In the ongoing drama surrounding the making of The Hobbit, USA Today is claiming Saul Zaentz was misquoted earlier this week when he appeared to have said in an interview that Peter Jackson would “definitely” shoot the film, and that the rights on the project would fall back to his company next year.

The paper claims to have caught up with Zaentz, who told them he was misquoted, but reiterated his support for Jackson. “We would like to see it done, of course with Peter Jackson. He’s a good film director. He’s the right guy. He knows it too. But it’s a hard thing to do, when you feel you didn’t get the money you were supposed to get,” said Zaentz, refering with the last part to the ongoing legal dispute between Jackson and New Line over the profits made with the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

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Posted in Movies, The Hobbit / LOTR •

Sir Elton John has missed out on an opportunity to appear in Superman: The Man of Steel.

During a charity fundraising event at London’s Old Vic theatre, the flamboyant star was outbid by businessman Sir Philip Green who is Britain’s fourth richest person. The prize, won at £40,000, was an appearence in the Superman Returns sequel, arranged by Kevin Spacey who is also Old Vic theatre director. Spacey played Lex Luthor in the 2006 movie. It is believed that Green’s wife will take the role. Other prizes on offer included a dinner date with heiress socialite Paris Hilton, which was snapped up for £30,000.  

Source: Digital Spy

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Posted in Movies, Superman •

USA Today has revealed the design of the main vehicle that will feature in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer next summer. The paper’s website features a shot of Mr. Fantastic (Ioan Gruffudd), The Human Torch (Chris Evans) and Invisible Woman (Jessica Alba) inside/around the so-called Fantasticar. It can be viewed here.

The corresponding article mentions that conceptual artist Tim Flattery showed several designs to director Tim Story, including one based loosely on the Batmobile, which he designed for 1995’s Batman Forever. Story, however, deemed them too agressive and rejected them. “He wanted something that looked less like a predator and more friendly. That’s always been the Fantastic Four theme,” said Flattery.

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Posted in Movies •

The trailer for writer-director Joe Carnahan’s (Narc) new film Smokin’ Aces has now gone online in various sizes. The R rated action comedy, which opens January 26, stars Ben Affleck, Andy Garcia, Alicia Keys, Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven, Ryan Reynolds, Peter Berg, Martin Henderson, Taraji Henson and Common. View it here.

In Smokin’ Aces, Mob boss Primo Sparazza has taken out a hefty contract on Buddy “Aces” Israel (Piven)–a sleazy magician who has agreed to turn state’s evidence against the Vegas mob. The FBI, sensing a chance to use this small-time con to bring down big-target Sparazza, places Aces into protective custody-under the supervision of two agents (Reynolds and Liotta) dispatched to Aces’ Lake Tahoe hideout. When word of the price on Aces’ head spreads into the community of ex-cons and cons-to-be, it entices bounty hunters, thugs-for-hire, smokin’ hot vixens and double-crossing mobsters to join in the hunt. With all eyes on Tahoe, this rogues’ gallery collides in a comic race to hit the jackpot and rub out Aces.

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Posted in Movies •

Production Weekly reports that Edward Neumeier will make his feature directorial debut on a third outing for the Starship Troopers franchise. The screenwriter wrote the scripts for the original 1997 movie and the 2004 feature Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation. The stories are based on the novel by Robert A. Heinlein.

Casper Van Dien is in talks to return as Johnny Rico, who has been promoted to General in the Terran Mobile Infantry who are still involved in an interplanetary conflict with the Bugs.

Principle photography is scheduled to commence in March. The feature will be shot in high-definition on location in South Africa.

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According to Variety, George Clooney will star in White Jazz, which is director Joe Carnahan’s adaptation of the novel by L.A. Confidential author James Ellroy. Clooney and Grant Heslov will produce, while Matthew Michael Carnahan will write the script.

Following this project, Clooney is set to take to the director’s chair for The Belmont Boys, a heist movie that will reteam him with Oceans 13 producer Jerry Weintraub and screenwriters Brian Koppelman and David Levien.

Both projects won’t even start filming until 2008 though, due to Clooney’s stacked schedule: directing and staring alongside Renée Zellweger in the romantic comedy Leatherheads, followed (later next year) by Joel and Ethan Coen’s Burn After Reading.

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With Sylvester Stallone resurrecting two long extinct franchises (Rocky & Rambo), it seems that Eddie Murphy too wants in on the act. AICN reports that the comic actor is in negotiations to reprise the role of Detroit cop Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop IV with Lorenzo DiBonaventura producing.

The original movie, released in 1984 made an international star of Murphy and earned $234 million at the box office, but the series petered out in 1994 after the underperforming John Landis directed third outing.

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Following Peter Jackson and Ian McKellen, it is now Elijah Wood who gets his say on the current upheaval surrounding the making of The Hobbit. The actor who portrayed Frodo in The Lord of the Rings trilogy told MyMovies.net that (Rings director) Jackson not returning to direct the prequel would be a tragedy: “I think it’s ultimately quite foolish for New Line to move forward assuming they can create an equally wonderful film without Peter… and I think for that for fans that’s tragic.” More here.

Empire also caught up with Wood, who was even more candid in his comments to them: “I can’t imagine any of the original actors would want to join it… how can you imagine a prequel that didn’t look the same, and didn’t have the same continuity after all that work?” More here.

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Posted in Movies, The Hobbit / LOTR •

The IMDB is has recently added French composer Alexandre Desplat to the crew on board His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass. Since entries to the IMDB can be openly submitted by readers, there is a substantial amount of uncertainty attached to this news. However, there have been absolutely no rumours (which pranksters could have based a false submission on) suggesting this match prior to the updating of that crew list, so it is possible that the source of the news is New Line itself, and Desplat really will compose the music to Chris Weitz’s upcoming adaptation of the first of Philip Pullman’s three His Dark Materials novels.

Alexandre Desplat has scored over one hundred movies, mostly French ones at the beginning of his career, but his recent work includes more widely known films such as Casanova, Syriana, Firewall, The Queen and the upcoming The Painted Veil and Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium.

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Posted in His Dark Materials, Movies •

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling recently won a literary prize with Harry and the Half-Blood Prince being voted the best Scottish children’s book. While she was unable to attend the awards ceremony, she passed along a message of thanks in which she explained her abscence was due to being busy writing the seventh and final book in the series:

“Thank you so much for this award. I’m sure any writer will agree that it’s always reassuring to receive recognition for your work, but it’s particularly meaningful when the decision has been made by the readers themselves. To them, I’m enormously grateful and delighted that Harry Potter continues to give so much pleasure. […] I’m sorry I am unable to receive this award in person today, but I currently have my head down writing the final book, which is coming along nicely.”

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Posted in Books & Comics, Harry Potter •