Disney's Bolt Trailer

Yahoo! Movies has posted the trailer for Walt Disney Pictures' new animated-adventure, Bolt, opening in theaters on November 26. Here's how the studio describes the Digital 3-D film:



For super-dog Bolt (voice of John Travolta), every day is filled with adventure, danger and intrigue—at least until the cameras stop rolling. When the star of a hit TV show is accidentally shipped from his Hollywood soundstage to New York City, he begins his biggest adventure yet—a cross-country journey through the real world. Armed only with the delusions that all his amazing feats and powers are real, and with the help of two unlikely traveling companions: a jaded, abandoned housecat named Mittens (voice of Susie Essman) and a TV-obsessed hamster in a plastic ball named Rhino, Bolt discovers he doesn't need superpowers to be a hero. Miley Cyrus ("Hannah Montana") brings her vocal talents to the role of Penny, Bolt's human co-star on the television series.

Saw V Poster

You can hate the SAW series all you want, but one thing you’ve got to admit is that the poster designs for the series have been some of the best one-sheets in recent years. Lionsgate has released the first teaser poster for SAW V on Shock. And while this isn’t the best poster in the series, it might be the sickest one yet.

In the fifth installment of the “Saw” franchise, Hoffman is seemingly the last person alive to carry on the Jigsaw legacy. But when his secret is threatened, Hoffman must go on the hunt to eliminate all loose ends.

Directed by David Hackl and starring Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Scott Patterson, Betsy Russell, Mark Rolston, Carlo Rota, Julie Benz, Greg Bryk, Laura Gordon and Meagan Good.

SAW V hits theaters around Halloween, October 24th 2008.

One Final Hellboy II: The Golden Army Trailer!

Universal has released a third and final movie trailer for Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Like the recent television spot, the new trailer starts off with the origin story from the first film, before showing off all the cool creatues and baddies in the new film. They have also released the animated prologue which opens the film on Apple.com. As always, tell me what you think in the comments below!

Watch the trailer in High Definition on Apple. Hellboy II: The Golden Army hits theaters on July 11th 2008.

G.I. Joe Poster Plus Subtitle - Rise of Cobra

The first full poster for the upcoming G.I. Joe movie has been discovered and alongside of it the new subtitle for the film. G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra is now the official title. The guys over at Film1.nl happened to come across this poster at the Cinema Expo in Amsterdam and took a photo for the world to see. I would say it's not all that amazing, plus it's only Duke, play by Channing Tatum, and I'd rather see some of the other G.I. Joe team members instead, like Dennis Quaid as General Hawk or Sienna Miller as The Baroness. However, if this strikes up as heated of a discussion as the new name of Transformers 2, then go for it. You can check out the poster below and discuss the new name in the comments.

Cobra Command is the fictional nemesis of the G.I. Joe team. The organization is lead by Cobra Commander, a hooded villain regarded as the most dangerous man on Earth, because he can draw followers to him. Additionally part of the Cobra team are Destro, The Baroness, and Storm Shadow. The plot of the film, while unknown for the most part, deals with the G.I. Joe team taking on "an evil organization led by a notorious arms dealer." Hence the new title Rise of Cobra.

G.I. Joe is directed by Stephen Sommers (Deep Rising, The Mummy, Van Helsing) and written by both Stuart Beattie and Skip Woods. The movie arrives in theaters on August 7th, 2009.

Source: FirstShowing

If they were woman...

lol Wish You all A Great Week.

Spider-Man Will Return in 2011

The Los Angeles Times reports that "Spider-Man" franchise producer Laura Ziskin said the fourth installment is tentatively scheduled to hit theaters in May 2011.

If this ends up being true and Sony does get another Spider-Man made in three years time, let me be the first to say that 2011 is going to be one hell of an incredible year. The Hobbit is going to make its triumphant debut, most likely in the fall, just like Lord of the Rings. Additionally from Marvel, Captain America will make his debut and we'll most likely see the biggest geek dream of all - The Avengers. If Transformers keeps up on its two year schedule, we'll also be watching Transformers 3 in the summer. And if Christopher Nolan keeps up with his three year schedule, we'll probably be watching Batman Begins 3 in 2011 as well. Add Spider-Man 4 to that list and I think most geeks will have fainted.

Already scheduled for the month of May that year are Marvel's own The First Avenger: Captain America on the 6th and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II.

Neither star Tobey Maguire nor director Sam Raimi is yet committed to work on the next installment, but Sony has paid Marvel to renew its rights.

Would you welcome the return of Spider-Man in 2011?

First Look at Gerard Butler in Lionsgate's Game

Thanks to SlashFilm for unearthing these two new badass photos. At least we've finally got something good to look at while we wait for Lionsgate to actually release a trailer! Excited yet?

In the not too distant future, Kabel (Gerard Butler), a death row inmate, has unwittingly become a pop culture hero. Every week, millions worldwide tune in online to watch him and hundreds of other convicts battle in Slayers, an ultra-violent multi-player online game invented by technological genius Ken Castle (Michael C. Hall). To the wealthy young gamer who controls his every move, Kable is just a sim character. To the resistance group that opposes Castle's games as high-tech slavery, he is a critical element in their battle to take down the inventor. Caught in the crosshairs of two opposing forces and under the command of a teenager's remote device, Kable must use his extraordinary fighting skills to escape the game, bring down Castle and overthrow the system.

Game is both written and directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, the two genius filmmakers behind Crank and the upcoming Crank 2: High Voltage and Jonah Hex. The film was produced by Lakeshore Entertainment and is being distributed by Lionsgate. Game currently does not have an official release date set, but should arrive sometime in 2008.

New Mummy Trailer Hits

The Mummy 3 is shaping up to be a fun (even if forgettable) little addition to the summer movie line up. Yeah, I’m looking forward to it.

In Mummy 3 Fraser returns as explorer Rick O'Connell to combat the resurrected Han Emperor (Li) in an epic that races from the catacombs of ancient China to the neon-lit streets of post-war Shanghai and high into the spectacular Himalayas. Rick is joined in this all-new adventure by son Alex (Ford), wife Evelyn (Bello) and her brother, Jonathan (Hannah). And this time, the O'Connells must stop a mummy awoken from a 2,000-year-old curse who threatens to plunge the world into his merciless, unending service

New Cities Trailer for WALL•E!

A third "Cities" trailer for Disney/Pixar's WALL•E has come online. You can watch it using the player below or in other formats via IGN.

Opening in theaters on Friday, June 27, the Andrew Stanton-directed animated film features Fred Willard, Jeff Garlin, Sigourney Weaver, John Ratzenberger, Kathy Najimy and Ben Burtt.

'The Wackness' Gets a Red Band Trailer

Oh the relief that it brings to finally see a well-cut, red band trailer for the upcoming release The Wackness. As you know, this is one of the films from this year’s Sundance film festival that has had us buzzing all year long, and it will finally hit theaters on July 3rd. Directed by Jonathan Levine (All the Boys Love Mandy Lane), The Wackness stars Josh Peck, Ben Kingsley, Olivia Thirlby and Mary-Kate Olsen in what could be one of the best coming of age flicks in recent history. It tells the story of Luke Shapiro (Peck), a young weed-dealing recent high school graduate who is using his summer of freedom to find out what he wants out of life. And with the help of his therapist/best customer (Kingsley), he may just get the girl of his dreams (Thirlby) and make enough money to get the hell out of his “wack” situation.

Have a look at the red band trailer below, courtesy of IGN:

More Wall-e Vids

This Time our Brave friend plays Soccer and Invites Kids to explore Space... I just Love this little ma... robot.





Wall-E is both written and directed by Pixar's own Andrew Stanton, who wrote and directed A Bug's Life and Finding Nemo. The movie will arrive in theaters everywhere this summer on June 27th.

'Toy Story' in 4-D!

Screw all this 3-D is the future stuff -- what I want is some hardcore 4-D! Kick it up a notch, ya know? I really want to feel this sucker. Well, thankfully, those lunatics over at Disney are already on it -- and, according to The Hollywood Reporter, they've unveiled a new attraction at both Disney theme parks in Florida and California called Toy Story Mania! And it's in 4-D! Hell yeah!Basically, riders throw on a pair of 3-D glasses and are taken through an attraction that has them "appearing to shrink to about toy-size so they might scoot through Andy's room firing virtual projectiles at 3-D targets while collecting points for accuracy." Um, sweet. Can I live there temporarily? (Actually, I did work at Disney World briefly back in the day, and the magic kinda goes away when it's 100 degrees with 100% humidity and you're wearing a ridiculous pair of Lederhosen. Did I just go there? I think I did.)

Anyway, Toy Story Mania! joins a bunch of Pixar-inspired attractions at the theme parks (Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc., A Bug's Life), and will soon be joined by Cars Land. Due in 2012, this sucker costs $1.1 billion, will span 12 acres and will hopefully kick a whole lotta ass. For $1.1 billion (billion!), it better. Has anyone visited Disney in the past few weeks and checked out Toy Story Mania? I know it opened in Florida at the end of May. Anyone? Woody? Buzz?

First look at Thomas Jane as Jonah Hex

Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, the crazy duo behind Crank, have been developing this project to both write and direct, which marks the third big feature film within a few years, including the yet-unreleased movies Game and Crank 2: High Voltage. Our good friends at Film School Rejects received a juicy scoop this morning - the first test photo of Thomas Jane as the character Jonah Hex. Oddly, no casting has been officially announced on this as of yet, so if this turns out being real, it's both a casting announcement and exciting first look all rolled into one!

Neil of FSR assures us that this photo came "from an extremely reliable source inside studio lines." However, if it ends up being a fake photo, we'll be sure to update this right away. Honestly, this was just too good to pass up. I think it shows how unique this adaptation could end up becoming. And I might say the face looks a bit like our friend Two-Face from The Dark Knight.

Jonah Hex, known for having the right side of his face disfigured and wearing a Confederate army uniform, was a rough-and-tumble gunslinger and part-time bounty hunter whose adventures always ended in blood. The character first appeared in the early 1970s in issues of DC Comics' All-Star Western before getting his own series in 1977 that ran for about 10 years. Neveldine and Taylor are not making a straight-ahead Western, but plan to develop the character with supernatural overtones in the hopes of creating a franchise.

More Wolverine Set Photos

Lake Macquarie News has posted eight more photos of the filming that took place for X-Men Origins: Wolverine at Blacksmiths Beach in New South Wales recently. You can view them here.
20th Century Fox will release "Wolverine" on May 1, 2009.

Angelina Jolie and the World of 'Sin City'

The buzzing murmur for Sin City 2 has been going on for eons now, making fans die a slow death in anxious anticipation. And, for most of that time, Angelina Jolie's name has been in the mix. Back in 2006, Rosario Dawson said that Robert Rodriguez was putting the whole thing on hold due to Jolie's pregnancy. Since then, the project has remained in limbo -- a will they or won't they cycle that doesn't look like it will wrap up any time soon.

But now MTV has talked to Jolie about the potential project while discussing her new film, Wanted. Will she take on Ava Lord in A Dame to Kill For? "I don't know. I found the first Sin City impressive, but I don't know what they're going to do with the next one to make [it] as original as the first one." Well, it's more story on the folks of Sin City, so I imagine it will be a bunch of fresh chills and thrills in the same style -- I'm not so sure what originality she's hoping for.

Now, she did go on to say she would be curious if she was offered the role. I can't tell if she's being polite, or really interested. However, aside from her upcoming delivery and family tending, there's not a lot on her plate, so I imagine it would be easy to slip another dose of Sin City in. Is it time for the Dame? And should Jolie be Ava Lord?

