Spielberg Shows Interest In Remake of WEST SIDE STORY

When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way, or so we'll all be singing soon if Spielberg has his way.
it appears, according to Deadline, that Fox unlocked the 1961 musical-classic for a remake due to director Steven Spielberg's interest in it but notes:

No writer has been set yet and Spielberg hasn’t done anything more than register his interest, which traditionally has always been enough to get a studio hot and bothered.

West Side Story, winner of ten Academy Awards including Best Picture (1961), is a Broadway adaption of William Shakespeare's classic "Romeo and Juliet" and tell the story of star-crossed lovers Maria Nuñez (a Puerto Rican immigrant and sister of Bernardo, leader of 'The Sharks') and Tony Wyzek (leader of the "white boy" gang The Jets) against the back-drop of racial tension and escalating gang activity amongst New York City youths in Summer 1957.

It's a relevant story no matter when it's made, which is part of it's appeal; but given the recent main-stream attention of equal rights for illegal immigrant workers as well as LGBT-tolerance, I'd expect to see the remake touch upon those. 

It's been a while since we've had a mainstream musical in theaters up until 2012's Les Miserables, which was a critical and financial success, so here's hoping West Side Story goes ahead and does the original the justice it deserves. 

First Look at SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR Takes Us Back to 2005

Entertainment Weekly brings the first look at the timely follow up to 2005's Sin City, which will turn 10 years old next year.
We get our look at Jessica Alba (Nancy Callahan), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Johnny), and Mickey Rourke reprising his role as Marv.

 

Joseph Gordon-Levitt gets in on the action, too, playing the hard-luck gambler Johnny. Miller penned a new story for Gordon-Levitt’s segment, but Rodriguez and Miller remained tight-lipped on the specifics of the plot. “He beat the wrong guy at poker,” teases Rodriguez. “It begins the journey that describes the title of his story: ‘The Long Bad Night.’”

 

Jessica Alba’s Nancy Callahan is still dancing at Kadie’s, but she’s changed since John Hartigan’s (Bruce Willis) death in the original 2005 cult classic. “She’s out for revenge,” says Miller, who co-directed the film. “She is sick of being treated — as she puts it — ‘as a piece of ass.’” Robert Rodriguez, who also returns to co-helm the project, adds: “You see a little girl in that first film. By the end of this, she’s the avenging angel.” Alba’s acting work has taken a backseat to other endeavors in the past few years, but Miller assures us that she is “eight times the actor [that she was] when I did the first film.”

Mickey Rourke reprises his role as the murderous Marv with his signature flattop ‘do and stern demeanor for Miller’s story “Just Another Saturday Night.”

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For also stars Powers Boothe, Bruce Willis, Juno Temple, Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven, Josh Brolin, Eva Greene, Rosario Dawson, and Dennis Haysbert and once again follows several stories that over-lap in various ways through the visually jaw-dropping direction of Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller.

The film will be released in 3D August 22, 2014. 

Brand New Trailer for GODZILLA Hopes To Wipe Your Memories of the Year 1998 Away

Following up last week's chilling poster for Legendary/WB's monster-reboot, GODZILLA, comes a new trailer that is sadly short on dramatic H.A.L.O. jumping and heavy breathing; but extremely heavy on Brian Cranston screaming and crying about stuff.

Also it appears we're finally getting some brief glimpses of the other monsters Godzilla will be throwing down with. Some say Rodan, others say Mothra, and hell some say Ghidorah; so what do you all think, those of you who are fans of the Big-G?

GODZILLA will be directed by Gareth Edwards (Monsters) and stars Aaron Taylor Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Ken Watanabe, Bryan Cranston and Sally Hawkins and makes it's way into theaters May 16.

"An epic rebirth to Toho's iconic Godzilla, this spectacular adventure, from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures, pits the world's most famous monster against malevolent creatures who, bolstered by humanity's scientific arrogance, threaten our very existence."

They Found Your Quarterback Punk For POINT BREAK's Remake.

 

Deadline reported that Johnny Utah's character (previously played by Keanu Reeves in the 1991 classic) has been cast for the planned remake of Point Break, to star alongside Gerard Butler who will be taking over the role from the late Patrick Swayze.

Luke Bracey, who played Cobra Commander in last summer's G.I. Joe: Retaliation, joins the remake of Kathryn Bigelow's film, directed by Ericson Core who's only mainstream directing credit was the 2006 Mark Wahlberg starring Invincible.
Core worked as cinematographer on The Fast and the Furious as well as Dare Devil.

Point Break, which starts filming this summer, will be written by Kurt Wimmer who has had some fair experience in the past with SALT, Equilibrium, Total Recall, and Law Abiding Citizen, and will follow the story of Johnny Utah, an FBI rookie, teaming up with an unstable detective to uncover the truth behind a string of bank robberies which draws him close to a group of dangerous surfers believed to be the suspects. 

No, Seriously, SPACE JAM 2 Moving Ahead With LeBron James

 

In a Deadline Exclusive that's sure to make headlines, it appears to the sequel to the 1996 pinnacle of human film-making, Space Jam, which won the Oscar for Best Motion Picture Ever Made at the 69th Annual Academy Awards, is moving ahead with Miami Heat star LeBron James attached to star.

Charlie Ebersol, who already has a good relationship with the NFL through his NFL Characters Unite series on USA Network, is about ready to do the same with the NBA. He has been brought on to the produce the picture through his production company, The Company, from a script by his brother Willie Ebersol. The latter won an Emmy for the London Olympics. This is his first screenplay.

Space Jam was a blend of live-action and animation featuring Warner Brother's Looney Tunes characters, who we haven't seen on the big-screen in a feature length film since 2003's Looney Tunes: Back in Action.

The original starred then Chicago Bulls star and current NBA Legend Michael Jordan, as well as a slew of other notable names from the NBA.

This comes just on the heels of another bit of sequel news from Warner Brothers, announcing The LEGO Movie follow-up will hit theaters in 2017.

LEGO MOVIE Sequel Gets Release Date

The LEGO Movie that charmed the pants off critics and fans alike and is reaching the $200 million mark world-wide finally has it's sequel dated, and you can expect to hum "Everything Is Awesome" again on May 26, 2017.

Sure that seems pretty far away; but it doesn't seem like WB likes to rush anything.

The sequel, announced the week the film released on Feb 7, will be written by Jared Stern who had his hand in Wreck it Ralph and BOLT before writing Mr. Popper's Penguins as well as Michelle Morgan (Girl Most Likely, Middle of Nowhere).

No stars have been confirmed to return; but expect Pratt, Banks, and Arnett to make a come-back for sure, as well as Alison Brie.
Of course, when you have the infinite world of Lego to build from (literally) anything is possible, so who knows who you'll see.
I have a feeling the stars will be lining up to try and get a role in this.

New GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Poster and Videos Scream "Please"

In an effort to get name-recognition out of a cast of D-List super-heroes, Marvel Studios has unveiled a new poster (with literally everything they've done taking up the top half) as well as a "Meet the Characters" set of videos for Rocket Raccoon, Gamora, Drax, Star Lord, and Groot.

The trailer for Marvel's intergalactic thriller premiered on the Jimmy Kimmel show Tuesday night to diversive reactions on Twitter and Youtube; but general praise from the "fanboy" community.

An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits—Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand—with the galaxy's fate in the balance.

The film stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Benicio Del Toro, Karen Gillian, and Lee Pace and is directed by James Gunn.

Guardians of the Galaxy makes it's way into theaters August 1, 2014.

Vin Diesel Shows Concept Art; Promises Update On THE LAST WITCH HUNTER

Vin Diesel sure likes to post about meetings he's had.
Well the FAST & FURIOUS and RIDDICK star has updated his Official Facebook with a look at his upcoming fantasy action film, The Last Witch Hunter.

The film, announced back in 2010 with Timur Bekmambetov (WANTED) set to direct has since found a new crew, with Breck Eisner (SAHARA, The Crazies), son of legendary cartoonist and writer Will Eisner, now at the helm off of a script from Cory Goodman (PRIEST).

I will fill you all in later… but this meeting went well.

The plot is said to follow an immortal witch-hunter (Diesel) as he and a reformed witch track a coven of witches bent on unleashing dark magic onto the Earth in modern-day New York City.
The concept art and images shown in Diesel's pic indicate though, that we will perhaps see The Witch Hunter on a quest through the dark ages till now, which would definitely mean more than a generic NYC setting.

The art looks beautiful, and with Diesel attatched you already know he'll put the maximum ammount of will-power and care into the film to please his fans and general audiences alike.

