posted Feb 18, 2012 4:26 AM by Ted Fischer
Ready or not, here comes Transformers 4. The Huffington Post reports that Transformers directory Michael Bay has signed a contract with Paramount Pictures to extend the money-minting movie franchise. Yeah, we know. Most everyone says the movies are terrible, with the exception of some eye-popping (yet very overdone) CGI.
It's hard to blame Paramount or Bay for going back to the well for more Autobot love. After all, the movies gross hundreds of millions of dollars, which makes us think that at least some of you are ponying up at the local movie theater.
As for Shia LaBeouf and the rest of the Transformers cast, word is that they will not be back for movie number four. But you can bet that Bumblebee, Optimus and the remaining cast of bad guys will be back. Bay claims the movie will hit the big screen on June 29, 2014, but there is no script at this point. Many will no doubt debate that there will be no script on June 30, 2014, either.
Maybe Michael Bay will FINALLY make the robots look like the ones from the comics instead of making them look overtly complicated with no real expression...plus will we ever see an autobot transform without looking dirty? Also MR. BAY lets add REAL autobots like Braun, Cliff Jumper, Power Glide, Wheeljack, Hot Rod, Sunstreaker, Ultra Magnus, Alpha Trion...plus lets find out where Soundwave & Barricade went from the first two films. |
posted Feb 18, 2012 4:08 AM by Ted Fischer
Arash Amel has been hired to write a screenplay for I Am Legend 2 for Warner Bros. Will Smith is on board to produce through his Overbrook Entertainment shingle, with the potential once again to star.
Akiva Goldsman, who co-wrote and produced I Am Legend, also will return as a producer.
The 2007 horror thriller starred Smith as the last surviving human in a New York cityscape overrun by monsters that survived the plague that killed most of humanity. Co-written by Mark Protosevich and directed by Francis Lawrence, it grossed $585 million worldwide. It is unclear how the storyline will be developed in the new project since Smith's character, Robert Neville, perished at the end of the first film.
The CAA-repped Amel has the action thriller The Expatriate in production, and his screenplay Grace of Monaco is in development.
Smith produced Fox's recent release This Means War, and he stars in the Sony sequel Men in Black III, which hits theaters in May.
Plus without his dog from the first film, H&V thinks it will sink...The Dog was the best part of the film...bar none...Sorry Will...the dog was a much better star.... |
posted Feb 18, 2012 4:01 AM by Ted Fischer
Dean Parisot is in final negotiations to direct the sequel to Summit¹s hit action movie Red.
Red saw Bruce Willis lead a cast that included Helen Mirren, John Malkovich and Morgan Freeman, among others, as over-the-hill special ops agents forced out of retirement.
The quartet is expected to return for the sequel, although no deals are signed and sealed. Robert Schwentke directed the first movie, which hit theatres in the fall 2010 and grossed almost $200 million worldwide. The movie gave Summit another franchise on top of its Twilight movies and showed the still-strong viability of older actors such as Willis.
Erich and Jon Hoeber, who wrote the script for the first installment, penned the sequel. Summit, which has been bought by Lionsgate, is eying a production start later in the year, most likely after Willis shoots Die Hard 5.
Parisot, who last directed 2005's Fun With Dick and Jane, beat out several other directors for the gig. The CAA-repped director is best known for helming 1999's action comedy Galaxy Quest. |
posted Jan 6, 2012 12:28 PM by Ted Fischer
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updated Jan 6, 2012 1:07 PM
]
The Firm “Series Premiere”(NBC)
Air Date: 01/08/2012 09:00 PM
The Firm Thursdays on NBC (10-11 p.m. ET),
beginning January 12; Two-hour Series Premiere: Sunday, January 8 (9-11 p.m.
ET); Encore broadcasts: Saturdays (8-9 p.m. ET)
Based on the best-selling novel by world-renowned
author John Grisham ("The Pelican Brief," "The Client") "The
Firm" is a new drama series that continues the story of attorney Mitchell
McDeere (Josh Lucas, "The Lincoln Lawyer," "Sweet Home
Alabama"), who, as a young associate 10 years earlier, had brought down
the prestigious Memphis law firm of Bendini, Lambert & Locke, which had
been operating as a front for the Chicago mob. After a difficult decade, which
included a stay in the Federal Witness Protection Program, McDeere and his
family now emerge from isolation to reclaim their lives and their future --
only to find that past dangers are still lurking and new threats are
everywhere. Abby McDeere (Molly Parker, "Dexter,"
"Deadwood"), Mitch’s supportive, smart and resourceful wife, who had
helped her husband expose Bendini, Lambert & Locke, is excited to start a
new life in Washington, D.C., as a school teacher and mom to their daughter,
Claire (Natasha Calis, "The Possession"). Ray McDeere (Callum Keith
Rennie, "The Killing," "Californication") is Mitch's
charming, yet volatile, older brother whose work as an investigator in Mitch's
office is uniquely informed by his past stretch in prison for manslaughter.
