Zack Snyder's 'Sucker Punch' Trailer

"Sucker Punch" is the story of a young woman locked up at a mental institution who escapes mentally into a fantasy world in order to help her survive her situation. The film has a group of beautiful women battling everything from your basic bad guys to giant robots, fire-breathing dragons, Samurai warriors and more.

It's like a teenage boy's wet dream. How much stuff can he cram into this flick?



"Sucker Punch" stars Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Jena Malone, Abbie Cornish, Jamie Chung, Carla Gugino, Jon Hamm, Scott Glenn and Oscar Isaac.

It hits theaters March 25, 2011.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

3D Bonanza: More Films go to the Next Dimension

The new wave in blockbuster action cinema is almost upon us. Hate it or Love it, 3D films are now happening around us everyday. Who in the world could have given every major studio the notion that 3D equals buckets of money?

The easy answer is James Cameron and "Avatar," but he can only be held responsible for so much. Animated 3D movies aimed at children have been doing well for awhile - maybe because you can charge more money for tickets and kids see it as a gimmick.

James Cameron just proved you could do 3D for adults.

He didn't necessarily prove that just because you can you should, and the difference between a gimmick and a new tool for directors lies in the audience's tolerance of it.

"Avatar" was a game changer, but we're still playing the game. It's time to expect a shotgun approach that's shaping up to be something like Jason Bourne shaky cam or Bullet Time, except this one costs the theater-goer more money and makes the potential for electronics company to bring new products into your home - so this new trick isn't acting like a new tool.

Then again, I extend an open invitation to any of the below mentioned films to come slap the cynisim right out of me. Through my 3D glasses, of course.

Warner Bros is upping the ante by upgrading Zach Snyder's action-fantasy "Sucker Punch" up another dimension in time for it's March 25, 2011 release, and it's also giving Ryan Reynolds' superhero flick "Green Lantern" a boost to 3D for June 17, 2011.

So now Warner Brothers is going 3D crazy? I guess they're satisfied with the way "Clash of the Titans" turned out in 3D.

To be honest, this isn't all that surprising, but it could be considered exciting. We already know Hollywood is going 3D crazy, it just took a little while for Warner Brothers to join in.

Also on the list of films to go 3D is the upcoming "Alien" prequel that is set to be directed by Ridely Scott.

Shadow Locked spoke with Roger Christian (art director on "Star Wars" and "Alien") who mentioned that Scott's "Alien" prequel would be getting the 3D treatment.

Honestly, it was inevitable that we'd hear this sooner or later, since everything under the sun is going into the third dimension. So acid spit and chest splitting aliens will be flying right at our faces in the new installment.

Unfortunately, I think the studios are going to convert most of these movies to 3D in post-production and not shooting any of them in 3D from the start. Hopefully that kind of decision will backfire on some studios and cause them to shoot 3D the way it should be shot.

Any thoughts on all these films becoming 3D?

More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: First Showing (1,2), Latino Review, Live for Films

Jon Hamm Joins 'Sucker Punch'

Zack Snyder certainly had his fair share of problems early on wrangling a cast for his latest project "Sucker Punch." Amanda Seyfried was supposed to play the lead Baby Doll, then dropped out only to be replaced later by Emily Browning and not long after that both Emma Stone and Evan Rachel Wood left the project due to "scheduling conflicts." Now THR tells us that a bit of good fortune has finally been sent Snyder's way in the form of "Mad Men" actor Jon Hamm being the first male to join the, thus far, all-female cast that also includes Abbie Cornish, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Jena Malone and Carla Gugino most recently.

While it's been revealed that Hamm's character goes by the name High Roller, all other details are being kept under tight wraps. And it's not easy to figure out what his role might entail with a movie described as "Alice in Wonderland with machine guns." The only story details known about Sucker Punch are that it follows a girl named Baby Doll when she is banished to a mental institution by her step-father who has intentions for her to be lobotomized in five days. While imprisoned, she imagines herself in a fantasy world where she and her friends must steal five objects in order to help her escape before a sinister man has her way with her.

Maybe he might be that sinister man...
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: First Showing

'Sucker Punch' Will Be Filled With Insane Action

As excited as I am for Zack Snyder's "Sucker Punch" to get underway, we still really don't know that much about it other than the the basic premise (an institutionalized girl retreats into an alternative reality in order to try and escape the mental hospital), but as for exactly what takes place and how it'll all look, that still remains a secret. Abbie Cornish, who plays one of the four "wild-child" friends of the lead character Baby Doll in the movie, revealed just a bit more about what's going on.

