Here's Billy! Southpaw and the Letterman Show

An image arrived on the internets this weekend (thanks to the Golden Globes Twitter feed) and it's enough to put anyone in a tizzy! Jake Gyllenhaal's physical transformation for Nightcrawler was followed by another physical transformation in completely the other direction for Southpaw. Jake must wonder if he's coming or going sometimes.... He must have different wardrobes for 'Thin Jake' and 'Jake with Muscles Jake'.



So, with no further ado, please meet Billy Hope! *gulps*

Further info at Flicks and Bits

Jake appeared on the Late Show with Letterman on 26 November. Here's the full interview:

Nightcrawler to close Fantastic Fest and a new interview with Jake Gyllenhaal

With Nightcrawler's premiere just two days away (it opens at Toronto International Film Festival in a gala on Friday 5 September), there is news that Nightcrawler will also close Fantastic Fest which takes place in Austin, Texas, from 18-25 September. Presumably and hopefully that will mean another red carpet event!

There is also a great new interview with Jake Gyllenhaal in Variety - this is probably the fullest interview we've seen with Jake for quite some time, and it's a goodie! There is more on the mirror hand cutting incident and lots on the Jake Coyoti Diet and Fitness Plan.

'"I would try to eat as few calories as possible,” he says. “I knew if I was hungry that I was in the right spot. Physically, it showed itself, but chemically and mentally, I think it was even a more fascinating journey. It became a struggle for me.” On some nights, he wouldn’t eat at all, or he’d only nibble on small pieces of meat, crackers or kale salad. “When you watch the film and see the angularity of his face, the hollow cheeks, the way that his eyes become prominent,” Gilroy says, “it’s such a haunting look for a night shoot.” Gyllenhaal would run 15 miles from his house to the set in the evenings to stay lanky. The inspiration for the fast-talking character came from the animal world. “There was a general sense that he was a coyote,” Gyllenhaal says. “I just wanted to live that way.”'

It is also fascinating to hear about Jake's preparation to play his Southpaw boxing character - extraordinary dedication. I can't help hoping that sooner or later Jake will get the chance to play a character having a lovely, relaxing holiday.

'“As an actor, you’re constantly true to your feelings and the feelings of a character,” he says. “The most interesting moments are always the most unexpected. I’m not saying it’s a positive thing to get hurt and have to get stitches in your hand. But to me, the scar is about a certain type of commitment.”'

Read the full interview here. Thanks to IHJ for the Nightcrawler publicity shots!

Catch up: Jake Gyllenhaal turns Pittsburgh into NYC and Maggie is an Honourable Woman

Good to see you all! I'm back from one lovely long holiday in Cornwall (having returned looking like a radioactive lobster) and now getting ready for another jaunt to Rome. Jake Gyllenhaal is working through his summer, with shooting continuing on Pittsburgh into next month at least.

This report from Pittsburgh shows how the city is being transformed into NYC, complete with billboard posters of Jake's - or Hope's - next fight:

'The former Saks building is being turned into Madison Square Garden for the movie featuring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams, 50 Cent, and Lupita Nyong’o. A banner advertising “the light heavyweight championship” boxing match between Gyllenhaal’s Billy Hope and another boxer hung outside the building. New York City taxi cabs and police cars were also seen on Smithfield Street. The film is shooting in Pittsburgh through early August. The film previously shot in Indiana, Pa., in June.'

If you want to be an extra, there may still be time!

Maggie is making a bit of a splash on British small screens at the moment with the well-received The Honourable Woman. To mark its screening, Maggie was interviewed in the Guardian with this, less that controversial, comment about Jake: 'Understandably, Gyllenhaal discourages speculation about sibling rivalry. "He's one of my best friends and I really adore him,"' Incidentally, Maggie's English accent in The Honourable Woman is impeccable.

Thanks to IHJ for the new stills from Enemy. I love these posters.

I hope you're all having a good summer/winter!

Jake Gyllenhaal stars with Beyonce and Jay-Z and says goodbye to the long hair and beard! Plus movie news

Barely a year goes by without Jake Gyllenhaal making an appearance in a music video and 2014 is proving no different. Jake has been seen frequently in the company of Beyonce and Jay-Z and so it was a pleasant surprise to see him also pop up in the promotional video for their upcoming 'Run' tour.

The video also features WDW favourite Emmy Rossum, a fine singer in her own right. You can watch the video here.



But the big news is that Jake has decided to part company with the long hair and shaggy beard, as can be seen in the photos of him shopping in NYC yesterday! He's also back to chewing the headphone lead - just like the old days. Pap photos are no longer posted here so just follow the links.

The extensive barbering means that Everest is finished but there is more movie news this week. Nightcrawler has been picked up at Cannes by Open Road, which is also looked after End of Watch so well.

Finally, this weekend, if you're in the neighbourhood of Indiana, why not audition to be in Southpaw alongside Jake, or more precisely cheering him on from the other side of the ropes? Details here. Filming then moves on to Pittsburgh, the home, of course, of Love and Other Drugs. This might give Jake the chance to brush off that tattoo...

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!

Jake Gyllenhaal and Salma Hayek at the LACMA Art and Film Gala and an attachment to Southpaw

Quite a bit of news this week. Firstly, Jake Gyllenhaal attended Saturday's LACMA Art and Film Gala in LA which celebrated the work of two masters - Martin Scorsese and David Hockney. Thanks very much to IHJ for the photo.

The movie news is that Jake has been attached to Southpaw, a boxing drama to be directed by Training Day's Anthony Fuqua. The Wrap tells us:

'If the deal gets signed, Gyllenhaal will play 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 his young daughter. While the film is set against the backdrop of the boxing ring, Fuqua previously told the Los Angeles Times that “the heart of the movie is about a man learning to be a father.”... “Southpaw” is expected to start production next year.'

Any thoughts? I enjoy watching boxing movies - including those about ex-boxers having to put their lives back together - almost as much as I enjoy Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve. I'll be interested to see what happens to this.