Ellison Drops In Time Lawsuit

Acclaimed novelist Harlan Ellison has dropped his lawsuit against Andrew Niccol's sci-fi film In Time says THR

The copyright suit alleged that the pic borrows substantially from Ellison's prize-winning 1965 short story "Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman and sought an injunction to prevent the film's October 28th release.

Ellison has had second thoughts and has decided to voluntarily dismiss the lawsuit with prejudice and according to a stipulation filed in court on Monday, the decision came after the plaintiff had a chance to see the film.

The film's story is set in a society where people engineered to stop ageing at 25-years-old and time has become the currency of the realm. The wealthy are practically immortal while the majority of the populous struggles to bank what extra time they can. The film sees a ghetto rebel (Justin Timberlake) wrongly accused of murder who is forced to go into hiding with a beautiful and rich hostage (Amanda Seyfried). They soon begin a steamy romance.

Both tales use the premise of a "dystopian corporate future in which everyone is allotted a specific amount of time to live". The writer claims the film also takes other concepts from the story such as 'Timekeeper' authority figures (Cillian Murphy's character in the film?) and the expiration of those whose time runs out. 

The film garnered a low 38 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed just $35 million in the U.S. (doing better overseas, grossing about $70 million). Could those low returns be the reason behind the decision to nix the suit?

Harlan's lawsuits don't always yield much--Ellison who wrote the time travel episode for Star Trek called The City on the Edge of Forever--sued Paramount claiming that in the run up to Star Trek '09 they "exploited" City for merchandising and publishing purposes due to suggestions that Forever elements made it into the reboot As we now know that was not the case...

As part of the agreement to dismiss, Ellison has agreed that each party will pay its own attorney fees.

Trek 2: Eve Up For A Role

Alice Eve is in serious talks for a major role in the as yet Untitled Star Trek Sequel says THR

The trekker in me instantly thought either Nurse Chapel--first played by Majel Barrett-Roddenberry in the  original "Star Trek" series or Dr. Carol Marcus seen in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan played by Bibi Besch but then indications are that role is a new one for the franchise.

Eve beat out Teresa Palmer (I Am Number Four) and Hayley Atwell (Captain America: The First Avenger) for the role. And her deal is expected to be locked down soon. She joins Benicio del Toro, who also has a deal that pending to play the role of the villain in the sequel.

Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin and John Cho are all returning to the Final Frontier in their respective roles

Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof wrote the script that J.J. Abrams will direct.

The sequel will be produced by Abrams, Kurtzman, Orci, Lindelof, Bryan Burk, and David Ellison.

Production starts mid-January; The sequel will open on May 17th 2013 and is being shot in 3-D

Ayer Writes Scarface Remake

"Training Day" writer David Ayer has signed on to pen the latest remake of  Scarface says Deadline.

The new film will combine elements of the 1932 original and Brian de Palma's 1983 remake but setting it all within the modern crime world.

Ayer says that he has no plans to do a straight up remake of the 1983 film. Instead he'll use the universal elements from both films - "a specificity of place, there was unapologetic violence, and a main character who socially scared the s**t out of people, but who had his own moral cod . Each was faithful to the underworld of its time."

More Max Down The Road

Filmmaker George Miller told  the Australian Financial Review that the upcoming "Mad Max: Fury Road" could spawn not one but two sequels.--a second trilogy in the Mad Max franchise

"We started with [Fury Road], but we then started to do a second story and a third. We've written the script for the second and almost finished the third. We never intended to, [but] they were part of the exploration of the characters."

Tom Hardy will star as post-apocalyptic drifter Max Rockatansky made famous first by Mel Gibson.

Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Riley Keough, and Adelaide Clemens were all set to co-star and seemingly remain attached to Fury.

Production on the new 'Max' is now expected to take place in Namibia in April following a series of weather related delays.

