Italian "The Raven" Poster

In this gritty thriller, Edgar Allen Poe (John Cusack) joins forces with a young Baltimore detective (Luke Evans) to hunt down a mad serial killer who’s using Poe’s own works as the basis in a string of brutal murders. Directed by James McTeigue (V for Vendetta), the film also stars Alice Eve (Sex and the City 2), Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges) and Oliver Jackson-Cohen (Faster).

When a mother and daughter are found brutally murdered in 19th century Baltimore, Detective Emmett Fields (Luke Evans) makes a startling discovery: the crime resembles a fictional murder described in gory detail in the local newspaper—part of a collection of stories penned by struggling writer and social pariah Edgar Allan Poe. But even as Poe is questioned by police, another grisly murder occurs, also inspired by a popular Poe story.

Realizing a serial killer is on the loose using Poe’s writings as the backdrop for his bloody rampage, Fields enlists the author’s help in stopping the attacks. But when it appears someone close to Poe may become the murderer’s next victim, the stakes become even higher and the inventor of the detective story calls on his own powers of deduction to try to solve the case before it’s too late.

"The Avengers" Character Posters

Based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series, first published in 1963, Marvel’s The Avengers brings together the mightiest super hero characters as they all assemble together on screen for the first time. Continuing the epic big-screen adventures started in Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger, Marvel’s The Avengers is the super hero team up of a lifetime. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster.

The Hunger Games: Peeta's Interview Clip

As fans of The Hunger Games books already know, Peeta Mellark is not only a charmer in those twisted pre-games interviews, but he also has an uncanny knack for dropping the occasional bombshell when everyone else (especially Katniss Everdeen) is least expecting it.

In this clip, courtesy of MTV, we get our first look of Peeta's interview with Caesar Flickerman, when he just happens to mention something about his fellow District 12 tribute:

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Without giving anything away, let's just say this isn't the last time he takes everyone by surprise during an interview.

The Hunger Games, which will include the full seven seconds of gore that has been cut from the UK release, will open in theaters on March 23rd.

The Muppets: Blu-Ray Sneak Peak

Next week sees the release of The Muppets on DVD and blu-ray, and the extra features are shaping up to be as much fun as the movie was, judging by these early previews, posted by MuppetMusings. 

First up is a clip from the feature "Scratching the Surface: A Hasty Examination of the Making of The Muppets", which, in true Muppet fashion, doesn't seem to get around to the actual making of the film:

We'll also be getting some deleted scenes, including this throwback to The Muppet Show's old "Muppet Labs" sketch, as Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker explain how Gonzo's flying bowling ball worked in a scene entitled "Head Bowling":

Can't wait to get this one.  The Muppets arrives on DVD and blu-ray on March 20th.

Battleship Trailer #3

Given the timing, hard not to label it a coincidence the third Battleship trailer focuses little attention on lead Taylor Kitsch, post John Carter bombing, and playing up the alien/robot/whatever those-are-supposed-to-be destruction.

Tired as it may be to throw around the Transformers, unfair to place fault against those doing so when every trailer so far makes no qualms telling us this is from "the company that brought you Transformers" and could visually pass for Transformers IV: The Voyage Home.

Life Happens One Sheet

A comedy centered on three young women - Kim (Krysten Ritter), Deena (Kate Bosworth) and Laura (Rachel Bilson) - who all live under the same roof in Los Angeles. When one of Kim's one-night-stands results in an unexpected pregnancy, things take a sudden turn for the trio. With the help of her girlfriends, Kim must cope with single motherhood as she jumps back into the dating scene amid the fear that toting around a tot can be a dating ‘buzz-kill.’ Also featuring Jason Biggs, Seymour Cassel, Rhys Coiro, Justin Kirk, Kristen Johnston, Andrea Savage, Geoff Stults and Fallon Goodson, L!FE HAPPENS takes a look at single living, friendship and the joys of life's curveballs.

Skyfall Promises Anton Chigurh, Master of Disguise

Here is your first look at Javier Bardem in Skyfall, out in public during the shoot for the first time, as supplied by Daily Mail UK. We also have the name of the Oscar-winner's heavy (Silva) and a slight detail to his character. He'll be incognito during a raid where chaos spills out in the streets of London. Perhaps the attack on MI6 as alluded to in the official, and vague, plot synopsis?

