Did Harvey Dent Live or Die? The Dark Knight Script Reveals Fate of Character August 21, 2008 3:40 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Movies, News, The Dark Knight.4 comments
Spoilers follow, but has anyone really not seen this movie yet? When The Dark Knight ended I know I wasn’t the only one unsure about the extent of the injuries sustained by Harvey Dent/Two-Face during his fall. However, the script has been released for purchase, and it reveals the fate of the character. On page 163 of the 167 page script, the stage direction reads as follows [SPOILERS–Highlight to reveal]:
“Dent lies at the bottom of the hole, his neck broken. DEAD.”
The capital letters are what’s written by brothers Jonathan and Christopher Nolan, who wrote the screenplay.
So there’s that. If you still had any questions about the character, we now have confirmation that he died.
Source: MTV
Jon Favreau Begins Work on “Iron Man 2” August 21, 2008 3:26 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Movies, News.add a comment
Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau told the Los Angeles Times that work has begun on the sequel:
I just talked to Jon Favreau a bit ago, and he said that while there hasn’t been an formal announcement on the sequel to “Iron Man,” he’s begun developing it. “We’re working on it now,” he said, “which hasn’t been officially announced. It will be released in 2010.”
Iron Man has grossed over $570M worldwide and is currently the year’s second highest-grossing film at $317.15M. The sequel will hit theaters on April 30, 2010. Justin Theroux (Tropic Thunder) is writing the script, while Robert Downey Jr. will return as Iron Man/Tony Stark and co-stars Gwyneth Paltrow and Terrence Howard are expected to return.
“Stargate Atlantis” Canceled; Movies Planned [Updated With Press Release and New Chart] August 21, 2008 3:08 am
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Cancellations, News, Sci Fi, Stargate, Stargate Atlantis, Television.10 comments
UPDATED ON AUGUST 22ND AT 4:00PM: Because some wondered how the other SCI FI shows have fared, I’ve gone ahead and posted a chart detailing the ratings of Stargate SG-1, Battlestar Galactica and Eureka as well as Stargate Atlantis. Check it out by clicking this link.
UPDATED ON AUGUST 21ST AT 2:45PM: I’ve attached the press release from SCI FI confirming the cancellation and announcing the two-hour TV movie (then video release). Check it out after the jump.
The SCI FI Channel is ending Stargate Atlantis after five seasons on the air, that according to a report by Multichannel News. There is still good news, however, as MGM and SCI FI will continue the straight-to-video venture that has proven successful thus far with the first Stargate TV franchise Stargate SG-1, which has already had two movies released on DVD to financial success. The movie will air on the network in 2009 and then be released on DVD (and presumably Blu-ray as well).
Airing in 10-episode blocks since its premiere in July 2004, the series has seen declines with each string of episodes, until the later half of last season. Its current viewership level of a little over 2 million viewers (includes a mix of live and delayed ratings data per Multichannel’s report) and a 1.22 household coverage rating (Live+Same Day only) through the first five episodes of this season is an increase over the comparable season four start. However, it’s still barely half of where the show started off at (4.2M viewers and a 3.2 household coverage rating) for its series premiere in 2004. Season five’s household rating average of 1.22 is 15% higher than the beginning of season four.
Nevertheless, and regardless of the fact that it picked up viewers when Live + 7-day ratings were factored in, a show with a respectable budget going into its sixth season of production on a cable network available to more than 80% of the nation should be attracting a larger audience.
In the meantime, fans can appreciate that SCI FI has decided to air the season straight through, foregoing their hiatus between 10-episode halves (I suppose that announcement was a hint at things to come huh?) as well as an extended life through straight-to-video movies:
“We’re excited to tell Atlantis stories on a bigger canvas,” Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper, co-creators of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis and currently executive producers on Atlantis, said in a statement. “The successes of the two original Stargate [direct-to-video] movies The Ark of Truth and Continuum have shown us the opportunities that the movie format offers. We have plans for both SG-1 and Atlantis to remain vital as we expand the franchise.”
Other than it being announced that Stargate writers and producers (and current show runners) Joseph Mallozzi (who has a blog you can check at this link and confirmed the cancellation in this comment on his site) and Paul Mullie will write the first Atlantis movie script, there is no information about what the movie would be about, how many of the cast members would participate and who would direct. GateWorld.net’s report of the news indicates that MGM will make an official announcement on Thursday, so perhaps will get some more details at that point.
