GALLERY LINKS:
- Stop-Loss: DVD Screencaptures
- Stop-Loss: DVD Screencaptures – Deleted Scenes
- Stop-Loss: DVD Screencaptures – Menus

Fast-rising thespian Michael Fassbender is already signed to play the brooding Heathcliff, and Australian actress Abbie Cornish has agreed to play Cathy.

Also, Stop-Loss is now on Region 1 DVD! I have picked up the film and I will be making screencaptures as soon as possible.

The 25-year-old star of local films such as Somersault and Candy was director Kimberly Peirce’s first choice to play a Texan soldier’s girlfriend because of her duality – being “one of the guys” and, at the same time, the woman they all fantasise about.

Peirce said that combination of qualities was impossible to find in American starlets vying for the role.

“When we were writing the character we knew we needed a Texan girl who, if you got a flat tyre on your truck she’d go change it, if you needed a gun shot she’d shoot it, and if you got in trouble and you needed to be bailed out, she’d do it,” Peirce said.

“She was one of the guys, and yet she was totally a woman. She was the one they would all fantasise about.

“You don’t find that in American actresses – I mean you really don’t – so she was my top choice.”

Peirce is in Sydney for the Australian premiere of Stop-Loss, which tells the story of a young American soldier (Phillippe) who is ordered to return to Iraq as part of the military’s controversial Stop-Loss policy, but opts instead to go AWOL.

Cornish and Phillippe’s romance reportedly blossomed on the set of the film, following the 33-year-old actor’s split from Reese Witherspoon.

Last week the couple appeared together at the Australians in Film 2008 Breakthrough Awards in Los Angeles, where Cornish accepted a gong for her Stop-Loss role.

Cornish was not able to join Peirce on the red carpet at tonight’s Sydney Film Festival premiere at the State Theatre as she’s filming overseas.

But Peirce was more than happy to sing the praises of her film’s leading lady.

“I just think she is extraordinarily beautiful and talented,” Peirce said of Cornish.

“Whether there were a tonne of people in the scene, or there was dialogue or no dialogue, she was the centre of attention.

“The other actors had to watch out because she’s so charismatic.”

Peirce revealed she was a big fan of Australian actors and filmmakers in general, naming Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana, Russell Crowe and director Peter Weir as some of her favourites.

“I have to ask, what are you guys doing that are making your actors so interesting and so full of life?” she said.

“I mean, something about the lifestyle here is making them more complicated, more interesting.

“There’s a kind of lived in quality.”

Stop-Loss opens nationally on August 14.

Source: LiveNews

Update:
Extras will include: “Commentary by Director Kimberly Peirce and Co-Writer Mark Richard,” “The Making Of Stop-Loss,” “A Day In Boot Camp” featurette, and 11 “Additional Scenes.”

Source: DVDTown.com

The Abbie news drought unfortunately continues. Our girl is busy filming right now so it’s all to quiet. And while there hasn’t been any real updates from us in a while I thought I might as well post about this one even though it’s not ‘major’ at all.

I have added two Stop-Loss related scans, some reviews and articles. Like I said nothing major, but fans of the film might enjoy and atleast it’s something to gander at.

By the way, If you’re ‘bored’ waiting on Abbie news feel free to stop on by Mine and Riikka’s newest fansite tributes; Amy Adams Fan and Megan Fox Daily.

GALLERY LINKS:
- Magazines: Clippings from 2008

1.) 21 – $23,700,000
2.) Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who – $17,425,000
3.) Superhero Movie – $9,510,000
4.) Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns – $7,760,000
5.) Drillbit Taylor – $5,800,000
… 8.) Stop-Loss – $4.5 million

Source: ComingSoon

Peirce keeps things tighter and more focused on her characters, proving that Hilary Swank’s performance in Boys Don’t Cry was no fluke by producing equally satisfying performances from Ryan Phillippe and Abbie Cornish. One of Australia’s finest young ingénues, Cornish is particularly convincing as the tough young Texan woman trying to come to grips with the events that have caused such suffering and changes in her fiance and childhood friends. The chemistry between Phillippe and Cornish makes their time on the road the best part of the movie, although thankfully, their relationship does not go where some might expect. It clearly shows how the Hollywood esthetics of 21 hurt it compared to the indie approach taken with Stop-Loss that allows it to be far more credible.

The most surprising performance comes from Cornish, the Aussie actress best known for her junkie turn opposite Heath Ledger in Candy. Female roles are usually marginal in war movies, but Cornish — working in tandem with Peirce — makes Michele a compassionate warrior who may be torn between two lovers but holds no doubt about the moral ground on which she stands. There’s not an ounce of Hollywood fakery in Cornish — she’s the real deal. So’s the movie. And so is Peirce. It’s been nine years since she debuted with Boys Don’t Cry, but her empathy with society’s outsiders is undiminished and fills every frame of Stop-Loss. Even when the script slips into sentiment, Peirce sticks with her troubled, questing soldiers, and through this raw and riveting movie, they stick with us.

However, you can check out 10 video clips of Stop-Loss over at IESB.net. I did not watch them myself as I don’t want to be spoiled at all so I cannot tell you if Abbie is featured in any. If you decide to have a look, do let us know if you catch her in them.

By the way, the film will be released in the UK on April 25. Check out more release dates at IMDb.

Abbie Cornish – Phillippe’s costar turned real-life girlfriend – did not attend the press junket. But he couldn’t help singing her praises.

“She’s beautiful and all that, but she’s a tomboy,” the actor said. “She’s a tough Aussie chick!”

I’ve also replaced many of the movie posters and stills in better quality and added caps from two new TV spots. The videos will be added shortly.

GALLERY LINKS:
- Magazines: Total Film – April 2008
- Stop-Loss: Last Additions

GALLERY LINKS:
- Stop-Loss: Official Desktops
- Stop-Loss: Production Stills
- Stop-Loss: Promotional Shoot
- Stop-Loss: TV Spot #01 Screencaptures

VIDEO LINKS:
- Movies: Stop-Loss

The film is having a contest over on the official MySpace page, the winners will get to win two tickets to the premiere. The contest is currently running and ends March 3, 2008 at 9:00 AM. Only US residents, 18 and older may enter. To enter, simply add the Stop-Loss MySpace to your friends list. Good luck!

I’ve made captures from the trailer as well as added a new poster and some additional movie stills.

GALLERY LINKS:
- Stop-Loss: Trailer #2 Screencaptures
- Stop-Loss: Posters & Covers
- Stop-Loss: Production Stills

Peep the brand new Stop-Loss movie poster, released exclusively today by MTV Movies Blog. Only a few months until the US audiences will get to see this one. I think I speak for everyone when I say that I am so ready to see this film.

GALLERY LINKS:
- Stop-Loss: Posters & Covers

GALLERY LINKS:
- Stop-Loss: Trailer Screencaptures

GALLERY LINKS:
- Stop-Loss: Trailer Screencaptures

Seems that the first Queen Elizabeth had a lady-in-waiting named Bess Throckmorton who was younger, prettier and who was able to party with the royal courtiers while the frustrated Queen had to behave. In Elizabeth: The Golden Age, a sequel to 1998′s Elizabeth, the luminous Cate Blanchett is again the virgin queen but Bess is played by pretty young Aussie actress Abbie Cornish. Abbie came from a farm in New South Wales to model as a 13-year-old then co-star in an Aussie soap at age 15. She played a sex-addicted teen in the racy film Somersault and co-stared with Heath Ledger in Candy, a movie about a drug-addicted young couple. You can see her next year in Stop Loss, the film that started all those rumors about her and actor Ryan Phillippe.

When we chatted with Abbie recently near Rodeo Drive, we learned that she always researches her characters thoroughly and had fun wearing period costumes in Golden Age. Her modern, all black outfit for the interview consisted of a pieces by Rebecca Taylor, Calvin Klein and Yves St. Laurent; pants with belt and a blouse with long lace sleeves. Blonde Abbie wore several rings, including a lovely turquoise one on her ring finger. We got the scoop on how a modern girl transforms into a 17th century woman, how Abbie developed a relationship with Cate and hey, what was it like dancing with hot Clive Owen [who plays a very dashing Sir Walter Raleigh]?

TeenHollywood: When you learned you were going to get the part, did you research the period and did you learn about the real Bess?

Abbie: Yeah. I really wanted to know about the real Bess. I felt that it was very important to create some sense of connection to her and it’s difficult because not an extensive amount is written about Bess but I gathered the bits that I could. We had an historian on board, and [I was] just questioning him about little things. About how do I stand when she walks in? Does she kneel? How far down does she bow? And all these little things I guess.

TeenHollywood: Was there anything you learned that really got to you?

Abbie: Well, the most interesting thing, and the most creative insight for me into Bess came in a portrait. I found this portrait of her in a book which just pushed through the image and went straight through me. And it’s difficult because there are no real photographs of a person around that time so you have to rely on an artist’s interpretation. But there was something I felt was coming through this portrait and so I got it blown up really big. These people put it in my trailer and so I would see her when I came in, when I left, and I would check in with her. Bess didn’t have blue eyes in the film, but [the portrait had] these very blue, very open, almost ocean-like eyes and there was this slight smile on her face but the lips were pursed so here was a happiness and contentment, a sort of a givingness to the moment but a constriction. There was something about her that was dreaming of something outside of that moment. And so that I felt affected me.

TeenHollywood: Do you feel that it’s easy for you to really get into the era and the character when you are in costume?

