Kick-Ass 2 Is For Real This Time, We Swear!

Us in the common sense department knew not to take stock in Kick-Ass 2 talk. Since it originated from renowned bullshit-spreader Kick-Ass creator Mark Millar, a guy you could fill this screen, and as a result waste time of your life, with the crap he intentionally spread for the sake of publicity. Fool me once me shame on you, fool me twice shame on me, fool me thrice please put duck-tape over your mouth!

Days ago, co-creator John Romita Jr. told fans Kick-Ass 2 was real, deals done for the returning (Read: surviving) cast and filming would hence forth go in the summer for May 2013, via Bleeding Cool. Romita's a gentleman not known rattling the cages with nonsense. That still didn't convince anyone it was really real this time.

Well, it is.

Per "TOLDJA," Universal is backing the sequel with deals underway for Aaron Johnson, Chloe Moretz and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. Matthew Vaughn isn’t direct, but you knew that since he’s committed to the X-Men: First Class sequel. Instead Jeff Wadlow (of Cry Wolf) will command ship this time. Production might (Key word here) commence as soon as August, presumably after Moretz wraps on the Carrie remake she's headlining.

See, kids? A broken is right twice a day... or once every couple of years. Just don't start using it as your source for time!

Least-Shocking Announcement Ever - The Avengers 2 Coming

More box-office records remain to be shattered and only five days in business screening at a rate seemingly 24/7, The Avengers is doing amazing business. Everyone knew it'd make serious coin but $208 million in its three days stateside? Anyone to claim they saw that coming is merely a fanboy pretending to know box-office.

Nonetheless, hard to find anyone not enjoying Joss Whedon's superhero epic team-up. Even if you didn't know they were already planning it, after these numbers, The Avengers 2 was gonna happen. Minutes ago Disney big-cheese Bob Iger announced just that.

Will Whedon return to direct (and take credit for writing the whole script, when he knows he didn't)? Will all of Earth's Mightiest Heroes get a second helping of Shawarma? Will it be a straight-up adaptation of The Infinity Gauntlet? Time will tell. Further announcements will be made. But don't get all antsy waiting for more. Enjoy what you got in front of you right now, true believers.

Argo Trailer - Proof Ben Affleck the Director Is Here to Stay

There isn't anything about Argo not to love.

Ben Affleck, third time in the director's chair, shows he's getting more ambitious and as a result more confident in his craft. Often the butt of jokes (I particularly remember Family Guy lampooning him getting wasted while Matt Damon did the work writing Good Will Hunting), witnessing his turn as a filmmaker is a joy. He always had it in the acting department, no matter what the cynics say, but who know he'd grow into such a skilled writer/director?

The subject matter (the US and Canada posing as a fake movie crew to rescue diplomats during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis) is bizarre as it is compelling and balancing drama and comedy is a tough act. But again, Affleck's displaying the confidence to pull it off. And casting John Goodman as John Chambers (behind the makeup of Planet of the Apes) and Michael Parks as Jack Kirby is icing on the cake.

Shockingly Tame Red-Band Trailer to The Dictator

Besides the addition of what would pass as eyebrow-raising foul-language if we were living in the 60s, this red-band trailer for The Dictator is a retread of the last one. It also comes too little, too late. This should have been our first look at the comedy months back.

Instead as it opens nationwide next Wednesday, it's a reminder of how quickly a comedian, and their routine, can rise and fall out of public favor.

Michael Arndt In Talks to Rewrite Catching Fire

If Gary Ross was still around, concerns for Catching Fire would be on improving his sloppy, to be fair possibly MPAA satisfying, action direction and less in the scripting department. Alas he's gone and initial drafts from Oscar-winning penner Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire) need fine-tuning.

Cue Oscar-scribe Michael Arndt, for Little Miss Sunshine and Toy Story 3, taking over scripting duties, reports Heat Vision. A deal isn't locked down, but if he accepts (The fact they're "in talks" suggests he will, and this is all about money-squabbling) Arndt will have to get right on yesterday.

The Hunger Games sequel has a fall-date drawing near before star Jennifer Lawrence must vacate back to the land of merry-mutants for the X-Men: First Class sequel early next year.

Yes, Prometheus is Rated-R

Speculation and online scrutiny (and by that, I mean dorks like us) is rampant if Ridley Scott's Prometheus would be rated PG-13, and thus open up its commercial chances, or R, and say to Hell with the rude teenagers with their cell-phones and Twitter! Score one for the grown-ups.

Collider has confirmation Scott's return to the realm of sci-fi/horror will be R-rated. Their proof lies in a screen-cap of a pre-sold ticket, for IMAX 3D no less, with a big fat R stamped in the middle.

It's cool, simply considering how often we don't see a huge-budget, "For Adults Only!" genre film (especially in the summer). But people do realize this getting an R doesn't automatically guarantee it's better, right?

The Amazing Spider-Man Trailer #3 - You've Seen This All Before

They're serious about this "Untold Story" thing, huh?

Take the same beats from the last trailer, amp up the CG money-shots of Spidey swinging through Manhattan, still keep the Lizard as offscreen as possible and make sure you know its "dark" (Because everything is set at night) and you have the third, and final, trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man, the reboot Sony would still like you to think you haven't already seen before.

Officially Official: Francis Lawrence Directing Catching Fire

Common knowledge, and sense, notwithstanding, the job to direct Catching Fire, the hugely-anticipated Hunger Games follow-up, was a done-deal for Francis Lawrence. In the event he accepted Liongate’s offer.

This afternoon, the studio officially confirmed he's signed on the dotted line. We can all put this director drama behind us as Lawrence and the cast, everyone from leads Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth to supporting players like the scene-stealing Stanley Tucci and Toby Jones are all returning, brace themselves for a fall start.

The hurdle, something the press release Lionsgate sent out obviously avoids besides quotes fake praising Lawrence, is how he'll step up after Gary Ross' high-profile exit. He can direct action better, no one will dispute that. But Ross is a multiple Oscar-nominated screenwriter who, along with author Suzanne Collins, put the elbow grease into making Hunger Games work. He, obviously, won't be around this time and the drafts by Simon Beaufoy reportedly need work. Don't be surprised if we look up and hear another big-name screenwriter is paid a treasure-chest full of cash.

Brad Bird Directing Disney's 1952

Indeed he did what appeared to be impossible. He made Ethan Hunt cool again. But since then Brad Bird has been keeping low. No doubt mulling through offers and carefully deciding what his next move will be, as a two-time Oscar winning animation director turned live-action director. 

"TOLDJA" is here to say Bird has made his decision. The Pixar alum will direct 1952 for Disney from a script by Damon Lindelof, who's connected to Bird in a six-degrees of J.J. Abrams way. No details are known at this time regarding the plot save for it being a "big scale tent pole film" and presumably set in 1952. Unless the title's ironic and it's actually set in the not too distant future.

Nothing to get excited about save for Bird getting back behind the camera sooner rather than later.

New Expendables 2 Trailer

Sylvester Stallone vs. Jean-Claude Van Damme. The most anticipated big screen smack-down of 1992 here in the new theatrical trailer for The Expendables 2, courtesy of IGN Movies.

Beyond the promise of Arnold Schwarzenegger back to his days of ass-kickery ("I'M BACK!") and sharing more than just quips with Sly in a church, this looks like your standard sequel. The same thing last time, only bigger. If you dug the first film, then you’re onboard here. If you're not, at least you know what you won’t be watching on August 17^th: