Paige and Leo (Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum) are a happy newlywed couple whose lives are changed by a car accident that puts Paige in a coma. Waking up with severe memory loss, Paige has no memory of Leo, a confusing relationship with her parents (Sam Neill and Jessica Lange), and an ex-fiancé (Scott Speedman) she may still have feelings for. Despite these complications, Leo endeavours to win her heart again and rebuild their marriage. ‘The Vow’ is released Febuary 10th.

What was it about this particular story that spoke to you?

Rachel McAdams I was excited to work with Channing, and I really liked Michael Sucsy’s (director) vision. He seemed to have a new take on the classic love story, and this was one I’d never seen before inspired by true events. It seemed like a really worth while story to tell. And I like the challenge of not making it so predictable and working against that. It seemed quite unique to me, and Paige was certainly a character I hadn’t played before. Also, unlike some so-called “chick flicks”, we’re seeing things through the guy’s eyes, which is a little different as well. The fact that it happened and this woman goes through this trauma and finds her way out of this darkness, I really loved that it was not straightforward, that they have major bumps along the way, that it takes time. And it seems like the odds are completely against them….I think that’s really inspiring.

What was the biggest challenge for you in playing Paige, this young wife who can’t remember her husband after a bad car accident? Did researching about brain trauma help?

Rachel McAdams: Because Paige becomes so disconnected from Leo, it was a challenge to keep things hopeful and not knowing what’s coming around the next corner. Also, being true to the experiences and emotions that she would be going through….which are quite erratic, as she’s frustrated and anxious. That was difficult. Researching about brain trauma presented a challenge of making her sympathetic. These reactions are totally understandable but you’re also rooting for them. You want them to get back together. We talked about how irritable she could be. How far away can they get from each other and still be able to come back and leave a shred of hope. It was a challenege, it was fascinating though.

How was it working with Channing? What do you think he added to Leo?

Rachel McAdams: He’s the perfect guy for this role because he so chivalrous, he’s such a man of his word. He’s a real renaissance man in that way, a real gentleman. He added some lovely touches to Leo, for example; he would always offer his hand out to me when I was getting out of the car, that he had such manners. I’d always heard lovely things about Channing but it’s one thing to hear that and another to experience it and he went above and beyond all expectations. He’s the most open-hearted, generous, open-spirited person I know and he doesn’t do anything halfway either. Even our meeting was unique. He came bounding into the room and almost knocked me down. He had three dogs following him. He shook my hand, tried on a dress, threw it down and ran out of the room (laughs). He was trying to help me. I was in a fitting (laughs).

Part of this movie is about a moment in life that changes everything. Was their a moment in your career or life that showed you what you wanted to do?

Rachel McAdams: I definitely thank my drama teacher, Linda Maskell-Pereira, every day of my life for intercepting me on my way to college. I was going to take cultural studies or something and our college applications were due and I hadn’t seen her all term. One day I was just walking around at lunch and I bumped into her and she said, “Oh, college applications are due today? What are you taking?” I said, “Cultural studies. Don’t ask me what that means.” She said, “I really thought that you would do theatre.” I was like, “I didn’t know that I could go to college and get a degree in theatre.“ She said, “Of course you can. Don’t be ridiculous.’“So I just marched right into my guidance office and I said, “Can I please have my application?” I didn’t even know anything about the theatre programmes at the schools I’d applied to. I just scratched out cultural studies, put in theatre and my whole life changed.

Paige and Leo (Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum) are a happy newlywed couple whose lives are changed by a car accident that puts Paige in a coma. Waking up with severe memory loss, Paige has no memory of Leo, a confusing relationship with her parents (Sam Neill and Jessica Lange), and an ex-fiancé (Scott Speedman) she may still have feelings for. Despite these complications, Leo endeavours to win her heart again and rebuild their marriage. ‘The Vow’ is set for release Febuary 10th.

What was it about this story that interested you?

Channing Tatum: I really just loved the idea of Leo in an extraordinary circumstance with his lover Paige, and it doesn’t take a stereotypical Nicolas Sparks way to get back around to love. There’s no “ah-ha” moment where everything falls into place. It’s a more realistic way to get back to love. Rachel McAdams did some interesting study on people who lose their memories. A certain percentage just fall back into who they were which I thought was very interesting.

What do you think is the attraction between Leo and Paige?

Channing Tatum: Not only do they make each other intensely happy, and they love everything about each other, but also I think they really push each other to grow – especially Paige. She was in a part of her life that when she met Leo she was kind of going through a re-birth, in a way, and Leo was looking for someone to start a life with, to start his adult life with. And I think they really helped take each other to the next level, by challenging each other to be a better person, to be better at whatever you’re doing.

Did you meet and talk to the real-life couple this story is based on?

Channing Tatum: Michael Sucsy (director) shied me away from reading their book or going to get any details on who they were because we took some different liberties with their story. I think they were stronger than our characters. They stayed together and I don’t know how you do that in reality. I don’t know if I’d be able to do that. She just woke up and didn’t know him. I think that had a lot to do with their faith, they’re very religious. They are so positive and have two beautiful kids running around. I was nervous to meet the guy.

Rachel McAdam’s character is hard to play honestly, and I didn’t know who could play it and keep the audience’s sympathy. She was an entirely different person before the accident. Waking up was a world-changing thing for her. Not just waking up and not remembering one person.

Since you hadn’t worked with Rachel before, what surprised you about her?

Channing: To be totally honest, I think that so much of Rachel comes out in her films. There are different things in each character that are so her. Some people are totally different, you would expect, “Oh my God, you’re nothing like I thought you were going to be!” She’s lovely and I think you can tell that. She’s a sweetie and she has that in most of her characters. We joked that she has a curse of making any line work….it’s a Hollywood film, we’ve got some serious big lines in it (laughs), which are hard to pull off sometimes. But she can pull it off, she has this uncanny ability of being able to make anything sound real and amazing. I’m in awe by her, she’s an amazing, shining little thing (laughs).

This is a big year for you, you’ve got five films out in 2012.…

Channing Tatum: I had no intention of five movies coming out (laughs). Two of them were supposed to come out last year so it was not supposed to happen like this, but, it’s a very high class problem. I’m very proud of all the films. They’re all very different. If they were all the same, I’d be freaking out!

You have ‘21 Jump Street‘ coming out with Jonah Hill?

Channing Tatum: Yeah, that was kind of like this film. When I heard Rachel came on I was like, “I’m in!” Then on ‘21 Jump Street,’ when Jonah Hill called I was like, “Okay man. I don’t do this comedy so you’re gonna have to take care of me on this”. He’s like, “I got you!” “Okay, I’m in”. (Laughs) I put my faith in people that I admire, love and want to learn from. When I tell you it’s one of the most fun things I’ve ever done – I mean it! It’s a completely different style of acting. Even the first week I didn’t know if I could do it. It’s so weird and strange. Jonah will stop in the middle of a take and take one line a whole lot of different ways and they’re funny every time. I’ve never done that.

Featuring brief snippets of new footage, Paramount Pictures has released this French trailer for ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation.’ Expect cheesy one-liners and action in abundance when ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’ hits cinemas June 29th in the US, and June 22nd in the UK. Channing Tatum (Duke), Ray Park (Snake Eyes), and Byung-hun Lee (Storm Shadow) are reprising their roles from the first film. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson (Roadblock), Adrianne Palicki (Lady Jaye), RZA (Blind Master), D.J. Cotrona (Flint), Joseph Mazzello (Mouse), Walton Goggins (Warden Nigel James), Elodie Yung (Jinx), and Bruce Willis (General Joe Colton) are all joining the sequel. The film is directed by Jon Chu (Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, Step Up 2: The Streets). The script is by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Zombieland).

A follow-up to the 2009 release of G.I. JOE: RISE OF THE COBRA, which grossed over $300M worldwide, Paramount Pictures, MGM and Skydance Productions, in association with HASBRO and di Bonaventura Pictures, commences production on G.I. JOE: RETALIATION. In this sequel, the G.I. Joes are not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra; they are forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence. The film stars D.J. Cotrona, Byung-hun Lee, Ray Park, Adrianne Palicki, Jonathan Pryce, RZA, Ray Stevenson, Channing Tatum with Bruce Willis and Dwayne Johnson. Directed by Jon M. Chu, and produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Brian Goldner, from a screenplay by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick based on Hasbro’s G.I. Joe(R) characters.

Paramount Pictures has unleashed this new hi-res still of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson (Roadblock), Adrianne Palicki (Lady Jaye), and Bruce Willis (General Joe Colton) in ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation.’ Expect cheesy one-liners and action in abundance when the film is released in cinemas June 29th in the US, and June 22nd in the UK. Channing Tatum (Duke), Ray Park (Snake Eyes), and Byung-hun Lee (Storm Shadow) are reprising their roles from the first film.  RZA (Blind Master), D.J. Cotrona (Flint), Joseph Mazzello (Mouse), Walton Goggins (Warden Nigel James), and Elodie Yung (Jinx) are all joining the sequel alongside the aforementioned Johnson, Palicki, and Willis. ’G.I. Joe: Retaliation’ is directed by Jon Chu (Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, Step Up 2: The Streets). The script is by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Zombieland).

A follow-up to the 2009 release of G.I. JOE: RISE OF THE COBRA, which grossed over $300M worldwide, Paramount Pictures, MGM and Skydance Productions, in association with HASBRO and di Bonaventura Pictures, commences production on G.I. JOE: RETALIATION. In this sequel, the G.I. Joes are not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra; they are forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence. The film stars D.J. Cotrona, Byung-hun Lee, Ray Park, Adrianne Palicki, Jonathan Pryce, RZA, Ray Stevenson, Channing Tatum with Bruce Willis and Dwayne Johnson. Directed by Jon M. Chu, and produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Brian Goldner, from a screenplay by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick based on Hasbro’s G.I. Joe(R) characters, the film is scheduled to be released on June 29,2012.

Through iTunes Movie Trailers, Paramount Pictures has unleashed this Super Bowl TV spot for ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation.’ Channing Tatum (Duke), Ray Park (Snake Eyes), and Byung-hun Lee (Storm Shadow) are reprising their roles from the first film. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson (Roadblock), Adrianne Palicki (Lady Jaye), RZA (Blind Master), D.J. Cotrona (Flint), Joseph Mazzello (Mouse), Walton Goggins (Warden Nigel James), Elodie Yung (Jinx), and Bruce Willis (General Joe Colton) are all joining the sequel. Expect cheesy one-liners and action in abundance when ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’ is released in cinemas June 29th in the US, and June 22nd in the UK. The film is directed by Jon Chu (Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, Step Up 2: The Streets). The script is by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Zombieland).

A follow-up to the 2009 release of G.I. JOE: RISE OF THE COBRA, which grossed over $300M worldwide, Paramount Pictures, MGM and Skydance Productions, in association with HASBRO and di Bonaventura Pictures, commences production on G.I. JOE: RETALIATION. In this sequel, the G.I. Joes are not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra; they are forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence. The film stars D.J. Cotrona, Byung-hun Lee, Ray Park, Adrianne Palicki, Jonathan Pryce, RZA, Ray Stevenson, Channing Tatum with Bruce Willis and Dwayne Johnson. Directed by Jon M. Chu, and produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Brian Goldner, from a screenplay by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick based on Hasbro’s G.I. Joe(R) characters, the film is scheduled to be released on June 29,2012.

Deadline bring word that Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) has replaced Blake Lively in Steven Soderbergh’s forthcoming thriller ‘Side Effects,’ joining Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jude Law and Channing Tatum. Mara plays Emily Hawkins, a sexy but unsettled young woman who is taking serious amounts of prescription drugs to deal with anxiety and depression surrounding the pending release of her husband from prison (Tatum). This leads her into an affair with a doctor (Law).

