Filed under: Action, Casting

No, I’m not talking about Eli Stone, although that would certainly be twist. The Hollywood Reporter posts that Mila Kunis has signed on to Denzel Washington’s upcoming The Book of Eli. Set in the future, the film focuses on a lone hero named Eli (Washington) who treks across the ravaged lands of America trying to save a sacred book that could save the future of humanity.

Gary Oldman signed on last month to try and get the text for himself, and now Kunis will join the action as Solara, a woman who is tapped to betray Eli, but then joins him on his quest. If we get one more big comedy out of Kunis in the upcoming months, I think she’ll have solidified herself as the guy’s gal with her ever-growing roster of action flicks and comedies.

I’m also dying to remention that which shall not be named again, because more and more, this is sounding like that darned film. But I won’t, unless it turns out that Eli once failed to save Kunis’s family from a well death bound with barbed wire. Doubt it though… With Washington, I bet it will go in a whole different, and less campy direction. (Although I might love it all the more if Denzel went campy. Wouldn’t that be great?)

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Filed under: Action, Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Casting, Warner Brothers, RumorMonger, Celebrities and Controversy, Newsstand, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Western

Poor Jonah Hex. As William Goss reported earlier, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor have left the scarred cowboy behind due to creative differences. But does he still have Josh Brolin to play him, or not?

The truth is, Brolin can’t decide if he is. He had a chat with MTV News that didn’t decide the question, but did reveal his enthusiasm for the project: “When I first read it I thought, oh my God it’s awful! And then I had a moment a week later and I thought why is it awful? Maybe the thing to do is to do the most awful movie I can find … [I love] the absurdity of it. It almost allows you to create a new genre. I love going back into the spaghetti western idea and completely turning it around.”

Will he ever make up his mind? “Soon. In the last couple months I’ve been going back and forth about it. I went back to my gut. Is it a sell out? What is it I like about this movie? … It’s so tongue in cheek. It’s so ridiculous. But once I started putting people in my mind and saying what if I put Malkovich in this role then what does this movie become? Now let’s put this producer and director on it and think about how it plays out. Then it becomes fun. Now I love that movie. If you have a great filmmaker come in then suddenly these gags and characters become interesting.”

Continue reading Josh Brolin Can’t Decide Whether He’s ‘Jonah Hex’ or Not

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Filed under: Animation, Casting

I might be dating myself with this title, but I couldn’t help it. (The Arsenio Hall Show, get it!?)

The Hollywood Reporter posts that Arsenio Hall, Craig Ferguson, and Rosie Perez are lending their voices to the upcoming animated feature, The Hero of Color City. This is the project that Magnolia picked up back in 2006, and that signed Christina Ricci in June of this year. And now we’ve got two talk show titans and the tough cop from Pineapple Express added to the mix of color.

The film focuses on crayons who try and save Color City from an “evil tyrant,” whilst living between two worlds — the magical city itself and the “real world” preschool where they work. Now, I could understand markers, but how exactly do these crayons get used and still live? If there’s one thing I remember from my preschool days was that crayons got massacred and it was close to impossible to find one with a point. Most were worn into nothing.

But I guess if crayons are already talking and saving their world and facing a tyrant, little tykes won’t kill ‘em. Magnola plans to release this color-filled feature in 2010.

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Filed under: Drama, Music & Musicals, Romance, Casting, RumorMonger, Newsstand

Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston are going to prison, according to Just Jared —
admittedly not the most accurate source for film news. But considering that tabloids have obsessively documented the meetings, it’s probably close to being a done deal.

Goree Girls is a 1940s musical to be produced by Aniston. MSN describes the plot as a semi-true story inspired by Skip Hollandsworth’s article “O Sister Where Art Thou.” It’s actually a pretty cool story of the first female country-and-western musicians who just happened to be prison inmates. Hollandsworth’s article is definitely worth reading for the whole story, which is a pretty heartbreaking one, despite the relatively happy ending.

And that’s kind of my problem with the concept .I love the story, but … Jennifer Aniston as an inmate? As a singing inmate? Already, it looks like this is getting the slick and shiny Hollywood treatment rather than something truthful. I want to see Walk the Line, not Chicago. The article convinces me there’s a brilliant movie here, the MSN description initially just made wince and wonder where Gerard Butler’s promise went.

By now, you’re probably wondering what part Butler does play in a women’s prison movie. From the article, I’m guessing he plays the “strapping Paul Mitchell,” an inmate who narrowly escaped death row (literally — he was strapped to the electric car when his pardon came in) and drove the Goree Girls to their shows. He eventually married one of them, so for once, the Hollywood love angle is actually part of the true story.

Now, Butler I can believe as a prison inmate (it’s the hard knock school of Glasgow), but Aniston as his prison paramour stretches the realm of belivability. However, a lot of grit could be added by whoever lands the directing job and the rest of the cast. So, keep this one on your radar, and watch for it all to be made official.

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Filed under: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Casting, Deals, Fandom, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Oscar Watch

Here are some stuff and things for your Tuesday (or shall we call it Almost But Not Quite Twilight Friday Yet Day):

Just Added: We don’t have a Captain America just yet, but the film has two writers: The Hollywood Reporter tells us that Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian) are in negotiations to write The First Avenger: Captain America. The film is currently due in theaters on May 6, 2011.

– Screw Heath Ledger and The Dark Knight getting nods come Oscar time, we’ve got one better: How about Miley Cyrus? Yup, The Envelope’s Gold Derby shows us how Hannah Montana herself could be up for an Oscar for Best Song due to her writing and singing I Thought I Lost You in Disney’s Bolt. Since Disney always owns this category, there’s a pretty good chance Cyrus will nab at least a nod — though, if you want my opinion, Peter Gabriel’s Down to Earth (from WALL-E) should take it.

– The Los Angeles Times spoke to South Park co-creator Trey Parker recently, and found out that the boys might be looking to end the series with another film. While they’re contracted until 2011, Parker claims a big-screen finale could be the way to go: “We talked about maybe some day doing a movie to sort of end it all, and that seems like the best idea. That’s been a big thought to do the last show as a movie.” During the same interview, Parker also says that what eventually became the three-part Imaginationland episode was originally supposed to be their second feature film … until the guys realized they needed more content for the season. The Imaginationland episode eventually went on to win an Emmy.

Continue reading Stuff and Things: Miley Cyrus Knocks on Oscar’s Door

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Filed under: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Casting

Just a month ago, we learned that Adrien Brody and Michael Chiklis were heading back to High School — a rather unique comedy about a high school valedictorian (Matt Bush) who gets high with the school stoner (Sean Marquette), and then tries to use his smarts to get out of an upcoming drug test. Rather then messing with his own results, he schemes to get the entire school stoned to beat the system. Brody’s the drug dealer, Chiklis is the principal, and now The Hollywood Reporter posts that Lisa Simpson, aka Yeardley Smith, will play a homeroom teacher while Luis Chavez (Crash) plays a druggie friend of the valedictorian.

Meanwhile, Variety reports that Navy NCIS actress Cote de Pablo is making the jump to the big screen with Scott Speedman’s The Last Rites of Ransom Pride. The Calgary Herald describes it as “a violent ransom about a woman trying to bring her lover — a murdered outlaw — home for burial.” I’ve no idea how this will turn out, but it’s got an interesting cast that also includes the V-loving Lizzy Caplan (True Blood), Jason Priestley, Peter Dinklage, Kris Kristofferson, and Dwight Yoakam.

And Richard Jenkins is putting aside his Burn After Reading gym ways to board Lasse Halstrom’s Dear John, according to Variety. More dramatic romance from Nicholas Sparks, the film will follow a soldier who falls for a conservative college student while on leave. There’s no word on Jenkins’ role.

And: CSI:NY’s A.J. Buckley is entering Skateland.

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Filed under: Comedy, Casting, RumorMonger, Remakes and Sequels

When bad movie ideas hit the wire and then seemingly dissolve into thin air, there’s a chance to breathe that sigh of relief over what could have happened, but didn’t. Unfortunately, sometimes months or even years later, we’re slapped with the news that silence doesn’t necessarily mean death, and that our worst nightmares are coming true.

Fox News has “released” word that a sequel to Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers is happening. We already knew that was the case, since it was confirmed last year, but the news piece does add to it — Blythe Danner and Robert De Niro are returning. This means that last year’s news wasn’t a dream, and that Ben Stiller hasn’t forgotten about it, no matter what other projects he is busying himself with. We are getting more Fockers. We just don’t know if Babs and Dustin are in for the ride as well.

Not that it matters. There are those that love the original, and those who actually like the sequel more, but can’t we all agree that a third installment is pushing it. I mean, what’re they going to do? Have Gaylord actually try milking a cat for his kid? Do any of you actually want to see that? Are you eager for more Focker hijinx?

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Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Casting, Sony

You know, you would think that after starring in one of the biggest movies of all time, Aaron Eckhart might want to take a break from the world of big-budgeted action movies. Then again, he probably knows better than anyone that sometimes those small indie films can really get you into trouble. So, in the spirit of ’safe bets’, The Hollywood Reporter has announced that Eckhart will star in the sci-fi action flick, Battle: Los Angeles.

Chris Bertolini’s (The General’s Daughter) script centers on an alien invasion that has landed in the streets of LA. Eckhart would play the leader of a platoon of Marines who are the last line of defense in the invasion. Jonathan Liebesman (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning) has already signed to direct the film for Columbia Pictures, although a start date for the production has yet to be finalized.

Since his ‘debut’ in 1997’s In the Company of Men, Eckhart has stuck to parts in smaller films like Thank you For Smoking, or like his latest with Jennifer Aniston, Traveling. Unfortunately, the big-budget flicks haven’t worked out so well (with one whopper of an exception.) So even though some of Eckhart’s other Hollywood projects have been less than impressive (cough, The Core, cough), Battle will be the first time Eckhart is playing front and center in an action flick. Lets just hope Battle doesn’t fall into the same category as some of his other very expensive disasters.

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Filed under: Action, Drama, Casting

I’ve already told you about the excellent news that Julie Taymor is cooking up a Tempest starring Helen Mirren. Now The Hollywood Reporter has listed two other names added to the already impressive cast list: Chris Cooper and Reeve Carney. Cooper will play that dastardly usurper Antonio, while Carney gets to be the son of the king of Naples, or in other words, the son of Jeremy Irons. Between the material, and Taymor, and this cast, I predict one hell of an amazing Shakespeare adaptation. But even if it’s merely a fraction of Titus, it should still be good.

And there’s also that little bit about Jean Claude Van Damme heading back to the world of Universal Soldier. Remember how he said that he was told that there wouldn’t be any value in casting Dolph Lundgren? Well, now MTV has talked to Mr. Lundgren, who says that is “absolutely untrue.” In fact, he goes on to say he’s been resisting the film because it needs some work. He thinks it should be all Dolph and Jean-Claude again. I just can’t believe the guy who wants to be taken seriously (JCVD) is in a movie even Lundgren wouldn’t sign up for.

In much more vanilla news — Variety reports that Meryl Streep is going to the cats. Well, more precisely, she’s signed on to star in Dewey — a film about “a stray cat’s impact on the town of Spencer, Iowa.” If that sounds too random to be fiction, that’s because it is. The fact-based story is about the author of Dewey (Streep), Vicky Myron, who was working at the local library when a kitten got into the library on a cold night through the after-hours book slot. The feline then became a library mascot and heart-warmer. A pretty damned cute one too.

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Filed under: Animation, Casting, Family Films

If you rue the era that canned voice actors for big celebrities, you might not like this bit of news, but if you love big, star-calibre cast lists, you might like this:

Variety reports that Steve Carell has signed on for a new 3D CG-animated film called Despicable Me, from Horton Hears a Who scribes Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. But he’s just the tip of the iceberg. The rest of the voice cast includes: Jason Segel, Kristen Wiig, Will Arnett, Danny McBride, Russell Brand, Jemaine Clement, Jack McBrayer, and Julie Andrews.

Carell will voice the title character, a “deplorable man” named Groo who “masterminds the mother of all heists when he plots to steal the moon.” Since his evil mother (Andrews without a spoon full of sugar) is egging him on, there’s only one obstacle between him and the big cheese chunk in the sky — three orhpaned girls who he has to temporarily take care of, who won’t leave. I guess he never read Papa, please get the moon for me.

There’s no word on how the other names will come into play, nor who will voice the three moon-saving girls. Nevertheless, this sounds like it could be an incredibly cute film. Unfortunately, we have a while to wait for this — the film is currently scheduled for release in 2010.

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