At one point following the critical and commercial success of his 2007 post-apocalyptic blockbuster I Am Legend, director Francis Lawrence entertained the notion of coming back with star Will Smith for prequel, but eventually that possibility trailed off and Lawrence casted doubt onto his involvement with the potential project. But today Warner Bros. announced a deal with Akiva Goldsman and Overbrook Entertainment, who have tapped screenwriter Arash Amel to write a follow-up to the $584M hit. Whether or not it'll be a prequel or some sort of direct sequel is unknown, though it's reportedly being created for Smith. Let's speculate away: Just how WB can possibly pull off another installment?
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I wanted to believe James Cameron — I really did! — but it turns out that the 3-D conversion of his megahit Titanic is not only the craven cash grab we all feared, but it's also a visually drab re-rendering of an otherwise extraordinary technical achievement. Womp wooomp.
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Happy Friday! Everything's terrible: "Perhaps, then, people are staying away from movie theaters not because the economy’s bad, but because movies cost too damn much. And because the movies being shown aren’t particularly good. And because paying an extra $5 for a mediocre film in 3D is a rip-off. And because most households are already paying around $100 a month for cable and movie channels at home, as well as another $9 or more for Netflix or some other service. And because a DVD rental at Redbox costs just a bit over $1. And... well, you get the picture." And let's not forget that scourge known as other moviegoers. [Time]
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Last summer’s Cars 2 marked a notable footnote in the history of Pixar Animation, just not a good one; despite opening to the studio’s sixth-highest worldwide take to date, the sequel to 2006’s Cars earned middling reviews, prompted critics to deem it a commercial cash-grab, and eventually – maybe most shockingly, given the studio's track record – became the first Pixar film not to nab an Oscar nod for Best Animated Feature since the category was inaugurated. Could it be, as Pixar producer Lindsey Collins suggests, that Cars 2 was Oscar-snubbed because of anti-Pixar backlash?
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"Mr. Liman will create a feature-length film whose script is compiled from various documents on prisoner abuse and torture, some of which were obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests, and whose footage will consist of user-submitted videos of their readings of these documents. [...] 'The experience people will have recording a scene, whether you’re the one speaking the words, or the one behind the camera — or the phone that’s filming the person, more likely — is extremely powerful, in and of itself.'" [NYT]
Can't wait for Sam Raimi's star-studded, mega-budget Oz: The Great and Powerful? How about a low-budget, modern-day twist on the L. Frank Baum classic featuring Dorothy as a children's book author (and Kansas transplant, natch) in Manhattan and co-starring Lance Henriksen, Billy Boyd and Christopher Lloyd? Oh. Well anyway, here's the latest on Dorothy and the Witches of Oz, the erstwhile little-seen mini-series that by all appearances this weekend should become a little-seen theatrical release.
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From the brilliant mind that brought you the only illustrated War Horse review you will ever need: "I give The Vow two out of five kisses. On the way home from the theater, I saw a rat who found a churro and it was more romantic than the entire movie." [Vanity Fair]
Break out the $5 bubbly and tuxedo tee-shirts: the 2nd Annual YouReviewer Awards are a mere day away, and our friends at ENTV are rolling out the red carpet as some of the biggest names on YouTube honor the year's best movies.
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Good news, Pauly Shore fans! Hot on the heels of his recent appearance in last fall's Bucky Larson: Born to Be A Star, the Weasel himself is heading back to the spotlight with a new feature comedy about a Jersey Shore-style guido wrongly accused of murder who's forced to hide out in the country, where he develops a knack for bootlegging moonshine. It's called -- simply, poetically -- Whiskey Business. What's that? Tell you MORE??
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How's this for a dramatic break-up story? After a nine-year relationship with SDB Partners, Chris Pine opted to part ways via email. Having worked with the actor for pretty much his entire career to date, during which time he rose from guest slots on ER and CSI: Miami to nabbing Star Trek and this week's slick rom-com This Means War, Pine's former agents weren't going to be dumped so easily; they're suing Pine for millions in back- and future-commissions with a lawsuit that puts his salaries on blast. All of which means that today we get to play "Guess That Salary - Chris Pine Edition!"
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Three pretty young friends find themselves trapped by a shadowy stranger -- in an ATM vestibule! -- in David Brooks' directorial debut, ATM. Get a glimpse of the single-location thriller, from the writer of Buried, in an exclusive clip and new images.
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A collectible poster debut from the boutique art purveyors over at Mondo is always an event, but this Valentine's Day Mondo and the Alamo Drafthouse have something in store so special it's almost... inconceivable! In celebration of the 25th anniversary of Rob Reiner's 1987 fantasy classic The Princess Bride, the good folks at the Drafthouse have created a line of Princess Bride-themed wines ("The Bottle of Wits") to coincide with a series of V-Day Princess Bride Quote-Along Feast events and a new illustrated commemorative poster by artist Drew Millward, which goes on sale today. Get the exclusive first look at Millward's poster design after the jump!
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It's Valentine's Day, lovebirds -- time to hash out some passionate debate over the films that get your pulse racing and make your chest heave, the romances that get your hankies flying and fill your hearts (and your loins!) with longing. Whether you're planning the perfect V-Day date or preparing to love vicariously this Valentine's Day, chime in and tell us which of cinema's greatest love stories hits you the hardest. Let's start with a classic, shall we?
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When I first heard Taylor Swift's Hunger Games soundtrack single, the twangy country ballad "Safe & Sound," I wasn't so keen on how Swifty channeled teen heroine Katniss Everdeen, T-Bone Burnett's support or no. (I did, however, dig the gentle melodics of country folk duo The Civil Wars, who back Swift on the song and share songwriting credits with her and Burnett.) Now the music video for the single has debuted, a dreamy nature-themed joint that lovingly follows Swift as she traipses barefoot around the woods sharing meaningful glances with deer and twigs.
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Speaking with MTV, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura confirmed general details on a fourth planned movie in Paramount's Oscar-nominated Transformers series, which will indeed see Michael Bay returning behind the camera. (First, however, he may finally shoot his bodybuilding crime pic Pain & Gain.) Though it's expected we'll see main robot characters like Optimus Prime return, summer of 2014's Transformers 4 -- Trans4mers? Tr4nsformers? -- will be a reboot, di Lorenzo says, because of course we need a Transformers reboot already. Of course. [MTV]
