First Look at Judd Apatow’s Funny People January 7, 2009 4:02 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Funny People, Movies, Photos.add a comment
Universal Pictures has released the first official production photo from Judd Apatow’s upcoming comedy Funny People. Click to enlarge. The film stars Adam Sandler as 42-year old comic George Simmons, who learns he has an incurable blood disorder and has just six months to a year left to live. Seth Rogen also stars in the film as Ira, a 25-year-old deli counter worker and aspiring stand-up comedian.
Judd Apatow’s wife Leslie Mann and Eric Bana also star in the film.
Funny People hits theaters on July 31, 2009.
via /Film
D.J. Caruso Directing Jack the Giant Killer January 7, 2009 3:54 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Jack the Giant Killer, Movies, News.add a comment
New Line Cinema has hired D.J. Caruso to direct Jack the Giant Killer, a drama that takes an adult look at the Jack and the Beanstalk legend, Variety reported.
When a princess is kidnapped, a long-standing peace between men and giants becomes threatened, and a young farmer is given an opportunity to lead a dangerous expedition to the giant kingdom to rescue her.
Caruso’s last project was DreamWorks’ Eagle Eye, which went on to gross a respectable $177.2 million worldwide ($101.3 million domestically and $75.9 million foreign).
Shazam Project Officially Dead January 7, 2009 3:37 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in 13, Movies, News, Shazam.add a comment
Screenwriter John August has posted an article on his blog and announced that a big screen adaptation of Shazam is dead. Here’s some of what he had to say.
“When we turned the new draft in to the studio, we got a reaction that made me wonder if anyone at Warners had actually read previous drafts or the associated notes. The studio felt the movie played too young. They wanted edgier. They wanted Billy to be older. They wanted Black Adam to appear much earlier. (I pointed out that Black Adam appears on page one, but never got a response.)”
August actually places some of the blame on the failure of Speed Racer and success of The Dark Knight. That situation, August says, has pushed Hollywood executives to, incorrectly, believe that in order for a comic book movie to be a success, it has to be dark:
“The first flopped; the second triumphed. Given only those two examples, one can understand why a studio might wish for their movies to be more like the latter. But to do so ignores the success of Iron Man, which spent most of its running time as a comedic origin story, and the even more pertinent example of WB’s own Harry Potter series. I tried to make this case, to no avail.”
via /Film
Japanese Watchmen Trailer January 7, 2009 3:25 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Movie Trailers, Movies, Watchmen.add a comment
The Japanese Watchmen trailer has been released online. The trailer includes new footage from the film. Watch it below.
Official Plot Synopsis:
A complex, multi-layered mystery adventure, “Watchmen” is set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and the “Doomsday Clock” – which charts the USA’s tension with the Soviet Union – is permanently set at five minutes to midnight. When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the washed-up but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his former crime-fighting legion – a ragtag group of retired superheroes, only one of whom has true powers – Rorschach glimpses a wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy with links to their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the future. Their mission is to watch over humanity…but who is watching the Watchmen?
Watchmen is scheduled to hit theaters on March 6, 2009.
via ComicBookMovie
7 Films In the Running for Visual Effects Oscar January 7, 2009 3:12 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Movies, News, Oscars.add a comment
As expected, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have narrowed down the field of films in the running for the Visual Effects category to seven for the 81st Academy Awards. These seven films will be further narrowed to just three selections on January 15th. Here is the list of the final seven:
- Australia
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- The Dark Knight
- Hellboy II: The Golden Army
- Iron Man
- Journey to the Center of the Earth
- The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
Source: Oscars.org
Card’s Ender Game Movie Scrapped January 7, 2009 2:52 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Books, Ender in Exile, Ender's Game, Movies, News.add a comment
The Los Angeles Times has a new article talking with Orson Scott Card about his new ‘Ender’ novel, Ender in Exile, and the author reveals that Wolfgang Peterson is no longer attached to direct a big screen adaptation of his original novel and that the project was scrapped in early November:
“Ender’s Game” was recently in development with director Wolfgang Petersen (“In the Line of Fire,” “The Perfect Storm,” “Troy”) on board, but Card did not feel comfortable with the movie’s direction. That project was scrapped early in November.
Read the rest of the interview at the Los Angeles Times.
The Descent 2 Photos January 7, 2009 2:27 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Movies, Photos, The Descent 2.add a comment
The first production photos from Jon Harris’ feature debut The Descent 2 have been released online. Click to enlarge and check out more at this link.
