Anna Paquin in Long Island for The Romantics

Anna Paquin (True Blood HBO’s telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse) is in the North Fork area of Long Island filming her new project, the independant film The Romantics, with costars Katie Holmes, Elijah Wood, and Josh Duhamel. Filming in the area will continue into early December, so Anna will be busy right up until True Blood begins filming Season 3.

The production company, Plum Pictures, describes the film as “a zeitgeist love story and generational comedy, taking place over the course of one night at a deluxe seaside wedding” in which “seven close friends — all members of a tight, eclectic college clique — reconvene to watch two of their own tie the knot.”

Anna plays Lila, the bride-to-be, while maid of honor Laura will be played by Katie Holmes.  The film centers on a love triangle between the groom, Tom, played by Josh Duhamel, and Laura and Lia who have both been involved with and fought over him for years.  Director Galt Niederhoffer adapted the screenplay from her novel of the same name.

The Romantics is due for release in 2010.

SOURCES: The Riverhead News Review and IMDB.com

(Photo Credit: Albert. Ortega/PR Photos via iCelebZ.com)

Ten Reasons Why We Love Vampires!

Vampires have always been a popular genre, from the days of Nosferatu,  Dracula, Anne Rice’s vampires, and right up to the modern day: from the zeitgeist kick started by Charlaine Harris and Stephanie Meyer, right up to cinema’s latest offering, “The Vampire’s Assistant.”  But what is it that people find so compelling about the subject?  Lets have a look at some of the key programs and characters that have appeared lately…

True Blood has to be top of the list, especially for fans of our website!  Taken by Alan Ball from the hit series of books penned by Charlaine Harris with fans eagerly awaiting the tenth book in the series, this show is now heading into its third season on HBO, which already shows it has massive ratings and critical success in a time where shows have been canceled after two or three episodes.  This is due in large part to the sheer skill and force behind the series – fantastic actors, incredible writing, and extraordinary production values, which all contribute to making this show the massive draw that it is today.

The Vampire Diaries – True Blood for teens, but don’t let that put you off!  Taken from another set of books by L.J Smith, this is the story of a young girl torn between two brother vampires, one good and one evil… but who will win Elena’s heart?

Kristen Stewart – The female breakout star of Twilight; we get to watch her portray the struggle of a human in love with a vampire, with all the Sturm und Drang of their relationship continuing on in the next release of the installment, New Moon, which is released on 20th November…

Lesbian Vampire Killers – Vampirism’s answer to the Zombie hit Shawn of the Dead; it hasn’t reached the same heights of success, but has proven to be an cult comedy hit, helping to ‘feed’ the interest in the vampire genre…

Dead and Lonely – a new web series that has just premiered at ifc.com on the 26th October, revolves around two lonely singles from Los Angeles who meet through DateOrDie.net, a popular dating website.  The twist in this tale is that one of the singletons not only has a lonely heart, they also have an unbeating one!

Stephanie Meyer – the author of the Twilight saga, and arguably one of the main forces for bringing vampires into the forefront of today’s popularity boom, penned her saga after she dreamt the whole story… A magical start to a magical story!

Alexander Skarsgard – This handsome Swede plays Eric, the Sheriff of Area 5 in Louisiana, the bad boy who also attracts – and is attracted to – Sookie and Bill’s competitor.  Mr. Skarsgard’s prescence has helped raise the already steamy temperature in Bon Temps. Many fans of the show look forward to seeing the viking vampire and the possible intrigue he will bring on screen.

Robert Pattinson – The male breakout star of Twilight, the reluctant British sex symbol has become the one to watch, pulling in massive crowds eager to see him play Edward Cullen, Bella’s vampire lover.  Not too shabby for the boy who first became known through a supporting part in the Harry Potter films; its from one set of blockbusters to another for Mr. Pattinson…

Anna Paquin – The embodiment of Sookie Stackhouse, Anna is the heart of True Blood, relatable and a touchstone of reality in the fantastic world of Bon Temps.  Although not without skills and talents of her own (most significantly, telepathy), she brings courage, humanity, and light to a show, which otherwise may become immeasurably dark and foreboding.  When watching a show like True Blood, its nice to have a character who is experiencing the same wonder and discovery as ourselves, the viewers.

