New Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li Set photos

A handful of new photos from the set of Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li have just been posted on the Legend Films website. Not only do we get to see additional photos of Kristin Kreuk as Chun-Li, but we get our first look at Michael Clarke Duncan as Balrog and a few of the locations they're shooting at.
There's not enough in these photos to actually start making judgments about the direction of this movie, because looking at these alone makes me think it could be pretty good. My only hesitation is with Michael Clarke Duncan, but maybe it's just a bad photo. Thoughts?

We've posted six of the photos below, but you can take a look at a few more over on the official website. These photos look pretty cool, but that's probably just because the filmmaking process is mesmerizing. However, I don't think any of these are going to convince anyone that Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li could actually turn out good? I'm still crossing my fingers, though…

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li is being directed by ex-cinematographer Andrzej Bartkowiak, of Romeo Must Die, Exit Wounds, Cradle 2 the Grave, and Doom. The script for this was penned by up-and-coming screenwriter Justin Marks, who also penned screenplays for Masters of the Universe and Voltron. Hong Kong fight choreographer Dion Lam, who previously worked on The Matrix Trilogy, Spider-Man 2, and all of Bartkowiak's previous films, is handling the fight sequences. Fox currently has Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li set to arrive in theaters on February 27th, 2009.

Source: FirstShowing

Disney's The Princess and the Frog Teaser

Disney has unveiled a short but sweet teaser trailer for their upcoming hand-animated feature The Princess and the Frog. As wonderful as this short teaser looks, the movie won't hit theaters until December of 2009, so we've got a while to wait. Not only does the animation look fantastic yet again, but the song is incredibly catchy too. And did they just poke fun at the Louie the Lightning Bug?! Or I think maybe the lightning bug character is part of the whole thing anyway. Either way, this looks truly wonderful, despite being 17 months away from release. This is really like watching a teaser for James Cameron's Avatar and being told we have to wait another 12 months to see anything else! Why do you torment us Disney?



A musical set in the legendary birthplace of jazz - New Orleans - The Princess and the Frog will introduce the newest Disney princess, Tiana (voiced by Anika Noni Rose), a young African-American girl living amid the charming elegance and grandeur of the fabled French Quarter. From the heart of Louisiana's mystical bayous and the banks of the mighty Mississippi comes an unforgettable tale of love, enchantment and discovery with a soulful singing crocodile, voodoo spells and Cajun charm at every turn.

The Princess and the Frog is co-directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, whom previously worked together to bring us the Disney classics Aladdin, Hercules, and Treasure Planet. The script for the film was also written by Clements and Musker as well as other Disney regulars. Disney's The Princess and the Frog is currently set for release on Christmas Day, December 25th, 2009.

Source: FirstShowing.net

The Fallen Will Show Up in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen?!

MTV talked to IDW Publishing, which is working on a five-part prequel miniseries to Michael Bay's Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen titled "Transformers: Destiny" that will bridge the gap between the first and second movie. What IDW Publishing says confirms the rumor that "The Fallen" in the title is indeed the villain:

"[We're going to] explore the background of The Fallen — the main villain of the movie — as well as expand on the 'Reign of Starscream' story that we're doing and tie everything in to what this next movie is going to be," explained writer Chris Mowry, who partners on the book with artist Alex Milne. "The next movie starts out with just tons of action and there’s obviously going to be a lot of questions, so we’re hoping to answer some of those beforehand."

Warner Brothers Developing Marvin the Martian Movie

What have we done to deserve this?! Warner Brothers is officially developing a Marvin the Martian movie as a family feature along the same lines as Racing Stripes or My Dog Skip. The film will be a blend of live action and CGI, similar to something like Alvin and the Chipmunks, I imagine. The story focuses on Marvin coming to Earth to destroy Christmas but he is stopped from doing so when he is trapped in a gift box. Unfortunately I don't think Bugs Bunny is going to have anything to do with this. Is it just me, or is this a little bit of a wacky decision for them? I don't even think I know anyone who loves Marvin the Martian? Do we really need an entire movie? Please tell me they know what they're doing!

Marvin was created by Chuck Jones and made his first appearance in a Looney Tunes cartoon in 1948. No other writer or director has been hired yet, although the studio is currently searching for suitable choices. Whenever I hear about projects like this, I think of Jim Carrey's How the Grinch Stole Christmas, one of my all-time most hated movies. I can't stand how frickin' awful that movie was and although I know Marvin the Martian has absolutely nothing to do with the Grinch, it's just that similar family film feeling that gets under my skin. This movie could potentially go down that path, too, with the Christmas aspect already in place, so let's just hope they don't screw it up. Is anyone excited by this announcement?!

I Am Legend Prequel on the way...

Director Francis Lawrence revealed at Comic-Con this past weekend that he is, in fact, thinking seriously on a prequel to the Will Smith vehicle that collected nearly $580 million worldwide. The inexperienced movie director - Lawrence scored pretty big with I Am Legend, having only Constantine and a slew of pop-music videos under this belt — said of the prospect, "Yes, yes, absolutely, we're actually trying to crack that. We're trying to figure out some ideas for it."In my mind, this is some pretty cool news. I definitely count Legend among the better movies in my collection, due equally to the storyline and Smith's performance. The abandoned shots of New York City and the genre-bending monsters is simply some kickass subject matter. If Lawrence can take us back a bit and color in the events and virus that led up the 2007 film, that will be fantastic. He feels pretty confident that Smith will return as Dr. Robert Neville, as well, which pretty much completes the financial equation. Smith seems assured box office gold, evidenced recently by the $380+ million worldwide earned on Hancock already, despite a lacking 38% on Rotten Tomatoes.

It seems Lawrence and crew might even have a head start on particular aspects of the prequel, given their build-up to the first movie. "In the prequel, it's slightly different because it's earlier. We were three years later so we did a lot of research into the way nature would have sort of overtaken the city, with the cracks in the streets and the weeds." And even though the director brushes off the concern, I'd still be crazy worried about shutting down parts of one of the busiest cities in the world; that feat, after all, is big part of what makes Legend so compelling. "The first time you got out there and shut down 6th Avenue, it's like, 'How are we going to do this day after day after day?' but by the end, it's just like you know how to do it. You got the P.A.'s who know how to shut it down, how to let the traffic through in between set-ups and you just sort of get the routine down, so that's not the issue."

We'll definitely keep an eye on this project and bring you the latest developments. However, as with my circle of friends, I've encountered really mixed opinions of I Am Legend. Are you interested in a prequel?

Source:Shock Till You Drop, FirstShowing.net

George Lucas Talks Fifth Indiana Jones

With Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull having earned a massive $743.7 million worldwide (#27 on the all-time worldwide list), The Sunday Times asked George Lucas if he, Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford would be up for a fifth film:

"We were hoping for box-office figures like that, which is, ultimately, with inflation, what the others have done, within 10%," Lucas explains. "So, we squeaked up there. Really, though, it was a challenge getting the story together and getting everybody to agree on it. Indiana Jones only becomes complicated when you have another two people saying 'I want it this way' and 'I want it that way', whereas, when I first did Jones, I just said, 'We'll do it this way' — and that was much easier. But now I have to accommodate everybody, because they are all big, successful guys, too, so it's a little hard on a practical level.

"If I can come up with another idea that they like, we'll do another. Really, with the last one, Steven wasn't that enthusiastic. I was trying to persuade him. But now Steve is more amenable to doing another one. Yet we still have the issues about the direction we'd like to take. I'm in the future; Steven's in the past. He's trying to drag it back to the way they were, I'm trying to push it to a whole different place. So, still we have a sort of tension. This recent one came out of that. It's kind of a hybrid of our own two ideas, so we'll see where we are able to take the next one."

One suggestion? A shorter title! Check out the full interview at the link above

The Dark Knight > $314.2M in 10 Days!

Warner Bros. Pictures' The Dark Knight earned an estimated $75.6 million from 4,366 theaters in its second weekend, surpassing Shrek 2's $72.2 million for biggest second weekend ever. Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins follow-up has reached $314.2 million in just 10 days, another record. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest held the previous record in the amount of days it took to cross the $300 million mark - it needed 16 days to do so. On Monday, The Dark Knight will surpass Iron Man and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull to become the biggest movie of 2008 domestically. It is already up to #23 on the all-time domestic blockbuster list and has a good shot at surpassing Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope's $460.998 million (not counting inflation) to become the second-biggest domestic earner of all-time, trailing only Titanic's $600.788 million. The Dark Knight, budgeted at $185 million, stars Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman.

Source: ComingSoon.net

Eight Watchmen Posters from Comic-Con 08!

I'm not sure whether these are official posters or not, but I expect Warner Brothers to be debuting a lot more different posters over the next few months anyway, so stay tuned for more! Thoughts on these eight?

Watchmen is directed by Zack Snyder (of Dawn of the Dead and 300) and written by David Hayter (The Scorpion King, X-Men, X-Men 2) and Alex Tse. The movie arrives in theaters everywhere on March 6th, 2009.

Peter Berg brings back hercules

When you've made a very modern tale of a troubled man struggling to live with his super powers, what's left but to tackle a mythical yet tormented Greek hero? Peter Berg, who directed Will Smith to box office success in Hancock, will reboot one ot the original superheroes, Hercules, according to Variety.

Hercules is a character that has been around for ages, but has only recently been seen again in this new comic book series published in May through Radical Publishing. As you can see from the publisher's official website, this comic has a much different story than the Hercules we're all familiar with. Either way, it looks like a very brutal and bloody comic that I hope can be adapted with as much intensity as the comic. I really was not impressed with Berg's Hancock, but I blame the script, because I otherwise enjoyed The Kingdom quite a bit. I will say that Hercules, whether adapted from this comic or otherwise, is not a character that I'm the least bit excited to see return to the big screen. I'd rather watch the 1981 Clash of the Titans or even Disney's animated 1997 Hercules than see Berg try and bring a PG-13 live-action Hercules back to life.

Lakeview Terrace Poster

Cinematical received this poster for Lakeview Terrace, starring Samuel L. Jackson, Kerry Washington, and Patrick Wilson.

Jackson plays one of the creepiest types of bad guys -- a cop who can't be stopped. While a neighborhood like Lakeview Terrace sounds great and all, it becomes anything but when an interracial couple (Washington and Wilson) move next door to Jackson's racist cop. The man in blue starts off subtly -- an annoying light here, an awkward scare there, and then goes into full-on creepy neighbor to get the couple to hit the road. But Wilson will have none of that and crazily decides to take on the imbalanced cop.

Monsters Vs Aliens Promo Cards

Dreamworks Animation has released eight promotional trading cards showcasing the creatures and characters of their upcoming 3D computer animated film Monsters vs. Aliens.

I haven’t been that impressed by Dreamworks Animation unless it has had the word KungFu Panda in the title, so I don’t instantly get butterflies in my stomach when I hear they are working on something new.

