Jennifer Aniston Watch

Aaron at Sundance 2008

As Traveling films, interest has grown among Jen watchers in her costar Aaron Eckhart, who in the upcoming flick plays a self-help guru. Indeed, this leading man is on a roll lately; not only is he costarring with Jen, but he has two other upcoming projects. He plays Harvey Dent in the upcoming Batman sequel The Dark Knight (set to open on July 18), and Towelheads, which recently premiered at Sundance and is set for release in select cities on August 15.

Any avid moviegoer would recognize Aaron’s diverse taste in film roles throughout his career, and it is clear that he has earned a reputation as a wonderfully versatile actor, with the ability to fully transform into each of his characters. He has appeared in films that span the genres, with equally deft performances in comedy and drama; recent successes have included Thank You For Smoking and No Reservations. He has a long-standing friendship with writer/director Neil LaBute, whom he met during his days as a film major at Brigham Young University. They have had several joint ventures, including In The Company Of Men, Your Friends & Neighbors, Possession, and Nurse Betty.

Aaron also shares a very prestigious distinction with Jen; both were among the 115 film industry insiders invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences in 2007! It is clear looking at their merits that both of them are talented actors and influential professionals in the industry. There is no doubt that fans have something wonderful to look forward to in their onscreen collaboration.

Aaron Eckhart, career, Traveling

Production on Traveling continues to roll on, as an abundance of photographic evidence proves. Jen looks gorgeous as always, even as she bundles up amid increasingly chilly temperatures. PopSugar has even more set pictures; not the first time she’s made me really want a trench coat!

News has also surfaced regarding additional cast members in the flick, via The Hollywood Reporter. Notably, John Carroll Lynch, whom Jen fans remember as Retail Rodeo manager Jack Field in The Good Girl will appear as a reluctant seminar guest. Dan Fogler and Martin Sheen are slated to play manager and father-in-law, respectively, to Aaron’s self-help guru, while Judy Greer plays an employee and confidante of Eloise. Joe Anderson of Across The Universe fame also appears - as Eloise’s musician boyfriend. The plot thickens . . .

In other news, Jen is slated to cohost the Night Before The Oscars party, as she has in years past. Details about the full list of cohosts can be found here, and I think that it’s safe to say that anything that can be said about that has already been said. So let’s focus on the important stuff - as always, the event benefits the Motion Picture & Television Fund, and it is entirely plausible that a good time will be had by all.

Speaking of a good time . . . here are a few other pics of Jen and Aaron on the set. As the temps drop (they’re positively frigid here in Chicago), just a little something to keep ya warm. Enjoy!

Jennifer Aniston, Aaron Eckhart, Traveling, Joe Anderson, Judy Greer, John Carroll Lynch, Martin Sheen, Dan Fogler, Night Before The Oscars party

Jen continues to film Traveling in Vancouver, and continues to look gorgeous all the while. As you can see in the above picture, her character is named Eloise! As more details continue to surface, I am getting even more excited about this movie. PopSugar has other pics of Jen and Aaron on the set; looks like they’re having fun together on the set, which can only mean good things for the costars’ chemistry. Jen looks particularly joyful lately, and it is wonderful to see.

It can be said that the true definition of a star is one who brings light into other people’s lives, and Jen’s new costar is not the only one who can attest to that. Someone whom Jen has known for far longer has recently revealed just how devoted Jen is to her friends.

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So by now, many celebrity watchers have heard photographer Rik Fedyck’s allegations that in his attempts to take pictures on the Traveling set, he had a run-in with security personnel whom he accuses of using racially-charged language in reference to his companion. Many gossips have also been quick to attach Jen to the occurrence, as it is assumed that the man in question was in her employ, and given her high level of name recognition, any newsworthy occurrence on the set is bound to be reported as an incident on the set of a “Jennifer Aniston movie,” thereby implicating her her by association.

First of all, I’d like to make it clear that even if this man was employed by Jen and not by others associated with the movie, this does not mean that Jen in any way condones such unacceptable behavior. In so many instances, employees show one face to their employers and another when the boss has his or her back turned. So the implication that Jen somehow approves or encourages this is entirely unfair, and makes a bad situation worse. Two wrongs do not make a right.

Secondly, TMZ is now reporting that it was not Jen’s personal security detail that was involved in the incident, but set security, as Jen and her personnel were not present on the set at the time. Furthermore, the report goes on to state that while Fedyck was involved in a confrontation with security at the time that he claims, no racial epithet was used. As this story continues to develop, I do hope that a measure of objectivity can be maintained; while what happened is unfortunate, it would be best for all involved (including media) to focus on the truth of it and not the fact that it just so happened to take place on the set of a Jennifer Aniston movie.

Jennifer Aniston, media bias, Traveling set, photographer, Rik Fedyck

This weekend has brought an assortment of Traveling-related activity; I of course refer both to travel itself and to Jen’s new film. First, Canadian gossip blog Is This Happening reported (most likely separate) sightings of Jen and Aaron Eckhart in Vancouver, where, as we have known for some time now, Traveling has been set to film. In other Canadian news, the blog reports that Jen’s Friends costar Matthew Perry was spotted in Ottawa; given that he spent some of his childhood there, could he have been visiting with family?

