Movie News and Views April 20, 2009 Poster Edition

 

 

Kinda abbreviated.

 

– Newest residents of Sequel-ville: “Wanted,” “Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang,” “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,”

– Watch for “I, Frankenstein,” a modern noir take on the monster and his buddies (The Wolf Man, Hunchback of Notre Dame, etc.)

– “Weird Al” Yankovic has been the latest to join “H2” (“Halloween 2”).

– Pulitzer Prize winning author Michael Chabon has written the script for Disney’s “John Carter of Mars.”

– The fourth Jason Bourne film is set for 2011.

– Zac Effron will play Jonny Quest in a movie based on the cartoon. The film will not be called “Jonny Quest” due to the backlash from “Speed Racer.”

– Speaking of the WB, they are threatening legal action against Bollywood should it decided to make its version of “Benjamin Button.”

– The reported budget for Disney’s new “Tron” movie is $300 million.

– Sony will soon begin to offer free movies on YouTube. You can catch their current “free” movies at their site, Crackle.com

– Sam Rockwell plays a miner with a solitary robot companion (voiced by Kevin Spacey) in “Moon.”

– There will be a Venom spin-off from the “Spider-Man” series.

– Al Pacino will play Napoleon Bonaparte in “Betsy and the Emperor,” based off the kids book.

– Actor Kal Penn is taking a respite from acting to work for the Obama Administration as Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Liaison.

– The WB, in another head-scratching move, has greenlit a sequel to the movie, “Hangover,” a comedy movie that won’t even be released until June.

– Due to the success of “The Fast and the Furious 4,” Paul Walker and Vin Diesel have signed for a fifth.

– Will Arnett and Michael Shannon have signed for the Jonah Hex movie.

– Watch for “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” based on the kids book.

– “Ghostbusters 3” is on-again, off-again, on-again… However, Harold Ramis, Dan Akyroyd, and Sigourney Weaver are attached to star in it, if it happens.

– The Coen bros. are set to remake “True Grit.”

– A theatre in Chicago is starting MuVChat, a system that will enable viewers to “heckle” a movie by texting from their cellphone. The text messages will pop up on the screen while the movie is playing.

– “Father Knows Best” is going to be adapted for the screen.

– Angelina Jolie is in talks for “Sin City 2.” Speaking of which, the rights have lapsed for Miramax films.

– No more “Pink Panther” movies. Hollywood, I thank you.

– Ralph Fiennes has signed for the “Clash of the Titans” remake.