We interrupt your regularly-scheduled Mayan apocalypse plans to bring you a very important announcement: Paramount has set a release date of December 20, 2013 for Anchorman: The Legend Continues. The sequel to 2004′s Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy will feature the return of director Adam McKay and principal actors Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd and David Koechner. The story will once again center on some of San Diego’s zaniest newspeople, but will now see them amid the culture of the 24-hour news cycle. Oh and there will totally be a fully-choreographed musical number. Hit the jump for more. 

Five years after writer/director Judd Apatow introduced audiences to Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann) in Knocked Up, their life is being revisited and explored much deeper in the honest yet hilarious look at marriage and parenthood, This is 40.  Pete is struggling to keep his record label afloat, Debbie is hoping her clothing boutique will turn a profit, and their two daughters – 13-year-old Sadie (Maude Apatow) and 8-year-old Charlotte (Iris Apatow) – are just trying to navigate parents, school and boys, all while finding their way in the world together.

At the film’s press day, director Judd Apatow spoke to Collider for this exclusive interview about the biggest challenges in turning supporting character into lead characters, where he draws the line with humor, that his first cut of the film was just under three hours, how the test screening process led him to tweak things, screening his work for friends and family (including filmmakers like James Brooks and Cameron Crowe), deleted scenes for the DVD, using digital for the first time, his thoughts on 48fps and 3D, and whether there’s ever a chance that a Freaks and Geeks character could make a cameo in one of his films.  He also talked about how proud he is of Lena Dunham for the success of the HBO comedy series Girls (for which he is an executive producer), the logistics of getting everyone back together for the Anchorman sequel, and that they’re working to get financing together for the Pee-Wee Herman movie.  Hit the jump for what he had to say.

As the Anchorman sequel gears up to start production early next year, director Adam McKay is looking to fill out the rest of his cast.  We already know that Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, David Koechner, and Christina Applegate are set to reprise their roles from the 2004 comedy, and now The Wrap reports that Kristen Wiig may be joining the cast.  The actress is apparently being eyed for the role of Carell’s love interest, making for a fantastically promising comedy pairing.

McKay and Ferrell aren’t entirely done with the script just yet, and the report cautions that no cast beyond the principals has been firmed up.  Interestingly, though, The Wrap adds that Anchorman: The Legend Continues is set for release in October 2013.  We previously knew that Paramount was eyeing an unspecified date in 2013 for the film’s release, but this is the first time we’ve heard the mention of a solid month.  As the start date looms closer, expect more Anchorman 2 news soon.

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.]