The International (2009) Trailer

Columbia Pictures has revealed the new trailer for director Tom Tykwer's The International, starring Clive Owen and Naomi Watts. 

In the gripping thriller, opening February 13, Interpol Agent Louis Salinger (Owen) and Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Eleanor Whitman (Watts) are determined to bring to justice one of the world's most powerful banks. Uncovering myriad and reprehensible illegal activities, Salinger and Whitman follow the money from Berlin to Milan to New York to Istanbul. Finding themselves in a high-stakes chase across the globe, their relentless tenacity puts their own lives at risk as their targets will stop at nothing – even murder – to continue financing terror and war. 

Starring: Clive Owen, Naomi Watts, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Brían F. O'Byrne

Release Date: February 13, 2009

I Am Legend Prequel

It is official, Warner Bros has greenlit a prequel to I Am Legend. Will Smith has signed on to reprise his role as Robert Neville, and Francis Lawrence has returned as director. Looks like Lawrence won’t be finding time to work on Chuck Palahniuk’s Survivor anytime soon. According to Variety, D.B. Weiss (The Game) is writing the script based on a detailed plot outline that was developed over the past few months by Smith, Lawrence, Akiva Goldsman (producer and screenwriter of the original). 

The prequel will follow Neville in the last days before and after the man-made virus kills/mutates New York City. A sequel was considered, but obviously wouldn’t have been possible without starting over with a completely new lead character/actor. No word on if author Richard Matheson was consulted about the film. Apocalyptic stories usually sit in one of two categories, pre-Apocalyptic (ie Armageddon, Independence Day) or post-Apocalyptic (I Am Legend, Children of Men), so it will be an interesting change to see a film which might straddle both.

Kumar Directors Do Us Part

Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, the creators of the Harold and Kumar films, have signed on to write and direct Til Beth Do Us Part for Warner Bros. The comedy is about two friends who have their friendship put to the test when one of them becomes engaged. The film is said to be similar in tone to the Kumar films, but without the crazy fantastical elements. Nobody has been cast as the two male leads, but Warner hopes to have the film in production before April 2009. I’m interested to see what Hurwitz and Schlossberg can do outside of the racial discrimination/weed-infused comedy of Harold and Kumar.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Remake Gets Pink

MGM has hired Steve Pink (Accepted) to write and direct a remake of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. The original 1988 Frank Oz film starred Steve Martin and Michael Caine as two con men who find that their town isn’t big enough for the two of them. They agree to a “loser leaves” bet. In 2005, the film was adapted into a Broadway musical starring John Lithgow. No actors have been cast but top-level talent is said to be interested. MGM has gone remake crazy as of late, with Red Dawn, Robocop, Fame and Poltergeist already in various stages of development.

Kanye Bumps Album Up, Single Debuts At No. 3

So much for the Kanye West/50 Cent album showdown in December. Originally due Dec. 16, West's new album "808s & Heartbreak" is now arriving on "November something," according to a West blog post. 

"I finished the album and I felt like (moving up the date)," he wrote. "I want yall to hear it as soon as possible." A Def Jam spokesperson was unavailable for comment at deadline. 

With 50 Cent's "Before I Self Destruct" due Dec. 9, it was shaping up to be a near repeat of the 2007 battle between he and West at the tail end of the year. That September, both men released new albums on the 11th, with West's "Graduation" outselling 50's "Curtis" 957,000 to 691,000. 

West's new single, "Love Lockdown," is proving to be an instant smash. It will debut tomorrow (Sept. 25) at a career-best No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, thanks to first-week digital download sales of 213,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Johnny Depp Cast in Burton’s Alice, The Lone Ranger and Pirates of the Caribbean 4

I just spent the last six and a half hours in the Kodak Theater in Hollywood watching Disney’s big keynote event. So the next few stories will be about the big announcements that came out of the presentation. 

Johnny Depp has been cast as The Lone Ranger in the upcoming Jerry Bruckheimer produced adaptation of the classic old-time radio and early television show created by George W. Trendle. Depp will play a masked Texas Ranger in the Old West who rights injustices with the aid of his native American assistant, Tonto. He gallops along on his white horse Silver. The character’s signature quote is “Hi-yo, Silver, away!” Pirates of the Caribbean writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio have been writing the script. No start or release dates have been announced. 

Depp must have signed a multi-picture deal with the studio, because it was also announced that the actor would play The Madd Hatter in Tim Burton’s 3D part live-action, part computer animated adaptation of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Principal photography is set to begin in November, with a March 5th 2010 release date previously announced. Concept art from the film was shown, showing the classic Alice in Wonderland scenes done in Tim Burton style, complete with curved and slanted corners. Everything is really stylized. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb have huge heads, and are shaped like upward missiles. None of the characters look like a dramatic departure from the traditional designs. 

At the conclusion of the presentation, Walt Disney Studios Chairman Richard W. “Dick” Cook announced “How about another pirates movie!?” signaling that Depp was now signed for Pirates of the Caribbean 4.

Bruce Willis To Direct Three Stories

It looks like "Die Hard" star Bruce Willis will be moving behind the camera, making his directorial debut with the indie psychological drama Three Stories About Joan. Willis will be taking a supporting role in the movie as the father of Camilla Belle's title character with Kieran Culkin co-starring. 

Based on the screenplay by Christopher Alexander and Sam Applebaum, the story centers on a young woman at three points in her life and the family tragedies that cause her to lose her grip on reality. 

It's scheduled to start shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana starting early next month.

Cars 2: New Release Date, Story Details, Short Car-Toons

During the animation presentation of the Walt Disney Showcase, John Lasseter announced that Cars 2 would be pushed forward to the Summer of 2011, from the film’s previously announced 2012 release slot. He also revealed that the idea for a sequel came to him as he was traveling the world doing publicity for the original movie. He wondered what the characters of Cars would think about all these different locales, with the weird traffic situations and strange foreign automobiles. The sequel will follow Mater the tow truck who gets his passport and takes a worldwide trip with Lightning McQueen. 

A series of short interstitial Cars-based cartoons titled Car-toons will begin to air on the Disney Channel. One or two might even be shown theatrical before Disney released films. The shorts are structured as Mater’s Tall Tales, and each new short will feature a new outrageous story. The first short in the series was shown. Mater explained to Lightning how he use to be a fire truck, and even saved McQueen from a burning building. The next two shorts will feature the tall tales of how Mater use to be a daredevil (ala Evil Knievel) and a bull fighter. I wasn’t a big fan of these shorts, and Cars was my least favorite Pixar film to date (aside from the Route 66 stuff).

The All-American Rejects Give You Hell

The All-American Rejects' just released their new single, "Give You Hell",  and it can be streamed on their imeem player below. It is the first single off of their upcoming When the World Comes Down which is set to be released November 18.

Kanye West Has Hand In Puppet Pilot

Comedy Central has teamed with Kanye West for a project described as hip-hop meets the Muppets. A half-hour pilot has been shot for the project, tentatively titled "Alligator Boots." 

It's from Jackhole Prods., the production company founded by Jimmy Kimmel, Daniel Kellison and Adam Carolla that also was behind Comedy Central's puppet-centric "Crank Yankers." 

The project, which is under consideration for 2009, would feature music produced and performed by West and fellow rapper Rhymefest, both of whom are serving as executive producers on the pilot alongside Kellison. 

West also hosts the pilot; the idea is to have a different celebrity guest host for every episode, similar to the setup on the original "Muppet Show." 

West's new album, "808s & Heartbreak," is due Dec. 16 via Def Jam. First single "Love Lockdown" is at iTunes now.

All-American Rejects Take On The 'World'

The All-American Rejects have wrapped their third album, "When the World Comes Down," and will release it Nov. 18 via Interscope. First single "Gives You Hell" will debut via a mobile campaign where fans text a special code to obtain it. 

The set is the follow-up to the Rejects' 2005 album "Move Along," which has sold more than 2 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. 

"World" was produced by Eric Valentine (Queens Of The Stone Age, Smash Mouth). Other songs include "Mona Lisa," "The Real World," "Breaking's What the Heart Is For" and "Another Heart Calls," a duet with the Pierces. 

"There's definitely some of the hardest moments we've ever had and some of the softest moments we've ever had, and everything in between," guitarist Nick Wheeler tells Billboard. "We're just trying to make it better than the last one, because we want to and it needs to be."

Nicolas Cage and Dominic Sena's Witchy Reunion

Variety reports that Nicolas Cage is reteaming with Dominic Sena, the director of his 2000 action remake of Gone in 60 Seconds, for a new movie called Season of the Witch, which chronicles the journey of 14th century knights transporting a girl suspected of being the witch responsible for spreading the Black Plague. 

Written by Bragi Schut Jr., the film is being produced by Atlas Entertainment’s Charles Roven and Alex Gartner for Relativity Media and and Columbia Pictures with shooting scheduled to begin in Austria and Hungary some time in early November.

Bekmambetov to direct 'Moby Dick'

Universal steers reimagining of Melville classic 

Universal Pictures has made a splashy preemptive buy of "Moby Dick," a reimagining of the Herman Melville whale tale that Timur Bekmambetov ("Wanted") will direct. 

Studio paid high six figures to Adam Cooper and Bill Collage to pen the screenplay. 

The writers revere Melville’s original text, but their graphic novel-style version will change the structure. Gone is the first-person narration by the young seaman Ishmael, who observes how Ahab’s obsession with killing the great white whale overwhelms his good judgment as captain. 

This change will allow them to depict the whale’s decimation of other ships prior to its encounter with Ahab’s Pequod, and Ahab will be depicted more as a charismatic leader than a brooding obsessive. 

"Our vision isn’t your grandfather’s ‘Moby Dick,’ " Cooper said. "This is an opportunity to take a timeless classic and capitalize on the advances in visual effects to tell what at its core is an action-adventure revenge story." 

Scott Stuber is producing with Jim Lemley and Cormac and Marianne Wibberley. 

Both Stuber and Bekmambetov have deals at Universal. Bekmambetov will look to apply the visual flourish he displayed on the U summer hit "Wanted." 

"We wanted to take a graphic novel sensibility to a classic narrative," said Collage. They brought it to the Wibberlys, the "National Treasure" scribes who are branching into producing and will team with Stuber. The project then caught the fancy of Bekmambetov and Lemley, who teamed with the helmer on "Wanted." 

Bekmambetov is developing a sequel to the Angelina Jolie starrer and is also mobilizing and producing a slate of modestly budgeted Russian-language films for Universal’s offshore distribution operations. 

Cooper and Collage received credit on the comedy "Accepted" and more recently did rewrite work on the untitled Trump Heist movie, the Tom Bezucha-directed "The People’s House" and the McG-helmed "Nightcrawlers." 

WMA made the deal and repped the scribes, Bekmambetov and the Wibberleys.

Samuel L. Jackson Cops Another #1 Movie

The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend. Click here for the full box office estimates of the top 12 films and then check back on Monday for the final figures based on actual box office. 

After a weekend with three new movies grossing $15 million, this weekend saw only one and that was Lakeview Terrace, the new thriller from Screen Gems starring Samuel L. Jackson and directed by Neil LaBute, which took in $15.6 million in less than 2,500 theaters, averaging $6.3k per site. It is Jackson's 13th #1 movie as a headlining star since his breakout in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction almost 14 years ago. 

It also knocked Joel & Ethan Coen's dark comedy Burn After Reading (Focus Features) down to the #2 spot, as it saw a moderate 41% drop with $11.3 million in its second weekend bringing its total gross to $36.4 million. 

In the meantime, Kate Hudson's first starring role in an R-rated movie with the romantic comedy My Best Friend's Girl (Lionsgate), co-starring Dane Cook and Jason Biggs, took in a disappointing $8.3 million, opening in the most theaters for the new wide releases but averaging the least. It was followed closely in fourth place by MGM computer animated family film Igor, featuring the voice of John Cusack, which took in $8 million in 2,339 theaters. 

Two of last week's top movies took major tumbles as both the Robert De Niro-Al Pacino crime-thriller Righteous Kill (Overture) and Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys (Lionsgate) lost over 50% of their opening business, flopping places as Righteous Kill took fifth place with $7.7 million and Perry's movie brought in $7.5 million in sixth place. Both movies have grossed just over $28 million. 

The fourth movie from last week, Diane English's chick flick The Women, dropped to 7th place with $5.3 million, down 48% from its opening weekend with a gross of $19.2 million. 

With the best reviews for the weekend, David Koepp's comedy Ghost Town (DreamWorks), starring Ricky Gervais and Téa Leoni, opened with $5.2 million in 1,505 theaters for 8th place.

The Top 10 was rounded out by Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight (Warner Bros.) with $2.9 million, and the Anna Faris comedy The House Bunny (Sony) with slightly less. The year's biggest movie (that's Dark Knight) has grossed $522 million after ten weeks in the Top 10, though it will probably be losing many of its IMAX venues on Friday when DreamWorks' Eagle Eye opens. 

Two movies slated to open wide in October received platform releases in New York, L.A. and other cities with Ed Harrris' Western Appaloosa (Warner Bros.) bringing in $258 thousand in 14 theaters while the period drama The Duchess(Paramount Vantage), starring Keira Knightley, grossing $203 thousand in half as many theaters. 

The Top 10 grossed $74.5 million, which is just slightly less than the Top 10 grossed in the same period last year.

The Sims Movie Explained

When I heard they were making a big screen adaptation of Will Wright’s The Sims, I wondered how they planned on creating a narrative out of a game which has no narrative. In the game you basically are god and control human characters, and create their home/world. Turns out the film adaptation will be more about you playing the game then the game itself. Producer John Davis explains the “Weird Science”-like idea to Collider: 

“The Sims, as you know, you can control your imaginary world, right? And our movie, a young man, a 16 year old kid of a 14 year old kid and his friend get their hands on this thing called the Sims Infinity Pack, right, which kind of this very strange video game store which was there just for that moment, and seemingly wasn’t all that. But what they realize is that they can scan their world in, because this is the most life like, real Sims game ever. And as they are playing this they are all of a sudden realizing is what they are playing on the game is having an effect on the real world. So in effect, through the game, they are able to control their world. It’s wish fulfillment, and obviously it turns against them.” 

I’m still not sure what to think of a Sims movie, but now that it has a Twilight Zone type of spin to it, I’m a little more interested.

Samuel L. Jackson, M. Night Shyamalan On The ‘Unbreakable’ Sequel That Never Was, But Might Be

Love his work or hate it, there’s no denying that M. Night Shyamalan always seems to be one step ahead of the curve with his films — from the twist no one saw coming in “The Sixth Sense,” to finding new ways to scare the crap outta moviegoers with “Signs” and “The Village.” And he was even years ahead of the current comic book movie boom (for better and for worse) when “Unbreakable” hit theaters in 2000. 

So that being said, is it time for Shyamalan to take a step back for a change and revisit his superhero/supervillain film with a sequel, given the rampant popularity of the superhero genre? 

“I tell you I get asked about it all the time, so it’s not [an idea] I ever forget,” Shyamalan told MTV News. “I genuinely just asked this question the other day — should I make ‘Unbreakable 2’?” 

If Shyamalan does indeed decide to revisit “Unbreakable,” he’ll have at least one of the original film’s stars ready and willing to join up — Samuel L. Jackson, who played the very-breakable villain, Elijah Price, in the movie. 

“Every time I see [Shyamalan], he says, ‘I’ve written this thing for you,’ so I say, ‘why are you always doing these movies I’m not in?’” said Jackson. 

According to both Shyamalan and Jackson, “Unbreakable” was originally intended to be a trilogy, but a series of bad reviews as well as fan and film critic misconception of Shyamalan’s work quickly tabled the idea of a possible franchise. As Jackson put it, “He was a victim of what Quentin [Tarrantino] was a victim of. ‘Jackie Brown’ is a great movie, but it’s not ‘Pulp Fiction 2.’ ‘Unbreakable’ is a great movie, but it’s not ‘I see f**king dead people.’” 

Likewise, Shyamalan has his own take on the lack of a sequel. “I made the mistake of getting caught up in the hype of the immediate reaction of the movie, which, experience has shown me, is not accurate to any of my movies,” he explained. “And If I had been more confident and said ‘I believe in that movie, I love that movie, and I should just go start writing the second one,” that would’ve been the right move. I’ve still been thinking about it a lot and wonder if it’s too late.” 

Shyamalan even sat down with Jackson during the film’s production to discuss where his character could and would go had the film spawned a sequel. 

“Back then we talked about what the rest would entail,” recalled Jackson. “I broke out of the mental institution. I’m out there doing stuff and ["Unbreakable" co-star Bruce Willis' "David Dunn" is] after me. It’s very cool. He still wears that rain thing, that windbreaker.” 

So the idea seems to be there, and Jackson’s ready to break out the funky hair-do(n’t) and purple suit, so — bottom line — will we see an “Unbreakable 2,” Mr. Shyamalan? 

“I do love the [comic book movie] genre, I just wanna make sure that I’m able to express who I am,” explained Shyamalan. “I don’t want to get so lost in the subject that I have to neuter everything that’s me in it, so maybe ‘Unbreakable’ is the comic book thing I should do — I keep coming back to that.” 

We’ll take that as a solid “maybe.”

Chow to Direct and Star in Green Hornet!

Stephen Chow, one of Asia's most popular box-office draws as the award-winning star and director of such films as Kung Fu Hustle, CJ7, and Shaolin Soccer, will direct Seth Rogen and star opposite him as Kato in Columbia Pictures' The Green Hornet, set for release June 25, 2010, it was announced today by Doug Belgrad and Matt Tolmach, presidents of Columbia Pictures. The screenplay is by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg, who will also executive produce. Neal H. Moritz is the producer through his Original Film production company. 

In tapping Chow to helm The Green Hornet, Sony Pictures Entertainment continues a long association with the star and director. Under its local language initiative, Sony co-produced and released Chow's Kung Fu Hustle, which went on to gross over $100 million worldwide and received a Golden Globe® nomination as well as six Hong Kong Film Awards and five Taiwan Golden Horse Awards. Sony also released CJ7. 

Commenting on the announcement, Tolmach said, "When Seth, Evan, and Neal said they wanted Stephen Chow to be part of 'The Green Hornet,' it was a fantasy. Now that it's happening, it's almost too good to be true. Stephen's been a very important part of the Sony family for many years, so it's truly serendipitous for us to be moving forward with him directing the movie and starring as Kato." 

Chow added, "I'm excited to be taking on 'The Green Hornet' -- obviously, I've been a huge fan of the show since I was a kid. The idea of stepping into Bruce Lee's shoes as Kato is both humbling and thrilling, and to get the chance to direct the project as my American movie debut is simply a dream come true. I'm grateful to my friends at Sony, who have shown so much faith in me for so many years. I'm looking forward to working with Seth, Evan, Neal, and the team at Sony, and I'm eager to get started." 

Moritz said, "'The Green Hornet' is a dream project and it's come together in a dream way. Seth will be fantastic in the lead role, and Stephen was the only name on the list for Kato. The material is a perfect match for his sensibilities -- Stephen in the director's chair is the best thing for the film." 

Rogen said, "Stephen was always my and Evan's first choice for director and to play Kato. We just hope that he never finds out we're not the Wachowski Brothers."

Ori Marmur will serve as the Executive Producer of the film. 

Chow previously told us of his interest in the project. "When I saw the program, I thought it was a great role and thought it was outstanding, because I'm Chinese and it's Bruce Lee, but I'd be happy to play that role," he said. 

Later, we asked Seth Rogen about approaching Chow, who answered, "It's a very intense action movie and the relationship between Green Hornet and Kato, a lot of comedy comes from that. At first actually, we weren't even sure going in we could be more of a Jet Li type guy who maybe isn't the funniest guy in the world, but he's physically very impressive, or whether it would be more of a Stephen Chow type guy who can do martial arts, but clearly has a sense of humor. In the version that we've made it seems like a Stephen Chow type guy would be more suitable for the role. Again, until they officially greenlight it, it's hard to make any of those decisions."

50 Cent, Kanye Set For December Album Battle

In what could be a repeat of their battle for marketplace domination last September, 50 Cent and Kanye West will release new albums a week apart in December. 

An Interscope representative confirms 50's "Before I Self Destruct" will arrive Dec. 9, while West's "808's and Heartbreak" is due Dec. 16 via Def Jam. In its debut week last year, West's "Graduation" easily outsold 50's "Curtis," both of which came out Sept. 11. 

During a recent performance in Albany, N.Y., 50 Cent took a moment to poke fun at West's new single "Love Lockdown" with a sarcastic rendition of his own. The rapper also played the new song "Burn." 

Meanwhile, "Love Lockdown" is now available for purchase from Apple's iTunes Music Store, where it has quickly become one of the top downloads there. 

"I guarantee this will be 50's favorite album of mine," West wrote today on his blog. "This will be gangster's album of the year." 

I usually don’t do this, but I have to comment on this news story. I thought last year when Kanye West and 50 Cent released there albums on the same day 50 said if Kanye out sold him he would quit rapping, then Kanye dominated him by selling nearly 300,000 more albums than Mr. Cent in the first week, and now 50 is out there talking shit again. Smart move 50 Cent, I think it will definitely work this time (that was my sarcastic voice).

Eminem 'Banging Out Tracks' For New Album

After years away from the limelight, Eminem may be releasing a new album this year. 

The MC admitted he's been producing for his Shady Records artists and himself during a recent appearance on his Sirius satellite radio station, Shade 45, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Delicious Vinyl Records. Eminem also interviewed MC Masta Ace, who he's long noted as an influence. 

"I'm concentrating on my own stuff right now -just banging out tracks," Eminem said. "The more I keep producing, the better it seems I get. I start knowing stuff, learning the boards like the back of my hands." 

A representative for Interscope says there is no official release date nor a first single, but confirms that an album may come before the year's end. Eminem's last effort, "Encore," was released in 2004. 

In addition, 50 Cent spoke to BBC's Radio 1 this week and said fans will be "seeing [Eminem] shortly. He's working. I spent the weekend at his house. Even though he tries to relax and stay home, it's impossible for him to stay in."

Weezer Heads Back To Studio In November

Weezer doesn't plan to waste any time in getting to work on its next album. Drummer Pat Wilson tells Billboard.com that the quartet plans to start recording the follow-up to this year's "Weezer" (aka "The Red Album") in early November. 

"A week after we get off tour, we're gonna be in the studio with Jacknife (Lee) again," reports Wilson. 

Lee, who produced two songs on the latest Weezer album, is coming to California for the sessions, and Wilson says work on the project has already begun. "We send him stuff that we've got, ideas that we have, whether it's a whole song or a killer riff we can build around or something," Wilson explains. "It's all going to him right now." 

Wilson says that as on the "Red" album, all four members of Weezer will be writing, singing lead and switching instruments: "It just seemed like that was the healthy way to keep everything feeling fresh. After 15 years of doing it the other way, it just felt like it was time." And Wilson credits the opening up of Weezer's creative process with helping the band become more prolific. 

"Now that we've got more writers, we don't have to wait for (frontman) Rivers (Cuomo) to have a bunch of songs he's happy with," he notes. "We used to take forever to make a record, then tour on it forever and be burnt out and not do anything for two years. This is a lot better." 

As for the next album's title, Wilson admits, "if I had my way, we would just use colors from now on, then we wouldn't have to think about titles. We must've had a hundred titles for the ('Red') record, and none of them felt right so we just gave up and said, 'OK, let's just make a color.'" 

Weezer's next album will also be the last for its current contract with DGC Records, but Wilson says the group has "no idea" what it plans to do in the future. "We're just really focused on trying to make the best record we can," he says. "I'm sure at that point we'll have all kinds of different options and we'll figure out what's the best for us." 

Weezer kicks off a North American headlining tour on Sept. 23 in Lowell, Mass. It wraps Oct. 25 in Duluth, Ga.

New Bond Song Online, “Another Way to Die” with Alicia Keys and Jack White

With every new Bond movie we get the new theme song, there have been hits and misses, and recently the new song for Quantum of Solace was released on the web and I would put it somewhere in the upper middle after listening to it once. 

Give it a listen below via imeem. Quantum of Solace opens Friday, November 14, 2008.