Fan casting for 'City of Ashes': Who do you want to see?

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WHO DO YOU WANT FOR CITY OF ASHES?

Let's talk fancasting!!! I'm curious who you would want in various roles for The Mortal Instruments: City of Ashes. Let's talk about new characters we'll see in the film. 

RAPHAEL SANTIAGO

IMOGEN HERONDALE - Role has been filled by Sigourney Weaver

DANIEL ROBERTS

ELIAS

KAELIE

MADELEINE BELLEFLEUR

MAIA ROBERTS

MALIK

MARYSE LIGHTWOOD

MAX LIGHTWOOD

ROBERT LIGHTWOOD

MELIORN

SEELIE QUEEN

If you have any thoughts on who should play these characters, put your thoughts in the comments below or tweet us at @TMI_institute! twitter.com/tmi_institute

Cassie Clare posts 'Mortal Instruments' photo recap

Cassie Clare posted a newTumblr photo diary recap of the past few weeks of traveling all over the world promoting The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. 

Quick picspam photo diary

*dusts off Tumblr*

So it has been an incredibly weird, strange, up and down couple of weeks — months even. I meant to try to keep updating through the publicity for the movie and so forth but all I had time to do was reblog gifsets and Instagram a few things. Beware, for there is picspam below.

So in the past few months I worked on City of Heavenly Fire in Cornwall with Jen Lynn Barnes, Sarah Rees Brennan, Holly Black, Kelly Link, Maureen Johnson, and Malinda Lo. The usual suspects.

It was pretty. So, so pretty. I am delighted I put an Institute in Cornwall so I can go back. :-)

I dyed my hair purple:

(Clearly I am thinking it was not a good idea)

I went to Comicon on a jet. Tiny jets are both awesome and terrifying. They just lift straight up into the air like slingshots. Everyone ran to the windows to look out except Godfrey who was like, “Haven’t any of you ever been on a Gulfstream Jet before?” Hmph. Not all of us are international supermodels.

Oh, and we got our makeup done on the plane - which is mostly hairbrushing for the boys, but no one else seemed to share my deadly fear of getting a mascara wand to the eye.

When we walked into the lobby of the Hard Rock Hotel I yelled “Jamie, look! Your head is huge!” which might …not have been what I meant to say. Lily was signing autographs so we couldn’t get her for this picture.

Later I got to ride in an elevator with Spiderman — or whatever his real name is. Totally, you can see him behind me and Sukee (Godfrey’s manager! He’s wearing blue!

He’s talking to Robbie, who warned us that over the day, his hair would get progressively bigger. But it never did do anything dramatic.

In August, I went to the premiere in LA. Does it look terrifying? Because it is terrifying. Everyone points cameras and shouts your name and you assume you are going to be assassinated.

But I did get to hang out with fans…

And I dragged my long-suffering husband along …

And also superagent Barry Goldblatt who sold my first book back in 2005. I asked him to walk on the black carpet with me but he took one look at all the photographers and bolted around the side, abandoning me. SAVE ME, BARRY!

And of course adorable cast of adorableness was present. Robbie’s suit had its own ticket, I believe.

I went to some amazing events where I met tons of awesome Shadowhunters holding some very perverse signs.

And then to Berlin.

In Berlin, the airline lost all my luggage, including my premiere dress and shoes — though I still had my good-luck handbag that Holly gave me. 

After much despair I wound up in a massive department store in Berlin, and scrounged up a beaded dress (that was actually a shirt, but I’m short) and Miu Miu shoes so tall that eventually I took them off and did the presentation barefoot. You’ve probably seen the press photos so here’s us lurking backstage looking nervous. 

After which I went barefoot to dinner which was collegial and also a little sad because I had to say goodbye to Lily

You know how she always looks perfect in photos? She always looks perfect in real life. IT’S SCARY.

Oh, and Robbie - who told several extremely funny stories during dinner, all of which are rated unsuitable for this tumblr. Alas.

And Jamie (who I expected to see again in Hong Kong, but then a family member got suddenly, violently sick, and I couldn’t go. They are okay now, and thank you for the well-wishes - it really has been an up and down bunch of weeks.

Also I think Jamie is asleep in this picture but my husband says he is just blinking.)

Meanwhile I had time to watch the Series 3 teaser trailer for Sherlock and OH MY GOD WHY MUST WE WAIT FOR THINGS WE WANT TO WATCH AND READ.

Hmph I say to you, Benedict Cumberbatch.

Anyway, I am heading out tomorrow to rural France with the Usual Suspects where I will be spending the next month hopefully *finishing* City of Heavenly Fire, and recovering from what has probably been the craziest year of my whole life.

I did want to add — I have of course been receiving a ton of messages about the movie: from people who loved it, people who hated it, people who are mad at me for changes made in the adaptation from book to movie, people who want me to give them Jamie Campbell Bower’s phone number immediately or they will be mad at me… It’s a little overwhelming, but I will just say: 

 I’ve always said I didn’t have ultimate control over this movie. (I said it on my website, and here, seven months ago and  a year ago : “When you give over your movie rights you have to accept that decisions about how to adapt your books will be made without you. ) I clarified my position and influence re: the movie here a month ago: : ’The producers and director and production designer were all nice enough to come to me to consult about various things. I gave my opinion. Sometimes they took it. Sometimes they didn’t take it. Sometimes they took part of it but not the rest. Some things I was never asked about and was as surprised as everyone else to see.”

Interestingly, even being on set doesn’t change that - about 60% of what I saw filmed, including a ton of location shooting in ‘Idris’ and flashbacks, didn’t make it in — I hope it’s on the DVD because I think you guys would like it. None of that is a criticism of the movie — but often if you have questions about why things were changed, or when or how, I won’t know the answer, because I don’t know either. I just hope you do know that whenever I was asked for input, I gave it with what I thought you guys would want in the forefront of my mind.

In the end, a film is an interpretation: it’s the director’s vision of a book. If you don’t like it, you’re not a bad fan. If you do like it you’re not a bad fan. If you have a ton of strong opinions well, you’re a fan. :) It’s the nature of the beast. The books will always be the books and nothing changes that. 

Speaking of the books, I found out that this week City of Bones is #1 on the USA Today list. I remember years ago sitting in Holly’s basement on New Year’s Day with Libba Bray, making our Lists of Impossible Goals: things we wanted to accomplish we didn’t ever think would happen. I wrote “#1 on the USA Today list” — because USA Today ranks every book in the country and so basically it means City of Bones, this week, was the bestselling book in the US. And that’s pretty amazing. 

I feel so grateful to have had the experience of this past year, and I know I am so lucky in my life, my career and to have you guys, most of all. And I can’t wait to start talking about City of Heavenly Fire. I just saw the cover — YES! Tell me if you want a sneak peek. ;)

VIDEO: New trailer for Kevin Zegers film 'All the Wrong Reasons'

Check out this brand new trailer in the new movie All the Wrong Reasons starring The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones star Kevin Zegers. 

The film is about choices made in the aftermath of severe traumatic stress. The story hinges on two lives that intersect in a big box department store: a woman who has witnessed her sister’s suicide and a firefighter who was hurt on the job. She endeavors to keep her comfort zone intact while he strives to regain his former life.




All the Wrong Reasons is an ensemble dramedy about four co-workers at a big box department store all struggling to connect and come to terms with their lives. Since witnessing a tragic family event, Kate (Karine Vanasse) has kept herself as isolated as physically possible, her husband James (Cory Monteith), the store’s ambitious manager, does his best to force Kate out of her shell but Kate wants her world to remain exactly as it is. Missing intimacy, James becomes close with Nicole (Emily Hampshire), a cashier who is holding onto what’s left of her youth while juggling single motherhood. When a new security guard Simon (Zegers) arrives, his determination to overcome his struggles and achieve his dream helps Kate to re-evaluate her life and begin the transition back to the person she once was.

The film is going to be played at various film festivals in Canada in September including Toronto International Film Festival, the Atlantic Film Festival and the Cinefest Sudbury International Film Festival. 

'Interview' mag snags talk & photos with Jamie Campbell Bower

 Check out this interview with Jamie Campbell Bower in  Interview magazine and some exclusive photos (thanks to Jamie Campbell Bower Spain for posting these): 

Girl meets mysterious tattooed boy; boy encourages girl to fight demons while wearing thigh-high leather boots. Evil, leather-clad man with several rat-tail braids reveals that boy and girl are brother and sister and romance is nipped in the bud.

