First Look at Iron Man 2

According to USA Today, "The sequel to last summer's blockbuster, which began shooting three weeks ago and opens May 7, 2010, takes place six months after Stark revealed his identity as Iron Man, says director Jon Favreau. And the development is playing out with unexpected results. 'How many superheroes are open about their true identities?' he asks. 'We wanted to play with that idea. But it obviously has consequences — in his relationships, on the team. There are a lot of areas we can explore.'"

Our first look at "Iron Man 2" reveals Stark looking pretty much the same from "Iron Man," but his lab has definitely been upgraded with more suits.

Details are being kept tight and that is good because I don't want to learn everything about this film so early in the process.
Can't wait until May of next year though (and dang, it is barely May of this year).

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

The Next Chronicles of Riddick Already in Pre-Production?

According to Latino Review, "Despite a disappointing worldwide box-office gross of $115 million, 'The Chronicles of Riddick' was generally liked by the viewing public. Vin Diesel and director David Twohy chose to do something different than make a straight forward sequel to their 2000 cult sci-fi/horror film 'Pitch Black'. They expanded upon the universe of Diesel's character Richard B. Riddick, putting him at the center of a story of cosmic proportions. The film had two things going against it. It was forced to obtain a PG-13 rating by the studio, alienating some of the fans of 'Pitch Black' who wanted another hardcore R film and it was released in early summer 2004, a week after the third Harry Potter film.

Like 'Pitch Black', 'The Chronicles of Riddick' did pretty well on home video and has expanded into a successful video game franchise. 'Escape from Butcher Bay', featuring a scenario where players could be Riddick and escape from a slam prison, was so popular that a second game was recently released. At this time 'Assault on Dark Athena' happens to be the most popular game in the country and while promoting its release on Jonathan Ross' show last month, Diesel claimed that Twohy was finishing up the script for the next film and was hoping shooting could begin next year. This sounds a little bit like wishful thinking on Diesel's part, but if you remember, 'Chronicles of Riddick' was always envisioned by Diesel and Twohy as a trilogy. If 'COR' were 'The Lord of the Rings' then 'Pitch Black' would be 'The Hobbit.'

Diesel had a huge hit with 'Fast & Furious' early this month which not only made the biggest April debut on record with a $72 million opening weekend, but has grossed $146 million to date. I was personally wishing for this while the film was in production in the hopes that Universal Studios would see Diesel's box-office potential again and greenlight another Riddick film, but I recently discovered that as early as January of this year, pre-production on the next film was already underway."

Ron Henriques at Latino Review discusses more about the Blu-ray commentary from Diesel and Twohy that was recorded this January in which the two discuss plans for more films to expand on the Riddick mythology.
If you're interested definitely read it at Latino Review.

Until then, a "Chronicles of Riddick 2" can be hitting theaters sometime in 2012.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

New Transformers 2 Trailer

Just watch it first.



Now...was that awesome?
"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" hits theaters June 24 and it looks to be big.
Megatron is back. Optimus has secrets. Devastator hits other Transformers!

Some of the lame humor is back too, but I do believe the sheer awesome sight of giant robots fighting each other will make up for that.

Lens Flares in Star Trek

According to First Showing, "Once everyone finally gets to see 'Star Trek' next weekend, one complaint that I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot of will be in regards to the excessive use of lens flares. Director J.J. Abrams and his cinematographer Daniel Mindel use them a lot, we're talking about in almost every scene, and multiple times in every scene. We did quote Mindel at one point, who explained that at least on the Bridge of the USS Enterprise, he used those flares to give a 'very realistic feel to an otherwise static scene.'"

I haven't seen the movie yet but from what I can tell from the above image (and the video below), if that keeps happening someone is bound to get a seizure.
What does J.J. Abrams have to say about the excessive use of lens flares?

"It was one of those things... I wanted a visual system that felt unique. I know there are certain shots where even I watch and think, 'Oh that's ridiculous, that was too many.' But I love the idea that the future was so bright it couldn't be contained in the frame.

The flares weren't just happening from on-camera light sources, they were happening off camera, and that was really the key to it. I want [to create] the sense that, just off camera, something spectacular is happening. There was always a sense of something, and also there is a really cool organic layer that's a quality of it. They were all done live, they weren't added later. There are something about those flares, especially in a movie that can potentially be very sterile and CG and overly controlled. There is something incredibly unpredictable and gorgeous about them. It is a really fun thing. Our DP would be off camera with this incredibly powerful flashlight aiming it at the lens. It became an art because different lenses required angles, and different proximity to the lens. Sometimes, when we were outside we'd use mirrors. Certain sizes were too big... literally, it was ridiculous. It was like another actor in the scene...."

He actually made some sense with that. I hope it really isn't that much. It can really be a distraction in the film.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: io9

Who Brought Back Roger Rabbit?

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

According to MTV News, "'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' came out 20 years ago and grossed $330 million worldwide, and for all the talk about another big screen venture for the animated bunny and his voluptuous sweetheart Jessica, nothing over the last two decades moved into production. And it was starting to seem like nothing ever would."

Now, well, Robert Zemeckis (director of the "Back to the Future" trilogy and "Forrest Gump") wants to return to his classic "Roger Rabbit" tale.

Combing traditional animation with live-action, “Roger Rabbit” was a staggering achievement that employed cutting-edge technology without sacrificing the demands of first-rate storytelling. It won four Oscars, including nods for visual effects, editing and a special achievement award for animation direction. But Zemeckis hasn’t toiled in live-action since 2000’s “Cast Away”, preferring instead to work with performance capture in films like “The Polar Express,” "Beowulf" and the upcoming Jim Carrey vehicle, “A Christmas Carol.”

Hopefully we'll hear more news on what is going on behind Zemeckis' mind.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

New G.I. Joe Trailer

Check out the new trailer for "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra."
Just ignore the French subtitles and try to figure out what is going on.



"G.I. Joe" is directed by Stephen Sommers and follows the elite G.I. JOE team as they use the latest in next-generation spy and military equipment to fight the corrupt arms dealer Destro and the growing threat of the mysterious Cobra organization to prevent them from plunging the world into chaos. The film stars Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, Sienna Miller, Ray Park, Rachel Nichols, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agabaje, Said Taghmaoui, Marlon Wayans, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Arnold Vosloo, Christopher Eccleston, Jonathan Pryce and Kevin J. O’Connor.

The film comes out August 7.

Wolverine the Musical

Did you like Hugh Jackman hosting this year’s Academy Awards presentation? Do you like his on-stage Broadway musical acts? Do you like seeing the Australian stud in his iconic role as the feisty mutant, Wolverine?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any or all of these things, Screen Rant found something for you.

It is a parody showing Hugh Jackman doing the two things he’s best at: playing Wolverine and a little theatrical song and dance.

Spawn Returns

At the "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" Premiere in Tempe, Arizona, comic writer Todd McFarlane showed up and IESB had the chance to interview him for some news on a new "Spawn" movie.

Watch the full interview here.

McFarlane said that he's got five offers on the table, ranging from big studios and big budgeted productions with a lot of special effects, to low budget, small ideas, including one that he even wants to direct himself.

"It's not a 'comic book movie,' it's just a scary movie, a creepy movie," said McFarlane. "Everything's real except for one element, which happens to be the character we know as Spawn. So it's not going to be supervillain vs superhero or any of that stuff, it's just going to be a 'tight' movie."

McFarlane said he wants to make something for his kids to watch (he has two teen daughters and a 9-year-old son). I don't really see how because Spawn has some real scary villains (will they be used?) and the character is dark as...well...may be darker than Batman.

At the end of the interview McFarlane says rights will return to him and he plans on continuing the "Spawn" animated show that aired on HBO many years ago. I have seen the original "Spawn" movie and the animated show and can say the movie is okay (a decent introduction to the character) but the animated show is really awesome and graphic but has no ending.

That always bothered me so hopefully the animated show will return with more Spawn killing bad guys. A new movie might do well too, but will it be big budget or small production?
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Versus Fan Videos

According to The Geek Files, "Comic book fans often imagine battles between their favourite superheroes and get locked in heated discussions online about who would win.

There's no doubt that superpowered showdowns between characters who've never crossed swords in the comics - or are less likely to ever meet because they are with different publishers - creates some excellent 'what if' debates.

Crossover battles - or indeed team-ups - have yet to happen in the movies, mostly due to different studios owning film rights.

But some creative editing from YouTube user silverlightsaber has changed all that. He's created a series of videos in which unlikely sets of heroes cross paths, often with explosive results."

Silverlightsaber explained: "This is a non-profit fan film made purely for fun. With X-Men Origins: Wolverine coming out, I wanted to make a fun trailer. I know Watchmen takes place in an alternative universe but what would happen if the government-sponsored Weapon X program was really the Watchmen? How would the government use them to control the mutant problem? What would the world be like in a world split between vigilantes and mutants?"

The footage comes from "X-Men," "X2," "X-Men: The Last Stand," "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" trailers and "Watchmen" trailers.



Silverlightsaber said: "This is a non-profit fan video made purely for fun. What would happen if General Ross contacted the government to send out their top secret weapon, Hellboy, to take out Hulk? Here's how I envision it..."

The deftly interwoven footage comes from the trailers for "The Incredible Hulk" and from "Hellboy" and the trailers for "Hellboy 2: The Golden Army." The music is Mein Herz Brennt by Rammstein.



Silverlightsaber said: "This is a non-profit video made purely for fun. Since Christian Bale is starring as John Connor in Terminator Salvation released in May, I figured I'd make an interesting cross-over between the Terminator franchise and Bale's other blockbuster franchise, Batman.

"The Terminator vs Batman, who wins? This was a very difficult crossover to make so I hope you enjoy it."

Footage comes from "Batman Begins," "The Dark Knight," "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" and "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines."



Would you see these awesome crossover movies? I would!

Wolverine Endings After the Credits

According to USA Today, "Director Gavin Hood says the theatrical version of 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine,' due out Friday, features two different 'Easter egg' endings. The short bits of footage play after the credits and reveal important information about key characters. Hood says the two endings play on separate prints, so different theaters may show different footage."

According to my updated post from earlier about the multiple endings I only found out about two of them. Since there are only two then I know what they are about.

One shows more of Deadpool and can lead to the Deadpool spin-off while the other shows Wolverine in Japan.

Hugh Jackman said he is already in talks with screenwriters about making a "Wolverine" sequel and having it tell the Japan storyline from the comics.

"I won’t lie to you, I have been talking to writers,” Jackman told MTV News. “I’m a big fan of the Japanese saga in the comic book.”

“However, it was also another one of my goals that you could see the end of this movie parlaying straight into ['X-Men'], finding that guy in the bar, fighting, drinking, with not much recollection of what’s going on,” added Jackman. “I thought that was important. However, we’ll find out beginning of May if there’s still an audience for it, if people still like the character. There’s no point in telling the story if no one wants to hear it.

“There are so many areas of that Japanese story,” Jackman explained. “I love the idea of this kind of anarchic character, the outsider, being in this world — I can see it aesthetically, too — full of honor and tradition and customs and someone who’s really anti-all of that, and trying to negotiate his way. The idea of the samurai, too — and the tradition there. It’s really great. In the comic book he gets his ass kicked by a couple of samurai — not even mutants. He’s shocked by that at first.

“There’s also a great, very intricate story there with Mariko,” hinted Jackman in reference to one of Wolverine’s lost loves. “And so many cool ways we could go.”

More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Anyone excited for "Wolverine" this weekend (unless you saw it somewhere else where it is already out like in the UK)?

X-Men: First Class and Deadpool

Lauren Shuler Donner, producer of the "X-Men" films, had an interview with IESB (watch it here) and spoke a lot about the upcoming film "X-Men: First Class."

Here are some of the highlights:

# 1. There won't be any Gambit in the initial First Class movie (which is pretty obvious from the Wolverine movie, due to his age), but he may show up in a second or third movie. Donner mentioned the character's relationship with Storm as a possible way he could enter the storyline.

# 2. Patrick Stewart will be a part of First Class, which probably means the digital de-aging software is coming out to play again.

# 3. Discussions are taking place for a Gambit spin-off. Taylor Kitsch has spoken to MTV about the idea and says he'd love to 'go darker' and see the Thieves' Guild storyline from the comic books

# 4. Gossip Girl creator Josh Schwartz, who's writing First Class, had to revise his screenplay to take account of what happens in Wolverine

# 5. Nothing would please Donner more than if Bryan Singer came back to the franchise, perhaps for the first Deadpool or Gambit spin-offs

# 6. She confirmed internal discussions were under way on the X-Men Origins: Magneto movie



“It is the first class of Xavier’s school," Donner said, "way back when, so it’s young Scott, young Jean, young Beast and that’ll be really fun, I think (the plan) is to follow some of the characters into their own stories, and weave them back into the X-Men world.

“And hopefully First Class will become its own franchise and we can follow them as they grow up.”

What characters will wind up being in "First Class" then?
The original team consisted of: Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Ice Man and Angel.

According to the canon of the "X-Men" films, Ice Man doesn't join the X-Men until later and Angel doesn't really join at all (he just shows up).
And now according to Donner Gambit won't come in either.



So young Cyclops from "Wolverine" can definitely be in as well as a young Jean Grey and a young Beast (before he goes off to politics). But who else?

Possibly Emma Frost, who does have a relationship with Cyclops in the modern comics and can play out as a love triangle in the films.
And also Storm, who plays out as someone who has been at the Xavier Institute for a while in the films.

And when will we be learning more about Deadpool and Gambit spin-offs as well as the Magneto film?
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
(Ryan Reynolds on Deadpool spin-off)

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

MTV News had the chance to interview comedic actor Marlon Wayans who will be in the upcoming summer blockbuster "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra."

“The movie is serious, action and some comedy - but not all comedy,” insisted the star, who will bring an extremely different look to the High Altitude Low Opening jumper in the August 7th flick. “You pull off the reigns; I did what was appropriate for the role and for the character.”

“It wasn’t about ‘Hey, let it be the me comedy show’,” promised Wayans. “It is G.I. Joe. It’s supposed to be badass action. So you commit to it - and I found the fun in being a badass, for once in my life.”

One thing Wayans did not find pleasure in, however, was the jumping-out-of-helicopters part of his gig. “That wasn’t fun,” he said, addressing his director with thoughts of the sequel. “Stephen Sommers, I will say to you: Please, next time, stuntman. A black dude who looks like me? He jumps out of the plane, not the actor. Shoot him, not me. Let’s make sure we bring a black dude to Prague next time.”

He also didn’t particularly enjoy the claustrophobic metal suits that he and Channing Tatum slip into for some of the film’s key, “Wanted”-esque action scenes. “They may look cool, but if hell were a suit, they would be the accelerator suit,” he laughed. “They make you run 45-55 miles an hour [in the movie]. We are doing a high-speed chase, chasing down the Cobra bad guys. We are wearing those uniforms and shooting missiles [in the scene glimpsed in the trailer]. They are really cool, but really uncomfortable.”

Finally, we asked if Marlon gets to deliver any classic G.I. Joe catchphrases in the movie – and he told us that not knowing is half the battle. “Oh yeah, we’ve got them, but I won’t tell you [who utters them],” he grinned. “You’ll have to see the movie. But honestly, I have seen a lot of it - and it looks great.”

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Bale on Batman 3

Total Film had the chance to talk with one of the most currently in demand actors right now in Hollywood, Christian Bale.

He spoke about Heather Ledger winning an Oscar, "Dark Knight" snubs from the Academy and coming back for a third film in the franchise.

“Heath winning Best Supporting Actor was fantastic. I had dinner with his family a couple of nights before the awards and liked very much they were the people who were picking it up for him. Of course I was really delighted that it did go that way.

“I’m not surprised by 'The Dark Knight' not getting more Oscars though. I’m not really surprised by anything to do with awards. Hey listen, awards or not it’s a wonderful movie. Chris Nolan did such a fantastic job of it and you look back at the history of the Oscars – some of the best movies never got shit.

"Will we do a third movie? It's got to be the right story. You can't make something like The Dark Knight and then come out with something disappointing.

"I would like it if people say, 'You'll never make a good third movie.' I say, 'OK, let's make a third movie in that case, let's prove them wrong. But that's just me. The fact is, I have to! I've signed up! Chris doesn't. So I'm in a bit of a fix if he says he doesn't want to!"

Whether Nolan decides to return to the “Batman” property remains up in the air, but one thing’s for certain — it won’t be the director’s next movie. Nolan is hard at work putting the Leonardo DiCaprio-starring “Inception” together for a summer shooting date. But with veteran Gotham City residents Cillian Murphy and Michael Caine aboard the cast of Nolan’s new film, it’s hopefully just a matter of time before the director starts going batty all over again.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Source: MTV News

Wolverine Premiere

"X-Men Origins: Wolverine" has premiered in Tempe, Arizona and man does that place love X-Men.

"I’ve played this character for about nine years; I love the character,” said Jackman, who arrived to the “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” world premiere with great fanfare while riding a motorcycle into action, just like his claw-bearing mutant does in the flick. “[I] wanted to show the movie first to the most passionate X-Men and Wolverine fans, so we put a competition out online, and Tempe, Arizona, won. And I’ll tell you: These guys are passionate — they slept out two nights in a row [to get tickets]. Isn’t it the coolest thing?”

A nation-wide contest was done to compete for what city in America the film would premiere and Tempe, Arizona won. A marching band kicked off the confetti-heavy event, the jovial mayor handed Jackman a placard that gave him lifetime parking privileges anywhere in the city, and a gaggle of giggling high school cheerleaders swarmed Ryan Reynolds for a photo.

Check out the premiere and two exclusive clips below!

MTV Shows

This is the way I know the Blob to look. This must take place some time after the beginning of the film where he us just muscular.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Actor Dominic Monaghan (Merry from "LOTR" and Charlie from "Lost") plays Chris Bradley, the electrical-powered mutant known as Bolt, in the "Wolverine" film. He wasn't in any of the trailers and none of his scenes were shown until finally now.

Though I do believe this is a spoiler because it basically shows that he won't be in anymore movies.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Hope you go out and enjoy "Wolverine" this weekend!
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

An Alien Reboot Now?

IESB attended the "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" world premiere in Tempe, Arizona and had the chance to talk with Fox Co-chairman Tom Rothman and ask a few questions about some upcoming projects including an "Alien" prequel with possible original director Ridley Scott returning.

"Rothman said of the possible 'Aliens' film, 'There's been some talk. Ridley Scott is right now working on 'Robin Hood,' but I think he's toying with the idea and that would be great for us. I mean, it's always been a matter of, really, if you can get the originator to do it that would be the greatest thing, so I've got my fingers crossed, all of them.'"

If Scott wants to return to the franchise that would be great because the "Alien" mythology still has many questions left unanswered. I would like to learn more about the creatures. But I really also want to see more of the Marine action from "Aliens," which is one of the few times when the sequel is practically better than the original.

"Alien" is great but "Aliens" is just a really awesome movie that doesn't have such a slow opening as the first film does. I haven't seen the rest of the films in the franchise besides these two, but someday I will see more. Especially if they continue the franchise.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Drop Dead Fred Remake

"Drop Dead Fred" is one of those crazy movies that is like a combination of "Beetle Juice" and "The Mask."

Now it is getting remade with "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" star Russell Brand.

According to First Showing, "The 1991 original starred Phoebe Cates as a wallflower who loses her job and is forced to live back at home, where she's reunited with her childhood imaginary friend, who promises to help but causes more chaos. Dennis McNicholas, one of the writers of the upcoming 'Land of the Lost' remake, will pen this.

Someone at Universal really loves Russell Brand, because not only did he star in 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' (which was somewhat of his breakout role in the U.S.), but he's set to star in his own spin-off 'Get Him to the Greek' for the studio."

Should we expect to see Brand in many more comedies in the U.S. soon?
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Tintin Already Working on Sequels

Peter Jackson ("Lord of the Rings") and Steven Spielberg ("Indiana Jones," "Jaws," "E.T.") are teaming up to bring "The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn" to life, but there is a lot of mystery surrounding the project and how it is being made. The film will be animated and starts the voices of Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg and Jamie Bell and there is already word on sequels to the first film to make a complete trilogy.

According to First Showing, "We know that they finished shooting 'The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn' and are working on post-production, but apparently they're already in pre-production on the second one.

Jackson reveals, 'We were originally planning three to be in production at the same time in different stages, and we may well do that. At the moment we have this one and the studio[s] is financing the second one as well, which is in pre-production.' The studios he's talking about are Paramount and Sony, who have together decided to co-finance the film, but the last we heard, they hadn't given the second one a greenlight. They shot for 32 days earlier this year for 'Secret of the Unicorn', but a week of reshoots will take place in June, at Jackson's studios, 'so that any holes in Spielberg's original material might be patched.'"

So expect to hear more news on how they are making more Tintin films already.

The first film is due out sometime in 2010.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Videodrome Remake

"Videodrome" was a film I had to watch in a film class last year and I found it pretty entertaining. It has developed a cult following since its debut in 1983 and the phrase "Long live the New Flesh" is one of the most popular movie quotes.

Now a remake is in the works that plans on outdoing the original.

According to Variety, "Universal Pictures will remake the 1983 David Cronenberg-directed thriller 'Videodrome,' with Ehren Kruger set to write the script and produce with partner Daniel Bobker.

The original 'Videodrome' starred James Woods as the head of Civic TV Channel 83, who makes his station relevant by programming 'Videodrome,' a series that depicts torture and murder that transfixes viewers.

The new picture will modernize the concept, infuse it with the possibilities of nano-technology and blow it up into a large-scale sci-fi action thriller."

The movie also starred Deborah Harry, better known as the pop music singer Blondie.

Recent movies by Cronenberg include "A History of Violence" and "Eastern Promises."

The original film actually didn't do so well in theaters and it might have been because of poor trailers for the film including the one below.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Box Office Results and Weekly Movie News

Movies coming out this week!

Battle for Terra - A space explorer (Wilson) crash-lands on the planet Terra and finds himself at the forefront of a battle to prevent his people, who are entrenched in a civil war at home, from invading the beautiful, peaceful planet where he has two new friends, rebellious alien teens Mala (Wood) and Senn (Long).

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past - At his younger brother's wedding, a committed bachelor/womanizer (McConaughey) is haunted by his romantic past.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine - An origins story that follows the early life of James Howlett (Jackman), also known as Logan, and best known as Wolverine. The chronicle of his younger years as a mutant connects to his relationship and eventual falling out with Victor Creed/Sabretooth (Schreiber), and his fateful entry into the Weapons X project, the governmental program that turns willing and unwilling beings into living weapons.

Movies coming out on DVD!
What Doesn't Kill You
Nothing But the Truth
Bride Wars
Hotel for Dogs
The Uninvited

Box Office results for the weekend!

1 Obsessed$28.5 M

2 17 Again $11.6 M

3Fighting $11.4 M

4 The Soloist$9.7 M

5Earth (2009)$8.5 M

6 Monsters vs. Aliens $8.5 M

7 State of Play $6.8 M

8Hanna Montana The Movie $6.3 M

9Fast & Furious $6.0 M

10Crank: High Voltage $2.4 M

I think women have had their fill of chick flicks. What I mean by this is that "Hannah Montana," "17 Again" and "Obsessed" are still up there. Sure, "Obsessed" might be an erotic thriller, but it isn't a good one.

And "Fighting" and "The Soloist" had terrible opening weekends, so those films won't be on long just like "Crank 2." But next weekend we start off the summer with "Wolverine."

That will be No. 1. But how much money will it earn?

Bioshock on Hold

According to Variety, "Universal Pictures has put the brakes on 'Bioshock,' the Gore Verbinski-directed live action adaptation of the bestselling Take-Two Interactive video game. The picture was in pre-production, but the studio has halted that effort--and let some production staff go--as Universal and Verbinski figure out a way to make the film at a more reasonable budget.

Sources said that the John Logan-scripted picture was gearing up to shoot in Los Angeles, but that changed when the budget rose to the vicinity of $160 million. Universal and Verbinski are looking at alternatives like shooting in London as a way to pare costs. The plotline takes place in the underwater city Rapture, where a pilot crash-lands near a secret entrance and becomes involved in a power struggle.

'We were asked by Universal to move the film outside the U.S. to take advantage of a tax credit,' Verbinski said. 'We are evaluating whether this is something we want to do. In the meantime, the film is in a holding pattern.'

Verbinski and sources at the studio say they are determined to make the pic. Indeed, Verbinski bowed out of directing a fourth installment of 'Pirates of the Caribbean' so that he could direct 'Bioshock' and produce under his Blind Wink banner.

All parties vow that 'Bioshock' will not become another 'Halo,' the live action adaptation of the Microsoft game that was going to be turned into a film by Universal and Fox until both studios got cold feet and canceled the deal over budget fears."

Universal should have really expected this since Verbinski made the most expensive film ever made.

"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" had an estimated budget of $300 million. Now that is a lot of money.

Maybe this film will get back on track once they figure out some cheaper ways to make it. Man...I really want to see a "Halo" film too.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Predators

AICN had the chance to speak with director Robert Rodriguez about what his intentions are on his idea of the film "Predators."

"Way back before I did 'Desperado,' I had taken a writing assignment for a sequel to 'Predator.'

With a nod toward Cameron's 'Aliens' I decided to call it 'Predators.' I set it on a jungle-like Predator planet. It was just a writing assignment, so I didn't have to worry about budget constraints or how the movie would actually get made with the technology that existed back then, so I just wrote any cool thing I could come up with.

Fast forward 15 years to when I got a call from Alex Young over at Fox, who had been digging around and found my original treatment. He was eager to get it made and re-invent the Predator franchise using the treatment as a guide. So he contacted me to see if I'd be interested in being involved, and it seemed like the perfect project for us over at Troublemaker Studios.

'Predator' is a masterpiece of the action/science fiction genre. Its been borrowed from so much in other movies and even video games (that will now probably be turned into movies themselves) that I liked the idea that we could have Predators made relatively quickly. What I'd like to do with it is expand on ideas I dreamt up back in the original treatment, that had really expanded on the universe both the Predators and other species live in. We'd create new otherworldly characters while not taking away from the draw our main Predator has. I think another reason I called it Predators was to mark it as a project that should be taken seriously by a filmmaker to make a worthy follow up to a classic, much in the way Cameron made 'Aliens' a compelling work on its own, following Ridley Scott's 'Alien.'"

Rodriguez is also on the lookout for writers and a director for this film (which would leave Rodriguez in a producing position).

And this does not make the movie a "Predator" reboot or remake. This was clearly what I was getting at in my previous post on this movie (that it sounded like a sequel akin to Cameron's "Aliens).

So this is something new and original. We may finally learn more about the home world of the Predators and more about what kind of species they are. I wonder if we will ever learn more about the Alien creature...

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Multiple Endings for Wolverine?

First Showing went to a screening of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" in LA where director Gavin Hood came out and explained something about the ending of the movie.

"He spent most of the time thanking us for coming to this screening and seeing 'Wolverine' the way it should be seen, in theaters, and talked about how many difference there were between the final cut and the early leaked version. He then mentioned that Marvel has a tradition of hiding easter eggs in their films, and it's no exception for 'Wolverine.' They've hidden multiple secret endings on different prints and theaters will be showing different versions.

Fox is a bit desperate to try and get people in theaters on May 1 for the opening and this definitely seems like a very unique decision to try and bring people in. While we've seen plenty of easter egg endings, like in 'Iron Man' last year, we haven't seen multiple endings like this in a long time. Hood didn't say how many different endings there would be. As for the other differences between the leaked version and the final cut, Hood explained that there were 400 unfinished visual effects shots and that there was no score, unfinished sound mixing, and unfinished coloring. However, he didn't mention anything about differences in footage."

Different endings depending on what theater you go to? So if I want to see all the endings I will have to find out which ending is at which theater and go to there?
Dang...that is a way to get more people to go to theaters.

I most likely will wait until the film is on DVD and watch them all there (unless they make different DVDs with different endings...which would suck). I don't have time or money to go about to different theaters to see the same movie with a different ending.

I will try to find out more news on this and see how many actual endings there are and how many theaters are doing this.

EDIT: Multiple endings have been confirmed to show after the credits for the film and there are two that I know of. One sets up for a possible "Deadpool" spin-off while another sets up for another "Wolverine" film taking place in Japan.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Odysseus

According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Warners is going back to ancient Greece, winning a major spec script bidding war to pick up 'Odysseus,' written by Ann Peacock, with Jonathan Liebesman attached to direct. Gianni Nunnari is producing via his Hollywood Gang Prods.

The story centers on the legendary hero Odysseus, famed king of Ithaca, who returns to his island after 20 years of fighting the Trojan Wars, only to find his kingdom under the brutal occupation of an invading force. Odysseus single-handedly defeats every last man and takes back his wife, his son and his kingdom.

Warners clearly has an affinity for feta. The studio's 2006 release '300,' also produced by the Hollywood Gang, told the story of the battle of Thermopylae. The studio also is about to begin production on a remake of 'Clash of the Titans,' starring Sam Worthington, Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neeson, which tells tales based on ancient Greek myths.

Nunnari came up with the story and during the course of a general meeting with Liebesman told him the idea. Liebesman leaped at it, and brought in Peacock, co-wrote the director's indie Sundance thriller 'The Killing Room.' She wrote the script on spec.

The intent is to make not a sleepy swords-and-sandals epic but a bloody relentless revenge movie, something akin to '300' meets 'Taken.'"

"300" meets "Taken." Those are two awesome movies. But if it is all fighting and revenge...then where is all the adventure of the Odyssey? In the TV series from 1997 there was loads of fighting but also adventure because Odysseus and his men went to far off places and fought tons of mythological creatures.
So I wonder how this movie will really turn out.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Casting Calls

New casting news for some of the films I have been blogging about recently.

According to The Geek Files, "British actor Matthew Macfadyen is to play the Sheriff of Nottingham in Ridley Scott's remake of 'Robin Hood.'

Macfadyen's agent confirmed the casting via the actor's fansite. He is due to film for the project in May and June.

The 34-year-old's previous film roles include 2005's 'Pride & Prejudice' (in which he played Mr Darcy), 'Middletown,' 'Incendiary' and 'Frost/Nixon' while his numerous TV credits include 'Wuthering Heights,' 'Spooks,' 'Ashes to Ashes' and 'Little Dorritt.'

The as-yet-untitled 'Robin Hood' remake was originally called 'Nottingham' and was to be a revisionist take in which the Sheriff was portrayed in a more favourable light rather than as the usual dastardly villain.

And when Russell Crowe was first cast, it was reported that he was playing both the Sheriff and Robin Hood to give the movie a interesting sense of duality. He's now playing just Robin Hood."

Chris Nolan's "Inception" has also gained a cast member.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Joseph Gordon-Levitt is coming on board Christopher Nolan's 'Inception,' the filmmaker's thriller for Warner Bros. that stars Leonardo DiCaprio.

A veil of secrecy exists over loglines, though the project, which Nolan also wrote, is described as a contemporary sci-fi actioner set within 'the architecture of the mind.'

It is known that Gordon-Levitt is taking the role to have been played by James Franco, who bowed out over scheduling issues [over the film 'Your Highness']. He would play an associate of DiCaprio's character, a CEO-type.

Marion Cotillard is already on board as DiCaprio's wife, while Ellen Page is playing a grad student and DiCaprio's sidekick. Cillian Murphy is also in the cast.

Gordon-Levitt, repped by CAA, has a big summer lined up: He stars in '500 Days of Summer,' the romantic comedy that earned much buzz in Sundance and is now set for a July 17 release by Fox Searchlight, and plays the villainous Cobra Commander in Paramount tentpole 'G. I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra,' which opens Aug. 7."

I'm sure these movies will be interesting, but Robin Hood has been done before. I wonder what kind of film Nolan has this time because he has made many original films including "The Prestige" and "Memento."

The Next TMNT

It was announced that a new "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" is in the works and that it is currently scheduled for a 2011 release.

But how much CGI will be done to the Turtles or will it have guys in turtles suits again?

According to Peter Laird, co-creator of the Ninja Turtles, said on his official blog that there will be suits and it won't be full CGI characters like "Alvin and the Chipmunks."

"So here we go — another live action film! As you may recall from some of my previous comments, our initial discussions regarding the next film had to do with what we were calling a 'hybrid' — live action with realistic Turtles rendered in CGI and blended in. This new idea — which, frankly, I am VERY pumped about — will have actors and stunt performers in full Turtle suits for filming in live action. As of right now, there is talk of using CGI to do 'face replacement' for the suits so that we can get those great, expressive faces possible with CGI."

There was something about the first "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" movie that I never knew about that I found to be extremely interesting.

According to First Showing, "What we can't forget about the 1990 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' movie was that it was actually an independent film, with a budget of only $13.5 million. Those costumes they came up with were a result of what worked well and what was cheap, not what would be the easiest way to attract kids to theaters. Thankfully it all worked out in the end and the suits kicked ass, but I'm worried that this may be a big Hollywood production and they'll lose that creative edge that forced them to make a great movie the first time around."

The technology they are going to use sounds like what is being done for "Where the Wild Things Are." People dressed up in suits to play the creatures and then CGI was done on their faces to make them more expressive (this was also done for the 20th Anniversary edition of "E.T.").

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

X-Men: Magneto and First Class

Producer Lauren Shuler Donner admitted 20th Century Fox had channeled all its energies into "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" and hadn't decided which project would proceed next. She added that the success of the "Wolverine movie" would be a factor in whether the franchise continued.

In an interview with Sci Fi Wire, Donner did give some new clues on the possibilities, which include "X-Men Origins: Magneto," about the backstory of the mutant villain played by Ian Mckellen; and "X-Men: First Class," about the earliest students at Xavier's school.

"We have a great [Magneto] script," she said. "Honestly, we have all been just so focused on getting Wolverine out that we didn't take the time to sit down and explore what movies we're going to do next within the genre. We will do that. Magneto is a fantastic script, and hopefully we'll make it.

"And then we have First Class, which is based on the X-Men comic First Class and is very literal to the title: it's the first class in Xavier's school. But that's just being written. I haven't even seen a first draft.

"I'm producing that with [X-Men: The Last Stand co-writer] Simon Kinberg. There seems, to me, to be more humour, or more potential for humor. I really like that idea. I don't want to get into what the script is about, but it provides a bit of a lighter touch to the franchise."

Fox found itself so wrapped up in "Wolverine" that it hasn't focused on its next projects, but with success in the bag for the film ("Wolverine" is currently outselling pre-sale tickets from last year's "Iron Man" 3-to-1) I'm sure more news for "Magneto" and "First Class will be coming out during the summer.

Donner is also involved in producing a sequel to "Constantine." Warner Bros released the first film in 2005, with Keanu Reeves in the title role as occult investigator John Constantine. It was based on the Hellblazer comic book published by DC Comics' Vertigo imprint.

Donner said a writer was being sought for "Constantine 2." Last year, prior to the release of the remake of "The Day The Earth Stood Still," Keanu Reeves indicated that he would be prepared to appear in a follow-up when he told Moviesonline: "I wouldn't mind doing another Constantine."

I enjoyed the first "Constantine" and wouldn't mind seeing another one. I may be biased with Keanu Reeves since I am one of the biggest "Matrix" fans out there.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

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!