tomcruisehaters

Martin Plans More "Panther" Sequels

Source: Assorted Sources
Author: Pele Hearne

Steve Martin is rumoured to be doing not one, but two sequels to his god awful "Pink Panther" redux for MGM and Sony.

There is one good bit of news, the people behind the camera seem to be improving. Martin is apparently now polishing a script by "Dodgeball" writer/director Rawson Marshall Thurber and Mike Saltzman that sees Inspector Clouseau placed on special assignment with Scotland Yard.

Former S Club 7 singer Rachel Stevens is one of the names rumoured for the female lead. Kevin Kline, Jean Reno, and Emily Mortimer are not expected to return for the sequel. Thurber is also expected to fill the director chair instead of Shawn Levy ("Cheaper by the Dozen") this time

"Scanner Darkly" plot reveiled

source; Dark horizons
Author; Pele Hearne

A "Scanner Darkly" is set in suburban Orange County, California in a future where America has lost the war on drugs. When one reluctant undercover cop is ordered to start spying on his friends, he is launched on a paranoid journey into the absurd, where identities and loyalties are impossible to decode. It is a cautionary tale of drug use based on the novel by Philip K. Dick and his own experiences. Like a graphic novel come to life, "A Scanner Darkly" will use live action photography overlaid with an advanced animation process (interpolated rotoscoping) to create a haunting, highly stylized vision of the future. The technology, first employed in Richard Linklater's 2001 film "Waking Life," has evolved to produce even more emotional impact and detail. coming soon.

the cast includes;
Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson, Rory Cochrane, Dameon Clarke, Marco Perella, Melody Chase, Eliza Stevens, Mitch Baker, Casey Chapman, Jason Douglas, Steven Prince, Jack Cruz, Angela Rawna, Chamblee Ferguson, Heather Kafka.

"Saw 3" Carves Up A Plot

Source: Lionsgate
Author: Pele Hearne

Lionsgate has put out an official synopsis for the third film in the highly successful "Saw" horror film franchise. Spoilers ahead for "Saw 2" so be warned:

"Jigsaw has disappeared. With his new apprentice Amanda (Shawnee Smith), the puppet-master behind the cruel, intricate games that have terrified a community and baffled police has once again eluded capture and vanished. While city detectives scramble to locate him, Doctor Lynn Denlon (Bahar Soomekh) is unaware that she is about to become the latest pawn on his vicious chessboard.

One night, after finishing a shift at her hospital, Lynn is kidnapped and taken to an abandoned warehouse where she meets Jigsaw (Tobin Bell), bedridden and on the verge of death. She is told that she must keep the madman alive for as long as it takes Jeff (Angus Macfayden), another of his victims, to complete a game of his own. Racing against the ticking clock of Jigsaw's own heartbeat, Lynn and Jeff struggle to make it through each of their vicious tests, unaware that he has a much bigger plan for both of them."

New Line Remakes "Battle Royale"

Source: Variety
Author: Pele Hearne

New Line has bought the remake rights to the controversial Japanese sci-fi pic "Battle Royale" reports Variety.

Original film, produced by Toie and released in 2000 amid concerns about its violence, is set in an apocalyptic future in which schools are overrun by uncontrolled violence.

The government responds by organizing an annual Battle Royale, in which a school class is picked at random and students are pitted against each other on an abandoned island in a game of survival.

Neal Moritz ("The Fast And The Furious") and Roy Lee ("The Ring", "The Grudge") will produce.

"Harry Potter 5" On IMAX

Source: Warner Bros. Pictures
Author: Pele Hearne

IMAX Corporation and Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - the third Harry Potter film to be converted into IMAX's format - will be simultaneously released to both IMAX(R) and conventional theatres on July 13, 2007. The film is based on the best-selling J.K. Rowling book and is the fifth installment of the widely successful Harry Potter film series. The last installment of the series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire which opened on November 18, 2005, shattered numerous IMAX 2D box office records and grossed more than $20 million in IMAX theatres worldwide.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is Warner Bros. Pictures' thirteenth title scheduled to be digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience(R) with IMAX DMR(R) (Digital Re-mastering) technology. Warner Bros. Pictures will be the exclusive distributor of the film to IMAX theatres worldwide.

"The Harry Potter series has been a huge success in IMAX theatres, and we are delighted to combine this next exciting installment with The IMAX Experience to offer Harry Potter fans another magical adventure for 2007," said Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution at Warner Bros. Pictures. "The IMAX theatre network is a proven source of incremental revenue that we believe will grow exponentially as more IMAX theatres continue to open around the world."

"We're delighted to be working with Warner Bros. Pictures on our 2007 film slate this early in the year," said IMAX Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler. "The last two Harry Potter films we released to IMAX theatres grossed a combined $34 million, demonstrating the strong worldwide appeal of Harry Potter and The IMAX Experience. This new title gives us a powerful kick-start to next year's film slate."

"We are proud of our partnership with Warner Bros. and producer David Heyman, and we're excited that once again Warner Bros. Pictures will be delivering a film that lends itself perfectly to The IMAX Experience," added Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "As we explore the possibility of converting some of the picture into IMAX(R) 3D, we expect to have an even broader audience base for the release of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in 2007."

The "Hustle" Cons On Film

Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Author: Pele Hearne

Fox 2000 has picked up big-screen rights to Bharat Nalluri's BBC TV series "Hustle" which airs in the US on AMC says The Hollywood Reporter.

The show, starring the legendary Robert Vaughn and acclaimed "Primary Colors" actor Adrian Lester, is in the same vein as "Ocean's Eleven" and revolves around a motley group of London con artists who pull off a series of daring and intricate stings.

Series writer Tony Jordan will pen the feature, whilst Nalluri is producing along with two of his fellow producers from the MI5 series "Spooks". The series is continuing production in the UK with a fourth season due next year.

Matt Damon Boldly Goes To "Trek"

Source: Yahoo Insider
Author: Pele Hearne

Yahoo Insider reports that J.J. Abrams is very interested in casting the Oscar-winning Damon as a young Captain Kirk in the upcoming 'Star Trek' movie that he's directing and producing.

He's so interested that he's apparently already sought support from the original Kirk, William Shatner who "gave his blessing. J.J. got his approval" says a source.

Rumor has it that the new movie would center on Kirk and Spock's early days at a space academy.

Spielberg Talks Upcoming Projects

Source: Spielberg Films
Author: Pele Hearne

This past weekend, Spielberg Films attended the Chicago International Film Festival's (CIFF) Tribute to Steven Spielberg and got to speak with the man in question about all his upcoming projects. In the process they managed to shoot down a whole bunch of speculation. Here's the quotes from Spielberg himself:

Angels and Demons
"No one's ever approached me to do 'Angels and Demons,' and if they did, I would say no. Because it's not my genre, not my thing!"

Indiana Jones IV
"George and I have been promising it for a lot of years now, but I'm making every attempt to keep my promise. I just want to make sure that the fanbase is given the best 'Indiana Jones' anybody could possibly make, and until I can assure myself that at least I'm trying to make the best 'Indiana Jones' film of all time, the development will continue. The process of developing the script will continue, and it continues right now with David Koepp writing the script... I feel that if anybody can do it and pull this together, David can".

Jurassic Park IV
"Joe Johnston is standing by. First dibs on it, and Joe is my go-to 'Jurassic' guy now. I think the film is witty and clever, and I think Joe did an amazing job putting together those battles. And I think those battles Joe put together... I was jealous of the spinosaurus attack on the airplane! That scene where the spinosaurus attacks the airplane and the passengers inside the airplane was every bit as good as I thought the main road attack in 'Jurassic Park' was. So I'm a huge fan of Joe's, and he's the right guy to do the fourth one".

Lincoln
"It's viable. The script's being written, and hopefully sometime in September/October of '07 I'll have the chance to start that. I can't guarantee that, it's just, once again, like 'Indy 4,' that script is in process"

Untitled Sci-Fi Wormhole Project
"It's called 'Interstellar.' That's the name. It's a detailed treatment by Dr. Kip Thorne, and I'm working with Lynda Obst, who's the producer, and Kip Thorne on this project... I don't want to categorize it yet, 'cause I'm just at the beginning of the process. I don't see it as '2001'".

"Halo" Hits Scripting Woes

Source: Assorted Sources
Author: Pele Hearne

It looks like the producers of the film adaptation of Microsoft XBox hit game "Halo" have decided to go in a new direction.

"28 Days Later" scribe Alex Garland was hired early 2005 to pen the script. Once it was done, the script was then taken and shopped around the studios in a high profile publicity stunt last June.

While executives joked about how bad the draft was, they didn't want to lose such a potentially valuable property with Universal and Fox ultimately splitting the rights. The hope was to get a film out by Summer 2007.

So much for those plans. JoBlo reports that in a recent interview with GameSetWatch, novelist/screenwriter DB Weiss confirmed he has just been hired to pen "an entirely new second draft" of the film, Garland's script looking like it has been dumped.

Weiss says "Yeah, I'm pretty excited about it. And I did always think there was a lot more to the Halo universe than most games -- I remember switching to "Easy" mode on the first game, so I could plow through it more quickly and find out what happened next".

A Summer 2007 release target now seems almost certainly not to be happening.

Simmons On Further "Spider-Man" Films

Source: TV Guide
Author: Pele Hearne

J.K. Simmons, best known as the no-nonsense fast-talking Daily Bugle editor J. Jonah Jameson in the "Spider-Man" movies, talked to TV Guide recently about more sequels in the series and it seems quite possible.

About his involvement in the third film, he says "I probably had not as much to do as I did in the second one and maybe a little more than I had in the first one, but from what I saw the new bad-guy stuff is once again going to top its predecessor. Hopefully there are plenty of cards to play for [Parts] 4, 5, 6.... I'll do a Spider-Man for every two or three years for the next couple decades if they want. That'd be all right!"

Was there any talk of Spider-Man 4 on the set? "Yeah, it got mentioned. In fact, the last couple of days I shot was at the very end of the schedule -- we were doing some night-action scenes in New York -- and [director] Sam [Raimi] was talking about it. It's not a done deal because everybody's deals, including Sam Raimi's and all the actors', was for three pictures. But he's certainly open to doing more".

It's Official: "Batman 2" Gets A Title

Source: Dark Horizons
Author: Pele Hearne

It's confirmed, the next feature film installment of "Batman" will use the moniker "The Dark Knight". "Batman Begins" helmer Chris Nolan is locked in to direct again and Heath Ledger is confirmed to be playing the role of The Joker. Here's the press release:

"As a follow up to last year's blockbuster Batman Begins, Christopher Nolan is set to direct Warner Bros. Pictures' The Dark Knight, written by Jonathan Nolan, based on a story by Christopher Nolan and David Goyer. The film will be produced by Emma Thomas, Charles Roven and Christopher Nolan. Additionally, Christian Bale will resume his role as Bruce Wayne and Academy Award nominee Heath Ledger has been cast as The Joker. The announcements were made today by Jeff Robinov, President of Production, Warner Bros. Pictures.

Christopher Nolan revamped the Batman franchise in 2005 with the immensely successful Batman Begins, starring Christian Bale in the title role, which chronicled the early years of the superhero. Nolan first garnered attention from critics and fans in 2000 with the groundbreaking drama Memento, which he wrote and directed. He went on to direct the thriller Insomnia, starring Al Pacino and Robin Williams, and recently wrapped production on The Prestige, with Hugh Jackman and Bale.

Bale was most recently seen in the ensemble cast of Terrence Malick's The New World. His other credits include Little Women, Portrait of a Lady, Metroland, American Psycho, Laurel Canyon and Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun, which was his first starring role.

Ledger most recently earned Oscar Golden Globe, BAFTA and SAG Award nominations and won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Ennis Del Mar in the award-winning drama Brokeback Mountain. His other credits include Casanova, Monster's Ball, Lords of Dogtown, The Brothers Grimm and The Patriot.

"Chris' unique vision is what made Batman Begins such an outstanding film and we could not imagine anyone else at the helm of The Dark Knight," said Robinov. "We also can't wait to see two such formidable actors as Christian and Heath face off with each other as Batman and The Joker."

"I'm excited to continue the story we started with Batman Begins," added Nolan. "Our challenge in casting The Joker was to find an actor who is not just extraordinarily talented but fearless. Watching Heath Ledger's interpretation of this iconic character taking on Christian Bale's Batman is going to be incredible."

