31/01/12 - New Beauty and the Beast plot details

As we've previously reported, the '80s Ron Perlman/Linda Hamilton sci-fi fantasy series Beauty and the Beast is to be rebooted, but now plot details of the series have been released.

According to Moviehole the new series will have a different set up from the original. Catherine and Vincent first meet when she's younger. When Catherine's mother is killed in a car-jacking, Vincent is the one who snatches the young girl and saves her from the same fate.

Years later, Catherine is now a New York City cop who comes across Vincent, the beast, at an old abandoned chemical warehouse during an investigation. She is taken back by Vincent, but despite his features, trusts him. At his request, Catherine promises not to let anyone know his whereabouts, let alone that he's alive.

Vincent worked as a doctor at the New York University hospital - and was working on 11 September 2001 when the towers came down. Here a wounded Vincent ends up in a medical clinic where he's injected with a DNA-changing drug. The drug turns him into an unstoppable soldier. Unfortunately, the strength and stamina comes with a price... it also changes Vincent's looks - in particular, he sprouts hair everywhere.

This new version is being written by Jennifer Levin (Felicity) and Sherri Cooper (Brothers and Sisters) and co-executive produced by Ron Koslow, creator of the '80s series.

 

30/01/12 - Shazam! movie may not be dead yet

The last official news on the planned adaptation of DC Comics's Shazam! was back in March 2009, but Movieweb has secured confirmation from screenwriter and comic book creator Geoff Johns that the movie is not dead.

When asked if the project had been scrapped, Johns said: "Oh, no, Shazam!'s always... There's always a possibility for Shazam! There's always talk about Shazam! And I can't get into the specifics on that, but yeah, there's hope for Shazam!"

 

27/01/12 - Is Marvel planning a Nick Fury movie?

It's long been known that Marvel has scheduled, but not made public, two movies for 2014. And it looks like one of Captain America's stars may have let the cat out of the bag as to which movies are to be released.

Marvel has already confirmed that Iron Man 3 and Thor 2 will be released in 2013, and in a recent interview with Empire, Neal McDonough [pictured], who played Dum Dum Dugan in Captain America: The First Avenger, said: "They're planning (to go into production for) Captain America 2 for the end of this year, because Marvel does one film at a time. So they're going to do Thor 2 and as soon as Thor 2 has wrapped, they'll do Cap 2.

"Hopefully right after that, we'll jump into Nick Fury because that's the one I'm looking forward to more than anything... it'll be me and Sam Jackson. In the real Marvel universe, Dum Dum Dugan is Nick Fury's right hand man.

"I just pray that they have a 1970s setting, because I want to see Sam Jackson with lambchops kicking people's asses for (the) Marvel universe. It would just be awesome. And to work with Sam would be a treat."

 

26/01/12 - Doctor Strange script complete

The script for Marvel Studios's Doctor Strange movie has been completed and the studio is actively searching for a director to take on the project.

Key cast members are also being sought at this time, but plot details and characters have not yet been disclosed.

The comic upon which the upcoming movie will be based follows a New York surgeon who suffers injuries in a car crash, awakening to find himself endowed with great psychic powers. These include telepathy, teleportation, and astral projection.

 

25/01/12 - Evil Dead remake loses female lead

Just weeks after she signed on for the lead in The Evil Dead remake, Lily Collins [pictured] has had to leave the project due to scheduling conflicts.

Collins was to play Mia, one of the five friends who stumble upon a cabin in the woods and its dreaded contents.

The Evil Dead is due to be released in cinemas on 12 April 2013.

 

24/01/12 - Russell T Davies's Alien Vs Wizards

According to SFX, Russell T Davies [pictured], the man responsible for bringing Doctor Who back to our screens, is currently hard at work on a brand-new children's TV series.

Aliens Vs Wizards is set to replace The Sarah Jane Adventures on the CBBC.

The new kids' series will comprise 12 half-hour episodes and will start broadcasting this autumn.

The official press release states: "From the dark side of the moon, aliens are scanning the Earth searching for magic and are prepared to destroy everything in their path to get it. All that stands in the way of Earth's imminent destruction are two 16-year old schoolboys, Tom and Benny. It's ray guns vs wands; science vs magic and aliens vs wizards.

"Tom Clarke lives a seemingly ordinary life with his dad and grandmother. However he hides a deep secret - Tom's family are wizards and when the Nekross arrive, hungry for magic, they find themselves on the menu. The Nekross may be equipped with ray guns, teleports and high-tech robots but they haven't reckoned on Tom and his friend, science super-brain Benny. They form an extraordinary duo, using Tom's magic and Benny's science to battle the Nekross and save the Earth."

 

23/01/12 - Animated Terminator movie planned

The planned Terminator 5 movie, to be directed by Justin Lin and to star Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead, may not be the next film in the franchise.

If all goes to plan, an animated feature film titled Terminator 3000 may come first.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is rumoured to be interested in voicing the lead character, which will be CG animated in the same style as James Cameron's Avatar.

 

20/01/12 - Hancock 2 may still happen

After the financial success of Will Smith's 2008 sci-fi flick Hancock, it's somewhat surprising that it's been so quiet with regards the planned sequel.

In a recent interview, Hancock director Peter Berg revealed that there is still talk of a sequel moving forward, only nobody is sure when it will happen.

"We've been talking about the sequel between us, Will Smith, [producers] Michael Mann and Akiva Goldsman and myself," said Berg. "We're all interested, but we literally just have trouble getting into the same room at the same time. We did have a series of meetings last year and started to hash out an idea for sequel - and Will Smith actually had the idea - so I think it will happen, it's just a question of timing.

 

19/01/12 - No more blockbusters for Lucas

In a recent interview with the New York Times, Star Wars creator George Lucas [pictured] revealed that he won’t be making any more big-budget films, with the possible exception of another Indiana Jones movie.

The director revealed that he’ll be embarking on a "new destiny" after he takes a step back from the blockbuster movie business.

He cited the growing animosity for him among film fans as one of the main reasons for his retirement. “On the Internet, all those same guys that are complaining I made a change are completely changing the movie,” he said, referencing fans who have made their own re-edits of the famous sci-fi franchise. “I’m saying: ‘Fine. But my movie, with my name on it, that says I did it, needs to be the way I want it.’

“Why would I make any more when everybody yells at you all the time and says what a terrible person you are? I’m moving away from the business, from the company, from all this kind of stuff.”

Producer Rick McCallum, explained: “Once this is finished, he’s done everything he’s ever wanted to do. He will have completed his task as a man and a filmmaker.”

Lucas said that he will continue to make films, but he’s more interested in smaller-scale movies that are personal, and similar to those he made while at USC film school in the 1960s. The only blockbuster project he’s leaving open as a possibility is a fifth outing for Indiana Jones.

 

18/01/12 - Official Total Recall synopsis released

Sony has released an official synopsis for its Total Recall movie:

"Total Recall is an action thriller about reality and memory, inspired anew by the famous short story We Can Remember It For You Wholesale by Philip K. Dick.

"Welcome to Rekall, the company that can turn your dreams into real memories. For a factory worker named Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell), even though he's got a beautiful wife (Kate Beckinsale) who he loves, the mind-trip sounds like the perfect vacation from his frustrating life - real memories of life as a super-spy might be just what he needs. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man. Finding himself on the run from the police - controlled by Chancellor Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston), the leader of the free world - Quaid teams up with a rebel fighter (Jessica Biel) to find the head of the underground resistance (Bill Nighy) and stop Cohaagen.

"The line between fantasy and reality gets blurred and the fate of his world hangs in the balance as Quaid discovers his true identity, his true love, and his true fate."

Total Recall will be released in cinemas on 03 August 2012.

 

17/01/12 - Neuralizer is back in Men in Black III

A new photo has been released from the set of Men in Black III, which shows Agent K (Will Smith) and Agent J (Tommy Lee Jones) with a familiar piece of futuristic technology: the mind-erasing Neuralizer.

The third movie in the franchise will be released in cinemas on 25 May 2012. The film stars Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jemaine Clement, Emma Thompson, Nicole Scherzinger, Michael Stuhlbarg and is directed by Barry Sonnenfeld.

 

16/01/12 - Spielberg won't direct Jurassic Park IV

Steven Spielberg [pictured] has confirmed that he will produce Jurassic Park IV, but he won't be directing the latest film in the franchise.

In a recent interview with Collider, Spielberg said: "I don't want to talk about Jurassic Park IV yet - it's too early - but I can tell you that I'm not directing it. I'm producing it, though."

When asked if the movie would be a reboot or a true sequel, Spielberg replied: "I can't say. I will when the time is right, but for now I can't talk about it."

 

13/01/12 - Actress says Sif will return in Thor 2

Marvel Studios is putting Thor 2 on the fast track, with director Alan Taylor.

Actress Jaimie Alexander [pictured] confirmed she will be reprising the role of Sif. While she hasn't officially signed on, she has had discussions about returning.

Thor 2 will be released in cinemas on 15 November 2013.

 

12/01/12 - Avatar 2 won't be released until 2016

Fans of James Cameron's Avatar (2009) who were looking forward to the sequel being released in 2014 will now have to wait a little longer.

Producer Jon Landau, in an interview with Bleeding Cool, revealed that Avatar 2 won't be released until 2016.

 

 

11/01/12 - New Star Wars TV series gets a name

The live-action Star Wars TV series that's currently being planned will be called Star Wars: Underworld.

In an interview with IGN, producer and George Lucas's right-hand man Rick McCallum [pictured], revealed that the show will: "take place between Episode III and Episode IV, that 20-year period when Luke is growing up. It's not about Luke, but it's about that period when the Empire is trying to take things [over]."

However the scripts are so complex that it looks like production won't begin on the show until the technology is available to make the show, as the creators envisage, for less than $5 million an episode, without compromising on quality.

 

10/01/12 - Tom Hanks creates sci-fi series

Actor Tom Hanks [pictured] has created an animated science-fiction show that will stream exclusively on Yahoo.

The show, Electric City, is a production of Reliance Entertainment and Playtone, the latter being a TV and film company owned by Hanks and Gary Goetzman.

Hanks will voice the lead character in Electric City and 20 episodes will be created, to start broadcasting in the spring. It's hoped that, once the series is established a TV show or movie may be created.

 

09/01/12 - Mark Millar's Nemesis film scrapped?

The Mark Millar comic book series Nemesis has been stuck in development hell at Fox since the studio acquired the rights in August 2010, and now it looks like the film will probably be shelved.

The movie, which was scheduled to be released in 2013, was to centre on Matt Anderson, a billionaire and expert fighter who not only tries to exact vengeance for the death of his parents, but also travels the globe as an assassin, knocking off high-ranking cops. At one point Tony Scott was attached to direct.

 

06/01/12 - Akira project is being shut down

According to trade paper The Hollywood Reporter, the Akira live-action movie is temporarily being shut down in the face of casting and budgetary issues.

The production offices in Vancouver are being closed, with below-the-line talent and crew told to stop working. “Everybody is being sent home,” according to an insider. If the issues cannot be resolved, the project could end up being shelved entirely.

Director Jaume Collet-Serra had already had his budget cut in half and is now reported to be expected to make the movie for around $90 million. So far Garrett Hedlund (Tron: Legacy) is the only star signed onto the project, with Kristen Stewart, Ken Watanabe and Helena Bonham Carter in various stages of deal making.

 

05/01/12 - Will Luthor appear in Man of Steel?

The latest rumour from Hollywood on Zack Snyder's new Superman movie, Man of Steel, is that he's planning a cameo for Bradley Cooper [pictured].

It's believed that Cooper will play Superman's arch nemesis Lex Luthor. An early script for the movie featured Luthor in a prominent role. But his story was eventually scrapped because Snyder wanted to go in another direction.

So far there is no official word on whether there is any truth in this rumour. Man of Steel comes to cinemas on 14 June 2013.

 

04/01/12 - Mark Wahlberg slates his Apes film

Last year Mark Wahlberg unleashed his frustration on how poor he thought M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening was, and now the actor is having a go at Twentieth Century Fox for ruining his 2001 version of Planet of the Apes.

In a recent interview Wahlberg was asked whether he'd seen the new Rise of the Planet of the Apes movie, to which he replied: "I haven't seen it yet, but I heard it was pretty damn good. Well, ours wasn't. It is what it is. Ours wasn't... They didn't have the script right. [Fox] had a release date before [Tim Burton] had shot a foot of film. They were pushing him and pushing him in the wrong direction. You have got to let Tim do his thing."

 

03/01/12 - Ghost Rider belongs to Marvel Comics

The Marvel Comics freelancer Gary Friedrich, who created Ghost Rider, has lost his lawsuit to claim ownership of the character.

Rights to the flaming-skull motorcycle-riding Ghost Rider belong to Marvel Comics, a federal judge has ruled. The vigilante debuted in 1972 after Friedrich first conceived him, the judge ruled. In his lawsuit, Friedrich claimed Marvel had infringed his rights to the character and its use in movies and merchandise.

The judge said Friedrich relinquished his rights to Ghost Rider when he endorsed and cashed cheques from Marvel. Those cheques contained language relinquishing all rights. Friedrich’s lawyer said he would file an appeal.

 

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