American Society of Cinematographers Awards 2011 Nominees« FirstShowing.net

Its been a hell of a year for cinematography, at least I thought. There were quite a few truly gorgeous films, but it's time to take a look at this year's nominees in the feature film category of the 25th AnnualAmerican Society of CinematographersOutstanding Achievement Awards. The five nominees are:Black Swan'sMatthew Libatique,Inception'sWally Pfister,The King's Speech'sDanny Cohen,True Grit'sRoger DeakinsandThe Social Network'sJeff Cronenweth. In the photo above is Libatique working onBlack Swan."These five people haveset the standardfor today's cinematography,"said ASC's Richard Crudo.

This is the ninth nomination for Deakins, most of the others have come from various Coen Brothers films, too. In addition to his nomination forTrue Grit, Deakins will also be honored as the recipient of the ASC's 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award. So no matter what, he's a winner! This is the third nomination for Wally Pfister followingBatman BeginsandThe Dark Knightpreviously. Cohen, Cronenweth and Libatique are all first-time nominees. I'm amazed this is Libatique's first, he also shotRequiem for a Dream,Inside Man,The FountainandIron Man 1& 2- yet no nominations before this?!"The artistically diverse approaches these talented cinematographers employed are a glimpse at whatvisionaries with a cameracan accomplish,"said ASC President Michael Goi in the press release."They arevisual storytellersof the highest caliber."

Strong words from the pres, but nonetheless true. I certainly can appreciate great cinematography when I come across it and these five movies are definitely the best work out of this past year. My top pick personally isThe King's Speech, just because they used the most refreshingly unconventional and unique approach to shooting a period piece, yet it still looked absolutely stunning, truly representative of the old adage that"every frame should look as beautiful as a photograph"- and they certainly did! I've been trying to setup an interview with Danny Cohen, who's also a fairly young newcomer, but haven't had any luck yet. The winner of the ASC Awards will be announced at their celebration in Hollywood onFebruary 13.Good choices?

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Adam Sandler& Andy Samberg Teaming Up for'I Hate You Dad'« FirstShowing.net

Though one of the funnymen has already left behind the late night sketch comedy series"Saturday Night Live"while the other is responsible for reinvigorating the series through hilarious Digital Shorts likeLazy Sundayand most recentlyI Just Had Sex, the two will soon be working together.THRreportsAdam SandlerandAndy Sambergare in talks with Columbia Pictures to lead the comedyI Hate You, Dad, the story of a father who moves in on the eve of his son's wedding and promptly begins feuding with the bride-to-be. Apparently Sandler would be playing Samberg's son though the age difference between them is less than 12 years.

Of course, since something as little as a difference in sex isn't stopping Sandler from playing a twin brother and sister in Jack and Jill, I'm sure Sandler won't mind putting on some make-up to look a little more aged. The project is still in the early stages of development though as no director is still attached. Sandler's Happy Madison production banner is behind the project, but the script has been sitting around since late 2008. Funnily enough, this project isnotsome sort of spin-off fromI Love You, Mandespite the title similarities and the fact that Samberg also had a role in the Paul Rudd and Jason Segel comedy.

Last time Sandler worked with fellow, former"SNL"cast members the result wasGrown Upsand it ended up on my list of theworst five films from 2010. I'm hoping that with Samberg's more contemporary comedic sensibilities involved we'll get a decent comedy this time around. Until then, Sandler is trying out another romantic comedy in February with the release ofJust Go With Itwhich puts him alongside Jennifer Aniston. I think this new project sounds a bit more promising for some decent comedy from Sandler though.How about you?

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First Official Look at Rooney Mara in'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'« FirstShowing.net

Back in August we found out thatThe Social NetworkstarRooney Marahadsnagged the lead roleof Lisbeth Salander in David Fincher's adaptation ofThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, thefirst installmentof the popularMillennium Trilogy. If there were any doubts that Mara would fit into the tough female lead role, almost all of those doubts should be removed asW magazine(viaJoBlo) has delivered the first two photos of Mara all decked out in Salander's trademark short, pitch-black haircut, leather jacket and tattoos. Looking simultaneously sexy and kick-ass, I'm definitely interested to see what Mara does with the character. See the photos below!

Here's our first look atRooney Maraas Lisbeth Salander courtesy ofW magazine:

The character is described as"a gamin,Audrey Hepburnlook-alike but withtattoosandpiercings, the take-no-prisoners attitude ofLara Croftand the cool, unsentimental intellect ofMr. Spock. The vulnerable victim turned vigilante; a willfully antisocial girl."It looks like they've nailed that if the above pictures are any indication. And if you feel silly for being skeptical, well Mara herself wasn't sure she was right for the part. The actress says,"“Before I read the book,I didn’t think I could do it. I locked myself in a room for a week and read all three books, and decided I really wanted to be Lisbeth. But I thought I had no shot at it.” How about them apples?Now what do you think of Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander?

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Chris Hemsworth& Tom Hiddleston on Fighting in Marvel's'Thor'« FirstShowing.net

We're almost two weeks into 2011 and that means we're that much closer to theMay 6threlease of Marvel Studios' anticipated adaptation ofThor. After thatfirst spectacular trailerand a couple ofcoolposters, I'm hoping that Marvel doesn't decide to show too much more for giving away the finer points of the promising-looking comic book flick. However, I'm definitely interested in hearing some ofThor'slead actors talk about the action on set. Thankfully,SFX Magazine(viaComicBookMovie) talked with the film's hero,Chris Hemsworth, and villainTom Hiddleston, where they opened up a bit about fighting on the blockbuster.

The God of Thunder himself, Chris Hemsworth, talked about putting on some muscle and creating a fighting style and physical demeanor to unique to this Thor. The actorelaborated:

"I had to put on about 20 pounds for the film. and I've lost most of that since I stopped shooting. It was such an effort to keep it on. Then, yeah, we did a lot of stunt training about how {Thor} moved and him as a character, and the more you work out physically how he moves helps with your dialogue scenes and vice versa, so it's an ongoing process. Thor's movement is closely linked toMjolnir, his legendary war hammer. He spins it and throws it and it flies and comes back. Working out how to use that as a weapon practically and itsadvantagesanddisadvantages, and then developing the style of how he fights and the body positions that he has in the comic books and trying to use some of them. It was great!"

As forTom Hiddleston, the man behind the mischievous villain and Thor's brother Loki, he alsoopened upabout some of his training and the fighting style he tried to develop for his character. Tom explains:

"I did a lot of training, actually, which is less visible than it is in the size of his arms {laughs}. {Director Kenneth Branagh} asked for me to bevery leanandvery strongat the same time, and he wanted me to develop afighting style. I don't know if you know the Brazilian martial art ofcapoeira, but it was something like that. I felt like if Thor was a big rock, Loki was like the wind, and he would dance around this sturdy block of granite. So I developed a kind of fighting style that was much more balletic, a kind oflethal dance."

It should definitely be interesting to see how the different fighting styles of Thor and Loki contrast and hopefully clash against each other when the film hits theaters at the beginning of the summer blockbuster season. If thattraileris any indicator, this should bequitea clash of the titans, andKenneth Branaghmay be the next bad-ass blockbuster director on the scene. The talent he's amassed and the passion they've put into making it as accurate to the comic yet edgy for today is fantastic. It should be a fun way to kick off the summer. But until then, we'll just have to sit and wait patiently untilThorhits theaters onMay 6thof this year.Sound good?

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David O. Russell Rewriting and Directing Adaptation of'2 Guns'?« FirstShowing.net

There's been a lot of buzz surrounding Mark Wahlberg's reunion with directorDavid O. Russell(The Fighter) for thevideo game adaptationUncharted: Drake's Fortune. However, before that project, Russell was slated to directVince VaughninOld St. Louis, the story a traveling salesman who has been an absentee father and how his life changes when his daughter becomes a part of it. Now it sounds like a new project with Vaughn is being set up instead asTHRreports Russell is in early talks to rewrite and direct an adaptation of2 Guns, a pulp story about cops and thieves and the men that are something in between.More below!

Based on Steven Grant'sgraphic novel of the same name, here's the short and sweet synopsis of the wholly intriguing story:

Trench has targeted a local bank to rob, and asked Steadman in on the job. Trench figures it's a great way to score -- considering it's a cover for mob money. They'll be thieves ripping off thieves. But what Steadman doesn't know is that Trench is a DEA agent. And what Trench doesn't know is that Steadman's a Naval Intelligence officer. They're both cops! And neither one knows that they're not robbing the mob, they've been set up to steal $50 million from the CIA!

Vaughn has been attached to the project since Universal picked up the property back in 2008, and apparently he's still attached now. The prospect of Russell and Vaughn collaborating on a project like this is enticing. And for anyone who doubts Vaughn doing more than his normal fast-talking, wit-filled diatribes for minutes at a time, he did see a little bit of action inMr. and Mrs. Smith. It sounds like 2 Guns won't take off until afterUncharted: Drake's Fortune, but it's not clear what that will mean forOld St. Louis.Thoughts?

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Lena Headey is the Villainous Ma-Ma in Pete Travis'Judge Dredd« FirstShowing.net

She's already kicked-ass and fought Terminators as the titular character in"The Sarah Connor Chronicles", now it seems actressLena Headeywill be facing off against Karl Urban in director Pete Travis'Dreddthe new adaptation ofJudge Dredd. ApparentlyBleeding Coolhad heard rumblings of the casting before it turned up at a reliableJudge Dreddfansite, and Headey has already been shooting on the film for a week. So who's she playing? The actress is taking on the villainous role ofMadeline Madrigal(aka Ma-Ma), the leader of a gang who over run the Peach Tree City Block where the majority of the action in it takes place.

The script is said to describe the villain as a woman in her late 50's or early 60's with a big scar through her cheek and lip. Obviously the age range has probably been changed since Headey isn't anywhere near that old. We've already seen arough first lookat Karl Urban in costume as Judge Dredd, but I'm hoping for a more official, high quality glimpse at this new adaptation soon.Dreddtakes us to the wild streets of Mega City One, the lone oasis of quasi-civilization on Cursed Earth. Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) is the most feared of elite Street Judges, with the power to enforce the law, sentence offenders and execute them on the spot– if necessary.Thoughts?

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Atari Bringing Arcade Game Missile Command to the Big Screen« FirstShowing.net

Following the upcomingBattleshipandAsteroidsadaptations,Atarihas hired writersBurk SharplessandMatt Sazamato adapt the classic 80s arcade gameMissile Commandinto a feature film. ProducerPeter Chernin(Rise of the Apes) is developing the project at his own production company, with Atari exec producing. Sharpless& Sazama recently wrote theFlash Gordonreboot and worked onDracula Year Zero.Missile Command, which hit in 1980, is one of the simplest games involving firing counter-missiles from the ground to destroy incoming missile attacks from the air. How that will be made into a movie, I have no idea?

There couldn't be a more perfect time to reference a recentJames Cameronquote that's spreading around the web. ViaScreen Rant:"We have a story crisis they want to make theBattleshipgame into a film. This is puredesperation."Exactly!And yet here we are, reporting even more depressing news that a classic 8-bit game that involves defending our country by shooting missiles with a trackball is the latest basis behind a big budget action movie that's now in the works. This better be likeRed Dawnor else I don't know what the heck to expect. I don't even know if they'll set it in the Cold War or update it to be contemporary, but either way this definitely seems like a desperate attempt to capitalize on a brand that, well, hasn't been around for the last 20 years.Does anyone think aMissile Commandmovie might actually turn out okay?

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Shane Black Directing a New Adaptation of'Death Note'Manga« FirstShowing.net

After seeing previews for small theatrical screenings of theJapanese live-action adaptationsof thepopular mangaDeath Note, I could not have been less interested in checking out the international film trilogy. However, news fromDeadlinethatShane Black(writer of theLethal Weaponfranchise and director ofKiss Kiss, Bang Bang) has been hired by Warner Bros. for a new live-action adaptation of theDeath Noteseries. The story follows a boy named Light Yagami who stumbles upon the Death Note, a notebook that delivers death to any human whose name is written on its pages, and vows to use it to rid the word of evil.

For a little more information on the story, here's the official synopsis:

Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects - and he's bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds theDeath Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god.Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But whencriminals begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L totrack down the killer. With L hot on his heels, will Light lose sight of his noble goal...or his life? Light tests the boundaries of the Death Note powers as L and the police begin to close in. Luckily Light's father is the head of the Japanese National Police Agency and leaves vital information about the case lying around the house. With access to his father's files, Light can keep one step ahead of the authorities. But who is thestrange man following him, and how can Light guard against enemies whose names he doesn't know?

Anthony Bagarozzi and Charles Mondry are adapting the manga after working on Doc Savage, an upcoming drama that Black will direct for Sony. Black says,"It’s my favorite manga. I was just struck by its unique and brilliant sensibility. What we want to do is take it back to that manga, and make it closer to what is socomplexandtruthfulabout thespirituality of the story, versus taking the concept and trying to copy it as an American thriller."The gritty, film noir feel ofKiss Kiss, Bang Bangshows Black has the right sensibilities for a film like this, but that's the only film he's directed. Of course, once being at the top of the spec script market, Black has plenty of experience in Hollywood and I don't doubt his skills one bit.How about you?

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James Franco and His Entire Family May Make a Movie Together?« FirstShowing.net

This past Christmas we highlighted a special127 Hoursthemedholiday greetingfromJames Francoand his real-life grandmother. But now it sounds like we might get a feature film with the whole Franco family sometime in the future. Incase you didn't know, James Franco's younger brotherDave Franco(left) is also an actor who has appeared in films likeCharlie St. CloudandGreenbergalong with TV series like"Greek"and"Scrubs."Well the younger Franco, while talking toMTVrecently, revealed that he's working on a script for a film in which theentire Franco familywould star. This will be the most genuine family comedy ever.

You may have also seen Dave starring with his future Oscar host brother in some Funny or Die videos teachinginvaluable lessons about acting. Apparently they're working on some more for the online comedy behemoth, but then he also revealed this bit of news:

"There's also a feature film that I'm writing for my brother and I to star in, where we playversions of ourselvesnamed Davie and James. Without giving away too much, it all takes place aroundThanksgiving and Christmas breakaround our hometown of Palo Alto {California}. Ourreal familywill be in it, myreal friendsfrom home will be in it, and the vibe of it is going to be anextended version of our Funny or Die videos. It's going to be difficult for me, because it's now a 90-minute version of him giving me shit and making fun of me."

That sounds like it could really be a great project, but is the entire Franco family as talented as the two brothers? Perhaps it will be somewhat of a mockumentary so their acting skills don't have to be honed so perfectly? All I know is James has been taking on some very interesting projects recently, and this would be yet another intriguing installment in the actor's career. As for Dave, his star is certainly rising, and as difficult as it might be to measure up to his brother's work, he seems to be doing his best.Are you interested in a Franco family film?

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Baz Luhrmann and Michael Mann Considering 3D for Next Films?« FirstShowing.net

While we've been getting used to major blockbusters and tentpoles going 3D, it sounds like some directors whose films aren't normally full of huge CG creatures and hundreds of special effects shots, might also be venturing into the third dimension. Straight from the filmmakers themselves,Baz Luhrmann(Moulin Rouge) andMichael Mann(Public Enemies) have hinted that their next projects might be in3D. Word from Luhrmann comes fromTHRwhere he mentioned that hisforthcoming adaptationofThe Great Gatsbystarring Carey Mulligan was workshopped in 3D. As for Mann, he was a little less specific about which project might be in the 3D format.

