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Friends with Kids Poster: Bridesmaids Revisited

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Jennifer Westfeldt wrote, directed and stars in Friends with Kids (check out the trailer) and her cast is anchored by four Bridesmaids veterans. The film’s new poster showcases her stellar cast that includes Maya Rudolph, Kristen Wiig, Jon Hamm (Westfeldt’s real life boyfriend) and Chris O’Dowd. Those Bridesmaids stars are joined by Megan Fox, plus Parks and Rec’s Adam Scott.

Friends with Kids Poster 2
The film, to be released March 9, explores the comic complexity that is what happens to a group of friends when children enter the picture.

Hamm and Wiig play newlyweds who cannot keep their hands off of each other. O’Dowd and Rudolph are a set of parents who have to manage their social life with children, and Westfeldt and Scott are best buds who decide to become parents without getting into a relationship. How this all plays out will certainly be funny, touching and clever in the hands of Westfeldt and her cast.


The Hunger Games: Cast, Director Reveal Nine Secrets

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The cast and director of The Hunger Games, Gary Ross, recently got the front page treatment by The Hollywood Reporter. The most striking aspect of the entire piece is nine secrets of the highly anticipated film.

Hunger Games: Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss
1. All three leads are required by contract to do all three movies in Suzanne Collins’ trilogy.
Guaranteeing congruency in the series, Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth will be part of all three films.

2. Jennifer Lawrence took three days to say yes to role of Katniss.
Although a slew of other actresses publically lobbied for the role including Shailene Woodley (The Descendants) and Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) it still took Lawrence 72 hours to decide she wanted to do the film.

3. 100-degree heat wasn’t the only threat to everyone’s health on the set, there were bear sightings!
There was a contingent of bears living near the set, 300 at final count. Although the searing North Carolina heat took its toll, the presence of the bears was almost more frightful to cast and crew.

4. Director Ross had to fight harder for The Hunger Games directing than for anything prior in his career.
Ross has never helmed a film that didn’t come from his own mind, such as Pleasantville. So, producers wondered if he’d be up for the gig of bringing someone else’s vision to life.

5. Lawrence’s salary for the first film is paltry compared to some big budget pictures.
The film’s star is earning $500,000, much less than most would think for a film that is practically guaranteed to earn a billion dollars.

6. Remember that Lawrence on set accident? It almost ended Hunger Games production.
Lawrence was almost complete with her six week training for her role as Katniss. She was doing wall runs (where you run full speed at a wall in order to get the momentum going enough to scale it) when she ran face first into it. Initially, it was thought she broke her spleen. Luckily, it was just badly bruised.

7. The movie’s final total cost
Lionsgate was quite tight with the budget for the film that is sure to be a blockbuster. They had initially hoped to make it for $60 million, but with special effects shots, the budget swelled to a final tally of $90 million. We predict they make that back in the first weekend.
 
8. Liam Hemsworth’s brother informed him he had to lose weight in order to be a believable Gale.
"My brother Chris texted me before shooting and told me to lose weight,” Hemsworth told THR. “He said, 'It's called The Hunger Games, not The Eating Games!’”

9. Although they are out promoting it already, the cast of the film has yet to see the film.
It seems that everyone, even those who worked on it, will be kept in the dark a little longer.

Surprise! G.I. Joe Retaliation Super Bowl Trailer Premieres Early

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The Super Bowl trailer for G.I. Joe: Retribution has arrived early and Movie Fanatic has it in all its glory. Channing Tatum is back as the film’s lead, but he is joined by action superstars Dwayne Johnson and Bruce Willis. Audiences get a slew of new visuals in addition to what was seen in the first trailer.

Who needs to wait for the big game to check out the biggest trailers? Not when you follow Movie Fanatic! Just this morning we premiered the Super Bowl trailer for The Dictator.

The Innkeepers Exclusive: Sara Paxton and Ti West's Haunted House Horror

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The Innkeepers star Sara Paxton and writer-director Ti West have crafted an instant classic haunted house horror film. The movie lands in theaters February 3 and the pair sat down recently with Movie Fanatic for an exclusive video interview exploring the making of the film and how they got their spook on.

