News: As Seen on the Web

Peter Iliff To Pen American Gladiators Movie

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:39:00 GMT

W. Peter Iliff, the screenwriter whose credits include Varsity Blues and Patriot Games, has been hired to write a film adaptation of the classic TV game show American Gladiators.

The film will be set inside the world of the TV show and it is claimed that it will be "a compelling story that launches a whole new set of characters" with the fascinating prospect of the "Herculean characters as superheroes."

Speculation abounds with suggestions that American Gladiators is going to be in 3D - it appears that one of the production companies behind the film is 3ality Digital. This company's first production was U2 3D and most of the work they do is on 3D movies.

Iliff recently finished scripting Point Break Indo, the sequel to Point Break, the classic 90's extreme sports, heist, police film that he also wrote.

American Gladiators is expected to hit theatres sometime in 2011.

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Friday 20 November 2009

Wasikowska And Fassbender Talking Jane Eyre

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:05:00 GMT

Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender are currently in talks to star in the feature adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's classic novel, Jane Eyre. The project is being helmed by the young filmmaker Cary Fukunaga, who recently won the Best Director award at Sundance for his debut feature, Sin Nombre.

According to Variety, "the pic will play up the gothic elements of the classic 19th century story about a governess who falls in love with her surly employer who has a dark secret."

Wasikowska, who recently completed work portraying Alice in Tim Burton's latest creation Alice In Wonderland, is set to play Jane. Fassbender, who most recently played Lt. Archie Hicox in Inglourious Basterds, could play her employer Rochester. Previously Ellen Page was attached to star as Jane, but she abandoned the project a while ago.

Jane Eyre is scheduled to be released sometime in 2011.

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Friday 20 November 2009

New Footage From Knight & Day

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:58:00 GMT

Things we've learnt today: Tom Cruise still likes to do his own stunts and Cameron Diaz still has a megawatt smile. Nothing new there then but sometimes it's nice for things to stay the same.

And, judging from a new behind-the-scenes video from the set of the upcoming action comedy Knight & Day, we should fully expect all of the above.

The James Mangold-directed flick finds Cruise and Cameron playing a secret agent and his unknowing date respectively as they are forced to go on the run from shady government types while attempting to unravel a mystery surrounding a super-powered battery doo-dad.

It's sure to be fluffy fun and, even if we've yet to be entertained by it, the rest of the cast sure seem to be having a good time making the movie.

Take a look at the clip below and let us know what you think in the comments section...

Glen Ferris

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Friday 20 November 2009

First Trailer For Remember Me

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:48:00 GMT

RPattz mania is going to get even more out of control after the release this week of New Moon, the next installment in the Twilight Saga, so it's lucky that the Twi-hard fans will have another of his projects to focus their attentions on while waiting for the third installment. Robert Pattinson can next be seen starring in Remember Me, a romantic drama that bears similarities to the vampire saga in that he plays a tortured soul who is rescued by love.

Pattinson plays Tyler, a rebellious guy who has major issues with his father (Pierce Brosnan) ever since they were separated by a family tragedy. When he meets Ally (Emilie de Ravin) through an unusual twist of fate, they embark on a romance that finally gives meaning to his life, but eventually hidden secrets threaten to tear them apart.

Remember Me also stars the ever brilliant Chris Cooper (Adaptation) and Oscar nominee Lena Olin (Chocolat).

Check out the trailer from Summit Entertainment in the player below, and leave you thoughts in the comments box.

Remember Me in HD

Trailer Park | MySpace Video

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Friday 20 November 2009

Watch The Full Percy Jackson Trailer

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:56:00 GMT

The first teaser for Percy Jackson the Lightening Thief was somewhat disappointing, establishing nothing at all but setting (NYC) and star. The full international trailer that we've just received is much more interesting.

Percy Jackson has special abilities, but it's not until one of his teachers turns into a flying dragon thing that we realise he is in fact a demi-god, and armed with a pen that turns into a sword, given to him by a bearded Pierce Brosnan (it seems the producers couldn't afford Jeff Bridges) young Percy gets to take on Ooompa Thurman's Medusa.

It all looks like cracking stuff from the Harry Potter director... check it out below and let us know what you think.

