Halo Be Thy Name

The film adaptation of the popular video game series Halo long thought dead--is showing signs of life:

Ben Fritz of Variety:

Less than a year after its plans to co-produce with Universal a movie based on Microsoft's hit video game franchise were abruptly cancelled, 20th Century Fox has signed a deal to become the primary licensor for "Halo."

That means the studio will handle worldwide merchandise licensing for "Halo" on behalf of the tech giant.

Though the unsuccessful film development helped bring the two companies closer together, Fox's licensing division has a longer relationship with Microsoft.

It handled similar duties for "Perfect Dark Zero" and "Kameo: Elements of Power," two Microsoft-published games that came out in late 2005 in conjunction with the launch of the Xbox 360.

"Those two games established our relationship with them as a licensing agency, and those conversations continued during the same time that a 'Halo' film was in development here," said Elie Dekel, exec VP of domestic licensing for Fox.

He added that Fox's licensing division focuses primarily on teens and young adults instead of kids, as some other studios do, which makes "Halo" a good fit.

Fox is aiming to launch a broad array of products, from books to apparel to collectible merchandise, in conjunction with the release of "Halo 3" in September.

But given the huge popularity of the vidgame series, Dekel said he's confident his division can continue to sell licensed products in the next few years until a fourth "Halo" game comes out.

"Halo" is one of the video game industry's most popular franchises. Original game and "Halo 2" have sold more than 14.5 million units.

Fox is already in various stages of discussion with several dozen licenses and will be talking to potential partners at this week's Toy Fair in [New York City].

It took longer than I expected for a new deal to emerge. But now that the prelims are out of the way...A film can't be far off? Can it? Stay Tuned!

Silver Lining

As most analysts predicted, Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer, took the top spot over Father's day weekend...

Surfer Rises To The Top

Brandon Gray of Box Office Mojo:

It was no stretch for Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer to lead the weekend box office, raking in an estimated $57.4 million, while Nancy Drew failed...

Ian Mohr of Variety:

Fox's "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" easily crested to No. 1 over the weekend with $57.4 million in tickets sales, according to estimates. That outpaced the $56 million the first "Fantastic" pic debuted with in 2005...

Joshua Rich of Entertainment Weekly:

The sequel opens better than the original; meanwhile, ''Ocean's'' and ''Knocked Up'' hold up nicely...

The second FF film may have opened better than the first one did--in terms of tix sales...But I actually think FF 1 is a better film...I'll explain why soon...

...Not That There's Anything Wrong With That

The Marvel/DC film franchise saga continues with two of the most recent installments...First up: In honor of the theatrical release of Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer (Look for my review soon...) The FF male their first appearance...



...And then Magneto takes on Wolverine as things boil over...



...Dad-Happy Father's Day Thanks for everything! I love you!

Designer Clothes

Jeff Jensen posting on Entertainment Weekly.com offers up a sneak peek of Batman's new threads as seen in the upcoming sequel The Dark Knight

The Caped Crusader won't swoop onto screens again until ''The Dark Knight'' hits theaters on July 18, 2008 — but he's already sporting a new-and-improved getup, and costume designer Lindy Hemming gives EW a first look and tells us about its features



HEAD GAMES Ever wonder why movie Batmans rarely turn their horned heads? It's because the cowls of past suits were firmly attached to the neck and shoulders of the costume — necessary to maintain that iconic silhouette and to prevent the actor from moving around inside the mask. The new headpiece — modeled after a motorcycle helmet — is separate from the neck, so star Christian Bale can now swivel his noggin side to side, or nod up and down. ''It was the hardest part of the suit to make,'' says Hemming.

CAPE FEAR Don't bother asking. ''It's top secret,'' says Hemming. Meaning...? ''Let's just say things happen to the cloak.'' Our guess: It's also a picnic blanket!

BLADES OF GLORY The razors on Batman's forearms are actually part of the suit. (His gloves tuck into the sleeves of the suit.) They're retractable, and yep, they're weapons. ''They shoot at people!'' says Hemming with a Jokersesque laugh.

RAW MATERIAL The new suit is made of 200 individual pieces of rubber, fiberglass, and nylon and metallic mesh. Bruce Wayne's work duds now have a stylish texture, suggesting they're made with sophisticated new technology. ''I thought it would make it more interesting to look at and wonder about,'' says Hemming, adding that the stretchy rubber lines also help bind the costume to Bale's body.

This information makes one really appreciate the work and detail that goes into designing something like a super-suit. It has to be practical enough for av actor to be able function--while looking cool on screen.

Kudos on solving the problem of Bats finally being able to turn his head more than once in a film.

Silver Screen

Superheroes and a super sleuth will duke it over the weekend--as the only new films to open wide today:

The first family of comics is back in Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer (reviews); And Emma Roberts (Daughter of actor Eric Roberts and niece to actress Julia Roberts) brings popular teen detective Nancy Drew (reviews) to the cineplex for the first time...



Ian Mohr and Dave McNary of Variety:

After Sony scored big with its Marvel superhero pic "Spider-Man 3" last month, Fox flies this weekend with its own Marvel sequel, "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," in 3,957 theaters.

