MOVIE ROUNDUP (AVENGERS AGE OF ULTRON, BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN & ANT-MAN)

MOVIE ROUNDUP 

(Olsen is a Scarlet Witch, Ant Man will be a Badass and Batman wasn't a afterthought)

AVENGERS AGE OF ULTRON

Elizabeth Olsen just recently been cast as Scarlet Witch in Marvel's The Avengers: Age of Ultron, hs finally given the freedom to talk about the latest film as well as her role in the film.

Olsen cites the sequel's "cool ensemble" as one of the project's draws for her, telling The Huffington Post, "When there's a great ensemble already in place, you're just like, That sounds awesome -- because I want to work with all of those people. That's amazing. And it's all of these people that I respect."

The Godzilla and Martha Marcy May Marlene actress also likes the fact that no one's portrayed Scarlet Witch onscreen before, thus allowing her the opportunity to make Wanda Maximoff her own.

Olsen says Scarlet Witch's "life is insane. And for obvious reasons you can't talk about certain background [her dad's Magneto, but Fox owns the film rights to him so Marvel can't use him], but it is so much fun. And it's so funny, everyone always talks to me about, 'Do you really love having all of these psychological problems and things like that [with your characters]?' And I'm like, 'I don't mean for that to happen.' And with Scarlet Witch, I'm like she's complicated, that one! You know? Like, She might be the most damaged of them all! Which is so cool."

Avengers: Age of Ultron -- which will reunite Olsen with both Oldboy's Jackson and her Godzilla co-star Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Scarlet Witch's brother Quicksilver -- begins filming in early 2014 for a May 1, 2015 release.

ANT-MAN

Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man film has been in development for a real long time, but the film is finally moving forward as fans can expect the film in 2015. Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Wright elaborated on what he wants to do with the film and how he thinks it will surprise audiences.

"I want to make him into a badass [laughs]. No, I always liked that comic and I always thought it would be an interesting thing to see in live-action. That's why I [showed] that Comic-Con test that we did for Marvel, to show this fight scene like a proof of concept, like this is what the action is going to look like. I think a lot of people who maybe don't know the character sort of see that test and go, "Oh, right, I get it. It's like an action film," so that's the idea. I think people will be surprised by what kind of movie it is, and so in that respect it's something that I know is going to stand out because it's got a very different story and is a very different movie."

 

When asked about the tone of the film, Wright says he thinks it will be in line with the rest of the Marvel films.

"Well, I think the Marvel movies are funny, you know? I think generally the Iron Man films and The Avengers is funny. They're not ever in the comedy section, but they are funny and entertaining, so I think it'll be something in a similar vein to that."

Walt Disney Pictures has scheduled a July 31, 2015 release for the film, which was written by Wright and Joe Cornish.

BATMAN VS SUPERMAN

There are a ton of big, highly anticipated films set to be released in 2015 and Zack Snyder's Batman Vs. Superman film surely is one of them. In a recent interview with Variety, the producer of those films, Charles Roven, talked about their statuses,

“On ‘Batman vs. Superman,’ we started soft prep in June, and we’ll be shooting eight months later.... We felt that we accomplished our goals with ‘Man of Steel, our intention was to bring Superman into the 21st century with a contemporary character and a different kind of superhero than what’s out there right now...We knew we had created a world and we had left Easter eggs in the movie that let people know that in the universe that Zack was creating, there was the possibility of other DC characters besides Clark Kent."

 

He went on to reveal that the idea of the sequel has been around for awhile,

"We had a sketch of an idea, the beats of a story that David Goyer worked on with Zack. We have a first draft, and we’re continuing to work with it. Those scripts are never fully finished until the movie is in the theaters. We love the characters — we think that Ben (Affleck) is going to be a really great and interesting Batman.”

He went on to discuss why they cast Ben Affleck in the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman.

“We wanted a guy who had a certain age and a certain gravitas to what he had done in terms of his recent work. If you take a look at ‘The Town’ and ‘Argo,’ he plays a couple of serious guys in those movies. He’s a big man. He’s also a mature man. As you see him and Henry together, one definitely has much more experience just by looking at him. That’s what we wanted, particularly juxtaposed against our Superman.”

Batman vs. Superman is set to be released in theaters July 17th, 2015,

MOVIE ROUNDUP (FIFTY SHADES, JURASSIC WORLD, OLDBOY AND MORE)

CHARLIE HUNNAM SAYS HE AINT GREY, STAR TREK IN2 HORIBBLE BOSSES AND AMERICAN OLDBOY IS JUST THE COVER

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY

Universal Pictures and Focus Features have recently announced that Charlie Hunnam will no longer play Christian Grey in Fifty Shades of Grey.

"The filmmakers of 'Fifty Shades of Grey' and Charlie Hunnam have agreed to find another male lead given Hunnam's immersive TV schedule which is not allowing him time to adequately prepare for the role of Christian Grey," the studio said in a statement.

It has to be noted that Hunnam wasn’t that interested in the role initially and reluctantly signed onto the role last month.

Matt Bomer is said to be back in the running for the role, although casting for Grey is still ongoing.

Dakota Johnson and Jennifer Ehle are still attached to star in the August 1, 2014 release, which will directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson.

JURASSIC WORLD

A few weeks back we got confirmation that the fourth Jurrassic Park film would be titled Jurassic World. We also got news that Steven Spielberg would not be directing the film but would stay on as a producer with Collin Trevorrow stepping behind the camera for the latest installment. 

Deadline is now reporting that 12-year-old actor Ty Simpkins has landed one of the lead roles in the hotly anticipated sequel. The site also says that New Girl star Jake Johnson is reportedly in the mix for a role in the film, but that remains unconfirmed.

While most would know Ty as Harley in Iron Man 3, Simpkins has been acting for eight years and has had roles in Speilberg's War of the Worlds and both Insidious films.

Jurassic World will be shot in 3D and is planned to hit theaters on Friday, June 12, 2015.

HORRIBLE BOSSES 2

"Star Trek" and Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit star Chris Pine has signed a deal to join Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day and Jamie Foxx in Horrible Bosses 2.

Pine will play half of a father-son duo who steal the main characters' idea for a new invention. Christoph Waltz was rumored to be up for the father role last week, but he reportedly won't be available.

Coming to theaters on November 26, 2014, the New Line sequel is directed by Sean Anders.

RAIDERS!

Back in 1982, two 11-year-old boys, Chris Strompolos and Eric Zala, set off to make their own shot-for-shot remake of Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark, spending a full seven years to complete what is now known as Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation.

A few years ago, the film managed to receive quite a bit attention with Spielberg himself praising it.

 

We now have word via Deadline that the film will be indeed moving forward.

"Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made," a 2012 book by Alan Eisenstock about the production, is set to serve as the film's source material. At one point, Ghost World creator Daniel Clowes was attached to provide the screenplay, but there's no word on whether or not his script is being used for this iteration of the project.

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA

Nintendo's Eiji Aonuma recently spoke with Kotaku about the possibility of a Zelda film and how the company would use the opportunity to embrace audience interaction in movie theaters.

“This is something that me and Mr. Miyamoto talked about,” Aonuma says. “If we were to make a Zelda title, if we had interest in doing that, I think really what would be most important to us is to be able to play with the format of a movie, make it more interactive, like you’re able to take your 3DS into the theater and that leads you into participating in it somehow. We wouldn’t want to make it the same as any other movie. We want to somehow change what a movie is.”

Unfortunately there are currently no plans to develop a Zelda film any time soon.

OLDBOY

Spike Lee’s Oldboy starring Josh Brolin and Elizabeth Olsen will be invading our screens on November 27^th. The film is a remake of the Chan-Wook Park’s beloved 2003 film of the same name. With that being said there are many that have voiced their disapproval of this American remake of Oldboy,

Writer and co-producer Mark Protosevich, and stars Michael Imperioli and Pom Klementieff hit the stage at the New York Comic Con to discuss the film, but the large majority of the conversation boiled down to a single topic – how and why do you remake such an incredible film?

Protosevich insisted, "When the movie was announced, I appreciate and certainly I know there are people out there who are skeptical about our version." In fact, Protosevich recalled his own reaction to first hearing about the plan to remake Park's film before he was even attached to the project. "At one point, Justin Lin was going to direct it and I remember seeing that in the trades and as a fan of the original, my reaction was, 'Aw, really?' And so I understand that impulse. I get it. But in my circumstance, I was presented with this opportunity … to work with a couple of people [and it wasn't] a situation I was gonna turn down."

Those people were Will Smith and Steven Spielberg, but eventually, both decided not to follow through with it. However, at that point, Protosevich was already too immersed in the material to pull out. "I'd written a 30-page treatment and you really start to see the movie in your head. It really started to resonate with me and it meant a lot to me to see this through." After locking in Spike Lee as the film's new director, Protosevich recalled, "I came to New York and Spike and I had breakfast and then we sat in his office at NYU and we watched the original film together."

Read the Old Boy Manga and watch the film all you want, it's not going to convince the diehard fanbase that this remake is necessary just yet. Protosevich revisited one particularly distressing reaction to the project. "A friend shared with me a comment from the Internet where the reaction was, 'Typical Hollywood bullsh*t! They’re exploiting an existing piece of art just to make money!' And I do take issue with that because I dare you to show me somebody who would watch that original film and afterwards go, 'We're gonna clean up on this!'"

Park's feature is as dark and twisted as they come, and Protosevich proudly proclaimed, "We're just as psychologically screwed up, believe me." He also noted, "We all came from a place of honor and respect to the original. I love the original, and I think it's one of the great moviegoing experiences I ever had, and all of us involved were very much inclined to treat the material with as much honor and respect as we can."

But of course, respecting the original doesn't mean copying the original nor should it, so Protosevich pointed out a few differences. "I think one of the things that is different in our script and one of the things that I most remember from the film was the period of incarceration. We actually spend a little more time there and we shot for a week straight on this set that was just a small little room and Josh going through various makeups and transformations that correspond to different periods."

He also noted, "There are certain things that we felt were iconic to the original and we were absolutely going to use them. There were other things that I think we perhaps felt were culturally alien to what will be a western audience." Protosevich added, "There are also I think moments in the original film that are sort of these really unusual, unique visual moments that I think really, in a lot of ways, belong to that movie and to try to recreate them, that didn't feel right."

Protosevich dished out one particularly appropriate analogy that could put this whole thing into prospective. "What Spike and I often talked about was the idea of cover versions. Like, I love Neil Young's 'Like a Hurricane,' but Roxy Music does a great cover of it and I'm happy that both those things exist." On the other hand, he also noted, "If you feel that way about it, that it shouldn't even exist, there's nothing I can say or we can do that is going to change that opinion probably, because that's a very sort of fundamentalist belief. I just hope that perhaps there's a part of people who are open to the experience."

MOVIEROUNDUP (RONAN UP FOR STAR WARS, MACKIE TALKS CAPTAIN AMERICA & I SAW THE DEVIL HIS A COWARD)

MOVIE ROUNDUP 

(COMEDY FOR TYRION, OLDBOY IS A COWARD & MACKIE GETS NO SPANDEX)

TYRION WILL TO DO SOME COMEDY

Peter Dinklage is set to headline an untitled comedy at Paramount Pictures, says a story today at The Hollywood Reporter.

Although no story details have officially been released, the trade suggests that the film's plot involves around a man who tells people that he's a leprechaun. We also know that the film might be R-Rated.  

Dinklage is best known for playing Tyrion Lannister on HBO's "Game of Thrones." He's also appeared on the big screen in projects like The Station Agent and both versions of Death at a Funeral. He'll next star as Bolivar Trask in Bryan Singer's X-Men: Days of Future Past.

STAR WARS: EPISODE 7

For the last couple of months we have been hearing a number of different actors and actresses auditioning for the latest upcoming Star Wars film. Earlier in the week actress Saoirse Ronan revealed to Empire Magazine that she did infact audition for a role in the upcoming Star Wars film saying:

“Yeah, I did [audition for Star Wars Episode VII]… I don’t know whether I should have said that now! I mean, everyone did. Everyone has auditioned for it. So many people I know have gone in for the part I’ve gone in for, and guys who’ve gone in for a particular part, so I’d imagine J.J. is probably just scanning the earth to find the people that ne needs.”

Ronan also confirmed what we assumed, that no one knows anything about the movie.

“But nobody has a clue what it’s about, and nobody’s read the script. So I’ve gone in and read for it, but I have to say, I think it’s the only time I’ve ever thought, ‘You know what? Even if I don’t get it, I had so much fun auditioning, pretending to take out a lightsaber – out of a bag, kind of inspect it and not know what it is. That was… that was great. A lightsaber! Star Wars!”

