Sci-Fi Movies Tuesday: Pirates 4, Spider-Man 4, Fantastic Four, Indy 5, Hancock 2, Green Hornet + more

Sci-Fi Movies is back and there’s a lot to report on, including the announcement of a title and release time frame for the fourth Pirates of the Carribbean, news of Spider-Man 4 being released in IMAX + an update on the musical, Harrison Ford talking Indy 5 and a release date for Tron Legacy. All that and much more, including the latest sci-fi images and videos, follow after the jump.

GENRE MOVIE NEWS

Fourth Pirates Titled; Coming Summer 2011
During Disney’s D23 fan expo over the weekend, "Pirates of the Caribbean" star Johnny Depp was on hand in full Jack Sparrow attire to help make the announcement for the fourth film in the franchise.  "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" (see the title logo below) will be released in summer 2011.

Here are a few more announcements made during Disney’s D23 Fan Expo over the weekend (via SCI FI Wire):

• The title of the upcoming new Muppet movie will be "The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made!"…
• "John Carter of Mars" will be released in Summer 2012 and it’s the first in a planned trilogy…
• Disney announced the creation of a new Horror Label called Disney Double Dare You led by director Guillermo del Toro…
• Nicolas Cage has agreed to work on a third installment in the successful "National Treasure" franchise.

Gavin Hood and Lauren Schuler Donner Talk Wolverine 2
During a press event for today’s DVD/Blu-ray release of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine", director Gavin Hood and producer Lauren Schuler Donner discussed proposed sequel to the film.  Here’s an excerpt courtesy Latino Review:

Does the success of the first film give you greater liberty to take an original approach or does it put more pressure on you to maintain truth to the source material?

Lauren Schuler Donner: I think it’s our responsibility to remain true to the source material. There are other influences and other factors that make us deviate from it, the first of which being transcribing it to the screen. We certainly are fully aware of the fan base and try in every way possible to stay close to the source material. I think in ‘Wolverine’ it was a little bit different because there was a lot of different source material, a lot of different legends in Victor Creed’s relationship to Logan and Logan’s background. There were some choices we had to make. Certainly in ‘Wolverine 2,’ in the Japanese saga, we will stay very close to the source material. I think it’s just best that way.

Gavin Hood: The truth is, what freaked me out a little when I was doing my research was that I was looking for the definitive origin story of Wolverine. And, of course, any of you who know the comics know that doesn’t entirely exist because this guy’s been written about for 40 years by many different writers, different illustrators. Wolverine’s been drawn wearing a yellow spandex suit and he’s been drawn about wearing jeans and a jacket. The truth is, all of these versions are from source material. The origin story of him as a kid and the bone claws happening and the hint that Victor Creed may be his half brother. In the original draft, when we looked at it without him being a half brother, there wasn’t as much emotional connection between the hero and the villain. So we had to make the choices that were right for this movie. That doesn’t mean there aren’t other options that other writers have written. I just prefer to do a movie with him in jeans and a leather jacket rather than yellow spandex. (Laughs)

Head on over to Latino Review to read more.  In related news, Patrick Stewart (Professor Charles Xavier) told convention goers at DragonCon that he’s open to returning to "X-Men".  Stewart also mentioned that he and Ian McKellen (Magneto), whom he recently co-starred with in a production of "Waiting for Godot", agreed they would like to continue to explore the relationship between their two characters.

Spider-Man 4 Gets Simultaneous IMAX Release on May 5, 2011 + Updates on Musical
IMAX Corporation and Columbia Pictures have officially announced that "Spider-Man 4" will be released in IMAX theaters simultaneously with the worldwide release on May 5, 2011:

"The last two ‘Spider-Man’ releases have been available in IMAX theaters, and we’re very much looking forward to our return to a wider IMAX theatre network with this exciting new chapter in the continuing adventures of Spider-Man," said Rory Bruer, President, Worldwide Distribution for Sony Pictures Releasing. "The addition of so many new IMAX locations will give even more fans of Spider-Man an opportunity to experience the action and adventure in a unique way."

"’Spider-Man’ continues to be one of the world’s most popular motion picture franchises, and we are very excited to include the latest chapter as part of our 2011 slate," said IMAX CEO Richard L. Gelfond. "Our network has grown significantly and we continue to roll-out new theatres virtually every week, giving more moviegoers the opportunity to experience the movie in IMAX."

In related news, Bruce Campbell told Access Hollywood that the film will begin shooting in January 2010.  Campbell says that he hasn’t been told what character he’ll play, but did say he’ll have a major part in the feature.  And rounding out the week’s "Spider-Man" news, a spokesman for the upcoming musical "Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark" has confirmed that tickets will go on sale starting October 31st.

Green Hornet Production Starts; Nicolas Cage Out, Waltz In
After multiple delays principal photography has finally kicked off on the Seth Rogen starring/co-written film adaptation of "The Green Hornet".  There may be an issue down the line, however, as the film’s scheduled release date — December 17, 2010 — conflicts with "Tron Legacy".  Read below for more on that.  The press release also noted that Tom Wilkinson and David Harbour have been cast in the series. But the bigger casting news came courtesy the film’s lead villain role. Nicolas Cage was in negotiations to take on the part, but The Hollywood Reporter’s Heat Vision blog reported last week that Cage dropped out of talks after he was unable to come to terms on a deal with the studio.  But the studio quickly came up with a replacement with Deadline Hollywood reporting that Christoph Waltz — who gave a terrific performance in Quentin Tarantino’s "Inglourious Basterds" — has stepped into the role: "Christoph Waltz…has now been cast as villain Chudnofsky in Sony’s The Green Hornet opposite Seth Rogen and Cameron Diaz."  Check out the first set images below.

Set images [more at Superhero Hype (and here) and JustJared]

Tron Legacy Release Date Announced: December 17, 2010
As I noted above, Disney recently announced a December 17, 2010 release date for Joseph Kosinski’s "Tron Legacy".  The studio was actually expected to announce a release for that date, or at least around that time period, for some time but it’s interesting that they decided to stick with the date given all the competition surrounding the mid-to-late December release frame.  Here are some of the high-profile releases currently slated for the time period: "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" (December 10, 2010–Fox), "The Green Hornet" (December 17th–Sony), "The Smurfs (in 3-D)" (December 17th–Sony), "Tron Legacy" (December 17th–Disney) and "Gulliver’s Travels" (December 22nd–Fox). In other news, Michael Sheen talked with ComingSoon about his brief role in the film (playing a nightclub owner in the computer world):

"That was amazing, because there’s a lot of green screen in that. But my stuff was mainly in this amazing set that they built because I’m a nightclub host, so they built the nightclub and there were hundreds of extras and it was one of those great scenes where there’s just loads going on."

Harrison Ford Talks Indy 5
When asked about progress on the proposed fifth installment in the "Indiana Jones" franchise, Harrison Ford told the French newspaper Le Figaro (via AICN) that he would "be very happy to put the [Indy] costume on again" .  Ford also revealed that he, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas have "agreed on what the fifth adventure will concern".  The relevant excerpt from the newspaper follows below:

"The story for the new Indiana Jones is in the process of taking form. Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and myself are agreed on what the fifth adventure will concern, and George is actively at work. If the script is good, I’ll be very happy to put the costume on again."

The Road Gets Delayed Again + First Reviews
It’s been a long road — no pun intended — for the oft-delayed film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer prize-winning post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel "The Road" — starring Viggo Mortenson Kodi McPhee, Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall and Guy Pierce — and Dimension is yet again bumping the film’s release.  The studio has announced that the film has been pushed from October 16th to November 25th. Meanwhile the first reviews from the film are starting to come out.  Here are two excerpts from Variety (negative) and The Hollywood Reporter (positive).  As a note, it’s currently sitting at 86% at Rotten Tomatoes (6 Fresh, 1 Rotten):

The Hollywood Reporter
Director John Hillcoat has performed an admirable job of bringing Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel to the screen as an intact and haunting tale, even at the cost of sacrificing color, big scenes and standard Hollywood imagery.

Variety
Except for the physical aspects of this bleak odyssey by a father and son through a post-apocalyptic landscape, this long-delayed production falls dispiritingly short on every front.

Fox Rebooting Fantastic Four
Shortly after the news broke about Disney’s $4 billion deal to acquire the rights to Marvel properties, 20th Century Fox announced that they had hired Akiva Goldsman to produce a "Fantastic Four" reboot.  "Green Lantern" co-writer and "Kings" producer Michael Green will write the script for the new film.  It’s unlikely any of the original cast and crew from the 2005 and 2007 films would return for the reboot.  In case you’re wondering, Fox actually controls the rights to Marvel’s "Fantastic Four" as long as they continue to make films based on the property.  They have a similar arrangement with Marvel Comics with the "X-Men", "Daredevil" and "Silver Surfer" properties.

Warner Bros. Forms DC Entertainment + No Plans for New Superman Movie
Warner Bros. is rebranding DC Comics into DC Entertainment in an effort to take better advantage of their extensive catalog of comic characters.  The new company will be headed by Warner Bros. vet Diane Nelson, who has overseen the "Harry Potter" franchise and managed the successful Warner Premiere line, which produces the direct-to-DVD/Blu-ray movies based on DC Comics characters:

“It’s no secret that DC has myriad rich and untapped possibilities from its deep library of iconic and lesser-known characters,” said Alan Horn, Warner Bros. Entertainment president and chief operating officier. “While we’ve had great success in films and television, the formation of DC Entertainment will help us to bring more DC properties across additional platforms to fans around the world, while maintaining brand integrity and authenticity. Diane is a terrific choice to lead DC Entertainment, and with Paul in his new role as a valued consultant and contributing editor, both our company and comic fans win.”

Even with the new approach, DC Entertainment president Diane Nelson told MTV that there are still no plans for a new "Superman" movie:

"We actually don’t have any current plans for Superman," said Nelson when asked if the new environment (and the recent legal decision regarding the character) made a "Superman" movie more or less likely in the near future… We’ve obviously done a lot of great things behind the property in our history, and it’s a key part of the family, but we don’t have current plans behind Superman," she said.

Hancock Sequel in the works – main cast returning
While at the Toronto Film Festival, "Hancock" director Peter Berg announced a sequel is in the works for the off-beat superhero movie, with Wil Smith, Jason Bateman and Charlize Theron all lined, up. Berg stated "Everybody’s going to come back" however Variety notes that Sony stressed no deals are yet in place. Berg gave some details to MTV, saying he wants to explore some of the backstory to Hancock and the superhero/gods, also told MTV that he has another big name start in mind to play a new ‘superhero/god’. 

NEW IMAGES

2012

New poster [SCI FI Wire]

The Box

French poster [IMP Awards]

Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant

Poster [IGN]

The Host 2

CGI test shot [Daum via ShockTillYouDrop]

Iron Man 2

First look at the Audi R8 Spider (most likely Tony Stark’s new ride) [Top Gear via SpoilerTV-Movies]

Jennifer’s Body

Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried [more at MTV]

Pandorum

Promotional stills [more at Fantasy.fr via SCI FI Wire]

German and Brazilian Posters [Sci Fi Scoop and IMP Awards]

Rec2

Promotional stills [Aullidos via ShockTillYouDrop]

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Set images [more at SpoilerTV-Movies]

Where the Wild Things Are

Promotional stills [more at NY Times]

New one-sheet and character posters [MSN and more at IMP Awards]

Zombieland

Emma Stone press stills [more at SpoilerTV]

CASTING BITES

• R&B singer/songwriter Ne-Yo has joined the cast of the sci-fi alien invasion film "Battle: Los Angeles".  Also joining the cast are Ramon Rodriguez, Taylor Handley, Cory Hardrict, Jadin Gould, Bryce Cass and Joey King.  They join previously cast Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan and Michael Pena. [THR]
• Josh Hartnett has signed on to star in "Gunslinger", a revenge-driven story set in a post-apocalyptic America.  Chris Nahon ("Blood: The Last Vampire") will direct. [Variety]
• Steven Spielberg is reportedly eying Robert Downey Jr. to play the lead role in his "reimagining" of "Harvey". [Variety]

NEW VIDEOS

Battle for Terra

New clip [io9]

The Box

Trailer 1b

Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs

New clips [Watch three more at CinemaBlend]

Defendor

Trailer

Jennifer’s Body

New clip: "Sacrifice"

Four more clips: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 [via io9]

Featurette

Megan Fox on her kissing scene with Amanda Seyfried

New Moon

Theatrical trailer

Pandorum

TV Spot #2

Watch another TV Spot here

Plan 9

Teaser trailer for proposed remake

The Princess and the Frog

Trailer

Surrogates

Trailer #2

New clip

Watch another clip here [via io9]

TV Spot #3

Watch two more TV spots: 1 | 2

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies

Clip: "Fight with Metallo"

Trick ‘r Treat

Trailer

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Clip from the DVD/Blu-ray

Zombieland

Trailer #2

TV Spot #3: "Rule #3: Seatbelts"

