Reviews in Queue:

Green Lantern
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

and soon to come:

Captain America.

My writer's block is back, and it's bloody preventing me from putting words to my keyboard. Will try to bang the GL one out over the next few days.

Rumor round-up!

Well, I'm guessing y'all heard about the Spider-man reboot? Just a recap, the casting and director slots are now open considering that original director Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire backed out of production, taking EVERYONE ELSE with them.

Rumors are flying that the REAL reason why Raimi and Co. quit was because of, get this: Avatar. Apparently, Raimi was blown away after watching the furriesAvatar and wanted A LOT OF CGI for Spidey 4, which would've made the already overdue film overbudget, and that's why he and the studio parted ways.
 
Aside from that, the big question now is, who will be playing the new Peter Parker?
(who's supposed to be in his teenage years since they're gonna milk this franchise for even MORE than its worth)

See him brood. As if Twilight fans need to eff the world up more.

In this article from EW, other names include Zac Efron, Daniel Radcliffe, Shia LaBeouf and even Jaden Smith. Out of the whole bunch, Shia LaBeouf would be the only one I'd pay to see, or even waste two hours (-plus, depending on film's running time) on, and that's saying a lot.


[And besides, the "nununununu" always makes me laugh.]

Other news during the week / period:

• Blake Lively is now Love Interest, and Peter Sarsgaard in talks to play Dr Hector Hammond, a villain, in Green Lantern. We still don't know who's gonna play Sinestro (who eventually turns to the Dark Side, but only probably at the end of the movie), though Jackie Earle Haley is still in the running. Sherlock Holmes' Mark Strong is also being mentioned here and there, and though I'm rooting for RorschachHaley, between the two, Strong has the height. Whatever happened to Hugo Weaving? His name kinda dropped off the minute Haley's showed up.

• Transformers 3 to start filming soon, and THEY HAVE NO SCRIPT! Word also on the street is that the third movie will have less robots and more storyline, which I guess means that it'd be a bit like the first movie. I think I'm one of the rare people that enjoyed Transformers 2, and I'm a hesitant about Movie Trés, as whenever I enjoy the sequel, the threequel will suck so much ass that it annihilates the entire trilogy (see Spider-man, The Matrix, The Mummy, Terminator, etc.). Director Michael Bay and producer Steven Spielberg is also at odds about whether to film in 3-D (apparently Spielberg L-O-V-E-D Avatar), but I really don't care about that since first time is always 2-D for me.

Other than the above, nothing could really beat Spider-man 4's news, so that's about it from me. I hope to see Legion this weekend, so expect a review up sometime next week! :)

300 follow-up gets title!

Previously thought to be a sequel, GeekTyrant reports that the now-titled Xerxes is actually a prequel, set 10 years before the events of 300. Zack Snyder is still on to direct, while Frank Miller, who wrote 300, is just starting on the artwork.

Good way to include Gerard Butler in the movie. No word yet as to when the prequel will start production.

Another Pride and Prejudice adaptation...

...but with zombies this time!

Variety reports that Natalie Portman will produce and star as Elizabeth Bennet in a movie adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. The original Pride and Prejudice was written by Jane Austen, and I guess to encourage more people to readfor the heck of it, Seth Grahame-Smith decided to do a rewrite of sorts, and add zombies to the mix. In this story, Elizabeth wields katanas and fights zombies, and Fitzwilliam Darcy (or Mr. Darcy to many of us) is now a monster-hunter.

Certainly sounds more interesting than the original. Remind me to go check out the book.

Twilight pulls Harry Potter crap!

 Variety is reporting that the final Twilight book Breaking Dawn will be split into TWO movies.

And I didn't even roll my eyes this time around.


Nothing is finalised yet, as Summit Entertainment has to run it by the cast, the director (apparently they want Chris Weitz back), and screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg to see whether they want to come back for the extra one, which will be done back-to-back. Since everyone's only signed on for only FOUR movies, their contracts will have to be renegotiated, and some say that our three leads (yeah, like I need to name them) could get eight-figure salaries.

Fun Fact:

Robert Pattinson will be the only actor to have been involved in TWO book-to-movie franchises that split the final book.

Sam Jack movie!!

YESYESYESYES!!!

Frederator Films has just announced that they were granted the animated movie rights to Samurai Jack, one of the best cartoon series to grace our television screens. Even better news was that creator Genndy Tartakovsky will be "intimately involved" in the production. Tartakovsky is best known for creating Dexter's Laboratory and Star Wars: Clone Wars (the 2D one, not the one with the lifeless eyes).


[Also, J.J. Abrams will be co-producing, but no one really cares about that.]

Samurai Jack is about a samurai sent to the future by an evil wizard named Aku. Christened 'Jack' by the locals upon his arrival, he sets out in his quest to defeat Aku, so that he can return to his own time and undo the evils Aku has wrought. Sam Jack lasted only three seasons, and Cartoon Network didn't even bother letting them finish the series properly. There was no epic battle between Jack and Aku; Aku wasn't even IN the final episode.

There was always talk of a SJ movie (live-action also) to tie up the MAJOR LOOSE END of Who Wins, but apparently, the deal with New Line Cinema fell through. It's unfortunate the deal with Frederator was not drawn up earlier; Mako's vocal presence as Aku will be sorely missed.

I am so psyched about this, and the fact that everything will be animated instead of live-action will mean that the producers will have to stay true to the source material. I mean, imagine how it'd be like if the live-action Samurai Jack had a cast like The Last Airbender or Dragonball: Evolution. 


Here is the opening sequence to Samurai Jack. Man, I miss that show.

WTF-worthy.

It's also kinda funny because this video is not a parody.

ID4-ever??!

Haha!! That sounds like a title for a Hong Kong movie sequel!

In an interview with MTV, Roland Emmerich said that there will be TWO Independence Day sequels, and both will encompass ONE story-arc! (just like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows!) Even though it's been more than ten years after the first movie, Emmerich intends to just continue on from it.

They don't have a script yet, but one thing's for sure: Will Smith will definitely be in it.


[YES!]

I hope that they bring back Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman as well. I hope they bring everyone from the first movie back.


[Except Randy Quaid. 'Cuz he died in the first movie.]

Lobo casting rumor.

According to reports, the upcoming Guy Ritchie-directed movie centering around an intergalactic bounty hunter will ultimately have a lot of CG in it, irrespective of whether they use any on the main character. So the question is, "[D]o you need a celebrity? Do you need a name or do you just get someone who is good and who's gonna nail it?"

And the name that's been coming up in a lot in meetings? In a situation similar to that of Ron Perlman back during Hellboy, it's none other than Clancy Brown, an actor occasionally seen onscreen, and heard many, many times by kids, tweens and adults everywhere.

No, I am NOT joking. And yes, I did have a mild coronary when I found out. 

Clancy Brown is known for his roles in Highlander, Starship Troopers, Pet Sematary 2 and my personal favourite, Brother Justin in Carnivale, as well as his voice-acting as the aboveMr. Krabs in Spongebob Squarepants, and Lex Luthor in probably every animated incarnation of the DC character.

Brown is one of my favourite actors, and unfortunately one of the most underrated of all time, mostly relegated to supporting or villainous characters. If he gets this part (and I really hope he does, it'd be awesome to see him in a lead role that's not a villain), well, Lobo will actually have a spot on my must-watch list.


As of now, Lobo doesn't have a release date yet, but like every comic book movie about to come out, I'm guessing it'd be 2011 or 2012.

Justice League live-action movie on the horizon?

Hopefully!

MTV.com reports that next year's Green Lantern will be the first in a trilogy of films that will lead up to a Justice League movie. The other two movies planned will be on the Flash and Wonder Woman, and obviously, all three superheroes will join up with Superman, Batman and Aquaman in the JL movie.

[What, no J'onn and Hawkgirl?]

No word on the release date / year of the other movies yet.

Rather than making two or three movies on the same superhero/es (which seems to be the trend nowadays), DC seems to be taking the fast track in competing with Marvel. Personally, I'm stoked, and it's good to see DC finally being proactive with its other heroes (besides Batman, that is).

Imagine if the JL movie is released in the same summer as the Avengers movie.
Damn you, wishful thinking!

Roland Emmerich wants ID4 2!!

Emmerich already has the script done, but still lacks a deal, as the studios still haven't figured out how a deal that would make himself, ID4 writer Dean Devlin, and Will Smith happy. Emmerich also says that it'll most likely be with Fox, but apparently, Fox has even suggested that they LEAVE Smith out of this one, since he'll be quite expensive.

Luckily Emmerich refused to budge. There's nothing worse than a spin-off.

I have no idea how the story for the sequel will turn out, although it'd be extremely lame if aliens attacked Earth on a holiday that ONLY America gets to enjoy. Maybe the Brits will get it this time, and Smith and Jeff Goldblum will go and save them and stuff, on account of having prior experience.

Megan Fox to be offed in Transformers 3??

HollyScoop.com is reporting that Michael Bay may be writing off Megan Fox's character, since it seems that production crew doesn't get on well with her, and she had started shooting her mouth off on lousy working conditions with Bay.

So with this rumor, we have our main character death, as promised by Shia LaBeouf that the third movie will be darker than the previous two.

The question is, if it turns out to be true, who will replace Fox as "Hot Female Lead"?

Spider-man 4 writer to helm Venom spin-off!

RopeOfSilicon.com states that the Venom movie will be directed by Spider-man 4 cowriter Gary Ross, with Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Zombieland) working on the screenplay.

Initially intended to be a prequelspin-off from Spider-man 3, the Venom movie will ignore that crapfest and most likely recast Venom, effectively making it a stand-alone Marvel movie. ROS also reports that Venom "will be transformed into an anti-hero who becomes a defender of the innocent," which would kind of work so long as Spider-man doesn't come into the picture.

[For a little extra reading, try Venom: Sinners Take All. It actually doesn't suck.]

As much as I like Topher Grace, Venom is supposed to be HUGE, and even though he bulked up considerably for the part, physically, that's still a 'no'. I hope they don't cast a wrestler as Brock for this. That'd be so lame.