Akira Remake Synopsis

A new synopsis was sent out to casting agents that revealed that the live-action, English-language remake of Akira is, aside from the locale and nationality changes, going to be very similar to the Japanese animated classic.

The new film shifts the action from Neo-Tokyo to New Manhattan and follows Kaneda's (Garrett Hedlund) attempts to save Tetsuo from a medical experiment that threatens to unleash destructive powers.

Geek Tyrant posted the plot description:

"Kaneda is a bar owner in Neo-Manhattan who is stunned when his brother, Tetsuo, is abducted by government agents led by The Colonel. Desperate to get his brother back, Kaneda agrees to join with Ky Reed and her underground movement who are intent on revealing to the world what truly happened to New York City thirty years ago when it was destroyed. Kaneda believes their theories to be ludicrous but after finding his brother again, is shocked when he displays telekinetic powers. Ky believes Tetsuo is headed to release a young boy, Akira, who has taken control of Tetsuo’s mind. Kaneda clashes with The Colonel’s troops on his way to stop Tetsuo from releasing Akira but arrives too late. Akira soon emerges from his prison courtesy of Tetsuo as Kaneda races in to save his brother before Akira once again destroys Manhattan island, as he did thirty years ago. "

Aside from Kaneda being a bar owner rather than a teen biker, it's otherwise similar to the 1988 original. Of course this is a short synopsis that skips many details so I'm sure we will hear more about the extent of the true nature of the changes as the weeks progress

Kristen Stewart has been offered the part of Kei, a young medium who becomes the love interest for Kaneda Helena Bonham-Carter has been offered Lady Miyako. Ken Watanabe may take the part of the Colonel Keira Knightley also has been offered a role in the pic but the part is not known yet. D.J. Cotrona, Logan Marshall-Green, Toby Kebbell, Richard Madden Rami Malek, Michael Pitt Paul Dano and Alden Ehrenreich were the latest potentials for the role of Tetsuo with a casting decision on that expexted soon

Spanish helmer Jaume Collet-Serra calls action on the long developing picture

Back in March, Steve Kloves signed onto do a rewrite of the Hawk Ostby, Mark Fergus and Gary Whitta penned script.

Andrew Lazar, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson Killoran are producing with a February start date targeted.

Djokovic Says "Tennis Anyone?" On The Expendables 2 Set

The world's current number one men's tennis player Novak Djokovic will make his feature film acting debut in The Expendables 2 says Deadline

Djokovic will play himself in the testosterone fueled sequel after getting an invitation from producer Avi Lerner. He is currently on set in Bulgaria shooting his scenes.

Sylvester Stallone Arnold Schwarzenegger Bruce Willis Mickey Rourke Jason Statham Chuck Norris Scott Adkins and JCVD are locked while Nicolas Cage and John Travolta could be showing up as well

Liam Hemsworth is one of the film's newcomers.

Con Air's Simon West, will be replacing Stallone as director while Sly acts in the sequel. Plot deets are scarce but claims are that Willis and JCVD are the bad guys this time 'round which seems likely now given Sly's mention of a JCVD showdown

The athlete is currently on set in Bulgaria shooting his role for the August 17th, 2012 release

Eponine Will Be Played By...?

Taylor Swift. Lea Michele, Scarlett Johansson and Evan Rachel Wood are all said to be in the mix to play the role of Eponine in Tom Hooper's adaptation of "Les Misérables" says the NY Post.

The pic would take the world famous musical--based on Victor Hugo's book--and make it sing once again.

The script for this adaptation was penned by William Nicholson, which Cameron Mackintosh will produce. This time dialogue has been introduced in the script--amidst the singing

The story follows the struggle by ex-con Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) to outrun his past and his relentless pursuer - the uncompassionate police inspector Javert (Russell Crowe). Anne Hathaway will play the role of Fantine in the film Eddie Redmayne ("Black Death," "My Week With Marilyn") will play the role of Marius

Eponine, a pivotal character plagued by poverty and, of course, unrequited love, sings some of the most iconic songs from the musical.

