Lenny Kravitz has joined the cast of ‘The Hunger Games,’ reports Billboard.

Suzanne Collins’ best-selling trilogy will also star Jennifer Lawrence in the main role as Katniss Everdeen.

The plot revolves around the ‘Hunger Games,’ which are an annual televised event where the post-apocalyptic Panem chooses one boy and one girl from each district to fight to the death. The ‘Hunger Games’ are used to demonstrate that even children are not beyond the reach of the Capitol’s power.

The actor-musician will play Cinna, the fashion stylist assigned to Lawrence’s character as she prepares to take part in the Hunger Games. His fashion designs will reportedly play an integral role in her performance in the Games.

“When I saw Lenny’s work in ‘Precious,’ I was just knocked out,” director Gary Ross said. “It was quiet and strong and understated and open-hearted: all qualities which define this character.”

Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth also star in the movie, which Lionsgate is set to release March 23.

Kravitz was nominated for an NAACP Image Award and an ensemble SAG Award for his role in ‘Precious.’ He also has appeared in ‘The Diving Bell and the Butterfly’ and ‘Zoolander.’ He is set to release his ninth studio album, ‘Black and White America,’ on Aug. 30.

This movie sounds very cool, and with such an impressive cast, it just became twice as cool.

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Tom Ford brings style to his new movie and it’s not just in the wardrobe. The  former creative director for Gucci who now fronts his own fashion line makes his directorial debut with “A Single Man”.

Loosely based on the famed novel by Christopher Isherwood, the film follows a single day in the single life of a gay English professor who teaches in L.A. during the ‘60s. After losing his longtime partner Jim (played by Matthew Goode), George Falconer (Colin Firth) plans his suicide in order to end his suffering. However, George has a few things to settle before taking his own life.

The great thing about this film is that audiences can feel the suffering regardless of whether they’ve lost a loved one or not. That’s partly due to Ford’s directing and also to Firth’s impeccable performance.

Whenever George reminisces about his life with Jim, Ford uses black and white, a strong contrast from the vivid, colourful scenes that take place in the present. These colours come to life whenever George meets with his fellow British friend Charley (Julianne Moore) or with Kenny (“About a Boy’s” Nicholas Hoult), a student whose interest in George is more than academic. It’s clear that Ford — who also co-wrote and produced the film — knows how to use light and texture to his advantage.

And it should come to no surprise that he also has an unfailing eye for detail. Everything from the suits to Charley’s accessories (including a pink cigar) hint to his obsession with detail. Whether it be a conscious decision or not, Ford makes many of the scenes resemble advertisements, perhaps due to his fashion background. This could be a turn off to some while others will praise the cinematography.

The production team behind the set of “A Single Man” is that of the hit TV show “Mad Men,” so be sure to count on an equally authentic set. But at the end of the day, a film isn’t complete without a talented cast and this one has an abundance of talented actors.

Firth delivers one of his best performances yet. He’s already won an award related to the movie at the Venice Film Festival and he’ll undoubtedly continue to garner nominations for the role. Moore is radiant as Charley and provides some much needed comic relief. Audiences will be surprised to see “About a Boy’s” Hoult all grown up. And audiences will also be pleasantly surprised at what a fashion-designer-turned-director can bring to a movie.

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At points, “The Time Traveler’s Wife” sheds new light into the romantic drama genre. But at others, it just gets old and fails the test of time.

The film – based on the hit novel by Audrey Niffenegger of the same title – revolves around Henry DeTamble (played by Eric Bana), a Chicago librarian with “Chrono Displacement” disorder, a condition which allows him to randomly disappear into both the past and the future without warning (otherwise known as time traveling).  He tries to build a life with the woman of his dreams, a young artist named Clare Abshire (Rachel McAdams), but their relationship is tested when the couple is forced to part ways for long periods of time due to his condition.

We first meet Henry as a little kid who’s assured by an older version of himself, after going through a car accident that everything is going to “be okay.” Fast forward a few decades later and a 30 something Henry is greeted by Clare whose known him since the age of six – the problem is, he doesn’t have a clue who she is.

You see, for Henry it’s only years later when he first encounters Clare as a child while he’s in his 40’s and gets transported naked into the past. Apparently the clothes come off when you’ve time travelled, which seems like a cheep excuse to show Bana’s behind every 10 minutes, however, this detail is actually in the book and it gets his character into loads of trouble throughout the story.

When they first meet, Clare trusts him and throws Henry a blanket to cover himself with. He continues to visit her throughout her childhood and their bond eventually grows from friendship to love as Claire gets older.

But most of the film takes place in “real time,” when their timelines converge “naturally.” Although Clare has been in love with Henry since she first met him as a little girl, she has to make him fall in love with her as an adult when Henry meets her for the first time at the library (and when you have someone like McAdams playing Clare, that isn’t hard to do).

What’s hard to deal with is the constant instability and the fact that Clare can never rely on Henry as he can involuntarily disappear just like that. Her hubby isn’t always there for her during New Year’s or other significant dates because he can suddenly poof (with no date of return). This understandably becomes the main source of conflict throughout the film. Unfortunately, it becomes old by the second half hour.

But I will say that when it comes to romance, “The Time Traveler’s Wife” is quite original. While most films have supporting characters who give the main couple a run for their money, in this one, Henry’s main competition is himself.

“I’m competing against myself,” Henry tells Clare. Because she originally met an older Henry, he feels that he’s somehow competing with himself which is quite entertaining. What’s also unique about this film, of course, is the time traveling, but most importantly, fusing science fiction with romance.

The meetings between Henry and the six-year-old Clare are incredibly engaging and the fact that the two aren’t always at the same point in their lives keeps the movie somewhat fresh.

That being said, there are plenty of supporting characters in this film that could have helped keep it fresh, like Henry’s mom, his dad, Clare’s best friend Charisse and Henry’s doctor. But some of them become nothing more than props in this movie. It would have been interesting to develop those characters to add some more depth to the film.

“The Time Traveler’s Wife” is also somewhat jumpy as a movie (which makes sense, after all, the main character can’t control his apparitions) but this makes it nonetheless confusing at times.

So what makes it worth seeing? Rachel McAdams, who’s more than proven she can carry a romantic drama with movies like “The Notebook,” is a driving force in this film, as is Bana. Those who read the book may want to decide for themselves if “The Time Traveler’s wife” is worth the travel to the theatres.

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The killer clown is back.

Warner Bros. is bringing Stephen King’s “It” to the big screen, almost two decades after the top-selling horror novel was turned into an TV miniseries starring Tim Curry as the sadistic clown Pennywise.

Dave Kajganich (“The Invasion”) has been hired to pen the screenplay, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Published in 1986, King’s novel follows a group of kids in the fictional town of Derry, Maine, as they encounter an evil entity called “It”. The creature, which lurks in the town’s sewers, preys on children by shape-shifting into their biggest fears, its favourite form being that of a balloon-wielding clown.

The story revolves around the main characters’ battles with It, first as children and then decades later as adults.

Besides Curry, the 1990 ABC miniseries starred John Ritter, Harry Anderson, Tim Reid, Annette O’Toole and Richard Thomas.

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Brampton-born Michael Cera will star as Nick Twisp in the film adaptation of the 1993 C.D. Payne novel Youth in Revolt: the Journals of Nick Twisp.

The story’s heavy use of black humour, camp and overt portrayals of teen sexuality make it a perfect fit for Cera, 19, whose charmingly awkward comedic talents were showcased in the cult hit show Arrested Development and this summer’s blockbuster hit Superbad.

The film will follow 14-year-old Nick as he deals with his parents’ imminent divorce by setting his sights on his dream girl Sheeni Saunders, hoping that she’ll be the one to take his virginity.

Cera can be seen next in Juno, alongside fellow Canadian talent Ellen Page. The quirky comedy premiered to rave reviews at this month’s Toronto International Film Festival, being called “This year’s Little Miss Sunshine.” A must see, Juno will have a limited release in late 2007.

Until then, get your Cera fix by checking out the Juno trailer, his hysterical summer project “Clark and Michael”, and his indie band, The Long Goodbye.

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