Just three weeks after Natasha Richardson’s death, Liam Neeson has signed on to a new film. The film is a remake of Clash of the Titans, and Liam will be playing Zeus. The Zeus role was originally played by Laurence Olivier, so Liam is in very good company. Liam will be joined by his good friend and Schindler’s List co-star Ralph Fiennes, who will play Hades, god of the Underworld. Clash of the Titans will be filmed in England, over the summer. A lot of the Richardson/Redgrave family lives in England, so Liam and his sons will be surrounded by people who love them.

Liam Neeson has signed for his first new movie role since the death of his wife, Natasha Richardson, in a tragic ski accident.

The actor, 56, will play Zeus, the king of the gods, in Clash of the Titans, a reimagining of the Greek myth of Perseus, Variety reports. Ralph Fiennes is set to play Hades, the god of the underworld. (Laurence Olivier played Zeus in the 1981 movie Clash of the Titans, a cult hit.)

Neeson, who plans to start shooting Titans this summer, recently completed his final scenes on Chloe, the movie he was making at the time of Richardson’s March 18 death, and has been spending time with his sons Micheal, 13, and Daniel, 12. The family took in a soccer game in London on April 4. “Liam is taking care of his kids and making sure they’re okay,” a family friend tells PEOPLE.

From People Magazine

Neeson’s made a few public appearances in the past week. He attended a game with his sons and Vanessa Redgrave, and he made a public appearance in London to help celebrate his friend David Frost’s 70th birthday.

In the wake of Natasha’s death and during the funeral, Liam seemed to be sleepwalking. The man looked like a zombie, and I suspect the full force of his and his sons’ loss hasn’t hit him completely. I also suspect Liam thinks the best course of action, and the best way to heal, is to get back to work as soon as possible. That’s something I’ll never understand, and I suspect it’s because I’m so American. In his situation I would need to curl up in a ball, weeping, for about a year. But everybody’s different, and I’m sure that if Liam needs help, he’ll ask for it. In any case, he is and will continue to be surrounded by friends and family, and working with Ralph Fiennes is always something to look forward to.

Liam Neeson is shown out at Sundance on 1/19/09. Credit: WENN.com

With the news that 45-year-old actress Natasha Richardson had succumbed to a brain injury sustained during a fall on a Montreal ski slope, Broadway decided to pay tribute by dimming the lights on the Great White Way last night to commemorate Richardson’s accomplished stage career. Her husband, Liam Neeson, attended the touching ceremony and was seen being hugged by fellow Broadway vets Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick. It’s becoming clear that Natasha Richardson touched a lot of lives during her short time here, evidenced by an outpouring of grief and support for her family that we haven’t seen since Heath Ledger died over a year ago.

Grieving Liam Neeson was held in a comforting embrace by actress Sarah Jessica Parker as the actor attended a touching tribute by New York’s theatreland to his late wife Natasha Richardson.

The Sex And The City star was among the luminaries of stage and screen who lined Broadway as theatres dimmed their lights in a minute long tribute to Neeson’s actress wife.

The star was hugged by SJP, and husband Matthew Broderick who both came out to show their support to one of theatreland’s own.

And despite Natasha’s strong British roots, the location of the tribute proved all the more fitting, as it was on Broadway that Neeson, 56, first met his wife of 15 years, when they appeared on stage together in 1992.

Liam and his wife’s family, including mother Vanessa Redgrave, arrived to witness the moving tribute to the actress.

At 8pm the lights of New York’s Broadway theatre district were dimmed for a minute in her honour.

The solemn crowd applauded as Broadway’s theatres dimmed their lights one by one.

The 45-year-old actress and mother of two died died two days after a fall on Monday on a beginners’ ski slope at the Mont Tremblant resort in Canada where she was holidaying with her two sons.

Neeson seen leaving his New York apartment last night to the tribute

The tribute to the British actress, who made her home in New York with her film star husband was a fitting reflection of the affection and the respect both she – and the theatrical dynasty she was a part of – was held in.

