she really did cover all in that job - the look, the stand, the tiniest of emotions, the style, the voice and even the charisma. And the best thing is that she made the audience fall in love with her character in the show, who, even though sometimes naughty and even sinful, always believes in justice and will fight for it without choosing the methods. Marcia, who turns 50 next year, believe it or not, will have to chose whether to continue a TV or a film career after DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES end this season. I hope she finds some great drama and scores an Oscar, because she really did prove her amazing acting skills on TV already, the skills which brought her 3 Golden Globe and 1 Emmy nominations for best TV actress.

When it comes to tidbits about her - she has a master degree in psychology, which could be the reason why she often plays doctors on TV. Thanks to her refined style she is often named the queen of red carpets. I hope that I don't have to remind you that her name is not pronounced as "Marsha" but "Mar-see-ah"! 

EMMA THOMPSON

Well, I think you will agree that we all love British legend Emma Thompson, not only for her acting skills, but also for her witty and honest public remarks about everything. This 52 year old lady

usually takes supporting roles (I think her NANNY MCPHEE roles are the only lead ones she has, but I'm not sure), but usually makes memorable performances. This is why we loved her in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, back in the days when she and Kenneth Branagh were a happy pair before he left her for Kate Winslet, THE REMAINS OF THE DAY, IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, in SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, in LOVE ACTUALLY, in amazing ANGELS IN AMERICA, and I guess that a lot of you loved her in HARRY PLOPPER saga too. In the future we shall hear her voice in marvelous animated movie BRAVE,

she will play the boss of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in MEN IN BLACK III, and she will star in period drama EFFIE beside Derek Jacobi, Julie Walters and Dakota Fanning.

When it comes to tidbits about her - after divorcing Branagh, she married popular British actor Greg Wise, she definitely is age defying lady since she gave birth to her first kid at the age of 40. She was the first choice for the roles in BASIC INSTINCTS and ANNA AND THE KING, she is the only person in history to win an Oscar both for acting (HOWARD'S END) and for writing (SENSE AND SENSIBILITY).

 AGE DEFYING STARS II

Now, since we have more ladies who didn't lose their spirit, looks or charms with age, let us move to the second part of BEST AGE DEFYING ACTRESSES poll. The candidates in the second round are: Glenn Close (ALBERT NOBBS), Jacqueline Bisset (NIP/TUCK), Kim Cattrall (SEX AND THE CITY), Michelle Pfeiffer (STARDUST), Helen Mirren (THE QUEEN), Stockard Channing (THE WEST WING), Michelle Yeoh (THE LADY) and Julianne Moore (THE HOURS). You have three weeks to vote as much as you like.

1ST PICTURES FROM BBC'S "THE GREAT EXPECTATIONS"! TRAILER FOR SF ACTION "THE DARKEST HOUR"! SYFY'S NEW SUPERHERO SHOW "BOOSTER GOLD"

As you know, beside the big screen adaptation with Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes, famous novel THE GREAT EXPECTATIONS is getting another version, in the form of television series for BBC (it will be aired for USA on PBS in the

spring). The first, rather interesting pictures, have just been released for this project which features Gillian Anderson as crazy Miss Havisham, a rich and insane lady who becomes a secret benefactor of a young orphan Pip, played by handsome Douglas

Booth , who then falls for her emotionless ward Estella and befriends an ex convict Magwitch, played here by Ray Winstone. Judging from these pictures, it seems this one will also have a rather unique visual look.

HOLLYWOOD SPY HEADLINES

One of the new pilots being prepared for SyFy is for a new show based on DC Comics' franchise BOOSTER GOLD.

According to "The Hollywood Reporter" this one-hour superhero drama will follow the adventures of a failed athlete from the future who decides to travel to our present in order to be the greatest superhero of all time. Instead of chasing criminals, though, BOOSTER GOLD would rather chase fame and fortune. Problems arise when he realizes that his future won't exist if he continues to neglect his calling as a costumed vigilante. It is not known if the lead role will go to mega hunky Eric Martsolf who played this character in SMALLVILLE.

One of the films which have been getting quite a strong marketing lately is apocalyptic action film THE DARKEST HOUR which

premieres, rather strangely for its genre, at Christmas. Starring a bunch of young actors Emile Hirsch, Max Minghella, Joel Kinnaman and Rachael Taylor, the film brings the story of five young people who find themselves stranded in the Russian capital Moscow, where they went on a touristic visit but when they came there they found themselves in the wake of a devastating alien attack. In order to survive they have to fight back the aliens. The 3D thriller highlights the classic beauty of Moscow alongside mind-blowing special effects. You might like the trailer, if you can swallow the rather arrogant fact that American youth is saving the day in Russia in the film.

