Killer Movie Music

In honor of all Hallows Eve...

John Carpenter's classic Halloween Theme...



...And his collaboration with Alan Howarth to augment the theme for Halloween II

Random Biz Bits

As October comes to a close...

*Oscar nominee Viola Davis has joined the cast of two projects - David Schwimmer’s Trust, and It's Kind Of A Funny Story reports Variety.

'Funny Story' follows a depressed 15-year-old who puts himself into an adult psychiatric ward.

Davis plays the psychiatrist who helps the boy understand his problems.

"Trust" follows how a family deals with their 14-year-old daughter after she is victimized by an adult through an Internet chat room.

Davis will be a counselor that is assigned to the girl's case.

*Mike Medavoy and FremantleMedia are teaming up for the multi-platform release "Dinosaurs Resurrected" says Variety.

*Madonna and Alek Keshishian have apparently penned the romantic comedy script "W.E." in which there are fantasy and flashback scenes to Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, and the days surrounding and after the British Monarch's abdication.says The Guardian

*Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans is release date issues says The Playlist


*Tahar Rahim (pictured) who has been getting high praise for his role in A Prophet has joined the cast of the currently filming Roman epic adventure "The Eagle of the Ninth" says Coming Soon

*Producer Adrian Askarieh updated the gang at Game Daily about three high-profile video game-to-film adaptations he's got in the pipeline:

*John Rhys-Davies talks about The Hobbit flicks...

*The cult comic "Chi-Chian" is headed for the big screen says The Hollywood Reporter.

*Read about the Peacock film pitch from THR.

A feature film adaptation of Das Petrou's one-short graphic novel "Ring Of Roses" comes to the big screen says Variety.

*Comic Book creator Philip Gelatt is writing and will be making his directing debut on the small thriller "County Road K" about the macabre little stories that occur off the main roads of Middle America says Variety

*Arrested Development producer Mitchell Hurwitz says the upcoming film adaptation will have a heavy jail presence and make jokes about the inclusion of Troubled Asset Relief Program or TARP money...

*Mamma Mia! star Amanda Seyfried told The BBC that she'd be up for the sequel

*The Future is Wild docu series is being adapted for the big screen reports Variety

*Julian Jarrold is in talks to direct a biopic about British reality star Paul Potts says Risky Biz Blog.

In 2007 Potts, a quiet 36-year-old salesman and amateur opera enthusiast, made headlines around the world when he appeared on Simon Cowell's talent show "Britain's Got Talent" and stunned the world. The most popular YouTube video of that performance has garnered 57.5 million plus views.

*A CG-animated film based on the popular online game Spore™ is in the works says Variety.

*Controversial director Lars von Trier has decided 0n his next project, a psychological disaster film called "Planet Melancholia" says The Hollywood Reporter.

von Trier will write and direct the $7.4 million English-language pic.

Shooting is scheduled for next summer.

I've Heard It All Before

Speaking with Mania.com producer Stephen L'Heureux says that--the long-awaited "Sin City 2" should go before cameras in the second half of next year.



The sequel will be based on an original script by creator Frank Miller who co-directs with Robert Rodriguez. It is still not yet known when the sequel will hit theaters.

According to L'Heureux:

"With 'Sin City' just on the horizon I don't think we'd be able to do it with Frank right away. As simple as 'Sin City' seems, it's a very complex scheduling with all these actors and it's a very demanding shoot to be on a sound stage all day long. We have to space it for Frank. There's also talk, of course, of 'Sin City 3'."

There has certainly been enough space between the first and second pics already don't ya think?

I will believe it's a realty when I am sitting in the theater.

Miller is also attached to direct and is working on the screenplay for "Hard Boiled", based on the comics originally published in 1990 and saw an insurance investigator-turned-cyborg turn assassin.

Ask And You Shall Receive

Summit Entertainment has announced plans to re-release the first Twilight flick in select theatres nationwide on November 19th--one day before the highly anticipated bow of the movie’s sequel, "New Moon"



The studio suits make the move in response to fans across the nation clamoring to see the film again on the big screen..

