Mark Millar Says 'Wanted 2' Will Move On Without Jolie

A couple of weeks back it was reported that Angelina Jolie was "ditching" the "Wanted" sequel to supposedly move on to Alfonso Cauron's new sci-fi project "Gravity" (even though it turns out she's no longer attached to that). Some reports were saying this might mean the death of that sequel, but author Mark Millar recently spoke with MTV News and confirmed that Universal and director Timur Bekmambetov are planning to move on without Jolie.

Millar said the plan is to bring in “another cool new character” from the comic book in place of Jolie as well as other assassin fraternities (in the comic there were five all across the world).

To learn more you can watch the interview below, but hopefully you've already seen "Wanted" because Millar drops a big spoiler (that's been dropped plenty of times before).

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Honestly, I think most fans will be happy seeing Jolie's character Fox not return anyway because, well, she died, as we all know, and it would be weird to see them come up with some bullsh*t plot device to bring her back from the dead. Since I'm not so familiar with the graphic novel I can't suggest other characters we might see in place of Jolie, but I expect to see another strong female lead, maybe as a new love interest.

As far as the story for "Wanted 2," I like the idea that James McAvoy’s character will now be out in the world being hunted by all these different assassin fraternities. There’s so much possibility for globe-trotting action and lots more "cool new characters."

What do you think of "Wanted 2" moving ahead without Angelina Jolie? What sort of plot would you like the sequel to have?

No word on when "Wanted 2" might start filming – but according to Millar, it should be “soon.”
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: Screen Rant, First Showing, MTV News

'Wanted 2' Will Move Forward Without Angelina Jolie

Last week, word broke that Angelina Jolie had turned down the chance to reprise her role as Fox in "Wanted 2." Despite initial rumors claiming that the potential sequel had been shelved by Universal, "Wanted" co-creator Mark Millar has indicated the film will proceed without Jolie.

“'Wanted 2' will be certainly going ahead, because the first one made too much money for them not to do a sequel," explained Millar during an interview with STV. "What I heard was that there’s filming this year for a release at the end of next year, so the plot that they had will have some modifications now. Her character will have to be written out completely. We’ll see what happens, I don’t know, it changes every day. Again, things get so out of your hands with film because 300 people are involved, whereas with comics it’s just you and your artist."

The first "Wanted" movie differed significantly from the original miniseries - especially in regards to the fate of Jolie's character at the end of the film.

“What was funny was originally 'Wanted' was just going to be one movie, and Angelina [Jolie] dies at the end," related Millar. “The idea was that it was going to be self-contained, but the movie cost $75 million to make and it made $314 million back just theatrically. At the premiere the tracking was really good and everything, and the producer came up and said ‘What are we going to do for 'Wanted 2?'’ and I was like ‘I don’t have any ideas!’"

“So they put something together, and it was bringing Angelina back from the dead and everything," continued Millar. "I don’t know, I think that probably just didn’t sit easily with her, because it has to be a really good reason why somebody comes back from the dead.”

“I think it’s actually more authentic if they keep her dead," added Millar. "She was the star of the movie really, but how cool is it to have the star dead and bring in another cool character for the next one?"

According to the Hollywood Reporter, sources at Universal Studios have also confirmed that "Wanted 2" is still "alive."

Jolie left the sequel to work on a film called "Gravity," but the same THR report states that she is in negotiations to appear in director Darren Aronofsky's adaptation of the novel "Serena." Entertainment Weekly states that Jolie’s representatives "say the actress has passed on doing 'Gravity' at Warner Bros. and that even WB "is still unable to confirm whether or not 'Gravity' is even set up with the studio."

Jolie will next be seen in the action-thriller "Salt" where she plays a CIA officer accused by a defector of being a Russian sleeper spy. "Salt" hits theaters on July 23. After that, she'll be seen in the "The Tourist" opposite Johnny Depp with an unknown 2011 release date. And after that she'll once again lend her voice to the character of Tigress in "Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom of Doom," which is set to hit theaters on June 3, 2011.

Are you happy that there will be a "Wanted 2" after all? How do you feel about Jolie not returning for the sequel?

More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: MTV News, Rope of Silicon

Angelina Jolie Ditches 'Wanted 2' and Universal Decides to Scrap the Sequel

"Wanted" was a huge success for Universal. It was a great big fun film and a sequel has been in the works with Angelina Jolie set to return to the franchise.

Last year, "Wanted" director Timur Bekmabetov not only said Angelina Jolie's character would return for the sequel, he also explained how she could reappear despite her [SPOILER ALERT] apparent demise at the end of the first film.

For those wondering how she would even return, Bekmambetov explained that Jolie's character Fox would apparently be saved in the wax healing baths after being shot (supposedly).

However, news has emerged that Jolie has turned down the chance to reprise her role as the assassin in favor of starring in another movie.

According to New York Magazine, Jolie will instead star in "Gravity", a sci-fi thriller by director Alfonso Cuarón ("Children of Men"). Cuaron penned the script with his son Jonas, which would see Jolie as the sole surviving human member of a space mission, desperately trying to return home to Earth and her daughter.

It's pretty big news that Jolie left "Wanted 2" because it was Universal's next big project and now it seems to be falling apart. The report continues that because Jolie has opted to leave "Wanted 2" behind, Universal Studios has "pulled the plug rather than recast the film."

Well...that sucks. I liked the action flick and was looking forward to seeing how they would up the ante of the film by going worldwide.

How do you feel about not seeing a "Wanted 2"? Should Universal just make a "Wanted" sequel without Angelina Jolie or should the role simply be recast?

More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: Live for Films, MTV News, First Showing, Rope of Silicon

Movie News Mash 30

Fast and Furious 5
Vin Diesel and Paul Walker have signed deals to return for a fifth film in the "Fast and Furious" street-racing series.

The Universal Pictures movie - so far known as "Fast Five" - will see Dominic Toretto (Diesel) and Brian O'Conner (Walker) as fugitives being pursued by relentless lawmen.

Director Justin Lin and writer Chris Morgan will be back to direct and write "Fast Five," respectively, after working on the third and fourth movies together.

The film will begin filming later this year for a 2011 release, says Variety.

Are you a fan of the "Fast & Furious" films? Are you looking forward to a new one? Anyone have a better title for it?
(Screen Rant, The Geek Files, Live for Films)

The Lost Symbol
Dan Brown's best-seller "The Lost Symbol" - the third book in his "Da Vinci Code" series - is to be turned into a film by Columbia Pictures.

British writer Steven Knight, whose screenplay for 2002's "Dirty Pretty Things" earned him an Oscar nomination, is to adapt the book, reports Variety.

Tom Hanks is expected to reprise his role as Robert Langdon who, in this latest tale, is summoned to Washington to decode the symbols of the Freemasons.

Even if "Angels & Demons" didn’t hit the same level of financial success that "The Da Vinci Code" did ($486 million and $758 million, respectively), the studio still has high hopes for "The Lost Symbol" movie. Neither Tom Hanks
nor director Ron Howard have signed on to star and direct again, but it’s likely they will after being given a very hefty checks.
(Screen Rant, The Geek Files)

Wanted 2
Mark Millar has been talking about the sequel to one of 2008's surprise hits, "Wanted", based upon his comic miniseries with artist J.G. Jones. The film, staring James McAvoy as Wesley Gibson and Angelina Jolie as Fox, made about $340 million worldwide on a budget of $75 million, making a sequel inevitable. And according to an interview by IGN with Millar, "Wanted 2" may finally be close to going in front of the cameras.

More Wanted 2 Videos

(Screen Rant, MTV News)

Superbowl TV Ads

Some movie TV spots for the Superbowl have been put online early. One is another look at "Shutter Island" while another is a look at Ridley Scott's "Robin Hood." My favorite though is the first glimpse at the action of M. Night Shyamalan’s "The Last Airbender." Dare I say that commercial is filed with epic awsomeness (though I am biased because I love the show).