Cornish plays Sweetpea, the leader of the group of friends that includes Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, and Jena Malon. "The film is a dream in a way," she said. "It operates on three levels. A reality, then a sub-reality where the psych ward world shifts into this strange high-roller's brothel. Then there's this dream world where it goes into these crazy action sequences that are totally removed from time and space." Although Sweetpea is in the same mental hospital, in the dream world "all of a sudden she becomes a crazy killing machine and she's decked out in a really cool outfit."

And if you're wondering if there will be a lot of fighting, you're right. Snyder is putting all five of the girls through Spartan-like fight training and conditioning in Vancouver at the moment.

"Sometimes I forget I'm an actor. We're training so hard." She said their five-day-a-week morning is "doing martial fighting, swords and choreography - just kicking butt with guns and everything imaginable. And then we do a training session in the afternoon. It's like being a stunt person, really, not an actor at all."

Five beautiful women all doing hardcore fight training? I'm in. Are you?
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: First Showing, Emily Browning Online

Carla Gugino Joins the All-Girl Cast of 'Sucker Punch'

THR announced that actress Carla Gugino is the latest to join the cast of Zack Snyder's "Sucker Punch." Gugino last worked with Snyder on "Watchmen," where she starred as the first Silk Spectre. The all-girl cast of Snyder's latest movie includes Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Jena Malone, and Abbie Cornish.

"Sucker Punch" is about a teenage girl known as Baby Doll (Browning), who is sent to a mental institution by her evil stepfather who plans to have her lobotomized in 5 days. Before that happens, the girl and her fellow female inmates and friends enter into an alternate reality to try and plan their escape from the institution. Gugino will play Mrs. Schultz, some sort of adult figure within the institution (I’m guessing a doctor or some other sort of authority figure).

You can definitely expect lots of awesome fight scenes in "Sucker Punch." The "actors are currently in fight training, and the studio is readying a fall shoot in Vancouver." Way back when, Snyder called it "Alice in Wonderland with machine guns" and things like dragons, B-52 bombers and brothels will be in it.

I am interested to see what Snyder has in store for us with his first truly original movie (everything he’s worked on so far has been some sort of adaptation). He’s written the script, as well directing the film, so that, plus the fact that (so far) it has an all-female cast, makes me excited to see how it’ll turn out. I'm looking forward "Sucker Punch," not only because it's an original idea, but because it sounds awesome.

"Sucker Punch" hits theaters March 25, 2011.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, First Showing, Screen Rant

Vanessa Hudgens to Strip in 'Sucker Punch'

Director Zack Snyder ("Dawn of the Dead," "300," "Watchmen") recently suggested that he might deliver a PG-13 rated film for the first time in his career, but without softening the action of his upcoming "Sucker Punch." Now comes word that Disney star Vanessa Hudgens "will strip naked" for her role as a prostitute in the film, according to Metro UK.

Except that she doesn't actually say that. Her actual quoted words are: "I'm playing a character named Blondie and it's set in a brothel in the 1950s, so there's not a whole lot of clothes." From that, the publication surmises that she'll be naked.

More likely, she'll be dressed in revealing, sexy outfits that don't show as much as her leaked private photos did (which reportedly showed everything). Unless, of course, Snyder plans to shoot additional footage that can then be released as part of an "unrated" or "director's cut" version for DVD and Blu-ray, while keeping a PG-13 rating in mind for theaters.

"It'll be gun training, stunts, fighting and all that craziness. I can't wait. I'm so excited. I've wanted to do an action film for a while," Vanessa adds about her role. "I think this is my time to really step it up and get to grow up. It will be somewhat different with the content and a few more foul words but that's the biggest difference."

Playing a foul-mouthed hooker who dresses scantly is a vast distance away from her career with Disney on "High School Musical." I wonder what all the tween girls who idolize her will think of her role in "Sucker Punch."

Vanessa Hudgens will star alongside Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, and Jamie Chung. Described as "Alice in Wonderland with machine guns," "Sucker Punch" starts production this fall and aims for a March 2011 release date.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: Cinematical

From 'High School Musical' To Badass

Director Zack Snyder, the eye-popping filmmaker behind “300” and “Watchmen,” has hired Vanessa Hudgens to star in his next action flick, “Sucker Punch.” But how will she perform in the movie without having any action-hero experience? Was it just a matter of assuming the singing/dancing “High School Musical” star can do anything that’s physically demanding if she’s already twirled around a dance floor?

