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Is This The Title To Quentin Tarantino’s Next Movie? | /Film

We’ve heard rumblings about about Quentin Tarantino’s next movie for a while now. It’s aspaghetti western. It’ll starChristoph Waltz.Franco Nero,Keith Carradinemight be in it. Uma Thurman called it“a southern.” But up until now, we still had no idea what it was called. Then, Friday on Twitter, someone tweeted a photo of what looks to bethe title page of the script. Is this the actual script and what’s the title? You’re gonna have to click the jump to find out.

A Twitter user named@AgentTraineetweeted the following picture earlier today:

Django Unchained

Is that the title? It certainly looks like it. We know fromInglourious Basterdsthat Tarantino likes to hand write the titles on the first page of his script. Plus, there’s the classic 1966 spaghetti western calledDjangothat starred Franco Nero. The same Franco Nero who was rumored to be in this movie. Here’s the plot description of that original filmfrom the IMDB:

A coffin-dragging gunslinger enters a town caught between two feuding factions, the KKK and a gang of Mexican Bandits, and is caught up in a struggle against them.

Is Tarantino’s film some sort of homage to that, much like the originalInglourious Basterds? With the Nero connection, I’d bank on it.

So, what do you think of this title?

Thanks to Twitter user@FuMikeChufor the heads up.

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Summit Buys‘Ender’s Game’With Gavin Hood Directing | /Film

Ender’s Gameis a property that has been in development for what seems like forever. The last big attempt to make the film started in 2002 when Warner Bros. optioned it and eventually set Wolfgang Petersen to direct. That versiondiedin 2009, at which point Odd Lot picked up the option and eventually hiredGavin Hood(Tsotsi,Wolverine) toscript. At the beginning of this yearAlex KurtzmanandRoberto Orciadded their cloutto the effort.

Now Summit has signed on to co-finance and distribute a film based on the Gavin Hood script, and has set him to direct as well.

Deadlinepositions the deal as having roots in Summit’s desire for a franchise to replace the waningTwilight. And that’s probably at least partially correct, as theOrson Scott CardnovelEnder’s Gameis the first in a series of books that have a big sci-fi fanbase. And the characters, especially in this first chapter, are young— so the film could be a rival to films likeThe Hunger Games.

As Germain said in September, the novel“is the story of a a boy nicknamed Ender who, at a very young age, is chosen to go into space for Battle School. Battle School is a place where adults train gifted children to be military leaders for an imminent war using zero gravity war games, interactive digital simulations and a whole bunch of cold-blooded precision and aggression.” There’s a big twist at the end which puts the whole story into a new pespective, but for those few people who don’t know what the truth of the story is I’ll let someone else spoil it.

But the crux is that core of the novel has the intersection of children and the military, and that’s is loaded, potentially touchy subject matter. Which makes it potentially great, but Ireally want to seeGavin Hood’s script to see how he’s handled it.

The film will be sold to other territories at Cannes, and Gavin Hood is putting together a presentation to show while in France. With that movement underway, we could potentially start to hear casting information sooner rather than later.

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Armie Hammer Ready to Ride as‘The Lone Ranger’| /Film

Gore Verbinskimay have his second star to appear inThe Lone RangeroppositeJohnny Depp‘s Tonto.Armie Hammer, who broke out big withThe Social Network, co-starred with Leonardo DiCaprio in Clint Eastwood’sJ. Edgarand has been tapped for Relativity’sSnow White, is in early talks to play the‘star’ of this new look at one of America’s big Western heroes.

Jerry Bruckheimer is producing the Gore Verbinski movie based onJustin Haythe‘s script. At first the notion of a new Lone Ranger seemed weird, but we’ve learned that this is meant as both an origin story (ho-hum) and an inversion of the old hero paradigm that defined previous screen incarnations of the character. Gore Verbinski said,

The only version of‘The Lone Ranger’ I’m interested in doing is ‘Don Quixote’ told from Sancho Panza’s point of view… And hence I was honest early on with Johnny that Tonto isthe part. We’re not going to do it {straight}, everyone knows that story. I don’t want to tell that story.

So Armie Hammer’s Lone Ranger could be perfect. He’s got that clean-scrubbed‘all-American boy’ look, and could easily play many variations on a Quixote-like hero. He could be the idealistic buffoon, the driven and single-minded hero, or some other incarnation. He should also be a great foil for Johnny Depp. I’m currently picturing the Depp Tonto as a more grounded version of Jack Sparrow. It’s not necessarily the most inspiring thing to think that one Verbinski/Depp teamup will lay the groundwork for this new one, but being realistic that’s quite possibly how things will go.

And while Ryan Gosling is great, I like the idea of Armie Hammer playing this role quite a bit more. He might not be able to bring quite the same darkness to it that Ryan Goslingcould have, but he’ll be able to  {Deadline}

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First Video: Tarsem’s‘Immortals’{Updated} | /Film

Update:A leak of the full trailer, in measurably better quality, is now available. Since it doesn’t seem to be the official release, we’ve just added it to this post and bumped. Look out for the official release, hopefully with HD, very soon.

Last night E! showed part of the first trailer forTarsem Singh‘sImmortals, and a bootleg video of the segment is online. The footage seems to make up most of the film’s teaser trailer, and shows off a lot of post-300action, filtered through Tarsem’s recognizable style, and shows off most of the core cast that includesHenry Cavill,Stephen Dorff,Isabel Lucas,Freida Pinto,Luke Evans,Kellan Lutz,John HurtandMickey Rourke. Check it out after the break.

Beyond even the fact of the annoying voice-over, the quality here is pretty lousy. Though in a way that adds to the aesthetic— it makesImmortalslook like a dusty VHS tape of a forgotten film from the early’80s. Which is what it should be, in a way. That rapid-fire bow action at the end, that is so reminiscent ofHawk the Slayer, sure didn’t help break the comparison.

Part of the attraction here for those who haven’t seenThe TudorsorStardustwill be a look at Henry Cavill, the next Superman, going through action beats for Tarsem. He looks great, and it is really easy to imagine him wearing the big‘S.’

We’ll update with a post for the high-quality trailer when it arrives.Immortalsopens on November 11.

Here’s the better quality full video:

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Russell Crowe Eyeing’77,’Based on a James Ellroy Story, as Starring and Directing Project | /Film

Ten years ago, iconic LA crime novelistJames Ellroywas signed with Paramount to write his first original screenplay, called77. That script was eventually completed by someone else, but it has been kicking around for some time. And nowRussell Crowe— who made the leap to leading man status in part thanks to his role in the James Ellroy adaptationL.A. Confidential— is looking to star in the film. He also reportedly wants to make it his directorial debut.

As it stood in 2001,77followed“”two events from May 1974: the unsolved murder of Los Angeles police officer Mike Edwards and the nationally televised shootout in South Central Los Angeles between the LAPD and the Symbionese Liberation Army, as they exchanged more than 50,000 rounds of gunfire. The story will unfold through the eyes of a pair of police partners, one black and one white.” Sounds like great stuff, very much in the Ellroy wheelhouse. (The story was, I believe, based on the only unsolved murder of a police officer in LA.)

The script that would go into play now was actually written byDavid Matthewsbased on that story pitch by James Ellroy. Deadline reports the interest on Russell Crowe’s part, but also notes that he has been attached to other projects in the past that never bore fruit. (Not that the blame goes on him, but this isn’t his first time attached to direct a film.)

The report is that he’s waiting on a new script draft, presumably by David Matthews, before making a decision. Being a huge Ellroy fan I’m looking forward to hearing how the script has turned out; he’s an author that can overwhelm with complex plotting, but at the core of his stories is always a set of characters that would make for (potentially) great cinema.  And when the story was designed as a film in the first place? That’s perfect. (James Ellroy also wrote the story for Owen Moverman’sRampart, which is in post now.)

Back in 2001 the pitch for 77 was made by Mr. Ellroy toLaw& Orderproducer Dick Wolf, who later called it“one of the best pitches I’ve ever heard. He draws verbal pictures of the characters that are truly extraordinary, and obviously he can put them down on the page.”77was around even before then;Ellroy.comnotes that there was a different potential development deal for77back in 1999.

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‘Our Idiot Brother’Trailer–Paul Rudd is a Moron | /Film

One film I’ve been looking forward to isOur Idiot Brother(formerly known asMy Idiot Brother), which premiered at Sundance earlier this year to warm, if not spectacular, reviews.Jesse Peretz‘s dramedy starsPaul Ruddas a good-hearted but dim man who gets passed around between his three sisters (Elizabeth Banks,Zooey DeschanelandEmily Mortimer) as he tries to get his life together after his latest set of mishaps— one of which involved selling weed to a uniformed police officer. He’s that dumb. Watch the trailer after the jump.

{viaFirstShowing}

Rudd has proved in the past to be a very reliably funny, likable actor, and he looks just as solid here as he usually does. The rest of the cast looks great as well— in addition to the names mentioned above,Our Idiot Brotheralso starsRashida Jones(in hipster granny glasses!),T.J. Miller,Hugh Dancy,Adam ScottandSteve Coogan.Davecalled the film“lovable” and“enjoyable” but“inconsequential” in his review from Sundance, and that’s the feeling I’m getting from the trailer as well.Our Idiot Brotherdoesn’t look particularly impressive or daring, but it does look like a pleasant way to pass a sticky summer afternoon.

Our Idiot Brotherwill open in theatersAugust 26.

Synopsis:

Despite looking for the good in every situation and the best in every person, Ned always seems to find himself holding the short end of the stick—being conned into selling pot to a uniformed cop, being dumped by his girlfriend, and worse yet, losing custody of his beloved dog, Willie Nelson. When he turns to family, he is passed from sister to sister while he gets back on his feet. Ned’s best intentions produce hilariously disastrous results, bringing the family to the cusp of chaos and ultimately the brink of clarity.

Discuss:Will you seeOur Idiot Brother?

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New International‘X-Men: First Class’Trailers Very Briefly Show Sebastian Shaw in Action | /Film

The past 36 hours have been part of what was  probably the slowest news cycle of the year, so why not throw out two more short trailers forX-Men: First Class? They’re basically cut from the same mold as the one we saw earlier this week, with perhaps one or two glimpses of new stuff. Usually that wouldn’t be notable, but one of the new shots shows Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) putting his powers into action.

If that’s something you’ve been waiting to see, check out the first of two embeds that follow and wait patiently for the slider to hit the 1:01 mark.

Having seen this very brief clip of Shaw in action, fans will probably wonder exactly what he’s doing. The classic version of the character was able to absorb and re-use kinetic energy. Essentially, you could try to beat the hell out of him and it would only make him stronger. What we see him manifesting here is something else entirely. But since we don’t know the context for this particular shot, it is difficult to know exactly what is going on.

Earlier this week producerBryan Singerspoke toIGNabout the Hellfire Club, though his comment didn’t really reveal anything about how Shaw works in the film:

The Hellfire Club is actually something that {producers} Lauren Shuler Donner and Simon Kinberg had mentioned to me early on. It’s something that we had discussed years ago, to incorporate them into an X-Men film, but we never quite found a way to do so. So Lauren brought it up again and I thought great, because it again plays into the idea of them being underground. Because the whole idea of the Hellfire Club is that they are an underground club, and that’s perfect because we’re dealing with a time when the world doesn’t know that mutants exist. What better villain element than one that exists under the surface of society? And to have the mutants intertwine with the geopolitical events of the time.

{ComingSoon}

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‘Incendies’ Director Denis Villeneuve Helming ‘Prisoners’ | /Film

The history of the development of the filmPrisonersis convoluted. Suffice to say that theAaron Guzikowskiscript hit the Black List in 2009, wasbriefly setto be a Bryan Singer film with Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale, before those two actors dropped out and itbrieflybecame an Antoine Fuqua and Hugh Jackman movie.

But that version never happened, either. Leonardo DiCaprioalmostlooked like he was going to star, but eventually it was back to square one and a number of other possible directors were floated. Now, with his filmIncendiesopening in the US this weekend,Denis Villeneuveis looking like the newPrisonersdirector.

TheLA Timessays he’s signed to direct the vigilante thriller for Warner Bros., with a new cast being planned and a fall shoot tentatively scheduled.

So why is Prisoners still very much a going concern after kicking around for a couple of years with a variety of creative teams? The script is about” a working-class Boston father whose young daughter is kidnapped, along with her friend. Frustrated by a local detective’s handling of the case, the father takes as a hostage the man he believes committed the crimes.” ThinkMystic RiverandThe Silence of the Lambsas a starter; it isn’t the most subtle script, but it is easy to see how the right team might use it to create a film that nicely straddles the line between critical darling and audience favorite.

If Denis Villeneuve does direct, it would be his first English-language film, and frankly this is probably a better scenario than having a high-profile director and AAA cast. He probably won’t pull actors on the visibility level of Leonardo DiCaprio, but he shouldn’t have any trouble assembling a very capable cast that can take advantage of the material.

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LOL:‘Thor’ TV Spot Knocks Off Hit Super Bowl VW Darth Vader Commercial | /Film

I like seeing Marvel going a little off-book promoting a movie likeThor. Here’s the studio’s latest spot for the film, which doesn’t feature a shred of footage from the movie.‘Little Thor’ instead replicates the Darth Vader VW ad that ran during the Super Bowl. It is a pretty exact copy of the VW ad, with Darth Vader’s costume swapped out for Thor’s, and a few other altered details. The end is just slightly different, too….

Since 36 million people have watched the original VW Darth Vader ad on YouTube I’m guessing that you’ve probably seen it. But if not, here’s the ad that‘Little Thor’ is parodying:

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Robert Zemeckis Could Next Direct‘Flight’| /Film

In an era where every successful filmmaker has not only one, but a handful of films, on their plate, it’s hard to imaging that someone as storied and successful asRobert Zemeckisis looking for work. However, after his motion capture Beatles filmYellow Submarinewas canceled, it put the Oscar-winning director ofForrest Gump, Back to the FutureandUsed Carsback on the market. He’s beendeveloping a sequeltoWho Framed Roger Rabbit,was courted foraWizard of Ozfilm and recentlysigned on to produceHow To Survive a Gnome Attackbut, according to Deadline, his next directorial gig could be a film calledFlight. Written byJohn Gatins(Real Steel, Hard Ball) the film seems to be loosly inspired by the tale of Sully Sullenberger, in which a commerical airline pilot avoids a terrible disaster and becomes a hero. In this film though, the pilot must hide the fact that he was under the influence.Denzel Washingtonis circling the lead role. Read more after the break.

Deadline broke the newsof this possible project andThe Hollywood Reporterdropped the Denzel news. According to their sources, Paramount– who owns the rights to Gatins’ script– is courting Zemeckis hard knowing that he’s currently a free agent. And while they wouldn’t report on it if there wasn’t a chance it could happen, the problems with Zemeckis directing this film are numerous. First of all, it’s another plane disaster movie, just like his last live action filmCast Away. Second of all, he’s expensive, and Paramount doesn’t seeFlightas a big budget film.

Gatnis had long been attached to direct the film himself, but the oppurtunity to get a guy like Zemeckis doesn’t happen too often.

Here’s how the Deadline story describesFlight:

The fictional tale revolves around a commercial airline pilot named Whip Whitaker. When his plane malfunctions and a crash seems imminent, he saves the day with some heroic flying and manages to land the plane with minimal casualties. He’s instantly hailed as a hero, but as an investigation into the cause of the crash unfolds, it becomes clear that he was flying under the influence of drugs and alcohol. The film is the pilot’s journey as he is encouraged to wear a hero label he thinks he doesn’t deserve, while the pilot’s union and airline try to keep the facts under cover because of the high stakes involved.

I’m a huge fan of Zemeckis’s. I even likeBeowulf, but not so muchA Christmas Carol. While this certainly sounds like a green light worthy script, I’d much rather see him direct something a bit bigger. What do you all think?

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Patrick Warburton Cast in Seth MacFarlane’s‘Ted’| /Film

Patrick Warburton, who will always be Puddy to some, and will always be The Tick to me, has been a part ofSeth MacFarlane‘s showFamily Guysince the beginning. So I’m surprised to see that it has taken so long for him to be cast inTed, Mr. McFarlane’s live-action/CGI hybrid comedy in whichMark Wahlberghas to deal with the adult aftereffects of wishing his teddy bear to life.

Deadlinesays that Patrick Warburton will be Guy,“the sexually confused co-worker of John (Wahlberg) at the Enterprise Rent-A-Car front office.” (Product placement, even in the casting breaks for the film!) And the script reportedly calls the character“a burly Patrick Warburton type,” so this was more or less a given. Still, I’ll never argue with a little Warburton.Mila Kunis, another Family Guy regular since day one, is also in the cast, as John’s girlfriend who is more than a bit anxious for him to move on to a non-teddy bear life.

Giovanni Ribisialso has a role, andJoel McHaleisRex, the boss who is always trying to scam on Mila Kunis’ character. Let’s go back to previous comments from Mark Wahlberg, who ably sums up the story:

I don’t know how much {Seth} wants me to tell but it’s about this kid who gets a bear for Christmas. And, you know, it’s the ’70s — it’s one of those Teddy Ruxpin-ish teddy bears where you squeeze it and it says, ‘I love you!’ The kid wishes and dreams that the bear would come alive — and a Christmas wish must be granted — and it does {come alive}.

Seth MacFarlane’s voicing the bear — the bear is gonna look like a little teddy bear, but it’s motion-capture. It’s like ‘Avatar.’ It’s never been done before. It’s insane — I mean, what the bear does…. The bear becomes famous, and that’s my ticket to getting things and living a life of privilege.

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First Look: Christian Bale in‘The 13 Women of Nanjing,’aka‘Nanjing Heroes’| /Film

Christian Balehas a little movie to make with Christopher Nolan this summer, but before he suits up in Pittsburgh forThe Dark Knight Rises, he’ll finish a stint in China working withZhang Yimou. The director ismakinga film calledThe 13 Women of Nanjing, known previously asNanjing Heroes, which is the latest Chinese film version of the infamous 1937 incident called the Nanjing Massacre, or the Rape of Nanking, in which Japanese soldiers killed hundreds of thousands of Chinese civilians and soldiers, and raped thousands of women after the capture of the city of Nanjing.

Christian Bale plays a priest in the film, and we’ve got the first images below.

At this point we don’t know much more about the film than the basic info above. In December we heard thatYan and Liu Hengwrote the script based onYan Geling‘s novelThe 13 Women of Nanjing. The book tells the story of“thirteen prostitutes who stepped in for female university students who were to be taken as“escorts” for the troops during the period when nearly 20,000 women and girls were raped and killed by the Japanese troops.” Christian Bale’s priest shtelters some of the prostitutes and students as the Japanese attack is ongoing.

We know that the script’s dialogue breakdown is about 60% Mandarin Chinese and 40% English. There are a couple other major non-Chinese roles in the film, but at this point we still don’t know who was cast in them. This is one of the biggest productions ever to be mounted in China, and is expected to be released in December of this year.

{Tianjinwe.com, thanks to /Film reader Hargun for the head's up!}

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The /Filmcast: After Dark–Ep. 142–Critic Filmmakers and the Ending of Source Code | /Film

The /Filmcast: After Dark is a recording of what happens right after The /Filmcast is over, when the kids have gone to bed and the guys feel free to speak whatever is on their minds. In other words, it’s the leftover and disorganized ramblings, mindfarts, and brain diarrhea from The /Filmcast, all in one convenient audio file. In this episode, David Chen, Devindra Hardawar, and Adam Quigley discuss the full extent of their filmmaking career aspirations and respond to your e-mails about the ending ofSource Code. Special guest Dave Gonzales joins us fromLatino Review.

You can always e-mail us at slashfilmcast(AT)gmail(DOT)com, or call and leave a voicemail at 781-583-1993. We’ll be back on Sunday (4/17) at Slashfilm’s live page to discussScream 4.

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‘Like Crazy’ Release Date Set | /Film

One of the hottest titles coming out of Sundance this year wasDrake Doremus‘s romantic dramaLike CrazystarringAnton Yelchin(Star Trek, Terminator Salvation) andFelicity Jones(the criminally underratedCemetery Junction,The Tempest). The film won the festival’smost prestigious award, the Dramatic Grand Jury Prize (the last two winners of which both got Best Picture nominations) and was picked up by Paramount for $4 million. Now, they’ve set a limited release date for the lovely and heartbreaking tale of long distance love: October 28, right in prime awards contention. Read ourreview here.

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Five New Images From‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows–Part 2′| /Film

There are new photos floating around today fromHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows– Part 2, which concludes the epic Harry Potter series when it opens on July 15. These images show a bit more of the massive final battle that brings the story to a close— you’ll see Harry fighting in a Gringott’s vault, and there’s a shot of Neville doing a little battle work of his own, in addition to a few other glimpses at the film.

Check out all five after the break.

In Part 2 of the epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the Wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But it is Harry Potter who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort. It all ends here.

{EWandComingSoon}

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HBO May Adapt Neil Gaiman’s‘American Gods’| /Film

HBO is getting behindGame of Thronesin a big way, and the company seems to think that fantasy could be the way to go into the future. So the channel is now negotiating a deal for the rights toNeil Gaiman‘s novelAmerican Gods, and the current plan is forRobert Richardson(yes, the cinematographer) and Neil Gaiman to jointly script the pilot.

American Godswould actually make quite good source material for an HBO series, as it is just expansive enough to fill a season or two, with many avenues to explore character backstories and even introduce new characters. The story tells of Shadow, a man just released from prison, who encounters an old con man named Mr. Wednesday, who hires shadow to be his bodyguard. Eventually the tale describes a sort of power struggle between gods old and new, with both very major and relatively minor deities playing a part. One of the big setpieces takes place at a real location, the House on the Rock, which has since played home to at least one huge American Gods-themed event.

Deadlinesays thatTom HanksandGary Goetzmanof Playtone (who also put togetherBand of BrothersandThe Pacific) were brought the material by Robert Richardson, and they in turn took it to HBO. Mr. Richardson has a legendary cinematography career— he won Oscars forThe AviatorandJFKand has nominations forPlatoon,Born on the Fourth of July,Snow Falling on Cedars, andInglorious Basterds— and this would mark a new chapter for him. I don’t know what to make of that, frankly, but he’s proven his storytelling skills with the camera, and working with Neil Gaiman this might go very well.

Two of Neil Gaiman’s projects—CoralineandStardust— have already been turned into successful feature film projects, and he has written for television as well. There is still aSandmanTV seriesin the works, though details on that are very thin. And Neil Jordan isworking to make a filmbased onThe Graveyard Book, but that seems to have a way to go yet, too.

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Page 2: Superman, M Night Shyamalan, The Incredibles, Pirates 4, The Walking Dead, Winnie The Pooh, Star Wars, Tree of Life, John Lassetter | /Film

What is Page 2?Page 2 is a compilation of stories and news tidbits, which for whatever reason, didn’t make the front page of /Film. After the jump we’ve included46different items, fun images, videos, casting tidbits, articles of interest and more. It’s like a mystery grab bag of movie web related goodness. If you have any interesting items that we might’ve missed that you think should go in /Film’s Page 2–email us!

Yesterday at NAB in Las Vegas, AppleunveiledFinal Cut X, a completely rebuilt version of the popular video editing program.

Linkin Parkfans thinkthe band’s song“Iridescent” will be featured inTransformers: Dark of the Moon.

In the latest edition ofHijinks Ensue,Supermanreunites with Zod.

EWlists 22 most shocking TV deaths.

The new Funny or Die webseries“Clark Kent has a dream”imagineswhat would have happened if Clark Kent decided to become a writer, and not a superhero. In episode four: with Superman busy“working on his novel,” Lex Luthor invites Green Lantern onto his talk show,“Lex Talk,” where he baits him into calling Superman out.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tideswillpremiereat the Cannes Film Festival in May.

Retro RobotToy Storyt-shirt.

Jefferies analyst Peter MisekbelievesAppleis about to take onNetflixby offering an advanced web-based video subscription product.

RedBubbleis selling a line ofStar Wars/Angry Birdsmash-up t-shirts.

BondMixology.comis an iPhone-optimized websitefeaturingAtomic Martini’s list of all drinks consumed byJames Bondin the movies, complete with recipes.

Continue Reading Page 2>>

Due to the amount of graphics and images included in Page 2, we have to split this post over a BUNCH pages. Click the link above to continue the second page of Page 2.

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Fox Sets February 2012 Release Dates For‘This Means War’and‘Chronicle’| /Film

Fox set release dates for two films today: theMcGaction/comedy/romanceThis Means Warwill get a Valentine-ish bow on February 17, 2012. The film hasChris PineandTom Hardyas CIA agents literally fighting overReese Witherspoon.Til Schweiger,Angela Bassett,Chelsea HandlerandDavid Koechnerare all in the film, too. Can the idea of Chris Pine and Tom Hardy trying to destroy one another overcome the disdain some of you might have for McG? Only a trailer will tell, but I’m eager to see some footage.

And thenChroniclegot a February 3 2012 date. That one is written by up and coming writerMax Landis, and hasBig FaneditorJosh Trankset to direct. It follows“three Portland teens after they develop powers from exposure to a mysterious substance.” We don’t know much more, but will present any further info as it comes along.

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James Cameron’s‘Avatar’Sequels Will Film In Manhattan Beach, CA | /Film

The above headline is true.Avatar 2and3,written and directed byJames Cameronand scheduled for release in December 2014 and 2015 respectively, will film in Manhattan Beach, CA. But let’s clarify that Manhattan Beach is a town. And while that town has a beach, it’s notjusta beach. James Cameron is not shootingunderwater sequencesforthe sequels to his multi-billion dollar filmon the beach. In fact, he has simply signed a lease for a 580,000-square-foot studio and office facility, complete with 15 sound stages, at the MBS Media Campus in the California beach community that will not only house the production of both upcoming films, but is likely to become the new home of Lightstorm Entertainment.

So why are we reporting on a real estate deal? Well, apparently the studio where Cameron shot the first film is currently under renovations and, without a new home, the sequels were in danger of possibly being delayed. Now, that won’t be the case. Read more after the break.

The Hollywood Reporter exclusivelyreported on the deal, which will see Lightstorm move about 12 miles down US-1 from Santa Monica to Manhattan Beach. But while Cameron, who lives in Malibu, had his office space in Santa Monica, most of the originalAvatarfilmed about 5 miles south in Playa Vista, CA. So the entire production had its offices in one place and production in another. By leasing this new property, Cameron can get everyone at Lightstorm under the same roof. Plus, with the Playa Vista location undergoing renovations, Cameron now doesn’t have to worry about other people’s timetables.

Lightstorm also won’t be the only tenant at the MBS Media Campus in Manhattan Beach to make big blockbuster movies. Marvel Studios is currently a tenant and shot much ofIron Man 2andThorin the same location.

Last we heard, Cameron was still writing the scripts to his sequels– andtalking about the future of cinema– but when you are the“head MFer in charge,” as he sometimes calls himself, you have to make sure you have office space too– and a lot of it at that. You are making two sequels to the highest grossing film of all time, after all.

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The /Filmcast: After Dark–Ep. 141–Visual Awe and Hyperbolic Discounting | /Film

The /Filmcast: After Dark is a recording of what happens right after The /Filmcast is over, when the kids have gone to bed and the guys feel free to speak whatever is on their minds. In other words, it’s the leftover and disorganized ramblings, mindfarts, and brain diarrhea from The /Filmcast, all in one convenient audio file. In this episode, David Chen, Devindra Hardawar, and Adam Quigley discuss whether or not they can still be visually awed by movies these days and reveal the shame of theirslow-moving Netflix queues. Read more about hyperbolic discounting byclicking here.

You can always e-mail us at slashfilmcast(AT)gmail(DOT)com, or call and leave a voicemail at 781-583-1993. We’ll be back on Sunday (4/10) at10 PM EST / 7 PM PSTat Slashfilm’s live pageto discuss Hanna.

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Nick Cassavetes Replaces Liam Neeson in‘The Hangover Part II’| /Film

The question of one particular cameo inThe Hangover Part IIhas been a popular discussion topic for the past several months.Mel Gibsonwas once slated to appear, then he was cut. His replacement wasLiam Neeson, but now there has been another change. DirectorTodd Phillipsdecided to reshoot the scene in which the cameo featured, and Liam Neeson is no longer available. (Blame theClash of the Titanssequel.) So he’s been replaced byThe NotebookdirectorNick Cassavetes.

Varietysays that a cut immediately after the cameo scene necessitated the reshoot, because the scene with the cameo now needs to give up more story information. Good enough; it’s the sort of thing that happens relatively often.

And since the role is a Bangkok tattoo artist, the inked-up Nick Cassavetes is perhaps a more appropriate person to cast, if hardly possessing the same level of recognizance as Liam Neeson or Mel Gibson. Maybe he should have a copy ofThe Notebooklaying around somewhere so a few more audience members might get the joke?

This is a pretty small point for the film overall, though. The much bigger question is: doesThe Hangover Part IIactually have any laughs to offer? The first full-length trailer released not long ago landed with a resounding thud, and made the film look like nothing more than a pure recreation, beat for beat, of the first movie. Not to put too fine a point on it, the trailer was awful. What will Todd Phillips and WB do to overcome the perception of the film created by that first important ad?

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This Week In Trailers: Grave Encounters, Killer God, Las Malas Intenciones (The Bad Intentions), Cross, PressPausePlay | /Film

Trailers are an under-appreciated art form insofar that many times they’re seen as vehicles for showing footage, explaining films away, or showing their hand about what moviegoers can expect. Foreign, domestic, independent, big budget: I celebrate all levels of trailers and hopefully this column will satisfactorily give you a baseline of what beta wave I’m operating on, because what better way to hone your skills as a thoughtful moviegoer than by deconstructing these little pieces of advertising? Some of the best authors will tell you that writing a short story is a lot harder than writing a long one, that you have to weigh every sentence. What better medium to see how this theory plays itself out beyond that than with movie trailers?

PressPausePlayTrailer

If there are creative nerds out there, and I know there are dozens of you who are more adept than I with knowing how to make your way through Final Cut Pro or GarageBand, this might be the movie for you.

Solely based on this trailer, filmmakersDavid DworskyandVictor Köhlerappear to have made a documentary that looks to examine the effects of what happens when you have an ever increasing ability to be creative in this culture and to have that end product beamed all over the world with frightening ease. Dworsky, for his part, looks like he has made something equally as entrancing to watch, the visuals here are pretty satisfying, as the trailer for his previous film,Om Natten, can attest to. With this trailer, though, the duo show why capturing a night in the life of some townies on a previous project translates well to a film that is simply trying to find where the intersection of true artistry and the mass populace trying to emulate them actually is.

Moby, who probably could find a second career reading audio books as his voice is just so even and smooth, carries us through what is the best explanation of what we’re dong here in the first place. He talks about the rise of the homebrew creationist, those who are fashioning music, works of art, out of their living spaces without the support infrastructure of a big organization. Where once people had to travel to experience these mediums, these collected works of sonic or visual art, there is no longer a barrier to entry. The idea isn’t especially novel but the presentation is.

The talking heads that talk about whether this flood of talent, for better or for worse, is actually elevating the collective consciousness in any meaningful way is an interesting one that, I think, has not been explored and makes this an even more fascinating project. On one hand, we get someone who thinks this isn’t a great thing for the creative environment and another who thinks it’s a beautiful anarchy. The diverse voices clashing together is pleasant, thought provoking.

Before you know it, trailer’s over and I’m wondering just how far this hole goes with regard to the exploration of whether the sheer amount of artistry going on with regard to writing, music, out there is helping or hindering true innovation and if we’re focused on the right things. I’m on board for this documentary without question.

Grave Encounters Trailer

Let’s just get the obvious out of the way.

Yes, all this happens in an old mental hospital. Yes, this all feels like a“found footage” kind of film. Yes, the“archival footage” kind of looks like an“archive” of what someone from 2010 would do to try and make it seem like it was decades in the past. That said, however, I really liked this trailer. More than I ought to, perhaps, but I loved the little moments of terror and I sure am a fan of the effects that we get to see. It’s ultimately pretty inspiring to see what a little money and a whole lot of inspiration can do.

To that end, if you’re strapped for a budget when making a film you have to decide whether it’s the talent you want to splurge on, if it’s the equipment you need to make your movie that much better, whether you’re going to get the bakery fresh donuts or wait for the day-old’s to go on sale at the local Kroger, or, in this case, if effects is going to be where you maximize your gains. It looks like this crew chose the latter and it’s the one thing that really elevates this trailer from ho-hum mediocrity to full on fun. It literally looks like a gamble that filmmakersThe Vicious Brotherstook and it has paid off well.

There isn’t much to support the idea that this crew spent hundreds of thousands on the effects but it’s obvious that a lot of work went into making a movie that is within its genre where specters and ghosts are the subjects and we’re taking the perspective of an unknowing audience, not being let in on anything until our protagonists experience it. While we don’t get a lot of narrative background about what we’re really doing here, basically learning this is a television show that investigates the paranormal and, surprise surprise, this is the last episode, that just leaves one road pointing that this movie is going to be all about the thrill. Whether or not this film can deliver on being a little hokey, but full-on bringing it with the scares, is irrelevant as all it has to do here is entice your mind with the promise it can based on what’s here. And, from what is here, the money shot we get at the end is the right kind of payoff to make anyone who appreciates films likeParanormal Activitybelieve this could be the next one they need to check out.

Count me as one of them.

Killer God Trailer

Stasch Radwanskihas made something that may play just as well as any other indie horror film getting kudos in the market today.

What I like about the threadbare production of a film that needs to be a little scary, a little frightening, but is low on actual money to compete with theScream’sof the world, is the heart that goes into compensating for the very hard monetary wall many can run into. You’ve got to create the illusion of abundant wealth and endless imagination and I think this trailer does that effectively in a very lean fashion without ever going over the top.

To kick it off, we get all we need to know about what this movie is going to deal with: Witches from Bali. Rangda is supreme spirit witch, who I found is given to eating children, and I like that in the first thirty seconds we’re hot on the hunt for what is haunting this small island town in the middle of a cold winter, in the middle of nowhere. Without so much as introducing anyone from he film we establish the crux of the narrative, what’s at stake for those involved, what the physical incarnations might look like, and what kind of mystery needs to be solve.

The editing may be a little too quick with its jumpiness but there’s killing, a whole lot of it, going down and we’re not denied some great sequences that build up the promise that we’re going to get some quality slaughtering. Huzzahs all around for getting multiple looks at the beat that apparently is cutting through townsfolk like a sushi chef preparing sashimi, the many masks this brutal beast takes on varies with enough frequency to make you wonder what in the hell is going on. To that end, it’s hard to discern what kind of thing we’re dealing with here as people are being levitated off the ground based on the power of this Brady Bunch-like talisman/mask which seems to be at the root of it all.

I may not know what’s happening, precisely, but I do know people are going to die and I love it. {Twitch}

Las Malas Intenciones(The Bad Intentions) Trailer

What’s up with little kids being such heinous little monsters?

We’ve seen movies likeOrphanand the remake ofThe Omenthat these little terrors are capable of monstrous things as writers thought of ways to enable them to be just as evil as their older counterparts. Now, with a movie like this, it seems that the devil isn’t really in the details as it could just be mental illness and I love it. It’s a different kind of horror film, one where ax murderers aren’t roaming the suburban streets, as it’s more like a horror film that shows what happens when a girl gets something really disturbing in her mind that doesn’t let go.

What we learn early on, and bless this trailer for just getting right to it, is the girl we’re going to follow doesn’t think too much of her mother’s pregnancy. So much so that she believes she will die the day her brother is born. Call me twisted but I am so in.

Following this admission, the world is tinged with the perfect kind of morose sensibilities which is spectacularly captured by Peruvian writer/directorRosario Garcia-Monteroas every scene we’re given feels like death is dripping at the edges of it.  Now, I realize it’s humorous to hear this little lady talk about the maladies that plague her as we get to know who she is, especially the scene where she feeds her parakeet a most dangerous concoction that will no doubt kill it when she thinks it needs some medicine, but there’s a moroseness to what we see here and this girl seems more like a fascinating oddball who could either get simply withdrawn or full-on homicidal.

I realize that the horror here isn’t so much the classical kind we’re all used to but there’s just something about the halo of finality that hangs over the head of a child that is genuinely scary. The girl may not be on the hunt to kill anyone but her processing of life, of death, of what finality means in comparison to her existence, is something we all have to work our way through at one point or another. To see her dealing with it, though, is both interesting and heartbreaking.

The trailer gives a glimmer of hope that this girl won’t actually die on the day her brother is born but I have an awful feeling that the smiling, happy little lady we’re shown who realizes that the fly she’s helped to displace with a jar can no longer see its family is going to meet an untimely demise by the end of the film. Regardless, there’s a lot to process here and there’s just something to be said about a trailer that is a simple delight to watch while pondering what could be a coming of age film for a girl who hasn’t yet reached puberty.  {Twitch}

Cross Trailer

I am sorry.

I realize there was probably a lot of resources, heart, and passion that went into the making of this movie. No one ever sets out to make a bad film but, after watching this, I’m pretty sure everyone involved was trying their hardest to outdoThe Roomand make this a direct-to-DVD piece of disposable detritus worth hating for no other reason than knowing the actors inCrossprobably made more money here than you did jockeying a keyboard and monitor inside your gray colored cubicle.

Hyperbole is reserved for the truly awful, I like to save mine like a squirrel stashing away nuts for a harsh winter, and as you watch this trailer it’s apparent that there is an ugly beauty going on as you realize how many different“worst” adjectives you can ascribe to what’s happening in front of you. From its horrendous editing, awful effects work, ear-stabbingly painful dialogue, and its public access level of acting I am hard pressed not to think this is a joke. At some points I wondered, honestly, if this wasn’t a spoof skit that’s eventually going to find its way as the opening trailer for Laser Cats. Alas, I think it actually does exist and I think it may very well be the harbinger for the apocalypse if this trailer is any indication.

These actors may not be Oscar level thespians but what is on display here is a showcase of suck. It’s kind of like watching a reality show where ordinary people have to degrade themselves doing something that not even the most desperate pauper would be loathe to do (look no further than the entire series of Downfall for an idea of how this works) but it seems like everyone here is lumbering through a film where it was the strength of the payday, not the script, was the motivating factor. This being directorPatrick Durham’sfirst film could earn him some slack if there was something I could like about this trailer, and I really tried, kind of like how Ack Ack tried to help Hoops in his game of HORSE against Teddy Beckersted, but I’ve watched this thing a dozen times and every time I cringe for all involved. It’s a feeling of pity, to be quite honest.

What’s more, there’s barely a shred of coherent narrative. You haveVinnie Jonesbeing even more terrible than he usually is whenever he’s delivering bombastic dialogue as the bringer of all things evil andBrian Austin“But You’ll Always Be David Silver To Me”Greenas the lucky Celtic warrior entrusted to being harmony to the universe but I don’t have a clue why the two are battling. On top of this, everyone else involved in this trailer is just rattling off quip after quip that has nothing to do with anything meaningful at all. Honestly, and if we’re all being genuinely honest here, if you were to take out everything except the dialogue being spoken you would have thought this was a movie written by a thirteen year-old boy enamored with comics, the moviePredator, and the oeuvre ofJean Claude Van Damme. It makes me ill thinking of all the movies that aren’t being made while this one exists for all to behold.

As it stands, this looks like a movie best experienced drunk, high, or while in a coma. It’s a trailer that defies any logical explanation other than it is perhaps the worst trailer I’ve seen all year.

Note bene: If you have any suggestions of trailers to possibly be included in this column, even have a trailer of your own to pitch, please let me know by sending me a note at Christopher_Stipp@yahoo.com

In case you missed them, here are the other trailers we covered at /Film this week:

• The Governator Trailer-This is a joke, right? I mean, there is no way something this horrible, something this ho-riffic is coming to a television screen near me. It’s impossible that this pile of dog waste is actually being made in the year 2011 as it looks like something I could see a big hit back in 1982.
• The Aurors Trailer-The funny thing is I would actually watch this compared to some of the real programming options out there.
• Ra One Trailer- I don’t know how good or how bad this is but the teaser here is solid. Fun, upbeat, and it shows you a few money shots.
• Crazy, Stupid Love Trailer-It does look crazy and the trailer is pretty stupid. Sometimes, these things write themselves.
• Hesher Trailer- It makes me want to jump in a mosh pit. Great trailer that has a healthy mix of mood, exposition, and tight editing. I’m frothing at the mouth wanting to see this now.
• Warrior Trailer-What is this? From the looks of the trailer it seems like Disney wanted to make a film about MMA. As it stands, I thought this would come out like a barking pit bull but it seems that this dog doesn’t have any teeth.
• Fight– For Your Right Trailer-Hilarious. I haven’t been excited for an album release for some time and this is stoking the embers of my interest.
• The Robber Trailer- The tone on this one is curious. At one point it’s a thriller, at another it seems to be about romance, at another yet still it’s an action film. I don’t know why it works as well as it does but consider me a fan.
• Daydream Nation Trailer-The only thing this trailer makes me want to do is smack the living hell out of Kat Dennings trying as best as she can to be twee yet intellectually verbose. Not interested.

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First Clip From‘Mortal Kombat: Legacy,’ Premieres April 12 | /Film

You might think I sound crazy, but I know I’m not the only one who gets chills when they think about the first time they saw theMortal Kombatmovie. The movie itself is largely disappointing, but after playing the games obsessively at local arcades– lining up quarters, practicing fatalities, etc.– finally sitting down in the theater and hearing the initial scream of“MORTAL KOMBAT,” over the New Line logo, followed by The Immortals techno beats, was a very exciting moment. Unfortunately, it was a little too exciting and there was no way the film could ever live up to it. Why am telling you this? Because anytime there’s a newMortal Kombatproperty, I secretly hope that it’ll match the energy of those 20 seconds of pre-credit perfection.

The next chance at that kind of immortality isMortal Kombat: Legacy,an upcoming live action web seriesbyKevin Tancharoenthat premieres April 12 onMachinima.com,starringJeri RyanandMichael Jai White. You can check out the first official clip (as well as the clip I mentioned, just for the hell of it) after the jump.

Thanks to Machinimafor the clip which, if we’re being honest, doesn’t live up to the film’s intro but comes pretty close. Check it out.

Thank god that factory had all of those guns laying around, am I right?

After the awesome short filmTancharoen did, which helped to spawn this show, plus the new gamecoming out April 19 for X-box 360, PS3and more,Mortal Kombatseems poised to hit popular culture once again. I, for one, am all for it, simply because of this:

Here’s the official press release for the show, which starts next week. Visit www.machinima.com for more info.

Warner Bros. Digital Distribution and Machinima.com announced they have signed an agreement to premiere and distribute the highly anticipated Mortal Kombat: Legacy live action digital series produced by Warner Premiere. Directed by Kevin Tancharoen (Fame), and starring Jeri Ryan (Star Trek: Voyager) as“Sonya Blade,” Michael Jai White (The Dark Knight) as“Major Jackson‘Jax’ Briggs” and Darren Shahlavi (300) as“Kano,” this series will take gamers deep into the history of the warriors they know and love.

The first action-packed episode of Mortal Kombat: Legacy will debut April 12 exclusively on Machinima, the dominant entertainment network for videogamers on YouTube (YouTube.com/Machinima). Fans from around the world will be able to watch and engage with the entire Mortal Kombat: Legacy series through Machinima’s YouTube channel.

“With over 500 million monthly video views and 50 million monthly viewers, Machinima has the world’s most highly-engaged gaming audience, which makes this agreement with Warner Bros. such a great fit,” said Allen DeBevoise, Chairman and CEO of Machinima, Inc.“Mortal Kombatis an epic franchise with a rich story and characters, we’re truly excited to bring Mortal Kombat: Legacy to our community. With our global scale and reach, we can now drive greater engagement and viewership than anyone for entertainment properties that fit our young, male-centric demo. Kevin’s new incarnation of the Mortal Kombat franchise is precisely the type of world-class, high-octane action content that our audience will love.”

Kevin Tancharoen, who directed and produced the popular, unofficial Mortal Kombat: Rebirthfan short, is bringing the same immersive directing style to this live-action digital series.“Machinima is the perfect entertainment destination to premiere the series,” said Kevin Tancharoen, Director, Producer and co-writer of Mortal Kombat: Legacy.“They have a massive audience of gamers from around the world. We worked very closely with NetherRealm Studios and Ed Boon, and we’re now putting the finishing touches on the episodes. I’m confident we’ve stayed true to the Mortal Kombat lore and am hoping the fans will be blown away by what they see.”

Also on April 12, in a lead up to the series premiere, Machinima will host Kevin Tancharoen and cast from the series in a special live event. Details will be announced on Machinima.com soon.

Written by Kevin Tancharoen, Aaron Helbing and Todd Helbing, Mortal Kombat: Legacy is an anthology of nine live action shorts, and brings to life the motivation behind each character’s participation in the Mortal Kombat tournament. Each episode will provide never-before-revealed insights into characters featured in the upcoming videogame as well as the game’s universe.

The latest iteration of the award-winning videogame, Mortal Kombat, marks a triumphant return to the series’ mature presentation and a reinvention of its classic 2D fighting mechanic. Driven by an all new graphics engine, the fan favorite Fatality is back and presented in more gory detail than ever before. In addition, Mortal Kombat introduces a number of new game-play features including tag team and a deep story mode. Mortal Kombat is being developed by NetherRealm Studios, led by Mortal Kombat creator and creative director Ed Boon.

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