'Avatar' Sequel Talk. Surprised?

Not necessarily breaking news to anybody with a brain stem, but James Cameron and the studio wants to work on an "Avatar" sequel. Why wouldn't you want to get a sequel out to a film that has made over a billion dollars world wide in less than a month? Call me crazy but that sounds like good business. It's even more full proof of a venture than greenlighting a Batman 3. I'm sure Alan Horn and Jeff Robinov are waiting in a room with a giant replica of Big Ben right now just waiting for their bat phone replica to ring, "Alan, Jeff, this is Chris Nolan...I'm ready."

James Cameron and a couple of his whiz special effects artists took part in a Q&A at the Arclight Theater in Hollywood last night. A loyal Aint It Cool News reader sent in the following scoop to the powers that be at the website.

Don't know if this is newsworthy, but I just saw a Variety Screening Series showing of Avatar at the Arclight theater in Hollywood tonight, followed with a Q&A with James Cameron and two of his visual effects artists. One of the artists mentioned that they'll never again do this for the first time, meaning that everything they did in the making of Avatar was just a lot of instinctive grasping in the dark. Cameron agreed with him. He also told him to expect the studio to want another one, as they'd passed the billion $ mark. A second film will be easier, as the technology now exists, thanks to the movie. The moderator asked if there *would* be an Avatar sequel. To which Cameron answered that the plan had always been to make a trilogy of films. Finally, Cameron actually said it: "Yes, there'll be another."

So there you have it, the big wigs at the studio and Cameron are thinking sequel. Natural progression. The question is will it really happen? Sometimes things get in the way, other projects, money, actors availability. Thoughts?

Another Ghost Rider Movie...Why?

For some unknown reason Columbia Pictures actually wants to go forward with another "Ghost Rider" film. I can't say enough bad things about the first one and I am not interested in seeing another one. That film left such a bad taste in my mouth that it took me at least five Nicholas Cage films to forgive the man. It is obvious I am not alone with my feelings about "Ghost Rider" or a possible rehash. According to Collider the studio is well aware of the multitude of issues that "Ghost Rider" suffered from and Collider's interview with producer Mike De Luca details some of the things they are going to do to fix said issues.

– Mark Steven Johnson is not directing the sequel
– Eva Mendes will not return as Roxanne Simpson
– Ghost Rider 2 (or Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance) will be a hard PG-13
– The film is going to take place in Europe
– De Luca is open to David Goyer directing the sequel but it all comes down to his very busy schedule
– Says the sequel will be like “pushing the reset button” on the franchise
– As you might expect from the success of Avatar, Ghost Rider 2 might be done in 3D
– Says Goyer has just delivered his updated outline to the studio
– And says Ghost Rider 2 could be in front of the cameras this year

It sounds like the studio recognizes the faults and is going to make an attempt to fix them, the question is, does anybody care? By anybody, I am referencing the general public. Will 3D attract enough attention to put asses in the seats? Some might think that "Avatar" has put the opinion that 3D is merely a gimmick to rest with it's otherworldly performance, but a "Ghost Rider" sequel is no "Avatar". I really like Goyer taking the pen to paper but why get rid of Eva Mendes, she is the only reason I kept watching the first one. How is it possible that the we never saw a sequel to "Daredevil" and won't be seeing a sequel to "Superman Returns" but will be blessed with a sequel to "Ghost Rider". Is it me?

Tobey Macquire Talks Spidey

By now we all are well aware that "Spider Man 4" is in trouble. It certainly has been delayed, despite the hopes and dreams of fanboys and the insistence that it was a holiday break by some websites. The holidays are over folks and from the sounds of things working on "Spider Man 4" has been no picnic. Can't decided on villians, multiple writers brought in, casting issues. The list goes on and on. Granted a lot of these issues are present on many of the movies we know and love but said trials and tribulations might never be publicized. Tobey Maguire spoke with LA Times' The Envelop via webcam on Thursday and tried to calm the brewing storm among fans.

"Like anything, it's a process.  We're just in the midst of the process. We have a lot of great stuff in terms of story and script. We're just trying to dial it in and get it ready as quickly as possible. Of course, these movies are a very big undertaking and take a lot more time than a drama or something more straightforward."

"Not only do I have specific ideas, but the ideas are evolving on the page. It's all happening right now. It's all sort of coming together. It's very exciting to me. I think the evolution of the character is really exciting, to be rooted in the history of what we've done already and to have a continuity, yet have a progression or evolution."

Very political, welcome to "Spin City". Although I'm sure Tobey is sincere with his words and does a good job in his attempts to appease a somewhat divided fanbase, these issues won't be fixed in a day. For the sake of everybody involved here is to hoping that the ship is steered in the right direction and we see a "Spider-Man 4" as soon as possible. It is good for the industry and good for us writers. I'm still of the mindset we don't see this version of "Spider-Man" on the big screen and a fresh take a little further down the line. What about a "Spider-Man" that takes place a decade after the events of the 3rd one? You don't cancel out the foundation Raimi laid out but you are introduced to a more mature Spider-Man in a more dangerous version of NY. Just a thought.

"The Wolfman" Has Nards

There's been a lot of rumors swirling around Universal's "The Wolfman". Reshoots and a release date change didn't help to put a stop to the whispers and negative buzz has been rearing its ugly head in some circles. Believe it or not, reshoots and release date changes don't always translate into a bad thing. You remember a little film called "Star Trek" that dropped May of 2009, yeah said film was originally dropping in Christmas 2008. Sure there are many times when reshoots and release dates can kill a film, but according to "The Wolfman" producer Scott Stuber via AICN, that isn't true in this case.

1) It was Joe Johnston's idea to bring in editor Walter Murch after the spring '09 reshoots to supply a "fresh perspective" and, most importantly, get the film in shape. "We were running a little long in that phase because we'd added new footage," said Stuber. "So it was about shaping that footage. There's never been that kind of contention; it's never been this editing suite vs. that editing suite." Stuber had nothing but praise for Dennis Virkler's work, and insisted this was all about getting a new pair of eyes. My opinion: if Walter Murch is willing to work on your film, you hire Walter Murch.

2) Murch did the bulk of the work. Mark Goldblatt was only on for three or four weeks to assist with a complicated London set piece.

3) Moving the release date from November to February was all about finishing the f/x, particularly in that London sequence. "You have all of these backgrounds you've got to get right," said Stuber. "All of these period buildings and the way they're lit. They weren't getting finished correctly, so they sort of took you out of [the film] a little bit. Getting the extra six weeks to work on that stuff was helpful."

4) Per Stuber: "The thing about Donna [Langley]... they weren't really involved in that stuff. They knew [what we were] doing, and they were supportive of it, but there's never been an editing room that was sanctioned by the studio against the filmmakers."

5) The dual test screenings in November were not dueling test screenings. "There were sequences or pieces that we wanted to try differently," said Stuber. "And we did them back-to-back so we could watch them. Like when [inspector Francis] Abbberline (Hugo Weaving) arrives at the house for the first time." Basically, it was all about rhythm and pacing. Nothing major. By the way, they've got their R-rating from the MPAA, so don't worry about that being rescinded.

6) The future of Universal's other "Classic Monsters" is not contingent on the success of THE WOLFMAN. Each of these projects is its own entity, and they all have little to do with one another.

This all sounds well and good. You could look at it a number of ways. Universal really wants to make this work and is taking their time and pulling out all the stops to get it right. Caring about the characters and hoping the audience will as well. Or you can look at it another way, the project has been deluged with indecision and misdirection and now the studio and all involved are trying to spin this mess into a positive. I guess it might depend on the kind of person you are, glass half full or glass half empty? The true indicator will be the reception the movie receives upon its release and in the studio's case, how much money they are able to clear and put in their pockets. 

'Thor' Puts The Hammer To 'Spider-Man 4'

It's been a whirlwind tour for fans of the Spider-Man franchise the past several months. First we heard that "Spider-Man 4" would feature The Black Cat on November 9th. Then we heard the likes of Rachel McAdams, Julia Stiles, and Anne Hathaway were the actresses circling the role. Almost exactly a month later IESB had the scoop that "Spider-Man 4" was actually shutting down production despite the protests from various sites that it was just a "holiday break". Yesterday we learned that Rob over at IESB was right on the money when Nikki Finke "confirmed" the story. Now that you're all caught up on the comings and goings of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man we'll move on to the latest news.

Paramount hasn't wasted even a minute of time after hearing that that Spider-Man's web has been packed away for the time being. They have gone ahead and moved up 'Thor' a couple weeks to 5/6/11 from its original release date of 5/20/11. I would imagine this will finally detach some fanboy's heads out of the sand long enough to realize that "Spider-Man 4" really is going to be delayed and there are indeed problems on the set. I'm all for living in denial in some situations, but let's face facts, "Spider-Man 4" is not coming out in 2011.

