All Articles by Brendan Bettinger

Jon Favreau to Direct NBC Pilot REVOLUTION; J.J. Abrams, Eric Kripke, and Bryan Burk Producing

Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 8:45 pm

Even prior to any casting or extensive plot details, the NBC pilot Revolution has major geek credentials.  J.J. Abrams and partner Bryan Burk—who together have brought us Star Trek, Alias, Lost, Fringe, etc.—are producing.  Supernatural creator Eric Kripke wrote the script.  Now Deadline reports Jon Favreau, he of Iron Man fame, will direct the pilot.  Favreau has directed a few TV comedies before, including an episode of Undeclared, but nothing of this scope.  Revolution is described as “a high-octane action drama following a group of characters struggling to survive and reunite with loved ones in a world where all forms of energy have mysteriously ceased to exist.”  I don’t know what that means, but it sounds very cool, mostly because I trust the parties involved.

Favreau is also working on Tweaked this pilot season over at CBS.  He wrote the script, chronicles life and dating among single parents in Santa Monica, and is attached to direct.

David Ramsey Joins The CW’s GREEN ARROW Series; Wendi McLendon-Covey to Star Opposite Goldie Hawn in HBO’s THE VIAGRA DIARIES

Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 8:05 pm

The CW is casting up for Arrow, a drama series based on the DC comic Green Arrow.  Last week Stephen Amell (The Vampire Diaries) signed on to star as the playboy who moonlights as a hooded superhero, fighting crime with his enhanced arrows.  Variety reports David Ramsey (Blue Bloods) will join the pilot as John Diggle, “a former military man now working as a bodyguard for hire who soon finds he is trapped in a battle of wits, loyalty and trust.”  Diggle is a new character not found in the comic books, though the surname could be a nod to Green Arrow: Year One writer Andy Diggle.  Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim (Green Lantern) are producing Arrow along with Andrew Kreisberg (Fringe).

Hit the jump for details on Bridesmaid co-star Wendi McLendon-Covey‘s role in a new HBO series.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead to Star in THE DARKNESS; Jason Jones Joins THE BLACK MARKS

Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 7:31 pm

Mary Elizabeth Winstead has signed on to star in The Darkness, a thriller that Daniel Stamm (The Last Exorcism) will direct.  The script by Megan Holley (Sunshine Cleaning) is loosely based on the Henry James novel Turn of the Screw.  The story follows “a young American student working for a charismatic tutor in an English manor house who becomes convinced that she and the children she is warding are being haunted.”  Joe Neurauter and Felipe Marino (Peep World) will produce alongside Ben Forkner (The Killing Room).  According to Screen Daily, The Darkness will shoot in Europe this summer.  Winstead is coming off stellar Sundance buzz for her performance in Smashed, and will next be seen in the June 22 release Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

Hit the jump for details on Jason Jones‘ role in The Black Marks.

Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson Reunite for INTERNS; Shawn Levy Directing from a Script by Vaughn

Posted: February 7th, 2012 at 7:38 pm

Wedding Crashers buddies Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson are set to reunite for Interns, with Shawn Levy (Real Steel) directing.  As a producer, Levy is currently in post-production on the Vaughn-led comedy Neighborhood Watch.  Levy was hoping to make Frankenstein next, but Vulture hears that he’ll have to cut the $80 million budget before Fox is willing to consider the project.  Vaughn is in a similar position since The Inane Laws is reportedly having trouble getting off the ground over at Universal.  (The rumor mill whispers that Vaughn is still demanding a Wedding Crashers-era paycheck in the wake of The Dilemma.)  The serendipity led Vaughn and Levy back to Fox to pitch Interns, a comedy that Vaughn wrote about fortysomething friends who get laid off: “Convinced they’ve gone about managing their careers entirely wrong, they resolve to become interns at a Google-like dotcom and start anew.”  Hijinks ensue when Vaughn and Wilson compete against “wily, fresh-faced 22-year-olds” to advance in the company.

Vaughn and Wilson have shown interest in re-teaming, but 2 Guns somehow transformed from a Vaughn/Wilson vehicle to an actioner starring Mark Wahlberg and Denzel Washington.  Interns sounds like a suitable replacement, with a fruitful premise for their style as a comedy duo.

New Featurette Goes Behind the Scenes of “The Magic of HUGO”

Posted: February 6th, 2012 at 9:02 pm

If I had a say in the Best Picture race, my vote would go to Hugo.  Though the The Tree of Life was just as gorgeous, and The Descendants matched the emotional satisfaction, no other nominee brought together all the cinematic elements with such exquisite skill.  Paramount has released a new featurette that highlights all the work that went into crafting Hugo, discussing the importance of the story, sets, visual effects, score, makeup, costumes, lighting, and especially the historical inspiration in a brisk 6 minutes.  The featurette is appropriately titled “The Magic of Hugo,” and features interview clips with director Martin Scorsese, his longtime editor Thelma Schoonmaker, screenwriter John Logan, producer Graham King, and star Ben Kingsley.  Hit the jump to watch, especially if you are an Oscar voter.

