Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Zombieland 2 Is Alive

Long thought dead Sony Pictures is bringing Zombieland 2 back to life--hiring Dave Callaham ("Godzilla," "The Expendables") to write it says Deadline.

Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer is expected to return to direct the sequel and will supervise the writing. Callaham's script for the upcoming darkly comic adaptation of author Jo Nesbø's novel "Jackpot" brought the writer to the attention of the suits and got him involved in "Zombieland 2".

It's unknown at this point if stars Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson and Abigail Breslin will return.


Batman v Superman-DOJ: From Gotham To Metropolis

Production on Zack Snyder's upcoming Superman/Batman team-up film called "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" is moving from to Detroit to Chicago reports FOX 32 News


Filming is due to take place in downtown Chicago for about 4-5 days, followed by another week and a half in surrounding communities.

Chicago will once again stand in as Metropolis in the sequel where the two titans will reportedly "duke it out" for the first few weeks of November.

DOJ will see the return of Henry Cavill as Superman/Clark Kent, Ben Affleck will play Bruce Wayne/Batman amid lots of fallout--while Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane are set to reprise their roles as Lois Lane, Perry White and Martha Kent. "Fast Five" star Gal Gadot's playing Wonder Woman.

How big Gadot's role as WW is, is unknown at this point. Godot beat out Olga Kurylenko and Elodie Yung for the role. Thor: The Dark World" actress is Jaimie Alexander was also linked.

Some time ago there was noise that the production was seeking is a love interest for the Dark Knight in the film. The Type? A woman in their late 20s of any ethnicity. Adding that she be tall and "possess physicality".

The notice DID NOT give a name for the character, which led to speculation that it was anyone from Vicki Vale to Wonder Woman. A leaked casting call had fanboys thinking that the Amazon warrior was in the pic.

Meanwhile, Affleck is on the stump for David Fincher's thriller Gone Girl and was asked by Matt Lauer on the Today Show about the negativity over his casting last year. He responded:

"We have these cultural stories that people have attachments to, they care very much about. Fans get imaginative, they write fan-fiction, and they get really into it. They're certainly entitled to those feelings, but what's been interesting for me is this is the movie, more than any other movie combined, people come up to me and they're really excited. You have all of this attention - some of it's positive, some of it's negative. I think, in the end, you make the movie and it either works or it doesn't."

He added that Snyder and Terrio have "really conceived it in a new and interesting way".

Rumors started that reportedly confirmed that Jason Momoa has been cast as Aquaman for both DOJ and "Justice League".  In response Momoa posted a new photo via Instagram that seemed like a response to the chatter that could go either way (though most likely it's a denial) - The pic sees him  holding a pitchfork like a trident, but he's also holding up his middle finger.

Momoa has been linked to Warner Bros' upcoming DC Entertainment plans for a long time but he's been suggested for numerous other roles like Doomsday or Metallo alien hero Martian Manhunter who also happens to like Oreo Cookies. The imposing actor has been asked about the talk several times but has always denied that he's up for a role.

 Ray Fisher is playing the role of Cyborg in the film. Jeremy Irons has been cast as Wayne's butler Alfred Pennyworth. Jesse Eisenberg is playing Lex Luthor

There were reports that suggested that the chatter about former "Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston was playing Lex in the upcoming movie were true were denied by the actor. In fact he and fellow early frontrunner Mark Strong were never offered the role. Tom Hanks was internally discussed but an offer was never made.

Instead, they stuck with a next generation' mandate. We were told that Joaquin Phoenix came up as a contender for Lex. The trade says that he passed.

Latino Review reports that four secondary villains are making an appearance in DOJ: Victor Zsasz Morgan Edge Amanda Waller and David Cain.

According to their sources, the serial killer Zsasz will fight with Affleck's Batman in an early Gotham City-set scene. Edge will be the slimy public relations head of LexCorp who goes toe to toe with Lois Lane on a TV talk show. Cain will meet with Luthor's bodyguard Mercy to set up an assassination. There's also another baddie  that is yet to be cast . In this incarnation Waller's a stern, intimidating senator who sees Superman as a threat and comes up with a counter measure to stop him.

