Though he ultimately didn’t land the Harry Osborn role in the upcoming The Amazing Spider-Man 2, it appears that burgeoning newcomer Eddie Redmayne  will be just fine.  The actor was in the running for the pivotal role in the Spider-Man sequel that eventually went to Dane DeHaan, but now the Les Miserables star has landed an equally (if not more) exciting role: a part opposite Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis in writers/directors Lana Wachowski and Andy Wachowski’s sci-fi film Jupiter Ascending.  Hit the jump for more.

I absolutely loved Cloud Atlas.  I loved the way directors Andy & Lana Wachowski and Tom Tykwer broke the conventional rules of storytelling.  I love the way all the actors played multiple roles.  I love the combination of genres.  Finally, I loved that even though the film plays out over hundreds of years and it features a variety of characters and races, Cloud Atlas reminds us that everything is connected.  While everyone loves to complain that Hollywood is only about remakes, reboots and telling the same stories again and again, Cloud Atlas is a shining light showing us what’s possible in cinema and I implore all of you to see it as soon as possible.

Last week I did an exclusive phone interview with the Wachowskis and Tykwer.  Since they’ve done a number of interviews to promote the film, I tried my best to ask all new questions.  We talked about their favorite movies, how long was the first cut, if they believe in test screenings or friends and family screenings, deleted scenes, what will be on the Blu-ray, how many takes do they like to do, how much changed during pre-production due to budget, how the finished film compares to what they thought they were making, and more.  In addition, one of my favorite movies from 2008 was Speed Racer.  At the end of the interview I asked if they had plans for a sequel (had the film been a hit at the box office) and why it didn’t connect with moviegoers.  Hit the jump to listen or read the transcript.

One of the many films to premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival was Peter Webber’s (Girl with a Pearl Earring) historical drama Emperor. The film takes place during the days following the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II and stars Tommy Lee Jones as General Douglas MacArthur, the de facto ruler of Japan as Supreme Commander of the occupying forces.  Matthew Fox plays a leading Japanese expert on the staff of MacArthur who is tasked with deciding whether or not Emperor Hirohito should be tried as a war criminal.  Fox’s mission becomes more complicated as he searches for a school teacher (Eriko Hatsune) who first drew him to Japan years before the war.  For more on the film, here’s a clip and some images.

Shortly before the world premiere, I sat down with Matthew Fox for an exclusive interview.  We talked about why he wanted to do Emperor, how the finished film compares to the original script, how he prepares for a role, if he prefers a few takes or a lot, and more.  In addition, we also talked about Speed Racer (a film I love), his physical transformation for Alex Cross, World War Z, the reshoots, Lost, would he ever do a comic book movie, and a lot more.  Hit the jump to either read or listen to the interview.

A new trailer for Cloud Atlas has arrived, and it’s unsurprisingly great.  Directed by Lana and Andy Wachowski (The Matrix) and Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run), this ambitious adaptation of the David Mitchell novel features an all-star cast taking on multiple roles across numerous time periods and locations.  This trailer is a shorter version of the phenomenal first trailer that was released in late July, but it includes a few enticing new bits of footage as well as a Susan Sarandon voiceover that attempts to put this original take into perspective for unfamiliar audiences.  We recently learned quite a bit about the incredibly tough road to production for the film, but if these trailers are any indication then The Wachowskis and Tykwer have crafted a worthwhile, sprawling epic unlike any other.

Hit the jump to watch the new trailer.  The film also stars Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, Ben Whishaw, James D’Arcy, Xun Zhou, Keith David, and David Gyasi.  Cloud Atlas opens on October 26th.

Lana and Andy Wachowski have been largely absent from the film world since the 2008 release of Speed Racer, but the Matrix duo is back in a big way this year with the incredibly ambitious adaptation of David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas.  The story involves six storylines taking place in different times and places, and for the film adaptation The Wachowskis have cast the same actors in multiple roles.  The road to getting the film made was incredibly rocky, and a new feature on The Wachowskis and Cloud Atlas sheds an eye-opening light on both the film’s road to production and the elusive filmmakers.  Hit the jump for more.

