Demi Moore’s exit from “Lovelace” has given a lot of attention to the currently filming biopic of the “Deep Throat” star. But there are more than one Linda Lovelace films in development at the moment. There’s also the Malin Akerman starring “Inferno” to consider — though much like the fiery title, Akerman believes it’s time to light a “fire under” the project, or walk away entirely.
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“Either we have to do it now, or we have to let it go,” she told MTV News at the Sundance Film Festival. “That’s one of the potentials that might be happening within the next month or two. We’ll see.”
Akerman thinks that both “Inferno” and “Lovelace” can coexist, however, due to tremendous differences between the movies.
“They’re very different films, even though they’re about the same [person],” she said. “They’re adapted very, very differently. We’ve had the privilege of seeing the other film, and it’s beautifully written, but it’s really different from the one we’re doing. It’ll be two different versions of her life story.”
Different in what ways, you ask? Take it from Akerman: “It’s very dark. It would be delving into some dark, dark places. It’s very much about an abused woman and what life is like being in that situation.”
Another important thing to note: “I’m not making a porn, I promise. No porn. You can go to the XXX stores for those.”
“Of course it’s a little bit daunting when you have somebody out there already doing [a similar movie], but at the same time, it becomes more of a challenge. It’s exciting,” Akerman said of the “Inferno” process. “This will be a bit darker, and crazy, but beautifully written. I really do hope we have the opportunity to do it.”
We caught up with the lovely Malin Akerman at Bing Bar who is in town for Sundance and performed for the Brita FilterForGood Music Project where she was singing with her jazz band, Malin and the Mystic Cats. Clearly she has a passion for music because she will be in the much hyped Rock of Ages coming out this year.
“I’m so excited for that to come out, it was unbelievable making that fim,” Malin told us. “Just look at the cast! I got to sing a duet with Tom Cruise. It doesn’t get much better than that.”
She told us that it was Tom who particularly blew her away on set:
“It was surreal to do a movie with him! I’ve literally died and gone to heaven. We sing I Wanna Know What Love Is by Foreigner.”
“He is so fantastic,” she raved. “I did a movie with Katie [Holmes] two years prior so I knew him a little bit. He is amazing. He is a man who can do whatever he sets his mind to and do it extremely well. And he’s super positive–I can’t say a bad thing about him. He’s unbelievable.”
Akerman has shot films with tons of A-List actors, but Cruise is on a whole other level when it comes to how he behaves on set:
“It’s crazy how huge of a star he is that he’s so down to earth and actually a real person. He makes effort to get to know everyone on the set from cast to crew, ask about their family, and is just so genuine. He’s a real person. Working with veterans like that you learn so much.”
But it wasn’t all fun and games! During rehearsals, Malin told us she actually injured her duet partner!
“Yes, during rehearsals I totally knocked him in the head! Luckily we both survived to tell the story, and shocker — he couldn’t have been nicer about it!”
Rock of Ages hits theaters June 15, 2012.
“it was nerve-wracking, to have to go in and sing in the audition,” Malin Akerman says.
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The year is already gearing up to be a very busy one for Malin Akerman. Fresh from filming Rock of Ages, the Adam Shankman musical starring Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, and Catherine Zeta-Jones, to name a few, Akerman’s first film of the year, Wanderlust—the comedy with Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux—premieres next month. After, the Swedish-Canadian actress has seven films scheduled to open in 2012, including Rock of Ages. On top of the round-the-calendar releases, Akerman is busy singing in her new band and mentally preparing to play one of the most notorious porn stars, in Inferno: A Linda Lovelace Story. (For those of you keeping score of the Linda Lovelace projects at home, this is the Matthew Wilder production that originally was slated to star Lindsay Lohan.)
Amidst that hectic schedule, Akerman flew to Park City, Utah, this weekend to attend Sundance and promote a cause dear to her: the Brita FilterForGood Music Project. Last night, the actress hosted a party on Main Street, where she toasted the eco-friendly initiative, performed two songs with her band, Malin and the Mystic Cats, and snuck into a corner to talk with V.F.
Julie Miller: What inspired you to start a band?
Malin Akerman: Well, I was in a band [the Petalstones] in 2004 and did it for about a year. Then I went into acting and all of that stuff. Now, I just did Rock of Ages and became inspired again. I’m so green right now—I’m just testing out the waters a little bit and what better place to do it than at Sundance, where everyone is kind of forgiving and here about the art. So we just started this band for the fun of it, and we’re called Malin and the Mystic Cats.
At what point during Rock of Ages did you realize that your passion for music was reinvigorated?
