Concluding our week long look at Summit Entertainment's explosive new comedy, Red! Based on the graphic novel by Warren Ellis and artist Cully Hamner, Red stars Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman, and John Malkovich as a retired team of ex-CIA agents. But these four aren't letting themselves get put out to pasture. When one of them is attacked by an unknown high tech agent, they use their wealth of experience(and a ton of firepower) to get revenge!
Red is directed by Robert Schwentke(Flightplan), and is set to hit theaters on October 15th, 2010.
Check out another action-packed clip featuring Red's all-star cast, followed by an on-set interview with Bruce Willis courtesy of our friends over at Collider,
Listen to Bruce Willis talk about what it was like working on the set of Red by clicking here!
* Just a couple days after learning that Maggie Grace would be Irina in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, more angst-ridden vamps are being added at a rapid clip. Myanna Buring(The Descent), Casey LaBow(Skateland), Mia Maestro and Christian Camargo will all be joining her as members of the Denali coven. Mackenzie Foy gets the chance to be Renesmee, the lovechild of Bella and Edward. I can't imagine how pale her skin must be. She's probably transparent.
* Emily Blunt has joined the cast of Rian Johnson's time bending sci-fi thriller, Looper. She'll be joining Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis in the flick about a group of killers who work for a crime syndicate in the future. Thanks, Production Weekly.
* For as great an actor as he is I've been consistently disappointed by some of Ryan Gosling's film choices. Hopefully that's about to change as Deadline is reporting that George Clooney wants him for the lead role in Farragut North, the film he's hoping to direct based loosely on the 2004 Howard Dean presidential campaign. If signed he'll be joining Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti.
Can we get more info on Runaways, please? Not the Dakota Fanning/Krisen Stewart flick from a few months ago(Cherry Bomb!!!), but the film based on the Marvel Comics series about a close-knit group of teens who discover their parents are supervillains. Their decision? To run away and live in defiance of their criminal lineage.
All we really know so far is that production is set to begin in March of next year, with Peter Sollett(Nick and Norah's Infinite Playist) set to direct based on a script by Drew Pearce. Not a lot to go on, really. The Runaways consist of six members(and one dinosaur), yet we've heard absolutely nothing about casting. Until now.
In an interview in Essence Magazine, Keke Palmer(Akeelah and the Bee) revealed that she's been approached to star in the comic book adaptation...
Palmer: I’ve had a nice little break with the steady TV show but I’m definitely ready to do some more films again. I was just asked to join a new Marvel comic project called, “Runaways.”
Seriously? Who could she play? Unless some serious changes are being put into place there are no African-American females on the team. Then again she could be taking on the role of Xavin, a shapeshifting alien who joins the team later on. Xavin's human form is often that of an African-American dude, but when he falls in love with lesbian team member Carolina Dean, Xavin takes the form of a female for her benefit. That makes the most sense.
Production Weekly is reporting that Eminem(8 Mile) and Frances McDormand(Fargo) are currently in talks to join Fernando Meirelle's(The Constant Gardener) sexual thriller, 360. If signed, they'll be joining Rachel Weisz and Anthony Hopkins in the story following a number of couples caught in a cycle of promiscuity and adultery.
Wow, that's an odd pairing. Considering the story follows one member of each couple as they go about their sexual escapades until they eventually start overlapping, the chances of the rapper actually nailing McDormand on screen are pretty good! It would be an odd pair, that's all. I was excited when the film was announced, especially with Weisz and Meirelle working together again, but this is even more reason to be intrigued. Eminem has proven to be a solid actor in the past but this would be his first real role since 8 Mile. An inspired decision if it pans out.
Hardcore wrestling icon, Mick Foley, has announced that the story of his legendary career will be brought to the big screen. The as yet untitled feature will chronicle Foley's "obsessive desire to become one of the most popular wrestling icons of all time". The flick will be directed by Christopher J. Scott, who I've never heard of, and produced via Jeff Katz's American Original studio.
Mick Foley is known as the "hardcore icon" for a reason, and no it doesn't have anything to do with porn. The guy has literally given up massive parts of his own body for the entertainment of the fans, building up his reputation through some of the most brutal matches in sports entertainment history. Barbed wire matches, steel cage matches, flaming table matches. He's done it all over the course of his nearly 30 year career. If you saw the movie, The Wrestler, those hardcore matches Mickey Rourke was involved in were likely inspired by a lot of the stuff Foley was involved in.