Len Wiseman to Direct Gears of War

If you're a big Gears of War fan, then I really hope you liked Live Free or Die Hard. Hollywood Reporter officially confirms that Len Wiseman, who directed the fourth Die Hard last year, is officially signed on to direct the Gears of War movie currently in the works. This was initially announced last year and since then have reported on various rumblings, including a rumor that the film was canned. Apparently the New Line merger, since this was a New Line film, didn't affect this project too much - because Wiseman is now attached and the project is actually moving forward as a big summer blockbuster. Screenwriter Stuart Beattie has been replaced with Chris Morgan instead, however, which may hurt the film more than help.

Gears of War, developed by Epic Games, became an instant success when it debuted on the Xbox 360 in November 2006. It became one of the most popular games on Xbox Live and sold more than 3 million units worldwide in its first 10 weeks. It received numerous awards, including Gamespot's Game of the Year and the Interactive Achievement Awards' Overall Game of the Year. Set on the planet Sera, the game thrusts players into a battle for survival between humans and a race of creatures that surface from the bowels of the planet known as the Locust Horde. Players assume identities of soldiers on Delta Squad, specifically the character of Marcus Fenix, as they fight to save Sera's inhabitants.

Cliff Bleszinski aka CliffyB, the lead game designer for Gears of War and Epic Games, worked with Stuart Beattie on the original 21-page treatment before handing it off to Chris Morgan to finish. Morgan previously wrote the scripts for Cellular, Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, and the upcoming Wanted. If you're concerned about this film, Bleszinski tries to calm our fears. "Hollywood needs to take the source material seriously, win over the avid gamers and make it work for an audience that is young and old, male and female." He continues, "Disney made a great movie out of a theme park ride, and somebody is sooner or later going to make a great one out of a video game. Having someone like Len really helps the odds. I think we're going to create something special here."

Before I get too far into the discussion of how great Gears of War could be, let me say that I really did not enjoy Live Free or Die Hard. But maybe it was the script and terrible ideas for an action movie that annoyed me more than Wiseman's directing. All I know is that with Wiseman directing and Morgan writing, I'm very concerned for this movie. I really don't think Wiseman is the one who is going to show us how good video game movies can be. Thankfully this probably won't hit theaters until 2010, meaning we'll see Jerry Bruckheimer's Prince of Persia before this hits. Maybe that will be the first movie that will kick video game adaptations into high gear.

Vatican bans 'Angels & Demons'

ROME — “Angels & Demons” has been prevented by the Vatican from shooting in Rome churches, a Vatican official confirmed on Monday, saying the “The Da Vinci Code” sequel is incompatible with religious sentiment.

Sony’s Ron Howard-directed thriller toplining Tom Hanks, which started rolling in Rome June 5, had last year requested permits from Rome authorities to shoot in the monumental church of Santa Maria del Popolo and the smaller Santa Maria della Vittoria, where key scenes in the eponymous Dan Brown bestseller are set.

Under Italy’s treaty with the Vatican both the Italian government and the Vatican needed to grant the permits, and the Vatican balked.

“We often provide our churches to productions whose purposes are compatible with religious sentiment,” said Father Marco Fibbi, a spokesman for the Rome diocese.

“But not when the film pursues a type of fantasy that damages common religious sentiment, as in the case of ‘The Da Vinci Code,’ ” he added.

The Roma and Lazio Film Commission, however, bent over backward for “Angels,” which in past weeks did shoot the exteriors of the two churches, and also of St. Peter’s and of Rome’s Pantheon.

“Angels & Demons” production this week moves from Rome to the former Royal Palace at Caserta, near Naples, which will double for the Vatican’s interiors.

First look at Ninja Assassin

SlashFilm has revealed the first few official photos from the film that set the tone and feel of what we can expect next year. For those anxiously looking forward to Ninja Assassin, this is our first glimpse at Rain in action and a few scenes from the film.

The first two photos show actors Sung Kang and Togo Igawa and the last one shows Naomie Harris and Ben Miles.

Ninja Assassin follows Raizo (Rain), one of the deadliest assassins in the world. Taken from the streets as a child, he was transformed into a trained killer by the Ozunu Clan, a secret society whose very existence is considered a myth. But haunted by the merciless execution of his friend by the Clan, Raizo breaks free from them… and vanishes. Now he waits, preparing to exact his revenge.

In Berlin, Europol agent Mika Coretti (Naomie Harris) has stumbled upon a money trail linking several political murders to an underground network of untraceable assassins from the Far East. Defying the orders of her superior, Ryan Maslow (Ben Miles), Mika digs into top secret agency files to learn the truth behind the murders. Her investigation makes her a target, and the Ozunu Clan sends a team of killers, led by the lethal Takeshi (Rick Yune), to silence her forever. Raizo saves Mika from her attackers, but he knows that the Clan will not rest until they are both eliminated. Now, entangled in a deadly game of cat and mouse through the streets of Europe, Raizo and Mika must trust one another if they hope to survive… and finally bring down the elusive Ozunu Clan. Does Ninja Assassin look good so far?

Lawrence Kasdan Penning Robotech

The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed CHUD's story that veteran screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan has been hired to write Robotech Warner Bros.' adaptation of the anime classic.

Lawrence Kasdan, most well known for the screenplays from Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Return of the Jedi, has been hired to write the adaptation of the 1980s cartoon series. Tobey Maguire is one of the many producers involved in bringing this series to the big screen previously said that "there is a rich mythology that will be a great foundation for a sophisticated, smart and entertaining film." With Kasdan involved, that might actually be a possibility.

Robotech takes place at a time when Earth has developed giant robots from the technology on an alien spacecraft that crashed on a South Pacific isle. Mankind is forced to use the technology to fend off three successive waves of alien invasions. The first invasion centers on a battle with a race of giant warriors who seek to retrieve their flagship's energy source known as "protoculture," and the planet's hope for survival ends up in the hands of two young pilots. Robotech was a 1980s cartoon series that was re-edited and re-dialogued to combine three Japanese anime series.

As much as I don't want to jump to conclusions so quickly, Lawrence Kasdan's involvement definitely is a good thing. He also recently signed on to the Clash of the Titans remake. I'm very interested in seeing if he's still able to write great scripts, considering his last major film was that horror sci-fi flick Dreamcatcher from 2003. I'm not that familiar with Robotech either, but if Kasdan can actually put together a script that could start a new era of sci-fi action, then definitely count me in. I think the concept sounds promising, but it's so unique that it'll be hard to determine whether it has actual potential until we hear more about the direction Kasdan will take it in. However, it's a great start to hear that he's involved and I think this means that Warner Brothers and Maguire definitely aren't taking this adaptation lightly. Does Kasdan still have it in him?

Eva Mendes eyes 'Bad Lieutenant'

I'm not sure what to think of this Bad Lieutenant remake (or re-imagining) since the first one was so ridiculously off the charts that when news first broke about a re-do, most folks gave a look like they just stepped on a cockroach and the thing was still squirming around all half-squashed and whatnot. Translation: "Yuck ... really? They're remaking THAT film?" Nevertheless, if anyone can make this sucker shine, it's Werner Herzog, and Variety now tells us that Eva Mendes is eying a role opposite the already-cast Nicolas Cage.

Apparently they're straying quite a bit from the original, so all we know at this point is that Cage will play a corrupt cop who likes to play dirty. In the original, Harvey Keitel starred as a corrupt cop investigating a nun's rape, though there's no word on whether that storyline will remain in this new version. If so, will Mendes play the nun (originally played by Frankie Thorn)? Mendes and Cage last worked together on Ghost Rider aka Crap Rider, which I have seen and I wont comment(what?!? I'm speechless)... However, I've been waiting to see Mendes get a little nutty on screen since she usually plays it safe. This should be an interesting one to watch, whaddya think?

New 'Spirit' Poster: Silken Floss Does More Than Type!

The latest Spirit poster comes to us by way of Yahoo! Movies (click image for larger version). It looks like we may be getting a new poster for The Spirit every Friday night -- which is appropriate given their tone so far. Last week brought us a saucy Eva Mendes, this week's poster is an equally naughty Scarlett Johansson. Her tagline is quite the eyebrow raiser, isn't it? I am not sure if she's directing it at the audience, or if you are meant to be instructing her. Given that Silken Floss is a villainous young secretary, I am thinking the latter. (How very Maggie Gyllenhaal of her!) I'm not sure I like this ad campaign so far. But still I'm far from being impressed.

The Spirit opens December 25th, 2008.

What do you think?

Clooney is The Tourist

Warner Bros. has set Anthony Peckham to adapt "The Tourist," an Olen Steinhauer novel being developed as a potential star vehicle for George Clooney, says Variety.

Smokehouse's Grant Heslov, Nina Wolarsky and Clooney will produce.

Acquired by WB in the fall, "The Tourist" is a contemporary international thriller about a spy who risks everything to reveal a conspiracy after he's accused of a murder he didn't commit.

Universal drops the rain

Raindrops keep falling on my head. And just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed, nothin' seems to fit ...

Okay, this new project isn't quite the same as the Oscar-winning Hal David and Burt Bacharach song, but it's close enough, and probably inspired it -- Variety reports that for mid-six against high-six figures, Universal Pictures has picked up a new comedy spec called Raindrops All Around Me.

Written by Reed Agnew (Crank Yankers) and Eli Jorne (Fletch Won), the script focuses on "a socially inept high school teacher who learns to 'dumb it down' in order to fit in with the people around him." I'm assuming that this means outside of school, but I imagine that it could work either way -- dumbing it down for peers, or for the students he teaches.

There's currently no word on who will direct the film, but Ben Stiller will be one of the feature's producers through the Red Hour banner, so hopefully that means good things for the flick.

Movie Review: The Incredible Hulk [2008]

Contributed by Sarhan "Tsar" Rashid

Considering the fact that it took WB almost 10 years to get a Batman reboot into cinema halls it's amazing what a swift job Marvel has done with bringing the Hulk back on screens. The question on everyones mind is if the movie will be worth the trouble? I hope to help answer that question with my review of The Incredible Hulk later today.

Look out for that!

Iron Man 2 in 2010? Unrealistic, says Favreau

According to Marvel, “Iron Man 2” is due out 2010. According to actor Terrence Howard, who'll be reprising his role as Jim Rhodes for the sequel, it starts filming next March.

This is news to director Jon Favreau (and star Robert Downey Jr, the filmmaker says) who has stated on his MySpace page just how unrealistic Marvel's plan to have the film in theaters within two years is.

''It’s been five weeks since the one and only phone call my reps have gotten from Marvel. I know their hands are full with the Hulk and I’m sure they will get into it shortly, as they tell me they intend to. I ran into the Marvel guys at the Hulk premiere and everyone sounded eager to get to work on IM2.

I am concerned, however, about the announced release date of April 2010. Neither Robert nor I were consulted about this and we are both concerned about how realistic the date is in light of the fact that we have no script, story or even writers hired yet. This genre of movie is best when it is done thoughtfully and with plenty of preparation. It might be better to follow the BB/DK, X/X2 three year release pattern than to scramble for a date. It is difficult because there are no Marvel 09 releases and they need product, but I also think we owe it to the fans to have a great version of IM2 and, at this point, we would have less time to make it than the first one.''

Favs answers more fan questions too, click here to read

So They Are Making a Live-Action Smurfs Movie!

Earlier this year we posted what were supposedly the first shots of early CGI designs for a Smurfs movie. After some nasty e-mails from people involved, it turns out that the photos had nothing to do with any movies. Alas, here we are four months later confirming news that there is actually a Smurfs movie now officially in the works at Sony. J. David Stem and David Weiss, who wrote the last two Shrek films, are in negotiations to write the screenplay. Producer Jordan Kerner actually secured the rights in 2002 and has been developing it at Paramount, however Sony has separately decided to get it into production as a hybrid live-action feature. I wonder if that post earlier this year had anything to do with it?

This will mark Sony Pictures Animation's first hybrid film, which is a live-action blend of CGI characters and real actors, as was seen with Alvin and the Chipmunks last year. Given the success of that film (an enormous $217 million at the box office), Sony decided that there was definite potential to turn the Smurfs into a similar kind of family film. "The Smurfs are one of the best-known franchises, and among the most beloved collection of characters in the world," Columbia co-president Doug Belgrad said. "We're very excited to introduce a new generation to Papa Smurf, Smurfette and the other smurftastic Smurfs in all of their 'three-apple-tall' glory."

The Smurfs, or Les Schtroumpfs as they were originally called in French, first appeared in October 1958 in the Belgian comic magazine Spirou. They were created by the Brussels-born cartoonist Pierre Culliford - better known as Peyo - and were originally mere supporting cast in his medieval Johan and Pirlouit series. (via Time) Hanna-Barbera later produced a very successful animated TV show featuring the Smurfs that aired from 1981 to 1989 for around 256 episodes.

Initially I was open to the idea of a Smurfs movie, primariy because I am very curious to see how it would turn out and I once enjoyed the TV show. However, now that I know this is being made like Alvin and the Chipmunks, I'm really no longer excited. I admit that I never even saw Alvin and the Chipmunks, but that's because I was turned off at the animation to begin with and thought it was way too childish. I would have much preferred a normal CGI version of the Smurfs. We'll see how this eventually turns out, but right now all the signs point to this being awful. I know it'll be a huge hit at the box office with the kids, but I'll pass. Does a live-action Smurfs sounds exciting to you?

First look at Nic Cage in Alex Proyas' Knowing

Just last week, FirstShowing wrote about the plot details of Knowing, the latest sci-fi thriller film from Alex Proyas. Now just a week later production has started and the first official photo has been revealed. USA Today has debuted our first unimpressive look at Nic Cage as Ted Myles, but at least it gives us a great idea of what to expect - catastrophic mayhem. As a reminder of the story, in Knowing, Cage discovers a letter buried in a time capsule outside a school. It doesn't mean anything to him until he sees the digits 911, which sets him on a course to prevent further catastrophes. Maybe Proyas will finally get back to his roots?

Both Nic Cage and Alex Proyas speak out regarding 9/11 concerns. "I know that number jumps out at people," Cage says. "But that's just a beginning point for the movie. And that doesn't mean you can't mention it. It's time for a return to dark thrillers that are relevant. We're already living in a world where up is down." As for Proyas, he gives one of the best explanations. He explains that although a film should lose its aim to entertain, "there's still a need to address what's going on in people's lives. Hopefully, we do it in a light that's a positive experience but still responsible." Amen to that!

It seems that the filmmakers involved in Knowing may be just a bit worried that the mention if 9/11 may bring up bad memories for moviegoers, but I think they're just covering themselves. What I mean is that both Cage and Proyas addressed 9/11 in the article, which is interesting because with films like United 93 and World Trade Center, I didn't think it was such a big issue anymore. Anyway, I'm looking forward to Knowing and hope that it delivers like Proyas' older films The Crow and Dark City.

Wanted Red Band Trailer

Universal Pictures has brought online a new Red Band trailer for Wanted, directed by Timur Bekmambetov and coming to theaters on June 27th. The fantasy-thriller, based on Mark Millar's graphic novel, stars James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Terence Stamp, Thomas Kretschmann, Common and Angelina Jolie.

You can watch the Red Band trailer via iTunes here!

Extended Clip From WALL•E!

Disney/Pixar has released this extended clip from WALL•E, opening in theaters on June 27. Written/directed by Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo), the animated adventure features Fred Willard, Jeff Garlin, Sigourney Weaver, John Ratzenberger, Kathy Najimy and Ben Burtt.

Teaser for Steve Martin's Pink Panther 2

Columbia Pictures has released the teaser trailer for Steve Martin's The Pink Panther 2 online. Opening February 6, 2009, the Harald Zwart-directed comedy co-stars Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer, Andy Garcia, John Cleese, Alfred Molina, Molly Sims, Aishwarya Rai and Yuki Matsuzaki. You can watch the teaser at the official site.

'Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa' Trailer Lands Online

Yahoo! Movies has the first look at the trailer for Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, and yes, all those sassy creatures that moviegoers dug to the tune of $193.5 million in the summer of 2005 are back, and this time... the penguins still seem to be stealing the show (I don't really have anything against the first movie, but the penguin-centric holiday short spin-off was itself far more amusing and, as such, has been included after the jump.)

From the look (sound?) of things, the entire voice cast is back, as lion Alex (Ben Stiller), hippo Gloria (Jada Pinkett Smith), giraffe Melman (David Schwimmer), and zebra Marty (Chris Rock) try to return home to New York City from the eponymous island on which they were last stranded. Sacha Baron Cohen also appears to be returning to his role as the nutty Julien, king of the lemurs. Those working on the production have been tight-lipped as to whether or not hijinks and/or pop culture references ensue.

With original directors Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath at the helm, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa - although they're technically already in Africa - is scheduled to open opposite the latest from James Bond and Clint Eastwood on November 7.

Wall-E's Andrew Stanton Writing John Carter of Mars Movie

The news that Pixar would be adapting Edgar Rice Burroughs' classic sci-fi series John Carter of Mars has been out since last year, but only recently has it been confirmed that Andrew Stanton is writing the adaptation. Back in October last year, Pixar confirmed that they're working on making a total of three John Carter of Mars films, with the first arriving sometime before 2012. Details have been rather sparse since then, most likely because Disney and Pixar want to keep the project a secret for the time being, but some confirmation has finally arrived. The Pixar Blog confirmed directly from Wall-E director Andrew Stanton himself that he is indeed currently writing John Carter of Mars.

