Ridley Scott to Direct Alien Prequel!

Variety is reporting that Ridley Scott is officially attached to return as the director of an "Alien prequel" being written by newcomer Jon Spaihts. Spaihts got the job after pitching the studio and Scott Free Production, who will also produce the film. The story is being setup to precede Ridley's 1979 film, but as for what exactly will take place, those details are being kept under wraps at the moment.

The original "Alien" followed the crew of the Nostromo as they responded to a distress signal from a ship on a distant planet (LV428). Once there, a member of the crew is attacked and an alien parasite (a face-hugger) is attached to his face. Soon the creature dies, but then the real horror begins…

The deal gives Fox another chance to keep the "Alien" franchise alive. There were three sequels to Scott's original, but it is the first time the director has set his mind on directing one.

The prequel was to be directed by Scott protege, Carl Rinsch. I guess that fell by the wayside now since Scott himself will be at the helm. Now, the film could be quite a long way off as Scott has several films in development at the minute. He’s currently working on "Robin Hood" with Russell Crowe, and he has the "Monoply" film on the way, as well as a slew of producing duties. Add to this, he’s now 72 years old and it would appear that the British director might need a holiday or two.

With a bit of luck, Fox will put this new film on the fast track and we could see it within the next couple of years.

Sources: Screen Rant, First Showing, Variety

No Voodoo in 'Jonah Hex'

In the comic books, "Jonah Hex" was primarily a real-world period action hero. The western gunslinger only faced supernatural foes in a few issues, but most reports on the movie version indicate a voodoo plot. Not so: The film's director Jimmy Hayward cleared up some of the misconceptions about his adaptation of "Jonah Hex."

Speaking at the San Diego Comic-Con, Hayward said that official trade announcements describing a voodoo storyline had got it wrong.

We had been led to believe that the former Confederate soldier in the American Civil War would battle Southern plantation owner Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich) who planned to raise an army of the undead.

But Hayward told a news conference at Comic-Con: "I don't know where the voodoo practitioner raising the army of the undead came from, but that has nothing to do with the film.

"John Malkovich's character is more of a terrorist who's upset about the Civil War than he is someone who's trying to fight and re-win the Civil War."

Hayward said there were "some" supernatural elements and added: "I think Jonah Hex, he's been shot so many times, the legend is he's got one foot in the grave and one foot here on Earth, and so we approach it by everybody else's version of who Jonah Hex is.

"At the beginning of the film, we bring out the John Albano quote, 'He's a hero to some, a villain to most, but wherever he goes, they speak his name in whispers.' So at the beginning of the film, he's a scarred bounty hunter, just a horrible guy, this murderous guy. You tear the layers off, you see that there's this normal guy in there, but he's kind of in purgatory until he settles the score."

Hex's relationship with the undead may even have a simple medical explanation. "He might be mentally ill, but he definitely talks to the dead sometimes," Hayward added.

Hayward stepped in for directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, who were originally attached. Their script remains the source material, said producer Andrew Lazar. Lazar credited their balance of supernatural and authentic comic-book elements with solving 15 years of development hell on Hex.

"I also want to say that Neveldine and Taylor wrote a really good script," Lazar said. "I developed several different iterations of Jonah Hex and couldn't really get the movie off the ground. Neveldine and Taylor came in with a take on Jonah and wrote a really good script that eventually roped in these talented guys."

"Jonah Hex" stars Josh Brolin as the title character and Megan Fox as a prostitute called Leila. It opens on June 18, 2010.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: Sci Fi Wire, The Geek Files

Jon Favreau Wants to See 'Iron Man' in 3-D

"Iron Man 2" director Jon Favreau told MTV News at Comic-Con that he would love to have the next "Iron Man" film be in 3-D.

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Marvel has plans to make at least one more "Iron Man" film, as well as an "Avengers" flick in 2012 that will feature Tony Stark. If Favreau has his way, he'd like at least one of those films to be three-dimensional.

As of right now, Favreau isn't certain he'll direct "Iron Man 3" or "The Avengers." But Marvel's Kevin Feige is on record as saying that he'd like to see Marvel films jumping off the screen soon, and Favreau is convinced that the technology will be there for whichever film he makes next.

"We haven't had any talks about [me directing 'Avengers'], although we do have talks about what the content of 'Avengers' will be," said Favreau. "I'm going to be involved in some capacity with it, but as far as directing goes, we're still working on this one. ... I'm happy they brought me back to do 'Iron Man 2.'

Could a comic-to-film adaptation work in 3-D? We might find out for the next "Iron Man."
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: MTV News

'Wolf Man' Delayed Again

The moon won't be rising for the Universal Pictures remake of "The Wolfman" until next year, following the extensive reshoots reported earlier.

The project was first announced in 2006 and at that time was set for release on November 14, 2007.

Director Mark Romanek, whose background was in music videos, pulled out over budget constraints and then Joe Johnston stepped in and the film was slated to come out on February 13 this year.

Since then it has been moved to April 3 and then shunted again to November 6 and now Universal has announced that it won't open until February 12 next year.

The film underwent additional shooting rumoured to cost $10m-$30m, which will require further special effects work to be completed, and Shock Till You Drop says that is one of the main reasons for a delayed release.

This shift will avoid competition with Disney's "A Christmas Carol" and also a slightly later threat from "Twilight" sequel "New Moon," which will open on November 20 amid a promotional frenzy and a hysterical stampede.

But according to Variety, studio chiefs moved "The Wolfman" because films tend to fare better in the first quarter than towards the end of the year. In its new slot, "The Wolfman" will go up against New Line's romantic comedy "Valentine's Day," the Summit drama "Remember Me" starring Robert Pattinson and Disney's 3-D re-release of "Beauty and the Beast."

Universal's alien abduction drama "The Fourth Kind," which stars Milla Jovovich and previously didn't have a release date, is to take the place of "The Wolfman" this November.

Hopefully this film will come out soon and some kind of trailer will be shown by the end of this summer.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: The Geek Files

Has 'The Green Hornet' Found Its New Kato?

"The Green Hornet" has had some ups and downs the past few weeks regarding casting news, but could an announcement regarding the new Kato be the next news we hear?

