Patrick Stewart In Mad Max 4?

Patrick Stewart (X-Men, Star Trek: TNG, Dune) might be heading down the Fury Road. According to a AICN reader who spoke to Stewart hinted he was involved with Mad Max 4. This is just a good rumor for now. I'd love to see Patrick jumping into more action films since he won't be returning to Trek or X-Men anytime soon. It would also be interesting to see him play a villain in the film.

More Avatar 2 Talk

We've previously heard that Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana are set to reprise their roles. Of course everyone involved with the original film will want to return for it's sequel. Joel David Moore seems hopeful he'll be involved in the next movie. It would make sense that his character would return. I could also see Dileep Rao's character getting more screen time in the second film.


I expect 20th Century Fox will be making all sorts of deals with James Cameron to get the sequel in development soon. Cameron is still working on the script while some crew have already been hired. I assume the pre-production process could last two years before it actually starts filming. I still think Battle Angel will be his next film. Yet things can change when you're getting studio pressure to jump back into a $2 billion dollar original franchise and you're given total creative freedom. He recently spoke to Empire about Avatar 2 in their recent issue.

"I have a roadmap, I know where I'm going with it. The key to a sequel is to meet audience expectation and yet to be surprising. That's an interesting equipoise, between those factors of expectation and surprise. But deals have to be made, things like that. It's not a slamdunk that we're doing it. There was always this notion that it made sense from a business standpoint that if we invested all this money in the first film that our margin would be less that it would be on the second film, where all the assests existed."


Now comes the speculation and rumors for Avatar 2. I've heard recently that the film might or might not be set on Pandora. We could see the sequel set on other moons focusing on other RDA operations. Another theory is that we could be seeing the next film focus on Pandora's oceans. This is a logical conclusion because of Cameron's obsession with water allowing more exploration of the world and creatures of Pandora. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a mix of both. Having the RDA gathering up forces from other operations to regain control of Pandora. Then Jake finding a way to use the oceans as a weapon against the human threat. It could be cool that the Nav'i now have access to the human weapons and could make for even more exciting battles.

Kalogridis Gives Update On Ghost In The Shell

ScreenRant was able to speak with screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis (Battle Angel, Shutter Island) on the Ghost In The Shell script development. Kalogridis previously replaced Jamie Moss (Street Kings) to re-write the script. She says it will influenced by Masamune’s manga comic.

“it has a lot of action… lots of action....there’s still going to be a lot of atmosphere – [The movie] is about vast possibilities – all of this technology, the Internet – it’s about the limitless possibilities of this technology. ”

REVIEW: Edge of Darkness

It's been years since we last saw Mel Gibson in front of the camera and this was the best film for him to return with. It had some slow parts which seemed to mirror the original BBC mini-series also directed by Martin Campbell. This isn't Bond but it had some elements and every single Campbell film post Casino Royale will always get compared to it. Gibson is the heart of the film bringing back the action star we remember from Mad Max and Lethal Weapon. Most of the supporting cast didn't help the film but Ray Winstone did make up for it. Winstone was perfect in his role and helped ground the gritty tone of the movie. While the action might have been smaller than you'd expect the film did deliver it when needed. I really enjoyed the film and felt the ending was perfect. They could have gone another way with the ending but didn't.

B+

REVIEW: The Firm

I'm sort of a fan of director Nick Love's previous films but I have to admit I felt this remake was unnecessary. The original Firm starring a furious Gary Oldman was amazing and hard to improve upon. That's where Love's version falls flat it really didn't have great performances or even that much violence you'd expect from a hooligan film. If you're going to remake a movie you should try to set it part from the original. The only difference was that this one was dull yet colorful. It seemed like Nick Love spent more time in the costume department making sure every extra and actor looked good rather than focusing on the lacking script and slim violence. I've noticed since The Business that Love's obsession with jumpers and trainers has hurt his films. Love's good luck charm Danny Dyer wasn't in this movie for some reason but that didn't stop him from finding his younger look alike. The young actor was painful to watch in most scenes. I doubt people will get a chance to see this in theaters and I can only recommend this for rental if that. While I didn't like 44 Inch Chest there were some redeeming qualities to that film, Nick Love's The Firm was just terrible.

