Michael Douglas Recovering Fine and Ready for Liberace Biopic« FirstShowing.net

At the end of October we heard from Matt Damon that he wasplanning on shootingStevenSoderbergh'sgestating biopic on famed pianistLiberacenext summer. However, since the man attached to play the iconic musician,Michael Douglas,had contracted Stage 4 throat cancer, his future, both in his career and life, seemed uncertain. However,THRrecently spoke with the actor who revealed that he is recovering famously and is eager to get back to work very soon. In addition, Douglas confirms that he will indeed make his return to the big screen by taking the lead role in Soderbergh's Liberace project which will shoot in May or June.Read on!

Douglas is already preparing for the role as he says,"I've got a bunch of tapes of performances. I'm thinking; I'm a blank slate. Everything shows me he was a lovely man; I just want to reconfirm that."After the double tragedies we had earlier this week from the deaths ofLeslie Nielsenand directorIrvin Kershner, it's good to hear a talent like Douglas making a full recovery from what could've have been a very fatal illness. He's well aware of his brush with death, and while he still has his ups and downs from his treatments, he seems to all smiles for now. Douglas remarks,"I’ve been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support. Cancer has shown me what family is. It showed me a love that I never knew really existed.” We're glad that Mr. Douglas is recovering so splendidly and look forward to seeing his take on Liberace.How about you?

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Early 'Red State' Buzz Promises Interesting Sundance Premiere« FirstShowing.net

With the line-up for the 2011 Sundance Film Festival arriving this week, we'll finally know if Kevin Smith'sRed Statewill get its world premiere at the snowy festival as is expected. I'm already interested in seeing Smith's new political horror film that will apparently be unlike anything he's directed before, but it sounds like there'sa lotto look forward to.SlashFilmposted a quote from directorRichard Kelly(Donnie Darko, The Box) who commented onRed Stateduring aSmodcast recording, saying some very enthusiastic things, including that if it does show atSundance,"I might actually come up to just see the audience's response."

Here is Kelly's full quote onRed State:"I have never seen a filmmakerreinvent himselfthe way you just have. I won't say anything else because I don't want to spoil anything. It's really really exciting. If the movie ends up playing at Sundance, I might actually come up to just see the audience's response. Ican notwait…"

Smith has already finished production onRed Stateand is hoping to premiere it at Sundance or Cannes. The cast in the film includes John Goodman, Kyle Gallner, Michael Angarano, Stephen Root, Kevin Pollak, Anna Gunn, Melissa Leo, Michael Parks and Haley Ramm. Over the weekend, Smithsent an email toSlashFilmtalking about his career and plans to auction offRed Stateto a distributor right at the festival."Might even bring up a professional auctioneer to make it fun and unintelligible."Now that would be hilarious. It sounds like, despite his growing disdain towards film critics, Smith is ready to unveil something entirely different withRed State, and that's half the reason I want to see it. Let's hope it does get into Sundance - stay tuned!

Of course, Richard Kelly is his friend and won't be negative, but this is some interesting buzz. Does he think we'll see an audience that is either disgusted and walks out or cheers at the right moments? If so, that makes me so much more excited to see what Smith has up his sleeves, hopefully late one cold, snowy night in January.

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Michael J. Bassett to Helm Psychological Horror Film 'Saint Mary's'« FirstShowing.net

At the beginning of November we found out thatSolomon KanedirectorMichael J. Bassettwouldwrite and directSilent Hill: Revelation 3D. NowTHRhas word on another horror flick in the filmmaker's future. The trade reports Bassett just signed on to write and direct a psychological, supernatural horror flick calledSaint Mary's. He'll develop the screenplay with the story's creator Matthew Kingshott who was develping the project with UK producer and composerJames Edward Barker(who will also write the score for the film). For details on the story which Bassett calls"incredibly interesting and potentially terrifying,"keep reading below.

The film would follow an evil presence in a disused mental asylum as a group of young people who are deliberately trapped inside the labyrinthine building find their deepest, darkest nightmares manifesting themselves before their eyes. It will likely be awhile before this project gets off the ground since Bassett is already in pre-production on the aforementionedSilent Hillsequel. Since I haven't seenSolomon Kane, I can't comment on Bassett's skills in the horror genre, but I can only presume he has some of the right stuff since he's now writing and directing the next installment of a franchise.What do you guys think?

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Jeremy Renner Confirms Assumption of Mission Impossible Series« FirstShowing.net

Because of the lukewarm box office reception of this year's action comedyKnight and DaystarringTom Cruise, Paramount Pictures thought it best to bring in another younger agent to work with Cruise's character Ethan Hunt forMission Impossible: Ghost Protocoland potentially take over the franchise. Wealready knowthat man isJeremy Renner, but now, straight from the actor's mouth, we have some confirmation that the plan is for Renner to relieve Tom Cruise of his IMF duties. The actor recently spoke withMTVwhere he confirmed the plans for the franchise to fall into his lap, but there are no solid plans for another sequel just yet.

Renner revealed,"It's a franchise to potentially take over. I can't predict the future and what they want, but that's certainly the idea."However, whether or not a straight-up hand-off of the series will show up in the fourth installment of the franchise remains to be seen. Renner says,"I can't really go into the details of the script, because that's still evolving. It's Tom {Cruise's} baby. He's the engine behind the thing. What happens after that, we'll see."While Renner doesn't exactly have the same star power that Cruise had when he started the franchise back in 1996, his work onThe Hurt Lockercertainly didn't go unnoticed and onceThe Avengersand thisMission: Impossiblesequel hit, I'm pretty sure he'll be a household name.What do you think?

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Howard Shore Returning to Score 'The Hobbit' for Peter Jackson« FirstShowing.net

After spending four years on the score toPeter Jackson'smasterful adaptation ofThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy, composerHoward Shoreis pretty much in tune (no pun intended) with the director's musical desires and how to bring Middle Earth to life through his compositions. Today brings good news for fans of his award winning talents atThe Provincereports (viaComingSoon) that Shore has revealed that he will indeed return to compose the score for the long-gestating adaptation ofThe Hobbit. The composer wasconfirmed to be onboardwhen Guillermo del Toro was still directing, that was two years ago, anda lothas changed since then.Read on!

It's good news to hear that there will be yet another element to unify the stories ofThe Lord of the RingswithThe Hobbitthrough the talents responsible for bringing the books to the big screen. Shore told The Province,"We've talked about making these movies for many years, at least since 2002. It looks like finally it's going to be happening. I'll be working on it for the next three years. It's going to consume a lot of my time and work now."Hopefully those three years of hard work will result in yet another masterful score for this long awaited motion picture event.Glad to have Howard Shore heading back to Middle Earth?

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Wishing Everyone a Happy Thanksgiving From FirstShowing.net« FirstShowing.net

Happy Thanksgiving!What arewethankful for this year? All of you. If you're reading this, then we owe you thanks. Its been an odd year this year, but without every last reader, we wouldn't still be here. Normally we publish our annualThanksgiving Movie Guide, but we decided not to write one for 2010. Why? Mostly because the line-up isn't that impressive, but honestly because we're just tired and need a day off, too. But here's a quick rundown of movies arriving in theaters:The King's Speech(limited),Burlesque,Faster,Love& Other Drugs,The Nutcracker in 3D, and last but certainlynotthe least,Disney'sTangled.

Wethank youfor all of your continued support ofFirstShowing.netas well as your readership, criticism and feedback, and for everyone that keeps us on our toes and constantly evolving in newer and better ways every single day. I really mean it when I say that if it wasn't for our readers, we wouldn't be here and that's why I owe this Thanksgiving thanks toyouand no one else. Enjoy your day off, too. Whether you're feasting on a delicious meal with your family or enjoying any new movies (orboth), have a wonderful Thanksgiving. And yes, that poster seen up at the top comes from thedisgusting horror trailerfor Eli Roth'sThanksgiving.

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Stephen King Picks His Top 10 of 2010 Already - Let Me In is #1!« FirstShowing.net

It's a yearly tradition (see last year's) for legendary authorStephen Kingto publish his always strange yet fantastic list of favorite films from the past year, mostly because he chooses some very peculiar films, 2010 being no different. King just published his list in the latest ssue ofEntertainment WeeklyandSlashFilmgot the scoop on what he chose. As expected, it's a very odd list, yet I'm going to have defend him on some of his choices - especially Matt Reeves'Let Me Inbeing #1. I loved that movie and thought it was indeed a perfect counterpart to the Swedish version. Anyway, you can find the rest of King's 2010 list below, so check it out!

10. Green Zone
9. Jackass 3D
8. Monsters
7. Splice
6. Kick-Ass
5. Takers
4. The Social Network
3. Inception
2. The Town
1. Let Me In
List FromEW

One movie that really sticks out is obviouslyTakers- uh did anyone evenseethat movie? He explains:"This satisfyingly complex cops-'n'-robbers movie features great performances… and the armored-car heist is the best action sequence I've seen this year."Wow - anyone agree with him? Additionally, I'm very happy to seeSpliceandMonsters, but what aboutJackass 3D? Now I know it's supposed to be an awesome use of 3D, but this just seems like random filler. Did he not see other amazing movies this year likeThe King's SpeechorBlack Swan? Other comments he makes are aboutThe Social Network:"succeeds where Michael Douglas' Wall Street sequel fails"andThe Town:"bad title, fantastic movie… a strangely intimate film."Thoughts?

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Mysterious Neill Blomkamp Viral Video Found in Wired for iPad« FirstShowing.net

That newApollo 18posterisn't the only mysterious thing out there today. Last night, Peter fromSlashFilmcalled me and told me he found an odd video randomly linked in-between pages of the latest issue ofWiredmagazineon the iPad (the digital app version of it). The page plays a video (embedded below fromYouTube) that has no description or title. Our only hint is a"Video By:Neill Blomkamp"tag in the magazine. So this is some new video by Blomkamp, director ofDistrict 9, involving a creepy mutated creature? Is it a viral for a new movie or some other web project? Watch the video below and read on for hints at what this might be.

The video shows two guys finding some weird, disgusting mutated creature in a puddle. If you look closely, you'll see it has a stamp on it:"18.12 AGM Heartland."Well,SlashFilmdid some research and found out that AGM Heartland was filed as a trademark for an"onlinewebsitewith video, audio and textual content and images featuring characters and storylines about a fictional genetic engineering company that produces genetically engineered and altered organisms."So, as I first thought, it looks like it's just a disgusting start to an online web series that Blomkamp is behind called"AGM Heartland"about weird creatures like this.

We're notreallysure what this weird creature and video mean yet, but it definitely has caught theinterestof the movie community online, mostly because of the name involved. Blomkamp hasn't officially announced a follow-up toDistrict 9, but has been working on another sci-fi project calledElysium, but that seems like it's a long ways out. Based on all the evidence, I have a feeling the video is just a very odd way to start some viral buzz for a new web series that Blomkamp is behind. Either way, bravo, as this definitely has me interested!

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Swiss Director Ben Hibon Set to Helm Supernatural Thriller 'Pan'« FirstShowing.net

If youjoined the massesthis weekend in theaters to watchHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I, then you're already familiar with the work ofSwiss directorBen Hibon. Sure franchise helmer David Yates directed the film itself, but Hibbon is responsible for that sweet animated sequence where Hermione tellsThe Tale of The Three Brothersand the history/myth of the Deathly Hallows. Now Hibon is set to direct his own fantasy action thriller asVarietyreports he's set to helmPan, a story which we haven't heard about in nearly four years, that takes the classic fairy tale of Peter Pan and turns it completely on its head.Read on!

