Franchise Thoughts

Superbowl 2012 Trailer Recap #1: Battleship

2012-02-06T21:28:00.007-05:00

What a travesty. It happened four years ago, and last night it happened again. Another Superbowl and no preview for Batman. Seriously, what have we come to America? While the Dark Knight was a no show, a whole bunch of other movies got TV spots during the big game. And now, we will dissect them, piece by stinking piece, to get a look at what we’ll be in for this summer at the movies. Let’s start with everyone’s favorite board game (no, not Candyland, even though that is happening…starring Adam Sandler…stock up on cyanide pills now, people.)

Battleship

Youtube link

“Hey, you know what would make a good movie? BATTLESHIP!” said no one ever. Why are people making movies out of boardgames? I can't imagine anyone playing a 19 hour game of Risk and thinking they would want to sit in the theater and watch this. Boardgames suck. That's what video games are for. Alas, the guy who made Hancock thought it would be a great idea to give Battleship a try. So, how does it look so far? Let's have a look.

We start off in trafficon the highway. Not a good sign when an action movie that’s supposed to take you out of your life for a few hours starts you off with the thing you hate most. But all for not. A savior arrives in the form of a giant, flying, robot testicle! Ready to kill all other commuters, and maybe even you, but shit, beats heading to work.

Since Michael Bay is taking a break this summer, one movie needs to fill his trademarked bombastic-up-close-too-hard-to-tell-whats-going-on-action-mixed-with-retarded-sex-jokes-that-somehow-pass-as-comedy July spot. Looks like Battleship will be the chosen one.

Wait! Oh fuck, is that Liam Neeson!? That’s it, aliens, game over. Don’t even fucking bother at this point. The Neese is going to punch every single one of you in the goddamn face. Maybe when he does he‘ll emulate Will Smith’s patented quip from Independence Day, “Welcome to Earf!” On second thought, The Neese is Irish. He’d be more, “Welcome to the planet Earth, you shit kicking, bigeyed fooks. Now go on and get the fook back where ya come from, ya slimy coonts.”

Oh and speaking of which, I always remembered playing Battleship and always wanting to be the aliens. Of course if you’re the aliens, what you do then is just pick up the board and toss it out the window.

Oh shit, the building’s falling! Rihanna! Get me an umberella-ella-ella-ella. Hahaha. Seriously, her face looks better though.

More robot-ball action! This time, the vas deferens (or, as I like to call it, sperm highway) comes out and cuts a helicopter the fuck in half! Helicopters never fare well in theses movies. They’re like the fruit stands of military action films.

CLICK, CLICK, BOOM! Now that’s what I’m talking about! Blow shit up. For America! With the always great military strategy of “FIRE EVERYTHING!” Fire the guns, the missles, the cannons, my agent. Fire ’em all!

So that’s Battleship, and how does it look? Well, pretty cool, in a pretty stupid kind of way. If anything were getting some sweet special effects. But, I have to say, it’s pretty sad when your main enemy force was stolen directly from what has to be the greatest scene in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

Why Bane's Voice is Nothing to Worry About

2012-01-07T22:30:00.009-05:00

So by now you I'm sure you've all seen the trailer for The Dark Knight Rises. The top reactions so far have been, “Oh my God, that was fucking awesome,” and, “Umm…what the hell was Bane saying?” It seems a lot of people can't seem to comprehend the new villain, almost certainly because of the mask he wears. Now this has been a big discussion over the last month, and apparently Warner Bros. is worried about having such negative press so early in the marketing. Quite understandably, the studio thought the reaction to their big tent pole this year was going to be overwhelmingly positive with no negative critiques. And why wouldn't they? It's a Christopher Nolan Batman film. These things are almost as guaranteed a moneymaker as a Natalie Portman-Mila Kunis sex scene.

But is it really time to hit the panic button? The movie is still 7 1/2 months away and quite honestly, all of this commotion is about the seven minute IMAX prologue that is being shown with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. I will admit that even I a hard time understanding him and so did the people I went with. But in the trailer I could understand him just fine and I even like the sound of the voice. It's thankfully not the “Darth Vader sound” a lot of people thought it would be. It seems Bane's militia or cult (or whatever the end up being) are scrappy terrorists with low financing and seem to get their equipment from people they kill, so it is appropriate that his mask seems almost makeshift rather than high-tech. It also seems that, from the sound of his voice, that he is in a lot of pain, but has found a way to cope with it, making him even more terrifying. Being in constant physical pain can do one hell of a number on a guy's psyche. Just ask Two-Face.

As we know, Chris Nolan is a man who stands by his vision and due to his track record of critically applauded movies and bringing in enough coin for Warner Bros. to swim in, he has the clout to make his own decisions and stick with them. Recent reports state that he will not call in Tom Hardy to dub over Bane's voice, he will simply tinker with the audio, which he says is all that needs to be done. Then again, this is the guy who thought Batman sounded good imitating Cookie Monster. After all the parodies of Christian Bale's voice, I will be surprised if even that is the same. But could you imagine Bane and Batman having a conversation with their original voices? It would be as understandable as Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger singing a duet of the Grease song, “Summer Lovin” while they gargled mouthwash. On a roller coaster. During a parade.

A lot of fans think that this is Nolan's intention, that Bane is supposed to be misunderstood. They claim that Nolan is not a director to simply hold the audience's hand and act as a tour guide through the film. He wants them to pay attention and discover things for themselves. That was appropriate for Inception, but in this case, that doesn't really make sense. During the prologue, he has a conversation with a CIA agent, and that guy seems to understand him clearly. If he was all "um, excuse big guy? You wanna run that by me again? " I would say, yeah we're not supposed to know what he's saying, but the fact then when Bane does his impression of a roided up Kenny from South Park and the CIA guy responds with, "Oh really, and how are you going to do that?" probably means the audience is supposed to pick up the dialogue. In Inception, it was the ideas, the themes, and the plot that the audience had to keep up with, as it should have been. This is all about hearing what the hell the main antagonist is even saying, and not in a "that old guy from the end of The Matrix 2 who uses really big words" kind of way. More of a "Natalie Portman screaming stuff with her face buried in a pillow while she's masturbating" kind of way.

But while Inception was aimed at crowds that paid attention to every little detail, this is a simple superhero summer movie. Yes, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight especially transcend above all other Hollywood blockbusters with rich storytelling, compelling characters, and dramatic themes, but at the end of the day, it is still a movie about a guy who dresses up like a bat and fights crime. A lot more of the typical, Joe-public moviegoers are going to be flocking to this than a film about people trying to break into your head while you’re sleeping, so if you want their money, business-wise it would be a good idea get the guy some intelligible vocals. Hell, if we're not supposed to understand what he's saying, then why even have him talk at all? He should just do sign language and make gestures.

Most likely the IMAX prologue was put together very fast and the audio had yet to be mixed. It's obvious that Nolan was excited to show off the footage and thought people would be excited just to see the visuals, and that they would just figure for themselves that the audio would be finished at a later date. I believe the trailer definitely has a more finished version of Bane’s voice since it was more widely shown and even available on the Internet where, according to a recent reports, every single person and their mother watched it twice on Apple.com. And that's not even counting YouTube hits. The prologue was only available at real IMAX theaters, not that fake bullshit they have at AMC theaters where it's just a bigger screen and a same sized auditorium. Not a lot of those around the country. I do have to say that I hope we see a new TV spot at the Super Bowl where Bane is easier to understand so that this whole hoopla ends. The chances of a commercial are high considering that it is without doubt the most anticipated film of the year and there is a pro football sequence in the film anyway, which would make total sense to have it be played during the big game. Though I must admit, the sequence looks completely fake. Hines Ward is not that fast.

But until then, we can only hope that come July 20th, we won't need to bring a script of the movie with us to understand one of the main characters. The fact that there are already numerous videos on the Internet poking fun at this shows that this issue is not just being talked about on fan message boards, but is being discussed in the mainstream media. So while Warner Bros. for some reason pisses their pants in fear that no one will go see this movie (honestly, I think people are camping out for tickets now) because of something that can be so easily fixed, let's take a look at some parodies that have already hit the web.

While the interwebs is having fun with this, (they are funny) I have no fear that when the movie hits no one will be thinking about all of this because it will be fixed, and all everyone will be talking about is how much cash this thing is raking in, how bad ass Bane actually is, and how this movie is the most amazing thing in the goddamn world. Like a Natalie Portman-Mila Kunis sex scene.

What Could Have Been: Batman - Part 2

2011-03-14T22:34:00.012-04:00

Our journey of The Dark Knight's unfilmed cinematic journey continues with a film I'm sure, if made, people would watch stoned to the bejeezus belt for decades and would have quoted for years. Get ready, because at one point, we almost had...

Batman (Starring Bill Murray)

Before the idea of making Batman all dark and Gothic like the recent comics of the time, Warner Brothers originally had the idea of making the upcoming film more like the campy Adam West TV show of the 60’s. It was set to be more of a blockbuster comedy than a serious action film. As we all know, Batman can be pretty damn funny at times.

So who was supposed to play the Dark Knight of comedy? None other than Bill Murray of course, who I’m sure turned down the offer to return as Carl Spackler the greenskeeper and Kentucky bluegrass dealer in Caddyshack 2 for the role of Bruce Wayne. Even though he didn’t end up in the role, the whole thing must have been an act of Heaven to keep him out of that God forsaken shit fuck of a movie (The same unfortunately couldn’t be said for Chevy Chase.) His part in Caddyshack 2 went to his pal Dan Aykroyd, who is either giving an Oscar worthy and career-defining role as a mentally handicapped gopher hunter with a heart of gold or is trying to copy Murray’s performance from the original in the most horribly painful and humiliating way possible. I’m going with the latter.

But what of Batman’s trusty short-short wearing sidekick Robin? The part was meant to go to Eddie Murphy who am I sure would have been fuckin’ hysterical in the role. I know this because it was 80’s Beverly Hills Cop-Trading Places-Delirious-Coming To America-48 Hours Eddie, not Norbit-Meet Dave-Haunted Mansion-Pluto Nash Eddie who constructs giant heads of himself as advertisements for his movies.

The plan was then to hand the project to Tim Burton for directing duties, figuring he made Pee Wee’s Big Adventure and Beetlejuice, he’d be all for a zany, colorful comedy. Turns out Burton was much more into taking Batman into a darker, more serious route. So, the plan changed and the Murray-Murphy dynamic duo was ditched and Burton brought Batman back to the dark and gothic roots of the comic and away from the 60’s campiness of the Adam West television show. For the role of villain and comic book psychopath The Joker, he cast Oscar winner and possibly real-life psychopath Jack Nicholson and in a move that was rallied against by legions of fans (and this was before the internet), he cast Mr. Mom himself Michael Keaton as the Dark Knight. Of course, this turned out to be one of the greatest casting decisions of all time. Even Christian Bale himself admits the Keaton is the best Batman. According to Star magazine, he was dining at a restaurant when he looked over and saw Keaton and promptly sent a bottle of wine over to him with a note stating that Bale thought Michael was still the best caped crusader.

While I am glad the idea was canned and Batman was restored to his darker self, you can’t help but be a little pissed it didn’t happen. A Batman comedy with those two would have been great. Like, I said Batman can be so funny sometimes I feel like I’m just gonna piss my pants.

Stay tuned, cause we aint done yet folks!

What Could Have Been: Batman - Part 1

2011-03-07T22:10:00.015-05:00

Do you often ever wonder “What could have been?” What if movies which were canceled were made? What effects would it have had on today's world of cinema? Well, this new series will explore the potential what-ifs that didn’t happen and focus on what they were about and why they didn’t end up on screen.

Since Batman seems to be the cat’s (or is it bat’s?) ass right now, we’ll take a look at his history of cinema that never was. There were many different films starring the Caped Crusader that didn’t end up in theaters, or anywhere else for that matter. Now, glad as we can be that these films never saw the light of day, since we might not have Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises as a result, it’ll be fun to look back and wonder if these unmade movies were potential masterpieces or unproduced giant pieces of guano. Now let's start with what has to be the flat out weirdest and most ball-shatteringly awesomest.

Batman vs. Godzilla

After an epic war that ended in a draw with King Kong, Godzilla sought another foe from the United States. Around 1966, King Kong vs. Godzilla was an international success and Japanese producers wanted the monster king and number one cause of Tokyo’s recession (seriously, how much money do you think they spend each year to clean up his mess?) to do battle with another famous icon known all throughout the world to guarantee another box office smash. But who? Who could honestly stack up against The King of the Monsters? This needs to be epic. And knowing the Japanese, they would probably pick someone weird. Screwy Japanese. Us Americans would only pick the most honorable opponent for Godzilla.

That foe of course, was the God-damned Batman. They figured The Dark Knight has an entire arsenal of gadgets and vehicles to use at his disposal, so he would do great against a giant fire-breathing dinosaur (because jets and tanks work SO well against him.) If you ask me, that just seems too simple for a Japanese film in the 60‘s. They probably really had the idea of Batman using some kind of Bat-Giant Growing Ray on himself so he can battle Godzilla hand to hand.

Other prominent Batman characters were to be featured including Robin, Batgirl, and Commissioner Gordon in a story involving a weather controlling device that somehow could control Godzilla, insinuating that a villain was behind it all. I’m guessing The Joker but sounds more like a Lex Luthor plan to me. Honestly, with all the dumb schemes that guy hatches, he is the Cosmo Kramer of super villains.

Of course, the project never got past the scripting stage and the whole thing was just canceled, presumably because DC Comics heard the idea, punched themselves in the dick six times to make sure they weren’t dreaming, and told the Japanese to promptly screw by saying, “That shit is just goofy. If you want goofy shit, go to Marvel!”

While Batman is my favorite superhero and Godzilla was an absolute staple of my childhood, they really don't need to be together. I like vanilla ice cream and ranch dressing but I sure as hell ain't mixing them in the same bowl. So now, we’re left wondering what could have been. What would happen if Godzilla had fought Batman? We may never know for sure, but these pictures may help give an idea for the fight itself and for potentially awesome tattoos…

Alas this is but one unmade film in Batman's motion picture journey. Stay tuned...

Super Bowl Movie Trailer Wrap Up

2011-02-08T22:12:00.007-05:00

Check out the spots for all the movies shown at the Superbowl this past Sunday.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

YouTube Link

Captain America: The First Avenger

YouTube Link

Thor

YouTube Link

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

YouTube Link

Super 8

YouTube Link

Cowboys and Aliens

YouTube Link

Fast Five

YouTube Link

Battle: Los Angeles

YouTube Link

Kung Fu Panda 2

YouTube Link

Just Go With It

YouTube Link

Rio

YouTube Link

Rango

YouTube Link

Priest

YouTube Link

Take Me Home Tonight

YouTube Link

Drive Angry

YouTube Link

Limitless

YouTube Link

The Adjustment Bureau

YouTube Link

Movie News 10/31/10

2010-10-31T13:01:00.006-04:00

Third Batman to be Titled The Dark Knight Rises, Villain Won’t be The Riddler

Source: Hero Complex

In an interview with Hero Complex, Christopher Nolan revealed that the title for his third Batman movie will be The Dark Knight Rises. He added that the villain "won't be the Riddler."

"We'll use many of the same characters as we have all along, and we'll be introducing some new ones," Nolan said cryptically. He also said that the studio has agreed with him not to shoot the film in 3D, but that he'll be experimenting with the scope of IMAX in unprecedented ways.

”We’re looking to do something technologically that’s never been done before," Nolan explained.

The filmmaker also reiterated that The Dark Knight Rises will close out his trilogy.

"Our ambition for the third movie is to complete a story that has begun," he said, "This is not starting over. This not rebooting. We’re finishing something and keeping a consistency with what’s come before has real value.”

The Dark Knight Rises is scheduled for a July 20, 2012 release.

James Cameron to Next Make Avatar 2 and 3

Source: 20th Century Fox, Comingsoon.net

Fox Filmed Entertainment Chairmen Jim Gianopulos and Tom Rothman announced today that Academy Award-winning filmmaker James Cameron has agreed to make Avatar 2 and 3 as his next films.

Cameron, who had always viewed "Avatar" as the creation of a new world and mythology, will begin work on the scripts early next year with an eye towards commencing production later in 2011. Cameron will decide if he will shoot the films back-to-back after he completes the scripts, but the release of the first, as yet untitled sequel, is targeted for December 2014, with the third film contemplated for a December 2015 release.

Avatar 2 and 3 will be produced by Cameron and Jon Landau for Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment.

Commented Cameron: "It is a rare and remarkable opportunity when a filmmaker gets to build a fantasy world, and watch it grow, with the resources and partnership of a global media company. 'Avatar' was conceived as an epic work of fantasy – a world that audiences could visit, across all media platforms, and this moment marks the launch of the next phase of that world. With two new films on the drawing boards, my company and I are embarking on an epic journey with our partners at Twentieth Century Fox. Our goal is to meet and exceed the global audience's expectations for the richness of 'Avatar's' visual world and the power of the storytelling. In the second and third films, which will be self contained stories that also fulfill a greater story arc, we will not back off the throttle of 'Avatar's' visual and emotional horsepower, and will continue to explore its themes and characters, which touched the hearts of audiences in all cultures around the world. I'm looking forward to returning to Pandora, a world where our imaginations can run wild."

Transformers 3 Title Revealed

Source: Amazon

According to Amazon, Michael Bay’s 3D Transformers 3 will be officially be called Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

No official plot has been released yet. The movie will deal with the space race between USSR and USA, and will feature Shockwave as the main villain.

The film stars Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Julie White, Kevin Dunn, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Alan Tudyk, and John Malkovich.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon hits theaters on July 1st, 2011.

Chris Evans as Captain America on the Cover of EW

Source: Entertainment Weekly

Entertainment Weekly is featuring Chris Evans as Captain America on the cover of its new issue and talked to the star and director Joe Johnston about the July 22 release as well. Here's some quotes followed by the cover...

"At the time, I remember telling a buddy of mine, 'If the movie bombs, I'm f—-ed. If the movie hits, I'm f—-ed!'" After declining the part three times, Evans took a meeting with Marvel execs and Johnston and was dazzled by their plans for the movie. He still felt wary about suiting up for Captain America — but then he had an epiphany. "I was just scared," he says. "I realized my whole decision making process was fear based, and you never want to make a decision out of fear.'" Evans signed a six-picture deal with Marvel to play the character, and he has no regrets: "I can't believe was almost too chicken to play Captain America."

"The interesting thing about this character is that he's an everyman who in the course of a few minutes become a perfect human specimen. That has to create some interesting personal issues," says Johnston. "I saw it as an opportunity to make a superhero movie that felt real, that didn't have to rely on an overabundance of fantasy elements."

Title for Next Mission: Impossible Revealed

Source: AFP

After filming in Prague, the production for the new "Mission: Impossible" movie is moving on to Dubai. Director Brad Bird, executive producer Jeffrey Chernov, producer Bryan Burke, Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner and Paul Patton held a press conference there on Thursday revealing where they'll shoot and that the title for the film will be Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol.

WB Takes Looney Tunes Spinoff Pitch

Source: Heat Vision

Warner Bros. has purchased a pitch for a film to be set inside the warehouse of Looney Tunes' ACME corporation, reports Heat Vision.

The film, pitched by Kevin and Dan Hageman (who, most recently, were attached to write Warner's LEGO film), will focus on the behind-the-scenes working of the imaginary company, famous for its elaborate trap products that Wile E. Coyote repeatedly makes use of to limited success.

Liam Neeson Replacing Mel Gibson in The Hangover 2

Source: Variety

Liam Neeson is replacing Mel Gibson in the cameo role as a tattoo artist in The Hangover 2.

"I just got a call to do a one day shoot on 'Hangover 2' as a tattooist in Thailand, and that's all I know about it," Neeson told Variety. "I just laughed my leg off when I saw 'The Hangover,' I was shooting in Berlin earlier this year and rented it on the hotel TV."

Director Todd Phillips said in a statement on Thursday that they were no longer going with Gibson following protests from the cast and crew.

"I thought Mel would have been great in the movie and I had the full backing of Jeff Robinov and his team," said Phillips, "But I realize filmmaking is a collaborative effort, and this decision ultimately did not have the full support of my entire cast and crew."

Neeson was asked by his The A-Team co-star Bradley Cooper to take on the role. He flew out to the set Thursday from his home in New York.

Tony Scott Explains Plans for Top Gun 2

Source: HitFix

With Tony Scott now confirmed to be moving forward on a a sequel to his 1986 Top Gun, HitFix had a chance to talk with the director about the project, still in the earliest planning stages.

Scott explained that his plan for the follow-up is to chart the development of the Air Force fighter pilot into the present day, inspired partially by a young Air Force pilot he met on a flight who runs drone simulations. In contrast to Tom Cruise's character in the first film, the sequel will explore the evolution of the remote-control pilot.

Still unconfirmed is whether or not Cruise will return to his star-making role of Maverick as well as when, exactly, the sequel will move forward. As it stands, the script for the film appears to still be in the research phase (with Christopher McQuarrie approached to write the first draft) and Scott made clear that it would not be his very next production.

Steven Spielberg to Direct Robopocalypse

Source: DreamWorks Studios

Steven Spielberg is set to direct Robopocalypse, it was announced today by Mark Sourian and Holly Bario, Co-Presidents of Production for DreamWorks Studios. Based on the novel of the same name by Daniel H. Wilson, Spielberg will begin principal photography on the futuristic tale in January 2012. Disney's Touchstone will distribute the film in 2013.

Exploring the fate of the human race following a robot uprising, Robopocalypse has been adapted for the screen by Drew Goddard.

DreamWorks acquired the rights to Wilson's unpublished manuscript back in November 2009. Publishing rights were acquired by Doubleday and they plan to release the book in June 2011.

"'Robopocalypse' embodies an imaginative story of a robot rebellion unleashed against the human race," said Mark Sourian. "This is a project we immediately sparked to and with Steven directing it we knew it was in the best possible hands to bring it to worldwide audiences."

Before he starts on Robopocalypse, Spielberg will be finishing up The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn and War Horse. The former will be released on December 23, 2011 followed by the latter just five days later.

Expendables 2 Wish List

2010-08-21T01:16:00.011-04:00

Now that Stallone’s The Expendables has become the number one movie in America with a 35 million dollar opening weekend, there is only one thing that can happen: a sequel. It seems like everyone and their mother was in the film, but there were some notable exceptions who didn’t participate in the carnage and destruction. These MIA soldiers, plus 2 who were in the film, but barely, and a lack of female nudity, must be called upon to unleash what will be the greatest action film of all time: Expendables 2: Expendebler. My wish list for The Expendables sequel includes:

New Recruits:

Jean Claude Van Damme

Steven Seagal

Jackie Chan

The Rock

Wesley Snipes

Kurt Russell

Gerard Butler

Carl Weathers

Sean Connery

Ron Perlman

Clive Owen

Vin Diesel

Liam Neeson

Russell Crowe

Antonio Banderas

Christian Bale

Danny Trejo

Samuel L. Jackson

Harrison Ford

Clint Eastwood

Bruce Campbell

Chuck Norris

Boba Fett

Snake Eyes

Mr. Eko

Robocop

Soundwave

2. More Willis

3. More Schwarzenegger (and have him say “I’ll be back” damnit)

4. Gratuitous strip club scene.

5. Christopher Walken as the villain (who else can honestly top Eric Roberts?)

So there you have it. The ingredients for the ultimate action film. My only fear is that after this movie is released, Hollywood will just completely shut down when it goes into complete panic about how to top it in Expendables 3. Just the very thought of how to top it....will...be..aaaagggghahhhAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!

Movie News 7/25/10

2010-07-25T23:06:00.003-04:00

Mark Ruffalo is the New Bruce Banner in The Avengers, Plus Jeremy Renner is Hawkeye

Source: AP

Comic book fans no longer have to imagine what it might be like to see all their favorite superheroes in one place.

They got the chance Saturday at Comic-Con, when the cast of the forthcoming "Avengers" film took the stage. Samuel L. Jackson surprised some 6,000 fans gathered for a Marvel Studios presentation when he stepped out just as it was ending and started introducing the cast of "The Avengers."

Jackson brought out stars Clark Gregg, Scarlett Johannson, Chris Hemsworth of "Thor" and Chris Evans of "Captain America."

He then introduced another surprise guest, Robert Downey Jr., who brought out the rest of the all-star cast, including Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye and Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner.

"The Avengers" is based on the comic book series of the same name, which brings various Marvel superheroes together. The film is due in 2012.

Hangover 2 Confirmed for Thailand

Source: ComingSoon.net

The Hangover sequel is headed to Thailand, a source has just confirmed to ComingSoon.net. Production will move there this fall with a script that sees the characters from the 2009 hit comedy traveling to Asia.

Originally rumored by Latino Review last fall, a Thailand-set sequel was debunked by director Todd Phillips in an interview with Collider earlier this year.

"I don't know," Phillips stated in response to the claim, "There's a lot of rumors. There was rumor also that it was going to Mexico or something and neither are true."

Comingsoon can now confirm that Phillips' comments seem to be a case of misdirection on his part and that Thailand will, indeed, be the primary setting for the sequel, reuniting Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha and Zach Galifianakis as a group of friends who find themselves getting into even more outrageous trouble.

Tim Burton Confirmed For Monsterpocalypse

Source: Slashfilm

As rumored, Tim Burton will direct an adaptation of the board game Monsterpocalypse, reports Producer Roy Lee to Slashfilm.

The film is currently being drafted by Burton regular John August, working alongside the creator of the game, Matt Wilson. The monsters, meanwhile, are being developed by Visual Effects Supervisor Ken Ralston. Skyscraper sized, the giant monsters are left behind after an attack on Earth and humanity builds giant robots for which to combat them.

The article also notes that the film will most likely be developed for 3D and that it could fast tracked to hit theaters before the end of 2012. Read the full transcript of the interview at Slashfilm.

Marvel Planning Yet Another Punisher Reboot

Source: Cinema Blend

Hollywood has tried and failed to make a decent movie out of Marvel’s Punisher comics three times now. You’d think they’d be ready to cry uncle, but today at Marvel’s Comic Con panel, company head Kevin Feige revealed that they’re doing it again.

Feige says that the character is under the welcoming roof of Marvel Studios now and they want to take their own shot at it. Specifically he said he’s hoping for a “Frank Castle” movie shortly, using the real name for Punisher’s vigilante character. Does that suggest they’ll do something more focused on the personal life of Castle? Something more rooted in reality without all the weird black outfits and crazed lust for vengeance? Marvel, it seems, thinks fourth time is the charm. Here comes The Punisher, yet again.

Kate Beckinsale Returning to Underworld?

Source: IGN

Underworld 4 has been rumored since Underworld: Rise of the Lycans opened in early 2009. There's been speculation of the fourth chapter, a straight-up sequel taking place after the second film, arriving in 3D and featuring Kate Beckinsale back in Selene's skin.

Today, series co-creator Len Wiseman told IGN that the fourth film is "all being written and talked about and hopefully all comes together. So we're seeing how things happen. But we're all keeping our fingers crossed."

He added the plan right now is to bring Beckinsale back. "We're both waiting to see what kind of story comes together. It's just getting the script to a certain place where we're both happy with it."

Underworld 4 is currently scheduled for a September 23, 2011 release.

Guillermo del Toro to direct new Haunted Mansion

Source: AP

Guillermo del Toro will direct a new movie remake of Disney's "Haunted Mansion." The Oscar winner made the announcement Thursday at Comic-Con, San Diego's annual pop culture convention. Del Toro said his film will be a scary 3-D, live-action take on what he called "the most precious real estate on Earth."

"We're making it into an e-ticket ride," del Toro said. "It will be scary and fun at the same time."

The new movie will be true to the "spirit, art and aesthetic" of the original Disneyland Haunted Mansion, where del Toro has made an annual pilgrimage since he was 3. He said he goes on the ride to clear his head and has a Haunted Mansion-themed room at his house.

The film reboot will reintroduce the character of the Hatbox Ghost, whom del Toro described as critical to the Mansion's mythology. The director said his movie won't be a comedy and won't star Eddie Murphy , who appeared in a previous cinematic take on the popular ride. "This, to me, is a dream come true," del Toro said, "and I hope to steal as many props as possible.

Brad Pitt to Star in World War Z

Source: MTV

MTV received a surprise announcement when interviewing World War Z author Max Brooks at the San Diego Comic-Con today. Brooks confirmed that the Marc Forster-directed adaptation of his novel is moving forward at Paramount Pictures with Brad Pitt attached to star in the lead role.

Brooks also revealed that Paramount has optioned the movie rights to "The Zombie Survival Guide" and "The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks" graphic novel.

Pitt's production company Plan B first secured the rights to World War Z back in 2007.

Brooks says that the studio is targeting a Summer 2012 release for the film, about a worldwide infestation of flesh-eating zombies. Brooks -- the son of Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft -- wrote a detailed tale in which a researcher for the U.N. Postwar Commission interviews survivors from countries all over the world, 10 years after the crisis, to gather a first-person post-mortem on a war that obliterated every country on the map.

Movie News 6/26/10

2010-06-26T13:37:00.005-04:00

The Trailer for The Green Hornet

Source: Comingsoon.net

Hollywood was host to a very special reception Monday evening as guests gathered at Mann's Chinese 6 for the first ever look at The Green Hornet trailer that just debuted online and you can watch below. The Green Hornet opens in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D theaters on January 14, 2011.

Youtube Link

The First Trailer for Little Fockers

Source: Universal Pictures

Universal Pictures has debuted the first trailer for Little Fockers, the third installment in the comedy series starring Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Blythe Danner, Jessica Alba, Laura Dern, Harvey Keitel, Teri Polo and Barbra Streisand. Opening in theaters on December 22, the film is directed by Paul Weitz. You can watch the trailer below.

The studio describes the sequel as follows:

The test of wills between Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro) and Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) escalates to new heights of comedy in the third installment of the blockbuster series -- "Little Fockers." Laura Dern, Jessica Alba and Harvey Keitel join the returning all-star cast for a new chapter of the worldwide hit franchise.

It has taken 10 years, two little Fockers with wife Pam (Polo) and countless hurdles for Greg to finally get "in" with his tightly wound father-in-law, Jack. After the cash-strapped dad takes a job moonlighting for a drug company, however, Jack's suspicions about his favorite male nurse come roaring back.

When Greg and Pam's entire clan -- including Pam's lovelorn ex, Kevin (Owen Wilson) -- descends for the twins' birthday party, Greg must prove to the skeptical Jack that he's fully capable as the man of the house. But with all the misunderstandings, spying and covert missions, will Greg pass Jack's final test and become the family's next patriarch... or will the circle of trust be broken for good?

Youtube Link

New Bad Ass International Trailer for Predators

Source: IGN

20th Century Fox has released this restricted new international trailer for Predators, coming to theaters on July 9th. Directed by Nimrod Antal, the anticipated film stars Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Alice Braga, Walton Goggins, Laurence Fishburne, Danny Trejo, Oleg Taktarov, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali and Louiz Ozawa.

Youtube Link

Peter Jackson in Negotiations to Direct The Hobbit Films

Source: Deadline, Heat Vision

On May 30th, director Guillermo del Toro made the surprising announcement that he would no longer be directing The Hobbit and its follow-up. At the time, "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy director Peter Jackson said:

Guillermo is co-writing the Hobbit screenplays with Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh and myself, and happily our writing partnership will continue for several more months, until the scripts are fine tuned and polished. New Line and Warner Bros will sit down with us this week, to ensure a smooth and uneventful transition, as we secure a new director for the Hobbit. We do not anticipate any delay or disruption to ongoing pre-production work.

Our guess is that meeting went rather well, as Jackson is now reportedly taking over the director's chair for both films, in addition to executive producing and co-writing! His deal is being negotiated right now with New Line/Warner Bros. and MGM. Jackson will have to extricate himself from other project obligations to move forward with this.

Warner Bros./New Line tells ComingSoon.net that nothing is confirmed yet.

NPH Confirmed for A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas

Source: Entertainment Weekly

Entertainment Weekly has confirmed that Neil Patrick Harris will be back for next year's A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas, which is currently filming in Michigan.

He'll be joining John Cho and Kal Penn, as well as the new cast member Patton Oswalt in the comedy directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson and written by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg.

Wild Thing Returning for New Major League?

Source: Moviehole

David S. Ward, writer/director of Major League, tells Moviehole: "We're actually talking about doing one right now. I've written, what I see, as 'Major League 3.' We're putting that together as we speak - in fact, next week I'm off to talk to James Robinson at Morgan Creek about it.

"It's 20 years later, and Wild Thing comes out of retirement to work with this 19-year-old player," Ward added. "We've actually got three new characters in the new film. And if the new film is popular, they could carry the franchise on."

Though Ward hopes to get Tom Berenger, Corbin Bernsen and even, Wesley Snipes back for Major League 3, he's so far only spoken to Charlie Sheen about it.

"He's excited to do it if and when it happens," said Ward. "But he can't shoot it this year, because he's back doing 'Two and a Half Men,' but we could potentially shoot it next year - in his hiatus from the show."

Karate Kid Sequel On the Way

Source: Deadline

After The Karate Kid's opening weekend gross of $56 million blew past its $40 million budget, a sequel to the Jaden Smith-Jackie Chan-starrer seemed inevitable. Sure enough, agency sources tell me that Sony's Columbia Pictures execs are meeting with writers to pitch their ideas on where to take the second installment.

DreamWorks Animation Plans Good Luck Trolls Film

Source: DreamWorks Animation

DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. announced today that it has reached an agreement with Dam Things from Denmark to debut the wildly popular Good Luck Troll on the big screen, introducing a new generation to one of the world's most beloved toy lines.

Brother-sister writing team Adam Wilson and Melanie Wilson LaBracio will pen the screenplay and Dannie Festa of Festa Entertainment, who brought the package to DreamWorks Animation, will executive produce the feature film.

The Troll doll phenomenon was born in 1959 when Danish fisherman and woodcutter Thomas Dam, too poor to afford a Christmas present for his young daughter Lajla, carved a doll for her based on the legendary Scandinavian troll. This modern-day Geppetto couldn't have imagined that the Troll dolls would soon become one of the biggest toy crazes of the 1960s. The Trolls experienced a resurgence in the 1990s and their uniquely endearing faces and shocks of colorful hair continue to capture the hearts and imaginations of fans around the world.

Movie News 6/13/10

2010-06-12T16:15:00.013-04:00

Captain America and Thor Concept Art Surfaces

Source: Aint it Cool News, Collider.com

Concept art of Chris Evans as Captain America and artwork of Chris Hemsworth in the full Thor costume has come online at Aint it Cool News and Collider, which you can see above. Both films hit next summer.

New Transformers 3 Details

Source: USA Today

USA Today visited the set of Transformers 3 and got new details on the third film, opening in theaters on July 1, 2011. The newspaper confirmed it will be released in 3D.

Talking about the second film, director Michael Bay said, "I'll take some of the criticism" while standing at a set built to resemble a dilapidated nuclear reactor. "It was very hard to put (the sequel) together that quickly after the writers' strike (of 2007-08)."

Bay said that "This one really builds to a final crescendo. It's not three multiple endings... As a trilogy, it really ends. It could be rebooted again, but I think it has a really killer ending."

"One thing we're getting rid of is what I call the dorky comedy," Bay added. So the twins, "They're basically gone," he said, though John Turturro returns for comic relief.

The newspaper says the new villain will be Shockwave, "the robot cyclops-turned-laser-cannon, who became dictator of their home world of Cybertron after the other Autobots and Decepticons journeyed to Earth."

According to USA Today, "The new film features Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf) taking his first tenuous steps into adulthood while remaining a reluctant human ally of Optimus Prime." "Shia has this great line: 'You know, I've saved the world twice, but I can't get a job,'" producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura said.

Transformers 3 centers around the space race between the U.S.S.R. and the USA, suggesting there was a hidden Transformers role in it all that remains one of the planet's most dangerous secrets.

"The movie is more of a mystery," Bay said. "It ties in what we know as history growing up as kids with what really happened."

Batman 3 To Begin Shooting March '11

Source: Hero Complex

A quick Batman update, according to Geoff Boucher over at the HERO COMPLEX BLOG, BATMAN 3 will begin filming in March of 2011.

Indiana Jones 5 Going Back To It’s Roots

Source: Stuff.co.nz

Harrison Ford's final outing as Indiana Jones will be "emotional and exciting" as the franchise heads back to its roots after a badly received fourth installment.

Ford is well-known for his portrayal of the archaeologist and adventurer, and has agreed to reprise the role one last time.

Indiana Jones 5 will begin shooting next year, and much of the plot line will be centered around the Bermuda Triangle, an area over the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of aircraft are said to have disappeared.

"George Lucas and Steven Spielberg have been working on a script and it's almost there," a source explained. "Harrison is on stand-by for filming next year. This looks like being an emotional and exciting conclusion to the franchise, with Indy facing his biggest challenge yet."

The last film in the franchise, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, was released in 2008 and performed well at the box office, but was savaged by critics. Shia LaBeouf played Indiana's son Mutt Williams, and he will also appear in the new installment. Movie bosses have assured fans the film will stay true to the series' roots, and won't contain lots of state-of-the-art special effects.

"Shia LaBeouf has a central role again as Indy's son but this will be a blockbuster made in the old fashioned way rather than the CGI efforts of the last movie," the source added.

Guillermo del Toro Takes On Van Helsing?

Source: Pajiba

Pajiba is reporting that Universal is working on a new Van Helsing movie that has no connections to the widely panned Stephen Sommers film of the same name. The new movie is being developed at del Toro's production house and will be based on a forthcoming treatment written by Guillermo del Toro himself. It is being described as an “action horror story.” Since this is just in the treatment stage it will be some time, if ever, that we see this get off the ground.

Frank Miller's 300 Prequel ‘Xerxes’ Revealed

Source: Dark Horse Comics, LA Times

Dark Horse comics has just revealed the first art from Frank Miller's upcoming miniseries Xerxes, a prequel to his 1998 graphic novel that was turned into the 2007 feature film 300 by Zack Snyder.

Frank Miller spoke today with the Los Angeles Times regarding the comic book project, revealing a number of specific plot details.

"The time frame begins 10 years before 300," said Miller, "and the story starts with the Battle of Marathon, which was killer to draw, by the way, even if it was a lot of work. The lead character is Themistocles, who became warlord of Greece and built their navy. The story is very different than 300 in that it involves Xerxes' search for godhood. The existence of gods are presupposed in this story and the idea is that he's well on his way to godhood by the end of the story."

Describing Themistocles as "the complete opposite of Leonidas," Miller does promise that the 300 character will make a cameo. While that doesn't guarantee Gerard Butler cameoing in the eventual film version, it does make it likely, as does an appearance by Andrew Tiernan as Ephialtes, the deformed Spartan traitor who Miller promises also places a role in the new story.

"There's an extended scene set in Persepolis," adds Miller, "for instance, where he takes power and there are several scenes where he is going through his transitions and he's shown speaking to his mother and his wife... The new tale climaxes with a massive naval confrontation that is so dense that it is fought like a land war and it ends on the same day as the events of 300."

Paramount and MTV Films Announce Les Grossman Movie

Source: Paramount Pictures

You saw him Tropic Thunder and on last Sunday's MTV Movie Awards, and now Paramount is going to make movie about Tom Cruise's Les Grossman! The official announcement:

Paramount Pictures and MTV Films announced today that they are set to develop a movie around mega-producer Les Grossman. The announcement comes on the heels of Grossman’s groundbreaking and visionary production of the soon-to-be Emmy® award-winning 2010 MTV Movie Awards Sunday night. Tom Cruise, along with Ben Stiller and Stuart Cornfeld of Red Hour Films will produce and have secured the life rights to Grossman.

Grossman, best known as a mega producer, has most recently mentored talents such as Rob Pattinson and Taylor Lautner. In 2008, Grossman was introduced to the masses by Stiller in the comedy “Tropic Thunder” where the famed producer had a cameo playing himself.

Is Kim Kardashian the New Lara Croft?

Source: Worst Previews

Kim Kardashian is up for the lead role in the next Tomb Raider film.

According to the goss-watchers at Global Grind, the 29-year-old reality star has allegedly begun negotiations to play Lara Croft in the new 3D movie. Kim would be replacing Oscar winner Angelina Jolie, who played Croft in the first two films in the blockbuster franchise. Jolie doppleganger Megan Fox has also been considered for the role.

“This will be something very different to Angelina’s Lara,” a Hollywood insider blabs. “Kim is wanted to play a far more comic-strip version of Lara which would be shot in 3-D and aimed at a teen audience.”

Writers Join The Flash and Green Lantern 2

Source: Heat Vision

Greg Berlanti, Michael Green and Marc Guggenheim have been hired to draft treatments for Green Lantern 2 and The Flash, reports Heat Vision.

The writers (the same team responsible for the upcoming first Green Lantern film) will write treatments for both comic book adaptations and, depending on how events progress, will be responsible for the full screenplay to one of them.

The first Green Lantern film is set for release on June 17, 2011.

Clash of the Titans Sequel May Start Filming Next January

Source: Los Angeles Times, Heat Vision

According to the Los Angeles Times, Warner Bros. and production house Legendary Pictures are in talks to start shooting the sequel to Louis Letterier's remake of Clash of the Titans as early as next January with director Jonathan Liebesman (Darkness Falls, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, and the upcoming Battle: Los Angeles) as one of the frontrunners to take over the directing chores.

Clash of the Titans has grossed $486.8 million worldwide since opening a little over two months ago with roughly a third of that being in the United States, and like with Guy Ritchie's sequel to Sherlock Holmes, the studio is hoping to strike while the iron is hot, as well as to attain the services of returning star Sam Worthington before he's drawn back in to start filming James Cameron's Avatar Sequel later next year.

The "Clash" sequel will be filmed in 3D rather than converted after-the-fact, but so far, there's been no word whether any of the rest of the surviving cast (or any of the Greek Gods played by Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes et al) will be returning for the sequel.

Heat Vision adds that the studio has hired Dan Mazeau and Greg Berlanti to work together on the screenplay.

The studio is targeting a spring 2012 release.

Possible Titles for the Fantastic Four Reboot and Next Die Hard

Source: Ain't It Cool News

In September of 2009, it was revealed that 20th Century Fox has started developing a reboot of the "Fantastic Four" movie franchise. Akiva Goldsman was hired to produce and Michael Green (upcoming Green Lantern) would write the script.

Now comes word from Ain't It Cool News that the title for the reboot may be Fantastic Four Reborn. A quick look at the WHOIS database of registered domain names reveals that 20th Century Fox has indeed registered FantasticFourReborn.com (it doesn't go anywhere yet).

Last month, we also learned that Skip Woods (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The A-Team) was in talks to write the script for the next "Die Hard" movie. AICN says Fox is looking at naming the fifth installment in the franchise Die Hard 24/7. Looking at the WHOIS database shows that the studio has registered DieHard247.com.

Studios often register multiple domain names for each property to make sure they get what they want, but this is certainly an indicator that these are titles they are considering.

Sam Raimi on Oz, the Great and Powerful?

Source: Vulture

Disney may have offered Sam Raimi the job as director of Oz, the Great and Powerful, according to Vulture.

The project, a prequel to the classic Wizard of Oz story, would focus on the character of the Wizard himself and his humble beginnings in Omaha, leading to the balloon accident that leaves him stranded in Oz.

Many directors have been rumored in conjunction with the film, including Sam Mendes, Adam Shankman and Guillermo del Toro but, if Vulture's story is correct, it is now up to Raimi whether he takes the project or not.

Movie News 5/31/10

2010-05-31T20:26:00.006-04:00

Megan Fox Not Returning for Transformers 3

Source: Variety

Earlier this month, Megan Fox was spotted doing previz shots for Transformers 3, but now Variety is reporting that she will not appear as Mikaela in the third installment after all.

Paramount Pictures reportedly decided not to pick up her option as the studio and director Michael Bay want to take the story line in another direction and plan to cast another actress as the love interest for Sam Witwicky, played by Shia LaBeouf. The trade says the decision "was unrelated to a September interview with a British magazine in which Fox compared Bay with Adolf Hitler."

The third installment is scheduled to hit theaters on July 1, 2011.

Guillermo del Toro Drops Out of The Hobbit

Source: TheOneRing.net, Deadline

It looks like the long and turbulent history of trying to bring J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit to the screen has hit another bump in the road as director Guillermo del Toro, who has been working on the script and preproduction for the planned two films with Executive Producer Peter Jackson for close two years, today announced that he was dropping out as director. This was done as a statement to TheOneRing.net which follows:

"In light of ongoing delays in the setting of a start date for filming "The Hobbit," I am faced with the hardest decision of my life. After nearly two years of living, breathing and designing a world as rich as Tolkien's Middle Earth, I must, with great regret, take leave from helming these wonderful pictures. I remain grateful to Peter, Fran and Philippa Boyens, New Line and Warner Brothers and to all my crew in New Zealand. I've been privileged to work in one of the greatest countries on earth with some of the best people ever in our craft and my life will be forever changed. The blessings have been plenty, but the mounting pressures of conflicting schedules have overwhelmed the time slot originally allocated for the project. Both as a co-writer and as a director, I wish the production nothing but the very best of luck and I will be first in line to see the finished product. I remain an ally to it and its makers, present and future, and fully support a smooth transition to a new director."

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Comes to Platinum Dunes

Source: Deadline New York

Michael Bay and the rest of Platinum Dunes will oversee the launch of a new live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film, according to Deadline New York.

The film marks the first non-horror remake for Platinum Dunes, who will team with Paramount and Nickelodeon to re-adapt the property.

The franchise, which began as a black and white comic book series in 1984, rose to tremendous popularity when it became an animated series in 1987. Following the first live-action film in 1990, the series spawned two live-action sequels, a live-action television series, a second animated series and a CGI feature film.

James McAvoy Cast as Charles Xavier

Source: 20th Century Fox

Twentieth Century Fox has closed a deal with James McAvoy (Wanted, The Last King of Scotland) to star as Charles Xavier in X-Men: First Class, to be directed by Matthew Vaughn.

X-Men: First Class begins production this summer for a June 3, 2011 release. Bryan Singer, who conceived the story for "First Class" and directed the original X-Men and its sequel X2, is producing along with Lauren Shuler Donner and Simon Kinberg.

Additional casting is underway and will be announced shortly.

X-Men: First Class, following the classic Marvel mythology, charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga. Before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Before they were archenemies, they were closest of friends, working together, with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known. In the process, a rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto's Brotherhood and Professor X's X-Men.

Mass Effect is Coming to the Big Screen

Source: ComingSoon.net

Legendary Pictures has just announced that it plans to develop Electronic Arts and Bioware's popular video game series Mass Effect into a feature film:

Electronic Arts Inc. today announced that Legendary Pictures, whose successful co-productions include The Dark Knight, 300, Clash of the Titans, The Hangover and Watchmen, has acquired theatrical feature film rights to the hit videogame franchise, Mass Effect. The project will also fall under Legendary's co-production and co-financing agreement with Warner Bros., who will distribute the film worldwide. The producers are in discussions with Mark Protosevich (I Am Legend, Thor) to draft a screenplay based on the epic science fiction game series. Legendary’s Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni will produce the film with Avi and Ari Arad. BioWare co-founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk will serve as executive producers, as will Mass Effect executive producer Casey Hudson.

BioWare’s epic science fiction series takes place in the year 2183 and follows Commander Shepard of the SS Normandy who leads a team on a mission to defeat an ancient alien race that invades the galaxy every 50,000 years, wiping out all organic life. The most recent game in the series, Mass Effect 2, was released in January of 2010, and earned rave reviews from critics worldwide.

Director on Board for Hitman 2

Source: Deadline New York

20th Century Fox has hired Spanish helmer Daniel Benmayor to direct Hitman 2, though it is unclear whether Timothy Olyphant will return for the sequel. The studio is planning a fall production start.

The first film, based on the Eidos video game, earned $99.97 million in theaters worldwide in 2007. It was made for about $30 million.

Benmayor's film credits include the Spanish action film Paintball and the upcoming Bruc.

Adrian Askarieh, Alex Young and Chuck Gordon are producing the sequel, and Daniel Alter is executive producer. Kyle Ward wrote the script which includes elements from the game "Hitman 5."

Screenwriter Hired for MacGyver Movie

Source: Risky Business

On the day that MacGruber hits theaters, news comes our way that Jason Richman has been hired to write the script for New Line/Warner Bros.' MacGyver movie.

"MacGyver" was a science-oriented adventure series that ran from 1985-92 on ABC. Richard Dean Anderson, later of "Stargate: Atlantis" and "SG-1" fame, starred as an incredibly resourceful secret agent for the Phoenix Foundation who frequently would escape from dangerous situations with ingenious and lightning-quick engineering trickery.

Richman has worked on films including Black Hawk Down, Rush Hour 3, Bad Company and the proposed Beverly Hills Cop 4.

Eddie Murphy Writing Third Nutty Professor

Source: Access Hollywood

Entertainment show Access Hollywood caught up with actor Eddie Murphy at the premiere of his new movie Shrek Forever After and learned that the actor has been developing ideas for a potential third "The Nutty Professor" movie, confirming a story from a few years back.

There's no word whether Universal may have any interest in doing another movie, but according to Murphy, it will depend on whether they find his ideas funny. With The Nutty Professor grossing $273 million worldwide in 1996, and its sequel Nutty Professor II: The Klumps grossing $161 million four years later, a third movie certainly has potential similar to Universal's "Meet the Parents" comedy franchise.

Live Action Dilbert Film in the Works

Source: Pajiba

Phoenix Entertainment is working on a live-action Dilbert film with Ken Kwapis attached to direct, according to Pajiba.com

Dilbert began as a syndicated comic strip in 1989 and continues to run to this day. It was previously adapated into an animated series on UPN in 1999 with Daniel Stern voicing the titular lead and Chris Elliott providing the voice of Dogbert.

Kwapis' credits include a dozen episodes of the similarly-themed "The Office". He is currently working on a feature called Everybody Loves Whales, pairing "The Office" star John Krasinski with Drew Barrymore.

Movie News 5/16/10

2010-05-16T17:22:00.006-04:00

J.J. Abrams' Super 8 Teaser Now Officially Online

Source: Paramount Pictures

The teaser trailer for writer/director J.J. Abrams' Super 8, which hit theaters with Iron Man 2 last weekend, is now officially online and can be watched using the player below. Steven Spielberg is producing the Paramount Pictures film, which starts shooting this fall for a summer 2011 release.

Youtube link

Avatar Sequel to be Announced Soon

Source: The Associated Press
Talking about 3D at a technology forum in Seoul, South Korea, James Cameron said that he estimates it will take about three years to make the Avatar sequel. That's 18 months less than it took the first.

He said that the release date for the follow-up will be announced in a few months.

Cameron previously revealed that the sequel would focus on Pandora's ocean. "I'm going to be focusing on the ocean on Pandora, which will be equally rich and diverse and crazy and imaginative, but it just won't be a rain forest. I'm not saying we won't see what we've already seen; we'll see more of that as well," he said.

The first film has earned a massive $2.718 billion worldwide and has sold more than 19.7 million DVD and Blu-ray discs in three weeks.

The Twins Won't be Back for Transformers 3

Source: SuperHeroHype

Director Michael Bay says that Skids and Mudflap, which caused some controversy for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, will not be back for next summer's Transformers 3. Bay posted a simple message on his forums stating that "The Twins are not back in T3."

Transformers 3 is scheduled for a July 1, 2011 release.

X-Men: First Class Gets a Date and a Director

Source: 20th Century Fox

It's been touch and go for the last week, but Kick-Ass director Matthew Vaughn has been confirmed to helm X-Men: First Class, 20th Century Fox's prequel to the lucrative franchise based on the Marvel Comics super-team. Not only have they signed Vaughn, directing his third movie in a row based on comic material, but Fox is confident enough in his abilities to set a release date for June 3, 2011, a little less than 13 months from today.

Basing the movie around a concept by Bryan Singer, director of the first two movies who had already committed to direct Jack the Giant Killer, Fox hired the writing team behind Marvel Studios' Thor, Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz, to do a few rewrites on the script with plans to start making the movie this summer. Singer will co-produce along with Lauren Shuler Donner and Simon Kinberg. So far, no cast has been announced including whether Patrick Stewart will return as Professor Charles Xavier or whether Hugh Jackman will reprise his role as Wolverine.

The new release date puts the movie in competition against DreamWorks Animation's sequel Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom of Doom and opening two weeks before Warner Bros.' Green Lantern.

20th Century Fox has provided ComingSoon.net/SuperHeroHype with this description of the movie:

"X-Men: First Class, following the classic Marvel mythology, charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga. Before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Before they were archenemies, they were closest of friends, working together, with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known. In the process, a rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X’s X-Men."

Columbia Pictures Announces Men in Black III in 3D

Source: Columbia Pictures

Columbia Pictures announced today that Men in Black III will be released in 3D on May 25, 2012. Walter F. Parkes and Laurie MacDonald are returning to produce and Barry Sonnenfeld, who directed the first two installments of the blockbuster franchise, will direct the film from a screenplay written by Etan Cohen, based on the comic book by Lowell Cunningham. Steven Spielberg is set to executive produce.

Deals are set for Will Smith, Sonnenfeld and the producing team to return to the blockbuster franchise with the intent to begin production by this fall and the studio is in advanced negotiations with Tommy Lee Jones to reprise his role as Agent Kay. Josh Brolin is also in talks to star as a young Agent Kay.

Commenting on the announcement, Jeff Blake, Chairman of Sony Pictures Worldwide Marketing and Distribution said, "Sony's summer of 2012 will get off to a red hot start with an incredible new 3D adventure for the Men in Black. We couldn't be more excited that the original filmmaking team responsible for the first two worldwide hits is reuniting for this third installment. We love where the story is taking Agents Jay and Kay and know this new chapter will deliver a fresh fun twist for fans of the franchise while also introducing the Men in Black to a whole new generation of moviegoers."

The first two "Men in Black" films, which were released in 1997 and 2002, went on to become two of the most successful films in Columbia Pictures history, taking in more than $1 billion combined worldwide. The first film in the franchise won an Academy Award for Best Makeup and was nominated for two other Oscars.

Bruckheimer Confirms Development on Bad Boys 3

Source: Comingsoon.net

In the past few months, there's been quite a bit of chatter about Will Smith returning to some of his most famous franchises as they receive the threequel treatment. In fact, just this week it was confirmed that Smith would start shooting Men in Black III with Tommy Lee Jones this fall for a summer 2012 release date.

There's also been talk in the past year about Sony reuniting Smith with Martin Lawrence and Michael Bay for Bad Boys 3 with a screenwriter having been hired last summer, though it seemed somewhat dubious even last month when Lawrence confirmed to MTV that the project was "real."

At the UK junket for Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time, ComingSoon.net asked the Big Kahuna, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, if there was a possibility we'd see him, Michael Bay and Smith working together for the first time since Bad Boys 2 back in 2003, presumably once Bay and Smith finish their current threequels, Transformers 3 and Men in Black III, respectively.

The producer was more prudent with his choice of words on the project than Lawrence, saying, "It's a wish and a hope and a dream. We've been working on a screenplay, which is excellent. It's an idea Will gave us, so hopefully, it will come to fruition, we would love it to [work out]."

Being that the first Bad Boys was the big breakthrough movie for Bay, Smith and Lawrence 15 years ago--seems like longer, doesn't it?--it certainly would be interesting to see them do a third movie maybe with some of the modern edge they've seen since been exploring.

Die Hard 5 is On the Way

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

John McClane’s string of bad luck may not yet be over.

“Hitman” screenwriter Skip Woods is in negotiations with Fox to take a crack at a new “Die Hard” script. The New York cop known for consistently being in the wrong place at the right time has already survived four run-ins with terrorists, traitors and psychotic loose cannons of one stripe or another.

In his last outing, “Live Free or Die Hard,” written by Mark Bomback and directed by Len Wiseman in 2007, McClane battled Web terrorists to $378 million in worldwide grosses — 20 years after first pitching Hans Gruber out a broken window at Fox towers. So the studio justifiably sees another installment as a strong bet.

There’s no word yet on the new project’s story line, but former Fox exec Alex Young (“Unstoppable”) is producing.

Dwayne Johnson Joining Next Fast and Furious?

Source: Deadline New York

Deadline New York is reporting that Dwayne Johnson is eyeing a starring role in Fast Five, the fifth installment of the "Fast and Furious" franchise coming to theaters on June 10, 2011.

In the movie, Dom (Vin Diesel) and Brian (Paul Walker) are fugitives being pursued by relentless lawmen. Our guess is Johnson's character would lead those lawmen if the deal goes through.

Justin Lin is returning to direct. Chris Morgan wrote the script.

The Rise of the Apes Will Happen June 24, 2011

Source: Twentieth Century Fox

Twentieth Century Fox has set a June 24, 2011 release for Rise of the Apes, a completely new take on one of the studio's most beloved and successful franchises, Planet of the Apes. Oscar®-winning visual effects house Weta Digital – employing certain of the groundbreaking technologies developed for Avatar – will render, for the first time ever in the film series, photo-realistic apes rather than costumed actors.

Peter Chernin and Dylan Clark will produce for Chernin Entertainment under its new pact with Fox. Acclaimed filmmaker Rupert Wyatt (The Escapist) is directing from a screenplay by Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa, who also are producing.

Rise of the Apes (tentative title) is an origin story in the truest sense of the term. Set in present day San Francisco, the film is a reality-based cautionary tale, a science fiction/science fact blend, where man's own experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy.

Judge Dredd Will Be the Law in 3D

Source: Deadline New York

One of the potentially big movies up for grabs at this year's Cannes Film Festival is a 3D relaunch of the 2000 A.D. character Judge Dredd in a new movie directed by Pete Travis (Vantage Point) from screenplay by Alex Garland (28 Days Later). There was word a few years back that there was a new Judge Dredd movie in development at 20th Century Fox with artist Jock, co-creator of The Losers, being involved in the production art, but with Fox out of the picture, producer Andrew Macdonald's DNA Films has been joined by Indian financier Reliance Big to move the project forward.

Previously Sylvester Stallone played Dredd in a 1995 dud directed by Danny Cannon which grossed $113.5 million worldwide, but was considered a bomb due to its $70 million plus budget.

MacDonald and co. plan on returning to the original comics, created by writer John Wagner and artist Carlos Ezquerra, for reference on the movie that's reported to cost under $50 million.

Colin Farrell Joins Fright Night Remake

Source: Deadline New York, Heat Vision

Deadline has the scoop on Colin Farrell's future projects, having just signed to star opposite Anton Yelchin in DreamWorks' remake of the 1985 horror flick Fright Night and playing a key role in Seth (The King of Kong) Gordon's next movie Horrible Bosses, which will be produced and distributed by New Line. Heat Vision has stepped up with the additional news that Australian actress Toni Collette has also joined Fright Night.

In Fright Night, he will play the role of Jerry, the new man on the block who is actually a vampire preying on the neighborhood, while Collette plays Yelchin's mother who doesn't believe her son's claims that Jerry is a vampire.

Ice Age: Continental Drift is Coming Summer 2012

Source: Variety

What do you do when sequels in your franchise continue to make more than the films before it? You make another one of course!

20th Century Fox is hoping that will happen again as it is teaming up with Blue Sky Studios for a fourth installment in the lucrative "Ice Age" series, to be titled Ice Age: Continental Drift. The movie is scheduled for a release on July 13, 2012.

That means the studio will be releasing the film right in between Sony's Spider-Man reboot (July 3, 2012) and Warner Bros.' next Batman movie (July 20, 2012).

The first Ice Age earned $383.3 million worldwide in 2002. It was followed in 2006 by Ice Age: The Meltdown, which collected $655.4 million. That was topped again by Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs' $884.8 million last year.

Sony Taking RollerCoaster Tycoon to the Big Screen

Source: Heat Vision

Sony Pictures Animation has pre-emptively picked up rights to video game "RollerCoaster Tycoon," reports Heat Vision. Harald Zwart (upcoming The Karate Kid) is developing the live-action/CGI hybrid as a possible directing project and will executive produce.

David Ronn and Jay Scherick, who wrote the upcoming Zookeeper and The Smurfs, are attached to write the screenplay.

"RollerCoaster Tycoon" is a strategy computer game that simulates theme park management. Developed by MicroProse and Chris Sawyer and published by Hasbro Interactive, the game was released on March 31, 1999. It was followed by "RollerCoaster Tycoon 2" and "RollerCoaster Tycoon 3."

Movie News 5/2/10

2010-05-02T19:34:00.004-04:00

Next Batman Movie Coming July 20, 2012

Source: Warner Bros. Pictures

Warner Bros. Pictures has set a July 20, 2012 release date for Christopher Nolan's third Batman movie in conventional and IMAX theaters! That is a little over two weeks after Sony Pictures is releasing their Spider-Man reboot on July 3, 2012.

Nolan's second Batman movie, The Dark Knight, opened July 18, 2008 and earned more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office.

The First Picture of Thor

Source: Yahoo! Movies

For all the current buzz about Marvel Studios' Iron Man 2, which has already opened in some regions and opens in the U.S. on May 7, there's already a slightly lower hum generating for Marvel's next movie, the first feature film based on Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's Norse God Thor.

Although the movie has been shooting for months, it's somewhat surprising how little has gotten out other than a recent spy picture, so many have been wondering when we might get a chance to see the film's unconventional choice to play the Thunder God, little known Australian actor Chris Hemsworth, in costume.

Well, the wait is over and Yahoo! Movies are the lucky mortals who have received the very first picture of just that. You can check out Hemsworth in the Thor costume (sans his mighty hammer Mjolnir) below! Thor opens on May 6, 2011.

The Teaser Poster for Scream 4

Source: Dimension Films

Adopting the same tagline we saw on the AFM teaser poster, the official teaser poster for Scream 4 has made its debut touting the April 15, 2011 release date. It's direct and in your face, no doubt. What do you think?

Director Wes Craven begins shooting the sequel this June in Michigan with a script by Kevin Williamson and returning cast members Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette.

Craven tells Entertainment Weekly of the story:

"There have been 10 years of no Ghostface, but there has been the movie-within-a-movie Stab. We have fun with the idea of endless sequels, or "sequelitis" as Kevin calls it in the script. Sid goes through these three horrendous things, and Stab was based on those horrible things. And then they've been taken by a studio and run into the ground in a series of sequels. She has been off by herself and living her own life, and she's even written a book that has gotten a lot of critical acclaim. She's kind of put her life back together in the course of these 10 years. But, certainly, there would be no Scream without Ghostface, so she has to confront him again, but now as a woman who has really come out the darkness of her past."

He also confirms he has "signed on for the duration" of parts five and six!

Stephen King's The Dark Tower Coming to Theaters & TV

Source: Deadline New York

Stephen King, Imagine Entertainment and Weed Road are in talks to create a movie trilogy and TV series based on King's "The Dark Tower" series. Universal Pictures is in talks to distribute.

Ron Howard will direct from a script by Akiva Goldsman. Howard's Imagine Entertainment partner Brian Grazer will produce with Goldsman and King.

At the age of 19, Stephen King decided he would like to write an epic similar to "The Lord of the Rings." The "Spaghetti Westerns" of that time and a poem written by Robert Browning, "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came," became the inspiration for his magnum opus. The series written and published separately over a period of 22 years consists of seven books and the short story, "The Little Sisters of Eluria" published in his short story collection, "Everything's Eventual."

The first book, "The Gunslinger," introduces Roland Deschain of Gilead as he pursues the man in black to the mountains that separate the desert from the Western Sea. Along the way he rescues the boy, Jake, who is from a different time and place, and soon they become ka-tet in spite of Roland's single-minded goal of reaching the man in black at all costs.

Clash of the Titans Sequel Moving Forward

Source: Deadline New York

Deadline New York reports that Warner Bros. is moving forward with a sequel to Clash of the Titans.

The site says the studio is eyeing a spring 2012 release for a Clash of the Titans follow-up. Director Louis Leterrier won't be at the helm this time (he'll still executive produce), though Sam Worthington is expected to reprise the role before he makes the Avatar sequel. Greg Berlanti will write the story while the studio looks for a screenwriter and director. The film has $388.8 million worldwide since opening at the beginning of the month.

20th Century Fox Remaking Commando

Source: Deadline New York

20th Century Fox has hired David Ayer to write and direct a remake of the 1985 Arnold Schwarzenegger-starrer Commando. Erwin Stoff and John Davis will produce.

Ayer is a former Navy soldier who wrote Training Day and moved into directing with Harsh Times and Street Kings.

Deadline New York says Ayer "will put his own real-world spin on this original premise: a retired elite special forces operative sees his daughter kidnapped and is told she'll die unless he gets on a plane and kills the rival of a nasty exiled dictator. In the original, Schwarzenegger jumped off the plane before takeoff, and killed everyone involved in the kidnap plot."

Ayer's version of the character "will be less brawny, but more skilled in covert tactics and weaponry."

G.I. Joe Sequel Heading for Summer 2012?

Source: MTV

The MTV Movies Blog had a chance to talk to producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura and got a status report on the planned sequel to Stephen Sommers' summer 2009 hit G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, which grossed $300 million last summer. Although writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick have yet to submit a full script, di Bonaventura is optimistic they'll be ready to start shooting the G.I. Joe Sequel sometime next spring for a summer 2012 release.

Otherwise, Bonaventura didn't have a lot to say and was unwilling to confirm who might direct the sequel, which actors may be back and whether they might join the current trend by shooting the movie in 3D, although he did say he was "open to it.”

Sylvester Stallone Says Rambo is "Done"

Source: Empire

We're not sure what has happened since last November (see here, here and here), but now Sylvester Stallone tells Empire magazine that another "Rambo" movie isn't happening after all.

"I think Rambo's pretty well done. I don't think there'll be any more. I'm about 99% sure," he told the magazine in the latest issue. "I was going to do it. I said I'd never talk about this, but I feel that with Rocky Balboa, that character came complete circle. He went home. But for Rambo to go on another adventure might be, I think, misinterpreted as a mercenary gesture and not necessary. I don't want that to happen."

He added that he is "very happy with the last Burmese episode, because I didn't pull any punches on it. I wanted it to be what civil war really is - rough. You can't candy coat it, and where do you go from there? So that's [Rambo V] going to go."

Stallone's said that he is working on a Director's Cut of Rambo which will add twelve minutes to the movie, including a scene at the beginning. "He does a speech at the beginning of the movie to Julie Benz where he lays out why his life has been a complete disappointment and why war is natural and peace is an accident," said Stallone. "And how he just feels that his life has been a waste. It's very important to hear that and I didn't think so at the time. I'm going to go back and put in some stuff."

With no more new "Rambo" films in his future, what will the almost 64-year-old actor concentrate on instead?

"We are very serious... we're already working on an [Expendables] sequel," he said.

The Ring 3...in 3D

Source: Heat Vision

Heat Vision reports that Paramount Pictures is developing a third installment "The Ring" franchise to be titled Ring 3D.

The new film will be written by David Loucka, who wrote the upcoming Dream House and House at the End of the Street.

Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald are in negotiations to return as producers, and Vertigo and Benderspink are executive producing.

The first installment, directed by Gore Verbinski (the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films) and starring Naomi Watts, earned an impressive $249.3 million worldwide in 2002. Watts reprised her role in director Hideo Nakata's The Ring Two, which made $161.5 million in 2005.

According to the trade, "the new film is being fashioned as more teen-centric than the first, and though the logline is being kept under wraps, the aim is to reinvent the franchise."

Movie News 4/26/10

2010-04-26T23:29:00.004-04:00

Joss Whedon to Direct The Avengers

Source: Deadline New York

Deadline New York reports that Marvel Studios is moving ahead with Joss Whedon as director of The Avengers. The site says he is now in final negotiations to helm the action adventure scheduled for a May 4, 2012 release.

The film would feature many of the lead actors involved in Marvel Studios adaptations right now, including Robert Downey Jr. ("Iron Man" films), Chris Evans (Captain America), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) and more.

Paramount Pictures will distribute the film.

Whedon's credits include "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Firefly," "Angel," Serenity, "Dollhouse" and upcoming The Cabin in the Woods.

No 3D for Next Batman Movie and Official Announcement in July?

Source: Cinematical

Cinematical got a chance to speak to Batman Begins and The Dark Knight director of photography Wally Pfister, who said that there's a good chance the next Batman film won't be released in 3D. A full IMAX release is possible, however.

"What Chris and I have talked about is doing something cool and something interesting," Pfister said. "[Director] Brad Bird was [saying] 'you've got to shoot the whole thing in IMAX!' I was like, yeah, I've talked to Chris about that."

The technology required to do that would be cumbersome. "I did it for one shot of 'The Dark Knight' because he said, you have to say you did it, and literally I had this strapped to my shoulder and I was carrying it. But I think Chris is game for doing something interesting like that, Lord knows that the 3-D fad might pass by the time that summer comes around."

Pfister does know one thing for sure. "He doesn't want to shoot on video, and I'm the same way."

Also, according to Batman on Film, they have inside info which points towards an official announcement regarding Batman 3 to be made this July. While that leads to assumptions of the obvious, an announcement from Warner Bros. about it at Comic-Con, keep in mind that they chose not to announce The Dark Knight at the event back in 2006.

Instead, Warner Bros. made an official press release just after the event. That press release included the official title of the Batman Begins sequel, confirmation that director Christopher Nolan would be back at the helm and the surprising-at-the-time announcement that Heath Ledger would be playing The Joker.

Avatar Sequel to Focus on Pandora's Ocean

Source: Los Angeles Times

With Avatar hitting Blu-ray and DVD on Thursday, the Los Angeles Times talked to James Cameron about the highest-grossing movie of all time (it's at $2.717 billion now). In the interview, Cameron revealed that the Avatar sequel will focus on the ocean of Pandora while they'll explore more of the Alpha Centauri AB system in a third film. Here's an excerpt:

We created a broad canvas for the environment of film. That's not just on Pandora, but throughout the Alpha Centauri AB system. And we expand out across that system and incorporate more into the story – not necessarily in the second film, but more toward a third film. I've already announced this, so I might as well say it: Part of my focus in the second film is in creating a different environment – a different setting within Pandora. And I'm going to be focusing on the ocean on Pandora, which will be equally rich and diverse and crazy and imaginative, but it just won't be a rain forest. I'm not saying we won't see what we've already seen; we'll see more of that as well.

Bond 23 Delayed Indefinitely

Source: EON Productions

007 producers, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli of EON Productions, today announced they have suspended development on the next James Bond film previously scheduled for release 2011/2012.

"Due to the continuing uncertainty surrounding the future of MGM and the failure to close a sale of the studio, we have suspended development on 'Bond 23' indefinitely. We do not know when development will resume and do not have a date for the release of 'Bond 23,'" stated Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli jointly.

EON Productions have produced twenty two James Bond films since 1962. In 1995, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli took over the 007 franchise from Albert R 'Cubby' Broccoli and are responsible for producing some of the most successful James Bond films ever, including Casino Royale and more recently Quantum of Solace. The James Bond franchise is one of the longest running in film history. EON Productions and Danjaq LLC are affiliate companies and control all worldwide merchandising for James Bond.

Smith and Jones Return for Men in Black 3D?

Source: Showbiz 411

Showbiz 411's Roger Friedman reports he talked to director Barry Sonnenfeld, who revealed that Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are returning as agents J and K, respectively, in Sony's Men in Black 3D (yes, in 3D).

It was announced last October that Tropic Thunder writer Etan Cohen had been hired to write the script for the third installment.

The first film in the "Men in Black" franchise earned $587.8 million worldwide in 1997, and the second took in $441.8 million in 2002.

The New Ninja Turtles?

Source: Latino Review

LatinoReview has been sent a pic that may or may not be the design for the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live-action reboot. If real, the design harkens back to the original look of the characters from the comics. The new film is due out 2011.

Martin Lawrence Says Bad Boys 3 is 'Real'

Source: MTV

While there hasn't been any solid Bad Boys 3 news since it was announced last August that Columbia Pictures had hired Peter Craig to write the script, Martin Lawrence told MTV that he thinks it's happening.

"Any time you can get Big Willie to come out and talk about doing a third installment of a hot movie like 'Bad Boys,' you have to take notice," Lawrence said. "I met with Michael Bay, and he said he's onboard too — so it's real."

"I got Big Willie to come down and see me about the movie. I felt special," Lawrence added. "We're just waiting on Jerry Bruckheimer to let us know when it's really real."

The first Bad Boys, released in 1995, was made for just $19 million and earned $141.4 million worldwide. It was followed in 2003 with Bad Boys II, which took in $273.3 million.

While it may be happen, Mr. Bay wouldn't be available until sometime next year as he's currently getting ready to shoot Transformers 3.

Cary Elwes Returns for Saw VII 3D

Source: Lionsgate

Lionsgate has announced that Cary Elwes will reprise his role of Dr. Lawrence Gordon from the first Saw movie in Saw VII 3D, coming to theaters on October 22. The full cast includes Tobin Bell, Elwes, Costas Mandylor, Betsy Russell, Sean Patrick Flanery, Gina Holden, Chad Donella, Laurence Anthony, Dean Armstrong and Naomi Snieckus.

In the seventh installment, as a deadly battle rages over Jigsaw's brutal legacy, a group of Jigsaw survivors gathers to seek the support of self-help guru and fellow survivor Bobby Dagen (Flanery), a man whose own dark secrets unleash a new wave of terror...

Directed by Kevin Greutert from a script by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan, it is the first theatrical feature to be shot on the SI-3D digital camera system.

Oren Koules and Mark Burg are producing.

Friday the 13th: Part 2 is "Dead"

Source: ShockTillYouDrop.com

ShockTillYouDrop.com reports that producer Brad Fuller today replied to a fan via his Twitter account that the second outing with Jason Voorhees is "dead - not happening."

That's a far cry from a year ago when the Platinum Dunes team was dropping hints about the script for Friday the 13th: Part 2.

The reboot of the franchise grossed nearly $100 million worldwide last year.

Paramount Bringing Back Mighty Mouse

Source: L.A. Times

The L.A. Times has a new story about the plans for Paramount Pictures and its Nickelodeon Movies imprint to bring the classic Saturday morning cartoon character Mighty Mouse to the big screen.

The studio is currently looking for a new writer and director in hopes of moving the long-gestating project forward. The success 20th Century Fox had with the "Alvin and the Chipmunks" movies is certainly a strong motivator for bringing back the superhero mouse whose name and theme song is almost more known than the actual cartoons in large part thanks to the late Andy Kaufman. The Terrytoons cartoon ran from the '50s through the '80s, creating a similar sense of nostalgia among those over thirty that should be easy to capitalize on with the right movie. It's unclear whether the project will be fully animated or a combination of live action and animation such as the "Alvin" movies, the "Stuart Little" or "Garfield" movies or Disney's failed attempt to bring Underdog to the screen.

You can read the full article over at the L.A. Times, and let us know whether you have any interest either way on seeing the animated rodent superhero back on the screen in any format.

I Dream of Jeannie Reboot

Source: Los Angeles Times

After a number of false starts, the Los Angeles Times says that Columbia Pictures has hired "United States of Tara" writer Sheila Callaghan to pen a new draft of the screenplay for the feature I Dream of Jeannie, based on the 1960s series.

The newspaper says Callaghan is "best known as a downtown New York playwright, writing an acclaimed retelling of James Joyce's 'Ulysses' and a Reagan-era romantic drama set in Greece titled 'Lascivious Something,' among some other well-regarded work."

They add that one of the hard things for the producers to do is to figure out how to update the series, which starred Barbara Eden, Larry Hagman, Bill Daily and Hayden Rorke.

Movie News 4/11/10

2010-04-11T16:23:00.004-04:00

Teaser Trailer Hits for The Other Guys

Source: Yahoo! Movies

Columbia Pictures has brought online the teaser trailer for Adam McKay's action comedy The Other Guys, starring Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan, Ray Stevenson, Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson.

Youtube Link

Opening on August 6, The Other Guys follows Detective Allen Gamble (Ferrell), a forensic accountant who's more interested in paperwork than hitting the streets, and Detective Terry Hoitz (Wahlberg), who has been stuck with Allen as his partner ever since an embarrassing public incident with his quick trigger finger. Allen and Terry idolize the city's top cops, Danson and Manzetti (Johnson and Jackson), but when an opportunity arises for the Other Guys to step up, things don't quite go as planned.

The Toxic Avenger is Coming Back

Source: Deadline New York

A remake of The Toxic Avenger is in the works and will be produced by Akiva Goldsman, Richard Saperstein and Charlie Corwin. Original Media has acquired the rights to franchise that includes sequels, an animated TV series and comic books. The company will finance the development of a script.

Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman directed the 1984 original, which starred Andree Maranda, Mitchell Cohen, Pat Ryan Jr., Jennifer Baptist, Robert Pritchard, Cindy Manion, Gary Schneider and Mark Torgl.

The film is set in Tromaville, New Jersey - a small American town, terrorized by criminals. Among the residents of Tromaville is Melvin, a nerdy emaciated janitor at the local health club. A gang of thugs devise a cruel hoax that goes horribly wrong as Melvin is cast through a third story window into a vat of hazardous toxic waste. However, an unexpected metamorphosis takes place. As the chemicals take hold of his body, Melvin turns into the Toxic Avenger, doer of good, and brutal mauler of evil.

Deadline New York says "the group intends to turn Toxie into a green superhero for these environmentally conscious times." The remake is expected to be a family friendly PG-13 action comedy.

The Halo Movie Will Happen

Source: IGN

It's been a while since we've heard anything about the possible Halo movie, but now comes word from Frank O'Connor, Franchise Development Director, 343 Industries, Microsoft Game Studios, who says that the movie will happen eventually.

O'Connor talked about the possibility at the MI6 Conference in San Francisco last week.

"We're going to make a movie when the time is right," he said. "We own the IP. If we want to make a movie, the scale of all the other stuff that we do changes dramatically. We make tens and tens of millions of dollars on ancillary stuff, toys, apparel, music and publishing. If we do a movie all of that will grow exponentially. We have some numbers if we do a movie, but it changes everything. It also changes our target and age demographic."

The Halo movie almost moved forward with District 9's director Neill Blomkamp and executive producer Peter Jackson back in 2006. Stuart Beattie later wrote a film adaptation of "The Fall of Reach," complete with concept art.

Dunn and White Returning for Transformers 3

Source: Variety

Kevin Dunn and Julie White have signed deals to return as Ron Witwicky and Judy Witwicky, respectively, in Michael Bay's Transformers 3.

They join previously-announced cast members Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich and Ken Jeong in the film, scheduled for a July 1, 2011 release.

Written by Ehren Kruger, the third installment is produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Ian Bryce. Steven Spielberg is executive producer.

Universal, Working Title Making Johnny English Sequel

Source: Variety

Universal Pictures and Working Title Films are developing a sequel to the 2003 comedy Johnny English. Rowan Atkinson will again play the bumbling British spy in the film, which is eyeing an August start date.

While the original only made $28 million in North America, it earned $161 million worldwide. The film cost about $40 million to make.

Movie News 4/4/10

2010-04-04T21:20:00.006-04:00

The Trailer for The Expendables Hits

Source: Lionsgate

Lionsgate has brought online the trailer for Sylvester Stallone's The Expendables, starring Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Dolph Lundgren, Giselle Itie, Eric Roberts, David Zayas and Steve Austin. The film opens August 13th.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6RU5y2fU6s

Legendary and WB to Bring Back Godzilla

Source: Legendary Pictures

Legendary Pictures, the film studio behind The Dark Knight, Batman Begins, 300, and The Hangover, announced today they are ready to start developing a new movie based on the legendary Toho Studios monster Godzilla, having acquired the rights to the character Toho created over fifty years ago in the 1954 film, which has since become a genre classic. Legendary is producing the movie through their deal with Warner Bros. with hopes to announce a director soon to helm the movie with the intention of having it ready for a 2012 release.

Toho has kept Godzilla alive through two generations of movies, many of which were only released in Japan. The last time Godzilla arrived on these shores, it was for a 50th Anniversary re-release of the original movie. Before that, Toho released one of the Japanese films in the United States as Godzilla 2000, and in 1998, director Roland Emmerich and his partner Dean Devlin tackled a reinvention of Godzilla for Sony, a summer blockbuster that grossed $379 million worldwide despite generally tepid reviews and disfavor from the long-time fans of the character.

"Godzilla is one of the world's most powerful pop culture icons, and we at Legendary are thrilled to be able to create a modern epic based on this long-loved Toho franchise,” said Thomas Tull, Chairman and CEO of Legendary Pictures. “Our plans are to produce the Godzilla that we, as fans, would want to see. We intend to do justice to those essential elements that have allowed this character to remain as pop-culturally relevant for as long as it has."

Smith Locked for Two More Independence Day Movies?

Source: IESB

IESB is reporting a rumor that Will Smith has signed a deal with 20th Century Fox to make two Independence Day sequels that would be shot back-to-back.

According to the site's source, if all goes according to plan, the sequel(s) could shoot as early as 2011. Roland Emmerich would again direct after his Shakespeare drama Anonymous. The films would start after Smith completes his next project, which could either be Men in Black 3 or The City That Sailed.

The original film earned $817.4 million worldwide ($306 million domestic and $511.2 million overseas) in 1996.

The Return of Xander Cage Will be in 3D

Source: Deadline New York

Deadline New York is reporting that XXX: The Return of Xander Cage has left Columbia Pictures and negotiations are now underway for Paramount to finance the production and distribute the film in late 2011 or early 2012.

Rob Cohen, who had left the project to make Medieval (that project has stalled), has returned as the director and he will reunite with his The Fast and the Furious and XXX star Vin Diesel. Cohen will shoot the new installment with 3D cameras.

"I feel what we did in the beginning of the decade was bring a different attitude to the action movie and a different kind of hero," Cohen told the site. "With the new 3D instrument and the techniques I can apply, we can create a different kind of cutting-edge experience in 3D by shooting it that way from the beginning the way James Cameron did 'Avatar.' This won't be fantasy characters, it takes place on Earth in real time. That's a new dimension to be explored, and I'm excited."

In the script, written by Michael Ferris and John Brancato, Xander Cage (Diesel) is left for dead, but returns to execute a very difficult assignment that only he can pull off. Samuel L. Jackson will reprise his role as Agent Augustus Gibbons as well. Joe Roth and Neal Moritz will produce with Diesel and Samantha Vincent. Diesel will star in the new "XXX" after he completes Fast Five, the next film in the "Fast and Furious" franchise.

Doug Liman to Direct Warner Bros.' Three Musketeers

Source: Heat Vision

Doug Liman (Mr. & Mrs. Smith, The Bourne Identity) is in negotiations to direct Warner Bros.' The Three Musketeers, which is in a race with the Paul W.S. Anderson-directed The Three Musketeers 3D in development at Summit Entertainment. The latter project is currently casting.

Producer Lionel Wigram, the creative force behind Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes, recently hired screenwriter Peter Straughan (The Men Who Stare at Goats) to update Alexandre Dumas' classic for Warner Bros.

Straughan's script is expected to play up the action and "sexier" elements of the story.

Harold & Kumar Creators Directing American Pie 4

Source: Risky Business

"Harold & Kumar" creators Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg have come on board to direct Universal's American Pie 4, reports Risky Business.

Hurwitz and Schlossberg are currently writing the fourth "American Pie" movie, which would reunite the cast of the original films, though no deals have been made.

This means that the duo won't be directing A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas, the third installment in the series. That job instead will go to newcomer Todd Strauss Schulson. Hurwitz and Schlossberg did write the script.

John Cho and Kal Penn are both signed to reprise their roles and production company Mandate is eyeing a summer start.

Look Who's Talking Remake & E*Trade Baby Movie Coming?

Source: Pajiba

Pajiba reports that a remake of Look Who's Talking and a movie based on the E*Trade talking babies are in the works.

According to the site, Neal Moritz (I Am Legend) is producing the Look Who's Talking remake. The original, which featured John Travolta, Kirstie Alley and the voice of Bruce Willis, earned $297 million worldwide. It was followed by two sequels that didn't fare nearly as well at the box office. No director is on board the redo yet and the project is currently out to writers.

The site adds that actress and writer Katie Dippold ("Parks and Recreation," "MADtv") is writing the script for 20th Century Fox's movie based on the E*Trade babies you can see in TV commercials. The film is reportedly a "mission movie," about a group of talking babies trying to make their way across the playground.

Movie News 03/29/10

2010-03-29T22:12:00.004-04:00

Big Transformers 3 Update From Michael Bay

Source: Michael Bay

Michael Bay has made a big announcement about Transformers 3 on his official website:

“Hey, it's been a long time since I've posted. Just been a little busy.

Transformers 3 has been going very well. We are going to shoot in LA, Chicago, Washington DC, Florida, Texas, Africa, Moscow, and China. On the talent front, we just locked in Frances McDormand and John Malkovich. Both amazing actors I've always wanted to work with. We also just got Ken Jeong, he is the super funny actor stuck in the trunk from “Hangover” and the Doctor from “Knocked Up.”

We start shooting pre-shoots in about one month.

I also was at a Ferrari charity event this week raising money for a hospital being built by Ferrari in Haiti. I announced that night the newest Autobot to join Transformers: the Ferrari 458 Italia.”

Jay Roach Talks Austin Powers 4

Source: MTV

Last week at ShoWest in Las Vegas, filmmaker Jay Roach was honored as the Comedy Director of the Decade. He's probably known best these days as the director of "Meet the Parents" and "Meet the Fockers" (and the producer of the coming third movie in that series), but his formative work as a comedy director comes from the three "Austin Powers" movies. MTV's Larry Carroll sat down with Roach to talk about the award, and he managed to sneak in a few questions about the fourth "Austin Powers" movie.

"[Star Mike Myers is] working on ideas for it, people are definitely talking about it and I'm all good for it," Roach said matter-of-factly. "I love those characters."

More than that, he's thankful for the opportunities "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" opened up for him. "Mike gave me my first shot directing on 'Austin Powers 1.' Just said, 'Hey, you should direct this movie,' when I hadn't directed much of anything. So I love that group of people and what could be better than going back into that."

The big question on everyone's mind is where can Austin go next. The Bond-parodying secret agent has faced off against his nemesis, Dr. Evil, in a variety of locations. Including the moon. And a hilarious new villain, Goldmember, was introduced in the last movie. So how will a fourth "Austin Powers" top all of that? Where could Austin -- the series and the character both -- go next?

"That's hard to say," Roach replied. "Somewhere you haven't thought of."

Spy Hunter Moving Forward at Warner Bros.

Source: Variety

Warner Bros. Pictures is developing a big screen adaptation of Midway Games' Spy Hunter with Dan Lin (Sherlock Holmes) and Roy Lee of Vertigo producing.

The story follows a highly-trained spy hunter whose job it is to eliminate rogue spies when they become liabilities to their governments. Chad St. John is set to write the script.

The project was previously set up at Universal, where John Woo and Paul W.S. Anderson were attached to direct at various points and Dwayne Johnson was attached to star.

Sony Making a CG Popeye Film in 3D

Source: Variety

Sony Pictures is developing a CG Popeye feature to be released in 3D. Avi Arad is producing and Mike Jones is in negotiations to write the script.

The storyline is being kept under wraps, but Popeye's love interest Olive Oyl, nemesis Bluto and adopted child Swee'Pea will be part of the adventure, says Variety.

Arad says the new version will cover the themes of friendship, love, greed and life, and focus on human strengths and human frailties.

Popeye will be made by Sony Pictures Animation, with Sony Pictures Imageworks handling the CG. The companies are currently working on The Smurfs, coming to theaters on August 3, 2011.

Created by E.C. Segar, Popeye first appeared in the already established "Thimble Theater" comic strip in 1929. Introduced as a walk-on character, Popeye eventually became the strip's star.

Popeye was last seen on the big screen in 1980 when Robin Williams starred in director Robert Altman's live-action version.

Bryan Singer Will Only Produce X-Men: First Class

Source: Deadline New York

Just one week ago, director Bryan Singer and producer Lauren Shuler Donner were talking to the L.A. Times about Singer's affinity for the X-Men characters, which convinced him to direct X-Men: First Class. According to Deadline's Mike Fleming, Singer's obligations to begin production on Jack the Giant Killer, his 3D version of the classic fairy tale for Warner Bros., will have to take precedence and Singer will now only be producing X-Men: First Class.

According to Fleming, Fox is already in talks with a few directors they've short-listed who may be able to start production on the proposed first movie in a new prequel trilogy as early as summer or fall for a 2011 release, while Singer is locked into making the other CG-heavy movie through his contract with Warner Bros. Some may remember that WB snagged Singer to direct Superman Returns, preventing him from directing X-Men: The Last Stand.

Paul W.S. Anderson to Direct 3D Buck Rogers

Source: Deadline New York

Paul W.S. Anderson ("Resident Evil" films) has signed to direct Buck Rogers, to be released in 3D. Iron Man co-writers Art Marcum and Matt Holloway will write the script.

According to Deadline New York, the big screen adaptation is "a new version of the classic tale of a fighter pilot who quickly acclimates to the future and puts his skills to use defending the planet against invaders."

One of the first pop-culture vehicles to tackle the issue of space exploration, the story of Buck Rogers began life as a comic serial in the late 1920's and early '30's and has seen numerous film and television versions over the years.

The rights to the property are controlled by Paradox, the company behind the new Conan movie

Scream 4 Coming to Theaters April 15, 2011

Source: Dimension Films

Dimension Films is putting the finishing touches on its 2011 slate which focuses on continuing its most successful franchises. The first project to go into production this spring will be Scream 4, which Kevin Williamson is writing and Wes Craven has signed on to direct. Neve Campbell, David Arquette, and Courteney Cox Arquette will be reprising their roles from the original "Scream" installments. Joining the returning cast members will be a new group of young actors. The "Scream" franchise has grossed more than $500 million at the worldwide box office and ushered in a new wave of horror in the 1990s.

"'Scream' has been such an integral part of Dimension's history, and I look forward to continuing the franchise," said Bob Weinstein, co-chairman The Weinstein Company. "I've worked with Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven on so many films at Dimension and hope to continue our successful collaboration."

Wes Craven added, "I am delighted to accept Bob Weinstein's offer to take the reins on a whole new chapter in 'Scream' history. Working with Courteney, David and Neve was a blast ten years ago and I'm sure it will be again. And I can't wait to find the talent that will bring new blood to the screen as well. Kevin is right on his game with the new script - the characters and story crackle with energy and originality - to say nothing of some of the most hair-raising scares I've seen in a script since... well, since the original 'Scream' series. Let me at it."

Scream 4 will be released on April 15, 2011.

Favorite Monsters (That Weren’t Made in a Computer)

2010-03-22T23:35:00.010-04:00

Yeah, sorry to show you another still from that god-awful movie, but I need it to prove a point. After having seen The Wolfman (good, but could’ve been better), I really began to appreciate using practical effects over digital ones. Sometimes it looks better when something is actually in front of the camera. So that is why I am going to list some my all time favorite practical monsters from movies and give them proper respect. Now I left some of the more well known monsters off (Alien Queen, Predator, Jurassic Park dinosaurs, Terminator robot) because well, you know all of them. Let’s take a look at some you may not know.

Leech-Man - Return of Swamp Thing

Although he doesn’t do much damage, the Leech-Man is a scary lookin’ sumbitch. I like his elongated mouth, especially when grossly pulsating, dripping with blood. Sure Swamp Thing pretty much beats the shit out of him, but I appreciate the simpleness of his design. Nothing too crazy, just exactly how you think a half man, half leech would look like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjZd-UliR0Y

Gigan - Godzilla Series

The Godzilla movies have an entire army of monsters to choose from, but I have to go with my favorite, Gigan. He’s just so cool, yet weird looking. He’s got hooks for hands, a metal beak, a visor for an eye, and a buzz saw in his stomach. If I had to describe him in one sentence it would probably be a giant chicken wearing hockey equipment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6BDl_VXUi0

Fluffy - Creepshow

Look, I don’t need to get into this again. He’s scary, he’s vicious, and he eats the fuck out of your face. ’nuff said.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cA2Ga4g5e4A

Kathoga - The Relic

Imagine waking up in the middle of the night and seeing THAT staring at you. Fuck that shit. The Kathoga is a mix of a bunch of different animals, a lizard, a lion, a bug, etc. Usually a monster like that would come out lookin like a mess, but master monster maker Stan Winston, elegantly crafts the beast with beautiful symmetry and pants shitting terror.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24rpD3kUUMs

Graboid - Tremors

Tremors is one of my favorite monster movies so of course the giant worm had to be on the list. Sure a giant worm with snakes living in it’s mouth sounds totally bullshit, but thanks to the use of practical effects these fuckers were all too real. It’s too bad they didn’t eat Kevin Bacon though. You think he tastes like bacon?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG6hGs2hieQ

Gillman - The Monster Squad

If you read the movies news this past Sunday, you’ll see that they are remaking Monster Squad. Well I hope to God they don’t CGI the shit out of everything, because nothing will ever look as good as that fucker above. They couldn’t totally remake the Creature from the Black Lagoon in fear of getting sued, so they made him a little different looking. But I am all for the change. One instance where I think the new is better than the old.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBaAq0BxXLg

The Oxcom - Watchers

The death of Corey Haim a few weeks back made me a bit nostalgic for his film where he befriended a very smart golden retriever who was being hunted by a genetically created mutant baboon. Yeah, that was considered a generic plot for a 1980’s Canadian film. What I love about this beast in particular is his kill method. First, he rips out the victim’s eyes, and then their head. Literal overkill.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dacJtm-iBtg

Rhino Guy - Guyver 2

If you’ve never heard of Guyver growing up, then you missed out. Imagine if Power Rangers was rated R (nude Kimberly!) Not only would you get an amazingly bad ass hero, but also a whole bunch of scary ass monsters he fights. My favorite has to be the half-man, half-rhino. I also like his death scene. You just have to watch it below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIRsLKwn63g

Pumpkinhead - Pumpkinhead

While he may not have an actual pumpkin for a head, he is the stuff nightmares are made of. Another awesome creation by Stan Winston, Pumpkinhead is a “revenge demon.” You pissed at someone for killing your young son, get Pumpkinhead. Causing the death of a kind, but slow, challenged boy, get Pumpkinhead. Some guy in a car doesn’t use his turn signal, get Pumpkinhead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXlcm1el1D0

The Dinosaurs - The Land That Time Forgot

Did you ever want to be a dinosaur growing up? Well, it looks like that career ambition isn’t too crazy if you were in the 60’s. This is before Spielberg took a walk in the park (hahaha) so Dinosaurs back then were guys in costumes running around going “RAWR!” Sounds like the best job ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0K97czqecQ

The Werewolf - Bad Moon

There are a lot of werewolves in movies, but the one I like the most is this guy. It’s a great costume and when its walking around it’s actually kind of creepy, how realistic it seems. Plus, he’s a hell of a lot better than CGI Scooby Doo up there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEwhRir3OCc

Boogerlips - Ernest Scared Stupid

A giant head with arms and legs, this costume is exactly what I think of when I think of “troll.” Well, besides “They’re eating her. And then they’re gonna eat me. Oh my Gooooooooood.” I don’t know what it was, but it seems like a lot of kids were terrified of this guy when we were kids. Don’t be afraid, all you need is a little miak.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9ONw72pUyY

So by reading this list, I hope you appreciate what effects designers and costume departments had to go through before you could just draw shit in a computer. The remake of Clash of the Titans comes out in a few weeks and is going to have CGI all over it. I mean, c’mon, look at the Kraken from the original:

A stop motion gift from God. That’s some Harryhausen shit for you right there. Painstakingly brought to life frame by frame. Now, let’s see what the new Kraken looks like:

…holy shit that’s awesome.

Movie News 03/21/10

2010-03-21T16:58:00.005-04:00

Predators Trailer Online

Source: IGN

On Saturday, 20th Century Fox released a sneak peek at Predators and at the same time revealed the first trailer and an extended clip at the South by Southwest Film Festival. That trailer is now online and can be watched using the player below!

Opening in theaters on July 7, the Nimrod Antal-directed and Robert Rodriguez-produced sci-fi action-adventure stars Adrien Brody, Laurence Fishburne, Topher Grace, Alice Braga, Danny Trejo, Walton Goggins, Oleg Taktarov, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali and Louiz Ozawa.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9u8vZwvP57Y

Brody plays Royce, a mercenary who reluctantly leads a group of elite warriors who come to realize they've been brought together on an alien planet... as prey. With the exception of a disgraced physician, they are all cold-blooded killers – mercenaries, Yakuza, convicts, death squad members – human "predators" that are now being systemically hunted and eliminated by a new breed of alien Predators.

Chris Evans Offered Captain America? UPDATE

Source: THR

Update: Chris Evans ("Fantastic Four" films) has accepted Marvel Studios' offer for him to play Steve Rogers/Captain America in the Joe Johnston-directed The First Avenger: Captain America. Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely wrote the script.

Marvel would not comment on the development, but we expect the official announcement will be made soon.

The deal calls for Evans to star in at least three "Captain America" movies, with the first hitting theaters on July 22, 2011.

He would reprise the role in The Avengers, which will united Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and the Incredible Hulk (Edward Norton) in one film. That film is scheduled for May 4, 2012. The character also will likely make cameo appearances in Marvel's other films.

THR is reporting that Marvel Studios has offered The First Avenger: Captain America to Chris Evans, who played Johnny Storm/Human Torch in the "Fantastic Four" movies.

Marvel Studios would not confirm the development to ComingSoon.net/SuperHeroHype saying they don't comment on rumors.

The Hollywood trade says the offer would include starring in up to three "Captain America" movies plus The Avengers and appearances in several other Marvel movies.

Evans does have a scheduling conflict, however. He is committed to co-starring in the Anna Faris romantic comedy What's Your Number?. Both are scheduled to shoot this summer.

Joe Johnston will direct The First Avenger: Captain America in England for a July 22, 2011 release.

Bruckheimer on Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Source: MTV

In February, we learned that both Ian McShane and Penelope Cruz were joining Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. It was reported that McShane would play the villain Blackbeard, but it wasn't clear which role Cruz would take on.

In talking with MTV, producer Jerry Bruckheimer revealed that Cruz is playing Blackbeard's daughter. "She's the daughter of the bad guy," he said. You can expect "a little romance between Captain Jack and the new character that Penelope plays." He said "she brings a lot of humor to it. And the fact that she's so feisty."

Bruckheimer added that Blackbeard is "the nastiest pirate ever."

The producer also confirmed that Geoffrey Rush, who played Barbossa in the first three "Pirates" films, is indeed returning.

As for more roles to be cast, Bruckheimer said that they are "looking for some new kids to be in it, we're testing right now."

Asked how different this film will be, he said "we're going to take a whole new direction," but he did mention that "it is a continuation of what you saw last time, he's in search for the Fountain of Youth."

The Rob Marshall-directed film is scheduled to start filming in June for a May 20, 2011 release.

A Fifth Final Destination is Coming

Source: ComingSoon.net

The Final Destination is not the final chapter in the series.

At ShoWest in Las Vegas, ComingSoon.net sat in on Warner Bros.' The Big Picture presentation during which the studio's Alan Horn confirmed a fifth "Final Destination" film is in the works.

Each film in the series continues to be a financial success for the company. The Final Destination, which hit theaters last year in 3D, grossed $66 million domestically but made $180 million worldwide.

The last entry's title sounded so definitive so we're curious to hear what they'll call the next film.

Platinum Dunes Behind Monster Squad Remake

Source: Deadline New York, ShockTillYouDrop.com

Deadline New York is reporting that Platinum Dunes, which produced The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street remakes, have come on board the remake of The Monster Squad.

It's been over a year since Rob Cohen revealed that he was actively working with Paramount Pictures to remake The Monster Squad. Cohen was a producer on the original directed by Fred Dekker.

A writer is now being sought for the new version.

The Monster Squad, written by Shane Black and Dekker, was released in '87 and told of a monster-lovin' group of kids who side with the Frankenstein monster and must do battle with Dracula, the Wolfman, the Mummy and the Gill-Man.

Josh Duhamel Back for Transformers 3

Source: ComingSoon.net

While it was expected, it was not confirmed yet whether Josh Duhamel would return as Major Lennox in Transformers 3.

Duhamel told ComingSoon at the Las Vegas ShoWest convention that he met with director Michael Bay yesterday, that the script is done and they're preparing to start filming in the summer. So yes, he will indeed be back alongside Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox and Tyrese Gibson.

Transformers 3 is scheduled to hit theaters on July 1, 2011.

Singer and Shuler Donner on X-Men: First Class and X-Men 4

Source: Los Angeles Times

In an interview with Bryan Singer and producer Lauren Shuler Donner at the Los Angeles Times about the first two X-Men movies, the discussion veered to Singer directing X-Men: First Class and possibly even X-Men 4.

According to the article, Singer says X-Men: First Class will find its axis in the relationship between Professor X and Magneto and the point where their friendship soured. It will also detail the beginning of the school for mutants and have younger incarnations of some characters with new actors (He shrugged when asked if Hugh Jackman might appear as Wolverine).

"Just doing younger mutants is not enough. The story needs to be more than that. I love the relationship between Magneto and Xavier, these two men who have diametrically opposite points of view but still manage to be friends -- to a point. They are the ultimate frenemies."

Shuler Donner also has pitched Singer on doing a fourth installment of the previously established "X-Men" franchise and Jackman had lunch with Singer to coax him into a project as well, which may or may not be Wolverine 2. Jackman has said the sequel will be set in Japan and released in 2011.

In the interview, Singer turned to Shuler Donner and said of X-Men 4: "Hold that one off for just a little, I'm fixated on the other one right now." She nodded and answered, "I will, I will ... I'm holding it open with high hopes. It's totally different [from 'First Class'] and it will be so interesting for you."

Jeepers Creepers 3 Still On The Way

Source: Bloody Disgusting

Bloody-Disgusting had the chance to catch up today with actor Ray Wise, star of Jeepers Creepers 2, who updated on the long-rumored third installment.

"The script for 'Jeepers Creepers 3' is complete," Wise said. "They're in pre-production planning now. I'm hopeful that sometime in the next two or three months we'll get a start date...[MGM] definitely want[s] to do it, and it's just a matter of putting together all the final financing I believe...I think it's gonna be a go in a couple of months."

In addition, he indicated the third chapter in the series would pick up literally right where the second film let off.

"It begins right where the second one ended, right there in that barn with the Creeper on the wall and me the old man waiting there with my harpoon gun."

Of course we've heard this kind of talk before, but it at least keeps hope alive for fans of the series. One thing you can definitely be sure of -- if it ever does happen, no one but Victor Salva will direct. Said Wise: "He wouldn't let anybody touch that. The Creeper is his."

Movie News 03/14/10

2010-03-14T18:18:00.007-04:00

Nolan Confirms Batman 3 Is On The Way…

Source: Batman-On-Film

A third Batman film is on its way and Chris Nolan is directing once again.

The script is currently being written by Chris’ brother Jonathan Nolan based on a story by David Goyer and Chris Nolan, just as The Dark Knight was put together.

“My brother is writing a script for me and we’ll wait to see how it turns out...he’s struggling to put it together into the epic story that you want it to be.”

“Without getting into specifics [on the story], the key thing that makes the third film an great possibility for us is that we want to finish our story. And in viewing it as the finishing of a story rather than infinitely blowing up the balloon and expanding the story.”

“We have a great ensemble [cast], that’s one of the attractions of doing another film, since we’ve been having a great time for years.”

“I’m very excited about the end of the film, the conclusion, and what we’ve done with the characters. My brother has come up with some pretty exciting stuff. Unlike the comics, these thing don’t go on forever in film and viewing it as a story with an end is useful. Viewing it as an ending, that sets you very much on the right track about the appropriate conclusion and the essence of what tale we’re telling. And it hearkens back to that priority of trying to find the reality in these fantastic stories. That’s what we do.”

…and Talks about Superman

Source: L.A. Times

There was a lot of excitement a few months back when Nolan's name was mentioned as the "godfather" of a Superman reboot at Warner Bros., and speaking on the decision for the first time, Nolan told Boucher that his involvement with the Superman franchise came about from them having reached an impasse on what to do with their third Batman film and David Goyer having an idea of what could be done with the Man of Steel:

"He basically told me, 'I have this thought about how you would approach Superman. I immediately got it, loved it and thought: That is a way of approaching the story I've never seen before that makes it incredibly exciting. I wanted to get Emma and I involved in shepherding the project right away and getting it to the studio and getting it going in an exciting way.

As mentioned previously, Nolan would act as a producer for another director, which has yet to be determined as they develop the script. From there, Nolan's involvement may be similar to Peter Jackson's on District 9 as he moves onto the third Batman film. He didn't have a lot more to say about the Superman reboot except that he did have an appreciation for what Singer tried to do in connecting his film to those of Richard Donner:

"A lot of people have approached Superman in a lot of different ways. I only know the way that has worked for us that's what I know how to do."

It's suggested that like his two Batman movies, the Superman story will take place in a world where Superman is the only superhero, so one probably can't expect this Superman to meet Christian Bale's Batman or either character to be involved with a future Justice League movie.

"Each serves to the internal logic of the story. They have nothing to do with each other," Nolan told them.

A new Wizard of Oz?

Source: L.A. Times

Fresh off Disney's massive success with Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland," Warner Bros. wants to remake another childhood classic. Like, really classic. The studio is examining two existing "Wizard of Oz" projects, with an eye toward giving one of them a modern gloss and moving it toward the screen.

With its Harry Potter series drawing to an end, Warners also likes the idea of a franchise, and "Wizard of Oz" and the many books L. Frank Baum wrote featuring many of the same characters (all of which are in the public domain) fit the bill nicely. And let's not forget the property's strong, young female protagonist, hugely in vogue now in the post -Twilight" and -"Alice" eras.

Weaving to Play the Villain in Captain America?

Source: ComingSoon.net

Hugo Weaving ("The Lord of the Rings" and "The Matrix" trilogies) is reportedly in talks to play the villain Red Skull in Marvel Studios' The First Avenger: Captain America.

If he takes on the role, Weaving would be reuniting with The Wolfman director Joe Johnston.

Johnston and the studio are currently casting Steve Rogers/Captain America.

The film is expected to hit theaters on July 22, 2011.

John Cho on Third Harold & Kumar

Source: Collider.com

Collider.com talked to John Cho on Thursday and got updates on A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas, the third installment in the series, as well as Star Trek 2.

