Romance and Cigarettes is a film which Justin co-produced a few years back. It is a comedy-musical and has an all star cast including James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, Mandy Moore, Steve Buscemi, Christopher Walken and Mary Louise-Parker.
The film has already been released in the UK and a few other countries however it hasn’t yet been released in the US. Aside from a screening at the Avignon/New York Film Festival in 2006, the film hasn’t screened in the states before now.
We reported last month that Justin Berfield’s Blonde Ambition had people questioning if it will get finished and that it would flop. The latest rumours suggest that it might go straight to DVD.
Is Jessica Simpson’s flick Blonde Ambition too much of a stinker for the silver screen? “It is going straight to DVD domestically. It will only come out in theaters internationally,” an insider tells Us Weekly.
What’s the problem with the romantic comedy, costarring Luke Wilson, 35? “The movie is absolutely horrible,” says a source. “It’s just a bomb, mainly because of Jessica’s acting.”
Counter’s Simpson’s rep: “It’s definitely a theatrical release.”
A rep for the movie studio tells Us, “The final distribution plans have not been confirmed, so it would be premature to comment at this time.”
Justin Berfield (Reese) attended the chariety event ‘Rock The Kasbah’ on July 2. This event was held in honour of Eve Branson, mother of Sir Richard Branson, for her work with Virgin Unite, which Justin supports.
The benefit was held to raise funds for ongoing projects, set up by Eve Branson in association with Virgin Unite, underway in Morocco.
Some readers will know that Justin Berfield is producing films now and his current project is ‘Blonde Ambition’. Read our previous post for a trailer and more information.
The buzz behind Blonde Ambition is fading as reports surface that the Jessica Simpson film is incomplete and no longer has a release date.Simpson’s manager/dad Joe Simpson has reportedly pushed back the release date twice because the movie is expected to flop.
“First, the release date was set for Aug. 3, and then it was delayed until the last week of August,” an insider tells the New York Daily News’ Gatecrasher. “Papa Joe then intervened and said he wasn’t comfortable with the level of competition from other films that month.”
Meanwhile, another source suggests that the singer may want to stick with her day job.
Another source says: “Jessica was not very focused on-set and flubbed her lines often. She always had her dog around, was on the phone with [then-] boyfriend John Mayer or was sitting in a warmed-up SUV.”
After various successful property deals Justin Berfield (Reese) has come into some problems. He is suing Shell Burton Construction over what he says was faulty work the company did on his Studio City home. When he went to sell the house, he learned it was infested with mold as a result of indoor planters Shell Burton had installed.
Unconfirmed sources say Berfield was treated by doctors for respiratory problems he suffered while living in the home.
Justin Berfield, best known for playing Reese on “Malcolm in the Middle,” is suing Shell Burton Construction over what he says was faulty work the company did on his Studio City home.
In a lawsuit filed in the Los Angeles Superior Courtlast October, Berfield alleges that when he went to sell the house, he learned it was infested with mold as a result of indoor planters Shell Burton had installed, and a shoddy remodel Berfield had commissioned from the contractor. Though not alleged in the suit, a source close to the case tells TMZ that Berfield says he was treated by doctors for respiratory problems he suffered while living in the home.
The home itself has a famous ownership history. Shell Burton Construction purchased it from actor George Clooney and then later sold it to “My Name is Earl” actress Jamie Pressly, before Berfield purchased it in 2004.
Berfield is suing for negligence, breach of warranty and breach of contract, and is asking for damages in excess of $1 million.
Justin Berfield (Reese) has moved on from his role as a “useless bully” in Malcolm in the Middle in a big way. Justin and Jason Felts formed J2 Pictures & J2TV in 2004 and quickly established themselves as a film and television production company with an eye for strong concepts and talent.
Their latest venture is the film “Blonde Ambition” and stars Jessica Simpson and Luke Wilson.
A young professional woman (Simpson) unwittingly becomes the pawn of two business executives in their bid to oust the head of a mega-conglomerate.
Discuss this post in the FORUM | Many thanks to RyeBeach.
