Chuck Palahniuk’s ‘Lullaby’ Is Already In The Casting Stages!

In a recent interview for Film School Rejects, Chuck Palahniuk released a little bit of information on Lullaby, the next of his novels to be adapted for the big screen. For those of you who don’t know, Chuck Palahniuk is the guy who wrote Fight Club (the novel) as well as Choke, which is being released in a few weeks. While many of his more popular works, i.e. Survivor and Invisible Monsters are being closely watched for the movie adaptations, Lullaby has sort of snuck under the radar and has already started casting.

From FilmSchoolRejects.com:

“The financing is in place, and even though the production won’t tell Palahniuk who they are looking to cast, he believes they are waiting for a concrete production start day to make the announcement. Or at least to let Palahniuk in on the info.”

So far no one really knows who is directing the movie at this point. It’s all kind of a mystery, but the good news is that it’s actually going to happen. Even though Chuck himself is pretty much being left out of the loop, when asked who he would cast in the lead role, he suggested Treat Williams. Even though I’m not familiar with his filmography, I trust Chuck’s judgement.

Since I love all things Palahniuk, I’m pretty psyched. I feel like all of Palahniuk’s work is meant for the screen. Those of you familiar with his work, what do you think?

Second ‘Max Payne’ Movie Trailer Explains Flying Black Things; Doesn’t Explain Ludacris In A Fedora

So that’s what those things are! Pshhh. Never would’ve guessed. Now everything is crystal clear (not).

‘Saw V’ Poster

It’s getting closer to the autumn months which generally means it’s almost time for another Saw sequel. Here’s the poster for the latest installment. I’m guessing the movie ends with some crazy twist ending that incorporates many of the seemingly mundane and trivial moments throughout the entire movie making everyone think, “No way!” before blowing someone up or ripping their limbs from their bodies.

Brett Ratner Wants To Direct A ‘Guitar Hero’ Movie

That’s right. Brett Ratner, director of such films as X-Men: The Last Stand (vomit!) and the Rush Hour franchise, wants to make a movie based on the popular video game, Guitar Hero.

He had this to say about it:

“I love ‘Guitar Hero’ and I think it’s a part of pop culture. I would love to do a ‘Guitar Hero’ movie, if Activision would ever let me. I’m trying to convince them, but why would you have a movie screw up such a huge franchise? Not that I would make a bad movie. So that would be cool, to do a ‘Guitar Hero’ movie.

“It could be about a kid from a small town who dreams of being a rock star and he wins the ‘Guitar Hero’ competition. One of these dreams-[come-true] kind of concepts.”

So basically, it would be just like that shitty movie, The Wizard, only modernized to center around the Guitar Hero video game instead of an NES and a Power Glove. Oh, and let me guess, the main character ultimately scores a 100% on DragonForce’s “Through the Fire and Flames” to win some kind of championship, right? I can’t believe that he thinks he wouldn’t make a bad movie out of that.

Yet Another Musician Biopic Is On The Way. This Time, John Lennon.

That’s right, because we never get tired of those musician biopics. First time director Sam Taylor-Wood is apparently going to tackle a biopic chronicling the early life of John Lennon, titled Nowhere Boy, which will include his relationships with his mother, aunt, and good friend, Paul McCartney.

 

 

Taylor-Wood had this to say about the film:

“The women in John’s early life truly shaped who he became and the strengths and weaknesses of their relationships are central to this film.”

While no casting has been made yet, Kate Winslet is in talks to play Lennon’s mother and Emily Watson is also in talks to play Lennon’s Aunt Mimi.

The way I see it, the more unusual the subject, the more creative the movie can potentially be. For example, Ray and Walk the Line were great, albeit pretty straight forward as far as movies are concerned. I’m Not There, however, was a horse of a different color, telling 6 different stories of Bob Dylan at the same time and while some people didn’t enjoy it as much as others (I for one, loved it), it can certainly be said it wasn’t the same kind of movie we usually see.

John Lennon was certainly an unusual person and is widely believed to be a genius (much like Dylan), so hopefully we won’t be getting the same, rehashed struggling musician story that we’ve all grown so weary of in recent years. I’m going to remain optimistic on this one.

Cher To Play Catwoman In ‘Dark Knight’ Sequel?

Rumor has it that aging pop sensation (and walking corpse), Cher is in talks to play Catwoman in the upcoming sequel to The Dark Knight. Now, none of this has really been verified by anyone of any merit at this point.

British tabloid/gossip magazine, The Telegraph, made the following report:

“The 62-year-old singer and actress is reported to be in talks to play Catwoman opposite Christian Bale in the third Batman film from British director Christopher Nolan.

The Oscar-winner will join a cast that includes Johnny Depp as The Riddler as she plays the whip-carrying burglar. The character has also been played by Michelle Pfeiffer and Halle Berry.

A studio executive said: “Cher is Nolan’s first choice to play Catwoman. He wants to her to portray her like a vamp in her twilight years.

Filming of the new Batman instalment, provisionally entitled The Caped Crusader, is due to begin in Vancouver early next year.”

Of course, we should all know better than to trust a magazine like The Telegraph, but the thought of Cher playing Catwoman makes me want to vomit. I would hope Christopher Nolan would be smarter than that if he even chooses to sign on to a third film (I don’t know why he wouldn’t).

While ‘The Caped Crusader’ isn’t at the top of my list of potential titles for the sequel, I am somewhat supportive of Johnny Depp as a choice to play The Riddler. I think he’s a rare talent and would do the role justice, but I’d like to see if anyone else is considered for the role, if in fact The Riddler is the villain in the sequel.

Please, share your thoughts on Cher as Catwoman. Should result in some interesting comments.

‘Toy Story 3′ Poster Arrives 2 Years Early

I know Toy Story 3 isn’t due out for another 2 years, but it’s nice to see some proof of it happening. It’s been almost a decade since Toy Story 2, but dammit, I’m excited for number 3. I have no doubt that Pixar will put out more of their trademark quality material.

‘Superman’ Will Follow In The Footsteps Of ‘The Hulk’ And ‘The Punisher’

That’s right. It looks like the Superman franchise is going to see a reboot much like The Hulk and The Punisher. Warner Bros. has decided to reinvent Superman with a darker tone to sort of follow in the footsteps of The Dark Knight. Awesome. Because there aren’t enough dark movies out there already. It’s not yet known if Bryan Singer will be involved with the new movie, but if we all cross our fingers, maybe he won’t be. As of yet, there’s no date set for a new Superman movie, but Warner Bros. plan to put out 4 new comic book movies within the next three years and that includes a sequel to The Dark Knight. At least there’s ONE thing to look forward to.

Two ‘Max Payne’ Movie Posters

 

Poster And Trailer For ‘How To Lose Friends And Alienate People’

Continuing his slew of films sans Edgar Wright and Nick Frost, Simon Pegg is back in another comedy coming out this fall. In How To Lose Friends And Alienate People, Pegg plays Sidney Young, a small-time British celebrity journalist who gets a job writing for an upscale New York magazine and finds himself immersed in a life that he may not be suited for. I love Simon Pegg and the whole screwball thing he’s got going on lately, so I have no doubt this movie will be funny, although it’s hard for me to gauge the amount of funny based on a poster and a trailer, however the poster does say it’s “The most hilarious comedy of the year,” so it’s anyone’s guess at this point. Regardless, Megan Fox is pretty hot.

The movie opens October 3rd.

Poster And Trailer For ‘W.’

Oliver Stone’s new Presidential biopic is sure to raise some controversy this fall as it is being released right before Election Day and chronicles the first term of our failed President, Bush. The film has a pretty star-studded cast including Josh Brolin as George W., Richard Dreyfuss as Dick Cheney, and Jeffrey Wright as Colin Powell. I have a love/hate relationship with Oliver Stone. I loved Natural Born Killers and JFK, but hated Alexander and World Trade Center, so we’ll see how things go with this new movie. Based on the trailer, I’m starting to like it, but as we all know, trailers are not to be trusted.

Speaking of which:

Green And Red Band Trailers For ‘Sex Drive’

Sex Drive follows eighteen-year-old Ian Lafferty as he makes a daring cross-country adventure with his two best friends with the hope of losing his virginity to a smokin’ hot bombshell he met on the internet. Based on the trailers, the movie looks hilarious. By now, a lot of these types have movies have come out by the same people (Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen, et al), but it looks like we’re gonna get some fresh faces on the big screen in this modern coming-of-age tale, which is a big plus. I know I’m looking forward to it. The movie is set to be released on October 3rd.

Here are both the green and red band trailers for your enjoyment.

Green Band Trailer:

Red Band Trailer:

Sam Raimi And Tom Cruise Pair Up For Comic Book Adaptation

How Tom Cruise continues to be a bankable star in Hollywood, I’ll never know, but I do know that, with the exception of Spider-Man 3, Sam Raimi is a pretty trustworthy guy when it comes to adapting comic book material. The new project that is bringing the two together is an adaptation of a comic called Sleeper.

From SlashFilm:

‘Written by Ed Brubaker with art by Sean Phillips, the story follows a covert “sleeper” operative named Holden Carver (aka The Conductor), who is fused with an alien artifact that makes him not only impervious to pain , but also able to pass it along to others through skin contact. Carver has been placed undercover in a villainous organization led by TAO (a WildC.A.T.s villain from Alan Moore’s run). But when the only guy who knows that he is an undercover agent goes into a coma, Carver must question right and wrong, as he falls and for a member of the group while rising through he ranks.’

I haven’t actually read the comic series, but based on the synopsis, it seems like an interesting concept and should work well in movie form. I’ll be able to really make a decision once a trailer is released and since filming hasn’t even started yet, we’ve got a while.

‘Punisher: War Zone’ Is Going To Be Rated R

For those of you worried that Punisher: War Zone was going to be reduced to a PG-13 rating, rest assured. The whole thing was a false alarm. In fact much of what was spread was false.

From LatinoReview:

‘Lexi is not off the film

Lexi is still involved in the edit process

The film is not (nor could it ever be) PG-13

The film is most certainly not all exploding heads, but will reveal a great deal of Franks personna and pain.’

Well, it looks like Punisher: War Zone will be rated R after all and will include all of the guns-a-blazing, head-smashing, and blood-splattering goodness that the trailer showed. Well, thank God for that. I was beginning to think we’d have to sit through an hour and a half of Frank Castle playing with a kitten or riding a bike along the coast at sunset.

‘Righteous Kill’ Red Band Trailer

Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino go together like peanut butter and jelly (or as they say in the trailer, Lennon and McCartney), so it’s no surprise to see them together again in the buddy cop drama, Righteous Kill. While I admire both actors tremendously, I can’t help but think this movie is gonna suck. That feeling might have something to do with 50 Cent.

Anyway, here’s the f-word-laden red-band trailer for your f’ing enjoyment:

Simon Pegg Won’t Be An ‘Inglorious Bastard’

So, it seems Simon Pegg was only ‘in talks’ to be in Tarantino’s war epic and now, due to a scheduling conflict, he will not be cast in the film. Son of a bitch!

On a lighter note, Simon will, instead, be working on a film by Superbad director, Greg Mottola, titled Paul.

From Slashfilm:

‘Written and starring Pegg and Nick Frost, the story is a road movie about two British comic book geeks that get into an adventure across America. I’ve also heard that Pegg and Frost will reverse their dynamic, and Pegg will actually be playing the sidekick in this one. Edgar Wright is not involved.’

I guess it’s not so bad that he dropped Bastards to pursue another comedy with his pal, Nick Frost. In fact, I feel like that’s a much better move for him. If Bastards is going down, I’d hate to see Simon Pegg go with it. Now if only we could persuade Brad Pitt to drop out too…

New ‘Burn After Reading’ Poster

If there’s one movie I can’t wait to see this September, it’s Burn After Reading. This poster is pretty sick.

‘Punisher: War Zone’ Is Slowly Going The Way Of ‘Die Hard 4′

That’s right. The execs over at Lionsgate want to cut Punisher: War Zone down to a PG-13 rating. I can’t think of anything that would be more damaging to this film than that. Especially after we’ve already seen that insanely violent trailer. The actual reason behind the whole ordeal is unknown, but there has been much speculation that the execs think that since The Dark Knight was a PG-13 movie and was so successful, the same could be said for PWZ, however, as most Punisher fans would tell you, Batman doesn’t kill people, Frank Castle does…in extremely violent ways…and the only way to be true to the source material is to present Frank Castle killing people in extremely violent ways. You can’t do that in a PG-13 movie. While the movie has already been generating some negative buzz ever since the director, Lexi Alexander, was cut off entirely from the production, giving the film a PG-13 rating would only make matters worse and Lionsgate would ultimately be shooting themselves in the foot. What do you think?

Mike Myers Cast In ‘Inglorious Bastards’

By now, most people can agree that Mike Myers is way past his prime. Ever since Waynes World 2, he just hasn’t been as funny (I might be one of the only people on the planet who hated the Austin Powers franchise). Well, now, it looks like Quentin Tarantino is going to be continuing his horrible streak by casting the Love Guru in his new war film, Inglorious Bastards. According to Variety, Myers will be playing British General, Ed French, ‘a military mastermind who takes part in hatching a plot to wipe out Nazi leaders.’ It’s also worth mentioning that Myers’ role is a very small one (Thank God).

Along with Myers, several other comedic actors have been cast in the film as well: Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) and BJ Novak (NBC’s The Office). Adam Sandler had been offered a role in the film, but declined due to a scheduling conflict. Oh, and it probably goes without saying that Eli Roth is also said to have a role in the film (Big surprise). 

I don’t know about you, but ever since Tarantino started producing films like Hostel and Hostel Part 2 and writing/directing crap like Death Proof, I’ve pretty much lost respect for the man. It’s hard to respect a man who makes a career out of living off of his own name like he does. Now, I haven’t gotten a chance to read Inglorious Bastards yet, so I can’t judge the script (which is probably packed with that trademark Tarantino dialogue), but what raises the biggest question to me so far is why in the hell he’s casting a bunch of comedians in a friggin’ war movie. This isn’t Tropic Thunder 2. I guess Myers isn’t the only one whose glory days are far behind him.

UPDATE: Samm Levine, better known as Neil Schweiber from TV’s brilliant, albeit short-lived Freaks and Geeks, has also been cast in the film, however his role is unknown at this time.

Awesome Fan-Made Poster For Batman 3

I know it’s way too soon to even start thinking about a sequel to The Dark Knight, considering it’s still in theaters AND still #1 at the box office, BUT I though this was really awesome. From what I’ve been hearing, a lot of fans want to see the Riddler in a sequel to TDK and honestly, it’s the first name that came to mind when I was considering villains for a third movie. Even though a third movie hasn’t even been announced yet, it’s still wishful thinking.

Anyway, here’s the poster, courtesy of SlashFilm: