And who says that those in power never listen to the common man? Yesterday we reported that Marvel Studios was allegedly going to go with a new actor to play Bruce Banner/the Hulk in their big action ensemble, The Avengers. Edward Norton had previously played the tortured scientist/purple pants enthusiast in 2008's The Incredible Hulk, but got into a bit of tiff with Marvel execs over his script and the focus of the movie. But late last night Marvel Studios released a statement to HitFix explaining away the whole situation.
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As we make the clubhouse turn into the dog days of summer, it seems like we have ourselves our first bonafide surprise hit of the summer. Despicable Me made a stunning debut at number one, giving success-starved Universal Studios a small taste of the good life. Bumped down to number two are the glittery, goo-goo-eyed gang of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, while Predators comes into at number three. Here are your weekend receipts.
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While doing press for her upcoming action flick Salt, Angelina sat down with MTV News and shot through a bevy of movies in development that her name has been linked to. And, damn, lady is efficient; she races through them like she's trying to reach the top of the $25,000 Pyramid. Check out the video of Angie's speed after the jump.
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As my estimable colleague Kyle Buchanan reported yesterday, producers of the new Wicked movie musical have zeroed in on four possible directors for the film: Star Trek's J.J. Abrams, Walk the Line's James Mangold, Glee's Ryan Murphy and Chicago's Rob Marshall. But fortunately, my sister is dating a guy who is cousins with a girl who went to camp with this one dude who works in Universal's mailroom, and was able to get me each director's pitch for their vision of Wicked. Click ahead to experience the wonder.
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Man, if we could only harness the energy of Marvel movie casting rumors, we wouldn't need offshore drilling. ONTD is reporting that Peter Parker also-ran Anton Yelchin impressed the Spidey powers-that-be enough that he's been cast as Peter's best friend and sometime nemesis Harry Osborne. For the Lincoln-had-a-secretary-named-Kennedy-and-Kennedy-had-a-secretary-named-Lincoln trivia buffs among you, that's precisely how James Franco got cast as Harry in the original Spider-Man waaaayyyyyyy back in 2002 (Gosh, did we even have movies back then?). ONTD's only source on this, though, is IMDB, so take this news with as much salt as your physician will allow. [ONTD]
Marvel Studios has certainly been putting their super-powered ducks in a row with their upcoming superhero ensemble movie, The Avengers. They've got Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man, Samuel Jackson as Nick Fury, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Chris Evans as Captain America, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye and probably even Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow. But is Edward Norton no longer Marvel's pick to play the Incredible Hulk's alter-ego, puny Bruce Banner?
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Well, it seems like it was only poor 'ol S.T. and me who had no clue what the heck Despicable Me was. Clued-in audiences have responded in a big way to Steve Carell who plays...a guy...who kind of looks like Uncle Fester and he's got these little yellow...homunculi? slaves? widgets? and then something happens with kids in 3D. I dunno. But everyone else is eating it up! It made more than $22 million yesterday which may lead to a surprisingly huge $55 million-plus weekend. Meanwhile the Most Vapid Love Triangle in Cinematic History pulled their chaste love train into second place as Eclipse added about $11.5 million last night to their coffers. Predators generated about $11 million on its opening night, which may not sound like a lot until you realize that executive producer Robert Rodriguez makes things on the crazy-cheap and the budget for this one was like 78 bucks and some buttons that Rodriguez found in his ashtray. The inimitable Toy Story 3 and the incompetent Last Airbender made up numbers 4 and 5, respectively. Check out the full numbers after the jump.
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Hoooo boy, there are a thousand unprintable analogies to describe the sensations of this week's scorching heat -- but enough about Movieline's hot moxie and firecracker zeal. For the rest of the entertainment world it was all about the very limitations of power, and particularly the outrageous things that happen when one oversteps them. Flash back with Movieline's Week in Review, and drop by this weekend as Dixon Gaines picks up that red-hot baton and sprints with it. Off we go!
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· Unintentional cult auteur Tommy Wiseau may never truly follow up his epic The Room -- and really, who could? -- but those looking for a Wiseau fix might appreciate this teaser for The House That Drips Blood On Alex, a bloody upcoming web series where he stars as...Andrew W.K.? I'm spitballing. Check it out after the jump. [Atom]
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Aw, look at that widdow award-snubbed face. Ed O'Neill may be the lovable patriarch on Modern Family, but Emmy voters left the TV veteran cold when it came to declaring nominees for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series this year. His co-stars Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, Sofia Vergara, and Julie Bowen all picked up mentions, but now you, our beloved Movieline commenters, get to pick up Ed O'Neill. And the tab! We hear he's a fan of Oreo Fro-Yo, so surprise him with a medium cup, would you?
So. Who's gets to help heal our favorite Bundy?
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And for your Friday news dump: Those nasty racist comments Mel Gibson spat over the phone to his ex-girlfriend are officially live. And they're... angry? In related news, Ari Emanuel has made it officially known that he will not have Gibson on his roster any longer -- officially, unofficially or otherwise. Raise your hand if you didn't see this coming. Hey! I can't see those hands!
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Movieline knows that summer 2010 isn't a wellspring of brilliant cinema, and you and your airbent tolerance likely agree. However, there's potential for great movies right in front of us in the form of recent music videos that feature threads of narrative begging for full-length adaptation. Join us as we take five du jour pop smashes and pitch 90-minute versions that could thrill us at the multiplex.
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If it weren't for X-Men: First Class casting news, would there be anything to write about? Kevin Bacon is reportedly in talks to star in Matthew Vaughn's rapidly filling up X-Men prequel as the main villain. Because in the prequel Magneto (Matthew Fassbender) isn't all bad and, as a result, someone needs to bite the dust before the credits roll. Or something. If a deal is worked out, it would mean the comic adaptation would have its first major American performer on board and -- even better -- give a whole new generation of actors the chance to star in Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. [Deadline]
Boo! It appeared for a brief moment of happiness that Lionsgate had committed to calling the next Saw sequel Saw 3D: The Traps Come Alive, a deliciously Frampton-evoking title that could potentially rank alongside forthcoming films 5nal Destination and Fast Five for sheer "f**k this franchise, let's go nuts" naming power. Alas, "the traps come alive" is just the tagline, and the film is simply called Saw 3D. So no takers on Tyler Perry's Saw VII: The Traps Come Alive 3D, then? [Coming Soon]
Right off the line, still hot to the touch and redolent of that sexy new-poster smell, the one-sheet for Smash His Camera has landed exclusively in Movieline's driveway. The documentary profiles self-anointed "paparazzo superstar" Ron Galella through nearly five decades of getting up close and personal (maybe too personal) with some of the most famous celebrities in the world. Oscar-winner Leon Gast took home Sundance's Best Documentary Directing prize for the film following its premiere in January, when even Robert Redford himself spoke of that one time -- and I do mean only one time -- he outwitted Galella.
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