Official Plot Synopsis:
“Terror mounts and fear runs deeper in the chilling continuation to Neil Marshall’s award-winning and critically acclaimed modern horror classic, The Descent. Distraught, confused and half-wild with fear, Sarah Carter (SHAUNA MACDONALD) emerges alone from the Appalachian cave system where she encountered unspeakable terrors. Unable to plausibly explain to the authorities what happened – or why she’s covered in her friends’ blood – Sarah is forced back to the subterranean depths to help locate her five missing companions. As the rescue party drives deeper into uncharted caverns, nightmarish visions of the recent past begin to haunt Sarah and she starts to realize the full horror and futility of the mission. Subjected to the suspicion and mistrust of the group and confronted once more by the inbred, feral and savagely ruthless Crawlers, Sarah must draw on all her inner reserves of strength and courage in a desperate final struggle for deliverance and redemption.”
The Descent 2 hasn’t been given a US release date yet. It will hit UK theaters on May 15, 2009.
Source: Ollie Upton (via /Film)
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost Cast in Tintin January 7, 2009 2:19 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Casting, Movies, News, TinTin.add a comment
Shaun of the Dead/Hot Fuzz duo Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have been cast in the roles of bumbling detectives Thompson and Thomson in the Steven Spielberg/Peter Jackson project Tintin. Frost and Pegg join Andy Serkis, who has already been cast as Captain Haddock. The lead character of Tintin has yet to be cast.
DreamWorks is targeting a 2010 release for the first film, to be directed by Spielberg. Peter Jackson will direct the second, which does not have a date yet.
Source: Ain’t It Cool News
Jimmy Hayward to direct Jonah Hex January 7, 2009 2:10 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Jonah Hex, Movies, News.add a comment
Horton Hears a Who! director Jimmy Hayward, has been tapped by Warner Bros. to make his live-action debut with Jonah Hex, the western based on the DC Comics character. Hayward replaces Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, who were previously on board as directors. The duo left the project in November over creative differences. They also wrote the script.
Production is expected to begin in March or April. Josh Brolin is still attached to star.
Source: THR
Street Fighter Movie Poster January 7, 2009 2:02 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Movie Posters, Movies, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li.add a comment
The poster for 20th Century Fox’s Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li is available be viewed online. Click to enlarge.
Official Plot Synopsis:
Based on the legendary video game by Capcom, STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI brings a new dimension to a world and characters beloved by millions. Devastated by the kidnapping of her father, Chun-Li takes to the streets of Hong Kong, embarking on an epic quest for justice – and hurtling toward a confrontation with a seemingly unstoppable foe.
Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li hits theaters on February 27, 2009.
Zombie’s H2 Release Set for August 28, 2009 January 6, 2009 3:04 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in H2, Halloween, Movies, News, Tyrannosaurus Rex.add a comment
Dimension Films has set an August 28, 2009 release for writer/director Rob Zombie’s Halloween (2007) follow-up H2. His first film had a similar release (August 31, 2007) and went on to gross a record $58.3 million domestically and $20.2 million overseas. “If you thought Michael was f*cked before, you ain’t seen nothing yet! He is bigger, meaner and more psycho than Dr. Loomis ever thought possible,” Zombie says.
Because of the date, Zombie’s Tyrannosaurus Rex, which was previously scheduled for the same weekend, will be pushed back. And iIn related news, ShockTillYouDrop.com has posted a sneek peek at the Michael Myers master that will be worn by actor Tyler Mane in the film. Click to enlarge.
via ComingSoon.net
New Character Added to Thor Script? January 6, 2009 2:49 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Movies, News, The Avengers, Thor.add a comment
IESB is reporting that the character of Donald Blake has been added to the end of the script to director Kenneth Branagh’s Thor in an effort to tie the film to The Avengers which hits theaters a year after on July 15, 2011:
A reliable source tells the IESB that the character of Donald Blake has been added to the end of the script. Let me reiterate that he wasn’t there before, the script was set entirely in the land of the Norse Gods.
The introduction of the character is essential to how Marvel will tie Thor into the Avengers that is set in contemporary Tony Stark/Hulk timeframe. It explains how the actual Thor film will be set in the ancient time of the Norse Gods and how they will subsequently bring the character into a modern time with Donald Blake discovering the magical Norse hammer Mjolnir and turning into Thor.
They’re also reporting that in addition to directing, Branagh will have an acting part in film..
Thor hits theaters on July 16, 2010.
Monsters vs. Aliens 3D Trailer to Run During Super Bowl January 6, 2009 2:33 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Monsters vs. Aliens, Movies, News, Television.1 comment so far
During NBC’s NFL playoff telecast on Saturday night, the network announced–watch the segment embedded below–that they would be broadcasting a 90-second 3D trailer for DreamWorks Animation’s Monsters vs. Aliens during the Super Bowl telecast on February 1st. The 3D trailer will be the first of its kind on broadcast television. The trailer will also been shown later in the month during a 3D episode of Chuck. Paramount released a press release on Sunday. Read it after the jump.
Monsters vs. Aliens hits conventional, In-Tru 3D and IMAX theaters on March 27, 2009.
New Astro Boy Artwork January 3, 2009 3:02 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Astro Boy, Images, Movies.add a comment
Imagi has posted brand new artwork from Summit Entertainment’s big screen adaptation of Astro Boy. Click to enlarge.
Astro Boy hits theaters on October 23, 2009.
via ComingSoon.net
New Images for Public Enemies, Terminator, Where the Wild Things Are, Angels & Demons and More January 3, 2009 2:49 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Images, Movies.add a comment
Entertainment Weekly has published a ton of new photos from several 2009 films, 16 to be exact. They are: Public Enemies; Terminator Salvation; The Ugly Truth, Where the Wild Things Are; Watchmen; The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3; Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince; Up; Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience, Julie & Julia; Up; Obsessed; Year One; Land of the Lost; X-Men Origins: Wolverine; and Angels & Demons. I’ve included some of the photos here, but be sure to head on over to Entertainment Weekly online, or check out the latest issue in newstands now, to see the rest of the images.
Tarantino’s ‘Basterds’ Gets August 2009 Release January 3, 2009 2:05 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Inglourious Basterds, Movies, News.add a comment
The Weinstein Company has announced that Quentin Tarantino’s next film, Inglourious Basterds, will hit theaters on August 21, 2009. The date puts the film up against New Line’s Final Destination: Death Trip 3D and the Jeremy Piven (Entourage) comedy The Goods: The Don Ready Story.
Synopsis
Inglourious Basterds begins in German-occupied France, where Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent) witnesses the execution of her family at the hand of Nazi Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz). Shosanna narrowly escapes and flees to Paris, where she forges a new identity as the owner and operator of a cinema. Elsewhere in Europe, Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) organizes a group of Jewish soldiers to engage in targeted acts of retribution. Known to their enemy as “The Basterds,” Raine’s squad joins German actress and undercover agent Bridget Von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) on a mission to take down the leaders of The Third Reich. Fates converge under a cinema marquee, where Shosanna is poised to carry out a revenge plan of her own…
Source: Box Office Mojo
New Watchmen Featurette January 3, 2009 1:48 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Movies, News, Videos, Watchmen.add a comment
Warner Bros. isn’t about to allow a little legal trouble–here and here–get in the way of promoting their upcoming film Watchmen. Check out a brand new featurette below.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
Watchmen is scheduled to hit theaters on March 6, 2009.
New Wonder Woman Images + New Q&A With Screenwriter Michael Jelenic January 2, 2009 10:57 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Images, Movies, Wonder Woman.1 comment so far
Warner Bros. has released several new images from their upcoming straight-to-video DC Comics film Wonder Woman. Click to enlarge. Also, WB has released a brand new Q&A with screenwriter Michael Jelenic. Read it after the jump.
Synopsis
Produced by the multiple Emmy® Award winning animation legend Bruce Timm, Wonder Woman is an origin– story and features a stellar celebrity voice cast including Keri Russell (Waitress, Felicity), Nathan Fillion (Desperate Housewives), Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2), Virginia Madsen (Sideways), Rosario Dawson (Sin City), Oliver Platt (The West Wing) and David McCallum (NCIS). Wonder Woman begins on the mystical island of Themyscira, where a proud and fierce warrior race of Amazons resides. They have raised Princess Diana, a daughter of stunning beauty, extraordinary strength and incredible fighting prowess. Diana possesses a host of super human powers granted to her by the gods and goddesses of Olympus and her strength and stamina are unparalleled. When Air Force fighter pilot Steve Trevor crash lands on the island, the rebellious and headstrong Diana defies Amazonian law by accompanying Trevor back to civilization. Meanwhile, Ares (the God of War) has escaped his imprisonment at the hands of the Amazons and has decided to exact his revenge by starting a world war that will destroy them all. It is up to Princess Diana to save her people and the world by using her gifts to become the ultimate Wonder Woman.
http://www.wonderwomanmovie.com
Wonder Woman hits DVD and Blu-ray Hi-Def on March 3, 2009.
Fox Will Try To Stop Release of Watchmen December 29, 2008 6:44 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Movies, News, Watchmen.1 comment so far
An attorney for 20th Century Fox tells the AP that the studio will seek an order to delay the release of Warner Bros. Watchmen. U.S. district Court Judge Gary Feess last week came down with a ruling agreeing with Fox that Warner Bros. had infringed its copyright by developing and shooting the film. A trial is scheduled for January 20th to decide any remaining issues.
An attourney for Warner Bros. said that he didn’t know if an appeal was coming, but that he thinks a trial is necessary and a settlement is unlikely.
Watchmen is still scheduled for release on March 6, 2009.
Source: AP (via Yahoo! Movies)
First Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Photos December 29, 2008 5:22 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Images, Movies, News, Photos, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.1 comment so far
The first photos from Michael Bay’s Transformers sequel, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen have been released. They come courtesy UK magazine Empire, which has a cover story on the film and USA Today, who also have a separate set-report that you can read here. As always, click to enlarge.
Here are some highlights from the article and photo pages at USA Today:
After completing work in New Mexico, the cast and crew moved to Giza for scenes at the actual pyramids, getting first-time access to the 5,000-year-old site from the Egyptian government. “It plays a big plot point,” Bay says, noting that they were allowed to shoot on the pyramids — not just around them.
In the sequel, humanity is still trying to sort out which Transformers can be trusted and which mean to exterminate humans.
Optimus teams up with the U.S. military to take on the evil Decepticons, who have invaded Earth to capture Sam (Shia LaBeouf). He has learned some secrets about the origins of the Transformes and their ancient history–information, it turns out, that is worth war.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen hits conventional and IMAX theaters on June 26, 2009. Check out more photos after the jump.
Japanese Trailer for Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li December 29, 2008 2:47 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Movie Trailers, Movies, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li.add a comment
The Japanese trailer for Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li has been released on the film’s official website. You can watch it embedded below.
Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li hits theaters on February 27, 2009.
via ComingSoon.net
Cera Holding Up Arrested Development Film? December 29, 2008 2:31 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Arrested Development, Fox, Movies, News, Television.add a comment
Mitch Hurwitz, creator of the critically beloved but low-rated Fox series Arrested Development, has confirmed that a deal is in place with Fox Searchlight to make a big screen adaptation of the series. However, Hurwitz cautions that casting is still not complete, and hints that the rumor that Michael Cera is the one holding up the process is accurate. From FilmCast:
So what of the rumors that new dad Will Arnett and shiny movie star Michael Cera are the only two remaining holdouts?
“I don’t want to talk about who is holding out right now because we might still work that out and I don’t want to pressure anyone through the press,” said Hurwitz. “Although I will say that Will Arnett is gung-ho, so there’s a big clue!”
Hurwitz added that he won’t get to work on a script until the cast he wants is locked up, but he did talk a bit about the possible story and whether or not the film would start where the show ended:
“I think in some respect it would have to pick up where the show left off,” he said. “Maybe the benefit of that would be, if nothing else, just to recap everything. There are a couple of ways to get into it. I was even thinking about a big animated sequence to start. Kind of like how the Blake Edwards movies used to start – to kind of catch everyone up.”
Hurwitz also noted that he hasn’t ruled out a possible prequel movie. Click here to read the entire interview.
The Dark Knight Will Not Be Released in China December 27, 2008 1:10 am
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Movies, News, The Dark Knight.add a comment
Instead of fighting with Chinese censors, Warner Bros. has opted to forgo a Chinese release of The Dark Knight:
“Based on a number of pre-release conditions that are being attached to ‘The Dark Knight’ as well as cultural sensitivities to some elements of the film, we have opted to forego a theatrical release of the film in China.”
With just a little under a month left before the film’s re-release (January 23, 2009), The Dark Knight’s worldwide cume stands at $996.8 million ($530.8 million domestically and $466 million overseas).
Source: Variety
Judge Rules in Favor of Fox in Watchmen Suit December 27, 2008 1:01 am
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Movies, News, Watchmen.2 comments
Bad news for Warner Bros. In a surprise, and early, ruling, Los Angeles court judge Gary A. Feess has ruled that because 20th Century Fox acquired the rights to the graphic novel in the late ’80s before shevling a planned film, they own a copyright interest in the Watchmen film and have the right to distribute the film themselves. Feess suggested that the studios work on a settlement or an appeal rather than going to trial.
Read more on this at New York Times.
Watchmen is currently scheduled to hit theaters on March 6, 2009, but this new development could certainly complicate things.
Golden Globes Poster December 27, 2008 12:53 am
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Awards, Movies, Posters, Television, The 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards.add a comment
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has unveiled the official poster for The 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards, which will be broadcast live on NBC on Sunday, January 11, 2009 at 8pm. Click to enlarge. Also, click after the jump to read the full press release.
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