Will Saoirse Ronan be heading to Middle Earth alongside her "Lovely Bones" director?
Peter Jackson may be laid up in the hospital right now, but that hasn't stopped his "Hobbit" casting director - Ros Hubbard - from dropping some big time casting hints about the Kiwi director's return to J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy world.
In an interview with the Irish Film & Television Network, Hubbard let slip that "Saoirse’s family will go [to New Zealand] too, everyone is very close and very loving on those sorts of jobs. It’s not like typical studio movies at all."
Ronan's casting hasn't officially been announced, nor has it been revealed who, exactly, she's going to be playing - although the consensus seems to be that she'd be playing Itaril, a young Elf woman. If Hubbard is correct, then the young Irish actress (whose upcoming film "Hanna" is generating substantial buzz) joins an impressive "Hobbit" cast that includes Martin Freeman (as Bilbo Baggins) and the possible return of "Lord of the Rings" stars Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis (reprising their roles of Gandalf and Gollum, respectively).
Production on "The Hobbit" has been temporarily delayed while Jackson recovers from ulcer surgery.
Showing posts with label Have. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Have. Show all posts
Friday, January 28, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
MLB Top 50 List Shows Mets Have Few Legit Prospects in Minors
Many New York Mets fans are pessimistic heading into 2011.
Now I'm not saying there's not a good reason for this—payroll inflexibility, infield depth, Oliver Perez—but fans right now prefer to look to the future than the present.
Unfortunately, the Mets are just one of four teams that did not have a single prospect featured on Jonathan Mayo's Top 50 list, unveiled on Tuesday night.
Jenrry Mejia was ineligible for the list because he no longer has rookie status and Wilmer Flores came in at No. 58, on the bubble behind Rangers shortstop Jurickson Profar and pitching prospects Jarred Cosart (Phillies), Tyler Skaggs, (D-backs), Dellin Betances (Yankees) and Ethan Martin (Dodgers).
The Mets don't have the prospects or the farm system like the Rays or the Royals, but they're not playing them every day. So where do the other NL East teams rank in the list?
The Braves had three guys in the top 21, the Phillies had two prospects inside the top 30 including the fourth overall prospect Domonic Brown and the Nationals had Bryce Harper ranked at No. 3.
The Marlins, like the Mets, had no one in the top 50.
New York's biggest problem is that, other than Mejia, they have very few, if any, Major League-ready prospects. Mejia will start in Triple-A most likely, and there's a really good chance that the Mets will be fielding the same core at the position players for many years to come.
Baseball America predicts David Wright, Jose Reyes, Ike Davis, Josh Thole and Angel Pagan will all be in the Mets' starting lineup on Opening Day of 2014, with the previously-mentioned Flores in left field, Reese Havens at second and Cesar Puello in right.
Puello is seen by some scouts as a better prospect than Kirk Nieuwenhuis, while Baseball America doesn't seem to rank Lucas Duda or Fernando Martinez, both players with big league experience, that highly at all any more.
The fact is that the Mets haven't drafted particularly well over the last decade. Their high school picks have looked distinctly average, and until last year Angel Pagan, Jon Niese and Josh Thole had made little to no impact. Take that trio out of the equation and you're left with very limited success in first-rounders David Wright and Scott Kazmir.
Then consider that the Mets sent Kazmir to the Rays in exchange for Bartolome Fortunato and Victor Zambrano only to watch him rack up 55 wins over the next five seasons as a full-time starter, and things are even less rosy.
The junior college picks have been even less impressive and the four-year college picks are headlined by a pitcher with an ERA north of 5.00 (Bannister) and a batter who has 14 homers in 639 at-bats (Murphy).
With few high-level draft prospects in the system and even fewer legitimate All-Stars on the 40-man roster, 2011 does indeed predict as being tough.
That's okay though, because the Mets have the cash to bring in everybody they need to succeed, right?
I'll cheer for this team through thick and thin, but 2012 can't come soon enough.
Now I'm not saying there's not a good reason for this—payroll inflexibility, infield depth, Oliver Perez—but fans right now prefer to look to the future than the present.
Unfortunately, the Mets are just one of four teams that did not have a single prospect featured on Jonathan Mayo's Top 50 list, unveiled on Tuesday night.
Jenrry Mejia was ineligible for the list because he no longer has rookie status and Wilmer Flores came in at No. 58, on the bubble behind Rangers shortstop Jurickson Profar and pitching prospects Jarred Cosart (Phillies), Tyler Skaggs, (D-backs), Dellin Betances (Yankees) and Ethan Martin (Dodgers).
The Mets don't have the prospects or the farm system like the Rays or the Royals, but they're not playing them every day. So where do the other NL East teams rank in the list?
The Braves had three guys in the top 21, the Phillies had two prospects inside the top 30 including the fourth overall prospect Domonic Brown and the Nationals had Bryce Harper ranked at No. 3.
The Marlins, like the Mets, had no one in the top 50.
New York's biggest problem is that, other than Mejia, they have very few, if any, Major League-ready prospects. Mejia will start in Triple-A most likely, and there's a really good chance that the Mets will be fielding the same core at the position players for many years to come.
Baseball America predicts David Wright, Jose Reyes, Ike Davis, Josh Thole and Angel Pagan will all be in the Mets' starting lineup on Opening Day of 2014, with the previously-mentioned Flores in left field, Reese Havens at second and Cesar Puello in right.
Puello is seen by some scouts as a better prospect than Kirk Nieuwenhuis, while Baseball America doesn't seem to rank Lucas Duda or Fernando Martinez, both players with big league experience, that highly at all any more.
The fact is that the Mets haven't drafted particularly well over the last decade. Their high school picks have looked distinctly average, and until last year Angel Pagan, Jon Niese and Josh Thole had made little to no impact. Take that trio out of the equation and you're left with very limited success in first-rounders David Wright and Scott Kazmir.
Then consider that the Mets sent Kazmir to the Rays in exchange for Bartolome Fortunato and Victor Zambrano only to watch him rack up 55 wins over the next five seasons as a full-time starter, and things are even less rosy.
The junior college picks have been even less impressive and the four-year college picks are headlined by a pitcher with an ERA north of 5.00 (Bannister) and a batter who has 14 homers in 639 at-bats (Murphy).
With few high-level draft prospects in the system and even fewer legitimate All-Stars on the 40-man roster, 2011 does indeed predict as being tough.
That's okay though, because the Mets have the cash to bring in everybody they need to succeed, right?
I'll cheer for this team through thick and thin, but 2012 can't come soon enough.
Rick Carlisle, Baron Davis have words
Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle felt no need for elaboration or explanation after his exchange of expletives and dagger stares with Clippers guard Baron Davis.
"I'm not going to talk about that," Carlisle said after the Mavs' emotionally charged 112-105 win over the Clippers. "It was ... whatever."
Mavs' J.J. Barea had another word to describe the incident that resulted in double technical fouls: "Awesome."
It began when the pesky Barea baited Davis into an offensive foul near midcourt with 8:40 remaining in the fourth quarter and momentum firmly in the Mavs' grasp. Barea sensed Davis was frustrated that he didn't get a call the previous possession, felt him push off and responded by getting breath-smelling close to Davis' bearded grill.
As intended, Davis didn't appreciate that and wildly swung his elbow. Barea hit the hardwood like he'd been run over by a tank -- or at least Blake Griffin -- and was angrily accused by Davis of flopping. Barea, by the way, didn't exactly deny that charge after the game.
"I didn't have to go down, but when you get hit like that, you go down," Barea said with a grin. "It's basketball."
Things really got heated during the ensuing timeout. Carlisle wouldn't provide any details, but Davis offered his unique perspective on the exchange.
