Useless News

Third Harold & Kumar Starts Production

2010-06-21T12:42:00.000-04:00

Earlier today, "Harold & Kumar" co-creator Jon Hurwitz, who directed the first two movies Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle and its sequel Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay announced on his Twitter account that the third movie A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas has started filming:

Harold & Kumar 3 has officially started shooting. That is all.

John Cho and Kal Penn are back in the lead roles, and the movie is filming somewhere in Michigan, which has recently become a hotbed for film productions going by the recent announcement of projects. Directing this time around is Todd Strauss-Schulson, who has previously directed various MTV programs and a couple shorts. When it was originally announced, the movie was slated for a November 5, 2010 release, but it seems that a June/July shoot might be cutting it tight for a holiday release this year, so one can probably assume it will get a release late next year.

Hurwitz is also currently developing American Pie 4 to co-direct with his regular collaborator Hayden Schlossberg, which is why they aren't directing the third installment. No word on when that might start shooting or get a release just yet.

USA Orders Two Pilots

2010-05-18T11:00:00.000-04:00

USA has ordered two pilots to be shot this summer, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

A Legal Mind focuses on a brilliant young man who lands a job at a corporate law firm despite lacking a college degree. The project will be executive-produced by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity).

USA sets premiere Covert Affairs, return date for White Collar

Necessary Roughness revolves around a divorced female sports therapist whose consulting gig with a pro football team leads to more opportunities.

Neither pilot has been cast yet.

Men in Black III Set for May 25, 2012

2010-05-11T10:20:00.000-04:00

Remember a couple weeks ago when we told you that Barry Sonnenfeld had confirmed Will Smith for Men in Black III and that the film would be in 3D? Well, now those two facts are double-confirmed (slow news week) but Deadline offers a new tidbit of info: Sony has set the film for May 25, 2012. That’ll be a crowded summer: The Avengers hits May 4, Battleship also lands May 25, then Star Trek 2, Spider-Man and Batman 3 are all set for the weeks following.

Deadline says that Smith is the only one who has signed (again, repeating what we knew) and that Sony is in talks with Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin to get their contracts sealed. Deadline also offers that this one is getting into gear quickly, with Rick Baker already designing and building creatures, Bo Welch designing sets and David Koepp doing a last polish on Etan Cohen’s script. I’m always eager to see any new creature work from Rick Baker, but the 3D thing definitely lessens the appeal.

Stallone on the Future of Rambo: “I Don’t Think There’ll Be Any More”

2010-05-05T19:47:00.001-04:00

Ever since Sylvester Stallone turned most of the adult male population of Burma to bloody gibs in his return to the Rambo character, there has been talk of a fifth Rambo film. Just what the story might be has been subject to speculation. Rumors abounded of a homecoming tale, a film tinged with sci-fi, and, based on one of Stallone’s last updates, a south of the border tale in which Rambo finds or avenges missing women.

Now, however, it seems like there are no possibilities for Rambo any longer. Stallone says he’s “99% sure” the fifth film won’t happen.

Empire talked to Stallone about the film while putting together a feature on The Expendables. “I think Rambo’s pretty well done. I don’t think there’ll be any more,” Stallone says.

I was going to do it…I said I’d never talk about this, but with I feel that with Rocky Balboa, that character came complete circle. He went home. But for Rambo to go on another adventure might be, I think, misinterpreted as a mercenary gesture and not necessary. I don’t want that to happen…I’m very happy with the last Burmese episode, because I didn’t pull any punches on it.

But there is a small future for Rambo, as Stallone says he’s working on a director’s cut that will reinstate twelve minutes to the fourth film. As long as ten of those minutes involve guys exploding, I am so in. Blu-ray, please!

Actually, there will probably be much less than ten minutes of exploding dudes, as Stallone says part of what he’s putting back in is an opening speech where Rambo tells the Julie Benz character why his life has been a disappointment and a waste, and war is natural. So it’s a comedy!

(That crack is mostly in jest; as popcorn movies about post-traumatic stress go, the original First Blood is actually a pretty damn good treatment. Maybe he can bring that full circle now.)

Stallone will be making a sequel to another movie, however. He says he’s hard at work putting together another Expendables film.

Rumor: Will Smith On Board for Two Independence Day Sequels?

2010-03-30T11:27:00.001-04:00

Back in November 2009, Roland Emmerich told MTV that not only are they developing an Independence Day sequel, but he hopes to film it as two-back-to-back movies. At the time I just thought he was throwing outrageous claims into the wind, seeing how far they may travel. Since the first film was realized in 1996, Will Smith has become one of Hollywood’s biggest and most bankable movie stars (and now producer). What that means is that he costs big bucks, over $20 million plus a percentage of the first dollar gross. 20th Century Fox is notoriously cheap (except when James Cameron is somehow able to trick the studio into spending hundreds of millions to make billions). Emmerich even said as much in an interview with LatinoReview.

Well it appears like the situation has changed, Will Smith is aboard for two sequels, and the films will be shot back-to-back. This according to IESB, who has a notoriously good track record when it comes to Fox rumors, so its very possible. According to the report, Emmerich would go into production on ID4-2 / ID4-3 after his William Shakespeare thriller Anonymous when Smith is finished with either The City That Sailed or Men in Black 3 (whichever project the star chooses to tackle next).

Emmerich previously said that the reason for two movies is that he wants “to do a bigger [story] arc” which will “continue the story” and begin “twelve, thirteen, fourteen years” after the first one ended. Emmerich even floated a possible title for the new films: “ID4-Ever” followed by “Part I” and “Part II” Lets hope that much changes. The story would again be set on planet Earth, presumably mostly rebuilt since the last time we saw it, when a new invasion again threatens the world.

No other story details have been revealed, but I would assume that it wouldn’t be an Independence Day sequel if most of the original characters didn’t return. I wonder where Bill Pullman’s President Thomas J. Whitmore might be a decade and a half later. Is he still in office? Who knows, America might’ve changed the law to extend the President’s term of office. I’m sure a lot of things will be very different than the world we knew before. This would be an alien invasion movie set in a changed world, post 7-04 (remember, this is a world in which 9/11 never happened, and ID-4 is remembered as “THAT DAY”).

I’m interested to see if this rumor takes off, and Fox greenlights the back-to-back productions. A couple Independence Day sequels could be fun, especially in 3D. For me, ID4 is the only one of Emmerich’s disaster movies in which we actually care about the characters. I’m actually interested to see where they have been, and how they handle the next alien war.

Reynolds and Bateman Ready for a Change Up

2010-03-12T12:19:00.000-05:00

Ryan Reynolds (upcoming Green Lantern) and Jason Bateman will star in the Universal comedy Change Up, to be directed by David Dobkin.

The film centers on a responsible family man (Bateman) who switches bodies with his best friend, a lazy man-child (Reynolds).

The Hangover writers Jon Lucas and Scott Moore wrote the script.

Frank Miller Talks 300 Follow-Up

2009-12-15T16:35:00.000-05:00

The Los Angeles Times received an update from Frank Miller about his follow-up to 300, which earned $456 million in theaters worldwide.

Miller says the new project, now titled Xerxes, begins about 10 years before the events of 300, and Zack Snyder has expressed interest in it as a film property as well. "It's the battle of Marathon through my lens," Miller said. "I've finished the plot and I'm getting started on the artwork."

Miller said that during his research trips to Greece he realized that the myth and history overlap begins to blur, which adds to the storytelling allure. "The fact and the myth are inseparable and, believe me, when you go sailing for a while in the Aegean Sea, you start believing in Poseidon."

No Third Season for Flight of the Conchords

2009-12-12T13:40:00.000-05:00

HBO's The Flight of the Conchords has taken off for the last time. The comedy starring the New Zealand duo will not return.

"We are today announcing that we won't be returning for a third season. We're very proud of the two seasons we made and we like the way the show ended," a statement on their Web site from stars Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement and fellow executive producer James Booth read. "We'd like to thank everyone who helped make the show and also everyone who watched it. While the characters Bret and Jemaine will no longer be around, the real Bret and Jemaine will continue to exist."

McKenzie and Clement, under the name Flight of the Conchords, gained a reputation for their mix of comedy and acoustic folk music in their native New Zealand. The duo hosted a BBC radio series before Flight of the Conchords premiered on HBO in August 2007. On the half-hour comedy, McKenzie and Clement played fictional versions of themselves who move to New York in search of fame and fortune.

The series' second season premiered in February to 826,000 viewers, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Over its two seasons, the show was nominated for 10 Emmys, including best comedy series and best actor in a comedy series for Clement following Season 2.

HBO declined to comment.

TNT Has a New Take on Dallas

2009-12-08T20:40:00.001-05:00

TNT has a new take on "Dallas" and has hired Cynthia Cidre ("Cane," Mambo Kings) to write the project, says The Hollywood Reporter. Warner Horizon is producing the series.

TNT and Warner Horizon are not giving away story details, but the trade says the initial idea was to have the series revolve around J.R. and Sue Ellen's son John Ross and Bobby and Pam's adopted son Christopher.

They add that Patrick Duffy, who played Bobby in the original series, Larry Hagman (J.R.) and Linda Gray (Sue Ellen) were approached two months ago about potentially reprising their roles.

"Dallas" premiered in 1978 on CBS and ran for 13 seasons.

Big Boi Finishes Album, Predicts Busy 2010 For Outkast

2009-12-08T13:35:00.000-05:00

If Antwan Andre "Big Boi" Patton has his way, 2010 will be a busy year for he and Outkast mate Andre "3000" Benjamin -- collectively and apart.

After leaking tracks for more than a year and a half, Big Boi has just turned in his new solo album, "Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty." He tells Billboard.com it will be the first of a batch of new music from the Atlanta duo. "This is all in the next year or so," Big Boi says, "starting with my album coming at the top of the year, Dre 3000 right after me...and when the solo albums come out, depending on how the fans support them, then we're gonna give them the Outkast album."

Big Boi did not predict whether Outkast will play any live dates in 2010, but he does plan to hit the road in support of "Sir Lucious...," which he's already started to do with a spot on this year's Rock The Bells tour and some sporadic, "high-powered funk energy extravaganza" solo shows in the fall and winter. The rapper has also given fans a generous taste of the music he's been working on for nearly three years via several leaked tracks: Royal Flush," which features Andre 3000 and Raekwon; "Sumthin's Gotta Give" with Mary J. Blige; "Dubbz"; "Fo Yo Sorrows" with George Clinton and Too $hort; and most recently, "Shine Blockas" with Gucci Mane.

"It's almost like giving them a little sampler from the album and showing how diverse it is," explains Big Boi, who also worked with T.I., Lil Jon, Jamie Foxx and newcomer B.o.B. on the album. "Every song that I put out sounds totally different from the previous songs I put out. I slow-cooked this album and, man, I'm just so happy it's about to come out. I cannot wait to give it to the fans."

Several release dates have been mentioned during the past year for "Sir Lucious...," but Big Boi says he wanted to make sure that both the creative and business aspects of the album were in sync before putting it out.

"There's been a lot of stops and stars with this project," he acknowledges. "I've just been trying to make sure we've got the right avenues and the right brains and mindsets together to get the marketing and promoting behind it. When you work on something for, like, two years and 11 months, it's like your baby. You want to make sure that everybody has taken the project the way they're supposed to be taking it and the set-up is right."

Besides "Sir Lucious...," Big Boi also guested on the Gucci Mane track "She's Got a Friend" with Juelz Santana, did a remix of Mariah Carey's "H.A.T.E.U." and worked on tracks for Janelle Monae's next album.

The Blind Side Tops New Moon

2009-12-07T13:13:00.001-05:00

The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend.

In their third weekend facing each other, Warner Bros.' The Blind Side took over the top spot from Summit's The Twilight Saga: New Moon, the former earning an estimated $20.4 million for a total of $129.3 million. The Sandra Bullock-starrer, made for just $29 million, dropped 49% in ticket sales from Thanksgiving weekend.

"New Moon" added $15.7 million, a drop of 63.4%, to take its three-week domestic total to $255.6 million. Internationally, the Twilight sequel earned another $40.7 million for a foreign sum of $314.5 million and impressive worldwide total of $570.1 million.

Out of the newcomers, Lionsgate's Brothers fared best as it opened with $9.7 million from 2,088 theaters, an average of $4,646 per location. Directed by Jim Sheridan, the drama stars Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman.

Climbing a spot to fourth was Disney's A Christmas Carol, which collected $7.5 million its fifth weekend for a total of $115 million so far. The Robert Zemeckis adaptation cost $200 million to make.

Disney comedy Old Dogs rounded out the top five with $6.9 million for a total of $33.9 million. The movie carried a budget of $35 million.

2012 and new action-thriller Armored both earned an estimated $6.6 million. The former was released by Columbia Pictures and latter by Screen Gems, both companies owned by Sony. The $200 million Roland Emmerich disaster pic is at $148.8 million after four weeks.

Warner Bros.' Ninja Assassin lost 62.2% in sales from its opening weekend, making $5 million for a total of $29.8 million. The action film cost $40 million to produce.

Moviegoers didn't show much interest for Miramax release Everybody's Fine, starring Robert De Niro, Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale and Sam Rockwell. The film debuted with just $4 million from 2,133 locations, an average of $1,888.

The other two newcomers opened in completely opposite ways. Jason Reitman's Up in the Air, with George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, earned an impressive $1.16 million from just 15 theaters, a strong average of $77,333 per site. On the other hand, comedy Transylmania opened to just $252,000 from 1,007 theaters, which is the third-worst ever for a wide release.

ABC Benches FlashForward Until March

2009-12-04T12:55:00.000-05:00

FlashForward will be taking an extended hiatus until March 4 following Thursday's new episode, TVGuide.com has confirmed.

An ABC spokesperson tells TVGuide.com that the later date will allow the serial drama to air new episodes back-to-back without repeats. The Wrap, which first reported the news, also says ABC does not want the show to have to compete with the 2010 Winter Olympics, airing in February on NBC.

FlashForward was originally scheduled to return with new episodes in January 2010. However, a preview at the end of the latest episode revealed new episodes would not air until March 2010. Among the many revelations made in the preview was an indication that there will be another blackout.

FlashForward debuted strong in October to 12.4 million viewers and a 4.1 rating among adults ages 18-49 but has dropped off significantly since. The Nov. 19 episode attracted 7.97 million viewers and a 2.4 rating in the 18-49 demo.

No word yet on which show will take over FlashForward's Thursday time slot at 8/7c.

Comcast, NBC Unveil $30 Billion Merger

2009-12-03T14:54:00.000-05:00

Comcast will acquire NBC Universal from General Electric in a $30 billion deal announced Thursday that is poised to create a new entertainment powerhouse and reshape the TV landscape.

Comcast — the country's largest cable and Internet provider — will own 51 percent of the entity, while GE will retain the remaining 49 percent.

The merger, which has been in talks for months, would give Comcast control over some of NBCU's hottest TV properties as GE will contribute NBCU's portfolio, valued at $30 billion, which includes television and film entertainment, and theme parks. Comcast will pay $6.5 billion upfront and will contribute its trove of cable channels — including E!, Versus and the Golf Channel — along with its 10 regional sports networks and several digital media properties valued at $7.25 billion.

"This deal is a perfect fit for Comcast and will allow us to become a leader in the development and distribution of multiplatform 'anytime, anywhere' media that American consumers are demanding," Comcast Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brian Roberts said. "In particular, NBCU's fast-growing, highly profitable cable networks are a great complement to our industry-leading distribution business."

Jeff Zucker, president of NBCU, will become CEO of the joint venture and will report to Comcast Chief Operating Officer Steve Burke. Business headquarters will remain in New York.

"This marks the start of a new era for NBCU, and I'm genuinely excited that I will be leading this wonderful organization, along with the Comcast team, at this important time in our history," Zucker said.

Zombieland 2 and Jackass 3D Confirmed

2009-12-02T22:21:00.000-05:00

Last month, Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer mentioned that not only is Sony interested in a sequel, but if they can “crack” the story for a sequel, it will probably be shot in 3D. A few days later, a list of Paramount’s 2010 slate listed another Jackass sequel, Jackass 3D. Variety has now confirmed that both projects are in development. Who is signed? Who isn’t? When will the films go into production?

According to the story, Sony has already closed deals with helmer Ruben Fleischer and producer Gavin Polone to return for the 3D sequel, and screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are already working on the sequel’s screenplay. Of course, the stars of the original, Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg, are not yet signed, but the studio is in talks with the pair to reprise their roles. Harrelson has expressed interest in making another film, so I’m betting it will probably happen, eventually. I’m really glad the original creative team is signed on for the sequel, because it is their contributions that made the first film greater than the concept.

As for Jackass 3D, filming is scheduled to begin on January 25th 2010, with a release tentatively scheduled for later in the year. The first Jackass film was released in October, and the sequel hit in September, so I would expect the third installment to hit around the same time — fourth quarter 2010.

Philly-bound again: Iverson agrees to deal with Sixers

2009-12-02T13:04:00.000-05:00

Dust off the No. 3 jersey. Allen Iverson is with the 76ers again.

Team president Ed Stefanski announced the signing Wednesday on the team's Web site. Iverson is expected to make his debut Monday at home against the Denver Nuggets.

"In light of the recent injury to Lou Williams, which will sideline him for close to eight weeks, we felt that Allen was the best available free agent guard to help us at this time," Stefanski said in a release.

Williams, who averaged 17.4 points and 5.1 assists, broke his jaw in Philadelphia's loss to Washington on Nov. 24.

Iverson, his agent and business manager met with Stefanski, coach Eddie Jordan and two other members of the organization Monday.

The 34-year-old Iverson announced his retirement last week after an ill-fated stint with the Memphis Grizzlies. The 10-time All-Star was NBA MVP in 2001 when he led the Sixers to the NBA finals.

