Saturday, April 6, 2013

Donald Sutherland, Ellen Burstyn Join Susan Sarandon, Topher Grace in ‘The Calling’

Donald Sutherland and Ellen Burstyn have joined the cast of “The Calling,” a thriller that began production last week, according to an individual with knowledge of the project.

Gil Bellows, who recently wrapped the JFK drama "Parkland," also joins stars Topher Grace and Susan Sarandon in the film, which follows a Canadian detective (Sarandon) tracking down a serial killer with the help of a police officer (Grace).
Jason Stone is directing from a script by Scott Abramovitch with Christine Vachon’s Killer Films producing.

Composer Hans Zimmer Focused On The Good In Humanity For His Man Of Steel Score

Zack Snyder had a tough gig ahead of him when it came to making the second reboot of the Superman franchise, since Brian Singer’s Superman Returns didn’t win audiences over quite so much. (Though our resident master Josh Tyler loved it.) But everything Snyder does is given a weary glance when it’s first announced. But when you’re somebody as iconic as composer Hans Zimmer, there’s a much different kind of anticipation involved, especially after his masterful work for Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. Would you be surprised to know that the man himself was even a little nervous about the gig?

Spielberg Double Feature: Catch Me If You Can, Minority Report, And Defying Genre

With Jurassic Park coming back to theaters this week, we're looking back at the years when Steven Spielberg released two films, and how those films reflect on each other. Earlier this week Sean dug into 1993's double feature, Jurassic Park vs. Schindler's List, Kristy tackled 1989's Always and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and Katey took on 2005, when Spielberg released Munich and War of the Worlds. In today's final installment, Eric compares Catch Me If You Can and Minority Report.
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Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters Moved up to August 7

Twentieth Century Fox has moved up the release date for Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters a week-and-a-half from Friday, August 16 to Wednesday, August 7. This change puts the release date just five days after 2 Guns and 300: Rise of an Empire and only two days before Disney's Planes, Elysium and We're the Millers.

Directed by Thor Freudenthal, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters stars Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Douglas Smith, Mary Birdsong, Yvette Nicole Brown, Missi Pyle, Nathan Fillion, Anthony Head, Paloma Kwiatkowski, Leven Rambin, Stanley Tucci, Robert Maillet and Zoe Aggeliki.

Bradley Cooper Joins Jane Got a Gun

Following some major shake-ups last month, Bradley Cooper has joined the cast of Gavin O'Connor's Jane Got a Gun, Deadline reports. He replaces the recently-departed Jude Law as the film's chief antagonist.

Also starring Natalie Portman, Joel Edgerton and Rodrigo Santoro, Jane Got a Gun centers on a woman who must ask an ex-lover for help in order to save her outlaw husband from a gang who are out to kill him.

Cooper was recently nominated for an Academy Award for his role in David O. Russell's Silver Linings Playbook. He can soon be seen reprising his role as Phil in Todd Phillips' The Hangover Part III.

Hong Kong Film Festival Launches Year-Round Repertory Program

The new "Cine Fan" program will feature tributes to Chris Marker and the Taviani brothers, and a master class conducted by Abbas Kiarostami.

The Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) has launched a new year-round monthly repertory program, HKIFF Cine Fan, showcasing restored classics, tributes to masters, genre films and other rarely seen cinematic gems.
Financed by government agency Create Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Film Development Fund, HKIFF Cine Fan is based at the agnès b. CINEMA at the Hong Kong Arts Centre. Hong Kong singer-songwriter Anthony Wong has been named as ambassador of the program.

Bryan Singer Reveals Possible New Beast Concept Art for X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST

Director Bryan Singer may have just given X-Men fans a sneak peek of the new look for Beast in X-Men: Days of Future Past.  The story of the film will include not only the characters seen in Matthew Vaughn’s successful X-Men: First Class, but will also incorporate a huge cast of characters from Singer’s original X-Men trilogy.  While the exact details of the film have been under wraps for the most part, the plot from the mythology involves Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat traveling back in time to warn past X-Men of an event that could rock the globe.

Singer recently tweeted an image of what appears to be concept art for Beast, and the design is a bit different from the one seen in X-Men: First Class.  Hit the jump for more, including the image.

Robert Downey Jr. Rolls Into Beijing for 'Iron Man 3' Publicity Blitz

The actor endears himself to the local crowd, saying that he lives "a very Chinese life in America."

After a splashy start in Seoul, the Iron Man 3 juggernaut rolled into the Chinese capital on Saturday, with star Robert Downey Jr. boosting his Chinese credentials by stating his love of the country’s culture through a belief in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts.
“I’m interested in all things Chinese and I live a very Chinese life in America,” said the actor during an on-stage panel discussion with his co-star Wang Xueqi and Wu Bing, president of the film’s Chinese co-producer DMG Entertainment, at the press launch of the film at the Grand Hyatt Hotel Saturday morning.

History Renews New Drama VIKINGS For a Second Season

History has a scored a few big ratings hits this season, and though its first scripted drama Vikings has not even finished its inaugural run, the cable network has already renewed it for a 10-episode second season.  According to the network, Vikings has been the #1 new cable series in 2013 in terms of viewership, even in its competitive Sunday night slot, averaging around five million viewers.  I reviewed the series as it first aired and found it compelling, especially in the weeks before another gritty period drama, Game of Thrones, returned — although Vikings certainly has its own merits.  Hit the jump for more.

Jessica Chastain Heads to Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Crimson Peak’

Guillermo del Toro has quietly assembled an impressive acting roster for his next feature-length directing project, Crimson Peak, his self-described throwback to old-fashioned haunted house genre movies – those which used extravagant sets as the playgrounds for weaving spooky yarns about the living being tormented by the most terrible of specters, from the outside world and within themselves (see: The Haunting (1963), The Shining, etc.).

Variety has broken the news story about Oscar-nominee Jessica Chastain joining the Crimson Peak cast, some twenty-four hours after the organization revealed that fan-favorite Sherlock actor Benedict Cumberbatch (who plays the antagonist in this year’s Star Trek Into Darkness) has also signed up for del Toro’s horror feature. These casting deals are being finalized well ahead of schedule, given that filming isn’t supposed to begin until early next year.

'Veronica Mars' Update: Rob Thomas Has Finished a 'Too-long' First Draft, Breaks Down Budget

With one week left in the Kickstarter campaign, and $4.5 million already raised, the writer/director offers a lengthy report for fans of the project.

The Veronica Mars movie continues to chug along, with writer/director Rob Thomas confirming that he’s finished a first draft of the script.
On Friday, Thomas offered backers of the project an update including a glimpse at the final page of his draft, which reads: "Outside the office, the motorcycles turn deafening as they accelerate away, and we… FADE TO BLACK."

‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’ Won’t Include January Jones as Emma Frost

It’s beginning to look like Hugh Jackman definitely wasn’t joking when he teased that “every other actor who’s ever put on a superhero uniform” would be making an appearance in Bryan Singer’s X-Men: First Class sequel, X-Men: Days of Future Past. The film will unite not only a significant number of cast members from the 1960s-set story arc that we saw in First Class, but will also include the majority of both central and minor characters from the first X-Men movie trilogy.

For every few bits of information about returning players, however, there has been the occasional news about cast members who won’t be returning. Neither Alan Cumming nor Jason Flemyng were asked to return as their characters Nightcrawler and Azazel, respectively. Now another mutant has officially been dropped from the film’s cast.

Friday, April 5, 2013

‘Justice League: Flashpoint’ Animated Movie – First Image, Release Date & Synopsis

For the past twenty-plus years, Warner Bros. and DC Comics have basically dominated the animated superhero market, from their TV shows – namely, Batman: The Animated Series – to their multitudinous animated movies. And despite the fact that the legendary Bruce Timm is stepping down from his role as supervising producer of the DC Universe Animated Movies, it looks like DC will continue to dominate that market for the foreseeable future.

After Superman Unbound, the next animated movie scheduled to be released is Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, an adaptation of the 2011 (Flash-centric) comic book crossover by Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert. Today, the first image, a release date, and a synopsis for the film have been released.

Fast & Furious 6 Poster Puts The Characters Ahead Of The Cars

The latest poster for the next installment to the Fast & Furious sequel reminds us that the movie arrives in theaters in a little over two months, right around the time when the Summer 2013 movie season will be roaring its engine, and hopefully already delivering on all of the potential and hype teased in the months leading up. In the case of Fast & Furious 6, all roads apparently lead to this.

Aside from the excellent tough-guy(/girl) poses, what I like about the latest poster, which was shared by Coming Soon, is that it literally puts the characters first, ahead of the cars and what appears to be a London backdrop. Sure, the Fast & Furious films offer some of the more exciting car chases and racing scenes we might see on the big screen that year, but there's also a character story involved, and a little investment in the likes of Dom, Brian, Mia and the rest of the crew goes a long way. Six movies - with a seventh possibly starting production this summer - is a long way for a franchise that hasn't required a reboot yet. Though, one could argue that Fast Five refilled the tank and pumped a bit of air into the franchise's tires.

‘Prometheus’ Screenwriter Jon Spaihts Hired for Disney’s ‘The Black Hole’ Remake

Yesterday, director Joseph Kosinski teased that Disney would be releasing some big news about the remake of its 1979 sci-fi film The Black Hole. Now, we know what he was talking about.

According to a new report, screenwriter Jon Spaihts has been hired to rewrite the film, picking up where screenwriter Travis Beachem left off. Previously, Spaihts wrote the Timur Bekmambetov-produced sci-fi film The Darkest Hour and the pseudo-Alien prequel Prometheus. Spaihts is also currently working on Len Wiseman’s reboot of The Mummy.

‘Anchorman 2′ Casts Nicole Kidman in Cameo Role – Who Else Might Appear?

The cast of Adam McKay’s highly anticipated comedy sequel Anchorman: The Legend Continues is rounding out very nicely – with McKay’s early promise to “[create] a murderer’s row of the best day players ever” gaining weight with each new name reveal.

To recap, on top of returning principles Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Christina Applegate, David Koecher and Steve Carell, the Anchorman sequel will also feature Harrison Ford as a “legendary newscaster,” Kristen Wiig as a rumored love interest for Brick Tamland, Terence Stamp as a Rupert Murdoch-type figure, and Greg Kinnear and Josh Lawson in unknown roles.

Til Schweiger Gives Bounce To German Box Office

Schweiger's German-language comedy 'Kokowaah 2' helps local films take a third of Germany's box office revenues in the first quarter of 2013.

COLOGNE, Germany – If German cinema was a basketball team, actor/director Til Schweiger would be its LeBron James.
Schweiger's latest romantic comedy, Kokowaah 2, which, like most of his German projects he co-wrote, co-directed, produced and stared in, was another box office slam dunk, grossing close to $25 million here with more than 2.5 million tickets sold. Together with Schlussmacher -- a rom-com from Matthias Schweighofer, another actor/director multi-hyphanate -- which grossed some $23 million -- Kokowaah 2 helped lift the German industry out of the late winter blues and give it reason to cheer.

‘Ninja Turtles’ Filming Begins Today in New York; ‘Female Models’ Wanted

We recently heard more pieces of main casting news for Ninja Turtles, the live-action reboot of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise from producer Michael Bay, which means that we should soon be able to put voices to the faces of the four pizza-loving, karate-trained, sewer-dwelling mutants. The film’s development has so far received mixed responses from the fans of the show, and from TMNT co-creator Peter Laird, who have expressed concern at Bay’s involvement, the casting of Megan Fox as April O’Neil, and rumors that the Turtles’ alien-mutagen-based origins were being reshuffled to make them full-blown aliens.

The film was originally supposed to start shooting last summer, but has since been heavily delayed. We’ve heard several different explanations for the delay, from script rewrites, to budget trims, to plans to release the film on the 30th anniversary of the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic’s release. Whatever the real reason for the long wait, it seems that production is finally getting underway.

Got $35,000? You Can Watch 'Jurassic Park 3D' at Home This Weekend

Prima Cinema and investors including Universal are offering pricey digital equipment that enables home viewing of new releases (for $500 a pop)

Care to watch the 3D re-release of Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park this weekend without going to the theater?
For decades, an elite group of Hollywood insiders making up what's known as the Bel Air Circuit have been provided new movies as a courtesy to watch in the privacy of their lavish home theaters.

Now a new outfit called Prima Cinema is offering the unprecedented chance for anyone with enough money — and a home theater, of course — the same sort of access. The price tag: $35,000 for a special digital box that allows films to be delivered safely over the Internet, then $500 for each title (a movie can only be viewed once over the course of a 24-hour period).

Jon Spaihts to Rewrite Disney’s Remake of THE BLACK HOLE for Director Joseph Kosinski

Disney’s plan for a remake of their 1979 sci-fi film The Black Hole now includes screenwriter Jon Spaihts (Prometheus).  Spaihts has been tapped to rewrite the script for director Joseph Kosinski (TRON: Legacy).  The original film starred Maximilian Schell, Anthony Perkins and Ernest Borgnine in a story that followed space explorers aboard the USS Palomino who come across a lost ship near a black hole. Inside the ship, the explorers meet a scientist who has plans of entering the black hole with his army of faceless robots in tow.  Travis Beacham (Clash of the Titans) previously worked on the script after Disney began developing the remake back in 2009.  Hit the jump for more, including the trailer for the original film.

New ‘Avengers’ Deleted Scenes: NYC Chaos, Shawarma, & More Loki

It’s been almost a year since the release of Marvel’s team-up The Avengers (2012), but that doesn’t mean fans have seen every bit of footage the film had to offer. While previous Blu-ray releases have supplied endless deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes looks at production, the newest batch of newly unveiled footage is more substantial, showing just how developed certain storylines were – before ultimately winding up on the cutting room floor.

The new scenes come thanks to the release of Marvel’s ‘Phase One’ Collector’s Edition, delayed since last year due to legal issues. While these extra clips may not lay groundwork for what’s next from Marvel, they do help round out a film that fans already found up to snuff.

Roger Ebert's Film Festival Still Set for Mid-April

Ebertfest will go on as planned despite the death of its founder/programmer on Thursday.

Ebertfest is still scheduled to go on as planned in the wake of founder/programmer Roger Ebert's death.
Organizers said on Ebertfest's website that the 15th edition of the annual film festival is still set for April 17-21 in Champaign, Ill.

"All of us at Ebertfest are very saddened by the news of our dear friend Roger’s passing," the statement read. "He was a remarkable man who influenced journalists and film lovers the world over."

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Begins Filming in Wantagh, NY Today

The upcoming reboot of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will start filming at Jones Beach State Park in Wantagh, NY, under the shooting title "Foursquare," reports On Location Vacations. Anybody in the area that sees signs labeled '4SQ' should know there's potential to see the set for the film.

Directed by Jonathan Liebesman, the film features a screenplay by Josh Appelbaum, Andrew Nemec, Art Marcum, Matt Holloway and John Fusco, and is based on the characters created by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman.

Nicholas Hoult Joins ‘Dark Places’

Nicholas Hoult isn’t exactly a household name, but chances are, most moviegoers are familiar with the young actor’s work. Hoult first gained notice for his work in the 2002 comedy-drama About a Boy opposite Hugh Grant and Toni Collette.

These days, the former child star is quickly developing into a leading man. Hoult appeared as the young Hank McCoy/Beast in director Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class (a role he’s set to reprise in next year’s much-talked-about sequel) and starred in the zombie romance Warm Bodies, both of which received critical acclaim and financial success. Now it appears that the actor is looking to move on to a new genre.

‘Cinderella’ Actress Shortlist Revealed; ‘Game of Thrones’ Actor Eyed for Prince Role

Disney is taking the success of director Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland ($1 billion worldwide gross in theaters) and Sam Raimi’s Oz the Great and Powerful ($415 million in less than a month) to heart, which accounts for the Mouse House pushing ahead with more contemporary live-action retellings of beloved fairy tales – beginning with Cinderella, as directed by Kenneth Branagh (Thor) and featuring Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett (The Hobbit) in the iconic evil stepmother role.

Amanda Seyfried (Les Misérables) was rumored to play the famous diamond-in-the-rough princess a few years ago, while Emma Watson (a.k.a. Hermoine in Harry Potter) passed on the opportunity just last month. Hence, Branagh and Disney are testing three other actresses for the role this week, in addition to assembling a list of prime candidates for the male lead (ie. the handsome prince).

Kimberly Pierce To Follow Up Carrie With Aryan Brotherhood Drama The Brand

Director Kimberly Pierce has never been one to shy away from tricky subject matter. In 1999 she made her feature debut with Boys Don't Cry, a biopic about the tragically short life of transgendered teen Brandon Teena. Next came Stop Loss in which she tackled the titular controversial military policy that forces soldiers to stay enlisted past their initial contract. This fall will see her ballsy remake of the Stephen King thriller Carrie, and then Pierce will move from Carrie White to white supremacists for The Brand.

Deadline reports Pierce has been picked to direct the drama that is named for the Aryan Brotherhood's infamous prison gang. The script by penned by The Messenger's scribe Alessandro Camon and Snitch writer-director Ric Roman Waugh is based on the 2004 New Yorker article by David Grann. The original article, also called "The Brand," followed U.S. Attorney Gregory Jessner's quest to bring down the gang that thrived despite being behind bars, because of their strict hierarchy, merciless violence, and coded communications. The movie will show the rise of The Brand through the eyes of a young recruit who will rise through the racist gang's ranks, then consider defecting.

Pitch Perfect Cast Will Reunite For A Musical Opening Number At The MTV Movie Awards

With Rebel Wilson set to host the MTV Movie Awards later this month, it probably wasn't too much of a stretch to hope that the movie-focused awards ceremony might acknowledge Pitch Perfect in some way, beyond the four nominations it received. Wilson scored two individual nominations for the film (Breakthrough Performance and Female Performance), which focused on a college a cappella competition. And so it happens, some of the film's cast will reunite on stage for a musical opening number that's sure to be aca-mazing.

MTV announced that, in addition to performances by Selena Gomez and "Thrift Shop" singer's Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, who will perform their latest single "Can't Hold Us," the MTV Movie Awards will also include a performance by Pitch Perfect's two main a cappella groups, The Bellas and the Treblemakers.

New York Indian Film Festival Announces 2013 Lineup

The festival's 13th edition will open with Feroz Khan's political satire “Dekh Tamasha Dekh” and close with the National Award-winning “Filmistaan,” from director Nitin Kakkar.

NEW DELHI – The 13th New York Indian Film Festival will run from 30 April to 4 May and open with social and political satire Dekh Tamasha Dekh by director Feroz Khan.
Organized by the Indo American Arts Council, NYIFF focuses on independent, art house, alternate and diaspora films which have a connection with the Indian subcontinent. This year's event will screen 22 features which will all have their New York City premieres.

‘Jack the Giant Slayer’ Bombs at the Box Office

It seems that Hollywood just can’t get enough of reinventing fairy tales, though the audience and box office response to them has been mixed at best. “Beauty and the Beast in high school” romance flick Beastly was almost universally scorned by critics, though it managed to earn a modest profit off its relatively low production budget. Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters and Snow White and the Huntsman both did well enough overseas to compensate for their lukewarm domestic gross, and it was more or less the same deal for Snow White and the Huntsman‘s rival, Mirror Mirror.

The fairy tale trend is not over yet, though. Next year we can expect to see Maleficent, a live-action origin story for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty villain, and Guillermo Del Toro is planning another Beauty and the Beast adaptation with Emma Watson as the heroine. For whatever reason, live-action reinventions of classic fairy tales are incredibly in vogue right now. Personally, I blame Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, which was one of the few fairy tale success stories at the box office, earning a worldwide gross of over $1 billion.

The Heat Screenwriter And Paul Feig Plan Another Female Comedy At Fox

It’s a rough world for screenwriters entering the job field, as a business that many bridges as it builds and shows a lot of cold shoulders. As such, when Hollywood loves someone, it lets them know with dollar signs, not love letters.

Even though the female buddy comedy The Heat won’t be out until June 28, its screenwriter Katie Dippold is glowing with some heat of her own, as Deadline reports she’s already signed on for a new project with The Heat producers Chernin Entertainment and Twentieth Century Fox. So strong is their belief in Dippold’s written work that they’re giving her a deal in the low seven-figures. When a screenwriter earns over $1 million for a script, it usually means the film won’t be a small independent feature.

Zoe Saldana May Play Gamora in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’

Today, North American moviegoers sit exactly one month away from the release of Iron Man 3 in theaters and the beginning of the Phase Two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Where Iron Man 3 serves as the first chapter on the road to The Avengers 2, Guardians of the Galaxy serves as the last.

Writer-director James Gunn and Marvel Studios are revving up to begin principal photography on Guardians of the Galaxy this summer and have begun the casting process with a search for their human(oid) characters. Chris Pratt is playing the male lead, Dave Bautista is playing the muscle, and now Marvel has found their female lead.

Robert Downey Jr. Kicks Off 'Iron Man 3' World Tour in South Korea

The star showed off some "Gangnam Style" at the first stop of a global promotional trip that will take him from Seoul to Beijing, Moscow, Munich, Paris, London, Los Angeles and New York.

SEOUL — South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Madonna have done it, so there was little reason for Robert Downey Jr. not to break into Psy’s infectious "Gangnam Style" horse dance for the local crowd during the kickoff event Thursday for the Iron Man 3 global promotional tour.
The actor arrived late Wednesday in Seoul, for the first time in five years since promoting the first installment of the superhero franchise in 2008. During photo ops flashes went wild as the star spontaneously broke out some “Gangnam Style” moves next to a life-size Iron Man figure.

