A couple of additions have been made to the 2013 Los Angeles Film Festival, and they’re sure to make superhero movie and Pixar fans very, very happy.  Film Independent and LA Film Festival have slated a pre-festival screening of Zack Snyder’s highly anticipated Man of Steel to take place on June 12th, two days before the film opens in theaters.  Granted this isn’t exactly a super early screening, but interest in Man of Steel is at a fever pitch so fans aren’t likely to complain about catching the pic in advance.  Only Festival pass holders will be admitted, so head over to the official website to order your tickets.

Additionally, Pixar’s Monsters University has been added to the festival lineup, as has a discussion with innovative filmmaker Spike Jonze  Other films slated to screen at the festival include The Way, Way Back, Only God Forgives, and Fruitvale Station.  Monsters University will be unveiled on June 18th, three days before it hits theaters.  Hit the jump to read the full press release.  The 2013 Los Angeles Film Festival runs from June 13th – 23rd.

It’s been three long years since we’ve seen a new film from director Spike Jonze (Where the Wild Things Are), but he’s currently hard at work on his next feature.  Very little has been known about the film besides the fact that Joaquin Phoenix stars alongside Rooney Mara, Amy Adams, and Olivia Wilde.  It was previously rumored that the film centers on a man who falls in love with the voice of a Siri-like computer device, and now a bit more light has been shed on the film’s plot by way of an official synopsis.  Hit the jump for the full synopsis and title.

It appears that another Jackass film is on the way, but with a possible twist.  Per Paramount has been registering domain names for titles like “jackass4movie.com”, “badgrandpamovie.com”, and “jackass4badgrandpa.com”, suggesting that a fourth entry in the Jackass franchise is in the works.  Those wondering what the “Bad Grandpa” subtitle means probably haven’t seen the first three movies, as a prominent sketch features Johnny Knoxville and Spike Jonze hitting the streets in high quality old people make-up and participating in various shenanigans.  Hit the jump for more, including a clip of the sketch.

It’s been nearly three years since director Spike Jonze’s last feature, the touching Where the Wild Things Are, but he’s lining up a stacked cast for his next project.  Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, and Amy Adams are all onboard for the untitled film, and now comes word that Olivia Wilde has joined the cast as well.  The story centers on a man who falls in love with the voice of a computer device, presumably a Siri-like feature on an iPhone.  Buried in a Deadline article announcing the fact that Sony Pictures Worldwide has struck a deal with Megan Ellison’s Annapurna Pictures to distribute the film internationally is the addition of Wilde to the cast.  The actress herself then took to Twitter to confirm her involvement in the pic.

Wilde has a number of high profile and impressive projects on her upcoming slate.  She recently wrapped Ron Howard’s F-1 racing drama Rush with Chris Hemsworth and the comedy Burt Wonderstone with Jim Carrey, she’s set to star opposite Liam Neeson in Paul Haggis’ Third Person, and she’s in talks to join the stellar cast of Peter Bogdanovich’s upcoming comedy Squirrels to the Nuts.

Maurice Sendak, the author best known for Where the Wild Things Are, has passed away at the age of 83.  When he was 12, Sendak saw Walt Disney‘s Fantasia, and was inspired to be come an illustrator.  He worked for other authors before he wrote and illustrated his own children’s book, Where the Wild Things Are, in 1963.  He then won the Newberry Award, a distinguished honor for children’s literature, for illustrating Isaac Bashevis Singer‘s 1966 book Zlateh the Goat.  Sendak was deeply protective of having Where the Wild Things Are adapted into a movie, but finally gave his blessing to director Spike Jonze, who created the wonderful 2009 adaptation.  Sendak’s books have touched the lives of multiple generations, and he will be greatly missed.  Please click over to The New York Times for a full obituary chronicling Sendak’s rich life.

After the jump, you can find Spike Jonze and Lance Bangs‘s 2009 documentary Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait of Maurice Sendak, Sendak’s brilliant interview with Stephen Colbert from earlier this year, and the trailer for Jonze’s adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are.  Our deepest condolences go out to Mr. Sendak’s family and friends.

Director Spike Jonze is finally gearing up to shoot his first film since 2009’s Where the Wild Things Are, and a casting change is underway.  Carey Mulligan was set to star opposite Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, and Samantha Morton in the mystery project, but scheduling conflicts have forced her to drop out.  Not to fear, though, because Oscar nominee Rooney Mara is now in final negotiations to take over the role.  Previous synopses had the satirical film centering on a gathering of world leaders meeting to discuss global events from the changing price of oil to the timing of wars, but Variety’s report notes that the story centers on a man who falls in love with the voice of a computer.  Hit the jump for more.

Back in October, we reported that Carey Mulligan (Shame) was circling a new, untitled Spike Jonze project starring Joaquin Phoenix (Gladiator) and written by Charlie Kaufman (Adaptation). Now, however, it looks as if two other actresses are eyeing the role. Samantha Morton (The Messenger) and Amy Adams (The Fighter) are both reportedly in discussions to star opposite Phoenix in a film financed by Annapurna Pictures’ Megan Ellison. Details are few and far between but past synopses suggested the satirical film was about a gathering of world leaders meeting to discuss global events from the changing price of oil to the timing of wars. Hit the jump for info on the upcoming film schedule for each actress.

British actress Carey Mulligan is certainly on an enviable role. Fresh off of critical acclaim for Drive, she has the haunting NC-17 drama Shame out in December, and she’s currently filming Baz Luhrmann’s 3D adaptation of The Great Gatsby in Australia. Once done there, she’s not slowing down any, as she will start shooting Inside Llewyn Davis (a musician trying to make it in the 1960′s New York folk scene) for the Coen brothers, and then do the new untitled Spike Jonze project from a Charlie Kaufman screenplay that reportedly centers on world leaders who unite to discuss cataclysmic events such as oil prices and wars.

While she was in L.A. recently, Collider got the opportunity to speak with Mulligan about her current and upcoming projects, how outrageously lucky she feels about working with such incredible talent, in front of and behind the camera, how extraordinary it is to be in a Baz Luhrmann film, her audition with Gatsby star Leonardo DiCaprio, how the Coen brothers are her favorite filmmakers and that she can’t believe she gets to be one of their characters, and that she couldn’t refuse the opportunity to work with Spike Jonze. Check out what she had to say after the jump:

The immensely talented Carey Mulligan has just landed herself two pretty great roles. Variety reports that Mulligan will star in the Coen Bros.’ next project Inside Llewyn Davis as well as Spike Jonze’s next pic. Oscar Isaac was recently announced as the lead in Inside Llewyn Davis. The film centers on a musician trying to make it in the 1960s New York folk scene. No other details are known at this time, but their True Grit and No Country for Old Men producer Scott Rudin is onboard to produce once again, and the Brothers Coen expertly infused O Brother, Where Art Thou? with bluegrass so it’s safe to say that this one looks pretty fantastic. Mulligan’s involvement makes the project that much sweeter.

Hit the jump for the details on Spike Jonze’s new untitled project written by Charlie Kaufman.

Back in March, we reported that Megan Ellison’s Annapurna Pictures would back an untitled project from director Spike Jonze and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (the duo behind Being John Malkovich and Adaptation.).  The film would reportedly be a satire “about how world leaders gather to figure out all the seismic events that will take place in the worlds, from oil prices to wars that will be waged.”  Twitch now reports that Warner Bros. has picked up the film, which means they will most likely distribute it as well.  The project is reportedly eyeing a March 2012 start date.

Twitch also reports that Joaquin Phoenix is attached to star, which is a smart career move on his part.  Phoenix needs to reestablish his credibility with audiences after the I’m Still Here debacle and working with directors like Jonze and Paul Thomas Anderson is a good way to do that.

Producer Megan Ellison has recently been proving herself to be the patron saint of film nerds.  In addition to backing Paul Thomas Anderson‘s adaptation of Inherent Vice and his untitled Scientology movie, as well as a movie about WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange, it now looks like Ellison and her Annapurna Pictures are acquiring an untitled satire that would re-team director Spike Jonze and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman.

We reported back in December that the Being John Malkovich and Adaptation duo were pitching a new film, so presumably this is it.  Deadline reports that the untitled satire is “about how world leaders gather to figure out all the seismic events that will take place in the worlds, from oil prices to wars that will be waged.”  I have a feeling that the project will be a tough sell, but I’m glad that Ellison is clearly up to the challenge.

Freakonomics makes its way to DVD on January 18^th after a run in theaters and various On Demand outlets ranging from cable TV to iTunes. The big-screen adaptation of the runaway 2005 bestseller features the work of six of the highest-profile directors working in documentary film.  They include: Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady (2007 Oscar nominees for Jesus Camp), Alex Gibney (2008 Oscar winner for Taxi To The Dark Side & a 2011 Oscar short-lister for Best Documentary with Client 9: The Rise And Fall Of Eliot Spitzer), Seth Gordon (The King Of Kong), Eugene Jarecki (2005 Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner for Why We Fight) and Morgan Spurlock (2005 Oscar Nominee for Super Size Me which is, as of today, still the most popular rental for any documentary on iTunes).

Collider caught up with the film’s producer Chad Troutwine.  Hit the jump for the audio and transcription of our interview, including great stories about how the idea came about and which high-profile directors almost took part.

Charlie Kaufman and Spike Jonze, writer and director, respectively, of Being John Malkovich and Adaptation., are pitching a new movie around Hollywood. While the script hasn’t yet been written, one can be assured that it will incorporate some sort of meta or mind-meltingly incredible premise.

The plot is being kept under wraps, but seems to be separate from Kaufman’s script Frank or Francis, which he has been working on since finishing Synecdoche, New York in 2008. According to the LA Times, two people familiar with the project say that in recent weeks it has been making rounds to independent financiers. Hit the jump for more info on both projects.

Apparently I’m not the only one attempting to draw moviegoer’s attention to David O. Russell’s upcoming flick The Fighter. Actor/writer/director Spike Jonze recently sent an e-mail to Slashfilm’s Peter Sciretta promoting Russell’s upcoming true-life story of boxer “Irish” Micky Ward. Jonze also asked the site to feature the film’s second trailer, titled “Pressure” (first released back in October), whilst giving a shout out to co-star Christian Bale’s performance. Here is part of the e-mail:

Spike here. I’m writing on behalf of my friend David Russell, regarding his new movie The Fighter. Did you get a chance to see it yet? How insanely great is Christian Bale?  Can you do me a favor and post this 2 minute trailer called “Pressure” on your site?  The trailer that they put out originally makes the film feel a little generic and I just want to help David get the word out. I got to see it a few weeks ago, and I loved it, and if all you saw is the trailer that’s out, you might not know that it’s as interesting and strong as it is.

Jonze, director of last year’s Where the Wild Things Are, may be a biased source, having starred in Russell’s terrific war dramedy Three Kings (he also documented the filmmaking experience of Russell’s I Heart Huckabees), but I’m inclined to take his word vehemently. Especially considering the amount of praise the film has garnished in recent weeks upon its first screening. The Fighter stars Mark Wahlberg and Amy Adams and will hit theaters December 10. Hit the jump for a few more thoughts on the film

The Arcade Fire have released a new music video for “The Suburbs,” directed by Spike Jonze (Where the Wild Things Are).  Those familiar with the Jonze lore know he made his name as a music video director, crafting for the likes of Weezer, Björk, Fatboy Slim, Kanye West, and LCD Soundsystem over the last two decades.

It was announced earlier this year that Jonze was working with a short film about “friends growing apart” with the Arcade Fire.  “The Suburbs” isn’t that (probably), but it doesn’t take too much imagination to see the connection.  Check out the video, plus a look at how it may relate to the Jonze/Fire short film, after the jump.