***Zach Braff in Talks for OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL ***Alex Proyas to Produce Indie Assassin Film FUTURE PERFECT; Shane Abbess to Direct ***Casting Call: John Cho Joins TOTAL RECALL, Colin Hanks Boards MY MOTHER’S CURSE, Elijah Wood in CELESTE AND JESSE FOREVER ***"Akira" Loses Star and Director

Zach Braff in Talks for OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL
by Brendan Bettinger Posted: May 26th, 2011 at 7:34 pm


Zach Braff is in final talks to join Oz: The Great and Powerful, Disney’s re-imagining of/prequel to The Wizard of Oz. James Franco stars as “a charismatic circus magician who is treated as a powerful wizard after his balloon blows off course into Oz and the townsfolk want him to eradicate a Wicked Witch and bring peace.” According to Deadline, Braff will play Frank, the wizard’s loyal but under-appreciated assistant. Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams, and Rachel Weisz play three witches. The 3D production begins begin this July in Michigan under the direction of Sam Raimi. Oz: The Great and Powerful is scheduled for release on March 8, 2013.


The Scrubs fans out there may remember Braff directed “My Way Home,” the series’ 100th episode and homage to The Wizard of Oz. Watch a clip from the episode after the break. http://collider.com/zach-braff-oz-the-great-and-powerful/93250/

Alex Proyas to Produce Indie Assassin Film FUTURE PERFECT; Shane Abbess to Direct

by Jason Barr   Posted: May 26th, 2011

Director Alex Proyas (The Crow) has signed on to produce an independent assassin project entitled Future Perfect. Proyas will oversee the project for director Shane Abbess (Gabriel) according to 24 Frames which cites the film as being in a similar vein as Joe Wright’s Hanna. Future Perfect was written by Brian McGreevy and Lee Shipman, the same scribes behind the Zorro reboot, Zorro Reborn. While additional plot details on the project are sparse, the report claims that the script involves two eugenically created assassins, one an older man and the other a young girl, who are on the run from an unspecified pursuer (the same top-secret government agency that funded their creation, perhaps?).

In addition to Future Perfect, Proyas also has an adaptation of Milton’s Paradise Lost and Dracula: Year Zero currently hanging out in development. There is no word on how Perfect‘s Australian-based production will affect Proyas’ work on each of those projects, a notion that may be worthy of concern given his “godfather” role on this latest project. As for Abbess, although 2007′s Gabriel is his only directorial effort to date, at one point the filmmaker was attached to helm Duncan Jones’ Source Code (for which he received a “Thanks” credit in the film). http://collider.com/alex-proyas-future-perfect-shane-abbess/93231/

Casting Call: John Cho Joins TOTAL RECALL, Colin Hanks Boards MY MOTHER’S CURSE, Elijah Wood in CELESTE AND JESSE FOREVER

by Adam Chitwood Posted: May 26th, 2011 at 6:12 pm

We’ve got a few casting stories for you tonight. First up, John Cho is the latest actor to join the cast of Len Wiseman’s Total Recall remake. The film stars Colin Farrell, Bryan Cranston, the recently confirmed Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Bielm, and late addition Bill Nighy. EW reports that Cho is on board to play McClane, the rep for the company that tries to mess with Farrell’s character’s mind. Cranston is playing the villain, with Ethan Hawke set to show up in a cameo. Total Recall hits theaters August 3rd 2012.
Additionally, Colin Hanks has signed on for the Paramount comedy My Mother’s Curse. The film stars Seth Rogen, Barbara Streisand and Chuck star Yvonne Strahovski. The story centers on an inventor (Rogen) who invites his mother along for a cross-country trip while he attempts to sell his new product and connect with a long lost love. THR reports that Hanks will play the husband of Strahovski, Rogen’s high school sweetheart. Anne Fletcher (The Proposal) will direct from a script by Dan Fogelman (Tangled). Hit the jump for the casting news of Elijah Wood in Celeste and Jesse Forever.  http://collider.com/john-cho-total-recall-colin-hanks-my-mothers-curse/93234/

"Akira" Loses Star and Director

Posted: May 26th, 2011 by WorstPreviews.com Staff


Things were going so well for Warner Bros big screen adaptation of "Akira" graphic novel. Director Albert Hughes (The Book of Eli) was set to helm and Keanu Reeves was in talks to star.

The plan was to use Reeves to attract other A-listers to this $100 million film. Unfortunately, Reeves turned down the offer and now comes word that Hughes dropped out as well.

Deadline says that there were serious creative differences between Hughes and the studio, which will move Hughes to another project while keeping "Akira" on a fast track. A director will likely be found soon.

And regarding actors, Robert Pattinson, Andrew Garfield and James McAvoy were given the script for the role of Tetsuo, and Garrett Hedlund, Michael Fassbender, Chris Pine, Justin Timberlake and Joaquin Phoenix were courted for Kaneda.

Source: Deadline



Read more: http://www.worstpreviews.com/headline.php?id=21801&count=0

***Emma Roberts, Chris Messina, and Ari Graynor Join CELESTE AND JESSE FOREVER ***Sixth The Ward Poster ***John Carpenter's The Ward Trailer! ***Friends with Benefits Poster

Emma Roberts, Chris Messina, and Ari Graynor Join CELESTE AND JESSE FOREVER
by Brendan Bettinger Posted: May 21st, 2011 at 10:49 am


Emma Roberts, Chris Messina, and Ari Graynor have joined the cast of the indie dramedy Celeste and Jesse Forever. Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg star as “a young divorcing couple who try to maintain their long-standing friendship while living together and pursuing other relationships.” According to Variety, Roberts plays a young starlet who hires Celeste to revamp her image when her career struggles. Messina is a financial analyst who helps Celeste get over Jesse. Graynor will play Celeste’s best friend who has trouble supporting her relationship with Jesse.


Lee Toland Krieger (The Vicious Kind ) will direct from a script Jones co-wrote with fellow actor Will McCormack. After a prolonged development, the casting of Samberg in March advanced the process. Filming should begin before Samberg shoots I Hate You Dad later this summer. More after the break:
http://collider.com/emma-roberts-ari-graynor-celeste-and-jesse-forever/92000/






Sixth The Ward Poster
May 20, 2011 by Brian Gallagher
The sixth poster has just debuted from the upcoming horror movie The Ward, which will arrive in theaters nationwide on July 8. Take a look at this creepy one-sheet below, which features star Amber Heard in John Carpenter's new thriller.

The Ward comes to theaters July 8th, 2011 and stars Amber Heard, Danielle Panabaker, Lyndsy Fonseca, Mamie Gummer, Mika Boorem, Jared Harris, Sydney Sweeney, Laura-Leigh. The film is directed by John Carpenter.
http://www.movieweb.com/news/sixth-the-ward-poster




John Carpenter's The Ward Trailer!
Jan 6, 2011 by B. Alan Orange
Michael and Shawn Rasmussen wrote, and the legendary John Carpenter directs The Ward, Warner Bros. terrifying new thriller about a malevolent ghost terrorizing a young woman trapped in the basement of a mental institution. The full-length trailer for The Ward has finally arrived on-line, and you can check it out in the clip below along with two new poster images:
When an old farmhouse is set ablaze by Kristen (Amber Heard), a distraught young woman, she is taken by police to the North Bend Psychiatric Hospital. She awakens in a special ward with four similarly unbalanced and wayward girls: Sarah (Danielle Panabaker), a flirty and sass-talking know it all; Iris (Lyndsy Fonseca), a sensitive and talented artist who tries to make her feel welcome; Emily (Mamie Gummer), a reckless but playful outcast; and Zoey (Laura-Leigh), who hides behind a childlike persona and her beloved stuffed bunny. Kirsten's therapist, Dr. Stringer (Jared Harris), tries to uncover the root cause of her breakdown, but despite his calm and understanding manner, she resists any attempts at help and rehabilitation. Unfortunately, the hospital is not the sanctuary it seems to be. Kristen begins to have strange run-ins with a shadowy phantom who roams the halls when the ward is locked down at night. Persistent and inquisitive, she goes digging for information about former patients and soon becomes convinced that no one ever leaves the ward alive.

The Ward comes to theaters July 8th, 2011 and stars Amber Heard, Danielle Panabaker, Lyndsy Fonseca, Mamie Gummer, Mika Boorem, Jared Harris, Sydney Sweeney, Laura-Leigh. The film is directed by John Carpenter.
http://www.movieweb.com/news/john-carpenters-the-ward-trailer






The Ward Trailer Intro
The first trailer footage from the upcoming thriller The Ward has been released online. You can take a look at this "trailer intro" and read the full synopsis for John Carpenter's latest project, which doesn't have a set release date at this time, below:


When an old farmhouse is set ablaze by Kristen (Amber Heard), a distraught young woman, she is taken by police to the North Bend Psychiatric Hospital. She awakens in a special ward with four similarly unbalanced and wayward girls: Sarah (Danielle Panabaker), a flirty and sass-talking know it all; Iris (Lyndsy Fonseca), a sensitive and talented artist who tries to make her feel welcome; Emily (Mamie Gummer), a reckless but playful outcast; and Zoey (Laura-Leigh), who hides behind a childlike persona and her beloved stuffed bunny. Kirsten's therapist, Dr. Stringer (Jared Harris), tries to uncover the root cause of her breakdown, but despite his calm and understanding manner, she resists any attempts at help and rehabilitation. Unfortunately, the hospital is not the sanctuary it seems to be. Kristen begins to have strange run-ins with a shadowy phantom who roams the halls when the ward is locked down at night. Persistent and inquisitive, she goes digging for information about former patients and soon becomes convinced that no one ever leaves the ward alive.


The Ward comes to theaters July 8th, 2011 and stars Amber Heard, Danielle Panabaker, Lyndsy Fonseca, Mamie Gummer, Mika Boorem, Jared Harris, Sydney Sweeney, Laura-Leigh. The film is directed by John Carpenter.
http://www.movieweb.com/news/the-ward-trailer-intro








Friends with Benefits Poster
May 20, 2011 by Courtney O.
Sony's Screen Gems has revealed a first look at the new poster for Friends with Benefits, the romantic comedy starring Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis, and directed by Will Gluck.
In Friends with Benefits, a young female headhunter (Mila Kunis) in New York convinces a potential recruit (Justin Timberlake) to accept a job in the Big Apple. Despite an attraction to each other, both realize they're everything they've been running from in a relationship and decide to see what happens if they leave emotion out of it and keep it strictly physical.

Friends with Benefits comes to theaters July 22nd, 2011 and stars Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Patricia Clarkson, Richard Jenkins, Jenna Elfman, Andy Samberg. The film is directed by Will Gluck.




Sources: Screen Gems


http://www.movieweb.com/news/friends-with-benefits-poster

**Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg Divorce in CELESTE AND JESSE FOREVER; Lee Toland Krieger Will Direct **Zack Snyder Confirms That Viggo Mortensen Will Not Play Zod In Superman **Sony May Want David Fincher To Direct Angelina Jolie As Cleopatra **First Look At Roman Polanski's Carnage And Its All-Star Cast **Liv Tyler Won't Be In The Hobbit

Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg Divorce in CELESTE AND JESSE FOREVER; Lee Toland Krieger Will Direct
by Brendan Bettinger Posted: March 22nd, 2011
Andy Samberg (Saturday Night Live) has signed on to star opposite Rashida Jones (Parks and Recreation) in Celeste and Jesse Forever. The romantic dramedy centers on a couple that wants to remain friends following their impending divorce. Jones co-wrote the script with long-time actor, first-time writer Will McCormack. Lee Toland Krieger (The Vicious Kind) will direct.


Read what Jones had to say about the movie — which she compares to When Harry Met Sally and Blue Valentine — after the break.
........ http://collider.com/rashida-jones-andy-samberg-celeste-and-jesse-forever/81976/



 



Zack Snyder Confirms That Viggo Mortensen Will Not Play Zod In Superman
published: 2011-03-22 17:42:46 Author: Katey Rich
Poor Zack Snyder is out there right now just trying to promote his new film Sucker Punch, but inevitably any time he sits down with a journalist the conversation turns to Superman. Snyder has done a good job keeping mum about details for his upcoming reboot of the superhero story, but he did manage to at least do some damage control on a rumor that was already out there. Talking to Latino Review, Snyder confirmed that Viggo Mortensen will not be appearing in the film as General Zod, contrary to a rumor that surfaced in late February.


Even at the time the story was that Mortensen would likely have to turn down the role thanks to his commitment to Snow White and the Huntsman at Universal; while Snyder made no mention of that, he told LR "Viggo is not going to be in the movie let’s say that right now." Even if it's just to refute a rumor that didn't seem all that likely to begin with-- we're not even sure that Zod is in the movie, much less who will play him-- it's nice to see Snyder actually able to say anything about the film. Once Sucker Punch opens on Friday he'll be able to carry on in post-production in peace, and despite all of our best efforts to catch him at a junket, that's probably when the real Superman news will start coming out.
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Zack-Snyder-Confirms-That-Viggo-Mortensen-Will-Not-Play-Zod-In-Superman-23806.html





 Sony May Want David Fincher To Direct Angelina Jolie As Cleopatra
published: 2011-03-22 10:24:35 Author: Katey Rich
The Angelina Jolie-starring Cleopatra movie that recently had James Cameron and Paul Greengrass interested has set its sights on another high-caliber director. According to Deadline Sony is currently hoping that David Fincher will tackle the project, possibly at some point between finishing The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and its sequel, The Girl Who Played With Fire, which he's also expected to direct.