There is a big difference between a Kid’s Movie and a Family friendly movie and studios like Pixar have nailed that formula to the wall! Dreamworks tends to lean a little more to one side or the other, and this one looks to be leaning towards Kid.

The characters look silly, but its animation. I don’t think they were going for “gritty real” here. And there is little to differentiate what makes a monster and what makes an alien. Are monsters just alien types that live on earth? Some predictable “we are all different in our own special way” type moral will be tagged on here.

This is just a first glimpse for me, so maybe my opinion will change, but for a first impression all I can say is that it made me chuckle that the President looks like Ronnie Regan. The voice cast looks pretty impressive too, but that is expected.

You can see an enbiggened look at the cards by Going Here.

What do you expect from this????

'Yes Man'... Its a Trailer

I know Jim Carrey's track record has a few blemishes on it, but I have a good feeling about this one. Yes Man has a simple premise -- a no-fun, take-no-chances guy decides to say yes to everything for a year -- and the trailer feels like the ol' Jim we fell in love with back in the '90s.

Plus, the director is Peyton Reed, who will always hold a place in many people's hearts for Bring It On and the under-appreciated Down with Love. Maybe he can keep Carrey's more buffoonish tendencies in check?

We'll find out when the film is released on Dec. 19. In the meantime, watch the trailer and let us know what you think. Can the premise work? Will it wind up being overly wacky or too cartoonish? Do you agree that Zooey Deschanel should appear in more movies?

The Dark Knight #1 movie of all time

Not only The Dark Knight beat Spider-Man 3's opening weekend box office total, but the public has currently ranked it the #1 movie of all time. Well, unofficially, 46,915 people have ranked the film 9.5 on IMDb. This is very impressive! Actually, this is beyond impressive, this is truly phenomenal. A lot of people believe that IMDb's Top 250 is one of the most accurate lists ranking the greatest films in history. It's far superior to AFI's Top 100 and is based on the popular public opinion instead of snobby critics. If anything, The Dark Knight is one of the only movies in the last few years that really deserves to be that high up on the list.

Do you think TDK deserves this position?

The Dark Knight Breaks Opening Weekend Record!

Warner Bros. Pictures' The Dark Knight has earned $155.34 million to top Spider-Man 3 for best opening weekend at the box office. The weekend estimates show Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins follow-up more than $4 million ahead of the $151.1 million first weekend for Spider-Man 3 in May of 2007. The Dark Knight has also broken Spider-Man 3's record ($4.7 million) for best debut in IMAX theaters with $6.2 million in 94 locations. Budgeted at $180 million, the film opened in a record 4,366 theaters nationwide and broke the new single and opening day records on Friday with $67.85 million. Spider-Man 3 previously held those records with $59.8 million. Internationally, The Dark Knight added $40 million in 20 countries where it began opening Wednesday. The Dark Knight stars Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman.

Debuting in second place, Universal Pictures' Mamma Mia! earned $27.6 million from 2,976 theaters, for an average of $9,275. Starring Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Julie Walters, Dominic Cooper, Amanda Seyfried and Christine Baranski, the adaptation of the ABBA musical was made for $52 million.

In third place, Will Smith's Hancock added $14 million its third weekend to push its total to $191.5 million. Co-starring Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman and Eddie Marsan, the Columbia Pictures release cost about $150 million to make.

Fourth place belonged to the Warner Bros./New Line family adventure Journey to the Center of the Earth, which dropped a decent 43.3% in ticket sales, earning $11.9 million in its second weekend. Produced for $60 million, the Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson and Anita Briem-starrer is up to $43.1 million.

Rounding out the top five, Universal's Hellboy II: The Golden Army lost a disturbing 70.9% of its first weekend sales, making $10 million. Written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, the sequel has earned $56.4 million compared to its budget of $85 million.

Disney/Pixar's WALL•E took in $9.8 million in its fourth weekend and has collected $182.5 million to date. The Andrew Stanton film was made for about $180 million.

Newcomer Space Chimps opened in the seventh spot with $7.4 million from 2,511 theaters. Fox's animated film averaged $2,927 per theater.

Universal's Wanted and Warner Bros.' Get Smart placed eighth and ninth, making $5.1 million and $4.1 million, respectively. The former has earned $123.3 million and the latter $119.6 million.

Hollywood set an overall revenue record of $253 million for a three-day weekend, beating the $218.4 million haul over the weekend of July 7, 2006.

Source: ComingSoon.net

Star Trek Character and Collage Poster

Holy crap Sylar is rockin the Spock mojo!

You can see bigger versions and more of these over at TrekMovie.Com

John Woo fires off 'Caliber'

Filmmaker John Woo has been hired to direct an adaptation of the upcoming comic book Caliber that will debut next week at Comic-Con. The comic story sets King Arthur and his knights as 19th century gunslingers in the Pacific Northwest. Apparently this one necessarily be Woo's next film, since he's finish up work on his two-part epic Red Cliff and has other projects lined up afterwards, including a film titled 1949. Woo has been criticized quite a bit here on the site, as he's one of the few directors who I genuinely hate. This project sounds like one of the worst he's planning to take on, similar to Paycheck, another disastrous film that he directed. Does anyone think Caliber could be any good?

There's not much out there on this Caliber comic yet and that's because Radical Comics is launching the first issue at Comic-Con. So the comic has no buzz, a terrible concept, and they just brought on one of the worst action directors still working today - this sounds destined to be an instant flop. I'm already predicting, four or five years out, that this is going no where at all. American audiences really don't want to see the King Arthur legend told as a 19th century western, especially after The Dark Knight changes the way everyone looks at comic book movies. I really hope John Woo retires much sooner than later, because I don't want him making flops like this anymore and wasting my time. However, you're more than welcome to read up on the comic over at the publisher's official website: radicalcomics.com.

Source: FirstShowing.net

Pitt and DiCaprio for Inglorious Bastards

Tarantino has been shopping around for someone to pay for his Inglorious Bastards, and now that he has had some promising sit downs with one potential star and plans on another bigger star, the guys with the cash are lining up.

ComingSoon says:

The director met with Brad Pitt in France on Tuesday to talk about the possibility of Pitt playing the key role of Aldo Raine. Tarantino also plans to meet with Leonardo DiCaprio for another lead role, that of Hans Landa, on Thursday.

Now I really like Brad Pitt, so I am game for just about anything he is in. But that statement goes DOUBLY strong when DiCaprio is involved.

This gets me interested in this film, and I am already tired of Tarantino, and I have no idea what this movie is about having never been exposed to the material. So getting these guys involved might have the same effect on others who don’t list Tarantino as their cup of tea.

Quantum of Solace teaser Poster

Sony has officially released a new teaser poster for Quantum of Solace that you'll find on the wall in your local theater this weekend when you go see The Dark Knight.

This photo is a little low res, but we're working on getting a higher res version for you soon enough. And if you want to watch this whole thing progress, you can see Craig walk up in the trailer . How many are excited for James Bond's return this November?

Quantum of Solace is directed by Marc Forster, of Monster's Ball, Finding Neverland, Stranger Than Fiction, and The Kite Runner previously. The screenplay was penned by both Robert Wade (Die Another Day, Johnny English, Casino Royale) and Paul Haggis (Crash, Million Dollar Baby, Flags of Our Fathers, Casino Royale). This is the 22nd Bond film in the series that first began back in 1962 with Dr. No. Sony Pictures will be releasing Quantum of Solace in theaters on November 7th this year.

Will Ferrell to Star in Two Face

Will Ferrell is in talks to star in Two Face (also called 2-Face), a split-personality dramedy in which he’ll play one-part boisterous liberal and one-part racist. We imagine Ferrell sitting in a puffy chair enjoying a small cup of Chai tea, a craft of sweet tea and watching CNN and Fox News simultaneously. A riot!

No director is attached, but the script was written by Vince Gilligan, who scribed Hancock but also created and writes the AMC series Breaking Bad, currently one of the radder shows on TV. Ferrell’s interest in the script goes back sometime, and we’re expecting a nice bookend to Stranger Than Fiction rather than his 50th lesson in wrestling bears/John C. Reilly and belching. Ferrell recently signed to star as Watson in Sherlock Holmes for producer Judd “Attila of Comedy” Apatow, opposite the Borat guy.

Body of Lies Trailer

The international trailer for Body of Lies has just arrived online, and the combo of Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio is enticing to say the least. Based on the novel by David Ignatius (and scripted by The Departed's William Monahan), Body of Lies tells of a former journalist (DiCaprio) who's hired by the CIA to track down an Al Qaeda leader in Jordan. The film was directed by Ridley Scott.

The Dark Knight: HBO First Look Online

The HBO First Look special on The Dark Knight has made its way onto YouTube in two parts that you can watch below, where you will also find a new car chase clip from MTV. The Batman Begins follow-up opens in theaters and IMAX on July 18!

Two More Burn After Reading Posters

They're not exactly terrible, but they're also not exactly anything amazing. As for the film itself, it's definitely one of the big ones that I'm looking forward to seeing. I'm certain that it will show at the Toronto International Film Festival .

Click the images below for High Resolution versions.

Burn After Reading is both written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, the directing duo behind Fargo, The Big Lebowski, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and most recently the Oscar winning No Country for Old Men. After debuting at the Venice International Film Festival, Focus Features will be releasing the film domestically in the US. Burn After Reading arrives in theaters on September 12th.

'Hellboy' tops 'Hancock' at box office

It was boom or bust at the Friday box office.

Universal's "Hellboy II: The Golden Army", directed by filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, grossed an estimated $13.8 million from 3,204 runs on Friday to win the day on the strength of males and an aggressive marketing campaign.

The critically acclaimed “Golden Army,” which should win the weekend and open north of $30 million, outpaced the $8.6 million earned by del Toro’s 2004 “Hellboy” on its first Friday.

At the other end of the spectrum, Eddie Murphy’s family comedy “Meet Dave” couldn’t rally much interest at all, grossing an estimated $1.7 million from 3,011 runs for New Regency and 20th Century Fox. It’s the worst debut for a Murphy pic since the ill-fated “Adventures of Pluto Nash,” which grossed $727,870 on its opening day in 2002. “Meet Dave” placed No. 7 on Friday.

The weekend’s third new wide release, New Line and Walden Media’s family action-adventure “Journey to the Center of the Earth” in 3-D did a pleasant $6.7 million from 2,390 screens, of which 854 are digital 3-D screens. “Journey,” released by Warner Bros.,placed No. 3 for the day behind “Hellboy” and Sony holdover “Hancock.”

Interestingly, both “Hellboy” and “Meet Dave” received the same CinemaScore—a B. “Journey” did better, earning an A-.

Will Smith tentpole “Hancock” declined just 44% in its second Friday to an estimated $10.4 million from 3,965 runs for a cume of roughly $142.4 million.

Disney-Pixar’s “Wall-E” continued to play well, grossing an estimated $5.6 million on Friday for a cume of nearly $150 million, or $149.9 million.

Trailer Howard McCain's Outlander

This looks a lot better than I was expecting and watching it leaves me pumped up for some action. It looks like a combination of Pitch Black, Pathfinder, and The 13th Warrior, with James Caviezel leading the way. I don't know if this is ever going to show up in theaters, but I'll be anxiously awaiting it if it does. Vikings and aliens - what more could you ask for?

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.

Outlander is directed and co-written by up-and-coming filmmaker Howard McCain, of The Unspeakable previously. Dirk Blackman also helped write the script with McCain. 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. The Weinstein Company has the distributions rights to Outlander, but hasn't set a release date yet, although we can expect it by the end of 2008.

AVATAR Aliens Look Like….Thundercats?

The New T-shirt from the set of James Cameron's Avatar gives a first look at a silhouette of the Na'vi, which inhabit the exotic planet that an ex-Marine travels to in an effort to settle and exploit. The ex-Marine eventually crosses over to lead the indigenous race in a battle for survival.

The film, opening December 18, 2009, stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Peter Mensah, Laz Alonso, Wes Studi, Stephen Lang and Matt Gerald.


Click the image below to view the full T-shirt design!

What do you think??

So Where are the Wild Things?

Warner Bros. Pictures this week took director Spike Jonze's big screen adaptation Where the Wild Things Are off of its release schedule after it was previously pushed back to a fall of 2009 release. So what's the official word? The Los Angeles Times talked to Warner Bros. chief Alan Horn, who said:

"We've given him more money and, even more importantly, more time for him to work on the film," Horn said. "We'd like to find a common ground that represents Spike's vision but still offers a film that really delivers for a broad-based audience. We obviously still have a challenge on our hands. But I wouldn't call it a problem, simply a challenge. No one wants to turn this into a bland, sanitized studio movie. This is a very special piece of material and we're just trying to get it right."

The adventure follows the adventures of Max, a head-strong young boy who leaves home after having a fight with his mother -- only to find himself in a mysterious forest bordering a vast sea. Misunderstood and rebellious, Max sets sail to the land of the Wild Things, where mischief reigns. Catherine Keener, Benicio Del Toro, Forest Whitaker, Lauren Ambrose, Catherine O'Hara, Tom Noonan, Michael Berry and James Gandolfini star.

Click here for more on this.

New Badass Max Payne Promo Photos!

These are definitely a sweet compliment to the trailer yesterday and should hold us over until the marketing machine really picks up again. In case you didn't know (and who doesn't?!), Max Payne is an adaptation of a very popular video game franchise. These photos are a true homage to the visual style from the game and definitely look great. Although they're not as impressive as the trailer itself, I definitely suggest any and all Max Payne fans take a look at these. Hope you guys enjoy these photos!

Vishal mentioned that these photos are from the official website but haven't actually been released just yet - so take a look at them now before they get removed. They'll eventually be added in higher resolution at some point in the future, but for now these should hold you over. Badass?

Max Payne is directed by Irish filmmaker John Moore, of Behind Enemy Lines, Flight of the Phoenix, and The Omen previously, with a screenplay written by first-time writer Beau Thorne. The film is based on the popular Max Payne series of third-person-shooter video games that first arrived in 2001. Fox is debuting Max Payne in theaters on October 17th just before Halloween. I'll be there!

Robert Downey Jr. is Sherlock Holmes!

Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) is set to star in Sherlock Holmes, the drama that Guy Ritchie will direct for Warner Bros. Pictures, says Variety.

Downey has committed to the film, which begins shooting in October, after Ritchie turned in a polish of the latest version of the script, written by Anthony Peckham.

Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram, Susan Downey and Dan Lin are producing.

The trade says that Sherlock Holmes will take advantage of Downey Jr.'s physical skills as the character displays brawn as well as brains.

The basis for the film is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic tales, but also the comic book "Sherlock Holmes."

With Downey aboard, the film will go into production before a comedy that just coalesced at Columbia Pictures, with Sacha Baron Cohen playing Holmes, and Will Ferrell playing his crime-fighting partner Dr. Watson.

Russian Poster for Babylon A.D.

Those Russians always seem to get the best shit! If you need a reminder, Babylon A.D. is the badass French sci-fi film starring Vin Diesel (in case you couldn't tell that was him on the poster). First Showing shared recently a few awesome trailers and now we're just tapping our foot, patiently waiting for Fox to release this beauty. While we wait, the Russians have snagged an awesome new poster for our amusement. Enjoy the sleek new look below!

Thanks to the guys at Filmz.ru for debuting this. This one is a vast improvement over the Blade Runner ripoff version previously - I dig the look quite a bit. In agreement with my assessment on this?

In the Mathieu Kassovitz-directed film, a veteran-turned-mercenary (Vin Diesel) agrees to escort a woman from Russia to Germany, not realizing that she's the host for an organism that a cult wants to harvest into a genetically-modified Messiah. Opening in North America on August 29, the movie co-stars Gérard Depardieu, Michelle Yeoh, Charlotte Rampling, Mark Strong, Radek Bruna, Melanie Thierry and Lambert Wilson.

Babylon A.D. is directed by French filmmaker Mathieu Kassovitz, who also directed 2003's Gothika and a French film from 2000 titled The Crimson Rivers as well as a few other French flicks. Babylon A.D. is currently set to arrive in theaters on August 29th from Fox.

First Max PayneTrailer Hits

The first trailer for John Moore's adaptation of the video game Max Payne has finally arrived. After months and months of waiting and immense early praise, we finally have our first look at what to expect in this upcoming video game adaptation. Honestly, I'm impressed, very impressed, by this trailer. It won't be what you expect, but it might leave you quite excited. I really love the visual style and this time I think Mark Wahlberg will kick ass. I have no clue what that angel was at the end and if there is a dark fantasy or paranormal element to this, but that scene was pretty intense. I've been looking forward to this since I first heard about it and now I'm truly excited to see it.

This is an international trailer courtesy of Filmweb.pl. We expect there to be a different American version that might hit theaters soon as well. Although this looks much different from the games, it still looks very entertaining. Does the trailer live up to all of your expectations?

Max Payne is directed by Irish filmmaker John Moore, of Behind Enemy Lines, Flight of the Phoenix, and The Omen previously, with a screenplay written by first-time writer Beau Thorne. The film is based on the popular Max Payne series of third-person-shooter video games that first arrived in 2001. Fox is debuting Max Payne in theaters on October 17th just before Halloween.

International Tropic Thunder trailer

An international trailer for Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder has come online at the official UK site!

Don't forget to check out the official website for even more laughs: tropicthunder.com.

Tropic Thunder is directed by Ben Stiller (Zoolander) and written by Etan Cohen ("King of the Hill", Idiocracy) and well-known actor Justin Theroux (who also stars in the film). The movie stars Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Brandon T. Jackson, Jay Baruchel, and Steve Coogan. Tropic Thunder arrives in theaters everywhere on August 15th this summer.

There's not much else to say about this one -- watch it for yourself and tell me it doesn't look out of control. Stiller worries me sometimes because he could be a little too "stupid," but with Downey Jr., Steve Coogan, Nick Nolte, Bill Hader, Justin Theroux, Jay Baruchel and Jack Black in there, I think we'll be okay.

Eli Roth Joins The RZA

Last week some reports were circulating that RZA was going to direct a new martial arts movie called “The Man With the Iron Fist”. Apparently RZA had been talking to Quentin Tarantino about the project for quite some time and Tarantino told him to go for it.

So where does Eli Roth fit in? Well he was also in the mix wanting to help RZA bring his vision to the screen and jumped on board as producer. This was all rumor until CHUD got in contact with Roth in which he replied back:

“Yes, it is true. RZA’s script is amazing. He has been studying directing with Tarantino for years. and he’s really ready to get behind the camera. His impact on rap music and hip hop culture cannot be measured, and he’s ready to add his own unique style and vision to the world of film. This movie will have everything martial arts fans could want, combined with RZA’s superb musical talent. This project has been his dream for years, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.

i am extremely curious about this picture. Kung Fu films rule in my books, and if we can get an outlandish classic from RZA - I would pump my iron fist with delight!

Transformers Concept Art - Aircraft Carrier That Never Was

Concept artist Tim Flattery recently posted a few examples of his work from Transformers on his official website. Let me tell you that this work is so beautiful that I'm considering ordering it in high resolution and framing it above my bed to stare at all night long. No not really, that's just a joke, but I might considering something like that. Realistically this concept art kicks some serious ass and the best part is two of them feature the rumored aircraft carrier transformer that never saw the light of day. Apparently the idea of this robot was mentioned by Michael Bay last year as potentially showing up in a sequel, but was denied recently by producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura. We can still dream…

A few examples of Flattery's work can be seen below. A total of 15 images can be found on his website.

Last year when Bay first mentioned that an aircraft carrier transformer was one that he wanted to include in the film, rumors quickly spread saying that the cost was too high to make it happen for the first one, but that it might show up in a sequel. After you look at this concept art you might understand how expensive that would be and now, of course, it's not going to show up in the sequel either. But don't fear, I'm sure we're going to see a plethora of other equally awesome robots like Jetfire the SR-71 Blackbird. Doesn't this make you even more excited for the Revenge of the Fallen next summer?

American Gangster Too

Here’s one we missed yesterday - Universal are developing a sequel to the 2007 hooligan riff “American Gangster”.

I know what you’re all thinking: “Great. Finally, they’ll tell the rest of the story – they’ll get to the good stuff. Here comes the film they should’ve told first-time around – the one where the ex-cop defends the ex-crook” (After working as a prosecutor, cop Ritchie Roberts became a criminal defense attorney, and still works as one today. Ironically, the first person he defended was Frank Lucas, for the same crime for which he prosecuted him.).

Doubtful we’ll get any of that “good stuff” here, folkidorians. Word is, “AG 2” is likely a direct-to-DVD offering, and based on who CHUD says is starring in it - salsa singer Domingo Quiñones - it’s unlikely we’re going to be treated to a sequel featuring the same characters (sure-as-shit Crowe and Washington won’t be back for it) as the first film, but more so a film that shares similarities with Ridley Scott’s film, but for the most part is just thieving it’s name (Think “Carlito’s Way : Rise to Power” or “American Pie : The Naked Mile”). It’s all the rage, ya know?

Universal are currently working on a few direct-to-DVD sequels - “Without a Paddle 2″, a new “Beethoven” pic, etc - so wouldn’t surprise me at all if Blockbuster will be where this thing makes its debut.

According to CHUD’s scooper, the salsa singer will be playing an undercover Mexican cop in the film. The scenes in which he participates in will be shot in Puerto Rico in a few months.

Stay Tuned for more on “American Gangster : Assignment Miami Beach” – or whatever tag they award it – as it comes to hand.

The Day the Earth Stood Still Teaser Trailer

Why do I still get the feeling that Keanu Reeves is going to make a lackluster Klaatu in the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still? For some reason I just don’t buy him as an alien lifeform sent to warn us of Earth’s impending destruction — there is something just too nonchalant about him. Either way, he is in it, and the first trailer, which is currently playing in front of Hancock, has hit the web via Filmweb.pl. Check it out below.

