***Barry Levinson to Direct Al Pacino in THE HUMBLING This Fall Before Shooting GOTTI: THREE GENERATIONS ***First Poster for OUR IDIOT BROTHER Starring Paul Rudd ***Adam Scott Joins MY MOTHER’S CURSE Starring Seth Rogen and Nate Meyer’s SEE GIRL RUN ***Mark Romanek Says He Won’t Direct THE WOLVERINE

Barry Levinson to Direct Al Pacino in THE HUMBLING This Fall Before Shooting GOTTI: THREE GENERATIONS

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: June 10th, 2011

Director Barry Levinson, who’s been busy putting together the large-scale mob flick Gotti: Three Generations, has decided to shoot another film this fall before commencing production on Gotti. Levinson will reunite with his You Don’t Know Jack star Al Pacino (who’s also set to star in Gotti) in an adaptation of Phillip Roth’s novel The Humbling. The film centers on a famous retired stage actor in decline who moves to upstate New York with a much younger woman, resulting in his reinvigoration.
Deadline reports that the plan is to shoot The Humbling this fall, with Levinson currently working on filling out the rest of his cast. He co-wrote the script alongside Buck Henry and Michal Zebede. Levinson recently took over directing duties on Gotti: Three Generations after Nick Cassavetes left the project. He and his Bugsy co-writer James Toback are now giving Gotti a page-one rewrite, and while the cast could change once the script is finished, he’s very keen on Pacino and John Travolta starring in the film. Hit the jump for more, including a synopsis of Phillip Roth’s The Humbling. http://collider.com/barry-levinson-the-humbling-al-pacino/95864/

First Poster for OUR IDIOT BROTHER Starring Paul Rudd

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: June 10th, 2011

The first poster for the comedy Our Idiot Brother has debuted online. Directed by Jesse Peretz (The Ex), the film stars Paul Rudd as a ne’er-do-well brother who successively barges into the lives of his three sisters. The impressive ensemble cast includes Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Emily Mortimer, Rashida Jones and Adam Scott. Hit the jump to check out the poster. Our Idiot Brother hits theaters August 26^th.  http://collider.com/our-idiot-brother-movie-poster/95852/

Adam Scott Joins MY MOTHER’S CURSE Starring Seth Rogen and Nate Meyer’s SEE GIRL RUN

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: June 10th, 2011

Adam Scott is a scene-stealer. He’s consistently funny and nails every role he takes on, no matter how small, from Step Brothers to NBC’s Parks and Recreation. So I’m happy to report that the actor’s nabbed roles in a couple of upcoming projects. First up,  Risky Business reports that Scott has been cast in the comedy My Mother’s Curse alongside Seth Rogen, Barbara Streisand, Yvonne Strahovski and Colin Hanks. Anne Fletcher (The Proposal) directs from a script by Dan Fogelman (Tangled) that 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. Lorne Michaels, Evan Goldberg and John Goldwyn are producing.
Additionally, Scott has been cast in See Girl Run. Written and directed by Nate Meyer (Pretty in the Face), the film centers on a girl “who gets caught up in ‘what ifs’ that cause her to dig back into her romantic history.” Scott is set to play a local hero from her hometown that stayed there to become an artist while pining for his high school love. Scott will next be seen alongside Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks and Zooey Deschanel in Our Idiot Brother which opens August 26^th.

http://collider.com/adam-scott-my-mothers-curse-see-girl-run/95848/

Mark Romanek Says He Won’t Direct THE WOLVERINE, Comments on the Script

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: June 10th, 2011

A few weeks ago, we reported on a shortlist of directors that Fox was considering to helm The Wolverine, the follow-up to 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine. One of the best directors on that list (and my personal favorite) was Mark Romanek (Never Let Me Go). Well today comes the unfortunate news that Romanek has passed on helming the flick. The director confirmed to Digital Spy (via The Playlist) that the material wasn’t quite up his alley, though he did give the Christopher McQuarrie script a semi-compliment:

“That’s just one of those stories that floated around. I was on their list, I received the script months ago. It didn’t seem like my kind of thing. That script was a terrific version of that kind of thing, but not something I felt really passionate about.”

While it’s disappointing that we won’t be seeing Romanek’s version of a superhero flick, I’m excited to see him do something he’s passionate about when he chooses his next project. Fox’s shortlist for Wolverine directors is rather low on depth, favoring more eye-candy friendly helmers (Fast Five‘s Justin Lin, Jumper‘s Doug Liman). After Romanek, my pick of the lot would be James Mangold. He’s proven himself dramatically (3:10 to Yuma) and he’s also shown he can stage fantastic action set-pieces (Knight and Day). The Wolverine stars Hugh Jackman, and is largely set in Japan.
http://collider.com/mark-romanek-the-wolverine/95835/

***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

***Julie Andrews, Gemma Arterton, Matthew Goode, and Gabriel Byrne to Star in Agatha Christe Adaptation CROOKED HOUSE; Neil LaBute Will Direct ***Teaser Poster for THE MUPPETS ***The Weinstein Company Acquires THE IRON LADY Starring Meryl Streep ***Yvonne Strahovski Joins Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand in MY MOTHER’S CURSE

Teaser Poster for THE MUPPETS
by Kevin Panasiewicz Posted: May 14th, 2011 at 10:38 am


The first teaser poster for Disney’s The Muppets has popped up online, albeit as a blurry and off-center snapshot taken by a fan in Montreal, but that’s better than nothing right? It features the classic characters Gonzo (my personal favorite), Fozzie Bear, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and Animal walking out onto what appears to be a stage aglow with spotlights. It’s awesome to have the Muppet gang back, but this picture creeps me out. THEY’RE WALKING, as in with legs — it’s too much too soon. Hit the jump to see what the Muppets look like in all their anatomically correct glory.
http://collider.com/the-muppets-movie-poster/90901/






Julie Andrews, Gemma Arterton, Matthew Goode, and Gabriel Byrne to Star in Agatha Christe Adaptation CROOKED HOUSE; Neil LaBute Will Direct
by Brendan Bettinger Posted: May 14th, 2011 at 10:29 am


Julie Andrews, Gemma Arterton, Matthew Goode, and Gabriel Byrne have signed on to star in an adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel Crooked House. In the murder mystery is set against “the backdrop of three generations of a family that lives together in a large and seemingly crooked house.” Every member of the eccentric family has motive to have killed the multimillionaire patriarch, Aristide Leonide. Neil LaBute (Death at a Funeral) will direct from a script by Julian Fellowes (The Tourist) and Tim Rose Price (The Serpent’s Kiss). The $20 million production is scheduled to shoot this summer in the U.K. The story calls for a large ensemble, so expect more casting notices in the near future. Andrews, Goode, and Byrne — and sure, let’s throw in the lovely Arterton — is a very good start.


Read a quote from LaBute and the full book synopsis after the jump.
http://collider.com/julie-andrews-gemma-arterton-matthew-goode-crooked-house/90883/






The Weinstein Company Acquires THE IRON LADY Starring Meryl Streep
by Adam Chitwood Posted: May 14th, 2011 at 10:27 am

The Weinstein Company may have just acquired their top Oscar contender for next year’s ceremony. Yesterday, it was announced that TWC had grabbed U.S. distribution rights to the Margaret Thatcher drama The Iron Lady. Directed by Phyllida Lloyd (Mamma Mia!), the film stars Meryl Streep as Thatcher, with Jim Broadbent playing her husband Denis. The Iron Lady chronicles Thatcher’s rise to become the UK’s first and only female Prime Minister. The film is set to be released sometime later this year. Hit the jump to read the official synopsis, as well as the full press release.
http://collider.com/the-weinstein-company-the-iron-lady/90892/








Yvonne Strahovski Joins Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand in MY MOTHER’S CURSE
by Brendan Bettinger Posted: May 14th, 2011 at 9:55 am


Paramount has signed Chuck star Yvonne Strahovski to star opposite Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand in My Mother’s Curse. The story revolves around “an inventor (Rogen) who invites his mother (Streisand) on a cross-country trip as he tries to sell his new product while also reuniting her with a lost love.” According to THR, Strahovski will play the high school sweetheart that Rogen’s character once proposed to. Anne Fletcher (The Proposal) will direct from a script by Dan Fogelman (Tangled), based on his own experience traveling with Mrs. Fogelman.


NBC just renewed Chuck for a fifth and final season. If there is any justice, the careers of Strahovski and Zachary Levi will be sufficiently launched by the end of the series. The Aussie actress will make her Hollywood feature debut opposite Jason Statham, Robert De Niro, and Clive Owen in The Killer Elite.
http://collider.com/yvonne-strahovski-my-mothers-curse/90876/

**Casting Call: Julianne Moore to Play Sarah Palin in HBO’s GAME CHANGE; Eric McCormack Joins WWE’s BARRICADE **CBS Films to Distribute Coen Brothers-Scripted Remake of GAMBIT Starring Colin Firth and Cameron Diaz **MY MOTHERS CURSE Starring Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand Opens March 30, 2012 **Tom Hardy And Joel Edgerton Go Face-To-Face In The First Poster For Warrior

Casting Call: Julianne Moore to Play Sarah Palin in HBO’s GAME CHANGE; Eric McCormack Joins WWE’s BARRICADE
by Adam Chitwood Posted: March 9th, 2011



A couple of casting stories for you this evening. Deadline reports that Julianne Moore has been tapped to portray Sarah Palin in Jay Roach’s (Dinner for Schmucks) adaptation of Mark Halperin and John Heilemann’s book following the behind-the-scenes turmoil of the 2008 presidential election. Roach previously directed another HBO Films flick, Recount, which examined the fallout of the 2000 presidential election. The script for Game Change is being penned by Danny Strong (Recount), and follows both the Obama campaign and the McCain campaign from the party primaries up through election night, so we’ve got quite a few more roles to be cast (Obama, Clinton, McCain, etc.).


Eric McCormack is set to star in the supernatural thriller Barricade for WWE (yes, that WWE). Heat Vision reports that filming on the Andrew Currie-directed flick is set to begin later this month. The story follows a recently widowed psychiatrist who takes his children to a remote cabin to unwind. Obviously, they’re not exactly alone and the father must battle “unknown forces” to save his family from peril. Hit the jump for a synopsis of Game Change.
.... read more;
http://collider.com/julianne-moore-game-change-eric-mccormack-barricade/79776/


 


CBS Films to Distribute Coen Brothers-Scripted Remake of GAMBIT Starring Colin Firth and Cameron Diaz
by Adam Chitwood Posted: March 9th, 2011

CBS Films has acquired distribution rights to the Joel and Ethan Coen-scripted remake to the 1966 Michael Caine-Shirley MacClaine caper comedy Gambit. The remake, from director Michael Hoffman (The Last Station), is set to star Colin Firth and Cameron Diaz. Firth will play a London art curator who plots an elaborate scheme to con a wealthy collector into buying a fake Monet painting. As part of the ruse, he recruits a Texas steer roper (Diaz) to play the part of a woman whose grandfather liberated the painting at the end of WWII.


Deadline reports that filming is set to begin in London this May. It appears that this will be the first film Firth will shoot following his Oscar win last month for his brilliant turn in The King’s Speech. Relatively new to the movie-making business, CBS Films recently scored a hit with The Mechanic and currently has the fantasy-romance Beastly in theaters. Diaz will next be seen in the R-rated comedy Bad Teacher.
.... read more;
http://collider.com/cbs-films-gambit/79784/

CBS Films To Distribute The Coen Brothers-Scripted Gambit With Colin Firth

published: 2011-03-09 18:20:10 Author: Eric Eisenberg
CBS Films has made five films since January 2010, and despite trying to reach all corners of the market they have yet to have a real solid opening. From Extraordinary Measures to Beastly none of their films have opened at number one on their respective weekend and while the latter film is still in theaters, none have been able to make more than $40 million domestically (The Back-Up Plan is their most successful film with a $37 million domestic take). Their newest acquisition, however, has something that none of their other films have brought to the table: Oscar Power.

Deadline is reporting that CBS Films has won the U.S. distribution rights for Gambit, the con-artist film written by Academy Award winners Joel and Ethan Coen and starring recent Oscar winner Colin Firth. Directed by Michael Hoffman, Firth will play an art curator who teams up with a "Texas steer roper" - played by Cameron Diaz - to bamboozle the richest man in England. The film is a remake of the 1966 Michael Caine-Shirley MacLaine film of the same name.

This movie should be a perfect litmus test for the young distributor. Considering the incredible amount of talent on display here, it should be easy to open this movie at number one, provided that they get the release date right. Let's hope they can do it.
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/CBS-Films-To-Distribute-The-Coen-Brothers-Scripted-Gambit-With-Colin-Firth-23576.html
 


MY MOTHERS CURSE Starring Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand Opens March 30, 2012
by Brendan Bettinger Posted: March 9th, 2011
Paramount Pictures has scheduled the road trip comedy My Mother’s Curse for release on March 30, 2012. Barbra Streisand star as a mother and son who, according to Variety, “embark on a road trip so the inventor son can sell his latest invention.” Previous reports indicate the script from Dan Fogelman (Tangled) reunite Streisand with a lost love. Paramount may have actually performed the mother’s curse on the last pre-Easter 2012 weekend — as of this writing, no other film is scheduled that Friday.


