Posted Nov 30th 2009 1:32PM by Erik Davis
Filed under: Casting, Deals, RumorMonger, Fandom, Newsstand
Sure, some would suggest that
Jessica Alba really can't return to form since there never was a form to begin with. But there definitely was a time when Alba was an "It" girl -- the type to grace numerous magazine covers and star in big, flashy films like
Sin City and
The Fantastic Four. But then her star began to fade as she clumsily starred in one cruddy flick after another (
Into the Blue, Good Luck Chuck, The Eye, Awake, The Love Guru), and with other, more sensational young actresses attempting to make their mark in Hollywood, Alba sort of fell by the wayside.
But now the gal has positioned herself with a few pretty interesting upcoming projects, including two produced by Robert Rodriguez (
Machete, The Insiders), one that's based on a very good novel (
An Invisible Sign of My Own) and one that finds the actress taking things farther than she's ever gone before (
The Killer Inside Me). While I'm sure the girl will manage to land roles beyond these four projects, they will still serve as proving ground for Alba. Is she a "real" actress? Can she turn out an awards-caliber performance? Can she still sell lots of movie tickets? Is she worthy of our attention?
Before you answer those questions, head after the jump to find out more about her new films.
Continue reading The Return of Jessica Alba?
Posted Nov 27th 2009 5:20PM by Elisabeth Rappe
Filed under: Action, Paramount, RumorMonger, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Comic/Superhero/Geek
Now that
Iron Man 2 is in the finish stages, and
Thor will kick off filming in January, the casting rumor mill must now find some new grist in
The Avengers. (Not Captain America, oddly enough. We'll just skip right over that one!)
Empire sat down with
Jeremy Renner, who revealed that he'd been in talks with Marvel Studios and Avengers' writer
Zak Penn about tackling the part of a superhero.
While he's reportedly been linked with Captain America on some dim corners of the Internet, Renner is thinking he might like to play another
Avenger : Clint Barton, better known as
Hawkeye. "I don't know if I'd be right for Captain America. I met with the Marvel guys, actually, but we didn't talk about Captain America. But one of the writers, Zak Penn, we've become friends over time and he was thinking maybe Hawkeye could be interesting. He sounds like an interesting character."
Renner stressed "no offer has been made ... I think there's a little ways from that" but he also speculated that Hawkeye might cameo in
Thor or in
First Avenger: Captain America. But
Thor has an awfully big cast at this point, so tossing in an Avenger cameo seems a bit dubious, though there's always room in a post-credit sequence.
Iron Man 2 would have been the ideal place (Mr. Clint Barton and the Black Widow go way back) but the ship would appear to have sailed on that one.
Continue reading Jeremy Renner Wants To Be An Avenger
Posted Nov 25th 2009 11:32AM by William Goss
Filed under: RumorMonger, Celebrities and Controversy
A Swiss court has granted Roman Polanski bail in the amount of $4.5 million, according to the Associated Press (by way of
Variety). The filmmaker,
arrested in September for having sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977, is to be "kept under house arrest and electronic monitoring at his Swiss chalet."
However, the appeal must still make it through Switzerland's supreme court before he is released. That decision should not affect the ongoing discussion by the Swiss government on whether or not Polanski should be extradited to the U.S., where he had been originally indicted on six counts and was facing a life sentence before he fled the country and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
His latest project, a Pierce Brosnan-Ewan McGregor thriller called
The Ghost, remains in post-production, though
the BBC suggests that Polanski is instructing his colleagues from jail to finish the film as intended in time for next February's Berlin Film Festival.
Posted Nov 25th 2009 9:02AM by Elisabeth Rappe
Filed under: Action, Casting, RumorMonger, Fandom, 20th Century Fox, Newsstand, Remakes and Sequels
Just a few weeks ago, Peter Hall brought you the news that
Dwight Schultz, aka the original Howlin' Mad Murdock,
had earned a cameo in Joe Carnahan's remake of
The A-Team. Obviously, you can't invite Schultz and not invite the rest of the surviving team, and it seems Faceman will also be getting some facetime. According to
Dirk Benedict Central,
Dirk Benedict will also be appearing in the film in an unspecified role.
