On July 1, 2011, the board game Battleship will come to life on the big screen.  Universal has confirmed that Peter Berg will direct the live-action film based on the popular board game. It will be part of a two feature pack that Berg will deliver for Universal, with the second feature being the Afghan war drama Lone Survivor.

The date also confirms that Battleship will be the second film that Universal will release in its new partnership with Hasbro to bring board games to the big screen.  Stretch Armstrong is slated to be released in April 2011, directed by Steve Oedekerk.  Universal is trying to get towards branded entertainment, and Hasbro is becoming a very important part of their plans.

In my opinion, Battleship has a lot of potential to be a great film.  On the other hand, there are so many ways that this could not be done right.  Let’s just hope that Berg’s plan of “a contemporary story of an international five-ship fleet engaged in a very dynamic, violent and intense battle” works.   It’s going to be rather difficult to put a backstory in a game that just has people guessing where ships are so they can sink them, but Berg does seem to be on the right track.

He seems to be very excited about the film, which is definitely a positive:

“I’ve been consumed with doing one of these since I tried to convince Tom Rothman at Fox to make a film about John Paul Jones, the founder of the American Navy,” Berg said. “As a kid, I was dragged from Navy museum to museum, and spent so much time on ships, listening to my father talk about the great battles of WWII, I did my high school thesis on the Battle of Midway. When this came up, it didn’t take me long to find a take for a film that is filled with raucous action-packed naval battles.”

I’m excited for this.  Let’s hope that Berg doesn’t sink the ship.

Source: Variety

Despite previous reports, The Green Hornet movie is not dead. Hitfix’s Motion Captured has retracted previous statements declaring the death of the film, citing difficulties for Seth Rogen as the film searched for a new director.

Instead, with new director Michel Gondry, and stars such as Cameron Diaz and Nicholas Cage signed on, The Green Hornet looks to be in even better shape than before. Rogen, however, has no plans to rush the project, opting to move the release date to Christmas of next year.

When asked, Rogen explained:

“We’re both relieved and psyched about the change. It gives more time for post, which would have been immensely rushed if we were to come out in the summer. It also affords us more time to promote the film, (now we can go to Comic-Con with more than a car!) and ultimately is a great vote of confidence from the studio. We got the same date that movies like ‘I Am Legend’ and ‘Avatar’ are getting, so we’re thrilled to be there.” [via Hitfix]

It’s certainly refreshing to see that Seth Rogen is not interested in rushing a project just to try to meet a summer release. I’m sure that film buffs everywhere are applauding his decision. Too often we see movies rushed out to try to catch a certain season, but personally I’d rather see a quality product. I can’t wait to see what they manage to produce with the extra time.

It’s difficult to find the right music for any movie.  Where the Wild Things Are is no different.  Trying to capture the vision of the book and translating it to the big screen is no simple task, but The Playlist has revealed details on the soundtrack, including that Karen O has been working with a group of indie rock artists on the soundtrack, which is set to be released on September 29th.

Members of the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, Deerhunter, the Raconteurs and others have joined together in what Karen O has deemed “Karen O and the Kids”.  A children’s choir is also featured heavily ont he soundtrack, which will be composed of songs and soundscapes, going with the ideas that composer Carter Burwell suggested when he first wrote about Karen’s work.  Burwell is also responsible for composing much of the score for the movie.  Karen O, however, composed the music for the soundtrack herself.

The music that they’ve created is strangely haunting, and fits in well with the theme of the movie, from what has been revealed in the trailers.  Karen O will surely help viewers be drawn into the world created by Maurice Sendak, especially when combined with the excellent visuals that stay very true to the book.

Be sure to check out the trailer below for a preview of what Karen O has composed for the feature film.

End of Show is reporting that a movie based on the popular social network Facebook, or rather a movie based on the creation of Facebook has been greenlit by Columbia Pictures.  For those who don’t know (basically, those of you who couldn’t possibly be reading this, as you’d have to be away from technology to not know), Facebook was the creation of Mark Zuckerberg, a geeky guy who went to Harvard.  He decided to create a network to allow people around campus to connect with each other, share interests, and become “friends” with each other.