"We had, at times, a rocky road with Allen Iverson, but we also had a fantastic run with Allen," Peter Luukko, COO of Comcast-Spectacor, which owns the 76ers and Flyers, told The Associated Press. "The expectations with Allen have changed dramatically. We're not looking for Allen to individually lead this team the way he has in the past."

Iverson was offered a one-year, non-guaranteed contract Tuesday, according to a person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the talks were private.

The Sixers would owe just under $650,000 if they guarantee his contract for the remainder of the season on Jan. 10. Stefanski plans to talk about Iverson's return in a noon teleconference.

"The whole situation wasn't about the contract and the money," Iverson's agent, Leon Rose, told The AP. "It was about the opportunity and the chance to come to Philadelphia."

In 10 seasons with the Sixers, Iverson posted the highest scoring average in team history (28.1), was second on the points list (19,583) and holds the record for 3-pointers (877). He was a seven-time All-Star, won four scoring titles and two All-Star game MVPs.

The Sixers (5-13) have lost seven straight entering Wednesday night's game at Oklahoma City and need Iverson to spark sagging ticket sales and their playoff chances.

Luukko said Iverson's deal was "absolutely, strictly a basketball decision."

This reconciliation was once thought foolish after their acrimonious split three years ago. Iverson's last game with Philadelphia was Dec. 6, 2006 in Chicago. He refused to play the fourth quarter and was banished from the team two days later. He was eventually traded to Denver as part of the Andre Miller deal, and bounced to Detroit before landing in Memphis.

"Certainly, the way it left off, it's surprising," Luukko said.

Rose said he wasn't surprised both sides put their bitter parting behind them.

"It was a good situation that made sense for them," Rose said. "Allen has always had an affinity for the city of Philadelphia, the fans, the memories of playing here. He's always talked about the opportunity to come back. Now is the time where it really makes sense for everybody."

The 6-foot Iverson played three games this season with Memphis before taking a leave of absence to attend to personal matters. He was waived after the two sides agreed to part ways.

The New York Knicks considered signing Iverson after he cleared waivers, before deciding he would take too much playing time from younger players they are trying to develop.

He will likely start for the Sixers with Williams out. Iverson's refusal to come off the bench ended his time in Detroit and Memphis on a sour note.

Iverson would get another look at his former teams after playing Denver. The Sixers, who have not won a playoff series since 2003, play at home Dec. 9 against Detroit.

Iverson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 draft, but his 10 turbulent seasons in Philadelphia were marred by his rants about practice, run-ins with former coach Larry Brown, arrests and a failed rap career.

Iverson often arrived late for practices or missed them entirely. In one infamous blowup at the end of the 2002 season, he repeated the word "practice" nearly 20 times during a rambling monologue.

"Times change, situations change," Luukko said. "The best way was to make this a basketball decision. Don't get personal with it."

Iverson has a career average of 27 points in 889 games over 14 seasons. He is tied for the fifth-highest scoring average in NBA history and ranks third among active players.

Iverson has played in 71 playoff games and has the second-highest postseason scoring average (29.7 ppg) in NBA history, trailing only Michael Jordan (33.4 ppg).

New Moon & Blind Side Dominate Turkey Weekend

2009-12-01T11:10:00.000-05:00

The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend.

Thanksgiving weekend saw a healthy increase in business from last year but most of that business was divided between the same two movies that dominated last weekend as The Twilight Saga: New Moon (Summit) and Sandra Bullock's football drama The Blind Side (Warner Bros.) remained on top with $82 million between them over the three days after the holiday on Thursday.

The "Twilight" sequel dropped 70% from its record-setting opening weekend to earn an estimated $42.5 million over the three days and $66 million since Wednesday. It has earned $230.7 million in total since opening last week, 22% more than the previous installment grossed in its entire theatrical run. The popular supernatural romance also continues to do well internationally, having grossed roughly $85 million in other regions this weekend, adding up to a total worldwide gross of $473.7 million in just ten days.

The Blind Side (Warner Bros.) is already the surprise hit of the fall and holiday movie season, but it did even better in its second weekend than its first, grossing $40.1 million over the three-day weekend, up 17% from last week. Produced for less than $30 million, the sports-based drama has grossed an astounding $100.3 million in just ten days.

Roland Emmerich's disaster movie 2012 (Sony Pictures) took third place over the weekend with an estimated $18 million and a total gross of roughly $139 million after three weeks in theaters.

Disney's PG comedy Old Dogs, starring Robin Williams and John Travolta, settled for third place, opening with an estimated $16.8 million over the three-day weekend and $24.1 million since opening on Wednesday. With a moderate budget of $35 million, it's not a terrible opening but it's somewhat disappointing compared to how other PG Disney comedies have fared over the Thanksgiving weekend in the past. One presumes that the awful reviews and other choices kept audiences away.

On the other hand, helped by the official start of the holiday shopping season, Disney's A Christmas Carol received a nice 30% bump from last weekend, bringing in $16 million over the three-day weekend to bring its total to $105 million.

The martial arts action flick Ninja Assassin (Warner Bros.), starring Korean pop singer Rain, grossed $21 million in its first five days in 2,503 theaters, $13.1 million of that over the weekend, to take sixth place.

Sony's second animated comedy of the fall movie season, Planet 51, dropped to seventh place with $10.2 million, down 17% from its opening weekend, to boost its total to $28.4 million.

Eighth and ninth place were movies that have been doing solid business in limited release and hoped to bring in more audiences over the holiday. Lee Daniels' inspirational drama Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire (Lionsgate) didn't add many theaters on Wednesday, but it did come out slightly ahead of Wes Anderson's stop-motion animation version of Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox, which expanded into 2,033 theaters. Both movies grossed roughly $7 million over the three-day weekend. Precious has grossed $32.5 million to date and should roll out into more locations with awards nominations being announced in the coming weeks, while Anderson's movie has grossed just over $10 million all-inclusive.

Grant Heslov's political comedy The Men Who Stare at Goats (Overture Films) rounded out the Top 10 with $1.5 million and a $30 million gross to date.

The top 10 grossed $172 million over the three-day weekend up 13% from the holiday weekend last year when the holiday comedy Four Christmases

Opening in 111 theaters on Wednesday, John Hillcoat's adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's The Road (Dimension Films) starring Viggo Mortensen performed strongly, taking in $2 million to claim 11th place, just ahead of Troy Duffy's The Boondock Saints II: All Saint's Day, which added 169 theaters on Wednesday and added $1.2 million to its total take of $5.7 million.

Disney's first 2D animated movie in many years, The Princess and the Frog, opened in exclusive engagements in New York and L.A., where it grossed $712 thousand over the three-day weekend and $1.1 million since Wednesday. Its theater average of $356k per venue, boosted by higher ticket prices for the special engagement's enhanced experience, helped put the animated movie amongst the top 3 highest averages, amongst previous Disney movies such as The Lion King and Pocahontas.

Hangover 2 Script Half-Finished, Moving Out of Vegas Read more: Hangover 2 Script Half-Finished, Moving Out of Vegas

2009-12-01T11:07:00.001-05:00

Talking to EW, The Hangover director Todd Phillips gave the low down on the status of a sequel. He’s currently midway through the script, although no plot details are known yet. Phillips mentioned that he was thinking of ideas for a sequel while they were filming, and that Warner Brothers asked for a sequel as soon as they saw how well the film tested. He also promises that Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis will definitely be returning for another adventure.

Phillips went on to confirm that Hangover 2 won’t reuse the plot of the first film (don’t be surprised if an alcohol-induced headache remains a key component), and it will have an entirely new setting.

What people loved about The Hangover was not Las Vegas or the bachelor party but these three characters. I think you can take those characters and put them in other situations, and you don’t need the sell of Vegas and a bachelor party and all that other stuff.

Changing locations was definitely the first thought that popped into my head when we first started hearing talk of a sequel, and I won’t be surprised if they end up focusing on another party-capital location. Hangover in the Big City? Big Hangover in Little China (with a Kurt Russell cameo, of course)? Something Something Hangover Miami? Surely, the possibilities are endless.

We can most likely expect yet another random celebrity cameo, and I’m also hoping that Ken Jeong returns, because he was one of my favorite elements of the first film. I’m not too concerned that Phillips is scripting the sequel instead of original writers Jon Lucas and Scott Moore—the man gave us Road Trip and Old School after all.

Phillips is currently working on his next project, Due Date, starring Robert Downey Jr., Galifianakis, Michelle Monaghan, and Jaime Foxx, which reunites him with the college-slacker genre.

USA Renews Psych For Fifth Season

2009-11-27T16:53:00.001-05:00

Psych has been renewed for a fifth season, TVGuide.com has confirmed.

The super-sleuthing USA comedy — which stars James Roday as a fake psychic who solves crimes with his excellent observational skills and Dulé Hill as his best friend and partner — has been given a 16-episode order. Season 5 is likely to kick off in summer 2010.

The second half of Psych's fourth season will return to its usual Fridays at 10/9c slot in January. But for the first time in the show's history, it will not follow Monk, which airs its series finale Dec 4.

Twihards Steer New Moon to New Records

2009-11-24T15:20:00.001-05:00

The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend.

There was little question last week that the second chapter of Stephenie Meyers' supernatural romance drama The Twilight Saga: New Moon with Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson would open big, but after setting a new midnight record on Thursday and a new single day record on Friday with $72.7 million, it has left even the most jaded critic of the franchise flabbergasted at how well the movie performed. In its first three days, "New Moon" grossed an estimated $140.7 million, the third-biggest opening weekend domestically of all time with a per-site average of just under $35,000 per venue, the fourth largest per-theater average for a wide release. The movie also surpassed the previous November opening record for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by a wide margin. Essentially, it grossed almost exactly twice the opening weekend gross of the first Twilight exactly a year ago. The first installment went on to gross roughly $190 million, but with so much clear frontloading to Friday, it's difficult to tell how well the sequel will hold up compared to the original movie. With Thanksgiving and the holidays coming up, it should be able to at least get to $300 million in its theatrical run, which once again puts it up against the "Harry Potter" franchise, the sixth installment which is currently the #2 movie of the year with $301.8 million. On top of that, the Chris Weitz-directed epic took in $118.1 million internationally in 25 markets for a total global take in just three days of $258.8 million.

An even bigger surprise this weekend may have been the success of Sandra Bullock's football drama The Blind Side (Warner Bros.), which has grossed an estimated $34.5 million in three days, over twice even the most optimistic prediction for the weekend, and averaging roughly $11,000 per site in over 3,100 theaters. One presumes that the combination of strong last-minute reviews and the spillover from sold-out "New Moon" screenings helped the movie perform strongly, and if that number holds up, it will be the actresses' biggest opening to date, even surpassing her recent summer hit comedy The Proposal, which opened with $33.6 million and grossed $164 million total.

After opening with $65 million last weekend, Roland Emmerich's disaster movie 2012 (Sony Pictures), starring John Cusack and Chiwetel Ejiofor, dropped dramatically, losing 59% of its business in its second weekend to end up in third place with $26.5 million and a ten-day total of $108.2 million, still well below its reported $200 million production budget.

The weakest showing this weekend for a new movie in the Top 10 went to Sony's animated sci-fi comedy Planet 51, featuring the voice of Dwayne Johnson, which underperformed compared to other animated movies released by Sony, grossing an estimated $12.6 million in over 3,000 theaters.

Disney's A Christmas Carol dropped 45% to take fifth place with $12.2 million and a three week total of just under $80 million. It has a long way to go to make back its own $200 million production budget.

Lee Daniels' inspirational drama Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire (Lionsgate) expanded even wider into roughly 640 theaters but dropped to sixth place with $11 million and a three week total of $21.4 million, nearly double its production budget.

Grant Heslov's political comedy The Men Who Stare at Goats (Overture Films) dropped to seventh place with $2.7 million and $27.6 million total.

The rest of the movies in the Top 10 made less than $2 million and cumulatively, the Top 10 grossed roughly $245 million, up over $90 million or 59% from the same weekend last year when Twilight topped the box office with just under $70 million.

Opening in limited release, Werner Herzog's Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, starring Nicolas Cage, grossed $257 thousand in 27 theaters in select cities, averaging roughly $9,500 per site. Opening in two theaters in New York City, Spain's #1 auteur Pedro Almodovar's new movie Broken Embraces, once again pairing him with Penelope Cruz, brought in a respectable $108 thousand.

Judd Apatow on Sequels: No Superbad 2, Pineapple Express 2 Maybe Read more: Judd Apatow on Sequels: No Superbad 2, Pineapple Express 2 Maybe

2009-11-20T11:41:00.001-05:00

The Apatow-verse still hasn’t dealt with sequels as of yet, but it’s bound to happen eventually. Yesterday Judd Apatow appeared on the Funny or Die Writer’s Room and talked about topics ranging from his first project and living with Adam Sandler, to potential sequels for films he’s directed or produced. In regards to the latter, he offered up some info on the potential for Superbad and Pineapple Express sequels.

Apatow seemed pretty confident that Superbad 2 probably won’t happen anytime soon, despite how much he’s begged Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. He says “they don’t want to ruin it”, and that “it’s a gem of a movie, and they don’t want a crappy second.” He goes on to say that there’s a little talk of a Pineapple Express sequel, and that we’d “have a better shot at seeing that.”

While I had fun with Superbad, I’d personally much rather see any film in the Pineapple Express universe—if only to see James Franco reprise his role. Superbad’s story seemed fairly well contained, whereas Pineapple Express could potentially continue as a series of stoner adventures a la Cheech and Chong.

Apatow also makes quick mention of Get Him to the Greek, the spin-off film from Forgetting Sarah Marshall. The film is the closest thing the Apatow-verse has gotten to a sequel (he calls it a “sideways sequel”). He says “It’s sort of like My Favorite Year on heroin”.

To a degree, I much prefer the fact that the Apatow films (both directed and produced) have each been somewhat different. I appreciate that they’d rather move on to new and original ideas instead of trying to create an endless franchise. This is a philsophy I wish formerly-great comedians like Eddie Murphy and Steve Martin could follow as well.

Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo Reunite For Another Vacation

2009-11-20T11:37:00.001-05:00

Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo will be reprising their roles as Clark and Ellen Griswold from the National Lampoon’s Vacation movies, but not for another big screen sequel (not yet, at least…).

You might recall that last month we told you that New Line/Warner Bros had signed Wedding Crashers and Fred Claus director David Dobkin to produce and possibly direct a new film in the National Lampoon’s Vacation series which would follow Rusty Griswold, the son of Clark Griswold, who is now a father in his own right and takes his family on a, you guessed it, road trip vacation. Although New Line/WB hopes to sign Chase and D’Angelo to return as grandparents in the new film, no deals are in place.

So if not the big screen, when, where and why?

The Griswolds will be reuniting insead for an advertising campaign to be launched during the 2010 Superbowl. The television spot is for HomeAway vacation rentals (a natural fit) and according to US Weekly, will also feature an exact replica of the film’s iconic Wagon Queen Family Truckster. We’ll post the commercial once it comes online, but I’m sure you’ll see it first on February 7th 2010 during the big game.

As for the developing Vacation sequel/reboot… we’ve heard a screenwriter has yet to be hired for the project. If anyone hears anything, please let us know.

ABC Sets Lost Premiere Date

2009-11-19T19:52:00.000-05:00

First the island moved; now Lost is moving to a new night. The sixth and final season of the ABC series is scheduled for a two-hour premiere Tuesday, Feb. 2, at 9/8c, TVGuide.com has confirmed.

Last season, the Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse-produced drama held the Wednesday night slot; during Season 4, it ran on Thursday nights.

ABC also announced the regular cast members for Season 6, including Naveen Andrews, Nestor Carbonell, Emile de Ravin, Michael Emerson, Jeff Fahey, Matthew Fox, Jorge Garcia, Josh Holloway, Daniel Dae Kim, Yunjin Kim, Ken Leung, Evangeline Lilly, Terry O'Quinn and Zuleikha Robinson.

V star Elizabeth Mitchell is missing from the list, but she has been flying to Hawaii often to shoot guest stints for the show.

NBC's Chuck Returning on Jan. 10

2009-11-19T19:49:00.001-05:00

NBC's Chuck is returning on Sunday, Jan., 10, at 9/8c with back-to-back episodes. The spy series will then move to Monday nights at 8/9c beginning Jan. 11, TVGuide.com has confirmed.

When the show returns, Chuck (Zachary Levi) is dealing with his transformation into the Intersect 2.0. In his quest to become an actual agent, the nerdy spook must keep his emotions in check to protect the ones he loves.

Season 3 boasts guests including Angie Harmon, Brandon Routh, Robert Patrick, Kristin Kreuk, Armand Assante, Steve Austin and Vinne Jones.

Yes, Chuck is pushing Heroes into the 9/8c timeslot, but not without a sweet parting gift. On Jan. 4, Heroes will air a special two-hour episode.

Iverson, Grizzlies part ways after tumultuous start

2009-11-17T11:13:00.001-05:00

The saga of Allen Iverson and the Memphis Grizzlies lasted less than two months. Monday, the two sides agreed to release the 34-year-old from his one-year contract, meaning Iverson will become a free agent when he clears waivers.

Iverson, who'd signed a $3.5 million contract in September, had been away from the team for the past 10 days, taking a leave of absence from the team to deal with what both he and the team called a private family matter. But it also was crystal clear that Iverson was not going to abide by the team's decision that he come off the bench instead of start, and that meant a long-term relationship between the two was ultimately going to be impossible.

"I'm sorry it didnt work out," Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley said by telephone in confirming the agreement, first reported by the Memphis Commercial Appeal. "We had our problems but he also has personal problems. We just couldn't put it together. The people of Memphis are doing to be disturbed and I'm disturbed, because I was really looking forward to it. But that happens in this business sometimes."

