Production has officially commenced on two upcoming projects.  First up, filming is underway in Atlanta on the real-life drama Devil’s Knot, directed by Atom Egoyan.  The film stars Reese Witherspoon and Colin Firth and follows the true story of the West Memphis 3 case, in which three teenagers were wrongfully charged with murdering three young boys in West Memphis, Arkansas in the 1990s.  Witherspoon plays the mother of one of the victims, while Firth plays the private investigator hired to look into the case.  The cast also includes Amy Ryan, Dane DeHaan, and Stephen Moyer.

Additionally, production has begun in New York on the relationship drama Very Good Girls.  Directed by Naomi Foner, the film stars Dakota Fanning and Elizabeth Olsen as two best friends determined to lose their virginity, only to fall for the same boy.  The cast also includes Boyd Holbrook, Demi Moore, Ellen Barkin, Richard Dreyfuss, Peter Skarsgaard, and Clark Gregg.  The score will be composed by Jenny Lewis. Hit the jump to read press releases for both films.

A trio of actors have landed some pivotal roles in director Atom Egoyan’s drama Devil’s Knot, which centers on the West Memphis 3 murder case.  For those unaware, three teenagers were convicted of killing three boys in Arkansas in 1993 despite the absence of physical evidence; they were eventually released in 2011 after countless private investigations.  Reese Witherspoon stars as the mother of one of the victims, while Colin Firth plays a private investigator hired to take on the case.  THR reports that Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek) and Michael Gladis (Mad Men) have joined the cast, with Greenwood set as the controversial judge who put the West Memphis 3 away and Gladis poised to play the defense attorney for suspect Jessie Misskelly, Jr.

Additionally, Deadline reports that Matt Letscher (Scandal) will play the defense attorney for suspect Jason Baldwin.  Production on Devil’s Knot begins next month, with Amy Ryan, Dane Dehaan, Mireille Enos and Alessandro Nivola rounding out the cast.

Major films at Comic-Con want to keep their cards close to the vest, but the smaller films need to show more to get some attention.  Knights of Badassdom is a smaller film but it’s got a great premise: a group of LARPers (Live-Action Role Players) head out into the woods, end up doing a real spell, and accidentally summon a blood-thirsty demon.  As the demon starts picking off LARPers, three friends (played by Ryan Kwanten, Steve Zahn, and Peter Dinklage) have to find a way to defeat the demon.  It sounds like a fun blend of comedy, horror, and fantasy and it’s one of my most-anticipated panels of the Con.  Major films sell themselves, but Knights of Badassdom has a shot at winning over an audience unfamiliar with the flick.

Hit the jump for my recap of the Knights of Badassdom panel.

[Update: We've added the trailer after the jump.]

While Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner likes to keep everything secret until the night the show airs, with season 4 set to begin July 25th, AMC has released a number of images from the first episode.  So if you need a Mad Men fix without spoilers, hit the jump.  And if you haven’t yet seen this brilliant show, you’re missing out on something special.

AMC has announced Mad Men will be returning with its fourth season on Sunday, July 25, at 10 p.m.  Since last year, fans have been wondering what the future holds for the workers of Sterling Cooper, as the third season finale really shook things up.  But while everyone is looking forward to the critically acclaimed show returning, the end of Mad Men might be in sight.  That’s because at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention in Las Vegas, Mad Men creator and writer, Matt Weiner announced he would not go past 6 seasons – should the series continue to be renewed.   More after the jump: