Rurouni Kenshin Teaser Trailer

Tom Hardy's Al Capone Film Cicero Might Be A Trilogy

TheDailyMail (via BleedingCool) was able to get quotes from Tom Hardy (Dark Knight Rises, Bronson, Inception) on his prep for his role in Cicero. The film would focus on the rise to power of notorious gangster Al Capone. Capone's famous life and the Chicago mafia was the inspiration for Scarface, Untouchables, St. Valentine's Day Massacre , Boardwalk Empire and many others. Back in March, Deadline reported that Harry Potter director David Yates would be directing the project with an old unused script from Walon Green (Wild Bunch, Terminator 2) that was written back in the 70's for a television series.

"I’ve been working with Warner Bros, watching their gangster films — the ones with James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart and Edward G. Robinson. It’s interesting to get them, and a bit of Capone, into the bloodstream. You look at pugnacious James Cagney in The Public Enemy and see how this guy rises up to become a kingpin in Chicago."


"Hardy told me he will play the Depression-era Chicago crime tsar sometime next year and well into 2014, once he has completed work on a series of movies."

I love to hear that Tom is watching the classic gangster films since a majority of the contemporary films in the genre don't seem to match the quality. Tom's quotes could give the impression that the aim is that Cicero would be the first film in a possible trilogy. WB seems to be resurrecting the gangster period genre with Gangster Squad on the horizon that features L.A. hood Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn).

Hardy is about to start production on Mad Max: Fury Road for Warner Bros. and director George Miller which could push back Cicero's start until 2013. Fury has been rumored as the beginning of a new slew of films that could lead to sequels and spin-offs. However, there was talk that Charlize Theron's character could continue the franchise. There has also been talk after the success of Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy the studio behind it is pushing for sequels. I'm not sure how Hardy's character fits in the books but they'd be smart to bring him back.

Robert Downey Jr. And Tim Burton Could Make Live-Action Pinocchio Film

HeatVision reports that Tim Burton is interested in directing a live-action version of Pinocchio for Warner Bros. Oddly enough, they mention that Robert Downey Jr. could end up playing Geppetto who is the lead character in the adventure tale. Neither have signed onto the project but Robert seems keen on working with Burton. I'm just glad to hear someone other than Depp is attached to the movie.

Jonathan Nolan Might Rewrite Akira Script

Variety has expanded on their original tweet involving Warner Bros. looking to rewrite Steve Kloves' (Harry Potter films) script for Akira. They mention that the studio is currently looking at Jonathan Nolan and Michael Green for the rewriting job. Nolan is the younger brother of Christopher Nolan and is responsible for helping him write films like Memento, The Prestige, The Dark Knight and the upcoming Dark Knight Rises. The former of which earned the screenwriter an Oscar nomination. Michael on the other hand is mostly known for television work and last summer's biggest flop Green Lantern. He apparently was hired to write a sequel to Green Lantern (why?) and for an adaptation of The Flash. The Nolan name could bring some much needed pedigree to the ailing project. Which in turn could attract better known and established actors to the cast.

Warner Bros. Can't Decide On Akira's Second Lead Actor

Deadline reports another reason Warner Bros. has put Akira on hold is that they can't figure out who should play Tetsuo and the actors are free to walk from the project if they want to. The two actors in question are Michael Pitt (Boardwalk Empire, The Dreamers) and Dane DeHaan (In Treatment, True Blood, Chronicle) their testing options have expired so they are currently free to go after other projects.

The character is basically the meatiest role of the picture as Tetsuo goes from nerdy gangland biker to a psychotic villain with overwhelming superpowers. Yet, I'm unsure what bastardized version of Tetsuo we'll end up seeing in the film since Kaneda is now a bartender/bar owner instead of a punk biker. Out of the two I have to go with Pitt as he's been wonderful on the first two seasons of Boardwalk Empire. However, Dane DeHaan's upcoming superpower film Chronicle is gathering a lot of buzz.

Another Look At Martin Freeman As Bilbo Baggins

Akira In Trouble, Script Issues And Budget Cuts

HeatVision reports that Warner Bros. is putting another project on ice until a new budget is worked out. Previously Aurthur And Lancelot had been on hold until a new budget was agreed upon. Akira is undergoing the same budget review. The project already had it's original budget (when director Albert Huges was attached) cut in half to a rather slim $90 million. Most tentpole comedies have a budget similar to that number. They report the studio wants that number trimmed to $60-70 I'm sure that is to cover marketing and advertising costs. Variety has it on good authority that the project-freeze is also because of Steve Kloves' (Harry Potter franchise) script which needs reworking and more development.

I can see where the studio is coming from Garrett Hundland is the only locked in actor and it's deviation from the source material has become volatile to the fanbase. I'm unsure Akira can be a success without support from fans of the manga/anime who are talking of boycotting the movie. Cutting the budget this aggressively gives the impression that the special effects budget of the film will be will likely suffer. I wouldn't be surprised to see this film look more contemporary and the science fiction elements also scaled back. Basically I assume this movie won't look anything like we understand to be from Akira.

Casting other roles has become another problem as names like Ken Watanabe, Kristen Stewart, Helena Bonham Carter have been mentioned but nobody has signed on. The biggest issue is that they haven't nailed down an actor for Testuo. Micheal Pitt (Boardwalk Empire), Toby Kebbell (RockNRolla), Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood) and Logan Marshall-Green (Prometheus) were linked for testing for the part but nothing has come from it yet. There have been rounds and rounds of casting tests which haven't been that productive.

RUMOR: Bradley Cooper Playing Lex Luthor?

Bradley Cooper has been choosing a lot of odd projects lately which run the gauntlet of comedy, indie, action, blockbuster, genre and drama. Today's big rumor of the day brings Cooper back to the world of comic book roles. CosimicBookNews (via ComicBookMovie) "reports" that now that Paradise Lost's production is on hold Warner Bros. is looking for Cooper to make a cameo in Man of Steel as Lex Luthor.

At the moment this nothing but an interesting rumor but if the studio is really intent on making more Superman films Cooper isn't a bad casting choice for Lex. It had been mentioned a while back the studio might be already working on a sequel to Man of Steel. If true it could end up as brief as Russell Crowe's cameo as Jor-El, Superman's father.

Bradley had been previously rumored for Edgar Wright's Ant-Man. He also had some interest in Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) before being replaced by Ryan Reynolds and Eric Draven in the now dead Crow reboot.

Clive Owen And Mia Wasikowska In Talks For Oldboy

Director Spike Lee doesn't seem to be getting the cast he originally wanted for his American remake of Oldboy which is based on the manga and Korean film. Lee had Colin Firth in mind for the villain and Rooney Mara for the female lead, both passing. Twitch reports that Clive Owen (Children of Men) is in talks for the villain and Mia Wasikowska (Alice In Wonderland, Jane Eyre) could also join.

Eva Green Could Join The 300 Prequel

HeatVision reports that French actress Eva Green (Casino Royale, Kingdom of Heaven, Dark Shadows) is in talks for the role of Artemisia in the 300 prequel. The film currently titled 300: Battle of Artemisia is expected to take place before and during the events of the first movie. Joel Edgerton (The Thing, Warrior) had been in talks to take the male lead of Themistocles but ultimately passed on the project.

Warner Bros. Should Cast Steve Buscemi As Commissioner Gordon In Future Batman Films

We now know that director Christopher Nolan along with actors Christian Bale and Gary Oldman say the Dark Knight Rises is their last Batman film. Oldman going as far as saying he's framed/retired his character's glasses, mustache and badge. I think it's safe to say that the studio will quickly move forward with their planned reboot after the release of the last Nolan/Batman movie. While everyone will focus on who should play Bruce Wayne, I think we've found our Commissioner Gordon. During his hosting duties at SNL this weekend actor Steve Buscemi did a parody of Oldman's Gordon in a Digital Short. So the idea of him playing the role has now been implanted in my head and it's not a terrible idea.

Buscemi is one of the most underrated actors working today. Lately he's been getting massive praise for his performance as Nucky Thompson in HBO's Boardwalk Empire. He's also had great perfomances as a supporting actor in such classic films as Reservoir Dogs and Fargo. He also weaved a stunning tale in the opening scene of Desperado. I feel if anyone could fill the shoes left by Gary it would be Steve. The man has the gift of gab and can deliver lines like nobody else. In every episode of Empire, Steve proves again and again he should be getting bigger film roles. Warner Bros. should take notice that Steve would make an excellent Jim Gordon.

Marion Cotillard Wanted For Morgana In Arthur And Lancelot

Vulture reports that Warner Bros. has offered French actress Marion Cotillard (Inception, Dark Knight Rises) the role of Morgana in Arthur And Lancelot. She is a villainous sorceress and the half-sister of Arthur. Kit Harington (Game of Thrones) is playing Arthur with Swedish actor Joel Kinnaman (The Killing) as Lancelot, Gary Oldman is also wanted by the studio for Merlin.

Seth Grahame-Smith's Unholy Night Bought By Warner Bros.

Seth Grahame-Smith's next novel Unholy Night hasn't even been released yet but it's getting interest from one studio. Deadline reports that Warner Bros. has nabbed the film rights for Seth's next novel for a whopping $2 million. Seth along with writing partner David Kratzenberg will also write the movie's script. This isn't surprising since his two other books Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Pride And Predjudice And Zombies have also been turned into movies. Grahame-Smith has previously worked with the studio writing Tim Burton's Dark Shadows and the sequel to Beetlejuice.

In Grahame-Smith’s telling, the so-called “Three Wise Men” are infamous thieves, led by the dark, murderous Balthazar. After a daring escape from Herod’s prison, they stumble upon the famous manger and its newborn king. The last thing Balthazar needs is to be slowed down by young Joseph, Mary and their infant. But when Herod’s men begin to slaughter the first born in Judea, he has no choice but to help them escape to Egypt.

