Iron Man 2: Emily Blunt In, Samuel L. Jackson Out?
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Paramount, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Sequels, Casting, Celeb News, Celebrity Controversy, Upcoming Releases,
Ever since news leaked about Mickey Rourke’s possible Iron Man 2 appearance, the casting scoop has been coming fast and furious.
Despite Samuel L. Jackson’s brief appearance as Nick Fury at the end of Iron Man, the Spirit actor recently told the LA Times that he might not be participating in the next feature - or the already announced Avengers franchise - after all.
“There was a huge kind of negotiation that broke down. I don’t know. Maybe I won’t be Nick Fury. Maybe somebody else will be Nick Fury or maybe Nick Fury won’t be in it. There seems to be an economic crisis in the Marvel Comics world so [they’re saying to me], ‘We’re not making that deal.’”
If true, Jackson would be the second person to lose out because of financial matters. Last October, contract negotiations were cited as the main reason behind Terrence Howard’s replacement.
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| LA Times
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AFI’s Top Films of 2008
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Period, Political, Romance, Sequels, Comedy, Awards, Lists,
This weekend, the American Film Institute released its list of Top Ten Films. Unlike most lists created by the AFI, the selections chosen for this annual category are not ranked - they are simply presented in alphabetical order.
Since the 13-person jury only considers movies with “significant creative and/or production elements from the United States,” critical fave Slumdog Millionaire was not in the running. Meanwhile, Revolutionary Road and The Reader - both Golden Globe nominees - simply weren’t included.
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Read More | American Film Institute
Iron Man’s Downey Jr., Cheadle and Favreau Inked to The Avengers
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Sequels, Casting, Celeb News, Upcoming Releases,
Robert Downey Jr. has signed on to reprise his role as Iron Man in the second and third installments of the series, as well as the forthcoming Avengers franchise launch, reports Marvel Entertainment. The first Iron Man film has grossed $578 million in worldwide box office, and Downey Jr.‘s portrayal of Iron Man (Tony Stark) is regarded as crucial to the success of the production plan.
Not so Terrence Howard (who played Stark’s friend Colonel Jim Rhodes in the first film.) Howard has been replaced in the role by Don Cheadle, who’s signed a contract that will have him appearing along alongside Downey Jr. in Iron Man 2 and 3 and the first installment of The Avengers. Rhodes will eventually become an armored crime-fighter in his own right, as Iron Man’s ally War Machine.
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Read More | Variety
Don Cheadle Takes Over Terrence Howard’s Iron Man Role
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Paramount, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Sequels, Casting, Celeb News, Scripts, Upcoming Releases,
UPDATE: You can read Howard’s reaction to this casting change here.
When Iron Man 2 eventually begins production, one cast member will be missing from roll call: Terrence Howard.
As Jim Rhodes, Tony Stark’s best friend, Howard was looking at picking up more screen time in the franchise’s next installment. Unfortunately, several factors - including a financial disagreement - reportedly forced Marvel to look elsewhere. Now audiences will see Don Cheadle (Ocean’s Eleven) as the man who may one day become War Machine.
Even though Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow are both expected to join Cheadle, director Jon Favreau is the only other confirmed return at this point. Meanwhile, very little is known about the script though it’s rumored the sequel will “go beyond high-tech villains.”
Iron Man 2 will blast into theaters on April 30, 2010.
The Hollywood Reporter
Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Favreau Talk Iron Man 2
Posted by Robin Paulson Categories: Paramount, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Political, Thrillers, Celeb News, Corporate Shakeups, Distribution, Filmmaking, Rumors, Scripts, Upcoming Releases,
UPDATE: Thanks to one of those smarter people who actually brought a camera, The Game Jerk has posted a video of the Q&A that you can check out after the jump.
Although I have continuously kicked myself repeatedly for not bringing a camera last night, I was still at least able to mentally hold on to the great moments witnessed last night at a special screening of Iron Man. While the director was already scheduled to appear for a live commentary at Santa Monica’s Aero Theater, fans of Marvel’s first self-financed film were in for an even better treat when Tony Stark himself, Robert Downey Jr., showed up at the last moment.
