Collet-Serra May Helm, Cooper May Star In "Monsters"

"Unknown" and "Orphan" helmer Jaume Collet-Serra is the latest person attached to direct the long-gestating history-meets-beasts film "Here There Be Monsters" according to Vulture.

The story follows American Revolutionary War naval hero John Paul Jones as he battles tentacled monsters of the deep with tone similar to the upcoming "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter".

An offer is out to Bradley Cooper to play Jones but will not be formally offered the role until Collet-Serra finishes his script polish. Collet-Serra has been brought aboard to ready the script for an early 2013 start, filming to begin once Cooper wraps "The Hangover Part III. The filmmaker remains attached to the revisionist Dracula tale "Harker" also at Warner Bros .

Brian Helgeland wrote the script and Jones is wrongly stripped of his British naval commission and is hired by a shipping magnate to investigate the disappearance of merchant ships in the North Atlantic. Jones and his crew suspect that it's the handiwork of a sea monster and have to fight to survive it.

Both Robert Zemeckis and Brad Bird have previously flirted with potentially directing project but ultimately passed.

Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Todd Lieberman and David Hoberman are producing the film.

Maika Monroe Is In Love On Labor Day

Former Kiteboarding superstar turned actress Maika Monroe has joined the cast of the comedy "Labor Day" reports Variety.

Based on author Joyce Maynard's book--the action is set on a late summer Labor Day holiday weekend in the 1980s, the story follows a divorced, depressed single mom (Kate Winslet) out shopping with her 13-year-old son Henry when they encounter a large, fearsome and bleeding man named Frank (Josh Brolin). He asks for a ride and against their better judgment they agree, later learning the police are searching their town for an escaped convict.

Monroe will play Mandy, a farm girl that the younger version of Brolin's character (played by Tom Lipinski) romances before serving in the Vietnam War. She eventually becomes his wife and the mother of his child.

Jason Reitman will direct using his adapted script, and will co-produce the film with Helen Estabrook Lianne Halfon and Russell Smith.

Monroe is currently shooting Sofia Coppola's The Bling Ring and recently completed work as Zac Efron's love interest in Ramin Bahrani's as yet Untitled drama.

If I may she's a cutie.

Production begins in June.

McDowell Leads Another Horror Reboot

Malcolm McDowell will star  in the remake of Silent Night, Deadly Night says Variety.

The horror film series follows a local police department's search for the killer Santa Claus terrorizing a remote Midwestern town on Christmas Eve.

McDowell plays sheriff Miller in this version.

Steven C. Miller will be directing the remake from a script by Jayson Rothwell.
Richard Saperstein, Brian Witten, Shara Kay and Phyllis Laing will produce.

Production stars this month ahead of a holiday release in the US.

Bello Visits "House Of Horror"

Maria Bello is in talks to star in the psychological thriller House of Horror according to Bloody Disgusting.

Max La Bella's script would see Bello as a police psychologist questioning a suspect for the brutal murder of five college students inside a decrepit and abandoned home--the suspect claims it is a gateway to hell.

Xavier Gens ("The Divide") was previously attached to direct but has since moved on.

"Saw" director James Wan is producing.

RDJ Goes Before "The Judge"

Bill Dubuque will write a new draft of dramedy "The Judge" which has Robert Downey Jr. attached to star says Deadline.

The initial script by Nick Schenk sees RDJ as a big-city lawyer who returns home after the death of his mother to learn that his estranged father, a judge, is suspected of murder. He sets out to discover the truth and along the way reconnects with the family he walked away from years before.

David Dobkin directs the film.

Downey Jr. and Susan Downey are producing.

Spaihts Writes Mummy Reboot

"The Darkest Hour" and early "Prometheus" writer Jon Spaihts has been hired to pen a reboot of The Mummy Film Franchise says Variety.

Stephen Sommers called action on the action packed and fun first film in 1999 which starred Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz--The pic was a reboot of the classic Universal Monsters series from the 30's and 40's. 

Reaction from audiences on the two subsequent sequels in The Mummy Returns in 2001 and
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor in '08 was quite muted--though all three pics grossed over $400 million worldwide.

Sean Daniel will return to produce this new version which will take the franchise in a different direction...by going back.

"I see it as the sort of opportunity I had with 'Prometheus': to go back to a franchise's roots in dark, scary source material and simultaneously open it up to an epic scale we haven't seen before" explains Spaihts.

Skyfall: Craig Set Chat & A New Bond Babe

The BBC News visited the set of the new James Bond film-Skyfall and posted a short video segment featuring B-roll footage and brief clips from an interview with star Daniel Craig earlier this week.

Now the network has seen fit to also post the extended version of the segment featuring the full six-minute interview with Craig that you can watch below:



Meanwhile Greek actress Tonia Sotiropoulou has confirmed on Facebook (via MI6 HQ) that she's landed a small role in the film. The actress will shoot 2-3 scenes for the movie in Istanbul over five days during the last week of this month.

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

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

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

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

The sequel arrives in theaters on November 9, 2012.

The Tomb Captures Quartet

 Amy Ryan, Vincent D'Onofrio, Vinnie Jones and 50 Cent AKA Curtis Jackson have joined the prison action-thriller "The Tomb says Variety,

Miles Chapman wrote the original script, with Jason Keller doing a rewrite--that follows Ray Breslin (Sylvester Stallone), the world's foremost authority on prison structural security. His skills are put to the test when he is framed and put in a high-security prison of his own design and must find the person who put him there.

Arnold Schwarzenegger plays Church, a complex inmate who fights to keep the prisoners from losing their humanity in their darkest hour as they struggle together to stay alive.

Ryan is set as the female lead in the action pic. She’ll play “Stallone’s business partner and potential love interest.” D’Onofrio is in talks to play the deputy director of the Prisons Bureau. He convinces Stallone’s character to do one last job before he retires (of course) and Jones is set in a villainous role as a “ruthless guard with no moral compass who enjoys making life difficult for the protag.”  No details are given for 50 Cent’s role. Jim Caviezel plays the warden of the prison.

Mikael Håfström is directing.

Mark Canton, Randall Emmett, George Furla, Robbie Brenner and Kevin King-Templeton will all produce.

Baddies Cast For Die Hard 5

Sebastian Koch (The Lives of Others) and Russian actress Yuliya Snigir have joined the action sequel A Good Day To Die Hard according to Variety

The script by Skip Woods is said to take place primarily in Russia, where hero John McClane (Bruce Willis) must reescue his son Jack (Aussie actor Jai Courtney) taking out terrorists at every turn.

"Koch will play Komorov, while Snigir will play Irina. Both roles are believed to be villainous in nature," according to the trade.

Alex Young Michael Fottrell and Stephen J. Eads are producers on the pic.

John Moore (Behind Enemy Lines, Max Payne) will call action on the film for a release on February 14th 2013

Skarsgård Stars In Hidden

Alexander Skarsgård has joined the horror thriller Hidden says Heat Vision.

The story centers on a family who retreats to a bomb shelter to hide from a mysterious outbreak.

No deets were were given for the "True Blood" actor's character in the movie.

Directors Ross Duffer and Matt Duffer sold their 2011 Black List script last year in a highly competitive bidding war.

Roy Lee, Lawrence Grey, Mason Novick, and Richard D. Zanuck are producing the film.

John Powers Middleton and Sebastian Aloi will be executive producing.

No production schedule was given.

Hahn & Charles Join Mitty Redux

Kathryn Hahn and Josh Charles have joined the cast of the latest film version of "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty says THR and Deadline New York.

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

Hahn will play Mitty's sister Odessa in the film.

"Bridesmaids" Kristen Wiig would play Mitty's co-worker Cheryl and the woman of his fantasies.Charles will play Phil Melhoff, the ex-husband of Wiig. Shirley MacLaine set to play Mitty's mother. Comedian Patton Oswalt will play a friendly online dating counselor who helps Stiller's character create an online dating profile. Adam Scott co stars.

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

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

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

Lautner Acts Like A Grown Up In The Sequel

Taylor Lautner is in talks to join the cast of "Grown Ups 2" says THR

The original film starred Adam Sandler, Kevin James David Spade, Chris Rock and Rob Schneider as five friends who reunite over the 4th of July weekend to attend their youth basketball coach's funeral. Maya Rudolph and Salma Hayek also starred.

Lautner, who of course plays werewolf Jacob in the The Twilight film series, takes a “fun” role the film, in which he goes toe-to-toe with Sandler, according to sources.

Original helmer Dennis Dugan will return to call action again along with first film's scribe Fred Wolf doing the next screenplay.

Project X co-star Oliver Cooper will play a frat boy-type in the movie which will shoot later this year for a Summer 2013 release.

Sandler and Jack Giarraputo are producing the sequel.

Young Tween gals on team Jacob will most certainly see their guy in the laffer

The first Grown Ups was Sandler's highest-grossing film worldwide at $271 million despite a majority of negative reviews.

Ross Not A Lock To Helm Hunger Games Sequel

Unlike the stars of The Hunger Games--Jennifer Lawrence Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth  director Gary Ross is not signed on for the sequel says The Hollywood Reporter.

Ross is in discussions for a significant raise for the to take on the next film adapting author Suzanne Collins' novel series "Catching Fire".

Despite making over $360 million thus far worldwide, 'Games' was not without its issues. Negotiations for Ross to do the first film were decidedly tough and he took a relatively low salary to co-write and direct the film - though he will collect a very nice 5% of the backend.

Ross didn't start negotiations until early last month and now there's questions over whether he will return to begin filming the project this Fall. While he may have a lot of balls in his corner, major franchises from "The Twilight film series " to "Harry Potter film series" have shown the studios are not affraid to replace directors if they want.

Lionsgate reportedly has a script for Fire from"Slumdog Millionaire" writer Simon Beaufoy  that Ross has yet to revise. Another complication is Fox could exercise its option on Jennifer Lawrence for a "Untitled X-Men First Class Sequel" which could cause issues with filming schedules and Lionsgate's already targeted November 22nd 2013 release date for 'Fire'.

Stay Tuned....

The Avengers Clip: Musical Chair

Marvel has released a clip featuring Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) in action for the May 4th comic book based "The Avengers" movie--And it's clear that the young lady can take care of herself quite well...



Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans Chris Hemsworth Samuel L. Jackson Jeremy Renner Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Clark Gregg, Cobie Smulders, Stellan Skarsgård, and Amanda Righetti star in the superhero team up pic for writer/director Joss Whedon.

Levinson On Hank Aaron Making MLB History

"The Natural" helmer Barry Levinson will direct a biopic about baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron
and his quest to break Babe Ruth's home run record says The Hollywood Reporter.

Howard Bryant's book "The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron"will be adapted by Adam Mazer from a notion that he and Levinson developed.

The story will focus on the period of 1972 to 1974, when Aaron chased then shattered a sacrosanct record held for decades by Ruth, who hit 714 home runs during his career. Aaron and his supporters faced death threats and hate mail because some fans didn’t want a black man to break Ruth’s record.

Aaron will serve as a consultant on the film.

Mike Tollin and Glenn Rigberg are producing the film

Meirelles Working On Onassis Film

"City of God" and "The Constant Gardener" filmmaker Fernando Meirelles has revealed on his Twitter feed that he has begun on his ambitious biopic of shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis reports The Playlist.

Originally titled "Onassis", it now looks to have been renamed "Nemesis" to match the title of author  Peter Evans' book on which the biopic is based.

The story deals with Onassis' contentious relationship with Robert F. Kennedy who had investigated his business practices and barred him from trading inside the United States. The book goes on to speculate that the power struggle got so heated that Aristotle eventually financed his assassination .

Meirelles was in London late last month to do some work on the production and even floated the idea of casting Michael Fassbender as Bobby Kennedy.

Bráulio Mantovani who worked with Meirelles on "City of God" wrote the adapted script for the film

Meirelles hopes to start production later this year.

Cooper Takes Dead Man Down

Dominic Cooper is in talks to join the revenge thriller "Dead Man Down" says Variety.

The pic follows a man (Colin Farrell) who infiltrates a crime syndicate responsible for the death of his family. 

Noomi Rapace plays a mysterious, scarred beauty with intimate knowledge of his past.

Cooper is in talks to play a family man who works as Farrell's partner on the street.

