Zellweger to star in 'Appaloosa'

Harris prepares to direct Western drama

By DAVE MCNARY, MICHAEL FLEMING

Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen and Renee Zellweger will topline the Western drama "Appaloosa," with Harris directing from the screenplay he co-wrote with Robert Knott. New Line is on board to distribute and Michael London is producing via his Groundswell Prods., which is co-financing the film.

Harris and Knott also are producing. Lensing is set to start Oct. 1 in New Mexico, giving New Line a strongly cast project to shoot before a possible strike by actors next summer.

Project reteams Harris and Mortensen, who worked together on New Line's "A History of Violence." Story is adapted from Robert B. Parker's novel of the same name, centered on a pair of friends hired to protect a lawless town suffering at the hands of a renegade rancher. The arrival of an attractive widow disrupts their plans.

It's the second directorial gig for Harris, who directed himself in "Pollock." He'll be seen next in "Gone Baby Gone," "The Cleaner" and "National Treasure: Book of Secrets."

Zellweger is voicing a lead role in "Bee Movie" and will be seen in "Leatherheads" and "Case 39."

Groundswell has completed production on "The Mysteries of Pittsburgh," "Smart People" and "The Visitor." London's credits include "Sideways" and "The Illusionist."

"Appaloosa" is the second Western penned by Parker, best known for suspense novels. He also wrote "Gunman's Rhapsody," a fictional version of the Wyatt Earp story.

Cinematheque honors Julia Roberts

Julia Roberts will be honored with the 22nd annual American Cinematheque award.

Kudo will be presented at a tribute gala in the Beverly Hilton's International Ballroom on Oct. 12.

The non-profit's selection committee unanimously chose the Academy Award winner for this year's honor.

For the full article, click here.

Sorkin on 'Trial' at DreamWorks

Duo to team on possible Spielberg project

By MICHAEL FLEMING, MICHAEL FLEMING, PAMELA MCCLINTOCK

DreamWorks has made a deal with Aaron Sorkin to write three films, the first of which will be "The Trial of the Chicago 7," a drama Steven Spielberg hopes to direct.

The drama focuses on the trials of protestors at the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago, where clashes between demonstrators and police made it one of the defining events of the '60s.

Spielberg and producers Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald have been developing the project with Sorkin for some time.

Sorkin most recently adapted the George Crile book "Charlie Wilson's War" into the Playtone-produced, Mike Nichols-directed film that's set for release Dec. 25.

Read the full article at:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117968411.html

Strike?! I don't care about no stinking strike!

Ok, so it has not gotten that bad, to the point where movie studios are offing the actors, writers, and directors. There is though, a strike looming in Hollywood and the following actors and actress are making sure they get paid in time. Look below to see who is getting their act on. Variety reports:

-Jim Carey is becoming Sober.

- Costner wants to be an Explorer.

-Cameron Diaz is not thinking outside the box.


-Russell Crow and Leonardo DiCaprio are liars.

- Ryan Gosling has some great bones.

Also Sam Rockwell decided to spill the beans on yet to be officially announced film he hopes to be working on with Jennifer Aniston and Peter Saarsgard. Below is the mention he did while being interviewed by Us Weekly of all people. Not posting the whole interview (but I have to name the source, so go Google US Weekly.com)because after the first question, it goes downhill. Maybe he is trying to drum up earlier publicity, or maybe he is just way too excited to be working with Jennifer. I hope the movie comes through for his sake, he is too good of a actor to be giving stupid interviews to the tabloids.

"Sam Rockwell spilled the beans, and told Usmagazine.com that he and Jennifer Aniston will be teaming up as two sides of a love triangle in You Are Here (Peter Saarsgard will be the third), set to begin filming early next year."

Jennifer also has a few projects in the works. She is set to put back on her producing hat in the recently announced Goree Girls. And maybe her acting hat for that too. She is also still set to play opposite of Meryl Streep as an escaped convict in Wanted and a wife with a secret in The Senator's Wife.

Whew! Props to all these actors getting roles, keep doing your thing! For us regular poorer folks, try saying 'go Google' five times fast.

Jennifer Aniston to produce 'Goree Girls' for DreamWorks

The actress is on board to produce and likely star in the 1940s comedy about one of the nation's first all-female country acts.

By Sheigh Crabtree
Special to the Times

June 14, 2007

Jennifer Aniston may need to brush up on her yodeling, banjo and steel guitar now that she's producing the period country-and-western musical "Goree Girls" for DreamWorks Pictures.

The actress is on board to produce and likely star in the 1940s song-laden comedy about one of the nation's first all-female country acts, a group whose members were also guests of the Texas penal system.

Aniston will be joined by seven other singin' and pickin' actresses cast as part of the Goree All Girl String Band, which is remembered as the Dixie Chicks of its day for the radio performances it put on from a Texas music hall.

Aniston and her producing partner, Kristin Hahn, hired Margaret Nagle (HBO's "Warm Springs") to adapt the screenplay from a Texas Monthly article. DreamWorks, Aniston and Hahn have sent the script out in search of a director with no scheduled production start to date.

The group of eight female Texas prisoners performed live every Wednesday evening in the early 1940s to an estimated 7 million Americans tuned into radio station WBAP-AM in Fort Worth.




L.A. Times

Teen Titans The Movie

Teen Titans growing up at Warner Bros.

By Borys Kit

May 31, 2007

DC Comics' superteam Teen Titans is getting the big-screen treatment courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

The live-action adaptation is being produced by Akiva Goldsman and Kerry Foster through their Weed Road banner, while Mark Verheiden has been brought on board to write the script.

The Teen Titans first appeared in 1964 as a sort of junior Justice League, comprising Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, Wonder Girl and Speedy, the respective sidekicks of A-list heroes Batman, Flash, Aquaman, Wonder Woman and Green Arrow.

The comic series reached X-Men-style success in the 1980s, when the team was relaunched in a new comic with the characters no longer kids but college-age adults and the stories explored more mature themes. The series also saw the addition of Cyborg, Starfire and Raven, original characters who weren't sidekicks, while the character of Robin matured into one called Nightwing.

Most recently, the comic was adapted to the television screen with a Cartoon Network series that ran from 2003-06 that used many of the '80s comics' heroes and story lines.

It is not known which heroes will be used, but Nightwing is said to be in the mix.

Goldsman said the tone will be consistent with such recent Warners' comic book fare as "Batman Begins," "Superman Returns" and the upcoming "Watchmen."

Jessica Goodman and Jesse Ehrman are overseeing for Warners.

Gregory Noveck is overseeing for DC Comics.

Verheiden, repped by CAA and Untitled, was a writer-producer on "Smallville," the TV series that revolved around the adventures of a young Clark Kent/Superman, and is a writer-producer on "Battlestar Galactica." Verheiden also is a comic writer and creator, penning "Timecop" and "The Mask," both of which were adapted to the big screen in the early 1990s.

Goldsman and Weed Road have several comic book movies in development, including "Doom Patrol" and "The Losers." He is in preproduction on the superhero-themed "Tonight He Comes," starring Will Smith.

Variety.com - Witherspoon to star in 'Midnight'

Variety.com - Witherspoon to star in 'Midnight'

'Sunshine' scribe Arndt to write script

By MICHAEL FLEMING

Witherspoon Arndt

Universal Pictures will develop a remake of the 1939 comedy "Midnight" as a star vehicle for Reese Witherspoon scripted by Michael Arndt, who won the Oscar for "Little Miss Sunshine."

Stuber/Parent partners Mary Parent and Scott Stuber will produce with Witherspoon and her Type A Films partner Jennifer Simpson.

Arndt hatched the idea, which prompted the producers to team.

"Midnight" has "long been one of my favorite films, and it is easily one of the best comedies of the '30s," Arndt said. "Being given the chance to update the film with Reese in the lead is simply a dream come true."

In the original, Claudette Colbert starred as a destitute young woman in Paris who becomes a pawn when a wealthy man tries to get rid of the gigolo wooing his wife. John Barrymore also starred in the film that was directed by Mitchell Leisen and written by Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder.

The original was released by Paramount but became U property when the studio bought the pre-1948 Par library.

Project will not be next for Witherspoon, who's deciding between several films for her next slot. She's repped by CAA and Management 360 and Arndt by Endeavor.