Despite a gritty past that stands in stark contrast to that of his Harvard-grad
brother, Ray shares one key quality with Mitch – a loyalty that is unbreakable.
Tammy Hemphill (Juliette Lewis, "Natural Born Killers," "Cape
Fear") is Mitch's feisty, sexy receptionist whose work life is made all
the more tumultuous by her on-again, off-again relationship with Ray. With a
personality as arresting as her ever-changing hair color, Tammy is leery when
Mitch accepts a deal to partner with a top law practice, as she’s not cut out
for the conservative culture of a white-shoe firm. "The Firm" is produced
by Entertainment One (eOne Television) in association with Sony Pictures
Television Networks and Paramount Pictures. The executive producers are
Grisham, Lukas Reiter (NBC's "Law & Order," "Boston
Legal"), John Morayniss ("Haven," "Hung"), Michael Rosenberg
("Hung," "The Riches") and Noreen Halpern ("Rookie
Blue," "Call Me Fitz"). David Straiton ("House,"
"Fringe") directed the two-hour premiere episode. Helen Shaver
("Judging Amy," NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victims
Unit") has also joined the series as a co-executive producer and director. |
posted Jan 6, 2012 12:10 PM by Ted Fischer
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updated Jan 6, 2012 12:25 PM
]
Smash Mondays on NBC (10-11 p.m. ET), beginning February 6 "Smash" is a musical drama that celebrates the beauty and heartbreak of the Broadway theater as it follows a cross-section of dreamers and schemers who all have one common desire – to be a "smash." The series centers on the process of creating a Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe – written by the successful songwriting duo of Tom (Tony Award nominee Christian Borle, "Legally Blonde: The Musical") and Julia (Emmy Award winner Debra Messing, "Will & Grace"). Julia recently began the process of adopting a child with her husband Frank (Tony Award nominee Brian d’Arcy James, "Shrek The Musical") of many years, but her focus is torn when she has the opportunity to write another Broadway hit. A rivalry soon forms for the lead role between a youthful, inexperienced Midwestern beauty Karen (Katharine McPhee, "American Idol") – who is trying to find fame in the big city against all odds – and stage veteran Ivy Bell (Megan Hilty, "9 to 5: The Musical"), who's determined to leave the chorus line and finally get her big break. A tenacious producer Eileen (Oscar winner, Anjelica Huston, "Prizzi's Honor") discovers the "Marilyn" project and jumps on board with a brilliant director, Derek (Jack Davenport, "Pirates of the Caribbean" films) – whose talent is matched by his cunning and egocentric amorality. Jaime Cepero ("Porgy and Bess") stars as Ellis, and Raza Jaffrey ("Sex and the City 2," "MI-5") stars as Dev. The series stemmed from an idea of executive producer and multiple Emmy and Oscar winner Steven Spielberg ("ER," "Schindler's List"). The pilot was written by acclaimed playwright/screenwriter Theresa Rebeck ("Mauritius," "NYPD Blue"). David Marshall Grant ("Brothers and Sisters"), Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (Oscar-winning "Chicago," "Hairspray") and Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey ("United States of Tara," "The Borgias") also serve as executive producers. Original songs are written by Tony and Grammy Award winners Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman ("Hairspray," "Catch Me If You Can"), who serve as executive producers as well.
"Smash" is a production of Universal Television in association with DreamWorks Television and Madwoman in the Attic. The pilot was directed by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer ("Spring Awakening," "American Idiot").
Beautiful Sung By American Idol Katharine McPheeThe Added Baseball Number for "Marilyn"
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posted Nov 18, 2011 6:21 AM by Ted Fischer

Actor Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood on board the Queen Elizabeth II in April 1972, after a hectic storm at sea, where they announced that they would remarry. (Credit: AP Photo/Steve Wood)Hollywood icon Natalie Wood, star of "Splendor in the Grass" and "Rebel Without a Cause," ended up drowning in the Pacific Ocean in the middle of the night in 1981 under what many believe was suspicious circumstances. Now, Los Angeles police believe they have enough information to reopen the investigation into her death, reports CBS-2 TV in Los Angeles. More details will be announced Friday at a press conference in Los Angeles. Sheriff's Homicide Detectives said they decided to look into the case again because they were recently contacted by "persons who stated they had additional information about the Natalie Wood Wagner drowning." The Los Angeles Times is reporting that comments made by the captain of the boat off which Wood drowned on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of her death prompted the reexamination. Captain Dennis Davern was recently interviewed for a collaboration between the magazine Vanity Fair and the television series "48 Hours Mystery" that focuses on Wood's death. A primetime special airs Saturday, Nov. 19 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. Natalie Wood Wagner -- married at the time for the second time to actor Robert Wagner -- died on Nov. 29, 1981. She drowned -- while boating with Wagner and actor Christopher Walken -- off the Isthmus of Catalina Island. Her death was investigated at the time and ruled an accident by the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office. Robert Wagner on Natalie Wood's death 48 Hours Presents Vanity Fair: Hollywood ScandalTime magazine reported at the time that Wood was "full of wine" when she stumbled "off a quarter-million-dollar yacht in her nightgown...while her actor-husband sits oblivious with her film co-star a few yards away." Wood's sister, Lana, asked for the case to be re-opened last March. When her body was found, Wood was wearing a parka and it was believed at the time she fell overboard and the parka filled with water and caused her to drown. |
posted Oct 29, 2011 4:39 AM by Ted Fischer
By Nick Valencia, CNNupdated 9:39 PM EST, Fri October 28, 2011 STORY HIGHLIGHTS - Last aired in 1994, two new editions of "In Living Color" will air in 2012, Fox says
- Except for Keenen Ivory Wayans, it will feature an all-new cast of comedians
- The earlier show gave rise to characters Fire Marshal Bill and Homey D. Clown
- It was a launching pad for the Wayans' brothers, Jim Carrey and Jennifer Lopez
(CNN) -- The landmark sketch comedy series "In Living Color" -- which became famous in the early 1990s thanks to characters like clumsy Fire Marshal Bill and the dour Homey D. Clown -- has been revived nearly two decades after it last aired, the Fox network announced Friday. An updated version of the program will air as "two half-hour specials in the spring of 2012," the network said in a statement. The exact dates of these shows have not been released. Keenen Ivory Wayans, the original series' creator and executive producer of the coming edition, will host the new episodes. Except for him, these shows will feature a new cast of "fresh, young talent," according to Fox. The show was a jumping-off point for several now mainstream performers like Jamie Foxx and Jim Carrey, as well as Jennifer Lopez and "Dancing With the Stars" judge Carrie Ann Inaba -- who both were part of the "Fly Girls," the show's dance troupe. It also was a home base for several members of the Wayans family -- Keenen, Damon, Kim, Marlon and Shawn. The half-hour show aired between 1990 and 1994, during which time it was widely seen as groundbreaking for having a nearly all-black cast of comedians. "The iconic series put a hip, edgy spin on popular culture and featured characters and sketches that became part of the American vernacular," the Fox release said. |
posted Oct 29, 2011 4:35 AM by Ted Fischer
October 28, 2011 | 7:17 pm
In a blow to Los Angeles' below-the-line community, Marvel Studios will take its next "Iron Man" movie to Wilmington, N.C.
After weeks of speculation about where the movie would land, EUE/Screen Gems co-owner and Chief Operating Officer Chris Cooney confirmed Thursday that Manhattan Beach-based Marvel will shoot its next "Iron Man" movie at his studio in North Carolina. “We aggressively pursued this piece of business,” Cooney said at a press conference held at the studio. “We negotiated hard and it paid off.” Marvel also had been considering Michigan, but uncertainty surrounding the future of that state's tax credit took it out of the running. Marvel executives also weighed filming in Los Angeles -- where the first two films in the superhero franchise were shot -- and New Mexico, but executives were ultimately wooed by North Carolina’s 25% film tax credit, in addition to the large Wilmington studio. California offers a film credit of up to 25% but it excludes big-budget movies like "Iron Man 3." “We have a massive film facility and the third-largest film and television based crew in the country,” EUE/Screen Gems Executive President Bill Vassar said. Vassar also noted that EUE/Screen Gem’s relationship with Disney, which bought Marvel Studios in 2009, played an instrumental role in getting Marvel executives to consider the Wilmington studio for filming. EUE/Screen Gems, which owns additional studios in Manhattan and Atlanta, also operates a lighting and grip company in Charleston, S.C., that has worked with Disney on several projects including the ABC pilot “Revenge" and four seasons of the television series “Army Wives." “We’ve been under Disney’s radar for a long time,” Vassar said. “We have a wonderful relationship with them.” “Iron Man 3,” scheduled for a 2013 release with a budget estimated at more than $140 million, will be the largest film to shoot in North Carolina so far. Offices will open in early January and cameras are expected to start rolling in the spring, Vassar said. Most of the production, expected to last about 10 months, will take place in the state. Marvel will use all 10 of EUE/Screen Gem’s stages, the largest of which is 37,5000 square feet and includes a special-effects water tank, over the course of production. At the press conference, North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue predicted an economic windfall for the state. The movie is expected to create 550 jobs for crew members and crafts people and pump $80 million into North Carolina's economy, Perdue said. Representatives of Marvel were unavailable for comment. Photo: EUE/Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington, N.C. Credit: EUE/Screen Gems. |
posted Oct 29, 2011 4:23 AM by Ted Fischer
Kevin McNally thinks he knows the key to the success of Pirates of the Caribbean: “Everyone would secretly like to be a pirate,’’ he says by phone from Los Angeles. No. 4 in the franchise, On Stranger Tides, is out on DVD Tuesday. The stage-trained actor, 61, never thought during Curse of the Black Pearl in 2003 that he’d still be on the ride, but is pleasantly surprised. He even thinks there’s a good possibility of a fifth. The movies’ star Johnny Depp, who plays Capt. Jack Sparrow, has a lot to do with the appeal. “Most films have a goodie and a baddie,’’ says McNally, who plays Gibbs, Sparrow’s right hand man. “But few have this amoral character who snips at authority with this childlike lack of responsibility. He is Johnny’s creation.’’ McNally says off-set Depp couldn’t be more opposite than the hard-drinking, eyeliner-wearing loon he plays. “He’s an absolute joy, a great colleague, a fine actor and a family man of very balanced values,’’ he says of The Rum Diary star. “I couldn’t have wished for a better man to be shackled with for 10 years.’’ Though shooting the grand-scale adventure tale — searching for the Fountain of Youth — was a lot of work, the cast got to enjoy the benefits of geography. While the first three movies were filmed in the Caribbean, No. 4 was set in Hawaii. “It was an exciting and beautiful paradise and the logistics were a lot easier, being in the U.S.,’’ says McNally, who is married to Scottish actress Phyllis Logan and has two kids. “Plus great for me. English people don’t get to go there very often because it’s so bloody far away.’’ Acting in Pirates has gained McNally — who first hit it big in 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me — some new alliances. “Over the years, I have people coming up to me in the street saying, ‘Oh God, the kids are acting up again. Can you lend me a copy of the movie?’’’ Though most of his fans tend to be on the shorter side, many giving the sometime buccaneer weird looks in the supermarket. “I’m OK if I’m clean shaven, but the mutton chops do excite the children,’’ he says with a laugh. His kids are definitely happy about their father’s career choice. McNally’s now-teen son came aboard the Black Pearl in the first installment. “He’s a little more blase now, but he still remembers that day as one of the best of his life.’’ Next up for McNally, who splits his time between London and California, is a darker project: The Raven, an imagined account of the last writer-blocked days of Edgar Allen Poe, played by John Cusack. Apparently, McNally’s most current costar has a very different style than his seafaring friend. “John is very serious, very intense and doesn’t have time for anything else but the work,’’ he says. “I tend to be very laid back as an actor, but he upped my game somewhat. I thought, ‘I’m going to have to go for this big time or I’ll be eaten alive here.’’’
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/10/16/2457144/pirates-star-says-there-will-be.html#ixzz1cAX3rzEs |
posted Oct 26, 2011 7:29 AM by Ted Fischer
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updated Oct 26, 2011 7:36 AM
]
 Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are teaming up for a film about Whitey Bulger. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are teaming up for another Beantown big screen feature, this time about New England gangster Whitey Bulger. According to Deadline.com, the “Good Will Hunting” guys have signed a deal with Warner Bros. to make a movie about the mob boss who was arrested in June after 16 years as a fugitive. Affleck will direct, co-star and produce with Damon, who’ll get top billing as Bulger. The film will follow Bulger from his early days to his Alcatraz incarceration to his pinnacle as a mob head/FBI informant. “Matt and I have been looking for something to do together for some time,” Affleck told Deadline. “We’ve heard about Whitey Bulger since we were kids, and we are excited by the prospect of putting it on screen.” Damon’s handled this type of thing before — he played a two-faced Boston cop 2006′s “The Departed,” which was partially inspired by Bulger. Affleck also dealt with New England high crime in 2010′s “The Town.” Expect to see more familiar faces in the film. Ben Affleck’s younger brother Casey Affleck, who also appeared in “Good Will Hunting,” will co-star. |
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