Sad or savvy, every young adult fantasy film aspires to be the next Twilight.  The best contender to date is The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, based on Cassandra Clare's six-book YA series. Lily Collins stars as Clary Fray, a Brooklyn teenager who discovers she is a "shadowhunter," a warrior descended from the blood of an angel in a world that includes vampires, werewolves, warlocks, witches, and demons. As Jace Wayland, Clary's love interest and possible sibling, British actor Jamie Campbell Bower stands out. There is nothing novel about the film's premise, but it doesn't need to be novel. The Mortal Instruments knows what it wants to be and does it well (or, better than Twilight).

The Mortal Instruments is Campbell Bower's third fantasy franchise, and it's not difficult to see why. Casting directors gravitate towards Campbell Bower's ethereal aesthetic: his shoulder-length blond hair, prominent cheekbones, pale complexion, and  slender, yet oddly muscular physique. Only 24, the actor's first role was in Tim Burton's gothic musicalSweeney Todd (2007). Since then, he's rarely left the fantasy genre; playing King Arthur in the mini-series Camelot (2011), a young Gellert Grindewald in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2010), and the leader of an ancient coven of vampires in Twilight: Breaking Dawn. 

We recently spoke with the actor in L.A.


EMMA BROWN: Do you remember your first ever audition?

JAMIE CAMPBELL BOWER: Oh, god, my first ever audition. Yeah, it was for Harry Potter.

BROWN: Oh, really? That worked out pretty well then.

CAMPBELL BOWER: No, it didn't, because I was a kid. It was the first Harry Potter movie.

BROWN: Oh. Who did you want to be?

CAMPBELL BOWER: Harry Potter!

BROWN: I can't imagine you with black hair.

CAMPBELL BOWER: Can you imagine? That would be so weird. A casting agent came to school—they send casting agents round schools in the UK—and she picked a bunch of us. I completely forgot about it. We had to tell a joke, I told a really rude joke. I told a joke about a Christmas tree being rammed up a fairy's ass. Oh dear...

BROWN: Did they laugh?

CAMPBELL BOWER: They laughed, yeah. But I don't think that was quite Harry Potter material. [laughs]

BROWN: Were you devastated?

CAMPBELL BOWER: No, no I wasn't devastated. I was too into skateboarding. I'm still too into skateboarding to be devastated by anything.

BROWN: They just kept you in mind for six years?

CAMPBELL BOWER: It was more than six years. I didn't have to re-audition, they actually just called up and were like, "Do you want to be a part of it?"  Obviously it's a British institution, I was like, "Of course I want it. Whatever, I'd love to be a small part of this. It would be dope." And that's it.

BROWN: Did you ever go up to Daniel Radcliffe— "You stole my life!"

CAMPBELL BOWER: [laughs] No, no, no. God, no. He's a lovely chap. No, there's no hard feelings. [laughs]

BROWN: This is your third fantasy franchise. You've got to be in the running for some sort of record.

CAMPBELL BOWER: For being the biggest whore? [laughs] People ask me if it's a career move or whatnot—it's not. I wanted to be a part of Harry Potter. I wanted to be a part of the first Twilight movie and unfortunately it didn't work out so great. So when they came back and were like, "Do you want to come in for a part for the second movie," I was like, "Absolutely." And then Mortal came along but we didn't know when we were shooting the first movie that we were going to get green lit for another movie—we have been green lit for another movie before the first movie's even been released, which is crazy.

BROWN: What do you like the most about your character Jace?

CAMPBELL BOWER: I say this a lot in interviews about the character, but I like his vulnerability. I like that about him. I like his sarcasm. I like his strength.

BROWN: Does he have any qualities that annoy you?

CAMPBELL BOWER: Yeah, the fact that he's so sarcastic the whole time—sometimes he just needs to man up a bit. [laughs] I actually kind of fell in love with him, but he's so into himself that he doesn't really know it. [laughs]

BROWN: Have you read all of the books? Or did you not want to go past the first one lest it change the way you played the character?

