'The Green Hornet' gets delayed till 2011 to get converted to 3D...

...like every other project these days, it seems. Here's the story from Variety:

"The Green Hornet" is going 3D, but it's also on the move: Sony Pictures is moving the Seth Rogen starrer from the prime holiday slot of Dec. 22 to the slower Martin Luther King weekend.

The Michel Gondry-helmed pic will now open Jan. 14, 2011.

The studio bristled at the notion that bad buzz surrounding the project played a role in its decision to abandon one of choicest days on the box office calendar. Instead, Sony said that once the decision was made to incorporate 3D during the production process, "Green Hornet" needed to find a frame with sufficient digital screens. A number of 3D pics have already staked out December slots including "Tron: Legacy" and "Yogi Bear."

"We've had a lot of success with the Martin Luther King frame, including 'Paul Blart,'" said the studio's marketing and distribution topper Jeff Blake. "We couldn't be more excited about 'Green Hornet.' In fact, we're doubling down by making it 3D."

-I'm still hoping this flick turns out good, but it really needs to stop shuffling release dates...thoughts?

Christoph Waltz must really like playing the bad guy, since he's now going to be the villain in 'Green Hornet'...

Variety has the story on the bit of interesting casting:

Christoph Waltz, who is generating raves for his role as a Nazi in "Inglorious Basterds," has signed on to play the villain in Columbia Pictures' action comedy "The Green Hornet."

Waltz will play Chudnofsky, a Los Angeles crime boss who tries to unite the city's various gangs in order to form a supermafia.

The Austrian actor replaces Nicolas Cage, who had been in talks to take the role but walked away from negotiations last week when a contract couldn't be finalized.

Seth Rogen plays the titular role in "Hornet," a newspaper publisher by day who becomes a masked crime fighter at night. Asian pop star Jay Chou plays his martial arts-skilled sidekick and chauffeur Kato, while Cameron Diaz plays the love interest.

Waltz, who's a regular on German television, won the best actor award at the Cannes Intl. Film Festival for his role in "Basterds." His credits also include the films "Lapislazuli," "Gun-Shy," "Falling Rocks," "Ordinary Decent Criminal" and "Goldeneye."

Michel Gondry is helming "Hornet" from a script by Rogen and Evan Goldberg, that's based upon "The Green Hornet" radio series by George W. Trendle. Neal H. Moritz is producing.

Pic, which had originally been skedded for release next summer, will now bow Dec. 17, 2010.

-I hope he doesn't get typecast as an evildoer, but this film certainly got a hell of a villain...thoughts?

Today's Posters: An International Poster for Funny People, The Open Road, and Beeswax

-Thoughts?

Thoughts on Funny People?

Since we all know that I loved it, it's only fair that you tell us here at The Awards Circuit what you thought of Judd Apatow's latest.
Will Adam Sandler be a threat for a Best Actor nomination? Will the film, its writing, or its direction, make a play for a nod? Did you even like it? Is it Apatow's best? Worst?
-Let us know!

Awards Circuit Exclusive Funny People Reviews!

Indeed, we at The Awards Circuit have two of the very first reviews of Funny People available anywhere. Take a look here and let us know what you think!
There are also some updates to coincide with this on the Tracker Page, which you can see here.
-Enjoy our early review (and rave) of Funny People!

Quick thoughts from last night's early screening of Funny People

In short, it's Apatow's best work yet, a deserving contender for Best Picture, some of Adam Sandler's most mature acting (Rogen and Mann do career best work as well), and as much as anything, a hilarious movie. Judd Apatow has expanded on the winning formula he has and crafted a hysterical drama. It's one of the best of the year...here is my review, along with Keith's.

Today's News: 'Bridget Jones' to write a new entry in her Diary, Hugh Jackman comes calling with 'Avon', What's next for Darren Aronofsky, and more...

In the news:

Get ready for more Bridget Jones as a third film is in the works.

Hugh Jackman is an 'Avon Man' it seems.

Darren Aronofsky's involvement with the remake of 'Robocop' could be in limbo (or continue on with a new director), depending on when he gets his supernatural drama 'Black Swan', starring Natalie Portman, off the ground.

It seems as though Stephen Chow will not be Seth Rogen's Kato in the upcoming 'Green Hornet' flick.

Russell Brand gets family friendly by lending his voice to an animated film.

A real good cast is lined up for Stanley Tucci's film that he wrote and will direct.

Emily Blunt will be the female lead in Matt Damon's upcoming sci-fi flick.

Finally, if you're curious about the latest in MPAA ratings, look here.

-Thoughts?

Funny People gets an International Trailer that continues to make the film look better and better

This is by far the most revealing of the trailers so far, and while I'm not sure if they give too much away, having read the script (I know, I say that too much) I continue to be more and more encouraged as to this being something special:

Today's News: Judd Apatow's 'Funny People' comes to the Big Apple early at a special screening, Natalie Portman joins the cast of 'Thor', and more...

In the news:

New Yorkers looking to see Funny People over a week early and spend "An Evening with Judd Apatow" may want to take note of this special early screening.

Natalie Portman has been cast as the love interest in Marvel's upcoming comic book flick 'Thor'.

This article in The Hollywood Reporter compares Bruno's box office take to Borat's.

Jackie Chan signs on to Mr. Miyagi it up in the remake of 'The Karate Kid'.

Thoughts?

The new Trailer for Judd Apatow's 'Funny People' goes for the laughs instead of the Oscar votes...

...and might have added some by doing so. Here it is:

Montreal to get some Funny People a week early

Variety has the story on the impending debut of the latest Judd Apatow film/Oscar hopeful:
Judd Apatow's "Funny People," starring Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen, will unspool at Montreal's 13th Just for Laughs Film Festival a week before its U.S. release.
Co-stars Aziz Ansari and Aubrey Plaza will attend the screening July 25; the comedy goes wide Stateside July 31.
The fest, which unveiled part of its program Monday, opens July 10 with Gallic star Jean Dujardin at the screening of his "OSS 117: Lost in Rio" -- one of a slew of French pics at the event.
Broken Lizard members Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter and Erik Stolhanske will be on hand July 22 to introduce "Broken Lizard's the Slammin' Salmon," which stars the troupe and Michael Clarke Duncan, at its Canadian preem.
Helmer Bobcat Goldthwait will be at the fest for the screening of "World's Greatest Dad," starring Robin Williams as a teacher who wants to become a professional writer.
Thesp Joshua Leonard will tubthump "Humpday," which also stars Mark Duplass. Writer-thesp Charlyne Yi will be on hand to introduce her pic, "Paper Heart."
The 18-day fest is the film component of the Montreal Just for Laughs comedy festival.
-It's no secret that I'm a champion of the script and think that it has some real potential in this year's Oscar race...in about a month we'll all have a better idea though...

Seth Rogen to reunite with Superbad director Greg Mottola...with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost along for the ride!

Variety has the story on the casting:
Universal and Working Title Films have added Seth Rogen, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader and Jane Lynch to the cast of "Paul."
The road trip laffer stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost and will be directed by Greg Mottola.
Pegg and Frost, who wrote the script, will play two science-fiction fanatics on a road trip whose conspiracy dreams come true when they trek to Area 51 and encounter the title character, an escaped alien.
Rogen will provide the voice of the alien.
Working Title partners Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan will produce with Nira Park of Big Talk Prods. Shooting begins in June.
Pegg and Frost starred together previously in the Working Title-produced "Hot Fuzz" and "Shaun of the Dead."
Rogen last worked with Mottola on "Superbad." Hader also starred in that film, and just worked with Mottola and Wiig on "Adventureland."
Working Title and U most recently completed the Paul Greengrass-directed "The Green Zone," and the Richard Curtis-directed "The Boat That Rocked."
-Everything seems in place for a memorable comedy, but time will tell on that front...what do you think?

TV Spot for Funny People

This is a decent spot, showing off some stuff from the script that I liked...it has great potential, but once it comes out, we'll know if Apatow pulled it off completely or not...what do you think?

Worried that Judd Apatow's latest film "Funny People" is too long?

Well, Patrick Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times sure is, and he writes about it in this article:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2009/05/memo-to-judd-apatow-your-movie-is-too-long.html

-Yes, 150 minutes is very long for a comedy, but as someone who has read the script (and will have a review of the script coming soon), it only affirms that Apatow has been able to tell the story that he set out to tell, and if all turns out well, this will be by far his best film. Plenty could change from the script I read to the film we'll see in theaters, but if all remains the same, it should be something special.

-Time will tell, but what do you think? Can any comedy work at 2 and a half hours long?

Seth Rogen collides with Michel Gondry

The result...Green Hornet has a director. Here's Variety's story on the matter:

Columbia has set Michel Gondry to direct "The Green Hornet," and the studio has set a June 25, 2010, release date for the film.
Seth Rogen plays the title character, and Stephen Chow will play his sidekick, Kato.
Rogen wrote the script with Evan Goldberg. Neal Moritz is producing through is Original Film banner.
Gondry, best known for far-out fare like "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "The Science of Sleep" and "Human Nature," brings an unusual sensibility to what will be the most overtly commercial film of his career.
He got the job after presenting a vision that wowed production presidents Doug Belgrad and Matt Tolmach. They had been looking for a director since late last year, when Chow ("Kung Fu Hustle") bowed out over creative differences (Daily Variety, Dec. 19).
Chow decided at that time to remain in the picture playing the Kato role (made famous by Bruce Lee), and that remains the case despite rampant Internet speculation that he ankled completely.
"The Green Hornet," which began on the radio in the 1930s and is best remembered for an incarnation as a '60s TV show, has had a long, tortured track to the bigscreen.
At one time, George Clooney was pay or play at Universal to star as the masked hero, only to have Steven Spielberg pry him loose so that Clooney could star in DreamWorks' first live-action feature, the 1997 drama "The Peacemaker."
Rogen and Goldberg are executive producers.
Gondry most recently helmed "Be Kind Rewind" and his next film, "Tokyo!" will be released March 6

-Very cool news to me.

Judd Apatow's next film "Funny People gets a "Funny Trailer"

-I read the script and loved it, very different to what you expect from his other films...especially in terms of Rogen's character, which is essentially a dramatic role...I'm incredibly excited for this...how bout you guys and gals? FYC Judd Apatow for Original Screenplay?

Poster for Observe and Report

Kind of old school...I can dig it....the red band trailer hooked me, so I'm in for this