Screen Rant » paul

First Image From Simon Pegg And Nick Frost’s ‘Paul’

Ross Miller — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:53:37 +0000

Paul is an upcoming “alien geek comedy” from the Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz guys, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. The plot centers around two sci-fi geeks who, after enjoying a trip to the Comic Con (mecca for all things geek), decide to take a road trip to Area 51 for some “UFO sight-seeing.” On the way, they inadvertently run into a fugitive alien called Paul.

The Greg Mottola (Superbad) directed, Pegg/Frost written comedy has just finished shooting, and today we have the first ever look at an official image from Paul (which has nothing to do with fellow Screen Rant writer, Paul Young, FYI ). Unfortunately, it doesn’t give us a look at the titular alien (since he’s CGI, there’ll be a lot of post-production special f/x work) but rather a look at Pegg and Frost (along with co-stars Jane Lynch and Blythe Danner), who play the two geek leads. Don’t believe they should be labeled that? Just check out their t-shirts:

Apart from maybe seeing the titular alien, the image shows just what we expected: two fish out of water geeks staring in awe/shock at something undoubtedly “other-wordly.” The photo is part of a bunch that were sent to the guys over at Collider from reader “Liz.” They were apparently taken at Stage 41 at Universal Studios in Hollywood. For the rest of the photos – which include a wider shot of the photo on the wall of one of the studio stages – you can head over to Collider.

It’ll be interesting to see how Paul turns out, considering it’s the first time Pegg and Frost have made a film without Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz writer/director Edgar Wright (he co-wrote those two mentioned movies with Pegg). I guess Wright favored his own “geek movie,” in the form of the comic book adaptation Scott Pilgrim vs. the World…

Pegg’s comedy track record without Wright hasn’t been that great, with two films that should have been A LOT funnier, Run, Fatboy, Run and How To Lose Friends & Alienate People (amongst others). But I’m sure that won’t happen with Paul - worst case scenario, we know that Pegg and Frost work well together as a comedy duo on (and off) screen.

What do you think of the first photo from Paul? Do you think it will deliver on its unique premise or just end up being a novelty idea that wears off?

Along with Pegg and Frost, Paul stars Seth Rogen (voicing Paul), Jason Bateman, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Jane Lynch, and Sigourney Weaver. No official release date has been set for the film yet, but it is supposed to hit theaters sometime in 2010.

Source: Collider

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Seth Rogen Talks Green Hornet & ‘Paul’

Ross Miller — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 19:49:28 +0000

One of the comedy men-of-the-minute, Seth Rogen, is starring in two upcoming movies, both within the “realm of the geek.” One is the much-talked-about adaptation of The Green Hornet, the other is the lesser-known Paul, a new comedy from Simon Pegg and Nick Frost about an alien that’s escaped from Area 51. Recently Rogen has talked about both projects to bring us eager fans up-to-date with what’s going on.

The Green Hornet

As anyone who’s been keeping up on The Green Hornet news knows that Stephen Chow recently left the project. His departure was confirmed after a casting call for Kato, the role he was supposed to be playing, was released by the studio.

Chow’s departure was much to the dismay of people (myself included) who thought the actor was perfectly suited for Green Hornet’s action-comedy mix (see Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle as proof). Here’s what Rogen had to say about the situation:

“In my head, we lost Stephen Chow in April, so it’s something I’ve had a lot of time to wrap my head around.”

Rogen talks about how they’re looking for actors from all over the world to play The Green Hornet’s sidekick, Kato, from well known international stars to complete unknowns. He says they’re open to adapting the role for the actor, and are willing to cast actors who don’t have martial arts experience (as the previously released casting call stated).

Am I the only one who now wishes even more that Chow was still on-board?…

However, even if Chow is now officially off of The Green Hornet, Rogen is adamant and pretty damn convincing that the project is still very much alive and well. Here’s some of what he had to say:

“There’s more people working on the film every day! They traditionally don’t spend millions and millions of dollars on movies that are dead… It’s really hard to make a big movie. It’s exponentially more difficult to make a $100 million movie than it is to make a $20 million movie, especially in this economy… I think just for us to make a movie that we feel confident in and for [Sony] to have a movie that they feel confident in, that’s taking a long time.”

