Clint’s taking some personal time (hope you’re doing alright, man!), so I’m back here hammering away on the thin pink keyboard (my fiance’s computer – gimme a break!). As it’s a beautiful day outside, and we’ve both decided a walk down to the pier would do our bod’s a well of good right now, I’m putting together a little ‘Various News Items’ compilation package for you. Here’s what’s been happening in movie-land for the past 24-hours-or-so….

Transformers 3

In addition to paid-suggestions by Shia LaBeouf that the next sequel will be better than the last (“It’s going to be the craziest action movie ever made, or we failed”, he tells The AP), there’s two new additions to the cast of the way-too-frickin-expensive Summer blockbuster – Alan Tudyk (“Death at a Funeral”, “Serenity”) and Kim Whitley (“I Love You Man”). The Wrap confirmed Tudyk’s appointment to the bots-in-disguise flick but didn’t manage to wrangle any character details out of Paramount. Same kinda deal with Whitley, who tells BVonfilm.com that “I usually don’t like mentioning that I am working on ‘Transformers’ because I was also in ‘Transformers 2’ and I got cut out. So I try not to get excited about working on the project until I see the final edit, because you never know what’s going to happen.”

Avatar 2

Speaking of sequels that’ll cost more money than you, me and Michael Lohan will ever see in our lifetimes, James Cameron’s follow-up to “Avatar” is about three years away, the filmmaker tells The AP. The filthy rich bastard says he expects it’ll be announced in a few months. Story-wise, he’s “going to be focusing on the ocean on Pandora, which will be equally rich and diverse and crazy and imaginative, but it just won’t be a rain forest. I’m not saying we won’t see what we’ve already seen; we’ll see more of that as well”.

The Twilight Saga : Eclipse

It’s a big day for “Twilight” fans! 1) This new outdoor banner has been unearthed (below) 2) the first clip from the film is up at 3) Taylor had the training wheels removed from his bike.

Rambo 5

Sylvester Stallone announced last month that “Rambo 5” was dead – obviously the film’s executive producer, Boaz Davidson, never caught the announcement though because he’s over at Cannes flogging the film still. In addition to sticking the poster up around the croissant-encrusted streets of France, Davidson even let slip the film’s synopsis to Deadline magazine. ”John Rambo returns home, finds out his father died. Only a mexican family that worked for his father lives in the Rambo house, which is next to the mexican border. The daughter of the mexican family decides to celebrate her birthday in Mexico, where she disappears. John Rambo starts looking for her, and finds out a connection to a slave traders(?) ring.” Davidson says it will be pretty realistic and bloody again. So, what’s the deal? Is it on or off!?

Cowboys & Aliens

The official synopsis for the Jon Favreau-directed film adaptation of the cool-ass comic, starring Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde, has been released by Dreamworks. 1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger (Craig) with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don’t welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Ford). It’s a town that lives in fear.

But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known.

Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he’s been, he realizes he holds a secret that could give the town a fighting chance against the alien force. With the help of the elusive traveler Ella (Olivia Wilde), he pulls together a posse comprised of former opponents-townsfolk, Dolarhyde and his boys, outlaws and Apache warriors-all in danger of annihilation. United against a common enemy, they will prepare for an epic showdown for survival.

Judge Dredd 3D

That new Stallone-less “Judge Dredd” flick I mentioned the other day will apparently film in Johannesburg later this year (the Fall sometime). Writer Alex Garland said this in a press release announcing the start date and all that jazz, “I grew up reading Judge Dredd. The incredible writers and artists of 2000 AD were formative influences on me. Andrew, Allon and I have developed this adaptation of Judge Dredd with an emphasis on adrenaline and realism, but with all the scale and spectacle of Mega-City One. We think Pete [Travis]’s propulsive, edgy style is a perfect match for the project”. I hope the flick sees Dredd taking on the ‘Prawns’ from “District 9”!

Pixels

Adam Sandler will produce a film version of the web short “Pixels”, which fixes on a mass of 8-bit/1980’s video game characters invading New York.  Columbia will distribute. More at Heat Vision.

Easy A

MySpace has debuted the trailer for “Easy A”, a comedy starring Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes and Thomas Haden Church.

TV Show Renewals/Cancelations

Over the next week you’ll be hearing a lot about pilots being picked up (No, nothing to do with airplanes), series being canceled, and late renewals – as is the case with his first item.

V : The struggling “V” reboot has been offered a chance to improve performance and plot-wise… it’s been picked up for a second season.

Mike and Molly : CBS has picked up the new James ‘Cheers’ Burrows comedy about two fatties. It stars Melissa McCarthy (“Gilmore Girls”) and Billy Gardell.

Heroes : Most assumed they’d just axe this miserable bitch, but instead the dicks at NBC are looking at either commissioning one more [shorter] season or greenlighting a mini-series or telemovie to tie up the loose ends left hanging in the season finale.

Chuck : Can’t be killed. It’s been renewed for a fourth season.

Kindreds : New David ‘I get to bonk Michelle Pfeiffer’ Kelley legal drama has been picked up. NBC Promises to air it mid-season.

Law and Order : Much to the shock of it’s creator Dick Wolf, who says the network promised him a 13-episode ‘season 21’, NBC have decided to cancel the long-running legal series.

Garza : New Jimmy Smits drama, produced by Conan O’Brien. NBC likely picking it up as a mid-seasoner.

FlashForward : ABC has carved it a new one – AXED!

Scrubs: ABC has carved it a new one – AXED!

Better Off Ted : ABC has carved it a new one – AXED!

Romantically Challenged : ABC has carved it a new one – AXED!

Life Unexpected : The so-so CW drama mightn’t be as done for as we all expected. Insiders suggest it’ll get a 13-episode pick-up for a second season (The network are likely going to do something similar with “One Tree Hill”. Yes, it’s still going!!)

Marilyn Monroe biopics

Two of ’em are coming : one starring Michelle Williams (“Brokeback Mountain”), one starring Naomi Watts (“The Ring”). ScreenDaily has more on the feuding films starring the former lovers of the late Heath Ledger.

Child’s Play

I’m sure it’s bullshit (because from what I’ve heard the film is nowhere near ready to go – – legal woes, apparently) but the IMDB seems to think Alyson Stoner, Ryan Merriman and Catherine Hicks are onboard the remake; Hicks, of course, listed to be reprising her role as Andy’s mother Karen. *cough* As if!

S.H.I.E.L.D

Samuel L.Jackson tells RadioBigBoy he suspects that, in addition to “The Avengers”, there’ll be a “S.H.I.E.L.D” film in the near future. Don’t cash that cheque just yet, Sam.

Fortunate Sons

Actor cum director Eric Stoltz (he’s directed a fair whack of TV, including “Grey’s Anatomy”) is directing a drama based on three friends who journey to Las Vegas to be married before midnight — the time the marriage deferment for the Vietnam War draft will be canceled.

The Age of Adaline

Katherine Heigl will play a young woman, born at the turn of 20th century, who is rendered ageless after an accident. After years of a solitary life, she meets a man who might be worth losing her immortality. Snooze.

Billionaire Boys Club

Nup, not a documentary about the rise and fall of the ’90s boy bad but a crime thriller from director James Cox. THR says it’s “about a group of wealthy young men in Los Angeles during the ’80s who resorted to murders after their social and investment club went sour.”

The Last Exorcism

Lionsgate have sent over the poster for the upcoming Daniel Stamm-directed horror flick. Behold it’s…. greatness?