Hope you had a good Thanksgiving. This weekend the news wrap up features:

What hit the top of the box office; Oldboy gets a scriptwriter; Genesis: Apes is real; there will be a New Moon in March and Hugh Jackman discusses the end of Wolverine.

Box Office

The box office was dominated by Four Christmases over the Thanksgiving weekend. The Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon film should bank about $46 million over the five day weekend. Ho Ho Ho!

Last week’s number one film – Twilight dropped one place this week, but should manage another $40 million over the five days.

Animated Disney effort Bolt should bark up another $35 million over the weekend, while Quantum of Solace should manage another $30 million over the five days.

Baz Lurhmann’s 3 hour epic Australia underperformed with a five day weekend take of just $20 million. The Hugh Jackman – Nicole Kidman film cost $140 million to produce, and it’ll need amazing word of mouth if it’s going to be profitable.

Transporter 3 starring Jason Statham should manage about $18 million over the five days ensuring that he will keep making modestly budgeted and modestly successful action pics.

Movie News

1. Mark Protosevich will write Steven Spielberg’s adaptation/remake of Oldboy.

Protosevich wrote the original script for Will Smith starrer I Am Legend (which is supposed to be fantastic) and an unmade Batman 5 called Batman Triumphant (back in the Schumacher days) that featured the Scarecrow.

Will this version of Oldboy be any good?

Who knows, but I am intrigued to see how it turns out.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

2. We told you before that an odd prequel/origin story to the original Planet of The Apes was in development at Fox titled Genesis: Apes, but that it might never see the light of day. However it now looks like things are moving along at a relatively nice pace.

Tom Rothman recently spoke about the film on the Fox Move Channel. The executive said this:

“We are very close at Fox on a new Apes script- this one a kind of prequel story before the first story, with a return to the social thematics that mark the first one, but with an entirely contemporary setting – Earth 2009.”

Source: CHUD

3. New Moon – the sequel to smash hit film Twilight is set to go before cameras this coming March.

Kristen Stewart has revealed that the film will shoot (partly) in Italy:

“A lot of the book takes place in Italy, and I think we’re going to get to go to Italy, which is so cool. For a while there, they were like, Oh, we don’t know if we have the money, but now I think we may have the money!”

A pay rise and a Holiday – it’s nice work if you can get it.

Source: Shock Til You Drop

4. Aussie superstar Hugh Jackman has recently discussed de-clawing Wolverine if the character’s solo feature underperforms at the box office.

Speaking to Moviehole; Jackman said:

”If it’s clear to us on May second or third that that’s gone, then I’ll walk away happily. I’m not going to flog something – or flog a dead horse, or try and make movies that people don’t really want to go and see. I have no interest in that. Even no matter how much I love the character. So there are many prerequisites”.

He also said that a return to the character would depend on the right script:

“There’s a few story lines that are running my head which I think would be really cool, but unless the script is right, then I just don’t see the point in doing it. I’m probably at the point in my career where I don’t need it. And the last thing I want to do is just to push it on people, if it doesn’t warrant a full feature movie.”

I’m sure a $20 million pay day might help too.

Source: Moviehole

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

• Hugh Jackman Talks Wolverine 2 & Sequels
• Wolverine Already Looking Ahead To Sequel
• Look Out Japan: Here Comes Wolverine!
• Hugh Jackman Visits Ghostopolis
• Wolverine 2 Snags Oscar-Winning Writer
• New Details On X-Men: First Class

The first Transporter film was responsible for putting now pretty well known action star Jason Statham on the map. The guy has amazing martial arts skills, a great face for the genre and is a moderately decent actor.

I thought the first Transporter movie starring Jason Statham was silly, but a huge blast to watch. I found the sequel to be even more silly (ok, ridiculous) and less fun – so I’m hoping that Transporter 3 will reverse that trend.

We haven’t covered the film much here at Screen Rant so here’s a bit of a “catch up” post with the final (UK) poster for the film, some new images plus the latest trailer.

I don’t know anything about French director Olivier Megaton (can that be his real name?) but the screenplay was written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, who both wrote the first and second films. Trivia: They both also wrote the amazing film The Fifth Element, which was also directed by Besson.

Check ‘em all out and let us know what you think.

Final UK Transporter 3 poster (overseas release date)

A bad guy from Transporter 3

Jason Statham at a disadvantage

Jason Statham drives angrily

Jason Statham doing what he does best

And finally, the trailer for Transporter 3:

[See post to watch Flash video]

And there you have it. Thoughts?

Transporter 3 opens on November 26, 2008.

• New ‘Terminator Salvation’ & ‘Crank 2′ Posters
• Cool Poster & Trailer Sent ‘From Paris With Love’
• ‘Taken 2′ & ‘District 13′ American Remake In The Cards
• First Trailer For ‘The Final Destination’
• New Posters For 2012 & Terminator Salvation
• Final Wolverine Poster & Some Cool New Stills

Hey gang… man, one of the downsides of being a computer geek is getting sucked into the back-end stuff when redesigning a website. I’ve been so busy trying to fine tune thing (thanks for the suggestions!) and trying to fix bugs that I haven’t been doing any movie news coverage.

So here’s my little attempt at a bit of catch up on what’s popped up over the last few days.

- There’s a new muppet movie coming and supposedly it will be faithful to what we’ve come to know and love about the little fellas. – Ain’t It Cool

- Transformers 2 has a title: Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen. I can’t wait (yeah, that was sarcasm). – Superhero Hype

- Transporter 3 is on the way starring Jason Statham once again and there’s a French trailer out for it. I think he’s an awesome action star and he’s back in the franchise that launched his career. I didn’t think the second one was as good as the original and I imagine this one will dive even deeper into unapologetic total-action flick land. – Allocine

- Ain’t It Cool has some pics from the NY Licensing show including the first Terminator 4 poster and a poster for (God help us) the next Robocop movie. – Ain’t It Cool

- The Smurfs movie is moving forward. I have nothing to say about this other than it’s giving me flashbacks to an old girlfriend. – Cinematical

- There are a bunch of new action-packed images from The Dark Knight out that I haven’t had a chance to upload here yet. Check ‘em out at the link. Comic Book Movie

- More news on the Pixar-helmed John Carter of Mars. It’ll be the first non-kid-targeting movie for them but I have utter and complete faith in the gang over there. – Film School Rejects

- Hayden Christensen threatens to do more Jumper movies. – First Showing

• Awesome New Images From Stallone’s ‘Expendables’
• New Posters For ‘Terminator Salvation,’ ‘Knowing’ & ‘Dark Mirror’
• Transformers 2 Concept Art Collection
• Transformers 2: New Pics, TV Spots & Soundtrack Song
• Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried in ‘Jennifer’s Body’
• The Last New Transformers 2 Photos!

What is it with the Transporter movies and French directors?

Kidding, or course. The films have been shot in Europe so it makes sense. It’s just that the first two were directed by a Frenchman and now the new film will be directed by a different Frenchman (is that even a word?).

The first two Jason Statham starring flicks were directed by Louis Leterrier, who is in now in post-production on The Incredible Hulk, and now Transporter 3 will replace him with French director Olivier Megaton.

Who the heck is that, you ask?

The reason you’ve never heard of him is that up until now all he’s written and directed are French movies and television shows. Oh, and he was second unit director on a little gem called Hitman.

At least Megaton (what is it with the cool names coming up in the news lately?) wasn’t entirely responsible for that one – he was only second unit director on the film. And the most excellent Luc Besson, who produced the first two in the series is on board to produce this third one as well, so who knows?

Lower your expectations and maybe you’ll do all right.

Source: Variety via /Film

• Sutherland & Foster Join Statham In ‘Mechanic’ Remake
• Death Race Prequel On The Way
• Timothy Olyphant Open to Hitman 2
• Cool Poster & Trailer Sent ‘From Paris With Love’
• Jason Statham Updating Charles Bronson Hitman Role
• New ‘Terminator Salvation’ & ‘Crank 2′ Posters