I know cancellations are hard to handle for some people but keep in mind that this is a business and sometimes regardless of how much you enjoy a show, the economics don’t warrant it staying on the air. At least it got five seasons,much more than several other series even get a chance at. Plus in this age of DVD and Internet entertainment there’s always the opportunity to revisit the material in some other form.
Also, Wright and Cooper are developing a third TV series in the franchise — called Stargate Universe –- and pitched it to the network in late 2007 (read a report on that from an April 2007 GateWorld.net article here). SCI FI has made no announcement regarding that proposed new series.
I’ve included a chart below tracking the entire run of the show via the household coverage rating (click to enlarge).
Note: Two-hour episodes/nights are counted as one rating. All data based on live or live+same day ratings.
Ratings for Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Battlestar Galactica and Eureka (click to enlarge)
My complete analysis, including a season-by-season breakdown, of the above chart follows directly after the jump.
WB Addresses ‘Harry Potter’ Fans August 20, 2008 4:10 am
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Movies, News.1 comment so far
Ever since Warner Bros. announced that they would be delaying Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince from November 21, 2008 to July 17, 2009, fans have expressed their disappointment quite passionately. To quell concerns, WB’s President and Chief Operating Office Alan Horne has released a new statement. Read it in full after the jump.
Writing on “The Hobbit” Films Gets Underway August 20, 2008 3:59 am
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Lord of the Rings, Movies, News, The Hobbit, The Hobbit Sequel.add a comment
TheOneRing.net is reporting that writing on The Hobbit (December 2011) and its sequel (December 2012) has gotten underway. The Lord of the Rings team Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens will be joined by Guillermo del Toro to write the screenplays for both movies. Shooting may begin as early as the fall of 2009 in New Zealand.
Source: TheOneRing.net
“The Amazing Race 13” Teams Announced August 20, 2008 3:55 am
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in CBS, News, Television, The Amazing Race.add a comment
CBS has announced the 11 teams that will compete on the upcoming season of The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 13 kicks off on Sunday, September 23rd (8-9pm ET/PT). The teams will travel over 30,000 miles over 23 days in five continents. Full details, including the complete list of team members, is included after the jump.
“Veronica Mars” Movie Still in Thomas’ Plans August 20, 2008 3:46 am
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Movies, News, Television, Veronica Mars.add a comment
Rob Thomas, creator of the short-lived UPN/CW series Veronica Mars revealed that a film based on the show may still happen. Thomas has a production office on the same lot where Kristen Bell is currently shooting Heroes and the two sat down for a chat: “Kristen and I ran into each other, and we did discuss a Veronica movie.” Additionally, Thomas said that he’s had conversations with VM executive producer Joel Silver. Sure you don’t want to get your hopes up, but Thomas assures us that “as soon as I have any free time, [the movie is] my top priority.”
Being a big fan of the show, this news has me very excited. Hopefully things come together and we’ll be seeing Veronica Mars on the screen once again.
Source: EW
Vin Diesel to Direct ‘Fast and Furious’ Prequel August 20, 2008 3:30 am
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Fast and Furious, Fast and Furious Prequel, Movies, News.1 comment so far
Vin Diesel told ComingSoon.net that he is directing a 20-minute prequel film to Fast and Furious, the fourth installment (but sequel to the first film) in the street racing franchise. Diesel will also star in the prequel alongside Michelle Rodriquez who will be reprising her role as Letty and Sung Kang who will return as Han. It’s still unclear how the movie will be distributed.
Directed by Justin Lin, Fast and Furious hits theaters on June 5, 2009.
Source: ComingSoon.net
“Superman: Man of Steel” Update August 20, 2008 3:22 am
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Movies, News, Superman: Man of Steel.3 comments
Anne Thompson of Variety is reporting that behind-the-scenes, Warner Bros. is debating how they should proceed with the planned Superman Returns sequel Superman: Man of Steel:
The debate continues to rage about what Warner Bros. should do with Superman. The last movie, Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns, paid homage to the Richard Donner Superman movies without completely updating the franchise the way Christopher Nolan did with Batman Begins.
