As the Tom Hanks-Sandra Bullock drama Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close hits theaters today, New Yorkers are voicing their displeasure over the decision by both Warner Bros. and the MTA to air the movie’s commercials in digital subway ads in New York City. Most notably, the commercials are airing on a digital panel at a subway station right next to Ground Zero.

The film is about a young boy whose father (Hanks) dies in the attacks on the World Trade Center and his subsequent search for the answers to life’s questions, and so the ads feature footage of the attacks and smoke billowing from the towers. You know, I could see how that might upset some people in New York City.

“Everybody’s trying to make money off 9/11,” said Bill Doyle, whose son, Joseph, was killed in the north tower.

“A lot of families got upset. Why couldn’t they warn us about this? I don’t think people really realized that these people are really still stressed.”

A Warner Bros. spokesman, Paul McGuire, said the movie company would pull the ads.

“It was never our intention to cause any distress,” McGuire said. “As a result, we will make best efforts to pull the material from pertinent locations.”

(Via the New York Post)

Common sense is a rare treasure these days. I mean, I understand that you want to be able to convey to people that you’ve made a dramatic film that has 9/11 as a backdrop (oh how I miss the Cold War) and you need to show the horrific footage to really hammer home your point.

But I also want to believe that at some point during the video editing process for the TV ads, someone looked up and said, “Hey, I just had a thought – this might upset people.” Then again, I also assume another person just responded, “Nah, people still like Tom Hanks.”

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After the jump, I’ve got the new trailer for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, starring Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock, based on the Jonathan Safran Foer novel. This is also “the Daldry” that New Yorker critic David Denby said he was looking forward to in his email to producer Scott Rudin yesterday. As in, the new movie from director Stephen Daldry (The Reader, The Hours, Billy Elliot), who seems to make movies specifically for New Yorker critics.

…the story focuses on Oskar Schell (played by newcomer Thomas Horn), a nine-year-old boy from Manhattan whose father (Hanks) dies on 9/11 [So would you call it... OSKAR BAIT? ...I'm so sorry. -Ed]. Two years later, the boy discovers a key belonging to his father, which sends him on a search through the city, believing it will lead to a final message from his deceased parent. [ThePlaylist]

This looks great. I’ll probably throw on a wool caftan, light a few sandalwood candles, and curl up with a nice glass of Pinot Gris. Then after I have myself a good cry, I’ll probably throw the old James Taylor Greatest Hits CD in the Prius and go for a nice drive.

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BOOM, Brain Wash Bomb’d. (source)

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Jonathan Safran Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is coming to the big screen, and sadly, the story does not follow an intense car ride to Disneyland with Gary Busey.  Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock are close to deals to star, with Steven Daldry (Billy Eliot, The Hours, The Reader) directing (woof) a script from Eric Roth (Forrest Gump, Curious Case of Benjamin Button).

The film follows a quirky nine-year-old vegan/scientist/artist/pacifist who searches for information about a key he finds that belonged to his father, who died in the North Tower in the 9/11 attacks. Hanks and Bullocks will play the parents of the child (who is yet to be cast) with the plot utilizing “multiple narrators and time frames.” [ThePlaylist]

Sorry, I prefer my 9/11 movies with Robert Pattinson dying in them, thank you very much. However, I do so enjoy the humorously precocious child character. I mean I really, really love it.  The only question is, will he turn out to be wise beyond his years?  Ooh, don’t tell me.  The anticipation is killing me.

Despite The Proposal earning $315 million on a $40 million budget, Disney nixed plans for a sequel earlier this year.  But not to fear: Universal is bringing back the feature talent and entire creative team for another project.  Pete Hammond is already calling it “the best idea since fire.”

Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds are reuniting on a new action comedy, tentatively titled Most Wanted. The project, a pitch from The Proposal screenwriter Peter Chiarelli, was purchased by Universal Pictures on Friday [for $1 million following a bidding war].  They are currently negotiating with The Proposal director Anne Fletcher to helm the film. The storyline for the movie revolves around a criminal (Bullock) being escorted to court by a U.S. Marshall (Reynolds). Both are ambushed on the way and are forced to go on the run.  [EW]

I can imagine how this pitch went down:

PROPOSAL WRITER: So… do you remember The Bounty Hunter?

UNIVERSAL CEO: (*IMDB’s The Bounty Hunter on Blackberry*)
Of course I do.  Go on.

PROPOSAL WRITER:  It’s that, but with likable actors.

UNIVERSAL CEO: (*hands Proposal Writer a million dollars*)  BUTLER! FETCH MY COCAINE!

Semi-related: The most patronizing Sandra Bullock gif in the history of the world:

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