Grease Is The Word?

Noooooooooooo!!

Justin Bieber wants to star in a new film Grease musical remake

Bieber told The Sun:"It would be a lot of fun. It's been talked about a lot over the years but it would be awesome to play Danny. If I had to pick my perfect Sandy I would go for Miley Cyrus without hesitation. She can sing, dance and act" he says

"I would love to include Cheryl Cole in the movie as well if she was up for it. She would look great in the Rydell High cheerleading uniform"

I just threw up in my mouth a little...

The Tweener headlines the Justin Bieber 3D Project and that's bad enough

Clasher Kind

Jonathan Liebesman ("Battle: Los Angeles") will direct Clash of the Titans 2 reports Heat Vision.

Liebesman was a candidate back in June to replace Louis Leterrier but money and the negative perception of the first film dragged negotiations out.

Greg Berlanti, Dan Mazeau and David Leslie Johnson ("Red Riding Hood") were hired to write the script .

The film which will be shot in 3D with the studio wanting a January start.

Sam Worthington and Gemma Arterton are expected to return as the film's stars.

Pool De Party?

Aw Rats...

Robert Rodriguez may not be directing the comic book pic Deadpool due to scheduling issues reports Deadline.

The studio wanted to start production on the film by the Spring of next year with star Ryan Reynolds and Rodriguez in talks to do the film. However both have heavily booked schedules with Rodriguez getting ready for production on "Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World" which begins shooting next month.

Rodriguez says they're trying to shoot during a small window in everyone's schedules next year, but he says "if they push it back, it would be a lot better for me."

The suits will likely move on looking for other potential directors.

Reynolds meanwhile has numerous commitments all his own including the Denzel Washington thriller "Safe House", the comic adaptation "R.I.P.D.", a potential buddy cop pic and promotional tours for "Green Lantern"

Grief Stricken

Michael Cudlitz and recent Emmy winner Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) have joined the mystery thriller "The Grief Tourist" reports Variety.

The story follows a disturbed and troubled soul, Jim Tahana, who retraces the footsteps of serial killers who fascinate him as his hobby.

His dark obsession with past killers soon becomes his reality and leads viewers on a menacing and horrific journey inside his twisted mind.

Suri Krishnamma directs from a script by Frank John Hughes ("Catch Me if You Can").

Cudlitz, Zachery Ty Bryan, Adam Targum and Suzanne DeLaurentiis will produce the pic

Requiem For Wolverine

Darren Aronofsky is a now a candidate to direct X-Men Origins: Wolverine 2 says Deadline New York.

At last report David Slade and Robert Schwentke were in contention for the job, but Schwentke has dropped out and Aronofsky takes his spot on the list

Slade is still considered as the front runner to direct, but Hugh Jackman worked with Aronofsky on 2006's The Fountain and has major influence on the decision.

Aronofsky makes for an intriguing name on the list--Stay Tuned

Not Affraid To Go Yellow

David Morse, Luke Wilson, Riley Keough and Hank Azaria (in a cameo appearance) have joined the cast of Nick Cassavetes' "Yellow" says Coming Soon

The story follows a young female drug addict who deals with a host of problems not related to her habit.

Sienna Miller, Lucy Punch, Ben Foster, Melanie Griffith and Gena Rowlands also star in the drama.

Cassavetes ("The Notebook," "Alpha Dog") co-wrote the film with his actress wife Heather Wahlquist,.

Joe Q. Bretz will produce .

Shooting kicks off on the film in Los Angeles next month, and Oklahoma in October.

Toothy Grin

This news is interesting--considering this post from last night...

Chris Carmack, Sinqua Walls, Alyssa Diaz and Joel David Moore have joined the cast of the horror flick "Shark Night 3D" says Heat Vision.

The story revolves around seven people who spend a weekend at a lake house in Louisiana. When their vacation quickly becomes a nightmare of hellish shark attacks, unheard of in freshwater lakes, they soon discover that the sharks are part of a sick, greedy plan on the part of several locals.

Jesse Studenberg and Will Hayes wrote the script.

David Ellis ("Snakes on a Plane," "The Final Destination") is set to helm the pic

Mike Fleiss, Chris Briggs and Lynette Howell will produce the pic for an early September shoot in Louisiana.

I wonder how James Cameron feels about this one?

Unintended Consequences

While regular readers of this blog know how I feel about the overuse of 3-D by the film industry....There's always reason to make exception...