“No, I didn’t even look at it that way at first,” Snyder explained. “She rehearsed, she did the audition for the scene. I wasn’t sure at first – [the casting people] were like ‘Oh, Vanessa’s coming’ and I was ‘Oh, okay - that sounds cool’ but I didn’t know what to think.”

“Then I saw the tape and I literally went ‘Wow, she’s good,’” Snyder recalled. “She’s really good. Then I talked to her about what she’d have to do.”

What Hudgens has to do is join co-stars Emily Browning, Jena Malone, Jamie Chung and Abbie Cornish in intense physical training. And then put her “HSM” past behind her as she kicks some ass, King Leonidas-style. The film is about a group of institutionalized young girls using their intense and often violent fantasies to escape.

“You’re going to see her shooting machine guns, fighting, beating the sh-t out of people,” Snyder revealed. “It’s funny - we sat her down for her physical evaluation, and she was really athletic. She’s a dancer, so all the choreography is gonna be fun for her.”

“It’ll allow her to stretch herself and do whatever she wants, and not be too exposed by the movie - but also, on the other hand, do things that people have never seen her do,” he added, saying that since Hudgens isn’t the film’s main star, she’ll have enough freedom to experiment a bit. “She has a big part, but she’s not the center of the movie.”

Shooting for “Sucker Punch” will start soon, with a 2011 release currently in Snyder’s sights.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source" MTV News

Zack Snyder May Go PG-13

While at a Warner Bros. press release for the Blu-Ray release of the Watchmen Director's Cut, CHUD was able to discuss with director Zack Snyder about "Watchmen's" disappointing performance at the box office and what he will be doing with his next film, "Sucker Punch."

"Not to be snobby or anything, but I think the movie doesn't have the kind of... it asks a lot of the viewer," Snyder said. "It's not 'entertaining' in the classic sense of the word. That's just a fact. It's not an action film, it's not a comedy. Dramas are not hot right now, and no one wants to see a dramatic superhero movie. It's inherent in the material. I was kind of surprised by how excited everyone was getting at the time of release, because I always knew the movie was particular. I knew there were [only] certain people who would say 'This is awesome.

"We made $55 million on our opening weekend and everybody was like, 'Oh that's too bad.' And then 'Night at the Museum' made $58 million and everyone was like 'Hey, it's a box office bonanza!' I was like, 'Really? REALLY? A PG-13 movie about some kids in a frickin' museum and they make a few million more than us and that's awesome?' Maybe it's just sour grapes, but I felt like it was a little bit personal.

"It is R-rated and it's almost three hours long. There's no version of a three hour long R-rated movie about troubled superheroes that is a summer blockbuster. I don't see that happening."

Snyder went on to say how his next film might be toning down as to make more bang for its buck.

"If you can make 'Taken' PG-13, you can make this movie PG-13," he said. "That's what I believe. Because it's more fantastic. No one really dies in the movie."

He's got a point - there's plenty of violence in the "Lord of the Rings" films that would have gotten the films an R rating if it were humans being hewed to bits. "Return of the King" in particular seems to be right up on the edge of what's acceptable, and I imagine that edge is where Snyder will have in "Sucker Punch."

"I think 'Sucker Punch' is a smart movie," he said. "It absolutely is challenging, and it's f***ing hardcore. [A]t the end she gets... it's dark! But it's f***ing actiony like nobody's business. We hope the action we're creating is off the charts, and it's not stupid."

"Sucker Punch" is set to hit theaters on March 25, 2011 and the "Watchmen" DVD will hit shelves July 21.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: CHUD (1,2)

Green Lantern and Sucker Punch Delayed!

Two films that I am really looking forward to are now being delayed.

"Green Lantern," the story of how Hal Jordan became a galactic enforcer and super hero on Earth, and "Sucker Punch," Zack Snyder's story about girls in a psych ward who dream of escape, are both being delayed to 2011.

According to Screen Rant, "A few weeks back, Screen Rant reported on the hefty $150 million budget that was being allocated by Warner Brothers for the production of 'Green Lantern.' In that article, Screen Rant writer Kofi discussed the strange December release date for the Green Lantern movie that was set to open in December of 2010 and hoped that we wouldn’t get close to that date and see it mysteriously get pushed back to the following summer (a la Harry Potter 6).

Well, three weeks later it happened and now Green Lantern is scheduled to open June 17, 2011. It will share the summer with several Marvel superheroes from upcoming 'Thor' and 'Captain America' movies as well as Sony’s 'Spider-Man 4.'

As for Zack Snyder’s 'Sucker Punch,' much of the news we’ve been hearing lately has to do with some lead actresses dropping out of the movie. Perhaps that has something to do with the delay as now, instead of an October 8, 2010 release, 'Sucker Punch' will hit theaters March 25, 2011.'"

Hopefully this will give more time to the filmmakers to make the film that we all want to see. Snyder has a film with another March release and "Green Lantern" goes up against a host of Marvel movies.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Source: Box Office Mojo

Two More Sucker Punch Suckers

Two more femme fatales from Zack Snyder's upcoming "Sucker Punch" have been suckered into other roles and left Snyder like he had been punched (how lame of an opening can I make?).

Moving on...
According to The Geek Files, "Actress Jena Malone has stepped out of 'The Ruins' and into 'Watchmen' director Zack Snyder's $100 million female action flick 'Sucker Punch!'

Malone, 24, whose other credits include 'Donnie Darko,' 'Pride & Prejudice' and 'Into the Wild,' replaces Evan Rachel Wood while Jamie Chung ('Dragonball Evolution') replaces Emma Stone. Both had dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. A month earlier Amanda Seyfried left for the same reasons and was replaced by Emily Browning.

Also cast in the film - at present anyway - are Abbie Cornish and Zac Efron's girlfriend and fellow 'High School Musical' star Vanessa Hudgens.

The film is set for release in October 2010. Set in the 1950s, the story revolves around a girl (Browning) confined to a mental institution by her evil stepfather, who intends to have her lobotomised in five days.

She imagines an alternative reality to hide from the pain and in that world begins planning her escape, needing to steal five objects to get out. Malone, Chung, Hudgens and Cornish play fellow inmates who also travel into the alternative reality."

Malone may in fact be just as good a score as Wood as both are fine actresses. Malone takes over for Wood playing Cornish’s younger sister while Chung replaces Stone and will play Amber, a country girl with a big heart. Both characters are inmates. Word is Wood and Stone both dropped off due to scheduling conflicts.

So many scheduling conflicts. Three girls have dropped out so far. Hopefully everything will stay intact and the movie will come out when it is supposed to.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Movie News Mash 9

"The Kung Fu Kid"

According to First Showing, "Last year it was announced that Columbia Pictures was remaking the 1984 classic 'Karate Kid' with Jaden Smith set to star. In January, we announced that Jackie Chan had been cast as the lovable Mr. Miyagi, stepping in for Pat Morita. As far as I know, not a single person was excited by any of this news, but of course Sony is pushing forward with the production in hopes of convincing audiences later with marketing. Well, a good friends of ours dropped by with a tip recently letting us know that in a recent interview with Jackie Chan, he let slip that this remake is actually going to be called Kung Fu Kid, not Karate Kid.

'They don't want to call it Karate Kid any more,' Chan said. 'They want to call it The Kung Fu Kid.' He quickly changed topics and unfortunately didn't add any more about as to why this change was being made. Our guess is that since this remake is a Chinese co-production and being shot in Beijing, it's much more relevant today to use kung fu as opposed to karate (which isn't as popular as it was back in the 80's) and also more appropriate considering karate actually has its historical roots in kung fu. As in, story updates and Chinese influence caused them to change the title to be more culturally relevant and accurate."

Having the title of "Karate Kid" could have had people want to see the movie based on name recognition alone. Now that won't happen.
Why does this movie need to be remade again?


"Wonder Woman"

According to IESB, "Looks like WB and Silver Pictures are now looking for a director. The studios are enthusiastically working together to attach elements to the film to get it up and going quickly.

"There was a regime change late last year over at Silver Pictures, Andrew Rona is now the man in charge and will be the man spearheading the live action Wonder Woman project along with mega producer Joel Silver.

"WB and Silver Pictures are in the early stages but they are eager to get started on the movie. Sources tell IESB that WB is looking for new writers on the project and have been taking pitches the last few weeks."

Joss Whedon, famous for his hit TV show "Buffy," wrote a screenplay - for which he envisaged Eliza Dushku in the lead role - but it was rejected by studio bosses.

