What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 8th April 2021.

The 27th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, honouring the best achievements in film and television performances for the year 2020, were presented on 4th April at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was broadcast live airing for one hour rather than the usual two. The nominees were announced by Lily Collins and Daveed Diggs on 4th February. The shortened one-hour show was pre-recorded. The winners were informed of their wins a few days before the telecast and the acceptance speeches were also pre-taped. These changes were a COVID-era decision in order to protect the guild's nominees and presenters.

And so the winners, grinners and the also rans from this years SAG Awards in the motion picture category are as given below :-

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

* Presented posthumously to CHADWICK BOSEMAN for 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom', beating out Riz Ahmed for 'Sound of Metal', Anthony Hopkins for 'The Father', Gary Oldman for 'Mank' and Steven Yeun for 'Minari'.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

* Presented to VIOLA DAVIS for 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom', beating out Amy Adams for 'Hillbilly Elegy', Vanessa Kirby for 'Pieces of a Woman', Frances McDormand for 'Nomadland' and Carey Mulligan for 'Promising Young Woman'.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

* Presented to DANIEL KALUUYA for 'Judas and the Black Messiah', beating out Sacha Baron Cohen for 'The Trial of the Chicago 7', Chadwick Boseman for 'Da 5 Bloods', Jared Leto for 'The Little Things' and Leslie Odom Jnr. for 'One Night in Miami'.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

* Presented to YOUN YUH-JUNG for 'Minari', beating out Maria Bakalova for 'Borat Subsequent Moviefilm', Glenn Close for 'Hillbilly Elegy', Olivia Colman for 'The Father' and Helena Zengel for 'News of the World'.

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

* Presented to the Cast of 'THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7' - Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Sacha Baron Cohen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Keaton, Frank Langella, John Carroll Lynch, Eddie Redmayne, Mark Rylance, Alex Sharp, and Jeremy Strong, beating out 'Da 5 Bloods', 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom', 'Minari' and 'One Night in Miami'. 

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture

* Presented to 'WONDER WOMAN 1984', beating out 'Da 5 Bloods', 'Mulan', 'News of the World' and 'The Trial of the Chacago 7'.

For the complete list of this years SAG Awards winners and nominees, including those from the world of television, you can visit the official website at : https://www.sagawards.org 

And so turning attention to this weeks five latest release new films coming to an Odeon near you, we kick off with a Sci-Fi offering about a crew of astronauts who embark on a multi-generational mission to land on a distant habitable planet 86 years away that ultimately descends into paranoia and madness, not knowing what is real and what is not. Next up we have a young environmentalist who wakes, kidnapped and trapped in the elevator of a super high-rise building at the mercy of her tormentors. This is followed by a comedy action horror offering concerning a quiet drifter who is tricked into cleaning up an abandoned family entertainment centre haunted by eight murderous animatronic characters. Then there is a Chinese drama comedy film about a man who must attempt to clear his name after a theatre puts on a play that accuses him of committing a murder thirty years previously. And we close out the week with a French adventure comedy film about a teacher who embarks on a long journey with a donkey to find her secret lover in the countryside.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the five latest release new movies as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release or as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the week ahead.

'VOYAGERS' (Rated MA15+) - is an American Sci-Fi drama Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Neil Burger whose prior film making credits take in 2002's 'Interview with the Assassin', 2006's 'The Illusionist', 2011's 'Limitless', 2014's 'Divergent' and 2017's remake of the acclaimed French film 'The Intouchables' with 'The Upside'. Originally slated for a release at the end of November 2020, the film was pulled from the schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is released this week.

With the future of the human race in danger, a group of young men and women, born and bred for enhanced intelligence and to suppress emotional impulses, embark on an expedition to colonise a distant planet that will take eighty-six years to reach. But when they uncover disturbing secrets about the mission, they defy their training and begin to explore their most primitive impulses. As life on the ship descends into chaos, they're consumed by fear, lust, and the hunger for power not knowing if the real threat they face is what's outside the ship or who they're becoming inside it. Starring Colin Farrell, Fionn Whitehead, Tye Sheridan, Lily-Rose Depp and Isaac Hempstead Wright.

'ASCENDANT' (Rated MA15+) - here this mystery Sci-Fi drama is Directed, Co-Written and Co-Produced by Anthony Furlong in his feature film debut and following from his last offering, the short film 'Emergence' in 2009. The film tells the story of young environmentalist Aria Wolf (Charlotte Best) who finds herself kidnapped and held hostage in a high-speed elevator in a 120-floor skyscraper in Shanghai. Aria holds a secret that makes her a valuable asset to many. However, she has no memory of her past, who her captors are or what they want from her. While being pushed to her physical and psychological limits, she begins to discover that what has been hidden within her for so long is what will ultimately be her salvation. Also starring Jonny Pasvolsky, Susan Prior, Andrew Jack and Lily Stewart.

'WILLY'S WONDERLAND' (Rated MA15+) - is an American action comedy horror offering Directed by Kevin Lewis in his first film making outing since 2007's 'The Third Nail' with Chloe Grace Moretz, Charles S. Dutton, John Savage and Sean Young. A quiet drifter, known only as the Janitor (Nicolas Cage), is tricked into a janitorial job at the now condemned Willy's Wonderland. He has one night to clean up the place, but the seemingly mundane tasks suddenly become an all-out fight for survival against wave after wave of eight demonic animatronic mascots, those being Willy Weasel, Arty Alligator, Cammy Chameleon, Ozzie Ostrich, Tito Turtle, Knighty Knight, Gus Gorilla, and Siren Sara and who are all revealed to be alive, aggressive and baying for blood. Fists fly, kicks land, titans clash and only one side will make it out alive. Also starring Emily Tosta, Beth Grant and Ric Reitz, the film has garnered generally positive Reviews and has so far grossed US$420K off the back of a US$5M production budget since its release in the US in mid-February.

'THE ELEVENTH CHAPTER' (Rated M) - this Chinese comedy drama film is Directed and also stars Chen Jianbin. Here a homicide case from thirty years ago was adapted into a stage play by the municipal theatre troupe. As the person involved in the murder, the renewed attention on the case disrupts Ma Fuli's (Chen Jianbin) life. Ma Fuli is pulled in all directions while trying to sort things out with stage play Director Hu Kunding (Da Peng), looking for a lawyer to clear his name and attempting to reconcile the tense relationship between his wife Jin Cailing (Zhou Xun) and daughter Jin Duoduo (Leah Dou). 

'ANTOINETTE IN THE CEVENNES' (Rated M) - this French adventure romantic comedy is Directed by Caroline Vignal in only her second film making offering since 'Girlfriends' in 2000, although she has written two made for television movies in the meantime. This film is based on the 1879 book 'Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes' by Robert Louis Stevenson. Antoinette Lapouge (Laure Calamy), a school teacher, is looking forward to her long planned summer holidays with her secret lover Vladimir Loubier (Benjamin Lavernhe), the father of one of her pupils. When learning that Vladimir cannot come because his wife Eleonore (Olivia Cote) organised a surprise trekking holiday in the Cevennes National Park with their daughter and a donkey to carry their load, Antoinette decides to follow their track, by herself, with Patrick, a protective donkey. Laure Calamy won the Cesar Award for Best Actress recently and the film took out another seven nominations. The film was released in France in mid-September last year and has so far grossed US$6.5M, and has garnered generally positive Reviews. 

With five new release films this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the coming week, at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 19th - 25th February 2017.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Miles Teller does on 20th February - check out my tribute to this Birthday Lad turning 30, at the end of this feature.

Do you also share your birthday with a well known, highly regarded & famous Actor or Actress; share your special day with a Director, Producer, Writer, Cinematographer, Singer/Songwriter or Composer of repute; or share an interest in whoever might notch up another year in the coming seven days? Then, look no further! Whilst there will be too many to mention in this small but not insignificant and beautifully written and presented Blog, here are the more notable and noteworthy icons of the big screen, and the small screen, that you will recognise, and that you might just share your birthday with in the week ahead. If so, Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online!

Sunday 19th February

• Jeff Daniels - Born 1955, turns 62 - Actor | Writer | Director
• Ray Winstone - Born 1957, turns 60 - Actor | Producer
• Benicio Del Toro - Born 1967, turns 50 - Actor | Producer

Monday 20th February

• Sidney Poitier - Born 1927, turns 90 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Mike Leigh - Born 1943, turns 74 - Director | Writer
• Peter Strauss - Born 1947, turns 70 - Actor | Producer
• Miles Teller - Born 1987, turns 30 - Actor
• Brenda Blethyn - Born 1946, turns 71 - Actress  

Tuesday 21st February

• Tyne Daly - Born 1946, turns 71 - Actress
• Jennifer Love Hewitt - Born 1979, turns 38 - Actress | Producer | Writer | Director | Singer
• Ellen Page - Born 1987, turns 30 - Actress | Producer
• Sophie Turner - Born 1996, turns 21 - Actress
• Anthony Daniels - Born 1946, turns 71 - Actor | Producer
• Kelsey Grammer - Born 1955, turns 62 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director | Singer
• William Baldwin - Born 1963, turns 54 - Actor | Producer  

Wednesday 22nd February

• Jonathan Demme - Born 1944, turns 73 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Kyle MacLachlan - Born 1959, turns 58 - Actor
• Julie Walters - Born 1950, turns 67 - Actress | Singer
• Drew Barrymore - Born 1975, turns 42 - Actress | Producer | Director | Singer

Thursday 23rd February

• Emily Blunt - Born 1983, turns 34 - Actress | Singer
• Dakota Fanning - Born 1994, turns 23 - Actress | Producer | Singer
• Peter Fonda - Born 1940, turns 77 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer  

Friday 24th February

• Edward James Olmos - Born 1947, turns 70 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Dennis Waterman - Born 1948, turns 69 - Actor | Singer  
• Billy Zane - Born 1966, turns 51 - Actor | Producer | Director
• O'Shea Jackson Jnr. - Born 1991, turns 26 - Actor

Saturday 25th February

• Tom Courtenay - Born 1937, turns 80 - Actor
• Lee Evans - Born 1964, turns 53 - Actor | Writer | Composer
• Sean Astin - Born 1971, turns 46 - Actor | Producer | Director  
• James and Oliver Phelps - Born 1986, turn 31 - Actors
• Tea Leoni - Born 1966, turns 51 - Actress | Producer
• Rashida Jones - Born 1976, turns 41 - Actress | Producer | Director | Writer | Singer

Miles Alexander Teller was born in Downingtown, Pennsylvania to mother Merry, a Real Estate Agent and father Michael Teller, a nuclear power plant engineer. Growing up Miles lived in various places because of the relocation necessary in his fathers career, spending time in Florida, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania. He attended the Lecanto High School in Florida where he played saxophone, piano, guitar and the drums, he was President of the Drama Club and played baseball too, hoping to turn the game into his vocation of choice. He then attended the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University where he studied method acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree.

He began his screen acting career by appearing in a number of short films - in 2004's eighteen minute 'Moonlighters', then 2007's ten minute 'Specific Recipe', 2008's eleven minute 'The Musicians' and 2010's eleven minute 'The Track Meet'. His feature film debut came in the 2010 drama 'Rabbit Hole' for which he was singled out by Co-Star Nicole Kidman for the role and also starring Aaron Eckhart, Dianne Wiest and Sandra Oh. 2011 saw the remake of the classic 1984 musical dance movie 'Footloose' starring Andie McDowell and Dennis Quaid with Kenny Wormald in the lead role. The film received generally positive Reviews and returned US$64M from its US$24M budget. In 2013 he starred in '21 & Over' and then his more critically lauded screen performance to date in 'The Spectacular Now' with Co-Star Shailene Woodley and also Brie Larson, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Kyle Chandler. The film made just US$7M from its US$2.5M budget, but was well received by Critics.

'Whiplash' came next in 2014 for Director Damien Chazelle with Teller starring as promising young student drummer Andrew Neiman enrolled at the Shaffer Conservatory in New York, with Terence Fletcher (J.K.Simmons) as his over bearing domineering and abusive jazz instructor. The film gained universal acclaim, returned US$49M from its meagre US$3.3M budget and garnered three Academy Award wins, one Golden Globe win, three BAFTA wins and a SAG win with J.K.Simmons and Damien Chazelle receiving numerous accolades. All up the film took home 91 award wins and another 134 nominations.