I think it’s just that any form of art and anywhere that you can be creative inspires you. Music is something that really challenges me, and I love facing my fears. I think that’s the best way to grow as a human being in general. I just thought that it’s so much fun to actually sing and write your own lyrics and present something that means something to you in music. It’s just nice to have your voice heard. Also, my husband [Roberto Zincone] is the drummer in the band. We actually met in [the Petalstones] in 2004. Just to be playing with him again and to be doing something creative together is so much fun.
Why “Malin and the Mystic Cats”?
I love the jazz vibe. I was in New Orleans last year, and I fell in love with every single band that ever played. There are all of these independent blues bands. I just got the most inspiration I’ve ever gotten, and they all call each other “cats.” So we kind of combined it and made it chime a little better into Malin and the Mystic Cats.
Do you play instruments too?
No, I sing. I can strum a tune on the guitar, but tonight I’m just going to be playing my vocals.
Now you’re singing in Rock of Ages with Tom Cruise.
If you had told me that [when I was in a band in 2004], I would have laughed in your face. There’s no way. It’s absolutely incredible and so is he. He’s just superman. He can do everything, and he has an absolutely brilliant voice. You’re going to be blown away when you hear and see him.
Do you two sing a duet?
I do. I only sing one song, and it’s with Tom Cruise. I play a Rolling Stone reporter, and he’s this washed-up rock star. I’m someone who really believes in him and am pissed off that he has let himself go. No one really says no to him, and I’m the first person to stand up to him. So we both feel like, “Oh, something’s happening.” This kind of love scene ensues. I suppose it’s little bit of a love story, but it’s this huge ensemble cast. We’re just a small part of it. There’s also a love story between Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand.
How did you and Tom prepare for the duet?
We had a coach. While rehearsing, I think I may have knocked Tom in the head with my leg a few times. By accident. And we had a good laugh about that as we were rehearsing. I was the last person on board, so I had about three weeks prep to learn the song and go through the choreography with Tom and record it. Then we just shot it and went for it. I’m really excited to see it.
Me too! So I have to ask you about your Linda Lovelace project.
Yes! This has been something that has been ongoing for almost a year and a half, and as you know, now there’s another movie about her being filmed. So we’re hoping to get this going at the end of February or the beginning of March. That’s what I’m being told. Fingers crossed, because I really hope that we could do them around the same time and that they can come out around the same time so we can have this amazing contrast. I think they’re two really different adaptations of her life, so it should be really interesting to watch.
Were you hesitant to take on this role because of the subject matter?
No, not at all. It’s a huge challenge. People think that obviously a movie about Linda Lovelace will be a movie about porn, but this story is about being an abused woman and what’s that like. This is about this really lovely, young, religious girl who turns to prostitution and then to porn—being forced into it by her husband and then coming out of it to be an anti-porn advocate. It’s that weird sort of journey. It’s a gray area where we ask ourselves, Why don’t women who are abused leave, even when they have the chance? It’s exploring that strange nature and what percolates underneath, that kind of psychological journey more than anything.
Have you started preparing mentally for the project?
No! I don’t want to until I know when we are going to start, otherwise I would have had a year and a half of preparation and let-downs. As soon as I get the green light, I’ll start. But I’ve been reading a lot about abused women. Once we start, I’ll just dive in, because I think it’s going to be a very dark place [for me to explore], and I don’t want to stay there too long!
Well, you said you like facing your fears.
[Laughs.] I certainly will here. It’s scary, but I like a little fear and a challenge!
The first trailer for “Rock of Ages” has just been released!
“Rock of Ages” will hit theaters on June 1, 2012.
The stunning Swede returned to her Canadian roots – she was raised in Toronto – for the upcoming dark comedy Cottage Country, filmed in the typically picturesque Muskokas that was covered in a dull grey smudge the day Cineplex visited the busy set.
Undeterred by the near-constant rain and freezing temperatures Malin Akerman was all smiles playing the part of demanding Cammie, girlfriend to Todd (fellow Canuck Tyler Labine) who engages in some axe-slinging when plans for the perfect proposal go awry. See? Dark comedy.
While huddled in an upstairs bedroom of the Muskoka cottage where part of the movie was being filmed, Akerman dished about the upcoming Adam Shankman directed musical Rock of Ages where she stars alongside a rock n’ roll Tom Cruise who, she assured us, can really sing and who she described as a “such a goof.”
I have just added 19 photos of Malin Akerman from the most recent events that she attended into our gallery!
GALLERY LINKS:
Malin Akerman Source > Public Appearances > From 2011 > Bacardi And Maroon 5′s Annual Halloween Bash
Malin Akerman Source > Public Appearances > From 2011 > The Spare Room Presents A Benefit For Movember