IRON MAN 2 gets down with a TV Spot!

From Superhero Hype!:

"Recently, Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau spotted a trailer remix that was created by DJ Mike Relm. He showed the remix to Paramount who hired Relm to cut together an official TV spot, which has aired on TV."



Makes you wanna boogie!!!

BATMAN is back!

From ComingSoon.net:

"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 [3D] 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."

THOR revealed

From ComingSoon.net:

"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. Thor opens on May 6, 2011."

By the way, Chris Hemsworth is also George Kirk (James T. Kirk's father) from Star Trek. Sad, sad opening to a really great movie.

JONAH HEX rounds up a trailer

From ComingSoon.net:

"Warner Bros. Pictures has released the trailer for Jonah Hex, opening in theaters on June 18.

In the Jimmy Hayward-directed film, Jonah Hex (Josh Brolin) is a scarred drifter and bounty hunter of last resort, a tough and stoic gunslinger who can track down anyone... and anything. Having survived death, Jonah's violent history is steeped in myth and legend, and has left him with one foot in the natural world and one on the 'other side'. His only human connection is with Leila (Megan Fox), whose life in a brothel has left her with scars of her own. But Jonah's past is about to catch up with him when the U.S. military makes him an offer he can't refuse: in exchange for his freedom from the warrants on his head, he must track down and stop the dangerous terrorist Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich). But Turnbull, who is gathering an army and preparing to unleash Hell, is also Jonah's oldest enemy and will stop at nothing until Jonah is dead. Based on the legendary graphic novel, Jonah Hex is an epic adventure thriller about one man's personal quest for redemption against the vast canvas of the battle between good and evil."

COMMANDO blows up a remake!

From ComingSoon.net:

"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.'"

Here's the trailer:

MAGIC 8 BALL: The Movie?

From ComingSoon.net:

"Deadline New York reports that Paramount Pictures has optioned the Mattel's Magic 8 Ball for a live action adventure film. The game ball comes with 20 standard answers.

The site says the deal is being put in place by Paramount Motion Picture Group president Adam Goodman, and will be produced by Brad Weston through his overall deal on the Paramount lot. Jon Gunn and John Mann will write the script.

Paramount is already working with Mattel on a Max Steel movie."

All together now... "HUH?"

IMAX and Warner Bros. unite

From ComingSoon.net:

"IMAX and Warner Bros. Pictures announced a deal today good for up to 20 movies from 2010 through 2013:

IMAX Corporation and Warner Bros. Pictures, a unit of Time Warner Inc., announced today that they have completed an agreement to release up to 20 Warner Bros. films in IMAX's format over the course of the next three and a half years (from 2010 through 2013). The agreement strategically aligns Warner Bros.' tent-pole business with the increasing worldwide popularity of The IMAX Experience in both 2D and IMAX 3D, providing the studio with an added distribution platform that consistently delivers strong box office returns. The agreement underscores the excitement around the studio's future films which are anticipated to be among the best Hollywood event titles slated for release in the coming years.

Under the agreement, Warner Bros. movies that will be released in IMAX are: Legends of the Guardian: The Owls of Ga'Hoole 3D (September 24, 2010); Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (3D) (November 19, 2010); Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II (3D) (July 15, 2011); Happy Feet 2 (3D) (November 18, 2011); and The Hobbit (December 2012). Warner Bros. and IMAX also plan to release an additional 15 films over the course of 2011, 2012 and 2013, including Gravity, Dark Shadows, [the non-Mel Gibson Mad Max movie] Fury Road, Batman 3, and [the next] Superman [film]."

Abrams & Spielberg team up!

From ComingSoon.net:

"Vulture reports that J.J. Abrams will next direct a project that will be 'both a tribute to and a collaboration with Steven Spielberg'. According to the site, the script is a 'a tip of the hat to [Spielberg's] movies of the 70's and early 80's'.


If the project moves forward, Abrams would direct from his own script starting early fall for Paramount Pictures.

The project reportedly 'will deal with everyday people whose personal relationships are tested when they are thrown up against extraordinarily fantastic - and possibly other-worldly - events.'

The movie is expected to have a low budget, but won't have shaky cam like Cloverfield."

Sounds great. Sounds wonderful. Especially if it reflects '70s-'80s Spielberg which combined mystery and wonder with a little bit of humor.


DON'T GIVE UP STAR TREK!!!!!

Pee-Wee joins THE SMURFS!

From ComingSoon.net:

"Deadline New York says that Paul Reubens (best known as Pee-wee Herman) will voice 'Jokey' Smurf in Sony Pictures Animation's The Smurfs.

Directed by Raja Gosnell, the film stars Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofia Vergara, Hank Azaria, Anton Yelchin, Jonathan Winters, Katy Perry, Alan Cumming, Fred Armisen and George Lopez.

An August 3, 2011 release is planned."

Well, I was hoping for Breckin Meyer to play Jokey because he did a great (and flat-out hilarious) impersonation for a "Robot Chicken" sketch where Jokey is a crazy, psychotic serial killer. Sounds bad, but's it's really REALLY funny! "SURPRISE! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

UPDATE:

From ComingSoon.net:

"Joining the cast that already includes Katy Perry, Hank Azaria, George Lopez, and Alan Cumming are Daily Show’s John Oliver, playing Vanity Smurf; Saturday Night Live‘s Kenan Thompson and Fred Armisen as Greedy Smurf and Brainy Smurf, respectively; The Office’s B.J. Novak as Baker Smurf; and comedian Jeff Foxworthy as Handy Smurf. They join Pee-wee Herman himself, Paul Reubens, who will play Jokey Smurf. Also lending their voices to the little blue creatures are Wolfgang Puck — playing none other than Chef Smurf — and veteran character actor Gary Basaraba as Hefty Smurf. Star Trek’s Anton Yelchin will voice Clumsy Smurf."

Bill Murray warming up to GHOSTBUSTERS 3?

From ComingSoon.net:

"For almost two years now, there's been talk about Sony doing a Ghostbusters 3, having hired writers and even picked a release date of summer 2011, but things started sounding shaky earlier this year when rumors started surfacing that the studio may no longer want to have Ivan Reitman direct it.

Then in March, Bill Murray, who had long been balking at doing a third movie, appeared on 'The David Letterman Show' and claimed that the thought of a third movie is his 'nightmare' and is just 'crazy talk'.

[At a press event for a new independent film, Murray talked about the potential for a third film.] 'You know, it’s really the studio starts this stuff,' he told us. 'They start saying Ghostbusters. They want to do (it) and it’s really the world of sequels and bringing these things back again, and then some wiseacre said, 'Hey, we got a couple of new writers who are gonna write something.' And I thought, 'Oh, well, maybe there’ll be some writers' and there was always this joke, sort of a half-true, half-joke thing like, 'Well, I’ll do it if you kill me off in the first reel.' That was my joke, you know? So supposedly someone was writing a script where I actually got killed in the first reel and became a ghost, which I thought, 'Well, that’s kind of clever anyway.' But then these guys that were supposedly the writers that were going to do it, they wrote a film that came out and people saw the film [possibly Year One] and went … 'We’re not going to do it after all, are we?' So it’s just a kind of a dreamy thing. They want to create a new generation of Ghostbusters, you know? They’d just like us to pass the torch.'



When asked to clarify whether making the movie really would be a 'nightmare,' Bill Murray told us this, 'Well, it’s true, but we made a great movie and then we made another one, you know? So we went to the well twice and it’s almost impossible to do the second movie as well. Only horror movies get better as they go along because they have more money to spend for more crazy effects. I actually thought the other day--it’s just become so irritating--but I actually heard people like, young people that really [heard] of the movie when they were kids and I thought, 'You know, maybe I should just do it. Maybe it’d be fun to do.' Because the guys are funny and I miss [Rick] Moranis and Annie [Potts] and Danny. Those people are some people that were really, you know, I miss them. I think that’s really a big part of it.'"

So, maybe if they can catch him in that good a mood, maybe he'll actually do it.

If they're really gonna pass the torch to a new team of Ghostbusters, it needs to be in the vein of Star Trek, because that's what works. Make them a vital part of the story, but when the plot kicks in have the new team step up to the plate to save the day.

Still, good luck getting Rick Moranis coming out of retirement. I think he hates Ghostbusters even more than Murray.

Here's the last time that Bill Murray has anything positive to do with Ghostbusters: 2009's hilarious horror-comedy Zombieland.



Then again, he really just did it as a favor to Woody Harrelson. But, as Nicolas Cage (... and Taylor Swift...) said, "You could've said no." (Cage says it in Ghost Rider and Swift has a song called "You Could've Said No".)

Mike and Sulley are back!

From ComingSoon.net:

"Walt Disney Studios chairman Rich Ross announced today that the studio has set release dates for Disney•Pixar's Monsters, Inc. sequel and the action-adventure Brave (previously titled 'The Bear and the Bow').

Brave, hitting theaters on June 15, 2012, is voiced by Reese Witherspoon, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson and Julie Walters. In the film, the impetuous, tangle-haired Merida, though a daughter of royalty, would prefer to make her mark as a great archer. A clash of wills with her mother compels Merida to make a reckless choice, which unleashes unintended peril on her father's kingdom and her mother's life. Merida struggles with the unpredictable forces of nature, magic and a dark, ancient curse to set things right.

The follow-up to Monsters, Inc., which earned $525.4 million worldwide in 2001, is scheduled for November 16, 2012."

YAY!!!

THE GREEN HORNET goes 3D

From ComingSoon.net:

"Sony Pictures has decided to give the Michel Gondry-directed The Green Hornet, starring Seth Rogen, the 3D treatment. Because of this, the studio has announced it is moving the film back from December 22 to January 14, 2011--Martin Luther King Jr. weekend--so that it will be released when there are sufficient 3D screens available."

THE LAST AIRBENDER bends into 3D

From ComingSoon.net:

"Paramount has decided [to 3D-convert] M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender, except that they have no plans to move it off its July 2 release date.

According to Variety, Paramount has been working for over a year testing the 3D conversion process with Stereo D, who also worked on Avatar, and three months ago, they showed Shyamalan some converted footage and he agreed to convert the full movie to 3D.

On a recent visit to Industrial Light and Magic (ILM), ComingSoon.net/SuperHeroHype asked the movie's visual FX supervisor Pablo Hellman (War of the Worlds) about the 3D conversion process and whether in theory, it would be possible to convert The Last Airbender, and we received an answer that applies well to the recent news:

'You can probably spend as much time as you have,' he told us. 'How good it looks is proportionate to how much time that you spend either if you decide to shoot it in 3D or you decide to do it in post. I think the one thing that you have to remember is to design things (for 3D). If you have not designed it in 3D, you have to have a specific aesthetic to it, and having seen Clash of the Titans, this movie is different in the sense that Night's takes are really, really long. The average shot is about 500 frames, which is really long, and the camera movement, even in action scenes, there's a lot of stuff we shot at 96 frames a second just so we can speed it up or slow it down. The camera moves really slowly around the characters. That kind of design lends itself well to 3D dimensionalizing more than an action sequence that's all cuts; you just can't focus on things. A lot of it has to do with design and what you do with it, too. It's what we do with the tool that makes it either interesting or jarring and not telling the story.'"

Here's the new trailer!

Live Long No More?

From Slashfilm:


"For years after the original broadcast of 'Star Trek', Leonard Nimoy struggled with identification as his most famous character, the half-Vulcan Mr. Spock. He agreed to make Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan only on the condition that Spock would be killed off in grand fashion, but the film turned out well enough that he not only reprised the character in the third film, but directed the picture as well. [However, Nimoy’s most financially successful directorial effort was Three Men and a Baby.]

Now Nimoy has made his final appearance as Spock, in last year’s Star Trek, and will make his final acting appearance, period, on an upcoming episode of 'Fringe'. Nimoy says that, after sixty years of acting, he plans to retire for good.

The Toronto Sun spoke to the actor recently, who says that after 'countless times' of thinking he was done, this is really it.

'I want to get off the stage. Also, I don’t think it would be fair to Zachary Quinto. He’s a terrific actor, he looks the part, and it’s time to give him some space. And I’m very flattered the character will continue. I’ve been doing this professionally for 60 years. I love the idea of going out on a positive note. I’ve had a great, great time.'

His final acting appearance will be on 'Fringe', where his character originally came about as a favor to producer J.J. Abrams, who revived Star Trek with last year’s feature.

He’ll concentrate on photography from here on out."

No BATMAN 3D

From ComingSoon.net:

"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 3D 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.'"

Well, Warner Bros. will having something to say about that!

MIB 3D?

From ComingSoon.net:

"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."

PROJECT X revealed

From Slashfilm:

"For a while now we’ve been hearing about Todd Phillips and Joel Silver’s super secret low-budget, hard-R comedy movie which is being referred to as Project X. The project is set-up at Warner Bros with a $12 million budget. Phillips is working as ‘producer and creative godfather’ for commercial turned first time feature film director Nima Nourizadeh, and even the casting process is a bit of a mystery.

Earlier this week, Phillips and Silver launched a website searching for unknowns to be cast in the movie. The only requirements were that submitters must be U.S. residents, be able to pass for 18 years old, and submit a video tape telling their most embarrassing story, craziest party story, the riskiest or most daring thing they’ve ever done, and demonstrate an impressive dance.

But that’s basically all we knew about the project. The ‘outrageous high concept’ story was being kept tightly under wraps. Until now…

FirstShowing has uncovered details about the project:

'The film is described as a party movie, but unlike films like Can’t Hardly Wait and other such one-night-of-chaos films before it, this will be shot in cinema-vérité style, where the audience will experience the party only through the first-person observer view of the camera, so essentially, we will be at the party too. Much like the Hud character in Cloverfield, the role of the observer through which we experience the party will be voice-over only. And to seal the deal on this party-going experience, the entire film will be presented in 3D (there’s a chance it could be shot in 3D, but with a $15 million budget, I don’t think that’s the case).'

And don’t let the open casting call above fool you, there is a script. The whole film will not be created using the open casting call submissions, although I’m sure some of the talents and ideas might be incorporated. Honestly, I’m not quite sure why this information is being kept secret, as it seems faily simple. I would have expected something being called Project X to be more elaborate, something more akin to Cloverfield. And while this has some interesting ideas, I’m not sure the reason for all the secrecy.

The film will begin production in June in LA, and Phillips reportedly intends to be produce in hands-on style before going to work on a sequel to The Hangover."

Luke Skywalker directs!

From ComingSoon.net:

"The Wrap reports that Mark Hamill may be directing a feature version of his comic 'The Black Pearl'. Participating in the Los Angeles Comedy Shorts Festival in Los Angeles on Saturday, Hamill hinted at the project:

'Then Hamill dropped numerous hints about the film: it’s based on a comic book that Hamill wrote, it’s set in the real world, and 'at first glance it’s a drama, but it has dark humor.'

'My two co-writers wrote a David O. Russell film for Paramount,' he said, 'and now they’ve very hot. So now there are people who are willing to give us $30 million to make the movie. But if we took that deal, I wouldn’t get to direct.'

'If you go over about $8 million, you have to start getting foreign sales before you start shooting. But if you stay in the $5-to-$7 million range, you don’t have to do presales and you can maintain much more creative control.'

Published by Dark Horse Comics in 1996, the five-part comic was co-written by Hamill and Eric Johnson, illustrated by H. M. Baker, and inked by Bruce Patterson and Dan Schaeffer. The story focuses on Luther Drake, a troubled man who becomes a costumed vigilante 'hero' by accident and media pressure.

An official announcement is expected at the Cannes Film Festival."

STAR WARS 3D?

From IGN.com:

"It's been widely reported that George Lucas has expressed interest in bringing the Star Wars movies back to theaters with a fresh 3D treatment. Today in the IGN Theater at the C2E2 convention in Chicago, Lucasfilm Director of Fan Relations Steve Sansweet addressed those reports.

He says: 'George has publicly expressed an interest in doing Star Wars 3D. Right now there are a number of different technologies, there's some criticism out there about some of the movies that have quickly changed to 3D, so you have to pick the right technology, you have to get it to a cost that makes sense, and you have to have the time of the director and producer -- George -- to actually go in there, because you can't push a button and stuff goes in one end and comes out 3D...'

'Saying all that, George remains very interested in doing the Star Wars movies, all six, in 3D, and I hope it will happen someday in the not too distant future.'"

CAN'T WAIT!!!

Aang in the Wild West

From ComingSoon.net:

"The Last Airbender star Noah Ringer has been cast in director Jon Favreau's Cowboys & Aliens. He joins a cast that already includes Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde.


The sci-fi Western, based on the Platinum Studios Comics graphic novel, explores what would happen if the traditional Old West enemies -- cowboys and Native Americans -- found the prairie attacked by aliens in mid-1800s Arizona.

Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Damon Lindelof wrote the script for the film, hitting theaters on July 29, 2011."

That Noah guy's going places!

ALICE IN WONDERLAND coming to DVD!

From ComingSoon.net:

"Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has announced that Alice in Wonderland will hit DVD on June 1st. The press release:



Following a record-breaking theatrical performance, Tim Burton’s epic fantasy adventure Alice in Wonderland, Disney’s 4th biggest film of all time, takes its booming box-office success into the home with a Disney 1-Disc DVD on June 1, 2010, from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.

The suggested retail prices for Alice in Wonderland (the Single Disc DVD) is $29.99.

Film Synopsis:

Tumble down the rabbit hole with Alice for a fantastical new adventure from Walt Disney Pictures and Tim Burton. Inviting and magical, Alice in Wonderland is an imaginative new twist on some of the most beloved stories of all time. Alice (Mia Wasikowska), now 19 years old, returns to the whimsical world she first entered as a child and embarks on a journey to discover her true destiny. Wonderland is a world beyond your imagination and unlike anything you’ve seen before. The extraordinary characters you’ve loved come to life richer and more colorful than ever. There’s the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), the White Queen (Anne Hathaway), the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter), the White Rabbit (Michael Sheen) and more. A triumphant cinematic experience – Alice in Wonderland is an incredible feast for your eyes, ears and heart that will captivate audiences of all sizes.

The film’s opening weekend made Alice in Wonderland the highest-grossing non-sequel opening weekend in history, the biggest March opening of all time, the biggest 3D opening of all time and the biggest IMAX opening of all time.

Bonus Features:

DVD:

Finding Alice – It’s all things Alice. This featurette includes Tim Burton’s vision for the characters, differences from the book and Disney’s version of Alice and how she evolves as both a character and actor as she takes an adventure through Wonderland.

The Mad Hatter – Audiences are provided with a deeper look into the world of the Mad Hatter. Check out Johnny Depp’s early sketches, make-up, costumes and how they digitally enhanced his eyes.

Effecting Wonderland – A behind-the-scenes piece on the different technologies used to create some of the most beloved characters in the film – Stayne, Tweedledee, Tweedledum, Bandersnatch and the Red Queen."

Can't wait to see it all over again!!

Jon Landau talks AVATAR DVD and sequel

From ComingSoon.net:

"Earlier this evening, ComingSoon.net was invited to get a sneak preview of the new [DVD] release of James Cameron's Avatar on April 22. ....We wanted to share Landau's response when asked about the pressures to produce the much-rumored Avatar sequel, given the success of the movie on so many levels.

'Look, I think one of the things that we have been successful at is that the most pressure we feel is our own pressure,' he told us. 'I think that's true as we make a movie, whether it be Titanic or Avatar. Our pressure about an Avatar sequel is self-imposed. We've always said that if the public wanted a sequel that we would do a sequel. That having been said, in my opinion, Jim has done two sequels in his career, and both times, he has at least equaled if not surpassed the original movie. We're only going to do it when we have a piece of material, a script, that we believe will be at least as entertaining and unique as the first movie was.'

Then again, once they get that material--and Landau agreed that the possibilities for a sequel are somewhat endless--making a sequel will likely be a lot easier than it was to make the first movie. 'Not only that, but the hard part is out of the way. We figured out how to do it, and our goal in the next one is to do it more cost-effectively and more time-efficiently, and we have kept on a team of our technical staff who is working right now on Gen 2 of what we did, but with all the experience that we've had. We kept them on, and they're working for us right now.'

Over the next few months, Landau and Cameron will be overseeing production on the supplementary materials for the four-disc ultimate edition Avatar [DVD] out in November, many of which will appear in the months between releases through 'The Avatar Program', which will allow those who buy the initial DVD release exclusive access to the materials at Avatarmovie.com.

Eventually, the Blu-ray will include a brand-new two-hour documentary on making Avatar and unused extra scenes from the movie, including more on the Na'vi school run by Sigourney Weaver and on Jake's training as an Avatar. With that in mind, we wondered how much time Cameron might have to start developing new material.

'The good news is that we have systems and methodologies in place that will not consume a lot of Jim's time,' Landau said. 'I think Jim's time will be surgical coming in. We have a very good behind-the-scenes crew working on this two-hour documentary we want to put together - Jim's not doing it himself. We have Weta Digital working on these shots, but our animation supervisor is now our visual FX supervisor, so he'll take all of this to a certain point and then Jim will be able to come in, but hopefully, he'll be able to go off and do some other stuff. There are a small number of movies that Jim wants to (direct) himself, but he doesn't want to say that he can do things that he's not going to have time for, and we know that whatever movie he does is not going to be done in six months.'"

DC's Geoff Johns talks GREEN LANTERN

From ComingSoon.net:

"DC Entertainment Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns answered fans' questions at Comic Book Resources and he was first asked about a possible DC movie slate announcement:

'I can't get into the exact DC slate right now, but we're all working heavily on what that is with Warner Bros. and there will be news forthcoming. But, you can bet there is going to be a lot more than there is right now.'

While he didn't reveal much there, Johns did talk more about his visits to the Green Lantern set in New Orleans:

'The movie looks fantastic. I'm heading back down to New Orleans in a few weeks, but I just watched the Abin Sur/Hal Jordan dailies, and it's amazing seeing that ring passed to Hal in live action. Abin Sur looks [great].

They did such a great job. They've got Grant [Major] as a production designer. He's from Lord of the Rings, and the visuals on this film are nothing like you could imagine. It's definitely a Green Lantern fan's dream. For me, it's kind of insane to see this stuff come to life.

And Ryan Reynolds is a perfect Hal Jordan. He brings a lot of humor to it, but he also has the humanity that Hal has. And a little bit of the arrogance, so it's a great match.'

Directed by Martin Campbell, Green Lantern hits 3D and 2D theaters on June 17, 2011."

Good to see they're not robbing Ryan Reynolds of what's he's good at.

KNIGHT AND DAY trailers blow up online

From ComingSoon.net:

"Opening in theaters on June 25, [action/comedy Knight and Day] stars Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarsgaard, Viola Davis, Olivier Martinez, Paul Dano, Maggie Grace, Mark Blucas and Jordi Molla.

[The film] centers on a lonely woman (Diaz) whose seemingly harmless blind date suddenly turns her life upside-down when a super spy (Cruise) takes her on a violent worldwide journey to protect a powerful battery that holds the key to an infinite power source. Grace is playing Diaz's sister, who is getting married, excited that Diaz will take the place of their late father and walk her down the aisle."

The film is directed by James Mangold (Walk the Line).





"They'll tell you I'm mentally unstable..."

Well, Tom, the first step is admitting you have a problem.

Scorsese goes 3D

From Slashfilm:

"Back in March, Academy Award-winning filmmaker and historian Martin Scorsese announced his approval of Digital 3D filmmaking, stating 'We see in depth, for the most part. We go to the theater — it’s in depth. Why couldn’t a film like Precious be in 3D? It should be.' Scorsese even admitted that he’d love to make a 3D film himself.

And it was only a few months earlier, we heard that Scorsese’s next film might be an adaptation of Brian Selznick’s novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret (one of the projects that has been on the director’s slate since 2007). For the last few months, it has been rumored that Scorsese might be making the 3D plunge with Hugo Cabret. But Variety now confirms that this will be a 3D production.

Scorsese has said in the past that he’s 'very excited by 3D… But if the camera move is going to be a 3D effect, it has to be for dramatic purposes – not just throwing spears at the audience. And that, maybe I can’t do that. Maybe my daughter’s generation – she’s 10 now – can think that way.'

The Aviator scribe John Logan penned the screenplay adaptation of Brian Selznick’s bestselling children’s novel. The book description for The Invention of Hugo Cabret follows:

'Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo’s undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo’s dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.'

So far, the film will star Sacha Baron Cohen as the inspector, Ben Kingsley as the old man, Asa Butterfield (Nanny McPhee) as the titular Hugo Cabret, and Chloe Moretz will play 'an eccentric, bookish girl' who comes into Hugo’s life as he navigates the Parisian train station where he lives.

The project will begin production in London in June 2010, and Sony will release the film on December 9th, 2011.'"

Joss the AVENGER director

From ComingSoon.net:

"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 (The First Avenger: 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."

Of course, everyone "conveniently" forgets that he was one of the writers of... Toy Story. I know, what a shock, right? Considering his later projects, I imagine he wrote Sid's dialogue. I'm not a huge fan of his personal life, considering the man's an atheist (along with Seth Green and Seth MacFarlane). He also wrote a treatment for one of my favorite animated films (which is highly unseen), Atlantis: The Lost Empire.

Fox takes FLIGHT

From ComingSoon.net:

"Variety is reporting that 20th Century Fox is buying the film rights to 'Taking Flight: The Hunt for a Young Outlaw,' for Rough House Pictures to produce. The project is based on a proposal by Bob Friel.

The trade says the story 'centers on Colton Harris-Moore -- the teenager who's stolen cars, boats and planes and taught himself how to fly in order to evade local police, Homeland Security and the FBI. He's still at large and has a massive Facebook following.'

Harris-Moore, dubbed 'The Barefoot Burglar,' is a suspect in more than 100 crimes, mostly felonies, in the Pacific Northwest since escaping from a juvenile facility in 2008.

The movie could possibly be a directing vehicle for Rough House principal David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express)."

This actually sounds like it could be funny, like a comedic version of The Fugitive, except it's based on a true story.

Writers OF THE UNIVERSE

From ComingSoon.net:

"Mike Finch and Alex Litvak, who co-wrote the upcoming Predators, have been hired by Columbia Pictures to write the script for Masters of the Universe.

The 'He-Man' adaptation was previously at Warner Bros. Pictures, where it went through several writers and in latter stages had John Stevenson (Kung Fu Panda) attached to direct.

Heat Vision says that Finch and Litvak's pitch 'attempted to balance a treatment that would convince the studio it was cinematic and keep the toy company satisfied that its characters were being portrayed appropriately.'

Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch of Escape Artists are producing."

Every girl's crazy 'bout a CG-dressed LANTERN

From Slashfilm:

"Everyone is curious to see what Ryan Reynolds will look like in costume in the big screen adaptation of DC Comics’ Green Lantern. Production started earlier this month in New Orleans, and while the first set photos have begun to hit the web — don’t expect to see Reynolds in the green suit.... [or] any leaked shots of Reynolds in the actual suit until Warner Bros makes the official full reveal.

Why not? Well, because there isn’t a suit. No suit?

That’s right. No suit. The suit that Ryan wears on set is a grey tracking motion/performance capture suit with led lights. I’ve heard that Ryan Reynolds has been joking on set that Warner Bros is going to make him into a Na’vi when the final cut is released. The Green Lantern suit you will see in the final film will be almost entirely created using computers.

That’s right — Green Lantern’s suit will be mostly CG!

[A source] within Warner Bros assures... that the suit will look cool. Don’t let the words 'Computer generated' scare you.

[Remember] that Ngila Dickson, the costumer designer on the film has won an Academy Award for a little film called The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Maybe you’ve seen it before? Don’t let her 'Xena: Warrior Princess' roots scare you, she worked on the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Last Samurai (another film which earned her an Oscar nomination), The Illusionist, Blood Diamond and The International.

Ngila was tasked with trying to find a way to do something that stands apart from all of the other superheroes spandex suit designs we’ve seen in the past.

Remember, the Green Lantern suit is something that should look alien — it needs to seem other worldly. It encompasses any creature that wears the ring, and Hal Jordan is the first human to ever wear the suit. This was a chance for Dickson to do something different. You also have to consider that Hal changes into the suit multiple times in mid-scene, and the CG also allows him to do this.

The suit is lined with white LEDs, which I initially thought might be used to give a practical glow (kind of like how Billy Crudup wore blue LEDs to give the actors around Dr. Manhattan a blue glow in Watchmen), but I’ve since been told might just be for mo-cap tracking purposes."

Well, that's cool. It'd still be cooler to see an actual suit.

THE OTHER GUYS blow up a trailer!

From ComingSoon.net:

"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.

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."

Harrison Ford in COWBOYS AND ALIENS

From Slashfilm:

"He’s had experience with aliens, and he’s turned up in the Old West before, but never at the same time. It could be time to pull one ridiculous fanboy daydream into reality, as it seems like Harrison Ford might well be joining the cast of Cowboys and Aliens.

Latino Review are reporting that they received a tip-off last week that Ford would be joining 'a huge comic book movie to be directed by a director coming off a soon to be released huge comic book movie'.

This tip was given a little added weight when Favreau tweeted 'Some very cool Cowboys & Aliens casting news coming soon…' so the rumour finally made it online."

That sounds so cool! If only Robert Downey Jr. was still in the movie. At least he would with the current James Bond, Daniel Craig.

UPDATE:

Iron Man 2 helmer Jon Favreau has confirmed a Latino Review scoop that Harrison Ford is joining Daniel Craig and Olivia Wilde in the director's graphic novel adaptation Cowboys & Aliens.

Favreau posted the following on his Twitter account.

'Please stop asking if Harrison Ford is in Cowboys & Aliens. Okay? He is. Please don't tell anybody.'"

STAR WARS gets funny!

From ComingSoon.net:

"Lucasfilm Animation announced today it is developing an all-new animated Star Wars series, focusing its efforts on the comedic aspects of the 'galaxy far, far away'. Featuring creative involvement from Seth Green and Matthew Senreich, creators and executive producers of the Emmy and Annie Award-winning 'Robot Chicken', as well as writing from 'The Daily Show's' Brendan Hay, the series will look at the Saga's characters with a playful and irreverent tone. The series will be produced by Daytime Emmy and Gemini Award-winner Jennifer Hill ('The Backyardigans'), and directed by Emmy-nominated Todd Grimes ('Back at the Barnyard').

'There are so many stories taking place in the Star Wars universe, and they don't all have to focus on the fate of the galaxy,' said Grimes. 'We're looking at Star Wars from a new perspective; this will be a glimpse at how the rest of the galaxy is affected by the events of the Saga. There's a lot of humor to be mined from that.'

'The Star Wars universe is so dense and rich; it's crazy to think that there aren't normal, mundane everyday problems in a world so well-defined,' said Green. 'And it's even crazier to think of what those problems might be, since it's all set in a galaxy far, far away. What do these characters do when they're not overthrowing Empires?'

Said Senreich, 'We're going to pull back the curtain of some of those behind-the-scenes shenanigans. It's going to appeal to all ages, the way Star Wars should -- but there'll be plenty buried under the surface, as well. As Obi-Wan might say, 'it all depends on your point of view'.'"

Well, at least the geniuses (no sarcasm intended) at "Robot Chicken" are in control. That's a good sign.

THE SMURFS begins production

From ComingSoon.net:

"Principal photography began Friday, March 26, in New York on Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Animation's hybrid live-action and animated family comedy, The Smurfs, it was announced today by Bob Osher, president of Sony Pictures Digital Productions, Hannah Minghella, president of Sony Pictures Animation and Doug Belgrad, president of Columbia Pictures.

Audiences everywhere are in for a Smurfy good time as the Smurfs make their first 3D trip to the big screen. When the evil wizard Gargamel chases the tiny blue Smurfs out of their village, they tumble from their magical world and into ours – in fact, smack dab in the middle of Central Park. Just three apples high and stuck in the Big Apple, the Smurfs must find a way to get back to their village before Gargamel tracks them down. The film is set for release August 3, 2011.

Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofia Vergara, and Hank Azaria star on camera opposite an all-star voice cast. Anton Yelchin [(Star Trek, Terminator Salvation)] will play Clumsy Smurf; comedy legend Jonathan Winters, who voiced roles in the 'Smurfs' television series, will voice Papa Smurf; Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Katy Perry will play Smurfette; Alan Cumming will play Gutsy Smurf; 'SNL's' Fred Armisen will voice Brainy Smurf; and George Lopez will play Grouchy Smurf.

In the live-action roles, Azaria will play the Smurfs' nemesis, the evil wizard Gargamel. Harris and Mays star as an expectant couple whose lives are turned upside down when the Smurfs cross over from their magical village to New York City. Vergara plays Odile, Harris's boss, a cosmetics executive.

The film is directed by Raja Gosnell. The screenplay is by J. David Stem & David N. Weiss and Jay Scherick & David Ronn, based on the characters and works of Peyo. The producer is Jordan Kerner and Ezra Swerdlow, Ben Haber, and Paul Neesan are the executive producers.

Commenting on the announcement, Minghella said, 'We're thrilled with the way our cast has come together. Raja and Jordan and the entire team working on The Smurfs have developed a film with tremendous heart and great comedy and now we have a dream cast to bring the movie to life.'

Adds producer Jordan Kerner, 'What a wonderful journey this has been. The time is right for an adventure that will thrill fans and introduce the blue heroes to a new generation, and the technology is here to allow the three-apple-high Smurfs to appear in all their glory on the big screen and in 3D. Columbia Pictures has been magnificent at every turn in their commitment to get The Smurfs to the screen. Our partners at Lafig, including Peyo's daughter Veronique Culliford, have been with us in the creation of the story and characters every step of the way. It's a real thrill to begin shooting and working with our compatriots at Sony Pictures Animation. Just wait – the blue invasion is coming!'

Phil Meheux (Edge of Darkness) is the director of photography and the production designer is Bill Boes (Beverly Hills Chihuahua). Sabrina Plisco (Beverly Hills Chihuahua) is the film's editor, Maricel Pagulayan (Avatar) is the VFX Producer and Richard R. Hoover (Superman Returns) is the visual effects supervisor, with Sony Pictures Imageworks creating imagery and animation for the magical world of the Smurfs."

Sounds good so far.

Chris Evans talks CAPTAIN AMERICA

From ComingSoon.net:

"At a WonderCon press roundtable for Sylvain White's The Losers, the elephant in the room was addressed and Chris Evans was asked why he wanted to play the role of Steve Rogers in Marvel's The First Avenger: Captain America. After all, Evans already has played another iconic Marvel comic character when he took on the role of Johnny Storm a.k.a The Human Torch in two Fantastic Four movies and besides his role in the comic-based Losers, he's also playing action star Lucas Lee in Edgar Wright's upcoming Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.

At first, Evans was slightly hesitant at answering, knowing full well the question was coming, as would be expected when you're at a comic convention with lots of press interested in genre fare. After a bit of stammering, he finally said what interested him in playing another comic book role:

'I think Marvel is doing a lot of good things right now, and it's a fun character. Even if it wasn't a comic book. I think the story of Steve Rogers is great. He's a great guy. Even if it was just a script about anybody, I would probably want to do it. So it wasn't necessarily about the comic itself. He's a great character. He's a great character to play. He just happens to be a comic book character.'

He was then ribbed by Zoe Saldana, his co-star in The Losers, to add that it was all about being able to get back into blue tights, which he wore a lot as Johnny Storm."

Oh, you've done blue characters too, Zoe. Avatar ring a bell?

UPDATE:

More info from MTV Movies Blog:

"As the new face of Marvel's star-spangled superhero Captain America, Chris Evans is likely to play a major role in not only The First Avenger: Captain America, but also in the 2012 superhero team-up film The Avengers. Comic book fans know soldier-turned-superhero Steve Rogers as the character who unites many of Marvel's most prominent heroes against a threat too great for them to tackle individually — but does Evans know that?

MTV News caught up with the actor, who also plays Jensen in director Sylvain White's upcoming adaptation of the action [graphic novel] series The Losers, during this weekend's WonderCon to find out if he's intimidated by the prospect of giving orders to Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr. when it comes time for The Avengers.

'I don't know if they're going to make him the boss,' Evans said of Cap's role in The Avengers. 'His character... He's a good guy,' he added.

Presented with the notion of his character leading Marvel's team of superheroes that includes Iron Man and Thor (among others), Evans seemed a bit uncertain that Cap will be the boss when Earth's Mightiest Heroes take the screen.

'Does he [run the show]?' asked Evans. 'I don't think anybody tells Downey what to do, and that's what makes [him] Downey.'

Finally, Evans added that he hasn't tried on the costume or shield yet, but he's looking forward to donning Cap's red, white and blue uniform."

As great a guy as I know Chris will be as Cap, only Samuel L. Jackson can be the leader of the Avengers.

THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE at WonderCon

From ComingSoon.net:

"Day 2 of WonderCon 2010 featured presentations by two of Hollywood's biggest studios, Walt Disney Pictures and Warner Bros., the former having a lengthy chunk of time in the Esplanade Ballroom to present footage and talent from their three big summer movies.

One of the biggest highlights was the first non-trailer footage from Jerry Bruckheimer's The Sorcerer's Apprentice, directed by Jon Turteltaub (National Treasure), and we were thrilled to have a chance to talk to the director and to actor Nicolas Cage earlier in the day.

The movie, loosely based on the animated segment from Fantasia of the same name, has Cage playing an ancient sorcerer Balthazar Stone, who has been searching for years for someone called the Prime Merlinean, who will eventually play a huge role in the battle between good and evil sorcerers, known as the Merlineans and Morganians respectively.

The first clip Turteltaub brought to WonderCon was from very early in the movie when Dave first meets Balthazar. Turteltaub set up the clip saying that the 10-year-old Dave (played by Jake Cherry) has sent a note to this girl he likes named Becky, who is played by Teresa Palmer when they're grown up, essentially asking her to check whether he can either be her a.) friend or b.) boyfriend. She's made her choice but before Dave can look at it, the note has blown away.

The extended clip opens with Dave chasing the note onto a back alley that has loose papers flying everywhere, and he comes to a shop where outside is parked Balthazar's vintage Phantom car. Dave continues to follow the note until it slips into the mail slot of a strange shop, which is Balthazar's Arcana Cabana. Cautiously, Dave walks in and surveys the shelves that are filled with odd magical trinkets, before coming to a dusty Arabic lamp and he starts polishing off the dust but instead of a genie coming out, he accidentally bumps into something, which starts a chain of things falling over, including a large vase, which is quickly snatched up by Cage's Balthazar before it shatters. He says that the second emperor of the Han Dynasty put his least favorite wife in that urn for ten years to the day, and that if you open it up, the same thing will happen to whomever does it.

Young Dave apologizes and asks if he's seen the note that blew into his store, and Balthazar asks if that was just a coincidence which Dave confirms. Balthazar says something, calling Dave by name, and when the young boy asks how he knows his name, Cage yells 'Because I can read minds!!!' (pause) 'It's on your backpack.' (This got a big laugh.)

He pulls out a small box and says, 'This is very special and if it likes you, you can keep it.' Dave responds, 'I better not. My teacher said I can't be gone for long, she knows I'm here.' Balthazar says that Dave's a bad liar but that's good. (This is a comment that will be revisited in the second clip, so possibly a recurring gag.) He opens the tiny box and there's a small metallic dragon statue inside which Dave takes, and it comes to life and walks across his hand and forms itself into a ring around his finger. 'No way,' Dave says.

Balthazar goes into a version of the speech we hear as voice-over during the trailer, 'I have been searching for a very long time, my child. This means something, that you're going to be a very important sorcerer one day, and your first lesson is right now with your very own encantus.' (Whatever that might be.)

'Don't move, do not touch anything,' Balthazar warns as he runs down a spiral staircase to the basement. It was hard to figure out exactly what happens next, but basically, Dave doesn't listen, and when he waves the hand with the dragon ring, a force hits the wall smashing it, the wall shatters and out falls a Grimhold, what looks like a Russian porcelain doll with an image of a man in a suit and a bowler hat. When it hits the ground, we see the scene from the new trailer as cockroaches start to emerge from the cracks in the Grimhold and they start to converge and morph into the form of Max Horvath, Alfred Molina's character and the main villain of the piece. He asks Dave where he is, and misunderstanding, the boy says he's in New York City and Horvath angrily corrects him, 'Not where... the year.' Horvath advances with his cane raised, handle glowing a bright blue with power.

At that point, Balthazar returns and asks, 'What happened to 'don't touch anything''? Horvath says something to which Balthazar tells him to be quiet and tells Dave 'he's been like this for a thousand years.' He asks where the other Grimhold is and we see that another one has been released by Dave's carelessness. It has a woman's image on it, which we can assume is either Monica Bellucci's character--who we still haven't seen in any of the trailers--or it could also be the Grimhold containing Morgana le Fey, the greatest sorceress in history, something that will play a large part in the movie in terms of the balance between good and evil magicians.

Horvath uses his powers to grab a sword and lunges it at Balthazar, who uses his own powers to grab a large African mask that just stops the sword from going through his face. This leads to a sword fight of sorts with Balthazar holding his own sword and Horvath's floating in the air. During much of this sequence, it was fairly obvious that Turteltaub had been using music from Pirates of the Caribbean as temp track in the background, but that became really obvious during the sword fight.

The two continue to struggle, and then Balthazar forms a ball of plasma and blasts Horvath with it, who seemingly catches it midair, then creates his own ball of flame and proceeds to set the shop on fire, as he advances on Dave. Then Balthazar jumps out of the fire from behind Horvath and pulls him back and they're both dragged into the sand-filled urn he mentioned in the beginning pulling the two men into it for ten years. His last words to Dave are, 'In ten years, I'll find you!' to which Horvath adds, 'So will I!'

Essentially, this opening scene is almost a prologue that sets up the relationships via an encounter Dave has with Balthazar and Horvath years earlier than the modern-day story, one he might have even forgot about before Dave runs into Balthazar again, while he's attending NYU. It was a surprisingly long clip that immediately established the humor of the movie, as well as the level of action both physical and magical, since we already know this is going to be movie that's heavy on CG special FX.

The second scene is in fact ten years later, presumably after Balthazar has reunited with Dave and gave him his pitch to make him into a great sorcerer, with Horvath already trying to stop this from happening. He's also gotten his own apprentice, named Drake Stone and played by Toby Kebbell, a sorcerer who has been doing the Vegas circuit doing magic like Criss Angel using his powers and abilities. They've tracked Dave down into a bathroom at NYU with plans to get the Grimhold mentioned earlier back from him. (It's interesting to note that both Alfred Molina and Toby Kebbell appear in Jerry Bruckheimer's other summer film Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, except in that one, Molina plays a more comic role and Kebbell plays a serious one, opposite from Sorcerer's.)

This entire scene takes place in this bathroom as the camera zooms in and we hear Jay Baruchel off-camera singing (probably while peeing). Stone walks in wearing a leather outfit, his blonde hair spiked up for an outlandishly garish look, and he says to Dave, 'So you're the one, the Prime Merlinean, eh? You don't look like much.' Dave has no idea who he is or what he's talking about, which Drake seems to like because it 'makes things easy'. He kicks something into what looks like the hand dryer, saying something about not wanting anyone to hear Dave's 'girlie cries'. Dave still has no idea who he is and asks if he's in Depeche Mode. (Another big laugh.) Dave whines about this being like high school all over again, as Drake pins him against the wall.

And then Horvath walks in and says 'Hello, Dave, I'm going to kill you. Right here in this dismal bathroom.' But first, he wants to know where the Grimhold is, which he refers to as a 'she'. Dave plays dumb and doesn't know what Max is talking about. Horvath says, 'Oh, he hasn't told you the truth about who's inside the doll?' and that Dave has 'put his faith in the wrong man.' He then asks Dave if he's ever been in love and realizing that Dave is currently in love (with Becky, who finally agreed to a date), Horvath suggests what might happen if Dave lost her, and asks again for the Grimhold. Dave says, 'I don't know'. Horvath laughs and says that Dave really is the worst liar.

'That's what I keep telling him,' Balthazar says off camera and we see that he has caught Drake and has him suspended in the air. 'Want your guy back?' and he sends Drake flying across the room.

Balthazar advances, waves his hand and turns the bathroom mirror into some sort of liquid portal, which Horvath refers to as the 'Hungarian Mirror Trap', saying he hadn't seen it in a while, to which Balthazar responds that he's 'old-fashioned'. The two of them struggle to force the other one into the mirror, until Balthazar sends Horvath flying into the stalls, and Balthazar asks Dave what he's doing. Turteltaub has mentioned that these two clips weren't necessarily the best scenes in the movie as much as the two scenes that were completely finished in terms of the FX.

Earlier, we had a chance to sit down with Mr. Cage himself to talk exclusively not only about The Sorcerer's Apprentice, but also the movie he's currently shooting, the 3D revenge thriller Drive Angry.

ComingSoon.net: 'I love the Miles Davis analogy you made earlier in regards to your acting, and it's funny, because Davis took a lot of chances. You also take chances, especially for a movie like this where you're taking something you really like, creating something brand new and coming out in the middle of a summer full of sequels and sure-things. Can you talk about what inspired you to take these kinds of chances and to try and do something really different?'
Nicolas Cage: 'Well, what's interesting about it for me is that I felt very comfortable with this part in that regard. It wasn't like a chance I took with Kick-Ass. I knew that this would be a good fit for me, but I don't think people know that, so that was what was new about it, I was getting to play something that had been a dream of mine for a while. So, in terms of my comfort zone, that wasn't in the balance, I felt pretty confident with it. But taking risks and doing work that challenges me is how I learn or how I grow or how I possibly get something. I don't really know what I'm gonna get, but when I hear it, I can intuit, I intuitively know its right. I can't keep doing things that I am comfortable with, that I love too much. I gotta do things that I don't love too much, because that way I will be pushed and pulled in new directions.'

CS: 'How about convincing Jerry or Jon, both people you've worked with before, to get involved with this new idea you have?'
Cage: 'You know what? Jerry went for it right away. He sparked right away which was great. He read the script and said, 'Hey, we're doing this,' and I was really touched by that for a lotta reasons, first because I was thrilled, and I knew we were gonna have a wonderfully, wildly entertaining movie, but also because he read the script and was a friend about it.'

CS: 'I love how reactions have gone from when the project was first announced from the first teaser to the second teaser. As people see more and more, they start getting more interested and the reactions get better and better. Do you follow any of that stuff at all as it's going on or do you really stay separate from the outside world?'
Cage: 'It's hard not to follow it because people will tell you about it even if you're not anyway, but I try to stay somewhat removed from all that, because I feel like once I've made the movie, outside of the fact that yeah, I want to meet people like here at WonderCon who are enthusiastic about pop art. But it's really left the nest and there's not too much more I can do about it. It's off on its own.'

CS: 'National Treasure is a great example of that. No one knew what to expect, and it just exploded. I'm interested in that, because with this, you're trying to make a family movie, which is highly admirable. Not many studios are trying to make movies that adults and kids can enjoy together, movies for everybody.'
Cage: 'Everybody, yeah. Well, I do believe that about The Sorcerer's Apprentice, that it will be some really scary, spooky moments in it that will entertain adults as well.'

CS: 'What about the comedy? You've done a lot of roles with the comedic side. Are you taking more of a serious role in this one and letting Jay run with that?'
Cage: 'I think in some ways, yeah. I think their relationship is not unlike Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Jay has got this wonderful physicality about him that's so fun to watch, but Balthazar, he's the teacher and he's gotta keep him in balance to get the job done, because there's a lot of pressure at stake, something really bad is brewing. It's called 'The Rising' and that's the spell that the magicians that use the magic for selfish gains try to take over humanity, the Morganeans, and then the magicians that use magic to help mankind, the Merlineans, are trying to keep that from happening.'

CS: 'Was all that stuff you worked out very early on with the guys who wrote it?'
Cage: 'Yeah, we all talked about it. It was always very important to me that the laws of magic were somehow presented and that a true, good magician would never ever use the powers of magic to promote himself or to sit at the best table. He would only use the power he felt that he could help on some level.'

CS: 'How do you feel about doing projects like this and Ghost Rider where there's so much special FX involved, there's no way of knowing what's going on until after they're done? Do you get a chance to see this stuff as it's progressing or do you generally wait?'
Cage: 'I pretty much just wait it out until they show me something. I feel that if I can do movies that rely heavily on the imagination I have a lotta room to play with it. Like I said earlier, that the possibilities are limitless, it's an infinite number of choices you can do if you're not fitting them within the context of a reality or quote-unquote 'reality,' you know, whatever that is.'

CS: 'You talked earlier about doing different things in your comfort zone. You do make a lot of movies and I'd think at a certain point as an actor, you could do one movie a year, but you really are always finding interesting projects and jumping into them. Like Drive Angry for instance.'
Cage: Well, I have been blessed with that, I mean, I must say, so far--knock on wood--I've made movies I really wanted to make. Movies that came to me or I sought out, but appealed to me on some dimensional level. But they've always scared me a little except for maybe Sorcerer's - I've always felt like, 'Well, what's going to happen here? What's the challenge? What's the risk?' I think that's because that's when I feel I'm most alive in my work, or my sounds, just when I can do something that pushes me outta my comfort zone.'

CS: 'Have you and Jon and Jerry talked about what you want to do with National Treasure 3, where you want to go with it and what you want to do different? I assume you'd want to do something completely different, because this was never planned as a trilogy.'
Cage: 'That's something you'd have to talk with Jerry about because I don't know what they have in store. I'm not really contacted until they're really had it thought out, the whole concept, and then they'll pitch it to me. I think they do that because they want to make sure that they have it right and everyone will be happy.'

CS: 'Have you started working on Drive Angry or is that done shooting?'
Cage: 'I just started Drive Angry. I'm very excited about it. I'm enjoying working with Patrick Lussier, working with Amber Heard, David Morse. The reason why I'm so excited about it is because I feel that it's cutting edge. It's a 1970's style road actioner with supernatural elements in 3D from scratch, so it's like it's not a veneer has been put on after the movie's been made, it's that the cameras are all 3D cameras and it's all being dialed-in to embrace the cars and the images. Patrick's got it very carefully thought out. Every day I work on it, I get excited about new possibilities with it. Billy Burke plays a character who is a Satanist, a cultist and he's a fascinating character, but he actually does some pretty awful things in the park with my character's daughter. What happens is he sorta calls my character up, but I don't want to talk too much about it.'

CS: 'Are you changing your acting style a lot for the 3D cameras or not really?'
Cage: 'I'm trying to mess with the format. I'm trying to see, 'Well, can I stick my tongue out here and have it go 3D?' I'm actually trying to do things like that with it as an actor, 'Well, how can I mess with this? How can I mess with this new format?' I'll do scenes where I'll try to get the tongue all the way out to the second row of the audience.'

CS: 'Is there going to be a similar amount of driving action ala the remake of Gone in 60 Seconds you did a while ago?'
Cage: 'Yeah, I mean, there will be a lotta that. It's called Drive Angry so I mean, there's gonna be a lotta car chases in it.'

CS: 'Are you gonna have any footage ready for Comic-Con this year?'
Cage: 'I hope so. That would be great. I'm sure they'll do their best to get something out there.'"

Shawn Levy talks DATE NIGHT

From ComingSoon.net:

"Shawn Levy has directed some of the biggest blockbuster comedies such as Cheaper by the Dozen, The Pink Panther, Night at the Museum and Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. His new comedy, Date Night, stars Steve Carell and Tina Fey as a normal everyday married couple who are suddenly being chased by the mob when their identity has been mistaken for another couple who stole something from the ring leader.

We chatted with Mr. Levy in a private room at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, where he invited ComingSoon.net to talk exclusively about the film that hits theatres April 9th.

ComingSoon.net: 'When you first heard you were going to work with Steve Carell and Tina Fey what was your reaction?'
Shawn Levy: 'Super excited. I just felt like they were so well-matched together to each other and they're so well-matched for a movie about a married couple, so it just felt like this great coalesces of good fortune.'

CS: 'What was the hardest scene in this movie for you to shoot?'
Levy: 'I guess the only scene that was really, really hard was the car sequence and it was because I wanted to do a car sequence that nobody had seen before. We had to come up with engineering for a car chase that had never been done. We were starting from scratch and figuring out how to rig it, how to drive it and how to do it all safely. It was just dozens and dozens of people - probably several million dollars on engineering and RND and vehicles until we could figure out a rig that could pull it off.'

CS: 'Where did the idea for the car chase come from?'
Levy: 'The idea came from my head and my memory because when I was 16, the day after I got my license I was going to the library. I pulled in to park and I clipped the car next to me. I backed up and I somehow hit it more. So I pulled forward and I was dragging it with me. I went forward back forward back trying to free myself from this car, but somehow I had gotten our bumpers hooked and the car ended up on top of my rear end of my car. It always stuck with me because it was such a weird random thing. That's where the idea came from - that these cars would hit and get hooked at the bumpers and you'd have this car chase through the streets of Manhattan.'

CS: 'Did you get in so much trouble for that accident?'
Levy: 'So much trouble! Yes.'

CS: 'In this movie, the characters Steve and Tina play aren't in a marriage crisis. They're just an average everyday married couple who I think a lot of people can relate to. Why did you decide to focus on that aspect of a relationship?'
Levy: 'I just feel like we've seen a lot of movies about newlyweds and couples who hate each other, but the truth more often than not is couples love each other but are just worn down by the get things done of everyday life. I hadn't seen a realistic portrait of a couple who is not in crisis but is not vibrant anymore. They need to kind of wake up and see each other afresh and appreciate what they have. That was very important to me and to Steve and Tina. The fact that that comes through in the midst of all the comedy is one of the most ratifying things that I'm hearing from people who have seen it.'

CS: 'I know the idea of Date Night came about because you and your wife go out on weekly dates, but what about the twist of Steve and Tina's characters being chased by the mob?'
Levy: 'That was while working with the writer. The idea of taking someone else's [dinner] reservation was the first idea we had. In trying to come through for his wife and trying to make this night different, they are responsible for everything that happens to them. They are responsible for the case of mistaken identity. I wanted them to kind of me on the hook for that. Then it just evolved over months and months of script talks and rewrites and development.'

CS: 'Was it your idea for Mark Wahlberg to never wear a shirt in the film or was that his?'
Levy: 'Oh no, no that was in the script and always my idea. I just always knew the character never put his shirt on. It just stuck me as really funny. Eventually the only swear word in the movie - the only 'F' word would be in the joke that has to do with the fact that Wahlberg never puts a frigging shirt on. When I went to Mark for the part I said, 'You understand this is you without a shirt on?' He showed it off for the first time in a decade. He was up for it and got shredded for me and he looked damn good. He makes the rest of his men feel scrawny and pathetic.'

CS: 'Another great couple in the film besides Steve and Tina are James Franco and Mila Kunis. Can you talk about casting them?'
Levy: 'I think I had seen a short that they had done before together on the Internet. I don't remember what it was about, but Mila and James had done this short and I thought they looked amazing together. They felt real and I just thought they could play sleazy but passionate. And that's exactly what they do. On one hand they're a nightmare couple. Steve and Tina would be like, 'I don't ever want to be like them.' Yet, they have more alive passion than Steve and Tina's characters do at that moment. I think Steve and Tina end up learning something from this dirtbag couple that they think they have nothing in common with. That scene with the four of them is such a strong scene and it's really credited to the actors.'

CS: 'I understand you like to take a break in between your projects, but this time you couldn't because of scheduling conflicts so you were editing Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian while working on this film. What was that like for you?'
Levy: 'Yes. Super crazed. I was working seven days a week and ended up doing the same thing now. While I was finishing up Date Night I was prepping for this movie called Real Steel for DreamWorks. Now I'm kinda hooked on the double duty, but Steve and Tina became available in a specific window that was not going to resurface for a year. I was not going to miss that opportunity. I sucked it up and worked really, really hard and took it all on.'"

Ryan Reynolds... back from the dead?

From Reelz Channel:

"Actor Ryan Reynolds is already attached to two comic book–based movie properties, having appeared as Marvel Comics' Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and currently filming scenes as the title hero in DC Entertainment's Green Lantern, but it appears he is going for the hat trick. In a recent interview with Collider, producer Neal Moritz (Fast and Furious) revealed that Reynolds will be starring in the big screen-adaptation of R.I.P.D., a graphic novel from independent publisher Dark Horse Comics.

'We're going to do two movies with [Reynolds]. We're doing The Change-Up with him and we're doing R.I.P.D. with him. It's terrific. Based on the graphic novel. It's about two cops, one recently dead and a gunslinger who's been dead for hundreds of years who work [in] the Rest in Peace Department - which is the police department of the dead. And they basically … it takes place on a normal day and it's about trying to keep the dead quiet.'

Though he has no comic book-related movies under his belt as of yet, in addition to R.I.P.D., Moritz is guiding the development of an adaptation of Dynamite Entertainment's The Boys for Columbia Pictures, and is also producing a revival of the pulp hero Doc Savage through his Original Film production company for Columbia. The script for R.I.P.D. is by Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay, the writing team behind director Louis Leterrier's Clash of the Titans remake. Moretz said Manfredi and Hay's script is 'terrific' and that, despite the supernatural overtones, the movie will be a 'buddy action/comedy' aimed at a PG-13 audience.

'[Reynolds will] be teamed with somebody, but it's a fantastic relationship between a cop who's recently died who would do anything to get back to his wife and a gunslinger who died hundreds of years ago who has seen it all and is jaded by it all. And it's the two of these guys together and it's the relationship between these two guys that is absolutely fantastic.'

Moritz said that R.I.P.D. is Reynolds' 'favorite project' and that he expects to go into production in January 2011."

I've seen the graphic novel front cover. I think that the other guy with Ryan ought to be Jeff Daniels. Just a thought.

TRON LEGACY visits WonderCon

From ComingSoon.net:

"A viral event for Walt Disney Pictures' Tron Legacy took place on Friday night at Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco as part of WonderCon.

Encom International Executive Consultant Alan Bradley (played by Bruce Boxleitner) said at the fictional press conference that the whereabouts of his close friend, Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), are still unknown and have been for the last 20 years. Bradley also announced that an online version of the company's video game 'Space Paranoids' will soon be available with 15 never-before-seen levels. Lora Baines (played by Cindy Morgan) joined Bradley on stage and it was revealed that they are now married.



The viral event didn't quite go as planned though, as Bradley was supposed to be interrupted by either Kevin Flynn supporters from FlynnLives.com or an illuminated man jumping out of the Encom helicopter during his speech. Due to high winds the helicopter didn't come until after his speech was over. But who was the jumper that landed behind the Encom display? The below video posted later online revealed that it was Sam Flynn (played by Garrett Hedlund).



Before the jump happened, the Kevin Flynn supporters did take over the stage wearing t-shirts and carrying homemade signs to make their presence known."

I wasn't too crazy about Garrett's acting in the trailer. But seeing this video got me thinking - he WOULD BE Kevin Flynn's son.

Chris Evans IS Captain America

From ComingSoon.net:

"Marvel Studios made it official today - Chris Evans will indeed play Captain America in The First Avenger: Captain America. The full press release:

Marvel Studios has officially confirmed that Chris Evans will star as Captain America in the studio's highly anticipated movie The First Avenger: Captain America directed by Joe Johnston from a script penned by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely.

Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige will produce The First Avenger: Captain America. Alan Fine, Stan Lee, David Maisel, Stratton Leopold and Louis D'Esposito will executive produce. The film will be released in the US on July 22, 2011 and distributed by Paramount Pictures.

The First Avenger: Captain America will focus on the early days of the Marvel Universe when Steve Rogers volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into the Super Soldier known as Captain America.

Chris Evans will next star in Sylvain White's The Losers. He will also star in Edgar Wright's Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. He recently wrapped production on Puncture and he will soon start production on What's Your Number?. Evans previous credits include starring as Johnny Storm in the Fantastic Four films, Danny Boyle's Sunshine and David Ayer's Street Kings.

In addition to The First Avenger: Captain America, Marvel Studios will release a slate of films based on the Marvel characters including the highly anticipated sequel, Iron Man 2, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow on May 7, 2010, Thor on May 6, 2011, and The Avengers on May 4, 2012.

Evans is represented by CAA, 3 Arts Entertainment and his attorney at Stone, Meyer, Genow, Smelkinson & Binder."

Kenneth Branagh talks THOR

From HeatVision:

"It's no surprise to learn that back in Ireland, young Kenneth Branagh -- who would grow up to direct film adaptations of Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing and Henry V -- fell under the spell of tales about royal family intrigue, ancient rivalry and clanging battlefields. What is unexpected, though, is that epic of obsession was by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, not William Shakespeare.

'Growing up, my single comic book passion was Thor,' says the 49-year-old actor and filmmaker who surprised many industry observers by taking on the director's job on the big-budget adaptation of the Marvel Comics thunder god. 'From my time in Belfast as a kid, that's the first time I came across that comic, really, exclusively, I don't know why, but it struck a chord. I was drawn to it. I liked all the dynastic drama.'

For the uninitiated, the Marvel character Thor first appeared in the August 1962 issue of 'Journey into Mystery' (it was a big summer for Marvel -- the first Spider-Man comic book hits stands that same month) as an odd mix of Norse myth and Marvel's distinctive brand of wildly kinetic cosmic melodrama.

With his winged helmet, magic hammer and odd old English diction, he fought evil aliens, ancient wizards and costumed crooks and even teamed up with Hercules in Marvel's no-borders brand of mythology.

Thor, due in 2011, is filming now in Santa Fe, N.M., and stars newcomer Chris Hemsworth (who played the doomed father of James T. Kirk in last year's Star Trek) will carry the magical hammer of Thor in the film, with Natalie Portman playing his mortal love, Jane Foster. Anthony Hopkins is Odin, Thor's father, and Tom Hiddleston plays the thunder god's duplicitous brother, Loki.

For both Branagh and upstart Marvel Studios (which arrived with a splash in Hollywood in 2008 with Iron Man) the cinematic mash-up of Viking deity and 21st century do-gooder will be a singular challenge in Hollywood's crowded superhero sector.

The story is split between Asgard, the majestic and eternal home of the Norse gods, and the modern world, which Branagh says he views more as an opportunity than a challenge.

'Inspired by the comic book world both pictorially and compositionally at once, we've tried to find a way to make a virtue and a celebration of the distinction between the worlds that exist in the film but absolutely make them live in the same world,' Branagh said. 'It's about finding the framing style, the color palette, finding the texture and the amount of camera movement that helps celebrate and express the differences and the distinctions in those worlds. If it succeeds, it will mark this film as different.... The combination of the primitive and the sophisticated, the ancient and the modern, I think that potentially is the exciting fusion, the exciting tension in the film.'

It was a different sort of tension that put the film in headlines this week. Gatecrasher, a report in the New York Daily News gossip column, quoted unnamed sources that painted a picture of a sour movie set, with Hopkins making it clear to the crew that he thinks little of 26-year-old Hemsworth's acting skills and Branagh growing frustrated with the Oscar-winning elder's pessimism and complaints.

Hopkins was said to be outraged by the report. The 72-year-old Welsh actor issued this statement: 'I am having the time of my life making Thor with Ken and Chris. They have made every day immensely fun and collaborative, and we're all puzzled that someone would fabricate a story suggesting otherwise. I'm proud to say that Thor has been one of the great experiences of my career.'

Branagh,meanwhile, went on at length about the esprit de corps of his cast, which also includes Rene Russo, Kat Dennings, Ray Stevenson and Stellan Skarsgård.

There will also be elements that will move forward with Marvel Studios unprecedented plan to create a unified universe of heroes and stories that spreads across films, including the upcoming Captain America movie in 2011 and Iron Man 2, which arrives May 7 as one of the most anticipated movies of 2010.

'It's going very, very well,' Branagh said Wednesday. 'We're in New Meixco now where we have a contemporary Earth part of our story. I guess we're two-thirds of the way through the story and at this stage of the game what's surprising and delighting me is the way the cast, the ensemble, has fused together. It's kind of an interesting combination of very young and very experienced people and the double-up of that, it seems to me, is there is a lot of fire in the movie. It doesn't take itself too seriously, it doesn't try to be too solemn.'

Branagh made a point to praise Hopkins as 'an extraordinary actor with his Celtic passion and incredible technique' and said he has been a binding force for the film on the set and will do the same on the screen. The cast that plays Asgard's royal family are 'people who can embody larger-than-life characters but retain at the center a natural, recognizable, human dynamic ... and these people run the universe.'

Young Hemsworth will also star as Thor in the planned Avengers movie, the superhero team film where (if the current casting plan holds) the Aussie newcomer will have to hold his own with far more experienced peers -- Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man; Edward Norton Jr. as the Hulk's alter ego, Bruce Banner; and Chris Evans as Captain America.

Wednesday was a big day for Marvel Studios because director Jon Favreau wrapped up Iron Man 2. Kevin Feige, Marvel Studio's president and producer on Thor, was in a celebratory mood, but it was split with with anger over the New York Daily News reports, which Feige called 'garbage'.

Feige said the plan to meld the Marvel Universe on the silver screen will move forward dramatically now and he said there are some surprises in Iron Man 2 that set up an unexpected bond to the Captain America movie that director Joe Johnston is doing early work on now in England.

'Now many of the pieces are in place ... with Iron Man 2 finished and Thor more than halfway done, that lattice work is being built.'

Feige said Branagh is proving to be the ideal choice for Thor -- the executive knew he would be after seeing the buoyant and accessible Much Ado About Nothing, which made Shakespeare fun and funny even to 'comic book fans like me,' Feige said. He added: 'You could actually laugh and understand all of it.'"