New Image from Baz Lurhmann’s THE GREAT GATSBY

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 22nd, 2012 at 8:29 am

A new image from Baz Luhrmann‘s The Great Gatsby has gone online.  The image shows “flamboyant and suave Jewish money lender” Meyer Wolfsheim (Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan) sitting next to Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) and Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio).  However, don’t expect to see much of Wolfsheim in the picture.  “I play Meyer Wolfsheim for about a few seconds…,” Bachchan tells THR, “by the time you look down on your popcorn to pick another morsel, I’d be gone from the film…he, he…kinda short service… But with giants of Hollywood – Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire.”  Still, it’s not bad gig for someone who hosts the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? I never saw Regis Philbin in a potential awards-contender.

Hit the jump to check out the full image, and click here for Steve’s thoughts on the footage he saw at CinemaCon.  The film also stars Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Isla Fisher, and Joel Edgerton.  The Great Gatsby opens in 3D on December 25th.

Wes Anderson’s Next Feature Will Reunite the Director with Owen Wilson

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 22nd, 2012 at 7:54 am

Until Wes Anderson‘s upcoming flick Moonrise Kingdom, Owen Wilson had played a part in all of the director’s feature-length films.  While the streak has been broken, their relationship will carry on with Anderson’s next untitled feature.  Anderson has now told the Dallas News’ Pop Culture Blog [via The Film Stage] that the movie will be an ensemble piece, he’s written a part for Wilson, and the actor has signed on.  The script is halfway finished, but few details are known about the picture.  However, Anderson, who’s currently spending some time in Paris, did tell Harper’s BAZAAR [via The Playlist] that “it’s a film I want to make in Europe, a Euro movie.”

Hit the jump for a list of other projects on Wilson’s slate.  Moonrise Kingdom stars Bruce Willis, Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Jason Schwartzman, Jared Gilman, and Kara Hayward.  The film opens in limited release this Friday, and will expand wide in the following weeks.

Will Dwayne Johnson Play LOBO in the Warner Bros. Adaptation of the DC Comic?

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: May 21st, 2012 at 9:50 pm

Last week, a random Twitter user mentioned her desire to see The Rock as a DC superhero.  Dwayne Johnson, forever in touch with his fans, tweeted in response, “Funny U say that…“  That obviously sparked fervent speculation.  Bleeding Cool followed up with an interesting possibility: the antihero biker Lobo.  Bleeding Cool admits their source is untested, one who purportedly overheard Johnson boasting at a party that he will play Lobo.  But the rumor is a good fit.  There is a Lobo adaptation in development.  Brad Peyton, the director of Johnson’s last movie Journey 2: The Center of the Earth, is steering the ship.  And no actor really has that Lobo physique other than The Rock.  So all the pieces fit—we’re just missing the important ones that spell “O-f-f-i-c-i-a-l” across the top.  We’ll put a pin in this for now.  In the meantime, hit the jump for background on Lobo.

James McAvoy to Star Opposite Jessica Chastain in Double Feature THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ELEANOR RIGBY

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: May 21st, 2012 at 8:44 pm

James McAvoy has signed on to star opposite Jessica Chastain in one of the most intriguing projects in development right now, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby.  It is a double feature that explores “how a married couple in New York City deals with an emotional, life-altering experience, from two different perspectives.”  The perspective of the husband (McAvoy) is seen in The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him, while the story of the wife (Chastain) is told in The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her.  (It used to be His and Hers, back when Joel Edgerton was attached to play the husband.)  This ambitious project is the feature debut of writer/director Ned Benson.  Hit the jump for the full press release.

Recap of the SERENITY Hero Complex Screening with Nathan Fillion; Also Talks MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, FIREFLY Reunion, and Joss Whedon

by Tommy Cook    Posted: May 21st, 2012 at 8:19 pm

This weekend Hero Complex in association with The Los Angeles Times hosted the third annual Hero Complex Film Festival. Highlights to which included a screening of Shaun of the Dead with Edgar Wright, Wall-E with director Andrew Stanton, A Clockwork Orange with Malcolm McDowell, and Robocop with Peter Weller.

Joss Whedon’s cult-favorite Serenity closed out the festival Sunday night.  Star Nathan Fillion was on hand to discuss the film and its short-lived television predecessor Firefly.  (I still maintain that show’s season/series finale “Objects in Space to be the finest piece of writing Whedon’s ever done.)  In the post screening Q&A, Fillion reflected on reuniting with the cast for the film, reciting Whedon’s particular cadences and previews his role in another Whedon project/film: Much Ado About Nothing.  For all this and more, hit the jump.

Catherine Keener to Star in HBO Comedy Series Written and Directed by Charlie Kaufman

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: May 21st, 2012 at 7:52 pm

HBO’s current comedy roster is stacked with some of the best writers in the business: Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Lena Dunham/Judd Apatow (Girls), Armando Iannucci (Veep), Mike White (Enlightened).  If you count the hourlong The Newsroom, Aaron Sorkin seemed like the apex in terms of pure writers.  Yet HBO has outdone themselves, entering into development on a half-hour comedy series with Charlie Kaufman.  Even better, frequent collaborator Catherine Keener is set to star and produce alongside Kaufman.  The untitled series is described as “an exploration of one day in a woman’s life and how the events leading up to it can affect, or not, the reality in which she lives.”  What?  More after the jump.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN Six-Minute Preview at Midnight Showings of MEN IN BLACK 3D in IMAX

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: May 21st, 2012 at 7:21 pm

If you needed an additional excuse to go see Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin in Men in Black 3 this weekend, how about this one: you’ll also see a six-minute preview of The Amazing Spider-Man.  Theater-goers who attend Thursday’s midnight showings of Men in Black 3D in IMAX will also get a sneak peek of one of the most anticipated movies of the summer.  Perhaps the trailers, clips, featurettes, images, posters, viral videos and interviews weren’t enough for you; maybe even this four-minute extended trailer hasn’t satiated your appetite.  If that’s the case, go buy your tickets for the midnight showing of MiB3 and get set to enjoy six minutes of Spidey!

Oh yeah, there’s also the third installment in the Men in Black franchise to enjoy.  Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, Men in Black 3 also stars Emma Thompson, Jemaine Clement, Alice Eve, and Nicole Scherzinger. Hit the jump for more information on the preview of  The Amazing Spider-Man and Men in Black 3.

First Official Poster and Two New Trailers for Aaron Sorkin’s HBO Drama THE NEWSROOM

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: May 21st, 2012 at 6:40 pm

The first official poster has been released for Aaron Sorkin’s new HBO drama, The Newsroom. The series stars Jeff Daniels as the primary anchor of a failing 24-hour news network who is ready to break the monotony of cable news and go back to the roots of informing his audience. We already saw his character have a fantastic (and much publicized) outburst in the first trailer.  Then, The Newsroom followed up with a series of additional trailers that developed a bit more of the storyline and also introduced us to the rest of the cast:  such as Daniels’ character’s new executive producer (Emily Mortimer), his newsroom staff (John Gallagher, Jr., Alison Pill, Thomas Sadoski, Dev Patel, Olivia Munn) and their boss (Sam Waterston).  Now, we have the first look at the official poster (in addition to some shorter trailers, in case you’ve missed the previous ones).  Hit the jump to check out the slick official poster for HBO’s The Newsroom, which debuts Sunday, June 24th at 10PM.

Two New Clips from LAWLESS Featuring Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf and Guy Pearce

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: May 21st, 2012 at 5:32 pm

In a summer filled with superhero spectacles and sci-fi extravaganzas, it’s nice to get back to the roots of Depression-era, moonshine-runnin’ crime dramas.  Director John Hillcoat (The Road) has the cure for what ails you in Lawless, an adaptation of the Matt Bondurant novel, “The Wettest County in the World.”  Lawless stars Shia LaBeouf (Transformers) and Tom Hardy (Inception) as the Bondurant brothers, Southern bootleggers during the Prohibition era.  A new clip from the film shows a nice moment between the two characters and highlights the range of both.  Another clip introduces the strangely androgynous character, Special Agent Charlie Rakes (Guy Pearce) who has swooped in from Chicago to shut the Bondurants down.  There’s some good stuff on display here, hints of which were seen in this trailer.  You should also check out these awesome character posters.  Lawless, also starring Jessica Chastain, Gary Oldman, Jason Clarke, Mia Wasikowska and Dane DeHaan will debut in theaters on August 29th.  Hit the jump to see the clips.

New Trailer for FINDING NEMO 3D

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 21st, 2012 at 5:31 pm

3D has become almost a dirty word in the current moviegoing environment, but it’s a useful tool when done with purpose and precision (see: Hugo).  One of the genres in which 3D really shines is animation, and with Disney’s announcement that they’ll be releasing a number of classics back into theaters we’ll get the chance to see some excellent 3D put to good use.  First up on Disney-Pixar’s theatrical re-release slate is Finding Nemo, and a full trailer for the 3D release is now online.  The trailer plays up the 3D aspect, and I’m assuming it’s more effective when seen in three dimensions.  While 3D seems like a perfect fit for Pixar’s gorgeous ocean-set pic, I’m also just eager to see Andrew Stanton’s incredibly sweet, funny, and heartfelt film on the big screen once again.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer for Finding Nemo 3D, and brace for the 3D re-releases of Monster’s Inc. and The Little Mermaid which will follow.  Finding Nemo returns to theaters on September 14th.

Geek Gifts: Awesome Movie/TV T-Shirts Inspired by Studio Ghibli, SUPERMAN, BREAKING BAD, HARRY POTTER, STAR WARS, TRON, and a Lot More

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: May 21st, 2012 at 5:28 pm

A few days ago, I posted an awesome Loki figure from The Avengers made by Hot Toys.  It was the first “Geek Gifts” article in a long time and I mentioned that the response to the post would determine if we’d continue the column.  Let’s just say it was a success.  So, as promised, it’s time for another “Geek Gifts” article and this one is especially relevant for those that like cool t-shirts.

If you’ve ever seen my video interviews, you know I love wearing t-shirts.  I especially love wearing shirts that are inspired by my favorite movies and TV shows.  Recently, a friend turned me onto a company called RedBubble, and they let their users submit their own designs and some of them are pretty great.  Since I know a lot of you don’t have the time to go through the thousands of reader submissions, I’ve done the legwork for you.  So hit the jump if you like Studio Ghibli, Breaking Bad, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Tron, the original Superman, Battle of the Planets, The Lion King, and more.

Abigail Breslin to Topline FINAL GIRL, Paul Dano Joins TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: May 21st, 2012 at 4:55 pm

We’ve got some Little Miss Sunshine alumni casting news today: one’s an Oscar-nominated topliner and the other is a BAFTA-nominated addition to an already phenomenal cast.  Check out the headlines below:

• Abigail Breslin is set to star in the title role of Final Girl, a thriller from debut director Tyler Shields.
• Paul Dano will join the cast of Steve McQueen’s Twelve Years a Slave, a picture that already boasts Michael Fassbender, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Adepero Oduye and Brad Pitt.

Hit the jump for more on each picture.

Tom Cruise to Star in MAGNIFICENT SEVEN Remake for MGM

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 21st, 2012 at 4:35 pm

Though it seemed for a minute there that Tom Cruise wasn’t going to come back from Oprahgate (aka Couchgate, aka The Day Tom Went Crazy), the actor is doing a damn fine job of lining up some high profile pictures as of late.  He plays a rock star in this summer’s musical Rock of Ages, he recently wrapped the Jack Reacher adaptation One Shot, he’s currently filming Joseph Kosinski’s sci-fi epic Oblivion, he’s set to follow that up with Doug Liman’s sci-fi actioner All You Need Is Kill and may be teaming with Robert Downey Jr. for El Presidente.

Cruise also has a few sequels/remakes on the horizon as he’s attached to star in a reboot of Van Helsing, he’s being courted to return for Top Gun 2, and Clint Eastwood wants him to star in a redo of A Star Is Born.  The actor is adding another remake to the pile, but this time he’s taking on a bona fide classic: The Magnificent Seven.  Hit the jump for more.

Nicholas Stoller to Direct TOWNIES, Starring Seth Rogen and Zac Efron

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 21st, 2012 at 3:49 pm

Coming off of his latest feature, The Five-Year Engagement, director Nicholas Stoller is lining up his next project.  THR reports that Stoller is now in negotiations to helm the R-rated comedy Townies.  Universal snatched the project up last summer and set Seth Rogen to star as a regular guy who lives near an alpha male fraternity house and has to contend with a raucous member of the fraternity (Zac Efron) who wreaks havoc on his life.  The casting made the project interesting to begin with, and now the addition of Stoller—known for his strong infusion of heart and comedy—makes the project even more intriguing.

Five-Year Engagement wasn’t exactly a box office hit, but Universal must be happy with the pic as they’ve tapped the Forgetting Sarah Marshall director to helm Townies.  The script was written by Andrew Cohen and Brendan O’Brien, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Stoller and/or Rogen take a pass.  In addition to Five-Year Engagement, Stoller co-wrote last year’s The Muppets with Jason Segel and is currently scripting a sequel alongside Muppets director James Bobin.

Director Jorma Taccone Confirms He’s Working on MACGRUBER 2 with Will Forte

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 21st, 2012 at 3:15 pm

In the pantheon of feature films born out of SNL skits, there’s a big hit-and-miss factor; for every Wayne’s World, there’s three It’s Pat’s.  A film version of MacGruber hit theaters in 2010 and any way you slice it, the movie was a disaster at the box office.  Against a budget of $10 million, the film grossed a total of $9.2 million worldwide.  I wasn’t a huge fan of Will Forte’s MacGruber sketch to begin with, so I wasn’t about to go sit through a 90-minute version in theaters.  However, the film hit DVD and I started hearing from trustworthy friends that it was actually good.

After being commanded to watch it multiple times, I finally relented and watched MacGruber myself.  It turns out that the film is actually pretty fantastic.  The jokes are ridiculously out-there, and Forte and director Jorme Taccone got away with making an insane comedy within the studio system.  So it’s with great enthusiasm that I greeted the news today that Taccone and Forte are working on a follow-up to MacGruber that may or may not come to fruition.  Hit the jump for more.

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