The Last Reel

Mel Gibson's New Film Goes Right To VOD Then Disc

2012-02-01T14:54:00.000-05:00

Adrian Grunberg's action comedy "Get the Gringo" aka How I Spent My Summer Vacation starring Mel Gibson will not be released theatrically in the United States reports Reuters.

Instead the the R-rated film will be released on Blu-ray, DVD, VOD and digital download platforms.

DIRECTV® will aggresively promote a $10.99 HD on-demand premiere on May 1st. Once its exclusive window is done, then the film will hit disc and streaming.

Gibson plays a career criminal who ends up in a tough Mexican prison when a young boy (Kevin Hernandez) teaches him how to survive in this hostile environment.

Theatrical plays are planned for the film in various international territories.

To promote the release, an official trailer has hit:

RoboCop Reboot Snags Torino Writer

2012-02-01T14:27:00.000-05:00

Gran Torino screenwriter Nick Schenk will work on the screenplay for the "RoboCop" reboot that aims to explore in detail a part of the story that Paul Verhoeven's 1987 classic did not says Heat Vision.

José Padilha remains attached to direct the update that will further illustrate the actual transition from man to machine.

“I have my take on it," Padilha told Superhero Hype, "And I can tell you this: In the first RoboCop, Alex Murphy is shot, gunned down, then you see some hospitals and stuff and then you cut to him as RoboCop. My movie is between those two cuts.”

“How do you make RoboCop? How do you slowly bring a guy to be a robot? How do you actually take humanity out of someone and how do you program a brain, so to speak, and how does that affect an individual?"

Padilha and Schenk have also been working together on the action thriller "Tri-Border".

Last March Joshua Zetumer was hired to write the reboot of the RoboCop franchise

Shooting hopes to kick off this Summer with casting to be announced in the few months

Size "Matters" For Turteltaub

2012-02-01T13:55:00.000-05:00

Jon Turteltaub is attached to helm "A Matter of Size", a remake of the 2009 Israeli comedy says The Hollywood Reporter.

Howard Franklin will write the character-driven comedy about a group of overweight people who become Sumo wrestlers.

David Permut. Carol Baum and Howard Rosenman are producing the film

JT Gets Ahead Of The Curve

2012-02-01T13:08:00.000-05:00

Justin Timberlake has joined the baseball drama "Trouble With The Curve" says Deadline.

The story centers on aging baseball scout (Clint Eastwood), coping with blindness, who goes on a road trip to Atlanta with his adult daughter (Amy Adams) to evaluate a player.

Matthew Lillard will play a fellow baseball scout.

Randy Brown wrote the script

Robert Lorenz, a regular second unit director for Eastwood, will get to boss him around in the big chair.

Production is due to begin in early March.

A release date of September 28th is now set

Scott Thinking About McCarthy's The Counselor

2012-02-01T12:37:00.000-05:00

Ridley Scott is in talks to direct Pulitzer Prize-winning author Cormac McCarthy's first spec original drama "The Counselor" reports Deadline.

The story follows a respected lawyer who thinks he can dip a toe into the drug business without getting pulled in, a decision he tries his best to survive.

"No Country For Old Men" and "The Road" are among the films made from McCarthy's books

Scott has been talking directly to McCarthy and it’s likely that he will sign on using his production company.

If he signs then Scott will make this his next film once he's wrapped post-production on "Prometheus". The project takes priority over several films on his plate.

No studio has picked up the rights to distribute the film yet

Nick Wechsler, Steve and Paula Mae Schwartz will produce.

Skyfall: New Photo 007 Prepares To Shoot

2012-02-01T12:16:00.001-05:00

007.com has posted up the first official still from the new James Bond film-called Skyfall

While the previously released pic of Bond (Daniel Craig) from behind hanging out by a pool was from the production, that was seemingly an on-set photograph rather than a straight up official publicity still. As a pic--Bond Holding a Gun Looking Pensive is nothing new...I post it just the same because it's a well composed shot.

In the 23rd adventure in the longest-running film franchise of all time--Bond’s loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

Ralph Fiennes, Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris, Judi Dench, Simon Russell Beale, Rhys Ifans, Helen McCrory Ben Whishaw and Rory Kinnear also star.

Sam Mendes directs as we speak from a script by Patrick Marber John Logan Neal Purvis and Robert Wade

Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli are producing the film.

The sequel arrives in theaters on November 9, 2012.

Samantha Banks IS Back As Eponine In Les Misérables

2012-02-01T11:55:00.000-05:00

Samantha Barks, who played Eponine in the 2010 London production of will play the same role in Tom Hooper's big screen adaptation of Les Misérables says Reuters. Taylor Swift was keyed to play the role amid rumors. Backlash to the apparent casting of Taylor was strong.

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

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). Sacha Baron Cohen has been cast as a villain Thenardier in the pic. Amanda Seyfried to play Eponine and Cosette respectively. Eddie Redmayne ("Black Death," "My Week With Marilyn") will play the role of Marius Aaron Tveit will play Enjolras, a character responsible for a student rebellion in the streets of Paris. He’s best known for ordering Javert’s execution in the .George Blagden, soon to be seen in the March 30th 3D mythology pic Wrath of the Titans, the sequel to Clash of the Titans, has been cast as student revolutionary Grantaire

Barks says "I can't believe I'm going to play Eponine, a role so close to my heart, a role I played in the West End. It's the happiest moment of my life." She joins original London stage cast members Colm Wilkinson and Frances Ruffelle as a kindly bishop and a "fabulous whore" respectively.

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.

Rehearsals begin this week ahead of filming in March.

The film hits theaters on December 7th 2012.

Katy Perry 3-D Film Discussed

2012-02-01T10:50:00.001-05:00

Paramount Pictures is in talks with Imagine Entertainment and singer Katy Perry to create a documentary-style 3D film about singer-songwriter Perry which will include performance footage says The Hollywood Reporter.

Paramount wants to use the model it used with "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" which made $73 million in the US with a small budget.

No director is officially attached yet. Both the parties are eager to make it happen.

Perry will likely attract a similar young girl demographic that saw the Bieber docu-film

On The Slate

2012-01-31T19:27:00.002-05:00

Here's some Cinema Stew with some January industry bits...

-IMAX Corporation, MacGillivray Freeman Films, and Warner Bros. Pictures have announced that two-time Academy Award winner Meryl Streep will narrate "To the Arctic 3D" which will be released exclusively to select IMAX theatres starting April 20th 2012.

-Platinum Studios and producer Mark Canton ("300," "Immortals") are teaming to resurrect their planned live-action film adaptation of the five-issue graphic novel mini-series "Atlantis Rising" reports MSN.

-Is a film version of the ITV1 costume drama Downtown Abbey in the works?

-Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" has surpassed "Mission: Impossible 2" to become the highest grossing film in the franchise says THR

-Albert Torres has been hired to write a script for a film based on the Cartoon Network series "Ben 10"; Rocky Russo and Jeremy Sosenko have been hired to pen a feature adaptation of the graphic novel "Too Cool to Be Forgotten" reports Variety.

-Sony is hosting sneak peeks of never-before-seen footage from "The Amazing Spider-Man" in a global event slated for February 6th. Tickets can be reserved at www.TheUntoldStoryBegins.com for the screenings in New York, Los Angeles, Berlin, London, Madrid, Paris, Mexico City, Moscow, Rio, Rome, Seoul, Sydney and Tokyo.

-Say what? Some film goers in the UK did not know that Michel Hazanavicius’s award season favorite "The Artist" is a silent movie according to The Daily Telegraph.

-Vinessa Shaw, Ebon Moss and Daniel Gimenez Cacho have joined the cast of "Child's Play", a Spanish language remake of the 1976 thriller "Who Could Kill a Child?" says Screen Daily. Shaw plays a pregnant woman whose remote island getaway is terrorized by possessed children.

-Disney Pictures has picked up an untitled space adventure pitch from "Chronicle" scribe Max Landis says Variety. The story revolves around the emotional journey of a brother and sister as they undertake an epic adventure.

-Scott Marshall is set to direct the sports comedy "The Million Dollar Man" says Variety Alexander Schrader penned the story of an underdog story of a man who finds a magical opportunity to turn his life around when he is chosen to perform at the Super Bowl.

-DC Comics writer Geoff Johns was recently asked via Newsrama if the long in development Captain Marvel movie was dead. He says "There's always a possibility for Shazam!. There's always talk about Shazam!. And I can't get into the specifics on that, but yeah, there's hope for Shazam"

-Director Joe Wright and Keira Knightley's third film based on a period literature adaptation, Leo Tolstoy's classic "Anna Karenina", is gonna be quite unique according to Empire Magazine (via The Playlist)

They Must Have Enjoyed Working Together

2012-01-31T16:38:00.002-05:00

Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence are set join the period drama "Serena" says Vulture.

Based upon author Ron Rash's 2008 novel takes place in 1929 North Carolina, the story follows two young newlyweds, George and Serena Pemberton, who are building a timber empire and aren't afraid to kill or destroy those who oppose them. The pair soon turn against each other when Serena learns she can't bear children and launches a deadly vendetta against her husband's illegitimate son.

"In a Better World" helmer Susanne Bier directs the pic from an adapted script by Christopher Kyle

Mark Cuban Paula Mae Schwartz Steve Schwartz Todd Wagner and Nick Wechsler will produce

Cooper and Lawrence also co-star in the upcoming "The Silver Linings Playbook" hitting theaters on November 21st.

Farmiga Hearts The Drummer

2012-01-31T16:15:00.000-05:00

Vera Farmiga ("The Departed," "Up in the Air") will play singer-songwriter and "Fleetwood Mac" member Christine McVie in Randall Miller's biopic "The Drummer" says Screen Daily.

The script written by Jody Savin details the last six years of The Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson's (Aaron Eckhart ) life, prior to his death in 1983.

Wilson and McVie had a passionate relationship, becoming each other's muses and confidantes

Eckhart serves as executive producer on the film and will record his own renditions of some of Wilson's songs. Farmiga will use her classical piano training in the production and will sing in a number of duets with Eckhart.

Brad Rosenberger, Randy Miller and Savin are producing,

Shooting kicks off in Southern Georgia on June 15th.

Peck & Ransone Head West In The Timber

2012-01-31T14:48:00.000-05:00

Josh Peck and James Ransone, have joined the cast of the apocalyptic Western-thriller "The Timber" says Variety.

Set against the backdrop of the 1898 Yukon Gold Rush, the story revolves around two brothers torn from their family who set out to find their violent father, a twisted man who has turned the Yukon Territory into his own personal hell.

Director Anthony O'Brien also co-wrote the story with Colin Ossiander and Steve Allrich.

Scott Einbinder and Patrick Newall will produce.

Benson Goes From Liar To Breaker

2012-01-31T14:09:00.001-05:00

The star of TV's Pretty Little Liars, Ashley Benson has joined "Spring Breakers" says Deadline.

The story follows four college girls (Benson, Vanessa Hudgens and Selena Gomez and
Rachel Korine) who rob a fast food restaurant to afford spring break in Florida. Upon arrival, they get mixed up with a shady criminal (James Franco) who entices them to kill his arch-rival.

The writer/director Harmony Korine ("Mister Lonely," "Trash Humpers") who is best known for writing the controversial "Kids" will oversee this pic.

Emma Roberts was also attached but dropped out of the film

David Zander, Chris Hanley, Charles-Marie Anthonioz and Jordan Gertner will produce

Production kicks off next month in Florida.

Langella is Working For The Time Being

2012-01-31T13:48:00.000-05:00

Frank Langella has joined Nenad Cicin-Sain's indie "The Time Being" says Deadline.

The story follows a struggling artist (Wes Bentley) who accepts a series of bizarre commissions from a dying, eccentric millionaire (Langella) who may not be what he seems. Is he a monster out to destroy the artist's life, or someone who'll teach him the true meaning of art.

Richard N. Gladstein and director Cicin-Sain co-wrote the script.

Gladstein will produce the pic

Les Misérables Adds Blagden & Original Cast Duo

2012-01-31T13:28:00.001-05:00

George Blagden, soon to be seen in the March 30th 3D mythology pic Wrath of the Titans, the sequel to Clash of the Titans, has been cast as student revolutionary Grantaire in Tom Hooper's big screen adaptation of Les Misérables says Up and Comers

As a bonus original London stage cast members Colm Wilkinson and Frances Ruffelle have small roles in the film as a kindly bishop and a "fabulous whore" respectively.

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

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). Sacha Baron Cohen has been cast as a villain Thenardier in the pic. Offers are on the table for Taylor Swift and Amanda Seyfried to play Eponine and Cosette respectively. Eddie Redmayne ("Black Death," "My Week With Marilyn") will play the role of Marius Aaron Tveit will play Enjolras, a character responsible for a student rebellion in the streets of Paris. He’s best known for ordering Javert’s execution in the story.

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.

Rehearsals begin this week ahead of filming in March.

The film hits theaters on December 7th 2012.

Before Supes Henry Sees The Light

2012-01-30T22:41:00.001-05:00

The first full length trailer for the April 6th action thriller "The Cold Light of Day" has hit.

The story follows a young Wall Street trader (Henry Cavill) whose family is kidnapped on a vacation to Spain. With only hours to find them, he uncovers a dangerous conspiracy behind their abduction which relates to something in his father's (Bruce Willis) dark past.

Sigourney Weaver, Joseph Mawle, Caroline Goodall, Jim Piddock, Rafi Gavron, Óscar Jaenada, Shira Scott Astrof and Roschdy Zem also star.

Mabrouk El Mechri ("Jcvd") directed the film from a script by Scott Wiper and John Petro

Trevor Macy and Marc D. Evans produced the film.

At least we can see that the star of Zack Snyder's still filming big budget reboot Superman: Man of Steel has the whole "leap tall buildings" thing down...

