Timur Bekmambetov In Talks to Direct Ben-Hur Remake - No, Really

Just as test footage for a killer squirrels movie (You read right) he's producing showed up online comes a curveball for Timur Bekmambetov. He's in negotiations to direct a new version of Ben-Hur for MGM, reports The Wrap.

The director responsible for immature, but stylish, crap like Wanted and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is up for The Tale of the Christ? It beats me too. I mean, I don't see why not (Everyone deserves a shot at proving themselves). Just surprised he's the guy the decision-makers deem best for the job.

The Expendables 3 Has a Plot

Lionsgate sent out a press release formally announcing the start of filming on The Expendables 3. They additionally confirm the full cast; everyone we've heard before and confirming Dr. Wesley Snipes. But it's not what I want to focus on. They also included the plot synopsis:

"In THE EXPENDABLES 3, Barney (Stallone), Christmas (Statham) and the rest of the team comes face-to-face with Conrad Stonebanks (Gibson), who years ago co-founded The Expendables with Barney. Stonebanks subsequently became a ruthless arms trader and someone who Barney was forced to kill... or so he thought. Stonebanks, who eluded death once before, now is making it his mission to end The Expendables -- but Barney has other plans. Barney decides that he has to fight old blood with new blood, and brings in a new era of Expendables team members, recruiting individuals who are younger, faster and more tech-savvy. The latest mission becomes a clash of classic old-school style versus high-tech expertise in the Expendables’ most personal battle yet."

Mel Gibson is playing Conrad Stonebanks. That name is so 80s badass I will name my first born that. Boy or girl.

The Mystery Box Fetish Continues...

He may not get to play in it for Star Wars: Episode VII (No way Disney or Kathleen Kennedy will allow that). But there is still plenty of other, lower-priority endeavors J.J. Abrams can continue to play in his beloved Mystery Box.

Such is the case with this teaser simply called Stranger.

New The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Images to Shrug Over

It’s about time we get another The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug trailer to shrug at. I don't mean to poo-poo over the shameless, money-whoring trilogy but that's what it is. And the thought of a dragon voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch doesn't stir my nerd loins. I saw that closing shot of the trailer and blankly reacted, "Oh so that's Smaug, huh? What's for dinner?"

Coming Soon noticed some just-released cover art for forthcoming Visual Companion books including Smaug's eyeball (Ohhh... ahhh?) and another look at Luke Evans as Bard the Bowman and Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel. Just one more year of this crap and we can all go back to addressing only The Lord of the Rings trilogy and how Return of the King had too many endings like most nerds.

New X-Men: Days of Future Past Image Shows Familiar Faces in a Familiar Setting

Production wrapped on X-Men: Days of Future Past this weekend and between now and the release of the first trailer (Probably around Christmas), not much will be seen or heard from Bryan Singer outside of his Twitter feed. I can already imagine a picture taken from the edit bay and there is Peter Dinklage's thick 'stache on the monitor.

Yeah, there is that leaked Comic-Con footage. I can't blame fans for watching it. We're curious and not everyone got to go to San Diego. No shame in confessing I too watched it, more times than I should admit (The Inception score set the tone well). Until said trailer drops online, this will have to do. A new production still, arguably the first that isn't behind-the-scenes or related to the clever Trask Industries viral, is here courtesy of Tumblr:

Joseph Kosinski Directing The Twilight Zone

I was under the impression The Twilight Zone was still Matt Reeves' gig. Sometime between then and now, the director and Warner Brothers and Appian Way parted and went their separate ways. The Wrap reports they have already found his replacement in Joseph Kosinski, coming off the double-whammy of Pretty-Looking, but Flat features Tron: Legacy and Oblivion.

Assuming the plan is to do this as an anthology, like the infamous 1983 film incarnation that is actually not bad. Avoid the Steven Spielberg-directed Kick the Can segment (So sugary you'll get Type 1 diabetes).

Bradley Cooper Doing Lance Armstrong Biopic After All

Bradley Cooper was previously linked to play all American hero-turned-disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong in a biopic on the doping scandal for Paramount and J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot Productions. He has the right look (Might be a great guy, which I'm sure he is, but he just looks like a douchebag) to show the double-faces of the real Armstrong and his career choices, as of late, show he fully intends to stay in the A-list as The Hangover series that launched him fizzled out.

But in a twist that is downright cold-blooded (But hey showbiz is ruthless), Cooper has left the Paramount gates and headed across the street to Warner Brothers for their rival Armstrong project. Titled Red Blooded America, this take comes courtesy of director Jay Roach and writer Scott Z. Burns. He's in talks to produce and star. It remains unsure if he would play Armstrong or Tyler Hamilton, Armstrong's former teammate who publicly spoke out against him.

Again playing Armstrong seems more up his alley and he clearly wants an Oscar after his nod for Silver Linings Playbook this year.

Source: "TOLDJA"

WB to Legendary - "Take Your Seventh Son and SHOVE IT!"

The split may be final. But news is still filtering out regarding the Warner Brothers/Legendary Pictures divorce. Just the other day came word the two agreed to part ways on When Clark Met Bruce... (AKA: Batman Versus Superman) in favor of a share in Interstellar. That was a surprising development, yes but a formality. Something both parties agreed to awhile back.

That doesn't appear to be the case here. Just two ex-lovers squabbling over who gets to keep the yacht and fur-coat collection. The Brothers Warner have washed their hands of bomb-in-the-making Seventh Son, taking it off their schedule (It was slotted for January 17, 2014). Universal, now in the Legendary business, will take on distribution though they have yet to pick a replacement slot. Knowing the bad buzz, how about September '14?

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

THE WOLVERINE Scribe Doing Some Work On ASSASSIN'S CREED

 

If you're a fan of video-games, chances are you've probably hated the films that come from them. Luckily for me, none of my favorite video-games have ever been adapted, and the only one that currently is, "Shadow of the Colossus" will A. Probably never happen  and  B. Has a pretty impressive pedigree behind it's adaption.

Off of that though, co-writer of 20th Century Fox's The Wolverine, the emotional and visceral character piece of Marvel's clawed alcoholic loverboy, Scott Frank, spoke to Creative Screenwriting about the film, and then revealed he was revising the script for the Michael Fassbbender vehicle, Assassin's Creed, due out June 19. 2015. 

“I’m rewriting Assassin’s Creed right now, and what I love about it is that I’ve never adapted a video game before and it has its own set of challenges. Especially in the world of rewrites, I love trying to do something completely different if I can.”

Assassin's Creed is being written by Michael Lesslie, who hasn't really done much by way of big Hollywood films; but Frank has had a role in adapting Minority Report, Marley & Me, The Wolverine, The Lookout, and Flight of the Phoenix.

Those might not all be winners to you; but I think Frank has proved he can do films with a real human element and pull some heart-strings, something that Fassbender should convey lovely, and will add a much needed emotional core so many films lack that The Wolverine really succeeded on. 

Assassin's Creed is not expected to based on any of the franchises' games from Ubisoft; but rather an original story, which is nice because then you can't hear THATS NOT MUH _____ (Silent Hill, Resident Evil)

Director of JURASSIC PARK 4 Says Film Will Defend It's Own Existence

It's been all quiet on the Nublar front for a while, I mean we had that rumored plot-synopsis leak back in July or so, and now director of Jurassic Park IV and Safety Not Guaranteed, Colin Trevorrow, has spoken on Jurassic Park fansite, "Jurassic Park Forever"s podcast to shed some tiny new tidbits on the film people probably keep thinking won't happen. First of all, Trevorrow called out some of the "insider details" that have been spreading around:

“I saw some of the rumours on the internet and I would have all kinds of red flags going off if I heard they were going to muzzle a T-Rex. So I would say don’t believe everything you read, there are way more insiders on the internet than there are in real life.”

Fanboy Nation, etc etc, Trevorrow also said what many directors of belated sequels or reboots often say, that he wants to appease both the jaded neckbeards who hate the idea of a Jurassic Park IV, and the normal people who go to the movies to have fun, and are excited for the franchise's future.

“It’s important to make a movie for the fans but I also have to remember that there’s a lot of people who just couldn’t care less and need me to make a solid case for why the hell there’s a Jurassic Park 4 in the first place, and I want to make a movie for them too.”

Lastly, Trevorrow said:

“This is not a paycheck gig for me and it’s not the movie that I’m making so I can make the movies that I really want to make. I actually want to make a kick-ass Jurassic Park movie.”

Now, begin the fanboy out-rage at using the word "kick-ass" to describe Jurassic Park. "OMG MUH JURASSIC PARK ISNT SUPPOSED TO BE KICK ASS ITS ABOUT MUH SPIELBERG CHARM" etc etc.

You can listen to the full podcast here:

And expect Jurassic Park IV to roar into theaters in 2015 in 3D.

Quotes compiled courtesy of Collider.