James Cameron told Vanity Fair that "Piranha 3D" is an example of "what we should not be doing in 3-D. Because it just cheapens the medium and reminds you of the bad 3-D horror films from the 70s and 80s"

Really? You gotta be kidding me!! Forgetting that it's because of the success of your bloated film Avatar that filmmakers and the suits feel the need to turn every flick into a 3-D wannabe...You are now are gonna judge others efforts that are not making 4 hr blue epics because it "cheapens the medium" So what? What's the matter with a 70's/80's throwback anyway? I think some may argue that 3-D has already ruined the film medium...

That said I hope they make a hundred Piranha a 3-D sequels

Free Pass

Ben Mendelsohn , Dash Mihok and Liana Liberato have joined the cast of the kidnap thriller "Trespass" says Variety.

The film follows a married couple (Nicolas Cage, Nicole Kidman) taken hostage by four brutal thieves seeking cash.

Cam Gigandet and Jordana Spiro co-star.

Karl Gajdusek and Eli Richbourg wrote the script.

Joel Schumacher's calling action on the pic that Irwin Winkler and David Winkler are producing.

kicks off Monday in Louisiana.

Something To Say

Joel Edgerton and Teresa Palmer will team up the psychological thriller "Say Nothing" says Moviehole.

The duo star Dave and Alice, a married Australian couple who head off on a Cambodian holiday with her sister and her sister's boyfriend Jeremy. When the boyfriend mysteriously disappears the 3 back home a nasty secret emerges about the night of his disappearance.

Actor Kieran Darcy-Smith makes his feature directorial debut on the pic which he co-wrote with Felicity Price.

Nash Edgerton will produce when filming kicks off in Sydney in November.

Buddy Boys

Bradley Cooper and Ryan Reynolds may team up to star in an untitled cop action-comedy, previously called Blowback, which is being described as "Lethal Weapon" like in tone reports Risky Biz Blog.

The boys would play two San Francisco cops and friends whose fathers were also partners on the police force. The older generation is forced out of retirement to help their sons crack a case.

Sheldon Turner ("Up in the Air") wrote the script

Neal Moritz, Andrew Panay ("Wedding Crashers"), Jonathon Komack Martin ("Van Wilder"), J.C. Spink and Chris Bender are producing the pic.

Chemistry should be no ptoblem here--But both are known for being the funny one on screen--Which one of them would play it straight?

Be Four Warned

Plans to reboot the Fantastic Four film series are starting to take hold with a production start sometime next year for release by Summer 2012.

Rumours began last week that Adrien Brody and Amber Heard were being pursued to star as Mr. Fantastic and Sue Storm



Then Latino Review said that True Blood star Stephen Moyer would appear as Doctor Doom in the pic

The report also said Alice Eve is in contention for Sue Storm, while actor Kevin Pennington (who was also rumored for The Avengers pictured) would be Jonnny-- Human Torch-- Storm.

Comic Book Movie says that the studio wants either Joe Carnahan David Yates or James McTeigue to direct with one of the trio said to get an offer very soon

The site also claims states the suits are interested in having Bruce Willis voice The Thing who will be seen as a CG character for the film.

So far all of this is just fodder...

The Wiz Of Mirkwood Forest?

Actor Sylvester McCoy, was at one time, poised to play the older version of Bilbo Baggins in Lord of the Rings trilogy losing out to Ian Holm.

Now in an interview with the Dunoon Observer (via The One Ring), McCoy himself says he is in contention with another actor for one of two Wizard parts in the The Hobbit: Part 1 and Part 2

“I am being cast in The Hobbit. We’re currently in negotiations – there are two of us under consideration. It’s not the Bilbo role, but could be bigger” says McCoy.

Since Ian McKellen will likely return as Gandalf, speculation is that McCoy will be playing the character of Radagast the Brown with a bigger than expected role in the two-part film. The character is a wizard with a strong affinity for flora and fauna, and lives on the edge of the forest of Mirkwood through which much of the film's journey takes place.

Midway Goes 3-D

Warner Bros.has picked up Bruce C. McKenna's pitch for a 3-D film about the Battle of Midway reports Deadline.

The four-day battle took place six months after the December 1941 Attack on Pearl Harbor and is widely regarded as the most important naval battle in the Pacific during World War 2

During which the United States Navy decisively defeated an Imperial Japanese Navy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia attack against Midway Atoll, sinking four of their aircraft carriers and inflicting damage from which the Japanese never recovered.

McKenna is expected to turn in a script in eight weeks for a film that will likely cost around $200 million, a slightly cheaper price than the cable mini-series "The Pacific" where McKenna served as co-executive producer and head writer

The battle has been portrayed on the big screen twice before - 1942's John Ford-directed "The Battle of Midway"and 1976's "Midway" starring legends Charlton Heston and Henry Fonda directed by Jack Smight

I have no problem with someone (re)making the film--But Jeebus!! DOES IT HAVE TO BE IN 3-D FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!!!!!!!!!

Raven Glad

Actor John Cusack has revealed via his Twitter account that he will play legendary writer Edgar Allan Poe

The Tweet "officiali- will play edgar allen poe in fall-a-film called the raven, send any poe- gold - my way as i begin this journey into the abyss" says the tweet.

James McTeigue ("V for Vendetta") was in line to direct the pic which re-imagines the author as something of a mid-19th century profiler who joins the hunt for a serial killer whose murders are inspired by his stories.

The film's setting takes place during the final week leading up to Poe's death in 1849, during which the author essentially vanished for several days with no account of his whereabouts. He was found wandering the streets of Baltimore in great distress and repeating the name Reynolds before dying several days later in hospital.

Hannah Shakespeare and Ben Livingston wrote the screenplay.

Cusack is a GREAT choice!

Women Are Impossible

Lauren German (Hostel: Part II) and Paula Patton (Deja Vu), and Kristin Kreuk are candidates in contention to join Tom Cruise and Jeremy Renner in Mission: Impossible IV reports Deadline.

All three are testing for the role of a young female operative in the film under the helm of Brad Bird

Renner will most likely end up taking over the franchise.

Shooting kicks off in Vancouver, Prague, Dubai and the U.S this Fall.

Taken By Surprise

Ir's a battle for the top spot at the box office! The Last Exorcism has edged our the action pic Takers--Barely....




The Staff of THR/AP

..."The Last Exorcism" and "Takers" in a photo finish.

According to studio estimates Sunday, horror movie "The Last Exorcism" had a thin lead with a $21.3 million debut, closely followed by heist thriller "Takers" with a $21 million opening. They were close enough that rankings could change after final numbers are released Monday.

"The Expendables," which spent the past two weekends at No. 1, fell to third place with $9.5 million. The action film's cume is $82 million.

Playing in narrower release, a 3D special edition of "Avatar," which features 8 1/2 minutes of added footage, pulled in $4 million, boosting the sci-fi epic's domestic total....

Nicole Sperling of EW:

Last Exorcism' ekes out win over 'Takers'

And about 'Last Exorcism': Mad at ending?

SPOIILER ALERT! John Young on audience reaction to weekend horror hit -- are you satisfied or bedeviled?

Summer's last hurrah: Opening on Wed--George Clooney is The American; Justin Long is Going The Distance for Drew Barrymore; And Robert Rodriguez & Ethan Maniquis wield a Machete

Hostel Takeover

John Hensley Thomas Kretschmann , Chris Coy and comedian Skyler Stone have joined the direct to video sequel Hostel: Part III says The Wrap.

The story is set around a Vegas bachelor party which turns grisly when the groom (Brian Hallisay) learns that his longtime best friend (Kip Pardue) has targeted him for ritual murder. Sarah Habel also stars.

Scott Spiegel (From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money) will direct from a script he co-wrote with John Fasano.

Chris Briggs and Mike Fleiss will produce.

Eli Roth, writer/director of the first two films--is NOT involved.

Ugh! Still can't believe they are making this...

Pitt Gets A Girl

Brad Pitt has been offered to star in-- while Scott Cooper ("Crazy Heart" is being sought to direct "Brownsville Girl", a film based on the eleven-minute Bob Dylan song says Pajiba.

The story follows a man who leads a life of theft and murder over two decades in an effort to hold on to the woman he loves.

Jay Cocks ("The Age Of Innocence," "Gangs Of New York") wrote the script at the request of Dylan himself.

All Pac'd

Stephen J. Rivele and Chris Wilkinson have been hired to rework the script for the Tupac Shakur biopic reports Vulture.

The previous draft was described as reading documentary in style, a cold straight up approach to the facts of the rapper and actor's life who was slain in a Las Vegas drive-by shooting in 1996. The new version focuses on the last day of Tupac's life and flashes back to events in the four years leading up to it.

