Del Toro Goes To 'Pacific Rim'

legendary_pictures_logoLegendary Pictures announced that Guillermo del Toro is directing the company’s upcoming feature PACIFIC RIM,  which they confirm as his next film.

The film has already entered pre-production and will begin principal photography in September 2011.
PACIFIC RIM will be released during summer 2013 and will be produced by Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni for Legendary Pictures and Guillermo del Toro.
Stated Guillermo del Toro: “We started developing PACIFIC  RIM a while ago with the mad passion and enthusiasm of a project unwatched and unchecked by politics or comparisons. We designed and shepherded the movie we want to make.
We start shooting in September and we hit the ground running because we are so in sync. My partnership with Legendary represents, both in scale and creative demands, a huge step forward for me.”

PACIFIC RIM was wriiten by Travis Beacham (CLASH OF THE TITANS, 2010) and reportedly features giant creatures that attack the Earth.

Del Toro to Leave 'Mountains of Madness'?

AT MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS_ASAccording to Deadline.com , Guillermo del Toro may have to leave his AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS project in favor of another production.
Frustrated with delays from Universal on greenlighting the big budget version of the H.P. Lovecraft novel-inspired movie, Del Toro may move on to Legendary Pictures PACIFIC RIM, a giant monster feature written by Travis Beacham (CLASH OF THE TITANS).
Despite James Cameron’s interest in producing the film, and Tom Cruise’s tentative agreement to star, Universal has been understandably hestiant to commit to a $150 Million dollar, R-rated Lovecraftian sci-fi/horror/adventure film. They’ve apparently been trying to get the movie scaled back in terms of budget and probable audience rating.
(This must be due to the script, as there is nothing in the original material that would call for an R-rating. Lovecraft was a fairly bloodless writer. His horrors were mainly disturbing conceptually, rather than viscerally.)
According to the article, if  Guillermo del Toro doesn’t hear back from Universal by the end of today, he will go with Legendary Pictures, and try to go back to MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS after completing PACIFIC RIM — possibly at another studio.
UPDATED: Guillermo del Toro’s next film project will be PACIFIC RIM.  At Deadline , he indicated he’d like to return to the Lovecraft project, down the road. He said:

“Frankly, I think we’ve come so close with Mountains that to me it’s an indicator of the great possibility we will get to make it, as soon as possible. As long as the idea stays fresh and no one beats me to it, in terms of the origins of the monsters, the scope and the aspect of Antarctica where these creatures are discovered, I will continue to press forward. I’m knocking on wood.
I have great partners in Jim Cameron and Lightstorm, and Don Murphy and Susan Montford, great partners in this adventure who are not giving up and not letting me give up.”
 

Kevin Costner in Superman?

Kevin_Costner_1According to Deadline, Zack Synder and Warner Brothers are interested in casting Kevin Costner (WATERWORLD) in a “key role” in the Superman reboot. 
Could he be under consideration to play Jonathan Kent or Daily Planet editor Perry White to Henry Cavill’s Clark Kent? Or might he be cast against type  as a villain?
The screenplay by David S, Goyer ( and some participation by Jonathan  and producer Christopher Nolan [THE DARK KNIGHT])  is still very much under wraps, though there have been hints that it will feature Clark Kent’s journey towards accepting his future as a superhuman champion of justice.
There have also been some rumors that the Kryptonian villainess Ursa may  be invovled, leading fans to suspect that General Zod might also play a role.
Personally, I hope no antagonists used in previous Superman live-action feature films will be in the movie in any significant way.
 More on this as it develops.

Holmes 2 is 'A Game Of Shadows'

E!Online revealed that the title to the Guy Ritchie SHERLOCK HOLMES sequel is SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS.
For some  reason, that site thought the title was “lame”— to me, A GAME OF SHADOWS sounds very Holmesian; something creator Arthur Conan Doyle might have chosen. 

Rapace, Downey Jr. and Law
Rapace, Downey Jr. and Law

 Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law return as Holmes and Watson, as does Rachel McAdams Irene Adler and Kelly Reilly as Mary Morstan, as well as  
Eddie Marsan (Inspector Lestrade).
Joining the cast are Noomi Rapace as a character named Sim, Steven Fry as Sherlock’s brother Mycroft Holmes, and Jared Harris as the criminal mastermind Professor James Moriarty.
SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS arrives in theaters December 16th from Legendary Pictures, Village Roadshow Productions and Warner Brothers.

Henry Cavill is Superman

henry_cavill_tudors
Henry Cavill in THE TUDORS

From the Press Release:

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures announced today that Henry Cavill has won the coveted role of Superman, the iconic superhero.
The film will be directed by Zack Snyder, who stated, “In the pantheon of superheroes, Superman is the most recognized and revered character of all time, and I am honored to be a part of his return to the big screen. I also join Warner Bros., Legendary and the producers in saying how excited we are about the casting of Henry. He is the perfect choice to don the cape and S shield.”
Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Deborah Snyder are the producers of the film. The screenplay is being written by David S. Goyer based on a story by Goyer and Nolan. Thomas Tull and Lloyd Phillips are serving as executive producers.
Cavill recently wrapped production on “The Cold Light of Day” and stars in the upcoming “Immortals,” opening this fall.
Targeted for release in December 2012, the new Superman movie will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Henry Cavill was reportedly up for the role of Superman for SUPERMAN RETURNS, and in the running to the lead in BATMAN BEGINS.

American 'Godzilla' Gets Director

MONSTERS_poster1The Hollywood Reporter says that Gareth Edwards (MONSTERS) is poised to sign with Legendary Pictures and Warner Brothers to direct their version of the classic Toho giant monster GODZILLA.
 Edwards’ MONSTERS , which the former Visual FX artist and documentary maker wrote and directed in the hopes of attracting bigger projects, featured glimpes of giant, tentacled alien monsters making life hazardous for two people trying escape a quarantined zone of infestation for the safety of the U.S.
The article says Gareth Edwards will work on the screenplay with a an as yet unhired writer, presumably  based on the previous  script by David Callaham (DOOM, THE EXPENDABLES). 
MONSTERS brought Edwards  three British Independent Film Awards.

'Superman' Seeking Director?

SPMGRC2XAccording to Deadline.com , producers Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas are still looking for the right director for the Warner Brothers / Legendary Pictures SUPERMAN reboot.
 Said to be on the short list:  Tony Scott (UNSTOPPABLE), Matt Reeves (LET ME IN),  Jonathan Liebesman (BATTLE: LOS ANGLES), Duncan Jones (MOON), and Zack Synder (WATCHMEN).
Liebesman seems to be a long shot, as he recently signed to direct Legendary’s CLASH OF THE TITANS 2, and there are some time constraints on both projects. 
Warner Brothers is rumored as wanting to be sure that a new Superman film is released by 2012, because in 2013 certain rights  will revert to the Jerry Siegel estate, per the court ruling. This would likely lead to intense and time-consuming negotiations over profit participation.
No word on Chris Nolan’s brother and collaborator Jonathan Nolan’s possible direction of the film. His name has been bandied about since his involvement in developing the David S. Goyer script.

Godzilla 3-D Moves Ahead

At the 3D Summit in Universal City, producer Brian Rogers told Zennie 62 that Legendary Pictures and Warner Brothers’ planned 3D GODZILLA reboot will be taking a darker, more serious approach.
In the video, Rogers mentioned  BATMAN BEGINS/THE DARK KNIGHT as an example of how an existing franchise can be improved for a modern audience.
However, he also suggested that there might  be other monster(s) for Godzilla to fight, suggesting aspects of the old-fashioned monster rallies of the 1960’s and 70’s.
The project was actually brought to him by Yoshimitsu Banno, director of GODZILLA VS. THE SMOG MONSTER (Godzilla Vs. Hedorah), as he had the rights to do Godzilla in IMAX — which doesn’t seem to on the table at this point.
The iconic Japanese monster will be realized via computer animation, but Brian Rogers emphasized that it will be a live-action film. A tentative 2012 release is anticipated.

Liebesman to Direct 'Titans' Sequel

clash-of-the-titans-2010Deadline reports that Warner Brothers / Legendary Pictures have made a deal to have  Jonathan Liebesman (BATTLE: LOS ANGELES) to direct CLASH OF THE TITANS 2.
 
Although not a big hit with critics, the first film grossed over $490 Million. This time around the studio plans to shoot the film in 3-D, rather than relying on a post-production conversion.
CLASH OF THE TITANS’s director Louis Leterrier, while declining to direct, may still be involved as an executive producer. Earlier this year, Greg Berlanti (GREEN LANTERN) was brought in to write the film’s story, though it’s expected another writer will fine tune a screenplay with Liebesman.
Sam Worthington is said to be signed for the sequel, which will have to be done before AVATAR II begins production. As James Cameron has indicated there will be some time before he turns his full attention to that film, there should be no conflict.

Godzilla Concept Art Rears Its Head At Comic-Con

GodzillaSan Diego Comic-Con International 2010 brought all kinds of news for movie fans and geeks the world over, not the least of which was the unveiling of the concept art for an updated version of Godzilla.
Almost 60 years after the fire-breathing monster first graced the screen, a modern-day rendition is supposed to once again thrill audiences in 2012. A booth at San Diego Comic-Con set up by Legendary Pictures included smoke machines and a shaking floor to immerse attendees in the experience as an animated Godzilla walked by on a nearby screen.
What do you think of the new look? Will 2012 be 1998 all over again for fans of the franchise? Sound off in the comments below!