Universal Studios has released synopses  for some of their major 2010 films and the two that are especially worth reading are “MacGruber” and Ridley Scott’s “Untitled Robin Hood Adventure”. While it might surprise you to hear this, a few people have told me “MacGruber” is going to shock everyone next year as it’s a super-violent, hard-R movie. Also, I’ve heard there are many lines that we’re all going to quote. Did I mention Val Kilmer plays the villain and his name is Dieter Von Cunth? I know, I know–I am just as shocked to report SNL’s “MacGruber” might be a great movie.

As for Ridley Scott’s “Untitled Robin Hood Adventure”, this synopsis is the first real story details I’m hearing about the plot. Since I haven’t watched every version of “Robin Hood”, I’ll let the synopses  do the talking, but I’m pretty sure we’re going to get a better version than Kevin Costner’s “Prince of Thieves”.  Hit the jump for not only “MacGruber” and “Untitled Robin Hood Adventure”, but “Green Zone” starring Matt Damon, “Get Him to the Greek” starring Russell Brand and Jonah Hill, and “Your Highness” starring Danny McBride, James Franco, and Natalie Portman.

Justin Theroux has now joined the cast of David Gordon Green’s (”Pineapple Express) next comedy as the villain of “Your Highness”.  Theroux will play Leezar, an evil wizard with a bejeweled magical staff who kidnaps a princess (Zooey Deschanel).  He will now be joining the cast which already includes Danny McBride, James Franco, and Natalie Portman. To find out more details about “Your Highness” and why it is sure to kick ass, hit the jump.

With director David Gordon Green shooting the medieval comedy “Your Highness’ on location in Ireland, a photo has popped up on the web that purports to be our first look at co-star Natalie Portman in character as a warrior princess.  Looks like it could be just about any brunette on horseback to me, but Natalie fans seem to feel that the ear in the photo is the “biggest give away”.  See what you think after the jump.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Zooey Deschanel is joining Danny McBride and James Franco in David Gordon Green’s, “Your Highness”.  “Highness,” written by Ben Best and Danny McBride, centers on an arrogant, lazy prince (McBride) who must complete a quest to save his father’s kingdom. Joining him on the quest is his more heroic brother (James Franco). Deschanel would play Belladonna, Franco’s virginal bride.  Natalie Portman is also on board as McBride’s love-interest, a warrior princess which sounds awesome.  If you want to get even more excited for this flick, check out the interview Steve did with McBride for “Land of the Lost” where McBride talks about the fantasy flicks that are the inspiration for “Your Highness”.

Hit the jump to get my thoughts about the casting of Deschanel.

One of the things I love about Danny McBride is how he variates his essential comic character. McBride usually plays one form of white trash or another but The Foot Fist Way’s Fred Simmons is different than Kenny Powers. Fred Simmons never had his lifestyle challenged, even with the Chuck “The Truck” stuff. Both men are delusional, but Fred managed to the big fish in a small pond. Kenny Powers, the main character of Eastbound and Down, was a superstar, and he’s still got the swagger way after he lost his arm, and his money. It’s a different sort of delusion, someone desperately clinging to the illusion that they’re still hot shit, which is different than someone who achieved something more than being the king of the demo. More after the jump:

I don’t blame Universal for trying to sell “Land of the Lost” as a family film.  This is a big-budget summer movie based on a campy 70s TV show and so you’re going to highlight the T-Rex and maybe Will Ferrell dumping a vat of dinosaur urine over his head.  What you won’t highlight is a scene where Ferrell’s character whispers to Cha-Ka the ape-boy, “Fuck you.”  It’s clear that this movie was conceived of as a subversive, R-rated comedy and Universal said, “Are you bugfuck insane?  We’re not spending a hundred million dollars on that!” The compromise is a film that you’re not expecting even if you can totally predict its lead actor.

Opening this Friday is director Brad Silberling’s “Land of the Lost”. As most of you know, the film is based on the classic series by Sid & Marty Krofft and it stars Will Ferrell as Dr. Rick Marshall and Danny McBride, Anna Friel, and Jorma Taccone also star.

I saw a screening and have to say…it’s a lot dirtier than you expect going in. In fact, I was quite surprised at how much they got away with for a PG-13 movie. If you thought this was just going to be some safe family film, you’re in for a surprise.

So to help promote the film, I recently interviewed Danny McBride as a reporter for our partner website Omelete. As most of you already know, Collider and Omelete are partners. That’s why you see both of our logos in the movie clips and the video interviews. So a big thanks to them for making this happen.

Anyway, Danny and I talked about making the movie, “Eastbound and Down”, his upcoming movie “Hench”, and a lot more. If you’re a fan of Danny’s, you’ll love the interview. Take a look after the jump:

Opening next weekend is director Brad Silberling’s “Land of the Lost”. As most of you already know, the film is based on the classic series by Sid & Marty Krofft and it stars Will Ferrell as Dr. Rick Marshall and Danny McBride, Anna Friel, and Jorma Taccone also star.

I saw a screening last night and have to say it’s a lot dirtier than I expected. In fact, I was quite surprised at how much they got away with for a PG-13 movie. If you thought this was just going to be some safe family film, you’re in for a surprise.

Anyway, to help promote the film we’ve been provided with six movie clips and three featurettes. They’re all after the jump - along with the full synopsis. Take a look:

Earlier today I participated in a roundtable interview with Danny McBride for his upcoming movie “Land of the Lost”. As a huge fan of Danny’s work in “The Foot Fist Way”, “Tropic Thunder”, and “Eastbound and Down”, I’m happy to report that Danny is fantastic in “Land of the Lost” and he has some great scenes with Will Ferrell. If you’ve been watching “Eastbound” on HBO, you know what I’m talking about.

Anyway, while I’ll be posting the full transcript in the coming days, here’s some selected quotes on “Eastbound and Down”, “Your Highness” and “Mr. Machine”.

On “Your Highness”:

• Natalie Portman just signed on
• They filming in some of it in Belfast and the shooting schedule is from the second week of July till the middle of October
• Says it’s like “Barry Lyndon” meets “Krull”
• It’s about two brothers (James Franco and Danny) whose fiancée gets kidnapped by an evil wizard and we have to go on the road and save her. There’s everything from stop-motion creatures to puppets like in “Dark Crystal”
• They’re going for a British cast and not necessarily comedians for the rest of the parts

On “Eastbound”:

• Danny says he’s open to a third season but it hasn’t been decided
• The second season might be 8 episodes
• Will Ferrell might be back on the next season
• They are going to film it end of this year or early next year

On “Mr. Machine”:

• It’s an old script that David Green and Danny wrote.
• It takes place in the 80s and has kind of a “Gremlins” like feel to it.
• They make this robot for their science project and it ends up taking over their town.

For exactly what Danny said about all these movies, the transcript is after the jump.

I think it is so great that a studio is now developing a film with Danny McBride in mind for the lead.  The guy has made it and he deserves to after kicking so much ass with “The Foot Fist Way”, “Pineapple Express”, and “Eastbound and Down”.  So now Warner Bros. is adapting the graphic novel “Hench” as a star vehicle for McBride.  According to Variety, McBride would play a football player who suffers a career-ending injury and needs a job. He signs on as henchman to a successful villain.  That’s not bad.  Not a whole lot competes to a guy going back to his old high school and working as a substitute PE teacher but henchman to a villain could be a great fit for McBride who is just a master of angry idiotic bravado.  McBride will also co-write the script with Shawn Harwell.

McBride will soon be back in theatres with “Land of the Lost” and he’s currently working on David Gordon Green’s “Your Highness” and then he’ll be jumping into the highly-anticipated second season of “Eastbound and Down”.