The actors vying to play Spider-Man continues to grow...

...with two excellent new options being added, according to The Los Angeles Times:

Since it was announced back in the winter, some have hoped/worried that Marc Webb's Spider-Man reboot will go in a "Kick-Ass" direction, a not unreasonable thought given multiple parallels between the two stories as well as the warm reception (if not exactly hot box office) that greeted "Kick-Ass."

Could it now go that way literally?

You can add two names to the growing list of (very early) candidates for the young Peter Parker, and one of them is Aaron Johnson, who played the titular nerd-hero in "Kick-Ass," sources say.

Johnson, who for months has been the subject of relentless online speculation about his suitability for the part, would indeed in many ways make an appropriate choice. His role in "Kick-Ass" saw him as a seemingly ordinary teenager transformed into a superhero, much in the way of Parker's Spider-Man. Of course, the analogy is also off in several key ways: Johnson was a fake superhero, not a real one, and his star in the film was eclipsed by Chloe Moretz's Hit-Girl.

The second actor to make his way on to the shortlist of the Sony film, according to sources, is Anton Yelchin, who has been coming on strong since his 2009 double-whammy of "Star Trek" and "Terminator Salvation".

Yelchin would have his champions too. His supporting role as Chekov in "Star Trek" didn't leave a deep impression, but he did steal the show as Kyle Reese in "Terminator Salvation."

Both of the new names are a bit more prominent than the actors who have previously surfaced. That list includes "Billy Elliot" star Jamie Bell, "Harry Potter" actor Frank Dillane, "The Kids Are All Right" costar Josh Hutcherson and up-and-comers Alden Ehrenreich and Andrew Garfield.

Of course, just the fact that these actors are being considered means little in practice. Over the last few months, director Marc Webb has canvassed a wide group of young actors with the aim of seeing which one he and and the studio should anoint to take the role previously filled by Tobey Maguire. Screen testing is expected to start shortly. And the hue and cry over whether the right choice was made will follow shortly after that.

-I'm a big Yelchin fan, but Johnson would be a very solid pick too...thoughts?

Did Steven Spielberg settle on his leading man for 'War Horse'?

According to Collider, yes he did:

Steven Spielberg finally decided on his next project last month, an adaptation of the Michael Morpungo children’s novel War Horse. In a sign of forward motion, Eddie Redmayne (The Yellow Handkerchief) is reportedly “locked” for the lead role of Albert. The book tells the story of a boy, Albert, and his horse, Joey; the pair are separated when Joey is sold to the army, though not even World War I can keep them apart.

Redmayne has been acting steadily since 2006, though this should thrust him onto a much more public stage. The Playlist compares it to Spielberg trusting a young Christian Bale to anchor 1988’s Empire in the Sun — a good omen, indeed. 2011 will be a big year for Spielberg: he just wrapped production on The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, which is set for release on December 23, 2011, while War Horse will hit theaters a few months earlier on August 10, 2011. Check out the book synopsis after the jump.

-Spielberg has had an eye for young talent in the past, so this sounds good to me...thoughts?

Has Jamie Bell landed the role of Spider-Man?

Well, that seems to be the hot rumor (though there's a competing rumor that it's Josh Hutcherson with the inside track to the gig), according to Cinematical:

There's been a lot of heated discussion lately as to who should don the webby red and blue. Not surprisingly, Sony wasn't really paying attention to any of it, and stuck with their final five candidates. While Drew McWeeny at HitFix heard Josh Hutcherson was very, very close to becoming the new Peter Parker, Bleeding Cool reports that Sony and Marc Webb have settled on Jamie Bell. We're trying to get an official confirmation from Sony, so stay tuned.

I think Bell is a surprising choice. He's certainly the biggest name of the bunch, and a very good actor, but his performances tend to lean towards the intense and angry. Even when he's playing a quiet secondary character, Bell is just burning up with something. It's his gift as an actor. Perhaps that's the right attitude for great power and responsibility, but Parker is supposed to be awkward, nerdy, and an unlikely hero.

It's also strange to see Sony go for one of their older picks. Remember, this Spider-Man is supposed to be set entirely in high school, and Bell is 24. He certainly looks young for his age now, but so did Tobey Maguire (who still doesn't look his age.) If Sony is aiming for another trilogy, won't they run into the same problem they did with Maguire, and have an actor who is far too mature to be believable as a teenager? He's likely to be 30 by the end of the story, or close to it.

As I said, without official confirmation all protests feel a bit too much. But what do you think of Bell as Spider-Man? Are you up in arms he's not even American? (That's sarcasm.)

UPDATE: Sony has told us that they are officially not commenting on this, which means they did not deny it, so ...

-Between Hutcherson and Bell, who would you choose?

Gus Van Sant actually chased the 'Breaking Dawn' gig...

