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[thanks Beth]

Back in the old days of cinema, actors would have to hop around with their leg tied behind them to play Long John Silver.

Thankfully for Eddie Izzard, those days are long gone and the wonders of modern technology means he can play his pirate role with both legs firmly on the ground.

However, the stand-up comedian and actor will still have to perfect some sort of hobble as he takes on the role of Long John Silver.
Izzard, 48, will play Robert Louis Stevenson’s villainous swashbuckler for Sky1 HD’s adaptation of Treasure Island.

And judging by these pictures, he has thrown himself into his role by shaving off his head and having a fake tattoo drawn on the side of his face.

>> READ MORE / VIEW MORE PICTURES

[from digitalspy.com]

Sky has announced that it is working on a new adaptation of Treasure Island.

The Guardian reports that comedian Eddie Izzard has signed up to play Long John Silver in the program.

Filming for the two-part show is expected to begin in Ireland and Puerto Rico next month.

Sky’s managing director of entertainment and news Sophie Turner Laing said: “We have Treasure Island in production which stars Eddie Izzard, which is really exciting. He doesn’t do that much television so we are very excited that he is to play Long John Silver.”

Treasure Island is currently scheduled to air on Sky1 at Christmas in 2012.

[thanks Jean]

Eddie is in pre-production for the new movie “M”:

This colorful adventure is full of heart and humor as we follow a science scholar in her quest to solve a mystery on a remote island where she ultimately discovers her own connection to its history.

>> IMDB LINK

[thanks Noelle]
For your viewing pleasure… CLICK

Everyday was picked up by Image Entertainment for distribution at the TORONTO FILM FESTIVAL.

[from hollywoodreporter.com]

High-profile premieres will include Richard Levine’s “Every Day” starring Live Schreiber, Helen Hunt and Eddie Izzard; Aaron Schneider’s “Get Low” with Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek and Bill Murray; Don Roos’ “Love and other Possible Pursuits” with Natalie Portman and Lisa Kudrow; John Wells’ “The Company Men” starring Tommy Lee Jones, Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Maria Bello and Kevin Costner, plus John Madden’s “The Debt” with Helen Mirren and Sam Worthington.

> REST OF ARTICLE

[from lezgetreal.com]

Every Day is most likely going to be the breakout film of the festival. Luckily, it is also LGBT friendly. The plot focuses around Ned (Liev Schreiber) who is struggling with his crotchety father in-law (Brian Dennehy) moving in, his overwhelmed wife (Helen Hunt) and his two sons, one of which is an out gay teenager (Ezra Miller) and his crazy gay boss (Eddie Izzard).

Director and writer Richard Levine based the movie on his own life. Levine was a writer for Nip/Tuck He said at the festival that it “spun into fiction,” but the relationships are real and his son is gay. One scene in the film takes place at a gay bar, his son described the scene more as “being every parent’s nightmare of what a gay bar is” than the reality. Even so, parents of gays and potential parents of gays (basically, everyone) should see this movie. The relationship between Ned and his son plays a huge part in Ned’s redemptive arc. Ned loves his son and is struggling with his son’s safety, but each time he opens his mouth, his words come across attack on his son for being gay. Levine deftly shows the daily communication breakdowns and misunderstandings we have with the people we love the most. In the end, Ned is able to express to his son just how much he loves him and how proud he is of him.

The actors all give solid performances, Ezra Miller really shines as a beautiful gay teen and Izzard is flamboyant and makes the most of his short screen time. Dennehy performs back flips to make his character sympathetic and he and Hunt have chemistry as father and daughter. The only “off” relationship is between Schreiber and Hunt. She seems a lot older than him and there is no chemistry between the characters. However, don’t let this deter you from seeing the movie. It is by turns funny and touching; it captures the essence of what a family is and exposes the vulnerability and love that we have for those closest to us.

[BY SUSAN MICHAL for Venicemag.com]

Most filmmakers know that a documentary is a long-term commitment, sometimes years in the making, but not Sarah Townsend. She had no idea what she was in for when she embarked on her film, Believe: The Eddie Izzard Story, some years back. But the fruits of her labors have paid off in spades, as well as a lot of laughter, and even a few tears.

Having known her subject for most of his adult life, Townsend has worked with Izzard to produce a number of his shows, including “Stripped” and “Eddie Izzard: Live from Wembley.” Needless to say, she seemed the perfect candidate to shoot a film about the struggles that actor/writer/comedian Izzard faced, not only finding his way as a comedian in his early years, but, after being accused of reusing old material, finding himself all over again. It turned out to be not that easy. “I started out to make a more personal film … the difficulty with him is, he will talk endlessly but he won’t tell you very much, and nobody ever calls him on it. He was always great and very funny, but that won’t work for a documentary. [Initially,] we didn’t have a film. It took us four years to get a generally revealing interview.”

>> REST OF ARTICLE

[from sfgate.com]

The next best thing to seeing Eddie Izzard live is catching one of his shows on DVD. The next best thing after that may well be watching this bio-doc tracing his long struggle toward worldwide success and giving us glimpses of the man behind the fishnets but, in the end, not quite as much as we might want. Director Sarah Townsend shows Izzard taking his act round the world (including a stop at San Francisco’s Orpheum Theatre) and heading toward the ultimate venue for a British artist, Wembley Arena. In between, we learn that Izzard was born in Yemen, where his father worked for British Petroleum; that he has an older brother who’s barely mentioned; that his mother’s death from cancer remains a singular trauma in his life; and that his dad never had a problem with his son dressing up in women’s clothing. The film’s best parts show Izzard’s creative recklessness, his unrelenting drive to the shakiest part of every comic limb he can think of. Early in his career, that riskiness didn’t always resonate with audiences, whether at the famed Edinburgh Festival (where his college sketch group couldn’t hold a candle to the Cambridge Footlights, whose members included Stephen Fry and Emma Thompson) or elsewhere. Later, Izzard flailed around trying to make it as a performer. He was half a comic duo, but perhaps really learned to mine his own comedic terror for laughs as a street performer. After that, daring to book himself a solo gig in London’s West End was almost a piece of cake. A couple of scenes, including one where he is surprised to learn that his mother called him “Edward” instead of “Eddie,” are revealing, but the curtain parts only a bit. That may be frustrating, but we never have time to ponder it too deeply because, a second later, we’re diverted by “the wolf bit” or other features of his hit shows, and that’s enough to stifle any complaints.