Is it just us or did that week just fly by? Here are some of the little bits of news that we didn’t get round to telling you about this past week. Have a good weekend!
20th Century Fox’s prequel/reboot of the ‘Planet of the Apes’ franchise has undergone yet another name change. The movie has gone through a number of title changes, from the original title of ‘Caesar’, to ‘Caesar: Rise of the Apes’ and finally ‘Rise of the Apes.’ Now, it has been titled ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes.’
Rob Riggle (‘The Hangover,’ ‘The Other Guys’) is in negotiations to play the villain in the upcoming ‘21 Jump Street’ adaptation. Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Brie Larson and Ice Cube are already attached.
Jay Baruchel (‘How to Train Your Dragon’) has joined the cast of David Cronenberg’s ‘Cosmopolis.’ The movie stars Robert Pattinson as Eric Packer, a “financial wunderkind” in New York at the beginning of the 2000 dot-com bubble burst, who one day takes a major risk that could put his life in jeopardy. Baruchel will take on the role of the company’s shy founder who also acts as Packer’s conscience in the film.
The movie co-stars Juliette Binoche, Samantha Morton, Paul Giamatti and Sarah Gadon.
The first clip from upcoming web-series ‘Mortal Kombat: Legacy’ (based off last year’s popular short ‘Mortal Kombat: Rebirth.’ The web-series premieres Tuesday April 12th on Machinima.com
Two new clips from ‘Thor’ have arrived. The first, via IGN, features an appearance by Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye… just don’t expect to see much.
The second clip features Natalie Portman, Kat Dennings and Stellan Skarsgard vising Thor at the hospital. “How dare you attack the son of Odin!”
Check out the trailer for the Beastie Boys inspired short ‘Fight For Your Right – Revisited.’ The 30 minute short will debut alongside the release of the Beastie Boys new album ‘Hot Sauce Committee Part 2.’ The album is due for release in May.
The latest trailer for Rockstar Games’ ‘L.A. Noire.’ coming to XBOX 360, PS3 and PC May 20th.
Keanu Reeves talks to MTV about his plans to make his directorial debut on ‘Man of Tai Chi.’ The actor also reveals that he plans to play the villain in the movie.
The trailer for ‘Johnny English Reborn’
‘When Harry Met Sally 2‘ with Billy Crystal & Helen Mirren
Maggie Grace has closed a deal to reprise her role of Liam Neeson’s daughter in ‘Taken 2.’ Olivier Megaton (‘Transporter 3’) is set to direct the film.
The National have recorded a new track for the Tom McCarthy-directed dramedy ‘Win Win.‘ The video is a mashup of clips and behind-the-scenes footage.
Sofia Vergara (‘Modern Family’) is in talks to join the ‘Three Stooges’ movie. According to reports, the actress will play a vixen who lures the knuckleheaded brothers into a potential murder-for-hire scheme.
Penélope Cruz is set to re-team with director Woody Allen on his next project to be shot in Rome this Summer. The pair worked together on ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona.’
Keanu Reeves again, revealing details on ‘Bill & Ted 3.’
Talking to THR, Andy Serkis revealed that he will not only reprise his role of Gollum in the two ‘Hobbit’ fims, but will also serve as the second unit director on the two movies.
“I think I understand Peter’s sensibility and we have a common history of understanding Middle Earth. A lot of the crew from The Lord of the Rings was returning to work on The Hobbit. There is really a sense of Peter wanting people around him who totally understand the material and the work ethic.”
“When Peter asked me. There was this email out of the blue. It was a fantastic surprise.”
An interesting clip from James Gunn’s ‘Super‘ has arrived.
The ‘Arthur‘ soundtrack will feature a cover of ‘Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)‘ by Fitz and the Tantrums; two original tracks from Death Cab for Cutie front man Ben Gibbard; and four productions from Mark Ronson. Of the latter, three are collaborations with Ronson’s frequent musical muse, Australian R&B singer Daniel Merriweather. Vulture has premiered one of those Ronson-Merriweather team-ups, ‘A Little Bit Better.’ Check it out below.
Richard Payne has created a fan-made motion comic music video for producer ‘Deceit‘ using Mark Millar’s ‘Nemesis.’ The video is a work in progress.
While promoting ‘Your Highness’ actor/comedian/writer Danny McBride told GQ magazine that he has plans to film a movie based off a screenplay both he and director Jody Hill wrote. Based on a real-life bank robbery in Charlotte back in 1997, McBride tells the magazine:
“These rednecks robbed Loomis Fargo for over $17 million. And they would have gotten away with it, except they stayed in the town they were living in. They literally moved from trailers into the richest neighborhoods in town, lived like kings, bought their wives tit jobs. Jody wants to make it like a southern Godfather.”
Variety reports that Meg Ryan is to make her directorial debut with the dramedy ‘Into the Beautiful.’ Anne Meredith’s script, is described as a contemporary ‘Big Chill’ with longtime friends reconnecting. Producer Wendy Finerman said she’s planning to start casting soon but has no plans to include Ryan in the cast.
Producer Mark Canton has revealed that the sequel to Zack Snyder’s ‘300’ has dropped the title of ‘Xerxes.’ A new title has yet to be decided on. When asked by MTV if Snyder would be back to direct, or possibly produce, Canton said:
“Soon we’ll know what we’re doing. But I don’t see us waiting two years to make the movie and Zack is very much at the helm of it at the same time.”
Talking to ThePlaylist, the producer noted that they’ve been taking their time and deliberately have avoided cranking out a followup, saying:
“We’ve been very, very, very careful to say the least. We could have made the sequel four years ago, but that’s a movie that the pop culture around the world embraced and so we always wanted to do it well and now we’re on the track to do something great. I feel like it’s gonna happen and we’re close.”
‘The Dark Knight Rises‘ is set to film in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the production could be in the city for four to six weeks shooting in downtown and the surrounding area. Talking about the move to Pittsburgh Christopher Nolan said:
“Pittsburgh is a beautiful city. We have been able to find everything we were looking for here, and I am excited to spend the summer in Pittsburgh with our final installment of Batman.”
Mae Whitman (‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’) is in final negotiations to join Logan Lerman and Emma Watson in indie coming-of-age drama ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower,’ reports Variety.
The acclaimed 1999 epistolary novel follows a shy and unpopular high school student who writes a series of letters to an anonymous penpal. Book gained attention for its mature exploration of the awkward times of adolescence.
Whitman will play a tattooed vegetarian who is the protag’s first girlfriend. ‘Wallflower’ author Stephen Chbosky is directing from his own screenplay, and John Malkovich, Lianne Halfon and Russell Smith are producing through their Mr. Mudd banner.
An interactive site for ‘The Tree of Life‘ has launched, head over to the site by clicking the image below.
To celebrate Matthew Vaughn’s 60s-set superhero prequel, ‘X-Men: First Class,’ Total Film are releaseing some amazing vintage art, featuring Professor Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), Erik ‘Magneto’ Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender) and Emma Frost (January Jones).