Week of
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17 articles
Check This Out: Iron Man 2 Clue
1 hour ago
Paramount Pictures has already released a brand new poster for Iron Man 2 today, but they’ve also kicked off what might be a viral marketing campaign for the Marvel sequel.
The image below popped up on SuperHeroHype, but no one has been able to crack the code. Check it out there for a larger, easier to read version. Is it the first of many clues that piece together like a puzzle? Or are we missing something in the highlighted text or newsprint? What’s the significance of misspelling “kidnapping” with two D’s?
Don’t bother looking for a connection with the names P. Buckner or N. King, they are likely abbreviations of the art department director and coordinator for the movie. Page Bucker and Nancy A. King.
Post your guesses below, and I’ll update this post as soon as the secret is discovered.
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- Jeff Leins
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Gears of War Movie an Origin Story?
2 hours ago
In June 2008, New Line Cinema officially announced Len Wiseman (Underworld, Die Hard 4) as their director pick for a Gears of War movie scheduled for 2010. The news came on the heels of the wildly popular video game by Epic Games, which produced a second in November 2008 that sold two million copies on its release weekend.
The trick for the movie, like most video game adaptations, is to find a story worth telling amidst the slick gameplay, rich alien world, and grenade explosions. Events in the first game unfold on the fictional planet of Sera, where humans battle an underground race called the Locust, and the second picks up six months later. Wiseman suggested in January this could even become a trilogy of sorts, a sci-fi Lord of the Rings style epic.
Championing the game-to-movie project from the beginning has been producer Wyck Godfrey, who also worked behind the scenes on the record-breaking Twilight Saga: New Moon.
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- Jeff Leins
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New ‘Iron Man 2′ Poster Featuring Whiplash
3 hours ago
Paramount Pictures has unveiled another poster for Iron Man 2. Last week the first one sheet focused on Iron Man and his back-to-back armored partner War Machine, then an international poster put the viewer in a staring contest with Tony Stark himself.
Now we get a better look at Mickey Rourke suited up as Whiplash, the main villain in the Marvel sequel. Many believe this isn’t the completed costume, but only the partially built weapon he uses in an early encounter with Iron Man.
Just as I suspected, they’ll be releasing character one sheets, like many other major, tentpole releases, and possibly top the endless supply of Iron Man posters for the original. Expect a stand-alone shot of Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer, and possibly even Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury before the May 2010 release.
The first trailer has been confirmed to
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- Jeff Leins
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First ‘Tron Legacy’ Image and Poster
21 hours ago
Disney has unveiled an enticing first image and sweet teaser poster for Tron Legacy, the 3-D follow-up to the 1982 science fiction classic. The picture is of Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde in light cycle gear, and the one sheet is a slick straight-on view of the vehicles. (For a better look at the light cycle, check out these Comic-Con photos.) Jeff Bridges returns to reprise his role as Kevin Flynn and Bruce Boxleitner is back from the original. John Hurt and Micheal Sheen also play unknown roles in the December 17, 2010 release.
Here’s the synopsis:
Sam Flynn (Hedlund), the tech-savvy 27-year-old son of Kevin Flynn (Bridges), looks into his father’s disappearance and finds himself pulled into the digital world of Tron where his father has been living for 25 years. Along with Kevin’s loyal confidant Quorra (Wilde), father and son embark on a life-and-death journey of escape across a
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- Jeff Leins
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Trailer and Pictures from Sorceror’s Apprentice
22 hours ago
Disney has released a trio of pictures and an epic trailer for The Sorceror’s Apprentice. Nicolas Cage stars with his craziest hairdo yet along with Apatow protege Jay Baruchel and the great Alfred Molina. The film is loosely based on the scene from Fantasia, but judging from the theatrical trailer there’s a lot more going on than just brooms run amuck.
Here’s the trailer below, but I recommend checking it out in high-definition at Apple.com for all the special effects glory:
A few questions I have after watching the trailer. First, what is going on at the Chrysler building? Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief is taking trips to the top and visiting Mount Olympus and now giant gargoyles are swooping down from it? Plus where’s the shot of the beautiful Monica Bellucci? Finally, is Cage a Street Fghter character (see first picture below)?
Still want more Apprentice?
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- Jeff Leins
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Aniston is Sandler’s ‘Pretend Wife’
23 hours ago
Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston are returning to the comfortable world of easy paychecks and romantic comedies. The once comedic actors are playing make believe husband and wife in a movie titled Pretend Wife for Columbia Pictures and Happy Madison Productions.
Dennis Dugan, who directed Sandler’s other sham marriage movie I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, is the “leading contender” to helm the rom-com, according to THR’s pun-filled article. The studio wants it ready for Valentine’s Day 2011. Nothing says “I love you” like fake relationships and bad comedy.
