A few days ago at CinemaCon, Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy showed some footage from director Paul Feig’s (Bridesmaids) upcoming buddy cop comedy The Heat.  The film is a standard buddy-cop formula where a straight-laced cop (Bullock) is teamed up with a shoot-from-the-hip partner (McCarthy), and they learn to overcome their differences and become BFFs on their mission to bring down the bad guys.  The plot is secondary to the chemistry, and judging by the trailer, Bullock and McCarthy look like they’re going to be a great comic duo.

Shortly after they took the stage, I participated in a small press conference with Bullock and McCarthy.  They talked about improv versus sticking to the script, the impact of Bridesmaids on female-driven comedies, funny moments on set, filming in Boston, the stunts, working with Paul Feig, Bullock’s improv skills, and a lot more. Hit the jump to either listen to or read what they had to say.

Sequels are already in the works for two upcoming cop comedies.  Buzz is strong for Bridesmaids director Paul Feig’s buddy cop comedy The Heat, and Deadline reports that screenwriter Katie Dippold has been tapped to start working on the script for a follow-up months before the first film even opens.  The pic stars Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy as a by-the-books FBI agent and a rough-around-the-edges local Boston cop, respectively, who team up to take down a drug lord.  The film’s red-band trailer promises plenty of laughs and great chemistry between Bullock and McCarthy, and the pic’s June 28th release date shows big confidence from 20th Century Fox.  Hit the jump for news of a sequel to Ride Along.

We’ve got some new images to share with you from the following films:

• The Heat – Starring Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) and Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side) in a dysfunctional buddy cop comedy, Paul Feig’s The Heat opens June 28th.
• The Internship – Starring the Wedding Crashers comedians Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, Shawn Levy’s The Internship opens June 7th.

Hit the jump to check out the new images. 

A new clip and poster for director Paul Feig’s (Bridesmaids) upcoming buddy cop comedy The Heat have been released online.  The film stars Sandra Bullock as an FBI agent who teams up with a local Boston cop (Melissa McCarthy) in order to bring down a drug lord.  The previous trailers and clips have teased some excellent chemistry between Bullock and McCarthy, and this latest clip is no different.  We see an alternate take on the good cop/bad cop routine with a nice cameo by Michael McDonald and an excellent punch line.

Hit the jump to watch the clip and to check out the pic’s poster.  The film also stars Katilin Olson, Demian Bichir, Tony Hale, Taran Killam and Michael Rapaport.  The Heat opens on June 28th.

Universal has released the first clip from Paul Feig‘s new comedy, The Heat.  The film is a standard buddy-cop formula where a straight-laced cop (Sandra Bullock) is teamed up with a shoot-from-the-hip partner (Melissa McCarthy), and they learn to overcome their differences and become BFFs on their mission to bring down the bad guys.  The plot is secondary to the chemistry, and judging by the trailer, Bullock and McCarthy look like they’re going to be a great comic duo.  Most of the new clip is material that’s already been in the trailer, so there’s no need to worry about spoilers.

Hit the jump to check out the clip.  The Heat opens June 28th.

Fresh off the show’s highest ratings in 14 months thanks to one Justin Timberlake, a couple of exciting new hosts have been announced for Saturday Night Live’s April episodes.  Melissa McCarthy will return to host for her second time on April 6th with musical guest Phoenix, while Vince Vaughn is set to host again on April 13th with musical guest Miguel, marking his first time hosting since 1998.  McCarthy’s episode of SNL last February was fantastic, so I’m really looking forward to seeing her back on the show.  Hit the jump to garlic ranch blast me now.

Quite the comedy pairing may soon be taking place on the film St. Vincent De Van Nuys.  The Black List script by Ted Melfi has been quite the coveted property over the past few years, and became even more attractive when Bill Murray signed on for the lead role last summer.  The pic centers on a cantankerous war veteran with a penchant for drinking, gambling, and prostitutes who forms an unlikely friendship with his 12-year-old next door neighbor, a young boy whose parents are going through a divorce.

The Weinstein Company picked the project up last fall, and the film’s female lead—the role of the boy’s mother—has been sought after by a number of comic actresses.  Now it looks like the part has been set, as Melissa McCarthy is expected to land the gig.  Hit the jump for more.

A new batch of presenters has been announced for the upcoming 85th Academy Awards ceremony, and we figured now would be a good time to round up all of the presenters announced thus far in one handy story.  It was announced today that Jane Fonda, Kristen Stewart, Jennifer Garner, and Kerry Washington have joined the rather long list of presenters for the ceremony, which will be hosted by Seth Macfarlane.

We already learned that Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Renner, and Mark Ruffalo from The Avengers will be presenting together, and Macfarlane has put together a tribute to movie musicals from the past decade that includes Dreamgirls’ Jennifer Hudson, Chicago’s Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Les Miserables’ Hugh Jackman, Amanda Seyfried, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, Aaron Tveit, Helena Bonham Carter, and Samantha Barks.  Hit the jump to take a gander at the entire list of presenters, and click here to catch up on all of our recent Road to Oscar series.  The Oscars will be held this Sunday, February 24th, at 7pm EST on ABC. 

Just yesterday we learned that Melissa McCarthy and her husband Ben Falcone, also an actor and screenwriter, had formed their own production banner and set up three new projects, and now the two continue their Hollywood takeover as they’re poised to make their directorial debut.  One of the first projects McCarthy attached herself to after her breakout role in Bridesmaids was a road trip comedy called Tammy, which she also co-wrote with Falcone.  After a few directors became attached and subsequently dropped off—including The Help’s Tate Taylor—New Line has decided to tap McCarthy and Falcone to take the helm.  Hit the jump for more.

Identity Thief is the new comedy from director Seth Gordon (Horrible Bosses) and screenwriter Craig Mazin (The Hangover 2), that follows what happens to a regular guy when he is forced to extreme measures to clear his name after a woman who loves to live it up steals his identity and ruins his life. When Sandy Bigelow Patterson (Jason Bateman) is accused of a series of crimes, the innocent man realizes that a woman named Diana (Melissa McCarthy) is using his ID to do and buy whatever strikes her fancy, and decides to track the woman down and confront her, in order to get his life and name back.

At the film’s press day, Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy participated in a press conference where they talked about what made Seth Gordon the right guy to direct this, playing a horrible character that you still want audiences to sympathize with, some of the craziness that happened with the stunts, just how far they’ll go for comedy, getting stir crazy in a cramped little car for much of the film, and their worst horrible boss experiences.  Check out what they had to say after the jump.

Bridesmaids breakout Melissa McCarthy is set to make her feature debut as a leading lady this weekend with the release of the comedy Identity Thief, but the actress and her husband Ben Falcone are already setting up three more upcoming projects with their newly-formed On the Day production banner.  Briefly:

• Michelle Darnell – McCarthy will star in and produce this comedy for Universal based on an original character of her creation and a story idea hatched by McCarthy and Falcone.  Falcone will produce and write the script alongside McCarthy and Groundlings member Steve Mallory.
• Cousin Irv From Mars – This adaptation of the upcoming book by Bruce Eric Kaplan (Girls) will be developed by On the Day at Universal, with Kaplan writing the script.  The story centers on a boy and his weird cousin who happens to be from Mars.
• Just Do It – McCarthy and Falcone board this Fox adaptation of the sex-help book of the same name by Douglas Brown.  The duo will produce and take a pass on the existing script by Michael Aguilar (The Departed), and McCarthy is attached to appear in the film.

Hit the jump for more details.

We’ve got a host of new images from the following Universal Pictures films opening in 2013:

• About Time – A new image featuring Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson, who star in this time-traveling sci-fi dramedy from writer/director Richard Curtis.  About Time opens May 10th.
• Fast and Furious 6 – One new image of Paul Walker and Vin Diesel who return for the sixth installment of the streetcar franchise directed by Justin Lin.  Fast and Furious 6 opens May 24th.
• Identity Thief - 16 images from director Seth Gordon’s crime comedy starring Jason Bateman as a victim of Melissa McCarthy’s thieving.  Identity Thief opens February 8th.
• Jurassic Park 3D – A new image from the 3D re-release of the 1993 Steven Spielberg movie, roaring into theaters on April 5th.

Hit the jump to see the images.

With director Seth Gordon’s (The King of Kong, Horrible Bosses) comedy Identity Thief opening February 8, Universal has provided us with five clips.  The movie stars Jason Bateman as an accounts rep who has a week to travel across the country and track down the con artist (Melissa McCarthy) who stole his identity.  The film also stars Jon Favreau, Amanda Peet, Tip “T.I.” Harris, Genesis Rodriguez, Morris Chestnut, John Cho, Robert Patrick and Eric Stonestreet.

As a big fan of both Bateman and McCarthy, I’m really hoping their pairing turns out great.  We’ll know soon.  Hit the jump to watch the clips.

A new international trailer for director Paul Feig’s (Bridesmaids) new comedy The Heat has landed online.  The film stars Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side) as an FBI agent who teams up with a local Boston cop (Melissa McCarthy) in order to bring down a drug lord.  There’s not a ton of new footage, but this trailer is worth the watch if only to hear the movie voice over guy say the word “tight ass.”  Bullock and McCarthy look to have absolutely excellent chemistry, and Feig’s involvement promises the comedy will likely be supported by a sufficient dose of heart.

Hit the jump to watch the new trailer.  The film also stars Katilin Olson, Demian Bichir, Tony Hale, Taran Killam and Michael Rapaport.  The Heat opens on April 5, 2013.

A new red-band trailer for Paul Feig’s buddy cop comedy The Heat has gone online. The film stars Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side) as an FBI agent who teams up with a local Boston cop (Bridesmaids’ Melissa McCarthy) in order to bring down a drug lord. While the trailer does seem to show off perhaps a bit too much in the way of plot, it’s the humor that matters here. The red-band trailer is easily the funniest bit of marketing from The Heat so far. Also starring Katilin Olson, Demian Bichir, Tony Hale, Taran Killam and Michael Rapaport, The Heat opens on April 5, 2013. Hit the jump to watch the red-band trailer.