***THE SOCIAL NETWORK Producer Scott Rudin Options “The Terrorist Search Engine” as Possible Starring Vehicle for Jesse Eisenberg ***Jack Black to Star in Michael Winterbottom’s BAILOUT ***Cannes Casting Call: Zoe Saldana Joins THE WORDS; Susan Sarandon and Jim Broadbent in Talks for CLOUD ATLAS **Tim Robbins Joins Mark Ruffalo in THANKS FOR SHARING

THE SOCIAL NETWORK Producer Scott Rudin Options “The Terrorist Search Engine” as Possible Starring Vehicle for Jesse Eisenberg

by Matt Goldberg   Posted: May 12th, 2011 at 7:34 am

When it comes to prestige pictures, producer Scott Rudin is a heavy-hitter.  His credits include No Country for Old Men, The Royal Tenenbaums, and last year’s Best Picture nominees The Social Network and True Grit.  Now he’s optioned an intriguing New York Magazine article, “The Terrorist Search Engine” about Evan Kohlmann, who was once dubbed by an FBI agent “The Doogie Howser of Terrorism”.  Kohlmann, who is a government expert witness in terrorism cases due to his extensive study of jihad particularly in terms of how it relates to the Internet, has become a controversial figure because testifying has become his primary source of income.
Vulture reports that Rudin has taken the project to Sony’s Columbia Pictures and that the film is being set up as a starring vehicle for Jesse Eisenberg.  However, Eisenberg is waiting to see a script before making a commitment.

http://collider.com/scott-rudin-terrorist-search-engine-jesse-eisenberg/90455/

Jack Black to Star in Michael Winterbottom’s BAILOUT

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 12th, 2011 at 7:51 am

Jack Black has signed on to star in the Michael Winterbottom comedy Bailout.  The film is based on Jess Walter’s novel, The Financial Lives of The Poets. THR reports that the script (which Walter also wrote) “details the story of one man’s attempt to come back from the brink of financial ruin after meeting a couple of losers in a late night supermarket.”  Black will play the man on the brink of financial ruin although it’s amusing to think that a little over a decade ago, he probably would have played one of the two losers.
Winterbottom, who swings wildly between light comedy (The Trip, Tristam Shandy) and intense drama (A Mighty Heart, The Killer Inside Me) said Walter’s script accomplishes the “rare feat of being funny and true at the same time.”  Filming is set to begin in the US this August.  Black is currently promoting Kung Fu Panda 2 and he’ll next be seen in non-animated-panda-form in Richard Linklater’s Bernie.

http://collider.com/jack-black-michael-winterbottom-bailout/90468/

Cannes Casting Call: Zoe Saldana Joins THE WORDS; Susan Sarandon and Jim Broadbent in Talks for CLOUD ATLAS

by Matt Goldberg   Posted: May 12th, 2011 at 8:23 am

 

Yesterday, we reported some casting news for The Words and The Wachowski Siblings/Tom Tykwer’s adaptation of Cloud Atlas.  Turns out those films weren’t quite finished in the casting department.  Producer Cassian Elwes has tweeted [via The Playlist] that Zoe Saldana will star alongside Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Irons, and Dennis Quaid in The Words.  The drama centers on a celebrated writer (Cooper) who must pay the price for stealing the work of another author (Irons).  I imagine the price is somewhat higher than the lawyer’s fees for the litigation that would most likely occur in a less-interesting movie.
In other casting news, ScreenDaily reports that Susan Sarandon and Jim Broadbent are in talks to join Tom Hanks, Hugo Weaving, Ben Whishaw, and Halle Berry in Cloud Atlas.  The movie is based on David Mitchell’s acclaimed novel that spans the progress of a soul across six separate existences across several centuries.  Shooting is planned to begin this September.  Hit the jump for a synopsis of the novel.

http://collider.com/zoe-saldana-the-words-susan-sarandon-jim-broadbent-cloud-atlas/90473/

Tim Robbins Joins Mark Ruffalo in THANKS FOR SHARING

by Matt Goldberg   Posted: May 12th, 2011 at 10:15 am

 

Tim Robbins will co-star with Mark Ruffalo in Thanks for Sharing, the directorial debut of The Kids Are All Right screenwriter Stuart Blumberg.  Risky Business reports that Blumberg’s script “revolves around characters in a 12-step program for recovering sex addicts in New York City.”  While Robbins earned an Oscar for his dramatic work, I’ve always found him to be delightful in comic roles even though Thanks for Sharing is being billed as a “dramedy”.  Filming is slated to begin this fall.
Robbins and Ruffalo will both next be seen in superhero films.  Robbins plays Senator Hammond, father of villain Hector Hammond (Peter Sarsgaard) in Green Lantern.  Ruffalo is currently filming on The Avengers where he plays Bruce Banner/Hulk.

http://collider.com/tim-robbins-mark-ruffalo-thanks-for-sharing/90483/

**Another Wyatt Earp Film in the Works **Tim Robbins May Join Dean Koontz Adaptation Odd Thomas **The Dark Knight Rises Shoots in Pittsburgh This Summer

Another Wyatt Earp Film in the Works
Posted: April 5th, 2011 by WorstPreviews.com Staff


About a month ago, it was reported that Val Kilmer is starring in a Western called "The First Ride of Wyatt Earp," which is currently filming in California and revolves around an elderly Earp sitting down with a reporter to reflect on the ride that made him a legend.


Now comes word that another Wyatt Earp project is now in the works. The new one is called "wild Guns," which is a Warner Bros picture centering on Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday attempting to free Sitting Bull's kidnapped daughter from a shaman.


Warners just confirmed that it acquired the script for the film from writer TS Nowlin, who also recently sold "Columbus" that McG (Terminator Salvation) is attached to helm.


Source: Variety




Read more: http://www.worstpreviews.com/headline.php?id=21229&count=0








Tim Robbins May Join Dean Koontz Adaptation Odd Thomas
published: 2011-04-05 18:11:44 Author: Mack Rawden
With Charlie Bartlett star Anton Yelchin and Phil Collins’ suddenly popular daughter Lily already on board for the Dean Koontz adaptation Odd Thomas, the project is hardly lacking in name recognition, but it may be about to pick up some serious artistic credibility as well. Academy Award winner Tim Robbins hasn’t committed yet, but he’s reportedly very interested in the project. A deal could be closed shortly.


The novel and its subsequent sequels follow a short order cook named Odd who sees and regularly communicates with the dead. Along with his partner Stormy, he uses this otherworldly link to solve murders, prevent disasters and hang out with Elvis and other deceased celebrities. I’d probably do the same thing. According to Bloody Disgusting, there’s no word on who Robbins might play, but Yelchin will tackle the lead and Collins his sidekick.


Horror films run the gamut between almost intentionally bad to brilliant. Much of it depends on the screenplay, but the importance of the cast cannot be downplayed. The better the cast, the bigger the budget, the more likely a director will be hired who will treat the subject matter with respect. Mummy director Stephen Summers has already been tapped to helm Odd Thomas. He was in charge of Van Helsing; so, he’s already got a bit of experience with creatures that go bump in the night. Let’s hope this hits theaters with more than just a shriek.
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Tim-Robbins-May-Join-Dean-Koontz-Adaptation-Odd-Thomas-24056.html




The Dark Knight Rises Shoots in Pittsburgh This Summer


The Dark Knight Rises to shoot in PittsburghDirector Christopher Nolan confirmed earlier today that The Dark Knight Rises will be filmed in Pittsburgh sometime this summer. Here's what Christopher Nolan had to say about the Pennsylvania city in a statement, which also confirmed this will be his last Batman movie as a director.




"Pittsburgh is a beautiful city. We have been able to find everything we were looking for here, and I am excited to spend the summer in Pittsburgh with our final installment of Batman."




Dawn Keezer, the director of the Pittsburgh Film Office, revealed the sequel will shoot in downtown Pittsburgh and adjacent areas for four to six weeks, although it isn't clear when production will start in Pittsburgh. Dawn Keezer also said that the director was lured to the city by its architecture.




"They're still nailing down actual locations but what they really fell in love with was the diversity of architecture and the gorgeous buildings that we still have in Downtown Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas."




The Dark Knight Rises production will be a global affair, with shooting already slated to take place in the United Kingdom, Los Angeles, Bucharest, and Detroit. We reported last week that The Dark Knight Rises will be the last Batman movie directed by Christopher Nolan. Warner Bros. plans to reboot the franchise after The Dark Knight Rises, although Christopher Nolan will remain on board as a producer.


The Dark Knight Rises comes to theaters July 20th, 2012 and stars Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The film is directed by Christopher Nolan.




Sources: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette http://www.movieweb.com/news/the-dark-knight-rises-shoots-in-pittsburgh-this-summer

***Teaser Trailer for CINEMA VERITE Starring Tim Robbins, Diane Lane, and James Gandolfini ***Scoot McNairy Set for a Lead Role in COGAN’S TRADE; In Consideration for PROMETHEUS and ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER ***TV Casting: Michael Emerson is a PERSON OF INTEREST, Maria Bello is a PRIME SUSPECT, and James Van Der Beek Playing Himself in New Pilot

Scoot McNairy Set for a Lead Role in COGAN’S TRADE; In Consideration for PROMETHEUS and ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 16th, 2011

The already impressive cast of Andrew Dominik’s (The Assassination of Jesse James) Cogan’s Trade has added one more. Scoot McNairy, star of Gareth Edwards’ low-budge Monsters has nabbed one of the lead roles in the flick alongside Brad Pitt. Other castmembers include James Gandolfini, Sam Rockwell, Casey Affleck, Mark Ruffalo, Javier Bardem, Ray Liotta, Bella Heathcote, and Richard Jenkins. The story of Cogan’s Trade revolves around a mob enforcer (Pitt) who must investigate the robbery of a high-stakes poker game. Filming is set to get underway later this month in New Orleans.

Deadline’s report that McNairy joins Cogan’s Trade also points out that the actor is in high demand. He’s in contention for a role in Ridley Scott’s Prometheus and is circling the role of Josh Speed in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. No telling how he plans to fit all of that into his schedule should he land all of these roles, but it sure would be quite a ride. Cogan’s Trade is set to be released sometime in 2012.

............. http://collider.com/scoot-mcnairy-cogans-trade/76569/

Teaser Trailer for CINEMA VERITE Starring Tim Robbins, Diane Lane, and James Gandolfini

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: February 16th, 2011

HBO has dominated the TV movie for ages.  The network has won the last 7 Emmys for Outstanding Made for TV Movie, not to mention 16 of the last 19.  But it’s not the sexiest format, so HBO’s efforts do a much better job at boosting the Emmy total than my actual interest in the network, no matter how solid Temple Grandin was.

Yet something about Cinema Verite stands out.  The cast is teriffic, featuring Diane Lane, Tim Robbins, James Gandolfini, Patrick Fugit — but that’s not it.  HBO telepics always have great casts.  I’m drawn in by the story, a look behind the scenes of the 1973 documentary An American Family, which chronicled the lives of the Loud family and effectively birthed the reality TV genre.  The first teaser trailer, which makes excellent use of “California Dreamin’” by The Mamas & the Papas, does not disappoint.  Watch it after the jump.

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http://collider.com/cinema-verite-trailer-hbo/76588/

TV Casting: Michael Emerson is a PERSON OF INTEREST, Maria Bello is a PRIME SUSPECT, and James Van Der Beek Playing Himself in New Pilot

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: February 17th, 2011

Though we’d heard J.J. Abrams was looking to reunite Lost stars Michael Emerson and Terry O’Quinn with Odd Jobs, the series has apparently been pushed back until the next development season in 2012. However, it looks like Emerson will still be working with Abrams this season as Deadline reports the actor will lead Bad Robot’s drama Person of Interest which has been set up at CBS. The proposed series is said to follow an ex-CIA agent, presumed dead, who teams up with a mysterious billionaire (Emerson) to prevent violent crimes in New York City. David Semel (Heroes) will direct the pilot which we’ll hopefully be seeing later this year.

For news on other TV casting with James Van Der Beek and Maria Bello, hit the jump.

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http://collider.com/michael-emerson-person-of-interest-maria-bello-prime-suspect/76613/