Javier Bardem& Viggo Mortensen Top Choices for 'Dark Tower'?« FirstShowing.net

While director Ron Howard recentlyopened up a little moreabout the upcomingunprecedented adaptationofStephen King'sDark Towerseries, we're now starting to get into thebignews with this film and TV crossover. Treat this as arumorfor the time being, but theNY Postis reporting thatJavier Bardem(No Country for Old Men) is the top choice to play Roland Deschain, last living member of a knightly order of gunslingers, and humanity's last hope to save a civilization that will crumble unless he finds the Dark Tower. And if he's not up to the task, then apparentlyViggo Mortensen(Eastern Promises) is a close second.

Both the actors have an intimidating presence and have dabbled in the western genre before.No Country for Old Menis certainly a modern western and Bardem was quite a force to be reckoned with in the Coen Brothers' flick. As for Mortensen, films likeAppaloosaandHidalgoprove that he would have no problem saddling up for this major production. This role will be quite the undertaking for any actor who signs on since the adaptation includes three films and at least one season of television (the second season of television between the proposed second and third films is a prequel story, so a different younger actor could easily step into that role instead). These two are pretty great choices for Roland Deschain in my opinion, but let's not get too excited until we hear something official.Who would you like to see as Roland Deschain?

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Oliver Stone and Shia LaBeouf Considering Reunion for 'Pinkville'« FirstShowing.net

We haven't heard anything about the Vietnam War dramaPinkvillesince 2007. Even before the infamous writer's strike stopped the project in its tracks, directorOliver Stone'sreturn to the controversial war already had Bruce Willis and Woody Harrelsonattached to star. But the extended strike pretty much rendered the project dead in the water and forced Stone tomove ontoW.which had a completed script ready for production. Now it seemsPinkvillemight have new life asIGNreports the commentary track forWall Street: Money Never Sleepshas Stone andShia LaBeoufrevealing that they have discussed reuniting for the project.

The film is supposed to focus on the1968 My Lai Massacre, a turning point in the Vietnam War in which upwards of 500 people, mostly women, children and the elderly, were killed by U.S. soldiers who also sexually abused and tortured them beforehand. LaBeouf says his interest in the project stems from the fact that his father was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam. Using that information along with LaBeouf's age and the character descriptions from three years ago, it sounds like the young actor would playHugh Thompson Jr., an Army helicopter pilot who aided the villagers and later testified against the soldiers responsible for the mass murder. That would mean Channing Tatum, who wasoriginally castin the role, is likely out of the running, and any news of the wooden actor falling out of any project is good news.

Of course, nothing is set in stone (no pun intended), so it's unclear how soonPinkvillecould be revived or if any of the other previous cast talent could still be involved. Honestly though, after Oliver Stone's return to Wall Street resulted in a lukewarm reception, I don't know if a return to Vietnam is so wise. The story certainly sounds interesting, butPlatoonwill be looming over his shoulder and audiences will certainly use the 1986 Best Picture winner as a point of comparison. In addition, Stone won Best Director at the Academy Awards, so returning to the controversial war seems like a daunting task.What do you think?

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Judi Dench and Damon Herriman Join Clint Eastwood's 'J. Edgar'« FirstShowing.net

We already know Leonardo DiCaprio is playing the titular historical figure of the FBI in Cline Eastwood'sJ. Edgar, and that Armie Hammer (The Social Network) haslanded the roleof his alleged gay lover. Now Eastwood is in the midst of rounding up a supporting cast. Earlier this monthThe Playlistgot word that"Justified"starDamon HerrimanasBruno Hauptmann, the man convicted of kidnapping and killing the Lindbergh baby. Now they've spied a story over atSandwich John Filmswho spoke with Eastwood at his California Hall Of Fame induction where he revealedJudi Denchhas already signed on for an unknown role.

We're still waiting to find out whether or notCharlize Theronwill take the role Helen Gandy, a Justice Department file clerk who ended up being Hoover’s personal secretary. Apparently she's leaning towards the role, but also finds herself in themidst of consideringplaying the villain inShow White and the Huntsman. Since both projects shoot at the same time, the actress will be forced to choose between one project or the other. Either one sounds like an interesting choice for Theron, but since there's so much competition for Snow White movies, I'd say J. Edgar is the better project. In addition, her chances of awards attention as a supporting actress are much higher since this will likely be an awards contender next year.What do you think?

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Sundance 2011 Adds Another Late Midnight Film - Silent House« FirstShowing.net

Sundance announced today that they're adding another last minute addition to the2011 Sundance Film Festivalline-up, this time in the Park City at Midnight category, whichalready looks like it had some great films. It's calledSilent Houseand is fromChris KentisandLaura Lau, director and producer behind the 2003 shark thrillerOpen Water. Impressively captured with a continuous camera shot,Silent Housetracks the growing panic of its enigmatic lead, Elizabeth Olsen, who's trapped in an unnerving nightmare."Kentis and Lau mastermind a truly unique horror experience with immediateintimacyandunsettling terror."

Silent House(Directors: Chris Kentis& Laura Lau; Screenwriter: Laura Lau)— A hauntingly choreographed descent into madness based on the Uruguayan film La Casa Muda. Cast: Elizabeth Olsen, Adam Trese, Eric Sheffer Stevens, Julia Taylor Ross, Haley Murphy, Adam Barnett. World Premiere

As it says in that fest description above, this is remake of a Uruguayan horror film calledLa Casa Muda, meaningThe Silent House, directed by Gustavo Hernández. Not-so-coincidentally, I got to see that original film at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year (read my review) and was fairly impressed, but not amazed. It's basically a supernatural/ghost story shot entirely in one take for 79 minutes. They're pulling a{Rec}toQuarantineby remaking it as an English-language indie before anyone even knows the original exists. I'll be curious to see how its changed, if at all, but I'm actually expecting it to be much scarier than the original.

In related Sundance news,The Playlistposted a good article worth reading aboutSundance Selectfilms playing theatrically in2011and a new digital/online rental service calledSundanceNowwhich will allow film fans to be able to watch a few various Sundance films from the comfort of their own home (for better or worse - I still prefer watching everything theatrically). That new site just launched atsundancenow.com.

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Gemma Arterton& Andrew Garfield Joining Michael Mann's 'Capa'« FirstShowing.net

Over a year ago we heard that directorMichael Mann(Public Enemies,Collateral) wasdeveloping a biopicof renownedwar photographerRobert Capa, with a focus on his two-year romance with fellow photographerGerda Taroduring the Spanish Civil War. Simply calledCapa, the story begins in Paris in 1935, where Capa, a refugee from Hungary, met Taro, a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany. Now it sounds like Mann has found his two leads in some promising young talent asTotal Filmcaught up withGemma Arterton(Prince of Persia,Clash of the Titans) who revealed that she andAndrew Garfield(The Social Network) are set to star in the biopic.

Garfield, who is currently in the midst of shooting Marc Webb's newSpider-Man, will play the titular photographer while Arterton (who, despite her beauty, has sort of tried my patience as an actress) will play Taro. Based on theSusana Fortes novelWaiting for Robert Capa, this is not your typical romance as the two lovers begin as exiled Jewish Communists Gerta Phorylle and Endre Friedmann who change their names to Gerda Taro and Robert Capa in order to sell their photographic work more easily and document the Spanish Civil War. However, tragedy looms for their romance just around the corner.

While I've yet to seeThe Disappearance of Alice Creed, I've heard Arterton's talents are much better than her work in the aforementioned epic blockbusters, so maybe she can really prove her talents with Michael Mann. As for Garfield, he was phenomenal inThe Social Network, and I've heard nothing but good things about his work inNever Let Me Go. And if he's good enough to snag the role of your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man then he's definitely doing something right. We're not sure when this project will take off, but count me interested.How about you?

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Glee's Chris Colfer Developing 'Struck by Lightning' Indie Project« FirstShowing.net

Earlier today, we sawGleestar Dianna Agron making a giant leap to the big screen in thelatest trailer forI Am Number Four. FellowGleestar Lea Michele has yet to land a major role besides inNew Year's Eve, but their openly gay co-starChris Colferhas setup an interesting project.Varietyreports that Colfer wrote the script for and is set to star in a new project calledStruck by Lightning, which producer David Permut is developing; he's currently looking for a director and a cast before getting financing.Struck by Lightningis a coming-of-age comedy that Permut says,"captures the spirit of movies penned by the lateJohn Hughes."

We don't know anything else about theStruck by Lightningscript, but Colfer is planning to shoot it during theGleehiatus next summer, so expect to see it at Sundance 2012. Yes, I will admit that I watchGlee, I'm a fan, and I think more than anything the talent on there is the best part. I'm always happy to see some of the young actors from the ensemble cast given a chance to break out beyond TV, which is why I'm reporting on this. Colfer, along with Lea Michele, are two of the most talented people onGleeand I'm looking forward to seeing their careers' blossom. We'll be sure to keep you updated onLightning, which has a long ways to go.