Because of the fact that he had not recorded a commentary for the upcoming DVD, director Jon Favreau was quite exuberant over the fact that he was able to do so in person (also because he was not obligated to be politically correct).
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Justin Theroux to Pen Iron Man 2
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Paramount, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Sequels, Filmmaking, Scripts, Upcoming Releases,
Marvel Studios is just about to place its highly-anticipated sequel in the hands of a relative newcomer. At least a newcomer to writing, that is.
Although he’s probably better known for his dark roles (Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle) and fare (Mulholland Drive, Six Feet Under), the past year has been one of creative change for Justin Theroux. In 2007, the actor directed his first movie, Dedication, starring Billy Crudup and Mandy Moore. And for next month’s Tropic Thunder, Justin’s name will be listed in the writing, producing and acting categories.
Now he’s being asked to write Iron Man 2.
Strong early screenings of the Ben Stiller comedy reportedly brought Theroux to the negotiating table with Marvel. Meanwhile, the studio is still working on sealing deals with Robert Downey Jr. (also in Tropic) and director Jon Favreau.
If all goes as planned, Iron Man 2 should hit theaters on April 30, 2010.
Variety
Box Office Breakdown: Steve Carell Outsmarts Mike Myers
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Picturehouse, 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks, Picturehouse, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Horror, Period, Romance, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists,
What was being billed as a huge comedy showdown turned out to be a pathetic fight. The debut of Get Smart easily outperformed Mike Myers’ live-action return to nab the #1 spot this past weekend.
Smart, starring Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway and Dwayne Johnson, picked up $38.6 million over the past three days - nearly $20 million more than The Love Guru. The big-screen adaptation of the ‘60s television series also averaged $9891 per screen, over twice as much as Guru ($4617) did.
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Variety
Box Office Breakdown: The Incredible Hulk Pulls in the Green
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks, Disney, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Horror, Romance, Sequels, Comedy, Box Office, Lists,
It looks like ticket buyers are willing to give some things a second chance after all…
Despite horrible reviews for 2003’s Hulk, wary theatergoers turned out in big numbers for the latest big-screen version of The Incredible Hulk. The newest rendition, starring Edward Norton and Liv Tyler, came in first place after earning $55 million during the past three days. While that total falls behind Ang Lee’s version (that movie debuted with $62 million), it did better than expected. The 2008 update had the best showing for any film over Father’s Day weekend (passing Silver Surfer‘s $58 million) and should also have a longer shelf life thanks to favorable word of mouth.
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Variety
Jon Favreau Blogs, Rants About Iron Man 2
Posted by Robin Paulson Categories: Paramount, Sony, Universal, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Sequels, Thrillers, Filmmaking, Rumors, Scripts, Upcoming Releases,
What’s an actor-turned-big-time-director to do once he’s catapulted into major success, forced to take on a sequel without having been consulted about anything concerning the project? Rant about your bosses and their absurdity in your MySpace blog! At least, that’s the route Iron Man director Jon Favreau took.
Actively participating in a MySpace forum to appease film geeks’ questions, Favreau complains, “Neither Robert [Downey Jr.] nor I were consulted about this and we are both concerned about how realistic the date is. We owe it to the fans to have a great version of IM2 and, at this point, we would have less time to make it than the first one.”
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E! Online
Box Office Breakdown: Kung Fu Panda Fights Off Competition
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks, Disney, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Family, Horror, Romance, Sequels, Comedy, Box Office, Lists,
Theatergoers in need of more family-friendly fare pushed Kung Fu Panda to the top of the charts this past weekend. The comedy - and its $60.2 million take - was the third best animated opener for DreamWorks Animation (behind the first two Shrek films) and the 8th of all time (just ahead of Cars). Panda was also the first time a Jack Black film debuted at #1.
Meanwhile, another laugher was raking in impressive numbers of its own. You Don’t Mess With the Zohan - the latest production from Adam Sandler - grossed $38.5 million to take second place. Zohan‘s total falls in line with the rest of Sandler’s films from the past 10 years. Since 1998, the actor’s comedic projects have all seen $30+ million opens. (Last year’s I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry took in $34.2 million.)
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Variety
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