Chuck Versus More New Episodes

UPDATE: The Live Feed now has official confirmation. NBC has in fact ordered six more episodes. AKA a big "Ya!" for Chuck fans like me. Props to The Wrap for breaking this news-item!

About two weeks or so back, I reported on rumblings that Chuck might have its premiere date pushed up six months from its originally announced March 2010 start. In said article, I stated:

Aussiello’s soruce(s) also note that pushing the third season premiere up also increases the likelihood of addition episodes being produced beyond the initial 13 order. Do I think this will happen? Yes, I do.

Cut to now and The Wrap reveals that NBC plans on ordering six additional episodes of the cult spy-comedy in addition to the already-planed thirteen shows.

Being the jerk I am, I could say, “Obviously, the network was listening to me! What other explanation is there?” However, the most logical answer is simply, “Great minds think alike!” Or maybe it’s merely one giant coincidence and thus further bruising my massive ego.

I say, “The more Chuck, the better!” But I still can’t imagine this getting a fourth season beyond the now 19-episode third season. That is unless NBC plans of eating their two-year deal with The Jay Leno Show and will, by default, need five extra hours of programming.

Peter Berg Does Not Control The Spice After All

With the likes of Battleship and the Hancock sequel on his immediate “To Do” list, director Peter Berg was going to have to give something up. Granted, it’s perfectly normal for a filmmaker to have multiple properties in development. But most of them never wind up happening. That’s just how it works, ladies and germs.

Now according to the website Pajiba (and quickly confirmed by CHUD), one such causality is the Dune remake he's been attached to direct for about a year and a half now. With Berg off, it’s left the studio (in this case, Paramount) scrambling to find a replacement.

Again as per their sources, the afore-mentioned Pajiba says two such candidates appear to be Neil Blomkamp (coming off District 9’s success this past summer) and The Descent director Neil Marshall. Of course, the former just announced his next project (another foray into the science fiction genre) and the latter is doing…presumably something.

Another issue appears to be that of Dune’s ever-expanding budget. They’re looking for someone who can work with their current $175 million and keep the production at (and/or more preferably below) that number. All of that and it has to look great, but nothing like the ill-fated 1984 David Lynch-helmed incarnation.

I wish you the best of luck, guys. But can’t see anything good (if anything at all) happening with Dune. Nobody wants another Golden Compass and that’s, in all probability, what you’d get. Ironically that was referred to as a “modern day equivalent of Dune” back during my very first edition of Movie Moan with Phil back in December 2007.

New Shutter Island Trailer

Spike has a new trailer for Shutter Island posted for your enjoyment. Being that the fourth Leonardo DiCaprio/Martin Scorsese effort was pushed back to next February, Paramount can afford to take their time with trailers, one-sheets and so on.

I know this isn't an opinion shared by all. But I still look forward to anything these two collaborate on. They've yet to reach that point where I just roll my eyes thinking, "Oh for Christ's sake, move on!" (read: Johnny Depp and Tim Burton). That said, Island certainly looks to be the most stylized movie Scorsese has made since New York, New York.

Adam Sandler IS Jack...and Jill

Indeed, this is life imitating art.

If you watched Funny People this past summer, you noticed fake clips from “the films within a film” of its lead George Simmons (played by Adam Sandler). Chief among them were Re-Do (body swap comedy where a man de-ages into an infant with his adult head and personality intact) and Mer-Man (essentially gender-reversal version of Splash). In addition, there were authentic looking one-sheets hanging all over Simmons’ mansion throughout the film. I was particularly fond of the Owen Wilson co-starring My Best Friend Is a Robot.

But now that People tanked at the box-office Sandler is headed back to the well, Variety reports. The actor/comedian will headline Jack and Jill for Sony. Just as you probably guessed, he’ll play both roles. Oh sweet irony! How you have such a wrathful sting sometimes!

The film is scheduled for release in early 2011. Most likely, this is to avoid the full-on battle royale that will be the summer film slate. Now comes the question you’re all pondering, “What stereotype role will Rob Schneider play?”

Is The Lizard Going To Be In Spider-Man 4 After All?

That's what Market Saw has to say on the matter.

The website (which usually spends its time following James Cameron's Avatar) claims we'll finally get to see Dr. Curt Connors transform into the Lizard and wreck havoc on Manhattan and, more importantly, our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Of course, we got confirmation that Connors would rear his head for an appearance in the forthcoming next installment straight from the good doctor himself (aka actor Dylan Baker) last week.

They go further to state that he will in fact be the only villain to appear in Spider-Man 4. Sounds like everyone learned their lesson from the "Let's jam in fifteen or so plot lines!" mess from the last one. Then again, Baker himself claimed he would be only appearing in the background or as Mike Dougherty better put it, "Cocktease for another year."

So he was telling the truth last week or he just further proved what a solid actor he is. Time will tell.

Steve Carell Goes Golfing

Nice guys finish last?

Steve Carell is the exception to the rule. I’ve yet to meet someone (among us regular folk and those working within the industry) who doesn’t love the guy. So it’s nice to see him have success with his show The Office (one of the few things doing well for NBC) and films like The 40 Year Old Virgin and Get Smart. He even walked away unscathed from the 2007 bomb Evan Almighty. That’s how well-liked he is.

Now the actor/comedian is lining up his next project with Warner Brothers, according to THR. He’ll produce and star in Missing Links, a golf-set comedy from a 1997 novel concerning goofballs who scheme their way into an elite club. Jay Lavender (screenwriter behind The Break-Up) will perform penning duties.

One can only assume there will be a Tiger Woods cameo placed somewhere in the final film, right?

Non-News: The Abrams Edition

“Hello, Mr. Abrams.”

“Hi!”

“I have a question. Would you like to direct a ‘Superman’ movie? I mean you did write a script for one a couple of years ago. Plus everyone loves you right now because of you making 'Star Trek' really cool and all.”

“Why sure I would!”

That's a paraphrased version of an exchange between the Star Trek director and MTV Movies Blog. So of course, that bit of flat-out non-news was flashed across the screen as an “Exclusive.” Give me a break, people. I suppose the thought of researching escaped their minds too. Two months before Trek was released, Abrams re-upped his contract with Paramount keeping him there until 2013. 

But to fair to Music Television, they actually did ask Abrams about a franchise he is involved with. In news that will send shock waves to tens of people, he reveals he in all probability won't be directing Mission: Impossible IV. So does this mean, he'll return to the director's chair for the Trek sequel? Who knows. They certainly didn't ask.

Unless they have another "Exclusive" in their pocket that we don't know about...

Cast Breakdowns For Conan Revealed

For his sake, I hope my Movie Moan partner-in-crime (and just overall good pal) Phil gets what he so desires. In this case, he’s been waiting to see a return to the old school “Barbarian Tits & Ass” sword and sandal epics of yester year. Hopefully said film will come in the form of the Avi Arad-produced, Marcus Nispel-directed Conan the Barbarian reboot.

The good folks over at Movie Hole have received a character breakdown for the forthcoming film which is currently in its casting phase. I’m not going to just cut and paste every single description Clint and his guy obtained. I’ll merely show you good folks the description of our sword-swinging hero:

[ CONAN ] He's in his 20s to early 30s, Caucasian, powerfully built, broad-shouldered, sun browned skin lined with scars. Piercing blue eyes and square-cut black mane, tall. He is a savage killer that has matured into the refinement his father tried to teach him when he was young. Conan is very smart, almost inhumanly strong, and very cunning. His entire life, from the moment of his birth, has been shaped by violence. Being the last of his tribe and having to watch his father die a cruel death, he is determined avenge his peoples slaughter by killing all those who led the attack on the Cimmerians, including the all-powerful Khalar Singh. He is prepared to die in order to accomplish his goal. What Conan did not expect, was to find a reason to live… LEAD

So, will this wet the British gentleman’s appetite? Only time will tell.

Green Zone Trailer

Yahoo! Movies has unveiled the theatrical trailer for Green Zone, the Iraq War-set action thriller starring Matt Damon and helmed by Paul Greengrass. The actor/director duo, of course, collaborated on the last two Jason Bourne films to great success (and may or may not return for a fourth go-around).

Going 100% off this trailer, I like what I see. Besides the afore-mentioned Damon and Greengrass, Zone (opening March 12, 2010) also features Amy Ryan (from 2007s finest film Gone Baby Gone) and the always-great Greg Kinnear (even if the film he's in is pure shit). Unlike previous efforts set in the Middle East, this one doesn't come across as talking down to us little people with "a message."

It looks like a geuninely entertaining action thriller. Then again, Peter Berg's excellent The Kingdom was quiet the crowd-pleaser (people cheered during my screening) and that tanked at the box-office. And as retarded as I may sound for suggesting this (certainly not the first time - nor will it be the last), but this feels like the unofficial version of Bourne 4 at the half-way point of the trailer.

George Clooney Producing Delta Blues

God love him. Back in the day (pre-my existence on this Earth), my uncle used to be an Elvis impersonator. Cut to nowadays, he’s a preacher. Talk about pulling a 180, eh? I’m sure there will plenty of jokes in his direction if this becomes a weekly series.

THR reports that TNT has given the go-ahead on Delta Blues, a pilot chronicling a cop who spends his off-hours as a professional impersonator of his royal King-ness. Oh and he still lives at home with good old mom. Presumably, he also solves mysteries and what not. No word on any wise-cracking animal sidekick. The potential show-starter is being executive-produced by George Clooney and written by Cold Case alum Liz Garcia.

So the network that “knows drama” opts to include Blues in their lineup next year, you can expect to see hundreds of thousands of minutes worth of commercials promoting the Hell outta this. So, you’ve been warned.