Set to feature a script by Michael Arndt, Star Wars: Episode VII is rumored to focus on a new generation of heroes and could feature appearances by Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford in older incarnations of their beloved characters from the original Star Wars trilogy.

COWARD

Variety is reporting that Korean director Kim Jee-Woon (I Saw the Devil, The Last Stand) will be adapting "Coward," the first in Ed Brubaker's Criminal comic series, for the big screen. Brubaker has written the screenplay for the film, which was previously headed for an adaptation in 2011 with 30 Days of Night director David Slade. Jamie Patricof and Lynette Howell will produce the film.

Here's the official description for the comic:

"Coward is the story of Leo, a professional pickpocket who is also a legendary heist-planner and thief. But there's a catch with Leo, he won't work any job that he doesn't call all the shots on, he won't allow guns, and the minute things turn south, he's looking for any exit that won't land him in prison. But when he's lured into a risky heist, all his rules go out the window, and he ends up on the run from the cops and the bad men who double-crossed him. Now Leo must come face-to-face with the violence he's kept bottled up inside for 20 years, and nothing will ever be the same for him again."

Created by Brubaker and artist Sean Phillips, Criminal has won several Eisner Awards throughout its lifetime. Check back here for more news on the film as we learn it.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER

Captain America: The Winter Soldier has debuted footage of the film at Comic Con and Disney’s D23 Expo meeting a great amount of exciting from the fans. The footage however has yet to be leaked online and Marvel are still holding out the trailer, presumably waiting for the release of Thor: The Dark World.

However, it would seem that has stopped actor Anthony Mackie from talking with Rolling Stone on his role as Falcon in the upcoming sequel to First Avenger.

“I wanted Falcon to be really lean, so it couldn't have worked out better timing wise,” Mackie said when asked about his fitness. “I worked so hard to get my body in shape that I wanted to show it off. So I told Marvel I just wanted to be in spandex. But they decided that they wanted Falcon to be more of a military character, which I'm not complaining about, because my gear looks dope and I get to kick a lot of ass. Ever since I got in good shape, though, I'm all about spandex.

He was then asked if he had seen any footage for the film, “Yes, and it looks amazing. It's so much bigger than everyone thought it would be, and we're kicking a lot of ass. It's a lot of fun to be a part of, especially with Samuel L. Jackson, who's been my mentor for so many years.”

Rolling Stone then asked him if its rough having to hear about sequels second hand like many actors in the Marvel Universe tend to find out.

He replied saying, “It can be frustrating at times, because if you're not "in house" with them, if you're not one of the people making the vision and you have no way of knowing what's going on. It's kind of like a sports game – something great can happen at any moment. One day you'll get a call from Marvel that's like, "Hey, we need you in New Mexico right now for The Avengers 2." I'd ride a moped to that set if I had to. My friends keep saying, "you'll be doing these forever," but I don't know about that. If it works out, it works out. It's all very hush.”

Captain America: The Winter Soldier will release on April 4^th 2014.

MOVIE ROUNDUP (DUMBER & DUMBER TO, NEED FOR SPEED & GOTHAM TO TV)

MOVIE ROUNDUP 

(Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey are Dumb, the Gods of Egypt have a Need for Speed)

DUMB AND DUMBER TO

After years and years of stagnation on the Dumb and Dumber sequel, production is finally underway, with the first images of Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels back in character have been revealed by none other than Carrey himself. 

The Farrelly brothers return to direct, the story picks up in Rhode Island 18 years after the events of the first film, and The Walking Dead’s Laurie Holden recently landed the female lead.

This past Sunday Jeff Daniels managed to win the Best Actor in a Drama series Emmy Award and now he returns to Dumber and Dumber.

"There are some things [that] we're going to do in 'Dumb and Dumber To' that make the toilet scene [in the original] seem lame”, he stated when speaking to E! after the awards. “It pales in comparison and I can't divulge what, but just that they've topped it. [The] best thing about it? I get to work with a comedic genius."

He will be returning ofcourse with Jim Carrey and Daniels is also starring alongside Rachel Melvin, Kathleen Turner, Brady Bluhm, Laurie Holden and Steve Tom.

GODS OF EGYPT

Gerard Butler is rumored to be eyeing a role in directors Alex Proyas, Gods of Egypt. Alex Proyas, the man behind I, Robot and The Crow, has been trying to develop a film based on the classic novel, Paradise Lost which told the story of Lucifer’s fall from heaven and his subsequent role in the Garden of Eve. Alas that has come to nought, as Proyas turns his attentions to the Gods of Egypt.

Geoffrey Rush is said to have signed onto the film, as he will be joining "Game of Thrones" actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (aka Jamie “Kingslayer” Lannister).

Proyas is directing from an original screenplay by Burk Sharpless and Matt Sazama. The film tells the story of a common thief teaming with Gods on a magical quest. Coster-Waldau is playing Horus, God of the Sky, who teams with Hathor, the Goddess of Love, and the human thief to avenge the death of his father, Osiris.

Rush, who won an Academy Award for his role in Shine, will play Ra, the Egyptian sun God, who is father to both Set and Osiris.

NEED FOR SPEED

DreamWorks Pictures has released the first trailer for Need for Speed, starring Aaron Paul, Imogen Poots, Dominic Cooper, Ramon Rodriguez, Rami Malek, Harrison Gilbertson, Scott 'Kid Cudi' Mescudi, Michael Keaton and Dakota Johnson.

Opening in theaters on March 14, 2014, Need for Speed captures the thrills of the video game franchise in a real-world setting. The story chronicles a near-impossible cross-country race against time—one that begins as a mission for revenge, but proves to be one of redemption. In a last attempt to save his struggling garage, blue-collar mechanic Tobey Marshall (Paul)—who with his team skillfully builds and races muscle cars on the side—reluctantly partners with wealthy, arrogant ex-NASCAR driver Dino Brewster (Cooper). Just as a major sale to car broker Julia Bonet (Poots) looks like it will save the business, a disastrous, unsanctioned race results in Dino framing Tobey for manslaughter.

Two years later and fresh out of prison, Tobey is set on revenge with plans to take down Dino in the high-stakes De Leon race—the Super Bowl of underground racing. To get there in time, Tobey must run a high-octane, action-packed gauntlet, dodging cops coast-to-coast and dealing with fallout from a dangerous bounty Dino put on his car. With his loyal crew and the surprisingly resourceful Julia as allies, Tobey defies odds at every turn and proves that even in the flashy world of exotic supercars, the underdog can still finish first.

GOTHAM SERIES

Deadline reports that Fox will bring the Batman inspired Gotham series to TV.  The show will see Commissioner Gordon working as a detective at the Gotham City Police Department before he even meets Batman.  In an interesting note, the Caped Crusader is not intended to be part of the series.  Also interesting to see Fox land the project, which might be an indication of its tone since it isn’t playing on The CW, a network that has found success with the DC property Arrow, and hopes to repeat with a Flash spin-off.

Fox has also made a series commitment for Gotham, scripted by Bruno Heller (The Mentalist).

The news comes as Fox won out on a bidding war for the Warner Bros. TV property.

My guess is that the TV series will be focused on Commissioners Gordon young days as Detective, long before Batman comes into the picture. Hopefully he will take down some memorable villains!

ESPN: THOSE GUYS HAVE ALL THE FUN

Derek Cianfrance is set to adapt ESPN: Those Guys Have All the Fun, The Wrap Reports. Cianfrance is known for his heavy Dramas with films like Blue Valentine and Place Beyond the Pines. 

Based on a book of the same name, ESPN: Those Guys Have All the Fun, synopsis is as follows:

It began, in 1979, as a mad idea of starting a cable channel to televise local sporting events throughout the state of Connecticut. Today, ESPN is arguably the most successful network in modern television history, spanning eight channels in the Unites States and around the world. But the inside story of its rise has never been fully told-until now.

Drawing upon over 500 interviews with the greatest names in ESPN’s history and an All-Star collection of some of the world’s finest athletes, bestselling authors James Miller and Tom Shales take us behind the cameras. Now, in their own words, the men and women who made ESPN great reveal the secrets behind its success-as well as the many scandals, rivalries, off-screen battles and triumphs that have accompanied that ascent. From the unknown producers and business visionaries to the most famous faces on television, it’s all here.