Guillermo del Toro bids goodbye to "The Horbit"

By Siewaun
Reference: theonering.net

Yes, to all Horbit fans out there, this is for real! Guillermo del Toro has announced that he is leaving his "The Horbit" two movies director's position due to production delays.

Guillermo yesterday wrote an official announcement on The Lord of the Rings fansite TheOneRing.net, "In light of ongoing delays in the setting of a start date for filming "The Hobbit," I am faced with the hardest decision of my life. After nearly two years of living, breathing and designing a world as rich as Tolkien’s Middle Earth, I must, with great regret, take leave from helming these wonderful pictures. I remain grateful to Peter, Fran and Philippa Boyens, New Line and Warner Brothers and to all my crew in New Zealand. I’ve been privileged to work in one of the greatest countries on earth with some of the best people ever in our craft and my life will be forever changed.

"The blessings have been plenty, but the mounting pressures of conflicting schedules have overwhelmed the time slot originally allocated for the project. Both as a co-writer and as a director, I wlsh the production nothing but the very best of luck and I will be first in line to see the finished product. I remain an ally to it and its makers, present and future, and fully support a smooth transition to a new director", says Guillermo.

But who can blame him, I mean, he has a long list of other projects such as HP Lovecraft’s "At the Mountains of Madness", "Frankenstein", "Drood", "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" and "Slaughterhouse-Five", and he has spend two years in New Zealand waiting for production to start when he could actually film one or two other movies during the time. And with production date is still uncertain, how long does he needs to wait...one or two more years? What would you do if you were in his shoes?

Though, Guillermo said that he will continue co-writing the script with Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Phillippa Boyens.

Peter Jackson said, "We understand how the protracted development time on these two films, due to reasons beyond anyone’s control – has compromised his commitment to other long term projects. The bottom line is that Guillermo just didn’t feel he could commit six years to living in New Zealand, exclusively making these films, when his original commitment was for three years."

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James McAvoy is Charles Xavier in "X-Men: First Class"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

James McAvoy, who was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in Atonement, and starred opposite Angelina Jolie in "Wanted," has signed on to play the young Professor Charles Xavier in "X-Men: First Class."

The story centers on two young men, Charles Xavier (McAvoy) and Erik Lensherr (yet unnown), discovering their superhuman powers. They were close friends before they took the names Professor X and Magneto. They worked together with other Mutants to stop a threat to the world, but in the process, a rift opened between them, which leads to the war between Magneto's Brotherhood and Professor X's X-Men.

Bryan Singer, who directed the original "X-Men" and its sequel "X-Men 2," came up with the story, but will not direct this time, instead handed over the directing job to director Matthew Vaughn ("Stardust," "Kick-Ass").

Singer will produce the feature alongside Lauren Shuler Donner and Simon Kinberg.

Shooting is scheduled to begin this summer and will be released on June 3, 2011.

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Wilson Yip to make new version of "A Chinese Ghost Story"

By Siewaun
Reference: english.cri.cn

Wilson Yip, director of the critical acclaimed and box office success martial arts movies "Ip Man" and "Ip Man 2" has set his eyes on a ghost story for his next project.

Yip announced on Tuesday that he will direct the movie titled "A Chinese Ghost Story," based on the original story, written by 17th-century Chinese author Pu Songling, which tells the love story of a tax collector, Ning Caichen, and a ghost named Nie Xiaoqian.

"A Chinese Ghost Story" was famously brought onto big screen in 1987 by producer Tsui Hark, and won huge popularity for Leslie Cheung in Japan and raised Joey Wong's stardom for the lead role they played in the movie.

Yip said that his version will not be the sequel to the Tsui Hark one, but rather a completely new spin on the story, and will be enhanced with computer-generated special effects.

A production kick off ceremony will be held during the upcoming Shanghai International Film Festival (June 12 to 20).

No dates are mentioned as of when casting will begin.

I'm a huge fan of the Tsui Hark version, and I rather that they don't do any remake, but well, I trust Wilson Yip will make the new one even better after seeing his directing quality in "Ip Man." And of course, the star status of Leslie Cheung and Joey Wong will be hard to beat!

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Alison Pill joins Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Canadian actress Alison Pill "Milk," "Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World" has signed on to Woody Allen's upcoming "Midnight in Paris" feature.

Pill will co-star alongside Owen Wilson, Marion Cotillard, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates, Adrien Brody, Carla Bruni, Michael Sheen, Nina Arianda, Tom Hiddleston, Corey Stoll, Mimi Kennedy and Kurt Fuller.

Movie is a romantic comedy about a family traveling to the city for business, including a young engaged couple that has their lives transformed throughout the journey.

Letty Aronson, Steve Tenenbaum and Jaume Roures are producing the movie, which is one of the three features from the three-pic financing deal Allen's Gravier Productions made with Spanish media conglom Mediapro.

Spain's Imagina International Sales will handle most of international sales.

Shooting is scheduled to begin this summer in Paris.

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Legendary acquires "Mass Effect" movie rights

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Legendary Pictures, under it's co-production and co-financing agreement with Warner Bros., will develop Electronic Arts' action role-playing game series "Mass Effect" into a feature film after picking up the feature rights.

BioWare, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts, developed "Mass Effect" for the Xbox 360, and the story takes place in the year 2183, with the player, assuming the role of an elite human soldier named Commander Shepard of starship SSV Normandy, who leads a team on a mission to defeat an ancient alien race that invades the galaxy every 50,000 years and wipes out all organic life.

