Bomb of the Week: The Box stars Cameron Diaz and James Marsden but had the lowest per-screen average of any movie released this weekend. Will America every be ready for director Richard Kelly?

Link | Posted 11/8/2009 by reelz

A Christmas Carol

The original Source Code screenplay was written by Ben Rippley and was set up at Universal with Topher Grace in the lead and Shane Abess at the helm. Now, The Mark Gordon Co. and newly formed Vendome Pictures are producing, with script revisions by Billy Ray and Duncan Jones directing.

Production on Source Code is slated to begin in the first quarter of 2010.

Link | Posted 11/8/2009 by BrentJS

Jake Gyllenhaal | Duncan Jones | Donnie Darko

An adaptation of the David Ebershoff book of the same name, The Danish Girl is based on the true story of the relationship between the world's first post-operative transsexual, Einar Wegener, and his artist wife, Greta. When Greta asked her husband to stand in for one of her models one day, the experience led the two of them down the road to transformation that changed both of their lives forever.

The script is by Lucinda Coxon and producers include Gail Mutrux, Anne Harrison, Linda Reisman, Per Saari and Kidman, who replaced Charlize Theron in the title role.

Link | Posted 11/8/2009 by BrentJS

Gwyneth Paltrow | Nicole Kidman | Tomas Alfredson | Let the Right One In | Iron Man 2 | The Danish Girl

Apparently, even Pegg is aware of the lack of news, because he recently offered an update to his fans in the forum of his web-site.

Hi all

Thought you might like to hear how things are going on the Paul front. It's been a while since we wrapped now and with the absence of Lance B's video blogs, I guess things must seem to have gone very quiet. Rest assured the good (space)ship Paul is progressing apace. Our venerable and brilliant director Greg Mottola [Superbad], is currently ensconced in an edit suite in NYC with Oscar winning editor, Chris Dickens (Slumdog Millionaire ... and Spaced, Shaun and Fuzz), putting together the first pre f/x cut. The next phase of the process will see Greg and Chris continue to hone and cut the movie and will of course entail the complex process of bringing Paul himself to life, combining the efforts of ace f/x wizards, Double Negative and further work with The Green Hornet himself, Mr. Seth Rogen. Rest assured all is going well and we're all very excited. More news of a kind as we encounter it.

Simon

Paul also stars Sigourney Weaver, Bill Hader, Blythe Danner, Jane Lynch and Rogen as the voice of Paul.

Link | Posted 11/7/2009 by BrentJS

Jason Bateman | Simon Pegg | Shaun of the Dead | Hot Fuzz | Paul

The re-telling of Clive Barker's classic horror masterpiece. Based on Barker's critically acclaimed novella The Hellbound Heart, Hellraiser tells the story of an unfaithful wife who attempts to assist her dead lover in his escape from hell. Having lost his earthly body to a trio of forsaken demons — lead by one of the most enduring horror characters of all time, Pinhead — he must force his former mistress to bring him the necessary human sacrifices to complete his body. Clive Barker's Hellraiser promises to be a terrifying journey into the darkest corners of the soul.

Producer Bob Weinstein told Variety in September that he was planning to go "back to doing what I do best," which apparently means sequels for franchises like Scream, Spy Kids, and a Hellraiser sequel in 3-D. Weinstein seemed confident that financing for the sequels wouldn't be a problem.

There is no question that financing is readily available to produce and market these films. I am eager to expand our scope in the 3D business.

Looks like he is doing just that.

Link | Posted 11/7/2009 by Ryan

Robert Weinstein | Clive Barker | Hellraiser

At a recent unveiling of a wax figure of Shatner as Captain Kirk, Shatner said that his participation in the sequel is entirely up to Abrams.

I have no plans, because I don't make those plans. JJ Abrams has my fate wrapped up in his two little hands. I would love to be in the next Star Trek, if he so thought that would be good for it.

Link | Posted 11/7/2009 by Ryan

William Shatner | J.J. Abrams | Star Trek 2

Each of the four posters spotlights one of the movie's "heroes": Aaron Johnson as Dave "Kick-Ass" Lizewski, Nicolas Cage as Damon "Big Daddy" Macready, Chloe Moretz as Mindy "Hit Girl" Macready, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Chris "Red Mist" D'Amico.

Also, we should mention that the official Kick-Ass movie site is up and running, though with only limited content for the time being.

Link | Posted 11/6/2009 by BrentJS

Aaron Johnson | Nicolas Cage | Chloe Moretz | Matthew Vaughn | Christopher Mintz-Plasse | Kick-Ass

Described as being in the same vein as The Game and Fight Club, the Dark Fields screenplay was adapted from Alan Glynn's book of the same name by Leslie Dixon (The Heartbreak Kid). Dixon, Scott Kroopf, and Relativity Media's Ryan Kavanaugh are producing, with Relativity's Tucker Tooley acting as executive producer.

Link | Posted 11/6/2009 by BrentJS

Bradley Cooper | Neil Burger | Leslie Dixon

Shel Dorf, a comic book collector who moved from Detroit to San Diego, put together the first con back in 1970, which was attended by 300 people. The most recent SDCC, this past August, was attended by 125,000+ people, with next year only promising more.

Dorf, who died on Tuesday, stopped running the convention after 1984, complaining that it had been taken over by Hollywood and other media pursuits when originally it really was just about appreciatiating comics, their creators, and their collectors. While Dorf's fanaticism for the medium's fandom dropped off a bit later in his life, he is fondly remembered for the recognition he brought the art form during the long years before it reached widespread acceptance.

SDCC has posted a remembrance from R.C. Harvey, Comics Journal columnist and longtime friend of Dorf, here.

Link | Posted 11/6/2009 by reelz

Dick Tracy

With that bit of evangelism out of the way, let's talk HAL. Yes HAL, the spaceship computer system whose calm, icy voice (well, actually it was Douglas Rain's voice) made him one of the most terrifying villains in movie history. Rather than include a spoiler, we'll simply say that at a crucial moment, HAL starts singing the 19th-century ditty "Daisy Bell."

For those who've seen the movie: Ever wondered why Kubrick and author Arthur C. Clarke decided on "Daisy Bell" as the tune of choice? Well, according to a recent article in Switched.com, the choice was the result of a trip Clarke made to Bell Labs in the early '60s. There, programmers introduced him to the IBM 704 — the first computer to "sing" — and a performance of "Daisy Bell." Inspired (or perhaps disturbed) by what he heard, Clarke decided to work the song into the script for 2001, which he co-wrote with Kubrick.

One last observation: HAL served as a warning against the dangers of technological advancement ... and this computer rendition sounds like a precursor to that lovely thing we now know as Auto-Tune. The horror!

Link | Posted 11/6/2009 by Rich Z

Stanley Kubrick | Arthur C. Clarke | Douglas Rain | 2001: A Space Odyssey

But now, it appears that Cohen has decided to abandon the candid-camera shtick altogether. Variety writes that the 38-year-old British comedian has founded his own production company, Four By Two Films, and will go to work producing a new fictional project scripted by Peter Baynham.

Accidentes will tell the story of an "ambulance-chasing personal injury attorney of Latin descent" (played by Cohen) who helps a poor immigrant with a case against his wealthy employer. Ambulance-chasing, huh? We'll be interested to see what that means.

Cohen struck a deal with Universal for Accidentes and also got Columbia to commit to another starring vehicle. Cohen will script that project, as yet untitled, with Baynham, Anthony Hines, and Dan Mazer, the trio who collaborated with Cohen on Borat and Bruno.

Link | Posted 11/6/2009 by Rich Z

Sacha Baron Cohen | Dan Mazer | Anthony Hines | Peter Baynham | Bruno | Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

...in the trilogy most of the creatures are brutish or inarticulate. In The Hobbit, the creatures speak: Smaug has beautiful lines of dialogue; the Great Goblin has beautiful lines of dialogue; many creatures do. So we had to design them with a different approach because you are not just designing things that are scary.

I also wanted some of the monsters in The Hobbit to be majestic.

I wanted the Wargs to have a certain beauty so that you don't have a massively clear definition: what is beautiful is good and what is ugly is not. Some of the monsters are absolutely gorgeous.

Of course, the most anticipated of these creatures is the dragon Smaug. It's something that del Toro has been working especially hard on, and he promises something really unique here.

...we're finishing his colour palette and a little bit of the texture. But the bulk of the design took about a year, solid. It's because of the unique features of the dragon.

Early in production I came up with a very strong idea that would separate Smaug from every other dragon ever made. The problem was implementing that idea. But I think we've nailed it.

And then there are the spiders of Mirkwood.

Well, they are the progeny of Shelob, but Shelob was quite a promiscuous girl [laughs]. She mated with many partners. And insects and spiders are incredibly adaptable creatures. There will be spiders.... They are more creatures of the shadow, more creatures of the deep forest. They are not earth nesting. They are nesting in the canopies so physically they have adapted to that environment.... With Shelob, she was quite low to the ground so she moved like a tank. Our spiders have to feel massive but be very nimble.

What comes through most in this interview — which is well worth reading in full — is just how much fun making this movie is for him. And from all the hints he drops, it looks to be massively fun for the audience as well.

Link | Posted 11/6/2009 by Bill

Guillermo del Toro | The Hobbit

Missing from the photo is new cast member Sergio Peris-Mencheta, who ShockTillYouDrop reports was recently added to the cast in an unspecified role. If he's "lucky," he may end up in one of Jovovich's tweets.

so, Wentworth, Ali and i are doing this scene right now where chris r.[Miller] and clair r.[Larter] run into the V22 hangar, guns blazing, trying to shoot Wesker [Shawn Roberts], but to run in groups firing weapons is VERY dangerous. and the last time we all did a scene when we were all firing together, i could feel my hair flying up from the guns behind me.and one of Wenty's shell casings pegged Boris Kodjoe right on the ear. ouch.

and its supposed to be super heroic with all of us shooting thru a wall of undead as we run towards a potential escape route...but in the end we all end up looking like such a**holes, cause we're all trying to dodge eachothers bullets and shooting one another...tripping and sliding thru the gravel, falling in a most unimpressive manner! lol!so stupid! we look like such imbeciles!

And it was all captured in 3-D by writer-director Paul W.S. Anderson. Well, the whole episode might make the DVD.

Link | Posted 11/6/2009 by Ryan

Paul W.S. Anderson | Boris Kodjoe | Sergio Peris-Mencheta | Milla Jovovich | Ali Larter | Wentworth Miller | Resident Evil: Afterlife

Hemingway and Fuentes is the first movie Garcia has directed since making his 2005 debut, The Lost City. It chronicles the two decades Hemingway spent in Cuba fishing with best friend Gregorio Fuentes. The project became a personal one for Garcia, who plans to play Fuentes, after meeting some of the men who fished with Hemingway.

I was specifically most interested in Hemingway's connection to Cuba, where he spent the last 20 years of his life, and his relationship with his last captain, Gregorio. As an avid fisherman, I got to know older Cuban fisherman who knew Gregorio from the fishing culture of the '40s and '50s, and who would compete in tournaments outside the city of Havana, which was really the beginning of competitive fishing.

Garcia wrote the movie with the aid of Hilary Hemingway, the granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway, though he put it aside to direct The Lost City. Annette Bening will play Hemingway's third wife, Mary Welsh Hemingway.

Officially, we are going out with the movie and starting conversations with all foreign distributors. I've done about six movies that way, and sold domestic later. When I worked with Francis Coppola on The Godfather 3, he said the way you make a movie is, you begin. We've begun.

Link | Posted 11/6/2009 by Ryan

Andy Garcia | Annette Bening | Anthony Hopkins | Ernest Hemingway

The strategic thinking and the tactical gambles that players must take in the game are what make Risk a classic, thoroughly engaging game. Those elements translated into an action-packed, thrilling story are what will make this a uniquely exciting movie.

Risk will be produced by actor Will Smith and producer James Lassitter's Overbrook production company. Could Smith be willing to accept an acting role in the adaptation? Well, he does have a history of success with movies that deal with powerful entities vying for total world domination...

Link | Posted 11/6/2009 by Ryan

Will Smith | James Lassiter

"Yes,The Box is crazy and convoluted, moody and melodramatic. But above all it is, in narrative and form, a mystery."

— Chris Cabin, filmcritic.com

"...The Box triumphantly qualifies for one of my favorite adjectives, 'preposterous.' But if you make a preposterous movie that isn't boring, I count that as some kind of a triumph."

— Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

"The Box is alternately fluid and inspired, and rarely dull (though it is a little, on occasion). But too often it also feels strained..."

— Manohla Dargis, New York Times

"This preposterous Cameron Diaz thriller offers a promising premise: a mysterious box bestows riches in exchange for killing a stranger. But then it dumps in existentialism, government conspiracies, aliens, nosebleeds, deformities—and dresses it all in ugly '70s polyester fashions and geo-print wallpaper. Blecch."

— Matt Stevens, E! Online

"An artistic fiasco that cuts across genre lines and all logic to become, perhaps, an instant midnight movie."

— Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter

The Box - Trailer

Cameron Diaz and James Marsden star - Releasing Nov. 6, 2009

Link | Posted 11/6/2009 by reelz

Richard Kelly | The Box

The trailer for Why Did I Get Married Too? debuted last night on Entertainment Tonight. It starts will some vacation fun ... and then seques to the ominous message "One of these couples will not make it" and a sobbing Janet Jackson. Couples Retreat with a whole lot fewer laughs?

Link | Posted 11/5/2009 by reelz

Janet Jackson | Tyler Perry | Why Did I Get Married Too | Why Did I Get Married?

"...funny..."

— Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

"Hey, this is a movie about a 'New Earth Army' full of misfit soldiers yearning for a chance to be non-conformists with a cause, which means it's already two-thirds of the way to being awesome. Had [director] Heslov eased back a bit, Goats might've made it the rest of the way."

— Noel Murray, Onion AV Club

"The movie isn't funny enough to work as farce, but it's far too dippy to take seriously."

— J. Hoberman, Village Voice

"...ends in a confused mix of LSD-induced giggles and a call-to-destiny that seems both parodic and sincere. Its scattershot blasts at unconventional warfare and hippie transcendentalism are too impotent to produce much laughter, let alone the characters' longed-for ability to run through walls."

— Bill Weber, Slant Magazine

"...a magical-realist sitcom war farce that ends up being about nothing but its own slovenly smugness."

— Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

The Men Who Stare at Goats - Trailer

A comedy about psychic soldiers

Link | Posted 11/5/2009 by reelz

The Men Who Stare at Goats

Earlier this week, Helen Mirren officially joined the cast of the upcoming movie adaptation of the graphic novel Red. She took her place alongside a cast that already includes Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman.

Now, The Hollywood Reporter writes that John C. Reilly and Mary-Louise Parker have signed on as the newest additions.

The story of Red was written by noted author Warren Ellis and illustrated by Cully Hamner. It focuses on a menial clerk, Paul Moses (Willis), who is actually a CIA operative with a long history of killing enemies of the state. He must come out of retirement when the new CIA director (Freeman) discovers his past and orders his death. Mirren is rumored for the part of Moses' former boss, although it is unclear how much screen time she will have, if any.

Reportedly, Reilly will portray a retired CIA agent with a streak of paranoia while Parker will play Moses's love interest, a pension worker who helps Moses in his struggle to survive.

Red is being helmed by Flightplan director Robert Schwentke and will begin shooting in Toronto and Louisiana this coming January. Summit Entertainment has scheduled a November 19, 2010 release.

Link | Posted 11/5/2009 by Rich Z

Bruce Willis | Helen Mirren | Morgan Freeman | John C. Reilly | Robert Schwentke | Mary-Louise Parker | Warren Ellis

It then got us thinking about our favorite least-believable roles, some that require even more suspension of disbelief. See where Jovovich ranks in our Top 10 Least-Believable Casting Choices.

Link | Posted 11/5/2009 by reelz

Milla Jovovich | Resident Evil: Afterlife | The Fourth Kind

What sounds even more odd is that in an interview with the Village Voice's Aaron Hillis, Harrelson politely declined an offer to get high.

You're the only interviewee I've ever thought to ask, but: Would you like to smoke a joint?

Oh! The problem is I have to do some more interviews. I honestly would love to, but I can't do interviews stoned. Sometimes, it can open you up to do great creative things, and sometimes, it's a situation . . . like, I can't act that way. It absolutely freezes me. I can't do a talk show because it goes into the paranoia side. Yeah, I better not. That's a generous offer, but I should be on my game.

The Messenger - Trailer

Hard-hitting trailer for this drama about soldiers

Link | Posted 11/5/2009 by reelz

Woody Harrelson | The Messenger

"...a marvelous and touching yuletide toy of a movie, and the miracle is that it goes right back to the gilded Victorian spirit of those black-and-white films of yore."

— Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

"...an exhilarating visual experience..."

— Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

"Disney's A Christmas Carol is, in its essence, a product reel, a showy, exuberant demonstration of the glories of motion capture, computer animation and 3D technology. On that level, it's a wow. On any emotional level, it's as cold as Marley's Ghost."

— Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter

"...a whiz-bang 3-D thrill-ride with all the emotional satisfaction squeezed out of it."

— Ella Taylor, LA Weekly

"Shortchanging traditional animation by literalizing it while robbing actors of their full range of facial expressiveness, the performance-capture technique favored by director Robert Zemeckis looks more than ever like the emperor's new clothes in Disney's A Christmas Carol."

— Todd McCarthy, Variety

A Christmas Carol - Trailer

An animated remake

Link | Posted 11/5/2009 by reelz

Robert Zemeckis | Jim Carrey | A Christmas Carol

A few more bits of new Avatar footage also pop up in a Coke Zero commercial that seems intent on suggesting that drinking this product will cause hallucinations of Pandora to bleed out of your computer. We saw a similar approach earlier in a weird Avatar-infused Japanese commercial for Panasonic. In any case, this time we get some pretty cool shots of Ney'tiri commandeering a Thanator.

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Link | Posted 11/5/2009 by Bill

James Cameron | Zoe Saldana | Sam Worthington | Avatar

I'm a superhero fan, although I actually have never been offered one. I've never really brought one to someone and said, "I really want to do this superhero [movie]." Obviously, I love the form, as movies really are the extension of comic books.

Of course, you don't build a Hollywood resume as impressive as Zemeckis' without knowing how to deal with the press. He easily turned the conversation back to the movie at hand.

The one thing about A Christmas Carol — it's been made more times than Batman.

Link | Posted 11/5/2009 by BrentJS

Robert Zemeckis | A Christmas Carol

Graham King's GK Films is producing The Tourist, which has gone through a number of major changes since it was first announced. Originally, Spyglass planned on developing the movie with Bharat Nalluri directing Charlize Theron and Tom Cruise. Cruise bowed out, to be replaced by Sam Worthington, who subsequently left the movie, as well. When Nalluri also left the project, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck came aboard to direct, bringing Jolie in to replace Theron. Since then, von Donnersmarck has also departed. Will shooting still begin in February 2010, as planned? Your guess is as good as ours.

Link | Posted 11/5/2009 by BrentJS

Johnny Depp | Angelina Jolie | Bharat Nalluri | Charlize Theron | Graham King | Sam Worthington | Florian von Donnersmarck | The Tourist

L'Heureux told Mania that Solipsist is in the early stages of developing an adaptation of Glen Brunswick and John Romita, Jr.'s The Gray Area. The comic revolves around a corrupt NYC cop who gets executed and winds up in purgatory. Brunswick is currently at work adapting the series into a screenplay.

L'Heureux also said that another "young" project in development is an adaptation of Joe Casey's Full Moon Fever, in which a lunar waste disposal technician encounters a werewolf on the moon. Casey is apparently going to be working on the script for the movie, which L'Heureux compared to two sci-fi classics:

It's a lot like Alien and Aliens. It's fast-paced and really fun.

Link | Posted 11/5/2009 by BrentJS

Stephen L'Heureux

After seeing the movie's $11,000 box-office gross for the weekend, Fox Searchlight pulled back the wide release of this comedy from Napoleon Dynamite's Jared Hess and Jerusha Hess. GetTheBigPicture reports Broncos won't open in Phoenix, Tucson, and Las Vegas. Roger Ebert tweeted that the movie won't open in Chicago. And CinemaBlend received an email that revealed Dallas is out of the picture, as well most of the nation:

Unfortunately Gentlemen Broncos will not be opening in any additional markets after Friday, November 6th. All screenings, etc. have been canceled please do not include film in your calendars or reviews. Thank you.

Broncos will open in a few more theaters this weekend. Everyone else will have to wait for the Broncos DVD.

Gentlemen Broncos - Interview

Jemaine Clement and Jennifer Coolidge talk about their movie

Link | Posted 11/5/2009 by Ryan

Jared Hess | Jerusha Hess | Gentlemen Broncos

We shot a scene where where we blew the face off this giant building. It was a giant, probably 200-foot high mushroom cloud of flames engulfing downtown Detroit! That was really cool.

The original Red Dawn was also violent, despite having a young cast including Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, and Lea Thompson. Hutcherson plays a character "based on C. Thomas Howell's character, Robert" that is "sort of a tech guy" that, by the end of the movie, becomes "a total warrior, drinking blood from the animals and going crazy." Chris Hemsworth, Josh Peck, and Isabel Lucas round out the cast.

The experience is clearly one that Hutcherson is enjoying.

Everybody's loving it and loving the new story line. We've changed up quite a bit of stuff. The Chinese are invading now, instead of the Russians. But the heart of the movie is there, and that's what's really important.

Red Dawn is currently scheduled for a November 24, 2010, release. Stunt coordinator Dan Bradley is making his directorial debut from a script by Carl Ellsworth (Disturbia).

Link | Posted 11/5/2009 by Ryan

Josh Hutcherson | Red Dawn

On Stranger Tides will be based on a Tim Powers novel of the same name, which follows a sailor who falls in with Blackbeard's quest to find the Fountain of Youth. Powers told The LA Times that Disney optioned his book almost three years ago, but he was sworn to secrecy. Powers thinks that his characters won't be used in the script but the Fountain storyline will be.

I've watched all the movies several times, of course, and I think the clear thing they would use is the trip to the Fountain of Youth. My main character doesn't overlap with Jack Sparrow at all [in personality or circumstance]; they're totally different characters. I suppose they might overlap the Geoffrey Rush character Barbossa and Blackbeard. The only thing I feel certain they will hold on to is the Fountain of Youth since they telegraphed that at the end of the last movie.

Pirates screenwriter Terry Rossio confirmed to Empire that the Fountain of Youth storyline would be used, along with Blackbeard. However, that may be all that exists from Powers' book.

We wanted to do a story about Blackbeard and the Fountain of Youth, and Tim Powers wrote a book about Blackbeard and the Fountain of Youth ... it just turns out that to do that story you would need that book. It's a brilliant and Tim Powers is an amazing writer — and it's a great title. It allows us to draw material from that universe and his expertise.

I don't know if its proper to say it's based on it but there are enough common elements to think that the book had to be optioned to us to reasonably proceed along that story line.

Link | Posted 11/5/2009 by Ryan

Jerry Bruckheimer | Terry Rossio | Pirates of the Caribbean 4

This week we get to see Kirk's apology to the green-skinned Orion Gaila (Rachel Nichols). Only it looks like Kirk can't tell his Orions apart and Diora Baird is the victim of Kirk's intergalactic ignorance.

Link | Posted 11/5/2009 by Ryan

Chris Pine | Diora Baird | Rachel Nichols | Star Trek

"As far as blunt but well-seasoned acts of misdirection go, it's a good one, even if it breaks no new ground."

— Simon Abrams, Slant Magazine

"...a cornball contrivance — and a draggy, rote, and listless one at that."

— Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

"A couple of modestly effective shocks lie in store, but none as frightening as the onscreen text informing us that some 11 million people claim to have seen a UFO."

— Scott Foundas, Village Voice

"...The Fourth Kind none too cleverly bids to pass off mock-documentary footage of levitating psychological patients — and, scarier still, ordinary talking heads — as the real deal."

— Rob Nelson, Variety

"...an alien-abduction thriller that combines purported raw case-study footage with dramatic 're-creations' to unsuccessful effect."

— Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter

The Fourth Kind - Trailer

Milla Jovovich stars - Releasing Nov. 6, 2009

Link | Posted 11/4/2009 by reelz

Milla Jovovich | The Fourth Kind

The lead role was originally designed for Tom Cruise, but when he bailed, it was re-written as a star vehicle for the eminently bankable Jolie. Directed by action-movie veteran Phillip Noyce, the movie also stars Liev Schreiber and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Link | Posted 11/4/2009 by Bill

Chiwetel Ejiofor | Liev Schreiber | Phillip Noyce | Angelina Jolie | Salt

In September, during a huge Walt Disney Pictures media blitz, Depp was officially announced to play Tonto. Recently, in a group interview in Santa Monica, Bruckheimer said that the project is still moving forward.

Elliot and Rossio worked on that also with some other writers and with Johnny. So they're creating something that has a kind of true-to-the-western [feel], but adding other additional elements like we did with Pirates so it won't be just a straight-ahead western.

According to some reports, the "additional elements" that Bruckheimer refers to may be the inclusion of some supernatural elements to the story, much in the same way Pirates incorporated historical and fantastical elements.

As for who will play the title role of the Lone Ranger, Bruckheimer said that it's still up in the air.

We're still creating a pretty wide net and figuring it out. It comes down to who is available when we want to make it. We have a wish list.

Link | Posted 11/4/2009 by BrentJS

Jerry Bruckheimer | Johnny Depp | Ted Elliott | Terry Rossio | Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest | Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

wow, just finished a scene with Ali Larter and Wentworth Miller on a skiff approaching the huge ship.to say its cold is a joke.a bitter joke

ofcourse Ali and I aren't wearing much and to make matters worse Wenty is driving the boat himself and crashing it repeatedly! lol!

Jovovich is reprising her role as Alice from the previous Resident Evil movies, while Larter is returning to her Resident Evil: Extinction role of Claire Redfield, and Miller is making his Resident Evil debut as Larter's brother, Chris. Paul W.S. Anderson is returning to direct Afterlife from his own script, which he is shooting in 3-D. From Jovovich's tweets, it would appear that Anderson is planning a good deal of action.

the cast is going on set and we have a lot of weapons.

Link | Posted 11/4/2009 by Ryan

Paul W.S. Anderson | Milla Jovovich | Ali Larter | Wentworth Miller | Resident Evil: Afterlife | Resident Evil: Extinction

Halcyon originally purchased the Terminator rights in 2007 for $25 million and produced a TV show, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and the movie sequel Terminator Salvation. While Chronicles was canceled, Salvation managed to gain $371 million in worldwide box office. Still Halcyon declared bankruptcy and sued their lender, Pacifcor, who Anderson and Kubicek claim pushed them into default on their loan. A bankruptcy judge allowed the producing duo to continue to develop Terminator 5, but it looks like that will come to an end once the rights are auctioned off.

In an openly sarcastic letter to DeadlineHollywood, writer-director Joss Whedon made a bid for the Terminator rights, offering $10,000 and claiming he had solid ideas on what to do with the franchise.

Terminator ... of the Rings! Yeah, what if he time-travelled TOO far ... back to when there was dragons and wizards? (I think it was the Dark Ages.) Hasta La Vista, Boramir! Cool, huh? "Now you gonna be Gandalf the Red!" RRRRIP! But then he totally helps, because he's a cyborg and he doesn't give a s#&% about the ring — it has no power over him! And he can carry it AND Frodo AND Sam AND f@%& up some orcs while he's doing it. This stuff just comes to me. I mean it. (I will also offer $10,000 for the Lord of the Rings franchise).

Considering the rights to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise just sold to Nickelodeon for $60 million, and Terminator has been a far more profitable at the box office than the Ninja Turtles, Whedon may need to bid just a few more thousands.

Hollywood Headlines - George Clooney, Terminator, and A Christmas Carol

Terminator for sale and more

Link | Posted 11/4/2009 by Ryan

Joss Whedon | Derek Anderson | Victor Kubicek | Terminator Salvation

These goats who stare at men are treated to some highlights from the movie that, perhaps, might prove disturbing from a goaty point of view, but for the rest of us underline the quirky humor running through this tale of would-be psychics recruited for the war on terror.

Link | Posted 11/4/2009 by Bill

The Men Who Stare at Goats | Paranormal Activity

The report closed on a positive note, citing that at least the choice indicated a push towards a younger, hipper direction. In retrospect, this statement is as funny as it is wrong. Why? Because the Academy announced a short time later that its choices for next year's hosts are ... Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin.

Scratch your head. Raise a furrowed brow. Begin discussions of all the odd-couple pairings in TV and movie history. Producer Bill Mechanic had this to say about the selections, made with co-producer Adam Shankman:

Adam and I, from our first meeting on, knew we wanted an emphasis on comedy. If we err in any one direction, we want to take a show that can feel long and boring at times and make it feel shorter and more fun. The idea of two co-hosts who could move things along just seemed like a great idea.

In its write-up of the story, The Hollywood Reporter cited some nifty Oscar trivia, pointing out that this would not be the first time the telecast featured multiple hosts. The very first Oscar ceremony in 1929 was hosted by Douglas Fairbanks and William C. de Mille. Jerry Lewis and Celeste Holm shared duties in 1957, although they were in different locations (Lewis in Los Angeles, Holm in New York).

In 1972, the Academy chose the trio of Sammy Davis Jr., Helen Hayes, and Alan King, and again went for a trifecta in 1987 with Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn, and Paul Hogan.

In response to Tuesday's decision, Martin quipped, "I am happy to co-host the Oscars with my enemy Alec Baldwin." Baldwin followed by saying, "I don't play the banjo, but I'm thrilled to be hosting the Oscars."

Link | Posted 11/4/2009 by Rich Z

Adam Shankman | Alec Baldwin | Ben Stiller | Hugh Jackman | Steve Martin | Robert Downey Jr. | Bill Mechanic

No wonder. As with New Moon, the cast list for this Twilight sequel grew, adding more werewolves and vampires to Bella's ever-widening circle of friends and enemies. In Meet the Cast of Eclipse, we have all the details about these relatively unknown actors, including the roles they're playing and the credentials they bring to The Twilight Saga.

Link | Posted 11/4/2009 by reelz

Jodelle Ferland | Kirsten Prout | Catalina Sandino Moreno | Rachelle Lefevre | Bryce Dallas Howard | David Slade | Jack Huston | BooBoo Stewart | Xavier Samuel | Julia Jones | The Twilight Saga: Eclipse | The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Dealing with Khan would certainly be a challenge, but we had an equal challenge in finding our crew of the Enterprise. While I don't want to approach the second film as a remake of episodes we've seen in the past, and, you know, I don't think any of the other writers and producers are interested in just rehashing, or throwing characters in for the sake of it, and Khan is certainly the most obvious one in the history of the series for me.... Nothing is off limits in terms of what we're discussing.

Star Trek screenwriter Roberto Orci has said that Khan's chances to appear in the sequel are about "50/50." Javier Bardem could be he front runner for the role should it be written into the sequel.

Link | Posted 11/4/2009 by Ryan

Ricardo Montalban | Roberto Orci | J.J. Abrams | Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan | Star Trek 2 | Star Trek

Raimi has of course reached stratospheric heights since then, crafting two larger-budget sequels and helming the massively successful Spider-Man franchise. Evil Dead star Bruce Campbell went on to relative fame as a cult-movie icon, using his leading-man looks and his impeccable timing to forge a career out of schlocky comedy genre-hybrids, such as Bubba Ho-Tep and the TV show The Adventures of Brisco County Jr..

Now, fans everywhere will have a chance to relive the old days of Evil Dead on a nation-wide scale. Comicbookmovie.com writes that Grindhouse Pictures plans to re-release the movie — uncut, by the way &mdash for midnight screenings across theaters in the United States and Canada sometime in 2010.

Of course, Campbell had a witty, tongue-in-cheek statement for the press:

Nothing can prepare an audience for what they are about to see, because nothing punishes an audience like Evil Dead — especially on the big screen. I'm really glad it's back. People are gonna be hurt.

To Bruce, we say: Bring the pain!

If you're not familiar with this masterpiece of campiness, check out the official trailer.

Link | Posted 11/4/2009 by Rich Z

Bruce Campbell | Sam Raimi | The Evil Dead