D-

Pierre Morel Talks Dune

IGN got an exclusive interview with director Pierre Morel (Taken, From Paris With Love). Morel talks about the Dune reboot and how he is setting himself apart from both David Lynch and Peter Berg.

"We're starting from scratch...Peter had an approach which was not mine at all, and we're starting over again. I don't think we're going to keep any elements of the Peter Berg script. It was good, actually. It was interesting. It was just not our vision."

"Everybody refers to both the book and to David Lynch's film, which was in a way a monument to the '80s. It became a huge event. It didn't do well theatrically, I think, but in a way it kind of marked and printed an image on DUNE. Everybody now who reads DUNE reads it with David Lynch's images in mind. So we have to get away from that. It's not a remake of David Lynch's movie. We're doing a re-reading, a brand new approach on the book, a very true approach to the book, the original material. So we will have to deal with trying to erase the image that David Lynch did so we can propose our image."

More Talk On Hulk 2 & Captain America

Director Louis Leterrier (Clash of The Titans) talked to MTV on the possiblity of Incredible Hulk 2 and Edward Norton returning.

"It can't just be 'Don't make me angry, you wouldn't like me when I'm angry,'" he explained. "That would be a problem if you do the same thing over and over again. Edward's never done the same movie twice, so I don't think he would do that."

"If you find something interesting — yeah, I'm sure he would be back. He's a fanboy. He's as big a fanboy as you and me, maybe even more."

"The box office for 'Incredible Hulk' was great, but it wasn't so big that you had to make a sequel,"


Director Joe Johnston (Wolfman) recently talked to FilmJournal on the development of Captain America.

"I've got my next job and I'm not going to worry about the success or the failure of the picture," says Joe Johnston. "I can only use my instincts and say, 'I think this is the best version of that scene. This is the best take. This is the best piece of music for this scene.' And I can't start second-guessing myself and thinking, 'What does the audience want to see? What does the studio think is the best solution for this?' You can't start doing that, because after a while it all becomes a blur and you forget what your original instinct was."

"We're in prep," Johnston says. "Rick Heinrichs is production-designing and we're set up down in Manhattan Beach [California]. It's the part of the process that I love the most," he enthuses. "We have eight or ten really talented artists, and we all just sit around all day and draw pictures and say, 'Hey, wouldn't it be cool if we could do this?' It's that phase of the production where money doesn't matter: ‘Let's put all the greatest stuff up on the wall and [then later] see what we can afford.'" The film, he says at this early stage, will begin "in 1942, 1943" during World War II. "The stuff in the ’60s and ’70s [comic books] we're sort of avoiding. We're going back to the ’40s, and then forward to what they're doing with Captain America now."

NEWS/RUMORS (Jan 30th)

Kristen Wiig (SNL, MacGruber) and director/writer/producer Judd Apatow have been working on a secret comedy film that would star Wiig. She had previously had some amazing scene stealing appearances in previous Apatow films like Knocked Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Walk Hard. Now the project has been revealed as Bridesmaids it will focus on some bridesmaids who want the chance to plan their friend's wedding. Knowing Apatow and Wiig it could be a parody on the rom-com/wedding/bride genre. Similar to Walk Hard's parody on the musical bio-pic.

Daniel Craig has been officially cast as Zeke Jackson in Jon Favreau's Cowboys & Aliens.

It's rumored that Katie Featherston (Paranormal Activity) could star opposite James Franco in Danny Boyle's 127 Hours.

Luc Besson has confirmed he's finished the Taken 2 script. It's unknown if Liam Neeson will return for the sequel. What seems odd is that the second film will incorperate humor. The real sticking point for the original's success was that is was a serious and gritty action film. We've seen previously what a Besson action/humor script looks like with the Taxi, Transporter and District B13 series along with the new film From Paris With Love. I'm hoping it still ends up grounded like the original.