It'd be pretty cool if Ross could tie Spidey 4 with Venom. Then...

 ...it will lead to CARNAGE!!

Transformers 3 = 2011!

Despite saying that he'll be quitting the Transformers franchise, Michael Bay will be returning to direct the next Transformers movie, set for release on July 1st, 2011.

With the death of a main character and definite mayhem on the way, here's to hoping that third time's the charm for him with the critics.

and that he doesn't insert a ching-chong chinaman joke in this one.

Pirates 4 could be in trouble!

With the departure of Disney chairman Dick Cook, Johnny Depp himself cast doubt over the future of the fourth movie in an interview with the LA Times, saying, "There's a fissure, a crack in my enthusiasm at the moment… It was all born in that office."

According to EmpireOnline.com, Cook was the one who managed to persuade Depp to star in the first Pirates even before a script had been written. Depp also recalled that Cook had fought to keep Depp's interpretation of Sparrow intact, since, well, the guy seemed high as a kite every time he's on-screen.

[Might not gel well with parents.]

With a deal for Pirates 4 only provisionally in place, and based on the quality of the script, it seems that Depp’s commitment to the movie may be wavering out of loyalty to his friend. And as we all know, no Depp and no Jack = nobody watching the new one.

[Because seriously, no one really cares about Will and Elizabeth.]

Pirates of the Carribean 4 gets subtitle!

And it'll be called "On Stranger Tides."

SlashFilm reports that the new PotC movie will probably continue on from the previous one, in which Jack Sparrow (played by Johnny Depp, but you knew that already) starts on his search for the Fountain of Youth. The fourth installment will start shooting around April / May 2010, for a Summer 2011 release. No word on whether original director Gore Verbinski will be returning to helm this one.

I really do hope they bring everyone back for this one. 'Cept Will and Liz. 

Team Barbosa!

And Warner Bros. follow suit!

 

Despite owning DC for the past forty years, the LA Times is reporting that Warner Bros. is officially bringing in DC Comics under its studio-wings, with Diane Nelson, a top brand management executive responsible for overseeing the Harry Potter series all this while, running the unit.

[This coming a little over a week since Marvel was bought over by the House of Mouse.]


Now called DC Entertainment, WB hopes to emulate the huge success that Marvel has had with its superheroes. DC projects currently in development include The Green Lantern (with Ryan Reynolds), Jonah Hex (Josh Brolin and Megan Fox), The Losers, and Lobo. Marvel's line-up includes Iron Man 2 (out next summer), Thor, Captain America, Spider-man 4 (hopefully, it won't be as shitty as the third), and finally, the main event in 2012: The Avengers.

WB would really need the luck of the Irish to top that line-up.

[Hint to WB: Justice League live-action movie with original actors, e.g. continuity!]

Nic Cage drops out of Green Hornet!

NewsInFilm is reporting that Nic Cage was not able to cut a deal with Columbia Studios. He would've been playing the villain opposite Seth Rogen.

Filming for the movie just started the previous week. No Cage scenes (<-- pun. Geddit?) were shot yet, but I do believe it's safe to say that Columbia is in a frenzy trying to find a new bad guy.

And... Production photos! Where we see Rogen, Cameron Diaz and Jay Chou's stunt double.

Anyway, enjoy!

 

What, actors can't sit in stationary cars now? I kid, there'll probably be a car chase coming.

Originally set for a July 2010 release, Green Hornet has been bumped down to December 17, 2010.

Fantastic Four reboot is good to go!

Despite Disney's upcoming acquisition of Marvel, their third-party studio contracts will remain, as 20th Century Fox has just announced that the Fantastic Four reboot is greenlit. None of the actors will be brought back, and Fox is looking to go slightly dark, what with the success of movies like The Dark Knight and Iron Man.

No other details have been disclosed, except that Michael Green, who's working on Green Lantern as well, will be writing the script.

Personally, I'm very okay with the Fantastic Four movies; my only quibble is that Jessica Alba doesn't look good blonde, but better her than Simpson, right?

Disney to buy Marvel.

"NO FUCKING WAY!!", right?

That was my first thought when my friend had alerted me to this, but it's true. As of now, no word on whether the deal has been completed yet, but BBC News reports that Walt Disney is to buy Marvel Entertainment in a shares and cash deal valued at $4bn (£2.5bn).

The BBC News. They don't just make up random shit like that.

Just when the future of Marvel movies had seemed promising, what with origin movies for Marvel Heroes coming out over the next two years to build momentum for the Avengers movie in 2012, new developments like this come to light.

So how now brown cows?

Will subsequent Marvel movies not yet in production get kiddie-dized because of this?

Will we have Will Smith as Captain America, now that Disney has taken over and may be looking for a confirmed and multiple-times-proven crowd-puller?

will smith bringing loud-mouth to the cap'n? please no

Will the upcoming yet-to-be-casted X-Men: First Class be filled by High School Musical alumni?

*shudder*

God help us all.


EDIT: Click here for some Disney/Marvel mash-ups, brought to you by the Punch Drunk Critics.

you gotta admit, they are kind fun to look at