Saturday, May 30, 2009

Poor Arnold...

From IMDB.com:

"Action star-turned-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger celebrated America's Memorial Day weekend by taking a family trip to the cinema - to check out the latest movie in the franchise that shot him to superstardom. The former actor went to watch Terminator Salvation with his wife Maria Shriver and their four children, and he's given director McG's work the thumbs up. But the original Terminator star admits he was left with a bruised ego after his kids declared the new movie their favorite. He says, "Oh yeah, the whole family went to see it. It's a great film, I was very excited. The only thing about it was, I was a little upset because when we came out, I said, 'What did you think of it?' and they said, 'That was the best Terminator movie ever!' So that's really, like thanks a lot, that really helped (my ego)."

Schwarzenegger starred in the first three Terminator films - 1984's The Terminator, 1991 sequel Terminator 2: Judgement Day, and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines in 2003.
He makes an appearance in Terminator Salvation - but didn't film a single scene. Instead, producers used footage from the original trilogy and spliced it into the new movie."

Well, better luck next time, Arnold. PLEASE BE THERE FOR REAL NEXT TIME. Not that it wasn't cool when he showed up in the movie. My main problem with Terminator Salvation was that there was NO HUMOR. I mean, Terminator 2 was light enough to be funny. I guess McG wanted to ignore the fact that he directed both of the Charlie's Angels movies.

Friday, May 29, 2009

TOY STORY 3 teaser bounces into theaters!

From FirstShowing.net:

"Guess who's back?! Disney has debuted the first short teaser trailer for Pixar's Toy Story 3. This is a true teaser trailer, the kind we haven't seen in a long while, where all it really shows is the title. But, it is great to see all our favorite toys back in action. Glad to see that rivalry between Woody and Buzz is still going strong, as that's always where most of the great moments in the Toy Story movies come from. All we know about the story in this one is that the toys are dropped off in a day-care center after their owner, Andy, leaves for college. It's been a full 10 years since we last saw these toys, but they'll all finally be back again next year!"

http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/05/29/must-watch-first-early-teaser-trailer-for-toy-story-3/

What more can I say? "To infinity and beyond!"

Thursday, May 28, 2009

TINTIN sets sail in 2011

From ComingSoon.net:

"Paramount Pictures and Sony Pictures Entertainment today announced their release plans for the long awaited 3-D motion capture feature film The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by Spielberg, Peter Jackson, and Kathleen Kennedy. The highly anticipated film will be released by Paramount in the U.S. on December 23, 2011.... Starring Jamie Bell (King Kong) as Tintin, the intrepid young reporter whose relentless pursuit of a good story thrusts him into a world of high adventure, and Daniel Craig (Quantum of Solace) as the nefarious Red Rackham, the international cast also includes Andy Serkis, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Gad Elmaleh, Toby Jones and Mackenzie Crook.

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn is a Paramount Pictures and Columbia Pictures production from a screenplay by Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish, and is produced by Spielberg, Peter Jackson and Kathleen Kennedy. The film, which began production in late January 2009, is the first of a planned series of 3D motion capture films based on the iconic character created by Georges Remi, better known to the world by his pen name 'Herge.' Executive producers are Nick Rodwell, Stephane Sperry and Ken Kamins. The second feature in the series is scheduled to be directed by Jackson, with a potential for a third film as well.Eighty years ago, Herge introduced the world to a unique cast of characters who have been embraced by readers of all ages. 'The Adventures of Tintin' - a series of 24 books, the final unfinished adventure was published after Herge's death, became Herge's life's work. The first adventure was published in 1929. Over 200 million copies have been sold worldwide. The popular series has been translated into 70 languages and still attracts thousands of new fans each year. Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson will bring Herge's stories to life employing state-of-the-art performance capture technology developed by Jackson's Weta Digital."

2011? That's way too long for me!! I hope they put out official pictures or behind-the-scenes videos soon!

DreamWorks Animations through 2012

From ComingSoon.net:

"Variety reports that DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg will unveil the company's slate through late 2012 for the investment community in New York today, revealing five original projects and a handful of franchise follow-ups. All will be produced in 3-D.

How to Train Your Dragon is written and directed by Chris Sanders and Den DeBlois. It stars Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera and Johan Hill. Set in the world of Vikings and dragons, it centers on an awkward teen who befriends an injured dragon. Look for "Dragon" on March 26, 2010.

2010 will also bring a fourth installment in the "Shrek" series (now titled Shrek Forever After). The film, scheduled for a release on May 21, 2010, is directed by Mike Mitchell.

Among the highlights of today's presentation is the new title for "Master Mind"--Oobermind--for which Robert Downey Jr. will voice a supervillain who finds life a little dull after vanquishing good-guy rival Metro Man. The superhero-themed film, based on a spec script from Ben Stiller's Red Hour Films, will open Nov. 5, 2010. Tina Fey also voices a character.

The following year brings two projects. For the first, the company confirmed signing Jack Black and Dustin Hoffman for Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom of Doom, due out June 3, 2011. Longtime story executive Jennifer Yuh Nelson makes her feature directorial debut.

In its Nov. 4 slot, DreamWorks Animation has The Guardians, turning to a not-yet-published book series from children's literature-to-animation titan William Joyce, whose work has previously inspired Disney's Meet the Robinsons and 'Rolie Polie Olie'. Jeff Lynch is attached to direct the film, which unites characters every child knows — Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Jack Frost and the Sandman — to defend the world from a Bogeyman-like villain.

2012 gets crowded once again, as in Puss in Boots imagines events before the popular character's appearance in Shrek 2, while introducing all-new characters. Antonio Banderas returns, and Salma Hayek will lend her voice to love interest Kitty. Shrek the Third helmer Chris Miller is onboard to direct, with the film slated for March 30, 2012.

Just two months later, Madagascar helmer Eric Darnell offers up a third installment in the zoo-break series, which would relocate the critters from Africa to Europe via a traveling circus.

Katzenberg has staked out a third date that fall, Nov. 12, for an original feature, to be chosen from a trio of projects currently in development. The first option, caveman comedy The Croods, from directors Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco, was once intended to be an Aardman collaboration. Another, Truckers, is derived from Terry Pratchett's 'The Bromeliad Trilogy,' with Simon Beaufoy adapting a story of miniature creatures stuck living in a department store. Damaschke also cited a third option, tentatively titled 'Super Secret Ghost Project,' that asks what ghosts think about humans."

Huh. Out of all the obvious sequels coming, Shrek, Kung Fu Panda and Madagascar whatever happened to Monsters vs. Aliens? Guess they're staying a TV series.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Could UNFORTUNATE EVENTS happen again?

From ComingSoon.net:

"CineFOOLS talked to Land of the Lost director Brad Silberling and asked him whether a sequel to Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events is still a possibility.

'It was a co-production between Paramount and Dreamworks and there were studio politics and I actually think it's going to see the light of day,' Silberling told the site. '[Name removed for privacy reasons] and I, he's the writer of... is very friendly with Mr. Snicket I should say, we stay in constant touch about it, because I would love nothing more than to do that and we've been hoping to, so I think there will be a chance it may take a wildly different form but I think it will probably happen.'

The 2004 Jim Carrey-starrer was made for about $140 million and earned $209.1 million worldwide."

Now there is nothing I would love to see more than a sequel to Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events because it is one of the funniest Jim Carrey movies I have ever seen!

"Name removed for privacy reasons", huh? *cough cough* Daniel Handler *cough cough* *cough cough cough * aka the real Lemony Snicket *cough cough cough*

UPDATE:

During an interview about Land of the Lost, Silberling gave more details about a sequel -

"CS: 'There was a soundbyte from a red carpet interview you did recently about doing another Lemony Snicket movie. Is that something you want to do or something you've heard talk about?'

Silberling: 'No, that's kind of just a collective desire. The whole Lemony franchise got caught up in... the tricky part any time a property is in the hands of two studios, which was this case pretty much, the minute that there's any kind of almost divorce, the kids always end up suffering. In this case, it's a property they conjoined on, and the hope is that as the dust settles from the conclusion of that... but yeah, I'm actually very intrigued to do it, but the thing that Daniel Handler has spoken about in the past is that I'm less intrigued about just going off and try to do another FX movie where you have to completely recast at this point. I mean, Emily Browning is 19, and Liam Aiken is taller than Kareem. He's an incredibly tall kid with a deep voice. So you'd basically be building from the ground up, and I think the series would be better served by a textural surprise. Daniel and I talked about setting the movie up so that the great twist is that you realize you've ended up in an entirely different universe that the narrator, Lemony Snicket himself, takes you to, sort of pawning the first film off as a dramatization, but now he's going to tell you the real story. (laughs)'"

Kinda went over my head, Brad, but here's a few ways you could pull off a Lemony Snicket's sequel - 1. performance capture (ala Robert Zemeckis' A Christmas Carol, coincidentally starring Jim Carrey), 2. an animated movie.

THE NAVIGATOR takes FLIGHT - All Over Again!

From ComingSoon.net:

"Walt Disney Pictures is developing a remake of the sci-fi adventure movie Flight of the Navigator. Brad Copeland is writing the redo, which is being produced by Mandeville partners David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman. The 1986 original told the story of a 12-year-old boy who is abducted by an alien spacecraft in 1978 and reappears eight years later, still the same age and with no memory of what happened. NASA scientists discover a connection between the boy and a downed spacecraft and try to exploit the boy, who ultimately escapes with the ship and attempts to reunite with his family. The movie grossed only $17 million when it was released but was later rediscovered on VHS, becoming a cult hit."

OH. MY. GOSH. THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES!!! YAHOO!!!

Don't screw this up, Brad.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Terry Gilliam and the Film of Imaginative Death...

From IMDB.com:

"At a news conference at the Cannes Film Festival following Friday's screening of The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, director Terry Gilliam and cast members were repeatedly questioned about how the death of co-star Heath Ledger affected the production of the film. Gilliam said that he originally felt that it would have to be canceled (as his earlier Don Quixote film had been following an injury to one of its stars). 'I couldn't see how we could finish it without Heath because we were in the middle of production,' Gilliam told reporters. 'Fortunately, I was surrounded by really good people who insisted that I shouldn't be such a lazy [jerk] and I'd better go out and find a way of finishing the film for Heath. That's what we did.' Gilliam eventually decided to use friends Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell to play Ledger's character -- something made possible because characters who enter a fantasy world through a magic mirror sometimes change their appearances. 'Heath goes through it three times and that was it, we had the solution.' Gilliam also disclosed that Depp, Law, and Farrell essentially worked for no pay; donating their fees to Ledger's daughter Matilda."

Okay, I realize that this title is a bit more dramatic than my usual ones but I couldn't figure on anything else, so I decided to go with a Indiana Jones-like title.

Surprisingly, the film has been getting a lot of bad reviews.

"Terry Gilliam has come a long way since the late '60s, when he admittedly became one of the original copyright infringers by cutting out photos and pictures from magazines and newspapers and using them inventively as graphic inserts in the BBC's Monty Python's Flying Circus without permission. Gilliam has now let his imagination loose in a movie about a traveling circus act called The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. Although the film co-stars Heath Ledger in his final performance (he died while the film was still in production), it is not the performances or the script that captured the attention of audiences who previewed it at the Cannes Film Festival Friday, where it was shown out of competition. Reviewing the film for the BBC, Emma Jones commented, 'There's no doubt that the imaginary world [Gilliam has] created is awe-inspiring, but it's ultimately designed for an art house audience. The critics at Cannes loved it, but most cinema-goers would need to see it more than once to start untangling the multiple themes.' Peter Bradshaw wrote in Britain's Guardian newspaper: 'When Gilliam shoots off into his surreal wonderland, his film has a kind of helium-filled jollity and spectacle. ... a reminder of the old Python magic. But the film's convoluted curlicues are tiring, insisting too loudly on how 'imaginative' everything is. And when it descends into the real world -- Lucy out of the sky without diamonds, as it were -- the film can frankly be a bit ho-hum.'"

I thought a film showing Heath Ledger's final uncompleted performance would be one of the greatest movies ever! [hint hint - The Dark Knight]

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Lightspeed for FANBOYS sequel?

From FilmJunk.com:

"Moviehole recently sat down to talk with Dan Fogler, one of [Fanboys'] stars, who claims that [director] Kyle Newman has an idea for a sequel where the characters regroup for a second mission. This time around they would be heading to Australia to 'crash the set of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones'. He hints that they would probably look to shoot it as an independent film this time around so they can avoid any studio interference. 'If you want to do it right, do it independently… If he could come up with the right script, and get everyone together again, I would definitely do it.'"

Okay, forget all the bad reviews about this movie. ALL OF THEM. This is a movie for the die-hard Star Wars fan. I mean die-hard - you know the lines, the sets, the props; you have a whole collection of action figures. The people who give this movie bad reviews are not die-hard Star Wars fans. At all.

I waited to see this movie since it came out in February (came out nowhere near me) and finally got it, yesterday. This movie is like a sci-fi version of The 40-Year-Old Virgin. It is even better than I could've imagined. If you are a die-hard Star Wars fan, GO SEE THIS MOVIE. YOU OWE IT TO YOURSELF.

This film features famous celebrities in cameo roles (Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, William Shatner, Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes and Danny McBride to name a few). People I'd love to see in Fanboys 2 - Mark Hamill and James Earl Jones.

Stan Lee's NICK RATCHET gets a lease on life

From ComingSoon.net:

"Douglas Cook and David Weisberg have been hired to write Nick Ratchet, one of Stan Lee's POW Entertainment projects set up at Disney. The mystery thriller centers on a Jekyll & Hyde struggle between a meek, ineffectual police officer and his online alter-ego, a tough avatar cop named Nick Ratchet who emerges from inside a video game to usurp the life of his creator. Richard LaGravenese is attached to direct Ratchet, which is based on an idea of Lee's. Larry Jacobson and Sonny Grosso are producing. Lee is executive producing with POW partner Gill Champion."

Sounds like a cross between Me, Myself and Irene and Tron. Huh. I still trust Stan "The Man" Lee!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

From Indy to HOUDINI?

From WorstPreviews:

"Summit Entertainment recently announced that it has acquired rights to the biography 'The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America's First Superhero' and plans to turn it into an action thriller instead of a biopic. The idea is to make Houdini a character who is part Indiana Jones and part Sherlock Holmes.

Apparently, Summit was serious about making the character Indy-like, since the studio has now hired Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull writer Jeff Nathanson to write the script. Nathanson shared story credit on Kingdom of the Crystal Skull with George Lucas. He has also previously scripted Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can and The Terminal."

I'm still waiting on Ripley's Believe it or Not with Jim Carrey playing Ripley. He's supposed to be Indiana Jones-like.

UPDATE: Nathanson has now been signed not only to write, but direct.