He's probably best known to people for his 12 year stint in the World Wrestling Federation as Mankind, but he established himself earlier on in World Championship Wrestling as the violent Cactus Jack. Foley's life story has been chronicled before, most notably in his first book Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks, which landed at #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list. He's since gone on to write 8 more novels, including 3 children's books. Foley is still active in the wrestling business as part of Total Nonstop Action.
I've not always been the biggest fan of Mick Foley as a wrestler. I think even he'll admit that he wasn't the best in-ring performer, but there's no doubting the sacrifices the guy made. Whether it was being thrown off the top of a 30 foot high steel cage and landing flat on his back(with a tooth being shoved through his friggin 'nose), being set on fire, or taking a dozen chairshots to the head, Mick Foley is and always will be the toughest man in the history of professional wrestling. Period. Don't believe me, watch the below video of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson crushing Foley's head an unprecedented eleven times with a steel chair, completely unprotected. If you have a chance, check out the amazing documentary Beyond the Mat, which shows this scene and the awful effect it had not only on him but on his family, who were watching at ringside. Fake? I think not.
David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo just made a lateral move adding veteran actor Christopher Plummer to the cast. He'll be playing Henrik Vanger, the man who hires disgraced journalist Mikael Blomqvist to investigate the disappearance of his niece. If you'll recall, Max Von Sydow was previously attached to this role, but THR makes no mention whether or not he's even involved any longer.
Chances are that he isn't. Plummer and Von Sydow are both great actors, but similar in my opinion. And I can't think of any other role in the story that could suit either of them. Von Sydow is too old to play any of the younger Vangers. The only assumption I can draw is that final talks fell through. Then again I could be wrong.
The cast is shaping up quite nicely, though. Alongside Plummer will be Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara(The Social Network), Stellan Skarsgard(Breaking the Waves), and Robin Wright.
The last teaser trailer we saw for Skyline was mostly just a chance to show off the film's biggest setpiece, a jaw dropping scene of thousands of people being sucked into a massive spaceship. That was enough to sell me on the film's potential, but considering that directors Greg and Colin Strause are unknowns I wanted to see what else it had to offer. Based on this new trailer it looks like Skyline might be one hell of an alien invasion thrill ride.
Skyline stars Eric Balfour, Donald Faison, Brittany Daniel(yummy), and Scottie Thompson. It's due to be released on November 12th. Check out the newest trailer below, followed by a brief synopsis!
SYNOPSIS In the sci-fi thriller Skyline, strange lights descend on the city of Los Angeles, drawing people outside like moths to a flame where an extraterrestrial force threatens to swallow the entire human population off the face of the Earth.
Yes. It's about time. The saga of Alfonso Cuaron's sci-fi thriller ,Gravity, has been a stomach turning roller coaster. As we've documented here numerous times before, Angelina Jolie has passed on the film twice. Blake Lively and Scarlett Johansson were up for the role, but the studio must've thought they sucked. There was even a rumor about Sandra Bullock being considered. Disaster would've followed. Cuaron wanted Natalie Portman, and reportedly she was reading through the script. Now it appears that she is in negotiations now to take over the lead female role in the ambitious project.
THR had the info, buried in another story about a flick from Cuaron's son, Jonas. No other details are available now, but if Portman is negotiating then best believe this is going to be a done deal. All sides really seem intent on getting this flick off the ground.
Gravity is the story of Ryan Stone, an engineer working on a space shuttle alongside Matt Kowalski(Robert Downey Jr? He's signed on for an unspecified role). When the Russians blow up something that sets off a chain reaction, blowing up multiple satellites and raining debris down upon her ship, Ryan must navigate the harsh landscape to reach possible rescue.
Today's installment of RED related media brings us a closer look at the characters of Marvin and Victoria, as played by John Malkovich and Helen Mirren respectively. Marvin was given daily doses of LSD during his days as a spy so that coupled with John Malkovich's always otherworldy performances should give you a good idea of what to expect. Victoria is blunt, beautiful and deadly, I think that about covers her side of it. Anyway enough of my blabber see what I mean in the clips below, really I get tired of seeing clips sometimes but with every new clip of this movie I get more jazzed to see it, especially that scene with the four of them walking toward a house machine guns a blazin'!
