Any theater fan knows that making Les Miserable as a film will be a considerable undertaking (one that hopefully keeps the rotating stage). It’s an epic piece of writing made even larger by the music created for the stage version by Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil (the English version libretto was done by Herbert Kretzmer). With a Best Picture under his belt, Tom Hooper wants to tackle it, and so does Universal, but they’ll both need some giants to fill the main roles, and it looks like they’ve gotten their first. Variety is reporting that Hugh Jackman, famous for being well-versed as an actor, a singer, and a not-too-shabby dancer, is currently in talks to star. It’s unclear whether he’ll be playing the fugitive Jean Valjean (who was imprisoned for stealing bread to feed his sister’s family) or Javert (the police inspector determined to hunt him down), but speculation seems to be that he’ll be running from the law instead of representing it. That speculation is based on Jackman’s natural tenor singing range, but it wouldn’t be the first time a production forced an actor to do something out of their safe zone. The real question is which part he’d be best for. That, again, is Valjean. Although he could honestly nail down either part firmly. Now to find a suitable counterpart. How about Liam Neeson (who portrayed Valjean in the 1998 film adaptation), Karl Urban (can he sing?), or Jean Dujardin (making a proper launch into US filmmaking)? On [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]

This week, Fat Guy Kevin Carr gets set for another weekend of weddings with Kristen Wiig and her posse. Sadly, he discovers that he doesn’t have a vagina and decides to move on. Next, he takes a trip to an alternate world where priests kick ass and kill vampires. Once he realizes he is woefully out of place next to sultry Maggie Q in a ninja priest outfit, he comes home to find his possessions kicked to the curb with Will Ferrell in the middle of the whole mess.

This week, Fat Guy Kevin Carr heads to the movie theater to enjoy the holiday releases and the award films. But how do they stack up against each other. After being swept into Narnia in post-converted 3D, Kevin takes a trip to Venice where he watches a portly Johnny Depp play an everyman to Angelina Jolie walking around a lot. Finally, he takes another award season trip to Boston to watch Mark Wahlberg get punch drunk..

Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck is at risk of having his tourist visa revoked. Or at least he would be if there were any justice in the cinematic world. (Of course, the continued presence of Ashton Kutcher on the big screen proves that’s not the case.) The problem isn’t that von Donnersmarck has made a bad movie or that saying his name aloud reminds one of the worst part of Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds (I’m looking at you Eli Roth!). No, the problem is that after the absolute brilliance of his suspenseful and emotionally satisfying debut, The Lives Of Others, the director’s arrival in Hollywood is with little more than a beautiful but bland trip to Mediocreville.

Some of it looks a bit cheesy, but on the whole, the first full trailer for Priest is incredibly promising. Maggie Q tossing all sorts of ninja stars, Karl Urban looking like The Gunslinger and conducting the burning of a town, Paul Bettany brooding and slashing a dagger into some vampires. It’s all good stuff, and it all looks incredible. The blend of science fiction attributes amidst the crumbling visage of an ancient order is a great concept pulled directly from the graphic novel, and the spirit of the Western (including what looks like a great fight on top of a speeding locomotive) is in tact here amongst the gadgetry and blood-guzzling creatures of the night. The CGI vampires are, sadly, a bit I Am Legendary. However, it seems as though director Scott Charles Stewart is taking this a bit more seriously than he took Legion, and that’s a good thing. Go see the trailer for yourself over at Crackle.

While on a recent visit to the set of RED, I had a quick conversation with Star Trek star Karl Urban about his upcoming role in Priest, a film that is of interest to anyone disenfranchised by the recent rash of teen vampire movies. It’s the kind of movie that puts the brutality back in the mix, pitting man against oblivion brought on by blood-thirsty vamps. After a few moments of Urban telling us about how much fun it was to play a very bad guy, my interest was piqued. Now I’m looking forward to Priest.

This week, Fat Guy Kevin Carr welcomes the summer movie season by handing out a grade to Iron Man 2.

Kevin Carr sits his chubbiness down and sees if Tooth Fairy, Legion and Extraordinary Measures can make the grade.

As God loses faith in mankind once again, the angel he entrusts with the task of setting off the Apocalypse (Paul Bettany) breaks rank in order to protect mankind’s only, last, greatest hope – a small child carried in the womb of a truck stop waitress (Adrianne Palicki).

While Neil is off galavanting in Park City, Utah, stocking up on watching movies for the coming year at Sundance TwentyTen, Kevin is left alone in the Magical Studio in the Sky. To help keep him company is Fozzie Bare, stepping into Neil’s sizable shoes as guest host.

The on again off again film adaptation of Min-Yoo Hyung’s manga series Priest is on with Paul Bettany as the renegade Priest and Karl Urban newly added to the cast as the villain Black Hat.

The model who turned into an action star is joining Paul Bettany in the Old West to murder some blood-sucking fiends.

When God loses faith in Mankind, he sends his legion of angels to bring on the Apocalypse. Humanity’s only hope lies in a group of strangers trapped in a desert diner and the Archangel Michael (Paul Bettany).

Creation, from director Jon Amiel (Entrapment), tells the story of the life of Charles Darwin, the father of the theory of evolution. And in this first trailer, which debuted over at Telegraph.co.uk, we see Paul Bettany as the famed naturalist and Jennifer Connelly as his wife Emma.

After making a religiously based action drama with Scott Stewart, Paul Bettany is going to make a religiously based action drama with Scott Stewart.

If you’re looking to take the kids out to the theater this weekend or just in the mood for a magical journey, you’ll find no better choice than Inkheart.

Kevin Carr struggles with reviews of the movies the studios allowed him to see: Inkheart, Last Chance Harvey and Revolutionary Road.

Looking for more information on ‘Inkheart’ and news on a possible trilogy? Well then look no further.

Warner Bros. has just sent the first trailer for the upcoming family fantasy Inkheart our way. And if you are not sick of seeing Brendan Fraser in a movie where the lead-in is “Journey to a world,” then this is a trailer for you.

Having never seen, read or heard anything about Charles Darwin — I live in America, we only teach Creationsim here, unlike our heathen friends across the pond — I have a feeling that this could turn out to be a very educational experience.