The film follows Paxton’s Claire and Pat Healy’s Luke, who work at the Yankee Peddler Inn -- one of New England’s oldest. The hotel is closing after the weekend and the duo are convinced that the establishment is haunted and will prove it before the doors close for good.

West tells us that he came up with the idea for The Innkeepers while filming his last work, The House of the Devil. “We all felt that the house we filmed in was haunted and it really inspired me,” the director said.

We roll out our review of the film February 3, but we can tell you this: It is a welcome surprise in the horror sub-genre of the haunted house film.

21 Jump Street to Premiere at SXSW

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South by Southwest (SXSW) has announced the three films that will headline the film portion of the annual festival. The Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill-starring 21 Jump Street will serve as the centerpiece film of the series, with Will Ferrell’s Casa de mi Padre and Chris Hemsworth’s Cabin in the Woods also getting their premieres at the Austin, Texas fest.

Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill in 21 Jump Street
In a statement to the press, SXSW spoke to why 21 Jump Street, Casa de mi Padre and Cabin in the Woods will serve as their main films. “The 2012 lineup continues the SXSW tradition of celebrating ambitious experimentation with risk takers both in front of and behind the camera, and a deep immersion into cultural touchstones,” the statement said.

During the festival, over 130 features will screen. They include documentaries, shorts and full length films that will soon be hitting a screen near you.

Big Miracle Exclusive: Dermot Mulroney Talks Larger Than Life Tale

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Dermot Mulroney is having a rare moment for an actor. Two of his movies will be in theaters at the same time: The Grey and Big Miracle. Mulroney sat down with Movie Fanatic for an exclusive chat about Big Miracle, the touching true story of a group of whales trapped beneath the Alaskan Arctic ice and how the world rallies to set them free.

Dermot Mulroney in Big Miracle
Mulroney stars in Big Miracle with Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski as a Colonel in the National Guard who is charged with the dangerous task of bringing an ice barge hundreds of miles to where the whales are trapped in an effort to break the ice and allow the whales to swim free. The actor was most struck at the layers of trueness in the true story, especially how his real life character fell in love and married an aide to President Reagan sent to the area to provide support from the White House.

The actor, soon to be seen on New Girl (check out his thoughts on joining Zooey Deschanel on the hit show), tells us the thrill of being in two movies in theaters, working with his idols including Paul Newman and how lately, he has a penchant for films that take place in Alaska!

Movie Fanatic: What’s it like when you have two movies coming out so close together?

Dermot Mulroney: In all the years I’ve been doing it, I don’t think I’ve ever had two in the theaters at the same time [laughs]. This is even more peculiar because they’re both good. And it’s even more peculiar because they’re both Northern, mammal movies. So it is a strange coincidence. But heck, I think it’s great news -- that way people can get a double shot of me and then go back to their lives.

Movie Fanatic: The character you play has actually passed away but you did talk to his widow. How did those conversations help enlighten you?

Dermot Mulroney: The most striking moment was when I first met her. It was the strangest platonic version of what it must have felt like when she first met Tom Carroll. In other words, there was just this strange connection between us, instantly. For her, obviously it was because she was anticipating meeting the actor who was going to play her late husband. She’s an amazing woman. She went on to found an organization (TAPS, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) that honors and is a resource organization for survivors of military families, including non-combat deaths in military families, like hers.

Movie Fanatic: How did you picture this guy without being able to talk to him and get firsthand intel, as they say in the military?

Dermot Mulroney: As I was reading the screenplay, I thought he was kind of a tough guy, military guy and pilot. The story about him stays completely real and there’s an intensity to it. I was also drawn to the story in that it’s about whales, Native Americans, oil and then suddenly there’s this romance across the continent. It’s really impacting. The experience of pulling that story off was great.

Movie Fanatic: How was filming in Alaska? The Grey also takes place there.

