Archive for December 23rd, 2009

Exclusive Interview: Producer Dan Lin on SHERLOCK HOLMES; Plus he Addresses the Brad Pitt Rumors

Posted: December 23rd, 2009 at 10:12 pm

With Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes about to get released, it’s time for the final segment of “7 Days with Producer Dan Lin”.  Over the past week we’ve covered all the various projects Lin is developing like the Lego movie and Gangster Squad, his thoughts on the Terminator Salvation ending and what’s up with future movies, what’s up with Bone and Tom and Jerry,  and yesterday was  about the Justice League movie, Suicide Squad, and Stephen King’s It.  But for tonight’s article, we finally get to the reason I got to speak with him in the first place: Sherlock Holmes.

As I have said many times, I loved the film.  It’s got a great script. Fantastic performances from everyone involved.  Amazing chemistry between Jude Law and Downey Jr.. A third act that doesn’t suck.  Action scenes that sell why Sherlock Holmes is Sherlock Holmes.  If you can’t tell…I’m really recommending the film.

Anyway, in tonight’s article, Lin talks about how he went from being a development executive to a producer.  He also talked about what the differences are between being a producer/executive producer and a development exec.  If you’re curious how Hollywood works, it’s great stuff.

And when we got to talking about Sherlock Holmes, he talks about how the project came together, are they planning sequels, what was it like for him when he found out Robert Downey Jr. wanted to play Holmes, and we also talked about whether or not a certain big movie star (Brad Pitt) makes a surprise appearance.  Much more after the jump:

First Trailer for Kevin Smith’s COP OUT

Posted: December 23rd, 2009 at 8:22 pm

For some time we have been following the buddy cop comedy that was once refreshingly called A Couple of Dicks, then boringly A Couple of Cops, and finally settled on the somewhere-in-between Cop Out. The film represents Kevin Smith’s first directorial effort which he did not also script, and stars Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan as a police team whose “adventures include locating a stolen baseball card, rescuing a woman, and dealing with gangsters and their laundered money”. Today, Warner Brothers released the first trailer for the film.

So far, I have been looking forward to this film, partly because I would like to see how Smith does with a film free of his distinct writing style, and partly because I like the comedic potential of the partnership between Morgan and Willis. This trailer did nothing for me, though. It relies heavily on Tracy Morgan lines, and in this sense I should be the target audience, as I love his exaggerated delivery on 30 Rock and elsewhere. It did perk up a bit when co-star Seann William Scott popped in, and he and Morgan seemed to work off each other better than Willis and Morgan, but still most of the jokes fell flat for me. I hope that you like it better than I did, and you can form your own opinion after the jump. Cop Out hits theatres on February 26, 2010.

Simon Cowell May Leave AMERICAN IDOL, But the Show Will Go On

Posted: December 23rd, 2009 at 7:55 pm

The new season of American Idol doesn’t premiere until January, but interesting things are afoot already behind the scenes. According to Simon Cowell’s brother, the caustic reality judge is looking to leave the show after the upcoming season to focus on adapting his British hit The X Factor for American television. This is not too surprising, as Cowell himself ruminated on leaving the show as early as last April, several months before Paula Abdul announced her departure.

To add intrigue to the matter, 58% of viewers said they would stop watching American Idol if Simon Cowell left the show in a recent survey. This would be a devastating blow to Idol, and would certainly knock it off its pedestal as America’s favorite show. Fox seems unfazed by such talk though, as the channel is near a deal to extend Idol’s run by three seasons; even if half the viewers jumped ship, Idol would still be among the top rated shows on TV. So look forward to many more years of American Idol, regardless of Cowell’s involvement. In the meantime, catch judges Simon Cowell, Kara DioGuardi, Randy Jackson, Abdul replacement Ellen DeGeneres, and ubiquitous host Ryan Seacrest while you can when the ninth season of American Idol premieres on Fox on January 12, 2010.

Set Photos from BATTLE: LOS ANGELES Starring Aaron Eckhart

Posted: December 23rd, 2009 at 4:43 pm

Some new set photos from Battle: Los Angeles have popped up online.  They’re not bad for set photos when you consider one of them shows a mushroom cloud going up.  That’s slightly better than an actor in costume leaving their trailer.  I guess that’s the true power of mushroom clouds.  Oh, and they’re the effect of an explosion killing thousands upon thousands of people.  That’s also one of the things they’re known for.  There’s also a photo of Aaron Eckhart in costume looking like a bad-ass.

Here’s the official plot synopsis so you know what causes mushroom clouds and bad-ass Eckhart: When unknown forces put the City of Angels under attack, it’s up to a Marine staff sergeant (Aaron Eckhart) and his new platoon to come to the rescue. As the invasion hits the streets of L.A., the Marines become our first and last line of defense against a highly powerful enemy. Bridget Moynahan (I, Robot), Michelle Rodriguez (Avatar) and Michael Peña (World Trade Center) co-star alongside an ensemble cast including Ramon Rodriguez and Ne-Yo.

So mushroom clouds and bad-ass Eckhart.  What more do you need?  Hit the jump to check out the photos.  Battle: Los Angeles is slated to hit theaters on February 18, 2011.

Hollywood to Continue Sending 3D at You

Posted: December 23rd, 2009 at 1:38 pm

With the expected success of James Cameron’s Avatar, a 3-Dimensional craze has begun to sweep Hollywood according to Waxword columnist Sharon Waxman over at The Wrap. Although filming completed some time ago and despite a trailer already online, director Ridley Scott is apparently seeking approval from Universal executives to create a 3D version to his $200 million Robin Hood reimagining. A deal is currently in the works with Studio Canal-the studio that owns the rights to Cameron’s legendary “Terminator 2″-to fast track a screen-popping version of the film.

Hit the jump for more directors looking to send audience’s eyes into a frenzy.

REPO MEN Red Band Trailer and Image Starring Jude Law, Liev Schreiber, and Forest Whitaker – UPDATED with Poster

Posted: December 23rd, 2009 at 12:43 pm

Not a sequel to Alex Cox’s 1984 cult film Repo Man, Repo Men follows Jude Law and Forest Whitaker as a pair of killers who reclaim organs for a company when the recipient can’t make a payment.  They do this happily and brutally as they’ll kill a man in front of his family and rip out his default organ.  This futuristic scenario doesn’t seem so implausible when you stop to consider the current state of health care in our country.

The first trailer for the film has gone online.  The good news is that it’s red band.  The bad news is that it basically gives away the entire film so I won’t comment on the plot.  I’ll just say it looks like a cool black comedy until it just becomes man-on-the-run action.  I guess that’s the tone of the film since this trailer apparently condenses the entire movie into the span of two minutes.

Hit the jump to check out the movie trailer as well as the official synopsis and first image for the film.  Repo Men hits theaters on April 2, 2010.  [UPDATE: We've added the film's poster after the jump]

First Posters From Ridley Scott’s ROBIN HOOD

Posted: December 23rd, 2009 at 12:20 pm

For your viewing pleasure, Collider presents some pictures of Russell Crowe looking pissed off. The good news is, they weren’t taken at the Mercer Hotel and a blood-caked telephone is nowhere to be seen. Rather, they’re international posters for director Ridley Scott’s highly anticipated Robin Hood. They feature Crowe (apparently fresh off a screening of Zombieland) in close-up, pointing a ready-to-fire bow and arrow menacingly right at your face.

The message here seems to be in line with that of the original North American trailer: Robin Hood is a badass and this summer you should come watch him do lots of badass stuff. In many ways, it’s reminiscent of the campaign that launched Zack Snyder’s 300. I know some people have taken issue with this, but I’m really not concerned. With a name like Ridley Scott attached, you know you’re in store for a film that has substance in addition to spectacular visuals.

Hit the jump for the posters and the official synopsis.

Keira Knightley, Christoph Waltz and Michael Fassbender Join Cronenberg’s THE TALKING CURE

Posted: December 23rd, 2009 at 10:01 am

Australian distributor Hopscotch Films announced via its Facebook page that the acting trifecta of Keira Knightley, Christoph Waltz and Michael Fassbender have joined acclaimed director David Cronenberg for the adaptation of Christopher Hampton’s play The Talking Cure. The play focuses on famous psychoanalysts and close friends Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung and their relationship with patient Sabina Spielrein. The movie marks the first from Cronenberg since his 2007 project Eastern Promises and the second time Knightley features in a Hampton piece, the first being the Oscar-nominated Atonement.

Find out my thoughts on the news as a film buff and psychology nut after the jump.

Hollywood Tops $10 Billion for First Time in 2009

Posted: December 23rd, 2009 at 9:18 am

With Avatar the reigning champ and Sherlock Holmes still to come, Hollywood crossed the $10 billion line for the first time in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales for 2009.  Through Sunday, the total stood just $36 million short of crossing the $10 billion line, according to tracking firm Hollywood Box Office, and was set to plow across it Tuesday night.

The year’s top box office attractions were Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, and with hits like Harry Potter and The Hangover, Warner Bros. was the North American box office champ among studios.  And with both Robert Downey Jr.’s take on Sherlock Holmes and the return of those rascally rodents in Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel coming in time for Christmas, the final take is expected to top $10.4 billion.

Hit the jump for a list of the top 20 domestic box office hits of 2009.

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