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Sony might be ruining Ghostbusters 3!!!

2010-03-18T14:38:00.001-04:00

From cinemablend -

Recently, all indications were that Ghostbusters3 was go with original franchise producer and director Ivan Reitman in the director’s chair. Even Bill Murray seemed, finally, to be on board. Now though, NY Mag says there’s trouble.The problem is Reitman himself who, along with Murray, Ramis, and Akyroyd all have a contract which gives them veto power over any sequel. Only, word is that Sony doesn’t want Reitman involved. Instead the studio wants to take a Spider-Man approach to the franchise by hiring a hot young director (like Marc Webb) to take it over and reboot it with twentysomethings in the lead roles. Unlike Spider-Man they aren’t starting the whole story over exactly, the old Busters would be involved, but it sounds like their goal is to launch a new franchise with a bunch of kids… and they don’t want those kids directed by the rapidly aging Reitman.Reitman is directing a rom-com for Paramount called Friends with Benefits, so there’s some hope that he might get busy and let Sony go ahead on Ghostbusters 3 without him. Yet, word is that Reitman thinks he can do both movies and Vulture makes it sound as though he has no intention of getting out of the way. Sony doesn’t want him, Reitman isn’t going to let them do it without him… Ghostbusters 3 could be in trouble.Though I’m not exactly eager to see Ghostbusters without Reitman at the helm, you can almost see Sony’s point of view here. The man hasn’t had a hit since the early 90s. His last few movies have been flops at best and cinematic travesties at worst. Reitman is now the director of Evolution and My Super Ex-Girlfriend. It’s been a long time since he made anything worth watching. Are we sure we want him in charge of Ghostbusters 3? Maybe he’s just not that guy anymore.

Sony Wants To Spider-Man Ghostbusters 3 And Ivan Reitman Won't Let Them

I will be extremely upset if this puts a damper in the Ghostbuster 3 developments. While I have my doubts about how such a movie could turn out - as a HUGE ghostbusters fan (I had a Ghostbusters themed birthday party when I was younger) I was excited to keep hearing good news about how it was moving along. I say give Reitman a chance! I can't seem him doing any worse than a bunch of other directors that I'm sure they would be willing to throw the reigns to. If Reitman isn't involved, I fear it will become a HUGE mistake. I feel like all these companies want to do now a days is create some big franchise that will have tie-ins with Burger King and they seem to forget the real reason that we enjoy going to the movies. Certainly getting rid of Reitman and changing the story to a young centric Ghostbusters clan will destroy most of the sense of nostagia that I am most interested in!

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Avatar Accusations

2009-12-30T21:32:00.001-05:00

I just have to get this rant off my chest. I will probably edit it and make some more comments about it later, but having just seen it. This needs to be said:

I am Sick of hearing all of this "Cameron ripped off so and so" stuff about Avatar. Do your research people. If you are citing Poul Anderson's Call Me Joe, it was done before that by a man named Clifford Simak in a book called City, and also in a book called The Algebraist by Iain M. Banks, and also a story called Manta's G...ift by Timothy Zahn, and a 1985 comic called Timespirits...

And for those citing movies, yes, Dances With Wolves, Delgo, Fern Gully and whatever else you want to lump in with it. I'm not saying it isn't true....we know he has "ripped stuff off" in the past with Terminator and Aliens and blah blah blah.

My point is that rarely are ideas original anymore - and that's fine, what matters is how he CONVEYS his version of this story. Now that is something I will talk about. But let's just drop the whole "ripped off" thing....it is probably true, but a kind of weak argument.

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Golden Globe Nominations are in

2009-12-15T14:40:00.003-05:00

Hey they aren't the Oscars but they sure are fun to watch. Check out the nominees!

Best Picture (Drama)
“Avatar”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Precious”
“Up in the Air”

Best Picture (Comedy or Musical)
“(500) Days of Summer”
“The Hangover”
“It’s Complicated”
“Julie & Julia”
“Nine”

Best Actor (Drama)
Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart”
George Clooney, “Up in the Air”
Colin Firth, “A Single Man”
Morgan Freeman, “Invictus”
Tobey Maguire, “Brothers”

Best Actress (Drama)
Emily Blunt, “The Young Victoria”
Sandra Bullock, “The Blind Side”
Helen Mirren, “The Last Station”
Carey Mulligan, “An Education”
Gabby Sidibe, “Precious”

Best Actor (Comedy or Musical)
Matt Damon, “The Informant!”
Daniel Day Lewis, “Nine”
Robert Downey Jr., “Sherlock Holmes”
Joseph Gordon Levitt, “(500) Days of Summer”
Michael Stuhlbarg, “A Serious Man”

Best Actress (Comedy or Musical)
Sandra Bullock, “The Proposal”
Marion Cotillard, “Nine”
Julia Roberts, “Duplicity”
Meryl Streep, “Julie & Julia”
Meryl Streep, “It’s Complicated”

Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker”
James Cameron, “Avatar”
Clint Eastwood, “Invictus”
Jason Reitman, “Up in the Air”
Quentin Tarantino, “Inglourious Basterds”

Best Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz, “Nine”
Vera Farmiga, “Up in the Air”
Anna Kendrick, “Up in the Air”
Mo’nique, “Precious”
Julianne Moore, “A Single Man”

Best Supporting Actor
Matt Damon, “Invictus”
Woody Harrelson, “The Messenger”
Christopher Plummer, “The Last Station”
Stanley Tucci, “The Lovely Bones”
Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds”

Best Screenplay
Neill Blomkampt & Terri Tatchell, “District 9″
Mark Boal, “The Hurt Locker”
Nancy Meyers, “It’s Complicated”
Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner, “Up in the Air”
Quentin Tarantino, “Inglourious Basterds”

Best Animated Film
“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”
“Coraline”
“Fantastic Mr. Fox”
“The Princess and the Frog”
“Up”

Best Original Score
Michael Giacchino, “Up”
Marvin Hamlisch, “The Informant!”
James Horner, “Avatar”
Abel Krozeniowski, “A Single Man”
Karen O and Carter Burwell, “Where the Wild Things Are”

Best Foreign Language Film
“Baaria”
“Broken Embraces”
“The Maid”
“Un Prophete”
“The White Ribbon”

Best Original Song
“Cinema Italiano” from “Nine”
“I Want To Come Home” from “Everybody’s Fine”
“I See You” from “Avatar”
“The Weary Kind” from “Crazy Heart”
“Winter” from “Brothers”

I think I'll hold off on my thoughts on the nominees and instead wait and give you my thoughts on the winners... mainly because i've been slacking and haven't seen many of them yet.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice Trailer

2009-12-12T23:00:00.002-05:00

That looks surprisingly awesome! Who knew? Plus, did you all catch the broom scene? Very cool.

Star Wars Holiday Special

2009-12-05T23:23:00.003-05:00

As much as it pains me to subject people to this monstrosity. Having seen this before, I can assure you that it is one of the worst things your eyes will ever see.

But in time for the holidays, the ENTIRE STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL has appeared online. There is no telling exactly how long this will last online (I have a DVD copy), but for those of you who haven't seen it, I suggest giving it at least one view, even if your eyes melt out of the sockets...because this is something that is kind of difficult to see and surely won't be around online for too long.

Enjoy!

'New Moon' Becomes Biggest Advanced Ticket Seller Ever!

2009-11-17T00:14:00.001-05:00

According to Nikki Finke, the sequel has become the top advanced ticket seller ever on Fandango. Twilight was able to make it to the 5-spot, but was never able to bust through the biggie competition like installment number two (part of its success could be due to the film selling advanced tickets beginning in September). What's the biggie competition? The Dark Knight was 4, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince rested at 3, and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith used to be on top. Yes, folks, Stephenie Meyer's vampires are obliterating some of our classic fandom.

Now the question is whether New Moon can break through to the top 100 grossing movies of all time. Twilight wasn't able to grab a spot on the list, making only $383 million, while the lowest spot is Die Another Day with $432 mil. But the first of the series also wasn't trouncing beloved flicks like The Dark Knight. At the very least, I'd presume it gets on the list.

It disturbs me that this film might be breaking some huge records, but with that said. I already have my midnight screening ticket, so I suck.

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Is Peter Parker a Father in Spider-Man 4?

2009-11-17T00:09:00.001-05:00

It appears that Sony is on the search for a 2 year old Caucasian toddler with red hair for the upcoming comic book sequel Spider-Man 4. SpoilerTV has intercepted a casting notice for the film, which strangely only features one role, a character named “Toddler Boy”.

Here is the decription from the casting breakdown:

2 or 3 year old boy to play 2 year old, Caucasian with RED HAIR, an adorable toddler with an engaging personality, on set experience preferred. IDENTICAL TWINS ONLY

The fact that they are looking specifically for young boy with RED hair leads many people to believe that the child will be of relation to Mary Jane (played in the series by Kirsten Dunst).

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Watch This: Official Trailer for Jeff Bridges Film Crazy Heart

2009-11-17T00:07:00.001-05:00

I just mentioned this film the other day and showed the poster that was released, and now we have a trailer to follow it up with. Check it out.

Fox Searchlight has debuted the trailer for Scott Cooper's Crazy Heart starring Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal as well as Colin Farrell and Robert Duvall

Crazy Heart is both written and directed by actor/filmmaker Scott Cooper, who wrote the script for For Sale by Owner and is making his directorial debut with this film. This was shot last year but hasn't shown at any film festivals. Fox Searchlight will be bringing Crazy Heart to limited theaters starting on December 11th.

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Check This Out: Official Poster for Jeff Bridges' Crazy Heart

2009-11-14T21:09:00.001-05:00

Seen below is Fox Searchlight's official poster for Crazy Heart from the LA Times. The trailer arrives on Monday. Crazy Heart is the latest big Oscar contender, and it already has a lot of support. Jeff Bridges plays a broken-down, hard-living country music singer in a kind of Wrestler-like story.

Bad Blake is a broken-down, hard-living country music singer who's had way too many marriages, far too many years on the road and one too many drinks way too many times. And yet, Bad can't help but reach for salvation with the help of Jean, a journalist who discovers the real man behind the musician.

I love Jeff Bridges, and if this movie turns out as it is being described, I definitely see possibility for some Oscar noms in it's future. And this poster is pretty awesome also, gritty, high contrast. I like.

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James Franco’s Daytime Soap Stint Is Fodder For an Art Movie Project

2009-11-14T21:03:00.001-05:00

When James Franco’s short stint on General Hospital was announced, I figured it was something he was doing to challenge himself and set different acting boundaries. In any case, I was excited to see how it would turn out.

Movieline spoke to Carter, a guy who has collaborated with Franco on a variety of image-related artistic endeavors. The salient bit is this, with respect to Franco taking the soap gig:

It was an idea that I posed to him, and it’s tied to another film that he and I are working on now. It’s not specifically for another project, because I know that he’s really enjoying the challenge of working on a soap — it’s a very taxing job, and an interesting thing for him to be doing — but it does have to do with another film that he and I are working on.

The intended end result is a feature film that will be scripted, involve other actors and all the traditional stuff that features have. But Carter says it could be “pretty abstract, for a larger audience,” i.e., an audience outside the art crowd. Beyond that, details are sketchy to non-existent. He’s careful to emphasize that Franco isn’t just doing the General Hospital character for a laugh, that it is real work.

Franco’s own statements support that. He talked to Vulture about how much he had to shoot in one day — 65 pages or so!

I’ve worked one day on it. It’s one day of a few. But I think we packed seven episodes of my material in. They gave me a script for the day that was as thick as a film script and that’s what we planned to shoot in a single day. No ad-libbing. If I needed it, they said they had a TelePrompTer, but the regulars didn’t use it so I didn’t want to use it, either.

I'm still a bit confused as to exactly what this means. But I like the dedication and await the results of what this artistic endeavor may bring about for Franco. I have been setting my DVR for General Hospital, just to see what it's like.

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Hell Yes: Damon and Brolin Join the Coen Bros. True Grit

2009-11-14T21:01:00.001-05:00

Joel and Ethan Coen are preparing to shoot their own take on the Charles Portis novel that became the John Wayne film True Grit. We’ve known for a month that the brothers plan to give Jeff Bridges the role of Wayne’s character Rooster Cogburn. The drunk, stubborn, eyepatched character won Wayne an Oscar, and I’m excited to see what Bridges does with it. Now we’ve got two more big, great names to add to the cast that is already looking like one of my faves of 2010.

Variety reports that Matt Damon and Josh Brolin are both in talks to join the cast. Damon would be La Boeuf, Glen Campbell’s lawman who, with Cogburn and a 14-year old girl, tracks the man who killed the girl’s father into dangerous Native territory.

Brolin would play Tom Chaney, the killer being tracked by Cogburn and La Boeuf. That’s a nice flip from his role in the Coen’s No Country For Old Men, and a solid bit of casting in general.

A few big roles remain to be cast and/or announced. First up is Mattie Ross, the girl who propels the plot. There’s also Ned Pepper, the leader of the gang Chaney joins up with, originally played by Robert Duvall.

The Coen adaptation of the original novel is said to be more faithful to the text than the existing film. So we’ll likely see Mattie as an old spinster, who in the novel narrates the tale. There are likely to be a few other big differences, too, but I won’t outline them to keep the spoilerish stuff to a minimum.

This just sounds great. An amazing cast, amazing directors, and it seems to be in the same vein as No Country For Old Men. This could be a great film.

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Chris Pine Attached to Ben Affleck Scripted The Blade Itself?

2009-11-14T20:59:00.001-05:00

Chris Pine is attached to the Ben Affleck scripted crime-drama The Blade Itself based on Marcus Sakey's novel of the same name. Aaron Stockard co-wrote the screenplay with Affleck after first writing the script for the actor's directorial debut Gone Baby Gone back in 2007, but apparently it's not in the cards for Affleck to direct.

The Blade Itself follows childhood friends Evan and Danny as they become a duo of petty thievery until a botched pawn shop robbery sends Evan to prison. While Danny turns over a new leaf, Evan bides his time in prison until his release seven years later when he sets out to bring Danny back into a larcenous lifestyle at the risk of exposing his secret past of theft.

I kinda wish Affleck was directing this. He did a bang up job with Gone Baby Gone. I am excited to see Pine taking on a role that is a little bit more dramatic and will show his possible talents off.

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Marvel Studios Starts Shooting Thor in January

2009-11-14T20:57:00.001-05:00

Marvel Studios will begin shooting Thor in January. With Kenneth Branagh’s tale of the Norse thunder god on schedule and finally about to go before cameras, hopefully we’ll soon see some production design, costumes and other materials. Meanwhile, here’s a rundown of what we know so far.

The movie’s story sees the god of thunder Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions re-ignite an ancient war. As punishment, Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans. Once here, he learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends dark forces of Asgard to invade Earth.

Chris Hemsworth (Star Trek) is Thor, Anthony Hopkins is his father Odin and Natalie Portman is Jane Foster, who in the comics is nurse to Thor’s human alter-ego Donald Blake. Tom Hiddleston is the villanous Loki, Jaimie Alexander is the Asgardian warrior Sif, and Colm Feore is a villain whose identity is being kept secret. Stellan Skarsgard is in the cast, too.

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54 Years Ago Something Significant Happened, that forever changed time and space.

2009-11-05T17:19:00.001-05:00

Today, on a most significant day, not only do we have a remembrance of the 5th of November and the Gunpowder Treason and Plot as recognized in the film V for Vendetta,

Remember, remember the fifth of November,
The gunpowder treason and plot,
I know of no reason
Why the gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.

But something else, something possibly even more significant happened today. I am reminded by Wired magazine of today's significance:

On November 5, 1955, Dr. Emmett Lathrop Brown hit his head on the side of a bathroom sink. As his headache faded, an image appeared, an idea that would finally make time travel possible: the flux capacitor.

While the tools were invented that day, it took until October 25, 1985 for Doc Brown to put together all the parts for a time traveling automobile. Then finally, at 1:21 a.m. on that fateful autumn day he successfully pulled off the first first temporal displacement.It was a great inventing process that began all those years ago, so let's take a moment to think of our fondest memories of Doc Brown, his Delorean DMC-12, and his time traveling companion, Martin McFly.