MACGRUBER parody getting its own movie?

From WorstPreviews.com:

"Two months ago, New Line Cinema announced that its planning a feature film based on the popular MacGyver TV show that ran from 1985-1992 on ABC. 'We think we're a stick of chewing gum, a paper clip and an A-list writer away from a global franchise,' said New Line's Richard Brener.

But New Line will have a bit of competition, since Lorne Michaels and the people from SNL are working on turning a 'MacGyver' spoof skit, called 'MacGruber,' into a movie. In the popular skit, Will Forte is always seconds from disarming a bomb, but gets sucked into idle chatter or an argument while his friends yell at him to focus on the bomb. SNL writers and actors will go back to work in September, which is why Michaels said that 'MacGruber' 'would have to be made in the Summer.' But since nothing is finalized yet, the film might not be made till next Summer."

When was the last time a movie based on a Saturday Night Live skit made? Blues Brothers 2000? Superstar? Wayne's World 2?

Sam Raimi wants one more chance with SPIDER-MAN 4

From WorstPreviews:

"Cinematical got to chat with director Sam Raimi about the upcoming Spider-Man 4 and how it will be different from the third movie. 'I've learned a lot of lessons about what people didn't like and missteps that I'd made,' he explained. 'I made a lot of mistakes, and it's part of the reason I so want to make this next story of Peter Parker. I really think I know in my heart who the character is. I would like one more chance at it [that character].' He continued: 'I really do look at them as things that I’ve learned, and hope that when I apply what I've learned to this next one, I really make a film that people enjoy and is really true to the character in a fresh, original way. That's my goal.'

Raimi also revealed to MTV News that he has spoken to Kirsten Dunst and she is interested in returning. But before he brings her on, he will need to read the script that will be ready in four weeks. Raimi mentioned that he constantly thinks about each movie he has previously made and would love the chance to do them over with the same story and characters.'"

I don't know why people give Spider-Man 3 a lot of flack (with the exception of Sandman living through the end of the movie; what is up with that? Doc Ock died a hero; Green Goblin... well, Norman was still crazy but he said, "Don't tell Harry".) That was the first movie I've ever seen on opening day.

Wayne Allwine has passed...

From Animation World Network:

"Wayne Allwine, who was the third person to officially voice Mickey Mouse, has died at the age of 62, according to several blogs, from complications from diabetes. Allwine, voiced Mickey as part of the animated lead-in to The New Mickey Mouse Club in 1977, and has provided the voice to the animated mouse ever since. He was married to Russi Taylor, the current voice of Minnie Mouse. Both were named Disney Legends last year. Allwine was the voice of Mickey for longer than anyone. Walt Disney voiced him from 1928 to 1947 and Jimmy MacDonald took the reins from 1947 to 1953. Allwine was also a sound effects editor and foley artist on Disney films and TV shows."

This is truly a tragic loss. Much moreso for Disney. Maybe this will give them a wakeup call and put Mickey back into the public spotlight, where he belongs.

RIP Wayne Allwine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEEaT_UQnVM
The most famous Mickey Mouse cartoon ever - Steamboat Willie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbT7lhl9kpU
Best modern-day Mickey Mouse cartoon - Runaway Brain; Nominated for Academy Award

MONSTERS VS. ALIENS attack on the small screen

From ComingSoon.net:

"Nickelodeon has ordered a pilot from DreamWorks Animation for a series based on the company's recent Monsters vs. Aliens.

DWA and Nick last week announced a deal on the co-production of 'Kung Fu Panda: The Series' based on last year's DWA hit. The two also collaborate on the successful 'The Penguins of Madagascar' for which the partners will launch an aggressive licensing campaign early next year.

In 2010, DWA is also teaming up with NBC for a 'Scared Shrekless' Halloween special and a Kung Fu Panda holiday special."

Sounds great! Love to see more DreamWorks characters come back to the small screen!
Then again, let's get some Pixar characters on TV, too - in full length series!

Aykroyd Confirms GHOSTBUSTERS 3 Is All Go

From ComingSoon.net:

"The Los Angeles Times talked to Dan Aykroyd about Ghostbusters 3 that is in development at Columbia Pictures. Here are several excerpts:

'Aykroyd said Sigourney Weaver is on board now, as are the original squad of ectoplasmic specialists -- Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson.

'We could be in production by winter.'

Aykroyd said he wishes Ivan Reitman would return to direct the third film in the series but that he's 'too busy as a mega-producer' to take it on; his second choice is Ramis, who, of course, co-wrote the first two 'Ghostbusters' films with Aykroyd and has numerous directing credits, most notably 'Groundhog Day' and 'Analyze This'.

The details of story are still in play, but Aykroyd said he's hoping for a five-member 'new generation' team with several female members. 'I'd like it to be a passing-of-the-torch movie. Let's revisit the old characters briefly and happily and have them there as family but let's pass it on to a new generation.'"

It better not be BRIEFLY. I want me some old-school Ghostbusters!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

William Shatner gets animated with THE GAVONES

From People.com:

"'While the Star Trek franchise he helped make famous is achieving success at warp speed at the box office, the original Captain Kirk is exploring the final frontier of cyberspace. In The Gavones, his new YouTube cartoon, William Shatner directs and voices Don Salmonella Gavone, who's struggling to pick an heir from his four misfit sons. The pilot episode has just been posted, with the next installment due out within a month. Think of the Gavone family as the-Sopranos-meets-Hollywood, says Shatner. 'It's the mafia in Hollywood trying to make a hit – and half the family think it's murder and the other half thinks it's a movie,' Shatner told PEOPLE.com exclusively. 'It's a comedic Soprano family.' In the pilot, Shatner used friends and family to voice the characters. Down the line, Shatner says that Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci and Martin Scorsese are likely to appear – their cartoon likenesses, anyway. 'We can get anybody we want with the flick [of a pen],' he says.

So why has Shatner, who most recently starred in Boston Legal, turned his hand to animation? 'I decided a cartoon on YouTube would be really fun,' he says. 'All those media forms like Facebook and Twitter, we don't know where they're going to take us; certainly YouTube is unique in its form. So it seemed like a good idea to investigate how to do entertainment on it.' Priceline is sponsoring the series, which will comprise 6-7 episodes and run twice a month."

Huh. Looks interesting, but I was hoping for like something Star Trek-related but... what do I know?

P.S. - here's a link to the official YouTube channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/THEGAVONES

Steven Spielberg has a dream...

From IMDB.com:

"Steven Spielberg is to fulfil his longtime dream to bring the life of legendary civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. to the big screen - he has been granted permission to make a biopic by the King estate.

King, who was assassinated in 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 39, was a leading campaigner over equality for African-American citizens.

Spielberg's production company DreamWorks has won a long running battle to acquire the rights to the late activist's intellectual property - meaning the director will be able to use King's speeches, books and famous works which were copyrighted during his life.

The project is the first film to be authorised by the estate, which is controlled by King's son Dexter.

And Spielberg is delighted he will finally be able to bring the story to cinema audiences.

He tells Variety.com, 'We are all honoured that the King Estate is giving us the opportunity to tell the story of these defining, historic events. It is our hope that the creative power of film and the impact of Dr. King's life can combine to present a story of undeniable power that we can all be proud of.'"

PLEASE COME TO MEMPHIS, STEVEN! PLEASE!!

Maybe this is his next Color Purple.

Monday, May 18, 2009

BATTLESHIP: The Movie?