Rivele says he sees Shakur as "sensitive, very romantic, talented young poet" forced into creating a gangster persona due to the realities of the hip-hop record business.

Shakur was entering a new phase of his life and the unscrupulous people around him "saw he was going to leave, that they were going to lose him, and so I think they decided to kill him" adds Rivele.

Wow! That's quite a statement from Rivele.

Antoine Fuqua will direct

I Would Rescue Her

Maria Bello and Stephen Dorff will team up to star in Peter Medak’s upcoming indie thriller Carjacked reports TheWrap

Bello plays a single mother who finds herself and her child carjacked by a thief (Dorff) who has no intention of letting them go.

Ron Perlman, Saffron Burrows and Giovanni Ribisi have all been linked to the film

Medak ("Species II") directs from a script by Michael and Sherry Compton, while Dan Grodnik is producing the pic.

Shooting kicks off next month in Louisiana.

All In A Day's Work

Chris Rock has joined the cast of 2 Days in New York the sequel to 2007 romantic dramedy 2 Days in Paris" reports Production Weekly.

Julie Delpy will borh reprise her role as Marion and be back in the big chair as director on the film described as dealing with the difficulty of relationships and the complexities of being a woman without being completely consumed by a relationship.

The character will have a child and a new lover in the film. The child's father, Adam Goldberg''s character in the first film, will not be back but Delpy's real life father Albert will reprise his role as Marion's father.

Rock's role is not yet known.

Shooting kicks off in October.

2 Weeks With Marilyn

Judi Dench has joined the Marilyn Monroe biopic "My Week With Marilyn" reports The Daily Mail.

The film is based on the diary of Colin Clark, who in 1957, toured Monroe throughout London while his boss, Laurence Olivier, was busy making The Prince and the Showgirl co starring Monroe

Dench is cast actress Sybil Thorndike who played the dowager queen in the film and one of the few people on the set who understood and got along with Monroe.

Kenneth Branagh will play Sir Laurence and Michelle Williams (Shutter Island) will play the iconic Monroe

Simon Curtis directs the project.

Dench will start shooting her scenes on September 20th, two weeks prior to the start of principal production. This is being done to accommodate Dench’s commitment to appear in James Madden’s adaptation of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Time To Par-Tay

It's hard for me to believe but October 25, 2010 marks the 5th birthday of The Last Reel. To celebrate the momentous occasion I am having an essay contest.

The winner of which will get this Panasonic DMP-BD65 Blu-Ray Disc Player delivered right to their door by the folks at Amazon.com--Valued at $124.98!

31 years ago this week I saw Superman The Movie for the first time and....it literally changed my life....Now I want you to tell me about the film that has had the greatest impact on your life and why...

Here's The Official Contest Rules PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

To Enter: In 200 to 600 words Tell me about that film: Be as creative as you like of course--I want you to have fun folks.

Essay Guidelines Your essay must be about a THEATRICAL release. Include whatever info you would like about the film--Cast/Crew Etc The winning essay will be judged BY ME and ONE OTHER PERSON on CREATIVITY and PRESENTATION

Who Can Enter?: ANYONE WHO LIVES IN THE UNITED STATES WITH A VALID E-MAIL ADDRESS Entries must be submitted to thelastreel@comcast.net Subject Line--"TLR Contest"-- NO LATER THAN MONDAY OCTOBER 4th 2010 by 12 PM EST No Exceptions!!!!!!!! ONE ENTRY PER EMAIL ADDRESS

The Winner Of The Blu-Ray Player will be notified via Email by MONDAY OCTOBER 11th with further instructions

He or she will also have an OPEN INVITATION TO WRITE FOR TLR on ANY FILM RELATED TOPIC! AS A BONUS The top 5 essays WILL BE PUBLISHED ON THIS BLOG--PLEASE keep it CLEAN...The 4 RUNNERS UP will also have the same open writing invite.

If anyone FAILS TO FOLLOW THE RULES Their essay will be DISQUALIFIED!

Questions? Send them to the email address above or DM On TWITTER @TheLastReel

GOOD LUCK! AND THANKS FOR READING TLR!

Grounded For Life

Yum Yum!

Neil Marshall will direct the horror thriller "Underground" says Deadline.

David Cohen's script concerns an ambitious young chef who ventures into the terrifying underbelly of extreme cuisine served up in gourmet underground supper clubs.