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Thursday 19 November 2009

Eddie Murphy Takes On The Misadventures Of Fluffy

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:31:00 GMT

According to Risky Business, Eddie Murphy could potentially star in the film he is producing, The Misadventures Of Fluffy, a buddy comedy that's been launched at Paramount.

The R-rated comedy was set up at the super studio after they bought a pitch from Sam Pitman and Adam Cole-Kelly. The two are now onboard to pen the script. The project is summarized as a buddy road trip film through New York that features a bunch of talking animals.

Paramount are currently doing business with Murphy, as a team of writers are being sought to pen the fourth instalment of Beverly Hills Cop 4.

Interested? Leave your comments below...

Alain Nouvel

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Thursday 19 November 2009

Voices Announced For Guardians Of Ga'Hoole

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:12:00 GMT

Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow, the production companies behind Zack Snyder's forthcoming animated adaptation of the popular children's book series Guardians of Ga'Hoole have finally announced the voice cast.

Geoffrey Rush, Sam Neill, Hugo Weaving and David Wenham will be the lead voices in Animal Logic's 3D animated feature. The film will also feature the voices of Rachael Taylor, Emily Barclay, Jay Laga'aia, Abbie Cornish, Emilie de Ravin, Ryan Kwanten, Miriam Margolyes, Helen Mirren and Jim Sturgess. It has been rumoured that Hugh Jackman could lend his voice to the film, but these reports are, as of yet unconfirmed.

The film will adapt the first three of the 14 best-selling children's book series from author Kathryn Lasky and illustrator Richard Cowdry. According to the producers of the animated flick, the tone of this film with be more in the vein of Harry Potter than Happy Feet.

The story follows Soren, a young barn owl who is kidnapped by owls from St Aggie's who are intent on brainwashing him and other young owls in to becoming soldiers in their army. Somehow Soren and his new friends manage to escape to the island of Ga'Hoole where a group of noble owls enlist their help in fighting against the army of the sinister rulers of St Aggie's.

The film is scheduled to land in theatres on 24 September 2010.

Interested? Leave your comments below...

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Thursday 19 November 2009

International Trailer Of Zhang Yimou's Blood Simple Remake

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:55:00 GMT

The international trailer for Zhang Yimou's loose remake of Blood Simple, the 1984 brilliant debut feature from Joel and Ethan Coen, has been released. The film was originally called Amazing Tales: Three Guns but now, according to Yahoo, seems to be working under the title The First Gun.

The film is very loosely based on the Coen Brothers' original - half a remake and half a reimagining set in a completely different location and time zone. It is a period piece that takes place in a noodle shop on the edge of a frontier in feudal China. The remake also contains a lot more comedy and some completely new characters.

"We have added a lot of things," said Zhang, "and changed the whole feeling [of Blood Simple]... we brought in a lot of comedic elements and changed the relationship and personalities of the characters."

The film is relesed by Sony Picture Classics in North America in 2010, and opens in China next month.

Check out the trailer in the player below:

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Thursday 19 November 2009

47 Ronin Finds Director

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:57:00 GMT

Commercial director Carl Erik Rinsch is in advanced talks with Universal to direct 47 Ronin, a samurai saga starring Keanu Reeves set in pre-industrial Japan. Variety stated that the film is a "priority...large budget" project for Universal. It's an unusual move for them considering that they are entrusting the film to a first time feature director who's commercials tend to be on the technically intricate, technology themed side.

Wanted screenwriter Chris Morgan is scripting the project. He elucidated in blockbuster terminology saying "it's a great, Gladiator-esque, 300-like big action movie with samurai and ninja."

Morgan elaborated with MTV saying "It's a time in Japanese culture when it was all about [the] bushido [code] and honor, and putting internal things over external things � swords that were made to be functional instead of ornamental, that kind of stuff," Morgan had previously told MTV. "this turning point in the culture when that started to shift. Society started to be more about external kind of things. The story is about these samurai whose lord is killed in an unfair way."

47 Ronin is based on the true story of samurai's in 18th century Japan. It follows a band of samurai who are shamed into becoming ronin, then forced to avenge the death of their master by constructing an grand and elaborate plan that will entail sacrificing everything in order to see it through.

