What is Movie News After Dark? It’s the King of all nightly movie-related link dumps. You get twice the intelligence, half the idiocy, one quarter the amount of snark and exactly the same amount of actual news as other sites will give you. Plus, we always end with something fun. So stick around and read a while. We begin this evening with a shot from The Hunger Games featuring Josh Hutcherson as Peeta and Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss. Wait. Is there a reason why these characters have such stupid names? Or is it just to do with the future? I need to get around to reading these books, but I don’t know if I can deal with these names. Anyway, I like their tracksuits. I didn’t know this story was set in communist Russia.

You are not hallucinating. You did not somehow miss the opening of Guy Ritchie‘s second Sherlock Holmes film. You also did not imagine that the film seems to focus principally on trees that explode the minute bullets hit them and Robert Downey Jr. cross-dressing more than is probably necessary (at least, that’s what all the marketing seems to hinge upon). Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows will not open until December 16, but Warner Bros. is apparently so pumped on this second outing that they’ve already set a screenwriter for the third film. And they’ve chosen a screenwriter that all of Hollywood already seems pumped on. Drew Pearce will script the third Sherlock Holmes flick, but not before he finishes up his other big franchise flick three-quel script, for Shane Black‘s Iron Man 3. Not content to just pen scripts for series that star Robert Downey Jr. winking his way through established material, Pearce also reportedly contributed to Guillermo del Toro‘s Pacific Rim. Wait – so he can do superheroes, super-sleuths, and super-monsters? Who is this guy? If the gigs he’s getting set for are any indication, a huge (and unproven, at least feature-wise) talent with some major geek leanings. Pearce’s pre-Iron Man 3 resume is a spare one, filled with a UK television series (Lip Service) and the comedy videos shorts for The Committee. But he’s also got a cult hit to his name – UK series No Heroics, the creation of which is likely what set Pearce for another superhero [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]

The huge box office and critical success of the original Iron Man came as a bit of a surprise to everyone. Iron Man, while having a long publishing history, has never been one of those mainstream, iconic super heroes like a Batman or a Spider-Man. Despite that, director Jon Favreau and star Robert Downey Jr. absolutely nailed the character so perfectly that everyone fell in love with the film. And now that ol’ shellhead has had a feature film that was such a mainstream success, perhaps the argument could start to be made that he is a character on par with the Batmans and Spider-Mans of the world. So, a lot of people were understandably upset when it was announced that Favreau, a guy who did so much for the character, wouldn’t be returning to the director’s chair of Iron Man 3. The guy they got to replace him, however, has a pretty great pedigree, and it turns out that he’s already helped out on this series before. In a Q&A at the Hero Complex Film Festival, Downey tells a story about how he and Favreau went to the new director, Shane Black, when they had reached a stumbling point on one of the past Iron Man films: “I said, ‘We should talk to Shane.’ And I was like, ‘Shane, we can’t really pay.’ And he was like, ‘Bring me some salmon and some blueberries.’ And we went to Yoda’s house in Miracle Mile and it wound up coming in [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]

What is Movie News After Dark? It’s a nightly round-up of entertainment news and tidbits written by a Doctor Who obsessive. But you already knew that. If you didn’t, you’re about to. The sixth season of Doctor Who debuts this weekend on BBC and BBC America (at the same time!!) So of course I’m writing something about it. I just found out that season passes for ‘Part I’ of the Matt Smith-led sixth frame are available on iTunes, for those (like me) who eschew the bonds of cable providers. Also, if you’re looking to throw a Doctor Who premiere party — and invite your favorite film blog publisher — the BBC America page has Doctor Who recipes, including Ginger Companion cookies and Radioactive-Spuds with Cool Avocado Cream. Don’t put these in front of me, because I would easily EXTERMINATE! them. Get it? I’m like the Daleks of food.

Drew Pearce has an uphill battle of sorts, but the climb should be a blast. According to Deadline Sinton, Pearce has just been hired to start from page one for Iron Man 3. He’ll reportedly be working closely with director Shane Black. That’s pretty standard, or at least it should be, but what’s interesting is that Black won’t be writing the script solo. He made his mark in the business treating the world to great writing in the Lethal Weapon franchise, in Monster Squad, and in The Long Kiss Goodnight. He even his directorial debut Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. So why take the writer/director, and make him direct without writing? It’s a curious move. In a way, it’s similar to what happened on Iron Man; Jon Favreau emerged as a writer and actor and soon directed his own work. However, Favreau had already directed other writers’ scripts twice before with Elf and Zathura before getting the Iron Man gig. Black on the other has never directed another writer’s work (since he’s only directed one movie). Marvel must see something in Pearce (who just finished a script for comic book adaptation Runaways). He’s a newcomer to film, but he’s worked fairly extensively in television.  Hopefully we’ll all get to see what they see soon. Like, you know, in two years when the film comes out.

Iron Man 2 wasn’t a mess. It was a Jenga tower that had already been played with for too long. Scenes and motivations didn’t quite fit together, but the real problem was the lack of fun. If you’re going to go all Empire on a sequel and dig your character deeper, it needs to be done with less alienation. If you’re going to keep the tone light, more power to you. Either way, watching that flick felt like carrying an elephant up a steep cliff without rocket boosters. The failure should be spread out amongst Marvel, Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr (in measures that only they personally know), but all of that is in the past, and we all look forward to a bright future where Tony Stark can come back with the energy of the first movie. Choosing Shane Black to write and direct was a massively good first move for Marvel, and he’s already saying all the right things.

The LA Times seems to have spies situated deep in the camp of The King’s Speech director Tom Hooper, and they’re spilling all of the beans when it comes to what his next film may be. One shady, unnamed source says that Hooper has already been offered and turned down the chance to direct Iron Man 3. As has been previously reported, Lethal Weapon scribe Shane Black will be the one taking on the further adventures of the red and gold Avenger, so this suggests that Black was not Marvel’s first pick for continuing the series. What is Hooper going to do instead of a super hero sequel? Well, another source close to the director told the Times that he is considering an offer to direct a film version of Les Misérables. What started as a 1860s era novel by French icon Victor Hugo has spawned countless republishings and adaptations since it’s release, the most famous of which probably being the stage musical of the early 80s. The trench coat wearing, standing in the shadows source intimates that it would be the musical that Hooper would be adapting for the screen here. The last Hollywood adaption of the story was directed by Bill August, came out in 1998, and was not a musical.

It almost seemed a foregone conclusion that Jon Favreau would be the man behind the Iron Man franchise for the foreseeable future. Last December, that future became seeable, Favreau, upset with the way Iron Man 2 was handled, stepped aside, and the rumor mill began churning. Who would step in as his successor to the franchise, to step up to the plate of continuing the flamboyant, dangerous, and ultra-cool lifestyle of one Tony Stark. Now, according to THR, one name has been thrown into contention to do that very thing. Shane Black, the writer behind modern action classics like Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout, and writer/director of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, has been meeting with Marvel execs. The belief is that he is looking to fill the director’s chair, but if hired, he would probably also serve writing duties, as well.

The movie world is so affected by Jon Favreau’s departure from the Iron Man franchise that there’s even speculation that some sort of BFF break-up between the director and Robert Downey Jr was to blame. That will most likely never be proven (until the tell all book comes out in three decades), but it’s clear that fans are reaching for any sort of explanation that rationalizes why the man who was at the forefront of the Marvel solo launch would choose to walk away from his creation in its adolescent phase. The reason, however, is less important than the simple fact that leaving was absolutely the right thing to do.

Jon Favreau announced today that he won’t be returning for Iron Man 3 which seems just as well. Iron Man 2 was a mixed bag, and Favreau already seems to be moving onto the next stage of his career with Cowboys & Aliens. Unfortunately, the man leaves a large director’s chair to be filled – a chair that comes with a lot of expectations and responsibilities alongside what must be a cave-full of fun to be had playing around with Tony Stark. There’s no secret formula for choosing the right director for a project, especially when its the third in a series. We here at FSR wouldn’t recommend Brett Ratner or Joel Schumacher based on past performance in taking over franchises on the third film, but finding names that actually make sense is a little more challenging. We’ve done our best to come up with at least six individuals that would be up to the task in one way or the other (or because we’re infinitely interested in seeing what triumph or train wreck they would come up with). Without further ado, go ahead and read our list of six directors that should take over Iron Man 3 so you can get started on violently explaining why we’re wrong.

Earlier this week, director Jon Favreau told MTV that he had no clarity on what another sequel in the immensely successful Iron Man franchise would look like. “In theory, Iron Man 3 is going to be a sequel or continuation of Thor, Hulk, Captain America and Avengers,” said Favreau at the time, “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.” Flash forward to today, when Vulture has confirmed with sources close to the situation that Favreau has informed Marvel that he will not direct Iron Man 3.

Favreau isn’t locked in as director yet, but he wants the job, and he wants the biggest bad guy of them all.

CinemaBlend’s Josh Tyler is stretching things a bit with his story about Iron Man 3, making a few assumptions about the possible Marvel double-trouble mix of both a third Iron Man film and The Avengers being released in the same summer. However, it does raise an interesting hypothetical situation.

This week on a very special episode of Reject Radio, Kevin Carr attempts to continually steer the discussion toward why his addiction to animated pornography is not a social problem, but I get us back on track and talking about horrible, terrible films like clockwork. Plus, chopped and screwed music!

Could the team that brought up Star Trek be partnering with the team that brought us Iron Man? Downey Jr is already on board and Favreau might just be signing on the dotted line soon enough for aliens in the Old West.

Director Jon Favreau is talking, Tony Stark is communicating with the world via a cocktail napkin. They are men of different worlds — one of reality, the other of fiction — but they are saying essentially the same thing: you should be excited for the future of the Iron Man franchise.

Paramount Pictures and Marvel Studios announced today that they will be teaming up once again, and again, and again on a slew of upcoming flicks, all in the hopes of recapturing the magic of this past summer’s success.