While it had been rumored Sam Mendes (Road To Perdition) would direct the untitled Bond 23. Deadline Hollywood is reporting he'll work as an directing consultant not the film's actual director.

James Bobin will direct the new Muppet film. The script was written by Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and Nicholas Stoller (Get Him To The Greek). Bobin was a co-creator on the shows Flight of The Conchords and The Ali G Show. He helped Sasha Baron Cohen create characters such as Ali G, Borat and Bruno.

Ti West (House of The Devil) will return to horror with The Innkeepers. West's previous film was an homage to the horror films of the 80's and I hope he'll continue to use those visual cues in this next project.

Philip Seymour Hoffman may join Guy Pearce (Memento) and Marie-Louise Parker (Weeds) in The Well.

Danny Elfman will score The Green Hornet. Elfman has previously scored many genre films such as Batman, Batman Returns, Darkman, Dick Tracy, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Men In Black, Planet of The Apes, Hulk, Sleepy Hollow, The Wolfman, Wanted, Alice In Wonderland, Hellboy 2 and Beetle Juice.

Disney recently closed the offices to Miramax films. The studio was an important part of the early careers of directors like Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith. Along with other independent directors spotlighting many small films. The Weinsteins wanted the chance to buy back the name since it was created by them in 79' using the first names of their parents. Of course Disney wouldn't allow that to happen.

Sam Raimi Wants To Direct The Shadow Reboot?

IESB is reporting that Sam Raimi who is producing The Shadow reboot is "itching" to get back into the director's chair. They believe Raimi could make The Shadow his next film. Considering the script is finished while Raimi's other project Warcraft is still in development stages. The site also points out they were the first to report on the troubles with the Spider-Man 4 production, so they have connections with Sony and Raimi's camp. I could see Raimi jumping into this next.

More Green Lantern Concept Artwork

CosmicBookNews has yet another look at what they confirm is real concept artwork for the upcoming Green Lantern film. This time it's a look at the Guardians. I hope they're a little more serious than they were in the animated film Green Lantern: First Flight.

NEWS/RUMORS (Jan 28th)

Mel Gibson will be re-teaming with Lethal Weapon writer Shane Black in his second directorial attempt. We haven't seen much from Black since the critically successful and cult status film Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. The film Cold Warrior will feature Gibson as cold war spy who comes out of retirement. I'm glad to see Gibson working infront of the camera again.


Mad Max 4 has added more names to it's cast according to Heat Vision. They include Nicolas Hoult (A Single Man, About A Boy), Zoe Kravitz (The Brave One) Teresa Palmer (Bedtime Stories) and Adelaide Clemens.


Universal has finally given Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World a release date of August 13th. It will go up against The Expendables which might give Stallone a run for his money since the comic book film is PG-13. Anna Kendrick (Up In The Air, Scott Pilgrim) recently was interviewed by MTV who said the film is a mix between Ferris Buller's Day Off and Kill Bill.


MTV was able to speak with Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds on the hiring of Zombieland writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick.

"Tonally, they got it...They just [understood 'Deadpool'] right off the bat. They're fans of the character and they were so excited. We couldn't have done any better [than Reese and Wernick]."

"I talk to them every single day....We're all very sick of each other already. It's actually a really wonderful creative trifecta — we're having a very good time."


I'm not sure if most people know this but Canadian actress Sarah Polley (Dawn of The Dead, Splice) is a very talented director. Her next project titled Take This Waltz will star Seth Rogen (I'm With Cancer) and Michelle Williams (Shutter Island).


While Keanu Reeves keeps attaching himself to numerous projects none of them seem to be going into production anytime soon. The newest one is Passengers a romantic science fiction film set on a spaceship with director Gabrielle Muccino (Pursuit of Happiness) in talks.


Steven Soderbergh's Knockout seems to have lost Dennis Quiad but gained Bill Paxton (Aliens). French actor Matthew Kassovitz (Munich) has also joined the impressive cast.


