End of Week Recap: Stallone on 'Rambo 5,' Disney Kills 'Lone Ranger,' Superman Movie Summary Plus First Looks at Charlize Theron, The Rock and 'The Big Lebowski' Reunion

 

 

 

 

Back when The Expendables hit the screen, Sylvester Stallone had killed rumors that he would be doing a fifth Rambo movie. And yet, Conan the Barbarian writer Sean Hood recently submitted a script for Rambo: Last Stand to Millennium. Stallone was involved in getting the ball rolling on the movie which is far from being a done deal and Stallone has a busy plate with The Expendables 2 and Bullet to the Head hitting theaters next year.

 

Matthew McConaughey has joined the cast of Steven Soderbergh and Channing Tatum’s male stripper movie, Magic Mike. McConaughey will play the owner of a strip club called Xquisite while Tatum plays the title character, a stripper/dancer who mentors Alex Pettyfer. Also, today, Elvis’ granddaughter beat out Lindsay Lohan for a role in the movie.

 

Steve McQueen is jumping into the slavery movie genre, casting Chiwetel Ejiofor in the lead role for 12 Years a Slave. The movie details the true story of Solomon Northrup, a New York man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery for—you got it, 12 years.

 

Ed Harris, Andy Garcia and William Fichtner have joined the cast of Phantom, a supernatural thriller about “a troubled Soviet submarine captain who discovers there is something aboard that could control the fate of his vessel and impact and unsuspecting world.”

 

Jason Bateman continues his streak of comedies this time teaming up with Bridesmaids’ breakout star Melissa McCarthy for a comedy titled ID Theft. Bateman will also serve as producer on a script from Pursuit of Happyness scribe Steve Conrad.

 

Bradley Cooper has left the cast of The Crow remake and the name of two leading men have immediately been attached as possible replacements. Channing Tatum and Mark Wahlberg are the two actors being considered for this remake though reps for either actor have not confirmed if they’re even interested in the part.

 

Kevin Smith is taking a cue from Harry Potter and Twilight and splitting his hockey movie Hit Somebody into two parts. Smith has been telling anyone who will listen that this will be his final movie. The story is about a hockey tough guy who wants to score one goal before he finishes his career. Nicolas Braun will play Buddy, the lead character and the split in the films will occur when Buddy makes it to the NHL.

 

Jean-Claude Van Damme is set to launch into space and battle aliens in the upcoming Dominic Burns (Airborne) film, UFO.

 

Bryan Cranston is looking to direct and adapt David Wiltse’s novel Home Again into a feature film. Cranston plans to change the book’s title as the script becomes developed, a story which he describes as basically a very strong father-son story and a murder mystery.

 

An open casting call for extras on Vancouver Island for Zack Snyder’s Superman movie Man of Steel has revealed more about the synopsis, which finds Clark not only battling villains but a very Smallville-esque “Why am I here?” internal struggle.

 

 

Disney pulled the plug on The Lone Ranger movie adaptation due to pricey werewolf effects, an underwhelming performance from Cowboys and Aliens and… wait, werewolves?! The Mouse House later said they’d be open to giving the film a green light but the budget would need to drop to around $215 million or less. Director Gore Verbinski has managed to trim the budget down to $242 million.

 

 

Finally, we know how Marty and Doc first met. Back to the Future’s Bob Gale divulged info on how the duo became friends.

 

Disney’s Animation Chief claimed that when it came to blockbuster tentpole movies, the story doesn’t matter. People go to watch the stars like Johnny Depp and experience the visual spectacle. Agree?

 

Jeff Bridges and David Lynch have each launched solo albums. Take a look at Lynch’s "I Know" music video as well as Bridges' album trailer.

 

 

 

 Mike Myers made headlines when he was offered an opportunity to do a fourth installment in his Austin Powers franchise. Myers hasn’t responded to New Line’s offer but with the Shrek franchise wrapped up (for now) he’s got some free time on his hands.

 

We’ve been here before, but apparently the Arrested Development movie is making waves again with a purported synopsis being revealed earlier this week.

 

Keira Knightley and Lily Collins are rumored to be up for a Romeo and Juliet re-imagining. While neither actress will play Juliet (or Romeo), Knightley is said to be director Shawn Levy and 20th Century Fox’s top choice to play Rosaline, the woman whom Romeo proclaims to love from afar before he falls in love with Juliet. Collins is mentioned as a “strong contender,” though the author of the book from which this re-imagining is based likes Roswell actress Shiri Appleby for the part.

 

Seven years have passed since Billy Crystal hosted the Academy Awards. Might 2012 be the year he returns to hosting duties? Crystal basically put the word out that he’s available if Brett Ratner (who’s co-producing the show) is interested in having him.

 

 

 

Paramount released the first picture of Charlize Theron in Jason Reitman's Young Adult, which gets a limited release December 9th. The movie co-stars Patton Oswalt and Patrick Wilson and was written by Juno scribe Diablo Cody.

 

 

The Rock aka Dwayne Johnson, has been busy this week not only shooting the first scenes of G.I. Joe: Retribution, but also tweeting about working out in 100+ degree heat and offering up a first look at his portrayal of Roadblock.

 

 

The Castro Theater in San Francisco will host an Edgar Wright triple feature next Friday night. The director will be on hand for the triple bill which will screen Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (7p.), Hot Fuzz (9:45p.) and conclude with Shaun of the Dead (11:59p.). To promote the event artist Alex Pardee created the poster below featuring an amalgamation of characters from the three movies. Tickets are $15 (plus convenience fee) and may be purchased here.

 

 

Why just waste those Angry Birds by throwing them at pigs when you can eat them for lunch. Leave it to the Japanese to create an Angry Birds bento box. Learn how to make your own here.

 

 

Hot Toys introduces their latest super-detailed Bruce Wayne in Batsuit 12 inch collectible figure. You can view more pics here and put in your pre-orders for only $225 each!

 

 

Where’s Wall-E? See if you can find the Pixar robot in this collage drawn by artist Richard Sargent and how many can you name?  The person who names the most robots wins a signed print of the poster from Hopewell Studios. Find out where to send your answers and click the image for a larger view.

 

 

The cast for the cult Coen Bros. film The Big Lebowski reunited in New York earlier this week to promote the Special Edition Blu-Ray release of the movie. Check out the Cast Reunion Gallery over on Movies.com.

 

 

 

 

 

When ex-biker gang member Sam Childers (Gerard Butler) makes the life-changing decision to go to East Africa to help repair homes destroyed by civil war, he is outraged by the unspeakable horrors faced by the region’s vulnerable populace, especially the children. Preacher will screen at the Toronto Film Festival in September and is generating awards buzz.

 

 

 

Milla Jovovich plays a woman living with face-blindness after surviving a serial killer’s attack.

 

 

 

Kate Beckinsale returns to the Underworld franchise as vampire warrioress Selene, who escapes imprisonment to find herself in a world wehre humans have discovered the existence of Vampire and Lycan clans.

 

 

 

The third trailer to the Tarsem Singh action-adventure features more background on the story of the brutal and bloodthirsty King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) and his murderous army rampaging through Greece in search of the long lost Bow of Epirus.

 

 

Bill Nighy plays a long-serving MI5 officer whose best friend and boss, played by Michael Gambon, dies suddenly, leaving behind an inexplicable file that threatens the stability of the organization.

 

 

 

Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, 2012) directs this political thriller based on the theory that the Earl of Oxford (Rhys Ifans) penned Shakespeare’s plays, set against the backdrop of the succession of Queen Elizabeth I.

 

 

 

Maggie Gyllenhaal, Felicity Jones and Hugh Dancy star in this romantic comedy about the invention of the vibrator.

 

 

 

George Lucas pens and produces this WWII action drama based on the heroic Tuskegee Airmen. Starring Terrence Howard, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Bryan Cranston.

 

 

 

Nicholas Cage is back as Ghost Rider, this time with the guys from Crank behind the camera.

 

 

 

 

 

Mario Bros. – The Indie Film

 

 

Alamo Drafthouse Event Brings Out Jason Momoa’s Inner Conan

 

 

 

 

Fright Night Cast Interviews

 

 

One Day Cast Interviews

 

 

Spy Kids: All the Time in the World Cast Interviews

 

 

Conan the Barbarian Cast Interviews