Weekend Box Office: March 9 - 11

Courtesy of Box Office Mojo:

1.  The Lorax - $39.1 million

2.  John Carter - $30.6 million

3.  Project X - $11.5 million

4.  Silent House - $7.01 million

5.  Act of Valor - $7 million

6.  A Thousand Words - $6.3 million

7.  Safe House - $5 million

8.  The Vow - $4 million

9.  This Means War - $3.7 million

10.  Journey 2: The Mysterious Island - $3.6 million

The weekend box office ended exactly as expected...which wasn't good news for Disney, whose mega-budgeted sci-fi adventure John Carter not only fell flat with an estimated $30.6 million, but its opening couldn't even best the second weekend of The Lorax, which took the top spot with $39.1 million.

John Carter's demise was inevitable, with reports of reshoots, a budget reportedly in the $250 million range, and a poor marketing campaign that failed to sell the film to audiences unfamiliar with the original Edgar Rice Burroughs stories that the film was based on.  It did somewhat better overseas, earning and additional $70.6 million, but it's going to have to do a lot better than that to recoup its losses, which at this point isn't likely. 

The Lorax, in the meantime, will surpass The Vow this weekend to become 2012's highest grossing film until The Hunger Games opens in two weeks (which could hold that record until The Dark Knight Rises gets here this summer).  The animated Dr. Suess adaptation had a respectable 44% drop from last week's unbelievably good opening.

Also holding up well for a second weekend (and likely hoarding the audience that Disney was hoping would show up for John Carter) was Project X, which earned an estimated $11.5 million.  The latest in the found-footage genre has grossed $40.1 million so far.

The news wasn't much brighter for the other new releases this weekend, as the horror film Silent House, which opened with just $7 million and reportedly earned an "F" Cinemascore rating from audiences.  Yikes.  The Eddie Murphy movie A Thousand Words, which seemed to appear out of nowhere, seems headed to that exact same location, as that tanked with only $6.3 million.

The 80s return next weekend as the big screen version of 21 Jump Street opens in theaters.  Joining that will be the subtitled Will Ferrell comedy Case de me padre, and the indie comedy Jeff, Who Lives at Home.

Just Say No Tom - Cruise Eyed for 'A Star is Born'

For a guy who has now completed his movie star comeback (M:I - Ghost Protocol is ready to cross the $700 million mark worldwide), Tom Cruise is in a prime position for his career going forward.  He's got Rock of Ages coming out this summer which is almost a guaranteed $100 million hit, One Shot coming out early next year (which from all accounts will be a great film), and he just started shooting the sci-fi epic, Oblivion, which is set to hit next summer.

That is why it is beyond me he would even consider to headline Clint Eastwood's remake of A Star is Born which is being put together over at Warner Bros. right now.  No, it's not the fact that Eastwood will be behind the camera (that man is an American legend).  It's the fact that a certain publicity whoring musician/wannabe actress named Beyonce is attached to star as well.

As you may recall, Leonardo DiCaprio was originally set to play the part Cruise is being courted for which is of an over-the-hill musician who falls for a young starlet (Beyonce) he's trying to help make a star.  However, DiCaprio probably realized Beyonce can't act for shit and dropped out of the project before he got in too deep.

Look, I get it that Eastwood is behind the film and any actor would kill to work with the man, but I'm sorry, when you have a celebrity (not an actress) such as Beyonce in the film as well, there is a certain part of both Hollywood and the moviegoing public that will not take your film seriously.  I think it has been pretty much established that this woman can not act and that having her in a movie is just that: having Beyonce star in a movie.

I won't go as far as to say this will be Tom Cruise's Bodyguard if he signs on, but I think at the point the actor's career is in right now, he can choose better and more interesting roles to say the least.

We'll see what the actor decides in the coming weeks as the film is expected to start shooting this July.

Source: Variety

"The Loved Ones" Trailer

Lola Stone asked Brent Mitchell to the prom, but Brent said no, and now he's screwed. What happens when Lola doesn't get what she wants? She enlists Daddy's help to throw a prom of her own, where she is queen and Brent is king - whether he likes it or not. The Loved Ones is what happens when puppy love goes horribly, violently wrong. Brent should have said yes….

ComingSoon.Net