Cho said the plan is to film the next "Harold & Kumar" movie this June for a possible holiday release this year still. They are currently figuring out who will direct the film, that is expected to include Neil Patrick Harris again. The film's storyline picks up a few years after Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.

Men in Black 3 Casting to Begin Soon

Source: Bloody Disgusting

Columbia Pictures is officially having conversations regarding their third entry in the Men in Black franchise as we're being told by industry insiders that in addition to Jonah Hex cowboy Josh Brolin likely (still unconfirmed) to star, they've shown strong interest in both Sacha Baron Cohen (Sweeney Todd, Bruno) and Jemaine Clement ("The Flight of the Conchords") for a character named "Yaz" (a new agent?). Neither are locked, this should be taken strictly as rumor for now. Etan Cohen (Tropic Thunder, Igor, Idiocracy) wrote the screenplay. Shooting was originally rumored to begin this spring. The 1997 Men in Black grossed nearly $600m worldwide, while its 2002 sequel took in $440m.

Robert De Niro to Play Vince Lombardi

Source: ESPN

Robert De Niro is attached to play legendary coach Vince Lombardi in the feature film Lombardi being developed by ESPN Films, Andell Entertainment and the NFL.

Eric Roth (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Forrest Gump) is set to write the script for the film, which will chronicle Lombardi during the years he transformed the Green Bay Packers from the worst team in the National Football League into five-time NFL champions.

Current plans call for the film's release on the weekend between the AFC and NFC Conference Championships and the Super Bowl in 2012.

The story's narrative arc spans from 1959 when Lombardi was given his first opportunity to be an NFL head coach, taking over the small-town Packers, then the worst team in the NFL, and runs through his transformation of a group of young, talented but undisciplined losers into five-time NFL champions. Also, the story highlights the long-standing rivalry that existed between Lombardi and legendary Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry, both of whom were assistants on the New York Giants team that lost the 1958 NFL Championship game.

WB Turning Leonardo Da Vinci Into an Action Hero

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Warner Bros. Pictures has picked up action-adventure treatment Leonardo da Vinci and the Soldiers of Forever from producer Adrian Askarieh, who is teaming with Vertigo's Roy Lee and Doug Davison.

Da Vinci is known as having been a painter ("Mona Lisa," "The Last Supper), inventor, engineer, architect and mathematician. The project re-imagines him as a member of a secret society who falls headlong into a supernatural adventure that pits Da Vinci against Biblical demons in a story involving secret codes, lost civilizations, hidden fortresses and fallen angels.

Guy Ritchie to Direct King Arthur Film

Source: Variety

Variety has confirmed a Pajiba scoop that Sherlock Holmes helmer Guy Ritchie is attached to direct a new King Arthur project at Warner Bros. Pictures. John Hodge (Trainspotting) will write the script for Atlas Entertainment and Hollywood Gang.

The project is a re-imagining of the legend of Arthur, believed to have been a 6th century king who defended Britain against Saxon invaders. The key source material for the film will be Thomas Mallory's "Le Morte d'Arthur," published in 1485 as a compilation of French and English tales.

Hodge is working on the script with Ritchie.

Fright Night Remake Scares Up a Director

Source: Los Angeles Times, ShockTillYouDrop.com

Negotiations have begun with a director for DreamWorks Pictures' proposed Fright Night remake.

According to the Los Angeles Times (via ShockTillYouDrop.com), Craig Gillespie is the man the studio is keen on. He directed the quirky Lars and the Real Girl and serves as a director and producer on "The United States of Tara."

DreamWorks hired Marti Noxon ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Mad Men") to update Tom Holland's story of a teenager who learns a vampire has moved into the house next door. The teen hires a local horror movie host to help slay the creature before it claims his girlfriend.

The Book of Genesis in 3D

Source: Deadline New York

Paramount Pictures and former Walden Media co-founder Cary Granat are reportedly developing In the Beginning, a 3D version of the creation story. The film is using The Book of Genesis as its primary resource.

David Cunningham is set to direct from a script by John Fusco (Hidalgo).

The visual effects are being handled by Reel Fx. Paramount will co-finance and distribute the $30 million project.

Funniest Movie Shots

2010-03-13T13:33:00.007-05:00

Some moments in movies are just so damn funny, you could watch them over and over and over. I’m not talking full on scenes. In fact, no one even has to talk. Something just happens very quickly that it makes you burst out laughing long after the moment has passed. And all it needs is one shot. Just one image. These moments just stay with you long after you have seen them and manage to pop into your mind every so often, causing you to burst out laughing, seemingly for no reason, making you look like a nut who just busted out of the insane asylum. Here are some of my very personal faves.

The Cowardly Lion Jumps Out the Window – The Wizard of Oz

In my opinion, the Cowardly Lion may be the greatest movie character of all time. His comedic style and timing were way ahead of its time, even today he would be a riot. His absolute best moment comes when the Wizard tells the troop that they must kill the Wicked Witch. Of course C.L. asks, “Well, what if sh-sh-she kills us foist?” The Wizard responds with a bust of flame, and sends the Lion runnin all the way down the hallway, where he, inexplicably, jumps through a window. What the hell is going on through his head? There’s nothing blocking him, the room isn’t exploding. He’s like “Fuck it, I’ll jump out the window.” The work of a true comic genius.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXhaBHGhUOI

Goofy Caveman - History of the World, Part 1

Mel Brooks is a comedy master and History of the World is one of his best. There are so many great moments (The Ethiopian Shim-Sham!), but my favorite has to be near the beginning of the film, during the cavemen segment. We see the Neanderthals learning about throwing spears, when one played by the coach from Grease grabs it and chucks it at another guy. The shot occurs right before he throws it. The dumb caveman walks in, not knowing what is going on and gives one of the goofiest hellos I have ever seen. The fact that he is impaled seconds later just adds to the hilarity. Fast forward to 2:37.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXQ596rSxhg

Goofy E.T. – E.T.

E.T. is a goofy little guy. He hangs out around the house, eats Reece’s Pieces and gets drunk. But that comes after he meets all the kids. When he first meets Elliott’s brother and sister, things don’t go so well. At that moment Mom shows up and they hide him in the closet like Elian Gonzales. The shot comes as a young Drew Barrymore is screaming and pulled back by her older brother, then E.T. runs by the camera arms flailing and screaming like a goof. Funny shit. Fast forward to 6:36.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQkrw87vd2c

The Clapping Guy - Monty Python and the Holy Grail

During what is possibly the greatest song in movie history, the knights of the round table dancing around their life in Camelot, it quickly cuts to some poor guy locked in the basement, hanging from the dungeon wall. Not wanting to be left out of the musical festivities above, he claps along. What makes this shot great is it only last for about 2 seconds, just enough time to know that it’s a guy in a dungeon, and that you can faintly hear the song coming from upstairs. What really makes it though is that you can tell the guy is happy, but then again, who would be sad listening to this great tune. After all, it’s Camelot. ‘Tis a silly place.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfGpVcdqeS0

How ‘bout a Bumper Sandwich, Boogerlips! - Ernest Scared Stupid

Ernest P. Worrell has done many things. He’s been a camp counselor, a prison inmate, a professional basketball player, he’s helped Santa save Christmas, and he’s even been in the army. But of all his accomplishments, none might be greater than his defeat of the evil turning-children-into-wooden-dolls troll known as Trantor, also known as “Boogerlips.” After an amazingly epic battle that makes the fight between Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed look like 2 girls flailing their wrists at each other aboard his pickup truck, Ernest conducts his finishing fatality, using the truck to smash right into the poor little bastard. Everything in this one shot (when the truck hits him) his great. The music build up, which stops just in time for us to hear the bone crunching thud, Trantor’s screaming while standing completely still, and finally the “oomph” when he gets hit. Also if you look carefully, his head comes off. Fast forward to 2:45.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_MHeHZ9d8Y

Shit Face - Van Wilder

This poor guy was slipped a little colon cleaning powder before his big college exam and before he can make it to the restroom, he is blocked by some powerful associates looking forward to meeting him. Unfortunately he can’t hold it much longer and decides a trash can is a fine place to release some fecal matter. This guy makes probably the greatest “I’m shitting my brains out” face I have ever seen. Plus his poop war cry is fantastic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl0bmyxHzrc

Mr. Bean’s Wild Ride - Bean

Mr. Bean is a comedy legend. The best thing about him has to be his faces and how little he speaks. The best moment of the film version of the character comes when he tampers with the controls of one of those movie theater roller coasters, jacking up the velocity. What happens next is a whole bunch of hilarious shit. Bean’s face during the ride is priceless. Then comes the guy who falls and desperately tries to grab onto Bean for help, but he’s just like “Fuck off, buddy” and pushes him down. Finally, a man sitting in the second row is launched into the front of the theater with a hysterical scream.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfoNmmJcgV4

Pee Wee Crashes - Pee Wee's Big Adventure

This is, hands down, the funniest moment in movie history. Every single thing in this scene is perfect. Goofy Pee Wee, after impressing a bar of bikers with his famous Tequilla dance, earns the right to one of their hogs so that he may continue his trek for his stolen bike. Now the hilarious moment is that he has no clue ho to ride a motorcycle and end up crashing straight through a billboard. But what makes this scene especially fall down hilarious are the little things. Number one: The scene is just one shot. The camera doesn’t move, letting us see from the bikers’ perspective. Number two: The sound. As Pee Wee begins his ill-fated ride, the roaring sound of the harley is full blast, but when he rides off, it becomes faint and distant, ending with a little “splat” when he crashes. Number three, and the funniest part of it: He rides straight into it. It’s not like he loses control or anything, he just drives straight into the damn thing, making his journey screwed right from the get-go. And, if you look to the left of the sign after he hits, you can see his body cart wheeling into a bush. Poor son of a bitch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0h_cvVGMcQ

Great stuff. If I think of anymore, I’ll do a part 2. By the way, this is post number 100! Woo! Never thought I'd be doing this for this long. Let's see if I can make 200.

Movie News 03/9/10

2010-03-09T17:44:00.005-05:00

The New Iron Man 2 Trailer

Source: Paramount Pictures

Paramount Pictures has provided us with the new trailer for Iron Man 2! You can watch the trailer using the player below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNQowwwwYa0

Opening in conventional theaters and IMAX on May 7, the Jon Favreau-directed sequel stars Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Jon Favreau, Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell, Samuel L. Jackson

The Complete List of Oscar Winners

Source: ComingSoon.net

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented the 82nd Academy Awards on Sunday night and you can view the full list of winners here. The Hurt Locker topped the night with 6 awards, including Best Picture and Kathryn Bigelow as Best Director - the first time a woman has won the award.

Transformers 3 Returning to "Core Mythology"?

Source: MTV

Last week MTV spoke with Michael Bay about Transformers 3 and this week its Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner who revealed what sounds like a back to basics for the Transformers franchise. From the article:

"You’re going to see that great core mythology brought to the fore, and Michael is hard at work at making this a reality and we’re very excited about it," the series executive producer and Hasbro head Brian Goldner told MTV News. "I mean, I think it’s a great time to put it out in 2011 and we’re very excited about the movie."

"What we’re really doing is getting back to some of the core character development and storytelling. And I think there’s some elements of the core story that the filmmakers, Michael in particular wanted to tell," Goldner explained. "He’s really well-versed in the Transformers lore. So I think you’ll see, you know, less bedlam, more characters."

WB, Atlas Headed for Gilligan's Island

Source: Variety

Warner Bros. Pictures and production company Atlas Entertainment are developing a feature film based on CBS' "Gilligan's Island."

Charles Roven and Richard Suckle will produce for Atlas, with Brad Copeland writing the screenplay. Original show producer Sherwood Schwartz is on board to executive produce along with son Lloyd Schwartz.

Variety says that plans are for a contemporary take on the iconic show. They're hoping to start production next year but won't move forward on seeking a director or cast until Copeland's script is completed.

"The characters are so good," Roven added. "We think it's going to be a great story to transport these cultural icons to the modern day."

Ford Says There's a Storyline for Indiana Jones 5

Source: BBC

Harrison Ford tells the BBC that there's a storyline for the fifth "Indiana Jones" film. The actor, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas have come up with a rough outline for the follow-up to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

"Steven and George and I are sort of agreed on a germ of an idea and we're seeing what comes of it."

He added that, despite coming up with an idea for the movie, people won't see the movie for some time.

Burton and Bekmambetov Go Vampire Hunting with Lincoln

Source: Deadline Hollywood

Tim Burton (Alice in Wonderland), Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted) and Jim Lemley are teaming to produce a big screen adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith's new book "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter," which was released in stores today. Burton, Bekmambetov and Jim Lemley produced Focus Features' 9 together as well.

Lionsgate previously picked up the film rights to the author's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which Natalie Portman is attached to star in and David O.Russell is circling to direct.

Wolverine 2 to Start Filming in January?

Source: Showbiz 411

Showbiz 411 is reporting that Wolverine 2 is gearing up to start filming next January.

The Blog from The Hollywood Reporter says that Christopher McQuarrie (Valkyrie, The Usual Suspects) has finished the script for the sequel that will be set in Japan. A director is not on board yet.

Showbiz 411 writes:

Based on a story cycle by Frank Miller and Chris Claremont, Wolverine's adventures in martial arts will be a love story featuring a Japanese actress, I am told. "It's a beautiful story," says a source, "and will be very different than the first film."

20th Century Fox has not set a release date for the film yet.

Pet Sematary Getting Remade

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Matthew Greenberg, who wrote the Stephen King adaptation "1408," is heading back to King territory with "Pet Sematary."

Lorenzo di Bonaventura recently boarded as producer on the long-gestating project, which is set up at Paramount. Steven Schneider also is producing.

Published in 1983, King's creeper tale centered on a family that trades the city life for the country life in Maine, then discovers that they have moved near a pet cemetery that rests on an ancient burial ground. When the husband's toddler son is killed in an auto accident, the father takes the boy's body to the cemetery, where it is resurrected in demonic form.
Paramount brought the book to life in 1989, with a feature version adapted by King that starred Dale Midkiff, Denise Crosby and Fred Gwynne.

Warner Bros. to Make Space Invaders Movie?

Source: Los Angeles Times

The Los Angeles Times reports that Warner Bros. Pictures is negotiating to acquire feature rights to classic video game "Space Invaders from Taito, the Japanese company that originally manufactured the game.

"Space Invaders" was designed by Tomohiro Nishikado and released in 1978. The game was later licensed for production in the United States by Midway.

The project would be produced by Mark Gordon (The Day After Tomorrow, Saving Private Ryan), Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity) and Guymon Casady.

Movie versions of "Missile Command" and "Asteroids" are also in development at Fox and Universal, respectively.

Police Academy is Coming Back

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

New Line/Warner Bros. is looking to relaunch "Police Academy" with original producer Paul Maslansky. The new film has no writer or director attached.

The seven-film comedy series starred actors such as Steve Guttenberg, G.W. Bailey, Bobcat Goldthwait, Bubba Smith, David Graf, Marion Ramsey, Michael Winslow, Kim Cattrall and Sharon Stone.

"It's going to be very worthwhile to the people who remember it and to those who saw it on TV," Maslansky said. "It's going to be a new class. We hope to discover new talent and season it with great comedians.

Ben Stiller Confirms Zoolander Sequel Plans

Source: MTV

Last week, it was reported that Ben Stiller is working together with Tropic Thunder and Iron Man 2 writer Justin Theroux on a sequel to Zoolander at Paramount Pictures. Jonah Hill was said to be in negotiations to play the villain.

Speaking to MTV, Stiller confirmed sequel plans. "We are in the process of getting a script written. It's in the early stages, but it's gonna happen."

He added: "We have a new story idea that we feel excited about and we're going to try to go forward. The beginning of the movie is [set]... 10 years later, and Derek & Hansel are literally forgotten. Nobody even knows who they are, so they have to re-invent themselves."

Stiller said that Will Ferrell's Mugatu would be back, if the actor is up for it. "If Will says yes, he definitely has to be a part of it. To me, Mugatu is one of the classic screen villains of all time."

Movie News 02/28/10

2010-02-28T14:02:00.003-05:00

The Nolans Directing The Man of Steel & Justice League?

Source: IESB

IESB has posted some interesting rumors about DC Entertainment's upcoming slate. The site says it's all still unconfirmed, but these items could potentially be part of the announcements that the studio is expected to make soon.

Yesterday, the site reported that Greg Berlanti, co-producer and co-writer of Martin Campbell's Green Lantern, is the frontrunner to direct Warner Bros.' The Flash.

Earlier this week, it was reported that David Goyer will be writing the new Superman movie, The Man of Steel. What we didn't catch then is that Jonah Nolan, who together with Goyer is writing the script for Christopher Nolan's next Batman movie, is also on board to co-write the Superman film. Of course, this follows the news from earlier this month that Chris Nolan will play a "godfather" role in getting The Man of Steel going.

Which brings us to the really interesting parts. IESB is saying that Chris Nolan is mentoring the movie because his brother Jonah Nolan may make his directorial debut on The Man of Steel.

Adding to that, the site says that there's a possibility that Chris Nolan will direct the Justice League movie after The Man of Steel and next Batman movie are released.

Bruce Willis Says Die Hard 5 Filming Next Year

Source: MTV

"I think we're going to do a 'Die Hard 5' next year."

"Die Hard" exploded onto screens in 1988. Almost two decades later, in 2007, a fourth movie in the franchise was released, much to the delight of fans. It seemed almost too much to dare believe that there might be another one... until Willis confirmed just that.

It's all an in-process thing at this point, with no hard details decided upon. Willis will obviously be involved since there can be no "Die Hard" without John McClane, and he's already got a few ideas.

"I would hire Len Wiseman right now," he said, referring to the director the well-received fourth chapter in the series, 2007 release "Live Free or Die Hard." He also has an idea of the scope of the next movie, a pretty obvious next step for a series which has gone from "trapped in a building" to "trapped in an airport" to "trapped in New York City" to, most recently, "trapped by the Internet." So what's next?

"Well it's got to go worldwide," Willis concluded. "That would be my contribution to [the next movie]."

McShane to Play Blackbeard in Pirates of the Caribbean 4

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Ian McShane ("Deadwood") is in negotiations to play the villain Blackbeard in Walt Disney Pictures' Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, to be directed by Rob Marshall.

The Hollywood Reporter says McShane will play the legendary pirate--whose real name was Edward Teach--who piloted the ship Queen Anne's Revenge.

McShane will join Johnny Depp, reprising his role of Captain Jack Sparrow, and Penelope Cruz, Sparrow's foil and equal in many ways, in a story that revolves around the Fountain of Youth.

Terry Rossio and Ted Elliot wrote the script for the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced film.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is scheduled for a May 20, 2011 release.

David Goyer to Write the New Superman Movie

Source: Latino Review

Latino Review has broken the news that David Goyer will write the new Superman movie, to be titled The Man of Steel!

The site's scooper said that Goyer "had an idea that actually takes the movies back to the John Byrne incarnation. Modern. Believable. FUN!"

The site adds that Brandon Routh will not star in the film and Bryan Singer is not expected to direct.

About the story, the scooper adds: "I can tell you that Goyer's story involves Luthor and Brainiac. It is NOT an origin and assumes audiences already know about Lois, Clark, Jimmy and Perry. I know the Daily Planet is struggling due to the internet. And I know it sets up a huge Kryptonian mythology."

Is Zoolander 2 Happening?

Source: Deadline Hollywood

Tropic Thunder and Iron Man 2 writer Justin Theroux is reportedly in talks to direct a sequel to Zoolander at Paramount Pictures. He would write the script with star Ben Stiller.

There's no deal yet for Owen Wilson to return as Hansel, but the villain will likely be played by Jonah Hill, who is said to be in negotiations.

The original film on September 28, 2001 and earned $60.8 million worldwide. It carried a budget of about $28 million.

New Line Making Speedy Gonzales Movie

Source: Heat Vision

New Line/Warner Bros. is developing a big screen version of "Speedy Gonzales," to be voiced by George Lopez.

Garfield writers Alec Sokolow and Joel Cohen will adapt the classic animated Looney Tunes character into a live-action/CG hybrid feature. The movie will reportedly take place in present day.

Could Pineapple Express 2 Become A Reality?

Source: MTV

In an interview with MTV's Josh Horowitz, reporting from the Sundance Film Festival James Franco said that "practical steps are being taken to actually make it happen." According to the actor, the sequel has been discussed and that it is something that everyone is.

Movie News 02/21/10

2010-02-21T11:23:00.002-05:00

American Pie is Getting a Reboot?

Source: Los Angeles Times

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Universal Pictures is looking to reboot the theatrical "American Pie" series by developing a new version. The third title in the franchise, American Wedding, hit theaters in 2003, and was followed by a slew of DVD titles that carried the "American Pie Presents" banner.

While Universal declined to comment on the report, the newspaper adds that at least some of the original cast is interested in coming back for the new film, though no deals are in place.

The original films, including 1999's American Pie and 2001's American Pie 2 starred such names as Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Seann William Scott, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Chris Klein, Shannon Elizabeth, Tara Reid, Mena Suvari and Eugene Levy, who also appeared in the DVD titles.

Scream 4 Starts Shooting in May

Source: Los Angeles Times

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Wes Craven revealed that he'll start shooting Scream 4 in May.

Craven recently finished “My Soul to Take,” which is scheduled for release sometime this year. And in May, he starts on “Scream 4.” And after that?

Kevin Williamson wrote the script for Scream 4, the first in an intended new trilogy. Neve Campbell

3D Erector Set Movie in the Works

Source: Helix Films

Helix Films, an independent production company, announced today that they have formed an exclusive partnership with Meccano Toy Company to develop an original 3D feature film based upon the iconic Erector Set brand of children's construction toys. The deal represents the first time Meccano has licensed film rights to their toys.

Helix is currently developing an original script with an eye towards creating a film franchise based on the Erector brand that could also expand to other entertainment platforms including television and video games. While details of the story are being kept under wraps, the film will be a family fantasy/adventure.

New Treasure Island is on the Way

Source: Variety

Ecosse Films is developing a new feature adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's novel, "Treasure Island," according to Variety.

Ecosse's Douglas Rae and Robert Bernstein want to update the 19th century tale for contemporary audiences, playing up the relationship between Long John Silver and narrator Jim Hawkins.

The trade says Silver's character will be "hipper" this time around.

Movie News 02/14/10

2010-02-14T14:02:00.006-05:00

Christopher Nolan to Mentor New Superman Movie?

Source: Deadline Hollywood

In possibly one of the biggest superhero movie shockers since the last one--when was the Spider-Man reboot, three weeks ago?--Deadline Hollywood is now reporting that The Dark Knight and Batman Begins director Christopher Nolan has been assigned the potentially thankless task of being the latest filmmaker assigned by Warner Bros. to try to save the "Superman" franchise, in this case in a mentoring capacity to figure out the best way to proceed.

It's unclear how far Nolan's role as a mentor might stretch and whether he'll just be offering some suggestions on the direction, or will be actively involved in picking the director, writers and casting for the reboot, as it's still very early in what is already being labeled "Superman 3.0."

Nolan Also Prepping Batman 3

Source: Deadline Hollywood

While Nolan completes that Leonardo DiCaprio-starrer for a July 16th release, he's also hatched an idea for Warner Bros' third Batman installment. Now his brother and frequent collaborator Jonathan "Jonah" Nolan, and David Goyer who co-wrote Batman Begins and penned the story for The Dark Knight, are off scripting it.

Spider-Man Swings Into Theaters in 3D

Source: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Spider-Man will swing into theaters worldwide in 3D beginning July 3, 2012, it was announced today by Jeff Blake, Chairman of Sony Pictures Worldwide Marketing & Distribution. The new film which is still untitled, will begin production later this year directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt. Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin will produce the film from Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios.

Commenting on the announcement, Blake said, "Spider-Man is the ultimate summer movie-going experience, and we're thrilled the filmmakers are presenting the next installment in 3D. Spider-Man is one of the most popular characters in the world, and we know audiences are eager and excited to discover Marc's fantastic vision for Peter Parker and the franchise."

Penelope Cruz Joining Pirates of the Caribbean

Source: Heat Vision

Penelope Cruz is in negotiations to join Johnny Depp in the Rob Marshall-directed Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, reports Heat Vision.

Scheduled for a release on May 20, 2011, the fourth installment revolves around the Fountain of Youth. Depp is reprising the role of Captain Jack Sparrow and Cruz's character is expected to be "Sparrow's foil and equal in many ways."

The Jerry Bruckheimer-produced film was written by Terry Rossio and Ted Elliot. Shooting will take place in Hawaii this summer.

Tom Cruise Confirmed for Mission: Impossible IV

Source: Paramount Pictures

Paramount Pictures announced today that it is making Mission: Impossible IV. The film, which will be produced by Tom Cruise, J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot Productions and will star Cruise, will be released Memorial Day weekend 2011.

"Tom and J.J. are great talents and we are excited to be working with them to re-launch this legendary franchise," said Paramount Pictures Chairman & CEO Brad Grey.

Screenwriters Josh Applebaum and Andre Nemec are attached to write the script, from an original idea by Cruise and Abrams. The studio, Cruise and Abrams are in now the process of identifying a director for the film. Abrams's last project with Paramount was Star Trek, which he produced and directed. The film grossed $385 million globally.

Cruise's "Mission: Impossible" franchise has grossed over 1.4 billion globally.

Bill Murray Confirms Ghostbusters 3 Spoiler

Source: Mail Online

When Sigourney Weaver was traveling the world promoting Avatar, she dropped a possible big spoiler about Bill Murray's character in Ghostbusters 3. Many doubted what she said, but it looks like she was right on the money as Murray said the exact same thing to Mail Online.

The following contains spoilers you may not want to know before you see the movie. Click here to see.

New Escape From New York Moving Forward

Source: Vulture

Vulture has new details about New Line Cinema's upcoming reboot of Escape From New York, which the site says is moving forward thanks to a well-received rewrite by Allan Loeb.

"Loeb nailed the humor in Plissken without slipping into camp, and he changed Snake's rescue-mission target from a president to a female senator, thereby upping the banter quotient," they say, adding, "But just as big a factor was economic: They found a much cheaper way to turn Manhattan into a giant prison."

Mr. & Mrs. Smith Also Being Rebooted?

Source: New York Magazine

New York Magazine's Vulture* is reporting that the 2005 20th Century Fox action-comedy Mr. & Mrs. Smith that brought together Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie (in many more ways than one) is being given the reboot treatment by Regency, one of the development arms of Fox, with Akiva Goldsman attached to produce.

The original movie showed what happened when a married couple, both working undercover without the other one's knowledge, end up on the opposite side of the world of espionage having been hired by competing agencies to kill the other. According to the story, the new movie would involve a pair of 20-something secret agents who are set up in a fake arranged marriage as covers after graduating the academy. Although it's thought that these would be different characters and not exactly a prequel to the earlier film, it would allow Fox to continue it as a franchise without paying the hefty sum Pitt and Jolie would want for a sequel. As mentioned in the article, this tactic is similar to the mindset that created the comedy prequel Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd a number of years back.

24 Feature Film Moving Forward

Source: Variety

20th Century Fox's film and TV studios are teaming to finally bring hit television series "24" to the big screen, reports Variety. Billy Ray (State of Play, Flightplan) will write the script for the feature.

Ray's pitch, which takes Jack Bauer to Europe, was a hit with Fox executives and producers of the TV series, reports Variety.

The trade adds that the script came through "24" star and executive producer Kiefer Sutherland, who is reportedly eager to turn the series into a feature franchise.

Variety cautions that a "24" feature is still very much in the preliminary stages and there are a number of factors influencing how quickly it moves ahead, including the fate of the TV show.

Fox hasn't decided whether to order a ninth season of the show. If Fox decides to pass for another season, Fox TV could shop the show to other networks, which would put the movie on the backburner.

Most Disappointing Movies: Van Helsing

2010-02-08T20:25:00.007-05:00

So this week, the remake of the Wolfman hits theaters after being delayed for about a year and a half. A film being delayed that long is usually not a very good sign. It usually means the movie sucks. I have to say though, the trailers have actually been very good and I appreciate how they’re trying to make everything practical and not entirely in a computer. So let’s hope that it kicks off a return of the Universal Classic Monsters franchise better than their last attempt in 2004. Oh you don’t remember? Don’t worry, neither do a lot of people. It was a very expensive film starring Wolverine and from the director of The Mummy (Yay!) and The Mummy Returns (Boo.) It was called Van Helsing.

Director Stephen Sommers is a big, middle aged, 7 year old. All of his movies, some good, some bad, are definitely made without too much of a thinking process behind it. In 1998, he made a fun and action packed monster movie called Deep Rising about an ocean liner besieged by a swarm of squid like creatures. It was full of action, some cool gore, and great comedy. I’ll always remember it for it’s sequel tempting ending which finds the only 3 survivors on an island with something big and loud and ripping up trees coming towards them from the jungle. That sequel has, unfortunately, yet to happen. Or maybe it has…

A year later, Sommers decided to remake the horror classic, The Mummy. I am still fond of this one. It was great adventure, cool effects, some good laughs, likable characters, and some scares thrown in. Now, it wasn’t a true horror movie, like the original, but then again, the Mummy is probably the least scary of the Universal Monster troupe. He’s a guy wrapped in toilet paper slowly walking at people. So updating it into more of an Indiana Jones knockoff was a pretty good idea. Then…the sequel came.

The Mummy Returns was released two years afterward and I think it was the first time I realized the definition of a bloated Hollywood summer blockbuster. There was simply just way too much. It’s ten years later, they have a kid, the mummy’s back, the mummy’s girlfriend is back, there’s a Scorpion King, there’s midget mummies, it turns out the main characters are the protectors of God or something like that, an entire army of dog people, just too damn much. And all of these things really hurt the F/X budget. Here’s proof:

Now that you are done laughing hysterically for the 7th time, let’s move on to the film this whole article is about, Van Helsing. It was revealed that the guy who brought the Mummy into the new century was going to do the same for his 3 more popular, and scarier, buddies: Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolfman. And there was gonna be a bad-ass monster slayer sent from the Vatican to take them out played by Hugh Jackman. I almost just jizzed typing that whole thing.

That’s how excited I was for this. However, I was a little afraid. I am a big monster movie fan and would like to see a bad ass version of this film with blood, practical effects, cool characters, and great acting. Now, I thought what Sommers did with the Mummy was cool, but I thought that doing the big 3 of the U. Monsters line up like that was a bad idea. Like I said, the mummy was just a guy wrapped in bandages, so an adventure movie makeover was appropriate. But Dracula, Frankenstein, and Wolfman were scary as hell to begin with. Doing this to them would just come off as cheesy and stupid. Some of my hope was raised when the first production art came out, it looked scary, it looked creepy, and it looked bad ass.

Then I saw the trailer for the first time…Uh-Oh. Was this a cartoon? Did the F/X guys make it look stupid on purpose? So up until the release date, I tried lying to myself that I was completely 100 percent hyped for it, but I knew deep down, this wasn’t gonna be good. So I was there opening weekend and what did I think?

It sucked. Big time. Where to even begin? They guy who played Dracula didn’t do a very good job. In fact, I thought his acting was terrible. He did not come off as The Lord of Darkness at all. More like the Lord of The Art Galleria. They seriously couldn’t find a more intimidating Dracula? He seems like he got shuttled in from a prime time soap opera. Same for his brides. They’re hot, but that doesn’t mean you can act.

I wasn’t a big fan of Frankenstein either. Yeah I’m calling him Frankenstein. I know it’s the doctors name, but the doctor considered the monster a son, and son's have the same last name as their father so deal with it. Anyways, he barely did anything and his constant retard yell would turn him into a big buffoon.

And the Wolfman. Or the computer digitized cartoon dog. Seriously, this has to be the least convincing CGI ever in a movie. Even more than Dwayne Johnson Scorpio up there. Practical werewolf effects have always looked better. Look at An American Werewolf in London, The Howling, Silver Bullet, Bad Moon, Underworld, and even the original 1944 Wolfman for crying out loud. That’s some scary shit. Then look at the one in this film. It’s they’re retarded cousin they keep in the basement so that they can all impress Dracula when he stops by for a visit.

What about the other things? Hugh Jackman is good. He’s always a likable guy. Just look at him rip apart an army of soldiers with metal claws in front of a bunch of kids. Now that’s a guy I want to hang out with. Kate Beckinsale is as smoking as ever, but her Transylvanian accent is pretty stupid. As is every other person’s accent in this movie. And what’s up with her and vampires and werewolves? I think she might secretly be a screaming idiot Twilight fan.

Even the little details are too stupid for words. Igor is a comedic relief who falls flat. Dracula has an army of little midgets to do his bidding (I guess they were all out of the ’O wee O, ya HO oh’ guards), and things are just too convenient. So, only a werewolf can kill Dracula and it just so happens Van Helsing gets bit by one. Speaking of which, when he wolfs out at the end, he ends up killing Beckinsale, which I thought was a little nuts and ballsy. Until I saw her face take up the entire sky as they hold her funeral. It reminded me of that baby in the sun from Teletubbies.

So yeah, a fucking stupid movie. The only thing I like about it was how the opening scene was in classic black and white, and the pretty cool opening fight with Mr. Hyde. Other than that, there is a good reason why no one remembers this movie. It is the very definition of stupid summer movie bullshit that takes the space of the really good ones every year. So here’s hoping they learned their lesson with the remake of the Wolfman this week. I’m not holding my breath, but I like to be surprised.

Movie News 02/7/10

2010-02-07T11:41:00.008-05:00

The 82nd Annual Academy Award Nominations

Source: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Nominations for the 82nd Academy Awards® were announced on Tuesday morning by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Sid Ganis and Oscar-nominated actress Anne Hathaway.

James Cameron's Avatar (20th Century Fox) and Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker (Summit) tied for the most nominations with 9 each.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

Below are the 10 nominees for Best Picture.
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

You can view the rest of the nominees for all categories here.

Avatar Passes Titanic at the Domestic Box Office

Source: 20th Century Fox

James Cameron's Avatar passed up the filmmaker's own Titanic at the domestic box office on Tuesday to claim that crown as well. Avatar reached $601,141,551 after 47 days to pass up the $600,788,188 that Titanic earned its entire run.

Internationally, Avatar had already passed up Titanic's $1,242,413,080, and now stands at $1,446,989,293.

Worldwide, Avatar has brought in $2,048,130,844 so far, while Titanic earned $1,843,201,268 total.

Red Skull Confirmed as Captain America Villain

Source: Ryan Rotten, ShockTillYouDrop

Joe Johnston, director of the forthcoming The First Avenger: Captain America, has been doing press all day out in Los Angeles for his new movie The Wolfman and ShockTillYouDrop.com Managing Editor Ryan Rotten had a chance to talk with Johnston about the movie and what to expect.

Johnston confirmed at the press conference that the Red Skull will indeed be the villain of the first movie and told Ryan later a bit more about why they decided to set the majority of the movie during WWII:

"Virtually the entire story except the bookends are in World War II because we all recognize we have one chance to tell the origin story of how he became Captain America, you can't tell a modern story and then go back and tell the origin story. If you're going to do it, let's do it. Let's do it first. Everyone wanted to tell an origin story. There was a version where it was a modern story and it didn't work."

Fox Developing Daredevil Reboot

Source: Deadline Hollywood

In order to keep the movie rights to Marvel Comics' "Daredevil" under their belt, 20th Century Fox and Regency are looking to develop a reboot of the sightless superhero with News Corp VP Peter Chernin producing and David Scarpa (The Day the Earth Stood Still) writing a script, according to Mike Fleming at Deadline Hollywood.

The original movie directed by Mark Steven Johnson and starring Ben Affleck in the title role (and his current wife Jennifer Garner as Elektra) was released almost exactly seven years ago and grossed $179.2 million worldwide.

This probably shouldn't come as too big a surprise as there has been talk of some sort of reboot ever since Disney bought Marvel last year, but this is the first confirmation that one is being actively developed.

Taylor Lautner to Play Stretch Armstrong

Source: Universal Pictures

Universal Pictures has announced the "The Twilight Saga" star Taylor Lautner will will play the title character in Stretch Armstrong, which will be made in 3D, while the studio has moved back Battleship to Memorial Day Weekend in 2012:

Universal Pictures announced breaking news about two of its upcoming event films based on popular Hasbro brands, Stretch Armstrong and Battleship. The announcements were made today by Universal Pictures Chairman Adam Fogelson and Co-Chairman Donna Langley.

Taylor Lautner (the Twilight saga) will play the title character in the upcoming 3-D superhero adventure Stretch Armstrong, to be released in 2012.

Stretch Armstrong is based on the iconic action figure made popular around the world beginning in the 1970s and re-launched in the 1990s. Academy Award®-winning producer Brian Grazer (A Beautiful Mind, 8 Mile, American Gangster) will team with Hasbro to bring Stretch Armstrong to life. Steve Oedekerk (Bruce Almighty) has written the screenplay, and Hasbro's Goldner and Schneir also produce.

Captain America to be Cast Soon

Source: SCI FI Wire

The First Avenger: Captain America director Joe Johnston told SCI FI Wire that they'll have their Captain America very soon:

"We need to cast it soon," Johnston said. "We have a very short list, but we're still juggling actors here. I'd say within the next couple of weeks we'll have ourselves a Captain America, I hope."

He added that the movie is expected to start shooting at the end of June. He said, "We're getting ready to go to the U.K., it looks like." You can read more of the interview here!

The First Avenger: Captain America is scheduled for a July 22, 2011 release.

5th Fast and Furious Installment Confirmed

Source: Variety

Universal Pictures is putting a fifth installment of its "Fast and Furious" franchise, with the working title of Fast Five, on the fast track. Variety says the studio has closed deals with Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, director Justin Lin and producer Neal Moritz to return.

Last year's fourth installment was the highest-grossing "Fast and Furious" film and Universal's top grosser of 2009, making $343 million worldwide.

Chris Morgan is writing Fast Five, in which Dom (Diesel) and Brian (Walker) are fugitives being pursued by relentless lawmen.

Filming is scheduled to begin later this year for a 2011 release.

Paramount Considering 3D for Transformers 3

Source: Variety

In an article at Variety talking about films getting converted into 3D, the trade says it is still a possibility that Transformers 3 might add a dimension:

Bay's next project is "Transformers 3," and there have been discussions among Bay, Paramount and Industrial Light & Magic about going 3D with the pic. The big stumbling block is the extra time required to do production and visual effects in 3D, as the movie's release date is already set. Having the pic post-converted could alleviate that problem.

The third installment is scheduled for a July 1, 2011 release.

Columbia to Make The Lost Symbol

Source: Variety

Variety says that Columbia Pictures is moving forward with The Lost Symbol, the third installment of the "Da Vinci Code" franchise. Steven Knight has come on board to adapt Dan Brown's novel.

Tom Hanks, who played Langdon in The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. has not yet committed to reprise the role, though he is expected to. Imagine's Brian Grazer and John Calley have signed on to produce the latest installment.

Patrick Stewart Won't Be In X-Men: First Class

Source: TrekMovie

Patrick Stewart Won't Be In X-Men: First Class Bryan Singer is set to make his return to the X-Men universe soon by directing the upcoming prequel X-Men: First Class. The film tells the story of how Professor Xavier first formed his school for mutants, and examines the earlier days of his relationship with Magneto. So you’d think to do that, they might need Professor Xavier himself. There’s only ever been one, and he’s always been played by (in one form or another) Patrick Stewart. But not this time.

TrekMovie caught up with Stewart at an Australian Trek convention where he revealed that he doesn’t expect to be involved in Singer’s franchise prequel. It doesn’t sound like he isn’t interested since he adds that “working with Ian again would be wonderful”, rather it’s that he doesn’t expect to be needed.

Avatar 2 a War Movie

Source: Cinemablend

Even though Cameron is still deciding what to do next, that doesn’t mean Avatar 2 isn’t being talked about and prepared on some level. Word from MarketSaw’s sources is that the plan is for the film to be a full-blown war movie. That makes sense, the human military had to show up eventually. The Na’vi have only won the first battle, not the war.

Taken 2 Script is Finished

Source: Cinemablend

Screenwriter Luc Besson wants us to be taken again sooner rather than later. While at a press conference for From Paris with Love Besson revealed to us he has completed the script for the sequel to his surprise hit Taken.

When asked about his expectations for From Paris with Love as compared to Taken, Besson emphasized the drastic difference between the two films specifically pointing out the former’s sense of humor. He added, “Taken was a big surprise. No one was expecting that the film would work so well.” Naturally, the follow up question concerned the status of the second film to which Besson exclaimed, “Yeah, I finished yesterday,” referring to the script.

Next Bourne to be a Prequel?

Source: Empire

Ever since Universal's The Bourne Ultimatum became a worldwide hit, there's been a lot of talk about whether director Paul Greengrass and actor Matt Damon might return for another go-round. Last year, producer Frank Marshall hinted that Universal were shooting for summer 2011 for another Bourne Sequel, but over the last few months, Greengrass dropped out, and things began to look grim, because Damon only seemed interested if Greengrass returned, as we reported back in December.

While on the red carpet for the premiere of Clint Eastwood's Invictus, Matt Damon was asked by Empire magazine about whether there's been any status change since he was last asked about it, to which the actor responded:

"There'll probably be a prequel of some kind with another actor and another director before we do another one," he said, "just because I think we're probably another five years away from doing it – we've got to get a script..."

Movie News 01/17/10

2010-01-17T12:27:00.003-05:00

Sony Rebooting Spider-Man in 2012

Source: Sony Pictures

Peter Parker is going back to high school when the next Spider-Man hits theaters in the summer of 2012.

Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios announced today they are moving forward with a film based on a script by James Vanderbilt that focuses on a teenager grappling with both contemporary human problems and amazing super-human crises.

The new chapter in the "Spider-Man" franchise produced by Columbia, Marvel Studios and Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin, will have a new cast and filmmaking team. Spider-Man 4 was to have been released in 2011, but had not yet gone into production.

Michael Bay Talks Transformers 3

Source:Los Angeles Times

The Los Angeles Times reports that Transformers 3 director Michael Bay briefly spoke about the third installment at a discussion on sound in film:

So can we expect more thunderous sound in the third installment? Although the number of robots increased significantly from the first film for the second, the third film -- which will hit theaters in summer 2011, won't be as robot-heavy and there will be fewer explosions, a tight-lipped Bay said after the Q+A.

"There will be a nice crescendo ending," Bay said. "It gets much more into the robot character. The last time you kind of met a few of the robots; this time you're gonna get a much cooler landscape."

Transformers 3 hits theaters on July 1, 2011.

Reitman Confirms He Will Direct Ghostbusters 3

Source: MTV

Speaking to MTV, Ivan Reitman confirmed he will return to direct Ghostbusters 3. Reitman directed the first two films, which were released in 1984 and 1989.

Reitman said that screenwriters Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky had turned in a first draft of the script and are working on a second draft right now. "Good work is being done and all of us have our fingers crossed... There's some very cool things in the new draft," he said.

While he wouldn't comment on recent rumors about the story, he added that he hopes to start shooting in this next year.

Johnston Talks Jurassic Park 4

Source: Chewy

Boxoffice Magazine has posted some new comments from The Wolfman director Joe Johnston about the possibility of a Jurassic Park 4.

“Well, there is going to be a Jurassic Park IV. And it's going to be unlike anything you've seen. It breaks away from the first three—it's essentially the beginning of the second Jurassic Park trilogy. It's going to be done in a completely different way. That's pretty much all I can tell you.”

Fast and Furious 5 and 6?

Source: Aint It Cool News

Over the weekend, Vin Diesel updated his Facebook page with an infobit about the next FAST AND THE FURIOUS film - rather the next FATF films (?)

Vin wrote:

“If 2009's 'Fast and Furious' was chapter one, what writer Chris Morgan just delivered is Chapter 2 and chapter 3.

I have never been submitted a two story saga from a studio before... it is very exciting, and shows a commitment level that is hard not to respond to.”

Paramount Developing Four Brothers Sequel

Source:The Hollywood Reporter

Paramount is developing a sequel to the John Singleton-directed Four Brothers, to be titled Five Brothers.

Mark Wahlberg is looking to star and hatched the sequel idea with original writers David Elliot and Paul Lovett, who are writing the script. Lorenzo Di Bonaventura is back to produce.

In the 2005 release, the Mercer brothers - hotheaded Bobby (Wahlberg), hard-edged Angel (Tyrese Gibson), family man and businessman Jeremiah (André Benjamin), and hard rocking Jack (Garrett Hedlund) - reunite to take the matter of their adoptive mother's death into their own hands. As they track down the killer, they quickly realize that their old ways of doing business have new consequences.

Plot details for the follow-up are being kept under wraps.

Movie News 01/11/10

2010-01-11T12:04:00.004-05:00

Star Trek Sequel Gets Release Date

Source:Paramount Pictures

It looks like Paramount Pictures has decided at least on a tentative release date for J. J. Abrams' anticipated Untitled Star Trek Sequel as it stakes claim to the coveted pre-4th of July weekend of June 29, 2012. At this time, it is the only movie scheduled for June that summer, and absolutely nothing is known of the sequel except that one expects most of the cast introduced in the first movie to return.

Wolverine 2 to Film in 2011

Source:SuperHeroHype

SuperHeroHype reports that Hugh Jackman has revealed that Wolverine 2 will shoot in about a year or year-and-a-half. Jackman again said that Wolverine would be headed to Japan in the follow-up. First up is for Jackman is the Shawn Levy-directed Real Steel, which he said he'll shoot this summer.

3D Twister Sequel?

Source:Bulls-Eye

Bullz-Eye got a chance to talk to "Big Love" star Bill Paxton, who revealed he has pitched an idea for a 3D sequel to Twister to producer Kathleen Kennedy. The original was released in 1996 and earned $494.5 million worldwide.

Paxton told the site that the idea for a sequel came as a result of a trip that he took to the Ozark Mountains last spring:

"I flew into St. Louis with my buddy Scott Thomson, who played Preacher in 'Twister,' and we rented a car and drove down to southeastern Missouri, into the Ozarks," said Paxton. "We spent the night, and the next morning we got up and we started tracking the trail of the most famous tornado that ever hit the country, which was the Tri-State Tornado of 1925. It still holds all of the records. It was called the Tri-State because it was a mile wide when it came down from the sky on the afternoon of March 16, 1925, and it was a rural area, but, boy, before it was through, it crossed the Mississippi, it cut across southern Illinois, where it hit a lot of towns. The biggest one was Murphysboro, which was... it literally looked like Hiroshima after it hit. And then it went across the Wabash, into Indiana, staying on the ground three and a half hours and cutting a damage path 219 miles long, killing about 700 people. There's actually footage that I found in Murphysboro at their historical society. They had footage from a biplane that the government sent down, just to do aerial footage of all of the destruction and the damage. So we just did that to kind of get some ideas, and from that I kind of extrapolated an idea for a sequel. And I kind of put that together into a format, and now we're kind of waiting to see if that's going to move forward. That would need Steven Spielberg's blessing, ultimately, and they probably won't take it to him 'til there's real studio interest, but I think the 3D applications of that could obviously be pretty amazing.

He added that he "always thought the first 'Twister' was an exciting ride, but I thought a sequel could explore it in a more enthralling way, getting into more of the history and the lore, more of a darker version of the first one."

Iron Man 3 May Take On Tony's Alcoholism

Source: CinemaBlend

Iron Man 3 May Take On Tony's Alcoholism Since we first heard that Robert Downey Jr. was cast as the man inside Iron Man, fans have wondered whether the movies would ever get around to exploring Tony Stark’s addiction problems. It seems like such a natural fit, with Robert Downey’s real life past almost a mirror image of Tony’s comic book struggles with alcoholism. Aside from a glass of scotch now and then, the first movie ignored the issue and there’s little reason to expect the second movie will handle it any differently. But maybe, just maybe, things will take a more serious turn in Iron Man 3.

Talking to Comic Book Movie, Iron Man comic author Bob Layton says he’s heard that Iron Man 2 will end with a segue which sets up Iron Man 3 to explore Stark’s addiction problem. He says, “I think they’ve come up with a terrific segue to the third film, which I think is going to be fairly powerful,” said Layton. “My understanding is that the third film could very well be the ‘Demon in a Bottle’ story mixed in there with everything and I’m kind of looking forward to that, if that’s where they wind up going.” Demon in a Bottle was the name for a nine-issue Iron Man comic run which specifically addressed the characters alcoholism.

Producer Mike De Luca Talks Ghost Rider 2

Source:Collider

Collider spoke to producer Mike De Luca and was able to learn new details on Ghost Rider 2 (it might be called "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance"). They sent us the following summary:

– Mark Steven Johnson is not directing the sequel

– Eva Mendes will not return as Roxanne Simpson

– Ghost Rider 2 (or Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance) will be a hard PG-13

– The film is going to take place in Europe

– De Luca is open to David Goyer directing the sequel but it all comes down to his very busy schedule

– Says the sequel will be like "pushing the reset button" on the franchise

– As you might expect from the success of Avatar, Ghost Rider 2 might be done in 3D

– Says Goyer has just delivered his updated outline to the studio

– And says Ghost Rider 2 could easily be in front of the cameras this year

Sony Pictures Postpones Spider-Man 4

Source:Variety

Variety has confirmed reports that Sony Pictures has indeed postponed production on Spider-Man 4 so that more work can be done on the script.

Gary Ross, David Lindsay-Abaire and James Vanderbilt previously wrote drafts of the screenplay, and the trade says that Alvin Sargent is now "retooling the story." Sargent worked on the scripts for both the second and third Spidey movies.

Back in December, ComingSoon.net's SuperHeroHype was told by the studio that the production was not on hold but that they were simply on hiatus for the holidays and that production would resume in the new year. Obviously, that is not the case.

Sony still has the movie scheduled for a May 5, 2011 release (not May 6 or May 11 as some sites are reporting), but Variety adds "that date has become highly unlikely."

"We'll try, but I think making May is a real question," a source told the trade. "We will not start until we have it right. The feeling is we are not going to rush it to make the date."

Merry Christmas. Now Watch These.

2009-12-25T06:00:00.001-05:00

Well, it's that time again. So to celebrate, heres a couple of Christmas clips from around web to bring you a little holiday cheer.

X Mas Origins: Santa

The tale of how Santa came to be. But probably not.

The Opening Scene of Santa Slays

I just can't tell you anymore, you have to watch it. And yes, that's Bill Goldberg.

Snowman Rape

Guess where he put the carrot...

A Christmas Greeting from Chevy Chase

PUT ZAT COOKIE DOWN NOW ! Remix

And how can you have Christmas without Arnold?

Have a Merry Christmas. Not everyone will be...

Movie News 12/20/09

2009-12-20T15:51:00.004-05:00

The Iron Man 2 Trailer Now Online

Source:Paramount Pictures

Paramount Pictures has provided us with the first trailer for the highly-anticipated Iron Man 2, opening in theaters on May 7. Directed by Jon Favreau, the sequel stars Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Jon Favreau, Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Garry Shandling, John Slattery, Kate Mara, Clark Gregg and Olivia Munn.

You can watch the trailer using the player below!

The Second Clash of the Titans Trailer

Source:Warner Bros. Pictures

Warner Bros. Pictures has provided the 2nd trailer for Warner Bros.' 2010 remake of Clash of the Titans directed by Louis Letterier (The Incredible Hulk) and starring Sam Worthington from Avatar.

You can watch the trailer using the player below to see more Gods and creatures as well as your first really good look at the Kraken!

The Shrek Forever After Teaser Trailer

Source:Apple

Apple has posted the teaser trailer for DreamWorks Animation's Shrek Forever After, opening in 3D theaters and IMAX 3D on May 21. The studio has also released the first poster, which you can check out below.

In the fourth film, Shrek is feeling over-domesticated. He has lost his roar. It used to send villagers running away in terror. Now they run to him and ask him to sign their pitchforks and torches. To regain his ogre mojo, he strikes a deal with Rumpelstiltskin. The pact goes awry and Shrek must confront what life would be like in Far Far Away if he had never existed. That translates into Donkey being forced into cart-pulling duty, fat and lazy Puss in Boots trading his sword for a pink bow and the underhanded Rumpelstiltskin ruling the kingdom.

Bryan Singer Will Direct X-Men: First Class

Source:MySpace.com

James Cameron's Avatar had its premiere in Los Angeles tonight, and MySpace had a television crew on-hand at the "blue carpet" to interview arrivals.

One of the people there was director Bryan Singer, who directed X-Men and X2: X-Men United for Avatar distributor 20th Century Fox at the start of the decade. In recent interviews, Singer has been asked about possibly directing the planned prequel X-Men: First Class, and he always seemed interested, but earlier this evening he let slip that he has in fact just signed the deal with Fox to direct the next "Origins" film, which will reportedly look at the early days of Cyclops, Jean Grey and others at the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning.

You can see for yourself what Bryan Singer told the interviewer about signing to do X-Men: First Class if you go to the Official MySpace site, click on "Next Slide" at the bottom left and then scroll forward to the 27-minute mark where he's asked about what he has coming up next. He tells the interviewers without any hesitation and complete seriousness: "I'm ramping up to do a movie called 'Jack the Giant Killer' at Warner Bros, and I just yesterday signed a deal to do an 'X-Men: First Class Origins' picture, which is kind of cool. I'm very excited."

This is very exciting news for "X-Men" fans who have been hoping Singer would return to the fold and hopefully we'll have more to report on this news soon.

Frank Miller Talks 300 Follow-Up

Source:Los Angeles Times

The Los Angeles Times received an update from Frank Miller about his follow-up to 300, which earned $456 million in theaters worldwide.

Miller says the new project, now titled Xerxes, begins about 10 years before the events of 300, and Zack Snyder has expressed interest in it as a film property as well. "It's the battle of Marathon through my lens," Miller said. "I've finished the plot and I'm getting started on the artwork."

Miller said that during his research trips to Greece he realized that the myth and history overlap begins to blur, which adds to the storytelling allure. "The fact and the myth are inseparable and, believe me, when you go sailing for a while in the Aegean Sea, you start believing in Poseidon."

Hangover 2 in Thailand?

Source: CHUD

With The Hangover hitting DVD and Blu-Ray this week everybody is talking about the impending sequel to the biggest comedy of all time. Director Todd Phillips has been stressing that the sequel, which is in the scripting stage right now, will not be taking place in Las Vegas. So where will the boys be going to get into trouble?

How about Thailand?

At least that's the plan right now. What will be the story and why will the four friends be in Thailand? Beats me, but sources close to the movie tell say that Thailand is the destination. It's a pretty good destination for a movie about waking up with regret, and you have to wonder how edgy they're going to get in this chapter.

Another source has said that Thailand was going to be the setting of the scrapped Old School Dos, so it could be that Phillips is recycling a bunch of jokes that were intended for Will Ferrel and Vince Vaughn.

Laurence Fishburne to Fight Predators

Source:ShockTillYouDrop.com

ShockTillYouDrop.com reports that Laurence Fishburne ("CSI," "The Matrix" trilogy) has joined the cast of Robert Rodriguez's Predators, now filming in Austin, Texas under the direction of Nimrod Antal.

Fishburne is playing a character named Roland in the film. He joins a cast that includes Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Danny Trejo, Walton Goggins and Alice Braga.

They play a disparate group of people who land on the Predator home planet only to discover "unspeakable horrors."

20th Century Fox is targeting a July 7, 2010 release for the film.

New Director Boards Creature From the Black Lagoon

Source:Los Angeles Times

Universal's Creature from the Black Lagoon has found a new mate in director Carl Eric Rinsch.

The L.A. Times reports commercial helmer Rinsch (and one time contender for the Alien prequel) has been tapped to direct the long-gestating remake.

Gary Ross penned the script, but Universal is starting over in the story stage.

Mike Myers to Voice Marvin the Martian?

Source: LA Times

According to the L.A. Times, Warner Bros. and Alcon Entertainment have signed director Alex Zamm to helm Marvin the Martian, the big screen feature film based around the Bugs Bunny nemesis introduced in the 1948 cartoon short "Haredevil Hare." Television vets Paul Kaplan and Mark Tosgrove have also been signed to write the screenplay for the movie based around the premise that Marvin plans to destroy earth on Christmas Day but ends up being wrapped up as a Christmas present instead. Marvin will be CG but surrounded by live actors similar to Alvin and the Chipmunks, Stuart Little, Garfield and yes, Looney Tunes: Back in Action.

The piece speculates one of the voices we might hear as Marvin is none other than Shrek himself, comedian Mike Myers, and that the producers have already spoken to him and others for the role.

Movie News 12/13/09

2009-12-13T13:45:00.003-05:00

The Iron Man 2 Whiplash Poster

Source:Paramount Pictures

Apple has debuted the new Whiplash (Mickey Rourke) one-sheet for Iron Man 2! You can view a bigger version of the poster by clicking it below.

Opening in theaters on May 7, 2010, the Jon Favreau-directed sequel stars Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Jon Favreau, Rourke, Sam Rockwell, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Garry Shandling, John Slattery, Kate Mara, Clark Gregg and Olivia Munn.

Portman to Star in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Source:Variety

Natalie Portman will star in and produce Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, a film that is based on the best-selling book written by Seth Grahame-Smith and Jane Austen. Variety says that Lionsgate will finance and distribute.

Described as an expanded version of the Austen classic, the book tells the timeless story of a woman's quest for love and independence amid the outbreak of a deadly virus that turns the undead into vicious killers.

Portman will play feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet, who is distracted from her quest to eradicate the zombie menace by the arrival of the arrogant Mr. Darcy.

Is Josh Brolin in Men in Black 3?

Source:Los Angeles Times

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Columbia Pictures is considering bringing on Josh Brolin for Men in Black 3.

Who he will play is not known:

He could play a new single-monikered government agent, with Tommy Lee Jones' Agent K passing the baton to Brolin's character. Or he could play Agent K as a young man. Or something else entirely.

Will Smith is expected to return for the third installment, written by Etan Cohen, but will Jones? Barry Sonnenfeld may also come back to direct.

Malkovich to Play Vulture in Spider-Man 4?

Source:Movieline

More Spider-Man 4 casting rumors today as Movieline is reporting that John Malkovich is in talks to play the villain Vulture.

The site is also saying that Anne Hathaway, who was rumored to be in talks to play Felicia Hardy in the fourth installment, is going to play the character but is not expected to turn into Black Cat. Instead, Sam Raimi's Felicia will become a new villain called the Vulturess.

We should stress that the casting of Malkovich and Hathaway are not confirmed, nor are the characters they would be playing. Spider-Man 4 is scheduled to hit conventional and IMAX theaters on May 5, 2011.

James Cameron Wants Avatar Sequels

Source: Cinematical

Speaking to press in London, Cameron fully admitted that he’s already got plans for two more sequels should Fox want to pull the trigger on them. Says Cameron (on his pitch to the studio): “So in terms of the pitch it was: OK, you’ve spent a lot of money on the first one; on the second one we’ll be able to amortize it and focus on the story and all that … and they bought that.”

James Cameron to Develop Fantastic Voyage Remake

Source: Cinematical

Aside from Avatar sequels, Cameron will also be producing — and subsequently applying his new technology — to a remake of the 1966 sci-fi flick Fantastic Voyage, about a dying scientist whose survival depends heavily upon the five colleagues who are shrunken down and injected into his failing body.

Summit Developing Dracula Film Vlad

Source:Heat Vision

Summit Entertainment ("The Twilight Saga) is developing an action-oriented take on Dracula titled Vlad, written by actor Charlie Hunnam.

The studio is in negotiations with music video and photographer Anthony Mandler to direct. Brad Pitt is producing with Dede Gardner via the duo's Plan B Entertainment production company.

Vlad centers on Dracula as a young prince; he is known to history as Vlad the Impaler, the man behind the Dracula myth.

'Nutcracker' Being Reimagined as an Action-Adventure

New Line has picked up a pitch from Darren Lemke, the writer behind the studio's Bryan Singer project "Jack the Giant Killer," that reimagines the classic tale of "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" as an action-adventure movie.

Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey of Temple Hill Entertainment are producing.

"Nutcracker" is best known as the Christmas ballet with music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, but the actual story was written by E.T.A. Hoffmann decades before the ballet's debut in 1892.

The story centers on a 12-year-old girl who, with her brother and sister, receive gifts from their clockmaker-inventor godfather on Christmas Eve, one of which is a Nutcracker doll. That night, the girl begins an adventure that includes a war involving a seven-headed Mouse King and his army of mice, curses and themes of ugliness and beauty.

The story has been adapted into various forms of animation, and the ballet version has found itself on screens many times.

The update will be written in a family-adventure tone similar to "The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

The Pussification of Werewolves

2009-12-06T06:00:00.001-05:00

Here we are, the one year anniversary of my very first post, The Pussification of Vampires. To be honest, I thought I would have actually given this thing up by now, but I’m going strong and on the verge of running out of ideas (no just kidding, but maybe not.) Anyways at the end of that very first article where I talked about how bloodsuckers have become total cocksuckers, I wrote my fear of what may happen to another species of feared movie monster. For those too lazy to actually see what it was, I’ll just show it to you.

I hate being right sometimes. Like when I said that the Tendercrisp Bacon Cheddar Ranch at Burger King was too good to be around forever. And now, I see that I was right about werewolves becoming pusses as well. To be honest, when I first wrote the vampire article, I had no idea that werewolves would eventually pop into Twilight. The good thing is they’re not sparkly, no personality having homos. But the bad thing is that they are constantly half naked Aeropostle models who turn into the most terrifying(ly bad) CGI effect you’ve ever seen.

So that Indian kid from the first one is actually a werewolf and in this film tries to tempt Bella away from Edward by getting closer, taking his shirt off, spending time together, taking his shirt off, showing her that there can be more than one love in life, and taking his shirt off. Seriously though, this kid is half naked throughout the whole film it seems. So I guess that’s the way it is in these films when it comes to the sun. Vampires = sparkly, werewolves = sun’s out, gun's out.

To be honest, Jacob seems like an OK character. Besides the whole howling at the moon and humping people's legs thing, he’s pretty normal for a high school kid in a town full of crazy monsters and the crazy bitches who for some reason love them. So how does it go for him? Well, from what I heard, he gets rejected by her because she just feels so strongly for that pasty faced wuss bag. I imagine the rejection scene going something like this:

Jacob: Bella, I really like you. You don’t need Edward. He hurt you. I can give you things he never could.

Bella: What could you give me that he couldn’t?

Jacob: Well, I’m attractive, I have a nice body, I’m kind, caring, full of charm and personality, and the only 3 dimensional character in this whole friggin movie. Plus I’m not gonna stare at you from across the cafeteria, watch you while you sleep, and openly admit that I really, really want to kill you like some creepy weirdo with no personality whatsoever.

Bella: But Jacob, you don’t understand. I’m your typical attractive high school girl. I like guys who treat me like shit.

She doesn’t like you, bro. Now wolf out and rip her head off. DO IT, YOU PUSSY! Oh, Jesus, whats happened to werewolves now? Where’s Lon Chaney stalking through the mist? Where’s that big dog ripping up people in London and on the moors? Where’s the lycanthrope with the baseball bat beatin up Gary Busey? They’re gone man, gone. Now all we have are these damn dogs who have had their balls cut off.

But is there any hope on the horizon for werewolves? Perhaps. In February, the long-delayed Wolfman remake will hit and with it an apparently big body count and tons of blood. A remake of the 80’s classic The Howling (good idea) is in production as is a remake of An American Werewolf in London (bad idea.) There’s also a TV show in production about werewolves killin people in Alaska. Geez, Alaska gets fucked up. Especially when it comes to vampires, werewolves, and not resorting to incest.

So please, crazy Twilight author lady. Please stop ruining our classic monsters. Stay the hell away from Frankenstein and the Mummy. We don't need them moaning about their feelings and being all glittery in the sun. And if a year from now I have to write the Pussification of Creatures From The Black Lagoon, I’m gonna be upset.