Niels Arden Oplev, helmer of the original Swedish-language "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" which launched Rapace with international stardom, will direct using a script by J.H. Wyman.

Neal Moritz will produce the film.

Production kicks off later this month.

Breslin Is A Haunter

Abigail Breslin will star in "Splice" and "Cube" director Vincenzo Natali's new supernatural mystery "Haunter" says Variety.

This 'reverse ghost story' from Brian King (Cypher, Night Train), sees Breslin play a dead teenage girl's spirit. She and her family died under sinister circumstances in 1986. Now, trapped in their house together and unable to move, she must help her present-day living counterpart to avoid the same fate she suffered.

Steve Hoban and Mark Smith will produce the film.

Production kicks off mid-April in Toronto.

Breslin recently signed on for "The Hive" co-starring Halle Berry

Neeson Pre-Boards Non Stop

Liam Neeson is in talks to star and kick butt in the airline thriller "Non-Stop" says Heat Vision.

The story is described as a "contained, gritty action thriller" about an air marshal (Neeson) on a domestic flight.

John Richardson and Chris Roach penned the script.

Jeff Wadlow (Never Back Down) is set to direct

Joel Silver, Andrew Rona and Alex Heineman are producing the pic.

Taccone Goes Into The Great Unknown

"MacGruber" and Saturday Night Live digital shorts director Jorma Taccone is poised to helm an action-comedy film adaptation of the comic "The Great Unknown" says Heat Vision.

From the mind of Duncan Rouleau the story centers on a slacker with delusions of grandeur who believes his so-called great ideas are popping up elsewhere. After failing to convince his friends and family that his mind is being pilfered, he goes on a quest to solve the mystery behind the idea thefts.

Michael Starrbury is attached to write the adapted script

Mark Gordon and Jennifer Todd will produce the film.

O'Nan's Love Story Becomes Film

A film adaptation of author Stewart O’Nan’s latest novel "The Odds: A Love Story" says Risky Biz Blog.

The story follows a struggling couple on the verge of bankruptcy and divorce who go on a last desperate gambling trip to Niagara Falls, the site of their honeymoon.

John Lesher, Christina Liao and Julie Yorn will produce the film.

David Gordon Green adapted O'Nan's early novel "Snow Angels" into a film in 2008.

Halloween Gets Another Reboot

Platinum Dunes is in talks to take over the producing chores on the next "Halloween" film from Dimension Films reports Bloody Disgusting.

Originally set for release on October 26th 2012 the proposed 3-D project was pulled from the calendar with no confirmed cast or director in place.

Dunes is now looking for writers and directors to work on the film, replacing "Drive Angry" writer Todd Farmer and helmer Patrick Lussier who were previously linked to the film

Aside from killer Michael Myers, there's no word what form this film will take - though it'll likely be another reboot of franchise that will most likely ignore the original eight films and the two more recent blood soaked Rob Zombie versions of Halloween and Halloween II .

Dunes certainly has experience rebooting famed horror franchises in recent years---having produced "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," "The Amityville Horror,"--the only dud in my opinion---"Friday the 13th" and A Nightmare on Elm Street And any thing's gotta be better than Zombie's vision right?--Hope so...

Box Office Preview: The Ship Still Sinks

The award winning blockbuster 1997 film Titanic (reviews) returns to theaters to celebrate 15 years since its release--This time in 3-D....It's comeback coincides with the Centennial Anniversary of its historic voyage

Pamela McClintock of THR:

Can 3D raise the Titanic?

Nearly 15 after James Cameron's Titanic took the world by storm and became the most successful film of all time -- grossing $1.8 billion -- the movie is being rereleased in 3D on Wednesday, the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic in the icy waters of the North Atlantic.

Paramount opens Titanic 3D in 2,600 locations domestically, while 20th Century Fox (the two studios are partners on the property) launches the film around the globe, including in Japan, where the move was a giant blockbuster.

In advance of the opening, Paramount is hosting about 300 sneak previews at theaters around the U.S. on Tuesday night for die-hard fans.

In the U.S., Titanic 3D is tracking best among younger females, followed by older. Box office observers believe the film will gross $20 million to $25 million for the Wednesday-Friday stretch, but caution rereleases are relatively unknown territory (plus, it is Titanic, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet).

Last fall, Disney's 3D rerelease of Lion King impressed in opening to $30.2 million and topping the box office for two weekends in a row. The rerelease ultimately earned a dazzling $94.2 domestically and $84 million overseas.

The 3D release of Disney's Beauty and the Beast earned $48.7 million earlier this year worldwide, while George Lucas' Star Wars: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace has earned $102 million to date.

Titanic looks to take advantage of spring break, as well as the long Easter weekend. But it faces an erstwhile competitor in The Hunger Games, which continues to soar at the box office. The only new offering this weekend is American Reunion, which resurrects Universal's successful comedy franchise

I will be back later this week to chat about the return of the Original Cast from the first 3 American Pie films as they get back together for an American Reunion...

Sandler Sent To Summer School Remake

Even as Adam Sandler's Jack and Jill swept the 32nd annual Razzies his production company Happy Madison is in negotiations to take over the long gestating remake of 1987 comedy "Summer School" says The Hollywood Reporter.

The original version starred Mark Harmon as a gym teacher forced to cancel his summer plans and teach an English class filled with oddballs and rebels. Carl Reiner called action and it co-starred Kirstie Alley and Courtney Thorne-Smith

Paramount's been trying to remake the film since 2005, at one time Trek duo Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci were on board. Several writers are expected to be hired shortly to start work.

Dumb & Dumber 2 A Sure Thing

At a press event for the April 13th release of The Three Stooges film director Peter Farrelly confirmed that not only was the as yet Untitled Dumb and Dumber Sequel still a go, but production is now due to begin this September.

"It's the first sequel we've ever done," he told ComingSoon.net, "and we've got Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels back."

The original grossed $247.3 million worldwide. But the ill advised prequel "Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd" made just $39.3 million worldwide.

And so the brothers Peter and Bobby Farrelly want to make sure that people know their own sequel will be a completely different movie.

"We did not do Dumb and Dumberer. That was a studio thing. So we've always wanted to do a sequel and finally Jim called up. Jeff always wanted to do it. We always wanted to do it. Jim was busy, but he called and said, 'We've got to do this thing again.' He had just watched Dumb and Dumber and he said, 'This is the perfect sequel. Let's do it.'"

Thwip! Spidey Spins A Web!

Three new clips from have been released from "The Amazing Spider-Man".

In them Spidey/Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) shows off or discovers some of his abilities in the reboot....








Rhys Ifans, Martin Sheen Chris Zylka Emma Stone Denis Leary and Sally Field also star.

The script penned by James Vanderbilt and Alvin Sargent sees the wall crawler take on the Lizard (Ifans) Marc Webb called action. The sequel arrives in 2014.

Emmerich To Take The ‘White House Down’

Roland Emmerich is in talks to direct the action drama White House Down according to Deadline.

James Vanderbilt wrote the script that sees a paramilitary takeover of The White House. 

Sony Pictures paid $3 million for the script, the highest amount for a spec script sale so far this year.

Emmerich, Vanderbilt, Harald Kloser, Bradley Fischer and Laeta Kalogridis will produce.

Production hopes to kick off this Fall.

Is it me--or does this project emulate another new action-adventure film Olympus Has Fallen poised to star Gerard Butler?

Lipinski Has "Labor Day" Plans

"Suits" co-star Tom Lipinski has joined the cast of the comedy "Labor Day" says Variety.

Based on author Joyce Maynard's book--the action is set on a late summer Labor Day holiday weekend in the 1980s, the story follows a divorced, depressed single mom (Kate Winslet) out shopping with her 13-year-old son Henry when they encounter a large, fearsome and bleeding man named Frank (Josh Brolin). He asks for a ride and against their better judgment they agree, later learning the police are searching their town for an escaped convict.

Lipinski will play a younger version of Brolin's character in the film.

He really does resemble Brolin--it's sorta freaky....

Jason Reitman will direct using his adapted script, and will co-produce the film with Helen Estabrook Lianne Halfon and Russell Smith.

Production begins in June

Wanna See The Avengers Movie Early?

Marvel announced today that they will run 'first-come-first-served' advance screenings in cities around the world for "The Avengers".

This event will kick off on April 14th at 10 a.m US-PDT with the top five cities in the U.S. with the most 'Avengers' fans on Facebook: Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Houston and Miami.

The next five cities to have the most Facebook “Marvel’s The Avengers” fans or Likes will be awarded an early screening as well and will be announced shortly via Facebook.

The screenings will take place nearly two weeks before much of the global release of the film at the end of April and three weeks before the U.S. release on May 4th.

Fans can hype for their city to be the chosen location for this special opportunity by going to Facebook.com/Avengers for details.

International fans should visit their local “Marvel’s The Avengers” Facebook page for more details on how to win a screening in their city.

Meantime there has been a gaggle of TV spots released for the film but the latest is by far the BEST:



Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans Chris Hemsworth Scarlett Johansson Samuel L. Jackson Jeremy Renner Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Clark Gregg, Cobie Smulders, Stellan Skarsgård, and Amanda Righetti star in the superhero team up pic for writer/director Joss Whedon

Stacee Jaxx Takes The Stage In The 2nd Trailer For Rock Of Ages

Here's the second theatrical trailer for the film version of the Broadway musical "Rock Of Ages"....

The story takes place at a Sunset Strip club called Rock of Ages owned by Dupree, where a man and woman fall in love but soon the rock lifestyle turn them inside out.

The show is fueled by '80s rock music from Journey Pat Benatar Bon Jovi and REO Speedwagon among others.

Julianne Hough Mary J Blige Malin Akerman Tom Cruise Paul Giamatti Diego González Boneta Bryan Cranston Catherine Zeta-Jones Alec Baldwin Will Forte and Russell Brand also star. Former American Idol contestant Constantine Maroulis will cameo in the film. He originated the lead role of Drew Boley on stage will play a prototypical '80s record executive in the pic

Director Adam Shankman reworked the script with Justin Theroux-from show creator Chris D'Arienzo's first draft

Carl Levin, Matt Weaver, Scott Prisand, actor Tobey Maguire and Jennifer Gibgot will produce. Janet Billig and Hillary Weaver are executive producers.

The film hits theaters on June 1st 2012.

Skyfall: Bond Grabs A Heiney And Other SPOILERS

Two interesting stories concerning the new James Bond film-called Skyfall

First up Advertising Age (via Deadline) reports that in the film Bond (Daniel Craig) willl trade in his usual Martini--shaken not stirred for a brewsky--a Heineken® to be exact.

Although the brand has had a 15-year partnership with the 007 franchise dating back to 1997's "Tomorrow Never Dies", this marks the most prominent case of product integration for the two brands thus far.

Craig will also appear in a globally run Heineken ad directed by the sequel's helmer Sam Mendes, and Bond images will appear on packaging of the beverage.

Meantime one of the sequel's key locations, Hankley Common in Surrey UK saw more than sparks fly recently according to MI6 HQ.

*SPOILERS AHEAD *

After several weeks of filming at that location, a full scale Scottish manor house constructed for the production was blown up to simulate an attack on the location.  There were reports of a scene being shot as Bond brings down a helicopter that crashes into the estate.

The manor was made to replicate actual locations used in Glencoe, Scotland for filming earlier this year which couldn't be damaged or destroyed.

A few weeks ago it was revealed that the manor is doubling as 'Skyfall Lodge' in the film, the name to be given to Bond's family estate where he and M (Judi Dench) will flee to midway through the film.

A grave site was also constructed for Bond's parents Andrew Bond and Monique Delacroix who were killed in a climbing accident and are mentioned in scenes between Bond and M before Javier Bardem's villain Silva (Javier Bardem) attacks the estate.

A classic Aston Martin DB5 was indeed being prepped for explosions.

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

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

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

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

The sequel arrives in theaters on November 9, 2012.

Woman In Black Sequel Moves Forward

Plans are afoot to make a sequel to this year's hit The Woman in Black, says The Hollywood Reporter.

Based upon the book by Susan Hill the gothic tale follows a young solicitor (Daniel Radcliffe) who takes up a short residence at Eel Marsh House, a desolate and secluded coastal mansion cut off at high tide from the nearby market town in rural England. Alone and sorting out the affairs of the elderly widow owner who recently died, the lawyer is spooked by unexplained noises and visions of a mysterious woman in black. The book has been adapted into a memorable stage play that has been done around the world for over two decades.

The film recieved solid reviews and recently passed the $120 million worldwide box office mark - becoming the highest grossing British horror film of the past twenty years.

Story editor Jon Croker will write the script entitled "The Woman in Black: Angels Of Death" which will pick up the story forty years later. His work will be based on an original story by Hill that she has been developing over the past few years and recently completed.

All that we known about the story is that the next pic will follow a couple and the experience they have when they encounter Eel Marsh House

Kutcher Will Play Apple Founder Steve Jobs

Ashton Kutcher will star as the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in an indie biopic called "Jobs" says THR.

Matt Whiteley wrote the script that follows Jobs's journey from a Northern California hippie to the co-founder of one of the largest and most recognisable corporations in history.

He died last fall after a battle with Pancreatic Cancer

Joshua Michael Stern ("Swing Vote") will call action on the biopic which will be shot during Kutcher's hiatus from Two And A Half Men as he moves closer to new deal to stay with the sit com

The movie is not to be confused with a rival biopic Sony has in development based on Walter Isaacson's authorised biography called Steve Jobs

Total Recall Remake Trailer

After that 30 second tease late last week--Sony Pictures has released the full trailer for the remake of Total Recall...

The film will be a new adaptation of the sci-fi saga based on the Philip K. Dick story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale"--and bares little similarity with Paul Verhoeven's 1990 version.

Colin Farrell is playing Douglas Quaid who begins to think he’s a spy, but he doesn’t know whether it’s for Euromerica or New Shanghai -one of the two superpower countries in this world.

Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel are the female leads--Quaid's real life wife Lori, and the "woman of his dreams" Melina, respectively.

Bryan Cranston Bill Nighy Bokeem Woodbine and John Cho also star; Ethan Hawke will have a small cameo in the pic

Len Wiseman is calling the shots from a script by Mark Bomback Kurt Wimmer and James Vanderbilt. Neal Moritz is producing. The film is set to open on August 3, 2012.



To be honest--The remake looks decent--Better than I thought...The future landscapes--Farrell is no Arnold Schwarzenegger to be sure but I doubt that Phil Dick had a muscleman in his prime in mind  for Quiad when he wrote the story. And it's always great to see Kate kick ass no matter the movie!!

A Little Snow & Some Wrath No Match For Hunger Games

Once again The Hunger Games took the top spot at the cineplex this weekend...leaving both the
Snow White fantasy comedy Mirror Mirror and the adventure sequel Wrath of the Titans in the dust....

Pamela McClintock of THR:

Greek deities and Snow White were no match for The Hunger Games at the domestic box office.

Hunger Games towered over new entries Wrath of the Titans and Mirror Mirror in its second weekend, grossing $61.1 million and pushing its domestic cume to $251 million. The Lionsgate pic is the fastest nonsequel to cross $250 million in only 10 days.

From Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures, 3D action pic Wrath of the Titans grossed $34.2 million, compared to the $61.2 opening of Clash of the Titans two years ago. Warners knew the sequel wouldn't match that number, since Clash of the Titans opened on Good Friday, a holiday. However, tracking had suggested Wrath would open in the $35 million to $40 million.

"We made the decision to open even with Hunger Games and the NCAA Final Four baskeball games so that we could play through the heart of the holidays," Warner Bros. president of domestic distribution Dan Fellman said. "We knew this would be a preview."

Fellman pointed out that Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows also opened to far less than the first Sherlock Holmes last year, since the sequel opened on Dec. 16, versus Christmas Day (last week, the sequel's worldwide gross surpassed the original, or $534 million versus $524 million).

Wrath of the Titans did far better overseas, opening to $78 million and beating Hunger Games, which has been a softer play internationally outside of English-speaking territories. Wrath's global opening is $112.2 million.

Hunger Games grossed $34.8 million in its second weekend of play at the foreign box office, putting its cume at $113.9 million and global total at $364.9 million.

By opening Wrath of the Titans before Easter, Warners says it can take advantage of spring break, which is staggered over the next two weeks in the U.S. Overseas, the Easter holiday also can be lucrative at the box office.