Dermot Mulroney: We didn’t shoot The Grey in Alaska, it takes place there but we shot that in Vancouver and Smithers, British Columbia. If only, that would have been the true trifecta! I also did a movie called Beyond, Jon Voight stars in it, that takes place and was shot in Anchorage right after Big Miracle. So I did three Alaskan movies, so it goes without saying I have very, very warm feelings for a very cold place. Alaska will forever be one of my favorite spots. In Alaska, they don’t say you’re from the continental United States, they don’t say you’re from the lower 48, they say you’re from the outside. So if you’re not from Alaska, you’re from the outside. And that’s just colloquial, it’s not like they’re even making a point. That’s just how they say it.

Movie Fanatic: Is there someone you can point to in your long career as an inspiration for you?

Ted Danson and Dermot Mulroney in Big Miracle
Dermot Mulroney: I have a lot to choose from that’s why it’s a tough question. Two people come to mind, one’s Paul Newman, the other’s Robert Altman, partly because they’ve both died since. I like old guys, I always have. I’ve always gotten along with men of that generation. But I got to be real, genuine friends with both of them too which doesn’t always happen on films. You’ll be great friends while making the movie, then everyone kind of goes their separate ways. But Bob tucked me under his wing and included me in his family barbeques and other film premieres and asked me to join in music events. Paul was the same way. We made a movie Where the Money Is. We remained friends until his death. He was such a dignified man, that’s what I learned from him -- be kind to everyone, be on a first name basis, be punctual, prepared and not have a lazy bone in your body.

The Hunger Games: Katniss and Cinna Picture!

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Jennifer Lawrence and Lenny Kravitz are seen in an embrace from the latest still to be released from The Hunger Games. Rolling Stone premiered the image that features Lawrence’s Katniss and Kravitz’s Cinna in an emotional moment. “I thought it was really good storytelling,“ Kravitz told the mag about why he returned to acting for the film based on Suzanne Collins' series. “I’m very much into stories. The character was interesting. I like Gary’s (Ross, director) previous work. And I said, 'Yeah, let’s go.'"

Lenny Kravitz and Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games
The film is set to premiere March 23 and remember to visit Movie Fanatic tomorrow for your chance to win tickets to the film’s premiere!

Also... check out nine surprises from The Hunger Games.

Tyler Perry's Good Deeds Trailer: Second Chances

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The second trailer for Tyler Perry’s latest film foray, Good Deeds, has premiered and carries a moniker that is quite telling for the movie: Second Chances. The film lands in theaters February 24 and as usual for a Perry film, features an all-star cast. This time out, the thespians joining the prolific writer-director-star are Thandie Newton, Brian White, Rebecca Romijn, Beverly Johnson, Phylicia Rashad and Gabrielle Union.

The film follows Perry’s character Wesley Deeds as he goes through a pivotal moment in his life. He has always followed the plan of what is expected of him. He’s successful at work. He’s engaged to be married. But, when he meets Lindsey (Newton), everything changes.  She opens up his eyes to what life could be and that is a temptation that may be too strong to resist.


Oscar Watch: Whose Year is Anyone's Guess

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Welcome to Movie Fanatic’s Oscar Watch, what is now our daily look at Hollywood’s biggest night. We’ve taken polls of our fantastic and wise readers and gotten your impressions on who should win Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Actress (more polls to come!). Today’s feature looks at the full nominee list and tries to discern who stands the best chance to sweep… if anyone!

The Academy Award
Usually in any Academy Awards year, the film with the highest number of nominations is likely to sweep. In 2012 the nominations leader is Hugo. But in our humble opinion, Hugo will not finish the night with the most awards. The Artist is the leader, with The Descendants second for Best Picture, with The Help a close third. So, where does that leave us?

It is a rare year in Oscar land. It’s anyone’s year. George Clooney should win Best Actor and that could be The Descendants' only award. Meryl Streep is a favorite for Best Actress for The Iron Lady, in a close race over The Help’s Viola Davis. Davis' The Help co-star, Octavia Spencer, looks solid for Best Supporting Actress while Christopher Plummer is most likely to win for Best Supporting Actor for Beginners. If The Artist wins Best Picture, which at this moment it looks like it will, that means five different films will take home the five big award categories.

Usually the winner for Best Director and Best Picture are from the same film. But this year, again, that is unlikely to happen. We’re betting on Martin Scorsese to repeat his Golden Globe win for Hugo. Now, that means “another” film that won’t repeat within the top six categories. Could this be possible that of the top six awards, they are all from different movies? You better believe it.

