Screen Rant » Movie News

Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Rebecca’ Is Getting A (Partial) Remake

Sandy Schaefer — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:24:14 +0000

In this age where Hollywood remakes and reboots reign triumphant, most everyone has been waiting for the inevitable announcement(s) about certain Best Picture Oscar-winning titles being refurbished for the 21st century. Sure enough, a revamping of My Fair Lady has been in the cards for a while – and now, we can add Alfred Hitchock’s 1940 psycho-drama/Noir tale Rebecca to that list (a list which could very well be growing longer in the future).

DreamWorks and Working Title Films are behind this new cinematic treatment of Daphne du Maurier’s original 1938 literary work. The project is tentatively being sold as more of a true re-interpretation of the source material (a la David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) rather than a direct reworking of Hitchcock’s film.

Variety reports that Oscar-nominee Steven Knight has ...

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Morgan Freeman Joins Tom Cruise On Trip To ‘Oblivion’

Sandy Schaefer — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:54:17 +0000

The last time the esteemed Morgan Freeman was linked to an expensive adaptation of a post-apocalyptic sci-fi comic book, the film in question was Warner Bros.’ currently-defunct live-action Akira project. Jump to the present, and the Oscar-winner has instead signed on for a flick that’s far less controversial – and also sounds more promising – namely, director Joseph Kosinski’s Oblivion adaptation.

Tom Cruise is headlining Kosinski’s followup to TRON: Legacy, which is based on an impending comic book series co-developed by the filmmaker. Freeman will appear in Oblivion (or whatever it ends up being officially titled) alongside the still-popular A-lister, as well as two up-and-coming starlets in the forms of Olga Kurylenko and Andrea Riseborough.

To refresh you memory, here is an official description of the Oblivion comic book:

In a future where the Earth’s ...

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‘Paradise Lost’ Gets Axed By Legendary Pictures

Kofi Outlaw — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:23:06 +0000

It seems that not even the devil himself can save Alex Proyas’ big-budget adaptation of Milton’s epic poem, Paradise Lost. The film – which recounts the angel Lucifer’s fall from heaven and transformation into Satan – was set to go into production this summer, having been delayed from its original January start date. Deadline now reports that Legendary pictures has decided to scrap the film altogether.

Budget concerns were the culprit for Paradise Lost’s troubles. The film – which would’ve needed extensive visual effects to create the sets of heaven, hell and the Garden of Eden, not to mention its angelic protagonists – already had a budget over $100 million and was expected to climb even higher as production went on. Needless to say, that was a risky proposition in the eyes of Legendary.

Paradise Lost was apparently ...

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Mel Gibson Talks ‘Berserker’, ‘Maccabee’ & ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’

Niall Browne — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:38:45 +0000

Mel Gibson recently gave a Q&A session after a screening of George Miller’s original Mad Max at the American Cinematheque in Los Angeles. During the event, Gibson dropped some details on his upcoming projects, which include a Viking epic – now been titled Berserker - his upcoming film about Judah Maccabee and George Miller’s thoughts on the latest Mad Max film, Fury Road.

Gibson’s next film, Get The Gringo (formally titled How I Spent My Summer Vacation), is going straight to VOD but he appears to still be interested in big-budget filmmaking – much like his previous directorial efforts Braveheart, The Passion of the Christ and Apocalypto.

With regards to the Viking film Berserker, Gibson said:

“I just got a second draft of something I’m really excited about today. It’s actually a Viking thing. ...

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‘Seven Psychopaths’ Images: A Hollywood Tale of Crooks & Dognappers

Sandy Schaefer — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:33:09 +0000

Martin McDonagh’s darkly comical, yet genuinely somber tale of two hit men laying low on a “vacation” – ie. the Oscar-nominated 2008 film In Bruges – is one of those cult titles that dedicated movie geeks seem to pretty much unanimously love. Hence the excitement among cinema lovers for Seven Psychopaths, McDonagh’s new strange tale of moralistic criminals, deranged oddballs, and all the violence that breaks out when their worlds collide.

Post-production is reportedly underway on Seven Psychopaths, which CBS Films is eying for a Fall 2012 release. Today, we have the first official stills from the film, along with some additional plot and character details that offer an early look at McDonagh’s pulpy yet satirical examination of the writing process.

Seven Psychopaths reunites McDonagh with his In Bruges leading man, Colin Farrell. This time, Farrell is playing a Hollywood screenwriter not-so-coincidentally named Marty, who finds himself struggling for inspiration ...

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‘Ghost Rider 2′ Clips: Demonic Demolition Work & Monks on Wheels

Sandy Schaefer — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:56:04 +0000

Expectations have never been high, when it concerns Crank helmers Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor’s ability to create an especially captivating take on the Ghost Rider mythology in this month’s sequel, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. Early word is that the film doesn’t exactly offer much, as far as richly-realized character and plot development goes – but that it does deliver the goods where bombastic action set pieces and nonstop thrills are concerned.

Heck, going by the previous Spirit of Vengeance TV spots and featurettes released – along with the handful of new clips we have for you to watch today – it’s easy to forget that this followup DOES actually have a plot; one that could set the stage for a welcome change-up in casting for future Ghost Rider installments, no less.

Here’s the ...

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Top 2012 Movie Award Season Winners….So Far

John Hanlon — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:48:28 +0000

Although the Academy Awards are still a few weeks away, many of 2012′s biggest award shows have already taken place. From the Screen Actors Guild Awards to the Golden Globes, the season of big award shows an emotional acceptance speeches is already well underway.

If you’re looking for something noteworthy to see at the movies, I’ve gone through the list of the big awards and determined which movies are cleaning up so far this year. I included the Screen Actors Guild awards, the Producers Guild Awards, the Directors Guild of America Awards, the Critic’s Choice Awards and the Golden Globes in my tally of those films which are earning the most recognition.

Find out now which movies have been the biggest award winners of 2012 so ...

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‘Animal Kingdom’ Actor To Headline ’300′ Spin-off

Sandy Schaefer — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:32:32 +0000

Warner Bros.’ 300 spin-off has already changed names several times during pre-production. At first, it looked to retain the title of its inspiration (ie. Frank Miller’s comic book prequel, Xerxes) before it switched to 300: Battle of Artemisia. Thereafter, new word leaked out, claiming the film’s subtitle had been slightly tweaked to The Battle of Artemesium – and now, the latest reports on the project say it is simply untitled, for the time being.

Similarly, the new ancient world action flick was originally expected to be part prequel, but also part “mid-quel,” in the sense that a portion of the film was said to take place simultaneously with the Battle of Thermopylae in 300. Current consensus is that the project is “neither a prequel or a sequel and that the filmmakers are still figuring out its ...

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‘The Hobbit’ Cast’s Final Addition Is Billy Connolly

Sandy Schaefer — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:51:52 +0000

An actor signing on for film nearly a year after it has begun production is not normal practice in Hollywood – but, then again, there’s very little that’s “normal” about Peter Jackson’s adaptation of The Hobbit.

From the two-movie structure of the estimated $500 million project – to the use of revolutionary 3D camera technology, even while shooting takes place around the New Zealand countryside – Jackson’s live-action treatment of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved fantasy novel is the sort of immense (and costly) undertaking that studios would rarely trust any filmmaker to handle. Unless they’re the same fellow who directed the Lord of the Rings trilogy, that is.

That’s all to say: today, some eleven months after principal photography began on The Hobbit, the films’ cast has at last been completed – with the addition of ...

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Michael Shannon Compares Snyder to Scorsese; Says ‘Man of Steel’ is ‘Edgy’

Ben Moore — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:36:03 +0000

After this year’s The Avengers, The Amazing Spider-Man, and The Dark Knight Rises, Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel is the next major superhero movie on deck. But will it be any good?

Obviously, it’s impossible to know this far in advance, but the one thing the filmmakers have (arguably) nailed is the casting.

Man of Steel‘s General Zod, Michael Shannon, recently talked about Henry Cavill’s take on Superman, the “edgy” tone of the film, and Zack Snyder’s cinematic resemblance to master filmmaker Martin Scorsese.

On Cavill, Shannon said (courtesy of The Playlist):

“Henry is a fantastic Superman, he’s got a little edge to him and he’s smart, clever and I had fun working ...

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New ‘Blade Runner’ Movie Update From Ridley Scott

Sandy Schaefer — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:17:47 +0000

Speculation concerning Ridley Scott’s planned return to the world of Blade Runner heated up earlier this week, when (now debunked) new reports emerged, claiming that Harrison Ford is in talks for the film. False though it may have been, that story still calls attention to just how little concrete information has been released about the sci-fi project in general – not to mention, where it’s at, in terms of pre-production.

According to Scott, there’s a good reason for all the confusion about whether this film is going to be a prequel, a sequel, a reboot, or a spinoff that stars (or doesn’t feature) Ford as Rick Deckard. The answer is simple: not even he is sure what this Blade Runner-based feature is ultimately going to be.

Scott sat down with EW to discuss his next ...

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Stallone & Schwarzenegger Confirmed for ‘The Tomb’

Kofi Outlaw — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:00:08 +0000

Last month we reported that Expendables 2 co-stars (and action movie icons) Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger could team up to star in a film called The Tomb, which is basically an action/thriller that has more than a few shades of Fox’s Prison Break TV show in its premise.

Today we can confirm that Stallone and Schwarzenegger will indeed be starring in The Tomb together, along with some further details about the film. Read on to learn more.

Check out the official press release for The Tomb to learn about the plot and what roles Sly and “Ahnuld” will be playing:

THE TOMB follows Ray Breslin (Stallone) who is the world’s foremost authority on structural security. He’s analyzed every high security prison and has gained a vast array of survival skills. But all Ray’s ...

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Jason Statham Joins Brian De Palma’s ‘Heat’ Remake

Sandy Schaefer — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:43:16 +0000

It’s not a complete day in the movie news reporting business unless an announcement about either a remake or a new Jason Statham action vehicle has been released. Today, we have a story that covers both of those grounds, as “The Stath” is set to headline Heat, a remake of the 1986 film – NOT the 1995 Michael Mann movie – scripted by multiple Oscar-winner William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Princess Bride), based on his original novel.

Goldman hasn’t penned a screenplay since Dreamcatcher in 2003, but the 80-year-old author/screenwriter will be getting back in the saddle for the latest cinematic version of Heat. Fellow Hollywood filmmaking icon Brian De Palma will serve as director on the new Statham-centric dramatic thriller.

Here is how Sierra/Affinity describes the new film adaptation of Heat (in ...

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VES Awards 2012: The Winners List

Kofi Outlaw — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:31:53 +0000

We discuss visual effects a lot here on Screen Rant – what looks good, what looks bad, etc. – and so, we thought it only fitting to let our readers know about those films that were recognized at the 2012 Visual Effects Society (VES) Awards. The annual event recognizes outstanding visual effects artistry in 23 categories of film, animation, television, commercials, special venues and video games.

With 2011 movies like Transformers 3, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Captain America, Hugo, and animated fare like Kung Fu Panda 2, Puss In Boots and Rango all sporting some impressive visual splendor, the big winners of the night were somewhat of a surprise – while others weren’t that surprising at all.

In what is sure to ...

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Denzel Washington May Team With Mark Wahlberg For ’2 Guns’

Sandy Schaefer — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:14:07 +0000

Oscar-winner (and Hollywood icon) Denzel Washington likes to vary between roles in prestigious drama fare and more mainstream, action-packed material. He’s not planning to drop that habit anytime soon, seeing how he recently wrapped work on director Robert Zemeckis’ Flight – and is now in talks to play an undercover government agent in the upcoming comic book adaptation, 2 Guns.

Mark Wahlberg is already onboard to co-headline 2 Guns, which reteams the actor with his Contraband director, Baltasar Kormákur. Financing for the lightweight action-thriller is currently being assembled, with Universal Pictures already committed to marketing and distributing the film in the U.S..

Steve Grant’s original 2 Guns comic book is a pulpy crime tale about two men named Trench and Steadman, who join forces in order to rob a bank that (they believe) is secretly ...

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‘Incredible Hulk’ Writer Hired For ‘Karate Kid’ Sequel

Sandy Schaefer — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:46:41 +0000

Columbia Pictures began developing a sequel to The Karate Kid mere days after the 2010 remake opened to an unexpected $55.6 million during its debut weekend. The studio hired on screenwriting duo Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris (who penned the screen stories for Kung Fu Panda and Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood) just a few months later, but we’ve heard little else about the project over the 17 months that’ve passed since then.

That doesn’t mean the sequel is in any kind of trouble, of course. Case in point: another writer has been brought onboard, with (most likely) the intent of getting The Karate Kid 2 (not the official title) ready to begin shooting before 2012 draws to a close.

Variety says that Zak Penn has been tapped to pen the Karate Kid sequel ...

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New ‘Wrath of the Titans’ Posters; ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’ Image

Kofi Outlaw — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:11:44 +0000

There will be swords and magic aplenty at the movies this year, and two of the biggest titles in that bunch are the Clash of the Titans sequel, Wrath of the Titans and the epic re-imagining of the “Snow White” fairy tale, Snow White and the Huntsman.

Today we have new media from both films to share: A set of new Wrath of the Titans posters, and a new image of Snow White herself (Twilight‘s Kristen Stewart) in the midst of an epic Medieval battle.

Wrath of the Titans

Wrath of the Titans sees demigod Perseus (Sam Worthington) once again recruited by Zeus (Liam Neeson); this time to stop a plot by Zeus’ traitorous son Ares (Édgar Ramírez) and brother Hades (Ralph Fiennes) to overthrow the lord of lightning and release the monstrous Titans from their imprisonment.

The previous Wrath of the Titans trailer and banners gave us a ...

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‘Jetsons’ Live-Action Movie Lands New Writers

Sandy Schaefer — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:53:10 +0000

A live-action adaptation of The Jetsons cartoon show does not technically count as a reboot/remake, but it may as well be one, given the pronounced negative reaction it’s prompted so far. A whole generation of people grew up watching the original Hanna-Barbera futuristic animated sitcom (which aired from 1962-1988) – and while there are definitely those who are not against the idea of a big-budget treatment of the classic cartoon, most folk seem perfectly content to let this particular piece of nostalgic entertainment remain a fond memory.

Warner Bros. isn’t giving up on the project yet, though, and has recruited Evan Susser and Van Robichaux to pound out a new script draft for The Jetsons. The two are taking over screenwriting duties from Fanboys and The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz scribe Adam F. Goldberg, who was the ...

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‘Avengers’ vs. ‘Amazing Spider-Man’: Marvel Movie Trailer Showdown

Kofi Outlaw — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:43:02 +0000

This week has brought us two big superhero movie trailers, with The Avengers Super Bowl trailer sending fans into frenzy, followed by the new Amazing Spider-Man trailer - which has come out of the gate (literally) swinging, and managed to overcome some of the negative opinion that the reboot was initially facing.

In fact, The Amazing Spider-Man has impressed so much that we’ve begun to hear whispers here and there that the Spider-Man trailer did a better job than The Avengers Super Bowl trailer, and ultimately made the Spider-Man reboot look like the better movie.

We know fightin’ words when we hear them, so we thought we’d open up the debate to you, the readers, and let you hash out which Marvel Superhero film looks like the better bet at ...

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‘The Wolverine’ Snags A Summer 2013 Release Date

Sandy Schaefer — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:18:24 +0000

2011 was a rough year for The Wolverine (a.k.a. Wolverine 2). The X-Men spinoff flick was originally supposed to hit theaters this summer, with Hugh Jackman working under the direction of Oscar-nominee Darren Aronofsky; that is, before Aronofsky bailed on the project, and the Japanese tsunami forced an additional delay in production, and then shooting under new helmer James Mangold was pushed back again, to the latter portion of Spring 2012.

However, once Jackman wraps up his role in director Tom Hooper’s Les Misérables musical adaptation, he is expected to begin work on The Wolverine – and 20th Century Fox has now officially slated the movie to hit theaters in Summer 2013, on the assumption that there will not be any additional major production holdups.

Fox has selected a July 26th, 2013 theatrical release date for ...

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