Taka Ichise, Jeremy Platt and Erin Eggers will produce the flick.

These clubs serve some off the wall food prepared by a gourmet chef, usually stuff that's legal in other countries but not approved by Government authorities in the respective countries where the food is being served.

People Person

"Transformers" and "Star Trek" co-writer Alex Kurtzman will make his directorial debut on the family drama "Welcome to People" says Vulture.

The story follows a struggling twenty-something junk dealer who returns home to Los Angeles for the funeral of his estranged record-producer father.

His late dad's last will stipulates that he delivers $150,000 in cash to a 30-year-old alcoholic sister he never knew existed. Determined to keep the money, he makes contact with her and her troubled teenage son anyway but doesn't reveal who he really is.

Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and documentary filmmaker Jody Lambert co-wrote the script.

Steven Spielberg will produce.

After so many flights of fantasy it will be interesting to see what Kutrzman does with a story grounded in real life

Disability Awareness

Breaking Bad co-star Aaron Paul, has landed the lead in the biopic "Right Angle" reports Variety.

Based on the life of Adam Niskar, the story follows a hard-drinking, promiscuous salesman who becomes a quadriplegic after a tragic accident and struggles to come to terms with his disability.

Michael Burke ("The Mudge Boy") directs from a script he co-wrote with Mike Young.

Gary Gilbert and Jordan Horowitz ("The Kids Are All Right") will produce. Shooting takes place in Michigan.

Tame Game

Producer Lloyd Levin ("Watchmen," "Hellboy") has purchased the film rights to Sebastian A. Jones' upcoming Stranger Comics series "The Untamed" says Deadline

The story is described as a dark fantasy tale following the story of a man who makes a deal with the devil to be released from hell for seven days to reap vengeance on the seven souls who murdered him and his family.

His quest for retribution turns to one of redemption when he’s given a second chance to make the right decision, even though it may cost him his immortal soul.

Andrew Cosby makes his directorial debut on the film

Jones, Levin and Andrew Sugerman will produce the adaptation

Big Oil

Freida Pinto("Slumdog Millionaire"), Tahar Rahim ("A Prophet"), Mark Strong and Antonio Banderas are all circling Jean-Jacques Annaud's 1929-set romantic drama epic using the rise of the oil industry in the Middle East as its backdrop reports The Daily Mail.

Hans Ruesch's 1957 fiction novel "South Of The Heart", about the formation of Saudi Arabia, will form the basis of the story about a well-educated Arab prince who is married to a beautiful princess and "is confronted with the problem of what the discovery of oil will bring to the Bedouins" says producer Tarak Ben Ammar.

Rahim and Pinto would play the prince and princess in the film, described as a "big romantic story about oil, religion, tribes and tradition".

Shooting will take place in Tunisia

Suspend Your Death

Nicholas D'Agosto, Ellen Wroe and Meghan Ory ("Dark House") have joined the cast of "Final Destination 5" says Bloody Disgusting.

The latest sequel opens with a suspension bridge disaster.

Miles Fisher and Arlen Escarpeta also have in roles in the film. Tony Todd is back as well after sitting out of the last 2 pics. An offer is out to David Koechner to join the cast

Remake writer Eric Heisserer (The Thing, A Nightmare on Elm Street) penned this pic .

Steven Quale directs.

Beyond The Impaler

Malcolm McDowell, Marilu Henner and Zak Orth have joined the cast of "Clueless" writer/director Amy Heckerling's vampire rom-comedy "Vamps" says Coming Soon.

The contemporary story follows two beautiful young vampires (Alicia Silverstone, Krysten Ritter) who enjoy the New York City nightlife until romance jeopardizes their immortality.

McDowell plays Vlad The Impaler, now living in NYC as the velvet jogging suit-wearing Vlad Tepish. Henner will play a dying woman who gets the chance to resurrect her once-sexy self, Orth will appear as a nerdy friend to the two female leads

Sigourney Weaver, Kristen Johnston, Richard Lewis, Wallace Shawn, Justin Kirk, Dan Stevens and Todd Barry also star in the film which is currently shooting in Detroit.

Molly Hassell , Ben Stiller and Stuart Cornfeld are producing the pic.

Mob Driver

Albert Brooks will play the villain in the thriller "Drive says Deadline.

An adaptation of James Sallis' novel, Ryan Gosling plays a Hollywood stunt driver who moonlights as a getaway driver for thieves. When a bank heist goes wrong, he ends up on the run with a contract on his head and an ex-con’s girlfriend (The recently cast Carey Mulligan) in his car.

