Francis Lawrence Will (Most Likely) Be Catching Fire

If Francis Lawrence wants it, it's his.

Simple as that, reports Heat Vision. Lionsgate has sent a formal offer to the I Am Legend director to take reign from the departing Gary Ross for Catching Fire, the highly-anticipated sequel to the still-killing-in-theaters The Hunger Games.

A conclusion everyone saw coming miles away just using common sense given the circumstances. An unspecified fall start-date looming, prime November 2013 release date and star Jennifer Lawrence caught in a tug-o-war between Lionsgate and Fox, currently playing nice so they can both benefit from having her. Lionsgate can be picky all they want with who they say they'd like calling, "Action!" on set. But if they're serious about getting the next Hunger Games out by late next year (and God are they!), they couldn't afford to take their sweet ass time.

So the journeyman Lawrence it is. The ball is officially in his court to accept or decline. But we all expect to hear the former.

Scorsese & DiCaprio Officially Reteaming for The Wolf of Wall Street

Shutter Island was never going to be their last hurrah. The work's been too good to be done, for good. Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio, nonetheless, needed some R&R away from each other and play in that sandbox we call filmmaking with others. Enough time has passed and batteries recharged it's time for their fifth project together, The Wolf of Wall Street, based on the 2008 autobiography of Jordan Belfort.

The relevancy of the material, I'm sure, played a hand instead of the plethora of other films the director/actor duo are attached to. Hey, it's about a 1%er, and you know that's topical because all our financial problems are because of greedy Wall-Street assholes! Just ask our President and the media.

I bitch but you know it'll be great and Scorsese, being the filmmaker he is, will make this engrossing without talking down to our dumbshits in Flyover Country.

Here's the press release:

"Martin Scorsese will direct 'The Wolf of Wall Street' starring Leonardo DiCraprio. The deal, which brings Scorsese and DiCaprio together for their fifth feature collaboration, was made official today.

Red Granite Pictures owns the rights to Jordan Belfort’s best-selling memoir The Wolf of Wall Street, on which the film is based. Red Granite principals Riza Aziz and Joey McFarland are producing along with Leonardo DiCaprio (Appian Way), Martin Scorsese and Emma Koskoff (Sikelia Productions) and Alexandra Milchan (EMJAG Productions). Irwin Winkler and Georgia Kacandes will executive produce.

Leonardo DiCaprio will star as Jordan Belfort – the 'Wolf of Wall Street.'

Terence Winter ('The Sopranos,' 'Boardwalk Empire') adapted the screenplay, which chronicles Belfort’s dramatic rise and fall on Wall Street, along with his hard-partying lifestyle and tumultuous personal life, which included drug and alcohol addiction.

'Everything about this film plays to Martin Scorsese’s genius and visionary storytelling, said Riza Aziz. 'At its heart, 'The Wolf of Wall Street' is about the rise of new 'modern' gangsters in New York. Wall Street gangsters that redefined excess, greed and arrogance. We're excited to see Mr. Scorsese take the reins of this visceral, tumultuous ride.'

'All of us at Appian Way are thrilled to collaborate, once again, with Martin Scorsese,' said Jennifer Killoran, partner in Appian Way. 'With Martin's unique vision and our partnership with Red Granite Pictures and EMJAG, we are excited to bring this story to film.'

Production on 'The Wolf of Wall Street' is slated to begin in August in New York."

Who is Bruce Willis Staring At in G.I. Joe: Retaliation Poster?

If you had a speaking role in G.I. Joe: Retaliation and didn't get a character poster, you better get on the phone with your agent and Paramount legal. While you sort that out, enjoy one of the eleventy-hundred posters to overload the Internet today. Not going to post every all of them but I couldn't resist IGN Movies' exclusive one for Joe Colton, the original G.I. Joe played here by Bruce Willis.

Is it the bad photoshop or Willis' continual boredom in film (Why is it making that face? Does he have to poop?) that has me chuckling. As long as he keeps his cholesterol down and, yes, I will ware that joke down until its reduced to blood and bones.

New Skyfall Videoblog Is a Glorified Travelog for Shanghai

Not that I'm gaga posting every single videoblog the Skyfall crew, or any other tentpole for that matter, has to offer. But this latest one showcases filming in Shanghai, confirming that indeed it's going to look as gorgeous on the silver screen as those production stills suggest.

Now all we need is some trailer-action. Pal of mine involved with exhibitor relations saw the trailer early, as part of a sizzle-reel of Sony's 2012 line-up, saying it "looked as good as the last one." I take that as a positive myself. Will defend Quantum of Solace 'till my last breath.

Magic Mike Trailer

Didn't get the memo it was OK to like Channing Tatum, only after 21 Jump Street, but whatever. Dude has a sense of humor about himself (Always a plus – See: Roger Moore), carried himself fine in enjoyable garbage like G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and, let's face it, is no worse in the thespian department than the free-passes the likes of Sam Worthington or Henry Cavill get.

Magic Mike is his latest, second collaboration with Steven Soderbergh based loosely on his own experiences as a stripper before the Step Up gravy days. Has a nice, fun vibe to it (No smug "Look at how clever we are" looks a la the Ocean's sequels in sight) and, hey, something for the ladies to enjoy this summer in midst of explosions, superheroes, sequels, prequels, reboots and all that other nonsense we spend all our time covering.

Yes, That Is Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock

Not that it was an issue with his acting chops to convince us (He played Richard Nixon effectively and yet looked nothing like our 37^th President), but hearing Anthony Hopkins would portray Alfred Hitchcock took you a second to process. The Oscar-winner looked even less the part than he did for Oliver Stone's biopic.

People has the first-look of Hopkins in character for Hitchcock, which began production last week fittingly on Friday the 13^th. And once again, it takes a minute or so to shake your head and make sure you don’t need glasses. "That's Tony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock?!" you're thinking to yourself or saying aloud this very moment. Yes, yes it is.

Two More Directors Could Be Catching Fire

That wishlist of Catching Fire helmers, comprising of David Cronenberg, Alfonso Cuaron and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, read exactly as that; a wishlist. Filmmakers with distinct visions who would put every ounce of fiber of themselves into their work and, with their high skills, help to avoid the big trap-fall of Catching Fire being a glorified retread of The Hunger Games and, most important, get over the fact Gary Ross has left the building. Who Lionsgate would love to get their hands on, but not necessarily who they'll get.

The Playlist (who scooped Ross' exit) says Moneyball director Bennett Miller and Francis Lawrence, of I Am Legend, are also up for the gig. This feels closer to reality in terms of aspiration, though Miller has the same whiff of prestige as the aforementioned wishlist. In lament's terms, he seems as unattainable as those guys. Not a "No chance in Hell!" choice. After all, Bill Condon directed Twilight: Breaking Dawn.

Lawrence, at face value, has the credentials. He's a shooter, and shooters make tight release dates as Catching Fire has (Lionsgate has November 22, 2013 set in stone, a start-date in this fall all the while they have to share Jennifer Lawrence for the X-Men: First Class sequel Fox says will roll cameras in January). A studio guy he may be, he shoots with enough style and visual pizzazz to not be so paint-by-numbers in order to meet deadlines.

Lionsgate has to make a decision very soon to get pre-production going. These won't be the last guys we see thrown around the Rumor-Mills, but if I'm a betting man, my cash is on Lawrence.

New Prometheus Viral Video Is Creepy (and Awesome!)

A new viral video is out for Ridley Scott's Prometheus, focusing solely on David, the android-counterpart of the ship, not coincidentally bearing the same name as the Alien prequel's title, played by Michael Fassbender.

Sat through this twice and sweet Lord is it entrancing. Not hard to figure out David, emotionless thinking about children playing and angels and able to carry out the more "distressing" electives, won't be as calm and collective during the narrative this June.

Looper Trailer

It goes to show you can never tell who will take off, and who won't.

Hard to imagine anyone thinking "that kid from 3^rd Rock from the Sun" would become Joseph Gordon-Levitt, one of our most versatile, talents onscreen today. Thumbing through his filmography, you think the guy fighting in zero-gravity in Inception is the same guy from 50/50 and Brick. Oh yeah, and he played Cobra Commander too! And he's still got varying roles in The Dark Knight Rises (The Internet is convinced he's playing Robin), Lincoln and Premium Rush coming up.

Who else is there for him to play? Bruce Willis, as demonstrated in the time-travel, action-thriller Looper from writer/director Rian Johnson. This whole week has been a build-up of the nauseating, bullshit "Teaser to a trailer" gimmick. But that's over with (Thank God) and here's the trailer:

It's Not a Good Idea, but Sin City 2 Is Really Happening

Here's the press release announcing Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, set begin production with most of the returning cast this summer.

I'd honestly like to know why this isn't being perceived as bad an idea as when Robert Rodriguez did for the same to Spy Kids. But because this is a geek property, everyone pretends this isn't him returning to the well (after promising this for the last seven years) judging by the reactions:

"Filmmakers Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller, along with producer Alexander Rodnyansky, have announced that production will commence on the highly anticipated sequel to 2005’s Sin City, entitled Sin City: A Dame To Kill For. The film will be produced by AR Films and Quick Draw Productions, financed through AR Films U.S and released domestically by Dimension Films.

'The first question I am always asked is 'When will you make another Sin City?,' said Rodriquez. 'I have wanted to re-team with Frank Miller and return to the world he created since the day we wrapped the original, but have felt a duty to the fans to wait until we had something truly exceptional that would meet and exceed what have become epic expectations. A Dame To Kill For will certainly be worth the wait.'

Sin City creator, screenwriter and co-director Frank Miller said, 'The first Sin City knocked out audiences who had never seen anything like it before. Robert Rodriguez and I are going to shake things up and deliver a ferocious film experience that is going to go even further than the first.'

The script and details of the film’s story have been kept tightly under wraps. Casting will begin next week, with many of the original cast expected to return. The film, a Quick Draw Production, will be produced by Rodriguez and producing partners Aaron Kaufman and Iliana Nikolic; and by Alexander Rodnyansky and Sergei Bespalov and Stephen L'Hereux. Miller, The Weinstein Company’s Harvey and Bob Weinstein and Miramax's Adam Fields will act as executive producers. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For was developed by Frank Miller based upon his graphic novel, with a screenplay by Frank Miller and Academy Award winner William Monahan (The Departed). The film is expected to begin production this summer at Rodriguez’s Troublemaker Studios in Austin, Texas.

Alexander Rodnyansky said, 'We are delighted to continue our relationship with Robert Rodriguez and Quick Draw Productions. It is a rare opportunity to produce and finance a film with the high profile and enormous fan base of the Sin City franchise. AR FIlms will be managing worldwide sales of Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, as well as Robert’s Machete Kills at the Cannes Film Festival in May.'

The original Sin City was brought to the screen by Rodriguez and Miller and released by Dimension in 2005, and proved to be a landmark step forward in filmmaking, breaking ground with immersive green screen to create its iconic stylish look. The first film, released on April 1, 2005, grossed over $160 million (US) worldwide and is a consistently strong home video and television performer.

'Audiences have been clamoring for Sin City 2 with Robert and Frank for a long time and trust me, it will be worth the wait,’ said Bob Weinstein, co-chairman of The Weinstein Company. 'This will be my 11th collaboration with Robert in 16 years and he’s become a great friend. I look forward to continuing our long lasting relationship and partnering on more projects in the future.'

The deal was negotiated by Aaron Kaufman, Craig Emanuel of Loeb & Loeb and Robert Newman of WME on behalf of Rodriguez; David Glasser and Andrew Kramer on behalf of Dimension Films; Schuyler Moore of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan and Jere Hausfater on behalf of AR Films; Kenneth Keller and Garth Rosengren of Krieg, Keller, Sloan, Reilley & Roman and John LaViolette of Bloom Hergott Diemer Rosenthal LaViolette Feldman Schenkman & Goodman on behalf of Stephen L’Heureux and Solopsist Films and Mark Lichtman and Neil Meyer and Allison Binder of Stone, Meyer, Genow, Smelkinson & Binder on behalf of Miller."