Gotham Chronicles

The New York Times has published an article about this summer's "The Dark Knight,"

In the piece, director Christopher Nolan (pictured on the DK set) reveals that the $180 million sequel doesn't use a second-unit crew meaning that if it's on camera--Nolan shot it himself.



Nolan says of the film and the title character:

"As we looked through the comics, there was this fascinating idea that Batman’s presence in Gotham actually attracts criminals to Gotham, attracts lunacy. When you’re dealing with questionable notions like people taking the law into their own hands, you have to really ask, where does that lead? That’s what makes the character so dark, because he expresses a vengeful desire."

The look of the movie sounds completely different from that of "Batman Begins '' with Gotham City a more modern place to live -complete with massive building, shiny surfaces ,and brighter lighting...

Nolan’s production designer Nathan Crowley:

“I’ve tried to unclutter the Gotham we created on the last film. Gotham is in chaos. We keep blowing up stuff. So we can keep our images clean."

Meanwhile, the Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) promotional viral campaign has officially begun at IBelieveInHarveyDent.com say the folks at World's Finest.

The site also reports that Kevin Conroy (pictured), the actor who voiced Batman for the original ""Batman: The Animated Series" and ""Justice League" " shows, is back to provide his vocal talents for the upcoming direct-to-video anime anthology "Batman: Gotham Knight " hitting store shelves on DVD & Blu-ray July 8th. That's really good news about Conroy's return--He IS Batman in animated form-Nobody does it better...



Photos from that release can be found at KungFu Cinema.

Click here to see four new images from TDK which is due in theaters on July 18 2008.

Mob Squad

Eric Balfour (pictured) and James Van Der Beek will be joining seasoned pros Joe Mantegna, and Armand Assante in the indie feature "The Fifth Mafia" according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Vito Giambalvo is directing the crime drama, from a script by Miles Robinson, Paul Olsen and Philip M. Olsen.

The film will follow the son (Balfour) of a murdered Mafioso.

Balfour's character never had any involvement in the family business (shades Michael Corleone-Al Pacino in The Godfather!!) and seeks revenge on his corrupt Uncle Dominic (Assante) for the murder of his parents.

Soon, he finds himself battling with the FBI after he ruins the life of one of the bureau's agents (Van Der Beek).

Mantegna is set to play Mario, a member of the Dominic Lucido crime family.

Frankly-I'm more interested in FBI angle of the story than I am seeing another straight Mob tale...

Production is to begin at the end of March.

In Last Place

The final theatrical poster for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has been released:



The last poster for the new film is in keeping with layouts used for 1989's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade final one sheet.

Long Shot

Director Sam Raimi is sending Justin Long (pictured) to "Hell".

Long has signed on to star opposite Alison Lohman in Raimi's thriller "Drag Me to Hell " as reported in Variety.
Raimi and his brother Ivan came up with the story about the unwitting recipient of a supernatural curse.

Long will play the boyfriend of Lohman's character.

This is another great "get" for the young actor-following his wonderful turn in Live Free or Die Hard. He also has experience in the horror genre with Jeepers Creepers and its 2003 sequel...

Shooting is set to start March 31st in Los Angeles.

Max Factor

Mila Kunis (who played Jackie on "That 70s Show") has landed a role opposite Mark Wahlberg in "Max Payne" as reported in Variety.

An adaptation of the popular video game series.

Kunis will play an assassin who teams up with Payne to avenge her sister's death.

John Moore directs the film from a script penned by Beau Thorne...

Kunis, who also voices "Meg" on the animated series Family Guy, has played enough girly girls in the past. I'm excited to see how she will do playing a tough chick. Yeah!

The film is set for release later this year.

Hammer Hem & Haw

At that same Empire Magazine event, director Matthew Vaughn (pictured) updates on the (lack of) progress on the Thor flick...

"We're in a holding pattern at the moment. It's up to Marvel, they have to decide if they want to make the movie and then we take it from there."

Adding:

"The main role is going to be played by someone totally unknown. It can't be a star, it's got to be someone totally unknown... I think you have to respect that it is comic book and silly to be frank, so you have to combine that with a modern style and hopefully come up with something fresh. I think we can come up with something special."

Marvel seemed very much behind the film last summer But then, things got quiet, once you started talking budget..Let's face it--If the character were as popular as Spider-Man or X-Men, the film for Thor would not be in a "holding pattern" right now...

Bourne To Run

Over the weekend, Empire Magazine held their annual awards show and in the process, got the stars in attendance to chat about upcoming projects...

The star and director talked "Bourne"4:

Matt Damon (pictured)-"We're all for doing a fourth movie but it means coming up with a good story. There are a lot of things that would have to happen before we would sign up for it".

Director Paul Greengrass-"We're in the process of trying to work out what kind of film you could make. If there is one, what would it be? How it could go? Without any pressure; without any commitment to it, but everybody loved the franchise. We love it, but none of us would want to go again unless we're sure there's a worthwhile film and that could take some time. You don't want to do that when you feel like you've got to make it and none of us need to, so that's where we are."

For its part the studio suits told Variety late last month that a new sequel was in the works...

Translated all of this probably means that as soon as Damon's salary can be renegotiated successfully--all of those questions Greengrass asked rhetorically will be answered.

Green Screen

The teaser trailer for highly anticipated flick "The Incredible Hulk" will be broadcast on TV on 7 different networks at the same time on Wednesday, March 12th.

The sneak peek of footage from the film is set to air at approximately 9:56 p.m. EDT/6:56 p.m. PDT on MTV, MTV2, MTVU., VH1, CMT, Nick at Nite and Spike TV

Following its broadcast premiere, the trailer will be immediately posted on MTV.com for an exclusive period of time.

The trailer is due in theaters across the country on Friday, March 14th attached to "Doomsday.

Bring it on! I will be sure to post the trailer here too as soon as it pops up online!

When The Wooly Attack

10000 BC wins the weekend as expected-but will probably be extinct by next week...

Ben Fritz of Variety:

Prehistoric populations were big if not quite epic this weekend, as Warner’s “10,000 BC” grossed a solid $35.7 million.

Though some had thought the Rolland Emmerich-helmed f/x-fest could come in over $40 million, pic ended up right around where studio insiders said they were targeting. If pic holds well, it could end up topping $100 million domestically and it’s expected to do very well overseas.

Average was $10,478 per play at 3,410 theaters

Nobody had thought “10,000 BC” would come close to “300’s” $71 million bow on the same weekend last year.

Also performing decently was Disney’s “College Road Trip,” which opened to $14 million, or $5,174 per location at 2,706 playdates. Gross was just a little off from that off Martin Lawrence’s last pic, “Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins,” which bowed to $16.2 million last month.

Mouse House is expecting a particularly strong hold for the family film as spring breaks start around the country this week.

Lionsgate’s actioner “Bank Job,” bowed at a modest $5.7 million, right around where the studio had expected. Jason Stathan starrer, which was a negative pickup for the indie studio, averaged $3,561 at 1,603 theaters.

Focus opened “Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day” at 535 locations, where the comedy averaged $4,750 and grossed a total of $2.5 million.

New Line’s swan song “Semi-Pro” continued to foul out on its second weekend, falling a steep 62% to $5.8 million. Cume on the Will Ferrell starrer after 10 days is $24.7 million.

Sony’s “The Other Boleyn Girl” declined 51% on its second frame to $4 million, bringing cume on the period sudser to $14.6 million....\
Joshua Rich of EW:

The prehistoric action flick hunted down a victory at the box office, but the $35.7 mil gross it gathered was hardly mammoth...

Read More Here

'10,000 BC' also tops overseas

It's hard to believe that "B.C. star Steven Strait (pictured) also appeared in the teen horror flick The Covenant...From Warlock to a Hunter Caveman. He really needs a better agent...

2 By 2

Pick a pair any pair...

***Jason Isaacs (pictured) has joined the cast of an, as yet, untitled thriller directed by Paul Greengrass reported in Variety.