From ComingSoon.net:

"Peter Berg is in talks to direct Battleship, based on the strategy board game. You may remember one of its previous movie appearances here. The game, of course, involves two opponents placing ships on a board and then each trying to guess where the other's ships are in order to sink them. This version will be less with the peg boards and more with the 'epic naval adventure'."

Are any of these board game movies actually in production yet?

NEW MOON clip to debut at MTV Movie Awards

Just for you Twilight fans out there... "Still kinda harpin' on that, huh? Well you know this little clip right here's pretty never-before-seen, ya know. Come on, hop in, obsess about it wherever. I know ya do that."

From ComingSoon.net:

"MTV has revealed that the first clip from The Twilight Saga: New Moon will debut at the 2009 MTV Movie Awards.... Sure to be a dream come true for Twilight fans everywhere, Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner will present an exclusive scene from The Twilight Saga: New Moon at the '2009 MTV Movie Awards.' The never-before-seen clip is a first look at the much anticipated next installment in the Summit Entertainment vampire film franchise that became a [popular] phenomenon."

The God of Mischief has also been cast

From ComingSoon.net:

"After breaking the news that Star Trek and 'Home and Away' star Chris Hemsworth has been cast in the title role of Marvel Studios' Thor, line Hollywood Daily has now also learned that director Kenneth Branagh has cast his nemesis, Loki. The part has gone to Tom Hiddleston, an award-winning British actor and Royal Academy Of Dramatic Arts (RADA) graduate. He played Winston Churchill's son in HBO's 'The Gathering Storm' and has starred in 'Ivanov' opposite Branagh on the London stage and also starred with him in the BBC miniseries 'Wallander'."

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=55660

Wow, this guy looks just like Loki. Put him in the green-and-yellow longjohns and I think we've got him!

THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER in 3D?

Green Knight Ventures will produce a contemporary adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's classic story 'The Fall of the House of Usher'.

Claire Forlani, Dougray Scott and Rufus Sewell will star in the film, which will be titled The Ushers and be shot in 3-D. Stephen Kay is attached to direct.

Originally published in 1839, Usher tells of the mysterious goings-on in the house of Roderick Usher, who has recently buried a sister whose presence still haunts the house.

Ushers will look at a grown brother and sister who have lived in the same Martha's Vineyard house for a long time but begin to feel trapped there, and who then bring in a real-estate broker to help them resolve their crisis.

Gian Marco Masoni wrote the screenplay."

I've heard of a fantastic adaptation with none other than Vincent Price playing Roderick Usher in the late '60s. Read the story before this, sounds like a neat idea.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

From Starfleet to Asgard?

From ComingSoon.net:

"Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily is reporting that Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige and director Kenneth Branagh have found their Thor and it's Chris Hemsworth, who millions have now seen playing George Kirk in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek. At the same time, the 25-year-old Australian actor, who got his start on the popular local television show Home and Away, is also reported to play the lead in MGM's remake of Red Dawn, taking over the role of Jed Eckert, originally played by Patrick Swayze. (A MGM representative has confirmed with CS that Hemsworth will be playing the role in Dan Bradley's Red Dawn.) As has been standard, there is no comment or confirmation from Marvel Studios, but one expects if it is true, it will be confirmed by Monday."

He does have the heroic qualities, I'll give him that. He's gonna have to do some serious bulking up if he wants to be the God of Thunder.

UPDATE:

I know my updates are usually "nope, wrong, pull the rug out from under your feet" but surprisingly, not this time.

From ComingSoon.net:

"Variety confirms that Hemsworth is in final negotiations for the role of Thor, and Nikki says that Marvel will be releasing a press release announcing the casting, as well as other casting for the movie sometime tonight."

Let's get pumping, Daddy Kirk.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Mutt Williams and the Hat of Destiny

From IMDB.com:

"Harrison Ford had a very special wrap gift for his movie son after completing Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - he tossed Shia LaBeouf his sweaty hat.
Ford, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg - the moviemakers behind the Indiana Jones franchise - have dismissed reports LaBeouf will be taking over as Jones, but the young star has the movie icon's hat! He tells the new issue of Playboy magazine, 'It has his sweat stains from the whole movie in it. We were way out somewhere at an airplane hangar on the last day of shooting, and he took the hat off his head, signed it and handed it to me. When I looked at the hat I saw he had written something with a silver Sharpie (pen). It said, 'It's all yours now, kid - Harrison.' But LaBeouf is quick to point out that he won't be taking over from Ford any time soon: 'It's easy to perceive that as his handing the reins over to me on a franchise or whatever... that's not it. What I read it as is, 'Keep your [stuff] on.' It was his way of saying 'Life is going to get crazy now, so strap on tight, kid.'"

Ah, fatherly love! I would've killed for that hat.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Scorsese does it SINATRA's way

From ComingSoon.net

"Universal Pictures has acquired the feature film project Sinatra from Mandalay Pictures for Academy Award® winner Martin Scorsese to direct, it was announced today.

Oscar® nominated screenwriter (Field of Dreams) Phil Alden Robinson is writing the screenplay for Sinatra based on the life of the iconic entertainer. Universal Pictures and Mandalay Pictures have been developing the project, after securing the Frank Sinatra life rights and music rights from Frank Sinatra Enterprises (FSE) - a joint venture of the Sinatra Estate and Warner Music Group.

'We have dreamt of making a movie about Frank Sinatra, and Marty Scorsese is undeniably the perfect vision keeper for this project,' said Chairman of Mandalay Entertainment Group, Peter Guber. President of Mandalay Pictures, Cathy Schulman added 'In addition to our excitement at having Marty in the director's chair, we are thrilled to be in business with Universal, the Sinatra estate, Warner Music Group and the talented Phil Alden Robinson on this project about one of our greatest entertainers.'

'It's an honor to be involved in this film which will celebrate the amazing life and work of Frank Sinatra,' said President of Production for Universal Pictures, Donna Langley. 'With Phil Alden Robinson writing the screenplay and Martin Scorsese at the helm, we know that this first feature motion picture adaptation of Sinatra's extraordinary life is in the best of hands.'

'My father had great admiration for the talent of the people he chose to work with, and the talented people who worked with my father had great admiration for him,' said Tina Sinatra. 'It is personally pleasing to me that this paradigm continues with Marty Scorsese at the helm of the Sinatra film.'

Frank Sinatra was born in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1915. Over the course of his career, he performed on more than 1,400 musical recordings, was awarded 31 gold records, received 10 Grammy Awards in addition to three special honors bestowed upon him by the Recording Industry Association of America. He appeared in 58 films winning three Oscars® and two Golden Globe awards, in addition to a lifelong legacy of humanitarian work."

Good idea. Just don't cast Leonardo DiCaprio, even though he was good in The Aviator.

Mr. John Connor himself - Christian Bale interview

From ComingSoon.net:

"His dark and menacing performance as the caped crusader helped resurrect the Batman franchise and now many are hoping that Christian Bale will successfully revive another iconic character - John Connor. The long-awaited Terminator Salvation is finally here and Bale stars in the Warner Bros. flick that's set a few years into the future.

ComingSoon.net talked to the in-demand actor about what it was like to be John Connor and why he had to be persuaded to play the role.

Q: 'It's an interesting choice to go into another franchise. What did you see in this movie that you really wanted to be a part of?'

