Jim Carrey takes care of MR. POPPER'S PENGUINS

From ComingSoon.net:

"Jim Carrey has signed on to play the lead in Mr. Popper's Penguins.


The project, announced for development earlier this year, is based on the storybook by Richard & Florence Atwater, a perennial children's classic since 1938. The story tells of Mr. Popper, a house painter whose letter to one of his heroes, an Arctic explorer, results in the gift of a dozen penguins that arrive on his doorstep.

Earlier plans were to have Noah Baumbach direct with Ben Stiller in the lead, but it was subsequently suggested that Mark Waters would helm, a report that the latest news seems to confirm."

Jim Carrey? Penguins? A comedy?

Color me interested!!!! Now if only he'd come back to Twitter.

More from MTV.com:

"The last time Jim Carrey lit up the big screen, he did so as four different CGI characters in Disney's animated A Christmas Carol. Now, in addition to the recently announced project Pierre, Pierre, with "Bruno" director Larry Charles, Deadline reports that 20th Century Fox has lined up the funnyman to star in Mr. Popper's Penguins, based on the classic children's book of the same name.

The film adaptation is said to be an upscale spin on the book, with Carrey in the role of the titular Mr. Popper, now a high-powered businessman who suddenly inherits six penguins. As Popper becomes increasingly attached to his feathered friends, his life unravels and you guessed it wackiness ensues. According to the script synopsis, Popper's swanky apartment turns into a winter wonderland, and he almost lands in jail.

'But thanks to his new charges,' the logline reads, 'Popper comes to understand the importance of family human and otherwise.'

Fans of the book, written by Richard and Florence Atwater, will note that this proposed film version is a departure from the 1938 original, in which Popper is a poor housepainter who receives the surprise gift of a penguin by mail after writing into a radio broadcast hosted by Antarctic explorer Admiral Drake. Eventually, one penguin turns into 12, and in order to support their expansive brood, the Poppers train the penguins to perform.

Perhaps Carrey can convince the filmmakers to reintroduce the painter aspect of Popper's character, given the actor's newfound passion for painting, which he has been chronicling via his Twitter account. No word on when production is scheduled to begin, but Mark Waters (Mean Girls and The Spiderwick Chronicles) is set to direct."

Scary CHRISTMAS?

From JimHillMedia.com:

"So, of course, you'd think that -- now that ads for Disney's A Christmas Carol have begun airing on television -- that those who tour this traveling exhibit for Robert Zemeckis' latest film would have a better sense of what to expect. But that really isn't the case.

You see, all of the commercials that are currently playing on TV here in the US play up A Christmas Carol's more comic moments. So when people see Jim Carrey's version of Ebenezer Scrooge being hit in the face by giant icicles ... Well, that's what these folks expect when they enter that inflatable 3D Theatre that Disney has been hauling from city-to-city on the Christmas Carol Train Tour. A comical holiday romp.



The only problem is ... That's not the Christmas Carol that Zemeckis set out to make.

In his introduction for Diana Landau's 'The Art of Disney's A Christmas Carol' (Disney Editions, October 2009), Robert talks about how ' ... I can't resist a great ghost story ... Finally we have the technology to bring (the ghosts that are showcased in this holiday story) to the screen as Dickens described ... With our CG tools (at ImagerMovers Digital) we can make the ghost as strange or enormous or terrifying as we want ...'

And though Zemeckis receives lots of recognition for his more life-affirming / family-friendly fare like Forrest Gump, Back to the Future and The Polar Express ... As 1992's Death Becomes Her and 2000's What Lies Beneath (not to mention Robert's work as the executive producer of HBO's 'Tales from the Crypt') proved, this Academy Award-winner just loves a good scare.

And the grislier the better. As is evidenced by that scene from Disney's A Christmas Carol that's been screened inside of the Digital 3D Theatre all across this country. When that bandage around Jacob Marley's head comes loose. And this ghoul's jaw & tongue suddenly -- thanks to the far-too-detailed cinematic magic of Disney Digital 3D -- dangles right in the audience's face.

'So why are the TV commercials & movie trailers that have been prepped for the U.S. market trying to sell Disney's A Christmas Carol as a comedy?,' you ask. Because the Mouse's marketing staff believes that the best way to sell a new film is with humor. That laughter -- more than anything -- is what prompts American to buy movie tickets.

Whereas for the Japanese ... Well, they're far more likely to buy a ticket to a new movie if the TV commercials and/or film trailers for that release do a proper job of showcasing the characters that you'll meet, the emotions that you'll experience while watching this movie. Which is why the Japanese trailer for Disney's A Christmas Carol is decidedly different than the one that Mickey's marketeers prepared for American audiences. These ads actually give you a sense of how scary certain sections of this movie might be.



Anyway ... Getting back to the Christmas Carol Train Tour ... Those who have been checking out this film's Digital 3D preview in that inflatable theatre have been coming out talking about that Jacob Marley footage. And not necessarily in a good way.

Said one tour insider:

'Yeah, we've been getting a lot of complaints about that sequence. Especially from parents who have taken small children into the theater. They say that there should have been some sort of advance warning about how intense that footage was going to be.'

Well, now that Disney's A Christmas Carol has officially been rated PG (Because the MPAA recently decided that some of the material in this Robert Zemeckis movie 'may not be suitable for children' due to 'scary sequences and images'), that's really not an issue anymore. Disney can now put signage outside of the train tour's inflatable theatre that actually informs parents about this movie's rating."

UPDATE:

New clip from Disney's A Christmas Carol. "I'm Still Here".



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Disney's A Christmas Carol "Ultimate Ghost Story"

A CHRISTMAS CAROL trailer finally arrives!

From ComingSoon.net:

"Walt Disney Pictures has provided us with the trailer for A Christmas Carol, writer/director Robert Zemeckis' adaptation featuring Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Bob Hoskins, Robin Wright Penn and Cary Elwes.

Opening in conventional and IMAX theaters on November 6th, the film captures the fantastical essence of the classic Dickens tale in a groundbreaking 3D motion picture event. Carrey plays eight different characters in the film, including the alternate versions of Scrooge.



Ebenezer Scrooge begins the Christmas holiday with his usual miserly contempt, barking at his faithful clerk and his cheery nephew. But when the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come take him on an eye-opening journey revealing truths Old Scrooge is reluctant to face, he must open his heart to undo years of ill will before it's too late."

Saw this trailer back when I went to see I Love You, Beth Cooper and now they're finally putting it out on the Internet! Finally!!

Yes, I know it's the UK trailer. How the more fitting to see a British movie with an American/Canadian star from an American director from an American movie studio!

UPDATE:

New trailer!

Jim Carrey steps into another role... Grandfather

From IMDB.com:

"Jim Carrey is set to be a first-time grandfather - his only daughter Jane is expecting a baby.

The 21-year-old singer-songwriter is preparing to welcome her first child with fiance Alex Santana.

Carrey tells RadarOnline.com, 'I am very excited. Jane is going to be a great mom.'

Jane is Carrey's daughter with first wife Melissa Womer, who he divorced in 1995."

Here is a picture of Carrey when he heard the news:












"I'm so glad to be a granddad."

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.

Cannes? Humbug. A CHRISTMAS CAROL premieres footage May 18

From ComingSoon.net:

"Christmas will come to the Croisette, when Jim Carrey, Colin Firth, director Robert Zemeckis, and producers Steve Starkey and Jack Rapke from Disney's A Christmas Carol kick off the holiday season early at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday, May 18. They will unveil the first look ever in 3-D of the classic Dickens tale as re-envisioned by director Robert Zemeckis. The event, located at the Carlton Intercontinental Hotel, will begin at approx. 11:30 a.m. with a photo opportunity, followed by a press conference and luncheon. Disney's A Christmas Carol, a multi-sensory thrill ride re-envisioned by Zemeckis, captures the fantastical essence of the classic Dickens tale in a groundbreaking 3-D motion picture event.

Ebenezer Scrooge (Carrey) begins the Christmas holiday with his usual miserly contempt, barking at his faithful clerk (Gary Oldman) and his cheery nephew (Firth). But when the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come take him on an eye-opening journey revealing truths Old Scrooge is reluctant to face, he must open his heart to undo years of ill will before it's too late.

Disney's A Christmas Carol opens in conventional and IMAX theaters on November 6, 2009."

Wish I could be there. I mean, Disney, Carrey, Zemeckis?! I've been dying for this movie!!

Jim Carrey already preparing for THE THREE STOOGES

From JimCarreyOnline.com:

"Regarding the movie The Three Stooges, Jenny [McCarthy, his girlfriend] told Ellen [DeGeneres, host of Ellen] that Jim is still in negotiations and already practicing for the role to play Curly. He is enjoying his desserts to gain weight. He have to gain up to 50 pounds and shave his head. Jenny said that she had no idea what it's going to be like when he hits near 300 pounds! He is very committed and devoted towards his work and walks around in the house doing Curly 'Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk' (swinging her arms). She joked that you have to be very much in love with him to be turned on like this and she loves him to pieces."

I shudder to think of what he'll look like when he starts promoting A Christmas Carol. Dang, dude. "BRING ON THE BROWNIES"!

But I jest. He's my second-favorite actor next to Johnny Depp.

Nyuck! Nyuck! Nyuck! THE THREE STOOGES is cast!

From ComingSoon.net:

"MGM and the Farrelly brothers are closing in on their cast for The Three Stooges, reports Variety. The studio has set Oscar-winner Sean Penn (Milk) to play Larry, and negotiations are underway with Jim Carrey to play Curly, with the actor already making plans to gain 40 pounds to approximate the physical dimensions of Jerome "Curly" Howard.The studio is zeroing in on Benicio Del Toro to play Moe.

The film is a comedy built around the antics of the three characters that Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Howard played in the Columbia Pictures shorts.

Production will begin in early fall for a release sometime in 2010. The Farrellys, who wrote the script, are producing with their Conundrum partner Bradley Thomas, and Charlie Wessler."

Now, this is going to be interesting.

Carrey and Gyllenhaal Team for DAMN YANKEES

From ComingSoon.net:

"New Line Cinema has attached both Jim Carrey and Jake Gyllenhaal to star in a contemporized feature adaptation of the classic musical Damn Yankees. Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel are set to write the script.

"Damn Yankees," which premiered on Broadway in 1955 and won seven Tony Awards, focuses on Joe Boyd, a happily married middle-aged man whose devotion to a hapless pro baseball team prompts him to make a Faustian bargain with the devil to help the team. He's transformed into slugger Joe Hardy, in exchange for Boyd's soul. Boyd can break the deal, but the deadline occurs during the World Series. For good measure, the devil engages Lola, a gorgeous lost soul, to seduce the slugger and seal his fate.

The plan is for Carrey to play the devil, and Gyllenhaal to play Boyd. It's the first musical for each."

Jim Carrey as the Devil?! Jake Gyllenhaal as a baseball slugger?! IN A MUSICAL?! THIS IS SO CRAZY IT JUST MIGHT WORK!!

Won't it, Hugh Jackman?

Jim Carrey says, "Bah, humbug" for Disney

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=51795

Looks like a Dickens' version of Count Olaf from Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.

I already can't wait!

WALT DISNEY PICTURES 2009 Preview

This year, Disney's prospects don't look too bad.

Race to Witch Mountain -- (March 13)

Dwayne Johnson (Jack Bruno), AnnaSophia Robb (Tia), Alexander Ludwig (Tony), Carla Gugino; Directed by Andy Finkman

A Las Vegas cab driver and a discredited astrophysicist attempt to rescue two paranormal siblings from the hands of a villainous man.

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I never did see the original movies, but I did see the 1990s remake with Robert Vaughn as the villain. This looks to be a major improvement.

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Up -- (May 29th)

An animated film by Disney/Pixar

Voices of: Ed Asner (Carl Frederickson), Jordan Nagai (Russell)

By tying thousands of balloon to his home, 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen sets out to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America, however, he learns he isn’t alone on his journey, since Russell, a wilderness explorer 70 years his junior, has inadvertently become a stowaway on the trip.

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This looks to be the first all-people movie for Pixar since 2004's The Incredibles which used to be my all-time favorite Pixar movie (there really isn't a Pixar movie which isn't a favorite of mine) until this year's Wall-E. I'm just wondering if kids will respond to their main character being a really old guy voiced by Elf's Santa Claus.

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When in Rome - - (September 18th)

Kristen Bell (Beth Harper), Josh Duhamel (Nick Beamon); Directed by Mark Steven Johnson

In New York City, a young art curator finds herself aggressively pursued by a band of wannabe lovers after she steals coins from a Roman fountain.

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All I'm wondering, why is the guy who directed Daredevil and Ghost Rider doing a Disney romance-comedy? Casting looks great, plot looks great. Do as the Romans do!

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A Christmas Carol - - (November 6th)

Perfomance Capture Film

Voices of: Jim Carrey (Ebenezer Scrooge), Richard E. Grant (Ghost of Christmas Past), John Cleese (Ghost of Christmas Present), Alan Rickman (Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come), Gary Oldman (Jacob Marley), William H. Macy (Bob Cratchit), Colin Firth (Fred), Bob Hoskins (Mr. Fezziwig), Robin Wright Penn (Mrs. Cratchit); Based on the story by Charles Dickens; Directed by Robert Zemeckis

An old and bitter miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, undergoes a profound experience of redemption over the course of one night with the help of three Christmas ghosts.

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Jim Carrey as Scrooge? Directed by Robert Zemeckis?? I'm sold instantly! I'm only saddened that Michael J. Fox won't play Tiny Tim and Christopher Lloyd won't play Jacob Marley. Note that Jim Carrey performs all versions of Scrooge and the ghosts although the ghosts will be voiced by different actors.

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