Marvel: Norton Won’t Return As Hulk For ‘Avengers’; Norton’s Rep Responds
“We know a lot of fans have voiced their public disappointment with this result, but this is no excuse for Feige’s mean spirited, accusatory comments. Counter to what Kevin implies here, Edward was looking forward to the opportunity to work with Joss and the other actors in the Avengers cast, many of whom are personal friends of his. Feige’s statement is unprofessional, disingenuous and clearly defamatory. Mr. Norton talent, tireless work ethic and professional integrity deserve more respect, and so do Marvel’s fans.”

Anton Yelchin Rumored to be Harry Osborn
Oh No They Didn’t stumbled across Anton Yelchin as  Harry Osborn on Yelchin’s  IMDB page. If IMDB is reporting it, it must be true, right? The page does list him as being “rumored” for the part but since it’s listed in his credits, perhaps there may be some possibility of this possibly being true.

Norton Responds To Marvel, Fans: ‘Hulk Is Bigger Than All Of Us’
As most of you know, I don’t like to talk much about the business of making movies because it means a lot to me to protect the audience’s fullest enjoyment of the ‘magic’ that films can have. But I am so appreciative of the outpouring of support from fans of the Hulk and the Avengers that I feel it would be rude not to respond. So here goes: It seems it won’t work out for me to continue playing Bruce Banner for Marvel in The Avengers. I sincerely hoped it would happen and be great for everyone, but it hasn’t turned out as we all hoped. I know this is disappointing to many people and that makes me sad. But I am very sincerely grateful to Marvel for extending the offer and even more so for giving me the chance to be a part of the Hulk’s long and excellent history. And I really can’t thank the fans enough for how much enthusiasm you’ve sent my way about what Louis [Leterrier] and I tried to do in our turn with the legend. It means a lot to me. I grew up with Banner and the Hulk and have been a fan of every incarnation. I’m really proud, and very blessed, to have been one of them and will be thrilled to see him live on through other actors. Hulk is bigger than all of us, that’s why we love him, right?

Sam Worthington Uncertain How Faithful His ‘Last Days Of American Crime’ Adaptation Will Be
“I think that comes down to which director we get on board,” he revealed. “I think for something primarily as graphic and violent and has a certain kind of style as ‘Last Days’ does, at the moment we’re fleshing out more of the substance of it… I am a big fan of ’300,’ I thought that was great,” Worthington said. “But no one wants to go and emulate that. They have tried, and it didn’t work because audiences are too smart. We’ve got to find our own way of twisting that comic book into a great, innovative, original movie.”

Harvey Pekar, ‘American Splendor’ author, dies at 70
Pekar chronicled his life and times in the acclaimed autobiographical comic-book series, “American Splendor,” portraying himself as a rumpled, depressed, obsessive-compulsive “flunky file clerk” engaged in a constant battle with loneliness and anxiety. Pekar, 70, was found dead shortly before 1 a.m. today by his wife, Joyce Brabner, in their Cleveland Heights home, said Powell Caesar, spokesman for Cuyahoga County Coroner Frank Miller. An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death. Pekar and his wife, Joyce Brabner, wrote “Our Cancer Year,” a book-length comic, after Pekar was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer in 1990 and underwent a grueling treatment.

WILL THE NEW HULK RISE LIKE A PHOENIX?
Reliable sources tell CHUD that Marvel has already put out an offer, and the actor they’ve spoken to is Joaquin Phoenix, believe it or not. Phoenix is taking time to mull over the offer and the bigger implications – Marvel may yet resurrect the Hulk franchise – but Marvel hopes to have him in place by Comic Con, which is when they want to announce their new Bruce Banner.

Marvel confirms they will hire new ‘Hulk’ for ‘The Avengers’
“We have made the decision to not bring Ed Norton back to portray the title role of Bruce Banner in the Avengers. Our decision is definitely not one based on monetary factors, but instead rooted in the need for an actor who embodies the creativity and collaborative spirit of our other talented cast members. The Avengers demands players who thrive working as part of an ensemble, as evidenced by Robert, Chris H, Chris E, Sam, Scarlett, and all of our talented casts. We are looking to announce a name actor who fulfills these requirements, and is passionate about the iconic role in the coming weeks,” said Marvel Studios President of Production Kevin Feige.

Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura on TRANSFORMERS 3, RED, the Next Jack Ryan Movie MOSCOW, THE ASSOCIATE
You know, [RED is] so much fun because what’s interesting about it and having worked on Oceans 11 and now working on this, they’re very different and yet they have certain things in common. You know, they have this kind of cool cast but what’s different is in Oceans 11 you pretty much face everybody in the first 20 minutes. You know, the team is assembled if you would. And what’s different in this movie is, you meet a new character pretty much like every 10 or 15 minutes. So there’s all this new chemistry that appears. It’s really interesting.  You meet Bruce. And you meet Bruce and Mary Louise, then you meet Morgan (Freeman), then you meet Malkovich.  So it goes along this interesting tour so every time the movie’s progressing it’s bringing in a new character. And I think that’s going to be really fun for the audience.

‘Men In Black 3′ Plot Details Revealed?
The story revolves around Yaz going back to 1969 in order to kill Agent K, an action that results in the destruction of the Earth in the present. Smith’s Agent J uses an Apple Store — which are revealed to be “secret time travel hubs” — to follow Yaz back in time and keep him from changing history. The story also notes that while Brolin is in his ’40s, he will be portraying K in his ’20s. It also reveals that several celebrities of the era including Yoko Ono, Jimi Hendrix, Castro, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Andy Warhol are all secretly aliens, with Warhol actually aiding K and J in their mission.

Two new Superman rumors: One good, one that’s just plain ugly
The new Superman reboot currently scheduled for December, 2012 might have a director attached. The script is by comic book adaptation vet David Goyer. The downside is that Goyer wanted to direct the Superman reboot, which will be a joint venture by Warner Brothers and Legendary Pictures. An unnamed studio insider says, “[N]obody from either studio thinks he’s good in that arena…. He’s great at coming up with story and ideas, like George Lucas. It’s his execution where he’s weak which is why people like Chris and Jonathan Nolan [of the Batman movies] and Guillermo Del Toro [who directed Goyer's Blade II screenplay] have had the best results with his scripts.”

Nicolas Cage Says ‘Ghost Rider 2′ Is ‘A Different Trajectory, But It’s Still The Same Guy’
“I’m very excited about those two [Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor],” said Cage of the “Crank” directing duo. “They’re originals, and they know how to make a movie look great, and they know how to use the camera. And I think they’ll have a fresh, a very fresh take on the character. It’s a different trajectory, but it’s still the same guy,” he said. “That’s all I can talk about! I’m not knocking the first one, whatever people think,” he explained. “I stand by that movie as well. I thought it was like a Faustian fairytale, like, if Disney were to make a movie about Faust, it would be in that vein, like a Western and a little lighter.”

‘The Walking Dead’ Update: ‘Breaking Bad’ Director To Helm Episode, Series Almost Landed At NBC
Darabont revealed that “The Walking Dead” was in development at NBC at one point. “They were very excited about the idea of doing a zombie show until I handed them a zombie script where zombies were actually doing zombie s***,” said Darabont. “It’s one of those things where the network says, ‘Oh yeah, we want to stretch the envelope’ until they realize that they’re actually looking at a stretched envelope, and they go, ‘Woah, no, let’s do CSI some more.’ I’m certainly not trying to rip them down,” added Darabont. “But they’re a network, and we could never have done this show the way it needed to be done there.”

‘Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods’ Documentary Gets Distributor, We Get a New Clip!
“Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods,” the upcoming feature-length documentary, has been picked up by indie distributor Halo-8 Entertainment, but it will also make its debut at New York Comic Con later this year (instead of Comic-Con International in San Diego), followed by a limited theatrical run. Directed by Patrick Meaney, “Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods” chronicles the “We3″ and “All Star Superman” writer’s long career in the comics biz, which includes groundbreaking runs on “Animal Man” and “The Doom Patrol,” among other critically acclaimed projects. Interviews with the writer are cut with discussion of his work with notable comic creators from every corner of the industry, such as Warren Ellis, Geoff Johns, and as you saw in the clip above, Mark Waid. The film promises to offer insight into his creative process and the inspiration for many of his popular takes on well-known superheroes — such as the real-life Superman experience from teh clip above that informed his “All Star Superman” series.

Marvel’s President of Animation Eric Rollman Talks about What’s Next!
“Marvel is very bullish on animation and has fully funded its third 52-episode series,” Rollman says. “In the past, we never did that and the great thing about being part of the Disney family is that the company is made up of animators. They respect it and understand that it’s animation that drives consumer products, and so our strategic business is the same… We’re a 360-degree entertainment company and we’re concentrating on what Marvel does best, which is managing our brands. We understand our characters and have several thousand in the universe that in some way interconnect. So to build these integrated universes but at the time keep them separate is something of an art form. Madhouse has said that it is willing to work with us and interpret the characters into animé. We’ve really let Madhouse run free with it, as long as it respects the integrity of the characters. It’s going to reach very broadly and tie in with lots of pieces of the culture there.”

Meanwhile, Back at The Hall of Justice…

• New Superhero Dance Show Looks Better Than Heroes’  Final Season
• HASPIEL: Harvey Pekar’s testament to life — with no apologies
• Kevin Bacon In Talks For ‘X-Men: First Class’ Baddie
• Lucas Till Joins ‘X-Men: First Class’ But Aaron Johnson Is Not In
• Caleb Landry Jones Confirmed For “Banshee” in X-Men: First Class
• ‘X-Men: First Class’ Finds A Beast In Nicholas Hoult
• Captain America Talks Costume; Chris Evans on Cap’s new look
• Hello, Ladies … Look At Luke Cage, Now Back To Me
• My Conversation With Harvey Pekar from Rick Marshall, MTV
• Edward Norton And ‘The Avengers’: A Timeline Of His Departure
• Michael Caine reveals start date for next ‘Batman’ (video)
• LIVE FROM THE GREEN LANTERN SET. FILM AT 11:00.
• ’30 Days Of Night: Dark Days’ DVD Release Date Announced; October 5th
• ‘Lucid’ First Look: ‘True Blood’ Actor Mike McMillian Previews His New Comic!
• Is ‘Iron Man 2′ The Most Mistake-Filled Movie Of 2010?

The Fine Print

This is by no means meant to be a comprehensive roundup of the entire weeks’ news. All stories are chosen by me for no other reason than that they got my attention and might capture yours. If something you think is more important chime in on the feedback; we’d love to hear comments and have a conversation about it.

Imagine and Radical tackle fairy tale super-team in ‘Legends’
Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment and Radical Pictures are teaming to develop for the big screen “Legends,” a graphic novel from Radical’s publishing arm that brings together such characters as Red Riding Hood, Jack the Giant Killer and Hansel & Gretel in a dark fantasy setting. The story in “Legends” is set in motion when the remains of Pinocchio are discovered. Red Hood, now a noted wolf hunter, and Jack partner to discover who is murdering the creatures of folklore. Along the way, they are assisted by characters such as Goldilocks, re-imagined as a mercenary, and Hansel & Gretel, now psychic exterminators. The world of the graphic novel is a mash-up of steampunk and creatures, technology and magic. Nick Percival created the graphic novel, which comes out this month.

Nicolas Cage and ‘Crank’ duo taking on ‘Ghost Rider’ sequel
Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor are in early negotiations to direct Columbia’s “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance,” the sequel to the studio’s 2007 supernatural action movie starring the Marvel Comics character. Nicolas Cage is in early negotiations to reprise his role as Johnny Blaze, a stunt motorcyclist who, in order to save the life of a loved one, makes a deal with the devil. His soul is twinned with that of a demon, and he becomes a flaming-skulled man driving a motorcycle from hell.

Is The World Ready For A ‘Machete’ Comic Book?
Co-written by Rodriguez and his producing partner Aaron Kaufman, the comic leads into the the upcoming film and promises to give readers “the ultimate ‘Mexploitation’ tale of revenge” and an origin story of sorts for the film’s title character (played by Danny Trejo). Interior art is provided Stuart Sayger, and issue #0 hits shelves September 15 from IDW Publishing.

