Mon, May 10, 2010 Sky Showbiz has this snapshot of Peter Sarsgaard as villain Hector Hammond in Green Lantern. Hammond is a pathologist and son of a senator who is seen as a disappointment in his father's (Tim Robbins) eyes. He becomes infused with psychic powers when he discovers a meteor.
He's not in costume here, and this probably isn't the finished look, but you get an idea of just how nasty he'll look come June 2011.
Sat, May 8, 2010 
As of just recently there's been a lot of talk about Will Smith returning to some of his most famous franchises as they receive the threequel treatment. It was just this week it was confirmed that Smith would start shooting Men in Black III with Tommy Lee Jones this fall for a summer 2012 release date.
The other blockbuster franchise there's been talk about is Sony reuniting Smith with Martin Lawrence and Michael Bay for Bad Boys 3 with a screenwriter having been hired last summer, although this seemed somewhat questionable when Lawrence confirmed to MTV that the project was "real."
At the UK junket for Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time, ComingSoon asked the Big Kahuna, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, if there was a possibility we'd see him, Michael Bay and Smith working together for the first time since Bad Boys 2 back in 2003, presumably once Bay and Smith finish their current threequels, Transformers 3 and Men in Black III, respectively.
The producer was more prudent with his choice of words on the project than Lawrence, saying, "It's a wish and a hope and a dream. We've been working on a screenplay, which is excellent. It's an idea Will gave us, so hopefully, it will come to fruition, we would love it to."
There are a lot of people that hate Michael Bay, for whatever reason, and could care less if he returns to the franchise. I on the other hand. thought the Bad Boy's movies were awesome, I'm definitely up for another one. With Smith now doing MIB III, and reportedly having pitched the idea himself, I think there's a good possibility this might actually get off the ground. If they were to start filming right after MIB and Transformers, they could have it out for Summer or even winter 2012.
Currently Bruckheimer's summer slate for this year is full with Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time out on May 28 and The Sorcerer's Apprentice out on July 16.
Fri, May 7, 2010 
Deadline recently reported on an FCC ruling that could change the way we watch movies. And in effect, possibly kill the movie theater for good.
Here's the FCC press release:
Washington, D.C. — The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), saying it was “in the public interest” today approved a request by the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA) to permit recent movies to be sent directly to American households over secure high definition transmission lines from their cable or satellite providers prior to their release on DVD or Blu-ray.
“This action is an important victory for consumers who will now have far greater access to see recent high definition movies in their homes. And it is a major step forward in the development of new business models by the motion picture industry to respond to growing consumer demand.” said Bob Pisano, President and Interim CEO of the MPAA. “We deeply appreciate the recognition by the FCC that recently released movies need special protection against content theft when they are distributed to home televisions.”
Specifically, the issue before the FCC was a request by the MPAA for permission to use selectable output control (SOC), which would allow televisions with digitally secure interfaces to receive high-definition content from a cable, satellite or IPTV provider, before its release on DVD or Blue-ray. Using SOC protects content because during the broadcast it essentially disables non-secure, analog outputs to avoid illegal circumvention and distribution of copyrighted material.
In its order, the FCC said: “On balance, this limited waiver will provide public interest benefits– making movies widely available for home viewing far earlier than ever before – without imposing harm on any consumers.”
“The first, and best way to view movies will always be in movie theaters – and nothing can replace the pleasure this brings to millions and millions of people all across our country and the globe,” Pisano said. “But for those people unable to make it to the theater and interested in viewing a recently released movie, thanks to the FCC, they will now have a new option. For other consumers who prefer standard, linear, on-demand or DVD or Blu-ray options, these services will be unchanged."
What specifically this means for the movie theatre business is unclear at this point. How soon after the release of a movie they will be available to at home consumers, has not been determined yet. More importantly what does this mean for the newest trend in cinema, 3D movies.
Fri, May 7, 2010 
That’s the question on everyone’s mind, Will Iron Man 2 top The Dark Knight box office record this weekend?
Iron Man 2 is set to appear on 4380 screens this weekend, while The Dark Knight only appeared on 4366 screens in its widest release.