...according to The Playlist:

An interview with writer Bret Easton Ellis touching on his collaboration with Gus Van Sant on "The Golden Suicides" has seemingly revealed that Van Sant was not only targeted by 'Twilight' producers for the concluding installment of the franchise but that he was in fact actively chasing the gig.

"Van Sant, meanwhile, was trying to get the gig to direct 'Twilight,'" NY Mag reports with Ellis adding that "you can make a lot of money doing that."

We originally noted out of producers original dream trio — Sofia Coppola, Bill Condon and Van Sant — that the "Milk" helmer's sensibilities was probably the most qualified for the job. That was, of course, before Condon sidelined his work on the adaptation of "Salmon Fishing In Yemen" and the Richard Pryor biopic "Is It Something I Said?" for the uber-popular series. While we joked about the producers' targets at the time, it seems like the position was eventually fought over by at least two of the aforementioned three.

Ellis' comment about money suggests the paycheck might have been an enticing prospect for Van Sant with the director also a personal favorite for the franchise's breakout star, Robert Pattinson. It all seems perfectly lined up but why then didn't it happen then? Was Van Sant's vision far too "out there" for Summit to risk their golden calf? We guess it'll remain to be seen what transpired leading up to Condon's recruitment.

Van Sant is a busy man nevertheless but currently finishing of his own tale of young love in "Restless" due for release this fall. He also his long-gestating adaptation of the Dustin Lance Black-scribed "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" and, as we mentioned, the Ellis-scribed "The Golden Suicides" about the two artists Jeremy Blake and Theresa Duncan who mysteriously committed suicide, which is reportedly traveling well despite being an understandably tough sell.

“You can imagine what trying to sell a movie about two people killing themselves was like," Ellis explained. "It was a highly comic movie in its own right. And everyone said, ‘Oh, we’d love to see this movie, we just don’t want to pay any money to see it through."

Condon, on the other hand, he is preparing to direct the two-part conclusion to the 'Twilight' franchise with all key talent now on board.

-Thoughts?

Will Tom Cruise be giving his character from 'Tropic Thunder' his own movie?

Well, according to Cinematical, it's a possibility:

Tom Cruise as Les Grossman was easily the best part of Tropic Thunder. And that’s saying a lot. Tom Cruise as Les Grossman was easily the best part of last night’s MTV Movie Awards. Which isn’t saying much.

So, is the world ready for even more Les Grossman? Tom Cruise may be working on bringing everyone’s favorite foul-mouthed studio honcho back to the big screen in his very own movie. Fresh off the high from his performance with Jennifer Lopez at the MTV Movie Awards, Cruise told E! “We’re working on it. Yup, we’re working on it.”

Whether he was being completely serious or not has yet to be determined, but we’ll keep you posted if we hear any more news in regards to the project.

-I'm not convinced it'd be a good movie, but I'd love to see it for the lunacy that would no doubt occur...thoughts?

John Carpenter to direct another vampire flick, this time one with Hilary Swank?

Yes, via Variety:

John Carpenter has signed on to direct "Fangland," an updated version of Bram Stoker's Dracula set up with DAS Films and Blumhouse Prods.

Sriram Das and Jason Blum are producing. Tracy Underwood is also involved in a producing capacity.

"Fangland" is based on the 2007 novel by former "60 Minutes" producer John Marks. It's centered on a New York-based producer who travels to Romania for an interview with a notorious European arms dealer, who turns out to be a modern-day Dracula.

Mark Wheaton ("Friday the 13th") penned the adaptation.

Carpenter is in post-production on ghost story "The Ward" for indie Echo Lake, with Amber Heard starring as a haunted woman in a mental institution. Danielle Panabaker, Mamie Gummer and Lyndsy Fonseca also star.

"The Ward" is Carpenter's first directing gig since 2001's "Ghosts of Mars." Other credits include "Escape From New York," "Escape from L.A.," "Christine" and "Starman."

-Coming Soon adds the Swank casting news here, and I think it sounds very interesting, if slightly lowbrow for her...thoughts?

Is Jeremy Renner going to be playing Hawkeye in 'The Avengers'?

According to Collider, yes:

When it comes to Marvel casting this week, we’re getting incrementally closer to the real thing. The Josh Holloway item was just a rumor. Neil McDonough is “in talks” to play Dum Dum Dugan. But Jeremy Renner has been talking to Marvel about playing Clint Barton for some time, and now the actor is in “final negotiations” to join The Avengers as Hawkeye.

Renner’s star rose considerably over the last year after his Oscar-nominated turn in The Hurt Locker, which opened up such opportunities as Peter Berg’s adaptation of Battleship and Paul Thomas Anderson’s untitled opus on religion. Renner seems to have passed on Battleship, and the Anderson film could take awhile to come together, so the actor remains a free agent ready to don Hawkeye’s purple bow.