Angelina Jolie's Resurrection for 'Wanted 2'

When director Timur Bekmambetov said that Angelina Jolie would reprise her role in the sequel to the comic book adaptation "Wanted," it was something of a surprise.

And that's because her character died at the end of the first film back in 2008.

Jolie, 34, played a killer called Fox who was a member of a league of super-assassins called the Fraternity and mentored office worker Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) when he was recruited into the organization to follow in his father's footsteps.

It was Angelina who had asked for Fox to be killed off. She told the Los Angeles Times: "In the original, she doesn't kill herself. I actually changed the ending. I said, 'If she was to find out she had killed people unjustly and was a part of something that wasn't fair, then she should take her own life.'"

At San Diego Comic-Con, Bekmambetov was asked about "Wanted 2" and told Sci Fi Wire: "Yes, I think it's coming. We're working hard to be ready to shoot in a few months.

"James McAvoy will be in the movie, and he will try to wake up our Fox. She's in a bath with wax," he revealed, referring to the tanks in which the characters were immersed in the first film to repair themselves after being shot.

The healing baths will bring back Fox for some more gun-toting mayhem and crazy stunts. Bekmambetov knows all too well that Jolie's presence in the film will boost its status and box office pulling power.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: The Geek Files

Movies in the Works

RESIDENT EVIL 4
ShockTillYouDrop.com spoke to Paul W.S. Anderson, who revealed that "Resident Evil: Afterlife" will be released in 3D and will kick-off a new trilogy!

Anderson, who will write and direct, said that the fourth film in the franchise will have the largest budget of all the films so far. "I always envisioned 'Resident Evil' as a trilogy of films," he said. "And we've been very lucky where it's a trilogy where the audience has built and built. I wanted to kick off a brand new trilogy. I'm really excited we're doing it [in 3-D] and we're using the same camera system [James] Cameron used for' Avatar.' There are a lot of exciting things about this one. I don't regard it as 'Resident Evil 4,' I regard it as a re-tooling and rebirth of the entire franchise."

Milla Jovovich will return as Alice in "Afterlife," opening September 17, 2010. You can also expect some returning characters from the previous films and new characters from the video games.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 4
ComingSoon sat down with Disney's Head of Production Oren Aviv yesterday to talk about, among other things, the fourth installment of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise. And the news is very good. "We're going to shoot 'Pirates 4' in April and May of next year," Aviv said. "We are going to release it hopefully in 2011." "Pirates 4" would "hopefully be the first of another trilogy," he says, and would be shot by itself, not back-to-back again.

There's no word yet if director Gore Verbinski will be back again for "Pirates 4," but Aviv does admit that the whole franchise needs a bit of scaling down. "It's important to get the story right and it's important to me to scale it down, because we can't get bigger," Aviv said. "The movies have subsequently gotten bigger and bigger and very complicated and they were satisfying on so many levels obviously, but I want to kind of reboot the whole thing and bring it down to its core, its essence, just characters." One thing's for certain, Captain Jack Sparrow will be swashbuckling his way back into theaters again come 2011.
(First Showing)

BATMAN
According to actor Gary Oldman, filming for the project known as "Batman 3" will begin next year.

"I think the next Batman is next year," said Oldman during Friday's Warner Bros. panel at Comic-Con in San Diego. "We start shooting next year. You didn't hear that from me."

While the news will no doubt get Bat-fans excited, there's still no official word on the much-anticipated sequel to "The Dark Knight." The likelihood of the film even happening has had doubt cast upon it by everyone from Christopher Nolan to Bruce Wayne himself, Christian Bale.
(MTV News)

WANTED 2
SuperHeroHype reports that Mark Millar has completed the script for "Wanted 2" and they're starting pre-production in eight weeks. James McAvoy is back as Wesley Gibsonand director Timur Bekmambetov confirmed that he is back and and that they're preparing to shoot in the next few months.

Timur mentioned that they're trying to "wake up" Fox, the character that Angelina Jolie played, and that she might return (but isn't confirmed yet). I'm sure Universal wants her back - I would argue she was one of the big names that made it such a success in the end. But how could she come back if her character died? Well, Timur says that she ended up in one of those healing wax baths - so maybe she didn't die...
(First Showing)

Which films are you excited about the most? Notice that all of these film updates are sequels?
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Getting Ready for 'Wanted 2'

Russian director Timur Bekmambetov spoke to the Russian outlet RIA Novosti (translated via Russia-IC) recently and told them that he's starting prep on "Wanted 2" soon.

“In July we will start preparation for the film. I think in the late autumn or winter shooting will be performed” - Mr. Bekmambetov said to RIA Novosti. “The shooting will take place in America, India and Russia."

We last heard about the sequel back in April when it was announced that "Pooh's Heffalump Movie" writer Evan Spiliotopoulos had been hired to write a script based off of a story by "Wanted" writer Chris Morgan.

The film director and producer promised that in the sequel he would bring back to life Angelina Jolie’s character, who perished at the end of the first movie. In addition to that, new characters will be introduced in the sequel.

He also wants to bring back the character named The Exterminator played by Russian actor Konstantin Khabenskiy (he was the guy who ran the healing room).

Russia-IC also reports that the budget for the sequel will be $150 million, which is double the $75 million budget of the first.

Hopefully the translations is accurate because bringing back characters from the dead is highly unusual, but has happened before (I'm think of "Pirates of the Caribbean").

More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: First Showing

'Wanted' Screenwriter Still Working for Sequel

Last month it was reported that Evan Spiliotopoulos, co-writer of "Pooh's Heffalump Movie", was hired to write Universal's action sequel "Wanted 2" based on a story by Chris Morgan, the screenwriter for "Wanted."

But according to MTV News, Morgan will still be involved with the sequel.

“I’m actually still involved with ‘Wanted,’” Morgan told MTV News, explaining that his current workload made it necessary for him to step aside from primary writing duties on the film. However, he’ll still have input on the sequel’s creative development.

“We knew we wanted to do ‘Wanted 2,’ so we started developing a take and came up with a story that’s pretty good and develops the characters,” said Morgan. “But in the process of developing it, I also had commitments to ‘Gears of War’ and the samurai movie I’m doing at Universal.”

According to Morgan, Spiliotopoulos will provide the script for the story initially envisioned during the “Wanted 2″ planning process, and Morgan will return later to consult and provide any rewrites that might be necessary.

“Evan is going to go ahead and write the story that we came up with and I’m probably going to come on later,” said Morgan. “So, I’m still part of the process, but I didn’t want to hold up the ‘Wanted’ production schedule.”

“It’s all good,” said Morgan of the change-up. “I’m actually really excited about ['Wanted 2'].”

Are you looking forward to "Wanted 2?"
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

From Winnie the Pooh to Wanted

According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Evan Spiliotopoulos, co-writer of 'Pooh's Heffalump Movie' and its DVD Halloween spinoff, has been hired to write Universal's action sequel 'Wanted 2,' based on a story by Chris Morgan. Like the original 2008 film, the in-development sequel is based on the comic series created by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones.

Marc E. Platt and Jim Lemley are producing with Timur Bekmambetov, who directed the first film and is attached to helm the sequel. Universal production exec Jeff Kirschenbaum will oversee the project for the studio.

Morgan co-wrote the first film with Michael Brandt and Derek Haas. 'Wanted,' which starred Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy, grossed $339 million worldwide."

I saw parts of "Wanted" on a bus ride, but I fell asleep halfway through. It wasn't a bad movie! I was just really, really tired. I wanted to watch it, but sleep overcame. What I saw of the movie though was pretty funny mixed with loads of action.

I hear that the film really differs from the comics, so I kind of want to read them to see which I would consider better. Adaptations are always interesting to look at.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!