Pic looks sure to muscle away the B.O. crown from Warner Bros.' "Ocean's Thirteen." But tracking suggests that it will bow below the $56 million its "Fantastic" predecessor hit in its July opening two years ago. Pic is tracking well with males, but women are lagging behind in interest

Last weekend "Ocean's Thirteen" had been tracking to outdo the last pic in Steven Soderbergh's heist series, but the ensembler came in $3 million below the first three days of "Ocean's Twelve."

Counterprogramming against "Fantastic" -- in 2,612 -- is Warner Bros.' PG-rated "Nancy Drew," the revival of the kid-lit mystery series.

Add to the mix Disney's sneaks for its Pixar pic "Ratatouille" on Saturday.

Holdovers include Universal laffer "Knocked Up," which has been hanging tough.

Overall, B.O. has cooled a bit lately after a socko start to the summer. Ticket tallies were off 11.8% last weekend from the same frame a year ago. But the year is still outpacing 2006 overall by 5.2% through last weekend...

Read the entire article here...

Joshua Rich of Entertainment Weekly writes of this latest round of the ongoing box office battle:

The ''Fantastic Four'' sequel should leave ''Ocean's Thirteen'' and the new ''Nancy Drew'' in its wake...

Critical reaction for the latest FF flick is on par with the first film--not all that great...But audiences, myself included, liked it enough to warrant a sequel...Will the sequel follow the same path? I will let you know soon after I see the film, later today...

Next Up: Steve Carell picks up where Jim Carrey left off as the chosen one in Evan Almighty...

Disappearing Act

Following in the footsteps of The Mummy, another classic "monster" from the good old days is set to return to the big screen...

Michael Fleming of Variety

Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment have set David Goyer to write and direct "The Invisible Man," a new take on the H.G. Wells classic. Brian Grazer will produce.

Conceived as a sequel to Wells' original tale, the story centers on a British nephew of the original Invisible Man. Once he discovers his uncle's formula for achieving invisibility, he is recruited by British intelligence agency MI5 during WWII.



"I've always been a fan of the original H.G. Wells book as well as the Universal film and felt the property was ripe for reimagining," Goyer said.

...Goyer, who most recently directed ghost tale "The Invisible" and "Blade Trinity," is planning to helm the Sheldon Turner-scripted "X-Men" spinoff "Magneto" for Fox

Like, Goyer, I too, am a huge fan of the original story and classic film of 1933. Given the overall success of the current Mummy franchise, I'm actually surprised that it's taken the studio this long to relaunch this. Goyer has a real knack for this kind of material. I love the fact that the decision has been made to push the story forward-while still keeping it in the past--Just great!

Fingers Firmly Crossed--I hope the update turns out better than either Hollow Man from 2000, or Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992) did. Even though both films had talented folks calling the shots as well, both were major stink bombs.

Role With The Punches

Two bits of casting news..

William Hurt (pictured) has joined the all-star cast of "The Incredible Hulk", according to an article in TheHollywood Reporter.



Hurt will play Gen. Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, the man who has dedicated his life to capturing the Hulk --He is also is the father of Banner's love interest, Betty Ross.

Shooting begins this Summer in Toronto.

This is interesting news. The addition of Hurt means that director Louis Leterrier is continuing to find top tier actors for the sequel. Having said that though, actor Sam Elliott, who played the role in 2003's Hulk, was one of the best things about the film and did a great job. While Hurt is a consummate pro--I don't know if he's exactly the right fit...

Meanwhile, Rachel Weisz has signed on to star in Peter Jackson's $65 million adaptation of "The Lovely Bones" The story appears, once again, in THR.

Based on a 2002 bestseller, and revolves around Suzie Salmon, a young girl who is murdered but continues to observe her family. She witnesses the impact of her loss on her loved ones, while her killer covers his tracks...

Weisz will play the mother of the dead girl, a role that will be expanded for the movie. Filming begins this October in Pennsylvania and New Zealand.

Weisz can do this role blindfolded... Interesting that her part is to be expanded as compared to her literary counterpart.

Chilly Reception

Another 80's remake is on the way--this time though--it makes perfect sense...

Michael Fleming of Variety

Screen Gems will remake Lawrence Kasdan's 1983 pic "The Big Chill"




The movie will likely be retitled, but the original script by Kasdan and Barbara Benedek will be used as a template; the storyline will be contemporized and the cast will be African American.

Screen Gems owns the rights and will hire a screenwriter to do a polish on the original script. Kasdan is not involved.

Regina King will be part of the ensemble, and she will produce with her sister, Reina King, and Will Packer ("Stomp The Yard").

Screen Gems president Clint Culpepper is out to directors and intends to get the picture in production by year's end.

The remake will stick closely to the original storyline, in which seven college friends reunite over a weekend at a South Carolina house for the funeral of a pal. As they get reacquainted, they become introspective about how their lives turned out.

The cast of the new film will be in their 30s, which means the characters will have matriculated together in the 1990s instead of the '60s. Music will be a big part of the film, though the redo may stick with the original's fixation on Motown classics.