Heisley insisted several times that he wasn't angry with Iverson, who only played in three regular season games for Memphis, averaging 12.3 points, after suffering a torn hamstring early in training camp that caused him to miss the whole preseason. Once he came back, Coach Lionel Hollins had chosen to go with Mike Conley as his starter at the point, and preferred Iverson come off the bench. Iverson chafed at that potential role, and said that he had never discussed his place in the rotation with Hollins during his absence.

His third and last game with Memphis was Nov. 6 in Los Angeles against the Lakers. The next day, he requested and was granted a leave of absence, saying he had to attend to a family matter. Heisley met several times with Iverson, his longtime business manager, Gary Moore, as well as his agent, Leon Rose. Heisley spoke with Rose as late as Monday morning trying to reach an accommodation before the team decided to agree to the release.

"He said he had a personal problem and came in to talk to me about that," Heisley said. "I said 'go back and take whatever time you need, and when you're ready you can come back'...I feel like he's being honest with me. I think he respects me. I've leveled with him all down the line. I've always understood that it was going to be very difficult for Allen. He wants to start. He is a player who has a reputation.

"We made it clear that he would have to earn time because we've moved down the road. He wasn't angry about that. He was disappointed. I don't want you to think I'm not deeply disappointed. I am. But in no way am I going to put it on Allen. If he hadn't been injured during training camp it may have been different, because he would have had a chance to prove that he deserved to play more minutes."

Heisley said his "biggest sorrow" is that fans in Memphis didn't see Iverson play. "They were really looking forward to it, and I'm sure I'm going to get a lot of heat for that," he said. He also insisted that the team's signing of veteran point guard Jamaal Tinsley this weekend was completely unrelated to the Iverson issue. He said that if Iverson had come back, the team hoped to play him more at shooting guard, with Tinsley playing the point. Tinsley has been out of basketball for more than a year, after being told by the Indiana Pacers in the spring of 2008 not to return to the team and to stay away from the Pacers' practice facilities while they tried to trade him.

Indiana spent all of last season trying to make a deal, before finally agreeing to settle on the final two years and $14.7 million on his contract, buying him out for more than $10 million.

"I thought there was a good chance he might come back," Heisley said. "But he really did have a personal problem. I don't know what it is and frankly I didn't want to get into it...I guess he just felt rather than try and play, he would step aside. I don't know if somebody's going to pick him up this season. I hope so. Even if he doesn't play for me, I hope he does, because I think he's a fantastic player. I think it's good for Allen and good for the league that he's playing...It just didn't work out. My attitude is I have no ill feelings one way or another. I'm glad he gave us the opportunity to try and make it work."

Iverson came to Memphis after playing most of one season in Detroit, following his trade from the Denver Nuggets to the Pistons early last season. He averaged 17.4 points in 54 games, but had the same issues with the Pistons that he ultimately had with Memphis, saying he would rather retire than come off the bench, as he did late in the season once Richard Hamilton returned from an injury.

The 2001 NBA Most Valuable Player has scored 24,020 regular season points in 13 seasons, led the 76ers to the Finals in 2001 and made nine All-Star teams. He remains one of the league's most popular players, with jersey sales annually among the top 10 players.

Emmerich's 2012 Destroys at the Box Office

2009-11-16T11:06:00.000-05:00

The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend.

Roland Emmerich kicked off the holiday season in earnest with the biggest single movie weekend box office take since July, as his latest disaster flick 2012 (Sony Pictures), starring John Cusack and Chiwetel Ejiofor, brought in an estimated $65 million over the weekend, making it the seventh-biggest November opener ever. Produced for $200 million, Emmerich's latest simultaneously brought in $160 million outside the United States for a 3-day worldwide gross of $225 million.

In its second weekend, Disney's A Christmas Carol, Robert Zemeckis' animated Charles Dickens adaptation starring Jim Carrey, had a moderate drop of 26% to end up in second place with $22.3 million. It has grossed $63.3 million in ten days playing in regular, IMAX and digital 3D theaters.

Grant Heslov's political comedy The Men Who Stare at Goats (Overture Films), starring George Clooney and Ewan McGregor remained in third place with an estimated $6.2 million and $23.4 million total gross.

Nipping at its heels, Lee Daniels' runaway hit Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire (Lionsgate) expanded into 174 theaters and did well enough to end up in fourth place with $6.1 million, averaging over $35 thousand per site. The indie drama reportedly made for $10 million has grossed $9 million so far with plans to expand even wider over the next two weekends.

Michael Jackson's This Is It (Sony) took its biggest drop, plummeting over 60% to end up in fifth place with $5.1 million and $68.2 million total. The Milla Jovovich thriller The Fourth Kind (Universal) dropped to sixth place with a similar drop to bring in $4.7 million this weekend and $20.5 million total. It remained just ahead of Paramount's Paranormal Activity with $4.6 million, as it crossed the $100 million mark on Friday.

Richard Curtis' seaward musical comedy Pirate Radio (Focus Features) ended up outside the Top 10 at #11 with less than $2.9 million in 882 theaters.

The Top 10 grossed roughly $126 million, which was down 6% from last year when Sony's Quantum of Solace topped the box office with $67.5 million.

Opening in four theaters in New York and L.A., Wes Anderson's animated adaptation of Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox (20th Century Fox) brought in $260 thousand, roughly $65k per site, while Oren Moverman's The Messenger (Oscilloscope Labs) brought in $50 thousand in the same number of theaters.

ABC Eyes New Version of Charlie's Angels

2009-11-13T13:06:00.000-05:00

ABC is close to giving a pilot order to a modern version of the classic 1970s TV series "Charlie's Angels," reports Variety.

Josh Friedman, who recently adapted the "Terminator" franchise for his Fox series "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," is on board to write and executive produce the new show.

Also involved are original "Charlie's Angels" producer Leonard Goldberg, who launched the series with Aaron Spelling in 1976, as well as Drew Barrymore, who starred in and produced the 2000 film version and its sequel. Sony Pictures TV is the studio.

Friedman, Goldberg and Barrymore will executive produce with Nancy Juvonen.

Roland Emmerich Claims Independence Day Sequel Will Be Two Movies

2009-11-13T12:41:00.000-05:00

Roland Emmerich tells MTV that not only are they developing an Independence Day sequel, but he hopes to film it as two-back-to-back movies. Emmerich says that the reason for two movies is that he wants “to do a bigger [story] arc” which will “continue the story” and begin “twelve, thirteen, fourteen years” after the first one ended. Emmerich is even floating around a title for the new films: “ID4-Ever” followed by “Part I” and “Part II” Sounds crazy right?

Will Smith would likely return, and the story would again be set on planet Earth, presumably mostly rebuilt since the last time we saw it, when a new invasion again threatens the world. No other story details have been revealed, but I would assume that it wouldn’t be an Independence Day sequel if most of the original characters didn’t return. I wonder where Bill Pullman’s President Thomas J. Whitmore might be a decade and a half later. Is he still in office? Who knows, America might’ve changed the law to extend the President’s term of office. I’m sure a lot of things will be very different than the world we knew before. This would be an alien invasion movie set in a changed world, post 7-04.

I would love to believe that Emmerich is sane, but his movies have led me to believe otherwise. And when Emmerich starts making monstrous claims about the future of the Independence Day series, I must question if there is anything more than some ideas he impulsively came up with during an interview with MTV. Does he actually believe 20th Century Fox would fiance a series of back-to-back big budget disaster movie sequels in this economy (In Emmerich’s defense, we are talking about the same studio that funded Avatar)? I’m guessing that he’s just throwing the idea out there, and seeing if fans respond. He’s looking for a reaction. But who knows if Fox would be willing to fund one Independence Day sequel, nevermind two, if Emmerich’s latest disaster film 2012 doesn’t deliver at the box office.

Sylvester Stallone Updates on Rambo 5, Saves Monster Plot for Unrelated Film

2009-11-13T12:36:00.001-05:00

No more monster, señor. Back in September, /Film connected the dots between the creature feature aspect of Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo 5 and his rights to the sci-fi thriller novel, Hunter, by James Huggins. As one might expect, the idea of John Rambo tracking and being tracked by a genetically engineered “abomination” in snow country split fans like a coconut.

As a premise, it fell in line with Stallone’s previous statements about a new genre direction for the franchise, and the promo art above was even released to tease this aspect. Well, today the action legend confirmed that he’s scrapped the idea for the sequel and reserved it for a separate film outside the franchise. So, where will Rambo go next, and more importantly, who as opposed to what will he bludgeon? In his words: “There will be blood.”

Stallone is rather savvy when it comes to listening to fans online and controlling the rumors and buzz on his productions. He sent an email to StalloneZone to set the record straight…

This is from Sly to your followers:

To all the loyal SZoners out there,

I’m letting you know that Rambo has changed course and the story about hunting the man/beast will be done using another character in the lead. RAMBO himself will be heading over the border to a violent city where many young women have vanished.

There will be blood.

Best,
Sly Stallone

Here’s looking at you, Mexico’s SZoners. Late next summer sees the release of Sly’s The Expendables, a men-on-a-mission movie following mercenaries who attempt to tackle a dictator in South America. Similar to how 2008’s Rambo was set in Burma/Myanmar, Stallone keeps a heat censor on newsworthy, troubled sections of the world for his projects and now he’s once again deploying Rambo into timely conflict.

Take note that Stallone is not ditching the idea of a creature-feature entirely. He’s held the rights to Higgins’s novel for a long time and was basically using Rambo as a vessel to obtain financing and realize it on the big screen. The passion for the material is obvious. Fans might speculate if Stallone meant that another one of his characters will be featured instead, or if he’ll create a new one. He’s been kicking the idea of a Cliffhanger 2 around for a few years now; might we see Gabe Walker—a character without canon—fighting it out on a tundra dosed with the supernatural? Personally, I thought the idea would have made for a fun Rambo film, but two films is better than one, unless you’re dying to see Stallone tackle Poe.

Super Troopers 2 Progress, Brian Cox is Back

2009-11-13T12:32:00.000-05:00

Fans of Broken Lizard’s Super Troopers will be glad to know that things are moving along nicely for a sequel. According to Movie Cultists, they have independent financing and are looking to make a deal with Fox as well. Steve Lemme describes the situation as follows:

We’re like, three drafts into it. It’s funny, because we have an independent financier — we have a lot of independent financiers — who are like, ‘Give us that fucking movie.’ And we’re like, ‘We will, we will but we have to go through a studio first.’ But it’s a great thing to go to a studio and say, ‘We have the money.’

And yes, as far as we know right now, Brian Cox will be back for Super Troopers 2. Director Jay Chandrasekhar mentioned that he loved the first film, and added “He wanted to play in a movie where he could be like Jerry Lewis, because he’s always been a big Jerry Lewis fan.” Cox apparently told them that he’s approached more about Super Troopers than any other of his films.

Fox Cancels Dollhouse

2009-11-11T21:18:00.001-05:00

Fox has canceled Joss Whedon's Dollhouse, TVGuide.com has confirmed.

The sci-fi series, which stars Eliza Dushku, is currently filming its 11th episode and will complete its 13-episode order.

Though Dollhouse saw a ratings bump from DVR viewing after a grim performance in the fall, Fox pulled the cult favorite from its November-sweeps schedule after four episodes.

Whedon took to his fan site to post the following:

"I don't have a lot to say. I'm extremely proud of the people I've worked with: my star, my staff, my cast, my crew. I feel the show is getting better pretty much every week, and I think you'll agree in the coming months. I'm grateful that we got to put it on, and then come back and put it on again.

I'm off to pursue internet ventures/binge drinking. Possibly that relaxation thing I've read so much about. By the time the last episode airs, you'll know what my next project is. But for now there's a lot of work still to be done, and disappointment to bear."

A source close to the production told TVGuide.com that Fox will air the remaining episodes starting Dec. 4 and that the series finale is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 22.

Nuggets' Smith returns from suspension with different name

2009-11-11T12:52:00.001-05:00

Suspended for the season's first seven games, Denver Nuggets guard J.R. Smith returned Tuesday with a new outlook and a different name.

He wants to go by his given name, Earl Smith III.

Smith said there are "a lot of personal reasons" that "I can't really explain at this time" for the switch. He went with J.R. because he was often called "Junior," but now he's going back to his given name as part of an effort to fix an image that's taken some hits over the years because of a poor driving record that resulted in the suspension.

Smith says he plans to phase in his new -- or given -- name over the next few weeks, although the Nuggets plan to keep calling him J.R. On Tuesday, Smith was expected to come off the bench against the Chicago Bulls in his first appearance after a tumultuous offseason.

Denver's Kenyon Martin returned after missing a game with a bruised left fibula.

Smith went from finishing second in the voting for the NBA's Sixth Man award and helping Denver reach the Western Conference finals last season to spending 24 days in a New Jersey correctional facility during the offseason after pleading guilty to reckless driving. He was involved in an accident in 2007 that caused the death of a passenger in his car.

"I always learn from my mistakes," Smith said. "I definitely have a different outlook on life, on basketball, on everything."

Exclusive: Is Aragorn Ready to Return for The Hobbit?

2009-11-09T12:42:00.000-05:00

Ever since Guillermo del Toro signed on to direct two movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit for producer Peter Jackson, there has been various casting rumors about who may or may not return to reprise their roles from Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

One of the cast members who seemed to be up in the air was Viggo Mortensen who played one of the most popular characters in the trilogy, the warrior Aragorn, a character who didn't actually appear in "The Hobbit" but was included in the supplemental appendices from "Lord of the Rings" that tied the two stories together.

Over a year ago, in fact shortly after del Toro signed on, Variety mentioned that Mortensen had been approached to return, but when ComingSoon.net spoke to Mortensen earlier today, he admitted that the filmmakers are currently more concerned with making the first movie, which would not include his character.

"I think they're just worried about shooting the first part of that movie which doesn't involve my character," Mortensen told us during an interview for his upcoming movie The Road. "My character is around at times--in the middle, but it would only be if they made a second movie or connecting movie that connected 'The Hobbit' to 'The Lord of the Rings' that I might appear, which would be great."

Mortensen did tell us that he would be interested in returning, but as we know, del Toro and Jackson are now planning on just splitting "The Hobbit" into two films and not making the second film a bridge between "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings."

Look for more with Mortensen and others before The Road opens on November 25.

Joe Johnston Talks Jurassic Park 4

2009-11-08T22:32:00.001-05:00

Ain't It Cool News got a chance to talk to The Wolfman director Joe Johnston and the interview briefly turned to the possibility of a Jurassic Park 4. Johnston directed the third film in the franchise, which was released in 2001.

"There is a great story for the fourth one that I would be interested in getting involved with and it's nothing like the first three," Johnston told the site, "It sort of takes the franchise off in a completely different direction, which is the only way I would want to get involved."

He added that it likely won't be another storyline about a group of people struggling to survive a dinosaur attack. "We've done that and it's been done three times..."

The site commented that they should stay away from an island setting this time. "Why would anybody go back to that island?" Johnston said. "It was hard enough to figure out the second and third reason for them to go, but it would take it off in a whole other trilogy basically, but when it gets to that level it's sort of about studios and Steven [Spielberg's] thing and who knows. I think we are at that point where we are due for another one if we are going to do it."

Universal Pictures has not targeted a release date for a fourth film.

A Christmas Carol Tops the Box Office

2009-11-08T22:24:00.001-05:00

The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend.

Walt Disney Pictures' A Christmas Carol topped the box office with an estimated $31 million from 3,683 theaters, for an average of $8,417 per theater. Written and directed by Robert Zemeckis, the motion capture fantasy adventure featured the performances of Jim Carrey in multiple roles. The film reportedly carried a budget of about $175 million.

Michael Jackson's This Is It dipped just 39.7% in its second weekend, adding $14 million in second place for a total of $57.9 million. Internationally, the Sony release has reached $128.6 million and its worldwide sum stands at 186.5 million.

Overture Films' The Men Who Stare at Goats opened in third place with $13.3 million from 2,443 locations. Made for about $25 million, the Grant Heslov-directed comedy stars George Clooney, Jeff Bridges, Ewan McGregor and Kevin Spacey.

Milla Jovovich thriller The Fourth Kind debuted in the fourth spot, making $12.5 million from 2,527 theaters. The film was released by Universal Pictures.

Paramount's Paranormal Activity added another $8.6 million in its seventh weekend to bring its impressive total to $97.4 million. Written and directed by Oren Peli, the supernatural thriller cost less than $15,000 to make.

Warner Bros.' The Box, starring Cameron Diaz, James Marsden and Frank Langella, opened in sixth place with $7.9 million. The Richard Kelly film was made for $25 million.

The biggest success story of the weekend was Lionsgate's release of Lee Daniels' award-winning Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire in 18 theaters where it earned $1.8 million. That's an amazing $100,000 per theater, a new record for films opening in 10 or more theaters! "Precious" will be expanding wide on November 20th.

Faris, Aykroyd and Timberlake Board Yogi Bear

2009-11-06T13:03:00.000-05:00

Anna Faris, Dan Aykroyd and Justin Timberlake are in talks to star in Yogi Bear, Warner Bros.' big screen adaptation of the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon.

The film is being directed by Eric Brevig and produced by Donald De Line and Karen Rosenfelt as a live-action/CG hybrid.

Faris will play a nature documentarian who follows the antics of a bear in fictional Jellystone Park. Aykroyd will voice Yogi, and Timberlake may voice Yogi's companion, Boo Boo.

The studio hopes to get Yogi Bear under way in New Zealand in December. Brad Copeland penned the current script with Joshua Sternin and Jeff Ventimilia writing the original draft.

Galifianakis to Voice Puss in Boots Character

2009-11-05T21:02:00.001-05:00

Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover) is in negotiations to voice Humpty Dumpty in "Shrek" spin-off Puss in Boots, says The Hollywood Reporter.

Tom Wheeler is writing the screenplay for the prequel, which will feature the voices of Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek in a story about the events leading up to the feline assassin's first meeting with Shrek & Co. in the second film.

Chris Miller, who co-directed and co-wrote Shrek the Third. wrote an earlier draft of the "Puss" screenplay and is directing the DreamWorks Animation movie.

The film is scheduled for a November 4, 2011 release.

Kevin Williamson Gives Scream 4 Update

2009-11-05T00:22:00.001-05:00

Kevin Williamson teased earlier via his Twitter page that he's "writing" and that it's been a "late night." After a brief chat with MTV, it's evident that he's hard at work completing the script for Scream 4, with the 5th chapter also on cue. (He tells the site he's contractually obligated to Part 5 as well.)

We already know that stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette are all returning, and although director Wes Craven hasn't fully committed, he has expressed interest and excitement over Williamson's ideas. So, what can we expect from the next sequel?

"The fourth one is an ensemble. It'll take place right now, 10 years later, and it's going to take place in [Sidney Prescott's hometown of] Woodsboro. We'll have our three main characters, and we'll be introducing several more. We'll also be introducing a little group, a little ensemble of new castmembers. That'll take us through the next three."

The plan has always been to launch a new trilogy of "Scream" films.

David Goyer Talks Ghost Rider 2

2009-11-05T00:20:00.000-05:00

MTV talked to David Goyer about what we can expect for Ghost Rider 2, which he says is "not exactly a reboot," picks up eight years after the first film, and is targeting a 2010 shoot.

"I hate to say it's more realistic, because he's got a flaming skull for a head, but it's a bit more stripped down and darker," Goyer added. "It's definitely changing tone. What 'Casino Royale' was to the Bond movies, hopefully this will be to 'Ghost Rider.'"

No More Conchords?

2009-11-03T18:41:00.000-05:00

Series star reveals that the Flight might be over.

Things are looking a little bleak for the future of our favorite Kiwis over at HBO's Flight of the Conchords. According to The Hollywood Reporter, series star Jemaine Clement admitted that there might not be a third season of the Emmy-nominated show.

"It (Conchords) very likely might not" return for a third season, Clement said. "It could come back in a shorter season or like a special."

Nothing is set in stone just yet, and the final decision about Season 3 will be made within the next month, but due to the fact that it requires so much work and preparation Clement and co-star Bret McKenzie might not have the time to do it.

"We've got to write the series, but we've also got to write the songs, and just dividing your time into those two writing tasks is really tricky," Clement said.

HBO is hopeful though. "We've left their future entirely in their hands," said Nancy Lesser, a spokeswoman for the network. "We would love to have more, and we left an open door at HBO."

Owen Wilson to Voice Great Dane Marmaduke

2009-11-03T12:12:00.000-05:00

Owen Wilson has signed on to voice the rascally Great Dane Marmaduke, Fox's adaptation of the long-running comic strip, says The Hollywood Reporter.

The film follows a family named the Winslows who move from Kansas to Orange County with their dog Marmaduke, a slobbery pooch who creates chaos wherever he goes.

In adapting the strip created in 1954 by Brad Anderson and Phil Leeming, the script by Tim Rasmussen and Vince Di Meglio sees Marmaduke navigate a volatile Mutts vs. Pedigrees turf war, woo the purebred of his dreams and overcome a fall from grace.

Judy Greer, Lee Pace and William H. Macy play the humans, while Fergie, Emma Stone, George Lopez, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Steve Coogan, Damon Wayans, Marlon Wayans supply the voices.

Tom Dey is directing the family comedy for a June 4, 2010 release.

TNT Picks Up Acclaimed Drama Southland

2009-11-02T13:03:00.001-05:00

TNT has picked up the critically acclaimed series "Southland," closing a deal with Warner Bros. Television that will bring the drama from Emmy-winning producer John Wells ("ER," "The West Wing") to the network in January. TNT has obtained exclusive rights to air all six episodes that have been shot for the second season, as well as the seven episodes from the series' first season. "Southland" will air on TNT Tuesdays at 10 p.m. (ET/PT), beginning with the first episode of the series on Jan. 12.

"This is a great win for fans of 'Southland' and a perfect opportunity to introduce the series to new viewers," said Steve Koonin, president of Turner Entertainment Networks. "It's also another outstanding example of how TNT has established itself as the go-to place for the best dramas on television."

"We are extremely pleased that TNT has acquired all 13 episodes of 'Southland,' giving devoted fans the opportunity to watch a show that they passionately support," said Peter Roth, president of Warner Bros. Television.

"We're delighted that TNT has stepped forward to pick up 'Southland.' We are all extremely proud of the show," Wells said.

In "Southland," John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz) is a veteran cop assigned to train young rookie Ben Sherman (Ben McKenzie). Cooper attacks his job with a no-nonsense firmness that sometimes leaves Sherman wondering if he's really cut out to be a cop.

The series also follows Detective Lydia Adams (Regina King), who spends her off-work hours serving as her mother's primary caregiver. Her partner, Detective Russell Clarke (Tom Everett Scott), is a father struggling with an unhappy marriage. Detective Daniel "Sal" Salinger (Michael McGrady) oversees a unit of gang detectives, including Nate Moretta (Kevin Alejandro) and Sammy Bryant (Shawn Hatosy). And patrol officer Chickie Brown (Arija Bareikis) is a single mom determined to make her mark as the first woman in the SWAT unit.

"Southland" is from John Wells Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. Created by Emmy winner Ann Biderman ("NYPD Blue," Public Enemies), the series is executive-produced by Biderman, Emmy winner Chris Chulack ("ER," "Third Watch") and Wells. Chulack is also a primary director of the series.

Michael Jackson Concert Doc Isn't Quite It

2009-11-01T20:33:00.000-05:00

The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend.

With only one new movie opening in wide release over the Halloween weekend, it was thought by many that Kenny Ortega's concert doc Michael Jackson's This Is It (Sony) would bring in a lot of the King of Pop's diehard fans as well as the morbidly curious, but despite reports of huge advance ticket sales and sell-out shows, it opened rather moderately on Wednesday with $7.4 million in just under 3,500 theaters. It managed to pick up some steam over the normally slow holiday weekend, bringing in an estimated $21.3 million, roughly $6200 per site, to end up with a weak $32.5 million in its first five days. Even so, the Los Angeles Times reports the concert doc grossed $101 million worldwide in its first five days, which was enough for Sony to extend what was originally intended as a limited two-week run.

Adding another 459 theaters, Oren Eli's DIY horror movie Paranormal Activity (Paramount) dropped to second place with $16.5 million and an astounding one-month total of nearly $85 million. With Halloween over and four new movies opening next week, one wonders whether it can hold up its unstoppable momentum, but $100 million seems guaranteed at this point.

Two returning movies took advantage of the lack of new movies to move up a place as the crime-thriller Law Abiding Citizen (Overture Films), starring Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx, moved up to third place with $7.3 million and $51.4 million total. The Vince Vaughn and friends comedy Couples Retreat (Universal) followed suit, moving back into fourth place in its fourth weekend adding another $6.1 million to its total of $86.6 million.

As expected, Saw VI (Lionsgate) dropped drastically, plummeting 61% to fifth place with $5.6 million and $22.8 million in ten days. Likewise, Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are (Warner Bros.) took another massive hit in its third weekend, dropping 64% to 6th place with $5.1 million and a three week total of $61.8 million.

Screen Gems' remake of The Stepfather joined the weekend's winners, moving up a place to 7th with $3.4 million and just under $25 million total.

The animated adventure Astro Boy (Summit) was another family movie hurt by the Halloween holiday, dropping 55% to eighth place to add another $3 million to its ten-day total of $10.0 million.

Moving up two places and landing in the Top 10 at #9, Mira Nair's biopic Amelia (Fox Searchlight) starring Hilary Swank, benefitted from an expansion to hold steady with a minor drop of 22% and another $3 million, followed by Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (Universal) in tenth place with $2.8 million.

The Top 10 grossed roughly $75 million, up slightly from last Halloween weekend where Kenny Ortega's High School Musical 3: Senior Year remained on top of the box office with $15.3 million while Kevin Smith's Zack and Miri Make a Porno took second place with just $10 million.

Opening in 68 theaters in select cities, Troy Duffy's long-anticipated sequel The Boondock Saints II: All Saint's Day brought in $462 thousand, just under $7,000 per site to claim the honor of the highest per-theater average for the weekend. By comparison, Jared Hess' Gentlemen Broncos (Fox Searchlight) tanked in a major way, grossing just $10,000 in two theaters. We probably won't be seeing this one following the success of Hess' debut Napoleon Dynamite.

Nintendo Confirms North American DSi XL Release

2009-11-01T20:29:00.000-05:00

Newer, heavier DSi coming early next year.

Announced this morning from Japan, Nintendo has revealed it will release the new DSi LL in North America and Europe in Q1 2010. The console will receive a bit of a name change over here, though, now being called the DSi XL.

"A new iteration of the Nintendo DSi; system will be introduced in Japan on November 21, 2009," Nintendo said in a statement sent to IGN. "To be known as Nintendo DSi LL in Japan, and as Nintendo DSi XL in North America and Europe, it will offer a screen 93% larger than the current Nintendo DS Lite with a better view angle, an additional longer touch screen stylus, and preinstalled Nintendo DSiWare software."

"The new version will arrive in North America and Europe in the first quarter of calendar year 2010."

Pricing details have not been revealed, though the DSi LL in Japan is said to cost 20,000 yen (about $220), up a bit from the DSi's current 18,900 yen price point.

Blair Witch Creators to Pitch Sequel

2009-10-31T11:45:00.001-04:00

The Toronto Star caught up with Eduardo Sánchez, who said that he and The Blair Witch Project co-creator Daniel Myrick are seriously thinking about making a sequel. Here's an excerpt from the article:

They're now at the point where they're ready to do a Blair Witch 3, once again sharing writing and directing. They'd pick up from where the original left off, pretending Blair Witch 2 never happened. The duo recently went on a drive through their original Blair Witch haunts, about a half hour from Sánchez's Maryland home, looking for inspiration.

They've worked up a treatment for a new story, which would involve original cast members Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael C. Williams, albeit in smaller roles.

"We're at the step where we're about to pitch to Lionsgate, which owns the movie rights now. It's pretty much up to them. They can completely squash it or greenlight it."

Roger Rabbit Sequel Being Written by the Original’s Screenwriters

2009-10-31T02:06:00.000-04:00

Robert Zemeckis has been loosening us up for a Who Framed Roger Rabbit sequel for some months now, letting slip the odd reference here and there that he’s been keen to give the follow on a good crack. In April he said that he had a good idea for the second installment; on July 22nd he said he’d been discussing the film with Bob Hoskins; on July 23rd he told the Comic-Con audience that he could neither deny nor confirm any plans for a sequel.

Now he’s just come out and revealed that not only is he gunning for another run at the funny Bunny, but also that writing on the new screenplay already currently underway. Purist fans of the original will probably jump for joy at his revelation on who is wielding the pen, because it’s none other than the scribes of part one, Peter Seaman and Jeffrey Price.

I think that Zemeckis has now been sufficiently loose lipped that we can start to read between the lines a little. Let’s rake over some of his quotes after this break.

We all know that Zemeckis is the leading proponent of performance capture cinema, in terms of output if arguably not in terms of quality. Is he planning for Roger 2 to utilise these techniques? Here’s the salient quotage, pieced together from various interviews a line at a time:

I’ll tell you what is buzzing around in my head now that we have the ability -the digital tools, performance capture - I’m starting to think about Roger Rabbit.

The 2D characters from the original movie will remain 2D. They will not be dimensionalized. Not to say there wont be 3D.

I’m really committed to getting this art form [performance capture] off of the ground, but of course I would [shoot live action again] and I’m never going to say never to anything, but right now though I really want to make sure that we get this out there so that younger filmmakers have these absolutely breathtaking tools that they can use.

A picture is starting to take shape, don’t you think? A Roger Rabbit film that will use motion capture and 2D animation… or maybe motion capture to create the 2D animation? Wow. That’d be something a bit different from Zemeckis recent attempts to plough through the valley of the uncanny. Can’t imagine how he’d approach anything like the quality of work that animators would generate, however. I love mo-cap but it’s definitely not a replacement for animation.

MTV, who gathered the Seaman and Price information, are promising that they have more news to come and that they’re going to roll it over the next few days. Hit teases. I’ll be keeping an eye on their reports though, to see just how much more shading we can add to this sketch of Zemeckis’ plans.

David Spade: Chris Farley Would "Be Stoked" About DirecTV Commercial

2009-10-30T12:57:00.000-04:00

David Spade says he is shocked by criticism he's received about a DirecTV commercial that features a scene from Tommy Boy of him and the late Chris Farley — whom he says would "be stoked" to be involved in the ad.

"Oh, my God if [Farley] was here, I guarantee he'd be stoked that this little movie is included," Spade tells People. "The movie is important to me, and I would hate to offend [anyone] because that's one of my favorite things I've ever done. So I would apologize to someone who took it that way."

The spot, which has been called tasteless and exploitative by viewers, features Farley's "fat guy in a little coat" routine from the 1995 comedy spliced with new footage of Spade promoting DirecTV. Farley died in 1997 of cardiac arrest due to a drug overdose.

"These commercials are cool. They're well done. They're clever," Spade adds. "And that they would include Tommy Boy in that company, I thought was very flattering."

Spade admits he probably wouldn't agree to the commercial if given the chance again because he doesn't "want anyone to get a whiff that I'm trying to get something off Chris."

Fox Orders Sixth Season of American Dad

2009-10-30T12:45:00.001-04:00

Fox has ordered a sixth season of "American Dad," the animated series featuring security-obsessed CIA agent and devoted family man Stan Smith (Seth MacFarlane). Recently honored with an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Animated Program, "American Dad" airs Sundays (9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT) on Fox.

The series continues to follow the twisted trials and tribulations of die-hard Republican and card-carrying NRA member Stan Smith and his hilariously odd family in Langley Falls, VA. Stan's not-so-smart wife Francine(Wendy Schaal) has an unfaltering loyalty that allows her to turn a blind eye toward Stan's unabashed arrogance. Stan constantly butts heads with his 18-year-old daughter Hayley (Rachael MacFarlane), who knows just how to push her father's buttons by being liberal in both her beliefs and in the number of hippie boyfriends she chooses to date. Hayley's 14-year-old brother is the geeky yet cocky Steve (Scott Grimes), a kid who seems to be on the constant verge of puberty but can't quite make sense of the opposite sex. The Smith household is rounded out by two rather unconventional members: Roger (Seth MacFarlane), the selfish and sarcastic space alien who lives in the attic and drinks like it's always happy hour, and Klaus (Dee Bradley Baker), an attention-starved goldfish with the brain of a German guy who is always willing to vocalize his opinions even if no one is listening.

"American Dad" is a 20th Century Fox Television production co-created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman. MacFarlane, Barker and Weitzman serve as executive producers alongside Rick Wiener and Kenny Schwartz.

It’s All True: Tom Hardy Negotiating To Be the New Mad Max in Fury Road, Charlize Theron to Co-Star

2009-10-30T01:42:00.000-04:00

One week ago, Brendon told you that there were rumors that Bronson’s Thomas Hardy might become the new Mad Max for director George Miller, and that his female co-star could be Charlize Theron. Now thanks to a trade blog we know that it is indeed the case. We also know a few — a very few — other things about the upcoming and long-awaited fourth Max Max movie. They’re after the jump.

THR reports that Hardy and Theron are in negotiations to join the George Miller-penned Fury Road (or Mad Max: Fury Road, that point is unclear and very likely subject to change to the latter, so that audiences know what they’re in for), but with things at this stage that represents a pretty good set of odds that it will come to pass.

Fury Road appears to be no reboot, and no animated film, despite rumors. Hardy would be Max Rockatansky, the same Max played by Mel Gibson in the original three films. This story takes place “a short while” after the events of Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. THR says a shoot “next summer in Australia” is currently slated. Does that mean a northern hemisphere summer, or a southern? They’re kinda different. No matter, though — those details will follow in short order.

I’ll say it: I’m psyched about this. There is no reason to believe that what I enjoyed about the Mad Max films will be back in this installment. It’s been so long (25 years by the time this shoots!) and I wonder if Miller is still on point for this sort of effort. How can I not wonder? But goddamn, Tom Hardy was great in Bronson and RocknRolla and just about everything else he’s done. There’s plenty reason that Bronson should have worked as well as it did, but a large part of the film’s success is due to him. I would have loved to see Jeremy Renner in the driver’s seat for Fury Road, but I’m even more ready to see Hardy get the job.

Men in Black 3 Script in the Works by Tropic Thunder Writer Etan Cohen

2009-10-30T01:41:00.000-04:00

We learned that Columbia was finally moving forward with a third Men in Black movie back in April, but at the time there was no script attached to the project. While there still isn’t much to report yet, we have learned that they’ve tapped the now-hot writer Etan Cohen (Tropic Thunder, Idiocracy) for the screenplay. There’s no word yet on Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones’ involvement, but I can’t imagine they would bring the franchise back without featuring them in some capacity.

I’m also hoping that they’re able to bring Barry Sonnenfeld back to direct. He’s been working on the television end of things recently (we can thank him for Pushing Daisies gloriously candy-colored style), and I’m sure he’d like to get another feature under his belt to distance himself from the Robin Williams fiasco RV.