Rumor Patrol: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Villain is Thanos’ Henchman

We’ve known since first appearing after the credits in The Avengers that Thanos would have a big role to play in Phase Two, and possibly Phase Three, of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We also know from the words of Thanos creator Jim Starlin, that the Mad Titan would be involved with Guardians of the Galaxy and The Avengers 2, although not necessarily serving as the primary antagonist in each.

So, when Earth’s first line of defense finally join together on screen forming the Cosmic Avengers, who exactly might they be protecting our planet against?

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Jason Dohring Confirmed for Veronica Mars

Rob Thomas' massively successful, Kickstarter-financed Veronica Mars feature film has officially added Jason Dohring to the cast. He'll reprise his role as Logan Echolls.

"Jason Dohring is officially on board for the Veronica Mars movie," Rob Thomas updates. "We now have three actors officially cast. Veronica. Logan and the waiter who says, 'Your check, sir.'"

The series starred Kristen Bell as the titular Mars, a young student who, growing up with a detective for a father, moonlit as a private investigator. The series ran for three seasons, transitioning Mars from high school to college.

Tim Burton to Next Direct Biopic BIG EYES; Christoph Waltz and Amy Adams Will Star

Director Tim Burton’s long-developing biopic Big Eyes is finally moving forward.  The filmmaker first became attached to the pic back in 2010, when he sparked to a script by Ed Wood scribes Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski that he intended to produce.  The film’s story focuses on the artistic coupling of Margaret and Walter Keane.  Walter became famous in the 1950s and 60s for paintings featuring saucer-eyed kids, though it was the shy Margaret who really did the work.  Margaret eventually tired of the misplaced credit, which led to a divorce and a heated court battle to prove authorship of the paintings.

Ryan Reynolds and Reese Witherspoon became attached to play the couple early last year, but now a different promising duo of actors will be bringing The Keanes to life on the big screen with Burton in the director’s chair, as Christoph Waltz and Amy Adams have signed on to topline the pic.  Hit the jump for more.

Roger Ebert Reveals Cancer Recurrence, Announces Work Downshift

The Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic wrote on his blog that a "painful fracture" that has inhibited his walking is actually cancer, and he will be taking a step back from his daily duties.

Roger Ebert's life story has just taken another major twist.
The storied film critic -- who is currently the subject of an in-progress biopic from Steve James, Martin Scorsese and Steve Zallian -- announced on Tuesday night that he would be taking a "leave of presence" from his job at the Chicago Sun-Times, due to a recurrence of cancer.

"It is being treated with radiation, which has made it impossible for me to attend as many movies as I used to," the 70-year old critic wrote on his blog. "I have been watching more of them on screener copies that the studios have been kind enough to send to me."

Harry Potter And Killing Famous People: Seth Rogen And Evan Goldberg Talk This Is The End

You’ve read about the panel this past weekend at WonderCon, you’ve seen the fake Pineapple Express 2 trailer; and you’ve watched the most recent Red band spot. But now it’s time to get up close and personal with the two men behind This Is The End.

This past weekend I tripped down to the Anaheim Convention Center where I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with both Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the writers and directors of the new apocalyptic comedy due out this summer. The film marks the duos’ directorial debut after previously teaming up to write Superbad, Pineapple Express and The Green Hornet, and they’re working with one very out-there concept, having some of the biggest names in comedy come together to play themselves in a world taken over by demons and hellfire. Check out our conversation below, in which Rogen and Goldberg talk about the joy of killing off famous people, how directing the film changed their approach to the script, finding a relatable core within all the craziness, and the movie’s bizarre Harry Potter connection.

Sony Goes Viral with Neil Blomkamp’s ‘Elysium’

Only a small number of people have been fortunate enough to see preview footage of Neil Blomkamp’s sophomore effort, Elysium, and they were all in Hall H at Comic-Con 2012. Since then, Sony has only offered a few consolatory early glimpses of Elysium here and there (an excellent first image of Sharlto Copley as one of the film’s heavies, for instance) as well as a full synopsis, but nothing else of real substance until yesterday.

According an announcement made by the studio, fans in New York, LA, Berlin, and Sao Paolo will have the opportunity to see a sneak peek of the film early this month- that is, if they can get an appointment.

