Sci-Fi Movies Wednesday: Avatar, Battleship, Harry Potter, The Hobbit, Twilight, Tron Legacy + more

This week’s edition of Sci-Fi Movies brings us up to date on Avatar, plus new looks at Tron Legacy and new images and videos from Iron Man 2, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. To round it all out we have an update on the Superman franchise and a clarification from Peter Jackson on his two ‘Hobbit’ films. All that and more, including the latest casting bites, images and videos.

GENRE MOVIE NEWS

James Cameron Promises Avatar Sequel + Early Buzz May Lead to Award Nominations
"Avatar" director James Cameron addressed — and brushed away — any of the early negative online buzz, while also defending the film in an interview with SCI FI Wire:

"I know there’s been a lot of talk and speculation about it, but it’s kind of like the generic Oscar buzz out there—it’s pretty ridiculous when people haven’t even see the movie," he says, addressing the issue. "All anyone has seen is the 25 minutes of various scenes we showed at Comic-Con—and that’s not the movie! How can fans judge it by that?"

"I set out to make a film that’s like the stuff that played on the projection screen of my mind when I was a teenager, informed by science fiction," Cameron says. "And I wanted to do original stuff, all those creatures and landscapes and plants and animals that I’d been drawing and noodling out over some 20 years. And fans really love this kind of depth and detail, so when I began Avatar I really put a lot of energy and focus into a sense of completeness in detail of the world, for that very reason."

The negative buzz may well end up being misplaced.  The only public screening of the film took place this week in front of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association who HitFix reports came away very impressed and could nominate it in the Best Picture – Drama and Best Director categories (nominations will be announced next Tuesday morning):

After a screening yesterday morning, very reliable sources have told Awards Campaign that the HFPA were incredibly positive about Cameron’s latest endeavor. In fact, it’s now very likely to be nominated in both the Best Picture – Drama and Best Director categories when the Golden Globe nominations are announced next Tuesday. This was almost unthinkable a week ago and may push expected Globe nominees such as "The Hurt Locker" or "An Education" out of the Best Picture – Drama race. Additionally, this could (emphasis on "could") find "Avatar" seriously being considered for one of the ten nominees for Oscar’s Best Picture trophy — especially considering the 8-10th slots hardly seem secure at this point in the race.

Cameron also says he’s not concerned about the extreme amount of hype because he’s confident that when audiences go see it, they’ll be impressed:

"…[When] even hard-core sci-fi fans see the whole movie, they’ll get it, because the film will speak for itself. If I can just get ’em in the damn theater, the film will act on them in the way it’s supposed to, in terms of taking them on an amazing journey and giving them this rich emotional experience. And it’s not really like any other film, and I think that’s its greatest asset—and its greatest deficit. You can’t compare it to something else."

Cameron also talked about the potential for a sequel:

It "is not true science fiction in the sense of saying, ‘This is what contact with an alien species would be like.’ It’s not about that at all. It’s about how we’ve lost contact with ourselves in a natural state. So if we fail, it all ends there, but if we are successful then we’ll make more films, and that world will continue to flesh itself out and be a place that fans can go to."

Check out the rest of the interview at SCI FI Wire.  You can also check out another interview with Cameron at Daily Telgraph and one with actress Michelle Rodriguez at the LA Times’ Hero Complex Blog.  In other news, you can listen to the theme song "I See You", performed by Grammy Award-nominated singer Leona Lewis below, followed by the latest images and videos for the film.  "Avatar" hits conventional, 3D, IMAX and IMAX 3D theaters on December 18, 2009.

"I See You" by Leona Lewis (will play in closing credits) [via PopEater]

Making a Scene (live-action/motion-captured performances) [YouTube Link]

Clip: "You Should See Your Faces"

Extended Story Featurette: Pandora

Latest TV spots

More TV spots: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Jeff Bridges Talks About His Dual Roles In Tron Legacy + New Image and Poster
Jeff Bridges reprises his role as an older Kevin Flynn in Disney’s upcoming 3D sequel "Tron Legacy" from director Joseph Kosinski.  Bridges will also be playing a younger version — 27 years in the past — of his character.  He talked a bit about the computer technology that will be used for the film (which was used to age and de-age Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"):

"It was challenging, in that I got a little taste of this new technology of acting what they call ‘in the volume’ and making movies without cameras," Bridges said in a group interview Wednesday in Beverly Hills, Calif., where he was promoting the drama Crazy Heart. "It’s a completely different deal. That was kind of a challenge. It was great getting back with my old buddy, [original Tron director] Steven Lisberger, and Bruce Boxleitner [who will appear in the sequel as an age-appropriate Bradley]"

"Tron Legacy" is currently in post-production and will hit theaters on December 17, 2010.  Check out a new image featuring co-stars Olivia Wilde (as Quorra) and Garrett Hedlund (as Kevin Flynn’s son Sam) and a brand new poster underneath the film’s synopsis below.

TRON: LEGACY is a 3D high-tech adventure set in a digital world that’s unlike anything ever captured on the big screen. Sam Flynn (GARRETT HEDLUND), the tech-savvy 27-year-old son of Kevin Flynn (JEFF BRIDGES), looks into his father’s disappearance and finds himself pulled into the digital world of Tron where his father has been living for 25 years. Along with Kevin’s loyal confidant Quorra (OLIVIA WILDE), father and son embark on a life-and-death journey of escape across a visually-stunning cyber universe that has become far more advanced and exceedingly dangerous.

Olvia Wilde and Garrett Hedlund [HeyUGuys]

Domestic poster [HeyUGuys]

Jonah Hex: New Image and Synopsis
Warner Brothers has released an official image of Josh Brolin as Jonah Hex along with the synopsis for the film [Omelete via Cinema Blend]:

”Jonah Hex (Josh Brolin) is a scarred drifter and bounty hunter of last resort, a tough and stoic gunslinger who can track down anyone…and anything. Having survived death, Jonah’s violent history is steeped in myth and legend, and has left him with one foot in the natural world and one on the “other side.” His only human connection is with Leila (Megan Fox), whose life in a brothel has left her with scars of her own. But Jonah’s past is about to catch up with him when the U.S. military makes him an offer he can’t refuse: in exchange for his freedom from the warrants on his head, he must track down and stop the dangerous terrorist Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich). But Turnbull, who is gathering an army and preparing to unleash Hell, is also Jonah’s oldest enemy and will stop at nothing until Jonah is dead. Based on the legendary graphic novel, “Jonah Hex” is an epic adventure thriller about one man’s personal quest for redemption against the vast canvas of the battle between good and evil.”

"Jonah Hex" hits theaters on June 18, 2010.

Josh Brolin as Jonah Hex [Omelete]

Superman Films At Warner Bros. Now Officially On Hold + DC Comics Batman and Superman Reboots
Warner Brothers has put a hold on any future "Superman" films, casting doubt on the future of the franchise (at least on the feature film front) [Thompson on Hollywood]:

"As the studio is waiting to resolve the legal dispute, there’s no movement on the project. Production execs at Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. have been culling the various pitches that have come in, and are eager to start development on a sequel. Who knew, when Brandon Routh played the Man of Steel in Superman Returns, that fans would split so divisively? The 2006 movie, which paid homage to the Richard Donner Superman movies without completely updating the franchise the way Christopher Nolan did with Batman Begins, grossed $391 million worldwide off strong reviews for a genre sequel. But it cost more than $232 million. Warners felt it could have performed better with more action and a powerful villain—and no Superman kid. So Singer was taken off the franchise."

"The studio is still seeking the right direction. No writers are working on a Superman script. “We’re working on a strategy for DC,” says one Warners exec. “Superman is the trickiest one to figure out.” In fact WB consumer products guru Diane Nelson, who liased with JK Rowling on the Harry Potter series, has been charged with putting the integrated DC/WB house in order."

But just because the property is having trouble on the film side doesn’t mean it won’t continue elsewhere; i.e. comics.  According to DC’s official site The Source, writer J. Michael Straczynski ("Babylon 5") and artist Shane Davis have been tapped to create "Superman: Earth One":

Return to Smallville and experience the journey of Earth’s greatest adopted son, as he grows from boy to Superman in SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE by J. Michael Straczynski and artist Shane Davis.

