**Impressive Promo Art for Steven Soderbergh’s HAYWIRE Starring Gina Carano **Woody Allen to Co-Star in His Next Film alongside Roberto Benigni **4 Clips and 10 Minutes of Behind-the-Scenes Footage from PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES **Neil LaBute and Aaron Eckhart to Reunite for THE GEOGRAPHY OF HOPE; Ed Harris to Co-Star **Catherine Hardwicke to Direct Adaptation of THE BITCH POSSE

Impressive Promo Art for Steven Soderbergh’s HAYWIRE Starring Gina Carano

by Matt Goldberg   Posted: May 6th, 2011

Director Steven Soderbergh is setting up audiences for a one-two punch this year with the action film Haywire and the epidemic drama Contagion.  While Contagion will likely receive more attention due to its A-list cast (Damon, Paltrow, Winslet, Cotillard, and Law), Haywire is no slouch either.  The film stars Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, Bill Paxton, and in the lead role, MMA fighter Gina Carano as a spy who is double-crossed on a mission and comes home to protect her family and get revenge.
The aptly name Gina Carano fan site, “Gina Carano Fan Site” has come across some promo art for the film done by artist Neil Kellerhouse and it’s the kind of eye-catching work you will never see on a real poster because it doesn’t use floating heads or the standard blue-orange template.  No official materials have been released, but I highly encourage the studio behind the film to use the poster where Carano is running across the title.  Hit the jump to check out the promo art.  Haywire currently doesn’t have a release date, but it’s looking to hit theaters in August.
.......... http://collider.com/haywire-poster-image-promo/89335/

Woody Allen to Co-Star in His Next Film alongside Roberto Benigni

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 6th, 2011

Woody Allen has cast two more actors in his next untitled film.  One actor is a familiar face in Woody Allen’s films: Woody Allen.  Allen hasn’t co-starred in one of his movies since 2006’s Scoop, but he sounds pretty pleased with the decision to join the picture, which he tells USA Today is “comic picture, an out-and-out comedy.”  Also, if you thought you were done with Roberto Benigni, you were wrong because Allen says the Oscar-winning actor is also in the film.  After coming to the attention of mainstream American audiences in Life is Beautiful, Benigni thought it would be a good idea to adapt Pinocchio and then play Pinocchio and that no one would be creeped out by the prospect of a middle-aged man playing a young boy.
Allen and Benigni join previously-announced cast members Jesse Eisenberg, Ellen Page, Penelope Cruz, and Alec Baldwin.  Allen says he’s still casting for the film, which shoots in Rome this summer.  His new film, Midnight in Paris, will open the Cannes Film Festival and hit theaters in the US on May 20th.

.... http://collider.com/woody-allen-roberto-benigni-rome-comedy/89363/

4 Clips and 10 Minutes of Behind-the-Scenes Footage from PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: May 6th, 2011

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth film in the swashbuckling franchise, hits theater May 20 and darn it if I haven’t missed Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in his five-year absence.  Disney has provided us four clips from the movie, not to mention 10 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage, to mark his return.  The last clip in particular is a great showcase for that guttural yell of Depp’s, a personal favorite.  The clips also highlight Penelope Cruz and Ian McShane’s introduction to the franchise — McShane is awarded an especially badass entry scene as Blackbeard.  Geoffrey Rush, Sam Claflin, and Astrid Bergès-Frisbey also star in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, directed by Rob Marshall (Nine).  Watch everything after the jump.
........ http://collider.com/pirates-caribbean-on-stranger-tides-movie-clips/89286/

Neil LaBute and Aaron Eckhart to Reunite for THE GEOGRAPHY OF HOPE; Ed Harris to Co-Star

by Adam Chitwood   Posted: May 6th, 2011

Aaron Eckhart is set to reunite with writer/director Neil LaBute for his next film The Geography of Hope. The 1970s-set indie centers on two crooks who flee to Baja, Mexico after a bank robbery gone bad. Once there, they encounter a number of American women and are torn between swindling or romancing them. 24 Frames reports that Ed Harris is set to co-star in the film alongside Eckhart as the other crook.
Eckhart and LaBute have collaborated four times before, most recently with 2002’s Posession. LaBute wrote the script for Hope years ago, but put it on the backburner when his theater career took off. The plan is to shoot The Geography of Hope sometime this year in Puerto Rico.
......... http://collider.com/neil-labute-aaron-eckhart-the-geography-of-hope/89404/

Catherine Hardwicke to Direct Adaptation of THE BITCH POSSE

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 6th, 2011

Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke will again tackle teen angst with an adaptation of Martha O’Connor’s The Bitch Posse. Deadline reports that Hardwicke will direct from a script by Tristine Skyler (Getting to Know You). The film covers familiar territory for the director as it focuses on a group of three high school friends. A terrible incident occurs that changes their dynamic forever, and the book switches back and forth between the girls’ high school years and present day, which finds one of them in a mental institution, another in a loveless marriage, and the third a promiscuous failed writer.
Miranda Bailey and Matthew Leutwyler are producing the flick through their Ambush Entertainment banner. Hardwicke most recently helmed Red Riding Hood, which was released last month to middling reviews. Hit the jump for a synopsis of O’Connor’s novel.
............ http://collider.com/catherine-hardwicke-the-bitch-posse/89410/

**Steven Soderbergh to Direct Male-Stripper Film MAGIC MIKE Starring and Inspired By Channing Tatum **MEN IN BLACK 3 Set Photos **Sebastian Stan and Socratis Otto Join Amanda Seyfried in GONE **Robert Zemeckis in Talks to Direct Time-Travel Film REPLAY

Steven Soderbergh to Direct Male-Stripper Film MAGIC MIKE Starring and Inspired By Channing Tatum

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 29th, 2011

You may ask yourself, “What would it take to prolong Steven Soderbergh’s retirement from directing?” The answer, apparently, is a movie about male strippers. The Ocean’s Eleven director just committed to helm Magic Mike, starring Channing Tatum. The film is based on Tatum’s experiences as a 19-year-old stripper, and tells “a story of friendship set in the world of male strippers.” Here’s what the director had to say about the project:

“When Channing talked to me about this, I thought it was one of the best ideas I’d ever heard for a movie. I said I wanted in immediately. It’s sexy, funny and shocking. We’re using Saturday Night Fever as our model, so hopefully we’re on the right track.”

Soderbergh has long talked about retiring after filming his Liberace biopic with Michael Douglas, and this doesn’t seem to change things much. Deadline reports that he will squeeze Magic Mike in this fall before he shoots his last two fllms. Hit the jump to see what Tatum has to say about the project, as well as a rundown of Soderbergh’s final films before he heads into retirement.
.......... http://collider.com/steven-soderbergh-magic-mike/88203/

MEN IN BLACK 3 Set Photos

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 29th, 2011

A couple more set photos have surfaced from the set of Men in Black 3. The film has gone through some very public script issues, but it appears that they sorted everything out. These set photos give another look at Will Smith and Josh Brolin as a young Agent K, following the first batch of set photos from earlier this month. Given the diner setting and the car parked outside, it’s safe to assume this takes place in the 60’s (the film involves Smith’s character traveling back in time to find the young Agent K).
Hit the jump to check out the photos. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, the film also stars Tommy Lee Jones, Alice Eve, Emma Thompson, Nicole Scherzinger, Rip Torn and Johnny Knoxville.  Men in Black 3 opens in 3D on May 25, 2012.
............ http://collider.com/men-in-black-3-set-photos/88212/

Sebastian Stan and Socratis Otto Join Amanda Seyfried in GONE

by Adam Chitwood   Posted: April 29th, 2011

Sebastian Stan (Captain America: The First Avenger) and Socratis Otto (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) have been set to join the cast of Gone. Variety reports that the duo will star alongside Amanda Seyfried, Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter), Emily Wickersham (I Am Number Four) and Wes Bently (Jonah Hex) in the thriller. The script by Allison Burnett (Fame) centers on “a kidnap survivor (Seyfried) who attempts to find the same killer whom she believes has abducted her sister.”
Heitor Dhalia (Adrift) is set to direct the film, with Summit Entertainment handling distribution. No word on what roles Stan and Otto will take on, but the film was supposed to start filming sometime this month. Stan will next be seen as Steve Rogers’ sidekick Bucky Barnes in Captain America.
.................. http://collider.com/sebastian-stan-socratis-otto-gone/88222/

Robert Zemeckis in Talks to Direct Time-Travel Film REPLAY

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 29th, 2011

Could Robert Zemeckis finally be returning to live-action? And with a time-travel film to boot? It appears so, as Vulture reports that the director is in ”serious talks” to helm the adaptation of Ken Grimwood’s novel Replay. The thrilling premise centers on a radio journalist in his forties who dies, but awakes back in 1963 in his 18-year-old body with all of his previous memories intact. The kicker? He always dies in 1988, but returns to 1963 to start the whole 25 years over again with every single memory intact and the ability to make different life choices (spouse, kids, etc.)
This sounds like a fantastic concept, and a return to form for the Back to the Future director. Following the demise of his motion-capture Yellow Submarine remake, Zemeckis has been tooling around with a couple of live-action flicks. Most recently, he entered early negotiations to helm Flight with Denzel Washington. Hit the jump for more on both projects, as well which one Zemeckis might film first, and a synopsis of the novel Replay.
......... http://collider.com/robert-zemeckis-replay/88232/

**New Set Photos from Steven Soderbergh’s HAYWIRE Starring Gina Carano and Ewan McGregor **Mark Ruffalo Set to Play Jazz Pianist Joe Albany in Indie Drama LOW DOWN **Danny Huston Joins the Cast of MEDALLION Starring Nicolas Cage and Malin Akerman **Duncan Jones Plans to Turn MUTE into a Graphic Novel

New Set Photos from Steven Soderbergh’s HAYWIRE Starring Gina Carano and Ewan McGregor
by Matt Goldberg Posted: March 11th, 2011 at 11:44 am

If you want to see Gina Carano fake-beating the snot out of Ewan McGregor, then today’s your lucky day. Set photos from Steven Soderbergh’s upcoming thriller Haywire have leaked on line and show the wetsuit-clad MMA fighter throwing some fake punches against the British actor. I’m not sure about the context of the scene, but the plot centers on a covert agent (Carano) who is double-crossed on a mission and returns home to protect her family and get revenge. While the premise sounds bland, I don’t expect Soderbergh to deliver a typical spy-thriller.


Hit the jump to check out the set photos. Haywire also stars Michael Douglas, Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, Antonio Banderas, and Bill Paxton. The film was rumored to be released in April, but obviously since we’ve seen no official marketing, we probably won’t see the film until late summer at the earliest.
........read more;
http://collider.com/haywire-movie-images-set-photos/80087/

 



Mark Ruffalo Set to Play Jazz Pianist Joe Albany in Indie Drama LOW DOWN
by Adam Chitwood Posted: March 11th, 2011 at 5:54 pm


Following his Oscar nominated stint in The Kids Are All Right, Mark Ruffalo has signed on to portray legendary jazz pianist Joe Albany in the indie drama Low Down. Epoch Films partner Jeff Preiss is set to make his feature film debut on the project which will tell the story of Albany’s life from the perspective of his 11-year-old daughter. While in the 40’s and 50’s Alabany was playing with the likes of Charlie Parker and Miles Davis, he struggled with a heroin addiction throughout the later years of his life.


Variety reports that the film will focus mainly on Albany’s life during the 60’s and 70’s, with his daughter watching her “charismatic but strung-out father interact with other eccentric characters in cocktail bars and transient hotels.” Topper Lilien and Amy Albany wrote the script, based on Alabany’s memoir focusing on her father. Ruffalo will also serve as an executive producer on the project. The actor is currently prepping for his turn as Bruce Banner/the Hulk in Joss Whedon’s The Avengers.
......read more; http://collider.com/mark-ruffalo-low-down/80186/







Danny Huston Joins the Cast of MEDALLION Starring Nicolas Cage and Malin Akerman
by Adam Chitwood Posted: March 11th, 2011 at 4:02 pm


Actor Danny Huston (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) has joined the cast of director Simon West’s (When a Stranger Calls) upcoming action-thriller Medallion. The Playlist reports that Huston will join Nicolas Cage in the flick, which centers on a former master thief (Cage) who has only a few hours to find his daughter when she is kidnapped and locked in the trunk of a New York medallion taxi cab. Malin Akerman will portray an ex-girlfriend of Cage’s who teams up with him to find his daughter. The Taken-esque flick has a script from David Guggenheim (Safe House) and marks the re-teaming of Cage and West after their previous collaboration on Con Air.
.....read more;


http://collider.com/danny-huston-medallion/80152/



 



Duncan Jones Plans to Turn MUTE into a Graphic Novel
by Matt Goldberg Posted: March 11th, 2011 at 11:04 am


When we last reported on Duncan Jones’ Mute, the project was in limbo. The script is reportedly takes cues from Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner and centers on a mute bartender in 2046 Berlin who must go against the city’s gangsters in order to find his girlfriend. Unfortunately, that doesn’t translate well to a collector’s cup so the project is having trouble finding funding. Jones, whose new film Source Code opens April 1st, says that he’s going to adapt the story in to a graphic novel and hope that makes the property more attractive to investors. Speaking to Gordon and the Whale, Jones explains:


Although, I can sort of tell you that I’ve been talking to my producer today and we have decided that we’re going to release MUTE as a graphic novel. Because we’ve had so many problems trying to get this film made, you know? The people who are involved with financing films have just been…shy…shy of making the script. So what we decided to do is we’re going to make a graphic novel of it, prove it…prove it to an audience that this works and maybe in the future get the chance to come back and make it.


In the meantime, Jones is working on an untitled project that he hopes will fulfill his need to make a Blade Runner­-like “city-based, futuristic sci-fi film.”
.......read more; http://collider.com/duncan-jones-mute-graphic-novel/80084/

14 january; HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Born Today

Steven Soderbergh (48)

Jason Bateman (42)

Faye Dunaway (70)

Emily Watson (44)

Lawrence Kasdan (62)

***New Poster for RABBIT HOLE Starring Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart ***Michael Douglas Still on for LIBERACE; Shooting Set to Begin in May or June 2011

New Poster for RABBIT HOLE Starring Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart

by Ben Brown    Posted: November 30th, 2010

Lionsgate has just released a new poster for John Cameron Mitchell’s upcoming drama Rabbit Hole. The poster is visually interesting, thoughtful, and a bit moving.  Basically, it’s everything the last poster wasn’t. If this is the type of work we can expect from the final product, then consider me sold.
Hit the jump to check out the poster.  The film, which stars Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart and picked up four Spirit Award nominations today, is slated for limited release on December 17th.

Poster via Cinematical.

Here’s the official synopsis for Rabbit Hole:

RABBIT HOLE is a vivid, hopeful, honest and unexpectedly witty portrait of a family searching for what remains possible in the most impossible of all situations. Becca and Howie Corbett (NICOLE KIDMAN and AARON ECKHART) are returning to their everyday existence in the wake of a shocking, sudden loss. Just eight months ago, they were a happy suburban family with everything they wanted. Now, they are caught in a maze of memory, longing, guilt, recrimination, sarcasm and tightly controlled rage from which they cannot escape. While Becca finds pain in the familiar, Howie finds comfort. The shifts come in abrupt, unforeseen moments. Becca hesitantly opens up to her opinionated, loving mother (DIANNE WIEST) and secretly reaches out to the teenager involved in the accident that changed everything (MILES TELLER); while Howie lashes out and imagines solace with another woman (SANDRA OH). Yet, as off track as they are, the couple keeps trying to find their way back to a life that still holds the potential for beauty, laughter and happiness. The resulting journey is an intimate glimpse into two people learning to re-engage with each other and a world that has been tilted off its axis.

http://www.collider.com/2010/11/30/rabbit-hole-movie-poster-nicole-kidman-aaron-eckhart/

Michael Douglas Still on for LIBERACE; Shooting Set to Begin in May or June 2011

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 30th, 2010

When it was reported this past August that Michael Douglas was suffering from throat cancer, concerns arose not just for his health but for the future of the long-in-development Liberace biopic.  Douglas was to play the famous musician with Steven Soderbergh directing and Matt Damon co-starring.  However, a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter informs us that not only is Douglas recovering from his treatment, but he still has Liberace in his sights.  Douglas tells THR, “I’ve got a bunch of tapes of performances.  I’m thinking; I’m a blank slate. Everything shows me he was a lovely man; I just want to reconfirm that.”  THR also reports that shooting is scheduled to begin in May or June of next year, which confirms Damon’s claim earlier this year that he was planning to shoot the film next summer.  Damon will play Liberace’s lover Scott Thorson.
While I’m happy that Liberace is moving forward, I’m even happier that Douglas is feeling healthy enough to start working again and hopefully we can look forward to more performances from him.
http://www.collider.com/2010/11/30/michael-douglas-liberace-biopic-steven-soderbergh/

***THE NEXT THREE DAYS Review ***New Set Photos from Walter Salles’ ON THE ROAD Starring Garrett Hedlund and Sam Riley ***Steven Soderbergh’s HAYWIRE, Starring Gina Carano, Set for April 22, 2011

THE NEXT THREE DAYS Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted:November 18th, 2010

If he’s not trying to cram a heavy-handed message about Important Things down his audience’s throat, it turns out that writer/director Paul Haggis can make a decent thriller.  The Next Three Days is a welcome departure for Haggis, who instead of preaching about race (Crash) or the Iraq War (In the Valley of Elah), crafts an exciting, prison-break film with a strong central performance from Russell Crowe.  While some may love it when a plan comes together, The Next Three Days shows how it can be far more exciting when a plan falls apart.

Lara Brennan (Elizabeth Banks) is about to be sent to prison for the rest of her life for a crime her husband John (Russell Crowe) believes she did not commit.  John embarks on an ambitious plan to break Lara out of jail even though she’s resigned herself to her fate.  The Next Three Days makes a major gamble by not showing us much of Lara and John’s life before her arrest, but it pays off since it helps us share in the twinge of doubt John must feel and yet has to ignore in order to complete his mission.  It also lets our imagination do the work as to their backstory rather than draw out the first act and have the film prove their love to us.  John’s love for his wife is obviously strong enough that he’s willing to ignore all the evidence that points to her guilt and risk everything to get her out of the slammer.

Of course, staging a prison break, especially from outside the prison, isn’t the easiest thing in the world.  John isn’t a cop or a soldier.  He’s a literature professor at a community college and while the Internet is a wonderful source of information, googling, “How to Break Your Wife out of Prison” doesn’t yield many helpful search results (although, YouTube is set up as a great source of criminal knowledge).  Instead, John interviews a former convict/prison escapee (played by Liam Neeson who collects a paycheck for one scene of big exposition).  John learns the basics of what’s necessary to break Lara out and struggles to perfectly plan getting his wife out of prison and get their family out of the country.  His timetable gets fundamentally altered when he learns that she’ll be transferred to a new prison in the next three days.
The Next Three Days is a fun film because it not only flips the prison-break genre on its head by having the break executed from outside the prison and with the prisoner having no input into the plan, but because it pulls the drama out of John’s numerous screw-ups.  It’s not that John is stupid as much as every plan is subject to the whims of chance.  If getting forged passports were easy and everyone knew how to do it, then real passports wouldn’t be worth very much.  However, there are times when John’s ignorance is carried too far, like when he asks a pawn shop owner where the bullets in a gun go.

While I have no love for Haggis’ previous films, with The Next Three Days he has shown himself to be a capable director of exciting chases and gripping, fast-paced drama.  While the movie could stand to be a little shorter and it slightly loses its grip on reality in the final act, Haggis and Crowe have crafted a satisfying flick that doesn’t beat you over the head with a message any stronger than “A well-crafted plan is good, but a well-improvised plan can be more entertaining.”
Rating: B

http://www.collider.com/2010/11/18/the-next-three-days-movie-review-russell-crowe/

New Set Photos from Walter Salles’ ON THE ROAD Starring Garrett Hedlund and Sam Riley

by Talia Soghomonian    Posted: November 18th, 2010



After a rough ride, On the Road is finally getting closer to completion. After the first set photos, new shots from director Walter Salles’ adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s seminal novel have been released, and appear to perfectly transcribe the poetic energy and black-and-white imagery that the story inevitably conjures up, raising the question whether the movie will also be in black-and-white.
Produced by Francis Ford Coppola, the film stars stars Garrett Hedlund (TRON: Legacy) and Sam Riley (Control) as Sal Paradise, the mystic Dean Moriarty and Sal Paradise embark on a road trip across North America in search of adventure and freedom.  The cast also boasts a long, all-star cast, including Kristen Stewart, Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Moretensen, Amy Adams, Steve Buscemi, Terrence Howard and Mad Men’s Elisabeth Moss. Hit the jump to see the photos and find out more about On the Road.
It is certainly a challenge to attempt a book that is considered to be the testament of the Beat Generation. Walter Salles has fully invested in the project with a documentary, In Search of On the Road, and reunited the stellar team from his award-winning 1998 movie The Motorcycle Diaries, including screenwriter Jose Rivera (Letters to Juliet) director of photography. Eric Gautier, production designer Carlos Conti and Oscar-winning composer Gustavo Santaolalla.
On the Road is now considered a modern classic that “heralded a change of American consciousness,” claims Beatnik specialist professor Ann Charters. It is a story swinging to the underground culture of 50s America, where jazz music, cigarette smoke and hallucinogens accompany a pursuit in self-knowledge and even self-awareness, or so claim many pseudo-intellectuals. One of the most overrated books of the past 50 years, to musicians and filmmakers alike – Bono was so excited to see my copy that he signed it – On the Road contains the ever-fascinating theme of self-discovery through a simple road trip. Other great travelers have paved their way since Sal and Dean, notably Easy Rider’s Wyatt and Billy (the unforgettable duo played by Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper) and Thelma and Louise.
Filming is expected to wrap up in December with the movie set to hit theaters in 2011. [Photos via OnTheRoadFilm and The Playlist]
http://www.collider.com/2010/11/18/on-the-road-movie-images-set-photos-garrett-hedlund/

Steven Soderbergh’s HAYWIRE, Starring Gina Carano, Set for April 22, 2011

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 18th, 2010

Steven Soderbergh’s Haywire has reportedly landed a release date.  According to The Playlist, the film is set for release on April 22, 2011.  The movie boasts an outstanding cast that includes Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas, Bill Paxton, Michael Angarano, Matthieu Kassovitz, and Antonio Banderas.  MMA fighter Gina Carano leads the film as a “black ops soldier on mission of revenge after she’s double crossed by one of her team-mates.”  The Playlist says that the script by  Lem Dobbs (The Limey) was “taut, lean, and mean.”
If the April 22, 2011 holds, Haywire will be going up against the documentary African Cats, the Adam Sandler-penned comedy Born to be a Star, the Steve Carell/Ryan Gosling comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love, and Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family.
http://www.collider.com/2010/11/18/haywire-release-date-steven-soderbergh-gina-carano/

***New International Trailer for THE GREEN HORNET Starring Seth Rogen ***George Clooney May Star in Steven Soderbergh’s THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. ***Mark Ruffalo Gives His Thoughts on Playing The Hulk in THE AVENGERS

New International Trailer for THE GREEN HORNET Starring Seth Rogen

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 17th, 2010

A new international trailer for Michel Gondry’s The Green Hornet has gone online.  There’s just enough new footage to make it worth your time.  While the trailer itself doesn’t sway me one way or another, reports are starting to leak out that the film is getting a highly positive reaction.
Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  The Green Hornet stars Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, and Christoph Waltz.  It’s set to open in 3D on January 14, 2011.
Trailer via The Playlist.



Here’s the official synopsis for The Green Hornet:

Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) is the son of LA’s most prominent and respected media magnate and perfectly happy to maintain a directionless existence on the party scene – until his father (Tom Wilkinson) mysteriously dies, leaving Britt his vast media empire.  Striking an unlikely friendship with one of his father’s more industrious and inventive employees, Kato (Jay Chou), they see their chance to do something meaningful for the first time in their lives: fight crime. But in order to do this, they decide to become criminals themselves – protecting the law by breaking it, Britt becomes the vigilante The Green Hornet as he and Kato hit the streets.
Using all his ingenuity and skill, Kato builds the ultimate in advanced retro weaponry, The Black Beauty, an indestructible car equal parts firepower and horsepower.  Rolling in a mobile fortress on wheels and striking the bad guys with Kato’s clever gadgets, The Green Hornet and Kato quickly start making a name for themselves, and with the help of Britt’s new secretary, Lenore Case (Cameron Diaz), they begin hunting down the man who controls LA’s gritty underworld: Benjamin Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz).  But Chudnofsky has plans of his own:  to swat down The Green Hornet once and for all. The Green Hornet stars Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Christoph Waltz, Cameron Diaz, Edward James Olmos, David Harbour and Tom Wilkinson.

—

http://www.collider.com/2010/11/17/the-green-hornet-international-trailer-seth-rogen/

George Clooney May Star in Steven Soderbergh’s THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.

by Ben Brown    Posted: November 17th, 2010

Less than 24 hours after news hit regarding Steven Soderbergh’s interest in directing an adaptation of the 1960’s spy series The Man from U.N.C.L.E., the project might have already nabbed a lead…an A-list lead, at that. The Playlist is reporting that frequent Soderbergh collaborator George Clooney is in talks to star in the film.
Taking into account their Oceans trilogy, Clooney and Soderbergh have collaborated on six films together, including 1998’s Out of Sight, 2002’s Solaris, and 2006’s The Good German. As reported yesterday, the film is looking to be scripted by Scott Z. Burns, the writer behind Soderbergh’s The Informant and the upcoming Contagion.  Hit the jump for more info, as well as some of my thoughts.

If there’s a potential snaffu in regards to the project, it’d likely be in the scheduling. Soderbergh is currently set to shoot his Liberace biopic in the summer or early fall of 2011, around the same time he’s hoping to get U.N.C.L.E. off the ground. While Soderbergh is no stranger to multiple shoots within a year, it’s conceivable that Clooney may very well be putting the final touches on his directorial effort The Ides of March around the same time (not to mention potentially running the festival circuit for his turn in Alexander Payne’s The Descendants). Worse comes to worse, the project will likely end up with a 2012 shoot and release.
Consider me psyched. Say what you will for some of Soderbergh’s recent choices (see The Girlfriend Experience, Che), but you can’t say the guy lacks ambition. And come on–who wouldn’t want to see him return to his Limey-esque 60’s ways? Throw Clooney in there (preferably in crew cut The American mode), and you just struck cinematic gold.

http://www.collider.com/2010/11/17/george-clooney-the-man-from-uncle-steven-soderbergh/

Mark Ruffalo Gives His Thoughts on Playing The Hulk in THE AVENGERS

by Max Lichtig    Posted: November 17th, 2010

We’ve already reported that Mark Ruffalo will be the next incarnation of the Incredible Hulk in Marvel’s upcoming superhero party The Avengers. Following in the footsteps of Eric Bana and Edward Norton, people are understandably worried about a third actor to take on the same role, especially after comic book fans and audiences alike were more than pleased with Norton’s interpretation. Now, thanks to an interview with IGN, Ruffalo gives us some closure and tells his thoughts on playing Bruce Banner, what he’s doing to prepare for the role, how he’s going to make it different, whether we’ll see a Hulk that can actually talk, and how playing the Hulk is like a sex scene.
Check out what he had to say after the jump.
Speaking to IGN, Ruffalo spoke on multiple Hulk-related topics.  On playing one of the biggest roles in superhero history:

It’s like doing a sex scene. It’s like doing a sex scene with 20 total strangers standing around and someone telling you how you can do it better. All eyes are on you, right?

When he starts shooting:

In April.

How he’s preparing:

You dust off. You go back. I think you go right back to the beginning and dust off your first issue of Avengers and I’ve been doing that. I’ve been watching the 100 hours of Bill Bixby’s Hulk. And I’ve been really thinking about the inception, the original motivation of that character and why they came up with that character. He’s a cross between Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Frankenstein. I’m finding a lot of stuff there. And I’m actually going to be physically playing the Hulk. No other actor’s ever done that. So I’ve been getting into Tai Chi and Pilates and doing a lot of movement stuff. I don’t know what I want to do with it exactly, but I’ve been working physically to bring the leviathan alive.

On how he’s too much of a nice guy:

I’ve heard some of the fans and I totally respect them and I hear their concern about Mark Ruffalo being a nice guy, but I assure you just like everybody else I have my very dark side. Maybe more because I’m an actor.

Will his Hulk be unique:

What I’m worried about is bringing some spark of originality and spontaneity to that character. He’s the only one who doesn’t want to be there [in The Avengers] really. Everyone else is sort of digging on their super powers and he’s the only one who doesn’t want to be there, which could be an incredibly uninteresting person to spend two hours with.

Whether the Hulk will be able to speak:

We ended the last Hulk with him smiling and you feel like he’s getting control of it. And I don’t know how deep we’re gonna get into that, but my general feeling is for Bruce Banner/the Hulk and what I hope we talk about is that Bruce Banner is slowly but surely — it’s like riding a wild mustang. At some point you do start to get it a little but under control. And like I said, I don’t know what the final script’s gonna be, but we’ve talked a lot about him at some point being able to penetrate his consciousness with the consciousness of the goliath.

His thoughts on Guillermo Del Toro’s live action version of the Hulk:

Dude, it’s like my generation’s Hamlet. It looks like we’re all gonna get a shot at it. I guess the more the merrier, you know?

There’s no denying that Mark Ruffalo has proved his acting chops in countless movies. I loved him in The Kids are All Right and Shutter Island and think he’s a very natural actor to watch. I am though, along with others, slightly concerned on his ability to bring out his inner Hulk. When I heard of Norton playing the angry green giant, flashbacks of American History X had me immediately on board. However, remembering Ruffalo in 13 Going on 30 or Just Like Heaven doesn’t do the same. Let us not forget that this Hulk will be all motion capture which is something thus far unseen. That means that Ruffalo cannot rely on post-production CGI to fill in the angry blanks. Nonetheless, I’ll stick by his side just because I respect him so much as an actor. We’ll see when The Avengers hits theatres May 4^th, 2012.

http://www.collider.com/2010/11/17/mark-ruffalo-the-avengers-hulk/

***Over 40 High Resolution Images from the GREEN LANTERN Trailer ***Steven Soderbergh in Talks to Direct Feature Adaption of THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. ***OLDBOY Director Park Chan-Wook in Talks for STOKER; Carey Mulligan and Jodie Foster Confirmed to Star

Over 40 High Resolution Images from the GREEN LANTERN Trailer

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: November 16th, 2010

The new Green Lantern trailer is loaded with goodies that are sure to please comic book devotees. In case your eyes couldn’t move fast enough to catch them all, we’ve grabbed 40 high-res images for your still-framed pleasure!

Included in the eye-candy are shots of Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) as well as fellow Green Lanterns Abin Sur (Temuera Morrison), Kilowog, Tomar-Re and everyone’s favorite, Sinestro (Mark Strong). We’ve also got glimpses of Hal Jordan’s nemesis, Hector Hammond (Peter Sarsgaard) and his on-again, off-again romantic interest, Carol Ferris (Blake Lively). Sharp-eyed fans will see that Ferris’s helmet emblem resembles a certain image that’s pretty instrumental to her character. Sequel anyone?

And since the Green Lantern costume is almost entirely CG, we’ve slowed down the transformation sequence so you can watch it bit by virtual bit. Check out the power battery as well!  Hit the jump for the images:

http://www.collider.com/2010/11/16/green-lantern-movie-images-ryan-reynolds/#more-60673

Steven Soderbergh in Talks to Direct Feature Adaption of THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.

by Ben Brown    Posted: November 16th, 2010

If there’s one thing Steven Soderbergh can never be accused of, it’s passivity. Soderbergh just wrapped production on his first foray into the action realm, Knockout. He’s currently filming the star-stuffed thriller Contagion. He’s set to film a Liberace biopic with Michael Douglas and Matt Damon next summer. And now, just to add to the workload, Soderbergh is in early talks to direct The Man from U.N.C.L.E., an adaptation of the 1960s spy series.

Hit the jump for a closer look at the project, as well as some of my thoughts.

http://www.collider.com/2010/11/16/steven-soderbergh-the-man-from-uncle/

OLDBOY Director Park Chan-Wook in Talks for STOKER; Carey Mulligan and Jodie Foster Confirmed to Star

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: November 16th, 2010

South Korean writer/director Park Chan-wook (Oldboy) is in talks to make his English-language debut with Stoker.  Based on a script from actor Wentworth Miller (Resident Evil: Afterlife), Stoker centers on “the story of an eccentric teen whose enigmatic and estranged uncle who returns to the family after the death of the girl’s father.”

Last we checked, Carey Mulligan (Never Let Me Go) and Jodie Foster were in negotiations to star.  Their involvement has been confirmed, and it is suggested that Fox Searchlight seeks a similarly high profile name to fill the male lead, the “estranged uncle.”  More after the jump.

According to 24 Frames, there is no major “genre element” in Miller’s script that immediately declares its allure to Park.  But Stoker reportedly sports a dark tone worthy of the filmmaker.

Lazy bones that I am, I’ve only seen Oldboy, with the other members of The Vengeance Trilogy (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance) and last year’s Thirst on my list. But all it takes is one to know that Park is a disturbed individual.  I’m alternately excited and horrified for Park to put the “strange” back into “estranged uncle.”  In English!  Buoyed by the angelic presence of Carey Mulligan, no less.
Hopefully Stoker gets to theaters before the threatened Will Smith/Steven Spielberg remake of Oldboy.

Continue Reading

http://www.collider.com/2010/11/16/stoker-park-chan-wook/