The first set photos and video from Wes Anderson‘s Grand Budapest Hotel have leaked online.  Details about the film are scarce, but we know it takes place in 1927 in a Hungarian hotel and has Ralph Fiennes and Saoirse Ronan in the lead roles. Plot details are scarce, but the movie is reportedly in the vein of the films of Billy Wilder (The Apartment) and Ernest Lubitsch (The Shop Around the Corner).  The impressive cast also includes Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson, Jeff Goldblum, F. Murray Abraham, Jude Law, and Mathieu Amalric.  In addition to showing off the setting, the images also show us the colorful costumes (I like the purple coats) and Goldblum’s commanding facial hair.

Hit the jump to check out the set photos.  Grand Budapest Hotel should arrive some time next year.

Wes Anderson has never had much problem lining-up impressive ensembles for his movies.  Even his earlier movies have great casts albeit less famous ones.  In a recent interview with THR, Anderson revealed his next film, Grand Budapest Hotel, will have one of his best casts to date.  First, Anderson confirmed Ralph Fiennes, Bill Murray, and Saoirse Ronan were in the flick (Fiennes and Ronan are the leads).  But they’re only a small part of the large cast.  Anderson will reunite with Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel, Tilda Swinton, and Jason Schwartzman. Owen Wilson might also have a small role.  The movie will also include Jeff Goldblum, F. Murray Abraham, Jude Law, and Mathieu Amalric (Quantum of Solace).

Hit the jump for more.

The first trailer for the 3D re-release of Steven Spielberg‘s 1993 classic Jurassic Park has been released.  The trailer makes great, playful use of John Williams‘ iconic score and drums up a major dose of nostalgia.  Whether 3D is your thing or not, it’s gonna be incredibly hard to pass up seeing Jurassic Park on the big screen again once this thing returns to theaters.  Even though it’s been 20 years, the effects actually look like they hold up pretty well (thank you, Stan Winston), and Jeff Goldblum‘s dry delivery remains spot-on.  Hold on to your butts.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer.  The film stars Sam Neill, Richard Attenborough, Laura Dern, Joseph Mazzello, Ariana Richards, Wayne Knight, and Samuel L. Jackson.  Jurassic Park 3D hits theaters on April 5th, 2013.

Independence Day 2 is a project that doesn’t exist, but it’s almost existed for quite a few years now.  Director Roland Emmerich and star Will Smith have talked about the various stages of development on the sci-fi follow-up over the years, but as of yet nothing tangible has come to fruition.  Last we heard, Fox was planning back-to-back sequels with or without Smith’s involvement, and now producer Dean Devlin has announced that he and Emmerich are actively working on Independence Day 2.  Moreover, they’re also hoping to continue and ultimately finish the story they began with the 1994 sci-fi film Stargate with two new sequels.  Hit the jump for more.

With Moonrise Kingdom still in theaters, quirky director Wes Anderson is already putting together a dream cast for his next film.  The as-of-yet-untitled picture would feature an ensemble that could include Johnny Depp, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Edward Norton, Jude Law, Jeff Goldblum, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe and Angela Lansbury. Murray and Norton currently star in Moonrise Kingdom, while Wilson is a regular in the director’s films.  Depp, Law and Lansbury would all be first time additions to an Anderson picture.  Brody starred in The Darjeeling Limited and Dafoe previously voiced a character in Anderson’s The Fantastic Mr. Fox.  Details, via Twitch, are short at the moment and it’s unclear as to what state any of these casting negotiations are currently in.  We will update as more news becomes available.

Will Smith will be reclaiming his Fourth of July box office throne next year, but it’ll be with a movie that’s 16 years old.  In addition to dates for the X-Men: First Class sequel, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and Robopocalypse, Fox announced today that director Roland Emmerich’s sci-fi invasion pic Independence Day will return to theaters in 3D on July 3rd, 2013.  It’ll be interesting to see how well the film actually does given that the box office climate nowadays is vastly different from that of 1996.  How confused will kids be to see that the humans’ master line of defense involves a now primitive-looking computer virus?

In a world where “dark” and “gritty” blockbusters dominate the marketplace, the slightly goofy and unabashedly fun Independence Day should stand out a bit.  That said, The Avengers is breaking records left and right and that film is packed to the brim with hope, humor, and unbridled joy.  Hit the jump for more, including the film’s original trailer.

A full red band trailer for Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie has gone online. The pic marks the first feature-length film from the comedy duo of Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim. It’s pretty much what you’re expecting from the oddball team. The trailer’s got its fair share of strange moments, and highlights the celebs that pop up throughout the film (Zach Galifianakis, John C. Reilly, Will Ferrell, Will Forte and Jeff Goldblum). If you’re a fan of the show, I’m assuming this trailer will pique your interest. I can appreciate the comedic value of Tim and Eric, but I always feel like I’m on a bad acid trip when watching their stuff (which I guess is the point).

Hit the jump to watch the trailer. The film also stars Robert Loggia and William Atherton. The pic is being featured as part of the “Park City at Midnight” line-up at the Sundance Film Festival and will be available January 27th on VOD. Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie hits theaters March 2nd.

The Jurassic Park series is awe inspiring and deeply flawed; a game changer for effects, but story-wise mostly pedestrian. Steven Spielberg directed the first two films with an eye toward some of the most awe inspiring set pieces put to film, with stars like Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum stuck in the midst of dino-mayhem. For the third picture Joe Johnston took over and stripped the series down to its bare essentials. In terms of great dinosaur action these films deliver and are fun to revisit, even if there are scenes in all three that bog them down. Our review of the Jurassic Park Blu-ray trilogy follows after the jump.

Rumor came in last week that John C. Reilly will star (with an impressive cast of supporting players) in Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie, the first feature-length film from comedy duo Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim.  Reilly is indeed on board, joined by Zach Galifianakis, Will Ferrell,  Robert Loggia, Jeff Goldblum, Will Forte, and William Atherton.  Sadly, the rumor that Harrison Ford will make an appearance is false.  I’m disappointed that Bob Odenkirk’s name didn’t make it from the rumored cast to this updated list, but I hope that’s merely an oversight.

Heidecker and Wareheim revealed the plot for Billion Dollar Movie: their characters “literally get a billion dollars to make a movie, and we make it, and things go awry, and Tim and I just decide to get out of Hollywood and become businessmen in an abandoned mall.”  Principal photography started Friday on what is by far the biggest Tim and Eric production ever.  Read what Heidecker and Wareheim had to say about the transition after the jump.

For your viewing pleasure, we have six clips from the upcoming romantic comedy Morning Glory.  Directed by Roger Michell (Notting Hill), the film stars Rachel McAdams as a struggling morning talk show producer who attempts to deal with her bickering anchors (played by Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton) while also handling a burgeoning romantic relationship with a co-worker (played by Patrick Wilson).

Hit the jump to check out the clips.  Morning Glory opens on Wednesday.

I discovered something important about myself when I watched The Switch.  I discovered that I can endure 101 minutes of pure saccharine filmmaking without catching The Diabetes.  I have no problem with earnest filmmaking that’s unafraid to wear its heart on its sleeve.  I do have a problem with transparently manipulative filmmaking that wastes the comic talents of its lead actor.  A few clever one-liners sneak past this sitcom-level humor, but The Switch stands more as an endurance test of sugary storytelling rather than a heart-warming picture.

Opening next week is the Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman movie The Switch.  Here’s the synopsis:

The film is an offbeat comedy about Kassie (Aniston), a smart, fun-loving single woman who, despite her slightly neurotic best friend Wally’s (Bateman) objections, decides it’s time to have a baby—even if it means doing it by herself… with a little help from a charming sperm donor (Patrick Wilson). But, unbeknownst to her, Kassie’s plans go awry because of a last-minute switch that isn’t discovered until seven years later when Wally finally gets acquainted with Kassie’s precocious—though slightly neurotic—son. The Switch also stars Patrick Wilson, Jeff Goldblum, Juliette Lewis, and Thomas Robinson.

The Switch used to be called The Baster when Bateman spoke to Steve about it last year.  Hit the jump to check out five clips from the film:

Though spinoff Law & Order: Los Angeles gained a name actor in Terrence Howard, it looks like USA’s Law & Order: Criminal Intent is going to lose one of their best: Variety reports that Jeff Goldblum has decided to leave the series after two years leading the crime show.  Though there’s a chance he could change his mind, apparently his decision was “due to the uncertainty” of the show’s future (which means it could be on the verge of cancellation).  There are no hard feelings at Dick Wolf’s production company, but this could push USA away from bringing back the series for a tenth season since its fate hasn’t been decided yet.

After the jump, check out casting news for AMC’s new period drama pilot Hell on Wheels, and a new guest star for NBC’s Chuck.

James L. Brooks proved that the newsroom was fertile ground for a romantic comedy with 1987′s fantastic Broadcast News, and Paramount is hoping to tap into some of the same magic more than twenty years later with Morning Glory.  The studio gathered quite the cast for the effort, as Glory is toplined by Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, Patrick Wilson, and Jeff Goldblum.  The film follows McAdams as the producer of a morning news show who “decides to revitalize the show by bringing on legendary TV anchor Mike Pomeroy (Ford). Unfortunately, Pomeroy refuses to cover morning show staples like celebrity gossip, weather, fashion and crafts.”

Roger Michell (Notting Hill) is directing from a script by Aline Brosh McKenna (The Devil Wears Prada); notably, J.J. Abrams (Star Trek) is producing.  Check out the trailer, which is not without its charms, after the break.

Every day I read the latest film news and every couple of days there is always that one story which confuses me and makes me say “what.” out loud.  I look forward to these news items just because I find them more fun than the average news item.  Having said all that, I never thought that I would come home one of these days to see news pop out saying that David Cronenberg would be remaking his 1986 version of “The Fly” starring Jeff Goldblum.  This all just confuses me so much because how could you make something that is already perfect better?  If you are just as confused/fascinated as I am about this one, just hit the jump for more details.