Sci-Fi Movies Tuesday: Man of Steel, Dark Knight Rises, Planet of the Apes, Iron Man 3, The Hobbit, X-Men: First Class, Green Lantern, Tron 3 + more

In this week’s Sci-Fi Movies column Superman gets his Zod, Batman keeps his secrets,  the Justice League begins to form, Planet of the Apes gets a new title, The Hobbit increases its shutter speed, X-Men reveals an opening, Tron goes old school, Green Lantern shows off footage and much more including the latest casting bites, images and videos.

GENRE MOVIE NEWS

Michael Shannon cast as General Zod; Amy Adams is Lois Lane in Zack Snyder’s Superman + Costner confirmed as Jonathan Kent

Kneel before Zod. Warner Brothers has announced that "Man of Steel" (notice the new official title) director Zack Snyder has settled on Michael Shannon to play the role of Zod in the Christopher Nolan-directed film. The Kryptonian character was memorably played by Terence Stamp in "Superman II":

Snyder stated, "Zod is not only one of Superman’s most formidable enemies, but one of the most significant because he has insights into Superman that others don’t. Michael is a powerful actor who can project both the intelligence and the malice of the character, making him perfect for the role."

Shannon recently sat down for a Q&A session at the RiverRun International Film Festival and talked about landing the role [via /Film]

In other casting news, Kevin Costner has been confirmed for Jonathan Kent and Amy Adams has been cast as Lois Lane. Here are some quotes from Snyder on the respective cast announcements:

Snyder on the casting of Costner: "Jonathan Kent is the only father figure Clark has ever had, the man who was there to help Clark understand what he was meant to do in the world as Superman. Kevin will be able to communicate the quiet strength of this rural American man who raised the greatest super hero of all time."

Snyder on the casting of Adams: "There was a big, giant search for Lois,” Snyder said. “For us it was a big thing and obviously a really important role. We did a lot of auditioning but we had this meeting with Amy Adams and after that I just felt she was perfect for it."

Snyder spoke to Hero Complex | LA Times about his overall plan for the film:

"Literally, the one thing that everyone can start to think about is that we’re making a movie that finally goes with the approach that there’s been no other Superman movies. … If you look at Batman Begins, there’s that structure, there’s the canon that we know about and respect but on other hand there’s this approach that pre-supposes that there haven’t been any other movies. In every aspect of design and of story, the whole thing is very much from that perspective of respect the canon but don’t be a slave to the movies."

Meanwhile, the Man of Steel himself, British actor Henry Cavill spoke to Splash Page | MTV during his WonderCon 2011 appearance in San Francisco, describing the film as "a re-imagining and modernization of an iconic character":

Check out an interview with Snyder at Digital Spy. "Man of Steel" is scheduled to hit theaters in December 2012.

DC and WB developing Justice League movie; No connection to Snyder’s Superman or Nolan’s Batman

Warner Brothers executive Jeff Robinov reavaled to the LA Times that the studio is planning a "Justice League" movie for release in 2013:

His most immediate hurdle is filling the void that will be left this summer when the multibillion-dollar “Harry Potter” series shepherded by Horn ends. Robinov is betting on DC Comics characters to take center stage starting in June with the $200-million-plus production “Green Lantern.”

Considering the film would be released just a year after new Superman and Batman projects, it would seem likely they would connected in some way. Not true, says "Man of Steel" director Zack Snyder who revealed that the project will exist seperately from his film and Christopher Nolan’s "Batman" films:

‘It doesn’t. Like what Chris Nolan is doing and what I’m doing with Superman, what they’ll do with Justice League will be it’s own thing with it’s own Batman and own Superman. We’ll be over here with our movie and they kinda get to do it twice which is kinda cool’.

Watch the interview clip with Snyder below.