Steven Moyer – Like Tom Cruise managed to do in the 90s, this decade Stephen Moyer, the male lead on True Blood, has infused elegance and gentlemanly regal into his role as Bill.  A vampire who has returned to his birthplace of Bon Temps to live a peaceful life with his human lover Sookie. However, Bon Temps seems to be a place of turbulence and Bill’s desire for peace has been disrupted once again, this time with dangerous consequences for himself as he has been kidnapped by unknown forces. Like Sookie, we all are asking “Bill?”

No matter what type of vampire you enjoy watching or reading, there is plenty of new interpretations and adaptations to satisfy any vampire fan!

Source:  huffingtonpost.com

(Photo credit:  HBO Inc.)

Anna Paquin To Star In The Romantics

Anna Paquin, who plays the telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse in the hit HBO television series True Blood, is to star in the independently financed comedy The Romantics. The film will also star Katie Holmes, Adam Brody, Josh Duhamel, Malin Akerman and Elijah Wood.

The film revolves around eight college friends who reunite for a wedding. Anna Paquin will play Lila, the bride and Katie Holmes will play Laura, the maid of honor to Paquin’s Lila. Lila and Laura are best friends who both have a past with the groom (Duhamel). The screenplay was adapted by Galt Niederhoffer from her titular novel, originally published in 2008 by St. Martin’s Press. Niederhoffer will also be directing the movie. The film is scheduled to commence shooting this week in New York. Plum Pictures along with Suzanne Todd, Jennifer Todd, Taylor Kephart, and Michael Benaroya plan to release the movie in 2010.

Source: movieweb.com

Photo credit: HBO Inc.

Anna Paquin: Life, Love And True Blood

True Blood star Anna Paquin has worked hard to get where she is today, but she has balanced that with a personal philosophy of living in the moment. She is only 27-years old and already has a decade of successful work in film, television, and theatre, including an Academy Award at age 11 for The Piano, and a Golden Globe earlier this year for True Blood. Outside of her career, she has found love and happiness with her co-star and fiance Stephen Moyer. In a cover feature in the Australian magazine, MiNDFOOD, Anna talks about enjoying life, one day at a time.

A fan of Alan Ball’s previous television series, Six Feet Under, Anna pursued the role of Sookie Stackhouse when she heard that he was doing True Blood:

“He’s extraordinary, smart, funny and unpredictable in his humor, and he’s kind and approachable. The best boss you could possibly have.”

And then there was meeting Stephen and having their relationship grow as they worked alongside each other:

“Steve and I had a certain instant connection. We read Bill and Sookie opposite each other for the very reason that there needed to be a strong connection between the two actors playing those characters. Then that’s the person you’re working with all the time. It doesn’t hurt when the relationship on screen, which you’re trying to create, is one of attraction and fascination. Somewhere the line gets a little blurred.”

True Blood fans can definitely see that chemistry between them! And, as a viewer, knowing that those feelings between Bill and Sookie are based on real love between Stephen and Anna makes the story come to life even more.

Prior to life on True Blood, Anna had already been working as an actor for 15 years. Even though she was catapulted into the spotlight at an early age because of her Oscar win, she has always been a grounded young woman, with a good upbringing and realistic outlook on life that she attributes to her family:

“I came up through the ranks before the tabloid media became what it is currently. It wasn’t as much of a feeding frenzy. I guess that’s more good luck than good management. There was very little time to be affected, and my family didn’t value [fame] and weren’t interested in it. It was more about doing well in school, getting an education and doing something with your life.”

Anna has also had the opportunity to work with great professional role models, with her favorite being the first, Holly Hunter:

“I’m still in awe of her. The Piano was my apprenticeship. I had no idea what I was doing and I absolutely adored her. So I just followed her lead. She can just walk on water talent-wise.”

