Dubai plans to roll out a film-incentive program are on hold, key local execs involved in the media push have been ousted, and even Dubailand, the giant theme park complex in which a handful of Hollywood studios are involved, seems certain to be scaled back.

While Hollywood's involvement in ventures, including Dubailand and planned film partnerships, look likely to proceed, there is uncertainty about how and when those plans will come to fruition. Still on course are Abu Dhabi's Imagenation and Qatar's Al noor's film funds -- $1 billion and $200 million, respectively -- to finance projects for the international marketplace, and Rupert Murdoch's plans for News Corp. to acquire a 10% stake in Saudi billionaire Prince Waleed bin Talal's Rotana media conglom.

But there are new signs that the brutal belt-tightening which has affected the global economy is catching up to these oil-rich emirates. The evolving financial problems were the talk of the Dubai Intl. Film Fest, which bowed Dec 9 and runs through Dec. 16.

"I think Hollywood has already lost confidence in Dubai," says one local producer. "They've seen Abu Dhabi step up to the plate and put up money. They've seen what's happened with both 'Body of Lies' and 'Sex and the City 2' not being allowed to film in Dubai." The former was nixed due to political content, the latter due to its sexual content. "The authorities here need to realize that introducing some incentives would actually be good for Dubai's recovery."

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Leonardo DiCaprio Joins Cast of The Guardians

Leonardo DiCaprio is going where he has never gone before: into an animated film. Leo is set to voice a character based on Jack Frost in the new animated film, The Guardians. DreamWorks Animation is producing. Variety reports:

Just as DWA's "Shrek" offered a revisionist view of the fairy-tale universe, "The Guardians" reimagines five popular childhood heroes -- Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman and Jack Frost -- as members of an elite superhero squad who join forces to fight an evil spirit named Pitch (which suggests there are at least five more juicy voice parts yet to be filled).

The high-concept variation hails a forthcoming series of books by William Joyce to be called "The Guardians of Childhood."

The release date is November 2, 2012. The other parts have yet to be cast. But the director will be Peter Ramsey who directed the DreamWorks Halloween special Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins From Outer Space. This is his feature film debut.

Posted on December 3, 2009
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First Image of Josh Brolin as Jonah Hex



The first publicity shot from Jonah Hex is out. It shows Josh Brolin as the comic book antihero Jonah Hex, a bounty hunter. Half of his his face is scarred. Megan Fox also stars in the film, according to the posters, but Megan has said she really just has a cameo. In any event, Jonah looks mighty grumpy. The film is set to be released in June, 2010.

Via Den of Geek

Posted on November 28, 2009
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Jennifer Hudson to Play Nelson Mandela's Ex Wife in Winnie

Variety reports that Jennifer Hudson will star in Winnie a film about the ex-wife of Nelson Mandela.

Hudson will play Winnie Mandela in a film that begins production May 30 in the South African locations of Johannesburg, Capt Town, and the Transkei and Robben Island where the future president spent 18 of his 27 years in prison.

Winnie will be directed by Darrell J. Roodt, the veteran South African filmmaker whose 2006 film Yesterday was Africa’s Best Foreign Film nominee, and who also directed Cry, The Beloved Country, and Sarafina!

The film is based on the biography by Marie du Preez Bezdrob called Winnie Mandela: A Life. The film will examine the heroic side of Winnie in which she was jailed for fighting for her husband's release and standing against apartheid, but it will also examine the dark side of her life. Winne was jailed for fraud and was associated with a bodyguard who murdered a 14-year old alleged informer. Jennifer says she is looking forward to playing such a complex woman.

Posted on November 17, 2009
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Stephenie Meyer Talks Rob Pattinson

Stephenie Meyer talked to Oprah Winfrey about the first time she met Robert Pattinson and why he's the perfect Edward. For one thing, Stephenie said he doesn't look like everyone else. She said he looks like the Edward she had in her mind when she wrote him. She also says Rob is very different in real life from his Edward Cullen character. Take a look:

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Posted on November 16, 2009
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MGM is For Sale

MGM is officially up for sale, according to Variety. Bondholders have given the company a month and a half to come up with a new cash infusion or a buyer before more debt payments are due.

According to sources close to the company, MGM's investment bankers Moelis & Co. are overseeing the sales process, while current management will remain in place with feature development and production continuing. MGM's lenders had agreed previously to let the studio forgo three interest payments until Dec. 15.

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The announcement came following mounting speculation that MGM was heading toward an auction of assets, which include the 4,000-title library, the logo, the United Artists operations, rights to the James Bond franchise and half-ownership in the upcoming "Hobbit" films. Possible buyers include Time Warner, News Corp. and Lionsgate.

MGM has $3.7 billion in debt. Bondholders have allowed MGM to forego interest payment three times already, but their patience is fraying. MGM management says its open to various ideas for solving its financial problems, but an outright sale seems the most likely outcome, with some kind of restructuring of the debt.

Posted on November 13, 2009
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2012 Debuts Tomorrow

Roland Emmerich's disaster epic 2012 starring John Cusack opens tomorrow and studio heads are hoping that the film decimates the competition at the box office. Emmerich's The Day After Tomorrow, which was released in 2004, took in a whopping $357.5 million overseas and $186.7 million domestically.

Sony expects to dominate the worldwide box office this weekend as Roland Emmerich's latest disaster spectacle, "2012," opens across all territories, looking to match the mammoth foreign success of the helmer's "The Day After Tomorrow."

Domestically, "2012" debuts in 3,404 runs, and box office observers say it could open north of $40 million or even substantially more. Overseas, it opens on roughly 13,000 screens in 105 countries.

We see no reason why the film won't do very well indeed. The special effects look amazing and the idea of indie king John Cusack headlining an action disaster flick is quite intriguing.

Posted on November 12, 2009
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Trailer: Extraordinary Measures

Here's the new trailer for Extraordinary Measures, which is based on a true story. Brendan Frasier, Keri Russell and Harrison Ford star in a story about a father's search for a cure for his little girl's terminal illness. Take a look:

Posted on November 11, 2009
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First Kick-Ass Trailer Released

Kick-Ass is a film based on the Marvel comic book written by Mark Millar and illustrated by John Romita, Jr. The story follows a high school student who is inspired by comic book superheroes to become a superhero himself. He is joined by others including a young girl named Hit-Girl who carries a sword. The film will arrive in theatres next April. Here's the first trailer for the film.



Posted on November 10, 2009
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Johnny Depp to Star With Angelina Jolie in The Tourist

There have been so many cast and director changes to the upcoming thriller The Tourist that it's been hard to keep track. But according to Variety, things are finally shaping up nicely with Angelina Jolie starring as the Interpol agent who must track down a former lover and Johnny Depp starring as an American who gets caught up in the intrigue. Johnny is still in talks, but his surprise involvement has thrown some real buzz behind the project.

The move comes after Avatar star Sam Worthington exited along with director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, both over creative differences. Already, directors are circling the plum gig, including Alfonso Cuaron.

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Spyglass initially set up the remake of the 2005 French thriller Anthony Zimmer with Bharat Nalluri directing Tom Cruise and Charlize Theron. Worthington came aboard with Theron after Cruise took Knight & Day at Fox. Von Donnersmarck then came into the picture with Jolie. Depp was brought into the mix by King, with whom he has a close relationship, most recently collaborating on The Rum Diary and the Gore Verbinski-directed animated pic Rango.

Johnny was supposed to make Pirates of the Caribbean 4 for Disney, but it looks like that may not be happening after all. Johnny was very unhappy when studio chief Dick Cook was forced out and since then his enthusiasm for another pirate move has waned, according to The L.A. Times.

Posted on November 4, 2009
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Tom Selleck, Ted Danson and Steve Guttenberg Reunited For Third Film

Tom Selleck, Ted Danson and Steve Guttenberg are said to be returning for a third "Three Men" movie. This one will be called Three Men and a Lady. Steve Guttenberg reportedly leaked news that Disney is developing the film.

The trio played bachelor pals forced to raise a baby together after she's left on their doorstep by desperate mum Nancy Travis in the 1987 original. The reteamed three years later for the follow up, Three Men and a Little Lady. Now, 19 years later, studio bosses at Disney are planning to reunite the trio for their movie daughter's wedding.

Breaking the news to WENN, an excited Guttenberg says, "Disney's developing Three Men and a Bride. That's going to be a smash. A smash hit. They're bringing everybody back for that.

