Dawn Treader Sets Sails

"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" has sailed past some rocky shores since Disney dropped its role in the "Narnia" series. Since 2oth Century Fox joined, Walden Media has now had the chance to actually get a writer for the movie.

According to Latino Review, "Michael Petroni has been tapped to write the next installment in 'The Chronicles of Narnia' franchise, reports the trades.

Petroni will write 'The Voyage of the Dawn Treader' for Walden Media and Fox 2000. He will take over for Richard LaGravanese, who penned the most recent draft of the C.S. Lewis novel.

Move signals that Walden is moving full steam ahead on the third chapter in the franchise with its new Narnia studio partner, 20th Century Fox. In late December, the project seemed in doubt after Disney decided to pull the plug on co-financing the pic.

Walden is eyeing a summer start date for a holiday 2010 release through the Fox Walden label."

Do you want to see more "Narnia" films or do you think three will be enough (there are seven books in the series)?
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

New Watchmen Featurettes

These new featurettes based on the movie "Watchmen" interview all six of the main actors based on their very different superhero roles. Director Zack Snyder and graphic artist Dave Gibbons also give their thoughts on the movie to the most celebrated graphic novel of all time.

Episode 1: Dr. Manhattan and Silk Spectre II



Episode 2: Nite Owl II and Rorshach



Episode 3: The Comedian and Ozymandias



Episode 4: Zack Snyder and Dave Gibbons



"Watchmen" countdown now rests at less than a week!
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Total Remake Story

"Total Recall"

According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Neal H. Moritz and his Original Films banner are in final negotiations to develop and produce for Columbia a contemporary version of 'Total Recall,' the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger sci-fi action movie directed by Paul Verhoeven.

The original, based on the Philip K. Dick story 'We Can Remember It for You Wholesale,' follows a man haunted by a recurring dream of journeying to Mars who buys a literal dream vacation from a company called Rekall Inc., which sells implanted memories. The man comes to believe he is a secret agent and ends up on a Martian colony, where he fights to overthrow a despotic ruler controlling the production of air."

This is another movie that has been on my list for a few years.
It won an Oscar for visual effects, but Moritz said "he hoped the advancements in technology and state-of-the-art visual effects can help tell the 'Recall' story in a fresh way." I just find that ironic in some way.


"The NeverEnding Story"

According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Warner Bros. and a pair of top-tier production banners are in the early stages of a reboot of the 1980s children's fantasy classic.

The Kennedy/Marshall Co. ('The Curious Case of Benjamin Button') and Leonard DiCaprio's shingle Appian Way are in discussions with Warners about reviving the 25-year-old franchise with a modern spin. The studio recently acquired rights to the property, clearing the way for a potential remake.

Born out of a German-language novel by Michael Ende, the film centers on a boy named Bastian Balthazar Bux who discovers a parallel world in a book titled 'The NeverEnding Story.' As the boy, a loner, delves deeper into the book, he increasingly finds his life intertwined with the plot of the novel, in which a hero in the land of Fantasia must save the universe on behalf of an empress.

The new pic -- which original producer Dieter Geissler also will produce and Sarah Schechter and Jesse Ehrman will oversee for Warners -- will examine the more nuanced details of the book that were glossed over in the first pic."

I don't know what to say about this. "The NeverEnding Story" is a cult classic and its fantasy genre has been the origins for many other fantasy stories, such as "Harry Potter." The original movie was mostly a cast of unknowns but has become dear to many hearts of many fans.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Dark Knight Viral Campiagn

"The Dark Knight" had the biggest and most intense viral campiagn ever. "Cloverfield" had an intense one too, with websites and videos created just to build hype for the movie. But "Dark Knight" had people going out and doing activites in their area to find clues and unlocks puzzles that would lead them further down the path and see the madness of the Joker, who was always one step ahead of the fans.

According to Rope of Silicon, "From massive online generated scavenger hunts to faux Web sites propelling people into the world of Gotham City, marketing firm 42 Entertainment kept fans busy until the film finally hit theaters on its way to what is now a $1+ billion worldwide box-office tally.

Over the course of that time I did my best to keep on top of the many viral sites that sprouted up which resulted in a list of 35 sites, but I am sure I missed a few."

Everything you want to know about the Web sites can be found here, as well as a complete list of them and links to them.

This video shows off some of the wild antics that happened during the frenzy behind the viral campiagn.



Were you involved in any of this awesome insanity? Comment below and say what you did for "The Dark Knight" viral campiagn.

Sam Jackson is Nicky Fury

For how long? How long will Sam Jackson play Nick Fury in upcoming Marvel movies?
A lot.

Jackson just signed a deal with Marvel letting him reprise his role as Nick Fury in nine movies. This includes: "Iron Man 2," "Thor," "Captain America," and "The Avengers."

There is a possibility of a S.H.I.E.L.D. spin-off and Jackson will now have the rights to play Fury in that movie, as well as any other Marvel movies involving S.H.I.E.L.D., as well.

The actor made a surprise appearance in an after the credits scene in "Iron Man" asking Tony Stark to join his team, the Avengers. Now with all deal problems settled and "Iron Man 2" set to start filming in April, Jackson will become a major player in the Marvel movie universe just as Nick Fury does in the Marvel comic universe.

This is amazing news for fans of Marvel heroes and Sam Jackson. The linking up of the next couple Marvel movies to create one seamless universe will definitely be a hit at the box office and I will be sitting in theaters to see what happens next.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, Variety

Yogi Bear

"Scooby-Doo" did it, then "Alvin and the Chipmunks" did too.
"Tom and Jerry" and "The Jetsons" are also rumored to be next.
But it seems to definitely be happening with "Yogi Bear."

A live-action movie mixed in with some CGI to create the walking, talking bears.

Rope of Silicon says that Warner Brothers "adaptation of the old school cartoon 'Yogi Bear' is still moving forward and 'Journey to the Center of the Earth' helmer Eric Brevig is set to direct it as a 3-D project.

'That ’70s Show' exec producers Joshua Sternin and Jeffrey Ventimilia are penning the screenplay, which will offer a new take on the half-century-old title character and his sidekick Boo Boo, who get into a series of misadventures in Jellystone Park."

Well, I guess all the great old cartoons will be turning into movies. "Flintstones" already happened.
Might as well break it down!

Green Hornet Director

Seth Rogen has just confirmed that his next film, "The Green Hornet," now has a director.
Michel Gondry, the man who helmed "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "Be Kind Rewind."

According to MTV News, "'Me and [co-writer] Evan [Goldberg] have always been gigantic fans of [Gondry],' Rogen beamed. 'We just like anyone who thinks outside the box, and there's really nobody who thinks more outside the box then he does; he's really a magician in a lot of ways.'

Serving as writer, producer and star of the film that begins shooting soon, Rogen admitted that he had always been pulling for Gondry to land the high-profile gig — and even helped the French filmmaker get an inside track. 'I've actually been e-mailing with him for a really long time, because he was involved with the project a long time ago,' he explained. 'With the permission of nobody, I sent him our script ... to get his input and ideally convince the studio to meet with him. They were skeptical of ... I wouldn't say his ability to make a giant budget studio movie, but his willingness to make a giant budget studio movie. But he loved the script, he totally got it, which a lot of [potential directors] just didn't.'

Now, Rogen and Goldberg are looking forward to blending their unique 'Superbad' sensibility with a decades-old crime-fighter and a thoroughly modern filmmaker. And while he assured us that the result will prominently feature Gondry's knack for making ordinary things look extraordinary, he was quick to say that the film won't simply be the Gondry we've come to expect.

'My direct quote to [Gondry] right before he met with the studio was, 'You have to convince them they're not gonna show up on set one day and everything is gonna be made out of cardboard,' ' laughed Rogen. 'And he said, 'I can definitely do that.' '

'['The Green Hornet'] will be a great combination of both of our movies, of both of our styles,' Rogen said of the film, which hits theaters June 25, 2010. 'It should have the type of conversational tone and comedy that me and Evan have been doing — and some of the action that we have been starting to try to do — along with the wild, visual imagination and funny awkward sensibility that he's been doing.'

This is good news and now I don't have to worry about this movie not being made. So look forward to this movie coming out in summer of next year along a slew of other hero movies. This one will bring more comedy into the mix than the others though.

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!

Movie News Mash 6

"Ghostbusters III"

Dan Aykroyd was asked about this long awaited sequel and this is what he had to say.

"Script is commenced early summer. Hope to be in production by late fall 2009."

Sounds kind of like robot talk, but then again, it is Aykroyd. Here's to hoping the Ghostbusters will be back in town.
Who ya' gonna call?

Source: AICN



"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"

Megatron is indeed alive and will return in the "Transformers" sequel.

According to Screen Rant, "Rebuilt with parts cannibalized from other Decepticons, Megatron rises once again to lead his army. Though the Allspark destroyed him once, he can now feel its power coursing through his circuitry. It calls him to seize his rightful place as ruler over the puny planet on which he was imprisoned and destroyed, and from which he will launch his conquest of the Universe. Optimus Prime is all that stands between him and victory, and the Autobots Leader has done a poor job of hiding himself. At long last, Megatron knows exactly where his enemy is and he has power enough to destroy him."

So how many bad guys are in this movie exactly? Sheesh.



"Thor" and "Iron Man 2"

According to Marvel, "Kenneth Branagh is set to direct Marvel Studios' "Thor" which Paramount Pictures will distribute worldwide. The film will come to theatres domestically on July 16, 2010.

"Iron Man 2" will begin principal photography in early April starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle and directed by Jon Favreau."

Now "Thor" has a release date and we can expect to learn more "Iron Man 2" news now that they are going to start shooting. Yay! On set pictures here we come!

"Scream 4, 5 and 6"

A new "Scream" trilogy? I have yet to see the original trilogy (I kind of just want to see the first one), but to get the idea to make three more? Either awesome or ridiculous.

Here is a screen capture from Rope of Silicon where it says that Kevin Williamson, who penned the first "Scream," will be coming back for more.



This has not really been confirmed to be real though. So...take what you will.

Metal Gear Solid and Lost Planet

More videogame movies!
I have played the "Metal Gear Solid" series (may I say holy cr*p they are good and already almost likes movies with the ling cinematics), and I have heard of "Lost Planet" and seen the trailer.
Both are good movie material if done well and David Hayter ("X-Men," "Watchmen") is a great writer and can do these games justice.
Especially "Metal Gear Solid" since he has been playing the voice of Solid Snake for the game series for the past 10 years.

Collider had the chance to interview David Hayter. His first "Well" is in the voice of Solid Snake.



Here is a transcript of an interview he had with Omelete about "Lost Planet."

O: What are you working on right now?

DAVID HAYTER: I'm adapting a videogame called "Lost Planet" at Warner Bros.

O: Are videogames the next superheroes?

HAYTER: Not necessarily. I wanted to do it because Avi Arad was a producer I liked a lot. I worked with him on "X-Men" and "Black Widow" and I took it on because I thought it was a great world and it was about energy depletion which I thought was very applicable to our current situation.

O: The videogame, "Lost Planet", that's the one with the ice? I played it awhile ago. It was not one of my favorite videogames.

