Behold some banner Posters for 'Inception'!

Pretty cool, as usual...

Want to know what Christopher Nolan has to say about Batman AND Superman?

Well, look no further than this article from Coming Soon:

Empire magazine talked to Christopher Nolan, whose new film Inception opens July 16, and got some great quotes from the helmer on the next Batman movie, coming July 20, 2012, and next Superman movie, targeted for a holiday 2012 release.

It was recently revealed that he would take on a mentor (or "godfather") role for the Superman movie, but he's not that comfortable with that title. "It's much more specific than that," he explained, "What it is, while David Goyer and myself were putting together the story for another Batman film a few years ago - you know, thrashing out where we might move on from 'The Dark Knight' - we got stuck. We were just sitting there idly chatting and he said, ' By the way, I think I know how you approach Superman,' and he told me his take on it. I thought it was really tremendous. It was the first time I had been able to conceive of how you would address Superman in a modern context. I thought it was a very exciting idea."

Nolan said he took that idea and pitched it to Warner Bros., and the studio got excited, too. "But it's not something for me to direct," he added. "It's something we were just trying to put together a vision for, and then find the right person to take it forward."

What's important to Nolan is finding the core of what makes the character so indelible; he favors the back-to-basics approach. "What you have to remember with both Batman and Superman," he told the magazine, "is that what makes those the best superhero characters there are, the most beloved after all this time, is the essence of who those characters were when they were created and when they were first developed. And you can't ever move too far from that."

He still hasn't officially signed on to direct new Batman movie. "No I haven't. There is a point where you're just being precious about it and people get annoyed, but the God's honest truth is I work on one movie at a time. I'm only capable of doing that, so my head will continue to be firmly in ['Inception'] for another few months."
There are some things, though, that Nolan can confirm. "My brother is working on the screenplay. We came up with a story that we are very excited about. We particularly like where we are taking the characters and what the ending is... There are things for me to be very excited about in addressing the characters again. But ultimately it always comes down to the script, and can we make a great film from this? That's something I will firmly be turning my attention to figuring out fairly soon." It will be, he said, "the finishing of a story rather than infinitely blowing up the balloon and expanding the story."

Empire asked whether the villain could be a returning (and recast) Joker. "No," said Nolan resisting to elaborate, "I just don't feel comfortable about it."

Nolan reiterated that you won't be seeing a Batman/Superman crossover in his movies. "Marvel are doing what they do and people will respond to that really well, or they won't," said Nolan. "It's not something I ever really applied a blanket rule to, but Marvel characters are very different to DC characters, and the key DC characters are very different to the minor DC characters. You've got to go back to that element of, 'What do I see when I close my eyes and think of Batman? What do I see when I close my eyes and think of Superman?' And for me a big part of that is their individuality. They are extraordinary beings in an ordinary world. And the reason I think the two are fascinating is because Superman is very specifically superpowered and obviously otherworldly; Batman is very human and flawed. They're two very different characters, but there's an elemental feeling of power in the iconography of those characters. To me that's originally because they stood alone. I need to hang on to that in my imagining of them."

-Very interesting quotes there...thoughts?

Take a look at a bunch of character Posters for Inception!

Thoughts?

Here's a TV Spot for 'Inception'!

Enjoy:

-Are you itching to see it yet?

Behold the latest trailer for a little film called 'Inception'...

...maybe you've heard of it?

-I believe the scientific term is "wow". Thoughts?

Here's another new Poster for 'Inception'!

Cool, right?

Prepare for the next 'Batman' movie to hit theaters on July 20, 2012!

Big news dropping today, via Box Office Mojo:

In one of the most anticipated announcements in recent memory, Warner Bros. officially set a date this morning for the follow-up to The Dark Knight. Tentatively known as Batman 3, the movie will debut July 20, 2012 in conventional and IMAX theaters, almost exactly four years after The Dark Knight opened to record-breaking numbers.

At this time, there are no details available regarding the plot or the cast, though it is assumed that Christian Bale at least will be reprising his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Warner Bros. was also unable to confirm whether or not Batman Begins and Dark Knight writer-director Christopher Nolan would be taking on those responsibilities again for part three.

