The General Movie Thread (news, reviews, random thoughts etc.)

[Tuffty]

Hellboy II : The Golden Army - 8/10

Kickass action, funny and they went to the Giant's Causeway, that's a 40 min drive for me!

[Masa]

Get Ready for a Hong Kong Phooey Hybrid CGI Movie


Even more classic cartoons are headed to the big screen. Alcon Entertainment is developing a live-action / CGI hybrid version of the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon Hong Kong Phooey and has hired David Goodman to write the screenplay. Goodman was an executive producer on "Family Guy" and "Futurama" and has also written scripts for a Who Is Killing the Great Chefs? remake and Last Blood webcomic adaptation. Hong Kong Phooey is a cartoon series that first aired on ABC Saturday morning in 1974 and features a kung-fu fighting dog and his sidekick cat who fight crime. Not much else is known about this.

The trend of adapting classic cartoon into hybrid CGI movies seems to be slowly becoming more popular in Hollywood - to the point where I think CGI hybrids might be the future of children's movies. Most recently, we heard about a Smurfs movie, but in addition to that, we've heard of other hybrid projects including (but not limited to): Tom and Jerry, Yogi Bear, Roger Rabbit, and The Incredible Mr. Limpet. The thing that disappoints me the most is that, despite watching Hong Kong Phooey when I was a little kid, I don't really care about this at all nor will I probably even see it. I guess that's what happens when you grow up, right?

http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/07/12/get-ready-for-a-hong-kong-phooey-hybrid-cgi-movie/

[RatBastich]

Wilde Enters Disney's 'Tron' Sequel

from TheMovieInsider.com

Olivia Wilde, who starred in Turistas and is a series regular on Fox's medical drama "House", has signed on to star in Tron 2.0, the sequel to the 1982 Disney cult classic being directed by Joseph Kosinski, according to Daily Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. Beau Garrett (Made of Honor) has also joined the cast.

The original, about a programmer thrust into a computer and forced to fight in games he helped create, is remembered for its sci-fi gladiator-style battles and groundbreaking special effects.

The new movie is acting as a "next chapter." Plot details are being guarded closely, but Wilde will play a worker in the virtual world who tries to help fight Master Control Program, the villainous intelligence protocol that was the nemesis in the original film. Garrett will play a siren in the virtual world.

The trades say, "the male lead has not been cast, but the studio and filmmakers are screen-testing actors as it brings on other leads and supporting players."

Olivia Wilde

[RatBastich]

Cox And Arquette Officially In For Scream 4

By Katey Rich

CinemaBlend.com

Throughout the long, torturous series of rumors about Scream 4 being in development, Courtney Cox and David Arquette have really been the only original cast members who seemed interested in returning, maybe because Cox's post-Friends career has been negligible and Arquette has nothing better to do these days than hang in a box over Madison Square Garden. (I am not making this up. Click the link)

And from the confines of that box, Arquette has confirmed to E! Online that it's true: he and his beloved will indeed be screaming one more time. "We are going to be doing Scream 4. Kevin Williamson is writing the script at this moment, and hopefully Wes Craven is going to direct."

So there you have it-- Gale Weathers and Dewey Riley will be making goo-goo eyes at each other one more time. Will their participation convince Neve Campbell to come back after all? It's not like she's really up to much either-- though at least she hasn't resorted to a plastic box stunt.

[RatBastich]

Orlando Bloom & Keira Knightley to do Saturday Night Fever remake

By 3am

TheMovieInsider.com



Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley are donning flares and platforms for The Fever Returns - a new take on 70s classic, Saturday Night Fever.

We can just see Orlando strutting his stuff in John Travolta's famous white suit, but we have our doubts about how the disco flick is going to maintain its street-cred.

Film bosses have changed the location from Brooklyn to the mean streets of Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire. Yes, really...

[Masa]

Crazy Rumor: Robert De Niro Cast in Danny Trejo's Machete

So none of this is actually confirmed, but Bloody Disgusting has a report from a one of their regular trusted tipsters regarding some some big name actors that have (potentially) joined the cast of Robert Rodriguez's Machete. Danny Trejo is obviously returning to play the "madman bent on revenge" and I'm sure we can expect Cheech Marin to reprise his role as the priest as well. But they're saying that Michelle Rodriguez will play a character named Luz, Jonah Hill will play Julio, and, lastly, that Robert De Niro will play Senator McLaughlin. If this is true, then hell yes, I can't wait to see De Niro fighting Trejo mano-a-mano!