HAYTER: The thing about it is that…I lived in Japan and it was very Japanese in the way it was told. It's not very linear, everything is extremely ambiguous and you're not really sure what's going on and it wasn't the story so much as that world. The ice planet, what it is was an ice planet that was colonized to a huge extent a hundred years ago. And then, they sort of raised the temperature and these giant insects come out and kill everybody and when we come back seventy-five years later, there are all these kinds of American-style cities on this abandoned ice planet that are just crumbling and falling apart and I thought this was an incredible palette to set a movie in and when I realized I could turn it into a movie about energy and helping the Earth survive, then I started to feel that there was a worthwhile movie there. It's not the same thing as "Watchmen" where I said, "Oh my God, I have to do that story," it was "There's a structure I can really play in and create a story."

And I love "The Thing" and I wanted to do a movie in the snow and thought it would be beautiful and here is a whole planet that is under dispute so what I've tried to do is create a story is where this young guy, kind of a screw-up young pilot, like "An Officer and a Gentleman" or something, becomes "Lawrence of Arabia" and gathers these lost colonies together and takes back his planet.

O: Very much like "Dune".

HAYTER: Yes, very much like "Dune". I don't have any original ideas! (laughs) Fortunately, I work in Hollywood and they don't want any.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Conan Featurette

Latino Review had the chance to check out the script for the upcoming film "Conan," a reboot of the franchise that starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as the title role.


I think it sounds good. I have still not seen the original films and have not really kept up with the Conan comics, so I know little about Conan except that da' ladies love him and he kills lots of bad guys in awesome gruesome ways.
So this reboot might do well for the new younger audience.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Rorshach

Zack Snyder, director of "Watchmen," gives us an exclusive look at Rorshach, played by Jackie Earl Haley.

Watch as Rorshach searches the Comedian's apartment and breaks into the compound where Dr. Manhattan lives. Listen to his thoughts on New York in the 80's and his reminisces on the heroes of the past.

Harry Potter 6 Featurettes

"Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" comes out this July and it is the most highly anticipated movie of 2009.

New featurettes showing some new footage have come out showing what happens behind-the-scenes!
Check them out!

Accoriding to the Leaky Cauldron, "'First Look' footage and interviews that were being shown as a preview in movie theaters including: Dramatic shots of the inferi in the cave surrounded by fire, the Death Eaters attacking the Burrow with more of Bellatrix, Ron and Lavender snogging, Hermione setting the birds on Ron, Hermione talking to Slughorn about the Felix Felicis and more. There are also new interviews with Dan Radcliffe (Harry), Emma Watson (Hermione), Ron (Rupert Grint), as well as from Potter producers David Heyman, David Barron and director David Yates."



The featurette below takes a look at the Ron Weasley and Lavender Brown relationship as well as the additional scene that has been added to the movie that is not in the J.K. Rowling book.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Box Office Results and Weekly Movie News

Movies coming out this Friday!

Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience - A 3-D concert film of the 2008 Jonas Brothers "Burning Up" concert tour, as well as documentary footage on the lives of the three brothers.

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li - Interpol agent Chun-Li (Kreuk) enters an underground fighting tournament, with her eyes set on M. Bison (McDonough), the contest's founder and leader of a crime syndicate who may have been responsible for the death of Chun-Li's father.

Movies coming out on DVD!

What Just Happened
Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder
Sex Drive
Hounddog

Box office results for the weekend!

1 Tyler Perry's Madea Goes To Jail$41.1 M

2 Taken $11.4 M

3 Coraline $11.0 M

4 He's Just Not That into You $8.5 M

5 Slumdog Millionaire$8.0 M

6 Friday the 13th (2009) $7.8 M

7 Confessions of a Shopaholic$7.0 M

8 Paul Blart: Mall Cop $7.0 M

9 Fired Up$6.0 M

10 The International $4.4 M

Tyler Perry makes bank again with his continuing series of films that I have not seen. But this is his biggest opening debut yet, so I say good job to him.
"Taken" stays at the top where it deserves to be among other films that are out right now.
No one wanted to see "Fired Up" and "Friday the 13th" dropped over 80 percent from what it made last weekend.
And winning eight Oscars should have "Slumdog Millionaire" staying in the top 10 for a few more weeks while people go to see it to see what all the buzz was about.

This week we a videogame adaptation starring Lana from "Smallville" and then the movie that teen girls will rush to. What do you think will become No. 1 next weekend?
Hint: There are more teen girls out there than you actually think there are.

2009 Academy Award Afterthoughts

The Oscars are over and the results are in. Check that out in my post below.
Now that things have settled I have had the chance to think over the results last night and I realized that due to the enormous amount of wins by "Slumdog Millionaire," not many films actually won awards.

The amount of wins for each film include:
1. Slumdog Millionaire won 8 Oscars
2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button won 3 Oscars
3. The Dark Knight won 2 Oscars
4. Milk won 2 Oscars
5. Vicky Cristina Barcelona won 1 Oscar
6. Man on Wire won 1 Oscar
7. The Duchess won 1 Oscar
8. WALL-E won 1 Oscar
9. The Reader won 1 Oscar
10. Departures won 1 Oscar

See what I mean by "Slumdog Millionaire?"

And if you didn't stay until the end, then you missed the 2009 movie preview montage. It showed 24 movies in about three minutes, including "Sherlock Holmes" and "Terminator Salvation."



And just in case you missed the "Pineapple Express" comedy segment featuring James Franco and Seth Rogen. In case you didn't know, it was written and directed by Judd Apatow and also featured the real Oscar winning cinematographer Janusz Kaminski.



Watch these two stoners laugh at intense scenes from "Doubt" and "The Reader" while watching comedies and confusing different movies and actors. And that scene from "Milk" is actually James Franco kissing Sean Penn, so that explains the awkwardness and laughter.

Hope every one enjoyed the Oscars!

2009 Academy Awards Winners

Hugh Jackman danced and performed with his unique charm to make the audience laugh as the 81st Annual Academty Awards were held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.

It is over and the winners are in! Did your choices make the cut?

PICTURE
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Winner! Slumdog Millionaire

DIRECTOR
Winner! Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry - The Reader
Clint Eastwood - Changeling
David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon

ACTOR
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Winner! Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Winner! Kate Winslet - The Reader

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Winner! Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon - Revolutionary Road

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams - Doubt
Winner! Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Courtney Hunt - Frozen River
Mike Leigh - Happy-Go-Lucky
Martin McDonagh - In Bruges
Winner! Dustin Lance Black - Milk
Andrew Stanton & Jim Reardon - Wall-E

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Eric Roth & Robin Swicord - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
John Patrick Shanley - Doubt
Peter Morgan - Frost/Nixon
David Hare - The Reader
Winner! Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionaire

ANIMATED FEATURE
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
Winner! Wall-E

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Der Baader Meinhof Komplex
The Class
Winner! Departures
Revanche
Waltz With Bashir

ART DIRECTION
Changeling
Winner! The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Duchess
Revolutionary Road

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Tom Stern - Changeling
Claudio Miranda - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Wally Pfister - The Dark Knight
Chris Menges & Roger Deakins - The Reader
Winner! Anthony Dod Mantle - Slumdog Millionaire


DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
Encounters at the End of the World
The Garden
Winner! Man on Wire
Trouble the Water

DOCUMENTARY SHORT
The Conscience of Nhem En
The Final Inch
Winner! Smile Pinki
The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306

ANIMATED SHORT
Winner! La Maison en Petits Cubes
Lavatory - Lovestory
Oktapodi
Presto
This Way Up

LIVE-ACTION SHORT
Auf der Strecke (On the Line)
Manon on the Asphalt
New Boy
The Pig
Winner! Spielzeugland (Toyland)

VISUAL EFFECTS
Winner! The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Iron Man

COSTUME DESIGN
Australia
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Winner! The Duchess
Milk
Revolutionary Road

MAKEUP
Winner! The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Hellboy II: The Golden Army

FILM EDITING
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Winner! Slumdog Millionaire

SOUND MIXING
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Winner! Slumdog Millionaire
Wall-E
Wanted

SOUND EDITING
Winner! The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Slumdog Millionaire
Wall-E
Wanted

ORIGINAL SCORE
Alexandre Desplat - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
James Newton Howard - Defiance
Danny Elfman - Milk
Winner! A.R. Rahman - Slumdog Millionaire
Thomas Newman - Wall-E

ORIGINAL SONG
"Down to Earth" from Wall-E
Winner! "Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire
"O Saya" from Slumdog Millionaire

Comment below and let me know if you're happy with these winners and what your thoughts were on the ceremony and host Hugh Jackman. And of course, congratulations to all of the winners and nominees!

2009 Academy Awards

Hope everyone is watching it! If not, don't worry, you will find out the winners in no time.

I am definitely enjoying the show and I am totally forgetting about all the homework I am supposed to be doing. Dang...just reminded myself.

In the actual show we are down to the final three, Actress, Actor and Picture.

So far "Slumdog Millionare" has won seven awards and I am expecting it to win one more.
The show is back on, so now I must go dear readers.
The Oscars await.

Didn't catch the opening act? Watch it here!

Shrek 4 Plot Details

The "Shrek" franchise isn't stopping at a trilogy, "Shrek Goes Fourth" will be hitting theaters May 21, 2010, and a plot synopsis has just been released.

According to First Showing, "After challenging an evil dragon, rescuing a beautiful princess and saving your in-laws' kingdom, what's an ogre to do? Well, if you're Shrek, you suddenly wind up a domesticated family man. Instead of scaring villagers away like he used to, a reluctant Shrek now agrees to autograph pitch forks. What's happened to this ogre's roar?

Longing for the days when he felt like a 'real ogre,' Shrek is duped into signing a pact with the smooth-talking dealmaker, Rumplestiltskin.

Shrek suddenly finds himself in a in a twisted, alternate version of Far Far Away, where ogres are hunted, Rumplestiltskin is king and Shrek and Fiona have never met. Now, it's up to Shrek to undo all he's done in the hopes of saving his friends, restoring his world and reclaiming his one True Love."

I enjoyed the first two films in this series, the third one felt like it was put together very quickly (like it was an afterthought). So this film may revive the franchise, but I really don't expect there to be more. I don't see this series being made into anymore multiple films. The fairy-tale story is getting played out.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Clips and Featurettes for Transformers, Watchmen and more

A clip from "Watchmen" showing the entire fight scene from a prison riot.
Watch as Nite Owl II and Silk Spectre II kick some prisoner butt.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Not gonna lie when I say that wasn't really that exciting. I consider some the fight slo-mo fights in "300" just to be eye-catching while this was...just a prison fight.
I don't know what else to say.

Watch Michael Bay blow sh*t up in this featurette for "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen."

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Lots of explosions. Oooooh.

In "Land of the Lost," there are really big mosquitoes. Really big. And gross. Don't believe me? Watch this.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

I don't know whether to say that was funny or just stare at the frigging bug. That freaked me out. Seriously.

"Star Trek" fans (or hopeful fans), watch this featurette. There is no real theme to it, it is kind of just showing off J.J. Abrams and his awesomeness with this movie.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

I never watched the original show, but I feel like this reboot of the franchise will get younger audiences to want to get into the "Star Trek" phenomena.

"Donnie Darko" is a great movie. It is just so strange and out there. Not to mention original. The sequel will have to really try to sell itself to me because the idea of a grop of individuals trying to save the universe (that is what it looks like to me) doesn't seem as fun as one guy trying to figure things out on his own.



"S. Darko" takes place in the summer of 1995, seven years after the original film. It follows Donnie Darko’s younger sister, Samantha (Daveigh Chase), who, in the wake of his death, has found herself at age 17 with a broken family, mired in feelings of insignificance. She and her best friend Corey (Evigan) set off on a road trip to Hollywood in a bid to ‘make it big’, but their journey is cut short when their car breaks down unexpectedly, leaving them stranded in a small desert town. When a meteorite happens to crash-land nearby, Samantha is plagued by bizarre visions telling of the universe’s end and it appears that their breakdown was part of some grander plan. When she finds out she was actually adopted by the Darkos, and that she is in no way related to Donnie, she must face her own demons and, in doing so, save the world and herself.

All these nice goodies rolled into one post!
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Dragonball 2?

"Dragonball Evolution" comes out April 8, 2009. And it seems a sequel is already on the way.

According to SciFiNow, "'Dragonball Evolution,' the first live-action adaptation of the popular manga, hasn’t even hit our screens yet, but the script for a proposed sequel has already been written, according to Justin Chatwin, who plays Goku in the upcoming film.

Speaking to SciFiNow last month, the 26-year-old actor said that he was signed on for potential sequels, and that he was excited about the prospect. 'If there were to be a sequel I think it… well, I know that it would go to a really interesting place, because they already have the second script written.' When pressed for details, Chatwin revealed a little more about the direction of sequel. 'It’s really, really cool. The second one goes more into the whole legacy and the genealogy of Dragonball. It goes more in-depth into a real Dragonball series, the kind of intergalactic world of Dragonball.'”

I'm not really surprised at this since the "Dragonball" series lasts many mangas and anime episodes that are broken down into different sagas. This first film is based off of only one saga in the "Dragonball" series, which only gets better in the "Dragonball Z" series with its own multiple sagas. A whole franchise of live-action movies could be made depending on how well this first movie does.

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!

Sarah Connor in T4

Linda Hamilton, known as badass mother Sarah Connor, is in talks to reprise her role in "Terminator Salvation." Well...kind of.

“We are talking,” Hamilton told MTV News. “I haven’t read it yet. I don’t know what direction they will go in.”

While she awaits the specifics in a script, Hamilton already knows what her role generally would be. “My contribution would be voiceover,” she said. “I would probably be very happy to loan my voice depending on what the material is. Wait and see. They’re already writing it. We’ve been negotiating it.”

According to Screen Rant, "At this year’s New York Comic Con 'Terminator Salvation' director McG informed us that Sarah Connor would be 'a key figure' in the film, and that much of the plot would (indirectly) revolve around her character. Of course, McG meant this in reference to the character (i.e. 'personality') of Sarah Connor; factoring the actual Sarah Connor into the plot of 'Salvation' wouldn’t make a lick of sense at all, since we already know she dies before the post-Judgment Day future is realized."

Linda Hamilton did not reprise her role in "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" because she did not feel it was consistent with the franchise, and many fans of the "Terminator" series believe the third installment wasn't that great. So if Linda Hamilton is considering working on "Salvation," does that mean she gives the film her approval? Will "Salvation" lives up to what the fans expect of the "Terminator" franchise?

More news to com! Catch ya' later!

More Watchmen Vids

It is really late and I plan on getting some rest, but I just saw some interesting videos that deal with the movie "Watchmen."

The first one has Zack Snyder and visual effects supervisor John “DJ” Des Jardin address the task of bringing the unfilmable story to the big screen.



The second one is a viral video pays an homage to the great neon and brick-walled MTV countdowns of the 1980s — in this case, 1983.



I found the first one to be informative and the second to be quite amusing.
The countdown for "Watchmen" is now less than two weeks. I can feel the excitement already. I cannot say whether it will be good or bad. I can only say that I will see it.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

No Wachowski Superman

According to Slash film, "Remember that report that showed up on AICN last week claiming that The Wachowski Brothers had been offered a reboot of Superman? Sorry to get you guys all excited but I have just gotten confirmation from two independent sources that the report was completely false. I don’t know if an interview with James McTeigue actually aired on RTL1 or not (I’m guessing not) but The Wachowski Brothers have definitely never had any talks with DC or Warner Bros to helm a Superman film. This is confirmed."

I would have really liked to see what version of Superman would have been done if the Wachowski's ended up helming it.
But this is the first bit of news (though just a rumor) that had any really Hollywood directors attached to the future of Superman.
I don't know when DC and Warner Brothers plan to release any information on this matter, but until then we can only speculate and wait.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Zack Snyder and Watchmen

In an interview with Zack Snyder, MTV News got the low down on some "Watchmen" news.

"'When I originally got the script, Adrian died at the end,' Snyder told the crowd at the taping, adding that the task of making sure the live-action 'Watchmen' matched up with the print version was 'the biggest fight for me.'

The filmmaker even offered up some additional explanation for one of the most controversial changes he made to the story.

'The reason why the squid was taken out of the movie was so there’d be more Rorschach, and a little more Manhattan,' said Snyder of his decision to change the ending of 'Watchmen' in the movie.

As for the future of 'Watchmen' after the film’s March 6 release, Snyder announced that the director’s cut of the film will be just over three hours and hit theaters in July. Snyder called the longer cut 'considerably more violent than this … and sexier.'”

Here is a clip of Snyder talking about the sex scene between Silk Spectre II, Malin Akerman, and Nite Owl II, Patrick Wilson.

MTV Shows

I find almost everything Snyder has to say about this film to be spectacular. He knows what he is doing with this film. He had David Gibbons, co-creator of the original graphic novel, even come to the set to see if he would approve. Gibbons did.

So this film comes out in a countdown of two weeks. I know where I will be March 6.
Do you?

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Cast Call for Thor

According to Coming Attractions, "Thanks to one of our longtime scoopers, Coming Attractions has been given the casting call notice for the one and only Thor. What you're about to read is the physical and personality traits of what the movie's producers are looking for in their leading man. This information comes directly from the production and it provides an insight into what Branagh and the producers want to see in the actor that plays the Norse god of thunder.

Male MUST BE MID-LATE 20'S and SIX FEET OR TALLER. LEAD.

Physically powerful, very handsome, occasionally egotistical, petulant, and wild. A natural warrior with a quick charming wit who must be genuinely and severely humbled before becoming the compassionate, mature hero of our film.

The start date of filming is given as July and the wrap is September."

Having the age be in the mid-late twenties gets rid of a lot of actors, especially some that were rumored to be engaged in talks with Marvel, such as Daniel Craig and Kevin McKidd.
A strong, young actor to play the title role in "Thor" won't be terrible. Does this mean it will be an unknown then?
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Little Fockers

It feels wrong writing out that title, but the third film in the "Meet the Parents" franchise seems to finally be moving along and "Little Fockers" is getting written.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, "John Hamburg has been brought on to write the screenplay after Larry Stuckey penned an earlier draft.

The Endeavor-repped Hamburg is a Ben Stiller collaborator who did drafts on 'Meet the Parents' and 'Meet the Fockers' and worked with the star on 'Along Came Polly.' He also wrote and directed the comedy 'I Love You, Man,' set for release next month via Paramount.

Meanwhile, Jay Roach, who of course directed the first two films and had been loosely attached to direct this one, will not helm the picture. The hyphenate is concentrating on the comic romp 'Dinner for Schmucks' for DreamWorks and Parkes/Bowles and only will produce 'Fockers.'

On the casting side, Stiller, Robert De Niro and Owen Wilson — the last of whom had unrelated small parts in the first two pics as an ex-fiance and a minister, respectively, but could have an expanded role here — are in negotiations to star in 'Fockers.'

The 'Fockers' franchise of course stars Stiller as a liberal, do-no-right husband and De Niro as his conservative, unforgiving father-in-law. 'Little Fockers' is expected to revolve around the children of Stiller and Teri Polo, who plays his wife.

The property has provided a reliable cash infusion for Universal, with the first two pics earning more than $800 million worldwide."

Fans of this franchise are probably happy to hear that the Fockers and Byrnes will be coming back and the story will continue. It will make a nice complete trilogy.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

The Comedian Speaks

Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who plays The Comedian (real name Edward Blake) in the highly anticipated movie "Watchmen," says that fans of the graphic novel will not be disappointed.

Morgan, who played the father John Winchester on the television show "Supernatural," said the film will not in any way disrespect Alan Moore - the writer of the original story, which was first published as a series of 12 comics and later collected into a graphic novel.

"[Before this film] I knew of the comic," Morgan said in an interview with Collider. "I had read parts of it, I had never read the whole thing, and then obviously before I went and met with Zack I read it and now I've probably read the thing like 20 times.

"My dad has become a huge fan, he'd never heard of it and he's a big fan of the genre, and he's now read the thing about 300 times. So when I have questions about anything I call him up and he'll kinda cue me in on what's happening. But you guys know, every time you read it you see something different, there's something new in there that catches your eye.



"It's an amazing piece of work," Morgan said. "And I go online, I've never done this before when I'm involved in a project, the way that people talk about this, it literally is the holy grail of graphic novels. And people are so concerned about what Zack's doing with the movie, what Warner Bros is doing with the movie.

"I'll say this, fans of Watchmen are not going to be disappointed, we're not going to make Alan Moore look bad or his brilliant piece of work. It's going to be a hell of a movie. The scope of it is just... it's just huge. It's like seeing this, f**k, who built this? It's just the detail is insane, and Zack is a mad scientist the way he's bringing it all together. It's going to be something to behold."

I cannot tell fans not to worry as I am worrying myself, but Morgan says that Snyder knows what he is doing. With only two other films under his helm, "Dawn of the Dead" and "300," I wouldn't call Snyder a visionary, but I enjoyed those other movies and have no doubt I will enjoy this one.

Do you think Morgan will make a good Comedian in "Watchmen?"
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Sherlock Holmes

Rachel McAdams, Robert Downey Jr. and Kelly Reilly

Guy Ritchie's version of "Sherlock Holmes" will more accurately portray the characters from the famous books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The film stars Jude Law as the Dr. Watson and Robert Downey Jr. as the title role of Holmes.

"I knew enough about Sherlock Holmes to know that there was a lot of uncharted material," Jude Law said of the script. "I knew [Downey's casting] was going to be something exciting, and therefore the project was going to be something exciting.

"And as soon as I met him, we got on very well - which is a good sign - and we both agreed that we wanted to really make this a piece about the relationship between Watson and Holmes."

Downey Jr said, "I think the word bromance is so passé. We are two men who happen to be roommates who wrestle a lot and share a bed!"

"When you go back to the books, there's so much more." Downey said. "They're both meaner, harder, more complicated. They both live in a London that is much seedier and much more dangerous. And when you highlight the interesting elements in the [original] stories and turn them into a modern sensibility, you've got a really exciting equation."

Rachel McAdams plays Holmes' former lover, Irene Adler.
She said, "Irene was in 'A Scandal in Bohemia' [one of the books by Doyle] and she doesn't really appear anywhere else. So it's been a mix of what Arthur Conan Doyle set out and what the writers added on. [Holmes and Irene] are old flames at this point. They have a bit of a history together. He was actually the witness at her wedding. She coerced him into that, unknowingly. Lovely. And she's no longer married. She's come back to ask for his help."

Ritchie said, "This story is influenced by Conan Doyle. But Sherlock Holmes was the first western martial artist, and we've picked that up, which has never really been picked up in any of his previous productions.

"And the truth was, [all the previous Sherlock films] never really had the budget or the technology to have capitalised those aspects of Holmes. ... We are as authentic as we can get to Holmes, and at the same time, we have a contemporary feel to our film."

Sherlock Holmes also stars Mark Strong as a mysterious new adversary, Blackwood, and Kelly Reilly, who will play Watson's love interest, Mary.
The film is set for a November 13 release.
The film is a unique look at Arthur Conan Doyle’s Holmes (Downey Jr.) and his stalwart partner Watson (Law) on their latest challenge. Revealing fighting skills as lethal as his legendary intellect, Holmes will battle as never before to bring down a new nemesis and unravel a deadly plot that could destroy the country.
This will be the first film in a "Sherlock Holmes" franchise for Warner Brothers.

So expect more Sherlock Holmes in the future and expect this film to be more than just elegant English guys solving crimes by following clues. With both brains and brawn, Downey will star as a Holmes that the silver screen has never seen before.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Source: The Geek Files

Conan the Unknown

Brett Ratner is busy a lot right now with "Beverly Hills Cop 4" and "God of War," but he still has time to talk to MTV News about another film he is planning on working on, "Conan."

“I believe it should be an unknown,” Ratner said to MTV News about who should play the barbarian. “Conan is kind of iconic. It’s kind of like when you do Superman.”

“Growing up, my favorite comic book was ‘Conan,’” added Ratner. “[It] was the first comic book I ever read.”

That means whoever ends up playing Conan will be taking the place of Arnold Schwarzenegger, who fans of the original series believe to be the only Conan. Maybe it is time for someone else to take up the mantle of the great destroyer.

“Look, it’s difficult to fill those shoes,” insisted Ratner, “But they came up with a new Batman, they came up with a new James Bond, you know?”

I have never seen the original Conan films (I know I have to, but it isn't like they were movies my parents wanted me to see as I grew up). I will have to watch them to see Ah-nald in action and then decide for myself if an unknown would be able to play the title character.
Come to think of it...wasn't Arnold an unknown when he made the first "Conan?"

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Mickey Rourke Not in Iron Man 2

"Right now, we're not doing 'Iron Man 2,'" Mickey Rourke told New York Entertainment.

So Rourke isn't planning on being the Crimson Dynamo in the "Iron Man" sequel...right now.
Maybe later.
Maybe after he snags the Oscar for his role in "The Wrestler."

"Iron Man 2" has gone through a lot of strange casting troubles, what with Don Cheadle taking over for Terrence Howard and Sam Jackson saying he might not return as Nick Fury.
Hopefully everything will work out for this film because the first one was truly great.

Not Nottingham

I have written about "Nottingham" before, the upcoming film about Robin Hood being directed by Ridley Scoot ("Alien," "Blade Runner" and "Gladiator"), but now the film has a new name.

"Oh yes, I think we are just going to call it ‘Robin Hood’,” Scott said in an interview with MTV News. “We start in almost 2 months.”

One aspect that thoroughly confused me about "Nottingham" (maybe I should just start calling it "Robin Hood") was how did Scott want to have Russell Crowe, who is playing Hood, also play the Sheriff of Nottingham.

According to MTV News, "In an attempt to clarify all the confusion from a few months ago about Russell Crowe playing multiple roles, Scott was eager to say that he had changed his mind, and that Crowe will simply portray the famed archer who rises from an unlikely background. 'Robin Hood is in the army of Richard Coeur de Lion,' he said of how we’ll find the character early in the film 'He is a bowman in the army of Richard Coeur de Lion.'

'[Crowe as both Robin and the Sheriff of Nottingham] was an idea so far back, way back when at the time I had this proposed to me, and I read it and thought, ‘I don’t really know what it does for it, but it’s alright’,' Scott recalled of the now-abandoned idea. 'It is better to simply have the evolution of a character called Robin Hood, who will come out of a point in the Crusades which is the end.'

As a result, in Scott’s film the Sheriff will be 'less important; the Sheriff of Nottingham is always a kind of an amusing character in most of the movies, who represents the hierarchy in the story at that point,' Scott explained. 'The hierarchy and the wealthy always ruled over the under class, and fundamentally that doesn’t change, because Robin Hood is actually the person who finally - in terms of the overall classical idea of the film - will help the poor, probably taking from the rich.'

So, rather than the Robin-vs.-Sheriff showdowns we’ve come to expect from 'Robin Hood' movies, Scott has instead employed the history of the time to make an entire country the villain. 'It is from France. It is the French,' he insisted. 'The villain is much bigger in that sense; much more important, and much more dangerous.'

'[In] 1066 Harold II went against William the Conqueror. Harold took an arrow in his eye, and William the Conqueror took over England, and so France owned everything right through,” Scott explained of the turmoil of that age. “Even to the extent of changing the architecture of the churches from Anglo-Saxon to Roman, that’s French; they changed the arches in the churches.'"

So from having the Sheriff of Nottingham play an important role (I assume important because Crowe was going to play him as well as Hood), now we have him not being important and instead having the French as the villain. I wonder if this has anything to do with it being an American movie. Wonder if the French will appreciate them being turned into the bad guys.

And Slashfilm finally got the facts on who is being cast in the film.
"According to the latest issue of Production Weekly the cast includes not only Russell Crowe but also Oscar Isaac, Vanessa Redgrave, William Hurt, Saoirse Ronan and Cate Blanchett."

Last 60 Seconds of Wolverine Trailer Trilogy

The third and final installment of the three one minute trailers for "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" goes into how Logan becomes a part of Weapon X. Many cool things are seen here especially Ryan Reynolds doing some fighting and talking as Deadpool (Where is the mask? C'mon, Deadpool without his mask?) and showing scenes of the cameo of Cyclops (connection to the first "X-Men" or just some comic fan service?).

The Horror of Pride and Prejudice

I said I want an alien!

Jane Austen's novel "Pride and Prejudice" is about to be turned into two different satirical horror movies. Who thought that classic literature can be so scary.

According to The Geek Files, "Elton John's Rocket Pictures has bought a script called Pride and Predator by Will Clark, Andrew Kemble and John Pape, in which an alien creature massacres the characters. Clark is also set to direct.

Sir Elton will executive produce the film, including supervising the music, and his Rocket partners Steve Hamilton Shaw and David Furnish are producing."

"It felt like a fresh and funny way to blow apart the done-to-death Jane Austen genre by literally dropping this alien into the middle of a costume drama, where he stalks and slashes to horrific effect," Furnish told Variety.


Are you an alien?

Principal photography on the film will begin next year in London.
One may wonder how a classic novel can be woven into such a strange tale with aliens. Copyright expired on the book years ago and now it can be adapted into anything.
Seriously, check out the next movie idea. It is even wilder than than the Elton John one.

According to the Times Online, "Hollywood studios are bidding to turn a radical reworking of Austen’s most popular book, now called 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,' a parody to be published in April, into a blockbuster movie.

This weekend Seth Grahame-Smith, the author of 'P&P&Z' who is based in Los Angeles, revealed how he and an editor at Quirk Books, an independent publisher, developed a diagram tracing connections between seminal period novels to cult movie genres, including robots, vampires and aliens.

'It quickly became obvious that Jane [Austen] had laid down the blueprint for a zombie novel,' said Grahame-Smith, a television comedy writer. 'Why else in the original should a regiment arrive on Lizzie Bennet’s doorstep when they should have been off fighting Napoleon? It was to protect the family from an invasion of brain-eaters, obviously.'

From then on it was easy to imagine Bennet and her four sisters as zombie slayers, trained since childhood in the deadly arts of Chinese kung fu, and Fitzwilliam Darcy as a promoter of the socially superior ninja skills of Japan. Together they stand bonnet to epaulette against a plague of cannibalis-tic interlopers from the accursed city of London.

Grahame-Smith hopes that his talent agency, William Morris, will sign a film deal with a studio in the next few weeks.

'About 85% is the original Jane Austen text,' he said. 'I hated her when I was forced to read Austen in school, but when I started rereading I realised she was a brutal, but very funny, satirist. I can only aspire to be as mean-spirited as she could be.'"


Sisters, zombies are on the loose. Get your knives.

These films can either be good or bad, but no doubt they will be hilarious. Doing a satire on classic literature seems to be the wild craze now because other agencies are working on adapting other books into satirical horror stories.

"Other talent agencies are pitching their own slate of monster-lit titles," said the Times Online. "They include a version of Emily Brontë’s 'Wuthering Heights,' where Catherine, the deceased heroine, returns as a Japanese-style ghost not only to haunt but also to terrorise Heathcliff.

In a reworking of Charlotte Brontë’s 'Jane Eyre,' Mr. Rochester has something more terrible than an insane spouse in his attic, and a version of George Eliot’s 'The Mill on the Floss' is powered by human sacrifice."

Any of you read these books and want to see them turned into a horror film? What will be next, turning classic horror films into comedies? Wait...that's already been done.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Run! Zombies!

Tekken

I had no idea a movie was being made based off the popular videogame "Tekken."

"Tekken" is being directed by Dwight H. Little ("Halloween 4
: The Return of Michael Myers", "Marked for Death," "Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid") and is based on Namco's popular series of fighting games, which first debuted in 1994. The story will follow Jin, who enters the "King of Iron First" tournament in order to avenge the death of his mother that he blames upon Tekken's powerful and controlling chairman, Heihachi Mishima.

According to First Showing, "Last year, Luke Goss told us that this would be R rated, which seems a bit odd, but if it indeed turns out to be as violent as he makes it out to be, then this might actually end up being pretty good.

According to our sources, 'Tekken' finished shooting in May and has been in post-production since then. This is the first time we've heard any mention of it since last year. I'm guessing the production wants to distance themselves as much as they can from the 'Street Fighter' movie, which is why they're probably laying low until that hits theaters first."

It will be interesting to see a trailer for this and see how many characters from the game series will be in the movie. Apparently mum is the word on this film if it finished filming almost a year ago. Wonder when it will come out.
More new to come! Catch ya' later!

Transformers 2 Trailer

Here is an official full trailer (not a Superbowl ad) of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen."



It seems like there will be lots of destruction in this movie. Lots. Of. Destruction.

Another 60 Seconds of Wolverine

The second in a trilogy of one minute commercials for "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" aired last night. It takes place right where the previous trailer leaves off, showing how apparent;y Wolverine and Sabretooth have lived for years like brothers, but once joining a program and Wolverine leaves, they become enemies. There is also a a lot about this woman that Logan (called James in the movie because that is his real name) is in love with. She obviously dies.

Check it out!