Bale: 'I didn't go straight into it. I did Public Enemies in between. I felt like the franchise was done so when I first sent it, I didn't have an interest. Then I [heard an] idea that really was something good that could be told here. If that was going to happen then absolutely, I wanted to be on board. I like mixing it up. I like doing a Dark Knight, Batman Begins, The Machinist and things. Doing Public Enemies and then doing Terminator. I enjoy that mix.'

Q: 'How does the physicality of these roles change your life?'

Bale: 'Not so intense on this one. Not nearly as intense as it was on Batman. It's probably more intense for Sam because he's somebody who could actually have a fist fight with the Terminator. So for me, it was mainly just weapons handling and preparation for that. We had a great advisor who I spent a lot of time with, but the physical challenge was not nearly as tough as I thought it was going to be.'

Q: 'Can you talk about how you collaborated with McG on your character?'

Bale: 'Initially collaboration was just me saying, 'No, I didn't want to do the movie.' Then it was, 'Why?' When people look at the franchise mythology and think it's over, you've got to come back with something that really knocks people out. I just didn't feel like it was there, but that wasn't just me. Everybody felt that. I really couldn't see that it wouldn't be able to get there. It just seemed crazy to me, like it wouldn't be possible. So I took a leap of faith because it was the right strike in everything they were saying. So alright, let's have a few points that we want to get across in another script that we want to be written and fine. Let's go after that. Of course a movie is collaboration, but a director has to have his own point of view. That is a director's job. He creates the point of view and he must have a strong point of view. He has to. He can't be wishy washy. He creates a rhythm. You can't have too many chiefs. He's obviously very open to ideas, but I like it when I'm hearing great ideas and then I'm just adding onto it making it something extra.'

Q: 'What was your reaction when you saw it all put together?'

Bale: 'I saw a few different variations like any movie. It goes through a lot of different shapes. Ultimately, the last one I saw I really felt satisfied. The public will decide. This isn't a movie that you sit down and watch as a personal 2AM viewing. It's not something in which you sort of gaze into the human soul and speak to you that way. It's a movie that's meant to be watched with a lot of different people and get that common energy. Movies like this are much like sports. It's that feeling of a common excitement throughout the theater. That's what I loved about seeing T2 I felt like I think we might have a chance here. People will decide, but I think we might have a chance here of maybe revive this and be able to move on. We'll see what happens with any future movies if this one does well enough.'

Q: 'Any chance we might see you in another Batman film?'

Bale: 'You know, after making a number of blunders, I've learned that I do not answer that question until Chris Nolan has answered that question.'

Q: 'Can you talk about the 'I'll be back' scene?'

Bale: 'That was actually something which a friend of mine who knew came on as a writer for awhile. I would have liked him to be around longer throughout the movie, but it was actually when Jon Nolan was on it briefly. He called me up and said, 'Christian, I have this good idea I want to run by you because you might just say no way.' I thought you know what, let's try it. We can always cut it out. My aim was to attempt and you can tell me if I did it successfully or not. My aim was to kind of have it be such a logical answer that hopefully people didn't go in that second, 'What's he doing an Arnie impression for?' I didn't want it to come across as an impression. Ideally for me, a few seconds later people who know the other movies go, 'Hey he just said the same line.' That way I felt comfortable.'

Q: 'You and Anton Yelchin have this weird time travel relationship. How was that to develop?'

Bale: 'You know what, I solved it by just not thinking about it too much. That's really the answer to it. As soon as you start getting into any kind of time travel, which we don't have in this one. It's before the days where that has been discovered. You can get into a complete mess with the movies. It just becomes limitless and completely confusing. That one was fairly straight forward. I just don't think about it that much.'

Q: 'Was the helicopter scene done in one take?'

Bale: 'Well that would be great wouldn't it? Imagine that if it was done in one take. That would be fantastic. The camera didn't ever pan off. I'm having a tricky time remembering that one, so I guess it must have been one take.'

Q: 'What's the most dangerous stunt you did in this? The helicopter scene looked horrifying.'

Bale: 'If it had been done in one take then it would have been. (Everyone laughs) The biggest adrenaline rush was actually a dive I had to make down into a caverness space and I had to drop a fair distance for that, but I have worked with all the stunt guys, the riggers, the stunt coordinators before on a number of movies and I know how good they are. It became just a heart pounding rush. I've got to say, the stunts in this one, I didn't find real tricky.'

Q: 'Are you fearless? I remember asking you on Batman when you were on a ledge of a building if you were nervous and you looked at me like I was crazy.'

Bale: 'I'm sure there are things I have a fear of, but just not standing on the ledge of a building.'

Q: 'You've been an actor a lot longer than you've been a star. With the TMZ culture, are you concerned about it distracting people from your character onscreen? Does it distract from your performance?'

Bale: 'Not for me it doesn't because I don't know what things are being said of gossipy stuff. My life is much happier when I ignore that. As for other people, that's their choice. If they want to embrace that then they're probably going to sacrifice enjoyment in the movies. I really believe that, but it's their choice if that's what they love looking at. I don't get it, but it is what it is.'"

Can't wait. Just keep calm, Mr. Crazy. No more 35 f-bombs for you!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Kirk was back... then scrapped

From Slashfilm:

SPOILERS for Star Trek

"You might recall that JJ Abrams originally approached William Shatner to make an appearance in Star Trek, but the actor declined because he felt like it was nothing more than a tiny cameo.
'We actually had written a scene with him in it that was a flashback kind of thing,” Abrams told AMCtv. “But the truth is, it didn’t quite feel right. The bigger thing was that he was very vocal that he didn’t want to do a cameo.'.... IO9 talked to Trek screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, and discovered the details. Apparently the cameo would have taken place in that very last scene when Old Spock and New Spock finally meet each other. After he explained that he 'couldn’t interfere, because it would have diverted [Kirk and Spock] away from their friendship' … 'and that their friendship is the key to the whole sort of shebang,' elder Spock presented young Spock with 'a recorded message from Kirk.' 'He [elder Spock] said, 'Don’t take my word for it.' And he handed him [younger Spock] a little holographic device and it projected Shatner,' revealed Kurtzman. 'It was basically a Happy Birthday wish knowing that Spock was going to go off to Romulus, and Kirk would probably be dead by the time…' And the message would have 'turned into a voiceover, at the end of the movie.'"

Here's my idea. Okay, Shatner got killed in Star Trek: Generations, right? What if since the timeline is all screwed up, old Kirk did not get killed and is still alive and well to appear in a Star Trek sequel? Huh? Anybody?

P.S.: GO SEE THIS MOVIE!

NEW MOON straight for the trash heap?

Just for you Twilight fans out there... "Still kinda harpin' on that, huh? Well you know this little script right here's pretty crappy, ya know. Come on, hop in, trash it wherever. I know ya do that."

From /film.com:

"A St. Louis beauty salon owner found the screenplay for the Twilight sequel New Moon in the trash. Casey Ray discovered two screenplays, one for New Moon and the other for a movie titled Memoirs. She considered selling the screenplays to the tabloids but eventually decided to return the screenplays to the movie studio. As a reward, Summit Entertainment has invited her to the premieres of the two movies."

Just to show no good deed goes unpunished -- I mean, unrewarded, right?

Saturday, May 9, 2009

THE LAST AIRBENDER trailer with TRANSFORMERS 2

From Slashfilm.com:

"Producer Frank Marshall has confirmed that the teaser trailer of M Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender, the big screen live action adaptation of the Nickelodeon show Avatar: The Last Airbender, will be attached to Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which hits theaters on June 24th 2009. I'm sure the final trailer for G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra will also be attached, especially considering the the movie is also a Paramount release. It is possible that another high profile trailer might also be attached."

Can't wait to see it.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Beware my power... in 2011!

From ComingSoon.net:

"With no lead officially cast in Martin (Casino Royale) Campbell's take on the DC Comics superhero Green Lantern, Warner Bros. has decided to push the Emerald Knight's big screen debut back six months to June 17, 2011 from its original scheduled date of December 17, 2010. No word whether this will affect the plans to start [filming] in Australia in September or whether the move is to give Campbell more time for post-production and special FX."

FASTTRACKING THIS MOVIE, MY FOOT!! AND I WAS FREAKIN' LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS!!

Oh, and for those of you who don't know the title is a parody of the actual Green Lantern oath - "In brightest day, in blackest night; No evil shall escape my sight; Let those who worship evil's might; Beware my power... Green Lantern's light!"

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Merc with a Mouth Makes a Movie!

From ComingSoon.net:

SPOILERS for X-Men Origins: Wolverine

"20th Century Fox is developing a X-Men Origins: Wolverine spin-off featuring Deadpool, the wise-cracking mercenary played in the film by Ryan Reynolds. Reynolds is attached to reprise the character for what for now is simply being called Deadpool. Lauren Shuler Donner and Marvel Studios would act as producers. The project is currently out to writers. The trade adds that the studio considered a Deadpool spin-off early in Wolverine's development process, which is why it cast Reynolds.

A source close to Fox tells us that the Deadpool and second Wolverine movies are coming from the two Easter Eggs at the end of X-Men Origins: Wolverine: 'We are developing a spinoff with Deadpool, as well. It is one of the two different 'Easter egg' scenes after the credits of Wolverine and hints at two different movies that are coming FROM THEM. One is the Japan backstory which was announced earlier, the other is about Deadpool. The film, which would be produced by Lauren Shuler Donner and Marvel, has Ryan Reynolds attached and would be a complete exploration of this unique character - his origins, his emergence as the Merc with with the Mouth, etc. We are looking for writers as well.'"

Sounds great. Big fan of Ryan Reynolds. Though I originally thought (from playing Marvel: Ultimate Alliance) that Deadpool should be played by Dane Cook. But, what do I know, right?

J.J. Abrams tells "Trek purists" to hit the stars

From IMDB.com:

"While the new Star Trek movie is receiving mostly approving reviews from film critics, director J.J. Abrams is apparently bracing for an onslaught of criticism from those he calls 'Star Trek purists.' In an interview with Australia's AAP wire service, Abrams has this advice for them: 'Don't waste your time.' He indicated that he has already heard from some who were particularly critical of the fact that he did not find a slot for William Shatner, the original Capt. Kirk, in the movie. 'For them I say, 'Don't see the movie. You'll just get angry. It is not Shatner playing Kirk, so I do apologize.' And actor Chris Pine, who plays Kirk in the new film, indicated that he went out of his way to avoid watching Shatner movie and TV appearances. 'I know how I work and by watching a lot of Mr. Shatner's performances as Captain Kirk I knew by osmosis I would get on set and try and impersonate Mr. Shatner,' he said. 'It was not my job. I didn't want people to start paying attention to whether I was doing a perfect William Shatner.'"

I was hoping to get the "hit the stars" to mean "hit the road" as in "hit the road, Jack". I'd like to see Chris Pine on some talk show or maybe even Saturday Night Live and have him do the spoken-word version of Elton John's "Rocket Man" as Shatner did before him. Or even the "Get a Life" skit.

IRON MAN II Tweets from Jon Faverau including first mention of Black Widow!

From ComingSoon.net:

"Iron Man II director Jon Favreau has been posting more updates from the set since this weekend on his Twitter account.

May 1: 'Wrecking the joint. Not much left of the set. Broken stuff everywhere. Should look cool on screen.'

May 4: 'More suited destruction today. Rigging a big gag with lots of cameras.'

May 4: 'ILM on set today. Doing a mix of practical suits and Imocap, their version of on set motion capture developed originally for Pirates 2.'

May 6: 'Scarlett's first day on set in the Black Widow outfit. You've never heard a crew get so quiet so fast.'

Sounds like a good sign, Jon! HURRY UP WITH SOME PICTURES!!

UPDATE:

From ComingSoon.net:

"May 6: 'Now shooting first scene with Tony Stark and Nick Fury.'"

Again, I WANNA SEE PICTURES!!

GREEN LANTERN with a HANGOVER?

From ComingSoon.net:

"Hitfix is reporting the rumor that The Hangover star Bradley Cooper (Wedding Crashers, 'Alias') is a frontrunner to play the title role in director Martin Campbell's Green Lantern. No deal has been signed yet, however. The site says the Warner Bros. Pictures comic book adaptation starts [filming] later this summer for a December 17, 2010 release.

The 'Green Lantern' was created in 1940 by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell. Hal Jordan, introduced in 1959, is a second-generation test pilot, an ordinary man who was given the power ring and battery (lantern) by a dying alien named Abin Sur. When Abin Sur's spaceship crashed on Earth, the alien used his ring to seek out an individual to take his place as Green Lantern: someone who was 'utterly honest and born without fear.'"

Here's the link to the article so you can see this guy's face - http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=55180

I honestly see a kind face behind all the scruff of the beard. Could this be Hal Jordan?

UPDATE:

From ComingSoon.net:

"Warner Bros. has decided to push the Emerald Knight's big screen debut back six months to June 17, 2011 from its original scheduled date of December 17, 2010."

Will Ferrell is your NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

From ComingSoon.net:

"Will Ferrell is in talks to topline and David Dobkin (Fred Claus, Wedding Crashers) is in negotiations to direct the comedy Neighborhood Watch at 20th Century Fox. The story chronicles an urbanite's journey as he moves to a suburban community, joins the neighborhood watch and uncovers a large conspiracy. Jared Stern wrote the screenplay. Shawn Levy, who had been eyeing the project as a helming vehicle, will produce with Tom McNulty through their Fox-based 21 Laps."

Now I was hoping for a new Shawn Levy movie after Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian but maybe he's too focused on Date Night.

UPDATE: It has just been reported that Will Ferrell and David Dobkins have left the project. Shawn Levy remains as producer. Hopefully, he will decide to take over as director.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Dom DeLuise has passed...

From ComingSoon.net:

"Actor Dom DeLuise passed away in his sleep on Monday, May 4 in a Los Angeles, California hospital. He was 75.

In the 1970s and 1980s, DeLuise often co-starred with Burt Reynolds in films such as The Cannonball Run and Cannonball Run II, Smokey and the Bandit II, The End, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and All Dogs Go to Heaven.

DeLuise was probably best known as a regular in Mel Brooks's films. He appeared in The Twelve Chairs, Blazing Saddles, Silent Movie, History of the World, Part I, Spaceballs and Robin Hood: Men in Tights.

He was the husband of actress Carol Arthur, and the father of actor, writer, director Peter DeLuise, and actors David DeLuise and Michael DeLuise."

We have lost yet another comedic legend. RIP Mr. DeLuise.

STAR TREK on another five-year voyage?