In the coming days and weeks, Movie Fanatic's Oscar Watch will look at each film, actor, actress, screenplay and musical score individually and bring you why the film is so special and rate its chances of victory come Oscar night, February 26.

The Hunger Games to be Released in IMAX

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Fans of the Suzanne Collins book The Hunger Games are beyond thrilled to see the adventure on the big screen when it arrives March 23. Imagine how thrilled they will be to learn that for one week only, the film will be on the biggest screens known to man.

Jennifer Lawrence Stars in The Hunger Games
It was announced today by Lionsgate and IMAX Corporation that the film starring Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss will be released on IMAX for one week only, beginning that fateful March 23.

The blockbuster book trilogy has sold over 23.5 million copies in this country alone. That’s quite a built-in audience for any film series. Clearly IMAX Chairman Greg Foster is a little excited.

"The Hunger Games is one of the most popular properties in recent memory and we're excited to offer this passionate fan base the opportunity to experience this exciting adventure in the most immersive way," Foster said in a statement. "We're proud to kick off our relationship with Lionsgate around this highly anticipated film that will make a strong addition to our 2012 film slate."

The Gary Ross directed film features also stars Woody Harrelson, Lenny Kravitz, Donald Sutherland, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth.

Guess what? Movie Fanatic is giving away tickets to the film's premiere. At 10 a.m. today, you chance begins!

Final Teaser for Chronicle Causes Chills

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Arriving in theaters tomorrow, February 3, is the most original of films that Movie Fanatic has seen in some time -- Chronicle. 20th Century Fox has released the film’s final teaser from director Josh Trank (check out our exclusive interview with him) and it gives audiences one last look before the flick is unleashed. It is an astounding story of what happens when three teens awake one day to discover they have superpowers. Will they sew up a spandex suit and save the world? Hardly… these are teenagers!

Check back later today for our exclusive interview with the film’s cast and our review goes live tomorrow!

7500 Trailer: What Happened on That Flight?

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The trailer for 7500 has arrived and it takes audiences on a plane ride not soon forgotten. The film follows a group of passengers who safely take off to 30,000 feet, only to discover a supernatural force on their aircraft that could doom them all.

The film, arriving in theaters August 31, stars Ryan Kwanten (True Blood), Leslie Bibb, Nicky Whelan, Jerry Ferrera, Christian Serratos, Jamie Chung and Amy Smart.


Movie Fanatic Giveaway: Win Two Tickets to The Hunger Games Premiere!

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With only 50 days remaining until The Hunger Games arrives in theaters, Lionsgate is marking the milestone with the #HungerGames50 - 50 sites, including Movie Fanatic, participating in an exclusive giveaway!

As such, we are offering one lucky winner two tickets to the movie's premiere at the Nokia Theater, live in Los Angeles, on Monday, March 12. So, what are you waiting for? Here are the rules:

Josh Hutcherson and Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games
All you have to do is ...

1. LOG IN or register with Movie Fanatic

2. "LIKE" Movie Fanatic on Facebook

3. "LIKE" The Hunger Games on Facebook

4. ANSWER this question in the comment section below: “What would be your weapon of choice in the Hunger Games?”

Be sure to leave us your preferred email address (will not be published) so we can tell you that you’ve won. Winner will be selected via a random drawing on Friday, February 24!

Transportation and accommodations will NOT be provided, but the hottest tickets in town will be all yours. Best of luck to all, and may the odds be ever in your favor ...

Man on a Ledge Quotes: I Am An Innocent Man!

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Sam Worthington steps out of a high rise hotel’s window and becomes the Man on a Ledge. The thriller follows his character Nick Cassidy as he stands dozens of stories above a Manhattan street in an effort to prove his innocence. With his brother Joey’s help, he seeks to orchestrate one fascinating thrill ride that results from his conviction for robbing Ed Harris’ David Englander.

Sam Worthington in Man on a Ledge
Elizabeth Banks' Lydia Mercer is a police negotiator, personally requested by Nick and her role in the mystery is actually still unknown to her. But, she will play a huge part in the effort to find innocence.

We now present some of the best lines from the film with our Man on a Ledge quotes.

Joey Cassidy: How far would you go to take down a man who stole everything from you? | permalink

Nick Cassidy: Today's the day that everything changes -- one way or another. | permalink

Lydia Mercer: Time is running out here, Nick. | permalink

Nick Cassidy: I am an innocent man! | permalink

Joey Cassidy: Make it rain. | permalink

Nick Cassidy: I'm ready to die. It's important that you understand that. | permalink

Lydia Mercer: Help me understand, what's going on? | permalink

Nick Cassidy: This is my retrial. | permalink

Lydia Mercer: What if he didn't do it? What if he's innocent? | permalink

Who Will Win Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars?

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The Academy Awards are merely weeks away and our readers have already let their voices be heard as to who they think will win Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Actress. Now it’s your turn to chime in on the Best Supporting Actor category.

Living Out of the Closet
The list of nominees includes two legends, two actors becoming legends and a newbie who was previously known for screwball comedies who now has been invited to the big dance.

Many believe that Christopher Plummer is a lock for Best Supporting Actor for his work on Beginners. That may be so, but there are a few out there who think the award may go to someone else.

Since Warrior debuted, many were calling for Nick Nolte to be nominated. The Academy heard their calls and the veteran actor could be standing on the Kodak Theatre stage as an Oscar winner. His performance was nothing short of stellar in that flick.

Kenneth Branagh played one of his heroes, Laurence Olivier, in My Week with Marilyn. Could the Shakespearean expert hold the trophy? Not likely, but his performance was astounding.

Max von Sydow was the best thing about an already incredible film. His turn in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was touching and heartbreaking in one fell swoop. Could he ride the film’s late Oscar surge to victory?

Lastly, Moneyball's Jonah Hill has been welcomed to the Oscar party for his portrayal of Billy Beane's assistant. He went toe-to-toe with fellow nominee Brad Pitt. Does he have a shot?

Who should win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor?


Latest Hunger Games Trailer: 50 Days Until Premiere!

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Hot on the heels of our The Hunger Games premiere ticket giveaway, Lionsgate has released the latest trailer from the highly anticipated film. The studio is celebrating the fact that we are now only 50 days away from the film's premiere date with a brand new tease into the world of Katniss!

The movie, based on the series of books by Suzanne Collins, lands in theaters March 23. The new trailer gives us more of a glimpse into the film than seen prior... we want to know what you think about it in the comments section below!

Jackie Brown Prequel a Go, To Star John Hawkes

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Although Quentin Tarantino will not be involved, a prequel to his film Jackie Brown is in the works. The film is called Switch, and it is on its way. The film will be based on the Elmore Leonard novel of the same name. Leonard crafted the Jackie Brown prequel and the source material is unmatched as the novelist is a wizard with words.

John Hawkes Picture
The Switch landscape is 15 years prior to that of Rum Punch (the novel that Jackie Brown was based on). The film follows Louis Gara, the career criminal played by Robert De Niro in the Tarantino film.

The casting of John Hawkes as Gara is the stuff of brilliance. Is it us, or could he easily pass for a younger De Niro?

The Samuel L. Jackson character of Ordell Robbie will also be in the prequel, and casting of that role has gone to Yasiin Bey, aka Mos Def.

Star Trek 2 Set Photos: Leonard Nimoy is Back!

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As Movie Fanatic reported, Star Trek 2 is currently filming. We thought it would be quite a while before we saw anything from the notoriously secretive world that is a J.J. Abrams set. Imagine our surprise when we received a slew of photos tweeted by producer Robert Orci! The biggest surprise is that, although we were told there were no original cast members in this production, we’ve got a photo of Leonard Nimoy as Spock!

Leonard Nimoy on the Star Trek 2 Set
Zachary Quinto is, of course, back as the younger Spock and Orci snapped a photo of him as well from the set.

Zachary Quinto on the Star Trek 2 Set
It has been said that, although they are filming the sequel, the script is in the process of being written almost every day. Could that be what Abrams is working on on his laptop below?

J.J. Abrams on the Star Trek 2 Set
Finally, someone has to keep the Enterprise clean. Here a crew member does his best!