Summit is working with exhibitors to screen "Twilight" one night only with screenings in the evening. Select theatres will offer tickets at a reduced price.

No Thanks

Hugh Jackman has passed on hosting the Oscars again in 2010 says Variety.



Ptoducers Bill Mechanic and Adam Shankman are now looking elsewhere for a host.

The 82nd Annual Academy Awards will air on March 7.

Who should get the gig? Ricky Gervais is already hosting the Golden Globes...Neil Patrick Harris? He hosted the Emmys in September....

Mortal Recall

In an effort to find the next Twilight-like film phenom

Cassandra Clare's fantasy novel trilogy "The Mortal Instruments" is being prepped for the big screen says Variety.

The story revolves around teenager Clary Fray's search for her missing mother, which leads her to a city filled with mysterious fairies, raucous warlocks, vampires and other demons.

Jessica Postigo will adapt the script using all three novels ": City of Bones,"City of Ashes" and "City of Glass"

Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne will produce the pic.

One scripr combines all 3 books? Cramming it all in there in case it tanks?...Wow.


Photo art by bluesthour

Reese Rules

Reese Witherspoon will star and co-produce Rule #1, says The Hollywood Reporter.

Terrel Seltzer's original screenplay sees a New York woman who befriend a Puerto Rican girl with attention deficit disorder.

The film should give Witherspoon a great opportunity to showcase her range

Brad Epstein (About A Boy) is also producing the pic.

Seltzer wrote the Fox comedy How I Got Into College and co-wrote the George Clooney-Michelle Pfeiffer romantic comedy One Fine Day.

Dog Pound

Get ready for Toy Story--ala Man's Best Friend...

Laurie Craig (Ramona and Beezus) has sold the comedy script pitch "Doggy Day Care" says Variety .

The story follows what really happens when dogs get together without human supervision.

"We were utterly charmed by the story, and we think audiences will love it as much as we did," said studio co-president of production Holly Bario.

Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas and Julie Goldstein will produce the pic.

Hasn't the cinema seen enough talking animals with mixed results--remember the dreadful of Beverly Hills Chihuahua? Yikes!

No production date has been set.

Ode To Odin

Oscar-winning actor Anthony Hopkins is neotiating to join the upcoming comic book film Thor says The Hollywood Reporter.

Hopkins would play the Norse god Odin, Thor (Chris Hemsworth)’s dandy dad and reigning king of Asgard.

The film has Kenneth Branagh calling action from a script by written by Mark Protosevich and Zack Stentz. with production due to begin this January.

The film opens everywhere on May 20, 2011.

This move to nab Hopkins is a great one!--Sort of like Marlon Brando as Jor-El in Superman over 30 years ago

Reel Men

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa and Tropic Thunder scribe Etan Cohen has been hired to pen the script for Men in Black 3 says The Hollywood Reporter.



No deals are yet in place for director franchise helmer Barry Sonnenfeld, or stars Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones to return.

And the trade notes that, its unlikely that the film would move forward without the 2 stars.

The studio has put a rush on things with the project--hoping to start filming in 2010

Men in Black 2 ... SUCKED big time! Sorry to say...Everyone's gotta be in top form if MIB 3 hopes to win me back to the series. And rushing it doesn't instill much confidence.

Kicking Sand

The site Pajiba reports that Peter Berg is no long working on that Dune remake



The pic has been in development for several years, with a 175 page adapted screenmplay by Joshua Zetumer ready to go

Berg was attached earlier this Summer and spoke about the project as recently as last month.

Kevin Misher is still attached to produce.

District 9's Neill Blomkamp and Neil Marshall have been mentioned as potential replacements, though neither has handled a project of this scale before (budgeted at $175 million). It's all up in the air right now. Berg's departure is not a shock though--considering that it was put on the back burner...

Gaurd--ians

Don Cheadle and Brendan Gleeson star in John Michael McDonagh's thriller "The Guard"...



The story follows Sergeant Gerry Boyle (Gleeson)- a small-town unorthodox Irish policeman with a confrontational personality, a subversive sense of humour, a dying mother, a fondness for prostitutes, and absolutely no interest whatsoever in the international cocaine-smuggling ring that has brought FBI agent Wendell Everett (Cheadle) to his door.

However, despite the fact that Boyle seems more interested in mocking and undermining Everett than in actively working to solve the case, he finds that circumstances keep pulling him back into the thick of it...

Liam Cunningham (Hunger), Fionnula Flanagan (Lost, Transamerica), Pat Shortt (Garage) and David Wilmot (Intermission, The Clinic). also star.

Production is currently underway in West Ireland.

Funny Lady

Anne Heche has joined the cast of two high profile comdies...

She will co-star along side Ed Helms in Cedar Rapids and The Other Guys, opposite Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg reports Variety

Miguel Arteta helms 'Rapids' which follows a down on his luck insurance agent (Helms) who goes to an industry convention to try to save the jobs of his colleagues. Heche portrays a woman who befriends him.

Phil Johnston wrote the screenplay

In Adam McKay's 'Guys', she is set to play a businesswoman who hires two cops (Ferrell, Wahlberg) to look into financial losses at her company.

The actress was last seen in the limited release "Spread" co-starring Ashton Kutcher

No Bones About It

Rumors began to surface a few weeks ago that current Dr. Who David Tennant was due to join Simon Pegg for John Landis’upcoming movie about infamous grave robbers, Burke and Hare...

While on the red carpet at the recent London Film Festival bow of his new movie, Glorious 39, the folks at Empire asked him about all of the chatter.

“Where do these things come from?” he said, shouting to be heard over the cacophony of cheers and screams from the residents of Whoville. But the sly smile and the glint in his eye indicated that the rumours are true. So, are they?

“I don’t like to jinx things by talking about them before they’re done, you know what I mean? But,” he said, knowingly, “John Landis is a legend.”

So, take it how you will, but we’re saying that that’s as close as we’re going to come to a confirmation until there actually is a confirmation. So, Who fans, rejoice, for your boy is hitting the big screen..

I hope the deal gets done. Pegg and Tennant would work well within Landis' unique style of dark humor....Can't wait with fingers crossed!

Klingons Don't Take Prisoners

The Star Trek reboot will hit DVD on November 17th in the U.S. but folks in Australia can already purchase the film on disc.

Garth Franklin of Dark Horizons gives us a preview of the bonus material that I am most looking forward to:

Going through the much anticipated fifteen minutes of deleted scenes, all the cuts consisted of three subplots - more Sarek (Ben Cross)/Amanda (Winona Ryder) backstory, Kirk (Chris Pine) hooking up with the Orion girl (Rachel Nichols) in order to hack the Kobiyashi Maru simulation, and the one many have been waiting for - the Klingons capture of Nero's (Eric Bana) crew.



Filling in the big gaping plot hole of what Nero's crew got up to in the 25 years between the USS Kellvin attack and elder Spock's arrival, the two scenes feature the ship being captured by a Klingon fleet, and then later an interrogation and escape from Rura Penthe penal colony (which looks like a concrete factory rather than the ice planet seen in "Star Trek VI").

The Klingons themselves aren't fully shown, rather quite striking "Predator-esque" chrome helmets with Klingon-style ridges and heavy trenchcoats cover the actors, leaving only the areas around their eyes and mouths free. It's a look that Abrams admits on the commentary that they hope to bring back in any potential sequel but also keeps any potential redesign of the aliens under wraps...

Here are two bonus Trek related bits o news...

J.J. Abrams Not Directing "Mission: Impossible IV'

He tells MTV

"I'm producing with Tom" adding. "My guess is, given other things, that I will not be directing the movie."

Will he helm a reboot of Superman: Man of Steel instead?

"No one has talked to me about it," Abrams said in the same interview. "Obviously, I’m sure Warner Bros. has a plan for what they want to do." (Uh, No they don't)

Leaving the door wide open for J.J. to helm the Star Trek Sequel.

While Trek screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman are not producing Doc Savage as previously reported...

Neil Moritz and Ori Marmur (The Green Hornet) are producing the film instead.

A Life Of Crime

Vera Farmiga and James Caan will join Keanu Reeves in Henry's Crime says Variety.