Thanks to a wealth of factors including the perceived quality of Batman Begins, the promise of The Joker as the villain, the publicity surrounding star Heath Ledger's performance and untimely death and the movie's overwhelmingly positive reviews, The Dark Knight debuted to an astounding $158.4 million, setting an opening weekend record that has yet to be topped. By the end of its run, The Dark Knight banked $533.4 million, making it only the second movie ever to cross the $500 million mark at the time (since then, Avatar has also reached this milestone). Worldwide, The Dark Knight accumulated just over $1 billion, putting it in the top five all-time.

The Spider-Man reboot, set to debut on July 3, 2012, is the only other release currently scheduled for July 2012. Other high-profile movies scheduled for Summer 2012 are The Avengers (May 4), Madagascar 3 (May 18), Battleship (May 25), Disney/Pixar's Brave (June 15) and the Untitled Star Trek Sequel (June 29).

-The summer of 2012 could be shaping up to be a big one...thoughts?

Inception gets a brand new Poster!

Do I need to even ask if this is awesome to all of you or not?

Take a gander at these images from a little film called 'Inception'...

That last one is a behind the scenes photo that hints at the scope of the flick, but hey, they're all pretty cool...thoughts?

Variety's Peter Bart gives some words of warning to Christopher Nolan and 'Inception'

Here's the "memo":

Memo to: Christopher Nolan

From: Peter Bart

I hope you like the heat, Chris, because you've managed to put yourself in the pressure cooker.

When your new film "Inception" opens a month from now, attention will be riveted on it because of the secrecy surrounding its plot, plus its cost ($160 million), plus its cast (Leonardo DiCaprio is up to weird stuff yet again) plus, finally, because its entire presentation seems like a throwback to the '70s.

I suppose, Chris, you wanted it that way from the start. In your mind the screenplay was so unique that you instructed executives at Warner Bros. to trek to your office to read it. No copies could be circulated and cast members could read only their scenes, not those of other actors.

All this reminds me of the quirky ways of Stanley Kubrick or Richard Brooks a generation ago, and so does the mysterioso plot. Depending on who you talk to, "Inception" is either an "existential heist" film or a "surreal thriller." Geoff Boucher of the Los Angeles Times writes that "there's a temptation to frame the film as a comment on the 'otherness' of modern life." OK, that clears it up.

But bear in mind, Chris, that your exercise in surrealism will open on a movie landscape cluttered with superheroes, homoerotic vampires, homicidal aliens and, of course, talking dogs and chipmunks. And, all the while, cinephiles will be measuring it against "The Dark Knight," which has become the "Avatar" of Batman movies.

To be sure, after "The Dark Knight," you've earned the right to some quirkitude. But bear in mind, Chris, that the era of the auteur director is a thing of the past. Today the franchise itself is the star. Filmmakers have become hired hands who are skilled at pitching a 3D tent atop a swaying tentpole.

It's difficult to remember the atmosphere of the '70s, when young filmmakers suddenly demanded final cut and even ownership of the copyright. It was 40 years ago when Francis Coppola, Peter Bogdanovich and Billy Friedkin set up the Directors Company, proudly flying the flag of creative autonomy. (Within two years the flag came down.)

Studios these days are radically cutting back on their "final cut" deals. Agents no longer fall on their swords to negotiate "a film by" credits. A couple of years ago Sharon Waxman wrote a book called "Rebels on the Back Lot: Six Maverick Directors and How They Conquered the Hollywood Studio System." The trouble was that, for most of the directors (David O. Russell, P.T. Anderson, Spike Jonze, etc) things didn't turn out that way.

Which brings us back to "Inception." It's apparently a serious movie with serious ambitions. But today's filmgoers will be measuring it against the work of Jim Cameron or Michael Bay, not that of Kubrick. More relevant, they'll likely be hoping it's more like "Dark Knight" than your earlier surreal film, "Memento."

You may have hidden the screenplay, Chris, but you've got to lay it all out on the line come July, because that's when Warner Bros. lifts the lid off the pressure cooker. The studio insists it's proud of the picture -- but you and I know they would have loved the inclusion of at least one homoerotic vampire or homicidal alien.

-Thoughts?

Christopher Nolan talks Batman AND Superman!

And while he doesn't give up much info in his interview (you can find the full interview on any number of sites, including the following snippets on The Hollywood Reporter), there are some nice tidbits, which I'll show now:

Nolan confirms he is acting as "godfather" for the Superman movie -- I can tell you that at the end of the day, he is acting as a producer and will likely be credited that way -- and talks about not only Superman but the third Batman movie.

Some choice tidbits:

- The Superman movie and Batman movie will not be linked in any way. "They have nothing to do with each other," Nolan says. (But where does that leave the Justice League movie?)

- The idea for the movie occurred when David Goyer and Nolan were at an impasse on the third Batman and Goyer ran his Superman idea by Nolan.

- The third Batman is the final chapter in the story that Nolan is telling. "The key thing that makes the third film a great possibility for us is that we want to finish our story,” he says. “And in viewing it as the finishing of a story rather than infinitely blowing up the balloon and expanding the story.”

- Nolan stays mum on villains, but says, "It won't be Mr. Freeze."

- The best line in the piece, by the way, came when when the intrepid reporter tried to find out who the Superman villains would be, to which Nolan responds, "That’s a very sly way of asking a question I’m not going to answer."

-Thoughts?

Speaking of 'Batman', is Christopher Nolan involved in both a new bat-flick AND a new 'Superman' movie?

Well, yes, according to reports, though he's only "god-fathering" the Man of Steel flick. Nikki Finke and Mike Fleming have a story about this here, but this is a taste:

Warner Bros is trying to ready its DC Comics stalwart Superman to soar again on the Big Screen, and the studio has turned to Chris Nolan to mentor development of the movie. Our insiders say that the brains behind rebooted Batman has been asked to play a "godfather" role and ensure The Man Of Steel gets off the ground after a 3 1/2-year hiatus. Nolan's leadership of the project can set it in the right direction with the critics and the fans, not to mention at the box office. Besides, Nolan is considered something of a god at Warner Bros and has a strong relationship with the studio after the success of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Though he wasn’t obligated to do so, he gave the studio first crack at his spec script Inception, and Warner Bros was able to buy it before other studios even got a sniff. While Nolan completes that Leonardo DiCaprio-starrer for a July 16th release, he's also hatched an idea for Warner Bros' third Batman installment. Now his brother and frequent collaborator Jonathan "Jonah" Nolan, and David Goyer who co-wrote Batman Begins and penned the story for The Dark Knight, are off scripting it.

-Thoughts on Nolan's superhero plate?

A new Poster for Inception!

I like this one a bit more than the last one, especially since it seems to highlight the ensemble cast...thoughts?

Inception gets a Poster!

Thoughts? (Yes, it's obviously working off of the format for 'The Dark Knight', but it's a winning formula, so why not?)

Today's News: 'Up in the Air' changes its release date, Nolan's 'Inception' to play on Imax screens, and more...

In the news:

Look for 'Up in the Air' to now be released in a limited run on December 4th, with the film expanding over the rest of the month.

Christopher Nolan's next film 'Inception' will be on Imax screens as well as traditional ones when the movie hits in 2010.

The movie that Sean Penn dropped out of for personal reasons (Cartel) now has Josh Brolin in the lead role for the project.

The next directorial project for Emilio Estevez gets some new cast members to go along with his father, who was already cast.

Hugh Jackman will be boxing robots in his next flick, a futuristic 'Rocky'-like film to be directed by Shawn Levy.

Roger Avary has been sentenced to a year in jail for his role in a fatal car crash, after he plead guilty on Tuesday.

-Thoughts?

The Teaser for Christopher Nolan's Inception hits the web!

After playing in front of some of the prints of Inglourious Basterds, this teaser trailer now comes out for all to see:

Inception @ Yahoo! Video

-I couldn't tell you what it's about from the trailer (which is good) but I'm definitely in...thoughts?

The Last Samurai joins Nolan's Inception

The Hollywood Reporter has the story on the cast that just keeps getting better:
Ken Watanabe and Tom Hardy are boarding Christopher Nolan's "Inception" for Warner Bros.The story, which Nolan wrote, is a contemporary sci-fi actioner set within the architecture of the mind, with Leonardo DiCaprio as a CEO type. Watanabe will play the film's villain, a man who is blackmailing DiCaprio. Hardy is a member of DiCaprio's team.The duo join a cast that includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Cillian Murphy, Ellen Page and Marion Cotillard. Watanabe's deal reunites him with Nolan, with whom he collaborated on 2005's "Batman Begins."Nolan and the studio are aiming for a summer shoot ahead of a 2010 release. Nolan and Emma Thomas are producing through their Warners-based Syncopy Films shingle.Watanabe next appears in the Weinstein Co.'s September release "Shanghai" with John Cusack, Chow Yun-Fat and Gong Li. He is repped by Endeavor and ROAR. Hardy, who is in negotiations for his role, next appears in "Bronson," playing a criminal who spent 30 years in solitary confinement. He is repped by CAA.
-It's almost silly to keep saying, but oh my god, I can't wait for this to come out...

Joseph Godron-Levitt cast in Nolan's Inception...

...making it officially the most exciting project around...to me at least. Take a gander at this from The Hollywood Reporter:
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is coming on board Christopher Nolan's "Inception," the filmmaker's thriller for Warner Bros. that stars Leonardo DiCaprio.A veil of secrecy exists over loglines, though the project, which Nolan also wrote, is described as a contemporary sci-fi actioner set within "the architecture of the mind."It is known that Gordon-Levitt is taking the role to have been played by James Franco, who bowed out over scheduling issues. He would play an associate of DiCaprio's character, a CEO-type.Marion Cotillard is already on board as DiCaprio's wife, while Ellen Page is playing a grad student and DiCaprio's sidekick. Cillian Murphy is also in the cast. Nolan and the studio are aiming for a summer shoot ahead of a 2010 release.Nolan and Emma Thomas are producing through their Warners-based Syncopy Films shingle.Gordon-Levitt, repped by CAA, has a big summer lined up: He stars in "500 Days of Summer," the romantic comedy that earned much buzz in Sundance and is now set for a July 17 release by Fox Searchlight, and plays the villainous Cobra Commander in Paramount tentpole "G. I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," which opens Aug. 7.
-How can you not be excited about this?

Ellen Page among the big name additions to Nolan's Inception

Variety has the scoop:

Warner Bros. is in talks with Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy and Ellen Page to join the cast of "Inception," which Christopher Nolan wrote and will direct as his next film.
Leonardo DiCaprio has already been set to star.
WB bought the spec preemptively before other studios got a crack at the material, which kept Warner in business with the filmmaker after smash hit "The Dark Knight" (Daily Variety, Feb. 12).
Production begins this summer for 2010 release.
The subject matter has been kept under tight wraps, with the studio describing the film as a contemporary sci-fi actioner set within the architecture of the mind.
Nolan will produce with Emma Thomas.
The film is Nolan's first with Cotillard and Page, but he is reteaming with Murphy, who played the villain Scarecrow in "Batman Begins," with a cameo in "The Dark Knight." Murphy just completed "Peacock" and "Perrier's Bounty."
Cotillard will next be seen in the Michael Mann-directed "Public Enemies" and just completed the Rob Marshall-helmed musical "Nine."
Page just teamed with Murphy in "Peacock" and starred in the Drew Barrymore-directed "Whip It!"
-This is fast becoming quite a tremendous cast....I'm psyched...how about you?

Leo DiCaprio joins up with Christopher Nolan for his upcoming flick!

Variety has the story on this big time pairing:

Leonardo DiCaprio will star in "Inception," the science-fiction film that Chris Nolan ("The Dark Knight") wrote and will direct as his next pic at Warner Bros.
The project shoots this year and is slated to be released in summer 2010, with Nolan and Emma Thomas producing. DiCaprio's deal is in final negotiations.
Script has been kept under wraps but the studio terms it a contemporary sci-fi actioner set within the architecture of the mind.
DiCaprio, coming off "Revolutionary Road" and "Body of Lies," will next be seen starring in the Martin Scorsese-directed "Shutter Island" at Paramount.
-Excellent news...very exciting indeed.