Richard Gere, Topher Grace going after "The Double"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Richard Gere and Topher Grace will star in Hyde Park and Imagenation Abu Dhabi's espionage thriller "The Double."

Michael Brandt, who co-wrote scripts for "Wanted" and "3:10 to Yuma" with Derek Haas, will be making his directorial debut with this thriller. Brandt also co-wrote the script with Haas.

Movie centers on a mysterious murder of a U.S. senator bearing the marks of a Soviet assassin code-named "Cassius," who was long thought to be dead. A retired CIA operative (Gere), who spent his career in direct confrontation with his Soviet nemesis, teamed with a young FBI agent (Grace) to hunt him down.

Hyde Park's chairman Ashok Amritraj and exec-VP of production Patrick Aiello are co-producing with Haas and Industry Entertainment's Andrew Deane. Imagenation's chairman Mohamed Khalaf Al-Mazrouei and CEO Edward Borgerding are executive producing.

Shooting is scheduled to begin in June in Detroit.

Read more...

Dwayne Johnson offers to give "Protection"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Dwayne Johnson ("Race to Witch Mountain," "Tooth Fairy") is set to star in the leading role in Mayhem Pictures' indie action thriller "Protection."

Simon West ("Lara Croft: Tomb Raider," "When a Stranger Calls") will direct the $35 million budget movie from the script written by Brandon Noonan.

Movie follows a mercenary Mexico City security operative forced to smuggle the daughter of a threatened high-ranking judge and the judge's chief legal counsel across the border while being pursued by corrupt cops, drug lords and white-collar U.S. criminal forces.

Stuart Ford and Robert Lawrence, IM Global Founder and CEO, will co-produce with Mayhem Pictures' Gordon Gray and Mark Ciardi. Brian Kavanaugh-Jones will executive produce.

Shooting is scheduled to begin this fall in New Mexico.

Read more...

Sara Paxton's one of "The Innkeepers"

By Siewaun
Reference: thehollywoodreporter

Sara Paxton "The Last House on the Left" has joined the cast of Pat Healy, Kelly McGillis and George Riddle in writer-director Ti West's haunted hotel feature "The Innkeepers."

Story is about the last two staffers (Paxton and Healy) of a hundred-year-old haunted hotel that's going out of business, attending to a few final strange guests that come to stay, including a former TV actress turned psychic (McGillis), and an old man who insists on staying in room 353.

MPI Media Group's Dark Sky Films will finance and produce alongside writer-director Larry Fessenden's Glass Eye Pix banner. Derek Curl, Fessenden, Peter Phok and West will produce.

Shooting is scheduled to begin this week at the Yankee Pedlar Inn (a real New England hotel long suspected of actually being haunted) in Connecticut.

Read more...

Frank Pierson is scripting the battle of Chosin Reservoir

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Academy Award-winning veteran screenwriter Frank Pierson ("Dog Day Afternoon," "Cat Ballou," "Cool Hand Luke"), 84 years old, is in preparation to script a 3D Korean War epic feature, "17 Days of Winter" for Madmedia Entertainment.

Director Eric Brevig ("Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D") will direct from Pierson's script, which centers on the brutal seventeen day battle of Chosin Reservoir between 27 November and 13 December 1950, which 12,000 American troops fought a 120,000-man Chinese force in sub-zero temperatures.

Pierson, whose last produced written script was the 1990 Harrison Ford starrer "Presumed Innocent," was quoted as saying, "The most interesting thing about the battle of Chosin Reservoir, from a writing standpoint, was the only people they had to put into the Marine division that went over were leaders from WWII, who were then in their 30s, who were virtually coming out of retirement. Serving with them were 17- and 18-year-old volunteers who had never even been to boot camp."

3D veteran writer-producer Charlotte Huggins, who produced Brevig's "Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D," is on board to produce the war epic, while Jayson Wan of Madmedia is executive producing.

The feature, which is expected to cost between $80 to 100 million to make, is getting unprecedented support from the South Korean government.

Shooting is scheduled to begin over the winter of 2010-2011 in South Korea and New Zealand for a 2012 release.

Read more...

Clive Owen joins Jason Statham in "The Killer Elite"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Clive Owen ("Closer," "Children of Men," "The International") has joined Jason Statham in action-thriller "The Killer Elite," which was based on Sir Ranulph Fiennes' novel "The Feather Men."

The movie which will be directed by Irish director Gary McKendry, tells of a group of former British special forces members being hunted by a team of assassins led by Statham's character, a former Navy Seal.

Owen will play a senior field operative and member of a clandestine group protecting former special forces soldiers and their families.

Omnilab Media and Inferno Entertainment provide finance for the project.

Omnilab's Ambience Entertainment's Michael Boughen is producing alongside Current Entertainment's Steve Chasman and Joni Sighvatsson. Omnilab Media's Christopher Mapp, Matthew Street and David Whealy, Inferno's Jim Seibel and Bill Johnson are co-executive producing.

Shooting is scheduled to begin in Melbourne on May 13, and continues until mid-July. Then in late July, shooting will move location to Wales.

Read more...

Josh Groban, Marisa Tomei join untitled Carell's marital comedy

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Singer-songwriter Josh Groban and Academy Award winning actress Marisa Tomei ("My Cousin Vinny," "In the Bedroom," "The Wrestler") have joined Annaleigh Tipton "America's Next Top Model," Emma Stone ("The House Bunny," "Zombieland"), Ryan Gosling ("Half Nelson," "Lars and the Real Girl") and Steve Carell in an untitled Carell's produced marital comedy feature.

The project, which is being set up at Warner Bros., tells of a father (presumably Carell) whose life unravels as he deals with spousal problems and tries to manage his relationship with his children.

Tomei will star as the first woman that Carell's character dates after he's been taught the art of meeting women by Gosling's character, and Groban plays the boyfriend of Stone's character.

John Requa and Glenn Ficarra "I Love You Phillip Morris" will direct from the script by Dan Fogelman ("Fred Claus," "Bolt").

Carell, through his Carousel banner, will co-produce with Denise Di Novi, while Charlie Hartsock and Vance DeGeneres will executive produce.

Read more...

Box Office Apr. 23-25 Results

1 How to Train Your Dragon - $15,025,000
2 The Back-up Plan - $12,250,000
3 Date Night - $10,600,000
4 The Losers - 9,605,000
5 Kick-Ass - $9,500,000
6 Clash of the Titans - $9,000,000
7 Death at a Funeral - $8,000,000
8 Oceans - $6,000,000
9 The Last Song - $3,705,000
10 Alice in Wonderland - $2,242,000

Source: Boxoffice.com
Read more...

Box Office Apr. 24-25 Results (Japan)

1 ALICE IN WONDERLAND - Disney
2 Detective Conan The Lost Ship In The Sky (JPN.Animation) - Toho
3 Nodame Cantabile The Movie II (JPN.) - Toho
4 Gintama (JPN.Animation) - WB
5 CLASH OF THE TITANS - WB
6 Crayon Shin Chan 2010 (JPN.Animation) - Toho
7 SHUTTER ISLAND - Paramount
8 Sunshine Ahead (JPN.) - Showgate
9 DISTRICT 9 - WB/GAGA
10 My Darling Is A Foreigner (JPN.) - Toho

Source: Cinemanavi.co.jp
Read more...