Edgar Wright Describes His ‘Scott Pilgrim’ Collaboration With Bryan Lee O’Malley
“We’ve worked very closely with the original author, Bryan Lee O’Malley,” Wright said. “It’s a different version of the story in a way, and we tried to structure it so it works more as a movie, and he’s been very much involved in that process. In fact, on a couple of occasions, he’s rewritten scenes that we’ve done, which is great.”

David Yates Possibly Attached to Direct Bill Willingham’s Fables
British director David Yates is up to direct Bill Willingham’s Fables, as a possible follow-up to Harry Potter. This is just a rumor. However, though the project is apparently a priority over at Warner Brothers, there’s not a writer on board yet and the potential ABC mini-series based on the graphic novel series may present either a conflict or a launching point, which assumes that ABC’s television series is going ahead. For those unfamiliar with Willingham’s graphic novel series, here’s a synopsis: Fables starts with a relatively simple premise: Many of the characters we know and love from various fables and stories now happen to live, in relative secrecy, in New York City. Long ago, they all lived in their own little various realms, but they’ve fled into exile over the centuries after a big baddy (generally referred to as the Emperor or the Adversary) conquered all of their homelands.

‘X-Men: First Class’ finding its Magneto in Michael Fassbender
Michael Fassbender, who was being courted for both roles from Fox and Columbia, respectively, has entered early negotiations to play Magneto in “X-Men: First Class,” which Matthew Vaughn is directing. Fassbender’s big Hollywood break came with a key turn in “Inglourious Basterds,” where he played Canadian spy Archie Hicox. He has a role in “Jonah Hex,” which opens tomorrow, and stars in Neil Marshall’s Roman action movie “Centurion,” which opens in August.

Is ‘Jonah Hex’ Star Josh Brolin Satisfied With The Final Cut Of The Film?
“The more involved I get in film, you see what you get and all the footage you get when you’re shooting, and once you get into the editing room you go, ‘Wow, if you take this scene and put it into the beginning, and actually cut up these two scenes and inter-cut them, it’s a lot more dynamic than we initially thought,” he explained. “So whatever initial intentions I had in the beginning were kind of blown apart once we were shooting, and those were all reconstructed by the time we got into the editing room.”

‘Tron: Legacy’ goes to Comic-Con
One of the first studios to make its presence official, Disney announced it’s bringing “Tron: Legacy” to Comic-Con, with a panel to be held on Thursday, July 22, at 11:15 am in Hall H. On the stage will be director Joe Kosinski, producers Sean Bailey and Steven Lisberger as well as cast members Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Michael Sheen and Bruce Boxleitner. Patton Oswalt will moderate the panel discussion, with Disney promising to give exclusive glimpses of the film, “along with special surprise guests.”

“X Men First Class” Student: Benjamin Walker
Matthew Vaughn’s “X Men: First Class” is picking up another cast member. Benjamin Walker, star of the Public Theater’s “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,” is the name to remember. He’s going to play Beast, the character played in “X Men 3″ by Kelsey Grammer. He’ll be joining the already cast James McAvoy and possibly Michael Fassbender.

‘The Phantom’ is back — but you might not recognize him
Beginning in February 1936 — three years before Batman  went on the prowl for the first time — young readers across the nation thrilled to the comic-strip adventures of a different masked mystery man: The Phantom. The character created by Lee Falk is considered by many to be a key stepping-stone in the early evolutionary path of the American superhero (he is believed to be the first fictional crime fighter to wear a skin-tight costume, for instance). Now he’s back but in a fashion that the late Falk might not have recognized.

Adam McKay Close to Signing On to Direct THE BOYS
Two sources have told us that director Adam McKay (Anchorman, the upcoming action-comedy The Other Guys) is in serious talks with Sony Pictures to helm an adaptation of the comic book series The Boys. “The series is set in a contemporary world very much similar to the real one, with one notable exception: a number of people have some form of superpower. The series follows a superpowered CIA squad, known informally as ‘The Boys’, whose job it is to keep watch on superheroes and, if necessary, intimidate or kill them.”

Marvel Wants To Introduce New Characters Via Short Films
With Iron Man 1 and 2 having been huge critical and financial success stories for Marvel (and now) Disney, one of the big questions has been how they plan on introducing secondary characters to fans. Through straight-to-dvd live action movies? Animated films? Or just throwing them into bigger movies like The Avengers and Iron Man 3? CHUD reported a couple of months ago on Marvel/Disney looking at doing smaller films in the $20 to $40 million dollar range. But now it appears as if they want to introduce the characters in a way that would still be effective and not as financially risky. Got a scoop from a well trusted source that Marvel/Disney are looking at doing 10 minute short films in front of their feature length movies that will introduce secondary characters like Black Panther, Luke Cage, Dr. Strange, etc.

Todd McFarlane Plans ‘Sam And Twitch’ TV Series
“It would be an hour-long drama with a little bit of the mystique stuff in it,” said McFarlane. “At times, we’ve gone in and pitched it as sort of ‘Hill Street Blues’ meets ‘The X-Files’ without it being that crazy and that obvious… Sam and Twitch are the ones that get sort of these goofy, freakish [cases] and everybody in the precinct thinks that they’re these losers,” added McFarlane. “‘Yeah, you take the one with the salt water in the lungs.’ Sam and Twitch will see whether or not there’s something a little bit odder [to the case] or if someone’s just taken some superstitions and made it seem a little more dastardly than it really is.”

‘The Walking Dead’ Creator Says Andrew Lincoln ‘Eats, Drinks And Sleeps Rick Grimes’
“There are things here and there that along the way I should have caught, but didn’t,” said creator and series executive producer Robert Kirkman. “There’s some amazing stuff [Frank Darabont] added for Morgan’s character in the Pilot episode that’s just not in the comic. It was back story, but he handles it in a way that just really brings it to the forefront. It’s like, Morgan, that guy is an awesome character!”

Meanwhile, Back at The Hall of Justice…

• ‘Priest’ Pushed Back To Summer 2011
• Megan Fox On Her ‘Jonah Hex’ Costume And Why Corsets Should Come Back In Style
• 7 special-effects test shots for a possible Blue Beetle TV show
• ‘Jonah Hex’ Q&A: Megan Fox Says Every Actress Should Play A Prostitute ‘At Least Once’
• ‘Green Hornet’ to get Imax treatment, Simultaneous with domestic 2D and 3D release on Jan. 14
• ‘Archie & Friends’ Comic To Parody ‘The Jersey Shore’
• ‘Last Airbender’ release moved up one day, Paramount’s family adventure pic out July 1
• Megan Fox Says ‘Jonah Hex’ Filming Was ‘Difficult’
• Stars of Syfy’s new Phantom miniseries spill 7 superhero secrets
• Two Actors Join ‘The Walking Dead’ Cast As New Characters
• ‘Archie & Friends’ Take On ‘Twilight’ In Upcoming Parody Comic
• Josh Brolin Exclusive Video Interview JONAH HEX; Also Talks MEN IN BLACK 3, TRUE GRIT, More
• Kristen Stewart Talks ‘Wanted 2′ And Action Movies
• Producer Andrew Lazar Video Interview JONAH HEX; Plus Updates on AKIRA, ONE FINGER SALUTE, GET SMART 2, More
• Ashton Kutcher Describes His ‘Superman’ Audition, Makes A Pitch For He-Man?!
• ‘Jonah Hex’ Actress Megan Fox Recalls Childhood Experience With Guns
• First Look At The ‘Black Panther’ Motion Comic!
• How ‘Jonah Hex’ Made Josh Brolin Quit Smoking
• ‘Jonah Hex’ Star Josh Brolin Calls Horse-Mounted Gatling Gun ‘Funny’
• Josh Hutcherson On Making the Spider-Man Shortlist: ‘It’s Pretty Exciting’
• Men In Black 3 Will Shoot This Winter In NY
• Bryan Singer Auctions ‘X-Men: First Class’ Set Visit
• ‘Thor’ Costume Details For The Warriors Three Revealed?
• Edgar Wright And Joss Whedon Discuss Marvel Movies, Have Scandalous Affair!
• ILM Visit: The Last Airbender

The Fine Print

This is by no means meant to be a comprehensive roundup of the entire weeks’ news. All stories are chosen by me for no other reason than that they got my attention and might capture yours. If something you think is more important chime in on the feedback; we’d love to hear comments and have a conversation about it.

• Director: Matthew Vaughn
• Writer: Matthew Vaughn, Jane Goldman, Mark Miller
• Year of Release: 2010
• Actors:  Aaron Johnson, Clark Duke, Evan Peters, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Mark Strong, Chloe Moretz, Nicolas Cage
• Genre: Action
• Country of Origin: UK, USA

Trailer

[See post to watch Flash video]

‘Ultimate Spider-Man’ Animated Series Swings To Disney XD In Fall 2011!
In a press release, Marvel Entertainment announced that an “Ultimate Spider-Man” animated series will debut on The Disney XD Channel in the Fall of 2011. The series focuses on Peter Parker as he grows from a reckless teenager into the hero he was meant to become, all while contending with super-villains and typical teenage curve balls.

Why Haven’t We Seen a Jonah Hex Trailer? An Insider’s View of the Summer Blockbuster’s Troubles
Brent Hinds, the guitarist and singer of the heavy-metal band Mastodon, which has been recording and rerecording the film’s soundtrack since last fall. “What I’ve seen so far doesn’t seem to be finished to me,” says Hinds, adding, “I’d heard a little rumor: ‘This shit ain’t gonna be ready.’ But then again, Warner Bros. is such a fucking bastard. They’re like, ‘The shit comes out on the day it’s supposed to.’ But what do I know? I’m just the dude to whom they’re like, ‘Hey, play some crazy fuckin’ music!’”

Garth Ennis’ Apocalyptic Crossed Lining Up Film Financing
Taking a page from the Kick-Ass playbook, Ken F. Levin has mustered Kevin Spacey’s Trigger Street Productions, Michael De Luca and Jason Netter to help independently finance and produce an adaptation of Garth Ennis’ horror comic Crossed. Debuting in 2008 from Avatar Press, Ennis’ creator-owned Crossed follows survivors of a zombie-like plague that causes those infected to carry out their most evil thoughts and desires — murder, rape, arson. Carriers of the virus are known as the Crossed because a cross-like rash appears on their faces. The initial series was written by Ennis and illustrated by Jacen Burrows.

“Wolverine And The X-Men” Update, Weisman On “The Spectacular Spider-Man”
“I’ve heard nothing directly from Marvel, but I think the Ultimate Spider-Man announcement makes it fairly clear that The Spectacular Spider-Man is over, ” said Supervising Producer Greg Weisman. Marvel Animation Age confirms the recent report that Wolverine and The X-Men will not returning for a second season, although Marvel Animation has not yet made any official announcements on the series coming to a close.

Bad News For GREEN HORNET & LOBO
Disagreeable news on Green Hornet. Sony executives are displeased with the results. The tone is too campy, they’re not happy with the work from director Michel Gondry and Seth Rogen does not look the part. At all. In fact, the feeling at Sony is the movie is a disaster.

Grant Morrison On The Psychedelia, Influences, And ‘Great Achievement’ Of ‘Batman And Robin’
When I first described it, I said it was David Lynch directing the ’60s television show with Adam West. That was kind of my goal for it, to give it a pop-art feel, but at the same time, I love the dark Batman, and I love the Chris Nolan films. I didn’t want to lose that and go back to a goofy Batman, but I found there was a way to combine that kind of creepy fairytale quality of some of the Batman villains and the Gotham setting, pump that up, and get something that can be quite strange, quite ‘American Gothic,’ but at the same time there’s a lot of color and weirdness and, as I say, trippyness, in it.

Joss Whedon’s Involvement With Marvel Films Even Bigger Than Expected
Apparently, Whedon is not only in final negotiations to direct, but also to rewrite Penn’s script. I’m sure some will be up in arms about this, but it’s got great potential. Whedon’s writing has always been strong (if you’re going to bring up Alien Resurrection, remember Whedon’s quote on it: “They did everything wrong that they could possibly do”), both in terms of dialogue and plotting. Most important to fans is likely going to be the fact that he’s got serious experience writing in this specific genre — I’ve raved about The Astonishing X-Men before, and I’ll continue to do so. I’m not expecting this to be The Scooby Gang with costumes — Whedon hopefully knows the genre better than that. As for the exclusive news, Pajiba is fortunate enough to have a source close to the project who has some interesting info on The First Avenger: Captain America. Apparently Whedon’s role in the Marvel film universe may expand even further, as he’s also likely to be tasked with doing a polish on the Captain America script.

Dark Horse and Hammer Films team up for comics
Hammer Films and Dark Horse Comics are teaming up to create a series of graphic novels and comic books based on Hammer’s movies. The first comic project isn’t based on one of Hammer’s classic films but rather on “Let Me In,” the company’s upcoming remake of the Swedish horror movie, “Let the Right One In.” Dark Horse has hired Marc Andreyko to pen the spinoff comic, whose storyline is being kept under wraps but “will incorporate some of the film’s characters and mythology with some fresh themes,” according to the companies.

Mark Millar Responds To ‘Kick-Ass’ Opening Weekend
We’re looking at a very nice profit here and word of mouth is spectacular — the reviews being among the best I’ve ever seen — and so we’re all very proud to find ourselves in this position. Positive advance reviews had some people hoping for a $25 million domestic opening. I wanted ‘Avatar’ numbers myself, but as Matthew sensibly pointed out, we were made on a Tarantino budget and should be more than happy with Tarantino numbers.

‘Last Airbender’ Star Noah Ringer Joins ‘Cowboys And Aliens’ Cast
Noah Ringer has signed on to appear in “Cowboys & Aliens” alongside Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde. Ringer will be making his film debut later this year as Aang in director M. Night Shyamalan’s upcoming adaptation of “The Last Airbender.”

Nicolas Cage baffled ‘Kick-Ass’ costars with his ad-libbed Adam West imitation
“It was totally his idea. and I didn’t know it was coming,” Vaughn said. “The first day around, he started in with that and I’m thinking, ‘This guy can’t act!’ What the hell is happening? I started freaking out. And after about 30 seconds, the panic in my brain calmed down, and I realized exactly what he was doing… Poor Chloë and Aaron are looking at me. … So I say, ‘OK, get it, Nic. I get what you’re doing, brilliant idea, continue.’ Then of course I had to explain it all to Chloë who of course had no idea who Adam West was. I think they all thought Nic was just nuts and, you know, that’s not so bad for the movie.”

Mike Mignola On Hellboy’s Hollywood Future — And Which Character Almost Debuted In ‘Hellboy 2′
“Lobster Johnson was mentioned as one of the 200 different things he wants to put in ‘Hellboy 3,’ said Mignola. “Actually, there was a day when the discussion involved putting Lobster Johnson into the second ‘Hellboy’ picture, because the Johann Krauss character turned out to be more expensive to do than anticipated. So, I got a call asking if they could put Lobster Johnson into the picture instead of Johann.”

War Machine Co-Creator Recalls Up-Close Intro To ‘Iron Man 2′ Briefcase Armor: ‘It’s Cooler Than The Regular Armor’
“[Robert Downey Jr.] and I were having a talk while he was getting his makeup on, and at one point, he goes, ‘Oh, you don’t know about this, do you?’ then suddenly jumps up and runs over to the prop cart,” remembered Layton. “He comes back and drops that attache case in my lap, and I just stare at it for a moment. I tell him, ‘Wait… You’re really doing it?!” he continued. “And [Downey] tells me to have the prop guys take me back to the trailer. I go back there and there’s the full model of the Silver Centurion armor. All I could manage to say was ‘F—!’” he laughed.

‘The Shadow’ Producer On Film Rights, Sam Raimi, And Director Rumors: ‘Don’t Believe Everything You Read’
“It’s in the process of being developed, and as you know, the first Batman movie took 10 years to be developed,” said producer Michael Uslan, who’s served as producer on nearly every screen iteration of Batman. “These things have their ups and their downs, and you don’t want to move forward unless everything’s right and everybody’s ready to go.”

Meanwhile, Back at The Hall of Justice…

• Mickey Rourke’s ‘Iron Man 2′ Performance Inspired By Death Of His Dog
• Kicking Ass With Red Mist
• Jeffrey Dean Morgan Uncertain Where ‘Lobo’ Movie Stands, Hasn’t Discussed Film With Producers
• Mark Millar Reveals The Movies That Inspired ‘Kick-Ass’
• Joss Whedon directing ‘Avengers’
• ‘Kick-Ass’ Comic Vs. ‘Kick-Ass’ Movie: How Do They Compare?
• Torchwood Star Gareth David-Lloyd Pens Comic
• ‘Kick-Ass’ Deleted Scenes… Revealed!
• Aaron Johnson and Clark Duke Interview KICK-ASS
• Krofft & Ruby-Spears: Reviving Lost Kirby
• ‘Kick-Ass’ Easter Eggs: Mark Millar’s Guide To The Secrets And Cameos You Might Miss!
• Sylvain White talks “The Losers”
• Don’t expect a cliffhanger ending in ‘Iron Man 2′
• Sylvain White on Directing The Losers
• The Lone Ranger Movie Interview – WC 10: Jerry Bruckheimer
• Can ‘Iron Man 2′ beat ‘The Dark Knight’?
• A Conference of “Losers”
• Patton Oswalt on “Serenity: Float Out” comic
• Joss Whedon To Rewrite ‘Avengers’ Script
• Scarlett Johansson and Black Widow, the wild card of ‘Iron Man 2′
• ‘Captain America’ love interest: Hayley Atwell
• Chloe Moretz on Hit-Girl
• ‘Kick-Ass’ director: ‘This movie has broken every rule’
• Writing the Iron Man 2 Score
• Why The Losers’ Zoe Saldana can kick your ass
• ‘Kick-Ass’ Is What ‘X-Men 3′ And ‘Thor’ Could’ve Been, Says Matthew Vaughn
• Out of the Closet and Up, Up and Away; Spotlights on Gay Superheroes, fans and creators
• With ‘Mighty Mouse’ reboot, Paramount is here to save the franchise
• John Malkovich Confirms he was the Vulture in Sam Raimi’s SPIDER-MAN 4
• Decision on Comic-Con Location Within 30 Days. Las Vegas Out of the Running
• Mark Hamil to direct his own comic-book movie?
• Frank Darabont Says ‘Walking Dead’ TV Series Will ‘Take Detours’ From Comic
• Alan Cumming out of Spider-Man musical due to beefed up ‘Good Wife’ role
• Samuel L. Jackson Talks IRON MAN 2, NICK FURY, CAPTAIN AMERICA, THOR and THE AVENGERS
• ‘X-Files/30 Days Of Night’ Comic Debuts: Your First Look At Mulder & Scully Vs. The Barrow Vampires!
• Garth Ennis Reveals ‘Crossed’ Movie Details, Calls His Script ‘Straight Horror’
• Vanessa Hudgens Says ‘Dead@17′ Movie ‘Never Really Materialized’ For Her
• Jeffrey DeMunn Joins ‘The Walking Dead’ Cast

The Fine Print

This is by no means meant to be a comprehensive roundup of the entire weeks’ news. All stories are chosen by me for no other reason than that they got my attention and might capture yours. If something you think is more important chime in on the feedback; we’d love to hear comments and have a conversation about it.

Rose McGowan Joins ‘Conan’ Cast
On Monday, director Marcus Nispel’s “Conan” reboot finally began filming at at Nu Boyana Studios in Sofia, Bulgaria — with actress Rose McGowan as the last member of the primary cast. According to Variety, McGowan will appear as “an evil half-human/half-witch” opposite Jason Momoa’s Conan. Rounding out the cast are Rachel Nichols, Stephen Lang, Bob Sapp, Leo Howard, Ron Perlman and Said Taghmaoui.

Bryan Singer on ‘X-Men: First Class’: It’s got to be about Magneto and Professor X
“Just doing younger mutants is not enough. The story needs to be more than that. I love the relationship between Magneto and Xavier, these two men who have diametrically opposite points of view but still manage to be friends — to a point. They are the ultimate frenemies.”

All of Warner Brothers’ Tentpole Movies Will Be Shown in 3D
Warner Bros President Alan Horn announced that all of their tentpole movies, including upcoming DC Comics movies and big special effects films, will be released in 3D. This means we can probably expect the new Superman and Batman to be in 3D as well, as long as Chris Nolan approves of it. However, he also said that they’ll look at each project individually and determine whether it’s best to shoot in 3D or convert into 3D on a movie-by-movie basis. Horn did say that this is the new standard for the company. Later on, Horn also announced that they’ll be focusing more on DC Comics properties to fill in for Harry Potter once that series ends in 2011 (with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II).

“Batman Beyond” Brings The Story Of A Future Batman To Comics
The full range of Terry’s world will be on display in the mini series, but center stage will be occupied by Bruce and Terry. Terry and Dana are not married during this series, which takes place closer to the end of the animated series than to the character’s appearance at the end of “Justice League Unlimited.” [T]his miniseries does tie the animated series closer to the DCU proper, but whether or not it becomes considered the canonical version of Batman’s future remains to be seen. And decided.

Chris Evans accepts ‘Captain America’ mantle
Evans was offered the role in Marvel Studios’ production last week, but there was some question of whether he would accept. Factoring in to the choice was the fact that Evans played Johnny Storm, the flame-covered superhero known as the Human Torch in Fox’s “Fantastic Four” movies. Was he ready to play another superhero and take on the trappings that come with such a high-profile part? Evans took a few days to think it over, and once he decided he was willing to wield the shield, negotiations moved quickly over the weekend.

Warner Bros. prepping film adaptation of ‘Bleach’ manga
Warner Bros., already developing an adaptation of the manga “Akira,” is in the process of securing the movie rights to “Bleach.” The story centers on a 15-year-old boy who has the ability to see ghosts and meets a female Soul Reaper, a member of an order that escorts the souls of the dead. A fight with an evil spirit causes the Reaper to transfer all her power to the boy, leaving her stranded in the human world and the boy taking over her job as a fighter of evil.

GREEN LANTERN ANIMATED MOVIE?
According to sources, it will be part of a direct-to-video project that will be timed for release of the live-action Green Lantern movie in the summer of 2011. A representative of Warner Home Video said the studio will not comment on any film that hasn’t been announced as in production. According to sources, the new Green Lantern animated project takes a look at the origins of the Green Lantern Corps, including the first ring wielders.

Michel Gondry Talks ‘Green Hornet’ Legacy, No Cameo For Van Williams
“There is the legacy of Bruce Lee that is very heavy to carry,” said Gondry. “Seth has the right tone. Evan, his partner, really included a lot of elements from the TV show and from the stories that existed, so we’re not so far off. The main difference is the character in the TV show was dead serious and had no humor, but of course with Seth Rogen you expect something a little different,” he added.

What other film could keep Bryan Singer from directing ‘X-Men: First Class’?
“Before Singer can dive into casting, he has a rather large problem –“  That “rather large problem” is an important one for Singer, and a pivotal one for Fox, who has a definite timetable for this “X-Men” reboot in mind.  Singer is already scouting locations for “Jack The Giant Killer.”  He’s deep into pre-production on the picture now, and it would seem almost actionable if he were to drop out at this point.  Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures are counting on Singer to deliver this big-budget fairy-tale, and the earliest he’s going to be free to start work on another large-scale picture will be 2012.

‘Kick-Ass’ Star Nicolas Cage Admits Early ‘Concerns’ About Chloe Moretz’s Hit Girl
“My belief is that any art form — pop art or other — is by nature freedom of speech,” he said. “It depends how you come into the movie and what your agenda is. Hopefully you won’t have any agenda and you’ll just go and see an rated-R movie and receive whatever it is the director wanted you to receive. But if you have an agenda going in and say, ‘It’s inappropriate,’ you can pick that argument. Conversely, you can come out and say, ‘Chloe Moretz’s character is a pop icon of feminism strength,’” Cage continued. “Because women go to see this movie and they’re really wowed by it. They love her character and how powerful she is. It’s ‘I am woman, hear me roar.’”