There aren't too many details known yet, but this is great news for fans of Edgar Rice Burroughs' series. In addition to directing Finding Nemo and Wall-E, Stanton also wrote the screenplays for Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo, and Wall-E. While John Carter of Mars isn't exactly family friendly like all of the previous films Stanton has made, it's a wonderful opportunity for both Stanton and Pixar to branch out and explore in a new genre. The project has been in production hell for quite some time but it now seems like Pixar is the studio to finally move it into the production stage.

The first novel in series, titled The Princess of Mars, was originally published in 1917. John Carter is a red blooded American civil war hero and fighting man from Virginia. A strange incident whilst prospecting in Apache country propels him to Mars where he immediately encounters the enormous war-like green men of Mars and the planets equally alien landscapes, animals and technology. Soon Carter falls in with the red men (and their beautiful red women, including Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium, in particular) and his non-stop adventures begin.

I'm not all that familiar with the series, but others, like Hunter of SlashFilm, seem quite enthusiastic about it. Considering it's a beloved sci-fi classic and considering Pixar never goes wrong, I'm expecting this to be nothing less then extraordinary. Of course, it would help if I read a few of the books first, but considering this won't hit theaters for at least another three years, I think I've got some time. One of the most intriguing rumors surrounding this project involves whether Pixar will make this their first live action feature or whether it will be animated or whether it'll be some interesting combination of the two. However they decide to do it, I'm sure I'll end up as enthusiastic as Hunter by the time it hits theaters.

Full photo of Frank Frazetta's John Carter of Mars art (seen at the very top) can be found here. Does John Carter of Mars sound more like a Pixar movie you'd be interested in instead of Cars 2?

Official Title Revealed - Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen

Hasbro has officially announced that the title of the upcoming sequel will be Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen. In addition, they reveal that the story will focus on a key character from the first movie who makes a dramatic comeback and attempts to settle a score. Who could it be? Jazz? Megatron? Maybe both? Stars Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, and John Turturro will all reprise their original roles. Additionally, Rainn Wilson, Matthew Marsden, and Nina Dobrev have all joined the film. With just barely over a year to go until release, it's time to start building buzz for Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen!

Transformers producers Tom De Santo, Don Murphy and Lorenzo Di Bonaventura are all back again. The story for Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen was written by Transformers writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci while the screenplay was written by Ehren Kruger (The Ring, The Brothers Grimm, Blood and Chocolate). Michael Bay is currently filming and will release Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen next summer on June 26th, 2009. Now that we've got an official title, some new story details, and more buzz, how many of you are going to come out of the woodwork and profess your love for Transformers? What do all of you think of the new title?

Transformers 2 Set Photos

Photos from the rainy shoot of Transformers 2 has hit the interwebs. Looks like there was an explosion at Bethlehem Steel, and a military standoff with some big giant robots down the street. I’ve included 4 photos below, but you should head on over to TFW2005 for 63 more photos!

Wanted Pics

Universal Pictures has provided us with more photos from Wanted, opening June 27th, starring Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Common, and directed by Timur Bekmambetov. You can view the photos by clicking here! The official site for the movie has also updated with a Games Module, updated dossiers of all the characters from the film, and more.

Oliver Stone's W Teaser Poster

One of the more talked about films this year will certainly be Oliver Stone's W. As filming continues in Louisiana for a quick October release, we get our first look at some of the artwork behind the project from IONCINEMA.com. In discussing the film, Stone has often said it will be a fair portrayal of the 43rd President. Seeing this material and the many "Bush-isms" is pretty much the writing on the wall for how this will pan out. That's not to say Oliver's previous statements were wrong; portraying the facts can certainly be considered a fair account. But I imagine any hope for a positive light is quickly dwindling. Was anyone really holding their breath?

The teaser artwork can be seen below in full. We hope you get a kick out of this like we did.

It's amazing to think these remarks came out of the mouth of our President. Democrat or Republican, this is quite embarrassing. Culling all of these wacky quotes into one place definitely makes me think the W instead stands for "What!?!". I'll definitely be seeing the film and will probably enjoy it seeing as that Bush will be out and gone only a few months past its October 17th release.

W. is directed by Oliver Stone (Platoon, Wall Street, JFK, Nixon, Alexander) with a screenplay written by Stanley Weiser (Project X, Wall Street). Lionsgate recently picked up the distribution rights to W. and will be releasing it this fall before the election.

John Moore Reimagining NASA's Capricorn One

Filmmaker John Moore, of Behind Enemy Lines, Flight of the Phoenix, The Omen, and Max Payne, has been attached to direct a remake of Capricorn One. The original film is a 1978 sci-fi thriller about a group of astronauts who were supposed to be sent on NASA's first manned mission to Mars. When their rocket's life support fails last minute, NASA pulls them and the ship is launched unmanned, but NASA requires them to fake the landing and stay in hiding to prevent public humiliation. Elliott Gould and James Brolin starred in the original. Moore's version is described as an updated, reimagining written by Eragon and Jurassic Park III writer Peter Buchman. Not much more is known, but it sounds like a fun project.

Although I'm not at all familiar with the original film, I usually take an interest in anything sci-fi given my love for the genre. The premise sounds promising and I'm curious whether Moore will be better at sci-fi than anything else. So far he's been rather mediocre when it comes to war (Behind Enemy Lines), action (Flight of the Phoenix), and horror (The Omen). Hopefully he didn't get caught up in the video game movie stigma with Max Payne either. The idea sounds so cool that I want this to be good, but right now I'm just not sold on Moore. He needs to really show me he is actually capable of making something entertaining. Until then, I'll wait and hope that he learns some tips from Ridley Scott.

