Will Paramount Say "Yo Joe!" to Sequel?

I'm sorry, what now?My Movie Moan partner-in-crime Phil and I were proven wrong. G.I. Joe didn't suck. In fact, the film was quiet retardedly awesome. A number of moments during my screening this past Friday night I laughed out loud saying, "This is retarded!" Yet, the film never pretended to be anything but that and I enjoyed the Hell out of it for doing so. Take note, Transformers franchise.

Now comes the inevitable question being asked: "How long till we hear about the sequel?" Paramount vice-chairman Rob Moore has confirmed to the LA Times they will "soon" be moving forward on G.I. Joe 2 after it managed to pull in $56 million this past weekend.

However what some are looking past and/or not noticing is the studio's own box-office estimates had Joe breaking past $60 million+ after it made $22 million on its opening day. Instead the film earned $54 million. AKA: It went down on Saturday (when a film like this would usually get a bump) and the word-of-mouth among the general public might be not as strong as it is with us nerds of the Internet.

It also doesn't help matters that District 9 hits cinemas this coming Friday, and the advanced word (or "buzz" for you douchebags) is the film plays great. Then again, Joe might do well enough at the end of the day for Paramount to give the thumbs-up for a sequel. We'll see.

Jackman Confirms Wolverine 2

He read the reviews...I doubt guest-stars on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit endured the kind of raping that X-Men Origins: Wolverine got at the beginning of this summer. I didn't hate the film per say. It was just a big piece of "Meh!" Then again, the filmmakers had a Helluva lot more time to get this one right after X-Men: The Last Stand. So I guess they had it coming with the same half-assed approach.

Of course, Wolverine was still able to gross $350 million mostly on the popularity of the first two Bryan Singer directed films, the popularity of the character and Jackman himself. So while any chance of additional spin-offs featuring X-Babies or Magneto have most likely evaporated. A Wolverine sequel is still highly probable - despite the fact that the general public and nerds alike hated it.

Logan himself Hugh Jackman confirms to who else but MTV that they're in the "first steps of developing that story." And by "that story," he refers to the fan-favorite Chris Claremont-written and Frank Miller-pencilled mini-series back from 1982. A time when a character like Wolverine getting a comic-book all to himself was considered a big deal.

Will audiences be willing to give the X-Men franchise a third chance now after being disappointed the last two times? All signs point to "highly fuckin doubtful!" But then again, that may just be me speaking for everyone.

More Star Trek 2 Non-News? Jooooooooy!

Karl Urban ponders his character motivation to saying "He's dead, Jim!"Back in the fall of 2005, we all payed attention to even the most non-of-news regarding Batman II (now The Dark Knight.) "What's that? Steve Carell is rumored to be the Joker? The Penguin might be in it too? And he could be played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman? Ohhhhhhh...*Nerdgasm!*"

So it's good to see how things change since then when non-news-items hit. This time coming in the form of Star Trek 2. The sequel is gearing up after the J.J. Abrams helmed reboot churned out close to $400 million worldwide and the general public is hungry for more exploits with Kirk, Spock, Bones & Co.

 IGN Movies caught up with executive producers/writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (during the Television Critics Assosication panel for their also-successful television series Fringe) and the pair gave yet-another update on how things are going on the sequel.

Among the highlights include the confirmation that Karl Urban's McCoy will say "He's dead, Jim!" at least once, Abrams' acting alumni (and current Heroes cast-member) Greg Grunberg is "campaigning" for the role of Harry Mudd (I'll have to ask our sometime Movie Moan co-host Lou Sytsma who the Hell that is) and no mention of Khan whatsoever. Thank God.

As long as they continue making this assessable to the general public like the first film was, they should be alright. But the worst thing they can do at this point is bog the sequel down in useless bullshit for the sole purpose of pleasing the hard-core fans. And to that, I will make you good folks a promise. I will no longer waste my and more importantly your time on the Trek sequel until we hear legitimate news and/or rumors we haven't heard 20 times before.

Spielberg Meet Master Chief

I have a rather non-existent relationship with video-game systems outside of Nintendo. Thus I've only played Halo once and that was the last night of a semester at University. And I had my ass handed to me by the other three people playing the game. Granted two of the those three were rather attractive members of the female species. So I didn't mind.

The history of Halo getting to the silver screen is rather infamous with Peter Jackson hand picking then (and rather still, to to honest - at least until District 9 hits this coming weekend) unknown filmmaker Neil Blomkamp to direct the film version for 20th Century Fox. Said project since fell apart and it appeared that a cinematic under-taking of Master Chief & Co. would never happen.

"Not so fast!" says IESB who have received word that "King of the Blockbusters" himself Steven Spielberg is actively pursuing the property for him to produce under DreamWorks who are now aligned with the Mouse. The Beard is said to be impressed with a Halo script commissioned by Stuart "I wrote G.I. Joe, and didn't lose my dignity after all!" Beattie.

I remember Patrick Sauriol (the big cheese over at Corona Coming Attractions) saying recently on Twitter that Spielberg is trying to remind his new DreamWorks investers of his ability to deliver profitable commercial properties. Hence the Harvey remake being his next film and why he was briefly going after the directing job for Matt Helms. Meanwhile stuff like Lincoln or Trials of the Chicago Seven are collecting dust.

I won't argue with that logic because it makes sense. But hasn't the Beard proven that enough over the last oh-I-don't-know 30+ years?

Terminator 5 Happening...According to McG

After a guilty verdict from fanboys, McG will be put down in a public execution by this Terminator.The worst thing to happen to Terminator: Salvation was: 1) J.J. Abrams' Star Trek clicking with the general public as much as it did and basically stealing its thunder weeks prior to release and 2) McG's mouth.

Sure I liked the film, and thought he did an acceptably decent job. But the fact that he openly compared it to Batman Begins and The Dark Knight was just plain dumb. And I won't get into the multiple times he's lied his ass off and then flat out caught doing so because I've gone through that before.

Now the director reveals to IESB that he's currently prepping Terminator 5 along with 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Captain Nemo which is expected to begin production this fall in Australia.

Granted this is 100% coming from McG, people. So I'll wait to hear from the trades or sites like IESB, Latino Review, etc. (i.e. people with legit track-records in the scoop department) backing-up these claims until I believe it. That said, I'm not holding my breath on this one. Nor should you.

Hiring Writers Not An Impossible Mission

Right now, J.J. Abrams must be walking around the Paramount lot acting like the Pope. Waving his hands, blessing executives and suddenly a project is fast-tracked.

Case in point, the trades report the previously announced Abrams and Tom Cruise produced Mission: Impossible IV is in fact happening. Screenwriters have been hired in the form of Josh Applebaum and Andre Nemec. Both are Abrams alumni having served as executive producers on Alias.

Considering the film is still aiming to hit cinemas by 2011 (same year Paramount plans to release the Star Trek sequel), things should be moving quickly. Wouldn't be surprised to hear that a director has been hired within the next two weeks or so. Knowing Abrams, I'd expect to see another of his underlings getting the job.

And just to show that "everything is cool" between Cruise and the studio, the actor will appear in an "onscreen capacity." By that, one can only assume that Ethan Hunt will serve as more of a mentor figure this time and a new lead character is introduced.

R.I.P. John Hughes

TMZ has breaking news that John Hughes has died from a heart attack. What was my first reaction to hearing this a few minutes ago? "Shit..."

I'm 25 years old and played a number of his films in heavy rotation during my adolescent years. For anyone of my generation, you know what I'm talking about. Hughes was the screenwriter-turned-director/producer responsible for such films as The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Sixteen Candles.

My favorite of his work (and among my Top 10 favorite films) was Planes, Trains & Automobiles. Playing our VHS copy of the Steve Martin/John Candy comedy (taped off its Thanksgiving Day 1996 broadcast on the USA Network with commercials, no less) has become an annual tradition over the years now.

I realize the man hasn't directed a film since the 1991 bomb Curly Sue. But his influence is felt all over the place - especially in the "teen comedy" market. In fact, an old teacher of mine regards 1999's 10 Things I Hate About You as the best John Hughes movie he never made.

He will be missed.

No Country For Two Bens

They got the memo.It's official. Gene Siskel stopped rolling in his grave.

Of course, I'm referring to the announcement that At the Movies has shown "the two Bens" (Lyons and Mankiewicz) the door. Their replacements come in the form of New York Times film-critic A.O. Scott and Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune. You may remember them from such roles as previous fill-in guests during the two year period when Richard Roeper was all by his lonesome.

I'm not one who usually jumps on bandwagons. But Lyons is a hack. On the most recent Movie Moan podcast, Phil, Ed and I were airing our disgust in how he hogged stage-time at this year's San Diego Comic-Con during the public Q&A session at the Twilight panel. This despite the fact that he was already going to get his chance to have one-on-one interviews with the actors back-stage afterwards. Fuck letting the fans ask questions!

On the other hand, I actually like Mankiewicz and feel bad that he's (unfairly) being lumped in the same category as Lyons. And even though he knows what he's talking about, I was just never nuts about Scott to be honest. But it's a price we're all willing to pay to see Lyons gone.

But for me, this is also a sign that it's only a matter of time before the Mouse pulls the plug on the series altogether. There's just no need for a weekly movie-review show in the market anymore. And with the Internet, everyone can be a critic and do reviews on YouTube or their own website. But at the same time, that speaks to just how influential the greats Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert were.

Hell, I used to stay up til 2:30 A.M. on Saturday mornings just to see what they thought of the latest releases. And if you haven't noticed, we use the theme from Siskel & Ebert & the Movies (which you check out for yourself here) anytime we review a film on Movie Moan. What I'm basically trying to say is I really miss Siskel and Ebert.

Machete Cast Confirmed

In an otherwise average piece detailing Overnight Productions, the trades have officially confirmed the cast for the Robert Rodriguez co-directed and Danny Trejo-staring Machete.

As originally broken by Bloody Disgusting, Robert De Niro and Michelle Rodriguez are a part of the production as well as the previously rumored Lindsay Lohan and Steven Segal (via Movie Hole). Both of whom I'm sure are just as happy getting a sandwich - no less being a part of a film that will be released in theaters! And seeing Cheech Marin and Jeff Fahey doesn't send shockwaves due to their involvement with the original fake-trailer attached to Rodriguez's Planet Terror.

A surprise however comes in the form of Jessica Alba and Don Johnson. Neither of whom I recall being mentioned recently. Also Jonah Hill (who was listed along side De Niro and Rodriguez in the Bloody-Disgusting piece) is nowhere to be seen.

Production started up this week and will wrap in short-order knowing Rodrgiuez's manner of shooting fast.

Quote McTeigue "Nevermore"

Every couple of years, there comes up rumblings that a film on the life of poet Edgar Allan Poe is in the works. The most recent examples that come to mind are from Sylvester Stallone and (I shit you not) Michael Jackson. Damn would that have been something to watch for 90 minutes.

The latest is from director James McTeigue whose Ninja Assassins opens this November and just last week was mentioned as a candidate to helm the next Superman film. Albeit this version isn't exactly a biopic on Allan per say and is already in the casting phase(!)

As per /film (who got the word straight from the horse's mouth), the project is entitled The Raven and will center around the closing days of Allan's life as he helps the local authorities track-down a serial killer whose murders are "inspired" by his work. Or as McTeigue himself described to /film, “It’s like the poem, The Raven, itself, crossed with Se7en."

And now, ladies and gentlemen, we will begin the speculation on just who will play Poe himself. I'm already having visions of Johnny Depp being name-dropped despite the fact that he played a similiar character in From Hell.