Martin Freeman Not Out of The Hobbit Business Just Yet!

Fuck a duck! The UK tabloids were dead on. Huh.

In an update on the story from yesterday, Entertainment Weekly confirms Martin Freeman was indeed offered a seven-figure payday to play Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit. While verifying the British actor turned it down (due to his prior commitments to another season of Sherlock), word is Warner Brothers/MGM aren't taking "No" for an answer just yet.

The studios have punched up a proposed schedule that would allow Freeman to finish his arrangements to the hit BBC series (He's booked up for 20 weeks worth of work next year) and headline the two Hobbit movies. All parties are working to reach a deal.

Certainly an interesting development and a positive note for fans desperately waiting to hear good news on the troubled productions' front. So does this suddenly make me change my tune on my thoughts The Hobbit won't happen anytime soon? Nope, there are still plenty of other things to get done before cameras can roll in New Zealand – namely sort out MGM’s money woes and determine just who the Hell is directing this.

Joel McHale Joins Spy Kids 4

The trades report Joel McHale (star of Community on NBC that you should be watching and E!'s The Soup) has joined the cast of Spy Kids 4. He'll play "the spy-hunting reporter" husband of the earlier cast Jessica Alba whose kids will be the new protagonists this time around.

Casting is still underway for the tiny heroes and the villain, the Time Keeper. Presumably production will commence in the coming months to make its August 19, 2011 release.

Is there still interest among the general populous for this franchise? I'd say...probably. The first three were relatively well-liked and successful. Then again, I don't think the world is begging for more. But I could imagine this fourth installment (being labeled as a reboot for some reason) will do fine next summer.

Ronald Reagan Biopic in the Works

Hollywood is taking another stab at President Ronald Reagan's life, and thankfully for their sake, they've (supposedly) learned from the mistakes of the infamous 2003 television mini-series.

THR has the details.

Reagan will be adapted from two top-selling biographies of the fortieth U.S. President, has a $30 million budget and aiming for a late 2011 release. No distribution deal has been hammered out nor have any actors or filmmakers lined up.

Let the fantasy casting begin and I'll go ahead and throw a name in the ring for "Paw Paw Reagan" (as my sister used to call him) – Jon Hamm.

One shouldn't do a ball-sucklingly positive portrayal. That's boring, pandering and uninspired. But you don't need to go so overtly-negative either. Doing that makes everyone involved come off as Hollywood assholes preaching to us dumb-folk in "fly-over country."

Robert Schwentke Secures R.I.P.D. Directing Gig

A couple of weeks back surfaced reports Robert Schwentke (whose latest Red opens this fall) was the front-runner for the Ryan Reynolds-starring R.I.P.D. He was also said to be in contention for Wolverine 2, but I think we all know here this sounded like the better route to go.

"TOLDJA" reports it's now a done deal as Schwentke will direct the supernatural/buddy-cop project. Based on the comic by Peter Lenkov, Reynolds will play a deceased cop continuing his line of work in the afterlife as he's partnered up with a gunslinger from the Old West.

Production is being eyed to start towards the end of summer 2011. Reynolds is booked solid from here on out with the currently-lensing comedy The Change Up with Jason Bateman, the action/thriller Safe House with Denzel Washington early next year and his worldwide promotional circuit to pimp Green Lantern.

It's also further proof (like it or not) Reynolds won't be headlining that Deadpool movie Fox keeps talking up.

Michael Caine versus Bees: Round 2

Michael Caine has joined Josh Hutcherson and Dwayne Johnson (*Sigh*) for Journey 2: The Mysterious Island according to Heat Vision. He’ll play Hutcherson's granddaddy which will reportedly see the two-time Oscar-winner in "action mode, engaging in several chase sequences, including one involving giant bees."

Hence The Swarm reference in the title.

Hey, the man likes to work and Batman 3 won't be shooting until next spring. I can't wave my nagging finger of disappointment at Caine simply because he's already done plenty of bad movies in years past (the afore-mentioned Swarm, Beyond the Poseidon Adventure, Jaws: The Revenge, Bewitched, etc.)

Hilary Duff in Contention for Spider-Man Reboot

Feels a bit like déjà vu from a year ago when every actress under the sun was rumored to be Black Cat for Spider-Man 4. With the newbie Webhead secured in Andrew Garfield, it's time to fill out the supporting players, including an as-yet-cast villain and the young dame to cause heartbreak and cock-teasing. In the case of this new iteration, we're talking about Gwen Stacey.

In a piece focused on her home with husband Mike Comrie, the Globe & Mail gave away that former teen-star Hilary Duff is up for the role in the 3D reboot:

"Although tastefully furnished (Comrie says he's unsure if anything is from The Brick), it is relatively humble by Beverly Hills standards. The kitchen contains evidence of their professional lives – his daily diet is posted on the fridge (from a bacon cheddar burrito for breakfast to five pigs-in-a-blanket as a nighttime snack) and a script marked 'Spiderman' sits on the table, with lines for a character simply called “girl” highlighted in yellow (rumours swirl about who Spidey's love interest will be in the series' next instalment.)"

I'm sure there's no way they thought putting that spec of a detail wouldn't spike up the hit-counts for a post most normally wouldn't give any attention to! She's such a logical choice for Gwen too! I mean she already has blonde hair and all. She’s perfect!

All power to her, but I'm not holding my breath expecting Marc Webb & Co. to go this way.

Martin Freeman to The Hobbit: "Thanks, But No Thanks!"

What happened to Tobey Maguire and The Hobbit? I didn't doubt those rumors originating towards the end of last year and since his reign as Spider-Man is over, shouldn't it have been easy to get his signature on a deal to headline the Lord of the Rings precursor?

Nonetheless, another actor is rumored to be in the running for the youthful Mr. Baggins.

According to The Sun, an offer was made by Martin Freeman, star of the original UK incarnation of The Office and currently of the BBC hit Sherlock. He's been a fan-favorite for the role, but don't start leaping for joy fanboys. He apparently 86ed the opportunity to succeed Sir Ian Holm:

"It was too late for Martin because he had already signed up for another series of Sherlock. It was agonising but he had no other choice."

Since this originated from the UK tabloids, there's a 99.999999% chance this is utter bullshit, and that would make me a sucker for even running with this. But hey someone has to keep spreading false hope about The Hobbit.

Gemma Arterton Meeting Ridley Scott about Alien Prequels

Even with the talent involved, I don't give a damn about these proposed Alien prequels. Please, Ridley Scott, we don’t need to be told in specific details just where those acid-blooded fuckers came from or what the deal is (well, was) with the giant space jockey. Some things are just better left to our imagination, or fan-fiction.

Alas, 20^th Century Fox seems content with moving this forward and I get the impression this will happen with or without Scott behind the helm. Maybe his logic is "I might as well be the guy to do it, right?" *Shrugs*

Speaking to The Times (via Digital Spy), Gemma Arterton confesses she'll soon meet with the Blade Runner helmer upon his request after seeing her performance in The Disappearance of Alice Creed. Details are being kept to the minimum, but rest assured she wouldn't be playing a younger Ellen Ripley. Oh God, please tell me Ripley's mum isn’t the lead.

With Quantum of Solace, Prince of Persia, Clash of the Titans (and its 2012 sequel lensing next Spring), doesn't she have enough tentpoles under her belt already?

Natalie Portman Offered Gravity

Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity, plagued with delays and ill-fated searches for its lead, may have found salvation.

Hot off the heels of the glowing reviews for Black Swan, Risky Business says a firm offer has been sent to Natalie Portman to headline the ambitious space-set 3D Robert Downey Jr. co-starring project.

This comes after two rejections from original choice Angelina Jolie, recent rumblings of Rachel Weisz being name-dropped (via Latino Review), and Scarlett Johansson and Blake Lively being earlier touted as the two finalists.

She doesn't have the overseas box-office appeal of Jolie (a key, but fair, reasoning behind Warner Brothers' hesitance). But she has a crop of high-profilers hitting next year – the Ivan Reitman-directed comedy No Strings, Your Highness and, of course, Thor.

Knock on wood, this crisis has been averted and she accepts.

So THAT's How David Tennant Looks in Fright Night Remake!

Well, there goes my concern. My number one issue with remaking Fright Night has always been how one would update the Peter Vincent character. We already heard he would go from a horror-movie icon-turned-late night movie-host to a Criss Angel-type performer.

Shock Till You Drop has the "First look" at actor David Tennant (aka Doctor Who to many of you good readers) in character and, damn, is he unrecognizable.