Paramount Reveals Super 8 Sneak Peeks with the Help of Twitter

Paramount and Twitter have announced special sneak peek screenings of JJ Abrams and Steven Spielberg’s Super 8, set to happen tomorrow (Thursday, June 7). Below you’ll find the release with all the details of this anticipated film, which is fast gaining momentum as the talked about film of the summer.
Here’s the studio’s official blurb, in concert with Twitter:
Paramount Pictures and Twitter jointly announced today sneak preview showings of the movie SUPER 8 for 1-day only on Thursday, June 9th, in advance of the film’s scheduled nationwide release on Friday, June 10th. To promote the sneak previews, the companies have designated the hashtag #Super8Secret, which Paramount has also sponsored as a Promoted Trend, allowing Twitter’s global user base a direct link to buy tickets to the advanced previews. At select, participating theatres in the United States, SUPER 8 Sneak Preview moviegoers will be treated to a free popcorn (with a concession purchase) at each sneak preview show. Hosting movie sneak previews marks a first for Twitter. This promotion continues a key partnership between Paramount and Twitter on SUPER 8. The duo joined forces in March for the movie’s exclusive trailer premiere via Twitter, another exciting first for the site.
SUPER 8, from writer/director J.J. Abrams and producer Steven Spielberg, will open exclusively tomorrow, June 9th, on over 300 screens nationwide, featuring all 239 IMAX playdates in the U.S. and Canada. Fans can go to Twitter.com/Super8Movie and use #Super8Secret to share information about the movie with friends. To be among the first to see SUPER 8, visit Super8-movie.com for tickets and show times.
“With SUPER 8, J.J. and Steven have created a really fun and engaging movie for all ages,” said Rob Moore, Vice Chairman of Paramount Pictures. “We are excited to finally get it out into the marketplace and using this sneak preview promotion with Twitter to kick start the film’s release, is an unprecedented way to get people into theaters and talking about the movie.”
“Twitter is how we hear about new movies and share our tiny reviews before the credits finish rolling,” said Biz Stone, Twitter cofounder. “There are already millions of people talking about SUPER 8 on Twitter and Paramount gets that. Creating more excitement about the film with sneak previews and free popcorn is a smart way to make this film a global conversation even before it’s released.”
“Twitter has the incredible capability of spreading buzz in real-time, as well as fostering communal conversations that encapsulate large audiences in a matter of seconds. We believe these elements are key in promoting a movie like SUPER 8 that has such incredible playability and the potential for unlimited positive word of mouth,” said Amy Powell, Paramount’s Executive Vice President, Interactive Marketing Strategies & Film Production.
SUPER 8 is an Amblin Entertainment / Bad Robot production, directed by Abrams from his original script and produced by Steven Spielberg, Abrams and Bryan Burk. The film stars Kyle Chandler, Elle Fanning, Joel Courtney, Gabriel Basso, Noah Emmerich, Ron Eldard, Riley Griffiths, Ryan Lee and Zach Mills. The movie takes place in the summer of 1979, where a group of friends in a small Ohio town witness a catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 movie and soon suspect that it was not an accident. Shortly after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town, and the local Deputy tries to uncover the truth – something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined.

First Class; Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Since it seems as though TV spots and movie clips are showing up for X-Men: First Class, Transformers: Dark of the Moon andGreen Lantern almost faster than we can post them, we’ve decided to start amalgamating them into single posts from this point forward.
In the case of X-Men, it seems like we’re getting to see pretty much the whole movie via all these clips, and while many sequences are repetitive, each one also seems to contain new shots. A word to 20th Century Fox: you might want to save some of the action sequences for when we actually see the film in the theater; it’s becoming the visual equivalent of spoilers.That said, below you will find the latest seven (yes, seven) clips from First Class, courtesy of 20th Century Fox and via ComingSoon.
Story Synopsis: X-Men: First Class charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga, and reveals a secret history of famous global events. Before mutants had revealed themselves to the world, and before Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Not archenemies, they were instead at first the closest of friends, working together with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to prevent nuclear Armageddon. In the process, a grave rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X’s X-Men.

New Writers Hired to Penn Author Marie Lu’s Futuristic Novel, Legend

CBS Films has hired up-and-coming writers Andrew Barrer and Gabe Ferrari to adapt Marie Lu’s forthcoming novel “Legend”, a futuristic Robin Hood-like tale set against two warring nations that inhabit what is now the United States.
According to Heat Vision, the company hopes to develop the project as a major young adult franchise, not unlike ‘The Twilight Saga’.
CBS has already hired Jonathan Levine to direct the adaptation, which is being produced by Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey of ‘The Twilight Saga’ fame.
The novel, which has received positive early reviews, is being published by Putnam and is due out on November 29.
Story synopsis: Legend takes place in Los Angeles over a hundred years in the future, when North America is split into two warring nations. Legend focuses on Day, a fifteen-year old Robin Hood figure who happens to be the nation’s most wanted criminal, and June, a teenage prodigy who is hired to hunt him down. The pair are caught in a game of cat and mouse until an impossible truth about their totalitarian leaders forces them to work together.
Barrer and Ferrari wrote Die in a Gunfight, a Romeo and Juliet-like action project that made the 2010 Blacklist.

DreamWorks Unveils International Poster for Real Steel

After already debuting the domestic poster for Real Steel, DreamWorks Pictures has today unveiled the international poster for the film (via heyyouguys.co.uk), which gives one a better look at the featured robots. You can check it out below.
Story Synopsis: A gritty, white-knuckle, action ride set in the near-future, where the sport of boxing has gone hi-tech, Real Steel stars Jackman as Charlie Kenton, a washed-up fighter who lost his chance at a title when 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall steel robots took over the ring. Now nothing but a small-time promoter, Charlie earns just enough money piecing together low-end bots from scrap metal to get from one underground boxing venue to the next. When Charlie hits rock bottom, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son Max (Goyo) to build and train a championship contender. As the stakes in the brutal, no-holds-barred arena are raised, Charlie and Max, against all odds, get one last shot at a comeback.
Opening in conventional and IMAX theaters on October 7, the Shawn Levy-directed film stars Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly, Dakota Goyo, Anthony Mackie and Kevin Durand.

New Posters for Steven Spielberg’s Adventures of Tintin Revealed

Both domestic and an international posters for Steven Spielberg’s The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn, have debuted online today. You can check out both posters from the first installment in the franchise below.
Secret of the Unicorn stars Jamie Bell as Tintin, the intrepid young reporter whose relentless pursuit of a good story thrusts him into a world of high adventure.
Aso sarring are Andy Serkis as Captain Haddock, Daniel Craig as the nefarious Red Rackham, and Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as Thompson and Thompson.
Spielberg directed the first film, which is scheduled to arrive in theaters on December 23, 2011.
The sequel will be directed by Peter Jackson, with a third installment being planned.

Bond 23 May Show 007 to be of Scottish Blood

Prior to Daniel Craig taking on the role of British Secret Service agent 007, you could bank on the vast majority of James Bond fans voting for Scotsman Sean Connery as the actor whose interpretation they most enjoyed. Yet, even going as far back as David Niven, it seems that the character has often been interpreted as a suave Englishman. But what if Bond’s lineage is, in fact, Scottish?
That notion might become canon in the next (and officially the 23rd) Bond film. According to 411mania.com, the woman who owns Duntrune Castle near Lock Crinan in Argyll has claimed that the producers want to use the place in the movie, possibly as the home of Bond’s forebears.
“I think it is meant to be James Bond’s ancestral home – he will bring all the villains here,” Patricia Malcolm is quoted as saying. “I believe it’s mostly being filmed in China and Turkey. It looks as if they are going to construct the set and then blow it up. I think they are going to attack the castle from land and sea – there are going to a lot of bangs and explosions.”
The website says that the location will be in the film’s finale and that director Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road) has not yet started shooting the movie. All of these pieces of information are unconfirmed.
Media speculation is that the next Bond movie could be called Skyfall, a title that sounds a bit too much like Skyline for our liking. What do you think of it and of the idea that 007 could be Scottish? Is Bond a bonnie lad?