Anne Fletcher (The Proposal) will direct; Fogelman, Rogen, and Streisand are producing alongside Lorne Michaels (SNL), John Goldwyn (MacGruber), Evan Goldberg (The Green Hornet), David Ellison (True Grit), Paul Schwake (Strange Wilderness), and Dana Goldberg (Yes Man). Rogen will next be heard March 18 as the titular alien in Paul, followed by Kung Fu Panda 2 on May 26. Rogen holistically returns to theaters in 50/50, which opens September 30.
.......read more;
http://collider.com/my-mothers-curse-release-date/79825/









Tom Hardy And Joel Edgerton Go Face-To-Face In The First Poster For Warrior
published: 2011-03-10 00:14:24 Author: Eric Eisenberg

If you took one lesson away from 2010's year in movies I hope it was that Tom Hardy is awesome. After years of putting on great performances under the radar, Christopher Nolan's Inception made him a break-out star that absolutely everyone wants a piece of. But while we wait for Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and This Means War to get official release dates, the guaranteed next opportunity to see more of Tom Hardy will be on September 9th when Warrior is released and tonight we have the film's first poster.


Posted by Jennifer Morrison (who also stars in the film) on her Facebook wall, the artwork shows off both Hardy and his co-star Joel Edgerton. Directed by Gavin O'Connor (Pride and Glory), Hardy plays a man returning home to where his alcoholic former-boxer dad, played by Nick Nolte, trains him to become a mixed martial arts fighter. The greatest conflict, however, is that the tournament that he plans to enter will bring him face-to-face with his oldest brother and fellow fighter, played by Edgerton.


Check out the poster below.
................ more here;
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Tom-Hardy-And-Joel-Edgerton-Go-Face-To-Face-In-The-First-Poster-For-Warrior-23581.html

***Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand Pick Up MY MOTHER’S CURSE ***SOUL SURFER Trailer Starring AnnaSophia Robb, Dennis Quaid, and Helen Hunt ***Sundance 2011: TAKE SHELTER Review

Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand Pick Up MY MOTHER’S CURSE

by Jason Barr    Posted: January 28th, 2011

Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand have signed on to star in Paramount’s road-trip comedy My Mother’s Curse.  Anne Fletcher (The Proposal) will direct the Dan Fogelman (Cars) script which pairs Rogen and the two-time Oscar-winner as mother and son.  Per THR, Fogelman’s script tells the story of an inventor (Rogen) who “invites his mother on a cross-country road trip as he tries to sell his new product.”  As the story goes, in the process, Streisand’s character is also reunited with a lost love.

In addition to starring and writing respectively, Rogen, Streisand, and Fogelman will act as executive producers on My Mother’s Curse alongside fellow exec. producer David Ellison.  Lorne Michaels and Evan Goldberg will also act as producers on the film which is scheduled to begin shooting this spring.

http://collider.com/seth-rogen-barbra-streisand-my-mothers-curse/73377/

 

 

SOUL SURFER Trailer Starring AnnaSophia Robb, Dennis Quaid, and Helen Hunt

by Jason Barr    Posted: January 28th, 2011

A trailer for veteran television director Sean McNamara’s (personal favorite Even Stevens) Soul Surfer has landed online.  Starring AnnaSophia Robb (Bridge to Terabithia), Dennis Quaid, and Helen Hunt, the sports drama tells the true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton who lost her arm in a shark attack in 2003 only to return to the top of the competitive surfing world by 2005.

To check out the trailer for yourself, hit the jump.  Soul Surfer opens April 8th.

Here’s the trailer:

 http://collider.com/soul-surfer-movie-trailer/73361/

 

Sundance 2011: TAKE SHELTER Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 28th, 2011

Before the screening of Take Shelter, writer-director Jeff Nichols explained to the audience that he was attempting to tap into an emotion of dread and anxiety.  For the first act of his movie, he’s wildly successful at capturing that feeling.  Vivid, nightmarish dream sequences set the film up as a paranoid thriller.  But then Nichols hits the breaks, stops the dreams, and the tension slowly leaves the picture as it moves at a glacial pace.  While he’s able to eventually pick it back up at the end and come to an interesting conclusion, he is never able to reconnect with his audience.

Take Shelter opens with Curtis (Michael Shannon) having a vision of a storm.  Thick, viscous rain falls from the sky and thunder shakes the landscape.  The vision passes and Curtis goes back to his normal life as a family man with loving wife Sam (Jessica Chastain) and daughter Hannah (Tova Stewart).  But then Curtis tarts to have nightmares.  The nightmares always begin with a storm and end with Curtis waking up in pain and paranoia.  He believes that his nightmares are premonitions of an apocalypse and so he takes to expanding the storm shelter in his backyard.  Desperate to protect his family, Curtis has only two dark options: either he’s wrong and he’s starting to show signs of schizophrenia like his mother (Kathy Baker) or it’s the end of the world.

..............more here; http://collider.com/take-shelter-review/73352/