I think this is a great idea! It will be interesting to see the story from the African American perspective. Although, to be honest, I'm disappointed that Kasdan will not be involved in this remake.

Sick Day

Dade Hayes, of Variety, had a front row seat for a rather interesting press conference in New York on Monday:

The Weinstein Co., Michael Moore and attorney David Boies held an event Monday, something akin to a movie press junket designed for the Beltway set.

In a conference room of Boies' Midtown Manhattan law firm, they convened a news conference to outline their official response to what they called a Bush administration smear campaign against Moore's latest documentary, "Sicko."

Boies released a copy of a letter sent Monday to the Treasury Dept. that affirmed Moore's status as a journalist and asked for "information regarding the person or persons who participated in the decision" to threaten actions against the filmmaker.

In early May, not long before the film's premiere out of competition in Cannes, the "Sicko" camp disclosed that a Treasury Dept. letter had raised questions about possible violations of the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba. Possible penalties could include seizure of the film, fines or jail time.

It's been clear ever since "Sicko" got planted in the middle of the summer movie schedule, that its rollout was not going to be a conventional sales job.

Monday's session featured non-entertainment newsies from wire services and international TV outlets eager to examine Moore's health care investigation.

"This is not about Cuba and it is not about whether you like Castro or not," Boies said. "This is about freedom of the press and an attempt to discriminate against Michael Moore's journalism."

At the root of the dispute is a 15-minute segment in the film showing Moore escorting 9/11 rescue workers to Cuba in order to illustrate the caliber of medical care available there compared with the U.S., where most of their requests for coverage had been denied.

Moore and his interview subjects should be considered part of a "journalistic enterprise" and therefore free to travel to Cuba, Boies said. The government suggested a different interpretation: that Moore created something of value while in Cuba (i.e., the film) and then took it home with him. That could be considered illegal in the manner of bringing home a box of Cuban cigars home.

Moore, who did most of the talking Monday, told the 30 or so media members present that he is "concerned about what the Bush administration might do over the next couple of weeks. I would have thought they would have waited until long after the film had been released to go after me."

Harvey Weinstein said "the whole thing baffled me" and insisted he had told the administration members they could "turn off the spigot and we won't get this kind of publicity but they won't turn it off."

"Sicko" went over big in Cannes, but will have its work cut out theatrically upon its bow June 29. Handled in the U.S. by Lionsgate but marketed solely by TWC, it will face weekend competition from "Ratatouille" and the latest "Die Hard" installment. The print run is not final but is expected to be in the realm of the 868 runs of Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11."

Sensing the potential for adverse comparisons to that 2004 election-year phenom, TWC has been pointing out lately that "Sicko" was made for $9 million. Accordingly, the company said Monday after the briefing that its official expectation is for a gross in line with "Bowling For Columbine's" $21.5 million.

On the publicity front, "Sicko" has already snagged magazine covers, a glittery Cannes bow... A likely wave of news and op-ed coverage during the next few weeks will give it more than a puncher's chance to outshine "Columbine." The $119 million domestic tally of "Fahrenheit" seems unlikely, however.

After some sedate opening remarks, Weinstein went on to float some "off the record" conspiracy theories to rival some of Moore's, suggesting a GOP source told him that "kicking Michael's ass would show the anti-Castro constituency that we're tough."

...When pressed about the timing and the suggestion that the whole federal case seemed to materialize at a miraculously well-timed interval, Moore scoffed, "Bob and Harvey actually did call Mr. Bush and ask him to start investigating me. I knew they were tight with the Clintons, but this showed the amount of influence these men have. All in this room should fear them."

..."We didn't ask for this. We were going to open this movie very quietly. We're not talking here about a movie or the opening or promotion of a movie. We're talking about an individual being threatened and I take that very seriously."

Boies noted that a Freedom of Information Act request was filed May 15 in order to elicit more information about what prompted the Treasury's letter. "If necessary, we are ready to go to court," he said...

You gotta read the rest of the article...

"We didn't ask for this. We were going to open the movie very quietly..." Yeah, right. Who are they kidding? Moore loves this stuff. Anyone in the biz who makes movies knows how it works--and given Moore's feelings about President George W. Bush--of course he wants to make as much noise as he can. Why would anyone make a film and say that they want to open quietly?The bottom line, no matter what the motives of the filmmakers are--they want to make money and turn a profit.

As to Weinstein's conspiracy theories about the GOP- They have bigger problems as a party--then to worry about Moore.

Why not hold the presser shortly after getting the Treasury letter? If it was so urgent a matter, why wait till nearly a month later--unless of course, Sicko opens on June 29th...

Promoting Michael

The official website for Rob Zombie's controversial remake of Halloween has launched...And the the theatrical one sheet poster has hit as well...

While I like the tagline Evil Has A Destiny--The mosaic mask is less effective than just seeing a plain mask would have been...

I find it interesting that when the website comes up--You hear the classic theme composed by John Carpenter. This is the second time it's been used to help market the film...This, after Zombie stated that the familiar music would not be utilized in the update at all...Reel them in on the promise of as much nostalgia as you can and then don't deliver...

The film opens August 31st 2007.

Losing Their Cool?

The Ocean's Thirteen gang, led by George Clooney and Brad Pitt (pictured), win the weekend at the cineplex...But the jackpot was not as big as I thought it was gonna be.

Brandon Gray of Box Office Mojo:

Grossing less than its predecessors, Ocean's Thirteen led the weekend with an estimated $37.1 million, while Hostel Part II was cut down...

Ian Mohr of Variety:

Warner Bros.-Village Roadshow's "Ocean's Thirteen" launched to $37.1 million, which was on a par with the first two entries in the series and enough to ensure the B.O. crown -- but a reminder, after three socko launches in May, that not every film in the Summer of Sequels is going to ignite the boxoffice with record-breaking figures.

Overall, the weekend was pretty tepid, but "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" and "Knocked Up" proved impressively durable, relegating Sony Animation's newcomer, "Surf's Up," to fourth place while Lionsgate's "Hostel: Part II" bowed at No. 6, taking in just $8.8 million.

The first "Hostel" pic bowed in January 2006 to $19.5 million; a summer opener, in a particularly crowded marketplace, proved a gamble that didn't pay off for the [distributor].

"Ocean's Thirteen" also shifted from the winter debut of its predecessors into a summer slot.

"Hostel: Part II" launched after a recent flood of hard-R slasher pics that also saw underwhelming bows (though the genre almost always does well in DVD afterlife).

"Surf's Up," which took in $18 million from 3,528 locations, had to vie with memories of other films centered on penguins, most recently Warner's CG hit "Happy Feet," which bowed last winter.

In addition, Paramount and DreamWorks Animation's "Shrek the Third" may have stolen some of the "Surf's Up" mojo. The CG pic is still stomping among the top 10 and took in $15.8 million in its fourth weekend, raising cume to $281.9 million after a month in release. A year ago in the same frame, Disney launched "Cars" to No. 1 and more than $60 million.

The $37.1 million opening for "Ocean's Thirteen" didn't quite match the perf of the previous entries in the franchise. "Ocean's Twelve," despite poor critical notices, hauled in $39.1 million in its first frame; "Ocean's Eleven" did $38.1 million in its debut.

Latest installment -- penned by Brian Koppelman and David Levien, and produced by Jerry Weintraub -- scored slightly below expectations despite the kind of critical support that that few other popcorn pics have enjoyed so far this summer. Tracking data had the pic on a pace to jump ahead of the other two films in the series by taking in around $40 million.

But Warners distribution topper Dan Fellman said he expects the pic to wind up with the biggest opening week of any of movie in the franchise by picking up healthy midweek biz during its summer playtime.

Exec noted that most of the pic's audience was over 25, a factor that tends to build biz after opening weekend. Movie could have a good run with the over-25 crowd as younger-skewing films, including "Nancy Drew" and the latest "Fantastic Four" movie, enter the marketplace next weekend...

Click here to read the entire article...

Joshua Rich of Entertainment Weekly writes:

''Pirates''washes in at second, while newbie ''Surf's Up'' gets beached, dude...

One of my favorite things about Monday mornings is reading the spin that comes from the studio's about their films when they under perform given expectations. Mr. Fellman's assessment of Ocean's 13 is classic. With very few exceptions (The Blair Witch Project) attendance goes down not up from week to week...

Future Sins

Frank Miller says he's already planning a third Sin City movie... despite the frustrating delays that are prolonging the filming of Sin City 2

He tells MTV, the flick would revolve around “Hell and Back”, about a hallucinating artist named Wallace (The part is rumored to be written for Johnny Depp, pictured).

As for the troubled sequel, Miller says “There was just some problems above us that I don’t understand… that I don’t really want to understand.”

Director Robert Rodriguez has said in past interviews that he is 'coyly confident' about that Depp will sign on the dotted line...

Depp would be a perfect fit for the matrial. As great as that would be...Let's solve the issues over the 2nd film first before moving on...How about shooting both movies back to back?

Stir Crazy

Published reports say that Jim Carrey (pictured) is set to star in "I Love You Phillip Morris:" a dark comedy written by Glenn Ficarra & John Requa the writing team behind the cult classic "Bad Santa." The pair of scribes are on target to direct the film as well.

Variety states:...finnancing deal for the less-than-$20 million film is about to close with Luc Besson's Europacorp, which bested several rival bids when the project was shopped in Cannes [last month].

Based on a novel by Houston Chronicle crime reporter Steve McVicker , the fact-based story casts Carrey as Steven Russell, a married father whose exploits landed him in the Texas criminal justice system. He fell madly in love with his cellmate, who eventually was set free, which led Russell to escape from Texas prisons four times.

Script has some of the dark edges of "Bad Santa" but is grounded by the affable and lovesick character of Russell. Project was pitched to financiers as "Catch Me If You Can" meets "Brokeback Mountain"

Given the fact that Carrey's last film, The Number 23 bombed in theaters, earlier this year--Getting into a comedy, even a dark one, might save hos career...He has proven he can do dark humor before with The Cable Guy--In my opinion, a very underated movie, from his resume.

...The timing of the film hasn't yet been resolved. Like many stars, Carrey is plotting back-to-back films that can be completed before the Screen Actors Guild contract expires next summer.

I hope the movie works in Carrey's favor. I really do. He's too talented to be in a slump lasting this long.

Fatherly Advice

Director Steven Spielberg can't be all that happy today.

First, after months of "Will he?", or "Won't he"?--76-year-old acting legend Sir Sean Connery, has officially turned down Indiana Jones 4. The following statement was issued by Connery's people, regarding his decision:

No Reunion for Connery And Harrison Ford As "Dad" Declines Invite.

"I get asked the question so often, I thought it best to make an announcement. I thought long and hard about it and if anything could have pulled me out of retirement it would have been an Indiana Jones film. I love working with Steven and George, and it goes without saying that it is an honor to have Harrison as my son. But in the end, retirement is just too damned much fun.

I, do however, have one bit of advice for Junior: Demand that the critters be digital, the cliffs be low, and for goodness sake keep that whip by your side at all times in case you need to escape from the stunt coordinator! This is a remarkable cast, and I can only say, 'Break a leg, everyone.' I'll see you on May 22, 2008 at the theater!"

Rats! While I respect Connery's decision--nonetheless, I'm truly disappointed by this news.. The film simply will not be the same without him along for the ride...

I wonder...Was it a matter of the quality of the part? I can't imagine money was an issue. Might he change his mind, and still appear in the sequel as a "surprise"? Hey, it could happen...

Far more troubling for Spielberg though, is the fact that his summer "reality" series On The Lot, is on life support

Lynette Rice of Entertainment Weekly reports:

The network's decided to scale back the ratings-challenged unscripted show to one night a week, it's switching hosts, and suddenly eliminating contestants off the-air!

And yet despite all of this, going on behind the scenes--The show will continue (for now) through August...If audiences haven't embraced it by now, they are never gonna--Pull the plug and put everyone out of their misery.

Surf And Turf

A star powered sequel takes on a horror sequel and a surfing penguin for this week's new releases...

George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and self-described sell-out Matt Damon reunite with director Steven Soderbergh for Ocean's Thirteen (reviews)--This time, Al Pacino is along for the ride; Horror hack man Eli Roth is back as well, with Hostel 2 (reviews); Shia LaBeouf stars in his second film this year with the CGI animated Surf's Up (reviews)




Ian Mohr and Dave McNary of Variety

Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow's "Ocean's Thirteen," the latest summer sequel, will roll into multiplexes this weekend with high hopes.

Tracking indicates that the third installment of the star-studded heist franchise, from producer Jerry Weintraub, should see the biggest opening in the series. Original pic hit $38.1 million back in 2001, while the follow-up moved the mark to $39.1 million.

Sony enters the marketplace, meanwhile, with its PG-rated animated entry "Surf's Up" -- a further cinematic foray for penguins after hits "March of the Penguins" and "Happy Feet."

Pic about a surfing penguin slides into 3,528 locations and will lock horns with DreamWorks Animation's holdover "Shrek the Third," which has been achieving stronger holds than some of its summer competish so far.

Also standing in George Clooney and company's way is Lionsgate's sequel in the hard-R horror franchise "Hostel," which slices its way to 2,350 theaters in an aggressive play.

First pic in the series chopped off $19.5 million in its opening weekend last year.

But the horror genre has been having a tough go of it lately -- with pics including "Grindhouse" not making the B.O. grade -- and splatter specialists will be hoping "Hostel II," from Eli Roth, marks a comeback.

Largely positive reviews for "Thirteen" should help the "Ocean's" crew after the last pic, which was poorly received and made about $60 million less at the domestic B.O. than "Ocean's Eleven."

Also in "Thirteen's" favor has been a somewhat steep domestic dropoff in ticket sales for Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," which dipped more than 61% in its second frame last weekend.

Last two pics were notably holiday releases for Warners, which is opening "Thirteen" in 3,565 theaters this weekend.

Universal laffer "Knocked Up," from helmer Judd Apatow, should hold well after opening No. 2 behind "Pirates" in its debut...

Clock here-to read the entire article...

Joshua Rich of Entertainment Weekly writes:

Odds are the star-packed casino caper walks off with more weekend loot than ''Surf's Up'' or ''Knocked Up'' ...

The reviews for the Ocean's flick are very good. Adding to its already broad appeal; While the other 2 new films seem to be going for niche demos.

Next Week: Another surfer hangs 10--trying to stir things up at the cineplex with Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer...

Clawing Your Way To The Top

The names of two directors are said to be in the mix, as candidates to helm Wolverine (pictured Hugh Jackman), the first solo X-Men spin-off movie.

IESB reports that the studio is "in talks" with D.J. Caruso, who hit it big with the recent thriller Disturbia. Caruso's also done lots of episodic television--including comic book genre fare like Smallville and Dark Angel.

However, the site also adds that, Caruso is being courted by DreamWorks to direct another unspecified film for them. Bringing us to name #2-- Len Wiseman--who's behind this month's Live Free or Die Hard. He is said to be next in line to direct Wolverine should Caruso be led away.

Interestingly enough, IGN notes that, Wiseman was first rumored as a director for Wolverine back in 2004.

Let's Face It: Either man could do the job...

The success or failure of a Wolverine flick--rests squarely on the shoulders of star Jackman--and the quality of the final script.

Cat Calls

The Thundercats (pictured), yet another animated series from the 80's, is being adapted for the big screen...



Marc Graser of Variety:

...[Warner Bros.] has optioned a script by tyro scribe Paul Sopocy to turn the popular 1980s animated series and toy line into a live action feature.

...Property revolves around a group of humanoid cats (with feline names like Lion-O, Tygra, Panthro and Cheetara) who must flee their planet of Thundera after it's destroyed. Once crash-landing on another planet, Third Earth, they must thwart Mumm-Ra, an evil sorcerer, bent on killing them off.

Sopocy has written the script as an origin story expanding on the major heroes and villains from the animated series, with the plot focusing on Lion-O coming of age as the leader of the Thundercats.

...The Thundercats franchise began in 1983 and spawned several animated series, with the most recent airing on Cartoon Network, a toy line produced by LJN and comic books published by Marvel and DC imprints. Warner Bros. has owned the rights to the animated series since acquiring Telepictures Corp. in 1989.

Studio's recently been bitten by the nostalgia bug, pacting with Joel Silver to produce a live-action "He-Man " movie, based on the toy and cartoon franchise, as well as a feature based on the DC comic book "Teen Titans ," a junior Justice League .

"Thundercats" is Sopocy's first studio script sale as a screenwriter... [He] has previously penned short films including "Staring at the Sun," which was screened at the Sundance film fest in 2005.

The original article can be found here

I realize that the studio feels like it has a good thing on its hands here--following its somewhat successful relaunch of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise--earlier this year Not to mention July's BIG debut of Transformers at a rival studio...But Thundercats?! Sounds like nothing more than kitty litter, to me.

Drinking Buddies

The Marvel/DC film franchise saga continues...

In this latest chapter: Some new faces enter the bar...Most notable is, Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man...



ItsJustSomeRandomGuy, you crack me up!

Move On Up

The war between the "Robots in Disguise" will start sooner than expected...

The theatrical release for "Transformers" has been moved up by 24 hours, it will now open July 3rd 2007.

Early Debut:
Megan Fox And Shia LaBeouf Star In Transformers

Director Michael Bay had personally and rather passionately campaigned for the move, posting an appeal to fans on his blog, asking them to lend their support to the cause.

In a post dated May 18 he wrote, "The 3rd everyone is off from work. I say 'what the f***,' play the movie - give 'em giant f****** robots early!"

Meanwhile, Paramount and Dreamworks have given the "provisional go-ahead" for two sequels. The film has a lot of buzz (manufactured or not) around it. Sequels are a pretty safe bet here.

Great Scott!

Stacy Dood of Variety reports:

Actor Scott Porter, who plays Jason Street on the excellent TV drama Friday Night Lights (pictured), has landed a role in Speed Racer! The highly anticipated film starts shooting later this month in Berlin.



Porter will play Rex, the older brother to Speed (Emile Hirsch), in the movie...

Porter does such a great job with his role on "Lights", playing a high school QB, who is forced to deal with a devastating spinal injury, that I'm thrilled he's finding film work. And in such a high profile project no less.

Porter also recently completed shooting a lead role in that "Prom Night" remake opposite the lovely Brittany Snow.

A rising star indeed.

Jack-N-Judd

Diane Garrett of Variety:

Jack Black is starring in "Year One," a comedy Judd Apatow is producing for Columbia.



Harold Ramis, who appears in a small role in Apatow's "Knocked Up," will direct and co-produce, and Michael Cera, who stars in "Supbad," another Apatow production for Col, is also attached to star.

Ramis co-wrote the project with "The Office" scribes Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg based on his story. Owen Wilson will exec produce.

Black, who last starred in "The Holiday" for the studio, recently wrapped Michel Gondry's "Be Kind Rewind" and "Margot at the Wedding," directed by Noah Baumbach. Both will be released later this year. He is currently voicing the lead in the DreamWorks toon "Kung Fu Panda"...

There are some really talented folks working on this flick--Hopefully this will make for a funnier movie--than Black's last laffer--Nacho Libre...which was really disappointing,

The Plunders Plunge

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End finds more box office treasure--as it holds on to the top spot for the second weekend in a row... But...



Brandon Gray of Box Office Mojo:

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End tumbled in its second weekend to an estimated $43.2 million, while Knocked Up nabbed a nice opening...

Ben Ftitz of Variety:

"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" easily sailed to No. 1 again but took a big plunge in its second outing, while "Knocked Up" was glowing after a healthy $29.3 million bow for the low-budget comedy.

Third installment of Disney's hugely successful franchise grossed $43.2 million. Pic declined 62% from its boffo opening vs. 54% last summer for the soph session of the second "Pirates" pic, though this year's comparison was tougher since "World's End" opened on a holiday weekend.

Drop was identical to that of "Spider-Man 3" and lower than the 67% decline for "X-Men: The Last Stand" after Memorial Day weekend last year.

"That's the nature of what our business is nowadays," said Disney [distribution president] Chuck Viane. "With so many seats and show times on opening weekend, nothing can happen for a blockbuster but this kind of fall."

After 10 days, "World's End" has cumed $216.5 million. Though very impressive, total is well behind that of last year's "Dead Man's Chest," which still holds the 10-day record of $258.4 million. "Spider-Man 3" grossed $240.2 million in its first 10 days.

Universal's "Knocked Up" had a very healthy perf given a studio-pegged budget of $30 million. Its $29.3 million bow is significantly higher than the opening for the last Judd Apatow-helmed pic, 2005's "40 Year-Old Virgin," which debuted with $21.4 million and went on to cume $109 million.

Moviegoers were 57% female and two-thirds couples, showing that the romantic themes clicked with auds. U was particularly pleased at the 18% jump in grosses from Friday to Saturday, a sign pic may have staying power like "Virgin."

"Every indication is that this will have legs," said U domestic distribution president Nikki Rocco.

Comedy averaged $10,200 per screen at 2,871 locations.

MGM's "Mr. Brooks" had a relatively soft bow in line with expectations. Kevin Costner starrer grossed $10 million at 2,453 theaters, giving it a per-play take of $4,085.

Picturehouse opened soccer pic "Gracie" to a weak $1.4 million at 1,164 playdates.

"Shrek the Third" fell 50% on its third weekend to $26.7 million. DreamWorks Animation toon has cumed $254.6 million...

The entire article can be read here

Joshua Rich of Entertainment Weekly:

A great opening weekend for the Seth Rogen-Katherine Heigl laffer ''Knocked Up'' -- but ''Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End'' still holds top spot

The folks at Disney can spin it all day long. The fact of the matter is, they can't be liking how things have turned out here...I will be shocked if Pirates 3 actually three-peats next week...

At least the 2nd film in the series tops MTV Movie Awards, as does star Johnnny Depp

I Heart Sarah Silverman

Don't forget that Sarah Silverman (pictured) is hosting tonight's 2007 MTV Movie Awards at 8:00 PM. This is the first time, in the history of the usually raucous event, that the proceedings will air live. I think Silverman is incredibly funny and very talented.

I know she's got what it takes to make, an event that has seemed very... well--edited in recent years--and make it great again! The fact that the program is live is just icing on the cake.

Holding Pattern

In November of last year, I posted the trailer for the film Fanboys-a comedy that uses the opening of Star Wars: Episode I-The Phantom Menace, in 1999, as its backdrop.

It tells the story of four friends, who, in 1998 decide to travel cross-country from Ohio to Northern California's Skywalker Ranch, where they hatch an elaborate plan to steal a print of the flick to fulfill the last wish of a dying friend. Starring Sam Huntington, Chris Marquette, Dan Fogler, Jay Baruchel and Kristen Bell, the film was originally slated for a February 2007 release--and then--that was pushed back 'till April...And then the release was re-scheduled for August...

Director Kyle Newman recently explained to Patrick Lee of SCI FI Wire that the Star Wars-themed film is being delayed, yet again, until January of '08 so that he can shoot several new scenes.
"There's a dream sequence that we're going to put in, which is new," Newman said in an interview at the recent Star Wars Celebration IV in Los Angeles over Memorial Day weekend.

"And I'm rethinking the first, like, three minutes of the movie ... so it's not all set in the one location. It's kind of, the information we're getting at the outset is spread over a couple of scenes. ... It's a little less exposition, a little more comedic. ... It's the Halloween party that we might be changing some parts of. ... Opening it up just a little more."

The movie has been pushed back to Jan. 18, 2008.

"We don't get the actors back until September," he said. "We were trying to get it done in April... And it's just, everyone's schedules, to get them back together, it's been difficult. So we missed our window in April, and now we can't get them until September."

The cast and crew unveiled a lot of never-before-seen footage of the film at the Celebration IV convention, which received a warm reception from Star Wars fans ...

Newman was philosophical about the winter opening date. "It's obviously less competitive, I think, than August," he said. "But I would have loved, ... personally, as a fan, for the movie to be out in ... sometime close to right now. I mean, now is like, it's the 30th anniversary of Star Wars, and this is like ... my gift back to the fans, all of ours. We love Star Wars. I would have loved for it to be there, but if it makes sense for their business model to release it in January, then I have to put faith in what they do, and go with it."

Every time I see footage from Fanboys--I laugh out loud--whether I have seen it before or not. Hopefully all of these release date pushes and content changes will only make it a better film overall and worth the extra long wait.

Forgiveness Of Sin

The somewhat muddled fate of "Sin City 2" has been clarified by creator Frank Miller himself.

He told the folks over at Rotten Tomatoes that the sequel to the excellent 2005 film is only postponed-The long awaited project has NOT been scrapped

Chatter about its demise began to surface after original Sin City actor Michael Madsen gave an interview in which he said he hadn't seen a script as of yet and shooting, originally slated to take place next month, was not going to happen.

Miller says that "Sin City 2 is still likely to happen, just not right away. The script is written and Robert [Rodriguez] and I are raring to go, but it looks like I'm going to be doing 'The Spirit' first (story) and Robert's going to be doing 'Barbarella' first. (story)"

While I am grateful that Miller took time to address the matter--I'm still bummed by all of these delays.

I look forward to seeing what Miller and Rodriguez do with their upcoming flicks, to be sure, but I was really hoping that SC2 would happen first. I guess we can now expect the return to Basin City to occur sometime in 2009...

Putting Indy Through The Mill

Even as Uncle George confirmed to Formula1.com that shooting on the fourth "Indiana Jones" adventure finally gets under way next week--speculation about what fans can expect from the long awaited sequel has hit a fever pitch...

Paul Davidson of IGN sorts out the latest Indy 4 rumors:

One of the biggest casting announcements leading up to the production of Indiana Jones IV was that of Cate Blanchett— chosen at director Steven Spielberg's insistence, or so Lucas says. It was speculated that Blanchett might be the latest romantic interest for the eternal bachelor Indiana Jones, but it turns out her role might be more nefarious. [Be warned: this article contains moderate spoilers about the film!]

IESB.net claims to have a good source behind the scenes on the final Indiana Jones adventure, and they've been confirming many of the rumors swirling around the Internet while adding in bits and pieces of their own. In particular, they claim Blanchett has been cast as the main villain in the film — an agent for the Russians, pitted against Indy in the race to uncover an important and potentially earth-shattering archaeological mystery.

The same site also confirms other reports that Indy's pursuit involves Area 51, South American temples, and crystal skulls — thirteen of them. Those skulls might be the main artifacts around which the story unfolds, analogous perhaps to either the Staff of Ra or the Ark of the Covenant in Raiders.

They also repeat the persistent rumors that Karen Allen will return as Marion Ravenwood [pictured], Indy's love interest in Raiders. Spielberg himself mentioned back in 2002, while Frank Darabont's script for the film was being developed, that he wanted to have Allen briefly appear in the Indy 4...



Indiana Jones and the City of the Gods is said to be the working title for the movie, but it cannot be assumed it will remain that way through to release.

Whatever turns out to be true or not about the film--I don't really much care. I'm just glad that, after all this time, things are finally getting under way. It would be cool to see Allen show up in Indy's life again.

Mach Up

Check this out! The first photo of Speed Racer's set of wheels, for his feature film debut next year, has hit the net...



How sweet is that pic! Filmmakers Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski have done a great job making sure to duplicate the exact look of the car-as seen on the classic animated series Look at that detail.

Ah! I'm basking in the warm glow of nostalgia...

Don't Knock It

Taking a break from the usual summer sequel cycle, this week's new releases offer up something for a more mature crowd.

Writer/director Judd Apatow returns to theaters with the comedy Knocked Up (reviews); Actor Kevin Costner explores his dark side, Demi Moore plays a detective, and funny man Dane Cook plays it straight in the thriller Mr. Brooks (reviews); And Davis Guggenheim directs the girl powered soccer flick Gracie (reviews).

Heigl And Rogen Anxiously Await Word On The Fate Of Knocked Up

Dave McNary and Dade Hayes of Variety:

Hollywood is easing up on the pyrotechnics after a May for the ages, offering a trio of openers with R ratings, modest theater counts and expectations to match.

Universal's "Knocked Up" is the most prominent entry. Reteaming helmer Judd Apatow with "40-Year-Old Virgin" co-star Seth Rogen, the R-rated comedy follows two twentysomethings (Rogen, Katherine Heigl) whose drunken hook-up results in a pregnancy.

Pic will bow in 2,873 locations, 34% fewer than the number at which "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" opened last weekend.

After racking up more than $400 million worldwide in its long-weekend launch, "At World's End" should easily retain the weekend crown. The second installment dipped 55% in its second week last summer; a comparable drop would leave the third outing somewhere around $50 million.

That's several boatloads ahead of where most observers see "Knocked Up." Fully financed by U for a reported $30 million, pic is on track to open in the low $20 millions, though the studio says it will be pleased with anything in the high teens, especially given the legs potential. ("Virgin" opened to $21.4 million in late August 2005 but went on to hit $109 million domestically.)

The other R-rated hopeful is MGM's "Mr. Brooks," opening at 2,453. Kevin Costner is stretching to play his first completely evil character, a serial killer.

Historically, the weekend after Memorial Day is not a high-water mark for summer, but more of a pause before the July Fourth assault. In 2004, "Harry Potter 3" set the record for the frame, collecting $93 million.

Last year, U scored $39 million with "The Break-Up," the only wide debut in a frame that yielded $135 million in total B.O...

Find out what's happening overseas here...

Joshua Rich of Entertainment Weekly thinks Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End will come out on top again:

The Depp-helmed franchise still has wind behind it, but the raunchy comedy ''Knocked Up'' and ''Shrek the Third'' should be closing the gap...

Knocked Up looks very funny and it just might be enough to kick some pirate booty...

Next Week: Sequel-itus returns as Ocean's Thirteen and Hostel 2 come out to play.