Adam Beach Joins 'Cowboys & Aliens'

According to Empire Adam Beach will be joining Jon Favreau's Western/sci-fi Cowboys & Aliens. I guess this means We'll have cowboys and Indians fighting along side one another against aliens. What a cool idea!

Beach is playing Nat Colorado, a half-Apache who works for Dollarhyde, in a script co-written by Robert Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof.

The more I hear about this the better it sounds. I only hope this turns out better then favreaus last over-hyped blockbuster Iron Man 2.

Beach joins a cast that already includes Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Clancy Brown, Keith Carradine and Paul Dano.

The plot finds a mysterious, amnesiac stranger (Craig) stumbling into a tightly controlled Arizona desert town known as Absolution. It’s not the friendliest place for outsiders and the situation is made worse by the cruel grip of Colonel Woodrow Dollarhyde.

But then something happens to give the town bigger problems than the newcomer’s arrival or Dollarhyde’s despotic rule: aliens screeching down from the sky in flying saucers to abduct and kill humans. Soon the residents and a group of other cowboys are teaming up with the resident Apache tribe to fight off this brand new menace.

Can they win an epic battle against a seemingly unstoppable force? It helps that the drifter’s memories start to return, giving them key pieces of information about the dangerous extraterrestrial threat.

Favreau has plans to start filming this summer. Cowboys & Aliens opens everywhere August 5, 2011.

Deathly Hallows PS3 Game Preview

IGN has premiered this awesome preview for the upcoming video game adaptation of Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows, Part 1, which is scheduled for release in the fall. 

More Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 Info

Are the wands supposed to sound like machine guns?

If I actually had a PS3, I'd totally get that.  Unfortunately, the last time I played a Harry Potter game, it took me 15 minutes to catch the Snitch during a Quidditch level, only to find out that was just a practice level.  I kinda gave up after that, although I'm quite excited for the Lego Harry Potter game set to be released later this month.

James Cameron to the Rescue?

Following several failed attempts to stop the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that was caused by a rig explosion in April, federal officials have taken the logical next step:  they've called James Cameron.

I'm guessing that the surviving members of Bruce Willis' oil rig crew from Armageddon were busy.

As reported by the Washington Post, Cameron was among a group of scientists and other experts who met today with federal agencies, along with the Environmental Protection Agency, for a "brainstorming session" on how to stop what is now officially the worst oil leak in US history. 

Officials are consulting with Cameron due to his expertise with the underwater filming and remote vehicle technologies he used on his films Titanic and Avatar, in hopes that it will give them a clearer picture of the deadly leak so they can find a way to stop it once and for all. 

Cameron is no stranger to helping others with technology he used on his films - earlier this year he convinced NASA to install Avatar-style 3D cameras on their next Mars probe. 

While the idea that officials have now reached the point where they need to call upon the director of the Terminator movies to help stop an environmental disaster (do I even need to mention that they've also consulted with Kevin Costner?), sounds desperate to the point of comedy, there's nothing funny about the terrible damage this oil leak is causing to the Gulf Coast.  If Cameron's work (or Costner's, for that matter) is able to help them stop the leak, that would be a great thing - so let's hope it works.

"The Crow" Reboot is happening

 

The original The Crow feature based on the graphic novel was released in 94' starring Brandon Lee (son of Bruce Lee) who died during the filming of the production.

The original was about a rock musician who's revived from the dead to avenge his own murder, as well as that of his fiancée. Despite the incident, the film was a critical and commercial success after its release, opening at the top of the box office. Which is why we had to know that a remake/reboot was inevitable sooner or later.

According to MTV, director Stephen Norrington's reboot of "The Crow" reported to begin shooting soon. Edward Pressman who produced the previous Crow films said Norrington's screenplay is finished, and his take is much different then Alex Proyas' with the original. Norrington's vision is inching much closer to reality, with casting announcements on the way and filming beginning this year.

He also added that they have an offer out to a "Major Actor", and The setting is the southwest — the Mexico/Arizona area — and an urban [setting], Detroit or Pittsburgh. There are two locations that the film is set. Its initial platform is in the southwest and then it moves to the big city in the north, middle or eastern America, and then back.

One thing I can say that sounds promising about this, is that it won't just be a re-hash of what worked in the original. By the sounds of things they plan to update the story as well as bring a whole new take, unlike most remakes.

Box Office Actuals May 28-31

Shrek un-expectedly came in and took the number one spot in it's second weekend in release. Shrek beat out the Sex and The City sequel, and the Bruckheimer would be epic Prince of Persia.

Opening next week is Killers starring Ashton Kutcher and katherine heigl (which isn't being screened for critics, which usually means it's garbage), Get Him to The Greek Jonah Hills new R rated comedy, and Splice. There's a good possibility Shrek will take the number one spot again next weekend, either that or it'll be a close battle.

1. Shrek Forever After (DreamWorks Animation/Paramount) - $57 million

2. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (Disney) - $37.8 million

3. Sex and the City 2 (New Line/WB) - $36.8 million

4. Iron Man 2 (Marvel/Paramount) - $21 million

5. Robin Hood (Universal) - $13.4 million

6. Letters to Juliet (Summit) - $7.4 million

7. Just Wright (Fox Searchlight) - $2.8 million

8. MacGruber (Universal) - $2 million

9. Date Night (20th Century Fox) - $2 million

10. How to Train Your Dragon (DreamWorks Animation/Paramount) - $1.5 million 

Check back to TMT on Wednesday for next weeks predictions, and again on Sunday for Box Office estimates from Jen.

New Trailer 'Scott Pilgrim Vs the World'

After reaching 100,000 fans on the Facebook page for Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Universal Pictures has released the new trailer for the Edgar Wright-directed adaptation starring Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Anna Kendrick, Alison Pill, Brandon Routh and Jason Schwartzman.

In the film, hitting theaters on August 13, Cera plays Scott Pilgrim, a charming and jobless bass guitarist for garage band Sex Bob-omb. The 22-year-old has just met the girl of his dreams... literally. The only catch to winning Ramona Flowers (Winstead)? Her seven evil exes are coming to kill him. The film tells the amazing story of one romantic slacker's quest to power up with love.



I have to say I'm still somewhat on the fence about this one. I heard that the movie was terrible, and then I heard from other people that it was amazing. I was under the understanding that Michael Cera was stepping outside of his typecast sarcastic teenage virgin role, but from the looks of the trailer this doesn't look to be the case. He still seems to have the sarcasm in tact, but this time with cheesy super powers as well, and to top it all off he's likely playing a virgin in this too, as he seems overly desperate.

Weekend Box Office Report: May 28-30

Courtesy of Box Office Mojo:

1. Shrek Forever After - $43.3 million

2. Sex and the City 2 - $32.1 million

3. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - $30.1 million

4. Iron Man 2 - $16 million

5. Robin Hood - $10.3 million

6. Letters to Juliet - $5.9 million

7. Just Wright - $2.2 million

8. Date Night - $1.7 million

9. MacGruber - $1.4 million

10.  How to Train Your Dragon - $1 million

Looks like most people were at barbecues instead of movie theaters this weekend, with the Memorial Day weekend box office coming in at its lowest total in nearly a decade.

Family-favorite Shrek Forever After held on to the #1 spot, falling only 39% from last weekend, although it's still lagging behind the previous films in the series, even with what's usually the added benefit 3D/IMAX ticket sales.  Those sales dropped 6% from last weekend.  

Sex and the City 2 earned $32.1 million, but since it opened on Thursday the final total through the weekend was $46.3 million.  That's far below the $57 million the first Sex and the City film opened with two years ago. 

Disney's big-budget videogame adaptation Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time opened without much fanfare this weekend, earning a modest $30.2 million.  Looks like this won't turn out to be the next Pirates of the Caribbean-type franchise hit that the studio was hoping for (so it's a good thing they're working on a new Pirates movie right now).

Iron Man 2 came in at #4 with $16 million, which is below the $20.4 million the first Iron Man film earned on this same weekend in 2008, but the sequel's total domestic gross of $276 million has already surpassed the original film's $252 million total. 

Ridley Scott's Robin Hood rounded out the top five with $10.3 million, bringing its domestic total to $83 million.  While it may have a hard time passing the $100 million domestic mark, the movie continues to do well overseas with an additional $154 million.

Letters to Juliet managed to survive the Sex and the City opening weekend with $5.9 million.  Holdovers Just Wright, Date Night and even How to Train Your Dragon kept their places within the top 10 with solid weekend ticket sales.

MacGruber continued to go the way of the SNL skit that it was based on, dropping a whopping 63% and earning only $1.3 million.  With a barely noticable total of $7.1 million in ten days, it's currently the lowest-grossing SNL film.

Check back this week when Mitch reports back once the actual numbers are updated for the weekend.  Hope everyone is having a great Memorial Day! 

Guillermo del Toro Drops Out of "The Hobbit"

This was news about the film version of The Hobbit that I did not want to hear:  Guillermo del Toro has officially departed the production.

Citing production delays due to the sale of the struggling MGM studio - both The Hobbit and a Lord of the Rings prequel film have yet to be greenlit - del Toro released the following statment to the fansite TheOneRing.net today:

“In light of ongoing delays in the setting of a start date for filming “The Hobbit,” I am faced with the hardest decision of my life.  After nearly two years of living, breathing and designing a world as rich as Tolkien’s Middle Earth, I must, with great regret, take leave from helming these wonderful pictures. I remain grateful to Peter, Fran and Philippa Boyens, New Line and Warner Brothers and to all my crew in New Zealand. I’ve been privileged to work in one of the greatest countries on earth with some of the best people ever in our craft and my life will be forever changed. The blessings have been plenty, but the mounting pressures of conflicting schedules have overwhelmed the time slot originally allocated for the project. Both as a co-writer and as a director, I wlsh the production nothing but the very best of luck and I will be first in line to see the finished product. I remain an ally to it and its makers, present and future, and fully support a smooth transition to a new director”.

A statement from executive producer Peter Jackson confirms that he will continue to work with del Toro to finish both Hobbit screenplays, along with Phillippa Boyens and Fran Walsh.  “We feel very sad to see Guillermo leave the Hobbit, but he has kept us fully in the loop and we understand how the protracted development time on these two films, due to reasons beyond anyone’s control – has compromised his commitment to other long term projects”, said Jackson. “The bottom line is that Guillermo just didn’t feel he could commit six years to living in New Zealand, exclusively making these films, when his original commitment was for three years. Guillermo is one of the most remarkable creative spirits I’ve ever encountered and it has been a complete joy working with him. Guillermo’s strong vision is engrained into the scripts and designs of these two films, which are extremely fortunate to be blessed with his creative DNA”.

This is very disappointing news.  I'm a big fan of del Toro's work, and I was really looking forward to seeing what he would bring to The Hobbit, which is one of my favorite books.  It does sound like he will still be very much involved with the project, but it's a shame this whole MGM mess had to lead to this.

Regardless of this news, both films are still scheduled for release in December 2012 and December 2013, respectively. 

Green Lantern Plot Synopsis Revealed!

CBM was able to obtain the official plot synopsis along with extensive cast and crew details for the upcoming Green Lantern film. Nothing too surprising here, but I'm sure the hard core fans will be happy to hear anything at this point.

‘Bringing the enduringly popular superhero to the big screen for the first time, “Green Lantern” stars Ryan Reynolds (“X-Men Origins: Wolverine”) in the title role, under the direction of Martin Campbell (“Casino Royale”).

In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan.

Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax…he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.

Campbell directs “Green Lantern” from a screenplay by Greg Berlanti & Michael Green & Marc Guggenheim and Michael Goldenberg, story by Greg Berlanti & Michael Green & Marc Guggenheim, based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.

The film also stars Blake Lively (upcoming “The Town,” TV’s “Gossip Girl”) as the spirited Carol Ferris, a test pilot and the heir apparent to her father’s aviation company; Peter Sarsgaard (“An Education,” “Flightplan”) as scientist Dr. Hector Hammond; Mark Strong (“Sherlock Holmes”) as Sinestro, Jordan’s powerful mentor in the Green Lantern Corps; Jay O. Sanders (“Revolutionary Road”) as Carl Ferris, Carol’s aircraft designer dad; Temuera Morrison (“Star Wars” Episodes II and III) as Abin Sur, Jordan’s alien predecessor; Taika Waititi (TV’s “The Flight of the Conchords”) as flight navigator Tom Kalmaku, Hal’s good friend and confidante; Academy Award nominee Angela Bassett (“What’s Love Got to Do with It”) as enigmatic government scientist Amanda Waller; and Academy Award winner Tim Robbins (“Mystic River”) as Hector’s influential father, Senator Robert Hammond.

The film is being produced by Donald De Line (“The Italian Job”) and Greg Berlanti (upcoming “Life As We Know It”). Herbert W. Gains and Andrew Haas serve as executive producers. Geoff Johns and Lucienne Papon are co-producing.

The film’s behind-the-scenes creative team is led by a number of Academy Award winners, including director of photography Dion Beebe (“Memoirs of a Geisha”), production designer Grant Major (“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”), and costume designer Ngila Dickson (“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”), as well as Oscar-nominated editor and longtime Campbell collaborator, Stuart Baird (“Gorillas in the Mist,” “Superman”). The film’s visual effects are being overseen by Oscar-nominee Kent Houston (“The Adventures of Baron Von Munchausen,” “Casino Royale”).

The film is currently scheduled for release in 3D and 2D on June 17, 2011. “Green Lantern” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. ‘

Green Lantern: The Animated Series

 

Good news for fans of Green Lantern. Shortly after the big screen debut for the comic book hero next year, we can expect an animated series to follow.

THR reports:

Cartoon Network is planning a Green Lantern animated series.

Phil Kent, chairman and CEO of Time Warner's Turner networks unit, showed a slide with some of Cartoon Network's original programming here Thursday at TW's investor day.

It included the title "Green Lantern: The Animated Series."

Warner Bros. chairman and CEO Barry Meyer later in the day mentioned this as an example of increasing collaboration and coordination between his unit and Turner. He said the Cartoon Network show is based on the DC Comics character and will follow some time after Warner's "Green Lantern" movie, scheduled for a June 17, 2011 release.

This confirms what Bruce Timm told TMT in an exclusive interview back in April:

"With Green Lantern, it didn’t perform nearly as well as what they had hoped it would. In the long run it eventually made its money back, but the sales weren’t there right away during its release. Hopefully with the release of the Live Action film next year, that will open up the doors for more Green Lantern related material."