‘Hack/Slash’ Creator Turns To Werewolves With ‘Wild Game’
“Hack/Slash” creator Tim Seeley is hard at work on a new comic franchise, moving him from slashers into the world of uber-violent werewolves. While the comic has yet to be released, Underground Films and Daniel Alter are teaming up to produce a live-action big screen version of Wild Game with Kevin Seamus Fahey (“The Forgotten”, “Battlestar Galactica”) penning the adaptation. Described as 30 Days of Night with werewolves, the plot sounds simply incredible. You can get more info and dig on some early art by reading on.

JMS meets T-H-O-R
J. Michael Straczynsk posted the following on his Facebook page: “One other piece of fun: I did a cameo on the new Thor movie. It was supposed to be just a ten second deal, but director Kenneth Branagh decided (against the evidence) that I can act, so he kept putting me in more bits. We’ll see what ends up on the cutting room floor, but it was a lot of fun.”

Kick Ass Artist John Romita Jr. Talks Kick-Ass The Movie
Right after Kick-Ass began, we were privy to a couple of sites and emails that people were dressing in costume. The longer the series went along and the closer the film came to coming out, we found out that there were neighborhood patrols in which people would pick up outfits and dress up. The timeline, we’re not sure about, some of them were claiming they were dressing up long before the series came out.

Warner Bros. Stealing Hype From Kick-Ass For Clash of the Titans With Google Adwords Trickery
Here’s a piece of marketing for Clash of the Titans  that is at least commendably sneaky. Go to the UK version of Google. Search Kick-Ass. What do you get? In the main results, just what you’d expect to: IMDB, the official site and so on… but over in the sidebar of sponsored advertising? First of all, you get an ad for Clash of the Titans, Warner Bros. big would-be blockbuster, which is opening in direct competition with Kick-Ass. They’ve clearly stumped up a lump and purchased some Google AdWords action. Bleeding Cool spotted this first, and made a screen cap. But since then, there’s been some even sneakier action. A new ad has appeared, clearly purchased by Universal, the UK distributors of Kick-Ass. It reads “Don’t Be Conned. Heroes Don’t Clash, Real Heroes Kick-Ass. Join Up Now youtube.com/kickass”

Meanwhile, Back at The Hall of Justice…

• ‘Dead@17′ Movie Gets ‘Last House On The Left’ Director, New ‘Witch Queen’ Series Debuts
• Robert Rodriguez Explains ‘Red Sonja’ Delays, Won’t Happen Until After ‘Conan’
• ‘Fame: Kristen Stewart’ Comic Book Preview
• ‘Charmed’ TV Series To Continue In Comic Book Form
• Hans Zimmer Wants The Riddler For ‘Batman 3′
• Michel Gondry Describes ‘The Green Hornet’ Fight Scenes
• ‘Iron Man 2′ Composer Says Score Will Be ‘Quite Different,’ Describes Tom Morello Collaboration
• Christopher Nolan Talks ‘Superman,’ Won’t Talk ‘Justice League’
• Louis Leterrier On ‘Shortlist’ To Direct ‘The Avengers’
• The ‘S’ stands for spin; new Supergirl  “lifestyle brand”
• Greg Berlanti Explains Why Ryan Reynolds Is Perfect For ‘Green Lantern,’ Won’t Discuss Costume
• Louis Leterrier Explains How He’d Approach ‘The Avengers’
• With New ‘Sin City 2′ Script On The Way, Robert Rodriguez Says ‘Sooner Is Better’ For Sequel
• Mark Millar And Matthew Vaughn To Adapt Secret Comics Project With Leinil Francis Yu
• Mark Valley is a HUMAN TARGET
• Edward Norton puts Hulk’s fate in the hands of the fans
• Warner Bros. is Going to Use DC Comics Superheroes to Replace the HARRY POTTER Franchise as Their Tent Pole Releases!
• Director Greg Berlanti talks LIFE AS WE KNOW IT, THE FLASH and GREEN LANTERN (He Wrote and is a Producer on Green Lantern)

The Fine Print

This is by no means meant to be a comprehensive roundup of the entire weeks’ news. All stories are chosen by me for no other reason than that they got my attention and might capture yours. If something you think is more important chime in on the feedback; we’d love to hear comments and have a conversation about it.

Fox nabs rights to sci-fi book series
Alex Tse to adapt John Twelve Hawks’ Fourth Realm Trilogy
Fox has picked up the rights to the sci-fi book series known as the Fourth Realm Trilogy, written by reclusive author John Twelve Hawks, and has set “Watchmen” co-writer Alex Tse to adapt. The first book, titled “The Traveler” and published in 2006, is set in a U.S. society run by a secret organization seeking to control the population via constant observation. Seeking to rebel against these constraints are an almost extinct group of people called Travelers, who can project their spirit into other dimensions, and their protectors, called Harlequins.

Two actors sign on for ‘Skyline’
Eric Balfour, Donald Faison join the sci-fi thriller
Eric Balfour and Donald Faison are starring in “Skyline,” a sci-fi thriller being directed and produced by visual effects artists Greg and Colin Strause. Written by Joshua Cordes and Liam O’Donnell, the story takes place in a Los Angeles high-rise where a small group of survivors brave a mysterious attack of otherworldly origins.

How the The Crazies is scary, violent, funny and ‘F-d’ up
When star Timothy Olyphant was first approached to play the starring role in director Breck Eisner’s remake of George A. Romero’s classic sci-fi horror movie The Crazies, the actor says he was more drawn to the intensity of the action and dark themes of the cautionary tale than to the character itself. “I think there was something there,” Olyphant said, “but Breck and I kind of rolled up our shirtsleeves and together fleshed something out.” (Spoilers ahead!)

Ciaran Hinds talks JOHN CARTER OF MARS and HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS
If you didn’t know , Hinds plays Aberforth Dumbledore in Harry Potter, and he plays one of the leaders on Mars in Andrew Stanton’s next film.  During the interview, he talked about working on Potter and how he got ready for the film (he worked for 5 days on the movie), and regarding John Carter, Hinds says he’s already filmed part of the movie but he’s got a lot of work over the next few months.  If you’re curious about either film, hit the jump:

Ben Stiller talks ZOOLANDER 2 – Sequel is Set 10 Years Later and Mugatu Returns!
Last week we posted the amazing news that Ben Stiller was moving ahead with a sequel to Zoolander and Justin Theorux was set to co-write and direct the project with Jonah Hill playing the villain. So when I sat down with Stiller at this weekend’s junket for Greenberg in New York City, I made sure to ask him if the report was accurate.  I also asked if Will Ferrell’s Mugato would be returning.  Thankfully, he said they really are working on a script and he beleives the project is going to happen. And if you’d like to know how Mugato will be used in the film…you’ll have to watch the interview after the jump:

Ryan Reynolds, Nicolas Cage voice ‘The Croods’ for DWA
Ryan Reynolds and Nicolas Cage are taking the lead voice roles in the DreamWorks Animation feature “The Croods.” In the story, an earthquake forces caveman Grug (Cage) and his family into the wider prehistoric world looking for a new home, a situation complicated when they encounter a mysterious nomad (Reynolds). As the stranger introduces the family to the concept of “tomorrow,” it stirs conflict with Grug’s reliance on tradition, especially when Grug’s eldest daughter becomes smitten with more than the nomad’s ideas.

Universal, MPCA go ‘Rogue’ with Broken Lizard
Studio also picks up an untitled project from comedy group
Universal is getting into the Broken Lizard comedy business, picking up “Rogue Scholars” and an untitled project from the comedy group. “Rogue” is being developed as a college comedy revolving around five unruly professors played by the members of Broken Lizard — Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter and Erik Stolhanske. The group also handles writing chores for their movies. Details for the second project are being kept under wraps. Both are in the script stage.

Director unveils huge Tron Legacy spoilers, awesome footage
Fans in Los Angeles were treated to the new 3-D IMAX trailer for Tron Legacy in Los Angeles on Saturday—not once, but twice—while director Joseph Kosinski answered questions and revealed a lot of spoilery plot points in a brief talk with original Tron director Steven Lisberger. Read our account below.

Jolie, Aronofsky eyeing ‘Serena’ adaptation
Actress would star in project based on 2008 period tome
Angelina Jolie and Darren Aronofsky are in discussions to develop a big-screen adaptation of Ron Rash’s 2008 period tome “Serena: A Novel.” The project would be a starring vehicle for Jolie, while Aronofsky would direct. Set in the rugged mountains of 1929 North Carolina, “Serena” follows a man named George Pemberton and his new bride, Serena, as they create a timber empire. Serena not only takes to the woods, but she also pushes her husband to commit more and more ruthless acts. When she learns she cannot bear a child, Serena sets out to murder the son her husband fathered illegitimately.

Tron Legacy Will Feature Five Extended Aspect Ratio IMAX Sequences
After the Tron Legacy Trailer Premiere Event in Los Angeles (video blogged here), Alex from FirstShowing and I were talking with director Joseph Kosinski and learned a bit of news. After telling Joseph how wonderful I thought it was to see the trailer fill so much of the huge IMAX screen, creating a more immersive 3D experience, Kosinski revealed to me that five action sequences from Tron Legacy will be shown in 1.7:1 aspect ratio, exclusively in IMAX Theatres.

James Cameron Wants 3-D ‘Battle Angel Alita’ Motorball Scenes, Will Focus On Early Chapters Of Series
“We’re trying to pick what is the best story to tell,” explained Jon Landau, who has served as Cameron’s producer on both “Avatar” and “Titanic.” “It’s sort of like when you do a biopic; you can’t really do a biopic that goes from cradle to grave,” he said. “You have to pick out what is the important section in that person’s life, to tell that story…I think we’ll tend to err on the earlier side, because it is the more fascinating side where Alita’s lost her memory and she doesn’t know where she comes from,” he explained. “And it’s when she discovers where she comes from, she’s terrified of it and doesn’t believe that that’s who she really is.”

Fox will Adapt INCARCERON Fantasy Book Series
Fox 2000 thinks they have the next big thing. They recently won a bidding war for the film rights to British author Catherine Fisher’s young-adult book Incarceron. The book was released in the UK in 2007. Just a few weeks ago it made it to the U.S. and is already on New York Times’ Bestsellers List. The book tells the story of a young boy who lives in a prison that is a complete society; outside the prison, the world is stuck in the 17th century and run by computers. The boy comes into contact with the warden’s daughter, who lives in her own sort of jail, and they find a key that can change everything.

Sean Bean vs. Luke Goss in ‘Death Race 2′
Sean Bean is starring opposite Luke Goss in “Death Race 2,”  the prequel to Universal’s 2008 Jason Statham-starrer. Also in the cast are Lauren Cohan, Ving Rhames, Danny Trejo, and Frederick Koehler. The prequel is serving as the origin story for the character named Frankenstein, a convicted cop killer (Goss) in a declining American Empire where a racing reality show is about to be born in the country’s corrupt prison system.

Roland Emmerich Talks Foundation
Robert Rodat delivers first draft
“I, Robot as a book was so much more than it was as a film and I think, because of that, fans were very disappointed. I don’t want to repeat that disappointment; I want to give people exactly what the Foundation trilogy is. You have to tell a story that represents the books but also works as a film. That’s the challenge.”

