The Weinstein Company has released the first trailer for director Lee Daniels’ (Precious, The Paperboy) historical drama The Butler.  Based on a true story, the film stars Forrest Whitaker as Cecil Gaines, a butler who served at the White House from 1952 to 1986.  The trailer plays up the film’s awards prospects as we see a flash of famous faces playing the many notable persons who walked the halls of the White House throughout this period (Alan Rickman is particularly striking as President Reagan), and that’s balanced with an overview of Gaines’ life in a racially tense America.  While the film certainly looks like it has the potential to be powerful, cautious optimism is key whenever Lee Daniels is involved.

Hit the jump to watch the debut trailer.  The film also stars Oprah Winfrey, David Oyelowo, Mariah Carey, John Cusack, Jane Fonda, Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard, Minka Kelly, Lenny Kravitz, Melissa Leo, James Marsden, Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Redgrave, Liev Schreiber, and Robin Williams.  The Butler opens on October 18th.

Director Gus Van Sant is apparently so eager to win the bid to direct the big screen adaptation of E.L. James’ erotic romance novel Fifty Shades of Grey, that he didn’t wait for Universal Pictures and Focus Features to ask him to shoot a test reel.  James’ novel centers around Anastasia Steele and her introduction to a whole new world of sexual discovery and risqué activities in the hands of billionaire Christian Grey, and the feature film adaptation of the book has been a subject of high interest.

Van Sant, who’s best known for directing the Academy Award-winning Good Will Hunting and the biographical drama Milk, reportedly shot a steamy sex scene featuring Alex Pettyfer (Magic Mike) in an attempt to showcase his vision for the would-be film.  Hit the jump for more.

After an extensive casting search, the leads have been set for director Shana Feste’s (Country Strong) remake of the 1981 film Endless Love.  Variety reports that Alex Pettyfer (Magic Mike) and Gabriella Wilde (The Three Musketeers) will star in the pic, which centers on a passionate relationship between two teenagers.  Franco Zeffirelli’s original film starred Brooke Shields and Martin Hewitt and was based on the novel of the same name by Scott Spencer, but it’s unknown how closely Feste’s take will follow the plot of either of those iterations.  Feste rewrote the script originally penned by Josh Safran, and Scott Stuber (Ted, Love and Other Drugs) is producing.

Pettyfer and Wilde were cast after a number of screen tests, with Brenton Thwaites, Sarah Bolger, and Olivia Cooke reportedly in the running as well.  Pettyfer was last seen in 2012’s Magic Mike and also starred in I Am Number Four and In Time, while Wilde will next be seen as Sue Snell later this year in the Carrie remake opposite Chloe Moretz.

Back in November, we mentioned that Divergent was rounding up the likes of Jack Reynor (What Richard Did) and Brenton Thwaites (Blue Lagoon: The Awakening) to star opposite Shailene Woodley in the Neil Burger adaptation.  Reynor just landed a lead in Transformers 4, so he’s likely off the table, but newcomers Lucas Till (X-Men: First Class), Alex Pettyfer (Magic Mike) and Jeremy Irvine (War Horse) are now vying for the coveted role.  Lionsgate is hoping that the property will be the next Twilight and/or The Hunger Games, which is a reasonable goal seeing as the Divergent novels lift themes from both series.  Hit the jump for more.

Channing Tatum came close to being an also-ran, but this year turned him into a star. Between The Vow, 21 Jump Street and Magic Mike, he went from being a lunkhead into a likeable lunkhead. He got the joke. Magic Mike was directed by Steven Soderbergh, and the story was that Soderbergh was so intrigued by Tatum’s life as a male stripper, he saw potential for a movie there. He was right, there is a good movie in his story, and Magic Mike was one of the best mainstream films of the summer. Our review of the Blu-ray follows after the jump.

Though Kristen Stewart’s personal life is apparently all anyone cares about at the moment, she also acts in movies from time to time.  Stewart is set to star in the gritty action pic Cali, and director Nick Cassavetes has now settled on the male lead for the film.  Per Variety, Alex Pettyfer has landed the role and will star as Stewart’s love interest in a story that takes place in L.A. and revolves around two San Fernando Valley lovers who sell a fake snuff film and take off with the cash.  Years later, the girl (Stewart) must “return from the dead” in order to save the younger sister she abandoned.

In addition to starring, Stewart is also making her producorial debut on the project, which is set to start filming later this summer.  Pettyfer was most recently seen opposite Channing Tatum in Magic Mike, and he also appeared in In Time, I Am Number Four, and Beastly.

One of the best films of 2012 so far is a movie about male strippers.  I’m dead serious.  With Magic Mike, director Steven Soderbergh crafted a movie that works wonderfully both as an entertaining ensemble and as an introspective, sad portrait of the reality of the American Dream.  Matthew McConaughey gives one of the best performances of his career, and Channing Tatum continues his 2012 streak of proving that he’s a genuinely talented guy.  Though we already know that Tatum and Jonah Hill are developing a sequel to 21 Jump Street, and Tatum recently revealed that he’s working on a stage musical adaptation of Magic Mike with Soderbergh, the actor now says that he’s also developing a feature film sequel to Magic Mike.  Hit the jump for more.

It hasn’t even hit theaters yet, but Steven Soderbergh’s Magic Mike may soon be headed to Broadway.  Magic Mike: The Musical is currently in development by Soderbergh and star Channing Tatum, whose early life as a male stripper led to the genesis of the film.  The duo plans to have the musical performing and on its way to Broadway by the summer of next year.  John Buzzetti of WME is bringing the project together, while Soderbergh and Tatum are producing alongside Gregory Jacobs, Nick Wechsler and Reid Carolin. Deadline reports that Carolin, who scripted the feature film, will also pen the musical adaptation.  Magic Mike, starring Tatum, Matthew McConaughey, Alex Pettyfer, Joe Manganiello, Kevin Nash and Olivia Munn opens June 29th.

