If you’re a fan of  Adam McKay’s work (Anchorman, Step Brothers, Talladega Nights) and/or a fan of musical numbers, you should be pretty happy with this news. It sounds as if Anchorman 2 is going to feature at least one musical sequence with a bit more movement to it; no word yet on if any jazz flute will be featured. McKay also revealed a bit more about the plot of the sequel, which is set in the world of 24 hour news and will still probably not include a Ghost Rider cameo. The writer/director is currently revising the script with star Will Ferrell and, though shooting is expected to start in March, there is no release date scheduled as of now. Hit the jump to see what McKay had to say.

Last week, Warner Bros. invited us to attend the press junket for The Campaign.  The R-rated comedy stars Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis as two politicians who keep finding hilarious new lows in order to win a district election in North Carolina.   For more on the film, click here for all of our previous coverage.

During my on-camera interview with Ferrell and Galifianakis, we talked about setting the film in the South, taking the movie to Comic-Con, memorable stories about politicians, Galifianakis’ future regarding stand-up comedy, an update on Anchorman 2, and the worst thing about working together (it involves peach juice).   Hit the jump to check out the interview.  The Campaign opens Friday.

When last we reported on the adaptation of Susan Trott’s novel, Flamingo Thief, it was to announce that Will Ferrell (Old School) was set to star.  Now, we have word that Craig Gillespie (Lars and the Real Girl) is in negotiations to direct the bittersweet comedy.  The Michael LeSieur (You, Me and Dupree) script made its way onto the 2011 Black List.  Faced with the impending loss of his wife and his business, Ferrell would play a lawyer who steals novelty flamingos as a coping mechanism.  There’s no timeline being reported for Ferrell’s involvement yet as he’s set to star in Anchorman 2 later this year and will topline Three Mississippi, a football comedy for Warner Bros.  Gillespie most recently directed the remake of Fright Night starring Colin Farrell and the TV movie, Trooper. Hit the jump for the synopsis of the Trott novel, Flamingo Thief.

A couple weeks ago, Focus Features gave us the opportunity to attend the press junket for Lorene Scafaria‘s offbeat romantic comedy Seeking a Friend for the End of the World.  The film focuses on two neighbors (played by Steve Carell and Keira Knightley) who bond during a road trip as they both try to reconnect with lost loves and family before a meteor destroys the Earth.  For more on the film, click here for seven clips.

During my on-camera interview with Carell, we talked about what attracted him to the project, what about the script resonated with him, balancing the film’s humorous and melancholy aspects, and the songs on his apocalypse soundtrack.  He also provided a brief update on Anchorman 2.  Hit the jump to check out the interview, click here for my interview with Knightley, and click here for my interview with Scafaria.  Seeking a Friend for the End of the World opens Friday.

Ladies and gentlemen, can I please have your attention?  I’ve just been handed an urgent and horrifying news story.  I need all of you, to stop what you’re doing and listen: Christina Applegate has been confirmed to return in Anchorman 2!  So maybe my delivery isn’t as good as Ron Burgundy’s cannonball, but the punchline makes me happy just the same.  The male leads, including Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd and David Koechner were previously confirmed to return, as seen in these teaser trailers.  As recently as today, Celebuzz confirmed that Applegate would return as Veronica Corningstone, in a sequel set around a 24-hour news channel.  Look for Anchorman 2 to drop sometime in 2013.

In other sequel news, Victoria’s Secret model, Anne Vyalitsyna will be making her big screen debut in A Good Day to Die Hard when it opens on February 14th, 2013.  Hit the jump to check her out.

The first teaser trailers for director Adam McKay‘s Anchorman 2 has gone online.  While I love reporting on movie news, I can’t help but be a little jealous of Anchorman fans who will walk into The Dictator, and had no idea that Anchorman 2 was on the way (I’m working off the assumption these fans also missed Ron Burgundy’s announcement on Conan).  We don’t know what the plot of the sequel will be (it might involve the dawn of the 24-hour news cycle and diversity), but it will most likely contain more of the brilliant one-liners you heard in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and the ones you’ll hear in this trailer.  We’ve also included an exclusive teaser trailer from FunnyOrDie, which contains different dialogue.

Hit the jump to watch the trailers, and click here to check out the poster.  The film stars Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, and David Koechner.  Anchorman 2 (possibly titled Anchorman: The Legend Continues) opens in 2013.

In today’s opening paragraph I feel compelled to share this bit of wisdom with all of our readers: don’t ever attempt to renovate a house without ample professional help. Never. Just don’t do it. For the past three weeks I, the least handy person you may never meet, have been tasked with doing things that only Bob Vila and a few select others could be reasonably prepared for. It’s an all-consuming, seemingly neverending process that leaves you as the only movie blogger in the history of the civilized world who hasn’t yet seen The Avengers. Trust me, it’s a lonely place…

All warnings aside, in store for you in this week’s Top 5 is the first poster for the Anchorman sequel, Anchorman: The Legend Continues, pleasant news regarding the Blade Runner sequel, interviews with Cameron Diaz, Anna Kendrick and more for the rom-com What to Expect When You’re Expecting, the first trailer for producer Sam Raimi‘s The Possession, and a 4-minute “super preview” of The Amazing Spider-Man. Per usual, a brief recap and link to each falls after the jump.