Ben Magid wrote the script which waspicked up by New Linein 2006 and apparently was once considered to be a directing vehicle for Guillermo del Toro. The story uses J.M. Barrie's classic characters but with a twist: Captain Hook is the hero, a haunted former police detective, while Peter Pan is some sort of childlike kidnapper. Having read the script, I can tell you that the idea is quite brilliant, but the execution of it leaves something to be desired. I feel like the story (at least in the draft that I read) is a missed opportunity that takes a great concept but just turns it into another generic thriller. Hopefully there's been some rewrites on the script, and Ben Hibon can bring some of the magic that he used inHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Iinto the live-action realm.Interested?

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Aronofsky Speaks About His Interest in Directing 'The Wolverine'« FirstShowing.net

WithBlack Swanarriving in theaters in a few weeks (December 3rd), and production beginning next April onThe Wolverine, directorDarren Aronofskyis showing up in the news a lot as he's being interviewed and asked constantly about the project. It wasconfirmeda few weeks ago that the title of the newWolverinemovie, with Hugh Jackman back as Logan, would be titled justThe Wolverineand it isn't actually a sequel, more of a"one-off."SuperHeroHypegot a few quick words out of Darren (see below), but the video segment from Dave Poland's interview onMovie City Newsis a must watch for those wondering why he took this on.

Darren didn't havetoomuch to reveal because he hasn't really started working onThe Wolverinesince he's still finishing his promo tour forBlack Swan, but he is looking forward to starting it. Even if you're already excited and confident that Aronofsky will bring us a totally kick ass action movie (his first!), there's still the big question ofwhyhe decided to direct this next instead of many other projects, includingThe Tiger. He answers that question beautifully in this video segment and hints at how great this movie might actually be. The video is part of a full interview onMovie City News(found viaComic Book Movie) and is a must watch.

The Wolverinewill be set in Japan this time, as a solo feature, and is based on the Chris Claremeont& Frank Miller'smini-seriesfrom 1982. The screenplay, written by the very talentedChristopher McQuarrie(Usual Suspects, Valkyrie), follows Logan as he falls in love with a Japanese woman who's married to another man. But to win her heart, he must battle her samurai family. Aronofsky said toSHH:"There's all thesamuraielements that are really exciting. I'm a big fan of Japanese movies, we're going to try to have a good time."I certainly hope so! The more I hear him speak about this, the more confident I am that we're about to get the best movie featuring Wolverine we'll probablyeversee, and I already can't wait for him to start work on it!

I'm sure we can expect to hear more from Aronofsky as more interviews go up and pre-production continues onThe Wolverine. It was also officially announced last week that Darren had signed atwo-year production dealwith Fox, meaning he probably has more in the works, likeMachine Man, but that's all a long ways out. For now, I don't think there's any better way to end this than with my favorite Darren quote from the video above:"We're definitely going to make somethinggreat, but it will beverydifferent— that's what I do."

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Michael Caine Says 'The Dark Knight Rises' Starts Filming in May« FirstShowing.net

If there's one person who hasn't been all that shy when speaking about the highly anticipated sequelThe Dark Knight Rises, it's the greatMichael Caine. Whether it's simply his best guess orwildly inaccurateinformation, Caine usually hassomething to saythat gets the online community in a tizzy. However, with the timeline leading up to the release of the sequel, combined with the casting rumors we've heard, this time it sounds like he might be right. Caine recently toldEmpirethat he's expecting to have thescript by Januaryand is under the impression they'll beshooting the film in May. Hopefully we'll get official word on cast sooner than later.Read on!

As for Caine's remarks, he attributes this timeline to director Christopher Nolan himself and producer Emma Thomas. The actor said,"Emma {Thomas}, the producer, said we'd get the script in January. Christopher said: 'Script in January, shoot in May, finish in November.'"Sounds about right to me. That gives them about 8 months of post-production and that roughly follows the same schedule when The Dark Knight was heading into production. Remember, Tom Hardy is supposed to have amajor rolealongside franchise stars like Caine, Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman. In addition, we've heard some rumors aboutfemale casting for a couple roles, and now we're just waiting for some real character and story details. More news forThe Dark Knight Risescan't come soon enough.Commence with your excitement below!

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'Zombieland' Writers Reese and Wernick to Direct 'Doc and Howie'« FirstShowing.net

Now this is an interesting turn of events. Screenwriting duoRhett ReeseandPaul Wernick, who wroteZombielandand are working on the newG.I. Joesequel andDeadpoolscripts as well as theCowboy Ninja Vikingadaptation at Disney, are to make their feature directing debut a script that, oddly, is not their own. THR'sRiskyBizreports that the project is a comedy calledDoc and Howie, which was shortened from its original longer descriptive titleDoc and Howie Whack a Grannywhen it was on theBlack List. TV writer& producerSteve Leffwrote the original screenplay. Interested to see what these guys can do as directors next.

Described as being in the tone ofHarold and Kumar,Doc and Howieis about two guys - Doc and Howie - who accidentally kill an elderly woman when they neglect to help her carry her groceries up the stairs. In a"fortuitous twist,"the incident brings them into contact with the woman's hot granddaughters (of course), and they struggle with the dilemma of whether to tell them the truth. Montecito Picture Co is producing. I'm not really sure what to think about this yet, as it honestly sounds like some wacky Farrelly Brothers kind of comedy, not something I'd expect to see Reese/Wernick interested directing, but I should wait to see or hear more about it. It's a bit too early to criticize this now, as it might still be good!What do you guys think?

