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18 articles
Tron Legacy Writers Sucked into Disney’s Remake of The Black Hole
10 hours ago
Joseph Kosinski (director) and Sean Bailey (producer) of Tron Legacy, the highly-anticipated sequel to 1982’s Tron, are teaming up again to revisit another Disney sci-fi classic: The Black Hole. The original followed a space expedition that bumps into another craft hovering just outside a black hole, on which the explorers find a scientist who refuses to let them go. The $26 million feature was Disney’s most expensive at the time, and their first to receive a PG rating.
Though specifics on the project are scant, some aspects will remain the same while others won’t. Namely, the menacing red robot Maximilian is expected to return, but the science behind black holes featured will be much closer to reality. Whether or not the plot will remain the same is unknown. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Travis Beacham is writing the project. Beacham is no stranger to remakes, with his Clash of the Titans »
- Michael Sullivan
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Could Be Broken Into Two Movies
11 hours ago
When your movie makes over $481 million worldwide in the span of two weeks, the question isn’t whether or not to adapt the final book, but how many movies can you make from that final book? Summit Entertainment, who are at this moment building giant pools of gold coins like the one Scrooge McDuck has in his money vault, are currently figuring out whether or not they can put the pieces in play to turn Breaking Dawn, the final book in the Twilight series, into a two-part movie like what we’ll be seeing with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Variety’s sources say that Summit wants two pictures (can you refer to “common sense” as a source?), but that means clearing two hurdles. The first is whether or not they can afford to pay the higher salaries the lead actors will command for a fifth film. It’s »
- Matt Goldberg
Six New TV Spots for Avatar Take a Revealing Look at Marketing
12 hours ago
In accordance with the Earth making a full rotation around the Sun, six new TV spots for James Cameron’s Avatar have popped up and it’s interesting to see how you can cut a trailer so many ways to appeal to just the right crowd. When you put all six of these in a row (as we’ve done after the jump), you kind of want a featurette on how they’re working to make sure Avatar is appealing to everyone. I currently have a bet going with some friends that we’re going to see Robert Pattinson’s head super-imposed on an Avatar body before the film comes out on December 18th.
Hit the jump to watch the six new TV spots and hope that once all the marketing for Avatar is complete, we can edit every ad together and run a 24-hour Avatar TV Channel. It will »
- Matt Goldberg
Quentin Tarantino Says Kill Bill Vol. 3 Isn’t Next and It’s Not Called Kill Bill Vol. 3
13 hours ago
Speaking with MTV, Quentin Tarantino says that his next project isn’t Kill Bill Vol. 3 and that “Kill Bill Vol. 3″ wouldn’t even be the title. This makes a lot of sense if you know how volume two ends (spoiler alert: Bill gets killed). Tarantino says that another film in the franchise would be “Volume 3 of the story of the Bride” and since that isn’t very catchy, don’t expect that to be the title either.
Whatever the title may be, don’t expect to be seeing it on a marquee anytime soon. Says Tarantino, “There’s no script; there are just ideas and notes. I won’t do that next, but it could very well be the thing I do after next.” While I sure do love speculating about a film that still doesn’t have a title or a script but brings back a popular character, at »
- Matt Goldberg
Alec Baldwin Says He’s Done with Acting
14 hours ago
In a recent interview with Men’s Journal [via Reuters], Alec Baldwin, currently one of the most (intentionally) funny men on television right now, says he’ll be retiring from acting after 2012. He’s pretty down on himself in the piece saying that his entire film acting career has been a failure. “I consider my entire movie career a complete failure,” he told Men’s Journal. “The goal of movie-making is to star in a film where your performance drives the film, and the film is either a soaring critical or commercial success, and I never had that.” I’m sorry that Baldwin uses that metric because he’s not only an insanely talented comedian, but when most people think of the film version of Glengarry Glen Ross, his single scene in the film immediately comes to mind. He also picked up a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his performance in 2003’s »
- Matt Goldberg
Four New Images from Karate Kid Starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith
15 hours ago
Sony Pictures just released four pictures from their upcoming remake of The Karate Kid. Maybe it’s because Jackie Chan–who plays “Mr. Han”, the remake’s Mr. Miyagi–has such a big smile that you can’t see if inside he’s dying and he’s desperately just trying to go out in a blaze of glory where one of his famous stunts finally kills him. It’s as if he’s trying to fulfill some destiny where his obituary reads, “Mr. Chan, who had done the ladder stunt countless times before…” Of course, the flip side to all of this is his death would occur working on a remake of The Karate Kid or his other painful looking family film next year, The Spy Next Door. Of course, no one wants to say, “He died doing what he loved: making disposable family fare.”
Check out the pictures after »
- Matt Goldberg
3rd Trailer for Nine Attempts to Explain the Plot and Characters
16 hours ago
With only 19 days left until it hits theaters, Nine has a new trailer which finally goes beyond sex, cinematography, and accolades (which won me over), and attempts to present as many characters as possible as well as the conflicts of the main character, Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis). It gets to just about everyone in the cast except Fergie and Sophia Loren, so let me help out with that right now: Loren plays Guido’s mother and Fergie plays the whore from his youth. I’m not sure why they didn’t try to explain those roles, but it does accomplish a lot within the span of two and a half minutes so head over to Apple and check it out.
Nine hits theaters on December 18th. Hit the jump for a brief synopsis.
For those just tuning in, here’s a brief synopsis for Nine:
“Nine” is a vibrant »
- Matt Goldberg
First Teaser Poster for Iron Man 2
17 hours ago
Yahoo! Movies has just debuted the first poster for Iron Man 2. That high-pitched noise you just heard was fanboys across the globe squealing their minds out to see War Machine (a.k.a. Col. James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes, played by Don Cheadle) standing behind Iron Man. Of course, if you have no idea about the Iron Man mythology, I wonder if you look at this think it’s like the Black Costume from Spider-Man 3 or if Iron Man is feeling shoulder-mounted-chain-gun-envy.
Hit the jump to check out the full poster. Iron Man 2 hits theaters on May 7, 2010.
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- Matt Goldberg
Is Paul Greengrass Finished with the Bourne Franchise?
19 hours ago
The Playlist (who have become heavy hitters with exclusives) is reporting that director Paul Greengrass, the critically acclaimed helmer of The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, United 93, and the upcoming Iraq War-thriller Green Zone, will not be coming back for a fourth Jason Bourne adventure. The break apparently comes from two factors: Greengrass is upset at Universal because they didn’t consult him on who they hired to write the Bourne 4; likewise, Universal is upset at Greengrass because he’s turned Green Zone, which was supposed to be a small film to keep Greengrass happy in between Bourne flicks, into a $150 million Iraq War movie (which have never been a hit at the box office).
Obviously, after three films together, Matt Damon’s loyalty lies with Greengrass and wouldn’t even consider doing a 4th Bourne, “at least not without [Greengrass'] blessing and even then, it would have to be a spectacular script. »
- Matt Goldberg
Barry Sonnenfield to Direct and Exec. Produce Funny In Farsi for ABC
21 hours ago
Producer-Director Barry Sonnenfeld (Pushing Daisies) is set to direct and executive produce the pilot of Funny in Farsi. The single-camera comedy is being developed for ABC about growing up Iranian American in 1970s Newport Beach, based on Firoozeh Dumas’ memoir of the same name.
According to THR, ABC ordered a pilot script last season, but the director they had in mind pulled out and the project got shelved. The pilot has been adapted from the book by Jeffrey Hodes and Nastaran Dibai (who worked together on the three-camera According to Jim), and Sonnenfeld is helming the show in conjunction with another show, likely a drama, both in a deal with ABC.
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- Michael Sullivan
WB Announces Clint Eastwood: 35 Films 35 Years at Warner Bros. DVD Box Set
21 hours ago
Warner Bros. has announced an incredible Clint Eastwood DVD box set. They’re calling it Clint Eastwood: 35 Films 35 Years at Warner Bros., and if you can’t tell by the title, it includes Eastwood’s entire filmography at the studio from Where Eagles Dare (1968) through Gran Torino (2008) in an really nice giftbox. According to the studio, also included is an all-new short film about Eastwood’s life and career produced by film critic and documentarian Richard Schickel, featuring in-depth interviews and revealing, intimate footage never-before-seen plus rare photos and letters. The box set is scheduled for release February 16th, 2010 and the retail price is $179 and change. It’s a hell of a deal for any Eastwood fan. The only negative is it’s not available on Blu-ray. Check out the artwork after the jump:
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- Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub
The Hobbit Filming Delayed; Peter Jackson Explains
22 hours ago
With Peter Jackson promoting his new movie The Lovely Bones around the world, we’re getting a lot of updates on the project every Lord of the Rings fans is dying to see: The Hobbit. While filming was scheduled to begin early next year on the two films, Jackson told the German website MovieReporter.net (via TheOneRing)
“We’re currently working on the second script which we hope to have completed by the end of this year or beginning of next. When the scripts are completed, we can begin with the exact calculation of the necessary budget. We hope to start filming in the middle of next year. However, we’ve received no green light from the studio yet.”
Now before you get too excited and think Warner Bros. isn’t going to make these films, think again. The Lord of the Rings franchise made the studio an enormous amount »
- Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub
Fox wants Matthew McConaughey’s Rooster Tales
23 hours ago
Variety is reporting that Matthew McConaughey, through his J.K. Livin’ Productions, will be producing an animated series for Fox based on the life and times of his brother. According to McConaughey, his brother, Michael, also known as “Rooster,” has had a life “so unbelievable, we had to animate it.” The story is set to start with the marriage of a rough, redneck sheriff to a young woman from Mexico. Hilarity ensues when he is welcomed into her family…of 114. After beating out TBS and Comedy Central for the rights to develop Rooster Tales, Fox now has the show in the script stage.