DC Comics is similarly working on a "Batman" graphic novel titled "Batman: Year One", from writer Geoff Johns and artist Gary Frank:

Watch from the darkest corners of Crime Alley as a young boy is struck by unbelievable tragedy that will forge the greatest crime-fighter to ever stalk the rooftops of Gotham City in BATMAN: EARTH ONE, by writer Geoff Johns and artist Gary Frank.

Here are some comments from those involved:

“What I’m trying to do is to dig in to the character and look at him through modern eyes," said Straczynski. "If you were to create the Superman story today, for the first time, but keep intact all that works, what would it look like?”

“It is monumental for us as comic readers to see Superman birthed for the first time,” Davis said. “It’s a privilege to realize that you’re the artist that gets to draw it, better yet having the luxury to do it in an original graphic novel. This is going to be epic!”

“BATMAN: EARTH ONE allows Gary and I to break the restraints of any continuity and focus on two things: character and story,” said Johns.

Superman

Batman/Bruce Wayne and Alfred

Peter Jackson Talks The Hobbit + Casting Now Underway
Producer Peter Jackson clarified rumors surrounding the production of "The Hobbit" (saying they still hope to release the first film "by the end of 2011"):

"We’re still working on the script, and of course it’s going to be directed by Guillermo [del Toro]," Jackson said. "That’s going really well, and in fact we’ve already delivered the first script to the studio, and they really liked it, so now we’re working hard on the second script, and that’s going to keep us pretty busy until the end of this year."

"There’s no budget yet, and no cast, but we plan to start shooting next year, with the first one coming out by the end of 2011, hopefully," Jackson said. "And while Guillermo’s making The Hobbit, I’m not quite sure what I’ll be working on, as I want to make completely sure that I’m doing what I need to do for The Hobbit, and that I’ll be there to help Guillermo."

Jackson also talked about how they intend to split the book into two films, revealing that both parts will be based solely on the content of the book:

"The second Hobbit script is still based on the Hobbit novel," Jackson said. "The Hobbit novel is in two parts."

Jackson, along with fellow screenwriters Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens and director Guillermo del Toro have also settled on a middle point to split the book, but Jackson wouldn’t say where that occur: "Yeah, yeah, we have, but you’ll have to wait and see the film to find out," Jackson teased.  In other news, Jackson announced that casting has officially gotten underway for the project:

“We’re auditioning for every role,” Jackson said in an interview [via THR’s Heat Vision Blog]. “What we’ve done over the years is discover a lot of interesting actors, like Orlando Bloom (in ‘Rings’), Kate Winslet (in ‘Heavenly Creatures’), Saoirse Ronan (in ‘The Lovely Bones’). So if you start looking and auditioning seriously, it’s amazing what incredible talent you’ll find out there.”

“Apart from Ian McKellen, who we obviously want to return as Gandalf, we are not really offering any roles to anybody until we’ve done a casting sweep,” Jackson said.

“(These movies) have never been a star-driven vehicle. The star is (author J.R.R.) Tolkien and the world he created. We are not under any pressure. We want to find the right people. Casting someone to portray a hobbit is not as easy as you might imagine. They have to have a particular type of physical appearance and a sensibility. And the same with an elf or a dwarf. These are fantastical characters, but you’ve got to find the right people to play them, the right humans to translate these characters.”

On the rumor side, AICN reports that Tom Waits is being talked about for a role in the film(s). Jackson’s latest film "The Lovely Bones" hits theaters this Friday, December 11th.  "The Hobbit: Part 1" is scheduled to hit theaters in 2011 followed by "The Hobbit: Part 2" in 2012.

Summit Entertainment Considering Splitting Final Twilight Book Into Two Films
Summit Entertainment has a big hit their hands with "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" already closing in on $600 million worldwide ($578.9 million — $257.5 million domestically), but the studio has to make a pretty big decision in regards to the final book in the series ‘Eclipse’.  Variety reports that the studio is considering splitting ‘Eclipse’ into two pictures and having Melissa Rosenberg — who wrote the first three films — finish out the series.  Summit also needs to figure out whether ‘New Moon’ director Chris Weitz responds favorably to return to film the last two movies back-to-back.  Of course that also brings up concerns with cost:

Summit execs would not comment, but multiple sources said the company wants to go the two-film route, which means reopening negotiations and securing approval from the author. It also means making new deals with a principal cast that is only locked up for four films. If "Breaking Dawn" becomes two pictures, all of the key cast members will get fat raises, and the three principals — Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner — could land paydays in the eight-figure range.

In other news, Summit Entertainment will release "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" (from director David Slade) in IMAX theaters alongside its conventional theater release on June 30, 2010.

"The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" teaser poster [MTV]

Battleship: Aliens
If you thought the idea of turning the board game "Battleship" into a feature film was odd, maybe news that Aliens will be the enemy will make it more appealing.  The alien as a villain angle was first reported by Latino Review, but the site was invited — along with other journalists — to take a flight to the USS Sterett and get extended details straight from the director of the project, Peter Berg.  Here’s a bit from their report:

"He [director Peter Berg] showed us some concept art of the alien ships. They were black, and had legs that spread out sort of like water spiders you see on the top of lakes. They looked pretty H.G. Wells-ish and supposedly each ship matches up very well to our ships. Technologically, the two enemies are almost evenly matched, so Battleship becomes a game of strategic warfare more than a fight to see who has the better toys. The concept images looked way cool and it’ll be really interesting to see how our military can handle an enemy that can move quicker on the water than they can."

And here are some details on the project from an interview with director Peter Berg:

"The goal was to put up something that could exist as a big, dynamic, entertaining summer blockbuster. That’s clearly what you aspire to make when you take on something like ‘Battleship’ and I think we’re well on our way. I want to share a few pictures with you guys of the enemy, pictures of what the enemy is going to look like. Nobody has seen these…but the enemy does come from another planet. That’s not news. It’s true, you guys uncovered it first. We tried to keep it a secret, but it’s our goal to make that as intelligent and logical, certainly as ‘District 9’ was able to do. But to provide a real intelligence to our opponent, a logic, a rationale for being there and not purely hostile, violent creatures bent on global destruction. They’ve got a much more logical agenda planned that happens to come into conflict with us. Then there’s a chance for two relatively equal opponents to go at each other and you get a sense of some of the equipment you saw, the level and intelligence of that character of what modern sailors are today."

Is this an invasion or just something where the aliens are testing their technology against ours?

Berg: "There’s a group of life forms from some other planet have come to our planet for something. They’ve got a very specific agenda. That agenda is not global domination. It’s an agenda and that agenda puts them into conflict with members of our military. Their technology is relatable. It’s not incredibly far out and unbeatable. It’s comprehensible. Hopefully it’ll make for good fun and an intense ride."

For more, be sure to head on over to Latino Review to read their entire report.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice: New Images and First Trailer
Disney has released a new batch of images and a the teaser trailer for Jon Turteltaub’s "The Sorcerer’s Apprentice".  The film stars Nicolas Cage, Monica Bellucci, Jay Baruchel and Alfred Molina and hits theaters on July 16, 2010.

Official logo [/Film]

Production stills [more at /Film]

Teaser trailer [Apple]

NEW IMAGES

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Promotional stills [one more at Omelete via SpoilerTV-Movies]

Black Swan

Set images [more at Accidental Sexiness via Collider]

The Book of Eli

Promotional stills [io9]

New poster [MySpace]

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1

First stills [Yahoo! Movies]

Iron Man 2

Production stills [more at SCI FI Wire]

Domestic and International posters [Yahoo! Movies & Empire]

Kick-Ass

Character poster (Chris Mintz-Plasse as The Red Mist) [AICN]

Legion

Production stills [Hollywood.com]

The Lovely Bones

Production stills [more at io9]

Mass Effect: Redemption (Comic book)

Comic book stills [more at io9]

Vampire Killers

Production stills [more at Shock Till You Drop]

The Wolfman

Two new international posters [one more at Empire]

CASTING BITES

• Taylor Lautner ("The Twilight Saga: New Moon") has been cast as the lead in the film adaptation of the Mattel toy line "Max Steel". [Variety]
• There’s talk that Josh Brolin may join "Men in Black 3":  "He could play a new single-monikered government agent, with Tommy Lee Jones’ Agent K passing the baton to Brolin’s character. Or he could play Agent K as a young man. Or something else entirely". [LA Times]
• Some more "Spider-Man 4" casting rumors to pass along. John Malkovich is in negotiations to play Vulture, while Anne Hathaway is in negotiations to play Felicia Hardy (but not as the Black Cat): "However, unlike in the comic books, this Felicia Hardy doesn’t transform into the Black Cat. Instead, Raimi’s Felicia will become a brand-new superpowered figure called the Vulturess". [Movieline]
• Stan Lee has confirmed that he’ll be making a cameo appearance in Kenneth Branagh’s "Thor". [@smilinstanlee (Stan Lee)]
• Disney has sent out an official casting call for "John Carter of Mars", along with a new brief synopsis: "A damaged civil war veteran finds himself mysteriously transported to Mars where his involvements with warring races of the dying planet force him to rediscover his humanity". [SpoilerTV-Movies]
• Actor Jeremy Renner said he’s been having discussions with Marvel about playing Hawkeye in at least two upcoming Marvel films as well as "The Avengers": "Hawkeye could be interesting. They’re going to send me some stuff on it, see what it is. But I think they’re pretty awesome, trying to make superhero movies almost plausible and not just some fantasy thing." [The Playlist & IGN]

NEW VIDEOS

Daybreakers

TV trailer [Yahoo! Movies]

The Descent 2

Clip: Noises [via io9]

Watch two more clips: 1 | 2

The Lovely Bones

TV spot [YouTube Link]

MISC VIDEOS

Robert J. Sawyer

Interview with author Robert J. Sawyer [CityTV via SCI FI Wire]

LEGO

LEGO Matrix

Watch a side-by-side comparison here

Terminator Salvation

James Cameron on finally getting a chance to watch Terminator Salvation

MOVIE BITES

• "Star Wars Celebration V" will be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida from August 12-15, 2010. Tickets will go on sale — online — starting December 10th… [Star Wars Celebration]
• …Speaking of which, "Star Wars" creator George Lucas was among 13 people inducted into the California Hall of Fame last week. [Star Wars Blog]
• Weta’s David Meng talks about early design concepts for the aliens of Neill Blomkamp’s "District 9" in an interview with io9.
• While taking part in the BD-Live event for "Terminator Salvation", director McG again re-iterated his desire to making two more films, and also said he would like to feature Sarah Connor in the next one (but isn’t sure how to do it yet). [Gizmodo]
• "Dark Shadows", Tim Burton’s proposed film adaptation of the classic 1960s TV series of the same name set to star Johnny Depp as the vampire Barnabas Collins, will begin production next fall: "We’re actually going to shoot that film next September/October with Tim Burton and Johnny," said producer Graham King.  [SCI FI Wire]
• Alyson Hannigan, who played Willow in Joss Whedon’s TV series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", said that without Joss Whedon involved she won’t play any part in the proposed film: "Yeah, and that’s a very big mistake, in my opinion," adding, "I mean, if Joss isn’t involved, it’s only the title…Not without Joss. Joss is the only reason that we would go back. I mean, it’s just ridiculous to think of that TV show without Joss. That’s just silly to me. … And all the fans know that, too, so I don’t know what they’re thinking." [Cinema Blend]
• Mila Kunis ("The Book of Eli") talks about the sex scene between her and co-star Natalie Portman ("Star Wars – Episodes I-III") in Darren Aronofsky’s "Black Swan": "Sure," she says, with a roll of her eyes. "It’s two girls making out, and guys have a thing for that. And Nat is like every guy’s dream. She’s a nerd’s idea of heaven. The whole thing is silly, but I can see why people care." [Black Book via SCI FI Wire]
• Location scouting has begun for a third film in the "Chronicles of Riddick" saga. [Vin Diesel]
• "The Road" director John Hillcoat talks about the film, including why he settled on cutting several scenes that were featured in the novel, in an interview with io9.
• "Tron Legacy" director Joseph Kosinski and producer Sean Bailey have been tapped to remake Disney’s "The Black Hole". [THR’s Heat Vision Blog]
• Peter Jackson, director of "The Lovely Bones" says that he added more violence to the film after complaints from early test screenings. [SCI FI Wire]
• Stephen King is working on a sequel to his novel "The Shining". [Filmofilia via SCI FI Wire]
• Daniel Radcliffe will do a nude scene in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows": "In one scene, ‘ a horcrux [carrying a piece of Voldemort’s soul] defends itself by producing nightmarish visions, and one shows Hermione and Harry embracing and kissing,’ explained director David Yates. ‘ It’s something intriguing’ and sensual for Rupert [Grint, who plays Ron] to react to, and Dan will be bare for that.’ " [Video Business]
• Paramount Pictures has picked up "Area 51", director Oren Peli’s follow-up to "Paranormal Activity". [Variety]
• Eli Roth said that he’ll be making "Endangered Species" — which he has in the past described as a cross between "Cloverfield" and "Transformers" — his next directorial project. [MTV]
• In "Spider-Man 4", Tobey Maguire says he hopes "to evolve the character in a new direction," he said. "He’ll still be Peter Parker, but I hope I can move him forward a bit and take him to a place where there will be new challenges for me as an actor." [MTV]
• James Cameron is developing writer Shane Salerno’s action script — described as an "event" film set in the future — for 20th Century Fox. [Production Weekly]
• Summit Entertainment is developing "Vlad", about a young prince Dracula.  The script was written by actor Charlie Hunnam ("Sons of Anarchy"). Brad Pitt will produce and music video director Anthony Mandler will direct. [THR’s Heat Vision Blog]
• "Zombieland" writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick may have been asked to write "X-Men Origins: Deadpool" for 20th Century Fox. [C.H.U.D.]
• Summit Entertainment and Participant Media have teamed up to pick up Ben Magid’s sci-fi spec script "Invasion". The project is described as a sci-fi action movie with an environmental theme. [Variety]
• "The Wolfman" has been rated R by the MPAA for ""bloody horror, violence and gore." [Shock Till You Drop]
• Director Mathew Vaughn talks about directing "Kick-Ass" in an interview with Crave Online.
• The "Gears of War" movie may be an origin story, perhaps taking place on Emergence Day. [Making Of via /Film]
• Platinum Dunes is shooting a new scene for the remake of "A Nightmare on Elm Street". [SpoilerTV-Movies]
• Dimension Films is reportedly taking pitches for a new direction on "Halloween" and the status of Patrick Lussier directing the project remains uncertain. [Bloody-Disgusting]
• Scarlet Fire Entertainment is developing an adaptation of the Dare Comic property "The Hunter". [THR’s Heat Vision Blog]
• Here’s how Sam Rockwell describes his role of Justin Hammer in "Iron Man 2": "He’s kind of more of the plucky comic relief, but he’s got a little bit of an edge. He’s a little pissed off. … He’s a little more Salieri than he is the plucky comic relief, but Mickey Rourke is really the bad guy. … I’m more of a cross between the agent character in Entourage and Salieri and maybe Bill Murray in Kingpin." [Dark Horizons]
• "It’s terrifying. It’s massive. It’s enormous", says star Tom Hardy of the scale of George Miller’s $100 million film "Mad Max: Fury Road". [MTV]
• Director Steven Spielberg says that he has withdrawn from "Harvey".  20th Century Fox will continue working on the project and may re-approach Spielberg and Robert Downey Jr. — who was approached to play the role after Tom Hanks declined — down the line. [Variety]
• Scott Stewart’s "Priest" has been pushed up from October 2010 to August 27, 2010… [Bloody-Disgusting]
• …Meanwhile, Screen Gems has pushed back the release of "Resident Evil: Afterlife" to January 14, 2011.  The film was originally scheduled to be released on August 27, 2010. [Shock Till You Drop & ComingSoon.net]
• Ryan Reynolds ("Green Lantern") says that he won’t classify the film as strictly an origin story: "It is [an origin story] to a certain degree, but it’s not a labored origin story, where the movie [truly] begins in the third act," he explained. "The movie starts when it starts. We find out Hal is the guy fairly early on, and the adventure begins." [MTV]

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