Deadline is reporting that Benicio Del Toro has signed on to play Jack Garcia (pictured right) in Making Jack Falcone. Del Toro will reunite with Che director Steven Soderbergh and writer Peter Buchman for the film that follows the Cuban-born agent as he pretends to be Italian and take down 39 members of New York’s Gambino Crime family. Buchman has written the script while Soderbergh will strictly produce. No director has been attached yet. Deadline has a good look at the chameleon efforts Del Toro will have to accomplish below. Read the full story

In this episode of the The Film Stage podcast Jordan Raup and Dan Mecca are joined by Conor O’Donnell and Joe Blodgett to discuss Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island. We also talk about Die Hard 5, Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion and the BAFTA Awards. You can stream the episode below or download it here. (right click + save as…) Read the full story

The release of Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island marks Leonardo DiCaprio and the renowned director’s fourth film together after The Aviator, Gangs of New York, and The Departed. In honor of the duo, here are my top ten Director/Actor collaborations over the years of cinema. Read the full story

Deadline is now reporting (with little information) that Steven Soderbergh’s virus thriller, Contagion has been picked up by Warner Brothers, with Summit losing the bid in the end. Gwyneth Paltrow was recently added to the already elaborate cast of Kate Winslet, Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard, and Jude Law. The story written by Scott Z. Burns, takes place over 4 continents and is described as a Traffic meets Outbreak virus film. Read the full story

As Scott Z. Burns‘ (The Informant!) virus thriller screenplay Contagion continues to be shopped around the studios, it’s apparently gotten another star member attached: Gwyneth Paltrow. But is it enough of a reason for these treading companies to finally bite? The cast is already pretty auspicious.

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One of the most discussed aspects of Steven Soderbergh’s 2008 film Che was its use of the RED One Digital Cinema camera. What perked interest was the great picture and clarity a filmmaker could derive from the device, and in a format (digital) that had before been heavily debated in terms of usefulness and picture quality. No matter what you may think of it as a film, Che looks great, and Soderbergh has embraced the camera system along with many of his peers. Read the full story

Steven Soderbergh has to be one of the busiest filmmakers in Hollywood. After the 4.5 hour epic Che in 2008, The Girlfriend Experience and The Informant! last year, the documentary And Everything Is Going Fine and the currently filming Knockout this year, he has yet another project. Deadline reports the action/thriller is titled Contagion and Kate Winslet, Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard, and Jude Law are all attached. I remember hearing about the project on the Creative Screenwriting podcast last fall, where screenwriter Scott Z. Burns described it as Traffic meets Outbreak virus film. It is reported that the project will be shopped around soon to studios. The Playlist says the ‘terrifying’ story takes place over four continents. What about his long rumored Liberace? It will film in “early 2011 with Michael Douglas and Matt Damon still on board.” Read the full story

It’s being reported by The Playlist that Dennis Quaid (G.I. Joe, Legion) had to drop out of Steven Soderbergh’s Knockout due to scheduling problems.  Dennis Quaid is off to to film Soul Surfer in Hawaii next week which is about Bethany Hamilton. Read the full story

After the release of both The Girlfriend Experience and The Informant! this year, Steven Soderbergh is getting ready to premiere his new film, And Everything is Going Fine at Slamdance this year (it’s like Sundance, but, well, not), and is a documentary on Spalding Grey, former actor, playwright, screenwriter and public speaker, who committed suicide in 2004. He was previously the subject of Soderbergh’s 1996 feature Gray’s Anatomy, dramatizing a monologue given by Gray. Not much else has been said on the film, only its subject and documentary style. Read the full story

Warner Bros. Pictures | US | 108 mins

Warning: This review contains minor spoilers.

Director Steven Soderbergh is one of the most renowned filmmakers working today, so when a film of his comes out, pure excitement ensues. The Informant! completely lives up to that excitement, easily one of the funniest films of the year. It’s, in many ways, a dark and intelligent spoof of espionage films. The film pokes fun at many aspects featured in noir and conspiracy thriller films. It covers everything from recorded conversations to bugged phone lines. This is one of Soderbergh’s more successful commercial films and while the Ocean series was very entertaining, none of those films are on this level. 

Mark Whitacre (played by Matt Damon) is an up-and-coming Midwestern company man who works for a corn company called Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), a job that he takes much pride in. After being blackmailed by a foreign company, Whitacre gets involved with the FBI. Soon he’s telling them all the company’s dirty secrets, including illegal practices like price fixing. Soon he finds himself working as a mole with the help of two nice guy FBI agents, played by Scott Bakula and Joel McHale. Whitacre in return is playing his own game of espionage — turning against the company he truly loves. Read the full story