GENERAL MOVIE NEWS

General movie news courtesy of Movie Muser (www.moviemuser.co.uk)

Gerard Butler Replacing Liam Hemsworth In The Raven

May 17, 2013 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

Gerard Butler

When The Raven was first announced, Liam Hemsworth was attached to star. He’s no longer involved and it looks like the producers are going a little older to find a replacement, as TheWrap reports that Gerard Butler is in talks to star in the sci-fi flick.

Ricardo de Montreuil is set to direct the film, which is about a man with incredible, super-human talents, who is on the run from robotic cop drones in downtown Los Angeles, while a police ship hovers in the sky, coordinating the chase.

The plan is to start shooting later this year.

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ACTORS: Gerard Butler, Liam Hemsworth

Rio 2 Teaser – The parrots are coming back and they’ll be dancing

May 16, 2013 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

Rio 2 may not be out until April 2014, but the first teaser has now arrived, which follows the time-tested idea of promoting kids film, which is to dispense with the story and just have dancing animals instead.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘In Rio 2, we find Blu, Jewel and their three kids living the perfect domesticated life in that magical city. When Jewel decides the kids need to learn to live like real birds, she insists the family venture into the Amazon. As Blu tries to fit in with his new neighbors, he worries he may lose Jewel and the kids to the call of the wild. Brazilian music legend and Rio executive music producer Sergio Mendes also returns along with composer John Powell. Rio 2 will feature new Brazilian artists and original music by Janelle Monáe and The Wondaland Arts Society, who also voices a role in the film.’

Carlos Saldanha returns to direct, with the voice actors including returnees Anne Hathaway, Jesse Eisenberg, Jemaine Clement, will.i.am, Tracy Morgan, George Lopez, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro, Brazilian singer Bebel Gilberto, Jake T. Austin and Jamie Foxx, along with new cast members Andy Garcia, Bruno Mars, Kristin Chenoweth, Rita Moreno, Amandla Stenberg, Rachel Crow, Pierce Gagnon and Natalie Morales. [Read more…]

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ACTORS: Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway DIRECTORS: Carlos Saldanha FILMS: Rio 2

Riddick Trailer – Vin Diesel is back in sci-fi fantasy land

May 16, 2013 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

A few weeks ago we had a teaser for Riddick (it was a tease too, as it was only 22 seconds), but now the full trailer has been released, which actually looks pretty cool, even if they have pulled back on the OTT sci-fi operatics of The Chronicles Of Riddick.

Here’s the plot synopsis: ‘In the film, the infamous Riddick has been left for dead on a sun-scorched planet that appears to be lifeless. Soon, however, he finds himself fighting for survival against alien predators more lethal than any human he’s encountered. The only way off is for Riddick to activate an emergency beacon and alert mercenaries who rapidly descend to the planet in search of their bounty.

‘The first ship to arrive carries a new breed of merc, more lethal and violent, while the second is captained by a man whose pursuit of Riddick is more personal. With time running out and a storm on the horizon that no one could survive, his hunters won’t leave the planet without Riddick’s head as their trophy.’

It should hit cinemas this autumn.

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ACTORS: Vin Diesel DIRECTORS: David Twohy FILMS: Riddick

Zac Efron Heads Onto The Autobahn With Amber Heard

May 16, 2013 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

A couple of years ago Amber Heard starred in Drive Angry, but it seems that’s not enough motoring for her, as she and Zac Efron have now signed up for the car-chase thriller Autobahn, which is currently looking for buyers at Cannes, according to Variety.

As you may have guessed from the title, the film is set in Europe and follows an American backpacker (Efron) who ends up becoming a driver for a pan-European drug cartel. After accidentally getting involved in a rival gang’s scam that goes wrong, he is forced to flee at breakneck speed down Germany’s autobahns, hoping to stop his girlfriend (Heard) being taken hostage.

Eran Creevy will direct from a script he co-wrote with F. Scott Frazier. There’s no news on when it might shoot.

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ACTORS: Zac Efron, Amber Heard

Chloe Moretz & Asa Butterfield Head Off To The White Circus

May 16, 2013 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

Hugo stars Chloe Moretz and Asa Butterfield are getting back together for a new movie called The White Circus, according to Variety, with Terry Gilliam producing the movie. Andrea Riseborough and Christian Friedel will also star.

White Circus is described as an adventure-romance that takes place on a snowy New Year’s Eve. During a war, a young pilot crashes his plane on his first mission. He then falls in love with a beautiful cabaret singer, befriends a talking circus bear and incites the townsfolk to liberate themselves from a despot.

It does sound suitably weird to get Gilliam involved, although it will be directed by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski. They’ve only previously made short film, including the Oscar-nominated ‘Madame Tutli-Putli’.

Don’t expect to see it for a while though, as The White Circus is due to start shooting in Germany and Serbia in February 2014.

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ACTORS: Chloe Moretz, Asa Butterfield FILMS: The White Circus

Chris Pine, Amanda Seyfried & Chiwetel Ejiofor Join Z For Zachariah

May 16, 2013 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

Robert O’Brien’s novel, Z For Zachariah, has become a bit of a young adult classic, but it’s rather dark themes and the fact most of it features just a couple of characters means there’s never been a proper movie version. Now director Craig Zobel is planning to remedy that, and Variety reports he’s brought Chris Pine, Amanda Seyfried and Chiwetel Ejiofor onboard to appear in the movie.

Tobey Maguire, who’ll also produce, has previously signed up to star.

The film is about ‘a teenage girl who lives alone and maintains a farm in the only valley with breathable air in the wake of nuclear war. Her world is turned upside down when two strangers wander in from the forest.’ Interestingly, the book only has one character coming out of the forest, so it seems there’ll be a few changes for the film.

There’s no news on who the actors will play. Maguire is likely to be one of the strangers, John Loomis, while the others will presumably be the other stranger and John’s old co-workers, who he has flashbacks of during an illness.

The film will shoot this summer.

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ACTORS: Chris Pine, Amanda Seyfried, Chiwetel Ejiofor DIRECTORS: Craig Zobel FILMS: Z For Zachariah

Reese Witherspoon Reuniting With Joaquin Phoenix For Inherent Vice

May 16, 2013 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

With shooting set to begin in a few weeks time, Paul Thomas Anderson is busy filling out the cast for Inherent Vice. Now he’s lined up a Walk The Line reunion by adding Reese Witherspoon to the cast, who’ll join Joaquin Phoenix in the movie, according to Deadline. TheWrap adds that Martin Short and Jena Malone will also be in the film.

Based on Thomas Pynchon’s novel, the 1970s set movie follows Doc Sportello (Phoenix), a pot-smoking private detective who investigates a case involving a kidnapped woman. However he finds himself involved in something much larger. Benicio Del Toro is playing Sportello’s lawyer and friend in need. Witherspoon and Short’s roles haven’t been revealed, but Malone will play a former drug addict in need of Sportello’s help.

Owen Wilson will also be in the film in an as-yet-undisclosed role.

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ACTORS: Reese Witherspoon, Jena Malone, Joaquin Phoenix DIRECTORS: Paul Thomas Anderson FILMS: Inherent Vice

Cate Blanchett Headlining David Mamet’s JFK Assassination Drama, Blackbird

May 16, 2013 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

This year marks the 50th anniversary of JFK’s assassination, so it’s little surprise there’s extra interest in Hollywood in films about his death. Parkland, focussing on the hospital the President was taken to after he was shot, will be out later this year. A movie based on Stephen King’s 11/22/63 is in the works, and David Mamet is working on the JFK assassination conspiracy thriller, Blackbird.

That last film has now found its headline star, as Variety reports that Cate Blanchett has signed up for the lead role. It’s described as being a Hitchcockian thriller, focussed on a secret explanation for the 1963 assassination of JFK.

Blanchett plays ‘Janet, who travels to Los Angeles for the funeral of her grandfather, a Hollywood visual effects artist who moonlighted for U.S. special ops agencies. Her grandfather’s well-kept secrets become a threat to her, forcing Janet to discover the truth about a man who dedicated his life to making illusion reality.’

The film will shoot in Sydney, to take advantage of the country’s tax breaks for films.

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ACTORS: Cate Blanchett DIRECTORS: David Mamet FILMS: Blackbird

Samuel L. Jackson Is Barely Lethal Alongside Hailee Steinfeld

May 16, 2013 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

samuel-l-jackson Samuel L. Jackson is going to be training kids to be killers, at least he will if he closes a deal to star in Barely Lethal, which Variety reports he’s in talks for. Assuming he does sign on, he’ll join Hailee Steinfeld in the movie.

The film is about Megan (Steinfeld), a 16-year-old girl who has been raised at an elite boarding school that trains teenage assassins. She decides to fake her own death and enroll at a local high school to get a taste of “normal” high school life, which she soon learns is not all it’s cracked up to be. Samuel L. Jackson will play Megan’s mentor and trainer.

Kyle Newman (Fanboys) is directing from a screenplay by John D’Arco. It isn’t clear when it will shoot.

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ACTORS: Samuel L. Jackson, Hailee Steinfeld

Scarlett Johansson Heads For Jon Favreau’s Chef

May 16, 2013 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

There’s an Iron Man 2 reunion in the offing, as the other day Jon Faveau added Robert Downey Jr. to his indie comedy, Chef, and now he’s brought Scarlett Johansson onboard too, according to Variety.

The movie is about Carl Casper (Jon Favreau) who loses his job as a chef in Los Angeles. He decides to start up a food truck to get his culinary juices flowing again, as well as to reconnect with his family. Scarlett Johansson is playing Molly, the restaurant manager and Carl’s on-and-off love interest.

Sofía Vergara, John Leguizamo, Bobby Cannavale, and Robert Downey Jr. co-star.

Favreau commented on Johansson’s casting, saying, “Scarlett is a tremendous talent and I’m honored to be collaborating with her again. I’m so fortunate to be working with such a fine ensemble.”

Jon Favreau is directing from his own original screenplay, with production scheduled to begin July 8 in Los Angeles.

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ACTORS: Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr. DIRECTORS: Jon Favreau