IN THE PRESS: Channing Tatum Chosen as One of the Top 50 Hottest Young Actors

Film site TheMovie-Fanatic.com recently polled their readers to see who are the Top 50 Hottest Young Actors in Hollywood.No surprise to all of us fans here at CTU, Channing Tatum has landed on their list yet again, and has even moved up 5 spots from his previous ranking.

Here’s what TheMovie-Fanatic.com has to say about the up and coming actor who is climbing the popularity charts one film at a time..

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tMF Top 50 Hottest Young Actors - THE TOP 20

Top 50 status: Ranked #21 on the previous list.

Biggest roles so far: As Young Antonio in A Guide to Recognizing your Saints, as Tyler Gage in Step Up, as Sgt. Steve Shriver in Stop-Loss.

Why he made the top 50: One of Hollywood’s most exciting new talents, former model Channing Tatum is being touted to be the next ‘big thing’.

“With my career in general, I feel like I’m finally getting to do the roles that I’ve always wanted to do. It’s a slow build; you can’t ever get the roles that you want in the beginning of your career because you don’t have the buzz or the heat, or whatever the hell it is you need for the agents and the studios to be happy. They want you to do a little bit at a time until you get the chance to work out and do the roles that really mean something to you.”

Many were surprised by his amazing performance in Ditto Montiel’s A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints. But Tatum is just waiting for the right time and the right role to make people take notice.

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For the record (and I’m sure this will come as no surprise to anyone here at CTU), I think Chan deserved a higher spot on the list. It would be safe to say that I’m a little biased. But I digress…

I do agree that Chan’s portrayal of Antonio in ‘A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints‘ was definitely a defining moment in his career and his upcoming roles in 2009’s ‘Fighting‘, ‘Public Enemies‘, ‘G.I. Joe‘, and ‘Dear John‘ are more than likely a direct result of it.

Rest assure, the industry has already taken notice.

CTU NEWS: And the Winner of the ‘Battle in Seattle’ Poster Is…

As I mentioned in a recent post, Channing Tatum’s film ‘Battle in Seattle‘ sent me free tickets and a poster to give out to fans.

I had a great time seeing the movie again yesterday at the Houston screening of the film with the fans that won the free tickets. This was my second time to watch the movie, and I can honestly say that I enjoyed the film even more the second time around.

Now that the ticket give-away is out if the way, its time to give out the large ‘Battle in Seattle‘ poster to one lucky fan.

Without further ado, the lucky winner of the poster is…

Mara S.
of East Lansing, Michigan

Thanks to all of the fans who entered the contest and don’t worry if you did not win this time. We will continue to have lots more contests on CTU each month.

I again want to thank ‘Battle in Seattle‘ for all of the great exclusives and give-aways that they have given to us here at CTU in the past few weeks, and I want to remind all of the fans that ‘Battle in Seattle‘ is currently playing in approximately 40 cities in the US. You can CLICK HERE to get the complete list of cities and showtimes.

What’s next for Battle in Seattle‘? In addition to the October 10th and 11th releases in Monterey, CA, Hartford, CT, Olympia, WA, and Ann Arbor, MI, they have also added three new theatrical releases in the Canadian cities of Montreal and St. Foye on October 17th. As always, I will keep you posted on any future dates that are announced.

In the mean time, support Channing and make sure to go see ‘Battle in Seattle‘ if it’s showing in or near a town where you live!!!

New Photos of Jenna Dewan at the Lucky Magazine and Instyle Events This Past Week

People Magazine caught up with Channing Tatum’s fiancee Jenna Dewan Thursday in route to one of the three events the busy starlet attended that night.

They tried to get some dish on her recent engagement to Channing, and without giving too much away, she let them know how excited and happy she is about it. You can CLICK HERE to check out the article. You can also keep reading below to get more scoop on all of the events Jenna recently attended.

Although we only have photos from two of the three events that Jenna went to on Thursday October 2nd with friends (since Chan is working on ‘Dear John‘ in South Carolina right now), we know that she dropped by Lucky Magazine’s launch party for Kim France and Andrea Linett’s new book “Lucky Guide to Mastering Any Style” in Los Angeles and InStyle’s party for Tommy Hilfiger’s Bravo TV special “Ironic Iconic America” at the Thompson Hotel in Beverly Hills.

Jenna then wrapped up the night by signing autographs for fans after attending the one year anniversary for the dinner club One Sunset in West Hollywood with celebrities like Lauren Conrad, Kim Kardashian, Lance Bass, David Arquette, and Emmy Rossum.

You can check out all of the new photos of the always adorable Jenna Dewan below. Enjoy!!!

In case you don’t know, Jenna just had an awesome guest appearance on ABC’s hit show ‘Dancing with the Stars‘ and will soon start filming her next movie ‘Virgin on Bourbon Street‘ with Rob Schneider.

REMINDER: Channing Tatum’s ‘Battle in Seattle’ Premieres in Over 20 More Cities and CTU Gets Exclusive New Movie Clip!!!

As you can see in the graphic on this post, Channing Tatum’s drama ‘Battle in Seattle‘ was recently featured in the October 6, 2008 issue of US Weekly Magazine. You can click on the graphic to read a short interview that director Stuart Townsend did for the mag.

I also want to remind all of Channing Tatum’s Fabulous fans that ‘Battle in Seattle‘ just premiered in the following cites across the country:

• Irvine, CA
• Rancho Niguel, CA
• Santa Barbara, CA
• San Diego, CA
• Nashville, TN
• Denver, CO
• Charlotte, NC
• Huntington, NY
• Cleveland, OH
• Eugene, OR
• Portland, OR
• Philadelphia, PA
• Austin, TX
• Dallas, TX
• San Antonio, TX
• Houston, TX
• Plano, TX
• Madison, WI
• Milwaukee, WI
• Chicago, IL
• Great Barrington, MA
• New Haven, CT
• Baltimore, MD
• Santa Fe, NM

Fans can CLICK HERE to get a complete list of approximately 40 cities, theaters, and times where the movie is currently playing in the US.

In my previous post, I announced a new CTU contest for free tickets and a free movie poster from the film. Now, the film has sent us another exclusive special treat. Fans can also check out an new clip from the film that ‘Battle in Seattle‘ has again created just for us here at CTU. Enjoy!

Thanks again to BIS for the great clip and fans make sure to go checkout ‘Battle in Seattle‘ in theaters this weekend!!!

Win FREE Tickets and a Movie Poster from Channing Tatum’s ‘Battle in Seattle’

Channing Tatum’s drama ‘Battle in Seattle‘ is being released in over 20 new cities across the country this weekend (in addition to the 20 or so cities that it’s already been released), and they have sent us some cool goodies for me to share with you all.

‘Battle in Seattle‘ has given me two pairs of FREE tickets to give away to the Houston, Texas showing at the Angelika Film Center in downtown for the 3:30pm screening on Saturday, October 4, 2008. Since you can only attend the screening if you’re in the Houston area, they have also sent me a large ‘Battle in Seattle‘ movie poster, flyers, and stickers for the film that I can send out to another lucky fan anywhere in the world.

If you would like to join me at the Houston screening, I’m giving away the two pairs of tickets to fans on a first-come-first-serve basis. Send an email to tickets@channingtatumunwrapped.com with “Battle in Seattle” in the subject and your full name and phone number in the body of the email. I will contact you to let you know how to get your tickets.

If you would like to win the large ‘Battle in Seattle‘ poster, send an email to contests@channingtatumunwrapped.com with “POSTER” in the subject, your first and last name, and your physical mailing address in the body of the email.

Each fan can enter the poster contest one time. Please do not submit multiple entries, because only your first submission will be used. The winner of the contest will be announced this Sunday, October 5, 2008, so please submit your entries by the end of the day on Saturday, October 4, 2008 to try to win the very special prize.

I would like to give a HUGE thanks to ‘Battle in Seattle‘ for everything they have been doing for us here at CTU. They have really rolled out the red carpet. From creating a special Channing Tatum ringtone exclusively for CTU readers to giving us exclusive clips of Channing from the film to the newest free ticket and poster gifts for fans. I hope that all of the fans return the favor by supporting the film if its playing in a city near you!

Stay tuned to Channing Tatum Unwrapped, because ‘Battle in Seattle‘ also sent me a new exclusive clip of Channing from the film, and you’ll be able to check it out in my next post!!!

JENNA DEWAN VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Jenna on “Dancing with the Stars”

Today’s Video of the Week was posted online by the Pussycat Doll fan site Ultimate PCD. It’s Jenna Dewan’s awesome performance from last night’s “Macy’s Stars of Dance” segment on the popular celebrity dance show “Dancing with the Stars” where she danced with the Pussycat Dolls’ Carmit Bachar in a Brian Friedman choreographed routine entitled “Neon”. Enjoy!

Jenna told me she really enjoyed dancing again and had a ton of fun with the futuristic costumes, hair, and makeup. She looked incredible, and I absolutely loved getting to see her perform again. I hope you all enjoyed it too! She promises to keep us all updated on her projects, so stay tuned to Channing Tatum Unwrapped (aka Jenna Dewan Unwrapped)!

If you have a favorite video that you would like me to consider, send a link to the video to votw@channingtatumunwrapped.com and tell me why you like it. I will post it and your explanation on the blog.

Where in the World is Channing Tatum?

After releasing two new movies and filming two more in the first half of this year, Channing Tatum took a well deserved break this past summer in between scoping out new projects and winning 2 Teen Choice Awards and a dance battle.

If he kept a to do list for 2008, Chan’s may look a little something like this…

• Release ‘Step Up 2‘..Check
• Release ‘Stop-loss‘…Check
• Film ‘G.I. Joe‘…Check
• Film ‘Public Enemies‘…Check
• Win Teen Choice Awards…Check
• Win BIGGEST Online Dance Battle EVER…Check
• Scope out new projects…Check
• Propose to Adorable Girlfriend…Check
• Film ‘Dear John‘…In Progress

It’s an enviable highlight reel for any working actor. Now the busy thespian has gotten back to work on his next project, so it’s time for another installment of “Where in the World is Channing Tatum?“.

Thanks to an email from a fan in the know, I’ve known since last week that Channing was in South Carolina to start preparing for his role as John Tyree in the romantic drama ‘Dear John‘, but I wanted to give him a few days to get settled in before I exposed his whereabouts to the world. Although they don’t have a photo, it looks like the Charleston City Paper has beat me to the punch by posting a sighting sent in by one of their readers.

The Charleston City Paper is reporting that Chan was sighted at one of the many beautiful South Carolina beaches on Sunday rehearsing with script in hand for ‘Dear John‘.

South Carolina not only has some of the most beautiful white sand beaches in the country, they can now officially say they also have Channing Tatum on said beaches improving the landscape as I type this. If that’s not a tourist attraction, I don’t know what is.

If any of Channing’s Fabulous Fans manage get a photo with him while he’s in your area, make sure to send the pics(s) and your story my way to fanencounters@channingtatumunwrapped.com so I can share them with CTU readers, and we can all live vicariously through you.

‘Dear John‘, which has been adapted from the Nicholas Sparks book with the same name, will be filming in the Charleston and Edisto areas of the secluded and picturesque South Carolina Lowcountry from October 13th through some time in December.

As luck may have it, we also know where Channing Tatum’s equally talented fiancee is today. I want to remind fans that Jenna Dewan will appear in the “Macy’s Stars of Dance” segment on the “Dancing with the Stars” elimination show tonight (Tuesday, September 30, 2008) at (9:00-10:01 p.m., ET) on ABC where Jessica Simpson will also perform her current hit “Come on Over” from her chart topping country album, “Do You Know,” and “Angels,” a special release cover.

“Macy’s Stars of Dance” features some of the best choreographers and performers from different styles of dance and offering viewers performances that represent the peak of achievement in their genres. Kicking off the first of these segments is a choreographed routine by Brian Friedman entitled “Neon,” where the dancers, including Jenna Dewan and The Pussycat Dolls’ Carmit Bachar, will light up the stage. Don’t miss it and I will try to post video of the performance if it is released!!

CTU NEWS: Happy Birthday to Channing Tatum’s Fabulous Fans!!!

The lucky winner of the autographed photo of Channing Tatum is…

CONNIE B. from Sacramento, California

Thanks to everyone who submitted birthdays!!! If you would like to get a birthday shout out from CTU or you would like CTU to give a birthday shout out to a friend of yours, please send an email to fanbirthdays@channingtatumunwrapped.com with “BIRTHDAY” in the Subject and the birthday person’s name, mailing address, and birth date in the body of the email. Also, please send a separate email for each birthday you’re submitting.

Each month, I will make a post recognizing all of the fan birthdays for that month, and one lucky fan on the list will win an autographed picture of Channing Tatum. Don’t miss out on your chance and send in your submissions today!!!

AS SEEN ON TV: Jenna Dewan Featured on This Week’s “Dancing with the Stars”

As many of you already know, Channing Tatum’s fiancee Jenna Dewan is an accomplished professional dancer in addition to being a talented actress. She just let me know that she’s going to make a special guest appearance on the extremely popular reality show “Dancing with the Stars” this week.

To give you a little background, season seven of “Dancing with the Stars” marks the largest cast assembled to date, the oldest and youngest competitors ever, and includes two Olympic Gold medalists, a Grammy®-winning singer, a television legend, an Oscar® winner, and a Super Bowl champion all competing to see who America chooses as the best celebrity dancer.

The celebrity dancers this season include Lance Bass (singer), Toni Braxton (singer), Brooke Burke (actress), Cloris Leachman (actress), Rocco DiSpirito (chef), Maurice Greene (Olymipian), Kim Kardashian (celebrity), Cloris Leachman (actress), Cody Linley (actor), Susan Lucci (actress), Misty May-Treanor (Olymipian), Ted McGinley (actor), Jeffrey Ross (comedian), and Warren Sapp (football player).

The show just had their season premiere last week where both the Jonas Brothers and Jesse McCartney performed. This week the viewers will see the return of Macy’s Stars of Dance, featuring some of the most renowned dancers and choreographers of our time.

Jenna let me know that she is one of the chosen dancers that will be doing a one time performance on the “Dancing with the Stars” results show this coming Tuesday, September 30, 2008. She said that Brian Freidman of “So You Think You Can Dance” is choreographing and both Jenna and Pussycat Doll Carmit Bachar were chosen to perform in his number. Fans should make sure to tune in!!!

As far as I know, Jenna is supposed to start filming her next movie, ‘Virgin on Bourbon Street‘, with Rob Schneider this fall in Michigan. If it’s your dream to act in a film with Jenna and you’re a patron of the arts, then today’s your lucky day.

At the 2008 22nd Annual Opera Ball Auction held by the Michigan Opera in Detroit next Saturday on October 4th at 6pm one lucky fan will be able to bid on and win an exclusive “You Ought to Be in The Pictures” package that includes a coveted speaking part in Jenna’s comedy ‘Virgin on Bourbon Street‘.

You can CLICK HERE to get more info if you would like to attend the ball. Absentee ballots will also be accepted for auction items for those who will not attend, and anyone who would like to bid can call (313) 237-3268 to place your bid.

Don’t have the deep pockets it may take to win the role at the auction? No worries, because any fan with a working TV can watch Jenna on the “Dancing with the Stars” results show which airs next Tuesday, September 30th on ABC at 9/8pm Central.

CHANNING TATUM VIDEO OF THE WEEK: The Making of Ciara’s ‘Get Up’ Video with Chan and Jenna

Today’s awesome Video of the Week was submitted by Fabulous Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan Fan Naz from London. This is a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Ciara’s ‘Get Up’ video (which also features a rap by Chamillionaire) for Chan and Jenna’s 2006 dance hit ‘Step Up‘.

Since our favorite couple Chenna has a cameo in the music video, we get to see footage of them shooting their dance, and they are also interviewed. Enjoy!

Thanks to Naz for sending in this great blast from the past!

If you have a favorite video that you would like me to consider, send a link to the video to votw@channingtatumunwrapped.com and tell me why you like it. I will post it and your explanation on the blog.

REMINDER: Channing Tatum’s ‘Battle in Seattle’ Premieres in 13 More Cities

When actor, director, producer, and writer Stuart Townsend created ‘Battle in Seattle‘, he hoped the film would inspire moviegoers (especially the younger generation) by letting them know that they can make a difference. Stuart has said that his goal of delivering this message to the masses heavily influenced his casting process, which is why he chose to cast likable and popular actors like Andre Benjamin, Martin Henderson, Woody Harrelson, Charlize Theron, and Channing Tatum in the film.

The Irish Voice just wrote a great review of ‘Battle in Seattle‘ that I wanted to share. You can read a snippet of the review below and CLICK HERE to read the entire article:

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“Films about big political issues rarely find a big audience, but Battle in Seattle is different. Featuring powerful performances from Hollywood A-listers, it’s a hard-hitting action movie that pulls you in on a personal level from its opening frame…

HOW do you get the public to flock to a film about the effects of globalization when their eyes are already closing at the mention of the word?

Answer — you fill it with stars the public love and you make it a white-knuckle thrill ride. That way they’ll be hugely entertained, you’ll get your message across — and that’s before you even get to the part about Oscar level supporting role performances…”

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Now, even more fans will get an opportunity to see the film that just received 3 stars from uber critic Roger Ebert and to watch their favorite actors deliver Stuart’s timely message, because ‘Battle in Seattle‘ just premiered in the following cites across the country:

• Berkeley, CA
• Hollywood, CA
• Los Angeles, CA
• San Jose, CA
• Santa Cruz, CA
• Boston, MA
• Chicago, IL
• Detroit, MI
• Brooklyn, NY
• Forest Hills, NY
• Columbus, OH
• Philadelphia, PA
• Pittsburgh, PA

You can also attend special screenings in the following cities this weekend as long as tickets last:

09.26.08 Los Angeles - Westside Pavilion Landmark (Click here to purchase your tickets!)
Q & A with Academy Award winner Charlize Theron, Martin Henderson and Dir. Stuart Townsend
at Friday’s 7:30pm show, along with a 10 minute intro prior 10:10pm show.

09.27.08 Sacramento - Regal 14 Eldorado Hills (Click here to purchase your tickets!)
Special arrival and introduction by cast and director prior to 7:00pm show at 6:30pm.
Q & A with Academy Award winner Charlize Theron, Martin Henderson and Dir. Stuart Townsend
at the 7:00pm show, along with a 10 minute intro prior 10:00pm show.

09.28.08 Hollywood - Arclight Cinemas (Click here to purchase your tickets!)
Q & A with Academy Award winner Charlize Theron, Martin Henderson and Dir. Stuart Townsend
at Sunday’s 7:00pm show, along with a 10 minute intro prior 10:05pm show.

Because the film is doing so well, ‘Battle in Seattle‘ will be premiering in 24 additional cities and/or theaters next weekend (and the list continues to grow everyday).

Fans who live in cities like San Diego, Denver, Chicago, Portland, Baltimore, Houston, and numerous other cities will finally be able to see the film at one or more of your local theaters.

You can all CLICK HERE to get a complete list of upcoming release dates, cities, and times for the film.

You can also check out tons of new and old videos and interviews in the ‘Battle in Seattle‘ Youtube playlist below. Enjoy!

DEAL OF THE DAY: Watch Channing Tatum’s ‘Stop-Loss’ for FREE

In today’s Deal of the Day, Channing Tatum’s Iraq war drama ‘Stop-Loss‘ will have a free screening at the Augusta-Richmond County Library located at 902 Greene St. in Augusta, Georgia at 6:30 p.m. this coming Monday, Sept. 29, 2008. If you have any questions or need directions you can call the library at (706) 821-2600.

For the rest of us who aren’t lucky enough to live in or near Augusta and can’t see the film for free, it’s definitely worth a rent or a buy. The film has been released on DVD for a while now, so don’t miss your chance to see Channing do an incredible job in his role as Sgt. Steve Shriver.

In case you don’t know about the film, here’s what it’s all about:

“Decorated Iraq war hero Sgt. Brandon King makes a celebrated return to his small Texas hometown following his tour of duty. Brandon tries to resume the life he left behind with the help and support of his family and his best friend, Steve Shriver, who served with him in Iraq. Alongside their war-time buddies, Brandon and Steve try to make peace with civilian life.

Then, against Brandon’s will, the Army orders him back to duty in Iraq. This upends Brandon’s entire world. The conflict into which he is thrown tests everything he believes in: the bond of family, the loyalty of friendship, the limits of love, and the value of honor.”

Fans can CLICK HERE to get even more info, check out tons of videos and photos, and get the latest news on the film on CTU’s Featured Page for the movie.

If you like the photo at the top of this post, then feel free to check out some more pics of Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan on the red carpet and at the after party of the March 17, 2008 premiere of the film below…

What’s next for ‘Stop-Loss‘? Thanks to Fabulous Channing Tatum Fan Faith we now know that the film will be released on DVD in Japan on Oct 3, 2008. Fans can CLICK HERE for more details.

REMINDER: Channing Tatum’s ‘Battle in Seattle’ Premieres in Sacramento, CA

After hitting the New York City premiere of Channing Tatum’s ‘Battle in Seattle‘ recently, Director Stuart Townsend and actress Charlize Theron trekked across country to attend the West Coast premiere and a special Gen Art sponsored screening of the film at the Clarity Theater in Beverly Hills, California on September 22, 2008.

To continue to promote the independently distributed Redwood Palms film, Stuart and Actor Martin Henderson also attended the Film Independent Screening of ‘Battle in Seattle‘ at the Landmark Theater on September 23, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.

Their hard work is paying off, because Indiewire.com reports that Redwood Palms release of ‘Battle in Seattle‘ opened on 8 screens and “found a decent $46,903 gross”. Stuart Townsend’s fictionalized account of the 1999 riots to stop a World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle averaged $5,863 per screen, and even had a per screen high of $9,718 at New York’s Angelika Film Center.

I just wanted to remind all of Channing Tatum’s Fabulous Fans in Sacramento, CA that the film has now debuted in your city, and you can go see it at the theaters listed below:

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Regal 14 El Dorado Hills
2101 Vine Street
El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
Tel. 800.326.3264

Showtimes:
11:30a, 2:00p, 4:30, 7:00, 9:30

Crest Theatre
1013 K St. Downtown
Sacramento, CA 95814
Tel. 916.442.5189

Showtimes:
MON-THUR - 5:30p, 8:00
FRI-SUN - 1:00p, 3:10, 5:30, 8:00

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To thank the investors who live in the area, Redwood Palms Pictures is holding a special VIP premier screening on September 27, 2008 at the Regal 14 Eldorado Hills venue that everyone can attend as long as tickets last.

There will be a special arrival and introduction by Charlize Theron, Martin Henderson and director Stuart Townsend prior to 7:00pm show at 6:30pm, along with a 10 minute intro prior to the 10:00pm show. Fans can CLICK HERE to purchase tickets.

‘Battle in Seattle‘ will be premiering in 13 additional theaters this upcoming weekend, including in Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston and Detroit. Fans can CLICK HERE to get a complete list of upcoming release dates, cities, and times for the film.

CHANNING TATUM MOVIE NEWS: Oliver Stone Update for ‘Pinkville’ and New Casting Call for ‘Dear John’

PINKVILLE

As I mentioned before, Channing was scheduled to start filming ‘Pinkville‘ with Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone last November until the production was put on hold by the studio, supposedly because of the writer’s strike. Recently, rumors had been floating around that the film may be on again. Based on an interview Oliver Stone just did for GQ magazine, I think there may be very little truth to the rumors.

In the interview snippet below, you can clearly see that Oliver Stone is pulling no punches when he explains exactly why ‘Pinkville‘ was canceled and in my opinion, gives fans little hope that it’s going to resurface any time soon:

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Is the My Lai massacre movie you were making before W. dead?
Pinkville? It can probably only come back if UA would give us the movie without paying them the money they’ve already spent. We started to make the movie. I mean, we built a whole village in Thailand! We have tons of stuff sitting in crates! There’s $6 million against the movie. And I don’t have that kind of money. They didn’t even pay all the bills. They stuck us with a bunch of them.

Is your sense that they got cold feet on the project and used the writers’ strike as the excuse?
Yes, of course that’s what happened. First they kept cutting our budget. We had our locations, we had our actors, we had everything picked out, and it was a very reasonable plan. Then Bruce Willis walked, and they were thrilled, because that gave them the final excuse to call it, even though we got Nicholas Cage. That was three weeks before shooting and right before Christmas. Let me remind you, that’s 120 Americans and 500 Thais put out of work right before Christmas. It was a cruel, heartless decision, and it was probably made because [UA’s] Lions for Lambs was perceived as a mess, a failure, and we were linked to these Iraq movies that weren’t working. The irony, of course, is that Pinkville is only about Iraq in a Holy Ghost–type way. It’s about the roots of Iraq, without being too close to it. It’s not a war movie. It’s JFK meets Platoon. It was about an investigation into the past and how the nature or man covers up evil. And I have UA going on and on about “Do the bad guys have to be Americans?” [CLICK HERE TO READ MORE]

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It’s already extremely difficult to get a movie made, and the obstacles that ‘Pinkville‘ is currently encountering can make it down right impossible. Although Stone did not close the door on the project, it’s clear that there’s definitely some unresolved issues that could cause the film to sadly not see the light of day for a long while. It’s safe to say that I should probably keep this one in the “On Hold” category for now.

On to happier movie news…

DEAR JOHN

Channing Tatum’s ‘Dear John‘ had an extras casting call last Saturday, and they are now seeking even more background actors for the production.

For those who are still interested in working as background on the motion picture adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks novel Dear John but were unable to attend the casting call, it’s not too late!!!!!!

The production is still seeking people of all ages and types for the film. They are also looking for actors with 1996-2001 vehicles in good condition, men with military experience, college age students, and men of Middle Eastern or Nigerian descent.

Those interested can contact the casting office at dearjohncasting@gmail.com for further instructions. However, no email photos or submissions can be accepted.

‘Dear John‘ is a romantic drama about a soldier who falls in love with a conservative college student while home on leave and will be filmed in the Charleston and Edisto areas of South Carolina.

Channing Tatum will play the lead character, John Tyree, and actress Amanda Seyfried of ‘Mamma Mia!’ and ‘Big Love’ will play his love interest, Savannah Curtis.

Filming is set to begin on October 13th, and ‘Dear John‘ will be helmed by Oscar-nominated director Lasse Hallstrom, whose credits include ‘Chocolat’, ‘The Cider House Rules’, ‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape’ and ‘Something to Talk About’.

Good luck to everyone who auditions!!!

CTU NEWS: Happy Birthday to Fabulous Channing Tatum Fan, Ayshi!!!

Learn More About Channing Tatum’s ‘Battle in Seattle’ from Director Stuart Townsend

The photo featured on this post shows actor Martin Henderson, director Stuart Townsend, actress Michelle Rodriguez, actress Charlize Theron and actor Ray Liotta arriving on the red carpet of New York premiere of Channing Tatum’s new drama ‘Battle in Seattle‘. The premiere was sponsored by the Cinema Society and Dior Beauty and held at the Tribeca Grand Screening Room on September 17, 2008 in New York City.

If you want to learn more about the film from first time director Stuart Townsend, you should check out the video interview below that Fabulous Channing Tatum Fan Brandi recently sent to me. After watching it, feel free to also read a recent interview Stuart did with New York Magazine. Enjoy!

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Stuart Townsend on ‘Battle in Seattle’ and Battling Hollywood

Half a decade ago, Stuart Townsend — of Irish-indie and Charlize Theron–beloved fame — wasn’t getting roles he liked, so he decided to strike out on his own, crafting an ambitious, multi-narrative drama based on the protests that took over Seattle (and the World Trade Organization’s big conference there) in 1999. The brutally riveting film Battle in Seattle — starring Woody Harrelson, André Benjamin, Ray Liotta, and yes, Theron — hits theaters tonight. Townsend chatted with Vulture about his inspirations for the movie, the struggles of making it in Hollywood, and the pleasures of working with a certain A-list blonde.

I really liked the movie, but this seems like kind of a nightmarish, huge-scale project to pick for your first time directing…
I was definitely trying to make things as difficult as possible for myself. No, it certainly wasn’t easy. Oftentimes I’d find myself thinking, God, I wish this was about two guys in a room. Like Dinner With Andre. That would have been easy. But this was a story I really wanted to tell. I was really passionate about it so I just had to go and do it. For six years. [Laughs.]

And how did you find working with Charlize?
Honestly, she makes my job really easy because she’s really fucking good. I actually think the hardest part is when you’ve written this scene and there she goes and she just does the scene perfectly, exactly how I wanted, and that’s take one! And then she’s like, “Okay, so, now what else do you want?” And I’m like, “God, I don’t know.” Because that’s exactly what I imagined. You know, most of the time you spend coaxing stuff ou