In the rom-com Reeves plays a big-hearted man who is falsely accused of robbing a bank in Buffalo. Farmiga will play his romantic interest.

Sacha Gervasi wrote the the script from which Malcolm Venville will direct.

Reeves is set to also co-produce.

Shooting takes place in upstate New York shortly.

Chip On His Shoulder

Ridley's brother Tony Scott, meanwhile, is set to direct a film about Chippendales creator Steve Banerjee says Variety.



The story follows the rise and fall of Banerjee, who went from pumping gas in Culver City to running a high-end nightclub that evolved into Chippendales. After hiring a New York choreographer to polish the all-male dance troupe, Banerjee became wildly rich, as well as competitive and paranoid when male strip clubs became a phenomenon in the 1980s.He died in jail awaiting trial after being arrested for arranging a hitman to murder the choreographer.

Lisa Schrager ("Pay The Girl"-the Heidi Fleiss story) penned the script based on a manuscript written by Rodney Sheldon.

The biopic is said to be in the vein of Scott's True Romance than say an actioner like the upcoming Unstoppable or The Taking of Pelham 123 remake of last Summer.

Still it seems a bit odd for Tony to take on a subject like this...given his perpensity for big action films

Scott and David Permut’s will produce.

Effed Up

After she wraps on Joe Carnahan’s “The A-Team”, Jessica Biel will star in and produce the raunchy comedy "F***ing Engaged," says The Hollywood Reporter.

The story follows a couple who make a pact to have sex every day leading to their wedding so they don't turn into their crusty old parents.
Julia Brownell wrote the screenplay.

Glen Basner and Aaron Ryder will produce the pic.

Um...I don't even know what to say about a pic that has Biel in lots of compromising positions--except look for a title change to happen before this one hits theaters

Alien On The Horizon

In an exclusive chat Empire caught up with director Sir Ridley Scott for a quickie concerning his anticipated Alien Prequel that he hopes "to direct soon-ish".



However the new film may not lead into the first Alien as has been the conventional wisdom…

“It’s a brand new box of tricks, we know what the road map is, and the screenplay is now being put on paper. The prequel will be a while ago. It’s very difficult to put a year on Alien, but [say the first] Alien was towards the end of this century, then the prequel story will take place thirty years prior.”

I take that to mean that Jon Spaihts' script will focus on how the beasts got to be on the planet seen in the 1979 feature...and the 1986 sequel...

“I never thought I’d look forward to a sequel,” said Scott. “But a prequel is kind of interesting. I’m looking forward to doing that.”

Scott has so many films in the pipeline that I wonder when this will actually hit the cineplex?

Pelis Price War

Paranormal Activity taking number 1 at the box office from Halloween stalwart Saw VI this past weekend has Hollywod fighting over director Oren Peli's next film "Area 51" in a bidding war between no less than six studios and production companies says The New York Times.

Paramount Pictures, distributor of 'Paranormal', is shockingly not one of the companies. Bids for the pic have been in excess of $10 million - a huge jump on the mere $300,000 that Paramount paid for 'Paranormal'.

The $5 million-budgeted "51"is filming is in Utah meeting a 2010 bow.

Why wouldn't Paramount want a chance to repeat success?

Another Pretty Face

Milla Jovovich must love being stalked on screen. To illustrate--She was recently seen being stalked by a Hawaiian killer in A Perfect Getaway and is currently being stalked again by zombies filming the sequel Resident Evil: Afterlife.

Now the beauty is all set to be stalked by a serial killer in the drama Faces in the Crowd says Variety.

The film marks the English-language directorial debut of French filmmaker Julien Magnat, who also wrote the pic that sees Jovovich play the survivor of a serial killer’s attack that leaves her suffering from a condition called Prosopagnosia, which renders her unable to recognize faces. As the features of other people change to her every time she sees them, the murderer continues to stalk her, determined to finish the job.

Co-producer Scott Mednick, tells the trade, “Julien has written a breathtaking thriller that is truly original and I was hooked from the first read"

This one sounds very cool given the Prosopagnosia angle and of course MJ herself.

