In this week’s Sci-Fi Movies column Joss Whedon is back and directing The Avengers, The Spider-man teenboot has a name (and more rumors), Green Lantern’s suit is going CG, , Branagh is giving the goods on Thor, Iron Man 2 is poised for hugeness, and Kick-Ass heads to theaters (and controversy). All that and more, including the latest box office numbers, casting bites, images and videos.
GENRE MOVIE NEWS
Joss Whedon will direct (and re-write) Marvel’s The Avengers
On April 1st IESB reported that Joss Whedon was at the top of Marvel’s short list to direct "The Avengers" and now Deadline New York’s Mike Fleming is reporting that Whedon is in final negotiations to direct the film:
I’m told Marvel Studios is in final negotiations for Buffy the Vampire Slayer series architect Joss Whedon to direct Marvel Studios’ The Avengers. That’s the fast-tracked film that would amount to an all-star team of Marvel superheros, including Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), as well as SHIELD leader Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Other signature superheros will likely be involved, but I’ve listed the actors in active superhero duty.
In related news, Variety’s report on the deal notes that Whedon will also rework Zak Penn’s script and Pajiba adds from their source that Whedon will also do a polish on the "The First Avenger: Captain America" script:
Apparently Whedon’s role in the Marvel film universe may expand even further, as he’s also likely to be tasked with doing a polish on the Captain America script. At this point, we know the general news about Captain America — Steve Rogers (played by Chris Evans) undergoes a secret super soldier experiment during WWII and becomes Captain America. During a battle with The Red Skull (played by Hugo Weaving), he ends up frozen in ice, only to re-emerge during the modern era (where, presumably, he’ll eventually meet up with Tony Stark, Nick Fury, Thor, and the rest of the gang).
On the casting side, British actress Hayley Atwell ("The Prisoner") will play Peggy Carter, the female lead, opposite Chris Evans (Steve Rogers / Captain America) and Sebastian Stan — who at one point was one of the rumored actors on the shortlist to play Captain America — will instead play Captain America’s sidekick Bucky. "The Avengers" is scheduled to hit theaters on May 4, 2012 (preceded by ‘Captain America’ on July 22, 2011).
Spider-Man: Begin Again (?) casting rumors
A few days ago HitFix reported that Logan Lerman was the frontrunner to play Peter Parker in Marc Webb’s "Spider-Man" reboot scheduled to hit 3D theaters on July 3, 2012. However, the casting rumor was shortly denied by Sony in a report by Deadline New York’s Mike Fleming. HitFix’s Drew McWeeny is standing by the story, but now IESB is reporting another actor has emerged as a candidate; Josh Hutcherson ("Journey to the Center of the Earth", "Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant"). In related news, the film’s title is reportedly "Spider-Man: Begin Again".
Confirmed: Green Lantern’s suit will be CG
Through a post on his Twitter account, Geoff Johns seems to confirm /Film’s scoop that Ryan Reynolds’ suit in "Green Lantern" will be CG:
The rumor is that Ryan’s #GreenLantern uniform will be CGI — hell, yeah it will be! Generated from his ring in Ivan Reis-like glory!! :)
Here’s what /Film originally reported:
The suit that Ryan wears on set is a grey tracking motion/performance capture suit with led lights. I’ve heard that Ryan Reynolds has been joking on set that Warner Bros is going to make him into a Na’vi when the final cut is released. His joke, not mine. The Green Lantern suit you will see in the final film will be almost entirely created using computers.
That’s right — Green Lantern’s suit will be mostly CG!
/Film also offered a few other bites they’ve learned from the production:
- That leaked set photo of the silver ship is indeed Abin Sur’s crashed spaceship
- "Temura Morrison looks legit as Abin Sur, although his head isn’t as elongated as in the concept art photos leaked awhile back."
- Peter Sarsgaard’s makeup tests with the enlarged head look cool. He has wild hair, kind of like Jason Lee in “My Name is Earl” and, of course, the kind of traditional Hector Hammond stache.
- I’m told that Reynolds is awesome in the role. He’s knocking it out of the park so far.
- The screenplay that leaked online is a very old draft. I’ve been told that the villains have changed a bit and that the rewritten script is supposedly way better in the end.
In casting news, SuperHeroHype reports that Jon Tenney will play Hal Jordan’s dad, test pilot Martin H. Jordan. "Green Lantern" will be released in conventional and 3D theaters on June 17, 2011.
Set images [Comic Book Movie and more at SuperHeroHype]
Kenneth Branagh talks Thor
Director Kenneth Branagh is currently out in Santa Fe, New Mexico filming Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins and Tom Hiddleston, among others, in Marvel’s "Thor" and some details about the film’s story are starting to come out. Via the LA Times:
The story is split between Asgard, the majestic and eternal home of the Norse gods, and the modern world, which Branagh says he views more as an opportunity than a challenge.
"Inspired by the comic book world both pictorially and compositionally at once, we’ve tried to find a way to make a virtue and a celebration of the distinction between the worlds that exist in the film but absolutely make them live in the same world," Branagh said. "It’s about finding the framing style, the color palette, finding the texture and the amount of camera movement that helps celebrate and express the differences and the distinctions in those worlds. If it succeeds, it will mark this film as different…. The combination of the primitive and the sophisticated, the ancient and the modern, I think that potentially is the exciting fusion, the exciting tension in the film."
Branagh also talked about linking his film with the other upcoming Marvel properties, including ‘Captain America’ and "Iron Man 2":
"It’s going very, very well," Branagh said Wednesday. "We’re in New Mexico now where we have a contemporary Earth part of our story. I guess we’re two-thirds of the way through the story and at this stage of the game what’s surprising and delighting me is the way the cast, the ensemble, has fused together. It’s kind of an interesting combination of very young and very experienced people and the double-up of that, it seems to me, is there is a lot of fire in the movie. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, it doesn’t try to be too solemn."
Analysis: Iron Man 2 could beat The Dark Knight’s box office record
There’s a ton of buzz surrounding Jon Favreau’s "Iron Man 2" (May 7), leading some to suggest the film could beat the opening weekend number ($158.4M) currently held by 2008’s "The Dark Knight" [LA Times]:
According to just-released tracking surveys, director Jon Favreau’s second installment in the Marvel franchise is showing astonishing levels of interest and awareness well ahead of its three-day opening next month. There are enough statistical indications to think that the first-weekend gross could top the $158.4-million haul for "Dark Knight", the current record-holder for the biggest (non inflation-adjusted) opening weekend and the gold standard for movie debuts.
The LA Times notes that thanks to star Robert Downey Jr., interest appears to be very strong among women:
This year’s sequel opening on May 7 should pulverize that $98 million figure. Thanks in part to Downey, the Paramount-distributed film is drawing as much (strong) interest among women over 30 as it is among women in their 20s, the tracking surveys show. Males in their teens and 20s are so keen on the film they may as well be dressing up in an iron suit. About the only people who aren’t fully sold are teen girls, but there are signs of robustness there too.
In other news, be sure you stick around after the end credits because like the first film, "Iron Man 2" will feature an Easter egg for the fans in the form of appearances by both [SPOILERS–highlight to view] Captain America and Thor. Rounding out this week’s "Iron Man 2" coverage is an interview with Don Cheadle (War Machine) which you can check out here.
Viral video: Stark Expo 2010 [Official Website]
Interactive trailer [Paramount Pictures]
Watch a Chinese trailer here
New clip [Paramount Pictures]
TV spot [YouTube]
Watch another TV spot here
Promotional stills [more at Movies.SpoilerTV.com, (2) and Comic Book Resources]
Domestic and International posters [more at SCI FI Wire & Movies.SpoilerTV.com]
Disney hires Tron Legacy writers to script sequel
We’re still more than seven months away from the release of "Tron Legacy" (December 17 in conventional and 3D theaters), but according to Heat Vision blog, Disney has already hired screenwriters Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz to begin work on a sequel. Check out some of the latest viral marketing Disney has done for the film below, including footage from the WonderCon 2010 viral event reports of which you can read from the following sites: /Film | ComingSoon.net | HitFix | SCI FI Wire | io9 | Cinema Blend | AICN | CHUD.
ENCOM press conference [YouTube]
Sam Flynn’s ENCOM helicopter jump [YouTube]
Space Paranoids trailer [YouTube]
Report: Sony unhappy with "Campy" Green Hornet
There’s a report from IESB that Sony is unhappy with the results of the Michel Gondry-directed / Seth Rogen-starring "Green Hornet":
Sony executives are displeased with the results. The tone is too campy, they’re not happy with the work from director Michel Gondry, and Seth Rogen does not look the part. At all. In fact, the feeling at Sony is the movie is a disaster.
"Green Hornet" is scheduled to hit theaters on December 22, 2010.
David Slade to shoot ‘Eclipse’ pickups + Bill Condon to direct ‘Breaking Dawn’?
Director David Slade is heading back to Vancouver to film a few pick up shots, not reshot scenes as was initially reported by Canadian gossip site Lainey Gossip, for Summit Entertainment’s "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" which hits theaters this June 30. HitFix expands on the initial report with more details and clarifications:
HitFix has learned that Slade, who is currently overseeing the film’s score in London, would be headed to Vancouver himself to film what are obvstentively pick up shots, not reshot scenes. Pick up shots are cut into already completed scenes and can be necessary because of anything from bad lighting, a faulty print or a missing expression or line that was determined in editing. Reshoots insinuate a completely new scene being inserted into a picture.
Additionally, a Summit spokesperson told HitFix that the shoot has been planned for months, the picture is not in "trouble" and, in fact, the studio thinks it may be the best of the three so far. Considering, this writer has heard praise for "Eclipse’s" script, that’s easy to believe. The spokesperson also noted that reshoot timing is three days or less, is not a lot of material and furthermore, they do not involve the meadow scene or any action scenes whatsoever.
