James Marsden’s new comedy, “Hop,” is a blend of state-of-the-art animation with live action. The actor, who continues to carve out a distinctive place in Hollywood with both comedic and dramatic roles, plays a 30-something out-of-work slacker named Fred who is trying to pull his life together. After he accidentally runs over E.B. (Russell Brand), the Easter Bunny’s son, while driving in Hollywood, the two develop an unusual friendship that leads Fred to discover his real purpose in life.

James sat down with us recently at a press conference in Los Angeles to talk about his new movie. He told us how he prepared for the role, what it was like working with improvisational comedian Russell Brand, and why it was challenging to shoot a film with a rabbit as his co-star. He also described how he celebrates the Easter holiday tradition with his children and why he made this film for them.

Q: You got to spend some time watching Russell do his recording sessions, how did that inform your performance and did it help being able to see what he was doing?

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A hyper-energized CG bunny voiced by Russell Brand may flit maniacally around James Marsden almost constantly in this week’s live-action/animated Easter adventure Hop, but it’s very much Marsden’s moment to shine. As Fred, a 30-year-old loser still searching for direction, the Oklahoma-born actor plays straight man to Brand’s rambunctious teenage rabbit in a PG-rated film filled with gleaming candy factories and Cute Overload-ready characters. He’s come quite a long way, and deliberately so, from his role as a disturbed husband pushed to the brink of violence in the upcoming Straw Dogs remake.

Such a drastic change of pace was necessary for mental well-being, Marsden says, but Hop also marks a few key milestones in the actor’s career: It’s his biggest leading role to date and establishes him as an actor capable of broad, slapsticky, crowd-pleasing comedy. And after struggling against typecasting early in his career — he pegs it around his X-Men days, interestingly enough — Marsden’s right where he wants to be, fast-accumulating a reputation for versatility to go with those pesky good looks.

The candid and jovial Marsden phoned Movieline to talk about cleansing the palate with Hop, battling narrow industry perceptions, the possibility of donning Cyclops’ suit once more for future X-Men films, his heartbreak over David O. Russell’s still-unfinished comedy Nailed, and how close he is to sealing the deal to play Larry in the Farrelly Brothers’ Three Stooges film. And why exactly was 27 Dresses so important to him?

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I’ve also uploaded 9 HQ photos from the show to the gallery.

GALLERY LINK:
Public Appearances > 2011 Appearances >[2011.03.31]”Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” (HQ)

I’ve added 67 HQ photos from “Hop” premiere. And thanks a lot to Westly @ KateBosworthOnline.com for sending me a new pic from the photoshoot for “Straw Dogs”!

GALLERY LINK:
Public Appearances > 2011 Appearances >[2011.03.27]”Hop” Los Angeles Premiere (HQ)
Movie Productions > Straw Dogs > Promo Shoot

The film adaptation of John Kaye’s novel The Dead Circus is about to get rolling, with producers eyeing a summer start date. The film stars James Marsden, Melissa Leo, Michael Shannon and Michael C. Hall and tells a fictious story based on the non-ficticious death of singer Bobby Fuller. Written by Adam Davenport and John Kaye, the film is set to mark the directorial debut of Davenport. Deadline reports that Palermo pictures wants to shoot the flick this summer.

Marsden is set to play Charles Manson, with Leo playing a Manson Family matriarch who comes out of hiding to give a few hints to a screenwriter trying to solve Fuller’s mysterious death (ruled a suicide, even though the singer was battered and had gasoline poured down his throat). Shannon and Hall will play Fuller’s managers. Hit the jump for a synopsis of the novel.

Here’s the synopsis for The Dead Circus:

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In the family comedy Hop, actor James Marsden plays Fred, a 30-year-old on a directionless path, who is trying to pull his life together. His family keeps telling him to grow up, but Fred knows that he is destined for something great. Then, he meets E.B. (voiced by Russell Brand), the teenage son of the Easter Bunny who also happens to be next in line for the coveted position, but who wants to give it all up in pursuit of his dream to become a drummer. The presence of E.B. brings back memories from when Fred was a little boy and saw E.B.’s dad delivering his Easter basket early one morning, and he soon realizes that his calling just might be the thing that E.B. is running from.

At the film’s press day, James Marsden talked about acting opposite a bunny that wasn’t there, developing the dynamic and chemistry with Russell Brand that was necessary to bring their performances to life, the fact that he is a bit of a perpetual child like Fred, and that the film shows the importance of following your dream and finding your passion in life, even if that’s becoming the Easter Bunny. Check out what he had to say after the jump:

Question: Was doing the live-action with the animation the toughest thing you’ve had to do so far?

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ComingSoon.net has talked with Jimmy at the press junket for “Hop”, and here is the full interview.

ComingSoon.net: So, yes, this is going to be just like talking to a rabbit.
James Marsden: Exactly. Without the British accent.

CS: I can do a British accent if that’s throwing you off.
Marsden: Actually, I think I’ve had my fill of that. (Laughs)

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Jimmy and Lisa attended the premiere of Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s ‘HOP’ at CityWalk in Universal City on March 27, 2011. I’ve uploaded 106 HQ photos from this event to the gallery.

GALLERY LINK:
Public Appearances > 2011 Appearances >[2011.03.27]”Hop” Los Angeles Premiere (HQ)