Shawn Roberts (X-Men, Edge of Darkness) who is playing Albert Wesker in Resident Evil: Afterlife tells ShockTillYouDrop that the film will hint at elements from the Resident Evil 5 game.

"I play Albert Wesker who is head of the Umbrella Corporation who is responsible for the outbreak of the T-virus, or the Uroboros virus," he told us, hinting that this entry may be extracting elements from Resident Evil 5. "It was nice to be in a position of sitting back playing with my puppets as they were. We finished in December and I guess right now it's just about making sure the technology gets into the screen so 3-D can happen."

Feige Talks Avengers & Future Marvel Films

SFX Magazine was able to get some interesting comments from Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige. When asked about the final lineup for The Avengers Feige revealed for the first time that Hulk will be in the group. It had been speculated for months now that Hulk would be the villain, it doesn't seem to be the case. They also asked if Ed Norton would reprise the role of Bruce Banner. Feige didn't mention War Machine, Black Widow, Ant-Man, Wasp or Hawkeye. Yet he did say Nick Fury would be a member and this could mean the Nick Fury/SHIELD movie could be the second Marvel film to be released in 2012.

"The Avengers comes in 2012 its not just a team super hero movie with a bunch of characters with powers, its three people, four including Hulk , five including Nick Fury-who you have seen before in other movies, coming together for the very first time."

"...I think there's a chance, its certainly our intention to use the same actors from film to film where we can."


When it comes to films we could look forward to after the release of The Avengers Feige has a few in mind.

"I love Doctor Strange. Ant-Man is like Whiplash - one of those characters where you're like, 'Really?' that we've got a fun story with. I've always wanted to do something with Black Panther. I think what Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction have done with Iron Fist lately is great, and the Iron Fist mythology opens up a whole other part to us."


I think we could see Hawkeye (Iron Man), Scarlet Witch, Vision and Valkyrie (Thor) as supporting characters in future films rather than getting their own films. While I believe we'll see spin-offs with War Machine and Black Widow it might be a long time before that happens. I expect that they'll remain to help support the Iron Man franchise. Fegie talks about being careful not to force too many new characters in one film.

"It's fun now, and we're introducing some new characters in ['Iron Man 2']. But it's not about just cramming in lots of new people; that's sort of the cardinal sin of the sequel - adding in too many characters. This is totally Tony Stark's story. And that's gonna weave into Thor's story, and Steve Rogers' story, and it's already ingrained with Nick Fury's story and and organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D."

Feige wants to expand the Marvel universe with a space epic. Setting up Star Wars and Star Trek elements in future films. I immediately thought of Starjammers because of my lengthy knowledge of X-Men lore but it might be even more exciting than that. We could see the Skrull-Kree War/Secret Invasion/Secret War along with the introduction of Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell), Ms. Marvel (Carol Denvers) and the Skrull menace.

"I'd love to break into the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe even more- it's kind of there in 'Thor.' J.J. Abrams' 'Star Trek' got me jonesing to do that. It's what I grew up on - 'Star Trek' and 'Star Wars.' I want to do a big space epic. And we've got them in Marvel."

Imageworks Hired For Green Lantern

It looks like Warner Bros. is adding to the impressive behind the scenes crew hiring Sony Pictures Imgeworks. While it hasn't been revealed I expect some of the characters will be CGI/motion. Seeing what the company has been able to do with the Spider-Man franchise and Watchmen they're the perfect digital effects studio to bring all aspects of the Green Lantern universe to life.


Imageworks previously worked on the motion capture effects for Watchmen. Their work on Spider-Man 2 earned them an Oscar. Other films include Superman Returns, Starship Troopers, Speed Racer, Alice In Wonderland, LOTR: The Two Towers, Matrix Reloaded/Revolutions and 2012.

