As his young assassin film “Hanna” is going to hit theaters soon, director Joe Wright has already made plans for his next project, “Anna Karenina”. After speculations went viral that Saoirse Ronan and James McAvoy were up to play in the drama film, Wright has confirmed the rumor by saying that he is waiting for Saoirse and James’ answers.

Recently, Wright has spoken to The Playlist about the rumor. He stated, “Keira [Knightley]‘s confirmed, Jude Law’s confirmed, Aaron Johnson’s confirmed, Kelly Macdonald’s confirmed, Benedict Cumberbatch is confirmed. I’m still waiting on Saoirse and James.”

However, the director, who helmed 2007′s “Atonement”, seemingly doubts James’ involvement as he has just welcomed a son with Anne-Marie Duff. “I’m not sure about James, he recently just had a baby so [he's busy],” so he said.

There are not yet details about the characters Saoirse and James will play. In the meantime, Keira will star as the title character in the forthcoming movie. Jude will be Karenin, the husband of Anna Karenina, while Aaron will play Johnson Vronsky, Karenina’s lover.

“Anna Karenina” is a romantic film adapted from the Leo Tolstoy classic. It centers on a woman who is stuck in a loveless marriage and struggles with her attraction to a soldier. Tim Bevan will serve as the producer, while Tom Stoppard pens the script for the upcoming project. The film is slated to come out in 2012.

Source: Aceshowbiz

The day before I met James McAvoy I asked a female friend of mine which qualities came to mind when she thought of him. “Sexual energy,” she replied promptly. “Also, a certain type of male cockiness.”

When I put this to McAvoy, he rocks back in his chair, puffs out his cheek and blows a long, incredulous, but not entirely undelighted sounding raspberry.

“Wowser!” he says. “Sexual energy, eh? That’s really good to know. This friend of yours, can she see? Actually, the cockiness I’m probably aware of because I’ve done it on purpose a few times with the character I’ve played. Still, it’s nice to be told.”

There are, however, few if any opportunities for McAvoy to show off his sexual energy or his cockiness in his latest role. He plays a lovestruck garden gnome called Gnomeo in the animated feature Gnomeo and Juliet, a tragic – but not too tragic – saga of love, enmity and pointy hats. While this may not have been the most challenging role of McAvoy’s career, it’s certainly been one of the more time-consuming: he’s been working on it off and on for more than three years.

“It’s been very peculiar. I’d come in every three or four months, and for half a day I’d try to hit as many scenes as I could and offer up as many ideas as possible. And then I’d go away and come back three or four months later.”

Source: Telegraph