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Eleanor Worthington-Cox on the Process of Becoming ‘Gwen’

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Eleanor Worthington-Cox

Eleanor Worthington-Cox was only 16 years old when the role of Gwen, the titular character of writer/director William McGregor’s thriller appeared on her radar, and if you ask the young actress, she’ll tell you it was one of the luckiest moments of her life.

Set in the isolated landscape of Northern Wales, Gwen is the story of a young woman who lives with her mother (Maxine Peake) and younger sister (Jodie Innes) on their family farm. As life spins out of control and the local mining company looming over their land, Gwen must step forward and take the lead to save her family and her home.

Worthington-Cox received the script for the film only four to six weeks before shooting began and within the space of two meetings was cast in the role which she calls a dream due to the freedom she was given by McGregor to explore the character.

“It was one of the most unusual jobs I’ve done because while were filming I was able to really create her with Will,” the actress explained in an interview with iHorror. “He spent eight years creating this project and this character. For him to trust me and let me do what I felt was right with the character…that was invaluable.”

That kind of trust was an asset on a project filmed entirely on location dealing with unexpected blizzards and numerous night shoots, but she says that kind of relationship permeated the entire crew and cast as filming progressed.

It especially came in handy with her co-stars.

“Honestly, I can say that it was one of the most rewarding experiences as an actor,” she says of working with Maxine Peake in the role of her mother, Elan. “To tap into that intensity and feel safe in that environment, that’s a rare thing. We managed to forge such a solid working relationship where we had trust and respect for each other so that we could actually deliver something where we had a lot of love underlying all the uncertainty that these characters go through.”

It was young Jodie Innes, however, who became her light through the darkness in a film filled with constantly building dread.

“We had this little six year old on board and she was the most incredible little sister I could have wished to work with,” Worthington-Cox explained. “She’s this little ray of sunshine bouncing around between scenes. It’s hard to feel upset or weighed down by the material when you have that by your side.”

McGregor immersed his cast in the environment of the film, going so far as to find a home that was built in the time period in which Gwen takes place and bringing in crew that was local to the area to repair it and make it “livable.”

“We were in Snowdonia in the wild,” she said. “It really transported us all. When you find yourself in a blizzard at 3 am wearing only a night dress, it not only makes you think about what this young woman would have gone through, but it also makes you appreciate how lucky you are to be able to escape back to a heated room when the scene is finished.”

As I mentioned earlier, the pressures on the character were many. Gwen’s mother falls ill and it’s up to her to take in crops and carry vegetables to market to sell, only to discover that no one will buy from her.

In one pivotal scene, she takes a crucifix hanging on the wall of the home and stares into the fire before finally throwing it into the flames.

“This is the story of a young woman who is keeping her family together despite the pressures of a patriarchal community and a society where it’s almost impossible for someone to have a different belief system,” the actress pointed out. “I think in that moment, Gwen was completely giving up on hope. Her faith, not so much in a God, but in her entire situation had dwindled to nothing at that point in the film.”

Watching Eleanor Worthington-Cox in this role is a bit of a revelation, and it’s not surprising that by the time she was cast as Gwen she’d already earned a BAFTA nomination.

Gwen is out in theaters and available on demand today. Make sure to check out this brilliant young actress in this inspired thriller!

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The Original ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel Had an Interesting Location

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beetlejuice in Hawaii Movie

Back in the late ’80s and early ’90s sequels to hit movies weren’t as linear as they are today. It was more like “let’s re-do the situation but in a different location.” Remember Speed 2, or National Lampoon’s European Vacation? Even Aliens, as good as it is, follows a lot of the plot points of the original; people stuck on a ship, an android, a little girl in peril instead of a cat. So it makes sense that one of the most popular supernatural comedies of all time, Beetlejuice would follow the same pattern.

In 1991 Tim Burton was interested in doing a sequel to his 1988 original, it was called Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian:

“The Deetz family moves to Hawaii to develop a resort. Construction begins, and it’s quickly discovered that the hotel will be sitting on top of an ancient burial ground. Beetlejuice comes in to save the day.”

Burton liked the script but wanted some re-writes so he asked then-hot screenwriter Daniel Waters who had just got done contributing to Heathers. He passed on the opportunity so producer David Geffen offered it to Troop Beverly Hills scribe Pamela Norris to no avail.

Eventually, Warner Bros. asked Kevin Smith to punch up Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian, he scoffed at the idea, saying, “Didn’t we say all we needed to say in the first Beetlejuice? Must we go tropical?”

Nine years later the sequel was killed. The studio said Winona Ryder was now too old for the part and an entire re-cast needed to happen. But Burton never gave up, there were a lot of directions he wanted to take his characters, including a Disney crossover.

“We talked about lots of different things,” the director said in Entertainment Weekly. “That was early on when we were going, Beetlejuice and the Haunted MansionBeetlejuice Goes West, whatever. Lots of things came up.”

Fast-forward to 2011 when another script was pitched for a sequel. This time the writer of Burton’s Dark Shadows,  Seth Grahame-Smith was hired and he wanted to make sure the story wasn’t a cash-grabbing remake or reboot. Four years later, in 2015, a script was approved with both Ryder and Keaton saying they would return to their respective roles. In 2017 that script was revamped and then eventually shelved in 2019.

During the time the sequel script was being tossed around in Hollywood, in 2016 an artist named Alex Murillo posted what looked like one-sheets for a Beetlejuice sequel. Although they were fabricated and had no affiliation with Warner Bros. people thought they were real.

Perhaps the virality of the artwork sparked interest in a Beetlejuice sequel once again, and finally, it was confirmed in 2022 Beetlejuice 2 had a green light from a script written by Wednesday writers  Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. The star of that series Jenna Ortega signed on to the new movie with filming starting in 2023. It was also confirmed that Danny Elfman would return to do the score.

Burton and Keaton agreed that the new film titled Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice wouldn’t rely on CGI or other other forms of technology. They wanted the film to feel “handmade.” The film wrapped in November 2023.

It’s been over three decades to come up with a sequel to Beetlejuice. Hopefully, since they said aloha to Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian there has been enough time and creativity to ensure Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will not only honor the characters, but fans of the original.

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will open theatrically on September 6.

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Russell Crowe To Star in Another Exorcism Movie & It’s Not a Sequel

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Maybe it’s because The Exorcist just celebrated its 50th-anniversary last year, or maybe it’s because aging Academy Award-winning actors aren’t too proud to take on obscure roles, but Russell Crowe is visiting the Devil once again in yet another possession film. And it’s not related to his last one, The Pope’s Exorcist.

According to Collider, the film titled The Exorcism was originally going to be released under the name The Georgetown Project. Rights for its North American release were once in the hands of Miramax but then went to Vertical Entertainment. It will release on June 7 in theaters then head over to Shudder for subscribers.

Crowe will also star in this year’s upcoming Kraven the Hunter which is set to drop in theaters on August 30.

As for The Exorcism, Collider provides us with what it’s about:

“The film centers around actor Anthony Miller (Crowe), whose troubles come to the forefront as he shoots a supernatural horror movie. His estranged daughter (Ryan Simpkins) has to figure out whether he’s lapsing into his past addictions, or if something even more horrific is occurring. “

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New F-Bomb Laden ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Trailer: Bloody Buddy Movie

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Deadpool & Wolverine might be the buddy movie of the decade. The two heterodox superheroes are back in the latest trailer for the summer blockbuster, this time with more f-bombs than a gangster film.

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Movie Trailer

This time the focus is on Wolverine played by Hugh Jackman. The adamantium-infused X-Man is having a bit of a pity party when Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) arrives on the scene who then tries to convince him to team up for selfish reasons. The result is a profanity-filled trailer with a Strange surprise at the end.

Deadpool & Wolverine is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. It comes out on July 26. Here is the latest trailer, and we suggest if you are at work and your space isn’t private, you might want to put in headphones.

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