The Scott Z. Burns (The Informant!, Contagion) scripted film is being financed by Megan Ellison’s Annapurna Pictures, with production to start in April. ’Side Effects’ will mark Mara’s first film with Soderbergh. The thriller is Tatum’s third collaboration with the director (Haywire and Magic Mike) and Law’s second (Contagion). Soderbergh’s latest film, ‘Haywire,’ is out in cinemas now. His next movie, ‘Magic Mike,’ is released in the summer.

Columbia Pictures has released this Australian poster for the Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum starring comedy caper ’21 Jump Street.’ Whilst this poster is slightly terrible (“slightly” meaning “particularly”), I’m extremely optimistic about the actual film – its red band trailer cracked me up. Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller (Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs), ’21 Jump Street’ is a remake of the 1980′s Television Series of the same name. The film follows an undercover police unit consisting of young looking officers (Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum) who infiltrate high schools to control youth crime. The likes of Brie Larson, Rob Riggle, DeRay Davis, Dave Franco, Jake Johnson, Johnny Simmons, Johnny Pemberton, Dakota Johnson, Ellie Kemper and Ice Cube co-star. ’21 Jump Street’ is released in cinemas March 16th.

In the action-comedy 21 Jump Street, Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are more than ready to leave their adolescent problems behind. Joining the police force and the secret Jump Street unit, they use their youthful appearances to go undercover in a local high school. As they trade in their guns and badges for backpacks, Schmidt and Jenko risk their lives to investigate a violent and dangerous drug ring. But they find that high school is nothing like they left it just a few years earlier – and neither expects that they will have to confront the terror and anxiety of being a teenager again and all the issues they thought they had left behind.

Deadline bring word that Catherine Zeta-Jones is in talks to join Blake Lively, Jude Law and Channing Tatum in Steven Soderbergh’s forthcoming thriller ‘Side Effects.’ Zeta-Jones previously teamed up with Soderbergh for his multiple award-winning crime drama ‘Traffic’ and ‘Ocean’s Twelve.’ Zeta-Jones will play Dr. Erica Siebert. Lively plays a troubled and depressed woman who is taking serious amounts of prescription drugs, which leads her into a relationship with another doctor (Law). Her intake is ostensibly designed to help her deal with the anxiety surrounding the pending release of her husband (Tatum) from prison.

The Scott Z. Burns (The Informant!, Contagion) scripted film is being financed by Megan Ellison’s Annapurna Pictures, with production to start in April. ’Side Effects’ will mark Lively’s first film with Soderbergh. The thriller is Tatum’s third collaboration with the director (Haywire and Magic Mike) and Law’s second (Contagion). Soderbergh’s latest film, ‘Haywire,’ is out in cinemas now. His next movie, ‘Magic Mike,’ is released in the summer.

This dynamic action-thriller directed by Oscar winner Steven Soderbergh boasts a talented cast that includes Channing Tatum, Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Antonio Banderas, Bill Paxton , Michael Douglas, Michael Angarano; and introduces mixed martial arts superstar Gina Carano as Mallory Kane, in a demanding lead role that has her performing her own high-adrenaline stunts.

Mallory Kane is a highly trained operative who works for a government security contractor in the dirtiest, most dangerous corners of the world. After successfully freeing a Chinese journalist held hostage, she is double crossed and left for dead by someone close to her in her own agency. Suddenly the target of skilled assassins who know her every move, Mallory must find the truth in order to stay alive. Using her black-ops military training, she devises an ingenious—and dangerous—trap. But when things go haywire, Mallory realizes she’ll be killed in the blink of an eye unless she finds a way to turn the tables on her ruthless adversary. ‘Haywire’ is out now in the UK. It’s set for release January 20th in the US.

First off, how did you get involved with ‘Haywire’?

Antonio Banderas: Steven Soderbergh is one of those guys you say “yes” to, sometimes without reading the script. I had the opportunity….he called me twice in my career, but I couldn’t actually work with him. One was for ‘Che’ and the other one was ‘Traffic.’ I was signed at that particular time with other movies, but I knew. I had talked to him very early when I came to Los Angeles. He just presented ‘Sex, Lies, and Videotapes‘ and I loved that movie. We were talking about Almodóvar, because he’s a fan of Pedro. So at that time, he said to me, “I would like to have the opportunity to work together some day.” But many years, almost twenty years happened in the middle (laughs). He sent me the script. It was very confusing to me, to tell you the truth, but it was an immediate positive answer to work with him. I don’t regret it for a second. It was great.

How did you find working with Gina in Barcelona, in the square?

Antonio Banderas: It was a beautiful setting. It was actually my first shot, we had beautiful lighting, there was a beautiful sunset in Barcelona. The square is fantastic. Shooting in my home town, sorry, not my home town but my home country, it was fantastic for me. I was also very surprised by Gina, she’s amazing, very sweet, she has a spark about her. I think many people will relate to her in this film. I really feel like we’re witnessing the birth of a new star.

I didn’t have to fight with her in the movie. I have done a lot of movies where I had to fight a number of guys – fast guys, big guys, little guys, anything. I would have been very confident with her really, because she’s very precise, and fortunately, you don’t only see that in her fighting in the movie. What really shocked me when I saw it was how good she is, how wonderful she is as an actress. She’s beautiful. Her performance is easy-going. There is a sense of alert focus all the time, that front of a spy on her is demanded – she does that beautifully. I think you follow the story through her unbelievably well. What surprised us all was not that she could fight, we knew that, but her ability as an actress. After seeing the movie my wife is very curious to know her better, because she said to me when the movie finished, “She’s totally real,” and I totally agree with that.

Having worked with a number of great directors in your career, how did you find working with Steven Soderbergh, someone who’s got such a unique way of making movies?

Antonio Banderas: Not only just how quick he goes, which is fantastic for the actors and I suppose the rest of the team, but also the fact that he doesn’t use lights – and that happened in Barcelona, the first scene that I shot in the movie was how fast he shoots, and the non-use of lighting. We were shooting in the square plaza, it was unbelievable how fast we were moving, and at the same time, he didn’t do any type of coverage sometimes. We’d just shoot the scene, move on. Being a director myself – still a rookie, but a director (laughs) – I shoot everything. I shoot ash trays, anything. As much material as I can so I can look later in the editing room. This guy doesn’t shoot anything. It was just moving like, “We got it, moving on. Let’s go to the airport.” The same afternoon, we shot at the airport – boom, boom, boom, moving on. Only a director with tremendous confidence and self-assurance can do that.

The beard is great, where did the beard come from?

Antonio Banderas: It was an accident (laughs). I did a workshop in New York for ‘Zorba,’ a project I had in mind and may happen. I didn’t have anything to do and I wanted to do the workshop with a beard because I just pictured the character of Zorba with a big beard. I was going to shave the next day, but I had an interview with Steven for the movie. He wanted to see me here in Los Angeles, and he said, “I like the beard.” I said, “No, please. I haven’t shaved in two months.” “No, no the beard is fine. It’s a different you.” So I was trapped with my beard for another three to four months (laughs). My wife was not very happy about it.

The interesting thing is I finished the movie, I wrapped in New Mexico, and I went to Spain and was doing the movie with Pedro Almodóvar, and I think it was the last week I was working with him. Steven called me and he said, “I just put together the movie. Your character is very enigmatic and very shadowy. I like him, but we have to close him. It’s my fault. I’m just going to write a couple of scenes for him that is going to explain the whole entire thing. Actually, you became the mastermind of the whole entire operation, and you’re going to have a scene with Gina.” And I said, “Steven, I am still working with Pedro and I will be free in a week and I don’t have the beard.” And he said, “We’ll build it for you.” So I came a year after we finished the movie, and we did those new scenes, which is actually the end of the movie. With the beard, we did a couple of scenes underground with the French actor, and then shaved for the last moment with her.

Did you feel different without the beard?

Antonio Banderas: Yes, those scenes are….like a mask. When you have a beard you act differently. It’s almost like working with different languages. I’ve done movies in Italy, for example, and you start doing things with the hands. All these kinds of things are different. You act differently with a beard – I don’t know how to explain it (laughs). Also, I felt older. I can actually hide behind my beard, in a way. It’s interesting for my character because he’s the guy that nobody knows what he’s really doing – not until the end. I think it was a smart decision on Steven Soderbergh’s part. This is the guy that nobody is paying attention to. He never got beat up by the girl, but he is the one who is cooking everything in the background.

Mallory Kane (Gina Carano) is a highly trained operative who works for a government security contractor in the dirtiest, most dangerous corners of the world. After successfully freeing a Chinese journalist held hostage, she is double crossed and left for dead by someone close to her in her own agency. Suddenly the target of skilled assassins who knew her every move, Mallory must find the truth in order to stay alive. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, ‘Haywire’ is released January 18th and stars Gina Carano, Michael Douglas, Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Antonio Banderas and Channing Tatum.

What the process of getting this role like?

Gina Carano: I got the phone call after I lost my first fight to “Cyborg” Santos, and I didn’t really want to speak to anybody at the time. I was bummed. I had a black eye, and my agent called me and he said that this director wanted to meet me, and I didn’t know who he was. I decided to pick Steven up at the train station in San Diego. We had a four hour lunch and at the end of it he offered me a movie. So, there was no auditioning. I don’t know what that is like yet. When offered me the part I said, “Absolutely.” He was so professional, so normal, just an intelligent human being that I felt it would be a pleasure to work….I was incredibly thankful, especially after I got completely pummelled by someone (laughs).

How did your interest in Mixed Martial Arts start?

Gina Carano: It’s funny. I grew up on ‘Anne of Green Gables’ and then after that the earlier ‘Pride and Prejudice.’ I didn’t really watch action film, but then I dated somebody who was a big fan of Bruce Lee. I know that sounds really weird coming from a tomboy, but I think I balanced myself out that way by watching those films (laughs). I didn’t really have somebody I was looking at to mimic in fighting either. I think I was always the son my dad never had. I have two very thin and beautiful sisters so, I was always like the brute and kind of the middle child.

I was a little bit of a recluse. I got in a lot of street fights. I was dating someone who realized that maybe this wasn’t the best lifestyle. He walked into Master Toddy’s Muay Thai in Las Vegas and always wanted me to come in and watch him. And I saw a huge transformation in a human being I was close to and so I finally went in and I became completely addicted. I just threw myself into it. As a female, go exert yourself on something. And realize how good it feels to let that all out.

Did you have to alter your training a bit to get ready for this film?

Gina Carano: Absolutely. They had me getting up at five o’clock, and then I did three hours of stunts, and then three hours of Mossad secret service training with guns….pretty much boot camp, and getting yelled at. Then getting stalked and stalking other people. And then after that I did strength and conditioning. I’m not afraid of guns, I just didn’t know how to use them, so my trainer put me through the gun training, entering and exiting a building. Aaron Cohen, who was my trainer, he told stories, I read his book, he’s like a brother to me now. He definitely put me in the mindset. I really wanted to represent Aaron really well, to get everything as spot on as possible.

What did you learn from working with this cast? And how was it for you working in all these different cities?

Gina Carero: I honestly have to say this is one the most beautiful experiences I’ve ever had. I got to travel to places I’ve never been. I was surrounded by the most beautiful people. I have always seen these people on television, but being around them and knowing I haven’t done this before, I’ve never been so vulnerable in my life! I woke up every day and I felt like I was on some strange drug of adrenaline (laughs). I almost didn’t want to see the movie, because I felt every part of it. It was my first time.

I’ve been to locations where I’ve had to train and fight. I had been to Thailand a lot, but I had never been to Dublin, Barcelona. It was wonderful, these places are so rich and so beautiful. I kept thinking that never in wildest dreams I’ll be in all these places. There I was sprinting through the streets of Barcelona, the colours, you couldn’t make a better movie set, they’re so rich and beautiful – and the people are gorgeous. You kind of open up your mind and realise how big the world is, but at the same time how small it is. There’s so many wonderful cities on this planet, I few very fortunate seeing a few of them for ‘Haywire.’