Production is set to begin on The Dark Knight in early 2007

Bale Comments On "The Dark Knight"

Source: Film Focus
Author: Pele Hearne

With the gritty thriller "Harsh Times" hitting the UK this week, Christian Bale was out on the promotional circuit and Film Focus was the first to ask him about the news of "The Dark Knight, the "Batman Begins" sequel announcement last week.

"I just love that title. You know, nothing's written in stone yet, but I like, very much, that it doesn't have 'Batman' written in the title. This take on Batman of mine and Chris' is very different from any of the others and everything else always had Batman in the title. I think this is kind-of distancing it even further and saying, 'Hey, this is a whole different creature from what has come before" says Bale.

In regards for the casting of Heath Ledger as the Joker, Bale says "Heath is very much into what Chris had done with the first one and he's very passionate about the role. And he's a really good actor so we're going to see something very special from him".

Shooting is scheduled to begin early next year, and Bale confirms the news - "Chris and I have only just finished working on The Prestige together and I have another project before we start on Batman".

Craig & Broccoli Talk 007 Gamble

Source: Entertainment Weekly
Author: Pele Hearne

Shot over six months at a half dozen locations around the globe, Casino Royale is finally becoming part of the official James Bond series canon and new 007 Daniel Craig and the crew talk about the pressures and makeover in store for the world's most famous secret agent in the latest Entertainment Weekly.

"We're going back to the character Ian Fleming originally conceived. It's not a period piece or anything like that. It's set today, right now, and it's got all the action fans have come to expect from the movies. But we're getting back to the essence of Bond, to the Bond in Fleming's first 007 novel" says producer Barbara Broccoli.

Why take the risk now with the franchise? "After the last film, we spent eight months trying to come up with a story, but just couldn't. The movies had become so fantastical--with invisible cars and stuff like that--there was just no way to continue in that same vein. There was nothing new left to do. So we decided to start all over with the story we've always wanted to tell--how Bond became Bond in the first place" says Broccoli.

Craig spoke pretty candidly about the online feedback he's been hearing since being cast as Bond, and the hesitation he has about taking on the role - "If I went onto the Internet and started looking at what some people were saying about me--which, sadly, I have done--it would drive me insane. They hate me. They don't think I'm right for the role. It's as simple as that. They're passionate about it, which I understand, but I do wish they'd reserve judgment.

Co-star Eva Green added "They're upset about the color of his hair--the fact that he's blond. Really, people can be such morons". "Layer Cake" director Matthew Vaughn says "I actually think all that bad press will be good for Daniel. This way, people can be surprised by how great he'll be in the role. He can just blow everyone away with his performance. Which he will do".

"Fantastic 4" Sequel Gets Name Change

Source: f4 Movies
Author: Pele Hearne

20th Century Fox have officially confirmed that the title for the "Fantastic Four" sequel is "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" reports f4 Movies.

In the sequel, the enigmatic, intergalactic herald, The Silver Surfer, comes to Earth to prepare it for destruction. As the Silver Surfer races around the globe wreaking havoc, Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben must unravel the mystery of The Silver Surfer and confront the surprising return of their mortal enemy, Dr. Doom, before all hope is lost.

The movie will be in theaters June 15th 2007.

Richard Curtis Pens Next 007 Film?

Source: UK Teletext
Author: Pele Hearne

British writer/director Richard Curtis is rumoured to be writing the next James Bond film ("Bond 22" due out May 2008) according to several tipsters reports UK Teletext.

Regular writers Robert Wade and Neal Purvis have apparently been dropped, the duo wrote the first draft of the upcoming "Casino Royale" before Paul Haggis took over the reigns.

Tipped director Roger Michell dropped out of the project - he previously worked with Curtis on "Notting Hill".

Curtis has also penned such films as "Bridget Jones's Diary", "Love Actually" and "Four Weddings and a Funeral" along with having worked as co-writer & producer on acclaimed Brit comedies like "Mr. Bean", "The Vicar of Dibley" and in my humble opinion the best comedy series ever made - "Vicar of Dibely".

"Superman" Sequel For 2009?

Source: Dark Horizons
Author: Pele Hearne

During the Warner Bros. presentation at this weekend's San Diego Comic Con, Directors Bryan Singer and Richard Donner came on stage to talk a bit about "Superman Returns" post release with the attendees in the same 6,000 seat hall that premiered the first footage from the film at last year's convention.

Most interesting tidbit was that Singer says a sequel is planned for 2009 and whilst he has no deal yet in place, he hopes to direct it. He also talked a bit about the tone, saying 'Returns' essentially laid the groundwork to re-introduce and establish the characters, and the second film would be able to involve much more crowd-pleasing style action with hint of an "alien terror".

The comment comes from Singer despite the film's disappointing box-office on both domestic and international fronts, and genuine mixed reaction from Con attendees. The film remained a hot topic throughout the weekend with fanboys and industry people getting into debates over its merits in both crowded auditoriums and big-budgeted industry parties.

The presentation's audience, who gave the man a standing ovation several times last year, were more tepid in their reaction this time around and whilst respectful to Singer with mostly positive questions and polite applause, there was a notable large cheer when one fan stated his disappointment with the film before asking his question.

Only one question touched upon the box-office performance and was essentially avoided, yet Singer remained in good humour and at one point joked that he wanted to thank everyone here... "at least those who saw it". Drawing far better reaction was a quite hilarious outtakes reel from the film with scenes like James Marsden spouting out some naughtier alternate titles for Lois Lane's news articles, Routh and Spacey flubbing their lines, and Parker Posey having a fun rant that "why does he keep saying cut, aren't we shooting in digital for f**k's sake".

Reaction was equally positive for a fun scene that was deleted from the second "Superman" film. Donner introduced the clip and talked a bit about his new cut which is due out for release with a 14-disc DVD set later this year.

Latest On “Star Wars” & Indy 4

Source: Dark Horizons
Author: Pele Hearne

Lucasfilm’s Steve Sansweet appeared at the San Diego Comic-Con and confirmed that the “Star Wars” animated series is now scheduled to premiere in 2008 whilst the live action series will begin sometime before 2010.

“We’ve been spending the last couple of years building from scratch two new state-of-the-art digital animation companies, one at Skywalker Ranch and one in Singapore. The scripts for the first batch of shows have been completed, and Animation is hard at work on the first episodes” says Sansweet.

The animated series is set late during the Clone Wars after Anakin Skywalker has achieved the rank of Jedi Knight. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda, Count Dooku, Palpatine and General Grievous are expected to appear in the animated show.

He finally added David Koepp’s script for Indiana Jones 4 is a couple of months away from finishing with hopes pre-production can begin before early 2007.

Tim Allen Talks "Toy Story 3"
Source: National Ledger
Author: Pele Hearne

Out doing promotions for his new comedy "Zoom", Tim Allen confirmed to The National Ledger that he and Tom Hanks will reprise their voices of Buzz Lightyear and Woody in Disney/Pixar's third "Toy Story" film.

"It's going to be great. We have John Lasseter, the original director, and I believe Tom is on board" says Allen.

The follow-up to "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2" was to be made by Disney without Pixar's involvement, but when Pixar was acquired by Disney in January, John Lasseter pulled the plug on that version immediately and literally put "TS3" back on the drawing boards.

Major 2007 Release Shifts & Announcements

Source: Assorted Sources
Author: Pele Heanre

Some big release dates changes changes and announcements have been made in the past few days for assorted major movies opening in 2007 and 2008.

Here's a breakdown of the most recent shifts, with Warner Bros. in particular announcing most of its line-up for the next two years:

The Roland Emmerich-directed epic "10,000 B.C." has been delayed six months from July 27th 2007 to December 14th 2007

Jodie Foster revenge pic "The Brave One" has been delayed four months from June 22nd 2007 to October 12th 2007

The Nicole Kidman/Daniel Craig "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" remake "The Visiting" has been pushed back from early 2007 to November 2nd 2007

Kal Penn-led comedy "The Namesake" has been delayed six months from September 20th to March 9th 2007

The Kevin Kline gritty drama "Trade" has been delayed six months from October 13th to April 2007

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince", the sixth film in the series, has already set a November 21st 2008 release date

A sequel to CG animated comedy "Madagascar" is aiming for a November 7th 2008 release

Will Smith-led post-apocalyptic "I Am Legend" hits November 21st 2007

Vince Vaughn comedy "Fred Claus" has been set for November 9th 2007

Dimension is set to release their remake of the classic "Halloween" on October 19th 2007

Universal has set a release date for the Justin Timberlake led ensemble drama "Alpha Dog" on January 12th 2007

The Gerard Butler-led thriller "Priest" opens August 17th 2007

Sony's children fantasy epic "Waterhorse" is now scheduled for a December 7th 2007 release

Horror remake "One Missed Call" is scheduled for August 24th 2007

Parker Posey & Amy Poehler comedy "Spring Breakdown" will party on April 20th 2007

Billy Bob Thornton comedy "The Astronaut Farmer" is now scheduled for launch on January 12th 2007

Rom-com "License to Wed" will open next July 4th, the move seen as counterprogramming to big budget actioneer "Transformers".

Frustration And The "Pink Panther"

Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Author: Pele Hearne

There's various people somewhat annoyed right now in Los Angeles. Of course there's your usual crowd - out of work actors busting tables, filmmakers disappointed that their last big budget epic didn't fly, pot-smoking writers overly enjoying those Mulholland Drive lesbian scenes, or editors mildly disappointed that their friendly dinner date with all the right curves was far too chaste at the end of the night.

However if you were to take a poll right now, one wouldn't be surprised if those about to read this news would eclipse those. It seems that Sony Pictures and MGM are moving forward with a sequel to this year's "The Pink Panther," hiring newcomers Scott Neustadter and Michael M. Weber to write it says The Hollywood Reporter.

The plot for the "Panther" sequel is being kept under wraps, though it has been described as high concept. Robert Simonds returns as the producer, while Steve Martin is on board to reprise his role as Inspector Jacques Clouseau. The writing duo sold their anti-romantic comedy spec "(500) Days of Summer" to Fox Searchlight as well.

Jackie Chan & Jet Li Team-Up

Source: The Associated Press
Author: Pele Hearne

A movie costarring two of the biggest names in kung fu cinema - Jackie Chan and Jet Li - is nearly a sealed deal, with the only outstanding issue being the script Chan said Tuesday.

"All the hurdles have been overcome. The only problem left is the script. We need a script that he approves and I approve. If that goes well, shooting will start in March or April in Shanghai" Chan told The Associated Press after a press conference to promote his new action comedy, "Rob-B-Hood."

Chan suggested it will be action-oriented fare, saying he and Li must defer to the movie's Hollywood backers - "It will be more American-style. It will be more suited to foreign audiences than Chinese audiences".

He also revealed his "Rush Hour 3" schedule, spending about a dozen days in France starting in September, followed by ten days of shooting in New York and further filming in Los Angeles. He said the movie will wrap by March or April next year. He is also due to shoot a film in Japan that translates as "Shinjuku Incident" with Hong Kong director Derek Yee.

"Die Hard" Lives Free Next July 4th

Source: Assorted Sources
Author: Pele Hearne

Summer 2007 just got another sequel, and this one is in a prime slot. If further entries in the "Harry Potter", "Spider-Man", "Pirates of the Caribbean", "Shrek", "Fantastic Four", "Bruce Almighty", "Bourne Identity", "28 Days Later", "Rush Hour" and "Ocean's Eleven" franchises weren't enough, 20th Century Fox has now announced a June 29th 2007 release date for the fourth "Die Hard" film reports the trades.

Entitled "Live Free or Die Hard", and hitting the same day as Pixar's "Ratatouille", 'Hard' sees Bruce Willis confirmed to be reprising his role of New York cop John McClane in a story which centers on an attack on the U.S.' computer infrastructure that begins to shut the country down. However the villains never expected an old-fashioned cop to mess up his plans.

Filming begins next month on the Len Wiseman-directed flick, more than ten years after the last sequel "Die Hard: With a Vengeance" which opened in 1995. The July 4th holiday weekend date is also relevant to the film's plot, but will put the film in competition with Paramount's big budget "Transformers" film. Willis is the only confirmed casting so far.

"National Treasure" Sequel Uncovered

Source: The LA Daily News
Author: Pele Hearne

Director Jon Turteltaub says that the sequel to Disney's 2004 Nicolas Cage hit "National Treasure" is set to begin filming at the start of 2007.

Speaking with The LA Daily News, Turteltaub says "We are just about to start preproduction. We'll have Nic, Justin Bartha, Diane Kruger, Jon Voight and Harvey Keitel... Everyone's back except anyone who's in jail or died".

He adds that the sequel will take us to "exciting destinations within America as well as around the world. As we were shooting the first one, it kept changing, so I'm scared to commit to anything, but I wouldn't be surprised if Mount Rushmore made an appearance".

"Spider-Man 3" Story Spoilers

Source: filmick
Author: Pele Hearne

A few months back came some script spoilers from the upcoming third "Spider-Man" film, spoilers which lasted for all of half a day online before Sony forced the article's removal. Now similar spoilers have gone online over at filmick and highlight the context of many of the shots in the trailer (SPOILERS AHEAD). No word how long they'll stay online but they do sound cool and very ambitious.

Amongst the revelations:

- Before getting on Peter, the symbiote (the black oil substance) has a rather 50's sci-fi origin (ala The Blob)

- In a church bell tower, Eddie Brock (Topher Grace) follows this black Spidey character and sees Peter ripping himself free of the suit - some of which falls onto Brock, causing him to "become" Venom.

- For most of the film, Spider-Man is in pursuit of The Sandman. Harry as the Goblin (sans mask) fights Peter early on and returns at the end to aid him in the final confrontation with Sandman and Venom at a construction site.

- "Dark Spidey, as it were - Peter before he has overcome Venom - is the one who courts Gwen Stacey. Problems in the relationship with MJ, as well as professional issues compound to bring him down. Even downer than last time. That's how Raimi, Sargent and co are using Venom - as a dramatic device to show Peter not just giving up on his great responsibility, but getting drunk on his great power."

- There are scenes inside Curt Connor's lab, where he studies the symbiote, and these scenes are also used to set up the research that will, in the character's story - though not in this movie - turn him into The Lizard.

- The Black Cat does not make any significant appearance in the film, despite existing, on paper, in various earlier conceptions.

- And the fourth villain? "Makes only a fleeting appearance - Bruce Campbell's character this time around is Quentin Beck, known to fans of the comic as Mysterio".

For more details, including who lives and dies, click here.

'Simpsons' the movie

source; dark horizons
Author; Pele Hearne

There will be new characters introduced in the movie; It has been stated that Albert Brooks is scheduled to provide a guest voice for an all-new character in the movie, and may reprise some of his past characters (Brad Goodman, Jacques, Hank Scorpio, Cowboy Bob and Tab Spangler). Also, Minnie Driver and Erin Brockovich (the real-life activist) are confirmed to have parts.
Kelsey Grammer has said that his character, Sideshow Bob, will make an appearance in the movie.

Die Hard 4, Fantastic 4 & AVP2 News

Source: The IESB
Author: Pele Hearne

Tom Rothman, Chairman at 20th Century Fox, recently talked at length to The IESB about various upcoming Fox projects including "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer", "Wolverine", "AVP 2", future "X-Men" films and "Live Free or Die Hard" amongst others.

The villain hasn't been signed yet for "Live Free or Die Hard" but they've almost got an American actor locked in, someone described as "very cool and contemporary" and will be announced within the next fortnight.

Fanboys will love that after the all too tame PG-13 "Alien vs. Predator", the approach with AVP2 will be "very hardcore, very R rated". The script is very violent with little resemblance to the first film.

Talk of stand alone "Predator" films still continues but nothing is happening as such on that front. As for more "Alien" films, if Ridley Scott wanted to do another would Fox be up for it? "If Ridley would ever do it, we would do it in a second".

Despite the script leakage, they are no where near a finished script on "Wolverine". No script has been received yet for "Magneto" either.

Rothman won't confirm or deny what new characters appear in "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" aside from the previously announced Silver Surfer and the cosmically powerful Galactus. The Surfer, which will be "very, very faithful" design wise to the comic, will be state of the art CGI and a lot of money is being spent on the effect in the hope that it could lead to a spin-off series. Our first glimpse will come with the teaser trailer very early in the new year.

Finally the Baz Luhrman/Nicole Kidman/Hugh Jackman film is aiming to begin filming February or March in Australia, no title at present though he describes it as a adventure/romance along "African Queen" and "Out of Africa" lines.

Piczo