Milla Jo will be in theaters on November 6th with the fact based thriller The Fourth Kind as well.

Jumping Over January

Hot off landing a role in Unknown White Male January Jones will also play the role of Nicolas Cage’s wife in the vigilante thriller “The Hungry Rabbit Jumps” says The Hollywood Reporter.

The story centers on a man (Cage) who hires a vigilante group to go after the men who committed a crime against his wife and gets in too far over his head with the group.

Roger Donaldson (”The Bank Job”),will direct from a script by Robert Tannen.

Uh oh! Jones gives me a reason to actually watch a Nic Cage flick--ulp!

Filming kicks off January in New Orleans.

King Sized

"Hellboy" screenwriter Peter Briggs is going to make his directorial debut with Mortis Rex says Screen Daily.

The title of the pic is Latin for “King of the Dead”--Set in 122 AD--The story centers on a disgraced Roman war hero who is given a last opportunity to redeem his reputation when sent to a Roman garrison beset by a spate of brutal and unexplained killings.

Jim Jacks Stuart Pollok, Matthew Dench and Marisa Kagan will produce the pic Dominic Ianno is also on board as an executive producer.

Filming begins in the Spring on location in Italy, Eastern Europe and the UK .

Faster And Furious

Billy Bob Thornton will star opposite Dwayne Johnson in Faster says Variety.

Johnson is set to play Driver, an ex-con out a mission to avenge the murder of his brother after they were double-crossed during a heist years earlier. Thornton will play the character Cop, a veteran police officer who tracks Driver as he races to find out who was responsible for the murder. Another character in the film, yet to be cast, is Killer, an egocentric assassin who's targeting Driver.

The script was written by Joe and Tony Gayton

George Tillman Jr., director of the rapper biopic Notorious, will call the shots on the action drama which begins production early next year.

Should be an interesting on screen match up between The Rock and Thornton--Can't wait to see who is cast as Killer.

Tillman is also in line to bring Julia Wertz' comic book style novel "I Saw You" to the big screen

Fallout Boy

Xavier Gens (pictured on the set of Hitman with Timothy Olyphant) is set to direct futuristic thriller "The Fallout" reports Variety.



Scripted by Karl Mueller and Eron Sheean, the story is set in a New York City apartment building that was converted to a fallout shelter in a post-apocalyptic world.

The project is not to be confused with the similarly-set popular video game series Fallout

The film is described as a mixture of Assault on Precinct 13 and Lord of the Flies.

Says producer Darryn Welch."With a collective of ‘End of the World’ movies hitting the theatres presently, this film will undoubtedly stand out like a ravenous Pit Bull in a school playground… brace yourselves cause this film has a serious bite to it!” .

Fellow film producer Ross Dinerstein has high praise for Gens, "Xavier’s vision for this film is extraordinary. He brings a visual edge to this fascinating exploration of the human condition"

Filming kicks off in February somewhere in Eastern Europe.

Georgia Peach

Entourage's Emmanuelle Chriqui and Val Kilmer have joined director Renny Harlin's Georgia says The Hollywood Reporter.



Set against the military conflict in the ex-Soviet state. known as the 2008 South Ossetia war-- the story involves an American journalist (Kilmer) and his cameraman caught in the crossfire and a Georgia native (Chriqui) and doctoral student who becomes entangled with them.

Andy Garcia also stars.

Shooting has been underway in Georgia for several weeks.

Sandler Goes Up The Hill

Following in the footsteps of Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie. Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire. John Travolta in Hairspray....Another Hollywood comedic cross dresser is on the way.

Adam Sandler will star in the romantic comedy Jack and Jill says Variety.

Sandler will play Jack as well as twin sister Jill in the pic.

Steve Koren, whose relationship with Sandler dates back to their tenure on Saturday Night Live penned the screenplay.

It will be interesting to see how the “romantic” angle plays out here.

Todd Garner (Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Are We There Yet?) is producing

Filming on Jack and Jill will begin early next year, to be ready for release in 2011.

Folks About Town

Zach Galifianakis and Amy Adams have signed on to team up for the long-gestating comedy drama hybrid, Town House with a Pretty Woman twist says Variety.

Directed by Once’s John Carney, the film is picking up team after long delays like the writers’ strike.

The film is loosely based on author Tish Cohen’s book of the same name. The story sees a man who has Agoraphobia-living with his teenage off his rock star father’s royalties. When they begin running out of money--A call girl strikes up a friendship with the man.

Doug Wright and Carney adapted the screenplay.

Tony and Ridley Scott will produce the pic.

On With The Show...

As the only wide release in theaters this week Marc Graser of Variety reports on the big premiere of Michael Jackson's This Is It concert docu film (reviews ) on Tuesday night.

The film begins its 2 week run worlwide today.




Recession be damned: Sony spared no expense in putting on an impressive show at L.A. Live for the Tuesday evening premiere of "Michael Jackson's This Is It."

The organizers also lost no time in tapping into the pic's moneymaking potential: "This Is It" may be the only premiere to sell merchandise. Available to attendees were $30 "This Is It" T-shirts, the film's CD and key chains.

Despite winds gusting up to 36 miles per hour, the red carpet featured crystal-clad women posing inside massive swinging chandeliers over the venue's courtyard...

Hollywood honors the dead the only way it knows how....Spactacle And Making Money...

A More Perfect Union

J. Michael Straczynski has been hired to adapt 2K's 2005 war strategy video game "Shattered Union" for the big screen says Variety.



Set against the backdrop of a new American Civil War when Washington, DC is wiped out in a nuclear blast, the various states have seceded into six warring groups and players get to play one of them or a European peacekeeping unit sent to reunify America.

Jerry Bruckheimer (who else?) is set to produce.

Straczynski also has Vietnam War drama "They Marched Into Sunlight" in prep as well.

Under Par?

Actor Steve Carell is set to produce (and star in?) the golf comedy "Missing Links" says Risky Biz Blog.

Based on Rick Reilly's book, the story follows four buddies who are sick of golfing at a shoddy run-down Boston public course and hatch a series of schemes to try and golf at a high-class country club nearby.

Jay Lavender, who wrote The Break-Up, will pen the script.

Bobby Cohen, Vance DeGeneres and Charlie Hartsock will co-produce.

I betcha the film will not be as funny as the GREATEST FILM ABOUT GOLF CADDYSHACK...or even the second greatest Happy Gilmore....

Sub-Standard

Noah Taylor (replacing the departing Michael Sheen), Paddy Considine and Sally Hawkins have all joined the cast of Submarine--which has begun filming says Variety.

Based on the book by Joe Dunthorne, the coming-of-age comedy sees 15-year-old Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts) despairingly obsessed with losing his virginity, in love with his own cleverness, and wildly trying to save his parents' marriage.

Yasmin Paige also stars.

TV writer/director Richard Ayoade makes his feature debut on the pic.

Double Vision

Josh Lawson, Emma Lung and Ron Perlman have joined the cast of the indie thriller "Crave" says The Hollywood Reporter.

The story centers on a troubled photographer (Lawson) whose dangerous visions force his his romance with a young woman (Lung) to end and he is pursued by a world-weary detective (Perlman).

Charles de Lauzirika--the man responsible for creating bonus material for DVD special editions including the Alien Quadrilogy and Blade Runner: The Final Cut among others makes his directing debut here from a script he co-wrote wirh Robert Lawton.

Robert Green. Scott Robinson and Marissa Neiman are co-producing.

Sounds a bit like Eyes of Laura Mars with a gender swap in the lead

Filming began this past Friday in Detroit.

From Blart To A Bot

Paul Blart: Mall Cop helmer Steve Carr has signed on the dotted line to direct the robot roboot of Short Circuit according to Variety.



In the original 1986 sci-fi flick , a robot called Johnny 5 was built by the military to be a highly sophisticated weapon. When Johnny 5 is struck by lightning, he develops a conscience and personality. Steve Guttenberg Fisher Stevens and Ally Sheedy starred in that pic.

The update is written by Dan Milano (”Robot Chicken”) and will see Johnny 5 befriend a lonely boy and his fractured family.

