Talking is McG's Kryptonite

Remember when Newt Gingrich went to Florida and promised that elaborate, and expensive, plan for a moon base? That's McG. Always trying to win over whatever group he's speaking to, telling them exactly what they want to hear in order to look good. Shooting his mouth off and making claims he knows he can't make, just like a politician running for office.

Years after the debacle of Terminator: Salvation, he's still trying to win fandom’s approval, in what has to be his affliction with battered wife syndrome. Hoping he'll be cool in their eyes with his ideas. He tells The Playlist had his Superman reboot, codenamed Superman: Flyby, made its way to the silver screens in 2006 we would have gotten a much different Lex Luthor than the long-rumored Johnny Depp:

"We had Robert Downey Jr. locked up to be Lex Luthor, which I think would have been extraordinary."

Here we go again with the "Hey guys, I had the idea first! Aren't I cool?" routine? We don't need to replay how he claimed James Cameron approved the T4 script and personally recommended Sam Worthington. Were this any other director claiming this claim, I would take him at face value, but this is McG we're talking about.

Mr. McGinty (Can I call you Joseph?), we all know you were the guy who flat out cast Henry Cavill as Superman/Clark Kent years before Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder came to the same conclusion. Hell, they're using not only your Supes but your designs for their suit in The Man of Steel. You deserve credit for this; credit which will never come, and that's bullshit. But for the love of God, dude, stop it and leave it be.

Red 2 Has Its Director

As one of their last acts before being absorbed by corporate body-snatcher Lionsgate, Summit is getting the band back together (...again...) for Red 2, the sequel to the 2010 actioner headlined by Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich, Morgan Freeman and Mary-Louise Parker.

Outside of Willis, deals remain elusive on the cast and the August 2013 release date may potentially be jeopardized in lieu of Bruno's first-priority status on A Good Day to Die Hard, and that was supposed to roll cameras last month. Variety says, nevertheless, Dean Parisot will direct – no stranger to seen-their-better-days old dogs reuniting to kick ass, having helmed Galaxy Quest.

Warner Brothers Laughs at the Thought of Death; Commits to I Am Legend Sequel

The Brothers Warner don't concern themselves with little road-blocks like death. Oh sure, Will Smith croaked at the end of I Am Legend sacrificing himself to save God Girl and the quiet little kid antidote intact, and lest we forget shoehorning in that awful "We are his legend" closing line. But when your movies does close to $600 million, there are always creative (Read: lazy) solutions around that problem.

The studio locked down a deal with Akiva Goldsman (who along with George Lucas, McG, Brett Ratner and Joel Schumacher is the fanboy's answer to the anti-Christ) for an I Am Legend follow-up they won't call a prequel but somehow fit Smith's character Robert Neville into the main narrative, reports "TOLDJA."

Smith isn't committed, mind you. Even he knows how stupid this could come across unless Arash Amel's script has the best deus ex machina. Why, it was all a dream! At least in that direction, they not only get Smith back (AKA: cha-ching at the box-office) but more importantly his loyal German Shepherd Sam. You laugh but that dog was the best part of the movie, and that's not even a slight against Francis Lawrence's film!

There Might Be Different Humans to Suffer Through in Transformers 4

Not buying this "reboot" talk on Transformers 4 since Michael Bay is back directing (What, he's going to reboot the franchise he started, people?) and the fact that the number 4 is in the title. That's why I always argue when people kept referring to Skyfall as Bond 23 before they settled on that Emmerich- esque title considering the entire series was rebooted with Casino Royale.

Badass Digest doesn't either thankfully and, via sources within Bay's camp, confirm the June 2014 set fourth installment will be a continuation, sans Shia LaBeouf's Sam Witwicky if not the entire human cast from the earlier films. We all know Optimus Prime and Bumblebee everyone cares about and the human protagonists who, let's face it, are interchangeable. Hence swapping out the snotty Megan Fox for the more studio-friendly, following-the-corporate-line Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and nobody complained. Except for Fox, I'm sure.

That said I assumed there would be some continuity amongst the flesh and blood characters like Josh Duhamel and Tyrese. If that is the case, Duhamel is out of the loop as he tells E! Online:

"'Whenever these movies make that much money they're going to make as many as they can,' he said. '[But] I haven't heard anything about it. They haven't called me.'"

Bay still has Pain & Gain to do first and there’s still the matter of "finding the right story" (HA!) for Transformers 4. So it's not a done deal we won’t see anyone returning. I still expect to see both Duhamel and Tyrese again.

