Freshly Popped: The Movie Blog

Robert Rodriguez is already hard at work producing a new installment in the Predator franchise, titled Predators, and while rumors with regards to who'll be directing the film have been floating around these past few weeks, AICN has finally confirmed (via Rodriguez himself) that Nimrod Antal (Vacancy, Armored) has been chosen to helm the new Predators update.

Speaking to AICN about the decision to hire Antal, Rodriguez said this about the upcoming movie (which will be shot entirely in Austin at Rodriguez's own Troublemaker Studios): "I can't go too much into the story right now, because we're still writing. But it still involves a very intense group of people stranded on a Predator planet discovering unspeakable horrors (that are not always from outside their group). So like the original movie, the title does have a double meaning. Aliens was a different take on the Alien idea, and an original movie in it's own right, and that's what we want to do with this. As to how this movie will be viewed, one of the guys at Fox told me "No one is ever going to talk about AVP again after this film, I will stake my life on it."<.p>

Jessica Biel Circling 'Thor'

It's no secret that Jessica Biel desperately wants to be a big-time actress. She rid herself of clothes and played an erotic dancer in the straight-to-DVD flick Powder Blue (hoping for that Oscar nod, perhaps), and now she looks to be angling for a role in one of those upcoming big-budgeted Marvel movies.

Though nothing is confirmed and it's still a rumor, the website Nuke the Fridge is reporting that Biel's name is on the short list to star as a love interest to Thor in the planned Marvel movie, due out on May 20, 2011. They suggest that love interest may be Nurse Jane Foster, but other potential love interests also include characters named Sif and Amora – both of whom play well into the Thor mythology and could be likely contenders. Either way, do you think Biel has a shot? Do you like her as an actress? Sound off below …

The Game Might Suit Up for 'The A-Team'

With the cast for the upcoming big-screen A-Team adaptation starting to come together (both Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper are in talks to sign on as Hannibal Smith and Templeton Peck, respectively), it's time to start looking for our other team members, like tough guy B.A. Baracus, made famous on TV by Mr.T. A whole slew of actors have been rumored to be up for the role (like Common and Tyrese), but Black Film is now saying that rapper-actor The Game is on the short list to take over Baracus.

The Game (I'm sorry, but it's so hard to refer to someone as "The Game") certainly looks tough enough for the role, but can he act? Then again, do we need him to? Perhaps a snarl and a fist will go a long way when it comes to The A-Team … whaddya think?

Last week was a no-brainer, and all of us watched as Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen absolutely demolished the competition with just over $200 million for its five-day opening. But with some iffy buzz, can the giant robot flick still defeat a new Johnny Depp/Christian Bale movie and a highly-anticipated animated sequel? Let's see what we've got here:

Public Enemies
What's the Scoop: In this Michael Mann-directed film, Johnny Depp stars as real-life gangster John Dillinger, while Christian Bale plays the FBI agent assigned to track him down once and for all.
Why It Might Win the Weekend: You really can't beat a combo like Depp and Bale, especially when you give them both guns – however this is a period piece and buzz isn't all that great, so I don't expect it to rock the box office.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
What's the Scoop: Our favorite Ice Age characters return in an all new adventure that introduces dinosaurs into the equation. If you liked Ice Age and Ice Age: The Meltdown, then expect more of the same here.
Why It Might Win the Weekend: With a long holiday weekend coming up and with the kids out of school, parents will be looking for a movie to occupy their time … and what better than a familiar property on its third installment. This very well could win the weekend.

As of right now, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is leading in advanced ticket sales on Fandango with a healthy 46%, while Public Enemies has 21% and Transformers 2 is at 9%. Can Transformers hold onto the number one spot for a second weekend in a row, or will one of the newbies knock it out of first place?

Don't feel like surfing through multiple sites to get caught up on today's movie news? Fear not, my friends – welcome to Quick Hits, where you'll surely be able to devour the latest news way faster than it takes me to figure out just what exactly this Avatar film is all about.

Here Comes Harry – In anticipation of the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, new clips from the film have popped up on Moviefone and iTunes. Additionally, British actor Bill Nighy was cast in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in an unspecified role. [The Independent]

New 'Avatar' Comic Con Banners – With Comic Con right around the corner, some new Avatar banners featuring our first look at the blue alien creatures called the Na'vi have arrived on the streets of San Diego. As the convention nears, we'll post more details on all the films scheduled to make an appearance.

Sam Jackson Talks Up 'Iron Man 2' – Now that Samuel L. Jackson has signed on to appear as Nick Fury in nine (!) Marvel films, he's going to have to get used to people asking him questions about the upcoming comic book films. On whether or not Nick Fury will have a big part in Iron Man 2, Jackson told MTV News the following: ""Not this time, not yet. We still haven't moved Nick Fury into the bad-ass zone." Here's hoping Fury hits the bad-ass zone by the time he's acting in his sixth or seventh Marvel movie.

Mark Ruffalo, Sperm Donor – Annette Bening, Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo have joined the comedy The Kids Are All Right, about a lesbian couple (played by Bening and Moore) whose grown children decide they want to find the man who donated his sperm so the couple could mother the two kids. Of course, once Ruffalo enters the equation, he "totally upsets" their family dynamic and, well, what did you think would happen? If everything's peachy, there's no movie! [Variety]

'Transformers 3' Talk – The sequel has only been in theaters for a week now, but folks are already talking a third installment. In a piece in the LA Times that talks about Transformers 2 actor Ramon Rodriguez, they claim Michael Bay has a bigger part for him in the third film should everything go as planned. Read the story here, along with quotes from Bay on just how happy he was to discover the young actor.

And…Watch 'Transformers 2' in One Minute – Were you avoiding the long lines at the theater last weekend hoping to maybe catch a screening of Revenge of the Fallen this weekend? Well, in order to help you make that final decision, here's a little video that breaks the film down into one minute. Enjoy!

Three trailers for three very different movies arrived online within the past 24 hours, and I guarantee there's something here for everyone. Let's take a look…

Couples Retreat [Watch Trailer]
What's the Scoop: Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau reunite for this romantic comedy about a group of dysfunctional husbands and wives who travel to a beautiful resort destination as part of a package that includes couples therapy, but little did they realize how intensive the therapy was actually going to be. Hilarity (and shots of a crystal clear blue ocean) ensues.
Who's In It: Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Malin Akerman, Kristen Bell, Jason Bateman, Kristin Davis and Faison Love.
Release Date: October 9th
Verdict: B+

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel [Watch Trailer]
What's the Scoop: The boys (meaning Alvin, Simon and Theodore) are back in town, but this time they'll be joined by The Chipettes!
Who's In It: Justin Long, Jason Lee, Jesse McCartney, Matthew Gary Gubler, Anna Faris, David Cross, Amy Poehler and Christina Applegate.
Release Date: December 25th
Verdict: B-

The Informant [Watch Trailer]
What's the Scoop: Directed by Steven Soderbergh, Matt Damon stars in this based-on-a-true-story film about an executive who turns FBI informant in an attempt to go after an agri-business giant with a price-fixing scheme.
Who's In It: Matt Damon, Scott Bakula, Patton Oswalt and Tony Hale
Release Date: October 9th
Verdict: A-

With the passing of Michael Jackson, we started to think of all of his great music videos and where exactly they were shot. Since everyone is camping out at either Neverland, his rented mansion in Holmby Hills or his parents estate in Encino, we thought we'd take fans on a road trip of some of the locations used in Michael Jackson's greatest videos.

What are some of those great music videos, you ask? We've put together a small sampling of five of his best to check out here. Although he certainly didn't invent the medium of the music video, Jackson probably did as much as anyone to help redefine it -– by lavishing huge budgets on his more lengthy productions (that almost play like feature film shorts) and hiring feature film directors like Scorsese, John Singleton, Spike Lee and John Landis –- other feature film directors he worked with include Lucas and Coppola (on Captain EO) and Sidney Lumet (on The Wiz).

Have a great location we might have missed for our road trip? Let us know.