Sure it's not meant to set the cinematic world a-fire....But my reaction so far to this idea is "Meh"

Casting Call On Conan

The gang at Moviehole got their hands on the casting breakkdown for Marcus Nispel's Conan reboot.

Conan is "a savage killer that has matured into the refinement his father tried to teach him when he was young. Conan is very smart, almost inhumanly strong, and very cunning. His entire life, from the moment of his birth, has been shaped by violence."

Khalar Singh is a formidable warlord and warrior in his 40s or 50s, for whom the producers are "open to all ethnicities".

Singh is looking for Queen Ilira, whose blood will help him raise a demon army.

Ilira's handmaiden is Tamara, who allies with Conan in what sounds like a Red Sonja character.

And then there's Ukafa, Singh's untrustworthy henchman for whom a massive African or African American is required...

Get more info from Moviehole...

The film is due to hit theaters in 2011

A Stranger Awaits

The Hollywood Reporter says that Woody Allen's next film finally has a title - "You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger".

Filmed this past Summer, the story revolves around different members of a family, their tangled love lives and their attempts to try to solve their problems.

Antonio Banderas, Josh Brolin, Anthony Hopkins, Naomi Watts, and Slumdog Millionaire's Freida Pinto. Gemma Jones and Lucy Punch star.

The film is due to open next Fall.

Gritty Reelism

Matt Damon's recent family emergency appears to be behind him and now it's back to work...

He and fellow actor Josh Brolin are tipped to join the cast of the True Grit remake says Variety.



Jeff Bridges has already been cast in the lead as US Marshal Rooster Cogburn (originally played by John Wayne in the 1969 pic that won him an Oscar).

Damon would play the Texas Ranger who joins Cogburn in tracking down the killer of a 14-year-old girl’s father. Brolin would play the killer.

Brothers Joel and Ethan Coen are calling thee shots on the film--which is based upon the novel by Charles Portis.

While Damon has never worked with the Coen brothers before.... Brolin had a role in 2007’s No Country for Old Men, while Bridges played the now-iconic role of “The Dude” in 1998’s The Big Lebowski.

Getting out from the long shadow of the '69 pic will be tough--But at least the Coen boys have made solid casting choices thus far here.

The Road Not Yet Taken

Director George Miller made it official Mad Max 4: Fury Road will begin pre-production next week and will be shot around the Australian state of New South Wales starting in August next year.

Speaking at a presser in Sydney this past Saturday, Miller revealed that he's "still in the middle of casting" and isn't sure who'll be involved as yet, putting doubt on rumors that popped recently about Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron staring in the sequel.

Australian media reports have been quick to suggest that Aussie's own Sam Worthington is another name on the list, (I like that idea too!) but Miller is keeping his options open for now - "It could be Mel [Gibson], it could be anyone".

Expected to be one of the largest and most ambitious live action films ever made in Australia, the pic comes at a time when the Australian film production industry is in trouble.

With the local economy holding up better than many other developed nations during the financial crisis, the Australian dollar has soared to record highs which has caused various international film productions to skip out on production Down Under due to the expense, notably last week's exit of the "Green Lantern" film.

Thirty weeks of the filming are expected to take place in and around Broken Hill, the same area where a major portion of Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior was shot.

Foot Falls

Kenny Ortega has stepped away from directing the upcoming "Footloose" remake reports Variety.

Ortega left the project due creative differences over tone and budget - he wanted a $30 million musical with elaborate stage numbers, they want a sub-$25 million edgy drama with less emphasis on the songs.

Ortega and his "High School Musical" stud Zac Efron were originally teamed on the project until Efron suddenly departed the film a few months ago.

He was later replaced by Chace Crawford who remains attached. Country singer Julianne Hough still has the lead female role.



The studio is racing to find a new director to keep the film on schedule to shoot in March during Crawford's hiatus from his TV series commitment to Gossip Girl.

Ortega's exit is not a surprise--I actually expected it to happen sooner.

Maybe the suits heard Crawford sing and decided a straight drama was a better way to go--saving moolah in the process.