Anna loved being part of the theatre community in New York City, where she lived since she was 18. She has since relocated to Venice Beach where she and Stephen have a house:

“It’s incredibly nice down here. It’s really relaxing; I can ride my bike everywhere and I like being by the ocean.”

In her spare time, one of her favorite hobbies is playing Scrabble. She also keeps her body fit through all different kinds of activities, from kickboxing to yoga. She loves playing a strong character like Sookie:

“She’s her own little action star. I get bloodied and vomited on and beaten up — everything that the girl doesn’t often get to do in a show or a film because they’re usually the girlfriend. Sookie’s the center of all the action or trauma.”

Another big interest of Anna’s is fashion, which you could guess by just looking at all of the fabulous dresses she has worn on red carpets:

“I love anyone who cuts for women’s bodies, not boys’ bodies — designers who actually take curves into account. I absolutely love beautiful clothes and dressing up for red carpet stuff. The whole Cinderella thing: the dress, the shoes, the hair, the makeup and the jewelry.”

Her true passions though, are about the bigger things in life. She’s looking forward to starting a family someday. She’s enjoyed her experiences maintaining the production company, Paquin Films, with her brother Andrew, and hopes to one day direct a film. She also wants to travel and see the world. But Anna doesn’t have a set plan in mind for all of that:

“I go one step at a time. I’ve never really thought too far ahead because then you’re never disappointed if it doesn’t happen the way you thought it would. There isn’t a lifestyle or job where there are any guarantees. I’m happy living in the right now.”

That’s certainly an admirable point of view to have and it has served her very well in life. Anna talks about having everything she could possibly want and about enjoying what she has. She is one of the few young actresses in Hollywood who seems worthy of all the success she has been blessed with.

SOURCE: MiNDFOOD.com

(Photo credit: Pamela Hanson / MiNDFOOD)

VIDEO: Anna Paquin Winning At The 2009 SCREAM Awards

Here it is finally.  Everybody has seen the videos of Stephen Moyer (Bill Compton), Alexander Skarsgard (Eric Northman) and Alan Ball and the entire cast of True Blood onstage  accepting their award except Anna Paquin.  Well, finally there is a video that has been posted of Anna Paquin (Sookie Stackhouse) accepting her award for Best Horror Actress at Spike TV’s 2009 SCREAM Awards for those who missed the telecast.  Enjoy!

VIDEOS: True Blood at the 2009 SCREAM Awards

If you missed watching last night’s Spike TV’s 2009 SCREAM Awards then you missed watching the cast of True Blood walking up the stage and accepting their awards.  Well you almost missed it.  Here are a few clips from last night’s award show as the whole cast was thrilled at winning the awards.  As always they were gracious and showed how much of a close “family” they have all become.  A funny point in one of the videos was when during Alan’s speech a group of women scream “We love you Stephen!” and everybody’s enthusiastic response particularly Anna’s.  It was great to watch the whole cast having so much fun with each other that those few moments helped feed the True Blood withdrawal many are feeling.  Enjoy the videos!  The videos are slow loading so please be patient.

SOURCE: Spike TV

Anna Paquin Video Interview About True Blood

Anna Paquin, who portrays Sookie Stackhouse on Alan Ball’s hit HBO TV vampire series True Blood was interviewed by HollywoodTelevision.tv back in the summer where she discussed the show, her fame and how it has all affected her life.  A very nice interview with Anna as we see that with all the accolades and attention that she has received she has still managed to remain sweet and down-to-earth.

Stephen Moyer Sexy Talk About True Blood

Bill Compton may be the brooding, tortured soul of vampires on True Blood, but in real life, Stephen Moyer has a much lighter personality. In an article featured in the UK newspaper London Lite, the interviewer calls Stephen “livelier than a bunch of live wires in a puddle of rainwater.” The British actor happily discussed life since True Blood.

One thing that certainly contributes to his good mood and love for his job is Stephen’s engagement to his costar Anna Paquin. He describes her as “sharp, funny, talented, caring, generous and kind. Oh, and she’s beautiful.” The two of them seem absolutely perfect together, and demonstrate their mutual respect and admiration in every interview they do.

As for the work itself, the role of Bill was a pleasant surprise for Stephen, who was not particularly interested in doing a supernatural genre show at the offset:

“When they said it was a vampire drama I was like, ‘Nah, no thanks’ but when I read it I was amazed. It was the best pilot I’d ever read.”

Given how much time he has spent naked in the first two seasons of the show, Stephen jokes that he puts it in his contracts to show off his body:

“I’m always flicking through a script going ‘Where do I get my kit off?’ Oh yeah, there it is!”

But he also likes that True Blood has layers to it beyond the simply fun, entertaining level:

“You can watch the show and think it’s just a camp, sexy romp or you’ll watch it and think it’s an interesting comment on society. Bill’s an outsider who arrives in town and is ostracized. He represents whatever your minority is–homosexuality, whatever.”

Given how True Blood has grown in just one year to be watched by millions of people worldwide, Stephen’s profile has increased and has attracted a huge fan following. He seems amused, but perplexed by some of the stuff he’s received in fan mail:

“I’ve had some odd things, like used knickers to plasters that have apparently been on fans’ necks, and I recently got sent a photo of a German lady lying naked next to a horse. I have no idea why.”

Being a celebrity certainly brings some interesting results! But Stephen doesn’t seem to mind, considering all that he has gained from True Blood.

SOURCE: Simon Button / London Life, via trueblood-news.com

(Photo credit: mirror.co.uk)

Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin eBay Auction to Benefit Brentwood Theatre

We are very happy to report that our very good friend Mark Reed from the Brentwood Theatre, is putting up for auction on eBay a special vampire edition of SFX magazine (featuring True Blood to coincide with the launch of True Blood on the UK FX Channel) that was signed by both Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin when they came to visit the theatre (Stephen is Brentwood Theatre’s First Patron).  The proceeds of the auction will go to the Brentwood Theatre.  Here is an excerpt from the eBay auction site:

Brentwood Theatre is delighted to be auctioning, as a fundraising venture, the SFX Vampires Special Edition magazine which has been signed by Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin when visiting London shortly before their engagement was announced.

Stephen is the Patron of Brentwood Theatre, having been born in Billericay, a few miles down the road. As a supporter, his awareness of the community theatre has generated a huge fan base which has generated around £10,000 in donations from international fans of True Blood.

Further details of Steve’s support for the Theatre can be found at www.brentwood-theatre.org and also at independent community radio station www.phoenixfm.com

For authenticity, photos show the sought-after magazine being held by Brentwood Theatre Company actor STEPHEN GUNSHON who met Steve and Anna at last Christmas; production of FANTASTIC MR FOX when he appeared in the title role.

Steve and Anna are delighted that all proceeds from the sale of this exclusively signed magazine will be supporting community theatre in Brentwood.

Bidding begins at £10.00 GBP.  So Stephen Moyer/ True Blood fans here is your chance to own a special vampire edition of SFX magazine signed by Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin and help a good cause at the same time.  So what are you waiting for!  Go and start bidding!

To bid on the autographed magazine click here.

SOURCE: Mark Reed

VIDEO: Alan Ball And The True Blood Cast From The 2009 SCREAM Awards

ET Canada was able to catch up with Alan Ball and the cast of True Blood and talk to them about their wins at the Spike TV’s 2009 SCREAM Awards and the reasons behind their success.  Alan teasingly stated the reason behind their success is to “get as many people as you can naked and rip as many people while they’re naked” as the rest of the cast nodded their heads in agreement.  Then both Alexander Skarsgard and Anna Paquin jokingly mentioned that although other shows may have ripped bodies perhaps the other shows are ripping the wrong people or the wrong people are doing the ripping.  Stephen Moyer was only able to share the facts that in Season 3 there will be werewolves and more flashback scenes.  However, Sam Trammell joked how he is still waiting for his invite to Stephen and Anna’s wedding.  A great clip of how much fun the whole cast had at the awards!

SOURCE: ET Canada

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