Abbie: I think it does make a difference. I found, unexpectedly actually, that the costumes for me became key to who to Bess was. It was a passionate feeling about her life at that particular point in time. The first week on set of wearing the corset, I felt very restricted and I felt I couldn’t breathe property. I didn’t have my full lung capacity and I actually felt a little bit miserable and I started wonder, ‘Wow, this woman has one of the most prestigious jobs in the court and she has beautiful clothes, beautiful jewellery and yet she can’t breathe properly. There’s a lack of freedom’. And that got me thinking, you know. ‘How does she feel?’ There’s an exterior and then there’s an interior which is quite constraining. There’s a feeling of constraint and restriction there.

TeenHollywood: What was your favourite costume?

Abbie: My favorite is the pink costume. You don’t see it for very long but at the very end where the Queen comes in and says ‘Are you with child?’ And she says ‘Yes, my husband’s child’. The pink one. I just love it.

TeenHollywood: That was beautiful. There is a great dance scene with Clive Owen in front of the queen. He lifts you waaay up in the air. Was that fun?

Abbie: [grins] Yeah that was really fun. It was interesting learning that dance. The first day I was like ‘Do we have to do the real thing today?’ because, in your own clothes, it’s really different than when you’re in this whole outfit with layers and layers of material. I was kind of a little bit shy and it’s very physical and upfront but on the day it’s a different thing. You get into that world and that sense of the court. It was fun learning that.

TeenHollywood: You’re among quite a few young Australian actresses finding fame in the film business. Are you concerned about what fame will do to your personal life?

Abbie: I just spend a lot of time with my friends and with my family. I love them very much and I think that when you are close to them and in touch with them then, ultimately, my time spent outside of working is that. That’s the focus for me.

TeenHollywood: Bess was not only was a close confidante of Elizabeth but, in the film, someone she could be friends with, yet keep some distance. How did you work on that relationship?

Abbie: For me there was always a sense that Bess is very good at what she does to be in that position. But I always felt like the true Bess protected herself. I always felt that her inner child was kept underneath the corset. And there were many dreams and thoughts that she had which I don’t think she freely expresses to the Queen. The Queen has a sense of them because she is human. There was a separation. Bess’s involvement with the Queen was first and foremost work, and second of all compassion and love. But there’s only a certain extent that you can give over to that love and compassion when, at the end of the day, they can behead you or send you off into the outer world, which at that point in time was a completely different life. So I think there was an attachment but also a sense of self.

TeenHollywood: Yeah. Hard to be BFFs with a woman who can have you killed! It did look like you and Cate were having fun in your scenes. When you met, did you two hit it off?

Abbie: Cate’s an incredible woman and an incredible actress first of all. There was a very comfortable feeling from me towards Cate, both professionally and personally. She’s very focused and I felt that she had this tremendous amount of work to do in relation to her own character and her own performance. She was always aware of everyone else around her and particularly for me, I felt there was a watchful eye over my character, over scenes and the dialogue and it was nice to have that there.

TeenHollywood: You were in two Aussie films Somersault and Candy, now this and coming out Stop Loss. Has it been a whirlwind? Can you talk a bit about those films?

Abbie: Stop Loss [out next year] I filmed in Texas at the end of last year, actually straight off the back of The Golden Age which was an interesting change. I literally made that change within a week. It was interesting to do a contemporary piece, a very Texan sort of country girl dealing with this war we have going on and our involvement, whether it be direct or indirect, with that war. As soon as I read the script, I knew I had to do that [film]. September 11 was a big event for me. In my generation, this is the biggest world wide war that we’ve seen.

TeenHollywood: When you first started out in Somersault, did you see it as a stepping stone to a big career?

Abbie: No not at all. I had no idea. When went into Somersault, meaning the rehearsals and the shoot, I really felt like I stepped into this strange little creative bubble. That’s as hard as I’ve really worked on a film and as focused as I’ve ever been. At that time, I was really completely within it. I was actually really surprised when I got the phone calls about the [various] awards and phone calls about [film] festivals. It was from the outside. And I never though of that stuff, no.

TeenHollywood: What are you doing next?

Abbie: I’m doing a film called Bright Star with [director] Jane Campion next year. I play Fanny Brawne who is, in a sense I guess, really [Keats'] life love. But they were never allowed to marry. He died really young, he was 25. And her parents wouldn’t let him marry her because he was broke, you know; a poet. Keats is played by Ben Wishaw.

Source: Teen Hollywood

I’ve also updated the gallery with some rare HQ stills from The Golden Age, A Good Year and Everything Goes. Thanks so much to Titooy for these great finds!

GALLERY LINKS:
- Magazines: Esquire – October 2007
- Photoshoots: Esquire (2007)
- The Golden Age: Production Stills
- A Good Year: Production Stills
- Everything Goes: Production Stills

GALLERY LINKS:
- Stop Loss: Production Stills