I find those Focker films fun but forgettable. Does anyone think that Dustin Hoffman’s performance in the last film, Meet the Fockers, was pivotal? Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Blythe Danner and Teri Polo were in the first film, Meet the Parents, with Hoffman and Barbra Streisand added as Stiller’s character’s parents for the second. Streisand and Hoffman were excellent but I doubt that the third installment, Little Fockers , will fill less seats with either of them missing. Producer and star Robert De Niro believes that Hoffman’s character is necessary, though, and signed off on a whopping $7.5 million salary to ensure that his friend would reprise his role for the third film. That’s incredible.

Dustin Hoffman will earn a staggering $7.5 million to reprise his “Meet the Fockers” role – for just five days of work!

The 73-year-old Hollywood legend was ready to turn his back on the long-awaited sequel, “Little Fockers,” but co-star Robert De Niro – whose company Tribeca Films produced the movie – dug deep into his pockets to give Dustin, who plays Bernie Focker, a deal that will pay him an incredible $1.5 million a day.

Dustin was not included in the original filming because he demanded such a high fee, but after the movie wrapped, studio execs – and notably co-star Ben Stiller – weren’t happy that Dustin had been left out.

In late August, the source says, it was decided that having the superstar in the project was more important than saving a few million dollars, and Dustin was brought in to shoot for five days.

De Niro, who co-founded Tribeca in 1989, personally approved the massive payout.

“Even though he and Dustin have been friends for many years, it was not an easy decision,” added the source. “That’s a lot of money, and there were a lot of people who thought the movie was just fine without Dustin.”

[From The National Enquirer, print edition, October 11, 2010]

It’s a hell of a lot of money, but maybe they think Hoffman is worth it. The last film, Meet the Fockers, earned a whopping $517 million worldwide while the first movie in the series, Meet the Parents, took in $330 million. You can see why they would want to invest in the stars again for the third film, as outrageous as $7.5 million sounds for five days work. Barbra Streisand is coming back too, and she can’t have been cheap. Little Fockers is out in the US on December 22, right in time for Christmas, and it’s sure to earn bank at the box office.

Everyone’s letters to Santa were answered: Dustin Hoffman will never retire. Hurray! Hoffman is currently promoting Last Chance Harvey, which we covered a few weeks ago, and he’s giving some of his lovely “no bullsh-t” interviews to promote the little film.

Hoffman takes about aging in Hollywood versus Europe, and his hopes for working until death. It actually reminds me of a story Hoffman told on “Inside the Actor’s Studio” about working with Laurence Olivier on Marathon Man. I can’t find the exact transcript, but it basically boiled down to the fact that Olivier knew Marathon Man would be one of his last films, and was just doing it so that he could leave a little money for his family. Hoffman talked about how even though Olivier was just doing it for the money, Olivier simply loved to act, and wasn’t capable of “phoning it in” even if Olivier was in pain. Hoffman cried as he told the story. It was a good episode, and a reminder that Hoffman might be the best “get” for any entertainment journalist out there.

At 71, Dustin Hoffman says he will never retire from acting, but he may have to look far beyond the Hollywood that made him famous to find the roles he relishes as he ages. His latest film, “Last Chance Harvey,” is a small ode to finding love late in life, a theme that should resound with the fastest-growing movie-going audience — viewers over 40. It opens in U.S. theaters on Christmas Day.

[The] two-time Oscar winner and seven-time nominee doesn’t think the Hollywood studios — bent on big films that blanket theaters — are capable of taking on senior romance. “If I had my druthers, it wouldn’t be to change the studio system. It would be to add two or maybe three languages to my repertoire, which now only consists of street English,” Hoffman said in a recent interview.

“But if I could speak French, Spanish and Italian, I’d be working in movies that interested me more. They still honor love stories about people who are past the age of not needing facial work. You can age in Europe.”

“Last Chance Harvey,” written and directed by British filmmaker Joel Hopkins, was tailor-made for Hoffman and Thompson, friends since they made “Stranger than Fiction” a few years ago. Hoffman made sure that Harvey, like himself, was a frustrated jazz pianist. Divorced, lonely and about to lose his job as a past-his-prime jingles composer, Harvey heads to London for his daughter’s wedding. As he obsesses about getting back to New York to save his job, Harvey careens toward failure as a father until he meets sensitive and hopelessly single Kate.

Kate, a middle-aged woman held back by a needy mother and a go-nowhere job, dreams of becoming a writer. A most unlikely pair, Harvey and Kate roam the streets of a romantic London and mull over life and dreams. A turning point comes when Harvey, at Kate’s urging, rushes back to the daughter’s wedding and makes a speech that could have gone terribly wrong, but instead redeems him.

[Hoffman] hopes to emulate legends who worked up to the end of their lives with good humor, even in failing health. One of his favorite examples is the late comedian George Burns, who said: “Sex at age 90 is like trying to shoot pool with a rope.”

“To have that playfulness about mortality,” said Hoffman. “If that isn’t the object of life, I don’t know what is.”

[From Reuters/The Hollywood Reporter]

Okay, as I’m hearing more about Last Chance Harvey, I think it sounds a little depressing. But I still want to see it. Both Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman got Golden Globe (Comedy or Musical) lead actor nominations, so perhaps it’s funnier than Reuters is making it sound. I also appreciate what Hoffman says about aging, specifically aging in Hollywood. Even though there is a double standard for actors versus actresses, Hoffman has been told many times that he’s too old or not handsome enough to play a part – it even happened with his breakout role in The Graduate. Hopefully, there are more producers who want to work with him, regardless of age or looks, because more films need Dustin Hoffman.

Update by Celebitchy: On Monday Hoffman appeared on The Late Show where he told an hysterical story about how he was once in full drag for his famous role in the 1982 classic Tootsie and propositioned an unknowing Jose Ferrer in an elevator. He flattered Ferrer’s acting and then said “I’ll never get this chance again. Would you mind if I s’cked your c***?” Ferrer’s response: “Not right now.” Here’s the clip, thanks to Huffington Post for featuring it:

Dustin Hoffman is shown in the header at “The Tale Of Despereaux” premiere on 12/7/08. Credit: Juan Rico/Fame Pictures. He is shown below outside the Late Show on 12/22/08. Credit: WENN

Last Chance Harvey trailer featuring Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman

I was pleasantly surprised to see a Best Actress – Comedy or Musical Golden Globe nomination announced for Emma Thompson yesterday morning. Surprised, because I had no idea that she was in this film with Dustin Hoffman, Last Chance Harvey. Now that I’ve looked it up, I really hope this small little film makes it my town because it sounds like a really sweet love story for adults.

Last Chance Harvey takes place in London, where Harvey (Hoffman) has traveled to attend his daughter’s wedding. Even though a wedding ought to be cause for celebration, Harvey’s world seems to be unraveling around him and he meets Kate (Thompson) just as he’s hit bottom (in a bar, naturally). The story looks sweet and hopeful with both of these tremendous actors sparking a nice chemistry together.

The film opens in limited release on Dec. 26.

[From Buzzsugar.com]

As it turns out, Thompson has done some limited press for the film in England and I found this cool little interview from Reuters UK.

THR: Emma, you grew up in a theatrical family.

Emma Thompson: Yes, I did. There was a lot of juggling before breakfast, I can tell you. (Laughs.) Like Sally, I wanted to be a comedian. My mom was an actress; my dad was an actor. I resisted it for a long time. I wanted to be a hospital administrator. A hospital administrator came to the school, and I thought, “Hmm, you get to control people. Very interesting.”

I always say to young people who want to be actors, “Have another string to your bow if you can. Train your brain if you can.” If I hadn’t trained my brain (at Cambridge University), then I don’t think I would have ever been able to write. Writing has freed me a lot.

THR: Has writing changed what you‘ve done as an actor?

Thompson: Not really. I love acting. For me, acting is an absolute release and writing is harder. But I discovered something about writing quite recently, which was, I’m prone to depression and to all sorts of mental illnesses. With writing, if you ever get sick, you can pick a pen up and say, “I have to write.” And you should certainly write your early experiences because they’re fascinating.

THR: Theatre or film, what do you prefer?

Thompson: I prefer film. Because I’m a morning person. I know that sounds utterly pathetic, but I did a musical for 15 months. Eight shows a week with Robert Lindsay in the West End, and I became clinically depressed even though I was being paid to be cheerful. But by the end of the night, you were ready to take morphine. So 15 months in, I thought, “I don’t think I can do that again.” Also, musicals are dreadfully hard. I had no life at all. I lived like a nun. I didn’t drink. I didn’t have sex. I was 24, for crying out loud. No wonder I was depressed.

THR: What do you do when a director has a different vision for a character?

Thompson: The capacity to be complicit, to make a plan with you, to play with you. Ang Lee, the first note he gave to me (on 1995′s “Sense and Sensibility”) was, “Could you do that again, but not so boring?” The next note was “Don’t look so old.” We used to shriek with laughter. But yes, that’s very useful. Because he wasn’t being mean, he was just being completely honest — and he couldn’t speak English very well.

THR: Does being well-known limit the roles you can play?

Thompson: I’m a character actress, always have been. So I don’t think I’ve had that problem. It’s much better to be a character actress.

[From Reuters UK/The Hollywood Reporter]

Can you imagine? Ang Lee calls you over and tells you that you’re old and boring? But she seems to laugh it off. Which is why she is a queen among peasants, and I’m not saying that in a snarky, Gwyneth Paltrow-ish way (Paltrow wishes). Thompson has two Oscars, one for adapting Sense & Sensibility, and one for Best Actress in Howard’s End. Both of which are amazing films, she does costume dramas very well. It’s still nice to see her play a modern character, and just imagining her being silly with Dustin Hoffman (one of the silliest men in Hollywood) has me giggling in anticipation. Emma’s rather famous for giving wonderful awards-acceptance speeches, so I’ll be rooting for her at the Golden Globes.

Here are stills from Last Chance Harvey, thanks to WENN.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie hit the red carpet at Cannes for the premiere of her animated feature Kung Fu Panda. Angelina looks lovely in a low-cut forest green flowing dress that emphasizes her growing assets while Brad is dapper in a suit and tie, short hair and a goatee flecked with gray. The couple looked happy and relaxed, smiling and laughing as they shared a private joke. Ten to one they’re making fun of Eva Longoria’s ridiculous dress. What the hell is that tulle monstrosity she’s wearing? She looks like a figure skater who’s about to whip off the back of her skirt for her next number after her photo op. And look how she’s posed with her arm out at that awkward angle.

Also shown are Natalie Imbruglia looking like a deer in the headlights, Dustin Hoffman, and Lucy Liu. Thanks to WENN for these photos.

Angelina Jolie is doing press in Cannes for her upcoming animated film Kung Fu Panda. Somehow all of her co-stars are leaking the details of her pregnancy. Yesterday Jack Black let it slip in an interview that Angelina and Brad “would have as many as Brady Bunch when you have these” and Angelina laughed, got a little embarrassed and first said “we’ve confirmed it already [twins],” which may have been an attempt to make Jack Black feel better because he got all wide-mouthed after he realized it was news to the reporter. Then she added, smiling “well, Jack’s just confirmed it actually.”

Angelina said that all of her kids have seen Kung Fu Panda except her “little one, because she wouldn’t sit still” and that they loved it. It is out in theaters on June 6th.

The interviewer, Natalie Morales from The Today Show, mentioned to Matt Lauer that “we were told in a separate interview with Dustin Hoffman that she is due on August 19.”

Jack Black is expecting his second child any day now. Morales also said that Angelina told Black that “a good way to introduce their siblings to the newborn is to throw them all a sibling celebration to make sure that the whole family feels involved.”

If I was Angelina I would be pissed that my due date was out in the open like that. It’s hard enough when you have friends and family waiting for your baby to arrive and bugging you about it. I can’t imagine having the entire world interested and getting all eager for pictures and details. Brad and Angelina never even confirmed the pregnancy and were probably hoping to have at least some mystery about it. When she was pregnant with Shiloh she went all the way to Namibia, rented an entire hotel, had a big tent erected outside, and had her bodyguards threatening photographers hanging around. Now she’s in France where she’s frequently photographed, and we all know supposedly when she’s due along with the fact that she’s having twins. Look for Brad and Angelina to move on again in the next few weeks in order to get some privacy before she has the babies.

Thanks to WENN for these photos from the photocall of Kung Fu Panda at Cannes today and to People for this video and story.