The logline is supposedly under wraps, unless you have the inside connections like Pajiba. Their source has the full details. “It’s about a commitment-phobic 40-year-old, who pretends to have a wife and kids in order to avoid real relationships. However, he believes he’s found the woman of his dreams in the form of a gorgeous 22-year-old.
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- Jeff Leins
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Twilight Saga: Eclipse is Headed for the IMAX
9 December 2009 5:16 PM, PST
Summit Entertainment has announced an IMAX release for The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, the third installment of the Stephenie Meyer series. The sequel will play in regular theaters and as part of the “IMAX experience” on June 30, 2010.
David Slade directed the vampire romance movie using conventional cameras, but it will be digitally remastered for the larger screen. Screaming fans will be able to watch Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner in monster proportions. Then Christopher Nolan’s Inception will take over the IMAX on July 16.
The small-scale feel of the book may not be conducive to such epic screen size, but the move to IMAX is a no-brainer financially. I’m surprised this wasn’t accomplished for New Moon, actually. Premium prices means higher profits and Eclipse’s summer debut should equal big dollars with Summit.
The studio is already attempting to market the movie as more “guy friendly,” touting
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- Jeff Leins
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Josh Brolin in Men in Black 3?
9 December 2009 4:22 PM, PST
Josh Brolin may become a Man in Black. The Oscar-nominated actor is being rumored for a role in Men in Black 3 alongside franchise favorite Will Smith. It’s not immediately clear whether Tommy Lee Jones will join them though.
The La Times’ Hero Complex reports Brolin is “being considered” for the role of Agent K, the part played by Jones in the first two installments of the science fiction comedy series. The “chatter” isn’t clear whether Tlj will be passing the torch to Brolin and retiring from the secret government agency (again), or if Brolin is set to play K as a young man in Miiib.
Smith is definitely set to return, though no timetable was given as to when the cast and production schedule would be finalized. Etan Cohen (Tropic Thunder) is writing the script. Sony has yet to greenlight the movie, even though the first two made over $1 billion worldwide.
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- Jeff Leins
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Invictus Review
9 December 2009 12:14 AM, PST
There is something to be said about the unifying power of sports. Perfect strangers chant in harmony and share in the excitement of competition, celebrating each win as a team and lamenting the losses as a unit. There is nothing quite like witnessing your team claim a deserved victory after a roller coaster ride of support spanning months, years, and sometimes decades.
It is this positive energy director Clint Eastwood hoped to harness in Invictus, a story of how the newly-elected Nelson Mandela believed in the cohesive capabilities of national sport and publicly cheered for the South African Springbok’s in the Rugby World Cup, against the recommendations of his advisers.
Aside from a nuanced performance by Morgan Freeman as Mandela and the solid turn by Matt Damon as team captain Francois Pienaar, the film is a banal, often dull, re-telling of select events. Eastwood glosses over the country’s
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- Jeff Leins
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Arianna Huffington Shoots with Wachowskis
8 December 2009 9:34 PM, PST
Two days ago liberal website co-founder Arianna Huffington began Tweeting about a “movie on Iraq from the perspective of the future” she shot with the Wachowskis (of Matrix fame). According to the updates throughout the day, she flew to Chicago and posed in front of a green screen for a day, even posting pictures of herself in a “futuristic” costume.
Huffington’s Twitter posts started a swarm of speculation because to our knowledge the Wachowskis haven’t announced their next film.
Devin at Chud claims it’s only test footage (that explains the single day of filming) and Erik at Cinematical suggests it might be David Mitchell’s “Cloud Atlas,” which the Wachowski’s optioned last year. Though I’m not sure how Mitchell’s six random narratives fit with the futuristic take on the Iraq war, but maybe we’ll know more soon. I’m surprised they were able
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- Jeff Leins
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Summit Planning Real Vampires with ‘Vlad’
8 December 2009 8:35 PM, PST
Summit Entertainment, the studio behind the defanged, sparkly vampire Twilight saga, will continue to drain the genre with an action-packed Dracula origin story titled Vlad.
Brad Pitt is producing with his Plan B partner Dede Gardner, though he won’t be wearing fake fangs again. Music video director Anthony Mandler, who worked with Rihanna, the Killers, and Eminem, is making his feature film debut based on a script by Charlie Hunnam.
The story centers on the legend of Vlad the Impaler, according to the Heat Vision blog, about how he supposedly transformed from a young prince into Dracula. Why not call it Vlad the Impaler? A slight change, but one that bluntly guarantees a good skewering.
Like all minimalist filmmaking now, the visual style was compared to that of 300, so I guess the studio plans to remake Bram Stoker’s iconic story on the cheap. An “action-oriented” version with the look of a graphic novel?
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- Jeff Leins
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Michael Bay’s Victoria’s Secret Commercial
8 December 2009 8:04 PM, PST
Michael Bay’s Victoria’s Secret commercial is exactly what you would expect. Hot women wearing little to nothing, fiery explosions, and lightning quick cuts. The only thing missing are the catch phrases. If you’re a man who dresses in women’s lingerie, this ad is just for you. If you’re a woman, well, here are some panties you can wear in a war zone.
