First Look at Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern

Here is the exclusive "First Look" at Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern. This comes courtesy of Entertainment Weekly in their forthcoming Comic-Con themed issue.

Take a moment and let that picture settle in. Am I the only one who thinks that looks terrible?

Granted it’s always fair to give the filmmakers the benefit of the doubt. But when the news broke awhile back that Reynolds' suit would be a CGI concoction, I wasn't thrilled. It didn't help that the plan was to originally have the actor in an actual suit and I even recall remarks from the likes of Geoff Johns talking about how they saw Reynolds up close and personal in the costume.

But this is...eh. Maybe it'll grow on me?

Elizabeth Banks IS Tinkerbell!

Not much to go off here. But if you (like me) are a huge fan of Elizabeth Banks and waiting for the day the general public get off their collective asses and make her a star, we could be one step closer.

The trades says Banks (Warner Brothers, are you listening? Make her Lois Lane, dammit!) is attached to Disney's Tink. They're not going into many details except to say it "plays with the mischievous nature of the Tinkerbell character" and is a romantic comedy. No telling if and/or how Peter Pan plays into this. Maybe this version has him as the asshole boyfriend.

Jennifer Gibgot, McG and Adaam Shankman are serving as producers and Elizabeth Wright Shapiro will write. No director is currently onboard.

Jonah Nolan Is the Frontrunner to Direct The Man of Steel; "TV Star" Looked At For Superman

Our pals at Movie Hole have an update on the "Jonah Nolan directing Superman" item that resurfaced a few days ago. That rumor originated from yours truly. But since the original story is nowhere to be seen now, I'll merely point you in the direction of Team Morris and Screen Rant.

According to their source(s), Nolan is not fully onboard to call the shots, but "it looks like he will get the job." That's a benefit of having your older brother (Christopher Nolan) and sister-in-law (Emma Thomas) serving as the producers. It also helps they're coming off successfully rebooting the Batman franchise and have another potential money-maker about to open with Inception. Reminds me of how Spielberg championed Bob Zemeckis early on.

It's a mixed bag. Although Jonah is obviously a very good (if not great) writer, I'm drawing a blank on any potential directorial skill he’s shown in the past. He’s been writing with his brother for years. So it’s not hard to imagine that itch has hit him too. For all we know, he has a slew of student films he made back in the day collecting dust at home. *Shrugs* I'll go with it either way. Peter Jackson took a risk on Neill Blomkamp and look how that worked out.  

As for the approach of the new movie, apparently this isn't going to be a full-on reboot or even a "requel" like Bryan Singer's Superman Returns:

"This Superman is neither a reboot or a sequel. It's just a Superman film. The basic elements of the storyline are: BIG action, BIG set-pieces, witty dialogue, playful romance, a light-hearted feelgood mood juxtaposed with derring-do and danger, top-notch cast, epic feel, sci-fi background (sounds a little like Donner, right?) BUT with some sort of huge twist on the legend."

So essentially they’re going in the old-school James Bond approach. Loose continuity, rarely (if ever) directly reference earlier installments, interchangeable cast, etc. Hey, that has worked for Eon for almost fifty years, before hitting the "reboot" button on Casino Royale.

The biggest question of all, of course, is who will be done the red-and-blue suit come Christmas 2012? Although being coy, here's a morsel of info:

"Also, it is a TV star that they're looking at for the lead - but, despite what that article says, I don't believe anyone has actually tested."

Well...there are a couple of cats this could definitely be. It's obvious who Clint is talking about: John Krasinski.

You Wouldn't Like Mark Ruffalo When He's Angry...

It's a mad dash getting to The Avengers. One of the last pieces left in the puzzle is who will replace Edward Norton (who in turn replaced Eric Bana) as Bruce Banner and his hot-headed alter-ego for Marvel's superhero team-up?

Earlier reports pointed in the direction of Joaquin Phoenix, Adrian Brody, etc. as candidates. Not surprisingly in an effort to have things done just in time for next week's Comic-Con, it looks like the studio and director Joss Whedon have settled on someone.

Word is (via "TOLDJA!") Mark Ruffalo is in "late-stage discussions" for the role. This is actually easy to visualize. He’s a solid actor having delivered good work in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Zodiac, and Shutter Island. He happens to be coming off the critical/commercial success of the indie comedy The Kids Are All Right.

Not to mention, he won't throw a hissy fit and refuse to promote his movie unlike certain other ex-Banners. I know plenty will find this casting shocking. But I can honestly say, I don't whatsoever.

Paramount Searching for Jack Ryan Reboot Moscow Director

Chris Pine is already headlining Paramount’s rebooted Star Trek franchise. Well that's anchored equally by him and Zachary Quinto. So it'll be interesting to see how he manages with another past-glory film-series in need of adrenaline all by himself. In this case, the Jack Ryan reboot Moscow.

The latest issue of Production Weekly (via The Playlist) says Paramount has begun meeting with directors for a targeted "next late winter, early spring," start. The helmers in question are Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted), Kevin MacDonald (The Last King of Scotland), Sam Raimi (Need I have to state one of his films?) and Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean).

Taking a meeting doesn't necessarily mean anything. It's standard operating procedure. What makes it note-worthy is how seemingly all four guys have other projects ready to go. Particularly the latter two – Raimi's Oz: The Great and Powerful starts lensing next June and Verbinski just signed up for 20^th Century Fox's The Secret Life of Walter Mitty remake. There's also the fact that Raimi was originally supposed to direct the Ryan reboot. His loyalty to Spider-Man led him to vacate the project, and look what that got him.

Of course, there's no telling how recently these meetings took place and who else is on the studio’s radar.

Mission: Impossible IV Not Dead & Tom Cruise Is Returning!

Even despite the under-performance of Knight & Day, I couldn't imagine Paramount handing Mission: Impossible IV the pink-slip as first suggested a few weeks back. Why? Because common sense would dictate the studio already knew what they were getting into by going back into business with Tom Cruise after their (rather ugly) public divorce back in 2006.

More importantly, J.J. Abrams is serving as the producer on this fourth installment and, as everyone is fully aware, he’s their Golden Boy.

Regardless the studio has been reportedly paying close attention to the reception of Cruise's return to the action/spy genre. Yes, the movie is under-performing stateside. But that’s hardly a surprise given the weak marketing (Check out that awful tie dye/sillouhuette one-sheet). It should be pointed out however the drop-offs on Knight & Day have actually been good – suggesting good word-of-mouth.

Even as they're eyeing the overseas numbers, the studio has set the record straight to THR. Tom Cruise will return in M:I 4. That's not to suggest his Ethan Hunt character won't be used in a more supporting/mentor capacity (as originally speculated).

As these aged franchises wane on, recasting (going for younger, unknown and, key word here, cheap) has become studios' best friend. Paramount just saw the benefits of such a move with Abrams' Star Trek and others are headed in that direction with fresh-blood casts for Spider-Man, X-Men, Superman and possibly Jason Bourne.

Marvel Officially Going 3D

Just a week away from Comic-Con, Marvel is getting the ball rolling with a slew of major announcements. Hopefully the reception from nerds/geeks/fanboys will be the polar opposite of that "whole Ed Norton thing."

Hero Complex has received official confirmation from the studio on one longtime rumor. Thor and Captain America will be presented in 3D this time next summer. Once again, we're looking at post-conversion work done here (*Sigh*). But to be fair, the filmmakers have been developing their wide-list of effects shots for 3D. So it’s not this is a last minute call (read: Clash of the Titans, The Last Airbender, etc.)

Additionally, we can expect some "bombshell announcements" on The Avengers including the identity of the new Bruce Banner/Hulk. Something that CHUD alluded to in their reporting of Joaquin Phoenix being offered the role.

And because all of that wasn't enough, we also have a nice official "First Look" at "the Gods of Thor" – i.e. Chris Hemsworth as our hero, Anthony Hopkins as big-papa Odin and Tom Hiddleston as rat-bastard trickster brother Loki.

Peter Jackson Doing Busy Work Waiting for Hobbit Greenlight

No, there's yet to be a greenlight. No, a deal hasn't been finalized to get Peter Jackson to direct. And Yes, MGM's bounced-checks are still a thorn in everyone’s side. But that hasn't stopped some work from being done on The Hobbit.

Heat Vision says the Lord of the Rings director/screenwriter/producer is hanging out in Los Angeles this week. His priority at this time is working with casting director Victoria Burrows, meeting with actors and slowly piecing together a cast.

It sounds like they want to have all their ducks lined up. So the moment either MGM gets bought or their share of the rights gets sold to another party (in high probability WB), they can get cameras rolling ASAP. Regardless, I don’t see how anyone seriously thinks that Christmas 2012 release date is happening.

Way too much time has been pissed away thanks to the Lion's troubles. If this flick was going to happen in the near-future, Guillermo del Toro wouldn't have resigned his directorial position. Simple as that, kids.

Pixar Reportedly Helping Out On Tron: Legacy

I was shooting the shit with a buddy/webmaster-colleague last night when he noted what a great job Disney has been doing for Tron: Legacy. No doubt, the studio and filmmakers are going to make their presence known at Comic-Con next week.

When you think about it, it's a ballsy move on the Mouse's part. Make a sequel to nearly thirty-year-old cult classic that was an expensive box-office flop upon its release. And shoot it in 3D. The funny thing is I think Legacy is going to be a monster hit this Christmas. I'm definitely going to pay the extra cash to see this sucker in 3D, and I hate the gimmick with all my might.

Entertainment Weekly says Disney has gone the extra mile to assure a quality product.

The studio hired Pixar alum Brad Bird (Oscar-winning writer/director of The Incredibles and Ratatouille) and Michael Arndt (who penned 2010's biggest blockbuster Toy Story 3 and himself an Oscar winner for Little Miss Sunshine) to pen a week's worth of reshoots that took place a month back. Before anyone starts foul, director Joe Kosinski called the shots behind the cameras and even screenwriters Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz were still involved.

Apparently the plan was to get Pixar onboard to beef up three areas they're well-known for: character, emotion and theme. Should be interesting to see how much said additional photography plays in the final product. I can't see this as a negative news-item.

Amanda Seyfried is Forever Young in I'm.mortal

The jury is still out on how Amanda Seyfried will fare in the long-run. Personally, I think she very well could avoid being a "flavor of the month" like many her age and have a substantial career. But again, that remains to be seen.

The trades report she’ll headline Andrew Niccol's sci-fi thriller I'm.mortal. The film is set in a future society where the aging process has been stopped. The catch is in order to maintain immortality (essentially stay at 25 years old) one has to pay for it. Thus the rich and powerful will live on forever and the middle and lower class wither and die thanks to Father Time.

The actual plot centers around one such lower-class individual being falsely accused of murder and going on the run. In the midst of this, he takes a wealthy young woman (to be played by Seyfried) and, of course, sparks fly as our hero attempts to discover who framed him.

That male lead has yet to be cast.

Production is expected to start at the end of this year.