The ensemble cast required for The Avengers, which Joss Whedon (Firefly) will direct, is approaching completion. There’s Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man (of course), Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Chris Evans as Captain America, Scarlett Johanssen as Black Widow, and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. (Of course, the big missing piece is Hulk — no deal has been made with Edward Norton to reprise his role from 2008’s The Incredible Hulk.) Heat Vision reports that, to keep the budget under control, Marvel has talked all the featured players into a paycut.

This is all shaping up pretty fantastically. Renner is a great get, and if there is any legitimacy to the Josh Holloway rumor (as Ant-Man, perhaps?)… I would apparently be at a loss for words.

-I dig Renner in this role, personally...thoughts?

Daniel Craig to star in the remake of 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'?

The Wrap sure seems to think so:

One of the biggest roles in Hollywood is about to be taken off the table.

Daniel Craig is nearing a deal to take the lead role in a U.S. adaptation of the Swedish blockbuster trilogy, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," TheWrap has learned.

David Fincher will direct the crime thriller, based on a trilogy by the late Swedish novelist and journalist Stieg Larsson.

Actresses including Oscar-nominated Carey Mulligan have expressed interest in playing Lisbeth Salander, a computer hacker recruited by a journalist to find a woman who has been missing for 40 years. That part has not yet been cast, and other actresses including Keira Knightley and Natalie Portman have also expressed interest.

Craig would play journalist Mikael Blomkvist who is looking for the missing woman, Harriet Banger.

A Sony spokesman said, "We have not offered any roles to anyone nor are we negotiating with anyone."

While Brad Pitt has been reportedly considering the lead role, an individual close to the negotiations said that Craig was close to a deal. The James Bond star will fly out to Los Angeles on Friday to have dinner with Fincher, who's slated to direct the three-picture franchise for Sony.

The movie will shoot in October, and is slated for release in December 2011.

Larsson's "Millennium Trilogy," which includes "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo," "The Girl Who Played With Fire," and "The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest," has sold over 25 million copies around the world.

A Danish film adaptation of "Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" was released last year and has been playing internationally.

Negotiations between Craig and Sony aren't entirely finished, but TheWrap was told he's extremely close to signing. Brad Pitt was also reportedly considering the role.

Craig begins shooting on Jon Favreau's "Cowboys & Aliens" next week. "Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" would be his next movie.

-He certainly works for me...thoughts?

Paul Thomas Anderson's upcoming religion film potentially adds a few women to its cast!

Here's the story from Collider:

With director Paul Thomas Anderson’s (There Will be Blood) upcoming untitled religion film is getting ready to begin production this month, so we should expect some casting news in the coming weeks. The sure to be great (and controversial) film will be about “a charismatic intellectual who hatches a faith-based organization that begins to catch on in America in 1952.” Philip Seymour Hoffman has already been confirmed for the lead role of “The Master” and he’ll be joined by Jeremy Renner, who will be playing a drifter named Freddy who becomes the leader’s lieutenant. Last week we also reported that Reese Witherspoon was being offered the role of The Master’s much younger pregnant wife, Mary Sue

Now, Production Weekly (via The Playlist) is reporting that Amanda Seyfried (Dear John), Emma Stone (Zombieland), and Deborah Ann Woll (True Blood) are all being considered for the role of Elizabeth, The Master and Mary-Sue’s daughter. We’ll know soon enough who gets the part but with Seyfried filming The Girl With The Riding Hood and Stone filming The Help soon, it will be interesting to see how the schedules shake out. I’m sure Anderson will get a great performance out of the actress he ends up choosing but I do think it’s fascinating that all three actresses are in their 20s and will be playing the daughter of Reese Witherspoon, who is 34 years old. The Playlist says that in a previous draft of the script, the role was smaller but now may have been expanded. They also say it “will be an eye opener for any fans of the actress who lands the role.”

-I like what PTA is doing so far, and what I've read about the script sounds great...thoughts?

Who might end up directing 'The Hobbit' now?

Well, here's a list from Hit Fix (the whole article can be found here) that goes into who some of the possibilities (realistic and not) might be:

THE DREAM CHOICES

Steven Spielberg
Best known for: Being one of the greatest filmmakers in history.
Why: It took him quite awhile to commit to direct "War Horse" and his heart may not truly be in it. He's already worked with Jackson as a collaborator on "The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn." The legendary director has also recently waxed about wanting to create an immersive world like James Cameron did in "Avatar." Can you say "The Hobbit" in 3-D?
Available: If he delays the recently announced "War Horse," yes.
Would he do it: There a lot of bumps to get over to make it happen. First off, two years is a long time for Spielberg to commit to and its doubtful he'd spend a year shooting in New Zealand instead wanting to move much of the production to sound stages in LA (not cheap). "War Horse" is also a new DreamWorks film and delaying it would mean waiting over three years for Spielberg to direct a feature for his recently rebooted studio. That would not make investors Disney and Reliance very happy. More importantly, could his ego stand being, effectively, the "second choice" after del Toro departed?