RACHEL WEISZ JOINS COLIN FIRTH IN WW2 EPIC "THE RAILWAY MAN"! HILARIOUS NEW TRAILER FOR "ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT"! "AMELIE"S DIRECTOR JEAN PIERRE JEUNET'S NEW PROJECT!

Well, there's nothing better than to start your week with some lovely movie news, and these are really good: as "Total Film" reported this weekend, delightful English rose Rachel Weisz has

joined one of Britain's lead actors Colin Firth in powerful and epic WW2 drama THE RAILWAY MAN. Colin Firth is going to play Eric Lomax, a second Lieutenant in the Royal Corp of Signals who was captured in 1942 by the Japanese army in Singapore. He was forced to work on the 'death railway' with hundreds of other prisoners of war. The true story will be based on his life as a POW and his mission to seek revenge years later on those who tortured him. Jeremy Irvine (WAR HORSE, THE GREAT EXPECTATIONS) will play the younger Lomax, while Rachel will play Eric Lomax's second wife. The film will be directed by talented Jonathan Teplitzky who helmed the amazing film BURNING MAN with Matthew Goode.

HOLLYWOOD SPY HEADLINES

In other good film news, we have famous French director Jean Pierre Jeunet, the author of famous films AMELIE and A

VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT and some truly crazy visual masterpieces like DELICATESSEN, THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN and MICMACS, who has a new project! According to "Deadline" he will adapt THE SELECTED WORKS OF T.S. SPIVET by young writer Reif Larsen, which follows the exploits of the flamboyantly named Tecumseh Sparrow Spivet, a twelve-year-old cartographer struggling to cope with the failure of his parent’s marriage and the death of his brother. Seeking solace in intellectual pursuits, he goes on an adventure after receiving a call from the Smithsonian Institute informing him that he has won a prestigious prize. The 3D film should be released sometime in 2013.

I swear I screamed and laughed like crazy watching the latest clip from the upcoming part of the most successful animated franchise ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT! It features poor sabre-toothed squirrel Scrat in his search for the infamous acorn. The

quest takes him deep bellow the sea in some hilarious transfer, and then he ends up at the surface again being captured by some highly unusual and unexpected primordial pirates :) As you know, due to continental drift (caused by poor Scrat in the previous trailer),

Manny, Diego and Sid will get separated from the rest of their group and use an iceberg as a makeshift ship in the fourth installment of the beloved animated saga.

SPOTLIGHT ON "EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE" WITH SANDRA BULLOCK & TOM HANKS, AND "MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL" WITH TOM CRUISE

 Check out HOLLYWOOD SPY's spotlight on two of the upcoming blockbusters which will hit cinemas at the end of December, premiering this festive season.

 GHOST PROTOCOL

If you want your festive season spiced up with some action, you might want to check out MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL. The new film in the series which has grossed $2 billion dollars worldwide, will feature locations in Dubai, Moscow, Prague and Vancouver, and will have the IMF shut down when it's implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organization's name. The cast of this

$140 million worth movie is lead by Tom Cruise, but since there's an idea of him passing the lead role in the franchise onto someone else in the future, there's Jeremy Renner too. They are joined by Simon Pegg, Josh Holloway and Tom Wilkinson. The team also features some Academy Award winners such as director of photography Robert Elswit ("There Will Be Blood"), editor Paul Hirsch ("Star Wars") and visual effects producer Tom Peitzman ("Mission: Impossible III", "Alice in Wonderland"). Brad Bird, the director of the film, is also an Oscar winner as the creator of famous animated films THE INCREDIBLES and RATATOUILLE.

EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE

One of the films which will try to touch you deeply when you are the most vulnerable (which means exactly at Christmas) is

powerful drama with a long title EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE. Directed by famous genius and amazing Oscar winner Stephen Daldry (THE HOURS, THE READER, BILLY ELLIOT), this movie is actually an adaptation of the bestselling book by Jonathan Safran Foer which follows eleven-year-old Oskar Schell, an exceptional child: amateur inventor, Francophile, pacifist. After finding a mysterious key that belonged to his father, who died in the World Trade Center on 9/11, he embarks on an exceptional journey, an urgent, secret search through the five boroughs of New York. As Oskar roams the city, he encounters a motley assortment of humanity, who are all survivors in their own ways. Ultimately, Oskar's journey ends where it began, but with the solace of that most human experience: love. The cast of the film is lead by Sandra Bullock (looks like a powerful role), Tom Hanks and little Thomas Horn, beside John Goodman, James Gandolfini and Viola Davis.

When it comes to Tom Cruise, he has two films planned for the future: the remake of ROCK OF AGES in which he will star next to Catherine Zeta Jones, and huge sf epic HORIZONS. Jeremy Renner is, as you know, Hawkeye in THE AVENGERS and he is taking another franchise from an older star in THE BOURNE LEGACY. Sandra Bullock has a lot of projects ahead of her,  the biggest probably being sf epic GRAVITY with George Clooney. 

ONE OF "THE WALKING DEAD" CAST MEMBERS WANTS TO LEAVE THE SHOW? EWAN MCGREGOR MOVES TO TV IN HBO'S "THE CORRECTIONS". BEN WHISHAW IS Q IN "SKYFALL"

I really don't get the trend of film stars moving to TV in regular shows (we've seen it this year with James Caviezel, Patrick Wilson, and Ashley Judd and Paul Bettany will get their shows next year), but this is a really shocking example: one of the most beloved movie actors Ewan McGregor is also moving to TV.

According to "MovieWeb" he will join HBO's THE CORRECTIONS, in his first regular role in a TV drama. This will be an adaptation of the acclaimed novel of the same name by Jonathan Franzen in which the story traces the lives of a Midwestern couple and their three adult children. Ewan McGregor will play the middle child, a Marxist academic who loses his tenure position after indulging in an affair with a student.

HOLLYWOOD SPY HEADLINES

One of the producers of AMC's mega hit THE WALKING DEAD is preparing a new show. It will be AREA 51,  based on Annie Jacobsen's book "Area 51: An Uncensored History of America's

Top Secret Military Base". "Deadline" reports that the show will revolve around two men working at Area 51, who uncover a vast government secret that could jeopardize both their lives. And speaking of THE WALKING DEAD, which is breaking records as the show with the biggest number of countries (more than 130) in which it is aired within the same week, the hottest gossip says that one of the lead cast members wants to leave the show! Nobody knows who it is, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed it's sheriff's horrid wife! The catch is that the cast member changed their mind in the meantime, but it is apparently too late to reverse the granted release.

One of the biggest pieces of movie news in the Thanksgiving aftermath is the latest one from SKYFALL, the latest installment in the James Bond franchise which started shooting this week

directed by Sam Mendes. Apparently, the latest addition to the cast which already includes Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes and Javier Bardem is young Ben Whishaw whom we mostly remember from his outstanding role in the famous PERFUME. He will now play Q, the head of the armory division of MI6 dubbed Branch Q, who comes up with all of those crazy gadgets for Bond. Not only that he will be the first Q younger than Bond, but he will also be the first Q in almost ten years ever since John Cleese played the character back in DIE ANOTHER DAY. Before that, the character was played for amazing 36 years by Desmond Llevelyn.

And the winner of Samuel Park's bestselling novel THIS BURNS MY HEART in our exclusive giveaway is Melissa Bradley! Congrats, Melsy!

SPOTLIGHT ON INDEPENDENT FILMS HITTING CINEMAS SOON: FANTASTIC "THE DIVIDE", DRAMATIC "YOUNG ADULT", ROMANTIC "NEWLYWEDS"

Ah, I know that after eating your Thanksgiving dinner you want a sweet little dessert in the form of some movie treats, but alas, holidays usually mean that there are zero film news out there, so I

will feed you today with some independent films which hit cinemas soon.

THE LUCKY ONES DIE IN THE BLAST

The film which will finally premiere, after quite a long wait (as far as I understood the film got its distributor only after it drew attention with its captivating and highly atmospheric trailer) is apocalyptic thriller THE DIVIDE. To open in early January, and starring Milo Ventimiglia, Michael Biehn and Rosanna Arquette, the film follows nine tenants of a New York building who escape a nuclear attack by hiding out in the building's bunker-like basement. Trapped for days underground with no hope

for rescue, and only unspeakable horrors awaiting them on the other side of the bunker door, the group begins to descend into madness, each turning on one another with physical and psycho-sexual torment. As supplies dwindle, and tensions flare, and they grow increasingly unhinged by their close quarters and hopelessness, each act against one another becomes more depraved than the next. While everyone in the bunker allows themselves to be overcome by desperation and lose their humanity, one survivor holds onto a thin chance for escape even with no promise of salvation on the outside. Check out the trailer, I don't think I've ever seen such an intense one.

NEWLYWEDS CRISES

One of the trailers freshly released today is the one for a comedy drama NEWLYWEDS which hits theaters this Christmas and is directed and produced by ever so charming Edward Burns.

The story follows Buzzy (Edward Burns) and Katie (Caitlin Fitzgerald)  a newly married couple living a seemingly conflict-free life. But when Buzzy's damaged and impulsive half-sister Linda (Kerry Bishé) arrives at their doorstep expecting to stay for an indefinite period in their Tribeca loft, her antics threaten to disrupt the couple's commitment to an "easy" marriage. Meanwhile, with Katie's sister Marsha projecting suspicions of her own husband's infidelity onto Buzzy, will the couple's formerly trusting and insulated life be able to withstand the dysfunctions of their respective siblings? We like Ed's New York films, don't we?

A BIT OF BAGGAGE

One of the films which might join the Oscar race next year is Diablo Cody's (JUNO, UNITED STATES OF TARA) bitter sweet drama YOUNG ADULT which hits cinemas December 9th.

The cast of the movie is lead by Academy Award winner Charlize Theron who plays Mavis Gary, a writer of teen literature who returns to her small hometown to relive her glory days and attempt to reclaim her happily married high school sweetheart (Patrick Wilson). When returning home proves more difficult than she thought, Mavis forms an unusual bond with a former classmate (Patton Oswalt) who hasn't quite gotten over high school, either. Reviews of the film usually mention a powerful performance by Charlize Theron who is obviously returning from the dead with roles in PROMETHEUS and SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN and this awards contender.

And don't forget that you have one more day to join the giveaway of Samuel Park's THIS BURNS MY HEART novel, and you, who already did that, check the comments again because Sam has left you his comments today :) 

STUNNING PICTURE OF MONSTRUOUS APE FROM SF EPIC"JOHN CARTER"! KEN WATANABE TO PLAY COLONEL IN "AKIRA", PAUL DANO & RAMI MALEK IN THE RUN FOR TETSUO! PICTURES FROM RIDLEY SCOTT'S SF EPIC "PROMETHEUS"

 One of the upcoming movie adaptations which is losing the interest of the audience ever since the casting begun is definitely AKIRA, the sf movie version of popular manga. After losing

some of the big names like Justin Timberlake, Brad Pitt, Zac Efron, Ryan Gosling, Michael Fassbender, Chris Pine and Keanu Reeves and hiring Garrett Hedlund in the lead role, the producers have now lost Gary Oldman (who will probably accept the role of Merlin in ARTHUR & LANCELOT) in the role of the Colonel, which is now being offered to Ken Watanabe. Seems like a doomed project. The story centers on Kaneda (Garrett Hedlund), the leader of a futuristic biker gang who tries to rescue his friend Tetsuo from some military experiments. The role of Tetsuo has also been refused by a lot of actors from James McAvoy to Robert Pattinson and now the producers are apparently choosing among some rather unknown young actors from Paul Dano, Alden Ehrenreich, Michael Pitt and Rami Malek (THE PACIFIC). To make things worse, one of the female roles has apparently being offered to Kristen Stewart and Keira Knightley and I don't know which one is worse.

HOLLYWOOD SPY SF NEWS

Another super mysterious sf project, which is keeping it's plot a secret, is Ridley Scott's sci fi epic PROMETHEUS and "MovieWeb" has posted today the first pictures from the film which

will appear in next week's "Entertainment Weekly". As you can see these are the first images of the space ship crew and of the intriguing giant human head in the middle of the space. As you know the film has quite an interesting cast including Michael

Fassbender (who plays an android in the movie), Charlize Theron, Patrick Wilson, Guy Pearce and Idris Elba and they all star in the story which is connected to Ridley Scott's famous sf classic ALIEN and it is apparently some kind of its prequel. Titled

PROMETHEUS, apparently after the name of the spacecraft used by the space crew, the long awaited sf spectacle should hit cinemas next summer in June in the middle of the blockbuster season.