Bloody Disgusting has the film's synopsis:

“Five hundred years ago, war raged between humankind and witches, vicious supernatural creatures intent on unleashing the Black Death upon the world. Armies of witch hunters battled the unnatural enemy across the globe, including Kaulder (Vin Diesel), a valiant warrior who managed to slay an all-powerful Queen Witch, decimating her followers in the process. In the moments before her death, the Queen exacted her revenge by cursing Kaulder with immortality, forever separating him from his beloved wife and daughter in the afterlife. Kaulder has spent centuries hunting down rogue witches, all the while yearning for his long-lost loved ones.

Today, he is the only one of his kind–the last witch hunter. With the help of Father Dolan, a Catholic priest, and a mystical arsenal hidden beneath New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral, he continues to pursue the renegades and outlaws who endanger humanity. Chief among their adversaries is Belial, a powerful rebel witch who Kaulder believes has found a way to restore the Queen Witch to power and reignite her campaign to destroy the human world.

With the help of Chloe, a goodhearted young witch, Kaulder sets out to stop Belial before he can set his plan in motion, but allies in unexpected places keep the evil witch one step ahead in a cunning cat-and-mouse pursuit that will determine the survival of the human race.”

You're Looking At Your FANTASTIC FOUR (Probably)

It appears deals are being made, THR reports, for the young and hip cast of the reboot for Marvel's "First Family" in the FANTASTIC FOUR film being released next summer.

Michael B. Jordan (Friday Night Lights, CHRONICLE) has long been rumored for the role of Johnny Storm aka The Human Torch, with House of Cards star Kate Mara as Susan Storm (Mara appeared briefly in Iron Man 2), Miles Teller (FOOTLOOSE, The Spectacular Now) as Dr. Reed Richards, and Jamie Bell (JUMPER, King Kong) as Ben Grimm aka The Thing.

Josh Trank (CHRONICLE) will be helming the reboot, which is said to be based off of Marvel's Ultimate Fantastic Four, which launched in the early 2000s as part of Marvel's drive to re-vitalize their iconic characters in a contemporary setting with a clean slate and younger faces with re-done (and better) back-stories.

Sources tell THR that the studio is making deals with Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Bell to star in the project that reboots the Marvel superheroes. Josh Trank is directing.

Fantastic Four was the very first comic produced by the Marvel Comics’ 1960s golden age and featured a brilliant scientist, his pilot best friend, his girlfriend and her brother -- all of whom are turned into heroes: Mr. Fantastic, The Thing, Invisible Girl and the Human Torch. They fought aliens and monsters, but their arch-foe was Dr. Doom, a one-time roommate of the scientist.

None of these are really "confirmed" but at this point they're probably it.
Still no word on the film's plot, or bad-guy, but the most recent batch of rumors suggested by THR indicate a possible gender-bend for the group's arch nemesis, Dr. Doom:

Dr. Doom is said to be the villain of the reboot (the character appeared in Fox’s two previous movies and was played by Julian McMahon). The Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision is hearing that the studio is likely to go for a big name and isn’t ruling out switching genders for the role.

The Wrap, who broke the news about Bell's casting as Grimm also noted:

Bell’s name has never been mentioned in connection with the coveted superhero role, though it certainly makes sense as he has experience with motion-capture performances, having starred in Steven Spielberg’s “The Adventures of Tintin.” However, there is no official deal in place for Bell yet.

As for Teller, The Wrap also reported that starring in FANTASTIC FOUR might be tricky due to scheduling conflicts with the DIVERGENT sequel.
Stay tuned for more as a confirmed cast list is expected soon.

FANTASTIC FOUR is set to release June 19, 2015.
The previous films, released in 2005 and 2007, starred Ioan Grufford, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, and Julian McMahon.

Terrifying New Poster for GODZILLA

Cortesy of Yahoo Movies comes, perhaps, the best poster Legendary/WB have ever done.

Despite the "generic" back to the camera pose that the King of Monsters is sporting, the orange and black color design as well as the strikingly "old-fashioned" minimalist design on display here portrays Godzilla as not only a horrific force of devastation; but as a literal giant which goes perfectly with what we've heard before, that this will be Godzilla at his largest.

A nice little tough are the HALO jumpers from the film's trailer descending into the devestated city below.

GODZILLA will be directed by Gareth Edwards (Monsters) and stars Aaron Taylor Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Ken Watanabe, Bryan Cranston and Sally Hawkins and makes it's way into theaters May 16.

"An epic rebirth to Toho's iconic Godzilla, this spectacular adventure, from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures, pits the world's most famous monster against malevolent creatures who, bolstered by humanity's scientific arrogance, threaten our very existence."