Magic Mike is the best male-stripper comedy-drama I’ve ever seen.  Granted, it’s the only male-stripper comedy-drama I’ve ever seen, but it’s still an enjoyable and thoughtful movie that explores issues of sexual objectification, artistic integrity, and gender roles.  These weighty topics come about organically through the majesty of well-choreographed and imaginatievely-designed stripping performances.  The film also features surprisingly effective performances from Channing Tatum and Alex Pettyfer along with one of the best roles in Matthew McConaughey‘s career.  Director Steven Soderbergh‘s film mostly keeps to fresh territory, and it only goes astray when it has to move through stale, undeveloped conflicts.  But until it reaches those points, you’ll want to throw dollar bills at the screen.

12 clips from director Steven Soderbergh’s male stripper pic Magic Mike have been released.  The film is loosely based on Channing Tatum’s early days as a male stripper, and the actor stars as a stripping mentor to a young up-and-comer played by Alex Pettyfer.  With Soderbergh onboard, we can reasonably assume that this won’t simply be a straightforward, flashy stripper movie.  Early word has been strongly positive, and I’m eager to see what kind of story Soderbergh intends to tell against the backdrop of this kind of world.

Hit the jump to watch the clips.  The film also stars Matthew McConaughey, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Olivia Munn, Kevin Nash, Riley Keough, Cody Horn and Adam Rodriguez.  Magic Mike opens on June 29th.

Though his latest feature, The Paperboy, was met with a less than enthusiastic response at its Cannes Film Festival premiere, director Lee Daniels continues to fill out the impressive cast for his next film, The Butler.  The pic tells the true story of Eugene Allen, a butler who served at the White House from 1952 to 1986, and Daniels is casting a slew of stars to take small roles as the famous men and women who come through the White House over the years.  Forest Whitaker plays Allen, Oprah Winfrey is set as his wife, and David Oyelowo will star as Allen’s son.  Deadline reports that Alex Pettyfer (I Am Number Four) will play Thomas Westphall, a character who appears early in the film and has a pivotal influence on Allen’s life.

Moreover, Deadline adds that Vanessa Redgrave is circling a role in the pic as well.  The supporting cast thus far includes Alan Rickman, Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard, Minka Kelly, Jane Fonda, and Lenny Kravitz.  Production begins next month and Pettyfer will next be seen in Magic Mike.

A couple of new red-band clips for director Steven Soderbergh’s Magic Mike have gone online.  Though there aren’t any gratuitous full-frontal shots, there’s plenty of shirtlessness, pantslessness and ass-shots to put the rest of us members of the male species to shame.  I’m beyond eager to see what Soderbergh has put together with this “stripper movie” and based on general buzz, the unofficial Year of Channing Tatum should continue full speed ahead on the heels of Magic Mike.

Hit the jump to watch the NSFW trailer and TV spot, and if you missed 53 high-resolution images from the film click here.  The film also stars Matthew McConaughey, Alex Pettyfer, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Olivia Munn, Kevin Nash, Riley Keough, Cody Horn and Adam Rodriguez.  The film opens on June 29th.

Ladies, you’ve been patient with our non-stop nerd postings related to all-things-superheroic (which I’m sure you enjoy, too), but we have a little treat for you.  We recently posted images of stars Matthew McConaughey, Channing Tatum and Alex Pettyfer in the stripper story, Magic Mike, but now we’ve got over fifty high resolution images.  You can also listen to what Tatum had to say about the project in this recent interview with Steve.  Directed by Steven Soderbergh and also starring Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Olivia Munn, Kevin Nash, Riley Keough, Cody Horn and Adam Rodriguez, Magic Mike opens on June 29th.  Hit the jump to check out the images.

When making a movie about male strippers, it’s nearly impossible to not throw in a variation of The Weather Girls‘ “It’s Raining Men.”  As such, this latest clip/trailer from Steven Soderbergh’s male stripper pic Magic Mike highlights Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer, and Alex Pettyfer performing an umbrella-enhanced routine to said  song.  The dance looks fun and ridiculous, and it’s still hard to believe that Soderbergh is behind the camera on this one.  It’s the unofficial “Year of Channing Tatum” and I’m incredibly interested to see what kind of story Soderbergh is telling with Magic Mike.

Hit the jump to watch the clip/trailer that will play during MTV’s Movie Awards.  The film also stars Matthew McConaughey, Joe Manganiello, Adam Rodriguez, Riley Keough and Olivia Munn.  Magic Mike opens on June 29th.

A new UK trailer for director Steven Soderbergh’s male stripper movie Magic Mike has gone online.  The film is loosely based on star Channing Tatum’s days as a stripper, and the actor plays a mentor to a young “exotic dancer” played by Alex Pettyfer.  Most of the first trailer focused squarely on Tatum’s character and his furniture-making skills, but this trailer shows us a lot more of the mentor/mentee relationship.  We also get some new looks at Matthew McConaughey, who is pitch-perfect as the nightclub’s ringleader.   I’m always down for a new Soderbergh project, and I’m eager to find out what he saw in Tatum’s story that he thought would make a great movie.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer.  The film also stars Riley Keough, Olivia Munn, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Cody Horn, and Adam Rodriguez.  Magic Mike opens on June 29th.