I can't say that I'm really up for another Iraq War flick. But with Greengrass calling the shots and Brian Helgeland's script-I would give it a shot.

***Joan Cusack and John Goodman will team up for the film adaptation of the bestselling novel "Confessions of a Shopaholic" reports Variety.

Sophie Kinsella's book tells the story of a woman who must deal with the stresses of mounting credit card debt while trying to navigate the New York magazine world.

Isla Fisher is playing the woman, while Goodman and Cusack will play her parents..

***Ciarán Hinds and Alexander Ludwig have joined the cast of "Race to Witch Mountain," a remake of 1975's adventure movie Escape to Witch Mountain, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The '75 flick was a favorite in my house growing up... Can they recapture the "magic"?

***TV's" Men In Trees" co-star James Tupper is set to portray actor Joseph Cotten in Richard Linklater's biopic "Me and Orson Welles " says The Hollywood Reporter.

Principal photography is already underway in the Isle of Man, London and New York.

***Luke Wilson will star in an upcoming college comedy called "Tenure" reports Variety.

Mike Million will cut his directorial teeth from his own script about a frustrated college professor (Wilson) who competes for tenure with an impressive new female colleague. Principal photography begins right around the corner in Philadelphia next month.

***Jayma Mays will play the love interest of Kevin James in the upcoming comedy formerly known as Mall Cop according to The Hollywood Reporter.

James penned the script with Nick Bakay and Steve Pink. Filming is set to begin later this month in Boston.

Indy And The Cold War

The March 14th 2008 issue of Entertainment Weekly has an 'Indiana Jones 4' exclusive!

Steve Daly:

Steven Spielberg and George Lucas are keeping a typically tight leash on details surrounding the fourth Indy installment, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (due May 22).

Their team helped squelch [a] renegade plot and image leaks online, shut down the attempted sale of some stolen production materials, and stands ready to bring legal action against anybody violating confidentiality agreements.

But don't worry — taking a good, long gander at the exclusive photo below won't get you thrown in the slammer. Seen here for the first time, it features Indy (Harrison Ford), a new character named ''Mutt'' (Shia LaBeouf), and an old favorite named Marion Ravenwood (Raiders' Karen Allen, with her back to the camera).



For reasons best left unsaid (okay, we have no idea), the trio are careening through the Peruvian rain forest in an amphibious vehicle — yes, there's a river chase involved in the plot somehow — racing a group of nefarious Russians to find a temple that holds the mysterious treasure of the title.

The mag also looks back at the entire Indiana Jones film franchise and a side bar reveals a few (minor) "Skull" spoilers....

I can't help but get giddy as the publicity blitz for Indy 4 kicks into high gear from now until its bow in May...!!

The Simple Life

Author and columnist W. Bruce Cameron, whose first book was the basis for hit TV series 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter (2002-2005 cast pictured) that starred the late John Ritter has inked a deal to turn his newest book in the Simple Rules series into a feature film according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"Devil Wears Prada" producer Wendy Finerman will adapt the semi-autobiographical dark comedy "8 Simple Rules for Marrying My Daughter" which Cameron will co-adapt with fellow author Cathryn Michon ("Grrl Genius").

The plot concerns a divorced dad whose balancing a younger girlfriend and two daughters who are both engaged at the same time.

Other details concerning the film have yet to be nailed down yet...

The book will be published April 8th.

The story, as was the case with its predecessor, seems ripe for mining laughs...Casting is key here.

The Thrill Of The Chase

Award-winning writer William Monahan ("The Departed") is in discussions to adapt and produce an American version of the Korean thriller The Chaser"as reported in Variety:

Leonardo DiCaprio (pictured) is said to be interested in taking the lead role. He would play an ex-cop who is on a frantic search trying to find a missing girl. The missing person is being used by a serial killer to taunt the cops. The story is loosely based on the exploits of a real-life serial killer.

Warner Bros. landed the rights to the adaptation.

The original directed by Na Hong-jin, is a hit in Korea, grossing more than $20 million in just three weeks time.

Monahan certainly has the skills to make this work as a script. And DiCaprio responds well to material like this as seen in The Departed...

I'll be watching this project closely...

History In The Making?

Roland Emmerich's latest special effects epic 10000 BC (reviews) is ready to rock your world...Martin Lawrence and Raven-Symoné star in the family friendly College Road Trip (reviews); While tough guy Jason Statham pulls off "The Bank Job" (reviews)...

Steven Strait And Friend

Pamela McClintock of Variety:

[The] prehistoric adventure "10,000 BC" is looking to hunt down some big game at the worldwide box office, with Warner Bros. banking both on Emmerich's track record and the studio's success with Zack Snyder's ancient-Greek war epic "300" on the same weekend last year.

Domestically, the film will have no trouble taking the weekend crown as it unspools in 3,410 theaters. Ultimately, it's likely to do equally well -- if not better -- overseas, where auds have lapped up similar fare.

Also opening wide Stateside are Disney's G-rated Martin Lawrence and Raven-Symone family comedy "College Road Trip," which is expected to do solid business as it opens in 2,706. Elsewhere, older males are showing interest in Roger Donaldson's crime suspense "The Bank Job," which Lionsgate is taking out in 1,603. ...

Most of Hollywood will be keeping their eyes on "10,000 BC," the latest big-budget f/x spectacle from Emmerich, who enjoyed box office hits with pics such as "The Day After Tomorrow" and "Independence Day."

New movie revolves around a hunter who discovers a lost civilization while pursuing a warlord who has kidnapped his wife.

Pic isn't expected to match the domestic opening of "300" -- which grossed $70.9 million in its first weekend -- but anything above $40 million would be a big win for Warners; last year, no one foresaw that "300" would do such big business. That movie grossed $210.6 million domestically and $245.4 million overseas.

Only three films have opened to more than $40 million in March: "300," "Ice Age: The Meltdown" ($68 million) and "Ice Age" ($46.3 million).

Many of Emmerich's films have seen a large slice of their worldwide box office gross come from overseas. "Day After Tomorrow" grossed $186.7 million in North America and $356 million internationally. Will Smith starrer "Independence Day" grossed $306.2 million domestically and $510.8 million overseas.

Warners and Emmerich are relying on special effects and action, rather than big stars, to draw in moviegoers. Steven Strait, Camilla Belle, Cliff Curtis and Joel Virgel star in the film.

Disney is certainly counting on fans of Lawrence and Raven-Symone, a favorite among tweens, to buy tickets to "College Road Trip," about a bumbling father who takes his daughter to visit colleges. The Mouse House pic should also be an African-American family draw because of its friendly G rating (most of Lawrence's films have been rated PG or PG-13).

Tracking for "Road Trip" shows strong interest among girls and women under age 25.

Forecasters expect the "Road Trip" opening to be on par with that of Lawrence's last film, "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins," which bowed last month to a $16.2 million opening. To date, film has cumed $39 million.

Lionsgate has modest expectations for "Bank Job," which stars Jason Statham and Saffron Burrows. Film is based on the real-life story of thieves who tunneled their way into a London bank and stole cases of jewelry. The precise valuables taken were never revealed, with the British government issuing a press gag order.

"Bank Job" is expected to gross about $6 million...

Joshua Rich of EW:

It's opening the same weekend the record-shattering ''300'' did last year, but don't expect the prehistoric action flick to do nearly as well..

Read More Here

It's clear from all of the footage I have seen that B.C. so desperately wants to be the next 300 that it turned me right away...Maybe that's unfair but fact is fact. Bank Job is doing very well with the critics...And while there's been many heist flicks over the years--the film looks better than the prehistoric free-for-all by about 10,000%

Next Week: You should Never Back Down-even as you prepare for Doomsday; And Horton Hears A Who

French Fried

Can Juno director Jason Reitman (pictured) save Jim Carrey's career?



The pair are set to work together on the comedy "Pierre Pierre" as reported in Variety:

The politically incorrect story, deals squarely with racism, sexism and the Europeans. Carrey plays a self-indulgent French nihilist who is entrusted to transport a stolen Mona Lisa painting and in the process falls back in love with his homeland.

Carrey desperately needs a hit and while the upcoming CG enhanced Dr Seuss' Horton Hears A Who will provide an almost critic proof buffer for the actor-Working with Reitman may prove a smart move. After all, both Juno and Thank You for Smoking dealt with controversial subjects and yet proved popular with audiences.

Reitman is producing 2009's Jennifer's Body before moving on to"Pierre" as his next feature film.

Mall Rat

Seth Rogen (pictured) is keeping very busy...

Variety reports that the Knocked Up star has lined up to appear in the comedy "Observe and Report"

Rogen plays Ronnie Barnhardt, a deluded, self-important head of mall security who takes on the local cops in a turf war.

Rogen's pal Jody Hill wrote and will direct the flick which begins shooting in April--after Rogen's finished with "Zack and Miri Make a Porno." for Kevin Smith.

Seth's got another reason to smile -Not only are his talents in high demand right now-But he's been named ShoWest Comedy Star!!

Hot "Rod"

ComingSoon.net says that another familiar face from The Fast and the Furious is coming back for more...

Michelle Rodriguez (pictured) has signed on to reprise her role of Letty in "The Fast and the Furious 4"

She joins Vin Diesel Paul Walker & Jordana Brewster all of whom are back in the franchise fold.

The plot will see Brian (Walker) and Dominic (Diesel) team up to help the feds stop a heroin importer known as Braga.

The series, both as a whole, but the first film in particular is one of my favorite "guilty pleasures". It's one of those movie's that, despite how it must have sounded on paper, defies the odds and works out very well indeed.

I'm thrilled that Rodriguez is back--Nothing beats a really good bad girl...

And least I forget the cars...

The flick, now in production, reves up in theatres June 5th 2009.

Trailing Off

<< Per recent online chatter about a sequel to the 1984 science fiction classic "The Last Starfighter" was about to go into production has turned out not to be true.

The talk started at Cinema Blend where it was implied that George Paige Associates, Inc. was developing the flick with Relativity Media The project is still listed on that company's site, However, the folks at Film Buff Online talked with an unnamed spokesperson for the company who said it's indeed in development, there is no truth to the story that the film is ready to begin principal photography.

<<Superhero Hype reports that a preview for The Incredible Hulk will make its debut at this year's Show West convention in Las Vegas next Thursday morning. Will the preview morph into a theatrical trailer any time soon...?

<<The Dark Knight trailer that was said to have been attached to tomorrow's "10000 BC." looks to have been pushed back. No word on when that would debut..With .Speed Racer on May 9th perhaps?

Stills Come To Life

Finally! The official site for Zack Snyder's film adaptation of the acclaimed Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons graphic novel Watchmen has been updated with photos showcasing five of the characters from the epic tale.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan as The Comedian, Patrick Wilson as Nite Owl, Matthew Goode as Ozymandias, Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach, and Malin Akerman as Silk Spectre.





Really cool! When I first saw this pics-The hair on the back of my neck actually stood at attention! Now if we could just see some film footage....

The film itself opens one year from today - March 6th 2009-I can't wait!!!

To The Last

Tony Goldwyn and the fetching Monica Potter are teaming up to star in the forthcoming remake of Wes Craven's 1972 horror classic "The Last House on the Left" reports Variety.

Dennis Iliadis (Hardcore) is calling the shots.

The film tells the story of escaped convicts who take two teenage girls hostage and then take refuge in one of their girl's houses after leaving one of them for dead.

Goldwyn and Potter make great casting choices here and should be able to handle the material, which based solely on the original can be brutal...The question is will the new film be a kinder, gentler version?

Shooting is scheduled to begin this month in South Africa.

RIP Leonard Rosenman (1924-2008)

Film score composer Leonard Rosenman died yesterday at the age of 83.

Rosenman, a two-time Oscar winner (first for his underscore work on Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon and then the following year for Best Song in 1976's Bound for Glory. He died of a heart attack at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, CA.

He scored the 1955 classics East of Eden and Rebel Without a Cause-The war epic Pork Chop Hill

He also worked on a few notable sc-fi flicks like Fantastic Voyage in 1966, Beneath the Planet of the Apes and its sequel Battle for the Planet of the Apes...Oscar came calling again in 1983’s Cross Creek...

For me though, it's his Oscar nominated work on Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home that I will remember most. His ability to score the film's many lighter moments without turning the music into pure camp-and yet still retain the the spirit and power of Trek-Not an easy feat by any means...

Read the obituary in Variety for more on Rosenman and his TV work...

Laying Down The Law

Gerard Butler (pictured) is the latest actor to pull double duty for his latest flick.

Variety:

The 300 star will produce and headline the psychological thriller "Law Abiding Citizen" for his new production company Evil Twins. Butler plays a successful assistant D.A. who gets tangled up in the center of a vigilante plot hatched by overwrought victim of the legal system.



Kurt Wimmer ("Equilibrium") wrote the screenplay and production is set to begin this summer...

Butler is playing it smart with his career-at least in front of the camera-mixing it between the blockbusters and smaller flicks like this one.

Beat The Clock

The latest on the potential Screen Actors Guild strike...



The guild is put on the clock by the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists

Letter sent to Actors presses for March talks...

SAG offers no-strike indie pacts...

Come on you guys, don't just stop with the indie crowd-go all the way and start yaking with everyone...Get It Done!!

Lyme Juice

Variety has the main cast list for the indie dramady Lymelife

Alec Baldwin, Emma Roberts, Cynthia Nixon, Rory Culkin, Kieran Culkin, Jill Hennessy (pictured) and Timothy Hutton will headline the project.

Set in late 1970s Long Island, the coming-of-age story follows two families who fall apart as relationships, real estate problems and Lyme disease invade the suburbs

Derick Martini and Steven Martini wrote the screenplay and will direct. Martin Scorsese acts as the film's executive producer.

Just quirky enough to work...Could be fun.

Filming starts next week starts in the great state of New Jersey.

A Rose And Her Thorn

A leading lady has been found who will star opposite "actor" Nicolas Cage in his next flick--a Sci-fi project called "Knowing" according to The Hollywood Reporter.

And the lucky lady is Rose Byrne (pictured)

Byrne plays the daughter of a woman who buried a time capsule in 1962 bearing the dates of the assassinations of historical figures, the hotel fire death of the wife of a professor (Cage) and the end of the world. After the professor discovers the capsule and its contents he alerts her, She is, at first skeptical, but soon begins remembering strange incidents from her childhood.

Alex Proyas, who has done some fantastic stuff in the genre, like The Crow and Dark City is set to direct the pair.

I also like Byrne a heck of a lot too...I just hope the overrated under skilled Cage doesn't ruin what could otherwise be a great flick..We'll know soon enough...Production is set to start on March 25th in Melbourne, Australia.

Straight To Hell

Reuters reports that Alison Lohman (pictured), co-star of last year's Beowulf will take over for the recently departed Ellen Page in the horror flick "Drag Me to Hell".

Page dropped out of the project facing a scheduling conflict after "Hell" was delayed from its March 17 start date.

Lohman will play a woman who is the unwitting recipient of a supernatural curse.

Lohman's acting resume is as diverse as the actress that she replaces...Great casting call! Let the fun begin!!

Production is now scheduled to start on March 31st in Los Angeles.

Baby (De) Face?

Beware dear reader-another horror classic is about to be remade as reported by the folks at Shock Til You Drop...



Michael Bay's production company Platinum Dunes has set its sights on updating the 1968 shocker Rosemary's Baby for modern audiences. The original, directed by Roman Polanski, is widely considered by many (myself included) to be one first "modern" horror pictures--right behind Psycho, which itself was remade 10 years ago.

"Dunes" has had success with the updated The Texas Chainsaw Massacre flicks...But they've also done their fair share of stinkers with The Amityville Horror and the dreadful Hitcher retread. With several other horror do-overs in the works, like The Birds and Friday the 13th, like those '09 releases, the new "Baby" could go either way.

Feeling Blue

-Unfortunately a funeral will sadly prohibit me blogging for the better part of tomorrow...Posting should resume in the evening at some point...

-My copy of the CD-Box set Superman: The Music (1978-1988) arrived in today's mail...

Lab Partner

Grey's Anatomy co-star Eric Dane (pictured) is an animal lover...

Dane will co-star with Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston in "Marley & Me"-a film adaptation of the best-selling book of the same name

Variety has the details

Dane will play the Wilson's best friend, who suggests that he adopt a puppy as a substitute for the children his wife wants to have. Marley morphs from an adorable Lab puppy into quite the handful.

Female members of my family love Grey's and Dane. I'm sure that they will see "Marley" just based on the fact that he co-stars. Never saw the Dr show but I know Dane from his role in X-Men: The Last Stand playing Multiple Man

David Frankel is directing and production begins in Miami this month.

Does Everybody Know What Time It Is?

Former "Home Improvement" star Tim Allen (pictured) is ready to start pulling double duty-As actor/director on his next feature film...

Variety :

The movie, an indie-comedy called Crazy on the Outside.

Allen's character is a former criminal, who has paid his debt to society and is just trying to adjust to life on the outside living with his wacky sister.

Can Tim Allen direct? Too soon to know for sure...From the sound of things it seems like "Crazy" is aiming for a more adult audience--Then the usual family fare we've associated with Allen since his TV gig

Allen has assembled quite a supporting cast to help him through his first time calling the shots... Ray Liotta, Carrie-Anne Moss, Julie Bowen, and fellow TV sit-com guy Kelsey Grammer are set to appear.

Hell No

Given how busy actress recent Oscar nominee Ellen Page's (pictured) work schedule has gotten...Something had to give.

Variety:

Page has dropped out of Sam Raimi's supernatural thriller "Drag Me to Hell" due to scheduling conflicts.

In a joint statement to from Ghost House Pictures and Mandate Pictures:

The start date of the production was pushed back because the film wasn't going to be completed before the potential SAG strike

The delay meant that the filmmakers could not accommodate her hetic schedule and so she has bowed out.

A shame, Page and Raimi could have done great things together...

Performance Issues

Will Ferrell found a way to both win and lose at the box office this weekend with the comedy Semi-Pro ...

Andrew Daly And Ferrell

Pamela McClintock explains in Variety:

New Line’s sports spoof “Semi-Pro” was worse than semi-soft in its debut, grossing an estimated $15.3 million from 3,121 theaters to make it the lowest opening for a major Will Ferrell comedy in almost a decade.

Film was able to capture the weekend crown, but is nevertheless a blemish for New Line founders Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne as they exit. Their studio will cease being a standalone operation and become much smaller production label under the Warner Bros. umbrella.

“Semi-Pro” came in well below expectations. Box office observers pointed to poor reviews and an R-rating, which made it difficult for younger boys to see the film, although it is that demo that helped fuel box office successes like Ferrell’s “Blades of Glory” and “Talladega Nights: Ballad of Ricky Bobby,” both rated PG-13.

Sony had much better luck with historical romance-drama “The Other Boleyn Girl,” which grossed an estimated $8.3 million from 1,166 runs for a lusty per screen average of $7,118. Pic came in No. 4 for the frame.

The sultry Boleyn sisters, played by Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman, proved tough competition for Summit’s modern-day fairy tale “Penelope,” which grossed an estimated $4 million from 1,196 runs for a per location average of $3,350.

“Penelope,” toplining Christina Ricci and a pickup for Summit, essentially tied for No. 8 with Oscar winner “No Country for Old Men.”

Parlaying its Academy Awards victory into a nice box office bump, “No Country” saw a 67% surge in business as it almost doubled its screen count. Film grossed an estimated $4 million from 2,037 runs for a cume of $69.6 million in its 17th weekend.

Sony, which has been quiet much of the year so far, took two of the top spots on the box office chart with “Boleyn” and political thriller “Vantage Point.”

Placing No. 2, “Vantage” declined just 43% in its second sesh to an estimated $13 million from 3,150 locations for a cume of $41 million in its first 10 days.

Paramount’s family entry “The Spiderwick Chronicles” continued to please, coming in No. 3 and declining only 33% to an estimated $8.7 million from 3,654 runs for a cume of $55 million in its third weekend.

Also showing strong legs was 20th Century Fox’s sci-fi actioner “Jumper,” which placed No. 5. Pic declined 40% in its third frame to an estimated $7.6 million from 3,128 theaters for a cume of $66.8 million.

Coming in No. 6 was Disney’s “Step Up 2 the Streets” declined 41% to an estimated $5.7 million from 2,538 runs for a cume of $48.6 million in its third weekend. Next up at No. was Warner Bros.’ romance-adventure “Fool’s Gold,” which declined 28% in its fourth frame to an estimated $4.7 million from 2,845 runs for a cume of $59 million.

Fox Searchlight’s specialty hit “Juno” came in No. 10, declining 19% to an estimated $3.3 million from 1,631 runs for a cume of $135.1 million in its 13th frame

Joshua Rich of Entertainment Weekly:

Will Ferrell's basketball comedy won a slow weekend at the box office, but its estimated $15.3 million gross was well below expectations

Read More Here...

Ferrel's formula. as seen in sports parodies like Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Blades of Glory, and the news spoof Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy never really wowed me all that much to begin with. Pro's lukewarm victory may mean the general public may be starting to feel a certain "been there done that" with his schtick...

Finding Your Way

A few recent notes of interest...

>>>The Hollywood Reporter highlights that Max von Sydow (pictured), Emily Mortimer and Jackie Earle Haley help to round out the cast of Martin Scorsese's "Shutter Island" The film is based on the book by Dennis Lehane.

The story tale has two U.S. marshals (Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo) who travel to an island of the Massachusetts coast to investigate the disappearance of a patient from a hospital for the criminally insane.

Von Sydow will play one of the hospital's chief physicians, while Mortimer will play Rachel, an escaped patient. Haley plays an inmate as well.

Great cast, great director, great premise. What more do you need? Production is set to begin this week.

>>> Batman villains Deadshot, Man-Bat, Scarecrow and Killer Croc will appear in the upcoming "Batman: Gotham Knight" the DTV animated anthology feature...

On related Bat-notes

<<<Showest honors Christopher Nolan

The Dark Knight helmer Nolan named director of the year...

Bravo!! Mr. Nolan Bravo!

More upcoming flicks find a home on network TV after going theatrical, landing on DVD, On Demand and Pay Cable...



TNT, TBS nab pack of WB films

Package includes 'Dark Knight,' 'Speed Racer'

>>>The folks over at JFX have landed some pics from the set of Fast and the Furious 4... To see them, click here and here.

Picking The "Locke"

This news has been out there for a bit now--but in case you missed it...

Variety recently reported that Joe Hill, son of novelist Stephen King, is continuing to follow family traditions. A 2nd story-the graphic novel series Locke And Key" is headed to the the big screen with and plans to turn it into a potential franchise

The story focuses on 3 children who become the caretakers of Keyhouse, an old New England mansion hiding many secrets and filled with magic. The kids soon discover doors that take them to different places, give them powers and even alter gender and skin color. Hoever behind one door lives a dangerous and violent creature.

'Locke' is presented in book form as three six-issue installments (18 in total), it's not known how many issues will be used to assemble the initial film script...But obviously if the film adaptation proves to be a hit...There's plenty of material for a film franchise to be born and grow.

The 5 Year Plan

Variety has news on the latest Judd Apatow-produced comedy

It's called "Five-Year Engagement" and chronicles five-year's worth of the peaks and valleys of a relationship.

The film is co-written by and-starring Jason Segel (pictured) along with writer-director Nicholas Stoller. Both of whom worked together with Apatow on "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" (Due on April 18th of this year).

Segel has it all right now--a successful TV sit-com- How I Met Your Mother and he's pals with some pretty talented movie folks, Casting is key here though-I know this may sound odd but how about pairing him up with his TV wife Alyson Hannigan for the flick. The pair has already proven that they have great chemistry.?