A few years later, a couple bajillion people now use the social network, and Zuckerberg is valued in the billions.  Honestly, I really don’t know what more they’d be able to add to the story in order to make it a movie.  But, they’ve got about $47 million, or as Mark Zuckerberg would call it, pocket change, to mess around with.  Fight Club director David Fincher is signed on to direct, with Scott Rudin, Kevin Spacey, and Dana Brunetti will produce.

It’s hard to imagine that Facebook is only a little over 5 years old, and there’s already a movie being made about it.  Is the impact of this social network really enough to warrant a movie being made about it?   Only time will tell.  Will you become a “Fan”?

If you haven’t already… check out Film School Rejects on Facebook!

One of the most anticipated films of the Holiday movie season, Twilight, opens up this Friday, and the fanatics are already beginning to line up for the premiere on Tuesday.  A crowd of about 300 has gathered outside of Mann’s Village Theatre, hoping to catch a glimpse of the stars as they head into the premiere.  One of the signs outside even reads “Not moving until Twilight“.  Similar crowds braved the elements in downtown Toronto, San Fransisco and Chicago for meets and greets with the stars.  Chaos ensued when the event in San Francisco only had enough bracelets for 1000 (3000 showed up).

With the hype that this film is bringing comes wild uncertainty at the Box Office.  Will these large crowds translate into box office gold?  Predictions for the opening weekend range from $35-60 Million (Personally, I think it will do better than that, somewhere in the 70+ Million range).  The stars are starting to align for the movie well in advance, with MovieTickets.com reporting that 389 shows are already sold out as of 12 pm today, with 140 of those happening in the past weekend alone. (85% of the movie ticketing site’s sales have been for Twilight)  It’s already hit #20 on the list for the most pre-sales for a movie ever, and that number will only continue to grow.

The numbers are staggering in terms of what anticipation for this film has brought.  The official website has recorded over 11 million views since October, the trailer has been viewed over 12 million times on Myspace.  Even the stars of the film, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Steward, are ranking high on the Star Meter over at IMDB, higher than Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie respectively.  The servers at MTV.com crashed when the initial casting photos were released… that’s just incredible.

Entertainment Weekly is releasing an additional cover featuring the film, a rare occurrence, as the first cover was the best selling one for the magazine so far this year.

Suffice to say that Twilight has drawn a following that no one could have imagined.  The four novels by Stephanie Meyer have been flying off the bookshelves, and it looks to translate to the theaters as the crowds are lining up in droves.  Having worked in theaters for a long time, I can equate the type of sales this is generating to Harry Potter and Star Wars.  That’s an impressive feat for a film that is appealing to a younger, mainly female crowd.  If you braved the theaters for Sex and the City opening weekend, be prepared for that… on a much younger scale.  I don’t envy the parents of the girls who head to the theaters to find the shows to be all sold out.

Hundreds of thousands of people are giving in to the Twilight hype, will you join them?

Sources: Deadline Hollywood Daily; MovieTickets.com

House, MD, FOX, Airs Tuesday 8/7c

Episode: “Adverse Events” (Season 5, Episode 3)

Synopsis: An artist finds that the paintings he makes don’t come out quite as good as he thinks they do… in fact, they are completely distorted. After being assaulted by a client who is not happy with his work, he is brought to the hospital so that he can be examined. House, meanwhile, has hired a private investigator to pry into the lives of those who work for him and around him. Using this information, he creates some tension in the hopes of motivating his staff. His P.I. has other motives as well, to get a date with Dr. Cuddy, who is trying to use him to get information on House. With secrets being revealed by all the characters, the team gathers more and more information about the artist’s life in order to treat him.

Review: Glad to report that after missing last week’s episode, I wasn’t too lost here. This episode was a little less House like than normal, but I think it was a good thing. House comes off as even more of an a-hole (pardon my French), trying to use information that he’s gathered through a PI against his staff, and his boss.

