Predator Reboot by Rodriguez

According to IESB, "Director Robert Rodriguez has taken on the 20th Century Fox 'Predator' franchise and creating a newly rebooted 'Predators.'

We've heard the rumblings that this was coming via B-D [Bloody Disgusting reported on 'Predator reboot back in January], but now it's been confirmed. IESB has also confirmed it will be Rodriguez' own take on the original concept and he is in fact not only producing the reboot, he's also directing it.

In a news conference today at Troublemaker Studios, several Texas state politicians were in attendance to sign HB 873, the long-awaited reform of the Texas film incentive program.

Rodriguez talked to the audience of press members and revealed his upcoming film slate.

'I'm going to be able to shoot my upcoming 'Machete' here, a sci-fi action film called 'Nervewrackers,' a re-boot of the 'Predator' series called 'Predators,' and a couple of smaller movies called 'Sin City 2' and 'The Jetsons.'"

That is a tall order of movies. The rumor of a "Machete" movie has been floating around since its fake trailer debuted with "Grindhouse."
"The Jetsons" movie idea has been around for ages. Wonder if it will finally get made.
"Sin City 2." Nice.
Rodriguez better step up if he wants to make all this movies because "Nervewrackers i scheduled for release in 2010 already."

And of course "Predators." It sounds like a sequel to "Predator," not a reboot. Because in "Predator" there is only one alien creature to contend with. Not multiple ones.
That is like going from "Alien" to "Aliens."
So yes, I am confused on how this reboot will be anything like the original.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Toy Story 3

Tom Hanks spoke to Empire about the next installment in the "Toy Story" franchise.
"Toy Story 3." You expected them to make it someday, didn't you?

"I have been in and done three big complete recording sessions and will probably have at least one more to do, possibly in about eight months," said Hanks of his "Toy Story 3" work. "Then eight months after that I'll do a mop-up and have three more sessions after that. Those movies are beasts.

"They did an interesting thing on this one. They did not send us a script. They showed us a complete story reel of the entire movie, with storyboards moving from one to the next, and the people up at Pixar recorded some voices with some music and sound effects. Tim Allen and John Ratzenberger and I went in a movie theatre, watched the reel and said, 'This is great, let's get to work!'"

So yes, "Toy Story 3" is under way and production seems to be so ahead that the scripts are animated storyboards. So that is kind of like watching a rough cut of the entire film.
Can't wait to see a trailer for this. It has been 11 years since "Toy Story 2." It is hard to imagine that.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Eclipse Director

"Twilight" made it big time in the box office and "New Moon" will surely do the same. While "Twilight" was the biggest opening ever for a female director, the lovely people over at Summit decided to get a man to do the sequel.

And also for the third film in the franchise, "Eclipse."

Erik Feig, Summit Entertainment’s President of Production officially announced that David Slade ("30 Days of Night," "Hard Candy") has been hired to helm "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse."

Some snippets from the official press release.

Meyer stated, “I am thrilled that David Slade will be directing 'Eclipse.' He’s a visionary filmmaker who has so much to offer this franchise. From the beginning, we’ve been blessed with wonderful directorial talent for the Twilight Saga, and I’m so happy that 'Eclipse' will be carrying on with that tradition.”

Feig said, “Stephenie Meyer’s 'Eclipse' is a muscular, rich, vivid book and we at Summit looked long and hard for a director who could do it justice. We believe we have found that talent in David Slade, a director who has been able to create complex, visually arresting worlds. We cannot wait to see the 'Eclipse' he brings to life and brings to the fans eagerly awaiting its arrival in summer of 2010.”

In 'Eclipse,' Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger as Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob — knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella is confronted with the most important decision of her life."

I find it funny that they chose the director of "30 Days of Night," another vampire movie but one very different from the "Twilight" franchise.

I am very sorry to "Twilight" fans when I say this but that little synopsis from the press release makes "Eclipse" sounds like a terrible vampire/werewolf movie. Then again, the "Twilight" franchise isn't a vampire/werewolf series (go watch "Underworld" for that), it is a romance tale with vamps and werewolves because obviously tween girls have been fawning over those creatures for ages (I know people who watch "Interview With a Vampire" just because Brad Pitt, Antonio Banderas and Tom Cruise are vampires).