Variety.com - Weinsteins, Woody Allen team up

Variety.com - Weinsteins, Woody Allen team up: "TWC picks up 'Cassandra's Dream'
By ANNE THOMPSON

Woody Allen
Allen
The Weinsteins are getting back into the Woody Allen business.

The Weinstein Co. has acquired U.S., Australian, and New Zealand rights to Woody Allen's suspense drama 'Cassandra's Dream,' starring Ewan McGregor, Colin Farrell and Tom Wilkinson.

Wild Bunch handled worldwide foreign sales at the Cannes market for the film, written and directed by Allen and produced by Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum, and Gareth Wiley. The filmmaker now pre-sells his films around the world.

Allen turned down a Cannes closing-night berth for the pic, which will likely make its debut at the upcoming Venice Film Festival.

While heading Miramax Films, Bob and Harvey Weinstein distributed Allen's 'Everyone Says I Love You,' 'Mighty Aphrodite,' 'Bullets Over Broadway' and 'Celebrity.'

'Cassandra's Dream' marks Allen's third pic to be set in London, after 'Scoop,' which Focus Features released to a $10.5 million Stateside gross, and DreamWorks' 'Match Point,' which topped out at $23 million in North America. 'Cassandra's Dream's' tragic tale of two brothers and their entangled relationships marks a return to a darker palette for the filmmaker."

30 Yeasrs of Star Wars

By Carolyn Giardina

May 25, 2007

"Star Wars"

New "Star Wars" Web site launches

An anticipated 20,000-plus fans are expected to converge on downtown Los Angeles during the next few days to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of George Lucas' seminal film "Stars Wars" and its profound impact on the film industry and pop culture.

In recognition of the May 25, 1977, opening, Lucasfilm and Gen Con are presenting "Star Wars Celebration IV" at the Los Angeles Convention Center, which will be open to the public today through Monday. The event -- which kicked off Wednesday with a marathon screening of all six films -- includes live entertainment, cast-member appearances, film and video presentations and an exhibit of movie props and costumes.

"Star Wars" was nominated for 10 Academy Awards in 1978 and won six. In 2005, the American Film Institute named John Williams' iconic score the most memorable of all time. The film has shown up on additional AFI lists, including the "100 Greatest American Movies" list, where it ranked No. 15.

The release of "Star Wars" marked a milestone in visual effects. Its makers pioneered groundbreaking visual effects techniques, and the work inspired many of today's VFX talent. Among the weekend program events is a Saturday session featuring the five visual effects supervisors from the 1977 classic through 2005's "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith." Scheduled to appear are Richard Edlund, John Knoll, Dennis Muren, Ken Ralston and Phil Tippett.

Edlund, who won Oscars for his work on all three films in the first trilogy, said: " 'Star Wars' woke up a sleeping giant. ... Since 'Star Wars,' its audience salivates for new effects movies."

Knoll, VFX supervisor on the more recent trilogy (and a certain three pirate movies, one of which opens today), said that he was in high school when the first "Star Wars" debuted. "Suddenly, there were new exciting things happening in the (VFX) field," he said, adding that he was then invited to tour Lucas' operation. "It was a life-changing experience. It helped me to decide that I wanted to do this for a living."

Carrie Fisher will be among the cast members making an appearance at the celebration. Lucas is out of the country and will not be in attendance, said Tom Warner, senior director of marketing at Lucasfilm.

"Generations of fans have loved 'Star Wars,' many passing along the 'Star Wars' gene to their children," said Steve Sansweet, director of content management and head of fan relations at Lucasfilm. "This is the first chance to celebrate all six movies in the saga -- George Lucas' complete story -- as well as the vibrant future of 'Star Wars.' "

To that end, Warner said the Los Angeles event will include a preview of a new video game, "The Force Unleashed," which will be available on multiple game platforms in early 2008. He said that in the game, the player takes on the role of Darth Vader's secret apprentice.

He also pointed to Lucasfilm's CG-animated TV series "The Clone Wars," which is in production and whose story is set in the time period between Episodes II and III of the film series.