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Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin to Host Oscars

2009-11-04T07:21:00.009-05:00

Who's hosting the greatest night in television? That's right ladies and gentleman, reports are coming from every direction saying that this years Oscar hosts will be Steve martin and Alec Baldwin. I'm totally down with this choice. We have Steve Martin who has the experience of hosting the Oscars and Alec Baldwin who is comedic gold right now on NBCs 30 Rock. I think it's a good idea to have a team up so they can play off of each other throughout the night. Also the team up prevents the show from getting stale, as we will have two hosts to focus on during the 18 hour ceremony rather than one. While both of these actors have been in many movies, I like the idea of them being primarily television personalities lately. Even though Hugh Jackman was amazing last year, and I'm in the minority for thinking this, but I've always thought it best to let the movie stars have their night, sit back, and enjoy the show while a comedian or television actor hosts the show. It just seems more fitting to me that they be catered upon by someone from another medium working to make their night comfortable. So all in all, I'm pleased. Very pleased indeed.

Here is what the Hosts have to say in the press release:

“I am happy to co-host the Oscars with my enemy Alec Baldwin,” said Martin.

“I don’t play the banjo but I’m thrilled to be hosting the Oscars – it’s the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Baldwin.
.

Rumor: DiCaprio & Maguire Are Remaking The Third Man?

2009-11-03T17:30:00.001-05:00

Another rumor to chew over this fine Friday afternoon. CHUD is reporting that Canal+ from France is gearing up to remake Carol Reed's 1949 classic The Third Man that starred Orson Welles and Bernard Lee. Apparently none other than Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire are already cast and helping develop the project. While they say it doesn't have a director yet, the screenplay is being written by Steven Knight, of Dirty Pretty Things and Eastern Promises. Sounds like a lot of great talent, but of course, is a remake of The Third Man even necessary or desired? It's a true noir classic that really can't be topped.

The Third Man is a noir mystery set in Austria's capital city Vienna, devastated and recovering from the World War II. An American pulp writer arrives in Vienna only to find that the friend who waited for him is killed under mysterious circumstances. The ensuing mystery entangles him in his friend's involvement in the black market, with the multinational police, and with his Czech girlfriend. Criterion released a Blu-Ray of The Third Man earlier this year. According to sources, the remake is just going out for bidding now and it always could fall through, though if it's at Canal+, it will probably get funding soon. We'll keep you updated!

WOW. This is pretty ridiculous news. I kinda hope it's true. DiCaprio and Maguire, two of the best actors of this generation teaming up in a noir film by the writer of Eastern Promises! That's pretty crazy, and I think they are both certainly capable of pulling of something like this. I'll be sure to post more news on this if anything else pops up about it.

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Prince of Persia: The Sand of Time International Movie Trailer

2009-11-03T17:23:00.001-05:00

Yesterday Walt Disney Pictures released the official movie trailer for Mike Newell’s big screen adaptation of the popular video game Prince of Persia: The Sand of Time. Today a new international cut of the trailer has been found online at TrailerAddict. The trailer features a bit of new footage, and is a completely different edit. This cut seems to be a little less ADD and a little less “trying to be everything.” Unfortunately, it still has the annoying voiceover by Gemma Arterton.

From the team that brought the “Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogy to the big screen, Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films present PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME, an epic action-adventure set in the mystical lands of Persia. A rogue prince (JAKE GYLLENHAAL) reluctantly joins forces with a mysterious princess (GEMMA ARTERTON) and together, they race against dark forces to safeguard an ancient dagger capable of releasing the Sands of Time—a gift from the gods that can reverse time and allow its possessor to rule the world.

Set in the mystical lands of Persia, PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME is an epic action-adventure about a rogue prince (JAKE GYLLENHAAL) and a mysterious princess (GEMMA ARTERTON) who race against dark forces to safeguard an ancient dagger capable of releasing the Sands of Time—a gift from the gods that can reverse time and allow its possessor to rule the world.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time will hit theaters on May 28th 2010

The film definitely has a Pirates of the Caribbean type of feel to it. I have never actually played the games, although I've heard great things. Actually, I'm quite impressed by Gyllenhaal in this so far also. Sometimes he can be a bit annoying and whiny, but it seems like he may have actually delivered a pretty good performance. I'm interested.

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Stiller/Downey turn down tandem Oscar hosting gig

2009-11-03T17:20:00.001-05:00

Or at least that’s what Nikki Finke is reporting. Roger Ebert quips, “They have Lakers tickets.” The search continues on. Steve Martin and Tina Fey are not available. Hugh Jackman has graciously declined being pigeonholed.

So I ask, WHO?!?!?! WHOOOOOO? IS GOING TO STEP UP?!?!

I still vote for Hanks, O'Brien, or Mr. Patrick Harris. In that order.

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Anthony Hopkins to Play Odin in Kenneth Branagh's Thor!

2009-11-03T17:18:00.001-05:00

Apparently Odin, Thor's father, will be played by none other than Anthony Hopkins in Marvel's upcoming Thor movie. THR's Heat Vision Blog reports that Hopkins is "in negotiations" to play the Norse god and ruler of Asgard in the adaptation being directed by Kenneth Branagh. We already know that the cast also includes Chris Hemsworth as the god of thunder Thor, Tom Hiddleston as his evil brother Loki, Natalie Portman, Jaimie Alexander, Colm Feore, and apparently Robert De Niro and Jude Law. Talk about a very impressive cast!

Score. Let's just hope he doesn't just play Hannibal Lecter. I feel like Hopkins can turn in great performances and weak ones. Certainly looks the part though. Should be quite fun.

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Joss Whedon Pens An Open Letter to the Terminator Owners

2009-11-03T17:16:00.001-05:00

Joss Whedon has penned a hilarious note to the franchise owners in an attempt to acquire the franchise with a mighty fine $10,000 check. Says Whedon: “That’s four — FOUR! — zeroes after that one. That’s to show you I mean business. And I mean show business.”

He goes on to list the myriad of brilliant ideas he has for the franchise, including Terminator of the Rings (”Yeah, what if he time-travelled TOO far… back to when there was dragons and wizards?”), liberal use of Summer Glau, and a throat lozenge for a certain Mr. Bale.

While hilarious, the piece could also be seen as spitting on the grave of the recently departed Sarah Connor Chronicles. It was very clear come last season that Fox was willing to only keep one Friday sci-fi show on the air, and that ended up being Whedon’s Dollhouse. Ultimately, I think Fox made the right choice because Dollhouse has gotten steadily better since the midpoint of season one. Sarah Connor was good campy fun, but Dollhouse has a greater chance of approaching greatness, as episodes like “Epitaph One” and “Echoes” have shown.

While the letter is certainly in a joking fashion about the whole thing and doesn't even slightly come off as serious, we can't help but hope for something like this. Whedon, a man who writes FOR the fanboys specifically writing the next Terminator? It would certainly blow minds, and probably do a fair job of re-igniting the franchise that many see as dead or on it's final breath (I for the record actually enjoyed Terminator Salvation, sure, it had its problems, but it's Terminator for crying out loud, it is just supposed to be a loud pretty action movie - and let's get it straight right away - NOBODY could outdo Cameron anyway, so stop hoping).

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Netflix Comes to PlayStation 3 in November

2009-10-30T11:01:00.001-04:00

Microsoft’s Xbox 360 will not be the only gaming platform with the ability to stream movies from Netflix platform for long. After a long period of speculation, the streaming Netflix option will be coming to Sony’s PlayStation3 in November.

The press release says only ‘next month’, so we don’t yet know the official launch date for the service. When it does go live, Netflix subscribers who have at least the $8.99 per month plan will be able to stream movies to the PS3.

While the process won't be as simple for those of you who have Xbox 360's and can already stream directly to the system, the PS3 will require that a Blu-Ray disk from netflix that is special to them be placed in the drive to allow the content to be streamed.

Makes no difference to me, this is something I have been wanting for quite some time.

There are also rumors floating around that the Wii will be the next console to receive this Netflix treatment.

(Request a disc for the service here: http://www.netflix.com/InstantStreamingDisc)

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HOW DID I MISS THIS NEWS (SPECULATION) ?!?!?!

2009-10-30T10:58:00.001-04:00

So here's some "less is more" comic book flick news* that may make you feel a little better about Spider-Man 4: Apparently A) there will be only one villain, which would be great, and B) that villain will (finally!) be Curt Connors aka The Lizard. And here's the best part: We don't have to wait for some gimmicky casting ploy, because the franchise already has the excellent Dylan Baker playing the role! Yes, Peter Parker's one-armed college professor will, after waiting patiently through three villain-packed films, get to shed his humanity and terrorize our favorite web-slinger with cold-blooded reptility.

Both MarketSaw and Collider have more information, but of course details are very sketchy at this early point.It's safe to assume that Mr. Raimi considers Spider-Man 3 the weakest of the series, and if the new goal is to simply deliver an old-school mano e mano face-off between a man-spider and a man-lizard, well I'm just fine with that.

*MarketSaw.com seems pretty confident that their source is accurate on this information, but of course we should take it all with a grain of salt until we get word from someone on the production team, and on the record.

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Hugh Jackman OUT, Who Should Host the Oscars This Year Instead?

2009-10-30T10:55:00.001-04:00

Sources say Jackman has declined the job over the past few weeks, and while he won’t rule out hosting future ceremonies, he didn’t want to do it two years in a row.

I honestly think that Jackman was the best host since Billy Crystal. The dude is a big time triple threat and pulled out all the big guns that helped make the last Oscars so memorable. Sure, the show had some other issues, but Jackman was not one of them.

This kind of disappoints me as I was really hoping to see him take a stab at it again.

So now the question remains, who should host the 82nd Academy Awards?

So here are two thoughts for ya, and I'm certainly not the first person to mention these, but I think they reign true as two great choices.

Tom Hanks

Conan O'Brien

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New Avatar Trailer up Today

2009-10-29T13:25:00.001-04:00

A new trailer for James Cameron's Avatar has made it's way online today through Yahoo Movies. The trailer is certainly an epic feast, and gives us a bit more about the story and some of the images we had been seeing show up for quite some time. I am still in a little bit of doubt about this whole "bridging the uncanny valley" business, but one thing is for sure - this movie will be a feast for the eyes and bring about great advancements in the way we experience cinema.

Check out the trailer for yourselves.

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On-Set Photos of Inception

2009-10-23T11:23:00.001-04:00

Splash News has quite a few on-set photos of Leo and Ellen Page on the set of Nolan's upcoming psychological mind thriller Inception. They are all pretty standard shots but man, it just gets me more excited for Inception. Not only do the Nolans make great films, but when you put Leo in with that - this is something I'm hoping is quite an experience.

Check out the rest of the photos here

Described as a contemporary sci-fi actioner set within the architecture of the mind from "Dark Knight" director Christopher Nolan. Nolan wrote the original screenplay and hopes to shoot the sci-fi action film in the summer for a release during summer 2010. Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Tom Hardy, Michael Caine, Dileep Rao .

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Marvel's Joe Quesada on Captain America: 'It's Going to Rock'

2009-10-23T11:14:00.001-04:00

From FirstShowing.net

There's actually more to his quote than just that, but we'll get to that. As a reminder, Joe Quesada is the Editor-in-Chief of Marvel Comics. Essentially, he's the head honcho of the comics division who has a good say on the movie side of things as well (since he knows all of the characters so well). Quesada recently appeared at a panel at the Big Apple Comic-Con and Comic Book Resources was there to cover his talk. If you're a fan of comics as well, the entire update is worth reading, but I'm specifically pulling out his small update on The First Avenger: Captain America. He doesn't say anything new, but it's a good quote.

Sticking with Hollywood, Quesada offered a brief update on "The First Avenger: Captain America," with which he's had some involvement. "I've seen a couple of outlines and an initial screenplay, and it's going to rock everyone's socks off," he said. "It's very unexpected, the kind of movie it is." Quesada added that "Captain America" sets up "The Avengers" in "a fantastic way" and also mentioned that there is an undisclosed wish list of actors to play the star-spangled superhero.

I am excited for any bit of Cap news that we get, but it also kinda pisses me off that this has been in talks for what seems like FOREVER now and we still don't know who is going to be the face of America! So come on! Give us a bit more! In any case, it sounds like this is going to be quite the film - I'm hoping for a bit more of a period piece than a full superhero film (similar to the opening credits of X-Men Origins: Wolverine).

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The Wolfman Movie Trailer #2

2009-10-23T11:10:00.001-04:00

There’s a new trailer for Joe Johnston’s remake of Universal’s The Wolfman. The first trailer, I thought was INCREDIBLE, even though it offered us little insight into the wolfman himself. This trailer is definitely darker, and shows off quite a bit more of the gore, effects, and makeup we can expect to see in this movie.

Apple has the trailer in HD, and I really recommend checking it out in that format. The Wolfman is directed by Joe Johnston (of the upcoming Captain America) and stars Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt and Hugo Weaving. It opens on February 12, 2010.

My biggest problem with the trailer, and this is being quite picky, is that the transformation doesn't quite look like the pictures we saw quite some time ago from Empire magazine that showed a really hairy, almost full wolf kind of transformation. I'm sure there is a reason for this, but the shots in this trailer of wolfman I think were a little less impressive than the great photos we had seen before. Hopefully it is because we aren't seeing the FULL transformation yet - and not because of some change of plans.

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Hulu Says Goodbye to Free Entertainment

2009-10-23T11:04:00.001-04:00

In what is sure to piss of more people than I can even count, Hulu execs have said that Hulu, sometime near in the future, will no longer be a free service. Some of the details are still a bit sketchy, but the general idea is that there will be some sort of a subscription model as part of their plan.

Broadcasting & Cable reports that News Corp. Deputy Chairman Chase Carey says: "It's time to start getting paid for broadcast content online." All about "value," he continues: "I think a free model is a very difficult way to capture the value of our content. I think what we need to do is deliver that content to consumers in a way where they will appreciate the value. Hulu concurs with that, it needs to evolve to have a meaningful subscription model as part of its business."

NewCorp swears that there's no timeline set yet, but "supposes it's at least in 2010." So, as soon as next year, you might have to pay to delight in all things Hulu.

So the real question we are left with, is will you pay for Hulu? Is what they are offering worth you giving up your hard earned money for? I personally find it hard to believe that people are going to so easily convert over to this pay model. Just remember, almost nothing - especially things that CAN make money, even if only a few million, won't remain free. There is too much big business at work here.

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District 9 Director Neill Blomkamp’s Next Sci-Fi Movie Gets The Greenlight

2009-10-23T10:58:00.001-04:00

Media Rights Capital has committed to fund District 9 filmmaker Neill Blomkamp’s next film, an untitled science fiction movie which will be set on another planet. MRC committed to the new project after hearing Blomkamp’s pitch. Details are thin right now, but Blomkamp tells BFDealMemo that the project will “hopefully be commercial”:

“Hopefully, this will be a bit unique, very much a reflection of me. It is absolutely another science fiction film, quite different from `District 9,’ but some of the blending of genres and the tone might be within the same realm.”

At Comic-Con this year, Blomkamp told us:

I’ve got one science fiction idea that I’m absolutely in love with, which I’m pretty sure is going to be my next film. 99% sure…It’s totally original, it’s my own story…It’s set on another planet, but it’s cool. It’s violent, very violent, and very unique hopefully. We’ll see.

The few details we have does not sound like your typical Hollywood production. Blomkamp says that the film will be more of his vision (”very much a singular film, that comes directly from me”) than District 9, which was a learning experience under producer Peter Jackson, who will not be involved this time around. Bill Block will produce. The MRC deal is big because they are not only giving Blomkamp creative freedom but also an ownership stake in the finished product. That’s a HUGE deal for a filmmaker to get on only his second film.

MRC will be funding the project, which will cost somewhere north of District 9’s $30 million, but not a lot higher. Blompkamp has said that he’s “not particularly interested in massive budget films, or creating huge spectacles that some young directors might be attracted to.”