That same year, 2014, saw RomCom 'That Awkward Moment' with Zac Efron, Michael B. Jordan and Imogen Poots, and then the first in a recurring role as Peter Hayes in the first instalment of the Veronica Roth series of books to be adapted for the big screen, 'Divergent'. This was followed up by 'Insurgent' in 2015 and 'Allegiant' in 2016, with the final instalment 'Ascendant' in pre-production for a release later this year as a television movie, due to the lacklustre Box Office performance of the 'Allegiant' film bringing in US$179M from its US$110M budget outlay.

RomCom 'Two Night Stand' was also released in 2014, and then in 2015 the reboot of Marvel's 'Fantastic Four' franchise which had seen earlier live action adaptations in 2005 and 2007. Starring Teller as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic with Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, Kate Mara as Susan Storm/The Invisible Woman and Jamie Bell as Ben Grimm/The Thing with Toby Kebbell and Vicor von Doom, this picture tanked critically and commercially taking US$168M from its US$126M budget investment, and picking up several 'Worst' awards.

Comedy 'Get A Job' followed in 2016 with Anna Kendrick, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Alison Brie, Bryan Cranston and Marcia Gay Harden, and then true story comedy drama 'War Dogs' as Directed by Todd Phillips and Co-Starring Jonah Hill and Bradley Cooper about the real life arms dealers Efraim Diveroli (Hill) and David Packouz (Teller) who win a US Army contract to supply munitions for the Afghan National Army worth about US$300M without any prior experience, credentials, contacts or expertise in this field. The film received mixed Reviews and returned US$86M from its US$40M budget.

The biographical boxing drama film 'Bleed for This' was released in the US in mid-November last year, but has not seen a theatrical release in Australia. With Teller starring as Vinny Pazienza an American professional boxing champion and Aaron Eckhart as his trainer Kevin Rooney, the film charts the story of the boxer who after a near fatal car accident leaves him with severe neck and spinal injuries and not knowing if he'll ever walk again, let alone fight. And fight he does, in one of the most incredible comeback stories from inside the ring. Although the film received generally positive Reviews, it was a bomb at the Box Office taking just US$5.5M from its US$6M budget costs.

Next up Teller is lending his voice talent to the animated feature 'The Ark and the Aardvark' due later this year, then in PTSD effected returning servicemen and women drama 'Thank You for Your Service' based on the book by David Finkel also due later this year and in post-production. 'Ascendent' the last instalment in the 'Divergent' series is in pre-production and then 'Granite Mountain' is in post-production with Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, Taylor Kitsch, Jennifer Connolly, and Andie MacDowell about an elite crew of men who fought a wildfire in Arizona in 2013 that claimed the lives of nineteen of their team..

Since 2013 Teller has been in a relationship with model Keleigh Sperry. All up Teller has 27 acting credits to his name and he has garnered four award wins and 21 other nominations including the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2015.

Miles Teller - increasingly in demand and taking on more adult mature film roles, is musical, a dancer, was very academic at school, and has ambition to succeed and go the distance. We wish you well Miles and Happy 30th Birthday to you, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 11th-17th December 2016.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Theo James does on 16th December - check out my tribute to this Birthday Lad turning 32, at the end of this feature.

Do you also share your birthday with a well known, highly regarded & famous Actor or Actress; share your special day with a Director, Producer, Writer, Cinematographer, Singer/Songwriter or Composer of repute; or share an interest in whoever might notch up another year in the coming seven days? Then, look no further! Whilst there will be too many to mention in this small but not insignificant and beautifully written and presented Blog, here are the more notable and noteworthy icons of the big screen, and the small screen, that you will recognise, and that you might just share your birthday with in the week ahead. If so, Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online!

Sunday 11th December

• Hailee Steinfeld - Born 1996, turns 20 - Actress
• Mo'Nique (Monique Imes) - Born 1967, turns 49 - Actress | Producer
• Jean-Louis Trintignant - Born 1930, turns 86 - Actor | Writer | Director  

Monday 12th December

• Bill Nighy - Born 1949, turns 67 - Actor | Producer
• Jennifer Connolly - Born 1970, turns 46 - Actress  

