Jake Gyllenhaal to present at Sunday's Tony's and a WDW London Interlude

If There Is.... might not have qualified for consideration for the prestigious Tony Awards, it being off Broadway and all, but that won't stop Jake Gyllenhaal from making an appearance! Jake has been announced as one of the award presenters along with a veritable array of stars from stage and screen. One could mention Zachary Quinto and Sigourney Weaver, for example. Also there will be Jake's End of Watch co-star Anna Kendrick. All in all a fun, starry event. More details here.

Thanks to IHJ for the photo from If There Is...

WDW London Interlude

Summer arrived this week and so I took a day off to head up to London, the City in particular. The main purpose was to revisit the Temple Church, an extraordinary 12th-century church, built by and for the Knights Templar. Interred within is perhaps the most famous of all medieval knights, William Marshal (the left effigy in the third photo below, that is his son William on the right). This is a figure who has fascinated me all my life and the visit was inspired by reading two novels about the Marshal which I reviewed for For Winter Nights. The church is round because it is modelled on the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, reaching which was the glorious ambition of these knights.

Otherwise, the day was filled with a long walk along both sides of the River, taking in the evolving architecture of the City of London.

London through the ages!

Trailer for Prisoners released - starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman

Are you sitting comfortably? Then prepare to move to the edge of your seat and chew those nails - the trailer for Prisoners starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman has been released and it is a thriller.



Things to note (obviously apart from the fine acting, cinematography and tension) - hair, tattoo, voice. A mix of Tommy and Robert? Interesting.... And did I say thrilling? What do you thing? Let me know in the comments.

Jake Gyllenhaal gets on his bike and a WDW historic interlude!

All is quiet on the Jake Gyllenhaal front. IMDb appears to confirm that Jake may well be appearing as Cinderella's Prince in Into the Woods (lucky Cinders) but otherwise Jake has been focusing on living his life in NYC. But he has been glimpsed and that was cycling about the city. Thanks to IHJ for the photo (taken on 23 May).

WDW historic interlude

In the absence of news, I thought I'd 'entertain' you with a few photos from our very hot and sunny Bank Holiday weekend. It's been raining persistently for days but kindly it decided to take a rest for the three-day holiday. The downside of this is that I now look like a giant red blushing lobster. The weekend had a historical theme, which meant it started off with Chedworth Roman Villa.

We then drove down the road to Hailes Abbey, a beautiful abbey that once housed a reliquary said to contain the blood of Christ. Cromwell had it tested, found it wanting and wreaked havoc on the buildings during the Reformation.

Next to the Abbey a small church, older than the Abbey, survives and it contains the most wonderful wall paintings.

The next day, we watched the famous Sealed Knot re-enactors redo the English Civil War  battle for Woodstock at Blenheim Palace (the site of the old palace of Woodstock during the Middle Ages). It's many years since I've spent a day cheering on Royalists and Roundheads (can never make up my mind between them) with the Sealed Knot. I can certainly vouch for their taste in real ale. It appears to give them the powers of eternal life - not one was killed and stayed killed...

It was then time for the really important business - cricket.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Chris Pine to go on a Disney Double Date Into the Woods? And Marvel rumours

The deal might not be done and dusted yet but, all going well, Jake Gyllenhaal will at last get that musical role that he's wanted for years. Hollywood Reporter informs us that Jake and Chris 'Spock! Spock!' Pine are in negotiations to appear as princely brothers in Disney's adaptation of Into the Woods, a Broadway musical. Both Jake and Chris have sung for the very lucky and fortunate director Rob Marshall and, not surprisingly, are expected to receive offers soon. 

Several things to note here. Jake would play the handsome prince who falls for Cinderella and manages to make her give up her life as scullery maid and slave to a wicked stepmother and persuades her to abandon her mouse friends in favour of a life of love and indulgence in a spaceship. Chris T Pine will seduce Rapunzel away from her alien hairy planet of heartache and knots and promise her a new life beside him on the bridge. Admittedly, I would set this in space, given the chance. Not in woods.

The title is a little worrying - Into the Woods. Does this mean that it's not Jake who will be hired but his hairy twin, Sasquatch? 

This role would also give Jake the opportunity to play against his Rendition-co-star-by-phone again, Meryl Streep, who gets the prize witch role. Johnny Depp will play a hungry, sexy wolf (there are several things up with that sentence). Jake and Chris will be 'brothers who are pompous and self-absorbed'.

Full details here. I knew that all those pop videos would pay off in the end...

All in all, this project sounds like a lot of fun for Jake and us alike, not least because Jake may have screen, even singing, time with Chris Pine who is Captain Kirk and that, for me, is swoonworthy. It doesn't sound like a big role for Jake so its filming date in the autumn would probably fit in well with Nightcrawlers which also has a start date around then and the completion, presumably, of Mississippi Grind. Jake was filmed boarding a private helicopter in NYC on 12 May (see photos) and while it can only be speculation it is possible that this was related to MG filming.

All of which sounds a lot more promising and exciting than the tweet that Jake met with Marvel this week with the associated rumours and murmurings that this may be something to do with Iron Man or Ant-Man (Edgar Wright's movie planned for 2015). My bets are hedged.

Thanks very much to IHJ for the new photos!

Watch Jake Gyllenhaal read Wilfred Owen for Words of War - video and images

On 8 May, Jake Gyllenhaal attended the Headline Project's Words of War event in NYC and took to the podium to read Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen, who died on the Front in 1918. You can read the verse of this beautiful poem here. You can also watch Jake read it here.



At the auction, Jake pledged a '$5,000 donation to go toward training efforts in EMDR, a specific kind of psychotherapy used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder'.

From the Wall Street Journal: 'Actor Jake Gyllenhaal, a friend of the Headstrong Project's chairman and executive director Zach Iscol, read a poem by World War I poet Wilfred Owen, after two other veterans, Gerardo Mena and Garrett Anderson, read their own work. "If I spoke for myself, it would do no service," said Mr. Gyllenhaal. "I'm an actor."'

Photos have also emerged of Jake at the Met Gala which took place on 6 May, including more photos of Jake with good friend Marcus Mumford. Vanity Fair has a funny little detail about last Sunday's Lucille Lortel Awards. '“Don’t cry when you lose!” a playful America Ferrera shouted to fellow nominee Jake Gyllenhaal moments before taking her seat'.

Thanks very much to IHJ for all these lovely pictures and especially for that wonderful video. There are lots more there from Jake's busy week.

Jake Gyllenhaal at the Lucille Lortel Awards and out and about in NYC. Plus a WDW Spring Interlude

Last night (5 May), the Lucille Lortel Awards took place at New York University's Skirball Center. Jake Gyllenhaal had a nomination for his role in If There Is.... but although he didn't win, the next best thing happened. Jake presented an award to his young co-star in the play, Annie Funke, who was hailed as best featured access for her role. Details here. One suspects Jake was very proud indeed.

Meanwhile, Jake has been seen out and about across NYC over the last few days. He was spotted out for a walk on 2 May with End of Watch co-star America Ferrera, who was also at the Lucille Lortel Awards, before later catching up with Marcus Mumford (photos here).America also attended the Lucille Lortel Awards. Later that evening, Jake attended The Great Gatsby after party with its leading lady Carey Mulligan (and wife of Marcus). Good to hear that also sitting at the same table was another co-star of Jake's, Tobey Maguire. This was the place to be. What a shame I live in Oxford and couldn't make it...

On 3 May, Jake was seen out for a walk with his mum Naomi.

Not all potential new movie news is good news. It turns out that we (and I would argue Jake) had a lucky escape. We hear this week that Jake was considered for a role in The Hangover, as was Lindsay Lohan. Takes a deep breath and exhales in relief. It was not meant to be.

Thanks very much to IHJ for the pics! There are plenty more there.

WDW Interlude

Finally, after the most horrible summer and winter on record, Spring has arrived in the UK! We've had two weeks of warm sunshine now and while more snow should not be ruled out it has meant that I've been escaping the four walls of work and home for the glorious, hay fevery countryside. Time for an interlude...

The Rollright Stones

The Roman villa hidden in the woods of Gloucestershire

Spring at the Cotswold Wildlife Park

 

May Day in Oxford

Spring in Avebury

Now you see me...

And now you don't.