Also in this Thursday edition of The Broadsheet: So that's how Burlesque got its Golden Globe nomination... James Cameron gives everyone a Prius... Mel Gibson's crazy (emphasis) comeback gets an actual, official release date... and more ahead.
With the U.S. now trying to build a conspiracy case against Julian Assange and new stories about WikiLeaks gracing the front pages each day, it seems pretty safe to assume we'll be getting Hollywood's version of the story sometime in the not-too-distant future. Most likely, someone has already started writing the book and pre-sold the rights to a producer, who has in turn already hired a screenwriter to start adapting the unfinished novel. If not, then Hollywood needs to get it together! In any case, before the flood of short lists and casting rumors begins, let's take a look at five directors who seem perfect to take on this story.
While the Water For Elephants trailer certainly doesn't skimp on the elephants, it's oddly lacking in clowns, lion tamers and all of the other outcasts and oddities that make the circus so fascinating. I suppose that seeing Robert Patinson and Reese Witherspoon hang out with an elephant is almost as interesting, but still, if Hollywood is going to go to the circus, it'd be nice if they went all the way.
· I saw The Lion King twice in theaters, and both times I remember thinking, "This needs more rap and misogynist rage." Sixteen years later, YouTube is fixing these egregious errors with a horrifying video. Behold: Simba throwing down 8 Mile angst and scaring the hell out of Nala. NSFW! [YouTube]
The Internet has been on fire today -- first giving us the slow-burn hilarity of Mark Wahlberg's chowdah-steeped "not you" meme, and now this: "My dream as a passionate cook has been to go to Le Cordon Bleu," said Gossip Girl star Blake Lively. "Never could my most incredible dream have lived up to the experience. The food, the lesson, the chef, the ingredients -- all the best of the best." Ahead, three photos of Lively's Le Cordon Bleu cooking lesson that tell the story of the time Blake made a casserole.
I have a really strange relationship with Tron. I've always been quite fascinated with Disney's 1982 video-game action-adventure -- owning three different home-video versions of the film, keeping some of the original toys, concluding letters to my grandparents with the phrase "END OF LINE" and, for the better part of the last three years, wallpapering my iPhone screen with its movie poster... All of which I guess is only interesting insofar as it's such an awful movie. With the release of Tron: Legacy this weekend, however, revisionist historians are having an Internet field day with their outpourings of love for the original film. Where have these people been the last 28 years?
· Have you been staying up late wondering what Super Mario Bros. would look like if it were Grand Theft Auto? Good news: Your sleepless nights are over! Ahead, watch the incredibly long Grand Theft Auto-style trailer for Mario Brothers and then stick around for more Buzz Break.
When you think of big time television fails of 2009, your first thought is likely The Jay Leno Show. A year later, Movieline reviews ten more small screen failures -- including the most heartbreaking television cancellations and most horrifying cleavage on Sesame Street -- as we approach the end of the calendar year. Enjoy, and feel free to contribute your own suggestions ahead.
"I am happy that I had the opportunity to establish the world that these characters can now play in [...] I look forward to seeing what others can do playing in the same world." Those are the words of Jon Favreau, as he leaves directorial duties on Iron Man franchise behind for good. Which director will Marvel try to lowball -- excuse me, "lure" -- into that Favs-created world for Iron Man 3? Ahead, Movieline offers seven suggestions.
Alternate headline: "If you were the inventors of Time magazine's Person of the Year, you would have invented Time magazine's Person of the Year." What started as a rough morning for the makers of The Social Network turned around in a hurry. Late last night the San Diego Critics Society broke ranks with their film critic brethren and voted Winter's Bone as top film of 2010 instead of The Social Network (punishment will be meted out later this afternoon). Before David Fincher and friends could cry in their Kashi Go Lean, though, Time magazine swooped in this morning and named Facebook head honcho Mark Zuckerberg as their Person of the Year. Suck on that, Ree Dolly!
Also in today's edition of The Broadsheet: More awards craziness, featuring Colin Farrell and a mad Italian... Nicolas Cage's next genre thriller appears set... John Gotti Jr. wants a biopic... Michael Moore puts his money where his mouth is... and more...
The Sundance Film Festival has announced three late additions to its lineup, and they all sound pretty exciting, especially Alex Gibney and Alison Ellwood's documentary Magic Trip. Apparently in the 60's, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Author Ken Kesey and friends took an LSD-fueled road trip to the New York World's Fair and filmed the entire thing. Ellwood and Gibney have assembled this footage, along with photos and audio recordings into, I presume, something coherent. It could be hilarious, enlightening or really stupid, but I personally can't wait to find out which. The rest of the announcement includes new work from Miranda July (Me and You and Everyone we Know) and Ashley Judd. Read on for the full synopses.
Well, if nothing else, maybe Take Me Home Tonight will go down as the death rattle for the 80s nostalgia coming-of-age film. It's set in 1988, so I suppose maybe we'll see one in a few years set in 1989, but based on this trailer, I'd say it's about time to move on. It's actually bizarre how comfortable the marketing for this film seems with every single overused last-great-party-of-youth cliche known to man. That said, the film does have one secret weapon, and as with Yogi Bear trailer, it's extremely under-utilized here.
· It's been almost two decades since Christian Bale treated us to the newsboy vaudeville for which we most love him. Today he ended the streak with a tiny excerpt of the Newsies song "Santa Fe" and, strangely, the Powerpuff Girls theme. Mark Wahlberg makes a confused cameo. [ONTD]
OK, not a huge surprise considering a lot of Favreau's recent comments about the state of Marvel Studios, but it's still sad to read reports that Jon Favreau has decided not to direct the third chapter of the Iron Man saga. Favreau recently told MTV, "This whole world ... I have no idea what it is. I don't think they do either, from conversations I've had with those guys." So, yeah. That doesn't sound like a guy itching to sign on for another go around. (His rep did not immediately return Moveline's requests for comment; Deadline drew confirmation for Robert Downey Jr.'s side.) But look on the bright side: This totally creates an opening for Mike Leigh. [Vulture]
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