Fans have been clamoring all over the web–and on this blog–for a complete reboot. And within the halls of Warner Bros. the same debate rages on. They too believe that the last movie didn’t break the mold and wound up in some kind of middle limbo. Today I was told that it is a priority at the studio to find the right direction and if Bryan Singer is willing to do that, fine, but if he gets in the way, he may not stay on the project. There are no writers working on a Superman script now. The studio wants to figure it out. “It might be better to start from scratch,” one exec admitted.
I know that many fans had problems with Superman Returns, but I personally enjoyed the heck out of it, and would love to see where Singer would take the sequel. I’m not sure what Warner Bros. expected, afterall, they completely botched the marketing behind it, yet the film still managed to slightly gross more money (because of the overseas market) than the more critically beloved Batman Begins.
Source: Variety
Cruise and Raimi Team for Adaptation of “Sleeper” Comic Book August 20, 2008 3:13 am
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Comics, Movies, News.add a comment
Tom Cruise and Sam Raimi are teaming up to develop an adaptation of the comic book Sleeper. The series was written by Ed Brubaker and ran from 2003 through 2005. As per THR, the comic book series centers on an operative whose fusion with an alien artifact makes him impervious to pain and allows him to pass it on to others through skin contact. He is placed undercover in a villainous organization by an intelligence agency and falls for a member of the group, named Miss Misery.
Cruise could star in the film, while Raimi will produce alongside Josh Donen.
Source: THR
“The Dark Knight” Passes “Star Wars”; Now #2 Highest Grossing Film of All-Time August 19, 2008 7:17 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Box Office, Movies, News, The Dark Knight, Tropic Thunder.2 comments
After placing first for four straight weekends, The Dark Knight fell to second place this weekend with $16.4M, edged out by the hilarious movie-within-a-movie comedy Tropic Thunder which took first place with $25.8M.
However, and more impressively, The Dark Knight passed up Star Wars ($461M) to take second place on the domestic all-time chart. Through Sunday, its gross stood at $471.1M and is now at $473.2M when including Monday’s grosses. The film moved its way into the number two spot on Saturday.
How appropriate is it that Star Wars fell out of the number two spot on the weekend when a new Star Wars film, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, was released? ‘The Clone Wars’ in fact could only manage a third place $14.6M.
I’m currently projecting the final domestic gross of The Dark Knight at between $502-513M.
The rest of the top 10 follows after the jump.
“Iron Man” Deleted Scene August 19, 2008 6:41 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Blu-ray, DVD, Iron Man, Movies, News.add a comment
The DVD/Blu-ray isn’t due until September 30th, but Access Hollywood got their hands on one of the deleted scenes include on the home video release of the film. Watch the delete scene below.
Fox Goes with Relativity on “Voltron” August 19, 2008 6:35 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Movies, News, Voltron.add a comment
20th Century Fox is moving forward with their big screen adaptation of Voltron. According to Variety, the film is being set up at Relativity Media with a “more moderate budget, utilizing the type of cost-effective technology employed in films including 300.
Mark Gordon and Jordan Wynn are still attached to produce, as are executive producers Bryan Zuriff, Jim Young, Mark Costa and Ford Oelman. A director is expected to be announced within the next week.
Kevin Smith: “Watchmen” is ‘F**king Astounding’ August 19, 2008 6:31 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Movies, News, Watchmen.add a comment
Kevin Smith (Zack and Miri Make A Porno) really likes Watchmen. The writer/director was recently given a private screening of the Zack Snyder film, based on the popular graphic novel, and wrote the following on his MySpace page:
“I saw Watchmen. It’s fucking astounding. The Non-Disclosure Agreement I signed prevents me from saying much, but I can spout the following with complete joygasmic enthusiasm: Snyder and Co. have pulled it off. Remember that feeling of watching Sin City on the big screen and being blown away by what a faithful translation of the source material it was, in terms of both content and visuals? Triple that, and you’ll come close to watching Watchmen. Even Alan Moore might be surprised at how close the movie is to the book. March can’t come soon enough.”
Synopsis
300’s Zack Snyder brings Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ critically acclaimed comic book Watchmen to the big screen, courtesy of DC Comics and Warner Bros. Pictures. Set in an alternate universe circa 1985, the film’s world is a highly unstable one where a nuclear war is imminent between America and Russia. Superheroes have long been made to hang up their tights thanks to the government-sponsored Keene Act, but that all changes with the death of The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), a robust ex-hero commando whose mysterious free fall out a window perks the interest of one of the country’s last remaining vigilantes, Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley). His investigation leads him to caution many of his other former costumed colleagues, including Dr. Manhattan, Night Owl (Patrick Wilson), Ozymandias (Matthew Goode), Sally Jupiter (Carla Gugino), and her daughter, The Silk Spectre (Malin Akerman). Heralded for bringing the world of superheroes into the literary world, Watchmen gave the super-powered mythos a real-life grounding that had been missing in mainstream comics to that point. The film adaptation had languished in one form of development hell or another for years after the book’s release, with various directors on and off the project, including Terry Gilliam, David Hayter, and Darren Aronofsky, as well as Paul Greengrass, whose eventual dismissal stemmed from budget conflicts with the studio.
Watchmen hits theaters on March 6, 2009.
Lionsgate Moving Forward with R-Rated “Conan” August 19, 2008 6:26 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Conan, Movies, News, Television.add a comment
The upcoming proposed $100 million R-rated Conan film from Lionsgate is moving along. The studio has hired Outlander scribes Dirk Blackman and Howard McCain to rework the former script that was written by Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer.
“We all want this movie to go into production as soon as possible,” producer Fredrick Malmberg said. “It’s a fast-tracked movie. Lionsgate felt the process was enhanced by having a second team come in and do a script.”
The film is expected to be released in 2009.
Source: THR
Matthew Fox of “Lost” Gets Pay Raise; Other Cast Members Also Re-Negotiating August 19, 2008 6:20 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in ABC, Casting, Lost, News, Television.add a comment
Mathew Fox is the first of the principal cast of Lost to ink a new deal. The actor, who with Evangeline Lilly entered into negotiations with ABC on a new contract, will now be paid about $225,000 per episode (up from about $150,000 per episode). A deal still hasn’t be struck with Lilly, and also, upon hearing about the contract negotiations of the show’s two main stars, many of the show’s supporting cast have entered into their own renegotiation’s. They’re currently paid in the $80,000-$90,000 per episode range.
“Valkryie” Gets New Release Date + More Photos August 19, 2008 6:15 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Movies, News, Photos, Valkryie.1 comment so far
The delay to February 13, 2009 was short-lived. MGM has announced that the release of Bryan Singer’s Valkryie, which stars Tom Cruise, is moving up to December 26, 2008. Despite the obvious awards season advantage, MGM says that they believe it will play stronger during the holiday season than it would in February. A couple new photos from the film have also been released, which you can check out after the jump.
Synopsis
At the absolute height of World War II, German generals hatch a daring plan to assassinate Adolf Hitler and effectively render the German war machine impotent. Directed by Bryan Singer (Superman Returns), Valkyrie stars Tom Cruise and was penned by writing partners Chris McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander.
30th Anniversary “Dallas” Reunion August 19, 2008 5:58 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in CBS, Dallas, News, Television.add a comment
Take note J.R. fans. On Saturday, November 8th, cast members of the CBS classic Dallas will gather at the Southfork Ranch for a 30th anniversary of the series. Those attending will be Larry Hagman (J.R.), who will be the unofficial host, Linda Gray (Sue Ellen) and Patrick Duffy (Bobby) will be in attendance. Tickets for the event go on sale this Friday, August 22nd and will cost between $100 and $1,000. Price of admission earns you the opportunity to ask a question, tour Southfork and watch a fireworks display, among other things I’m sure.
‘Harry Potter 6’ Pushed Back to Summer 2009 and New Photos + “Bolt” and “Twilight” Take Advantage of Delay August 19, 2008 5:56 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Bolt, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Movies, News, Photos, Twilight.add a comment
Citing after effects of the writers strike as one of the reasons, Alan Horn, President and Chief Operating Officer, Warner Bros. has announced that the studio has pushed back the release date of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince from November 21, 2008 to July 17, 2009.
“Our reasons for shifting ‘Half-Blood Prince’ to summer are twofold: we know the summer season is an ideal window for a family tent pole release, as proven by the success of our last ‘Harry Potter’ film, which is the second-highest grossing film in the franchise, behind only the first installment. Additionally, like every other studio, we are still feeling the repercussions of the writers’ strike, which impacted the readiness of scripts for other films—changing the competitive landscape for 2009 and offering new windows of opportunity that we wanted to take advantage of. We agreed the best strategy was to move ‘Half-Blood Prince’ to July, where it perfectly fills the gap for a major tent pole release for mid-summer.”
Walt Disney Pictures’ Bolt was the first film to take advantage of the delay, moving the animated film up five days from November 26th to November 21st. Summit Pictures was quick to follow, deciding to move its heavily hyped vampire drama Twlight from December 12th to November 21st.
You’ll find the press releases from Warner Bros. and Summit Entertainment, respectively after the jump, as well as some new photos from Harry Potter 6 after the jump.
‘Indiana Jones 4’ DVD and Blu-ray Details Revealed August 19, 2008 5:44 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Blu-ray, DVD, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Movies, News.add a comment
Paramount has announced the specs of its October 14th release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The film will be released on both DVD (single and two-disc) and Blu-ray Hi-Def (two-disc only). This marks the first time an Indiana Jones film has been released on a high-def medium, and only the second Steven Spielberg-directed film. Check out the full details after the jump.
LaBeouf Back on the set of ‘Transformers 2’ August 19, 2008 5:23 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Movies, News, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.add a comment
Turns out the hand injury that Shia LaBeouf suffered from a recent car accident won’t be as big a factor on the filming as originally expected. Although it was previously reported that first unit filming would be delayed for at least a month due to LaBeouf’s injury, Entertainment Tonight and Film School Rejects have reported that as of last Thursday, the actor returned to the set of filming.
Synopsis
Michael Bay returns to helm the sequel to the highly successful big-screen adaptation of the Transformers toy line for DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures. Much of the original cast returns for the second installment, including Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, and John Turturro, with Rainn Wilson joining in the fun as a college professor.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen hits theaters on June 26, 2009.
‘Madagascar 3’ In the Works + Sequel for “Kung Fu Panda” in Early Stages August 19, 2008 5:18 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar, Movies, News.add a comment
DreamWorks Animation CEO, Jeffrey Katzenberg, revealed that he expects at least one additional film in the Madagascar series, and confirmed the rumor that the studio is moving forward with a sequel to their summer hit Kung Fu Panda.
Speaking on Madagascar, Katzenberg said “there is at least one more chapter. We ultimately want to see the characters make it back to New York.” On Kung Fu Panda, Katzenberg said “We’ve started conversations about it, and I think in the next 30 or 60 days, we’ll be able to talk completely about that,” Katzenberg said.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
ABC Adapting “Maid in Manhattan” from Film to TV August 19, 2008 5:14 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in ABC, Maid in Manhattan, Movies, News, Television.add a comment
The 2002 romantic comedy starring Jennifer Lopez, Maid in Manhattan, is being adapted from the big screen to Television courtesy of ABC. Lopez will executive produce the planned series, along with Joe Roth and the film’s producer, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, while Chad Hodge will write. The hourlong drama/comedy will not be a remake, however: “The show is a different maid in a different Manhattan,” Hodge said. While the lead will remain a young Latina from the Bronx, the series will focus mostly on her relationships with her co-workers at a Manhattan hotel.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
CBS Developing New “Hawaii Five-O” Series August 19, 2008 5:08 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in CBS, Hawaii Five-O, News, Television.add a comment
CBS is developing a new series based on the Hawaii Five-O franchise. The series comes from Criminal Minds executive producer/showrunner Ed Bernero.
The update will follow the structure of the original series, a procedural chronicling the workings of the fictional Hawaiian state police department, with Bernero noting that they “will try to keep as much of the original show as possible,” adding “I’m not trying to reinvent it.” In the original series, the unit was headed up by Steve McGarrett (Jack Lord). The new series will have McGarrett’s son Chris, as the head cop.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Zak Penn to Write/Produce “The Argonauts” August 18, 2008 1:22 am
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Movies, News.add a comment
Zak Penn has been hired by 20th Century Fox to write and produce a big screen adaptation of the classic Greek tale The Argonauts. Penn will work with John Davis. This will be the third adaptation of the material, as it was first adapted in 1963 and more recently in 2000 for Hallmark Television. Dreamworks is also working on a project with the same title.
Source: Variety
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