Read the full press release for more information on the film by clicking ‘more’
Making Faces For ‘Blonde Ambition’
‘I’m carrying the weight of the movie on my shoulders,’ singer/actress says of first lead role.
By Jennifer Vineyard, with additional reporting by Edward Paige
March 2, 2007
Jessica Simpson is no dumb blonde — she knows she has to pay her dues to climb the Hollywood ladder.
So to become a full-fledged movie star, the singer/actress worked a few entry-level jobs — slinging some hash as a waitress in “The Dukes of Hazzard” and ringing up receipts as a cashier in “Employee of the Month” — but she’s ready to be taken seriously with her next film, “Blonde Ambition.”
“I don’t want to sound conceited or brag or anything, but I really did do a good job,” Simpson said shortly after the film wrapped. “I am so proud of myself.”
“Blonde Ambition,” due this summer, has been described as a remake of the ’80s classic “Working Girl,” which starred Melanie Griffith and Harrison Ford and earned Griffith an Oscar nomination. But Simpson’s version is less a remake and more a reimagining of the movie’s theme. “It’s basically about a young woman’s journey into the corporate empire,” producer Justin Berfield told MTV News. “She starts at the bottom and works her way to the top.”
That means Simpson is in plenty of humiliating situations as an Oktoberfest-style beer girl and a bike messenger. “There are so many Lucille Ball moments,” Simpson said. “Dane Cook taught me how to do that; he used his body language a lot. And the women who do that, like Goldie Hawn or Meg Ryan, do that so well, and it just makes the comedy so much better. Jim Carrey is obviously the best at it; he does all the different faces. But I have so many different faces in this movie that I never knew I had before.”
Helping Simpson get the laughs this time around are Luke Wilson (who she screen-tested with for “Dallas”) and her old pal Willie Nelson, who co-starred as Uncle Jesse in “The Dukes of Hazzard” (see “Jessica Simpson — In A Bikini — To Wash The General Lee In ‘Boots’ Video”). This time, Nelson plays Simpson’s grandfather.
Plus, Andy Dick — who had a lick-tastic time in Simpson’s “Public Affair” video (see “Jessica Simpson Finally Goes ‘Public’ With Longoria, Seacrest In Ratner-Directed Video”) and also appeared with her in “Employee of the Month” — thwarts Jessica’s Katie character in her efforts to get noticed on the job. “Remember the Sigourney Weaver part, the mean boss?” Dick told MTV News, referencing the original film. “I’m her assistant. I’m more present than the boss. I’m the evil one. It’s going to be good.”
The mere thought of her insane co-star had Simpson smiling. “I love you, Andy, I love you so much, but he’s crazy out of his mind!” Simpson laughed. “He’s a genius, I believe that. He is just so great behind the camera and makes everybody on the set laugh so hard.”
A little levity was definitely needed since Simpson started feeling the stress early on in the production. “The hardest thing about ‘Blonde Ambition’ was that I’m carrying the weight of the movie on my shoulders,” she said. “I was in every shot, pretty much, and it was very time-consuming. You don’t really understand until a week after you’re done shooting, and you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, I memorized all those lines! Wow!’ ”
Letting her own blond ambition guide her, Simpson’s ready for the challenge of her next movie, “The Witness,” which she plans to shoot by the end of March. And no, that’s not a Harrison Ford remake either. “I don’t want to be typecast,” Simpson laughed. “But if I were, it would just make me want to prove myself even more.”
According to a recent DailyNews.com artcile Justin Berfield who played everybody’s favourite bad boy Reese in Malcolm in the Middle would love to work with his old on set ‘family’ again.
FAMILY MATTERS: Former “Malcolm in the Middle” star Justin Berfield, who has been branching out into producing as of late, tells us he misses working with his TV family since the cancellation of their show, but hopes they’ll have other opportunities to collaborate in the future. “If we’re ever working on a project and one of them could be perfect for a role, I’d definitely want to bring them on,” says Berfield. “Everyone there was a like a second family.”
As some of you may know, Justin’s (Reese) official website has been undergoing a complete redesign the past couple of months. His site has now reopened with a cool new design and some new content, including new pictures and info on his projects through his production company, J2.
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