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Remote View: Geek Moves
4 hours ago
Geeks around the world have reasons to be happy and angry this week. Chuck returns to the airwaves. That's good. NBC is bargaining to push Conan O'Brien's The Tonight Show later in the evening. Not so good. Comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall are back with an original mini-series. That's great, but only if you're Canadian.
How many spies can Chuck chuck?
The affable nerd with the super computer in his head, returns to the airwaves Sunday, January 10 for a two-hour premiere on NBC (Citytv in Canada). It moves to its regular Monday night slot on the schedule the following evening.
But in this third season, the super geek will have transformed into a super spy. Sort of.
The second season finale, in which spy skills are added to the computer in Chuck's brain, also worked as a series finale. At the time, producers and cast were fairly »
Danny Boyle to Direct James Franco in '127 Hours'
5 January 2010 9:35 PM, PST
Production Weekly is reporting that James Franco ('Spider-Man' franchise) will star in Fox Searchlight Pictures' 127 Hours.
The film, to be directed by Oscar winner Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire), concerns mountaineer Aron Ralston, whose right forearm got pinned for nearly five days under a boulder during a climb in Utah in May 2003.
He used a dull knife to amputate the limb, then scaled a 65-foot sheer wall and hiked out before running into a family that gave him water and food.
Filming is set to begin early March in Utah.
It's an amazing story and human drama, though the circumstances will probably make for some grim viewing. The thought of having to hack one's arm off with a penknife sounds worse than any 'Saw' movie.
We're curious to know if this film would interest our readers. Let us know below. »
Who Would Mark Millar Cast in a Superman Reboot?
5 January 2010 9:30 PM, PST
The cinematic Superman franchise may be mired in legal snafus, but comic book writer Mark Millar is still interested in working with Warner Bros. on a reboot of the franchise, if and when the dust settles and all the lawyers have gone home.
On his official website, MillarWorld, Millar updated his thoughts on a possible film.
"Matthew [Vaughn] and I talk all the time about the notion of revamping Superman for a new generation," he said, "(and Yes, 30 somethings, that Does mean an origin to explain where the Hell he came from to my daughter and her pals). Obviously, there's some legal sh*t to sort out but anyone who thinks Superman is gone is just plum crazy. Should we pursue this aggressively, especially given the buzz on Kick-Ass is just astronomical and Matthew is being offered pretty much anything he wants to do?"
He also talked about how he'd cast a new Superman film, »
'Let Me In' Release Date Announced
5 January 2010 9:25 PM, PST
Overture Films has announced that it will release Matt Reeves' Let Me In — the cinematic adaptation of the Swedish novel "Lat den Ratte Komma In" ("Let the Right One In") by John Ajvide Lindqvist — on October 1, 2010. The new film stars Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloe Moretz, Richard Jenkins, Elias Koteas, Cara Buono and Sasha Barrese.
An alienated 12-year-old boy befriends a mysterious young newcomer in his small New Mexico town, and discovers an unconventional path to adulthood in "Let Me In", a haunting and provocative thriller written and directed by filmmaker Matt Reeves ("Cloverfield").
Twelve-year old Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is viciously bullied by his classmates and neglected by his divorcing parents. Achingly lonely, Owen spends his days plotting revenge on his middle school tormentors and his evenings spying on the other inhabitants of his apartment complex. His only friend is his new neighbor Abby (Chloe Moretz), an eerily self-possessed young girl »
New Still of Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter
5 January 2010 9:20 PM, PST
Walt Disney Pictures has released the below still of Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland. It's taken from the recent trailer, and represents the studios first "official" still.
Alice in Wonderland is an epic 3D fantasy adventure starring Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter and Mia Wasikowska as 19-year-old Alice, who returns to the whimsical world she first encountered as a young girl, reuniting with her childhood friends: the White Rabbit, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Dormouse, the Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat, and of course, the Mad Hatter.
Directed by Tim Burton, the film arrives in Disney Digital 3D™ theaters on March 5, 2010.
»
Will 3-D Television Really Transform Home Entertainment?
5 January 2010 9:15 PM, PST
We've been hearing a lot of talk in recent months about 3-D television, and how it is going to transform the home entertainment experience. The latest news in that trend comes from Toshiba and RealD, who have announced that they are set to cooperate in bringing 3D technology to Toshiba TVs, including support for the stereoscopic RealD Format, as Toshiba advances development of Regza TVs able to deliver HD quality 3D content.
According to Toshiba, the companies will also work together on technology for active eyewear compatible with Toshiba 3D-enabled displays. I'll have a few thoughts about this in a moment, but first, here's the release:
"Toshiba plans to introduce 3D into our Regza line-up of Full-hd LCD TVs in 2010, and we are delighted to work with RealD, the clear leader in the industry," said Masaaki Osumi, President and CEO, Digital Media Network Company, Toshiba Corporation. "Home viewing is fast »
'RoboCop' Off-Line, for Now
5 January 2010 9:10 PM, PST
Back online, back on duty? Not so fast.
It appears the long-gestating new RoboCop film may not be happening anytime soon. According to Moviehole, Phoenix Pictures and MGM have reached a crossroads regarding the sci-fi/actioner, their source claiming that MGM’s Chair insisted on a 3-D movie.
"I've spoken with Phoenix Pictures [and] asked them about the status of RoboCop...they told me that the project is on hold," states Nash from RoboCop Archive. "The problem is that Mary Parent, Chairperson of MGM, wants a 3D movie for the new RoboCop. But ,as you know, [director] Darren Aronofsky is a real artist and he's not interested in gimmicks like, 3D, CGI, Filming digital, he wants to do everything as real (organic) as possible just like The Fountain."
3-D certainly looks like the wave of the present, and it’s too bad if it means Aronofsky bails on RoboCop. Still, I was »
'The Hobbit' Shooting This Summer
5 January 2010 9:05 PM, PST
Bankruptcy be damned, filming on Guillermo del Toro’s The Hobbit appears ready to proceed. Admittedly, there are issues regarding MGM’s financial state that probably need to be resolved before the project can be officially green-lit, but the following tweet must seem reassuring:
"Guillermo del Toro's adaptation of Jrr Tolkien’s 'The Hobbit' is due to begin a 14 month production schedule this June in New Zealand."
MGM and New Line/Warner Bros. had been looking at December 2011 and December 2012 as release dates for the two 'Hobbit' films. These installments will take place prior to 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy, and in the same universe.
Andy Serkis, Ian McKellen, Hugo Weaving and Cate Blanchett are expected to reprise their roles. »
'Zombieland' Writers Tapped to Pen 'Deadpool'
4 January 2010 10:10 PM, PST
With Ryan Reynolds set to play both Green Lantern for Warner Bros. and Deadpool for 20th Century Fox, you might be wondering what the status was on the developing Deadpool film. Well, today we've learned that Fox is indeed moving forward on the story of the "Merc with a Mouth," and that the studio has found its scribes.
According to Variety, they've hired writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick — the creative duo behind Sony's 2009 hit Zombieland — to pen the screenplay.
As you may recall, Reese and Wernick penned an earlier draft of Sony's planned Venom spin-off.
Filming dates are Tba at this point, but it's likely they'll have plenty of time to complete their scripts before post—Reynolds must first complete filming on Warner's Green Lantern, after all…itself a large, complex production being shepherded by director Martin Campbell (Casino Royale). »
Sharon Stone Signs Up for 'Law & Order'
4 January 2010 10:05 PM, PST
Sharon Stone has signed on to appear in a four episode arc of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, reports Entertainment Weekly, the latest example of "stunt casting" from a series that has attracted a lot of big name talent as guest stars.
The Oscar-nominated actress will play a former cop-turned-prosecutor who may interact with regular Detectives Stabler (Christopher Meloni) and Benson (Mariska Hartigay).
Stone is no stranger to television, of course. She won an Emmy for her appearance on The Practice and also played a recurring character on the family drama Huff.
Law & Order has been on television for 21 years, making it the the longest-running primetime scripted drama series in the history of American broadcast television, beating out Gunsmoke's previous record of 20 years. »
Sean Penn May Be Back for 'The Three Stooges'
4 January 2010 10:00 PM, PST
During an interview with the Boston Herald, director Bobby Farrelly revealed that Sean Penn is seriously reconsidering the role of Larry in The Three Stooges. You may recall that Penn had dropped out of the film last summer to focus on his family.
It was reported that Paul Giamatti would replace him, but apparently that didn't pan out.
"We got him back," Bobby Farrelly said. "He always said he wanted to do it after, you know, taking care of his family."
Benicio Del Toro is still interested in playing Moe. Unfortunately, Carrey is no longer interested in the project, despite Penn and Del Toro's likely involvement.
Before tackling The Three Stooges, however, the Farrelly brothers will first shoot the comedy Hall Pass next month in Atlanta, starring Owen Wilson. »
'Avatar' Alien Sex Scene Awaits Blu-ray Release
4 January 2010 9:55 PM, PST
If you were looking for an excuse to go Blu-ray in 2010, blue alien sex might provide just the impetus you were seeking. Those who have seen James Cameron's Avatar will recall that while the romantic sequences between Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri in the jungles of Pandora were suggestive, they didn't actually show anything.
The Blu-ray release will change that. Cameron recently told reporters that he shot a much more explicit scene that was left on the cutting room floor so that Avatar could achieve its PG-13 rating; doubtless a wise decision.
Speaking with Reelz Channel, Cameron elaborated: "We had it in and we cut it out," he said. "So that will be something for the special edition DVD, if you want to see how they have sex."
Cue the tail jokes. Zoe Saldana says that Na'vi sex involves intertwining tail tendrils.
If you sync to your banshee and you're syncing to a tree, »
Further Script Delays Leave 'Spider-Man 4' Hanging
4 January 2010 9:50 PM, PST
Prior to Christmas, we reported that Spider-Man 4 was facing suspension due to problems with the story; specifically over which villains to incorporate, with Raimi wanting to use The Lizard, and Sony heads wanting whatever character is popular in the 'Spider-Man' comics right now.
It seems as though the rumors were true. According to Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood blog and confirmed by Variety) the schedule for the film has been pushed back. Finke quoted from an e-mail that was allegedly sent out to the visual-effects crew on Dec. 11:
Hey there--
We were just notified that our schedule is pushing. We will Not be starting as planned. I'm terribly sorry for this news, and I hope this email reaches you in time to find other options. We do not know how long we are pushing, and we will not know until mid-January. By mid-January, we will be told how long the push is, »
'Bond 23' Has Director In Sight
4 January 2010 9:45 PM, PST
Amidst all the concern about the possible MGM sale affecting the James Bond franchise, here’s some good news:
Mendes, Sam Mendes is in talks to direct the 23rd installment of the British super-spy’s filmic adventures, and the project is being fast-tracked despite the dark clouds surrounding MGM. According to The Hollywood Reporter, production could begin as early as June 2010 for a possible 2011 theatrical release.
Only yesterday, it was reported that pre-production on the next Bond movie had been put on hiatus until February, and that production might not begin until late this year, possibly jeopardizing the 2011 target date. But if the Oscar-winning Mendes does come on-board, a key piece of the Bond 23 creative team will be in-place for whenever the project is ready for take-off.
The screenplay is currently being written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Peter Morgan; Daniel Craig is reprising the role of 007; and »
Has Scorsese Set His Sights on Helming 'Hugo Cabret'?
4 January 2010 9:40 PM, PST
According to several European papers, director Martin Scorsese (Shutter Island), may be setting his sights on adapting Brian Selznick's children's novel "The Invention of Hugo Cabret", reports The Playlist. The papers contend that Scorsese will begin filming this spring in Paris and London.
The live-action film centers on an orphaned boy who secretly lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station and looks after the clocks. He gets caught up in a mystery adventure when he attempts to repair a mechanical man.
The script is being written by John Logan, who worked with Scorsese on The Aviator. Though director Chris Wedge had signed to helm Hugo Cabret, he has allegedly dropped out of the project.
Meanwhile, what's happening with Scorsese's Frank Sinatra biopic? There's been no further word about the project, though it's worth pointing out that the biopic is only one of eight projects Scorsese has »
'Death Race' Prequel Gets its Frankenstein
4 January 2010 9:35 PM, PST
In November, Universal Pictures greenlit the prequel to Paul Ws Anderson's Death Race, the story for which will purportedly delve into the past of the mangled driver known as Frankenstein. The character was originally played by the late David Carradine in the 1975 film Death Race 2000, and voiced by Carradine in Anderson's Death Race.
According to Moviehole, Luke Goss (Hellboy II: The Golden Army) will star as Frankenstein in the prequel, which is entitled Death Race: Frankenstein Lives. Goss will play Carl "Luke" Lucas (aka Frankenstein), who has been framed by the mob for the murder of a police officer. Once relocated to Terminal Island, he is roped into entering the famed race to stay alive.
The straight-to-dvd film is directed by Roel Reine (The Marine 2), and will begin filming in Eastern Europe next month. Tony Giglio (Chaos) penned the script. »
It's Confirmed: Neill Blomkamp.s Next Project Will Be Sci-Fi
4 January 2010 9:30 PM, PST
To the thrill of sci-fi fans everywhere, filmmaker Neill Blomkamp has his District 9 follow-up all set up, and he’s sticking to the same genre. But interestingly, he’s also staying with a relatively-low cost approach to filmmaking.
In an interview with La Times' Hero Complex blog, Blomkamp said his next feature will be based on an idea he’s had spinning in his head for about a year, and wrote within a month of finishing District 9. "I’m trying to keep it to myself at this point. But it is science fiction and it has many sociopolitical ideas that interest me. Those ideas are wrapped up inside something that is like a Hollywood action film," Blomkamp said.
Although the project will have a bigger budget than District 9, it will cost considerably less than the average big summer movie. The key, Blomkamp said, is pre-planning and the »
Paul Schrader Voices Displeasure with 'Slumdog Millionaire'
4 January 2010 9:25 PM, PST
Paul Schrader has always been something of an iconoclast, so it’s hardly surprising that he thinks negatively of Slumdog Millionaire, the Oscar-winning audience pleaser set in India.
Recently, Schrader talked about his new India-based film Xtreme City, claiming it would not be as one-sided as Danny Boyle’s pic, as well as decidedly less British. "My film will not be a shanty film. Not like Slumdog Millionaire at all, thank you," Schrader told India Today according to Digital Spy.
Xtreme City will revolve around a former U.S. Army Ranger who teams up with an Indian commando to find the soldier’s sister-in-law, who has been kidnapped by a Mumbai crime lord. Previously, Schrader has said the film will be within the Bollywood tradition—family-friendly, with song and dance sequences.
Schrader, who once wrote a much seamier search-through-the-underworld tale in 1979’s Hardcore, claimed Slumdog Millionaire reinforced the Western view of India; that is, »
The Alimentary Possibilities of a Gay Sherlock Holmes
4 January 2010 9:20 PM, PST
Could a potential Sherlock Holmes sequel feature a gay subplot? Not if the executors of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s estate have any say in the matter.
Recently, actor Robert Downey Jr., who plays the titular detective of Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes, made comments implying the character might be gay to talk show host David Letterman. About Holmes and sidekick Watson, Downey had said: "I think the word bromance is so passé. We are two men who happen to be roommates who wrestle a lot and share a bed!"
Prior to screening a clip of himself and actor Jude Law wrestling, Downey went on to have the following exchange with Letterman and co-host Paul Shaffer, transcribed by Entertainment Weekly:
Letterman: "Now, from what I recall, there was always the suggestion that there was a different level of relationship between Sherlock and Dr. Watson."
Downey: "You mean that they were homos. »
Marvel Pres: 'Thor's' a Game-Changer
4 January 2010 9:15 PM, PST
So it sounds like Thor and his fellow Asgardians have started their screen tests, and there’s at least one person who likes what he sees.
Of course, that person would be Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, but he might be a little biased. In a retrospective on Marvel-based films posted at Marvel.com, Feige claimed the garbed Asgardians in Kenneth Branagh’s upcoming adaptation set a bold new standard in comic book movies unseen since, well, 2000’s Marvel-based X-Men.
"To be honest the thing that I'm most excited about right now though, is the screen test we just finished for 'Thor'," Feige states toward the end of the article. "We've done some costume tests and watching the Asgardians walk onto the sound stage takes me back to that first time I saw the X-Men on the set all together in Toronto. Only it was unlike anything we've ever put on film before! »
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