CAMPBELL BOWER: I've read them all. I'm just waiting for Cassie [Clare] to release the last one. I read the first three when I got asked to come over for the screen test and then, upon getting the role, I read them all. When we were shooting, I focused on the first book. It didn't cloud my vision—the great thing about literature is that you're making up your own interpretation of the character anyway. Also, you're given basically a bible of who this guy is and you're kind of shooting yourself in the foot if you're not reading it.

BROWN: There are so many books, did you ever have a moment of "Oh god, there goes the next six years of my life..?"

CAMPBELL BOWER: [laughs] Look, if I have a job for the next six years of my life I'm going to be the happiest motherfucker in the world. I'm under no illusion—this game is incredibly fickle, that's what this industry is, and I'm very aware of that. If I can do this in the next six years, that would be great. If I can't, that's fine too. They better start making them quick, though, because none of us are getting any younger and I'm not entirely sure how long I can carry on. If we're doing the last movie when I'm 30 and I'm meant to be playing 19, 20—I'm starting to look a little bit ropey at the moment anyway, there's lines coming—I'd be fucked.

BROWN: Does your agent tell you to stay out of the sun?

CAMPBELL BOWER: No, never. They know if they tell me not to do something I'm gonna do it. [laughs] They've now figured that out, so they just don't talk to me until they have good news. [laughs]

BROWN: Do you think The Mortal Instruments presents an unrealistic portrayal of love?

CAMPBELL BOWER: I mean, at no point in the movie does Jayce turn around to Clary and say, "I love you." Is it an unrealistic portrayal? I think there are times in life where you're automatically drawn to somebody and it's weird—you freak out a bit. I think that's what this portrayal is. It's something deeper than just aesthetic admiration, I suppose. They don't say that they love each other—they want to be together but it's hard, what with them thinking that they're brother and sister they've got a bunch of shit to deal with. [laughs] I don't know if that's realistic.

BROWN: Did you read any young adult books when you were a young adult?

CAMPBELL BOWER: It sounds really cheesy and corny, there was a book called The Lives of Christopher Chant [by Dianna Wynne Jones, 1988], which is very, very similar toHarry Potter. Too similar, some have said. I sort of got into those for a bit. I'm a dirty kid, I like to be outside, I like to run about, I like to get messy. So I spent a lot of time outside as a kid, skating and just being a disaster. I was obsessed with Dogtown—I still am obsessed with Dogtown, the Z-Boys. I love Stacy Peralta and Jay Adams and Andrew Reynolds, all these guys. I used to think I was Chad Muska.

BROWN: You should make a skating movie.

CAMPELL BOWER: I'd love to make a skating movie. It'd be fucking dope. [With] sports movies—like skating movies—it's hard. The last good one that I saw was probably Catherine Hardwick's Lords of Dogtown (2005). I mean, Rob Dyrdek's got a movie coming out but it's more like a documentary.

BROWN: What film were you obsessed with as a child?

CAMPBELL BOWER: Oh my god, Waterworld (1995). Kevin Costner's Waterworld. Insane. That blew my mind. Me and my cousin Josh we used to watch it the whole time. We loved that film.

BROWN: I don't even know what that is.

CAMPBELL BOWER: Waterworld?! Are you for serious? Oh my god, go check it out.

BROWN: I'm looking it up now. It was nominated for an Oscar! It's a serious movie?

CAMPBELL BOWER: It's not that serious. He's jetting about on a jetski and shit. But there's a ride at Universal Studios in L.A.— the Waterworld ride. You've got to go on it. It's mental.

BROWN: I've only been to Euro Disney.

CAMPBELL BOWER: Euro Disney is not my vibe. I can't really deal with Disney, man. It's not my thing.

BROWN: But you can deal with Universal Studios land?

CAMPBELL BOWER: Yeah, because they're not pretending to be so happy all the time. [laughs] I don't do so well with people pretending to be happy. When I was 16, I went with my girlfriend at the time and her family to Disneyland and I was so grumpy the whole time.

BROWN: I know you're in L.A. now, but do you still live in London?

CAMPBELL BOWER: I live out of a bag. I just looked at what's going on for me, I'm not gonna be back in England for more than a week between now and March of next year, I think, which is crazy. By that time the lease is up on my apartment! [laughs]  I'm getting a kick out of being homeless.

BROWN: Won't you miss your family and friends?

CAMPBELL BOWER: I have the best friends in the world. I miss my friends, I miss my family but they always come out and visit me. I went to boarding school in the country so there's no real differentiation between family and friends. I went there from when I was 8 until I was 17—it was insane. If you earn my friendship, you are my family and I'll do anything for you.

BROWN: Is it unusual for people from your school to become actors?

CAMPBELL BOWER: Daniel Day Lewis went to my school. Juno Temple was in my year. Lily Allen went. The band called The Kooks went there. Minnie Driver. There's a few of us kicking about but it's not a stage school, it's just incredibly liberal and let's the individual do whatever the fuck they want. [laughs]

BROWN: Do you remember your worst ever audition?

CAMPBELL BOWER: Yes, I went into the wrong room. They started being like, "I see that you were at the Royal Shakespeare Company." I was like, "Oh my god, my agent has made all this shit up, just made it up so I could get in the room." So I was like, "Yeah, yeah, it was amazing"—digging myself further and further into a hole. And then this girl comes in and I'm like, "What the fuck is going on?" And they're like, "Okay, and now we're going to read the balcony scene." It was an audition for Romeo and Juliet. [laughs] I was like, "Um, I'm not meant to be here, I'm really sorry." [laughs] I literally just ran out of the room.

'City of Ashes' Will Begin Filming in the Fall

It has been highly speculated whether or not the film 'City of Bones' would get a sequel. Well, according to Martin Moszkowicz, an executive producer on Mortal Instruments and the head of film & TV over at Constantin, as reported on the Hollywood Reporter, there will be. Constantin is still planning to move forward and start filming City of Ashes in Toronto this Fall.

Here's what Moszkowicz had to say about it:

"Despite the soft U.S. start, Moszkowicz said the reaction from the book's fan base has been "very positive." And he said that Constantin is proceeding with plans to begin shooting a sequel, Mortal Instruments: City of Ashes, in Toronto this fall."

This is great news for fans! 

You can help ensure the film's success by going to see 'City of Bones' which is now in theaters, and by taking all of your friends to go see it!

Help participate in Shadowhunter Twitter Trends this weekend!

We are working with fellow Shadowhunters to help trend all weekend!!! We need YOUR help! With the release of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones in a multitude of Spanish speaking countries tomorrow, we want to celebrate with them with the #CiudadDeHueso tag. 

FRIDAY -  #CiudadDeHueso 

SATURDAY - #ShadowhunterSaturday

SUNDAY - #SeeTMISunday

MONDAY - #TMIMovieMonday

You can use these tags interchangeably with the tags we have been using like #SeeCityofBones and #TMIMovie OR even make up your own. We just want the word spread as much as possible to help get the word out to see the TMI movie do well.

PHOTOS + VIDEOS: 'The Mortal Instruments' Cast at the Mexican Premiere!

 

Godfrey Gao, Lily Collins, Jamie Campbell Bower and Kevin Zegers hit up the red carpet for The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones premiere in Mexico City (August 27)!

Lily and Jamie were interviewed on the red carpet, check it out:

More photos from the premiere below!

TMI soundtrack's 'Almost is Never Enough' is #1 tagged song on Shazam

Ariana Grande and Nathan Sykes' track "Almost Is Never Enough" from the official THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES soundtrack is currently the #1 tagged song on Shazam, i.e. of all global Shazam users utilizing the app in real-time, this is currently the most popularly tagged song. 

Check out the official music video featuring clips from the movie at: http://vevo.ly/g0wOqM. 

Also, Shadowhunters, go get the soundtrack if they haven't already. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/mortal-instruments-city-bones/id674865584

PHOTOS + VIDEO: 'The Mortal Instruments' Photocall in Mexico City!

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones cast—Jamie Campbell Bower, Lily Collins, Kevin Zegers and Godfrey Gao have arrived in Mexico City for the final premiere and yesterday (August 26) they had their press conference.

The video below is from their photocall (hint: Kevin smacks Jamie's behind!)

Check out the photos below also from their photocall: