Robert Downey Jr. Might Not Be Iron Man Anymore; Tumblr Weeps.

In a bit of news that isn't too shocking, Robert Downey Jr, who is now most commonly associated with why every fat nerd grows a really gross looking moustache, sat down with GQ Magazine recently, and adressed that his role as Tony Stark/Iron Man in the Avenger films might come to an end soon.

Adressing an injury he sustained while filming this summer's anticipated Iron Man 3, Downey said:

It got me thinking about how big the message from your cosmic sponsor needs to be before you pick it up. How many genre movies can I do? How many follow-ups to a successful follow-up are actually fun?

The almost 50 year old veteran actor then told GQ:

…Right now I don’t have a contract to do anything, and I did for the last five years.

It wouldn't be a shock to say Downey might be getting too old to dress up in armor and be stunted around as an action-star. Rumors have been flying for a while now about his retirement from the Marvel character which put him back into the public eye in a big way in 2008's Iron Man.

It's a guarantee at this point Downey will at least be on for The Avengers 2, which Joss Whedon recently stated will begin filming in February, aiming for a summer 2015 release. The question however, is what will happen to Tony Stark? I wouldn't put it past Whedon to kill the character, as the emotional stakes will need to be raised somewhat when you're dealing with a near invincible super-hero group, and recasting would be a pain in the ass for all involved. Only time will tell though. 

First Poster for R.I.P.D. Confirms This Movie Still Exists.

Incase you forgot that you saw headlines like "R.I.P.D Begins Filming" back in September 2011 and forgotten about this movie and/or assumed it was already out in a DVD bargain-bin... think again.

The first poster for the film surfaced at CinemaCon which features it's leads Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds looking....there...and holding glowing guns; also confirming the film will be in 3D. Yay..? 

No official plot synopsis yet; but the one from the graphic-novel which it's based on reads:

Welcome to the Rest In Peace Department — the devoted, yet dead, officers of divine law enforcement “patrolling the deadbeat…reporting to one boss.” Yep — THAT boss. Nick Cruz was murdered by an unknown assailant, at the height of his personal and professional life. Now he’s traded a hundred years of service to the R.I.P.D. in exchange for a shot at finding who killed him. Unfortunately his search will take him to Hell and back — literally!

The film, directed by Robert Swentke (The Time Traveler's Wife, RED, Flightplan) and written by Phil Hay (Clash of the Titans, Aeon Flux, Crazy/Beautiful) will star Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Bacon, and Mary-Louise Parker and opens July 19.

FAST & FURIOUS 7 Confirmed for July 11 2014.

On Twitter, Universal Pictures' Fast and the Furious account tweeted:

Potentially troubling news for any fans that had hoped Universarl would slow things down and think-out this big finish.

This comes just off news yesterday that *if* Fast & Furious 7 were to film this summer, Dwayne Johnson would not be a part of it due to scheduling conflicts with Brett Ratner's Hercules film.

Fast & Furious 6 opens May 24th.

Fast & Furious 7 is set to begin filming this summer, with James Wan (Saw, inSidious) behind the wheel. 

New Star Trek Into Darkness Trailer

Well, they brought the "Darkness" into Star Trek Into Darkness alright.

There isn't a trace of the group chemistry and lightness (one of the winning aspects of the '09 reboot) and thankfully it's not all about "John Harrison" talking up about screwed the U.S.S. Enterprise. They do that themselves ("The ship's dead, Sir! She's gone!") Nobody is having fun. At least it didn't feel derivative to blockbusters of the last five years as the other trailers. And it's all building up to Kirk's death. Spoiler alert?

The footage confirmed what we'd been hearing. This is a giant 9/11-Iraq War conspiracy film. Fill in the blanks to who fits what roles. Oh and fuck Bob Orci.

So That's What Happened to Ray Charles - Jamie Foxx on Spider-Man Set

Impossible to judge the finished product versus set pictures; they rarely match up. What with all the post-production work to be done, a la effects, sound mixing, digitally touching up the lighting here and there, and a little thing called context.

It's for the best not to be too harsh on Jamie Foxx on the set of The Amazing Spider-Man sequel as Electro. With blue skin, contacts and pointy veins. It already bests the talking Lizard. So they're moving on up.

Source: The Daily Mail

Wesley Snipes Might Join Geriatric Fighting Men In EXPENDABLES 3

Last night on Twitter veteran action-star and writer of the Expendables films, Sylvester Stallone tweeted this little gem teasing about the sereis' third installment:

While this doesn't necessarily confirm Wesley Snipes, who was just released from prison on tax evasion charges, will be in the film- it's a pretty good sign.
Stallone's has been tweeting quite a bit about theupcoming film, even suggesting Mel Gibson should direct. 

There is no official word on casting (besides everyone throwing around rumors for what washed up action-star they want to see) or plot (chances are it still won't be good) but you can probably expect the same bloody corny 80s throwback fun the first two were.

The Expendables 2 opened last summer to box office succes and mixed to negative reviews just like its predecessor. 

FAST 7 Might Be TOO Fast for The Rock...

Earlier this month it was reported that Justin Lin (savior of the Fast/Furious franchise and director since The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift) would not be returning to direct Fast & Furious 7.

The reasoning behind Lin's departure is simply because Universal wanted Fast 7 out by summer 2014 to compensate for their lack of presence in the summer box-office, and that was 2fast even for Lin. Star Vin Deisel even basically confirmed Fast & Furious 7 being on the fast track in a Facebook post on his page:

There was an early screening in LA this week of Fast 6. The crowd reaction was surreal… and their demand for the continuation was powerful…

It’s remarkable to think I first embodied this character in 1999… and the evolution continues.

P.s. Filming begins this summer in LA, where it all started… talk about a studio in sync with the audience…

I won't get into how stupid of a move that is for the studio, to let go of your franchise helmer on the very last film; but it seems Universal might need to re-think that.

Collider spoke with Fast & Furious 6 star and major Box Office presence, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson today, and Johnson says he might not even be able to make it to Fast & Furious 7 if it starts filming this summer, citing his schedule on the upcoming Brett Ratner Hercules vehicle. 

“It’s not possible for me because I’m shooting Hercules this summer starting in 6 weeks in Budapest, so, possible for them I’m not too sure.  I haven’t heard anything about that and I’m pretty sure I would have gotten a phone call pretty early in the morning if that was the real plan.  Not quite too sure though.”

While it seems nothing is confirmed as of yet, it would be a bad-bad play for Universal to let Johnson go, after it appears Johnson was one of the key ingredients to the franchise's 2nd rebirth with his starring role as Detective Luke Hobbs in Fast Five. The character was so loved, Johnson even spoke with Empire about the character getting a spin-off which is currently in development.

More news is expected to come, probably whenever Universal realizes how stupid of an idea this all sounds. 

"Man Of Steel" TV Spot # 2 - You Are Not Alone

A young boy learns that he has extraordinary powers and is not of this Earth. As a young man, he journeys to discover where he came from and what he was sent here to do. But the hero in him must emerge if he is to save the world from annihilation and become the symbol of hope for all mankind.

"Man Of Steel" Marketing Blitz Rumored To Include Arrow & NBA Playoffs

After Zod's cryptic message yesterday reminding us all that we aren't alone you would think the interwebs would be satisfied, not the case. As Superman fanboys wait not so patiently for the next marketing red boot to drop for Man Of Steel, we've been given a peek into what the future holds for the upcoming Superman marketing blitz.

There will be a video presentation at Cinema Con for Man Of Steel, you would imagine that the three minute trailer that has been buzzed about would drop online either at the same time or soon after. I wouldn't be shocked if new a poster or several made it's way out of Cinema Con for Man Of Steel as well. Maybe the character posters that were approved for a month or so ago?

As part of a multi-pronged attack by the more than capable marketing guru's at The Brothers Warner, expect to see a plethora of television spots with upcoming episodes of Arrow. My assumption based on these rumors is that the advertising attack would be featured in one or more of the final three episodes in May.

Episode 21: The Undertaking - 5/1/13
Spisode 22: The Edge Of Town - 5/8/13
Episode 23: Sacrifice - 5/15/13

Although, the next new episode of Arrow is Home Invasion which airs on 04/24. That would be a good place to start if I were running the show.

Oliver and his team go after Deadshot, only to discover that ARGUS plans to capture the assassin... and recruit him as an operative. Meanwhile, Roy seeks out The Hood while Laurel inadvertently drives a further wedge between Oliver and Tommy.

I would also like to note, if there was going to be any kind of exclusive clips or content attached to Arrow you would expect WB & the CW to pimp it beforehand to generate buzz.

Warner Bros is also setting up Man Of Steel to be a driving marketing force during the NBA Playoffs which begin on April 20th. The studio is planning stand alone TV spots along with basketball "tie-in spots" featuring some of the best teams and players. My guess is the "tie-in spots" would coincide with the NBA Finals, which start between June 4th and June 6th.

This isn't really surprising, in fact anybody could have used logic to figure this marketing opportunity out. Warner Bros has worked with the NBA multiple times in the past to market some of it's comicbook properties, including Superman Returns. The studio tied in the 2006 film with Shaquille O'neal during the NBA Finals that year.

Pacific Rim International TV Spot #1

When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity's resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes—a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi)—who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse.

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