Rachel Weisz (born March 7, 1971) is an Academy Award-winning English film and television actress. She became known after her roles in the Hollywood films The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, and has since continued appearing in major film roles.
Weisz (pronounced "Vice") was born in London, England and grew up in Hampstead. Her father, George Weisz, is a Hungarian-born inventor whose family fled to England to escape Nazi persecution. Her mother, Edith Ruth, is a Vienna-born Austrian psychoanalyst and aspiring actress. Weisz's father is Jewish and her mother has been referred to as either Catholic, Jewish, or having Jewish ancestry. Weisz was raised in a cerebral Jewish household and refers to herself as Jewish. Weisz has a sister, Minnie Weisz, who is an artist.
Weisz was educated at North London Collegiate School , from which she was expelled[citation needed]. She was then sent to Benenden School and eventually settled when she was about 13 in St Paul's Girls' School. She then...
Created by dipity on Jan 24, 2008
Last updated: 01/24/08 at 04:32 AM
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The Lady from Shanghai is an upcoming film to be directed by Wong Kar-wai scheduled for a 2008 release. Nicole Kidman, Rachel Weisz and Hugh Jackman are set to star in the film. It is based on the novel "If I Die Before I Wake" by Sherwood King. An earlier adaption of the novel, also called The Lady from Shanghai, was released in 1948. That version starred Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth and was directed by Welles.
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http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0439663
Sin City 2 is the announced sequel to the 2005 movie Sin City, which was based on Frank Miller's comic book miniseries Sin City, which were later collected into bound graphic novels. It was originally scheduled for release in the summer of 2007, but due to scripting and other delays, the current release date of the film is unknown. Although the film's script has been completed, a start date has not been set for the project.
It was revealed by director Robert Rodríguez that the story for the film was to be based around A Dame to Kill For, as well as a new story to be written by Frank Miller. The new story revolves around the character of Nancy Callahan (Jessica Alba). It will weave in and out of A Dame to Kill For, and will show "a whole new side of Nancy", according to Miller. Frank Miller has also expressed interest in including other Sin City short stories in the film, mentioning a couple of 'Blue Eyes' stories, which introduce the assassin Delia, and an 'Old Town Girls' story.Even...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458481
The Lovely Bones is an upcoming film adaptation of the 2002 novel The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. The film will be directed by Peter Jackson and will star Irish actress Saoirse Ronan as Susie with Rachel Weisz and Ryan Gosling as her parents.
Feature rights to Sebold's novel had been bought by Film4 Productions when it was only a manuscript with Lynne Ramsay attached to write and direct, but the company was eventually shut down. Director Peter Jackson and his producer partners eventually acquired the rights independently and developed a script on their own, later selling it to DreamWorks. Production will begin in October 2007 in Pennsylvania and New Zealand.
Susie Salmon is a girl who is murdered and finds herself in the afterlife, observing her family on Earth. She watches her family grieve for her and watches her killer, having covered his tracks successfully, prepare to murder again. Susie struggles to balance her desire to find revenge on the killer and to have her family...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0380510
Eragon is a 2006 fantasy-adventure film based on the novel of the same name by author Christopher Paolini. The cast includes Edward Speleers in the title role, Jeremy Irons, Garrett Hedlund, Sienna Guillory, Robert Carlyle, John Malkovich, Djimon Hounsou and Joss Stone.The film was directed by Stefen Fangmeier, a first-time director, who had previously worked as a visual effects director on Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. The screenplay was written by Peter Buchman, who is best known for Jurassic Park III. Principal photography took place at the Mafilm Fót Studios in Hungary, starting on August 1, 2005. Special visual effects and animation were by Weta Digital and Industrial Light & Magic.Eragon was released worldwide between December 13 and December 15, 2006. It was the 10th worst reviewed film of 2006, and the 31st highest grossing film of 2006 in the US. A DVD of the film was released March 20, 2007.Eragon is...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0449010
The Fountain is a 2006 science fiction/fantasy film directed by Darren Aronofsky that follows three interwoven narratives that take place in the age of conquistadors, the modern-day period, and the far future. The film stars Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz, whose characters' romance exists in all three time periods. The Fountain explores the themes of love and mortality, drawing influences from Mayan mythology. The film is framed with visual language by using transition scenes, light, and shapes.