The studio is mum on what MiB3 may actually be about, but I do hope they avoid the usual pitfall of making the original young upstart a veteran who must then train more young blood. (I’m also saying this because I’m hoping we won’t get a chance to see Shia LaBeouf as a bumbling young agent.)

Cohen’s involvement with the film is a sign that it will probably be better than the disappointing Men in Black sequel. He’s a graduate of the Mike Judge school of comedy—having worked on Beavis and Butthead and King of the Hill, in addition to Idiocracy. In my book, that’s good people.

Strangely enough, I’m actually sort of excited for a third Men in Black film. I loved the original when it first came out (admittedly, haven’t revisited it in years), and I think the series deserves a better successor than what we got with the sequel. The concept is undoubtedly ripe for further exploration.

Sin City 2 Actually Moving Forward, May Be Followed By Hard Boiled

2009-10-29T19:55:00.000-04:00

Sin City 2 has been a project sitting on the horizon for several years. It has started to seem like one of those things that co-director Robert Rodriguez likes to keep on the table because he knows it gets fan attention, while not necessarily being a film he really plans to make.

Now producer Stephen L’Heureux says that Sin City 2 will go into production at the end of 2010, and that Frank Miller will follow it with a film version of Hard Boiled, the uber-detailed and hyper-violent comic written by Miller and drawn by Geoff Darrow.

Mania has the report. They offer the news that the sequel will be based on an original script by Miller, rather than drawing from any of the original comics material he produced a decade ago. He also explains that Miller is also currently scripting Hard Boiled, and that he’s attached to direct. “We’re still developing it,” L’Heureux says. “We got the project in turnaround from Warner Bros and Frank. It’s such a pleasure to work with someone like Frank Miller.” Let’s take one step at a time, eh? After The Spirit, Miller has some provin’ to do.

Now, according to Mania Robert Rodriguez is planning to co-direct Sin City 2 with Frank Miller. But recent reports have suggested that the next priority for Rodriguez after Machete and Predators are done will actually be Spy Kids 4. Why? As Variety’s report on the Short Circuit remake recently said, franchises are a priority for Dimension right now and the studio has got a good hold on the director. The Weinsteins need cash flow and Spy Kids 4 is evidently seen as something that will generate it.

So, yeah, Sin City 2 may well be moving forward. But if the timeline places it as a go within 2010, don’t be too surprised if Miller directs alone while Rodriguez produces it and spends more of his time making Spy Kids 4 and Nervewrackers.

Scrubs Slated to Return Dec. 1

2009-10-29T10:19:00.001-04:00

Scrubs will kick-off its ninth season Dec. 1 at 9/8c, Variety reports.

The writers of the ABC medical comedy also tweeted the show's return late Wednesday, urging followers: "Tell your friends!"

Scrubs' new season will see some major changes. This year, the focus will shift from Sacred Heart Hospital to medical school, where Christopher Turk (Donald Faison) and Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley) become teachers.

Faison and McGinley are the only cast members returning full time. Former headliners Zach Braff and Sarah Chalke will be making guest appearances.

Chuck Spies Six More Episodes; Ailing Trauma Axed

2009-10-29T10:17:00.001-04:00

NBC has ordered six additional episodes of Chuck and will cancel Trauma after its original 13-episode run, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The pickup for Chuck — no Subway campaign needed this time — brings the spy dramedy's third-season order to 19 episodes. Chuck was slated to return in March after the Vancouver Olympics, but its expanded order, and Trauma's cancellation, could push up the show's premiere to January, the Reporter says. Calls to NBC were not immediately returned.

Trauma has become the third casualty of the fall season. The high-octane medical drama never pulled in the big numbers and was conspicuously absent in the Peacock's full-season order announcement last week for Mercy, Parks and Recreation and Community. Earlier this week, the network committed to airing three more episodes of Trauma. It will now end after wrapping up its 13-episode order.

Meanwhile, NBC is developing two new shows, including a legal drama with Idris Elba as executive producer, according to the Reporter. The as-yet-untitled series will follow a vigilante attorney who uses any means necessary to defend his clients. The network is also planning a drama about a crime-solving magician from NCIS scribe Dan Freeman, Variety reports. The series will focus on a magician who is recruited by a law-enforcement agency after he is forced to give up magic due to stage fright and agoraphobia.

Steve Carr to Direct Short Circuit Remake

2009-10-27T15:29:00.001-04:00

Dimension Films has signed Steve Carr (Paul Blart: Mall Cop) to direct Short Circuit, the remake of the 1986 sci-fi film, reports Variety.

Written by Dan Milano ("Robot Chicken"), the redo brings the iconic Johnny 5 into the 21st century. Built by the military to be a highly sophisticated weapon, Johnny 5 develops a conscience and personality after being hit by lightning. He befriends a lonely boy and his fractured family.

David Foster and Ryan E. Heppe of David Foster Productions will produce with John Hyde of Rehab Entertainment. Jason Taragan, who partners with Carr in Rumpus Entertainment, will be executive producer.

NBA, referees agree to two-year deal, ending lockout

2009-10-26T12:57:00.000-04:00

The regular referees made the call. They're coming back to work.

The referees union and the NBA agreed on a two-year contract Friday, ending a lockout of more than a month and saving the league from using replacements when the regular season starts.

The officials voted to ratify the deal that was reached earlier this week. No details of the vote were provided, nor were terms of the agreement.

"We are pleased to reach this agreement," NBA commissioner David Stern said in a statement. "The negotiations extended further than either side had hoped, but when our regular season tips off on Tuesday we'll have the best referees in the world officiating our games."

The referees union didn't comment.

The 57 referees were set to begin a three-day training camp Saturday and be ready when the regular season starts Tuesday night. The league used replacement officials during exhibition play.

The referees' contracts have usually been for five years, but the NBA consented to a two-year deal at the request of the union, which hoped it could renegotiate sooner with the economy hopefully in better shape.

The sides agreed on a salary structure that would give the refs a slight raise in the second year, but they remained apart on proposed changes to the referees' pension and severance packages, as well as a plan to develop younger officials by having them work in NBA games.

The contract between the league and the National Basketball Referees Association expired Sept. 1, and the league announced on Sept. 18 that it was locking out the officials, saying they had rejected its final contract offer.

The NBA decided to go with replacements late last month after the referees rejected a deal the league said its negotiators had already agreed to.

That raised the possibility of the league starting the season with backup officials for the first time since 1995. But progress was made in a meeting this week at league headquarters that included Stern, who rejoined the talks this week at the request of the referees.

He previously had withdrawn from negotiations after the referees' lead negotiator Lamell McMorris criticized the commissioner's behavior.

"It was always our intention to make a deal and our hope. I thought that perhaps the rhetoric had gotten a little bit too heated and it would be better for me to withdraw," Stern said earlier Friday during a conference call.

"But it was requested by the other side that I return and that they were coming in to make a deal and they asked me to be there, and I thought I owed them out of my respect to them to honor that request."

The league used a roster of 62 replacements, mostly from the NBA Development League and WNBA, during the lockout. Stern said the backups "responded very well" and predicted that many would referee NBA games again.

Replacement officials were criticized for calling too many fouls, though the amount decreased later in the exhibition season, which ended Friday night.

"As the preseason went on, they were better," Houston coach Rick Adelman said. "I don't think they were arrogant, or anything like that. They gave the explanations, and they were doing the best they could.

"The first couple (games) were just foul after foul and call after call, and there was no rhythm to the games," Adelman added. "After that, I thought it settled down fairly well. They just called things differently than the normal officials. They're pretty much going by the book."

Former Kings guard Bobby Jackson retires after 12 seasons

2009-10-26T12:30:00.000-04:00

Bobby Jackson is retiring from the NBA.

The 12-year veteran guard, who spent six seasons with Sacramento, made the announcement Friday night before the Kings' preseason finale against the Utah Jazz.

Jackson averaged 9.7 points per game in his career. He was the league's Sixth Man of the Year in 2002-03 with averages of 15.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists.

The former University of Minnesota star played for Sacramento last season but was not re-signed in the offseason.

"It's a tough day for me because I'm retiring from professionally playing the game I love," he said. "But it's also a happy day because I'm retiring on my own terms."

Jackson will work with the Kings as an ambassador, promoting the team in local appearances and handling some scouting.

Mitchell Hurwitz Discusses His Plans For The Arrested Development Movie

2009-10-26T01:45:00.000-04:00

Saturday saw not one but two separate special events with Mitchell Hurwitz take place in Austin, Texas and luckily I had remote ears attending both. The first was a panel discussion called “The Art of Storytelling,” also featuring Ron Howard and Steve Zaillian, and the second was the clearly-titled “Conversation With Mitchell Hurwitz.” Both saw some talk of the upcoming Arrested Development film.

Hurwitz explained the origins of the TV show’s style like this: Ron Howard approached him and asked for something in a verite style, but they soon curbed their enthusiasm for explicitly mockumentary language to avoid comparison with the BBC’s version of The Office, which was just taking off as Devlopment was in development.

For the film, Hurwitz is apparently tempted to change the style completely, but Howard wants it to remain the same. Even if that does end up being the case, Hurwitz did promise that the film would be more “polished”.

The major justification given for the camera and editing styles was that watching comedy isn’t about camera angles and fancy shots. That rationale doesn’t add up with me… why wouldn’t they use a more ‘invisible’ style, then? It’s impossible for me to forget the presence of the camera when watching Arrested Development.

Hurwitz said he is finding the writing of the film easier than with a 22 minute episode because he has a natural inclination and skill to delve deep into detail.

Over at the other event, Hurwitz confirmed that he would not only be writing but will also be directing the feature film himself. The only major plot information he could be pushed for was that the film would be set, to a large extent, in prison. Now, that confuses me a little (and bear in mind that I’m not a hardcore Arrested Development fan by any means) but I thought all of the prison plotlines were tied up at the end of the second season?

Paranormal Activity Scares Its Way to #1!

2009-10-25T15:59:00.000-04:00

The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend.

With weeks of viral marketing and a promotional campaign driven by social networks like Twitter and Facebook behind it, Oren Eli's Paranormal Activity (Paramount) expanded into just under 2,000 theaters on Friday and successfully took the box office with an estimated $22 million and an astounding cumulative gross of $62.5 million after less than a month in theaters. It's surely going to be considered one of the memorable phenomena of 2009, having cost less than $15,000 to produce, the rights sold to Paramount for roughly $300,000 and then being distributed by one of the most unique and unconventional methods we've seen in some time. The L.A. Times is even reporting that Paramount has the option to make a sequel, which you can read about here.

Unfortunately, the success of Peli's surprise hit also signified the first major hurdle in the seemingly unstoppable success of the "Saw" franchise, as the sixth installment Saw VI (Lionsgate) finally fell victim to the laws of diminishing returns, opening with just $14.8 million, less than half the opening of the previous four installments. It was the lowest opening for the annual franchise which kicked off in 2004 with the original movie opening with $18.3 million, at the time a huge success considering the film only cost a million to make. Certainly the success of Saw, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival that year, has paved the way for low-budget horror films like Paranormal Activity, which was first seen at the smaller Slamdance Film Festival in 2008.

As far as the rest of the box office, Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are (Warner Bros.) tanked in its second weekend, dropping 56% to third place with $14.4 million and a ten-day total of $54 million, while The Gerard Butler-Jamie Foxx thriller Law Abiding Citizen (Overture Films) is starting to catch up in their respective second weekends, dropping just 40% to make $12.7 million in its second weekend and $40.3 million total.

The hit situational comedy Couples Retreat (Universal) took fifth place with $11.1 million and $78.2 million total.

As far as the two new movies for younger people, the animated adventure Astro Boy (Summit) opened in sixth place with $7 million, while Paul Weitz's young adult fantasy Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (Universal) settled for eighth place, grossing just $6.3 million in its first weekend, averaging roughly $2,300 per site in 2,754 theaters.

In between the two new movies, Screen Gems' remake of The Stepfather dropped to seventh place with $6.5 million, a modest 44% drop from its opening week, and $20.3 million total.

The Top 10 was rounded out by Sony's dual hit comedies, the animated Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs with $5.6 million, bringing its total to $115.2 million, and the R-rated Zombieland, which added $4.3 million to its total take of $67.3 million.

The Top 10 grossed roughly $105 million down 9% from the same weekend last year when Disney's HIgh School Musical 3 topped the box office with over $40 million, followed by the previous "Saw" installment Saw V with $30 million.

Opening in 11th place, Mira Nair's biopic Amelia (Fox Searchlight) starring Hilary Swank as the legendary aviator, took in $4 million in 818 theaters, averaging nearly $5,000 per site, the second best average in the Top 12 after Paranormal Activity.

Lars von Trier's controversial Antichrist opened with $73.5 thousand in 6 theaters in New York and L.A., averaging $12.2k per site, while Katherine Dieckman's Motherhood, starring Uma Thurman, only grossed $58 thousand in 48 theaters.

Pre-Production Starting on Mad Max 4

2009-10-25T12:52:00.001-04:00

Just a few days after it was reported that Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy are in the running to star in George Miller's fourth Mad Max movie, The Daily Telegraph says that work on the film will start immediately and that filming will take place in Sydney and Outback NSW.

The newspaper says that a lot of the work will be done at Redfern's CarriageWorks and there will also be 30 weeks of filming in Broken Hill. It is estimated the whole project will take two-and-a-half years to complete.

Miller said: "The production agreements have been a long time in the making and Premier Rees and his team have worked like Trojans to ensure this substantial investment comes into this country. Not only does it help fuel the local economy but it means many talented people get a chance to practice their craft and lift their skills."

CarriageWorks will be used for the development work for the film, as well as Miller's Happy Feet 2.

Filming is expected to start next year.

Sylvester Stallone Plans to Follow Rambo 5 With Rocky 7 in 2010

2009-10-25T12:30:00.000-04:00

After Sylvester Stallone wraps his fifth Rambo, apparently a curious creature feature and now officially given the go ahead to start shooting in the spring, it looks like Stallone is looking to once again revive his other iconic turn/cash cow. It seemed like a minor miracle to me that Rocky 6 was so well received and so going for a seventh roll of the dice seems at first like a gamble too far, but Stallone’s feeling quite philosophical:

When I was 21 years old and at drama school. My teacher said to me, ‘If you ever put your head out there, thousands of people will try to cut it off, but that’s exactly what you need to do as an artist.’ “I know it’s ludicrous and everyone would laugh. I would laugh about it. But I also know that I’d be successful if I can make this a film about becoming older, not about boxing but about myself.

Do you know what, I think he’s right, actually. Rock on Rocky 7.

He was reportedly speaking to Tele 5 in Germany, since which quotes have spread like wild fire across the web. I sourced my quotes from Teen Say.

Here’s just a touch more of what he said:

Even my wife says, ‘Don’t do it. You’re embarrassing the kids’. But I told her, ‘If I don’t try I’ll be a really unhappy man.’ You have to do it. Artists like me have to go through the dark over and over again.

Perhaps a leap into the true darkness of a non-franchise film would be good. Actually, that could include The Expendables, which still seems to be set pretty safely in Stallone’s 80s-brewed comfort zone, so maybe dabbling in a new genre would be necessary. Okay, basically, I’m wanting Stallone to do his long promised Edgar Allan Poe film. Am I alone in that?

NBC Picks Up Community, Mercy and Parks and Recreation

2009-10-23T21:23:00.000-04:00

NBC's Community, Parks and Recreation and Mercy have been picked up for full seasons, NBC announced on Friday.

The Dan Harmon-produced Community started off in the 9:30/8:30c timeslot before the return of 30 Rock with 7.88 million viewers. Though its ratings have slightly dropped in its new 8/7c time period, the series has increased 12 percent in the 18-49 demographic. The show now averages 5.7 million viewers.

Parks and Recreation, starring Amy Poehler and Rashida Jones, averages 4.8 million viewers and hit a season high with Thursday's episode, adding another 100,000 viewers.

Mercy, starring Taylor Schilling and Michelle Trachtenberg, earns an average of 7.8 million viewers weekly. In its last three airings, the freshman drama has finished first in the 9/8c time period.

$60m Deal Sends Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Nickelodeon; Paramount Will Make New Feature Film for 2012

2009-10-21T12:03:00.001-04:00

When I was reading oversized black and white TMNT comics in the mid-’80s, I never would have guessed that one day the rights to those characters would be trading for sixty million dollars. But that’s what Nickelodeon just paid to pick up global TMNT rights from the Mirage Group and 4Kids Entertainment. The result of the deal? The rumored new film and a new CG-animated series will both arrive in 2012.

Variety reports the deal, which puts all intellectual property rights and all merchandising rights to the characters into the hands of Nickelodeon. The current animated series, produced by Mirage and 4Kids, will air through the end of October.

No indication is given as to what the new CGI series will look like, and there are few details about the upcoming feature other than the fact that Nickelodeon sister company Paramount and producer Scott Mednick will be behind it. (The previous live-action films and the most recent CGI film were distributed by New Line and Warner Brothers, respectively.) We’d previously heard that the next feature film, aimed for 2011, would be a Mirage Group production written by John Fusco and made with a hybrid live-action CGI style. Mednick was producing at that point as well, so it’s not unsafe to guess that the same approach and creative team will remain intact even after this deal.

The new film has been called a Batman Begins-style reboot which would re-tell the origin of the characters. Co-creator Peter Laird has suggested it might even include the two-legged robot ‘mousers’ which appeared in early issues of the black and white comic series. But a casting call announcement earlier this year, which was obviously premature, sought martial artists to appear as the Foot Clan, which suggests that the film will re-tell the Shredder / April / Foot Clan story seen in altered form in the original 1990 live-action movie.

Castle Picked Up for Full Second Season

2009-10-20T19:31:00.000-04:00

ABC has picked up Castle for a full 22-episode season, TVGuide.com has confirmed.

The procedural dramedy, which stars Nathan Fillion as an author who helps solve crimes to cure his writers block, debuted in March to 11.6 million viewers. Although the show's numbers have fallen off a bit this season (it's averaging between 9 and 10 million viewers), it has held a respectable chunk of its Dancing with the Stars lead-in.

ABC previously announced full-season orders of new comedies Modern Family, Cougar Town and The Middle as well as freshman drama FlashForward.

Fox Orders Three More Lie to Me Scripts

2009-10-20T19:30:00.000-04:00

Fox has ordered three more episodes of Lie to Me, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The additional scripts bring the crime drama's second-season order to 16 episodes. A midseason replacement last January, piggybacking American Idol, Lie to Me has been off to a slow start this fall, losing nearly half of lead-in House's audience each week.

Wii Price Drop Spurs Sales

2009-10-20T12:56:00.000-04:00

Nintendo anticipates a big holiday season.

The September NPD numbers are now available and it's no surprise that Nintendo is once again seeing great success with its breakthrough console and wildly popular handheld. Even though the PS3 took the top spot for hardware sales, it seems as though the price drop could push Nintendo back up top at the end of the year.

Wii sales increased by 185, 468 units in September, a 67% increase over August. This can mostly be attributed to the price drop that affected the last week of NPD's reported numbers for the month. Meanwhile the DS broke 500,000 units in the month of September, trouncing the PSP by over 300,000 units. We'll have to wait until next month to find out if the newly released PSPgo evens the playing field.

Nintendo shows little signs of slowing down. Nintendo of America remarked on the data: "We anticipate increased momentum through the holidays. Consumer sampling events are now underway, and we expect to interact with over a million people before year end."

We'll keep an eye on Nintendo's rate of success as we head towards the holiday season.

Wild Things Rumpus at the Box Office

2009-10-18T15:15:00.000-04:00

The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend.

What's turning out to be an October for the record books continues to thrive with the second movie to open over $30 million, as filmmaker Spike Jonze's take on Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are opened with approximately $32.7 million in 3,735 theaters including IMAX screens, surpassing some expectations but not all. With a solid average of $8,693 per site, the film benefitted from a solid marketing campaign and praise from critics that made it apparent that it was far more than just a kiddie film, and in just three days, it is the auteur director's biggest theatrical take so far.

Opening solidly in second place, the Gerard Butler-Jamie Foxx thriller Law Abiding Citizen (Overture Films) grossed roughly $21.2 million in 2,890 theaters, also bringing in audiences with its strong marketing campaign. It marks the largest opening for the fledgling two year old distributor whose biggest hit previously was the Robert De Niro and Al Pacino crime-thriller Righteous Kill last year.

Oren Peli's low budget ghost movie Paranormal Activity (Paramount) expanded into nationwide release in 760 theaters where it grossed $20.16 million for third place, scoring an impressive $26.5k per site, which is the 13th highest average for a wide release. The movie, which reportedly cost less than $15,000, has grossed over $33 million since opening in select cities on September 25. On Friday, the movie will expand into roughly 2,000 theaters where it's likely to continue its strong run due to the positive word-of-mouth.

After a strong opening in first place, the Vince Vaughn tropical comedy Couples Retreat (Universal) dropped 48% to fourth place with a second weekend take of $17.9 million, bringing its total to $63.3 million.

Even with two other horror-thrillers in theaters, Screen Gems' remake of The Stepfather, starring Dylan Walsh and Amber Heard, was able to bring in $12.3 million to take fifth place.

Sony's Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Zombieland swapped places with the former taking sixth place with $8.1 million and the latter falling to seventh place with $7.8 million. "Cloudy" crossed the $100 million mark on Thursday and the $24 million budgeted zombie comedy has grossed $60.8 million in three weeks.

On the other hand, DIsney's two movies both tanked this weekend with the Toy Story 3D Double Feature dropping 61% and adding $3 million to its take of $28.6 million. (It was originally meant as a two-week limited release.) The action film Surrogates (Disney/Touchstone) took in less than $2 million in its fourth weekend having grossed $36.3 million.

The Ricky Gervais comedy The Invention of Lying (Warner Bros.) closed off the Top 10 with $1.9 million and $15.5 million total

The Top 10 grossed roughly $127 million, up an astounding 58% over the same weekend last year when Fox's Max Payne, starring Mark Wahlberg, topped the box office with $17.6 million. By comparison, this weekend saw four movies surpass that amount.

Some of the movies of note opening in limited release included the anthology film New York, I Love You (Vivendi), which took in $372 thousand in 119 theaters, and Scott Sanders' Blacksploitation spoof Black Dynamite (Apparition), starring Michael Jai White, which grossed $141 thousand in 70 theaters.

Jackie Earle Haley Tapped For Sinestro In Green Lantern, Superman to Cameo

2009-10-17T12:01:00.001-04:00

Probably the most disappointing thing about Green Lantern is that the protracted and delayed production is going to ensure, without any doubt, that director Martin Campbell can’t be in charge of the next Bond film and turn that franchise round again (for the third time).

It’s not all bad news, though. On the plus side, a new rumour has pegged Jackie Earle Haley for the role of Sinestro in the picture. You may recall that he’s the mentor character that might just turn out to be a baddie (if they don’t save that for the sequel). The same unnamed gossipmonger has Superman down for a cameo role in the film, which sounds like a wild and unlikely idea but the character was in at least one draft of the script and since Marvel’s multi-picture mashup scheme, I wouldn’t be surprised to see DC try a similar tactic.

On the other hand, this particular use of Superman could be motivated by back and forth over the rights to the character as per the ongoing legal issues.

I like this Superman rumour because it means another silly season of speculating on the character’s casting is about to start all over again. What sport! Brandon Routh? DJ Cotrona? Jim Caviezel? Zac Efron?

A cameo would at least be a safe-ish way to test out the casting of a new Superman with the public and the internets before committing the actor to a full-on starring role.

Since his grand return in Little Children, Jackie Earle Haley has been signing on to franchise and high-profile genre pictures left right and centre. I guess he knows all too well what it’s like to suddenly drop off the radar and find roles hard to come by, so I wouldn’t blame him for getting some serious fat in his piggy bank while he can. It would be nice to see him do something else too, though, far away from the more stylised worlds he’s been inhabiting lately. And no, Shutter Island doesn’t count - that’s going to be as stylised as they come.

Will Ferrell to Star in Everything Must Go, a Raymond Carver-Based Indie

2009-10-16T13:12:00.000-04:00

Will Ferrell is set to star in a $10 million independent dramedy, Everything Must Go, based on a work by renown, late short story author Raymond Carver entitled “Why Don’t You Dance.” The project marks the feature debut of newcomer Dan Rush, a former commercials director whose screenplay for Everything was included on last year’s insidery Black List. Ferrell will play “a relapsed alcoholic” who loses his job, and naturally, his wife gives the heave-hoe too, leaving the character to launch a four-day yard sale on their lawn. The character’s main objective: generating quick beer money.

Script Shadow via Playlist has called it his “favorite script” (ever?) and is totally perplexed at the casting. His worries revolve around a hypothetical that sees a studio re-cutting the film to heighten the comedic aspects. Shadow concludes with, “but there’s some real weight to this character and I think we’ve seen from Will Ferrell in the past that the only weight he has is in his abdomen area.” Ouch. I’m surprised, given the informed source, that Ferrell’s work in Stranger Than Fiction doesn’t receive a mention whatsoever.

The 2006 film from director Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace, Finding Neverland) was the last occasion Ferrell played the lead in a high-profile indie dramedy. It went on to gross a quiet $40 million domestic, and though the movie currently has a 7.9 on IMDB after 70,000 votes, Ferrell’s nice, straight-laced performance therein often seems largely ignored by pop culture. When it was released, the film was boxed in (and understandably so) as another Charlie Kaufman existential knock-off a la the recent Cold Souls with Paul Giamatti.

But Ferrell tapped into some then unforeseen depth that wasn’t so easy to categorize; try to picture another comedic actor, even Truman-era Jim Carrey, doing an acoustic cover of Wreckless Eric’s “Whole Wide World.” Ferrell’s the master at jumping out of airplanes with a parachute filled with dildos as seen in The Goods, yeah, but he’s got the dramatic kind as well. Rewind the pun alert. Moreover, it’s easy to forget just how seriously Ferrell pursued the lead in David Gordon Green’s wholly ambitious A Confederacy of Dunces, alongside Zooey Deschanel, only to see the project permanently fall apart.

Taylor Swift to Host Saturday Night Live — Perhaps at Kanye's Expense

2009-10-15T14:46:00.000-04:00

Taylor Swift will host Saturday Night Live on Nov. 7 — without Kanye West, but don't rule out any West impersonations.

"I've been thinking about skit ideas for a long time," Swift told the Associated Press. "There are definitely some hilarious things that have happened to me over the past couple of months that I think will be pretty substantial skits."

Last month, West swiped the mic away from Swift during her acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards, for which he later apologized.

Beyonce says Kanye West was "standing up for art"

But Swift is poised to be the center of attention on SNL, where she will pull double duty as the night's musical guest as well. She previously performed on the program in January.

"I love being around people who I feel have a different kind of creative genius," Swift said. "And the funny genius is definitely a fascinating one to be around."

The 19-year-old, who calls the hosting opportunity "mind-blowing," has one wish for the show: to appear in a digital short.

"Of course I've been such a fan for a long time, but I've gone back and re-watched everything over the past couple of months and digital shorts would be so much fun to do, because they've been done so well," she said. "Andy Samberg is hilarious."

In addition to SNL, Swift will perform on Dancing with the Stars on Oct. 27.

The Cleveland Show Renewed Through 2011

2009-10-14T21:31:00.001-04:00

Fox already has picked up The Cleveland Show for the last nine episodes of its second season.

The Family Guy spin-off was picked up last May for the first 13 episodes of a second season starting next year —four months before the show's debut.

The Fox show's initial season got under way Sept. 27, bringing in 9.5 million viewers and scoring an impressive 4.9 rating in the 18-to-49 demographic. The animated comedy's premiere was also the highest debut in 18-to-34 demo and marked one of the highest-rated scripted series openers so far this fall.

Chris Pine in Talks to Play Jack Ryan

2009-10-14T12:39:00.000-04:00

Paramount Pictures is negotiating with Chris Pine to play CIA analyst Jack Ryan in the reboot of the franchise based on the Tom Clancy novels.
Pine is positioned to topline his second Par franchise. He played James T. Kirk in "Star Trek," the J.J. Abrams-directed summer hit, and will reprise the role in the sequel.

Pine is separately in talks to team with director D.J. Caruso in the Paramount drama "The Art of Making Money," early next year.

Talks have just started, but Pine is expected to come aboard the Jack Ryan film as the project is still taking shape. The studio and producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mace Neufeld are working with a script draft by Hossein Amini, based on an original concept.

They are still in deep development and it is unclear whether Pine would make another "Star Trek" before the Jack Ryan film. He will clearly be working often for Paramount over the next several years.

Pine, currently starring with Denzel Washington in the Tony Scott-directed "Unstoppable" for Fox, is vying to be the fourth actor to play Ryan, the CIA analyst in the Par film series.

Alec Baldwin originated the character in 1990's "The Hunt for Red October," Harrison Ford played him in 1992's "Patriot Games" and 1994's "Clear and Present Danger," and Ben Affleck played Ryan in 2002's "The Sum of All Fears."

Pine’s repped by SDB Partners and Carrabino Management.

Matthew Perry Developing New Sitcom

2009-10-13T17:33:00.001-04:00

Matthew Perry is hoping to be there for you again with a new comedy series.

The 40-year-old will star in, co-write and executive-produce the yet-untitled project to be produced by Sony Pictures TV, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Perry will play a self-involved manager of a sports arena who starts to rethink his life as he hits The Big Four-O.

The show will reteam him with director and executive producer Thomas Schlamme, with whom Perry worked on Friends, The West Wing and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.

Perry, who recently starred in the Showtime comedy pilot The End of Steve, is pitching the project to networks this week. Should one snap it up, he would be the third Friend returning to TV, following Courteney Cox in Cougar Town and Matt LeBlanc in the upcoming Showtime/BBC series Episodes.

Lennon and Garant Creating New NBC Comedy

2009-10-13T16:52:00.000-04:00

Two months after he broke the news of his Comedy Central show "Reno 911!" coming to an end, series star/co-creator Thomas Lennon is headlining a new comedy project at NBC.

The broadcast network has handed a pilot commitment with penalty to the multicamera comedy he will write with Robert Ben Garant, his "Reno" co-creator/co-star and frequent collaborator.

The two also will executive produce the project, whose premise is being kept under wraps, with Peter Principato and Paul Young. Lennon will star; Garant will play a supporting role.

Additionally, NBC and sibling Universal Media Studios, which is producing the Lennon/Garant project, has inked a talent holding deal with Lennon that includes his show with Garant.

NBC and UMS moved quickly to lock in Lennon and Garant following "Reno's" August cancellation after a six-season run.

"Our entire team has long been fans of the work Lennon and Garant have done on 'Reno 911!' as well as their comedy films," NBC president of primetime entertainment Angela Bromstad said, noting that network brass will look for the duo "to come up with a comedy hit."

Lennon and Garant, co-founders of New York-based sketch comedy troupe the State, have written such features as the two "Night at the Museum" films, "Reno 911!: Miami," "Balls of Fury" and "The Pacifier."

The pair, who recently signed a writing deal with Spyglass Entertainment, have several film projects in the pipeline: "How to Survive a Robot Uprising" at Paramount, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" and "The Devil You Know" at Fox and "The Incredible Shrinking Man" for Universal and Imagine.

In front of the camera, Lennon recently appeared in "I Love You, Man" and "17 Again."

Lennon and Garant are repped by CAA, Principato-Young and attorney Karl Austen.

Roland Emmerich on Independence Day 2

2009-10-12T19:46:00.000-04:00

Latino Review got a chance to ask 2012 director Roland Emmerich if there's still a chance we'll see a sequel to 1996's Independence Day at some point. After all, the blockbuster made a massive $817.4 million at the worldwide box office that year. Emmerich gave an interesting response...

Dean Devlin and I are still set to make a sequel likely because we've found some sort of idea and we approached FOX and FOX has not quite figured out how to incorporate Dean's and my deal, and Will's (Smith) deal. Will wants to do it in some sort of a package they can live with. So it's just been in negations now since forever, and naturally FOX says "Why don't you do it without Will Smith?" I said Will is essential for us, for this movie and actually for the audience too. And, so, it's in limbo and lately the studios are fighting. Like gross players, and Will is a gross player and is probably the only gross player right now who's worth his gross. So we'll see what happens. I would love to do it..

FlashForward Picked Up for Full Season

2009-10-12T19:37:00.001-04:00

ABC has picked up FlashForward for a full season, the network announced Monday.

The order comes on the heels of pickups for ABC's Cougar Town, Modern Family and The Middle.

The sci-fi series has been a solid performer in the 8 p.m. Thursday slot and is the season's top new drama in the 18-to-34 demographic. DVR numbers also show FlashForward's season premiere gained 2 million viewers to bring its total to 14.5 million.

FlashForward is the seventh new series to earn a full-season order, following the ABC comedies, NCIS: Los Angeles and The Good Wife on CBS and Glee on Fox.

Bryan Singer Interested in More X-Men

2009-10-12T13:09:00.001-04:00

Bryan Singer said Sunday he's interested in making another "X-Men" movie and has discussed the possibility with 20th Century Fox, according to The Associated Press.

"I'm still looking to possibly returning to the 'X-Men' franchise. I've been talking to Fox about it," the X-Men and X2: X-Men United director said at South Korea's Pusan International Film Festival. "I love Hugh Jackman. I love the cast."

Singer said the "X-Men" series is about tolerance and social structures. He said he likes to "trick audiences into thinking they're seeing fireworks, but they're learning about themselves and listening to what I have to say."

"The excitement about working in science fiction and fantasy is — the stories, if they are good, are about the human condition," he added.

20th Century Fox Retelling the Story of Moses

2009-10-12T13:08:00.000-04:00

Variety reports that 20th Century Fox will develop a retelling of the story of Moses, from his near death as an infant to his adoption into the Egyptian royal family, his defiance of the Pharaoh and deliverance of the Hebrews from enslavement.

The script will be written by Adam Cooper and Bill Collage, who recently completed a scripted retelling of Herman Melville's Moby Dick for director Timur Bekmambetov at Universal.

Moby Dick was pitched as a 300-like reimagining of the Melville story as a visually stunning action piece, and the story of Moses is conceived similarly.

The trade adds that the goal is to give a Braveheart feel to a story most famously captured in Cecil B. DeMille's1956 film The Ten Commandments. Peter Chernin will produce with Dylan Clark.

Couples Retreat Enjoys Holiday in the Box Office Sun

2009-10-11T15:00:00.000-04:00

The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend.

After Martin Scorsese's thriller Shutter Island was pushed back to 2010, there was a shake-up in the October release schedule, which ended up leaving Vince Vaughn's tropical vacation comedy Couples Retreat as the only wide release, and it certainly paid off, as the movie opened with an estimated $35.3 million this weekend in 3,000 theaters, making it the sixth biggest opener for the month. Despite horrendous reviews, audiences were looking for laughs and the $70 million budget comedy brought together a strong ensemble comedy cast, not only teaming Vaughn with his long-time collaborators Peter Billingsley, making his directorial debut, and Jon Favreau, but surrounding them with the likes of Jason Bateman, Malin Akerman, Kristin Bell and Kristen Davis. Audiences reporting to CinemaScore rated the movie a B, similar to Four Christmases, Vaughn's last movie with Reese Witherspoon,

Dropping to second place with a marginal 40% from its #1 opening, Sony's Zombieland, starring Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg, made $15 million in its second weekend bringing its total to $47.8 million. Sony also held third place with their hit animated comedy Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, which added another $12 million to its box office total of $96.2 million.