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Iron Man 3 is a Sequel to The Avengers, Thor& Captain America?« FirstShowing.net

While Marvel's ambitious cinematic universe will get a huge growth spurt next summer with the release ofThorandCaptain America: The First Avenger, it will be the ensemble superhero filmThe Avengersthat will determine the future of several comic book franchises. As a matter of fact, directorJon Favreauseems to already be looking into the future beyond ensemble tentpole and has some thoughts onIron Man 3. Without mentioning any details, Favreau toldMTV,"In theory, Iron Man 3 is going to be a sequel or continuation ofThor,Hulk,Captain AmericaandAvengers."That would explain why so much ofIron Man 2was used to set-upThe Avengers.

However, he's careful to point out that he's only had fleeting discussions withThordirector Kenneth Branagh and The Avengers director Joss Whedon, and that they're not even sure about the future of Marvel's universe. Favreau said,"I've talked to Kenneth Branagh. I've met the cast members. I had a conversation with Joss Whedon in passing, giving him my two cents about the film. This whole world… I have no idea what it is. I don't think they do either, from conversations I've had with those guys."And while Favreau has mentioned he'd like to include arch nemesis Mandarinin the next sequel, there's a lot of time between now and just the thought of pre-production onIron Man 3, so anything can happen.What would you like to see inIron Man 3?

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Rob Reiner Really, Really Wants to Adapt Musical 'Next to Normal'« FirstShowing.net

It looks likeThis Is Spinal Tap/Stand by Me/The Princess BridedirectorRob Reiner, most recently of the wonderfulFlipped, wants to get intomusicalsnext.Playbill.com(viaThe Playlist) posted new quotes from Reiner recently, who stated very enthusiastically that he is"dying to make"a movie version of the acclaimed musicalNext to Normal."The picture that I would love to make… I've been lobbying for this since it went on Broadway. {It} just recently won a Pulitzer Prize and won a couple of Tonys, calledNext to Normal,"he said. But they don't say whether or not he actually has the rights yet, so for now it's just hopeful speculation.

Why is Reiner so interested in it?"It is a completely and utterly unique project and I've been dying to make a musical. It's donebrilliantlyand it'svery uplifting,"he said. If he's passionate about it, then go for it.Next to Normal, which opened on Broadway last year, is a rock musical by Brian Yorker and Tom Kitt that is about a suburban mother who has bipolar disorder."An emotional powerhouse of a musical with a thrilling contemporary score about a family trying to take care of themselves and each other."It won a Pulitzer Prize earlier this year and picked up 11 Tony nominations and is currently in Los Angeles and still on Broadway.

Flipped, which not many people actually saw even though it's damn good, proved that Reiner still has it, so I'm hoping he can actually get this project going, as that kind of passion will only mean great things when/if he adaptsNext to Normalfor the big screen. For now, it's Reiner just talking about what he reallywantsto do. You can also visit the show's official websitenexttonormal.comfor info and tickets in the meantime.

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Two More Back-to-Back 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Sequels Next!« FirstShowing.net

If you were worried that just one more dive back into the ocean withPirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tideswasn't going to be enough to quench your thirst for Captain Jack Sparrow then you are in luck.HitFixreports Disney has been quietly telling cast and crew to save a big chunk of their time in the near future to shoot a thefifth and sixth installmentsof their successful franchise back-to-back. This isn't surprising since the second and third sequels employed the same technique, but honestly, I thought the latter sequels suffered the same plight as theMatrixsequels with more cohesion only within the last two films rather than all three.

However, withJohnny Deppalready scheduled forDark ShadowsandThe Lone Rangerin 2011, it's anybody's guess as to when these sequels will get off the ground. It's also unclear whether or notRob Marshallwill return to directthese two sequels much like Gore Verbinski did for the first trilogy. In addition, sinceOn Stranger Tidesfound its inspiration from a previously publishednovel by Tim Powers, writers Terry Rossio and Ted Elliott will have to work pretty hard to craft two more stories and connect them back to the first film lest they fall into the same hole as the first trilogy. Anyway, it doesn't look like this franchise is dying anytime soon, so I hope these new sequels deliver some decent swashbuckling adventures.What do you think?

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Webb's Spider-Man Casts Second Villain& Peter Parker's Parents« FirstShowing.net

With production looking to start later this month, the cast of Marc Webb's newSpider-Manhas a few new additions. We've already gotten word of Rhys Ifanstaking a villainous roleas The Lizard, but apparently a second villain is being brought into the mix.Heat Visionreports the already villainous sounding actorIrrfan Kahn(Slumdog Millionaire,The Namesake) is negotiating to take the role of Van Atter, a villain that no fan seems to be aware of in theSpider-Manuniverse. And though we've already heardMartin SheenandSally Fieldare playing Uncle Ben and Aunt May, it looks like Peter Parker's parents will appear onscreen for the first time ever.

Campbell Scott("Royal Pains") andJulianne Nicholson("Law& Order: Criminal Intent") will playRichard and Mary Parker, the parents of our would-be wallcrawler who have sparsely been seen in any of the comic books. It's not specified whether the characters will only appear in flashbacks or if they're actually alive at the beginning of the movie during Parker's early childhood. I seriously doubt they'll be alive throughout the course of the film since much bigger names were cast for Uncle Ben and Aunt May. In addition,Annie Parisse("Rubicon") is also negotiating to play Van Atter's wife. But who is this unknown villain anyway?

The best train of though so far comes fromBad Ass Digestwho has theorized that Van Atter might beProto-Goblin, a villain who only ever appeared in oneSpider-Mancomic book. Apparently the character appeared in a flashback issue as an employee who was tested on by Norman Osborne before the executive became the Goblin. This makes sense because apparently George Stacy (a rolerecently givento Denis Leary) plays a part in that story. In additon, another flashback issue revealed that Parker's parents were actually spies (which is kind of silly). If this is to be believed, it sounds like Webb is pulling from some really obscure comics for hisSpider-Manand this might be quite an unprecedented origin story on screen.What do you guys think?

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Three Stooges Movie Heads to Fox and Plans to Shoot in March« FirstShowing.net

That's right, folks. Despite the fact that bothJim CarreyandSean Pennhave officially dropped out of theFarrelly Brotherslong-gestating adaptation ofThe Three Stooges, it looks like the film is still on the track to production.Deadlinereports the project that was once situated at MGM has now move to 20th Century Fox with Bobby and Peter Farrelly still attached to direct from their own script which they wrote with Mike Cerrone. Of course, the big issue plaguing the project is a complete lack of a cast. It's not even clear whether or not Benicio Del Toro is still attached to play Moe. No matter where this project goes it seems doomed.

Apparently the story kicks off when the trio are dumped out as newborns at the door of an orphanage whereRichard Jenkinsmight play the head nun who gets terrorized by the stooges wacky antics. Um, okay. The film continues to follow the trio throughout their adulthood as they take cues from the original shorts that feature the middle class, blue collar buffoons wreaking havoc on the upper class socialites who don't seem to give them the time of day. In addition, the film will be divided into three segments, each 27-minutes in length for no reason other than to use the three different signature theme songs that started each short (you can hear all of them in thisslideshow of title cardsform the original shorts). Casting is supposed to begin immediately and here's what Peter Farrelly had to say:

"The script is ready to go, and we are opening up these roles to the world right now. We'll make it with thebest possible people. Our feeling is thatno star is too big to auditionand no matter who it is, we're going to have to see him in the role. This is notThe Flinstones. You've got to be Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard, and thatcould be a major movie star or an unknown. There will benon-stop slapping, more in the tone of 'Dumb and Dumber' than anything else we've done. Our goal is85 minutes of laughsin a film that will be very respectful of who the Stooges were. It's by far theriskiest projectwe've ever done, without question, but it is also the one closest to our hearts."

To be fair though, I thought the cast ofThe Flintstoneswas pretty well chosen with the likes of John Goodman, Rick Moranis, Elizabeth Perkins and Rosie O'Donnell (though Betty was much more petite in the cartoon), but the movie still sucked. Though the film will contain plenty of signature slapstick humor, the plan is to have a PG rated film for everyone to enjoy. Anyway, I hope their hearts and their heads are in the right places to pull this off, because as much trouble as this production has had, I would love to see it come together nicely.How about you?

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Terrence Malick's 'Tree of Life' Trailer Playing Before 'Black Swan'« FirstShowing.net

Briefly:We've confirmed with Fox Searchlight that the first full trailer forTerrence Malick'sThe Tree of Lifedebuts in front of Darren Aronofsky'sBlack Swanthis weekend. Boy is that a hell of a sweet deal if you catch Darren's brilliant new ballet thriller (that we all love).Tree of Lifeis Malick's long-delayed latest epic drama, due out nextMay 27th, starringBrad Pitt,Sean PennandJessica Chastain. We really have no clue what to expect, which is why we've been anxious to finally see a trailer. I asked when it's coming online, but was told that's stillTBD- so you better get out to theaters (full city/theater listing) and seeBlack Swan!

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