In other news, Deadline New York reports that Bill Condon has emerged as the frontrunner to direct the two-part "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn":
Summit Entertainment hasn’t signed him, but I’m told that after several strong meetings, they are negotiating. Condon was among a list of A-list directors approved by Summit and Twilight author Stephenie Meyer. That list included Gus Van Sant, Sofia Coppola and Fernando Meirelles. Shooting will begin in the fall, and I heard the plan is to shoot two films back to back. That was just what my colleague Nikki Finke reported. She also wrote that Summit was looking for a big director and Dreamgirls and Gods and Monsters director Condon certainly fits that bill.
Kick-Ass opening weekend: Controversy over Hit Girl
"Kick-Ass" opens tomorrow night and while the reaction has been mostly solid (75% at Rotten Tomatoes — fun, but very violent seems to be the consensus), film critic Roger Ebert gave the film only 1/2 star and calls it "morally reprehensible". Ebert’s criticism centers mainly around the 11-year-old character Hit Girl. Here’s just the opening paragraph of his review:
"Shall I have feelings, or should I pretend to be cool? Will I seem hopelessly square if I find Kick-Ass morally reprehensible and will I appear to have missed the point? Let’s say you’re a big fan of the original comic book, and you think the movie does it justice. You know what? You inhabit a world I am so very not interested in. A movie camera makes a record of whatever is placed in front of it, and in this case, it shows deadly carnage dished out by an 11-year-old girl, after which an adult man brutally hammers her to within an inch of her life. Blood everywhere. Now tell me all about the context."
13-year-old actress Chloe Moretz responded to the outrage in an interview with io9:
"Younger children shouldn’t see the movie. It’s R rated for a reason. R rated is 18 and over, and if you are 18 and over, then you can take someone younger, but I wouldn’t advise it. I don’t advice it even if you’re 90 years old. I don’t think a 90-year-old, [or anyone] young or old, should say what I say, or do what I do in the movie. It’s a movie for a reason. It’s not meant to be taken as real life. I wouldn’t advise anyone to do what they see in the film — or what happens to [wannabe superhero] Kick-Ass in the film — where he gets stabbed and run over — will happen to you."
Check out some interviews with the cast: Christopher Mintz-Plasse [CinemaBlend & io9] | Aaron Johnson [Newsarama] | Mark Strong [Cinematical]
Clip: "Birthday Present" [YouTube]
TV spot: "Little Review" [YouTube]
Watch six more TV spots: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
Interview with Mark Millar talking about Kick Ass 2 [IGN]
Harrison Ford cast in Jon Favreau’s Cowboys & Aliens
"Cowboys & Aliens" director Jon Favreau more or less confirmed Latino Review’s scoop last week that Harrison Ford has been cast in the film:
"Please stop asking if Harrison Ford is in Cowboys & Aliens. Okay? He is. lease don’t tell anybody."
Ford joins a cast that includes Daniel Craig (‘James Bond’) and Olivia Wilde ("Tron Legacy"). "Cowboys & Aliens" is based on the comic-book series of the same name and the script was penned by "Star Trek" writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman and "LOST" co-creator Damon Lindelof. It’s is scheduled to be released on July 29, 2011.
PREVIEW Videos & Images
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Clip: All I Have To Do Is Dream" [Yahoo! Movies]
TV spot [YouTube]
Avatar
Director James Cameron talks extended edition Blu-ray [SCI FI Wire]
The Chronicles of Riddick: Dead Man Walking
Concept art [Vin Diesel]
Inception
Promotional (and production) stills [more at LA Times]
The Last Airbender
Promotional stills [IGN]
The Losers
Clip [MySpace]
Piranha 3D
First official still [IGN]
Resident Evil: Afterlife
Trailer [Trailer Addict]
Shrek Forever After
Poster [ComingSoon.net]
Small
Concept art [more at /Film]
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Teaser poster [SCI FI Wire]
Splice
Trailer [YouTube]
The Thing Prequel
First set image [/Film]
Toy Story 3
New clip (Ken — voiced by Michael Keaton — introducing the toys) [Trailer Addict]
MOVIE BITES
- "Twilight" author Stephanie Meyer has revealed that she has written a spinoff novella called "The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner", based on a character in ‘Eclipse’. The novella will be released for free online and will also be available in bookstores on June 5. [SCI FI Wire]
- Principal photography for Michael Bay’s "Transformers 3" will run from May 17th to July 1st. Shooting locations are listed as Chicago, Detroit, Washington DC, Florida, Texas, Africa, Moscow and China. [acting-auditions.org via TFW2005]
- The Syfy channel has announced two more Saturday night movies: "Mongolian Death Worm", starring Sean Patrick Flanery (May 8) and "Witchville", starring Luke Goss (May 22). [SCI FI Wire]
- "The Cabin in the Woods" star Amy Acker ("Dollhouse") describes the Joss Whedon-scripted / Drew Goddard-directed "The Cabin in the Woods" as a creature feature: "There’s a lot of scary monsters…It’s a scary movie"… [SCI FI Wire]
- …Co-star Fran Kranz echoed Acker’s comments and revealed that the MGM film is complete and is now in the process of being converted into 3D. "The Cabin in the Woods" is scheduled for release on January 14, 2011. [SCI FI Wire]
- In addition to revealing that Chris Evans didn’t have to audition for the part, "The First Avenger: Captain America" director Joe Johnston revealed that Evans will be playing both Captain America as well as the 98-pound version of Steve Rogers: "Casting Captain America is really casting two roles… Steve Rogers before and after the transformation from 98 pound weakling to perfect physical specimen. I can’t divulge how we’re going to do it, but the performance will be Chris Evans from beginning to end." [Earth’s Mightiest via io9]
- New Regency is in negotiations to pick up Andrew Niccol’s ("Gattaca") script "I’m.mortal", a story "set in the not-too-distant future where the aging gene has been switched off. [Heat Vision blog]
- "Predators" screenwriters Mike Finch and Alex Litvak have been hired by Columbia Pictures to script the studio’s "Masters of the Universe". [Heat Vision blog]
- Not a fan of Joe Johnston’s "Clash of the Titans"? Check out a report on what could have been over at CHUD.
- As expected, "A Nightmare on Elm Street" has received a R-rating by the MPAA for "strong bloody horror violence, disturbing images, terror and language". [SCI FI Wire]
- Robert Rodriguez’s next ‘Spy Kids’ movie will be called "Spy Kids 4: Armageddon" and is scheduled to begin filming mid-July at the director’s Troublemaker Studios in Austin, Texas. The film is scheduled for release on August 19, 2011. [Production Weekly]
- "Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World" creators are trying to downplay expectations for the Edgar Wright-directed feature, including the comic book’s writer Bryan Lee O’Malley who says he’s doing so "to no avail," adding "It’s totally out of my control." [Variety]
- Frank O’Connor is confident a film version of the popular video game "Halo" will happen at some point in the future: "We’re going to make a movie when the time is right," he said. [IGN]
- 20th Century Fox’s "Planet of the Apes" prequel (currently titled "Caesar") will begin shooting in British Columbia in mid-July… [Production Weekly]
- …Meanwhile Bryan Singer’s "Jack the Giant Killer" will shoot in London and Iceland beginning this July. [Production Weekly]
- Paul W.S. Anderson is rebooting "Buck Rogers" and has revealed that they have a storyline — currently being fleshed out by "Iron Man" scribes Art Marcum and Matt Holloway — and the film will "play it straight" and be based off the comic strip… [io9]
- …Speaking of Anderson, check out an interview with him about the 3D "Resident Evil: Afterlife" over at Shock Till You Drop…
- …And check out another interview with star Ali Larter also at Shock Till You Drop as well as a set visit at IGN.
- Robert Zemeckis will adapt Kat Falls’ upcoming young adult novel "Dark Life". The story is set "in a near-future world in which rising ocean levels and natural catastrophes have led some people to homestead on the ocean floor, and kids to develop supernatural powers." [Variety]
- "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling won’t rule out writing another novel in the series, but she wouldn’t tackle the novel until sometime down the line, "maybe 10 years from now," she said. [Washington Post]
- "The Losers" director Sylvain White confirmed rumors that he is interested in directing a feature-film version of the 1980s animated sci-fi series "Robotech": "I read a draft that’s really good. … I’m interested in doing it, but the project is not fast tracked or anything like that, so there’s no official thing. There’s no deal." [SCI FI Wire]
- A new trailer for M. Night Shyamalan’s "The Last Airbender" will be attached to "Iron Man 2", when it hits theaters on May 7. [SCI FI Wire]
- The next "Chronicles of Riddick" film currently carries the title "The Chronicles of Riddick: Dead Man Stalking". Check out a script review over at Corona Coming Attractions.
- "Real Steel" director Shawn Levy says the film will not be 3D. [MTV Movies blog]
- "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" star Hugh Jackman is very happy with the script for the sequel, calling it "the best one we’ve had." Jackman also said that some of the film will "definitely" be shot in Japan. [MTV]
- DreamWorks Animation will convert the first three "Shrek" films to 3D for a an upcoming 3D Blu-ray Disc release… [THR]
- …In the same article DWA CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg pointed out that George Lucas is looking to converting "Star Wars" to 3D (confirming that long-standing rumor).
- Darren Aronofsky’s "Robocop" is reportedly still in development, but original star Peter Weller, doesn’t think the original will ever be topped: "The combination of action and myth and humanity and humor, all those things wrapped into one in a perfectly constructed script. I don’t think they’re going to do anything better but I certainly wish them well to do something as good." [io9]
- Check out an extensive feature on Christopher Nolan’s upcoming psychological sci-fi thriller "Inception" over at the LA Times…
- …Meanwhile, Warner Brothers has launched a new viral website at PASIVDevice.com which leads users to an online alternate-reality game at Mind-Crime.com.
CASTING BITES
- Previously on TrekMovie.com: Anton Yelchin To Star In ‘Fright Night’ Remake
- Previously on TrekMovie.com: Anton Yelchin Adds Voice To New Smurfs Movie
- Sharlto Copley ("District 9") is in talks to play the lead in DreamWorks’ adaptation of the upcoming James Frey / Jobie Hughes science fiction novel "I Am Number Four"… [Heat Vision blog]
- …Alex Pettyfer is also in negotiations to star in the film. [Heat Vision blog]
- "The Last Airbender" executive producer Frank Marshall has now chimed in on the race controversy surrounding the casting around the film. [UGO]
- Taylor Kitsch ("X-Men Origins: Wolverine", "John Carter of Mars") has been cast in Peter Berg’s alien-themed adaptation of the Hasbro board game "Battleship"… [Heat Vision blog]
- …Also joining the cast will be Tom Arnold ("True Lies"), who also revealed that the film is scheduled to begin shooting this August in Australia. "Battleship" is scheduled to hit theaters on May 25, 2012. [Movieline]
- Adam Baldwin ("Chuck", "Firefly") says he would like to reprise his role as Major Mitchell (with a promotion, of course) in any upcoming "Independence Day" sequels. [io9]
- Teresa Palmer won’t confirm or deny earlier reports that she has been cast in George Miller’s "Mad Max: Fury Road". [MTV]
- Kevin Dunn and Julie White have signed deals to reprise their roles as Ron Witwicky and Julie Witwicky, respectively, in Michael Bay’s "Transformers 3". [Variety]
-
Olivia Thirlby ("Juno") has been cast in Summit Entertainment’s alien invasion film "The Darkness". Timur Bekmambetov ("Wanted") is producing with Tom Jacobson. [Reuters]
MISC Videos & Images
Star Wars Uncut: A New Hope
Trailer [details at Star Wars Uncut]
Star Wars
Han Solo soap [Luxury Lane Soap via SCI FI Wire]
Phantom Menace reviewer takes on Episode II – Attack of the Clones [YouTube]
Watch all nine parts here
Tron
South Park Tron parody [Comedy Central]
Follow Russ on his blog: Your Entertainment Now and on Twitter: Twitter.com/YourEntNow.
FIRST! – once again so much to read and
so little time. Great stuff guys, thanks!
Go joss go!
I could see that Kick-ass would be controversial from a mile away. Still not sure if I want to see it yet.
I hate to say it, but I was afraid the ‘Green Hornet’ project was going to be a disaster. It had flop written all over it from the minute Seth Rogen was cast.
If this report is true, and I suspect it is… it had no business being handled in the fashion that it was… camp? Ugh!!!!
Of course, all of this may be premature since the film has yet to be released, but if it flops it is unlikely the GH will be given a second chance, which is a real shame.
That girl from Kick-Ass has a really good head on her shoulders. Don’t take the content of the movie so seriously, and if it really offends you, just don’t see it. Honestly, there are more disturbing movies in the world that feature young children than this. Roger Ebert needs to chill.
About Green Hornet: I have to agree. I think this movie will fail horribly. Seth Rogen just doesn’t look like a superhero at all, no matter how much weight he loses or how buff he may get. It will enrage any old fans and make newcomers wonder if they can get their money back.
Iron Man 2 outdo the Dark Knight? With cheesy costumes and Mickey Rourke? You’re kidding me. The Marvel movies all look absurd.
The Marvel movies are far from absurd. They have made billions and now DC is playing catch up. Besides Batman and Superman they didnt use any of other comic characters. Thats why im glad they are expanding there movie universe and doing Green Lantern. The question I have is why are they making the costume CG? And are the other Lanterns going to have CG costumes? If Marvel can pull off the Avengers that will be an achievement in itself. Done of the DC movies are connected in one film universe. And the news that Joss Whedon is doing the Avengers makes me so excited on what he can do with that group of characters.
Hell yeah for Whedon, about time he’s given something big. As for Iron Man 2 outdoing Dark Knight, are they effing high? The best thing I can say about the first is that it was fun, far better than Transformers (that’s not saying much, ok not saying anything in my book) but was nowhere near what DK was. Just the fact that they say those kind of things makes me not want to go see it in theaters. They need to accept that in the majority view Iron Man just isn’t as cool as Batman, especially not Nolan’s incarnation of the franchise. That’s like trying to say that a Babylon 5 movie would crush the next Star Trek movie.
I am thrilled that Joss Whedon is working on The Avengers movie. I believe he will do the characters justice and create a damn good movie in the process.
Spider-Man: Begin Again? To the makers of that film, your next job will be to fix that title.
If the studio is not happy with The Green Hornet, that means it must be great the way it is. Here’s hoping Gondy, Rogen and company stand their ground and keep the movie the way it is. Any time a studio interferes, the movie ends up suffering. The most recent example? Clash of the Titans.
Iron Man 2 may be able to beat Dark Knight’s opening gross, but I doubt it will beat its total gross of $533 million. I’m predicting IM2 to wrap up with between $450m and $475m.
I’m not sure what to make of Bill Condon directing a Twilight movie. The first movie was god-awful because nothing about it worked — the directing, the acting, and especially the script were all horrible. Haven’t seen New Moon, but I heard it was even worse, and Eclipse is unlikely to be an improvement since it comes from the same screenwriter. Condon might be able to class the franchise up a bit, but if Melissa Rosenberg is again writing the screenplay, there is no hope.
I read Ebert’s full review of Kick-Ass earlier today and it made me laugh. Instead of writing an actual review of the movie, *as a movie,* he commented on its relation to the real world and the movie’s (un)likely social implications. In other words, the majority of the review was not only irrelevant but pretentious. He treats the movie as though it were a promotion of childhood violence rather than a form of entertainment. Dude, it’s *satire.* Then again, this guy has never been entirely logical or trustworthy in his reviews (did ya know he gave Maid in Manhattan 3/4 stars?), so really his views on any movie have become irrelevant.
Shooting on Transformers 3 will only run for a month and a half? In other words, there is not much of a script… once again. Are these guys even trying anymore? Seriously…
And that’s enough from me. Great update, as always, thanks! :)
I KNEW that Seth Rogen would suck as the Green Hornet! Sony is right, the movie should NOT have a campy-feel to it! This flick could have been EPIC! Could they possibly kick Rogen’s ass to the curb, recast somebody GOOD in the lead and reshoot a number of key scenes?
Save this thing, PUH-LEASE!!
#8…hate to say it dude, but a reboot of Babylon 5 might JUST crusha a future JJ Star Trek film, because Babylon 5 always was more popular than 90s Trek… it continually slaughtered DS9 and Voyager on TV…:(
Wow seems like most have to like one or the other. I actually enjoyed both TDK and IM almost equally. I think I like TDK a touch more as I was a Batman fan first as a kid. I really hope these future Marvel films honor THE KING!
THE KING?
Jack Kirby?
I saw kickass last week and loved it. I was totally surprised and sure i can see why some would find it offensive but it was quite a ride.
Rebooting Spiderman. The height of arrogance by a studio to think the masses are going to go and see a redo of a film dome so well and so recent.
Well, not my millions they are flushing down the toilet.
Haha, even the title of that Spider-Man movie is like “aw frig, are you serious? We’re beginning AGAIN? Didn’t we JUST have a good run?” I mean, I could understand wanting to sweep SM3 under the rug, but the first two were perfectly good movies. And they’re still so recent!
#8… agree, the title sounds like they are embarrassed by the previous movies, which might isolate fans of the originals.
yup harry there is only one once future n 4ever king in komics–kirby!Cosmic genius-visual dynamic scope and originality never equaled in comics-with stan lee jack co created 75 per cent of the marvel universe-Thor if kirby inspired, can look incredible n would pay great homage to the master–Avengers too- i noticed they did not mention hulk as an avenger this time–scaling it back a bit with empthasis on characters could work out better-two hulk movies-neither worked really well-i think they need weta on the cg team if they try hulk again–all the efx and neither movie was even close to being as good/involving as the bill bixby lou f. tv series n movies–bixby was perfect as banner n ferrigno added frankenstein like pathos to his green makeup w real acting–oh n that piano music as bixby would end the show by thumbing a lonely ride-great stuff-technically primitive but character wise emotionally effective-bixby n lou made us care bout the hulk-hope marvel notices–anyway sounds kinda wise to playdown the hulk in avengers n joss w excellent choice for a movie like that-spidey reboot sounds dumb–spider kid next? hah hah–Tron Legacy is looking incredible–
Peter Weller is right, a redo of RoboCop could not top the original.
With the original Paul Verhoeven successfully made a film that cobined action, humanity and satir.
RoboCop is one of my all time favourite films so I do feel that the original cannot be topped, RoboCop is unique and I think a remake would miss what the original captured. The TV series never captured the satire of the media as successfully as the first movie.
In fact I would rather RoboCop got a great sequel rather than a reboot.
You know, Rosario, you probably have the best collection of news bites in one place of any blog I read. News aggregators fluff it all up too much. I might just start reading the roundups rather than trolling all day for good nuggets. You’ve got all the good stuff and even stuff I’ve missed!
11. Right, that’s why it only saw a 5th season due to TNT’s 11th hour stay of execution. Yep, it was a slaughterin’.
Wait, wait, wait….Whedon…Joss Whedon…is taking charge of the Avengers movie???? YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! w00t!!!
20. Hey, B5 is the best space soap opera ever. Miss one episode, you were lost for the series.
I loved B5 as well. I have series on Dvd and I do not think a reboot will work. Mabe a continuation. Looking forward to seeing the new Buck Rogers and The Avengers with an all star cast. Another New Spiderman. No. Same story as the first and not interested. Star Wars Movies in 3d. Wow. Lucas realy loves making mega Millions on that franhise. I wish they would do all of the Trek Movies in 3d and redo the Fx on all. Would be so Kool.
