
Many people (myself included) were counting director Alfonso Cuaron’s ambitious sci-fi pic Gravity as one of their most anticipated films of 2012. Well, now we’re all gonna have to wait a little longer, as Warner Bros. has lifted the film off of its November release date and set it for sometime in 2013. This is a big bummer, but the film most likely has some insane visual effects work to finish in post-production. Sandra Bullock stars as an astronaut stranded in space, and she’s apparently the only actor onscreen for the majority of the film. Though I’m sad to have to wait, I’m confident that the move was made in the film’s best interest. I’d rather have the Gravity Cuaron intends to release rather than a rushed version. It’s also entirely possible that Warner Bros. just felt that their slate was too crowded to premiered Gravity. In addition to The Hobbit, they have Argo, Gangster Squad, and The Great Gatsby all opening this fall.
Hit the jump for more, including new dates for Gangster Squad and Beautiful Creatures.

With Gary Ross’ non-return to direct the follow up of his blockbuster film, The Hunger Games, Lionsgate turned to a wish-list of directors that included David Cronenberg, Alfonso Cuaron and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. While those names were merely placeholders for a director with an arrow’s chance in Panem at getting the job (something we waxed poetic about in our recent podcast), two more names have cropped up that seem to have a bit more validity to them. Reportedly, some conversations have already taken place with directors Bennett Miller (Moneyball) and Francis Lawrence (Constantine) to helm the sequel, Catching Fire. Hit the jump for more on these potential candidates.

Well this took a little longer than expected. Following Sunday’s news that Gary Ross will not be returning to direct the Hunger Games sequel, Catching Fire, the first “shortlist” story has now surfaced online. Lionsgate has to begin filming Catching Fire by August in order to have Jennifer Lawrence wrapped in time to be on the set for Fox’s X-Men: First Class sequel in January (there’s also that November 2013 release date for Catching Fire that’s looming).
Given the short prep time, I assumed the studio would be going for a journeyman director to get in and get things done quickly and succinctly. Thankfully, it appears that’s not the case as the studio has shortlisted a few creatively exciting choices for Ross’ replacement: David Cronenberg, Alfonso Cuaron, and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Hit the jump for more.

Alfonso Cuaron crafted some remarkable unbroken shots in Children of Men, and it was previously rumored that he would be upping his game for his new movie, Gravity. Back in 2010, we reported that the movie would open with a single, 20-minute shot. Today, we’ve learned that while the opening scene will be an unbroken 17-minute shot (way to slack off, Cuaron). Additionally, long takes will run throughout the film.
Hit the jump for more. The sci-fi drama stars Sandra Bullock as an astronaut who fights to return home after her space station suffers a catastrophe. Gravity opens in 3D on November 21st.

A curious little project has come to our attention, and it’s quite exciting. A number of international directors are coming together to helm segments of an animated folk tale anthology called Tales from the Hanging Head. Filmmaker Sara Driver spilled the details on the project, revealing that she’ll be directing a story alongside Alfonso Cuaron, Michel Gondry, Marjane Satrapi, and Emir Kusturica. It’s a series of folk tales for children, linked together by the common thread of metamorphosis. Hit the jump for more.

Alfonso Cuaron’s upcoming sci-fi film Gravity has already made some bold moves. The film reportedly has little dialogue, long takes, and now Sandra Bullock says the actors won’t be wearing make-up. That may not seem like a big deal, but imagine your face blown up to the size of a movie screen and then projected in 3D. Of course, it’s not a totally bizarre choice since the movie takes place in outer space and centers on an astronaut (Bullock) who’s struggling to find a way home after her space station is damaged. Putting on eye-shadow and lipstick probably isn’t “Priority #1″ in that situation.
Hit the jump for what Bullock had to say about filming as well as her elaboration on why co-star George Clooney doesn’t plan on doing another 3D movie after this one. Gravity opens November 21st.

Alfonso Cuaron‘s sci-fi feature Gravity is easily one of my most anticipated films of 2012. The movie, which is Cuaron’s first since Children of Men, centers on “a female astronaut (played by Sandra Bullock) stranded on a space station after satellite debris slams into it and wipes out the rest of the crew.” She then has to find a way to return home. George Clooney plays a fellow astronaut who only features in the first act, but his role is reportedly “pivotal”. Cloooney provided some brief elaboration to USA Today on his role, explaining his and Bullock’s characters “are tethered together, floating through space.”
Clooney also spoke about the challenges in the script (there’s reportedly very little dialogue) and about his first time starring in a 3D movie. Hit the jump for what he had to say. Gravity opens November 21, 2012.

Warner Bros. is looking to the big leagues to helm their untitled Twilight Zone film. Variety reports that there is “mutual interest” between the studio and three filmmakers to take the reins: Christopher Nolan, Alfonso Cuaron, and Michael Bay. Rise of the Planet of the Apes director Rupert Wyatt is also in the mix, but the report states that Nolan, Cuaron, and Bay are the top picks. Unlike the studio’s 1983 Twilight Zone, this new pic will have only one director, and WB is definitely looking to the A-list. Apparently Nolan is the front-runner to get the offer (which isn’t surprising given his very close relationship with the studio, and the fact that Leonardo DiCaprio is producing the Twilight Zone pic), but Variety’s sources are unsure as to whether he’ll actually sign on as the project is apparently similar to Inception. Apparently Harry Potter David Yates was on the shortlist at one point as well, though his prospects have waned as of late. Continued after the jump.

At this year’s CinemaCon (formerly ShoWest) I got to speak to producer David Heyman twice. The first time was right before the Warner Bros. presentation where Heyman and Harry Potter producer David Barron showed some awesome looking footage from the final Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. You can watch the red carpet interview here and here’s my recap of the footage.
A short time later, I was backstage with Heyman and we continued our conversation. During the ten or so minutes, we talked about the footage they decided to show from Harry Potter, will there be an “Ultimate Box Set” on DVD/Blu-ray, what props he took home from set (he has some of the horcruxes!!), and he revealed that he had just “closed the deal on some Beatles songs, and we’re gonna do an animated film, a musical animated film using Beatles songs, with a love story between a dung beetle and a lady bug.” Hit the jump for more.
UPDATE: Apple Corps Ltd. (the group that represents The Beatles) have contacted me to clarify The Beatles involvement in the animated movie. Here’s what they sent me:
Contrary to recent reports, no original Beatles master recordings will be featured in the forthcoming David Heyman (Harry Potter) produced animated film. The as-yet-unnamed film will feature cover versions of 10 songs written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
So while the music will be used, it’s cover songs. However, with the right artists, the soundtrack could be awesome. Original story after the jump

Earlier today at CinemaCon, Warner Bros. held a panel with president Jeff Robinov during which he discussed some of the studio’s upcoming projects. In addition to reiterating the studio’s enthusiasm for projects such as The Hobbit, Dark Shadows, and the Clint Eastwood/Beyonce team-up that is A Star Is Born, Robinov also mentioned much anticipated projects such as The Great Gatsby (starring Leonardo DiCaprio), Mad Max: Fury Road, and Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity (starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock).
While there have been some questions regarding the status of both George Miller‘s Mad Max installment and Gravity, any time the head of a studio discusses projects as being in the studio’s short-term forecast, you can be sure the wheels are turning on said films. Steve will have a lot more on the WB panel and what was shown, but for now, consider these projects on the immediate horizon.

With a story that changes the game for the rest of the series, director Alfonso Cuaron arrives in the universe of Harry Potter with a vision and enthusiasm that comes together to expand, nurture and mature this world of witchcraft and wizardry. If Christopher Columbus gave birth to the film universe of J.K. Rowling’s multi-billion dollar wizarding series with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, then Alfonso Cuaron weens it off the baby bottle with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and teaches it to fly on a Firebolt before it can even think about crawling. Continuing the double-dip home video releases, Warner Bros. has delivered yet another Blu-Ray collection that is truly worthy of being called an Ultimate Edition of my favorite film in the entire Harry Potter franchise. Read more about this spectacular Blu-Ray release after the jump.

Gravity, the first film from director Alfonso Cuaron since Children of Men, has had its share of struggles in trying to get to the big screen. The story features a female lead character who is by herself for the majority of film. The film, which is about an astronaut trying to return to Earth after a disaster in space, was originally set to star Angelina Jolie and Robert Downey Jr., but then Jolie dropped out. Warner Bros. required a bankable actress for the part and eventually Sandra Bullock signed on to the film…only to have Robert Downey Jr. drop out shortly thereafter due to scheduling conflicts. Downey was set to play another astronaut who survives the disaster. Now Heat Vision is reporting that George Clooney has come to the rescue of the project and will play the role, which, while not major, is pivotal in the first act of the film.
Hit the jump for more on Clooney’s schedule and where Gravity will fit in.

After trying for weeks to work the project into his schedule, Robert Downey Jr. has officially dropped out of talks to star in Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity. The sci-fi 3D flick has been one of the most talked about projects around town. Sandra Bullock is attached to star in the ambitious flick which is supposedly similar to 2000’s Cast Away, in that the female lead is the only actor on screen for the bulk of the film. Bullock stars as an astronaut adrift in space attempting to get back to her ship. Downey was trying to fit the film into his increasingly very busy schedule. He’s currently filming the sequel to last year’s Sherlock Holmes, The Avengers begins filming early next year, and he’s also attached to star in Disney’s Oz: The Great and Powerful to be directed by Sam Raimi.
Heat Vision reports that Downey is now eyeing Fox’s How to Talk to Girls. Based upon a book written by a 9-year old boy revolving around advice on how to deal with the opposite sex, Downey is looking to also produce the film with his wife and producing partner Susan Downey. A draft of the script already exists, but Susan Downey will apparently take over the project and develop it as a Downey-starring vehicle. For more on RDJ and what’s to become of Gravity, hit the jump.

During today’s press conference for Due Date, Robert Downey Jr. was asked about Iron Man 3 going to Disney from Paramount, how has Sherlock Holmes 2 been going, and I asked him if he’ll star in Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity. While I’d love to say we have huge answers to these questions, Downey Jr. was rather brief and to the point on all three. Hit the jump for what he said:

The struggle to launch Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity continues. After a difficult search to find a leading lady to carry the film, the production finally landed Sandra Bullock for what is being described as a “Cast Away-type” role where she’ll be the only actor on screen for most of the film. The plot centers on a female astronaut who’s determined to get back home to her daughter after her space station is destroyed by the debris field from an exploded asteroid. Robert Downey Jr. joined the project back in March, but now Deadline is reporting that he is considering leaving the project due to scheduling conflicts. However, a trusted source at Warner Bros. tells us that:
“there are some scheduling issues we’re trying to figure out, but as of right now, he’s absolutely still in.”
Downey is set to play the supporting role of Bullock’s co-pilot who is the only other survivor of the space station disaster. Hit the jump for more on Downey’s busy schedule.
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