Christian Bale Says 'Batman 3' May Not Happen

MTV News spoke to actor Christian Bale on the set of his new movie "Public Enemies" about the possibility of a third Batman that would continue the legacy of "The Dark Knight." MTV News also spoke about the rumors of director Chris Nolan not returning to the franchise.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Sadly, the news isn't good.
What are your thoughts on not seeing another Batman?
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Versus Fan Videos

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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



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

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

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



Would you see these awesome crossover movies? I would!

Fan Made Films

Live for Films has a great knack for finding fan made films. How do you do it? All I know is I really enjoy them and want to put some of them on my blog.
Check out some below. All of them are really good!

Call Me Mr.J
Following the events of "The Dark Knight", the Joker is sentenced to Arkham Asylum where he is placed into the hands of Dr. Harleen Quinzel, a slightly wet behind the ears psychiatrist and current replacement for Dr. Jonathan Crane (The Scarecrow).

Spanning over the course of five individual therapy sessions, the Joker slowly peels off Harleen's authoritative mask while molding her into an image he sees more fit- Harley Quinn.


Bioshock
The films used are "City of Lost Children," "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow," "Casshern" "Dark City," "Cast Away," "James Cameron's Aliens of the Deep, An IMAX Film," "I Robot," "Silent Hill," and "Artificial Intelligence."



Captain America


Elektra: The Hand and the Devil


Ghostbusters 3: Ghostbusters Go to Hell
The "trailer" is based on Dan Aykroyd's long-rumored Ghosbusters 3 premise... In fact, that's his voice narrating his idea throughout the 'Hell vignette' part.

The films used are Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters 2, Predator, Independence Day, Casper, Nightwatch, Gremlins 2, Lost in Translation, End of Days, Haunted Mansion, Hellboy, Earth vs the Spider, Orange County, Blues Brothers 2000, Miss Congeniality 2, Christmas with the Kranks, Miss Congeniality, Sleepy Hollow, X-Men, The Blob, Spider-man 3, High Spirits, Frighteners, Constantine, Mars Attacks, Charlie's Angels, Be Kind Rewind,
Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves, Dan in Real Life



Batman: Dead End


Punisher Teaser


Daredevil Teaser


Incredible Hulk: Gamma Project Pt. 1


Incredible Hulk: Gamma Porject Pt. 2


Thundercats
Here's the list of the actors and their respecitve roles.
Lion-O: Brad Pitt, Mel Gibson.
Panthro: Vin Diesel
Tygra: Hugh Jackman
Cheetara: Gigi Edgley
WilyKat: Daryl Sabara
WilyKit: Alexa Vega
Jaga: Robert Eddison
Mummra: Richard Cetrone

Movies used in this trailer:
10,000BC, Masters of the Universe, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Lord of The Rings: Return of the King, Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars, Chronicles of Riddick, Pitch Black, X2:X-men United, X-men:The Last Stand, Troy, Star Trek6: The undiscovered Country, Space Hunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone, Stargate, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, Garfield, Enemy Mine, Spykids, Underworld, The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, Galaxy Quest, John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars, Planet of the Apes, Aliens, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Reign of Fire, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.



Hope you enjoy some of these fan made trailers. Check out the makers by going to their respective YouTube accounts and see what else they have to offer.

Dark Knight Viral Campiagn

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

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

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

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

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



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

A Dark Knight Thanks

The 81st Annual Academy Award nominations have been given out and "The Dark Knight" received eight of them, including: art direction, cinematography, film editing, make-up, sound editing, sound mixing, visual effects and best supporting actor (Heath Ledger).

Noticeable absent nominations include Best Picture and Best Director nominations.
Lead screenwriter for "The Dark Knight," Jonah Nolan (and brother to Chris Nolan, the director), has spoken out about his disappointment and thanked those who are fighting for the film to get more recognition by sending a letter via email to Dark Campaign, a fan site dedicated to getting the film a Best Picture nomination.

"It’s truly humbling that you guys would take the time and effort to try to get the film recognized. I, like you, was disappointed that Chris didn’t get some recognition this morning, but for Heath and so many of the people who worked so hard on this thing to get nominated is thrilling.