The filmmaker plans to immediately start writing and prepping the visual effects for the film, which will begin production by the middle of next year. A distributor will be found at that time. Blomkamp definitely has an option to make a District 9 sequel afterwards if that is what he wants.

So what do you think of the promises associated with Blomkamp's next film? Do you think he can truly pull off another sci-fi spectacular? And when do you think we can see him trying something different? I know it's really early on in his "sure to follow" career. But as of right now, he is quite reminding me of someone like a young James Cameron, or a young Ridley Scott. As for if he can live up to that - it will be interesting to see (although I certainly wouldn't want to have to fill those shoes)

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Spike Jonze's We Were Once A Fairytale, Starring Kanye West

2009-10-19T18:01:00.001-04:00

From /Film

Months ago we knew that Spike Jonze would be working again with Kanye West, for whom he’d recently directed the video for Flashing Lights. At the time we heard the new collaboration would be a short film called We Were Once a Fairytale, but we didn’t know if it would be an extended music video, a true short film, or somewhere in between. Now, just as Jonze has had a great weekend with the opening of Where the Wild Things Are, his Kanye collaboration has been released/leakedm and we can see that it’s definitely in the ’somewhere in between’ realm.

Set vaguely to the tune of ‘See You in My Nightmares’, this depiction of a drunken club night is probably exactly like one of Kanye’s nightmares. In the film, he staggers from one conversation and encounter to another, but here he’s the drunken buffoon (no surprise to many, after the VMA incident) who is making everyone uncomfortable. Eventually there’s some real/imagined backroom sex and then, about halfway through, things actually get weird. How weird? How about vomiting flower petals, strange little rat demons and a little bit of hari-kari.

Spike Jonze is such a badass. If you haven't checked out his compilation DVD of a bunch of his music videos and short films and commercials and whatnot, I suggest you do. See what kind of a genius he really is. And it's only 4 bucks used on Amazon, so you should buy it.

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More Cast Revealed For Shyamalan’s Devil… And Also The Film’s Premise, Maybe?

2009-10-19T17:52:00.001-04:00

On Friday, /Film’s Russ Fischer said of Devil, the upcoming Dowdle Bros. film from a story by M. Night Shyamalan and script by Brian Nelson, that “The film starts shooting in Toronto a week from Monday, and that’s all we’ve got. It’s tightly under wraps, and has been for a while. Which, I suspect, really means that there’s some info out there that we haven’t dug up yet.”

Be wary of potential spoilers as you read on.

Hollywood.Com. Here it is, word for word, the films loglines:

A group of people are trapped in an elevator, and one of them is the devil.

In further Devil news, The Hollywood Reporter have rounded up a more comprehensive cast list. As well as Chris Messina they name Bojana Novakovic, Bokeem Woodbine, Geoffrey Arend and Caroline Dhavernas. Place your bets now on who will be the eponymous evil. I’m betting on there being a real angel in there too.

I think this may work. A story by Shyamalan, and directing and writing duties going to someone else? Sounds like it could turn out well. Although I'm a fan of almost all of Shyamalan's work.

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Some great new trailers for your viewing pleasure!

2009-10-19T17:18:00.001-04:00

It's been a while, but we have some great new trailers that have surfaced online over the past few days that I would like to share with everyone. The first trailer is for

Black Lightning, a Russian film produced by Wanted director Timur Bekmambetov. Timur apparently said at one point that this is the "Russian response [to] Transformers and Batman," thanks to Quiet Earth, the first full-length trailer has arrived, unfortunately still in Russian.

The story of a Moscow University student who becomes the owner of a flying car. Not only will he be able to avoid traffic, but he unexpectedly finds himself the city's defender, mysterious fighter against evil.

Black Lightning is co-directed by first-time Russian directors Dmitriy Kiselev and Alexandr Voitinsky, who are both friends of Timur Bekmambetov and who have worked with him previously. Apparently this was made for roughly $8 million dollars, which is twice what they spent to make Timur's Day Watch and Night Watch. Black Lightning will hit theaters in Russia on December 31st, but doesn't have a US distributor yet. We're not sure when it'll be coming to the US, but stay tuned for updates on Black Lightning as they arrive.

I think it looks good, but I'm also a bit weirded out by its Disney film like quality. I don't know. A flying car? Just seems a little cheesy to me. But it does look pretty awesome!

Up next we have the trailer for Edge of Darkness, featuring Mel Gibson’s first starring role since 2002. Martin Campbell (Goldeneye, Casino Royale) directs the movie, which is a remake of the very highly regarded UK mini-series from 1985 that Campbell also directed. Sadly, the trailer mostly looks like a routine potboiler, but it has a few moments that shine through. It's a really intense trailer very reminiscent of the trailer for Taken that came out a while ago which turned out to be quite a great thriller. Hoperfully good ole Gibsey can make this work. I miss him.

Next up is not an official, but what seems like it may become official trailer for The Expendables. No idea how long this will stick around online as it isn't official. But here it is anyway. And it is exciting!

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Where The Wild Things Are Feaurette and Short

2009-10-12T23:35:00.001-04:00

In honor of Where The Wild Things are releasing this weekend (October 16th). We have a really great behind the scenes kind of featurette, and a short little 30 second film called Vampire Attack made by Spike Jonze and the young Max Records. Enjoy, and if you aren't planning on seeing the film, I suggest you do. It is sure to be one of the best films of the year.

Having just read an article on how much Spike and Max bonded on the set to Wild Things and how much they became like a father and son dynamic - even before the filming started, this little gem really shows.

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Ivan Reitman On Board For Ghostbusters 3

2009-10-12T23:24:00.001-04:00

BloodyDisgusting has confirmed that Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II director Ivan Reitman is 100% attached to Ghostbusters 3. He hasn’t decided yet if he wants to direct the project, but is definately on board to produce. This shouldn’t come as much of a shock as almost everyone associated with the first two films are also on board for a third film if it goes into production.

News of this thing actually happening sounds better and better every time we get a new piece of info. Too bad it isn't based on Derek and my script idea. Let's just hope they don't mess this one up.

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Abrams, Kurtzman, and Orci on Big Ideas for a Star Trek Sequel

2009-10-12T23:22:00.001-04:00

J.J. Abrams and writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci are out talking with press (via Collider) about the potential for Star Trek sequel(s). The sequel is just barely being developed, and even though they're still "just brainstorming," the ideas seem to be there, and the three each hint at what we might see in a sequel.

Although Kurtzman and Orci have answered the "sequel" question countless times already in regards to Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, they were asked again what makes great sequels so great. I always feel like that's a perfect place to start by putting everything into perspective before hearing specific ideas.

"There's Empire Strikes Back, Superman 2, Aliens, Terminator 2, Star Trek 2. What do all those movies have in common? Well, they're amazing stories, all on their own. You didn't have to see the first movie. And, there was some incredible, emotional test of character, in all of those movies. Superman has to give up his powers for love. The Spock and Kirk relationship is tested by Khan. Ripley finds a daughter. All of those things are such big ideas, in and of themselves, and you really can't tell those stories in movie #1 because movie #1 is very much about establishing a world." -Alex Kurtzman

So if they can now start to explore some of those more broader ideas and tests of character in a sequel to Star Trek, where might they go? Could they explore other stories from the Star Trek universe, including even The Next Generation? Afraid not: "I think our instinct would be to first look at The Original Series before we considered that." Let's turn to Abrams next, who has a lot of great things to say about a sequel.

"In going forward, the fun of this movie series is that we will have the opportunity, given its alternate timeline, to cross paths with any of the experiences, places and characters that existed in The Original Series, but we have to be really careful, doing that. I don't want to do something that is so inside that only die-hard fans will appreciate. We're just now working on the script and just beginning the process of story breaking, but I guarantee you, whatever the story is and whatever the final movie ends up being, I know it will be something that will work on its own terms and be something that you don't need to know and study Star Trek to get, but if you are a fan, there will hopefully be gift after gift of connections, references and characters that you hold near and dear. At least, that's the intent." -J.J. Abrams

Kurtzman and Orci said: "now that we've established the characters, we can have a more philosophical allegory, where what's happening in the future represents our world.

Getting back on topic, Kurtzman and Orci were asked about making Star Trek 2 and 3 back-to-back, which seems to be what all the fans really want to see, but not anything that any studio has actually wanted to do.

"It's very, very important to us to make sure that each movie is good, not 'Hey, let's do as many as possible.' We feel like we've inherited this incredible honor and this mantle of Star Trek, and the most important thing is to make sure that we're protecting that first."

"So, if the studio wants more than one, great. But, our thinking is going to be very much about the story and whether the story prescribes that there will be more than one. Part of what is great about Star Trek is that it's a continuing adventure, so you naturally think that there will be many, hopefully, but we only focus on what comes next, and then build off of that. Right now, we're not thinking specifically about making 2 and 3. It may come up, but it's not where our heads are at right now." -Alex Kurtzman

And how about another wild idea - 3-D? Abrams answers that one, saying that Paramount talked about making the first one in 3D, but he decided against it because he was so worried about just making a good movie. I thought it would be another dimension of pain-in-the-ass. I was just like, 'I want to make a decent 2-D movie.'" But on the second go around? "I'm open to looking at it because now I feel a little bit more comfortable. And, if I, in fact, direct the Star Trek sequel, 3-D could be really fun, so I'm open to it." Abrams also references Avatar, like everyone in Hollywood right now, saying he likes what he's seen so far.

Lastly, one of the reasons why I love J.J. Abrams is because he's such a humble filmmaker. Not only is he brilliant (and a damn fine director), but he hasn't let any of the fame get to his head, and he always speaks so well in interviews. Here he is asked whether he sees himself involved with the Star Trek franchise "for the foreseeable future" or only on "a movie-by-movie basis." His answer is the perfect place to wrap this up.

"That's a wonderfully optimistic question and I appreciate that, but the answer is that it's obviously just movie-to-movie. The fact that we are now actively discussing the second film is surreal and very nice, and I'm thrilled. I hope that that results in something worthy of your time. But, it's one of those things that you just don't know. And so, I cannot presume it's gonna be a series that goes beyond those. Do we have ideas for a few movies and have we discussed them? Of course." -J.J. Abrams

You can read the full J.J. Abrams interview on Collider here and the full Kurtzman and Orci interivew on Collider here.

FANTASTIC interview and approach to answering questions by all three chaps. Every time I read or listen to Abrams talk, I love the guy more and more. He is so humble and genuinely seems like a great filmmaker who is just interested in telling great stories. His interest in Sci-Fi and his blatant awesomeness for directing skills only make him better.

I can't wait for the Blu-Ray of Star Trek which I'm sure won't leave my PS3 any time soon after purchase.

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Bryan Singer Wants to Return to the X-Men Franchise

2009-10-12T23:15:00.001-04:00

Bryan Singer says he wants to return to the X-Men franchise. Of course he does. While Singer has several projects lined up — a potential Excalibur remake/update, that Battlestar Galactica feature, and what should be his next, Jack the Giant Killer — the director now says he’s interested in going back to the superhero franchise with which he had such success in X-Men and X2. But what does that mean for the series?

Speaking at the Pusan International Film Festival in South Korea, Singer said (as reported by THR):

I’m still looking to possibly returning to the ‘X-Men’ franchise. I’ve been talking to Fox about it. I love Hugh Jackman. I love the cast.

Does this mean he is interested in an actualy X-Men 4 movie, or is he maybe interested in taking over the reigns of directing for the second Wolverine movie? It isn't exactly clear, and of course this is just Singer talking, but I am a huge Singer fan (as I know Derek 8-Track is also) and we would both love to see Singer return to something he has proven he is REALLY good at.

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Fox to Re-tell the Story of Moses…300-Style

2009-10-12T23:13:00.001-04:00

The same writing team hired to make a graphic-novel style, adventurous take on Moby Dick for Timur Bekmambetov and Universal have sold a pitch to Fox that would see them re-telling the story of Moses in the style of Zack Snyder’s 300.

Adam Cooper and Bill Collage are the writers, and while this could be just a big update of The Ten Commandments with modern effects (i.e. a Roland Emmerich-worthy parting of the Red Sea in addition to the aforementioned plagues) the fact that they’re ’sprucing up’ Moby Dick combined with the liberal tossing around of 300 as a stylistic signifier for this version of Moses’ story says to me that this will in fact be much more than a simple update. (Or, shall we say, much different, since ‘much more’ implies a rise in quality.)

Not sure how I feel about this. If it is a modern retelling of The Ten Commandments, I think I could appreciate it, but I get the feeling they are going to attempt to somehow make Moses "cool" by today's standards meaning making him young and meaning adding lots of high contrast and blood to the story. That just doesn't seem right to me. Don't get me wrong, the concept sounds awesome, I just don't know why there is a need to change the story (although as I said, it hasn't been CONFIRMED that this is the case, just rumored).

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Toy Story 3 Posters and Trailer

2009-10-12T23:07:00.001-04:00

Having just seen Toy Story 1 and 2 in theaters, in 3D over the weekend, we are presented with an onslaught of new Toy Story 3 promotional business including 5 character posters and the full length trailer that premiered before the 3D re-releases.

I must say, it was quite a great experience to see these films again on the big screen - and even better in 3D. It really made me appreciate what Pixar can and has been doing over the past years - and makes me look forward even more to the upcoming Toy Story 3

Toy Story 3 is being directed by Lee Unkrich, another one of Pixar's creative masterminds who previously co-directed Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., and Finding Nemo. The screenplay was written by Michael Arndt, the Oscar winning screenwriter of Little Miss Sunshine who is a newcomer to the Pixar family. Disney is bringing Pixar's Toy Story 3 to theaters everywhere in digital 3D starting on June 18th, 2010 next year.

You can view the trailer in almost necessary HD quality here.

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2 Newish Trailers: Me and Orson Welles, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

2009-10-09T15:08:00.003-04:00

Me and Orson Welles

The trailer looks pretty good. We're finding Zach Efron mature in the types of movies he is doing. Plus Christian McKay does a fantastic portrait of Orson Welles, Both physically and vocally. Plus Sx0t Loves Claire Danes, so I know he is pumped for this movies. I also know he is pumped after hearing about how much he enjoyed 17 Again, A movie i still have yet to view.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

this looks like a fun ride. No duh, Johnny Depp is in it. It seems like his perfect cup of tea. I can imagine everyone is pretty hyped to see Heath Ledgers final on screen performance. I know I am. Plus I like that Verne Troyer is getting some work again. It looks a little overly CG in a greasy George Lucas kind of way, but visually stunning nonetheless. I'm hyped!

I am convinced that this song can make ANY film ten thousand times more emotional.

2009-10-06T21:11:00.001-04:00

I am convinced that the song that plays during all of the current Where the Wild Things Are trailers ("Wake Up" by Arcade Fire) can make ANY film trailer seem about ten thousand times more emotional and heartfelt than it needs to be. To prove my point someone has done the favor of adding the song to the Gremlins 2 trailer. It almost made me cry. Try to watch it and not feel emotional for little Gizmo. You can't.

And this brings me to my final point of this post. Spike Jonze can rock my balls anytime he wishes. And the Where the Wild Things Are trailers are a prime example of how you cut an effing trailer - and if anyone wants to fight me or Spike over it, we will.

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My Shameless Paranormal Activity Plug

2009-10-06T20:18:00.001-04:00

Paranormal Activity opened on 12 screens September 25th, and in two weekends it's become the sleeper horror film of the season, thanks to a terrifically simple and streamlined story about a couple terrorized by unseen supernatural forces.

Paranormal's distributor, Paramount Pictures, has supported the film's release, but they're understandably apprehensive about throwing the marketing muscle of something like G.I. Joe behind something that might appeal only to a select audience, especially since it's a low-budget horror movie that could become either a bona fide phenomenon like The Blair Witch Project, or a dud-on-arrival like Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows. But given the attention that the film has enjoyed at recent festivals and in its limited release (it's currently earning more than $16,000 on each one of its 33 screens), Paramount has offered its fans (and potential fans) a unique opportunity to be part of the film's eventual distribution strategy: specifically, you can determine whether the film earns a wide release, comes to your hometown, and eventually, becomes one of your all-time favorite horror films.

The film sold out all of its midnight screenings in 33 cities across the country this past weekend, earning around $535,000. Paramount will now be expanding it to over 40 markets this upcoming weekend and making it available at "all hours," including at the previous midnight only venues - visit the official website.

Paramount has been running a promotion for Paranormal Activity where interested moviegoers can "Demand It" and try and get the movie to come to their city (since its only been playing in very limited release).

Paramount has vowed to give the film a full-on nationwide release in every city, big or small, as soon as 1 million demands are registered at www.Eventful.com/ParanormalActivity. If the running tally on the site is accurate, the demands nationwide are creeping toward 400,000. That’s an incredibly healthy start, but there’s still a long way to go.

So now, your job, as one of my minions, is to go to the above mentioned website and cast a vote for Paranormal Activity to play in your city so that we can get 1 million votes and I can see this film a bit easier. If you don't do this, you will have to pay the consequences.

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SAY WHAT?!?! JAMES FRANCO TAKES ON General Hostpical??

2009-10-04T13:58:00.001-04:00

Usually, soap operas provide the gateway to bigger gigs. One could go on and on about the big-time names that popped up in the overly dramatic worlds of the soaps. Brad Pitt was in Another World; Kevin Bacon drank a lot on Guiding Light; Leonardo DiCaprio spent time on Santa Barbara; and Meg Ryan dealt with life As the World Turns. General Hospital alone let loose Demi Moore, Rick Springfield, John Stamos, Jack Wagner, and Mark Hamill. The thing is, all of these people were on soaps generally BEFORE they were huge talents.

But the other day, the world of Hollywood was in complete awe as it was released that James Franco would be picking up a guest spot on the popular ABC soap General Hospital. We're not talking a 1-off appearance. SoapNet reports that he'll start on November 20 and be there for a number of weeks, making life difficult for Jason Morgan. But that's not the kicker. They claim Franco was the one who came up with the idea. (Although that could just be misinterpreting a quote expressing the surprise that someone of his "caliber would choose to spend some of his valuable time" on the soap.)

First of all, this news strikes me as awesome, and confusing. I absolutely LOVE James Franco and I am very interested in what he may be able to bring to the soaps. I have never WANTED to watch a soap opera more than now and starting November 20 I will be setting my DVR to record General Hospital.

My thoughts aside - I am confused as to WHY he would do something like this. I have come up with a few possible thoughts as to what might be making this happen. First, maybe Franco is strapped for cash and needs to pick up the extra funds - although this seems unlikely. Second, maybe he is ready to prove he is an amazing actor by joining the show and completely destroying EVERYONE in terms of their acting ability - a possible reason. Maybe he wants to pose himself a challenge and thinks this may be just the challenge he needs - I expect this is a highly probable reason. Or lastly maybe this is some sort of art project the he is working on. Coming from an fine arts background myself, and specifically one interested in performance art. Is it possible this is part of some larger schemed art project? That's what I hope.

What do you think?

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A Couple Fresh Trailers to Share

2009-10-04T12:32:00.001-04:00

The first trailer up is for the U.S. release of John Woo's epic Red Cliff. The trailer focuses on the film’s visual splendor with epic battle sequences and widescreen vistas aplenty. As is typical with foreign film trailers, the leads (in this case Tony Leung and Takeshi Kaneshiro) aren’t featured much, but at least their names get displayed at one point.

The film is a retelling of the battle of Red Cliff during the Han dynasty in ancient China, and is based upon the historical text Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms.

The next film up on the list is a new movie trailer for Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of Dennis Lehane’s novel Shutter Island. You might recognize some of the scenes as the new trailer starts off pretty close to the first release, playing off of the same moments, voiceover and beats, but is definitely a completely new edit.

I really think this trailer is a MUCH better cut of the information we already know with a few new clips. I'm liking this new trailer alot. Derek and I were discussing a few of the changes present in here. The first is that they make Leo seem alot less like his is the missing patient. We feel like the first trailer just told you that straight out. Also we noticed that some of the CG effects have been changed. Specifically when the girl Leo hugs shatters and crumbles rather than disappearing. Anything else you noticed?

The third trailer I have up for everyone today is for Jason Reitman’s new film Up in the Air. Up in the Air had been planned for December 4, then pulled back to a limited November 13 and wide November 25 release, based upon the film’s very good festival reception. But Clooney’s other big fall film, The Men Who Stare at Goats, is planned for November 6. So Paramount has pushed Reitman’s film back to a limited release on December 4, going wide December 25. And keep in mind that Clooney is also ‘in’ Fantastic Mr. Fox, which goes wide on November 25. This guy is tearin' it up right now.

Not much to say about this except, lookin' good and watch out for an Oscar nom.

The last trailer up on the list of new ones is for the remake of The Crazies directed by Breck Eisner (Sahara director and Micheal Esiner’s son) and loosely based on George Romero’s 1973 thriller. In the trailer we see Timothy Olyphant’s sheriff and Radha Mitchell’s doctor as a midwestern couple whose life goes more than a little insane when townfolk around them start behaving oddly. As in Romero’s version, the culprit appears to be military in origin, and some very violent methods are brought to bear to contain the spread of insanity.

It definitely is an interesting trailer. It somehow manages to be new, still have a nice Romero feel to it, and separate itself from a Platinum Dunes remake. While it doesn't look completely awesome, it definitely has me interested.

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Tarantino Teases 'Kill Bill 3' and others

2009-10-01T19:51:00.001-04:00

The energetic Quentin Tarantino was out and about promoting Inglourious Basterds in Italy, and seeing as he was in the homeland of his hostess spaghetti western, he teased everyone by promising Kill Bill 3. Again. Bad Taste reports that while on Italian talkshow Parla Con me, he prompted his hostess, Serena Dandini, to ask him whether there would be a continuation of the Bride's saga. When I say prompted, I mean it literally. "You didn't ask me whether there will be a third installment, a Kill Bill Vol 3!" Dandini obliged him by asking, and Tarantino said "Yes! The Bride will fight again ... I want ten years to pass between the second one and the third one. Two reasons. I think Uma [Thurman] and I needed a ten year break because the first one was so hard. The second one is that I love the character a lot. I just really really love her. And I think she deserves ten years of peace. ... I put her through a lot in those first two movies, and I wanted her to have a nice, peaceful life for ten years. I want her to put up her sword, and have some peace. And in ten years, something will happen to make her fight again."

He also teased about some other yes's and no's to sequels that some fans have hoped to see

In the interview clip below, the Italian host asks Tarantino about a couple of sequel possibilities. He says ‘maybe’ to a Basterds prequel, “uh, no…it’ll never happen” to a Pulp Fiction sequel (sorry, Vega Brothers fans) and then, and this is the important part, says “but you didn’t ask the third thing. Would I ever do a third…a Kill Bill, Volume 3?” The woman looks taken aback, then asks the question. Will you do Kill Bill 3? “Yes!” And the crowd goes wild.

It's a little bit of a chore to watch, but here is the clip of him on Parla Con me in which he hints at these films.

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‘Avatar’ sequel a possibility, says producer Jon Landau

2009-09-30T22:49:00.002-04:00

A totally uninteresting quote appeared today about the potential for an Avatar sequel,

If the public likes Avatar, it’s a possibility. After all, here we are exploring the surface of the planet Pandora. The interior remains to be seen.

I say uninteresting, because we all know that the only way this would happen is if the film makes back the enormous budget that it cost to make it. (Which I certainly think is a possibility, but not a guarantee). Whatever happens with the film - I'm sure all the suits in charge would really love to make a sequel to what may be the biggest film of the year (note, not best, but biggest).

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Fantastic Mr. Fox Movie Trailer #2

2009-09-30T22:45:00.001-04:00

Fox Searchlight has released a second movie trailer for Wes Anderson’s animated adaptation Fantastic Mr. Fox.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is visionary director Wes Anderson’s first animated film, utilizing classic handmade stop motion techniques to tell the story of the best selling children’s book by Roald Dahl (author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach).

Mr and Mrs Fox (George Clooney and Meryl Streep) live an idyllic home life with their son Ash (Jason Schwartzman) and visiting young nephew Kristopherson (Eric Anderson). But after 12 years, the bucolic existence proves too much for Mr Fox’s wild animal instincts. Soon he slips back into his old ways as a sneaky chicken thief and in doing so, endangers not only his beloved family, but the whole animal community. Trapped underground and with not enough food to go around, the animals band together to fight against the evil Farmers - Boggis, Bunce and Bean - who are determined to capture the audacious, fantastic Mr Fox at any cost. The film also stars Bill Murray, Wally Wolodarsky, Eric Anderson, Michael Gambon, Willem Dafoe, Owen Wilson and Jarvis Cocker.

Watch the trailer in High Definition on Apple.com. Fantastic Mr. Fox hits theaters on November 13th 2009.

I personally am glad to see Wes doing something fresh. We've got some familiar faces in the mix, but this is new territory for him - and it's quite refreshing.

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Leonardo DiCaprio to Star in The Deep Blue Goodbye

2009-09-30T22:40:00.001-04:00

In what could be the first film in a noirish franchise for 20th Century Fox, Leonardo DiCaprio is attached to star as Travis McGee, a fictional Floridian gumshoe who lives on a houseboat, in The Deep Blue Goodbye. The film is an adaptation of the popular 1964 novel—nearly identical in title—by late pulp-fiction author John D. MacDonald. It marked the debut in an influential, entertaining 21-book series that spans an American landscape from the Kennedy to the Regan administrations. The screenplay was written by Dana Stevens (Sam Raimi’s For the Love of the Game, Blink).

In the novel, McGee, a trusty and attractive 6′ 4″ bachelor, faces anxiety and financial woes and works as a “salvager” in Fort Lauderdale, collecting monies and property for his clients. The plot revolves around treasure buried in the Florida Keys during WWII, a murderous felon who catches wind of this while incarcerated, and an eventual showdown between the two. Also: shady women with bedroom eyes. McGee’s aforementioned houseboat is called the Busted Flush, a prize won in a poker game that helps define his marina-bum lifestyle.

Love Leo, and this sounds like another film that is right up his alley. One has to wonder though, with already being attached to Ridley Scott's A Brave New World (one of my favorite books of all time) and Scorcese's Roosevelt flick, is this film just one in a long list of films he is set to star in? Or will it actually happen come production time?

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Danny Trejo Cast in Predators

2009-09-28T17:47:00.001-04:00

Firm details on producer Robert Rodriguez and director Nimrod Antal’s Predators are pretty thin on the ground. We know that Alex Litvak has been writing the script and that much of the film is going to be shot on Rodriguez’ Troublemaker lot with some location shooting likely to take place in Hawaii, but besides the much discussed and seemingly impossible cameo role from Arnold Schwarzenegger there hasn’t even been much talk of any possible cast members. Who will be making up the human contingent, the team of commandos facing off against a whole heap of crab-faced Predators? The first name has been revealed, and it’s not a surprisingly a member of the Rodriguez rep company, none other than Machete himself, Danny Trejo.

In a short video interview with the Punch Drunk Critics, Trejo sings minor-key updates on Machete, Sin City 2 and Predators. As far as Machete goes, Trejo simply lists the other cast members, but when asked if he’ll be doing Sin City 2, says:

It’s kind of in the works. We’re going to do Predators next. So Sin City’s kind of… er… a thought process… We’ll be doing Predator[s] I think in about a month.

While this doesn't say that he will be acting in the film - it is hard to believe that it would be any other situation. I personally think it's about time Trejo gets some big, well deserved screen time in a major film. Although I'm a bit sketchy on this whole Predators thing to begin with.

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Ron Howard Speaks About His Adaptation of The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft Comic

2009-09-28T17:43:00.001-04:00

We’ve known for some time now that Ron Howard’s first comic book adaptation will be a film version of the Image Comics series, The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft. The comic is a fictionalized story featuring a young Lovecraft who goes from a wimpy writer to an ass-kicker of the supernatural.

Speaking to the LA Times Hero Complex blog, Howard shared his excitement for the material—a project he will most likely direct:

Look, it’s challenging, but if we get it right, it could be really original and psychologically interesting and scary in a great way. And it’s a graphic novel, this is new territory for me.

So I’ve got literally half-a-dozen projects where essentially I’m waiting for drafts to come in, and there’s something I love about all of these ideas. We’ll just have to wait to see what comes to fruition. I sort of can’t bear the thought of letting any of them go. So maybe I’ve got the next five years spoken for.

The thing about H.P. Lovecraft is that he is one of the greatest supernatural/horror/scifi writers of all times. His creatures, and ideas based on his creatures appear in so much of today's films and stories. I personally have not read the comic series, but I know it has been widely received quite well - and it will be fantastic to see Howard tackle something that is new territory for him - although this certainly feels a bit more Guillermo del Toro than it does Ron Howard.

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Sam Raimi to Produce Supernatural Horror Film Refuge and rock my socks of again!

2009-09-28T17:37:00.001-04:00

Sam Raimi (Evil Dead series, Drag Me To Hell) has signed on to produce a supernatural horror film titled Refuge. British screenwriter Tom De Ville will write the script based on a pitch from up-and-coming British director Corin Hardy. At the very least, Hardy’s stop-animation work, is impressive. Very stylized, and likely to draw comparisons to Tim Burton. Check out some of Hardy’s music videos in our commercial director spotlight.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the story “centers on a remote town terrorized by a Yeti, the mythological creature native to the mountains of the Himalayas.”

But before Hardy and De Ville tackle the feature, they will first produce a short film with the same premise. The hope is that the short film will help Hardy refine his vision as the script is being developed. It seems to me that, while not stated, the short film test might also act as a proving ground for the yet-unproven young director.

The only thing that could make this better is Raimi directing. Although, if he is willing to produce, it means he may have some high hopes for the concept and the director. In any case - it could be about time we get a good horror film about the Yeti - a much under appreciated mythical creature.

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'Nightmare on Elm Street' Remake Trailer

2009-09-28T14:30:00.002-04:00

A Nightmare on Elm Street in HD

I'd say it looks pretty good. I like what they did with Freddy's face. Plus we all know from watching Little Children that Jackie Earle Hayley is great at playing a creepy pedophile. I'm no longer as upset as I was when I first heard the news that they were remaking the original. I think it will be just fine.

'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus' Poster

2009-09-25T15:01:00.003-04:00

We'd like to thank Empire for this rockin' poster for the upcoming film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.
As we all know, this movie marks Heath Ledger's final performance. While I'm 100% sure it won't don the hype of The Dark Knight, I assume people will still show up in quasi droves to catch this last performance.
The film comes out October 16th.

Marvel is Definitely Rolling Forward With Ghost Rider 2; Daredevil and Silver Surfer Projects Confirmed

2009-09-23T22:08:00.001-04:00

David Goyer is currently in talks to write the story and then oversee another writer’s screenplay, but his spokesperson says that Goyer hasn’t actually signed on at this point. Variety does report that the current plan is to base Ghost Rider 2 on a Goyer script written some time ago. Weird, since we’ve heard in the past that Columbia had already gone out to writers for the sequel. That’s all the data we’ve got at this point, but revisit Nic Cage’s comments from a couple of months ago to get an idea of what Ghost Rider 2 (or Ghost Rider v2.0, as it may be) might be like.

The Variety source article also mentions in passing that Marvel is “quietly developing a new version of Daredevil and working on a Silver Surfer film.” We’ve known both of those projects existed in theory, but this is the most recent word of forward motion.

This is getting ridiculous. That's all I have to say. I mean seriously...knock it off with all the reboots and sequels to shitty films. I love my superheroes...but you guys are seriously effing this up.

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Columbia Pictures To Become The Masters of the Universe?

2009-09-23T22:02:00.001-04:00

Earlier this month Warner Bros completely dropped the development of the live action He-Man adaptation Grayskull: The Masters of the Universe, despite Justin Marks’ screenplay gaining big traction from internet buzz and Kung-Fu Panda director John Stevenson signing on to direct. Heatvision is now reporting that the project might not be completely dead after all.

Apparently Columbia Pictures / Escape Artists are in negotiations to pick up rights to the Mattel property. Stevenson and Marks are both no longer involved with the project, which will be developed from the ground up.

There was a sort of teaser trailer kind of thing floating around a long time ago, and while it was animated, it seemed to capture the feel of what could become a GREAT film. And let's face it, anything would be better than the version that already exists.

THE FOLLOWING TRAILER IS UNOFFICIAL!!!

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Keanu Reeves Talks Cowboy Bebop Script Rewrites, Currently Too Expensive for Production

2009-09-23T21:56:00.001-04:00

Speaking to MTV News, Keanu Reeves has offered up a slight update on the live-action adaptation of the anime series Cowboy Bebop, in which he’ll be playing the lead role of Spike Spiegel. Reeves mentions that a draft of the script currently exists, penned by Peter Craig, but it’s apparently too elaborate to be filmed. The current script would require a budget of near-Avatar proportions—Reeves mentions that Fox thinks it would cost around $500 million.

The clip from Keanu Reeves with MTV is below

I am happy that they are shooting high with the
Cowboy Bebop script. It let's me know that they really think that in order for this to be done justice it needs to be huge. Which I think is true. Also, it makes sense as a director to write a proposal that is huge, knowing that you may have to scale back anyway. As for Keanu as Spike? I'm not so sure I'm down with that casting. I mean, he can do it, I have no doubt about that. But I am a bit worried this will just feel a little too much like Neo in a different universe. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

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Rumors of a Re-Release of Titanic...IN 3-D!!

2009-09-23T21:50:00.001-04:00

We all know that films in 3-D is the next big thing - new films as well as releasing old films. We have Toy Story 1 and 2 up to bat before Toy Story 3, and Nightmare Before Christmas received this treatment a long time ago.

But now, as THR reports, the the highest grossing film of all time, James Cameron's Best Picture winning epic Titanic, might not be far behind.

Over at Cameron's production company, Lightstorm Entertainment, insiders are saying it will be less than a year before we see Titanic sink again in front of our eyes in digital 3-D. Apparently the guys at Lightstorm have already done 3-D tests on both Titanic, and another little film of Cameron's, Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

So what do you think? I mean,
Titanic will bring in the viewers regardless of whether or not it is in
3-D. But do you think this idea of revamping old films to be presented
in 3D is a worthy investment?

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Darren Aronofsky Planning Heist

2009-09-22T20:26:00.001-04:00

Darren Aronofsky will direct and produce an indie heist thriller based on the daring $85 million robbery at the Securitas Depot in Tonbridge, England, in February 2006.

Variety says that XYZ Films and Time Inc. Studios are partnered with Protozoa Pictures on the project. Scott Franklin of Protozoa will produce alongside Aronofsky. Time Inc. Studios chief Paul Speaker is executive producing, with XYZ fully financing the development.

Kerry Williamson is adapting the script from an underlying rights package that includes Jon Wertheim's Sports Illustrated magazine article "Breaking the Bank" and Howard Sounes' nonfiction book "Heist: The Inside Story of the World's Biggest Robbery."

I am a huge Aronofsky fan, I think that The Wrestler was one of last years best films and I really trust whatever he chooses to do. I love that he likes to keep things slightly indie and intimate as it tends to make for a better film - so it should be interesting to see how he tackles such an epic subject matter.

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Michael Caine talks briefly about Dark Knight Sequel

2009-09-22T20:19:00.001-04:00

From AICN
MTV sat down with Michael Caine for a discussion which turned towards casting rumors swirling around the next BATMAN movie - even though David Goyer tried valiantly (and somewhat unsuccessfully) to dismiss similar misinformation A WHILE BACK.

Caine specifically addressed persistent rumors that Johnny Depp and Philip Seymour Hoffman were being considered for roles in the movie.

There is nobody, there's no script, there's nothing," Caine told MTV News of the status of the next "Batman" movie. "It can't possibly be made before 2011 because 'Inception' is such a big picture."
"Johnny Depp is great in anything, but there is no Johnny Depp in this Batman," he smiled. "They tell me in no uncertain terms."

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

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Toy Story 3 Trailer Reveals New Story Details

2009-09-22T20:11:00.001-04:00

Over the weekend Disney released a new television spot for the limited engagement 3D rerelease of Toy Story and Toy Story 2, which you can check out embedded after the jump. Attached to the special double feature on October 2nd will be the first real trailer for Toy Story 3. Jim Hill has the scoop on the new trailer, which gives a ton of new details on the upcoming third film. SPOILER ALERT EVEN THOUGH IT'S FOR A TRAILER YOU WILL SEE ANYWAY If you don’t want to know, don’t read on.

[The new trailer shows] Woody and the gang at Sunnyside Daycare. Where life among the toddlers looks like something out of “Lord of the Flies.” … Buzz and Co. get absolutely brutalized by these 3-year-olds. Which is why they decide that “We’re busting out of here.” The only problem is – during their initial escape attempt – the Space Ranger gets severely damaged. To the point that Woody & friends are forced to hit Lightyear’s reset button. Which then puts Buzz into Spanish-speaking mode. … When Buzz is in Spanish-speaking mode – he then becomes this hot-blooded, flamenco-dancing romantic figure prone to grand gestures. Which Jessie winds up being quite taken with.

I am soooo pumped for all 3 films and will definitely be checking them out during the re-releases 2 week availability.

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Sherlock Holmes Sequel In Development, Brad Pitt In Discussions To Play Moriarty?

2009-09-22T20:06:00.001-04:00

Guy Ritchie’s adaptation of Sherlock Holmes won’t hit the big screen until Christmas, but Warner Bros is already developing a sequel.

According to Risky Business, Kieran and Michele Mulroney have been hired to pen a draft for a continuation. The brother screenwriting team wrote the imaginary Superhero coming-of-middle-age dramedy Paper Man which premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival and the dumped DC Comics live-action film Justice League: Mortal. Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham, Lionel Wigram and Simon Kinberg all worked on the screenplay for the first film.

This isn’t surprising news as the project has been groomed as a potential franchise. Last month, it was rumored that Brad Pitt had filmed some scenes as Holmes’ nemesis Moriarty during a set of secret reshoots, but Warner Bros denied these claims. The character does make a brief cameo appearance in the first film, setting up a potential sequel, but those who know claim the character remains in the shadows and cannot be recognized.

We assumed the previous rumor was a complete fabrication but, The Hollywood Reporter now claims that Brad Pitt has in fact had discussions with producers to play Moriarty in the developing sequel, though there is no deal in place as of yet. Pitt starred in Ritchie’s second feature film Snatch.

What do you think about this whole planning a sequel before the film even comes out business? Do you think Brad Pitt would be a good choice for a Sherlock Holmes sequel? And what do you think of the how the film is coming along in the first place?

Personally, I was really interested at first, as I am quite a Guy Ritchie fan, but I will say that all of this footage has done nothing for me yet.

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Dick Cook's Exit from Disney Leaves Johnny Depp Worried

2009-09-19T23:20:00.001-04:00

Yesterday Nikki Finke and THR confirmed that Walt Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook was stepping down after working at the company for 38 years.

We've already started to see producers and filmmakers around town expressing their sadness. Indiana Jones producer Frank Marshall said on Twitter: "Woke up to find Dick Cook has resigned from Disney. One of the most respected and classy executives in town. I will miss our breakfasts." Nikki Finke got an update from Disney insiders saying: "I hear that Steven Spielberg is devastated by the news of Dick Cook's ouster. Dick was a major reason why Spielberg and Stacey Snider brought the new DreamWorks to Disney. 'Steven worships Dick,' an insider told me tonight." But one of the most upset individuals is not a producer or a director, but rather an actor, and a very big one at Disney - Johnny Depp.

The LA Times' Claudia Eller caught up with Depp in London the night the news broke. Depp was "shocked and very sad" to hear about the abrupt departure of Cook, whom he called "the sweetest man on the planet and such a gent." They were so close that Cook even called Depp hours before to alert him that this news was coming. "He is the utmost gentleman, so he made the call himself." But now he's not so sure about working on the next Pirates movie, to be titled Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, without Cook around. "There's a fissure, a crack in my enthusiasm at the moment," Depp said. "It was all born in that office."

This is leaving many people wondering what might possibly happen to Pirates of the Caribbean 4, as we all know it pretty much CAN'T happen without Depp. It seems odd to just get rid of someone whom so many people - important people - seem to really love. I wonder also if we will be hearing any news about WHY he exited from his ties to Disney.

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'The Karate Kid' set photo and Logo

2009-09-19T15:49:00.001-04:00

I kind of like this logo.

When I first heard that this movie was happening I was pissed off. It really doesn't make sense as to which movie remakes I am cool with and which ones I am not, But for some reason I didn't want this to happen. Especially when I heard Jaden Smith was going to be in it. Yeah, sure he was alright in The Pursuit of Happyness, but the kid single handedly destroyed The Day The Earth Stood Still. So even though i think the movie is going to suck and cater to children too much, these set photos have lightened my mood. I'm not sure why. I still don't have faith in the film. I guess I just like seeing Jackie Chan in the photo. I don't know, my feelings don't make sense to me right now.

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Eastwood And Damon Together Again for 'Hereafter'

2009-09-19T15:48:00.001-04:00

Screen Rant via The Hollywood Reporter, reports that Eastwood will direct Hereafter, with Matt Damon Leading the film. The project will reunite the two after they just worked together on the not-yet-released Nelson Mandela pic, Invictus.

Eastwood will direct the supernatural thriller from an original script by Frost/Nixon writer, Peter Morgan. DreamWorks first acquired the script from Morgan last year, and very early on it piqued the interest of Eastwood.

Movie Line, via The Playlist, provides some plot details

“Damon plays a character named George, a factory worker with the ability to commune with the dead, not a talent he’s so thrilled about. There are two other plotlines involving a French journalist coping with the aftermath of a near-death experience during the 2004 tsunami, and a 12-year old British boy searching for a way to contact his dead twin.”

DreamWorks founder, Spielberg, Eastwood is moving Hereafter to his home base at Warners. Eastwood himself will produce, along with Robert Lorenz and Kathleen Kennedy. Spielberg will still serve as an exec producer, as well as Frank Marshall, Tim Moore and screenwriter Morgan.

Hereafter is set to start filming this fall.

Lets look at the ingredients here real quick.
1 Cup of talented actor Matt Damon
1Tablespoon of Legend Clint Eastwood
A dash of Best Director Ever Steven Spielberg
1/2 pound of Peter Morgan

I think we have all the ingredients for something great! I love Peter Morgan scripts. everything I've seen that he has penned has been fantastic. I go gaga for The Queen and Frost/Nixon and probably will for the upcoming The Special Relationship. The only thing that could top this off would be the addition of actor Michael Sheen, who frequents films penned by Morgan.

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Ridley Scott Reteams With Gladiator Scribe For Vampire Adaptation The Passage

2009-09-16T17:54:00.001-04:00

Fox 2000 has signed screenwriter John Logan to adapt the Jordan Ainsley vampire novel The Passage. Fox is developing the project as a potential directing vehicle for Ridley Scott, who last teamed with Logan on the Academy Award-winning film Gladiator.

Fox purchased the film rights two years ago, paying seven-figures for the three book series, based solely on the first 397 pages of an outline. The writer is almost a complete unknown, yet somehow his book spawned a five day bidding war between Sony Pictures, Warner Brothers, Universal Pictures and 20th Century Fox in July 2007. The finished novel is said to be nearly 1,200 pages, but no release date has been announced, although the Random House owned Ballantin books purchased the publishing rights for a reported $3.75 million.

The story is described as “a futuristic fable” about death row inmates transformed into vampires by a government-spawned virus. According to Variety, “terminally ill patients become healthy after they are bitten by bats in South America, and the government conducts secret tests on human subjects to see if the virus can cure illness. The result is an apocalyptic unleashing of bloodthirsty vampire test subjects that include death row inmates.”

John Logan’s other films include The Last Samurai, Gladiator, Any Given Sunday, Sweeney Todd, The Aviator and the 1999 film Bats. Scott has a lot of projects in development. He is currently working on Robin Hood, producing The A-Team, and is in various stages of development on an Alien prequel, The Kind One, Factor X, and a dozen other optioned properties.

I find this a bit hard to believe considering all of the current projects Scott has underway, but I guess only time will tell who ends up directing this - or even if the film will get made at all. I personally am getting a little sick of this whole vampire fad that's happening right now.

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Night of the Living Dead GCI Remake

2009-09-16T17:49:00.001-04:00

THR’s Heat Vision blog is reporting that George Romero’s zombie classic, Night of the Living Dead, is going to be remade into a 3D CGI film by first-time director Zebediah de Soto. The project, titled Night of the Living Dead: Origins, will have no involvement from Romero. De Soto mentioned that he wants to focus on the character’s backstories, and aim for it to look like an “American-styled anime”.

Origins will join the company of a multitude of revisions/reimaginings/remakes of Night of the Living Dead. The original film has been in the public domain for some time now, making it a really cheap target for these sorts of projects. Most recently there was Night of the Living Dead 3D, with Sid Haig that I heard sucked and there’s also an upcoming collaborative remake, Night of the Living Dead Reanimated.

Look, I'm all up for any zombie film - and a reimagining/remake of the original Night of the Living Dead may not be a bad idea at this point - especially considering there are loads of people that have never seen it. I'm a bit confused by the comparison of CGI with "American anime". But who am I to try to explain the vision that De Soto has. Let's just hope this one turns out well.

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Spider-Man 4 Going IMAX on May 5, 2011

2009-09-15T20:10:00.001-04:00

Hot on the heels of yesterdays news about Spidey 4 -

IMAX and Sony Columbia have today announced that the fourth film in their money-spinning Spider-Man franchise will hit both traditional cinema screens and the global network of IMAX theatres on May 5, 2011. Like the IMAX release of Spider-Men 3 and 2 before it, this will be via the up-scaling technology that takes the 35mm master and digitally pumps it up a bit for IMAX screens.

IMAX CEO Raymond Gelfond says:

Spider-Man continues to be one of the world’s most popular motion picture franchises, and we are very excited to include the latest chapter as part of our 2011 slate. Our network has grown significantly and we continue to roll-out new theatres virtually every week, giving more moviegoers the opportunity to experience the movie in IMAX.

At the end of the press release, where Sam Raimi, Tobey Maguire and so on get their names dropped, there is also mention of Gary Ross as currently ‘adapting’ the screenplay.

This press release also seems to confirm that Spider-Man 4 will neither be shot in the IMAX format or in 3D.

Now that all that is cleared up. TELL US WHO THE VILLAIN IS GOING TO BE AND HOW SIGNIFICANT A ROLE BRUCE CAMPBELL WILL HAVE!!!!

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Spielberg’s Lincoln Not Dead; Robert Downey, Jr. a Possible Lead For Harvey

2009-09-15T20:07:00.001-04:00

Following the news that Robert Redford's The Conspirator is on it's way and set to star Robin Wright Penn and James McAvoy - a film focussing on the Lincoln assassination plot, Spielberg assures Variety that his Lincoln biopic not dead, and very much still happening.

As for what he thinks of Redford's film,

Speaking to Peter Bart at Variety, Spielberg says:

We are very happy that Redford will be doing this Lincoln movie. It is completely different from what our DreamWorks Lincoln movie will be, and we believe that it will add to the commercial potential of our film. Lincoln as a subject is inexhaustible.

But before Spielberg's Lincoln film heads out, he needs to focus on his film Harvey which is still in the stages of adapting the play as a feature. Recent repots suggest that he wants Robert Downey Jr. to play the lead - Elwood P. Dowd, a drunk whose sister attempts to have him hospitalized when he begins to introduce his imaginary friend Harvey, a six-foot tall rabbit, at a party.

As long as Harvey is underways - it seems we will have to wait for Spielberg's Lincoln just a little longer.

