Tim Burton had brought up the idea of Frankenweenie long before he finally was given the go-ahead. Development for the stop motion animated film dates back to late 2005, but didn't finally come out until recently. He went on to direct Sweeney Todd, Alice in Wonderland and Dark Shadows before his latest time in the director's chair. But the hold-off with Frankenweenie begs a follow-up question: What other ideas did the Scissorhands filmmaker ever have that didn't make it to the big screen? Apparently the answer is Michael Jackson.
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Jaws, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park - Steven Spielberg has set the bar for the worldwide blockbuster. Sure, he's taken praise for other genre as well, including his Best Director win for Schindler's List (and another for Saving Private Ryan five years later). On the cusp of his Lincoln premiere for the closing night of the AFI Fest next month, the wildly successful director-producer-writer said he is "no longer attracted" to action films, even as some are on his plate.
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Daniel Craig may be on he heels of one of the most anticipated films of the Fall, but he's already looking ahead of 007 for his next gig. Craig said he's hoping to be a part of a follow-up installment to the English-language version of Stieg Larsson's trilogy, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, though at the moment there seems to be little movement for the second installment, The Girl Who Played with Fire.
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Calling Ben Affleck's Argo a "terrific thriller," one of the six Americans who managed to escape the U.S. embassy just as student radicals took over the compound by fleeing into Tehran's streets has set a bit of the record straight.
Mark Lijek, who's portrayed by Christopher Denham in Affleck's awards contender, spoke out after attending the film's L.A. premiere, giving his detailed version of events. And while there are strong parallels with the film, which began its release last week and has garnered Oscar buzz, the timeline of real-life events had some significant departures from the film, which Affleck starred in and directed. Still, Lijek did learn one thing from the film, which surprised him all these years later. (Caution, spoilers if you have not seen the movie).
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Prepare for a 2015 clash of the superhero titans: According to the LA Times, Warner Bros. is moving full steam ahead on their Justice League movie with an eye to hit theaters in Summer 2015, which also happens to be when Marvel's set the blockbuster sequel to their enormously successful Avengers.
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Walt Disney dropped a few more hints about the plots of Iron Man 3 and Thor 2: The Dark World on Thursday, and, well, I wish I could say they were scintillating. In an effort not to give away the store, both synopses are fairly vague, although both stress how "personal" the battles they'll be waging are. more »
He's always packin' the niftiest of gadgetry and he's reinvented himself throughout the generations, remaining forever in his prime, but one en vogue technology James Bond is not considering is 3-D. Producers of the 50 year-old franchise say they have no interest in making a Bond film a three-dimensional format despite the rise of the medium - and its box office prowess - since the last Bond film, Quantum of Solace debuted back in 2008.
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Over the last two weeks, you may have noticed some big changes in the look and functionality of Movieline. In addition to a sweet new logo, we've redesigned the home page to give you easier accessibility to a greater array of stories. Top Stories and Hot Topics in the film world and popular culture are now just a click away on the home page, as are the week's Big Films, the latest trailers and major cinema milestones such as the 50th anniversary of James Bond and the vibrant debate over the plot and symbolism of Prometheus.
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So, you can’t move like Jagger, but can you write a song like Jagger and Richards? If you think you’ve got what it takes, you could win one of five pairs of tickets Movieline is giving away to the midnight screening of The Rolling Stones Charlie Is My Darling – Ireland 1965 documentary at Grauman’s Chinese Theater on Oct. 24. more »
Republican candidate Mitt Romney caused an uproar during last night's Presidential debate with his vivid and hilariously ignorant "binders full of women" comment. But he didn't just alienate women and men and anyone appalled by his antiquated language and attitude toward gender equality in the work place — he launched the hottest meme since Big Bird.
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They were two of the biggest movies in terms of box office this summer - and likely for all of 2012, yet the battle between The Dark Knight Rises and Marvel's The Avengers opened a new front in the artistic sphere. TDKR made just over $1.07 billion worldwide (with a $250 million production budget), while Marvel's The Avengers roared on with a $1.511 billion worldwide gross (and a production budget reportedly at $220 million). One cinematographer offered up his own impressions about the rival's merits, calling it "appalling."
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Charlotte Gainsbourg and Willem Dafoe played a crazily estranged couple in Lars von Trier's erotic/thriller/surreal Antichrist in 2009. And now, Dafoe is set to return to Von Trier's latest, Nymphomaniac along with Gainsbourg, Shia LaBeouf, Christian Slater, Stellan Skarsgard and Uma Thurman. Others are joining the cast, while one big name has pulled out.
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If you're like me, you've been waiting with bated breath ever since IFC announced the return of R. Kelly's hip-hopera saga Trapped in the Closet, which next month debuts dozens more chapters in the ongoing saga of Sylvester, Cathy, Bridget, Twan, Pimp Lucius, and the various relatives and secret lovers and midgets in their lives. Because 22 chapters weren't enough!
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In Casino Royale, Daniel Craig made a memorable impression as the sexy 007, wearing a snug swimming suit. But Craig had to work it to attain that physique and it's not something he maintains between James Bond stints. But he didn't have a hard time getting back to top-notch form.
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Johnny Depp is getting into the publishing biz. Called Infinitum Nihil, meaning "Nothing is Forever," the same name as his production company. Depp's imprint will be a part of HarperCollins Publishers. The imprint will seek what it calls "authentic, outspoken and visionary ideas and voices." And a Bob Dylan book is the first to usher in Depp's foray into the book world.
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