Don't want to believe me? Nikki Finke is now reporting that the crew for "Spider-Man 4" has been told to look for other work. Sound familiar? It should be, that is exactly what the crew for "Justice League: Mortal" was told and soon after that movie was sent to the Phantom Zone, never to be heard from again. This very well could be the end of "Spider-Man 4".  Don't be surprised if the next time you see Spider-Man on screen it is courtesy of the "reboot" scripts James Vanderbilt is penning for which are being called "Spider-Man 5" and "Spider-Man 6".

'Avatar' Takes Over Box Office Again

Weekend Actuals Jan 1st - Jan 3rd

1 Avatar $68,490,688
2 Sherlock Holmes $36,612,481
3 Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel $35,189,653
4 It's Complicated $18,802,965    
7 The Princess and the Frog $9,824,311
8 Did You Hear About the Morgans? $4,932,338
9 Invictus $3,909,312    
10 Nine $3,901,203 

'Sherlock Holmes' Can't Solve 'Avatar'

Weekend Actuals Dec 25th - Dec 27th

1 Avatar $75,617,183
2 Sherlock Holmes $62,304,277
3 Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel $48,875,415
4 It's Complicated $22,100,820    
5 The Blind Side $11,519,345
6 Up in the Air $11,270,248
7 The Princess and the Frog $9,004,610
8 Nine     $5,452,513 1,412
9 Did You Hear About the Morgans? $5,000,143
10 Invictus $4,067,541 

Exclusive Interview With Melora Hardin

It is hard enough to find success in one field, never mind multiple fields. Can you imagine balancing acting on television and film, singing and dancing on Broadway, directing a feature film, and creating your own album? I sure can't, but for Melora Hardin, it is just another day at "The Office". I was delighted when the incredibly talented Melora agreed to answer some questions for ThinkMcflyThink.com Enjoy our exclusive interview where she discusses the past, present, and future of her multi-faceted career.

Television:

When you signed on to play Jan Levinson in “The Office”, did you ever expect the character to become as big as she did?

I had an inkling that she was going to be a special character, but it was really a collaboration between myself, the writers, and the audience responding to her that made her what she is.

The dynamic between your character Jan Levinson and the Steve Carrell’s character Michael Scott on “The Office” is perfection. Is that something you work on or does it just happen?

Greg Daniels (exec producer, creator of the American, "The Office"), Steve and I knew there was a special spark between Jan and Michael in the pilot and I think it was just a magical combination from the start that was always easy and surprising.

You played the character of Trudy Monk, Monk’s deceased wife on the hit show “Monk”. The show just ended its successful run. What will you miss most about being a part of that show?

Tony Shaloub and Randy Zisk (producer) are both stellar guys and such fun to work with.

Anything else on the horizon for you in the world of television?

Looking for something that I can star in that excites my imagination, something creative and strong.  I really want a special character to follow up 'Jan.'

Stage:

You played Roxie Hart in “Chicago”, how do does it feel being up there on stage live, not having the luxury to do another take as is the case with film and television? How do you deal with that pressure?

I felt so at home on stage doing 8 shows a week.  I love the pressure of live theatre which really doesn’t feel like pressure to me at all.  It’s just pure joy to play out a whole story, beginning, middle, and end night after night and see what is new and how things play with each, unique audience.  I can’t wait to get back on Broadway!

What other Broadway plays would you be interested in being a part of? Also, what do you recommend as a must see on Broadway?

I loved singing, dancing and acting, skills I’ve been honing my whole life, so I’d love to do another musical! I really want to originate a role on Broadway and it would be so wonderful to use all my skills to do that.  I LOVED “Next To Normal”, and “Westside Story”.  I’ve also heard “Orphan’s Cycle” is fabulous and is coming to Broadway! 

Film:

You worked with Miley Cyrus on” Hannah Montana: The Movie” and Zac Efron on 17 Again, and like yourself they are both talented singers and actors, talk about that experience.

They are both very talented and I enjoyed them both for different reasons.  We didn’t really talk about music that much, but Zac was very interested in hearing what I’m doing musically, so I’ll have to make sure he gets a copy of my upcoming CD, “All The Way To Mars” which comes out Feb 9^th.

I believe your next film, “Knucklehead” is now in post production, what’s the plot and tell us about your character.

“Knucklehead” is a really sweet story about a misfit who wreaks havoc on the orphanage he grew up in and loves.  He goes on a road trip with my character and a fight trainer to learn to be a wrestler, make money, and save the day! 

What’s next for you on the film front?

My husband, Gildart Jackson, and I made a movie called, "YOU" YouTheFilm.com and we plan on making another film together soon so that’s in the works.  Also I’m of course excited about "Knucklehead" coming out in April.

Music:

Your first two albums, “The Melodrama” and “Purr”, describe them and in what ways did you evolve from one album to the next? 

When I wrote “The Melodrama” I was very much in the singer/songwriter, girl with a guitar, mode.  I was still finding myself as a musician, songwriter and performer.  I wasn’t quite sure where I fit in.  I love how that record really reflects that stage I was going through.  “Purr” is more focused and was a very specific idea that was inspired by the pin ups of Gil Elvgren.  I loved the idea of music that matched those images and I also was inspired by Cole Porter and all those wonderful double entendres of the time.   

Talk about your next album, “All The Way To Mars”.

“All The Way To Mars” is definitely my best recording to date.  I had the wonderful ears and honesty check of my record producer, Richard Jay-Alexander and the inspired musicality of my musical director, Ben Toth, guiding me and I feel that our collaboration on this CD is magic.  It’s nice to do something and hear something that is live, not pro-tooled and honest.  The songs are fabulous and the instrumentation is real and rich. I love this record and I think everyone else will too!

Your single “Come Home With Me For Christmas” is now available. What was your inspiration for this song?

“Come Home With Me For Christmas” was written by Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde) and my musical director, Ben Toth.  When I heard it I loved it.  We hadn’t planned on recording the song but when we were in the studio I told Ben he should really play it for Richard.  He did and Richard said, “Melora, you should record this song?” I learned it that night and we recorded it the next day.  I love Christmas and I’ve always wanted to record a Christmas album, so this was perfect for me.  The song is beautiful and I hope everyone will add it to their Holiday repetoire!

If you could work with any singer past and present, possibly sing a duet, who would it be and why?

Barbra Streisand because she’s one of my idols and I think she’s amazing in every way, Mel Torme because his phrasing was so incredible, Bing Crosby because his voice is smooth as ice, Harry Connick Jr. because he’s a great musician and Paula Cole because she’s one of my best friends and I love her singing and songwriting!

Director:

You just made your directorial debut with “You”, how do you compare the experience of directing with acting?

Directing is all about the big picture whereas when you are portraying a character you are focused on who you are, what you want and how you’re going to get it.

Is there anything you brought with you as an actress that helped you when you were behind the camera?

An understanding of what an actor does is helpful to being able to get what you want from an actor for the whole story. Also just being on so many sets working with so many different kinds of people gave me a comfort with being the leader.

On the flip side, anything you can now take back with you as an actress that you learned from directing?

I definitely did some of the things I hated as an actress.  Like once I told my husband, who starred with me in "YOU," to “just do it” when he had no room to run around a corner and make it feel believable to himself.  I knew what I was seeing in the camera was working and I just needed to move on to the next scene.  I will always trust a director more when he or she says it’s working in the camera and just go ahead and do it even if it feels wrong to me.

Your husband, Gildart Jackson, wrote the film and acted in it playing the role of Rawdon. You also were in the film taking on the role of Miranda.  Do you find it easier to work with somebody you are so familiar with?

It was both easier and harder in that we made this in our own home with our own money and so it needed to be an intimate experience which could never have happened without being in an intimate relationship with my husband. It was also challenging to be wearing all those different hats all the time and we definitely faced challenges that we wouldn’t have if we hadn’t been married, but we also created something very connected and full of family and love that we could never have created without that element.

Do you plan on getting behind the camera again, and what type of projects would interest you?

Definitely!  I have been trying to option a book for 10 years that I hope to get this year and direct.  Gildart and I are also looking towards making another movie together soon.

You’ve almost done it all as an entertainer. Have you thought about taking on the role as a writer for either television or film?

I am writing a screenplay with a partner right now that I hope to star in.

How do you spend her down time, if you do indeed have any?

With my kids, in dance class, going to the movies and date nights with my husband and lunches with girl friends.

Tell me what your fans can do to follow your multi-faceted career?

Go to Melora.com, follow me on twitter@melorahardin and Melorahardin on Facebook. Also become part of our YOU community at YouTheFilm.com, pre-order “All The Way to Mars” on Amazon now to be the first to hear my new record. 

'Avatar' Paints America Blue

Weekend Actuals Dec 18th - Dec 20th

1 Avatar $77,025,481     
2 The Princess and the Frog $12,185,949
3 The Blind Side $10,021,280
4 Did You Hear About the Morgans? $6,616,571
5 The Twilight Saga: New Moon $4,407,598
6 Invictus $4,203,171
7 A Christmas Carol $3,443,464
8 Up in the Air $3,210,132
9 Brothers $2,889,121
10 Old Dogs $2,340,575

'Robin Hood' International Trailer

Yahoo UK has unveiled the international trailer for "Robin Hood". Click the link to view the trailer or watch it below courtesy of Collider.