I have a confession to make: I’ve dropped too much cash on sweet, sweet movie poster prints and frames the last month or so. In addition to my Mondo/Jock The Dark Knight Rises print (which was secured for me by my friend and fellow Collider teammate, Bill Graham), I’ve also picked up Mondo/Phantom City Creative’s The Cabin in the Woods and this little Drive gem by artist Louis Fernando Cruz all in a matter of a few weeks. While I couldn’t be any happier with my purchases (well, I could have stood to pay a little less for The Cabin in the Woods), the truth remains that I’m quickly running out of wall space and disposable income. With all of this in mind, I do have to give a big “thank you” to my wife for tolerating my plans to adorn our house with movie posters. I’ve promised her that my buying flurry will now subside. Unless, of course, someone out there has a Gallery 1988/Rhys Cooper Robocop print they want to part with on the cheap, in which case, I think I have just enough wall space and unaccounted for monies to make one last purchase.

Poster hunting aside, in this week’s edition of the Top 5, I’ve compiled for your reading pleasure our Lawless interviews with Shia LaBeouf, screenwriter/composer Nick Cave, and more, a week filled with rumors surrounding Warner Bros.’ Justice League pic, For a Good Time, Call… video interviews with Ari Graynor, Lauren Miller, and more, a well deserved red-band trailer for The To Do List, and some encouraging, some not so encouraging, news from the set of director Jose Padilha‘s Robocop reboot. A brief recap and link to each awaits after the jump.

Warner Bros. has been developing a Justice League film for some time now, but the colossal success of Marvel’s The Avengers has put some rather heavy pressure on the studio to get moving on the DC Comics all-star pic that brings together Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman and The Flash.  Early this month, the project took a step in the right direction when word surfaced that WB was courting Ben Affleck to take the helm.  The move wasn’t incredibly surprising given that the studio has been very high on Affleck as a director since his excellent one-two punch of Gone Baby Gone and The Town, soon to be followed by the great-looking Argo.

That said, it was doubtful that Affleck would ultimately take the gig given his preference for more dramatic material and the fact that he’s committed to directing an ambitious adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand.  Affleck has now spoken up about his involvement with the project, confirming that he won’t be helming the superhero pic.  Hit the jump to see what he had to say and to find out who could possibly bring the film to fruition.

One of the most heated debates raging on in the filmmaking world is that of film vs. digital, or more specifically the threat of film becoming history in the shadow of an increasingly digital world.  Keanu Reeves took it upon himself to explore this issue in a documentary called Side by Side, and he rounded up some of the most influential filmmakers working today like James Cameron, David Fincher, George Lucas, Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, David Lynch, Steven Soderbergh, and many more to discuss the topic at length.

Side by Side hits VOD on August 22nd and will be available in select theaters starting August 17th, and today a few “outtake” videos from the film have been released.  It’s ridiculously fascinating stuff, and after the jump you’ll find Andy and Lana Wachowki, Wally Pfister, Michael Chapman, Martin Scorsese and Steven Soderbergh talking about everything from creating performances in the editing room to Christopher Nolan’s low-tech filmmaking process.  Hit the jump to take a look.

As you’re likely aware, the 2012 Summer Olympics kicked off in London yesterday. In other words, it’s time for me to care about competitive swimming and gymnastics for the first time since the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. To all of our readers, especially those internationally-based, I’m interested in hearing your thoughts on the Summer Olympics. Is it an event that evokes your inner-patriotism and love of otherwise obscure athletic feats? Do you take great joy in defeating the ol’ U.S. of A. in something other than Math and Science scores? Sound off in the comments.

This Saturday brings us the Man of Steel teaser trailer set to John Williams‘ original Superman score, coverage from our visit to the set of Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis‘ The Campaign, an extended trailer and first official images from Cloud Atlas, interviews with the fellas of The Watch, and Brendan’s latest By the Numbers installment covering The Caped Crusader from Batman: The Movie to The Dark Knight Rises. Unless you’re a Top 5 noob (in which case, welcome aboard!), you know that a brief recap and link to each can be found after the jump.

Warner Bros. has released a six-minute trailer for Cloud Atlas along with a director’s commentary video and a poster.  The ambitious movie is based off David Mitchell‘s novel of the same name, and tracks how the lives of multiple characters intertwine across multiple eras.  Yesterday, we showed you the first images from Cloud Atlas, but they’re nothing compared to what this trailer shows in terms of the film’s scope and visuals.  Of course, no one expected directors Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski (The Matrix Trilogy), and Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) to go small, but it looks like they’ve made something that’s truly a sight to behold.  My only concern is with how the dialogue will be executed.  If it’s done in narration, then it will probably be okay, but if it’s conversation, then we might want to prepare for the “Let me read you a philosophy textbook” dialogue from The Matrix Reloaded.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer, directors’ commentary, and poster.  The directors’ commentary explains the difficulty in getting the film made and why they chose to make an extended trailer. It’s also noteworthy since the Wachowskis never comment on their movies.  The film stars Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, Ben Whishaw, James D’Arcy, Xun Zhou, Keith David, David Gyasi, Susan Sarandon, and Hugh Grant.  Cloud Atlas will play at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, and open on October 26th.

The Wachowski siblings, directors of The Matrix trilogy, are finally returning later this year with their first directorial feature since 2008’s Speed Racer.  This next directorial outing is an ambitious adaptation of Cloud Atlas, but Andy and Lana are currently prepping for a big return to sci-fi with Jupiter Ascending.  Plot details on the film have been under lock and key other than the fact that it’s an “action sci-fi” film and Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis are set to star.  Now quite a few plot details have apparently leaked, along with the information that the pic is the first in a planned trilogy and an offer may be extended to multitasker extraordinaire Joseph Gordon-Levitt.  Hit the jump for more.

The Wachowski Siblings and Tom Twyker‘s highly ambitious adaptation of Cloud Atlas now has a release date and a run-time.  According to Thompson on Hollywood, Warner Bros. has picked up distribution rights at Cannes for $20 million, and will release the movie on December 6th.  Additionally, the movie reportedly runs at 2-hours and 44-minutes, which seems about right when you consider that the movie spans six time periods, and you have an ensemble cast each playing multiple roles.  For example, Hugh Grant will be playing six “incredibly evil” characters in the movie, and Halle Berry said one of her roles is a Jewish woman in the 1930s, and another is an old tribal woman.

Hit the jump for a synopsis.  Cloud Atlas also stars Tom Hanks, Susan Sarandon, Hugo Weaving, Ben Whishaw, James D’Arcy, and Jim Sturgess.   Surprisingly, the only other film set to open the same weekend as Cloud Atlas is Hyde Park on Hudson, but the following Friday is the blockbuster one-two punch of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and Les Miserables.

Directors Andy and Lana Wachowski recently wrapped an incredibly ambitious adaptation of the novel Cloud Atlas, and they’re looking to set up their next project straight away. Deadline reports that Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis have been offered the leads in the sci-fi pic Jupiter Ascending for Warner Bros. Plot details are, predictably, under tight wraps, but apparently Jupiter Ascending will act as the siblings’ first major sci-fi action franchise since The Matrix. I’ve liked Tatum more and more with each subsequent film he’s been in (the guy kills in 21 Jump Street) and Kunis is unendingly charming, so I’m all for this casting choice. Hit the jump for more.

The documentary Side by Side is certainly one of the most interesting projects I’ve learned about in the past few months, and now it looks as though the film will be heading to a theater near you this summer. Tribeca Film announced today that it has acquired North American rights to the documentary produced and presented by Keanu Reeves. The film explores the evolving landscape of filmmaking, specifically the advent of digital and how its popularity affects traditional filmmaking. While that subject matter alone is worth exploring, Reeves and director Chris Kenneally sat down with nearly every master filmmaker working today to get their musings on the future of moviemaking.

Side by Side features interviews with James Cameron, David Fincher, George Lucas, Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, David Lynch, Stephen Soderbergh, the Wachowskis, and many, many more. You can watch the trailer right here. Tribeca Film is planning a multi-platform summer release for the pic, followed by a broadcast premiere early next year in addition to screenings at college campuses and film schools across the country. The film is having its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival. Hit the jump to read the full press release.

A curious little website has popped up announcing a new documentary produced by Keanu Reeves that tackles one of the foremost issues facing filmmakers today: the advent of digital filmmaking. Entitled Side by Side, the documentary takes an in-depth look at the issue of film vs. digital, and “examines all aspects of filmmaking – from capture, to edit, to visual effects, to color correction, to distribution to archive.” Through interviews with numerous well-respected masters of the medium, Side by Side “explores what has been gained, what is lost and what the future might bring.” Take this sample quote from Christopher Nolan:

“No credible source really has been claiming to have invented something that is aesthetically superior to film at this point.”

The documentary will feature Reeves interviewing filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, Lana and Andy Wachowski, George Lucas, James Cameron, Steven Soderbergh, and many more. Hit the jump for more details.