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Michael Hoffman Directing Coen Bros Produced 'Gambit' Remake« FirstShowing.net

As their new take on the John Wayne western classicTrue Gritnears closer to release, it looks like another gestating remake from a couple of my favorite filmmakers,Joel and Ethan Coen, is finally getting off the ground. Back in January we heard the Coen brothers' remake of the1966 British caper comedyGambitmight finallycome together. Since then the only news we heard was a slight chance that Doug Liman (Mr. and Mrs. Smith,Bourne Identity)might direct the film. However,Deadlinesays it will be directorMichael Hoffman(The Last Station,One Fine Day) at the helm of a feature that has been in development for years.

In the original film, scheming career cat burglar Harry Dean (Michael Caine) is preparing to steal a priceless statue from the world's richest man, and seeks out the assistance of Eurasian showgirl Suzy Chang (Shirley Maclaine). Though the likable rogue's plan seems foolproof as he conveys the details to his partner Ram, the execution proves a detailed study in Murphy's Law. Constantly reinventing the plan as his originally ideal spirals ever more out of control, it seems as if Harry's heist is destined to fail.

Sounds like a project the Coen brothers could direct themselves if they were so inclined, but alas, this is Hoffman's time to shine.  I haven't seenThe Last Stationyet, butOne Fine Dayis a pretty decent romantic comedy, and that experience will likely come in handy with the expected quarreling between the male and female lead. Casting will begin shortly, so hopefully we'll hear who will be taking part in this heist soon enough.Sound good?

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Denis Leary in Marc Webb's 'Spider-Man' as Capt. George Stacy« FirstShowing.net

At the beginning of the month we found out thatMartin SheenandSally Fieldhas joined Marc Webb's new iteration ofSpider-Manas Uncle Ben and Aunt May, the parental figures in Peter Parker's life. Now it looks like another supporting cast member has popped up on the side of love interest Gwen Stacy's family.Heat Visionreports comedian/actorDenis Leary("Rescue Me") is negotiating to join the superhero franchise reboot asCaptain George Stacy, Gwen's father and police officer who frequently came into contact with Spider-Man in the comic books. He becomes quite a point of contention between Stacy and Parker, but the reason has spoilers.

In the comic books, George Stacy died in an accident during a battle between Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus, an event that led Gwen Stacy to hate the hero. Since we've heard The Lizard is the villain Rhys Ifanswill be playing, it's unlikely this exact fate will fall upon Stacy, but his life may certainly be in danger to create some real tension between our would-be lovers. I've always been a fan of Leary's comedy, and you may know his dramatic work measures up to high standards as well if you've ever seen the FX series"Rescue Me"(and if you haven't,all the seasonsare on Netflix Instant). Now if we could just find out who will actually playDaily Bugleeditor-in-chief J. Jonah Jameson, that'd be some great news. Stay tuned.

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Ash Bolland Directing Remake of Killer Bees Movie 'The Swarm'« FirstShowing.net

"We have been invaded… by an enemy far more lethal than any human force."Another day, another remake. Apparently inspired by the success ofPiranha 3D(which wasn'tmuchof a success), Vertigo Entertainment and Room 101 are developing a remake of the 1978 Irwin Allen killer bees horror classicThe Swarm.The Wrapreported on the news, adding that commercials directorAsh Bollandis attached to make his feature debut, but a writer still needs to be found. The original is based onArthur Herzog's novel, but they're unsure if they'll be pulling from that again. In this day and age of remakes, I expect it'll be another cheesy 3D flick.

The originalThe SwarmstarredMichael Caine, yes good ole Alfred, as an entomologist who learns thatkiller beesfrom South America have been coming together to form huge swarms. He sets out to stop the military from attacking and worsening the imbalance in nature, ultimately teaming up with them to prevent the deadly swarm from reaching Houston. You canwatch a trailer here. It is a classic horror flick, but I don't think now is the time to remake it, not yet at least, not until remakes improve. The good news is that Bolland at least has a impressive portfolio (check outhis website) so whenever this gets made it should at least look pretty damn cool. But, of course, that's only one part of the full equation.Anyone fans of the original?

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'The Thing' Prequel's Delay Allowing for 'Additional Photography'« FirstShowing.net

Whenwe reported last weekthat Universal had pulledThe Thingprequel of the release charts, we weren't sure if it was for a delay or otherwise. Well, now we have confirmation, asHitFixgot in touch with producerMarc Abrahamwho explained the entire situation, confirming that it's just"not finished"and they have more work to do. ApparentlyThe Thing, directed by Matthijs van Heijningen Jr., is going in for a few weeks of"upcoming additional photography,"which essentially means reshoots, giving them a chance to patch up any problems they've found while editing.Mary Elizabeth Winsteadis returning to shoot more scenes.

Apparently what they want to work on, according to Abraham, is"to enhance existing sequences or to make crystal clear afew story beatsor to add punctuation marks to the film's feeling ofdread."So many uses of"or"- they really don't know? It's interesting to hear that apparently the movie lacks enough"dread"for their liking in its current state. That is exactly what makes John Carpenter's version so damn good, so it's appropriate they're focusing on it, for better or worse. I don't know anyone who has seen a cut yet, but I'veseen footageand it actually looked great, but of course that was just a teaser trailer. Here's another quote:

"Abraham spoke about how confident he was in the work by Matthijs van Hijningen Jr., the film's director, and how proud he is of his cast, including Joel Edgerton and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. He knows how important both themonster momentsand theconnective character materialare to the film working, and they're looking at everything right now to make sure they've got what they need."

They're doing their best to avoid using the word"reshoot"which is fine, but let's hope this doesn't meanThe Thingprequel is in dire trouble. To me, it sounds like we're either about to see the same thing happen to this that happened toThe Wolfman- and we all know how that turned out - or we're going to get a great dread-filled thriller. I'm hoping for the latter, but it's hard to tell. They add:"This doesn't sound like the additional work motivated the date change, but rather the date changegiving them roomnow to do whatever they'd like to do to get the film finished just right."I don't know if I believe that, but I'm still hoping for the best.

One sequence they're working on involves"first major encounter with the Thing,"which is a key part of the story. There's been on-going effects work withAmalgamated Dynamics, who will also be involved in the"additional photography."Obviously they're doing a lot of work, I just hope it's for the better. HitFix doesn't know when the new date will be either."Now it's just a matter of finding a date thatworksfor the film, and that gives it a little bit of room to breathe."I heard they tested the trailer on theTram rideat Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights, so I have a feelingThe Thingmight be rescheduled for next fall, around October.

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Fox Searchlight's Beautiful Official Website for 'Black Swan' is Up« FirstShowing.net

Fox Searchlighthas been knocking it out of the park recently with the websites for their films (e.g.Danny Boyle's127 Hours). One gorgeous design after another, and that's key in making sure these fantastic indies get some extra attention. Plus, mentioning this gives me the chance to talk about how much I frickin'loveDarren Aronofsky'sBlack Swan. I got to watch it again last week at the AFI Fest premiere and it was even better asecond time.Awards Dailywas the first to mention thenew site, which is just gorgeous to navigate through and full of so many great photos. ClickBlackSwan2010.comor the image below to check it out.

A thriller about the relationship between a veteran ballet dancer and a rival who's looking to win the same role in the new production of Swan Lake.Co-starring Winona Ryder, Vincent Cassel and Barbara Hershey.

Black Swanis directed by award winning iconic filmmakerDarren Aronofsky, of the filmsPi,Requiem for a Dream,The FountainandThe Wrestlerpreviously. The story and script were written by newcomerAndres Heinzand revised by Protozoa Pictures' execMark Heyman(Cha Cha de los Chans). Fox Searchlight will be bringing Aronofsky's fifth feature film,Black Swan, to limited theaters starting onDecember 3rdthis fall.

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William Monahan Directing Film Adaptation of Period Play 'Becket'« FirstShowing.net

At the end of October, we got ourfirst lookat the directorial debut of writerWilliam Monahan(The Departed) with the gritty crime thrillerLondon Boulevardstarring Colin Farrell. Now the Oscar winning writer has lined up his next project asDeadlinereports Monahan will write and direct a new adaptation ofBecket,the 1959 stage playfrom playwright Jean Anouilh. The period story follows the friendship and estrangement between King Henry II and the Archbishop of Canterbury. It may not seem all that bold of a project, but it'll be quite a challenge to make a splash when the1964 adaptation(with Peter O'Toole) got 11 Oscar noms.

Here's what the screenwriter/director had to say about his take on the classic play:

"It's an adaptation, or re-invigoration, of an older play, which has already been a brilliant film. For me, it's a chance to take on one of the greatest stories in our civilization, a double tragedy with two heroes, each of them paradoxical, each of them brilliant, each of them making mistakes that lead to their undoing. The world of the Plantagenets was very rich and we'll open the play up into that world and go into the relationships of the Angevin court more than the 1964 film was able to do. To adapt something is to do a literary personalization of a story, so in that sense I'll be doing a very different 'Becket.'"

Apparently Monahan will be basing this adaptation on the original 1959 text of the French play. No studio is attached, but Monahan and Smuggler Films are currently getting financing in order to start pre-production early next year in the UK. No word on casting just yet since the project is just now starting to get off the ground, but as with all period dramas, you can assume that at least the costumes will be intricate and extravagant. I'm looking forward to see if Monahan's skills behind the camera are just as good as his work on the page, and ifLondon Boulevardis asgood as it looks, then this should be more than your average period drama.What do you think?

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Friday Deals: 'Rosaline' Adaptation, Sci-Fi 'Year 12' Gets Director« FirstShowing.net

There's a couple of acquisition and directing deals announced that I thought were worth mentioning. First, fromDeadline: Fox 2000 has acquired rights to Rebecca Serle's forthcoming novelRosaline, a twist on the classicRomeo& Julietstory. Director Shawn Levy will produce through his company 21 Laps. Adapting the script will be500 Days of SummerwritersScott Neustadter&Michael H. Weber(above), who lined upquite a fewof these quirky romance projects following500DOS.Rosalineis a contemporary version set in a high school, with the love story being told from the vantage point of Rosaline, jilted ex-girlfriend of Romeo.

Next, fromThe Wrap: Commercials directorFredrik Bond, who has yet to make his feature debut despite being attached toHack/SlashandThe Hostremake, is now attached to direct asci-fi action moviecalledYear 12. The script, written by newcomerEdward Ricourt, takes place 12 years after aliens have invaded Earth. So aDistrict 9-like setup. Set in Manhattan, the story follows an underwater uranium miner who is recruited by the human resistance to smuggle uranium in his blood so they can use it to blow up the alien mothership. Wow, sounds like an awesome concept. Let's hope this one actually gets the greenlight soon!

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Many Actresses Shortlisted for Two Roles in 'The Dark Knight Rises'« FirstShowing.net

About two weeks ago, the slow news resulted in our reporting on a rumor that Charlize Theron and Vera Farmiga werebeing consideredfor a couple love interest roles forThe Dark Knight Rises, the highly anticipated sequel fromChristopher Nolan. Though the two actresses aren't mentioned in a shortlist of actresses whichDeadlinesays will be meeting with Nolan himself to be considered for two major female roles. One will be that of a love interest for Bruce Wayne and the other would be an unnamed villain. The usual suspects of leading ladies likeNatalie Portmanare mentioned as well asRachel WeiszandNaomi Watts.More names below!

In addition,Anne Hathaway,Keira KnightleyandBlake Livelyare also in the running for the unknown roles. While the previous rumor had mentioned one of the possible female leads being a love interest for Bruce Wayne, the other was the unlikely love interest for Commissionar Jim Gordon with no mention of any villain role in the mix. Lively could become DC Comics favorite leading lady if she snags the role to go with her major part in Green Lantern, but I'm sure many of these names are all the same actresses who get offered almost every female role aged below 30 years old.

Surely the speculation will begin as to which actress would look the hottest in the tight leather/spandex as Catwoman, but this isn't a guarantee that the signature female villain will appear in the sequel. Many questions still remain including whether or not the film will again feature two villains and if Tom Hardy, already reported tohave a major rolein the sequel, will be one of them. I'll leave the ongoing speculation of other female villains in the Batman universe to the hardcore fans.What female villain would you like to see inThe Dark Knight Rises?

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Working Title Conjuring Contemporary Merlin Film for Big Screen« FirstShowing.net

For almost an entire decade, young wizards have dominated the big screen thanks to the blockbusterHarry Potterfranchise. Sure Gandalf the Grey/White threw down to give old wizards a good name for a few years, but his roots can be found in a wizard that goes back to the times and legends of King Arthur. WithoutMerlin, theiconic magic man, there would be no Gandalf or Albus Dumbledore. As Harry Potter's journey comes to an end on the big screen,Heat Visionreports Working Title is developing a contemporary take on the magician that will bring the legendary wizard into a modern setting. Isn't the iPhone magical enough?

In all seriousness though, we don't really know what to expect from a modern set tale featuring Merlin, because details are being kept under tight wraps. However, we do know that author/screenwriterJay Basuis behind this new iteration of the famed wizard. Since his feature film experience is limited to the 2006 filmSong of Songs(which I've never even heard of), that's not much to inspire excitement. If anything, I'm somewhat interested, because I enjoyed Disney's portrayal of classic magic in a modern world withThe Sorcerer's Apprentice, even if audiences didn't find their way to theaters to make it a huge success. The question is whether this can outdo theversion starring Sam Neillfrom back in the day. We'll try to keep you posted as more information on this project becomes available.

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Crowe Casts Patrick Fugit and Elle Fanning in 'We Bought a Zoo'« FirstShowing.net

This is shaping up to be quite a return for Cameron Crowe. It wasjust announcedthat Scarlett Johansson would star in Crowe's newest film,We Bought a Zoobased on Benjamin Mee'smemoir, but she's not the only one joining this.Deadlinereports that 12-year-old actressElle Fanning, who's been cast in just about everything recently, has booked a role along with (28-year-old)Patrick Fugit, who you should remember starred as the young music journalist in Crowe's brilliantAlmost Famousthat was supposedly modeled after Crowe himself. Fanning will play a teen who works at the zoo's restaurant, but we're not sure of Fugit's role.

We Bought a Zoo, which already has a release date set forDecember 2011, is about a widowed father (Matt Damon) who buys a dilapidated zoo in the English countryside in hopes of making a fresh start. He and his children, along with a small but loyal staff, work to get the zoo reopened. Elle Fanning's character lives there without any parents, but becomes smitten with the zoo owner's son. This may sound odd for Cameron Crowe to be directing next, but I have a feeling it'll be a wonderful film no matter what. He's putting together quite a cast, too. We'll keep you updated on this as the production heads towards an early 2011 start date.Cool?

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Paramount's 'Dune' Adaptation in Trouble, Seeking New Director« FirstShowing.net

Did anyone see this coming?Deadlinejust published a story about how Paramount is into some deep water over troubles getting theirDuneadaptation together. Apparently the rights holders"won't grant another option extension,"so they've got until"next spring"to set a start date and be"absolutely confident"in the project, or they'll lose the option. We thoughtTakendirectorPierre Morelwas on-board and ready to go withhis version, but Deadline says"producers Kevin Misher and Richard P. Rubinstein aregoing out to directorstoday to create a new movie out of the 1965 book."They've got a script, but need a new director.

I'm not sure what's holding Paramount back with the versions Peter Berg and Morel worked on. They'vegotto know this is going to be an expensive, epic adaptation that comes with a lot of picky fanboys, but come on, that can't be it. I was looking forward to seeing someone new take on this adaptation, whether it was Morel or Berg. Paramount"forfeit{s} thesix figuresit has paid in option costs and risk development costs"if they don't pull this together soon. Deadline adds that one of the reasons why Paramount is concerned is because"from a feature standpoint, the book is indelibly linked to a 1984 David Lynch-directedflop, and there is that lingering memory of a giant desert worm and the rocker Sting."So that is holding them back,really?

Pierre Morel will stay on the project as an executive producer, but isn't directing anymore, so we can throw all ofthe stuff he saidout the window. A fairly new writer namedChase Palmeris behind the latest draft of the screenplay that the producers think is"strong"enough to get a new director. But they can't just wait around on this."We don't want to extend an option and watch the studio take seven years,"Rubinstein says."This is on ashort tether. It's a major book franchise, you can't walk into a store and not see a shelf full ofDunebooks."We'll keep you guys updated on this, but for now I think all we can do is sit back and hope they pull it all together with a good director soon or let it go entirely and let another studio handle it.Thoughts?

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Spielberg Initially Wanted an Animated 'Harry Potter' Years Ago« FirstShowing.net

This isn't so much news as it is a fascinating story worth reading and discussing. Plus it gives me a chance to make mention of an absolutely fantastic new article onHero Complexthat looks back at the entireHarry Potterfranchise andhow it all came together. One segment they pulled to highlight that was very amusing to hear, is about how Warner Bros offeredSteven Spielbergthe chance to direct the first fewHarry Potterfilms, but he wanted to make themanimatedand condense the first couple books. How's that for a totally different concept, now that we've seen six full-length live-actionHarry Pottermovies. Read on for the story!

