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Movie News: Green Lantern writer hired to write Blade Runner follow-up

A writer on The Green Lantern is penning the script for the follow-up to Blade Runner. Let’s all get excited at once.

According to The Wrap, Michael Green has been tapped to write the sequel to the 1982 classic Blade Runner. Green’s only feature film writing experience was on 2011’s abysmal The Green Lantern.

The follow-up will take place a few years after the conclusion of the influential first film and will see Ridley Scott return as director and possibly Harrison Ford return to reprise his role as Rick Deckard.

Not sure how I feel about 1) a writer of The Green Lantern tackling Blade Runner and 2) a follow-up to Blade Runner. Blade Runner is an iconic film, so why screw that up just like Scott did with another one of his iconic films (Alien and its supposed prequel Prometheus)? I don’t understand this.

Monthly Preview: Man of Steel leads June releases

Man of Steel, Man of Steel, Man of Steel. Yes, it’s almost time for what we consider to be one of the most-anticipated films of not only the summer but the year as the June film schedule is upon us.

But while Man of Steel may dominate the month, there’s also a new Pixar film, a new zombie film, the reunion of Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson and Joss Whedon’s follow-up to The Avengers to name a few. So here it is: A list of some of the top films that are being released this month.

JUNE 7

The Internship

Director: Shawn Levy
Stars: Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, John Goodman, Rose Byrne
Synopsis: Two salesmen whose careers have been torpedoed by the digital age find their way into a coveted internship at Google, where they must compete with a group of young, tech-savvy geniuses for a shot at employment.
Our Take: Comedies are usually hit or miss, but the last time Vaughn and Wilson were together it was for 2005’s Wedding Crashers and that was definitely hit. If the duo can produce that same kind of magic (which based on the trailers appears they might have), The Internship could provide the most laughs of the year.

The Purge

Director: James DeMonaco
Stars: Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Adelaide Kane, Max Burkholder
Synopsis: A family is held hostage for harboring the target of a murderous syndicate during the Purge, a 12-hour period in which any and all crime is legalized.
Our Take: First and foremost: The premise for The Purge is intriguing and something that hasn’t really been done in film before. It does appear, however, that that cool premise slowly shifts into a home invasion film ala The Strangers (the invaders wear creepy face masks). But even with that said, this is definitely one we’ll be checking out.

Much Ado About Nothing

Director: Joss Whedon
Stars: Amy Acker, Jillian Morgese, Alexis Denisof, Fran Kranz
Synopsis: A modern retelling of Shakespeare’s classic comedy about two pairs of lovers with different takes on romance and a way with words.
Our Take: So this is how Whedon follows up The Avengers: By pulling a complete 180 and doing Shakespeare. And like his previous film, this looks really good. We love the dialogue, which keeps Shakespeare’s words intact, and the black and white. Expect to hear a lot about Much Ado About Nothing come awards season.

June 14

Man of Steel

Director: Zack Snyder
Stars: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe
Synopsis: A young journalist is forced to confront his secret extraterrestrial heritage when Earth is invaded by members of his race.
Our Take: Man of Steel is the film of the summer – and possibly the year. The marketing (particularly the trailer above, which is the single greatest trailer ever put together) has been superb and upped our excitement level from low to incredibly high. Snyder and Christopher Nolan appear to have made something special.

This is the End

Director: Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen
Stars: James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Paul Rudd
Synopsis: While attending a party at James Franco’s house, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel and many other celebrities are faced with the apocalypse.
Our Take: An apocalyptic tale involving celebrities playing themselves sounds awesome on paper. Whether This is the End will actually live up to that premise and be good is another story. But based on the trailers (particularly the red-band one), the laughs will definitely be there.

The Bling Ring

Director: Sofia Coppola
Stars: Emma Watson, Katie Chang, Taissa Farmiga, Israel Broussard
Synopsis: Inspired by actual events, a group of fame-obsessed teenagers use the internet to track celebrities’ whereabouts in order to rob their homes.
Our Take: Coppola and Watson are reason enough to watch The Bling Ring. But add in a unique and bizarre story that actually happened and you have the makings of a great film.

June 21

Monsters University

Director: Dan Scanlon
Stars: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Nathan Fillion
Synopsis: A look at the relationship between Mike and Sulley during their days at Monsters University – when they weren’t necessarily the best of friends.
Our Take: Monsters University has had some of the most unique trailers that we’ve really enjoyed and it’s been a while since we last saw Mike and Sully so this should be a fun animated summer film.

World War Z

Director: Marc Forster
Stars: Brad Pitt, James Badge Dale, David Morse, Mireille Enos
Synopsis: United Nations employee Gerry Lane traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments, and threatening to destroy humanity itself.
Our Take: While very different from the book of the same name, Pitt could make this film exciting. However, the CGI looks bad and it doesn’t look very appealing overall.

June 28

The Heat

Director: Paul Feig
Stars: Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, Tony Hale, Marlon Wayans
Synopsis: Uptight FBI special agent Sarah Ashburn is paired with testy Boston cop Shannon Mullins in order to take down a ruthless drug lord. The hitch: neither woman has ever had a partner – or a friend for that matter.
Our Take: While the idea of a female buddy cop movie is exciting, this film is very much on the fence. If Bullock and McCarthy have great chemistry, look for this film to be pretty funny but it’s easy to be skeptical at the same time.

White House Down

Director: Roland Emmerich
Stars: Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, Richard Jenkins, Maggie Gyllenhaal
Synopsis: While on a tour of the White House with his young daughter, a Capitol policeman springs into action to save his child and protect the president from a heavily armed group of paramilitary invaders.
Our Take: This film looks much, much better than Olympus Has Fallen. The cast looks great and the script should have a lot more humor with the same, cheesy action that will put this one above in the Olympus Has Fallen/White House Down comparison you’ll get this summer.

Redemption

Director: Steven Knight
Stars: Jason Statham, Lee Asquith-Coe, Vicky McClure, Ian Pirie
Synopsis: Homeless and on the run from a military court martial, a damaged ex-special forces soldier navigating London’s criminal underworld seizes an opportunity to assume another man’s identity – transforming into an avenging angel in the process.
Our Take: First of all, Statham with hair looks kind of weird. Secondly, we get him back at kicking butt again. But this looks a little different than his usual films and it looks like he may have even had to do some acting here. It could be a surprise for a Statham film.

Movie News: The Expendables 3 cast is about to get bigger and more awesome

Sounds like The Expendables 3 is about to add some more badass people.

Nicolas Cage, Jackie Chan, Wesley Snipes and Milla Jovovich are all in “advanced negotiations” to join the cast of in the latest film in the series, Lionsgate CEO John Feltheimer told analysts today.

Most of these names have been tossed out there before but this is the first time I’ve heard of Jovovich, who has killed probably a million zombies in the Resident Evil series so it makes sense to bring her on. And one of these new additions is obviously going to be playing the villain and any one of them would be awesome in that role opposite Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham’s crew. I would especially love to see Cage in that role as he is already a crazy and volatile actor.

I really enjoyed the first two Expendables films and am interested to see if they can balance the seriousness of the first film and the humor of the second film in this newest one. Either way, they’re fun films and I’ll be there opening weekend.

Movie News: PTA casts relative unknown as leading lady in Inherent Vice

Paul Thomas Anderson has found his leading lady – and it’s surprisingly not an Oscar-nominated actress.

According to Deadline, relative newcomer Katherine Waterston has been cast as the female lead in PTA’s Inherent Vice. Waterston, daughter of Law & Order‘s Sam Waterston, will play Shasta, a hippie ex-girlfriend of Joaquin Phoenix’s detective Doc.

Waterston, who has had small parts in Michael Clayton and Robot & Frank, is an interesting choice considering all the A-list talent that has already been assembled including Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Reese Witherspoon, Benicio Del Toro, Sean Penn, Jena Malone and Martin Short. She’s going to have to bring her A-game so she’s not upstaged by any of the “supporting” actors.

Movies Opening This Weekend: May 31, 2013

Here’s a list of movies that are coming out this weekend, highlighted by the release of Now You See Me and After Earth.

Now You See Me – Our Full Review
After EarthOur Full Review
The Kings of Summer (Limited)
The East (Limited)
Shadow Dancer (Limited)
Hannah Arendt (Limited)
The History of Future Folk (Limited)

Movie Review: Now You See Me amazes with fun and deception


Director: Louis Leterrier
Writers:  Ed Solomon (screenplay), Boaz Yakin (screenplay), Edward Ricourt (screenplay)
Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, David Franco

Synopsis: An FBI agent and an Interpol detective track a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances and reward their audiences with the money.

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DIRECTION

I haven’t really enjoyed a ton of Louis Leterrier’s work outside of The Incredible Hulk but he gets it right with Now You See Me. He has a really strong script which really helps him out a lot but he puts the pieces of the puzzle together really well. The swooping camera movements showcases really well where all the magic is happening (literally and figuratively). You really get swept up into the environment and the aesthetic of magic where it has a National Treasure vibe to it but it’s masked in modern, David Copperfield-esk entertainment. The action shots are a lot of fun and executed well for the most part which I enjoyed. Some of the scenes came off a little bit cheesy, especially with Woody Harrelson’s character, but when you’re in the environment of magic, you can expect that a little bit. The visuals along with that are great and again add to the Las Vegas-showcase aesthetic, especially within the magic performance scenes. Leterrier’s biggest win however, is keeping you on the fence of who you are rooting for. Every character at some point makes you want to root for them and at times you start to question them a little bit which is done amazing well and Leterrier let’s you make up decisions where you could pick from several scenarios before they really reveal what’s going on. In order to do that, things have to be well shot and the performances have to be spot on, which they are, so much kudos to Leterrier and his team.

Grade: B+

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SCRIPT

The script for this movie is amazing and is the best foundation any movie could ask for. The screenplay was written by Ed Solomon and Boaz Yakin which I thought was interesting as I haven’t been a huge fan of most of their works. However, Yakin is famously known for directing Remember the Titans, which happens to be one of the best sports movies of all time. With their combined efforts, along with a few others as well, they came up with something really good here. The story centers around Jessie Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, and David Franco’s characters (The Four Horseman) being called into something more than they could of imagined, a secret society if you will. That elements puts them into a position of doing some amazing things which sets the story into motion at high speeds. The characters start to come together really well for the most part which is a lot of fun to see and it keeps you guessing just as the FBI is as it’s unfolding right in front of you. There are a few storylines that were introduced but never really explored or finished which didn’t make much sense but it at least gave you a sense of who you are watching. The characters are funny, charming and well written which added a lot to the movie for me personally. The ending is the best part though as it unfolds in a clever, fun way that I honestly didn’t see coming. It’s a little bit ambiguous and not 100% clear on everything but I’m okay with that because the core soul of the film is deception and misdirection. That being said, when you put all the pieces together, it’s actually a very simple story that brings you in closer to make you believe you’re seeing more than what you actually are. (See what I did there?)

Grade: A-

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PERFORMANCES

The performances for this film are amazing, which is what is needed for the specific script that this film has. Harrelson is on in A-game big time as this funny, witty mentalist who loves playing with people’s minds, sometimes just at the expense of making people laugh or making a situation awkward. Eisenberg has some of that gravitas you saw in The Social Network which was fun to see again, although his character could of been played with a little bit more. Fisher and Franco also do a great job in this film, while they are in the background for the most part, they are important to the team and do have their moments in the sun. Michael Caine also has a background role but when he’s in the film, he’s Michael Caine and you can’t help but love him. This movie though is really about Mark Ruffalo and Morgan Freeman’s characters though. They are mostly different storylines that intersect at certain moments, but when they do intersect, it’s critical to the story and the performances bring all of that importance to life. You start to see what their motivations are and the layers start to peel back slowly as the events unfold, which leaves room for some…vulnerability let’s say. Overall what I’m trying to say is, the performances are great.

Grade: A

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SCORE
Brian Tyler gets the nod to score here and given his more modern, electronic tones he does well, he was a very fitting choice. As I mentioned in my video review, it’s not my favorite score but I think I like it more than what I originally thought. The main themes are good and are a fun listen to outside the movie but it doesn’t add a ton of suspense which I thought the movie was trying to go for in some elements. I think he does an alright job but it’s not his best work.

Grade: B

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Overall Grade: B+

Movie Review: After Earth is an above-average sci-fi film


Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Writers: Garry Whitta, M. Night Shyamalan, Will Smith (story)
Stars: Will Smith, Jaden Smith, Zoe Kravitz, Sophie Okonedo

Synopsis: A crash landing leaves Kitai Raige and his father Cypher stranded on Earth, 1,000 years after events forced humanity’s escape. With Cypher injured, Kitai must embark on a perilous journey to signal for help.

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DIRECTION

M. Night Shyamalan has gotten so much hate since he was hailed as a promising up-and-comer after The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable and Signs. And with good reason as the quality of his films dropped dramatically after his initial success. After Earth probably won’t change your opinion of him but it is a step in the right direction. And while there are no twists and turns this time around, After Earth is certainly an M. Night film as it shines and suffers in the same areas as most of his previous films. M. Night has always had an eye for shots and that’s no different here. The visuals are amazing with beautiful vistas of mountains and woods and the camerawork is equally as impressive. Whether it’s a wide, sweeping shot or a tight corridor shot, the camera is always right where it needs to be. The only aspect keeping the overall look of After Earth from being superb is the hit-or-miss special effects; it’s either really good or very Syfy Channel-ish. And while M. Night’s films have always looked good, they also always have the tendency to have average acting and a story that doesn’t quite reach it’s full potential. Both of those problems are prevalent here and keep After Earth from being more than just an above-average sci-fi film.

Grade: B

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SCRIPT
When it comes to M. Night films and their scripts, a twist is usually expected. Not this time. There are no surprises in After Earth, which is about as straightforward as you can get. The basic premise is a ship crashes on Earth, which has now become a dangerous, inhabitable planet, and the father-son combo of Cypher and Kitai Raige are the only survivors.  The father is hurt and can’t move, so it’s the job of the son to traverse the planet and find a distress beacon to call for help and keep them both alive. That’s it; nothing more, nothing less. It’s a solid premise; however, it doesn’t quite reach its full potential. Cypher and Kitai have a strained relationship as Kitai hasn’t seen his father in a long time. For a film that is primarily about the father-son relationship, they don’t quite explore it deep enough for it to have any sort of emotional impact – which is needed for a film that doesn’t have much action.

Grade: B-

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PERFORMANCES
After Earth  is a two-man show with the father-son (in real life and in the film) combo of Will and Jaden Smith. And really this is mostly Jaden Smith’s show. Jaden Smith, whose biggest role before this was as The Karate Kid, does an adequate job but isn’t quite at that stage of his acting career to really carry a film – unlike his father who has proven he can with I Am Legend. Speaking of his father, Will Smith doesn’t give the greatest performance here; he’s very stiff and wooden with his expressions and line delivery. But I think that may have more to do with his character – a tough, been-through-a-lot general type – than his acting. The other main actors – Sophie Okonedo, who plays Will Smith’s wife, Zoe Kravitz, who plays his daughter – do solid work, but are more in the background and Kravitz only appears in flashback sequences.

Grade: B-

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SCORE
After Earth is an M. Night film so that makes it pretty easy to guess who composed the score: James Newton Howard. And like he did with some of M. Night’s previous films – particularly The Sixth Sense and Signs – is produce music that fits the setting and the tone of the film really well. The score for After Earth is very somber and almost has an other-worldly feel to it. And using an assortment of instruments (with a special nod to the flutes and piano) throughout adds a lot of variety and makes the score standout even more.

Grade: B+

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Overall Grade: B-

Movie Trailer: Don’t mess with Hugh Jackman in Prisoners

Just going to cut to the chase here: Hugh Jackman’s new film Prisoners looks really, really good.

Today we got the first trailer for Jackman’s upcoming thriller Prisoners. Jackman plays a father whose daughter is kidnapped, while Jake Gyllenhaal plays the detective on the lookout and Paul Dano the suspect.

This trailer is intense and gripping and definitely puts a more realistic spin on the kidnapped-daughter idea (unlike Liam Neeson going across the globe to kill 50 people in Taken). This is definitely one I’ll be checking out, especially with this cast: Jackman, Gyllenhaal, Dano, Mario Bello, Terrence Howard, Viola Davis and Melissa Leo. Wow.

Prisoners opens on September 20.

Movie News: Pirates of the Caribbean 5 gets a director(s)

Pirates of the Caribbean 5 has found its director – or rather directing team.

According to Deadline, Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg will direct the next installment in the Johnny Depp-starring moneymaker. The duo directed last year’s Kon-Tiki, which was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars.

This appears to be a big step up for the Norwegian directing team, but Disney, Depp and producer Jerry Bruckheimer all signed off on it. It’s no more of a crazy choice than Rob Marshall directing the last installment, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and that film made over $1 billion.

I greatly enjoyed Gore Verbinski’s first three Pirates of the Caribbean films, but I have yet to the last film as I heard it wasn’t very good. I’m not sure how many more of these they can make since the Jack Sparrow shtick is kind of wearing thin, but if it’s making billions of dollars they won’t stop anytime soon.

Pirates of the Caribbean 5 is expected to hit theaters on July 10, 2015.

Movie Trailer: Mike and Sully’s relationship forms in Monsters University

Pixar’s Monsters University is just around the corner.

And today we got a look at the final trailer for the prequel to 2001’s Monsters Inc. This trailer dwells deeper into the story and explores Mike and Sully’s relationship more.

I really wish Pixar would steer away from sequels/prequels (except when it comes to The Incredibles), but Monsters University looks really good.

Monsters University opens on June 21.

Movie Trailer: Percy Jackson sequel looks action-packed, cheesy and kind of fun

Who’s ready for another Percy Jackson film?

We recently got a new trailer for Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters and it looks cheesy, action-packed and kind of fun. It’s directed by Thor (yes, Thor!) Freudenthal and stars Logan Lerman, coming off the fantastic The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stanley Tucci and Nathan Fillion.

I never saw 2010’s Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, but from what I can tell, this is in that same realm as Harry Potter and Chronicles of Narnia – both of which I really like. This looks like it could be a pretty fun and entertaining watch.

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters splashes into theaters on August 7.

Movie News: Glenn Close signs on for Guardians of the Galaxy

Did you ever think you would see Glenn Close in a Marvel film? Yeah, me neither.

But that’s exactly what we’re getting, as she recently signed on for Guardians of the Galaxy, according to Deadline. Close, the six-time Oscar-nominated actress who is probably best known for Damages and Fatal Attraction, will play a leader in Nova Corp, the intergalactic space patrol.

Close joins a cast that already includes Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Michael Rooker, Lee Pace and possible John C. Reilly. That’s another pretty solid cast for a Marvel film, which has had a habit of getting good actors for these roles starting back with picking Robert Downey Jr. for Iron Man.

The James Gunn-directed Guardians of the Galaxy starts production in a month and hits theaters on August 1, 2014.

Movie News: Bumblebee is going old-school in new Transformers film

Bumblebee is going back to his old-school roots for Transformers 4.

We recently got some photos of a redesigned Optimus Prime and two other Autobots, and today we got a photo of Sam Witwicky’s favorite sidekick, courtesy of Michael Bay.com. Bumblebee is now a highly modified, vintage 1967 Camaro SS.

When Bay signed on for Transformers 4 – a reboot of sorts for the series – Bay said the Autobots and Decepticons would be getting a makeover. So far they’re just getting sleeker and aren’t much different. But we’ll see what we get a glimpse of their robot forms.

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Transformers 4 comes out on June 27, 2014.

Featured: Three reasons why people don’t understand Baz Luhrmann

I’m not sure if you’ve read all (or any) reviews of The Great Gatsby that came out over the last few weeks, but it’s has received it’s fair share of criticism. I feel like no matter what podcast I listen to or what website review I go read, people have no issue picking apart Baz Luhrmann’s latest film. The biggest issue is that people have no fundamental understand of who Luhrmann is or what he’s trying to do with his films. While I don’t know Luhrmann personally either, when I start to pick apart Lurhmann’s films, a couple things is pretty clear.

1) You Mis-Interpret His Glamour

I actually listened to people (Which I’ll keep nameless) on a movie podcast talk about the visuals in The Great Gatsby and how it was “too much” and they didn’t particularly like it. If you know anything about Baz Luhrmann, this segment almost feels like “duh”. Everything Lurhmann does has gorgeous visuals, incorporates bright colors and is in your face. That’s exacty what he’s known for so you have to expect that. He’s incredibly intentional about bringing you a visual element that has lots of flare but with an updated twist. Going back to Strictly Ballroom all the way up to The Great Gatsby, his visuals are intentional about being modern even though the stories were much older when they were filmed. Everything from cars, to houses, to clothing all has the purpose of keeping traditional styles but have been modified to keep things modern to whatever time he filmed the movies. It’s all on purpose so people criticizing his films for that has little understanding of what he’s doing and has been criticizing his films for all the wrong reasons.

2) His Modern Music is Intentional

You have to understand, Luhrmann is very intentional about using updated musical elements and visuals to make things interesting and fresh. Criticizing Luhrmann for using modern music is like criticizing Picasso for painting abstract art; it’s who he is as an artist and it doesn’t make sense. His musical choices bring old-school themes to the forefront with fresh new vibes that bring new light to the material. With his flashy visuals and modern visual styles, it wouldn’t make sense if he used expected musical pieces. But don’t forget his scores either. They are extremely fitting and perfectly executed for the most part, but because of the other musical choices, it’s usually in the background. Don’t get it wrong, The Great Gatsby, Moulin Rouge!, and his other films are not really period pieces. They are modern takes on old stories that people have liked over the years. Regardless of whether you like rap or hop hop, Luhrmann uses the music to appeal to a broad audience who may not care otherwise and I applaud him for that. And by the way, he’s used other types of music too. If he was making a period piece, then I would agree but that’s not what he’s doing here.

3) He Loves His Characters

When I watch a Luhrmann, it’s pretty easy for me to tell he gives lots of room for the actors to really go for it with their characters. He seems to have this love and passion for the stories he’s telling but wants to give the actors space to create something fun and entertaining. I’d say that most people don’t have a big problem with the performances in his films but it plays into the modern, updated aesthetic he’s wanting to do. Romeo + Juliet is the best example of this as the actors are really going for it but are performing in a way that is easily 1996 at the same time, which is when it was filmed. I also think it’s part of the reason why his films are so lengthy, given some of the stories are long in nature, but he wants to develop the characters as much as possible while having fun with them. To me, while I love his music, this is where Luhrmann flourishes the most which brings everything full circle.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that Baz Luhrmann is the greatest filmmaker of all time or anything like that, but I do think he gets a bad rap for all the wrong reasons. Yet, if let’s say Joss Whedon was to do a film about a Shakespeare play and did something similair, people will most likely praise him for it. My point it is, let’s criticize Luhrmann for what he’s trying to do, not for what you think the movie should be based on your expectations and stereotypes. I’ve had my fair share of criticism toward Luhrmann myself but I always try to look at what the directors are trying to achieve. I’m not looking at period pieces but old stories that have a traditional vibe that yet feels like it was this decade. I understand that some (maybe most?) people still don’t like it but I’ll give him respect for what he’s doing.

Movie News: Tom Hardy considered for role of Elton John in musical biopic

So in a crazy turn of events, filmmakers are turning to Tom Hardy to play Elton John in the new musical biopic, Rocketman. Now, I know it’s early in the casting process, but when I think of Elton John, I don’t think of Tommy Conlon, aka Tom Hardy.

However, according to HitFix, John and director Michael Gracey are seriously considering Hardy for the role. Nothing is landed on paper, he’s just one actor they are looking into which is interesting to me. I’d be surprised if they aren’t considering anyone else, especially since it’s a musical. I’ve never heard Hardy give us a tune but I imagine he’s no Hugh Jackman. That being said, I love Hardy as an actor and he’s one of my favorites in Hollywood and I’m curious as to why the filmmakers and producers are looking at Hardy. Either way, it’s interesting that he’s even being considered given the nature of the role and Hardy on the surface doesn’t seem to fit the role. But he’s talented and if he can sing, he possibly could pull it off.