* Paul Haggis(Crash) is in negotiations to write the film adaptation of The Equalizer, based on the 1985-89 TV series about a former secret agent who puts his skills to use defending the weak. Russell Crowe has been attatched to star for a few months now. The question is whether or not Haggis will direct. Lord I hope not.
* Jonathan Levine's follow-up to The Wackness(one of my fave flicks from a couple years ago) will be an adaptation of Richard Aleas's crime novel, Little Girl Lost, about a detective investigating the murder of his high school sweetheart. The script is being written by Michael Bacall(Scott Pilgrim vs. The World).
* Conan hasn't even come out yet and already work is underway on a sequel. The Conan Movie Blog notes an "inside source" that says the screenplay is based entirely on one of creator Robert E. Howard's novels. Not sure which one, though. The script was reportedly penned by Dirk Blackman and Howard McCain.
Briefly, because I'm still too overwhelmed with jealousy to talk about Russell Brand's bachelor party before he marries the ex-future Mrs. Travis Hopson, Katy Perry. It's just a phase. She doesn't really know what she wants right now. She'll grow out of it. Anyway, Brand finished up his evening with an early morning visit to director Guy Ritchie's house to discuss if the comedian would have a role in Sherlock Holmes 2.
Brand reportedly left the meeting looking pretty chipper, so maybe it was good news?
You can check out the full story, plus plenty of pics from Brand's big stag party, over at the Daily Mail.
You don't need me to comment any further on the cash grab that is the Star Wars franchise. What's the point? I, like you, will spend our hard earned money on whatever the hell George Lucas craps out as long as he slaps a picture of Yoda on it. We learned not long ago that we could expect the entire Star Wars series to be released on Blu-Ray. So what was the logical next step?
3-D, of course.
The rumors of the sacred trilogy(as well as the putrid prequels) being re-released using the format have been around for at least a couple of years, but the technology standard as well the lack of 3-D screens were a holdup. Obviously that's not the case anymore.
THR and Deadline both confirm that the films will be released starting in 2012 at the rate of one per year. They will be released in chronological order so The Phantom Menace would be first in line. Personally, I don't much see the point. By the time I get through the prequel flicks I will have long since poked my eyes out with a sharpened pencil lead. We can expect the whole thing to wrap up with Return of the Jedi(3-D Ewoks!!) in 2017. Even in 3-D those little teddy ruxpin lookin' bastards shouldn't win.
The post-conversion process is said to take up to a year for each flick. Considering Clash of the Titans 3D post conversion was completed in a matter of weeks(and looked like it), LucasArts spending this much time perfecting it could be a good thing. Hopefully they'll look good and others can then mimick the technique.
I had a friend a few years ago, right around the time when Superman Returns was in production, who swore to me that Warner Brothers was looking at Natalie Portman to play Lois Lane. This was a guy who was sortof an industry dude, but I wasn't all that concerned about movie news at that time. So I just brushed it off, and the role ended up going to the mediocre Kate Bosworth anyway.
Turns out homeboy was right. Frank, I owe you a drink. Moviehole is reporting that with Darren Aronofsky's name suddenly attached to the Superman directing gig, Warner Brothers is stepping up efforts to snag Natalie Portman again. They had wanted her for the Bryan Singer production back in 2006, but obviously that didn't pan out. With Aronofsky and Portman making waves recently thanks to Black Swan, WB thinks if he signs on she'll be easier to reel in.
This is the sort of simple-minded thinking that we see all the time, not just in Hollywood but in sports circles, too. If you ever worked with somebody in the past that automatically means you're desperately aching to work with them again. I doubt it'll be that easy.
I for one like the idea of Portman as Lois Lane. Anyone expecting this Superman production to be conventional clearly hasn't been paying attention to anything Christopher Nolan has done. I think Portman more than embodies the feisty, hard nosed spirit of Lois Lane, and is more than capable of playing Clark Kent's "gal Friday" if need be. She'd be a damn sight better than Bosworth, that's for sure.
Gee, when are we gonna get that supposed name change, anyway? All this casting crap, I wanna know what the actual name of the movie is going to be. Whatever. Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible team is turning out to be hella cool. In fact, Cruise might be the least hip of the bunch as now Josh Holloway has signed to play a member of the squad. He'll be joining the returning Cruse, Ving Rhames, and Simon Pegg. Also along for the ride are Jeremy Renner and Paula Patton. Michael Nyqvist(The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) is playing the sh*t heel this time.
All this comes as we're learning that the film is set to begin shooting soon in Dubai, with additional shoots in Prague and Venice. Color me jealous.
Holloway has had plenty of small roles in mostly unknown films but this will be his biggest gig by far.
Mission: Impossible 4 is being directed by Brad Bird(The Incredibles), and produced by JJ Abrams. It's scheduled for release on December 16th, 2011.
We only caught a brief glimpse of Sherlock Holmes' nemesis, Moriarty, at the very end of Guy Ritchie's film. Obviously nobody knew who would really play the criminal mastermind. At one time Brad Pitt and Daniel Day-Lewis were rumored, but that ain't gonna happen, cool as it may be.
Latino Review first reported and Deadline has now confirmed that Jared Harris(B. Monkey) has signed on to play Holmes' greatest adversary. Sherlock Holmes refers to him as the Napoleon of Crime. He first appeared in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novel, The Final Problem, which features the "fatal" duel between the two rivals, falling to their deaths at Reichenbach Falls. This story also features Holmes' older brother Mycroft, whom we recently learned will be in the film portrayed by Stephen Fry.
Obviously not my choice but Harris is a very solid actor. He first came to my attention as Asia Argento's lover in 1998's B. Monkey, but he's probably best known as Lance Pryce on AMC's Mad Men. I would've preferred an actor of the same celebrity status as Downey and Law just because of the fun factor, but Harris should fit in just fine.
Iron Man 2 The biggest, baddest superhero flick of the year finally hits DVD with a ton of extra features that I probably won't watch. Ok, I take that back. With all the inside looks at the future Marvel superhero flicks(namely The Avengers) buried within these discs how can I not spend hours of my day digging through them? As for the movie? I personally liked it better than Iron Man. Bought on sight.
Get Him to the Greek You knew Aldous Snow wasn't gonna stay mellow for long. The crazy rocker from Forgetting Sarah Marshall returns, and this time he's been on his best behavior for far too long. That quickly comes to an end after he's dumped by his lady love, starts hittin' the hard drugs and partying, and agreeing to a one-night only performance at the Greek Theater. Jonah Hill plays the poor record company schlub who has the unenviable task of getting the rocker to the gig. A different flick than FSM was, but no less hilarious.
Babies Awwwwww! Aren't they cute? Sure they are when it's somebody else's little rugrats. Women swooned at the chance to check out this flick, chronicling a year in the life of four newborns raised in completely different environments. The only kick I got out of the trailer was when the goat started drinking out of the baby's bathtub.
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse To be fair, I'm not the biggest fan of these animated features from either DC or Marvel. But when you throw in Darkseid, arguably the best DC comics villain ever(sorry Lex Luthor!), then you've got my attention.
The Killer Inside Me As is often the case, I didn't realize just how much I liked Michael Winterbottom's adaptation of Jim Thompson's grizzly novel until I saw the DVD cover, and then I snapped it up immediately. Casey Affleck gives a chilling performance as Lou Ford, a seemingly charming and polite Texas deputy. Deep down, Lou has a horrible aching, an urge to murder that he's fighting to control. The most disturbingly graphic film I saw all year.
Frozen Not a fan of horror, but a huge lover of situational thrillers like this(and Ryan Reynold's Buried). Sorta reminds me of Open Water, only set on a stuck ski lift in the middle of a raging blizzard. Stars Kevin Zegers, who some will recognize as Felicity Huffman's son in Transamerica. Directed by Adam Green, quickly gaining a devoted following after his debut horror flick, Hatchet.
Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky Didn't we just get a biopic about the famous fashionista starring Audrey Tautou? I'll stick with that one.
Continuing our week long look at Red, the new action comedy starring Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman, and John Malkovich as a team of retired ex-CIA agents forced to defend themselves when their old bosses come calling. Directed by Robert Schwentke(Flightplan), Red is set to explode into theaters on on October 15th, 2010!
The first clip features Frank, an ex-Black Ops agent for the CIA who isn't gonna take retirement lying down...
And then there's Joe, formerly one of the CIA's best, now entertaining himself in whole new ways while relegated to a retirement home. Dirty old man. I like him already!
I'm no fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean flicks so learning that Gore Verbinski might be reuniting with Johnny Depp doesn't do a whole lot for me. Tell me it's about the possibility of directing The Lone Ranger and I get a bit more interested. Then I remembered that it was a Jerry Bruckheimer production and the realization that it will be like all of his other films and my enthusiasm plummets again.
Verbinski is reportedly in talks with Disney to helm the film, which has been in development Hell for roughly eight years. Johnny Depp has been confirmed to play The Lone Ranger's Native American sidekick, Tonto, since 2008. At one time Mike Newell(Donnie Brasco) was the lead candidate to direct, but those negotiations fell through.
Do I really need to go into detail on who The Lone Ranger is? Masked Texas Ranger. Hi-Yo Silver. Tonto. Kemo-Sabe. Been around since 1933. You know the drill. I would love to see a modern version of tackled by somebody not affiliated with Jerry Bruckheimer and his cookie cutter, assembly line style of action products.
), and is set to hit theaters on October 15th, 2010. 
), Casey LaBow(Skateland), Mia Maestro and Christian Camargo will all be joining her as members of the Denali coven. Mackenzie Foy gets the chance to be Renesmee, the lovechild of Bella and Edward. I can't imagine how pale her skin must be. She's probably transparent.
) set to direct based on a script by Drew Pearce. Not a lot to go on, really. The Runaways consist of six members(and one dinosaur), yet we've heard absolutely nothing about casting. Until now.
) revealed that she's been approached to star in the comic book adaptation...
) and Frances McDormand(Fargo
) are currently in talks to join Fernando Meirelle's(The Constant Gardener
) sexual thriller, 360. If signed, they'll be joining Rachel Weisz and Anthony Hopkins in the story following a number of couples caught in a cycle of promiscuity and adultery.
, those hardcore matches Mickey Rourke was involved in were likely inspired by a lot of the stuff Foley was involved in.
, which landed at #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list. He's since gone on to write 8 more novels, including 3 children's books. Foley is still active in the wrestling business as part of Total Nonstop Action. 
just made a lateral move adding veteran actor Christopher Plummer to the cast. He'll be playing Henrik Vanger, the man who hires disgraced journalist Mikael Blomqvist to investigate the disappearance of his niece. If you'll recall, Max Von Sydow was previously attached to this role, but THR makes no mention whether or not he's even involved any longer.
), Stellan Skarsgard(Breaking the Waves
), and Robin Wright.
) is in negotiations to write the film adaptation of The Equalizer
, based on the 1985-89 TV series about a former secret agent who puts his skills to use defending the weak. Russell Crowe has been attatched to star for a few months now. The question is whether or not Haggis will direct. Lord I hope not. 
(one of my fave flicks from a couple years ago) will be an adaptation of Richard Aleas's crime novel, Little Girl Lost, about a detective investigating the murder of his high school sweetheart. The script is being written by Michael Bacall(Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
). 
2. 
3D post conversion was completed in a matter of weeks(and looked like it), LucasArts spending this much time perfecting it could be a good thing. Hopefully they'll look good and others can then mimick the technique.
was in production, who swore to me that Warner Brothers was looking at Natalie Portman to play Lois Lane. This was a guy who was sortof an industry dude, but I wasn't all that concerned about movie news at that time. So I just brushed it off, and the role ended up going to the mediocre Kate Bosworth anyway. 
), and produced by JJ Abrams. It's scheduled for release on December 16th, 2011.
) has signed on to play Holmes' greatest adversary. Sherlock Holmes refers to him as the Napoleon of Crime. He first appeared in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novel, The Final Problem, which features the "fatal" duel between the two rivals, falling to their deaths at Reichenbach Falls. This story also features Holmes' older brother Mycroft, whom we recently learned will be in the film portrayed by Stephen Fry. 
) was the lead candidate to direct, but those negotiations fell through. 