From ComingSoon.net:


SPOILERS


"In Hollywood – and in 'Star Trek' fandom – it's never too early to talk 'sequel.' And with anticipation for the new Star Trek film already at Warp Factor 10, it's no surprise that hailing frequencies are already open for a second big screen installment. 'It would be incredible fun to get to do it again,' director J.J. Abrams told us. 'It is also insanely presumptuous to assume that it will work when it's out there, that people will like it, and that there will be a need for another one. If there is, the good news is that there's a deal for the writers and a deal for the actors. It's in place. We have not had one meeting. We have not had one discussion. There's no outline. There's no script. There's nothing. We're fishing for ideas.' ComingSoon.net chatted with Trek screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (who co-wrote Tranformers: Revenge of the Fallen) and producer Damon Lindelof ("Lost") – who are signed for script duties for the proposed sequel – to get a clearer vision of what could be ahead.

ComingSoon.net: Are you thinking about a sequel?

Damon Lindelof: Alex, Bob and I are going to be writing it together. We've started preliminary talks with J.J., but obviously it's almost jinxing it to get too far down the road. We want it to come out, we hope it does well, and then we'll take it to the next year. We're a little curious as to what the audience wants. We'll start to get a sense of what they are responding to in the movie. We want to write it for them too.

Alex Kurtzman: We're HOPING sequel. We had the amazing privilege of falling in love with these characters all over again. The idea that we would let them go now seems inconceivable. We can't wait. Hopefully they will let us do one.

Roberto Orci: Fans have been so important. We genuinely mean it when we say we want to wait and see what they think of the first movie. We want to see if we are lucky enough to get a demand for a second movie. Let's see what our fan consultants say. We were fans. These 'Star Trek' fans are some of the smartest fans in the world.

CS: Are you going to look at the iconic episodes for those things and figure out how to spin them? 'Space Seed,' 'The City on the Edge of Forever,' 'Amok Time,' etc?

Orci: We HAVE to look back.

Kurtzman: Definitely – we did that on this movie.

Orci: We'll do it again.

Kurtzman: A lot of what you see in the movie there is a lot of crossover in terms of what happened in their lives. I think we see this new timeline as in harmony with the old timeline. You'll see a lot of the characters through a slightly different lens.

Orci: We are going back and getting a refresher course again.

CS: You're already conversant with the lore and mythology. Are you thinking about finding the elements from the most iconic shows and putting a spin on those?

Lindelof: I think that everybody is expecting us to do 'Okay, now it's the continuing adventures of the Starship Enterprise, so they can start doing the stories'… Our approach to those stories will be from an entirely different angle. Hopefully the old fans will go 'Oh, wow. That looks familiar to me.' But then suddenly we zig instead of zagging. Or we warp instead of going impulse power. That's what is exciting about doing this.

CS: I'm on a one-man mission to plant the seed now. If you decide to revisit the character of Khan, two words: Javier Bardem.

Kurtzman: Oh my God!

Orci: Did you know we've actually mentioned that out loud as a possibility? What a great idea.

Lindelof: Come on. That's a no-brainer. That would be the most amazing thing ever. Who would even what to see these [new] guys then? That's the problem. You would just watch them for scenery."

Don't know about Javier Bardem as Khan but it might work.

Marvel Studios Updates

From ComingSoon.net:

"Marvel Entertainment reported its First Quarter earnings today and gave a few updates on its upcoming movies during the company's quarterly conference call. Iron Man II is, of course, already filming for a May 7, 2010 release, but Marvel said this morning that the Kenneth Branagh-directed Thor is scheduled to start filming in the First Quarter of 2010. No formal offers have been made to actors, though they said that casting announcements are likely the next few months. Thor is targeted for a May 20, 2011 release.

Marvel added that The First Avenger: Captain America, to be directed by Joe Johnston, is scheduled to start filming in the summer of 2010 for a July 22, 2011 release. In an interview with Empire magazine, Marvel's President of Production Kevin Feige talked about The Avengers as well: 'Zak Penn is already on board The Avengers [as writer] and he's spending a lot of his time looking into what we're doing with Iron Man, Thor and Captain America, seeing how we're tying it all together. And he's beginning to outline the script now – he'll be doing that over the summer." The Avengers is coming to theaters on May 4, 2012.

Huh. Let's hurry it up fellas! It's gonna take more than one Tony Stark photo from Iron Man II to satisfy me!

Let's see what Sam Rockwell has to say about his role in Iron Man II as Justin Hammer.

From ComingSoon.net:

"Sam Rockwell talked to MTV and revealed that his character, Justin Hammer, will be a bit different than in the comics: 'They wanted to go with a rival for Tony Stark who is closer to his age, and make him American,' Rockwell told MTV News of the new look for the Marvel villain."

I've only seen him in issues of Ultimate Spider-Man. He was a Southern man, it sounded like and helped to create Doc Ock for some odd reason.

USED GUYS back on the market!

From ComingSoon.net:

"Fox's sci-fi comedy Used Guys, which previously had Jay Roach directing Ben Stiller and Jim Carrey, will change the story's focus into a vehicle for Stiller and Reese Witherspoon.

Little Miss Sunshine directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris are negotiating to take on helming duties. No writer has been hired.

The comedy takes place in a future run by women, who clone and trade men like used cars. The current take at Fox focuses more on the relationship between Stiller's character and Witherspoon's clone owner.

Roach will remain a producer on the project along with Stiller's Red Hour Films."

Never thought this would go back into production. I also never thought that I'd ever see Ben Stiller and Reese Witherspoon as a couple. Hmm... director of Academy Award-nominated film and Academy Award-winning actress. It could work.

BTW, Ben Stiller directed Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder in an Academy Award-nominated performance and Reese Witherspoon played June Carter in Walk the Line which she got a much-deserved Oscar for.

Monday, May 4, 2009

McG already planning TERMINATOR 5?

From ComingSoon.net:

SPOILERS

"'I strongly suspect the next movie is going to take place in a [pre-Judgment Day] 2011,' McG reveals. 'John Connor is going to travel back in time and he's going to have to galvanize the militaries of the world for an impending Skynet invasion. They've figured out time travel to the degree where they can send more than one entity. So you're going to have hunter killers and transports and harvesters and everything arriving in our time and Connor fighting back with conventional military warfare, which I think is going to be... awesome. I also think he's going to meet a scientist that's going to look a lot like present-day Robert Patrick [who famously played the T-1000 in Terminator 2], talking about stem-cell research and how we can all live as idealized, younger versions of ourselves.'"

Now I think bringing Robert Patrick back is a swell idea! Not only that but I bought Terminator 2: Judgment Day and thought it was really good. It also had a brand of humor I wasn't expecting! I'm really looking forward to Terminator Salvation!

Live Long, Go Joe, and Roll Out to Burger King

From ComingSoon.net:

Burger King has announced its tie-ins for Paramount's Star Trek, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.

Burger King Corp. announced today an unprecedented partnership with Paramount Pictures, jam-packed with original entertainment and activation spanning the summer movie season. Beginning today with Star Trek (release May 8) and continuing with Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (June 24) and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (Aug. 7), this partnership marks an evolution of an ongoing alliance between Burger King Corp. and Paramount Pictures that takes movie marketing to new levels. 'We consistently strive to push the boundaries of our movie marketing, taking our activation beyond mere sponsorship,' said Russ Klein, president, global marketing, strategy and innovation, Burger King Corp. 'We see ourselves as a brand that likes to experiment in creating [popular medium]. We always want to give our customers, who are also movie fans, an unexpected experience and the strong Paramount film slate this summer affords us that opportunity.' This partnership marks the first time that Burger King Corp. has committed to promote exclusively with one movie studio during the key summer promotional period. Likewise, Paramount Pictures has never engaged in three consecutive movie tie-ins with the same brand.