Remember when this kind of thing stayed secret? I'm not losing sleep over the production of
The A-Team or anything, but it makes me nostalgic for the days down the long haul and into history back when you didn't know anything about secret cameos until you were in the dark theater. Then you could nudge whoever you were with and say "Oh my gosh! That's Dirk Benedict! Ha ha!" If you had your head bitten off when you started blabbing about the
Zombieland cameo, this is the reason why. People like surprise cameos!
So, who do you think Benedict will be? Bradley Cooper's father? Someone helpful they meet along the way? One of the commanding officers coordinating the task force that's hunting them down? Or will Schultz, Benedict and
Mr. T (you know he'll be the next one confirmed) all have a scene together where they hand over keys to the iconic van?
Posted Nov 24th 2009 10:32AM by Erik Davis
Filed under: Music & Musicals, Casting, RumorMonger, Fandom
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In the past couple days some news reports have surfaced that would make it seem as if Robert Zemeckis has begun the casting process for his
Yellow Submarine remake, which is apparently going under the name of
The Fab Four Project or
The Untitled Fab Four Project for reasons we do not know (perhaps to either mask the real production or perhaps they've decided to go in a different direction and are between titles).
Jim Hill noted that they're holding open auditions at a Beatles convention in Stamford, Connecticut this weekend, and
The Sun already claims actor Stephen Graham has landed the part of Ringo in the mo-capped feature (though I'd take that piece of news with a huge grain of salt).
It also looks like Zemeckis is considering a wide range of folks for the role of John Lennon, including one of our favorite up-and-coming actors,
Gabe Sunday. I first saw Sunday in the buzzed-about indie flick
My Suicide and instantly knew he was heading in the right direction. The guy isn't just another wannabee actor -- he's a true artist and collaborator who likes to be involved in the entire filmmaking process. Not only is he working on a narrative film about the great Daniel Johnston, but he apparently threw together a John Lennon audition tape for Zemeckis that's pretty spot-on in terms of becoming the young, experimental Lennon who pals around with buddies and enjoys impromptu jam sessions. No doubt Sunday's usual cronies are behind the look and feel of this audition tape since it squarely belongs in their wheelhouse, and I hate to say it but I'd rather see more of this than whatever colorful mo-capped version Zemeckis has planned.
Either way I truly hope he gives Sunday a shot. The guy is ready to explode onto the scene; he just needs more opportunities to do just that. Watch the video after the jump. Good luck Gabe!
Continue reading Gabe Sunday's John Lennon 'Yellow Submarine' Audition Tape
Posted Nov 19th 2009 3:50PM by William Goss
Filed under: Comedy, Documentary, Paramount, RumorMonger
Back in 2007, our own Christopher Campbell (who's back on staff, baby!) told us that, back in 2006,
a third Jackass film seemed like a sure thing in the wake of
Jackass: Number Two. Steve-O told Howard Stern then that they'd begin shooting at the start of 2008...
Cut to 2009, and the Paramount slate for 2010 in our inbox happens to list a
Jackass 3-D, with a release date to be determined. Johnny Knoxville and company don't seem too busy of late, and even with the eye-popping added dimension, this sounds like a relatively cheap production to give the go-ahead to. If Wikipedia is to be believed (I know),
Bam Margera confirmed in a much more recent interview for a Finnish newspaper that filming would begin this January around the world.
Since there's really not all that much else to report on this yet, let me just assure you that my pals in the Twittersphere are a bit more psyched to have their gag reflexes back in working order than I might be:
"
please be true, please be true, please be true" ... "
Party boy's testicles bouncing off our foreheads." ... "
there is a God in heaven, and he LOVES me!" ... "
Ohpleaseohpleasepohpleaseohplease..." ... "
This would make up for anything that goes wrong in the next 10 years."
Yep, there's still an audience.
[Thanks to
Brian O. for helping round things out.]