Mark Protosevich "I Am Legend" is in negotiations to write the script for the sci-fi feature.

"Mass Effect" executive producer Casey Hudson was quoted as saying, "At BioWare, we've always thought of 'Mass Effect' as having the depth, emotion and plot twists perfectly suited for an adaptation to a motion picture."

Legendary's Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni will produce the film with Avi and Ari Arad, while BioWare co-founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk will executive producing alongside Hudson.

Warner Bros. will distribute the film worldwide.

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Box Office May 21-23 Results

1. Shrek Forever After - $71,250,000
2. Iron Man 2 - $26,600,000
3. Robin Hood - $18,700,000
4. Letters to Juliet - $9,100,000
5. Just Wright - $4,225,000
6. MacGruber - $4,100,000
7. Date Night - $2,825,000
8. A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) - $2,285,000
9. How to Train Your Dragon - $1,850,000
10. Kites - $953,000

Source: Boxoffice.com
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James Franco creates intelligent apes in "Rise of the Apes"

By Siewaun
Reference: heatvisionblog

James Franco (" Pineapple Express," "Milk") has secured the lead role in 20th Century Fox's "Rise of the Apes," a prequel to "Planet of the Apes."

Rupert Wyatt, who directed the award winning British prison escape thriller "The Escapist," is set to direct the prequel from script written by Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa.

Franco will star as a determined scientist who becomes a crucial figure in the war between humans and apes.

Set in modern day San Francisco, "Rise" centers on Franco's scientist character who has been working on a cure for Alzheimer's that is being tested on apes. When one of the test subject, named Caesar, begins to evolve rapidly, and the scientist takes him home to live with him and protects him from cruel doctors.

With WETA Digital on board, the audience will not see actors in apes costume, but rather a photo-realistic apes, created using some of the groundbreaking technologies developed for "Avatar."

Chernin Entertainment's founder Peter Chernin and film division chief Dylan Clark are co-producing along with Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa.

Shooting is scheduled to begin July 5 in British Columbia, and will be released on June 24, 2011.

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Megan Fox axed from "Transformers 3"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Paramount and director Michael Bay have decided to drop Megan Fox from the third series of the blockbuster "Transformers" franchise.

Sources indicated that the reason for the decision is because Paramount and Bay are taking another direction on "Transformers 3" plotline, and it would be more suitable to have a new love interest for Shia LaBeouf's onscreen character, Sam Witwicky; and that the decision has nothing to do with Fox comparing Bay to Adolf Hitler during a previous magazine interview.

It was also revealed that casting for Fox's replacement will begin immediately, and Gemma Arterton "Prince of Persia" is said to be the top choice to replace her, while other possible candidates include models Bar Rafaeli, Miranda Kerr and Brooklyn Decker.

Meanwhile, Patrick Dempsey, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich and Ken Jeong have joined the returning cast of Shia LaBeouf, Kevin Dunn and Julie White.

Bay will direct from the script by Screenwriter Ehren Kruger, who is now working on the script.

Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Ian Bryce will produce the feature, and Steven Spielberg will executive producing.

Shooting has started this week in Los Angeles, and will then move location to various place in the U.S. Release date for the feature is scheduled for July 1, 2011.

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Vanessa Paradis joins Vallee's "Cafe de Flore"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

French actress-singer Vanessa Paradis is set to star in director Jean-Marc Vallee's "Cafe de Flore," a French-Canadian romantic feature.

Canadian film director Vallee ("C.R.A.Z.Y.," "The Young Victoria") will direct the feature from his own script, which is a two parallel stories feature; story set in the 1960s Paris tells of a devoted mother (Paradis) to a child with developmental disability; while story set in present day Montreal tells of a couple.

Vallee was quoted as saying to Daily Variety, "It's an epic love story that deals with supernatural forces."

Montreal-based Item7, Crazyfilms and Paris-based Monkey Pack Films are co-producing the two stories feature, with Pierre Even and Marie-Claude Poulin producing for Item 7; Vallee producing for Crazyfilms; and Jean-Yves Robin, Nicolas Coppermann and Vanessa Fourgeaud producing for Monkey Pack films.

Shooting is scheduled to begin this summer in Montreal, before moving location to Paris.

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Ellen Page to star in feature adaptation of Cynthia Wade's "Freeheld"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Canadian actress Ellen Page, best known for starring in Jason Reitman's comedy-drama "Juno," will be starring in the big screen adaptation of Cynthia Wade's documentary film "Freeheld."

Screenwriter/director Ron Nyswaner has announced that will adapt the 2007 Oscar-winning short docu into a feature film specially for Page.

Wade's "Freeheld" is a true story, centers on police officer Laurel Hester who has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, fights against the Board of Chosen Freeholders of Ocean County, New Jersey to extend her pension benefits to her domestic partner, Stacie.

Producer James D. Stern will finance the production through his Endgame Entertainment banner, and will also co-produce alongside Wade and Kelly Bush of Vie Entertainment, and Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher of Double Feature Films. Doug Hansen and Adam Del Deo of Endgame will executive produce.

Stern was quoted as say,"As a documentarian and feature producer, you always look for powerful stories with subject matter that will resonate with audiences, and Cynthia's remarkable chronicle of the battle forged by two women did just that."

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