"That's the most important choice you can make–casting:" A new interview with Gore Verbinski

In a new question-and-answer interview, Gore Verbinski, the director of the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN trilogy, shares some details about his approach to making a film. Especially interesting are his comments about casting a project: “I don’t try and fit the material around the actor. That’s a really big mistake,” Verbinski says. “I think that’s the most important choice you can make–casting. I really like to get to a place where I can see the whole film and then make a decision from that point–to find the best chalice for that part. The pieces have to fit.” Verbinski is not a fan of the current Hollywood practice of signing actors for roles based on their box-office clout rather than having them read for the part in question; that serves neither director nor actor well, Verbinski contends. “I think it’s in the best interest of the director and the actor to come in, in a quiet room and read the scene, play it a little bit and see if we’re speaking the same language and making the same movie.” You can read the full interview on the News & Views forum; the Zone thanks emma for posting it.

A collector's feast! Johnny Depp on the cover of four Japanese magazines in May

The remarkable affection for Johnny Depp in Japan continues to be demonstrated in their media, as Johnny graces the covers of four major magazines in May. ROADSHOW features a picture of Captain Jack from the forthcoming PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN’S CHEST; you can see the cover HERE. The other covers use photos of SECRET WINDOW vintage or earlier. Click HERE for the cover of FLIX, HERE for the cover of MOVIE STAR, and HERE for a larger version of our thumbnail, the cover of EYESCREAM. The Zone thanks GAO, Hiro3, and Charlotte Depp for sharing the scans.