'Dragon' reclaims No. 1 spot

Source: thehollywoodreporter

THR reports that DreamWorks Animation's 3D adventure "How to Train Your Dragon" has yet to flame out in movie theaters, offering an upbeat storyline to an otherwise ho-hum boxoffice session. The Paramount-distributed pic topped domestic rankings with an estimated $15 million in its fifth weekend for $178 million in cumulative coin.

Two wide-openers offered slight competition, as CBS Films' Jennifer Lopez starrer "The Back-Up Plan" proved a mere runner-up, and Warner Bros.' action pic "The Losers" lost by more than expected. "Plan" -- about a couple who meet after the woman's artificial insemination -- procreated $12.3 million in second place; "Losers," based on a comics series about a fictional World War II fighting force, fired blanks with $9.6 million in fourth.

Disneynature's "Oceans" hauled in $6 million from a modestly wide launch in 1,206 locations. That was good for eighth place on the frame, with the documentary toting an $8.5 million cume since unspooling Thursday on Earth Day.

Fox's leggy comedy "Date Night" rung up $10.6 million to grab the weekend's bronze medal position and shape a $63.5 million cume through three frames. Lionsgate's action comedy "Kick-Ass" fell 52% in its sophomore session to fetch $9.5 million in fifth place with a $34.9 million cume, while Sony Screen Gems' comedy "Death at a Funeral" dropped 51% to $8 million in seventh with a 10-day cume of $28.4 million.

Industrywide, the limp $95 million weekend marked a 12% downtick from the same frame a year earlier.

Among notable expansions, Sony Pictures Classics' Argentine crime thriller "The Secret in Their Eyes" added 23 locations for a total 33 to gross $372,214, or an impressive $11,279 per site. Cume for Oscar's best foreign-language pic climbed to $605,022.

Anchor Bay's dramedy "City Island" added 20 theaters for a total 77 and grossed $285,000, or a sturdy $3,701 per venue. Cume for the Andy Garcia starrer hit $1.2 million.

Apparition added eight playdates for a total 18 for dramatic thriller "The Square" and grossed $41,133. That represented a thin $2,285 per engagement, as cume reached $117,116.

DreamWorks Animation marketing boss Anne Globe said "Dragon" has been bolstered in the marketplace by positive word of mouth following favorable critical reaction as well as the continuing strength of its 3D venues, which contributed 67% of its weekend boxoffice.

"We're seeing the audience broaden somewhat, with teen girls checking it out," Globe added. "But for the most part, it's been families with kids.

Imax specialty venues -- whose 3D upcharges make for the priciest "Dragon" tickets -- contributed more than 11% of the pic's weekend haul.

Directed by TV helmer Alan Poul ("Big Love"), "Plan" co-stars Alex O'Loughlin ("White Out"). The PG-13 pic drew opening audiences skewing 71% female, with 57% of patrons aged 30 or older.

"The opening was exactly where expectations were," CBS Films distribution topper Steven Friedlander said. "The picture is going to be profitable."

Produced for a cost in the "mid-30s," "Plan" should hold up well in the marketplace, like most romantic comedies, Friedlander said.

Directed by Sylvain White ("Stomp the Yard"), "Losers" boasts an ensemble cast featuring Idris Elba, Jeffrey Dean Morgan ("Taking Woodstock"), Chris Evans, Jason Patric and Zoe Saldana. Co-produced by DC Entertainment's Weed Road label and Joel Silver's Dark Castle for an estimated $32 million, the PG-13 movie attracted audiences comprised 60% of males, with 65% of patrons aged 25 or older.

Warners exec vp distribution Jeff Goldstein said patrons reacted positively to the pic in exit surveys, boding well for playability despite the soft opening.

"We think we'll get people in over the next couple of weeks and should be fine," Goldstein said. "It should have a good life in home video, too."

"Oceans" is the second film released from Disneynature. The pic played 58% female, with 47% of support coming from family moviegoers.

"Our little documentary did fine," Disney distribution boss Chuck Viane said.

Disney pledged to use a portion of first-week "Oceans" coin to help safeguard portions of the Bahamas' marine protected area. Based on four days of receipts, those efforts will support the oceanic equivalent of more than 30 Disneyland theme parks, the studio said.

Looking ahead, two wide-openers are set for the final spring boxoffice session. Summit Entertainment will bow the family comedy "Furry Vengeance" on Friday, while Warners debuts its remake of "A Nightmare on Elm Street."

Read more...

Mickey Rourke to star as Genghis Khan

By Siewaun
Reference: english.cri.cn

Mickey Rourke, who won a 2009 Golden Globe award and an Oscar nomination for his leading role in "The Wrestler," and most recently starred as one of the villains in Jon Favreau's "Iron Man 2," is set to star as the emperor of the Mongol Empire, the Great Genghis Khan in a new movie.

Director-writer John Milius, who co-wrote and directed "Conan the Barbarian," "Red Dawn" and also directed "Farewell to the King" and "Flight of the Intruder," wrote the script for the Genghis Khan feature, which he will also direct.

In the movie, the Great Khan will be presented from his son and grandson’s point of view, how they saw him from their family. Audience will see him in many flashbacks to his mid-40s.

Shooting will take place in India and China, and involves a lot of horse-riding scenes, but no starting date as yet.

Read more...

Breck Eisner in talks for remake of "Escape From New York"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Breck Eisner ("The Crazies," "Sahara") is in negotiations to direct New Line's remake of "Escape From New York," which was set up with Neal H. Moritz's Original Films and Canal Plus.

If negotiations are successful, Eisner will replace director Len Wiseman who left the project while still in development. Gerard Butler who was to star as Snake Plissken in 2007, also left due to creative differences.

Since 2007, the New Line's remake has been written by several writers, including Ken Nolan, David Kajganich and Allan Loeb, who wrote the latest script.

Walter Hamada and Sam Brown are overseeing for New Line.

No words as yet on who will be starring as Snake Plissken, since Butler left.

Kurt Russell starred in the original futuristic actioner, which was directed by John Carpenter, and centers on antihero Plissken as he tries to save the U.S. President in gang-ruled Manhattan within the 24 hours time frame after Air Force One crashed on the island.

The remake will follow along the lines of the original.

Read more...

Helen Mirren joins remake of "Arthur"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Helen Mirren ("Teaching Mrs. Tingle," "The Queen," "The Last Station") has joined Russell Brand "Bedtime Stories" in Warner Bros.' remake of 1981 romantic comedy "Arthur."

Mirren will play the lead character Arthur's longtime nanny, replacing the butler's character named Hobson, which was played by John Gielgud in the 1981 comedy. Gielgud won the supporting actor Oscar for the part.

Brand plays the Arthur character that Dudley Moore portrayed in the 1981 original film, about a boozing playboy who falls in love with a working class woman while he was supposed to marry a girl his family expected in order to inherit a vast family fortune.

Jason Winer "Modern Family -ABC TV series" is set to direct Warner Bros.' big-screen remake of romantic comedy "Arthur" from Peter Baynham's ("Borat," "Bruno") script.

Larry Brezner, Chris Bender and Kevin McCormick will produce under the Langley Park banner, while Brand, Scott Kroopf, J.C. Spink and Nick Linnen will executive produce.

In the original, Dudley Moore's Arthur turned to Gielgud's Hobson for advice after his family threatens to cut off his inheritance unless he marries a woman he doesn't love.

Read more...

Woody Allen reveals his WASP as "Midnight in Paris"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Woody Allen has revealed Thursday, details of his upcoming feature, which was previously known as Woody Allen Summer Project (WASP).

Now titled as "Midnight in Paris," the movie will be starring Owen Wilson ("Marley & Me," "Little Fockers"), Marion Cotillard ("La Vie en Rose,""Nine"), Rachel McAdams ("The Time Traveler's Wife," "Sherlock Holmes"), Oscar winning actress Kathy Bates and Carla Bruni - wife of French president Nicolas Sarkozy.

Michael Sheen, Nina Arianda, Tom Hiddleston, Corey Stoll, Mimi Kennedy and Kurt Fuller also star in the movie.

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.

Allen was quoted as saying, "The film celebrates a young man's great love for Paris, and simultaneously explores the illusion people have that a life different from their own is better."

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 interbational sales.

Shooting is scheduled to begin this summer in Paris.

Read more...

Leslie Mann, Kate Bosworth join James' "Goodnight Moon"

By Siewaun
Reference: thehollywoodreporter

Leslie Mann ("I Love You Phillip Morris," "Funny People") and Kate Bosworth ("Superman Returns," "21") have joined Chris Coy, Kyle Gallner, Juno Temple and AnnaSophia Robb in writer-director Elgin James' semi-autobiographical drama "Goodnight Moon."

James was known as one of the founding members of Friends Stand United (FSU), a Boston, Massachusetts area group in the early 1990s, before becoming a fellow for the Sundance Screenwriters lab in 2008.

Movie revolves around two young girls who run away to Los Angeles and find themselves in trouble after being used to run a scam that went bad by a skater and a street kid.

Mann plays Temple's mom, a woman who works at a secondhand clothing store but whose best years are behind her. Bosworth plays the sister of Mann's character. Coy plays an opportunistic, sociopathic street kid, and Gallner plays a skater.

Movie is being produced by Jamie Patricof "Blue Valentine," and shooting began on Sunday near the Salton Sea before moving to L.A.

Read more...

Shekhar Kapur to direct life story of George Mallory

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Shekhar Kapur ("Elizabeth," "Elizabeth: the Golden Age") is set to direct a Mt. Everest movie, which is based on the life story of famed English mountaineer George Mallory, for Julia Roberts' Red Om Films and Kevin Townsend's Science + Fiction.

Roberts is co-producing alongside Philip Rose and Lisa Gillan of her Red Om Films' banner and Townsend.

Townsend teamed up with the screenwriting duo of Matthew Faulk and Mark Skeet "Vanity Fair" to write the script for the movie, which is set post-WW1 England, and centers on Mallory's attempts to scale Everest, and the toll it takes on his marriage, as the mountain becomes his obsession.

Mallory is famously quoted as replying, "Because it's there" to the question "Why do you want to climb Mt. Everest?"

Mallory and his climbing partner, Andrew Irvine, both disappeared somewhere high on the North-East ridge in 1924, during their attempt to make the first ascent of the world's highest mountain.

Read more...

Director Martin Provost reunites with Moreau in "Où Va la Nuit"

By Siewaun
Reference: Ioncinema

French director Martin Provost, whose directed movie "Seraphine" won 3 César Awards, including Best Film, Best Writing and Best Actress (Yolande Moreau), is set to direct the adaptation of Irish writer Keith Ridgway’s novel "The Long Falling."

Provost will reunite with Yolande Moreau for the new project titled "Où Va la Nuit" (Where the Night Goes). Supporting cast for the movie are Arthur Dupont, Edith Scob, Laurent Capelluto, Valentijn Dhaenens and Jan Hammenecker.

Co-adapted by Provost and Marc Abdelnour, who wrote script for "Seraphine," the movie centers on the character of Rose, played by Moreau who is regularly beaten by her alcoholic husband, so she decides to escape from this hell by running him over in the car. Then she covers up her crime before leaving to go find her gay son, Thomas, in Brussels, hoping to find the support she needs, but Thomas is bogged down in his own contradictions and cannot imagine that his mother could have murdered his father.

Julie Salvador produces the $6.1 million feature at F Comme Films, and Roissy Films, a French independent distribution company, which is a subsidiairy of Luc Besson's EuropaCorp, will handle international sales.

Shooting for the feature is ongoing at one of the 3 location which includes Sud-Avesnois, Lille and Brussels.

Read more...

Kristen Schaal joins Garner's "Butter" carving contest

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Actress-writer-comedian Kristen Schaal ("Flight of the Conchords," "Circus of the Freak," "Shrek Forever After") has joined Jennifer Garner's comedy feature "Butter," starring alongside Garner, Yara Shahidi "Imagine That", Hugh Jackman, Alicia Silverstone, Ashley Greene, Rob Corddry and Ty Burrell.

The movie, a co-production of Jennifer Garner's Vandalia Films, Michael De Luca ("The Love Guru," "Brothers") and The Weinstein Co., was written by Jason Micallef, and will be directed by Jim Fields Smith "She's Out of My League."

Movie is about an 12-year-old adopted girl (Shahidi) who discovers her talent for butter carving and finds herself pitted against an ambitious local woman (Garner) in their town's annual butter-sculpting contest.

No words on which character Schaal will play in the movie which Jackman plays an old boyfriend of Garner's character, Silverstone plays the adoptive mother of the teen girl played by Shahidi, Ashley Greene plays the step-daughter of Garner's character.

Shooting is scheduled to begin in Louisiana later this month.

Read more...

Moverman set to direct Ellroy's "Rampart"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Oren Moverman, who made his directorial debut with the military drama feature "The Messenger" starring Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson and Samantha Morton, is set to write the script and direct police coruption feature "Rampart" for Lightstream Pictures.

Based on the script by crime writer James Ellroy ("The Black Dahlia," "White Jazz"), movie centers on a police officer during the LAPD's Rampart Division scandal in the late 1990s, which more than 70 officers were implicated in misconduct including unprovoked shootings, beatings, planting of evidence, framing of suspects, stealing and dealing narcotics, bank robbery, perjury and covering up evidence.

Woody Harrelson, meanwhile, is in talks to star in the feature, and Ben Foster is also rumoured to be joining as well.

Lightstream Pictures' Lawrence Inglee and Paul Currie are co-producing the feature with Clark Peterson "Monster."

Read more...