Hollywood babe Megan Fox (pictured) is so keen on the role that she promoted herself as Wonder Woman in a poster via a viral marketing website.

I am still hesitant to think that a "Wonder Woman" movie will be coming out soon, but with the general good responses coming from the recently released animated movie, maybe a director will soon be chosen.



"Sucker Punch"

According to Rope of Silicon, "Following the unfortunate departure of Amanda Seyfried from the lead role in Zack Snyder’s upcoming 'Sucker Punch' the role of Baby Doll has been filled by Aussie actress Emily Browning, one of the stars of this year’s thriller 'The Uninvited.'

Browning replaces Seyfried as Baby Doll, a role described as an insane asylum inmate who loses herself in a fantasy world where she dreams about escaping with her fellow inmates. She will be joining Evan Rachel Wood, Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish, and Emma Stone in the film described as 'an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ with machine guns.'

Filming is set to begin this fall with a October 8, 2010 release date already scoped out by Warner Bros."

I liked her in "A Series of Unfortunate Events." Though Jim Carrey might have outdone everyone in that film.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Seyfried Out of Sucker Punch

According to Entertainment Weekly, "Amanda Seyfried's attempt to tackle some edgy theatrical material has been thwarted by scheduling issues. EW has learned that the actress, best known for her singing-and-dancing role in 'Mamma Mia,' won't be starring in Zack Snyder's 1960s-set, R-rated action fantasy 'Sucker Punch' for Warner Bros. Seyfried was offered the lead role of Baby Doll, a young woman who has been committed to an insane asylum and fantasizes about escaping with the help of her fellow inmates. But with shooting scheduled for the fall, HBO won't release her from her 'Big Love' commitment, which will be in the middle of filming its fourth season. No word yet on who Snyder will find as her replacement.

Seyfried is scheduled to complete her work on 'Chloe,' in which she costars opposite Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore, this week. It's unclear whether or not Neeson's absence will prolong her schedule on the film. With Big Love concluding its third season Sunday night, Seyfried can be seen next in the Diablo Cody-penned horror film 'Jennifer's Body,' opposite Megan Fox."

What can I say, we won't be getting none of her fantasizing about escaping from an insane asylum and probably killing people. The big wonder is now who will replace her. Do you have any suggestions?

Snyder's next film will be sure to include lots of awesome slo-mo scenes. Believe it!
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

WB Release Dates

"Green Lantern" is greenlit and will be released on Dec. 17, 2010. So instead of having another summer blockbuster next to "Thor" and "Iron Man 2," we will have a film that will make the holidays worthy. It comes out on the same weekend as the upcoming "Smurfs" movie. Green will beat blue, I guarantee it.

Other films have gotten new release dates, either brand new or shuffled around.

According to erc Box Office, "The final Harry Potter film ["Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II"] also locks down a date: 7/15/2011. Previously, the film, which will focus on the second part of The Deathly Hallows, was scheduled for Summer 2011. And guess what other 'little' film is set to open that same weekend...? Marvel's 'The Avengers.' Let's think about this bold move for a second: There are exactly six films that even have a release date locked down in 2011 and WB (who owns DC Comics) picks the exact date Marvel had already staked out six months ago? This smacks of a classic Marvel/DC rivalry.

The studio also announced a new date for Guy Ritchie's 'Sherlock Holmes': 12/25/09. Previously the Robert Downey Jr. starrer was to open 11/13/09, against Sony's '2012' and Fox's 'The Tooth Fairy.'

'The Clash of the Titans' remake from director Louis Leterrier ('The Incredible Hulk') goes to battle 3/26/10.

Christopher Nolan's sci-fi pic, 'Inception,' which is based on his original script, drops 7/16/10.

Director Jimmy Hayward ('Horton Hears a Who!') saddles up 'Jonah Hex'--a western based on the DC comic book character--which rides into theatres 8/6/10. Josh Brolin is set for the title role, while John Malkovich will co-star.

Zack Snyder's next up, 'Suckerpunch,' will unspool 10/8/10."

This all sounds good to me.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Sucker Punch

Zack Snyder spoke to Collider about his next project after "Watchmen."

"Sucker Punch."



Sounds interesting what with an all girl cast and being rated R. In fact, all the films Snyder has directed have been rated R so far.
I bet there will be lots of blood, slow motion and...well...probably naked women.
Yup, people are definitely going to see this movie.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!