Bay started his career by shooting commercials and music videos, including a Playboy centerfold video, so this is a return to form for the Transformers millionaire. He even won an award for the “Got Milk” ad where a character struggles to give the answer Aaron Burr after eating a cookie.
While watching the commercial, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing in certain places. A black helicopter, constant slow motion, and of course explosions galore. I’m convinced he was more excited
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- Jeff Leins
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Malkovich is the Vulture in Spider-Man 4?
8 December 2009 3:03 PM, PST
Websites are still trying to uncover the mystery of the Spider-Man 4 villains, and this week’s rumor is as equally vague as the rest. So far we’ve heard talks of Mysterio, the Lizard, Black Cat, and Morbius. Not a single one has been confirmed as the shooting start date of March 2010 crawls closer, though Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst have agreed to return.
According to Movieline, Sony and director Sam Raimi are circling John Malkovich as the lead villain, the Vulture. In the comics, the character designs his own harness that gives him the gifts of flight and superior strength, despite his age.
The great Malkovich has shown a sinister edge before (Rounders springs to mind), was reportedly offered the Green Goblin role in 2001, and is already playing a villain in the DC Comics adaptation Jonah Hex, so maybe there’s some truth this time? Ben Kingsley was
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- Jeff Leins
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‘Blind Side’ is the Weekend Champ
8 December 2009 2:05 PM, PST
The Blind Side rolled over the competition at the box office this past weekend, adding another $20 million to its growing total. The feel-good football story has already scored $130 million in 18 days on a budget of a mere $35M.
The movie was placed into turnaround by Fox and picked up by Alcon Entertainment. Warner Bros distributed the sleeper hit, which banked on strong word of mouth like their summer smash The Hangover, Paramount’s viral Paranormal Activity, and Fox’s early Taken. Blind Side is the only movie in the box office top 10 with a “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Twilight Saga: New Moon wasn’t able to fend Sandra Bullock off this time, falling to second with yet another sizable drop. The teen vampire/werewolf drama fell 70% last weekend and 64% this one to $15.4 million. Summit’s sequel has still managed to reach $255 million so far.
Newcomer Brothers, starring Natalie Portman,
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- Jeff Leins
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Michelle Williams May Play Marilyn Monroe
8 December 2009 12:52 PM, PST
Michelle Williams may be portraying blonde icon Marilyn Monroe in My Week With Marilyn. She is listed as “in talks” for the part, according to a Tweet from Production Weekly.
The film peeks behind the scenes during the making of 1957’s The Princess and the Showgirl co-starring Laurence Olivier. The story is based on a diary and told from the perspective of Colin Clark, a personal assistant to Olivier unofficially assigned to Marilyn on set. Clark’s account of the events deliberately left out a week’s worth of details, and the film will supposedly reveal what happened in the missing excerpt. Adrian Hodges adapted the book into a screenplay.
Scarlett Johansson, who was born to play Monroe, was rumored in past months but was never approached by the producer for whatever reason. Amy Adams was also considered.
Williams is not formerly signed for the film yet. She was offered
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- Jeff Leins
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Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows Teaser Trailer
7 December 2009 3:22 PM, PST
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is in stores tomorrow (December 8) on DVD and Blu-ray, and the disc includes a nearly two minute featurette for the next installment of wizard adventures. The first half of the clip includes director David Yates and producer David Heyman introducing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 along with brief behind-the-scenes shots from the sequel. This is followed by a 50-second teaser trailer for the movie.
J.K. Rowling’s seventh and final Potter book has been split into two halves for the screen, scheduled for November 2010 and July 2011. The cast has been filming the back-to-back movies since April 2009, and Warner Bros has already released two official images from the film. Plus Yates, Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint did interviews on set, which you can read about here. Three words: Naked wizard dreams.
Watch the teaser below, and tell us what you think. If it moves too fast for you,
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- Jeff Leins
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Bennett Miller Catches ‘Moneyball’
7 December 2009 1:51 PM, PST
Sony Pictures’ Moneyball is back in play. The adaptation of Michael Lewis’ non-fiction book about baseball statistics and Oakland Athletics manager Billy Beane has a new director after the studio halted production five days before shooting was scheduled to start.
Steven Soderbergh has been replaced by Bennett Miller, the Oscar-nominated director of Capote, according to Variety. The trade announcement confirms an earlier scoop by The Playlist that suggested Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer) was also considered for the job.
That might have been a wild choice. A sports story with indie music and a random, whimsical dance number at the center?
Steven Zillian’s original adaptation has been rewritten numerous times by Soderbergh and recently by Aaron Sorkin. Brad Pitt is still tentatively attached, but with the delays and talent shake up, no one knows if that’s still the case.
Questions about the state of the movie still remain.
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- Jeff Leins
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