X-Class Reunion Everybody Is Back

2012-01-30T18:43:00.001-05:00

The sequel to last Summer's X-Men: First Class is officially a go according to Deadline.

The entire cast is set to reprise their roles, including James McAvoy (Professor X), Michael Fassbender (Magneto), and Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique), Rose Byrne (Moira MacTaggert), January Jones (Emma Frost) and Nicholas Hoult (Beast).

Matthew Vaughn will call action again and Bryan Singer is returning as producer.

Simon Kinberg (Sherlock Holmes) is on board to pen the screenplay. All we know about the story is New Mutants will be part of the fun

X-Men: FC was the least earning pic in the X-Men film series--it did pull in $353 million worldwide and Fox hopes the current attention surrounding Fassbender and Lawrence as actors will propel this next installment to higher revenue.

No set start date has been announced yet.

Stretching The Facts

2012-01-30T14:14:00.001-05:00

The long gestating (still ill-advised) Stretch Armstrong movie has found a new home but looses its star says THR.

Taylor Lautner no longer stars as Stretch. At last report director Rob Letterman (Monsters vs Aliens, Shark Tale) had signed on to direct the live-action 3-D pic based on the classic toy.

Nicholas Stoller of Forgetting Sarah Marshall fame was doing a rewrite of the original screenplay that was penned by Steve Oedekerk. Brian Grazer was set to co-produce the pic.

Now the project has jumped from Universal Pictures to Relativity Media.

Ryan Kavanaugh, Brian Goldner and Bennett Schneir are producing while Tucker Tooley is exec producing the film with Letterman who vacated the big chair anyway.

They have even set an April 11, 2014 release date for the tentpole

Ugh!

Bertino Trains A Mockingbird

2012-01-30T13:10:00.000-05:00

"The Strangers" director Bryan Bertino is in pre-production on a found footage thriller currently titled Mockingbird says STYD.

The story follows a couple who receive a video camera with a document of strict instructions. If they don't follow the rules then someone will die.

Jason Blum is producing the pic

Shooting will kick off at the end of February

Bertino also wrote the script for The Strangers 2 but that film remains trapped in development limbo.

Carnahan's Wish

2012-01-30T12:55:00.001-05:00

Commig off the weekend success of The Grey director Joe Carnahan has been hired to write and direct a reboot of the Death Wish film series says The Los Angeles Times.

Might this lead to a third film with Liam Neeson?....

The original Death Wish with Charles Bronson from 1974 followed an architect whose wife is raped and murdered and his daughter savagely beaten by three hoods. He then becomes a one-man assassin killing criminals on the New York streets.

Jeff Goldblum, Denzel Washington and Saul Rubinek have small roles as Criminals in the first pic, as does filmmaker Christopher Guest who plays a cop.

Sylvester Stallone previously tried to mount a reboot five years ago but it didn't get past the talk stage.

Jules Daly will produce the remake

Perry Sets Cast For Next Madea Film

2012-01-30T11:45:00.001-05:00

Denise Richards, Eugene Levy and Romeo Miller will star in Tyler Perry'a next film"Madea’s Witness Protection" says The Hollywood Reporter.

Levy will play a wealthy Connecticut man who is put into witness protection with his wife (Richards) and family, their new residence being Madea’s home in the South Perry reprises the role of the gun-toting, sassy-mouthed Madea. Miller will play a man who believes Levy is responsible for his church’s investments being wiped out and wants to take the law into his own hands.

Doris Roberts, Devan Leos, Tom Arnold and Danielle Campbell also star

Paul Hall and Ozzie Areu will produce.

Production kicks off in Atlanta next week.

Mara Taking Lively's Pill

2012-01-30T11:27:00.001-05:00

Rooney Mara will replace Blake Lively in Steven Soderbergh's sexual thriller "Side Effects" aka The Bitter Pill according to Deadline.

Mara takes over starring as a troubled, depressed and often medicated woman who gets into a relationship with another doctor (Jude Law). She is medicated to help her deal with the anxiety surrounding the pending release of her husband (Channing Tatum) from prison.

Catherine Zeta-Jones also stars as another Doctor.

Scott Z. Burns wrote the script.

Greg Jacobs and Lorenzo di Bonaventura are producing

Filming begins in April.

Quintet Are Channeling

2012-01-30T11:08:00.000-05:00

Taylor Handley, Dominic Devore, Kate French, Skyler Day and Christian Camargo have joined the cast of indie thriller "Channeling" says Variety.

The pic follows various characters who seek validation by broadcasting their lives to as big an audience as possible.

Drew Thomas wrote the script and is directing the movie.

Thomas, Laila Ansari and Gerry Santos are producing.

Sounds very interesting given the world in which we live today--where society collectively feels the need to share all aspects of every waking moment

Production is happening in Los Angeles as this posts

Jarmusch's "Loves" His Cast

2012-01-30T10:31:00.002-05:00

Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, Tom Hiddleston and Mia Wasikowska are all set to star in Jim Jarmusch's vampire romance meets horror drama Only Loves Left Alive according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The film is described as an unusual love story between two vampires who have been in love for centuries.

Hiddleston is replacing previously attached Michael Fassbender.

Jarmusch is also producing "Alive".

Production will start in western Germany later this year.

SAG 2012: The Winners

2012-01-29T22:15:00.004-05:00

Members came out to honor their peers at the 18th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards showcasing the best performances in both film and TV from the past year...

SAG Awards Red Carpet Arrivals

The great Dick Van Dyke presented the 48th Lifetime Achievement Award to the equally great Mary Tyler Moore halfway through the show, taking the opportunity to explain why she chose to use her middle name to separate herself from the six other Mary Moore's already on SAG's roster in the early stages of her Hollywood career--Friends of Mary Tyler Moore Reminisce About the Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree

The Help won big picking up Supporting Actress, Actress and Best Film Cast

The Film Winners:

Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Supporting Role

Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Supporting Role

Octavia Spencer, The Help

Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Leading Role

Jean Dujardin, The Artist

Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Leading Role

Viola Davis, The Help

Outstanding Performance By A Cast In A Motion Picture

The Help

Outstanding Performance By A Stunt Ensemble In A Motion Picture

Harry Potter and the Deahtly Hallows: Part II

Here's the complete Winners List including the best in TV

The Winners' Reactions

Michel Hazanavicius on 'The Artist's' SAG Awards Nominations, DGA Awards Win

SAG President Ken Howard Extols AFTRA Merger at SAG Awards

THR's Best (and Worst) Moments of SAG Awards 2012

The Grey In The Green

2012-01-29T13:46:00.003-05:00

This weekend the late blooming as an action star Liam Neeson's reunion with director Joe Carnahan- The Grey took #1; Katherine Heigl's latest rom-com does better than it should have at #3 One For The Money indeed; The Sam Worthington led thriller Man on a Ledge ends up disappointing in 5th place...

Pamela McClintock of THR:

Liam Neeson's The Grey--cementing the actor's relatively new-found status as action star--raced past expectations to gross $20 milion in its debut at the domestic box office.

The Grey, directed by Joe Carnahan, led another good weekend at the box office. So far, 2012 revenues are running nearly 10 percent ahead of 2011 as moviegoing continues to pick up the pace.

Tom Ortenberg's Open Road Films is distributing The Grey, about a group of men stranded in the Alaskan wilderness after a plane crash (the cast also includes Frank Grillo and Dermot Mulroney). The $25 million pic was produced by Liddell Entertainment and Scott Free Productions.

Audiences gave the action-thriller a B- CinemaScore, with males making up 60 percent of the audience. Heading into the weekend, tracking suggested the film would open in the low to mid teens.

Fueled by older women, Katherine Heigl starrer One for the Money also beat expectations in grossing $11.8 million, although it lost the No. 2 slot to Screen Gems holdover Underworld: Awakening, which earned a strong $12.5 million in its second outing.

One for the Money--based on the popular Stephanie Plum detective novels by author Janet Evanovich -- was fueled by fans of the book, i.e., older females. Females made up 79 percent of the audience, while 74 percent were over the age of 25. The pic received a B- CinemaScore.

Lionsgate raised eyebrows among some of its rivals when pacting with Groupon to offer discounted tickets for One for the Money. Roughly 20 million Groupon members were offered the chance to buy one ticket for $6, and $12 for two tickets. Lionsgate said 225,000 tickets were redeemed, although they weren't all used this weekend, since they are good for the entire run of the film.

As with Underworld: Awakening, the George Lucas-produced Red Tails did strong business in its second weekend, grossing $10.4 million for a domestic cume of $33.8 million. Awakening has now earned $45.1 million, a franchise best at this point in its run.

Red Tails took the No. 4 splot, followed by the weekend's third new film, action-thriller Man on a Ledge, starring Sam Worthington and Elizabeth Banks. The Summit Entertainment pic grossed a so-so $8.3 million. However, the pic scored the best CinemaScore of the three new films, a B+.

Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradin produced Man on a Ledge, about a hard-living police negotiator (Banks) who tries to talk down an ex-cop and fugitive (Worthington) who is standing on the ledge of a New York high-rise.

One twist -- Lionsgate and Summit dated Man on a Ledge and One for the Money long before Lionsgate bought Summit (the marriage was consummated earlier this month). Normally, one company wouldn't date two films on the same weekend.

Summit also offered discounted tickets for Man on a Ledge via Living Social.

Among the nine Oscar best picture contenders, Warner Bros.' Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close generated the most business, grossing $7.1 million from 2,630 theaters for a cume of $21.1 million. The film, opening in six theaters on Christmas Day, waited until Oscar noms before expanding nationwide.

Fox Searchlight's best picture contender The Descendants also impressed as it added more than 1,400 theaters back to its run, grossing $6.6 million from 2,001 locations for a domestic cume of $58.8 million and coming in No. 8.

Awards frontrunner The Artist moved up the chart to No. 12. From the Weinstein Co., the pic also expanded this weekend, grossing $3.3 million from 897 theaters for a cume of $16.7 million.

Top 10 Weekend Domestic Box Office Jan. 27-Jan. 29

1. The Grey (1), Open Road Films/3,185, $20 million

2. Underworld: Awakening (2), Sony/3,078, $12.5 million, $45.1 million

3. One for the Money (1), Lionsgate/2,737, $11.8 million

4. Red Tails (2), Fox/2,573, $10.4 million, $33.8 million

5. Man on a Ledge (1), Summit/2,998, $8.3 million

6. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (6), Warner Bros./2,630, $7.1 million, $21.1 million

7. Contraband (3), Universal/2,650, $6.5 million, $56.4 million

8. The Descendants (11), Fox Searchlight/2,001, $6.6 million, $58.8 million

9. Beauty and the Beast (3D) (3), Disney/2,145, $5.3 million, $41.4 million

10. Haywire (2), Relativity/2,441, $4 million, $15.3 million

Next: Daniel Radcliffe sees the mysterious Woman In Black; Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski witness one Big Miracle in a true life whale tale; And you can Chronicle what happens when three Portland teens (Dane DeHaan, Michael B. Jordan and Alex Russell) get super powers in this found footage pic.

Sundance '12: Winners, Deals & Interviews

2012-01-29T12:51:00.001-05:00

The 2012 Sundance Film Festival wrapped up with its awards presentation Saturday night during a ceremony in Park City.

As the event has unfolded I have been collecting the news via the Hollywood Reporter and decided to put it together in one (long) post rather than do the as it happens thing. The stories are presented in descending order with the most recent stories first. There are some cool interviews mixed in with the deals and buying frenzy...

The top jury awards went to Beasts of the Southern Wild (drama) and The House I Live In (documentary). Beasts, a breakout feature from director Benh Zeitlin about a six-year-old girl living with her impoverished father near the Mississippi delta, has been picked up for distribution by Fox Searchlight. House, from director Eugene Jarecki, explores the injustices of America's 40-year war on drugs.

Audience awards went to The Surrogate, the drama starring John Hawkes as a man in an iron lung who attempts to lose his virginity, and Searching for Sugar Man, the documentary about a quest to figure out what happened to an elusive rock star. Both movies found domestic distributors at the festival, with Fox Searchlight paying $6 million for Surrogate and Sony Pictures Classics grabbing Sugar Man for a mid-six figures price tag.

The full list of winners:

World Cinema Jury Special Prize, Documentary: Searching for Sugar Man, Malik Bendjelloul

World Cinema Documentary Editing: Indie Game: The Movie, Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky

World Cinema Jury Prize, Documentary: The Law in These Parts, Ra'anan Alexandrowicz

World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Prize:, Can, Rasit Celikezer

World Cinema Cinematography Award, Drama: David Raedeker, My Brother the Devil

World Cinema Cinematography Award, Documentary: Lars Skree, Putin's Kiss

World Cinema Directing Award, Documentary: Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi, 5 Broken Cameras

Best of Next Audience Award: Sleepwalk With Me, Mike Birbiglia

Audience Award, Shorts: The Debutante Hunters, Maria White

Audience Award, World Cinema Documentary: Searching for Sugar Man, Malik Bendjelloul

Audience Award, World Cinema: Valley of Saints, Musa Syeed

Audience Award, U.S. Documentary: The Invisible War, Kirby Dick

Audience Award, U.S. Drama: The Surrogate, Ben Lewin

World Cinema Jury Prize, Drama: Violeta Went to Heaven

World Cinema Directing Award, Drama: Teddy Bear, Mads Matthiesen

World Cinema Screenwriting Award, Drama: Young & Wild, Marialy Rivas, Camila Gutierrez, Pedro Periano, Sebastian Sepulveda

World Cinema Jury Prize, Documentary: The Law in These Parts

Special Jury Prizes, U.S. Documentary: Love Free or Die and Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry

U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Independent Film Producing: Jonathan Schwartz and Andrea Sperling, Smashed and Nobody Walks

U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Acting: The Surrogate

Excellence in Cinematography, U.S. Documentary: Chasing Ice, Jeff Orlowski

Excellence in Cinematography, U.S. Dramatic: Beasts of the Southern Wild, Ben Richardson

U.S. Documentary Editing Award: Detropia, Enat Sidi

Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award: Safety Not Guaranteed, Derek Connolly

U.S. Directing Award: The Queen of Versailles, Lauren Greenfield

U.S. Directing Award: Middle of Nowhere, Ava DuVernay

Grand Jury Prize, Documentary: The House I Live In, Eugene Jarecki

Grand Jury Prize, Drama: Beasts of the Southern Wild, Benh Zeitlin

The festival previously announced that 'Robot & Frank' and 'Valley of Saints' Awarded Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize

VIDEO: THR's Sundance Film Festival Lounge

Buys/News

Star-Studded 'Lay the Favorite' Sells to Weinstein Co. for $2 Million-Plus

Controversial Drama 'Compliance' Sells to Magnolia Pictures

Madmen Entertainment Takes Rights to 'Marina Abramovic' Doc Down Under

Magnolia Pictures Wrapping Up Deal for 'Nobody Walks' (Exclusive)

ATO Pictures Acquires North American Rights to Clive Owen-Gillian Anderson's 'Shadow Dancer'

Participant Media, AFFRM Partner for 'Middle of Nowhere'

IFC Films Acquires North American Rights to 'Simon Killer'

Musician-Turned-Filmmaker Quentin Dupieux on Hitting all of the Right Notes with 'Wrong' (Q&A)

Sundance Selects Grabs 'How to Survive a Plague' (Exclusive)

National Geographic Channel Nabs Doc 'Chasing Ice'

Entertainment One Acquires 'Wish You Were Here'

IFC Midnight Acquires 'The Pact'

Magnolia Pictures Acquiring Horror Flick 'V/H/S' for North of $1 Million (Exclusive)

IFC Films Acquires Josh Radnor's 'Liberal Arts'

Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions, Samuel Goldwyn Films Pick Up 'Robot and Frank'

Richard Gere's 'Arbitrage' Sells to Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions for $2 Million-Plus

Robert De Niro Thriller 'Red Lights' Sells to Millennium Entertainment

Institute-Backed Films Score 7 Oscar Nominations

'Celeste and Jesse Forever' Sells to Sony Pictures Classics

Focus Features Buys 'For a Good Time, Call ...'

MPAA's Chris Dodd Calls Piracy Defeat a 'Watershed Event'

Fox Searchlight Buying 'The Surrogate' for About $6 Million

Doug E. Fresh Rhymes in 'Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap' (Exclusive Video)

Lizzy Caplan Talks 'Party Down' Movie, Going Bridal at Sundance in Two Wedding Comedies (Q&A)

Mike Birbiglia on Turning His 'Sleepwalk' Stage Show Into a Film (Q&A)

5 Bidders Vying for Festival Breakout 'Beasts of the Southern Wild'

Joel Edgerton on Avoiding Hollywood's 'Crap Movies' and His Hunt for Bin Laden With Kathryn Bigelow (Q&A)

Protagonist Sells U.K. and Aussie Rights to 'Sugar Man'

Julie Delpy on '2 Days in New York' and Funny Intellectuals (Q&A)

Stephen Frears on His Sundance Comeback, 'Lay the Favorite' (Q&A)

Thriller 'Black Rock' Acquired by LD Distribution for North of $1 Mil

Bradley Cooper's 'The Words' Sells to CBS Films After Heated Bidding

Seth Rogen's Better Half Premieres in Park City With 'For a Good Time Call' (Q&A)

'I Am Not A Hipster' Has Musician's Touch

Chris Columbus' 1492 Pictures Partnering With ro*co prods. to Adapt Docs Into Dramas

Screaming, Anger at Tension-Filled 'Compliance' Premiere

New Online Hub Slated Launches (Exclusive)

Ice-T Talks Filmmaking and His Festival Debut (Q&A)

Tears and Anger as Peter Jackson's 'West of Memphis' Premieres

Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim Skewer 'Douchey' Hollywood in Their 'Billion Dollar Movie' (Q&A)

Magnolia Buys 'Queen Of Versailles' Documentary

Antonio Campos Returns to Park City After a 'Huge' Year with "Martha Marcy May Marlene"

Rashida Jones on Her Screenwriting Debut, 'Celeste and Jesse Forever' (Q&A)

Content Film and Preferred Content Cut Six-Film Production Deal

Spike Lee Talks 'Red Hook Summer,' His Feature Debut at the Festival (Q&A)

Melanie Lynskey on the Rise of Female Protagonists and Which Screenings She Hopes to Catch (Q&A)

Behind the Scenes of 'Compliance' (Exclusive Video)

Doc 'ME @ THE ZOO' Acquired by HBO Documentary Films

Join The Avengers Twitter Chat This Tuesday!

2012-01-29T00:00:00.007-05:00

The Avengers writer/director Joss Whedon and cast members Tom Hiddleston and Clark Gregg will take part in a Global Twitter Chat on Tuesday, January 31st 2012 at 11 a.m. US-PST.

Fans around the world will be able to participate in the Q&A on the social media site by using the account @Avengers and the #Avengers hashtag. There will also be a 10-second peek of the 30-second Super Bowl 46 TV spot that will air on Feb 5th

Participants will also have a chance to answer Avengers trivia for a where you may win Avengers prize packs.

Meanwhile some higher res pics of previously released photo scans as well as some brand new ones from the superhero team up have been released. Click here to check them out.

Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans Chris Hemsworth Scarlett Johansson Samuel L. Jackson Jeremy Renner Mark Ruffalo, Cobie Smulders, Stellan Skarsgård, and Amanda Righetti and Paul Bettany star in the May 4, 2012 release.

Copper Lands In "Paradise" By June?

2012-01-28T14:01:00.001-05:00

Delayed indefinately back in December--due to budget issues--it seems Paradise Lost might shoot by the Summer. Unlike some other projects whose delay would portend that the entire project was being dropped, there was never any doubt that 'Paradise' would not get going again.

The film takes John Milton's classic 17th century poem "Paradise Lost" story and reimagines it with a family friendly, action-oriented slant that might be shot in 3D.

The story follows the fallen angel Lucifer (Bradley Cooper) who, after being cast out of Heaven, mounts an army that battles the forces of good. Michael (Benjamin Walker) Lucifer's brother and the leader of said good forces.

Cooper tells The Playlist: "We're going to hopefully start in June. Everything's going great. I mean, nothing's done until we're up and shoointg"

Casting had been set before the delay Camilla Belle and Diego Boneta will pair up as Adam and Eve Casey Affleck will play the part of Gabriel, the chief of the angelic guards who watch over Paradise Djimon Hounsou has been cast as the Angel of Death Callan McAuliffe will play the role of the Archangel Uriel, one of the first seven archangels created by God and the dedicated second-in-command to Michael who leads Heaven's army against Lucifer's rebellion. Dominic Purcell will portray the angel Jerahmeel who falls in love with Lucifer and is renamed Moloch after becoming his right-hand man. Rufus Sewell will play Samael, Lucifer's partisan who urges him to start the rebellion in Heaven.

Alex Proyas is directing the pic.

At last report the parties involved were attempting to cut 10% and 15% of the proposed $120 million budget for "Lost" a heavily motion-capped live-action film. If the eight week shoot begins in June, Cooper would likely go into"The Hangover Part III " which he's previously suggested would begin filming in September.

Parker Replaces Moore In Lovelace

2012-01-28T13:10:00.000-05:00

It seems that Chloe Sevigny will NOT replace Demi Moore as Feminist Activist Gloria Steinem in a cameo for the filming biopic Lovelace after all as reported by THR earlier this week...

Rather Reuters has Sarah Jessica Parker taking on the role.

Moore was forced to leave the film after reportedly having checked into a facility to help her recover from 'Exhaustion' and 'Overall Health' after being taken to a hospital on Monday night.

Merritt Johnson and Andy Bellin adapted Eric Danville's biography about Linda Boreman's (Amanda Seyfried) rise to fame as iconic porn star Linda Lovelace of 1972's "Deep Throat," and her subsequent transformation into feminist, anti-porn activist Linda Marchiano

The film is told through the perspective of three interviewers at various staegs of her life.

Peter Sarsgaard Sharon Stone Juno Temple Wes Bentley Hank Azaria, Bobby Cannavale Chris Noth, Sharon Stone James Franco, Romeo Brown Adam Brody Eric Roberts Robert Patrick Debi Mazar and Cory Hardrict also star.

Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman are calling action.

Laura Rister, Jim Young and Heidi Jo Markel will also produce the film.

Production began Dec. 20, 2011 in Los Angeles.

The film is not to be confused with Matthew Wilder's Lovelace biopic "Inferno" which previously had Lindsay Lohan attached until she was replaced by Malin Akerman.

Hancock Catches The Partner

2012-01-28T02:19:00.003-05:00

John Lee Hancock ("The Blind Side," "The Rookie") will both write and direct a film adaptation of John Grisham's best-selling book The Partner reports Deadline.

The story penned in '05 follows Patrick Lanigan, a young partner in a white shoe Biloxi law firm with a wife and newborn daughter. Trapped in a burning car one night, he died, leaving behind only ashes. But Lanigan is disillusioned enough by his life to fake his death and steal $90 million from his firm. He just has to hope the wrong people don’t catch up with him as he goes on the run.

Arnon Milchan will produce the pic, making this his fourth Grisham based film after "A Time To Kill," "The Client" and "Runaway Jury".

Python Troupe Will Do "Absolutely Anything"

2012-01-28T00:02:00.001-05:00

Former Monty Python members members John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, and Michael Palin are all signed on for the sci-fi comedy "Absolutely Anything" reports Entertainment Weekly.

Based on a story by fellow alum Terry Jones the action follows a group of aliens who use an earthling as their plaything and will combine CGI and live action.

Robin Williams is tipped to lend his voice to play a wry talking dog named Dennis and perhaps a live-action role as well.

Jones is also expected to direct the pic.

Mike Medavoy ("Life of Brian") will be producing.

As for the remaining Python? “Eric [Idle] knows about the project” but isn’t confirmed yet says fellow producer Chris Chesser.

Banks & Reubens In; Winslet Not Frank Or Francis

2012-01-27T23:36:00.003-05:00

Elizabeth Banks has joined Charlie Kaufman's musical/comedy "Frank or Francis" says THR.

Paul Reubens has also joined the cast of the film.

The story centers around an online war that develops between a successful filmmaker (Steve Carell) and a movie blogger (Jack Black). Nicolas Cage also stars as The Emcee, an actor known for commercial successes such as Fat Dad, and Kevin Kline stars as the director's brother. Catherine Keener also stars.

Kaufman will direct his own screenplay.

Banks will play a highly-regarded actress making formulaic comedy bombs who is having an affair with Carell’s Frank. Reubens will play an old-school film critic.

Despite earlier reports the trade confirms that Kate Winslet is NOT in the cast.

Anthony Bregman is producing the satire

Production is expected to begin later this year for a 2013 release.

After Trims War Gets PG-13 Rating

2012-01-27T22:57:00.001-05:00

Within 24 hours of losing its appeal for a PG-13 rating for action rom com "This Means War" Fox and helmer McG made further cuts to the film in order to avoid the R-rating according to THR.

Tim Dowling ("Role Models," "Midnight Run 2") and Simon Kinberg wrote the script which follows two best friends (Chris Pine and Tom Hardy) and veteran spies who fall for the same woman (Reese Witherspoon) who has moved into their spare room. They end up fighting for her affections using their black-ops warfare tactics, a fight which literally demolishes much of New York City along the way.

To obtain the rating and attract a bigger pool of potential viewers, the studio will cut a number of lewd jokes made by co-star, Chelsea Handler.

Will Smith and James Lassiter produced the pic.

War opens on Valentines Day

Rio 2 Will Happen?

2012-01-27T14:44:00.000-05:00

Sérgio Mendes, whose song "Real in Rio" heard in the CG animated film "Rio" recieved an Oscar nomination, told The Press Association that a sequel is almost certain.

"Fox has been talking about (it) and it looks like it's going to happen. We're going to have a meeting I think next week and Carlos [Saldanha, Director] is coming to town to tell us the story, and it looks like it's a go"

Saldanha may also want to tie in the sequel to the 2014 World Cup™ taking place in Brazil.

No script or deals are in place.

Updating DA's Noah

2012-01-27T14:12:00.000-05:00

Cinematographer Matthew Libatique recently talked with Hollywood Elsewhere columnist Jeffrey Wells about Darren Aronofsky's "gritty" take on the biblical tale of "Noah" .

Talking about that chat on the latest Oscar Poker via (The Playlist, Wells says "he was telling me about 'Noah' and what the script is like. They're going to start shooting in July in New York and Iceland and he says it's really a good script."

Aronofsky & Ari Handel, wrote the original script for "Noah," but they evenually handed re-writing duties to John Logan (The Last Samurai, Gladiator). Aronofsky and Scott Franklin will produce the movie.

Wells goes on to say "They're really doing the story of Noah, a very unlikely subject you might think for a cutting edge fellow like Darren Aronofsky, but that's what they're doing. It's going to be more likely a Fall 2013 release."

The issue of casting both the 40-something title role and the main villain has been problematic for the production team

Lynch Takes A "Fall"

2012-01-27T13:52:00.000-05:00

Jennifer Lynch ("Surveillance, "Boxing Helena") will helm the thriller "A Fall From Grace" says The Hollywood Reporter.

The story follows a homicide detective tracking a serial killer along the Mississippi River who burns his victims.

