Mel Gibson Must Be Rolling in His Grave

I try not to constantly give crap to 20^th Century Fox for their decision-making. It seems like a chunk of the time nerds are shitting on them 100% because it’s in fashion to do so. But then you read a piece like this from Variety. Can’t help but shake your head and say, “No, I was wrong. They deserve the shit they get from everyone.”

As per the trades, the studio has another cinematic undertaking of the life of Moses in development. It’s certainly an epic story can could be retold. Hebrew child, raised among Egyptians, grows up to discover his true heritage, becomes a great hero to his people, leads them out of slavery, yadda, yadda, yadda.

But what can make this interpretation worthwhile? Because as any studio executive knows, ya gotta get the young kids interested. So why not do it in the style of 300. Of course! Why didn’t I think of that? Nope, I’m not making that up.

Anyone think this is even remotely a “Meh” idea? Any takers?

Gary Ross Upgrades From Venom to Matt Helm

Remember last Wednesday when Gary Ross was commissioned by Sony to write/direct a Venom movie for Sony? Yeah, I didn’t care about that either. Thankfully, that project might not be as eminent as we originally thought.

The Playlist has received word from a source close to Ross’ camp that not only is Venom quite a ways off, but the Pleasantville helmer is already at work on another property – Matt Helm. You may remember that from such news-items as when Steven Spielberg was flirting with making it his next directorial project. He “wisely” passed and opted to direct the forthcoming remake of Harvey instead. Good thinking, Mr. Spielberg!

More intriguing is the revelation that Bradley Cooper (of The Hangover and currently filming The A-Team) is currently in discussions for the title role. I guess he really wants to headline a would-be franchise – especially after losing out Green Lantern to Ryan Reynolds.

Say what you will about an updated Matt Helm film, but there’s no doubt it’s an upgrade from Venom.

Will Star Trek Sequel Beam Out of Summer 2011?

It was a gamble. Reboot the Star Trek franchise. Instead of hitting the “Reset” button and starting things 100% anew, the filmmakers decided to stay true to classic Trek lore. But reboot the series using time-travel resulting in a new alternate reality/continuity. Yep, that sounded like a pretty damn retarded way to go. But to the credit of director J.J. Abrams and screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, it worked. Not only that, but the average movie-going public and hard-core Trekkers alike ate it up to the tune of near $400 million across the globe. More importantly, they want more and as soon as possible.

Merely a month before its release and seeing this positive reception coming, Paramount went ahead and hired K&O along with producer Damon Lindelof to pen the sequel with Abrams returning in a producer role (as well as a strong, but still unconfirmed, chance of another go-around in the director’s chair). The first draft was to be turned in by this coming December with phasers set for summer 2011 release. Since then, it’s been mum regarding the status of Star Trek 2.

Whenever Orci and Kurtzman were doing press for outside projects (their television series Fringe starting its second season, The Proposal which they executive-produced or Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen that they co-wrote), the topic of the forthcoming Trek sequel always came up with the same basic answer, “We’re still shooting around ideas.” Fair enough.

Funny thing is this past weekend; Team Abrams were promoting the forthcoming DVD/Blu-Ray release of their reboot. Not surprisingly, the sequel was brought up and once again came the “We’re still shooting around ideas” response. Uh, we’re in the middle of October and things are still in the “tossing the ball around” stage? To be fair, they could be pulling our leg and it’s further along than that. Plus, screenplays can (and have) been banged quickly. But it’s odd that they’re taking their sweet-ass time on the sequel when it’s supposed to hit multiplexes for summer 2011 – especially for something as highly anticipated as this.

That is, unless it’s been pushed back. Think about it for a minute. The way things stand right now, Paramount already has three tentpoles lined up for that summer (not including Trek). You’ve got Transformers 3, Thor and Captain America. Unless one of those gets delayed (which would probably be “The First Avenger” considering how it’s been forever and a day since we heard anything on it), I can’t imagine Star Trek 2 hitting that summer. What studio wants to release four $200 million+ films in one summer?

There’s also the issue of said summer being over-stuffed as it is. In addition to the afore-mentioned Paramount properties, there’s also Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows – Part II, Spider-Man 4, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Green Lantern, The Hangover 2, Cars 2, Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom of Doom and Peter Berg’s Battleship. Where the Hell could Trek 2 fit into that?

If that’s the case, where does it move to? Well there’s Christmas 2011 - ironic considering the first film was originally supposed to hit cinemas for December 2008 and wound up in May 2009. More likely, it would instead beam into silver screens for summer 2012 considering it’s currently not-so-packed with would-be blockbusters unlike 2011. Paramount already has The Avengers for May 4, 2012 and Pixar’s Newt aiming for June. Then there’s properties like John Carter of Mars, the Wolverine sequel and, of course, Batman III which don’t have specific dates locked in for release. Yet.

Regardless of when we ultimately see Kirk, Spock, Bones & Co. return, it's going to do killer business simply due to the popularity of the first film. The last time I remember hearing folks say, "I can't wait for the next one!" was after walking out of Batman Begins and Transformers. Needless to say, their sequels made a dent at the box-office - an understatement, I realize.

Keep in mind, this is 100% a hunch on my part. Could I be dead wrong? Absolutely. And if so, I'll gladly eat my words because (like many of you) I can't wait for the next Trek installment. But I'm gonna stick to my gut-feeling on this one. I think Star Trek 2 (or whatever the Hell they ultimately call it) will be released for summer 2012 instead of 2011 as originally announced.

Angelina Jolie to boost Tourism!

This is becoming a trend, Angelina Jolie taking on former Tom Cruise projects, first it was "Salt" where she replaced him in the lead role, and now she is lining up to replace Charlize Theron who was gonna play opposite Cruise in the film "The Tourist," accordsing to Risky Biz Blog

Charlize Theron has opted out of the Spyglass-produced thriller "The Tourist," to which she has long been attached, and in talks to replace her is one Angelina Jolie, sources say.

The tomb-raiding one, fresh off an action-heavy part in "Salt," would take on the one-part seductress, one-part action role of the title.

The project is now also seeking a director, as Bharat Nalluri, the "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" helmer who had been attached to direct, is as of last week off the project, with producers now seeking a new helmer to pair with Jolie. Neither Spyglass nor the director or actresses' reps could immediately be reached for comment.

Production has at least until this point been tentatively set for early 2010, which could prompt producers to act quickly on a director.

A remake of the French thriller "Anthony Zimmer" from 2005, "Tourist" centers on an American tourist who, on behalf of Interpol, goes undercover to entrap a former lover who's a suspected global criminal. It follows in the long tradition of innocents caught up in shady activities abroad that dates back to Hitchcock ("The Man Who Knew Too Much"), Polanski ("Frantic") and beyond, and a theme that also has contemporary echoes with "Taken" this past year.

It's not the first time there's been movement on "Tourist." Tom Cruise had been loosely attached at an earlier point for the lead male role, but Sam Worthington will now play the part as he rides his
"Terminator: Salvation" and "Avatar" hot streak.

There are few A-list females who producers like for lead action roles, and with Jolie not attached to star in any imminent projects post-"Salt," "Tourist" is seen as a perfect itinerary for her.

Personaly I liked the look of the French original but I've never been able to find a copy with English subtitles, from the trailers I've seen Jolie is a pretty straight forward replacement for Theron but Worthington is gonna need to show some range to play the somewhat dorky every man that is the lead male role.

Toy Story 3 Poster and Trailer!

Comingsoon.Net has the exclusive new poster for Toy Story 3 which opens on June 18th 2010 in Disney Digital 3-D and regular cinemas. You can check the poster out below.

More important than any amount of posters in the world (and what we've been anticipating ever since Disney/Pixar first announced it was coming) is the first full-fledged theatrical traler. MySpace has got it for us to watch...and re-watch...and re-watch again. Yeah, it's that good and I can't wait to see the actual film. Weird to think it's been eleven years since the second one. Too damn long if you ask me.

Megan Fox Killed Off in Transformers 3? Shocking! No, Not Really.

Who would have thunk it? Comparing the director who made your career to a mass-murdering psychopath responsible for the execution of millions was considered a bad PR move. Shocking as that may sound.

When Michael Bay confirmed he was returning to direct Transformers 3 for July 2011, it felt like he went out of his way to reassure folks that Megan Fox (despite her constant badmouthing) would in fact return. Now Pop Crunch claims (quoting In Touch Weekly) that death will probably be knocking at her door in "the first few frames" of the third installment involving a "gory death scene." Presumably, they mean PG-13 gory. That could explain why her clothes from Revenge of the Fallen are up for auction.

Can't say with a straight face that she doesn't deserve this treatment after the last few months of public bridge-burning. Like it or lump it, Fox needs the Transformers franchise. For some strange reason, she thinks she's above it. Think again. Current box-office gross of Jennifer's Body - $15 million. "Ouch," indeed.

Of course, I wouldn't immediately jump on this rumor as 100% Gospel. Hell, there isn't even a script yet, besides the "great Transformers 3 story" that Bay promised.

Bryan Singer Hearts Mutants

In what would be a surprise to only those still living on a chunk of Krypton floating out in space, Bryan Singer would be interested in doing another film in the X-Men universe. This falls under the same surprising news as "Santa Clause isn't real." and "The sky is blue." I know that if you are reading my article that you also read The Trades. I also read The Trades, but sometimes non news becomes news just because "Variety" or "Hollywood Reporter" is present in the URL. Guess what Associated Press, I also want to direct an "X-Men" related film, run with it.

Yes I know, I am commenting on said article that I am dubbing irrelevant, but it's more then that. I am interested in the comings and goings of Bryan Singer because of his relevance to all the lovable freaks and geeks that keep escalating TMT's hit counts. I mean this man helped resurrect the comic book film series from the comedic clutches of Richard Pryor and the nipple enhanced chest plate of George Clooney. Granted we have to give a little credit to one David Goyer and "Blade" but Singer had his claws in the X-Men series and soared with Superman. 

I have no doubt that Singer has had discussions with Fox about X-Men and possibly returning in some capacity, but the fact that he is even talking about it out loud tells me that long shot gone by the wayside. I'm sure if you asked him if he would like to return to Superman he would jump at that chance as well. What's next? "Usual Suspects II: Keyer Soze Strikes Back". Isn't there an old saying that goes something like this, "You can never go home again." Sure I go home every Thanksgiving, but it's for turkey and stuffing, not claw wielding mutants or storm casting sex kittens with poor acting chops. 

Don't hold your breath waiting for Bryan Singer to go all mutant on us any time soon, his slate is pretty stacked at the moment. 

Movie Moan - First Podcast Killed For Lousy Ratings

Right off the bat, the guys at Movie Moan (Phil, Ed and Jamie) are quoting Network, the great gem of a film from director Sidney Lumet and Paddy Chayefsky. Said satire is the subject of this week's "Moanin 'Bout a Movie." You'll even get to hear Phil and Jamie's first non film-related argument towards the end.

Meanwhile, our heroes also touch upon the Toy Story 3 trailer that "premiered" this past Friday (i.e. someone loaded it on YouTube days before Disney is to officially unveil it). Phil is walking on air because he finally got to see Pixar's Up after months of anticipation. Yes, it's safe to say he loved it as the guys get the chance to discuss the film at long last.

Ed talks about a screening of Trick 'R Treat he attended last week with its writer/director Mike Dougherty and Anna Pauqin there and the rumors of the James Bond franchise possibly moving to 20th Century Fox (*Gasp!*) is discussed.

Movie Moan - First Podcast Killed For Lousy Ratings

Cabin in the Woods Headed to 2011 and 3-D

Never been that big into Joss Whedon. I realize that means I automatically lose nerd cred, but so be it. Sorry, but the guy gives off a “My shit is awesome!” vibe. Although to give credit where it’s due, I liked Serenity – this coming from someone who didn’t catch a single episode of Firefly.

It’s with that confession that I also admit to not following the production of The Cabin in the Woods, the horror film he wrote and produced with Drew Goddard (alum of Whedon as well as J.J. Abrams) at the helm. About the only other items known about the project are its cast (including soon-to-be Thor Chris Hemsworth) and a plot involving a “new twist” on the old “young people stranded in the woods” story.

The good folks over at Shock Till You Drop are reporting that MGM has pushed the film back a hair shy of a year from February 5, 2010 to January 14, 2011. “Oh that’s because it sucks and the filmmakers have to rework it,” you suggest? That’s not what’s going down according to their sources. No, the reception from those who’ve seen it is “phenomenal.” The culprit behind this is the decision to convert the film to 3-D.

Assuming the claims are valid (and I believe they are considering STYDs track-record as of late), why spend the extra time and money on a gimmick like 3-D if the film actually works on its own? That’s my argument against Avatar. I don’t care how Goddamn jaw-dropping the motion-capture work and 3-D technology is. It has to be able to play equally well in regular 2-D theaters in addition to these IMAX and IMAX 3-D screens in order to succeed.

But maybe Cabin needs said gimmick just to entice movie-goers to show up. It certainly worked for Final Destination 4 this past summer.

Chuck Versus New Premiere Date

At the start of this year, there was serious concern NBC would pull the plug on Chuck after two not-so-successful seasons. The network handing over the 10 P.M. slot to The Jay Leno Show for five nights a week didn’t exactly help the cause either. But one “Save Chuck” campaign and a Subway sponsorship later, the Peacock gave the thumbs up to Season #3. The catch was it wouldn’t premiere until March 2010. Hey, it was that or nothing. So fans were happy.

Now Michael Aussiello reveals the cult series looks to move up much sooner than originally announced. How soon? We’re talking possibly at the end of October soon. You can thank this on the recent cancellation of Southland (gone before its second season even aired), failures of the much-hyped Trauma and Mercy, and nosedive ratings from long-running favorites like Law & Order: SVU.

This was a move a number of us (including yours truly) saw coming. Hell, I figured this would occur right when the network first announced Chuck’s March ’10 premiere. That’s because the exact same thing happened last year with Law & Order. The network put their high-profile Knight Rider reboot in its timeslot for Fall 2008 with the intention of having the flagship returning in January 2009. “Shockingly,” nobody gave a rat’s ass about seeing KITT revived for the 21^st century and it was nuked where upon L&O was quickly moved up to a November ’08 premiere.

So I can honestly say this news doesn’t surprise me whatsoever. Aussiello’s soruce(s) also note that pushing the third season premiere up also increases the likelihood of addition episodes being produced beyond the initial 13 order. Do I think this will happen? Yes, I do.

Honestly though, I don’t foresee a fourth season for our favorite Nerd Herder-turned-spy (who now knows kung-fu!) To their credit, NBC pimped the Hell outta the show since the start and frankly the ratings prove that the average TV viewer doesn’t care. Don’t think I’m crapping on Chuck because I’m not. Whatsoever. I love the show, but the truth hurts. Let’s just be grateful for what we got and enjoy another year’s worth of adventures from Chuck, Sarah, Morgan & Co.

And there is always the chance that I’m proven wrong and a fourth season happens!