Tim Burton
Best known for: "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," "Edward Scissorhands"
Why: Has virtually become a cinematic "brand" having created a legacy of iconic characters and memorable movie images.
Available: No? He's supposed to be prepping "Dark Shadows" for Warner Bros, but you'd have to guess the studio would let him delay that flick to work on their own "Hobbit."
Would he do it: Burton is hardly one to be meddlesome with scripts, but Jackson would have to give him huge leeway to present his own unique vision of Middle-earth.

Alfonso Cuaron
Best known for: "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," "Children of Men"
Why: One of the finest filmmakers of his generation who can easily segue from "Y tu mama tambien" to "Harry Potter."
Available: At the moment no. His new sci-fi thriller "Gravity" is about to begin production for Warner Bros. Afterward? Another story.
Would he do it: Considering he is good friends with del Toro he'd have to be intrigued, but the timing seems as though it could be off.


THE SAFE SECOND TIER

Robert Zemeckis
Best known for: "Back to the Future," "Forest Gump"
Why: Arguably one of the most creative commercial filmmakers over the last 30 years who just happened to be overshadowed by Spielberg, Scorsese and Cameron.
Available: In theory, yes.
Would he do it: After the disappointing results of "A Christmas Carol" and Disney shutting down their co-venture in motion capture, it may be time to return to the world of live action. And Middle-earth has more than its share of characters who could fit into the motion capture realm.

Gore Verbinski
Best known for: "Pirates of the Caribbean"
Why: He's been able to create a unique cinematic world with the "Pirates" films even if the scripts failed him at times. He's certainly talented.
Available: It appears so. Besides the animated "Rango," none of his projects in development are close to being greenlit.
Would he do it: Unclear. After spending years on the "Pirates" films does he want to dedicate two more shooting and editing two "Hobbit" features?

Andrew Adamson
Best known for: "Shrek," "The Chronicles of Naria: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"
Why: Extremely imaginative and talented New Zealander who has made a successful transition from animated blockbusters to live action blockbusters. And having made brought the first two "Narnia" books to the big screen he has an acute understanding of the detail that must be given to create an immersive, cinematic world.
Available: Having taken over two years off since "Prince Caspian," yes, he certainly is.
Would he do it: Considering it would allow him to live at home in New Zealand with his family and the respect and admiration he always heaped upon Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, it's hard to imagine him turning it down.

Sam Raimi
Best known for: "Spider-Man"
Why: He really wanted to direct it before del Toro got the gig.
Available: He's reportedly prepping "No Man's Land" after "Spider-Man 4" fell apart, but you have to imagine he'd quickly jump to the "Hobbit" if offered.
Would he do it: Uh, yeah, but after passing over him the first time, would Jackson actually hire him?


THE UNCONVENTIONAL REACHES

Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Best known for: "Amelie"
Why: Hands down one of the most inventive filmmakers ever.
Available: Seemingly.
Would he do it: His one experience with English language films, "Alien Resurrection" was hardly a happy one. Jackson would have to do a lot of convincing.

Joe Wright
Best know for: "Atonement"
Why: Incredibly talented filmmaker with a keen and unique visual sense.
Available: After he finishes shooting and editing the thriller "Hanna" (it's currently in production), yes.
Would he do it: Wright is a pretty strange guy for someone whose made his name in period pieces such as "Pride and Prejudice" and "Atonement." Your guess is as good as anyone else, but he'd be an unconventional, but exciting choice.

Danny Boyle
Best known for: "Slumdog Millionaire," "28 Days Later"
Why: Like Lee, he's been able to jump from different film genres while still keeping his unique perspective on the world. And simply, the man has an eye and a way with actors.
Available: He's in post-production on the thriller "127 days" which should release this November, but after that it appears so.
Would he do it: Boyle has admitted he's not a fan of the lack of freedom massive studio budgets entail, but with a few Oscars in his hands, he might feel it's time.

Timur Bekmambetov
Best known for: "Wanted"
Why: Groundbreaking visual filmmaker who continues to surprise.
Available: Probably not. He's supposed to direct an adaptation of "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter," "The Last Witch Hunter" and a somewhat delayed "Wanted" sequel for three different studios. That's a lot of gigs to push back for two years.
Would he do it: Sadly, it probably doesn't matter, the man may just be booked.

Ang Lee
Best known for: "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,""Brokeback Mountain," "Hulk"
Why: The Oscar winner has shown an uncanny ability to succeed at multiple genres throughout his career.
Available: Unclear. Lee's next film, "The Life of Pi," is rumored to be on hold over budget concerns.
Would he do it: Another ego question. Would Lee be able to collaborate with Jackson? Unless he has creative freedom, it might not be worth it to him.