Originally to be filmed in 2002 on a budget of $70 million with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett in the lead, The Fountain shut down production as a result of Pitt's departure. Aronofsky was able to resurrect the project in 2005 with half the budget. The director incorporated visual effects into The Fountain by using minimal computer-generated imagery. He reduced the use of computers by using inexpensive footage provided by a macro-photographer. The Fountain was commercially released in the United...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0414993
The Constant Gardener is a 2005 Academy Award-winning film based on the John le Carré novel of the same name. Directed by Fernando Meirelles (City of God) and produced by Simon Channing-Williams (Secrets and Lies and Vera Drake), it tells the story of Justin Quayle, a man who finds his wife murdered and then seeks to uncover the reasons behind her death. The film stars Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, Hubert Koundé, Danny Huston and Bill Nighy.The story was filmed in Loiyangalani and the slums of Kibera, Kenya. The situation affected the cast and crew to the extent that they set up the Constant Gardener Trust in order to provide basic education around these villages. Weisz, Fiennes, and Le Carré are patrons of the charity. Most critics enjoyed the cinematography and the depth of character as portrayed by the actors and writers.
Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes), a civil servant working for the British High Commission in Kenya, sends off his wife Tessa (Rachel Weisz) and her friend Dr. Arnold...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387131
Constantine is a 2005 American film loosely based on the Hellblazer comic book, with some plot elements being taken from the "Dangerous Habits" arc (issues #41-46). It was released on February 8, 2005 in Hong Kong, and on February 18, 2005 in the U.S. and Canada.
The film opens in a ruin in Mexico, where a young man finds the Spear of Destiny wrapped in a Nazi flag. This historical artifact, incidentally, was an obsession of Adolf Hitler's and allegedly was the same spearpoint used by Roman soldier Longinus to pierce the side of Christ on the Cross. The character seizes the spearpoint and becomes possessed, heading for Los Angeles.
In Los Angeles we see John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) perform an exorcism on a teenage Filippino girl; although he is successful he is unnerved by the boldness of the demon, who attempted to leave the girl's body to cross over into humankind's realm. After meeting a detective named Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz), who wants to know if her twin sister...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0360486
Envy is a 2004 comedy film, starring Ben Stiller and Jack Black and was directed by Barry Levinson. The film was poorly received by both critics and audiences in the U.S. The film had been stalled for some time, and it was only the success of School of Rock that prompted the distributors to release the film to theatres. Many scenes were cut out of the film due to bad test screenings, evidence of this can be viewed in the Envy trailers. Ving Rhames's role as a private investigator was also deleted from the film. Originally scheduled for release on May 30, 2003, it was finally released 11 months later on April 30, 2004. Filming of the movie took place in the summer of 2002.
Tim and Nick (played by Stiller and Black) are best friends who are also neighbors and co-workers at 3M. Nick is constantly coming up with crazy ideas to get rich quick, and when he invents the Vapoorizer, a spray that instantly removes dog excrement, he actually succeeds.
As Nick's wealth continues to grow, so...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0326856
Confidence is a 2003 film starring Edward Burns, Dustin Hoffman and Rachel Weisz and directed by James Foley.
A group of confidence artists attempt to rip off a corrupt bank president in order to make restitution to another one of their victims, a sociopathic nightclub owner. A federal law enforcement agent complicates the situation.
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http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0310910
Runaway Jury (2003) is an American drama/thriller film.
The film adaptation of The Runaway Jury, which drops the "The" and is simply titled Runaway Jury, makes one big departure from the book. Grisham's novel pits the plaintiff, Celeste Wood, against a large, fictional tobacco company on the grounds that her husband's premature death was because of the company's cigarettes. The scriptwriters substituted a major firearms manufacturer for the tobacco company and firearms for the cigarettes, presumably to differentiate Runaway Jury from The Insider, a 1999 thriller featuring the tobacco industry.
Other significant changes from the book include the circumstances surrounding the husband's death, an increased role for the plaintiff's attorney (and thus for Dustin Hoffman), and more angelic motives on the part of the protagonists.
Roger Ebert's critique of this movie stated that the plot to sell the jury to the highest-bidding party was the most ingenious device in the story because it...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0313542
About a Boy is a 2002 film directed by brothers Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz, based on the book of the same name by Nick Hornby. The film stars Nicholas Hoult as Marcus, Hugh Grant as Will, Toni Collette as Fiona and Rachel Weisz as Rachel. An interesting aspect of the movie is the use of double voice-over narration, where, at crucial moments in the plot, the audience can follow Will's as well as Marcus's thoughts.Will Freeman (Hugh Grant) is a content, willingly unemployed Londoner in his late thirties who lives comfortably off the royalties of his Father's lucrative one-hit wonder Christmas tune. He compares himself to the party island Ibiza, because he believes he is enjoying his life at its fullest and that, contrary to John Donne's thoughts (which he jokingly misattributes to Jon Bon Jovi), some men are islands. He keeps himself occupied by shopping, playing snooker alone, and having his hair "carefully disheveled." He dates often, but has never had a relationship last longer than...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0276751
The Mummy Returns is a 2001 American movie starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, and Arnold Vosloo, and is directed by Stephen Sommers. It is a sequel to the 1999 movie The Mummy, and is set 8 years later, in 1933. Filming took place in London, Morocco, and Jordan. Most of the original characters make a return, with a few new ones.
The Mummy Returns also had a 2002 spin-off The Scorpion King, which is set 5000 years prior and focuses on The Scorpion King, who is introduced in The Mummy Returns.
The movie begins before the gates of the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes in 3067 BC as a warrior known only as the Scorpion King leads his army against the defenders on his road to conquest. The Scorpion King loses a decisive battle and is forced to retreat into the desert with what is left of his army. As his soldiers die one by one from the desert's heat, only the Scorpion King is left alive. Swearing an oath to the god Anubis, the Scorpion King's soul is exchanged for his life and the...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0209163
Enemy at the Gates is a 2001 motion picture directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, starring Jude Law and Ed Harris.
The film is based on William Craig's 1973 book Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad, which describes the events surrounding the Battle of Stalingrad, 1942-1943. The movie follows Soviet sniper Vasily Grigoryevich Zaitsev and his German rival, Major Erwin König, as they stalk each other during the Battle of Stalingrad.
Stalingrad, 1942. The German invasion of Russia has reached the city of Stalingrad, reducing the city to rubble as the Soviet and Nazi armies battle for the fate of Russia. Vasily Zaitsev (Jude Law), a poorly educated peasant from the Urals conscripted into the Red Army, manages to survive both a suicidal charge without a weapon into the front lines of the German attack and the NKVD machine gunners shooting survivors who tried to flee. Acquiring a rifle, Zaitsev — an expert marksman — manages to kill five German officers in a row with the only five...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0215750
The Mummy is a 1999 American film written and directed by Stephen Sommers, starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, with Arnold Vosloo as the reanimated mummy of the title. The movie features some dialogue in ancient Egyptian language with the assistance of a professional Egyptologist. It is a loose remake of The Mummy (1932), which starred Boris Karloff as the mummy.
The Mummy does not take place at the famed Giza pyramids where several Old Kingdom Egyptian kings (Egyptian monarchs were not called pharaohs yet) were buried. Instead, most of the action takes place in the fictitious Hamunaptra — the "City of the Dead" that lies "deep into the desert" beyond Thebes that has buried treasure that several characters are searching for.
It was followed in 2001 by a sequel, The Mummy Returns and The Mummy: The Animated Series, followed by The Scorpion King in 2002. Another sequel, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is expected in 2008. Universal Studios opened a roller coaster, Revenge of...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120616
Sunshine is an award-winning 1999 historical film directed, written and produced by István Szabó. It follows three generations of a Jewish family (originally called "Sonnenschein" but later changed to "Sors") during the changes in Hungary from the beginning of the 20th century to the period after the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. The central male protagonist of all three generations is portrayed by Ralph Fiennes. The film also stars the real-life mother and daughter team of Rosemary Harris and Jennifer Ehle as well as Rachel Weisz and John Neville.
Although fictional, the film weaves events drawn from several real sources into the story. One of Fiennes's three roles is based at least partly on Hungarian Olympian Attila Petschauer, but also includes allusions to the early life of George Soros (orig. Schwartz), Miksa Fenyő and other famous Hungarians of Jewish origin who suffered from anti-Semitism and the persecution of Jews in WWII Hungary.[citation needed]The film was an ...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt145503
Chain Reaction is a 1996 American film starring Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Morgan Freeman and Fred Ward. It presents a fictional account of the invention of bubble fusion using sonoluminescence (the emission of short bursts of light from imploding bubbles in a liquid when excited by sound).
Eddie (Reeves), a machinist, and Lily (Weisz), a physicist, are part of a hydrogen energy research team at the University of Chicago that has made a discovery of bubble fusion. One evening, Eddie returns to the lab late to find that his boss has been murdered and his experiment has been rigged to produce enough hydrogen gas to explode with the force of a small atomic bomb. Eddie flees the scene, and soon learns that he and Lily have been set up by someone who doesn't want their breakthrough discovery to become public. Soon upon investigation the police find $250,000 in Eddie's name and suspect that he has murdered his boss and triggered the bomb blast.
Large portions of the film were shot on...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115857
Rachel Weisz was born in London, Greater London
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