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Patrick Swayze Has Died

2009-09-14T23:47:00.002-04:00

It is sad to report tonight that actor Patrick Swayze famous for his romantic roles as well as his ass kicking roles (Dirty Dancing and Ghost vs. Red Dawn, Road House, and Point Break) has passed away at the at of 57. Back in March the world was informed that Swayze was suffering from pancreatic cancer. While he was extremely optimistic and had high hopes - as did most of his fans - we learn that he passed away peacefully while surrounded by loved ones.

It is a shame that we may never ge to see a Point Break 2, and this certainly marks a sad day in the entertainment industry.

As Derek said earlier, "I like to imagine that he is up in heaven doing a Chippendales dance with Chris Farley". I think we would all like to imagine it that way.

My only wish is that we saw more of him while he was around..

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Bay, Spielberg and Kruger to Meet for Transformers 3

2009-09-14T18:24:00.001-04:00

Michael Bay's official website got an update from the director on his future projects:

* He will be meeting later this week with Steven Spielberg, and Ehren Kruger to discuss ideas for Transformers 3. By the end of the week he should have an idea if Transformers 3 will hit your local cineplex in the summer of 2011 or 2012.
* In the meantime "Pain & Gain" is looking very possible as is...
* ...Bad Boys 3. Either film coming to a theater near you before or after Transformers 3.

If you're not familiar with Pain & Gain , it is based on this article from the Miami New Times

Beware - it's a good read, but a long article - and if Bay can adapt it into a film, I'm sure it would be quite awesome.

As for Transformers 3, lets just hope it is better than 2. I mean - don't get me wrong, the CG was amazing and the action scenes were great...but that story was pretty weak and the jokes/dialogue smelled. I am excited for Bad Boys 3. It will be awesome for Bay to take a break from Transformers - even if it does mean returning to another series he created. As a fan of Bay (with one exception - Pearl Harbor), I am usually excited for whatever he chooses to do...and all the cockiness that follows.

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Ford Says They Have the Indiana Jones 5 Story

2009-09-14T16:12:00.001-04:00

In a quite unexpected bit of not very informative news, Harrison Ford told France's Le Figaro (via People ) that "the story for the new Indiana Jones is in the process of taking form. Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and myself are agreed on what the fifth adventure will concern, and George is actively at work. If the script is good, I'll be very happy to put the costume on again."

The fourth film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull , was released on May 28, 2008 and earned $786.6 million worldwide. It was made for about $185 million.

I love Indiana Jones. Enough said. Fight me over it. Go ahead. I'll win.

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Disney To Release Prince of Persia in 3D....or will they?

2009-09-14T16:09:00.001-04:00

JoBlo came across a poster promoting upcoming Disney Digital 3D releases while walking around the floor of Disney’s D23 fan convention. The big surprise — Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was listed on the line-up. Disney reps confirmed that the film would be released in Digital 3D in addition to the regular 2D release. The film was not shot in 3D however, and is being converted in post production.

This isn’t the first time that producer Jerry Bruckheimer has made this decision. The family action-adventure film G-Force was converted to 3D after the fact, but most of the film’s creatures were computer generated, which makes things a bit easier. While I’m one of the few web bloggers who believes that 3D is more than a gimmick, I still am not convinced that post production 3D processing is good enough for public consumption.

I later found another article pointing to exactly the contrary stating

"Contrary to what has been suggested in a poster promoting upcoming Disney Digital 3-D releases at Disney's D23 fan convention, "Prince of Persia: Sands of Time" won't be screened in 3-D. Walt Disney Pictures came up with the clarification. The mouse house stated the display at the convention is inaccurate and the representative at the expo must have been misinformed."

This is supposedly from Disney, so there you have it. In any case, the action in those photos is looking pretty decent. I haven't played the games at all, but a live action Aladdin sounds pretty sweet to me!

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Star Tours 2 Trailer

2009-09-14T16:06:00.001-04:00

This doesn't make much sense because it totally ruins any of the 3D experience you might receive, but a trailer for the revamp of Star Tours - wonderfully titled Star Tours II has made it's way onto the interspace.

An early description floating around a while ago read something like this.

[The] revamp will incorporate prequel characters (like Naboo citizens and Geonosians) along with many aliens from the original trilogy (Aqualish. Bith, Rodians, etc). In the action sequence, the Star Tours vehicle is now going to be chased by Boba Fett. C3PO and R2-D2 are still the hosts… Admiral Ackbar holographically communicates with the Star Tours vehicle. Right now they’re shooting mostly green screen footage, as it is the middle part of the production timeline.

It doesn't give us much other than the fact there should be plenty of jolts, pod-racing, and thrown wrenches. Ah well...hopefully it gets better.

The ride will launch at the Californian and Floridian Disney parks in 2011.

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Trailer for Lars von Trier's Antichrist

2009-09-14T16:01:00.001-04:00

A grieving couple (Dafoe and Gainsbourg) retreats to their cabin 'Eden' in the woods, hoping to repair their broken hearts and troubled marriage. But nature takes its course and things go from bad to worse.

Antichrist is both written and directed by prolific Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier, of an extensive number of past films, including Nocturne, The Element of Crime, Dancer in the Dark, Dogville, Manderlay, and The Boss of It All most recently. After premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, the film was picked up for US distribution by IFC. They're now bringing Antichrist to very limited theaters starting on October 23rd.

Gotta admit, I know nothing really deeply about Lars von Trier's films. I know they are typically quite trippy and very cinematic, but other than some mention and seeing clips (I don't think I've ever seen a full film) I don't know much. With that said, I'm a big fan of Dafoe and the plot sounds quite interesting. It has been called "The Most Shocking Film in the History of the Cannes Film Festival" - and let me tell ya, the trailer is creepy.

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Bruce Campbells Been Talking about Spidey 4

2009-09-14T16:00:00.001-04:00

Bruce Campbell, was stopped at the red carpet premiere of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and pressed for details on the upcoming Spider-Man 4. Seeing as he’s had a role in each of the three Sam Raimi Spidey pictures so far it wasn’t too much of a stretch to assume he’d be on the call sheet for the next go around too. Not only did he confirm that, he also claimed a January start date for the project. But what could he reveal about his appearance in the film?

Campbell told Access Hollywood that Spider-Man 4 is set to begin shooting January 2010, and that he's been told by Raimi that he has "a major part". The kicker is that the well-chinned actor knows not what that role might be.

There is lots of speculation floating around the internet that he may be up for a villainous role. One name floating around is Mysterio - something I know I have mentioned and talked with Derek about. While there is no indication as to this in what Bruce had to say - at least we know he is in it and Sam has talked to him! This is good news - and shooting isn't too far off - more good news! For the record though - I say it's about time Bruce gets a shot at what he deserves - so I say bring on the Mysterio!

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D23 Expo: Lots of Announcements

2009-09-11T17:03:00.005-04:00

We have some big news here! The following announcements were found at comingsoon.net

Tim Burton confirmed that he'll be following it up with Frankenweenie , a full stop-motion adaptation of his original live-action short film that tells the story of a dog brought back to life by a mad scientist kid. Also confirmed was a 2011 release date.

I'm not overly hyped for this. I've seen the original Frankenweenie and it's pretty standard, definitely for children.

The Walt Disney Studios has made a deal with Apple Corps Ltd. to develop a new 3D performance capture adaptation of the 1968 hit animated film "Yellow Submarine" to be written and directed by Robert Zemeckis, it was announced today at the D23 Expo by Dick Cook, chairman, The Walt Disney Studios. The film will be created by ImageMovers Digital, Disney's state-of-the-art performance capture animation studio operated in conjunction with Zemeckis and his partners, Jack Rapke and Steve Starkey, who will serve as producers on the project.

The Beatles continue to live on not only through Rock Band but once again through film. This is pretty exciting.

Roaring applause from Disney fans filled the Anaheim Convention Center Arena as the Muppets took the stage, performing a song and dance number live on-stage. At the conclusion of the performance, Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook officially announced that the upcoming Muppet film (written by Jason Segel) will be titled The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made.

This title references an old title, developed Jim Henson in 1985 but never produced that would have featured Gonzo directing a Hollywood film and quickly blowing the project's budget. Though unconfirmed, it is likely that this new film will mirror the same storyline.

This is awesome for a few reasons. 1. the Muppets Rock! 2. Jason Segal wrote the film and 3. The Muppets Rule! It's about time we were given another Muppet movie. It's been way to long. I'm glad Segal is involved. We all saw what he is capable of with writing and puppeteering in Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

The Walt Disney Studios, in collaboration with acclaimed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro ("Pan's Labyrinth," "The Hobbit"), is launching a new production label called Disney Double Dare You (DDY), to create new animated films full of chills and thrills for audiences of all ages.

Remember when SX0T posted about Del Toro hinting at something big that had to do with the letter D. Well that's what this is all about. This is exciting news! There is no one who can do creature effects in film like Del Toro, and to know that he is now backed with Disney money is awesome! I'm sure we will be seeing some amazing visuals in the films attached to this new label.

Johnny Depp appeared in full Jack Sparrow costume, taking the stage and announcing a Summer 2011 release date for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the new title for the fourth installment!

There are a couple cool things involved in this news. 1. That's awesome that Johnny Depp gave the announcemtn in full costume, and 2. SX0T and his wife Connie are currently on their way to Chicago to visit the Field Museum's latest exhibit Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship. What an amazing coincidence that this would be announced the same time they are off to journey into the world of real pirates. Back to the movie though... I think the subtitle sounds lame. I'm a little Pirates of the Caribeaned out right now, but you can be sure I will still see the film!

[EDIT]

SX0T here. I just wanted to post this kinda creepy, kinda awesome photo that I found that was from the D23 Expo. It is a photo of Roboto Lincoln. It is the robotic armature used for the Hall of Presidents. Only this one isn't wearing its clothes. On display at D23, Robo Lincoln looks somewhat Terminator like, and I certainly wouldn't want to be the ancestors of John Wilkes Booth when the robotic uprising of 1997 begins or Judgement Day as predicted by the Teminator Timeline.

'This Is It' Poster

2009-09-10T12:51:00.003-04:00

If it's in theaters near me I'll be sure to see it.

And just for fun, here is Michael Jackson in Captain EO. Captain EO was Produced by George Lucas and Directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The musical score was composed by James Horner, which is awesome because he composed some of my all time favorite musical scores (Braveheart, Apollo 13, Titanic, A Beautiful Mind). Supposedly Disneyland is bringing back the 3-D film some time in early 2010.

Edgar Wright He's Still on for Ant Man and Pixar Isn't

2009-09-10T10:43:00.001-04:00

From /Film

After Disney announced that they would be acquiring Marvel Entertainment, Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed during a confrence call that “Pixar boss John Lasseter talked to the Marvel guys about” the possibility of working together on a Pixar film, and “they all got excited about it. We think there’s ultimately some exciting product that come of that. Sparks will fly!” Then earlier this week Entertainment Weekly reported that “Pixar already has their eye on Ant-Man.” If that is true, both director Edgar Wright and Marvel head Kevin Feige know nothing about it…

CHUD contacted Wright, who has been developing the big screen adaptation for the last five years, for comment. Wright confirmed that he’s still attached to the project, but hasn’t had much time to work with Joe Cornish on the second draft because of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.

“I just spoke to Kevin Feige for the first time since I wrapped and we are meeting this week to discuss the next phase,” wrote Wright. “The news that Pixar is involved is not wholly accurate and a little premature to comment on. I love Pixar’s work more than anyone and indeed would love to collaborate with them.”

“It’s true that the character is not considered one of the Marvel brand leaders and that is precisely what excites me about it. I want to make a film inside the Marvel Universe that is something a little different; a genre film within the superhero genre so to speak,” says Wright. “My spin on Ant Man is very different than a straight superhero origin - and very much live action. At some point in this century, I intend to stop talking about it and make the damn thing.”

I've love Edgar Wright more and more as the days go on, Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead, Spaced, the Don't trailer for Grindhouse. The man rocks. I recently have been watching these behind the scenes video blogs from Scott Pilgrim vs the World (admittedly something I'm not too familiar with), and this guy is not only a great director and writer, but he is hilarious and down to earth as well. His explanation of what he wants to do with Ant Man seems right up his alley and for that, I really respect him. If you want to see some of those previously mentioned behind the scenes vids, check them out here. The first one is posted below.

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Trailer Fest - Up In The Air, The Princess and the Frog, and The Shrine

2009-09-09T18:32:00.001-04:00

We've got a bunch of new trailers to show and talk about today.

First up is Jason Reitman's upcoming film Up In The Air which has been getting lots of positive press from Telluride. We are fortunate enough not just to have a teaser trailer, but also a clip from the film. Looks amazing and will probably get a nom for an Oscar. This man is on fire...Thank You For Smoking and Juno, and now this??

Next up is the new trailer for Disney's next hand drawn animated film The Princess and the Frog - causing quite a stir in some circles. Mainly for some of the racial issues at hand. Looks really pretty regardless.

'Princess and the Frog' Teaser Trailer @ Yahoo! Video

Next up is a horror film called The Shrine. “After a young American backpacker goes missing in Europe, a group of journalists link his disappearance to a remote village in Poland called Alwainia. Upon further investigation, the journalists discover that Alwainia has a history of bizarre cult activity revolving around human sacrifice. Hell bent on discovering the truth, they travel to the small village, but quickly find themselves pursued by a mysterious group set on killing them. Forced into the gruesome reality of true survival horror, the journalist’s soon discover that Alwainia hides a much darker secret than they could ever imagine.” Looks pretty B-movie awesome if you ask me. Kind of a mix of The Ruins and Hostel and Turistas and all that stuff. Although I'm not quite sure what it's about I'm sure it will have its fair share of blood and gore. There is a gallery of images for this also over here...with one notable shot of a practical effects monster face. Yes.

The Shrine - Teaser Trailer 2 from The Shrine on Vimeo.

Hope you enjoyed those recent trailers and clips, and as always, let us know what you think!

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Resident Evil Series Getting a Semi-Reboot...Pure Oddity.

2009-09-09T17:53:00.001-04:00

Bloody Disgusting has confirmed that the Resident Evil franchise will be getting a slight reboot after the next film, Resident Evil 4: Afterlife. Tentatively titled Resident Evil Begins, the new project will take us away from the increasingly convoluted adventures of Milla Jovovich’s Alice, and will potentially retread the events of the first film by focusing on a military unit tasked with taking down a rampaging supercomputer, while also fighting off former-scientist zombies.

In the world of odd news, this takes the cake. While the Resident Evil films aren't the best films ever made, they are some of the better video game to film translations and with Jovovich being married to the series director - I don't see a need for a reboot. Unless of course they are both leaving the series which may be the case. A reboot right now just seems completely out of place.

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David Gordon Green’s Suspiria Remake Begins Shooting 2010

2009-09-09T17:48:00.001-04:00

News is that the previously briefly mentioned David Gordon Green remake of Suspiria will begin shooting next year. Green, who has managed to maintain his indie cred (Snow Angels) and establish box office pull and mainstream cachet (Pineapple Express), is currently in Ireland helming the Danny McBride stoner fantasia Your Highness for Universal.

Natalie Portman had been mentioned as a name floating around for the lead in this film, but has since taken on other roles and may have too much on the table - although she is playing McBride's "fantasy woman" in Green's Your Highness and so this may be the beginning of a collaboration between Portman and Green.

Green also has his plate full with some other films and potential films: an adaptation of Steve Niles’s Southern horror comic book, Freaks of the Heartland, and possibly a semi-mysterious take on ’80s Amblin blockbusters called Mr. Machine, which would star McBride as a “robot [built by science fair nerds] that get a life of its own.

I'm a fan of David Gordon Green for the most part, but am constantly baffled by his recent choices of films. I also recently saw Suspiria for the first time (I know, a little late to the game) a few years ago after being almost forced to by a fellow horror film friend. Derek 8-Track and I watched it and were hardly impressed. I can understand why it was a good film at the time, but frankly it was too slow and boring and lacked the action and blood for my taste...and had WAY too many colored gel filters over the lights...trippy, I know...but not suspenseful or frightening. More like a slightly bloody Candyland with ballet dancers. Let's just hope the remake fixes that problem.

