WikiLeaks Founder Will Be The Subject of 2 Films

Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks will be the subject of 2 films!

WikiLeaks has been quite the troublemaker to many recently. The debate about whether or not the site existing and publishing classified documents is a hot-button issue right now.

At the center of the issue is WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. There are at least two films being planned about Assange now.

Deadline reports that documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney (Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room, Casino Jack and the United States Of Money) will make a documentary for Universal on Assange. There’s no word on whether or not Assange will participate with the documentary.

Variety reports that another film about Assange is being made by producers at Josephson Entertainment and Michelle Krumm Prods using the upcoming biography The Most Dangerous Man in the World written by Andrew Fowler. The producers are comparing this book/film All The Presidents Men. No writer, director or cast have been announced yet.

Both projects sound interesting, I look forward to hearing more about them.

SOURCES: Deadline, Variety

New Photo Of Spider-Man Stunt Suit

A new day, a new picture of Marc Webb’s Spider-man hits the web.

Before going crazy and commenting on the suit keep in mind that this is not an official suit. It’s meant purely for stunt work.

If you look closely you can see Spidey’s webshooter!

SOURCE: MTV

Jeff Daniels Joins Rian Johnson’s Looper

Rian Johnson, director of Brick and The Brothers Bloom has casted Jeff Daniels in his new sci-fi film Looper.

Daniels joins an already impressive cast consisting of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt and Paul Dano.

Also joining the film is Piper Perabo reports Variety.

Looper is about a group of hitmen who call themselves Loopers in the present day. The Loopers are sent their targets from the future. The story will focus on Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character who discovers that one of his victims is the older version of himself from the future and lets him go instead of killing him. The film becomes a big race against time to find his older self and kill him the older version in order to save his own future.

The project sounds really interesting and unique. The cast is great and I cannot wait to see this film. What do you think? Does it sound good?

SOURCE: Variety

127 Hours Getting Oscar Push

127 Hours arrived in theaters on November 5th and initially did well at the box office. Unfortunately for the film it has not done well over the long haul. Box Office Mojo is reporting that to date the film starring James Franco and directed by Danny Boyle has grossed just $11.1 million for Fox Searchlight.  That’s well behind The King’s Speech that’s made 49 million and Searchlight’s Black Swan starring Natalie Portman which has to date made 79 million.

127 Hours is expected to get some Oscar nominations next week when the nominations are officially announced.  Most expect a best actor nomination for James Franco and best picture nomination.

Wanting to take advantage of the nominations THR reports that Fox Searchlight is expanding its release from 76 theaters to 600 theaters on January 28th.

I saw the film on its opening weekend and I have mixed reactions about it. I thought James Franco gave a great performance but I felt the film itself was flat.  I didn’t like Danny Boyle’s direction and his editing that much.

Have you seen 127 Hours? Will you see it again? If you haven’t seen it do you plan on seeing it?

SOURCES: Box Office Mojo, THR

Clint Eastwood Directing Beyonce In The Remake Of A Star Is Born

Deadline reports that Clint Eastwood will produce and direct the remake of A Star Is Born for Warner Bros.

Starring in the film as the female lead will be R&B Superstar Beyonce Knowles. There is no male lead yet but Warner Bros. has been trying to get Will Smith for a long time now to star alongside Beyonce in the remake.

This planned remake would be the 4th remake of the film.  This is a project that Warners has been trying to get off the ground for years and it looks like it’s finally starting to happen.

What do you think? Obviously Beyonce can sing, but do you think she has the acting chops?

Russell Brand To Rock Out In Rock Of Ages

Russell Brand is close to being casted in Adam Shankman’s adaptation of the hit broadway musical Rock of Ages reports Deadline. Brand would play Lonnie, a guy who runs a 1980’s rock club called The Bourbon.

Rumored to be joining Brand would be Tom Cruise who would play a bartender and Alec Baldwin.

Rock Of Ages is a musical that uses 80’s rock hits to tell the story. While we’ve seen Brand sing in Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him To The Greek we have never really seen Cruise or Baldwin show their singing talents.

Rock Of Ages if done right could be a fun musical to see. Do you want to see a big screen version of the hit musical?

SOURCE: Deadline

Edward Burns Talks About Writing His Newest Project

Edward Burns, director of such films as The Brothers McMullen, She’s The One, No Looking Back, Ash Wednesday and his latest film Nice Guy Johnny to name just a few is back at work at writing his newest project.

Instead of releasing the details of his new project to publications such as Variety or The Hollywood Reporter he decided to update everyone who follows him on his Twitter account.

The New York filmmaker says he’s currently writing a film that centers around a married couple in their 30’s living in New York.  For both members of this couple this is their 2nd marriage. The man is a trainer, the woman owns a restaurant. The man is a simple, happy person with little baggage while the woman is educated, uptight and wealthy. A major conflict in their marriage is their family and friends. Things get interesting when the woman’s sister whose going through a divorce and is from Los Angeles moves in with them.

Burns originally planned this film as a comedy but says

Was a comedy, but now feeling more like a dramedy.

Burns while coming up with the idea asked his Twitter followers to send in ideas and stories.  Including his followers he even asked them for title ideas.

Burns has not updated on his progress nor when he plans to shoot this newest project. Don’t expect this project to get released in theaters as Burns told indiewire recently regarding releasing his films the normal way:

the prospect [of theatrical release for future projects] is unlikely

I’ve been a fan of Edward Burns for a while now.  I really like his work and I think his knew way of do it yourself filmmaking is very interesting and will soon catch on. I also think it’s interesting that instead of giving the information to Variety or some other publication he went onto Twitter to tell his fans. Do you think this project sounds interesting? What do you think of Burns using Twitter to update his fans about his current project?

For the latest on this project keep checking back.

SOURCES: EDWARD BURNS TWITTER, INDIEWIRE

 

 

 

The Dictator Arriving In Theaters In 2012

Sacha Baron Cohen will be reuniting with the director of  his Borat and Brüno director Larry Charles for The Dictator. This marks the first time the collaboration between the 2 will not be a mockumentary. The story centers on dictator who risks his life to make sure democracy will never come to the country he loved to oppress.

The film is being made by Paramount and hits theaters May 11, 2012.

SOURCE: FIRSTSHOWING.NET

Sony Gets Neill Blomkamp’s Elysium

More news is coming out about Neill Blomkamp’s Elysium. Sony which released District 9 has picked up Elysium.

Heat Vision reports that Sony has paid 120 million dollars for the film and that reports of Universal to co-finance the film are not true.

Elysium stars Matt Damon, Sharlto Copley and Jodie Foster and is scheduled to come out in 2012.