Anyway, I also hear all the books kill brain cells for people who actually read books besides "Twilight" People who only read "Twilight" think it is the bomb. People who read literature think it is actually bad writing. I have seen these things with my own two eyes. And this is only my opinion.
You can still like "Twilight." I'm not stopping you.

Excuse my rant.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Freddy Finds His New Nancy

Bloody Disgusting reports that the "Nightmare on Elm Street" remake has found its Nancy Thompson, the one girl who is able to stand up against Freddy Krueger.

As already announced previously, Jakie Earle Haley ("Watchmen") will play Freddy Krueger and Samuel Bayer will direct this.

Freddy Krueger, a serial child molester who is murdered by the parents of his victims, returns to terrorize teens in their dreams with only his burnt, blistered face and a four-pronged razor glove. Nancy Thompson is this deranged spectre's arch-nemesis.

Nancy will be played by "Dare" actress Rooney Mara.
Does she have the chops to go against Krueger? We'll have to find out.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Turtles On a Half Shell, Turtle Power!

Can I say I love "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?" My constant companions through my youth led me into comics, video games and into film. Oh how I watched those movies over and over.

Then "TMNT" came out and I got pissed. That movie was nowhere as good as the original live-action trilogy. And I want more Ninja Turtle movies. I really love them that much. I even had the video of them when they did the flipping concert tour back in 1990.

Now they are coming back.
According to Variety, "The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are making their way back to the bigscreen.

The Mirage Group, which owns the property, is moving forward with a live-action film focusing on the origins of the iconic crime fighters. Project, targeted for release in 2011, would mark the fifth bigscreen outing for the sewer-dwelling heroes Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael as well as their master Splinter.

News coincides with the Turtles' 25th anniversary celebration, which kicks off Thursday in New York as the first 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' film unspools at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Legendary Pictures former chief marketing officer Scott Mednick is producing the new pic alongside Galen Walker, who produced the 2007 computer-animated "TMNT" pic, the most recent installment in the franchise. Peter Laird, Gary Richardson, Frederick Fierst, Eric Crown and Napoleon Smith III are exec producing the film, which is based on the characters created by Laird and Kevin Eastman.

The characters first appeared in a May 1984 comicbook before spawning a lucrative line of toys, cartoons and three films released in the early 1990s. In 2003, the Turtles were reintroduced to a new generation via a TV series, the 'TMNT' film and a revamped merchandising program.

'The original dozen comics created by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman are some of the best source material one could hope for,' said Mednick, whose exec producing credits include the upcoming 'Where the Wild Things Are.' Laird, who bought out Eastman's share of the property several years ago, said the film will remain true to the spirit of the original comicbooks. He added that the pic may employ face replacement technology, which would allow the turtles to be much more expressive."

One problem. An origins story? The first film wasn't even an origins story. A flashback that lasted less than five minutes was all that was needed to show that they were turtles that were mutated and learned karate. Does this mean there will be an entire hour dedicated to this before we get to Ninja Turtle action?

Definitely more news to come! Catch ya' later!
This song is the sh*t!

Movie News Mash 13

Terminator Salvation

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger finally talks about the rumors of him making a cameo in the new "Terminator" film.

According to the LA Times, "In a webcast interview, the governor said he may return to the big screen next month in the film 'Terminator Salvation.' Warner Bros. is exploring whether it can insert images of Schwarzenegger from the original Terminator movie into the new film starring Christian Bale, directed by McG and slated for release May 21.

Schwarzenegger told blogger Bill Bradley, who asked some questions of his own and others submitted via Twitter, that he had met with the director and agreed to be in the movie as long as he didn’t have to perform.

'I made it very clear that I don’t have the time to do the movie,' he said. 'I said that I would be willing to be in the movie if they get the technology together, and so they are working on that right now.' In the film, a prequel to the original, Schwarzenegger would be in a brief scene in which the main character encounters him as a 'future Terminator,' according to the governor. 'I think it’s cool to continue on with the franchise ... in case I want to jump over again and get into the acting after I’m through here,' he said. The governor said he did not yet know what other opportunities might present themselves after he completes his term in less than two years, but he also suggested that he might write a book about his time in office."

He might want to return to acting after he is done in office? Will he be in Terminator 6?

Spider-Man 4

Director Sam Raimi spoke to Sci Fi Wire about his thoughts on the new darker tone for superhero movies and how they might influence the upcoming "Spider-Man 4."

“Whatever it is, I think will be a direct result of the best style to bring about our writer’s screenplay. And as soon as I read that, I will know what that is. Edgy could be a direction, but I don’t think it will be applied without really understanding the character’s journey from the inside out first and then figuring out the best way to bring that about.

And then, as far as the other influences, making it different from the other films, … I hope we don’t react to these very good and sometimes bad superhero movies around us. I hope that we just [look] ever deeper into the truth of who Peter Parker really is—as a human being and the unique character, and that we celebrate that, which is a lot of the reason I want to make this next picture. I still believe I have an understanding of Peter Parker as the character that I have not quite put onto the screen yet.

I’m not talking about Tobey Maguire’s performance, which I very much love; I’m talking about my understanding of the character. I feel like sometimes a kid at the piano recital. And I know this piece really well. I know it by heart. And I sometimes get it right, and sometimes I don’t. But I want a chance to really play it the way I feel it. So I’m hoping it’s a really good screenplay and I can express the character through that.”

I think he is saying he is going to make the movie his way. It is good that he has full control over this film as compared to the previous "Spider-Man' film.

Raimi also plans on having talks with actress Kirsten Dunst to make sure she returns to the franchise as Mary Jane. Read more about that at Sci Fi Wire.

"Spider-Man 4" might also be in 3-D. Read this article to learn more about that if you wish.

Sin City 2

According to The Hollywood Reporter, "The sequel rights to 'Sin City,' Frank Miller's popular noir comic, are being shopped around Hollywood, in what appears to be a sign that Dimension Films has lost rights to the property.

The Weinstein Co./Dimension continue to maintain that they hold the rights to any sequel for the Robert Rodriguez film, which grossed $159 million worldwide [and was made for only $45 million] when it came out in 2005.

But producers say they have been shopped the rights by reps for Miller's estate, who they say are seeking a new place to set up a potential follow-up.

If the Weinsteins' option did lapse, it could have happened for reasons ranging from development inactivity to a decision not to pay to re-up. Sequel rights generally require a certain amount of activity within a defined period to remain with the original rights holder, though in many deals those periods stretch much longer than the four years that have elapsed since the original 'Sin City' came out.

After its release, Dimension quickly put a sequel into development, with Angelina Jolie expressing interest in a role. The project, however, has since languished in development."

This might actually be good news. If the rights go to another studio the film might actually get made. Fans are still waiting!

Harry Potter 7: Parts I and II

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" isn't even out yet and fans are getting excited for the final installment of the franchise. But the last book, possible the richest in detail of them all, will have a grand final send-off in the movies by being split in half.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part I" (Nov. 19, 2010) and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part II" (July 15, 2011).

Empire recently had the chance to talk to Daniel Radcliffe and franchise producer David Heyman. Empire asked them about the split between the planned two parts of Deathly Hallows.

"We've played around with a couple of places," said Heyman, "and ultimately settled on a place that we think is very exciting, and I think quite bold, in that it's not necessarily where one might expect. You want to give a sense of completion, on one hand, but a sense that there's another piece, more to come. We tried one and then Steve (Kloves, screenwriter) came up with the idea to try it another way and when we tried that, it felt just right."

Daniel Radcliffe added that the split is "at a very tense cliffhanger", which may be a bigger clue for fans.

When looking ahead to how they were going to deal with the later part of the last book [possible spoilers ahead about the Deathly Hallows book and story], Radcliffe and Heyman noted that it takes place almost 20 years later, and they discussed how they would like that to be portrayed on-screen - Heyman is keen to employ the revolutionary technology used for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," but Radcliffe wasn’t so keen on that idea:

“I am nervous about that because if it’s good I’ll be really, really pleased; if it’s not good and that’s what people are left with, that would be awful. If it’s a choice between having me, Rupert [Grint] and Emma [Watson] looking a bit stupid and it being slightly comical or having other actors play us, I would go for other actors every time. So, we’ll see.”

WB may be saying they want to end the Harry Potter film franchise with a split to honor the final book, but this may just be a way to milk money from the fans to see the climax of the story since afterward there will be no more Harry Potter.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Robots and Death in Fallen

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" hits theaters in two months and people behind the scenes are beginning to talk about the film.

