Here comes the fantastic new poster for “August: Osage County”, highlighting the disfunctional Weston family at its best. The film will be shown at the 2013 Houston Cinema Arts Festival, before its slated to be released on December 25th. This article on its Houston premiere also has a nice quote by Julia Roberts on the film’s making: “I’ve never worked so hard in my life – and I’ve given birth to three children. We would work all day and go home and shower, and then all run to Meryl’s house and start practicing for the next day. Because you had to have that momentum going really about 19 or 20 hours of the day or else it would just leave you. And it was the best acting experience of my life.”

Some rather odd news by The Mirror, let’s see how this turns out. According to them, Paul McCartney is currently shooting a music video for his new single Queenie Eye in London’s Abbey Road Studios, which will boast celebrity cameos. While the article focuses mostly on Johnny Depp and Kate Moss appearing in the video, it also has the following quote: I’m told: “There were a whole host of celebrities taking part. It was a really mixed bunch. Meryl Streep and Gary Barlow were in the studio, and there was an audience on set. But the big talking point was Kate and Johnny.” It wouldn’t be surprising though, since both Meryl and Johnny were in London shooting “Into the Woods” – and Meryl has revealed her love for the Beatles when she presented Paul McCartney with his Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 1990. Many thanks to Glenn for the news.

A scan from the October 14 issue of US weekly has been added to the gallery, featuring a full page article on the recent making of “Into the Woods”. Besides a big spot for Meryl’s witch, there are more pictures of her co-stars Emily Blunt (who plays the Baker’s Wife), Anna Kendrick and Chris Pine (who play Cinderella and her prince) in costume. Click on the preview to view the article. Many thanks to Claudia for contributing the scan. The issue of US Weekly is on newsstands now.

The cast of August: Osage County will receive the Hollywood Ensemble Acting Award at the 17th annual Hollywood Film Awards, the first awards show of the 2013 season, on Oct. 21 at the Beverly Hilton, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. John Wells’ big-screen adaptation of Tracy Letts’ Tony- and Puliter Prize-winning play features a star-studded cast, including Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Julianne Nicholson, Juliette Lewis, Dermot Mulroney, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Margo Martindale, Abigail Breslin, Sam Shepard and Misty Upham. August’s producers include George Clooney and Grant Heslov, who also produced last year’s best picture Oscar winner, Argo. Many thanks to Glenn for the heads-up.

Another big batch of magazine scans have been added, with many thanks to my friend Alvaro for contributing them. The articles range from 1980 and 2012 and come from the USA, UK, Ireland, France, Poland, Spain, Brazil and the Netherlands. You can launch the new galleries by clicking on the previews below or use the complete list below the images. Enjoy reading.

Image Library – Magazine Scans – 2012 – Gala Magazine (France, October 2012)
Image Library – Magazine Scans – 2012 – Telestar (France, September 2012)
Image Library – Magazine Scans – 2012 – Telestar (France, February 2012)
Image Library – Magazine Scans – 2012 – Le Figaro (France, February 2012)
Image Library – Magazine Scans – 2008 – Tele Magazyn (Poland, June 2008)
Image Library – Magazine Scans – 1996 – My Famili Y Yo (Spain, March 1996)
Image Library – Magazine Scans – 1996 – Ladies’ Home Journal (USA, January 1996)
Image Library – Magazine Scans – 1992 – Claudia Magazine (Brazil, January 1992)
Image Library – Magazine Scans – 1992 – RTE Guide (Ireland, June 1992)
Image Library – Magazine Scans – 1988 – Telerama (France, August 1988)
Image Library – Magazine Scans – 1988 – Photoplay (United Kingdom, June 1988)
Image Library – Magazine Scans – 1986 – Claudia Magazine (Brazil, August 1986)
Image Library – Magazine Scans – 1980 – Story Magazine (Netherlands, June 1980)

Entertainment Weekly has a present for us today: She’s not nice, she’s just right, she’s the witch. Check out the first photo of Meryl Streep as The Witch in the upcoming film version of the Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine musical Into the Woods. Rob Marshall is directing the film, which started production this week in the U.K. In the photo, Streep takes on a terrifying yet high-style version of the character, which was originated by Bernadette Peters on Broadway in 1987, complete with yellowing talon-like nails and a feathery frock.

But no one is alone. The musical is a twisted fairy tale featuring a number of classic characters including Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack (of beanstalk fame), and Little Red Riding Hood, all connected by The Witch’s powers. Streep joins Johnny Depp (as the Wolf), Anna Kendrick (as Cinderella), Chris Pine (as Cinderella’s Prince), and Emily Blunt (as the Baker’s Wife) in the film, which is scheduled for a Christmas 2014 release. That’s a lot of midnights away, but it looks like it will be worth the wait. Thanks to everyone for the heads-up.

Well, not the first names you imagine as favorite upcoming co-stars, but it gives “The Giver” a new dimension of attention. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Katie Holmes and Taylor Swift have closed a deal to join Meryl Streep and Jeff Bridges in The Giver, a drama from The Weinstein Co. and Walden Media that’s being directed by Phillip Noyce. Brenton Thwaites is the young star of the sci-fi project, which tells of a society in which there is no conflict, racism or sickness. Thwaites plays a young boy who is selected for his life service as the Receiver of Memories and works with The Giver (Bridges), an old man who teaches the boy to use his unique gifts of the senses. Streep is the society’s Chief Elder, an authoritative and antagonistic woman who assigns the young their tasks. Holmes will play Thwaites’ mother, a strict obeyer of the laws that govern what is described as an antiseptic society. The movie, which is eyeing a budget of around $25 million, is being produced by Nikki Silver of Tonik Productions along with Neil Koenigsberg and Bridges. A shoot in South Africa is being planned, although it is likely that Steep will shoot her scenes in England, where she is filming Disney’s Into the Woods. Many thanks to Glenn for the heads-up.

A theatrical release date for “The Giver” has been set by the Weinstein Company, according to this source: Way back in 2008, David Yates was set to direct an adaptation of Lois Lowry’s children’s novel and Newbery Medal winner, “The Giver” after helming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, but he instead decided to tackle the two-part finale, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, setting the project back several years. Now the film is in the hands of The Weinstein Co. and director Philip Noyce, and the studio has just set an August 15, 2014 release for the feature. The Giver will star Meryl Streep, Jeff Bridges and soon-to-be-star Brenton Thwaites whose 2014 not only includes this film, but a lead role in Michael Bay’s Transformers: Age of Extinction and Maleficent opposite Angelina Jolie. The story centers on Jonas (Brenton Thwaites), a young boy aged 12, from a seemingly utopian, futuristic world, is singled out to receive special training from The Giver (Bridges), who alone holds the memories of the true joys and pain of life. Streep plays the story’s chief elder, the authoritarian charged with keeping order in the society, order which is disrupted when Jonas is chosen to receive details of the past, before society conformed to a level of “sameness”. Thanks to Frank and Glenn for the heads-up.

UMass Lowell announced Thursday that Meryl Streep will be the latest guest for the Chancellor’s Speaker Series. The Academy Award-winning actress will appear at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell on Wednesday, Feb. 5. The event will benefit student scholarships and will be co-sponsored by the UML English Department’s Theatre Arts Program and the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Streep follows in the footsteps of author Steven King, who drew a crowd of 3,000 to the Tsongas Center at the inaugural Speaker Series event last December. Ticket and program information have not been released yet. For more information, visit their official website.

With many thanks to my friend Alvaro, new scans from 2013 have been added to the image library. There’s Entertainment’s Weekly Fall Preview article on “August: Osage County” as well as a first cover for this year, coming from the Brazilian magazine Lola (March 2013). Enjoy the new scans.