Box Office Apr. 16-18 Results

1 Kick-Ass - $19,828,687
2 How to Train Your Dragon - $19,633,320
3 Date Night - $16,720,038
4 Death at a Funeral (2010) - $16,217,540
5 Clash of the Titans (2010) - $15,385,491
6 The Last Song - $5,962,916
7 Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too? - $4,098,898
8 Alice in Wonderland (2010) - $3,656,442
9 Hot Tub Time Machine - $3,490,471
10 The Bounty Hunter - $3,084,020

Source: Boxofficemojo.com
Read more...

Box Office Apr. 17-18 Results (Japan)

1 ALICE IN WONDERLAND - Disney
2 Detective Conan The Lost Ship In The Sky (JPN.Animation) - Toho
3 Nodame Cantabile The Movie II (JPN.) - Toho
4 Crayon Shin Chan 2010 (JPN.Animation) - Toho
5 SHUTTER ISLAND - Paramount
6 DISTRICT 9 - WB/GAGA
7 My Darling Is A Foreigner (JPN.) - Toho
8 Solanin (JPN.) - Asmik Ace
9 Pretty Cure All Stars DX 2 Ray of Hope Save the Rainbow Jewel (JPN.Animation) - Toei
10 Doraemon The Movie: Nobita's Mermaid Legend JPN.Animation) - Toho

Source: Cinemanavi.co.jp
Read more...

"Bodyguards and Assassins" dominates the 29th Hong Kong Film Awards

By Siewaun
Reference: en.wikipedia

At the 29th Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony last night, "Bodyguards and Assassins," a big-budget action-suspense feature with an all-star cast of Donnie Yen, Tony Leung Ka-fai, Leon Lai, Wang Xueqi, Simon Yam, Hu Jun, Eric Tsang, Fan Bingbing and Nicholas Tse, was the biggest winner, winning 8 of 19 awards, including Best Film and Best Director (Teddy Chen).

The movie also won 6 other awards, including Best Supporting Actor (Nicholas Tse), Best Cinematography, Best Action Choreography, Best Original Film Song, Best Art Direction and Best Costume and Makeup Design.

List of winners at the 29th Hong Kong Film Awards:

Best film: "Bodyguards and Assassins"

Best director: Teddy Chen, "Bodyguards and Assassins"

Best screenplay: Alex Law, "Echoes of the Rainbow"

Best actor: Simon Yam, "Echoes of the Rainbow"

Best actress: Wai Ying-hung, "At the End of Daybreak"

Best supporting actor: Nicholas Tse, "Bodyguards and Assassins"

Best supporting actress: Michelle Ye, "Accident"

Best new performer: Aarif Lee, "Echoes of the Rainbow"

Best cinematographer: Arthur Wong, "Bodyguards and Assassins"

Best film editing: Kong Chi-leung, Chan Chi-wai, "Overheard"

Best art direction: Ken Mak, "Bodyguards and Assassins"

Best costume and makeup design: Dora Ng, "Bodyguards and Assassins"

Best action choreography: Stephen Tung, Lee Tat-chiu, "Bodyguards and Assassins"

Best original film score: Chan Kwong-wing, Peter Kam, "Bodyguards and Assassins"

Best original film song: "Echoes of the Rainbow" from "Echoes of the Rainbow," composer Lowell Lo, lyrics by Alex Law, performed by Aarif Lee

Best sound design: Steve Burgess, Wu Jiang, "Red Cliff II"

Best visual effects: Ng Yuen-fai, Chas Chau, Tam Kai-kwan, "The Storm Warriors"

Best new director: Cheung King-wai, "KJ: Music and Life"

Best Asian film: "Departures" (Japan)

Lifetime achievement award: Lau Kar-leung

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License

Read more...

Considine makes directorial debut with "Tyrannosaur"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

British actor-director, Paddy Considine, is set make his feature directorial debut with "Tyrannosaur," which is based on his "Dog Altogether" short.

Considine directed and wrote the short Dog Altogether starring Peter Mullan "My Name Is Joe.", and won the 2007 BAFTA award for Best Short Film, as well as a Silver Lion for Best Short Film at the 2007 Venice Film Festival.

The Warp X and Inflammable Films production feature will have Mullan and Olivia Coleman "Hot Fuzz" back to play the same role as they did in "Dog Altogether," while Eddie Marsan "Happy Go Lucky" is the new add-on.

Diarmid Scrimshaw, who previously produced "Dog Altogether," will also produce "Tyrannosaur," which centers on a self-destructive man named Joseph (Mullan), whose life is spiralling into turmoil before he meets a Christian charity shop worker named Hannah (Coleman), who is hiding a secret of her own.

Movie is financially backed by Australian production company Madman, UK film distributor Optimum Releasing, and Swedish Nonstop Entertainment.

Shooting is scheduled to begin in Leeds on 12th of April.

Read more...

Samuel L. Jackson, Kellan Lutz are in talks for "Deathgames"

By Siewaun
Reference: heatvisionblog

Samuel L. Jackson, whose upcoming movies include "Iron Man 2," "The Other Guys," and "Unthinkable," along with Kellan Lutz ("Twilight movie series," "A Nightmare on Elm Street," "Immortals"), are in talks to star in Motion Picture Corporation of America's (MPCA) indie action feature "Deathgames."

Jonah Loop, a visual effects supervisor for movies including "Collateral," "The Transporter 2" and "A Perfect Getaway," will make his directorial debut with the feature, directing from script by Michael Hultquist, Robert Martinez and Tony Giglio.

Movie is about a young man who is kidnapped and forced into the savage world of a modern gladiator arena, where men fight to death for entertainment of the online viewers, while the organizer orchestrates the games, and overseeing them from his computer lair with the help of twin ladies who see to his every desire.

Lutz would be playing the young man, while Jackson would play the organizer, if talks are fruitful.

Brad Krevoy and Mike Callaghan of MPCA are producing with Mark Williams.

Shooting is scheduled to begin next month in Louisiana.

Read more...

Cannes unveils competition lineup

Source: Variety

PARIS -- Croisette vets Abbas Kiarostami, Takeshi Kitano, Mike Leigh and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu will be among the auteurs competing in this year's Cannes Film Festival. They'll be joined by helmer Doug Liman, making his competition debut with the political thriller "Fair Game," in another slim year for U.S. fare.

Liman's film -- based on the Valerie Plame affair and starring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn -- reps the only American competish entry thus far, while Oliver Stone's "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" and Woody Allen's "You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger" will be screened out of competition.

Fest topper Thierry Fremaux dealt out the lineup on Thursday morning at a jam-packed Paris press conference that was pushed a week ahead of schedule "to build up the hype before the fest starts," Fremaux explained. The event was boycotted by major news agencies including Associated Press and Reuters, which are protesting the fest's decision to limit video coverage under a deal signed with Gallic pubcasters Canal Plus and Orange.

While Terrence Malick's "Tree of Life" was the source of much speculation prior to today's announcement, Fremaux confirmed that he had seen an early version of the pic months ago and was hoping that a more completed version would be ready for possible selection. With 46 features announced thus far in the official selection, there remain at least four competition berths, as well as the closing-night slot.

The competition features titles from 13 countries, including first-time entries from Chad and the Ukraine. "Our selection underscores the fact that great filmmaking is alive in every country," said Fremaux. "It's not merely a dialogue between Europe and America, but a global dialogue."

Studio pics preeming out of competition include Ridley Scott's previously announced opener, "Robin Hood," Stone's timely "Wall Street" sequel and Allen's "Stranger," which will be joined by Stephen Frears' "Tamara Drewe."

Other American helmers in the official selection include Gregg Araki, whose "Kaboom" will receive a midnight screening, and indie helmers Lodge Kerrigan with "Rebecca H." and Derek Cianfrance with "Blue Valentine," both of which will screen in Un Certain Regard.

Familiar faces this year include former director winner Inarritu with the Spain-set Javier Bardem starrer "Biutiful"; Iranian auteur and Palme d'Or winner Abbas Kiarostami with the French-Italian co-production "Certified Copy," starring this year's poster gal, Juliette Binoche; Palme laureate Leigh with his latest U.K. ensembler, "Another Year"; and Japanese thesp-helmer Takeshi Kitano with "Outrage," his first yakuza gangster pic in a decade.

Fremaux announced that there was a slight drop in the number of films submitted compared with previous years. "We're now feeling the effects of the recession in terms of artistic creation," the topper explained.

The Cannes Film Festival runs May 12-23.

OPENER
"Robin Hood," U.S.-U.K., Ridley Scott

COMPETITION
"Another Year," U.K., Mike Leigh
"Biutiful," Spain-Mexico, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
"Burnt by the Sun 2," Germany-France-Russia, Nikita Mikhalkov
"Certified Copy," France-Italy-Iran, Abbas Kiarostami
"Fair Game," U.S., Doug Liman
"Hors-la-loi," France-Belgium-Algeria, Rachid Bouchareb
"The Housemaid," South Korea, Im Sang-soo
"La nostra vita," Italy-France, Daniele Luchetti
"La Princesse de Montpensier," France, Bertrand Tavernier
"Of Gods and Men," France, Xavier Beauvois
"Outrage," Japan, Takeshi Kitano
"Poetry," South Korea, Lee Chang-dong
"A Screaming Man," France-Belgium-Chad, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun
"Tournee," France, Mathieu Amalric
"Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives," Spain-Thailand-Germany-U.K.-France, Apichatpong Weerasethakul
"You, My Joy," Ukraine-Germany, Sergey Loznitsa

UN CERTAIN REGARD
"Adrienn Pal," Hungary-Netherlands-France-Austria, Agnes Kocsis
"Aurora," Romania, Cristi Puiu
"Blue Valentine," U.S., Derek Cianfrance
"Chatroom," U.K., Hideo Nakata
"Chongqing Blues," China, Wang Xiaoshuai
"The City Below," Germany-France, Christoph Hochhausler
"Film Socialisme," Switzerland-France, Jean-Luc Godard
"Ha Ha Ha," South Korea, Hong Sang-soo
"Les Amours imaginaires," Canada, Xavier Dolan
"Life Above All," France, Oliver Schmitz
"Los labios," Argentina, Ivan Fund, Santiago Loza
"Octubre," Peru, Daniel Vega
"Qu'est-il arrive a Simon Werner?," France, Fabrice Gobert
"Rebecca H.," France, Lodge Kerrigan
"R U There," Netherlands, David Verbeek
"The Strange Case of Angelica," Portugal, Manoel de Oliveira
"Tuesday, After Christmas," Romania, Radu Muntean
"Udaan," India, Vikramaditya Motwane


OUT OF COMPETITION
"Tamara Drewe," U.K., Stephen Frears
"Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps," U.S., Oliver Stone
"You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger," U.K.-Spain, Woody Allen

MIDNIGHT SCREENINGS
"Kaboom," U.S.-France, Gregg Araki
"L'autre monde," France-Belgium, Gilles Marchand

SPECIAL SCREENINGS
"Abel," Mexico, Diego Luna
"Chantrapas," France, Otar Iosseliani
"Draquila -- L'Italia che trema," Italy, Sabina Guzzanti
"Inside Job," U.S., Charles Ferguson
"Nostalgia de la luz," France, Patricio Guzman
"Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow," Netherlands, Sophie Fiennes

COMPETITION JURY
Tim Burton, president
Alberto Barbera
Kate Beckinsale
Emmanuel Carre
Benicio Del Toro
Victor Erice
Shekhar Kapur
Giovanna Mezzogiorno

Read more...

Lily Collins to co-star in Lionsgate's "Abduction"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Lily Collins ("The Blind Side," "Priest") has joined Lionsgate's thriller feature titled "Abduction," and will star opposite Taylor Lautner "Twilight film series."

John Singleton ("Boyz N the Hood," "Four Brothers") will direct from script written by Shawn Christensen, which centers on a young man who finds a baby picture of himself on a missing persons website, and starting to realize that his parents are not his biological parents.

Gotham Group, Vertigo Entertainment and Lautner's Tailor Made are co-producing the thriller with Ellen Goldsmith-Vein and Lee Stollman of Gotham Group, Roy Lee and Doug Davison of Vertigo, and Tailor Made's Dan Lautner. Vertigo's Gabriel Mason executive producing.

Shooting is scheduled to begin in July in Pittsburgh.

Read more...

Viola Davis' negotiating for "The Help"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Viola Davis ("Doubt," "State of Play") is in negotiations to star in DreamWorks' feature adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's best-selling novel "The Help."

Movie explores how the unspoken code of behavior governing Southern households is shattered when an aspiring writer interviews a maid, and sets off shock waves that reverberate through the entire community.

Davis is negotiating to play the role of the maid named Aibileen. While Emma Stone ("The House Bunny," "Zombieland") is in talks to star as the writer.

Tate Taylor, who is also a childhood friend of the author, wrote the script adaptation and will also direct.

Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan and Mark Radcliffe are producing through their 1492 Pictures banner, alongside Taylor and his Harbinger Pictures' producing partner, Brunson Green.

Read more...

Hayley Atwell plays Peggy Carter in "Captain America"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Hayley Atwell ("Brideshead Revisited," "The Duchess") has joined Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan in Marvel’s "The First Avenger: Captain America."

Atwell will star as Captain America's love interest, Peggy Carter, who is an American spy who falls in love with Captain America as the two fight together against the Nazis during World War II.

Chris Evans plays the star-spangled superhero Captain, and Sebastian Stan plays his sidekick, Bucky Barnes.

Movie will center on Steve Rogers, a sickly young man who was enhanced to a perfect human weapon by an experimental serum, to aid the United States war effort against the Nazis.

Joe Johnston "The Wolfman" will direct from the script written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely.

Kevin Feige and Stephen Broussard will co-produce the feature. David Maisel, Stratton Leopold, Louis D'Esposito and Stan Lee executive produce.

Shooting is scheduled to begin this summer in England.

Read more...

Bille August to direct author Blixen's biopic

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Acclaimed Danish director Bille August, who won an Oscar and the Palme D'or for the 1987 feature "Pelle the Conqueror," is set to direct Karen Blixen biopic "Tanne."