Rinsch, famous for his sci-fi tinged commercials has not only been working at Ridley Scott's RSA as commercial director but is also 'involved' with Scott's daughter. According to comments made by Tony Scott, when the possibility of Rinsch directing the Alien prequel was still an option, he said "Carl is one of the family."

Rinsch's original attachment to the Alien prequel was severed when Fox shied away from betting on the first time feature director. Instead they used the influence of studio persuasion to get Ridley to helm the prequel of the franchise he launched in 1979.

Although Fox was in no mood to take the risk, it seems that Universal are more than willing to gamble; maybe they are banking on it following a small trend spurred on by the recent success of Neill Blomkamp's District 9.

Blomkamp, also a commercial director turned feature film director, nailed it with his first film. This was only after his intended first film, Halo, had production shut down by the seemingly cowardly Fox. Blomkamp's cards trumped expectations revealing District 9, a film that has already grossed close to $200 million worldwide and accumulated a plethora of 4 and 5 star ratings. Maybe Rinsch has the skill to draw the same, his commercials show a penchant for sci-fi styled, digitally rendered, visually intricate commercials, not unlike Blomkamp. Only 47 Ronin is set in feudal Japan.

Adding to this 'trend' could be the fact that Rinsch has Scott's backing. It is not unusual for established directors to pick, up and coming talent and throw their weight behind them; Peter Jackson did so with Blomkamp, the Wachowski brothers backed James McTeigue for V for Vendetta, Wes Anderson helped Noah Baumbach with The Squid and the Whale, and who can forget about the tutelage and support that George Lucas got from The Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola, first of the film school generation to land an Oscar for his pen in Patton, who started this school of advancement in an effort to start a new cinema entirely independent of the big studio's. Although financial independence doesn't seem to have entirely worked out as Coppola planned, at least the pedagogical approach is very much alive and intact.

Alain Nouvel

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Wednesday 18 November 2009

Justin Theroux Penning Space Invader

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:50:00 GMT

Justin Theroux has got the go ahead to script a second draft of the upcoming astronaut romantic comedy Space Invader. Recently Theroux, an actor turned screenwriter, finished working on Iron Man 2. Mike Lisbe and Nate Reger sold the first draft and concept to Fox. Will Arnett is attached to star.

A review of an early draft from scriptshadow reads as follows:

Doug, the space shuttle janitor, watches helplessly as his astronaut girlfriend heads off on a 3 month International Space Station mission with Stamp Majors, all-American astronaut superstar and philanthropist (think a cross between a real life version of Buzz Lightyear, and the character Owen Wilson plays in Meet The Parents). He begins to think that the two are getting it on and decides to...um...intervene. Really liked this one. It's pretty broad but there are some great touches. We've all been in that position where our boyfriend/girlfriend is going to be in close quarters with some attractive dude/chick for a weekend trip or something and in the back of our minds are thinking, "Should I go there?" Of course we never do (well, ahem, most of the time we don't) but in this case Doug takes it to the extreme, and decides to actually fly his way up to the International Space Station to make sure his girlfriend doesn't bang Stamp.

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Wednesday 18 November 2009

New Avatar Clip And Image

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:01:00 GMT

A new clip of James Cameron's Avatar is now available online for your viewing pleasure, ourtesy of LG who are running a tie-in to the film with a mobile phone device.

The 30 second snippet shows a little part of one of the film's most impressive action sequences, featuring Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) in a tussle with a deadly Thanator, and a no nonsense Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) telling him to get the hell out of dodge.

You'll have to wait until the December 17 release to see the full Avatar in all its 3D glory, but for now just click here for a teasing taster.

Also, you can check out below the new image of Neytiri, the Na'vi played by Zoe Saldana.

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Wednesday 18 November 2009

First Trailer For The Last Song

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:49:00 GMT

Disney has released the trailer for The Last Song, an adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' forthcoming novel, starring Miley Cyrus, Greg Kinnear, Kelly Preston and Liam Hemsworth.

Past adaptations of Sparks' novels have included A Walk To Remember and The Notebook, both essential viewing for teenage girls the world over, and The Last Song appears to be following suit.

The film is set in a small Southern beach town where an estranged father (Kinnear) gets a chance to spend the summer with his reluctant teenaged daughter (Cyrus), who'd rather be home in New York. He tries to reconnect with her through the only thing they have in common - music - in a story of family, friendship, secrets and salvation, along with first loves and second chances.