Any nominations for a comic book movie is a thing of beauty no matter how you slice it, and that takes the sting out a bit. Besides, I’ve been to the big show before, and, like any of these things, it’s a little disappointing. Did you know it’s not even an open bar once the show starts? At least this time I would have remembered to bring a little cash so I could buy myself a drink after losing.

The best part of this experience is seeing other people getting passionate about the film the way that we did. It has been a truly incredible experience. So thank you again.

Best,

Jonah Nolan"

Do you think "Dark Knight" deserved nominations for Best Picture and Best Director?

Bad Economy Creates Lost Jobs

Duh!
Well, in this case, the lost jobs deal with movies and is coming straight from one of the major studios, Warner Brothers.

Warner Brothers will be laying off 800 employees (a lot are going to be outsourced). This accounts for 10 percent of the workforce of WB (which totals 8,000).

The official memo from WB states, "This was a very difficult decision to make, and one that was not made easily. Despite the fact that the company performed solidly in 2008, this decision reflects changes necessary for stability and growth going forward. The changing entertainment business landscape, shifting consumer demand and the overall state of the economy have affected companies around the world, and Warner Bros. is not immune to these factors.

We have examined every aspect of our business in order to cut costs responsibly and to keep staff reductions to a minimum. One way to achieve these objectives is to outsource certain job functions to a third-party company. To that end, we will be outsourcing the U.S.-based components of certain parts of MIS and accounts payable. This initiative, as well as the ongoing analysis of our global MIS and finance and accounting structures, will be explained in more detail to those business groups directly impacted."

So what exactly will happen to these 800 jobs?
Nikki Finke from Deadline Hollywood Daily reports, "The 800 positions break down as follows: 200 open positions around the world; 300 outsourced (with a third being offered employment opportunities with Capgemini and continue to be based in Burbank), and 300 lay-offs."

WB had a huge success with "The Dark Knight" (about $1 billion) and they will probably do very well with "Watchmen" (despite the lawsuit setbacks). So can it be that the economy is just making it hard for the studio? I think one way to make things easier is to let it be known that all actors and actresses will not be paid millions of dollars anymore. Are they good at what they do? Yes. Do they really deserve all the money and attention we give them? No.

Screen Rant just reported that Mickey Rourke was offered $250,000 to play in "Iron Man 2." That is a good amount of money, but apparently actors want more. The same problems go with Sam Jackson being Nick Fury (he costs too much) and Terrence Howard (he also cost too much). So will studio's start resorting to less known actors since they cost less?

If you had to choose between two machines that work the same but one costs 10 times as more than the other, which one would you choose?

The economy is bad, but the amount of attention and payment we give our celebrities is ridiculous.

Nolan on Batman 3

USA Today had the chance to interview Chris Nolan and discuss his thoughts on making the next Batman film.

"Since he took over the Batman franchise in 2005, Christopher Nolan has produced two No. 1 movies, generated $1.4 billion in worldwide ticket sales and created the second-highest-grossing film of all time in The Dark Knight.

So what's stopping him from making a third installment?

For starters, most third acts in Hollywood stink. Look at the disappointing threequels for 'The Godfather,' 'Superman' and the original 'Batman.' The conclusions weren't much better for the more recent 'Shrek,' 'Spider-Man' and 'Pirates of the Caribbean.'"

Trilogies are tough to make since the final film is usually supposed to give the grand finale that fans are expecting. Take "Star Wars" and "Lord of the Rings" for instance.

"I don't know why they're hard to do," Nolan says of making third films in trilogies. "Maybe there's so much expectation to them. But I wouldn't want to do one if it weren't going to be as good as the first or second. That's not respectful to the fans."

Out today is "The Dark Knight" on DVD and Blu-ray. I haven't checked it out myself, but I have researched the bonus material. There are no deleted scenes, bloopers or screen tests. That means no more extra scenes of the late Heath Ledger's Joker.

"For my past three films, I really haven't had scenes that didn't make it in the movie," Nolan said. "If it's in the final script, I tend put it on screen. I don't like outtakes or gag reels. I don't think it's respectful to the actors, who signed on to have their performance on screen, not the takes that didn't work out. It discourages actors from going all-out if they think every mistake is going on the disc."

