London. British director Guy Ritchie and his wife, model Jacqui Ainsley, on the red carpet at the movie première of “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”, with a cameo appearance by a vintage Vespa scooter
Guy Ritchie’s latest film, “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”, has been a hit at the box office, in part thanks to a “retro” setting evoking the atmosphere of the 1960s, and was shot in part in Rome. No surprise then that the Vespa scooter, the co-star of dozens of movies and a two-wheeler that many celebrities have a soft spot for, should have a part in the film. In London, the director Guy Ritchie (former husband of Madonna), appeared on the red carpet for the launch of his latest oeuvre with his new wife, British model Jacqui Ainsley. Together, they posed on the vintage Vespa used in the movie. Jacqui jokingly took the wheel, emulating Audrey Hepburn on a Vespa 125 in the 1950s cult film “Roman Holiday” with Gregory Peck.
“The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” is a film version of the popular eponymous television series of the 1960s.
U.N.C.L.E. Official TrailerThe film’s stars are two emerging young actors, Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer, who dart through the streets of Rome on a Vespa scooter.
CELEBRITIES LOVE THE VESPA. As an undisputed style icon, the Vespa has won the heart of many celebrities, who use it in their daily lives off the set. Diane Kruger and her boyfriend Joshua Jackson can be seen riding around Los Angeles on the saddle of the world’s most famous scooter.
Diane Kruger and Joshua Jackson
Another Vespa rider is Gwyneth Paltrow, seen here taking daughter Apple to school.
Rider Nico Rosberg (who travels on a Vespa on holiday in Ibiza) declares his love for his 1969 vintage model.
The list of celebrity Vespa riders is endless: Uma Thurman, Michelle Pfeiffer and Zac Efron (seen in the movie “New Year’s Eve”), Nicole Kidman in “The Interpreter”, Naomi Watts riding round New York; not to mention Tom Hanks, Jude Law, Brad Pitt and dozens of others; then there are pop stars such as Beyoncé, Rihanna and Lady Gaga (who has used the Vespa on the stage in her concerts); well-known journalist David Lettermann is another fan of the Italian scooter. Here is a selection of VIPs on Vespas.
Rome was the setting chosen for “Zoolander 2” by the director Ben Stiller, who also stars in the movie, with Owen Wilson. The “eternal city” is the location of his spy story, the sequel to the box-office smash hit. The film, a send-up of the fashion industry, is the story of two super-models, Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) and Hansel (Owen Wilson). The sequel’s trailer has been seen by 18.5 million fans and the movie took more than 15.5 million dollars in the first 72 hours after its release in the USA.
Zoolander 2 - Trailer“Zoolander 2”, which had its world preview in Rome, came out in Italy on 11 February. It was written by Justin Theroux, and directed once again by Ben Stiller. The cast also includes Penelope Cruz. The movie was shot at the Baths of Caracalla, the Colosseum, the Forum, on the banks of the Tiber, in the Pantheon and at Cinecittà. In a teaser poster, the trio of Stiller, Wilson (a Vesparado in real life) and Cruz can be seen on a smart white Vespa Primavera. And here are Stiller and Cruz on a Vespa in a still from the set (posted on Derek Zoolander Instagram), and again during the shoot (although it’s a movie trick: Cruz doesn’t ride, the Vespa was pulled along by a vehicle with a movie camera on board).
February is Oscar season: the 88th Academy Award Ceremony will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on 28 February 2016. It's worth noting a film that, last year, took home no fewer than four golden Academy Awards: best costumes, best production design, best make-up, best sound track. It also won the Golden Globe for best film, five BAFTA awards; the Grand Jury Prize and the opening film slot at the 64th Berlin Film Festival. The multi-award winning movie is “Grand Budapest Hotel”, directed by Wes Anderson. It features a stellar cast with many of the movie industry's most famous faces and – surprise! – an irresistible pink Ape, used to deliver desserts; an important part of the story about Gustave H., the concierge of the Grand Budapest, a luxury hotel set in the mountains in eastern Europe, his friend Zero Moustafa, and the European nobility between the two wars, with their family fortunes, scandals and romantic adventures. The sweet pink Ape appears in a number of scenes of this glittering fresco, and is also immortalised in the movie's trailer. Take a look:
Grand Budapest Hotel - Trailer