Christopher Nolan keeping Dark Knight Rises ending secret + Casting news

Gary Oldman, who reprises his role as Commissioner Jim Gordon in "The Dark Knight Rises", told the UK’s Absolute Radio (via /Film) that director Christopher Nolan wants to keep the ending secret and has not included it on any scripts:

"To get into the production office, you have to have someone meet you and there are keys and various doors that lock. The script you read in the production office, and there is no ending because (Nolan) tells you the ending so that it doesn’t leak and get out, and people spoil it on the internet."

In other news, Nolan has confirmed that the film will shoot in Pittsburgh this summer:

"Pittsburgh is a beautiful city. … We have been able to find everything we were looking for here, and I am excited to spend the summer in Pittsburgh with our final installment of Batman."

In casting news, Heat Vision | THR is reporting that Josh Pence has been cast as a young Ra’s Al Ghul (who was played by Liam Neeson in "Batman Begins"). Pence will be seen in a flashback sequence that takes place 30 years prior to the present story. In other casting news, Variety’s Jeff Sneider tweeted that Daniel Sunjata, Burn Gorman and Diego Klattenhoff have all joined the cast. In addition to returning stars Christian Bale, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman, the film has also added Juno Temple, Anne Hathaway (Selina Kyle, a.k.a. Catowman), Tom Hardy (Bane), Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard. "The Dark Knight Rises" begins shooting this May and will hit theaters on July 20, 2012.

Shane Black won’t write Iron Man 3; Marvel chooses Drew Pearce + Jon Favreau says he’s open to cameo

Drew Pearce has been hired by Marvel Studios to write the screenplay for the Shane Black-directed "Iron Man 3". There was some expectation that Black himself would be writing the screenplay, but for whatever reason, Marvel opted to go in a different direction although they were said to be impressed by Pearce’s work on the script for "Runaways", which is an adaptation based on the Brian K. Vaughn comic book. In other news, "Iron Man" / "Iron Man 2" director Jon Favreau told gatherees at WonderCon that if asked, he would reprise his role as Happy Hogan:

"Yeah, look. I love Shane Black. I’m not familiar with the work of the other writer that the just hired [Drew Pierce], but I’m really grateful for the opportunities that I had with Marvel."

"Iron Man 3" is scheduled to hit theaters on May 3, 2013.

Planet of the Apes prequel gets a new title + First footage

20th Century Fox has announced a new title for the "Planet of the Apes" prequel formerly titled "Rise of the Apes". The film, directed by Rupert Wyatt and starring James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Andy Serkis and Brian Cox, will be called "The Rise of the Planet of the Apes". The studio has posted a first look 5-second clip featuring visual effects from WETA Digital:

First look at WETA footage [Rise of the Planet of the Apes | Facebook via ComingSoon.net]

A complete behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the apes will be made available this Wednesday, April 13 at 2:30PM PDT (5:30PM EDT). Look for it on the official Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/ApesWillRise. The livestream event will include a fan Q&A session. "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" opens on August 15, 2011.

Official logo [via Bleeding Cool]

Peter Jackson will shoot The Hobbit in 48 FPS + Andy Serkis to direct second unit

Peter Jackson has written a post on the official "The Hobbit" Facebook page detailing his decision to shoot the films at 48 frames per second. Jackson explained some of the key advantages to shooting at 48 fps vs. the standard 24 fps:

We are indeed shooting at the higher frame rate. The key thing to understand is that this process requires both shooting and projecting at 48 fps, rather than the usual 24 fps (films have been shot at 24 frames per second since the late 1920′s). So the result looks like normal speed, but the image has hugely enhanced clarity and smoothness. Looking at 24 frames every second may seem ok–and we’ve all seen thousands of films like this over the last 90 years–but there is often quite a lot of blur in each frame, during fast movements, and if the camera is moving around quickly, the image can judder or “strobe.”

Another added benefit is that shooting at 48 fps helps with eye strain that is sometimes common in 3D films:

Shooting and projecting at 48 fps does a lot to get rid of these issues. It looks much more lifelike, and it is much easier to watch, especially in 3-D. We’ve been watching HOBBIT tests and dailies at 48 fps now for several months, and we often sit through two hours worth of footage without getting any eye strain from the 3-D. It looks great, and we’ve actually become used to it now, to the point that other film experiences look a little primitive. I saw a new movie in the cinema on Sunday and I kept getting distracted by the juddery panning and blurring. We’re getting spoilt!

Click here to read the rest of Jackson’s post. In other news, Gollum actor Andy Serkis will serve as Jackson’s second unit director on the two-film project:

"I think I understand Peter’s sensibility and we have a common history of understanding Middle Earth," Serkis told The Hollywood Reporter. "A lot of the crew from The Lord of the Rings was returning to work on The Hobbit. There is really a sense of Peter wanting people around him who totally understand the material and the work ethic."

In casting news, Bret McKenzie has joined the cast of "The Hobbit", playing Lindir, an Elf of Rivendell. McKenzie actually appeared in the first and third ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies as an extra with the fan-created nickname "Figwit". In other casting news, Orlando Bloom confirmed that he has been approached to appear in the project [Collider]:

Collider: Are you going to appear in The Hobbit?

Bloom: Yeah, it’s looking like that. I’m really excited about going to see Pete [Jackson] again. It’s still a little up in the air, but the idea of working with Pete is fantastic. I can’t actually really talk too much about it, at this point. I just was given the script to piece through, so it’s quite exciting.

Also, 24 Frames | LA Times has an interview with Saiorse Ronan who hopes to have a part in the films:

"Pete[r Jackson] is adding a lot of characters in the film adaption," Ronan said. "Hopefully they have a part for me…It would be great to go back. I love Pete," she said. "It’s such an amazing family unit down here because it’s such a small country, and they use a lot of the same crew [for each film]."

 "The Hobbit: There and Back Again" (rumored title) is scheduled to hit conventional and 3D theaters in December 2012 followed by its sequel "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" (rumored title) in December 2013.

X-Men: First Class opening scene details

Details about the opening sequence to Matthew Vaughn’s "X-Men: First Class" have been revealed. The latest issue of Empire Magazine features a spread on the film and includes quotes from Vaughn. As previously revealed, the opening is a recreation of Magneto’s Auschwitz flashback from Bryan Singer’s "X-Men" (via Comic Book Movie):

"It starts with the recreation of the bold young-Magneto-at-Auschwitz scene that opened Singer’s X-Men back in 2000, progressing to an introduction to Xavier as a child, discovering a young, homeless and shapeshifting Mystique rooting around his kitchen for food, and then heads back to Auschwitz for a raw, intense segment in which Shaw(played by Bacon with grey hair and a creepy tache) coerces a young Erik into unleashing his powers."

Here’s how Vaughn describes the scene:

"It’s uncompromising stuff, augmented with brilliant effects and is even slightly disturbing. It immediately sets X-Men: First Class apart from the DayGlo superhero fare coming our way this Summer, and is a world away from the Mutants 90210 approach that could have been taken."

Check out an interview with star James McAvoy (Charles Xavier) at IGN. "X-Men: First Class" is scheduled to hit theaters on June 3, 2011.

Promotional still [X-Men Movies | Facebook]

International trailer [via ScreenRant]

James Cameron to shoot Avatar sequels in California + Talks shooting in higher frame rates

"Avatar" director James Cameron will be shooting "Avatar 2" and "Avatar 3" at MBS Media Campus in Manhattan Beach, THR reports:

Director James Cameron and 20th Century Fox have signed a lease for studio and office space at MBS Media Campus in Manhattan Beach and will use the facility for the motion capture photography and high-tech production on two highly-anticipated sequels to Avatar, the biggest blockbuster of all time.

In other news, while speaking at the CinemaCon convention two weeks ago in Las Vegas, Cameron revealed that he intends to shoot the sequels at higher frame rates and is exploring both 48 and 60 frames per second [THR]:

Cameron said that shooting movies at a higher frame rate than the standard 24 frames per second will give them an added sense of reality. Katzenberg explained how advances in computing power are affecting how computer graphic artists create stories. Lucas related to the packed session that 2d to 3D conversion takes time and creative talent.

"When you author and project a movie at 48 or 60, it becomes a different movie," he said. "The 3D shows you a window into reality; the higher frame rate takes the glass out of the window. In fact, it is just reality. It is really stunning."

Patrick Dempsey wants to play Doctor Strange

Patrick Dempsey ("Grey’s Anatomy") told Hero Complex | LA Times that he has been lobnying to play Doctor Strange in a big screen movie or even a TV series:

"There’s a whole bunch of people [among the ‘Grey’s’ crew] who are into comics and Marvel, too, on the set and they’re like, ‘Doctor Strange, that’s the one you should do.’ It would be fantastic. It’d be a great TV show, especially for HBO or something like that. I don’t know if I’d necessarily do another show, a drama, that’s 24 episodes again. HBO you’re at 13 and I think that’s much better. It’s just so hard to sustain the quality after three years if you’re doing 24, 25 episodes a year. It all depends on who you have as a writing team — it’s how you set it up, what’s the tone and making sure you’re not locked into this one-season success [mentality], you can’t be afraid to think beyond that.”

Geoffrey Rush to voice Tomar-Re in Green Lantern + Watch 4-minute clip

Geoffrey Rush has been tapped to voice the CG-created member of the Green Lantern Corps, Tomar-Re in "Green Lantern". In other news, Warner Brothers has released a 4-minute clip of footage that features footage screened at WonderCon. Watch it below:

It’s no secret that in the comics, Blake Lively’s character Carol Ferris has an alter ego — Star Sapphire — who is a foe to the Green Lantern. In an interview with Hero Complex | LA Times, Lively says she loves the idea of Star Sapphire appearing in the sequel:

"In this film, Carol is completely human and on earth. But she turns into a villain in the later comics, so potentially if it became a franchise I’d get to explore that, which would be so much fun,” she said. “I would love that. What you don’t see [in this film] is when they’re kids. They’re each other’s first loves. Where the movie picks up, they’re ex-lovers. So there is that tension — that rivalry — but also that love. They’re each other’s soulmates."

 "Green Lantern" is scheduled to hit conventional and 3D theaters on June 17, 2011.

High-res look at Abin Sur [Cosmic Book News]

TV spot [YouTube]

Watch another TV spot here

Interview with producer Donald De Line [Collider]

Full theatrical trailer for Captain America: The First Avenger

Paramount Pictures has releaed the first full theatrical trailer for Joe Johnston’s "Captain America: The First Avenger".

The studio has also released the official synopsis:

Captain America: The First Avenger” will focus on the early days of the Marvel Universe when Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into the Super Soldier known as Captain America. As Captain America, Rogers joins forces with Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) to wage war on the evil HYDRA organization, led by the villainous Red Skull (Hugo Weaving.)

"Captain America: The First Avenger" is scheduled to hit conventional and 3D theaters on July 22, 2011.

Hugh Jackman confident The Wolverine will still happen

Despite the departure of Darren Aronfosky as the director of "The Wolverine", star Hugh Jackman is confident the sequel will still happen:

"Now we’re out looking for a director. … We were pretty much ready to go. The script is fantastic—the best we’ve ever had, which is why it attracted Darren in the first place. His personal situation precludes him from doing it now, and I feel for him. But now we need to find a director. … We’re not going to settle. We’re going to find a director as good as Darren, if not better. Well, as good."

AICN reports on news that Duncan Jones ("Source Code", "Moon") is scheduled to take a meeting with 20th Century Fox executives about directing the film. It’s unclear whether Jones has any serious interest in the project, but Deadline notes that before Aronofksy was hired to direct, Jones was in the mix along with David Slade ("The Twilight Saga: Eclipse").