According to the USA Today article, "Nolan says he is jotting notes and doing some rough outlines for a third story, but he hasn't yet found anything he's willing to commit to film, despite Warner Bros.' eagerness to get a new film underway."

"It was obvious when the box office was so big ($530 million domestically) that we had underestimated how ready fans were to reboot the franchise," Nolan said. "The worst thing you could do now that you've gotten the plane back in the air is mess up the landing."

How badly do you want Chris Nolan to make a Batman 3? DO you even want another Batman?
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Box Office Results and Weekly Movie News

Movies coming out this Friday! Plot summaries thanks to IMDB!

The Day the Earth Stood Still - Aliens land on Earth with an important message for its citizens. A remake of the classic 1951 sci-fi film directed by Robert Wise.

Nothing Like the Holidays - The scattered members of the Rodriguez family return to their parents' home in Chicago to celebrate the holiday season, as well as their youngest's safe return from combat overseas. But when old tensions surface, the pressure is on the individuals to truly come together as a family.

Delgo - When Delgo (voice of Prinze, Jr.), a troubled teenager, is framed for a crime he didn't commit, his subsequent prison escape leads him and a group of unlikely friends on adventure to save two sparring races from a common enemy.

Movies coming out on DVD!

The Dark Knight
Horton Hears a Who!

Box Office results for the weekend!

1 Four Christmases$18.2 M

2 Twilight $13.2 M

3 Bolt $9.7 M

4 Australia $7.0 M

5 Quantum of Solace$6.6 M

6 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa $5.1 M

7 Transporter 3$4.5 M

8 Punisher: War Zone $4.0 M

9 Cadillac Records$3.5 M

10 Role Models $2.6 M

"Four Christmases" continues to be the #1 movie in America for two weeks in a row. Darn holiday films always come out during the holidays! Coincidence? I think not.
"Bolt" and "Quantum of Solace" fell down a few ranks as "Australia" stayed alive. "Twilight" still makes the big bucks, but the big news on that movie I will post about later (director stuff).
Other films continue to stay alive (mad props goes to "Role Models" for staying in the top 10), but the biggest upset of the weekend was the bombing of "Punisher: War Zone." This movie flopped and that makes me sad because we might not see Punisher in theaters again for a long time now...if ever.

What Dark Knight Fans Want

Latino Review checked out a survey done by Blockbuster that involved "The Dark Knight." I found it interesting and so will you!

"According to a survey conducted by Blockbuster Inc., movie fans are hoping to see Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie play starring roles. The villains that fans would most like to see Batman take on are The Riddler and The Joker's therapist turned girlfriend Harley Quinn.

'Both Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie are actors who can bring a Batman villain to life in the complex, realistic style that have made Nolan's films so popular,' said Keith Leopard, director of film product for Blockbuster Inc. 'It would be exciting to see what they could do with The Riddler's compulsive clue-giving and Harley Quinn's transformation from brilliant therapist to psychotic criminal.'

Other top picks from movie lovers for the next Batman film's villains were Cat Woman, The Penguin and tough guy Bane. Favorite actors to play roles like these included Natalie Portman, Edward Norton and Keira Knightley.

Until a new movie is created, fans can get their Batman fix by heading to a local BLOCKBUSTER(R) store or visiting Blockbuster.com to rent or buy the 'Dark Knight' DVD on Tuesday, Dec. 9."

Here are the rest of the results of the survey!

The Next Batman: Most Requested Villains

1. The Riddler (Compulsive clue-giving criminal. Real name: Edward Nigma.)
2. Harley Quinn (The Joker's jester-like therapist turned girlfriend. Real name: Dr. Harleen Quinzel.)
3. Cat Woman (A whip-wielding burglar and sometimes Bat-lover. Real name: Selina Kyle.)
4. The Penguin (Umbrella-toting mob boss. Real name: Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot.)
5. Bane (Steroid-pumping strong man. Real name: Unknown.)

The Next Batman: Most Requested Casting Choices

1. Johnny Depp
2. Angelina Jolie
3. Natalie Portman
4. Edward Norton
5. Keira Knightley
6. Daniel Day-Lewis
7. Philip Seymour Hoffman
8. Viggo Mortensen
9. Kevin Spacey
10. Clive Owen

What are your picks? Who do you think should be in the next Batman flick (villain, actor, whatever)?

Meeting Michael Uslan, Batman Producer

I met Michael Ulsan today. Who is he you may ask? I shall tell you.

Michael Ulsan is the world's first professor to teach a class about comic books. This made the news back in the 70's at Indiana University.

Two weeks into his classes he got a phone call.
"Hi, is this Michael Ulsan,' said the voice on the phone. Ulsan replied yes. "This is Stan Lee," continued the voice. Stan Lee wanted to congratulate Ulsan on his job and success for the comic industry. A few hours after that the head of DC comics called and gave Ulsan a job (more like an internship).

Ulsan then helped pen a story for the comic "The Shadow," (which is another comic-to-movie adaptation, "The Shadow") and later got the job to write for Batman.

After that he went to law school and then worked for United Artists and learned about the film industry. He knew what he wanted to do. On Oct. 3, 1979 he bought the rights to Batman, quit his job, and began to start his dream of bringing a dark Batman to the silver screen.

He has produced an amazing list of films including: "Batman," "Batman Returns," "Batman Forever," "Batman and Robin," Constantine," "Batman Begins," "The Dark Knight," and the upcoming "The Spirit."

After his speech I went up to him and shook his hand and got his autograph. I asked him where he got his tie (which was a full on Spider-Man tie) and he asked where I got my shirt (Joker from "The Dark Knight"). I replied, "I bought it at Hot Topic."
He replied, "Stan Lee gave me this tie." My jaw dropped.

I managed to ask him one brief question. What were his thoughts about Marvel building the "Avengers" franchise and about a possible "Justice League" movie being made. He said that DC had to do it right by making solo films of all the characters, just like what Marvel was doing (he loved "Iron Man"), but that Nolan's Batman might not get along with other superheroes (I did mention an interview with Nolan where Nolan thought his Batman vision wouldn't work in a Justice League world).

Another note of interest that Ulsan said was that the idea to take away from "The Dark Knight" is not to make heroes dark, but to let directors be creative and to stay true to the hero. If all heroes end up being dark, serious, and violent, it would be terrible.

It was a momentous night for me....and I shall not forget it anytime soon.

Also he let out a bit of movie news. He said he is partnering with Sam Raimi (of "Spider-Man") and making a new "The Shadow." You heard it here first folks!

Chris Nolan talks more Batman

Chris Nolan continued the interview with the Los Angeles Times and spoke more about Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and the possible Justice League film.

On whether Nolan's Batman would fit in with the world of the Justice League.

"I don’t think our Batman, our Gotham, lends itself to that kind of cross-fertilization. It goes back to one of the first things we wrangled with when we first started putting the story together: Is this a world in which comic books already exist? Is this a world in which superheroes already exist? If you think of Batman Begins and you think of the philosophy of this character trying to reinvent himself as a symbol, we took the position -- we didn’t address it directly in the film, but we did take the position philosophically -- that superheroes simply don’t exist. If they did, if Bruce knew of Superman or even of comic books, then that’s a completely different decision that he’s making when he puts on a costume in an attempt to become a symbol. It’s a paradox and a conundrum, but what we did is go back to the very original concept and idea of the character. In his first appearances, he invents himself as a totally original creation.

It would have given a very, very different meaning to what Bruce Wayne was leaving home to do and coming back home to do and putting on the costume for and all the rest. We dealt with on its own terms: What does Batman mean to Bruce Wayne, what is he trying to achieve? He has not been influenced by other superheroes. Of course, you see what we’re able to do with Joker in this film is that he is able to be quite theatrical because we set up Batman as an example of intense theatricality in Gotham. It starts to grow outward from Batman. But the premise we began with is that Batman was creating a wholly original thing."

On how he would feel if Heath Ledger was nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar in the 81st Academy Awards in January.

"I think the thing that has always been important to me in light of Heath’s death is the responsibility I’ve felt to his work. The responsibility of crafting the film in such a way that his performance came across the way he intended. Clearly, that has been the case. That’s one of the reasons I take such pride in the film.

I felt a great wave of relief, really, as people first started to see the performance and it was clear that they were getting the performance. It’s easy to forget with everything that’s happened what an enormous challenge it was for Heath to take on this iconic role. He rose to that challenge so admirably that any expression of people being excited or moved by his performance is a wonderful thing. Whatever form that takes. People coming to see his performance and getting it. It's been extremely satisfying for all of us already. Anything that adds to that would be wonderful."

Read the whole interview from the LA Times.

Is it just me or have I been putting up a lot of interviews lately?
Anyway, more news to come! Catch ya' later!

Chris Nolan talks Batman

Christoper Nolan, director of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, answered interview questions with the Los Angeles Times. Here are some of the major snippets.

On the success of The Dark Knight.

"I can’t get my arms around it, to be quite frank. It’s mystifying. It’s terrific but at the same time it’s a little abstract, the numbers are so big. The biggest thrill for me would be, with the number of people who have gone to see the film, how "The Dark Knight" stood on the shoulders of the first film, how we were able to build the audience up and build the story up from the first film. That was really exciting to see. We were all pretty happy with the performance of the first film but so we really didn’t know, 'Where does it go from there?' For it to become such a phenomenon is extraordinarily gratifying. I mean, I’ve spent now like six years or something working on Batman films. It becomes an important part of your life; you become very obsessive about it, and it's pretty fun when there are other people sharing your obsession and going to see the film a dozen times or whatever."

On whether or not Nolan was thinking about bringing the Joker back in the next film based on leaving his fate unknown at the end of Dark Knight.

"No, really and in truth, I only deal with one film at a time. I find myself sort of protesting this issue a lot. We’ve never attempted to save anything for a sequel or set up anything for a sequel. That seems improbable to some people because, particularly with 'Batman Begins,' the film ended with a particular hook [with Jim Gordon showing Batman a Joker playing card announcing the arrival of a new villain in town]. But for me that was just about the excitement of people leaving the theater with the sense that now we have the character up and running. I wanted people to walk away with that sense in their head. You know, that he’s become the Batman in the movie. That’s why we had the title come up at the end, because it was 'Batman Begins,' and it was all very specific to that.

Then I got excited about seeing where that character would go. It was planned in advance, but it followed in that way. But we tried our hardest to really do everything in this movie that we would want to see the Joker do and to get that in the fabric of the story as much as possible. We wanted the Joker’s final taunt to Batman to be that they are locked in an ongoing struggle because of Batman’s rules. There’s a paradox there. Batman won’t kill. And the Joker is not interested in completely defeating Batman because he’s fascinated by him and he enjoys sparring with him. It’s trapped both of them. That was really the meaning of it. Of course what happened is Heath created the most extraordinary character that you would love to see 10 movies about. That’s the bittersweet thing. It was incredible characterization. It is a bittersweet thing for all of us."

On whether Nolan will return for a third Batman movie.

"Well ... let me think how to put this. There are two things to be said. One is the emphasis on story. What’s the story? Is there a story that’s going to keep me emotionally invested for the couple of years that it will take to make another one? That’s the overriding question. On a more superficial level, I have to ask the question: How many good third movies in a franchise can people name? [Laughs.] At the same time, in taking on the second one, we had the challenge of trying to make a great second movie, and there haven't been too many of those either. It’s all about the story really. If the story is there, everything is possible. I hope that was a suitably slippery answer."

The Dark Knight is still doing well (extremely well) and will be hitting theaters again in January while the DVD will come out in December.
What is next for Batman?
Apparently only rumors (like Maggie Gyllenhaal, whose character Rachel Dawes was blown to bits in The Dark Knight, wants to return for another movie. "If they can work it out, I would be happy to be in another Batman. If Chris Nolan is directing it, sure. I guess I would like to play Catwoman. But it seems unlikely at this point, right?" Excuse me, but what?).

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Justice League tie-in with Dark Knight

The Geek Files spoke with Megan Gale, Australian actress and supermodel who is cast as Wonder Woman in the Justice League Mortal movie, and spoke about the Justice League movie.

"Gale, 33, who's of British and Polynesian descent, was cast as Wonder Woman in the Justice League Mortal film project to have been directed by Happy Feet helmer George Miller.

Also cast in the movie were Armie Hammer as Batman, D.J. Cotrona as Superman, rapper Common as Green Lantern, Adam Brody as The Flash, Santiago Cabrera as Aquaman and Hugh Keays-Byrne as Martian Manhunter.

The film, penned by American husband and wife team Kieran and Michele Mulroney, was put on hold after a string of production problems including the refusal of vital tax concessions by the Australian government.

Gale said, 'We didn't get permission to shoot (in Australia) so they've been going back to the drawing board and changing the script a little bit to reflect what's happened in Batman.'"

So how will the storyline of the Dark Knight affect the plot of Justice League? Will it be a deep impact or a one-line reference to something that happened in Dark Knight?


Justice League Mortal is rumored to be out by 2011.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Megan Gale, the next Wonder Woman?

Chris Nolan making next Batman already?

Ever since The Dark Knight struck gold over the summer, fans have been dying to hear the latest news about the next Batman film.
Who will be the next villain? Will Chris Nolan return to write and direct the film?
The power of the internet may have answered one of those questions.

According to a post on Slashfilm.com Monday, "in a story that started floating around the internet this weekend — originating in a recent issue of “Production Weekly” — Christopher Nolan is listed as the director of the next installment of the “Batman” franchise, and as previously reported, the rumored pre-production date of February 2009 is also noted"

Is this news true or just another rumor (I will try to stay away from most rumors in this blog, but this just seemed interesting)?
More to come! Catch ya' later!

Edit: David Goyer, who helped write The Dark Knight (along with Chris and Jonathon Nolan), said that none of the rumors swirling around Batman 3 are true. Nolan has not yet signed on to helm the third Batman installment (the last in a proposed trilogy), pre-production won’t start early in 2009 and no actor(s) have been cast to play Bat’s latest adversary.

Daredevil Reboot in da' works

20th Century Fox Co-Chairman says that "a Daredevil reboot is something Fox would definitely be interested in."

Earlier this year at Comic-Con, Frank Miller suggested a reboot of the franchise and the actor Jason Statham (star of the film Death Race and of the upcoming Transporter 3) also believed a reboot is in order. Statham was then asked if the new Daredevil would mirror the darkness of The Dark Knight.

“Would it be as dark? I don’t know because what it really needs is, it needs a visionary at the level that Chris Nolan was. It needs someone, it needs a director, honestly, who has a genuine vision. What we wouldn’t do is just do it for the sake of doing it. Right? What we try to do is to get a creative engine for it, that really had a great vision for it, that’s what we would look for.”

I would enjoy seeing Daredevil up on the big screen again. I just hope a different approach is taken to the idea of Elektra.

Superman and Batman

The Dark Knight did amazingly well in Box Office (check out one of my earlier posts about that) but Superman Returns didn't do as well. Yes, it did kind of well...but...it's Superman!
James Marsden, who played Richard White in the latest Superman film (and Cyclops in X-men), explains why it didn't do so well, according to MTV News.
“One of my favorite films growing up was the Christopher Reeve Superman. Obviously, it was Bryan Singer’s as well. He had great affection for Richard Donner’s movie. [Given 'Returns' debt to that classic film] I was actually baffled by [the fact that it didn’t do that well]. The movie did okay. It did well, but it’s Superman. This is the ultimate superhero."

So how will Warner Bros. turn Superman around? By making him even darker, Warner Bros. Pictures Group President Jeff Robinov said.
"Superman didn't quite work as a film in the way that we wanted it to," Robinov said of Singer's movie, which made just $215 million domestically. "It didn't position the character the way he needed to be positioned," he continued. "Had 'Superman' worked in 2006, we would have had a movie for Christmas of this year or 2009, but now the plan is just to reintroduce Superman. We're going to try to go dark to the extent that the character allows it."

Can't wait to get more news on the next Super man movie titled Man of Steel (not slated for release until 2011). Other than that, The Dark Knight is slated for a DVD release on Dec. 9.
Also...what is in store for Batman 3?

Max Payne

Director John Moore is pissed. He wanted Max Payne to be PG-13, which is a more profitable rating for a film (such as Dark Knight). The MPAA has given Max Payne a rating of R, and that did not make Mr. Moore happy at all.
According to the Hollywood News, this is his rant.