Guy Ritchie Leaves Lobo For Holmes 2

Previously we've been hearing that Sherlock Holmes 2 could be starting production in June. Now Hero Complex is confirming that director Guy Ritchie is leaving Lobo to focus on the Holmes sequel, which isn't really a bad thing. Producer Joel Silver gives the impression that he'll be looking for a new director to replace Ritchie for Lobo. Warner Bros. had commissioned a Sherlock Holmes 2 script three months prior to the first film's release. I expect Holmes could be a very successful franchise if they're able to keep filming sequels often it feels like a serial series similar to Indiana Jones.

NEWS/RUMORS (Jan 27th)

It's official Clash of The Titans will be coverted to 3D and the release date has been pushed back to April 2nd.


Orlando Bloom is hoping to appear in The Hobbit. While other characters from LOTR might be odd seeing in The Hobbit timeline. Elves on the other hand are very old it's possible Legolas could be in the film.


Recently Will Smith's name showed up on Captain America's IMDB pge fueling old rumors. Someone at Marvel Studios contacted CBM stating "the information linking Will Smith to the role of Captain America is completely inaccurate." My understanding is that he could be playing Issiah Bradley instead. While I'm sure Marvel Studios will hire an unknown for the lead I expect they will hire very well known actors for the supporting cast similar to Thor.


AC/DC will be contributing to Iron Man 2's sountrack. While they're not new songs they will include "Shoot To Thrill", along with Rock 'N' Roll Damnation, Guns for Hire, Cold Hearted Man, Back N Black, Thunderstruck, If You Want Blood (You've Got It), Evil Walks, T.N.T., Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be, Have A Drink On Me, The Razor's Edge, Let There Be Rock, War Machine and Highway To Hell.

Green Lantern Concept Artwork

ComicBookNews has confirmed the images below are official concept artwork from Green Lantern. The art shows off possible looks of other Lanterns. Director Martin Campbell had previously confirmed we would see the following characters along with Sinestro (who isn't pictured). The real question will be are these characters going to be purely CGI/motion capture or actors in practical makeup? I'm hoping for a mix of both if possible.


*Kil0wog



*Abin Sur & Tomar-Re

Sam Worthington In Dracula Year Zero?

LatinoReview is reporting that Universal Pictures could be looking to Sam Worthington to star in Alex Proyas' (Dark City, The Crow) Dracula Year Zero. Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless who wrote the script previous did the screenplay for the Flash Gordon remake. LR also mentions the film could be setup for a 2011 release date. The film will focus on the violent early days of Vlad The Impaler.

UPDATE: Heat Vision (Hollywood Reporter) is confirming that Worthington is in talks for the role.

Jackson Not Sure Of Nick Fury In Thor

Samuel L. Jackson was recently asked by MTV about what his character Nick Fury would be doing in Thor. He's been listed on the Thor press releases for months now so his response isn't something anyone was expecting to hear.

"Nobody's told me anything," Jackson laughed when asked about the "Thor" role. "I was reading the trades last week and I saw the cast list. My name was in it, so maybe I am doing something that I don't know about and I'll hear about it soon."

"I don't know what's going on," he said. "Since Disney's bought the franchise, I have no idea what Marvel told them or even if my deal with Marvel is still valid."

"It all depends on where they find him," he said. "If they're dealing with that particular timeline... Hey, they're shooting it in Santa Fe, it's not like they're shooting it in Norway."

This is beyond shocking considering Thor is underway and Captain America is not too far from production. We've been hearing for a while now that Nick Fury would be the bridge for all the films to Avengers let's hope they keep using Fury.

NEWS/RUMORS (Jan 26th)

Avatar has officially sunk Titanic as the number one film worldwide.


Naomi Watts (Eastern Promises) will join Daniel Craig (Casino Royale) in the suspense thriller Dream House.


BloodyDisgusting is reporting that Warner Bros. is looking to reboot the Mortal Kombat franchise. The original film spawned a sequel and a prequel television series. They've hired new screenwriter Oren Uziel to handel the script. Let's hope they go for a brutally hardcore violent action flick filled to the brim with fatalities.


MarketSaw says that Gremlins 3 is still in develpoment and of course it will be in 3D.