Weekly Entertainment News

[FH]

Brandon Routh Cast as Superman
Source: SuperheroHype!

Latino Review claims that unknown actor Brandon Routh has been cast in the title role of Warner Bros.' Superman, to be directed by Bryan Singer:

The man who Singer has picked to play Clark Kent/Superman is none other than a relatively unknown actor by the name of Brandon Routh (Seen here in the photo to the right dressed in his own Superman outfit on Halloween last year).

Brandon's name has appeared on the web as being a possible contender a few month's ago, but most recently appeared on this Iowa based TV website.

For more on the report, hit the link above. You can check out his stats here and more pictures on Routh's official website.

UPDATE!! - We checked with our own independent sources at WB and they confirmed that Brandon Routh is indeed cast as Superman. Our sources added that they don't know when Lois Lane will be cast. They also threw in tidbits that Superman writers Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris were recently spotted on the WB lot going through stacks and stacks of Superman comic books, so it appears that they are going back to the source material for inspiration. Our sources also confirmed that General Zod will be involved in some capacity. More to come!

[FH]

30 Days of Night Creeps Closer
Source: DarkHorizons


In an interview with Sci-Fi Wire, Producer Rob Tapert said that Steve Niles has read the script adaptation of his supernatural graphic novel "30 Days of Night" and was happy with it - "Steve has read [screenwriter Stuart Beattie's] draft that we just turned in to the studio and thought it was the absolute best representation of the graphic novel. So he was incredibly pleased. And right now we're just waiting for the studio to get back to us as to how they want to proceed there".

The vampire story set in the Arctic Circle, where it remains dark for a month each winter, is being handled under Tapert & Sam Raimi's Ghost House Pictures banner which was originally designed as a low budget horror film producer - don't expect this movie to be shy on budget though - "Because it was such an expensive process, such an expensive movie to make, all set in the snow, we—Ghost House and our partners at Senator Entertainment—partnered right away with Sony on it, because it was going to be a $50 or $60 or $70 million movie. We know that they're very excited with having read it. I think we're going to meet in the coming week or so".

[FH]

Transformers Rumblings Stilled
Source: DarkHorizons


A report up at the IESB the other day mentioned a rumour going around that Robert Zemeckis has been turning down new directing offers because he is attached to the Transformers live action movie. Another industry insider claims that Warner Brothers has asked Robert Zemeckis and Dreamworks not to make any announcements regarding the "Transformers" until after the release of "The Polar Express" this November.

Then, IGN FilmForce checked with its sources close to the project who advised them flat-out that there's "no truth" to the latest Zemeckis rumours. Meanwhile, producer Don Murphy revealed that "we're closing in on a writer and choosing to go with a younger guy who grew up with the mythology.like all of you fans. Should be announced in the coming weeks. DreamWorks and Spielberg very much still want the film for Summer '06 so it'll be hard - but GOOD".

[FH]

"No More Daredevil" Says Affleck
Source: DarkHorizons

Ben Affleck was in a weird mood when he spoke to international print media about "Surviving Christmas" a few hours ago, a film he and his co-stars won't be promoting too much for domestic press. Affleck, who now refuses to talk about any aspect of his personal life, seemed overly playful, not wanting to be to serious.

But when talking future projects, one thing was emphatically clear from the Oscar winning screenwriter: "Daredevil 2" is most definitely not on the agenda, despite his upcoming cameo in "Elektra". "I'm definitely not going to do it. No more action films, they're fucking boring." said Affleck.

This comes as a surprise after a video interview the other day with the man indicated he would be interested if they did either Kevin Smith's comic storyline or the "Born Again" subplot. In the last few days, it seems something must have changed his mind.

Instead, he says, he's after "some good comedies or a role in something like a Boiler Room." Clearly, we won't be seeing him putting on any more tights in the near future. More of my exclusive chat with Mr Affleck, if sense can be made of it, in the coming weeks.

