First Full Length Trailer for 'The Expendables'

Lionsgate has finally debuted the first official trailer for Sylvester Stallone's "The Expendables" starring one hell of a badass cast: Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Randy Couture, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts, Danny Trejo, Charisma Carpenter, 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, Terry Crews and David Zayas.

I gotta say, this new trailer looks way better than the promo trailer that leaked onto the Internet a few months back.

The film follows a group of mercenaries sent to infiltrate a South American country and overthrow its ruthless dictator to liberate the population. Their team is "expendable," hired to do jobs that no one else can or will.

And yes folks - you do get to see Arnie, Stallone, and Bruce on screen together for the first time in the trailer.

Anyone else get a little shiver when they saw that? Now if we could get those three together in another film with more than just a cameo.

This film looks like it will be packed full of action for a throwback of the 80's. Are you excited to see "The Expendables" at the end of the summer?

"The Expendables" blasts into theaters August 13, 2010.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: Screen Rant, First Showing, Rope of Silicon, Live for Films

'Godzilla' Set to Return to the Big Screen

Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros have officially announced that they are starting to develop an all new movie based on the iconic movie monster "Godzilla," which first terrorized Tokyo (and then the world) for the first time over 50 years ago in 1954.

Though no writer is mentioned yet, WB and Legendary hope to announce a director to helm the new "Godzilla" imminently with a look to release the film sometime in 2012.

There have been 28 movies featuring the mutant dinosaur, with the last major "Godzilla" outing, an American, New York-set version from Roland Emmerich ("2012") and Dean Devlin, grossing $376 million worldwide in 1998 although it got blasted as being low quality.

Legendary secured the rights to the giant lizard/dinosaur from the Japanese based Toho Corp – who have guided the franchise for the past five decades. Toho Studios has high hopes for Godzilla's return and will oversee the film’s release in Japan.

CEO of Legendary Pictures, Thomas Tull, praised Toho Corp for their dedication to Godzilla as well as offered his excitement at having the chance to produce the next "Godzilla" installment.

“Godzilla is one of the world’s most powerful pop culture icons, and we at Legendary are thrilled to be able to create a modern epic based on this long-loved Toho franchise. Our plans are to produce the Godzilla that we, as fans, would want to see. We intend to do justice to those essential elements that have allowed this character to remain as pop-culturally relevant for as long as it has.”

Hideyuki Takai, President of Toho Co., Ltd says:

"Godzilla is a signature Japanese character which we have nurtured over the years. It is a great honor to reach an agreement with Legendary Pictures, the parent to many a blockbuster film, and we are delighted in rebooting the character together to realize its much anticipated return by fans from all over the world. We are anxious to find out where Godzilla's new stomping will take us."

This isn't the first time news of Legendary's attachment to the project has been announced as this is more a confirmation of Bloody Disgusting's report from back in August 2009 when they had just as much information as Variety now has, which is still very little.

It will be interesting to see how a "Godzilla" film will be received considering the recent success of "Cloverfield," which was described by producer JJ Abrams as a monster movie from America. And will this film have the radioactive beast come at us in 3D? According to the recent trend in Hollywood it will most likely be so.

There’s certainly room for optimism that we may finally get a solid "Godzilla" update for contemporary audiences. Though, without question, the balance between paying homage to the source material and providing a believable and engaging experience in a modern setting will be an extremely delicate process.

What do you hope to see in the upcoming modern day "Godzilla" project?
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: Screen Rant, First Showing, Live for Films, Rope of Silicon

Box Office Results and Weekly Movie News

Movies coming out this week!

Clash of the Titans - n a loose adaptation from Greek mythology, Perseus (Worthington) who was born a god but raised as a man, sets off on an epic mission to combat Hades (Fiennes) before he can seize power from Zeus (Neeson) and unleash hell on earth.

The Last Song - A drama centered on a rebellious young woman (Cyrus) who is sent to spend the summer with her estranged father, who abandoned his family in the past.

Why Did I Get Married Too? - Four couples reunite for their annual vacation in order to socialize and to spend time analyzing their marriages. Their intimate week in the Bahamas is disrupted by the arrival of an ex-husband determined to win back his recently remarried wife.

Furry Vengeance - An arrogant real estate agent gets in way over his head after he agrees to develop property on an Oregon forest and the area's animals sabotage his plans.

Movies coming out on DVD and Blu-ray!

Sherlock Holmes
An Education
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
The Baader Meinhof Complex
Alice in Wonderland: Special Un-Anniversary Edition

Box Office results for the weekend!

1 How To Train Your Dragon $43.3 M

2 Alice in Wonderland $17.3 M

3 Hot Tub Time Machine $13.6 M

4 The Bounty Hunter $12.4 M

5 Diary of a Wimpy Kid $10.0 M

6 She's Out of My League $3.5 M

7 Green Zone $3.3 M

8 Shutter Island $3.1 M

9 Repo Men $3.0 M

10 Our Family Wedding $2.2 M

Wow...is "Avatar" gone? It...it really is. "Avatar" did not make the Top Ten for the weekend. It now must be considered the least bankable film of all time. Wait...I think I may have that wrong...

Joking aside, "How to Train Your Dragon" beat out "Alice in Wonderland." Except the No. 1 film's numbers aren't that impressive considering "Monsters vs. Aliens" opened last year with $59 million (and that was with lower ticket prices since 3D just went up). Meanwhile, "Alice in Wonderland" has banked $656m in worldwide cume. A huge hit for the Mouse House. And it'll kill on Blu-Ray/DVD.

"Hot Tub Time Machine" came in third with a disappointing opening weekend. Can word of mouth bring this funny film up? Maybe, but there are new films coming out next weekend...

And "Bounty Hunter" only fell 40 percent? The human race fails again.

The rest of the films continue to peter out of existence with "Repo Men" taking the hardest hit since it basically made no money in its time in theaters.