The dark Knight set an opening weekend record of $158 million showing on 3000 screens, it’s midnight showing brought in 18.4 million on 3000 screens. Iron Man 2 already has some catching up to do, the midnight showing that appeared on 2500 screens only made 7.5 million. You can make the argument that TDK was released on more screens, but even then the average gross per location is nearly double in TDK’ favour, TDK having earned over $6000 average, while Iron Man 2 was only able to make an average of $3000 per location.
Iron Man 2 has the slight advantage with increased ticket sales and a few extra screens, but will the word of mouth from the midnight and Friday showings transfer into the huge returns they’re looking for, Not likely. This is where The Dark Knight, unfortunately for Iron Man has the upper hand. The Dark Knight’ word of mouth and reviews were over whelming to the point it was able to come in much higher than studio projections ever expected.
Iron Man 2 hasn’t received terrible reviews, but they haven’t come in nearly as positive as its 2008 predecessor. The first Iron Man was a surprise smash hit for most people, a relatively unknown super hero, a comedic director, and Robert Downey Jr. They brought the character to life, and in turn the movie made an astonishing 585 million World Wide at the box office.
Given the franchises success everyone is expecting to see a huge boost in Box Office numbers coming into this weekend’s Blockbuster sequel. I don’t doubt it will go on to make a substantial amount of money, but the possibility of it beating TDK opening record of 158 million and/ or crossing the 1billion World Wide mark by the end of it theatrical run, like some people have suggested, seems slightly less obtainable, both now that I’ve seen the over hyped product that is Iron Man 2, and the fact of it being well behind already just on the midnight showing alone.
I’m predicting Iron Man 2 will make 150ish million in its opening weekend (slightly less than my original prediction), and it will end its World Wide box office run with $750 million.
Iron Man 2 opens everywhere today, you can check out my review HERE.
Check back to TMT on Sunday to see how Iron Man did over the weekend, and give Mike Shadwick's review a read.
Fri, May 7, 2010
Columbia Pictures announced today that Men in Black III will be released in 3D on May 25, 2012. Walter F. Parkes and Laurie MacDonald are returning to produce and Barry Sonnenfeld, who directed the first two installments of the blockbuster franchise, will direct the film from a screenplay written by Etan Cohen, based on the comic book by Lowell Cunningham. Steven Spielberg is set to executive produce.
Deals are set for Will Smith, Sonnenfeld and the producing team to return to the blockbuster franchise with the intent to begin production by this fall and the studio is in advanced negotiations with Tommy Lee Jones to reprise his role as Agent Kay. Josh Brolin is also in talks to star as a young Agent Kay.
Commenting on the announcement, Jeff Blake, Chairman of Sony Pictures Worldwide Marketing and Distribution said, "Sony's summer of 2012 will get off to a red hot start with an incredible new 3D adventure for the Men in Black. We couldn't be more excited that the original filmmaking team responsible for the first two worldwide hits is reuniting for this third installment. We love where the story is taking Agents Jay and Kay and know this new chapter will deliver a fresh fun twist for fans of the franchise while also introducing the Men in Black to a whole new generation of moviegoers."
Fri, May 7, 2010 
Toby Jones (Infamous) is in final negotiations to play villainous scientist Arnim Zola in Marvel Studios' Captain America: The First Avenger, reports Heat Vision.
In the comics, "Zola was a genetic engineer who created clones and various monstrosities for Hitler. He also captured his own mental self, inserting it into a robot, and survived the war."
Jones is joining a cast that includes Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Hugo Weaving, Sebastian Stan and Samuel L. Jackson. Directed by Joe Johnston, the adaptation starts filming in England this summer for a July 22, 2011 release.
Captain America: The First Avenger will focus on the early days of the Marvel Universe when Steve Rogers volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into the Super Soldier known as Captain America.
Thu, May 6, 2010 
Twentieth Century Fox has set a June 24, 2011 release for Rise of the Apes, a completely new take on one of the studio's most beloved and successful franchises, Planet of the Apes. Oscar-winning visual effects house Weta Digital – employing certain of the groundbreaking technologies developed for Avatar – will render, for the first time ever in the film series, photo-realistic apes rather than costumed actors.
Peter Chernin and Dylan Clark will produce for Chernin Entertainment under its new pact with Fox. Acclaimed filmmaker Rupert Wyatt (The Escapist) is directing from a screenplay by Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa, who also are producing.
Rise of the Apes (tentative title) is an origin story in the truest sense of the term. Set in present day San Francisco, the film is a reality-based cautionary tale, a science fiction/science fact blend, where man's own experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy.
The last time that we saw the 'Planet Of The Apes' franchise receive the big screen treatment, it was under the direction of Tim Burton starring Mark Wahlberg in 2001. Burton's remake went on to make 362 million world wide at the box office, which at the time apparently wasn't enough to warrant a sequel.
Thu, May 6, 2010 
Today is officially being renamed JJ Abrams day. More news has surfaced regarding another one of Abrams many projects in development.
Exhibitor Relations has revealed that Paramounts blockbuster sequel Mission Impossible 4 is being moved to December 16, 2011.
As been said in the past, studios are beginning to realize that popcorn blockbusters don't have to be exclusive to the summer time. That's what the massive success of Avatar taught executives. Hence why Paramount is now putting M:I 4 for next Christmas and, as IESB exclusively reported, Warner Brothers is doing the same for Superman: The Man of Steel for December of 2012.
This was a wise move, as next summer is starting to get very crowded. This means Paramount is planning to have three Abrams related projects released every six months, between next summer and the year after. Super 8 for summer 2011, now M:I 4 for Christmas 2011 and the Star Trek sequel for summer 2012.
Thu, May 6, 2010 
With the news now surfacing about director JJ Abrams new secret teaser trailer "Super 8" attached to Iron Man 2 this weekend, comes more shocking news. Legendary hollywood director Steven Spielberg who is also producing the project has just admitted he is in fact Abrams illegitimate father.
Spielberg recently admitted to the press, and the world for the first time, that he is in fact Abrams father. When asked why this hasn't come out until now, Spielberg said he was ashamed at the fact that he was wasn't around for Abrams childhood, because of his career in hollywood taking precedence over everything else in his life, including his illegitimate children.
They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and in this case it certainly didn't. Abrams has made quite a name for himself in hollywood as well, having directed Mission Impossible III starring Tom Cruise, and successfully resurrecting the Star Trek franchise just last year.
When it was first anounced that Abrams next picture would be a smaller scale movie, somewhat of a homage to Speilbergs's style of the late 70's, and that Speilberg himself was attached to produce, it may have came as a huge surpise to everyone.
Now with the truth out there, both Abrams and Spielberg say they're looking to use this opportunity to make up for lost time.
If you just finished reading this and you're thinking to yourself, this sounds ridiculous, you were right for thinking so. This was meant to be nothing more than a joke, Slow news day is all, ha.
Thu, May 6, 2010 
Are you wondering where Academy award nominated actor Joaquin Phoenix has been? He has apparently quit acting to pursue a career as a rapper, yes you read that right, a rapper.
His long months of bizarre behavior culminated in his semi-mute interview with David Letterman that was as surreal as anything Andy Kaufman ever did. And, his musical debut at the Las Vegas night club LAVO where he claimed to be a homeless rapper, jumped around the stage, and fell off.
Casey Affleck has completed that much-talked about and long-awaited mockumentary he directed about his brother-in-law Joaquin Phoenix's eccentric metamorphosis from actor to hip-hop musician (or so we've been led to believe). I'm told that the film made its debut in a private lunchtime screening at WME headquarters last week for buyers -- including Harvey Weinstein -- who were sworn to secrecy. WME is selling the film, and it may only take a couple of days to reach a deal. I hear the agency and the distributors intend to keep the mock's content under wraps for as long as they can for maximum shock value. (So it won't be part WME Global's sales push at the Cannes Film Festival.) Presumably, the film answers Hollywood's bewilderment about whether Joaquin was serious about quitting acting -- or whether he was just, well, acting.
I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure this was all just a publicity stunt on Pheonix' part, probably just because he was bored. Why else would there be such secrecy surrounding his "mockumentary", not to mention the fact that it's being called a "mockumentary".
As ridiculous as this all sounds, I for one am very interested to see what all the secrecy is about. I actually enjoy Phoenix' acting, so I really hope he isn't quiting a successful career in acting to be the homeless rapper, although he does look hilarious.