[FH]

Roger Avary climbs to the top of SILENT HILL
Script is already done for big-screen Konami adaptation
Source: Cinescape

Roger Avary has been working on the movie adaptation of Konami's SILENT HILL videogame for director Christophe Gans (BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF) for just a few weeks, and it's already done? Well, almost...

As the Oscar-winning screenwriter (for PULP FICTION, with Quentin Tarantino) notes on his web site, when he arrived in Paris he was given "a highly detailed treatment [that] had been in the works for over a month by Christophe Gans and Nicholas Boukhrief." Then it was up to Avary to start typing. "I spent three intensive weeks with Christophe, rewriting the treatment to perfection, and then Nicholas did another pass on it. Then, I sat down and over the next three weeks put together the first draft. Now, although we have something that resembles a finished script, with dialog and formatting and little details worked out -- it's still technically a pre-draft. I spent today with Christophe taking character notes -- examining what doesn't work. And there's plenty."


Avary notes that the script, like all scripts, is just a blueprint, and "blueprints tend to change along the way. The reason we wrote this FAST is because it's a GO MOVIE. Christophe and his production team desperately need something to begin the boarding and budgeting process. They need to plan for the massive special effects in the film. They need to begin all of the preproduction that goes into making a movie -- they begin shooting in February, after all." Avary is off to his "orange farm and cats" to continue work on the script, and it's all good. As he reminds readers at the end of his journal entry, "So everybody relax. We're making a movie here, not just a script." That sounds pretty good to us.

[FH]

Dukes find Boss Hogg and Uncle Jesse
Source: Moviehole

I came 'this close' to driving my remote controlled General-Lee through the doors of the studio making "Dukes of Hazzard" when it was first announced - to be starring Paul Walker, Ashton Kutcher and, as Boss Hogg, Anthony Anderson. Had that cast been any more than rumour, it would've had many of us children of the 80's singing up for Hoover Dam diving lessons.

Last month, the studio decided to go with Johnny Knoxville and Sean William Scott as Bo and Luke Duke, and Jessica Simpson as shorty-shorts wearign Daisy 'Nothing but my T-shirt on' Duke. And as Boss Hogg? it was rumoured that the slightly - and only slightly - more fitting Burt Reynolds would be adorning the white pants suit.

According to Variety, Reynolds signed for the film this week. And in addition, the trade reports that Willie Nelson will play the role of Uncle Jesse in the film.

Here's a kicker : Apparently the film is going to be set in contemporary times, but it'll still feature the same orange 1969 Dodge Charger.

[FH]

Colin Farrell as Sonny Crockett
Source: Moviehole

Colin Farrell has emerged as the frontrunner to play Det. James "Sonny" Crockett in the recently announced "Miami Vice" movie, says Variety. Farrell would be playing the role made famous by 80's heartthrob Don Johnson in the series.

Jamie Foxx ["Ray"] was recently confirmed to be playing partner, Det. Ricardo Tubbs.

Michael Mann co-wrote and worked as an executive producer on the iconic '80s cop show, which starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as the titular cops, working the Miami shift.

[FH]

Pearl JamCaps Label Tenure with Hits Set
Source: Launch

Seattle rock band Pearl Jam will cap its tenure on Epic Records with its first hits collection, due in stores Nov. 16.

The double-disc, 33-track "rearviewmirror (greatest hits 1991-2003)" sports 16 top 10 hits from Billboard's airplay-based Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, including the No. 1s "Daughter," "Betterman" and "Given To Fly."

In lieu of new songs, "rearviewmirror" (the discs for which are split into an "Upside" and "Downside") boasts remixes of three songs from the band's 1991 debut, "Ten." Longtime producer Brendan O'Brien was behind the boards for new mixes of "Once," "Alive" and "Black."

Beyond such staples as "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town," "Dissident," "Wishlist" and "Even Flow," the album includes the live favorite "Yellow Ledbetter," originally released as an import-only b-side, and "Man of the Hour," penned for the 2003 Tim Burton film "Big Fish."

Also featured is the band's biggest hit single, "Last Kiss," a 1950s cover initially released on seven-inch vinyl to fan club members. It went on to peak at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The lone Pearl Jam track that appeared on the Hot 100 but is missing from the album is "Tremor Christ," which peaked at No. 18 in the fall of 1995.

Pearl Jam, now working as a free agent, recently wrapped its run on the Vote for Change tour and is expected to hit the studio next month to begin work on its eighth album.

Reuters/Billboard

[FH]

Shark Munches Up Team America
Source: E!



The shark mob chewed up those puppets cops, but left J.Lo just a little room to dance.

DreamWorks' CGI fishy family flick Shark Tale three-peated at the box office with $22.1 million from Friday to Sunday, per preliminary studio estimates.


Team America: World Police, the political spoof from the South Park brain trust featuring a cast of marionettes, managed a wooden third-place debut of $12.3 million. It couldn't even beat down the reality-based high school football saga Friday Night Lights, which, remained at number two for a second week, kicking up $13.1 million.

Shall We Dance?, the love-finds-its-feet romance partnering Jennifer Lopez with Richard Gere to the consternation of Susan Sarandon, twirled in fourth with $11.6 million.

Dance, a PG-13 remake of a Japanese film about the life-enhancing power of two-stepping, had the highest per-screen average of the wide releases, $6,559 from just 1,772 sites. A Miramax rep said the studio was "very happy" with the debut and "the great word of mouth," which suggests the film may have legs.

In contrast, Paramount's heavily hyped, R-ratedTeam America, in which a bunch of puppets do some decidedly un-PC police work against terrorists--and lefty celebs, fell short of expectations averaging just $4,661 per 2,639 sites. (Back in the summer of 1999, Trey Parker and Matt Stone's equal-opportunity-offending 'toon South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, grossed $11.3 million on its first weekend with a $5,327 per-site average at 2,128 theaters, and eventually tallied $52 million.)

The PG-rated Shark Tale dipped just 29 percent from last week, averaging $5,598 at 3,948 sites, 122 fewer than it opened in three weeks. Its haul now stands at $118.8 million. Universal's PG-13 Friday Night Lights, now in 2,764 sites, 97 more than it touched down in last weekend, only dropped 35 percent, with an average of $4,740 per theater, and has now scored $38.7 million.

In limited release, the top per-screen average belonged to a href="/Reviews/Facts/Movies/Reviews/0,1052,88621,00.html">Hair Show, the salon comedy starring Mo'Nique and Kellita Smith. The PG-13 IFG release opened at 38 sites and averaged $5,304 per to teased up $201,567.

Another IFG entry performed less successfully. Stephen King's Riding the Bullet rode into 100 sites, where the R-rated spooky road-trip flick spattered up $101,107.

Lions Gate's PG-13 a href="/Reviews/Facts/Movies/Reviews/0,1052,88622,00.html">The Final Cut, a sci-fi memory puzzle starring Robin Williams, Mira Sorvino and Jim Caviezel, sliced into 117 sites and earned $235,000. Meanwhile, the indie distributor's R-rated ensemble comedy Eulogy, with a cast that includes Hank Azaria, Zooey Deschanel and Ray Romano, was placed at just 22 sites, where it tallied $45,000.

Overall, the top 12 movies grossed $89.4 million, down 9 percent from last week and a 13 percent dip from this time last year, when the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre diced up $28 million in the top slot.

Final figures are due Monday; meantime, this is how box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations ranks the top 10:

1. Shark Tale, $22.1 million
2. Friday Night Lights, $13.1 million
3. Team America: World Police, $12.3 million
4. Shall We Dance?, $11.6 million
5. Ladder 49, $8.6 million
6. Taxi, $7.7 million
7. The Forgotten, $6 million
8. Raise Your Voice, $2.9 million
9. The Motorcycle Diaries, $1.6 million
10. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, $1.3 million

[FH]

A Red Circle for John Woo
Source: ComingSoon!

John Woo will direct The Red Circle, an updated remake of the Jean-Pierre Melville-directed 1970 French film Le Cercle Rouge for Paramount, says Variety. Jeff Pinkner will write the action thriller.

The original noir tale starred Alain Delon and centered on a thief who is released from prison the same day a murderer escapes police custody. The outlaws pair up and commit a heist as a relentless cop closes in.

Pinkner has executive-produced Alias, and assisted in the creation of the new ABC hit Lost, on which he is executive consultant.

Woo is currently preparing the Rock vehicle Spy Hunter, and plans to follow that by directing The War of the Red Cliff, based on Asian historical events from the year 200 A.D.A.D. He'll circle back to The Red Circle after that.

[FH]

Singer Talks More About Superman
Source: SuperheroHype!
Scooper 'Merc' has sent these new bits about another Q&A with Superman director Bryan Singer:

I just attended a screening of The Usual Suspects at USC (I am a film student), and after the screening, Bryan Singer was onhand to answer questions; needless to say, he was inandated with them.

First off, he was very nervous about replying to questions about the casting of Superman; however at one point he slipped up, and spoke of how he just finished an awesome test with someone which was shot in 60mm film for Superman. He said that, "if I had cast Superman, I spoke to the actor, and he is very happy about the decision...". He slipped up and revealed that Superman had been cast.

Secondly, he talked about the suit and what it is going to look like. He said it will be very traditional, but that it will take advantage of the things that were learned on Spiderman. He said that spandex tends to remove definition from someone's build, and that they are going to have to shade the costume to add the effect that the actor is more toned than he really is.

He also talked about how and his writing parterns crafted a story which could be compared to Tim Burton's Batman (1989). He said that he is going to have the first two films serve as a sort of vague history, and that this next film will pick up after Superman has been gone for 6 years. He said that the story is going to approach Superman as sort of being a returning Messiah (sp). Singer also had an interesting comment that people in the movie sort of wish that Superman had never existed, because once he disappeared, the world fell into chaos.

Singer also divulged some really cool stuff about some sequences and some of the riggs that have been constructed. He said that they have created a rigg which has the capability to "fly" the actor at speeds of up to 40 mph a distance as far as 3 football fields!!! It was amazing stuff, and he said that almost all of the major sequences have already been pre-visualized.

I am not sure that he said much, else; but he pretty much confirmed that Routh has been cast.

One last thing I am remembering; he said that he really wanted to have Reeve make a cameo, and that because they are shooting in Australia (this was his idea before Reeve passed away), he was going to try to do something similar to what was done for that SuperBowl commercial a few years ago; using CGI he was going to try to have Reeve make a cameo while walking! Really exciting stuff!

[FH]

SCOOP: Where and when you`ll see the EPISODE III trailer!
One of our trusted sources contacts us with what they've heard
Source: Cinescape


According to one of our oldest, must trusted sources, the wait is finally almost over. They have told us that the long-awaited teaser trailer for STAR WARS, EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH will be playing on theater screens come Friday, November 5 -- but that plans are afoot for the trailer to run at least one day beforehand...and on television.

Our source has informed us that the STAR WARS trailer will be "placed" with THE INCREDIBLES, the new Disney/Pixar animated film also being released on 11/5. However, just because the EPISODE III may be shipped with the film cans of THE INCREDIBLES or suggested to play in front of that film doesn't necessarily mean that every theater screen will show the SITH trailer before THE INCREDIBLES. "Due to the kind of length for an animated film, two hours (with Boundin' short) running time and the IMMENSE number of studios vying to get placement on the film, expect some exhibitors to not play it with INCREDIBLES, though most should, if not on all screens of the film," our source told us last evening.


Furthermore, while our source could confirm the plans for releasing the EPISODE III trailer by November 5, the shipping title of the trailer and any posters and banners has not become known as of yet. Companies usually ship this kind of promotional material for highly anticipated movies under codenames to deflect any potential theft of the goods by those looking to make a quick buck using the buzz of the film.


We were also told that there is a plan to have the world premiere of the EPISODE III trailer the evening before it begins playing in theaters on the Thursday, November 4 showing of Access Hollywood, the syndicated entertainment television news program. We have not been able to confirm this news with a representative of AH but again, our source tells us that the promotion of said event should be happening very shortly, if it hasn't already begun.


Whether the EPISODE III trailer would be ready for online downloading around the same time as its debut on Access Hollywood or the next day remains unknown. Our source hazards a guess: "Typically studios break 'world premiere' agreements with media outlets like ET and Access Hollywood if they do online debuts, so it's likely it will be simultaneous to the first televised airings at best." That also makes sense to us.


Finally, does the trailer description scooped last week by TheForce.net sound like what we'll get to see next month? "The summary of it that appeared on theforce.net is legit from what I've been told," writes our man on the inside. "As to the purported teaser poster image they posted, it was an abandoned concept photo, though I'm told the actual image is in the same vein."

[FH]

NIRVANA: Web Site Launched To Promote Upcoming Box Set
Source: Blabbermouth

An official web site has been launched to promote the upcoming NIRVANA box set, "With the Lights Out", due on November 23 via Geffen Records (one day earlier internationally). Right now, all the site offers is a NIRVANA photo (possibly the one that will be used as cover artwork), and the release dates. Apparently, the site will provide sound clips, video clips and images later. Check it out at www.nirvanabox.com.

As previously reported, the four-disc set will feature 81 tracks including 68 previously unreleased recordings — rehearsals, outtakes, late NIRVANA frontman Kurt Cobain's home demos, as well as a DVD which is confirmed to have unreleased band home movies, live footage, rehearsal footage and 20 full-length video performances. A 60-page booklet will accompany the release.

The title is a reference to a lyric in "Smells Like Teen Spirit".

A source told NME.com: "I've seen some of the footage and it's amazing stuff. There's a video of them performing at a friend's party with Kurt reading lyrics off a sheet of paper on the wall, footage of them covering 'Seasons In the Sun' in a studio with Kurt on drums and lots of other great stuff."

The artwork for the set is currently being put together, with the likely choice being a "landscape" box.

[FH]

Once Upon a Madman
Source: Moviehole

I had a chance to chat to Robert Rodriguez a few months back about "Madman" and at the time quizzed him on who he would like to see star. Having just worked with Johnny Depp on "Once Upon a Time in Mexico", I pushed that casting suggestion his way - but I got the feeling he was already considering Depp. And hey, why wouldn't he? Depp's involvement is likely to raise the bar a smidge.

Today, Rich Johnston’s Comic Book Resources column reports that my gut instinct mightn't have been as off as soiled huggies. Whilst it's not stated that the former 'Jump Street' cop is a sure thing as Mike Allred's comic character ‘Madman’ Einstein, the site does say that Depp has been spotted reading the "Madman" script at a voiceover session.

Interesting. Keep an eye on the trades.

[FH]

Anderson writing Alien 5?
Source: Moviehole

I don't know how much stock you can put in a story that starts off by saying someone is up for "Alien 6", when it should read "Alien 5", but never the less, here's what UK Teletext is reporting.

They're saying everyone's favourite hack job Paul W.S Anderson ("Alien vs.Predator") is up for writing duties on the next "Alien" movie (should read "Alien 5").

Anderson has apparently been asked by FOX to pen a story about the creatures on their own, sans Predators. It's still not known whether he will write Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) into the story.

He hasn't been offered directing duties yet - and hell, we hope it doesn't come to that.