Kate Winslet says that she was nearly giddy when she found out that Leonardo DiCaprio would be her co-star in Titanic.

“When they finally gave me the role, I remember calling my friends and family and going, ‘You’re not going to believe who’s playing Jack, you’re not going to believe who’s playing the boy’s part — it’s Leonardo DiCaprio, don’t you remember him from What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?” Winslet recalled in an interview provided by the studio. “I just had so much respect for him that I just couldn’t wait to share in the experience with him, you know, because I knew it would be challenging, I knew it would be exciting.”

The 1997 film, which won 11 Oscars, is one of the highest grossing films of all time. The premiere of the 3D re-release marked the 100th anniversary of the ocean liner’s tragic maiden voyage on April 1912.

“Titanic was the most exciting audition I’d ever been on, so of course I wanted it. I wanted it so badly and you just dig deep and try hard and do the best you can,” Winslet said. “So when I finally got that phone call and was told that I’d been given the part, I just couldn’t believe it because there were so many other actresses who were more well-known than I was at the time, who would probably have been more suitable in terms of the profile of those women… but luckily, James Cameron was prepared to take that risk and gave the part to me.”

DiCaprio didn’t attend the worldwide premiere of Titanic 3D in London on Tuesday, March 27, as he was in Louisiana shooting Quentin Tarantino’s film Django Unchained, but Winslet and Cameron held down the red carpet.

When asked why she thought the film had been such a monumental success, Winslet said, “The reason the film worked at all is because it’s actually a very pure and simple love story. It’s a good, old-fashioned Hollywood love story. People will never tire of that, you know, and the sincerity of that.”

Source: OTRC

Today is Valentine’s Day, and we asked Kate Winslet if she’s doing anything to celebrate.

“I might be,” says the Academy Award-winning actress with a mysterious glint in her eye. “I might be not. That’s my answer.”

OK, OK, we understand — even if we’re still dying to know! While she’s keeping her love life a secret — can you blame her? — she happily chatted up the 3D release of Titanic, officially out on April 2 but screening in 44 cities today as part of a special Valentine’s Day preview (sorry, the free tickets have all been snapped up).

“I do feel very excited about it, because I can tell that a whole new generation is going to get to experience the film,” says the 36-year-old actress. “(My children) Mia (11 years old) and Joe (8 years old) still have not seen it. So it is very exciting that I can actually sit with them — together — and we can all watch it together in a movie theater, and that is going to be quite amazing, actually.”

What do the kids think of their famous mom’s most iconic role thus far? “They’re actually really not interested. But they are intrigued, I think, would be fair to say.” Winslet, on the other hand, is “slightly freaked out” about revisiting her 21-year-old self on screen. “I’m sure I wasn’t really a very good actress. Seriously, we are talking about something that happened 15 years ago. It is a very long time ago. I’ve learned so much, and I’ve changed as a person so much since then. It is really quite weird. Can you imagine anything stranger? It’s going to be like famous all over again, Titanic all over again!”

The 3D version of the film is “extraordinary,” says Winslet, who has only seen 17 minutes of it. “I was literally like, ‘Oh my God, make it stop! Is that me? Oh my God, that’s me. Block my ears, somebody! Somebody club out my senses. Make it (expletive) stop!’” exclaims the star, waving her hands in front of her eyes. “And Leo looks so young and so skinny!” she gushes in a baby voice. The on-screen lovers, she says, have remained “closer than ever,” but “we definitely won’t” be having any sort of Titanic reunion. “No, we’ll just sit around going, ‘Can you (expletive) believe this? Isn’t this weird?’”

It’s official: We heart Winslet.

Source: USA Today

Director Jason Reitman is gearing up for his next project, Labor Day, which will star Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin.

The movie is based on Joyce Maynard’s book of the same name and is set on a late summer Labor Day holiday weekend in the 1980s. It opens with a divorced, depressed single mom (Winslet) who encounters a large, bleeding man (Brolin) while shopping with her 13-year-old. He asks for a ride and against their better judgment, they agree. Meanwhile, they learn that police are searching their town for an escaped convict. The story is mostly told through the eyes of 13-year-old Henry, who spends most of his time daydreaming or watching TV.

As we reported last month, there have been rumors that the movie would be filmed in the Boston area next summer and now, based on the casting call below, it looks like the rumors are true.

Chrystie Street Casting recently issued a casting call for the part of Henry, which Reitman has stressed is crucial to the movie because, “we’ve got to find someone very special.” He has also implied that he has not ruled out using an unknown actor for the role.

But, the casting call also confirms that the movie will be filming in Massachusetts in June. You can check out the complete listing below:

Chrystie Street Casting is casting Labor Day, a feature film. Chrystie Street Casting has cast the films Young Adult, Precious, Shakespeare In Love, Good Will Hunting, Cider House Rules, Pineapple Express, The Wrestler, and 200 other major films, as well as the TV series Pan Am. Jason Reitman (Juno, Up In The Air), dir.; Suzanne Smith Crowley & Jessica Kelly, casting. Shooting begins June 2012 in MA.

Seeking — Henry: boy, 13 years old (submit ages 10-14), Caucasian, a true innocent, has taken over the role of caretaker and protector to his fragile and reclusive mother Adele, an observant boy who understands his mother’s loneliness, but is too young to understand why he cannot entirely fill it, when a new man enters the picture the friend-less Henry is both exhilarated by the relationship and threatened by the prospect that he is no longer needed by his mother, LEAD; Eleanor: girl, 14 years old (submit ages 10-14), Caucasian, a skinny girl, a product of a broken home, newly moved from a big city to live with her father and is already bored with the small town entertainments, an intelligent girl, learned how to get what she wants with wit, calculations, and her newly developed sexual awareness, to Henry she is the mysterious hot girl who seems to know everything about the world that he doesn’t, LEAD; Barry: boy, 15 years old (submit ages 12-17), Caucasian, mentally challenged, could be Down’s Syndrome or Cerebral Palsy, the wheelchair-bound son of Evelyn (the lead character’s only friend), can only communicate through gurgles and mumbles, is perhaps more engaged in the world around him than his mother realizes, seeking actors who have either condition described above, supporting role.

To be considered, e-mail recent pics, age and contact info ASAP to labordaycasting@gmail.com. No phone calls. Professional pay provided. SAG Film Agreement.

Source: On Location Vacations

Looking for the perfect Valentine’s Day date? See Titanic in 3D first on the big screen! See a screening for free in 44 cities across the nation. RSVPs filled up in minutes last week and your last chance to get in is exclusively through us! Don’t wait for someone else to plan the perfect date, make it a guaranteed incredible Valentine’s Day. Your friends will be green with envy when you get to experience Titanic two months before anyone else. We got a sneak peak at the movie in November and were totally blown away. The visuals were incredible and we definitely couldn’t hold back the tears.

MAKE YOUR SUBMISSION HERE!

Thanks to Amanda from CollegeCandy for sending this to us!

According to EWonline, the release date for James Cameron’s 3D re-release of his Oscar-winning film Titanic has been changed.

Paramount Studios had originally announced that the film would open in theaters on Friday, April 4th. However the studio has now decided it will release the new version of the film on Wednesday, April 2nd.

April will mark the 100th anniversary of the tragic sinking of the ship. The award-winning film starred Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio as fictional passengers aboard the doomed luxury liner. Written, directed and produced by Cameron, Titanic is the second highest grossing movie of all time. It is one of only three films to have received a record 11 Academy Awards® including Best Picture and Best Director; and launched the careers of stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

Called “A spectacular demonstration of what modern technology can contribute to dramatic storytelling” by Variety upon its release in 1997, the long in the works 3D conversion is being overseen by Cameron and his Lightstorm producing partner Jon Landau who produced the hit movie.
Said Cameron, “There’s a whole generation that’s never seen Titanic as it was meant to be seen, on the big screen. And this will be Titanic as you’ve never seen it before, digitally re-mastered at 4K and painstakingly converted to 3D. With the emotional power intact and the images more powerful than ever, this will be an epic experience for fans and newcomers alike.”

Source: TalkMoviesworld.com

Roman Polanski’s sharp comedy Carnage has been given a March 20, 2012 release date to debut on Blu-ray and DVD by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Polanski’s latest stars Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly in the story of two boys whose playground tussle leads to each child’s parents taking on the other in “verbal warfare.” The film has earned $2.3 million in a limited theatrical engagement.

On Blu-ray, Carnage will be presented in 2.35:1 1080p video and 5.0 DTS-HD Master Audio. The bonus features are as follows:

• Actors’ Notes
• An Evening with John C. Reilly & Christoph Waltz
• On the Red Carpet

Click here to pre-order Carnage on Blu-ray for a discounted price at Amazon.com.

Source: TheHDRoom

Denying last week’s rumors, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that Kate Winslet will not be in Charlie Kaufman’s musical media satire Frank Or Francis, after producers have failed to meet Winslet’s guarantee of a minimum three awards nominations — and the good ones, not just the Indie Spirit Awards or something. Or maybe Winslet was just never attached, despite those reports to the contrary. At least we got Catherine Keener right, who’s now been joined by the additions of Elizabeth Banks and Paul Reubens, a combination that more than equals one Kate Winslet and possibly even part of a second Kate Winslet, such as a Kate Winslet haunch.

Source: A.V. Club

The actress joins Jack Black, Nicolas Cage and Kate Winslet in the musical satire about Hollywood.

Elizabeth Banks, who stars in this weekend’s Man On A Ledge with Sam Worthington, has joined the star-studded cast of Frank Or Francis, Charlie Kaufman’s musical satire about Hollywood.

Banks joins a roll call that includes Jack Black, Nicolas Cage, Steve Carell, Catherine Keener and Kevin Kline in a story that follows a battle of wills between Frank, an intellectual film director (Carell) and Francis, an online blogger (Black) who still lives at home and who delights in attacking the other man’s films.

Cage plays an actor who is famous for his high-concept films while Kline will play the director of the world’s top-grossing movie as well as that character’s brother who turns into an animatronic head.

Banks will play a highly-regarded actress making formulaic comedy bombs who is having an affair with Carell’s Frank.

Anthony Bregman of A Likely Story is producing.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter