Movie updates: “Drinking Buddies” now has release dates! It will hit Video on Demand on July 25th and theaters August 23rd.

The first promotional still from “Rapturepalooza” has been released and you can see it in the gallery below.

Also, if you don’t follow Anna on Twitter or Instagram, you may have missed that she has dyed her hair for a movie (what color and what movie remain a mystery), and she is currently rehearsing for “The Last Five Years”, which will shoot in June.

001 x Movie Images – Rapturepalooza: Promotional Stills

Anna’s co-star in “The Last Five Years”, Jeremy Jordan, has given an in-depth interview to Broadway World in which he reveals some new details about the project. A few highlights: They are rehearsing now, with filming scheduled for June. It will film mostly in New York. Other actors will be cast. Live singing will be employed for certain sections, while others will be pre-recorded. Anna might have another movie to do between rehearsals and filming (What could it be??). Lots of stuff in here, enjoy! So freakin’ excited for this movie.

PC: THE LAST FIVE YEARS on film could be the launching pad for your rising star to rise even higher. Do you anticipate that?

JJ: Yeah, I hope so! I mean, while it is still a musical, it is really next-level material – it’s hardcore, heavy, intense and fun, too. I am so excited about it. I can’t wait to get started.

PC: So, filming starts in June? Where will you shoot?

JJ: Yeah, we are scheduled to start shooting in June and we will be filming mostly in New York, as far as I know. That’s the plan. I have my first rehearsal on Sunday, actually.

PC: A Happy Easter it will be!

JJ: Yeah, Anna [Kendrick], the director and I will be having rehearsals all through April. So, we are starting off and then she has to go film a movie or something and then when she comes back we will hit the ground running.

PC: Have you two worked together before at any point?

JJ: No, no – I’ve actually never even met her in person yet. We’ve spoken on e-mail and stuff, though. We were trying to get together recently, but I guess she doesn’t live in New York so it is a little difficult. Hopefully, we will get a drink before we start rehearsals and everything and, I don’t know, get to know each other’s favorite colors or something. [Laughs.]

PC: You will need to have quite a rapport for these two roles, don’t you think?

JJ: We will. I can’t wait to get started on rehearsals.

(more…)

Congrats to Anna, Joe Swanberg and the whole cast and crew! “Drinking Buddies” has been picked up by Magnolia Pictures for distribution, and a theatrical release is planned for later this year. Can’t wait to see this one!

New York, NY (March 19, 2013) – The Wagner/Cuban Company’s Magnolia Pictures announced today that they have acquired North American distribution rights to writer-director Joe Swanberg’s DRINKING BUDDIES, starring Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, Anna Kendrick and Ron Livingston. Produced by Dark Arts’ Alicia Van Couvering and Andrea Roa; Burn Later’s Paul M. Bernon and Sam Slater; and Swanberg, the film premiered this month at the 2013 SXSW Film Festival. The film was executive produced by Mike Witherill, Ashley Bernon, Jessica Klapman, David Kaplan, Anish Savjani, and Wilde. Magnolia Pictures is planning a theatrical release for later this year.

DRINKING BUDDIES follows the lives of Kate (Olivia Wilde) and Luke (Jake Johnson) who work together at a craft brewery. They have one of those friendships that feels like it could be something more. But Kate is with Chris (Ron Livingston), and Luke is with Jill (Anna Kendrick). And Jill wants to know if Luke is ready to talk about marriage. The answer to that question becomes crystal clear when Luke and Kate unexpectedly find themselves alone for a weekend.

“Joe Swanberg has been evolving steadily as a filmmaker, and with DRINKING BUDDIES, he’s delivered his best work yet—a truly funny, smart and insightful film about real adult relationships,” said Magnolia President Eamonn Bowles. “Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson and the rest of the cast also deliver some of the best work of their careers. We’re raising an imperial pint in celebration.”

“I feel tremendously privileged to work with such a smart, energetic and exciting company,” said Swanberg. “I had an amazing time working with the Magnolia family on V/H/S and I can’t wait to be their drinking buddy again. I just know they will do great things with the film.”

The deal for the film was negotiated by Magnolia SVP of Acquisitions Dori Begley and Director of Acquisitions Peter van Steemberg, with CAA on behalf of the filmmakers and producers.

Swanberg’s prior films include HANNAH TAKES THE STAIRS, ALEXANDER THE LAST, UNCLE KENT, SILVER BULLETS, and V/H/S.