Lynch and Eric Wilkinson co-wrote the script

Wilkinson and David Michaels will produce the film.

Production will take place in St. Louis.

Winslet & Keener Join Kaufman's Frank or Francis

2012-01-27T13:40:00.002-05:00

Kate Winslet and Catherine Keener have come aboard Charlie Kaufman's musical/comedy "Frank or Francis" says Vulture.

The story centers around an online war that develops between a successful filmmaker (Steve Carell) and a movie blogger (Jack Black). Nicolas Cage also stars as The Emcee, an actor known for commercial successes such as Fat Dad, and Kevin Kline stars as the director's brother.

No details were were offered about Winslet and Keener's characters.

Kaufman will direct his own screenplay.

Anthony Bregman is producing the satire.

Both ladies have worked with Kaufman before; Winslet earned an Oscar nomination for her performance in 2004's "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," while Keener got an Academy nod for her part in 1999's "Being John Malkovich."

Production is expected to begin later this year for a 2013 release.

Kinnear & Connelly Are A Couple Of Writers

2012-01-27T13:18:00.000-05:00

Greg Kinnear and Jennifer Connelly are in talks to star in first time writer/director Josh Boone's indie "Writers" says The Hollywood Reporter.

Kinnear will play a successful novelist and Connelly his ex-wife as the film explores their relationship with each other and their collegiate daughter and teenage son.

The film is being produced by Informant Media's Judy Cairo (Crazy Heart),

Shooting begins in North Carolina come March.

Giamatti Joins Friar's Club In Romeo & Juliet

2012-01-27T12:54:00.000-05:00

Paul Giamatti has joined the cast of the latest adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" in the role of the mentor-like Friar Lawrence says Variety.

Hailee Steinfeld and Douglas Booth have been cast as Romeo and Juliet, and Holly Hunter will play the Nurse. Kodi Smit-McPhee is tapped to play Romeo's cousin Benvolio Tybalt will be played by Gossip Girl guy Ed Westwick

Because Steinfeld is only 14-years-old, the infamous sex scene has been cut from the script.

Carlo Carlei will direct from a screenplay by Julian Fellowes who is also producing with Gabriele Muccino, Ileen Maisel and Mark Ordesky.

Production starts next month in Italy

T-5 Will Be R-Rated

2012-01-27T12:35:00.000-05:00

Producer Megan Ellison assures fans that the in-development Terminator 5 will be rated R.

She said on Twitter, “We can't really tell you guys anything about Terminator But it will be an R rated film as God and James Cameron intended.”

The project is still very early stages with Justin Lin having commited to helm The Fast and the Furious 6 and 7 first.

The Ratings "War"

2012-01-27T12:29:00.001-05:00

The Fox action rom com "This Means War" has lost its appeal to the Motion Picture Association of America to have its R rating overturned to a PG-13 according to THR

Tim Dowling ("Role Models," "Midnight Run 2") and Simon Kinberg wrote the script which follows two best friends (Chris Pine and Tom Hardy) and veteran spies who fall for the same woman (Reese Witherspoon) who has moved into their spare room. They end up fighting for her affections using their black-ops warfare tactics, a fight which literally demolishes much of New York City along the way.

McG directed the film while Will Smith and James Lassiter produced the pic.

The board upheld the R-rating for the film which contains "some sexual content"

Though nearly a thousand films are granted classification every year, less than a dozen of those go through the appeals process.

War opens on Valentines Day

Trio Save Santa

2012-01-27T10:21:00.007-05:00

Martin Freeman, Tim Curry, and Noel Clarke will lend their voices to the animated flick "Saving Santa" says Variety

The story follows a clumsy elf who must save Santa's Kingdom after its location is discovered by an evil character.

Leon Joosen directs from a script by Richard Roxburgh as production gets going this week.

How To Survive At Cineplex

2012-01-27T00:00:00.005-05:00

This weekend at the is all about folks put in extreme circumstances. Liam Neeson reunites with director Joe Carnahan for the survival actioner The Grey (reviews); Sam Worthington tries to hold on as a Man on a Ledge (reviews) before time runs out; Katherine Heigl takes One For The Money (reviews) in her latest rom-com

Pamela McClintock of THR:

Action and thrill seekers will be in hot demand at the domestic box office this weekend as Liam Neeson starrer The Grey opens against Sam Worthington-Elizabeth Banks starrer Man on a Ledge and Katherine Heigl's One for the Money.

Billed as an action-thriller, The Grey has picked up steam in recent days and could win the weekend. Tom Ortenberg's Open Road Films is distributing the Joe Carnahan-directed pic, which cost $25 million to produce.

The Grey, also starring Frank Grillo and Dermot Mulroney, is about a group of men stranded in the Alaskan wilderness after a plane crash. Open Road is counting on Neeson's relatively new-found status as an action star-- Taken and Unknown turned into box office hits--to lure moviegoers.

Open Road is predicting a $10 million to $12 million opening for The Grey, but most box office observers believe it could do more based on good word of mouth and strong reviews. That's why some believe it will bet holdover Underworld: Awakening, which debuted to $25.3 million last weekend (the Awakening films tend to see sizeable drop offs).

The Grey was produced by Liddell Entertainment and Scott Free Productions.

Also billed as an action-thriller, Summit Entertainment's Man on a Ledge, starring Sam Worthington and Elizabeth Banks, is tracking evenly among male and female moviegoers in the 18 year old to 49 year old range. The film, however, is drawing poor reviews.

Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradin produced Man on a Ledge, about a hard-living police negotiator (Banks) who tries to talk down an ex-cop and fugitive (Worthington) who is standing on the ledge of a New York high-rise. Tracking suggest the film, directed by Asger Leth, will open in the $8 to $10 million range.

One for the Money, from Lionsgate and Lakeshore Entertainment, is touted as an action-comedy. The film, costing roughly $42 million, is based on the popular Stephanie Plum detective novels by author Janet Evanovich. Lakeshore and Lionsgate are partners on the film, and have limited financial exposure since foreign presales covered much of the budget.

Projections show One for the Money opening in the $6 million to $8 million range.

One twist--Lionsgate and Summit dated Man on a Ledge and One for the Money long before Lionsgate bought Summit (the marriage was consumated earlier this month). Normally, one company wouldn't date two films on the same weekend.

One for the Money, which wasn't screened for critics, is offering reduced ticket prices via Groupon, while Man on a Ledge is offering discounts via Living Social.

The awards box office will be extra busy this weekend as films try to parlay top Oscar nominations into added attention (the noms were announced on Tuesday).

Best picture nominee The Descendants, from Fox Searchlight, aggressively expands from 560 locations to 1,997. Directed by Alexander Payne and starring George Clooney, the film has grossed $52 million at the domestic box office.

Paramount is adding roughly 300 theaters to Hugo's run for a total location count of 965. Directed by Martin Scorsese, Hugo scored 11 Oscar nominations, the most of any film, including best picture, best director and best adapted screenplay (John Logan). The pic has grossed $56.3 million to date domestically.

The Artist, which received 10 top Oscar nominations, also ups its profile, moving into a total of 897 theaters. From the Weinstein Co., the awards frontrunner has grossed $13.1 million to date, but has only been playing in a small number of theaters, whereas Descendants and Hugo are adding back runs.

Warner Bros.' best picture contender Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close also is poised to benefit, since it only expanded nationwide last weeked after playing in six theaters since Christmas Day. The film has earned $13.2 million domestically.

Films scoring acting nominations also will try to score attention, including Roadside Attraction's Glen Close starrer Albert Nobbs, which has only been played so far in a qualifying run. This weekend, the film moves into a total of 246 theaters (Close was nominated for best actress).

Although it isn't expanding, Focus Features and Working Title's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy could benefit from Gary Oldman's nomination for best actor. The specialty pic has turned into an arthouse hit, grossing nearly $20 million to date. The Weinstein Co.'s The Iron Lady, earning Meryl Streep a best actress nomination and grossing $13.9 million to date, likewise could benefit this weekend.

Sony Pictures Classics' A Separation, nominated for best foreign language film, and IFC/Sundance Select's Pina, nominated for best documentary and directed by Wim Wenders, also could see an uptick.

Mirror Mirror Moves Back 2 Weeks

2012-01-26T17:20:00.001-05:00

The release date for Relativity Media's version of the Snow White tale called Mirror Mirror has been pushed back from its March 16, 2012 bow to March 30th says THR

For this version of the story it's a comedy adventure that sees actress Lily Collins as Snow White banding together with seven bickering dwarves to get her kingdom back

Armie Hammer (The Social Network) plays The Handsome Prince and Julia Roberts will play the Evil Queen/Stepmother Sean Bean. Nathan Lane and British actor Robert Emms also star

The screenplay was written by Melissa Wallack and Jason Keller

Ryan Kavanaugh produced the 3-D pic.

The move puts the film in competition with the sequel Wrath of the Titans also on the 30th and still some 2 months ahead of June 1st rival fantasy pic "Snow White and the Huntsman"...

Goon Film On Life Support At Best

2012-01-26T14:41:00.001-05:00

The CG animated film adaptation of "The Goon" comic which David Fincher optioned back in 2008 from Dark Horse Entertainment looks like it might be near death.

Created by Eric Powell in March of 1999, the series follows the adventures of a muscle-bound brawler who claims to be the primary enforcer for a feared mobster. The tales have a paranormal and comedic bent to them.

Paul Giamatti and Clancy Brown voiced the characters of Franky and The Goon in a test footage reel in 2010.

IFC spoke with Giamatti at the Sundance Film Festival this week and asked him about the film's status:

"I have no idea what the hell happened. I asked and no one knows. I guess they just ran out of money" he says.

This jives with comments by Fincher last year who said getting a project like this financed was extremely difficult.

There's still some hope that funding may be found for the film.

Powell said via Twitter: “Last I spoke with Fincher & Blur [Studios], they were gearing up for more meetings to try to find financing for the film. It’s not dead until Fincher & Blur come to me & say they are done.”

Elfquest Movie Dropped By WB

2012-01-26T14:07:00.001-05:00

The long-gestating film adaptation of the cult cult comic "Elfquest", which has been in development for four years, looks to be dead.

Created by Wendy and Richard Pini in 1978 Rawson Marshall Thurber was previously attached to direct the film about a tribe of elves trying to find others of their kind while avoiding humans and trolls.

Wendy posted the following statement on the Elfquest official Facebook page:

"After close to four years of suspense - and longer than four years of your much-appreciated interest and support - the word has come down from Warner Bros. And the word is "no." Their simple explanation is that they don't want to compete with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. This was a possibility, among several, that we were prepared for. It is a relief, at last, to know."

Gallo Says Don't Shoot

2012-01-26T13:33:00.002-05:00

Vincent Gallo will star in director Alexandre Nahon's "Don’t Shoot the Piano Player" says Thompson on Hollywood.

Based on the book by David Goodis the pic has Gallo playing a Hollywood composer who loses it all.

Shooting kicks off in Los Angeles and New York this summer.

Brand Could Be The Hauntrepreneur

2012-01-26T13:14:00.000-05:00

Russell Brand is attached to star in the comedy "The Hauntrepreneur " says Variety.

Scott Rosenberg penned the script which revolves around a family that has trouble adjusting to a new town and hires a peculiar man who calls himself the Hauntrepreneur to help them. In an attempt to bring them together, the man creates a haunted house filled with an odd cast of characters.

The hunt is on for a director

Brian Goldner, Andrew Form Michael Bay and Brad Fuller will produce.

Lilly Talks Hobbit

2012-01-26T12:44:00.000-05:00

Former "Lost" actress Evangeline Lilly talked to Entertainment Weekly about filming on Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey/The Hobbit: There and Back Again as a Mirkwood elf named Tauriel who will be appearing mostly in the second film.

"I still have to go back for five more months of filming. (I've been there) on and off for the past six months. It's a two-year shoot in total for both films, and my contract had me blocked off for about a year. I come in and out of New Zealand throughout that year".

In describing the character: "Yes, she is a warrior. She's actually the head of the Elven guard. She's the big shot in the army. So she knows how to wield any weapon, but the primary weapons that she uses are a bow and arrow and two daggers. And she's lethal and deadly."

The part seems like it has been expanded from what it was originally intended: "She's not in the first film very much. She comes into the first film near the end, and has a very small part to play. Her role in the second film is much more involved. Although, I have to say, when I first read the scripts and took the job, she had a lot less going on in the second film."

The prequel sees Bilbo (Martin Freeman) travel on his journey with dwarves Thorin Oakshield (Richard Armitage) Bofur (Stephen Hunter), Bombur (James Nesbitt), and Bifur (William Kircher). Oin and Gloin (John Callen and Peter Hambleton) Jed Brophy as Nori, Adam Brown as Ori Mark Hadlow as Dori Balin (Ken Stott) and Dwalin (Graham McTavish)

Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage Benedict Cumberbatch Luke Evans Conan Stevens Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving Dean O'Gorman, Elijah Wood, Ian Holm, David Tennant, Barry Humphries., Lee Pace Bret McKenzie Orlando Bloom Ian McKellen, and Christopher Lee also star in the Hobbit 2-fer...

Journey will bow on December 14th 2012 while Again reaches cinemas on December 13th 2013

Doctor Strange Script Completed

2012-01-26T12:02:00.000-05:00

After more than a year at work on it, the script for Marvel's gestataing Doctor Strange film is finished according to io9.

Created in 1963 Doctor Strange tells the story of an arrogant surgeon who is injured in a car accident and goes on to become the Sorcerer Supreme of the universe. Using his magical powers Strange protects the earth from attacks from other realms.

Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer-the writing duo behind the recent remake of Conan the Barbarian have had their work approved by the studio

Things are said to be now moving forward with the suits actively searching for a director and key cast; They are hopeful for a release sometime in 2013.