Though both haven't made solid decisions regarding the use of 3D, Luhrmann seems closer to actually following through considering his workshop with the format. WhileThe Great Gatsbyseems like a strange choice for a 3D film, Luhrmann's trademark stylistic visuals and storytelling techniques seem to be more friendly to 3D than what Mann has in mind. Here's what theCollateraldirector said on a panel for theConsumer Electronics Show(viaBleeding Cool),"I would probably shoot… just apure dialogue dramaI would shoot in3D."

Does that mean he might be considering shootingCapa, thewar photographer biopicstarring Andrew Garfield and Gemma Arterton, in 3D? Or perhaps two of hispreviously mentioned projects,Big TunaorAgincourt, are more suited for him to play with the format. At this point we can only speculate, but the fact that filmmakers who don't usually craft big budget tentpoles are moving towards 3D seems to imply that this trend is more than a gimmick.What do you think?

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DreamWorks Animation Announces'Monkeys of Bollywood'Movie« FirstShowing.net

An interesting assembly of musical and cinematic talent is coming together for DreamWorks Animation next ambitious project.Varietyreports the animation studio is currently developingMonkeys of Bollywood, an animated musical in the spirit of internationally famous Bollywood cinema. The story will be set in Mumbai and follows two monkeys who try to stop an ancient demon from conquering the world. Not much to get excited about, but composerA.R. Rahman, responsible for scoring bothSlumdog Millionaireand127 Hours, is certainly a selling point. And that's not all the talent involved to get you excited for a musical of this sort.

ComposerStephen Scwartz, who not only wrote musicals likeGodspellandWickedbut also scored and wrote songs for Disney hits likePocahontasandEnchanted, is also on board for the animation studio's first feature musical. And if that wasn't enough, Gurinder Chadha and Paul Berges, the producing team that deliveredBend It Like Beckhamand the Bollywood style romantic comedyBride and Prejudiceis behind the project. That's a great collection of people to put an animated Bollywood musical together.

Though the story is original, the Hindu epic poemThe Ramayanaapparently inspired the project.Wikipediasays the poem"depicts the duties of relationships, portraying ideal characters like the ideal servant, the ideal brother, the ideal wife and the ideal king."It's quite a bold move to venture into animated musical territory that has been dominated by Disney for so long, but this assembly of talent is the right way to go. We'll keep you posted as this project develops.Interested?

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Mysterious New Sci-Fi Project'Alien Sleeper Cell'in Development« FirstShowing.net

Maybe I'm making a bigger deal out of this than I should, but you never know, something like this could be the nextDistrict 9.Varietyposted a news article talking about producerBill Blockand his companyQEDInternational's upcoming line-up of projects, from aJust Causeadaptation toThe FieldstoCrosshair, but they also mention one in specific, without providingtoomany details. One project he's working on is calledAlien Sleeper Cell, written by newcomerMorgan Davis Foehl, an assistant editor onI Now Pronounce You Chuck& Larry, that deals with"otherworldly beasties."That's all they say and that's all we can find.

There really isn't anything else about thisAlien Sleeper Cellout there. What makes it interesting is that Bill Block was one half of the producing team (Peter Jackson the other) onDistrict 9. Now Block is a half of the producing team on this too, partnered with Adrian Askarieh'sPrime Universe Prods. Once the script is complete, Block's QED Intl. and Prime Universe will package the project and seek out independent financing or partner with a studio to fund it. So it's obviously in theveryearly development stages, butAlien Sleeper Cellsounds like something to keep our eye on, it might be pretty cool.Anyone hear anything about it?

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Rogen& Goldberg Detail Hard R-Rated Animated'Sausage Party'« FirstShowing.net

Last summer, some vague news surfaced whenThe Playlistlearned about a new animated film calledSausage PartyfromEvan GoldbergandSeth Rogen. At the time no plot details were revealed, but Goldberg said the project would be a computer animated film and involved directorsConrad Vernon(Monsters vs. Aliens) andMark Osborne(Kung Fu Panda). Then laterJonah Hill, who was said to be part of the project as well,said himselfit would be an aggressive, hard R-rated animated flick. Now whilst promotingThe Green Hornet, Goldberg and Rogen have given up some simple plot details, and this sounds like it's going to be a weird comedy.

In talking toScreenrant, Rogen revealed,"It’s a Rated-R, super dirty,mockery of a Pixar movieaboutsausages in a supermarketthat need to get back to their aisle before the fourth of July."Goldberg gave a little but more away in his description atCinemaBlend,"It’s about sausages, hot dogs, and they’re whole goal is to get purchased. And they get lost and they need to get back to they’re aisle before the Fourth of July starts. I don’t want to give away too much."

Sounds unique and potentially hilarious (plenty of double-entendre dick jokes I'm sure), but getting a hard R-rated animated movie isn't going to be an easy task, especially when you don't have an established name like"South Park"in the title. Still, I'm definitely interested and hoping these guys get it off the ground sooner than later.How about you?

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Ridley Scott's Alien Prequel'Prometheus'Ready to Launch in 2012« FirstShowing.net

Whoa - it's here, the official announcement that Ridley Scott'sAlienprequel (or, no longer anAlienprequel, you'll find outwhy) is in development.Deadlinereports that 20th Century Fox has officially announced the titlePrometheusand a release date ofMarch 9th, 2012. But here's the catch, it might not exactly be anAlienprequel after all, as it has morphed into something"more original."And this original idea apparently involves five major roles, one of which will be played byNoomi Rapace, the others haven't been cast, but actresses circling roles called"Vickers"areAngelina JolieandCharlize Theron. More quotes below!

As wealready know,Lost'sDamon Lindelofcame in last year to rewrite Jon Spaihts's original script that he initially drafted for Scott. Well, it expanded into"new directions"(as was hinted atin a recent update) and has become something else. So here's how it's explained in its current form by Ridley Scott himself:

"While Alien was indeed the jumping off point for this project, out of the creative process evolved anew, grand mythologyanduniversein which this original story takes place. The keen fan will recognize strands of Alien'sDNA, so to speak, but the ideas tackled in this film areunique, large and provocative. I couldn't be more pleased to have found the singular tale I'd been searching for, and finally return to this genre that's so close to my heart."

Wow, Lindelof must've struck someseriousgold, because it sounds like he's riled up Scott in a big way and even made sure to get Fox on-board ready to go with a 2012 release date. Deadline spoke to Lindelof who, as well, seemed ecstatic to even be working on the same project:"In a world flooded with prequels, sequels and reboots, I was incredibly struck by just howoriginalRidley's vision was for this movie. It's daring, visceral and hopefully, the last thing anyone expects. When I sat in a movie theater as a kid, feet raised off the floor for fear that something might grab my ankles, I never dreamed in mywildest imaginationI would one day get to collaborate with the man responsible for it. Working alongside him has been nothing short ofa dream come true."And with that dream realized, together they're set to bring usPrometheusin 2012!

That's all the info Deadline has for now, also adding that"the other major roles will be cast shortly,"as I'm sure production will be aiming to get underway sometime soon this year. This probably explains why Jolie leftGravityand why Noomi Rapace (ofThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) was one of Scott's top contenders originally. This really sounds incredible, an entirely new sci-fi series from Ridley Scott and Damon Lindelof that brings in new characters in a new universe. And I bet he'll somehow still sneak in an explanation for the"Spacey Jockey"fromAlien. Stay tuned for more updates as they arrive!Until then - what do you think?

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Jessica Biel + Four Others Now Shortlisted for'Dark Knight Rises'« FirstShowing.net

A rumor just cropped up atCollidersayingNaomi WattsandEva Greenhave possibly been cast in the two female roles in the anticipated sequelThe Dark Knight Rises. It was believed that Green snagged the role of female villainTalia al Ghul, daughter of Batman Begins villian Ra's al Ghul, while Watts would be playing love interestVicki Vale. However, those two names don't appear on Heat Vision'snew shortlistof actresses who are meeting with Nolan for the sequel. Those in the running include usual suspects likeKeira Knightley,Anne HathawayandJessica Biel, but there are some less known names mentioned to be in the running as well.

Also taking meetings with Christopher Nolan areKate Mara(We Are Marshall,127 Hours) andCharlotte Riley. ApparentlyGemma Arterton(Clash of the Titans) was also supposed to meet with Nolan, but herrecent castinginHansel and Gretel: Witch Huntersmay preclude her from even considering a role in the film. In addition, Watts and Green have been too busy shooting their own projects to meet with Nolan yet, so it's very unlikely that they're even close to snagging a role in the sequel just yet (though Watts was on theprevious shortlistof actresses in the running)

However, even if Collider is wrong about the casting, they were right about one thing. Apparently one of the female roles will indeed be Talia al Ghul, and if Tom Hardy ends up playing a villain like everyone expects, then we may have two villains for Batman to deal with again. As a point of interest, Charlotte Riley is actually engaged to Tom Hardy, so do what you will with that information. For now we'll just try to sit patiently until some official information gets released.Which of these ladies would you like inThe Dark Knight Rises?

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Greengrass Planning Film on Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr« FirstShowing.net

We already know director Lee Daniels has been developingSelma, a period drama focusing on the five-day, four-night protest march against those who were not in support of passing theNational Voting Rights Act of 1965that started in Selma, Alabama as well as the events leading up to it. Now another filmmaker is preparing his own location-specific Civil Rights related drama.Vulturereports directorPaul Greengrass(United 93) has been planning to makeMemphis, a film that chronicles the events leading up to the assassination ofMartin Luther King, Jr.in Memphis, Tennessee. Greengrass even wrote the film himself based on his own research.

Unless I'm mistaken this would be the first film to focus specifically on King's activities to organize the city's sanitation workers in the spring of 1968 before his assassination on April 4th of the same year. Vulture notes that this would be less of a biopic and more of a portrayal of the chaos and turmoil King's personal and professional life was enduring at the time. Not only was his marriage falling apart, but he was gaining weight, smoking and drinking heavily and losing some of his most important allies. Sounds like a hell of a movie to me. Nothing is official yet, but producer Scott Rudin might get involved and the picture could land at Focus Features.Interested?

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Jeffrey Dean Morgan Starring in Ghost House Thriller'Dibbuk Box'« FirstShowing.net

Late last year, right around the time whenParanormal Activity 2was destroying the box office, wewrote about a new projectin the works calledDibbuk Box. I thought it might be another found-footage thriller, but it looks like Danish filmmakerOle Bornedalis going to direct a straight horror, as described, closer toThe ExorcistorThe Shining. Well,Varietyreports thatJeffrey Dean Morganhas been cast in the film as a recently divorced father whose youngest daughter becomes strangely connected to an antique wooden box she purchased at a yard sale. Yep, she got a hold of that Dibbuk Box, and the spirit inside ain't too happy.

As his daughter's behavior becomes more erratic, he senses a dark presence building until he discovers that the box contains adibbuk-- a"dislocated spirit that inhabits and ultimately devours its human host."And supposedly it's inspired bytrue events. Sam Raimi's Ghost House Pictures is producing and filming starts this month. Lionsgate already hasDibbuk Boxset for release on Halloween weekend,October 28th, in place of theSawfilms which, hopefully, have finally finished. For all the fans of the horror genre, this definitely sounds like a film to keep an eye on, especially with Jeffrey Dean Morgan in the lead. Stay tuned for more!

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Ben Stiller Chats About Producing Richard Ayoade's'Submarine'« FirstShowing.net

If you followed our coverage from the Toronto Film Festival, one ofmy favorite films(and favorite of nearly everyone who saw it) was the charming coming-of-age comedySubmarine, directed byRichard Ayoade("The IT Crowd") and starring the youngCraig Robertsas Oliver Tate (above). Well, inEmpire's postwith new updates fromBen Stiller, instead of covering therepetitivenews thatZoolander 2isstillwaitingfor the studio, I'm focusing on Stiller's comments aboutSubmarine. What is his connection? Stiller, along with his company Red Hour Films, produced the film in the UK, so he's highly responsible for making it happen.

Here is most of what Stiller had to say about Richard Ayoade'sSubmarinefrom Empire'srecent update:

"Garth Marenghi{Ayoade's fictional character} I had seen and was a fan of. That was all I knew. So I can’t say that we had any kind of relationship beforehand. We just got sent the script – I don’t even know, to tell you the truth, how we got hold of it – but Richard's agent might be our agent too. But we thought it was a really great script and then I saw his videos that he had directed and just thought he had a reallyinteresting sensibility. We met and he’s just a very thoughtful guy. And I thought what he did with the movie wasvery assured and bold, for a first film. Just his process was very specific. I had a really good experience with him."

That's always good to hear. And in case you think Stiller didn't really know about it, when asked about the star Craig Roberts, he continues with even more glowing comments:"I thought Craig wasamazingtoo. I felt like he and Yasmin (Paige) both, you could sense that they so trusted Richard as a director. I loved that he is very honest but alsovery funny. Their relationship is so funny but also has the awkwardness. The cast and the director– everyone's just doing their thing and not apologising for it."They definitely don't need to apologize for it either! It was a wonderful film and will probably end up as one of my favoritesthisyear, too.

For those anxious to finally watchSubmarine, since I've been hyping it so much, the good news is that it wasbought by The Weinstein Company in Torontoand will be arriving in theaters sometime later this year after it also plays theSundance Film Festival. I'm just happy to hear that the experience behind-the-scenes was as positive as the end result on the screen, as I know onceSubmarinehits theaters it should instantly become a favorite of a lot of moviegoers. We will continue to keep you updated and let you know when TWC releases a trailer as well. In the meantime, be sure toread my reviewfrom Toronto - I'll be seeing it again at Sundance!

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Watch Ben Craig's Short'Modern Times'That Has Studios Buzzing« FirstShowing.net

If you're already wondering if the title has something to do with Charlie Chaplin, it does, but you'll find out exactly how once you watch it.Heat Visionrecently featured a short film that's been floating around the web since December calledModern Timesthat was conceived and directed by Scottish art directorBen
Craig. The reason it was featured is because its getting lots of buzz around Hollywood and subsequently Ben Craig has been pursued by studios like Warner Bros, Fox and Paramount for upcoming projects. The short can be seen below and, despite the name, is a futuristic sci-fi that film fanswillshouldfall instantly in love with.

Watch Ben Craig's shortModern Timesbelow and read the story about how he made it over onHeat Vision.

Wasn't that just wonderful? It kind of feels like2001: A Space Odyssey,Moonand J.J. Abrams'Star Trekall rolled into one, which is actually quite awesome. And now you know why it's also titledModern Times. Please tell me that's something that we'llactuallybe able to experience in our"near"future, because holy hell is that one amazing movie screen. Craig came up with this after thinking"who was going to {watch all} these old movies andwhere?"He learned by watching commercial shoots, then shot the live-action portion over a weekend. He then spent two more months in post-production, learning along the way. The result is obviously spectacular, I just hope he can successfully extend that same quality into a feature-length movie.

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Casting Tidbits: John Michael Higgins, Brendan Fraser& Tina Fey« FirstShowing.net

You have part of my attention -- you have the minimum amount. The rest of my attention is back at the offices of Facebook, where my colleagues and I are doing things that no one in this room, including and especially your Casting Tidbits, are intellectually or creatively capable of doing. First,THRreportsJohn Michael Higgins(A Mighty Wind) got a role in Cameron Crowe's adaptation ofWe Bought a Zoo, amemoir from Benjamin Mee, following a man (Matt Damon) and his family who move into a mansion that includes the 30-acre Dartmoor Wildlife Park, home to over 200 animals. Higgins will play a zoo inspector.