TWILIGHT Star McKenzie Foy and Joey King Join THE WARREN FILES

Posted: February 6th, 2012 at 8:20 pm

McKenzie Foy and Joey King are in talks to star opposite Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lilli Taylor, and Ron Livingston in New Line’s horror feature The Warren Files, formerly known as The Conjuring.  The script by Chad and Carey Hayes is based on the story of the Perron family who inhabited a haunted Rhode Island farmhouse in the 1970s.  Taylor and Livingston are the Perrons.  Farmiga and Wilson will play Ed and Lorraine Warren, a husband and wife team of psychic investigators.  According to Variety, director James Wan (Insidious) will start shooting in North Carolina later this month.

Foy is most known for her role as Renesmee in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1, with Part 2 on the way in November 2012.  King is the utterly charming star of 2010′s Ramona and Beezus who will next be seen as Young Talia Al Ghul in The Dark Knight Rises on July 20.  Hit the jump for more on the real life tale that inspired the project.

Oscar News: Nominated Songs May Not Be Performed Live; Milla Jovovich Will Host the Technical Awards; Group Photo from the Nominees Luncheon

Posted: February 6th, 2012 at 7:45 pm

The songs are rarely my favorite part of the Oscar ceremony, since the quality of entertainment is so dependent on the nominated performers.  I was really looking forward to this year’s live songs, though.  There are only two, so it would not be a major time suck in the middle of the awards.  And the two nominees are terrific.  “Real in Rio” is infectious and promised a colorful and vibrant production on stage.  “Man or Muppet” would get The Muppets on stage singing a truly clever song, which should be goal #1 in any year that releases a Muppet movie.  And yet Deadline hears the songs may be cut this year.  Said one of their sources: “It seems like a huge missed opportunity to me, and we certainly tried.”  Dude, try harder.  It’s two songs.  Of course, the show is not locked yet, so telecast producers Brian Grazer and Don Mischer have time to reconsider before the February 26 broadcast.  I sincerely hope they do.

Hit the jump for more Oscar news, in which Milla Jovovich hosts the technical awards and the nominees assemble for a group photo.

Evan Rachel Wood to Reunite with THIRTEEN Director Catherine Hardwicke for Erotic L.A. Thriller PLUSH

Posted: February 5th, 2012 at 11:03 am

Catherine Hardwicke‘s career arc doesn’t make much sense to me.  Her directorial debut was the edgy teen drama Thirteen, followed by the likeminded skater tale Lords of Dogtown.  The first major detour came in 2006 with the chaste The Nativity Story.  Next she kicked off the Twilight Saga phenomenon, but instead of returning for the sequels, moved on to the panned Twilight knockoff Red Riding Hood.  To get back on track, Hardwicke may return to her roots.  THR reports that Hardwicke is attached to direct Plush, and her Thirteen star Evan Rachel Wood is attached to star.  The script that Hardwicke co-wrote with Artie Nelson is described as an erotic thriller set in the L.A. music world.

Honestly, I tune out when I hear the phrase “erotic thriller,” but reuniting with Wood is a smart move if Hardwicke wishes to reconnect with the critical community.  Knockout, a boxing drama starring Noomi and Ola Rapace, looks to be her next project.  It sounds promising, so perhaps the director is already on the path back to critical favor.  Hardwicke is also attached to direct The Maze Runner and The Bitch Posse .  Hit the jump for a recent video interview where Hardwicke mentions the project.

Is Harrison Ford in Talks to Join Ridley Scott’s New BLADE RUNNER Sequel?

Posted: February 4th, 2012 at 9:11 am

Alcon Entertainment announced development on a new Blade Runner movie last year to much dismay.  However, the fan base was drawn back in with the follow-up announcement that Ridley Scott will return to direct.  Up until now, it sounded as if there was no chance Harrison Ford would reprise his starring role in what Scott says is “liable to be a sequel.”  Alcon president Andrew Kosgrove stated, “If you’re asking me will this movie have anything to do with Harrison Ford, the answer is no.”  Ford spoke about the project from a distance: “I wouldn’t feel bad if I were not invited to the party.”  Scott said the movie will not follow the original characters, including Ford’s Deckard.  Can’t be much clearer than that.  And yet…

Twitch hears Ford has entered into early talks to join the sequel.  They offer no further details, so it’s possible the semantics allow for him to cameo or play a different character.  But this diverges greatly from the company line, especially if he will reprise the role of Deckard.  More after the jump.

Sony Moves GREAT HOPE SPRINGS from December to August 10; SPARKLE Pushed Back a Week to August 17

Posted: February 1st, 2012 at 8:09 pm

Sony has decided to move Great Hope Springs more than four months away from its initial December 14 release date.  The typical pattern is to push the release later on the calendar, but the dramedy led by Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, Steve Carell, and Jean Smart will instead premiere much sooner on August 10.  The last collaboration between Streep and director David Frankel, The Devil Wears Prada, hit theaters in the summer of 2006 and ended up with over $124 million domestic.  Perhaps Sony is chasing that success, though the story is very different in tone: Great Hopes Springs follows a married couple (Streep and Jones) who undergo a weekend of intense marriage counseling.

To make room on August 10, Variety reports the studio pushed Sparkle back a week to August 17.  Jordin Sparks, Tika Sumpter, Carmen Ejogo, and Whitney Houston star in the remake of the 1976 musical about a Motown girl group inspired by The Supremes. Hit the jump for synopses for both movies.

Darren Aronofsky Wants Russell Crowe and Liam Neeson for His Biblical Epic NOAH

Posted: February 1st, 2012 at 7:50 pm

Coming off the success of Black Swan, director Darren Aronofsky wants to follow up with the most ambitious production of his career.  The film is Noah, an epic about the Biblical tale of Noah’s Ark with a price tag of $130 million.  You need a bankable star to get that kind of money.  Christian “Batman” Bale passed, and potential replacement Michael Fassbender is busy with his new fame and accolades.  Deadline hears that Aronofsky has finally found his Noah, and it is Russell Crowe.  The deal is not official yet, but the smart money is reportedly on Crowe.  Additionally, Aronofsky is said to be interested in offering another part to Liam Neeson.  The only other major role we know about is the villain of the movie who argues against Noah’s faith as he builds a massive ship to weather the impending flood.  As the physical embodiment of wisdom, I could see Neeson as the humanistic antagonist.

Paramount and New Regency want to start shooting Noah this summer for a 2013 release.  Hit the jump for more on the project.

New Images of THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Toys Including Adorable Bane and Catwoman

Posted: January 31st, 2012 at 9:49 pm

We have seen a couple previews for toys from The Dark Knight Rises.  We are currently in the business of passing along all things Batman, so tonight we have a few more looks at the toys that will be unveiled at the Nuremburg Toy Fair.  Most notable to this unsophisticated toyman is the vinyl pop version of Bane, easily the most adorable likeness of a masked psychopath I’ve ever seen.  There is a vinyl Catwoman to match (sensible given her costume), along with your basic Batman action figure accompanied by a very interesting contraption.

Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine star in the final entry of Christopher Nolan‘s Batman trilogy.  The Dark Knight Rises opens on July 20.  See the images after the break.

Posters for BEL AMI, THE COLD LIGHT OF DAY, FRIENDS WITH KIDS, and HYSTERIA

Posted: January 31st, 2012 at 8:41 pm

Four new posters tonight.  From:

• Bel Ami – Robert Pattinson stars as a man who uses “his wits and powers of seduction to rise from poverty to wealth” in 1890s Paris. Uma Thurman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Christina Ricci, and Colm Meaney co-star.
• The Cold Light of Day – Henry Cavill, Bruce Willis, and Sigourney Weaver star in the spy thriller about a man who finds himself on the run when his family is kidnapped by intelligence agents.
• Friends with Kids – Jennifer Westfeldt,Adam Scott, Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Chris O’Dowd, Megan Fox and Edward Burns star in the comedy about two friends who decide to have a baby together.
  
• Hysteria – Maggie Gyllenhaal, Hugh Dancy, Jonathan Pryce, Rupert Everett and Felicity Jones star in this romantic comedy that revolves around the invention of the vibrator.

Hit the jump for the posters and synopses for each movie.

Nick Schenk to Write ROBOCOP Remake; MORTAL KOMBAT Writer Oren Uziel Sells Action-Comedy

Posted: January 31st, 2012 at 7:43 pm

Director José Padilha said that when he signed on to remake RoboCop, he didn’t read any drafts left over from the Darren Aronofsky era because he “wanted to focus on my own thing and do my take.”  To create that vision, Padilha has turned to Gran Torino writer Nick Schenk.  Heat Vision makes no mention of Josh Zetumer’s reported involvement with the script, but MGM was initially looking at a February or March start date, so I don’t imagine Schenk will have to start over from page one.  Yet despite the hubbub over Michael Fassbender‘s candidacy to play the cyborg police officer, no cast is locked in.  So Schenk should have some time to craft a solid shooting script in time for a production later in the year.

Hit the jump for details on the pitch Oren Uziel (Mortal Kombat: Rebirth) sold to Neal Moritz (Fast Five).

Frank Langella Joins Wes Bentley in THE TIME BEING; Josh Peck and James Ransone to Star in THE TIMBER

Posted: January 30th, 2012 at 8:23 pm

Based on titles alone, Robot & Frank was the most intriguing film out of Sundance.  I was thrilled to hear the movie is great, and star Frank Langella unsurprisingly kills it.  Coming out of the festival buzz, Deadline reports Langella has signed on to his next project, The Time Being.  Wes Bentley co-stars as Daniel, a struggling artist who accepts a series of bizarre commissions from a dying, eccentric millionaire (Langella): “Daniel can’t quite ascertain whether his new ‘mentor’ is a monster who is intent on destroying Daniel’s life and marriage, or a savior who will teach him the true meaning of art.”  The Time Being will be the directorial debut of Nenad Cicin-Sain.  Cicin-Sain co-wrote the script with Richard Gladstein (Paper Man), who is also producing.

Hit the jump for details on Josh Peck and James Ransone‘s starring roles in The Timber.

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