When asked about future home entertainment releases, Warner said, "We are always looking at the formats, but nothing is planned today." He also did not have additional information on Lucas' 2005 comments that he was looking to remaster and rerelease all six "Star Wars" films in stereoscopic 3-D.

It's not even Friday night yet.

'World's End'-led weekend should be biggest in history

By Brian Fuson

May 25, 2007

"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End"

'Pirates' haul begins: $58 mil in two days

It's a foregone conclusion that Buena Vista Pictures' "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" will be swinging from the mainmast of the boxoffice by the end of this weekend and with plenty of plunder in tow. It's just a question of how big the seafaring sequel will be.

But that's only part of the story.

With the second weekend of Paramount Pictures' "Shrek the Third" and Sony Pictures' still-potent "Spider-Man 3" in the mix, the frame is poised to be the biggest in history.

"At World's End" marks the third film in the Walt Disney Co.'s lucrative "Pirates" franchise to set sail in theaters and, like the other pictures, carries the demographically friendly PG-13 rating. For their latest high-seas escapades, Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and company board a record 4,362 theater marquees for the Memorial Day holiday frame. Of those theaters, 1,068 will be digital -- a high for that format as well.

To get a jump on the holiday session and prime the boxoffice pump, "At World's End" had previews Thursday starting at about 8 p.m. in about 4,000 theaters nationwide. Midnight shows were to follow, and some exhibitors will be running the film around the clock. Those previews will attract the hard-core fan base and might pull in moviegoers who have today off for the holiday, but they also could drain some of the weekend interest.

But with the buzz surrounding "At World's End" flying so high, that's not likely to be a problem; it's more probable that the film's two-hour, 47-minute running time will have more of an impact. According to MovieTickets.com, presales on "At World's End" are through the roof, and the film already is positioned to break all-time sales records for the online ticketer.

Most industry observers agree that "At World's End" should break boxoffice records this weekend. It's just a matter of how many and by how much.

Last year's "Pirates" film, "Dead Man's Chest," opened to $135.6 million in early July to become the biggest opening weekend in history, breaking the record set just six weeks earlier by 20th Century Fox's "X-Men: The Last Stand," which debuted during the four-day Memorial Day holiday frame with $122.9 million. "Dead Man's Chest" held the record until this month, when Sony Pictures' "Spider-Man 3" vaulted past it with $151.1 million to claim the crown.

Disney understandably is mum on projections in order to manage expectations, but insiders are fairly confident that the opening of "At World's End" will be bigger than "Spider-Man 3." And while "At World's End" has the advantage of an extra day with the four-day holiday frame, it is only a matter of time before another film comes along -- i.e. "Spider-Man 3" and "Dead Man's Chest" -- and does more business in three days than "At World's End" did in four.

Aside from the high expectations for "At World's End," the Memorial Day weekend should be a memorable one. The third "Pirates" is the third high-profile threequel to hit theaters in the past four weeks, and with "Shrek" and "Spider-Man 3" still in play, the marketplace is expected to expand.

Consequently, the weekend is likely to top the $247.6 million generated during the 2004 Memorial Day frame, the biggest weekend of all time. The top three films that weekend were DreamWorks' "Shrek 2" ($95.6 million), Fox's "The Day After Tomorrow" ($85.8 million) and Warner Bros. Pictures' "Troy" ($15.3 million).

In putting together the third and final chapter in the "Pirates" saga, Disney employed the same principal stars and producing, writing and directing team that navigated the first two films. Gore Verbinski helms, with Jerry Bruckheimer producing and Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio handling the writing chores. Principal cast including Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley also are all on board.

Keeping the crew intact for "At World's End" probably was a good idea if one considers that the combined worldwide boxoffice for the first two "Pirates" films, "The Curse of the Black Pearl" and "Dead Man's Chest," was a staggering $1.7 billion. The industry rule of thumb maintains that during the average seven-year cycle of a film product, the boxoffice -- the first income generator in a long line of ancillary revenue streams, including video/DVD, television, etc. -- represents about 20% of the product's total gross. With "Pirates' " worldwide boxoffice to date, the projected total gross sales for the first two films alone would be in the multiple billions of dollars.

