Sunday, November 22

• Joel Silver Updates Lobo and Other Movies in Development

  Producer Joel Silver has an incredible resume, including many of Hollywood's top properties — the Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, Predator, and Matrix franchises. His latest film, Ninja Assassin, opens this week and Silver is in various stages of production on eight other movies, with another dozen or more in development.

  With so many different projects, it's hard to keep track of the status of all of them. Thankfully, Latino Review caught up with Silver and probed him about several of the fan-favorite films he is working on. While Silver didn't mention anything about the 3-D adaptation of DC Comics' Swamp Thing that he teased back in August, he did say that he is working on Lobo, another DC adaptation.

  We're working really close on that. It's close, yeah. There is a good shot we can make that happen.

  

  While many fans have been clamoring to see Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen) in the lead role of "The Last Czarnian," Silver stated back in August that his intention for Lobo was to go full CGI with the super-ripped alien bounty hunger, a la Avatar. When asked about the possibility of Morgan playing Lobo, Silver said that he is "very talented" and mentioned that Morgan was already tapped for yet another DC Comics adaptation, The Losers, and that they're still trying to figure out what will work best for Lobo.

  There's been some interesting tests. It's pretty spectacular. So that's gonna come about soon I think.

  After Ninja Assassin, Silver has the Guy Ritchie-directed Sherlock Holmes hitting theaters, which Silver would "love" to see turn into a franchise.

  There are plenty of Sherlock Holmes stories. But let's get the movie open, let's see how it goes and we'lll see what happens.

  Silver will no longer be teaming with Ritchie on an adaptation of Sgt. Rock after Sherlock Holmes, but he said that Ritchie is "involved" with Gamekeeper, which is "in development." He is also re-teaming with his Ninja Assassin writer, J. Michael Straczynski, an another project.

  [Straczynski's] writing Forbidden Planet now. We'll see a script before the end of the year and that's exciting too.

  Silver also mentioned that the reason he let Sony have He-Man was because it was a "weird one" that they couldn't figure out how to adapt. And, no, there will be no sequel to Speed Racer, not that too many people will shed a tear over that news.

  
  
  Next Showing: Ninja Assassin opens November 25
  

  Ninja Assassin - Trailer

  Jung-Ji Hoon (aka Rain) stars - Releases Nov. 25, 2009
  

  Sherlock Holmes - Trailer

  Robert Downey Jr. stars - Releases Dec. 25, 2009

  Posted 11/22/2009 by BrentJS

  Related: Joel Silver | Guy Ritchie | J. Michael Straczynski | Jeffrey Dean Morgan | Ninja Assassin | Sherlock Holmes

Tuesday, October 27

• Zoe Saldana Talks Avatar, The Losers, and Star Trek 2

  Zoe Saldana is certainly getting her fanboy credits in order. There's James Cameron's upcoming Avatar later this year, the comic book adaptation The Losers next year, and a Star Trek sequel likely arriving in 2012. Saldana spoke with E!Online and revealed she has watched some scenes from Cameron's much-anticipated Avatar.

  Just last Friday, I went to Fox and Jim was able to show me scenes along with [composer] James Horner's music incorporated in it. O-M-G is all I'm going to say.

  Saldana was a little more forthcoming about The Losers, which follows a CIA black ops team seeking revenge after being left for dead, that co-stars Watchmen's Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

  I play a toughass broad — sort of like a viper, snaky girl. Guys find it really sexy when they see a girl hanging from wires with guns. They even like it more when there's a girl-on-guy fight and it looks like she's kicking his ass. Jeffrey Dean Morgan was such a gentleman. He was like, "Zoe, you can kick my butt any day."

  Saldana is hoping to kick some butt in Star Trek 2 as well, which looks like it may happen sooner than later.

  We're working on it. They were calling to see where we were going to be and how my schedule is next year. Just that was worth me doing a cartwheel when I got the phone call, because I cannot wait to put on the suit and go back to the Enterprise, take my shirt off, and be with all those yummy guys.

  
  
  Next Showing: Avatar opens December 18

  Posted 10/27/2009 by Ryan

  Related: James Cameron | Zoe Saldana | Jeffrey Dean Morgan | Avatar | Star Trek 2 | Star Trek

Tuesday, October 13

• Jeffrey Dean Morgan Would Play Lobo If Offerred

  Frequent comic book movie actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen, The Losers) expressed interest in another comic book adaptation, Lobo, last month. He told MTV that while he is not officially cast in the role of the blue-skinned anti-hero, he is officially a fan of the production.

  I don't know that I'm a big blue guy. Lobo happens to be a character that flies by the seat of his pants. I don't know if I'm the guy or not, but I think it's going to be one hell of a movie. I'll certainly be going to see it.

  Dean Morgan claims that while he may not have the role, he is interested.

  Hey, if Guy Ritchie came to me and said, "You want to do Lobo?" I'd say, "Yeah."

  Ritchie will be directing the rumored-to-be PG-13 production from a script by Dan Payne, with production scheduled to begin next year. Dean Morgan, meanwhile, is working on the remake of Red Dawn.

  
  

  Posted 10/13/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Guy Ritchie | Jeffrey Dean Morgan | Lobo

Tuesday, September 15

• Jeffrey Dean Morgan Joins Red Dawn, Possibly Lobo

  

  Ever since Jeffrey Dean Morgan appeared in Watchmen, he hasn't stopped working. Dean Morgan has already finished the period drama Shanghai, is currently shooting The Losers (another comic book adaptation), and, he tells ComingSoon, will start work on yet another movie once The Losers wraps:

  I'm jumping back in. I go to work on something about ten days after I've finished shooting [The Losers] ... It's a remake of a movie that I love ... Red Dawn I just love that f**king movie, ever since I was a kid.

  Dean Morgan will trade the warm climates of The Losers' Puerto Rican location for Red Dawn's Detroit, where he will join Chris Hemsworth (the newly minted Thor), Josh Peck, Adrienne Palicki, and Josh Hutcherson to play a member of a militant group that fights off a communist invasion.

  I guess I'm more or less the old Powers Booth character. There's all the kids and Powers Booth is the pilot that lands in the film and kind of helps them take down the bad guys. Blow communism away. It's a really good, young cast. I'll be the old guy in it, which is cool.

  Red Dawn is scheduled for release September 2010, at which point Dean Morgan hopes to be working on a third comic book movie, Lobo, an adaptation focused on DC Comics' violent anti-hero being directed by Guy Ritchie. Dean Morgan has an in for the role, considering Joel Silver is producing both The Losers and Lobo, but he told SuperheroHype that he may have to do some special training in order to be cast:

  Lobo would be very cool. I don't think that I'm as big as Lobo is, but if you could, like, transplant Mickey Rourke's body on my head, that would be just great.

  Dean Morgan says his involvement in comic book movies is no accident:

  You're always looking for material that's kind of smart and fun and this seems to be where it is right now. The studios are really gravitating towards it, more than I've ever seen them gravitate towards anything in a long time. Comic books are really the thing right now and I don't see that going away for at least the next couple of years.

  
  

  Posted 09/15/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Joel Silver | Jeffrey Dean Morgan | Red Dawn | Lobo

Monday, July 6

• What to Expect in the Watchmen: The Director's Cut

  

  For those who want a preview of the upcoming July 17-19 release of Watchmen: The Director's Cut before it opens in Dallas, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and New York, or just want to know what they missed in the theater, AICN has listed the additions to Zack Snyder's cut. If you want to remain clean of Watchmen spoilers, now's the time to stop reading. Otherwise, read on...

  A few notable changes include:

  - More Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley), including conversations with Dr. Malcolm, arguing with Laurie (Malin Akerman) on the prison rooftop, fighting with cops at the Comedian's (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) apartment, and more monologues.

  - Hollis Mason, the original Nite Owl, has a montage death scene. Once Dan finds out he gets into a bar fight.

  - More interplay between Laurie and Jon (Billy Crudup) has been added, mostly things from the comic book.

  Other unknown changes will also be in there, adding up to a new running time of 3 hours and 10 minutes. That means an extra 30 minutes of new footage.

  
  

  Posted 07/06/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Billy Crudup | Malin Akerman | Jackie Earle Haley | Zack Snyder | Jeffrey Dean Morgan | Watchmen

Sunday, February 22

• Jeffrey Dean Morgan Becomes a Loser

  When Watchmen opens March 6, Jeffrey Dean Morgan will be far from done playing comic book characters. The Hollywood Reporter says Morgan, who plays The Comedian in Watchmen, will play the leader of a special forces unit that seeks revenge on the CIA after being betrayed and left for dead in the movie adaptation of the Vertigo/DC comic book The Losers. James Vanderbilt (Zodiac) and Peter Berg (Hancock) wrote the script, with Berg being one of 4 directors attached to the project at some point. McG and Tim Story were also slated to direct, though the directing duties are now in the hands of Sylvain White (Stomp the Yard). (Stomp the Yard? Should audiences expect some street dancing in The Losers?)

  While Morgan may have a lock on playing tough, government agent characters with both Watchmen and The Losers, he may have to find a new kind of role. Morgan is yet another cast member to deny a Watchmen sequel will ever happen. Morgan told Moviehole:

  We are all signed for sequels, but, ya know, there'd be no Rorschach, there'd be no Comedian -- it'd be sorta useless. It'd have to be a prequel. But I'd say unless Alan Moore says he's gonna write something, we'll never see 'Watchmen 2.' There may be someone sitting in a room somewhere at Warner Bros waiting to see if this does OK, and ready to pitch another -- but I doubt Zack [Syder] would do another, and without him, I wouldn't go back, and I can't imagine any of the other actors would want to either.

  The whole cast "signed for sequels?" Snyder has already said no to a sequel, and co-star Malin Akerman downplayed another Watchmen, but if Watchmen is successful, who can say?

  
  

  Posted 02/22/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Malin Akerman | McG | Peter Berg | Tim Story | Sylvain White | James Vanderbilt | Zack Snyder | Jeffrey Dean Morgan | Watchmen

Wednesday, July 25

• Watchmen Casting: Wilson is definite, and much more

  It's official, the cast for Watchmen has been put into place. Directed by Zack Snyder, Watchmen will be an adaptation of the DC Comics series about the costumed vigilante, Rorschach.

  As we reported earlier, Patrick Wilson has indeed been cast as Nite-Owl. Joining him will be Jackie Earle Haley, who actually joined Wilson in last year's Little Children. This time around, Haley will be playing Rorschach, and not the creepy child molester next door.

  Also added to the cast: Billy Crudup (Almost Famous, Stage Beauty) as Dr. Manhattan, Matthew Goode (The Lookout, Match Point) as Ozymandias, Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Grey's Anatomy) as the Comedian, and Malin Akerman (Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle) as the Silk Spectre.

  Keep checking ReelzChannel.com for any more Watchmen updates that come up during this weekend's Comic-Con!

  Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  
  

  Posted 07/25/2007 by reelz

  Related: Billy Crudup | Patrick Wilson | Matthew Goode | Malin Akerman | Jackie Earle Haley | Zack Snyder | Jeffrey Dean Morgan | Watchmen