YES!! Broadway star Jeremy Jordan, who is handsome and talented and charming and basically perfect for the role, has landed the part of Jamie opposite Anna in “The Last Five Years.” Cannot WAIT to see these two on screen (and promoting) together!

Jeremy Jordan keeps finding ways to show off his vocal chops as he moves from stage to screen. The Tony Award nominee has been cast opposite Anna Kendrick in The Last 5 Years, adapted from Jason Robert Brown’s award-winning off-Broadway musical. Jordan will play Jamie, a rising novelist whose relationship with struggling actress Cathy (Kendrick) is explored through an unusual narrative device: His story unfolds in chronological order as the pair first meet, while hers unfolds in reverse starting at the end of their marriage. Richard LaGravenese (Beautiful Creatures) is directing from his own script and will produce with Lauren Versel, Kurt Deutsch, and Janet Brenner for Lucky Monkey Pictures.

A rising Broadway talent, Jordan won the 2012 Theatre World Award for Outstanding Debut for Bonnie & Clyde and nabbed Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations for his breakout turn in Newsies last year. The singer-actor has since racked up music-oriented screen credits including Warner Bros.’ Joyful Noise and NBC’s Smash, in which he appears this season as Brooklyn composer Jimmy Collins. He is represented by ICM Partners and Schachter Entertainment.

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Looks like Anna’s next project “The Last Five Years” is still a go and the director, Richard LaGravenese, has given some small updates to Collider while promoting his new movie “Beautiful Creatures.” The highlights: The casting of the male lead is ongoing, the budget is about $2 million and it will be shot in 22 days. Hope this one comes together soon!

Do you have any idea what you’ll be writing or directing next?

LaGRAVENESE: No. I have a little indie film that I’m trying to put together, which is a musical. It’s all sung, so it’s already written. It’s called The Last Five Years, which was an off-Broadway musical a few years ago, and it’s actually going to be off-Broadway again in April. It’s just with two characters and it’s all sung, about a young man and young woman in their 20′s who meet, fall in love, get married and break up, all in the span of five years. All of her songs start at the end of their relationship and go to the beginning, and all of his songs start at the beginning and go to the end. So, in the end when she’s saying goodbye to their first date, he’s saying goodbye to their marriage. And in the beginning, she’s getting the letter saying they’ve broken up, and then the next song is five years earlier and he’s just made love to her and he’s never loved anybody more. It goes back and forth like that. It’s not sung dialogue. They’re songs, and each one has a monologue that tells the story. It’s a great little piece . I don’t know if it’s going to work, but it’s something I want to try. Anna Kendrick is attached to play the girl, and I’m looking for the guy now. It’s like a $2 million budget. It’s really tiny and small. It will be shot on digital with a 22-day schedule. It’s a really small thing. So, we’ll see.

Anna’s new film with director Joe Swanberg, “Drinking Buddies”, has been chosen to have its world premiere in March at the annual South by Southwest Film Conference and Festival. Congrats to Anna, Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson and Ron Livingston and the entire cast and crew! SXSW Film runs from March 8-16.

Drinking Buddies (World Premiere)

Director/Screenwriter: Joe Swanberg

Weekend trips, office parties, late night conversations, drinking on the job, marriage pressure, biological clocks, holding eye contact a second too long… you know what makes the line between “friends” and “more than friends” really blurry? Beer.

Cast: Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, Anna Kendrick, Ron Livingston

The full lineup can be found HERE.

Toronto is about to get a double dose of Anna! David Ayer’s “End of Watch” and Robert Redford’s “The Company You Keep” have both been announced to be part of the line-up of this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, so let’s hope we get some new Anna events! The exact schedule will be announced on August 21st.

Also, “End of Watch” has been moved up one week to a September 21st release.

Anna’s signed on to a new movie, and it’s another comedy, called “Drinking Buddies”:

The actress has signed up for a lead role in the indie comedy. Anna Kendrick will start shooting Drinking Buddies in Chicago later this month. Joe Swanberg is directing. Andrea Roa, Anish Savajani and Alica van Couvering are producing. The Up In The Air star has a slew of films coming out soon. Kendrick is one of the voices, along with Casey Affleck and Leslie Mann, in the stop motion animated ParaNorman, out in August. She also stars in the David Ayer-directed cop drama End of Watch, with Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena, as well as the musical Pitch Perfect and the Robert Redford-directed political thriller The Company You Keep. Kendrick is repped by CAA and lawyer Todd Rubenstein.

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According to Variety: