Big Updates on Thor

It's a good day for news on Kenneth Branagh's "Thor" movie, which will adapt Marvel's comic book version of the Norse thunder god into a big-screen blockbuster.

The writing team who are penning the "Thor" screenplay for Kenneth Branagh's anticipated new comic book adaptation are Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz.

New writer Ashley Miller has now spoken about his take on the Thor film.

In a great new interview with CineFOOLs, Miller said: "He's a god. He's incredibly strong. He can fly. He tosses lightning bolts. There's nothing realistic about any of that.

"But he also bleeds. He struggles. Life kicks him where it hurts the most. Dramatically speaking, the powers and Asgard are gravy. The meat - and what makes it a Marvel movie - is the character.

"At the end of the day, he's a man. In the comics, Odin sends him to Earth because he's not perfect. He's brash, arrogant. Even over-confident. We all know that guy - some of us have even been that guy.

"Stan Lee's genius was to give Thor an emotional throughline we could all relate to, and knock him down a couple of pegs. The challenge is to dramatise that and make the audience see what the fans have known all along.

Asked what he wanted to bring to the film, he said: "You want to feel Thor's rage when he rages. You want to see him fight like hell, and take as much he dishes out -- maybe more. You want to have a visceral reaction to the guy, and what happens to him.

"You don't want his adventures to be clean and antiseptic. You want to see the dirt, and grime and blood. You want to feel every-bone crunching moment of every fight.

"And when he unleashes the storm, you want to feel like you're seeing the power of a GOD at work."

He added that they had written the script with the bigger Marvel universe in mind and had looked for ways to connect Thor to Marvel's other superhero movies.

Actor Tom Hiddleston has spoken about his role in the movie as the god of mischief Loki, half-brother to Thor (who will be played by "Star Trek" actor Chris Hemsworth).

Hiddleston had initially auditioned for Thor but director Kenneth Branagh, who stars alongside him in the "Wallander" detective drama and also appeared with him in the stage production of Ivanov, thought him better suited to playing the villainous Loki.

Hiddleston told the Daily Mail: "Loki's like a comic book version of Edmund in King Lear, but nastier."

And how much nastier? He elaborated: "Well, Loki's skilled in black magic and scorcery. He's a shape-shifter and has all sorts of super powers from the dark arts. He can turn clouds into dragons, things like that."

He said he has to stay fit and healthy for the role, which begins filming in January: "Ken wants Loki to have a lean and hungry look, like Cassius in Julius Caesar. Physically, he can't be [as imposing] as Thor."

Actor Clifton Collins Jr has claimed to be trying for a role in the superhero blockbuster.

Collins, 38, who played Ayel, the sidekick of Romulan villain Nero (Eric Bana) in the new "Star Trek," said he was auditioning for a part in the Marvel film directed by Kenneth Branagh.

Collins wrote on his Twitter page: "Studying my ass off for Thor, gonna be a late night, well worth the loss of sleep", followed the next day by "Brewing big pot of joe, hitting Thor hard this mornin!"

The actor didn't reveal which role he was trying for, although MTV News speculated that he would be a good fit for one of Thor's Asgardian associates, The Warriors Three. The Warriors Three comprises the Asgardian gods Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg. They are fictional creations of Marvel and not part of Norse mythology.

"Thor" is released on May 20, 2011, with the character then set to be appear in the Zak Penn-scripted ensemble movie "The Avengers" in 2012.
That's a good amount of "Thor" news for now.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: The Geek Files (1,2,3)

The Fallen

MTV News brought in Shia LaBeouf to sit and talk about the highly anticipated "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen."

But what exactly is the Fallen?
The Fallen features prominently in a big fight at the end of the blockbuster film, and LaBeouf said the character's size and scope were a necessity after the first "Transformers" movie.

"A big part of the reason the first one was successful was because nobody expected the CGI to look the way it looked like. Nobody expected our explosions to be as insane as it was, our action to be outrageous or our jokes to be funny," he explained of the pressure in shooting the sequel to one of 2007's biggest films. "Now that there's a high expectation — and everybody involved has an enormous sense of pride — those factors make successful films.

"I think this is a darker one," he said of "Revenge of the Fallen." "The dark moments are darker. ... There's more at stake. You've got more humans getting injured, and there's more death."

As for the Fallen himself, LaBeouf is eager to see the villain's finished scenes and get an idea of where he'll rank among such cinematic icons of evil as Darth Vader, Jason Voorhees, Megatron and the rest.

"I can't judge him yet, because he's not completely done," he said of the finished effects work, which Bay is currently slaving away at. "I'll be as surprised as you guys will be. I'll be seeing it at the premiere."

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Here is the description of The Fallen from the back of the toy box: For millennia, he has waited. Thousands of years have dragged by as he recruited proxies, one by one, to scour the cosmos for the artifact he required. Now he finds he must return to the primitive, flesh-slug infected planet on which his quest began. Nothing will stand in his way this time. If need be, he will scour the surface of this disgusting world clean in the fire of his rage, and search through the blasted rubble for that which he seeks.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: MTV News

Alien Remake Is a Prequel

Right after hearing about an "Alien" reboot moving forward, word comes that the new "Alien" film will NOT be a remake or reboot (as many fans of Ridley Scott’s original were fearing), but instead a prequel to Scott’s "Alien," which will be directed by Carl Rinsch.

Thank Collider, who caught up with Ridley Scott’s brother Tony Scott at the premiere of his new movie, "The Taking of Pelham 123." The Scott brothers will co-produce the "Alien" prequel, and like any good producer, Tony was willing to feed the hype machine.

Here are some choice excerpts from the Collider interview with Tony Scott:

Collider: 20th Century Fox is talking about remaking or redoing the original Alien. What’s going on with that?

Tony Scott: Yes, Carl Rinsch is going to do the prequel to Alien. He’s one of our directors at our company.

Collider: …are you a little nervous about reengaging the franchise or are you excited.

Tony: I’m excited cause Ridley created the original and Carl Rinsch is one of the family.

Collider: When do you envision this film getting in front of cameras?

Tony: Hopefully the end of the year.

Collider: Will it be a summer of 2011 movie?

Tony: Honestly, I don’t know.

Screen Rant summed up the pros and cons of having a prequel to "Alien" in one nice paragraph.

"A prequel is something I am good with; it would be cool to see the Alien species being created, only to go on a rampage across the universe. There IS a potential downside, however: some of best monsters in sci-fi/horror are the ones whose origins are UNKNOWN. The dread of the unknown, in certain cases, is more frightening than the monster itself. In giving Alien a backstory, the filmmakers risk negating one of the greatest aspects of Ridley Scott’s original: its WTF?! factor."

Does a prequel sound better than a remake?
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Movie Review: Up

"Up" marks Pixar's tenth film and also its most mature. While there are plenty of fun and goofy moments, similar to those that have made their films audience favorites since "Toy Story" in 1995, "Up" takes on more adult themes such as the loss of a loved one.

The first 15 minutes of the film begins with the budding romance of Carl and Ellie, two children fascinated with the idea of exploration and both enamored with the world-renowned adventurer Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer).

Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Ed Asner) marries the woman of his dreams and their life is shown through a voiceless montage gives witness to the courtship of Carl and his wife Ellie, their early marriage, medically proscribed childlessness, financial setbacks, and Ellie’s eventual illness and death.

One of the things that most moved me about "WALL-E," was the fact that despite all of its eye candy and sci-fi trappings, it was essentially a love story, and an incredibly sweet one at that. The same can be said about "Up," as the film is anchored by Carl’s everlasting love for his dead wife. Their life together, despite containing its share of sadness and broken dreams, is the kind of life we all dream of- and by the time the montage reaches it’s inevitable conclusion, don’t be surprised if you’re choking back a few tears.

When Ellie passes away, a devastated Carl is left to fend for himself against a world that seems to have no use for him. After a greedy land- developer
tries to have him carted off to a retirement community, in order to steal his land, Carl decides to once and for all, fulfill his life long dream of exploring South America. With the help of 10,000 helium filled balloons, Carl is able to make his house into his own personal blimp, and soon takes to the skies. However, Carl has an unwanted passenger- a hyper-active, eight-year old “Wilderness Explorer” named Russell, who is intent on earning his “assisting the elderly” merit badge. The two eventually land in Paradise Falls- located deep in the Venezuelan jungle, where they meet among other things, a talking dog named Dug, and the now elderly, and unhinged, Muntz.

The film is visually stunning and Pixar animation again at its finest. You don't miss anything if you only see the movie in 2-D. Making the film in 3-D added nothing to the already gorgeous animation and the story carries the movie more than any 3-D technology.

Still, the best thing about this movie is the story and characters. Each character in the film is developed and given enough background to satisfy anyone's curiosity., Heck, even the talking dog was a fully formed character with a complete, and nuanced arc.

Adults and kids together can enjoy the film for its humor and moral points.
9/10
“But it’s a TALKING DOG!!”
Sources: Rope of Silicon, JoBlo, UGO Movie Blog

McG Plugs 'Salvation' Plot Holes

SPOILER ALERT: Do not read any further if you don't want to know plot details of "Terminator Salvation." Seriously! You've been warned!

"Terminator Salvation" thrilled millions of moviegoers with its intense depiction of a post-Judgment Day reality. It also confused the heck out of even the most loyal followers of the franchise, who have followed the complicated "Terminator" timeline for decades and now have all-new questions about how well the series' logic holds up.

With that in mind, MTV News had fans submit questions to the MTV Movies Blog and took them straight to "Salvation" director McG. Here are some fan-submitted Q&A snipits from MTV News‘ interview.

Q: In the earlier movies, Skynet is not aware of Kyle Reese. So, why are they aware of him now?

McG: It’s a function of their recon during the dark period, and a function of their awareness of the events that had happened since Kyle Reese traveled back. By virtue of John Connor being alive, that means Kyle Reese did meet Sarah Connor and impregnate her. That data exists, and was brought into the fold at Skynet.

Q: If Kyle Reese had been killed in “Salvation,” what would’ve happened to John Connor? Would he simply cease to exist?

McG: Will he be erased in the photograph, like in “Back to the Future”? That’s an excellent question that theorists have been bandying about for the ages. We play it more simply. Kyle Reese must be kept alive, so he can be sent back in time from 2029 to protect Sarah Connor, impregnate her and she’ll give birth to John Connor who will save us all. And the simplest way to understand that is to protect the triangle of Kyle, John and Sarah. Any deconstruction of that leads to more headache than satisfaction.

Q: How come lava melted a T-800 in “T2,” but it doesn’t in “Salvation”?

McG: That’s not lava. There are different characteristics of molten steels, and that was an earlier steel process after it had been separated from the coke. We went over this with a metallurgist, discussing which metals burn at which degrees. And also, if it had stayed on [the T-800], perhaps it would’ve melted him, but it was frozen quickly enough by the [liquid nitrogen]. Plus, we make the transition from the molten metal to the cooling property so quickly — as a function of the T-800 being on [John] Connor — that it wouldn’t have had time to melt the existing titanium exoskeleton in time.

Q: When Marcus is inside Skynet and learning about how he was created, the visage of Dr. Serena Kogan mentions that he’s managed to do something that none of the other Terminators have been able to. Is Skynet aware of the alternate futures and other events that have taken place?

McG: Skynet is aware of the alternate futures, and the way that we play it is in the spirit of parallel worlds, as theorized by Einstein. We try to pay attention to that approach to a fundamentally theoretical construct. So yes, they are aware of the other attempts on the life of John Connor, and they’ve always subscribed to a bigger-gun philosophy, from the T-800 to the T-1000 to the TX. Now they’ve decided to bring in a machine with enough humanity in it to properly infiltrate the Resistance and lure John Connor to their lair. That’s why Serena speaks of thinking differently, thinking radically.

Q: At the end of the film, is John Connor ever made aware that Marcus was an infiltration unit? Or does the secret die with him?

McG: That’s an interesting question. But I think it’s of very little consequence. What Connor is focused on [at the end of the movie] is that Marcus did come through for him and Kyle Reese. It wasn’t clear, when he gave his word at the riverside, whether that was an example of Skynet using the best of ourselves against us…his action transcends the question, if you follow me.

As I said, these are just a few choice snipits from the Q&A. For more answers to some Terminator Salvation plot and continuity questions (Will John Connor still be killed by a “T-850″ as hinted in "T3"? And what did Marcus do, exactly, to end up on death row?), you can check out MTV News‘ full Q&A session with McG by either going here or here.

In the end though, it doesn’t matter how well McG fills the plot holes of "Terminator Salvation." We, as the audience, shouldn’t ever have to sift through blogs for these answers - the answers should be clear and stated within the context of the film. Period. The less guess work your audience is left with, the better.

Do you like the answers about "T4" that McG is providing, or do you feel that the movie is solely responsible for filling in all the blanks?

"Terminator Salvation" is currently in theaters.
Sources: Screen Rant, MTV News (1,2)
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Tintin Delayed for USA

Paramount Pictures and Sony Pictures Entertainment have finally announced their release plans for Steven Spielberg’s 3D performance capture adaptation of "The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn." The film will be released internationally in late October and early November, 2011, more than a month before the film is released stateside by Paramount on December 23, 2011.

The early international release makes sense as the property is a lot more popular overseas. The reception from European audiences and critics will be a nice transition for American audiences who aren’t as familiar with the character.

Starring Jamie Bell ("Billy Elliot") as Tintin, the intrepid young reporter whose relentless pursuit of a good story thrusts him into a world of high adventure, and Daniel Craig ("Quantum of Solace") as the nefarious Red Rackham, the international cast also includes Andy Serkis, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Gad Elmaleh, Toby Jones and Mackenzie Crook.

"The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn," is a Paramount Pictures and Columbia Pictures production from a screenplay by Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish, and is produced by Spielberg, Peter Jackson and Kathleen Kennedy.

The film is the first of a planned series of 3D performance capture movies based on the character. Peter Jackson is scheduled to direct the second film, and a third film has been announced, but no director is yet attached.

Eighty years ago, Georges Remi, better known to the world by his pen name "Herge," introduced the world to a unique cast of characters who have been embraced by readers of all ages. The Adventures of Tintin - a series of 24 books, the final unfinished adventure was published after Herge's death, became Herge's life's work. The first adventure was published in 1929. Over 200 million copies have been sold worldwide. The popular series has been translated into 70 languages and still attracts thousands of new fans each year. Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson will bring Herge's stories to life employing state-of-the-art performance capture technology developed by Jackson's Weta Digital.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: Latino Review, Slash Film

'Toy Story 3' Teaser Trailer

This is a true teaser trailer because we don't learn anything about the movie. All we get is the title. But still, the brief synopsis of "Toy Story 3" is that the toys are dropped off in a day-care center after their owner, Andy, leaves for college.



"Toy Story 3" is being directed by Lee Unkrich, another one of Pixar's creative masterminds who previously co-directed "Toy Story 2," "Monsters, Inc." and "Finding Nemo." The screenplay was written by Michael Arndt, the Oscar winning screenwriter of "Little Miss Sunshine" who is a newcomer to the Pixar family. Disney is bringing Pixar's "Toy Story 3" to theaters everywhere in digital 3D starting on June 18, 2010.
(First Showing)
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Movie News Mash 16

Spider-Man 4

Sam Raimi revealed to MTV News that he’s four weeks away from reading a first draft of the “Spider-Man 4” script. And along with writer David Lindsay-Abaire, there are a few key elements they’re looking for in a potential villain.

“I’ve talked with David about a possible villain, villains, villain-ess,” the director said, being careful not to reveal genders or numbers in regards to Spidey’s nemesis. “[We’ve spoken] about who knows what Spider-Man’s conflicting personas would be.

“I’m trying to, with the writer, find Peter Parker’s story primarily,” Raimi said of what factors will weigh on his selection of supervillains. “And find the right conflict for him to come up against. So that either he can grow as a human being and overcome this thing, or perish. It’s more about finding the villain that represents the best story for Peter.”

And although Raimi said that he does know which super-villains Lindsay-Abaire is working into his script, they are still subject to change. “Really, I have to read the screenplay and see if it’s working, what we’ve discussed,” explained the filmmaker. “Before I really, in my heart, could tell you that I knew.”

“Spider-Man 4” is due in theaters May 6, 2011.

Iron Man 2

“Rhodesy is definitely stepping up in this film. Let me put it this way: Tony’s not the only person with technology in the film,” Favreau told Empire when asked about the likelihood that Don Cheadle will suit up in the War Machine armor.

"Tony's expected to be a role model and I don't think he's ready to be one," he said. "He's under a great deal of pressure and when you're under pressure, I think you find outlets for that. That's one of the tensions of the film: it's one thing to say you're Iron Man, and another thing to actually become Iron Man."

And while the potential debut of War Machine is enough to get comics fans buzzing about the much-anticipated sequel, the interview also offered up some revealing quotes from actor Mickey Rourke for fans to digest — namely, some hints about the Whiplash armor he’ll be sporting in the film.

“It’s been really brutal, because my Iron Man suit weighs 23lb,” said Rourke. “It’s sort of a half-suit, with half my skin showing, with lots of Russian tattoos, because [Whiplash is just] out of a Russian-zone prison.”

"Iron Man 2"is due in theaters May 7, 2010.

Avatar

Market Saw recently revealed two official concept art images from James Cameron’s "Avatar."

The first one is of a "power suit" and the second one is a "futuristic helicopter."



"Avatar" is due in theaters December 18.

Dreamworks Animation Films

Variety has published an article detailing the upcoming slate for Dreamworks Animation through 2012. CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, whose contract was recently extended to 2013, said that all the films will be made in 3-D. The article includes the following features:

How to Train Your Dragon: Written and directed by Chris Sanders and Den DeBlois and produced by Bonnie Arnold. It stars Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera and Johan Hill. Set in the world of Vikings and dragons, it centers on an awkward teen who befriends an injured dragon. Film is set for a March 26, 2010 release.

Shrek Forever After: Directed by Mike Mitchell, produced by Teresa Cheng and Gina Shay and exec produced by Aron Warner and Andrew Adamson. Set for a May 21, 2010 release (Originally called "Shrek Goes Fourth").

Oobermind: Robert Downey Jr. and Tina Fey star in this one in which Downey will voice a supervillain who finds life a little dull after vanquishing good-guy rival Metro Man in the superhero-themed pic, based on a spec script (previously called “Master Mind”) from Ben Stiller’s Red Hour Films. Pic will open Nov. 5, 2010.

Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom of Doom: Sequel to the 2008 hit with Jack Black and Dustin Hoffman returning to the voice cast. Film is due to hit theaters on June 3, 2011.

The Guardians: Turning to a not-yet-published book series from kidlit-to-toon titan William Joyce, whose work has previously inspired Disney’s “Meet the Robinsons” and “Rolie Polie Olie.” The Guardians unites characters every child knows — Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Jack Frost and the Sandman — to defend the world from a Bogeyman-like villain. Film is due on November 4, 2011.

Puss in Boots: Puss in Boots imagines events before the popular character’s appearance in Shrek 2, while introducing all-new characters. Antonio Banderas returns, and Salma Hayek will lend her voice to love interest Kitty. Shrek the Third helmer Chris Miller is onboard to direct, with the film slated for March 30, 2012.

Madagascar 3: In May 2012 helmer Eric Darnell offers up a third installment in the zoo-break series, which would relocate the critters from Africa to Europe via a traveling circus.

Katzenberg has staked out a date that fall, Nov. 12, for an original feature, to be chosen from a trio of projects currently in development.

The Croods: A caveman comedy from directors Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco, was once intended to be an Aardman collaboration.

Truckers: Derived from Terry Pratchett’s “The Bromeliad Trilogy,” with Simon Beaufoy adapting a story of miniature creatures stuck living in a department store.

Super Secret Ghost Project: Asks what ghosts think about humans.

All three projects are currently under way in some form, with the decision on which one lands the late-2012 slot to be determined down the road.

Do we really need everything to be made in 3-D?
Are you excited about any of these projects (or are you more of a Pixar person)?
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: Rope of Silicon, Variety

Alien Reboot

On Earth you can hear "Alien" fans scream.

"Alien" is getting the reboot treatment, courtesy of the fine folks at 20th Century Fox. To many, the original "Alien" film is a lauded classic in the Science Fiction genre and pretty much near untouchable as remake material. That doesn’t seem to worry Fox, who last year remade the celebrated classic "The Day The Earth Stood Still."

Not only are they moving forward on the Robert Rodriguez "Predators" reboot, but it looks as if the rumored "Alien" reboot is officially moving forward as well. Bloody-Disgusting is reporting that Fox has hired Carl Rinsch, a commercial and music video director, to helm the new Alien. The only good news is that apparently Michael Costigan, Ridley Scott and Tony Scott are all on-board to produce via their own Scott Free Productions. Rinsch has apparently worked for Scott Free as well and isn't necessarily an outsider (you can see some of his work online).

Word is that this reboot, as it's being called, will be more of an origin story as opposed to a straight-up remake. The plan is supposedly to "stick with the original concept of only one alien on the ship."

Can we expect a reboot to be as great and original as the first "Alien" and its sequel? Can we expect a film to be more on par with the latter films in the "Alien" quadrilogy? Is there any chance that Sigourney Weaver can come back on the project with Scott and make a fifth film in the series that will be grander than just a remake?

Remember to take this as rumor until confirmed as many projects change through the course of development.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: BD, First Showing, Screen Rant

Original 'Terminator Salvation' Ending

SPOILER ALERT: Do not read any further if you don't want to know plot details of "Terminator Salvation." Seriously! You've been warned!

McG, director of "Terminator Salvation, recently told Entertainment Weekly in an interview about the original scripted ending of the film.

“There was talk on the Internet about an alternate ending where Connor dies and they take Connor’s likeness and put it on top of Marcus Wright’s machine body,” McG adds referencing early talk online that appears to have been true even though at the time it was flatly denied and McG is even still unwilling to admit it saying, “Well, that’s not really what the ending was.” But it was, even if all the details weren’t in place.

“Connor dies, okay? He’s dead,” McG told EW. “And Marcus offers his physical body, so Connor’s exterior is put on top of his machine body. It looks like Connor, but it’s really Marcus underneath. And all of the characters we care about (Kyle Reese, Connor’s wife Kate, etc.) are brought into the room to see him and they think it’s Connor. And Connor gets up and then there’s a small flicker of red in his eyes and he shoots Kate, he shoots Kyle, he shoots everybody in the room. Fade to black. End of movie. Skynet wins. F— you!”

Of course this mildly resembles the moment in the now official ending when Marcus offers up his heart to save a dying John Connor in an act of compassion and not machine driven trickery, as well as a moment that could be seen from a mile away. It’s an uplifting ending, much different than what would have been a shocker of a downer ending as McG agrees.

“It’s the most nihilistic thing of all time. And Christian went f—ing crazy, of course. He was insistent that it be done that way! He wanted the bad guys to win! Can you imagine the oxygen going out of the theater?! What just happened! It would piss you off! But maybe two years from now, you’d think it was ballsy. But in the end, it just felt like too much of a bummer.” After a pause he finally added, “Maybe we blew it.”

Indeed the movie kind of blew, but it was not the ending. While the ending McG wanted would separate this from the other "Terminator" films as being the bleakest film in the franchise (indeed, of this entire summer probably), it would not fix the other flaws in the film, such as character development.

But did Bale really want that kind of an ending?
EW sat down with Bale the next day and asked him.

"I'm not the director," Bale said. "There came to be a different option that almost everyone, except myself, felt was the better way to go. I took a bit of convincing, but you know, at the end of the day, you need a director to make that call."

But doesn't he think that his "Salvation" would have been a depressing bummer, not to mention suicide at the box office?

"Done the way I saw it? No. But am I disappointed with this one? No."

Would you have liked that ending to "Salvation"?
I wonder if it will come as an alternate ending on the DVD...
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: Rope of Silicon, EW

Creature from Black Lagoon Remake Needs a New Director

Bloody-Disgusting learned that Breck Eisner - who is currently hard at work on Overture Films' remake of "The Crazies" and is scheduled to remake "Flash Gordon" - will in fact not be directing "The Creature from the Black Lagoon" remake for Universal Pictures and Strike Entertainment.

Oddly, back in April, Eisner spoke with Arrow in the Head about his plans for the remake without any indication that might be leaving, so we're not sure why he left.

The project is still being developed by Gary Ross, whose father wrote the original. "Creature" is about a group of scientists who discover and capture the prehistoric GillMan while searching for fossils along the Amazon River. The creature breaks free and kidnaps one of the scientists' fiancee with whom it has fallen in love. Universal and Strike Entertainment are now looking for a new director to replace Eisner.

Who do you think should direct this remake?
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Scott Pilgrim Fight Scene

Video blog No. 6 from scottpilgrimthemovie.com is quite interesting. Quite indeed.
Why? Because it shows the making of one of the awesome fight scenes we will be seeing in the movie. The fight scene itself isn't shown, but expect it to be something like out of a video game (and especially the Scott Pilgrim comic).



You see the giant hammer? Yeah...gonna be sweet.
"Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" comes out next summer.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Tomb Raider Reboot Will Be a Prequel

About.com had the chance to interview producer Dan Lin at the premiere of "Terminator Salvation" and there he discussed the new "Tomb Raider" movie in the works.

Watch the interview here.
Below is part of the transcript of the interview that focuses on the new "Tomb Raider."

And you're also going to be involved in Lara Croft?

Dan Lin: "Yeah, we're rebooting Lara Croft as well. Really excited - it's a great origin story that we're going to tell. A very character-oriented I would say more realistic than the past Lara Croft movies."

Any casting on that yet?

Dan Lin: "Not yet."

But it is going to be a younger version so it can't be Angelina Jolie?

Dan Lin: "It is an origin story so it is a younger Lara Croft."

And it will be full-on action?

Dan Lin: "I would say it's like Terminator - character-driven action. I think for me the Lara Croft games and movies have gone a little too action-oriented. I wanted to have action, but with character."

Whether the choice for a younger Croft is to capitalize on multiple flicks, or just to pander to the mall crowd, I couldn't say. But what I do know is that I think an adult Lara Croft is a much more exciting proposition than a precocious teen with a "Nancy Drew" complex -- and isn't it about time that we got some fully grown ladies fighting the good fight on the big screen again, anyway?
(Cinematical)

Do you want a younger Lara Croft with less action? Sounds like they are doing what they did to Chun-Li in the new "Street Fighter" movie. That movie was terrible, so i seriously hope it doesn't go down that path.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Buffy and Flight of Navigator Reboots

"Flight of the Navigator," one of Disney's classic sci-fi tales, is getting remade.

According to Empire, "It comes as no surprise after the success of this spring's 'Race To Witch Mountain,' which saw Disney bring new life to another family sci-fi franchise. It will join the raft of remakes currently in production, set to pay tribute to the childhoods of twenty and thirty-somethings everywhere, such as 'The Neverending Story' and 'The Karate Kid.'

'Navigator' will be taken in hand by 'Arrested Development' and 'Wild Hogs' writer Brad Copeland, and produced by the duo about to bring us Bruce Willis in 'Surrogates,' David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman. Executive producer of the 1986 film, John Hyde, will oversee the proceedings here also."

The original tells the story of a 12-year-old boy who is abducted by an alien spacecraft in 1978 and reappears eight years later, still the same age and with no memory of what happened. NASA scientists discover a connection between the boy and a downed spacecraft and try to exploit the boy, who ultimately escapes with the ship and attempts to reunite with his family. It starred Sarah Jessica Parker, Howard Hesseman and even Paul Reubens.

"Flight of the Navigator" was made fairly inexpensively and only grossed $18 million in its theatrical run, becoming a bigger hit on VHS.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, "A new incarnation of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' could be coming to the big screen.

'Buffy' creator Joss Whedon isn't involved and it's not set up at a studio, but Roy Lee and Doug Davison of Vertigo Entertainment are working with original movie director Fran Rubel Kuzui and her husband, Kaz Kuzui, on what is being labeled a remake or relaunch, but not a sequel or prequel.

While Whedon is the person most associated with 'Buffy,' Kuzui and her Kuzui Enterprises have held onto the rights since the beginning, when she discovered the 'Buffy' script from then-unknown Whedon. She developed the script while her husband put together the financing to make the 1992 movie, which was released by Fox.

Kuzui later teamed with Gail Berman, then president of Sandollar Television, bringing back Whedon to make the TV series, which was produced by Fox TV and launched on the WB in 1997. Kuzui and Sandollar received executive producer credits on 'Buffy' and its spinoff, 'Angel.'

The new 'Buffy' film, however, would have no connection to the TV series, nor would it use popular supporting characters like Angel, Willow, Xander or Spike. Vertigo and Kuzui are looking to restart the story line without trampling on the beloved existing universe created by Whedon, putting the parties in a similar situation faced by Paramount, J.J. Abrams and his crew when relaunching 'Star Trek.'

One of the underlying ideas of 'Buffy' allows Vertigo and Kuzui to do just that: that each generation has its own vampire slayer to protect it. The goal would be to make a darker, event-sized movie that would, of course, have franchise potential.

The parties are meeting with writers and hearing takes, and later will look for a home for the project. The producers do not rule out Whedon's involvement but have not yet reached out to him."

That is a mouthful for "Buffy" fans. While I myself have seen the movie, I never watched the show (I am more of a movie person than television). But it is on my list of must-watch-television-shows-someday.

What will be remade next?
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Terminator Salvation: The Machinima Series

The Halcyon Company and McG have collaborated to dig deeper into one of the characters from the film "Terminator Salvation."

It is called Terminator Salvation: The Machinima Series.
Episodes can be downloaded from iTunes, Playstation Network, Xbox Live and Amazon Video on Demand. It will probably be on YouTube sooner or later.

Watch exclusive footage and behind-the-scenes action on this animated series below.


I personally didn't really like the character Blair and don't need to learn more about her (all the characters in the film were highly undeveloped).
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Get Him to the Greek On-Set Footage

"Get Him to the Greek" is a spin-off of "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" focusing on the character of Aldous Snow as played by British sex-addict Russell Brand. It's written and directed again by "Sarah Marshall's" Nicholas Stoller and stars Jonah Hill, Rose Byrne, Elisabeth Moss, Katy Perry, and P. Diddy.

"Get Him to the Greek" is about a record company intern (Jonah Hill) who is hired to accompany the "out-of-control British rock star" Aldous Snow to a concert at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles.

MTV News debuted some on-set footage of the film following Russell Brand and showing a night club scene being filmed for the movie.



Is it just me or does Jonah Hill's voice sound weird (like he lost it or is sick)?
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

The Green Lantern Trailer (Fan Made)

YouTube user Jaronpitts has assembled a two-and-a-half minute trailer for DC’s "Green Lantern" using twenty-eight different movies and TV shows. The detail and work he has put into this trailer is quite impressive.

The trailer also promotes an idea for the lead role of Hal Jordan.
Watch below!

(Screen Rant)
Can you see Nathan Fillion (Captain Malcolm 'Mal' Reynolds from "Firefly") as the Green Lantern? The trailer also makes it look like Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith from "The Matrix" Trilogy) could be a good Sinestro.
"Green Lantern" is scheduled to release June 17 2011.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Box Office Results and Weekly Movie News

Movies coming out this week!

Up - By tying thousands of balloon to his home, 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen sets out to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America. Right after lifting off, however, he learns he isn't alone on his journey, since Russell, a wilderness explorer 70 years his junior, has inadvertently become a stowaway on the trip.

Drag Me to Hell - A loan officer (Lohman) ordered to evict an old woman from her home finds herself the recipient of a supernatural curse which turns her life into a living nightmare. Desperate, she turns to a seer for help, and learns she only has a short period of time before she is literally ushered into Hell.

Movies coming out on DVD!

New in Town
Powder Blue
Killshot

Box Office results for the weekend!

1 Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian $53.5M

2 Terminator Salvation $43M

3 Star Trek $22M

4 Angels & Demons $21.4M

5 Dance Flick $11.1M

6 X-Men Origins: Wolverine $7.8M

7 Ghosts of Girlfriends Past $3.72M

8 Obsessed $2M

9 Monsters vs Aliens $1.34M

10 17 Again $1M

"Night at the Museum 2" did 63 percent better on its opening weekend than its predecessor. That is a big improvement, but will it stay at the night for very long?

The budget for "Terminator Salvation" is listed at $200 million. It needs to start making some money fast to have "Terminator 5" greenlit. Maybe in the international market?

Other films are again petering out, but "Star Trek" is still living up to all the hype and buzz it has been generating. This was also the best weekend of the year (the top twelve films made $168 million).

Next week family friendly movies will again take the top spot as "Up" will take the lead and "Night at the Museum 2" will probably still dominate.

Transformers 2 Viral Marketing

Viral marketing for "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" has started and it is time to take a closer look.

Hidden in the latest full trailer for "Transformers 2" was a Web site on the back of Sam's shirt (see below). That website has now officially launched and there seems to be a lot more going on as well.

Seen below is a screenshot from the scene in the trailer where that Web site address first appears. It points to TheRealEffingDeal.com, a conspiracy blog run by Leo Spitz who was in Mission City when the final fight in the last movie all took place (hence the blurry photo seen above).

There's another blog located at GiantEffingRobots.com that is run by Robo-Warrior (who we believe is John Turturro in the movie). There aren't as many updates, but they do reference Leo Spitz and attempt to refute his giant robot claims. Lastly, the third viral website is located at MendelsonRobotics.com. It hasn't launched yet, but word is that Mendelson is the company that is responsible for covering up the events in Mission City as well as studying the Transformers in order to gain technological advancements. Mendelson is supposedly seen in the latest TV spots when Optimus rolls in and transforms (at the end).
(First Showing)

Keep checking the sites out to see viral updates leading up to the premiere of "Transformers 2" on June 24.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Bootleg Transformers 2 Trailer

Another trailer for "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" came out this weekend. While the trailer has not officially come out online, someone had the guts to tape the trailer and put it online.

It is pretty much rehash from the previous trailer, but still, its "Transformers."

Tarantino To Re-Edit Inglourious Basterds?

According to Screen Rant, "Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming WWII film 'Inglourious Basterds' premiered at the Cannes Film Festival the other day to mostly positive reviews, with one person even calling it his best work since 'Pulp Fiction.' The cut people saw at Cannes was 2 hours 27 minutes, a fair length for a movie that’s reportedly made up of mostly dialogue-driven scenes. And yet it seems that may not be the version the general public will end up getting: We will most likely see an even longer cut.

From Tarantino himself comes the word that his Cannes-cut of 'Inglourious Basterds' is over 20 minutes short of the 2 hours and 48 minutes he is contractually obligated to produce. So what does this mean for the movie? Well, it appears that to make up the time, Tarantino will be re-editing the movie post-Cannes, changing things here and there and perhaps even adding an entire scene.

Some of the negative reviews have criticized 'Basterds' for seeming incomplete, the reason some people are citing that is the fact that he rushed like crazy to get it done in time for Cannes. Some people are saying that he should have taken his time, and presented a rougher edit of the movie, play it out of competition, and thus he would have avoided such criticism."

A longer version of the movie? That is like receiving the director's cut of the film in theaters! But why is it in the contract to make such a long movie?
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

A Christmas Carol Train Tour

Thank Latino Review and Guapo Cam for footage of the tour!
One thing Disney is great at is promotions, and they've pulled out all the stops with Robert Zemeckis' upcoming holiday movie A Christmas Carol.

Disney has decided to promote this film all across the country with a 40 stop, 16,000 mile train tour that showcases all of the fantastic new technology used in making A Christmas Carol. A full city list can be found at disney.com/christmascaroltraintour

Here's some more info about the tour:

ABOUT THE TOUR

*16,000 MILES – “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” Train Tour, sponsored by Hewlett Packard and Driven by Amtrak, kicks off Memorial Day Weekend 2009 at Union Station in Los Angeles, traveling across the country with stops in 40 cities big and small along the route, culminating in November at New York City’s Grand Central Terminal. Traveling more than 16,000 miles, the train will pass through 36 states, hitting cities like Chicago, Ill., Albuquerque, N.M., Portland, Ore., Fargo, N.D., Sacramento, Calif., Houston, Texas, Kansas City, Mo., Louisville, Ky., Jacksonville, Fla., Philadelphia, Pa., Albany, N.Y., and Charleston, S.C.

*SNEAK PEEK -- Visitors will be the first to see an exclusive sneak peek of “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” in Disney Digital 3D inside a state-of-the-art 48-foot-wide, 3D theatre—the first inflatable 3D theatre ever to go across the country—which will be erected onsite in each city. Dolby laboratories will be supplying Dolby Digital 3D equipment for the travelling 3D theatre.

*WINTER WONDERLAND -- Snow will “fall” in each of the 40 cities throughout this summertime event. The winter wonderland will be complete with holiday décor and Christmas carolers.

*BEHIND THE SCENES -- Visitors will be treated to a behind-the-scenes look at the magic, the spectacle and the cutting-edge technology of “Disney’s A Christmas Carol.” Four train cars will showcase immersive and interactive experiences, including:

*A first glimpse at the character development and character design of “Disney’s A Christmas Carol”

*Artifacts from the Charles Dickens Museum in London, England, including a first edition of “A Christmas Carol,” a portrait of Charles Dickens, his original writing tools and original letters written by Charles Dickens from his visits to the United States

*An inside look at the cutting-edge performance capture technique used to create the film

*Interactive kiosks where guests can explore Dicken’s London and morph their face into characters from the movie using HP TouchSmart PCs and get the image via email

*FREE FOR YOU AND ME -- This family event is fun for guests of all ages – and totally FREE!

*HOMETOWN MOVIE SURFERS SWEEPSTAKES - At every tour stop, Radio Disney will invite kids to enter for a chance to become a Movie Surfer representing their hometown. Each Hometown Movie Surfer will get a chance to appear on Disney Channel by filming their very own Movie Surfer’s segment! They’ll also receive a prize package of exclusive Movie Surfer and "Disney’s A Christmas Carol” gear.

*BOYS & GIRLS CLUB – To launch the event, Disney will present a check for $100,000 to Boys and Girls Club of America. Additionally, Boys and Girls Club kids from each city will take part in special activities.

*LOCAL TALENT -- Disney will hire locally in every stop to support the tour, fulfilling positions such as guest control, carolers and docents.

Along with the launch of the train tour and footage from the upcoming film, star Jim Carrey and "Back to the Future" director Robert Zemeckis were on hand to answer questions about the film and also present a check to the Boys and Girls Club of America.

Dick Cook, the chairman of Walt Disney Studios, came out and introduced Robert and Jim. I'm not quite sure what Jim is wearing...but is is interesting to look at.



And now the press conference, broken up into three parts.




Source: Latino Review (1,2)
I think Jim Carrey is pretty funny (in both his acting and in these interviews), so I am excited to see his performance in "A Christmas Carol."
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Terminator Salvation Review

"Terminator Salvation" is a good summer action film but really fails to live up to the legacy of the "Terminator" franchise. One thing that must be understood about this film is that it is a new kind of "Terminator." Gone is the theme of being chased by a machine from the future and trying to stop Judgement Day. The world has already ended and SkyNet is out to get everyone.

The film starts off being as questionable as it can by showing a man named Marcus Wright (played by Sam Worthington) signing away his body to science before being killed by lethal injection (this takes place in 2003). 15 years later and we see John Connor (Christian Bale) fighting the machines and searching for his father-to-be Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin). Wright is back and is apparently some kind of organic Terminator. Connor and Wright team-up to save Kyle Reese.

While there is a fair amount of action in the film (all of it being good), there is little character development. Connor is an almost one-dimensional bad ass who speaks in Batman's gruff voice. I personally never thought of Connor being a kind of BA character since he was never portrayed like that (not even in the flash forward to the future clip from "Terminator 2" did Connor give off the super soldier aura). Connor is more of a thinker, and this was portrayed in "Salvation" when he worked with technology. Overall the character was the least interesting in the film.

Yelchin didn't make a convincing Chekov in the recent "Star Trek," but he rightfully nails it as Kyle Reese. He seemed to almost channel the quirky nature of Michael Biehn, who played Reese in the original "Terminator." Worthington takes the most acting credit in this film because his character is the deepest, but couldn't used more work (mainly in his origins). Sadly we will probably not be learning more about his character.

Bryce Howard Dallas played Kate Connor, the vet woman from "Terminator 3" who winds up marrying John. I think she was merely there to continue the continuity because she really was just any ordinary medic in the film. Oh, and she was pregnant. You get that from looking at her large belly because no one says anything about her being pregnant. No one at all. Quite strange really. I'm sure pregnancy would be a big thing in a time like that. Also in a time like that, I'm pretty sure women wouldn't have the time to put on a full face of make-up. Just saying.

I was told to look at for rapper Common in the film and also Terry Crews. Common played Barnes and had decent time in the film. Crews was a dead soldier lying on the ground. Pretty interesting role. Also in the film was Moon Bloodgood was in the film too. Well, it was a better role than in "Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li." And Star, a little girl who hangs out with Reese, is basically there to add some child innocence or something like that. She doesn't even talk (because she can't...).

As I said before, action was pretty great. A scene where Wright and Reese escape a Harvester Terminator is pretty intense with MotoTerminators and Hunter Killers going everywhere. Sadly that is pretty much the only REALLY awesome action scene in the film. There is even one large explosion in a forest area that makes one laugh at the ridiculousness of it. But having many different forms of Terminators makes the film more interesting than just having the lumbering T-600s walking around. When the T-800 finally is revealed, let's just say a CGI Ah-nald actually s pretty awesome.

The cameo appeases fans of the franchise as does many quotes from previous films ("Come with me if you want to live," "No fate but what me make"). And Linda Hamilton, the real Sarah Connor, even lent her voice for recordings that John listens to in the film.

There are quite a number of things to nitpick in the story (including the plot which has plenty of holes) like just what is the melting point for a Terminator endoskeleton, how does John address the resistance across the country through short wave radio, how do they travel from L.A. to San Francisco so quickly, how do they not hear the Harvester attack until it is right next to them and wouldn't the nuclear ravaged wasteland still be radioactive?

Only other point I wish to get across about this film is that it is dark. While all the other "Terminator" films are also dark, there were moments of humor that worked within the movies. There is little humor in this bleak future, but since the future is indeed bleak, I think it might have been set-up with no intended humor.

In the end, the film is a decent action film that doesn't add anything to the franchise. By the end of the film the characters are pretty much where they were at the beginning. The only thing the movie did was introduce new actors for familiar characters and possibly start a new trilogy of "Terminator" films set in the future.

6.3/10

Scott Pilgrim: Movie Vs. Comics

There are currently 5 volumes available for Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim series of comic books, but if you've read them, you know it hasn't reached its conclusion just yet. But don't worry, when the 6th one comes out, it won't be a spoiler for the movie. O'Malley writers on his twitter: "None of Vol 6 is in the movie. Note that I haven't finished writing it yet, but they're already making a movie. Their ending is their ending."

They used O’Malley’s ideas and suggestions for the film’s final act, but he admits that some of those plans may have changed while he’s writing the sixth book.

Bryan says that while he is “Totally Pleased With The Movie,” some of the “Subplots from 6 books do not fit in one 2-hour movie, and I’m glad my adaptors know this.” O’Malley listed off a bunch of subplots and characters not included in the movie such as Knives Chau’s father, Scott’s friend Lisa Miller and the battle at Honest Ed’s discount store.

"Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" hits theaters some time next year. Hopefully we will be getting a teaser trailer by the end of the summer.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: First Showing, Slash Film

New Toy Story 3 Character

About a week ago I reported that a teddy bear character under a young girl's bed in the new Pixar film "Up" may be a new character for its next movie, "Toy Story 3."

According to Pixar Collector, "Our friends over at Pizza Planet reported recently on a possible character in 'Toy Story 3'..a nice little bear. Well, I've confirmed with three different sources close to Pixar and they all concur, he IS that new character. And we have his name. It's LOTSO."

Expect to see Lotso the Bear in Pixar's "Toy Story 3" next summer!
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Surrogates Trailer

Bruce Willis' newest sci fi film has a trailer and it is a really neat concept based off a great comic. Watch it below!



"Surrogates" follows two FBI agents (Willis and Mitchell) as they investigate the mysterious murder of a college student linked to the man who helped create a high-tech surrogate phenomenon that allows people to purchase unflawed robotic versions of themselves — fit, good looking remotely controlled machines that ultimately assume their life roles — enabling people to experience life vicariously from the comfort and safety of their own homes. The murder spawns a quest for answers: in a world of masks, who’s real and who can you trust?

"Surrogates" hits theaters on September 25 from Touchstone Pictures.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

First Look At Last Airbender Characters

"Avatar: The Last Airbender" is a hit animated show from Nickelodeon that is getting the silver screen royal treatment. The show was critically acclaimed and a massive success for Nickelodeon. So, it was no surprise when they quickly went ahead and started to make a movie (or a trilogy of movies) based on the show. The film is being directed by M. Night Shyamalan because his children are big fans of the show.

"The Last Airbender" stars Noah Ringer and Dev Patel.

(USA Today)
Ringer, 12, makes his feature-film debut opposite 'Slumdog Millionaire's' Dev Patel in M. Night Shyamalan's 'The Last Airbender,' a live-action version of the show that opens July 2, 2010.

Ringer didn't need to alter much to play Aang, who uses martial arts to manipulate the weather. Like Aang, Ringer keeps his head shaved and is an expert in martial arts. "It keeps me cool when I'm doing tae kwon do," says Ringer, a Texas native with a black belt who landed the role after sending a homemade DVD of him practicing the sport. "It's so cool to get the part."

Patel, too, seems suited for the film, the first of a planned trilogy. He earned his black belt in tae kwon do before he turned to acting and discovered the television show while filming Millionaire. "I started watching it in my trailer in India," says Patel, who plays the villain Zuko, a "firebender" (he manipulates flames). "I see why the fan base is so big. It's got action but a lot of moral messages."

Though they square off on the big screen, don't expect any exhibition matches between the actors. Patel, seven years older and a foot taller, says it wouldn't be close: "Noah would knock me flat on my back."