According to MTV News, "Last we heard from Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf), he'd just helped his Transformer buddies save the world. Now, as the much-anticipated sequel picks up, all Witwicky wants is to quit being a hero for a while and become a regular college kid. This being a Michael Bay film, however, don't expect Witwicky's hopes for peace and quiet to last very long.

How exactly that tranquility will be interrupted — and what exactly will transpire as 'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen' gets going — is anything but clear at this point. Plot details are still very much under wraps. But two of the film's co-stars, Ramon Rodriguez and Isabel Lucas, gave MTV News some fresh insight into what we can expect when the film hits theaters June 24.

'It's bigger, it's badder, it's better,' said Rodriguez, who plays Leo Spitz, Witwicky's roommate at Princeton University and the proprietor of a Web site about conspiracy theories, from aliens to robots.

Quickly, though, Leo finds out that all this conspiracy mumbo-jumbo isn't just the stuff of paranoid fantasy. 'I end up getting sucked into [Sam's] crazy world with real robots and finding out he's involved in the real thing,' Rodriguez said. 'My complete world is flipped.'

Lucas plays Alice, another Princeton student who takes an immediate liking to Sam, even though he's still in a relationship with his hometown girlfriend Mikaela (Megan Fox). 'The character of Alice is more the seductress,' Lucas said. 'She's got mysterious intentions that we don't really know about.'

Rodriguez talked enthusiastically about a Decepticon named Demolishor — 'Makes [Optimus Prime] look like a roach' — but went on to rave about another massive bot. 'There's one even bigger than him,' he said, referring to Devastator, a massive construction formed when several Decepticons come together. 'It's crazy!'

Indeed, for Rodriguez, 'crazy' was the primary description of working with the explosion-happy Bay. 'He's like a big kid with a lot of toys,' the actor said. 'When it comes to blowing stuff up, that's when he gets really excited.'

Bay brought a couple of industrial-size fans to the Egyptian desert that blew 100-mile-per-hour, sand-filled winds at Rodriguez's face. He ended up dislocating his shoulder and needed to have his eyes flushed out for 45 minutes. Another time he had to sit perfectly still as a huge metal spike pierced the roof of his car, perilously close to his head. In those moments, he was not so much acting as reacting to a very real sense of fear.

'It's really borderline getting hurt, but you're still safe,' he said with a laugh. 'But you could get hurt.'"



MTV News also had the chance to speak with director Michael Bay and asked about the new pink Autobot that will be a female robot that transforms into a motorcycle.

"You know what? I didn't like Arcee," the filmmaker revealed to MTV News, "so I kill her later, all right?

"You know what? It's like actors," he explained, comparing his Transformers to flesh-and-blood stars Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox. "There are certain actors that blossom on screen, and there are certain others where you're like, 'Yuck, I'm cutting them out of the movie.' "

So Bay decided to kill Arcee — a pink motorcycle who can be glimpsed in the movie's trailer during a chase scene in Japan. As some fans might remember, the death of Jazz in Bay's first "Transformers" was meant to be a sentimental moment, but in my opinion was just another part of the melodrama (only one Autobot died while a couple of Decepticons did) and was actually funny since I didn't like Jazz (I don't know many people who did). In the sequel, however, Bay was so eager to kill off Arcee that he had no desire to milk the moment for emotional impact.

"This isn't sad," he grinned, discussing Arcee's sudden death. "This is just 'get it out and get it over with.' "

Bay also shot down the long-simmering rumor that Fox will be seen riding Arcee and doing some female bonding with the character. "No," he insisted. "She has nothing to do with Megan."

With that, Bay said he was eager to get back into the editing room and finish work on one of the year's most anticipated movies. And if there are any Arcee fans out there who are sad to hear about the character's upcoming demise, well she should've given a better performance, Bay said.

"Yeah, I know, it is sad. It is sad," he said, flashing a grin. "Sorry."

And with that we know that an Autobot will die again. I wonder how Arcee will be killed off and if it will be more interesting than Jazz getting ripped in half from the first movie. Does it mean anything that Bay disliked the only female robot in the movie and kills her off for that reason?

More news to come! Catch ya' later!