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Brad PittThere really is no shortage of demand for Brad Pitt: the 47 year-old has signed up to star in The Gray Man. Pitt - who is currently filming zombie flick World War Z in the UK - will play a former CIA operative-turned-assassin who is fighting his way across Europe in the adaptation of Mark Greaney's thriller novel.

James Gray will direct the film, while Brad's production company Plan B is also involved, with partner Dede Gardner set to work behind the camera. Adam Cozad has adapted the script, which sees Brad's character attempting to fight off evil forces to save his handler and the handler's family.

The date of filming has not been confirmed, as him and partner Angelina Jolie do not work at the same time, and usually rotate jobs. However, following her debut directorial work on In the Land of Blood and Honey she has no official work, meaning he may film it soon after completion of work on World War Z in early 2012.


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Bradley Cooper in The HangoverAnd yet another delay, most likely prompting more haunted production gossip: Bradley Cooper has quit The Crow. The Hangover star was due to play the main character in the remake of the 1994 supernatural action movie, but has pulled out because of his busy schedule.

Cooper will start shooting David O. Russell's Silver Linings Playbook in the autumn and then immediately begins filming Paradise Lost - the same time The Crow is set to be made. Although a replacement for Cooper is yet to be decided, Channing Tatum and Mark Wahlberg are reportedly being considered, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Click to continue reading Bradley Cooper Quits The Crow Remake


Andy Serkis in Rise of Planet of the Apes

Despite the great reviews of Viola Davis' performance and Emma Stone's general adorable-ness, The Help fell a little short at the box office this weekend behind Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which makes it top at the box office for its second consecutive week.

The sci-fi reboot took in $27.8 million while the sixties period piece came close behind at $26 million in its first week. The fifth installment of the Final Destination series, Final Destination 5, made third place at $18 million and The Smurfs fell down to fourth place from its second place spot last week with $13.7 million. Lastly, the pizza boy comedy starring Jesse Eisenberg and Danny McBride, 30 Minutes or Less, managed to debut in fifth place at $13.3 million.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Apes Fend Off Help

Read More | Box Office Mojo

Andrew Garfield as Spider-ManAlthough The Amazing Spider-Man starring Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker and his superhero alter-ego and Emma Stone as his first love Gwen Stacy won't hit cinemas until July 2012, film bosses are so confident it will be a success, they have already commissioned a sequel. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will be released in May, 2014.

"It speaks volumes about our confidence in what we are seeing on the new film and our desire to move quickly on the next instalment," an insider said.

While Emma, 22 and 27-year-old Andrew are said to be contractually obliged to make a sequel, Denis Leary - who plays Captain Stacy, the father of Emma's character - has confirmed he will also return, although he refused to give any other details: "I guess they officially announced it. I don't know if I'm allowed to say. Every time you say something about this f***ing movie, they go crazy!"

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will be released in May, 2014.


Rise of Planet of the ApesRise of the Planet of the Apes director Rupert Wyatt is already planning a sequel.

The movie - starring James Franco as San Francisco scientist Will Rodman and Frieda Pinto as primatologist Caroline Aranha - performed strongly on its US release last weekend, and Rupert believes the possibilities for a new film are endless.

"There's so much we could do. The ideas I've had are all sorts of things, ranging from Full Metal Jacket with apes, you could start this story again eight years from where we left off, the next generation of apes, those that have come from our protagonists, perhaps going in to a conflict with humans and showing real fear, in the same way as going into war for young soldiers in this day and age, telling their story."

Rupert believes the interactions between apes and humans is a fascinating story and is keen to explore this more in any future sequels: "Or we could look at how apes are taking over cities, and being moved into human environments and having to interact with them and deal with things that are part of our culture and understand and evolve through them. Spies that are in the employ of the apes, working against humans and humans maybe existing underground, because that's a way they can avoid the virus, coming up above ground wearing gas masks, and maybe that's what dehumanizes them."