Neill Blomkamp
Best known for: "District 9"
Why: Protege of Jackson's who made a spectacular and critically acclaimed debut with "District 9."
Available: Supposedly prepping a secret project for film financier Media Rights Capital. If so, that's a "no."
Would he do it: Even with his friendship with Jackson, very unclear.

Paul Greengrass
Best known for: "The Bourne Supremacy"
Why: He's no stranger to genre having almost directed "Watchmen" and after "Green Zone" he needs a hit and to show he can do something other than his increasingly repetitive hand held aesthetic.
Available: It depends how quickly he can shoot and edit Universal's drama "They Marched Into Sunlight."
Would he do it: Unclear, but his agent will certainly want him to pitch it.


ONLY TO AVOID BRETT RATNER OR McG

Francis Lawrence
Best known for: "Constantine," "I Am Legend"
Why: Criticisms over script choices aside for both his big screen efforts, the man has vision. Plus, he did stellar work on the underappreciated NBC series "Kings."
Available: Not at the moment. He's currently filming the drama "Water for Elephants" for 20th Century Fox.
Would he do it: Unclear.

Bryan Singer
Best known for "X2," "The Usual Suspects"
Why: He's had his share of success with genre franchise and publicly stated his preference for films with multiple character storylines.
Available: Since "Jack the Giant Killer" is on hold for casting and script reasons, he sort of is.
Would he do it: Are you kidding? Singer has attached himself to more genre projects than any other studio director in town. Whether Jackson wants to deal with the "reformed" infant terrible is another matter.

Neil Marshall
Best known for: "The Descent"
Why: On a strikingly similar career path to Jackson's before he was able to get "The Lord of the Rings" off the ground. Deja vu?
Available: Seemingly.
Would he do it: Would be career suicide to turn it down.

-Who would you pick?

Has the list of actors in line to play Spider-Man thinned?

Indeed it has, and The Hollywood Reporter has the list of the finalists Marc Webb is choosing from:

Even as Alvin Sargent rewrites the script for Columbia’s rebooted “Spider-Man,” director Marc Webb has been ensnaring actors in his web(b) in his search for the new Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man.

Webb has been meeting and reading actors quietly for several months, but the list has narrowed in the past week or two. No screen tests have been conducted at this early stage (though it will be a requirement), and insiders point out that the director and studio are still on the lookout.

The candidates for the web-slinger include:

-- Jamie Bell: The 24-year-old English actor, repped by WME and Artists Independent Management, who made his film debut playing the title character in “Billy Elliot,” has been doing the proper British actor thing in period movies such as “Nicholas Nickleby” and “Jane Eyre” (he’s also appeared in Hollywood movies such as Peter Jackson’s “King Kong” and Ed Zwick’s “Defiance”). More important, he’s already stepped into the comics world by portraying Tintin in Jackson and Steven Spielberg’s “The Adventures of Tintin” movie, which won’t hit screens until December 2011.

-- Alden Ehrenreich: The Los Angeles-born 20-year-old has a juicy backstory, having been “discovered” by Spielberg, who saw a comedy video starring Ehrenreich at a bat mitzvah of his daughter’s friend. A couple of TV appearances followed, but the actor’s next big leap came when he was cast by Francis Ford Coppola in 2009’s “Tetro.” He is repped by WME.

-- Frank Dillane: The 19-year-old Brit’s main credit is last year’s “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” where he played a young Tom Riddle. Is a minor role in a “Potter” film a good springboard for a mega-franchise? It worked for Robert Pattinson.

-- Andrew Garfield: The L.A.-born actor had a short stint on a BBC TV series called “Sugar Rush” but gained notices for playing a young reporter in a gritty British TV movie trilogy titled “Red Riding.” The 27-year-old appeared in “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” and will be seen in David Fincher’s movie about Facebook, “The Social Network.” He is repped by CAA and the Collective.

-- Josh Hutcherson: The youngest actor of the bunch -- he turns 18 this year -- is also the one with the most experience. The past six years alone have seen the Kentucky-born kid rack up credits with key roles in Jon Favreau’s “Zathura,” drama “Bridge to Terabithia” and the upcoming “Red Dawn” remake. He appears in the Sundance hit “The Kids Are All Right,” which insider buzz suggests could be an Oscar contender, and starred with Brendan Fraser in “Journey to the Center of the Earth.”

Hutcherson, repped by ICM and Beddingfield, just signed on to star in the “Journey” sequel, and that movie could prove a fly in the ointment if the actor’s schedule collides with “Spider-Man.” (Though you can bet every effort would be made to make it work.)

The group of actors seems to fall in line with what Webb has been looking to do with his take on Spider-Man, which is to cast relative unknowns in a story that roots Parker back in high school. The movie will be an angst-ridden tale of a teen dealing with the knowledge that his uncle died even though he had the power to stop it.

Columbia wants to begin production by year’s end, but Webb and the studio are taking their time choosing the actor while Sargent gets the script in spider-shape.

A Columbia spokesperson did not comment on the casting process, saying “There have been a number of names floated online and almost every week, someone calls with a new rumor. We are not commenting on the casting process or rumors such as these.”

-I lean towards Hutcherson or Garfield...who do you prefer?

'Heavy Rain' could be the next big Video Game adaptation coming to theaters...

...according to this in Deadline, at least:

An auction of screen rights for the PlayStation3 game Heavy Rain is coming to a close. I'm told a deal is near with Unique Features, the film shingle started by Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne after they exited New Line.
Using their own money, Shaye and Lynne posted top bid in an auction held by CAA on behalf of game developers Quantic Dream.
Heavy Rain has sold 1 million units since its release in February. The game's combination of murder, rain and an inherent atmospheric gloom evokes memories of the David Fincher-directed Seven, one of the formative blockbusters at New Line when Shaye and Lynne grew that company into a rival to the majors.
Players hunt the “Origami Killer,” a serial murderer who drowns his victims four days after they are abducted, leaving only a small origami figure and an orchid on the corpse. The game becomes a procedural in which four characters try to solve the crime after another potential victim is kidnapped.
Unique has a first look deal with Warner Bros, but Shaye liked it enough to use his own money and not wait for approval to buy it. A deal should be sealed shortly.

-I enjoyed the game a lot and can see a decently good movie coming out of it, if they handle some of the plot holes...thoughts?

Mike Leigh's 'Another Year' is drawing major interest at Cannes!

Deadline has the story:

The Mike Leigh-directed film Another Year is the first Cannes Festival premiere that has sparked interest from the domestic distributor crowd. Everybody got a look at it this weekend, and I'm hearing that Sony Pictures Classics and The Weinstein Company are in the mix and a deal could happen quick. The film that domestic distributors are most eagerly waiting to see is Biutiful, the Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu-directed Spanish language film that stars Javier Bardem. The Babel and Amores Perros is a world class auteur. He's gotten world class deals for his recent movies, and it will be interesting to see how this plays out. The herd of domestic distributors for prestige pictures has thinned, and many of the survivors don't usually traffic in foreign language films. Part of the reason is their ancillary output deals exclude subtitled fare.

-Stay tuned to see where the film lands...thoughts?

Did Charlie Kaufman just do a script polish for the 'Kung Fu Panda' sequel?

He sure did, according to The Hollywood Reporter:

Charlie Kaufman, the Oscar-winning writer behind “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and films such as “Adaptation” and “Being John Malkovich,” has headed off into an unexpected direction: animation.

The scribe is coming off of less than two weeks worth of work on DreamWorks Animation’s “Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom of Doom,” the sequel to the fun 2008 movie that had the voice talent of Jack Black, Angelina Jolie and Dustin Hoffman.

His work on “Kaboom” falls under the polish category, and animated movies tend to be worked on by multiple writers, so it’s not fair to say this will be a Kaufman cartoon. But it will be interesting to see, when the movie is released in 2011, how much of the Kaufman stamp it will bear.

And it’s also interesting to think about the potentially other secret assignments the UTA-repped Kaufman may have taken over the years in order to be keep working on his unique projects. (There was a four-year gap in between “Spotless Mind” and “Synecdoche, New York,” which he also directed.”)

-I'd love to know what other projects he may have had a hand in...thoughts?

Is David Fincher going to be helming the remake of '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea'?

Well, The Hollywood Reporter seems to think so:

Captain Nemo and his Nautilus are surfacing again.

Months after deep-sixing a McG-helmed version of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," Disney is in negotiations with David Fincher to direct, and hot "Bourne Ultimatum" scribe Scott Z. Burns to write, a new take on the classic Jules Verne story.

The project came together after Fincher approached Disney's new production head Sean Bailey a few weeks into his job this winter. The Oscar-nominated helmer wanted to tackle a four-quadrant tentpole movie, somewhat of a departure from the dark, R-rated dramas such as "Fight Club" and "Zodiac" (or even "Curious Case of Benjamin Button") that he's done in the past.

The project was being developed under the radar as Bailey settled into his position under new studio topper Rich Ross, then gained steam in the past few days with Fincher and Burns entering talks for deals.

First published in 1869, the classic science fiction novel is in the public domain. But ever since Disney's Kirk Douglas-starring version was released in 1954, the studio and the Verne story -- about a group of men who encounter a vengeful scientific genius and his warlike submarine -- have been linked in the public's mind. Last year, Disney was fast-tracking a $150 million "Leagues" that would have served as an origin story for Nemo. But the project was the first of several to be sunk by Ross when he took over the studio from Dick Cook in the fall (ironically, given Fincher's involvement, the dark tone of the McG version was a concern for the new regime).

It's not surprising that Disney would revisit "Leagues." Ross has said his mandate is to make wide-appeal, pre-branded entertainment. And while plotlines are being kept submerged, the Fincher/Burns take on the material is described as being in the vein of "Star Wars" or "The Empire Strikes Back." It will aim to be visually dazzling.

Burns, who penned Steven Soderbergh's latest "Contagion" as well as "The Informant!," will begin writing immediately. That should give Fincher, who is in post on "The Social Network" for Sony, time to direct another movie (possibly "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," also for Sony, but his name has surfaced in connection with a host of projects) before jumping into "Leagues."

-Not the first project I'd associate Fincher with, but I think he could make it very interesting...thoughts?

Did Pixar's 'Newt' get canceled?

Apparently so, according to Collider:

It’s hard to imagine that Pixar's sorcery couldn’t make any project thrive, but such is the case as today we’ve learned that they’ve canceled their upcoming film, Newt. The Pixar Blog reports that they learned from Walt Disney Company archivist Dave Smith (or a representative), that “the film has been canceled.” This wasn’t totally out of left field. Newt was originally slated to hit theaters next summer, but was moved back to 2012 to make room for Cars 2. However, with both Brave (formerly The Bear and the Bow) and Monsters, Inc. 2 set for 2012, Newt mysteriously disappeared from the schedule. And then in February, Disney legend and animation industry insider Floyd Newman said point blank, “Newt is dead.” Looks like he was right. Sadly, Cars 2 lives even though I think the largest success of the first film was in the ability to sell disgusting loads of merchandise. Newt sounded far more interesting.

Here was the plot synopsis offered for Newt from back in 2008:

What happens when the last remaining male and female blue-footed newts on the planet are forced together by science to save the species, and they can’t stand each other? That’s the problem facing Newt and Brooke, heroes of “newt,” the Pixar film by seven-time Academy Award(R) winner for sound Gary Rydstrom, and director of Pixar’s Oscar-nominated short, “Lifted.” Newt and Brooke embark on a perilous, unpredictable adventure and discover that finding a mate never goes as planned, even when you only have one choice. Love, it turns out, is not a science.

-Sad to see Pixar abandon a project, but in Pixar I trust...thoughts?

Will 'Captain America' be Marvel's first 3D flick?

Perhaps, according to Cinematical:

With 3D films being seen as a license to print money, it's not at all surprising that Marvel would be pondering when to jump on the bandwagon. Rumors abounded that Iron Man would be converted into 3D, to accompany a 3D Iron Man 2. Those proved to be unfounded, though Kevin Feige admitted to Heat Vision that they thought about it, but ran out of time in post production. "We couldn't have turned over a version of the movie 10 or 20 weeks earlier for 3-D conversion without undermining the quality," he said. "We used all the time we had for mixing and editing and discovering the right tone." (Seeing the quick-and-dirty 3D Clash of the Titans may have helped that decision too!)

If Marvel is going to do 3D, they want to do 3D right. "The team has been doing a lot of research into 3-D processes, and we're looking at it on future films when we have the time," Feige said. "We will be doing it at some point." That point may be Thor (which wasn't shot on 3D cameras and would have to be converted in post), but it's far more likely to be The First Avenger: Captain America. That begins shooting this summer in England, giving them ample time to use 3D cameras and all kinds of technological wizardry. It would also be a pretty ideal character to debut 3D with -- Cap is, after all, known for throwing that indestructible shield of his. He also slams people around a lot. It's the ideal prop for 3D, moreso than Mjolnir. (That's my humble opinion, of course.)

Of course, to those who really don't care for 3D, this will come as a bitter disappointment. If there's one thing the Marvel Universe might not need, it's more bells and whistles. Then again, the possibility of seeing Iron Man do 3D pelvic thrusts is an awfully tempting one.

-I trust Marvel to not do conversion, but we'll see...thoughts?

Harvey Weinstein to make a splash at Cannes...

...but not in the way you'd expect, according to Deadline:

We hear the deal to put the Miramax name and library under new ownership is done. But the reason there is no announcement is that Harvey Weinstein wants to make a publicity splash at the Cannes Film Festival which kicks off Wednesday. [UPDATE: Harvey's camp just told us: "We'd love to announce at Cannes. We're very close but if you go to Loeb & Loeb on the 25th floor, there are 3 boardrooms of people still negotiating." Deadline stands by its story.]

We've learned that the Weinstein Brothers/Ron Burkle/Fortress-Colbeck partnership has finally settled for a price of around $650 million — which, on the surface, seems like more than Burkle wanted to pay, and less than Disney expected to receive. [UPDATE: The Weinsteins will claim the price is "under $625M", but Disney will privately say it's "above $650M" and more like $700M.]

You may remember that Deadline (which broke the story that Disney was selling the Miramax library in the first place) predicted that the parent company would haggle a higher price than the $625 million Burkle was offering at the start of his exclusive negotiating window with the studio starting April 17th. That window was supposed to remain open for only 5 days, but extended because of a strategic end game.

In order to get the price down for Burkle and up for Disney, both sides engaged in some last minute bargaining over the timetable for expected receivables and the list of included assets. Team Harvey tried to convince Disney to move some or all of those $200M receivables coming in for the next 36 months to the 2009 calendar year, so it would look as if Burkle were paying less for Miramax than he actually is. (Burkle is putting up 1/2 the sale price, with the NY hedge fund Fortress-Colbeck footing the rest. The Weinsteins put up no money.) Meanwhile, Disney stuck firm to its $700 million price, until enough real assets had been taken out of the proposed transaction on the table so the studio didn't feel as if it were selling Miramax at a discount.

Both sides met in the middle on both issues. So don’t believe the hype: the real price Miramax fetched was $700 million. Disney got rid of a defunct asset at a decent price. And Burkle wound up paying above and beyond the $500M it's probably worth. And Harvey and Bob come away with no equity but at least bragging rights to the company named after their parents Miriam and Max, and distribution rights and fees to manage the Miramax library they initially sold to Disney in 1993 for $80 million and then built into 600 titles until the bros were forced to leave it behind in 2005 after a prolonged falling out with Michael Eisner.

One issue that never received any publicity is how Harvey privately used his remaining leverage with Disney to threaten to screw over anyone else who was even thinking of buying Miramax. Under their exit deal in 2005, the Weinstein bros were able to retain a hold over sequel or reboot rights to films like Scream, Spy Kids and some other Dimension titles. Harv, in his inimitable way, was warning Disney and the other buyers that he would do what he could to make developing those projects a nightmare. It was a threat not lost on Disney, which is why the studio is so happy now to be rid of Miramax and finally, Harvey.

But this time, Harvey has met his match in Ron Burkle, who has a history of going to court against anyone involved in his financial investments whom he thinks steps out of line. Just ask Mike Ovitz, Anne Hathaway's former fiance, and Barnes & Noble, which Burkle last week sued over a poison pill provision that prevents him from acquiring 20% or more of the book retailer in order to have a say in how it's run.

-Thoughts?

What does Jon Favreau have in mind for Iron Man 3 if he ends up directing it?

Well, Collider has some details:

Director Jon Favreau is already looking ahead to Iron Man 3 even though he admits he has no idea what it will look like until after the events of Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, and The Avengers. However, he told MTV that he would still like to have Iron Man's arch-nemesis The Mandarin be the film’s villain. For those unfamiliar with the character, he’s a Fu-Manchu-looking Asian caricature who possesses ten magical rings. Favreau admits that the character from the comics will require some alterations, but he’s been setting up Mandarin’s presence in the last two films. The terrorist organization in the first Iron Man is part of the “Ten Rings” and if you look through the credits of Iron Man 2, you’ll see Ali Khan credited as “10 Rings Gangster” (he’s the one who hands Vanko the forged ID and travel documents).

I like that Favreau’s willing to say “I don’t know” at this point and it should now be clear that he’s taking the time to make Cowboys and Aliens (which comes out next summer) so that the Marvel Universe can simmer before jumping into a third Iron Man movie without knowing how Tony Stark is going to fare during and after The Avengers.

-A lot will depend on who the hire to write it, if it even happens...thoughts

Anthony Hopkins to play the villain in the action flick 'Arabian Nights'?

Quite possibly, according to The Hollywood Reporter:

Anthony Hopkins is in final negotiations to play the villain in “Arabian Nights,” an action-adventure pic directed by Chuck Russell.

Inferno’s Bill Johnson is producing with Mark Ciardi and Gordon Gray of Mayhem Pictures. ROAR also is producing.

Written by Russell and Barry P. Ambrose, the period epic centers on a young commander (Liam Hemsworth) who, after his king is murdered in a coup, joins forces with Sinbad, Ali Baba and the Genie from the magic lamp to rescue the queen, Scheherazade.

Hopkins will play Pharotu, an evil sorcerer who killed Sinbad’s love, a mermaid, and is looking to amass more magic for himself.

An end-of-summer shoot is being eyed.

Inferno is planning a year-end shoot for “The Grey,” an action project to star Bradley Cooper and to be directed by Joe Carnahan. The company will be in Cannes giving buyers updates on its projects and could announce additions to its slate.

Hopkins, repped by UTA and Independent Talent Group, already is known for playing one of the most-feared bad guys in film, Hannibal Lecter. The actor recently wrapped a turn as Odin in Marvel’s “Thor” and is starring in supernatural thriller “The Rite,” shooting in Hungary.

-Thoughts?