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Poster for Latino PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE MARKED ONES

by Posted in Movie Posters Tagged , , , , ,

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When Paranormal Activity 5 couldn’t keep up the annual Halloween-release trend of the last four films in the franchise, the official Latin spin-off, Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones, looked to fill in the gap. However, that next film in the wildly popular franchise also won’t make a Halloween season release as it’s not hitting theaters until the dumping grounds known as January. Is the series losing steam already or are they trying to shake up the formula and having more trouble with it than expected? With a new poster and an old trailer to go off, see if this looks like anything new or just more of the found footage same.

While the film is endorsed by the makers of the PA, it will be a big move in a new direction as the film will feature an all Latino cast with only little crossover to the mainstay material. It will however feature young Katie and Kristi, played by the same actresses from Paranormal Activity 3. While the details are relatively slim at this point, the film is said to focus on a Catholic investigation of some, you guessed it, paranormal activity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6DYsGTMkCU

While this won’t be the first one-off of the series, it is the first official one. In 2010, an unofficial Japanese sequel, known as Paranormal Activity: Tokyo Night, followed Haruka Yamano, who broke her legs in a car accident and has since started feeling the presence of ghosts. It’s later revealed  that the woman that Haruka mowed down and killed was Katie, of the original Paranormal Activity, killing her and thus transferring her ghostly follower onto himself. Obviously the film was marked as non-canon because Katie lives on after the events of the first film and continues to be most central character of the franchise.

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LONDON HAS FALLEN To Film in 2014 With Original Cast

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It seems the studios want Gerard Butler to be John McClane. Unfortunately, Bruce Willis is already John McClane, so the Diehard rip-off, Olympus Has Fallen, will be getting a sequel, set in London. The title is, you guessed it, London has Fallen and Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart and Morgan Freeman are set to reprise their roles. Also reprising their roles will be Olympus screenwriters, Katrin Benedikt and Creighton Rothenberger. No director has yet been chosen.

The new film will follow Gerard Butler, as he attempts to foil a terrorist plot set to trike London during the Prime Minister’s funeral, along with his sidekick, Aaron Eckhart as the president of the United States (because who else is more equipped to personally handle terrorist threats) and an English MI6 agent.

Shooting begins in London on May 5, 2014, so this one is still a little ways down the pipeline, but it promises to be just as absurdly huge in scale as the first. The production deserves much applause for actually planning to film in London, as opposed to a green room. Practically solidified by this news are plans for London Down, much to everyone’s eventual confusion. You heard it here first.

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Emile Hirsch Cast in John BELUSHI Biopic

by Posted in Casting News

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According to the Hollywood Reporter, Emile Hirsch has been cast as comedy legend John Belushi, in the Steve Conrad directed biopic simply named Belushi. Conrad’s film will follow the heights reached by Belushi’s comedic genius, as well as his self-induced downfall and eventual death at the hands of drugs and alcohol.

Hirsch undoubtedly has some ridiculously large shoes to fill. Considering the relative recency of Belushi’s body of work, easy access to his “Greatest Hits Clips” could render any missteps in portrayal by Hirsch as a fodder for tough critics. However, John Belushi’s friend and SNL co-star, Dan Aykroyd will serve as the film’s executive producer, which may alleviate audience’s worries at some extent or perhaps usher in a different set of uneasy feelings. Hopefully, we can expect an honest attempt from Aykroyd to tribute his dear friend on the silver screen, rather than another “the time is ripe” cash grab. Jim Carrey proved a similar feat possible with his portrayal of comic legend Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon. Perhaps Hirsch should give him a call. Filming is set to start in New York early next year. 

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Sam Raimi Confirmed to Direct ARMY OF DARKNESS 2

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While last week saw Bruce Campbell confirmed to return to his most iconic role as the chainsaw-armed Ash, today sees confirmation that Sam Raimi will step behind the camera and actually direct Army of Darkness 2. Although Raimi’s involvement was a strong possibility, there was no official word as to whether he or 2013’s Evil Dead director Fede Alvarez would helm the project. Now, rest assured that the campy horror maestro is officially directing. News that Raimi will direct comes straight from the horse’s mouth as Alvarez confirmed that he would not be directing and Raimi would via his official Twitter account.

Although Raimi has had a bit of an unpredictable track record of late – and his last film, Oz: The Great and Powerful, was absolutely dreadful The 2013 remake/reinvention of the Evil Dead franchise saw life return to the franchise, life that Army of Darkness 2 looks to capitalize on. Speculation has already started to stir about hopes of “world building” – a tactic that could bring together the events of both the old and new franchise in an Avengers style mash-up.

Whether or not Ash will end up crossing paths with Jane Levy‘s Mia or not, you can rejoice in the fact that Raimi is returning to his bread and butter: campy horror. Raimi build his name around this brand of funny, gory films before stepping in to helm the Spiderman trilogy. 2009’s utterly terrific Drag Me To Hell proved that Raimi can easily jump back onto the saddle and direct horror like the back of his hand. While Army of Darkness 2 won’t see a release date for at least a few years, we can only cross our fingers that it will signal a return to form for the auteur.

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New X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST Images Promise Lots of Characters

by Posted in Pictures Tagged , , , , , , ,

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New images for Bryan Singer‘s X-Men: Days of Future Past have hit the interwebs in anticipation of the films first trailer, ramping up anticipation from the uproariously popular tease in the Wolverine post-credits. Plot holes be damned, the film will include a time travel story, in order to bring together the bulk of the franchises hero’s, including Patrick Stewart (Professor X), Ian McKellen (Magneto), James McAvoy (Professor X), Michael Fassbender (Magneto), Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique), and Hugh Jackman (Wolverine), newcomer Peter Dinklage, who will play villain Bolivar Trask, and many, many more.

Jamming together the old cast of the original X-Men trilogy with the new blood of the critical hit X-Men: First Class, Fox Studios are attempting an Avengers-style scheme of their own. While there’s certainly a lot on the platter, if this gambit works, they stand to make buckets upon buckets of money. While the last three X-Men outings have been a bit of a financial disappointment, it’s easy to say that the future of the franchise rests on the success of Days of Future Past. If it manages to win back old fans while tapping into a new audience, superhero movie popularity could just be starting.

 


Michael Fassbender as Young Magneto


Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique

Patrick Stewart as Old Charles Xavier and director Bryan Singer


Ellen Page as Kitty Pride/Shadowcat and Shawn Ashmore as Bobby Drake/Iceman

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James McAvoy as Young Charles Xavier and Michael Fassbender as Young Magneto

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Hugh Jackman as Wolverine

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Peter Dinklage as Boliver Trask

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Michael Fassbender as Young Magneto

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Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, Michael Fassbender as Young Magneto and James McAvoy as Charles Xavier

X-Men: Days of Future Past is directed by Bryan Singer and stars Patrick Stewart, James McAvoy, Ian McKellen, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Nicholas Hoult, Peter Dinklage, Ellen Page, Anna Paquin, Shaun Ashmore, Omar Sy and Evan Peters. It hits theaters on May 23, 2014.

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As Expected, JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT Moves from Crowded Christmas Date

by Posted in Movie Announcements

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Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit’s release date has officially been pushed back to January, 17 2014. As speculated, Jack Ryan joins Monuments Men in an all out scramble of recent release date shifts. Here though, nobody was speculating Oscar potential for Kenneth Branagh’s directorial effort, but an extremely promising award season probably has something to do with the delay. The film will likely benefit, by not contending with films like 12 Years a Slave, Nebraska, The Wolf on Wall Street, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and many more that are coming out in the Fall/Christmas season.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit will likely do well in the early 2014 season. Our insatiable hunger for edge-of-your-seat thrillers alongside interest garnered by Tom Clancy’s recent passing should make sure of that. Check it out on its new release date, January 17th, 2013.

Per the synopsis, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit provides an origin story to a known winning franchise:

“Jack Ryan, a young covert CIA analyst, uncovers a Russian plot to crash the U.S. economy with a terrorist attack. Prequel/reboot based on the Tom Clancy character featured in films like The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Dangers and The Sum of All Fears.”

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is directed by Kenneth Branagh and stars Chris Pine, Keira Knightley, Kevin Costner, Nonso Anozie, and David Paymer. It’s currently set up for a Christmas, 2013 release.

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Tom Hardy to Play Elton John in ROCKETMAN

by Posted in Casting News

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It seems that these days everyone just has to have their own biopic. Apparently, there’s not even a need to wait until they passed away anymore as Tom Hardy has just been secured to play world famous pianist and pop sensation Elton John in Rocketman. Known more for playing brutish lunks like Bronson, Bane, and Tommy from Warrior, a gay pop singer is quite a departure from the norm for Hardy. However unexpected the casting, it’s surely an interesting choice for a performer on the brink of the A-list.

To be directed by Michael Gracey, who will see his directorial debut with The Greatest Showman on Earth starring Hugh Jackman, Rocketman will track John’s life story from childhood to his ecliptic rise to stardom. With a script from Lee Hall (Billy Elliot, War Horse) the film surely stands a chance of being a full-blown cheese factory but it’s too early to pass too much judgement. Hardy’s involvement at this point is a silver lining for a project that would otherwise sound fairly dull.

Per the official press release: Much like the man himself, Rocketman is a larger-than-life movie musical spectacle that tells the story of a child prodigy turned music legend.  Elton will re-record many of his iconic hits to parallel the emotional beats of the film that will have audiences on their feet, singing along to his much loved music.  The film is scheduled to shoot in fall 2014.

As for what Rocket Picture CEO Steve Hamilton Shaw had to say about bringing Hardy on, he added the following:

“Tom is a stellar talent who will add extraordinary depth and nuance in bringing Elton’s story to life. We are excited to have such a gifted actor on board, and equally excited to be in the hands of Peter Schlessel and the entire Focus Features team. Tom is quickly becoming known as one of the world’s most versatile actors, and like others at the top of their craft, he has proven his ability to transform himself completely into the character or subject found in the material. We are confident that Tom will embody the physicality and spirit of Sir Elton.  This, in conjunction with the creative team led by Michael and Rocket Pictures, will provide the foundation for something that will be a unique cinematic event.”

 

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Clooney's MONUMENTS MEN Pushed to 2014, Leaves Oscar Race

by Posted in Movie Announcements Tagged , , , ,

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Another one bites the dust as George Clooney‘s much anticipated WWII drama The Monuments Men will no longer make its December 18 release date, effectively slicing it out of next year’s Oscar consideration. Following today’s official announcement that The Wolf of Wall Street will now see a Christmas day release, it seems that big 2014 Oscar contenders are crumbling like dominoes. As for the reason for the move, Clooney has cited unsatisfactory progress within the special effects department.

“We just didn’t have enough time,” Clooney told the Los Angeles Times, “If any of the effects looked cheesy, the whole movie would look cheesy. We simply don’t have enough people to work enough hours to finish it.” While the reasoning is fair, it does seem like they have quite a bit of time in the nearly two months before that release. It makes me wonder if there isn’t more to the story than is being shared at this point. On the push to 2014 affecting the film’s Oscar odds, Clooney made it clear that Oscar attention was never his goal for the film. He added, “All we’ve ever said, from the very beginning, is that we wanted to make a commercial, non-cynical piece of entertainment.”

Although Clooney seems insistent that Oscars were never the hope, the move to an early 2014 date will most certainly lower any chances for an Oscar. Whether it will remain a player next year is impossible to say now but I would put my money on a steadfast “no”.

The Monuments Men is written, starring and directed by George Clooney. It also stars Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, Hugh Bonneville and John Goodman. It hits theaters in the thick of Oscar season on December 18.

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Stephen Lang Will Return for AVATAR Sequels

by Posted in Casting News Tagged , , , , ,

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Stephen Lang, the actor who played the nefarious Colonel Quartich in Avatar, has been confirmed by James Cameron to return and reprise his character. Despite the spoiler-fact that Quartich died at the end of the Avatar, Cameron is determined to work him into the remaining films of the series and isn’t revealing much, at least not to Deadline: “I’m not going to say exactly HOW we’re bringing him back, but it’s a science fiction story, after all. His character will evolve into really unexpected places across the arc of our new three-film saga. I really look forward to working with such a gifted actor, who’s also become such a good friend.” Lang for his part has been keeping busy with film and TV roles, most recently showing up in Pioneer and The Monkey’s Paw.

 

When pressed further in a subsequent interview with Vulture interviews on the news, Cameron opened up the full bag of science fiction tricks for fans to speculate over: “Okay, here’s the deal. When you have a science-fiction series, a science-fiction franchise, you’re never dead unless your DNA is expunged from the Universe, and then there’s always time travel!” While totally inconclusive for those hunting after the sequels’ plots, fans of the hard-bitten security chief have something to look forward to in the following films. Given the billion-dollar gross that Avatar pulled in during it’s 2009 run,  these upcoming films are poised to make full use of amazing resources, both dramatic and digital, to try and capture some of the original’s magic.

This comes on the heals of Avatar star Sam Worthington’s reveal that Avatar 2, 3, and 4 begin filming simultaneously next fall. The release dates of the upcoming trilogy start with Avatar 2 in December 2016, the 3rd film following in December 2017 and the 4th coming a year after that. Josh Friedman (War of the Worlds) will write the 2nd film, Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) the 3rd, and Shane Salerno will write the 4th (Armageddon). The talents brought on to the trilogy and it’s shooting schedule are reminiscent of Lord of the Rings, showcasing the high ambitions the producers have for the trilogy’s potential. As more casting decisions and spoilers are revealed – it’s a long and busy road to 2016 as far as Hollywood is concerned – this revelation concerning Lang may prove to be one of many in what will certainly be a big, big set of films.

 

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Ben Foster Channels Armstrong in First Look at Biker Biopic

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Set to play Lance Armstrong in Stephen Frears‘ upcoming biopic of Lance Armstrong, Ben Foster has jumped on the saddle as the Tour de France champion turned discredited athlete. From his sinewy limbs to the bumblebee yellow Postal Service jersey, Foster fits the bill nicely in this first look as the film just began shooting. Tracking Armstrong’s rise to seven-time world champion, his battle with cancer, and last year’s stripping of his championship titles, the film doesn’t look to flatter the once respected founder of Livestrong. Hopefully, the story won’t involve too much of dragging through the mud, as it risks making the same mistakes of The Fifth Estate – mostly, penning the story before the ink has dried.

Pulled from the pages of David Walsh‘s exposé “Seven Deadly Sins: My Pursuit Of Lance Armstrong,” the film, scripted by Trainspotting‘s John Hodge, follows Walsh’s eventually successful attempts to expose Armstrong for using performance enhancing drugs. Chris O’Dowd (The Sapphires) co-stars as Walsh and is joined by Guillaume Canet (The Beach) and Jesse Plemons (Breaking Bad).

The Untitled Lance Armstrong Biopic is directed by Stephen Frear and stars Ben Foster, Chris O’Dowd, Guillaume Canet, Jesse Plemons. There is no official release date yet. 

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