American Idiot - The Movie?

Having recently suffered through the horror that was Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark on Broadway, I've realized that the demise of American Idiot, which closes down on April 24, is now even harder to take.  Despite mostly good reviews, two Tony Awards and Grammy win last year, the show never seemed to take off at the box office.  It's a shame, since it was a great show, and unlike a certain web-slinger hitting the boards right now, their flying scenes went off without any serious incidents and they somehow managed to make Green Day's music work just fine for the stage (hear that, U2?).

So there's some interesting news coming courtesy of Deadline tonight:  Universal Pictures is currently in negotiations to adapt the rock musical into a feature film.  Just recently, Universal dropped plans for a film version of the Broadway hit In The Heights, but with adaptations of Les Miserables and Wicked still in the works, it looks like they're definitely trying to stay in the movie musical business.  They've had success in the genre before, with 2008's Mamma Mia! grossing a whopping $609 million worldwide.

According to the Deadline article, the studio is in talks with Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black to write the script.  This is good news.  Not only is Black an excellent Oscar-winning writer, but he can also provide American Idiot with something it sorely needs:  a plot.  I loved the show, I'm seeing it for the fourth time tomorrow night, but even I have to admit that its lack of a strong narrative is most likely what doomed it with audiences unfamiliar with the original 2004 Green Day album which it was based upon.

The other bit of cool news, should this movie actually happen, is that Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong will most likely reprise his role as St. Jimmy, the drug-crazed alter ego of the main character Johnny (aka: the album's "Jesus of Suburbia").  Armstrong is currently playing the role on Broadway for the third time, and his appearance in the show have always given the struggling box office a much-needed boost.  And he's also surprisingly amazing in the role.

So that's...good news, although I'm going to firmly stand in the 'I'll-believe-it-when-I-see-it" camp that this movie actually gets made.  Although if they can make Rock of Ages into a movie, they can certainly make an American Idiot movie, that's for sure.

Universal Taking in Joseph Kosinski's 'Horizons' with Tom Cruise

This is exactly the reason people worry about Marvel Studios being bought by Disney.

Tron: Legacy director Joseph Kosinksi has found a new home for his sci-fi project, Horizons, which was originally set up over at The Mouse House:

Universal Studios.

Heat Vision reports that the studio is in negotiations to pick up the project with none other than Tom Cruise attached to star.

Seems the reason the project left Disney in the first place was that they were hesitant about making a PG-13 actioner.  You know them over there, they want everything "kid friendly."  Poor Avengers.

Anyway, Horizons is said to take place in the future and revolve around a soldier who's assigned to patrol a deserted planet and meets a mysterious traveler.  I assume Cruise will be playing the soldier.  Bad ass.

The film is scheduled to start filming in October.

Cars 2 Goes Viral

Following on the heels of the 1980s-style toy commercial for Losto Huggin' Bear that showed up on YouTube a few months before the release of Toy Story 3 last year, Disney-Pixar is at it again with a new viral video for Cars 2.  This video, disguised as one of those cheesy local car dealership ads (complete with a guy promising "a lion of a deal" while dressed in a tiger costume) has an added bonus:  buried in one frame of the video is a link that will take you to an exclusive clip from Cars 2. 

See if you can find it:

Still stumped?  The link buried in the video is ChromeA113.com, which takes you to this unlisted YouTube video:

Pretty clever move from Pixar, considering the whole Mission Impossible theme of the new Cars movie.

Cars 2 opens in theaters on June 24.

People You’ve Never Heard of Before Join Dark Knight Rises

Some miscellaneous Dark Knight Rises casting nuggets for ya because what movie-news site would we be if we didn't talk about Batman at every waking moment?!

I kid, yes I'm looking forward to how Christopher Nolan wraps up his (so far, excellent) Batman series. But it's astounding to look at the stupidity of how some will run with any news-item related to Batman. Even if, and at times especially if, it sounds incredibly fake.

We're not talking about the big reveal that Liam Neeson is returning as Ra's Al Ghaul (Honestly...aren't we all expecting it at this point?) or "change your life overnight" unknowns in lead roles like Henry Cavill or Chris Pine. But working-class character-actors most of you have never heard of before in supporting roles.

The Tracking Board (via /film) say Daniel Sunjata (best known for his turn on FXs Rescue Me) is up for "an important character to the story." Elaborating on that, Variety states the part in question is "a courageous special forces operative."

The trades also add Diego Klattenhoff (who's biggest profile job prior is NBCs defunct "Ya, Nurses!" drama Mercy) is up for "a rookie cop who is looking to make a difference" and Burn Gorman (from Torchwood) for an unspecified role.

Josh Brolin Gets His Tommy Lee Jones On Men in Black 3 Set

Unfortunately, the Internet has been forced to have to pay Men in Black 3 a compliment.

Josh Brolin makes for a good looking young Tommy Lee Jones from these set photos taken by The Daily Mail standing next to a shockingly Will Smith-looking Will Smith.

You can go back and play now, kids. Go back to complaining about the script troubles and pretend like stuff like that never happens to other big $200-$300 million summer movies.

Joaquin Phoenix In Talks for Paul Thomas Anderson's "Scientology" Drama

It was one of the most disappointing times to hear of a film falling apart.

Last year, Paul Thomas Anderson was working on a 50s-era drama at Universal centering on a Scientology-like religious organization and the relationship between its leader (to be played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman) and his closest ally (to be played by Jeremy Renner). Don't believe it ever had an official title, but many of us were referring it to as The Master.

Obviously, the non-subtle Scientology subtext caused concern with studio brass (Because as we all know, it's A-OK to poke at Christians but no one else!) and the project got nuked with the age-old "indefinitely delayed" phrase used. It didn't help that Universal couldn't take such a financial risk after all the misfires they approved previously including this weekend's Your Highness.

Thankfully for us fans of potentially-great films, word seeped through Vulture awhile back that funding for The Master looked like it was coming through after all, and now in a bit of perfect casting (given his history) Joaquin Phoenix is in talks to early talks to replace Renner according to Variety.

Playing someone who starts out crazy and over the course of the film begins to realize the insanity of this Scientology-type (*Wink wink*) group could be an interesting way to convince people he really isn't crazy. Like he deliberately made everyone think for two years. It won't fully win people back, but it is a start for Phoenix.

For Reasons We Can't Explain Bradley Cooper IS The Crow

It feels like Bradley Cooper is settling for whatever comic-movie a studio is willing to throw at him. He lost out on Green Lantern after all (surprisingly, I'd add given the time of his testing arose as The Hangover was a mega-hit in theaters) and there have been those Flash rumblings.

But Heat Vision says Relativity Media has thrown him a bone to be The Crow instead, and it appears he's going to take it. I never understood why he came off Hangover's popularity with all the press and all. He was perfectly fine, but he was the straight man to the zanier and by default memorable, Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms. But if he's so keen for this type of role, I'm sure there are other characters better suited for him out there.

Why go for The Crow, a reboot of a franchise known 100% for its lead actor dying during its production? Maybe he feels in debt for Relativity putting him in Limitless, his first non-Hangover hit?

Green Lantern Suit Still Looks Iffy – But Now with Toes!

Are you fans out there still unsure about the CG-suit-and-masked Green Lantern? Even after seeing that improved, but still in-the-works WonderCon footage?

Then, these pictures courtesy of Breaking News USA probably won't help that uneasiness. No, this doesn't look that awesome either, and these are doctored pictures too! I will say though, I like the little touch of his toes being visible in the "suit." The mask is still shit though.

New Zod Speaks! Thinks New Superman Will be "All Right!"

This is refreshing to hear. Michael Shannon was at the RiverRun International Film Festival and since he was just hired as General Zod, the topic of Man of Steel was brought and the Boardwalk Empire star didn't play coy like most would.

He's so laid back, doesn't go out of his way to be political by overly-praising his soon-to-be-director Zack Snyder and new Superman Henry Cavill and he's honest about the process of getting involved with a big "Event" film with all the craziness of secrecy and testing. That said, he's still professional and courteous. In fact, his thoughts are some of the more genuine I can think of from an actor in awhile.

Alyson Hannigan Gets Finger Back in the Pie

It was news, but not really. I mean was anyone, honestly, surprised when they heard how most of the American Pie cast was signing up for American Reunion?

Outside of Sean William Scott (who's well in the comedy genre is just now about dry), nobody in the cast has amounted to much in their filmography. To think a decade ago, American Pie 2 was one of the most anticipated films with all the secrecy around the production and how those actors were popping up all over the place and up for quite a few high-profile gigs (Remember Chris Klein being rumored as Anakin Skywalker?)

The only other Pie alum with a stable career has been Alyson Hannigan, thanks to TVs How I Met Your Mother. She's also been the biggest question-mark of those to return for just that reason. But it appears we've avoided hearing about her character off-screen as she's signed on for a fourth slice.

For those curious about what to expect (Personally that series was never my cup of coffee – never understood what people saw in them), check out What's Playing for plot details.