Movie will portray Blixen's early life, from her birth in Naples until her departure to Kenya, Africa in 1913.

Blixen's memoir, "Out of Africa," written under the pen name of Isak Dinesen, was made into a movie by Sydney Pollack in 1985, starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. The movie won 7 Oscars, including the Best Actress award for Streep who starred as Blixen.

August will direct the biopic, which is estimated to be between 10 to 12 million-dollar budget, from script by Peter Asmussen "Breaking the Waves."

Regner Grasten is producing the movie through his Regner Grasten Film banner.

No announcement been made yet regarding the cast.

Shooting is scheduled to begin early next year.

Read more...

Martin Scorsese's going 3D with "The Invention of Hugo Cabret"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Martin Scorsese is making his debut 3D movie with "The Invention of Hugo Cabret."

Scorsese will direct his first children themed movie from script adapted by John Logan "The Aviator."

Movie which is based on the best-selling children book by by Brian Selznick, is about a 12-year-old orphan named Hugo, who lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, and maintains the station’s clocks. A whole new adventure begins when he discovers a broken robot left by his late father, one of the wind-up, mechanical figures created by film-maker Georges Méliès, and works to bring it to life.

Movie is co-produced by GK Films, Scorsese, Tim Headington and Johnny Depp's production company Infinitum Nihil, and will be distributed by Sony Pictures.

Shooting for the 3D movie is scheduled to begin in London in June. Date of release is scheduled for Dec. 9, 2011.

Read more...

Jamie Foxx to voice animated "Welcome to the Jungle"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Jamie Foxx ("Dreamgirls," "Valentine's Day," "Law Abiding Citizen") is set to voice an animated character in 20th Century Fox Animation's "Welcome to the Jungle," based on Foxx's original idea and written by Malcolm Spellman "Family Wedding."

Foxx will co-produce with partner Jamie Rucker King via their company FoxxKing Entertainment.

Foxx, who recently won a Grammy award for "Blame It," will also write original music for the animated feature.

Although the plotline is still being kept under wraps, Spellman gave a hint, "Life is a jungle and welcome to it."

Spellman adds, "I'm psyched about 'Welcome to the Jungle' because it's specifically built to utilize Jamie's talent with voices and as a musician."

Read more...

Jackman, Silverstone taste Garner's "Butter"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Hugh Jackman and Alicia Silverstone have joined Jennifer Garner's starrer comedy feature "Butter," along with Ashley Greene and Yara Shahidi.

The movie, a co-production of Jennifer Garner's Vandalia Films, Michael De Luca ("The Love Guru," "Brothers") and The Weinstein Co., was written by Jason Micallef, and will be directed by Jim Fields Smith "She's Out of My League."

Jackman will be playing an old boyfriend of Garner's character, Silverstone plays the adoptive mother of the teen girl played by Shahidi, Ashley Greene plays the step-daughter of Garner's character.

Movie is about an 12-year-old adopted girl (Shahidi) who discovers her talent for butter carving and finds herself pitted against an ambitious local woman (Garner) in their town's annual butter-sculpting contest.

Shooting is scheduled to begin in Louisiana later this month.

Read more...

Bedrock, Arcady Bay collaborate on "The Flint Heart"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Bedrock Studios, which was launched earlier this year, has acquired screen rights to Katherine Paterson's upcoming fantasy novel "The Flint Heart," and is collaborating with Arcady Bay Entertainment to make a movie based on it.

David Paterson, Arcady Bay's creative principal, will adapt his mother's novel, and make it into a special effects driven live-action feature.

The novel which Katherine teamed with husband John Paterson Sr. on, is a story that spans from the Stone Age to modern day England, revolves around a magical amulet that brings power and despair to those handling it.

Children's book publisher Candlewick Press is set to publish the novel early next year.

Bedrock Studios' founder Cary Granat was quoted as saying, "Reuniting with Katherine and Arcady Bay Entertainment is something we've been looking forward to for quite some time. Katherine gives us such a rich tapestry to work with, and story lines to bring to life on the screen."

No words as yet on when production for the movie will begin.

Read more...

Craig Brewer to direct the remake of "Footloose"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Director/writer Craig Brewer ("Hustle & Flow," "Black Snake Moan") is set to direct the remake of the 1984 musical movie "Footloose" from his rewritten script for Paramount.

Brewer took over the director position from Kenny Ortega "High School Musical," who stepped away due to creative differences and budget just five months before filming was to begin.

Casting for the new lead will begin immediately, after Chace Crawford backed away, citing schedule conflicts with "Gossip Girl," which he has been starring as Nate Archibald since 2007.

The original "Footloose" starred Kevin Bacon as a city boy from Chicago who comes to a conservative small town where rock music and dancing have been banned. Lori Singer co-starred in the movie.

Eben Davidson, Brad Weston, Craig Zadan, Neil Meron and Dylan Sellers will produce the movie.

Shooting is scheduled to begin this summer.

Read more...

Box Office Apr. 9-11 Results

1 Date Night - $27,100,000
2 Clash of the Titans - $26,875,000
3 How to Train Your Dragon - $25,350,000
4 Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too? - $11,000,000
5 The Last Song - $10,018,000
6 Alice in Wonderland - $5,615,000
7 Hot Tub Time Machine - $5,430,000
8 The Bounty Hunter - $4,300,000
9 Diary of a Wimpy Kid - $4,100,000
10 Letters to God - $1,250,000

Source: Boxoffice.com
Read more...

Box Office Apr. 10-11 Results (Japan)

1 SHUTTER ISLAND - Paramount
2 DISTRICT 9 - WB/GAGA
3 My Darling Is A Foreigner (JPN.) - Toho
4 Doraemon The Movie: Nobita's Mermaid Legend (JPN.Animation) - Toho
5 SHERLOCK HOLMES - WB
6 AVATAR - FOX
7 Pretty Cure All Stars DX 2 Ray of Hope Save the Rainbow Jewel (JPN.Animation) - Toei
8 Nodame Cantabile The Movie I (JPN.) - Toho
9 Solanin (JPN.) - Asmik Ace
10 Liar Game The Final Stage (JPN.) - Toho

Source: Cinemanavi.co.jp
Read more...

Christian Slater plays a priest in "Sacrifice"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Christian Slater has joined Cuba Gooding, Jr. in the crime thriller "Sacrifice," which is being produced by Ottawa's Zed Filmworks.

Story is about a Toronto police officer who goes undercover into the heroin ring to save a five year-old girl, who was entrusted into his care by a drug dealer who defects the ring and ended up death.

Devon Bostick "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" and Kim Coates "Sons of Anarchy" also joined the cast.

Slater plays a cameo role of an unconventional priest with a military history in Afghanistan.

Damian Lee "Four Kings" will direct the thriller from his own script. Michael Baker and Robert Menzies are producing, Jeff Sackman is executive producing.

Nicolas Chartier of Voltage Pictures will handle international sales.

Shooting is scheduled to began this week in Ottawa.

Read more...