Jim Sturgess Joins Kate Beckinsale In Brad Anderson's Poe-Adapted Thriller Eliza Graves

After years of directing better-than-average independent sleeper thrillers – except for 2010’s misstep Vanishing on 7th Street – Brad Anderson had a bit of a hit on his hands with The Call, which has earned $40 million in just over two weeks with just a $13 million budget. Lest one thought he’d be going for something more commercial, Anderson isn’t that kind of a guy.

His latest project, the psychological thriller Eliza Graves, just added Jim Sturgess to its cast, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Sturgess has been on a sci-fi run as of late, with Juan Solanas’ Upside Down and the Wachowski’s Cloud Atlas as his latest projects to hit theaters, and audiences will next see him in Mat Whitecross’ thriller Ashes and Giuseppe Tornatore’s romantic drama The Best Offer, as well as the just-finished crime biopic Electric Slide.
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Thailand International Film Destination Festival Debuts in Bangkok

The inaugural event includes screenings of hit Hollywood movies shot in the country, panel discussions, and a short film competition called the “Amazing Thailand Film Challenge.”

Thailand, already Southeast Asia’s most successful nation at luring in foreign film shoots, is ramping up efforts at promoting its exotic settings and production facilities to the international screen industry. On Wednesday the inaugural Thailand International Film Destination Festival kicked off in Bangkok.
The new event, designed specifically to promote Thailand’s history as a shooting location, will include public screenings in central Bangkok of popular Thai-set films, such as The Hangover 2, The Beach, The Impossible, Vinyan, The Lady, China’s recent box-office record-breaker, Lost in Thailand, and others.

Clint Eastwood to Direct ‘Jersey Boys’ Film?

These days, actor/director Clint Eastwood is best known as the filmmaker behind hard-hitting dramas like Million Dollar Baby and Mystic River. However, the former Dirty Harry has been looking to try his hand at a very different genre for quite a while – the musical.

For years, Eastwood has been developing a remake of A Star Is Born, which was most recently brought to the big screen in 1976 with Barbara Streisand in the lead. Eastwood’s version – which would be the third remake of the original 1937 production – was set to star Beyoncé Knowles. However, Knowles has since dropped out of the project, leaving it in a state of limbo for now.

Danny Boyle on a 'Trainspotting' Sequel, Fearing James Bond Fans and His Meeting With the Queen

The Oscar winner met Queen Elizabeth II in her living quarters, "Which is just like anybody’s living quarters," he says. "Tea trays and newspapers and stuff, just thrown around."

Perhaps not since Sid Vicious has someone been able to veer so effortlessly between heroin, the Queen of England and upending artistic expectations in one conversation.
Danny Boyle was in New York on Tuesday night to premiere his latest film, the frenetic neo-noir/psychological caper Trance. The movie stars James McAvoy as an erstwhile art thief working for a gangster (Vincent Cassel) and -- after a major head injury -- under the care of a hypnotist (Rosario Dawson) who must enter his brain to figure out where, exactly, he stashed a valuable stolen painting before sustaining the blow to his brain. But like this film, which leaps from one buzzing frame to the next, Boyle's career is so filled with twists and turns, any discussion with the Oscar-winning filmmaker seems to cover a whole range of topics.

‘Ninja Turtles’ Reboot Adds Will Arnett – Who is He Playing?

The news that Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes and director Jonathan Liebesman – who previously collaborated on The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning – are rebooting the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live-action movie franchise would have been divisive enough on its own, without the changes to the Turtles aliens’ backstory, shortened Ninja Turtles title and having Transformers actress Megan Fox cast as April O’Neal. However, the fact of the matter is, well… that’s where everything stands.

Ninja Turtles hasn’t finished casting yet, but the roles of Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael have all been filled by lesser-known actors at this point (for better or worse). We have an update that reveals Will Arnett has now boarded this Turtles train, but the fan-favorite funnyman’s role in the proceedings remains a mystery.

Cartoon Network, Bollywood's Toonz to Create Animated Version of 'Krrish' Film Franchise

The hit Bollywood superhero films will be remade as four animated TV movies to air on Cartoon Network India beginning in July.

NEW DELHI – In a first of its kind deal in India, a major Bollywood franchise will extend its reach via specially created animated TV versions. Cartoon Network, leading Indian animation house Toonz and Bollywood banner Film Kraft have come to an agreement to produce four animated movies based on the hit superhero franchise Krrish, directed by veteran Bollywood actor and filmmaker Rakesh Roshan.
The franchise began with the 2003 release Koi...Mil Gaya (I Found Someone) starring Roshan's son Hrithik Roshan, who will return later this year in Krrish 3. The third installment of the Film Kraft franchise also stars actresses Priyanka Chopra and Kangna Ranaut, along with actor Vivek Oberoi.

First Images for ‘Raid 2: Berandal’ Tease Blood & Martial Arts Battles

Last year, Screen Rant’s Kofi Outlaw gave The Raid: Redemption five stars and ranked it as his second favorite action movie of all time (just behind Die Hard). The praise surrounding this low-budget Indonesian action movie, written and directed by Welsh martial arts fan Gareth Evans, was widespread and earned it an 84% score on Rotten Tomatoes, along with a worldwide gross of around four times its original production budget.

Planning begun on a sequel, titled Berandal, shortly after the release of the first film, and the sequel commenced shooting in January of this year. We’ve already had hints of what to expect, with a new character called “Hammer Girl” and confirmation that the sequel will be set immediately after the end of the first film.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

'Transformers 4' to Film in China, Star Chinese Actors as Paramount Enters Co-Production Agreement

The studio is teaming with China Movie Channel and Jiaflix Enterprises to give the big budget film a major presence in the country, where the franchise is a huge hit.

Another big budget American franchise is tailoring itself for the Chinese market.
Paramount on Tuesday announced that it is partnering with China Movie Channel and Jiaflix Enterprises in a production agreement that would create a major presence for Transformers 4 in the world's most populous nation. The China Movie Channel is run by the State Administration of Radio Film and Television, an official arm of the Chinese government.

Rob Zombie Updates on Broad Street Bullies

Last summer, it was revealed that musician-turned-filmmaker Rob Zombie was interested in tackling his first non-horror project with Broad Street Bullies, based on the true story of the 1970's Philadelphia Flyers.

"That [script] is finished," Zombie tells ComingsSoon.net. "I just finished it. That was an epic battle because that was the first time I had to really research something. There's no fiction in it, it's all true. It was a year of research, my God, I read every f--king book and, obviously, the game ends with game 6 against the Bruins when they win the cup. I must have watched game 6 a thousand f--king times until I had it memorized. It's a pretty epic script. I was just in Philadelphia a couple of weeks ago and all of those guys still go to every game. I was sitting in the box with Joe Watson and Bernie Parent. The Broadstreet Bullies still reign there. I got to get that movie right or they'll take me out and hang me."

Cannes: Which Films Won't Make It to the French Riviera This Year?

Movies starring Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman and Meryl Streep are among those that likely won't be making the trip.

With the official lineup yet to be announced -- aside from Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby -- the 2013 Cannes Film Festival so far is being defined by which films aren't going.
In some instances, it's a matter of projects not being done in time.

Included in that group are Steve McQueen's Twelve Years a Slave, starring Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt and Quvenzhane Wallis; Lee Daniels' ensemble White House historical drama The Butler; and Foxcatcher, Bennett Miller's high-profile follow-up to Moneyball.

‘Evil Dead’ Reboot Sequel, ‘Army of Darkness 2,’ & a Crossover Movie Planned

It was recently revealed that Sam Raimi and one of his brothers are planning to write the script for Army of Darkness 2 this summer, and that Bruce Campbell had agreed to star in it even if the film was just “me and a walker fighting some other old guy.” In addition to this, Fede Alvarez has already announced that he is working on the sequel to his remake of the original film, Evil Dead, which is out in theaters on April 5th and has received generally positive reviews from critics. But why stop at just two more movies?

Will ‘Fast & Furious 7′ Begin Filming This Summer for a 2014 Release?

Eighteen months ago there was a rumor that Fast & Furious 6 and 7 will shoot back-to-back, but costar Dwayne Johnson deflated that false story before the sixth installment in the racing franchise began filming. Marketing for F&F6 has played up the suggestion that we’ll get to see the no-holds-barred finale this year, but that clashes with Vin Diesel’s previous claims about needing two additional movies to wrap everything up story-wise.

We’ve heard rumors about a Fast & Furious 6 post-credits scene, which could set up a seventh installment that builds on developments in the fourth, fifth and six movies in a logical fashion, in addition to bringing the series full-circle by tying off unresolved events in the original Fast and the Furious movie trilogy (specifically, Tokyo Drift). A new unofficial update on the situation indicates that Universal may have found a better alternative to the questionable back-to-back shooting process.
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