Tuesday, February 9

• Mr. & Mrs. Smith To Be Rebooted as Mr. & Mrs. Jones?

  Whether you love his movies or despise them, it's hard to deny that writer-producer Akiva Goldsman is a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood.

  Sure, Goldsman is responsible for writing the disastrous Batman & Robin, which was recently named the "Worst Movie Ever" by Empire, but he also wrote the screenplay for the multiple Academy Award-winning movie A Beautiful Mind.

  Goldsman continues to write (2009's Angels & Demons), but is far more active as a producer. He currently has The Losers in the can, is in post-production on Jonah Hex after a series of reshoots, and has more than a dozen other movies in various stages of development, including several high-profile comic book movie adaptations.

  The latest Goldsman news has the prolific producer revisiting his 2005 movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith, which scored big at home and abroad, as well as had the highest domestic grossing of any Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie movie. So a sequel seems like a given. Only, there's a catch: According to Empire, Goldsman will not be bringing back "Brangelina" to star in the new movie. Rather, it will have completely different characters and a new title, Mr. & Mrs. Jones. This time the movie's lead actors will play spies who must find a way to get along while pretending to be married to one another.

  The Empire article is short on details and the writer does concede that the news comes from "Rumour Mountain." However, a complete reboot does make sense from a practical standpoint, considering the entire "hook" of the original plot (and all of the comedy) stemmed from Mr. and Mrs. Smith pretending to be a typical married couple, all the while hiding from each other the fact that they are both hired assassins. Now that the secret is out, a sequel with Pitt and Jolie wouldn't be much more than an edgier version of Hart to Hart. Another obvious reason to reboot the franchise rather than move forward with a sequel is to avoid the high fees that go with hiring the power couple to reprise their roles. Still, rumor or not, it seems like a hard sell without Jolie and Pitt involved.

  
  

  Posted 02/09/2010 by BrentJS

  Related: Akiva Goldsman | Brad Pitt | Angelina Jolie | Mr. & Mrs. Smith

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• Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Joel Edgerton to Star in The Thing Prequel

  Despite its meager box-office take, John Carpenter's The Thing began to develop a strong cult following after its release on home video. The popularity of the movie eventually spawned a novelization, several comic book miniseries, and a video game "sequel." With a pop culture presence spanning nearly 30 years, it's no wonder that Universal Pictures finally decided to bring the property back to the big screen.

  Universal first announced the news that a new The Thing movie was in development in January of last year, with Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. directing from a script by Ronald D. Moore. It was later revealed by Moore that his draft of The Thing was "not a remake" of Carpenter's movie, but a "companion piece" that takes place before the events in the 1982 movie. The prequel will focus on the Norwegian expedition team that first finds the buried spaceship in Antarctica and unwittingly unleashes the shape-shifting alien that R.J. MacReady (played by Kurt Russell) and company encounter in Carpenter's movie.

  It was announced last month that The Thing prequel would go into production in Toronto in March and continue through June. Now, two of the stars have finally been revealed. According to THR, Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Live Free or Die Hard) will portray a Ph.D. candidate assigned to the Norwegian team after the discovery of the ship, and Joel Edgarton (Acolytes) will star as a rough-and-tumble helicopter pilot, reminiscent of Russell's MacReady. No other cast announcements have been made and there is no release date set at this time.

  The Thing prequel will be the third movie based on the short story "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell, Jr., originally published in August 1938. The first adaptation, The Thing From Another World, was directed by Howard Hawks and debuted in theaters in 1951. While it was a less faithful adaptation of the source material than The Thing, Carpenter is a self-avowed fan of the movie and used scenes from it in Halloween. Carpenter even adopted the Norwegian expedition team that will be featured in the new prequel from Hawks' movie. In 1973, "Who Goes There?" was voted one of the finest science fiction novellas ever written by the Science Fiction Writers of America.

  
  
  

  The Thing - Trailer

  Posted 02/09/2010 by BrentJS

  Related: Joel Edgerton | John Carpenter | Matthijs van Heijningen | Ronald D. Moore | Mary Winstead | The Thing | The Thing Prequel | The Thing From Another World

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• Joe Johnston Talks The Wolfman

  The Wolfman has gone through several delays, and both Emily Blunt and producer Scott Stuber have tried to explain them. Blunt said the movie "needed to cook a little bit more" while Stuber said the delays were caused by the "complex" visual effects work. In an interview with ShockTillYouDrop, director Joe Johnston shed some light on the visual effects issues that caused The Wolfman delays.

  What happened — and this has happened to me many times before — in pre-production you try to make the film affordable. There's a certain amount of money you can spend and there was a sequence in the original script where [Benicio Del Toro] rampages through London, very similar to what we ended up with, and it ended at this conservatory. We couldn't afford a London chase, but we [could] afford the conservatory part. So we shot that. After we cut the film, we recognized — everyone recognized — that, "Gee, we want this action sequence of him rampaging through London." We went back to shoot it, along with another sequence. We added about 200 more visual FX shots, which meant not only did we have to push the release date, we had to come up with more FX money. Also, once we cut it together, the conservatory scene played at a different pace. It didn't fit anymore. You didn't want to see the Wolfman stop at this conservatory where a ball is happening and everyone thinks he's in a costume — which is what the gag was. So, it's in the deleted scenes. [laughs] If you really want to see it, there it is.

  Johnston also admitted that there was a bit of a struggle between himself and Universal over what kind of movie The Wolfman was going to be, but that Johnston was still able to make The Wolfman unique amongst typical horror movie fare.

  There's always a battle with the studio about what the movie is. I think I was fairly successful in convincing the studio that mine was the right version or with, at least, postponing the battles until it was too late. I don't think it's the movie they thought they were going to get and they're pleasantly surprised with what it is and how it turned out. With a movie this size you can't turn to them and say, "Hey, leave me alone to make a movie and I'll show you what I have in ten months." It doesn't work that way. It takes a lot of energy just to deal with that side of it. You've got the guys in the studio and it's like, "Okay, I'll listen to your ideas, but you have to listen to mine." It's definitely a power struggle.

  Visually I wanted the film to look like it belonged in 1890. That's important, I didn't want it to look like a film that was shot in 1890, but when you watch the film, you recognize you're in a different place. And you reset the constructs in your mind. You're not expecting Saw VI, or something. This is different. Something like that is tough for a studio to recognize. I understand why. Selfishly, it's not my money and I want to put my version of the movie on the screen.

  
  
  Next Showing: The Wolfman opens February 12
  

  The Wolfman - Clip

  Aberline pursues the Wolfman through the streets of London

  Posted 02/09/2010 by Ryan

  Related: Joe Johnston | The Wolfman

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• Leonardo DiCaprio Says Inception Makes No Sense

  Leonardo DiCaprio's upcoming thriller Shutter Island looks like a strange movie, but even DiCaprio knows that when it comes to puzzling flicks, Inception beats all. Neither trailer so far has been able to shed light on director Christopher Nolan's "architecture of the mind" movie. In an interview with Inquirer, DiCaprio admitted that the movie's complex storyline was confusing even to the cast and crew.

  I don't know what I'm allowed to say about Inception. I don't even know what I'm allowed to say about Shutter Island, to be quite honest. Both Chris and Martin [Scorses, director of Shutter Island] are great directors. The material and its complexity are what I'm attracted to. I'm not happy if I don't have a lot to do. I've been lucky to work with people who want to tell stories that hit on different cylinders simultaneously. Shutter Island is definitely that. Inception is the same. It is Chris delving into dream psychoanalysis and, at the same time, making a high-octane, surreal film that came from his mind. He wrote the entire thing, and it all made sense to him. It didn't make sense to many of us when we were doing it. We had to do a lot of detective work (laughing) to figure out what the movie was about.

  At least the cast isn't a mystery. DiCaprio plays Jacob, while Marion Cotillard plays his wife. Ellen Page plays Ariadne, a grad student and DiCaprio's sidekick, Michael Caine plays a science professor, Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays DiCaprio's associate, and Ken Watanabe plays Saito, the villain of the movie.

  Inception opens July 16, while Shutter Island releases February 19.

  
  
  

  Inception - Trailer

  Second trailer for this mind bending thriller
  

  Shutter Island - Trailer

  Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo Star

  Posted 02/09/2010 by Ryan

  Related: Leonardo DiCaprio | Inception | Shutter Island

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• More Tron on the Way

  If rumors are to be believed, Disney is in love with Tron: Legacy. According to a report from AintItCoolNews, Disney is so pleased with the sequel to their 1982 original that they are looking to explore more of Tron universe.

  ...apparently (Disney) the top brass is so psyched about Tron: Legacy that they'e planning a TV show for 2011 & 2012 (probably for Disney XD). No news on whether it will be animated or live action. They're also already planning another Tron film for 2013.

  If Tron: Legacy bombs, however, these plans will all disappear. The next trailer for the movie is rumored to be shown before Alice in Wonderland screenings, starting March 5. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, Tron: Legacy stars Jeff Bridges, Olivia Wilde, and Garrett Hedlund.

  
  

  Posted 02/09/2010 by Ryan

  Related: Tron: Legacy

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Monday, February 8

• A Helicopter Tour of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

  We just recently got an augmented reality map of the rising Harry Potter theme park at Universal Orlando. And just yesterday a commercial for the park got its official debut at the Super Bowl. Now (via The Leaky Cauldron) we have a less scripted peek at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in the form of a set of more than sixty photos taken during a recent helicopter tour over the Islands of Adventure.

  The point of view in the pictures is a bit higher up than in the earlier broom's-eye views, and the ongoing construction activity isn't edited out, so you can get a better idea how far along the project is. Pretty close to done from the look of things. A good look at Hogwarts castle from various points of view, along with some shots of the roller coasters, store fronts, Hogsmeade, and Hagrid's Hut. Some of the wider angle shots also give a better sense of how Harry Potter's world is going to fit into the rest of the park, and the Florida landscape.

  
  

  Posted 02/08/2010 by Bill

  Related: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

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• New Photos from the Set of Jonah Hex

  A new series of candid photos from the set of director Jimmy Hayward's Jonah Hex reshoots have surfaced online. While the photos don't reveal anything new about the movie's plot or characters, they do provide a complete 360°-view of Megan Fox's leather-and-lace ensemble, and there are a couple nice shots of title star Josh Brolin in full costume and makeup.

  Jonah Hex went into production back in April 2009 and principal photography had been wrapped for months when it was announced that additional casting was needed to complete a series of reshoots. Warner Bros. brought in Francis Lawrence, director of Constantine, another Warner Bros. property based on a DC Comics title, as a consultant to Hayward during the reshoots.

  
  
  Next Showing: Jonah Hex opens June 18

  Posted 02/08/2010 by BrentJS

  Related: Megan Fox | Josh Brolin | Jimmy Hayward | Francis Lawrence | Jonah Hex

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• Chris Columbus Is Game to "Revisit" Gremlins, as Long as They Are Muppets

  If you got excited about the recent rumor that an all-new Gremlins movie was being developed for release in stereoscopic 3-D, then prepare to be disappointed. It now appears that "Gremlins 3-D" is far less of a sure thing than 3-D–centric MarketSaw reported it to be several weeks ago.

  While out promoting his new movie, Percy Jackson and the Oympians: The Lightning Thief, director Chris Columbus, who wrote the original Gremlins for producer Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, was asked to comment on the rumor, and he told ComingSoon that he didn't know anything about a new movie being developed.

  I spoke to Steven Spielberg a couple days ago and said, "You know, I've been reading on the internet about this Gremlins 3-D," and no one's approached him either, so I don't know if that's really true.

  Columbus added that "it would be fun to go back and revisit" the property, but that using CGI to animate the gremlins would not do the little guys justice.

  Something like Gremlins, which is a movie I really like, I think it's impossible to recreate in a CGI environment. I think it will inevitably lose some of its charm. Those are edgy Muppets in a sense and you don't want to lose that sense of anarchy that those gremlins had, because behind the scenes are 25 puppeteers making them to come to life.

  
  
  

  Gremlins - Trailer

  Posted 02/08/2010 by BrentJS

  Related: Gremlins | Gremlins 2: The New Batch

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• The First Avenger: Captain America Will Feature WWII Superteam The Invaders

  Director Joe Johnston must have been dying to talk about his next project, Marvel Studios' The First Avenger: Captain America, because information about the movie has been pouring out of him lately. Johnston spoke at length about the movie over the weekend, explaining that he aims to cast an "unknown" American actor in the title role (sorry, Sam Worthington), divulging how he plans to incorporate the character's colorful costume into the gritty WWII setting, and revealing the news that the Red Skull will be the major villain.

  As tantalizing as those bits and pieces of information may be to comic book movie fans, the latest news trumps them all. Devin Faraci of CHUD has reported that Captain America (Cap) will not be the only costumed adventurer in the movie. Faraci claims that he spoke with Johnston at the press day for The Wolfman and was told that Cap's wartime allies, The Invaders, would be appearing "in the entire second half" of the movie.

  For the uninitiated, The Invaders were an international coalition of superheroes that banded together to stop the Nazi threat during WWII. The roster of the Cap-led team changed over the years, but the primary members were: Cap's young protégé, Bucky (aka The Winter Soldier, current bearer of the Captain America mantle in the Marvel Comics series); the fiery duo of the Human Torch and Toro; Cap's British counterpart, Union Jack; and the Lord of Atlantis, Namor, the Sub-Mariner.

  The news of The Invaders' appearance is significant to comic book movie fans because it will be the largest collection of Marvel superheroes in a single movie since 2006's X-Men Origins: The Last Stand. Even more important, it will be an opportunity to showcase Cap's ability to lead other superpowered heroes into battle, something that he will undoubtedly be called on to do when all of Marvel Studios' heroes gather in The Avengers movie, due in 2012.

  
  
  Next Showing: The First Avenger: Captain America opens July 22, 2011

  Posted 02/08/2010 by BrentJS

  Related: Joe Johnston | First Avenger: Captain America | The Avengers

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• Channing Tatum Excited by G.I. Joe Razzie Awards

  G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra was recently nominated for 6 Razzie awards, which are the flipside of the Academy Awards and celebrate the worst movies of the year. G.I. Joe was second in nominations only to Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Land of the Lost, which led with 7 total nominations apiece. When New York Magazine asked G.I. Joe star Channing Tatum his feelings about the Razzie awards, Tatum's reaction was an odd sort of pride.

  Whoa. Cool. Did G.I. Joe win any? Was I nominated for Worst Actor?

  Tatum was not nominated, however, his co-stars, Sienna Miller and Marlon Wayans were both nominated for Supporting Actress and Actor Razzies respectively. Tatum doesn't think that Wayans will be crushed by the nomination.

  Marlon's Razzie for Little Man is his most prized trophy. I kid you not. He's probably thrilled. Besides, when you do a movie like [G.I. Joe], you aren't trying to break any ground. You just want kids and grown-ups who remember the cartoon to go see it, love it, and have a good time watching shit get blown up. And we did good business anyway. There is talk of a sequel. I know they hired a writer, so I'm crossing fingers.

  In fact two screenwriters have been hired — Zombieland's Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick were recently tasked with writing the sequel.

  
  
  

  G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra - Trailer

  Now on DVD

  Posted 02/08/2010 by Ryan

  Related: Channing Tatum | Marlon Wayans | G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra | G.I. Joe 2

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