Katie Cassidy's dream vacation in "Monte Carlo"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Katie Cassidy ("Taken," "A Nightmare on Elm Street") has joined Selena Gomez "Wizards of Waverly Place," Leighton Meester "Gossip Girl" and Cory Monteith "Glee" in Fox 2000 and New Regency's adventure comedy "Monte Carlo." Andie MacDowell has also joined the cast.

Tom Bezucha will direct from the adaptation script he co-wrote with April Blair, losely based on Jules Bass' novel "Headhunters."

Movie is about a girl who travels to Paris with her best friend and her future stepsister. When she is mistaken for a British socialite, the girls find themselves flying to Monte Carlo for a charity auction ball. However, when a million-dollar necklace goes missing, the girls must recover it urgently, or risk getting their true identities exposed.

Nicole Kidman, Denise Di Novi and Alison Greenspan are co-producers of the comedy.

Shooting is scheduled to begin next month, on location in Monaco, Budapest and Paris.

Read more...

Harrison Ford's in talks to star in "Cowboys and Aliens"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Director Jon Favreau confirmed that Harrison Ford is in negotiations to star in DreamWorks' upcoming sci-fi film feature "Cowboys and Aliens."

Looks like Ford might just dig out his old Indiana Jones cowboy hat for the cowboy role he'll be playing. Ford joins Daniel Craig and Olivia Wilde in the movie, which are co-financed by DreamWorks and Universal.

The movie is based on the 2006 graphic novel series created by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, which is about the Apache Indians and Western settlers who lay their differences aside and teamed up against an alien species that lands in their city with bad intentions.

Jon Favreau will begin to direct the movie this summer, from the script written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof.

Imagine Entertainment's co- founder Ron Howard and Brian Grazer are co-producing alongside Steven Spielberg, Rosenberg through his Platinum Studios banner, Orci and Kurtzman.

The movie is scheduled to be released in June 24, 2011.

Read more...

Bill Condon's in talks to direct the "Twilight" saga finale

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Director Bill Condon, who directed the multiple awards winning, including two Oscars, musical feature "Dreamgirls," is in negotiation with Summit Entertainment to direct "Breaking Dawn," the likely two parter finale of the "Twilight" saga.

Screenwrter Melissa Rosenberg, who adapted the first three of the "Twilight" franchise, will again adapt from the final novel of Stephenie Meyer's four-book vampire series, which marks the closing chapter in the love story of vampire Edward and human Bella.

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart are expected to reprise their role as Edward and Bella.

Catherine Hardwicke directed "Twilight," while Chris Weitz directed "The Twilight Saga: New Moon." The upcoming "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" was directed by David Slade.

Read more...

Rowan Atkinson's back to reprise his role in "Johnny English 2"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Rowan Atkinson's starrer, Johnny English, the incompetent titular British spy, is back for a new assignment, announced Universal Pictures.

Universal is collaborating with London-based Working Title Films to produce the sequel to the 2003 comedy, which grossed a total of $160 million worldwide.

Oliver Parker ("St. Trinian's, St. Trinian's 2," "Dorian Gray") is set to direct Johnny English 2 from the script written by Hamish McColl "Mr. Bean's Holiday."

Atkinson will be reprising his role as the clumsy and clueless British spy, setting on a new misadventure.

Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner of Working Title are co-producing with former Working Title exec Chris Clark. Debra Hayward is overseeing the project for the company.

Will Davies and Atkinson are exec producing.

Read more...

Alberto Rodriguez to command the "Grupo 7"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Spanish director Alberto Rodriguez is set to direct his fourth solo movie titled "Grupo 7," following "El traje," "7 vírgenes" and "After," and will be produced by Madrid-based Atipica Films and Seville's La Zanfona Producciones.

Screenplay for the movie is co-written by Rodriguez and his co-writer for "7 vírgenes" and "After," Rafael Cobos.

"Grupo 7," which is based on real happenings, is about an extra-official police operation unit battling drugs and prostitution in downtown Seville before the 1992 International Expo.

Jose Antonio Felez, founder of Atipica Films, was quoted as saying to Daily Variety, "'Grupo 7' is character-driven, noirish, and heavy on street action. Rodriguez has a gift for this kind of film."

Cast for the movie is still under wraps, but is expected to be starring famous Spanish actors. The movie is scheduled to begin shooting around September.

Read more...

Anton Yelchin to star in remake of "Fright Night"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Anton Yelchin ("Charlie Bartlett," "Star Trek," ""Terminator: Salvation") is in negotiation to star in the leading role in DreamWorks' remake of 1985 horror movie "Fright Night."

Director Craig Gillespie ("Lars and the Real Girl," "Mr. Woodcock") will direct from Marti Noxon's adaptation script.

Yelchin will star as Charley Brewster, a teenager who learns that his next door neighbour is a vampire, but couldn't get anyone to believe him. When his life is threatened, he seeks the help of a vampire hunter from his favourite horror TV show, who in fact don't really believe in vampires either.

Michael De Luca, Alison Rosenzweig, Lloyd Ivan Miller, Michael Gaeta and Josh Bratman are executive producing. No words as yet on the shooting schedule.

Read more...

"War of the Gods" officially titled "Immortals" - Hurt and Lucas join in

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Relativity Media's "War of the Gods" has been officially changed to "Immortals," with two new cast joining in.

John Hurt ("Alien," "Harry Potter franchise," "Hellboy, Hellboy 2") and Isabel Lucas ("Home and Away tv series," "Daybreakers") have joined Stephen Dorff, Kellan Lutz, Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke and Freida Pinto in the Greek mythology epic.

Hurt will star as the earthly manifestation of Zeus, who acts as Theseus' mentor. Lucas will play Athena, the daughter of Zeus. Henry Cavill stars as Theseus; Stephen Dorff is Stavros, the master thief; Kellan Lutz plays Poseidon; Mickey Rourke is King Hyperion; Freida Pinto plays Phaedra, an oracle priestess.

Christian Gudegast wrote the screenplay, which Tarsem Singh will direct.

The epic is about a young warrior Theseus who leads his men into battle with the immortal Greek gods to defeat evil elder gods of the Titans in order to save mankind.

Hollywood Gang Productions' Gianni Nunnari will produce alongside Atmosphere Entertainment's Mark Canton and Relativity's Ryan Kavanaugh. Executive producing are Relativity's Tucker Tooley and Hollywood Gangs'Craig Flores. Universal will handle distribution.

Shooting is scheduled to begin in Montreal this week. Release date for the movie is set for Nov. 11, 2011.

Read more...

Disney, Zemeckis partnering Gotham to make a "Dark Life"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Robert Zemeckis is set to co-produce and direct the adaptation of Kat Falls' upcoming young adult novel "Dark Life," which The Gotham Group acquired the feature rights earlier this year.

Walt Disney and ImageMovers are collaborating with the Gotham Group on the feature.

The book which will be published by Scholastic in May, is set in an apocalyptic future where rising oceans and natural disasters forced some people to start a settlement on the ocean floor. Story tells of a teenage boy who lived all his life on the ocean floor, teamed up with a dry land girl to uncover a government conspiracy.

Zemeckis, Jack Rapke and Steve Starkey, through ImageMovers, are co-producing with Jackie Levine, and Gotham's Ellen Goldsmith-Vein and Lee Stollman.

Read more...

Focus Features going for "The Heights"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Focus Features has acquired the feature rights to Peter Hedges' latest novel "The Heights," which was published last month.

Hedges, who wrote and directed "Pieces of April" and "Dan in Real Life," will adapt from his own novel, then direct and produce.

"The Heights" centers on a happily married young couple, Tim Welch and Kate Oliver, living in a upscale Brooklyn Heights neighborhood with their two young sons. But their seemingly perfect lives turned upside down when a wealthy family who moves into their neighborhood.

John Lyons, Focus' president of production, produced Hedges' "Pieces of April" before he joined Focus, and is set to again collaborate with him on "The Heights."

Lyons was quoted as saying, "I'm thrilled to be working with Peter again. He is a filmmaker of great warmth and humor, and with "The Heights" we will be taking full advantage of his considerable skills."

Read more...

Box Office Apr. 2-4 Results

1 Clash of the Titans - $61,400,000
2 Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too? - $30,150,000
3 How to Train Your Dragon - $29,200,000
4 The Last Song - $16,203,000
5 Alice in Wonderland - $8,267,000
6 Hot Tub Time Machine - $8,000,000
7 The Bounty Hunter - $6,200,000
8 Diary of a Wimpy Kid - $5,525,000
9 She's Out of My League - $1,463,000
10 Shutter Island - $1,462,000

Source: The-movie-times.com
Read more...

Box Office Apr. 3-4 Results (Japan)

1 Doraemon The Movie: Nobita's Mermaid Legend (JPN.Animation) - Toho
2 SHERLOCK HOLMES - WB
3 Pretty Cure All Stars DX 2 Ray of Hope Save the Rainbow Jewel (JPN.Animation) - Toei
4 Liar Game The Final Stage (JPN.) - Toho
5 AVATAR - FOX
6 Solanin (JPN.) - Asmik Ace
7 CIRQUE DU FREAK: THE VAMPIRE'S ASSISTANT - Toho Towa
8 G-FORCE - Disney
9 NINE - Kadokawa/Shochiku
10 THE HURT LOCKER - Broadmedia Studio

Source: Cinemanavi.co.jp
Read more...

"Titans" is new overseas box-office champion

By Siewaun
Reference: thehollywoodreporter

Warner Bros.' 3D Greek mythology epic "Clash of the Titans" grossed an estimated $44.2 million in its opening launch at 4,240 screens in 15 markets to take the No. 1 worldwide spot, reports THR.

"Titans" is No. 1 in every overseas markets played; U.K. - $7.8 million over three days from 752 screens, Spain - $8.6 million over five days from 549 screens, S.Korea - $6.8 million over four days from 591 screens, Australia - $5.9 million over four days in from 349 screens.

"Titans," directed by Louis Leterrier, and starring Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes, replaced Disney's 3D "Alice in Wonderland," which was at No. 1 for 1 month before slipping to No. 3 with $34.2 million from 8,443 screens in 51 markets.

DreamWorks Animation's "How to Train Your Dragon," is at No. 2, earning $38.5 million from 7,658 screens in 54 markets, with best earnings come from U.K - $7.8 million from 716 screens, and France - $4.7 million from 743 screens.

Universal's "Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang," which earned $10.3 million from 2,500 screens in 12 markets for a total of $17.2 million overseas earnings is at No. 4. Sony's Jennifer Aniston's and Gerard Butler's starrer "The Bounty Hunter" earned $9.3 million from 2,170 screens in 41 markets for $29.8 million overseas total, claims the 5th place.

"Avatar," which dominated the overseas box-office for 8 consecutive weeks, now stepped out of the top five with $4.6 million generated from 2,300 screens in 37 markets for a total overseas earnings of $1.959 billion.

Read more...

Sebastian Stan is Captain America's sidekick

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Sebastian Stan ("Gossip Girl," "Hot Tub Time Machine," "The Apparition") has signed on to join Chris Evans' Captain America by playing his sidekick, Bucky Barnes, in Marvel's "The First Avenger: Captain America."

Bucky Barnes is an orphan who learned the true identity of Captain America, and underwent rigorous training to become the Captain's sidekick, accompanying him on many adventures. Barnes would later becomes a Soviet assassin by the name of Winter Soldier.

Like Chris Evans, Stan's deal also includes starring in multiple features, which includes sequels to "Captain America" and "The Avengers."

Joe Johnston "The Wolfman" will direct the Marvel's feature from the script written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely.

Kevin Feige and Stephen Broussard will co-produce the feature, while David Maisel, Stratton Leopold, Louis D'Esposito and Stan Lee will executive produce.

Read more...

Doug Liman to direct Warners' "Three Musketeers"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Doug Liman ("Mr. & Mrs. Smith," "Jumper") is in talks to direct the remake of Alexandre Dumas' classic 17th-century adventure "The Three Musketeers" for Warner Bros.

Lionel Wigram, who also produced "Sherlock Holmes" for Warners, will produce the movie, which means Warner Bros. is now in a direct fight with Summit’s version of Musketeers movie, which is in 3D, and being directed by Paul W.S. Anderson.

Peter Straughan "The Men Who Stare at Goats" has been hired to write the screenplay for the Warners' movie.

"The Three Musketeers" is about a young musketeer by the name of D'Artagnan, who join forces with Athos, Porthos and Aramis, the veteran musketeers, to fight against the villian Cardinal Richelieu. Cast for the project is yet unknown.

Read more...

Greengrass to direct remake of "Fantastic Voyage"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Paul Greengrass ("The Bourne Ultimatum," "Green Zone") is in early talks to direct the remake of the 1966 sci-fi adventure-fantasy movie "Fantastic Voyage" for 20th Century Fox and James Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment. Cameron will co-produce the movie.

"Fantastic Voyage" will be shot using the same 3D technologies Cameron and Jon Landau's Lightstorm used for "Avatar."

Shane Salerno "Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem" has been hired to adapt the remake, which is about a a dying scientist whose only chance for survival rests with five colleagues who are miniaturized and injected into his bloodstream.

The original "Fantastic Voyage" was directed by Richard Fleischer, and starring Raquel Welch and Donald Pleasence.

Read more...

Oliver Stone to develop Fox's "Travis McGee"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Director Oliver Stone is set to develop and possibly direct the detective feature "Travis McGee" for 20th Century Fox.

Leonardo DiCaprio will star as the title character, a Salvage Consultant who is also a self-described beach bum, living on a houseboat in Florida, taking on cases only when his money runs low.

"Travis McGee" is a fictional detective character created by American mystery writer John D. MacDonald, and has appeared in 21 books, starting from "The Deep Blue Good-by" in 1964.

The feature's plotline would be taken from "The Deep Blue Goodbye," in which the detective searches for a World War II treasure. It's adaptation script was written by Dana Stevens.

Fox-based Chernin Entertainment's Peter Chernin will co-produce alongside Amy Robinson, DiCaprio's Appian Way production and Jennifer Davisson Killoran.

Read more...