A spectacular new photo from Walt Disney Pictures upcoming sf epic JOHN CARTER has been released today by "Entertainment Weekly" showing the lead star Taylor Kitsch with some ginormous mega scary Martian ape monster. Pretty powerful, I must admit. One of the most anticipated films in recent few years, JOHN CARTER is still extremely mysterious and with only four months before the premiere of the project, which according to rumors cost almost $300 million, we have seen almost no pics,

no special posters, just one, extremely non-revealing trailer, and no marketing, no buzz, no hype. No one knows what is happening, maybe they are preparing some huge campaign in last few months before the premiere? However, the film deserves all the possible hype since not only that it is directed by amazing directorial genius Andrew Stanton, who brought us classics such as WALL-E, FINDING NEMO, A BUG'S LIFE, but it also features the most amazing cast including Polly Walker, Lynn Collins, Mark Strong, Willem Dafoe, James Purefoy, Ciarán Hinds, Bryan Cranston, Dominic West, Thomas Haden Church, Samantha Morton...Click to read more on the plot.

PS Don't forget to read the interview with Samuel Park bellow and join the giveaway! 

HOLLYWOOD SPY'S EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH BESTSELLING AUTHOR SAMUEL PARK THE WRITER OF "THIS BURNS MY HEART" FROM AMAZON'S TOP 100 BOOKS OF 2011! PLUS EXCLUSIVE GIVEAWAY!

 Continuing the popular series of HOLLYWOOD SPY'S EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS, today I'm chatting with one of my dear friends, bestselling, utterly wise and super charming author Samuel Park, the writer of THIS BURNS MY HEART novel, published for one of world's most famous publishing houses

SIMON & SCHUSTER.

The book just got into Amazon's top 100 best books of 2011 list. Ever so kind, Samuel gave me one copy of his novel for a giveaway, so leave a comment on the post, and I will announce the lucky winner this Saturday!
Originally born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Korean-American author Samuel Park graduated from Stanford University and USC, where he earned his doctorate in English. He lives in Chicago, where he is an Assistant Professor of English at Columbia College.

DEZZ SAM, TELL ME SOMETHING ABOUT THE STORY OF YOUR NOVEL "THIS BURNS MY HEART", AND TELL ME WHERE DID YOU FIND THE INSPIRATION FOR IT? I HEARD IT'S A VERY PERSONAL STORY.

SAM This Burns My Heart is about a woman who has to choose between two men, and makes the wrong choice. Then, she has to figure out how to live her life once she has that burden, and realizes she's a much stronger person than she thought. The book is inspired by something that happened to my mother in real life. The day before her wedding, a stranger asked her to go on a date with him. She said No, of course, but she spent the rest of her life wondering who that man was, and what would've happened if she'd chosen him instead of my father.

DEZZ THAT PLOT IS EXTREMELY INTRIGUING, SAM! "THIS BURNS MY HEART" HAS BEEN PUBLISHED BY ONE OF WORLD'S BIGGEST PUBLISHERS "SIMON & SCHUSTER", IT IS NOW IN AMAZON'S TOP 100 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR, YOU GOT AMAZING REVIEWS, A PRAISE FROM "PEOPLE MAGAZINE" AND AUDREY NIFFENEGGER THE AUTHOR OF "THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE" AND MANY OTHER WORLD WIDE FAMOUS WRITERS, SO, SAM, HOW DO YOU LIKE ALL THE REACTIONS, THE SALES, THE SUCCESS? WHAT HAVE YOU ENJOYED MOST?

SAM I was completely surprised by all the exciting things that happened. When I got that blurb from Audrey Niffenegger, I was on the phone with a friend and I literally started screaming, "Oh my God! Oh my God!" And then when I found out about the Amazon thing (a fellow blogger, Sherrie Petersen, actually told me about that), I actually thought it was a mistake, and I kept refreshing the page over and over. I thought it was a kindle thing; I couldn't believe it was the actual Best of the Month thing. And then the host of the Today Show talked about the book on-air, and it was completely surreal. I enjoyed all of these things- but one of the things I've enjoyed the most is hearing from women of that actual generation- Korean women who are now in their 60s and 70s. I had one such reader come up to me after a reading and tell me how "Korean" the book is, and how true it felt to her own knowledge of Korea -that was really nice.

DEZZ THAT MUST HAVE FELT GRATIFYING, SAM, BUT I'M NOT SURPRISED SINCE "THIS BURNS MY HEART" SEEMS QUITE EPIC AND ROMANTIC. HAVE YOU THOUGHT OF A MOVIE OR TV ADAPTATION? WHICH DIRECTORS AND ACTORS WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN IT?

SAM I think the book would be too hard to adapt -it would have to be at least three hours long and cost a gazillion dollars. It has so many different periods, settings, and a huge cast. If there were to be a film adaptation, I feel like it should be done by Korean filmmakers and actors in Korea. I'm a big fan of Korean cinema, especially directors like Bong Joon-Ho ("Mother") and Kim Ki-Duk ("Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring"). For the part of Soo-Ja, I picture someone like Han Hyo-Joo, who I think is a brilliant actress. She's done mostly TV dramas in Korea, but she has an air of decency and quiet strength that really fits Soo-Ja, the heroine.

DEZZ AND DO YOU SEE MOVIES AND TV AS A SOURCE OF CREATIVE INSPIRATION? I KNOW THAT YOU DIRECTED A SHORT MOVIE BASED ON YOUR NOVELLA "SHAKESPEARE'S SONNETS"

SAM I absolutely do. I get a lot of inspiration from movies, as I find them to be incredibly immediate and powerful. I watched a lot of old Korean films as part of my research, and one in particular, "Madame Freedom," had a huge influence on the book. The movie documents really well the impact of Western music and fashions on 60s Korea, and that's one of the subplots of the book -the struggle between ancient traditions of filial and parental duty versus the temptations of Western beliefs in individualism and freedom.

 THIS BURNS MY HEART

Samuel Park’s epic tale THIS BURNS MY HEART begins the day before Soo-Ja Choi’s marriage, as a mysterious and handsome doctor approaches her for a date. She declines the invitation, choosing instead a world that leaves her trapped with suffocating customs. In a post-war

South Korea torn between past and present, Soo-Ja struggles to find happiness in a loveless marriage—and to carve out a successful future for her only daughter. But in a land where wives have no rights and mothers own little, her only hope for survival is to remember the lessons of the four tenets of Confucian tradition: perseverance, strength, loyalty and grace. Will this be enough to lead a beautiful and ambitious young woman to fulfillment or will she be forced to live out her days wondering, “What if?”

Drawing from the memories of his mother, Samuel Park masterfully weaves together an enduring and sensitively told love story with a portrait of a nation rising out of poverty into a major world power. THIS BURNS MY HEART is a memorable debut that is destined to become a classic love story.

I made the short film in L.A., back when I lived there. It's impossible to live in L.A. and not make films! They hand you a high-def camera and Final Draft when you land in the airport. But seriously, I was very lucky to work with some really impressive people. I don't see myself directing again, but it was a really fun experience. Sometimes when you're in love with a story, you want to see it in different forms -as a play, as a short film, as a book. It's like dressing up your lover in different outfits. You get to rediscover and re-engage each time.

DEZZ PUTTING FILMS ASIDE, SAM, SINCE HOLLYWOOD SPY IS READ BY TONES OF FELLOW WRITERS, DO YOU HAVE SOME ADVICE FOR THEM?

SAM My advice is to write about things that you are truly, genuinely invested in, instead of chasing trends or genres. If you care deeply about what you're saying, the reader will smell your investment and get equally engaged. Having said that, you have to write in a genre that sells. What I'd do is look at the New York

Times best seller (adult or young adult), and see what's a book that you could've written or would be interested in writing. Then write a book similar to that book, in terms of genre. Also, remember that writing is not a lottery ticket, a means to make money -writing is about loving a craft that makes you feel a sense of mastery, makes you feel good about yourself. Everything else -money, attention, publication- is gravy. Having said that, it's particularly yummy tasting gravy!
Another piece of advice I would give is to be patient. Writers often expect to sell a book too soon. I've been writing seriously since I was 18 years old, when I started to have plays produced. That's an almost two-decade period of apprenticeship. I do strongly believe that everyone has their moment -it just comes at different times for different people. Some writers get published in their early 20s, and we never hear from them again. Some reach their peak in their 50s. Everyone's on a different path, and so it's pointless to feel envious. No one else can write the book that you want to write. I personally think it's better to toil in anonymity for years and then sell a book, then sell a book early on and never be able to match that success again.