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Guillermo Del Toro Hints at Something BIG

2009-09-09T15:47:00.001-04:00

Here’s the exact statement that the man himself posted in the forums of The One Ring:

In a few days there will be a BIG announcement (big for me, at least) that is not-Hobbit related. BEFORE anyone starts wondering the usual “how does he have time?, Is this detracting form The Hobbit?” etc It is a project that started over 2 years ago, before The Hobbit and will render fruits in the mid-term, not intruding on my Hobbit duties. Rest assured. The key letter is “D”

Interesting news it is, below here are some theories as to what htis might mean. REMEMBER, these are just THEORIES, it hasn't been confirmed just yet.

Just last week we found out that Nikolaj Arcel has been tagged to direct Deadman, the DC comics adaptation that del Toro is producing. That’s three Ds, at least (throw in another if you count producer Don Murphy, maybe even another if you expect Doug Jones to take the lead role, as many do) and this film also fits the “over 2 years ago” clue nicely, with Peter first reporting on the film in 2006. But… is this really a big announcement? And would del Toro really try such an elliptical tease when he’s talking about a film that was in the trades just days ago?

Even though del Toro has a famously full slate of projects in development, it has been suggested several times that his first post-Hobbit picture will be an adaptation of Dan Simmons‘ novel Drood. It’s a historical murder mystery narrated, and most unreliably so, by a fictionalised version of the novelist Wilkie Collins. Collins embarks upon a journey into a threatening underworld with his friend Charles Dickens, in pursuit of the mysterious titular Drood. Though I’ve not read the book myself, those I trust have only positive things to tell me about it and as soon as I stop being lazy, I’m going to leap right in.

The last possibility is another comics adaptation. Back in 2008, del Toro told Empire magazine that he’d spoken to Neil Gaiman about a possible adaptation of Marvel’s Dr. Strange. Gaiman later clarified that he’d spoken to the big man about the job and was very excited, adding “I would love to write Dr. Strange. It would be absolutely one of my dream jobs, a Dr. Strange movie”.

So that’s a D for Dr. and, given the recent Marvel maneuvres, a D for Disney too. Kevin Feige at Marvel has said “as we start putting together our film slate for 2012 and 2013, I would not be shocked if we saw Dr. Strange on those lists”. The timing seems right, I think. del Toro could be ready to film Strange in early 2012, perhaps? That would give Gaiman plenty of time to get the script in shape.

I remember reading a while ago that he was really interested in the Drood novel. I don't remember where I read it, but that seems like it would be a good fit for him and I'm kinda hoping that's what the news is. Although I'd be fantastically happy with Dr. Strange as well.

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Children of Men Screenwriters Are Developing Live-Action Akira Movie

2009-09-09T15:41:00.001-04:00

Warner Bros’ live-action adaptation of Akira is not dead afterall. Collider has confirmed that screenwriters Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby are hard at work on the project.

Fergus and Ostby wrote earlier drafts of Children of Men and are credited with Iron Man. The screenplay is set in a post-apocalyptic “New Manhattan” and will feature Akira’s famous red motorcycle. The original Katsuhiro Otomo anime was set in a futuristic and post-war city, Neo-Tokyo, in 2019. The film has been in development by Warner Brothers and Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company Appian Way for some time, and Gary Whitta (The Book of Eli) had previously worked on the project.

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Clip from Roland Emmerich's 2012

2009-09-08T11:17:00.002-04:00

MTV has a clip from Roland Emmerich's 2012

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Honestly, I think the clip is pretty dumb. I'm not into the "Engine start... Voice control" comedy. Maybe once I get to know the character delivering the line I might like it. Like, I'm sure if Jeff Goldblum gave the line in Independence Day I would think it's pure comedic genius. We'll just have to wait and see I guess.

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Leslie, My Name is Evil trailer

2009-09-06T12:50:00.001-04:00

There is this trailer floating around (debuted on Apple a couple days ago) called Leslie, My Name is Evil.
From Apple:
Perry, a sheltered chemist, falls in love with Leslie, a former homecoming princess, when he is selected to be a jury member at her hippie death cult murder trial. Perry has always done what is expected of him. He was a straight-A student who got a good job at a chemical company and proposed to his Christian girlfriend, Dorothy. Leslie took a different path after she was traumatized by Kennedy’s assassination, an abortion and the divorce of her parents. She took LSD, joined a hippie death cult and helped murder a God-fearing citizen in her own home. When Perry and Leslie lock eyes in court, Perry is forced to confront the darkest parts of him and by extension, society. LESLIE, MY NAME IS EVIL is a film that explores how the choices Perry and Leslie make reflect upon the moral choices our society has made.

It's a little hard to tell what exactly the film will be like in its entirety, but it certainly has a unique feel to it and seems to capture the idea of the Manson murders and the Flower Power era cult followers pretty well. I also like the filters and coloring that has been done to the footage to give it that era feel to it...kinda "grindhouse-y". The description makes it seem that it is going to have quite a heap of social commentary thrown into the mix (something not really evident in the trailer), so we will have to see how it turns out, but it definitley has me interested!. i

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Trailer for Rob Zombie's El Superbeasto

2009-09-06T12:43:00.001-04:00

As a fan of Rob Zombie's The Devils Rejects, a semi fan of House of 1000 Corpses, and a fan of the first half hour or so of his Halloween remake, I am constantly interested in what this man is going to conjure up next. While I haven't seen Halloween 2 - amongst the terrible reviews it's been getting. What I do appreciate about Zombie is that he does what HE wants. Even if it is complete shit. I have to hand it to the man, in a world populated by so many formulaic films, and simplistic reboots (yes he does fall into that category), at least he does what he wants...at least that's my perception on it.

In any case, his animated film El Superbeasto is something I have been following and interested in for quite some time. It has even had it's share of page space right here on our site. And now, we get a much looked forward to glimpse at what this has become. Enjoy!

Looks pretty hilarious and definitely an adult cartoon. Kinda reminds me of how Ren and Stimpy used to be back in the day.

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New News Concerning Rambo V

2009-09-05T18:04:00.001-04:00

This past week Nu Image/Millennium Films officially announced a greenlight for Rambo’s fifth mission, with Sylvester Stallone signed on to return to star and also direct. Stallone had previously hinted that the character would venture into a “slightly different genre,” leaving many fans to speculate sci-fi or a more comic bookish approach. But the plot synopsis released to the Hollywood trade papers was something else entirely… and apparently false.

Variety reported that Rambo would fight his way “through human traffickers and drug lords to rescue a young girl abducted near the U.S.-Mexico border.” But Sly now confirms to AICN that the storyline is much different than what the trades had reported. Rambo will not be returning to the United States, and the story will instead be set in the Pacific Northwest.

The story involves a secret U.S. military installation where they are doing experiments to create “brilliantly instinctual killer soldiers that have no qualms about taking life.” And when things go wrong, Rambo is brought in with a Black Ops squad to hunt, capture and kill these chemically engineered creations.

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New Posters for The Road released

2009-09-05T18:02:00.001-04:00

We've got two new posters for The Road starring Viggo Mortensen, Guy Pearce, Robert Duvall and Charlize Theron. The Road is a 2006 novel by American writer Cormac McCarthy.
It is a post-apocalyptic tale of a journey taken by a father and his
young son over a period of several months, across a landscape blasted
by an unnamed cataclysm that destroyed all civilization and,
apparently, most life on earth. The film adaptation currently has a release date set as October 16, 2009.

I'm really pumped for this film which premiered at the Venice Film Festival which is getting pretty mixed reviews with most saying that they nailed the look and feel of the film, but there are some glaring problems. I've read the book and I can say, that without seeing the actual film, everything I have seen so far has gotten me pretty pumped (with exception of the first trailer that made the movie seem like it was going to be an action flick).

Along with these posters there are some random clips floating around that total about 15 mins of the film. I haven't watched them, and don't plan to, but if anyone is interested, here they are:

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Trailer for The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day

2009-09-03T02:43:00.004-04:00

IGN has the trailer for the sequel to The Boondock Saints titled The Boondock Saints II: All Saint's Day

The Boondock Saints: All Saints Day is the highly-anticipated sequel to indie cult classic, The Boondock Saints.
The film is the continuation of writer & director Troy Duffy's
tough, stylized cutting edge saga of fraternal twins, the MacManus
brothers (Norman Reedus, Sean Patrick Flanery). The two have been in
deep hiding in the quiet valleys of Ireland, far removed from their
former lives or modern technologies. When word comes that a priest has
been killed by sinister forces in the tough underworld of Boston, they
return to mount a violent and bloody crusade to bring justice to those
who must now suffer the consequences, with a new partner in crime
(Clifton Collins, Star Trek) and a sexy FBI operative (Julie Benz, TV's Dexter) hot on their trail!

I remember the 1999 film being a big deal back when I was in high school. It seemed like anytime there was a gathering after school some guy in the group would suggest that we all watch The Boondock Saints. It was the movie that made high school dudes feel macho I guess, that and Fight Club, which was also often suggested for viewing. Even though I loved the first one, I can't say that I'm overly excited for the second installment. I was over exposed to my limit with the first one back in high school and in my undergrad days. However, you can guarantee I will be waiting in line to see the sequel. It's just the excitement really isn't there for me... yet.

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Trailer up for this really interesting film called Defendor

2009-09-03T00:35:00.001-04:00

A full trailer for a film called Defendor, starring Woody Harrelson and Kat Dennings, has surfaced after it's premiere at the Toronto Film Festival recently.

Here you’ll see Defendor in action. He’s really Arthur Poppington, who becomes a self-styled superhero on the trail of Captain Industry, a drug and weapons dealer who may or may not exist. Defendor wears a costume made of sweat pants and duct tape. His weapons are common items like marbles and lime juice.

I think that this looks pretty fun. It's nice to see Harrelson getting another pretty sweet role after his what looks to be pretty fun film Zombieland. I like that it is a somewhat "realistic" take on the superhero genre, but in a different light of course than other films like The Watchmen or Kick-Ass that are tackling superheroes in a similar "realistic" sense. Looks like the indie budget is a nice fit for a story like this too. I'm definitely interested.

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HBO Picks Up Scorsese’s Series Boardwalk Empire

2009-09-03T00:26:00.001-04:00

Variety reports that HBO has picked up eleven episodes of Boardwalk Empire,
a 1920’s period show set in Atlantic City, starring Buscemi, based on a Scorsese pilot. Featuring Buscemi as Nucky Johnson, a businessman turned rum runner during Prohibition. Also in the cast are Michael Shannon, Michael Kenneth Williams, Dabney Coleman, Kelly McDonald and Michael Pitt.

The series is set for next year, and episodes will shoot this fall in New York City. The show was created by Terence Winter, an executive producer on The Sopranos. Scorsese will stay on as an executive producer.

HitFix quotes HBO president of programming Michael Lombardo, who talked about the series last month when the network was waiting for Scorsese to deliver his cut of the pilot:

We are anxiously awaiting a cut from Mr. Scorsese so we can green light the series…By everything we’ve seen, it’s fantastic. It’s big. It’s everything we hoped it would be. It’s a tremendous cast with a tremendous writer… And really, a master director. So we’re very hopeful, very excited, and our fingers are crossed.

So it seems that HBO has scored big again with this one. They just keep getting the best shows EVER and it is non-stop what they are doing. This seems like something that is handcrafted by Scorsese and the idea/plot seem right up his alley. Plus you can't go wrong with Buscemi, who seems to fit the description of a 1920's rum runner quite well. Here's to hoping that Scorsese himself will even direct a few episodes of the show during down-time of his busy film schedule.

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New Photos from Rob Marshall's Nine

2009-09-02T13:04:00.001-04:00

The Weinstein Company has provided ComingSoon.net with new photos from Chicago director Rob Marshall's Nine, opening in theaters on November 25th. The big screen adaptation of the musical stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, Kate Hudson, Stacy Ferguson and Sophia Loren.

Nine follows the life of world famous film director Guido Contini (Day-Lewis) as he reaches a creative and personal crisis of epic proportion, while balancing the numerous women in his life including his wife (Cotillard), his mistress (Cruz), his film star muse (Kidman), his confidant and costume designer (Dench), a young American fashion journalist (Kate Hudson), the whore from his youth (Ferguson) and his mother (Loren).
See the Hi-Res versions of these images here.

Loved Chicago, and have no doubt that I will love this film as well. We all know that DDL will explode our brains when we see this, and he will probably pull another Oscar nom out of this performance. Great cast also - a definite "must see".

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Kick-Ass and The Expendables Release Dates Announced

2009-09-02T12:56:00.001-04:00

From /Film:

Lionsgate Films has made too big movie release announcements today, for the R-rated comic book film Kick-Ass and the action throwback The Expendables. Details after the jump.

Matthew Vaughn’s big screen adaptation of Mark Millar’s Kick-Ass will hit theaters on April 16th 2010, scheduled up against Piranha 3-D and MacGruber. As many of you know, the film was independently funded because none of the studios wanted to tackle the story which fused ultra-violence with children (the be more specific, a 10 year-old who chops bad guys in half and spews vulgar obscenities). The film was bought by Lionsgate after sneak preview footage rocked San Diego Comic-Con International 2009, topping most top ten lists for the Con.

Kick-Ass tells the story of (beware of possible comic book spoilers) “Dave Lizewski, a kid growing up in a rundown suburb of Americ. He isn’t a gamer, he isn’t a jock, he isn’t a mathlete, he’s just a regular kid. When he is not hanging out at the local comic store with his friends Todd and Marty, he is fantasising about his school teacher and Katie Deauxma, the class hottie. The only thing that is unusual about Dave is that about a year ago his Mother died. But somehow through this blend of normality, teenage angst and irritation at being continually mugged, Dave makes the decision to become a superhero’ KICK ASS! Dave’s first foray into being a Superhero results in him being stabbed and run over. When Dave recovers he realises he can’t walk away from being a hero, and when he successfully steps in on a mugging he brings himself to the attention of the US media and Frank D’Amico could this be the guy who knicked his coke? As Dave gets sucked into the dark world of vigilante crime fighting he gains a sidekick named ‘Red Mist’.”

Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables will hit theaters on August 20th 2010. It sucks that we’ll have to wait so long to see this film, but the fact that Lionsgate is booking the film for August (even late August), shows that the studio believes they have a Summer movie on their hands. The film features a who’s who list of action film stars, which includes: Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, Terry Crews, Mickey Rourke, and cameo appearances by Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The story follows a highly-trained team of deadly combat mercenaries, to go on a mission to South America to overthrow and execute a villainous dictator.

Both looking to be really fun movies. I love Mark Millar's storytelling, and I'm sure Kick-Ass will be no exception to that rule, and the footage we have seen looks great so far. As for The Expendables - where else will you find a collection of actors like that who all want to just whoop as much ass as possible?

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Iron Man flying at you in 3-D?

2009-09-02T04:19:00.002-04:00

Ain't It Cool News reports the rumor that Paramount Pictures and Marvel Studios may possibly release Iron Man 2 in 3D format. The rumor goes on to say that they may go ahead and re-release the first Iron Man converted into 3-D format to gear everyone up for the sequel.

Here's an except from the article:

Right now, there is a 1 minute demo of IRON MAN 2 converted to high quality digital 3D. I'm told this one minute is totally like Kim Basinger & Mickey Rourke in 9 1/2 WEEKS. HOT! Crazy Hot! Right now the Suits at Marvel & Paramount & now also Disney are considering this 1 minute.

At the same time that this is happening, they are fishing for bids with 3 different companies to see what the cost and time it would take to convert IRON MAN 2 to a complete 3D film. This same process is being done to Tim Burton's ALICE IN WONDERLAND - but if this comes to pass....

I think I'm digging this idea of making the movie and then converting it into 3-D. If there's one pet peeve I have when it comes to 3-D movies, it's when they start to use 3-D as a gimmick. The best example I can think of is in Robert Zemeckis' Beowulf with the over exaggerated foreshortened spear tip. That kind of thing ONLY works in 3-D! When I buy the movie on DVD and watch it on my TV in 2-D, thats when the little 3-D trick falls flat. Planning the movie in 2-D first and later converting it to 3-D keeps the gimmicks out.

