This is the kind of story that sounds too absurd to be true. According to an insider for Vulture, Matt Damon will no longer be making his directorial debut with the project previously reported on. The idea came from Dave Eggers and John Krasinski, and the script was co-written by Krasinski and Damon, but the insider is citing “script issues” as the reason for Damon getting up from the director’s chair. Thus, Matt Damon is having trouble with the script from Matt Damon. The best part? Apparently he’s still on board to star. So there are 3 options here: 1) Either Matt Damon thinks the writing he (and Krasinki) did is good enough to star but not good enough to direct 2) he is having an existential crisis where he’s arguing with himself or 3) the insider is wrong. Maybe Damon really is stepping back from directing, but the reasoning here sounds ludicrous in light of the work he’s already done. Hopefully some clearer information will come out before the FSR offices run out of aspirin.

Hopefully the spoiler warning is loud and clear enough here, and, yes, I still take them seriously. Even if a fancy scientific study shows that we like things that are familiar, there’s still no replacement for being surprised or awe-struck with the wonder of newness. So if you’re avoiding information about Superman: Man of Steel, you can stop reading now. And if you keep reading, simply know that all of this might be untrue – it’s the work of an “insider” with the production that scoop site Comic Book Movie trusts. Their track record is pretty stellar, but nothing is confirmed until it’s truly confirmed.

All during the lead up to Transformers: Dark of the Moon, both the film’s director Michael Bay and its star Shia LaBeouf made it clear that three was going to be enough for them, and that they would not be coming back for a Transformers 4. Usually when declarations like this are made there’s a lot of hand wringing that goes on as everybody tries to figure out what it would take to get the big names back. In this case, however, the concept of huge robots turning into cars and fighting is way, way cooler than either Michael Bay or Shia LaBeouf.  You guys aren’t coming back? Great, then maybe we’ll finally get a Transformers movie that’s completely awesome. And if the early rumors turn out to have nuggets of truth to them, then I already like Transformers 4 better than I’ve liked any of the first three. Showbiz Spy is claiming that they have sources close to the development of the franchise, and seeing as the third film is making so much money, a fourth is going to be attempted even without Bay and LaBeouf. And since they can cast off the shackles of the previous creative direction, they are looking to take the Autobots in a much darker and more adult direction. To that end they’re apparently looking at action star Jason Statham to become the new lead of the series.

Remember how much everybody loved Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and how fandom has been clamoring for further father/son bonding adventures between Indy and Sia Labeouf’s Mutt ever since it left theaters? Me either, so why are all the cast members of that film going around talking to MTV cameras about another sequel? Probably because George Lucas and company know that no matter how bad it looks, we’ll all go and see it anyways. We can’t help ourselves; it’s a sickness. And because of that, Ford seems to be busy preparing his creaking old body for a fifth go around in the iconic Indy togs. According to Shia LaBeouf, “I talked to Harrison Ford. He said he’s staying in the gym, he said he’s heard no word, but he does know that George Lucas is out there looking for a MacGuffin. He said he’s staying in the gym, so it means the movie is not so far off.” If the amount of time it took Lucas to find a MacGuffin for Crystal Skull is any indication, then Ford may be in that gym for quite some time.

Recent comments by Diane Lane pointed to the fact that Zack Snyder’s upcoming Superman reboot Man of Steel would be yet another origin story of the Kryptonian cast-off turned farm boy turned big city reporter; and I and others like me instantly started whining. Well, to add to this story, The Latino Review says that they have a shadowy source involved with the film, and they’ve beaten some more specifics about what we’ll be seeing out of him. Possible spoilers that will be revealed in the film’s advertising eventually anyway below. According to Deep Throat, we will in fact be seeing the planet Krypton, and we will get scenes with Superman’s birth parents Jor-El and Lara. And not only will we be seeing them, but they seem to be meaty enough parts that Snyder is going after big actors to play them. He’s even been hounding the greatest living actor Daniel Day-Lewis to play Jor-El. In addition to Superman’s parents and the already cast General Zod, we’ll also be getting another female Kryptonian. Her name is Faora and she was a man-hating serial killer who offed 23 dudes back on Krypton before she was trapped in the Phantom Zone. The source also says that the crystalline look of Donner’s Superman films will be changed, and this time Krypton will have more of a futuristic cityscape look like Coruscant from the Star Wars prequels. So people complaining that this Superman movie looks like yet another retread of Donner’s films now have [Due to Content Scraping and Theft, we have been forced to try abbreviated feeds. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and woud very much appreciate you clicking through to view the full article on FilmSchoolRejects.com]

A few bits of news have come down the pipe so close together that it is almost impossible they aren’t related. Ever since Michael Bay’s blockbuster hit Armageddon came out in 1998, film fans all over the planet have been clamoring for further adventures from Ben Affleck and company. Well, it’s now looking like things are coming together in a way that will allow everyone to get their wish. After a very public break, Aerosmith front man and current judge on TV’s American Idol Steven Tyler has confirmed via his Twitter account that the band is going to head back into the studio together. Tyler stated, “AEROFREAKSREJOICE, Joe & I sent smoke signals… shot the shit & chewed the fat for the last year… but just smoked the peace pipe for an hour today and are on our way to rock’in your fkin worlds this summer by locking our selves [sic] away somewhere w/ guitars and drums.” Aerosmith has had several hits going all the way back to the 60s, but they are, of course, best known for their contribution to the Armageddon soundtrack, “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” Almost concurrent to this announcement, Tyler’s daughter Liv talked to FOX about she and her father trying to make some music together. “We sing all the time together. We always talk about doing something together. Sometimes when he is in the studio he’ll say ‘come down and sing backup or sing with me on this song.’ But I’m usually [Due to Content Scraping and Theft, we have been forced to try abbreviated feeds. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and woud very much appreciate you clicking through to view the full article on FilmSchoolRejects.com]

UK’s “The Sun” isn’t the publication most known for its reliability and integrity, so this news should probably be taken with an entire shaker of salt, but they claim to have a source telling them that Sir Anthony Hopkins is talking to Bond producers about starring opposite Daniel Craig as the next Bond Villain. The shadowy source says, “The only stumbling block seems to be the number of films he is signing up for. There is a chance the character they want him to play could become a regular feature, like Blofeld back in the day.” That all sounds very interesting. A reoccurring villain might be just what this batch of Bond movies needs to get some of that serial storytelling excitement necessary for drawing an audience from film to film. And for Hopkins, an actor who seems increasingly content with taking showy roles and just having fun with them, being a mustache twirling bad guy in the Bond universe might just be the perfect fit. We’ve heard rumors before that Javier Bardem was also in talks to join Bond 23, most likely in the role of a villain, and this adds a little intrigue to that. With the possibility of Hopkins playing a reoccurring role, could this mean that Bardem is who they’re looking at to play his underling? Maybe Hopkins is the head of some evil organization and Bardem is his muscle? I’m not the biggest fan of this franchise in the world, but I like the direction [Due to Content Scraping and Theft, we have been forced to try abbreviated feeds. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and woud very much appreciate you clicking through to view the full article on FilmSchoolRejects.com]

From post-credits appearances by Samuel L. Jackson or Robert Downey Jr. to Clark Gregg’s straight-faced Agent Coulson popping up briefly across multiple films, Marvel characters cross pollinate all the time. This should really come as a no brainer seeing as the Marvel universe is more incestuous than the Partridge Family household, but it appears there’s one more character looking to extend his screen life. Per the Swedish TT (Tidningarnas Telegrafbyrå, apparently the local version of Reuters), Stellan Skarsgard looks to be reprising his role of Dr. Selvig from this summer’s Thor in next summer’s Joss Whedon epic, The Avengers. The mention in the paper is brief and absent of any real detail and it has yet to be confirmed by the studio or by Marvel, but Swedish people are physically incapable of lying so the odds are this is solid information. The mention is translated below. “Stellan Skarsgard confirmed to TT Spectra that he will play the same role in the upcoming “Thor”: Doctor Selvig. Not much is yet known about the character beyond that Selvig is a scientist in New Mexico.” Thanks to Nick ‘Penis Pride‘ Kockum for the tip and explanation of the whole ‘TT’ thing!

Hopefully the headline is enough of a spoiler warning (and enough for you to go get your grain of salt), but some new rumors for The Dark Knight Rises have…you know…risen, and they aren’t the kind that see Eddie Murphy playing Crazy Quilt. Sorry about that. Try to forget the image that just popped into your head. Instead of broadcasting this on the home page, go ahead and skip ahead of the jump if you want to know some possible details about what characters will be doing what (could it be more vague?). If not, stay golden, Pony Boy, and avoid this post like the spoilery plague.

I guess you can call it the Tweet heard ‘round the world. Last week Arnold Schwarzenegger, former governor of California and the greatest living actor, announced on his Twitter account that he had given his agents the go ahead to start taking movie offers. Over the next few days the news spread all over the web like wildfire. Well, a couple more days in and Deadline Slough is reporting that all of this renewed interest in Arnie has lead to renewed interest in the Terminator franchise as well. Consider the wildfire fanned. Apparently Universal is looking for a new project to attach Fast Five director Justin Lin to, and they think a fifth Terminator film with Schwarzenegger involved in some way just might be the ticket. Before Schwarzenegger’s announcement, interest in another Terminator film had come to a pretty abrupt halt. First McG’s fourth film in the franchise was a critical failure and a box office disappointment, and then a bankruptcy auction led to the rights to the franchise being bought by some hedge fund. Film execs willing to step into that quagmire to try to revitalize a franchise that seemed to be on its last legs were hard to come by. But now, with one mighty Tweet, we’re all back in the Terminator speculating game.

It would come to this point eventually, but Adam Sandler might be circling a project called Fat Man that would see him playing an 800 pound man falling in love with his nurse. That can only mean one thing: fat suit. Or some intense, dedicated weight gain that will win him an Oscar. Sensible people vote for the latter, but according to First Showing, the project is written by a Simpsons alum and might be more heart than gimmick. They spoke with director Miguel Arteta (Cedar Rapids, Youth in Revolt) who claimed he was highly interested in the project as well (especially with the prospect of working with Sandler). So, the validity of the rumor (not to mention its fragility even if true) is questionable, but if the script was truly “beautifully written,” “very funny,” and “very touching,” it might be the sort of thing that uses a fat suit to break someone out of the bland comedy mode they’ve been in for a while. In a way, Sandler is perfect for the role – or at least better than Zach Galifianakis. This sort of thing might be expected from Galifianakis (if it really is both grounded and off the wall), but not from Sandler. It would be a risk, and risks are what make great movies.

Being cast in the Coen Brothers’ True Grit was the chance of a lifetime, but Hailee Steinfeld capitalized on that opportunity by delivering a powerful performance (despite not even being able to understand her co-star). It’s no surprise that offers have been coming in for the young actor, but Cinematical is claiming that the chorus seems to be revolving around The Hunger Games. The adaptation stands to be the next big thing, coming from the battle-tested grounds of YA novel competition, so Steinfeld very well could stand out as its star. It’s just a rumor, and a source isn’t even named, and The Hunger Games might be unrequited in its interest for her, or vice versa. So it’s a long way from being confirmed, but as a bit of dream casting, it’s pretty great.

The Akira remake news train is going to keep plowing forward – so far speeding over Zac Efron, the potential audience and now veteran actor Morgan Freeman. Freeman is rumored to be circling around the role of the Colonel – a vital component in the story. He’s the closest thing to a father figure the plot has, and he does experiments on a young man that result in turning him into a giant globular monster. Warning: if you don’t like hearing negative things about Morgan Freeman, do not read on.

Before you throw your computer at your television and yell, “Aww, hell naw!” take a moment to ponder the existence of an Old Boy remake/new manga adaptation that doesn’t at all, in any way, star Will Smith. Seriously. That equipment is expensive. Calm down. Even without Will Smith, the prospect of a remake isn’t a pleasant one, so keep your fingers crossed that this remains a rumor. Pajiba has the inside scoop that I Am Legend writer Mark Protosevich’s pass at a script is into the studio, they like it, and that Mandate is attempting to get Spielberg back on board. If this is true, and if they can’t get Spielberg, the secondary rumor is that they’ll try to put the hammer in Danny Boyle’s hands. Boyle might be a strong choice, even if Spielberg doesn’t shy away from violence the way people seem to think he does. Either way, while this all shakes out, I’ll be watching Chan-wook Park’s version on the television I didn’t destroy earlier.

With Eddie Murphy sadly out of the running, the world now turns to Charlize Theron and Vera Farmiga to fill the void. The two actresses are rumored to be in talks to join The Dark Knight Rises, a movie that the entire planet will get tired of talking about minutes before its release. According to Comic Book Movie, Theron would be a detective/love interest for Jim Gordon, and Farmiga is auditioning to be a socialite and love interest for Bruce Wayne. Either way, even though this is just a rumor, the two women would make strong additions to the film. Or any film for that matter.

Consider this a rumor until either Warner Bros. officially confirms it or Edward Norton lays claim to the role, but it looks like Guy Ritchie has filled the Brad Pitt-sized shoes of Sherlock Holmes’ most famous nemesis, Professor Moriarty. Word has been for months that the role would be going to a big name star like Pitt or Daniel Day Lewis, but according to the folks over at Latino Review (who are right a hell of a lot more often than not) the evil mastermind will be played by… that guy in the picture! Jared Harris, son of the late Professor Dumbledore, can currently be found on AMC’s Madmen. He also has upcoming roles in John Carpenter’s The Ward and Tomas Alfredson’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. And yes, he is suitably British. Sherlock Holmes 2 will see the return of Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law, and Harris will be joining other recently announced cast members Noomi Rapace and Stephen Fry. The sequel opens in December of next year.

Consider this as a rumor from the Swedish TMZ crowd until further confirmation, but Tom Cruise and director Brad Bird may have found their villain for Mission Impossible 4… Per online Swedish tabloid, Nojes Bladet, Michael Nyqvist may be starring against Cruise as one of the baddies in the latest installment of the action/spy franchise. If the name doesn’t sound familiar it may be that you have yet to catch international sensation, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, or its two equally popular sequels. I don’t speak Swedish, so I’ve had to trust in the infallible accuracy of Google Translator. Which means any errors in this post, big or small, can be blamed on the fine folks at Google. And probably on the Swedes too.

With all that Comic Book Convention 2010 stuff slowly dying out, someone out there in the superhero world had to pipe up and keep the train rolling down the track. After all the Marvel talk, it might as well be a DC property. The rumor of the day is that Jon Hamm – the actor known as Mad Men’s Don Draper and Liz Lemon’s impossible boyfriend – might be up for the role of Clark Kent (a man who, if you look at him without the glasses, resembles Superman an awful lot). This isn’t a done deal, but if it’s headed that way, it’s enough prompting to take a look at the pros and cons of what casting him might mean.

A major comedic writer might be lending his talents to shape a story about time-traveling, ghost busting heroes from SNL funnyman Dan Ackroyd.

The folks at Empire caught up with one actor who is not only in the hunt for Oscar gold, but also meeting with the folks at Marvel about a potentially great role.