Scarlett Johansson

ScarJo is the cover girl of French Vogue!

After quite a while of not gracing magazine covers (her last one was for Bazzaar), Scarlett Johansson is the cover of the French Vogue for April. The Hollywood A-Lister is sporting her new auburn hair color.

Vogue proclaims that Scarlett is the anti-Marilyn Monroe, which is a shared sentiment by the actress herself (read a few articles back). Scarlett is wearing the Dolce & Gabbana make-up line for the cover of the mag, and for an interior photo shoot which was produced by Carine Roitfeld, the editor-in-chief.

Before the cover was actually shot, the staff and Carine were at a crossroads on whether to continue to use ScarJo for the cover, since they needed the cover girl to be readily recognizable. Because of the change in hair color, the He’s Just Not That Into You co-star may not be recognized immediately.

When the French Vogue EIC was interviwed by CNN last week, Carine revealed that conceptualizing this particular cover was difficult.

“This cover, it was very difficult,” Carine explains, “because we want people to recognize Scarlett and then she changed her hair color.”

CNN explains that: It doesn’t happen often — usually the cover is a fait accompli — but this time U.S. actress Scarlett Johansson has confused the issue by unexpectedly dying her hair.

The EIC and five members of her team were shown gathered at a glass table, actively discussing their choice for the cover of the April edition. There were three mock-ups on the table, each showing Scarlett’s sexy figure in different seductive poses.

“I think this is a Vogue image and I want to stick to being Vogue,” she says of her decision. “The cover is like the publicity for your magazine. It’s very important. We need the more appealing one, the more visible one.”

ScarJo and the D&G creators have already crossed paths in the first installment of this tell-all. Read on to find out more:

The next day, before we headed to the airport, we managed to stop by and see her. She invited us into a large apartment, full of the chaos of moving house. She explained really quickly why she had so many boxes and so much unpacked furniture, but we didn’t really understand…and so we didn’t ask her anything else on the subject!

Anyone who sees Scarlett can’t help fall in love with her. In her presence, she has the rare quality to spontaneously leave a lasting impression. Not only with me but also with Stefano, Woody Allen her fans - everyone. In fact writing this piece I actually tried to cast my mind back to re-live that first captivating moment but I’ll admit, I’m still left contemplating what exactly is her indescribable quality that makes the world fall in love with Scarlett Johansson.

Awwww…he sound smitten, doesn’t he? But hey, Scarlett does possess an insane amount of charisma (not to mention a hot figure and beautiful face) and that, I think, is one of the reasons why the world is so ready to love her.

Domenico Dolce (L) and Scarlett Johansson (R) attend the Extreme Beauty In Vogue party at the Palazzina della Ragione during Autumn/Winter 2009 on March 2, 2009 in Milan, Italy

We all know that Scarlett Johansson is an amazing girl and actress. She has accomplished much at such a young age, and thus, it doesn’t come as a surprise that other people get captivated by her too.

Domenico Dolce, the other half that comprises the D&G line, shares with Swide Magazine how he met our very own ScarJo. He also reveals details about her new house and why he thinks she has captivated the world. Read on…

There were lots of stars at New York’s Metropolitan Costume Gala that evening. I introduced myself to Scarlett along with Stefano (Gabbana) without even thinking; I remember we were curious at the small crowd gathered around her. She’d also spotted us amongst the guests, “How long will you stay in NY?” she politely asked me. It was immediately obvious she has two very different sides to her personality.

“We’re going back to Milan tomorrow” I replied. “I’d love to see you before then” Scarlett replied. I thought how incredible it would be to meet her away from the crowds and as a designer have the opportunity to take her measurements. We’d be able to send her our clothes designed and cut exactly to fit.

Read on for the second part of Domenico Dolce’s monologue on how he met ScarJo.

The casting of the anticipated sequel of the 2008 blockbuster, Iron Man, has been extremely foggy. But hopefully, director Jon Favreau can shed some light on this issue.

While at the Los Angeles premier of I Love You, Man, the man behind the monster hit revealed to Entertainment Tonight that, “Our main cast is all lined up, everybody’s deals are signed.” He had previously exposed that the rehearsals for Iron Man 2 have started already, and now Jon has confirmed that Mickey Rourke and our very own Scarlett Johansson have joined the cast.

“Scarlett is somebody I’ve been wanting to work with for a while. She’s a great actor,” he says when discussing the 24-year-old actress.

“We’ve been talking for a while and we haven’t announced anything yet but I’ll tell you she hadn’t screen tested or anything but I met with her and hopefully we’ll be getting everything settled so we can make some announcements this week,” he added.

When asked about Mickey’s part in the movie, the director/ actor said, “Well, I hear Mickey’s been in Russia doing research for a role. I can confirm that.”

Although he remained coy about which part the Sin City actor will be playing, he did gush, “We haven’t made any official announcements yet. But I will say there is a Russian villain in our film.”

Iron Man 2 has been set to hit U.S. theaters on May 7, 2010. Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow will reprise their roles as Tony Stark/Iron Man and Pepper Potts, while Don Cheadle will take on Colonel Rhodey in place of Terrence Howard.

The phrase “dumb blonde” have been a bane to all light-haired females everywhere. Being blonde meant that you had to work twice as hard and be twice as smart as everyone else, to be taken seriously. But blondes have a better idea…do a Scarlett Johansson and dye their blonde locks into darker shades.

Though being blonde is supposed to be a lot of fun, it sure doesn’t give them a promotion. A study in the United Kingdom has revealed that 62% of people think that brunettes look more professional at work

Although the Hollywood A-lister dyed her locks out of “boredom,” this move seemed to inspire blonde professionals into doing the same thing, albeit for a different reason. The survey commissioned by Superdrug, writes to the Daily Mail: “The current economic climate is obviously making women take more care with their appearance at work, even down to their hair colour.

“The study shows brunettes do seem to be taken more seriously in the work place which is causing a rise in fair headed women darkening their locks.

“It’s incredible how changing your hair colour can alter people’s perception of you as well as making you feel more confident too.”

Wow! The influence of celebrities is really quite impressive. Though I bet that ScarJo would still be taken seriously as an actress even if she remained blonde, I guess that it just doesn’t work as well for other women in other professions. I wonder if she will be given even more “serious” work now that she’s a brunette? Oh well, we’ll just have to wait and see.

Okay people, so let’s move our attention from the gorgeous Scarlett, to her equally gorgoeus (and hot) husband, Ryan Reynolds!

As most of you know, Ryan is playing Deadpool in the new Wolverine movie, starring opposite Hugh Jackman. And as is expected from action hero flicks, there’s bound to be many action sequences, where the good guy goes against the bad guy. Ryan mentions about a sword sequence in the movie, which is less than a minute on screen, but “took months and months and months to prepare for.”

“When you think about it like that, it’s vaguely depressing,” he reveals. “But when you actually do it, it’s worth it when you see on the screen that’s me and it’s not a stunt person, and I’m doing the whole thing.”

As I have written a few articles back, Ryan’s Deadpool was set to be only a cameo role, but the movie people decided to give him more airtime to explore the character more, and was called back to do reshoots.

ScarJo’s hubby first read the Deadpool comic series in the ‘90s and admits that the character “is something that I’ve been sort of mentioned about for a long, long time.”

“The character in the comic book, Deadpool, even mentioned me playing him [laughing]. So … I think it was in some weird way, I was a little bit destined. But I love that character. I love that franchise. I love that whole vibe,” he added, clearly enthused with his role.

When asked about the main lead, Hugh, Ryan gamely answered, “Hugh Jackman is the nicest guy on earth. He makes murder look like ice cream. It’s incredible.”

Erm, the nicest guy on earth makes murder look like ice cream? Sheesh, I’d really hate to think what the villains make murder look like.

“I’ve had a couple of people approach me about meetings for a Deadpool movie, but I just think it’s absurd to even think that way until this movie comes out,” Ryan says, about the rumors ongoing about doing a separate Deadpool movie.

“I don’t even look at it like I play Deadpool. I really think I’m more or less playing Wade Wilson, obviously, and then I’m playing the creature that will eventually become Deadpool. But in this movie, it’s sort of his newly formed version, so to speak.”

Scarlett Johansson is once again on the cyber-warpath.

The 24-year-old actress, is one of the many companies and celebrities, who have filed “cybersquatting” cases in 2008. The diverse personas, ranging from an Arsenal football club, to Dennis Rodman, to Mardid’s 2016 Olympics bid, down to eBay, Nestle, even Google, have filed to stop the others from profiting from their illustrious and famous names, brands, and events.

The United Nation’s World Intellectual Property Organization, or WIPO, has revealed that it has received 2,329 cases of cybersquatting, in 2008.

But just what is cybersquatting?

WIPO Deputy Director General Francis Gurry had this to say: “Cybersquatting remains a serious issue for trademark holders.”

Cybersquatting is basically when a party acquires a domain name with keywords which are owned by another party. The aim is to lure unsuspecting web users to their websites when they are trying to reach the official ones.

Cybersquatters are people who buy famous-sounding web domains in hope of benefiting from related publicity said reports on Monday.

Oh! So is this the case when ScarJo closed down a website, which bore her name, but offered lascivious acts and prizes, in her name, but without her knowledge?

I think that this is such a pity, and just proves to show that there are people out there who are willing to use other people’s names, just to coerce, deceive, and fool innocent netizens. I say that this is a worthy fight, so go Scarlett! For the sake of all the innocent net surfers out there, I say, GO!

Finally, we see a bit of confirmation for the Iron Man sequel, in relation to Scarlett.

Contactmusic.com has reported that the 24-year old actress has signed up the deal to join the cast of the 2010 sequel of the monstrous summer hit, Iron Man. She will be joining Samuel L. Jackson for the sequel of the said project. Scarlett’s representative has confirmed that the actress has signed up last Thursday, March 12. Mickey Rourke, who is set to play another villain, Whiplash, signed on a day earlier, Wednesday.

The He’s Just Not That Into You co-star will be playing the Black Widow, Marvel Comics’ villainous super spy, the antagonist to the lives of Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, and Don Cheadle, the show’s protagonists.

“Scarlett is thrilled to be a part of Iron Man,” E! Online quoted ScarJo’s representative, Marcel Pariseau, as saying.

Her name is one of the noisiest, in the rumor mills, as the actress set to replace Emily Blunt, for the role of the Russian spy. Emily, who was the first actress to be offered the role, has declined the movie due to scheduling conflicts with her other film, Twentieth Century Fox’s Gulliver’s Travels. Scarlett has been rumored to be talking with the Iron Man 2 camp, since early last month, and it has only been closed last week.

To refresh your memories, ScarJo’s character, Natasha Romanavo, a.k.a. Black Widow, is a lethal, redhead Russian spy assassin, ordered to steal an anti-gravity device which can wreak havoc into the world if wrongly used.

The sequel is scheduled for a May 2010 release.

Scarlett Johansson attends the Dolce & Gabbana show during Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Autumn/Winter 2009 on March 2, 2009 in Milan, Italy.

Kate Winslet’s The Reader, has given the actress her long overdue Oscar, and this movie (and a couple of earlier ones) has set the tone for Holocaust-themed films in Hollywood.

Now, another Holocaust-themed story is eyed for a movie adaptation. Irena’s Vow, dubbed as The Diary of Anne Frank, but with a happy ending, is set to be the next play to be adapted into a movie. And who are they eying to do the lead role? None other than award-winning actress, Scarlett Johansson.

Right now, Irena’s Vow is set to fire up Broadway on March 29, 2009, starring Broadway veteran, Tovah Feldshuh.

According to The Envelope, the Awards Insider of the Los Angeles Times, “Irena’s Vow is based upon the real-life experiences of Irena Gut Opdyke, a Polish Catholic who saved 12 Jews from extermination by hiding them in the basement of a Nazi officer’s villa. The Broadway production at the Walter Kerr could finally earn theater veteran Tovah Feldshuh her first Tony Award after four losses.”

Although Miss Feldshuh has also appeared in films, she wasn’t offered to do the screen version of the role, as playwright Dan Gordon (who will be writing and directing the film) is radically retooling the title role character – instead of being an older woman looking back on her younger years during the wartime, the director plans to set the film entirely during the World War II.

The Envelope shares that: “Rumor has it that Gordon and producers may be discussing the role with Scarlett Johansson, in part because she shares such a striking resemblance to the real-life Irena. If cast, Johannson would be strong awards bait. She’s received four Golden Globe nominations (”Girl With the Pearl Earring,” “Lost in Translation,” “Love Song for Bobby Long,” “Match Point”) and, as every Oscarologist knows, is overdue for academy notice.”

Scarlett Johansson attends the Extreme Beauty In Vogue party at the Palazzina della Ragione during Autumn/Winter 2009 on March 2, 2009 in Milan, Italy

Scarlett Johansson has joined still another worthy cause!

The 24-year-old, who has been noted as joining various good causes over the years, has been recruited to help fast track the approval of immunotherapies to help save cancer patients.

Paul Sanderson, an Australian director, has enlisted the help of some of Hollywood’s famous A-List, such as Penelope Cruz, Mickey Rourke, Naomi Watts, and ScarJo, to help in the campaign to approve immunotherapy. The director lost his wife, actress and costume designer, Briggs, last year. She was only 39 years old.

“I believe Briggs would still be alive today if the immunotherapies we were seeking for her were available to us,” said the Sydney-born Paul, who is a New York-based director and playwright.

He said that he had previously contacted a major pharmaceutical company seeking “compassionate access” to a promising immunotherapy bogged down in clinical trials since 2001 and yet to be approved for public use.

But sadly, his request was refused. So the dogged husband decided to go online and produced a video and an online petition in the hopes of speeding up the testing and approval of the cancer treatment.

The online petition has attracted 4,160 signatures, including many of Hollywood’s biggest stars. The first celebrity to join the cause was actor Jimmy Smits, a longtime friend of Briggs. Other celebrities who signed the petition include Elle Macpherson, Katherine Heigl, Susan Sarandon, Rob Lowe, Denise Richards, Josh Lucas, Debra Messing, Emily Blunt and singer Steve Tyrell, who also lost his wife to colorectal cancer.

So you’ve read about the first two movies in Scarlett’s DVD movie collection, Girl With a Pearl Earring and A Good Woman. Both were filmed when ScarJo was not yet even 20, but both films showcased her abilities as an actress, who had the potential to truly shine. And for her age at those times, she showed an empathy to her roles which other, older actresses, lack.

And so we come to the last in the collection, 2001’s An American Rhapsody, filmed and shown when our dear girl was just 17 years old. She plays Suzanne, a Hungarian girl, whose parents left her behind when she was still an infant, albeit forcedly, when they came to the USA because of the oppressive communism, which had plagued their country.

Suzanne, who was raised by a kindly couple, grew up with a certain degree of contempt for her parents. But 6 years later, her parents, Peter and Margit, played by Tony Goldywn and Nastassja Kinski, arrange for the Red Cross to bring her to her new home in Los Angeles, where they were waiting. But Suzanne, who was faced with a new environment, and a sudden change in home and country, becomes a troubled girl, who was more than a little rebellious and insecure of herself in front of the strange people she was no forced to live with.

When she turned 15, Suzanne decides to discover her roots, and travels back to Budapest, Hungary, to find her true identity and to do some soul searching, which not only mends and heals her, but also her family, who struggle to love the rebellious teen.

Okay people, I’ve mentioned that a “Scarlett Johansson” DVD movie collection has been compiled. This is a mark that the 24-year old actress has a lot to contribute to the movie industry, and this is a sort of homage to her achievements.

I’ve already introduced you to the first movie, Girl With a Pearl Earring, which got her a ticket for a Best Actress nomination to the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs.

Anyways, this is the second movie in her DVD collection, A Good Woman, which was shown five years ago, in 2004, a year after her stint as Grieta, the servant girl. In this 2004 movie, she plays Meg Windermere, a newly married woman in 20th century Italy.

ScarJo as Meg, plays the dutiful wife to husband Robert, played by Mark Umbers. The couple’s life is peaceful and happy, until a worldly, notorious, seductress, named Mrs. Erlynne, played by Helen hunt, sets her sights on Mr. Windermere, and is doggedly determined to steal him away from his wife.

But she did not count on Meg’s steely reserve to make their relationship work, and to take her husband away from temptation. Meg’s elegant ways and poised manner disguise a courage and strength that will ultimately win against the temptations of the older and more experienced woman. But she herself, is also pursued, by a rich playboy who fancies himself in-love with the young wife. And so the confusing emotions of love, lust, and ambition drive the characters of the movie and take you to questioning the importance of love itself.

Scarlett Johansson has joined the ranks of the other great artists who have a “collection.” I mean, a DVD collection, a compilation of their artistic endeavors – i.e. movies.