Watch the teaser for The Day the Earth Stood Still:

Aside from the Keanu Reeves factor that I mentioned earlier, this film looks very interesting. I must say that while I remain skeptical, as any fan of the 1951 version should be, I will say that the potential for an awesome modern remake is there. This is one of those classics that could be enhanced by updated special effects. As well, it could very well have a relevant message. But we shall see how it goes — I don’t want to jump the gun and say that it looks like a winner just yet.

The Day the Earth Stood Still is directed by Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose) and stars Keanu Reeves as Klaatu, a mysterious man from another world, sent to warn Earth’s population that their destructive ways could lead to an attack from civilizations on other planets. As the government tries to sort things out, a woman (Jennifer Connelly) and her step-son (Jaden Smith) get caught up in the mission and ultimately learn the ramifications of this so-called “friend to Earth.” It will hit theaters on December 12, 2008.

Full Trailer for Fernando Meirelles' Blindness

Another new full trailer for Fernando Meirelles' Blindness has finally debuted online. The trailer has been playing in front of Wanted this weekend and is a vast improvement over the first teaser trailer. I've been waiting for Meirelles to show me something even somewhat reminiscent of City of God (one of my all-time personal favorites), in terms of brilliance not necessarily subject matter, but I haven't seen it yet. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that Blindness is it. This latest full trailer finally shows me that this might have the potential to be that good. I love the music, even though we're all familiar with it, but it adds such an uneasy tone to the ending and allows us to somewhat feel the fear that all of these blind people have. If you haven't seen it yet, make sure you watch this trailer for Blindness today.

A doctor's wife becomes the only person with the ability to see in a town where everyone is struck with a mysterious case of sudden blindness. She feigns illness in order to take care of her husband as her surrounding community breaks down into chaos and disorder. I'm guessing there is a lot more to the story then what's written in that brief synopsis. However, I prefer to go into this completely blind and with as little knowledge as possible - I think there will be much more to take away from it going in that way.

Blindness is directed by legendary Brazilian filmmaker Fernando Meirelles of City of God and The Constant Gardener previously. The film is based on a novel by Nobel Prize winning author Jose Saramago with a script written by actor-writer Don McKellar, of Highway 61, Last Night, and The Red Violin. Blindness is currently set to open in theaters on September 19th. The latest poster is featured below.

Cohen is Sherlock Holmes, Ferrell to Play Watson!

Columbia Pictures has set an untitled comedy that will star Sacha Baron Cohen as master detective Sherlock Holmes and Will Ferrell as Watson, his crime-solving partner, reports Variety.

Etan Cohen (Tropic Thunder) is writing the script, and Judd Apatow and Jimmy Miller will produce.

The comedy is inspired by Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes tales. Though the thrust is different, the Baron Cohen-Ferrell pairing is the second major studio project featuring the supersleuth, as Warner Bros. is prepping the Anthony Peckham-scripted drama Sherlock Holmes with director Guy Ritchie.

The Columbia project reteams Baron Cohen and Ferrell, who played rival racecar drivers in Columbia's 2006 hit comedy "Talladega Nights," which Apatow and Miller also produced.

Red Band Trailer for Alexandre Aja's Mirrors!

A brand new red band trailer has debuted courtesy of IGN and damn does it give this film some much needed perspective. There is some ridiculously creepy and insanely scary stuff in this red band trailer, so if you can't handle that sort of horror, I suggest you stay far, far away. But if you're looking for some fresh new thrills with none other than Jack Bauer starring in the lead, then you may want to give this new trailer for Mirrors a shot. It definitely impressed me the second time around and now I'm really wondering whether this could be good!

You can also watch the red band Mirrors trailer in High Definition on IGN

Mirrors is directed by French filmmaker Alexandre Aja, of High Tension, The Hills Have Eyes, and the upcoming Piranha 3-D. The screenplay was written by Aja and his writing partner Grégory Levasseur. The film is actually a remake of a 2003 Korean horror film titled Into the Mirrors directed by Kim Sung-ho. Fox is releasing Mirrors in theaters on August 15th this summer.

Source: FirstShowing.net

McCarthy on Board for 2012

Thomas McCarthy, the writer and director of The Visitor, will star in Roland Emmerich's 2012.

McCarthy joins an ensemble cast led by John Cusack that includes Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton, Danny Glover and Oliver Platt.

The Hollywood Reporter says McCarthy will play the boyfriend of Peet, who is the ex-wife of Cusack's character.

2012 is set to shoot in August in Vancouver. McCarthy also will begin working on a new script that he intends to direct.

Source: ComingSoon

Warner Bros is "Hiding in Time"

Warner Bros has picked up the Image Shadowline comic book series "Hiding in Time" for Dan Lin to produce, reports Variety.

Beau Thorne (upcoming Max Payne) will tackle the Christopher Long-created property, in which the Witness Protection Program uses time travel to relocate high-profile witnesses. When the program is compromised, a government scientist must travel back through the greatest moments in history to help a master thief rescue his old crew from the assassins sent back by their former employer.

Lin Pictures will produce the film, with Jon Silk, who brought the project into the company, serving as co-producer.

Lin is executive producing Terminator Salvation, the Robert Rodriguez-directed Shorts and the Ricky Gervais comedy This Side of the Truth. He's also producing Justice League for WB and Richard Kelly-directed Cameron Diaz thriller The Box.

Resident Evil 4 on the way????

Like the undead themselves, modern zombie movies keep coming and coming. Get ready for at least one more, Paul W.S. Anderson told MTV News.

Well, maybe.

“Resident Evil: Extinction,” the third video-game to big screen adaptation in the popular series will likely not be the last, Anderson said, although talks for a fourth film are still in the very earliest stages of development.

“I’m just starting to talk to Sony about it,” Anderson confessed. “I don’t even know if anything will come of it, but there’s a possibility it might happen.”

It would seem like a sure thing given the ending of “Extinction,” which saw Alice (Milla Jovovich) beside herself with rage — literally, thanks to hundreds of perfect clones - promising to travel to the Umbrella Corporation’s headquarters in Japan. But Anderson, who scripted the first three films, says a concrete story hasn’t yet been decided upon. In fact, it’s coming up with a plausible, kick-ass story that’s momentarily holding him up.

“I love the ‘Resident Evil’ franchise and we always try to make the best possible movie we can. If we could find a good ‘Resident Evil 4’ to make, then we would do it,” he said. “But I wouldn’t just do it for the sake of it, that’s for sure.”

So now we’re throwing it out to you: Think “Resident Evil 4” should be made? And, if so, tell us what you think the story should be. Sound off below.

New The Dark Knight Poster

The viral marketing for The Dark Knight revealed this new poster today for the anticipated July 18 release. You can click on it for a hi-res version!

Pineapple Express Movie Posters

Firstshowing uncovered two new hilarious posters for the film that feature both Seth Rogen and James Franco in the same vein as Judd Apatow's previous one-sheets (for 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up). You should already know that this film is entirely about two stoners who get wrapped up in a mob murder, which is why it's so wonderfully perfect to see posters with Rogen and Franco stoned out of their minds! We already know Rogen is a hilarious actor, but Franco looks like he's going to surprise everyone with just how ridiculously funny he is. The summer season definitely looks like it'll end with some awesome comedies!

Thanks to our friends at the IMPAwards for debuting these two great new posters. If you haven't already seen the red band trailer that first hit back in February, make sure to go check that out, too!

Lazy stoner Dale Denton (Seth Rogen) has only one reason to visit his equally lazy dealer Saul Silver (James Franco): to purchase weed, specifically, a rare new strain called Pineapple Express. But when Dale becomes the only witness to a murder by a crooked cop (Rosie Perez) and the city's most dangerous drug lord (Gary Cole), he panics and dumps his roach of Pineapple Express at the scene. Dale now has another reason to visit Saul: to find out if the weed is so rare that it can be traced back to him. And it is. As Dale and Saul run for their lives, they quickly discover that they're not suffering from weed-fueled paranoia; incredibly, the bad guys really are hot on their trail and trying to figure out the fastest way to kill them both. All aboard the Pineapple Express.

Pineapple Express is directed by David Gordon Green (of Snow Angels, Undertow, All the Real Girls) and written by the trio of Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and Judd Apatow (naturally). Express follows Rogen and Franco as they get stoned, run from cops, crash cars and fire guns. No further explanation needed. The stoner revival begins this summer on August 8th.

Next Batman villain revealed?

The original plan – and I don’t think this is giving anything anyway, since we all know how inexorable the killer clown is – was for Heath Ledger to return as The Joker in one more ‘’Batman’’ flick – after this month’s “The Dark Knight”.

It goes without saying that Ledger won’t be back – and according to series’ star Gary Oldman (Jim Gordon), neither will the purple-jacketed villain.

The actor – who sounds about as pleased as piss to be back playing Gordon in the ‘’Batman Begins’’ sequel, and I say that acerbically - tells MovieWeb that The Riddler could be the Rogue Batman faces in sequel number two.

Be interesting to see Chris Nolan’s interpretation of that character – to many, The Ridller’s a zany nimrod that Jim Carrey played in ‘’Batman Forever’’. He was about as threatening as a sprayed fly. No doubt the new ‘Riddler’ will still wear some kind of question-marked costume, but he’ll be a tad more menacing than Ace Ventura’s incarnation. Maybe Paul Bettany? Hey… what about Johnny Depp? Heck, I’ll do it.. if the costume doesn’t ride up my ass!

Hellboy II: The Golden Army TV spot

What happens when you pair up two unlikely government agents? You get an evening of snacks, video games and delusions of grandeur. In a choice bit of marketing for Hellboy II: The Golden Army, you'll find below a TV spot featuring Chuck's Zachary Levi and HB.

You can watch the commercial using the below player.

Tekken Movie "R" rated??

We learn today that the Tekken movie may be getting a restricted rating. We get wind of this news from our friends at firstshowing:

While at the press junket for Hellboy II today in Los Angeles, Luke Goss said that he “thinks” the Tekken movie in the works will end being rated R. Like Street Fighter, Tekken is a live-action adaptation of a very popular platform fighting video game from Namco. The film is being directed by Dwight H. Little, of Rapid Fire, Free Willy 2, “Prison Break”, and “Bones”, and has a script penned by Alan B. McElroy, of Spawn, Wrong Turn, and The Marine. Not the most talented individuals involved unfortunately. Is the prospect of an R-rated Tekken more interesting than a PG-13 rated Street Fighter?

To answer Alex’s question - I would say in theory yes. In a movie where violence is a large part of the story, you have much more freedom with an R rating. Even if the film ends up getting a PG rating - I think you should film it anticipating that you may get an R. When your ceiling is higher, you are able to take risks; I can’t imagine the PG - 13 rating being very conducive to quality violence. Awesome violence is what these films should be all about - because that is what made the games great in the first place.