According to The Korea Times, actor Kwon Sang-woo recently passed an English audition for the role of the title character's sidekick -- an audition that was attended by the film's star and writer Seth Rogen and director Michel Gondry. The report goes on to say that a final announcement regarding the role will be made within the next month.

While Kwon is an unknown property in the US, the actor has already established himself as a hot star in Korea. Prior to embarking on a career in acting, he was a successful model contracted to be the face of various marketing campaigns.

If Kwon snags the part, he'll have some big shoes to fill after the departure of Stephen Chow, who left the project earlier this month. Chow was initially tagged to be both director and Rogen's co-star on the film, but stepped down from the director's chair late last year. He then left the film entirely a few weeks ago.

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

More Heroes and Villains in 'Captain America'?

One year before "The Avengers" hits theaters, we'll be seeing "The First Avenger: Captain America," which will be set in WWII and is being directed by Joe Johnston.

CHUD spoke with Marvel's Kevin Feige after the "Iron Man 2" panel at Comic Con and learned about some groups that might be in the "Captain America" movie.

Feige wouldn't exactly confirm that Captain America would be working with The Invaders, in fact he said 'I don't know' when asked point blank, but he did say that there is a group that might help sell a very American film to foreign audiences.

"Setting it in the Marvel version of WWII is going to open it up [to an international audience] in a big way" said Feige. "It'll actually end up being our most diverse and our most international film. In terms of the cast there's a group that [Cap] works with that will have an opportunity for much more international casting."

The Invaders (formerly known as the All-Winners Squad) was a super-team during WWII that counted Captain America and Bucky among its members. Also in The Invaders were British superhero Union Jack, Namor the Sub-Mariner, speedster Whizzer, The Blazing Skull, the Human Torch and even a couple of female characters, Miss America and the Silver Scorpion.

At the moment the membership of the cinematic Invaders is pretty much in flux. The only member of The Invaders who is pretty much guaranteed to be left out is Namor, who as far as I know is part of the "Fantastic Four" package at Fox.

While we always knew that the Red Skull would be the villain in this film, at a future point in the interview Feige namedropped the villainous organization Hydra, a technologically advanced terrorist group that was a staple foe of Silver Age Captain America and SHIELD. However, Hydra was never active in the comics until after WWII where it was headed by a number of fugitive Nazis. This could be a hint that Hydra will be set up as the villain of "The Avengers" during the "Captain America" movie. As "The Avengers" come out after this film it seems plausible especially since I doubt they will make Hulk the villain.

Would you like to see The Invaders and Hydra in the "Captain America" movie?
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: First Showing, CHUD

Dr. Seuss Book 'The Lorax' to Become a 3D Animated Movie

Just in case that "Horton Hears a Who!" movie wasn't enough, Universal has teamed up with Illumination Entertainment to adapt another Dr. Seuss book, this time "The Lorax," into a 3D CGI animated feature. First published back in 1971, "The Lorax" is narrated by a greedy entrepreneur who, despite warnings from the tree-loving Lorax, strips a forest of its stock of Truffula trees to manufacture clothing. The results are catastrophic as all the animals leave and nothing's left.

How can the short novel be drawn out into a full length film? That's mostly going to be the job of Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio, the duo that also wrote 2008's "Horton Hears a Who!" and the upcoming "Despicable Me." Paul & Daurio will also co-direct "The Lorax" with Chris Renaud, who co-directed "Despicable Me" with Pierre Coffin. The Lorax will be the first in a four-picture writing/directing deal Paul & Daurio have signed with Illumination.

"Ted Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss) was prescient in an uncanny way when he wrote the book and explored themes of greed and how that can lead to the destruction of environment," Illumination's Chris Meledandri told Variety.

It seems Seuss' tales keep getting made into films and will all most likely continue to be animated after some problems with the live-action adaptations. Jim Carrey as the The Grinch in Ron Howard's "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" suffered from some Carrey showboating, and" Horton Hears A Who!" was a little removed from it's Seussian roots and supplemented with family-friendly fare from comedians like Steve Carrell. And we will not mention Mike Myers' "Cat In The Hat" except to say that "Grinch" and "Horton" were passable and didn't make me retroactively dislike Seuss' characters.

"The Lorax" movie is scheduled for release on March 2, 2012, which is the 108th birthday of Dr. Seuss, who died in 1991.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: Latino Review, First Showing

Oooo....'Toy Story' in 3-D

Pixar and Disney are re-releasing both "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2" this October in 3-D. Both of the movies were completely re-rendered in 3-D using all of the original files and will be shown back-to-back (with a break in-between them) in theaters for just a few weeks. Yahoo has debuted the official theatrical trailer for this double feature and it's quite fun to watch (just like the teaser trailer for "Toy Story 3").



A toy named Woody has it all. He is practically the leader in Andy's toy room, Bo Peep has the hots for him, and most importantly, he is Andy's favorite toy. But when the clocks strike Andy's birthday, a new toy arrives - Buzz Lightyear, a space cadet who thinks he is a space ranger, Andy's new treasure. Thus begins an adventure and the beginning of a rivalry that turns into a friendship when Woody is kidnapped by a collector who wishes to complete his collection of toys from the classic television show "Woody's Round-Up."

Pixar's "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2" were directed by John Lasseter back in 1995 and 1999. Disney is bringing both films to theaters together on October 2 later this year.

All the favorite characters will return June 18 next summer!
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: First Showing

'Iron Man 2' Won't Have Cliffhanger Ending

We've learned from the "Iron Man 2" cast at Comic-Con that War Machine will make a significant appearance, Black Widow could be good or evil, and Sam Rockwell will be reinventing the character of Justin Hammer. Director Jon Favreau weighed in as well at Comic-Con with his own details on the film, stating that the sequel won't leave an open-ended cliffhanger for Marvel's 2012 "Avengers" movie.

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Are you glad to hear "Iron Man 2" won't concluded with an open ending? How would you like to see Marvel's upcoming films weave together?

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

'Batman 3' Not Starting Next Year

A few days ago Gary Oldman said that the sequel to "The Dark Knight," which is being referred to as "Batman 3" (until titled otherwise) would be shooting next year.

However, later Mr. Oldman recanted his statement when he told Ain’t It Cool News, “Well, I’m sure they want to do another one… it might [be] 2 or 3 years…”

Chris Nolan, who has yet to confirm his involvement with more Batman, is currently working on his new film "Inception." So it is highly unlikely he is working on two films at once.

To further the “Nolan is busy” angle, David S. Goyer (who has a writing/story credit on both of Nolan’s Batman movies) said to MTV News:

“Right now, Chris is involved in filming ‘Inception,’ and when he finishes that, he will turn his studious gaze back to the Bat universe and we’ll see.”

Although Goyer doesn’t state it outright, we can take from his statement (or at least hope) that Nolan is going to at least consider returning to the Batman franchise for a third movie. Just because Nolan’s doing another movie totally unrelated to Batman with Inception doesn’t mean he won’t come back to the “Bat universe” after it - after all, he did "Batman Begins" then switched to "The Prestige" and then back to Batman with "The Dark Knight."

The next Batman film won't be coming out for a while, but look at the bright side - the fact that it won’t be shooting next year means that there’s more chance for Nolan to be on-board once again.

For now, "Batman 3" doesn’t have a release date. "Inception" is scheduled to hit theaters on July 9, 2010.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: Screen Rant

'Iron Man 2' At Comic-Con (War Machine!)

Fans were treated to "Iron Man 2" at this years Comic-Con where most of the film's lead actors and director Jon Favreau introduced a new character in the film.

War Machine.

The counterpart to the Iron Man armor was revealed at the end of a montage that offered new footage of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Whiplash (Mickey Rourke), Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and James Rhodes (Don Cheadle). Oh, and War Machine, too

"We wanted to use Comic-Con as our venue to have the first images of War Machine come out," Favreau told MTV News. "There's been talk of whether it was [in the film] or not, and we've been holding back. We haven't talked officially about it. We wanted to show the fans some of that."

In the War Machine scene, arms dealer Justin Hammer offers to sell Tony Stark's military buddy a wide array of weapons -- and after he agrees to buy "all of them," fans were treated to a shot of the War Machine armor, complete with a massive array of weapons bristling all over it.

"War Machine is another character that's based on the Iron Man technology. James Rhodes, or 'Rhodey,' the character in this film played by Don Cheadle, he has his own suit," Favreau explained. "It looks different, different coloring, different weapons on it. War Machine and Iron Man, typically in the books, are at odds. And so, it's Iron Man facing up against someone of equal power and stature using the same technology."

And even more news from MTV including: Scarlett Johansson on Black Widow,

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Don Cheadle on War Machine and

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Sam Rockwell on Justin Hammer.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

"Iron Man 2" comes out May 7, 2010.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: MTV News (1,2,3,4)

Box Office Results and Weekly Movie News

Movies coming out this week!

Funny People - When seasoned comedian George Simmons (Sandler) learns of his terminal, inoperable health condition, his desire to form a genuine friendship inspires him to take a relatively green performer (Rogen) under his wing as his opening act.

Aliens in the Attic - In Maine, a group of teenagers must protect their vacation home from the aliens who have taken over the top floor of the dwelling.

The Collector - Desperate to repay his debt to his ex-wife, an ex-con plots a heist at his new employer's country home, unaware that a second criminal has also targeted the property, and rigged it with a series of deadly traps.

The Cove - Using state-of-the-art equipment, a group of activists, led by renown dolphin trainer Ric O'Barry, infiltrate a cove near Taijii, Japan to expose both a shocking instance of animal abuse and a serious threat to human health.

Movies coming out on DVD and Blu-ray

Fast and Furious
Dragonball Evolution

Box Office results for the weekend!

1 G-Force $32.1 M

2 Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince $30.0 M

3 The Ugly Truth $27.0 M

4 Orphan $12.7 M

5 Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs $8.2 M

6 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen $8.0 M

7 The Hangover $6.4 M

8 The Proposal $6.4 M

9 Public Enemies $4.1 M

10 Bruno $2.7 M

Not much to really say about this weekend. The "Kid Factor" really came up this weekend by ousting "Harry Potter" and making guinea pigs the stars.

But can the "Kid Factor" win next weekend? "Funny People" looks like it might do well, but heck, kids will want to see that awful looking "Aliens in the Attic."

Marvel Is Preparing for 'The Avengers'

Marvel executive Kevin Feige discussed during Comic-Con the process of bringing the Marvel universe together in feature films with "The Avengers," and how they plan on doing it on a grand scale. "I get to cheat because it's been done before in comics. It's not how the dots connect — we might be changing them a little bit — but it's that experience of reading comics we're trying to bring to movies, to people who've never opened a comic book before.

"I've said it a million times," he continued, "The best part about reading a comic in the Marvel universe is that any character can pop into any of the other ones. That's not been possible [in the movies] until 'Iron Man,' but it's not about cramming in lots of new characters, that sort of cardinal sin of the sequel — explaining too many characters — ['Iron Man 2'] is totally Tony Stark's story and Tony Stark's story is going to weave into a character named Thor's story and a character named Steve Rogers's story and is already engrained in Nick Fury's story and an organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D., which we wove into ['Iron Man']."

When asked about the superhero team-up and his concerns in making sure the films work as standalone features as well as work in setting up "The Avengers," Feige said, "My only concern is that whichever character's franchise we're launching that it stands on its own two feet. With 'Iron Man' being the first one out of the gate, thank goodness that's what happened. Now everybody loves 'Iron Man' [and] it's our job to do the same thing with 'Thor' and the same thing with 'Captain America' two years from now so by the time 'The Avengers' comes in 2012 it's not just a team superhero movie with just a bunch of characters with powers, it's these three people — four including the 'Hulk' — five including Nick Fury, that you've seen in other movies before now coming together for the very first time."

Marvel is still looking at the "Hulk" following the 2008 reboot starring Edward Norton that didn't exactly wow at the box-office, but hasn't been abandoned outright.

"I think he will be [in it], absolutely," Feige said about the Hulk. "I think we know. It's going to be Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Nick Fury. I think it's safe to assume that there will be some members of the Hulk universe in the film as well. In terms of the additional, I think Black Widow for sure. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s organization for sure. And, again, what's exciting to me about the Avengers movie are seeing those four characters together and interact with each other. Anywhere from the first issue of the Avengers to Civil War, the dynamic between Steve Rogers and Tony Stark is awesome and fascinating. It brings out sides of the others that won't be brought out in their own franchises. Throwing Thor into the mix is a whole other thing and I think that will be cool. So to pile in another ten or fifteen… or frankly even four… I think will be too many."

The combining of these separate mythologies has worked for a longtime in the pages of comic books, but how does doing the same thing translate to the big screen? Kevin Feige said there is no challenge in weaving the fantasy of "Thor" with the science fiction of "Iron Man" into "The Avengers."

"No, because that's what Thor is," Feige said. "We're doing the Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, Walt Simonson, J. Michael Straczynski “Thor” we're not doing the blow-the-dust-off-the-old-Norse-book-in-your-library “Thor” and in that “Thor,” the “Thor” in the Marvel universe, there's a race called the Asgardians [fictional race of gods in the Marvel Comics] that were linked through this mystery of life and we don't know about it. It's real, it's real science, we just don't know about it yet and the Thor movie is teaching people about that."

To this point we already know, should things work out as currently set up, Robert Downey Jr. will play Tony Stark in "The Avengers," Samuel L. Jackson will play Nick Fury, Scarlett Johansson would play Black Widow and Chris Hemsworth would play Thor. As far as Edward Norton returning as The Hulk, Feige said, "I think there's always a chance. It's certainly our intention to use the same actors from film-to-film where we can."

Sadly, Hulk fans will have to wait a long time for an "Incredible Hulk 2," if it happens at all. "That would be post-Avengers if that happened," Feige added.

During the "Iron Man 2" Comic-Con panel director Jon Favreau brought up "The Avengers," a film in which Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and other heroes come together to form Marvel's first supergroup. Feige elaborated on the idea even further while speaking to several online writers, including Rope of Silicon and Collider.

Favreau was asked if he would take on the duty of directing "The Avengers" during the panel and he said it would be weird to see someone step in and take over where he has been operating for the past four years.

"Oh yeah, sure. Oh it's hard, it's always hard," when asked how he would feel. "Sometimes it's better, but that's a letting go. It's strange when you have to switch those hats, because I'm not used to that, and just going from directing and creating this world to just being Happy Hogan in 'The Avengers' would be — I'm not going to lie — it would be strange. I'll be involved as an executive producer, but it's a lot different being a consultant on something [compared to] being the guy calling the shots. There's a lot of people collaborating on 'Iron Man,' but I know at the end of the day the buck stops here. It's fun, but it's also a lot of pressure, but I enjoy it.

"I think Kevin [Feige] has a sense of the big picture [and] where everything is going and I'll be involved to whatever extent they see fit and works well with where my interests lie."

"The Avengers" is set to hit theaters on May 4, 2012, but before that time fans will see "Iron Man 2" on May 7, 2010, "Thor" on May 20, 2011 and "The First Avenger: Captain America" on July 22, 2011.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: Rope of Silicon

'Where the Wild Things Are' Featurette

A great featurette showed at Comic-Con for one of my most anticipated films this year. "Where the Wild Things Are" is based on Maurice Sendak's beloved children's book of the same name that came out decades ago. The book was one of my favoirtes because it was so different from other children's novels.



"Where the Wild Things Are" will hit theaters on October 16.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Producers Promise a Dark 'TMNT' Movie

This year at Comic-Con marks the 25th anniversary of the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," and the progression towards what fans really want in a new Turtles movie appears to be on the horizon.

Producers Scott Mednick and Galen Walker were on hand at the "TMNT" panel to answer a few questions about the new film, currently scheduled for a release sometime in 2011.

"I love the Turtles. They have a special quality, the key is that we want to make the greatest Turtle movie ever," stated Walker, a response that was echoed by co-producer Mednick moments later. "In the world we live in today, in the golden age of superhero movies, we need to get back to where this all started."

With these ideas in mind, the fans still wanted to know one thing - will TMNT follow the same path that other darker superhero movies have been going in the last few years. "Our point of view is this: go back and look at the original Turtles comics. They are very dark. The audience is much more sophisticated than they were in 1990. This is 2009. Take the new 'Harry Potter' for example. It is rated PG and it's still a very dark film. We are headed that direction," Galen said.

With this film focusing on an origins story and bringing the Turtles back to their roots, a whole new generation can get in on the fun-filled action of the "TMNT." Hopefully it won't be too dark because I truly enjoyed the humor of the original "Turtles" films as well.

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

Movies in the Works

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New Trailers for 'Alice in Wonderland,' 'Book of Eli' and 'Tron 2'

THE BOOK OF ELI
Apple has just debuted the first teaser trailer for "The Book of Eli" starring Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman.

The film revolves around a lone warrior (Washington) who must fight to bring society the knowledge that could be the key to its redemption. Oldman has been set to portray the despot of a small makeshift town who's determined to take possession of the book Eli's guarding.

"The Book of Eli" hits theaters on January 15, 2010 from Warner Bros.


ALICE IN WONDERLAND
"Alice in Wonderland" is based on Lewis Carroll's beloved series of books that were first published in 1865.

Disney is bringing Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" to both digital 3D and 2D theaters everywhere on March 5th, 2010 early next year.


TRON LEGACY
This teaser trailer is the same that was shown last year at Comic-Con (and in 3D this year) and is still the best footage from "Tron 2" out there But this isn't actual footage from the movie - it's test footage created to sell the movie. They are using some of these set pieces and lightcycles, but that's about it.

Disney is bringing "Tron Legacy" to theaters in late 2010, although a date isn't set yet.

'Magdalena' Now Has a Director

Top Cow CEO Marc Silvestri, executive producer of "Wanted," seems to have found a new niche in Hollywood production. He will repeat that role on his company's next movie adaptation "Magdalena" with newly announced director Ryûhei Kitamura.

Valhalla Motion Pictures and Platinum Studios signed Kitamura, who most recently directed Clive Barker's "Midnight Meat Train." Also new to the "Magdalena" team is "The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations" writer Holly Brix.

Silverstri's production team for the religious history-inspired action tale includes Gale Anne Hurd ("Incredible Hulk," "Punisher: War Zone," "Terminator 2") Platinum Studios head Scott Mitchell Rosenberg and Top Cow president Matt Hawkins, according to Variety.

The movie, slated to star Jenna Dewan and Luke Goss, follows Top Cow's original title character, a descendant from Jesus Christ's bloodline via Mary Magdalene. Endowed with the ability to look into human hearts and show evil-doers the errors of their ways, Magdalena uses her powers to protect the Roman Catholic Church.

Top Cow is going to see if they can use it to replicate the success of "Wanted," which grossed over $130 million domestically, it could be a property ripe for resurrection.

Do you think Ryûhei Kitamura will be a good pick to direct "Magdalena"? Do you think Valhalla and Platinum Studios chose wisely with writer Holly Blix?

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

James Wan to Wrtie and Direct 'Castlevania' Adaptation

Crystal Sky Pictures obtained the rights to adapt the video game "Castlevania" in 2005 and were quick to bring on Paul W.S. Anderson ("Resident Evil" and it's sequels) to write and direct the film adaptation. As the years progressed, Dimension Films passed the domestic distribution rights off to Rouge Pictures, Paul W.S. Anderson made broad statements about what the film was going to look and feel like, the writer's strike happened, Anderson dumped directing duties to work on "Death Race" and Sylvain White ("Stomp The Yard") was brought in to direct.

Now someone new is at the helm of the project. James Wan, the director/co-writer/co-producer on the first "Saw" and solo director on "Dead Silence" and "Death Sentence," is now attached to "Castlevania" as director.

"I'm very fresh on this project, so its early stages and I'm still trying to work things out, but the producers love my vision for it," James Wan told Bloody-Disgusting. "I'll be working on the script with a writer to give it a new spin, different to the previous versions. This will have my stamp on it which Konami is very excited about.

"The thing I love about what Konami did with Castlevania, was taking the iconic Dracula mythology and Eastern-European setting, and retelling it with a Japanese pop-cultural sensibility," he said. "That’s the East-meets-West tone I want to visually expand on for the film. I’m thrilled by the opportunity to make a highly stylized, fantasy, action film that focuses on the gothic storyline and the cool, anime-like characters. For once, the human hero is as sexy and dangerous as the vampire villain, and his weapon of choice was what attracted me to the project in the first place – The Vampire Killer Whip.”

"Castlevania" is an adaptation of the popular NES game from the 80's that has since become a massive video game franchise.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: Latino Review, Bloody-Disgusting

Sam Raimi Set To Direct 'WoW' Film

Ain't It Cool News has announced that Sam Raimi is to direct a live-action film adaptation of the fantasy video game "World of Warcraft" (Variety has also confirmed it).

This movie has been "in the works" ever since the game became the all-time greatest MMORPG. The last update on this film was late last year, in which Blizzard's president Mike Morhaime said that "there are still plans for a World of Warcraft movie" but that the script was still being developed. Now it looks like things have finally fallen into place.

The "Spider-Man" film-maker has signed a deal with Warner Bros offshoot Legendary Pictures and game developer Blizzard Entertainment.

Also involved is producer Charles Roven, who previously worked on Batman blockbuster "The Dark Knight."

The plan is for Raimi to film "Warcraft" after he completes "Spider-Man 4," which gets under way early next year and will be released in May, 2011.

The Warcraft universe features an epic conflict between the humans and dwarves of the Alliance and the orcs and trolls of the Horde. The game has developed a global following of 11.5 million monthly subscribers since its launch in 1994 and shows no signs of slowing.

Its most recent expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, sold more than 2.8 million copies in the first day of release and more than 4 million its first month.

"At its core, 'Warcraft' is a fantastic, action-packed story," Raimi said.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: The Geek Files, First Showing

'Green Hornet' Black Beauty Unvealed at Comic-Con

"The Green Hornet" star and co-writer Seth Rogen, his writing partner Evan Goldberg and director Michel Gondry kicked off the 2009 Comic-Con in San Diego in grand fashion this evening, unveiling the film's "Black Beauty" -- a night-black, gadget-filled car that Green Hornet and his sidekick Kato will use in the film.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

What do you think of the new Black Beauty?
"The Green Hornet" is scheduled to hit theaters July 9, 2010.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: MTV News

'Ninja Assassin' Trailer

MTV News has debuted the first trailer for James McTeigue's "Ninja Assassin," the director's follow-up to "V for Vendetta" starring Korean pop star Rain in the lead role Raizo, one of the deadliest assassins in the world. The film also stars Naomie Harris, Ben Miles, Sho Kosugi and Rick Yune.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Taken from the streets as a child, Raizo was transformed into a trained killer by the Ozunu Clan, a secret society whose very existence is considered a myth. But haunted by the merciless execution of his friend by the Clan, Raizo breaks free from them… and vanishes. Now he waits, preparing to exact his revenge. In Berlin, Europol agent Mika Coretti has stumbled upon a money trail linking several political murders to an underground network of untraceable assassins from the Far East. Defying the orders of her superior, Ryan Maslow, Mika digs into top secret agency files to learn the truth behind the murders. Her investigation makes her a target, and the Ozunu Clan sends a team of killers, led by the lethal Takeshi, to silence her forever. Raizo saves Mika from her attackers, but he knows that the Clan will not rest until they are both eliminated. Now, entangled in a deadly game of cat and mouse through the streets of Europe, Raizo and Mika must trust one another if they hope to survive… and finally bring down the elusive Ozunu Clan.

"Ninja Assassin" is set to hit theaters on November 25.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: Rope of Silicon

Kevin Feige and Marvel: Part 2

This is a follow-up to the previous post with MTV News talking with Marvel President of Production Kevin Feige -- the man behind “Iron Man,” “The Incredible Hulk” and all the upcoming Marvel superhero films.

Here are the big revelations that Feige had about the much-anticipated flick “The First Avenger: Captain America”:

- Feige acknowledged that “Captain America” might have difficulty playing overseas, which is one of the reasons for the title “The First Avenger: Captain America”. In other countries, it might be marketed as simply “The First Avenger.”

- The Cap story will be very realistic, about a scrawny kid who wants to prove himself, set during WWII.

- “Captain America” will be Marvel’s most internationally-located movie, as the character will be traveling all over the world.

- Marvel is more likely to get a name actor to play Captain America, because of the need for it to play well overseas. It seems doubtful that they’ll repeat the “Thor” move of going with a relative unknown.

- Feige said that the actor who plays Cap will be American. No Australians, Brits, etc.

- By the time his own films and the “Avengers” movies are over, Captain America could appear in as many as six movies.

- Since he needs a big, international name, Feige refused to eliminate one of the biggest stars in the world, Will Smith. He referred to Smith as being among the handful of international stars they’d consider.

- Marvel is definitely looking to get into the 3D realm soon. Feige recently saw “Up,” loved it, and said that he’d be watching James Cameron’s “Avatar” closely. Although “Iron Man II” will not be 3D, it is a possibility for “Captain America.”

- Pre-production officially begins in October, with plans to start filming on June 28, 2010.

- Casting is expected to begin this summer. Feige said that some of the unselected “Thor” actors may be candidates for the “Captain America” movie.

- Joe Johnston and the writers are working on the script now. It will likely be a “save the world”-type story.

Does any of this make you more excited for "Captain America" or do you still have misgivings about the film adaptation of the First Avenger?

"Captain America" hits theaters July 22, 2011.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: MTV News

Kevin Feige and Marvel: Part 1

MTV News was invited to sit down with Marvel President of Production Kevin Feige -- the man behind “Iron Man,” “The Incredible Hulk” and many other upcoming superhero films.

Here are the big revelations that Feige had about the much-anticipated flick “Thor”:

- The day MTV News visited, Kenneth Branagh was doing “Thor” tests just two buildings over. Particularly cool was that Los Angeles was experiencing a rare thunder and lightning storm that afternoon.

- “Thor” will be the first Marvel film to go beyond our world and into the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe. It will feature supernatural elements.

- He expressed concern over falling back on the “fish out of water” thing. Although Thor will be seen in modern times, Feige said they won’t have him doing goofy stuff with iPhones. Feige explained it as if a movie was made with Indiana Jones is modern times; he’d still be cool.

- Asked if Donald Blake is going to be in the film, Feige wasted no time in saying no.

- While “Thor” will play like a Marvel superhero movie, Feige said it will expand the audience’s definition of that. It’ll have him coming to Earth and dealing with other characters from his realm.

- Chris Hemsworth got the “Thor” gig because the Marvel execs couldn’t take their eyes off him. He put himself on tape again and again, came in and sat with Branagh, worked again with Branagh, then ultimately did a very late-in-the-process screen test. Feige compared Hemsworth to the first time they saw Hugh Jackman’s “Wolverine” screen test. Hemsworth is six-foot-four, and Feige said he’ll look exactly like Thor.

- Marvel is definitely looking to get into the 3D realm soon. Feige recently saw “Up,” loved it, and said that he’d be watching James Cameron’s “Avatar” closely. Although “Iron Man II” will not be 3D, it is a possibility for “Thor.”

- Feige said there is truth to the rumor that they’d like Natalie Portman to play the love interest. If the love interest in “Thor” is human, Feige said it would be Jane Foster.

- Feige compared Tom Hiddleston to a young Ian McKellan, in terms of looks and talent. He has bulked up substantially, and Feige said there’s something off-putting about him, in a Loki kind of way.

- Citing Magneto and Dr. Doom as evil characters who did great crossovers in the comics, Feige said he wants Loki to be that sort of character in the Marvel movies. He’ll be the super-villain that carries over, across multiple franchises.

Does any of this make you more excited for "Thor" or do you still have misgivings about the film adaptation of the Norse God of Thunder?

"Thor" hits theaters May 20, 2011.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: MTV News

Gerald Butler Talks 'Gamer'

While Gerard Butler has been making a lot of romantic comedies since playing King Leonidas in Zack Snyder’s “300″, he’s about to return to the action genre in Neveldine/Taylor’s “Gamer” (watch the trailer here). If you aren’t familiar with the name Neveldine/Taylor, they made “Crank” and “Crank: High Voltage."

So at this weekend’s press junket for Gerard’s latest film “The Ugly Truth," Collider made sure to ask him about returning to the action genre with “Gamer”.

A picnic compared to "300" must mean lots and lots of action.

"Gamer" hits theaters September 4.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: Collider

Word On 'Green Hornet' Villain

Earlier it was reported that "Ghost Rider" actor Nicolas Cage might play a villainous role in Seth Rogen and Michel Gondry's "Green Hornet." Now Rogen himself spoke about the character Cage is in talks to play.

"There was no classic villain, so we had to create a villain," Rogen told MTV News of the film's chief villain.

Given the hero's status as a somewhat unknown commodity among modern audiences and his lack of a recognizable rogues gallery, the decision seems to make sense. But Rogen cautioned that the villain wouldn't be the absurd, over-the-top nemesis that often squares off against masked heroes in theaters these days.

"No, [he's] not over-the-top. We wanted him to be very scary," Rogen said. "We don’t feel that that’s where the comedy in the movie should come from, necessarily."

As to the other casting rumor that has Cameron Diaz to play the love interest of Rogen's hero, the actor called Diaz "wonderful."

Rogen said "The Green Hornet" is currently in a "heavy pre-production" phase at this point, but was cautious not to reveal any details about the plot of the film.

"We’re writing and we’re building sets," he explained. "We’re coordinating the stunts and fights and chases and we’re going through all that stuff. It's crazy."

With some idea of both the villain The Green Hornet is likely to face and the woman he'll be romancing in the film, there's still at least one very big question yet to be answered: who will play Kato?

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

'Lobo' To Be PG-13?

Producer Joel Silver, the Hollywood power-player behind "Sherlock Holmes" and "The Matrix," has his eye on DC Comics' "Lobo," the intergalactic biker with a fowl mouth and Gene Simmons-styled eye makeup.

However, the movie version of "Lobo" might be slightly more family-friendly than his original comics incarnation, according to Silver.

"I think it's structured now as a PG-13 movie," Silver told a group of reporters, according to Sci Fi Wire. "I think we've done it that way, but I love it."

Originally created as a peripheral character in Keith Giffen and Roger Slifer's Green Lantern spinoff comic Omega Men, Lobo was reinvented as an antihero in the early 1990s by writer Alan Grant and artist Simon Bisley, who elevated the exaggerated biker persona to epically monstrous levels.

Though Silver declined to reveal further details, he suggested that the technology that James Cameron is currently working with might play a role in realizing Lobo's transition from page to screen.

"When any of you see 'Avatar,' see pieces of it, the technology is genius, the stuff that's out there that is doable is fantastic," he noted.

The story for the proposed film is already in its early stages, and bringing it into production sounds like something Silver wants make happen in the near future.

"'Lobo' is one I'm very excited about maybe doing one day, hopefully soon," Silver said. "I think we can do it. We've got a script we like."

Sources: MTV News, Sci Fi Wire

Not Black Widow. It's Natasha Romanoff

The last image of Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow in "Iron Man 2" set the 'Net on fire, so it's understandable that Marvel Studios would want to get another one out there of the red-hot actress.

I'm not sure what she's actually doing in this new image that debuted on Yahoo Movies. It seems she is just being Tony Stark's secretary or something. But with the start of Comic-Con in San Diego expect to learn a lot about some new juicy bits from the film.

"Iron Man 2" hits theaters May 7, 2010.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: MTV News

'Scott Pilgrim' and 'Paul' Internet Frisbee

If you're a fan of Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg or Nick Frost, you've probably been following both of the video blogs for Edgar Wright's "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" and Simon Pegg's "Paul." Yes, it's sad that Frost and Pegg aren't working on another movie with Wright, but they can still work together. Wright just posted a video blog where he throws a frisbee and then Pegg posted one where he catches that exact same frisbee - from Toronto to New Mexico! It's actually pretty damn cool!


You can find the original videos on their respective blog websites: scottpilgrimthemovie.com and whatispaul.com.

Both "Scott Pilgrim" and "Paul" are scheduled to hit theaters sometime in 2010.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: First Showing

Nick Cage To Be 'Green Hornet' Villain?

Along with confirming an earlier report that actress Cameron Diaz is eyeing a role in the Michel Gondry-directed "The Green Hornet," Variety adds that actor Nicolas Cage is in early negotiations to join the cast of the Seth Rogen movie as well.

If the casting pans out, Cage will play a gangster villain (that could well be Mr X, a criminal mastermind introduced in the original radio serial) opposite Rogen's masked crime fighter. The report also notes that Diaz's character is a reporter and love interest for the titular hero.

The 45-year-old actor has been less than impressive in recent films and, rather worryingly, he also wants another go at "Ghost Rider."

Seth Rogen co-wrote "Green Hornet" and is to star in it as Daily Sentinel newspaper publisher Britt Reid who, by night, becomes the eponymous masked hero with a sidekick named Kato and a hi-tech car called Black Beauty.

As reported earlier, Cameron Diaz is under consideration to play a reporter and love interest of Britt Reid, while Stephen Chow dropped out of playing Kato.

There's still no word on a replacement for Kato, the martial arts-savvy assistant to the Green Hornet, but Variety notes that the production is nevertheless moving full steam ahead towards a fall start date. With Cage and Diaz almost officially on board, it shouldn't be much longer before Rogen finds himself a new sidekick.

"Green Hornet" began as a radio serial in the 1930s and went on to feature in a 60s TV series starring Van Williams and Bruce Lee and also numerous comic books. The new film is set for release by Columbia Pictures on July 9, 2010.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: The Geek Files, MTV News

'G.I. Joe 2'

CineFOOLS had the chance to attend the Australian Press Conference for "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra." Representing the film was director Stephen Sommers, producer Lorenzo Di Bonventura, and actors Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans, Sienna Miller and Rachel Nichols who all arrived on Sydney Harbour via a Jet Boat.

The host asked if the cast were locked in for a sequel. Director Sommers had hinted at it throughout the Conference and here is his answer.

"Yes they are!" The whole cast smiled and nodded their heads and made a lot of noise but amidst it all Sommers shouted, "Next summer!"

I really think we will hear more about this once the film comes out August 7 and how much money it earns. But are you ready for more "G.I. Joe" already?

More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Go here to watch an exclusive clip from the film that shows off Snake Eyes!
Source: CineFOOLS

More DC Films Finally Getting Made

According to The Hollywood Reporter, "A year after 'The Dark Knight' became a worldwide phenomenon, there are more DC Comics adaptations in the works than at any other point since the company was acquired by Warner Bros. in 1969."

DC fans should start shouting from the rooftops, but lets take a look at all these projects because some of them have been kept hidden while others are being dragged around the spotlight.

We know about "Green Lantern," "The Losers" and "Jonah Hex," but what else is there? Thankfully, the Hollywood Reporter article looks at all of the DC Comics movies in the works and a bit of news about hiring on a few DC writers as consultants. It looks like DC might finally be setting up their game to compete with the ever-growing Marvel Studios.

Warner Bros has been changing the way they work with DC Comics over the last year. One part of that reorganization involved secretly hiring three of DC's biggest comic book writers - Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison and Marv Wolfman - to act as consultants and writers for its superhero movies in the works. Johns, known best for his work on the on-going Green Lantern comics and one of the creative geniuses behind Infinite Crisis, has been working on a new version of a "Flash" script, that was first written by Dan Mazeau. Johns will also produce, but no director has been hired yet for that. The projects Morrison and Wolfman have been working on haven't been revealed yet.

The process involves one writer taking point, though the trio do collaborate on projects, reading one another's materials while hashing out a story that will be at once accessible to nonfans yet still adhere to each character's long history. The writers also work in tandem with producers, writers and the Warners execs overseeing the projects, showing them treatments and providing notes on scripts.

"The creative process is by and large a true partnership," DC's Gregory Noveck said. "They'll ask us a ton of questions, and we'll give a ton of answers. We will talk back and forth. We'll discuss writers and talent, but ultimately it's their decision."

Other DC projects that they're developing include "Aquaman" and "Adam Strange." There is also a "Constantine" sequel still in the works, a "Green Arrow" project, and the "Shazam" movie that director Pete Segal has been attached to for a while.

There is also a "Bizarro Superman" movie being written by David Howard and Robert Gordon, the two who last brought us "Galaxy Quest." Bizarro is a supervillain with similar powers to Superman. He resides in his own Bizarro World, where he's a superhero, not a villain. It sounds like they're going for the comedic version of Superman with Bizarro, but it's too early to tell. The other DC character most may not recognize is Adam Strange, a sci-fi jetpack superhero with similarities to "John Carter of Mars." Adam is transported to a mysterious planet named Rann where he fights the aliens and falls in love with a local woman there.

So for all DC fans out there, what film is the highest on your list of must-see? "Green Lantern" already has a director, actor and release date. The other films are still in the embryonic state but are hoped to be hitting the big screen sometime in the next few years.

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

Movie News Mash 23

IRON MAN 2
After 72 days of intensive shooting, Marvel Studios producer Kevin Feige announced the wrap of principle photography on "Iron Man 2" with a statement:

"Shooting ‘Iron Man 2′ was a fantastic experience and we couldn’t be happier. Although there were many challenges in making this film, having Jon Favreau, Robert Downey, Gwyneth Paltrow and almost the entire crew from the first film back on board, allowed us to hit the ground running as everyone was instantly familiar with each other from day one. This dynamic allowed us to get done what we needed on a day to day basis and was a big factor in why we finished slightly ahead of schedule. Scarlett Johansson, Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell and especially Don Cheadle all stepped right in and meshed well with our returning cast.

“What’s more difficult in shooting a sequel is that expectations are much higher for this film and we really want to top what we did on the first film. Every day involved working extremely hard in order to improve upon what we did on the first film.”
(Screen Rant, Marvel)

VOLTRON
THR's Risky Biz Blog announced that the live-action rights to a "Voltron" movie have switched owners. Charles Roven ("The Dark Knight"), Richard Suckle ("The International") and Steve Alexander are the new producers on this. They replace Mark Gordon who had brought on Justin Marks, the screenwriter responsible for "Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li." Marks had written a "Voltron" script that focused on an alien invasion in an apocalyptic North America. The new owners will restart development on this from scratch and I believe will throw out Marks' screenplay. That is probably the best step toward making this film.

"Voltron," an animated TV series from the '80s that has retained a loyal fan following, is about a band of five robot-lions that combine to form one super lion. A group of five pilots control the lions, which are charged with defending the planet Arus from villain King Zarkon, who dispatches evil creatures called Robobeats to fight the Voltron robots. “It’s undeniably impressive that Voltron has sustained itself globally for a quarter of a century,” Roven said. Atlas Entertainment, run by Roven, Suckle, and Alexander, will move forward on developing this right away.
(First Showing)

TARZAN
One of the many projects that "Pirates of the Caribbean" screenwriter Stuart Beattie has in the works is "Tarzan: Lord of the Jungle," a live-action Tarzan movie for Stephen Sommers to eventually direct. Collider caught up with Beattie and talked with him about a lot of his projects, including "Tarzan." Additionally, Beattie talks quite a bit about the script, the setting and details of the story, and just what we can expect. As for its status, he explains that Warner Brothers is currently fine tuning the budget.

Beattie's "Tarzan" will be set around the time of 1933 and is meant to have all the adventure as other films that took place during that time period, such as "Raiders of the Lost Ark."

"It's that kind of swashbuckling, fun, I mean Great Depression–I can't believe it's that much fun–but you know it's that era of all those serials and everything that was so great and so popular. Big jungle adventure film."

"Tarzan is, I think, probably the most filmed story of all, so our belief in doing a Tarzan movie today was you couldn't go tell the raised by gorillas and loincloths and 'Me: Tarzan and You: Jane'-story because it's been done so much and it's just not interesting anymore. So it was much more big romantic action-adventure film with supernatural stuff and a witch doctor and lots of really fun stuff. And mythic Africa, like that deep dark heart of Africa stuff, you know, where the trees are twice as big and the vines stretched forever and the canopy is a whole world in itself and just really cool looking place to spend a couple of hours."

Stephen Sommers is attached to direct and might be his next project after "G.I. Joe" if Warner Brothers works out the budget "If they reach an agreement, yeah. Very much could be," Beattie said.
(First Showing, Collider)

Box Office Results and Weekly Movie News

Movies coming out this week!

G-Force - A specially trained squad of guinea pigs is dispatched to stop a diabolical billionaire from taking over the world.

The Ugly Truth - A macho morning TV show correspondent (Butler) makes a bet with his love-challenged producer (Heigl): If his tips on how to land and keep a guy don't work, he'll quit the business. But while he coaches her through a fledgling romance, can he avoid falling for her, and vice versa?

Orphan - After their unborn baby dies, Kate and John Coleman (Farmiga and Sarsgaard) decide to adopt a child as a hopeful way to bring some joy and normalcy into their lives. Esther (Fuhrman), a 9-year-old orphan, captivates the couple, and comes home to live with them, though a strange sequence of events follows Esther's arrival, who's angelic façade might mask sinister intentions.

Movies coming out on DVD and Blu-ray!

Coraline
Watchmen

Box Office results for the weekend!

1 Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince $79.4 M

2 Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs $17.7 M

3 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen $13.7 M

4 Bruno $8.3 M

5 The Hangover $8.3 M

6 The Proposal $8.2 M

7 Public Enemies $7.5 M

8 Up $3.1 M

9 My Sister's Keeper $2.8 M

10 I Love You Beth Cooper $2.6 M

"Harry Potter 6" has accumulated $200 million worldwide but still has a lot of work to do if it wants to crack that rumored 'billion' mark. I don't think it will make it.

"Ice Age 3" made a fair amount of money domestically, but over 73 percent of its gross has come from the foreign market which has helped it earn way more than "Up."

In fact, the only other film to have earned more money worldwide than "Ice Age 3" is "Transformers 2." Just goes to show people's taste in cinema...

As for "Bruno," it dipped 73 percent since last weekend. Word of mouth must have hurt this film badly. "The Hangover" is still doing well for its seventh week out, but it probably won't crack the top 10 films of the summer (counting for domestic earnings).

Other films are petering out to make way for another weekend to be dominated by a kid friendly film. Last year for Disney was all about Chihuahuas, but this year it is all about Guinea Pigs. Who will win the spot for the top? "Harry Potter 6" or "G-Force?"