If you’re a fan of Adam McKay‘s Anchorman, the last few months have been amazing.  Not only did Paramount suddenly greenlight the sequel after everyone involved thought it was dead, but the studio got McKay and the entire Channel 4 news team (sans Christina Applegate) to shoot a teaser trailer that will be attached to prints of The Dictator!

But it gets better.

In addition to the teaser trailer that should be online soon, Paramount has just released the first poster and it looks like the official title is Anchorman: The Legend Continues.  Hit the jump for more.

Though Anchorman 2 doesn’t begin production until next February, Paramount thought it’d be a nice idea to go ahead and shoot a short teaser trailer to drum up awareness.  As we first reported, the teaser will be attached to prints of The Dictator and it includes the entire Channel 4 news team (sans Christina Applegate).  Writer/director Adam McKay recently talked a bit about getting the gang back together to shoot the teaser and dropped a few hints about what to expect in the follow-up (no Ghost Rider, a Serpico beard, and either 3D or ½ D).  Hit the jump to see what he had to say.

Though principal photography for the long-awaited Anchorman 2 isn’t scheduled to begin until next February, it appears that we’ll actually get our first look at the reunited Channel 4 news team much sooner than we thought.  We’ve been told by someone who caught an advanced screening of The Dictator that the Sacha Baron Cohen comedy is preceded by a brief teaser featuring the entire news team (sans Christina Applegate) talking about how excited they are to return.  Huzzah!  Hit the jump for more.

When we last left Anchorman 2, director and co-writer Adam McKay was willing to divulge little about the highly-anticipated sequel.  The only hints he dropped about the plot were the couple phrases “Bowling for dollars” and “custody battle”.  Now he’s provided a few more details about the story, and they sound perfect for the Channel 4 news team and the comic potential for the sequel.

Hit the jump for more.  Paramount is reportedly considering a release of the film somewhere between Christmas 2013 and summer 2014.

It still hasn’t completely sunk in that Anchorman 2 is becoming a reality.  Granted, we probably won’t see it until late 2013 at the earliest, but after waiting this long for the return of the Channel 4 News Team, I can wait a little bit longer.  Considering the genius of the first movie, I’m game for whatever co-writer and director Adam McKay has in store for the sequel, and now he’s dropped a couple of brief hints on what we can possibly expect to see in Ron Burgundy’s next adventure.

Hit the jump for what McKay had to say about Anchorman 2, which is scheduled to begin shooting in February.  [Update: THR reports that the movie is budgeted at $50 million (the first film cost $26 million), and Paramount is considering release dates ranging from Christmas 2013 to summer 2014.  The sequel will also be a period piece like the original, but McKay wouldn't say what period.]

The crime drama Meeting Evil (currently available through Magnolia Ultra VOD prior to the film’s theatrical release on May 4^th) follows John (Luke Wilson), a depressed suburban family man and recently fired realtor, who offers to help a stranger named Richie (Samuel L. Jackson) with his car.  Upon doing so, John is quickly sucked into a nightmarish murder spree that forces him to go to any length he can to protect his family.

During this recent exclusive phone interview with Collider, actor Luke Wilson talked about how he came to be a part of the project, that he had played golf with Samuel L. Jackson a few times prior to their working together, his attraction to the film noir feel of the film, playing husband to actress Leslie Bibb, and the most challenging scene to shoot.  He also talked about shooting Season 2 of the HBO series Enlightened, from creator Mike White and starring Laura Dern, and how much fun it would be to get to reprise his role from the first film for Anchorman 2.  Check out what he had to say after the jump.

Last week presented me with the first opportunity I’ve had in a while to catch two movies in a theater within 24 hours of one another (cue the scoffing of real cinephiles). While I’ll sure that I’ll be hammered for that previous statement when it comes time to renew my movie blogger certification, the truth is that, in the small market I call home, only the most mainstream of the mainstream films ever make it to the silver screen. So, with that said, I’d just like to thank the creative forces behind 21 Jump Street and The Hunger Games for giving me the opportunity to spend 1/6 of a day at the movies with films that, while drastically different in almost every conceivable metric, were solid from beginning to end.

Moving on, in this week’s installment the Top 5 is offering modest coverage of Anchorman 2‘s forward progress, Wrath of the Titans interviews with Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, director Jonathan Liebesman and more, the debut of our new podcast, The Collision, The Dark Knight Rises trailer in Lego form, and a recap of some of the week’s top trailers. Per usual, you can find a brief recap and link to each after the jump.

Yesterday came the joyous news that we would finally be getting a sequel to Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.  We know that Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, and Steve Carell will all be reprising their lovably buffoonish character, Adam McKay will return to the director’s chair, and filming is set to begin in February.  If Anchorman 2 returns with only people from the original cast, I have no problem with that.  But sequels usually bring new faces, so I’ve compiled a list of 12 actors who would fit well within the Anchorman universe.  Keep in mind: I have no idea what the plot will be, or if there will be roles for these actors, and how radically McKay will change the look of the first movie.  The Legend of Ron Burgundy has a goofy 70s vibe, but it’s possible they’ll reset the time and place (the first movie ends with Ron and Veronica leaving San Diego to become worldwide news anchors).  Also, I’m not saying that all of these actors should be in the movie.  I’m just saying I can see them fitting into an Anchorman sequel.

Hit the jump for my criteria on making the list and who made the cut.