I would love to see all of the Tos Series Fx Redone but with better Cgi then the last time and made into 3D on Blu Ray. Now that would be Kick Ass.
Whedon had his day with Buffy and Angel, and managed to excite a handful of fanboys with the whole “Firefly” thing for a few hours. Why does he get the Avengers?
And, as someone mentioned above, what happened to the Hulk? Tony Stark was in the last “Hulk” film as part of the whole “Marvel Universe” consolidation thing.
I have to agree with Charles, the Spider-Man reboot’s title portends disaster. I know now they want to “really” deal with what it’s like to be in high-school with super-powers. “Smallville: Spiderman.” Yay.
The first two Spiderman movies were so satisfyingly good, and faithful enough to John Romita-era product, I just wonder what they can come up with. The origin story is iconic. Are they going to change it?
I guess we’ll all watch and see.
SPider Man: Begin Again is a stupid title
it is trying to ride of batman begins i guess
#7 – A *lot* of shots of Iron Man in the first film were CG. It’s pretty much impossible to tell which ones are the suit and which ones are VFX. Of course, that’s a big reason Jon Favreau hired ILM. I haven’t heard who’s doing the CG for “Green Hornet” but if it’s ILM I wouldn’t worry.
#11 – You’re kidding, right? Babylon 5 more popular than DS9 or VOY? Hardly.
#11 Yeah. What reality was that in?
“Begin Again?” They GOTTA BE KIDDING!!!
Too bad about Green Hornet.
The stills looked really good.
Love the original.
I think that the perception of “Kick-Ass” is different for people who have kids and those who don’t. If you’re young and you don’t have kids, you’ll probably watch the movie and love it. You’ll notice that is is very violent and gory and you will acknowledge why others may find it offensive. But you will enjoy it nonetheless. However, if you are older than, say, 25 and a parent, you will see it differently. Especially when you have to watch an 11-year old girl do the things depicted in this movie. And then have to watch her get beaten half to death right in front of you. I am a parent and I have a beautiful little girl. It’s difficult to watch something like that because you can picture your own daughter in that place and it can be disturbing. Five years ago, before my kids were born, I would not have even had a second thought about going to see that movie. And I would have loved it. Now, two kids and a lot of growing up later, I have reservations. And I can understand Roger Ebert’s POV perfectly. But, I can also understand the actress’s POV as well. The movie is rated R for a reason. Don’t take your kids to see it. Don’t take anyone under 18 to see it. That would constitute gross irresponsibility and neglegence on the part of the adult.
TRON legacy
WHY IS DECEMBER SO FAR AWAY ?
At least there’s a lot of good films on the way to watch ’till then.
wow not even a single bit of sci fi news this time. i could not even care less about these stupid comic book movies. green lantern sucks? lol are we supposed to be surprised? of course it sucks! is there a comic book movie that doesn’t suck?
i saw the preview for iron man 2 the other day. what a bunch of garbage. dumb. dumb. DUMB.
Han Solo Soap. Standard issue in Jabba’s prison. Just don’t drop it in the shower….
Man I am sick of all this Spiderman crap!! Begin Again?!?
For some reason I am losing my want to see Kick-Ass as time goes by. first I was like, “yeah its gonna be cool!”, and now I’m like “uh. sure. yay. not all that interested.”
Plus, I’m tired of all the sequels and remakes. they are just feeding us the same thing over and over snf over. When was the last time something truely original came out? uh, A LONG TIME AGO.
and this “Avatar the last airbender” is going to suck. It started as a manga series, and anyone who has manga obessed friends [like me] will know that all manga is about the same thing-“oh! I must be the greatest fighter/ninja dude in the whole world because so many friends/family of mine died so I am really emotional so I must beat you all”
20$ on that will be the main point of it.
crap! crap! crap!
#5 – He doesn’t just need to chill, I’ve been convinced that his views are outdated and obsolete for quite a while now.
I have a beautiful 9 year old daughter, and I will definitely see “Kick-Ass” without her. If my sensibilities are rocked, and I’m offended, more power to the film-makers for jarring me out of ‘Avatar’-Rot.
What I worry about is that word’ll get out at school, and the kiddies will all be buzzing to go see this film. Parents should definitely be perusing the review pages today and making their own decisions.
34. I acually think that there is not much that parents can do about it. It’s depressing, as a parent, to think that your kids will probably see it at a friends house or something, even if you forbid them from it. they will find a way to get around your rules. I know I was like that.
Yeah, some kids are good and obedient and won’t if you tell them not to, but what is the chance of that if their friends say “Hey, its cool, its really good, and you will love it…come on we are all watching it, your parents will never find out…”
30.
But how is Iron Man not Science Fiction? Other that originaly being crated for a comic book obviously.
Also it sounds to me like we can write off the new Spiderman series as a plain bad Spidertwilight series.
11. NuSpock – April 15, 2010
“…Babylon 5 always was more popular than 90s Trek… it continually slaughtered DS9 and Voyager on TV…”
Babylon 5 averaged between 3 and 4% of the U.S. market. Deep Space Nine averaged 6% and Voyager, 5%. How exactly did Babylon 5 crush DS9 and Voyager again?
I can understand if people were excited about Whedon ***writing*** The Avengers, but he’s really not got much of a track record as a ***director*** beyond some Buffy episodes, the TV-Movie-in-all-but-name Serenity, and the unseen Cabin in the Woods. Yeah, he can write good dialogue, but this a directing gig!!!
If only they could travel back in time to hire Raiders-era Spielberg to direct the film, it would be a more exciting prospect! Whedon’s hiring for the job disappoints me. I would rather have seen a Jon Favreau film or even a Louis Leterrier film! And I’m speaking as a fan of Whedon’s stuff!!
#31
“is there a comic book movie that doesn’t suck?”
Well, lets see:
Superman-GREAT
Superman II (both versions)-GREAT
Batman-GREAT
Batman Returns-GREAT
Batman Begins-GREAT
The Dark Knight-GREAT
Sin City-GREAT
The Incredible Hulk-GOOD
Iron Man-GREAT
X-Men-GREAT
X-Men: Wolverine-GOOD
Spider-Man-GOOD
Spider-Man 2-GREAT
Hellboy-GOOD
Hellboy 2-GREAT
This is all based on my opinion of course, but MOST of these movies have done well at the box office and have gotten at least solid reviews.
I’m still trying to figure out who is going to bother watching that spider-man remake with a bunch of teenage Nickelodeon nobodies… Bad move, Sony…
Iron Man 2 looks great! Finally I can be a fan of Downey Jr. now that he cleaned up his act 5 years ago now or so. I think his sobering up did actually help his acting.
Losers looks good, if not with maybe too much of an A-team vibe, but it’s got Zoe in it, so it’s gotta be good!
Green Lantern a flop? Didn’t see that one coming… :-P
Wait, you mean to tell me Sony had to watch the film to know that Seth Rogan didn’t look the part?!! Wow! I knew that from the beginning. Sony’s fault for not being more discriminating.
I do think Whedon is a good choice for the Avengers movie.
That said with Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor in the same movie I expect it to do well no matter who the director is.
I write a lot of Marvel fan fiction that seems to have been read by quite a few and sense that interest in the Marvel icons goes way beyond the traditional comics fan base.
If you haven’t already done so check out my Marvel fan fiction. Just scroll down below my author profile and you will see nearly 40 fan fiction stories here:
http://www.fanfiction.net/u/1276881/David_Scholes
I’m also an Australian science fiction writer:
http://www.StrategicBookPublishing.com/ScienceFictionandAlternateHistory.html
http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Reading-Science-Fiction-Scholes/dp/1449581889/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261366245&sr=1-1
http://www.sffworld.com/community/story/3932p0.html
Cheers
31. Captain Braxton – April 16, 2010
“Is there a comic book movie that doesn’t suck?”
Surely you’re joking. Superman, Superman II, Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, X-Men, X-Men 2, The Incredible Hulk, Hellboy, Hellboy II, The Crow, Sin City, Road to Perdition, A History of Violence, V for Vendetta, The Mask, The Addams Family, Men in Black, Ghost World… all good or great movies. You may not like any of them, but that sure doesn’t mean they suck.
It’s far too soon to reboot Spiderman.
I think the box office will fall off with a new cast.
I predict Chloe Moretz will star in a remake of “Pippi Longstocking” within the next three years. I’m serious, too; with the pigtails and her smile, she’d make an awesome Pippi!
And with her tough physicality and talent, she’d make Pippi more than a weird cult-favorite from my 70s childhood. :)
“Spider-Man: Begin Again”? What the heck is the matter with the people involved in that production? Is there something wrong with the potential title “The Amazing Spider-Man”? Or “The Spectacular Spider-Man”? Or maybe even “Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man”? What about “Web of Spider-Man”? Plenty of potential titles in the comic book titles, both past and present. No need to taint the film with a pathetically BAD title like “Spider-Man: Begin Again”. That’s beyond sad and ridiculous. They’ve managed to kill whatever interest I had to begin with in the film, not that I had much.
Don’t get me wrong, I like Spider-Man and I like the first two Sam Raimi films and I’m all for doing a new film the right way, but guys…that title is a major step in the WRONG direction. Please, for the love of the fans who buy the tickets, don’t try copying/ripping off Warner’s “Batman Begins” titling. That’s pathetic. You wanna make the fans happy? Name the film after one of the comics. You CANNOT go wrong with that.
Why does the Stark Expo 1974 take place in a retro-kitsch version of the 1950s, I wonder?
I would love to see an Astonishing X-men film written and Directed by Joss Whedon. The motion comics of the comics he worked on are very cool and cinematic.
Uh… why are they rebooting Spiderman? There is absolutely NO REASON to change any cast or not continue the existing storyline! IF they do, they’re in for a lot of lameness and disappointment from the fans.
They go to all the trouble to set up the Lizard for the next movie and they drop the storyline? WTF? Excuse my term, but sheesh!