"Nobody knows about it. I'm the first to talk about it."

The premise of this film is that the baby girl from the last movie is now a young woman and she is about to get married. The article doesn't say if Nancy Travis will be returning.

Posted on November 3, 2009
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Halcyon Putting Terminator Rights Up For Auction

Halcyon is putting the Terminator franchise on the auction block. Variety reports that the bankruptcy court will have an auction in January to sell off the rights to future Terminator movies, television series, DVDs and merchandise.

An exec with FTI Capital Advisers, retained by Halcyon, issued a bullish outlook Monday, saying there's been strong interest building since the investment bankers began sending out materials last week to prospective buyers. "This is a unique asset -- the only Hollywood tentpole asset that's not owned by a studio," said Kevin Shultz, senior managing director of FTI Capital Advisers.

"Terminator Salvation," the fourth film in the franchise, carried a production pricetag of about $200 million and took in $371 million worldwide. Shultz noted that the recent $60 million purchase of rights to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise by Nickelodeon should provide a useful comparison to potential buyers.

It seems quite likely that there will be a next Terminator movie; how that sorts out depends entirely on who buys the rights.

Posted on November 2, 2009
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This Is It Grosses $20.1 Million Worldwide in Opening Day

The Michael Jackson documentary This Is It grossed $20.1 million worldwide on opening day, according to Variety.

"This Is It" grossed $20.1 million in its first day at the worldwide box office -- a solid, but not glowing, start for Michael Jackson's final act. The Sony release grossed $7.4 million from 3,481 theaters at the domestic B.O., including $2.2 million from Tuesday night shows.

Overseas, where the King of Pop's popularity has endured, "This Is It" pulled in $12.7 million in 97 territories. Opening-day highlights included $1.9 million in the U.K., $1.4 million in France, $1.2 million in Japan and $1.1 million in Germany. Film, slotted to play only two weeks, opened in 10 more overseas markets on Thursday, making for a worldwide print count of 15,000 heading into the weekend. Sony said the successful opening of the pic reaffirms the global appeal of Jackson.

But many in Hollywood expected opening-day numbers to be higher at the domestic B.O. since the film is a fan-driven title. Last year, "Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: The Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour" grossed $8.6 million on its opening day at the domestic B.O., although that pic bowed on a Friday.

The film is expected to top the box office this weekend, barring some kind of upset due to the Halloween factor.

Posted on October 31, 2009
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Theater Owners Scramble to Add More 3-D Screens For Holiday Films

Theater owners are working hard to ensure they have enough 3-D screens in time for the holiday movie fare, such as James Cameron's hotly anticipated SF film Avatar.

Theater owners are scrambling to make sure they have enough 3D screens to make it a happy holiday season. This past year, moviegoers have proved their willingness to pay extra coin for a 3D ticket -- particularly in foreign markets. So exhibs around the globe have been adding screens as fast as they can before the Nov. 6 release of Disney's "A Christmas Carol," starring Jim Carrey, and the Dec. 18 bow of James Cameron's "Avatar," from 20th Century Fox.

At the beginning of the year, there were 900 theaters in the U.S. equipped to play 3D titles. That count has more than doubled in the months since, with Robert Zemeckis' "Christmas Carol" expected to open in approximately 2,000 locations. Fox expects there to be 2,400-2,500 3D locations in the U.S. by the time "Avatar" unspools. (Domestically, exhibs tally the number of theater locations, while overseas distributors use screen counts.)

Internationally, the number of 3D screens should more than triple by the end of the year, from 1,000 at the end of 2008 to roughly 3,200. That makes a worldwide screen count of approximately 6,700.

The return of 3-D has been one bright spot in the movie business during the recession. The higher prices that theaters can charge for 3-D has made the screens very appealing. The 3D screen count for "Monsters vs. Aliens" was only 20% of the total, but those screens yielded 43% of the gross box office receipts.

Posted on October 30, 2009
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This Is It Makes $2.2 Million on Opening Day

The Michael Jackson documentary This Is It grossed $2 million in its opening day. Sony held 18 premieres all over the world, with the biggest premiere happening in Los Angeles. The movie has gotten rave reviews from critics. The film was distilled from 80 hours of rehearsal footage from what would have been Michael's comeback concert series starting in London.