Joseph Kosinski talks Tron 3

"Tron: Legacy" director Joseph Kosinski told Assignment X that the story for "Tron 3" is currently being worked on at Disney:

“Once we get a script we’re all really happy with, we’ll take it to the powers that be and see if we can go back to the grid.”

Kosinski says the storyline of the third film will pick up where "Tron: Legacy" left off:

"…with Quorra [Olivia Wilde] in the real world and what does that mean and the possibilities it opens up for the next chapter. It’s that relationship between the two of them that’s the next step."

Dillinger’s son (played by Cillian Murphy) may also have a bigger role:

"Dillinger [David Warner] was a really important part of the first film and felt like an easy way to continue that storyline and thread to have his son in the new movie, ” says Kosinski. ” That way you have people ask those questions of what the Dillinger legacy is in the world of TRON. We didn’t want to ignore it completely and it leaves a really nice springboard for some intertwining development for the next film."

Kosinski isn’t officially on board as director, but he says it’s still his intent to direct: "We’re developing it now. It’s all about getting a script and story and making sure we can get the same team back together." "Tron: Legacy" is currently available on DVD and Blu-ray.

Monsters Inc. prequel gets a title, but pushed back

The "Monsters, Inc" prequel will be called "Monsters University". That’s the good news. The bad news? Disney has pushed back the release of the film from November 2, 2012 to June 21, 2013. In other news, The Pixar Blog came across a logo for the film, although it’s possible this isn’t the final design:

X-Men 4 and 5 in the works + News on Deadpool

"X-Men" franchise producer Lauren Shuler Donner told Empire Magazine (via Obsessed with Film) that two sequels to "X-Men: The Last Stand" are still in active development at 20th Century Fox:

"We took the treatment to Fox and they love it… And X4 leads into X5."

Donner also provided an update on the status of the stand-alone "Deadpool" film that will star Ryan Reynolds:

"It’s a total reboot… We’re either going to pretend that didn’t happen – or mock it, which he could…It’s insane, it’s definitely comedy…But it’s an R script, it’s really irreverent and violent. Right away, we’re out of the X-Men world."

There may even be some movement on that front, with 24 Frames | LA Times reporting that Visual Effects supervisor Tim Miller has reportedly been tapped to direct the project.

The Amazing Spider-Man sequel in the works

James Vanderbilt has been hired by Columbia Pictures to write the screenplay to the currently filming 3D reboot "The Amazing Spider-Man", Heat Vision | THR reports:

Vanderbilt had a meeting with the Spider-Man filmmakers and studio execs yesterday outlining his take, getting a thumbs up, and will now begin writing.

Vanderbilt co-wrote the script to "The Amazing Spider-Man" with Alvin Sargent and even worked on the abandoned "Spider-Man 4" when director Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire were involved in the franchise. Marc Webb is directing "The Amazing Spider-Man" for release on July 3, 2012.

The Magician’s Nephew would be next Narnia film

Walden Media co-founder and president Michael Flaherty revealed that if another ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ movie gets made, the next film would be based on "The Magicians Nephew", the sixth book in the seven-book series [via ComingSoon.net]:

"We are starting to talk to Fox and talk to the C.S. Lewis estate now about the Magician’s Nephew being our next film," Flaherty said. "If we can all agree to move forward, then what we would do is find someone to write the script. So, it could still be a couple of years."

‘The Voyage of the Dawn Treader’ may have been the lowest grossing of the three ‘Narnia’ films that have been released thus far, but it was the first with 20th Century Fox as its distributor — ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ and ‘Prince Caspian’ were distributed through Disney — and still managed to gross nearly $404M worldwide. It was also more profitable than ‘Prince Caspian’ due to a smaller budget ($155M vs. $225M).

Previously on TrekMovie.com: Leonard Nimoy to voice Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Leonard Nimoy, Star Trek’s perennial Spock, continues to remain un-retired with news today that he is returning to another sci-fri franchise. According to EW, Nimoy will be lending his voice to this summer’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

Click here to read the rest of this TrekMovie.com article

PREVIEW Videos & Images

Batman Live

First look at cast [This Is London via Comic Book Movie]

Dorothy of Oz

Teaser poster [Cinema Blend]

Dylan Dog: Dead of Night

Clip [YouTube]

Fright Night

Promotional stills (including a first look at Anton Yelchin) [more at Moviefone]

Poster featuring David Tennant []

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Teaser poster [Spinoff Online]

Immortals

Posters [more at IGN]

Men in Black 3

Set images (first look at Will Smith and Josh Brolin) [more at Movies.SpoilerTV, (2) and The Daily Mail]

Mr. Popper’s Penguins

Teaser trailer [Trailer Addict]

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Promotional stills [more at StitchKingdom]

Posters [Rope of Silicon & IGN]

Trailer [YouTube]

Featurette [HeyUGuys]

Priest

Gene Tartakovsky’s animated prologue [YouTube via Bleeding Cool]

Sucker Punch

Watch six minutes [Metacafe]

Super 8

Promotional still [via /Film]

TV trailer [/Film]

IMAX trailer [YouTube]

Thor

Promotional stills [YourEntNow & IGN]

New posters [YourEntNow & Marvel.com]

First look at Hawkeye (played by Jeremy Renner) [YouTube]

Clip [via Bleeding Cool]

Italian TV spot [YouTube]

Watch another TV spot here

Behind the scenes featurette [YouTube]

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Promotional stills [Movies.SpoilerTV — more via /Film]

MOVIE BITES

• It may not have a writer or a star, but Relativity Media has signed Juan Carlos Fresnadillo to direct "The Crow". The studio is targeting a fall 2011 production start date for the remake. [Variety]
• "Cowboys & Aliens" director Jon Favreau says we won’t be seeing any glimpses of the aliens in the trailers: "…we’re going to try to keep a lot of the secret. If you buy a ticket to this movie, we want you to see something you haven’t seen in the trailers. I think that’s rare." [Blastr]
• "Conan the Barbarian" star Jason Momoa confirms that work is already underway on a potential sequel. Momoa also briefly discussed the film, which he says he’s seen a rough cut of: "…[P]eople are going to be stoked. We’re not remaking anything Arnold did. It’s a totally new story. The same legendary character. We’re taking these tons and tons of great Robert E. Howard stories from the ’30s and combining a couple and bringing it to audiences in a way that’s new and fresh." [Blastr]
• Principal photography has begun on Warner Brothers’ "Clash of the Titans 2". The sequel is scheduled to hit conventional and 3D theaters on March 30, 2012. [Warner Brothers]
• Warner Brothers has announced a June 15, 2012 release date for Bryan Singer’s 3D adventure film "Jack the Giant Killer". [Box Office Mojo]
• MGM is moving forward with a remake of the horror franchise "Child’s Play". [Movieweb]
• DreamWorks Animation’s 3D "Kung Fun Panda 2" will open Italy’s Taormina Film Festival on June 11, 2011. [YourEntNow]
• "Kung Fu Panda" / "Kung Fu Panda 2" writers Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger will write the screen play for "Candyland". Kevin Lima is attached to direct. [Heat Vision | THR]
• Stuart Beattie will write and direct Lakeshore Entertainment’s big screen adaptation of the Kevin Grevioux graphic novel "I, Frankenstein". [Heat Vision | THR]
• Paramount Pictures is developing a film based on Ray Bradbury’s "The Martian Chronicles". No writer is currently attached to the project. [Heat Vision | THR]
• Disney has passed on development of Joseph Kosinski’s adaptation of the Radical Publishing graphic novel "Oblivion". Kosinski is free to shop the project to other studios… [Deadline]

• …And Universal appears to be the current frontrunner to pick up the project, with Tom Cruise attached to star. [Deadline]

• Writer Anthony Horowitz has confirmed his involvement in Steven Spielberg’s "The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn".  Horowitz also revealed that if the first film is a success, he’ll be writing the sequel, ‘Prisoners of the Sun’, which will be directed by Peter Jackson. [Richard Bacon | Radio 5 via Bleeding Cool]
• Michael Fassbender briefly discussed his role in the Ridley Scott-directed / Damon Lindelof-scripted project "Prometheus" (which was originally conceived as a prequel to "Alien", but has now become a stand-alone project): "I walk on the set and I feel like I’m walking on a spaceship…It’s breathtaking. All the various panels and screens and it’s just dealing with a top-notch art department and carpenters and the riggers and everything that goes into putting that together. It’s just, well, breathtaking, all of it." [Hero Complex | LA Times]
• Paramount Pictures has hired Chris Denham to do some re-writes for Oren Peli’s "Area 51". [Bloody Disgusting]
• Long a frontrunner, Craig Gillespie is now said to be close to being named director of Lionsgate’s adaptation of the Seth Graham-Smith novel "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies". [Deadline]
• Keanu Reeves says a script for "Bill and Ted 3" is just a few weeks away from being delivered, revealing that the film’s plot will spin out of the ending of ‘Bogus Journey’: "I believe the writers are six weeks away from a draft…I know a little bit. But I don’t know — the fellas went off and cooked it up," he teased. "I don’t know what happened when they put the elements together". [Movies Blog | MTV]
• Will Beall is in negotiations to write the script to Warner Brothers’ "Logan’s Run". Nicolas Winding Refn is directing the film, based on the 1967 novel by William F. Nolan, with Ryan Gosling attached to star. [Heat Vision | THR]
• Check out an interview with "Priest" and "Apollo 18" writer Cory Goodman at Shock Till You Drop.

• It’s unclear whether or not Bill Murray has actually read the script to "Ghostbusters III", but it’s definitely true that the actor hasn’t contacted the studio to inform them whether he has. [Deadline]

• The red Ferrari 458 Italia in "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" is named Mirage. [via TLAMB]

• Todd McFarlane says the script for his new "Spawn" movie is 75% complete: "I’ll finish it and put it on a shelf for about a week. What usually happens is, I come back to it so I can see all the flaws. I do a rewrite and there’s a first draft at that point. Then I’ll start soliciting comments from people I trust to see if I can get the script into working shape. If I can’t, I’m open to someone coming in and helping me with it." [My DVD Insider]

• Long-time Will Smith collaborator Mike Soccio has put in some work on the "Men in Black 3" script. [THR]

• 20th Century Fox has set a February 3, 2012 release date for the sci-fi drama "Chronicle". [Box Office Mojo]

• Disney’s "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" is expected to have its international premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 14, 2011. [via THR]

• Check out an interview with Chris Hemsworth discussing "Thor" and "The Avengers" at IGN and head on over to Collider for an interview with Mark Ruffalo talking about "The Avengers" and his cameo in "Thor".

• Curious about what changes will be made to "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"? Check out a spoiler-filled interview with producers David Heyman and David Barron at Cinema Blend.

CASTING BITES

• Javier Bardem is in negotiations to play Roland Deschain in the adaptation of Stephen King’s 7-novel series "The Dark Tower".  [Deadline]
• Will Smith will star alongside his son Jaden Smith in an untitled futuristic sci-fi film from writer/director M. Night Shyamalan. [Deadline]
• Len Wiseman’s "Total Recall" remake may have found its villain. Bryan Cranston is in talks to join the Len Wiseman-directed / Colin Farrell-starrer… [Heat Vision | THR]
• …Jessica Biel, meanwhile, is close to signing on as one of two female leads for the remake. [Variety]
• Rosamund Pike, Bill Nighy and Toby Kebbell have been cast in Jonathan Liebesman’s "Clash of the Titans 2". Pike will play Queen Andromeda, replacing Alexa Davolos who played the character 2010’s "Clash of The Titans", while Kebbell will play Poseidon’s demigod son, Argenor and Nighy will play the fallen god Hephaestus. [Variety]
• Viggo Mortensen is no longer in talks to star in Universal’s "Snow White and the Huntsman". [Heat Vision | THR]
• Armie Hammer is now confirmed to be playing Prince Andrew Alcott in Tarsem Singh’s untitled "Snow White" project from Relativity Media… [Relativity Media]
• …He’ll be joined by Lily Collins who will star as Snow White in the project, which also stars Julia Roberts as the Queen. [Variety]
• Mila Kunis and James Franco are now confirmed to be starring as Theodora and Oz, respectively, in Sam Raimi’s ‘Wizard of Oz’ prequel "Oz, the Great and Powerful". [Variety]
• Martin Sheen is in talks to join the cast of Tim Burton’s big screen adaptation of the ’60s TV series "Dark Shadows". Sheen would play an undisclosed role in the film, which stars Johnny Depp, Jackie Earle Haley, Eva Green, Bella Heathcote, Michelle Pfeiffer and Helena Bonham Carter. [The Playlist | indieWIRE]
• Meanwhile, Thomas McDonell will play a young version of Johnny Depp’s character Barnabas Collins… [Variety]
• …And Chloe Moretz is in talks to play the daughter of Pfeiffer’s character Elizabeth Collins Stoddard. [Deadline]
• Kelley Macdonald will replace Reese Witherspoon as the lead voice in Pixar’s "Brave". [Variety]
• Hailee Steinfeld will star in screenwriter Lindsay Devlin’s "Sleeping Beauty" project. [Deadline]
• Josh Hutcherson will play Peeta Mellark in Lionsgate’s adaptation of the Suzanne Collins novel "The Hunger Games". Liam Hemsworth is also confirmed for the film, and will play the character Gale Hawthorne. "The Hunger Games" is scheduled to hit theaters on March 23, 2012. [Lionsgate]
• There’s a rumor that Lindsay Lohan will read for a role in Zack Snyder’s "Superman: The Man of Steel". [Radar Online]
• Rufus Sewell has signed on for the lead vampire villain Adam, in the Timur Bekmambetov-directed adaptation of "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter". [Variety]
• Zach Galifiankis is no longer attached to star in Universal’s supernatural comedy "R.I.P.D.". The actor had to pull out due to scheduling conflicts. [Deadline]
• Willem Dafoe is in talks to star opposite Anton Yelchin in Stephen Sommers’ adaptation of Dean Koontz’s "Odd Thomas". He would play Sheriff Wyatt Porter in the film. Sommers also wrote the screenplay. [Variety]
• William Fichtner is expected to reunite with his "Contact" co-star Jodie Foster for Neill Blomkamp’s sci-fi film "Elysium".  [Variety]
• India Eisley has joined the cast of Bjorn Stein and Mans Marlind’s "Underworld 4", which is currently shooting in Vancouver, Canada. She’ll play the character Eve. [Shock Till You Drop]
• Warner Brothers and Legendary Pictures have cast Sam Claflin and Alicia Vikander for the roles of Tom and Alice, respectively, in "The Seventh Son"…
• …Jeff Bridges is also said to be in talks to play the role of Spook and Julianne Moore is nearing a deal to play a witch in the film. The project was previously known as "The Spook’s Apprentice" and is adapted from Joseph Delaney’s young adult fantasy series about "13-year-old who’s the seventh son of a seventh son and learns about wizardry from a forbidding spook. [Variety]
• Bradley Cooper is in early negotiations to join the cast of Juan Carlos Fresnadillo’s "The Crow" remake. [Heat Vision | THR]

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