“The Motion Picture Association of America gave THE DARK KNIGHT a PG-13 rating and basically sucked Warner Bros.’ c*ck. The MPAA will never publish the rules. They’ll never tell a director, Here’s what’s going to get you an R, Here’s what’s going to get you a PG-13. People might think that’s impossible, but let me tell you, if I’m making a TV beer commercial, I know exactly what the rules are. The MPAA changes their rules willy-nilly and it depends on who’s seeing your actual movie at the time. It’s very difficult to get a hold on what’s acceptable. The only thing you can use is current standards. So I go and see The Dark Knight and I say, “Gee, that’s pretty gnarly for PG-13,” but I felt good about Max Payne after coming out of the theater. I thought Max wasn’t going to have a problem. And that’s not the case."

The rating may indeed hurt the film's box office profits, but my once dashed hopes for this film have risen since I saw the beginning of it. Watch and see for yourselves.

Who Watches The Watchmen?

March 9, 2009. I am looking forward to this day.
I read V for Vendetta the comic and loved it. Then saw the movie and loved it. Allan Moore wrote many other comics that had stories that shook my mind and many others.
Watchmen is the best out of them all.
And Zack Snyder, the man who directed 300, another comic (written by another great writer Frank Miller) movie. And that film was voted the 'best use of money for a ticket.'
And here comes Watchmen. And I bet it is gonna kick Batman's armor bound rear! Sure, it may not make the profit that Dark Knight did, but we will see.

The story goes like this. (By Evan Murphy from an IMDB summary) "In a gritty and alternate 1985 the glory days of costumed vigilantes have been brought to a close by a government crackdown, but after one of the masked veterans is brutally murdered an investigation into the killer is initiated. The reunited heroes set out to prevent their own destruction, but in doing so discover a deeper and far more diabolical plot."
Sounds good? You know it does. More news to come!


"You know what I wish? I wish all the scum of the Earth had one throat and I had my hands about it."
Rorschach

Dark Knight and Star Wars

I am actually a month behind in this news! Can't believe it!
But it is official that The Dark Knight is the second highest grossing film of all time. Number 1 is Titanic and Number 2 used to be Star Wars. That is right people, Dark Knight beat out the original Star Wars movie, which has been grossing money for the past 30 years.
As of August 18th 2008, TDK has grosses over $471.5 million! That is a lot of dough!
Star Wars, over the past 30 years has earned $461 million. The Force is strong in Batman....
Also, I forgot that Star Wars: Clone Wars was another summer movie I watched, so since I am on the subject of that franchise, I shall review it here.

Star Wars: Clone Wars - I am a huge Star Wars fan, so yes, this may be a bit biased. I love the story of Star Wars and love how it just goes on.....and on......and on.......and....you get my point. I really enjoy this thing about how Lucas wants to stick with the Clone Wars, but I am dying to know what happens after Revenge of the Sith and before A new Hope....or dare I even ask what happens after Return of the Jedi. Clone Wars is another installment to the Star Wars franchise, and it really doesn't add anything. You don't have to see it, but if you REALLY love Star Wars, then sure, see it. It just had cliched characters and lots of lame one-liners. Children will enjoy this movie even if they don't know what Star Wars is. As for the die-hard fans.....it is another bump in the road of Star Wars. Good shot though. 5.5/10 May the Force Be With You!

And for those of you who need more Star Wars. The movie is just a kicker for a television show that will air on Cartoon Network. The movie does not giver the viewer an ending, but just the beginning of the show. It airs 9 pm October 3rd. Enjoy!
And catch ya' later!

Summer Movies of '08

I seriously started this blog late because now is a kind of lull in movies that attract my attention. The summer was a complete success in my mind, so I shall just start with those since a lot of those films should be coming out on DVD soon

Iron Man - One of the best adaptations from comic-to-film I have seen so far. Great acting plus adding a realistic touch to the superhero. It is also the start of the Avengers franchise (hoped you stayed after the credits). The only downfall to the film is that you don't really get to see Iron Man that much, but then again, you do get a lot of Robert Downey, Jr. 8.5/10

The Incredible Hulk - Better than the first movie, and that is all that I need to like it. Stays truer to the comics than the first film also. Also brings in the 2nd film going into the Avengers franchise (this one you didn't have to sit through the credits for). All-in-all, the movie was good except for the end. The villain just didn't really live up to the hype and there seem to be a lot of questions unanswered, like what is up with General Ross aiding destruction and why can't Bruce Banner and Betty Ross get it on? 7.8/10

Hellboy II: The Golden Army - Sequel to the awesome fantasy film by Guillermo del Toro. How can this movie not be good if del Toro turned down directing such films as Halo, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and I Am Legend just so he could make this movie? And the film has such a good transition from the last one, and it also begs to make a 3rd. If you haven't seen any of the Hellboy movies, you need to go see them both now. Plus, Seth MacFarlane as the voice of Johann Krauss, come on people....hilarious! 8.8/10

Speed Racer - I have felt a lot of hate for this film, but I enjoyed it. First of all, it is supposed to be 'out there'. Dare I even say it was meant to be silly and campy. Watching the film may give you a seizure (not really folks) but you will be dazzled by almost every special effect out there. It does have moments that I don't think should have been in there for children (thought the censor beep in the film gave some kids the giggles), but in the end children will enjoy the movie more than adults because it feels like a big cartoon. I would say Death Race is the adult equivalent for this movie. 7.1/10

WALL-E - Some people ask, "Why robots?" I ask why not? The film starts off slow, yes, I agree, but the adorableness of WALL-E and his daily activities makes up for that fact. The story progresses along at a snail's pace at first. The only thing you understand is that WALL-E is smitten with another robot named EVE. But once you get the general idea of the plot, you will find yourself rooting for the little robots and wanting to have a little WALL-E of your own. PIXAR, you rock! Film great for all ages! 9.0/10

The Dark Knight - If you still haven't seen the movie, you may be 1 out of 5 in the country. But still, yeah, it was awesome. Picking up about a year after Batman Begins, we start right off with Batman and his epicness. Chris Nolan is definitely going in the right direction with his rebooted Batman franchise, but now I only question what will be next. The film had superb acting and a very deep plot even for a film based on a comic. It wasn't just the hero-meet-villain set-up, it was totally different. Felt like the Godfather at certain points with all the mafia stuff, but that is what made it so good. Sit through the long film and afterwards ask yourself, "What is gonna happen with the Joker now that Heath Ledger is dead?" Kids like Batman, but they may find this film a bit frightening....especially Two-Face. 9.5/10 "Why so serious?"

Sex and the City - Yes, I did see this movie, and yes, I am a man. Yes, I did watch all the episodes of the show. So yes, I know what I am talking about. The show was very realistic when it came to things regarding sex, and the film stuck with that, but the film is not the show. With the show, you didn't know what was gonna happen next. With the movie, you kind of know what is going to happen, there are a few twists, but the film doesn't really leave you in suspense. The film is more about love than sex, but I see that as a stepping stone because the characters have moved on and matured. I mean, are we all supposed to be fascinated about sex forever or aren't we all gonna settle down sometime in the future. The movie seriously could have just been another season on HBO in my opinion. But if you liked the show, you will enjoy the movie. 6.8/10

Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian - I have read all seven novels in the Chronicles of Narnia and I wasn't really expecting them to make this film. Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe yeah because that is famous, but Prince Caspian.....it was a surprise to me. I suppose I liked it. The mood in this film is a lot darker than in the first, and that was awesome, because the movie needed that dark undertone. The other undertone is of course all the Christian religiousness, but the movie is still good if you don't care for that. Epic fights and great effects, the film makes me excited for when Voyage of the Dawn Treader comes out. 7.7/10

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - Don't be hatin'. I enjoyed the movie, and I have heard a lot of negative stuff about it, but then I found out some of these people never saw the original films. Look here folks, the original trilogy was a spoof on adventure films from the 1930's. All the adventuring was just silly nonsense with some cool death scenes. The new movie is a spoof on the 1950's, so that is why there is a lot more sci-fi element to this film. And also why the baddies are Russians instead of Nazis. And what dud this film deliver? Silly nonsense with some cool death scenes! If you were to watch the original films and then Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, you would feel the similarity! So enjoy the movie, but you might be afraid of ants for a while.... 8.2/10



This was all awhile ago, so there might actually have been more movies I saw. I will work up some more reviews. Otherwise, I will also update on films coming out and films that have been out for some time that I just recently saw.
Catch ya' later!