Brooks will play Bernie Rose, a New York mobster who has moved to L.A. and is not to be messed with.

Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston has been cast.

Hossein Amini penned the adaptation from which Nicolas Winding Refn's gonna direct

Brooks not known for Bad Guy Roles--could be fun

Filming begins September 20th.

Redeeming Facts

Brad Pitt seems to be in the running to play the lead in a film adaptation of the video game hit Red Dead Redemption. says Showbiz Spy

Or is he?

The action-adventure Western video game from the creators of the fellow hit Grand Theft Auto series is set in the American Old West and follows a former outlaw named John Marston.

When Marston's wife and son are taken hostage by the government in exchange for his services, he sets out to bring his three former gang members to justice.

Released for multiple systems back in May, the game has sold five million copies and received universal critical acclaim.

“The idea is to make this in the style of an epic Western movie but with a few modern touches. Brad is perfect for the role and he is being given first refusal” says a source

The report is very much in question though as there's been absolutely no talk of a film adaptation as yet, let alone anyone being remotely connected to such a project.

Rockstar Games did not deny the report telling IGN only that they "do not comment on rumors or speculation".

Impossible Task

Dum Da Dum Da Dum...

Paramount Pictures has nixed plans to screen test several young actors and instead have chosen Oscar nominee Jeremy Renner to star with Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible IV reports Deadline.

Tom Hardy and Chris Pine were wanted but pretty booked

Kevin Zegers, Christopher Egan and Anthony Mackie were then put on the list for the sequel though Mackie pulled out of the running. Tests with the other two have now been cancelled.

Brad Bird is directing from a script by Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec. Shooting kicks off this Fall in the U.S., Vancouver, Prague and Dubai

There's also rumbles from Variety that the film may reboot the series with Renner taking over the lead for Cruise should it do well.

Casting has begun to find strong females for MI IV as well...

Not Quite "Last"

With only 2 frames to go before the Summer of 2010 movie season ends--It will be interesting to see what film-if any will catch an audience..



Neil Marshall's Centurion (reviews)-which has been available on PPV for weeks finally hits the big screen; Hayden Christensen, Matt Dillon and Chris Brown are Takers (reviews); Director Daniel Stamm and producer Eli Roth want you to witness The Last Exorcism (reviews) And some film called Avatar Special Edition is back in theaters too

Carl DiOrio of 'THR

Summer's penultimate boxoffice session features an eclectic mix of wide openers big and small.

Sony/Screen Gems' heist thriller "Takers" should fetch well into the teen millions in its debut and thus is a candidate to top the domestic rankings if it can build on core urban support for cast members Chris Brown, Idris Elba and Zoe Saldana. Young girls should carry Lionsgate's horror pic "The Last Exorcism" into a similar range through Sunday.

But there's also a $2 billion-plus gorilla in the room this weekend: a 3D-only special edition of James Cameron's all-time boxoffice champ "Avatar." (Hello again, Ms. Saldana.)

Fox's rerelease of the winter blockbuster -- in about 810 3D locations, including 125 Imax specialty venues -- should fetch at least high-single-digit millions during its first frame. Most of the Imax venues handling the special edition will play the pic for two weeks only.

"Exhibition has embraced this release," Fox distribution president Bruce Snyder said.

The "Avatar" special edition boasts 8 1/2 minutes of additional footage, and a swell of fanboy interest could mean an even bigger weekend haul for the now 171-minute movie. The theatrical gambit also sets up nicely Fox Home Entertainment's planned November release of "Avatar" special editions on DVD and Blu-ray Disc.

To date, "Avatar" has rung up a record $749.8 million domestically and $2.74 billion worldwide.

"Takers" is directed by John Luessenhop ("Lockdown") and co-stars Hayden Christensen, Matt Dillon and Paul Walker. The PG-13 pic unspools Friday with more than 2,200 playdates.

"Exorcism" was produced by Eli Roth, creator of the "Hostel" horror franchise, for less than $2 million, with Lionsgate subsequently acquiring domestic rights. Helmed by Daniel Stamm ("A Necessary Death"), the PG-13 pic features a cast including Ashley Bell ("Stay Cool") and TV character actor Patrick Fabian.

"Exorcism" is set for 2,874 engagements....

