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.

John Carter Clip

 Yahoo! Movies has a new promo for the upcoming Walt Disney release, John Carter and below is a new clip I found over at Superherohype. The movie will be in theaters on March 9th and gives Taylor Kitsch his first starring role in a heavily marketed film. The Canadian actor is mostly known for his role on television's Friday Night Lights as Tim Riggins and as popular comic character Gambit in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

I haven't seen enough of his skills as an actor to judge if he could carry a bigger movie like this one, but the latest trailers and now these clips have raised my interest for the sci-fi adventure. I get a sense that Disney is trying to play it the same way Tron: Legacy rolled out so hopefully they have greater success this time around.

Superman Vs The Elite Animated Movie

TV Guide has the first look for DC's next animated feature Superman Vs The Elite. The movie was first announced in July last year and today fans found out that Pauley Perrette will be voicing Lois Lane. Perrette is known on NCSI as forensic scientist, Abby Sciuto.

It's set to be out around the time Comic-Con hits in San Diego. Based on "What's So Funny About Truth, Justice, & the American Way?", Superman battles a group of super powered "heroes" who take any action necessary to stop individuals seen as criminals even if killing is the only option. Superman has to find away to stop the group without eventually lowering himself to their standards. The title is a spin on Elvis Costello's "(What's So Funny) 'Bout Peace, Love, and Understanding?" and was created in response to all the extremely violent heroes that had become the norm for comics at the time.

A sneak peek will be included on the extra features of Justice League: Doom which is out on February 28th.

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.

Miss Piggy Schmoozes at the BAFTAs

See, the BAFTAs did the awards show thing right:  they gave an award to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (for visual effects), they gave the world a Les Miserables preview with Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe presenting an award together...and unlike our upcoming Oscar telecast, their show had Muppets. 

Well, it had Miss Piggy anyway, and while I'm sure that had everything to do with the fact that The Muppets opened in the UK this weekend, it was still hilarious to watch her hamming it up (literally) with a few of the stars on the red carpet before the show:

See how much fun that could have been, Oscars??

By the way, there is a petition circulating around from fans trying to get the geezers at the Academy to change their minds about letting the Best Song nominess perform on the show next week.  Will it work?  Probably not, but it's got more than 53,000 signatures so far, so it's worth a shot. 

You can find a full list of winners of the 2012 BAFTA Awards here. 

Weekend Box Office Actuals: February 10 - 12

Courtesy of Box Office Mojo:

1.  The Vow - $41.2 million

2.  Safe House - $40.1 million

3.  Journey 2: The Mysterious Island - $27.3 million

4.  Star Wars Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace - $22.4 million

5.  Chronicle - $12 million

6.  The Woman in Black - $10.1 million

7.  The Grey - $5 million

8.  Big Miracle - $3.9 million

9.  The Descendants - $3.4 million

10.  Underworld Awakening - $2.4 million

This is one of those weekends were everyone gets a trophy for participating, especially (as much as it pains me to say it), The Vow, which celebrated Valentine's Day with the biggest opening weekend of 2012 so far with $41.2 million.  Loosely based on the true story of an amnesiac wife "re-meeting" her husband after a car accident, the film is the first romantic drama to open in theaters in awhile...so audiences flocked to it.  Obviously.

Denzel Washington had a good weekend as well, with Safe House opening above expectations with $40.1 million.  Ryan Reynolds can breathe a little easier now too - he's finally starring in a movie that didn't crash and burn like his past few films have (although Denzel was clearly the draw here).

The battle of the 3D family films provided some healthy box office too, as Journey 2: The Mysterious Island surprisingly managed to fend off Star Wars to win the race with $27.3 million, which is even higher than the $21.02 million that the original Journey to the Center of the Earth film earned on its opening weekend in 2008.

The first of the six planned 3D re-releases of the Star Wars films kicked off this weekend, and it did all right, as the much-maligned Episode 1: The Phantom Menace opened with $22.4 million.  Seems like enough families were willing to put up with Jar Jar Binks in 3D for the opportunity to take their kids to see Star Wars on the big screen for the first time (hard to believe this movie is already 13 years old).  In fact, the opening was good enough to bump Phantom Menace from seventh to fifth place on the all-time domestic list with $453.6 million.

Last week's two big winners held up well in their second weekend, as Chronicle dropped only 45% to earn $12 million.  Good word-of-mouth is turning that one into a decent hit.  The Woman in Black dropped a little more at 52% to earn $10.1, but that's not bad for a horror movie, since usually drop like a rock in their second weekend.  Both movies cost pocket change to make, so the box office is good news for both films.

Next weekend sees the releases of Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengance (no, I don't know why either), the action comedy whose trailer has been in front of every movie I've seen for the past two months, This Means War, and the animated The Secret World of Arrietty.  It's also Oscar weekend, so this week is a good time to hurry up and catch up to the nominated movies too.