Speaking of franchises, DreamWorks Animation's "Shrek the Third" will have picked up about $150.3 million in its first seven days of release, and "Spider-Man 3" had caught $289.5 million in its web through Thursday. This weekend, "Shrek" and "Spider-Man" will finish in second and third place, respectively.

In a counterprogramming effort, the only other wide release will be Lionsgate's "Bug," an R-rated thriller from director William Friedkin starring Ashley Judd, Michael Shannon and Lynn Collins. The film is based on an off-Broadway play written by Tracy Letts.

Oh No, The Sims have taken over.

Fox brings 'SIMS' to bigscreen

Film will be a live-action version

By PETER GILSTRAP

20th Century Fox has acquired feature rights to the life simulation computer game "The SIMS" from Electronic Arts, and has set project up with Fox-based John Davis.

The five-year-old franchise is the best selling PC game in history, with worldwide sales topping 85 million, bringing in over $1.6 billion. Pic will be a live-action version.

Steve Asbell is overseeing the project for Fox with SIMS Studio head Rod Humble managing the creative property for Electronic Arts. Brian Lynch will script; story is under wraps with talent yet to be named.

"'The SIMS has done an interactive version of an old story, which is what it's like to have infinite power and how do you deal with it," said Humble. "Given that that's an old story, you can imagine how easily that would translate to traditional story telling."

Davis' most recent projects include "Norbit," "When A Stranger Calls," and "Eragon."

Lynch scripted and helmed upcoming "Big Helium Dog," and penned "Scary Movie 3," and is managed by Benderspink.

Sims are ok for the computer screen, not so sure about the bigscreen.

Sandra Bullock has a 'Proposal'

Bullock set to star in 'Proposal'

Kurtzman, Orci to exec produce rom-com

By PETER GILSTRAP

Bullock

Sandra Bullock has been tapped to star in Touchstone Pictures' romantic comedy "The Proposal."

Mandeville's David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman are producing; Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci will exec produce.

Peter Chiarelli script concerns a demanding female boss faced with deportation to Canada who agrees to a sham engagement and marriage with her young male assistant. A director has yet to be named.

Longtime collaborators Kurtzman and Orci penned "Mission Impossible III," as well as upcoming Dream Works/Paramount features "Transformers" and "Star Trek." Duo are producing "2012" and "The 28th Amendment" for Warner Bros. and "Red Cell" for New Line.

Tyro scribe Chiarelli was director of development at MGM, supervising production of "The Pink Panther" and "The Amityville Horror." In 2005, he moved to DreamWorks to run Kurtzman/Orci Prods., where his projects included "Eagle Eye," "Nightlife" and "Red Cell."

Remember the cartoon He-Man?

He-Man returns to big screen

Joel Silver teams with WB for adaptation

By MICHAEL FLEMING

Warner Bros. and producer Joel Silver are working with Mattel to turn "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" into a live-action film.

Justin Marks is set to write the script. Silver will produce.

Deal, which is contingent on Mattel formally approving an outline for the project, is another example of Hollywood overhauling a 1980s-era pop-culture touchstone in the hopes of seeding a tentpole pic. The sale comes just a few weeks before the July preem of DreamWorks' Michael Bay-directed "Transformers," which began as an '80s animated series and toy line.

He-Man was born as a Mattel action figure, and the toymaker created an animated series in hopes of selling dolls. The series became a cult favorite, but the brand was hardly helped by its first bigscreen incarnation, the campy 1987 flop "Masters of the Universe" that starred Dolph Lundgren as the title character and Frank Langella as his nemesis Skeletor.

The toymaker, which now licenses "He-Man" for high-end merchandise sold to hardcore collectors, has been wary of going Hollywood again. An attempt by Fox 2000 to make another movie, this time with director John Woo, ended in futility as the toymaker didn't spark to the screen plans.

For Mattel, the stakes are potentially high as success could mean an entire relaunch of a toy line.

The franchise has been reimagined by the producer and the writers and pitched to Mattel as a classic good vs. evil battle, using the kind of visual effects strategy employed in "300." A warrior is touted as the last hope of a magical land called Eternia, which is being ravaged by technology and the evil Skeletor.

Many of the characters in the Middle Earth-like universe will be informed by the mythology created in the four different cartoon series done since the 1980s.

The story was hatched by Marks and Neil Ellice, the latter of whom will co-produce. Silver Pictures, which is turning the Japanese animated series "Speed Racer" into a live-action film to be directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, sparked to the potential. Silver Pictures exec Navid McIlhargey brought it in and will be involved in a producing capacity.

The viability of the "He-Man" universe is evidenced by the traffic that has occurred since rumors of a screen resurrection hit the Internet. Contrary to Web rumor, the lead role has not yet been cast.

WMA-repped Marks is writing a number of scripts, including "One Free Murder," for producer Kevin Misher. But he's found a niche reimagining branded properties. He's turning the animated series "Voltron" into a live-action film for producer Mark Gordon; he's developing a screen version of the vidgame "Street Fighter" for Hyde Park; and he's scripting a feature for Warners based on DC Comics character the Green Arrow.

" There's No Need to Fear, Underdog is Here!"

You can watch the new trailer for Underdog. I think it would have been cooler if the movie was animated. Disney's Underdog hits theaters August 3rd.

Mike Myers to star in 'Mitty' remake

Actor in on Fox, Goldwyn's 'Secret'

By MICHAEL FLEMING

Myers

Mike Myers is attached to star in "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," a remake of the Danny Kaye comedy classic that producer Samuel Goldwyn Jr. has moved from Paramount to 20th Century Fox.

Jay Kogen, a writer and producer on "The Simpsons," "Frasier" and, most recently, CBS' "The Class," is penning the script. Samuel Goldwyn Jr. and John Goldwyn will produce.

Jim Carrey had once been attached to play the daydreamer first brought to life in 1947 by Kaye in a pic based on a short story by James Thurber. Directors attached to the project on and off during the past few years include Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard. When those efforts didn't pan out, Goldwyn moved the film to Par, where "Mean Girls" director Mark Waters tried to do it with Owen Wilson.

Fox and Goldwyn are starting from scratch with a version that will be specifically tailored for Myers.

The long-gestating "Mitty" is one of several projects in the works for Myers, whose green alter ego is cleaning up at the box office in "Shrek the Third." His next live-action vehicle, Paramount comedy "The Love Guru," is on track to begin production in September in Toronto, with Marco Schnabel directing. Myers will play Pitka, a self-help guru character he created and honed in comedy clubs while writing the script with Graham Gordy.

"Mitty" will compete for Myers' next live-action slot with "See Me, Feel Me: Keith Moon Naked for Your Pleasure," the Spitfire Pictures/Gerber Pictures drama in which Myers will play the hard-living drummer for the British rock group the Who. Playwright Donald Margulies ("Brooklyn Boy") has completed a first draft and will do a rewrite. The Who lead singer Roger Daltrey is aboard as a producer.

The CAA-repped Myers has several projects looming in the future. He is attached to star in "How to Survive a Robot Uprising," an adaptation of a humorous survival guide written by Daniel H. Wilson that is "Reno 911!" duo Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant are scripting for Par. Myers also has begun early discussions with New Line and director Jay Roach for a fourth installment of the "Austin Powers" series. While no writer has yet been assigned, Myers is eyeing a sequel that tells the story from the viewpoint of Dr. Evil.

Rachel Weisz replaced as Evelyn in Mummy 3.

I loved the first two movies, but I think that Rachel Weisz might have made the right decision. ( or maybe she did not want to leave family behind for months of shooting in China?) Guess we all will see next summer when Universal releases The Mummy 3.

Bello replaces Weisz in 'Mummy'

Actress signs up for third installment

By MICHAEL FLEMING

Maria Bello will replace Rachel Weisz in the third installment of "The Mummy."

She joins Brendan Fraser, Luke Ford, Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh in the Rob Cohen-directed film for Universal Pictures.

Bello will play Evelyn Carnahan O'Connell, the adventuress played in the first two films by Weisz. After Weisz declined to reprise, Cohen and the studio cast a wide net for a replacement.

Scripted by "Smallville" creators Miles Millar and Alfred Gough, the film brings the O'Connells and their full-grown son (Ford) to the forbidden tombs of China and the Himalayas, where they battle a shape-shifting mummy, a former Chinese emperor (Li) cursed by a wizard (Yeoh).

The first two films grossed more than $830 million worldwide for Universal, which will release the third installment next summer. Sean Daniel, Jim Jacks, Stephen Sommers and Bob Ducsay are producing.

Most recently seen in "A History of Violence" and "Flicka," Bello next stars in "The Jane Austen Book Club" for Sony Pictures Classics, and "Butterfly on a Wheel," which Lionsgate will release in August.

She's repped by CAA and manager John Carrabino.

Read the full article at:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117964831.html

Studios Prepare For Another Strike

I hope things get resolved because the last thing I want to see is more reality shows.


"Hollywood studios are speeding production on movies and TV shows, preparing for a possible strike by writers and more trouble next year when contracts with actors and directors expire.

TV networks, which are in the midst of planning fall schedules, also might pack their lineups with more reality shows and other unscripted fare as protection against a possible strike.

"It's simply sound business," said J. Nicholas Counter, president of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which negotiates on behalf of the studios.

"Based upon the public statements of the Writers Guild, it's quite clear these are going to be very contentious negotiations," he said. "Their statements are bellicose, so we've got to prepare for the worst."

Among the shows accelerating production is NBC's "Las Vegas," which started three months earlier than usual with the aim of finishing 18 to 24 episodes before the fall. Normally, the show would have only about seven or eight episodes filmed.

"In essence, it makes us strike proof," said Gary Scott Thompson, the show's writer and executive producer and a veteran of the last writer's strike in 1988.

Another NBC show, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" began shooting two months early.

The three-year pact between studios and the Writers Guild of America expires Oct. 31 and talks are scheduled to begin in July.

That gives both sides little time to resolve complex issues involving how much TV and film writers should be paid when their work is distributed on new media platforms, including the Internet, cell phones, digital media players and other devices. The writers argue the payments modeled after the structures used for DVD rights are too low.

You can read the rest of the article here: Yahoo! Movies

MPAA Adds Smoking as Film-Rating Factor

LOS ANGELES — Smoking will be a bigger factor in determining film ratings, the Motion Picture Association of America said Thursday, but critics said the move does not go far enough to discourage teens from taking up the habit.

MPAA Chairman Dan Glickman said his group's ratings board, which previously had considered underage smoking in assigning film ratings, now will take into account smoking by adults, as well.

That adds smoking to a list of such factors as sex, violence and language in determining the MPAA's G, PG, PG-13, R and NC-17 ratings.

Film raters will consider the pervasiveness of tobacco use, whether it glamorizes smoking and the context in which smoking appears, as in movies set in the past when smoking was more common.

Some critics of Hollywood's depictions of tobacco in films have urged that movies that show smoking be assigned an R rating, which would restrict those younger than 17 from seeing them.

"I'm glad it's finally an issue they're taking up, but what they're proposing does not go far enough and is not going to make a difference," said Kori Titus, spokeswoman for Breathe California, which opposes film images of tobacco use that might encourage young people to start smoking.

You can read the rest of the article here.

Everyone Gets to see Captain Jack A Few Hours Earlier.

Because you know we can not have Spiderman showing up Jack Sparrow...

Disney Will Open Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End A Day Early

Are you waiting impatiently for the third chapter of the Pirates saga? Well, Disney has made that wait a little more bearable. The studio is bumping up the release date by a few hours, opening Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End on May 24th instead of May 25th as originally planned.

Disney made the decision Monday after Spider-Man 3 completely wiped out the box office. According to Variety, Pirates subsequently lost its "biggest weekend opener of all times" title in the aftermath. Spidey was able to pull in $15 million more than Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End did when it opened in July of last year. That film only made $135 million as opposed to Spider-Man 3's domestic take of $148 Million.

Instead of screening at midnight, Disney will now start the show at 8 pm on May 24th. They are hoping to earn back their bragging rights, as the early screenings will be added into the opening weekend grosses.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is set to usher in the Memorial Day weekend like no other film before it. Remember to mark down May 24th on your calendar.

Links:
movieweb

And if you are one of those people who live under rocks, here is the trailer for At World's End.