Source: FirstShowing.net

Sci-Fi Viking Flick Outlander Gets a Slick Poster

So get this - two aliens crash on Earth during the time of the Vikings. One is a human-like creature with good intentions who helps the Vikings. The other is a nasty alien creature who wants to kill them. That is Outlander. This reminds me of Dragon Wars, in the sense that it is some sort of odd creature flick that no one really knows about but sounds pretty awesome. It also reminds me of Pathfinder, which was the biggest pile of crap I've ever seen. Thankfully early reports from Cannes confirm that this is definitely better than both of those. Courtesy of STYD we've got our first look at the poster for Outlander. I wish we had a trailer, but alas, The Weinstein Company is holding this one hostage.

Other than James Caviezel, who plays the human alien named Kainan, John Hurt, Ron Perlman, Jack Huston, and cutie Sophia Myles all star as Vikings. The film apparently showed up in the film market at Cannes, where a few people happened to catch some screenings of it. Fightfest said it was an "absolute joy to watch," adding that "there's gore aplenty, the thrills are many and the CGI monster is pretty good too." That's all the convincing I need to add this to my list of films to check out!

During the reign of the Vikings, Kainan (James Caviezel), a man from a far-off world, crash lands on Earth, bringing with him an alien predator known as the Moorwen. Though both man and monster are seeking revenge for violence committed against them, Kainan leads the alliance to kill the Moorwen by fusing his advanced technology with the Viking's Iron Age weaponry.

The Weinstein Company has the domestic distribution rights to Outlander, but currently is keeping it hidden under their bed. In fact, I hadn't even ever heard about it until today. The film is directed and co-written by up-and-coming filmmaker Howard McCain, of The Unspeakable previously. There's a website for the film that can be found right here, which includes a plethora of photos as well as all the information you could ever need. Hopefully these minor mentions here (and on SlashFilm) will kick start the buzz on this creature feature, because I definitely want to kick back and enjoy some sci-fi Viking mayhem

Ryu and Ken out of Street Fighter: Legend of Chun-Li

The boys over at the “Streetfighter: Legend of Chun Li” movie blog has updated the blog once again, this time addressing questions sent in by fans about the upcoming movie. The first big question they tackled was the appearance (or lack thereof) of Ryu and Ken. The answer, alas, is that No, neither men will be showing up. At least, not in this first movie. They’re hinting that they might show up later, if sequels are warranted.

The other question concerns the movie’s tone and those silly came costumes. Here’s what the blog had to say:

I’m pleased to say we are certainly not going for camp or cheese or any kind of laughs. A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into the making of this film, and, you’re gonna see a lot of those ON film as well.

Now, as a result of this approach, it’d be silly to put Neal McDonough’s Bison in a bright red suit and captain’s hat with a pair of humongous shoulder pads. It works great in the video game, but in real life, it just wouldn’t look intimidating. The same can be said for Balrog. He’s an enforcer. A killer. A take-no-shit brawler to the core. And so, how scary would he be on screen if he beat people up with boxing gloves and a pair of blue short-shorts?

They also have a link to Joblo.com, where they have an interview with “Streetfighter” scribe Justin Marks.

And oh, one last thing, the blog mentions that Chun Li (Kristin Kreuk) does, eventually, sport buns in her hair at one point. Happy now?

Lionsgate packs up 'Transporter'

Lionsgate has spirited away domestic and Canadian rights to the third “Transporter” movie starring Jason Statham (“Crank”).

Actioner also stars Robert Knepper (“Prison Break”) and returning cast member Francois Berleand (“Place Vendome”). Principal photography in France and Russia wrapped in early May, and the movie is in post-production.

Helmed by Olivier Megaton (“The Red Siren”), pic was scripted by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen and produced jointly by Besson’s EuropaCorp, TF1 Films Prods., Grive Prods. and Apipoulai Production, in association with Current Entertainment.

Lionsgate has announced a Thanksgiving release, with Canada’s Maple Pictures distributing in the Great White North. Lionsgate’s Jason Constantine, acquisition veep Eda Kowan and legal exec VP Wendy Jaffe negotiated the deal with Le Pogam on behalf of the producers.

Combined worldwide box office for the franchise thus far exceeds $130 million.

Alfred Molina and Ben Kingsley Join Prince of Persia!

Finally we're getting some solid casting confirmations for Prince of Persia! A couple of weeks ago we announced that Jake Gyllenhaal and Gemma Arterton had been cast as the two leads in the film. Confirmed today, both Alfred Molina and Ben Kingsley will join the cast as well. Molina will play Sheik Amar, who becomes a mentor to the prince, and Kingsley's role hasn't yet been revealed yet but we can guess that it's probably the Vizier, the main villain in the film. Jerry Bruckheimer is producing and Mike Newell is directing this video game adaptation, with filming slated to begin in July in Morocco and England.

In the fantasy adventure, Jake Gyllenhaal will play Dastan, a young prince in 6th century Persia who must join forces with Tamina (Gemma Arterton), a feisty and exotic princess, to prevent a villainous nobleman from possessing the Sands of Time, a gift from the gods that can reverse time and allow its possessor to rule the world.

I think this is actually great news. I don't necessarily believe that Gyllenhaal is the perfect choice, but I think the addition of Molina and Kingsley means that this could possibly be incredible. Bruckheimer is smart enough to realize that by bringing names like this on, it could really have the potential to break the bad video game movie mold. And both Molina and Kingsley are incredibly strong actors who should bring a definite depth to the film. This is one of the few upcoming blockbusters that I'm genuinely very excited for and interested in and will be following very closely. Is Prince of Persia starting to sound better?

New Hancock Clip Revealed

Smith appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and showed this new Hancock clip that gives away a spoiler about his character in the film, opening in theaters on July 2nd.

Photos from Pixar’s WALL-E + New Wall-E's Love is in the Air Video!

Disney has provided /Film with some images from Pixar’s WALL-E. You might recognize some of these images, as a couple leaked onto the interwebs last month in a low res.

For more WALL-E photos, click here

Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are Reshooting All June!

