Director Carl Rinsch’s 47 RONIN Starring Keanu Reeves to be Produced and Released in 3D
by Adam Chitwood Posted: December 8th, 2010
We’ve received word that Universal plans to shoot and release the upcoming Keanu Reeves action film 47 Ronin in 3D. Director Carl Rinsch, who has previously been attached to the upcoming Alien prequel as well as a Logan’s Run remake, will make his feature film debut on the project. The project officially got a greenlight last month, as well as a release date of November 21, 2012. There’s no word as to whether the entire film will be shot in 3D, or if some of the footage will be filmed in 2D and then post-converted like the upcoming Transformers: The Dark of the Moon.Based upon a true story, 47 Ronin is the tale of 18th century samurai who head out to avenge the death of their master. It’s the most famous tale of the samurai code of honor, “bushido.” For a director who has yet to make his feature film debut, Rinsch has been attached to some decidedly high-profile projects, and Reeves’ work on The Matrix trilogy has him well-versed in martial arts (“I know kung-fu”). Needless to say, this flick sounds fairly bad-ass on paper. We’ll find out if Rinsch lives up to his reputation come November 2012.
http://www.collider.com/2010/12/08/47-ronin-3d-keanu-reeves-carl-rinsch/
Orlando Bloom Near Deal to Reprise Role as Legolas in THE HOBBIT Films
by Adam Chitwood Posted: December 8th, 2010
After the news that Cate Blanchett is set to reprise her role as Galadriel in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit films, one might think that the next bit of official casting news would include the return of Ian McKellen or Andy Serkis. A bit surprisingly, Deadline reports that Orlando Bloom is currently close to reaching a deal to return as Legolas in The Hobbit. While his character doesn’t appear in the J.R.R. Tolkein book, his father does. Nevertheless, this is fantastic news to LOTR fans, as Bloom brought a much-welcomed “bad-assness” to the role. The report states that McKellen (Gandalf), Serkis (Smeagol/Gollum), and Hugo Weaving (Elrond) are expected to return, but talks between their respective agents and the studio haven’t been completely worked out yet.We recently told you that Jackson will shoot the films in 3D using the new RED EPIC cameras, and announced that Howard Shore would be officially returning to score The Hobbit films. Expect more information and casting announcements in the coming weeks, as the production start-date draws closer. The Hobbit Part 1 & 2 will be released in 3D on December 2012 and December 2013 respectively.
http://www.collider.com/2010/12/08/orlando-bloom-the-hobbit/
Armie Hammer in Talks to Play J. Edgar Hoover’s Lover in Clint Eastwood’s J. EDGAR; Charlize Theron Offered the Role of Hoover’s Secretary
by Tommy Cook Posted: December 8th, 2010
Armie Hammer’s portrayal of the Winklevoss twins in The Social Network has deservedly garnered the young actor a lot of attention – with some even suggesting he could make a good Superman for Zack Snyder’s reboot. Now EW reports that Hammer is in talks to costar with Leonardo DiCaprio in Clint Eastwood’s upcoming J. Edgar Hoover biopic J. Edgar. Hammer would reportedly play Hoover’s advisor and lover Clyde Tolson (although there is much controversy surrounding the factual accuracy of that last part). The fact that Hammer has been cast in such a role suggests the film will not shy away from Hoover’s oft-disputed personal life.Meanwhile, Vulture is reporting that Charlize Theron has been offered the role of J. Edgar Hoover’s personal secretary, Helen Gandy. Gandy began her career as a Justice Department file clerk and ended up working for Hoover for over 54 years. For previous coverage on J. Edgar, click here.
http://www.collider.com/2010/12/08/armie-hammer-charlize-theron-j-edgar-hoover-clint-eastwood/
MPAA Overturns NC-17 Ruling on BLUE VALENTINE
by Matt Goldberg Posted: December 8th, 2010
The MPAA has overturned its original decision to give Derek Cianfrance’s Blue Valentine an NC-17. The Weinstein Company recently mounted a legal campaign to get Blue Valentine an R-rating and knock The King’s Speech down from an R-rating to PG-13. This is wonderful news for Blue Valentine and for sanity. I saw the film earlier this week and while it’s raw and emotional, there’s nothing in it that merits an NC-17. According to Deadline, the MPAA’s decision to overturn the rating was reportedly unanimous.Blue Valentine, which stars Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams as a married couple in a deteriorating relationship, should now open on December 31st without any problems from nervous exhibitors. Now the trick is getting audiences to ring in the new year by watching the love between two people crumble and fall apart.
http://www.collider.com/2010/12/08/blue-valentine-mpaa-rating/
