This time last year, it is doubtful many thought Black Swan -- movie about ballet from the director of The Wrestler -- would become the highest grossing 2010 release for Twentieth Century Fox. But it did! There are many reasons why Swan broke out of the indie box office ghetto -- for one, it was a decidedly mainstream thriller -- but one simply cannot be understated: It had lesbians! Not just any lesbians, mind you -- Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis lesbians! They were making out and everything! What potential 2011 release might follow Swan's same-sex tonsil hockey lead to box office nirvana?
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With spring in the air on the East Coast -- and a little bit of booze; it is St. Patrick's Day after all -- what better time to be reminded that the multiplex will soon be overflowing with summer blockbusters. Of all the studios shopping their wares, Disney seems the most excited to kick-off summertime, as they've begun a full court press for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Earlier this week, that meant the release of the Johnny Depp-centric character poster; now, it's time for Penelope Cruz to get into the spotlight.
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Summit Entertainment still has the final two installments of The Twilight Saga to bring in untold fortunes, but that doesn't mean the studio isn't thinking ahead. The Los Angeles Times reports that Summit is looking to make The Last Witch Hunter its next big franchise. The script -- about a man who hunts witches and warlocks -- was on the Black List in 2010, and the studio has apparently met with Breck Eisner to discuss directing. No casting yet -- though Vin Diesel has reportedly expressed interest -- but expect Charlie Sheen to throw his hat in the ring soon. Dude is a real-life warlock hunter. [LAT/24 Frames]
Also in this St. Patrick's Day edition of The Broadsheet: Shia LaBeouf grows Horns... Albert Brooks and Judd Apatow may finally team up... Liam Neeson still a go for Taken 2... and more ahead.
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While audiences nationwide will have to wait even longer to see how Mel Gibson fares as a man who depends on a beaver hand puppet to get through a mid-life crisis, a handful of critics saw Jodie Foster's The Beaver last night at SXSW. According to the early word, it looks like anyone hoping for unbridled insanity or off-the-wall comedy will have to wait for an SNL parody. But what did critics think of the movie on its own terms?
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It looks like for once, a casting rumor may be true. According to "an individual with knowledge of the deal," Gary Ross and the producers decided that Oscar-nominated Jennifer Lawrence had the right combination of strength and emaciation to play Katniss in the upcoming Hunger Games film, and her deal to star in the film is now confirmed per The Wrap. (Neither Lionsgate nor Lawrence's reps have spoken officially about this report yet.) Obviously, we have our our own ideas about this, but chime in with your reactions. [The Wrap]
Evan Glodell's nihilist love story/vengeance tale Bellflower is a dangerous piece of must-see American indie filmmaking for Mad Max fans and, in a way, the same crowd who can't wait to see Quentin Dupieux's killer tire flick Rubber. After premiering at Sundance, where Oscilliscope snapped it up for a summer 2011 release, Bellflower blazed a diesel-fueled trail through SXSW treating attendees to a glimpse of the heavily modified Buick Skylark that Glodell transformed into the flame-throwing beast known as the Mother Medusa.
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Both Josh Hutcherson and Alex Pettyfer have been vocal about meeting with The Hunger Games producers to discuss the leading role of Peeta Mellark and now Hunter Parrish is throwing his hat into the casting ring. Just last night, the Weeds star told E! that he has also met with producers and would "be grateful" to get the coveted part. But can the 23-year-old actor be convincing as a 16-year-old in the Gary Ross film adaptation, especially after spending six seasons on a Showtime series about marijuana? Movieline investigates below.
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Sad news from Lake Wobegon: Humorist Garrison Keillor, whose A Prairie Home Companion radio show has been going strong in some form since 1974, plans to retire in 2013. Aww. To commemorate, let's watch a clip from Robert Altman's film version of A Prairie Home Companion where Lindsay Lohan sings about shooting bastards in the heart.
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Janet Jackson, whose biggest feat in recent years was a dance single with the lyric, "I'm heavy like a first-day period," just upped the ante: She landed a deal with Lionsgate to develop and produce a film: Exciting! Especially since Ms. Jackson's music video oeuvre has enough cinematic flair to inspire her film if need be. Let's look back at Janet's music videos and pick the five that deserve silver screen adaptations. Don your golden nosechain and come along!
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"What's your favorite scary movie?" Ghostface, I'm glad you asked. Mine's the continuing saga of Scream 4's devolution into a mutiny. Woodsboro mayor Wes Craven just confirmed that the backstage goings-on were as scary (and disheartening) as we imagined. Click through for a painful quote about the new movie from the horror master.
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For the first time since 2003's American Wedding, Universal is giving another American Pie installment a theatrical release thanks to the cooperation of original stars Jason Biggs, Seann William Scott and Eugene Levy. Former co-stars Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tara Reid, Chris Klein, Mena Suvari and Jennifer Coolidge are still in negotiations with the studio, which has set a production start date of May 24. This means that the original high school seniors will be around 30-years-old in Reunion. [THR]
The last eighteen months have been sort of tough on Megan Fox. Despite being fairly terrific, Jennifer's Body was a gigantic bust. Then there was her whole ouster from Transformers: The Dark of the Moon, which would have been bad enough if she wasn't replaced by a Victoria's Secret model. Even her bid for Indie Spirit glory, Passion Play, was almost unceremoniously dumped on DVD (Image will release the film in theaters on May 6; the DVD arrives May 24). How can a girl rebound after career stumbles like that?
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Ahhh, Groupon. The deal-of-the-day website where you can score discounted personal training sessions, Mexican cooking lessons and now, thanks to a partnership with Lionsgate, half-off tickets to the new Matthew McConaughey legal thriller The Lincoln Lawyer. "Groupon is one of the most dynamic young companies in the world today, and their emergence as a digital commerce pioneer made them the perfect online partner for Lionsgate and The Lincoln Lawyer," said the studio's vice chairman Michael Burns in a statement earlier today. The question remains though, would a promotional deal with Groupon have saved Mars Needs Moms? [THR]
· You're pretty much powerless to stop the cultural permeation that Cars 2 will have when it arrives this summer, and Pixar helpfully reminds you of that with four new posters for the film, highlighting major cities around the world. This one still has something to do with talking cars that are also spies who race, right? Click ahead to check out the posters, wake me when Monsters, Inc. 2 comes out, then stick around for more Buzz Break.
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