Second,DeadlinereportsBrendan FraserandKristen Scott Thomas(Nowhere Boy) are set to star inSeconds of Pleasure, a new drama from write/director Neil LaBute (In the Company of Men).Colin FirthandEd Harrisalso currently have offers on the table, but they haven't signed yet. Though details are scarce, LaBute has a short story with that title, but acollection of short storiesthat contains that very shorty also goes by that title. So either LaBute is adapating his short story into a feature length film, or he's putting together a series of vignettes based on a few of the stories inside the aforementioned collection of short stories. We'll keep you posted.

Next,The WrapreportsTina Feywill star inAdmission, an adaptation of Jean Hanff Korelitz'snovel of the same name. Paul Weitz (In Good Company,American Pie) is set to direct the film which follows an admissions officer at Princeton and her relationship with a prospective student who may not be Ivy League material. Apparently this casting news comes fairly early since the project is still in the early stages of development, but Fey has already met with Weitz and they are discussing a deal now.

Also,EWhas word that Michelle Pfeiffer rounds out the cast of Alex Kurtzman's directorial debut Welcome to People. The Star Trek writer has garnered quite the cast already with Chris Pine The story playing a businessman who returns home after his estranged father’s death and discovers that he has an alcoholic sister (Elzabeth Banks) with a 12-year-old son. Olivia Wilde will play Pine's girlfriend in the film and now Pfeiffer will play Pine's widowed mother. Should be interesting to see a big budget, blockbuster writer like Kurtzman settle down with afamily drama.

Finally,VarietyreportsJohn Hawkes(Winter's Bone) andMolly Parker(The Road) have signed on to star inThe Playroom, an indie drama from writer Gretchen Dyer and director Julia Dyer (they're sisters).The film follows suburban parents of four in 1975 where their volatile teenage daughter (Olivia Harris) acts as surrogate mother to the younger children, who have created a make-believe world in their attic hideaway while the parents act out a sordid story below. Sound a bit peculiar, but with John Hawkes involved, I'm definitely interested.

Well, that's all for this edition ofCasting Tidbits. Be sure to stay tuned for more casting updates on the way.

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Disney is Already Close to Greenlighting a Sequel to Tron Legacy?« FirstShowing.net

Though the reviews may be split almostright down the middle, you can't deny thatTron Legacycreated some massive buzz and really pleased some hardcore geeks out there. It's also great to see the power ofComic-Con hyperesult in a big blockbuster and its moderately successful release. Well now it sounds likeTron Legacywas successful enough that the seeds planted in the franchise reboot of sorts may get a chance to grow.AICNhas word from their"Grapevine of Industry Insiders"that Disney is incredibly close togreenlighting a sequelto keep the story of Sam Flynn pushing forward, so we won't have to wait another 28 years for a sequel this time.

Nothing is official yet, and it's not clear when Disney might make this announcement, but it's not really surprising. Even though the film had plenty of closure, there's definitely some subplots left open to be dealt with at a later time (especially one concerning a great actor as a new character with ties to a villain from the originalTron). And whileTron Legacywasn't as huge a success as an installment ofHarry Potter, theworldwide box office takeis nothing to ignore, and the merchandising that comes with the franchise certainly helps. As someone who thoroughly enjoyedTron Legacy(even though it has plenty of flaws), I'm interested in seeing where the story goes from here (especially if Daft Punk does the score again).How about you?

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'Rise of the Apes'Pushed Back to November,'Penguins'in Summer« FirstShowing.net

Briefly:20th Century Foxis re-arranging their2011release schedule, as is the custom once execs meet at the beginning of the year and discuss the status of their films. The biggest change is a delay forRise of the Apes, directed by Rupert Wyatt, starring James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto, which was pushed fromJune 24ththis summer untilNovember 23rd, Thanksgiving week. Considering we haven't seen anything from it yet and its marketing is highly dependent on Weta finishing photo-realistic rendering of CGI apes, a delay is understandable and acceptable, because I want it to turn out the best it possibly can.More below!

Hollywood Reporterannounces a few other major Fox date changes.Mr. Popper's Penguins, directed by Mark Waters and starring Jim Carrey, whichwe just featured photos for, has moved up from August 12th toJune 17thto fill their summer slots. David Gordon Green'sThe Sitter, starring Jonah Hill, was pushed up toJune 24th; Thomas Bezucha'sMonte Carlowith Leighton Meester and Selena Gomez opensJuly 1st; New Regency'sWhat's Your Number?with Anna Faris moves from April 29 toSeptember 30th; David Frankel'sThe Big Year, with Jack Black and Steve Martin, will now openOctober 14th. Solid fall line-up.

The only other big change wasGattacadirectorAndrew Niccol'sNow(formerlyI'm.mortal), with Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried, which moved from its original date of September 30th toOctober 28th, which seems like an interesting change considering that means it's opening Halloween weekend up against other horror films (likeDibbuk Box) and as far as I know it's not horror, it's a sci-fi thriller. Do they really think it'll perform well on Halloween? That's actually one of this year's sci-fi movies that I'm really excited for. Anyway, those are the only updates, but always check thefull2011 Release Schedulefor the latest.

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MGM Officially Announces November 2012 Return of James Bond!« FirstShowing.net

After hearing that the unfortunately delayed next installment ofJames Bondwas being halted by MGM's financial woes, good news came in the form of a plan for Agent 007 toreturn in November 2012. Whilered tape and rumblingsof halted pre-production had recently created skepticism about hitting that mark, today MGM officially announced (via press release) that James Bond will return to theaters onNovember 9th, 2012. And if that wasn't enough good news,Daniel Craigis confirmed to reprise his role on Her Majesty's Secret Service andSam Mendeswill still be at the helm of this23rd installmentof the ever-growing James Bond franchise.Hell yes!

One thing's for sure, Craig is going to be very busy over the next few years since he is also signed for the American adaptation of all three installments of Steig Larsson'sMillennium Trilogywhich begins withThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoocurrently in production. Take that into account with MGM's plans for one Bond movie every two years and Craig's got a busy schedule.

Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan are behind the screenplay, and while we don't have any details yet, that surely won't stop Bond's biggest fans from getting excited. The film is still simply being referred to asBond 23, and we'll be eagerly awaiting the official title sometime down the road. Personally, I can't wait to finally see Sam Mendes take on 007. Craig has just done a phenomenal job as Bond, and thinking back to Mendes work with him onRoad to Perdition, I can't wait to see what these two do with this franchise. Excited?

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Casting Tidbits: Jeremy Piven, Jennifer Lawrence& Kevin James« FirstShowing.net

Ok, so I still live with my parents, which I admit is bogus and sad. However I do have Casting Tidbits, and I still know how to party. But what I'd really like is to do"Wayne's World"for a living. It might happen. Yeah, and monkeys might fly out of my butt! First up,The WrapreportsJeremy Pvien("Entourage") andMike O'Malley("Glee") will star in the Miley Cyrus action comedySo Undercoverfrom director Tom Vaughan (What Happens in Vegas). The story follows a tough, street-smart private investigator (Cyrus) who's hired by the FBI to go undercover in a college sorority. Piven plays an FBI agent while O'Malley plays Cyrus' father.

Second,Deadlinehas a list of the young actresses who have emerged as the frontrunners to star alongside Taylor Lautner in thepreviously announcedadaptation ofIncarceron. The story follows a young boy (Lautner) who lives in a prison that is a complete society in a world stuck in the 17th century and run by computers. But things get interesting when the boy comes into contact with the prison warden's daughter, who kind of lives in a jail of her own, and they find a key that can change everything. Up for the role of the warden's daughter areBlake Lively(The Town),Jennifer Lawrence(fresh off an amazing performance in Winter's Bone) andEmma Watson(of theHarry Potterfranchise). We'll keep you posted when a decision is made.

Next,Deadlinehas word thatKevin Jameswill re-team withThe Zookeeperdirector Frank Coraci for yet another comedy. The two will collaborate on a currentlyuntitled projectthat follows a physics teacher who moonlights as a mixed martial arts fighter to raise money and save the music program his students love. But the stakes are even higher as he makes it all the way to the Ultimate Fighting Championships. Coraci has done some decent work with Adam Sandler inThe Wedding SingerandClick, but it's hard to find anything funny about Kevin James.

Finally,The WrapreportsRon Livingstonhas booked two new projects. First, the Office Space star has landed a role inThe Odd Life of Timothy Green. Director Peter Hedges (Dan in Real Life) will helm the film from a story by Ahmet Zappa about a couple unable to conceive (Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Garner) who bury their wishes for a baby in a box in their backyard. Some time later, they discover a child there, but the child is not all that it appears. It's not clear what role Livington will play. Additionally, the actor has also been cast inTen Year, the ensemble high school reunion drama featuring Justin Long, Channing Tatum, Kate Mara, Anthony Mackie and many more.

Well, that's all for this edition ofCasting Tidbits. Be sure to stay tuned for more casting updates on the way.

Kelly Osbourne co-stars as a sorority sister alongside Eloise Mumford, Lauren McKnight, Megan Park, Morgan Calhoun and Alexis Knapp.
Miley's"momager"Tish Cyrus will also produce, while Jodi Zuckerman-Weiner will exec produce for Cyrus' production company Hope Town Entertainment, along with Rob Cowan.

Piven next stars in Mark Pellington's indie drama"I Melt With You,"which will be one of the hottest acquisition titles at Sundance next week. He also plays a key role in Robert Rodriguez's latest"Spy Kids"sequel, and is set to star in the indie"Drift."

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Jennifer Love Hewitt to Helm Ghostly Tale'Wait Till Helen Comes'« FirstShowing.net

After a hook-handed, fisherman killer never forgot what she did last summer,Jennifer Love Hewittwent on to become the"Ghost Whisperer"for all the geriatrics who watch CBS. Now the actress will go from ghost whispering to telling a ghost story asVarietyreports she is set to make her feature directorial debut withWait Till Helen Comes. Written by Sanchez Mandryk and based on thenovel of the same nameby Mary Downing Hahn, the story focuses on a family who has recently moved to the Maryland countryside where the tormented ghost of a little girl suddenly becomes involved with the young daughters of the family.

Even creepier is the house in which this family has moved was once a church and the little girl spirit only seems to be interesting in haunting the 12-year old daughter in the family, but forms an intimate though dangerous friendship with her 7-year-old stepsister. Sounds like this could end up like a mix ofThe Good Sonand countless ghost stories that use the innocence of children to make a dangerous spirit even more scary. If you're skeptical of Love Hewitt's directing talents, apparently the actress has had some experience behind the camera directing several episodes of"Ghost Whisperer,"so she's primed for a feature film now.Anyone interested?

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Frances McDormand Aims to Capture Animals in'Madagascar 3'« FirstShowing.net

Though they may not be the best films to come out of DreamWorks Animation, families seem to love the antics of the wild animals in theirMadagascarfranchise. And the adventure is slated to continue withMadagascar 3. Since DreamWorks' Jeffrey Katzenberg recently commented on plans for afourth installmentof the animated franchise, this third one better deliver. It sounds like they're on the right track with some new voice talent coming on board asHeat Visionreports the talentedFrances McDormand(Fargo,Burn After Reading) has landed the role of a calculating and goal-oriented animal control officer who leads her team to capture the animals.

This will be the first time McDormand has used her voice for an animated feature, so part of me wishes it was something a little better (I'm just not a big fan of theMadagascarmovies). In May of 2009,we heardthat the story would have our heroes (Ben Stiller,Chris Rock,David SchwimmerandJada Pinkett Smithare reprising their roles) relocate from Africa to Europe via a traveling circus. That still sounds accurate since some new characters are supposed to include an Italian sea lion, a Russian tiger and a Latina jaguar (but apparently the nationalities of these characters could change). However, Katzenbergrecently mentionedsomething about the animals being back in the NYC zoo too. Hopefully he didn't spoil the ending.Anyone interested?

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Paramount Goes IMAX in 2011, M:I4 to Have IMAX-Shot Scenes« FirstShowing.net

Earningquite a bit of good moneyonTron Legacy,IMAXis on a roll right now and to keep it up, they need to line up some big stuff in2011. Well - Paramount and IMAX officially announced that they'll be releasing four of their big tentpole movies from 2011 on IMAX: J.J. Abrams'Super 8, Michael Bay'sTransformers: Dark of the Moon, Brad Bird'sMission: Impossible - Ghost Protocoland Spielberg/Jackson'sThe Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn. Best of all, they say thatMission: Impossiblewill feature"scenes shot with IMAX cameras"that, likeThe Dark Knight, will feature a fullframe IMAX shots.

If you love seeing movies on a gigantic IMAX screen, then there's some good stuff coming up to enjoy on it (especially while we wait forThe Dark Knight Rises), that's for sure."Consumer demand forThe IMAX Experiencehas never been higher,"said Paramount's Rob Moore."Coupled with the rising popularity of the IMAX brand, the growing number of IMAX screens and the increased interest from our top filmmakers to have their movies offered in this format, IMAX is and continues to be a key part of our release strategy."Always glad to hear them supporting IMAX.The Adventures of TintinandTransformers 3were shot in 3D and will be released inIMAX 3D, howeverSuper 8and the newMission Impossiblesequel won't be in 3D.

"When you combine the incredible storytelling talents of J.J. Abrams,Michael Bay,Brad Bird, andSteven Spielbergwith technologies that transport the audience into the story, you create an awe-inspiring experience that takes movie-goers to places they only dream of -- and that is what the core and spirit of our partnership with Paramount Pictures is all about,"said Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment."We are very excited to share these amazing event films with IMAX exhibitors and movie-goers and look forward to working with these brilliant filmmakers as they showcase their talents in our format."

I'm most excited to learn thatMission: Impossible - Ghost Protocolis getting entire IMAX scenes, as those blew me away inThe Dark Knight. We haven't seen that utilized again sinceTransformers: Revenge of the Fallenand that was kind of a waste anyway. This time though we have Pixar mastermindBrad Birdat the helm and know that he's dabbling in IMAX makes me anxious with excitement to see something from this new sequel already. No word on the length or exact number of scenes we'll see in IMAX, but the more the merrier.Super 8will be released onJune 10th, 2011;Transformers: Dark of the Moonwill be released onJuly 1st, 2011;Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocolwill be released onDecember 16th, 2011; andThe Adventures of Tintinwill be released onDecember 28th, 2011.Which of these are you most excited for?

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'Bullitt'&'Krull'Director Peter Yates Passes Away at 82 Years Old« FirstShowing.net

Sad news kicks off this January week asDeadlinereports directorPeter Yates, the man behind the prolific action-filled cop dramaBullitthas passed away at 82-years old. Though he hadn't directed anything since 2004, Yates had already left a permanent impression on the film industry. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, the filmmaker worked as an assistant and assistant director before finally getting his first feature,Summer Holidaystarring Cliff Richards, in 1963. But it wouldn't be until he helmedRobberyin 1967 that he would catch a break that would lead him to direct one of the most memorable cop movies of all time.

In 1968 the British filmmaker directed Steve McQueen and some of the best car chases you've ever seen inBullitt. You may have seen The Fast and the Furious, but Bullitt has some real, kick-ass driving. Since then Yates has also worked with Dustin Hoffman onJohn and Mary, Peter O'Toole onMurphy's War, and a young Jackie Earle Haley and Dennis Quaid inBreaking Away. Yates was also responsible forKrull, a cult sci-fi favorite, but he followed that up with a film on the opposite end of the spectrum inThe Dresser, a drama with Albert Finney and Tom Courtenay that would garner a Best Picture nomination and a Best Director nod for Yates. Hollywood has lost a truly influential director today, and we will miss him dearly.

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Joe Johnston Says Everything is Amazing on'Captain America'« FirstShowing.net

We all know there's been rumored ups and downs with Marvel's relationships with various filmmakers, but it's always a relief to hear a director happily talk about how great their current working relationship is, and that's exactly whatJoe Johnston, director ofCaptain America: The First Avenger, does in a quote onComicBookMovie. It comes from an arranged chat that Ed Gross had with Johnston, where he essentially lets Joe speak about howWolfman'sexperience was bad, butCaptain Americais doing amazingly well, so much so that he says it's"probably the most universally positive experience I've had in this mad business."

No more introduction necessary, let's dive right into it, as they've posted a very large quote from Johnston.

"Captain America was a lot of things. Every picture has its highs and lows, its dreads and excited anticipations. To fully understand the Captain America experience, I have to keep reminding myself that I had just come off another film I shot in the UK,The Wolfman. The two experiences could not have been moredifferent, in fact in many ways (certainly not all) they werepolar opposites. I had three weeks of prep on Wolfman, a ridiculously inadequate amount of time to try to bring together the fractured and scattered pieces of the production. I had taken the job mostly because I had a cash flow problem, the only time in my career I’ve ever let finances enter into the decision process… The production was a leaky, rudderless ship in a perfect storm suffering from bad decisions, infighting, reluctance of the powers-that-be to take responsibility, and too many under-qualified cooks in the kitchen."

He goes on to say that he takes"full responsibilityforThe Wolfmannot working because it goes with the territory,"but he still loved working on it and discovered a great first assistant director during it. Here's the other portion of his statements where he just talks about how wonderful its been working with Marvel so far.

"I hadthirty weeksof prep on Captain America. I have a small team of qualified, supportive, creative producers who are actually helping me achievemy visionof the film. I had a dream cast headed byChris Evans. I had the best designers, artists, sculptors, craftspeople… a creative team that could design, build and photograph anything and have it look amazing and beautiful. We had unbelievable luck with the weather wherever we shot in England. The weather was so good we were compelled to make it rain for a couple of sequences just for some variety. At times I felt as if the gods were saying,“Ahem, sorry about that Wolfman thing…let us make it up to you.” Captain America was probably the mostuniversally positive experienceI've had in this mad business."

Wow. That's incredible to hear, very exciting to know it's going so well. I know it may be a bit of subjective publicity, especially when Johnston's still right in the thick of editing and finishing up the movie, but it still sounds like things are going extremely well and we might actually get thatRaiders of the Lost Ark-likeCaptain Americamovie after all that we're all hoping to see. However as of yet, we haven't seen any footage fromCaptain Americaor anything besidesa few early photos. Paramount has this hitting theaters onJuly 22nd, so I expect some massive barrage of marketing to begin at some point very soon. I'm certain by the end of June they'll have re-established Captain America as our national hero.Who's excited for this!?

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Is Coppola Shooting a Portion of'Twixt Now and Sunrise'in 3D?« FirstShowing.net

Late last yearwe wrote about a new horror-thrillerthat the greatFrancis Ford Coppolawas already in the middle of quietly shooting calledTwixt Now and Sunrise. We don't know too much about it besides that it starsVal Kilmeras a horror novelist, as well as Elle Fanning and Bruce Dern. Well, found in a new interview with Coppola onThe 99 Percent(viaSlashFilm) is mention of a very interesting aspect of the film. Not only was it apparently inspired by"analcohol-induced dream{Coppola} had in Turkey"but he may have already shot one"brief dramatic segment"of itin 3D. Uh what- is Coppola turning into Gaspar Noé?

Coppola has alwaysbeen opposed to 3D, saying once that he has no interest in watching a movie wearing glasses, but a future where he might not have to isn't far off. Here's the key statement from his interview:

He recently wrapped his latest picture,Twixt Now and Sunrise, based on an alcohol-induced dream he had in Turkey. The film even features thelatest 3-D technology– but as a brief dramatic segment thatserves the story, rather than the typical two-hour, multiplex gimmick.

Note: this isnota quotefromCoppola, but it'sinthe piece, so I'm assuming they spoke about it during the interview, then pulled out the details later on.Twixt Now and Sunriseis Coppola's first venture into horror sinceBram Stoker'sDraculain 1992 and contains elements of gothic horror and romance. It's based on the"nightmare"he had and was worked into a short story first. It's an intriguing project, but Coppola's recent flicks (Youth Without Youth, Tetro) haven't been that great, so who knows how it'll turn out. I love that he's using 3D not as a gimmick, which I still think it mostly is, but as a filmmaking"tool"in the proper situation. If there's at least one filmmaker whowasis a truemasterof the tools of cinema, it's Francis Ford Coppola.

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Brief Status Updates on'The Dark Knight Rises'&'Man of Steel'« FirstShowing.net

Though these projects haven't even entered pre-production, DC Comics' franchise filmsThe Dark Knight RisesandSuperman: The Man of Steelare already two of the most anticipated films in the near future. WhileThe Dark Knight Riseshas plenty of circulating rumors and progress in thecasting department, both of the films are taking their time with development. ProducerCharles Roven, one of the minds behind the new Batman franchise and Superman reboot, recently spoke toShockTillYouDropwhile promotingSeason of the Witch, and mentioned both films, including the prospect of the heroes' cinematic universes colliding.

Right off the bat, let's get this one out of the way. While we've heard rumblings of aJustice Leaguemovie and the potential ofweaving a singular universebetween DC Comics heroes like Batman, Superman and the upcoming Green Lantern, it doesn't sound like Roven has any desire to make it happen. The producer says:

"That may be in somebody’s mind but right now theBatman lives in his worldand theSuperman lives in his world. Those stories are those stories and we haven’t thought beyond each individual picture."

Probably a sigh of relief for fans worried about the gritty reality of Christopher Nolan's Batman franchise mixing with the more fantastical Superman and Green Lantern stories. As for the future of the Caped Crusader, Roven again confirms that this film will conclude Nolan'splanned trilogyof Batman films, but he doesn't rule out the possibility of more. Here's what he had to say:

“Well, I think that Chris Nolan has said that he wanted to make a trilogy andthis is a trilogy. As far as we all know, this is it. This is the trilogy. 'The Dark Knight Rises' is the third part of what Chris created with 'Batman Begins' and we’re not looking past that. I’ve said this about Chris before: I’ve never known Chris to do anything butfocus on the movie he’s making. He gets completely immersed in the movie he’s doing and I know that all he’s thinking about right now when it comes to Batman, 'The Dark Knight Rises,' is making it the best movie he can. He’s not thinking, 'will there be another one?' And he’s already said, in his mind, it’s a trilogy. So I think he’s just focusing on makingthis the best he possibly can and that’s it.”

Nolan has always been shy about looking too far into the future, so saying there would or wouldn't be another Batman film will probably always be up in the air. But as of now, Nolan isn't planning doing anymore Batman movies afterThe Dark Knight Riseshitstheaters in 2012. While many fans won't like to say goodbye to such a great franchise, there are also many who understand that Nolan isn't Bruce Wayne, and he can't keep doing Batman films forever.

And while news on the Superman front has been less publicized than anything happening withThe Dark Knightsequel, Roven did address one particular rumor aboutSuperman's suit. Apparently rumors have been circulating that the Big Blue Boy scout would be dressed in aCG suitsimilar to Ryan Reynolds' wardrobe inGreen Lantern. Roven says,"You know, one of the things that you probably know about me and us working on this movie is that the rumors are the rumors andwhen we have something to say, we’ll say it. Until we do, there’s nothing to say.” So until there's something more official to say, stay tuned.Thoughts?

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Confirmed: Elijah Wood Returing as Frodo Baggins for'The Hobbit'« FirstShowing.net

Yesterday, we heard Warner Bros. would pay for the entire$500 million pricetagto finally get the long-gestating adaptation ofThe Hobbitoff the ground with Peter Jackson at the helm. While the cast has certainly been growing over the past few months, yesterday's news brought an interesting new addition in the form ofElijah Woodpotentially reprising his role asFrodo BagginsfromThe Lord of the Rings. Because of his relation toThe Hobbit'smain character, Bilbo Baggins (to be played by Martin Freeman), this didn't seem absurd, but nowTheOneRing.nethas confirmed the return as Frodo and details on the size of his role in the film.

Though initially, the two-part adaptation would have used the first film to tell the story ofThe Hobbitand the second film to bridge the gap between that story andThe Lord of the Rings(by way of all the appendices from J.R.R. Tolkien's universe), the film is simply a two-part telling of the singular book. And so, TheOneRing.net has confirmed that Elijah Wood will appear as Frodo in theopening sequences of each film. The story ofThe Hobbitis being told to Frodo at the same time it is being told to the audience. So we're all just having a good ole Middle-Earth story time together. I'd be willing to bet Frodo would also appear at the end of the second film and if Bilbo is telling the story, that he might say something along the lines of,"Maybe some day you'll have an adventure of your own."That would be a nice lead-in to theLord of the Ringstrilogy.What do you think?

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'Wind and the Willows'Adaptation Finds a Mole in Ricky Gervais» FirstShowing.net

We've already seen anearly promo teaser trailerfor Weta Workshop's adaptation ofThe Wind and the Willowswhich will use a combination of live-action and animatronic. Then we sat down with Weta's own Richart Taylor for achat about his workon the film and other projects. Now we finally have some acting talent attached to the adaptation asVarietyreportsRicky Gervais(The Invention of Lying) will lead the film as the voice of Mole, the main character in a quartet of talking animals that also includes Rat, Badger and Toad. We'll likely find out the names behind those other characters soon enough, but Gervais trademark voice is a hell of a way to kick things off.

TheKenneth Grahame written storyhas seen several film iterations like Disney'sThe Adventures of Ichabod Crane and Mr. Toadin 1949. It follows the four aforementioned animals who must join forces to save their land from a sinister plot that threatens to destroy the uneasy truce between the peaceful animals of the Willows and what remains of Mankind. Directed by Ray Griggs and written by Bill Marsili (Lightspeed), the $30 million production should be quite a spectacular adaptation of the story. As a huge fan of Ricky Gervais' work in films, TV and stand-up comedy, this is great news, and the comedian will bring great personality to Mole (and the picture above is from a Weta statuette that represents what the character will look like in the film). Personally, I can't wait to hear whose voices will bring the other characters to life.How about you?

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McG Lands Directing Job for Universal's Action-Adventure 'Ouija'« FirstShowing.net

It almost rhymes… McG andOuija!Deadlineannounces that after quite a line-up of potential directors for theirOuijamovie, Universal's top choice is none other thanMcG(Joseph McGinty Nichol), infamous for theCharlie's Angelsmovies and the rather dislikedTerminator Salvation. Various up-and-coming directors like Pierre Morel and Breck Eisner have been linked previously, but McG was in the latest batch and won the job in the end. Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes is producing along with Hasbro. Production begins in summer for a 2012 release, and McG is"about to begin negotiations,"according to Deadline. Is he thebestchoice?

Though the plot is still being kept underwraps, it involves a family getting caught up in some supernatural adventure with flares ofThe MummyandIndiana Jones. So it's a bit more thanParanormal Activitymeets Hasbro supernatural board game. In betweenTerminatorand this project, McG did shoot another romantic comedy calledThis Means War, so he's stayed away from sci-fi and is finally venturing into adventure with this. I think it'll be fun and honestly, with McG and a project like this, I'm sure this is the best we would ever get anyway. Adam Horowitz& Edward Kitsis, the duo behindTron Legacy, wrote the screenplay forOuija. What do you guys think - is there any chance this will turn out fun and entertaining?Is McG a good pick?

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'Toy Story' Short Featuring Barbie and Ken is Attached to 'Cars 2'?« FirstShowing.net

Shortly after the charming yet tear-jerkingToy Story 3hit theaters, director Lee Unkrich revealed that the farewell to Andy's toys didn't mean the characters wouldn't be returning. WhileToy Story 4seemed to be unlikely, the director said the traditionalPixar shortplaying beforeCars 2would featuresome of theToy Storycharacters. Well, nowDigital Spyhas noticed a recentTwitter updatefrom Disney animator Floyd Norman saying,“Saw the Pixar 'Hawaii' short. Cute.Ken and Barbiewant to go toHawaii. I don’t know what it’s gonna be attached to. Fun stuff, however.” So it sounds like there will be a Hawaiian adventure beforeCars 2!

This isn't exactly official yet, but putting two and two together, this definitely seems like a safe bet. So whenCars 2hits theaters onJune 24th, 2011, it looks like we'll have the return of a couple franchise in the same sitting. Personally, the original shorts that don't feature Pixar's staple characters are the ones I prefer, but by no means should my stance imply that I don't enjoy seeing my favorite characters returning in their shorts. After all, Ken and Barbie had quite the hilarious relationship (even if Ken did betray her at first), so this should be a blast.Sound good?

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Matt Damon Says Steven Soderbergh's Retirement is Imminent« FirstShowing.net

Back when we heard George Clooney waspotentially up for leadingSteven Soderbergh'sadaptation ofThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.for the big screen, there were rumblings that the project was being viewed as the last film on which the actor and director would collaborate. Now it sounds like that train of thought may be taken a little further in that the adaptation of the60's TV seriesmay be Soderbergh's last film altogether. In speaking withMatt Damon, who's been working with Soderbergh's onContagion,24 Frameslearned that the director has grown weary of cinematic storytelling and will likely make good on histalk of retirementvery soon.

Damon says,"He's retiring, he's been talking about it for years and it's getting closer."Seemingly confirming George Clooney's collaboration with Soderbergh on The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Damon had this to say about Soderbergh's future in filmmaking:

"He’s kind ofexhausted with everythingthat interested him in terms of form. He’snot interested in telling stories. Cinema interested him in terms of form and that’s it. He says, 'If I see another over-the-shoulder shot, I’m going to blow my brains out.' After this movie we’re doing ‘Liberace’ next summer with Michael Douglas, and then he might do one more movie after that with George {Clooney}, and then after that he’s retiring."

However, Damon seems to be trying to convince him otherwise, and aspires to follow in his footsteps as a great director:

"After I worked with Clint {Eastwood} I went back and said,‘Look, Clint is having a blast and he's going to be 80 years old.’ And Steven says back, ‘Yeah, buthe’s a storyteller and I’m not,’ If you're an actor or a writer or someone working in film, it's such a waste. For me, I'm going to spend the next 40 years trying to become a great director and I will never reach what he's reached. And he's walking away from it."

I can understand Soderbergh becoming bored with the traditions of filmmaking, and he's been trying to shake things up with lower profile experimental indie projects likeThe Girlfriend ExperienceandBubble, but apparently that's not enough. Some people just get bored with their current jobs, and no matter how creative or inspiring Soderbergh's work in film has been, we can't blame him for wanting to climb another mountain outside of the film industry. Personally, I hopeThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.comes together spectacularly so Soderbergh's leaves on good terms. We'll certainly miss him when he leaves.Anyone disappointed?

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