'Exorcism of Emily Rose'Director Taking on'Goliath'Biblical Tale« FirstShowing.net

We've heard about projects of literally Biblical proportions in the form of adaptations ofThe Bible Codeand a planned 300-like retelling of thestory of Moses, and now another Biblical tale is headed to the big screen.Heat Visionreports directorScott Derrickson, behindThe Exorcism of Emily Roseand the remake ofThe Day the Earth Stood Still, is set to helmGoliath, a period action movie based on thefamiliar taleofDavid vs. Goliath. While the movie is supposed to be set in historical times, it will have a contemporary feel not unlike300with a spirit that apparently embodiesBourne Identity. But, I'm not really sure what that means.

Anyway, our story begins with the warrior Goliath is sent to track down the foretold king of the Israelites as the young shepherd David suddenly finds himself in the middle of an epic chase and adventure that leaves him fighting not just for his own life, but for the very existence of his family and people. Of course the two forces meet in a huge battle as the underdog David is forced to match brawn with Goliath. The script comes from John D. Payne and Patrick McKay who don't seem to have any widely known previous work to their names. Personally, I see this as a film in the same vein asClash of the Titans, and considering Derrickson's re-imagining ofThe Day the Earth Stood Still, I'm hoping he has better skill in the epic arena.Anyone interested?

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Release Date News:'Apollo 18'Held to April,'Warrior'in September« FirstShowing.net

Briefly:A delay? Oh no! Was this planned…? More marketing gimmicks? Who knows…The Playlistreports that The Weinstein Company has moved the release of the upcoming found-footage sci-fi thrillerApollo 18, whichwe've only seen a posterfor, from March 4th toApril 22nd. I was really looking forward to this one, but it's thankfully not much of an extra wait. I wonder when we'll see a trailer for that? Additionally– Gavin O'Connor's new MMA dramaWarriorstarring Tom Hardy, Nick Nolte and Joel Edgerton, thatwe've seen photos from, is now scheduled forSeptember 9th. I'm sure we'll be hearing more from both of these soon!

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Barbra Streisand to Produce, Direct& Star in Adaptation of'Gypsy'« FirstShowing.net

Though she's extremely well known for using her vocal and acting talents on screen, the iconicBarbara Streisandhasn't taken part in a big screen musical sinceYentlin 1983. Now it looks like she's ready to return to the genre in a big way asThe New York Postreports Streisand is negotiating to produce, direct and star in an adaptation of the classic1959 Braodway musicalGypsy. Of course, the role is a bit different than the musical roles that Streisand has taken previously as the story follows Mama Rose,"the ultimate show business mother,"as she raises her two daughters to perform on stage albeit with some psychotic fits of rage every now and then.

Loosely based on the1957 memoirof Rose Lee, the musical paints a fairly pretty picture of show business even if Mama Rose is a bit on the crazy side (in fact the real Rose Lee apparently killed an agent by pushing him out a window). And in case any of you musical aficionados don't think Streisand is too much"like butter"to pull of such a brutal role as Mama Rose, you'll be happy to know 92-year-old Broadway legendArthur Laurents, who wrote the book to the show, has given Streisand his full blessing. Laurentis said:

"Barbra and I have had long talks on this very subject. She had a mother who she always thought was Mama Rose. I don't want to get into the details, but the point is she knows.She's got it in her. She's going to be much more than people expect."

This isn't the first time the Broadway musical has seen a film adaptation since the1962 Marvyn LeRoy directed iterationstarring Rosalind Russell, Natalie Wood and Karl Malden. Considering the only films Ms. Streisand have made in the past decade areMeet the Fockersand the recently releasedLittle Fockers, she has no place to go but up. And considering her high profile status, despite the fact that she hasn't worked in film much over the recent years, her name will definitely reel in quite an impressive musical cast.Anyone interested?

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Gorgeous New Awards Site for 'The Social Network' Relaunched« FirstShowing.net

Ohhh I think we have a winner. I received an email today with a link to Sony's recently re-launched gorgeous awards-focused website for David Fincher'sThe Social Networkthat not only looks great, but contains all kinds of interviews, behind-the-scenes clips, soundtrack samples, profiles, reviews and much more. They're really trying to flaunt this film and make sure it gets that golden statue onFebruary 27thand I really think it has a chance. There is someseriousmomentum behindThe Social Networkand it has the acclaim, as seen right at500millionfriends.com, to go all the way as Best Picture. In the meantime, check out thiswebsite!

The Social Networkis directed by Oscar nominated filmmakerDavid Fincherof many great films likeAlien 3,Se7en,The Game,Fight Club,Panic Room,ZodiacandThe Curious Case of Benjamin Buttonpreviously. The script was written by producer and screenwriterAaron Sorkin, ofA Few Good Men,"The West Wing", andCharlie Wilson's Warpreviously. It is based on Ben Mezrich's novel titledThe Accidental Billionaires, about the founding of Facebook:"A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal."Sony PicturesreleasedThe Social Networkin theaters on October 1st. It's available onDVD/Blu-Ray on January 11th.Should it win?

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Olivia Wilde Joins Cast of Alex Kurtzman's 'Welcome to People'« FirstShowing.net

In addition to staying sexy, the lovelyOlivia Wildeis continuing to expand her growing film resume. She just starred in Disney'sTron Legacy, and even if the reviews on the filmare mixed, Wilde doesn't seem to be the source of much criticism. Therefore I'm pleased withRisky Biz's reportthat Wilde has landed a pivotal role in Alex Kurtzman's family dramaWelcome to People, which will be theStar Trekwriter's directorial debut. The story follows a businessman (Chris Pine) who returns home after his estranged father’s death and discovers that he has an alcoholic sister (Elzabeth Banks) with a 12-year-old son. Wilde will play Pine's girlfriend in the film.

This is just one of many recent project Wilde has taken on. In addition to having a big supporting role in this summer'sCowboys& Aliens, she's also landed roles in the currently untitled sci-fi flick formerly known asI'm.mortaland the comedyChange-Upwith Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman. This probably isn't good news for fans of Wilde's work on Fox's hit medical drama"House M.D.,"but it's definitely good news for anyone who likes seeing the beautiful actress on the big screen. Wilde has yet to show a spectacular amount of range on film, but this surge of upcoming work should allow her to shine.What do you think?

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Rumor: Tim Burton Developing 'Nightmare Before Christmas' Sequel« FirstShowing.net

Though it's a little late, here's a big holiday themed rumor for you to take with a grain of salt (maybe around the ring of a margarita you're having to celebrate New Year's Eve tomorrow). Whilst promoting his new Broadway version of"The Pee-Wee Herman Show,"actorPaul Reubensrevealed nonchalantly thatTim Burtonmight be developing asequelto Christmas/Halloween stop-motion animated favoriteThe Nightmare Before Christmas.Dread Centralasked Reubens if he'd like to collaborate with Burton again in the future. His response was the director's busy slate was preventing that opportunity, and then he dropped the bomb.

Though he mentioned it more as a fleeting idea without any solid information rather than a revelation, it's not entirely out of the question for Reubens to be privy to information like that. In addition to working with Burton onPee-Wee's Big Adventure, few people seem to be remember that Reubens was the voice behind the character Lock inThe Nightmare Before Christmas, one of the mischievous trick-or-treaters employed by Oogie Boogie. Of course, Burton's development is likely in the very early stages since the director has plenty of other projects likeDark ShadowsandMonsterpocalypsein his future.

Assuming that the news is true, I can't say that I'm all that interested in a sequel to a near-perfect modern holiday classic. Would Tim Burton direct this time around (sinceCoralinedirector Henry Selick actually helmed the first film)? Would Jack Skellington wreak havoc on another holiday world? Or could Sandy Claws get kidnapped forcing Jack to put on the red suit to save Christmas and the big man himself? All of these ideas sounds like straight-to-DVD sequels rather than a quality follow-up to the original. As of nowThe Playlistreports Derek Frey, producer and executive at Tim Burton Productions, has already debunked the rumor, so who knows what Reubens was talking about. We'll leave it up to you.Do you want aNightmare Before Christmassequel?

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Sam Jackson, Luke Wilson& Leslie Bibb to Star in 'Meeting Evil'« FirstShowing.net

Though recently he's dabbled in the role of one-eyed hero Nick Fury for Marvel's growing cinemtic universe of comic book adaptations, it looks likeSamuel L. Jacksonwill be doing some very bad things in the near future.Scene Magazinereports (viaThe Wrap) that Jackson and former AT&T spokespersonLuke Wilsonwill star in an adaptation ofThomas Berger's novelMeeting Evil. The story follows a depressed real-estate agent recently fired from his job who crosses paths with a mysterious stranger (Jackson) in need of his help. Before you know it, the duo embarks on a day-long crime spree in a strangely odd symbiotic relationship.

However, the depressed man soon discovers this mysterious stranger has a dark side. The book's synopsis makes the story sound even more peculiar:

Answering his door one morning, solidly middle-class John Felton finds a scruffy-looking man whose car is in need of a push. Responding helpfully despite his misgivings, John sets in motion a nightmarish series of events in which he becomes the unwitting accomplice of Richie Maranville, a psychotic criminal just released from a mental hospital. During their day-long crime spree, the two develop a curiously symbiotic relationship, with John ultimately discovering the dark, irrational side of himself he has long denied. While almost coming to believe Richie's assertion that they are psychic brothers, he makes a decision in the novel's final scene that lifts him forever above the"moral triviality"of his alter ego.

Leslie Bibb(Talladega Nights,Iron Man) will also star as Wilson's wife in the film from director Chris Fisher (S.Darko). This is an interesting assembly of talent, but it's been awhile since either Jackson or Wilson had a really great role. I never got a chance to seeMiddle Menthis year, so I can't say whether Wilson is working on a comeback. As for Jackson, well he's just always working, and while his small role inThe Other Guyswas certainly hilarious, this past decade hasn't been very kind to the actor's career. Sure he's had roles in some of the biggest films of the past ten years, but the roles are nothing compared to his work inThe NegotiatororPulp Fiction. I guess we'll find out if Meeting Evil will spark a little magic for both the lead actors.What do you think?

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