Sneak Peak at Toy Story: Small Fry

As if we needed another reason to see The Muppets.  Like they did over the summer with Cars 2, the good folks at Disney/Pixar will be bringing the Toy Story gang back for a new short that will premiere in front of screenings of The Muppets.  Entitled "Small Fry", the seven-minute short will feature a kid's meal version of Buzz Lightyear who desperately wants to become the 'real' Buzz Lightyear.

You can get a quick look at the short here, courtesy of Disney/Pixar's official YouTube channel:

Hey, kids meal toys need some love too!  Buzz, Woody, and The Muppets will arrive in theaters on November 23. 

Weekend Box Office: November 11 - 13

Courtesy of Box Office Mojo:

1.  Immortals - $32.2 million

2.  Jack & Jill - $25 million

3.  Puss in Boots - $24.7 million

4.  Tower Heist - $12.7 million

5.  J. Edgar - $11.2 million

6.  A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas - $5.9 million

7.  In Time - $4 million

8.  Paranormal Activity 3 - $3.6 million

9.  Footloose - $2.7 million

10.  Real Steel - $1.8 million

Well, Immortals certainly did better than expected, opening in first place this weekend with $32 million.  That's nowhere near the wow-this-looks-familiar openings of 300 or the Clash of the Titans remake, it's far better than the estimated $23 million or so it was expected to take this weekend.  The better news is that it easily overtook Adam Sandler's ridiculous-looking Jack and Jill, which found an audience anyway with $25 million.  That just barely beats out Puss in Boots, which in its third weekend crossed the $100 million mark with $24.7 million. 

Speaking over movies crossing the $100 million threshold, Paranormal Activity 3 did just that this weekend.  It's now outgrossed Parnormal Activity 2's $84 million from last year, and it's catching up on the $107 million the original film made in 2009. 

It wasn't a great week for Brett Ratner (or Eddie Murphy, for that matter), but the news was somewhat better, although not great, for Tower Heist, which dropped 47% to earn another $12.7 million.  As far as people will likely still be going to the Oscars this year, Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar did so-so this weekend with just $11.2. 

Next weekend brings the beginning of the end as The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 opens in theaters.  For anyone more interested in dancing penguins (or watching a test pattern, which would be preferable to Twilight), Happy Feet 2 also arrives to steal some animated thunder from Puss in Boots next weekend.  George Clooney's other Oscar hopeful, The Descendants, also opens in theaters next weekend, so it looks like there's something for everyone.

Doctor Who Hops on the Tardis Traveling to the Silver Screen

A big-budget Doctor Who movie without the presence of current (and popular) time-lord Matt Smith and with its own separate continuity is in development.

We'll hear the Star Trek comparisons if not already but big difference here, kiddos. Trek was a dead, rotting carcass of a joke when J.J. Abrams came aboard with his continuity-adhering reboot that managed to play for the devoted and the general public. Problem is the BBC revival series, since it returned to television in 2005 first sporting Christopher Eccleston's mug and later David Tennant, already did that.

Doctor Who is cool and, more importantly, profitable for the BBC. Guess that's why the network is bringing out their big-guns, handing the reigns of this film incarnation to David Yates, reports Variety. Suppose that makes sense. He brought one British cinematic icon to a fitting conclusion in Harry Potter and the logic is he can perform the same magic (for lack of a better term) to the Time Lord.

And like that, those Johnny Depp for Doctor Who rumors will resurface in addition to whatever British actor who doesn't already have his own franchise. But since it isn't expected for a couple of years ("We're going to spend two to three years to get it right," Jane Tranter of the BBC tells the trades), we'll find plenty of other thespians for the rumor-mills besides Michael Fassbender.

The Hunger Games Trailer Is All Set-Up

It's not that the first theatrical trailer for The Hunger Games is bad, per say. It's alright but the focus here is all about setting up our lead characters, the environment and so on. Co-worker buddy tells me what you're seeing is the first couple of chapters.

If you hoping for cross-brow action and young kids killing one another over the span of two minutes and thirty-six minutes, prepare to be disappointed. You'll just have to wait 'till the next trailer closer to its March 2012 release.

With all the hype/press for this as the "next big thing," this trailer needed to impress those blind to the faith. In that sense, it failed. While I'm still optimistic of the final product (considering the cast, Gary Ross directing and Billy Ray writing), how anyone can label this a home run is spin. Or hard-core Hunger Games fans in denial.

"Misson Impossible: Ghost Protocol" Banner

This is not just another mission. The IMF is shut down when it's implicated in a global terrorist bombing plot. Ghost Protocol is initiated and Ethan Hunt​ and his rogue new team must go undercover to clear their organization's name. No help, no contact, off the grid. You have never seen a mission grittier and more intense than this.

TheDailyBlam

Helena Bonham Carter & Jeremy Irvine In "Great Expectations"

A terrifying encounter with an escaped convict in a graveyard on the wild Kent marshes; a summons to meet the bitter, decaying Miss Havisham​ and her beautiful, cold-hearted ward Estella; the sudden generosity of a mysterious benefactor-these form a series of events that change the orphan Pip's life forever, as he eagerly abandons his humble origins to begin a new life as a gentleman. Dickens's haunting novel depicts Pip's education and development through adversity as he discovers the true nature of his great expectations. Published nine years before Dickens's death, it remains one of his most celebrated works.

The Daily Blam

Spider-Man & Gwen Stacy Swing On To SNL Set

Haven't heard much noise from The Amazing Spider-Man marketing widgets lately but the powers that be used Emma Stone's appearance on SNL to pimp their version of Webhead. During the opening monologue by Stone aka Gwen Stacy, Andy Samberg webs his way down from the upper rafters and pitches his case for playing Spider-Man in the upcoming reboot.  After some jokes Stone calls Andrew Garfield up to get his take on the situation. Enjoy above.

"Underworld Awakening" Poster

Beckinsale, star of the first two films, returns in her lead role as the vampire warrioress Selene, who escapes imprisonment to find herself in a world where humans have discovered the existence of both Vampire and Lycan clans, and are conducting an all-out war to eradicate both immortal species.

Concept Art From The Now Defunct "Crow Reboot"

I'm not a fan of some of these proposed reboots, although some of them really peak my geek interest, such was the case with The Crow. Considering I am a fan of Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's work on 28 Days Later and Bradley Cooper (cast as the undead lead), i was going full bore for this reincarnation.

One of my favorite sites, ShockTillYouDrop, has the exclusive look at concept art from the now in turn around project. It's pretty interesting to get a peak into the what Cooper might have looked like as Crow. Check the concept art out below and you can see more on the artist's site, Diego Lattore.

Julian Richings Reveals His Role In "Man Of Steel"

During the shoot in Plano, Illinois the cape was lifted up via set photos to reveal some of what was going on with "Man Of Steel". Now that the production has moved to Vancouver, the cape has been wound a little tighter. This has to do more with the fact that most of the shooting is taking place on sound stages unlike the faux Smallville set in Plano, rather than the actual amping up of security.

Actor Julian Richings has given us a peak behind said cape and revealed that he has a role in "Man Of Steel". In a video interview with Inner Space the quirky but skilled actor talked about his role in the film. Although Richings was fairly secretive about his character, we do know that he is Kyrptonian and has filmed scenes with both Russell Crowe and Michael Shannon. The shoot was on sound stages with stadium sized green screen. Sounds like Krypton.

This isn't the first comic book film for Richings, he played a tiny role in "X-Men: The Last Stand".  You might have seen him on "Supernatural" but I remember him as the nutty janitor from "Urban Legend". Video interview below.

Examiner