While the premise is somewhat reminiscent of Salma Hayek’s memorable appearance as Jack Donaghy’s girlfriend on 30 Rock I am unsure if there is really enough comedic potential for a quality series. Really, what I am most impressed with is the euphemism-friendly title.
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- David Corbin
Thomas Dekker to Lead Indie Drama Waska Co-Starring Jeremy Piven, Lynn Collins, and Kate Walsh
29 November 2009 9:46 PM, PST
In what’s sure to be an uplifting tale on par with E.T. and commercials for the Olympics, Thomas Dekker (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), Jeremy Piven, Lynn Collins, and Kate Walsh have all been cast in Waska, which is about a young father (Dekker) whose 3-year-old freezes to death on a fishing trip. I believe we’ve found our feel-good film of 2010.
According to THR, “a local prosecutor (Piven) goes after him, townspeople like his ex-wife (Collins) rage at him and others support him as he attempts to makes sense of what happened.” Mira Sorvino, Elizabeth McGovern, and Joseph Morgan also co-star in the film. Waska is based off a novel by Leslie Schwartz and is probably a great beach read.
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- Matt Goldberg
MTV to Present Live Webcast of Avatar Roundtable with James Cameron, Zoe Saldana, and Sam Worthington
29 November 2009 9:30 PM, PST
The attempt to make sure every man, woman, and child knows about James Cameron’s Avatar continues as MTV will host a live webcast of a roundtable discussion with Cameron, stars Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington, and producer Jon Landau. Variety reports that MTV News managing editor Josh Horowitz will moderate the 30-minute event, which will feature unseen footage from the movie. The webcast will also be shown on the official Avatar Facebook page and fans will be able to submit questions to either site.
MTV will broadcast the event on December 3rd in preparation for their half-hour special on Avatar on December 16th. Avatar will hit theaters in 2D, 3D, and 3D IMAX on December 18th. Hit the jump to read a full synopsis on the film. No word yet if 20th Century Fox plans to market the film in our food and drinking water.
For those just tuning in, »
- Matt Goldberg
Sam Raimi’s Ghost House Makes High-Priced Deal with Fede Alvarez Based on His Low-Budget YouTube Short, Panic Attack!
29 November 2009 9:01 PM, PST
Heat Vision reports that Fede Alvarez, a Uraguayan filmmaker who created a YouTube hit with his low-budget sci-fi short, Panic Attack!, has signed a deal with Sam Raimi’s Ghost House Pictures to develop and direct an original genre project. While Panic Attack! only cost several hundred dollars, his deal with Ghost House is reportedly in the six- against seven figure range (meaning that he’s being paid $X00,000 and if the film gets made he gets a bonus amount which would bring his salary to $X,000,000). The same day Alvarez posted his video, Hollywood came calling as they were impressed with what he was able to accomplish with such a low budget.
Alvarez’ short is less than five minutes long and is about robots invading and attacking the city of Montevideo. That’s all that happens in the movie. The robots invade and then they attack. The end. I »
- Matt Goldberg
Paramount Pictures to Head to Area 51 with Paranormal Activity Director Oren Peli
29 November 2009 8:33 PM, PST
According to BFDMemo, Paramount Pictures has picked up the distribution to director Oren Peli’s Area 51, the highly anticipated follow-up to this year’s box office smash, Paranormal Activity. As previously reported on numerous occasions, Paranormal Activity is the most profitable film of all time, pulling in more than $106 million at the box office on only a budget of $11,000.
Bfd notes “Peli had a much larger budget to work with on this extraterrestrial tale than he did for his ghost story, as sources said he brought the film in at a shade under $5 million.” The story continues that Area 51 will employ the same “found-footage” device of Paranormal Activity as it follows three teens whose curiosity brings them to the infamous secret military base of sci-fi lore. While no release date has been set, the film almost certainly debut sometime in 2010. Peli’s next film after Area 51 will »
- Matt Goldberg
Angels & Demons Blu-ray Review
29 November 2009 6:13 PM, PST
One of the rules in the mystery thriller genre is that if you want to find your suspect for the killings, it’s probably not the obvious answer. One should be suspicious of the nice, the genteel, the physical unthreatening, and often the sexual repressed/fey types. If the idea is surprising your audience, the person in the first act cutting the brushes will probably not be the killer, unless he never shows up again, and the camera lingers (the Hunt for Red October rule). As mystery/thrillers go, Angels & Demons is perfectly competent, but never much more, and the person most likely to be the ringleader is evident if the rules above are paid attention to. My review of the Angels and Demons Blu-ray after the jump.
Tom Hanks returns as Robert Langdon, called to the Vatican to help after the illuminati have shown their hand and threaten to »
- Andre Dellamorte
18 articles