It was expected that Rodriguez and Trejo would pull some strings and get some good cameos, but De Niro, Hill, and Rodriguez? That's some crazy casting, that's for sure! I don't even care if they fit in the roles or not, that's obviously not what this is about in the least. The original trailer that this is "based on" was about a a Mexican day laborer who is double-crossed by a corrupt senator, which would be De Niro's role. Shooting is expected to start at the end of this month in Austin after Rodriguez returns home from Comic-Con. He is co-directing this with Ethan Maniquis. I'm sure we'll get some confirmation on this casting soon enough.

http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/07/16/crazy-casting-rumors-robert-de-niro-in-danny-trejos-machete/

[RatBastich]

Resident Evil: Afterlife Starts Shooting in September

Source: Production Weekly

ComingSoon.net

ShockTillYouDrop.com broke the news to you earlier this month that Screen Gems was gearing up for Resident Evil: Afterlife.

A release date's been set (September 17, 2010), Milla Jovovich is back and Paul W.S. Anderson has penned the script. No word on a director yet, however, Production Weekly reports the fourth entry has locked in an 8-week shooting schedule at Cinespace Film Studios in Toronto. Shooting begins on September 28th.

This bring the "Resident Evil" franchise back to Canada after 2004's Resident Evil: Apocalypse. The last entry, "Extinction," lensed in Mexico.

[RatBastich]

First Official Image Of Jake Gyllenhaal In Prince Of Persia

By Katey Rich

CinemaBlend.com

Months ago we saw an early glimpse of Jake Gyllenhaal in costume as the titular character in Prince of Persia. And while it's been a long wait to find out what he looks like officially, don't get your hopes up too high-- the official photo looks effectively identical to the leaked one, with slightly better production values and hairstyle.

Which is, of course, fine. No one was really expecting the images from an expensive video game adaptation to look all that exciting, or different at all from the video game in question. So take the opportunity to look at the new image posted by EW, admire Jake's biceps, and think of all the muscle-rippling glory to come when the movie comes out next year.

[RatBastich]

Stuart Beattie Talks About His 'Halo: Fall of Reach' Movie

by Alex Billington

If anyone remembers, last year, concept art that was attached to a Halo screenplay called Halo: Fall of Reach written by Pirates of the Caribbean writer Stuart Beattie ended up on the web. It was Beattie's adaptation of the Halo book of the same name that he wrote on his own during the writer's strike for free just because he loves the Halo franchise and wanted to one day see a movie actually get made. SciFi Wire caught up with Beattie recently and talked with him about Halo: Fall of Reach and the latest developments. "I really believe a Halo movie would just be awesome, especially this Halo movie." Maybe there is hope?

[arun.yothin]

I saw Up last week and really enjoyed it. A few of the jokes were re-used a little too much for me, but not enough for me to get annoyed with it. I liked the short before the movie a lot more though.

[RatBastich]

Clash of the Titans, Narnia 3 Set Photos!

Source: El rancor, Bayside Bulletin

ComingSoon.net

We've got some interesting new set photos today! The first few come from Spanish island Tenerife, where a giant scorpion was created for the Louis Leterrier-directed Clash of the Titans, coming to theaters on March 26. Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Danny Huston, Gemma Arterton, Mads Mikkelsen, Jason Flemyng, Alexa Davalos, Izabella Miko, Nicholas Hoult and Pete Postlethwaite star in the action-adventure.



The Bayside Bulletin also posted this shot of the Dawn Treader under construction for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which starts filming in September for a December 10, 2010 release date.

[Saikami]

I saw Up last week and really enjoyed it. A few of the jokes were re-used a little too much for me, but not enough for me to get annoyed with it. I liked the short before the movie a lot more though.

LOL the short before the movie was amazing. :3 I thought it was very creative. As for Up, I enjoyed it, I went into it not really knowing what to expect. I agree on the joke things though, but I still liked it over all. :3

[Masa]

More DC Comics Movies on the Horizon: Flash, Bizarro, Aquaman

"A year after The Dark Knight became a worldwide phenomenon, there are more DC Comics adaptations in the works than at any other point since the company was acquired by Warner Bros. in 1969." Really? All that I keep hearing about are Marvel movies! Of course, we know about Green Lantern, The Losers, and Jonah Hex, but what else is there? Thankfully, the Hollywood Reporter has published a article looking at all of the DC Comics movies in the works and a bit of news about hiring on a few DC writers as consultants. It looks like DC might finally be setting up their game to compete with the ever-growing Marvel Studios.

Warner Bros has been changing the way they work with DC Comics over the last year. One part of that reorganization involved secretly hiring three of DC's biggest comic book writers - Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison and Marv Wolfman - to act as consultants and writers for its superhero movies in the works. Johns, known best for his work on the on-going Green Lantern comics, has been working on a new version of a Flash script, that was first written by Dan Mazeau. Johns will also produce, but no director has been hired yet for that. The projects Morrison and Wolfman have been working on haven't been revealed yet. Here is a better look at exactly how these writers are involved, as they're not just sitting on the sidelines.

The process involves one writer taking point, though the trio do collaborate on projects, reading one another's materials while hashing out a story that will be at once accessible to nonfans yet still adhere to each character's long history. The writers also work in tandem with producers, writers and the Warners execs overseeing the projects, showing them treatments and providing notes on scripts.

"The creative process is by and large a true partnership," DC's Gregory Noveck said. "They'll ask us a ton of questions, and we'll give a ton of answers. We will talk back and forth. We'll discuss writers and talent, but ultimately it's their decision." Other DC projects that they're developing include Aquaman and Adam Strange. Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way is developing the Aquaman movie, however, Warner Bros is still hearing pitches those two. There is also a Constantine sequel still in the works, a few Green Arrow projects like Super Max, and the Shazam movie that director Pete Segal has been attached to for a while.

There is also a Bizarro Superman movie being written by David Howard and Robert Gordon, the two who last brought us Galaxy Quest. Bizarro is a supervillain with similar powers to Superman. He resides in his own Bizarro World, where he's a superhero, not a villain. It sounds like they're going for the comedic version of Superman with Bizarro, but it's too early to tell. The other DC character most may not recognize is Adam Strange, a sci-fi jetpack superhero with similarities to John Carter of Mars. Adam is transported to a mysterious planet named Rann where he fights the aliens and falls in love with a local woman there. So, all you DC Comics fans, which of these sound good? Of course, who knows which one will see the light of day first, but I've got to say, I'm looking forward to Green Lantern the most at the moment. However, a new Flash written by Geoff Johns sounds pretty awesome, too.

http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/07/19/more-dc-comics-movies-on-the-horizon-flash-bizarro-aquaman/

[RatBastich]

Voltron Movie Resurrected

By Josh Tyler

CinemaBlend.com

After the first Transformers movie made a bajillion dollars everyone rushed to snatch up similar 80s cartoon franchises and of course, Voltron was at the top of the list. A script was written by Justin Marks, the movie was ready to go, and then it fell straight into development hell. Now the second Transformers movie had made 10 bajillion dollars and there’s yet another rush to snatch up even more similar 80s cartoon franchises and of course, Voltron is back at the top of the list again.

Riskey Biz reports that the producers of Get Smart at Atlas Entertainment have picked the stalled project up from the Mark Gordon Company for development. It’s unclear whether the Justin Marks script which we reviewed here will still be used as a basis for the film. Actually it seems more likely to me that the Transformers cash-in fever will eventually die down, cooler heads will prevail, and the whole thing will sink back into development hell.

So if you’re not a huge 80s bred nerd, you’re probably wondering what the heck Voltron is. The film’s new producers say it’s “unlike other robotic action movies”, except of course it’s exactly like every other robotic action movie. In fact it’s exactly like Power Rangers, which had a run at feature films back in the 90s. Power Rangers is a blatant rip off of Voltron but unfortunately for Voltron, Power Rangers managed to get into the live action movie biz first.

[RatBastich]

The Hangover Is Highest-Grossing R-Rated Comedy Ever

By Katey Rich

CinemaBlend.com

A lot of savvy Hollywood industry watchers expected going into this summer that The Hangover would be a much bigger hit than its $35 million budget would suggest. I'm going to immodestly say I was one of them. But no one, not even Todd Phillips, not even Warner Bros., could predict this. The Hangover has become the highest-grossing R-rated comedy of all time, slipping past Beverly Hills Cop with its $236 million gross to date, according to the numbers kept by Box Office Mojo.

Taking a look at the numbers, Get The Big Picture points out that inflation and rising ticket prices don't exactly make this the same achievement as it was in the 80s; then again, movies ran in theaters for far longer back then, so maybe we're even. Either way, it's astonishing to see The Hangover creep up on the records like this, especially watching its staying power as the summer goes on. It was #6 at the box office last weekend, a full 7 weeks after its release. Most thrilling of all, really, is to see a movie that's actually good, and actually funny, find the wide audience it deserves. Suck on that, Transformers 2.

[Masa]

^ The Hangover is the shit

Whoa - Sam Raimi to Direct the World of Warcraft Movie!

Our trustworthy friends over at Ain't It Cool News have landed a huge scoop today. They're reporting that the beloved Evil Dead and Spider-Man director Sam Raimi will be directing a movie based on World of Warcraft. This movie has been "in the works" ever since the game became the all-time greatest MMORPG, however we haven't heard anything about it in a while. In fact, our last update on this was late last year, in which Blizzard's president Mike Morhaime did at least say that "there are still plans for a World of Warcraft movie" but that the script was still being developed. Now it looks like things have finally fallen into place.

If you're still too shocked to believe this news, well, Variety just confirmed it as well, so it's not just a rumor. "At its core, Warcraft is a fantastic, action-packed story," Raimi said in a statement. The current plan is for Raimi to supervise the development of the World of Warcraft movie over the next few years and to shoot it after he finishes Spider-Man 4, which is scheduled for 2011. Legendary and Blizzard Entertainment are producing, with Warner Brothers distributing. In addition to hiring the director of Spider-Man, the studio has added The Dark Knight producer Charles Roven to the creative mix. This is going to be an epic movie!

My first impression is that this is great news, unquestionably so. They could have easily gotten any number of incapable directors, ranging from Uwe Boll to Stephen Sommers, but they chose to go with someone who, I believe, is truly a great filmmaker. Beyond that, he has a lot of experience working with "monsters", which there are plenty of in the World of Warcraft universe. Legendary's Thomas Tull previously said they were "looking for someone of Zak Snyder (300) or Chris Nolan (The Dark Knight) calibre." Looks like they found him! Head over to Wikipedia for more info on the World of Warcraft universe if you're not familiar with it.

http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/07/21/whoa-sam-raimi-to-direct-the-world-of-warcraft-movie/

[RatBastich]

Three-Part Bruce Lee Biopic in the Works 

Source: Variety

Variety says that a three-part biopic about martial arts king Bruce Lee is being made in cooperation with the family of Hong Kong's most famous native son, who died 36 years ago this week.

The family is working with China's J.A. Media on Bruce Lee, which will start shooting in October with Tony Leung Ka-fai as Lee's father. Additional cast and director have not yet been set.

However, filmmaker Zhang Yimou has said many times that he is keen to shoot a film of Lee's life.

The first part is scheduled for release on Nov. 27, 2010, the 70th anniversary of Lee's birth.

[JFC]

For fans of the bike that was used in the DARK KNIGHT movie, now you too can look like Bruce Wayne's alter-ego while you zip around on your crotch rocket. All that remains is to get the cowl:



http://www.universaldesigns.ca/UDR/ID/IDjacket.html

[Masa]

Frank Miller's 300 Sequel is Nearly Finished, But What's Next?

We published an update from Zack Snyder on the in-development sequel to 300 nearly a month back. We know that Frank Miller has been writing a completely new sequel and the Risky Biz Blog now reports that he has "recently completed a draft" of that graphic novel. They also say that no screenwriter and no director has officially signed on yet, not even Zack Snyder. But of course, he's never really said that he's for sure returning, but it sounds like he wants to be involved in some way (since 300 was his so his big break). The success of 300 sparked a new sword-and-sandals trend in Hollywood, but will the sequel be too much?

They don't add much more into the mix beyond that it's presenting a tough challenge for Warner Bros. "While Miller is still tweaking his version, the ball will soon rest in the court of studio, financing entity and producers to determine how easily, if at all, they can translate the story to the big screen." As reported previously, this sequel would take place between the Battle of Thermopylae and the Battle of Plataea (that was seen at the very end of 300). But if that's the case, then that means none of the original actors (like Gerard Butler) will be in this, give or take David Wenham, and that it'll be almost entirely disconnected.

Given the success of 300, a few other ancient epics have been put into active development, including Clash of the Titans, Tarsem Singh's War of Gods, and Jonathan Liebesman's Odysseus. But if we see all of those soon, then is there a chance we'll have a sword-and-sandal overload by the time this new 300 sequel hits?

http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/07/23/frank-millers-300-sequel-nearly-finished-but-whats-next/

[RatBastich]

Ninja Assassin Trailer: The Wachowskis Have Made Rain A Target!

By Josh Tyler

from CinemaBlend.com

The first ever, totally badass trailer for Ninja Assassin has just appeared online. Produced by the Wachowski Brothers, directed by James McTeigue, and starring Korean pop sensation and Stephen Colbert nemesis Rain, it’s everything you’d want in the teaser trailer for a ninja assassin movie.

http://www.mtv.com/videos/movie-trailers/412608/ninja-assassin.jhtml

In Ninja Assassin Raizo (Rain) is one of the deadliest assassins in the world. Taken from the streets as a child, he was transformed into a trained killer by the Ozunu Clan, a secret society whose very existence is considered a myth. But haunted by the merciless execution of his friend by the Clan, Raizo breaks free from them...and vanishes. Now he waits, preparing to exact his revenge. In Berlin, Europol agent Mika Coretti (Naomie Harris) has stumbled upon a money trail linking several political murders to an underground network of untraceable assassins from the Far East. Defying the orders of her superior, Ryan Maslow (Ben Miles), Mika digs into top secret agency files to learn the truth behind the murders. Her investigation makes her a target, and the Ozunu Clan sends a team of killers, led by the lethal Takeshi (Rick Yune), to silence her forever. Raizo saves Mika from her attackers, but he knows that the Clan will not rest until they are both eliminated. Now, entangled in a deadly game of cat and mouse through the streets of Europe, Raizo and Mika must trust one another if they hope to survive...and finally bring down the elusive Ozunu Clan.