Less than two week’s after Asa Butterfield (Hugo) was offered the lead in Ender’s Game, we can confirm that the young actor will indeed portray Andrew/Ender, the third Wiggin sibling. Fans of the source material (the 1985 Hugo/Nebula Award-winning novel by Orson Scott Card) will be happy to see that sights are now set on casting Colonel Hyrum Graff. None other than sci-fi fan-favorite Harrison Ford is reportedly being eyed for the role. Who better to play the aging Commander of Training for the International Fleet than the grizzled veteran?

Director Gavin Hood’s adaptation of Ender’s Game will follow the titular character in a coming-of-age tale as he develops military strategies through war games in an attempt to prepare for an intergalactic battle. Summit Entertainment’s Ender’s Game hits screens on March 15, 2013. Hit the jump for more.

I did it, folks. I came, saw, and survived yet another Black Friday. This year’s destination of choice was my local Best Buy and I sat outside in moderately chilly temperatures for around six hours for one lonely purpose: to buy things for cheaper than what they were the day before. That’s right, I rocked Best Buy to the tune of two seasons of television on DVD for a combined $15. Now, I know some of you reading this may be thinking, “Wait, Jason waited outside for six hours so that he could buy two seasons of TV on DVD?”. My answer: a resounding “Yes!”. It’s the small things, people. The small things.

But enough of my Black Friday exploits. In this week’s “Top 5″ installment you’ll find interviews for this weekend’s openers The Muppets and Hugo, new images and plot details from The Dark Knight Rises, new images from Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, and Gary Oldman and Colin Firth addressing Akira and Oldboy remake rumors. Hit the jump for a brief recap and link to each.

Opening this week is Martin Scorsese‘s first 3D film, Hugo.  Based on Brian Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret, the film stars Asa Butterfield as a young boy secretly living in a train station in 1931 Paris.  As he attempts to piece together a puzzle that he’d been working on with his father, the results transform not only Hugo, but everyone he comes in contact with.  The impressive cast also includes Chloe Moretz, Sacha Baron Cohen, Sir Ben Kingsley, Jude Law, Ray Winstone, Christopher Lee, Helen McCrory, Richard Griffiths, Frances de la Tour, Emily Mortimer, and Michael Stuhlbarg. You can watch a trailer here.

During my interview with Butterfield, he talked about getting the role in Hugo, working with Scorsese, shooting with the 3D cameras, the incredible sets, karaoke, video games, his reaction to the finished film, and reveals a very funny prank that he did on set.  In addition, with Butterfield rumored to be the lead in director Gavin Hood‘s Ender’s Game, he talked about what appeals to him about the project.  Hit the jump to watch.

The most talented directors find a way to use their cinematic influences in order to build a new story, and then let the audience seek out those influences.  It’s a rewarding experience because we can see how well the director used the earlier work of other filmmakers, and then we seek out that work for ourselves, which in turn expands our knowledge and understanding of cinema.  Martin Scorsese is one of the most talented directors of all-time and has always proved a master of layering in his inspirations without ever overtly referencing them.  He leaves that direct reference for interviews where his infectious energy and enthusiasm shows that if he wasn’t a legendary filmmaker, he’d be a legendary film professor.  However, that energy and enthusiasm doesn’t translate to his new 3D movie Hugo where he moves his love of movies from subtext to text, and turns a child’s adventure story into a lecture on the importance of cinema pioneer Georges Méliès.

With the recent release date of March 15, 2013 set by Summit Entertainment, it looks like Ender’s Game is finally becoming a big-screen reality. And now, the role of Andrew “Ender” Wiggin has been offered to 14-year-old Asa Butterfield (Hugo). Directed by Gavin Hood (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), the Odd Lot Entertainment adaptation of the classic novel by Orson Scott Card involves young Ender caught up in an intergalactic conflict between Earth and an alien force. Recruited as a child soldier, Ender learns battle tactics through the use of anti-gravity games equipped with nothing but his jumpsuit and his wits. Hit the jump for more on Butterfield and Ender’s Game. [Update: We now have details on who will be handling the art direction and costume design for the film. Info is included after the jump]

Paramount has released a new trailer for Martin Scorsese’s Hugo.  A work-in-progress cut played to audiences at the New York Film Festival to mostly positive reviews.  The latest trailer plays up the dramatic aspects of the story (unfortunately through Mr. Movie Voice) but it’s the visuals that take center stage.  Hugo is Scorsese’s first 3D film but it looks like he’s handled the new technology like an old pro.  This will be one of the rare times I’ll be upset if I don’t get to see a movie in 3D.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  The film stars Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Moretz, Sacha Baron Cohen, Ben Kingsley, Jude Law, Ray Winstone, Christopher Lee, Helen McCrory, Richard Griffiths, Frances de la Tour, Emily Mortimer, and Michael Stuhlbarg.  Hugo opens November 23rd.

New posters have been released for Martin Scorsese‘s Hugo and Lynne Ramsay‘s We Need to Talk about Kevin.  The Hugo poster does a good job of conveying the wonder and adventure of the movie plus it’s a nice reference to a scene from the 1926 silent comedy Safety First, which was the first movie to depict a guy hanging off the face of a clock tower.  The final UK poster for We Need to Talk about Kevin is a bit of a disappointment.  Yes, it conveys the creepiness of Ezra Miller‘s eponymous character (even though the younger Kevin is far creepier), but the person to highlight is Tilda Swinton.  Her performance is one of the best of the year and the movie is more about her overwhelming guilt and madness.  Also, the tech angle is one scene in the movie (and a bit of an unnecessary one).

Hit the jump to check out the posters.  Hugo opens in 3D on November 23rd.  We Need To Talk about Kevin opens in limited release on December 9th.

The not-so-mystery screening last night at the New York Film Festival was an unfinished cut of Martin Scorsese’s upcoming 3D adventure pic Hugo. In the festival’s history, only one other unfinished film has been chosen and that’s Beauty and the Beast, so that was our first clue that Scorsese had something special on his hands. Reactions to the film ranged from wildly enthusiastic to cautioned praise. The 3D is apparently great, and Scorsese has turned what many believe to be a straight children’s film to an appreciation for the preservation and history of cinema. In short, film nerds should have this on their radar. Hit the jump for more detailed reactions to the film’s screening.

Earlier today, we reported that an unfinished cut of Martin Scorsese’s Hugo would be playing tonight at the New York Film Festival.  Now a new featurette has gone online and it makes me more excited to see the film than the trailer.  The visuals on display are fantastic and while I’m a little surprised that we’re getting two movies where a boy tries to unlock a mystery left by his deceased father, I’m betting Scorsese’s film will be the better one.  In the featurette, the legendary director is genuinely excited (as always) for his first 3D movie and I’m hoping there will be some positive buzz coming out of tonight’s screening.

Hit the jump to check out the featurette.  Hugo opens November 23rd and stars Chloe Moretz, Asa Butterfield, Jude Law, Ben Kingsley, Ray Winstone, Christopher Lee, and Sacha Baron Cohen.

We have some new images to bring you tonight from a trio of highly-anticipated films. First, Warner Bros. has released a new image from director Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar. The pic gives us our first look at Naomi Watts as Helen Gandy and features Leonardo DiCaprio giving her a look that seems, um, disapproving. Next, Paramount has released a new image of Chloe Moretz and Asa Butterfield in Martin Scorsese’s Hugo. Finally, Paramount has also released the first image of Charlize Theron in Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody’s Young Adult. Find the new images, official synopses, and release dates for each of the films after the jump.

It’s apparently official trailer day, as the first trailer for Martin Scorsese’s Hugo has just been released. The film, previously titled Hugo Cabret, marks the master director’s first foray into 3D as well as his first family-geared outing. I love the magical tone and sense of wonder Scorsese’s conjured up here, and it looks cute, but I don’t necessarily get a grandiose feeling from this first trailer. While his hand is very evident in the camera movements and overall feel of the shots, the footage seems a tad bit underwhelming. It may be the incongruous rock music that plays over 2/3’s of it, or the director may simply not want to reveal too much too soon. Either way, it’s hard to deny that the prospect of Scorsese, one of the foremost authorities on the history of cinema, tooling around with native 3D is pretty damn exciting.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer. The film stars Chloe Moretz, Asa Butterfield, Jude Law, Ben Kingsley, Ray Winstone, Christopher Lee and Sacha Baron Cohen. Hugo opens December 9^th, 2011.

Today we have our first images of child stars Chloe Moretz and Asa Butterfield in adorable period costume on the set of Hugo Cabret.  The film — adapted from Brian Selznick’s tale of an orphan boy caught up in a world of magic and adventure — marks director Martin Scorsese’s first venture into the cinematic world of 3D.  Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jude Law, Ray Winstone, and Christopher Lee also star.  Check out the images after the jump.

Martin Scorsese will make his first 3D picture with his adaptation of the children’s book The Invention of Hugo Cabret.  During a panel this past January at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Scorsese voiced his interest and support of 3D filmmaking.  Variety now confirms that Scorsese has personally embraced the technology and will shoot his latest film in 3D.  While I’m not a 3D devotee, I’m heartened that A) the film will be shot in 3D rather than upconverted from 2D to 3D in post-production; and B) Scorsese is once again defying expectations and showing us that he’s always trying to do something new (Hugo Cabret will also be his first film based off a children’s novel).

Hit the jump for the official synopsis of the book by Brian Selznick.  Adapted by John Logan (The Aviator), the film stars Asa Butterfield (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas), Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass), Ben Kingsley, and Sacha Baron Cohen.  The Invention of Hugo Cabret has set a release date of December 9, 2011.

We have two pieces of child actor casting to report tonight.  First, Deadline says that Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass) and Asa Butterfield (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas) have been cast in Martin Scorsese’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret.  Butterfield will play the title character who is an orphan/clock keeper/thief who lives in a train station.  Moretz will play opposite Butterfield as Isabelle, “an eccentric girl and the owner of a small toy booth in the train station.”  Moretz and Butterfield will star alongside Sacha Baron Cohen and Ben Kingsley, whose casting we reported on earlier today.

Meanwhile, THR reports that 11-year-old Dakota Goyo (Resurrecting the Champ) will star with Hugh Jackman in Shawn Levy’s Real Steel.  The film is set in the future where robots have replaced humans as boxers.  Goyo’s character is described as “a street-smart, tough, charming kid with a hard, untrusting outer shell which hides a warm enthusiastic spirit beneath.”  Don’t worry.  The activation of your gag-reflex at this description is completely normal.