With a fall start on the horizon, casting is moving along on Will Gluck‘s remake of Annie.  For those unfamiliar with the classic musical, it centers on the eponymous orphan who is adopted by the wealthy Daddy Warbucks.  Quvenzhane Wallis is set to lead the film, and Jamie Foxx signed on back in April to play the Daddy Warbucks character, now called “Benjamin Stacks” and a NYC mayoral candidate in this updated version.  According to TheWrap, Sandra Bullock is now in early talks to play Miss Hannigan, the mean lady who runs the poor orphanage, and inspires kids to sing about a hard-knock life.  Carol Burnett played the role in the 1982 version, and Bullock seems like a great fit for the comic role.  Produced by Will Smith and Jay-Z, Annie is set to open on December 25, 2014.

Bullock will be playing both comedy and drama this year with two great-looking films.  First up is the female-led buddy-cop flick The Heat with Melissa McCarthy, and then in October she’ll be in Alfonso Cuaron‘s sci-fi movie, Gravity.

Last night I turned to Xbox Live to check out Shane Carruth‘s Upstream Color for the first time. While not quite as impenetrable after one viewing as its predecessor, 2004′s Primer, Upstream still demands the utmost attention of its viewers in exchange for the slightest hint of clarity. The dialogue is sparse, the setting is ever-changing, the editing is heavily dependent on juxtaposition as a way of creating meaning, and the sound design/foley work is turned up to “11″ at times. Whereas Primer played more to the intellect behind making time travel a reality, Upstream is an extremely visceral experience that is more interested, or at least more successful, in eliciting an emotional response than explaining how a rare organism can be harvested, used as a method of mind control, and ultimately link humans to pigs. The exact degree to which it succeeds will vary from viewer to viewer but it’s ultimately an experience I recommend taking in.

Of course a movie like Upstream lends itself to more than a few lines of my humble analysis, but that’s not actually why we’re here. In this week’s Top 5 you can check out the first trailer and poster for Alfonso Cuaron‘s Gravity, a generous number of set pics from director Jonathan Liebesman‘s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot, Steve’s exclusive phone interview with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, the first trailer for Ender’s Game, and a look at Iron Man by the Numbers. A brief recap and link to each will greet you after the jump.

Warner Bros. has released the first trailer for director Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity and it looks incredible.   The story centers on an astronaut (Sandra Bullock) who is stranded alone in space following a catastrophic event aboard a spacecraft.  George Clooney also stars, but Bullock is rumored to spend the majority of the screentime in the film utterly alone.  The pic was originally slated to open last year, but was subsequently pushed back so that more time could be spent on the visual effects.  Based on the trailer, the time was well spent.  Gravity looks like it could be one of the year’s best films.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer.  Gravity opens in 2D, 3D, and IMAX 3D October 4th.

The first poster for one of the most anticipated films of the year has arrive.  We got our first incredibly brief look at footage from director Alfonso Cuaron’s long-awaited sci-fi film Gravity last night ahead of the trailer debut on Thursday, and this first poster does a magnificent job of teasing the vast and dangerous nature of space in the film.  The story centers on an astronaut (Sandra Bullock) who is stranded alone in space following a catastrophic event aboard a spacecraft.  George Clooney also stars, but Bullock is rumored to spend the majority of the screentime in the film utterly alone.  The pic was originally slated to open last year, but was subsequently pushed back so that more time could be spent on the visual effects.  With a master like Curaron at the helm, this is sure to be unlike anything we’ve seen before.

Hit the jump to take a look at the poster, and check back here tomorrow to watch the first trailer.  Gravity opens on October 4th in 2D, 3D, and IMAX 3D.

Want a little tease of footage from children of Men-director Alfonso Cuaron’s highly anticipated upcoming sci-fi drama, Gravity?  Well, you got it!  The visual effects-heavy 3D film stars Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side) as an astronaut stranded alone in space following a catastrophic event onboard a spacecraft.  George Clooney (Ocean’s Eleven), as glimpsed in this teaser, has a supporting role.  Further details are under wraps, but the film is said to have an unbroken 17-minute opening shot and will feature plenty of mind-bending effects.  Warner Bros. recently announced that the film will open on October 4th of this year.  Hit the jump to check out a brief bit of footage and be sure to return on Thursday when the first trailer hits. 

A few days ago at CinemaCon, Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy showed some footage from director Paul Feig’s (Bridesmaids) upcoming buddy cop comedy The Heat.  The film is a standard buddy-cop formula where a straight-laced cop (Bullock) is teamed up with a shoot-from-the-hip partner (McCarthy), and they learn to overcome their differences and become BFFs on their mission to bring down the bad guys.  The plot is secondary to the chemistry, and judging by the trailer, Bullock and McCarthy look like they’re going to be a great comic duo.

Shortly after they took the stage, I participated in a small press conference with Bullock and McCarthy.  They talked about improv versus sticking to the script, the impact of Bridesmaids on female-driven comedies, funny moments on set, filming in Boston, the stunts, working with Paul Feig, Bullock’s improv skills, and a lot more. Hit the jump to either listen to or read what they had to say.

Sequels are already in the works for two upcoming cop comedies.  Buzz is strong for Bridesmaids director Paul Feig’s buddy cop comedy The Heat, and Deadline reports that screenwriter Katie Dippold has been tapped to start working on the script for a follow-up months before the first film even opens.  The pic stars Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy as a by-the-books FBI agent and a rough-around-the-edges local Boston cop, respectively, who team up to take down a drug lord.  The film’s red-band trailer promises plenty of laughs and great chemistry between Bullock and McCarthy, and the pic’s June 28th release date shows big confidence from 20th Century Fox.  Hit the jump for news of a sequel to Ride Along.

We’ve got some new images to share with you from the following films:

• The Heat – Starring Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) and Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side) in a dysfunctional buddy cop comedy, Paul Feig’s The Heat opens June 28th.
• The Internship – Starring the Wedding Crashers comedians Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, Shawn Levy’s The Internship opens June 7th.

Hit the jump to check out the new images. 

A new clip and poster for director Paul Feig’s (Bridesmaids) upcoming buddy cop comedy The Heat have been released online.  The film stars Sandra Bullock as an FBI agent who teams up with a local Boston cop (Melissa McCarthy) in order to bring down a drug lord.  The previous trailers and clips have teased some excellent chemistry between Bullock and McCarthy, and this latest clip is no different.  We see an alternate take on the good cop/bad cop routine with a nice cameo by Michael McDonald and an excellent punch line.

Hit the jump to watch the clip and to check out the pic’s poster.  The film also stars Katilin Olson, Demian Bichir, Tony Hale, Taran Killam and Michael Rapaport.  The Heat opens on June 28th.

Universal has released the first clip from Paul Feig‘s new comedy, The Heat.  The film is a standard buddy-cop formula where a straight-laced cop (Sandra Bullock) is teamed up with a shoot-from-the-hip partner (Melissa McCarthy), and they learn to overcome their differences and become BFFs on their mission to bring down the bad guys.  The plot is secondary to the chemistry, and judging by the trailer, Bullock and McCarthy look like they’re going to be a great comic duo.  Most of the new clip is material that’s already been in the trailer, so there’s no need to worry about spoilers.

Hit the jump to check out the clip.  The Heat opens June 28th.

Last year, we reported that Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment were developing a Despicable Me spinoff for the lovable minions.  The spinoff, appropriately titled “Minions“, now has a voice for its lead villain.  According to Deadline, Sandra Bullock will provide the voice of “Scarlet Overkill, a stylish bad-ass super-villain who is (what else?), bent on world domination.”  The story shows the minions have been around forever, and unintentionally thwarted and destroyed their masters’ plans through adorable incompetence.  Set in the 1960s, Minions has three of the creatures going to a villain convention to find a new master, and compete to get the job from Overkill, who aspires to be the world’s first female supervillain.  It sounds like a fun role for Bullock, and I’m eager to see what she does with it.

Minions is due out in 3D on December 19, 2014.  The minions will next be seen in  Despicable Me 2, which arrives in 3D on July 3rd.  Bullock will next be seen in Paul Feig‘s R-rated action-comedy The Heat, which opens June 28th.

A new international trailer for director Paul Feig’s (Bridesmaids) new comedy The Heat has landed online.  The film stars Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side) as an FBI agent who teams up with a local Boston cop (Melissa McCarthy) in order to bring down a drug lord.  There’s not a ton of new footage, but this trailer is worth the watch if only to hear the movie voice over guy say the word “tight ass.”  Bullock and McCarthy look to have absolutely excellent chemistry, and Feig’s involvement promises the comedy will likely be supported by a sufficient dose of heart.

Hit the jump to watch the new trailer.  The film also stars Katilin Olson, Demian Bichir, Tony Hale, Taran Killam and Michael Rapaport.  The Heat opens on April 5, 2013.

Finally!  After being pulled from the 2012 schedule altogether last summer and moved to an unspecified 2013 date, Warner Bros. has at last announced a firm release date for director Alfonso Cuaron’s highly anticipated upcoming sci-fi drama Gravity.  The visual effects-heavy 3D film stars Sandra Bullock as an astronaut stranded alone in space following a catastrophic event onboard a spacecraft.  Further details are under wraps, but the film is said to have an unbroken 17-minute opening shot, plenty of mind-bending effects, and a supporting turn from George Clooney.

On the crowded October date, the film will face off against the Vince Vaughn comedy The Delivery Man, the Liam Hemsworth/Gary Oldman thriller Paranoia, the 3D re-release of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, and the sequel Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.  Here’s hoping we see a trailer soon.  Hit the jump to read a synopsis for the film.

A new red-band trailer for Paul Feig’s buddy cop comedy The Heat has gone online. The film stars Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side) as an FBI agent who teams up with a local Boston cop (Bridesmaids’ Melissa McCarthy) in order to bring down a drug lord. While the trailer does seem to show off perhaps a bit too much in the way of plot, it’s the humor that matters here. The red-band trailer is easily the funniest bit of marketing from The Heat so far. Also starring Katilin Olson, Demian Bichir, Tony Hale, Taran Killam and Michael Rapaport, The Heat opens on April 5, 2013. Hit the jump to watch the red-band trailer.

The first trailer for Bridesmaids director Paul Feig’s comedy The Heat has been released.  The film stars Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy as an uptight FBI agent and a foul-mouthed Boston police officer, respectively, who must team up to take down a drug lord.  The “mismatched partners” buddy cop premise may seem a tad stale, but this trailer proves that the comedic talents of Bullock and McCarthy (not to mention Feige) are enough to turn the basic logline into a really fun ride.  The two appear to have some excellent chemistry, and it’s especially neat to see one Thomas F. Wilson (ie. Biff Tannen from Back to the Future) back on the big screen.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer.  The film also stars Demian Bichir, Tony Hale, Taran Killam, and Michael Rapaport.  The Heat opens on April 5, 2013.