Here's the excerpt pulled from that greatHero ComplexHarry Potterarticletalking about Spielberg's notes:

"Warner Bros. secured the rights for four 'Harry Potter' novels for about $2 million. At that point, only the first book was on shelves in England and none had reached America.Warner Bros. tried to get a financial partner on the project, reaching out to studios including Steven Spielberg'sDreamWorks, which passed.

Once the books became a sensation, greenlighting the first 'Potter' film became a major priority at Warner Bros., whereAlan Hornhad recently taken over as president and Barry Meyer as chairman (replacing longtime studio chiefs Terry Semel and Bob Daly). DreamWorks circled back and proposed a partnership, but Horn wisely declined. There was one aspect of the DreamWorks talks that did intrigue him, however.

'I did think it would be worthwhile forSteven Spielbergto direct,' Horn said. 'We offered it to him. But one of the notions of Dreamworks' and Steven's was,"Let's combine a couple of the books, let's make it animated,"and that was because {visual effects and} Pixar had demonstrated that animated movies could be extremely successful. Because of the wizardry involved, they were very effects-laden. So I don't blame them. But I did not want to combine the movies, and I wanted it to be live action.'"

Spielberg then went on to directArtificial Intelligencein 2001 instead and Warner Bros hiredHome AloneandBicentennial MandirectorChris ColumbusforHarry Potter. I've also always thought of Alan Horn as one of the smartest execs in Hollywood today, and this just goes to show he's helped steer that studio in the right direction ever since he hit the top. Without him making smart decisions, we probably wouldn't be about to see thedark, epicversion ofHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallowsthat's out in a few weeks. It's just a fun story that doesn't really mean much today, and I don't think it even makes Spielberg look that bad anyway, but it is interesting to think about the different directions this amazing franchise could have gone.

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'Zombieland' Writers to Adapt Comic Book 'Cowboy Ninja Viking'« FirstShowing.net

The American cowboy, the ninja, and the Viking form a triumvirate of toughness seldom equaled.Deadlineis reporting that writersRhett Reese&Paul Wernick, most known forZombieland, have been set as the writers behind a new adaptation of the comic bookCowboy Ninja Viking. Disney, of all places, acquired the pitch for a feature with the writers on-board. The basis is a comic book by AJ Lieberman and artist Riley Rossmo, published last year by Image Comics. One might say this is could be a nice compliment toCowboys& Aliens, the Jon Favreau adaptation due outnext summer. However, they have completely different stories.

Cowboy Ninja Viking, seen above, is the creation of Dr. Sebastian Ghislain, a psychotherapist who recruits Multiple Personality Disorder patients to produce a unit of counter-intelligence agents calledTriplets. But what happens when those guys become out of control assassins? That's when the deadliest Triplet of them all -Cowboy Ninja Viking- is called in to take down his own brethren. This sounds so freakin' awesome, I've got to say. I just ordered acopy of the comic, because it just seems like a great concept anyway. I love all the covert art -check this out, too! The adaptation is still in the very early stages, as they're still looking for a director to get attached as well. Either way, we'll keep you updated on it as it develops.Check out the comic!

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Scarlett Johansson Joining Cameron Crowe's 'We Bought a Zoo'« FirstShowing.net

Though she's attached to that recentSpecies-likeerotic sci-fi filmUnder the Skin, the stunningScarlett Johanssonwas still in consideration for a lead female role in Baz Luhrmann's adaptation ofThe Great Gatsbyand Cameron Crowe'sforthcoming adaptationofWe Bought a Zoo. For now, she's at least snagged one of them asDeadlinereports Johansson is in final negotiations tojoin Matt Damonin the latter of those two adaptations. The story from amemoir from Benjamin Meefollow's the author's own family that bought a rundown mansion in the English countryside which included the 30-acre Dartmoor Wildlife Park, home to over 200 animals.

Johansson beat out other equally talented and beautiful actresses like Amy Adams and Rachel McAdams to take the role in Crowe's adaptation which he also scripted with Aline Brosh McKenna (The Devil Wears Prada,Morning Glory). Apparently Johansson was also in the running to replace therecently departed Natalie Portmanin the adaptation ofPride and Prejudice and Zombies, but with this role now becoming official, her involvement seems rather unlikely. Honestly, aside from her mind-blowing attractiveness, Johansson's talent makes her more appealing than other glorified Hollywood beauties like Megan Fox, so I'll watch her in anything.Sound good?

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See Harry Potter 5& 6 Before Deathly Hallows Part I at Midnight« FirstShowing.net

We just recently found out about theencore presentationofBack to the Futureto celebrate the film's 25th anniversary courtesy ofAMC Theatres. Well, with the conclusion of theHarry Potterfranchise around the corner, the movie theater chain has planned another event to lead right into the midnight opening ofHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Ion Thursday, November 18th. AMC Theatres is holdingThe Harry Potter Adventure, which will allow you to watchOrder of the PhoenixandHalf-Blood Princein theaters right before the midnight premiere of Part I of the epic finale. More details below!

Starting at 6pm on November 18th, 140 AMC theaters across the nation will show the fifth ans sixth installments of theHarry Potterfranchise just before the first screening of the first portion of the two-part finale. Tickets will be $20 each and are currently on sale. The event page at the official AMC website has set up this link here to find your nearest theater. However, for those not near larger metropolitan areas, it's not as easy to find the nearest theater in this manner. My recommendation is to use Twitter and contact the@AMCHelpscustomer service account to help find the nearest participating theater or check out their contact information for customer serviceright here.Will you be part of the Harry Potter Adventure?

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'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' Director May Be Mike White« FirstShowing.net

After director David. O Russellexited the adaptationof Seth Grahame-Smith'sPride and Prejudice and Zombies, star and producerNatalie Portman's departurepretty much left the project dead in the water. Though a shortlist of directorshas been tossed aroundto pick up the pieces of the broken project, they've mostly been the same names always offered big name projects. However, a top contender may have emerged as24 Framesreports actor/writer/directorMike White(who wroteThe School of Rockand directedYear of the Dog) may be the frontrunner to helm the remix of the classic period drama that mixes romance with the undead.

Though White has shown his comedic chops by writing films likeOrange Countyand pulling double duty by writing and starring inThe School of Rock, his directing background leaves something to be desired. Previously he's only helmed the lukewarmly received indieYear of the Dogstarring Molly Shannon, and whilePride and Prejudice and Zombieswill surely have plenty of dry, dark humor, it will also have plenty of action and special effects, something of which White has no experience.

Combining comedy, period and horror elements into one film is no easy task, and one might want a more experienced hand behind the camera, but I guess Lionsgate and Darko Entertainment may have enough faith in White to come through. Though there are likely other names still on the list, one name that has apparently been ruled out isCloverfieldandLet Me IndirectorMatt Reeves. Stay tuned as this project continues to trudge through development.Would you like Mike White to directPride and Prejudice and Zombies?

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Sci-Fi Shakespeare 'Henry5' in the Works with Caine, Winstone« FirstShowing.net

There are a lot of very interesting Shakespeare adaptations in the works (Ralph Fiennes'Coriolanus, Julie Taymor'sThe Tempest), but I'm sure none of them are like this.The Playlistcaught mention of atweetfromProd Weeklyabout a new project in the works calledHenry5- a"a sci-fi thriller"based on Shakespeare's playHenry V. Apparently the film even hasMichael Caine,Ray Winstone,Gerard DepardieuandDerek Jacobiattached, along with the always badassVinnie Jones. Apparently the project is being sold at theAFMthis week, so this may actually come together with that cast, which would be impressive to see.

Behind the script is Michael Anderson, Andrew Hislop and Steve Wilkinson, who have incorporated aspects of Shakespeare'sHenry VandHenry IV. It's being directed by commercials director Michael Anderson, who we don't know too much about. Snyopsis:"In an age of apocalypse, in a land without a leader, adissolute princefinds redemption when he crushes arebellionthat threatens to destroy his father's kingdom. But upon assuming the throne himself, he immediately engineers a war against a neighboring state to slake his lust for power. Despite his enemy possessing weaponry rendering their forces almost invincible, the newly crowned king seizes a glorious victory from the jaws of defeat by ruthlessness and cunning."Sounds okay.

I think this sounds fairly interesting, like it could potentially be quite fun. Or it could be terrible, only time will tell. At least it has an awesome cast - Caine, Winstone, Vinnie Jones - so it should have great dialogue. We'll keep you updated on this project and will let you know if we hear anything else new about its status.

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Leonardo DiCaprio Will Murder as 'The Devil in the White City'« FirstShowing.net

We've already reported that Clint Eastwood's forthcoming biopicHooverwill seeLeonardo DiCaprioas the titular FBI director of the same name, but following that project, the actor has lined up quite a role like nothing he's ever done before.Deadlinereports DiCaprio's Appian Way production banner has teamed with Double Features to snag the rights toThe Devil in the White City, anon-fiction book by Erik Larsonthat tells the story ofH.H. Holmes, one of the first documented American serial killers who is believed to have murdered anywhere from 27 to 200 people when the city of Chicago was enthralled with hosting the World's Fair of 1893.

In a scheme that would make Jigsaw blush, Holmes manipulated an old woman into selling her cancer-stricken husband's drug store only to"move to California"shortly thereafter. Then he purchased a lot across from the drugstore where he built his three-story, block-long"castle"as it came to be known in the neighborhood. It was opened as a hotel for theWorld's Columbian Expositionin 1893, with part of the structure used as commercial space. That may not sound too bad just yet, but stick with me because the story gets better.

The ground floor of the Castle contained Holmes's own relocated drugstore and various shops, while the upper two floors contained his personal office and a maze ofover one hundred windowless roomswith doorways opening to brick walls, oddly angled hallways,stairways to nowhere, doors openable only from the outside, and a host of otherstrange and labyrinthine constructions. Holmes repeatedly changed builders during the construction of the Castle so only he fully understood the design of the house, and thus, decreasing the chance of being reported to the police. Now you see where we're going?

After the completion of the hotel, Holmes selected mostly female victims from among his employees (many of whom were required as a condition of employment to take out life insurance policies for which Holmes would pay the premiums but also be the beneficiary), lovers and hotel guests, torturing and killing them. Some were locked in soundproof bedrooms fitted with gas lines that let himasphyxiatethem at any time. Some victims were locked in a huge soundproof bank vault near his office where they were left to suffocate.The victims' bodies were dropped by secret chute to the basement^,where some were meticulously dissected, stripped of flesh, crafted into skeleton models, and then sold to medical schools.

Apparently DiCaprio has long been fascinated with the story. Some years back, Tom Cruise had optioned the book in question as a starring vehicle for himself while DiCaprio set up a rival project with plans to use information in the public domain to tell the story of Holmes' murder spree. But recently the rights became available again, and DiCaprio lunged at the opportunity to snatch up the rights to the book. Appian Way and Double Features are in the process of finding a writer and will put together a package deal before taking the project to a studio. This sounds like one hell of a thriller and a truly different role for DiCaprio.Interested?

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