Caffeinated Clint
“Smallville” (and “Mummy : Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” duo) Alfred Gough and Miles Millar will write Universal’s “Monster High,” based on a new Mattel property. The monster musical is set at “frighteningly fashionable” Monster High and features the spawn of famous monsters including Dracula, Frankenstein and the Wolfman undergoing the trials and tribulations of high school. (More…)
The first official photo, along with a synopsis of the film, from “The Smurfs” is online (see right). The trailer, we’re told, will be online Thursday. During the opening scene, set in that original time, Gargamel discovers the Smurfs’ magical village and scatters them into the woods. “Unfortunately, Clumsy goes the wrong way into a forbidden grotto where a few other Smurfs follow,” says director Raja Gosnell (”Scooby-Doo”). “Because it’s a blue moon, there’s a magical portal that transports them to Central Park.” (More…).
Two of the world’s most overpaid actors, Nicole Kidman and Nicolas Cage are set to team on “Trespass“, a new thriller from director Joel Schumacher. Cage previously worked with Schumacher on “8mm”, whilst Kidman and Schumacher collaborated on “Batman Forever”. The Nu-Image/Millennium films production fixes on a couple taken hostage by four brutal perpetrators seeking easy cash. Complications ensue amid the unexpected discovery of betrayal and deception. (More…)
Simon Baker (TVs “The Mentalist”) and Paul Bettany (“Legion”) will team for the indy thriller “Margin Call“. The film, which tackles the financial crisis, revolves around employees of an investment bank during a tumultuous 24-hour period during the 2008 financial collapse. The J.C Chandor film, which begins shooting in New York next week, also stars Kevin Spacey, Stanley Tucci and Zachary Quinto (the “Heroes” alum is also a producer on the project). (More…)
Veteran actor Martin Sheen (TVs “The West Wing”, “Wall Street”) is joining Richard Gere and Topher Grace in the Michael Brandt-directed Spy thriller “The Double“. Sheen will play the director of the CIA in the Hyde Park/Imagenation production, which begins filming Monday in Detroit. Stephen Moyer, Stana Katic, and Odette Yustman co-star in the film, based on an original script by Brandt and his “3:10 to Yuma” writing partner Derek Haas (More…).
DC Comics’ Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns has updated his official blog with these test images from a live-action “Blue Beetle” movie (More..).
TVs ‘McDreamy’, Patrick Dempsey, will star in the new Lasse Hallstrom flick “Tom’s Dad“. A coming-of-age story penned by Marty Casella, “Dad” unfolds in 1962 Las Vegas, as a successful character actor and vaudevillian nightclub performer struggles to keep up with changing comedy styles as his estranged son appears to complicate matters (More…).
Universal Pictures has penciled in “The Thing” (boy I wish they’d change that title! I mean, it ain’t a remake – it’s a prequel, right!?) for an April 29, 2011 release.
Doug Liman’s “Three Musketeers” movie may be dead. Seems the “Bourne Identity” director will shoot Warner Bros’ “All You Need Is Kill” before even trying to reenlist Sting, Bryan Adams and Rod Stewart to re-do ‘All for Love’. The sci-fi action tale, which is an immediate priority for the studio, tells of a new recruit in a war against aliens finds himself caught in a time loop where he wakes up one day in the past after having been killed on the battlefield. Through the training and battles he experiences in these time loops, he becomes a better soldier. (More…)
Warner Bros and MGM are doing all they can to coax Peter Jackson into directing “The Hobbit“. In the meantime though, several other directors – including David Yates, David Dobkin (“Wedding Crashers”) and Brett ‘Hell No!’ Ratner (“Rush Hour”) – have put their hands up to helm the “Lord of the Rings” prequel. (More…)
Former “Dream On” star Brian Benben has been upgraded to a series regular over on “Private Practice“. (More..)
“Transformers” scribe Bob Orci says of the upcoming, “Cowboys & Aliens” movie : ”We’re about to shoot. Man, I can’t believe it. We’re going to be in New Mexico. So we are going to shoot it in a great, real location, which is awesome. We’re still working on the script. The script is getting better and better, I hope.” As for those rumours that Nestor Carbonell (TVs “Lost”) is gonna play ‘Khan’ in the Orci-penned “Star Trek” sequel? Not true, but that doesn’t mean it’s out of the realm of possibility. “Any cool suggestion I read from the fans I’ll bring up in our meetings. And I’ll say, ‘One of the fans suggested this.’ So this has always been an experiment in fan consultation for us. They really are consultants on the movie.” (More…)
Director/Writer Corey Edwards may still be onboard to direct the long-gestating “Fraggle Rock” movie, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll be shooting his script. According to Edwards, he’s been unfairly replaced as the film’s writer – apparently the Weinstein’s want an edgier take on the property (Yes, I know, WTF!?). (More…)
Might Zach Galifianakis (“The Hangover”) be playing the Don Knotts role in a Kevin ‘Enchanted’ Lima-directed remake of “The Incredible Mr Limpet“? (More…)
Paramount Famous is in pre-production on a direct-to-DVD sequel to “Mean Girls“. Directed by Melanie Mayron (TVs “Dawson’s Creek”), the ”story revolves around a new high school student, Jo, who agrees to befriend an outcast, Abby, at the urging of Abby’s wealthy father in exchange for paying all of Jo’s costs for the college of her dreams. Jo and Abby team up to take on the school’s “mean girls,” the Plastics. The story becomes a high stakes battle of loyalty that ultimately comes to a head when one of our heroines finds out that her friendship has been bought and paid for.” (More…)
A new poster from “Resident Evil : Afterlife” has surfaced here (More…)
Greg Grunberg (“Alias”, “Lost”, “Heroes”) is planning to beg his buddy J.J Abrams for a role in the Spielberg-produced “Super 8” project. He was also ‘this close’ to playing a ‘red shirt’ in Abrams’ “Star Trek” (instead he ended up providing the voice of Kirk’s stepfather). (More…)