There's a lot up in the air about the movie right now-- Cameron wanted it in 3D, and it's unclear if they'll keep it that way, plus there are possible rewrites coming for the script originally written by Brian Helgeland. Jolie, who has been attached to the project from the beginning and would be the key element for its box office success, likely has final say in which director gets picked; given that Brad Pitt worked with Fincher three times before it's likely she'd be convinced as well, but still, that's one more thing to be worked out. And finally Fincher is a busy guy-- if Dragon Tattoo is a hit, they'll want him to move forward on Played With Fire immediately, which could make his work on this impossible.


Despite the fact that he's David Fincher and seemingly capable of anything, and that Jolie is as perfect an actress to play Cleopatra as there's ever been, I can't quite figure out what this project would be like. Fincher's only previous period film was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, by far his least interesting work, and I somehow can't picture him photographing all the Egyptian pyramids and casts of thousands. Then again, if you want a Cleopatra that's as different as possible from the 1963 epic flop, Fincher might be precisely the guy to turn to.
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Sony-May-Want-David-Fincher-To-Direct-Angelina-Jolie-As-Cleopatra-23796.html



 

First Look At Roman Polanski's Carnage And Its All-Star Cast
published: 2011-03-22 10:05:56 Author: Katey Ric
It's hard to even know what to say about Carnage, a film directed by Roman Polanski, based on a Tony Award-winning play and starring Christoph Waltz, Kate Winslet, John C. Reilly and Jodie Foster. All I really need to know is how soon I can see it, and start predicting exactly how many Oscar nominations is might earn. If you want to ramp up your excitement even further, though, Empire Online has the first look at three images from the film-- two behind-the-scenes, and one that looks like a still from the action.


The images aren't exactly like getting your first look at a superhero costume or Hogwarts on fire or anything, but simply seeing all four of these actors is kind of thrilling, no? Carnage, based on the play God of Carnage, is about two sets of parents meeting to discuss a schoolyard dispute between their sons; in the tradition of plays like Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? the evening goes downhill from there; as the New York Times review of the 2009 Broadway production put it, it "[takes] three or four smug, upper-middle-class characters and stripping them, with algebraic precision, to their lonely, frightened ids." What better actors to handle it, and what better director to guide them? Given that the film is currently in post-production, I'd make a strong bet on an Oscar-season spot for this movie later in the year.


Check out the three images below, and click them to see the full-size versions at Empire.
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/First-Look-At-Roman-Polanski-s-Carnage-And-Its-All-Star-Cast-23795.html

 

Liv Tyler Won't Be In The Hobbit
published: 2011-03-22 01:13:23 Author: Josh Tyler
One of the challenges of turning The Hobbit into a movie is that most of the characters from Lord of the Rings weren’t born, around the time this story takes place. That’s not a problem from a storytelling standpoint, but it probably is from the studio’s standpoint, since execs are always keen to bring in audiences by promising to show them more of the people they’ve already come to know and love.


One way or another they’re finding ways to bring in members from the Lord of the Rings cast into The Hobbit, and many of them have already been confirmed as participants. But one character, perhaps one of the few characters who’s actually alive during the time period involved and in a position to take part in the events of The Hobbit, won’t be back. Liv Tyler says nobody’s said anything to her about showing up in New Zealand to reprise her role as Arwen, and that makes her “kind of sad”.


While technically Arwen isn't in The Hobbit book, many characters which aren't in the book will show up in one of the two Hobbit movies, particularly in the second one which will use material outside of The Hobbit. Yet talking to Collider about The Hobbit the former Ringwraith-defeating Arwen says not only hasn’t she heard from anyone about it, she didn’t even know that filming had begun on the movie yesterday. Watch their full interview with her below, in which she also talks about Strangers 2, but mostly she talks about The Hobbit and seems sincerely bummed out that Arwen won’t be involved. Aren’t we all?
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Liv-Tyler-Won-t-Be-In-The-Hobbit-23789.html