Today, the Weinstein Company has released a first theatrical trailer for “The Giver”. Lois Lowry’s classic story — one of the first modern dystopic tales written explicitly for a younger audience — takes place in a future where all of the unpleasant, messy aspects of life (war, pain, difference, feelings in general) have been wiped away. Have a look at the trailer in the video archive and captures in the image library. Are you excited? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Three more videos have been added to the video archive. There’s a behind-the-scenes look at Jimmy Kimmel’s Academy Awards Special, featuring interviews with Meryl, Tom Hanks, Christoph Waltz, Gary Oldman and many more. Then, there are two videos from the “August: Osage County” promotion in Paris, including the film’s premiere and the full press conference. Many thanks to Tena for the heads-up on the Kimmel clip. Enjoy watching.

Britain’s House of Commons will open its doors to a commercial film crew for the first time next month in a bid to raise cash, welcoming Meryl Streep for a movie about the suffragettes, officials said. Streep is appearing alongside Carey Mulligan and Helena Bonham Carter in the British film “Suffragette”, the fictional tale of one woman’s fight for the right to vote. Parliamentary authorities decided last year to try to boost their coffers by renting out parts of the Palace of Westminster when lawmakers are not sitting, although crews will not be allowed to film in the debating chamber. Alan Haselhurst, chairman of the Commons administration committee, said a film about the fight for women’s suffrage a century ago was a perfect way to start. “As a British film which clearly relates to parliament’s history and heritage, this is an ideal pilot for the House of Commons to identify the opportunities for location filming and income generation,” he said on Tuesday. Adrian Wootton, chief executive of the British Film Commission, commented: “Opening up such an iconic location as the House of Commons for filming is fantastic news.” Many thanks to Frank for the heads-up.

Many thanks to Beatrice for bringing this to my attention: During her visit in France to promote “August: Osage County”, Meryl Streep attended the French television show 20h Week-End to talk about the film and the Oscars. It’s a pretty bumpy interview, maybe because of its editing and the translation – and I still don’t understand the lenghty Maria Callas clip. But see for yourself. The full interview can be watched in the video archive. Captures have been added to the image library.

According to ScreenDaily, Meryl Streep is set to play iconic political activist Emmeline Pankhurst in Ruby Films drama “Suffragette”, which begins shooting in the UK on Monday (Feb 24). The Oscar-winning actress is in final negotiations to join the project, which will reunite the star with The Iron Lady writer Abi Morgan and financier Pathe. ScreenDaily understands that Streep will have a small but important role in the film, which will see her character give a “tour de force” speech on women’s rights during a political rally. Additional high profile casting has rounded on the project in recent weeks and will be announced in the coming days. Pathe, Film4 and the BFI are among backers on the drama, in which Carey Mulligan stars as Maude, a “foot soldier of the early feminist movement” who becomes radicalized and turns to violence as a route to change. Sarah Gavron (Brick Lane) directs “Suffragette”, producers are Ruby’s Faye Ward and Alison Owen. Executive producers are Pathe’s Cameron McCracken and Film4’s Tessa Ross and Katherine Butler, while Chris Collins is lead exec for the BFI Film Fund.

Yesterday, Meryl Streep and John Wells have attended the Paris premiere for “August: Osage County”. Meryl talked to Associated Press about the film and her recent Oscar nomination. “”I saw the play seven years ago. I remember it hit all of us like a freight train … I was entranced, it made me laugh and it shocked me”. Streep said actors were supposed to relish playing difficult characters but that the “reality is that where it begins, where it emanates from is a very unpleasant place.”

“She has cancer in her mouth. She chooses to smoke constantly in the face of that, she has chemotherapy … she’s a drug addict … it’s all a toxic mix, a nasty place to live.” But she added that it was also liberating “to play a person who says exactly what she thinks, never with a cover, never, never being nice, no thought of diplomacy. So that’s a wonderful free feeling”. Streep said she was thrilled at the Oscar nomination and that people were “still willing to look at my work and to look at it fresh”. “That is the most unbelievable thing, that they are not tired of me yet or of my work so I’m very happy about that. Very gratified,” she said.”

The Internet Movie Database has updated its list of release date for the upcoming “The Homesman”. The western-drama, directed by and starring Tommy Lee Jones and co-starring Hilary Swank, John Lithgow and Meryl Streep, will be first screened at the Cannes Film Festival on May 22, 2014. Since the festival’s schedule hasn’t been announced yet, it’s difficult to say if there will be a world-premiere with the cast and crew in attendance, or simply a private screening for distributors. The film will be shown at the Telluride and Toronto Film Festivals in August and September, before receiving a limited release in the USA on October 3, 2014. With these latest dates announced, all three of Meryl’s upcoming films – The Giver, The Homesman and Into the Woods – will be released theatrically between August and December 2014. Many thanks to Glenn and Frank for the heads-up.

Yesterday, Meryl Streep attended Jimmy Kimmel Live! to promote “August: Osage County”. As a change to the recent ones, this is a rather lenghty and informative interview. Besides “August” and living in a condo with her co-stars while filming, they talk about Paul McCartney’s “Queenie Eye” music video, Meryl’s visit to the Beatles concert in the 1960s.

The full interview can be watched in the video archive. HD screencaptures have been added to the gallery. In other news, Meryl has been announced among the presenters for Saturday’s Screen Actors Guild Awards, so we’ll see her on stage, winning or not. Also, expect more updates after tonight’s Critics Choice Awards. Edit: Many thanks to Claudia for sending in some fantastic pictures from the taping of the show.

The Wrap reports that Harvey Weinstein promised that an upcoming film starring Meryl Streep that will make the National Rifle Association “wish they weren’t alive” during an interview with Howard Stern earlier this week, and now it has a title. A Weinstein Co. spokeswoman told TheWrap on Thursday that the film will be called “The Senator’s Wife.” “I don’t think we need guns in this country,” Weinstein told Stern on Wednesday. “I think the NRA is a disaster area.” “I shouldn’t say this, but I’ll tell it to you, Howard,” Weinstein added. “I’m going to make a movie with Meryl Streep, and we’re going to take this head-on. And they’re going to wish they weren’t alive after I’m done with them.” Weinstein described the film as a “big movie like a ‘Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,’” which he hopes will make audiences think: “Gun stocks — I don’t want to be involved in that stuff. It’s going to be like crash and burn.” Thanks to everybody for the heads-up.

Congratulations to Meryl Streep for receiving her 18th Oscar nomination as Best Actress for “August: Osage County”. This is a great surprise since a nomination didn’t seem to be certain this year. Most “experts” saw four spots of the Best Actress category a lock and the fifth place up for grab between Meryl and Amy Adams. In the end, both Streep and Adams have received a nomination, alongside Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine), Sandra Bullock (Gravity) and Judi Dench (Philomena). Emma Thompson, who has tipped a favorite, has missed out a nomination. Julia Roberts has also received a Best Supporting Actress nomination for “August: Osage County”. The 86th Academy Awards will be handed out on March 2, 2014. Entertainment Tonight has released Meryl’s reaction to her 18th Oscar nomination:

I am so happy for our film that Julia and I have been nominated. We are both so proud of August: Osage County. This honor from the Academy, for which we are truly grateful, will help bring attention to our film from audiences across the country, which is thrilling.