Industrywide, the weekend will be compared with a $125 million frame last year topped by the $27.4 million bow of Warner Bros.' 3D horror pic "The Final Destination."

Year to date, boxoffice is outpacing last year by 4%, at $7.36 billion..

Nicole Sperling of EW

Don’t expect any blockbusters this weekend. With Labor Day weekend still one week away, two lower-profile new releases are headed to the theaters this frame....

Boy Toy

Steve Carell will produce and star in a remake of a 2008 Argentine romantic comedy "A Boyfriend for My Wife" says Variety.

Juan Taratuto directed the original pic Un Novio Para Mi Mujer that followed a timid husband stuck in a stifling marriage who enlists the help of a legendary yet unlikely Lothario to help get his wife to fall in love with another man.

Mark Gibson and Philip Halprin ("The Wild," "Snow Dogs") are adapting the original screenplay

Michael Cerenzie and Christine Peters will also produce.

Bella & Edward In Brazil?

Plans to film some of "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn" in Brazil are being questioned after a recent violent incident in one of the city's hotels causing security concerns.

AFP reports that suits at Summit Entertainment had been planning to shoot several scenes from the film in Rio de Janeiro around the end of the year, essentially right at or near the beginning of the 2 film shooting schedule.

However last weekend saw gunmen taking 35 people hostage at Inter-Continental Hotel As a result, plans to shoot in Rio now look to be in jeopardy, though Summit is said to be discussing the issue with government officials.

In a statement to RadarOnline.a Summit spokesperson says they are "continuing to scout locations within the country"

Carving Out Some Time

Out stumping to promote The Last Exorcism producer Eli Roth tells Cinema Blend that "I've been working on the script [for a full length version of Thanksgiving--seen as a trailer in Grindhouse] with my co-writer,Jeff Rendell, who plays the pilgrim in the trailer. But Jeff has been working. I said that his deal is he has to work on the script while I'm promoting...and as soon as I'm done in mid-September he's going to fly to California, we're going to sit down, and bang out the script."

Roth previously talked about shooting the film back-to-back with the PG-13 action/sci-fi feature "Endangered Species" telling MTV News last year " I want to do a huge budget movie, but tack on three weeks to the end of it and shoot Thanksgiving...I want to do an $80 million dollar movie, and then schedule three weeks at the end to quickly shoot a $5 million dollar movie."

Moving forward though will likely depend on the performance of next week's Grindhouser Machete

Mags Movie Not Happening

The resoning behind this news makes perfect sense

Producer Lauren Shuler Donner tells Crave Online that we won't be seeing an "X-Men Origins: Magneto" flick mainly because the Bryan Singer-produced and Matthew Vaughn-directed “X-Men: First Class” will use much of it instead

Asked about the possibility of a Magneto stand-alone film, she said "there's internal discussions but probably not It kind of got incorporated into [First Class], a lot of it."

She said that parts of David Goyer's "Magneto" script will appear in "First Class" which chronicles the young Professor X (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) when they were close friends who worked together to stop a common threat.

Soap On A Rope Please

James Wan, director of the original Saw, will helm an upcoming adaptation of the graphic novel vampire tale, Nightfall says Deadline.

Scott O Brown's comic follows a man sentenced to a prison run by vampires. Wan will also oversee the script's development.

Scott Mitchell Rosenberg and William Stuart will produce.

"The minute I heard the concept, I was in," Wan said. "Reading the graphic novel cemented that. Like Saw, it's a simple concept that, if executed properly, will be so cool..."

Reunion Committee

Channing Tatum will star in and co-produce the ensemble drama Ten Year, says The Hollywood Reporter.

The story follows a group of friends reunited a decade after their graduation. Jamie Linden wrote the script and will direct.

Tatum's wife Jenna Dewan, Anna Faris and Chris Pratt, Chris Pine, and Scott Porter among others are all being sought but no deals are in place

Reid Carolin (Stop-Loss) Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey would also produce

Filming could kick off in November should financing come together.

CT is also setting up to star/produce The Contortionist's Handbook

Ride In Romania

Ghost Rider 2: Spirit of Vengeance, the sequel to the 2007 film Ghost Rider, is to begin filming this November--and will be shot in 3-D reports Hot News via MTV News.

Crank” writer/directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor are set to pen and direct the pic which is hinted to involve the biker facing Dracula himself.

Nicolas Cage is the only confirmed cast member.

GR 2 is the first major American production to shoot in Romania since Cold Mountain. in 2002.