'Burger King Corp. has been a consistently innovative partner for Paramount releases, having been a part of three of the biggest movies of the last two years - Transformers, Iron Man, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,' said Rob Moore, vice chairman, Paramount Pictures. 'We are excited to further that partnership with these three new films.' Burger King Corp. has developed everything from never-before-seen original entertainment to top-to-bottom promotional offerings in support of each feature film. These include:

STAR TREK

- New supporting BK® characters: Star Trek fans will meet the 'Kingons' – an advanced alien race that is half Klingon, half King. In new television advertising spots, Burger King Corp. will reveal the 'Kingons,' who are on an unstoppable mission to acquire the new BK® STAR TREK glasses. The kid’s national advertising spot, directed by Richard Sears along with the film’s Director of Photography, Dan Mindel (Mission: Impossible III), was shot on the same 'bridge' set from the new movie. The spot also features Star Trek uniforms that were designed by the film’s costume designer, Brenda Ware.

- Kingon Defense Academy Web Site: The Kingons will reappear at www.whenkingonsattack.com, where fans can learn how to defend themselves if a Kingon attempts to take their BK® STAR TREK glass. Launching on May 4, the site features a series of instructional videos giving viewers a variety of tactics to protect their coveted glasses.

- Limited edition collectibles: Four limited-edition collectible glasses featuring one of four iconic Star Trek characters – Kirk, Spock, Uhura and Nero. Designed exclusively for BURGER KING® restaurants by the Star Trek creative team, the high quality frosted glasses are enclosed in a collectible box and available for a suggested price of $1.99 each with the purchase of any BK® Value Meal at participating restaurants, while supplies last.

- BK® Kids Meals Premiums: Families can also discover star and bolt-shaped CHICKEN TENDERS® developed in tandem with the Star Trek movie promotion in BK® Kids Meals. BK® Kids Meals will also include one of 16 all-sound Star Trek toys. The toys highlight the characters, technology, iconic sounds and famous phrases from the film, and taps into the fun and adventure of exploring uncharted territories.

TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN

- Transform Your Way ™ : Starting June 22, fans can look forward to the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen promotion, which will give guests the chance to take home a range of prizes, from $1 million cash to a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro to movie passes and instant-win food items like the CROISSAN’WICH® and WHOPPER® sandwich. As part of the Transform Your Way™ scratch-and-win game, game pieces will be available on specially marked menu items. BURGER KING® will also give guests a second chance to win at bktransformers.com, where consumers can navigate interactive online applications to enter daily for a chance to win $10,000.

- New BK BBQ DOUBLE STACKTICON ™ sandwich.
The BURGER KING® menu will undergo a transformation with this new sandwich. Available for a limited time only for a suggested retail price starting at $2.79 the Transformers-inspired burger allows guests to stack multiple burger patties, bacon, sauce and cheese similar in theme to the 'combining' of Transformers characters in the upcoming film.

- Advertising by film director Michael Bay - Blockbuster director, Michael Bay, directed the national kid’s television advertising spots that will turn the BURGER KING® dining experience on its head. In addition, each BK® Kids Meal will come with one of eight Transformers toys that bring the beloved characters and vehicles from the movie to life.

G.I. JOE: RISE OF THE COBRA

- G.I. Joe BK® Kids Meals premiums: Beginning July 27, Burger King Corp. enlists G.I. Joe for an elite mission. The G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra promotion features a kids premium program filled with gadgets, action figures and vehicles that offer the ultimate adventure. Each BK® Kids Meal will come with one of eight G.I. Joe toys.

'All three of these feature films boast a huge loyal fan base and have carved out a permanent place in [popular medium],' added Klein. 'Partnering with Paramount has allowed us to go beyond the typical tie-in property sponsorship to create all-encompassing entertainment and promotions that offer our restaurant guests a real piece of the action – in-restaurant, on their televisions, and online. Likewise, the creativity and innovation we bring to the partnership add value to the studios’ movie marketing effort.'"

Neato! This looks like I'm gonna be going to Burger King more. I love it when the filmmakers actually take the time to shoot promotional things for the kiddies. It shows they care. Or that the studios make them.

Wolverine has a fear...

From IMDB.com:

"Action man Hugh Jackman has dashed his hardman persona - he's scared of dolls coming to life. The X-Men star admits he is spooked whenever kids' toys are brought to life on-screen - and he has traced his fears back to watching horror movie Child's Play as a youngster, which featured a murderous doll named Chucky. He says, 'When dolls come to life in films, that just freaks me out, I just can't stand that. Chucky? Forget that. I remember when I was a little kid, and that little doll in the rocking chair going, 'Take the girl right up the hill and kiss the girl goodbye'... I'm like, forget that! That freaks me out.'"

Okay. This is no irrational fear. I have this - except for Toy Story. I am frightened to of Chucky and will refuse till the day I die to watch a Child's Play film. EVER.

BTW - X-Men Origins: Wolverine's box office weekend? #1, of course.

From IMDB.com:

"Despite last month's online release of a pirated workprint... and a slew of unwelcoming reviews, Twentieth Century Fox's X-Men Origins: Wolverine made the cut as a box-office contender over the weekend as it took in an estimated $87 million. The figure was in line with most analysts' predictions, although a few had forecast that it would rake in well over $100 million. (The Los Angeles Times called the result 'somewhat impressive.') Over the same weekend a year ago, Iron Man took in $98.6 million."

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Dwayne Johnson goes 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA

From ComingSoon.net:
"While director McG has told anyone who would listen that he'd love to have Will Smith star in his reworking of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Captain Nemo for Disney Studios, according to the latest 'issue' of Production Weekly, Dwayne Johnson has been cast in the undersea epic, which is listed as in active development to start shooting in Australia later this year. Presumably, Johnson, whose last two movies have been for Disney, will play Captain Nemo himself."


SYNOPSIS:
"A fugitive whaler teams up with a naturalist, a mysterious woman and a captain of a futuristic submarine, to search for a lost underwater civilization that holds libraries of vast knowledge and a weapon with the power to destroy mankind."

Sounds like combining 20,000 Leagues and Atlantis: The Lost Empire (despite what people said, I liked it - especially hearing Marty McFly in voice-over form).


UPDATE:

Oops! No, he's not!

"Production Weekly has posted a retraction to the listing in their production guide which listed Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as the star of McG's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Captain Nemo. McG told SCI Fi Wire that he hasn't even spoken to Johnson. Said McG, 'I don't know where that came from. I've never spoken to Dwayne Johnson. You can be the first to report that I have no idea where that came from. I wish him every success, but I never spoke to Dwayne about this.' He added that the movie is still being offered to Will Smith."

Saturday, May 2, 2009

STAR TOURS 2.0 finally flying into our galaxy!

From TheForce.net:

"Our source reveals that the revamp will incorporate prequel characters (like Naboo citizens and Geonosians) along with many aliens from the original trilogy (Aqualish. Bith, Rodians, etc). In the action sequence, the Star Tours vehicle is now going to be chased by Boba Fett. C-3PO and R2-D2 are still the hosts, and Anthony Daniels will be recording his parts this week. Admiral Ackbar holographically communicates with the Star Tours vehicle. Right now they're shooting mostly green screen footage, as it is the middle part of the production timeline."

Sounds cool. Okay, I'm not gonna lie - THIS SOUNDS FREAKIN' AWESOME!! I wonder if any Clone Wars characters (like Ahsoka) will make it in. I also heard that Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker from Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith) is supposed to play a part or something.