The Cutting Room Floor

• District 9 writer plans next amazing CGI film
• The Coen Brothers Cast Hailee Steinfeld as the Lead in TRUE GRIT
• Kevin Smith Didn’t Want to Cop Out on Cop Out
• Jason Segel joins ‘Bad Teacher’ faculty
• Matthew Goode auditioned for The Hobbit
• Jonah Hill set to star in ‘The Sitter’
• New Line making Speedy Gonzales film; George Lopez to voice character
• Spyglass, helmer circle ‘ The Undomestic Goddess,’ adaptation of Sophie Kinsella novel
• Scribe options paralympic sprinter Jami Goldman sports bio
• James Cameron, the focus and the fury
• Eric Brevig to direct 3D military drama ’17 Days of Winter’ on Korean War
• Best Worst Movie (Trolls 2) Comes To Your Town- Brings Trolls, Hospitality
• Wes Craven Still Not Signed on to Direct ‘Scream IV’!
• Another John DeLorean film in the works
• Rolling Stones’ Long-Banned Film Is Coming (Kinda)
• Zach Galifianakis To Star In Brothers Grimm Retread
• New Crazies: bigger, scarier, nastier
• Anthony Hopkins takes demonic forces in ‘The Rite’
• Kristen Stewart and Eddie Redmayne Video Interview THE YELLOW HANDKERCHIEF
• Monsters, Inc. 2 A Go!
• Writers David Posamentier, Geoff Moore making directing debut on ‘Better Living Through Chemistry’
• Christina Applegate, Alyssa Milano joining Farrellys’ comedy  ‘Hall Pass’
• Harold and the Purple Crayon Children’s Book Headed to the Big Screen
• Taylor Lautner Drops Mattel’s Max Steel to Make Hasbro’s Stretch Armstrong
• Hitchcock’s ‘Suspicion’ Being Remade
• Roland Emmerich On ‘Anonymous’
• It’s Official: Paul Greengrass Is Done With Jason Bourne
• Is Joss Whedon working on a new film that Eliza Dushku will star in?
• Robert Pattinson Interview REMEMBER ME
• Amber Heard joins Nicolas Cage film, 3D action pic ‘Drive Angry’
• Adam Brody, Alia Shawkat, Catherine Keener and Allison Janney eyeing roles in ‘Oranges’ film
• Get Ready To View Those Hairy Hobbit Feet In 3D
• ‘Modern Family’ director boards Russell Brand ‘Arthur’ remake
• ‘Guardians of Ga’Hoole’ now called ‘Legend of the Guardians’

The Fine Print

This is by no means meant to be a comprehensive roundup of the entire weeks’ news. All stories are chosen by me for no other reason than that they got my attention and might capture yours. If something you think is more important chime in on the feedback; we’d love to hear comments and have a conversation about it.

Universal Planning A 3D Remake Of Jaws With Tracy Morgan?
Universal may be planning a re-make of the 1975 Spielberg classic, Jaws. With the added popularity of Avatar’s 3D, there’s serious money to be made in a CGI reboot of the famous shark, presented in Real D 3D. Tracy Morgan was at one point being considered for the part of Matt Hooper, previously played by Richard Dreyfuss. While it’s uncertain whether that’s still the plan, it does indicate that they seem to be taking a more comedic direction with the part.

Director Joe Johnston Interview THE WOLFMAN; Says the DVD/Blu-ray Will Have 17 Minutes of Extra Footage
I wanted there to be as much contrast between Lawrence and The Wolfman as possible. Originally, Lawrence was a little bit of a hellraiser. He was this actor who went out and partied all night, went to bed with three women at once and he hung out in opium dens, and places like that. It was a different take on the character, but I felt that, in order to increase the contrast between who this guy was and what he was going to become, the hero and the villain, I felt like he should be slightly more noble.

Sir Anthony Hopkins Interview THE WOLFMAN
Well, it’s an American movie and it’s an American subject. Didn’t it start in America? So it’s an American movie, really, it’s not a British subject. What’s interesting about it is that it’s an American gothic movie filmed in Britain, in real locations, which makes it, gives it another dimension, gives it another reality.

IT’S ALIVE! THE UNIVERSAL MONSTER REMAKE STATUS UPDATE
This Friday Universal tries to wash the taste of Van Helsing out of our mouths and begin the revival of their classic monsters with The Wolfman, based on the 1941 classic. However The Wolfman does at the box office the film, a throwback to the story of the original with a heaping helping of the Gothic atmosphere of Hammer movies like Curse of the Werewolf, shows that Universal is taking these characters seriously for the first time in years. What else is waiting in the pipeline?

Q&A: Mark Ruffalo
Actor talks about his directorial debut, brother’s death, more
For well over a year, actor Mark Ruffalo has been on what he calls “a rollercoaster ride.” After surviving a brain tumor in 2002, Ruffalo had spent much of the decade prepping his directorial debut, “Sympathy for Delicious,” a comedic drama about a paraplegic DJ-turned-faith healer, when his brother Scott was killed during its preproduction. Ruffalo talked with THR’s Gregg Goldstein about what he’s learned from Martin Scorsese, televangelist Jimmy Swaggart and his tumultuous journey.

Brad Pitt & Ryan Reynolds Circle ‘Gunsmoke’ Remake
Several top-flight actors are in the running to play Marshal Matt Dillon, the lead lawman in CBS Films’ big-screen adaptation of the classic Western television show “Gunsmoke” that starred James Arness. Brad Pitt has emerged as a top contender for the role, with Ryan Reynolds also a candidate for the juicy, gunslinging part. As incarnated first on the mid-century radio serial and later in the CBS prime-time hit, Dillon is the Western hero charged with maintaining law and order in a period Kansas town filled with colorful vagrants, misfits and desperadoes. He carries on in these adventures with the help of town physician Doc Adams and tavern owner Miss Kitty Russell.

DreamWorks eyes Musunahi film
Web site focuses on the spooky, suspicious and bizarre
Musunahi — familiar to Web denizens enamored with the spooky, suspicious and bizarre — is the Web site otherwise known as the Museum of SuperNatural History, and DreamWorks Studios sees feature potential there. Lupinacci, who will executive produce the film project, described Musunahi as “a multimedia brand whose purpose is to study, protect, explore and explain the unexplainable. Etan Cohen has been hired by DreamWorks Studios to write the screenplay for a feature, which would center on the curator of a covert organization known as the Museum of SuperNatural History who must seek out and protect the world’s best-kept secrets.

Columbia to Make The Lost Symbol
Columbia Pictures is moving forward with The Lost Symbol, the third installment of the “Da Vinci Code” franchise. Steven Knight has come on board to adapt Dan Brown’s novel. Tom Hanks, who played Langdon in The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. has not yet committed to reprise the role, though he is expected to. Imagine’s Brian Grazer and John Calley have signed on to produce the latest installment.

Documentary asks, did George Lucas $%@! your childhood?
Do you think George Lucas is “the Antichrist” and “a little devil disguised as a false prophet”? Or do you believe he’s “unlocked a generation’s imagination”? Either way, the new documentary The People vs. George Lucas, which debuts at next month’s South By Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival in Austin, is going to be a must-see.

Coscarelli Talking Up ‘Phantasm’ Remake/Sequels Again
On the subject of a remake, Coscarelli says, “I get a phone call every week, it seems, from somebody who wants to do it. It’s something I’ve been resisting for a while. I do think that, given the proper context, it would really be exciting to see what a younger filmmaker could bring to that story. It’s something I’m open to but I guess I’m seeking the right circumstances. Takashi Miike doing Phantasm, how would that be? Anything that would ever be done would have to be done with sensitivity to the appreciation that the fans have for it. They just worship Angus as the Tall Man and Reggie as the loyal trusted friend.”

Wolfman star Hopkins says whatever to original film
“No criticism of the writing, but the writing was an American idea of what an English aristocrat would be,” Hopkins said by telephone during an exclusive interview late last month. “Do you know what I mean? I was not familiar with the original film anyway. Somebody said, ‘Go watch the original,’ and I said, ‘I don’t want to, really. I’d just rather look at the script.’ I had seen the original, but I’d never gone out of my way to study it. I know that Claude Rains played the part. So I read it and re-read, and it occurred to me that the manners were a bit strange. He was written in a way that I couldn’t play. He was kind of bombastic, and I said, ‘I can’t do that.’ I didn’t want to do that.”

BILL MURRAY AIN’T AFRAID OF NO GHOSTS
I said to them, ‘I’ll do it if you kill me off in the first reel.’ So now they are going to have me as a ghost in the film.

Kurtz drives ‘Panzer 88′ forward
$20 milion supernatural thriller shoots this year
Corona Pictures’ Gary Kurtz, whose credits as a producer include “Star Wars” and “American Graffiti,” has joined forces with helmer-scribe Peter Briggs on supernatural thriller “Panzer 88.” Pic centers on the German army crew of the world’s biggest tank, the King Tiger, who are sent to a snowy wasteland on the Russian border during WWII. There they stir up a supernatural creature that wreaks revenge for the destruction of a partisan village. Helmer Briggs, whose credits include “Hellboy,” co-wrote the screenplay with Aaron Mason and James Cowan.

Huge Casting News for ‘Drive Angry 3D’!
In talks to join Nicolas Cage on a road to revenge are both William Fichtner (Blades of Glory, The Dark Knight, “Prison Break”) and the beautiful, wonderful, stupendous Amber Heard (All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, Zombieland, The Stepfather, And Soon the Darkness and John Carpenter’s forthcoming The Ward). Shooting begins in Shreveport, Louisiana this coming March with a February 11, 2011 release locked in place by Summit. The story centers on a man (Cage) driven by rage who is chasing the people who killed his daughter and kidnapped her baby. The vendetta/rescue spins out of control as the chase gets bloodier by the mile, leaving bodies strewn along the highway.

The Cutting Room Floor

• Peter Bogdanovich boards ‘Century’ film, adaptation of Kurt Andersen novel
• French Bac Films starts production on Coen brothers-style comedy
• Formula One doc revs up, Project focuses on sport’s evolution, danger, glamour
• Rachel Weisz joins Daniel Craig, Naomi Watts in thriller, ‘Dream House’
• Katherine Heigl is attached to star in ‘One for the Money’
• Safran, Gold Circle bank on ‘ATM’, Action film from ‘Buried’ writer
• ‘Alice in Wonderland’ will release in U.K. for 12 weeks, down from 17
• Planet of the Apes Prequel Goes Down the Line looking for director
• SAW Finally Comes To An End. Screenwriter Patrick Melton Reveals ENDGAME
• Now There’s a Mr. and Mrs. Smith Reboot in the Works?
• Eric Bana to play Saoirse Ronan’s father in ‘Hanna’
• Battleship and Stretch Armstrong Move to 2012
• Leonardo DiCaprio Says Inception “Didn’t Make Sense to Many of Us When We Were Doing It”
• Sam Worthington to play a Texas homicide detective in ‘The Fields’
• Want to See Nightbreed Uncut?
• Weinstein Co. snaps up ‘The Tillman Story’ about 2004 death by friendly fire in Afghanistan
• Dune remake starting again: giant sandworms in 3D?
• ‘Heist Society’ adaptation goes to Warners
• AVATAR Goes 4D in Korea!
• The Frogumentary: The Princess and the Frog and the Return to Hand Drawn Animation
• Kyle Gallner, Kathryn Morris, Jim Belushi join indie ‘Mother’s Little Helpers’
• Jody Hill to direct; Danny McBride attached to star in ‘L.A.P.I.’
• What’s Next For District 9 Creators? Stone Monsters And Gritty Worlds
• Nelly Furtado to appear in musical drama ‘Score: A Hockey Musical’
• McG In negotiations to helm Reese Witherspoon film ‘This Means War’
• Christian Bale, Javier Bardem cast in Terrence Malick romantic drama
• Warners confirms 3D plans for ‘Harry Potter’ and other pics
• News Corp. in early talks for ‘Avatar’ sequel
• FOURTH UNDERWORLD FILM TO AT LEAST OFFER 3D BECKINSALE
• Prince of Persia Villain, Ben Kingsley, talks up the game-to-film
• Fox Searchlight acquires Hilary Swank pic, ‘Betty Anne Waters’
• Taylor Lautner to star as ‘Stretch Armstrong’
• Hugh Jackman’s looking for a Real Steel co-star. Maybe you.
• FULL CAST LINE-UP ANNOUNCED FOR ‘BURKE & HARE’ WITH JOHN LANDIS
• Johnny Depp To Direct Keith Richards Documentary
• Casting Complete on BEL AMI – Robert Pattinson, Uma Thurman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Christina Ricci to Star
• Alan Tudyk Video Interview TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL, BEAUTIFUL BOY, V and PG PORN
• Writer/Director Adam Green Video Interview FROZEN, Plus Info on HATCHET 2
• CLASH OF THE TITANS DELAYED, CONFIRMED IN 3D
• Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton to star in ‘The Thing’
• ‘Paranormal’ team makes new Alliance
• ‘Joan Rivers’ just right for IFC
• ‘Hump’ team in ‘Treatment’
• Sony rights to inner-city hip-hop dance film, ‘Beat the World’
• Carrie Underwood to star in ‘Soul Surfer’
• Paramount Pictures picks Michael Lewis’ ‘The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine’
• Fidelite puts faith in ‘Asterix’ franchise
• New Line moves forward on ‘New Year’s’, ‘Valentine’s Day’ spin-off
• Tom Felton stars opposite Ashley Greene in ‘The Apparition’
• ‘Earthbound’ adds Kathy Bates,Whoopi Goldberg

The Fine Print

This is by no means meant to be a comprehensive roundup of the entire weeks’ news. All stories are chosen by me for no other reason than that they got my attention and might capture yours. If something you think is more important chime in on the feedback; we’d love to hear comments and have a conversation about it.

Paramount takes ‘Holliday’
Di Bonaventura to produce gunfighter tale
Paramount Pictures has snapped up Chad St. John’s action adventure spec “The Further Adventures of Doc Holliday” in the hopes of turning it into a Western-style tentpole. Studio is keeping the logline under wraps, but the project is described as a history-based action adventure tale in the vein of “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

Terry Gilliam Talks about His “Beleaguered” Past, Updates His IMDb Page, and His Thoughts on WATCHMEN
“Things kind of develop.  I think it’s because I’ve had enough books and documentaries about things going wrong where other people don’t.  I remember when Lost in La Mancha came out and other filmmakers started coming up to me and telling me their stories and they were worse than mine.  I’ve just been lucky (or unlucky) to have these things reported.  I’m the one who gets stuck with an adjective like the word “beleagured,” and I actually think I’m lucky.”

Producer Dan Lin on the Future of the TERMINATOR Franchise and the Ending of TERMINATOR SALVATION
“I’m happy with the way things turned out. It was a bit derivative of Face/Off, you know, when Sam Worthington’s character goes back and he comes back up as Christian Bale his face has been changed, so I think…I know we’ve all talked about who should live at the end, who should go on for the next movie but it wasn’t, in our opinion, that original ending was taken from other movies and wasn’t as fresh.”

Laurence Fishburne Joins Director Nimród Antal’s PREDATORS
If you’re a fan of Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix) and the Predator franchise, I’m about to tell you some awesome news.  That’s because I’m in Austin right now, as I got to spend all day on the set of director Nimród Antal’s Predators movie – along with a number of other online journalists.  While I can’t tell you anything about what I saw or thought of the movie until my embargo lifts, I’m allowed to report Laurence Fishburne has just joined the cast and he’s playing a character named Noland.

Peter Jackson Considers “Gallipoli” Film
Jackson said in the interview he had considered making a film of the battle from a New Zealand perspective years ago to complement Weir’s film. Now however he has been thinking of doing it “from a combined Australian and New Zealand point of view. I don’t think that we need necessarily to tell a film from a New Zealand perspective because the Anzac tradition, the Australian and New Zealand, were so intertwined in that particular campaign that I think it would be a mistake.”

Writers dine on ‘Diner’
‘Panda’ pair back for animated ‘Fright’ fare
DreamWorks Animation has set Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris to write “Gil’s All Fright Diner,” an adaptation of the A. Lee Martinez novel that has Barry Sonnenfeld attached to direct. Much like the “Twilight” series, “Gil’s All Fright Diner” revolves around a vampire and a werewolf. Here, they are mismatched partners who battle zombies and try to save the world, after they stop in a diner in the desert that is a conduit for the supernatural.

Screen Australia backs ‘Bait’
Oz funder hands out coin to 22 pics
A 3D shark pic from “Highlander” helmer Russell Mulcahy tops the list of 22 projects in Screen Australia’s final funding round of the year. “Bait 3D,” the first 3D pic backed by government coin, concerns a coastal town swamped by a tsunami that brings with it a pack of sharks. Pic is produced by Gary Hamilton, Todd Fellman and Ian Maycock. Org will also back “Burning Man” from “Better Than Sex” helmer Jonathan Teplitzky. Pic is a bittersweet father and son story that Teplitzky will co-produce with Andy Paterson.

Lautner’s ‘Moon’ mileage
Actor lines up Summit action vehicle
Summit Entertainment and producers Temple Hill are crafting an action vehicle for their “Twilight” star Taylor Lautner that shapes up as the first film after his breakthrough in “New Moon.” Summit has acquired an untitled script by Eric Champnella and Grant Thompson that is best described as a teenaged “Taken” meets “Die Hard.” After an injury sidelines a teen’s plans to be an elite soldier, he tries to get on with his life by heading to college. There he meets a girl who convinces him to join her friends on a spring-break trip to Cancun. When his traveling partners are kidnapped and ransomed for the freedom of a drug-cartel leader about to be extradited, the college student uses his warrior skills to rescue them.

Summit shifts into ‘Drive Angry’
Firm will distribute Nicolas Cage pic in North America
Summit Entertainment has picked up the North American distribution to the Nicolas Cage revenge movie “Drive Angry,” setting a release date of February 11, 2011. “Angry,” which is now in pre-production, centers on a man (Cage) driven by rage who is chasing the people who killed his daughter and kidnapped her baby. The vendetta/rescue spins out of control, as the chase gets bloodier by the mile, leaving bodies strewn along the highway.

Director Guy Ritchie Exclusive Interview SHERLOCK HOLMES
“It’s all on the screen. It’s funny actually, we went through this a couple weeks ago-three weeks ago-and we were looking for deleted scenes. There aren’t any.  There’s not one.  Everything’s in there which is rather disappointing actually, if you want to see deleted scenes, but no we were kind of efficient in that respect. We used everything.”

‘Creature From the Black Lagoon’ emerges
When director Breck Eisner parted ways with Universal’s remake of “Creature From the Black Lagoon” earlier this year, fans of the 1950s camp classic wondered if and when the new film would ever see the light of day. But now the story of Gill-Man and his victims is getting a new director — and possibly some new momentum. Carl Rinsch, the hot commercials director who recently signed on to direct the samurai adventure “47 Ronin” for Universal, is now also in talks to direct “Creature From the Black Lagoon” for the studio.

Danny Trejo Talks MACHETE. Could the Sequels be Called MACHETE KILLS and MACHETE KILLS AGAIN?
“Machete kicks ass.  It is a culmination of Desperado, Once Upon a Time in Mexico…there’s even a little bit of From Dusk ‘Til Dawn in there.  I think it’s gonna be one of his best.  And I’m not just saying that cause I’m the lead, it’s just a great movie.  I think everybody’s gonna walk away from that movie with some opinion.  It’s a battle for our border, you know? People are really serious about what’s going on with the border, and it shows the negative side of both sides.  Not just, we want everybody to cross or we don’t want anybody to cross.  It shows the negative side of both sides.  Everybody’s gonna be pissed off.”

Robert Rodriguez Talks SIN CITY 2, MACHETE, and the Next SPY KIDS Movie
“I owe The Weinstein’s another movie and I’ve already turned in a script for Spy Kids, another Spy Kids, which is a reboot of Spy Kids. It’s different kids not the old kids and that one is really cool. I’d probably do that in the early part of next year March or April and then I do have something for later in the year, I can’t say what that one is though. Spy Kids I can say that cause they already announced it.”

‘Clash of the Titans’ done shooting? That’s a myth
“We’re going to be going back and shooting more scenes for it, they cut loose with some money so we can add to it,” Sam Worthington “We’re going to be shooting more scenes in January, so we’re going to be right up against it — the movie comes out in March. There were some creaky parts but they are the parts that we knew were creaky and that we knew were going to be creaky going into it. The studio is also letting us add some gods and scenes. And they’re talking about making the movie a 3D film.”

The Cutting Room Floor

• ‘Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs’ directors have a chance to direct ’21 Jump Street’
• James Cameron talks about 3D’s industry implications
• SAVED BY THE BELL Movie in the Works
• James Cameron: Terminator has run its course
• A LOOK AT A FUTURE THAT STILL MIGHT BE- HARDWARE 2 SCRIPT ONLINE
• Spain’s Ibermedia hands funds to 40 pics
• ‘Get Smart’ Director Peter Segal eyes ‘Neighborhood Watch’
• Lionsgate Picks up Mystery Thriller called PANOPTICON
• ‘Sherlock Holmes Would Tear Tony Stark Up,’ Says Robert Downey Jr.
• Studio Ghibli to adapt Mary Norton’s book series ‘The Borrowers’
• Filmmaker Roundtable: Cameron, Jackson, Reitman, Tarantino, Bigelow and Daniels [Video]
• ‘Wild Hogs’ sequel stalls
• Maria Bello, Michael Sheen wrap ‘Beautiful Boy’
• Warner Brothers buys script for Steve Carell for nearly $2 million
• Steven Spielberg on ‘Avatar’: the most evocative sci-fi movie since ‘Star Wars’
• Swedish Music icon, Cornelis Vreeswijk, gets biopic
• Screen Australia supports first 3D title, Russell Mulcahy’s ‘Bait’
• Steve Carell, Tina Fey eyeing ‘Mail-Order Groom’ film
• VIDEO: James Cameron on ‘Avatar’ as a PSA
• Cinema Guild acquires US distrib rights to Jacques Rivette’s ‘Around a Small Mountain’
• DreamWorks to adapt Michael Morpurgo’s 1982 novel ‘War Horse’
• Michel Piccoli, 83,  joins Nanni Moretti’s comedy ‘We Have a Pope’
• Pilar Lopez de Ayala joins Manoel de Oliveira’s ‘The Strange Case of Angelica’
• ‘Percy Jackson’ and ‘Clash of the Titans’ draw on same Greek myths but with epic differences
• Italo journo Roberto Saviano’s ‘ Tatanka scatenato’ (Raging Tatanka) to be adapted
• Sony nabs screen rights to crime novel ‘Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’
• The Hollywood Reporter critics list top films of 2009
• Watch the deleted ‘fire’ scene from District 9
• MARVIN THE MARTIAN Movie is Moving Forward possibly with Mike Meyers
• Bond 23 to Have a Shocking Story, Says Screenwriter Peter Morgan
• Wong Kar Wai’s ‘The Grand Master’ adds Korean star

The Fine Print

This is by no means meant to be a comprehensive roundup of the entire weeks’ news. All stories are chosen by me for no other reason than that they got my attention and might capture yours. If something you think is more important chime in on the feedback; we’d love to hear comments and have a conversation about it.

Did you just fall in love with Hit Girl?

Thanks to Twitch for the heads up.

Oprah announces end of syndicated talk show
Oprah Winfrey will end her syndicated daytime talk show in 2011. The top-rated talk show host told her staff Thursday that she will conclude her show on Sept. 9, 2011 — when her current contract expires.

G4 orders police reality series ‘Campus PD’
Each episode follows officers on duty in five U.S. college towns as they deal with the challenges of university mayhem. “It’s no secret that high-energy police shows are very popular among male viewers,” G4 president Neal Tiles said. “With ‘Campus PD,’ we join real police teams and head to college towns, where the students — and their everyday lives — will prove highly relatable to G4’s core young-male audience.”

Gordon Ramsay gives you a shopping list
Fox has set a date for its live cooking show with Gordon Ramsay and has released a shopping list for viewers (below). “Gordon Ramsay: CookAlong Live” will air as a one-hour special on Tuesday, Dec. 15 where the master chef will show viewers how to prepare a three-course meal. Presumably he won’t yell at you.

Aussie tourism board backs show
Seven net’s series takes workers on vacation
The tourism biz in Australia — like the rest of the world — is getting hammered by the recession, so Tourism Australia is thinking inside the box … the TV box. The skein, “No Leave, No Life,” will take Aussies in need of a holiday and — with the boss’ OK — whisk them away for a week of vacation. To add a bit of spice to the skein, well-known comedians will take over the vacant jobs while the employees are gone.

More Horsemen

• Bob Saget books A&E reality series
• NBC’s reality series, ‘United Plates of America’, gives away a restaurant chain
• Notional reveals initial TV slate; ‘Ready, Set, Dance’ and ‘Chopped’
• ‘X-Factor’ move changes U.K. Sundays
• Fox stations renew ‘Wendy Williams’
• TLC adds foodie series ‘Craving Comfort’ with chef Art Smith to mix
• Nick Lachey to host a capella singing competition ‘The Sing-Off’
• TruTV renews ‘All Worked Up’ up again
• Channel Russia takes ‘Quizmaster’; Netherlands’ SBS6 grabs ‘Move Like…’
• TLC adds ‘Mall Cops: Mall of America’, ‘Ghost Intervention’ to lineup

Business of the Business

Google pacts with Tivo for TV ad data
Internet firm hopes to ramp up its online auction service
In its bid to make TV advertising more accountable — and to sell more of it through its online auction service — Google has teamed up with TiVo, the companies are set to announce Tuesday. TiVo will provide Google TV Ads with second-by-second viewing patterns of time-shifted programs in order to “enhance the measurement and accountability of ad impressions,” they said. Google TV Ads is a 2-year-old initiative from the Internet search giant for auctioning off television ad inventory on a CPM basis, charging advertisers only for the ad impressions viewed.

Download venture gets Freeman’s help
Digiboo will offer kiosk rentals for flash drives
Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment has thrown its financial resources and technical expertise behind Digiboo, a new venture that will allow consumers to rent films by plugging in a small USB 3.0 flash drive into kiosks that will be set up at retail outlets. Run by CEO Richard Cohen, the L.A.-based Digiboo launches a pilot program in January with Oregon-based Movie Gallery that will see 100 digital movie kiosks operate in Hollywood Video and Movie Gallery retail stores.

Oz opposition proposes film change
Ciobo suggests offset claims be made at wrap
The Liberal Party in Oz has used the Screen Producers Assn. of Australia Conference to unveil plans to speed up the way that producers receive the 40% tax rebate on their films. Steven Ciobo, arts spokesman for the opposition party, proposed changes to the Producer Offset program that would allow filmmakers to lodge their claim as soon as a production wraps rather than at the end of the financial year.

Oscilloscope circles DVDs
Distributor creates club for early releases
Indie distrib Oscilloscope Laboratories is introducing the Circle of Trust, a movies-by-mail club that will send subscribers the next 10 Oscilloscope releases on DVD.”About one a month, give or take” will be the laid-back rate of release, according to the company. The service — $150 for a 10-disc subscription — is up and running via the Oscilloscope website.

Producer Offset contributes A$123 mil
Australia’s film subsidy launched in July 2007
Australia’s film subsidy, the Producer Offset, has contributed A$123 million ($112.6 million) to the industry since its launch in July 2007, according to government-backed promo and funding org Screen Australia. Screen Australia CEO Ruth Harley said that 19 features, 46 documentaries and 25 TV projects had received public money. “This injection of funds has assisted the industry to achieve a 1.3% increase in total production activity in 2008/09 against the backdrop of the global financial crisis,” Harley said.

Minutae

• The myth of Sophia Stewart endures
• Verizon’s Seidenberg sees retrans, Hulu as fads
• River Road secures $65 million in funds from Union Bank
• Stringer unveils plan to launch Sony Online Service
• AOL to cut more than one-third of workforce
• Pirate Bay shutting down its tracker
• It’s Alive! Hollywood Claims Pirate Bay Tracker Lives
• MySpace to acquire imeem
• Trailers making change; Film marketing evolves with Internet, 3D
• Berlin-based Senator Entertainment to focus on English-language pics
• Nielsen near deal to sell print, online properties

Planet of the Odd

Hollywood’s Most Overpaid Stars
Will Ferrell tops the list of actors who cost more than their box office worth.
Besides Will Ferrell and Ewen McGregor, other big names on our list include Eddie Murphy and Tom Cruise. Murphy (who ranks fourth) has commanded one of the highest quotes in Hollywood for his work in family comedies, thanks to the performance of movies like The Nutty Professor, which grossed $274 million at the worldwide box office.

Nicolas Cage reportedly sold comics collection to stop financial bleed
Remember back in 2002 when actor Nicolas Cage auctioned off his comic collection for a cool $1.6 million but never said why? Well, now we may know. Last month the star of Ghost Rider and the upcoming Kick-Ass sued his former business manager for $20 million, blaming him for financial problems that include more than $6 million in tax liens. However, in a countersuit filed last week, Samuel J. Levin claims that by the time the actor hired him in 2001 Cage “had already squandered tens of millions of dollars he had earned as a movie star.”

Man found liable for ‘Happy Gilmore’ golf swing
In the case, the plaintiff sued after the defendant tried to impress his golfing buddies during a bachelor party outing that included beer, tequila, and marijuana. On the 16th hole, under the influence, Travis Hayter whipped out his “Happy Gilmore shot,” which the court defined in 2008 as “running from five to ten feet behind the ball and hitting it on the run.” The ball leapt up and struck the plaintiff in the wrist, then in the chest, causing permanent damage to the radial nerve. The plaintiff no longer was able to return to his former work as a woodsman on account of the incident.

Crazed Twilight fans ‘slice open necks’
[Robert] Pattinson recalled one time where a group of girls approached him bleeding from scratches they had just opened up on their necks. “They were like, ‘We did this for you’ … I didn’t know what to say — ‘Thank you, guys?’” Pattinson said he feels vulnerable at big film events such as premieres, where he could be the target of an overly obsessive fan or even a terror attack.

Brad & Angie Send More Than $6.4 Mil to Charities
According to the 2008 tax return for the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, the Hollywood couple sent over $6 million to charities last year. In 2008, the pair parked just over $13 million in their foundation, and gave away half of it. The biggest recipients of their largesse were: Global Health ($2 million), Human Rights Watch ($1 million), Brad’s Make it Right Foundation ($1 million). Some other notable contributions: $500,000 to the Armed Services YMCA of the U.S. Army; $50,000 to the Springfield, Missouri Public Schools (Brad’s hometown); and roughly a million dollars to projects in Cambodia, the country from which they adopted their first child.

Bits and Pieces

• Tom Cruise again hangs with lawyers, this time for Scientology
• Rome unveils theme-park plans
• L.A. City Council lists top 10 places where bureaucracy makes it hard to film
• Angelyne sues City of Los Angeles for not delivering fan mail

The Fine Print

This is by no means meant to be a comprehensive roundup of the entire weeks’ news. All stories are chosen by me for no other reason than that they got my attention and might capture yours. If something you think is more important chime in on the feedback; we’d love to hear comments and have a conversation about it.

• Zombieland 2
• Shrek 4 Ever After
• Underworld 4
• Summit Entertainment Makes More Money Than God
• The Great Happiness Space
• Let The Right One In (Buy from Amazon.co.uk)
• Australian Sci-Fi Mini-Series
• Howling Remake
• Dan Abbot Takes On Warhammer 40K Movie
• Something Something Something Darkside (Buy from Amazon.co.uk)
• Mondo Movie Bycott – They like Nick Cage
• Cull The Conquerer
• Twitter Spoliers
• Dr. Who – Dreamland
• Dog’s Dad Present List
• Blu-Ray – Players Last For?
• 2012
• Hot Toys – Amazing [Buy now from Amazon]
• Stephen King – Under The Dome Mini Series
• Dark Tower Series (Buy from Amazon.co.uk)
• Princess Of Mars
• Computer Games
• Opera Wrapping
• King Of Fighters
• Universal Soldier: Regeneration
• Unthinkable
• Danny Elfman – What Is It?
• Nick Cage Comics Sale

Vendome, Mark Gordon cast Jake Gyllenhaal in thriller Source Code
Philippe Rousselet’s Vendome Pictures has announced its first project, teaming with Mark Gordon on the sci-fi thriller Source Code starring Jake Gyllenhaal. Duncan Jones, fresh from his critically acclaimed low budget sci-fi Moon, will direct the story of a US soldier who wakes up in the body of an unknown commuter and is forced to live and relive a train bombing until he can find the perpetrator.

‘Seven’ team reuniting for ‘Peter Proud’ adaptation
David Fincher is attached to direct the new adaptation of the Max Ehrlich novel, “The Reincarnation of Peter Proud”, which will be penned by Andrew Kevin Walker. “Proud” centers on a college professor who begins having recurring dreams and nightmares and, realizing they are images of a past life, decides to search out the source of the visions. With his girlfriend in tow, he discovers a woman and her grown-up daughter who are keys to his past life.

Is Jean Reno making a comeback? 22 BULLETS (L’IMMORTEL) suggests so!
Reno is signed on to star in 22 Bullets (L’Immortel) an actioner being directed by actor-turned-director Richard Berry and adapted from Franz-Olivier Giesbert’s bestselling novel: After a long, brutal and successful career in the Marseille mafia, Charly Matteï has gone straight. For three years, he has lived a quiet life devoted to his wife and two young children. Then, one winter morning, he is left for dead on the docks of the old port with 22 bullets in his body. Somehow he survives. And goes looking for Tony Zacchia, the only man who would dare to try to kill him. Zacchia made just one mistake: he failed.

Dan Aykroyd Toplines John Landis’ ‘Burke and Hare’
Dan Aykroyd (Ghostbusters) will be joining Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead), David Tennant (“Doctor Who”) and Bill Nighy (Underworld films) in the John Landis dircted black comedy Burke and Hare. Based on a true story, Burke And Hare is about two 19th century graverobbers who find a lucrative business providing cadavers for an Edinburgh medical school.

First Up From Sushi Typhoon, ALIEN VS NINJA!
Fresh on the heels of the announcement of the brand new Sushi Typhoon label of cult excess from Japan’s Nikkatsu Corporation comes the specifics of the first product of the new label.  From writer-director Seiji Chiba and action director Yuji Shimomura – the writer and director of Death Trance, respectively – comes Alien Vs Ninja!

Jem and the Holograms Coming to the Big Screen?
The “Jem and the Holograms” movie is in not only in development, but that at least initially, someone named John Chu (The Secret of the Magic Gourd) was attached to direct the project. Universal and Hasbro are trying to decide now whether to go ahead with the movie, or launch a new television series first. That’s still an open question, although no matter which way it goes, Peter Barsocchini is in the mix, to either produce or write the script — he scripted all four High School Musical films. At this stage, the movie looks at least a couple of years down the road.

‘Ring’ director to helm ‘Voice’ pic
Hideo Nakata comes aboard Zanuck’s supernatural thriller
Hideo Nakata, who directed the original Japanese version of “The Ring” and the second English version “The Ring Two,” has been tapped to direct Zanuck Independent’s supernatural thriller “Voice From the Stone.” “Voice,” adapted from an Italian novel of the same name, centers on a female child psychologist who takes on the case of a young boy who made a promise to his dying mother to remain silent until her spirit returns.

Guillermo Del Toro On Making The Hobbit
“I think one of the designs I’m the proudest of is Smaug. Obviously he took the longest. It’s actually still active: we’re finishing his colour palette and a little bit of the texture. But the bulk of the design took about a year, solid. It’s because of the unique features of the dragon. Early in production I came up with a very strong idea that would separate Smaug from every other dragon ever made. The problem was implementing that idea. But I think we’ve nailed it.”

Prince of Persia Producer Jerry Bruckheimer And Creator Jordan Mechner
The movie is mostly based on ‘The Sands of Time’ which is the 2003 game that UBI Soft Montreal. Rather than try to do a literal retelling of the game, what I pitched to Jerry and Disney in 2004 and I think what movie very much is, is characters and elements, some of the coolest elements from the game sort of reconfigured into a story that makes a good movie. That’s pretty much what we set out to do from the beginning.

Full Plot Details are in for Nicolas Cage’s Drive Angry
Drive Angry stars Nicolas Cage as Milton, a hardened felon who has broken out for one last chance at redemption. Hell bent on stopping a vicious cult of fanatics who murdered his daughter, he has three days to stop them before they sacrifice his infant granddaughter beneath a full moon. Milton must use his anger to go beyond all human limits in order to save his last connection with humanity.

2012 premiere: Roland Emmerich on his appetite for destruction
“When Dean Devlin and I made ‘Independence Day,’ it had a lot of destruction in there and it became very successful. It became a signature for me. And I realized that people get very excited when things blow up. When we blew up the White House, people applauded! Because of ‘Independence Day,’ I get money to makes these kinds of movies.”

Michael Fassbender calls CENTURION “A Roman Chase Film”
“It’s basically about a group of Roman soldiers trying to get back across the border. It sort of surrounds the legend of the Ninth Legion. What happened in this myth is the Ninth Legion went over the border into the highlands to suppress this tribal community that was wreaking havoc on their outposts. They were trying to suppress this race. It was kind of like the Gaul situation where they couldn’t manage to suppress this tribal sort of community in France. So they sent the Ninth Legion in, which was one of the best Legions they had, and they disappeared. Five thousand men got wiped out. They never came back. So it’s basically Neil’s take around that myth.”

Matrix producer plans Muhammad biopic
Barrie Osborne, part of the Oscar-winning team behind the Lord of the Rings films, says the new production ‘will educate people about the true meaning of Islam’
Budgeted at around $150m (£91.5m), the film will chart Muhammad’s life and examine his teachings. Osborne told Reuters that he envisages it as “an international epic production aimed at bridging cultures. The film will educate people about the true meaning of Islam”.

Will Smith & Steven Spielberg’s Old Boy DEAD!
that OLDBOY remake Steven Spielberg and Will Smith were suppose to do a film that was based on the Japanese manga by Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiya. At the time DreamWorks was in the process of securing the rights along with MANDATE, until NOW. According to a trusted source…It’s DEAD! Mandate and DreamWorks didn’t see eye to eye therefore DreamWorks has apparently walked away.

The Cutting Room Floor

• 1-1 With Chiwetel Ejiofor On ‘2012’
• ‘Man on WIre’ director James Marsh to direct ‘Vatican Tapes’
• Ray Winstone to star in thriller ‘Red Snow’
• Image buys Geena Davis dark comedy
• French mini-major Gaumont picks up ‘De Force’ crime thriller
• Method Man cast for ‘The Mortician 3D’
• Zach Galifianakis eyeing voice Humpty Dumpty in ‘Puss in Boots’
• Fox picks up Peruvian computer-animated pic ‘The Dolphin, Story of a Dreamer’
• Sony eyes ‘Agora’ for U.S. distribution
• Who are the bad guys in Peter Berg’s ‘Battleship’ film? ALIENS!
• Wil Wheaton Voiced Romulans in JJ Abrams’ Star Trek
• Daniel Craig set for psychological thriller ‘Dream House’
• Faris, Aykroyd, Timberlake in for live-action/CG animated ‘Yogi Bear’
• Master creature-maker Phil Tippett rises to ‘New Moon’ challenge
• Danny Boyle, Searchlight team for ’127 Hours’
• ‘High Fidelity’ writer, director reteam for dramedy ‘Lay the Favorite’
• Bradley Cooper set to star in ‘Dark Fields’
• Johnny Depp is in negotiations for ‘The Tourist’
• ‘Twilight’s’ Ashley Greene eyes ‘The Apparition’
• Bryan Singer’s Battlestar Galactica movie allegedly under way
• Official Casting for Oren Peli’s ‘Area 51′
• ‘Scream 4′ Writer Kevin Williamson Reveals Exclusive Details
• The beloved Berenstain Bears meet the big screen
• Roadside Attractions acquires social satire ‘The Joneses’
• Roald Dahl’s ‘Big Friendly Giant’ to be adapted
• Sally Hawkins, William H. Macy headline 80s coming-of-age comedy ‘Dirty Girl’
• Gerard Butler off to war in ‘Coriolanus’
• J.J. Abrams Secretely Working on 500 Rads
• Michael Fassbender, Forest Whitaker, William H. Macy, Thomas Haden Church in ‘A Single Shot’
• Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle teaming up in Irish drama ‘The Guard’
• Scorsese Still Looking for His Sinatra
• Warner Japan tackles ‘The Last Chushingura‘, period drama samurai pic
• Sigourney Weaver, John C. Reilly join comedy ‘Cedar Rapids’
• Writer/Director Richard Kelly Exclusive Video Interview ‘THE BOX’
• Chris Pine Attached to Ben Affleck’s ‘The Blade Itself’
• 3D reworking of ‘Arabian Nights’ gets director
• ‘Robopocalypse’ fast-tracked at DreamWorks
• Owen Wilson signs on for ‘Marmaduke’

The Fine Print

This is by no means meant to be a comprehensive roundup of the entire weeks’ news. All stories are chosen by me for no other reason than that they got my attention and might capture yours. If something you think is more important chime in on the feedback; we’d love to hear comments and have a conversation about it.

I Can’t Believe Its Not Twilight

• Director: Peter Jackson
• Writer: Everyone at the show
• Year of Release: 2009
• Actors: Jason Statham, Mila Jovovitch, Michelle Obama, David Tenent, Zac Effron, Karl Urban, Chuck Norris, Bruce Lee, Nicolas Cage, Adam West and the 300 Spartans.
• Genre: Period Action/Drama
• Country of Origin: Australia

Poster artwork by Qdog.

So was this a success? Did the experiment work for you? What would you do to make it work better?

‘We Don’t Have Any Current Plans For Superman,’ Says DC Entertainment President
“We’ve obviously done a lot of great things behind the property in our history, and it’s a key part of the family, but we don’t have current plans behind Superman,” new head of DC Entertainment, Diane Nelson, said.

Sam Mendes Talks Preacher
“It’s getting closer,” says Mendes. “I’ve seen a script and it’s very good. We’re a little further down the road than when I last spoke to you. I love graphic novels – Road To Perdition was based on graphic novel – so I’m used to that form and Preacher is absolutely brilliant. I certainly feel it’s a movie. It’s funny, it’s violent as hell, it’s extremely blasphemous and profane, but it has an amazingly skilful tone,” says Mendes. “I met Garth Ennis and I’m just a huge fan of it.”

The Next DC Animated Film is a CRISIS Story! Here’s the official breakdown!
An original story from award-winning animation/comics writer Dwayne McDuffie (Justice League) rooted in DC Comics’ popular canon of “Crisis” stories. In Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, a “good” Lex Luthor arrives from an alternate universe to recruit the Justice League to help save his Earth from the Crime Syndicate, a gang of villainous characters with virtually identical super powers to the Justice League. What ensues is the ultimate battle of good versus evil in a war that threatens both planets and, through a diabolical plan launched by Owlman, puts the balance of all existence in peril.

Nicolas Cage Reveals Why He Left ‘The Green Hornet’
“‘The Green Hornet’ was something that I wanted to do, I think Michel Gondry is very talented and I had hoped it would work but I think Seth Rogen and Michel had a different take on the character,” Cage told The Canadian Press. “I had to have some humanity and to try to give it something where you could understand why the character was the way he was but I don’t think there was enough time to develop it.”

Mark Millar Says ‘Kick-Ass’ Ending Teases Sequel
The “Kick-Ass” sequel that writer Mark Millar said would begin shooting within two years already has a premise, and he says there will “definitely” be a follow-up. “There’s a basic plot,” Millar told MTV News. “The series ends on a teaser for the next one, and the movie ends on that teaser, too. We don’t want to sound too cocky, but we know this is good. It didn’t cost that much money to make. There will definitely be another one.”

‘Waverly’ star joins ‘Weapon’ adaptation
Developing feature based on comic book series
David Henrie of the Disney Channel series “Wizards of Waverly Place” will pair with Platinum Studios to develop its comic book series, “The Weapon,” into a feature film he’d star in. “Weapon” follows martial arts enthusiast and inventor Tommy Zhou, who has developed a ground-breaking portable innovation that an evil order will stop at nothing to steal. Released in 2007, “Weapon” was created by Platinum chairman and CEO Scott Mitchell Rosenberg.

Dave Sim Talks Cerebus TV
“What Cerebus TV is about: art and artists talking about art and examining that art in black and white. I enjoy reading about artists’ lives in Alter Ego but I’m always far more interested in their materials, drawing choices, influences, mentors. I want to do a feature called “What Are You Working On Right Now?” Because that’s the thing any artist is the most focused on. What he or she is doing at the moment, problems that need to be solved. Problems that were solved.”

Top Cow President On ‘The Witchblade’ Movie: ‘It’s Very Different From The Book’
“You look into the feelings, the tones and how the character acts, the thing that is the same in ‘Wanted’ is the character arc of Wesley,” said Top Cow president Matt Hawkins of the main character in the “Wanted” movie and comic book series. “If you actually look at his journey, it’s the same arc—the circumstances are slightly different and the other characters are slightly different, but it’s the same character arc—so that’s what we’ve been diligently working on with ‘Witchblade,’ too.”

‘Priest’ Ordains Three New Castmembers: Amick, Plummer, Dourif Join Roster
In addition to “Twilight” actor Cam Gigandet and “True Blood” star Stephen Moyer, actress Madchen Amick and actors Christopher Plummer and Brad Dourif are joining the cast of “Priest,” based on the popular manga series of the same name. Paul Bettany stars as the titular warrior priest who must track down his kidnapped niece, presumably abducted by a group of vicious vampires.

Alleged Casting Notice Reveals Four Characters From ‘Green Lantern,’ Including Villainous Sinestro
According to SpoilerTV, an allegedly official casting notice reveals four familiar characters that will appear in Hal Jordan’s first live-action flight — Carol Ferris, Dr. Hector Hammond, Sinestro and Abin Sur. While the authenticity of the casting call can’t be verified just yet, it nonetheless provides some interesting possibilities about “Green Lantern.”

Epic fantasy graphic novel series DevaShard headed to big screen
Fluid Comics’ DevaShard, which recently previewed at San Diego Comic-Con, is making its way to the big screen, courtesy of Vanquish Motion Pictures. DevaShard, crafted by Fluid Comics’ Zen, Keith Burns and Johnny Tam, is inspired by Asian mythology, centering on two forsaken sons – one born of darkness, the other of light – who are struggling to find their place in a grim world riddled with corrupt kingdoms, cursed demons and terrifying magic.

Niles Talks Adaptation Process for 30 Days of Night Sequel Dark Days
“The first movie established the vampires fear of exposure, that the fact that nobody believes in them is their greatest strength,” Steve Niles explains, “so now, we just had to accelerate that. In the new movie, we had to start with what happened in New Orleans. We just moved that storyline from the original book to the beginning of this new one. There’s some evidence of what happened in Barrow and Stella Oleson is out there trying to spread the word just like in the Dark Days comics.”

Disney Faces Rights Issues Over Marvel
Heirs to the comic book artist Jack Kirby, a creator of characters and stories behind Marvel mainstays like “X-Men” and “Fantastic Four,” last week sent 45 notices of copyright termination to Marvel and Disney, as well as Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Universal Pictures, and other companies that have been using the characters.

Dennis Quaid ready for a G.I. Joe sequel, with one condition
“I’m definitely on board if they do another one. I don’t know if they have a script yet, but I’m definitely interested. I want to get out of the pit,” says Quaid. “I want to ride a horse and shoot a gun. I want a horse with an accelerator suit.”

Bits and Pieces

• Pixar Executive Shrugs Off ‘Ant-Man’ Rumors
• Spider-Man 4 Swings Into IMAX on May 5, 2011
• ‘Spider-Man 4′ Updates: Kirsten Dunst Confirmed & Same-Day IMAX Release
• Disney in talks to bring Indian characters to television and film.
• Gavin Hood Supports Anti-Smoking PSA For ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ DVD
• Batman: The Brave And The Bold: Henry Rollins
• CAA to act for Archie Comics Publications

The Fine Print

This is by no means meant to be a comprehensive roundup of the entire weeks’ news. All stories are chosen by me for no other reason than that they got my attention and might capture yours. If something you think is more important chime in on the feedback; we’d love to hear comments and have a conversation about it.

• Ninja Turtles casting call
• Green Hornet Kato casting call
• Ghostrider Reboot?
• Scream 4
• Toupée Bound
• FAGJ
• Robocop
• Thor
• Green Lantern
• Convention Reports/Reviews
• Under the Mountain Remake
• Whip It
• Warren Ellis writing anime
• Dr Who
• Hack/Slash
• and more…

The Podcast
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