"He basically thought I took a cheap shot on Barea," Davis said, according to the Los Angeles Times. "Barea was flopping the whole night and he flopped on that play. So when Carlisle looked at me, 'That was a dirty play.'
"I was like, 'No it wasn't. This dude is flopping.' I guess he felt like he was protecting his player. So I told him to ... "
Davis acknowledged that he sprinkled in some colorful language as well. Carlisle certainly didn't back down, appearing ready to brawl with the brawny point guard, reflecting the Mavs' intensity during their defensively dominant second half.
"He started cussing me out," Davis said. "I told him, 'Go have some lunch.'"
Barea wasn't the only Mav who appreciated Carlisle's actions.
"I've got his back," big man Tyson Chandler said. "He's all right."
It didn't escalate past that point, but the coach's intensity clearly inspired the Mavs. They responded with a 10-0 run out of the break to turn a tight game into a blowout.
"Man, that's it. Guys see it and we get fired up from it," Jason Terry said. "This team has been looking for some personality. When it comes from your head coach, that's big. You know he has your back, but that's just another example of it."
Considering Carlisle's reputation for having a robotic personality and the rarity of coach-opposing player scraps, the outburst came as a pretty big surprise. At least to outsiders.
"Everybody thinks Rick is this calm-demeanor guy, no emotion," Terry said. "He shows tons of emotion and tonight was an example of that."
"I'm not going to talk about that," Carlisle said after the Mavs' emotionally charged 112-105 win over the Clippers. "It was ... whatever."
Mavs' J.J. Barea had another word to describe the incident that resulted in double technical fouls: "Awesome."
It began when the pesky Barea baited Davis into an offensive foul near midcourt with 8:40 remaining in the fourth quarter and momentum firmly in the Mavs' grasp. Barea sensed Davis was frustrated that he didn't get a call the previous possession, felt him push off and responded by getting breath-smelling close to Davis' bearded grill.
As intended, Davis didn't appreciate that and wildly swung his elbow. Barea hit the hardwood like he'd been run over by a tank -- or at least Blake Griffin -- and was angrily accused by Davis of flopping. Barea, by the way, didn't exactly deny that charge after the game.
"I didn't have to go down, but when you get hit like that, you go down," Barea said with a grin. "It's basketball."
Things really got heated during the ensuing timeout. Carlisle wouldn't provide any details, but Davis offered his unique perspective on the exchange.
"He basically thought I took a cheap shot on Barea," Davis said, according to the Los Angeles Times. "Barea was flopping the whole night and he flopped on that play. So when Carlisle looked at me, 'That was a dirty play.'
"I was like, 'No it wasn't. This dude is flopping.' I guess he felt like he was protecting his player. So I told him to ... "
Davis acknowledged that he sprinkled in some colorful language as well. Carlisle certainly didn't back down, appearing ready to brawl with the brawny point guard, reflecting the Mavs' intensity during their defensively dominant second half.
"He started cussing me out," Davis said. "I told him, 'Go have some lunch.'"
Barea wasn't the only Mav who appreciated Carlisle's actions.
"I've got his back," big man Tyson Chandler said. "He's all right."
It didn't escalate past that point, but the coach's intensity clearly inspired the Mavs. They responded with a 10-0 run out of the break to turn a tight game into a blowout.
"Man, that's it. Guys see it and we get fired up from it," Jason Terry said. "This team has been looking for some personality. When it comes from your head coach, that's big. You know he has your back, but that's just another example of it."
Considering Carlisle's reputation for having a robotic personality and the rarity of coach-opposing player scraps, the outburst came as a pretty big surprise. At least to outsiders.
"Everybody thinks Rick is this calm-demeanor guy, no emotion," Terry said. "He shows tons of emotion and tonight was an example of that."
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
'Hannah Montana' Coming to an End -- We Review Episodes We'd Like to Have Seen
If you hear the chokey echoes of a tortured mass sob reverberating around the world this Sunday, don't worry -- it's just the sound of tweens everywhere mourning the loss of small-screen icon 'Hannah Montana.'
After four years on TV, two movies, eight albums and an incalculable amount of glittery pink merchandise, the Disney Channel hit is ending its run.
Like many of her Disney contemporaries, the show's star, Miley Cyrus, has arguably become more famous in recent years for her behavior off-screen than for her on-camera parts, but she, too, was once a bright-eyed, buck-toothed young starlet making family-friendly fare with all of her clothes on.
So how will it end?
The New York Daily News reports that Hannah/Miley's big finale will center on her character's decision to either attend college or pursue a movie career. Only time will tell which choice she will make, but in the meantime, we review the episodes that should have made it to air.
1. "Look-Alike"
After many years spent skirting the issue, neighbors and acquaintances come clean about knowing that Miley and Hannah are the same person. "You put on a blonde wig and you expect us to forget what the rest of you looks like?" asks neighbor Mrs. Alvarez. "That stuff may have worked for Superman, but we're not idiots, Miley."
2. "Miley Gets a Cell Phone"
"Come on, let's just take a few photos, it'll be fun!" says her ex, Jake Ryan. "It's not like anybody's going to see them."
3. "Robby Ray Admits to Loving Miley More Than Jackson"
While Miley and her brother have previously debated the issue in the jocular way that siblings often do, dad Robby Ray admits Miley is the favorite when Jackson leaves the house a mess after a party. "I'm sorry, that's just the way it is," Robby tells Jackson. "She's been paying our bills since she was 14 and you're a 33-year-old who still lives at home. What did you expect?"
4. "Miley Seeks Treatment For Disturbing Dreams About Her Dead Mother"
Healthy grief takes many forms, but believing that you're talking to your long-deceased mother while caught in a time warp isn't one of them.
5. "Miley's Friends Procure Hallucinogens"
After trying some of an unknown substance obtained by her friends, Miley awakes to find her reality permanently altered. "Where's all my Hannah stuff? Where are my gold records?" she asks her father, quizzically. "Who's Hannah?" he replies.
After four years on TV, two movies, eight albums and an incalculable amount of glittery pink merchandise, the Disney Channel hit is ending its run.
Like many of her Disney contemporaries, the show's star, Miley Cyrus, has arguably become more famous in recent years for her behavior off-screen than for her on-camera parts, but she, too, was once a bright-eyed, buck-toothed young starlet making family-friendly fare with all of her clothes on.
So how will it end?
The New York Daily News reports that Hannah/Miley's big finale will center on her character's decision to either attend college or pursue a movie career. Only time will tell which choice she will make, but in the meantime, we review the episodes that should have made it to air.
1. "Look-Alike"
After many years spent skirting the issue, neighbors and acquaintances come clean about knowing that Miley and Hannah are the same person. "You put on a blonde wig and you expect us to forget what the rest of you looks like?" asks neighbor Mrs. Alvarez. "That stuff may have worked for Superman, but we're not idiots, Miley."
2. "Miley Gets a Cell Phone"
"Come on, let's just take a few photos, it'll be fun!" says her ex, Jake Ryan. "It's not like anybody's going to see them."
3. "Robby Ray Admits to Loving Miley More Than Jackson"
While Miley and her brother have previously debated the issue in the jocular way that siblings often do, dad Robby Ray admits Miley is the favorite when Jackson leaves the house a mess after a party. "I'm sorry, that's just the way it is," Robby tells Jackson. "She's been paying our bills since she was 14 and you're a 33-year-old who still lives at home. What did you expect?"
4. "Miley Seeks Treatment For Disturbing Dreams About Her Dead Mother"
Healthy grief takes many forms, but believing that you're talking to your long-deceased mother while caught in a time warp isn't one of them.
5. "Miley's Friends Procure Hallucinogens"
After trying some of an unknown substance obtained by her friends, Miley awakes to find her reality permanently altered. "Where's all my Hannah stuff? Where are my gold records?" she asks her father, quizzically. "Who's Hannah?" he replies.
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