Tuesday 13th December

• Dick Van Dyke - Born 1925, turns 91 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer
• Christopher Plummer - Born 1929, turns 87 - Actor | Producer
• Robert Lindsay - Born 1949, turns 67 - Actor | Singer
• Steve Buscemi - Born 1957, turns 59 - Actor | Director | Producer | Singer | Writer
• Jamie Foxx - Born 1967, turns 49 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director | Singer

Wednesday 14th December

• Rebecca Gibney - Born 1964, turns 52 - Actress | Producer | Writer
• Sophie Monk - Born 1979, turns 37 - Actress

Thursday 15th December

• Don Johnson - Born 1949, turns 67 - Actor | Producer 
• Stuart Townsend - Born 1972, turns 44 - Actor | Director  

Friday 16th December

• Ben Cross - Born 1947, turns 69 - Actor
• Shane Black - Born 1961, turns 55 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor
• Benjamin Bratt - Born 1963, turns 53 - Actor | Producer
• James Mangold - Born 1963, turns 53 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Theo James - Born 1984, turns 32 - Actor
• Miranda Otto - Born 1967, turns 49 - Actress 

Saturday 17th December

• Tommy Steele - Born 1936, turns 80 - Singer | Actor 
• Bernard Hill - Born 1944, turns 72 - Actor 
• Eugene Levy - Born 1946, turns 70 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director | Singer
• Bill Pullman - Born 1953, turns 63 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Peter Farrelly - Born 1956, turns 60 - Producer | Writer | Director
• Rian Johnson - Born 1973, turns 43 - Director | Writer
• Giovanni Ribisi - Born 1974, turns 42 - Actor | Producer
• Milla Jovovich - Born 1975, turns 41 - Actress | Singer | Songwriter  

Theodore Peter James Kinnaird Taptiklis was born in Oxford, England, to mother Jane Martin who worked for the National Health Service, and father Philip Taptiklis, a business consultant. He is the youngest of five children - having two older brothers and two older sisters. From age eleven he attended Aylesbury Grammar School - a boys school located in the county of Buckinghamshire, and then went on to the University of Nottingham where he earned an undergraduate degree in Philosophy. He learned his acting craft at The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, although throughout his school life and at University he appeared in numerous plays and short films.

He gained his first television appearance opposite Billie Piper in the mini-series 'A Passionate Woman' in 2010, followed up that same year in his feature film debut in a small role in Woody Allen's 'You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger' with Anthony Hopkins, Josh Brolin, Antonio Banderas, Naomi Watts and Pauline Collins. This then led to an episode on 'Downton Abbey' before possibly his breakout role as Jed Harper on televisions 'Bedlam' in 2011 - about the drama and supernatural forces at work in an apartment building converted from a former insane asylum. The series ran for two seasons, with James appearing in all six of the first season.  

Next up came 'The Inbetweeners Movie' in which he starred as the night club rep., before being cast as David in the fourth film in the successful vampire/werewolf franchise 'Underworld : Awakening' in 2012. He would reprise his role in the recently released 'Underworld : Blood Wars' opposite Kate Beckinsale and Charles Dance once again. Also in 2012, James appeared in two episodes of British crime drama mini-series 'Case Sensitive' for the ITV Network opposite Darren Boyd and Olivia Williams, and then the BBC's two part mini-series of 'Room at the Top'.

2013 followed with James in the lead role of Walter William Clarke Jnr. in the CBS series of 'Golden Boy' about Clarke, an ambitious cop whose meteoric rise through the ranks sees him becoming the youngest Police Commissioner in New York's history. The series aired for thirteen episodes over just one season before being cancelled. This was followed up by the first instalment in the big screen adaptation of the hugely successful Veronica Roth novels 'Divergent' set in a future post-apocalyptic dystopian world where the surviving people are split into distinct factions based on their personality traits and human virtues. The story surrounds Beatrice 'Tris' Prior (Shailene Woodley) who learns that she is a rare 'Divergent' and will therefore never fit into one of the factions, and she quickly learns of a sinister plot afoot in their seemingly perfect world. Along the way she befriends Tobias 'Four' Eaton (James) and the two become close allies as the film series unfolds. This first film released in 2014 collected US$289M at the global Box Office.

A year later came the follow up, and the second in 'The Divergent Series' with 'Insurgent' with Woodley and James reprising their roles together with those of an all star cast including Jai Courtney, Miles Teller, Ansel Elgort, Naomi Watts, Kate Winslet, Maggie Q, Octavia Spencer and Zoe Kravitz. This film returned US$297M. The third film in the franchise 'Allegiant' was released earlier this year, with the two principle characters reposing their roles once more, supported by much the same cast with the addition of Jeff Daniels and Bill Skarsgard, However, this film was less well received critically, and commercially was the least preforming of the three so far, generating a return of US$179M. This has prompted speculation of budget cuts to the fourth and final film in the series 'Ascendant' due supposedly in 2017, and the possibility that it may be released as a television movie instead of a feature film with a theatrical release. As a result both Woodley and James have aired their views on this stance that they will not be involved if this is the case. Watch this space!

These gave way to 'The Benefactor' (aka 'Franny') in 2015 with Richard Gere and Dakota Fanning, and then the also recently released 'War on Everyone' for Writer/Director John Michael McDonagh with Alexander Skarsgard and Michael Pena with James playing 'Lord' James Mangan who the two bad cops played by Skarsgard and Pena down Albuquerque way run in to with unexpected results. There was also 'The Secret Scripture' for Writer/Director Jim Sheridan with Rooney Mara, Eric Bana, Aidan Turner and Vanessa Redgrave which has not yet been released in Australia. This brings us up to date with current releases.

Next up is the thriller 'London Fields' with Billy Bob Thornton, Jim Sturgess, Jason Isaacs, Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, and Cara Delevingne. The film was due for release a year or so ago but has been delayed due to legal action between the Director and the Producers. Due for release in 2017 is 'Backstabbing for Beginners' with Ben Kingsley and Jacqueline Bisset - with James playing UN Oil-for-Food Programme whistleblower who uncovers a major corruption scandal. And then there is the disputed 'Ascendant' final instalment in 'The Divergent Series' which may or may not get off the ground.

All up James has twenty-one Acting credits to his name so far, and he has garnered three award wins and another seven nominations. In his early acting days he also played in the London based band 'Shere Khan' as guitarist and singer, but in late 2012 the band split.

Theo James - private in his off-screen life, but well known for his role in two major film franchises; clearly in demand and on the rise; auditioned for James Bond but reportedly failed to get the gig; but has the smarts and the looks to go a long way yet. Happy Birthday to you Theo, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 15th - 21st November 2015

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Shailene Woodley does on 15th November - check out my tribute to this Birthday girl turning 24 at the end of this feature.

Do you also share your birthday with a well known, highly regarded & famous Actor or Actress; share your special day with a Director, Producer, Writer, Cinematographer, Singer/Songwriter or Composer of repute; or share an interest in whoever might notch up another year in the coming seven days? Then, look no further! Whilst there will be too many to mention in this small but not insignificant and beautifully written and presented Blog, here are the more notable and noteworthy icons of the big screen, and the small screen, that you will recognise, and that you might just share your birthday with in the week ahead. If so, Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online!

Sunday 15th November

• Shailene Woodley - Born 1991, turns 24 - Actress
• Jonny Lee Miller - Born 1972, turns 43 - Actor
• Edward Asner - Born 1929, turns 86 - Actor | Producer
• Sam Waterston - Born 1940, turns 75 - Actor | Producer
• Yaphet Kotto - Born 1939, turns 76 - Actor
• Roger Donaldson - Born 1945, turns 70 - Director | Producer | Writer

Monday 16th November

• Maggie Gyllenhaal - Born 1977, turns 37 - Actress

Tuesday 17th November

• Zoe Bell - Born 1978, turns 36 - Actress | Stuntwoman
• Rachel McAdams - Born 1978, turns 37 - Actress
• Sophie Marceau - Born 1966, turns 48 - Actress | Director
• Lauren Hutton - Born 1943, turns 71 - Actress
• Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio - Born 1958, turns 56 - Actress
• Martin Scorsese - Born 1942, turns 72 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor
• Danny DeVito - Born 1944, turns 70 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer

Wednesday 18th November

• Damon Wayans Jnr. - Born 1982, turns 32 - Actor | Writer
• Owen Wilson - Born 1968, turns 46 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Delroy Lindo - Born 1952, turns 62 - Actor

Thursday 19th November

• Ted Turner - Born 1938, turns 76 - Producer | Actor | Media Mogul
• Adam Driver - Born 1983, turns 31 - Actor
• Charlie Kaufman - Born 1958, turns 56 - Writer | Producer | Director
• Jodie Foster - Born 1962, turns 52 - Actress | Producer | Director
• Meg Ryan - Born 1961, turns 53 - Actress | Producer | Director

Friday 20th November

• Bo Derek - Born 1956, turns 58 - Actress
• Sean Young - Born 1959, turns 55 - Actress

Saturday 21st November

• Goldie Hawn - Born 1945, turns 69 - Actress | Producer

Shailene Diann Woodley was born in San Bernardino County, California to mother Lori Victor, a middle school counsellor, and father Lonnie Woodley a school Principal. She has a younger brother, Tanner. She attended the Simi Valley High School and from the tender age of four began modelling commercially. Acting followed although she claims by accident, as she never sought to be an actress and it was not something she aspired to be.

Her screen debut came in 1999 in the television movie 'Replacing Dad' and from that point on she has worked regularly in both television and film, although it would be another ten years or so before her big screen debut would present itself. As the new decade turned over there were several episodes on 'The District' from 2001-2003 and then singular episodes on 'Without a Trace', 'Everybody Loves Raymond', six episodes on 'The O.C.', four on 'Crossing Jordan', two on 'Jack & Bobby' and the television movies 'A Place to Call Home', 'Felicity : An American Girl Adventure' and 'Once Upon a Mattress'. More television work followed with the likes of 'My Name Is Earl', C.S.I. : NY', 'Close to Home' and 'Cold Case'.

At 15 years of age not only did her parents divorce, but she was diagnosed with scoliosis - a medical condition causing curvature of the spine. This resulted in the young teenage Actress having to wear a chest to hip plastic body brace to limit her spinal movement so allowing it to mend, and to prevent any further curving.

Before landing the principle role in 'The Secret Life of an American Teenager' in 2008 she had considered studying interior design at the University of New York, but the lure of the longer term gig doing exactly what she wanted to do was too great, with that show running for 121 episodes up until 2013.

During this period Woodley secured her breakout big screen debut alongside George Clooney as his troubled daughter in 'The Descendants' for which she received much critical acclaim, and a Best Supporting Golden Globe nomination. Next was 'The Spectacular Now' with Miles Teller for which again the young Actress received critical praise including the Special Jury Prize for Acting at the Sundance Film Festival. She followed this with 'White Bird in a Blizzard', and then the role as Mary Jane Watson opposite Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone in 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' although all her scenes ended up on the cutting room floor because Director Marc Webb needed to streamline the story.

The first film in the Veronica Roth novelisation series 'Divergent' came in 2014 with her lead role as Beatrice 'Tris' Prior with its follow up 'Insurgent' released earlier this year. 'Allegiant' is now due on 28th March 2016 and 'Ascendant' is currently filming for for a 24th March 2017 release. The first two films made a combined US$584M worldwide off a US$195M production budget.





2014 also brought 'The Fault in Our Stars' with Ansel Elgort, Laura Dern and Willem Dafoe and off US$12M made US$307M - so a bona fide blockbuster on that basis and again much critical applause for her lead performance as a 16 year old cancer sufferer. Currently in post-production is Oliver Stone's 'Snowden' due in May 2016 with Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Edward Snowden, the notorious CIA Agent who leaked thousands of classified documents to the press just a few years ago.

Interestingly Woodley was considered for the role of Katniss Everdeen on that other similar movie franchise based on a dystopian future world 'The Hunger Games'. That role went to Jennifer Lawrence as we know. She auditioned for 'I Am Sam' in 2001 and lost out to Dakota Fanning; she auditioned for 'Les Miserable' in 2012 and lost out to Amanda Seyfried; she turned down 'Tomorrowland' with George Clooney once more, and that role went to Britt Robertson; and she turned down too 'Fifty Shades of Grey' which went to Dakota Johnson.

Woodley has thirty Acting credits under her belt, has a Golden Globe and a BAFTA nomination and another 32 award nominations and a total 31 wins so far . . . and she only turns 24 this week.

Shailene Woodley - seemingly can hardly make a wrong turn, critically acclaimed, sought after, the face of a major franchise, and already so much achieved with so much more to come - Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-