Disney and Pixar's Toy Story 3D Double Feature took in $7.7 million for fourth place in its second weekend of limited release in Disney Digital 3D theaters. It has grossed $22.7 million in ten days with no word whether its run might be extended.

The biggest surprise of the weekend had to be the explosive success of Oren Peli's low-budget horror flick Paranormal Activity (Paramount), as it jumped into the Top 10 at #5 with $7.1 million in just 159 theaters, an astounding per-theater average of over $44k per venue. That is similar to the record theater average set by Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: The Best of Both Worlds last year, although that was in nearly four times as many theaters. Produced for roughly $11,000 two years ago, the movie has been given one of the most innovative marketing and distribution campaigns ever via Paramount's Demand It! site, which opened the movie in cities that received the most demands. After two weeks playing midnight-only shows in those cities, Paramount gave the movie a full release in over 40 cities, and by Friday night, the movie had attained the company's mandated "one million demands" in order to warrant a wide release. Paramount plans on opening it nationwide this coming Friday, October 16, although it hasn't been revealed yet how many theaters/cities will get it.

In sixth place, the Bruce Willis action flick Surrogates (Disney/Touchstone) added another $4.1 million to its box office total of $32.5 million, still less than half its reported $80 million budget. The comedy The Invention of Lying (Warner Bros.), starring Ricky Gervais, dropped to seventh place, down 52% from its opening to make $3.4 million with a total of $12.3 million.

Drew Barrymore's Whip It, Michael Moore's doc Capitalism: A Love Story (Overture Films) and the remake of Fame (MGM) followed with $2.8, 2.7 and 2.6 million respectively for eighth through tenth place.

The Top 10 grossed roughly $92.6 million, up 14% from the same weekend last year where Disney's Beverly Hills Chihuahua retained the top spot with $17.5 million.

Some of the highlights in limited release include Chris Rock's comedy doc Good Hair, which opened in 14th place by grossing $1.1 million in 186 theaters. Opening in four theaters in New York and L.A., the critically-lauded An Education (Sony Pictures Classics), starring Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard and Alfred Molina, grossed approximately $162 thousand or an average of $40k per site. By comparison, Michael Sheen's soccer biopic The Damned United (Sony Pictures Classics) took in $36 thousand in 6 theaters, while "High School Musical" star Corbin Bleu's movie Free Style (Samuel Goldwyn) bombed by grossing just over $100 thousand in 261 theaters. (That's less than $500 per site.)

Iverson could miss 3 weeks with partial tear in hamstring

2009-10-08T13:05:00.001-04:00

Memphis Grizzlies guard Allen Iverson could miss three weeks after an MRI revealed a partial tear in his left hamstring.

The Grizzlies made the announcement before Wednesday night's exhibition game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. If the timetable is correct, Iverson would miss all of preseason, and his status for the season opener at home against the Detroit Pistons on Oct. 28 would be in jeopardy.

"The way I see it, I'm glad it's happening right now rather than in the season," Iverson said in a pregame press conference. "That's the only positive thing I can take out of the whole thing."

Iverson, declaring himself a quick healer, said he expects to be back in time for the opener. He was hurt during the Grizzlies' training camp in Birmingham, Ala. last week and said he was just starting to get into shape after not playing basketball for five months waiting to see where he was going to land for this season.

"My legs were starting to feel a lot better than they had the first three or four days," Iverson said. "Then, just like that, I hurt the hamstring."

Entering his 14th season, the four-time NBA scoring champ signed with the Grizzlies last month, the biggest name ever to join the franchise. Iverson said he has never dealt with hamstring problems in his career and wants to make sure he is completely healed before returning to the court.

"My whole thing is to work as hard as I can to try and get back to 100 percent," Iverson said. "I don't want to try and come back too early and have this thing lingering on throughout the whole season."

Stern forsees NBA expanding into European cities one day

2009-10-08T13:04:00.000-04:00

The NBA envisions having franchise teams in European cities, although commissioner David Stern said Thursday there was no timetable for the move.

Stern was speaking in the Taiwanese capital of Taipei, before the first ever NBA exhibition game on the island.

"There's some good possibility over the course of many years, that if there's appropriate arena development in Europe, there could be actual NBA franchises in Europe," he said. "That's the way we see the development of basketball in the world."

Earlier this week, Stern said the league was also planning a regular-season game in London sometime before the city hosts the 2012 Olympics.

The only regular NBA games ever staged outside North America were in Japan in the early 1990s.

In addition to European expansion, Stern said the NBA also sees affiliated leagues in other continents.

"The model in Asia, probably in Latin America, possibly in Africa will lead us -- if there's adequate arena development -- to having NBA affiliated leagues, with partners in local basketball federations," Stern said.

In Thursday's Taipei exhibition, the Denver Nuggets take on the Indiana Pacers. A capacity crowd of 13,000 is expected.

Gary Ross To Write/Direct Venom Movie

2009-10-07T21:04:00.000-04:00

Sony has been developing a Marvel Comics spin-off of the Spider-Man villain Venom for some time now, but I never actually believed it would happen. Screenwriting team Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese had written two drafts on the character before moving on to Zombieland. And before Wernick/Reese, the company had previously commissioned Jacob Estes (Mean Creek) to pen a take. It seemed like one of those projects that was just doomed to development heck. Apparently not…

But BFDealMemo has learned that Sony is talks with Spider-Man 4 scribe Gary Ross to rewrite the script and possibly even direct the Venom spin-off. Ross plans to begin the rewrite as soon as he finishes up work on Spidey 4. I enjoyed the hell out of Zombieland, and was actually really interested to see Wernick/Reese’s version. At the same time, I’m also interested to see what Ross will bring to the table. Ross’ screenwriting credits include Big, Mr. Baseball, Dave, Lassie, as well as his two-directorial efforts Pleasentville and Seabiscuit.

Even though the character appeared in Spider-Man 3 with actor Topher Grace playing his human counterpart, the intention is to completely reboot the character in this spin-off. And I think hiring someone other than Topher for the role is a smart move as they really need to do everything they can to differentiate the spin-off from what many believe to be a lackluster third film.

When I was younger, and had more time to read comics, Venom was one of my favorites. But never once did I actually buy an issue of the Venom spin-off series, because I never thought it would be that interesting. And my thoughts are virtually the same on a Venom spin-off film. Venom is one of those baddies who is only as interesting as his opponent. And I’m pretty sure this project would be Spidey-free.

Sony has announced a May 6th 2011 release date for the fourth installment of the Spider-Man series. No word on if the Venom film would somehow be related or connected to that fourth story. Heatvision reports that the studio had no comment on Grace’s involvement nor on Ross writing the project.

Bored to Death Picked Up for Second Season

2009-10-07T12:31:00.002-04:00

HBO is still interested in Bored to Death: The freshman comedy has been renewed for a second season.

The pickup comes days after the show saw a ratings high of 1.1 million on Sunday, when it followed Curb Your Enthusiasm's Seinfeld reunion episode. Since its Sept. 20 debut, Bored to Death's pilot has been seen by 4.1 million viewers with repeats factored in.

Bored to Death stars Jason Schwartzman as a writer-turned-investigator.

Ryan Reynolds Eyed for Motorcade

2009-10-07T12:31:00.001-04:00

DreamWorks is moving forward with Motorcade, hiring director Jon Cassar, best known as co-executive producer and a prolific helmer of the Fox TV drama "24."

The studio hopes to get the picture into production by late summer or early fall 2010, and DreamWorks is eying Ryan Reynolds to play the disgraced Secret Service agent who happens to be in the wrong place at the right time when the U.S. president is kidnapped in New York.

Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald are producing. Billy Ray continues to work on a script that was originated by Hans Bauer and Craig Mitchell.

No Simpsons Movie Sequel Planned

2009-10-07T12:30:00.001-04:00

The creators of "The Simpsons" have ruled out making a sequel to The Simpsons Movie, at least not until the TV series finally wraps.

According to Variety, Matt Groening and showrunner Al Jean said that making the series and producing the movie was so exhausting that a sequel remains a distant prospect.

"It took 18 years to get around to doing the movie," Groening said. "We got very frustrated. We thought it would take two years but it ended up taking four. Some day maybe we'll do another one -- but don't hold your breath."

Both Groening and Jean have no idea when the series may end.

New National Lampoon’s Vacation Sequel In The Works

2009-10-07T02:56:00.000-04:00

No, no, no NO NO NO NOOOOOOOO. I start overacting like Shia LaBeouf when I learn news about Hollywood remaking or sequelizing movies from my childhood. I’m not an anti-sequel person, and in that area, I’m a lot more optimistic than most film fanatics. With the advances in technology and special effects, I understand the want to update some of the big sci-fi and effects heavy classics (not that I agree, but I at least understand…)

But some movies just need to be left alone: particularly dramas and comedies. The Karate Kid doesn’t need a remake starring Will Smith’s son and Jackie Chan, and Nation Lampoon’s Vacation doesn’t need another crappy sequel/spin-off. New Line/Warner Bros has signed Wedding Crashers and Fred Claus director David Dobkinto produce and possibly direct a new film in the Vacation series.

New Line has already developed a storyline, which they are now meeting with screenwriters to pen the script. The story follows Rusty Griswold, the son of Clark Griswold (played by Chevy Chase in the original films), who is now a father in his own right and takes his family on a, you guessed it, road trip vacation. Heatvision reports that New Line hopes to make a movie that skews more towards Planes Trains and Automobiles or Little Miss Sunshine than RV or Are We There Yet? Thank God…

And the movie will not be a remake, but a sequel/spin-off/reboot. The first trip would be acknowledged and the story will focus on a new adventure. The plan is to write in parts, although it hasn’t been established if it would be a cameo or something much larger, for Chase and Beverly D’Angelo to return as grandparents. Of course, no deals are in place.

It is unlikely that any of the original Griswold child actors will return for the new film, since Rusty and Audrey have been played by a different set of actors in each film. This fact is actually made into a joke in Vegas Vacation when Clark tells his children that he “hardly recognizes” them anymore.

It’s hard to complain about another sequel since this franchise has already been milked to death. It’s not like this film could ever hurt the series’ legacy, at least not any more than Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie’s Island Adventure (which is one of the worst films I’ve ever seen… ever). Christmas Vacation is one of the few third films in a movie series that ended up surpassing the sequel, European Vacation, by leaps and bounds. The 1997 film Vegas Vacation wasn’t horrible, but also wasn’t on the same level as either Vacation or Christmas Vacation.

Entire Predators Cast Revealed!

2009-10-06T23:42:00.001-04:00

We told you it was coming and sure enough, Variety has announced the entire cast for Robert Rodriguez's Predators, which will be headlined by Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody (King Kong, The Pianist) as the mercenary Royce.

At the same time, The Hollywood Reporter's "Heat Vision Blog" is reporting that actor Topher Grace (Spider-Man 3, "That '70s Show") is in negotiations to join Brody as Edwin, an accountant who is in fact a dangerous serial killer.

The rest of the multinational cast includes the aforementioned Danny Trejo and Walton Goggins from "The Shield" as well as Alice Braga (I Am Legend), Oleg Taktarov, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali ("The 4400"), and Louiz Ozawa. The Variety story doesn't reveal which character all of them might be playing but you can get some idea by checking out Latino Review's preview.

Directed by Nimrod Antal, the Hungarian filmmaker behind last year's Vacancy and the upcoming Screen Gemscrime thriller Armored, the movie is about to start shooting on location in Hawaii and Rodriguez's Austin-based Troublemaker Studios.

Zombieland 2? Maybe.

2009-10-06T20:57:00.000-04:00

The rumors of a Zombieland sequel are already flowing. No surprise; the film didn’t cost much and has been a hit with critics and audiences. It’s one of the first features in a long time that really makes me want a sequel. I could easily spend a lot more time in that world with those characters. (Unbroken by the cameo; that scene was fun, sure, but really broke me out of the world that Ruben Fleischer had built so well.)

Evidently I’m not the only one ready for a sequel. Co-writer Paul Wernick told MTV last week, “Woody [Harrelson] came up to us after the final cut of the last scene and gave us a hug and said, ‘I’ve never wanted to do a sequel in the previous movies I’ve done until this one.’ ”

If you’ve been following along, you’ll know that Wernick and co-writer Rhett Reese (who are also writing Venom for Sony) originally developed Zombieland as a TV series, with the first 45 minutes of the film more or less counting as material for the pilot. That being the case, you know they’ve got ideas enough to push another film through development pretty fast. If the numbers are right and everyone remains as upbeat about the project as they are now, it could happen. Maybe even as that TV series originally envisioned.

Curb Your Enthusiasm Gets Big Ratings Lift from Seinfeld Reunion

2009-10-06T20:37:00.001-04:00

The show about nothing helped propel Curb Your Enthusiasm to a big something Sunday night.

The first episode of the highly anticipated Seinfeld reunion arc on co-creator Larry David's HBO comedy brought in Curb's biggest ratings in over five years, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The episode, which featured all four Seinfeld cast members together on TV for the first time since the show's 1998 finale, brought in 1.6 million viewers at 9/8c. Combined with the viewers for the episode's same-night rerun one hour later, the show's total escalates to 2.6 million, the Reporter said.

The episode marks Curb's highest ratings since March 2004.

The seventh season premiered on Sept. 20 to the tune of 1.9 million viewers for both showings, the trade paper reports.

Exclusive: Will The Brazilian Job Ever Happen?

2009-10-05T21:40:00.001-04:00

ComingSoon.net just got off the phone with director F. Gary Gray, talking to him about his upcoming suspense thriller Law Abiding Citizen, starring Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx, and though we didn't really have nearly as much time to talk about the movie as we needed, we did get to throw in a question about The Brazilian Job, the long-proposed sequel to his 2003 breakout hit The Italian Job.

Over the last few years, various actors who had appeared in that caper comedy--a remake of a 1969 British comedy starring Michael Caine, Noel Coward and Benny Hill--have been asked about the status of the sequel and whether they might be interested, but the responses were always rather vague and non-committal. The last time we heard about the project was when we spoke to producer Donald De Line, and you can read what he said here. The movie has had a page on IMDb for some time which notes that it's being scripted by David Twohy. (Unfortunately, we didn't get the chance to ask him about that when we spoke to him a few months back for A Perfect Getaway.)

Gray feels that the future of the sequel happening is very much in the hands of Paramount at this point, which makes it tough since so many of the executives involved with the success of the first movie are now gone from the company. "I think it's really just about getting the material in the right place," he told us. "Sequels are tough and you always want to top the original, and I think that's where the energy is being put into developing a script that is just as good, if not better, than the first."

We also asked whether he'd still be interest in directing that sequel if they can get the script happening. "I hope so," he responded. "If you're on a movie, it depends on scheduling, that whole thing, but I certainly hope so. I loved directing that movie. It was a lot of fun, and I think people would want to hang out with that crew again and go on another ride, definitely."

Being that it's been over six years since the original movie, is there still interest in the likes of Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Jason Statham, Mos Def and Seth Green coming together one more time? All of the above have gone onto much greater success since making the movie so what might be involved with getting them back on board? Only time will tell.

Arrested Development Movie Moving Forward. No, Really. For Real.

2009-10-05T21:34:00.000-04:00

It’s getting to the point where I feel a little silly writing every last little word about the potential Arrested Development movie that comes down the wire. But that’s what we do, right? So here it is: there is…will be…a script for an Arrested Development movie. Soon. So very, very soon. Maybe. If things go well.

THR reports the sky-rending news that Mitch Hurwitz has begun work on a script with series co-exec producer James Vallely. This is notable, I guess, because THR reports that Hurwitz has said he wouldn’t start a script unless the entire cast was in place to return for the film. Michael Cera had been reported as the holdout for some time, but maybe (Maeby?) he’s in now. Your guess is as good as mine. Some of the cast have even said in the past that Hurwitz had already been working on the script, but perhaps they just caught him taking notes on the behavior of banana stand employees in Santa Monica.

What’s the story for the film? Start guessing there, too. Back during Comic Con Jason Bateman said the movie wasn’t dead and that the plot could jump off from the end of the television series, when Maeby pitches the family’s story to Ron Howard as a movie. That’s more of a jumping off point than a story, though, so there will have to be a lot more revealed than that.

Fox Searchlight is still behind the film, and Hurwitz will direct. This would seem like the necessary point for me to include my boilerplate text about how the show was great, but probably better as a self-contained entity and that it’s already been too long and we don’t really need a movie, but I’ll let everyone hash that out in the comments. At this point, I’d be happy about the film really happening just so we could finally have something more than half-news and rumor to report about.

Zombieland Overruns the Country!

2009-10-04T15:04:00.000-04:00

The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend.

For a second year in a row, October kicked off with a lot of new choices for moviegoers, but the clear winner for the weekend was Zombieland (Sony Pictures), a buddy comedy set in a world overrun by zombies starring Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin. The R-rated debut feature from Ruben Fleischer was able to capture enough interest among younger audiences to debut at #1 with an estimated $25 million in over 3,000 theaters, which isn't bad considering the movie cost roughly $24 million to produce. When Paramount a few months ago decided to move Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island to next year, the zombie comedy was the first to jump into the weekend to take advantage of buzz created from its presentation at Comic-Con, and it came into weekend with overwhelmingly positive reviews. The strong CinemaScores (generally A or A-) proves it to be one of those all-too-rare cases where moviegoers agree with the critics, which should prove strong for the movie's continued shelf-life against a number of comedies and horror movies opening over the rest of the month.