Cowboys & Aliens DVD and Extended Blu-ray Specs

If you follow our Twitter feed (@CinemaSpy) you’ll know that a couple of days ago we promised you the specs for the December 6 Blu-ray and DVD release of Cowboys & Aliens.
Forgive our tardiness but our stagecoach was delayed a day by a washed out road and the 1G wi-fi at the nearest saloon was spotty at best. Hence, it’s taken us a bit longer than expected to reach the best Western (OK, bad joke). Anyway, here are the full details.
According to Universal, the Blu-ray combo pack release will include and extended edition of the John Favreau-directed sci-fi western while the DVD will have the theatrical version. As far as we can tell, the extended edition includes roughly 17 minutes of extra footage but we’ve no idea what that shows. As for Bonus Features, here’s the list:
Blu-ray and DVD
IGNITING THE SKY: THE MAKING OF COWBOYS & ALIENS —A comprehensive, behind-the-scenes look at the production that invites viewers on set to meet the filmmakers and cast as they create this one-of-a-kind action film. In revealing conversations, Jon Favreau, Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, as well as stars Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig and Olivia Wilde, share their insights about the movie. Also featured are visual-effects powerhouses Legacy Effects and ILM, which join forces once again to push the technological envelope beyond anything ever seen before on screen. It includes:
FINDING THE STORY — Cowboys & Aliens, based on the graphic novel by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, has been in development for over a decade. Filmmakers, writers and cast explain why this particular team of Hollywood heavyweights hit the right note to bring this to the big screen.
THE SCOPE OF THE SPECTACLE —A look at the team behind the camera for the film’s massive New Mexico shoot, as the stars ride horses, shoot guns, jump from explosions, and get yanked 80 feet in the air! Director Jon Favreau stages unforgettable action set-pieces as cameras capture every moment, while legendary stuntman and Cowboys & Aliens’ second unit director Terry Leonard brings a lifetime of experience to the big-screen stunts, from legendary moments in John Wayne classics to doubling for Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
OUTER-SPACE ICON — Take a closer look at the creation of a new, terrifying alien design from Legacy Effects and Industrial Light and Magic.

A CALL TO ACTION — A profile of prolific actor, writer and director Jon Favreau featuring on-set video diaries shot throughout the production.
ABSOLUTION — A look at the practical re-creation of a dusty Old West mining town, the town’s inhabitants and the amazing ensemble of actors who portray them, as well as an exclusive look at the film’s meticulous production and costume designs.
CONVERSATIONS WITH JON FAVREAU – Jon Favreau hosts candid interviews with cast and crew, including Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, Damon Lindelof


Blu-ray Combo-Pack cover art courtesy of Universal.U-CONTROL: Universal’s exclusive feature that lets the viewer access bonus materials without leaving the movie!
BD-LIVE™: Access the BD-Live™ Center through your Internet-connected player to access the latest trailers, exclusive content, and more!
pocket BLU™ App: The popular free pocket BLU™ app for smartphones is now even better with newly updated versions for iPad®, Android™ tablets, PC, and Macintosh computers, with features made especially to take advantage of the devices’ larger screens and high resolution displays.
Advanced Remote Control: A sleek, elegant new way to operate your Blu-ray™ player. Users can navigate through menus, playback and BD-Live™ functions with ease.
Video Timeline: Users can easily bring up the video timeline, allowing them to instantly access any point in the film.
Mobile-To-Go: Users can unlock a selection of bonus content with their Blu-ray™ discs to save to their device or to stream from anywhere there is a Wi-Fi network, enabling them to enjoy content on the go, anytime, anywhere.
Browse Titles: Users will have access to a complete list of pocket BLU™-enabled titles available and coming to Blu-ray™. They can view free previews and see what additional content is available to unlock on their device.
Keyboard: Entering data is fast and easy with your device’s intuitive keyboard.
UNIVERSAL’S SECOND SCREEN: an innovative and interactive viewing experience, that allows viewers to control, interact and explore Cowboys & Aliens with groundbreaking new features right on a networked tablet or computer, in synchronization with the movie on the television screen! While the movie plays, experience features such as:
Flick View: Interact with the movie, move content from the Tablet to the TV screen, and compare storyboards, animatics, and other executing content by “Flicking” them from on their tablet to their TV screen, simply by gesturing their fingers upwards on their tablets.
Scene Explorer: Viewers select various progressions of the same scene including storyboards, pre-visualizations and behind-the-scenes.
Behind the Scenes: Viewers get an all access look at the making of the film featuring interviews with cast and crew.
Storyboards: Viewers will be able to take a closer look at the storyboards created for some of the amazing sequences in the film.
3D Models: Viewers can take a look at the aliens and otherworldly gadgets in Cowboys & Aliens by the touch or swipe of their fingers. You can move the models in a 360 degree view, get tech specs and more.
Cowboys & Aliens stars Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Adam Beach, Paul Dano, Noah Ringer, Keith Carradine, Clancy Brown and Ana de la Reguera. The story takes place in 1873 and focuses on gunslinger Jake Lonergan’s (Daniel Craig) attempts to protect the remote town of Absolution from alien attacks while he tries to unravel the mystery of his lost memories. The film has a 44% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. You can watch the trailer below.

Leonardo DiCaprio May be Circling Villain Role for Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained

Last month it was revealed that Will Smith is the front runner to star in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained, a story about the revenge of a slave on his former master. Tarantino has previously expressed that his take on the material is“to do movies that deal with America’s horrible past with slavery and stuff but do them like spaghetti westerns, not like big issue movies…”
While Smith is still rumored for the title tole, today comes word from Creative Screenwriting magazine Senior Editor Jeff Goldsmith that Leonardo Dicaprio is in talks to play the evil plantation owner. Variety’s Jeff Sneider heard the same rumor, but neither he or the trade have yet confirmed the rumor.

Tarantino regulars Samuel L. Jackson and Christoph Waltz are in talks to play Stephen, a wise, proud house slave, and a German bounty hunter named Dr. King Schultz, respectively.
In the story, a freed slave seeks to reunite with his slave wife, a journey that will see him team with a German bounty hunter to take down an evil plantation owner named Monsieur Calvin Candie.
Meanwhile, Idris Elba (Thor) is rumored to be in talks to play a role in the film
The plan is to begin filming in the fall.
Tarantino’s idea to mix his pulp style with the historical period motif will be an interesting experiment, but no less strange than the current trend which sees historical characters battling mythological creatures, i.e. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Slayer. It will be interesting to see what the filmmaker comes up with.

Warner Announces TWO Complete Harry Potter Film Sets for Blu-ray/DVD

Warner Home Video has announced that it is going to release two sets of all eight Harry Potter movies on Blu-ray and DVD. One will be on shelves in time for Christmas and another will be out next year.
Harry Potter: The Complete 8-Film Collection will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 11. Unsurprisingly it includes all eight movies from the film franchise: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. The press announcement didn’t say whether the 3D movies will be released on Blu-ray 3D in this set.
Presumably each film will be on its own disc and there will be no extra discs of special features in this set because the release will have 8-discs. It sounds like there will be at least one new extra, though. WHV will also release the first six films individually as Ultimate Editions and each will include a new chapter of the documentary series ‘Creating the World of Harry Potter.’ Hence, if you bought these films already, Warner is hoping you’ll give in to your consumerist urges and buy them all over again.
Be warned, though, those Ultimate Editions might not be so ultimate after all. According to WHV, hard-core fans will be “pleased” to known that they might want to get in line again for a third copy of each film in 2012. The distributor plans to release a “comprehensive Harry Potter film collection, with even more extras and collectible premiums” sometime next year.

Tim Burton Seeks Ethereal Tone for Dark Shadows

One of the projects yours truly is chomping at the bit to see when it’s released in theaters is Tim Burton’s remake of Dark Shadows, starring Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins. While I can take Burton or leave him, his work on films like Sleepy Hollow, I believe, could lend a contemporary Dark Shadows the sort of quality that renders it timeless.
Here’s hoping, anyway.
Meanwhile, TheWrap caught up to Burton at the LACMA, which has begun hosting a Tim Burton exhibit in Los Angeles — showcasing props, early writings and artwork from the filmmaker — and had an opportunity to ask him about how filming on Dark Shadows was progressing.
Here’s what Burton said:
“I’m just starting, and it’s a weird tone and it’s a lot of actors and, you know, we’re not starting with the simple stuff; we’re sort of getting right in there. You like to kind of sneak up on it a little bit, but this one we just kind of slammed right into it. [asked if it will have a soap opera quality] Yes, I don’t know. I’m early into it because it’s a funny tone, and that’s part of what the vibe of the show is, and there’s something about it that we want to get. But when you look at it, it’s pretty bad. I’m hoping that it will be — it’s early days, let’s put it — I’m very intrigued by the tone. It’s a real ethereal tone we’re trying to go for and I don’t know yet.”
The filmmaker mentioned that he’s not shooting the film in 3D. So right away, there’s that to take away as a positive.
Dark Shadows also stars Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Bella Heathcote, Chloe Moretz and Gulliver McGrath. It’s a cast that certainly fills one with anticipation at the possibilities.

X-Men First Class Touted as Marvel’s Casino Royale

Watching all the early teasers, trailers and clips for X-Men: First Class, we’ve often remarked that the film feels different; special in some way. It takes a period of history from which much of today’s culture, fashion, art and architecture has begun to borrow — the 1960s — and sets its story in that era. Even more interestingly, at the most politically-charged moment in that era’s history: the Cuban Missile Crisis.
So what happens when you mix X-Men with a little of Gerry Anderson’s Fab Future, a bit of Carnaby Street…and throw in some crazy Khrushchev for good measure? According to an increasing number of critics: a helluva film.
According to THR critic Todd McCarthy:“roughly the first half of this massive and very well-cast origins extravaganza is arguably the best hour of Marvel Comics-derived filmmaking among the torrent of it that’s cascaded across screens in recent years.” McCarthy even goes as far as to draw a comparison to Casino Royale, suggesting that X-Men: First Class has done for the Marvel franchise what the reborn Bond film did for the 007 franchise back in 2006.
He’s not the only one. Garth over at Dark Horizons calls the film “not just the best of the series but the best adaptation of a Marvel title yet.”
Variety, meanwhile, says the movie reclaims “much of the pop-operatic grandeur and insouciant wit so evident in the series’ first two installments”, extolling director Matthew Vaughn’s skills at blending style and substance into a ‘mainstream movie’: “…[Vaughn] manages to invest this unabashedly commercial product with a unique stylistic identity…”
CinemaSpy’s review of X-Men: First Class will appear on Thursday. Meanwhile, if you missed it — and even if you didn’t — give the official international trailer below a viewing.

Al Pacino’s New Fascination with Aging Rock Stars

Al Pacino seems to be gravitating towards playing rock stars these days. The actor is set to star as Phil Spector in an upcoming film for HBO directed by David Mamet. But that’s not all. According to Variety, he’s also close to toplining a new dramedy from writer Dan Fogelman (Cars) entitledImagine.
According to the trade, the story sees Pacino’s character discovering that he has an adult son after reading a never-opened letter from John Lennon. Steve Carrell was originally set to play the son, but he has since dropped out of the project as an actor, though he remains onboard as a producer.
The film marks the directorial debut of Fogelman.
Pacino will next be seen in the John Gotti biopic, Gotti: Three Generations.
Can you picture Al Pacino playing an aging rock star in a dramedy? Oddly enough, it seems to us like the sort of role to which the actor might just be well-suited, given his historical penchant for traditionally playing larger-than-life characters. Besides, he needs a new trademark line with which we can lampoon him moving forward. “Hoo-ah” is so 20th century.

Footloose Sneak Peeks This Friday

Paramount Pictures wants everyone to get Footloose and they're making it easier for some fortunate fans to do so by setting up a night of free screenings. The studio's hosting a 'Footloose Friday' event on September 30th at 26 theaters in the US and Canada. There's no charge to attend the screening, but you have to visit for ticketing information.
And, here's the deal about Footloose. I wasn't behind the idea of a remake of the 1984 Kevin Bacon dance film when it was announced, and never bought into the idea of a new version of the '80s film. However, I've actually seen the movie (which I readily admit I wasn't looking forward to) and it was reallyentertaining. Director Craig Brewer did a great job of sticking with what made the first film fun (including keeping a few of the hit songs) and Kenny Wormald and Julianne Hough are terrific in the lead roles. Now, I'm not saying Footloose fans are going to forget Kevin Bacon and the first film altogether after seeing this new version, but it's great that this newFootloose doesn't besmirch our memories of the original film. The new Footloose is just plain fun, which is all you can ask of a Footloose remake.
Anyway, the cities hosting 'Footloose Friday' screenings are:
Atlanta (Regal Town Center); Boston (Regal Fenway); Chicago (Regal Webster Place); Cleveland (Regal Crocker Park); Dallas (Rave Ridgemar); Denver (Regal UA Pavilions); Detroit (MJR Partridge Creek); Houston (Regal Edwards Marq*E); Kansas City (AMC Barrywoods); Los Angeles (AMC Century City and AMC Burbank 16); Miami (AMC Sunset Place); Minneapolis (AMC Southdale); New York (Regal Union Square); Orlando (Regal Winter Park); Philadelphia (Regal King of Prussia); Phoenix (Harkins Tempe Marketplace); Sacramento (Century Roseville); Salt Lake City (Gateway Megaplex); San Diego (Regal Mira Mesa); San Francisco (AMC Metreon); Seattle (Regal Meridien); St. Louis (Wehrenberg Ronnies); Tampa (AMC Veterans); Toronto (Cineplex Odeon Varsity Theatre); and Washington DC (Regal Majestic)

X-Men’s Jennifer Lawrence is One Actress to Keep Your Eyes On

If you’ve already seen X-Men: First Class, then you probably understand what all the hype’s about. Yours truly reviewed the filmhere, but there was much I left out. The cast was almost uniformly excellent, grounded as they were by James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender’s turns as Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto respectively. Kevin Bacon and January Jones were also clearly having fun with their respective roles as Sebastian Shaw and Emma Frost.
But what about the rest of the ensemble? Were there any standouts? Most assuredly there were, and top of the list, in our opinion, was Jennifer Lawrence playing Raven/Mystique. It was a heavy supporting role, and difficult, in many respects. As Charles’ consort-of-sorts for so many years, Lawrence had to wear a gamut of masks in the presence of Xavier: trusted friend, daughter-like child, blossoming woman…and finally independent individual.
Of course, being blessed with good looks helps, but Lawrence is more than just another pretty face with long legs (although, of course, those attributes don’t hurt). At 20, Lawrence’s performance often felt wise beyond her years. If you’ve seen the actress’ role of Norah in Mel Gibson’s The Beaver, then you know the Louisville, Kentucky native shines alongside major, established talent.
No surprise, perhaps. Lawrence starred in Guillermo Arriaga’s directorial debut The Burning Plain, opposite Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger. That performance earned her the Marcello Mastroianni Award for best young emerging actor/actress during the Venice Film Festival in 2008.
She’s certainly one actress to keep your eyes on (and yes, we do mean that as a double entendre). Presently, Lawrence is starring as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games, and we’re really looking forward to seeing what she does with that role in the adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ bestselling novel.
Lawrence also seems to possess a keen awareness of today’s Hollywood. “Where are the Robert Redfords and Paul Newmans of my age group?” she asked rhetorically in an interview with W Magazine.“I love James Franco, but where’s the next James Franco? Where are the hunks who can act?”
Well, Jennifer, we suspect you might just be in a class of one right now.

Catwoman Spied in Full Costume on Set

The folks at ComicBookMovie have snagged themselves some pics of Anne Hathaway, cat ears and all, on the set ofThe Dark Knight Rises.
This is the first time anybody has seen her in full costume and we can’t help being reminded of Julie Newmar in her black tights from the TV series. The photos look to be spy pics and I suspect will not last long online, so be quick and click the link above to admire the form-fitting feline.
Not quite as iconic as Tim Burton’s version and I would have liked to have seen something a little more imaginative, but it’s serviceable…

Can Sly Stallone and Walter Hill Deliver Action Gold Together?

By now you may have heard about the Sylvester Stallone/Walter Hill team-up for a new action-thriller. If you haven’t, here’s the skinny: Hill is attached to direct the new film, which will be produced by Joel Silver’s Dark Castle Entertainment, IM Global and After Dark Films, and will star Stallone as a New Orleans hitman who works with a NYC cop (casting TBA) to bring down the killers of their respective partners.
The as-yet untitled film Headshot will be based on the Dynamite graphic novel “Bullet to the Head”, written by Matz (Killer) and illustrated by Colin Wilson (Star Wars Invasion). Here’s the publisher’s description of the novel: Two cops. Two killers. A political scandal. One beautiful corpse. And a city gripped with fear.
According to The Wrap, the project will begin production in Louisiana later this month and be distributed domestically by Warner Bros.
One’s first thought when one hears action-thriller + Sylvester Stallone is: Again? Really?
One’s second thought might be: With Walter Hill at the helm, could this also be crafted into an interesting character-driven piece that gives the action star more story to sink his teeth into?
Before you scoff at that notion, remember that F.I.S.T. — though long ago — showed what Stallone could do as an actor when under the helm of a truly top-notch director (in that case, Norman Jewison).
Hill, on the other hand, definitely knows a thing or two about drama—and for a long while now: Director and Consulting Producer on HBO’sDeadwood. Director and Writer of 48 Hours. Producer of Alien. Director ofThe Warriors. Producer and Story Writer of Aliens. Uncredited Second Assistant Director for Bullitt. Second Assistant Director of the original The Thomas Crown Affair (speaking of Norman Jewison).

The Hobbit Adds Evangeline Lilly…and Dame Edna?

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Things are getting interesting with The Hobbit films. In a Facebook post published over the weekend, filmmaker Peter Jackson announced that his two-movie version of the J. R. R. Tolkien fantasy novel had added three new castmembers.
First, Evangeline Lilly of LOST fame. Perhaps ironic, given that her beau and other LOST alumna Dominic Monaghan played Meriadoc ‘Merry’ Brandybuck in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Lilly will play a newly created elf character named Tauriel.
Meanwhile, Barry Humphries, the comedian best known for alter ego Dame Edna Everage, has also joined the production. He’s set to play the Goblin King.
Finally, Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays the title character on the television series Sherlock is aboard and will provide the voice of the dragon Smaug.
Here’s what Jackson had to say in its entirety:
Yikes! I can finally get back to some postings! We’ve finished our first block of shooting and moved straight into location scouting. More on that soon… But today, I’m thrilled to announce two new cast members who will be joining us for our second block of shooting.
Evangeline Lilly will be playing a new character—the Woodland Elf, Tauriel. Her name means ‘daughter of Mirkwood’ and, beyond that, we must leave you guessing! (No, there is no romantic connection to Legolas.) What is not a secret is how talented and compelling an actress Evangeline is; we are thrilled and excited she will be the one to bring our first true Sylvan Elf to life.
I’m also highly excited that Barry Humphries will be portraying the Goblin King, in much the way Andy Serkis created Gollum. Barry is perhaps best known for his business and social connections as the long-time manager of Dame Edna Everage. He has also been an ardent supporter of the rather misunderstood and unfairly maligned Australian politician, Sir Les Patterson. However, in his spare time, Barry is also a fine actor, and we’re looking forward to seeing him invest the Goblin King with the delicate sensitivity and emotional depth this character deserves.
Evangeline and Barry, along with Welsh actor Luke Evans as Bard and Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug, just about rounds out the major casting. I cannot wait to get stuck into these new scenes!
More soon, including a flurry of answers to your questions. Sorry for the delay!
Cheers,
Peter J

According to Deadline

According to Deadline, actress Julia Ormond (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) is in talks to star as Superman’s birth mother, Lara, in director Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. If cast, she will share the screen with Russell Crowe, who has taken the role of Superman’s father, Jor-El.
With Henry Cavill cast as Supes, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Kevin Costner, as Pa Kent, Diane Lane as Ma Kent, and Michael Shannon as Zod, this is turning out to be quite a cast indeed.
Lara was last seen played by Susannah York in Richard Donner’s 1978 film and in its sequel.

The Amazing Spider-Man Trailer Swings Into Action

Columbia Pictures’ reboot of the very popular franchise has been shrouded in much secrecy since it began and there has been much fan speculation regarding how director Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer) will make his version different than Sam Raimi’s previous incarnation. Well, wonder no more, true-believers. Here, then, is your first look at ol’ Webhead in action. Take a look below, and let us know your thoughts…
The Amazing Spider-Man stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Martin Sheen, and Sally Field and will hit theaters on July 3, 2012.

Dispatches From the Set - Season 2 Director Michelle MacLaren

　　The director of an upcoming episode in The Walking Dead Season 2, Michelle MacLaren, describes planning a zombie attack with military precision and why she'd prefer being eaten by ticks over seeing a fake rat. New Dispatches From the Set are released every week throughout the production.
　　Q: You directed the second episode of Season 1, "Guts." What's it like to go from downtown Atlanta to a rural farm?
A: There's a lot more bugs! And there's ticks! And gnats! And I'm covered in Deet all the time! I loaded up in Los Angeles, and I'm wearing all the bug-sprayed clothing that Amazon.com has been kindly delivering to me. But I would say that the biggest difference is the beauty, really. In the city, it has its own beauty but it has a lot of concrete and it was very hard and very severe: Skyscrapers, hard cement, that kind of thing. And then you come out here and you're in this gorgeous location -- everywhere you look is stunning, and I love the contrast to the horrible zombie world that we're in. So you've got the stark contrast between beauty and post-apocalyptic zombies and death.
Q: You've directed several episodes of (and are an Executive Producer on) AMC'sBreaking Bad, which is known for depicting vast landscapes. Does this feel like more familiar territory?
A: We do shoot a lot in the desert in Breaking Bad. And there's a lot of starkness and it's gorgeous and a lot of light. Actually, I was looking at the light here the other day and it reminded me of New Mexico. It's just stunning when the sun's setting and rising. And a large part of that are the golden browns in the fields here.
Q: Last season you had to contend with rats. Which is worse: rats or bugs?
A: [Laughs] I knew you were going to ask me that. Hmm. I don't know, we haven't shot in the swamps yet. We went into the swamp to scout, and our driver Will had shorts and a T-shirt on. And we had to traipse through bushes and things like that. And Will is actually a biologist and he was telling us all about it and I was asking him about ticks while we were walking through these bushes, and he goes, "See, I've got ticks on me right now," and he took 10 ticks off his body. Also, the other day I was giving Jon Bernthal [Shane] notes and he pulled a tick off my neck. That was pretty gross. But rats were pretty bad, I have to say. Funny enough, I'd probably rather deal with this than rats. Greg Nicotero came up to me at lunch one day to show me the fake rat for approval, and I turned around and I just screamed. [Laughs]
Q: Your episode of The Walking Dead this season features a large action set-piece. How does it compare to the action scenes you've done on Breaking Bad?
A: I actually approach both of them the same way, which is I plan everything out ahead of time, like a military operation, basically. In order to really pull this off you've gotta be really prepared. This one is different, though, because there are a lot more people. I looked at the call sheet and I have never seen so many people on a call sheet before. You've got your cast, then you've got your hero zombies, then you've got your stunt zombies, and suddenly the entire page is filled with actors. It's a challenge, because it's a lot of coverage.
Q: What are some strategies you've picked up for filming such a complicated scene with so many people?
A: We actually had to think of a lot more logisitics: The amount of time it takes for the makeup, the amount of time it takes to resquib, the amount of people that we have to cover. So we came up with a plan to have different groups of zombies so that while we shoot one group we're squibbing the other, and while we're resquibbing the first group we turn around and shoot coverage on the shooters. I don't think you're gonna get everything you need unless you approach it that way. But also -- and this is the hard part for me -- you have to let go of some of your shots. Because you're not going to get everything. So right before lunch we got a fair amount of squibbing, but we don't have everything that I would like to have. But we made the decision to move on to the next piece of the puzzle, so at the very least we get the basic story and we can cut it together. And then hopefully, we can have enough time to go back and get some more zombie squibbing later.
Q: Your first The Walking Dead episode was named for its gore; this episode has a fair amount of blood and guts as well. Are you becoming desensitized to Greg Nicotero's handywork yet?
A: I always judge the effectiveness by the "ew" factor. I mean, it grosses me out -- I love looking at it first of all for the story, I know it's not real, but if I'm grossed out by it, that's awesome. I suppose I'm not used to it... I'm still not used to it, but I love it.