Trio See Half A Yellow Sun

2012-01-26T11:13:00.001-05:00

Dominic Cooper, Thandie Newton and Chiwetel Ejiofor will star in the film adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's bestselling novel "Half of a Yellow Sun" according to Screen Daily.

The story follows several characters including a university professor (Ejiofor) and his girlfriend (Newton), their houseboy along with several more and sets it against the backdrop of the Nigerian Civil War in the late 60's when southern Nigeria attempted to secede and form their own country.

Cooper will play a British ex-patriot studying in Nigeria.

Nigerian playwright Biyi Bandele will be making his directorial debut on the film

Andrea Calderwood and Gail Egan are producing the film.

Production kicks off in March.

Spielberg Set For Moses Movie

2012-01-26T10:52:00.001-05:00

He has been circling the project for months and now it seems that Steven Spielberg will indeed direct the bible epic "Gods and Kings" says Deadline.

Spielberg is said to be "near to etching in stone" that he will do the film

Michael Green and Stuart Hazeldine wrote the script which wants to tell the entire story of Moses life, all the way from birth to death and covers everything from freeing of the Hebrew slaves, the plagues in Egypt, the ten commandments and the decades wandering the wilderness.

The pic sees Moses portrayed as one of history's great warriors. It will also be gritty and realistic like Spielberg's own "Saving Private Ryan"--rather than the way Charlton Heston previously portrayed him in the 1956 classic "The Ten Commandments" and Sir Ben Kingsley played him in the 1995 TV movie "Moses". Think Braveheart sensibilities

Dan Lin and Matti Leshem were originally attached to produce

Production could begin by March/April 2013.

Spielberg just finished directing "Lincoln" and is already at work on "Robopocalypse".

The Saint Returns Courtesy RKO

2012-01-25T23:36:00.001-05:00

Plans are afoot for RKO Pictures to bring The Saint Franchise back in the first film of a possible trilogy reports Variety.

Travis Wright has been hired to write the new screenplay

Writer Leslie Charteris created the character starting in the late 1920's as series of books. They followed Simon Templar, a thief who sees himself as a modern day Robin Hood --stealing only from other criminals - corrupt politicians, arms dealers, drug runners and such

The property has been adapted many times before, most noted as a long-running British TV show in the 60's with Sir Roger Moore in the title role.

Phil Noyce directed a really poor film adaptation in 1997 starring Val Kilmer and Elisabeth Shue, while Ian Ogilvy and Simon Dutton portrayed the character on the small screen in the 70's and 80's respectively. The great Vincent Price voiced the character for a radio show.

This rebooted version however will be based on three of the nine 'Saint' films in library from the 30's and 40's. George Sanders, Louis Hayward and Hugh Sinclair played the role in those films. Which three films will be adapted is unknown.

Rick Porras, a second unit director on "Lord of the Rings trilogy", will be producing the new version of The Saint with Vanessa Coifman.

Sevigny Rep-LACE-s Demi In Biopic

2012-01-25T18:59:00.002-05:00

Chloe Sevigny will replace Demi Moore as Feminist Activist Gloria Steinem in a cameo for the filming biopic Lovelace after Moore left the project due to health issues says THR.

Merritt Johnson and Andy Bellin adapted Eric Danville's biography about Linda Boreman's (Amanda Seyfried) rise to fame as iconic porn star Linda Lovelace of 1972's "Deep Throat," and her subsequent transformation into feminist, anti-porn activist Linda Marchiano

The film is told through the perspective of three interviewers at various staegs of her life.

Peter Sarsgaard Sharon Stone Juno Temple Wes Bentley Hank Azaria, Bobby Cannavale Chris Noth, Sharon Stone James Franco, Romeo Brown Adam Brody Eric Roberts Robert Patrick Debi Mazar and Cory Hardrict also star.

Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman are calling action on the film

Laura Rister, Jim Young and Heidi Jo Markel will produce the film.

The film is not to be confused with Matthew Wilder's Lovelace biopic "Inferno" which previously had Lindsay Lohan attached until she was replaced by Malin Akerman.

Hemsworth Has "Timeless" Love

2012-01-25T18:38:00.002-05:00

He's been attached to the film since last October--Now THR says that Liam Hemsworth will indeed play the lead role in the sci fi romancer “Timeless".

In Enchanted screenwriter Bill Kelly's script Hemsworth will play a young man who, haunted by unresolved issues between himself and his late wife, uses the money she left him to build a time-travel device so he can see her a final time.

Phillip Noyce will call action and reunite with Sunil Perkash (“Salt”) who is producing the film.

At one point, Robert Zemeckis was linked to call action on the film, before Noyce signed on.

BIG Payouts For Hangover III And Its Trio Of Stars

2012-01-25T13:27:00.001-05:00

Negotiating together, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis have confirmed that they will be back for The Hangover Part III says THR The trio is asking for $15 million each (against backend) to reprise their roles, and they now are likely to get it.

That’s a big raise from 2009’s The Hangover, which was made for about $35 million and paid the headliners under $1 million each (Cooper made the most because he had the biggest name recognition at the time).

When the R-rated bachelor-party comedy unexpectedly grossed $467 million worldwide, the studio found itself without talent deals for a sequel. Negotiations were heated for The Hangover Part II, released last May, with the three principals each scoring around $5 million, according to a source, plus back-end compensation that raised their haul into the mid-teens (and counting) when the movie grossed $581 million worldwide.

Craig Mazin will write the next screenplay. Director Todd Phillips is back to call action too.

The studio hopes the next film, a Los Angeles-based story that will deviate from the forgotten-memory formula of the first movies, can shoot this summer and be ready for a Memorial Day 2013 release.

Roberts X's 2 Share Secrets

2012-01-25T12:48:00.001-05:00

Emma Roberts and Craig Roberts ("Submarine") have joined the cast of "I Am My Family Secret" says Deadline

The story follows two brothers who live vastly different lives and discover their parents have been hiding a secret from them for over twenty years, which drastically impacts both their lives.

Derick Martini ("Lymelife") directs from his original screenplay.

No word on the characters that the duo Roberts would play here.

The film will shoot later this year.

TDKR: No Neeson And Toy Peek

2012-01-25T11:50:00.001-05:00

A while back Liam Neeson was spotted on the set of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises,which led to speculation he might be making a cameo in the sequel.

It seems he wasn't there long enough to do much of anything...

Neeson told Showbiz Spy makiing the press rounds for director Joe Carnahan's survival actioner The Grey out Friday that he was only on-set "for maybe an hour-and-a-half and the director didn't tell me anything of what it's about. So, I’m being very honest when I say I have no idea what’s going to happen."

Meantime the U.K. is in the midst of Toy Fair with various tie-in merchandise for this year's major film blockbusters on display. These include prototype action figures and statues of Christian Bale's Batman, Tom Hardy's Bane and Anne Hathaway's Catwoman (via Bad Ass Digest).

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 Gary Oldman 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 set to hit theaters on July 20th, 2012.

Moore Leaves Lovelace; In Hospital

2012-01-25T10:33:00.002-05:00

Demi Moore has exited the porn biopic Lovelace, says EW,

Moore was set to play Feminist Activist Gloria Steinem in a cameo three weeks ago. The actress was forced to leave the role after reportedly having checked into a facility to help her recover from 'Exhaustion' and 'Overall Health' after being taken to a hospital on Monday night. No word on who will end up replacing her yet.

Merritt Johnson and Andy Bellin adapted Eric Danville's biography about Linda Boreman's (Amanda Seyfried) rise to fame as iconic porn star Linda Lovelace of 1972's "Deep Throat," and her subsequent transformation into feminist, anti-porn activist Linda Marchiano

The film is told through the perspective of three interviewers at various staegs of her life.

Peter Sarsgaard Sharon Stone Juno Temple Wes Bentley Hank Azaria, Bobby Cannavale Chris Noth, Sharon Stone James Franco, Romeo Brown Adam Brody Eric Roberts Robert Patrick Debi Mazar and Cory Hardrict also star.

Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman are calling action as this story posts

Laura Rister, Jim Young and Heidi Jo Markel will also produce the film.

The film is not to be confused with Matthew Wilder's Lovelace biopic "Inferno" which previously had Lindsay Lohan attached until she was replaced by Malin Akerman.

Collins Is NOT Evil; Bardem NOT Despicable

2012-01-25T10:04:00.000-05:00

It seems that Lily Collins has dropped out of negotiations to join Federico Alvarez's remake of The Evil Dead says THR.

Like the 1981classic, the story centers on five friends who journey up to a remote cabin where they discover the Book of the Dead and unwittingly unleash demonic forces.

Collins was to play Mia, a drug addict who is not handling withdrawl very well. Talks stalled due to the dreaded “scheduling issues."

Alvarez, Rodolfo Sayagues, and Diablo Cody worked on the script--Cody said via Twitter that the script is “unbelievably violent.”

Original star Bruce Campbell director Sam Raimi, and Robert G. Tapert are producing the redux.

Production will kick off in March in New Zealand.

In the same article it is also reported that Javier Bardem, who was in negotiations to lend his voice to the CG animated sequel Despicable Me 2 has left the pic

"He was going to voice a villain called El Macho"

The sequel is expected to hit theaters on July 3, 2013.

Zeta-Jones Has Effect On Soderbergh's Pill

2012-01-25T00:52:00.001-05:00

Catherine Zeta-Jones has joined the cast of Steven Soderbergh's $30 million dollar sexual thriller "Side Effects" aka The Bitter Pill reports Deadline.

The pic stars Blake Lively as a troubled, depressed and often medicated woman who gets into a relationship with another doctor (Jude Law). She is medicated to help her deal with the anxiety surrounding the pending release of her husband (Channing Tatum) from prison.

Zeta Jones will play a doctor.

Soderbergh and his Contagion (which starred Law) writer Scott Z. Burns came together on the story for Pill. Lorenzo di Bonaventura is producing alongside Burns and Gregory Jacobs

The casting of CZJ comes as Annapurna Pictures, which was going to finance the film, has pulled out of the production reports Variety.

Despite the dropout, the pic has already seemingly received multiple funding offers and is expected to have a deal in place before the end of the Sundance Film Festival this weekend.

Headey Joins Vigilandia

2012-01-25T00:26:00.001-05:00

Lena Headey has been cast as the female lead opposite Ethan Hawke in the sci-fi thriller "Vigilandia" says Variety

Plot details are being kept under wraps.

James DeMonaco ("The Negotiator") wrote and directs the film.

Jason Blum, Michael Bay, Brad Fuller and Andrew Form will produce

Production kicks off February 13th.

Livingston & Taylor Work With Wan

2012-01-25T00:13:00.001-05:00

Ron Livingston and Lili Taylor are in negotiations to join the now untitled supernatural thriller formerly known as "The Conjuring" says Heat Vision

Inspired by the House of Darkness House of Light and the Perron family who claimed they "lived among the dead" in the 1970s as spirits both friendly and sinister inhabited their Rhode Island farmhouse.

The film centers on a husband and wife team (Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga) of demonologists and psychic investigators who enter the most horrifying case of their career involving spirits in said farmhouse.

The screenplay is written by Chad Hayes and Carey Hayes from which James Wan will direct

Livingston and Taylor will play the couple who move with their kids to the farmhouse and begin to be haunted.

Peter Safran and Tony DeRosa-Grund are producing

Production kicks off in March in North Carolina.

Director Writer Named For Crow Redux

2012-01-24T23:51:00.003-05:00

One day after that pesky lawsuit is settled and its official F. Javier Gutierrez ("Before the Fall") will helm the reboot of The Crow says THR

Writer Jesse Wigutow has been hired to pen the script. He will start from scratch

James O'Barr's Gothic comic book series and the 1994 film from Alex Proyas-which became more known for the on set death of its star Brandon Lee, follows rock musician Eric Draven who is murdered while trying to save his fiancee from thugs. He is resurrected by supernatural forces and seeks revenge. That film spawned three sequels, The Crow: City of Angels, The Crow: Salvation, and The Crow: Wicked Prayer, as well as a short-lived TV series The Crow: Stairway to Heaven starring Mark Dacascos.

Director Stephen Norrington was slated to helm the reboot at first from a script by Nick Cave At that point Mark Wahlberg was rumoured to be interested in taking the lead role. Both Norrington and Cave left, replaced by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and Alex Tse respectively

Actor Bradley Cooper actually signed on to play the title character. Then Cooper left due to scheduling conflicts with the now delayed "Paradise Lost" and just completed The Silver Linings Playbook Wahlberg was linked a 2nd time but had 2 Guns and Broken City in his sights; Channing Tatum (who seems all wrong for the role IMHO) was also mentioned at one point recently and then came the legal tussel

Ed Pressman, Jeff Most, Ryan Kavanaugh, Enrique López Lavigne and Belén Atienza will produce but there's still no word yet on any timetable. But Variety reports that casting, a start date, and a release date are expected to be announced shortly.

Panarea Couple Found

2012-01-24T18:54:00.001-05:00

Mark Webber and Chloe Sevigny are set to star in director Adam Bhala Lough's sexually-charged Panarea says THR.

The story follows a young married couple with intimacy issues who find themselves vacationing on an exotic Italian island where their commitment will be tested and reaffirmed.

The script was written by Adam Mansbach--author of Go the F**k to Sleep which is also being developed by Hollywood.

Sol Tryon and Giancarlo Canavesio and Mike S. Ryan will produce the pic.

Jim Jarmusch is executive producing.

Webber is a busy guy coming off his three premieres at this year's Sundance Film Festival, including For a Good Time, Call... Save the Date and The End of Love

Trio Go To Hell & Back

2012-01-24T18:08:00.000-05:00

Rob Riggle, Brian Posehn and Kumail Nanjiani have joined the voice cast of the stop-motion animated adult comedy "Hell & Back" says Variety

In the pic T.J. Miller and Nick Swardson voice two best friends who must rescue their buddy when he's accidentally dragged to hell.

Riggle will voice a 20-year-old who is finally growing up. Posehn will play an aging heavy metal fan trapped in the 80s. And Nanjiani will play "Sal the Demon, an employee in hell."

Tom Gianas and Ross Shuman direct using a script they wrote with Hugh Sterbakov.

Alexander Bulkley and Corey Campodonico are producing the 2013 release

Gomez Sees The Sky Everywhere

2012-01-24T17:35:00.001-05:00

Singer and former "Wizards of Waverly Place" star Selena Gomez and July Moon Productions, Inc have optioned author Jandy Nelson's book The Sky Is Everywhere says Deadline.

Gomez will develop the film as a star vehicle for her.

In it she would play play 17-year old Lennie Walker, a bookworm and band geek who lives in the shadow of her extroverted older sister. When her sister suddenly dies, Lennie is left to juggle her sister’s grieving boyfriend and a budding musician from Paris.

MOS: Young Lana Is Cast; Supes & Young Fan

2012-01-24T14:53:00.001-05:00

13-year-old actress Jadin Gould ("Battle: Los Angeles") will play a young Lana Lang in Zack Snyder's still filming big budget reboot Superman: Man of Steel according to The Superman Site.

Gould will reportedly appear in flashback sequences as Clark Kent is growing up in Smallville.

Meanwhile a spiffy new photo of Cavill posing with a young fan while wearing his iconic Superman costume is making the rounds.

I love to see pics like that....Very Cool!

MOS also stars Amy Adams Michael Shannon Kevin Costner Diane Lane Antje Traue Christopher Meloni Harry Lennix Laurence Fishburne Russell Crowe and Ayelet Zurer. Bradley Cooper is said to be in talks to make a cameo appearance as Lex Luthor as a set-up for sequels. But that's not been confirmed. Emmy-winning actor Richard Schiff will play Dr. Hamilton.

David S. Goyer wrote the first screenplay draft based on a story he concocted with Christopher Nolan with bro Jonah Nolan taking a crack at the task as well Kurt Johnstad did rewrites

Charles Roven, Emma Thomas Deborah Snyder, and Nolan will be producers on the film.

MOS flies into theaters June 14th 2013.

Oscars '12: The Nominees & More...

2012-01-24T13:37:00.004-05:00

The nominees for The Oscars 2012 were announced earlier today by actress Jennifer Lawrence and Tom Sherak, president of the AMPAS.

In a bit of a surprise Hugo leads the field with 11 nominations....While Award season darling The Artist got 10...

Yea! The song from the musical number "Man Or Muppet" from The Muppets got noticed in a field of only 2 nominees...

While I have yet to see Hugo I'm always happy when Martin Scorsese gets recognized...And how about Gary Oldman getting a nod for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy!

For all of the hub-bub over having 10 best pic slots---The Academy Nominates 9 Films for Best Picture

The complete list of nominees...

Best Picture

War Horse
The Artist
Moneyball
The Descendants
The Tree of Life
Midnight in Paris
The Help
Hugo
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Best Actress

Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Viola Davis, The Help
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Best Actor

Demian Bichir, A Better Life
George Clooney, The Descendants
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Supporting Actress

Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Artist

Supporting Actor

Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Best Director

Michel Hazanivicus, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life

Best Original Screenplay

Michel Hazanivicius, The Artist
Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumulo, Bridesmaids
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Asghar Farhadi, A Separation

Best Adapted Screenplay

Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, The Descendants
John Logan, Hugo
George Clooney, Beau Willimon and Grant Heslov, The Ides of March
Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin, Moneyball
Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Best Foreign Feature

Bullhead
Footnote
In Darkness
Monsier Lazhar
In Separation

Best Animated Feature

A Cat in Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango

Art Direction

The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
War Horse

Cinematography

The Artist
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
The Tree of Life
War Horse

Costume Design

Anonymous
The Artist
Hugo
Jane Eyre
W.E.

Documentary Feature

Hell and Back Again
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated

Documentary Short Subject

The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
God Is the Bigger Elvis
Incident in New Baghdad
Saving Face
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom

Film Editing

Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Kevin Tent, The Descendants
Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Thelma Schoonmaker, Hugo
Christopher Tellefsen, Moneyball

Makeup

Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle, Albert Nobbs
Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland, The Iron Lady

Music (Original Score)

John Williams, The Adventures of Tintin
Ludovic Bource, The Artist
Howard Shore, Hugo
Alberto Iglesias, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
John Williams, War Horse

Music (Original Song)

"Man or Muppet" from The Muppets, Bret McKenzie
"Real in Rio" from Rio, Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown and Siedah Garrett

Sound Editing

Drive
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse

Sound Mixing

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Monyeball
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse

Visual Effects

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Real Steel
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Short Film (Animated)

Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life

Short Film (Live Action)

Pentecost
Raju
The Shore
Time Freak
Tuba Atlantic

The Contenders' Reactions...

Academy Award Nominations' Key Factoids, Stats, and Snubs...

Billy Crystal returns after too long of a hiatus to host The 84th Academy Awards which will air Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012

Raven, House, Pushed Back

2012-01-24T13:00:00.002-05:00

Relativity Media has pushed back the release date for two of its upcoming horror flicks by several months reports Coming Soon.

First up is James McTeigue's period thriller "The Raven", starring John Cusack and Luke Evans investigating murders based on writer Edgar Allan Poe's (Cusack) works.

Originally set for March 9th opposite the sci-fi actioner John Carter, it'll now open for the final weekend before the official start of the 2012 Summer season on April 27th. The weekend used to be seen as a dumping ground prior to the blockbuster onslaught, the success of "Fast Five" last year opening in the same slot has made the period into a viable time to release a tentpole.

The studio has also pushed back the Jennifer Lawrence and Elizabeth Shue-led "House at the End of the Street" from April 20th to September 21st.

Hoffman & Reed Ready To Snap

2012-01-23T22:57:00.000-05:00

Jake Hoffman (son of Dustin Hoffman) and Nikki Reed will headline the psychological thriller Snap says Deadline.

In the pic Hoffman will play Jim a “brilliant but painfully introverted musician who develops a crush on a young social worker.” (Reed) who is initially drawn to Hoffman’s character until his “inner demons spiral out of control when the romance fizzles, with shocking and tragic results.”

The script was written by Filly Brown producer Victor Teran. He will co-direct the pic with his biz partner and Filly co-helmer Youssef Delara. The duo broke the news at the Sundance Film Festival

Amir Delara will produce the pic with cameras set to roll on March 26th

Deadline’s report says that the pic is set in the world of underground dubstep--Not quite sure where that fits into the narrative--but okay... Teran and Delara hope is to return to Sundance in 2013 with the finished film.

Hurt Travels Through "Snow"

2012-01-23T22:15:00.000-05:00

In an interview with The Telegraph (via The Playlist), actor John Hurt revealed that he has joined the cast of the indie "Snow Piercer".

The film is set in a world covered in snow and ice, the story follows a train full of travelers who struggle to co-exist.

Chris Evans Tilda Swinton and Jamie Bell are in talks to star in the film.

"Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" writer Kelly Masterson is set rewrite the film

"The Host" director Joon-ho Bong will call action on the pic and wrote the initial script with the original "Oldboy" direector Chan-wook Park, the latter will also produce.

Me likey the casting on this one a lot folks

Production on "Snow" begins in March.

The Lawsuit Settled; Crow Redux Can Fly Again

2012-01-23T17:05:00.002-05:00

The Weinstein Company and Relativity Media have reached an out of court settlement regarding the lawsuit that has stalled the long-struggling remake of The Crow says Variety

In a joint statement from the two companies: "The parties will continue to work on the film together as planned. In addition, Relativity Media has dismissed all of its claims against The Weinstein Company for any wrongdoing regarding the release and distribution of Nine, and The Weinstein Company has dismissed all of its claims against Relativity Media."

The Weinstein Company had filed an injunction last spring regarding Relativity's remake of the original 1994 film and specifically the distribution rights to the project. Relativity followed with a claim that TWC "intentionally masked its financial problems in order to induce Relativity to finance musical Nine."

Legal woes now over yes, but the redux has had other problems to overcome like casting and finding someone to call action

Director Stephen Norrington was slated to helm the reboot at first from a script by Nick Cave At that point Mark Wahlberg was rumoured to be interested in taking the lead role. Both Norrington and Cave left, replaced by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and Alex Tse respectively

Actor Bradley Cooper actually signed on to play the title character. Then Cooper left due to scheduling conflicts with the now delayed "Paradise Lost" and just completed The Silver Linings Playbook

With Fresnadillo now gone as well, a new director is needed and at last report F. Javier Gutierrez ("Before the Fall") was said to be a potential replacement

James O'Barr's Gothic comic book series followed musician Eric Draven who is murdered trying to rescue his girlfriend from thugs, and returns from the dead one year later to exact vengeance.

Like the Alex Proyas-directed adaptation which became more known for the on set death of its star Brandon Lee , the story follows a rock musician who is murdered while trying to save his fiancee from thugs. He is resurrected by supernatural forces and seeks revenge. That film spawned three sequels, The Crow: City of Angels, The Crow: Salvation, and The Crow: Wicked Prayer, as well as a short-lived TV series The Crow: Stairway to Heaven starring Mark Dacascos.

As for the lead casting Wahlberg was linked a 2nd time but had 2 Guns and Broken City in his sights; Channing Tatum (who seems all wrong for the role IMHO) was also mentioned at one point recently

Ed Pressman, Jeff Most, Ryan Kavanaugh, Enrique López Lavigne and Belén Atienza will produce but there's no word yet on any timetable.

The Avengers And The Bad Guys

2012-01-23T16:14:00.001-05:00

The Avengers producer Kevin Feige and writer/director Joss Whedon talked to Empire (via Coming Soon) about the movie's mysterious 2nd villains.

"Who said they were aliens? It's not Skrulls, I've been clear about that. Beyond that, we want to hide it. The identity of the alien race is not impactful. It exists in the comic books, but we're not setting up the Kree-Skrull war or anything like that."

When asked about the rumor that Captain America: The First Avenger baddie Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) might be the secret second villain in The Avengers. "Was Skull vaporised at the end of the movie, or thrust into another realm?" asked Feige. "That remains to be seen. It would be fun to see Skull in future, but he's not in this one."

Whedon joked. "I do have a comment on that. It's... Oh, you're breaking up!"

Meantime Loki's alter ego Tom Hiddleston offered a little more insight into the character's motivation and mindset

"He knows who he is now, and what his powers are," he said. "In order for The Avengers to come together, Loki has to be more menacing, and all of his malevolence is founded in a completely delusional dream."

Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans Chris Hemsworth Scarlett Johansson Samuel L. Jackson Jeremy Renner Mark Ruffalo, Clark Gregg, Cobie Smulders, Stellan Skarsgård, and Amanda Righetti and Paul Bettany star in the May 4, 2012 release.

Kidd Helps Folks "Get A Job"

2012-01-23T13:45:00.000-05:00

"Roger Dodger" filmmaker Dylan Kidd is set to direct the comedy "Get a Job" says Variety.

Kyle Pennekamp and Scott Turpel wrote the original script which follows a college graduate and his friends who have to lower their expectations about life as they enter the real world during the recession.

Miles Teller ("Project X") is in negotiations to star while offers are out to Anna Kendrick, Bryan Cranston, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Jay Pharoah. Jesse Eisenberg is also being lured for a cameo in the pic.

There are no deals yet in place and the film does have a green light yet thus no official production start date has been set.

Gass-Donnelly Helms Next Exorcism

2012-01-23T13:21:00.000-05:00

Ed Gass-Donnelly ("This Beautiful City," "Small Town Murder Songs") has been hired to direct the R-rated sequel The Last Exorcism 2 according to Deadline.

The original film's story centered on a charlatan exorcist facing a crisis of conscience who invites a documentary crew on his final exorcism where he comes across the possessed Nell (Ashley Bell).

The PG-13 original hit "The Last Exorcism" was made for just 1.5 million and ended up grossing $70 million worldwide

The sequel will pick up three months after that film left off, although further story details are being kept under wraps. Damien Chazelle wrote the script.

Producer Eli Roth says "we want to go deeper and darker this time. The first film worked great as a PG-13 psychological film, but now we want to go R-rated and show the true horror of what this subject matter offers".

Production kicks off next month in New Orleans.

Kasdan Stays Close To Coben

2012-01-23T11:41:00.000-05:00

Deadline reports that writer/director Lawrence Kasdan ("Body Heat," "Darling Companion") is bringing a film adaptation of "Stay Close" to the big screen.

Based on author Harlan Coben's upcoming book that's due to hit shelves in March--The story deals with a past crime that returns to devastate the lives of a photojournalist, a suburban mother with a hidden past, and a homicide detective obsessed with a series of unsolved disappearances--within a dark world of sex, secrets and shocking violence.

The adapted script is expected to be ready by the time the book is published and will be shopped around from there.

Kasdan told Deadline that he is ready to return to the potboiler style of film he visited so well with Body Heat about 30 years ago.

“Harlan and I met at a conference organized by Jeff Bezos, and we just hit it off. I’d read a couple of his books, and after asking him why they hadn’t been made into his movies, he told me his tale of woe, of having everything optioned and developed to death. We agreed to look through his stuff, and he said, 'I just finished a book today, do you want to read it?' I think it’s the most adaptable of his books, with a tight plot and strong characters..."

He added "When you boil Harlan’s fiction to its core, it’s intensity, momentum, and tension; and this will be a medium budget sexy and violent film.”

Despite writing numerous best-sellers including the Myron Bolitar Series, Coben has had only one film made that is based on his work- Guillaume Canet's acclaimed and popular French adaptation of "Tell No One".

Ryan & Reese Share Big Eyes

2012-01-23T10:49:00.003-05:00

Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Reynolds will star as Margaret and Walter Keane in an indie biopic about the art duo called Big Eyes says THR

The Keane's work, especially paintings of doe-eyed children, became a pop-culture phenomenon in the 1950s and 1960s. However their home life was anything but perfect. Margaret was the artist but her husband took all the credit. Durring the their divorce they fought over the rights to their work with Margaret eventually winning the dispute- painting a picture in federal court to prove she was the one responsible for the work.

Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski wrote and will direct the film

Tim Burton, Lynette Howell and Jamie Patricof are producing the film

Fanning, Olsen Are "Good Girls"

2012-01-22T22:48:00.000-05:00

Dakota Fanning, Elizabeth Olsen and Anton Yelchin are in final talks to star in writer Naomi Foner's directorial debut "Very Good Girls" says Deadline.

In the film Fanning and Olsen play lifelong best friends during their first summer after high school, both determined to lose their virginity. When they fall in love with the same guy (Yelchin), their goal becomes much more complicated and emotionally wrought than they were prepared for.

Hawk Koch and Gale Anne Hurd are serving as executive producers.

Production will start this June in New York.

Canterbury & Holbrook Circle Sibling Roles In The Host

2012-01-22T22:25:00.002-05:00

Chandler Canterbury and Boyd Holbrook are in final negotiations to join the film adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's book The Host according to Variety.

Saoirse Ronan has been cast as "Melanie Stryder, one of the last humans putting up a fight against an alien species called Souls. These parasites invade human bodies, fuse to each person's consciousness and systematically erase their personalities. Melanie is captured by the aliens and implanted by a Soul called Wanderer (who Saorise will also play), something of a legend because of all of the "hosts" she has attached to on numerous planets. Wanderer's goal is to get Melanie to give up the remaining pockets of humans, but instead the alien finds Melanie to be unique in her unwillingness to surrender her consciousness. Wanderer is so overwhelmed by Melanie's memories and feelings, the alien is driven to reconnect with Melanie's old life."

Max Irons has won the male lead role of Jared, Melanie's boyfriend. While Jake Abel is playing the role of Ian, who brutalizes Wanderer before falling in love with her. William Hurt will play the pivotal role of Jeb, an eccentric uncle to Ronan’s Melanie. He is one of the grizzled leaders of the human survivalists fighting the alien invasion. Diane Kruger will play The Seeker, who is charged with overseeing the conversion of Melanie and later pursues her.

Canterbury will play Ronan's younger brother, whom she goes on an arduous journey to find, while Holbrook will play Abel's macho brother.

Andrew Niccol has written the adapted script and is directing.

Nick Wechsler Steve Schwartz and Paula Mae Schwartz will produce the film.

Production begins at the end of the month in Louisiana and New Mexico.

Extreme Moviegoers

2012-01-22T12:48:00.005-05:00

As expected Underworld Awakening wins the weekend at the movies. The George Lucas produceed African American war story Red Tails does better than expected; And the post-9/11 drama Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close picked up a nice audience share as it went wide. The reviews for the kick butt looking actioner Haywire were quite strong yet audiences did not agree as it placed 5th

Pamela McClintock of THR:

The domestic box office enjoyed another strong weekend as Screen Gems' Underworld: Awakening and George Lucas' Red Tails topped the box office with $25.4 million and $19.1 million, respectively, driving revenues up by more than 30 percent despite wintery weather in the Midwest and East.

Red Tails, about the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II, did far better than expected. Lucas spent 20 years pursuing the project, and recently revealed he couldn't get any studio to finance the film because of an all-black cast. He finally decided to put up the money himself, and spent $58 million on the production budget and another $35 in distribution costs.

Fox, which handles Lucas' Star Wars films, is distributing and marketing Red Tails, which received a glowing A CinemaScore.

Underworld Awakening, the fourth outing in the Kate Beckinsale vampire-werewolf franchise, benefited greatly from being released in 3D, with IMAX accounting for 15 percent of the grosses. The horror action pic, which received an A- CinemaScore, out-grossed two of the three previous titles in the series, unusual for a fourth installment.

Threequel Underworld: Rise of the Lycons debuted to $20.7 million in January 2009, a franchise low. The original Underworld opened to $21.8 mllion, followed by $26.9 million for sequel Underworld: Evolution.

Underworld: Awakening, co-produced by Sony and Lakeshore Entertainment for $70 million, is a much-needed with for Clint Culpepper's Screen Gems. Males made up the majority of the audience, or 55 percent, while 60 percent of those buying tickets were over the age of 25.

"Kate in the role of Selene is just a force to be reckoned with," Sony president of worldwide distribution Rory Bruer said. "This film may be the best received of the franchise."

Likewise, Red Tails is a victory for Lucas and Fox. The cast of Red Tails includes Cuba Gooding Jr. and Terrence Howard. Recently, the producers and cast were recently at the White House for special screening of the film, along with director Anthony Hemingway.

"The weekend was up 31 percent and the primary reason is this original true tale of heroism and valor. It's a true American story," said Chris Aronson, Fox's executive vice president of domestic distribution.

Red Tails did well throughout the country and across all demos, although theaters in African-American markets did especially well. The top grossing theaters were in New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta. Males made up 51 percent of the audience, while 66 percent were over the age of 25.

Results for the weekend's other new films were mixed.

Stephen Daldry's post-9/11 drama Extremely Loud, starring Thomas Horn, Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks, came in No. 4 as it expanded nationwide, grossing $10.5 million from 2,630 locations. The film, receiving an A- CinemaScore, has been playing in only six theaters since Christmas Day, and has now grossed $11.2 million domestically.

Universal's Mark Wahlberg starrer Contraband outperformed Extremely Loud in its second weekend, grossing $12.2 million for a 10-day domestic cume of $46.1 million. Contraband fell 50 percent.

Steven Soderbergh's upscale action film Haywire opened to $9 million after scoring a dismal D+ CinemaScore.The Relativity Media pic, coming in No. 5, cost a modest $23 million to make, with much of its budget covered through foreign presales.

Headlining Gina Carano as a female covert operative, Haywire also stars Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Chaning Tatum and Michael Douglas. Haywire received a D+ CinemaScore. Males made up 55 percent of the ethnically diverse audience.

Haywire opens in a handful of foreign territories this weekend, including Russia and the U.K. Alliance is distributing the movie in Canada.

Among holdovers, Mission: Impossible--Ghost Protocol has now earned $534 million worldwide, while Warners' Sherlock Holmes--Game of Shadows has grossed $439.6 million. At the domestic box office, Ghost Protocol placed No. 8 for the weekend, followed by Game of Shadows and Sony's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Dragon Tattoo, directed by David Fincher, grossed $3.8 million for the weekend for a domestic cume of $94.8 million. Overseas, it has now earned $70.8 million for a global total of $165.5 million. Box office observers believe the film could ultimately earn $300 million globally.

At the awards box office, frontrunner The Artist--which continues to rack up wins, including the top PGA honor Saturday night--added more than 400 theaters to its run, bringing the total location count to 662. The black-and-white silent film grossed $2.4 million to come in only No. 17, and putting its domestic cume at $12.1 million.

The Weinstein Co. is handling The Artist in the U.S., along with several other key awards contenders, including Meryl Streep starrer The Iron lady, which stayed at No. 10 over the weekend, grossing $3.7 million from 1,076 locations for a cume of $12.6 million.

Erik Lomis, president of distribution for the Weinstein Co., said the black-and-white silent film is distinct in that it builds slowly.

Fox Searchlight's The Descendants grossed $2.5 million over the weekend from 560 locations for a domestic total of $51.3 million. Next weekend, following Oscar nominations on Jan. 24, Descendants will be playing in more than 1,200 theaters. Overseas, where the George Clooney pic has begun rolling out, the film grossed $6.2 million over the weekened, including first place finishes in Spain and Australia. The international cume is $9.9 million.

Iranian film A Separation, from Sony Picture Classics scored the top location average of the weekend, grossing $182,577 from 13 theaters for an average $14,044 and cume of $554,000. IFC/Sundance Selects' Pina also continued to do strong business, grossing $120,000 from 10 theaters for an average $12,000 and cume of $756,000.

Tilda Swinton starrer We Need to Talk About Kevin grossed $77,000 from seven theaters for an average $11,000 and cume of $188,000. Oscilloscope is distributing the film.

Top 10 Domestic Box Office Jan. 13-Jan. 16

1. Underworld: Awakening (1), Sony/3,078, $25.4 million

2. Red Tails (1), Fox/2,512, $19.1 million

3. Contraband (2), Universal/2,870, $12.2 million, $46.1 million

4. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (5), Warner Bros./2,630, $10.5 million, $11.2 million

5. Haywire (1), Relativity Media/2,439, $9 million

6. Beauty and the Beast (3D) (2), Disney/2,625, $23.5 million, $33.4 million

7. Joyful Noise (2), Warner Bros./Alcon/2,735, $6.1 million, $21.9 million

8. Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol (6), Paramount/2,519, $5.5 million, $197.3 million

9. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (6), Warner Bros./2,485, $4.8 million, $178.6 million

10. The Iron Lady (4), Weinstein Co./1,076, $3.7 million, $12.6 million.

Foreign Box Office: 'Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows' Hangs on as No. 1 for Third Straight Weekend

Next Up: Liam Neeson reunites with director Joe Carnahan for the survival actioner The Grey; Sam Worthington tries to hold on as a Man on a Ledge before time runs out; Katherine Heigl takes One For The Money in her latest rom-com

Wagner Endorses Dredd Redux

2012-01-21T18:36:00.002-05:00

Judge Dredd creator John Wagner spoke to the Hero Complex blog about his excitement for the upcoming adaptation of the original comic book titled Dredd

Wagner has never been shy about his disappointment over the big-budget 1995 film version starring Sylvester Stallone and thinks that this latest take on the character has real potential.

"My views haven’t changed, though apart from my initial viewing I haven’t seen the film since it came out. They told the wrong story — it didn’t have that much to do with Dredd the character as we know him. I don’t think Stallone was a bad Dredd, though it would have been better and lent him more cred if he hadn’t revealed his face. He was just Dredd in the wrong story. I envy their budget, though. Some of the CGI was very good, and the re-creations of the Angel Gang and the robot. The robot actually came from a Pat Mills story and didn’t belong in Dredd, but it looked good. If the plot had revolved around characters like them the film would have been more successful."

On the new film:

"The plot is about Dredd and his world," he says. "It's impossible to cover every aspect of the character and his city -- perhaps that was one of the failings of the first film; they tried to do too much and ended up with not a lot. Dredd homes in on the essential job of judging -- instant justice in a violent future city. I like the actors, they're well cast and they handled their parts well. Olivia Thirlby is perfect as Anderson, the young psi judge. She gives the character a touching vulnerability. Karl Urban will not remove his helmet and will not kiss his costar."

I like hearing the creator of the character give his approval of this new film. However, I won’t be totally convinced until we see some actual footage that proves that the pic has captured the dark and gritty tone of the comics–Urban looks convincing as Dredd–we shall see...

Lena Headey also stars as the scarred Madeline Madrigal (a.k.a. Ma-Ma) who is the leader of a gang and the film's primary villain.

Pete Travis directed the action from a script by Alex Garland.

Dredd is scheduled for release on September 21, 2012.

Spidey Redux Premieres In Japan

2012-01-21T12:29:00.001-05:00

Stars Andrew Garfield Emma Stone and producers Avi Arad and Matthew Tolmach held a press conference in Tokyo on Tuesday in part to announce that "The Amazing Spider-Man" will premiere in Japan on June 30, a few days ahead of its July 3rd North American release date.

The press conference was almost an hour long--The full video can be viewed below--Meanwhile--here are a few choice quotes that culled courtesy of SHH

They were asked how the Marc Webb directed reboot sets itself apart from Sam Raimi's still fresh in our minds Spider-Man Trilogy, Arad responded:

“In our movie, [Peter] finds his true love. Gwen Stacy was always the true love of Peter Parker… We found a very, very good story about what makes a human being. About what sets their destiny.”

Arad explained the Peter/Gwen relationship, specifically how Dr. Connors aka The Lizard (Rhys Ifans) fits into the dynamic:

“We introduce our villain, Dr. Connors, and in the great tradition of Marvel, Dr. Connors is going to be connected to Peter Parker and, in our case even more interesting, to Gwen Stacy. Right there, the challenge of having to deal with a villain who is a mentor and the only one who you can look at and say, ‘So what really happened to my dad?’ That’s a very hard person to fight.”

The Japanese press were treated to a sneak peek at some of fresh footage that highlights Webb’s reliance on practical effects--Rather than CGI.

Garfield says:

“As you can see, a lot of the stunts are practical and grounded in reality. That was something that Marc, the director, really wanted to make sure happened in this movie to set it apart from previous ones… I would exhaust myself every day and get into near-death experiences every hour on the hour… I collaborated with [the stunt team] not only on the big stunt set-pieces but also on what happens to Peter’s body when he gets bitten. What happens to his DNA and how that effects the way he moves and the way he interacts with objects. The idea that he has spider DNA running in his system. What that will do to his sense of space. What that will do to the sensitivity of his skin. To have an opportunity to play in that forum with creative and talented people was a real opportunity and gift.”

Bravo! I love to hear that stuff--Given how much the industry relies on CG now...I always appreciate the effort to do as much and as many practical in camera effects on set as possible

Stone was asked if the reboot would include a memorable kiss like the upside down makeout as seen in the first film. She responded:

“You don’t want to know! You want to watch the movie and find out. Plus, it would be weird if we were like, ‘There’s something iconic coming up!’ You’ve got to decide if it’s iconic or not. But there is a nice first kiss and it’s different than the upside down one. And we liked it.”

Regular readers know of my Stone crush...I am once again struck by how well Garfield conducts himself here-and at the 2011 Comic Con -Given that he's taking up the reboot of something that as I said is not that old.

Martin Sheen Chris Zylka Denis Leary and Sally Field also star.

The script was penned by James Vanderbilt and Alvin Sargent

The sequel arrives in 2014.

Foursome Have A Normal Heart

2012-01-21T10:19:00.001-05:00

Julia Roberts, Alec Baldwin Jim Parsons, and Matt Bomer are set to star in the adaptation of Larry Kramer's semi-autobiographical play "The Normal Heart" says THR

Kramer adapted the script which takes place during the rise of the HIV/AIDS crisis in New York City in the early 80's.

Mark Ruffalo will star as Ned Weeks the gay Jewish founder of a prominent HIV advocacy group who prefers loud and visible action over the quieter, less visible strategies advocated by his friends.

Roberts will play Emma Brookner, a wheel-chair bound doctor who is one of the only doctors in New York talking the new disease seriously. Baldwin is Weeks’ lawyer brother, who’s having a hard time dealing with his sibling’s sexuality; Parsons has been cast in the role of a Southererner who is a gay activist and part of a gay men’s health crisis group; and Bomer is Felix Turner, a gay fashion journalist who becomes Week’s boyfriend and tragically contracts the disease.

Glee creator and Roberts "Eat Pray Love" helmer Ryan Murphy will call action and produce the film with Brad Pitt

Kruger "Seeks" Out The Host

2012-01-20T23:23:00.002-05:00

Diane Kruger is in talks to join the film adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's book The Host according to Deadline.

Saoirse Ronan has been cast as "Melanie Stryder, one of the last humans putting up a fight against an alien species called Souls. These parasites invade human bodies, fuse to each person's consciousness and systematically erase their personalities. Melanie is captured by the aliens and implanted by a Soul called Wanderer (who Saorise will also play), something of a legend because of all of the "hosts" she has attached to on numerous planets. Wanderer's goal is to get Melanie to give up the remaining pockets of humans, but instead the alien finds Melanie to be unique in her unwillingness to surrender her consciousness. Wanderer is so overwhelmed by Melanie's memories and feelings, the alien is driven to reconnect with Melanie's old life."

Kruger will play The Seeker, who is charged with overseeing the conversion of Melanie and later pursues her.

Max Irons has won the male lead role of Jared, Melanie's boyfriend. While Jake Abel is playing the role of Ian, who brutalizes Wanderer before falling in love with her. William Hurt will play the pivotal role of Jeb, an eccentric uncle to Ronan’s Melanie. He is one of the grizzled leaders of the human survivalists fighting the alien invasion.

Andrew Niccol has written the adapted script and is directing.

Nick Wechsler Steve Schwartz and Paula Mae Schwartz will produce the film.

De Bont Remakes 5 Minutes To Live

2012-01-20T23:01:00.004-05:00

"Speed" and "Twister" helmer Jan De Bont is set to direct a remake of 1961's "Five Minutes to Live" that originally starred singing legend Johnny Cash says Deadline.

The story follows two men pulling off a bank robbery. One holds up the bank, the other takes the manager's wife hostage and explains that she’ll be killed in five minutes unless money is transfered to an account of their choosing.

Raul Inglis ("The Killing Machine," "Transparency") wrote the new version of the script.

Casting will begin soon.

Jack Nasser and Joseph Nasser will produce the film.

Trio Are Tracked

2012-01-20T22:58:00.001-05:00

Matt Dallas Rebecca Marshall and Barry Finnegan are set to star in the indie sci-fi flm Life Tracker says Variety.

The film follows Dillon (Finnegan) who stumbles upon a little known news story about a company called Life Tracker Limited, which claims it has discovered a way to predict biological events in a human’s life by looking at their DNA. People all over the world are paying lots of money to see if their DNA shows any trace of disease, or future children, or when they’ll die.

When Dillon, his best friend Scott (Dallas pictured), and Scott’s girlfriend Bell (Marshall) all get their futures predicted their lives start to change in ways the trio did not expect

Joe McClean ("How to Make a David Lynch Film") wrote and directs the film making his feature length debut

Sarju Patel and Debbie Vandermeulen are producing

Production is underway in Los Angeles.

Spencer Gets It Wrong

2012-01-20T22:42:00.005-05:00

Mad Men actress Abigail Spencer wrote the script for and will star in the rom-com "Wrong Number" says The Hollywood Reporter.

The story follows two people who meet on a wrong number phone call at a pivotal moment in their lives - one is a wife dealing with the loss of her father.The pair strike up an unlikely friendship, which turns romantic, revealing the often mixed signals in intimate friendships amongst men and women.

AnnaRose King will call action.

Andrew Leeds, Matt Gould, Griffin Matthews, Camille Chen and Eric Roberts also star

The ever busy James Franco will produce.

Production will kick off this April in New York City.

Rage Review

2012-01-20T22:12:00.001-05:00

I took some time out this past week to watch indie filmmaker Chris Witherspoon's thriller Rage which was sent to me by way of DVD screener--to that end I offer my review.

We meet Dennis Twist (Rick Crawford) who begins his day ready to run what seems like a simple errand--There's nothing simple about this day though..

As we soon learn Twist's real purpose for travailing from the Portland suburbs to the city is to tell his girlfriend Anna Lodej) that he is breaking off their relationship to stay with his wife (Audrey Walker)

In a hurry to make that fateful encounter Twist takes a motorcyclist’s parking space. He did not see the biker (Withersppon) until after he finished parking. Dismissing the situation he ignores the plea of the always helmeted motorcyclist and moves on

Twist soon leans that you should "be careful who you piss off"....

Witherspoon makes absolutely no secret of the fact that Rage is heavily influenced by Steven Spielberg’s classic TV movie Duel and John Carpenter’s Halloween--and yet with that has managed to create a quite suspenseful thriller that forges its own path just the same. Quite a feat if you ask me since his influences are never far from your mind as things unfold...

As the lead Crawford displays an everyman quality--but is also able to handle the more complex parts of his character--displaying fear, courage, regret, strength, anger, and even a bit of madness as the events unfold.

As the faceless Biker, Witherspoon creates a lot of dread in the role. The best example of this-without being all spoilery here-is the men's room scene where Twist is caught with more than just his pants down by the antagonist. You can indeed cut the tension with a knife.

This is Witherspoon’s second film after '04's Middle Man and he proves himself practically a one man crew here writing directing editing and photographing.

The climax is a frenzy of violence and mayhem that personally took me back to the kick ass films of tough guy Charles Bronson in the 70's and early 80's

The one problem I had with Rage is when it takes time away from its game of cat and mouse between the 2 main characters to take care of Twist's neighbors--This just disrupts the narrative for me--although a well executed sequence--it somehow seemed out of place since for about 90% of the pic it's just Twist and the Biker Mano-a-mano. I understand the notion of needing to escalate things I'm just saying it may have been better without having to diverge.

Rage is a worthwhile exercise in tension and fear that will not disappoint on many levels all the while it pays homage to the past....

Sir Elton Brings Nerds To The Big Screen

2012-01-20T21:23:00.001-05:00

Singer Elton John's production company has won the film rights to author Michael Buckley's bestselling book series "Nerds" says Deadline.

The series follows a group of unpopular and socially inept geeks who run a spy network from inside their elementary school. There they battle the Hyena, a former junior beauty pageant contestant-turned-assassin and various other villains.

Buckley will write the adapted script for the film that will be a 3D animated feature.

Steve Hamilton Shaw and David Furnish will produce.

Wilson & Farmiga Conjure Up Working With Wan

2012-01-20T20:24:00.009-05:00

Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson are in final negotiations to star in the horror flick "The Conjuring" according to Variety.

The film is inspired by the House of Darkness House of Light and the Perron family who claimed they "lived among the dead" in the 1970s as spirits both friendly and sinister inhabited their Rhode Island farmhouse.

The screenplay is written by Chad Hayes and Carey Hayes from which James Wan will direct

Wilson's casting marks a reunion with Wan, who directed him in the low-budget horror hit Insidious, which also revolved around a family living in a haunted house

Peter Safran and Tony DeRosa-Grund are producing

The film is set to begin production in March in North Carolina.

Killer Delays

2012-01-20T17:13:00.000-05:00

Warner Bros. has turned its release schedule on its ear with three films being delayed says The Hollywood Reporter.

Bryan Singer's Jack the Giant Killer is being pushed back a full nine months from June 15th to March 22nd 2013.

The delay is the result of, among the usual competition factors, it did not help that that the film's teaser lacked any real buzz among the other Summer films.

The film version of the Broadway musical "Rock Of Ages" will be taking over the Jack's spot on June 15th, pushing back two weeks from its previously scheduled release on June 1st.

Additionally David Dobkin's cash-strapped Arthur & Lancelot fantasy epic was scheduled for a March 15th 2013 release, now the film has been pulled from the schedule completely with no new date set.

Hancock 2 Still Being Discussed (Big Groan)

2012-01-20T10:31:00.003-05:00

Do we really need a sequel to the Will Smith-led superhero 2008 film "Hancock"?

For the record I didn't like first one all that much...

Director Peter Berg tells CBM that Hancock 2 is a real possibility:

"We’ve been talking about the sequel between us, Will Smith, [producers] Michael Mann and Akiva Goldsman, and myself."

He added "We're all interested, but we literally just have trouble getting into the same room at the same time. We did have a series of meetings last year and started to hash out an idea for sequel — and Will Smith actually had the idea — so I think it will happen, it's just a question of timing."

Ugh!

Awake, Wired, A Bit Red & Loud

2012-01-20T00:00:00.003-05:00

This weekend three action heavy films and a family drama that's been in limited release goes wide... in the latest battle for #1

Kate Beckinsale returns as Selene in Underworld Awakening (reviews); Newcomer Gina Carano kicks butt for Steven Soderbergh as a spy in Haywire (reviews); George Lucas presents Anthony Hemingway's African American war story Red Tails (reviews) as his "last" blockbuster; And the post-9/11drama Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (reviews) goes wide starring Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock.

Pamela McClintock of THR:

Screen Gems and Lakeshore's Underworld: Awakening -- the fourth outing in the Kate Beckinsale vampire-werewolf franchise -- should win the weekend at the domestic box office with a gross in the low to mid $20 million range, buoyed by the extra upcharge for 3D and IMAX runs.

The last film in the horror-action franchise, Underworld: Rise of the Lycons, debuted to $20.7 million in January 2009, a franchise low. The original Underworld opened to $21.8 mllion, followed by $26.9 million for Underworld: Evolution.

Awakening, co-produced by Screen Gems and Lakeshore Entertainment for $70 million, also opens in a number of overseas markets this weekend.

Tracking for the George Lucas-produced Red Tails, about the famous Tuskegee Airmen in World War II, suggests it will open in the $8 million to $10 million range or higher. Fox is distributing the film.

Lucas spent 20 years pursuing the project, and recently revealed he couldn't get any studio to finance it because of an all-black cast. He finally decided to put up the money himself, and spent $58 million on the production budget and another $35 in distribution costs. Lucas produced with Rick McCallum.

The cast of Red Tails includes Cuba Gooding Jr. and Terrence Howard. Recently, the producers and cast were invited to the White House for a special screening of the film, along with director Anthony Hemingway.

Fox, also the distributor of Lucas' Star Wars movies, believes that Red Tails will have especially good word of mouth, and that it will appeal of males of all ethnicities.

Steven Soderbergh's upscale R-rated action pic Haywire also opens this weekend. The Relativity Media movie, headlining Gina Carano as a female covert operative, is expected to open in the $8 million to $10 million range as well. The movie, also starring Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Chaning Tatum and Michael Douglas, cost a modest $23 million to make, with Relativity covering some of the budget through foreign presales.

Haywire opens in a handful of foreign territories this weekend, including Russia and the U.K. Alliance is distributing the movie in Canada.

A number of specialty releases make major expansions this weekend in advance of Oscar nominations on Jan. 24, including Stephen Daldry's awards hopeful Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, which has only been playing in six theaters since opening on Dec. 25, grossing roughly $662,000. As of Friday, the film will be playing in 2,630 theaters and is expected to gross north of $12 million.

The Weinstein Co.'s awards frontrunner The Artist, which scored a number of key Golden Globe wins, including best picture for a musical or comedy, adds 446 theaters, bringing its total location count to 662. The black-and-white silent film has grossed $9.6 million to date.

Also at the specialty box office, Wrekin Hill Entertainment opens Zhang Yimou's Chinese-language film The Flowers of War in 30 theaters, many of them in Chinese-American markets. The historical epic, starring Christian Bale, has grossed nearly $100 million in China and is on course to become the top grossing Chinese title of all time.

Mitty Swoons For Wiig

2012-01-19T22:46:00.003-05:00

"Bridesmaids" Kristen Wiig has joined the cast of the latest film version of "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" says The Hollywood Reporter.

Based on the 1947 Danny Kaye film which itself was based on a 1939 James Thurber short story, 'Mitty' follows a quintessential daydreamer whose vivid imagination allows him to escape from the mundane constraints of his ordinary life.

Wiig would play a co-worker and the woman of his fantasies. Shirley MacLaine is in talks to play Mitty's mother.

Writer Steve Conrad ("The Pursuit of Happyness") wrote the latest version of the script

Folks like Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell and Sacha Baron Cohen have all been linked to the lead role with various filmmakers like Ron Howard, Steven Spielberg, Mark Waters, Chuck Russell and Gore Verbinski involved at some point as well before Ben Stiller agreed to star and direct.

Production is slated to kick off this April in New York and Iceland.