Franchise Factors

Lots of folks are talking about their movie projects this week....A new website launched to tease ya till an eagerly awaited film opens in Dec..And a director ha a new top grossing film in his filmography.

*X-Men films franchise producer Lauren Shuler Donner told Slashfilm that there was no truth to a claim (later rescinded) by actor Tim Pocock via his Twitter feed that the "X-Men: First Class" film was moving forward shortly.

Donner said 'First Class' has no scheduled start date and no actors have signed contracts to appear in the film however the various cast members who played the young mutants in X-Men Origins: Wolverine were 'under option'.

Donner also revealed that early plans have been considered for a fourth X-Men film but the idea has yet to be pitched to the studio...

*Deadpool creator, comic artist Rob Liefeld says via Twitter that the Deadpool film is gonna happen Ryan Reynolds is still gonna play Wade! Liefeld also promises the movie will include "breaking the fourth wall! Loads of killing!"

*Asked by MTV about helming X-Men Origins: Magneto X-Men Origins: Wolverine director Gavin Hood told 'em "Absolutely, if I was asked I’d take an interest. But the truth is I haven’t been asked and I think that the studio right now is waiting to see how we do with the DVDs, and who knows where we’ll all be if and when a Wolverine 2 script is ready"...

*Michael Sheen told the IRSB gang that he's heard the rumors but hasn't been approached to appear in Underworld 4- "...nobody has actually spoken to me about it, so I don't know. Maybe it is going to take place without me. I'm not sure"...

*Coca-Cola Zero launched a brand new viral website for James Cameron's Avatar...

*Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" is now the film-maker's highest grossing film ever.

The film has grossed over $108 million in North American box office receipts since its initial release on August 21st...Get full details...

*Howard Berger from KNB Effects tells Moviehole that Predators will follow the 1987 film's creature design:

"We wanted to have the Predator look as it did in the original film. We went back and looked at the original. I actually worked in the shop with Stan Winston on the first film. It was great to be able to go back to the series having not been involved in any of the sequels, and it was also great to be able to make sure we built them as Stan Winston did".

*Sir Ian McKellen talked with Rotten Tomatoes he's looking forward to getting to play Gandalf's earlier pre-death incarnation again in "The Hobbit".

"Grey Gandalf is my favorite. Peter Jackson's too, we always preferred Gandalf the Grey. Peter liked him because he got down and dirty. He slept in the hedgerows; he was closer to the earth and not quite so spiritual. He's also funnier -- he's got more variety to him. We thought there was more scope in that Gandalf."

*"Zombieland (due in theaters this Friday October 2nd) co-writer Rhett Reese told STYD that the late Patrick Swayze was going to have a cameo role in the horror-comedy before he was diagnosed with cancer. Swayze unfortunately had to bow out...

Reese and writing partner Paul Wernick have turned in drafts of a Venom script. Wernick told SCI FI Wire in an exclusive interview “We’ve written two drafts of Venom, and the studio has it, and they’re pushing forward in whatever ways they push forward"