Mila Kunis and James Franco join OZ GREAT AND POWERFUL
Mar 28
There was a time when Robert Downey Jr. was going to star in this prequel to The Wizard of Oz, but now it seems the casting director has gone back to the drawing board. Today, Mila Kunis and James Franco were announced as the leads. Sam Raimi is still directing.
WTF is OZ: The Great and Powerful about? I hear you ask/txt/tweet. Basically: Back in the real world, the Wizard’s hot air balloon fucks up on an everyday float, hurling him back to OZ.
It’s not a Hollywood jab, it was one of the actual books. Yes, The Wizard of Oz was a series of books first… oh, never mind.
New character posters and hilarious second trailer for DUE DATE
Sep 20
Legendary Pictures and Warner Brothers have released some typically strange character banners and a hilarious second trailer for Due Date, starring Zach Galifianakis and Robert Downey Jr.
I’m looking forward to seeing how well these seemingly perfect ingredients blend together when the film is released later this year. Zach is the go-to comedian of the moment, Downey Jr. finally got real famous after those Iron Man movies and Todd Phillips is coming off one of the most critically acclaimed comedies in a long time (The Hangover). What could possibly go wrong?
Not much, it seems. This trailer had me laughing out loud and I definitely anticipate a good time at the cinema when I buy my opening-night ticket.
Due Date opens 5 November for lucky-ducks in the States. Aussies will likely need to wait until the Christmas holidays start in December.
Zack Galifianakis holds a wounded dog for the first DUE DATE poster
Aug 11
Following the mildly funny trailer last month, Warner Brothers have released the first poster for Todd Phillips‘ comedy road movie Due Date starring Robert Downey Jr. and Zack Galifianakis (via Yahoo).
Just to make sure audiences realise it’s a quirky comedy, Zack is holding a dog wearing a cone. Something funny must happen to injure that doggy, right? I shouldn’t jab; this will likely be better than the majority of comedy releases this year and Todd Phillips has a garnered some respect after The Hangover.
Due Date co-stars Michelle Monaghan, Jamie Foxx, Alan Arkin, Juliet Lewis and Danny McBride and hits U.S. screens 5 November, 2010.
Call Sheet: THE AVENGERS at Comic-Con, Brad Pitt in WORLD WAR Z, Jim Carrey, Katherine Heigl, Guillermo del Toro, Tim Burton
Jul 26
Call Sheet: A weekly run-down of movie casting news and rumours from around the web.
Comic-Con 2010 is underway in San Diego leading the way with most headlines across the web this week. Amongst all the preview footage, panels, exhibitions and guest appearances, only a handful of casting news has trickled out of the convention.
Without a doubt the biggest casting news out of Comic-Con came when the cast of The Avengers movie gathered on stage, live, in person, causing fans to go into shock-gasm at the pure awesomeness of the occurrence. Or so I’m led to believe. I’ll get excited if the film itself actually turns out to be any good. On stage were: Clark Gregg as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Chris Hemworth as Thor, Chris Evans as Captain America, and then Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) showed up and announced Mark Ruffalo will indeed be playing the new Bruce Banner/HULK, and Jeremy Renner will be Hawkeye. I have no doubt these silly hero names are fucking awesome if one is aware of the comic.
News that I actually did get excited about was that of Brad Pitt attaching himself to star in the movie adaptation of the Max Brooks apocalyptic zombie novel World War Z. It was common knowledge that Pitt’s production company Plan B had purchased the rights, but now that it is official Pitt will be the leading guy, a distributor and green-lit script seems likely. Brooks himself told MTV of the news.
Disney released a statement, detailing how director Guillermo del Toro surprised the 6,500 fans gathered at his Comic-Con panel with the announcement that he is currently developing a new film based on the classic Disney theme park attraction, The Haunted Mansion. Apparently it’s going to be fun for the whole family, but still scary. So really, not scary. At all.
Heat Vision notes that Simon Pegg is in talks to likely return as his MI:3 character Benji Dunn in Mission Impossible 4, should Paramount decide to green-light it. Any day now.
Slashfilm landed the scoop from producer Roy Lee that Tim Burton will be directing Universal’s ‘adaptation’ of Monsterpocalypse. What the fuck is Monsterpocalypse, you ask? I had no idea either… Apparently it’s a kaiju-themed collectible miniatures board game that involves battles against a variety of enemy monsters that take place in a metropolis. Paint it black, Tim.
Cinemablend talked to Anchorman director Adam McKay who confirmed there will be no Anchorman 2. Thank fuck for that.
Shocktilyoudrop reports that Daniel Radcliffe will star in a 3D supernatural thriller adaptation of Susan Hill’s novel The Woman In Black. It’s being produced by Hammer Films, the same company behind Let Me In. So long as he doesn’t wear glasses, this shouldn’t be a problem.
Variety reveals that Sam Raimi will be direct and produce Earp: Saints For Sinners, a modern-day reimagining of the classic western hero, Wyatt Earp. It’s based on the graphic novel of the same name created by Matt Cirulnick (who is also writing the screenplay) and David Manpearl. So much for Oz: The Great And Powerful and World of Warcraft (for now).
Deadline reports that Larry Charles (Borat, Bruno, Religulous) has signed on to direct Jim Carrey in the comedy Pierre Pierre. Carrey plays an obnoxious Frenchman who transports a stolen painting from Paris to London.
Finally, THR notes actress Katherine Heigl will star in Andy Tennant’s Adaline, a film about a young woman, born at the turn of 20th century, who is rendered ageless after an accident. I suspect it’s a romantic dramadey and Katherine will look stunning.
How to sell a 3D space thriller called GRAVITY better: put Scarlett Johansson in it
Jul 24
One of the few names that will get me into a cinema no matter what is Alfonso Cuarón’s. The fact that his next picture is going to be set in one of my absolute favourite genre milieus — space — is even better. Gravity sounds like a potential classic of the genre, rivalling the likes of the recent Sunshine or Moon, and even the fact that it’s going to be in 3D can’t dampen my enthusiasm for it.
Neither, surprisingly, is the news that Scarlett Johansson will take the leading role, opposite Robert Downey, Jr. Johansson’s thespian abilities haven’t exactly been challenged of late, but in Cuarón’s capable hands, I’m sure she’s capable of doing great things.
Even better is the marketing aspect of the casting decision. Thousands of people who wouldn’t have taken a gamble on a sci-fi thriller might be swayed to drop some cash on the flick if it features the eyeball-friendly actress in 3D for the first time, and Cuarón deserves every penny of recognition he gets.
Gravity starts shooting later this year, with a a release date expected some time in 2012. Johansson will take the role previously set aside for Angelina Jolie, as a woman who tries to make her way back to Earth after her space station explodes (or something).
OPINIONS COUNT