Star Trek is back on the big screen... The REALLY BIG SCREEN

2009-09-02T03:32:00.001-04:00

For all of you who didn't get a chance to experience JJ Abrams' Star Trek in IMAX this summer, you're getting a second chance. Paramount Pictures is re-releasing Star Trek in 85 IMAX screenings beginning September 4th. That's THIS Friday! If you missed your chance to see it, PLEASE PLEASE make sure you do. If you missed your chance to see it in IMAX PLEASE PLEASE make sure you do.
Thankfully SX0T and I were able to make an IMAX showing in Columbus Ohio when the movie was first released earlier in the summer. We LOVED IT! I can't speak for SX0T, but it is definitily my favorite movie of summer 2009... Not that we had an outstanding crop to chose from.

TrekMovie provides us with the list of theaters

Mesa , AZ – Gateway 12 + IMAX Theatre
Phoenix , AZ – Deer Valley 30 with IMAX
Aliso Viejo , CA – Aliso Viejo Stadium 20 with IMAX
Camarillo , CA – Camarillo 12 with IMAX
El Dorado Hills , CA – El Dorado Hills Stadium 14 with IMAX
Emeryville , CA – Bay Street 16 with IMAX
Escondido , CA – Escondido Stadium 16 with IMAX
Fairfield , CA – Fairfield Stadium 16 + IMAX
Fresno , CA – Fresno Stadium 21 + IMAX
Ontario , CA – Ontario Palace Stadium 22 + IMAX
San Diego , CA – Palm Promenade 24 with IMAX
Santa Clara , CA – Mercado 20 with IMAX
Simi Valley , CA – Civic Center Stadium 16 + IMAX
South Gate , CA – South Gate Stadium 20 with IMAX
Stockton , CA – Downtown Stockton 16 + IMAX
Universal City , CA – Citywalk Stadium 19 with IMAX
Westchester , CA – Bridge De Lux 18 + IMAX
Altamonte Springs , FL – Altamonte Mall 18 with IMAX
Aventura , FL – Aventura Mall 24 with IMAX
Cape Canaveral , FL – IMAX Theater
Fort Myers , FL – Gulf Coast Town Center Stadium 16 + IMAX
Jacksonville , FL – Regency 24 with IMAX
Orange Park , FL – Orange Park 24 with IMAX
Orlando , FL – Pointe Orlando Stadium 20 + IMAX
Orlando , FL – Waterford Lakes Stadium 20 with IMAX
St Petersberg , FL – Baywalk 19 + IMAX
Tallahassee , FL – IMAX Theatre Tallahassee
Tampa , FL – Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI)
Tampa , FL – Veterans 24 with IMAX
Tampa , FL – Channelside Cinemas Stadium 9 + IMAX
Augusta , GA – Augusta Exchange Stadium 20 + IMAX
Kennesaw , GA – Barrett Commons 24 with IMAX
Morrow , GA – Southlake Pavilion 24 with IMAX Honolulu , HI – Dole Cannery 18 with IMAX
Boise , ID – Boise Stadium 21 + IMAX
Batavia , IL – Randall 14 + IMAX
Lincolnshire , IL – Lincolnshire Stadium 20 + IMAX
Woodridge , IL – Cinemark 16 + IMAX
Noblesville , IN – Hamilton 16 IMAX
Portage , IN – Portage 15 + IMAX
Louisville , KY – Stoney Brook IMAX
Newport , KY – Newport Levee 20 with IMAX
Harahan , LA – Elmwood Palace 20 with IMAX
Boston , MA – New England Aquarium
Saco , ME – Cinemagic Saco 12 with IMAX
Detroit , MI – Detroit Science Center IMAX Theatre
Grand Blanc , MI – NCG Trillium Cinema + IMAX
Lansing , MI – Celebration – Lansing 19 + IMAX
Sterling Heights , MI – Forum 30 with IMAX
Ypsilanti , MI – Showcase Ann Arbor 20 + IMAX
Roseville , MN – Rosedale 14 with IMAX
Saint Louis , MO – Ronnies Cinemas 19 + IMAX
Charlotte , NC – Stonecrest At Piper Glen Stadium 22 with IMAX
Concord , NC – Concord Mills 24 with IMAX
Council Bluffs , NE – Star Cinema 16 with IMAX
Henderson , NV – Sunset Station Stadium 13 with IMAX
Las Vegas , NV – Brenden Palms 13 + IMAX
Las Vegas , NV – Red Rock Stadium 15 + IMAX
North Las Vegas , NV – Aliante Station 16 with IMAX
Brooklyn , NY – Sheepshead Bay 14 with IMAX
Deer Park , NY – Deer Park Stadium 16 and IMAX
New Rochelle , NY – New Roc City Stadium 18 + IMAX
Williamsville , NY – Transit Center Stadium 18 +IMAX
Columbus , OH – Easton Town Center 30 with IMAX
Springdale , OH – Showcase Springdale 18 IMAX
Bensalem , PA – Neshaminy 24 with IMAX
Homestead , PA – Waterfront 22 with IMAX
Philadelphia , PA – Tuttleman IMAX – Franklin Institute
Tarentum , PA – Pittsburgh Mills Mall 17 + IMAX
Myrtle Beach , SC – IMAX Discovery Theatre
Chattanooga , TN – Tennessee Aquarium
Knoxville , TN – Pinnacle Stadium Cinemas 17 + IMAX
Colleyville , TX – Colleyville Cinema Grille & IMAX
Garland , TX – Firewheel 18 with IMAX
Houston , TX – Gulf Pointe 30 with IMAX
Mesquite , TX – Mesquite 30 with IMAX
Sugarland , TX – First Colony 24 with IMAX
Sandy , UT – Jordan Commons 16 + IMAX
Midlothian , VA – Commonwealth Stadium 20 with IMAX
Virginia Beach , VA – Lynnhaven 18 with IMAX
Woodbridge , VA – Potomac Mills 18 with IMAX
Kent , WA – Kent Station 14 with IMAX
Lacey , WA – Martin Village Stadium 16 + IMAX

Canada
Hull , QC – Canadian Museum Of Civilization
Victoria , BC – National Geographic Theater

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MTV planning reinvention of Teen Wolf

2009-09-01T20:52:00.001-04:00

MTV's reinvention of the 1980s movie Teen Wolf is moving forward, says The Hollywood Reporter . The 1985 film starred Michael J. Fox as a teenager who discovers he is a werewolf. The MTV version will be set in high school, draw from the horror genre to explore werewolf mythology and include a romantic plot line.

"It has a fresh take and is very different from the original," said Liz Gateley, senior vp MTV series development. "It has more of an 'American Werewolf in Paris' feel to it. It's a dramatic thriller with two best friends in the center who provide a great comedy element: They are two very relatable characters on the outer circles of popular cliques."

The new "Wolf" was written by "Criminal Minds" creator Jeff Davis, who
executive produces the pilot with Marty Adelstein (Fox's "Prison
Break") and Rene Echevarria (ABC's "Castle").

This is a ridiculous idea. Teen Wolf should be left alone, but as we all know, everything and it's mother is getting a reboot these days and this is not an exception. IS NOTHING SACRED?!?! Can't Michael J. Fox and Jason Bateman be left to their hairy high school adventures by themselves?!

Plus it just reminds me of how hilarious this is:

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Todd McFarlane to make a spooky, darker, The Wizard of Oz

2009-09-01T20:28:00.001-04:00

Spawn creator Todd McFarlane has been pitching a "darker" take on The Wizard of Oz for years now. Empire recently spoke with McFarlane recently, and updated them on its status.

Warner Brothers, who is re-releasing the original Wizard of Oz musical on Blu-Ray this month, licensed McFarlane's Twisted Land of Oz series of action figures (more details here). A script was written by Josh Olson (A History of Violence) back in 2007 and has been in development ever since, without any major progress. "I'm sure the higher-ups at Warner Bros. would like to have it on their schedule, and they're probably moving in that direction. But we've seen in our lifetime thousands of cases where things don't go according to plan, right?" That doesn't sound too good, at least for the time being, but it might just pop up.

As for the script: "They're on their second iteration right now, trying to get it into a zone that makes sense. Josh Olson wrote a draft that didn't quite strike Warners fancy. Everyone was a little lukewarm. They wanted it more sexy! So they were going to do a rewrite and get some fresh eyes on it." Really? I mean, I have a crush on Judy Garland in the original Wizard of Oz, but sexier? Now this is getting pretty interesting. Originally, McFarlane's idea was to have it be about Dorothy's granddaughter, but maybe not anymore. "The first draft had those elements. Will they remain? Can't be sure." It sounds like this is almost hopeless.

McFarlane goes to talk about why he thinks Warner Brothers isn't too excited about his version yet. "I think my 'Twisted' version is a little scary for Warners to embrace. I essentially pitched Lord of the Rings. It was big, it was bold and it wasn't a very pretty place. It was badass! There's no Baum in it at all. When they bought it from me, my thing was, turn off the MGM mindset. It's a public domain property, let's go invent some cool new ideas, which basically will surprise people. What's going to get a new generation to go look at Oz is if you reinvent it on some level." Only time will tell if this project will ever get to see the light of day.

I've always been a fan of these darker takes on classic tales. Long ago there was a game by American McGee that was a dark remake of Alice in Wonderland, something I hoped someday would become a film (and now it looks like Tim Burton is taking it in slightly that direction). So this news is appealing to me. That is on top of the fact that McFarlane makes THE BEST AND MOST DETAILED action figures EVER and has really done these characters some awesome justice.

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Robert Downey Jr. & Jon Favreau Reteaming for Cowboys & Aliens

2009-09-01T20:17:00.001-04:00

The Risky Biz Blog is reporting today that Jon Favreau has officially slated Cowboys and Aliens as his next directing gig following Iron Man 2 with Robert Downey Jr. attached to play the lead. Cowboys and Aliens is an adaptation of the Platinum Comics graphic novel. The first draft of the screenplay was co-written by Iron Man writers Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby. Then Star Trek writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci took over and have been rewriting it with "Lost" producer Damon Lindelof. Now DreamWorks is readying the project for a summer of 2011 debut.

Exactly as it sounds, Cowboys & Aliens, written by Fred Van Lente and Andrew Foley, explores what would happen if the traditional Old West enemies, cowboys and American Indians, found the prairie attacked by aliens in mid-1800s Arizona.

I am not very familiar with the Cowboys & Aliens comic, but it sounds like it could be quite the interesting story. We here at Rewind and Adjust made a post about the potential of this film quite some time ago July of 2008, and we haven't heard much news of it since then. But today we find out that this film is actually happening. Looks like fun and looks like Favreau and Downey Jr. are up for continuing their collaboration for yet another round.

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Fox Officially Rebooting 'Fantastic Four'

2009-09-01T12:05:00.001-04:00

Variety is reporting today that Fox has hired producer Akiva Goldsman to oversee the reboot of The Fantastic Four, and brought on Heroes alumni (and co-writer of Warner Bros' The Green Lantern) Michael Green to pen a screenplay. Fox wouldn't comment on the project further, but Variety notes that the studio owns The Fantastic Four in perpetuity, and that they're still keen on making a Silver Surfer movie.

Not HUGE news by any means as this thought has been around for quite some time that this might happen. But what it DOES mean is that we are about to be bombarded with casting rumors and script drafts for the next year or so before anything gets finalized.

The real question though, is why? Why reboot a franchise, that while yes, had its share of problems, EASILY captured the feeling of the comic book pretty damn well. I don't think it was the best series ever, or the best comic book to movie translation ever, but I do think that some of the casting was dead on and it really captured the spirit of what The Fantastic Four was all about. Thoughts?

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The Fourth Kind Trailer

2009-08-31T21:32:00.002-04:00

Courtesy of Apple we now have the HiDef version of The Fourth Kind trailer available to us.

A description of the film:
In 1972, a scale of measurement was established for alien encounters. When a UFO is sighted, it is called an encounter of the first kind. When evidence is collected, it is known as an encounter of the second kind. When contact is made with extraterrestrials, it is the third kind. The next level, abduction, is the fourth kind. This encounter has been the most difficult to document…until now.Structured unlike any film before it, The Fourth Kind is a provocative thriller set in modern-day Nome, Alaska, where—mysteriously since the 1960s—a disproportionate number of the population has been reported missing every year. Despite multiple FBI investigations of the region, the truth has never been discovered.Here in this remote region, psychologist Dr. Abigail Tyler (Milla Jovovich) began videotaping sessions with traumatized patients and unwittingly discovered some of the most disturbing evidence of alien abduction ever documented. Using never-before-seen archival footage that is integrated into the film, The Fourth Kind exposes the terrified revelations of multiple witnesses. Their accounts of being visited by alien figures all share disturbingly identical details, the validity of which is investigated throughout the film.

First off, this trailer looks good and I'm actually interested in seeing this film. The juxtaposition of "real" archival footage with the re-enactment stuff creates a nice creepy feel to it. I did a little research to see what I could find on the "truth" behind this story. As I suspected, I'm fairly certain the archival footage is all just part of a "Blair Witch-esque" viral kinda thing to make the story seem more real. I DID however find out that the truth to the story is that Nome, Alaska HAS been the site of many disappearances that have never been fully explained and that the government HAS actually investigated this multiple times. So that combination of some small facts being truthful (even if it isn't the footage that is) makes this trailer seem a bit more exciting. In any case, I'm glad to see that Milla is back, and this might end up being a pretty decent suspenseful thriller that is coming out just after Halloween (the ideal time to see a film like this)!

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Disney Acquires Marvel Entertainment for $4 Billion

2009-08-31T15:26:00.001-04:00

According to the New York Times (via Topless Robot), Disney has agreed to acquire Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion in cash and stock. This deal gives Disney rights to over Marvel’s 5,000+ characters, not to mention control over Marvel’s licensing, publishing, and film production capabilities. This acquisition is interesting for many reasons, not the least of which is that one year ago Marvel re-upped its contract with Paramount to distribute its next five films, including Iron Man 2, The Avengers, and Thor, among others. Furthermore, there are a plethora of loose ends, licensing-wise, that Disney will have to contend with before this deal starts to show its true worth.

DISNEY TO ACQUIRE MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT

Worldwide leader in family entertainment agrees to acquire Marvel and its portfolio of over 5,000 characters. Acquisition highlights Disney’s strategic focus on quality branded content, technological innovation and international expansion to build long-term shareholder value

Burbank, CA and New York, NY, August 31, 2009 —Building on its strategy of delivering quality branded content to people around the world, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) has agreed to acquire Marvel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:MVL) in a stock and cash transaction, the companies announced today…

“This transaction combines Marvel’s strong global brand and world-renowned library of characters including Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four and Thor with Disney’s creative skills, unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties, and a business structure that maximizes the value of creative properties across multiple platforms and territories,” said Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. “Ike Perlmutter and his team have done an impressive job of nurturing these properties and have created significant value. We are pleased to bring this talent and these great assets to Disney.”

“We believe that adding Marvel to Disney’s unique portfolio of brands provides significant opportunities for long-term growth and value creation,” Iger said.

“Disney is the perfect home for Marvel’s fantastic library of characters given its proven ability to expand content creation and licensing businesses,” said Ike Perlmutter, Marvel’s Chief Executive Officer. “This is an unparalleled opportunity for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character properties by accessing Disney’s tremendous global organization and infrastructure around the world.”

Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Marvel including its more than 5,000 Marvel characters. Mr. Perlmutter will oversee the Marvel properties, and will work directly with Disney’s global lines of business to build and further integrate Marvel’s properties.

So the blogosphere has been all aflutter this morning with this news. It is such widespread news that I even received multiple text messages about it this morning. It certainly is interesting news. And it brings a few questions to mind for me.

1. What happens to Universal Island of Adventure? Will Disney make their own brand new Marvel Theme Park?

2. Will Pixar attempt a marvel franchise? (This has been a question I have seen multiple people curious about).

3. Will this affect any films or video games currently in development?

4. How long before we start to see some of the effects of this purchase?

Feel free to discuss and share your opinions!

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