Wrath of the Titans, playing in a total of 4,127 locations, drew 65 percent of its revenues from 3D runs. That included including more than 290 IMAX theaters, which generated $4.7 million in ticket sales, or 14 percent of the total gross.

Domestically, Wrath received a B+ CinemaScore, compared with a B for Clash. Males made up 66 percent of the audience. The movie skewed slightly older, with 55 percent of the audience over 25. Those under 25 gave the actioner an A-.

The 3D sequel returns Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes in the lead roles and is directed by Jonathan Liebesman. Actors new to the franchise include Rosamund Pike, Venezuela's Edgar Ramirez and the U.K.-born Toby Kebbell.

Relativity Media's Snow White pic Mirror Mirror -- starring Julia Roberts, Lily Collins and Armie Hammer -- was expected to open in low- to mid-$20 million range, but instead finished the weekend with $19 million in a disappointing start for the high-profile title.

Similar to Warners, Relativity says Mirror Mirror should enjoy strong traffic over the next two weeks as kids break from school.

"Yes, we would have liked more, but we're in a great position to play through the holidays and we are going to continue to support the film in a great way," Relativity president of distribution Kyle Davies said. "It is the only new PG title in the marketplace."

The retelling of the classic fairy tale is an important property for Relativity as the company tries to produce its own films and cost $85 million to make. Relativity insists its exposure on the budget is only $30 million after foreign presales, tax credits and its Netflix deal, but that doesn't include marketing costs.

Mirror Mirror -- skewing heavily female -- succeeded in luring families, who made up 60 percent of the audience. Kids under the age of 12 made up 37 percent of the audience, while their parents made up 23 percent. Girls made up 74 percent of that group, while overall, females made up 76 percent.

Relativity, which marketed to an ethnically diverse audience, said 52 percent of the audinece was Caucasian, while Hispanics made up 20 percent of those buying tickets.

Mirror is the first of two Snow White movies opening this year, though Universal's Snow White and the Huntsman, which bows in the summer, isn't a family film.

At the specialty box office, the Weinstein Co. opened Lee Hirsch's high-profile documentary Bully in five theaters in Los Angeles and New York to $115,000 for a strong location average of $23,000. The film -- about the bullying epidemic in America's schools - has earned national attention for the unsuccessful fight to overturn its R rating, which was assigned for language.

The Weinstein Co. decided to release the film unrated, though the two AMC locations playing the film are treating it like an R and asking kids for written or verbal permission from an adult.

The other big headline at the specialty box office was Lasse Hallstrom's Ewan McGregor-Emily Blunt adventure-comedy Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, which placed No. 7 as it expanded its theater count from 124 locations to 483 in its fourth weekend. From CBS Films, the indie title grossed $1.3 million for a domestic cume of $3.2 million.

Domestic Top 10 For March 30-April 1st

1. The Hunger Games, 2/4,137, Lionsgate, $61.1 million, $251 million.

2. Wrath of the Titans, 1/3,545, Warners/Legendary, $34.2 million.

3. Mirror Mirror, 1/3,603, Relativity, $19 million.

4. Jump Street, 3/3,148, Sony/MGM, $15 million, $93 million.

5. Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, 5/3,264, Universal/Illumination, $8 million, $189.6 million.

6. John Carter, 4/2,397, Disney, $2 million, $66.2 million.

7. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, 4/483, CBS Films, $1.3 million, $3.2 million.

8. Act of Valor, 6/1,239, Relativity/Bandito Brothers, $1 million, $67.7million.

9. A Thousand Words, 4/1,007, Paramount/DreamWorks, $915K million, $16.5 million.

10. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, 8/908, New Line/Warner Bros., $835K million, $98.5 million

Next Up: The Original Cast from the first 3 American Pie films get back together for an American Reunion; To commemorate the Centennial Anniversary of its historic voyage the 1997 film Titanic is back in theaters to celebrate 15 years since its release--This time in 3-D.

Avengers Movie--What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

ItsJustSomeRandomGuy has the May 4th superhero team-up film The Avengers on his mind....And Thus Posted This Video:



My Favorite Scenario?

Howard

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