Posted Nov 18th 2009 9:45PM by Erik Davis
Filed under: Casting, RumorMonger, Fandom, Comic/Superhero/Geek
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And the list of women who may or may not appear in
Spider-Man 4 continues to grow. Now Nikki Finke over at
Deadline Hollywood reports through her sources (who, when it comes to Marvel, seem to be pretty reliable) that producers have "approached"
Anne Hathaway regarding a starring role in
Spider-Man 4. It doesn't say she's been offered the role, or that she's in negotiations to take on the role, only that she's been approached.
Finke also wasn't sure which role it would be, though all signs point to it being that of Black Cat -- who, in the past couple weeks -- has seen everyone from Julia Stiles to Rachel McAdams vying for a piece of that pus ... Spidey pie. Hathaway definitely showed off her acrobatic side in last summer's
Get Smart, and certainly has enough of that hottie-yet-down-to-earth sex appeal to draw Mr. Parker into a web of problematic romantic entanglements. Personally, I still like Stiles for the role, but that's me. The studio, however, probably figures they'll get more butts in the seats with Hathaway. So we'll see. Regardless, we're getting close to an official announcement. Who do you want?
Spider-Man 4 hits theaters on May 6, 2011.
Posted Nov 18th 2009 10:32AM by Erik Davis
Filed under: Action, Comedy, Casting, RumorMonger, Fandom, Comic/Superhero/Geek
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A whole bunch of casting rumors have arrived online this week, pushing some, like CHUD's ever-vocal Devin Faraci, to write
an editorial-ish piece on why we shouldn't really be paying too much attention to these rumors because, well, they're rumors. And while your parents may have told you that rumors come from a stork who brings them in its mouth and drops them off on your pillow, the reality of the situation is that rumors can start from just about anywhere -- whether it's something overheard by some blabbermouth low-level assistant at an agency or something that's completely fabricated for more internet traffic (I'm looking at you
The Sun and
The Daily Express!), these days it's really hard to tell. That being said, rumors can be fun because they foster discussion and get those inner studio exec wheels turning in our brains, so here are a few making the rounds right now.
Spider-Man 4
Who: Julia Stiles
Role: Unknown, though with recent information somewhat confirming that Black Cat will be a character, folks are assuming she tried out for that part.
Source:
UGO are the ones claiming Stiles met with a casting company in New York City to discuss joining the film in some capacity.
Our Thoughts: Stiles has been in a lot of films throughout her career, though she's dabbled in the big-budgeted before playing Jason Bourne's sidekick in all three
Bourne movies. Thus, she definitely brings enough bad-assery to play a Spidey villain, and also enough sincerity to play a Spidey ally. Good choice for Black Cat in my opinion.
Continue reading Casting Rumors: Julia Stiles in 'Spidey 4', Steve Carell in 'Young@Heart' and More!
Posted Nov 17th 2009 3:20PM by Monika Bartyzel
Filed under: Comedy, Drama, Romance, RumorMonger
When
Sex and the City was on television, they tried to balance opulence with frugal flavah. Charlotte was buying a share in the Hamptons, but it meant that she couldn't buy shoes from the likes of James Urbaniak. Samantha had a great job, but still had to shop around for a home she could afford. Miranda had to move to Brooklyn to buy enough space for her family. And Carrie, she had all sorts of financial woes from credit cards cut in front of her to almost losing her apartment when the building went co-op.
But when they hit the big screen, all fiscal responsibility flew out the window. On the cusp of the economic collapse, the
Sex and the City ladies were reveling in lavish lifestyles, spending thousands on this or that, not seeming to have a money-related care in the world. But with tighter times, it looks like the sequel might be going overboard in the other direction.
Hit the jump for the latest spoilers hitting the rounds.
Continue reading 'Sex and the City 2' Spoilers Reveal a Whole Different World?
Posted Nov 17th 2009 2:15PM by Erik Davis
Filed under: Casting, RumorMonger, Fandom, Comic/Superhero/Geek
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Obviously folks can't handle not knowing anything about the next Batman film because once some random person mentions anything having to do with the movie, the entire online blogging world jumps, squirms and runs out the door with a story. The latest, so you're all caught up to date, is that some anonymous source told the
Batman on Film fansite that Warner Bros. and
Christopher Nolan would be making a decision regarding Nolan's participation in the next film by January. Some claim he's already signed on to direct, but last we heard he wasn't. Regardless, Batman on Film does make a good point in saying that it's probably in Warners best interests to make an announcement prior to Nolan doing press for
Inception since he's bound to be inundated with Batman-related questions. Will it by January? Who knows. Either way you're most likely not going to see a new Batman movie in theaters before 2012, so take a chill pill and let's wait this thing out.
In other news, guess who's not going to be playing Black Cat in
Spider-Man 4? Yup, Rachel McAdams has officially denied claims that she's up for the role. She told
Entertainment Weekly, "That's a total rumor, I have to say. I was hanging out in Toronto the other day and someone came up to me and said, 'I just heard you're doing Spider-Man 4.' And I said, 'Really? No one told me!' It's not true." A rep for Sony Pictures concurs: "It's an Internet rumor, as so many things are these days."
Then again, even if she was circling the part, her lips would be sealed, so are we really any closer to finding out the real truth? Probably not. But at least you're clued in to the latest goings-on.
Posted Nov 16th 2009 7:32PM by Jen Yamato
Filed under: Comedy, Drama, RumorMonger, Fandom, Newsstand
Few shows have earned as much real estate in my heart as the wonderful WB/CW sitcom
Gilmore Girls. Maybe it's the pretentious pop culture devourer in me. Or the hopeless romantic who always wished (and still does) that Rory would ditch Dean and Logan and run off into the sunset with her One True Love, Jess. (Sorry, are you on Team Dean? I will fight you. Team Jess forever!) No show has had as much love for its smart, sassy women, or packed as many caffeine-fueled zingers and indie rock cameos into the span of an hour, than this lovely small town fantasy set in Stars Hollow, CT.
And yet, despite my overwhelming love for
Gilmore Girls, I had major issues with the last few seasons. To be honest, I didn't watch the final episode simply out of spite. But apparently I'm not alone; show creator
Amy Sherman-Palladino hasn't watched the entire last season! Major burn!
Continue reading Show Creator Hints at a 'Gilmore Girls' Movie
Posted Nov 16th 2009 5:32PM by Erik Davis
Filed under: Casting, RumorMonger, Fandom
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According to a casting notice leaked by
SpoilerTV, producers for
Spider-Man 4 are currently searching for a young boy with red hair who they simply call "Toddler Boy". Now, last time we checked "Toddler Boy" wasn't a real superhero and I can't really see any Marvel/Problem Child Franchise cross-overs (though anything is possible), so who is this kid? Here's the official description:
Spider-Man 4 - Official Casting Call for Baby Boy with Red Hair
[TODDLER BOY]
2 or 3 year old boy to play 2 year old, Caucasian with RED HAIR, an adorable toddler with an engaging personality, on set experience preferred. IDENTICAL TWINS ONLY
Okay, there are
some clues -- note that he needs to be "adorable" and have an "engaging personality", which means no ugly quiet kids. I'm thinking this could really only go a few different ways: either Peter Parker and Mary Jane have had a child since the third installment (or maybe Mary Jane ditched Parker and got knocked up by some other dude), or, as others have suggested, the villain Cletus Kasady (aka Carnage) as a young baby. Then again, who the hell cares about villains when they're babies? If I'm going to root against someone, I don't want to see them as an adorable, engaging toddler first.
Then again, he could be a side character -- a kid who runs around The Daily Bugle causing trouble, or, like, the annoying nephew Mary Jane uses to convince Peter Parker to have a kid. Like I said, could go a number of different ways ... let's just hope Sam Raimi doesn't pull a
Superman Returns and give us Spider-Boy by the time the end credits roll.
[via
Slashfilm]
Posted Nov 16th 2009 11:15AM by Erik Davis
Filed under: RumorMonger, Celebrities and Controversy, Newsstand
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To further prove that people with lots of money still care about people who used to have lots of money,
The Daily Express reports that
Johnny Depp may help bail actor
Nicolas Cage out of his growing financial problems. Cage, as you may or may not know, is in some serious debt. He's already had two of his homes go into foreclosure, he owes something like $6 million in back taxes and he's currently suing his former business manager for $20 million claiming he sent "him down a path toward financial ruin."
Now, though, things may be looking up for Cage as Depp could be coming to his rescue. The Daily Express says that Depp has contacted Cage and told him not to worry, that he'll sort everything out. Why Depp, you ask? Isn't that sorta random? What, was Depp a big fan of
Con Air or something? Actually, no -- Depp feels like he owes his career to Cage in a way since Cage reportedly recommended Depp to his agent wayyy back in the day when Depp was a struggling musician. The story goes that Cage's recommendation led to Depp nabbing a role in the original
Nightmare on Elm Street (his first), and the rest is history.
So, is Johnny Depp really going to pony up some crazy cash to bail Nicolas Cage out of trouble? And can Hollywood somehow find a way to turn that into a movie with both power actors starring opposite one another? And would you go to see it?
Posted Nov 16th 2009 9:45AM by Elisabeth Rappe
Filed under: Deals, Executive shifts, Lionsgate Films, MGM, Warner Brothers, RumorMonger, Distribution, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, James Bond
MGM Studios' financial troubles will soon be coming to a sad end. Back in September, it was reported that MGM was in such poor shape that they might be forced to
auction off their assets, including James Bond and
The Hobbit. That day has come to pass.
Variety reports that MGM Studios is officially on the auction block.
MGM has been given a month of breathing space from their interest payments, time they plan on using to begin "a process to explore various strategic alternatives including operating as a standalone entity, forming strategic partnerships and evaluating a potential sale of the company."
But all hopes of survival may rest on what they sell off from their glorious history, including a library of 4,000 titles, the logo, the United Artists company, James Bond, and half ownership in
The Hobbit. Time Warner, News Corp, and Lionsgate are said to be interested in all of the above.
As their library scatters to the four winds, it'll be really interesting to see what remakes and reboots it spawns. Remember,
Robocop was on the MGM remake slate, and surely some hungry studio will snap that up. The Cannon Films and ITV Global Entertainment collections are just ripe for harvesting. Perhaps you'll finally see a
Lifeforce movie, or a remake of
Capricorn One, or an aspiring Tarantino type will buy up all those American International Picture rights and revive motorcycle gang movies. Sure, we all want to know who will wind up with James Bond, but it'll be far more fascinating if someone tries to remake
Psych-Out. *
*It's possible this is considered one of AIP's "early" films, though it's unclear where that cut off date is.
Posted Nov 11th 2009 8:45PM by William Goss
Filed under: Animation, Deals, RumorMonger, Family Films
Here's the thing about Bob Zemeckis and all his newfangled motion-capture outings. When put to more mythic use in
Beowulf, I was more drawn in by the adventure and less distracted by the characters. However, between
The Polar Express and
A Christmas Carol, I couldn't help but be re-struck time and time again but that unfortunate
uncanny valley, especially when the characters look so much like the real thing (see: Gary Oldman as Cratchit) that I'd just as soon watch them give live-action performances that would then go surrounded by countless effects (you know, the way they used to make movies).
That disappointing truth, combined with last weekend's good-not-great opening for
Carol, isn't getting Zemeckis down, though. According to
Pajiba, he's pursuing
The Nutcracker as his next holiday adaptation to be 'enhanced' by mo-cap technology. (I think it's fairly safe to assume after
Carol and
Express that this will likely end up in 3-D as well.) The site says that he'll be working from E.T.A. Hoffman's original novel over the Tchaikovsky ballet, "a period piece, set in 19th century Russia, which will explore how the cursed Nutcracker character came to be and the battle between the dolls and the mice."
Well, that shows how much I remember of the original tale (a war between dolls and mice?). Personally, I just want this one to go on the busy man's back burner if it means getting
that Roger Rabbit sequel done sooner. At least the bunny doesn't creep me out with his lifeless eyes...
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