The global preem was held Tuesday in order to line up with foreign territories' usual opening days -- films typically bow on Wednesdays in France, for example. The 6 p.m. Tuesday start time in Los Angeles translated to 2 a.m. Wednesday over most of Europe, meaning thousands of fans flocked to screenings in the middle of the night.

The film is playing in roughly 3,500 theaters domestically. It opened in 99 countries including the U.S. and Canada, and expands to 110 territories around the world, with 15,000 prints, this weekend. Plans are for a two-week run.

Sony already is starting to generate big returns for the $60 million it paid concert promoter AEG Entertainment for 100 hours of footage and distribution rights. The first showings of the film earned an estimated $2.2 million in Tuesday night shows domestically and roughly the same amount Wednesday, for a total $4.4 million for two days.

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Sony executives declined to disclose financial details of the big-scale preem, but the studio did manage to contain costs in several ways. The only after-party for the premiere took place in L.A., with food catered by Wolfgang Puck, who has a deal with L.A. Live for events, as well as by In-n-Out, Hot Dog on a Stick and Korean BBQ vendor Kogi.

The behind the scenes look at how Michael worked and supervised every minute detail of the show gives a never before seen look into the King of Pop's work ethic. It shocked many people how good a shape Michael was in during the grueling rehearsals.

Overseas grosses are expected to be high.

Posted on October 28, 2009
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Matt Damon, Josh Brolin Have True Grit

The Hollywood Reporter reports that Matt Damon, Jeff Bridges and Josh Brolin are in talks to star in a remake of True Grit.

Paramount Pictures and the Oscar-winning writer-director team are moving fast on their re-adaptation of the Charles Portis novel, first reaching out to Jeff Bridges, and now Damon and Brolin, to potentially star. Damon would take on the Glen Campbell role of a Texas Ranger tracking an outlaw along with a gruff U.S. marshal originally played by John Wayne, who won an Oscar for his role in the 1969 Western.

All three actors are in discussions with the studio, which hopes to move into production in the spring. The story concerns a 14-year-old girl traveling into dangerous territory with the two lawmen in search of the man who murdered her father, who Brolin would play.

Bridges and Brolin have worked with the Coens before, but Damon is new to their coterie of actors. Bridges famously portrayed Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski in the Brothers' comic noir, "The Big Lebowski," in 1998. Presumably, the new role will involve fewer acid flashbacks and bowling montages.

Another remake, what a surprise. And this time, some actor will trod in John Wayne's Oscar-winning shoes. Here's an idea: use an original script and do something different.

Posted on October 26, 2009
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Tyler Perry Talks Film Criticism

There's no question that Tyler Perry has made a lot of money at the box office. However, Tyler Perry also gets heavily criticized for some of his characters like Madea. Tyler says the criticism pisses him off. He says his characters are bait for genuine messages. Tyler Perry says his characters are "Disarming, charming, make-you-laugh bait so I can slap Madea in something and talk about God, love, faith, forgiveness and family." Take a look:



Posted on October 24, 2009
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Ridley Scott Wants Angela Jolie for Gucci Dynasty Movie

Ridley Scott is determined that Angelina Jolie play the lead in his upcoming film about the murder, mayhem and extravagant living of the Gucci family dynasty during the 70s and 80s. Angie would play Patrizia Gucci, who was sentenced to 29 years in jail for plotting the murder of her ex-husband, Maurizio Gucci.

The studio is about to hire a scribe to rewrite the drama that recaptures the glamorous days of the Gucci family dynasty in the 1970s and 80s, when the family was selling $500 million in product annually. Squabbles hobbled the clan until Maurizio, the grandson of founder Guccio Gucci, came out on top of a power struggle to run the family business. Just when he was about to reestablish the brand name by debuting a line designed by newcomer--and now film director--Tom Ford, Maurizio was gunned down in front of his Milan apartment in 1995.

There are still moving pieces in the package--the script is still being developed and Scott needs to lock down an actor to play Maurizio. The director has approached his Body of Lies star Leonardo DiCaprio, but he is not attached at this point.

Angelina Jolie and Leonardo DiCaprio: that's an interesting pairing. But it sounds like Leo hasn't signed on the dotted line. It's a juicy role, no question.

Posted on October 20, 2009
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24 Director John Cassar to Direct Feature Film

John Cassar, co-executive producer and director for 24, is inking a deal for his first feature film. The film is called Motorcade and is being produced by DreamWorks. Ryan Reynolds is rumored to star in the secret service thriller.

The studio hopes to get the picture into production by late summer or early fall 2010, and DreamWorks is eyeing 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.

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The drama has been a priority for DreamWorks and was one of the projects Tom Cruise seriously considered when "Live Free or Die Hard" helmer Len Wiseman was attached. Reynolds, who will next star in the Martin Campbell-directed "Green Lantern" for Warner Bros. next spring, has not signed on at this point.

The script is being revised by Billy Ray. Ryan Reynolds' career is super hot right now; we think an action thriller would be perfect for him. Although we loved him in The Proposal. He is so great at comedy.

Posted on October 6, 2009
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Disney Begins Restructuring of Miramax

Variety reports that Disney is beginning its restructuring and downsizing of Miramax films and that big layoffs are coming.

The Mouse House began the overhaul of its film operations Friday with word that it will restructure Miramax Films, consolidating operations and reducing the number of films it releases annually. Meanwhile, it's considered a fait accompli that Disney Channels Worldwide prexy Rich Ross will soon be elevated to a role overseeing at least the Disney-branded portion of the Mouse's studio operation.

With the Miramax downsizing, prexy Daniel Battsek will continue to oversee creative, development, production and business and legal affairs out of New York. Walt Disney Studios will handle most marketing, distribution, operations and administrative support functions from its Burbank headquarters.

As such, the axe is likely to fall on Miramax staffers next week. The cuts could run deep, with industry insiders suggesting that about 20 staffers will remain from the roughly 80 people now employed across Miramax's offices in Los Angeles and Gotham. Departments expected to be hit hardest are marketing, publicity, distribution and production.

Disney has not revealed how many films Miramax will be allowed to produce each year. It produced eight films in 2007 and eight in 2008. So far the studio has only produced five films this year.

Posted on October 2, 2009
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Jessica Alba to Join Cast of Third Meet the Parents Movie

Jessica Alba is in talks to join the cast of the third Meet the Parents movie. Variety reports:

Alba will play a key role alongside Ben Stiller, Teri Polo, Robert De Niro, Blythe Danner, and Owen Wilson. Jane Rosenthal and Jay Roach are producing. John Hamburg rewrote an original script by Larry Stuckey.

Alba will next be seen in the Garry Marshall-directed ensemble romantic comedy, "Valentine's Day." She most recently completed filming roles in "Machete," the drama that Robert Rodriguez is co-directing, and "The Killer Inside Me," the Michael Winterbottom-directed adaptation of the Jim Thompson book.

The third movie in the franchise will be directed by Paul Weitz. There's no word yet of what exactly Jessica's role will entail.

Posted on September 29, 2009
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Barbie Heads to the Big Screen

Barbie is ready for her close up. The 50 year old iconic doll will soon have her own feature film. This won't be another cartoon or direct to DVD deal. This will be a real live action movie with a decent budget.

"Barbie is the most famous doll in history, a unique cultural icon in the world of brands," said Universal Pictures chairman Marc Shmuger. "So many representations of Barbie frequent pop culture, but never before has she been brought to life in a motion picture. We're grateful to Mattel for entrusting us with this extraordinary opportunity."

Marc said the next step will be to canvas writers and decide a creative take for a family-friendly movie. Mark, who just produced Julie & Julia and is currently in production on the untitled James L. Brooks-directed comedy that stars Reese Witherspoon and Jack Nicholson, was one of several A-list producers who met with Mattel and U execs. Marc said he felt fortunate to get the job and said there is no shortage of plot possibilities, since Barbie has held more than 120 jobs over the years.

"Barbie may be the most popular girl in the world, and has always been a wonderfully aspirational figure, so we must do her proud," Marc said.

Universal wants a piece of the family-friendly pie and has decided that Barbie is the way to get it. It could work. But it will be tricky to get it right. For one thing, there is no actress alive today that has Barbie's measurements. If Barbie were a human, she would be 7' 2" tall, weigh 101 pounds, wear a size four dress and a size five shoe. She would have a 39" bust (FF cup), 19" waist, and 33" hips.

Posted on September 23, 2009
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Justin Timberlake Cast in Facebook Movie

Justin Timberlake has been cast as the co-founder of Napster in the new film about the formation of Facebook. David Fincher is directing the film which features a screenplay by Aaron Sorkin.

Jesse Eisenberg will play founder Mark Zuckerberg, Justin Timberlake will play Sean Parker, the Napster co-founder who became Facebook's founding president, and Andrew Garfield will play Eduardo Saverin, the Facebook co-founder who fell out with Zuckerberg as the social network became a financial juggernaut.

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The pic focuses on the evolution of Facebook, the social network created in 2004 on the Harvard campus. And how overnight success and wealth changes the lives of the classmates who created it. The trio were the subject of internet rumors as Fincher zeroed in on his leads.

Production on the film will begin in October in Boston, and then will move to Los Angeles. Justin Timberlake is determined to be a triple threat, but so far his film career hasn't taken off. Will this be his breakthrough role?

Posted on September 22, 2009
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Trailer: Valentine's Day

It seems that everyone in Hollywood is starring in the next big ensemble romantic comedy called Valentine's Day. Julia Roberts and her 18-year-old niece, Emma, are both in the film. Bradley Cooper plays Julia's boyfriend, who is actually gay. The cast also includes Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Garner, Jamie Foxx, Patrick Dempsey, Jessica Biel, Topher Grace, Eric Dane, Ashton Kutcher, Taylor Swift, Queen Latifah and Shirley MacLaine. And we've probably left someone out. Take a look:



Posted on September 18, 2009
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Megan Fox, Karyn Kasuma, Diablo Cody Discuss Jennifer's Body

SyFy talked with star Megan Fox, director Karyn Kusama and writer/producer Diablo Cody about the creative ideas behind the new film, Jennifer's Body. Megan likes the dark, inappropriate humor and Karyn talks about the terror that underlies seduction. Take a look:



Posted on September 16, 2009
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Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart Talk Love Happens

Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart talked to E! about their new film, Love Happens. The film is about a widower (Eckhart) who is reinvented into a charismatic self-help guru after his book about grieving turns him into a phenomenon. When he arrives in Seattle to teach a sold-out seminar, he unexpectedly meets and falls for a florist (Aniston). Jen and Aaron talk about how much fun they had doing the film, and how one day they were "out of control." Take a look:



Love Happens opens nationwide September 18.

Posted on September 15, 2009
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2009 Summer Box Office Breaks Records

Variety reports that this past summer was the biggest ever at the worldwide box office. Overall box office receipts were $10 billion. Overseas box office numbers were a whopping $5.8 billion, which is 7% higher than the summer of 2007 which was a huge winner for the studios.

Domestic box office revenues officially surpassed 2007 levels on Wednesday, when ticket sales reached $4.20 billion vs. $4.16 billion two years ago. That's a 1% uptick, but with Labor Day weekend still to come, that gain will increase. Studios say the increase at the foreign B.O. is especially noteworthy considering that exchange rates no longer favor American companies, as they did before last fall's economic collapse.

Heading into the season, no one in Hollywood would have guessed that 20th Century Fox's 3-D toon "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" would finish the summer No. 1 at the international B.O., cuming some $640 million through Aug. 31 and even besting "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" ($613 million). "I think we can safely say that 3-D is here to stay. I don't think you can have numbers like this if it was just a fad," said Fox co-prexy of international distribution Paul Hanneman. "No one anticipated that we would get to these levels."

"Ice Age: The Meltdown," the last installment in the franchise, grossed $460.1 million overseas, $180 million less than "Dawn of the Dinosaurs."

Up, which is also in 3-D has already grossed $156.6 million to date and G-Force has already made $67 million overseas. The biggest winner of the summer was Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince which made $907.7 million worldwide.

Posted on September 4, 2009
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Guy Ritchie to Direct Live Action Film Adaptation of Lobo

Variety reports that Guy Ritchie has signed on to direct the live action feature film adaptation about Lobo, the DC Comics interstellar bounty hunter. Akiva Goldsman and Andrew Rona will produce and Don Payne wrote the script.

Production on Lobo begins early next year. The character originated in 1983 in Omega Men written by Roger Slifer and Keith Giffen. Lobo has had several comic incarnations. In the film, he is a seven-foot tall, blue-skinned, indestructible and heavily muscled anti-hero who drives a pimped out motorcycle, and lands on Earth in search of four fugitives who are bent on wreaking havoc. Lobo teams with a small town teenaged girl to stop the creatures.

WB is aiming for a PG-13 rating. Pic will be strong on visual effects, and Ritchie will bring the irreverent, gruff tone of past films like Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

Lobo will be Guy's next film after Sherlock Holmes which premieres Christmas Day, 2009. We wonder who he has in mind for Lobo. It's going to have to be someone who doesn't mind six hours in a makeup chair every day. Hey, aren't the aliens in James Cameron's Avatar also seven feet tall with blue skin? It must be a new fashion trend.

Posted on September 2, 2009
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Taylor Lautner Flips



The director of Eclipse, David A. Slade posted this picture of Taylor Lautner mid-backflip. David says, "Taylor Lautner Pic from set, yes that is him mid backflip. He does it from standing still."

Posted on September 1, 2009
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Fox to Reboot Fantastic Four

Fox has decided to reboot The Fantastic Four film franchise. Variety reports that Akiva Goldsman has been hired to oversee the project as its producer. Michael Green (Heroes) will write the screenplay.

The 2005 "Fantastic Four" and 2007 sequel "Rise of the Silver Surfer" were directed by Tim Story and starred Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis. Since the deals for the reboot are just getting made, it is unclear if any of them will return.

Though Marvel Entertainment owns and finances properties like "Iron Man" and "Thor," Fox controls "Fantastic Four" in perpetuity -- as long as it continues making the films. Fox has the same arrangement on Marvel Comics properties "X-Men," "Daredevil" and "Silver Surfer." Marvel is a producer and financial participant through a licensing agreement.

Though the related Silver Surfer character soared in the "Fantastic Four" sequel, that iconic personality has remained a priority project for his own film at the studio.

This is a bit confusing. It seems a bit soon for a total reboot of the franchise with all new characters. Now that Disney has bought Marvel for $4 billion, we expect there will be quite a bit of scrambling to bring more comic book franchises to the screen.

Posted on August 31, 2009
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Spielberg to Film Michael Crichton's Last Book, Pirate Latitudes



Steven Spielberg is going to bring Michael Crichton's last book, Pirate Latitudes to the big screen. The movie will be based on Crichton's last book, an adventure story set off the coast of Jamaica in 1665.

DreamWorks Studios describes the novel, set for release Nov. 24, as the story of "a daring plan to infiltrate Port Royal, one of the world's richest and most notorious cities, and raid a Spanish galleon filled with treasure."

"It's a mission movie, and we see it through the prism of what it might have been like to live on the island during that time," says Stacey Snider, Spielberg's partner in DreamWorks and the company's co-chair and CEO. "Anything that Michael wrote, Steven would be keenly interested to read. But without Michael knowing it, or even me knowing it, it turns out Steven always wanted to direct his own pirate film."

*****

When Crichton died last November from cancer, Spielberg noted that their friendship went back to the early '70s, when both were new to Hollywood, just beginning their careers. Along with Jurassic Park, they developed TV's ER together and the tornado movie Twister.

"Michael wrote a real page-turner that already seems suited for the big screen," Spielberg said of Pirate Latitudes. "Michael and I have had almost two decades of solid collaborations. Whenever I made a film from a Michael Crichton book or screenplay, I knew I was in good hands. Michael felt the same, and we like to think he still does."

Screenwriter David Koepp is set to write the script. Koepp adapted Crichton's novels Jurassic Park and The Lost World for the film. Steven Spielberg will produce the film and may even direct it.

Posted on August 28, 2009
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Susan Sarandon Joins Cast of Wall Street 2



Variety reports that actress Susan Sarandon has joined the case of Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps which will be directed by Oliver Stone. Susan will play the mother of Shia LaBeouf's character who is a Wall Street trader who falls under the spell of Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas). Shooting begins next month in New York.

Posted on August 26, 2009
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Anna Wintour is Revealed in The September Issue

Anna Wintour, the editor of Vogue magazine, wields enormous power in the global fashion industry. What she likes ends up in magazines and in stores. What she does not like may never see the light of day. In the new documentary The September Issue viewers can follow Anna and her staff as they create the huge September issue from last year. We can't wait to see it. Lots of celebs showed up at the film's premiere to support Anna. Take a look:



Posted on August 21, 2009
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Inglourious Basterds Opens Big in Europe

Quentin Tarantino's new World War II film, Inglourious Basterds, starring Brad Pitt and Diane Kruger, is getting rave reviews and excellent box office in its European openings. German critics especially loved film, saying it was a paradigm shift for World War II movies. European audiences are liking what they see.

"Inglourious Basterds" is off to a good start in Europe, scoring the best opening day ever in France for a Quentin Tarantino pic with a Wednesday gross of $1.4 million from 499 playdates.

Universal Pictures Intl. also opened the film in Belgium and French-speaking Switzerland to best-ever numbers for Tarantino. Pic also finished No. 1 in Australia, where it opened Thursday, grossing $490,000 from 201.

"Basterds," about a tough band of soldiers who slip into Germany to battle Nazis, kicks into high gear Friday, when it opens in 3,165 theaters domestically. The Weinstein Co., U's partner on the film, is domestic distrib. Overseas, the pic rolls out into a total of 2,620 playdates in 22 territories, including the U.K. and Germany.

Nikki Finke reports that the film made $800,000 in Germany in its opening and is looking like a record breaker for Tarantino film openings.

It opened last night (Wednesday) in three territories -- Belgium, France, French-Switzerland -- and scored the highest Tarantino opening ever in those three markets. "The results are great. We opened No. 1 in all three markets and grossed: Belgium $143K at 63 locations, biggest Tarantino opening day; France $1.4M at 499 locations, biggest Tarantino opening day; French-Switzerland $61k at 24 locations, biggest Tarantino opening day," an insider tells me.

So, what will American audiences think about the revenge fantasy? We'll find out soon enough: Inglourious Basterds opens tomorrow in the U.S.

Posted on August 20, 2009
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Jay Chou is the New Kato

Taiwanese actor Jay Chou has signed on to play Kato to Seth Rogan's Green Hornet in the feature film version of the comic book.

Chou replaces Hong Kong actor Stephen Chow in the role, originally made famous by Bruce Lee in the 1966-67 TV series. Col made the announcement Friday. "Hornet," directed by Michel Gondry, is slotted for a summer 2010 release and the project's moving ahead for a fall start date. "Jay is incredibly unique and charming and fights like a wild dog!" Gondry said.

Chou broke into film in "Initial D" in 2005 in China, starred opposite Chow Yun-Fat and Gong Li in Zhang Yimou's "The Curse of the Golden Flower" and "Kung Fu Dunk" and made his directorial debut and starred in "Secret." He's also in the upcoming Chinese film "Ci Ling" and in Yuen Woo-Ping's "True Legend."

Variety reports that the studio wants Nicolas Cage to play the villain and Cameron Diaz to play a journalist who is Rogan's love interest. And we're still not sure why Seth Rogan is the Green Hornet. He's getting his big chance to be an action hero; it will be interesting to see if he can pull it off.

Posted on August 7, 2009
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Zachary Quinto Talks Star Trek Sequel

Newsarama reports that actor Zachary Quinto told them they have started working on the screenplay for the Star Trek sequel. Quinto also says he expects the Star Trek cast members will all be there once production starts.

"I think the great thing about the experience with the first film is that it really was an organic evolution. And I think that it was rooted in a real sense of creative collaboration and excitement and enthusiasm and support. And I think they want to make sure any subsequent film is rooted in that same territory, in that same landscape," he said. "So I don't think anybody's rushing anything. And I think that's actually really smart. And I have implicit trust in all those guys creatively and professionally."

Quinto said he and other cast members are currently able to pursue other projects, although he's expecting the same ensemble to reunite for the sequel when production begins.

"I know when the time is right and everything falls into the place, the crew shall reassemble for the missions. But until then, we're all exploring different landscapes and figuring out the best way for us to go creatively as individuals," he said.

Zachary Quinto also says he is back for the fourth season of Heroes as Sylar. A new villain has also been cast this year to be played by Robert Knepper.

Posted on August 3, 2009
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