Anyway, back to Jen. The blog later got more specific, reporting that Jen was spotted enjoying the fine Italian cuisine at Cioppino’s in Vancouver’s Yaletown neighborhood. Much like she did during her location shoots for Management (Oregon), Derailed (Chicago and London), and The Break-Up (Chicago), she is already avidly sampling local cuisine and culture, setting the stage for an extended stay.

And they’re rolling! Pictures have begun to surface of Jen looking free-spirited and gorgeous in the role of the florist whom Aaron Eckhart’s protagonist meets in his travels as a self-help guru. So far, pics can be found at Just Jared (whose collection is particularly extensive), Flynet, and Faded Youth. The cast and crew were spotted filming at the Hyatt on Sunday - check out that van! From the sounds of it, this film will provide Jen with the opportunity to really tap into her intuitive nature and give a performance that is above all deeply human. I look forward to watching this production progress.

Jennifer Aniston, Aaron Eckhart, Vancouver, sightings, Traveling, Matthew Perry, Cioppino’s, Italian cuisine

As Vince has said, Jen has “Elvis dust”, and it is understandable that any fan would want a bit of the magic. However, very few would go to the lengths that one Oregon woman did. Recent reports indicate that things got a bit exciting on the set of Jen’s recently wrapped film Management. According to this report from KGET, one of Jen’s costumes went missing when a woman broke into Jen’s trailer, posing as a wardrobe assistant. The woman was caught when costar Woody Harrelson saw the woman dancing around in the wedding gown. Jen tended to the woman while others on set contacted local mental health professionals, and presumably, order was soon restored.

In other news, there has been a casting update for another upcoming Jen project; Alan Arkin has been cast in Marley & Me. Arkin, who was recently seen in Little Miss Sunshine, will play the editor of the newspaper where John (Owen Wilson) works. According to Variety, the project is set to begin filming in the spring, and it is already shaping up to be a very exciting prospect. Now the question remains - what lucky dog will play Marley?

Jennifer Aniston, Woody Harrelson, Management, Alan Arkin, Owen Wilson, Marley & Me, casting

One of Jen’s most exciting upcoming projects is Marley & Me, directed by David Frankel (The Devil Wears Prada) and costarring Owen Wilson as author John Grogan. Jen will play John’s wife Jenny, and based on my recent reading of the memoir (as well as pictures of Jenny in this gallery on Grogan’s site), I think that this is a great casting choice. Not only is there an undeniable physical resemblance, but Jen shares Jenny’s intelligence and warmth, qualities that are essential to the role.

At the start of the book, John and Jenny are newlyweds who decide that a dog would be great practice for children. It then follows the couple for over a decade as they acclimate to the challenges that their spirited new companion presents, as well as the emotional roller coaster of starting a family. True to life itself, this story has powerful highs and lows, and Jen is ideally suited to the task of conveying the wide array of emotions necessary to do it justice.

According to this article in the Hollywood Reporter, the film is already slated for a December 19 release, just in time for the ‘08 holiday season:

Also on deck for Dec. 19 is Fox’s comedy drama “Marley & Me,” directed by David Frankel (”The Devil Wears Prada”) and written by Scott Frank (”The Interpreter”). Starring are Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston.

“Marley” is the name of an adorable but neurotic Labrador puppy who teaches some important life lessons to the couple who adopt him.

Casting for the roles of the couple’s children is already underway, and it is thought that filming will begin in March, soon after Traveling wraps. Given that much of the book takes place in Florida and Pennsylvania, it also seems that some location filming is likely. This project is definitely one to look forward to!

Jennifer Aniston, Owen Wilson, Marley & Me, John Grogan, Jenny Grogan, upcoming films

“Past: done. Present: now. Future: none of our business.”

That may be true, but that hasn’t stopped an array of clairvoyants from making their predictions for the coming year. In recent days, many lists of celebrity predictions have surfaced. They vary in their takes on what 2008 holds for Jen, but one thing is for sure - the focus remains squarely on her love life.

Sylvia Browne, perhaps the most notorious of all the celebrity psychics, has said in her list that despite the “soul hurt” that Jen’s divorce caused, she will go on to marry a producer. Of course, her prediction last year was that Jen would marry a producer or director. Maybe she just needed a little bit more time . . .

Daily Mantra brings us a prediction that according to some gossips, has already begun to happen. Their prediction is that Jen will reunite with Vince, and that they will remain together for 6 months to a year.

Lifetime’s AstroTwins offer predictions on many fronts. They predict that a new love will surface after a period of deep introspection enables Jen to more openly trust others. They even tie in recent activity on the work front, saying that this relationship could go public around the release of He’s Just Not That Into You. They also say that an unplanned pregnancy is likely this year.

Finally, in her predictions for Entertainment Tonight, Teymara Antonio-Wright says that Jen’s “relationship year” will be 2009, and that in 2008 her focus will be on charity. More specifically, Antonio-Wright says that Jen will be involved in one of Oprah’s projects (The Big Give seems to fit the bill).

Of course, the most interesting predictions of all come from those who watch Jen closely. What do you think 2008 holds for her?

Jennifer Aniston, 2008 predictions