What do you think? Let us know in the comment section!

Movie News: Optimus Prime among those getting sleek makeover for next Transformers film

The Autobots are getting a sleek makeover.

When Michael Bay signed on to return and direct the fourth installment in the Transformers series, he mentioned that the Autobots and Decepticons would be getting a facelift. Well, now we have an idea of what he meant.

We recently got our first look at a sort of redesigned Optimus Prime (in truck form) and a couple of the Autobots (in car form) thanks to Michael Bay.com and Yahoo Movies. The new Optimus Prime basically looks the same, just not as clunky, and the only thing I can say about the other Autobots is that they certainly will be colorful.

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Transformers 4 comes out on June 27, 2014.

Movie News: Rhino gets a suit and Spider-Man gets a sidekick in new set photos

New set photos from The Amazing Spider Man 2 have been released and they look like a lot of fun. I always find it fascinating to see set photos and visuals to see little glimpses of how movies are made. It’s just one of those small pieces of marketing they throw out that gets me excited.

In these new set photos, we get Paul Giamatti in his new Rhino suit that looks to be something out of the Iron Man playbook. After the CGI-Lizard in the first film, it looks like they will be staying away from that and going to the science-y, Tony Stark look with some sort of suit. Either way, based on these photos it looks like Giamatti is acting is face off which should be fun when it’s all done.

There’s also a couple of fun photos of Spider-Man’s new sidekick which looks like a 6-year-old little kid who’s dressed to the nine’s in Spidey gear. It’s not clear whether or not he’s actually in the film or if he’s just a fan on the set to watch but either way it’s adorable. Andrew Garfield also looks like he’s having fun with it and that’s always good to see.

Anyway, here are some pretty awesome photos.

Paul Giamatti Rhino

Paul Giamatti Rhino Spider-Man

Spider Man Sidekick

Spider Man Sidekick 2

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Movie News: John C. Reilly may join Guardians of the Galaxy

According to Hitfix, it’s been reported that John C. Reilly has been offered the role of Rhomann Dey in Guardians of the Galaxy, which is due out next summer sometime. He hasn’t accepted the offer yet and no one seems to be sure if he will as the role is being described as “a big commitment”.

According the the report and what Marvel is looking for, Rhomann Dey is the liaison between the Guardians the S.H.I.E.L.D. which makes the role kind of important and has potential to be something more.

Normally I would say that this doesn’t fit Reilly at all but he does have some good skills and given the tone of the Guardians of the Galaxy, which is very different than what we’ve seen so far, I think he’ll actually fit in just right. This will most likely be a more silly movie given a few of the characters and with the comedic tone this franchise has taken, while being series, Reilly could fit in.

What do you guys think?

Movie News: Josh Brolin latest A-list actor to join PTA’s Inherent Vice

Really with this cast?

According to Deadline, Josh Brolin with join the cast of Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice for what is being described as a “key role.” The cast already includes Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Martin Short, Sean Penn, Owen Wilson and Jena Malone.

This cast is just insane and PTA has proven he can work wonders with actors, having done so in Punch Drunk Love, Magnolia, Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood and last year’s The Master. This guy makes great films and gets great performances out of his actors in those films.

Brolin, who was last seen in the forgettable Gangster Squad, can be seen next in October’s Sin City: A Dame to Kill For and the remake of Oldboy.

Movie News: Sam Mendes is back in the director’s chair for Bond 24

Sam Mendes is coming back to direct the next James Bond film after all.

According to Deadline.com, Sony Pictures and MGM are in talks with the Skyfall director to return to the franchise. Over two months ago, Mendes said he wouldn’t return as he wanted to focus on some other stage productions. But producers Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli wanted him to return so they’ve decided to wait and let him work through his stage commitments.

Skyfall (probably the best and most enjoyable Bond film to date) made over $1 billion at the box office and is the highest-grossing Bond film ever – so it’s safe to say Wilson and Broccoli have good reason to bring Mendes back. Although it would’ve been cool to see Christopher Nolan get a shot at it.