Another day, another hair-raising poster that terrible parents let their kids see. This one's a closeup of an astronaut presumably waiting to perish in Apollo 18, a disturbing "found-footage" mockumentary in the style of The Blair Witch Project and The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Handle it?
Here's a treat for Marvel fans who live for the film-bridging post-credits scenes and cameos that have connected The Incredible Hulk, the Iron Man films, Thor, and Captain America: a short starring S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) that begins to fill in the space between the different Marvel films leading into The Avengers. After the jump, watch the deadpan Agent Coulson hatch a plan to dispatch a superhero code-named "The Consultant" -- described as "arrogant and abrasive, with an utter disdain for authority." Sound familiar?
Studio boss Jeff Robinov confirmed this week that Warner Bros. and DC Comics have every intention of exploring a sequel to Green Lantern, this despite a meager $53 million opening, a disappointing global gross around $160 million, a budget rumored to be well north of $200 million (plus $100 million in marketing) and -- insult, meet injury -- a fusillade of scathing reviews. "We had a decent opening so we learned there is an audience," Robinov told the Los Angeles TImes. "To go forward we need to make it a little edgier and darker with more emphasis on action.... And we have to find a way to balance the time the movie spends in space versus on Earth." Huh. "Edgier"? "Darker"? But how? Time to put on our Green Lantern 2 development thinking caps!
During yesterday's discussion of the new Funny Girl, Lea Michele, and Barbra Streisand, we took a look back at Babs' hilarious 1972 comedy What's Up, Doc? and wondered who is 2011's equivalent of Madeline Kahn. How foolish we were. The answer is not Jayma Mays or Ari Graynor, but rib-tickling Change-Up star Leslie Mann. It's a relief to finally get this right. Join Movieline ahead to compare Mann and Kahn's filmographies, characters, and penchant for cray-cray.
When Oscar-winner Francis Ford Coppola took to Comic-Con to present his new horror project Twixt, he blew minds in Hall H by live-editing footage from his iPad. Now you can watch the first trailer for Twixt to get a taste of what Coppola's got cooking with his Gothic murder-mystery tale about a hack novelist named Hall Baltimore (Val Kilmer) who befriends a ghostly girl named V (Elle Fanning) while searching for his next story in a small California town.
· Matt Damon is an outspoken political activist, and at the Save Our Schools march in Washington, DC last weekend, he did some outspeaking. When asked a silly question about whether a lack of job security makes him work harder as an actor -- a roundabout way of saying that teachers should have less job security themselves -- Damon replied, "You think job insecurity is what makes me work hard? It's not an incentive, I want to be an actor." Things unravel from there, though -- unfortunately -- Damon did not regurgitate Gordon Wood in his dress-down. Click through to watch. Your Tuesday Buzz Break is here.
This December, Cameron Crowe returns with We Bought a Zoo -- his first feature film since 2005. According to a new article in USA Today, the writer/director is not relying on performances from stars Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson to recover the critical reputation he damaged with Elizabethtown -- but the groundbreaking work of Crystal, the capuchin monkey from The Hangover Part II.
You've already seen Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Sebastian Bach in character on the set of Adam Shankman's upcoming Rock of Ages, but this pic is sure to get you really excited for the musical adaptation. Constantine Maroulis -- who originated the Rock of Ages lead role of Drew on Broadway, and earned a Tony nomination for his performance -- officially has a small part in the film as well!
This just in from The Weinstein Company: Sarah Jessica Parker, Brendan Fraser, Jessica Alba, James Gandolfini and Rob Corddry are among the voice talent joining the studio's 3-D animated family flick Escape From Planet Earth. Says co-writer/director Cal Brunker: "Escape From Planet Earth has got it all... explosions, romance and a cast of hilarious aliens....what more could you ask for?" Oh, I dunno. A flow chart? A shotgun? Let's check out the full announcement and consider alternatives in the comments.
In a similar fashion with what they did with actresses, Forbes has released a list of the 15 highest-earning actors in Hollywood (caveat here for the perhaps inexact figures). Topping the list? Not Johnny Depp (No. 2) or Will Smith (No. 4), but Leonardo DiCaprio, who -- thanks to his one-two 2010 punch of Shutter Island and Inception -- has earned upward of $77 million in the last year. Kudos, Leo! The rest of the list is populated with familiar faces like Adam Sandler, Tom Cruise and Tim Allen. Wait, what is Tim Allen doing here?
First it was Wrath of the Titans. Then it had the more on-the-nose working title Clash of the Titans 2. Then came hints that Warner Bros. might be going with Revenge of the Titans. Never mind! The Titans sequel will reportedly arrive next March with the studio's original Wrath title. Maybe they can save that Revenge URL for a video game? Or the [gulp] third Titans installment? [Exhibitor Relations via Cinema Blend]
Also in this jam-packed Tuesday edition of The Broadsheet: Reese Witherspoon makes a Wish... Fox has a list of Die Hard 5 directorial candidates, and they kinda rule... Miley Cyrus is attached to a "God-themed comedy"... and more ahead.
Yes, Funny Girl, the 1968 debut vehicle for Barbra Streisand that won her an Academy Award, is getting a remake -- but not with the McKinley High belter you expect. According to E!, Lauren Ambrose, best known for Six Feet Under, is close to getting the part. Weird! But never fear, Lea Michele: We can think of three Streisand films that deserve remakes and you on the marquee.
Rumor has it that this week the apes will rise. So in honor of our primate cousins and their varied achievements on film, Movieline will honor one great movie ape each day who embodies an admirable quality found in monkeykind. Starting us off is one of the greatest primate sidekicks who ever graced the screen, an animal actor Clint Eastwood once called "one of the most natural actors I ever worked with": Clyde the orangutan.
Today in slow news, a tree was injured. But not just any tree -- the picturesque oak featured at the end of the Oscar-nominated drama The Shawshank Redemption, as the location where Red (Morgan Freeman) uncovers money and a note from his beloved inmate buddy Andy (Tim Robbins) after 40 years of imprisonment. No word yet on whether the tree, damaged by high-speed winds and now rotted in the middle, will be cut down. It sits on private property in Mansfield-Richland County, Ohio. [Mansfield News Journal]
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