Brian De Palma Toys With Psycho Thriller

It's a slow news day but as I peered through blurry eyes at the movie news while sipping a cup of tea this morning I came across news that hit and miss auteur Brian De Palma was lining up a new film.

Vulture reports that he is returning to an adaption of book called "Toyer" that he's been interested in for six years. The plot frankly sounds dopey but if they cast the right actor and actress it could an entertaining two-hander.

One thing I am not keen on is the location shift, it seems nothing more than visual gimmickry to me, which may distract from the central concept of the psycho vs doctor rivalry.

 Six years ago, reports surfaced that Brian De Palma would next be directing the diabolical Gardner McKay novel and stage play Toyer, which follows a "serial lunatic." The Toyer doesn't murder or rape his beautiful female victims, he "toys" with them, torturing them psychologically, then puttting them into a medically induced coma. (Sort of like what De Palma did to audiences in Snake Eyes ... We kid, Brian!)

Anyway, without a capital crime to prosecute, the police and D.A. can only charge the Toyer with "mayhem," and as they're overwhelmed with hundreds of uncleared murder cases, the Toyer case becomes a lower priority. So a female neurologist who treats Toyer's victims teams up with a newspaper editor to draw him out and bring him to justice.

This time, we're told, Toyer really is happening, but as an indie financed via producers Tarak Ben Ammar, (who most famously produced Franco Zefferilli's La Traviata) and the L.A.-based Scott Steindorff. Steindorff has brought heavyweight literature like Philip Roth's The Human Stain and Gabriel García Márquez's Love in the Time of Cholera to the screen, and tells Vulture that the film will be shooting in Venice, Italy, late this fall and into the early winter.

That's a switch from the Gardner version, which is set in L.A., but should be far creepier: De Palma plans to set the mayhem against Venice's famous Carnevale di Venezia, for which elaborate masks disguising one's identity are traditionally worn on the street from St. Stephen's Day (the day after Christmas) until the start of the Venitian Carnival (two weeks before Ash Wednesday). Steindorff says shooting during the actual Carnival (during February and March) would be logistically impossible. They plan to re-create their own Carnival on location.

"It has all the elements of suspense that Brian does so well in films like Blow Out and Carrie," Steindorff says, adding, "And by that I mean, it's really frickin' scary: I read the script on a plane, and I was still terrified."

The next three days trailer

This is a remake of a successful French thriller that starred Diane Kruger and a guy that is a lot less tough looking than Russel Crowe.

Big Rusty could do with a back to basics hit after the floptastic Robin Hood and for director Paul Haggis this looks closer to the mainstream than his previous films, the love it or hate it "Crash" and the underrated "In the Valley of Elah."

The story starts out the same as the French film with a regular couple at home with their kid when suddenly the cops burst in and arrest her for murder, represented here in true heavy handed fashion just to make sure we are on her and Crowe's side. However from that point it appears to deviate from the French film quite a bit, and in a way that could prove substantially more exciting.

Yahoo movies debuted the trailer.

Love and Other Drugs trailer

Earlier today Mitch posted a first look at this one and now the full trailer is online, and I have to say that while rom coms are not my thing this genuinely looks like fun.

The story is very simple and familiar, playboy guy finds love etc...but Gyllenhaal looks to be having a blast with his charming drug rep womanizer, while Anne Hathaway looks feisty and gorgeous as the woman that shows him there's more to women than just bedding them.

Perhaps the most surprising thing here is it's directed by Ed Zwick who's films include "The Last Samurai" "Defiance" "Glory" and "Courage Under Fire," not exactly a resume' that suggests he has a rom com in him.

"Love and Other Drugs" opens November 24th and you can check out the trailer below.

Karl Urban is Judge Dredd

This one has been rumoured for a while now and Empire have gotten the confirmation that Karl Urban will indeed don the Judge's helmet, and he won't be taking it off!

Karl  Urban has been confirmed for the leading role in Judge Dredd by producers Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich of the new film. Urban had been rumoured for the role already, but in a Movie-Con Q&A this evening the pair confirmed that he has been cast for the film, shooting in South Africa soon.

“The main thing about Dredd is that it’s a fantastic comic that was completely messed up 20 years ago," said Macdonald. "Our idea is to make a very hard, R-rated, gritty, realistic movie of Dredd in Megacity, so we’ve got to get the tone right. He’s not going to take off his helmet. His bike is going to feel real. He’s going to hit people and it’s going to feel real."

"There’s been a change in comic-book movies; they were treated unseriously and now they’re treated seriously. We’ve cast a guy called Karl Urban to play Dredd. We’ll be shooting in Johannesburg, it’s being directed by Pete Travis, we’re shooting with the people who did District 9 – and if we get it right, Alex has a couple of ideas for other stories as well. It’s not based on any one comic, and John Wagner is involved in every decision."

"Unseriously?"............anyway, this is momentous news for Dredd fans who have waited 15 years for their guy to get another shot at the big screen, after the much maligned Sly Stallone version.

From what I've read the script is a tight Die Hard style actioner, big on set pieces and minimal on everything else, which seems like a smart way to relaunch the character. I liked director Pete Travis' debut "Vantage Point" and Dredd has potential for cool big screen carnage, so I'll be following this one.

For all those feeling a little nostalgic or like suffering I'm ending this piece with a treat, the trailer for Sly's Judge Dredd, enjoy!

New Posters for The Town

I'm really looking forward to Ben Affleck's sophomore directing effort "The Town," the trailer for it is one of the best of the year, showcasing a gritty crime thriller with some powerful themes and kinetic action.

Now Comingsoon.net has gotten hold of the poster and boy is it lame, it gives off a weird "Sister Act 3" vibe.

I'm not sure where this international poster that was posted on a thread at Superherohype came from but it's infinitely better.

Ben Affleck and Rachel Weisz board new Terrence Malick film

Ever since his directorial debut "Gone Baby Gone" and well received supporting performance in "Hollywoodland" Ben Affleck has been on the comeback trail, and replacing Christian Bale in enigmatic director Terrence Malik's new film is another notch on his belt.

Awesome thespian beauty Rachel Weisz is also joining the cast although not replacing Christian Bale. Weisz is a class act whether it is in action fare like "The Mummy" and "Chain Reaction" or more actorly efforts such as "The Fountain" and "The Constant Gardener," she always delivers.

I've only seen one Malick movie "Badlands" which I loved and one of his strongest points in his films is his use of cinematography, what is unusual is he has been directing 41 years yet has only released 5 films and there was a big gap between each, however with this new film (There are no plot details as of yet) due in 2012 and "Tree of Life" due later this year Malik will have made 3 films in 7 years.

The Wrap has the scoop.

Oscar winners Ben Affleck and Rachel Weisz have joined the cast of Terrence Malick's next movie, individuals familiar with the project have told TheWrap.

Weisz's publicist has confirmed the actress' casting to TheWrap, while Affleck's representatives did not immediately return TheWrap's messages.

The project was announced at the Berlin Film Festival, where it was described as a "romantic drama" and a "powerful and moving love story."

Christian Bale, Javier Bardem, Rachel McAdams and Olga Kurylenko were announced as the initial cast members, but it seems that Affleck will be replacing Bale in the picture.

Glen Basner's Film Nation is financing the film, and Bill Pohlad will produce.

Production is scheduled to begin the first week of October in Oklahoma.

TulsaWorld.com published a report yesterday that Affleck and wife Jennifer Garner were spotted at a local store buying fishing supplies.

Affleck reportedly told a store employee that he was filming a movie in Bartlesville, and would be playing a fisherman.

The head of Oklahoma's Film & Music office would not confirm that Malick would be shooting a movie in the state.

Affleck is represented by WME, while Weisz is represented by CAA.

Josh Brolin may join Charlize Theron in Young Adult

Josh Brolin seems to have been around forever but role-wise he really launched himself with the lead in Oscar gobbler "No Country for Old Men."

Now he is circling the lead role in Jason Retiman's next film opposite Charlize Theron, personally I think Reitman has gotten better with every movie and this would be another good choice for Brolin in his quest to banish Jonah Hex from memory.

The film sees Theron as a ghost writer of young adult fiction who returns to her Midwestern home town to reconnect with old friends and the ex love of her life (Brolin if he signs), who happens to be happily married with a family and not interested in Charlize' advances (Yes this is fiction folks).

Brolin will next be seen in Oliver Stone's belated sequel "Wallstreet: Money Never Sleeps."

Showbiz 411 has the...err..411.

How Do You Know Trailer

It seems like the morning for movies I've never heard of, and this one has even reached trailer stage.

James L Brooks is back with his latest, slightly subversive rom com with Owen Wilson and Paul Ruud essentially playing the same roles they always play while vying for the affections of the pretty but suspiciously pixie-like Reese Witherspoon.

The trailer showcases a movie that looks amiable enough while being very formulaic, I suspect the leads will help it open solidly though. There is a killer line in there from one of Wilson's characters baseball buddies and Jack Nicholson has a supporting role that will probably steal the film.

"How Do You Know" opens this Christmas and you can check out the trailer below.

Shia LaBeouf and John Hillcoat Interested in Triple Nine

When I first saw the title I thought it might be a golf movie but thankfully it's a far more interesting sounding cop/heist thriller. The Wrap has the lowdown.

Shia LaBeouf and director John Hillcoat are circling Matt Cooke's spec script "Triple Nine," a crime drama that Steve Golin is attached to produce, individuals familiar with the project have told TheWrap.

Neither LaBeouf nor Hillcoat are officially in talks to sign on to the project, but they are definitely interested in Cooke's script, which is built around a fairly intriguing premise.

The story concerns a group of crooked cops planning a major heist who realize they must shoot one of their own in order to get away with it. The lead character is an upstanding young officer who they choose as their victim.

999 is the police code indicating that an officer needs immediate assistance.

WME is packaging "Triple Nine," and a separate individual has told TheWrap that Warner Bros. is in talks to pick up the project.

LaBeouf has been linked to several projects in development, including "The Promised Land," "The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman" and two Tony Scott projects -- "Hell's Angels" and an adaptation of John Grisham's "The Associate." He's currently filming Michael Bay's "Transformers 3" and next stars in Oliver Stone's "Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps."

Hillcoat, who previously directed "The Proposition" and "The Road," has also been linked to "The Promised Land," as well as the western "The Revenant," a remake of "The Red Circle" and several other projects.

Shia seems to be looking to get that role that transitions him from teen star to adult movie star, yes he's not actually a teen and by adult star I don't mean porn, but he's been stuck in that in between crossroads for a while now. This project seems ideal, and Warner Brothers have been racking up the quality over the last few years. This or Hells Angels seem his best bet, but I prefer the sound of this.

As for Hillcoat, while I suspect this will be dark and R rated like his other movies, it does seem to have the potential to actually be a hit, which is new for him.

Michael Vartan Joins Colombiana

Michael Vartan is best known to you as Vaughn in Alias opposite the lovely Jennifer Garner, I say this because it's the only thing I've ever seen him in bar a trailer for a JLO rom com where he played her boyfriend and she got her face slammed into a cream cake by some old actress.

Anyway he has a new movie role and once again he's the boyfriend of a badass female lead according to Heat Vision.

Michael Vartan will star opposite Zoe Saldana in "Colombiana," an action movie produced and co-written by Luc Besson that is being directed by "Transporter 3" helmer Olivier Megaton.

The film centers on a woman (Saldana) who as a child witnessed her parents' murder in Bogota. She grows up to become a hitwoman by day but in her personal time engages in vigilante murders to lead her to her ultimate target: the mobster responsible for her parents' deaths.

Vartan will play Saldana's boyfriend, an artist with no idea what she does for a living who is her only link to normalcy.

Besson wrote the script with Robert Mark Kamen; the pair previously teamed to pen "Taken," "The Transporter" and "The Fifth Element."

Besson is producing with Pierre-Ange Le Pogam and Ariel Zeitoun.

Production will begin in late summer in Chicago, New Orleans and Mexico City. The action thriller is set to be released Sept. 2, 2011.

Besson certainly loves his assassins and Leon is an all time classic, but these second tier actioners he's been churning out as writer/producer are very hit and miss, for every 'Taken' there is a 'Transporter 3' and this flick happens to share the same director as that noisy drek.