What makes this certain collection unique, is the actress starring in the movies – ScarJo herself. Why? Because it is considered rare to have an actress as young as her – she’s 24 by the way – “collected” in a set, to stand as a witness to her achievements. Compared to the young Katherine Hepburn, ScarJo has the inherent capability to depict a wide variety of characters, and the much more difficult job of making the audience believe what they are seeing.

Alright, so basically, the collection is composed of three dramatic period Scarlett classics: The Girl With a Pearl Earring (2003), A Good Woman (2004), and An American Rhapsody (2001).

So let’s take a look at the first movie in the Scarlett collection, shall we?

In the The Girl With a Pearl Earring, ScarJo who was still 19 years old then, plays Griet, a seventeen year-old peasant girl, who lives as a maid servant in a painter’s house. Her father, was an artisan, and she had inherited her love and appreciation of his artist’s spirit. The painter, Johannes Vermeer, played by Colin Firth, notices her intelligence and understanding of the arts, and later, the two form a spiritual bond, which transcended into a painting.

This film was adapted from a book by Tracy Chevalier, which recounts a story about the happening surrounding the creation of the painting “Girl With a Pearl Earring”, by the 17th century Dutch painter, Johannes Vermeer.

For her performance in this film, she got two Best Actress nominations: at the Golden Globes, and the BAFTAS.

Meet the new action star: Scarlett Johansson! She is all set to become an Amazon gladiatrix for her new movie, The Amazon Warrior, which is set in the year 200 B.C. She indulges in an interview with the Daily Telegraph about her newly dark hair, her legs, and her gladiatrix role.

On her deviation from blonde bombshell: “For a long time I’ve had really white-blonde hair. I’m naturally blonde – my dad’s Danish – and I was playing up to it. I wanted to act out all those famous blonde icons – Lauren Bacall, Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe… Ever since I started on the red carpet, my idea of glamour was the Golden Age of Hollywood. I like to be feminine. Give the people what they want. The hair, the make-up, the gown, the diamonds. That, to me, is glamour.”

“ [My hair is] more a dark red. I was bored one day. It was raining. I was with a hairdresser friend and just decided to color my hair. We experimented with a few shades until we got the right one. I like it.”

On her fashion inspiration and her legs: “I guess Rita Hayworth or Ava Gardner. Most probably Rita Hayworth. Oh, those legs of hers. My legs? They’re not bad. They get me places.”

On her role in ‘The Amazon Warrior‘: “I think I’m supposed to be a gladiatrix. These film guys are crazy about gladiatrixes. But do I fit into the Amazon mold? I’m a Danish/Jewish girl from New York. I’ve done weapons-training. I’ve fired all kinds of guns: 9mm semi-automatics, machine-guns, shotguns. I’ve jumped off a 60ft building. I learned to ride for ‘The Horse Whisperer.’ But I’ve never done a full-on action role.”

“I guess I’m still waiting for my Cirque du Soleil moment. It would be fun.”

Reclining provocatively in white underwear on satin sheets; platinum hair bouffant; a crimson talon toying suggestively with parted devil-red lips, she is a reincarnation of Marilyn Monroe, on the latest D&G ads.

Johansson, in the guise of Monroe, is the “face” of the first-ever make-up collection by Dolce & Gabbana, which was launched this week at Milan Fashion Week. However, this may be the last time that we see Scarlett Johansson as the “blonde bombshell.” It seems that after getting hitched to hubby, Ryan Reynolds, the award-winning actress is not too keen on being the object of many men’s affections.

Here, she talks to Daily Telegraph about her Monroe experience, on her fashion sense, and her style off the red carpet:

On being the Marilyn Monroe incarnate: “It was the boys’ idea,” she says, referring to Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. Marilyn Monroe is the ideal Dolce & Gabbana woman, the iconic blonde. It was fun to create.

On red lipstick: I’m kind of buxom. I love red lipstick and I love a good lip. I was working with Pat McGrath, the British make-up artist, and she was so funny. Everyone kept saying, ‘Get Pat off the set. Scarlett’s smiling too much.

On her off-red-carpet style: I love the androgynous look. I love trousersuits, those ones from Yves Saint Laurent, the three-piece, jacket and trousers with a waistcoat. I also wear a lot of Rag & Bone. I look on style.com, see the shows. I pull vintage pieces, I shop for myself. I’d love to see a Dior couture show. I’ve never been to one.