More news to come! Catch ya' later!

The Losers

The cast of upcoming comic book movie "The Losers" has been confirmed - with Spanish actor Oscar Jaenada revealed as the latest name to join the project.

Jaenada has landed the role of stetson-wearing sniper Cougar in the big-screen adapation of the title on DC Comics' Vertigo imprint, according to Blackfilm.

The 34-year-old is best known to English audiences from this year's "The Limits of Control" and last year's "Che: Part Two" alongside Benecio Del Toro in the lead role of Che Guevara.

Directing the film is Sylvain White, who had helmed "Stomp The Yard" in 2007 and is slated to direct Frank Miller's "Ronin" and "Castlevania." The James Vanderbilt-scripted project is being financed by Dark Castle Entertainment with Dark Castle's Joel Silver, Weed Road's Akiva Goldsman and Kerry Foster producing.

The series was first published by the DC Comics imprint Vertigo in the 1970s. Gregory Noveck, who oversees DC Comics film transformations, will be involved in a producing capacity

"Losers" centers around a Special Forces team, who are set up and betrayed by their enigmatic handler, Max, who soon discovers that you should never leave a bunch of black-ops commandos for dead. The Losers regroup for revenge, and to get their names off a pesky CIA death list. For issue after issue, they conducted covert operations against the CIA, and sought to uncover the plans and conspiracies of the powerful, secretive Max.

The site reports that the following are confirmed for roles in the movie: Jeffrey Dean Morgan as leader Clay, Idris Elba as his second-in-command Roque, Chris Evans as motormouth Jensen, and Zoe Saldana as cold-blooded killer Aisha, the only female member. Columbus Short is their pilot Pooch, and Jason Patric will be playing the role of Max. Blackfilm says that, contrary to reports, Jeremy Renner is not in the film.
Sources: The Geek Files, Blackfilm

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Ghostbusters and Girls

The latest news on "Ghostbusters III" comes from Hero Complex’s interview with Dan Aykroyd as he reveals original "Ghostbusters" helmer Ivan Reitman is “too busy as a mega-producer” to direct the new feature. Aykroyd’s second choice, however, is Harold Ramis who would also be starring as Dr. Egon Spengler.

Ramis also just finished directing "Year One", which was coincidentally co-written by Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, who are working on the script for "Ghostbusters III."

Aykroyd told the site he believes the movie will move forward but that he has also learned that “at any second everything could blow up.” The details of story are still in play, but Aykroyd said he’s hoping for a five-member “new generation” team with several female members. “I’d like it to be a passing-of-the-torch movie. Let’s revisit the old characters briefly and happily and have them there as family but let’s pass it on to a new generation.”

So who would be part of this “new generation”? Two suggestions by Aykroyd were Alyssa Milano and Eliza Dushku. Milano just lent her voice to the upcoming “Ghostbusters” video game.

"I think they're amazing," he said. "And I'm excited about the whole idea of getting this done."
(Rope of Silicon)

What do you think of Aykroyd's ideas for the next film in the "Ghostbusters" franchise?
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Sam Raimi Promises Spider-Man 4 Will Be Better

With "Drag Me to Hell" finished and getting released this summer, director Sam Raimi is starting to focus on returning to the "Spider-Man" franchise.

“Right now, David Lindsay-Abaire, a New York playwright, is working on the screenplay,” Raimi said of the eagerly-anticipated “Spider-Man 4” script that will lay the blueprint for his film, due in theaters May 6, 2011. “He says that he’ll be done in about four weeks with his first draft. So that’s where I am right now. And I’m just about to hire a production skeleton.”

Those are Raimi’s first steps in the process of reviving a franchise that has grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide, but was seen by many as stalling out with 2007’s poorly-reviewed “Spider-Man 3” — even though that film made more than either of its predecessors.

“I’ve learned the value of brevity,” Raimi grinned when asked by MTV News whether there were any lessons he’d be taking with him into the new flick. The run time for “Spider-Man 3” was 139 minutes, the longest of the series.


“I learn lessons on every single picture I make… I learned a lot on ['Drag Me To Hell'], about timing, and that you don’t have to give up any character at the expense of horror. It’s just an excuse that maybe I’ve used in the past. As far as 'Spider-Man,' I’ve learned a lot of lessons about what people didn’t like and missteps that I’d made. But I learned those lessons on the previous two, I was just a little quieter about them. I made a lot of mistakes, and it’s part of the reason I so want to make this next story of Peter Parker.

"There's a whole crowd there and they think that's as well as I know the piece but I really do know it a lot better than that and I would like one more chance at that character. I really think I know in my heart who the character is, and I haven't quite been able to sing the song yet, or bring it out to the extent or degree of detail that I feel in my heart that I can.

"[With] the 'Spider-Man' films, I’ve made mistakes, but I really do look at them as things that I’ve learned, and hope that when I apply what I’ve learned to this next one, I really make a film that people enjoy and is really true to the character in a fresh, original way. That’s my goal."


As Raimi and the returning Tobey Maguire look to take everyone’s favorite neighborhood webslinger into a fourth movie, one major question looms unanswered: Will Kirsten Dunst return as Mary Jane Watson?

“Kirsten? I have talked with her, and she’s very excited about the possibility of it,” Raimi said, insisting that although Dunst is willing, it will be the director’s call to make after he reads the script by Lindsay-Abaire. “I think I’m going to have to read the screenplay and make sure everything we’ve talked about is working, before I could honestly tell you absolutely how [Dunst’s possible return] would go.”

Do you think Raimi will keep his word and make "Spider-Man 4" the best in the series yet?
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: Screen Rant, MTV News, The Geek Files, Cinematical

New 9 Trailer

G4 has the exclusive new trailer for "9," the animated feature directed by Shane Acker and starring Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, Martin Landau, John C. Reilly and Crispin Glover. Crispin Glover? I'm there.

"9" is a feature-length expansion of Mr. Acker’s short film of the same name. The action-packed tale takes place in a world parallel to our own, in which the very legacy of humanity is threatened. A community of fully mobile rag dolls living a post-apocalyptic existence find one of their own, 9 (Wood), displaying leadership qualities that may help them to survive. The conflicted but resilient community includes 1 (Plummer), a domineering war veteran; 2 (Landau), an aged inventor; 5 (Reilly), a stalwart mechanic; 6 (Glover), a visionary and artist; and 7 (Connelly), a brave warrior.

Check out the trailer below.

Video Games - E3 2009 - Attack of the Show

The trailer looks cool and throws us a lot of cool action sequences. The story sounds unique, but I feel as if the film will wind up being short. Extending a 10-minute short to a feature-length film can be difficult and I'm pretty sure the movie will wind up being short too (i read somewhere it is only 75 minutes long).

More news to come! Catch ya' later!