Production kicks off shortly for release next December.

Noxon Gives Life To Ouija Film

"Fright Night" remake writer Marti Noxon has been hired to work on the script for the troubled "Ouija" film adaptation says Heat Vision.

Despite the bean counters at Universal Pictures dumping it back in August, the family fantasy tentpole adaptation of the board game remains active for producers Brian Goldner, Bennett Schneir, Andrew Form Michael Bay and Brad Fuller along with director McG

Noxon got her start working on the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" TV series, will do a new pass on the script which was last worked on by Simon Kinberg. Evan Spiliotopoulos was hired by to rewrite the script from Tron Legacy writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz at one time

Ford Up For Ender's Colonel

Hugo Cabret star Asa Butterfield is confirmed while Harrison Ford is in talks to star in Gavin Hood's sci-fi thriller "Ender's Game" says The Press Association.

Based upon author Orson Scott Card's book follows Andrew 'Ender' Wiggin, (Butterfield) a bullied young boy who turns out to be a master military strategist.

Viggo Mortensen was in talks to play the Colonel Hyrum Graff, the commander of training at elite boys' military academy. Ford is tops among several actors who've been approached for the role now that talks with Mortensen have broken down.

Hood wrote the adapted script

Roberto Orci Alex Kurtzman Lynn Hendee Gigi Pritzker and Linda McDonough are producing the pic

A Spring 2013 release date is already set.

Amazing Spider Man: Lizard Looksee

Yesterday there was a lot of buzz from photos of a PEZ dispenser mock-up that seemed to show the design of Rhys Ifans' look as The Lizard, in The Amazing Spider-Man.

Today something much clearer has emerged- leaked concept art of what character could look like from Spidermedia.Ru (via Coming Soon). The art looks similar to the way the character did in the Comic-Con clip last summer

Andrew Garfield, Martin Sheen Chris Zylka Emma Stone Denis Leary and Sally Field star.

The script was penned by James Vanderbilt and Alvin Sargent for director Marc Webb

A release date is set for July 3, 2012 for the film and then a sequel arrives in 2014

Soderbergh Takes Bitter Pill

Despite the fact that he walked away from doing "The Man From U.N.C.L.E" movie Steven Soderbergh has already working on putting together something else says Heat Vision.

Soderbergh and writer Scott Z. Burns are pitching "The Bitter Pill" this week with multiple bids already being made for this thriller set in the world of psychopharmacology

Plot details aren't forthcoming. Lorenzo di Bonaventura is producing alongside Burns and Gregory Jacobs, the latter two having teamed with Soderbergh on the recent "Contagion".

Soderbergh has finished both the January 20th spy action movie "Haywire" and the male-stripper dramedy "Magic Mike" opening in the first half of next year.

Trio For 3 Nights In The Desert

Amber Tamblyn, Wes Bentley and Vincent Piazza are starring in the drama 3 Nights In The Desert says Deadline.

Gabriel Cowan directs them as three estranged friends and former bandmates who reunite to celebrate turning thirty. They come together for a weekend in the desert and expose unresolved wounds as they struggle with who they have become and what might have been.

Adam Chanzit wrote the script

Cowan and John Suits will produce.

I like all three leads--Should be good to see them play off each other

Production is underway

Radcliffe Will "Kill Your Darlings"

Daniel Radcliffe will play poet Allen Ginsberg in the John Krokidas-directed true story thriller film "Kill Your Darlings". says Twitch

The story will deal with the murder of David Kammerer by Lucien Carr, a Columbia University student who had been pursued sexually by Kammerer and stabbed him to death one night while fending him off.

Carr, whose friends at Columbia included Jack Kerouac, Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs, dumped Kammerer's body in the Hudson River and spent a couple days deciding whether or not to confess to the murder.

When he finally did, a sensational trial followed, and Carr served two years in prison before becoming an editor at United Press International and a family man. The other three were the key members of what became the Beat Generation.

Austin Bunn and  Krokidas penned the script

Chris Evans, Jesse Eisenberg and Ben Whishaw were previously attached to play Kerouac, Ginsberg and Carr respectively two years ago. It's unknown if Evans or Whishaw are still attached but it seems very unlikely now.

Christine Vachon will produce the film

Stink...Stank...Stunk...!

The very clever OneMinuteGalactica on YouTube has combined the holiday classic Grinch's Theme Song with the actions of the dark lord of the Sith Darth Vader seen in the latter half of the Star Wars Saga to create a whole new spin on both.



Dare I say that was better than the Prequel Trilogy....

Kapur Visits London Fields

"Elizabeth" and "The Four Feathers" director Shekhar Kapur is set to helm the murder mystery adaptation "London Fields" says THR.

Based on British author Martin Amis' book, the story follows an American writer living in London who has had writer's block for twenty years and is now terminally ill. Other characters include a psychic woman, who meets two men in a bar and senses that one of them will murder her on her 35th birthday.

Both Michael Winterbottom and David Cronenberg have been previously attached to call action.

Chris Hanley, Jordan Gertner and Mary Vernieu will produce the adaptation.

Hanks In The Garden Of Beasts

Tom Hanks is keen on turning Erik Larson’s World War II non-fiction best-seller In the Garden of Beasts into a film says The Hollywood Reporter.

The book tells the true story of US Ambassador William Dodd in 1933 Berlin, whose daughter became romantically involved with several high-ranking members of the Third Reich. Initially naive about Nazi Germany the Dodd family came to understand that violent fascism indeed lay beneath Adolf Hitler's eroding nationalism.

Hanks would produce the pic with  Gary Goetzman but may also take the starring role as well.

The project continues Hanks' interest in World War II that has seen him produce the Emmy-winning miniseries Band of Brothers, The Pacific and star in 1998's Saving Private Ryan as Capt. John H. Miller.

Scott Set To Pilot Narco Sub

In a deal that materialized over the long holiday weekend Tony Scott has signed on to direct Narco Sub says Variety.

David Guggenheim wrote the screenplay on spec, which he developed with producer Simon Kinberg.

Plot deets are scarce but the tone it is said to be reminiscent of Scott's action-dramas like Crimson Tide and Man on Fire.

The title refers to smaller submarines which drug cartels use to smuggle their product into the United States.

The project is being fast tracked and will be Scott's next film which to me is a good thing since it pushes his planned remake of The Wild Bunch even further back...

A Shield Reunion For Pawn!

Having worked opposite each other on the cable drama The Shield--I'm jazzed that Forest Whitaker and Michael Chiklis will team up again for the dark crime thriller 'Pawn' says Deadline.

Making his directorial debut on the pic David A. Armstrong--The action centers on a hostage situation gone wrong when an ex-con “becomes entangled in a manipulative chess game between the Feds, local police and the mob".

Rapper/actor Common and Ray Liotta co-star

Jay Anthony White wrote the script

Chiklis will be producing alongside Brad Luff, Jeff Most, and Michael Becker.

Production is set to begin production on December 1st.

West Revs For Dust & Glory

Even as he is currently at work filming The Expendables 2, director Simon West is already looking ahead to his next gig.

West is now in talks to tackle the car-racing pic Dust And Glory says the Heat Vision Blog

The story is described as a cross between Mad Max and The Jewel of the Nile. It's a romance adventure pic set during the 1950s’ REDeX Trials, which covered more than 10,000 miles of some of the toughest racing terrain in Australia, if not the world. The story will follow the rivalry between an American hotshot and an Australian legend.

Robert Lewis Galinsky wrote the adapted script based on the novel by Evan Green and will co-produce with Elizabeth Howatt-Jackman David Parker William Sherak and Jason Shuman

If West signs on in time shooting is set to kick off next summer

Chandler Turns From Texas Dad To City Guy

Kyle Chandler has joined the Allen Hughes drama "Broken City" says Variety.

The film follows an ex-cop turned private detective (Mark Wahlberg) who is hired by the mayor (Russell Crowe) to see if his wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is cheating on him. When the mayor's wife's cheating partner ends up dead, the private eye immerses himself in the mayor's business and uncovers a real estate scandal that involves dealing himself choice city-owned properties.

Jeffrey Wright will play the police commissioner who has a complicated history with Crowe's character. Barry Pepper will play a closeted councilman/mayoral contentender to which Chandler plays his campaign manager, while Natalie Martinez and Alona Tal play women in Wahlberg's life in Brian Tucker's Black Listted script. Griffin Dunne, James Ransone, and Justin Chambers have been cast in supporting roles.

Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson, Randall Emmett, George Furla and Hughes will produce the pic.

Always happy when a "Friday Night Lights," alum gets work This summer Chandler was perfectly cast in J.J. Abrams' "Super 8" and this fall, he's been working on Ben Affleck's forthcoming "Argo" out in 2012

Production is underway in New York.

Harris Taken For Grant-ed In Spielberg's Lincoln

Jared Harris has been cast as Ulysses S. Grant in Steven Spielberg's Lincoln biopic says Variety.

Daniel Day-Lewis will play Abraham Lincoln, in the Steven Spielberg directed pic. While Academy Award winner Sally Field will star as Mary Todd Lincoln, wife to the 16th President of the United States

Grant, who later became the 18th president, was the most successful  Union general during the American Civil War, starting with victories at Shiloh and Vicksburg.

The great cast for this epic biopic also includes Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Hal Holbrook, James Spader, David Strathairn John Hawkes, Tim Blake Nelson Bruce McGill Joseph Cross David Costabile, Byron Jennings, Dakin Matthews, Boris McGiver, Gloria Reuben, Jeremy Strong, Walton Goggins Lee Pace Jackie Earle Haley David Oyelowo and David Warshofsky

Based on the best-selling book, Team of Rivals: by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, the screenplay was penned by award winning writer Tony Kushner.

Spielbergt talked "Lincoln" in an interview with The Orlando Sentinel some weeks back saying that "we’re only focusing in on the last four months of Abraham Lincoln’s life" and about the great work he did in those early months of 1865 before his assassination in mid-April.

Other events likely to be included in the film are Lincoln’s landslide re-election, his second inaugural address, and the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment.

The long gestating film that once had Liam Neeson playing Lincoln will be produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Spielberg.

Shooting will begin soon in Virginia for release after next year's US election

Riddick 3 Finds $$ Resumes Production After X-Mas

Production will resume on the third Riddick Sequel starring Vin Diesel, following a shut down last month due to money woes.

TMZ reports that the Montreal studio, where filming was taking place shut out the cast and crew after studio owner Michel Trudel, said that he hadn't gotten paid, now received their due funds.

Trudel is now willing to allow the film to pick up production where it left off. Several members of the crew still need pay checks, but those are expected to be handed out shortly.

Recently Bloody-Disgusting reported that Katee Sackhoff had been offered the role of Dahl, a mercenary tracking Riddick, and Andreas Apergis was offered Krone, the commander of an evil theocracy. Bokeem Woodbine and Dave Bautista are up for roles as well...It has also been reported last that Karl Urban is returning as Vaako, a role he played in The Chronicles of Riddick.

David Twohy is directing the sequel from his own screenplay...When filming on the project resumes on December 28th.

The Fan Film: S

Last week I showed you the fan film Superman Requiem and the response was quite shocking--it quickly became one of the most viewed posts for the week on TLR...

This time I'd like to talk about "S: A Superman Fan Film." by Johnny Wu.

Written by George Tutie & James V. Geier-This 18 minute short film sees Brainiac return to Earth--with the intent on destroying Superman However, he is not alone, once Lex Luthor finds out Now two of Superman's greatest villains are working together to take down the Man of Steel.

Tutie, Kyle Znamenak, Donna Williams, Ray E. Goodwin, Zachary Rowe, and Robbie Barnes star

Shot using green screen and CG-enhanced effects the film is an action packed flick that manages to include some emotional punch for the Man Of Steel to deal with. The movie would make an interesting exercise were the story ever to be expanded into a feature



Pretty cool huh? Lots of fun folks!!!

You can find out more info here http://www.mdifilm.com/

John Carter Pix & Poses; Stanton Speaks

Entertainment Weekly has released an action shot from the sci-fi adventure John Carter

The film is an adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars The story follows Civil War veteran John Carter (Taylor Kitsch) who becomes a great hero on Mars

Kitsch was on my favorite TV drama Friday Night Lights and I hope he has a great film career as a result of this his first major movie role

Andrew Stanton directed the CG/live action hybrid from a script he wrote with Michael Chabon

EW chats with Stanton about their exclusive photo:

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: So tell me about these White Apes in your film. They’re from the books, but I recall they’re not quite this ginormous?

STANTON: No, they’re sort of an oversized gorilla in the books, and they’re kind of ubiquitous. They’re littered everywhere through at least the first several novels. They were always cool, just from a visceral standpoint, [but] they don’t really have a narrative function in the first book. So what we did is we made the White Apes a formidable creature that you kind of hear about throughout the movie, but you never really witness. There’s a subtle sense of anticipation for what these things might be like. Then Michael Kutsche— who did a lot of the designs on [the Johnny Depp movie] Alice in Wonderland– came up with this design on his own, for just their scale. He made them nocturnal, almost like moles — they stopped using their eyes, and just had a heightened sense of smell. We just love that. We needed a scene where Carter was going have to get out of his execution sentence in order to move the story forward, and we thought what better than having to go up against this formidable creature?

How has John Carter come to find himself in this predicament?

I don’t want to give any spoilers away, but basically he needs an army to solve his big problem in the third act, and the only army he knows was his previous captors. When he goes back, the game has changed, and he gets incarcerated. This is what he has to get out of. He has to get out of jail and not get killed by these apes in order to get his bigger problem solved.

This picture might imply that he’s screwed, but he isn’t completely helpless, right? He’s got some skills?

He’s not Superman. He has this one Superman-like ability where he can leap farther than we can here [on Earth]. But it’s like being a man on the moon. It can’t be forever. He can build up momentum. This green species called Tharks, they know his one special jumping ability, so they chain him to a rock. It’s entertainment. It’s entertainment to watch this execution. They give him a nice long length of chain, so he can bounce around, but he can’t go out of the arena. It’s an interesting problem to have for that guy.

I’m sure John Carter is thinking right now, “This is a really interesting problem.”

[Chuckles.] Right. And you’ve got these apes that can’t see, but they can smell really well. So it gives you a slight chance to not be killed immediately.

And then Disney followed up with a few more stills

Mark Strong, Willem Dafoe, Ciarán Hinds, Bryan Cranston, Dominic West, Polly Walker, Thomas Haden Church and Lynn Collins co star.

"John Carter" is scheduled for a March 9th 2012 release.

RIP Ken Russell (1927-2011)

Prolific British director Ken Russell died at the age of 84 in the hospital on Sunday after a series of strokes according to the BBC

Russell directed several classic British films during his 55-year career, including the great spy thriller Billion Dollar Brain, The Who's rock opera Tommy, and the Oscar-winning 1969 movie Women in Love.

He also had a number of acting and writing credits, and was working in front of the cameras as recently as 2010, when he played a university lecturer in crime drama Mr. Nice. He even has a role in upcoming horror movie 2011 Invasion of the Not Quite Dead

Actress-turned-politician Glenda Jackson, who won a Best Actress Oscar for her performance in Woman paid tribute to Russell after news of his death was announced on Monday.

She told the BBC, "(It was) just wonderful to work with him and to work with him as often as I did. He created the kind of climate in which actors could do their job and I loved him dearly."

Jackson added it's "a great shame. It was almost as if he never existed - I find it utterly scandalous for someone who was so innovative and a film director of international stature."

Joely Richardson, who starred in Russell's BBC TV series Lady Chatterley, adds, "I will forever feel privileged and honoured to have worked with the great Ken Russell. More than that, I was extremely fond of the man himself."

Russell's fellow British filmmaker Michael Winner told the UK's Daily Mirror, "I've known Ken since 1968. He was the most innovative director. I persuaded Oliver Reed to work with him even though Oliver said, 'I'm not a TV star, I'm a movie star.'

"His television was in a field of its own, it was absolutely extraordinary. Then he graduated to movies... He was also a very nice person. He was very cheerful and very well-meaning. He had a very good run even though his style of picture-making became obsolete, but that happened to everyone, Billy Wilder and (Alfred) Hitchcock ."

The Devils Whore and 1980's Altered States certainly had folks talking as well-A true pioneer who will be missed

Weisz Is A Railway Wife

Rachel Weisz has been cast in the film adaptation of "The Railway Man" says Sky News.

The film follows Eric Lomax (Colin Firth), a real-life army officer who suffered at the hands of Japanese soldiers during World War II --only to seek revenge decades later.

Weisz will take on the role of Patricia 'Patti' Wallace, Lomax's second wife.

"War Horse" star Jeremy Irvine will play the younger version of Lomax.

The script by Andy Paterson and Frank Cottrell Boyce will adapt the Lomax memior of the same name

Jonathan Teplitzky will direct.

Chris Brown Bill Curbishley and Andy Paterson produce

Shooting kicks off in February on location in the U.K., Thailand and Queensland,

TDKR: Oldman On Bane As The Bad Guy

Gary Oldman is out promoting the December 9th remake of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises came up...

Speaking with MTV News Oldman was asked about why they went with Bane (Tom Hardy) as the bad guy - "I think it was smart of Chris to go with a lesser-known villain rather than — because Heath's performance, first of all, we love the Joker in Batman. Heath’s performance [in The Dark Knight] was so dazzling that you got to think, ‘How the hell do I top it?’ Instead of going for Riddler, instead of going for Penguin, he’s gone a slightly different way with the story."

Christian Bale Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt Marion Cotillard Josh Pence, Alon Aboutboul and Nestor Carbonell star along with return of the trilogy's ensemble cast such as Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine Cillian Murphy might be making a cameo

Matthew Modine Tom Conti 11-year-old actress Joey King Daniel Sunjata Diego Klattenhoff Christopher Judge "CSI: Miami" co-star Adam Rodriguez and Burn Gorman take on secondary roles. Rob Brown and Italian actor Massi Furlan have small roles in the film as well

Nolan called action on the DKR from a screenplay he wrote with bro Jonathan Nolan, from a story by Nolan and David S. Goyer

The sequel is slated for a July 20, 2012 release and had a budget of $250 million -- the highest of all three of Nolan's Bat-films.

As for Tinker director Tomas Alfredson told The Playlist plans for a sequel to the well received remake are indeed being discussed...

Twilight Still #1 But Muppets Lead Family Films

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1 may have held on to the top spot over the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend but The Muppets still had a triumphant return winning the family film race; Arthur Christmas lands 4th while Martin Scorsese's 3-D pic Hugo Cabret takes 5th...

Pamela McClintock of THR:

Summit Entertainment's The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn--Part 1 had the sharpest bite at the Thanksgiving box office, winning the extended holiday with $62.3 million and pushing its worldwide cume to nearly $500 million.

Breaking Dawn's domestic cume through Sunday is an estimated $221.3 million, while it earned another $71.5 million at the international box office this weekend for a foreign cume of $268 million and worldwide total of $489.3 million. Domestically, the film continues to pace slightly behind The Twilight Saga: New Moon, which had earned $230 million at the same point.

Disney also scored a notable Thanksgiving victory with The Muppets. The family film, produced for a modest $45 million, beat a number of competitors to gross $42 million for the Wednesday-Sunday stretch, good enough to restore luster to the iconic brand, which has been off the bigscreen for more than a decade.

However, the holiday box office was still down 12 percent from Thanksgiving 2010, when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 grossed $75 million and Disney's Tangled opened to $68.7 million over the five-day holiday.

Part of the reason for the dip could be a glut of family friendly titles, which fragments the audience. Opening opposite The Muppets were Sony and Aardman's Arthur Christmas and Martin Scorsese's Hugo.

Produced by Sony and Aardman Entertainment, Arthur Christmas opened to $17 million, not enough to topple Warner Bros. holdover Happy Feet Two, which came in No. 3 and grossed $18.4 million. Generally speaking, Happy Feet Two has been a disappointment, and it's 10-day domestic cume of $43.8 million is not much more than the first Happy Feet grossed in its first weekend.

Sony--and even other studio rivals--believe Arthur Christmas will have strong legs because of its holiday theme. And like Muppets and Hugo, Arthur Christmas received glowing reviews. Audiences followed in suit, bestowing Muppets with an A CinemaScore and Arthur Christmas with an A-.

Hugo--the filmmaker's first foray into the 3D family market--didn't receive a CinemaScore since it opened on only 1,277 screens, grossinng a better-than-expected $15.4 million. Paramount decided to roll the film out slowly, hoping to ride the wave of awards attention and good word of mouth. The film is playing older than a usual family movie, and to more sophisticated audiences. To boot, 75 percent of the earnings came from 3D screens.

Still, Hugo could be problematic for Graham King's GK Films, since its budget was in the $150 million range. GK Films fully financed the film.

Another Thanksgiving player turned out to be Cameron Crowe's Matt Damon-Scarlett Johansson Christmas film We Bought a Zoo, which 20th Century Fox snuck on Saturday in more than 800 theaters across the country. Fox is reporting sell-out shows on both coasts and in America's heartland.

At the specialty box office, a trio of awards contenders saw strong numbers. The black-and-white, silent film The Artist scored one of the top openings of the year for a limited release, grossing $210,414 from four theaters in New York and Los Angeles for a location average of $52,604--the third best average of 2011.

The Weinstein Co. also began rolling out Michelle Williams starrer My Week with Marilyn, which grossed a pleasing $2.1 million.

Alexander Payne's George Clooney starrer The Descendants made a major push over the holiday, expanding to 433 theaters and grossing $9.2 million for a stellar cume of $10.7 million. The Fox Searchlight film came in No. 10.

Thanksgiving Weekend Box Office 5 Day Totals Nov. 23-Nov. 27

1. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn--Part 1 (2), Summit/4,066, $62.3 million, $221.3

2. The Muppets (1), Disney/3,440, $42 million

3. Happy Feet Two (2), Warner Bros./3,611, $18.4 million, $43.8 million

4. Arthur Christmas (1), Sony/3,376, $17 million

5. Hugo (1), Paramount/1,277, $15.4 million

6. Jack and Jill (3), Sony/3,029, $14.1 million, $57.4 million

7. Immortals (3), Relativity Media/2,677, $12.5 million, $68.6 million

8. Puss in Boots (5), Paramount/DreamWorks Animation/3,005, $10.4 million, $135.4 million

9. Tower Heist (4), Universal/2,474, $10.2 million, $65.4 million

10. The Descendants (2), Fox Searchlight/433, $9.2 million, $10.7 million

Next: Limited engagements invade the cineplex as Steve McQueen's NC-17 rated Shame puts sex addiction front and center for Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan and James Badge Dale; while Twilight's Kellan Lutz has a A Warrior's Heart as he reunites with Ashley Greene