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.

new watchmen pictures via joblo

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")

5. George Lucas may not be in everyone's good books - but I like the guy. Having said that, as a life long Star Wars fan I have no intention of going to see The Clone Wars. It's not due to the fact I hated the prequels (I didn't) I just don't like kids and I'm not a big fan of animation.

However, I will be able to watch Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull from the comfort of my own living room when it hits DVD and Blu-ray on October 14th.

There's a gazillion special features available on the two disc versions (with Blu-ray getting the most).

Features on the Blu-ray are as follows:

Blu-ray Disc 1:

  • Indiana Jones Timelines— Explore the movie through interactive timelines that include video featurettes, in-depth information and unique imagery. Your adventure begins with one of these three timelines:
  • Story Timeline: Showcases the key events of the "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" storyline.
  • Production Timeline: A Making-of chronology for "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull".
  • Historical Timeline: Dives into the real-world historical influences that are referenced in the film.
  • The Return of a Legend—The evolution of the new film and a tribute to the legendary hero and his creators. (HD)Pre-Production—Follows Steven Spielberg as he creates animatic sequences, Shia LaBeouf as he learns to swordfight and captures the reunion of filmmakers and cast on the soundstage. (HD)

Blu-ray Disc 2:

  • Production Diary: Making Kingdom of the Crystal Skull—Join filmmakers, cast and crew for a complete look at the making of the film.
  • Shooting Begins: New Mexico
  • Back To School: New Haven, Connecticut
  • Welcome to the Jungle: Hilo, Hawaii
  • On-Set Action
  • Wrapping Up!
  • Warrior Makeup
  • The Crystal Skulls
  • Iconic Props
  • The Effects of Indy
  • Adventures in Post Production
  • Closing: Team Indy
  • Pre-Visualization Sequences: Area 51 Escape, Jungle Chase; Ants Attack
  • Galleries
  • The Art Department: The Adventure Begins, Cemetery and Jungle, Akator
  • Stan Winston Studio: Corpses, Skeletons & Mummies; Aliens & Crystal Skulls
  • Production Photographs
  • Portraits
  • Behind-the-Scenes Photographs

Check out IGN for more details.

Source: IGN Film Force

That's it for another week. See you at the movies!