The medical case was pretty tame in this episode, though it turned out to be pretty cool in the end. Then again, I’m into that stuff so if you’re not, it probably didn’t matter. The emphasis was wasn’t on the condition this week, rather it was on the interactions between House and his co-workers. He seemed to be trying to teach them a lesson, especially Dr. Taub, who we find out has some issues at home that he wasn’t sharing with his wife. We also find out that Dr. Kutner once set a world record for crawling, and that Thirteen pays too much for her car.

Despite the episode not feeling like a normal House episode, I was still drawn in and captivated by the story. The show is taking the core of what makes House so good, and giving it a fresh twist. Of course, that’s only my opinion.

Up Next Week: Nothing.. cuz house won’t be airing again until Oct 14. After that though, House finds out that his father has passed away. While away from his team, House must help them with their differential diagnosis of a Chinese woman who collapses while searching for her birth parents.

For more coverage of your favorite shows, check out the Control Freaks Archive.

Did you watch House this week? If so, feel free to discuss below.

With the release of the Star Wars game The Force Unleashed comes new speculation about a new movie! According to the LA Times, Haden Blackman, the producer of Force Unleashed, would love to be able to walk into a theatre and see his tale of Darth Vader’s apprentice on the big screen.

There’s plenty of signs that show it could already be in progress, like the huge, 224 page behind-the-scenes book that celebrates the game like it’s already a movie, the graphic novel that’s already been released, and a soon-to-be available book by Austrailian Sci-Fi author Sean Williams about the game. Phew. George Lucas definitely seems to be pleased with the direction of the game and it’s story, and having just released Star Wars: The Clone Wars in theaters, doesn’t seem to be afraid of taking the franchise to the big screen again.

It definitely helps that there was a huge demand for the Force Unleashed game before it was even released. Unlike the weak box office sales of The Clone Wars, Force Unleashed sold over a million copies in the first five days. Now how much of this would translate to dollars at the box office, I don’t know, but if a million people will buy the game, I’m pretty sure that’s a good sign a few million people would head out to see the movie.

Of course, there is skepticism. The game didn’t exactly get rave reviews:

Most of the things that make up the “Star Wars” universe these days — movies, TV shows, toys and video games — are lacking the magic that made the original trilogy of films so incredible. Gone are the spectacle and awe. Instead, we get halfhearted disappointments (such as the current “Clone Wars” animated movie).

Sadly, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is no exception. It should be an amazing story bridge between Episodes 3 and 4 and one that boasts groundbreaking new artificial intelligence and gaming technology. But Unleashed fails to register the tremor in the Force we were hoping for.

-Pete Metzger, The LA Times

That echos the sentiments of many that bought the game. Despite the less than stellar reviews of the game, the team could not be more excited about a potential movie deal… and to tell you the truth, I could probably get myself hyped up too. But at the same time, it’s kinda feels overdone. George Lucas, when you started to try too hard is when the franchise started to wane. Star Wars will always be remembered as one of the greatest movie franchieses ever… but it might be time to give it a rest.

Do you think Force Unleashed would make a good movie?

House MD, FOX, Airs Tuesday 8/7c

Episode: “Dying Changes Everything” (Season 5, Episode 1)

Synopsis: House picks up with a giant close up of an ant, showing off that CGI that the show has become known for. An executive’s assistant suddenly becomes stricken when she sees ants all over herself, tearing off her clothes at a board meeting, desperate to get them off her. After being taken to a hospital, the executive insists that her assistant see Dr. House (Hugh Laurie) at Princeton Plainsboro. At the hospital, House seems less interested in his new case, instead focusing on Wilson. Dr. Wilson has decided to leave his position, and House will do anything he can to get him to stay. Meanwhile, House’s team attempts to solve their case without him, and Thirteen tries to deal with the fact that she has Huntington’s.

Review: This episode definitely made me remember why I missed this show so much. They got right back into the swing of things, with an extremely interesting case, and an incredible story. The way this season’s beginning ties into the end of last season was great. Taking place two months after the events of last season, the characters have been given time to develop further. What’s great about it was that I actually felt that the two months had passed, and yet the emotions that Wilson, House, and Thirteen showed were still strong.

Another aspect that I think House has tackled very well is the integration of the doctors from the first few seasons. Despite the fact that they have been relegated to more minor roles, they still show how important they are to House, as he is seen going to Cameron for advice. Dr. Chase was a bit cold, but the performance of Cameron was perfect for this episode.

The case that they tackled was pretty cool too. I liked how they left much of the diagnostic work to the team, and allowed me as a viewer to feel the panic as they tried their own solutions to no avail. I really enjoy how they stay medically accurate, and the big words they use are music to my ears. Then again, I’m a huge geek and studied too much biology in school.

A huge focus was put on the friendship between Dr. Wilson and Dr. House. Despite House’s pleas and efforts to get Wilson to stay, he can’t seem to find that caring and emotion that Cuddy believes Wilson is looking for. We learn that despite House believing he knows Wilson and will be able to get him to stay, it might not be enough, as there is something else convincing Wilson it’s time to leave.

Up Next Week: Looks like the departure of Wilson is imminent. I wish I could speculate more, but my DVR cut off at a cruicial point of Wilson’s monologue at the end…. we’ll need to discuss this in the comments! What happened right at the end?!?!?! in any case, this leaves me pretty excited as to what this season will offer.

For more coverage of your favorite shows, check out the Control Freaks Archive.

Did you watch House this week? If so, feel free to discuss below.

We continue our Fall TV Preview with a look at the best shows that Tuesday night has to offer…

90210 (The CW) Airs Tuesdays 8/7c, Premieres September 2nd
“90210″ is a revamp of the show that launched the teen soap opera craze. It’s also being born on the heels of sappy pedestrian CW shows like “One Tree Hill” and the far more daring “Gossip Girl.” Essentially, this show is the television equivalent of going back in time and murdering your grandfather. This is its blessing and curse, since fans will be expecting a continuation of more-of-the-same while also hoping the show can push a few envelopes. There may be few envelopes left, though, since we’ve covered a lot of ground since the original incarnation, “Beverly Hills, 90210″ went off the air. In order to be shocking, the new zip code will probably need to feature an on-air abortion and have one of the cast members become addicted to eating cigarette ash. Is the same audience going to be impressed by the dramatics surrounding hook ups and eating disorders? Maybe. Shock value aside, the show has some tricks up its sleeve – namely some really attractive no-namers who’ll be making out a lot and wearing beachwear. The biggest curve ball, though, comes in the form of the fanboy triple-threat. Jessica Walters from “Arrested Development” has a main role, as does Shenae Grimes from “Degrassi: The Next Generation.” Plus, the biggest player is the one who had to bow out due to running two other shows – Rob Thomas, the creator of “Veronica Mars.” With an AD, Degrassi, and Mars connection, even a few curious fanboys might check in to see what’s happening in Beverly Hills. I have a feeling that people are going to either love or hate this show with passion, and that’s probably just what the producers were going for.

Recommendation: Skip it if you enjoy good television. Dive into the deep end if you love gorgeous, vapid people in various states of drama and undress. - Cole Abaius

Eli Stone, ABC, Airs Tuesdays 10pm ET/PT, Premieres October 14th
Honestly, I’m surprised to see “Eli Stone” returning for a second season. I happen to enjoy the show, but I know very few people who actually watch it aside from myself. (Granted, “JAG” ran for twenty-seven seasons and absolutely no one admitted to watching that one…) The first season ended with Stone (played by likable Brit, Johnny Lee Miller) undergoing surgery to remove a pesky brain aneurysm. This same malady may be causing Stone to experience visions, or it may be his link to a higher calling. Stone follows these visions which usually lead him to people in need of his lawyerly help. The surgery went bad, leaving Stone on the brink of death, and found him face to face with George Michael appearing from a flash of light. “Are you God?” Stone asks. “Some men have said so,” replies Michael. That’s funny shit. The show has a great sense of humor, strong relationships between Stone and his brother, friends, and co-workers, and a sense of wonder missing from most of the primetime lineup.

Recommendation: Watch this show. It has more heart than a box of Lucky Charms. - Rob Hunter

Eureka (SciFi) Airs Tuesdays 9/8c, New Season starts September 9th
America’s smartest little town is back for a third season. Colin Ferguson plays Sheriff Jack Carter, a man of average intelligence trying to keep a town of geniuses in line. Eureka is a small, hidden treasure in the Pacific Northwest where the government has brought together some of the most brilliant minds in the country. However, that brainpower comes with a price. When things go wrong – whether it be overzealous AI, genetic mutations or forgotten weapons gone horribly awry – someone needs to clean up the mess. Season Three began with the introduction of Carter’s latest adversary, Eva Thorne (Francis Fisher), a corporate downsizer intent on making Eureka more profitable. It also saw the re-engagement of Allison Blake (Salli Richardson-Whitfield) to Nathan Stark (Ed Quinn), and in the current season, tragedy ensues upon their relationship. If this isn’t enough for Sheriff Carter to deal with, his free-spirited and pregnant sister Lexi (Ever Carradine) has blown into town, giving his daughter Zoe (Jordan Hinson) a new friend to confide in. As season three continues, we hope to discover the real reason why Eva Thorne came to Eureka, whether Henry Deacon has learned to forgive and what may come between Sheriff Carter and Allison Blake.

Recommendation: Catch this show on Tuesdays for your weekly dose of whimsical sci-fi and technobabble. - Kevin Carr

Fringe (Fox) Airs Tuesdays 9/8c, Premieres September 9th 8/7c
One of several new shows for Fox this year, Fringe is the latest from the evil genius JJ Abrams, examining the relationship between science and the paranormal. When a flight from Germany to Boston lands with a crew and passenger manifest of grizzly bodies, Special FBI agent Olivia Dunham is brought in to investigate the cause. Dunham’s trails lead her to a mad scientist named Dr. Walter Bishop, (John Noble, aka the Steward of Gondor himself!) whose experiments in the area seem tailor made for the situation but the only way to him is through is his estranged son, good ol’ Pacey Witter. Sorry, Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson). Cue much experimentation on Dunham in a desperate effort to solve the case, experimentation which may have lasting effects. Despite the pilot’s storyline revolving around an airline disaster, the show seems to share more elements with “The X-Files” than “Lost.” Though it has buckets of potential, it remains to be seen whether Fringe will have the popularity of JJ’s other smash.

Recommendation: Unmissable pilot, but will the show deliver week on week? – Michelle Graham

House (Fox) Airs Tuesday 8/7c, Premieres September 16th
Last season was capped off with the death of Amber, Dr. Wilson’s girlfriend. This happened despite the fact that House, after being in a bus accident and suffering a head injury, sensed that someone else on the bus needed his diagnostic help. This turned out to be Amber, but it was already too late. Her death, in addition to being a tragedy, also put a rift into the friendship between House and Wilson. Coming up this season, we’ll have to see how the writers decide to proceed with repairing the hurt relationship between Wilson and House, as this is one of the more important relationships in the show. Without Wilson, House wouldn’t really be able to develop a sense of compassion, as it seems Wilson is the one who can hold him in check, and make him think about what he does. Also, Number 13 will have to deal with learning that she in fact does have the incurable genetic disorder, Huntington’s Disease. Looks like another great season for one that ended on an incredible note.

Recommendation: My DVR is already set… is yours? - Joe Ngo

The Shield (FX) Airs Tuesdays 10/9c, Premieres September 2nd
This was a very tough preview to get done, because it turns out that very few of our staff members are all caught up on “The Shield,” but many of you probably are. So here’s what you need to know: “The Shield” is a television powerhouse, a multiple Emmy award winner and one of the most heralded cable shows of all-time. This year, it enters its seventh and final season, a season that will finally answer the burning question that is on the minds of all of its fans: How will it end for Detective Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis)? All will be revealed by the end of this final season to this extraordinary show.

Recommendation: If you are a “Shield” fan, then you don’t need me to tell you to watch it — your DVR is already set. If you aren’t on this bandwagon yet, then you’ve got 6 seasons to catch up on, so get moving. - Neil Miller

For more, check out our 2008 Fall TV Preview page.

One of my most anticipated films is Transformers 2, and /Film has been nice enough to highlight some questions that have been answered by co-screenwriter Roberto Orci.  He’s been answering questions that have been asked on the TFW2005 forums, so if you get a chance, head on over there and ask him a question of your own!

Some questions and answers that Reject Nation may have been looking for (or me, since I’m the one writing the article):

About Writing Shia’s hand injury into the Script: “Luckily nothing has to be reshot. Yes, we were on set last week to write it into the movie, not because it’s absolutely necessary, but more because we want to make sure Shia’s hand is protected for the remainder of the shoot…”

Inspirations for Transformers 2: “Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, Close Encounters and Terminator 2.” “We were emulating the style of movie from the old Amblin days, like Back to the Future and Gremlins, which if you watch today are still very funny. Also, the cartoon itself was quite funny. Also, comedy makes things more accessible to a larger audience.”

Will the Sequel have any Transformers with Animal Modes like Scorponok? “All signs point to ‘probably.’”

I don’t know about you, but that last question has me really excited.  How awesome would it be to have Scorponok in the movie?  Although I guess there already was a giant scorpion robot.  Hm.  In any case, I thought Beast Wars was pretty good when it came to transformers spinoffs, so I can’t wait to see something like that in the upcoming film.

According to the Q and A, looks like we’ll start seeing a massive push in marketing about November.  Be sure to check back here for much more information as it becomes available!  To check out the rest of the Q and A, check out /Film or the TFW2005 Forums!

Just goes to show you that Hollywood doesn’t get it… yet again.  The movie is about Big, Frickin Robots!  Yes, it’s unfortunate that Shia got hurt while the production was underway, but last I checked, the humans weren’t the centerpiece of the movie.  Unless you’re talking about Megan Fox — she can be the center of my –  Anyway, I understand that one of the big “stars” of the movie got hurt, but the real stars in my opinion are the guys that are doing the special effects and animation.  That’s what made the movie “awesome” last time.  That and Megan Fox

Why don’t they just write the thing into the story?

• Bumblebee didn’t like the tune up, so he f’d up Shia’s finger.
• Got a little too frisky with Megan Fox, so I came in and F’d up his hand.
• Any other reason you could possibly think of…

I really hope that there’s no delay in the release date of the movie because of this.  If anything, this turn of events should lead to more robots, less people.  But more Megan Fox. :-)

Source: Transformer World 2005

If you’ve seen The Dark Knight — and who hasn’t? — then I’m sure you agree with me that the Joker was one of the creepiest, twisted psychological villains ever. From the crazy laughs and that sick smile, you knew that he was a pretty bad ass dude. But it seems that some of the early concepts, before Heath Ledger even signed on, were way creepier, as you can see above.

While I’m happy with the concept that was used in the actual film, can you imagine how much darker the film might have been with one of these concepts? They were definitely trying to take the Joker to another level. No longer the overly made up face that Jack Nicholson’s Joker portrayed, but a scarred, sadistic looking one. I’m likin’ these concepts!

If you’re looking for more, it can be found in the book The Art of the Dark Knight. I’m sure it’s got plenty of other concepts that we never even imagined. What crazy things possibly weren’t in the movie?

Do you think any of these creepy concepts would have been better than the one they ended up using?

For more, check out the other photos over at /Film.

Ok, I’m going to admit that I was one of the fans that was totally hyped about a potential Halo movie. I am a huge fan of the games (even though I’m not that good), and I thought that the story behind the game had great potential to become a movie. I thought that where other video game movies failed (thanks Uwe Boll), Halo would succeed. One of the most successful game franchises ever with a rabid fan base can’t possibly go wrong, could it?

Apparently, this is not what Hollywood thought. As far as we all know, the project is dead. No takers. Not gonna happen… right?

Well, it has been discovered that Stuart Beattie has penned a script based on one of the most successful Halo books, Halo: Fall of Reach. In a nutshell, the novel by Eric Nylund is a prequel to Halo: Combat Evolved. It explains the story behind the creation of the SPARTAN II soldiers, and Master Chief, the protagonist of the Halo games. The script is real, and concept art has been created for several scenes from the script. Not just any concept art either. It’s Uber cool concept art created by Kasra Farahani, who was responsible for concept art for such films as Hancock and Spiderman 3.

With Farahani as your concept artist, you know the movie’s gonna be cool. How cool? I don’t know. The art, however, is being used as part of presentations, perhaps to Microsoft about backing the movie. There are plenty of stars in Hollywood who are fans of the game that would love to see this movie made.

Of course, there is no definite answer as to whether or not the Halo movie is going to be made. For all we know, it could just be another thing for fanboys to drool over while they dream of the movie. I will be one of them!

To see the full concept art, head over to Latino Review

Over the past couple of weeks, honchos over at Warner Brothers, such as Jeff Robinov and Kevin McCormick have been meeting with DC comics executives to discuss a potential new direction for DC Film adapatations.

Previously, the comic book based films featured more of a thrown together plan of action. However, with the recent success of both Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, with Marvel linking those two films together, Warner Brothers has been forced to consider something new.

With The Dark Knight’s release date coming soon, the new plan is to develop DC characters with more priority, and with a goal in mind when introducing each character.  Though these plans have been set in motion, there are no definite deals or announcements that have been made.  Warner themselves were hesitant to say anything about the project:

“While we are not going to go into the specifics of the meetings, we’re constantly looking at how best to exploit the DC Comics characters and properties. DC is an incredibly valuable asset to Warner Bros. and plays an important role across the entire studio by providing development and franchise opportunities for all media, including films, television, home entertainment, animation, consumer products, video games and digital platforms.”

I personally think that Marvel had the right idea in mind when they linked together Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk.  It was a very strategic move that will allow them much more creativity when developing future ideas involving those heroes, as well as provide endless new marketing plans.  Warner Brothers, with this potential move, is also taking a step in the right direction, but is this small step that they have fallen behind too much to recover from?  I don’t know.

I just hope that they’ve got something great in mind, because that means more great movies for us!  What heroes would you like to see linked together in film?

Source: Hollywood Reporter

Biel plans on using her blog to help deliver news of projects she will be working on, and threw a shout out to MTDN.com, a nonprofit organization working on donating back to the community and environment.

To make us bloggers feel better about ourselves:

I feel cooler being an official blogger – Jessica Biel

Yes, I did take that out of context, but it made me feel cooler.  Will you go out with me now that we are both bloggers, Jessica?

You can check out her blog over at Myspace.

The twisted mind that brought us Hostel and Hostel 2, will not be back for part 3.  Despite the successes of the first two films, and the talks of a third even before the second hit theaters, it’s unclear now what direction Hostel will be taking.  There’s even some speculation that Hostel 3 might go direct to dvd (shudder).

Roth’s torture series was somewhat groundbreaking when it first hit theaters.  To me, it seemed more real than Saw or other films like that.  Hostel was something I felt could happen in real life.. something that might even be going on today!  Who would ever even think of making a movie where people pay to kill other people?  Ok, maybe you would, but I know that I wouldn’t.

I also feel that there are others who could make a bloody torture movie, but I’m not sure that someone will be able to make it work the same way Roth did. His involvement in the project is unknown as of right now, but he will be not be directing it for sure.

Will Hostel 3 work without Eli Roth?

Source: Bloody Disgusting

May 2011, according to producer Laura Ziskin via The LA Times Blog, is the tentative date for the fourth installment in one of the most successful franchises in history.  However, without a completed script or having Sam Raimi signed back on, who knows if Sony Pictures’ and Ziskin’s estimates will ring true.

Another key component (or not so key?) that hasn’t signed back on yet is Tobey Maguire.  He’s going to be 35 by the time the movie is completed.  Is he really a viable candidate to continue on as Peter Parker/Spider Man?  We’ve seen older people play characters decently before, most recently illustrated in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, with Harrison Ford.  However, Peter Parker is supposed to be a  younger guy… can we really believe that a 35 year old Tobey Maguire can pull it off?

Personally, if they’re going to pull this off with Maguire, Sony and Ziskin will have to get going really quick.  I know that a lot of the components of the movie aren’t done yet, but they’re losing valuable time.  Yes, Indiana Jones proved that a lot of people will wait a long time for “the next installment”, but Spider Man isn’t exactly the kind of character you can have just age like crazy.  I think either Maguire needs to get signed on ASAP so they can start some work, or they need to start looking for a new Peter Parker.

Time is against them.

Do you think Tobey Maguire can still do Spider Man at age 35?

Advertising has become a huge source of income for the entertainment industry, and that trend is only going to go up. From that wisely placed bottle of soda to the types of cameras used or even clothes in a movie, advertising brings in big bucks to the film industry. Just this past year, advertising revenue jumped up 18.5%, to 539.5 million dollars. That is an insane amount of money.

There is of course, a breakdown, with a majority of the money coming from off screen promotions, and a small amount coming from on screen promotion such as product placement, but I won’t bore you with the details of that. What I will tell you, is that according to the Cinema Advertising Council, which contributes a majority of the money towards cinema advertising, the trend will only continue to go up, at least for the next few years. The slumping economy in the United States has not hurt the amount of money companies will put out for advertising, especially packaged goods and retail companies.

“More advertisers are embracing the value proposition of cinema advertising — such as high recall and engagement — more regularly,” he said. “They used to see it more of a once-a-year tentpole event.”

What does this mean to me and you? Well, you’ll be seeing plenty of Pepsi cans and bottles, Gap clothing, and those stylish cell phones in a majority of the movies that are coming out. It’s going to be more than ever before, and I hope that film doesn’t become like Nascar, an industry that is as known for its advertising as it is for its racing. I think we’ve seen enough commercialism in movies, and while it doesn’t seem to be slowing down, I hope it’s done tastefully…

Sound Off: How do you feel about increased product placement in movies?

In a summer that is (going to be) chock full of blockbusters, is there going to be one that will surprise everyone with it’s success? Well, Movietickets.com is reporting that early tracking for The Incredible Hulk might actually beat out Iron Man with it’s opening weekend. Surely a difficult feat, with the Iron Clad hero raking in close to $100 Million in its first weekend.

The popular movie ticketing site used the “buzz factor” in determining this. The “buzz factor” is basically how many people are aware of a new movie opening. For Iron Man, this was 36%. The Incredible Hulk as of right now stands at 49%. Does this really determine how well a movie is going to do? In my personal opinion, it doesn’t. Just because people know that a movie is coming out doesn’t mean they’re necessarily going to see it. I mean.. I knew Speed Racer was coming out, but I still didn’t see it.

If they’re right, The Incredible Hulk should translate to about $130 Million. Since the last one wasn’t so hot, I think I can safely say that the only Big Green putting up huge numbers will be my hometown Boston Celtics. The Incredible Hulk, while faring well, won’t be angry enough to muscle Iron Man aside.

Sound Off: Do you think that The Incredible Hulk could have a bigger opening weekend than Iron Man did?

Source: Screen Rant

It’s been almost 15 years since Steven Speilberg’s dinosaur epic first hit the screen, and since, there’s been 2 additional installments. Every few months, there is talk about doing a 4th film, but will it ever get made? It’s been heard numerous times on the Universal Studios backlot tour as “in development”.

Laura Dern, who plays Dr. Ellie Sattler, is definitely interested in reprising her role. It’s been said that she will have a far meatier role in the “upcoming” 4th edition. He role was excellent in the first, and I’m glad to see that she will be taking on more if the film is to be made. However, Dern doesn’t seem to think that it’ll be too soon:

“It’s a while away but my understanding is it’s happening and my character is very involved. I know [director] Steven Spielberg is looking forward to [getting it together] over the next year.”

Unfortunately, Sam Neill is not expected to reprise his role in the Dino series. This could serve as a loss to the potential of the film, but it’s also an opportunity for someone to step into the role. Do I smell another Shia LaBoeuf intervention into an established series? He could play the slightly grown up Tim Murphy… that is if Joseph Mazzello doesn’t want back in. Just speculation now, of course.

We’ll see if Jurassic Park 4 hits the big screen. I know one thing for sure, when that theme song hits the big screen, it’ll hopefully give me goosebumps like the first time all over again. Reject Nation, what do you think?

Source: Shock Till You Drop