Scoop - 2006

Film Synopsis
The toothy, blonde Sondra Pransky (Scarlett Johansson) visits a girlfriend in London in the hopes of scoring an exclusive interview with a celebrity for her college newspaper back in America. At a magic show, of all places, she finds herself volunteering to be rendered invisible by a hokey magician (Woody Allen).

Alone in the magic box, a ghost seizes the opportunity to appear before her and give her the name of London's infamous Tarot Card Killer, a serial killer currently dodging the local police.

What follows is comic farce as Pransky and her newfound magician friend follow the trail in the hopes that she can get her first big scoop.

Main Cast

• Ian McShane ... Joe Strombel
• Scarlett Johansson ... Sondra Pransky
• Romola Garai ... Vivian
• Woody Allen ... Sid Waterman
• Hugh Jackman ... Peter Lyman
• John Light ... Poker Player
• Julian Glover ... Lord Lyman
• Anthony Head ... Detective

4 out of 5 stars

Hot off the heels from his successful film Match Point a year earlier, Allen returns to lighthearted comedy. Filming once again in London and casting Scarlett Johansson as the female lead, Allen continues his "London trilogy" of movies. For Scoop, Allen invokes his penchant for comic murder mysteries, which he first began years ago with Dianne Keaton in Mathattan Murder Mystery.

Johansson plays an American college student who stumbles upon the scoop of a lifetime when a ghost informs her the identity of London's latest serial killer, who also happens to be one of England's most dashing, well known businessman bachelors (Hugh Jackman). Allen appears in the film himself playing a corny magician, who enables Johansson throughout the lighthearted film to stay on track and not fall in love with the dashing killer.

The film's soundtrack is an excellent compilation of Tchaikovsky ballet music, as well as Khachaturyan's Sabre Dance, and more.

Scoop Film Trivia & Awards

Budget: $4m (USA)