What about next weekend though? Can the dragons stay on top or will mythological battles rule the day? And then there's that Miley Cyrus flick and that Tyler Perry flick...but how many people are going to see those? Oh...right...

Bryan Singer Not Directing 'X-Men: First Class'

It looks like Bryan Singer won't be making a triumphant return to the director's chair for "X-Men: First Class" after all.

According to Deadline Hollywood, the director of "X-Men" and "X2: X-Men United" will move from director to producer on the upcoming 20th Century Fox film, which takes the "X-Men" universe back to the early days of Professor Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.

The report indicates that the move was made in order to put the film on the fast track, since Singer is currently committed to direct Warner Bros.' "Jack the Giant Killer," a variation on the Jack and the Beanstalk legend about a young farmer's quest to rescue a princess from the land of the giants. It's unclear how much involvement he will actually have on "First Class" if his attention is focused on "Giant Killer."

Fox is moving forward quickly with the film not to simply screw Singer out of the directing gig, but because they are said to have liked the script from Jamie Moss, based on a treatment from Singer himself, so much that they don't want to wait on Singer and instead hope on signing a new director with the intention of getting the film in theaters by 2011.

So while it may be bad news (at least for the fans) that Singer won't be returning to direct "First Class," it means that they've at least got a solid script to work from and just need the right director to bring it to life.

That's not the only silver lining for fans of the "X-Men" movie universe Singer helped create, as the report also mentions that the film is being envisioned as the first part of a trilogy.

There is no director or release date for the project at this point. Who would you like to direct "X-Men: First Class"?
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: Rope of Silicon, First Showing, The Geek Files, MTV News

'Paranormal Activity 2' Finds its Director

Let's recap, shall we?

Last year, director Kevin Greutert's "Saw VI" took the series' first real blow from the low-budget phenomenon that was "Paranormal Activity." The "Saw" folks, who had pretty much owned Halloween for the previous five years, were not happy about this while Oren Pelli, who produced and directed "Paranormal Activity," was.

David Hackl, who directed the lackluster "Saw V," was tapped to work on the seventh film in the franchise and Paramount went off to find a director for the inevitable sequel to their own unlikely success. And they found that director...in Kevin Greutert...dealing yet another blow to the "Saw" franchise by stealing away their own director.

Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures, however, fought back, exercising a clause in Greutert's contract that legally obligated him to direct "Saw VII," despite his own personal objections, and removed Hackl from the gig with the promise that they'd attach him to something else.

After searching for a replacement director, Paramount has hired "The Door in the Floor" director Tod 'Kip' Williams to helm the "Paranormal" sequel.

While it should be obvious that my enthusiasm for a "Paranormal" sequel is limited, Peli is singing praise about the studio’s choice of director for the sequel to his pet project:

“I have some awesome news for the fans of ‘Paranormal Activity' - Director Kip Williams will join us for the next chapter of the story. We are thrilled to have Kip working with us. He is the guy we want at the helm, because he knows exactly what we want to deliver to the fans… and I can’t wait to be a part of what he’s putting together. I don’t want to spoil the story but I promise it’ll surprise you. Stay tuned.”

"Paranormal Activity 2" should start shooting in May and is slated to take on rival horror film "Saw VII" on October 22, 2010.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: Screen Rant, UGO Movie Blog

'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' International Trailer

Disney has released an international trailer for the live-action version of "The Sorcerer’s Apprentice," which stars Nic Cage, Jay Baruchel ("Tropic Thunder") and Alfred Molina ("Spider-Man 2").

If you haven’t guessed from the title, "The Sorcerer’s Apprentice" is a re-imagining of the famous Disney animated segment from "Fantasia."

Balthazar Blake (Cage) is a master sorcerer in modern-day Manhattan trying to defend the city from his arch-nemesis, Maxim Horvath (Molina). Balthazar can't do it alone, so he recruits Dave Stutler (Baruchel), a seemingly average guy who demonstrates hidden potential, as his reluctant protégé. The sorcerer gives his unwilling accomplice a crash course in the art and science of magic, and together, these unlikely partners work to stop the forces of darkness.



"The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is directed by Jon Turteltaub ("National Treasure") and is due out in theaters on July 16, 2010.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: Screen Rant

'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World' Teaser Trailer is made of Epic Win

Can I say any more than that?

Watch the epicness below.



I'm glad we've finally gotten to see some footage of this film. As badly as I want to be surprised, shocked, stunned and lots of other words beginning with the letter “s” when the movie hits theaters, it’s been highly distressing witnessing the almost non-existent attempt to market a film with as much potential as this one.

As to never having read the comics, I have heard tons and tons of great things about it if 1) you love comics and 2) you love video games. That about sums up my personality (besides loving movies, of course).

In the trailer, we’re given a glimpse of the seven evil exes Scott must fight- sorry, defeat – in order to date Ramona Flowers. Among them are Superman and T, Captain America and the voice of Katara and Tinker Bell (yeah, Ramona once dated a chick). There is some wonderfully imaginative visual splendor going on in this trailer and it's enough to satisfy me for now - though I know I'll be craving the full trailer any day now.

The film centers on Scott Pilgrim (Cera), a 22-year-old bass guitarist for garage band Sex Bob-omb who just met the girl of this dreams Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and now her seven evil exes are coming to kill him.

"Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" stars Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Anna Kendrick, Alison Pill, Brandon Routh and Jason Schwartzman hits theaters on August 13.

"Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" will be unleashed upon theaters August 13, 2010.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: Rope of Silicon, Screen Rant, First Showing

'Predators' Character Featurette Focusing on Adrien Brody's Royce

20th Century Fox has released a new featurette for its upcoming film "Predators," starring Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Alice Braga, Walt Goggins, Danny Trejo, Oleg Taktarov, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Derek Mears and Laurence Fishburne

The featurette below focuses on the character "Royce" as played by Adrien Brody. It looks like they are going to start introducing the characters from the film in individual featurettes, though that may be assuming too much from just one of them. But since the film is going to be more character-oriented on a group stranded on an alien world, it wouldn't surprise me if we get one for each character (and I'd prefer it that way so I can know who each member is).

Brody's character goes by the name Royce. He is a mercenary who reluctantly leads a group of elite warriors who come to realize they've been brought together on an alien planet… as prey.



The film is directed by Nimród Antal and hits theaters July 9.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: Rope of Silicon, Latino Review

Mark Millar Says 'Wanted 2' Will Move On Without Jolie

A couple of weeks back it was reported that Angelina Jolie was "ditching" the "Wanted" sequel to supposedly move on to Alfonso Cauron's new sci-fi project "Gravity" (even though it turns out she's no longer attached to that). Some reports were saying this might mean the death of that sequel, but author Mark Millar recently spoke with MTV News and confirmed that Universal and director Timur Bekmambetov are planning to move on without Jolie.

Millar said the plan is to bring in “another cool new character” from the comic book in place of Jolie as well as other assassin fraternities (in the comic there were five all across the world).

To learn more you can watch the interview below, but hopefully you've already seen "Wanted" because Millar drops a big spoiler (that's been dropped plenty of times before).

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Honestly, I think most fans will be happy seeing Jolie's character Fox not return anyway because, well, she died, as we all know, and it would be weird to see them come up with some bullsh*t plot device to bring her back from the dead. Since I'm not so familiar with the graphic novel I can't suggest other characters we might see in place of Jolie, but I expect to see another strong female lead, maybe as a new love interest.

As far as the story for "Wanted 2," I like the idea that James McAvoy’s character will now be out in the world being hunted by all these different assassin fraternities. There’s so much possibility for globe-trotting action and lots more "cool new characters."

What do you think of "Wanted 2" moving ahead without Angelina Jolie? What sort of plot would you like the sequel to have?

No word on when "Wanted 2" might start filming – but according to Millar, it should be “soon.”
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: Screen Rant, First Showing, MTV News

Wes Craven Returns for 'Scream 4'

Variety reports that director Wes Craven, along with writer Kevin Williamson and original cast members Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Courtney Cox Arquette, will all return for the fourth film in the referential horror film franchise.

Dimension Films is focusing on the continuation of one of its “most successful franchises,” and while it’s been ten years since the last installment of "Scream," anyone who went to the movies in the ’90s probably remembers the popularity of the original trilogy - or at least the first two parts of it.

Chronicling the story of a young woman with incredibly bad luck, the "Scream" movies were a sharp and satirical twist on the slasher flicks of the 80s. Given the changes in horror over the last ten years, it will be interesting to see whether or not Craven can pull off the same thing again, and whether or not "Scream 4" will be in 3D.

Besides the original "Scream" stars who are all slated to return, a new brood of young actors is reported to be making up the (dead) body of the cast. Though with each "Scream" film having a memorable and deadly opening, it is plausible the main cast might not live past the first few minutes.

With Kevin Williamson writing the script and the original director and leads signed on, hopefully the new trilogy will retain the spirit of the original while still going to new (and horrifying) places.

Craven will begin shooting "Scream 4" in the spring with an anticipated released date of April 15, 2011.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: Screen Rant, UGO Movie Blog, Dread Central

Chris Evans is Captain America!

The search is over: Chris Evans has accepted Marvel Studios' offer to play Captain America.

According to both THR's HeatVision and Variety, Evans is now working out the exact terms of the deal.

The actor will star in "The First Avenger: Captain America," which director Joe Johnston starts filming in June ahead of release in July 2011.

He will play sickly soldier Steve Rogers, who is enhanced to the peak of human capability by an experimental serum, becoming the patriotic superhero.

With Evans now the face of Captain America, it will be the fourth live-action movie based on a comic book series in which he's starred. He previously appeared as Johnny Storm in both "Fantastic Four" movies, and has prominent roles in both "The Losers" (based on the DC/Vertigo series) and "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World" (based on the Oni Press series) later this year.
Chris Evans is now a poster boy for the future of Marvel. He’s not just a World War II hero, he’s the leader of "The Avengers" for years to come. The deal Evans has reportedly accepted is a 9-picture contract which sets him up for at least a trilogy of "Captain America" films, a trilogy of "Avengers" films and other appearances in future Marvel projects.

Evans will stand beside Robert Downey Jr.’s "Iron Man" and Chris Hemsworth’s "Thor" in the most ambitious comic book movie ever, come 2012, and it’s a joyous time for fans. Let’s hope Ed Norton gets up there with them as Bruce Banner/Hulk. And maybe Ant-Man too…

For me, Evans is a very likable guy and he certainly keeps in shape. My only concern is how he plays the character; I don’t want the fast-talking witty comedy relief that we’ve seen from most of his career so far – We need the classy charming more serious character from Captain America and save the comedy for Roberty Downey Jr. when they meet up.

Now that it’s official, what do you think of Chris Evans playing Captain America opposite Hugo Weaving’s Red Skull?
"The First Avenger: Captain America" is set to hit theaters on July 22, 2011.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: The Geek Files, Screen Rant, MTV News

Updates on 'Transformers 3' Cast and Shooting Locations

The master of explosions himself, Michael Bay, updated his own Web site with a big casting addition for the forthcoming, guaranteed box office hit "Transformers 3."

The director revealed Academy Award-winning actress Frances McDormand ("Fargo"), Academy-Award nominee John Malkovich ("Burn After Reading"), and up-and-coming funnyman Ken Jeong ("The Hangover") have all joined the sequel.

Deadline Hollywood has a bit of extra information revealing McDormand's character is a big one as the National Intelligence Director while Malkovich will be playing Sam Witwicky's first boss. No word on Jeong's role, but all three of these additions should make things a little more interesting.

The idea of such talent taking on a role in a film franchise so obviously not interested in acting as much spectacle just seems funny to me. Two of the actors have been nominated for Academy Awards (with one a winner)! Maybe they need a break from doing some good acting and just want to have a little fun with giant robots.

Bay also announced that there will be a new Autobot that will change into a Ferrari 458 Italia (a very sweet vehicle). Hopefully it won't speak in a stereotypical Italian accent.
This huge box office bonanza will also be shooting pretty much everywhere: Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington DC, Florida, Texas, Africa, Moscow, and China. Looks like the “bigger is better” approach is being revisited when it comes to locations; let’s hope the rest of the movie is toned down a bit.

To bring home some thoughts again on the previous "Transformers" film...of the many, many things that were wrong with "Transformers 2," perhaps the most unforgivable was the sorry state of the film's script, rushed through the production process to meet a pre-scheduled start-date. The script boasted an utterly incoherent story, virtually no level of character development, about 30 pages (equal to about 30 minutes of the film) of completely unnecessary material and two robot sidekicks who managed to make Jar Jar Binks look about as eloquent and engaging as Hannibal Lecter.

I am going to go into this third film with little to no expectations - even with these excellent casting additions.

"Transformers 3" begins pre-shoots next month, and is set for a July 1st, 2011 release.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: First Showing, Screen Rant, UGO Movie Blog, Rope of Silicon

'Get Him to the Greek' Red-Band Trailer

Universal Studios has released a restricted/red band/ whatever you want to call it trailer for the upcoming comedy "Get Him To The Greek" starring Russell Brand and Jonah Hill.

The first trailer for the film came out a month ago and introduced us to the new world of Aldous Snow.

This new trailer features the usual assortment of dirty jokes and gags. There's actually some pretty funny stuff minus Aziz Ansari's little opening here. Those kinds of jokes can get old fast...especially since we all just want to see Russell Brand do his thing!

Before you watch the trailer you have to enter your birth date. If you're underage, call your parents and ask for their permission. If they say "No." then just lie about your age.



"Get Him to the Greek" hits theaters June 4, 2010.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: Latino Review

Penelope Cruz is Blackbeard's Daughter in 'Pirates 4'

Back in February, Penélope Cruz was cast in "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," the fourth installment in the popular Disney franchise. Yet until now, her exact role has remained unclear.

During ShoWest in Las Vegas, MTV News spoke to executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer and learned more about who the Academy-award winning actress will play.

"She plays the daughter of Blackbeard," Bruckheimer told MTV News. "She's the daughter of the bad guy.

"She brings a lot of humor to it. And the fact that she's so feisty," he continued, adding that there will be "a little romance between [Depp's] Captain Jack and the character that Penelope plays."

Ian McShane is to set to play Blackbeard, the main adversary to Captain Jack Sparrow. As Bruckheimer put it, Blackbeard is "the nastiest pirate ever."

Bruckheimer also confirmed that Geoffrey Rush, who has played Captain Barbossa in the three previous "Pirates" films, will be reprising his role in this film as well.

Filming is slated to begin in June. New actors are in the process of being cast for certain roles, with testing currently in the works. As for the plot, we know the story will pick up with Sparrow's search for the Fountain of Youth. Yet Bruckheimer promised a fresh approach to this familiar material.

"We're going to take a whole new direction," he said.

"Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" is set to sail into theaters May 20, 2011.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: MTV News

Watch Bella and Edward in Bed in New 'Eclipse' Clip

In this hot new clip from the third installment in the successful "Twilight" franchise, "Eclipse," you can watch as Edward and Bella spend some time together in bed.



And what were you expecting?

After watching this and the teaser trailer, I have to admit this is looking a lot better than from anything else I've seen of the "Twilight" franchise. I guess this is why many "Twilight" fans consider "Eclipse" to be the best out of the four novels (so it might wind up being the best out of five films).

Only time will tell...

On a note about "Twilight" and its fans..."New Moon" was shown at Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire to the wolves on a large movie screen by film company E1 Entertainment.

Why? Just...why?

"The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" opens on June 30, 2010.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Some 'Kick-Ass' Clips

Let’s take a look at a couple of new clips from "Kick-Ass" that have appeared online.

The two new clips below feature the titular Kick-Ass putting on his costume and riding in the pimped out car of fellow “super hero,” Red Mist.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Keeping in tune with Mark Millar’s ("Wanted") comic, director Matthew Vaughn (along with co-writer Jane Goldman) has kept the film R-rated, with all the profane language and bloody violence that comes along with it. Would you have it any other way?

"Kick-Ass" hits theaters April 16, 2010.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: Screen Rant

Box Office Results and Weekly Movie News

Movies coming out this week!

How to Train Your Dragon - Young Viking Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third (voice of Jay Baruchel) is sent to the Isle of Berk in the North Sea, where he is to subdue a dragon as a rite of passage.

Hot Tub Time Machine - Four guy friends, all of them bored with their adult lives, travel back to their respective 80s heydays thanks to a time-bending hot tub.

Movies coming out on DVD and Blu-ray!

The Blind Side
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Brothers
The African Queen

Box Office results for the weekend!

1 Alice in Wonderland $34.5 M

2 Diary of a Wimpy Kid$21.8 M

3 The Bounty Hunter $21.0 M

4 Repo Men$6.1 M

5 She's Out of My League $6.0 M

6 Green Zone $5.9 M

7 Shutter Island $4.7 M

8 Avatar $4.0 M

9 Our Family Wedding $3.8 M

10 Remember Me $3.3 M

"Alice in Wonderland" has cleaned house at the box office for three weeks in a row with an estimated $34.5 million. The movie has now earned over $565,000,000 worldwide. Can you say sequel?

"Diary of a Wimpy Kid," which my younger sibling loves, came in 2nd place with $21.8 million. Fans of the kids books series should rejoice at how well it did. It even beat out Jennifer Anniston's new flick.

Speaking of that new flick, "The Bounty Hunter" came in third. How is Jennifer Aniston still allowed to make movies? I haven't seen "The Bounty Hunter" - nor do I plan to.

Jude Law and Forest Whitaker's action thriller "Repo Men" flopped with a No. 4 opening of $6.2 million - far below what many (including the studio) were epecting.

Other films hung in there such as "Shutter Island" and "She's Out of My League," though "Green Zone" dropped the most over the weekend.

In its 13th week of release "Avatar" made only $4.0 million and can now be considered a financial disaster with only about $2.6 billion made worldwide. Sheesh...

Can "Alice" win four weekends in a row? I'm expecting "How to Train Your Dragon" to win the weekend with "Hot Tub Time Machine" coming in somewhere in the Top 5.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Actors Cast for Main Characters in 'Kane and Lynch'

It's been well over a year since Bruce Willis was officially attached to the big screen adaptation of the video game "Kane & Lynch," and we haven't heard much about the project since then.

However, THR's Heat Vision reports that Jamie Fox is in negotiations to star opposite Bruce Willis in the film.

The roles shouldn’t be much of a stretch for Foxx and Willis, considering Foxx was initially set to play the psychopathic role in "Law Abiding Citizen" before switching roles at the last second and Willis has made a career playing characters in the wrong place at the wrong time in films like "Die Hard."

And I don't really see any problem of Foxx playing the role other than that the character in the game wasn't black. I'm sure that won't overly change Lynch's characteristics in the adaptation though.

The film is based on the video game of the same name from Eidos Interactive. The plot revolves around the titular duo as they’re broken out of prison by mercenaries and essentially coerced into retrieving a “doomsday device” within 72 hours or Kane’s family will be murdered. The psychopathic Lynch, prone to rage-induced blackouts and murderous rampages, serves as a watchdog for the mercenaries and reports back to them as the duo progress through the story.

Of course, this all sounds really intense, but so did the premises for video game adaptations like "Max Payne," and we all know how that turned out.

Video game movies have always been a sore spot for audiences and gamers alike because they never seem to capture the essence of what made the game so fun to play (which in reality, is simply controlling a character through the story itself and cannot really be duplicated in theaters) or crafting a captivating enough story for viewers to really sink their teeth in.

Hopefully this film will be better than the game because it had a terrible plot, terrible dialogue and the main characters were highly unlikable (they had absolutely no redeeming qualities).

"Kane and Lynch" begins filming in August for a 2011 release.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: First Showing, Live for Films, Screen Rant

First Official 'Predators' Trailer

20th Century Fox has released the first teaser trailer for Robert Rodriguez's reboot of the popular sci-fi action franchise "Predators" starring Adrien Brody, Laurence Fishburne, Topher Grace, Alice Braga and Walt Goggins.

Although a sneak peek of the movie was shown just last week, this is the trailer you've all been waiting to see. There was a lot of concern that Rodriguez couldn't pull this off, but I definitely think he might have done just that, as this looks awesome and I'm looking forward to seeing it this summer.

More Predators Videos

"Predators," a bold new chapter in the Predator universe, shot under the creative auspices of Robert Rodriguez, stars Adrien Brody as Royce, a mercenary who reluctantly leads a group of elite warriors who to come to realize they've been brought together on an alien planet...as prey. With the notable exception of a disgraced physician, they are all cold-blooded killers-mercenaries, Yakuza convicts, death squad members - human "predators" that are now being systemically hunted and eliminated by a new breed of alien Predators.

What do you think of the first official trailer for Predators? Awesome or what?

"Predators" is directed by Nimród Antal and hits theaters July 7, 2010.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: Latino Review, First Showing

'Smurfs' Cast Gets Bigger, the Main Characters Stay Tiny

Those of you who care about the upcoming live-action/CGI hybrid adaptation of "The Smurfs" will probably like to know that the movie is moving forward with some new cast members.

Entertainment Weekly has sources who say that Hank Azaria, Katy Perry and Jayma Mays have joined "The Smurfs" cast, which already features Neil Patrick Harris (playing the lead live-action character), George Lopez and Alan Cumming.

Azaria is best known for his voice acting work on "The Simpsons," voicing characters like Apu and Moe. He will play the evil Gargamel, sworn enemy of "The Smurfs," but it is indicated that he will only be playing the voice of Gargamel. So Gargamel is gonna be animated too? That's weird since I'm sure he was a human in the cartoon.

What's interesting though is that co-star Neil Patrick Harris Tweeted that Azaria will be playing him on-screen - not just providing the voice.We'll have to wait an see to find out more.

Perry is a well-known popstar (yet I have no idea who she is - shows my love of modern music) who will be voicing Smurfette. So why is a pop singer voicing on the of Smurfs? OH RIGHT, she's probably gonna have a song on the soundtrack. Duh, what was I thinking.

Jayma Mays is best known for playing the guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury in "Glee." She will play the pregnant wife of Neil Patrick Harris’ character.

I'm assuming that the Venn Diagram of Neil Patrick Harris fans and "Glee" fans has quite a bit of overlap. The NPH Fans oval of the diagram is large, and inside that oval are the "Glee" Fans. I figure there are a few weirdos who like "Glee" and not Neil Patrick Harris, but there must not be enough of them since NPH will cameo (and sing) in an upcoming episode. Though I admit to never having watched the show.

"The Smurfs" will be directed by Raja Gosnell ("Beverly Hills Chihuahua") and it centers on the aforementioned expectant couple’s lives being turned upside-down upon meeting the tiny blue creatures. It will take place in New York’s Central Park.

Personally I don’t really like the direction they’ve decided to go in with the big-screen version of "The Smurfs." To me it would be best kept totally animated, done in the style of "Shrek" or "Kung Fu Panda." The current CGI/live-action format stinks of films like "Alvin and the Chipmunks" and "Garfield."

At any rate, this is shaping up to be like the rest of those other bad movies based on '80's kid shows. Hapless humans stumbling across CG animated beings that will mostly spew pop culture references and say "My bad" at least once? I guess that's all you need nowadays for this type of flick. Do kids these days even know what Smurfs are? Heck, I've only seen a few episodes in my youth - so I'm not an expert on them as well.

I just know they didn't live in New York and weren't pestering couples dealing with pregnancy.

At least they have a half-way decent cast...

Do you like the voice casting so far for "The Smurfs"? Do you like the "Alvin and the Chipmunk"-esque way they’ve decided to go with the movie?

After being pushed back from its original December 17, 2010 release date, "The Smurfs" 3D is now set to hit theaters on July 29, 2011.
Sources: Screen Rant, Latino Review (1,2)

Will 'Red Sonja' Ever Happen?

Director Marcus Nispel's "Conan" reboot has begun filming this week at Nu Boyana Studios in Sofia, Bulgaria — with actress Rose McGowan as the lastest member of the primary cast.

According to Variety, McGowan will appear as "an evil half-human/half-witch" opposite Jason Momoa as the title hero Conan. Rounding out the cast are Rachel Nichols, Stephen Lang, Bob Sapp, Leo Howard, Ron Perlman and Said Taghmaoui.

Back in 2008, McGowan was signed to star in "Red Sonja" — another creation of Robert E. Howard that was re-envisioned as a contemporary of Conan's during the '70s by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith.

Recent reports from Robert Rodriguez, who has been planning on producing "Red Sonja" for the past few years, indicate that "Red Sonja" will be delayed until after "Conan" has finished filming.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

"To clarify press reports: 'Red Sonja' is delayed," wrote McGowan last August. "I pulled out of doing it in '09. Not permanently. Hopefully [it] will follow 'Conan.'"

"I am still contracted to do 'Red Sonja,'" added McGowan. "Hopefully Filming in '10 not '09."

It is currently unclear if McGowan's role in the "Conan" film will interfere with the production of "Red Sonja," but how can she play two different characters in the same "Conan" universe?

What do you think about seeing McGowan in the "Conan" movie? Should the producers have used her as Red Sonja in the movie instead of a witch?

"Conan" is set to storm theaters in 2011 with "Red Sonja" hopefully following a year or two after that.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: MTV News

'Green Lantern Production Starts with New Cast Members

Taika Cohen (left) & Temuera Morrison (right)

Filming has officially started in New Orleans on the Warner Bros. superhero movie "Green Lantern," which stars Ryan Reynold's and the titular character.

With that news also comes some final casting announcements for the supporting cast. THR's HeatVision reports that two New Zealand actors have joined the cast, including the actor who will play the part of passing the Green Lantern ring to Reynolds’ Hal Jordan.

Temuera Morrison, who is perhaps best known for his role as Jango Fettwho in "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones," is playing Abin Sur, who passes a superpowered ring to Reynolds' character, test pilot Hal Jordan.

Taika Waititi - also known as Taika Cohen - will play Thomas Kalmaku, the best friend of Hal Jordan. Waititi is a well-known filmmaker and actor in his native New Zealand. He received an Oscar nomination for his short film "Two Cars, One Night" and has also directed an episode of "Flight of the Conchords."

In the comics, Hal Jordan is behind the wheel of a car accident that seriously injures his best friend. If that incident is being used in the film, then Waititi's character may be the one who is hurt in the crash.

The film tells the story of how Jordan is chosen to wield a mystical ring and join an interplanetary police force called the Green Lantern Corps.

Also in the cast are Blake Lively as love interest Carol Ferris, Peter Sarsgaard as villain Hector Hammond and Mark Strong as the hero's mentor Sinestro.

Directed by "Casino Royale's" Martin Campbell and starring Ryan Reynolds, the movie is to be released in 3D in June 17, 2011.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: Screen Rant, The Geek Files, MTV News

Box Office Results and Weekly Movie News

Movies coming out this week!

The Bounty Hunter - A bounty hunter (Butler) learns that his next target is his ex-wife (Aniston), a reporter working on a murder cover-up. Soon after their reunion, the always-at-odds duo find themselves on a run-for-their-lives adventure with a bunch of New Jersey heavies in pursuit.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Seventh grader Greg Heffle (Gordon) outlines the events and adventures of his daily life in the diary his mother forces him to keep.

Repo Men - Set in a world where artificial organs are readily available for purchase, a man (Law) who makes his living repossessing organs from those who fail to make their payments first finds himself outfitted with a new heart, then forced to go on the run when he falls on hard financial times.

Movies coming out on DVD and Blu-ray!

The Princess and the Frog
Broken Embraces
Did You Hear About the Morgans?
Ninja Assassin

Box Office results for the weekend!

1 Alice in Wonderland$62.0 M

2 Green Zone$13.5 M

3 She's Out of My League $13.3 M

4 Remember Me$9.1 M

5 Shutter Island $7.7 M

6 Our Family Wedding $7.0 M

7 Avatar $5.1 M

8 Brooklyn's Finest $4.2 M

9 Cop Out $3.3 M

10 The Crazies $2.8 M

Many parents continued to bring their kids to see "Alice in Wonderland" over the weekend. I ended up seeing it myself and thought it was decent. See it in 2D though, the 3D is terrible and annoying.

"Alice in Wonderland" has already cleared $50 M more than "A Christmas Carol," and it only took ten days to get there.

Many of the films from the previous weekend did well against the new films such as "She's Out of My League" and "Our Family Wedding" (though the latter didn't have a grand opening).

"Green Zone" beat out the new films by making enough green to stay out of "She's Out of My League's" league while "Remember Me" won't be remembered on the Top Ten for long with newer films coming in next weekend to rid the board of the petering out films.

Next weekend we have a rom-com, a children's film and an action flick. Can any of these become top of the heap and beat out "Alice in Wonderland"?

Ron Perlman Cast as Father in 'Conan'

When it was announced in January that Jason Momoa would star in the "Conan" remake as the legendary barbarian himself, it was also revealed that Mickey Rourke was being considered to play his father Corin, the village blacksmith.

Instead, Rourke has apparently signed on to star in another epic, "War of the Gods." With Rourke taking on that role, that meant his spot in "Conan" was open.

However, Vulture has now learned that it will be Ron Perlman ("Hellboy") who will play Corin in place of Rourke.

Either way, this seems like good news. The producers of "Conan" are clearly keeping the cast on a smaller scale, and while anything Mickey Rourke does is gold these days, Perlman brings a different but equally compelling level of grit to his performances.

What do you guys think? Is Perlman a better Corin than Rourke?

While on the note of "Conan" casting, Stephen Lang, who played Colonel Quaritch in "Avatar," will be playing the main villain of Khalar Singh.
What are your thoughts on Stephen Lang playing the main villain in "Conan": Good idea? Bad idea?

"Conan" is being directed by Marcus Nispel and will likely hit theaters in the summer of 2011.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: Screen Rant (1,2), Latino Review, First Showing

Sneak Peek at Robert Rodriguez' 'Predators'

With the South by Southwest Film Festival underway in Austin, 20th Century Fox felt there was no better time than now for the first reveal of the upcoming Robert Rodriguez produced reboot "Predators" by opening up the film's official site and offering the sneak peek at the film which you can watch below.

The site says that the official trailer for the film will be available in only five days, March 18 (so we'll be seeing more of this film next week).

The film's synopsis reads as follows:

Predators, a bold new chapter in the Predator universe, shot under the creative auspices of Robert Rodriguez, stars Adrien Brody as Royce, a mercenary who reluctantly leads a group of elite warriors who come to realize they've been brought together on an alien planet… as prey. With the notable exception of a disgraced physician, they are all cold-blooded killers – mercenaries, Yakuza, convicts, death squad members – human "predators" that are now being systematically hunted and eliminated by a new breed of alien Predators.



What I think will be interesting about this new installment, and to touch on what Rodriguez has to say about each character having a leading quality about them, is the dynamics between the vast array of characters. The first "Predator" film had Arnold Schwarzenegger lead a team of commandos who knew each other and how to work together against the solo Predator hunting them down. In Rodriguez’s "Predators," however, a mixed-match group of “warriors” ranging from a serial killer to an elite soldier are put together on a foreign world and forced to find a way to survive.

Along with Adrien Brody, the film also stars Topher Grace, Alice Braga, Walt Goggins, Danny Trejo, Oleg Taktarov, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali and Laurence Fishburne.

"Armored" and "Vacancy" helmer Nimrod Antal directed the feature.

"Predators" is scheduled to hit theaters on July 7, 2010.
Sources: Live for Films, Rope of Silicon, Screen Rant

Full 'Shrek Forever After' Trailer

DreamWorks Animation has debuted the full-length theatrical trailer for "Shrek Forever After" to give you a taste of what's coming this summer. The first teaser trailer arrived in December but we haven't seen much since. With DreamWorks' other new movie, "How to Train Your Dragon," opening in a few more weeks, marketing will definitely be ramping up for "Shrek Forever After" since it's their big summer movie.

Longing for the days when he felt like a “real ogre,” Shrek is duped into signing a pact with the smooth-talking deal-maker, Rumpelstiltskin and finds himself in a twisted, alternate version of Far Far Away, where ogres are hunted, Rumpelstiltskin is king and Shrek and Fiona have never met. Now, it’s up to Shrek to undo all he’s done in the hopes of saving his friends, restoring his world and reclaiming his one True Love.

I like that they’re bringing in a well known fairy-tale character like Rumpelstiltskin as a sort of “villain.” I have to admit it’s not a bad story, certainly taking the franchise in a new direction instead of rehashing ideas (although I’m sure we’ll have the same old overabundance of pop culture jokes and unfunny slapstick like what can be seen in the final moments of the trailer).

All three of the main voice actors – Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy – are back for the fourth movie. Antonio Banderas is also returning as Puss in Boots (who is getting his own spinoff movie), and joining the fun are Julie Andrews, Justin Timberlake, Jon Hamm, Maya Rudolph, Amy Sedaris, Larry King, Regis Philbin and Kathy Griffin.

What do you think of the latest trailer for "Shrek Forever After"?

"Shrek Forever After" hits in 3D and regular 2D theaters on May 21, 2010.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: First Showing, Screen Rant

Hugo Weaving in talks to play Red Skull in 'Captain America'

While Marvel Studios and director Joe Johnston continue to review candidates for the leading role of "Captain America," the film's villain could be cast within a few days.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hugo Weaving is in talks to join the cast of "The First Avenger: Captain America" as the Red Skull, Captain America's archenemy since 1941.

The character's alter-ego is Johann Schmidt, a Nazi officer who was appointed Hitler's right-hand man and, donning a grotesque red mask, became head of wartime terrorism and espionage. In his final battle with Captain America, he was buried under the rubble of a bombed building but – as would occur later with the superhero – fell into a state of suspended animation. Both were revived in modern times.

Weaving is no stranger to playing the part of a villain, having previously portrayed the iconic Agent Smith in "The Matrix" trilogy, in addition to his turn as the voice of Megatron in both "Transformers" films. Weaving is also well known for his role as Elrond in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

While not yet finalized, we can expect an announcement regarding Hugo Weaving’s involvement (or lack thereof) to be made soon and hopefully that will come with news of who they select to play Steve Rogers as well.

Hugo's a great choice to play the villain no matter the movie and will be used to having his face covered with a mask since he played the costumed vigilante in "V for Vendetta." With him signed on board it will give the Red Skull some real weight. Now if only Marvel would hurry up and cast Cap we might possibly have ourselves a movie.

Director Joe Johnston last directed Weaving in "The Wolfman."

Sources: Rope of Silicon, MTV News, The Geek Files, First Showing, Screen Rant, Latino Review

First Trailer for 'Twilight Saga: Eclipse'

Yahoo has just debuted the first full trailer for "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse," the third film in the "Twilight" franchise starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner.

"30 Days of Night" helmer David Slade directs as Bella (Stewart) once again finds herself surrounded by danger as Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward (Pattinson) and her friendship with Jacob (Lautner) – knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death.

Bella, my solution to your important decision is just one word – Threesome.

The trailer offers the first look at Bryce Dallas Howard as she replaces Rachelle Lefevre as Victoria, but other than that it doesn't offer much.

Oh the angst, the pouting, the men with no tops on, the pouting, the lipstick and eyeliner on Robert Pattinson, the perpetual look of puzzlement on Taylor Lautner’s face. Oh the horror.

Sheesh, the girls are going to go nuts for this one. A girl being fought over by two hunky guys, neither of them human? It’s what every little girl dreams of!

I still have yet to see any of the other films in the franchise and might wind up seeing them at some point in the future, but until then I will continue to make fun of the franchise if not for the bad acting and special effects then for the obsessed, stalking and crazy fans. Again, I believe these films are excellent for those who love and enjoy the books, but not for anyone else.

"The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" hits theaters on June 30, 2010.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: Rope of Silicon, Screen Rant, Live for Films

Final 'Robin Hood' Trailer

The final full-length trailer for Ridley Scott’s "Robin Hood" has been officially released and it is truly epic. The teaser trailer and international trailer for the retelling of the story of the prince of thieves left viewers with mixed reactions and a lot of fair comparisons to "Gladiator," the previous period piece epic that the pairing of Scott and star Russell Crowe worked together on.

While I certainly saw the close similarities in style and characters between "Robin Hood" and "Gladiator," this new trailer has completely sold me as a must-see film of the summer.

We finally find out what the story is all about and we also get to see more Robin Hood-specific action, which looks quite awesome (like when they're sneaking through the woods) and not as much like "Gladiator" any more.

The trailer provides plenty of story elements and a lot more of the supporting characters including Mark Strong’s Sir Godfrey, Cate Blanchett’s Maid Marian and Oscar Isaac’s Prince John.



The trailer's accompanying official synopsis tells us:

"In 13th century England, Robin and his band of marauders confront corruption in a local village and lead an uprising against the crown that will alter the balance of world power. And whether thief or hero, one man from humble beginnings will become an eternal symbol of freedom for his people.

"Robin Hood chronicles the life of an expert archer, previously interested only in self-preservation, from his service in King Richard's army against the French.

"Upon Richard's death, Robin travels to Nottingham, a town suffering from the corruption of a despotic sheriff and crippling taxation, where he falls for the spirited widow Lady Marian, a woman skeptical of the identity and motivations of this crusader from the forest.

"Hoping to earn the hand of Marian and salvage the village, Robin assembles a gang with lethal mercenary skills and they begin preying on the upper class to correct injustices under the sheriff.

"With their country weakened from decades of war, embattled from the ineffective rule of the new king and vulnerable to insurgencies from within and threats from afar, Robin and his men heed a call to ever greater adventure. This unlikeliest of heroes and his allies set off to protect their country from slipping into bloody civil war and return glory to England once more."

The film stars Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Matthew Macfadyen, Mark Strong, Kevin Durand, Danny Huston, William Hurt and Max von Sydow.

"Robin Hood" hits theaters May 14, 2010.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: First Showing, Screen Rant, The Geek Files

Teaser Trailer for 'Tron Legacy'

Disney has finally debuted the teaser trailer for "Tron Legacy" online. This is one of those drop everything, watch now kind of trailers.



Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), the tech-savvy 27-year-old son of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), looks into his father's disappearance and finds himself pulled into the same world of fierce programs and gladiatorial games where his father has been living for 25 years. Along with Kevin's loyal confidant (Olivia Wilde), father and son embark on a life-and-death journey across a visually-stunning cyber universe that has become far more advanced and exceedingly dangerous.

I can’t wait until we get to see the next trailer for this film, which will no doubt be loaded with action shots and more of the "Tron" universe and the new characters the movie introduces. I'm usually not for the big IMAX 3D blockbuster, but this film looks like it would be a shame to watch it on anything but 3D IMAX.

Much like "Avatar" being the 3D visual-effects-heavy epic of the last holiday season, debuting on December 18, "Tron Legacy" is following suit in the same fashion, releasing this December 17, 2010 – the exact same weekend opening date for this year’s holiday season.

"Tron Legacy" stars Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Michael Sheen, Olivia wilde, Serinda Sawn, Bruce Boxleitner and John Hurt.
It opens in theaters on December 17, 2010 - and I’ll be there.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: First Showing, Screen Rant, Latino Review

New 'Iron Man 2' Trailer

Robert Downey Jr. appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night following the Oscars to debut a brand new trailer for Jon Favreau's "Iron Man 2."

The first trailer for "Iron Man 2" gave us our first glimpse of Don Cheadle as War Machine and some shots of other new characters joining the franchise, including Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow and Mickey Rourke’s Whiplash. This new trailer gives us a whole bunch more!

We finally get to see some plot details in this, including more of Scarlett Johansson and a bit about how Sam Rockwell (as Justin Hammer) meets Mickey Rourke (as Whiplash).

And the trailer might possibly have the most awesome last 10 seconds ever as some set footage from back in September revealed a suitcase that many thought might be a portable form of the Iron Man armor. Indeed...you'll find that to be too true.

Watch the trailer below (presented in two different formats in case one isn't enough for ya'):





What do you think of the new "Iron Man 2" trailer?

"Iron Man 2" takes place six months after Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) revealed his identity as Iron Man at the end of the first movie. Mickey Rourke stars as a powerful new Russian villain named Whiplash. In "The Avengers" film timeline, "Iron Man 2" takes place before "The Incredible Hulk," so does that mean the team will begin to form at the end of this film?

"Iron Man 2" hits theaters May 7, 2010. What a way to kick off the summer.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: First Showing, Screen Rant