No Cleo for Hugh Jackman; Mars attacks G.I. Joe; Thor lands in present day and Zombie unleashes a look at Michael Myers in Halloween 2.

Box Office

Marley And Me was top dog at the box office again. The Owen Wilson/Jennifer Aniston pic should bark up another $25 million over the weekend taking its total over $100 million. Adam Sandler’s Bedtime Stories should bank another $23 million bringing the film’s gross to around $88 million. It looks like Sandler has another $100 million grosser on his hands. Ainiston’s ex, a Brad Pitt is next with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The David Fincher film should manage another $18 million. For a film that wasn’t expected to be a huge hit it’s doing pretty darn well. Yes Man and Valkyrie should both bank another $15 million each, proving that Jim Carrey and Tom Cruise are still viable movie stars. Meanwhile Will Smith’s Seven Pounds should manage another $10 million.  Overall it’s a pretty A-List – centric time at the box office. In fact it could be 1999 and nobody would bat and eyelid.

Movie News

1. Hugh Jackman has pulled out of Steven Soderbergh’s forthcoming musical Cleo. Jackman was in negotiations to star as Marc Antony, however he has dropped out due to “scheduling conflicts”. I can only imagine that the rehearsing for the film somehow conflicts with Jackman’s hosting of the Oscars or another unknown film or stage role. As the film is looking for financing at the moment expect a replacement to be announced soon. Catherine Zeta-Jones will play the titular character.

Source: Variety

2. G.I Joe is an unknown quantity of a film. It’s got a great concept and an interesting cast (come on, it has Dennis Quaid) but Stephen Sommers did not earn a lot of fans with Van Hesling. In fact word on the street is that Sommers’ own mother disowned him following a private screening of the film. That was a joke

Anyway, here are a couple of images of the Mars Troopers from the film.

I still have no idea if this is going to be great or terrible, but the fact that it opens this August and we haven’t seen ANY footage from the film sounds like a bad sign.

Source: HissTank.com

3. News is slowly starting to leak out on Kenneth Branagh’s forthcoming Thor movie. The character of Donald Blake (Thor’s alter ego) has now been written into the current draft of the script. This is pretty big news as the film was previously going to be 100% set in the land of the Norse Gods.

Branagh will also act in the film – it’s not certain what role, but I’d bet money on it not being Thor.

Thor is due to open July 16, 2010.

Source: iesb.net

4. Rob Zombie has released an early picture of Michael Myers’ mask for Halloween 2. Well, considering the loathing of The Love Guru I’m guessing that Myers needs a disguise. Geddit? Mike Myers – The Love Guru…oh never mind.

I’m guessing at some point they’ll paint the mask and add hair. Or maybe in the new film Myers has discovered a loving of fake tan. Check it out below:

Source: Rob Zombie

That’s it for now. See you at the movies.

This week:

There’s movement on another Smokin’ Aces; Antonio Banderas is Dali; Jack Black Travels while Soderbergh goes Gilda and Gangster.

1. Joe Carnahan has stated on his official blog that a prequel to his action packed, star-filled film Smokin’ Aces is in the offing.

Old Smokin’ Joe said:

“Finally, some actual ‘Smokin Aces’ news. Universal has officially greenlit the
prequel and we are underway. Cameos will abound. Trust me.”

Does this mean Ben Affleck, Alicia Keys or Ryan Reynolds? Who knows, but the sequel will be going Direct to DVD so don’t expect a whole lot of top tier talent.

Source: Smokin Joe Carnahan

2. Latin Lover Antonio Banderas is in the frame to play Salvador Dali in the imaginatively titled Dali.

The film will be helmed by Simon West, the man behind Tomb Raider and Con Air – talk about surreal!

According to Variety:

“(The) film will blend music with CGI sequences in an effort to capture the inventiveness and color of the painter. Story will explore how Dali conquered America and the world with sex, sin and surrealism only to succumb later to worldwide scandal and misfortune”

They’d better not dilly with Dali because there are a few other films about the life of the famed artist in production, with one set to star Al Pacino. Hoo Ha!

Source: Variety

3.  Jack Black will star in a new adaptation of Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels. The film which is being produced by the artistic void 20^th Century Fox will be directed by Rob Letterman, the man responsible for Sharks Tale.

Filming for the comedic adaptation will commence in March.

Remember when Jack Black was like Bono in U2?

He had an Edge.

Source: Variety

4. We told you previously that Steven “multi-projects” Soderbergh was planning a musical film based on Cleopatra called Cleo. More details have been revealed about the film. Anne Thompson from Variety gleamed the following details from the director:

“He said his inspiration for the 3D musical was Rita Hayworth as Gilda. That’s the stylized, ripe tone he’s going for, he said. The movie will star Chicago’s Catherine Zeta Jones (who worked with Soderbergh on Traffic).”

Source: Variety

5. Speaking of Soderbergh – the Oscar winning director will be producing gangster flick Making Jack Falcone. The film, which is set up at Paramount will be penned by the directors Che scribe Peter Buchman.

According to The Hollywood Reporter:

” (The film) tells the story of Joaquin “Jack” Garcia, also known as Jack Falcone, a Cuban-American FBI agent who successfully went undercover in the Gambino crime family.”

Anyone else think that Benicio Del Toro is a shoe-in for this?

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

That’s it for now. See you at the movies.

The A-Team doesn’t come together; Ripley’s Believe it or Not gets a director; Steven Soderbergh has Cleopatra coming at ya; Crispin Glover teams with Tim Burton and McG gets into the spy business with Dead Spy Running .

Box Office

The world economy may be in crisis, but the box office is still going strong. Claiming the number one spot with ease is High School Musical 3. It’s no surprise really considering the built in audience and the amazing number of tickets that were booked in advance by Effronettes. The tween musical should bank about $50 million by Monday morning.

Saw V claimed the runner-up position with a $30 million gross. It’s amazing that people still come back to this franchise. I have to say that I haven’t watched any of the films past the original. With Halloween on the way, this should hold up next weekend, then drop like a stone.

Colin Farrell and Edward Norton had a flaccid opening with Pride and Glory. Now there was a sentence that I never thought that I’d write…ever! The cop pic should gross an estimated $6-7 million over the weekend.

Clint Eastwood’s Changeling should make around $500,000 from 15 locations. The Angelina Jolie starrer is being tipped as potential Oscar bait. Having said that – the film looks like a bad television movie. I’d save my money and go see the new Dirty Harry film… sorry, I mean Gran Torino. Oliver Stone’s W should pocket another $5 million, but I feel that the end is near. The film will probably have to wait for a few years to be rediscovered, or at the very least end up in an Oliver Stone “Presidents” triple pack beside JFK and Nixon.

Movie News

1. Poor 20^th Century Fox. The studio hasn’t had a decent hit all year and now it looks like they’ve lost one of next years major tent pole films. John Singleton has quit The A-Team and Fox still can’t get a script that works. That means no cast and no director – this will now open on June 2010 a year later than previously planned. That’s one plan that’s not coming together!

Don’t feel sad for the studio though, they have a stellar line up that includes Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel, Tooth Fairy, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.

Kill me now, please!

Source: Variety

2. Jim Carrey’s long in development hell Ripley’s Believe it or Not may finally be made. Believe it or not. Chris Columbus is in negotiations with Paramount to helm the film. Tim Burton had been in the frame to direct at one point, but I guess Paramount wanted the film to be flat and mediocre.

Believe it or Not: Carrey’s next film is called I Love You Phillip Morris, while Colubmus’ is titled I Love You, Beth Cooper. Coincidence? I think so.

3. Steven Soderbergh is developing a 3D live-action rock ‘n’ roll musical about Cleopatra entitled Cleo. No really.

The Ocean’s director is trying to get Catherine Zeta Jones to play the titular queen, while he wants Hugh Jackman to play Mark Antony (not the JLo one). The $30 million film is currently being shopped around Hollywood.

You gotta love those crazy ideas that Soderbergh has – this is even crazier than the Liberace movie that is in development with Zeta Jones’s other half Michael Douglas.

Source: Variety

4. Crispin Glover has signed on to play the Knave of Hearts in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. The cast includes Anne Hathaway and Burton regulars Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter.

The last thing that I saw Glover in was the terrible Charlie’s Angels, but I do have Beowulf sitting on my “to watch pile” so my opinion of him may improve.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

5. Speaking of Charlie’s Angels, Mc G will direct and produce Dead Spy Running for Warner Bros. The film will be based on the forthcoming book by Jon Stock, which follows the exploits of a newly trained spy. McG is currently working on a little low budget film that has no expectations at all. The film is Terminator: Salvation.

Source: Variety

That’s it for this week. See you at the movies.