Two more TV spots: 1 | 2

MOVIE BITES

• "Transformers"/"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" director Michael Bay will meet later this week with Steven Spielberg and Ehren Kruger to discuss ideas for "Transformers 3".  We should know by the end of the week whether the film will hit theaters in summer 2011 (as it’s currently scheduled) or summer 2012 (a preference Bay has indicated in the past). [Michael Bay]
• WB has tapped Guy Ritchie ("Sherlock Holmes") to direct a live action adaptation of the DC Comics property "Lobo" from a script written by Don Payne.  Production will begin early next year and despite the subject matter the studio is aiming for a PG-13 rating.  Jeffrey Dean Morgan has expressed interest in playing the lead role. [Variety and SCI FI Wire]
• John Carl Buchler revealed that he is "getting ready to remake" his 1985 film "Troll", saying it’s "likely to be fairly controversial when I do it; that’s part of the reason why some of the hurdles…But it is now quite financially secure, and I’ve got everything in place, so we’re going to make some major announcements with regard to cast and other specifics." [SCI FI Wire]
• Screenwriter Roger Avary and producer Samuel Hadida are reuniting to make a sequel to their 2006 video game adaptation of "Silent Hill". [THR]
• Warner Bros. and Mattel have parted ways on developing a live-action adaptation of the Mattel toy line "Masters of the Universe".  The trades report that the two sides didn’t see eye to eye over the direction of the project and came to a mutual decision to allow the option to lapse this month. WB and producer Joel Silver had been developing the project since 2007. [Variety]
• Columbia Pictures has acquired actor/writers Allen Nelson and Mitch Rouse’s original spec horror/action script "Supermax".  The project has no connection to the Green Arrow — also called "Supermax" — movie from writer Justin Marks and director David Goyer. [Bloody-Disgusting]
• Aaron Eckhart has revealed that principal photography for the alien invasion film "Battle: Los Angeles" has begun. [SCI FI Wire]
• Habbo is working with Summit Entertainment to create an online "Twilight"-themed virtual world centered around "activities, items and polls" based on the hit book/film series. [Variety]
• Check out a report from the set of the upcoming sci-fi action film "Surrogates" (September 25th) starring Bruce Willis. [IGN]
• Ben Katai has been chosen to helm a sequel to the 2007 vampire film "30 Days of Night". The sequel will feature Stella Oleson as the lead character, but the role will be recast (Melissa George starred in the first).  Kentai co-wrote the 30-minute Web/On-Demand prequel film "30 Days of Night: Blood Trails" . [Bloody-Disgusting]
• Jon Favreau may reunite with his "Iron Man 2" star Robert Downey Jr. to direct him in the DreamWorks/Universal project "Cowboys & Aliens".  Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Damon Lindelof are currently in the process of rewriting the script. [Variety]
• Although they’ve denied reports about the George Lucas-produced/Francis Ford Coppola-directed/Michael Jackson-starring "Captain EO (in 3-D)" making a return to to Disneyland, there are still indications that Disney is seriously considering the possibility. [MiceAge via Ain’t It Cool News]
• Check out an interview with Jordu Schell, concept designer on James Cameron’s upcoming 3-D sci-fi film "Avatar" at io9.
• Sylvester Stallone says that his upcoming film "Rambo V: The Savage Hunt" will have an element of sci-fi to it.  Listen to Stallone talk about the film at Ain’t It Cool News.
• Marvel Studios is reportedly looking into converting "Iron Man 2" into 3-D after suits at the studio were impressed by a one-minute demo converted to high quality digital 3-D.  Because of how impressed they were with the footage, they’re currently fielding bids from three different companies to find out how much it would cost and the time it would take to convert the complete film to 3-D.  [Ain’t It Cool News]
• Check out an interview with "Jennifer’s Body" director Karyn Kusama at Shock Till You Drop.
• Disney/Pixar’s John Lasseter downplayed rumors about Pixar working on an "Ant-Man" film now that Disney owns the rights to the Marvel property.  Lasseter didn’t, however, dismiss rumors about sequels to "Monsters, Inc." or "The Incredibles": "That’s a great question," says Lasseter, "Unfortunately, I can’t answer that question… We’re very excited about the ones that we’ve announced." [ComingSoon]
• Here’s some great news for "Lord of the Rings" fans.  New Line Cinema, the Tolkien estate and publisher Harper Collins have settled their lawsuit over profits from the "Lord of the Rings" films, clearing the way for the release of "The Hobbit" adaptation and its sequel. [THR]

Follow Russ on his blog: Your Entertainment Now and on Twitter: Twitter.com/YourEntNow.