Hilary SwankHilary Swank will produce and star in Shrapnel. The actress will take on the lead role of a former military official who leads an uprising on the planet Venus in the year 2250 in the big screen adaptation of the graphic novel trilogy written by Nick Sagan and M. Zachary Sherman.

"I am a fan of the work that Radical Pictures are doing in the comic and action arena. Shrapnel - and specifically the character of Sam - offer me the opportunity to dive into an exciting character with many layers and depth that are rarely found in this genre," Swank said.

Radical Publishing's President Barry Levine - who is developing the movie through Radical Pictures - added, "Hilary came to Radical excited to find a project with a strong female protagonist that could show off her abilities to do action films. With Hilary being an actor's actor, Shrapnel will give a whole new definition to that type of role."

Toby Wagstaff will write the script and although it is unclear who will helm the movie, a number of top directors are reportedly interested.


Ben StillerFunnyman Ben Stiller is to direct and star in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

The comedian was first linked to the lead part in the remake of the 1947 movie in April, but no director was attached to the project, so he is now set to take on both jobs, according to Variety.

The movie is based on the short story of the same name which was written by James Thurber and first published in 1939 in The New Yorker magazine. The original film starred Danny Kaye in the title role as well as Virginia Mayo and Boris Karloff and focused on Walter Mitty, a magazine proof-reader who is incapable of standing up for himself in the real world, so he retreats to a fantasy where he becomes his confident opposite, and daydreams that he is a fearless airplane pilot and a brilliant doctor.

The script will be written by Steve Conrad, best known for The Pursuit of Happyness and The Weatherman and shooting is due to commence next January.


Rhys IfansRhys Ifans is a "new" type of villain in The Amazing Spider-Man. The Welsh actor takes on the role of Dr. Curt Connors and his evil alter-ego The Lizard in the film, and director Marc Webb says he's done a "fantastic" job of bringing something different to the franchise.

"I can tell you this much - it's a new villain, something we haven't seen before and villains help define the story in a very specific way. Marvel villains - and Spider-Man villains in particular - are rich and complicated and interesting and Rhys has done just a fantastic job in translating that and there will be a lot of new things to explore for the fans. They're tragic in the Greek sense, meaning it's a competing idea of what's good. They're not just guys, they're people trying to do good or to do the right thing and on that journey that effort becomes subverted or manipulated or it sours. It makes for a much more compelling adversary," said Webb.

Click to continue reading Rhys Ifans Reinvents Villain Role in The Amazing Spider-Man


Alan Rickman as Severus SnapeSeverus Snape has topped a poll to find the best loved Harry Potter character.

The wizard - played by Alan Rickman - received over 500 more votes than Harry's best pal Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), who finished in second place and the titular character who placed third in the poll on Empire magazine's website.

"Snape is a truly great character, multi-layered and surprisingly complicated under that straggly black haircut. He's especially good in the film because of the way that Alan Rickman infuses him with malice and menace. He seems capable of anything - and indeed he is, in the end, but in a way you never expected. While Harry, Ron and Hermione may seem more heroic, Snape is definitely JK Rowling's most important and complex character," commented Empire's Deputy Online Editor, Helen O'Hara.

Harry's close pal Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and his godfather Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) complete the top five.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2 is out in theaters now!


The Evil Dead posterReturning to his horror roots (let's forget that Drag Me to Hell ever happened, yes?), Sam Raimi is set to remake The Evil Dead.

The Spider-Man director - who rose to fame with the horror film in 1981 - is heading back to work on a remake of the project, which told the tale of a group of friends who head to a forest cabin and unleash a group of evil demons.

Bruce Campbell, who played lead character Ash Williams in the original movie and its follow ups Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness, confirmed the news via a Twitter question and answer session: "Believe in the remake, dawg! The project is real. In the works. Cool as hell. Scary as hell.(sic)"

According to Dread Central, Sam is now heading to Detroit to begin work on the project, which will have a small budget and a similar feel to the original movie. Evil Dead has made approximately $29 million since its release, with funds of just $400,000.


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