As WDW hits 7 years old, a catch up with Jake Gyllenhaal and an Italian and Welsh Interlude!

Today is the 7th birthday of Wet Dark and Wild! No longer a toddler, it's definitely moved on to the gin and tonic phase, especially if you consider that blog years are like dog years. They do rhyme, after all. As it is the anniversary, there's no better time than to catch up with Jake Gyllenhaal.

First off, thanks to IHJ, we can see scans of Jake on location for Everest in the June issue of Empire. I love this photo of Jake. Do click on them and they shall be embiggened.

With Everest in the bag, albeit a delayed and we might get to see it eventually bag, Jake is now moving onto other things and at the heart of it all appears to be Southpaw. Jake is in training mode, which can be seen by recent sightings and photos of him at the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas and at a boxing match. You can see more of these over at IHJ. I do have to say, though, that this is not a role, or a look, that warms the cockles of my heart.

Jake has found the time for other more relaxing pursuits, including dinner with sister Maggie in Santa Monica (I love Maggie's new hairdo) and a trip out to watch old favourites Arcade Fire on 21 April in West Hollywood. Jake looked seriously peeved to be papped so let's leave it with a link.

WDW Italian and Welsh Interludes!

I have been quiet of late due to a) holidaying in Italy and Wales and b) due to eating too many Easter malteser chocolate bunnies. I promised an Italian Interlude in the last post but I was waylaid by Wales, which was beautiful and warm and sunny by day but by night, in a tent, was so cold it introduced a touch of hypothermia to my sunstroke. I thought I'd share a few photos, first Italy (Campania - Naples, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Paestum, Amalfi Coast) and second Wales. I would normally say you'd be able to spot the difference but we visited for the first time on a fabulously sunny day the curious Welsh-Italian coastal town of Portmeirion - better known to me at least as home to The Prisoner - 'I am not a number!' and all that.....

 

Wales...

I hope you all had a good Easter break!

Jake Gyllenhaal in conversation with Colm Toíbín and is there to be a Source Code 2?

I'm back! And with a nose suitably roasted by the southern Italian sun. I hope you've all had a good week. Things have been quiet in Gyllenism while I've been away but my eye was immediately caught by this news:

On 1 May at 7pm, Jake Gyllenhaal will be joining Booker nominated author Colm Toíbín as part of Columbia University's Year of James Baldwin celebrations. The event, which is free and open to all, takes place in NYC. You can find full details of where and how to attend here. Columbia University is, of course, Jake's old stomping ground and it's good to see him maintain the links despite his F for dinosaur studies. With my book review hat on, it's also great to hear of Jake discussing literature with Toíbín.

Talking of going back in time, there is news this week that Source Code 2 might be on the cards. The Tracking Board tells us: 'It’s recently been confirmed that Vendome Pictures and the Mark Gordon Company are producing SOURCE CODE 2, a sequel to the original film that starred Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Monaghan. The sequel has been highly anticipated, as many fans loved the first film, but felt it was rather open-ended. How many answers the sequel will provide is of course the question, and writer Ben Ripley is slated to return to the project.... There is still no word yet on whether Gyllenhaal or Monaghan will return in any capacity, but the original film’s somewhat open ending could lend to that possibility. With all the alternate time-lines and plot twists, anything could be augmented to allow them small roles.' There also appears to be no word on whether this would be something Duncan Jones would be interested in doing. But all sounds interesting.

Finally, The Boxing Drama seems to be taking off. There is news that Forest Whitaker may be about to sign up for Southpaw alongside Jake. Forest would play 'Titus "Tick" Willis, forced to retire from the ring after losing an eye and now working as a trainer of amateur fighters'. Jake is playing 'Billy “The Great” Hope, a left-handed prizefighter who wins a title but suffers a tragedy soon after and must put his life back together to earn the respect of young daughter'. Details here. Jake recently appeared in a roundtable with Forest (among others), following their appearance together in the Jamie Foxx video Blame It all those moons ago (in the days of The Hat).

This post comes with a warning that I may well be adding a WDW Italian Interlude to it later today!