Miss Richardson appeared in more than 30 films but was best known for her stage work, winning a Tony Award for her performance in the musical Cabaret in New York.

She had been due to appear with her mother in a Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music.

Miss Richardson’s uncle, Corin Redgrave, led the tributes to his ­’adorable’ and ‘generous’ niece.

‘I’ve been very, very sad all day and all night,’ he said.

‘She was adorable, Natasha, she really was, besides being, as we know, a marvellous actress. We shall miss her terribly.’

Stars of stage and screen paid tribute to Miss Richardson following her untimely death.

Sam Mendes, whose 1998 Broadway production of Cabaret saw Natasha win a Tony award for her portrayal of Sally Bowles said: ‘Natasha combined the best of Redgrave and Richardson: the enormous depth and emotional force of a great actor on the one hand, and the intelligence and objectivity of a great director on the other.

‘She was one of a kind, a magnificent actress.’

[From The Daily Mail]

Actor Jeremy Irons was asked about the tragedy while appearing on The Today Show yesterday, and seemed to be blindsided by the question. Irons knew both Richardson and Neeson well and broke down in tears on the broadcast.

Jeremy Irons struggled to hold back the tears as he paid tribute to actress Natasha Richardson last night.

The veteran actor could not hide his pain as he spoke of the death of his friend following a skiing accident.

Asked about the tragedy, Irons – who knew Richardson after twice working with her husband Liam Neeson – initially just stared into the camera, seemingly at a loss for words.

He then said: ‘It’s … it’s… absolutely terrible.

‘It just reminds us how fragile life is. As a father and as a husband I feel for him [Neeson] – for the family – so, so much.

‘I suppose what I have to remember is that could happen to any of us at any time – so make the most of it.’

[From The Daily Mail]

Good advice for all of us.

Natasha Richardson, who fell during a skiing lesson at a Quebec resort, has passed away after suffering severe brain trauma. She left the lesson laughing off her injury, but later complained of a headache and was rushed to the hospital, where her injury caused her to lose brain function. Her family chose to take her off of life support at 1:30 pm on Wednesday, and she passed away a few hours later. She was 45 years old. The family has released this statement:

“Liam Neeson, his sons, and the entire family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Natasha. They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of everyone, and ask for privacy during this very difficult time.”

[from TMZ]

Natasha was named after a character in Tolstoy’s War and Peace, and had her acting debut at 4 in her father’s movie The Charge of the Light Brigade. Her acting credits are varied and include those on the stage, in film, and on television. She was a versatile and talented actress as well as activist – she became very involved in charity work to find a cure for AIDS after her father died of the disease.

Natasha’s mother is the legendary Vanessa Redgrave; her husband is Liam Neeson and her sister is actress Joely Richardson. Natasha is also survived by her two sons, Micheál Richard Antonio, 13, and Daniel Jack, 12.

Out hearts and thoughts go out to her family and friends after this terrible tragedy.

Natasha Richardson is shown with her mom, Vanessa Redgrave, in the header on 1/12/09. She is also shown with her husband, Liam Neeson, on 10/17/08. All photos are from 2006 – 2009 and are credit WENN.com

Natasha Richardson was critically injured in a skiing accident in Montreal on Monday, suffering traumatic brain injuries. Liam Neeson, Natasha’s husband of fifteen years, flew immediately from Toronto, where he was filming the movie Chloe, to be with her at the hospital. She was originally taken to the Centre Hospitalier Laurentien, and then transferred to Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal.

IrishCentral.com has learned exclusively that famed actress Natasha Richardson, the wife of Irish superstar Liam Neeson, has been critically injured in Canada, according to an insider at the Montreal hospital to which she was taken.

Richardson, who was set to co-star with her mother, Vanessa Redgrave, in a Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim’s “A Little Night Music,” was apparently injured in a ski accident and suffered a traumatic brain injury.

A rep for the film “Chloe,” which Neeson has been filming in Toronto, told Canadian television that Neeson left the set to be with his wife.

“Liam Neeson left the Toronto set immediately to fly to Montreal upon news of his wife’s accident,” the rep said in a statement. “We do not have any details at this time but we hope for the best and our thoughts and prayers are with Natasha and Liam and their family.”

Richardson made her feature film debut as Mary Shelley in Ken Russell’s “Gothic” (1986). Her performance caught the attention of director Paul Schrader, who cast her in the title role in “Patty Hearst” (1988).

[from Irish Central]

There is no information yet as to how severe the brain injury is, or whether she is expected to recover. Natasha, the mother of two children with Liam Neeson, was scheduled to star with her mother Vanessa Redgrave in a revival of the Sondheim play A Little Night Music. Our hearts go out to her and her family.

Natasha Richardson and Liam Neeson are shown on 10/17/08 at the London Film Festival. Credit: WENN.com

Liam Neeson has decided to take on Alec Baldwin. And that is easily the scariest idea I can possibly imagine. Neeson strikes me as someone who is generally thoughtful and calm, and probably still rational and un-scary even is his more fiery moments. Alec Baldwin – whom I love as an actor – can be loud and insulting and sort of frightening when he gets all worked up about something. And in this case, the something both men are passionate about is horses.

Baldwin has been campaigning with PETA to rid Central Park of the horse drawn carriage. Neeson wants to keep them, and the two men may very well go head-to-head in front of New York’s legislation hearing on the matter.

LIAM Neeson might be going head to head with Alec Baldwin over Manhattan’s horse carriage industry. The Irish-born actor wrote a letter to the City Council in response to the proposed bill to ban the buggy business, according to the Irish Echo.

“As a horse lover and rider, I am deeply disturbed by the unnecessary and misguided political and extreme rhetoric against the horse-drawn carriage industry,” the letter stated. “As a proud New York resident, I have personally enjoyed the beauty of Central Park on a daily basis for many years, and these horses are an undeniable integral part of that experience.”

Neeson may have to face off with the “30 Rock” star at the legislation hearing on Jan. 30. Baldwin, who believes the horses are suffering, once compared the “tradition” of horse drawn carriages to the “tradition” of drug dealers and public intoxication. The vegetarian has been an avid protester against the use of the four-legged creatures.

[From Page Six]

This is one of those issues where I really do understand both sides. It’s hard to know exactly how well – or how poorly – the carriage horses are treated. PETA can be very extreme, to the point that many have accused them of drastically exaggerating and misrepresenting their claims. And there are few things I find as charming as the clip clopping of hooves through the park.

Really what it should come down to is an independent investigation into the horses’ living conditions by the city, not what two actors have to say about the issue. Though I do relish the thought of the possibly obscenity-laced tirade Alec Baldwin may go into, which would probably do more harm than good.

Here’s Liam Neeson at the ‘Taken / 96 Hours’ photocall at the Regent Hotel in Berlin on January 8th. Images thanks to WENN.

Liam Neeson thinks Honest Abe may have been gay – well, he’s not ruling anything out. The evidence, in Liam’s mind, is flimsy at best. Liam Neeson is the star of the upcoming film Taken, directed by Luc Besson (The Fifth Element), which is a thriller about a retired spy (Neeson), his wife (Famke Jensen) and their daughter (Maggie Grace), who is kidnapped by somebody with a lot of means. The trailer has just started airing on television, and the movie looks okay. According to Coming Soon, “a former spy (Neeson) sets out to find his kidnapped daughter in Paris at any cost. Relying on his special skills, he tracks down the ruthless gang that abducted her and launches a one-man war to bring them to justice and rescue his daughter.” Actually, it looks like something Liam did for the money, but still, he’s a good enough actor to play this kind of stuff.

He sat down with TimeOut Sydney to talk about Taken, and his role in Steven Speilberg’s Abraham Lincoln film, reported to be an adaptation of Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals, a story about Abraham Lincoln’s presidency and his cabinet.

What attracted you to this role?
I liked the idea of making a thriller that had good pace and aimed high on an emotional level. Above all, we see Bryan [his character] as a father who idolises his daughter. But then, even though it’s never been a fantasy of mine to play an action hero, one gets a real kick out of shooting real movie baddies and driving like a racing car driver.

What’s your process for choosing roles?
I’m always motivated by script. That’s my sole criterion and it’s either something that gets under my skin or it doesn’t, to be honest. And with this script I just loved the action of it. I loved the fact that I was being asked to do it. I was 54 years of age then and I thought in a few years’ time I’m never going to be asked to do this sort of stuff again.

You had to undergo some pretty rigorous training for this role
I keep pretty fit, but I had to crank up the level and intensity of my training. I had to get together with a couple of guys in Paris and learn these different fight techniques known as parkour (a propulsive fighting style) which we had to keep doing for weeks because there was so many complex fighting sequences. Every time I saw my wife she thought I’d been beaten up literally, and of course I had. But Pierre wanted me to do as much of the action myself as I could for authenticity’s sake. He didn’t make me jump in front of a bus or off a bridge, but I think he thought about it.

You start filming Abraham Lincoln next year with Steven Spielberg, what can you tell us?
Steven asked me to play him four years ago, so I’ve been spending the past three years researching him. He’s someone I admire. He believed in the destiny of democracy. That’s what drove him and so he’s an extraordinarily complex man, of course. These characters usually are; they’re not simple people.

What about the speculation that Lincoln was gay?
I think the evidence is flimsy. That’s not to say that he wasn’t gay, but it’s not to say he was either.

[From TimeOutSydney]

It sort of breaks my heart seeing Liam Neeson promote a film that is in all probability, crap. But his turn as Abraham Lincoln will be amazing – it will be the first time he and Spielberg have worked together since Schindler’s List. There’s something about Liam’s voice, the way that he holds himself that seems … presidential. And as far as the whole is-he-or-isn’t-gay thing with Honest Abe… well, what’s a historical biopic without a little homoerotic tension?

Liam Neeson is shown on 9/24/08. Credit: PRPhotos

Now the fact that I take dance classes with Lisa Rinna will have no effect on this posting… unless she reads it and tells Louis Van Amstel to ’86′ my ass from class!

Harry Hamlin has always been a personal favorite of mine. I mean Clash of the Titans is an all time favorite and only because not just because he was in a loin cloth for the entire film. What I am thankful for about Mr. Hamlin, is even though he has been moving into voice-over work since being voted off Season 3 of Dancing with the Stars, he hasn’t gone the way of Jack Nicholson and THAT man’s shirtless body. I mean I get it: Harry Hamlin is 56 freakin’ years old. He must be so sick of hardcore working out (yes, Mario Lopez I’m talking to you. One day you too will get sick of working out unless you become like Jack LaLanne which is a horrifying thought in itself.), so at least we can see where everything is supposed to go on Harry, which gently reminds us of how sexy Harry is and was back in 1987 when he was named People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive.

Now Liam Neeson, 56, here at “Club 55” (ironic) beach in Saint Tropez is another story.

Now I love me some Liam Neeson. High Spirits is like the best movie ever! (Oh and Schindler’s List too!) But I think here is a lovely example that it’s time to stop taking your shirt off my good Irishman. We’ve seen it already in The Big Man, The Good Mother, Husbands and Wives, Leap of Faith and frankly we saw all of it in Kinsey. In the words of Diana Summer and Barbra Streisand: Enough is Enough!

Talk about putting the HUGE in Hugh Jackman, NOW we’re talking! Can you believe he’ll be 40 this October! I’m sure this is still the body he had from the filming of 2009′s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but being on the beaches of St. Tropez (with his adopted son Oscar Maximillian) with that body, could change this gay boy from saying ‘Oui-Oui’ in the south of France to having his wee-wee go north in the south of his pants… if you know what I mean.