Jake lines up Film No 3? and Jake in London goes out of his comfort zone

Another week, another project, and it seems like no time at all since some of us were concerned that there didn't seem to be any new movie lined up after Rendition. Now we have two and possibly three! A short time ago, the rumour resurfaced that IMGlobal had reawakened Nailed and that Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Biel were both attached to it. Possibly, demonstrating that there is no smoke without fire, these rumours are catching hold today, spurred on by an article in the Hollywood Reporter.


'Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Biel are attached to star in the risque political satire "Nailed." David O. Russell is attached to direct and co-write the screenplay with Al Gore's daughter, Kristin Gore. Biel would play Sammy Joyce, a socially awkward small-town receptionist who has a nail accidentally shot into her head by a clumsy workman, eliciting wild sexual urges.

'The uninsured Joyce goes on a crusade to Washington to fight for the rights of the bizarrely injured. She meets an immoral congressman (Gyllenhaal) who takes advantage of her sex drive and capitalizes on her crusade as Joyce heads into her own career in politics. Red Wagon Entertainment ("Jarhead") and Persistent Entertainment ("Southland Tales") are slated to produce the project. Preproduction is set to begin in two weeks, aiming for a January start date for principal photography.


'Neither star has a signed contract for the film, which is being presold by IM Global at the American Film Market. Their commitment could depend on juggling other features: Gyllenhaal recently was set to star in Doug Liman's untitled Moon project for DreamWorks and Jim Sheridan's "Brothers" with Tobey Maguire for Relativity Media. Biel is slated to star in and produce the crime thriller "Die a Little" for United Artists.'

The idea of an entire movie containing scenes similar to That Scene in Rendition, is quite possibly more than I can take. Jake clearly has a busy time ahead, whether he does sign the contract for Nailed or not. If the shooting for Nailed is scheduled for January, which surely would place it straight after Brothers, then one wonders where the Moon Project (which Jake has confirmed he is doing) will fit in. But fingers crossed - the idea of three films in quick succession is enough to put a smile on my face. Nailed has captured the imagination of the media today and I can understand why.


Jake's London interview on Virgin Radio

When Jake was in London for Jonathan Ross and the promotion of Rendition, he appeared on Virgin Radio, for which Jake was interviewed by Adrian Hieatt. Here is the link to listen to the interview, which I hugely enjoyed, and I hope it works for everyone - I know that there can be trouble with audio links from both sides of the pond, here are the highlights, which includes real hope for the people of London (and surely provides me with an excellent excuse to post some London Jake pictures).

On the point of movies: 'I think educating a audience should be left to those videos we see in class... I think movies themselves essentially have to be entertaining and tell stories about human beings. But I think it's important that within these stories that there's something that you can connect to. When you walk outside and you say 'Wow, I see that differently'. I think that's what the human experience should be about - learning something and experiencing it differently. Walking in somewhere and walking out a different person, with a different point of view, or the same person with a stronger point of view than what you had when you walked in. That's what hopefully this movie does'.


On filming in Morocco: 'It wasn't too crazy. I walked into North Africa thinking it would be more of a dangerous place and it ended up being one of the nicest, kindest places I'd ever been to in my life and I've been to some really nice places, which was a surprise to me. There's so much fear and paranoia around areas of the world like that and particularly from an American standpoint, and I think that people feel very strongly about American - and I think British at this point too, I'm sorry to clump you into that - and I think that there's a lot of anger around the world about the way people feel like we've behaved and it was wonderful to see that there's a lot of love still out there! And I had an incredible time, an incredible time.'


On going outside of his comfort zone: 'I think there are dangerous places in the world, places that people shouldn't go, but it's always been taught to me that you need to go byond what you know in order to become who you are. And that includes inside of yourself and also includes outside of yourself and yeah - shooting a movie. Everyone says you didn't work with Meryl Streep, Reese Witherspoon, Alan Arkin, Peter Sarsgaard and I say I worked with some of the most extraordinary Israeli and Arab actors that are around and their faces might not be on the posters of this movie - which is an interesting thing to question also - but they are nonetheless amazing people and I would never have learned that or had that perspective if I hadn't gone out of my comfort zone. And so I challenged myself to do that and everyone I know to do that.'


On coming back to London: 'I hope so. I'm really pretty bummed out that I'm only here for a short time. It's really one of my favourite places so, whether or not I'm doing something on the West End or making a movie here - which I hope to be doing soon - I will be back very soon.'

Hmmm, maybe one of these new films is scheduled to shoot in London...

Video of Jake at the Staples Center

To go along with the pictures of shaven Jake at the Staples Center in LA, there is now a video to go aong with them, and it is good to see Jake having a laugh. And now that the beard is gone, we can actually get the full force of the Gyllensmile.


Includes pictures from IHJ.

Have a good, safe Guy Fawkes Night!