Movies

It appears that the upcoming sequel to last year's The Amazing Spider-Man could have another iconic antagonist to add to its rogues gallery. According to The Hollywood Reporter, actor, Paul Giamatti has been in talks to play the immense, unstoppable, super-powered assassin, Rhino.

If the news indeed pans out, the Sideways and John Adams star, Giamatti will be the second belligerent baddie set for film, presumably joining Jaime Foxx as spark-shooting sinner, "Electro." Additionally, the report indicates that actress, Felicity Jones has joined the cast for a role that has yet to be specified. Although, given her age, look, and resume, the role could very well be for "Betty Brant," the beleaguered secretary of the Spider-Man-hating Daily Bugle boss, J. Jonah Jameson. (Played by Elizabeth Banks in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy.) If it is the case that Jones plays Betty, it would create an opening for Jameson, which would also be a critical new casting decision.

It will certainly be interesting to see where Rhino fits into the puzzle of this film. In the comics, the character was previously a low-level thug in the Russian Mob named Aleksei Sytsevich who, looking to line his pockets, gets the opportunity to be a guinea pig in an experiment to create a sinister super-soldier on the behalf of some shady benefactors. Exposed to extensive radiation and chemicals (the true hallmark of super-power origins,) Aleksei's body becomes bonded with a crafted super-durable armor made to look like a rhinoceros. 

Read More »

Release Date: December 13
Director: Peter Jackson
Rating: Not Yet Rated

Our adventurers continue towards The Lonely Mountain, taking them on a path through giant-spider-filled forests, the sylvan kingdom of the Wood Elves, to a human-inhabited city on the border of their destination besieged by a gold-hoarding giant fire-spewing dragon.

What We Know:

After being safely delivered away from an Orc ambush, Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen), and the company of 13 Dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) can now see their destination of The Lonely Mountain in their sights, but the adventure has only just begun. Thankfully, they come across a powerful new ally in a giant axe-wielding warrior named Beorn (Mikael Persbrandt). Hailing from an ancient race of shape-shifters, he uses that ability to transform into a vicious black bear. He's friendly, though, and provides them a much needed break, which they'll need for the next deadly leg of their journey.

However, as they continue on, Gandalf throws everyone a bit of a curveball when he abruptly ditches the group to tend to that whole "Necromancer" business down in the dark stronghold of Dol Guldur; a pressing matter after evidence has lead him to believe that a powerful force of evil has returned to Middle Earth. After dealing out some advice, he sends the group on their way.

Now without Gandalf's wisdom and guidance, Bilbo, Thorin, and the group must rely on their own instincts through the dark forests of Mirkwood, as they are chased by hordes of gorging giant spiders, only to be captured by the company of the Wood Elves under the rule of King Thranduil (Lee Pace), the elven sovereign father of Legolas (Orlando Bloom, reprising his role). The hospitality there, despite their almost angelic aesthetic, is equivalent to a shotgun-toting redneck who found whippersnappers on his property.

Read More »

It appears that upcoming film adaptations for Ant-Man and Doctor Strange are in the works over at Marvel Studios for what is being referred to as "Phase Three" of their release planning. What does that mean exactly?

Well, just to drop a clue, we are now exiting what is considered the Phase One era, which culminated with The Avengers last year and ready to begin Phase Two, which will kick off with Iron Man 3 in May, continuing with Thor: The Dark World this fall, Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014, and The Avengers 2 in 2015. Indeed, it appears that the studio is watching over the pacing of their comic book film releases diligently and cautiously. In a recent interview with MTV, studio head, Kevin Feige discusses details about this phase-centric release strategy:

"'Ant-Man' is definitely part of Phase Three," Marvel's Kevin Feige told MTV News during our recent interview. "Like 'Iron Man 3,' it's certainly set in the Marvel Universe, but it's also through the lens of Edgar Wright — which is the only reason we're making the movie."  Adding: It's very much an 'Ant-Man' origin movie from the perspective of Edgar Wright and his co-writer Joe Cornish. It will of course be firmly planted in the MCU, (Marvel Comics Universe) but a different corner than we've seen before."

Regarding Doctor Strange: "'Doctor Strange,' which I've been talking about for years, is definitely one of them," he confirmed. "He's a great, original character, and he checks the box off this criteria that I have: he's totally different from anything else we have, just like 'Guardians of the Galaxy.' He's totally different from anything we've done before, as is 'Ant-Man,' which keeps us excited."

We've known for some time that the film debut of would-be Avengers member, Ant-Man will come on November 6, 2015, just six months after The Avengers 2 hits theaters. However, this latest revelation, besides confirming the Doctor Strange project, reveals that the story of the size-shaping Hank Pym (which will be directed by Edgar Wright) is considered an important watershed project for the studio, who will use it as their Phase Three kickoff. -- A far cry from the low-tier side project it was once dismissed as being.

[Source]

The cast of upcoming franchise follow-up, X-Men: Days of Future Past continues to be growing into a family reunion returning of former residents of the X-Mansion. This time joining the plethora of powerful mutants are, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, and Ellen Page!

Over the weekend, director, Bryan Singer tweeted the identity of this latest trio of acquisitions. Of course, fans of Singer's previous trilogy of films (the last of which was directed by Brett Ratner,) know the players, respectively as Rogue, Bobby "Iceman" Drake, and Kitty "Shadowcat" Pryde. According to Singer:

Very excited to welcome #annapaquin, @ellenpage & @shawnrashmore to #XMen #DaysofFuturePast - thank you @BrettRatner for letting them live!

The film will be an adaptation of the popular time-travel-infused "Days of Future Past" comic book storyline from Chirs Claremont and John Byrne published back in 1981. In that story, the assassination of an anti-mutant senator alters the timeline, subjecting mutantkind to a future where they are hunted to near extinction by the giant robot Sentinels. Obviously, there are stark differences between the film canon and the comics and the specifics about how the storyline deviates are still unknown. (For example, Kitty Pryde was the main protagonist in the original comic book storyline. While Ellen Page is returning to play her, it's doubtful the film will focus on her character in the same way.)

However, what is clear, is that the younger "First Class" cast of James McAvoy's Charles Xavier and Michael Fassbender's Magneto in the 1960's [*] will still remain the primary players, while the previous trilogy cast led by Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier, Ian McKellen's Magneto, joined by Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, will be set presumably in the present, battling the implications of the timeline disruption.

*Update: It has since been revealed that the timeline for the First Class cast will be set in 1973; ten years after the last film.

X-Men: Days of Future Past alters the space-time continuum without the benefit of a souped-up sports car to hit theaters on July 18, 2014.

Release Date: November 22
Director: Francis Lawrence
Rating: Not Yet Rated

The oppressive powers that be of the Capitol, humiliated from the outcome of last year's Hunger Games, use a loophole to bring Katniss and Peeta back this year to battle a group of the game's previous winners.

What We Know:

Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Huctherson) have returned from the 74th annual Hunger Games and now, thanks to the improvisational showmance angle which saved their lives, these pseudo "star-crossed lovers," have become beloved national figures.

However, it seems that the results of the games, was more of a black eye on the face of the Capitol and the corrupt President Snow (Donald Sutherland) than we thought. Now, the safety of District 12's winning tributes, nay, District 12 itself, depends on their maintaining the lie that their love is genuine; the only way for the butt-hurt bureaucrats behinds the games to maintain some level of credibility. That arrangement works okay with Peeta, who has genuine feelings for Katniss, even with aspiring boyfriend, Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth) still lurking about.

Despite the couple's cooperation on that front, their infraction would still not go unanswered. With the 75th Hunger Games upon them, the opportunity for the Capitol's revenge would come in the form of something called the Quarter Quell: A "twist" injected into the games every 25 years. In this case, it has called for the return of victors from past Hunger Games. (A gimmick that may have been lifted from Survivor, but whatever...)

Read More »

We've long dreamed of a day when we could download freshly released movies to our TVs, and now, that day has arrived... but with a steep price! PRIMA Cinema gave us some hands-on time with their product, and it's an amazing service for anyone who can't make it to their local cineplex on opening weekend to see the latest, greatest releases. The cost? A cool $35,000 for the primary unit and remote fingerprint reader, plus an additional $500 per viewing, or a TBD annual fee for an unlimited subscription. Now, that seems astronomical, we know. However, it's chump change next to the cost of installing professional projection equipment (which can run well over $100K). In addition to those equipment costs, you also have to be on a super secret screener list called the "Bel-Air Circuit" that gives access to first-run theatrical releases. Oh, and that circuit is per studio, and even if you make one studio's list, it doesn't guarantee you'll be placed on any other studio's list. Hollywood heavy hitters like Ari Emanuel, George Clooney, and Les Moonves are all on the list, so if you're expecting an invitation, don't hold your breath.

Read More »

It appears that there's still life in the long-discussed live-action Robotech film, after all. After several years in developmental purgatory, Warner Bros. is finally moving forward with the project, appointing feature film newcomer, Nic Mathieu to the director's chair.

Known for work mainly in commercials, Mathieu has also recently nabbed another Warner project called The Wind. He now lands potential blockbuster fodder by adapting the seminal Japanese anime series which comes straight from the 1980's heyday where "giant robots punching things in space" was as common as autotune is today in the music biz. While other entries in the robot genre were more fluffy, geared towards the interest of children, Robotech carried a reputation of distinguishing itself with a harder edge.

The story is set in a future in which a crashed alien spacecraft in the South Pacific becomes a proverbial Pandora's Box of technology; a technology that would save the life of all mankind, as it helps them develop giant piloted robots that serve as Earth's primary defense against the forces of immense invading extraterrestrials. -- No doubt, such a premise seems to be timely with the looming presence of another potential blockbuster with giant piloted robots battling giant dimensional-invading monsters in Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim this summer. Most likely the coming of that film was the catalyst for the jump-start on this long-stagnant Robotech project.

Actor, Tobey Maguire (attached to the film for over 5 years,) remains on board as producer. Joining him in that capacity, are Akiva Goldsmith, Matthew Plouffe, Joby Harold, and Tory Tunnell. However, at this point, nothing has been revealed regarding the script, which at various points in time had names attached like the legendary Lawrence Kasdan and afterwards, the duo of Alfred Gough and Miles Millar.

[Source]

Release Date: November 8
Director: Alan Taylor
Rating: Not Yet Rated

Thor returns to battle a powerful enemy who has emerged from a dark realm with a plot to plunge the nine realms, including Earth into a shadowy oblivion. 

What We Know:

It appears that after the ordeal on Earth in The Avengers, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is still unable to rest on his laurels. Having escaped (again) from the custody of Asgard, the mischievous machinations of his half-brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) have reached a stunning new level of inconsiderateness, stirring the malevolent intentions of a race of dark elves in the realm of Svartalfheim, lead by its cruel, megalomaniacal master, Malekith the Accursed (Christopher Eccleston).

A conniving collaboration between Loki and Malekith is in the works designed to help Malekith gain a powerful relic kept in Asgard which the domineering dark elf will use to thrust all nine realms into a darkness more suitable to his aesthetically-unpleasing empire. The cruel conspiracy escalates to a scale too large for even King Odin of Asgard (Anthony Hopkins) to handle. However, the plot also seems to involve a more personally-vengeful aspect designed to destroy Odin's son, Thor. That feat will be accomplished by exploiting the one thing he loves the most: Earth woman, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), luring him into a battle with a brutal, powerful dark elf warrior named Kurse (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) whose mission from Malekith involves bad, bad things for the Asgardian prince.

The fate of the universe hangs in the balance and Thor's reunion with Jane will have to put love-struck sentiment on the back-burner as a grand battle is at hand between the armies of Asgard and the dark elves of Svartalfheim that threatens to shatter their respective mystical lands forever. For our hammer-hurling hero, mitigating this madness could ultimately require that he make what is being officially described as a sacrifice of "everything."

Filling the cast, are returnees, Idris Elba, Kat Dennings, Jaimie Alexander, Ray Stevenson, Stellan Skarsgård, Renee Russo, and Tadanobu Asano. Additionally, Zachary Levi joins the cast, replacing Josh Dallas as "Fandral."

Read More »

The announcement that Star Wars fans have been waiting for since last fall has finally arrived! Set to direct the first film in the upcoming Star Wars sequel trilogy in 2015 is none other than, J.J. Abrams!

Yes, nerds, it's official. After months of him playing it coy with a yarn about a full schedule, a new emperor has been crowned, and it's not Palaptine. J.J. Abrams is now your official living deity of all things sci-fi. Even Marvel movie mastermind, Joss Whedon must now bow in the presence of the man-maestro behind the current Star Trek franchise, who has become a grand poobah of geekdom by landing the genre's other major monolith.

After Disney's $4.05 billion acquisition of the Star Wars franchise from George Lucas, Lucasfilm head, Kathleen Kennedy has been quietly courting some of the best creative talents (the ones with big-money track records, anyway) and the final candidates seemed to come down to an actor-turned-taskmaster in Argo helmer, Ben Affleck and, of course, Abrams. In the end, what may be the most coveted directorial job ever will be added to the embarrassment of riches (that's a compliment, btw) that is the resume of franchises under Abrams' production company, Bad Robot, which includes Star Trek, Mission Impossible, Fringe, Person of Interest, Revolution, Alias, and the great  "it kind of was Purgatory after all" drama, Lost.

At this point, the news and rumors will, much like The Force itself, start to flow through fans as the long trip of speculation to 2015 gets underway!

[Source]

Release Date: October 11
Director: Spike Lee
Rating: Not Yet Rated

A man who was kidnapped and stuck into a hotel-like prison in isolation for 15 years, is suddenly released for unknown reasons. Seeking revenge, his investigation unfolds a bizarre and personal plot.

What We Know:

The 2003 South Korean cult classic film by director, Park Chan-wook (based on a late-90's Japanese manga series) is reinvented and westernized. Following the basic framework of the the manga and film, a man named Joe Doucett (Josh Brolin) seems to prefer the sip of a booze bottle to familial obligations, specifically when it comes to being home for his young daughter's birthday. It would be a date he'd never make as he is apprehended in the streets and shuttled away.

He awakens in a somewhat aesthetically normal hotel room of sorts, except at this resort, checkout is sometime around...NEVER, and the concierge is more of a warden. Nevertheless, he's fed on a daily basis and still able to keep up with current events through the medium of television. Unfortunately, it's also through that medium which he learns that his wife has been murdered. 15 years go by and an older Joe, grizzled and unbalanced from a decade and a half of isolation suddenly finds himself freed in circumstances as mysterious as his initial capture.

After a rough period of readjustment with the outside world, he befriends a young woman named Marie (Elizabeth Olsen) and begins an investigation into the motives behind his long ordeal. -- And by "investigation" we mean a bit of sleuthing followed by a one-man marathon of brutal, bloody, cringe-inducing violence, against his former captors, including what promises to be a horrendous torture sequence with his former "warden," Chaney (Samuel L. Jackson), inspired by a famous scene in the original film involving a hammer.

Soon, enough, the mastermind of the machinations reveals himself as billionaire, Adrian Pryce (Sharlto Copley), who gives Joe five short days to continue his investigation and find out the true motives behind his imprisonment. If successful, Pryce will end his own life. However, failure will result in the death of his potential new flame, Marie.

Michael Imperioli, Lance Reddick, Max Casella, and Caitlin Dulany round out the cast.

Read More »

The colossal cavalcade of casting rumors for Marvel's upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy has taken a surprising, comedic turn. It seems that the galactic super-team could very well find itself with the addition of either Adam Sandler OR Jim Carrey.

According to a report from Latino Review, Marvel Studios apparently inquired about the availability of the two comedy icons, Sandler and Carrey. -- That, is pretty much the extent of the rumor at this time. For what role, you may ask? It's a good question for which no definite answer exists just yet.

The dominant subject when it comes to the vast array of Guardians casting rumors has surrounded who will play the lead character, "Star-Lord." In fact, the LR report throws the names of Wes Bentley, Chris Lowell, and Cam Gigandet into that already heavy mix. One might conclude that, given the names that have been thrown out there, that the Star-Lord role will go to an actor in his late-20's to early-30's, which makes it unlikely that Sandler and Carrey are up for that particular role.

However, Guardians has two notable slots for the more...let's just say, "exotic" members of the team. In fact, given their eccentric nature, it may be the case that the spot in question is more for voice work for an animated character.

Keep reading below, to see where we're going.

Read More »

This summer's superhero revival, Man of Steel will apparently sport a larger rogues gallery than we originally thought. It looks like Michael Shannon's Kryptonian refugee war criminal, General Zod will have plenty of super-powered backup when he tangles with Henry Cavill's Superman.

According to ComicBook.com, Richard Cetrone (pictured left) has joined the cast as Kryptonian militant Zod loyalist named "Tor-An." Revard Dufrense (pictured right) has also jumped on board as "Dev-Em," an escaped Kryptonian criminal who has found himself with Zod's group. This ups the tally of "evil escaped Kryptonians" to a lopsided four-on-one affair, taking into account Zod and his female conspirator, Faora played by Antje Traue. Indeed, this new Superman is going to need better tricks than tossing "Super Saran Wrap" and taking out his aggression on hapless big-mouth yokels in local greasy spoons.

Both of these new acquisitions are relative unknowns, but may be recognizable to genre fans. Cetrone, a longtime stuntman, has been the "nameless bad guy" in numerous major films, such as The Book of Eli, Sucker Punch, and the Underworld films. Plus, he had a notable role as the Frost Giant Captain in Thor. Dufrense, on the other hand, has a significantly shorter resume, with roles in Sucker Punch, on TV with Supernatural, Eureka, and previous Superman property, Smallville. However, he was also one half of a memorable, "creepy-sexy" moment from TV's revival of V where he, playing a stoic super-soldier, conceives children with Morena Baccarin's evil lady lizard leader.

On another note, the film has been officially given a PG-13 rating by the MPAA, rendering it family-friendly, but intense enough.

Man of Steel takes karate classes anticipating many opponents at theaters on June 14. Also, check out our preview write-up.

[Source]

Release Date: October 4
Director: Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez
Rating: Not Yet Rated

The murky, monochromatic, multiple-narrative world of Sin City is visited yet again. Among others, is the tale of a seedy man trying to turn a new leaf who is seduced into a sinister plot by a sexy, but wicked woman.

What We Know:

The intermixed seedy stories of Sin City get more gaps filled as chapters focusing on characters from 2005's original Sin City film dig deeper into the dank mythos inspired by Frank Miller's seminal comic book series.

The primary focus will be on the ordeal of Dwight McCarthy (a duel role played by Josh Brolin and Clive Owen.) An aspiring photographer, Dwight is forced to take jobs as hired muscle for a rotund sleaze merchant moonlighting as a P.I. While he is no stranger to beating down the scummiest elements the city has to offer, nothing would prepare him for the malicious machinations that would await him.

Dwight's old flame, Ava Lord (yet to be cast) has intruded her way back into his life after breaking his heart years earlier. Now desperately asking for his help, she claims to be stuck in a horrific and abusive marriage to a rich and powerful mogul named Damien Lord (casting yet to be revealed). Initially reluctant to help, Dwight finds himself seduced by the voluptuous victim and in the process of "helping," ends up a pushover patsy, ensnared into her web of sex and murder. He'll need the help of his part-time lover, Gail (Rosario Dawson) and the dangerous Girls of Old Town (aka, the back-alley hooker army) to take control of the situation and gain revenge.

Shifting focus to another story of the film, a chapter entitled "The Long Bad Night" focuses on an original story of a character named Johnny (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a cocky gambler who utilizes his skills with chance to hoodwink the biggest villain in all of Sin City. Presumably, this is the mysterious Mob Boss, Wallenquist, whose criminal tentacles are firmly-affixed in all the various chapters of the Sin City mythos. For Johnny, however, it seems that his overconfidence was rooted either in delusion or ignorance, as he dares to beat this monolithic mastermind at his own rigged game. In doing so, extremely bad things are in the works for him.

Read More »

Release Date: September 13  *(Updated release date with new title, Escape Plan.)
Director: Mikael Håfström
Rating: Not Yet Rated

When the world's foremost authority on prison security design finds himself framed and put in a secret penitentiary that he designed, he'll need to team up with a shady cyberterrorist to plan what seems like an impossible escape.

What We Know:

Ray Breslin (Sylvester Stallone) might seem to be an innocuous engineer specializing in structural prison security, but apparently he's made a powerful enemy and winds up framed and convicted of a crime serious enough to land him in one of his own specialty prisons. In this case, Ray gets stuck in one of his masterpieces, a secret inescapable high-tech palace of penance that's designed to house a special breed of criminals. (He'll need to utilize his prison flick experiences from Lock Up and Tango & Cash to get through this one.)

While mulling over the question of what landed him there in the first place, he becomes unlikely friends with fellow prisoner, Emil Rottmayer (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a shady and notorious cyberterrorist who landed in this clandestine clink after creating a code that could have potentially taken down the global banking system. (However, the "code" that is the English language is still something he's unable to crack.) After realizing that a collaboration is advantageous, the duo come up with a hail Mary escape plan. Enlisting the help of another inmate hacker named Hush (Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson), this plan will need a hell of a lot more than a cake-baked saw.

The plan, however, stands in perpetual danger, due to a ruthless warden named Willard Hobbes (Jim Caviezel) and his corrupt corrections officer henchman, Drake (Vinnie Jones). These old alpha dogs will need to utilize a different kind of teamwork to survive the ordeal and get to the bottom of the mysterious circumstances which have significantly altered Ray's daily showering strategy.

Vincent D'Onofrio, Sam Neill, Amy Ryan, and Faran Tahir round out the cast of this action-drama.

Read More »

Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning, director John Hyams’ follow up to his successful 2009 film, Universal Soldier: Regeneration, is available tomorrow, Tuesday January 22nd, on DVD, Blu-ray, and VOD (check out our interview with director John Hyams here).

We had a chance to sit down with one of the movie's stars, action icon Dolph Lundgren, and talk about how his character, Sergeant Andrew Scott, has progressed throughout the series.

Check it out:

By the way, do yourself a favor and watch Day of Reckoning, it's great. Tell 'em Dolph sent ya.