Here are some new photos of goddess Cate Blanchett in Milan, Italy over the weekend. She stopped by the Armani showroom and then she and Mr. Armani spent some time at Hotel Armani and went for a little walk together with the paparazzi. Cate is a big Armani girl, although she’s not strictly all-Armani. I always associate Cate with Armani, Alexander McQueen (more so when McQueen was alive), Givenchy and Louis Vuitton. Cate IS a Fashion Girl, but it works with her because A) she’s so much more than a Fashion Girl and B) because no one wears avant-garde and provocative fashion better than Cate. Cate doesn’t need to tell you that she’s a princess by wearing a big, obvious ball gown. Cate is an intellectual princess and it shows in whatever she wears.

I have to say, I love everything she’s wearing in these photos. I especially like the cut of those black pants, but the muted grey & blue outfit is a study for how women past a certain age can look stylish and graceful and appropriate. And you know my favorite part? I love that Cate has lines on her face. She has a REAL face. She’s not Botox’d and filler’d. She’s not pinched and pulled. She’s got beautiful, amazing skin but it’s not the result of her love affair with needles. Cate doesn’t need to be a perpetual 29 year old. She wears her 40s with such grace. Sigh.

Anyway, I’m assuming that Cate was in Milan with Mr. Armani because she was recently named the new face of Armani fragrances. Reportedly, Cate’s contract is worth $10 million. People Magazine claimed last week that Cate was chosen specifically to front the campaign for the new Armani fragrance Si. The ads should be out this summer. Can’t wait!

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.

You know we are in the midst of a fairy tale revival, right? All of your beloved fairy tales are being “re-imagined” and “f—ked up” by Hollywood, to mixed results. Snow White and the Huntsman did well at the box office, while the other Snow White re-telling, Mirror, Mirror, didn’t even make back its production costs. There are lots of other examples – Little Red Riding Hood, Grimm fairy tales, Angelina Jolie’s take on Maleficent, a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, etc – but what’s important here is that Cinderella is the latest fairy tale up for grabs. Disney is going to make a live-action version of Cinderella for a new generation of little girls. Lily James (Annoying Flapper Rose from Downton Abbey) was already cast as Cinderella. And CATE BLANCHETT was cast as the evil stepmother (Evil Bonus Mom)!!!!!!!!!!! And now we have a new Prince Charming, and he’s The King of the North. Robb Stark! Otherwise known as Richard Madden.

It’s official! Disney has issued a press release naming Richard Madden as the Prince in their upcoming live-action re-imagining of Cinderella. The Scottish actor, who is best known for playing Robb Stark (King of the North!) on Game of Thrones, will be joining a cast that includes Downton Abbey’s Lily James as the titular princess, and the ever-elegant Cate Blanchett as the evil stepmother, Lady Tremaine.

Madden was first mentioned as a contender for the part of Prince Charming back when James was facing callbacks, along with other potential Cinderellas, Bella Heathcoate (Dark Shadows), and Margot Robbie (Pan Am). With its leads finally secured, Cinderella is closer than ever before to stepping into production. It’s been a rocky road to get this far.

You might remember that last winter the project was considering three different ingénues (Saoirse Ronan, Alicia Vikander, and Gabriella Wilde), back when Mark Romanek was lined up to direct. But by January he’d be dumped for the project over concerns he was making the fairy tale adaptation too dark for Disney’s liking. By month’s end, Kenneth Branagh committed to helm and soon Emma Watson was in talks for the lead…until she left to be Belle in Guillermo del Toro’s forthcoming Beauty in the Beast.

…With a script by comedy scribes Aline Brosh McKenna (The Devil Wears Prada) and Chris Weitz (About a Boy), it seems Madden will have the opportunity to try his hand at warmth and whimsy too.

[From Cinema Blend]

Richard Madden just seems like one of those perfectly chiseled, perfectly vanilla dudes who can easily play the “Prince Charming” stereotype. I would also include Armie Hammer and James Marsden on that list, which is good because both have played cartoon-y princes in live-action fairy tales already. Madden’s take on Robb Stark is kind of goody-two-shoes, but that might just be the writing. Basically, I’m saying that I will give Madden a chance as Charming. But really, let’s face it, we’re going to see this because of Lady Blanchett.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Cate Blanchett, goddess, covers the May issue of Harper’s Bazaar Australia, and these are some of the lovely photos from the shoot. While the fashion is questionable, Cate always brings her A-game and I can’t even see the clothes because I’m just so enchanted by her face. Bazaar put a large excerpt of the cover interview online, and you can read it here. Cate is mostly talking about fashion and her work in the theater. Some highlights:

Being criticized for her avant-garde style: “Couture is a cabinet of curiosities. It’s a place of experimentation and I think the red carpet is a great place to display it. I knew people would either hate that [2009 crochet] dress or really love it. People get so worried about what everybody thinks,” she says. “But I love Romance Was Born because they have a great anarchic freedom. We enjoy their company. They’ve had a couple of shows in the space here [at Sydney Theatre Company’s The Wharf] and they always come to our Christmas parties.”

Cate’s normal attire: An elegant white Armani business shirt (deeply unbuttoned) under a camel-coloured Donna Karan suit. She wears matching camel sneakers without socks. “This is all a bit old but I love it,” she says.

Cate on art & the theater: “Theatre is full of influences from other art forms and that’s what makes it extraordinary,” says Blanchett. “When you go to the opera, you come home talking about the voices. After the ballet, you talk about the dancers. But when you go to the theatre, you end up talking about politics, art, your marriage and your hopes and dreams. So as theatremakers we have to be engaging with artists from all different disciplines.”

[From Bazaar Australia]

She keeps her Armani business shirt “Deeply unbuttoned”. God, I love her. She’s all “I’m going to look professional, but with an edge. And boobs.”

Meanwhile, did you hear that Cate has scored a $10 million deal to become the face of Armani fragrances for women? Thank the lord that SOME designers actually want classy adult women to represent them (as opposed to whatever pop tart has just come of age). Cate’s print ads for Armani will be shot “soon” and I guess that means they’ll be ready in time for a Fall/Winter campaign? Also: Cate scored the lead in the HBO TV-movie adaptation of Marisa Acocella Marchetto’s memoir, Cancer Vixen. I would imagine La Blanchett will win all of the TV awards for that one.

Photos courtesy of Harper’s Bazaar Aus.

These are some photos from last night’s (today’s?) 2nd AACTA Awards (The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award) red carpet in Sydney. The red carpet got a decent turnout, especially because my lady Cate Blanchett made an appearance! Cate wore Armani Privé, one of her favorite labels. I can’t say I’m totally in love with this, but I like that she tried it and that she makes this bizarre, stiff-looking design look so regal. I miss her on red carpets, don’t you? Maybe she’ll come to the Oscars this year. PLEASE?! Also: Cate’s boobs look awesome, right? I hope my girls hold up so well.

Nicole Kidman in Erdem. This is a weird color for her, right? Granted, very few women could pull this off, but does Nicole? She comes close to pulling it off I think. As for the Botox and lip-injections and her hair… disaster.

Here’s Gemma Arterton and Jeremy Renner (they’re starring together in that Hansel & Gretel movie – they were at the Aussie premiere just hours beforehand). Gemma is wearing Vivienne Westwood. Here’s the thing about Gemma: I love her and I think she’s beautiful and she has a gorgeous, curvy figure. “Curvy” being “stacked like a brick s—thouse” not as some kind of code for “heavy”. She’s a beautiful curvy girl. But I kind of think Gemma has style issues, maybe because of her body and maybe because she just has kind of weird style. Anyway, I’d like to see her improve! Because if she starts getting it right, people will pay more attention to her. Also: that lipstick & hairstyle will need to go.

Bonus Hugo Weaving! Because I know you like him.

Photos courtesy of WENN.com.

Here are some photos from last night’s UK premiere of The Hobbit. Finally! I’ve been waiting to see some big premieres for The Hobbit, mostly because I need my Cate Blanchett & Benedict Cumberbatch fixes, but we’ve been having problems. Either we don’t have access to the pics, or the premieres just don’t have anyone cool in attendance. So, it’s good to see most of The Hobbit cast together on the UK red carpet, although there does seem to be a distinct lack of Cumberbatch (SOB).

Anyway, let’s talk about the lovely and talented and amazing Cate Blanchett. Cate wore this Givenchy gown which… uh… I mean, I know why she chose it. Cate loves architectural pieces, she loves bold, avant-garde pieces, and she loves to wear things that very few women could pull off. So, does she pull this off? I kind of think she does, although the back of this bugs me. I guess the design is loosely based on a straightjacket or something. But the back is just unflattering. Everything from the waist down is great though.

Here’s Sir Ian McKellan in a delightful velvet tuxedo jacket and a royal-blue, silk-lined overcoat. I love that Sir Ian is so devoted to the Tolkien adaptations and I just feel like he really respects his nerdy LOTR fan-base. Also, some good news: Sir Ian does NOT have cancer after all. Weird.

I love Martin Freeman!!! And I had no idea he was married. This is his wife.

And lastly, I wanted to talk about this photo. Some dude thought it would be a GENIUS idea to propose to his girlfriend AT THE UK PREMIERE OF THE HOBBIT. I’m sorry, ladies, but that’s a f—king dealbreaker. First of all, you’re standing outside in DECEMBER in England, watching the red carpet for the stars of The Hobbit (!!!) and THAT is the moment when your dude proposes? Hopefully, this woman said, “Um… I think we should see other people.” Michael Fassbender couldn’t even get away with that sh-t. Also: is the girl a Hobbit? She looks really short. Maybe that’s what it is. Some noble dude decided to propose to his Hobbit girlfriend.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet, WENN.

Cate Blanchett is tied with Emma Thompson for my #1 favorite celebrity/person/actress/fantasy girlfriend. I find Cate to be exquisitely beautiful and mind-numbingly talented, but with all of that beauty and talent, she still seems… real. She seems like fun. She seems sassy and interesting and up for a good time. Maybe she’s a little eccentric, but that’s part of her charm. What I’ve never really doubted about Cate is that she’s a confident woman, because she has so much to be confident about, you know? But Star Magazine is trying to convince me that my fantasy wife is deeply flawed and racked with self-doubt. Blanchett, please.

Cate Blanchett has one of the most flawless faces in Hollywood, but Star has learned that the actress has become an insecure recluse!

“Cate is suffering a major midlife confidence crisis,” stated a close insider. “She thinks her kids are growing up too quickly and it makes her feel old.”

The Oscar winner, 43, is the mom of three children – Dashiell, 11, Roman, 8, and Ignatius, 4 – and is fretting about her appearance.

“She feels like she’s always being watched and is very self-conscious,” admits the spy. “She used to be so outgoing, but now she’s very shy. Her friends have tried to discuss it with her, but she just plays it off, claiming she has a case of real-world stage fright.”

[From Star Magazine, print edition]

Well, she was JUST at the premiere of The Hobbit last week (I’ve included a couple of photos below from the premiere), so it’s not like she’s holed up somewhere, getting boozy and obsessively applying eye cream. Or maybe that’s what she did at The Hobbit afterparty? Anyway, I think this is probably more about Cate’s lack of Hollywood drive, and I’m not saying that in a bad way at all. She just hasn’t made a lot of movies over the past few years, mainly because she and her husband were working in Australia and committed to stage work. But there is some good news… Cate has about a million projects lined up or already in postproduction. 2013 will The Year of The Blanchett!!! HUZZAH. Maybe then she’ll finally leave her husband and she and I can marry in Washington State? (Huzzah to you, Washington state!)

Photos courtesy of WENN.

These are photos from the ELLE magazine 19th Annual Women In Hollywood Celebration held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills last night. There are going to be several posts devoted to this event, because lots of lots of A-listers and B-listers showed up, and there was some… “interesting” fashion on display. Let’s start with Cate Blanchett, shall we? Cate is beautiful. Cate is lovely. Cate is amazing. Cate is a role model. Cate can pull off looks that no one can pull off. Take this Proenza Schouler dress (with Roger Vivier shoes). As with most of Cate’s looks, if this was on another woman, I would be yelling. On Cate, it’s stunning and beautiful. Girl is 43 years old, and she looks younger than most of the women at this event.

Elle Fanning in Dolce & Gabbana Calvin Klein. It has straps! So I’m okay with it. It seems slightly too mature for a 14-year-old, but I think the cut of the skirt saves it for Elle – if it had been tight throughout, I would have a problem. But she looks good!

Emma Stone in Valentino. DISASTER. From head to toe, I really dislike this Pepto-Bismol thing. I don’t have a major issue with young women wearing pink… but don’t do it if the dress is this particular shade of Pepto-pink. The sheer sleeves suck, and I really wish Emma would stone with the blonde. Sidenote: this looks like something Michelle Williams would wear, right?

Rachel Zoe in an unknown designer… it looks a bit like Calvin Klein. You know what? This would have been minimalist and lovely if the dress went to her knees, and it wasn’t full-length. It would have been cute. But this is just a boring sack on a boring skinny girl.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Here are some photos of Cate Blanchett at the opening night party (on Saturday) for the production of Uncle Vanya. Cate starred in the play in Sydney, and she and her husband Andrew Upton have brought the production to the New York City Center as part of the 2012 Lincoln Center Festival. Upton adapted the Anton Chekhov play for the Sydney production. As for Cate in this geometric dress… I’m not so sure about it. I mean, obviously, ON CATE it’s fantastic. She could make a burlap sack look like a one-of-a-kind couture piece. But I don’t think this dress would look good on anyone else. As for her face… I will literally burst into tears if Cate ever Botoxed or tweaked. Her face is magnificent. Here’s a bit more about the production and some quotes from Cate:

With five Academy Award nominations and one Oscar win to her name, it’s no doubt that Cate Blanchett reigns as one of the world’s most gifted actresses. While she’s widely known for her work on film, the statuesque performer never strays far from the stage.

Blanchett and her husband, writer and director Andrew Upton, are currently in town with the Sydney Theatre Company’s production of “Uncle Vanya.” The pair, who has been serving as the company’s artistic heads since 2008, brings the Anton Chekhov classic to the city after a premiere down under in 2010. Blanchett stars as Yelena in her husband’s new adaptation of “Uncle Vanya,” which is currently part of the 2012 Lincoln Center Festival.

“For me the importance was not so much to play Yelena but to be part of the ensemble. That was my drive,” Blanchett says.

Blanchett and Upton’s journey with “Uncle Vanya” began to germinate after they experienced another Chekhov play at the Lincoln Center Festival in 2009: a production of “Ivanov,” directed by Hungarian artist Tamás Ascher, who is now at the helm of “Uncle Vanya.”

“We approached him thinking he’ll never say yes because he doesn’t know us, he doesn’t know the company. And he said yes,” Blanchett says.

“He was very, very insistent that I pay very close attention to the actual structure of the Russian senses,” Upton says.

In recent years, Blanchett has been seen at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on the New York stage playing Hedda Gabler and faded beauty Blanche DuBois in “A Streetcar Named Desire.”

“They’re not museum pieces and for me, that’s the challenge when you’re doing a classic. It’s through performing it you understand why these things live now,” Blanchett says.

And while the pair will officially step down from their post as Sydney Theatre Company heads in 2013, Blanchett says she hopes to eventually make her Broadway debut.

“I’d love to,” she says. “Yeah, I’d absolutely love to.”

[From New York 1]

I can’t believe Cate has never actually been in a Broadway production. She’s performed in plays in London, Sydney, and Washington, DC… someone offer her a Broadway play!

I should also mention this – after barely taking any film roles over the past few years, Cate has a slew of films coming out next year. She’s spent the last six months or so working back-to-back of various projects, including The Hobbit, a Woody Allen movie, that Knight of Cups film with Christian Bale, and something with Terrence Malick.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

These are some new photos of Cate Blanchett arriving at LAX yesterday. Thoughts on her outfit? Only Cate could pull this off, and even then… just barely. I’m not big into plaids, and I really don’t “get” why anyone would want to wear a plaid suit, but sure. On Cate, it works. It could also work on Tilda Swinton and Alan Cumming. And that’s about it.

Cate also covers the Summer issue of Gotham, but from what I can see from the interview, it’s all about her theater in Sydney. While I’m happy for Cate and her husband and their commitment to bringing quality theater to Australia, I find all of that stuff kind of tedious. Maybe I’m just sad because I miss seeing Cate in movies. In any case, you can read some excerpts of her Gotham piece here.

In addition to the Gotham article, Cate recently spoke to an Australian newspaper, and these quotes were much more interesting. I didn’t know she was just cast in Woody Allen’s new movie! That’s something. Also, she’s considering shaving her head again! She says, “Shaving off my hair is so liberating. I had to do it once for a film role, but I’ve done it periodically too. At school it was probably to rebel, but I cut my hair short a few years ago and I’m thinking about doing it again.” Have you ever seen Cate with a shaved head? She looks amazing.

Cate also says she hates working out: “I try to be healthy but I find exercise deathly dull. It tends to be easier to get outside in Australia, but the rain and floods have been atrocious in the past few years which limits things… Luckily, work keeps me fit and I’ve just been on stage with a show that’s very physical, which staves off the gym for a bit longer.” Eh… I believe her. I think she keeps active without being a gym rat. She seems like she has a really awesome metabolism too.

Oh, and she’s 43 years old. This is why she should be the poster girl for good skin care.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet, Gotham.

Cate Blanchett to Beyonce: GIRL, THIS IS HOW YOU DO FEATHERS.

My girl Cate Blanchett is just perfection, isn’t she? Blanchett wore a Fall 2012 Alexander McQueen – which surprises me a little bit, because Cate was really close to the late Alexander McQueen, and if she was going to wear something McQueen, I would have thought it would be something vintage. But now we know – Cate supports Sarah Burton, the line’s new head designer. Cate was Burton’s first choice, apparently. They were each other’s dates.

Look, on another woman, this look would have been a total disaster. But I love this on Cate. As it always with Cate, it’s simply about how she wears it. She can pull off the strangest thing, and she never lets a dress wear her. Look at the detailing on this dress too – the whole thing is made of those rich-looking feathers. You seriously need to go back and look at Beyonce’s tacky monstrosity of a dress, then come back and look at this. Beyonce = Busted, Budget, Las Vegas Diva. La Blanchett = Beautiful, Perfect, Classic, Amazing Style Icon.

Photos courtesy of WENN.