Amid Poor Tracking, Sequel Chatter Going for John Carter

Producer Jim Morris tells Coming Soon helmer Andrew Stanton and co-writer Michael Chabon have already begun work on John Carter: The Gods of Mars, based on Edgar Rice Bouuroughs' second Barsoom novel. The revelation is conspicuous given mere hours prior the first tracking numbers were released indicating Disney might have a big, fat flop in John Carter, set to open in the next couple of weeks.

If nothing else, this feels like a distraction from that news and focus everyone's attention on how everyone is totally excited about the possibility of more John Carters. As always the case, hiring the writer (Though I don't doubt Morris is being truthful) is the cheapest part of the process and does not translate to a sequel actually becoming a reality.

Uh Oh, Vince Vaughn Is Getting Serious Again...

There was a time before his reemergence into comedies Vince Vaughn was dramatic. Full-on psychopaths (Gus Van Sant's Psycho remake, Clay Pigeons, Domestic Disturbance) if not just playing Vince Vaughn playing straight (The Cell, The Lost World). He was fine in those parts, the varying quality of said films notwithstanding. But he wasn't funny, and people prefer their Vince Vaughn funny.

So he's been honing his routine since and while it still pays to be that long-winded, chatter-box everyman, it appears he has an itching to play serious again. A blurb at "TOLDJA" focusing on Tony Scott's next project pin-points Vaughn being attached for the action-thriller Lucky Strike, about a DEA agent and drug-runner teaming up to bring down a drug cartel. Presumably he's playing the man on the side of the law.

Jaden Smith Comes From a Planet Called Krypton

All he's missing is a cape, and Jaden Smith (posting this image from his Who Say account) could stand next to Zod and we wouldn't bat an eye. This isn't about The Man of Steel however. No, After Earth, M. Night Shyamalan's sci-fi adventure none of us would give the time of day to were it not for it starring Jaden, growing like a weed since we last saw him in The Karate Kid, and his dad Will Smith.

Sounds like a cool enough concept to be fair (The Smiths play father and son navigating a long-abandoned Earth after their ship crashes), but it's Shyamalan and he's burned us so many times...

Jonathan Liebesman Directing Ninja Turtles Reboot Platinum Dunes Is Insisting You Want

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reached their peak in pop-culture during the late 80s/early 90s with the animated series and accompanying toy line. I know because I was one of those little kids obsessed with all things "Turtle Power!" But like all popular trends, their moment in the sun came and went, and Hollywood has been trying to make it viable again ever since with more cartoons, toys and even a live-action series that just didn't take.

All due respect to fans, those old enough to be hooked by the originating Kevin Eastman/Peter Laird comics or those closer to my age into Turtle mania with the action-figures and Saturday-morning toons, I don't know how many more times some production company or studio with cash in their pockets and hungry to make more with a brand-name, known property can spend their resources trying to revitalize the Ninja Turtles till they come to the realization that its past that point.

Platinum Dunes think they're the guys to buck that trend since they brought back Leatherface, Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger to the big screens. Notice I didn't say "successfully brought back" since we never got those sequels to the Friday the 13^th and Nightmare on Elm Street remakes. Josh Appelbaum and Andrew Nemec (fresh off Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol) are the latest writers onboard and reports Variety Jonathan Liebesman is in talks to direct.

Liebesman's coming off the sequel nobody demanded Wrath of the Titans opening next month. While I have nothing particularly against his filmmaking credentials, I go back to my talking points. Who is begging for a return of the Ninja Turtles these days?

Watch the First Minute of All 22 Bond Films At Once

What better way than to start off your Valentine Day's morning than to watch this awesomely addictive fan-video? The first minute of all 22 official James Bond films, from Sean Connery all the way up to Daniel Craig, played at once. Something hypnotic here, I can't put my finger on. Perhaps it's just my anticipation for Skyfall.

Michael Bay Confirmed for Transformers 4

Michael Bay and Paramount have come to terms with an arrangement where both parties are happy. Bay gets to helm Pain & Gain with Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson first, followed by a fourth Transformers installment for June 29, 2014, Bay confirmed on his official site today.

The original story, dating back to last December from Vulture, said the studio was dangling the body-building centered crime thriller, a long time pet project of Bay's, over his head in order for him to commit to more carnage and destruction with the Autobots. An irrelevant concern now since everyone is (pretending to be) friends again.

With that resolved, the narrative everyone is going by is about finding the right story, if you actually believe that's a concern on their end, and what actors will carry over from the Transformers trilogy besides Shia LaBeouf who claims he's not returning by his own choice. A claim I don't buy given the crap he's put those productions through with his offscreen shenanigans and his mouth.