Sony's other Fall comedy hit, the animated Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Sony), held up just as well in its third weekend despite losing many of its 3D theaters to Disney's rerelease of PIxar's venerable classics Toy Story 3D Double Feature. It was off just 32% from last week, dropping to second place with $16.7 million and a three week total of $82.3 million. It's clearly well on its way to joining the $100 million club later this month.

Meanwhile, the Disney/Pixar 3D double feature brought in approximately $12.5 million in its rerelease into 1,745 3D theaters, unhindered by the long running time or the fact that both movies had been available on DVD for years. Disney announced that this would be a limited two-week run, but we'll have to see whether that's extended or if "Cloudy" gets some of those 3D screens back.

Ricky Gervais' new movie The Invention of Lying (Warner Bros.), his directorial debut with collaborator Matthew Robinson, teamed him with Jennifer Garner, Rob Lowe and others to the tune of $7.3 million in 1,707 theaters, opening in fourth place.

It narrowly defeated Bruce Willis' action movie Surrogates (Disney/Touchstone), which dropped 51% to fifth place after a less than spectacular debut last week. It added $7.3 million to its current total of $26.4 million.

Continuing this week's theme, Drew Barrymore's directorial debut Whip It, starring Juno's Ellen Page vied for sixth place against Michael Moore's new doc Capitalism: A Love Story (Overture Films), which expanded nationwide this weekend, both bringing in an estimated $4.85 million over the weekend.

The Fame (MGM) remake also took a plunge in its second weekend, dropping to eighth place with $4.7 million, down 53% from its opening weekend with a ten-day total of $16.6 million.

Steven Soderbergh's The Informant! (Warner Bros.) starring Matt Damon, and the Jennifer Aniston-Aaron Eckhart romantic drama Love Happens rounded out the Top 10 with $3.8 million and $2.8 million respectively.

The Top 10 grossed roughly $90 million, down just slightly from last year where seven (!) new movies opened in wide release but Disney's Beverly Hills Chihuahua reigned supreme with $29 million.

In limited release, the new dark comedy from Joel and Ethan Coen A Serious Man (Focus Features) opened in 6 theaters in New York and L.A., bringing in roughly $252 thousand or $42 thousand per venue. The LeBron James doc More than a Game (Lionsgate) opened in twice as many theaters but ended up with less than $200 thousand in its opening weekend.

Oren Peli's low budget horror movie Paranormal Activity (Paramount) which expanded into 20 more theaters at midnights this weekend, grossing roughly $535 thousand over the weekend from sold out midnight shows, will be receiving a normal limited release starting on Friday, October 9.

J.J. Abrams Developing New Spy TV Series for NBC

2009-10-02T01:14:00.001-04:00

It seems that CBS now remains the only big network not to receive the J.J. Abrams magic touch. Today we’ve learned that a new spy project co-written by Abrams has found a home at NBC, after a prolonged bidding war between NBC, ABC, and CBS. The currently unnamed spy drama concerns a husband and wife spy team—and before you even think it, I figure the show will differ from Mr. and Mrs. Smith (a property which ironically had a lot of trouble coming back to television recently) in some big way. It’s not like Abrams to be lazy with his project concepts, so I’d be surprised if he ended up simply rehashing someone’s previously trodden material.

This project marks Abram’s third foray into the spy genre after hitting it off big with Alias on ABC, and directing Mission Impossible 3. As a diehard fan of Alias (despite its major faults), it’s definitely exciting to see Abrams working in the spy genre on TVagain—though I hope that he brings something new to the table with this project. Alias certainly had its fair share of spy couples, so it’s not as if the relationship aspect of the profession is all that new to Abrams.

Josh Reims (Brothers and Sisters, Dirty Sexy Money) co-wrote the pilot with Abrams, and they also worked together on Felicity. The project was produced under Warner Brothers Television just like Fringe, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this is ends up being yet another TV series that Abrams walks away from soon after it launches. Then again, if Abrams manages to line up a good crew of writers to manage his initial concepts like Fringe (and to an extent, Lost), then that may not necessarily be a problem.

NBC to Air New Monsters vs. Aliens & Madagascar Specials

2009-10-01T13:32:00.000-04:00

NBC has joined with DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. to air two all-new, family-friendly animated holiday television specials based on the studio's blockbuster feature films, Monsters vs. Aliens and Madagascar, both featuring many of the characters as voiced by the original talent from the films.

The first of the 30-minute specials is titled, "Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space," and is based on the 2009 smash hit, Monsters vs. Aliens. It features the voices of cast members Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Kiefer Sutherland and Rainn Wilson (NBC's "The Office"). The special is set to air on Wednesday, October 28 (8-8:30 p.m. ET, repeating from 8:30-9 p.m. ET).

The second special, "Merry Madagascar," is based on the hugely successful smash hits, Madagascar and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, which both featured the voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Cedric The Entertainer and Andy Richter. The special, which also features the voice of Carl Reiner, is scheduled to broadcast on Tuesday, November 17 (8-8:30 p.m. ET) and repeat on Saturday, November 28 (8-8:30 p.m. ET) just before the holiday season.

The announcement was made today by Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios.

"This is a major coup for NBC to join together with the esteemed artists at DreamWorks Animation as we bring to life new holiday stories based on these popular and lovable characters," said Bromstad. "We are intent on providing original, family-friendly programs that reflect the quality that big-screen audiences have come to expect from these franchises."

"We are thrilled to have two new DreamWorks Animation shows on NBC this holiday season," said Ann Daly, Chief Operating Officer of DreamWorks Animation. "The creative teams from the hit feature films were reunited to make these new specials and we hope they will become annual holiday favorites for families."

"Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space" is produced by Latifa Ouaou and directed by Peter Ramsey from a screenplay by Adam F. Goldberg. The story continues after the events of Monsters vs. Aliens, as Susan Murphy (Witherspoon) and the Monsters now work with the U.S. government as special operatives. When an alien presence is detected in Susan's hometown of Modesto, California -- right before Halloween -- the team is dispatched to investigate. Everything appears normal, right down to the jack-o-lanterns peering out from every doorstep and windowsill. But when Halloween arrives, those innocent-looking carved pumpkins are revealed for what they really are -- mutant aliens. The altered pumpkins then start to implement their fiendish plan to take over Earth. The Monsters are there to combat the mutant gourds and try to smash their wicked scheme.

"Merry Madagascar" was written by David Soren, Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath. The executive producer is Mireille Soria; Joe Aguilar is the producer and David Soren directs. The brand new holiday adventure stars everyone's favorite Central Park "zoosters" from Madagascar and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. "Merry Madagascar" begins when Santa and his sleigh unexpectedly crash-land on the island, giving the jolly gentleman a case of amnesia. So it falls to Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria -- along with the ever-inventive Penguins -- to deliver the presents and save Christmas. And it doesn't hurt that Santa's Sleigh just might be able to make a little trip to New York City, so they can finally return to their beloved home. But during their appointed rounds, the four re-discover the magic of giving -- and that it is ultimately more important than their own wish to return home. Also included is a long-lasting North Pole/South Pole rivalry between the Penguins and Santa's reindeer, plus magic flying dust and a King Julien-based holiday called "Julienuary."

Bateman Talks Hancock 2, Arrested Development Movie

2009-10-01T13:31:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday, ComingSoon.net asked Jason Bateman about the status of Hancock 2 since it was reported in Variety recently that the comedic actor will reprise his role in the Columbia Pictures sequel. Bateman told us it wasn't true, at least not yet.

"I only know what I've read," Bateman said. "No one has contacted me or anybody that represents me to ask if we were interested. I don't know anything about it. It's surprising to me that Variety would write that story because they're usually pretty well vetted before they report something and that was completely false. I haven't heard anything about it. The whole thing about me being on board could not be farther from the truth. I would love to be a part of the film, but I haven't heard anything about it."

While Hancock 2 may not be happening for now, Arrested Development is.

"It's still being written and my guess is that is will be shot some time next year," Bateman added. "I have a feeling that Mitch [Hurwitz] is halfway done writing it. We'll probably shoot it middle of next year and then for however long things take to get cut and marketed, so maybe the first part of 2011 I would imagine. That's just a guess."

Bateman can next be seen on October 9th in Universal Pictures' Couples Retreat, also starring Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Kristen Bell, Malin Akerman and Kristen Davis.

John C. Reilly is Making the Trip to Cedar Rapids

2009-09-30T02:11:00.001-04:00

John C. Reilly is joining Ed Helms in Cedar Rapids, Fox Searchlight's ensemble road-trip comedy that Miguel Arteta is directing.

The story, by Phil Johnston, centers on a wholesome and naive small-town Wisconsin man (Helms) who, when his role model dies, must represent his company at a regional insurance conference in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where his mind is blown by the big-town experience.

Reilly's character also is attending the conference and is a family man who sees the event as a vacation and time to let loose.

Reilly can next be seen in Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant on October 23rd.

Greg Daniels on The Future of The Office

2009-09-29T13:03:00.000-04:00

Most fans of The Office (Scranton, USA) are simply stoked and relieved that Pam and Jim are finally making it happen, so a longer glimpse down the halls of the NBC series might seem verboten. Nevertheless, series creator and writer, Greg Daniels, recently chimed in on the future of the most aloof branch of Dunder-Mifflin…

While Steve Carell has emphasized that he has no intention of vacating the desk of Michael Scott, The Wrap asked Daniels about his plans if this happens…

Mindy Kaling very early on made the comparison to ER, and I think it would be possible to keep bringing new characters in. Ed Helms’s Andy Bernard was introduced in season three, for example, and Ellie Kemper (”Erin”) came on last year. In our premiere, we introduced three summer interns just for the episode, but by the end of it I was curious to see more of them.

But it is hard to imagine the show without Steve and the current cast at its core. We are still several years away from having to think about it, and I have a good idea for a series finale episode, too.

The possibility of a post-Scott era may have been mentioned before in previous interviews, but I hadn’t entertained the notion until now. On one hand, the signature documentary-style and atmosphere of the show could begin to feel as drab as office-life itself if prolonged for more than an additional handful of years a la Married with Children (or worse, Scrubs).

The flip is that the show is a dream haven for great comedy writers, and with Carell, Helms, and now John Krasinski breaking into high-profile features, it serves as an ideal primetime launch pad and, unlike SNL, a longterm roost for established talent to boot. Co-star and fan fave, Mindy Kaling (Kelly Kapoor), who works as a writer on the show, notably scribed the upcoming wedding ep, “Niagra,” with Daniels, and is developing her own NBC sitcom. Moreover, the setting of DM naturally lends itself to the idea of gradually changing workforce; and as Daniels mentioned, the current sixth season introduced the concept of interns, albeit it was executed with surprising brevity.

While we’re on the subject, though the future of Daniels’s Parks and Recreation doesn’t seem to be in jeopardy due to NBC’s trust and investment therein, its ratings have not improved this season. (The Office similarly debuted to a ratings struggle.) The show’s buzz, however, has witnessed a moderate turn around. I have the first two eps unwatched on my DVR, so I can’t chime in. What say you? Tidbit: As of last week, The Office UK now airs every Friday night on [adult swim].

Leonardo DiCaprio Attached to Deep Blue Goodbye

2009-09-29T13:00:00.000-04:00

20th Century Fox is developing The Deep Blue Goodbye, an adaptation of the John D. MacDonald mystery novel series that has Leonardo DiCaprio attached to star.

Peter Chernin joins Appian Way's DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson Killoran as producers on the project written by Dana Stevens (For Love of the Game). Amy Robinson also is involved in a producing capacity.

DiCaprio is in line to play Travis McGee, a self-described beach bum who lives aboard 52-foot houseboat the Busted Flush and alleviates his cash-flow problems by hiring on as a "salvage consultant." He recovers property for clients, taking a hefty percentage and getting into a lot of danger and romance in sun-drenched Florida.

Ed Norton Cautiously Doesn’t Say That He Won’t Appear in The Avengers

2009-09-29T03:03:00.000-04:00

It’s fairly unfortunate that when there’s a chance to sit down with Ed Norton, who has turned in some of the more immersive performances of a popular actor in his generation, and is currently impressing many with dual roles in Tim Blake Nelson’s Leaves of Grass, the conversation is eventually going to derail into baseless, speculative talk about his future as the Hulk. (And here I am perpetuating the trend, so shake your head at me, too.) Last week was all about Norton’s admission that seeing the Hulk as the villain in The Avengers would be fun. This week, the theme is time.

Speaking to MTV at Toronto recently, Norton said that scheduling an appearance in another Marvel movie is a matter of time. Not as in “it will happen eventually,” but “we all need to find the time.” Asked about whether he’s more reluctant than other actors to go back to the Marvel fold, the actor said:

I get very busy. You have to deal with the demands of your moment. I tend to keep my head in the thing I’m doing and I don’t speculate or worry too much about what two or three blocks down the thing is going to be. I know all these things will reveal themselves and work out or not.

All of which is a really polite, roundabout way of saying “I don’t know if I’m going to do it, and if I did I probably wouldn’t tell you. Hey, have you heard that I play dual roles in this current movie?”

I liked Norton’s Hulk. A lot. I enjoyed the direct, energetic nature of the script and the movie it became. I’d like to see Norton back as Bruce Banner, and would love to see him playing off Robert Downey Jr. But let’s agree to let this one lie for a while. Is Norton really going to drop an “I’m going back to Marvel” bomb anywhere but in an official press release or larger press event? Doubt it.

Meatballs Holds Off Bruce Willis and Fame

2009-09-27T15:03:00.001-04:00

The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend.

Despite the release of three new movies, the animated comedy Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Sony) based on the popular children's book by Judi Barrett remained at #1 with an estimated $24.6 million, a minimal 19% drop from its impressive opening weekend. The $100 million movie has grossed $60 million in ten days.

The main competition came from Surrogates (Disney/Touchstone), Bruce Willis' first action movie since 2007's Live Free or Die Hard, but it opened with an estimated $15 million in nearly 3,000 theaters, way below all expectations, for second place.

The remake of Alan Parker's 1980 musical Fame (MGM) opened in third place with $10 million in just over 3,000 theaters, averaging $3,241 per venue.

Steven Soderbergh's The Informant! (Warner Bros.) starring Matt Damon, dropped to fourth place with $6.9 million, down a respectable 34% from its opening weekend, with a ten-day gross of $21 million.

Fifth place went to Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself, which added $4.7 million to its total gross of $44.5 million in three weeks.

The sci-fi thriller Pandorum (Overture Films), starring Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster, failed to attract much of an audience, bringing in just $4.4 million in 2,506 theaters for sixth place.

The Jennifer Aniston-Aaron Eckhart romantic drama Love Happens dropped to seventh place in its second weekend with $4.3 million to bring its total to $14.8 million.

The Megan Fox horror-comedy Jennifer Body (20th Century Fox) took in $3.5 million in its second weekend, off 49% from last week, to take eighth place with a total of $12.3 million.

At #9... it was 9 (Focus Features), Shane Acker's animated fantasy, which has grossed $27.1 million in three weeks, followed by Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, which added $2.7 million to its impressive box office gross of $114.4 million.

The Top 10 grossed an estimated $79 million, down slightly from the last weekend in September last year when Shia Labeouf's Eagle Eye (DreamWorks) topped the box office with $29 million, followed by the Richard Gere-Diane Lane drama Nights in Rodanthe (Warner Bros.)

The per-theater-average winner of the weekend was Michael Moore's new documentary Capitalism: A Love Story (Overture Films), which opened in four theaters in New York and L.A. on Wednesday following its successful premieres in Venice and Toronto to gross $240 thousand over the weekend, an impressive $60 thousand per site.

Also opening in New York and L.A., the biopic Coco Before Chanel (Sony Classics) with Audrey Tautou brought in $177 thousand in 5 venues, while Scott Hicks' drama The Boys Are Back (Miramax), starring Clive Owen, took in roughly $51 thousand at 6 venues.

Tucker Max's controverial biopic I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell (Freestyle Releasing) hit 120 theaters where it grossed $369 thousand or $3,000 per venue.

Venom Movie Moving Forward?

2009-09-27T15:01:00.000-04:00

SCI FI Wire got a chance to talk to Zombieland co-writer Paul Wernick about the script for "Spider-Man" spin-off Venom that he wrote with Rhett Reese.

"We've written two drafts of Venom, and the studio has it, and they're pushing forward in whatever ways they push forward," Wernick said. He was tight-lipped about whether there was a relationship between Spider-Man 4 and the Venom project.

"We can't really talk about that, unfortunately," he added. "Basically, the studio and Marvel and the Arads are taking our drafts and going beyond and figuring out what's the next step."

Dimension Confirm Details of Scream 4

2009-09-25T12:29:00.001-04:00

Weinstein has confirmed to Variety that Scream 4 will indeed be the first in a new trilogy. Knowing this ahead of time, rather than having to keep retrofitting the overall structure as he did with the first 3, Kevin Williamson should be able to fashion a more coherent series than last time around. Wes Craven is, thankfully, in talks for the director’s seat and Neve Campbell has been freshly signed.

She had been playing hard to get, and Williamson has tweeted in the past that he was unsure how to make the films work without her. Troubles over.

Personally, I won’t be happy unless each and every film in the new trilogy features Red Right Hand by The Bad Seeds. It could even play a more active role this time, if Williamson decides to work it into the plot. That could be fun. A Marco Beltrami score wouldn’t go amiss either.

It looks like Craven will be needing a new editor, however, as Patrick Lussier will be busy directing a 3D Halloween picture for Dimension. That’s just one of the many stereoscopic flicks that Weinstein discussed in the interview, also confirming plans for the Short Circuit, Hellraiser and Scanner remakes, all of them with that extra, third dimension in place. Unclear is whether or not the Children of the Corn remake will need the funny shades to watch, or if it will be a plain and simple 2D affair. I’m banking on the 3D option.