Will Smith Eyeing Football Concussion Drama

After dropping out last week of the sci-fi thriller, Brillance (which was set to shoot this summer), Will Smith has hopped on-board his next project (though how often have we heard this over the past 6 years which eventually has led to nowhere?).

The former 'biggest movie star in the world' is looking to star in the football concussion project Ridley Scott has been developing, based on the 2009 GQ article, Game Brain, which jumpstarted the ever growing concussion issue in not only professional football, but all major sports.

Smith would play Dr. Bennet Omalu, the forensic neuropathologist who discovered CTE, the concussion syndrome that has fatally contributed to the suicides of former NFL players, notably Junior Seau.

Peter Landesman (Parkland) wrote the script and will also direct.

This is certainly something different for Smith, but I can't help but feel like he's wasted the past several years worrying too much about his kids' careers and not his own.  He was still on top of the world when Seven Pounds hit in the winter of 2008, and he just stopped making movies for three years until MIB 3 was released in 2012.

Maybe he'll get back to the level he once was at, but considering his age now (45) and the massive popularity he no longer posseses, I doubt it.

Source:  Deadline

STAR WARS: EPISODE VII Welcomes Lupita Nyong'o and Gwendoline Christie

 

It's only a Monday; but if this is any indication then it will be a great week for news.
The Official Star Wars Website announced that Oscar Winner (12 Years a Slave) Lupita Nyong'o and Game of Thrones (Brienne of Tarth) actress Gwendoline Christie are joining the cast of "socially approved" up-and comers for J.J. Abrams' Star Wars Episode VII.

"I could not be more excited about Lupita and Gwendoline joining the cast of Episode VII," says Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. "It's thrilling to see this extraordinarily talented ensemble taking shape."

The two actressess will be joining the recently announced cast which includes John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow will join the original stars of the Saga Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker.

Star Wars: Episode VII, directed by J.J. Abrams, from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and Abrams, opens December 18, 2015.

Terrifying Trailer for Eli Roth's THE GREEN INFERNO

 

Any horror fan can tell you that when people bring 1999's The Blair Witch Project up as the daddy of "found-footage" viral-fears, they're of course wrong- because that title belongs to the 1980 Italian film Cannibal Holocaust, which was so "real" it spawned court-cases and controversy for years and is still banned in most countries.

Eli Roth is said to be borrowing heavily from the film with The Green Inferno which follows Environmentalists kidnapped by the indigenous Peruvian inhabitants who turn out to have a taste for human flesh.

Courtesy of Yahoo! Movies:

A group of student activists travel from New York City to the Amazon to save a dying tribe. Unfortunately, they crash in the jungle and are taken hostage by the very natives they protected.

The Green Inferno stars  Lorenza Izzo, Ariel Levy, Daryl Sabara, Kirby Bliss Blanton, Sky Ferreira, and Aaron Burns and rips into theaters September 5, 2014. 

Tom Cruise Making Surprise Appearences At 'Edge of Tomorrow' Screenings

While it's pretty evident Tom Cruise is no longer the box office draw (at least here in the States) that he use to be, the man still is committed to making great films for moviegoers.  None the more true than his newest flick hitting cinemas this week (internationally) and next (domestic), Edge of Tomorrow.

The sci-fi actioner so far has an excellent 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is being touted as the under-the-radar, sleeper hit of the summer, with some calling it 'one of the best films of the year'.  In a season filled with sequels, Edge of Tomorrow is the definitely something original and different:

The epic action of "Edge of Tomorrow" unfolds in a near future in which an alien race has hit the Earth in an unrelenting assault, unbeatable by any military unit in the world.  Major William Cage (Tom Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to a suicide mission.  Killed within minutes, Cage now finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop - forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again...and again. But with each battle, Cage becomes able to engage the adversaries with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt).  And, as Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated encounter gets them one step closer to defeating the enemy.

Looking to drum up hype and good word-of-the-mouth for the film, Cruise is making surprise appearences across the county at early screenings for fans.  As you can view in the videos below, the actor first hit Toronto on Thursday, then Chicago yesterday.  Maybe New York today?  We shall see.

I also embedded a new TV spot for the film, which hopefully does its job in selling more than just an action movie:

Edge of Tomorrow opens next Friday, June 6th.

For Your Consideration: Watch the Trailer For Best Picture 2014: LEFT BEHIND

 

The Nicolas Cage rapture-themed drama debuted it's first trailer today on the heels of yesterday's poster drop, and it actually looks pretty good.
Based on the New York Times Best Selling series, LEFT BEHIND follows Academy Award-Winner and Ghost Rider Nicolas Cage as airline pilot Rayford Steele as he deals with half of his plane vanishing (along with half of the world entirely) as the Biblical Rapture begins 30,000 feet in the air.

It's been a good time for spiritual movie-goers, with such films as Son of God raking in over $70 million off it's $20 million budget, God's Not Dead raking in $60 million off it's $2 million budget, and Heaven is for Real gaining almost $90 million off a modest $12 million budget. 
One thing is for sure, faith-based films are getting bigger and bigger, and I doubt if LEFT BEHIND leaves anything behind when it opens this October. 

The film also has a good boost from being based off the 16 book series (selling over 63 million copies) as well as having 3 films already in it's franchise with 2 PC games as well as graphic novels and audio-books.

The final book in the series, Kingdom Come: The Final Victory was released in 2007. 

Without warning, millions of people around the globe simply vanish.

All that remains are their clothes and belongings … and an overwhelming sense of terror. The vanishings cause unmanned vehicles to crash and burn. Emergency forces everywhere are devastated. Gridlock, riots and looting overrun the cities. And there is no one to help or provide answers. In an instant, the earth has been plunged into darkness. For RAY STEELE, the pilot of a jumbo jet, it means trying to calm his hysterical passengers who saw loved ones vanish before their eyes. It also means trying to land his damaged plane when every airport is jammed with burning wrecks, all while wishing that he could talk to his family one last time. For BUCK WILLIAMS, the world-renowned journalist trapped at 30,000 feet, it means a struggle to understand the incomprehensible, the most devastating event in history. And for CHLOE STEELE, Ray’s daughter back on the ground, it means trying to find her mother and brother. Lost in a post-apocalyptic landscape, she is forced to head home through a world where despair and rage rule the day. This is the story of the Rapture, the story of those LEFT BEHIND.

LEFT BEHIND releases October 3, 2014. 

MPAA Hates Fun - Rejects Breasty Eva Green "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For" Poster

Dimension Films, like most of us, are proponents of fun. The MPAA however, wants you to put your fun away. The studio was prepared to release the below provocative poster of Eva Green for "Sin City: A Dame To Kill For but the MPAA told them to pump the brakes.

According to PAGE SIX the "Fun Police" over at the MPAA rejected the poster “for nudity — curve of under breast and dark nipple/areola circle visible through sheer gown.”

At least we can all enjoy it below.

The Poster for "Left Behind" Featuring Nicolas Cage

Left Behind follows Rayford Steele (Nicolas Cage) who is piloting a commercial airliner just hours after the Rapture when millions of people around the globe simply vanish. Thirty thousand feet over the Atlantic, Rayford is faced with a damaged plane, terrified passengers, and a desperate desire to get back to his family. On the ground, his daughter, Chloe Steele (Cassi Thomson) is among those left behind, forced to navigate a world of madness as she searches for her lost mother and brother.

Set Photos of TERMINATOR: GENESIS Give Us First Look at Arnold and Co: Don't Want No Scrubs

Thanks to the Daily Mail by way of Flickering Myth comes our first look at A Good Day to Die Hard star Jai Courtney, Game of Thrones' Mother of Dragons Emilia Clarke, and Arnold Schwarzenegger reprising his role as the T-800 in the upcoming seq-preq-boot of James Cameron's TERMINATOR franchise.

 

These come from the set of the current filming location in New Orleans. 

I would use my best apex-predator movie knowledge to conclude this scene takes place at a Hospital; but I've been wrong before, maybe they're at a costume party and Kyle Reese and Sarah Connor are dressing up as J.D. and Elliot from the popular sitcom Scrubs.

One thing is for sure, Arnold looks suave as hell, ready to beat some ass.

Alan Taylor directs the all-star cast, which also includes Byung Hun-Lee (Storm Shadow in G.I. JOE: RETALIATION), J.K. Simmons (Spider-Man), Jason Clarke (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), Matt Smith (Dr. Who, The Lost River) and Dayo Okeniyi (The Hunger Games).

TERMINATOR: GENESIS will shoot it's way into theaters July 1st, 2015.

New Extended Featurette for 'Edge of Tomorrow'

A brand-new, 13-minute featurette has gone online - courtesy of Warner Bros. - for their June 6th release of Edge of Tomorrow, starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt.

In this sci-fi action-thriller, Cruise stars as a military officer whose never seen a day of combat but is forced to keep reliving the same day on the battlefield over and over each time he dies.  After joining forces with a military warrior (Emily Blunt), Cruise's character becomes the ultimate weapon to defeat the enemy and win the war against the invading alien race.

The featurette shows a lot of behind-the-scenes footage along with interviews with the cast and crew involved discussing the making of the film.

The first reviews came in last night and by all accounts, it's an utterly fantastic film with many calling it the blockbuster to beat this summer.  I just hope people give Tom Cruise another chance and realize he's the epitome of a Hollywood movie star, plain and simple.

The epic action of “Edge of Tomorrow” unfolds in a near future in which an alien race has hit the Earth in an unrelenting assault, unbeatable by any military unit in the world. Lt. Col. Bill Cage (Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to little more than a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage now finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop—forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again…and again. But with each battle, Cage becomes able to engage the adversaries with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Blunt). And, as Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated encounter gets them one step closer to defeating the enemy.

Source:  Warner Bros.

Edgar Wright Might Move Back to NIGHT STALKER with Depp/Disney Combo

 

After Friday's announcement that the Marvel Studios War-Machine (no pun intended) and British director Edgar Wright had broken up due to "creative differences" over Wright's 2015 ANT-MAN, the internet has been abuzz from not only the 42 or 43 people who actually care about Ant-Man; but from the rest of us wondering what the Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World director was going to tackle next.

Following up on their exclusive story from over two years ago, Deadline once again is reporting Wright is eying a big-screen adaption of the 1970's hit science-fiction horror series: Kolchak: The Night Stalker that he developed as a vehicle for Johnny Depp. 

 I’m told that the script by D.V. DeVincentis is in strong shape. Of course, much of this depends on the availability of Depp, who’s playing Whitey Bulger in Black Mass right now and is supposed to make another Pirates Of The Caribbean movie either later this year or early next. 

Of course there is talk already of Wright being "restricted" to Disney's PG-13 mandate for their releases; but as many should be reminded, Depp's 2012 film The Lone Ranger also with Disney was PG-13 and is as dark as they come.

This will be the first time Carl Kolchak comes to screens since the early 2000s failed reboot series on ABC where was portrayed by Stuart Townsend.