The Star Trek 2 Set
The sequel lands in theaters May 17, 2013 and features Quinto joined by Zoe Saldana, Chris Pine, Benedict Cumberbatch as some sort of villain, Anton Yelchin, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban and John Cho.

Stay with Movie Fanatic for all the Star Trek 2 news we can find!

Snow White and the Huntsman: First Photo of Sam Claflin's Prince William

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We’ve got not one, but two new pics from Snow White and the Huntsman. Our first shows the first time we’ve seen anything from actor Sam Claflin, who plays Prince William.

Sam Clafin in Snow White and the Huntsman
Universal Pictures has released the second picture of Kristen Stewart as the titular heroine, and it is below. The highly anticipated flick arrives June 1 and if you’re sufficiently teased, be sure to check out the Snow White and the Huntsman trailer for more.

Snow White and the Huntsman: Kristen Stewart Photo

Ted Danson: Art Not Imitating Life in Big Miracle

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Big Miracle star Ted Danson is known for being a stellar actor, but also his decades of work as an environmentalist. You can imagine our surprise when seeing Big Miracle and witnessing his fantastic work as an Alaskan oil executive who thrives on the ire of environmental groups. His character J.W. McGraw, much like the Grinch at the end of that iconic Dr. Seuss tale, finds his heart and joins the effort to save those three trapped whales. The film is a true story based on how the world rallied in 1989 to do everything they could to free three whales from being trapped under ice.

Ted Danson in Big Miracle
Danson immediately weighed in on whether meeting the real life person helps your portrayal. “My character was in jail. So the answer is no,” he said to Movie Fanatic and laughed. “But seriously, I’m almost tempted when I’m playing somebody not to meet them. Afterwards, maybe. ‘Cause the job’s the same. You still have to show up on screen and be alive and real and all that stuff.”

The actor, currently starring on CSI, was drawn to the inspirational true life tale because of all the factors that went into making this an international story that still is inherently local. “You have the environment, which is just the wildlife -- the beauty is just astounding there. And you have oil and almost everybody and their uncle works somehow for the oil company. Then you have the Inupiat Indians who get to sustainably harvest whales, and literally there are religious, spiritual cultures based on whaling. And then you have Shell wanting to drill offshore,” Danson said.

“It’s a great story because it really is an Alaskan story too. All the while, it tackles the complex question of, how do we live today with our environmental resources dwindling? How do we sustain ourselves with energy? All of those questions were being faced and dealt with in this movie in such a light-hearted, non-preachy way that it’s really, I think, a great film for exactly what we’re going through today.”

Danson, while filming Big Miracle, was also doing his work for his environmental group Oceana (he’s writing a book on the subject by the same name). As part of the book and his environmental efforts, the actor met with the head of Shell Oil. It provided an interesting situation to say the least.

“One of the things I was doing was interviewing the head of Shell in the afternoon for the book. Afterwards, we went separately to a Department of Interior meeting about the Shell drilling,” he remembered. “I was standing up, being the out-of-town environmentalist, when everyone in the room was making money off of the oil company. Then sitting there I talked to some of the Inupiat Indians -- whose culture, religion and everything is tied up with whaling and the ability to keep whaling. It was really an amazing criss-cross of my interests in life in this film. And I got to play an oil guy, which was so much fun!”

The dichotomy of playing an oil exec and being one who is against it was clearly not lost on the Big Miracle star.

“I, in my environmental growing up, grew up around oil people. They’re great people, they’re you and me. They’re people whose jobs are to provide us with energy. I don’t agree with everything, but they’re really nice people -- so it was not a problem at all,” Danson said.

But, he did delight in portraying his character in Big Miracle (don't miss our exclusive with Danson's co-star Dermot Mulroney) because J.W. was not one of those “good” oil people. “My particular guy had done some bad stuff and was in jail. I felt I had some carte blanche to make him just a little silly,” he said.

At the end of the day, we wonder if Danson has seen any progress in the environmental fight. “You will always have this fight, you will always have the fight for the need for more energy, dwindling resources, trying to balance the environment. I think you will always have this fight. I think more people are educated about it.”

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