DEZZ  I'M SURE YOU'VE ENJOYED YOUR GRAVY, SAM :) BUT AFTER THE MEGA SUCCESS OF YOUR NOVEL, I GUESS YOU FEEL THE PRESSURE OF WRITING A NEW BOOK. ANY PLANS? GIVE US SOME WORLD EXCLUSIVE INFO ON YOUR W.I.P. :)

SAM Well, I actually don't know that much about the new book myself, as I've just started it, but I can tell you it's about a mother/daughter relationship. In that sense, it's similar to THIS BURNS MY HEART. I have a poet friend who tells me that the germ for every new book of poetry can be found in the preceding book. So I guess the new book will expand on the mother-daughter theme, which is one of many themes in THIS BURNS MY HEART. Rest assured, though, that as soon as I know more, I will give you that exclusive info that you want! Anything for Hollywood Spy!

DEZZ OH, I LOVE IT WHEN YOU'RE AIMING TO PLEASE THE SPY :) BESIDE WRITING, YOU ARE ALSO A PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH AT COLUMBIA COLLEGE, BUT WHAT DOES SAM DO IN HIS FREE TIME? IS THERE ANY TIME FOR HOBBIES? WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU ARE

NOT WITH YOUR STUDENTS AND WHEN YOU ARE NOT WORLD'S NEW WRITING SENSATION? :)

SAM Oh, I love the way you describe that! Can I put that on a sticker for my car windows? :) My hobbies, to be honest, consist mostly of watching TV. I watch an embarrassing amount of reality television: Survivor, Top Chef, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Wow, writing that, I'm realizing how lame I am; I may have to pick up a few new hobbies soon...

DEZZ AH, AS IF YOU WOULD HAVE TIME FOR A HOBBY BESIDE WRITING WORLD'S NEXT BESTSELLER, SAM :) I MUST THANK YOU FOR THE LOVELY CHAT, YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I ENJOY OUR LITTLE TALKS. 

SAM Thank you so much for having me on your blog. It's been an absolute pleasure and honor! Very glad we're pals!

TO WIN A COPY OF "THIS BURNS MY HEART" LEAVE A COMMENT. YOU GET ADDITIONAL POINTS IF YOU POST THE COVER OR THE RIGHTSIDE BAR ADD FOR THE INTERVIEW ALONG WITH THE LINK AT YOUR SITE :) 

CHRIS EVANS IS "THE ICEMAN"! RON HOWARD HELMS HBO'S "DOC HOLLIDAY" SHOW! "THERE BE DRAGONS" WITH DOUGRAY SCOTT & WES BENTLEY! PAUL BETTANY JOINS "THE AVENGERS"!

Ah, the horrid trend of Hollywood stars appearing in B-league action films continues: according to "Deadline" ultra dashing Chris Evans will go from Captain America to THE ICEMAN, but it's

not a superhero flick, he is replacing James Franco in the film about infamous serial killer Richard Kuklinski. In the  adaptation of Anthony Bruno's book "The Iceman: The True Story of a Cold-Blooded Killer" Michael Shannon will play the killer, and Chris will play his protege. The cast of the film also includes Maggie Gyllenhaal, David Schwimmer and Ray Liotta. A new show coming to HBO is the one on famous gunslinger DOC HOLIDAY. To be directed by Ron Howard and produced by Akiva Goldsman, the show paints Doc Holliday in a much different light as an educated Southerner who was a dentist before gaining notoriety as a gunslinger.The story will also depict the love triangle between Doc Holliday, his wife, and his best friend Wyatt Earp.

HOLLYWOOD SPY HEADLINES

As "MovieWeb" reports, New Regency is planning to shoot a movie titled HELLBENT with the story which will revolve around some prison escape done with the help of unusual supernatural forces. The film will

be done by the producers of NBC's upcoming Amazon adventure show THE RIVER with Sam Neill. An unexpected new addition to MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS cast, which hits cinemas next May bringing together all the super heroes from Thor to Captain America, is Paul Bettany, but we shall not see him in the film, he will just borrow his voice to Iron Man's robot assistant J.A.R.V.I.S. like he did in both IRON MAN films. As you know THE AVENGERS will star Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Renner...