With regards to Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) taking the directorial reigns (a role Chow was once attached to as well), Rogen has great things to say about him and his involvement:

“We’re encouraging him [Gondry] to make it as visually exciting and inventive as anything anyone has ever seen. We’re fans of these types of movies when they’re done well. We think that we can handle the story and the script and the dialogue, but we know nothing about cameras and lights and fancy ways of making things look amazing. And that’s what he’s better at than anyone in the world pretty much. So we’re encouraging him to really go for it.”

For more on what Rogen had to say about The Green Hornet, you can head over to HitFix and AICN.

Paul

In comparison to The Green Hornet, the Simon Pegg/Nick Frost written, Greg Mottola directed alien comedy, Paul, may not seem all that significant. But with a cast of Pegg and Frost plus Jason Bateman, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Jane Lynch, and (possibly) Sigourney Weaver, added to an awesome comedic premise, I am very much looking forward to it.

Adding to that killer cast is Rogen, who’s voicing the titular alien, Paul. Up until now, the nature of how Paul will look (and sound) has been pretty secretive, but while promoting his upcoming Adam Sandler comedy, Funny People, Rogen let some details slip:

“I am [doing the voice of Paul]. And the motion capture of Paul as well… As of right now it’s [the voice is] pretty similar to my voice. I don’t know, they could change their mind, but right now it kind of sounds like exactly what you are hearing right now.”

I don’t think it’s much of a surprise that Rogen’s voice as Paul will probably end up pretty similar to his natural voice. His voice is instantly and naturally humorous (it makes the sound of him laughing funny in and of itself); it’s already been put to good use such animated films as Kung Fu Panda and Monsters vs. Aliens.

However, even if Rogen’s voice is funny, I would rather have him do something a bit different with it for Paul. After all, this is a film by the guys behind Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, so I hope for something more original than just having Rogen play the voice of Seth Rogen.

What do you think about what Seth Rogen has said about The Green Hornet and Paul? Are you looking forward to both of these projects?

The Green Hornet is scheduled for a July 9th, 2010 release, and Paul is slated for a release sometime in 2010.

Sources: FirstShowing, HitFix, AICN, Cinematical and Collider

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First Look at Alien Comedy ‘Paul’ & Cast Update

Ross Miller — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:40:39 +0000

Screen Rant last reported on Simon Pegg and Nick Frost’s upcoming “geek-alien comedy” entitled Paul at the end of the last month, where we posted about the stellar comedic cast that has been assembled for the movie so far.

Other than casting news, Paul has been shrouded in quite a bit of secrecy, with stars and writers, Pegg and Frost not wanting to let their ideas get out when the movie is only in the filming stage of the game. But today we get our first proper look at Paul in the form of a script review, along with a small excerpt from the script itself.

Just as a reminder: Paul follows two sci-fi geeks who visit the San Diego Comic-Con, and once they’ve enjoyed what the convention has to offer, the duo decide to embark on a road trip to Area 51 for some “UFO sight-seeing.” However, before they get there, they run across a hitchhiking alien by the name of Paul, and decide to help their newfound alien friend find his way home.

The Paul script review comes to us courtesy of Bleeding Cool, where the reviewer, Rich Johnston, gives the movie an unabashed thumbs up. Admittedly, Johnston (a confessed comic book lover) may have enjoyed the script in due part to his being able to relate to aspects of the characters and different events that take place, however it’s nonetheless reassuring to hear so many good things about a movie I’m very much looking forward to. Check out some of Johnston’s script review:

“This script is chock full of gags, bursting at the seams. Comedy of repetition, plenty of pull-back-and-reveals and overflowing pop cultural references including one Back To The Future gag that had me gasping for breath I laughed so hard.

It’s honest, it’s true, yes it’s mocking but in a way that both validates and celebrates both the actual reality and the often unrealized potential of the geek lifestyle… Damn it if the screenplay isn’t moving and poignant in places.”

You can read the rest of Johnston’s script review for Paul over at Bleeding Cool.

On top of the review for the Paul script, Johnston also gives us a segment of the screenplay which introduces us to the two main characters of Graham (Pegg) and Clive (Frost). Have a read for yourself:

EXT. SAN DIEGO STREET. PRESENT – DAY

GRAHAM WILLY (32) and CLIVE GOLLINGS (33) stand in the blazing San Diego sunshine, waiting to cross the road. GRAHAM is thin but his clothes seem too small. He has long greasy hair, buck teeth and thick glasses. CLIVE is bigger and wears a long black leather coat, Red Dwarf T-shirt and boots. His hair is densely curly and shaped like a pyramid.

Four people dressed as BORG from Star Trek pass by. GRAHAM and CLIVE shrug derisively. The cross-walk beeps.

In related news, word has been going around the past few days that Ripley herself, Sigourney Weaver, is in talks to join the cast of Paul. Weaver’s potential role is being kept secret by the actress herself, but if Universal and Working Title have actively pursued her, the role is probably pretty significant (either that, or it’s some sort of cameo/Alien reference).

Just going by the little segment of script above, Paul looks to be something worthy of high anticipation. It’s clear that Pegg and Frost are very into the whole “geek” world that Comic-Con is basically the central hub of. Like Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, Paul looks to be appealing to those who know their movie/TV show/comic references, but will also appeal to general comedy fans. Will it be as widely appealing as Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz? We’ll see.

Paul stars Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Seth Rogen (voice of Paul), Jason Bateman, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Jane Lynch, and (possibly) Sigourney Weaver. It is co-written by Pegg and Frost, and is directed by Greg Mottola (Superbad).

Does the positive script review and script segment make you look forward to Paul? What do you think about Weaver possibly joining the already impressive cast?

Paul is slated for a release sometime in 2010.

Sources: Bleeding Cool (via io9), The Playlist and Variety

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Movie News Wrap Up: May 8, 2009

Niall Browne — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:23:02 +0000

This week:

Will Ferrell has a Hangover while the box office is UP; Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway do Drugs; Mary-Kate Olsen, Alex Pettyfer and Vanessa Hudgens are Beastly; Sigourney Weaver returns to aliens; Lemony Snicket gets animated and Roberts and Bardem Eat.

Pixar’s UP stayed on top of the box office with a second weekend gross of $44 million. With great reviews and $137 million already in the bank, it looks like UP will be one of the biggest hits of the summer season.The R-rated comedy The Hangover opened strong in second place with a weekend take of $43 million. With a sequel already in development, it looks like a weekend that Warner Bros. doesn’t want to forget.

Speaking of hangovers – Will Ferrell’s Land of the Lost opened to a pretty lackluster $19 million. Looks like the films chances of turning a profit are history. [NOTE: Parents Beware, Land of the Lost is not for kids. Though it's been advertised that way, the movie is full of adult humor.]

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian banked another $14 million giving the Ben Stiller family comedy a total of $127 million.

Star Trek amassed another $8 million for a grand total of $222 million. It looks like it might cling-on (geddit?) to the top ten for another couple of weeks.

Terminator Salvation finally crossed the $100 million marker after taking $8 million over the weekend. Although the domestic gross is low compared to the previous two entries in the franchise, the international openings for the film read higher than T3. A sequel should be on the way if the accountants are happy.

Drag Me to Hell fell down the charts with a second weekend take of $7 million. With $28 million in the bank so far, this has to be a disappointment for Sam Raimi.

Angels & Demons raked in another $6 million giving the Tom Hanks film a $116 million total gross. Again, international sales are strong and because of this we might see a sequel – but it’ll have a cheaper production cost that will probably be at the expense of Hanks’ and Ron Howard’s participation.

My Life in Ruins and Dance Flick round out the top ten while Wolverine took another $1.8 million giving the Hugh Jackman franchise film a total of $174 million.

Movie News

1. Brokeback Mountain duo Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway are set to reunite in Love And Other Drugs.

According to The Hollywood Reporter:

“Gyllenhaal will play the salesman, who begins a relationship with a woman who has Parkinson’s (Hathaway) while on one of his sales calls. Their love story plays out in the political and social context of the time.”

Sounds like a barrel of laughs.

Director Ed Zwick (Defiance) hopes to start shooting in the fall.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

2. Mary-Kate Olsen, Alex Pettyfer and High School Musical’s Vanessa Hudgens will star in Beastly a modern teen retelling of Beauty and the Beast:

“Olsen’s character places a curse on a handsome egocentric young man, to be portrayed by Pettyfer, who’s physically transformed into everything he despises.”

The Daniel Barnz directed film starts shooting in Montreal on June 13th.

Source: Variety

3. Sigourney Weaver has signed up to star in two new comedies.

Weaver has joined the cast of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost’s alien-comedy Paul in an unknown role. The Greg Mottola film details the story of two science fiction fans who discover an alien near Area 51.

In You Again the actress will star opposite Kristen Bell. According to Variety:

“Bell will play a young woman who returns home for her brother’s wedding and is horrified to find he’s marrying her high school nemesis. Weaver will play the bride’s filthy-rich aunt.”

Weaver will next be seen a low-budget science fiction film directed by a first-timer named James Cameron. The film is Avatar.

Source: Variety
4. Brad Siberling has been taking up a Lemony Snicket sequel while he has been out doing the press rounds for Land of The Lost.

Speaking to IESB, Siberling said a sequel to the 2004 Jim Carrey-starrer may be on the cards but due to the time lag it would appear that the film will more than likely be animated (stop-motion being the most likely option).

Jim Carrey may still be involved if the film ever materializes.

Source: IESB.net

5. Javier Bardem is negotiations to join Julia Roberts in the film version of Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir Eat, Pray, Love.

“Roberts plays the author, and Bardem will play Felipe, the man Gilbert meets and falls in love with on the final leg of a journey of self-discovery that began with the end of her marriage.”

Ryan Murphy will direct the film that is being produced by Brad Pitt.

Bardem is also on Oliver Stone’s wish list for Wall Street 2.

Source: Variety

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

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Stellar Comedic Cast For Simon Pegg Alien Movie ‘Paul’

Ross Miller — Wed, 27 May 2009 19:42:35 +0000

The last we heard about the Simon Pegg and Nick Frost comedy entitled Paul, they were trying to figure out how they were going to make the CGI titular character appear on-screen. Paul was previously only cast so far as the two leads, Pegg and Frost (who wrote the movie together as well), but today we get news that a brilliant bunch of comedy names have joined the cast: Seth Rogen (voicing Paul), Jason Bateman, Bill Hader, Kristin Wiig and Jane Lynch.

Wow, what a cast!

Paul is about two comic-book/sci-fi geeks who, whilst on a Comic-Con road trip, encounter an escaped alien at Area 51. It’s a unique and fun-sounding premise that has a lot of comedic potential. The fact that Pegg and Frost have written it gives it even more credence than it otherwise would have had, and even though Edgar Wright (whom directed the comedy duo in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) is nowhere to be found on this one (he’s probably far too busy with Scott Pilgrim vs. The World right now). Instead, Superbad’s Greg Mottola is on-board to direct.

No word as to who everyone else besides Rogen will play – it’s so early in the game that they can’t even reveal what the titular Paul will look like. However, with us now knowing that Rogen will voice Paul, we can get at least some sense as to how the character is going to be within the movie: And if I’m being honest I’m not all that thrilled.

Now this is not a knock on Rogen as either a comedic personality or a voice actor, but I would have much preferred a lesser known actor to provide the voice for Paul, that way you are not constantly distracted by the fact you know who’s voice it is. To use the example of Ratatouille, I was aware that I knew the voice of Remy (the main rat character) but couldn’t quite place it (turned out to be Patton Oswalt). That way it allowed me to accept his voice as the voice of the rat, and not just think about the actor all the time.

With Rogen voicing Paul, I will most likely be distracted by the fact that I know it’s Rogen. Unless the CGI visual representation of the character is so well done that it draws me in and keeps me there without thinking about the voice acting. Otherwise, in all likelihood it will distract the hell out of me.

Besides, didn’t Rogen recently voice a monster or an alien in some movie I can’t remember the name of?…

What do you make of the killer comedy cast assembled for Paul? Do you like the fact that Seth Rogen will be voicing the titled character?

Paul is slated to hit theaters sometime in 2010.

Source: Variety

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Update On Pegg And Frost’s Alien Comedy ‘Paul’

Ross Miller — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:52:05 +0000

Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are set to star in a road-trip comedy that they’ve written, which will be helmed by Superbad director Greg Motolla.

So what’s so special about that?

Well, the twist to this fairly generic plot outline is that after going to Comic-Con, Pegg and Frost’s British slackers head (for whatever reason) to Area 51 and come across an alien called Paul, who enlists them to help him find his way home.

Wow, that’s an original story hook, don’t you think?

The details about the project have been kept very hush-hush , specifically how the titled alien will look on-screen, but I don’t think they can hide the fact that the little fella’ is going to have to be in CGI form.

And it’s just that very aspect that Motolla has been spilling some very welcome beans about in a Sundance podcast where he talked about the difficulty of getting the CGI portrayal just right:

“That movie is a far more technically challenging movie than Adventureland was because one of the main characters is a fully non-existent creature. He’s basically an alien who may be, let’s say, 70% CGI and the big challenge is that he needs to be a very funny, comedic method actor. It’s not the kind of CGI character where we people to say ‘Oh wow, look what they did, that’s so cool’ it’s actually the kind of CGI character where we want people to just treat like another actor in the film, and he should be fully believable and multi-faceted and has to give a great performance, he just doesn’t exist. We’ve been doing a lot of test trying to figure out how to pull that one off.”

It’s great to hear that Mottola, Pegg and Frost are aiming for a more character-driven movie instead of just having a cute CGI creature that provides cheap giggles and is nice to look at. It looks like they’re placing strong importance on the fact that Paul must be a believable, fully-fleshed character who is just as funny and likeable as Pegg and Frost will undoubtedly be. I personally can’t wait to see how this turns out.

Oh, and if you’re reading this wondering if the film will have the comedic freedom it deserves you can breathe easy – Paul will indeed be an R-rated movie. Motolla stated:

“It’s rare that an R-rated comedy would have a CGI Creature right at the center of it so I’m learning quite a bit.”

So does the combination of Pegg and Frost writing the script, Motolla directing and, of course, one of the characters being a CGI alien named Paul have you looking forward to this? Or do you think it sounds like a neat concept that won’t translate well to the big screen?

Source: /Film

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Mid-Week Movie News Wrap Up – Nov. 13, 2008

Niall Browne — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:54:13 +0000

It’s that time of the week again – Mid Week Movie News Wrap Up.

This week

It looks like Brett Ratner may have some issues when it comes to directing Conan; Samuel L. Jackson and Jim Caviezel are Blown; DiCaprio talks Akira; we have more news on Simon Pegg’s Paul and Ennio Morricone is a Basterd!

1. Earlier in the week it looked like like Brett Ratner would indeed be helming the Conan, reboot/ remake/ re-imagining/ adaptation for Millennium Films. Seems like someone, somewhere jumped the broadsword.

The LA Times spoke with the films producer Avi Lerner and the potential director and both said that Ratner’s involvement was far from secure.

Lerner said:

“We still have a few obstacles. Brett is only committed if we agree on a budget, on how to do the special effects and exactly where we’d shoot the film.”

Meanwhile Ratner was a little less enthusiastic:

“Let me make this very clear, I am not doing Conan now. This is totally premature. For now, ‘Conan’ is only a development deal. I have a deal at Paramount and I’m doing Beverly Hills Cop first, no matter what. Avi shouldn’t be telling you or anyone else in the press what I’m doing.”

Ouch. That does not sound like a good moviemaking partnership to me.

At least Eddie Murphy will be happy.

Source: The LA Times

2. Jim Caviezel and Samuel L. Jackson will star in Blown, a London based action thriller.

According to The Hollywood Reporter:

“The film centers on Will Matlock (Caviezel), a top MI5 operative whose routine investigation of a global corporation leads him to discover an imminent terrorist attack. Jackson will play Julian Lezard, the businessman who engages him in a high-stakes game of wits and deception.”

I’m quite a fan of old Jimbo. He did star as the world’s most famous carpenter after all. The next two are Harrison Ford, and John Carpenter!

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

3. Leonardo Dicpario’s production company Apian Way is developing a film based on Anime classic Akira. It appeared that the Titanic star would be a shoe-in for a role. Not so, says the actor.

DiCaprio said:

“We’re waiting for the final draft of the script. I’m a big fan of Japanese anime – that and another project called Ninja Scroll we’re trying to get developed and made into a movie, and I know there a lot of loyal fans out there of the project and die-hard fans, so we’re going to try to do the best job we possibly can and we’re not going to make the movie until the script is in the right shape.”

Source: Splash Page

4. Star Trek’s Scotty Simon Pegg’s next film - Paul has a few more details courtesy of Variety. Apparently the film (which is to be directed by Superbad’s Greg Mottola) will be about :

“Two British slackers who after visiting Comic-Con go on a road trip to Area 51 where they encounter a small alien named Paul, who enlists them to help him find his way home.”

I don’t know about this, it sounds quite generic, and I feel that I’ve seen it before.

Source: Variety

5. Legendary composer Ennio Morricone will allegedly compose the score for Quentin Tarantino’s forthcoming Inglorious Basterds.

Pretty cool news, but I have to say that I’m more excited about seeing Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables.

Source: Tarantino Info

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

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Weekend Movie News Wrap Up: August 17, 2008

Niall Browne — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 20:04:57 +0000

Summer is now drawing to a close, the last of the big blockbusters of the season have been released and we are slowly moving into awards territory again.

Don’t worry – there are plenty of films to keep us entertained.

In this Weekend Movie News Wrap Up we look at why Simon Pegg isn’t an Inglorious Bastard, we see the return of Candyman, Conan gets rewritten, we check out the details of the Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull DVD and we have a look at some more images from Watchmen.

1. Simon Pegg was almost in Inglorious Bastards. Almost. The Shaun of the Dead star was close to signing on to the WWII film, but he had to retreat because of scheduling conflicts.

Pegg had this to say on his Myspace page:

“Much to our mutual disappointment, I won’t be appearing in QT’s forthcoming Inglorious Bastards due to insurmountable scheduling difficulties. We really tried to make it work but in the end, it just was not possible without severe ramifications elsewhere.”

“I’m trying to remain upbeat, as Tom Selleck said “Who the hell is Indiana Jones anyway?”

Pegg also informs us that Superbad director Greg Mottola will be helming Paul, his next film with Nick Frost.

Sources: Simon Pegg

2. Another week, another horror remake! This week it’s Candyman’s turn.

Shock Till You Drop has learned that Sony is in the planning stages of remaking the Tony Todd terror flick. The original was based on Clive Barker short story The Forbidden, and it spawned two follow-ups.

No word on casting or writer yet, but don’t expect Todd to return.

Now if they could only fit in that Christina Aguilera track to make it extra scary.

Source: Shock Till You Drop

3. Will we ever see Conan again on the big screen? Maybe, but I might be old and grey by the time it happens. Heck, I could be dead – but we won’t even go there!

Dirk Blackman and Howard McCain writers of the forthcoming Outlander are the latest scribes to be hired to take on a script for Conan’s return.

If I hit the gym now I could be in with a chance of being Conan. It’s an idea!

Source: Hollywood Reporter

4. There have been a few more images from Watchmen released. They’re pretty cool. Here’s one image – head over to Joblo to see three more.

I’m currently reading Watchmen for the first time. I know, I know… twenty years late – but I have to be prepped for the movie!

Source: Joblo.com

(Continue reading “Weekend Movie News Wrap Up”)

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