Holly Hunter, Callan Mulvey and Tao Okamoto ("The Wolverine") have joined the cast. Specifics about their new characters are being kept under wraps. Australian actor Mulvey ("Zero Dark Thirty) has  been rumored for the role of an (unnamed) villain in the film for quite some time now....Scoot McNairy ("Argo," "The Rover") has joined the film. Nobody at the studio will confirm the news or reveal what the role is.

 Spanish site El Multicine which claims that "Looper"and "Edge Of Tomorrow" actress Emily Blunt is close to inking a deal for an unspecified role.

Batman on Film also suggests that the character of Commissioner Jim Gordon is in the film, however there's no word on potential casting or confirmation at this time. The character is front and center in Fox Broadcasting's fantastic looking new Fall TV Series prequel Gotham starring  , , and

More rumors ran recently that Girls co-star Adam Driver was the frontrunner to play the character of Dick Grayson, the post-Robin Nightwing incarnation in the film. The original story mentioned that two other actors are in the mix for the role. Less than 24 hours later "Gossip Girl" and "Easy A" star Penn Badgley and "The Perks of Being A Wallflower" and "We Need To Talk About Kevin" star Ezra Miller were said to be in mix for the part. Driver denied any such talk...With good reason since he was really up for Lex. He turned it down due to scheduling conflicts. Denzel Washington was also among a list potentials for Lex generated by Thinkmcflythink as were Idris Elba and.

Singer Justin Bieber uploaded a photo on his Instagram account showing him holding up what appeared to be a personalized script for the film with the hashtag "#Robin" but it turned out to be a prop for a Funny or Die skit.

The speedster The Flash is said to be in the script.

Meantime: The star of The CW's popular Arrow TV series Stephen Amell posted a "Justice League" comic image on his official Facebook page.  We already know that Flash (Grant Gustin) showed up there for a few eps before getting his own show this Fall (Watch an extended trailer). Could more of DC Entertainment's "Justice League" be coming to "Arrow"? The answer is yes...For now the DC Cinematic Universe will NOT co-exist with the TV heroics...There are rumors about where the films might go as well as the  TV side of things...

"Man Of Steel" writer David S. Goyer was back on the keyboard but now--THR reports that  Chris Terrio, who won an Oscar for writing Affleck's “Argo,” has been hired to write the latest draft of the MOS 2 script. 

Goyer is in the midst of developing several projects including an adaptation of author Neil Gaiman's  popular comic book series Sandman, which he’ll produce with Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Christopher Nolan and Charles Roven return to executive produce the multi-hero film. 

Sources say the new movie is going for the tone of the relationship and fight seen in Frank Miller’s 1980s ground-breaking mini-series The Dark Knight Returns.

The DOJ release was delayed a full 10 months for a number of reasons. As a result, the original release date of July 17th 2015 was no longer. The studio then targeted a May 6th 2016 release. They quickly inserted the fantasy Pan into that original slot. The sequel was to go head to head with "Captain America 3" ...Nobody thought that the comic book pics would ultimately share the date--Sure enough DOJ blinked--and will now open on March 25th 2016.

Once DOJ is completed  Snyder will helm the long planned Justice League movie penned by "Argo" scribe Terrio

Rosa Salazar Joins Red Hot "The Maze Runner 2"

Rosa Salazar ("Insurgent") has joined the cast of the upcoming sequel "The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials" for Fox says Heat Vision


The just-announced follow-up to the boffo box office hit "The Maze Runner" will be based on the second book in author James Dashner's young adult novel trilogy.

In the next installment we find out that the suevivors' “escape” was anything but...soon they realize that something’s not right – Teresa goes missing and a new boy, Aris, is put in her place. Thomas, Newt, Minho, must make their way through the Scorch, a desolate wasteland crawling with plagued humans known as Cranks, and arrive at the designated Safe Haven before time runs out.

Salazar will play Brenda, the lone female amongst another group of teens who ends up paired with Teen Wolf series co-star and NJ native Dylan O'Brien’s character when both end up on the run in tunnels underneath a city.

Game of Thrones actor Aidan Gillen will play the villain Janson, who is also referred to as Rat-Man.

The first film's director Wes Ball is back to call action using an adapted script by T.S. Nowlin, who co-wrote the first film with Noah Oppenheim and Grant Pierce Myers.

Production is slated to begin at the end of October---The sequel will hit theaters on September 18th 2015.

Benjamin Walker And Teresa Palmer Make "The Choice"

Deadline reports that Benjamin Walker ("Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter") and Teresa Palmer ("I Am Number Four") will star in the film adaptation of author Nicholas Sparks' 2007 novel "The Choice".



The tale follows Travis Parker (Walker) when he meets neighbor Gabby Holland (Palmer) in a small coastal town. The story spans a decade of their love affair, which is ultimately tested.

Bryan Sipe has written the adapted screenplay from which Ross Katz ("Adult Beginners," "Taking Chance") is set to direct

Sparks, Theresa Park and Peter Safran are producing the pic

This will be the eleventh Sparks novel to be adapted.

Production begins in October in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Alec Baldwin Is The "Boss Baby"

Variety reports that Alec Baldwin and Kevin Spacey have signed on to lend their voice talents to the animated "Boss Baby".


The tale follows a fast-talking, briefcase-carrying baby (Baldwin), a toddler whom his seven-year-old new brother is jealous of. He then embarks on a mission to win back the love of his parents. Spacey plays the CEO of PuppyCo who is up to no good, and the two brothers must come together to save their parents and the entire world.

Tom McGrath is directing from a screenplay by Michael McCullers adapting the picture book
by author Marla Frazee.

Ramsey Ann Naito and Denise Nolan Cascino are producing the pic that already has a March 18th 2016 release date .

"Invisibility" Movie Gets Scripter

Deadline reports that Kristina Lauren Anderson will pen the supernatural romance film "Invisibility".


Based on the novel by authors David Levithan and Andrea Cremer--the story follows a romance between a boy cursed with invisibility and the one girl who can see him.

Beauty And The Beast Redux Nabs New Writer

"The Perks of Being a Wallflower" writer/director Stephen Chbosky is set to redraft live-action re-interpretation of Beauty and the Beast" for Disney says EW.


Called "The Beast", the film will be on the darker side of the 1991 animated classic - yet still retain the big-budget fantasy elements that have made Maleficent "Alice in Wonderland" and "Oz The Great and Powerful" smash hits for the Mouse House. Live action versions of "Cinderella" and The Jungle Book are on the way as well

Bill Condon ("Dreamgirls") has signed on to direct

UK writer Joe Ahearne ("Trance") was tipped to write the first draft but Evan Spiliotopoulos penned the original draft instead.

David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman will produce the film.

Tommy Wirkola Will NOT Direct "Hansel & Gretel 2"

Tommy Wirkola ("Dead Snow") who directed Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters from a script he co-wrote with “All You Need Is Kill” scribe D.W. Harper told Fangoria he's passed on taking the helm of Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters 2


"I've just decided to not direct 'Hansel and Gretel 2'. I have been lately attached to a few more things, it's just a matter of time and priorities. I did 'Dead Snow', then 'Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters', and then  Dead Snow 2 '. I want to do something a little bit different now and not just do sequels. I did write the script and I hope to be involved in it. But yeah, I won't be directing it."

 Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton are tipped but not locked to return as their bounty hunter characters for the follow-up.

Paramount is targeting a 2016 release at the moment.

Jeremy Renner On Hawkeye Again


There has been talk that Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye could play a major role in Captain America 3 essentially his screen time in that being the equivalent of Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson)'s in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Renner is still not quite sure if his character is involved in Cap 3 telling The Daily Beast:

"Oh, that's a rumor all right. I don't know what's going to happen. I know it's going to start shooting in March. I haven't had any official conversations bout doing it or not."

He also talked about Joss Whedon's superhero team up sequel "The Avengers: Age of Ultron" and the regularly scheduled additional filming that is still to come:

"We have to do some pick-up shots here and there, but for the most part [we're done]. Hulk has a more prominent role, and I have a more prominent role. There are a lot more scenes of the entire Avengers gang together - both in and out of the cape, so to speak. It's making me become a total fanboy. It's pretty fun to be a part of."

He also discussed his multi-picture deal with Marvel, saying:

"I think most actors will sign on to do, like… Captain America 1-3 and then The Avengers 1-3, and then you're done. For me, I signed on to The Avengers 1-3 and then Hawkeye, in case they want to do a Hawkeye spin-off."

"Age of Ultron" is currently scheduled for a May 1st 2015 release.

Batman v Superman-DOJ: Photos--The World Hates Superman

A couple of new photos from the Detroit set of Zack Snyder's upcoming Superman/Batman team-up film called "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" are online via the Twittter.


We see an angry mob if displaced Metropolis residents who aren't very happy with Superman-Setting set a dummy of him on fire. This adds supports the idea that in this film, much of the world is angry over the mass destruction of Metropolis depicted in the last movie





DOJ will see the return of Henry Cavill as Superman/Clark Kent, Ben Affleck will play Bruce Wayne/Batman amid lots of fallout--while Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane are set to reprise their roles as Lois Lane, Perry White and Martha Kent. "Fast Five" star Gal Gadot's playing Wonder Woman.

How big Gadot's role as WW is, is unknown at this point. Godot beat out Olga Kurylenko and Elodie Yung for the role. Thor: The Dark World" actress is Jaimie Alexander was also linked.

Some time ago there was noise that the production was seeking is a love interest for the Dark Knight in the film. The Type? A woman in their late 20s of any ethnicity. Adding that she be tall and "possess physicality".

The notice DID NOT give a name for the character, which led to speculation that it was anyone from Vicki Vale to Wonder Woman. A leaked casting call had fanboys thinking that the Amazon warrior was in the pic.

A love interest for Bats suggests that he will have a larger part in the film than expected.

Rumors started that reportedly confirmed that Jason Momoa has been cast as Aquaman for both DOJ and "Justice League".  In response Momoa posted a new photo via Instagram that seemed like a response to the chatter that could go either way (though most likely it's a denial) - The pic sees him  holding a pitchfork like a trident, but he's also holding up his middle finger.

Momoa has been linked to Warner Bros' upcoming DC Entertainment plans for a long time but he's been suggested for numerous other roles like Doomsday or Metallo alien hero Martian Manhunter who also happens to like Oreo Cookies. The imposing actor has been asked about the talk several times but has always denied that he's up for a role.

 Ray Fisher is playing the role of Cyborg in the film. Jeremy Irons has been cast as Wayne's butler Alfred Pennyworth. Jesse Eisenberg is playing Lex Luthor

There were reports that suggested that the chatter about former "Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston was playing Lex in the upcoming movie were true were denied by the actor. In fact he and fellow early frontrunner Mark Strong were never offered the role. Tom Hanks was internally discussed but an offer was never made.

Instead, they stuck with a next generation' mandate. We were told that Joaquin Phoenix came up as a contender for Lex. The trade says that he passed.

Latino Review reports that four secondary villains are making an appearance in DOJ: Victor Zsasz Morgan Edge Amanda Waller and David Cain.

According to their sources, the serial killer Zsasz will fight with Affleck's Batman in an early Gotham City-set scene. Edge will be the slimy public relations head of LexCorp who goes toe to toe with Lois Lane on a TV talk show. Cain will meet with Luthor's bodyguard Mercy to set up an assassination. There's also another baddie  that is yet to be cast . In this incarnation Waller's a stern, intimidating senator who sees Superman as a threat and comes up with a counter measure to stop him.

Holly Hunter, Callan Mulvey and Tao Okamoto ("The Wolverine") have joined the cast. Specifics about their new characters are being kept under wraps. Australian actor Mulvey ("Zero Dark Thirty) has  been rumored for the role of an (unnamed) villain in the film for quite some time now....Scoot McNairy ("Argo," "The Rover") has joined the film. Nobody at the studio will confirm the news or reveal what the role is.

 Spanish site El Multicine which claims that "Looper"and "Edge Of Tomorrow" actress Emily Blunt is close to inking a deal for an unspecified role.

Batman on Film also suggests that the character of Commissioner Jim Gordon is in the film, however there's no word on potential casting or confirmation at this time. The character is front and center in Fox Broadcasting's fantastic looking new Fall TV Series prequel Gotham starring  , , and

More rumors ran recently that Girls co-star Adam Driver was the frontrunner to play the character of Dick Grayson, the post-Robin Nightwing incarnation in the film. The original story mentioned that two other actors are in the mix for the role. Less than 24 hours later "Gossip Girl" and "Easy A" star Penn Badgley and "The Perks of Being A Wallflower" and "We Need To Talk About Kevin" star Ezra Miller were said to be in mix for the part. Driver denied any such talk...With good reason since he was really up for Lex. He turned it down due to scheduling conflicts. Denzel Washington was also among a list potentials for Lex generated by Thinkmcflythink as were Idris Elba and.

Singer Justin Bieber uploaded a photo on his Instagram account showing him holding up what appeared to be a personalized script for the film with the hashtag "#Robin" but it turned out to be a prop for a Funny or Die skit.

The speedster The Flash is said to be in the script.

Meantime: The star of The CW's popular Arrow TV series Stephen Amell posted a "Justice League" comic image on his official Facebook page.  We already know that Flash (Grant Gustin) showed up there for a few eps before getting his own show this Fall (Watch an extended trailer). Could more of DC Entertainment's "Justice League" be coming to "Arrow"? The answer is yes...For now the DC Cinematic Universe will NOT co-exist with the TV heroics...There are rumors about where the films might go as well as the  TV side of things...

"Man Of Steel" writer David S. Goyer was back on the keyboard but now--THR reports that  Chris Terrio, who won an Oscar for writing Affleck's “Argo,” has been hired to write the latest draft of the MOS 2 script. 

Goyer is in the midst of developing several projects including an adaptation of author Neil Gaiman's  popular comic book series Sandman, which he’ll produce with Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Christopher Nolan and Charles Roven return to executive produce the multi-hero film.

Sources say the new movie is going for the tone of the relationship and fight seen in Frank Miller’s 1980s ground-breaking mini-series The Dark Knight Returns.

The DOJ release was delayed a full 10 months for a number of reasons. As a result, the original release date of July 17th 2015 was no longer. The studio then targeted a May 6th 2016 release. They quickly inserted the fantasy Pan into that original slot. The sequel was to go head to head with "Captain America 3" ...Nobody thought that the comic book pics would ultimately share the date--Sure enough DOJ blinked--and will now open on March 25th 2016.

Once DOJ is completed  Snyder will helm the long planned Justice League movie penned by "Argo" scribe Terrio

Cameras Roll On "Magic Mike XXL"

Warner Bros has announced the official production start for the upcoming sequel "Magic Mike Xxl".


Steven Soderbergh's longtime assistant director Gregory Jacobs ("Criminal," "Wind Chill") is taking over the helm of the film. Jacobs served as both assistant director and producer on the first "Magic Mike," while Soderbergh will stay on as an executive producer director of photography, camera operator and film editor for the sequel. Star Channing Tatum and Reid Carolin penned the script for the second film.

Tatum told GQ that the sequel sees Mike and some of the others heading out on a road trip tour of stripper conventions. Now a new synopsis is out:

"Picking up the story three years after Mike bowed out of the stripper life at the top of his game, 'Magic Mike XXL' finds the remaining Kings of Tampa likewise ready to throw in the towel. But they want to do it their way: burning down the house in one last blow-out performance in Myrtle Beach, and with legendary headliner Magic Mike sharing the spotlight with them. On the road to their final show, with whistle stops in Jacksonville and Savannah to renew old acquaintances and make new friends, Mike and the guys learn some new moves and shake off the past in surprising ways."

Tatum,Matt Bomer Joe Manganiello Kevin Nash, Adam Rodriguez and comedian Gabriel Iglesias are back--joined by newcomers Elizabeth Banks, Donald Glover, Amber Heard, Andie MacDowell, Jada Pinkett Smith and Michael Strahan .

Alex Pettyfer and Matthew McConaughey are NOT reprising their roles as Adam and Dallas. 

"Magic Mike XXL" is set for release on Wednesday, July 1st 2015.

Monday, September 29, 2014

Pierce Brosnan Has The "Urge" To Work

Pierce Brosnan has signed on to star in the dramatic thriller "Urge" says Deadline.


The story follows a group of friends holidaying on an island destination who try a new designer drug that makes them lose their ability to control their urges.

Brosnan will play the creator and distributor of the narcotic.

Sin City: A Dame To Kill For and Machete Kills producer Aaron Kaufman co-wrote the script with Jason Zumwalt and Jerry Stahl from which he will make his directorial debut.

Production begins this October in New York.

"Vacation" Reboot Finds Its Perfect Family

Keegan-Michael Key and Regina Hall have signed on  to join the cast of the upcoming Vacation reboot.says Variety.


The original series of 4 films from 1983-1997 followed the Griswold family created by John Hughes, as they took a summer road trip across America, a European Vacation, stayed home for a Christmas Vacation, (the best of the sequels in my opinion) and a Vegas Vacation with mishaps happening all along the way.

The new version is said to focus on a now adult Rusty Griswold ("The Hangover" and "Cedar Rapids" star Ed Helms)--The character has been played by multiple actors over the years by Anthony Michael Hall, Jason Lively Johnny Galecki Ethan Embry.

Rusty plans to take his family on a road trip similar to the one he and his parents and sister took to 
Walley World, America's greatest amusement park.when he was young. Christina Applegate will play Helm’s strong-willed wife who might be losing interest in him.

 Hall and Key will play family friends of the Griswolds who are described as "the perfect family."

Skyler Gisondo and Steele Stebbins are set to play Rusty's sons Charlie Day will play a river raft touring guide. Chris Hemsworth will play Audrey's (Leslie Mann) boyfriend, an up and coming anchorman. Hemsworth will shoot his role before doing "The Huntsman" which starts production early next year.

Dana Barron Dana Hill Juliette Lewis and Marisol Nichols played Audrey in the previous films

Both Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo are on hand. Former "Victorious” co-star Elizabeth Gillies has landed a small role

The film will be written and directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstien The pic was delayed last year due to script work.

Chris Bender and David Dobkin will produce the reboot.

Production has officially begun in Louisiana

"Bone Tomahawk" Finds Female Lead, More

Lili Simmons, Evan Jonigkeit, Kathryn Morris David Arquette and Sid Haig. have joined the cast of the horror-western "Bone Tomahawk" says Screen.


The story follows a sheriff (Kurt Russell), a gunslinger, a befuddled oldster (Richard Jenkins) and a cowboy as they attempt to rescue a group of captives from a band of cannibalistic troglodytes.

Patrick Wilson will play a cowboy who suffers an unfortunate accident that reshapes his life. Matthew Fox will play a man with dark inclinations that have put him at the very edge of the western frontier. The new actors replace Timothy Olyphant and Peter Sarsgaard, who had been set but the schedule shifted.

Simmons will play the de facto doctor of the town and wife to Wilson’s character.Jennifer Carpenter was previously cast in this role. Arquette and Haig play brigands whose actions set off a string of violent repercussions.

 S. Craig Zahler's calling action here from his own screenplay.

Dallas Sonnier and Jack Heller are producing the film.

Wayne Marc Godfrey, Robert Jones and David Gilbery will executive produce.

Matt Bomer Goes Bad In "The Nice Guys"

Matt Bomer is joining Warner Bros.crime thriller noir film "The Nice Guys" says Deadline.


Set in Los Angeles in the 1970s, the story follows recovering alcoholic and enforcer Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe), and practicing alcoholic P.I. Holland March (Ryan Gosling), who are brought together by a fading porn star's suicide. The dead girl's aunt is convinced she saw her niece alive after the incident. March takes the case which blossoms into a far-reaching murder conspiracy rooted in the U.S. auto industry.

Bomer plays the heavy of the film,

Angourie Rice will play Gosling’s daughter who likes to occasionally tag along with her dad. Margaret Qualley portrays a social activist who resembles a porn star named Misty Mountains.

"Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" and "Iron Man 3" director Shane Black and Anthony Bagarozzi wrote the script years ago, but the project has been languishing in development hell until now. Black will call action on the pic.

Joel Silver is producing the film with Black.

Production starts in Los Angeles and Atlanta in November. The film is scheduled for a June 17, 2016 release

Star Wars: Episode VII: Forest Fight, Isaac And Fincher Speak

J J. Abrams'  "Star Wars: Episode VII" is making news again.

 Original Trilogy stars Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker Harrison Ford as Han Solo  and Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, Peter Mayhew playing the legendary Wookiee Chewbacca, and Kenny Baker as Astro droid R2 D2 will be back.
 
Franchise creator George Lucas told Bloomberg Businessweek that he begun talks with original stars to have them return to for its new films -- before he had even begun the process of the ultimately $2 billion deal and sale. It's been said that Lucas' actually spent about a year planning the franchise's future before handing the reigns of Lucasfilm over to Disney.

The new cast members also include John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson,Christina Chong and  Max von Sydow as a villain character. 12 Years a Slave Best Supporting Actress Lupita Nyong'o and Game of Thrones co-star Gwendoline Christie have officially been cast in the film as well. Parkour master Pip Andersen and actress Crystal Clarke have joined the sequel--the pair were two of the 37,000 or so hopefuls who attended casting calls across eleven cities. Miltos Yerolemou, who had a small but memorable role as Arya Stark's sword trainer in the first season of "Game of Thrones," has joined the cast of in an undisclosed role reports The BBC. The role is said to be a minor one. Greg Grunberg has a role in the pic.

Disney/Lucasfilm haven't revealed any character details at all however, so which of the newcomers is playing which roles is all speculation at this point.


Here's the latest from the mill and beyond...

There's report at Total Geeks that suggests the upcoming film features a forest battle sequence featuring thousands of extras. A week-long and then some shoot took place in the Forest of Dean in Wales with many of the key cast shuttled to a location known as 'Puzzlewood'. Some of the crew was overheard talking about the shoot at their hotel. The shoot is said to have included a "pivotal fight scene amongst some of the new main characters," and the tone of the new pic is aiming to be more "unified, cohesive" than say the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Meantime Isaac recently told the Huffington Post that he wasn't a fan of what George Lucas did to tweak the original "Star Wars" films:

"As an artist, like, he made the s--t, so why can't he do whatever the heck he wants with it. There's a part of me that appreciates that he doesn't really care if people are upset about it. He decided to share it with all of it and he wants to go back and do stuff, whatever. But as a fan, I'd much rather go back and watch the old thing, because it's a product of the time. It's what did you do at the time with the things that you had. And that's what made that movie so amazing. At that time with that technology he made this thing and it was f--king awesome. So, you know, to go back and kind of tweak it with new stuff, it doesn't make it more interesting for me as a watcher. It makes it less interesting, but I can't fault him for doing that."

Isaac also talked with EW recently and told them that he does have scenes with some of the original cast members:

"Yeah, I have... They're such funny people. Carrie is hilarious and doing such cool work. Harrison is back. He went on hiatus for a little while, but he's 150 percent back. It's pretty amazing to see him bounce back. He looks incredible. Everyone's having a really good time.  J.J. sets that tone. There's a lot of enthusiasm and it's being done with a lot of heart. There's nothing cynical about the way we're doing this. Even the in way he's shooting it - he's shooting on film and actually building the sets, so you've got hundreds of Stormtroopers or whatever, and hundreds of extras and all the ships. You actually see it. It's all real. Everyone can interact with the world."

The original trilogy has been criticized by some for its cheesy dialogue at times, and Isaac admits that free wheeling spirit is back:

"Yeah. [Laughs] I'm constantly looking for a cheesy line to say to harken back to the old ones. No, what they're trying to do and what's really great is J.J.'s been loosening it up a little bit and trying to make it alive and energized. It's not formal. They're messy, energized people. We've all intentionally tried to do that. Just make it a little more fiery and messy."

Lastly in an interview with filmmaker David Fincher about Friday's who, whilst out doing promotional rounds for "Gone Girl," told Total Film that he actually spoke with Disney about potentially doing the sequel:

"I talked to Kathy about it, but I think that it's a different thing from... I don't know what Disney-Lucasfilm will be like. It's tricky. My favorite is The Empire Strikes Back. If I said, 'I want to do something more like that,' then I'm sure the people paying for it would be like, 'No! You can't do that! We want it like the other one with all the creatures!'. I always thought of Star Wars as the story of two slaves [C-3PO and R2-D2] who go from owner to owner, witnessing their masters' folly, the ultimate folly of man... I thought it was an interesting idea in the first two, but it's kind of gone by Return Of The Jedi."

Scottish actor Ian McDiarmid who played Emperor Palpatine attended the recent London Film and Comic Con and confirmed that he would not return to the "Star Wars" universe in the  upcoming trilogy--but he didn't rule out a return in a potential spin-off pre-Return of the Jedi:

"I'm definitely not in [Episode VII]. As you know, he's dead by then. I know, we believe in reincarnation, and holograms… But you know, they are going to take many twists on the story as the years go on, and I guess they may go back to a time - I've got no clue, I'm speaking off the top of my head - when the Emperor ran the universe. And I don't want anyone else to play him, do I?"

In a recent post Latino Review claims that Palpatine is part of the new trilogy after all--though played by another actor...

James Earl Jones, the man behind the voice of Star Wars villain Darth Vader was asked by Variety recently about the possibility of playing the character in more films, perhaps one of the Spin-Off Films for example set before "Return of the Jedi". He said: "Oh no. I've got no illusions that I will or even hankerings to be in them, but I'm very proud to have been part of the original."

Actor was asked by HeyUGuys whether he'd been invited back to play his character from Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace--Qui-Gon Jinn in the franchise...While the answer was "No" He said that he would be up for a comeback.

Abrams wrote the script with Lawrence Kasdan for the film. Oscar winner Michael Arndt ("Toy Story 3," "Little Miss Sunshine") vacated his job scripting the next film--after disagreements over which characters the film will focus on.

Kasdan ("The Empire Strikes Back," "Raiders of the Lost Ark") and Simon Kinberg ("Sherlock Holmes," "X-Men: Days of Future Past") have reportedly closed deals to pen the final two installments of the new "Star Wars" trilogy. Kasdan and Kinberg are also indeed writing the stand alone/origin Star Wars features. Company CEO Robert A. Iger recently revealed that the studio has three features in the works - not two as previously indicated.  "Godzilla" reboot director Gareth Edwards is going to direct the first of the upcoming Star Wars Spin-Off Films. "Fantastic Four" reboot and "Chronicle" director Josh Trank is officially set to direct the as yet Untitled Number 2 stand alone spin-off film.

The plan is to have each of these films come out in the years when we don't see a new episode of the saga - They would come out in 2016, 2018 and 2020. We still don't know which characters these spin-offs will focus on. Current franchise chief,
Kathleen Kennedy spoke to Yahoo about the stand-alone films saying that they will NOT affect the main narrative of the Episodes.

Looking ahead "Looper" and "Brick" writer-director Rian Johnson has inked a deal to both pen and call action on "Star Wars: Episode VIII" as well as write a treatment for "Star Wars: Episode IX".

The Avengers: Age of Ultron star Mark Ruffalo previously worked with Johnson on The Brothers Bloom, with Ruffalo playing one half of a brotherly con act. In a recent interview with Collider Ruffalo tells the site that he contacted Johnson to tell him  that he wants to be in the sequel.
  
The series MVP composer John Williams is set to score Episode VII, Episode VIII and Episode IX.
  

Kasdan and Kinberg would also join the projects as producers with Kennedy.

There was
a scheduled two-week production hiatus in August to allow for adjustments in the shooting schedule following Ford's recovery from that injury where he  broke his left leg. The injury is also said to have happened during filming on a top secret set rather than on the Millennium Falcon set as was widely reported.

Production is scheduled to take place through September at Pinewood Studio in England. The film has a confirmed release date of December 18, 2015

Paul Wesley Adds Testosterone To "Mother's Day"

"The Vampire Diaries" star Paul Wesley has joined the cast of the ensemble dramedy Mothers Day says Deadline.


The film will follow mother-daughter pairs as they navigate through the May holiday.

Andie MacDowell, her real-life daughter Rainey Qualley Susan Sarandon and her real-life daughter, Eva Amurri Christina Ricci and and Sharon Stone also star.
 
Wesley will play Kevin, an artsy pastry-chef and boyfriend of Martino's character.

Paul Duddridge will direct from his own original screenplay.

Danielle James is producing the film No production schedule info has been provided as yet.