Matt Reeves' New Twilight Zone Movie Gets A Writer

Variety reports that Warner Bros. has set screenwriter Tony Peckham to write the new Twilight Zone which will be directed by Matt Reeves (Let Me In, Cloverfield). The new movie is expected to be a single story and I assume won't be a re-envisioning of old episodes. Peckham has worked with Warner Bros. previously on Sherlock Holmes, Book of Eli and Invictius. He's also helping write Yucatan for the studio which has Robert Downey Jr. attached to star. Yucatan had been a passion project of actor Steve McQueen but ultimately was never made.

Tom Cruise Will Star In All You Need Is Kill

Variety reports that Tom Cruise has landed the lead role in the film All You Need Is Kill based on the Japanese manga. A lot of names had been attached or linked to the project which included Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Cruise is at the point in his career where he's still believable as an action star and is going all out with his next couple of films. He's already set to star in the science fiction action film Oblivion/Horizons and Mission Impossible 4 is about to be released this month. The latter is expected to be his last of the franchise handing it off to Jeremy Renner.

There are a few connections to Jeremy Renner with this project as well since the film's script was originally written by Dante Harper. Dante recently wrote Renner's upcoming horror comedy Hansel And Gretel: Witch Hunters that Renner co-stars with Gemma Arterton. It will be directed by Doug Liman (Mr. And Mrs. Smith) who directed the first Bourne film Identity. Another franchise that Renner will be taking over with Bourne Legacy.

Ken Watanabe Offered Role In Akira

Twitch reports that Gary Oldman has turned down the role of the Colonel in Akira. Oldman had also been offered the Merlin role in Arthur And Lancelot. The studio has now offered the part to another Christopher Nolan regular Ken Watanabe (Inception, Batman Begins, Last Samurai). Garrett Hedlund and Kristen Stweart have been linked for the leads.

What's interesting about this move by Warner Bros. is that Ken is the first Japanese actor to ever be linked the to the project. Akira has been getting a lot of hate from fans that the casting has been mostly whitewashing. This hopefully could be the first step to casting more Japanese actors in the film.

WB Still Searching For Akira's Tetsuo, More Actors Linked

I swear that Akira has to be one of the messiest casting searches I've seen since Captain America. The studio seems to be scrambling to find their Tetsuo before Akira starts production early next year. We've heard names like James McAvoy, Andrew Garfield, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Robert Pattinson and Ezra Miller (We Need To Talk About Kevin) previously all linked for the role but nothing has come of it. Currently Garrett Hedlund (Tron Legacy) is in place for role of Kaneda. Other actors such as Gary Oldman, Kristen Stewart, Keira Knightley and Helena Bonham Carter have been mentioned being in the mix as well.

HeatVision has word another batch of actors will screentest for the part of Tetsuo. The new list includes Tobey Kebbell (Wrath of The Titans, RockNRolla), Michael Pitt (Dreamers, Boardwalk Empire), Richard Madden (Game of Thrones), Rami Malek (The Pacific), Logan Marshall-Green (Prometheus), D.J. Controna (G.I. Joe 2) along with retests from Paul Dano (Cowboys And Aliens, There Will Be Blood) and Alden Ehrenreich. Out of this bunch I feel that Kebbell and Pitt have the best chances too pull off Tetsuo properly. While names like Malek and Madden shouldn't be overlooked as both are becoming excellent actors.

Steven Soderbergh Wont Direct The Man From UNCLE

ThePlaylist reports after an exhausting casting search and budget restrictions Steven Soderbergh has called it quits on The Man From UNCLE. The budding spy franchise had been an active project for Soderbergh who was considering retiring before announcing he would direct it. It mainly came down to Warner Bros' limited budget of $60 million for a action film set in the 60's and would hop to four different continents. Think Mission Impossible or Bond meets Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy it would be expensive even before the actors were cast. Soderbergh had also been ticked off when the studio asked for younger actors giving them the suggestions of Michael Fassbender and Joel Kinnaman. Only to have them turned down then taken for other studio projects Londongrad and Arthur And Lancelot.

Warner Bros. seems to have dropped the ball since Soderbergh's Contagion ended up a solid success for them. You'd expect them to be more compromising when they're shelling out budgets twice as big for riskier projects. It's unknown if the project will keep going without Soderbergh but I'm sure he'll tackle something else soon.

New Godzilla Movie Gets Another Writer

While Legendary Pictures hired Gareth Edwards (Monsters) to direct their new Godzilla film they didn't have an official writer. There was word that David S. Goyer (Man of Steel, Blade, Dark Knight Rises) and David Callaham were working on a drafts. Now there is confirmation from HeatVision that newcomer Max Borenstein will now work on the script.

CASTING DROPOUTS: Joel Edgerton And Ezra Miller

Two actors seem have to moved on from involvement with big Warner Bros. projects. Joel Edgerton has decided to pass on 300: The Battle of Atermisia and Ezra Miller denies any casting rumors of Akira. It's odd since both Hollywood Reporter and Twitch reported on Miller being reputable sources. Edgerton was also offered the second lead in The Man From UNCLE so he might looking at other projects. However, there is talk that the UNCLE script is boring and many actors have walked from it.