Another great film which I don't want you to miss on the DVD market is marvelous epic drama THERE BE DRAGONS which hits DVD and blu-ray market in January. The brilliant cast of this critically acclaimed historical epic includes Wes Bentley,

Rodrigo Santoro, Olga Kurylenko, Dougray Scott, Derek Jacobi and Charlie Cox. The story follows London journalist Robert Torres who travels to Spain to research a book about Josemaría Escrivá, the controversial founder of the Catholic institution Opus Dei. Robert's visit is on track until he hits a wall, both professionally and personally, when his most promising source - his own father, Manolo Torres - turns out to be his least cooperative one. Robert begins to unearth his father's toxic secrets when he learns that Manolo was not only born in the same Spanish town as Josemaría, but that they were childhood friends and attended the same seminary. The two men take radically different paths in life, with Josemaría dedicating his life to his faith while Manolo is swept into the brutal and tumultuous Spanish Civil War. As Robert continues to explore the secrets of Josemaría's life and Manolo's mysterious anger, their overlapping journeys are revealed.

And don't forget that later today, I'm posting an exclusive interview with SAMUEL PARK, the author of Amazon's, People's and Today Show's praised THIS BURNS MY HEART novel. There will also be a GIVEAWAY, so spread the word :) You get bonus points in the giveaway if you post the cover of the book (or the sidebar add) and the link for the interview at your site tomorrow :)

AMAZING CAST IN "JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR"! DELIGHTFUL "GRIFF THE INVISIBLE" WITH RYAN KWANTEN! JUDI DENCH & ANTHONY HOPKINS IN KENNETH BRANAGH'S DRAMA "ITALIAN SHOES"!

One of the animated films we will be watching in 2013 is JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR. Penned by the writer of THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE, the story of this Spanish production

follows Justin, an idealistic boy who dreams of becoming a knight in shining armor, but his magical kingdom is in painful transition to a modern age dominated by bureaucracy. He wants to be a knight but his father (Alfred Molina), the chief counsel to the Queen, wants his son to follow in his footsteps and become a lawyer. In need of guidance, Justin visits his granny (Julie Walters), who tells him the story of his grandpa, Sir Roland, the protector of the King until they were both betrayed and killed by the evil Sir Heraclio(Mark Strong). Against his father’s

wishes, Justin runs away in search of his dream and begins his quest to become a Knight. On his quest he will meet Talia (Saoirse Ronan), a feisty and independently minded girl, and three ancient monks, who will instruct him in knightly ways and teach him some magic. He will also meet Gustav the gas powered wannabe dragon crocodile. Called upon to prove himself when Heraclio and his minions, lead by Sota (Rupert Everett), return and threaten the kingdom, Justin saves the day. The cast also includes Antonio Banderas and Freddie Highmore.

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Now, doesn't this sound like the most amazing trio ever: according to "Variety", Judi Dench (bow immediately) and Anthony Hopkins are in talks to star in Kenneth Branagh's new drama

ITALIAN SHOES which will revolve around a retired surgeon, who has become a recluse on a private island in Sweden but he must confront the mistakes of his past, when he is reunited with a former lover. As I wrote earlier Kenneth is also attached to direct the movie adaptation of wonderful book THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY, while her Cinematic Highness Judi Dench has BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL premiering next year with a more than wonderful cast including Maggie Smith and Tom Wilkinson. Remember the heartwarming trailer? 

One of the delightful films which hit DVD market last week is wonderful Australian film GRIFF THE INVISIBLE. This hearwarming and inspiring mix of comedy and drama, has TRUE BLOOD's hunk Ryan Kwanten in the lead role as Griff, who is by

day an everyday office worker, in an everyday town. He lives a secluded life, bullied by co-workers, with his protective brother as his only friend. By night Griff assumes his other identity, roaming the dark streets protecting the innocent and the vulnerable from the dangers that lurk in the shadows - he is the hero, GRIFF THE INVISIBLE. Increasingly concerned by Griff's eccentric behaviour, his brother attempts to draw him back into the 'real world'. In doing so he introduces Griff to Melody an equally eccentric and charming girl. Fascinated by Griff's idiosyncrasies, which are equal only to her own, Melody begins to fall for Griff. As Griff is forced to face up to realities of a mundane world, it is up to Melody to rescue GRIFF THE INVISIBLE for the sake of herself, Griff and their love for each other.

Have you noticed that HOLLYWOOD SPY has just had its 900,000TH VISITOR? Thank you, my little freaks!

Don't forget that this Wednesday I'm posting an interview with bestselling author Samuel Park and that I will also have A GIVEAWAY of his book THIS BURNS MY HEART, which is one of Amazon's Top 100 Books of 2011, so, please, spread the word around the blogosphere and be there yourself :)