Check out the trailer in the player below:

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Wednesday 18 November 2009

New Trailer For Nine

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:28:00 GMT

Now, we're not suggesting for one moment that we're fit to criticise the prolific talents of Tony and Oscar nominated director Rob Marshall, but it seems to us that he's trying as best he can to ape the screen achievements of the great Bob Fosse with his new film Nine - out later this year.

Having directed the screen adaptation of the 1974 musical Chicago back in 2002(music by the same guys who wrote 1966 hit Cabaret which was famously filmed by Fosse in a never-bettered 1972 adaptation), he's now collected an array of acting talent (Daniel Day-Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Marion Cotillard, Pen�lope Cruz, Sophia Loren, Judi Dench etc. etc. etc.) to fix for the screen an adaptation of the 1982 Broadway hit based on Federico Fellini's artist-on-the-verge-of-a-nervous-breakdown masterpiece 8 1/2.

Of course, it should be mentioned that Fosse also made an artist-on-the-verge-of-a-nervous-breakdown masterpiece in the form of 1979's Palme d'Or winner All That Jazz - a deeply odd film starring Roy Scheider and chronicling (through song and dance) the protagonist's lead up to heart surgery.

Having seen the latest trailer for Nine it seems likely that Marshall's latest is set to come nowhere near the expressionistic oddity that was Fosse's film. Nor does it have any of the understated, vamping choreography that Fosse is still loved for. And nor does it have the songs of Kander and Ebb (rather the songs of Maury Yeston).

What it does have is an awful lot of 60s Rome, a lot of jazz hands, an awful lot of Penelope Cruz wearing precious little, and a lot of other A-list actresses skimply dressed, grabbing their tits and posing for Marshall's camera. It also has Daniel Day-Lewis wearing a hat, smoking a lot and - seemingly - going off the rails in spectacular fashion. Again. So, if we're being honest, we can't bloody wait.

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Wednesday 18 November 2009

Rob Marshall Confirmed To Direct Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:32:00 GMT

Recent heavy hints that Nine director Rob Marshall might be directing Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides have now been confirmed - Marshall will indded helm the next film in Disney's quadrilogy.

After a recent screening of Marshall's upcoming musical remake of Federico Fellini's classic 8 1/2, he said "Ya' know, it's something that I was offered and never in the world thought I would do but then I was like 'Why not?'... I'm doing Pirates Of The Caribbean."

He also mentioned having met with Johnny Depp and that the two are both excited to be working together.

The fourth installment will be based on the Tim Power's novel On Stranger Tides. The novel, optioned by Disney years ago, is the story of Blackbeard and the Fountain of Youth. The plot of the novel follows a puppeteer named John Chandagnac who, in an effort to recover money stolen from his uncle, sails for Jamaica. When pirates attack the ship, he is forced to join their crew and become the pirate Jack Shandy. Shandy struggles to accept his new life as he is transported to spectral lands by Blackbeard and Voodoo magicians in search of the Fountain of Youth.

Excited? Leave your comments below...

Alain Nouvel

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Tuesday 17 November 2009

Crazy Heart Trailer Goes Live

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:43:00 GMT

The first trailer from the upcoming drama Crazy Heart has been released online at Apple.

Four-time Oscar nominee Jeff Bridges stars as the down-on-his-luck antihero Bad Blake, a half-broken, hard-living country music singer with too many marriages notched on his belt and too many bottles littering the many miles of road he's travelled. With Jean, a journalist played by Maggie Gyllenhaal who discovers the real voice behind the lyrics, Bad finds someone who can help him reach for salvation.

Crazy Heart, the debut feature of writer-director Scott Cooper, also stars Robert Duvall, Colin Farrell, Beth Grant, Tom Bower and Annie Corley.

To check out the trailer, click here.

Leave your comments below...

Alain Nouvel

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Tuesday 17 November 2009

Leona Lewis To Sing Avatar's Theme Tune

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:33:00 GMT

Things we've learned today part one... James Cameron is a closet X Factor fan!

New reaches us from those fine folks over at Empire that the long-absent director has signed up Simon Cowell's protege Leona Lewis to warble the theme tune to his long-awaited sci-fi extravaganza, Avatar.

The hugely successful popstrel will apparently be singing a track called I See You (Theme From Avatar) and will feature on the official soundtrack. Given Cameron's propensity for having ballads clogging up his closing credits, we're guessing it's going to also feature on the film as well - here's hoping it won't be a repeat of Celine Dion's infamous Titanic crasher My Heart Will Go On.

Lewis is shooting the video for the song now and, while we're not sure if she'll be undergoing the CGI Na'vi treatment, we can at least rest assured that the big-voiced pop star will make a good fist of it. If you don't agree, you can at least thank your lucky stars that Cameron didn't enlist the unholy Jedward instead!

Leave your comments below...

Glen Ferris

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Tuesday 17 November 2009

New Trailer For Leaves Of Grass

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:52:00 GMT

A brand new trailer has been released online for Leaves Of Grass, the pot comedy thriller starring Edward Norton.

The official plot synopsis goes something like this: Norton plays Bill Kincaid, an Ivy League classics professor who returns to rural Oklahoma to bury his dangerously brilliant identical twin brother, only to discover that the brother he believes to have been murdered has lured him home to involve him in a doomed plot against a local drug lord. Before Bill can flee, he's implicated in a murder and his life becomes completely unravelled.

Those savvy among you will have noted the key word in the description is "identical" - yes that's right, Norton will be putting his acting skills to full use by playing dual roles, starring as both brothers. Cue lots of split scenes and classic comedy set-ups.

The film is written and directed by Tim Blake Nelson, who you can spot sitting in the truck next to Norton at the end of the trailer (he's a familiar face from acting roles in Syriana, Fido, and Wonderland) and also stars Susan Sarandon as the twins' mother, Richard Dreyfuss as the local drug lord, Keri Russell and Melanie Lynskey.

Check out the trailer in the player below and let us know what you think in the comments box.

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Monday 16 November 2009

First Teaser For Adam Sandler's Grown Ups

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:25:00 GMT

Grown Ups, the upcoming film from Dennis Dugan (the director of various early Adam Sandler hits as well as recent clunkers like You Don't Mess with the Zohan) which surrounds its star with other comedy luminaries such as Chris Rock, Rob Schneider and Kevin James in a tale of five high-schoolfriends who regroup to mourn the death of their basketball coach in the same place where many years previously they celebrated their greatest victory, has just released its first teaser over on Yahoo.

To be cruelly honest it looks much like the standard slightly-below par we've come to expect on the big-screen from Sandler and his coterie of Saturday Night Live alumni, but that's not to say it won't be completely without laughs.

Check out the trailer below and be sure to let us know what you think.

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Friday 13 November 2009

Thor To Start Shooting In Mid-January

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:16:00 GMT

At long last, Marvel Studio has scheduled primary photography for Thor to begin in Los Angeles in mid-January.

Production for the Kenneth Branagh-directed, Norse god-themed, superhero pic will then move to Santa Fe, New Mexico, from March until late-April.

The film, to be distributed by Paramount, is set to hit theatres 20 May, 2011. The comic book adaptation stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Colm Feore, Samuel L. Jackson, Jaimie Alexander, Matthias Schweigh�fer, Anthony Hopkins and Stellan Skarsgard.

The epic adventure spans from the present day on Earth to the Norse realm of Asgard and the story focuses on The Mighty Thor, a powerful and arrogant warrior. When his careless actions reignite an ancient war, Thor is cast out of Asgard and down to Earth, forced to live among humans as punishment. When the most dangerous villain of Asgard sends the darkest forces to invade Earth, Thor will be forced to discover what it takes to be a true hero.

Excited? Leave your comments below...

Alain Nouvel

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Friday 13 November 2009

New Clip For Avatar

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:01:00 GMT

Fox has aired a new extended TV spot for James Cameron's Avatar, which you can view in the player below. The spot includes parts of the trailer as well as new footage from the anticipated film.

The film opens in conventional 3D and IMAX 3D cinemas on December 17 and stars Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Zoe Saldana, Wes Studi, Peter Mensah, Joel Moore, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Matt Gerald and Laz Alonso.

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Friday 13 November 2009