Source:Variety, The Hollywood Reporter

April 10, 2008

Variety says an eclectic group of actors and directors are fanning out across New York's five boroughs to shoot New York, I Love You, an anthology of 12 short films.

Orlando Bloom, Olivia Thirlby (Juno), Hayden Christensen and Ethan Hawke are among those who have boarded the omnibus film, a mixture of contemplative romance and unabashed civic boosterism. The anthology of shorts follows the format of Paris, je t'aime.

Scarlett Johansson, like fellow actor Natalie Portman, is making her directing debut on the project. Portman also stars in a separate short.

Directors include Mira Nair, Brett Ratner and Allen Hughes, plus international helmers such as Fatih Akin, Andrey Zvyagintsev and Wen Jiang.

Other confirmed actors include Carlos Acosta, Kevin Bacon, Justin Bartha, Rachel Bilson, James Caan, Bradley Cooper, Chris Cooper, Drea de Matteo, Irrfan Khan, Cloris Leachman, Blake Lively, Emilie Ohana, Maggie Q, Shu Qi, Eli Wallach, Saul Williams, Robin Wright Penn, Anton Yelchin and Ugur Yucel.

The Hollywood Reporter also says Shia LaBeouf, Julie Christie and John Hurt are starring in the late Anthony Minghella-scripted segment of New York, I Love You. Shekhar Kapur is directing the segment.

The next city to get the anthology treatment, under what is being called the "Cities of Love" franchise, is Shanghai, followed by a location in South America and then Africa.