Despite all of the fuss that we (and everyone else) made in February when news hit that Spike Jonze's adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are was being entirely reshot, our worst nightmares have been realized. Bloody Disgusting reports that Warner Brothers will start reshooting Where the Wild Things Are on June 5th and will work all the way through June 30th. A full 25 days of reshoots is not a good sign for this film. We originally reported that the film was "too weird" and "too scary" for Warner Brothers' taste and was being taken out of Jonze's hands in order to be made they way the execs want it.

Since we first posted the news in February, I've heard various reports both confirming and denying the rumors. I most recently heard that while Warner Brothers is a bit upset, Spike Jonze is still involved and is putting the finishing touches on his creation. Now we get this news from Bloody Disgusting that seems to say the project is headed in the entire opposite direction. They say that "it is unclear how much is being reshot, but there are new casting calls out for various stand-in roles." While it wouldn't be right to start guessing what this means exactly, it at least seems clear that Warner Brothers is reworking this and won't be leaving it the way it was originally shot by Jonze.

On a related note, Kim Voynar at Cinematical recently caught up with Tom Noonan at Cannes, who voices one of the wild things, and questioned him on all things Where the Wild Things Are. Noonan spoke briefly about the involvement of the book's author Maurice Sendak, saying he "was involved. We'd do these video conferences with him where he'd be like, 'if you can't be children, don't be in the fucking movie.' He'd say, 'I want to see children. I don't know any adults who are able to be children,' and he'd give us these pep talks where he'd say, 'don't do what you always do, do what you've always needed to do." I'm not exactly sure what to make of that, but it's good to hear Sendak is involved and is pushing strongly to maintain the original vision of the book.

It's my understanding that Where the Wild Things Are is being edited to be more family friendly. If I may take a moment to warn Warner Brothers - you've got another Speed Racer on your hands! I love Warner Brothers and usually praise them for their marketing efforts, but if you recall, Speed Racer was one of the few times where they screwed up. The studio made a brilliant decision in choosing Spike Jonze to direct the adaptation, but is ruining the film that he created all because they want this to be a kids movie! At this point, everyone knows that it would do much, much better if it was just released the way Jonze intended it to be seen, because if they start messing with the balance between appealing to kids and genius filmmaking, it's guaranteed to flop.

Let's hope these reshoots aren't part of a new plan to completely redo most of the movie. Our original report said that Warner Brothers wasn't happy with Max Records, the kid actor playing Max, and that they didn't like the tone and wanted to all the way back to the script for revisions. I'm fearing for the worst and guessing that this means the execs have finally worked things out the way they want and are now reshooting it in order to actually get the footage they need to make it family friendly. Considering the release date is still set for 2009, I'm guessing they're expecting us to forget about all of this in 16 months time. And from what I can tell, they'll regret this decision 16 months from now when the film flops.

Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. in The Soloist

How many of you saw Resurrecting the Champ last year? In the film, a struggling newspaper journalist comes across a homeless man who claims to be a famous boxer. He writes an article about him and finally gets his break. The story in Joe Wright's The Soloist is similar, but about a cellist instead. In this film, Jamie Foxx plays Nathaniel Ayers, a musical prodigy who developed schizophrenia during his second year at The Juilliard School. Ayers became homeless and played the cello and violin in downtown Los Angeles before being discovered by LA Times journalist Steve Lopez, played by Robert Downey Jr, who wrote a few articles about Ayers. USA Today has our first look at the two in the film that arrives this December.

It might be appropriate to call The Soloist this year's Pursuit of Happyness. Both films were released in November and are about the struggles of a homeless genius. However, The Soloist seems much more like an emotional combination of Dreamgirls and Pursuit of Happyness than anything else. The film is being directed by Joe Wright, of Atonement and Pride & Prejudice previously. If you saw Atonement last year, you know Joe Wright can definitely direct. Maybe this will finally be his chance for Oscar glory?

If you're curious, you can read Steve Lopez's actual articles written about Nathaniel Ayers over on LATimes.com. A few photos from the set of The Soloist hit back in February as well. DreamWorks is releasing The Soloist on November 21st later this year. Stay tuned for the first trailer and more coverage on this film as we near the release date.

Source: FirstShowing.net

New Lost Boys Images Online

Warner has released some images showing some of the main characters, Corey (Frog) Feldman, Tad Hilgenbrink, Angus Sutherland and Autumn Reeser.

What you guys about this?
It says NOTHING to me...

Universal Studios In Flames

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hundreds of firefighters are battling a large blaze that broke out on Sunday on a back lot at Universal Studios, site of movie and television production, a spokesman for a neighboring fire department said.

Burbank firefighter David Ortiz said that about 200 firefighters and two helicopters had been deployed to assist the Los Angeles County Fire Department. No injuries were reported.

A spokesman for the L.A. County Fire Department was not immediately available, but Capt. Frank Reynoso told CNN that at least one explosion had been heard at the scene.

Universal Studios, operated by NBC Universal Inc, is a unit of General Electric Co.

Universal Studios Hollywood spans hundreds of acres and includes a theme park and a working movie and television back lot.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Photos

Remarkably we're in the thick of the summer only five months away from the theatrical arrival of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and we haven't seen any official photos or a teaser trailer or poster or anything. I'm sure that will all change as we near the release date and the buzz begins to pick up, but for now we've got the only three photos available for the sixth installment of the Harry Potter series. Director David Yates, of Order of the Phoenix, returns to direct this film as well. I won't attempt to try and decipher when or where these scenes depicted below take place to save any of you from being spoiled. However, we most certainly hope you enjoy our first glimpse at the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Update: We've added four more photos that were officially released from Warner Brothers.

Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort's defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information.

Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas. And Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hadn't counted on Romilda Vane's chocolates! And then there's Hermione, simpering with jealously but determined not to show her feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is again directed by David Yates, of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix previously, and written by Steve Kloves, who also wrote Sorcerer's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, and Goblet of Fire but NOT Order of the Phoenix. The film currently arrives in theaters on November 21st.

Source: FirstShowing.net