Movie and TV News

[Captain Barbossa]

Guillermo Del Toro in Talks to Direct The Hobbit

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Guillermo del Toro may be getting ready to enter Middle Earth as the Spanish director is in talks to direct The Hobbit and The Hobbit Sequel.

His success in the fantasy genre (Pan's Labyrinth) as well as his grasp of the fanboy culture was what put him on a short list of directors to take over the project. No writer has been hired as of yet, due to the writers strike.

Peter Jackson was originally set to write and direct, but the project was shelved due to his dispute over financial reasons. Jackson is now on board as executive producer.

The films will shoot back-to-back, with shooting tentatively set to commence in 2009, with the first film to hit theaters in 2010, and the second to follow in 2011.

Touching Tributes Paid to Heath Ledger by Chris Nolan and Daniel Day-Lewis

When Heath Ledger passed away unexpectedly, his death attracted attention from the media, fans, and from his colleagues in the film-making industry. Ledger had recently completed filming the role of the Joker in Chris Nolan's The Dark Knight, the sequel to Batman Begins. Chris Nolan, in Newsweek, shared his thoughts about the actor.

Nolan described Ledger as having "real charisma - as invisible and natural as gravity." He also says that Ledger was "bursting with creativity. It was in his every gesture." Nolan relates the fact that Ledger "once told me that he liked to wait between jobs until he was creatively hungry. Until he needed it again. He brought that attitude to our set every day. There aren't many actors who can make you feel ashamed of how often you complain about doing the best job in the world. Heath was one of them."

On a related note, at the Screen Actors Guild award ceremony, Daniel Day-Lewis was awarded the Actor for his role in There Will Be Blood. At the ceremony, Day-Lewis dedicated his award to Heath Ledger - an actor he had never personally worked with.

Watch below to see video of Daniel Day-Lewis making his dedication.

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First Look at Will Smith's Hancock Superhero Outfit

We've all seen the trailer for Will Smith in Hancock. (And if you haven't, then you need to go check it out here.) So, we know that the film features a down-on-his luck superhero, who initially appears dressed as a typical homeless person. However, the film concerns his transformation from loser to hero, complete with superhero makeover.

Rope of Silicon has pointed us to the first pictures of Smith in his superheroic costumer, which they obtained from Cine21

Check out the pictures below!

[Captain Barbossa]

New Photos and an Update on Punisher: War Zone

Director Lexi Alexander has updated her blog with a new post and a couple of screen shots of Ray Stevenson as Frank Castle in her upcoming sequel Punisher: War Zone. Take a look at the photos below:



First Images from the Coen Brothers' Burn After Reading!

Successful directing-writing-producing duo Joel and Ethan Coen have just finished their next film, a dark spy comedy called Burn After Reading. According to IMDB, images of the higly anticipated film were released today. In the film, John Malkovich stars as a CIA official whose memoir accidentally falls into the hand's of two unwise gym employees intent on exploiting their find. Burn After Reading is expected to hit theaters later this year, until then here are a couple of images to tide you over.











Burn After Reading will be released later this year.

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker Are Gearing Up for the Next Fast and the Furious Sequel

Vin Diesel has confirmed that he and Paul Walker have agreed to star in the highly anticipated The Fast and the Furious 4. According to MTV movieblog, production for the fourth high-speed sequel is set to begin sometime this year.

Vin Diesel is reported to be quite enthused to portray the character of Dominic Toretto one more time, along-side fellow furious cast mate Paul Walker. Universal Pictures has reportedly signed Justin Lin to direct the sequel, with a screenplay written by Chris Morgan.

The Fast and the Furious 4 is scheduled to be released on June 5th, 2009.

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Watch Jim Carrey Bungee Jump Off a Bridge for Yes Man!

Earlier today, we were invited down to Pasadena to watch Jim Carrey jump off the Historic Colorado Street Bridge. The comedic icon performed the stunt himself for his upcoming feature film Yes Man. To see this death-defying leap, click on the video clip below (Watch for official footage of the press conference which is coming soon)...

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Sam Raimi Developing Wizard's First Rule

"Spider-Man" franchise director Sam Raimi is teaming with Disney-ABC Domestic Television and ABC Studios on a new first-run, live-action weekly series targeted for a fall launch, says The Hollywood Reporter.

The series, titled "Wizard's First Rule," is based on Terry Goodkind's best-selling epic fantasy series "The Sword of Truth."

"Sword" follows the extraordinary transformation of woodsman Richard Cypher into a magical leader who joins with a mysterious woman to stop a bloodthirsty tyrant.

Raimi is executive producing the hourlong series with Robert Tapert (The Grudge), Joshua Donen (The Quick and the Dead) and "Xena: Warrior Princess" production executive Ned Nalle. Disney-ABC Domestic TV is distributing, and ABC Studios is producing.

Production on 22 episodes is slated to begin in May.

"Wizard's First Rule," Goodkind's first installment in the "Sword of Truth" series, was published in 1994, followed by 10 additional titles.

New Hellboy II: The Golden Army Art!

Universal Pictures has debuted new Hellboy II: The Golden Army art--a first look at Johann Krauss--on the film's official production site!

Hitting theaters on July 11 and written/directed by Guillermo del Toro, the sequel stars Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, Luke Goss, Thomas Kretschmann, Anna Walton, Brian Steele and Roy Dotrice.

[Captain Barbossa]

New Dark Knight Photos

Scooper 'Enache Tiberiu' has sent us some new photos from The Dark Knight, opening in theaters on July 18. The Christopher Nolan-directed film stars Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman.







Heath Ledger's death may have been natural

Heath Ledger may have died from natural causes, not a drug overdose, because the amount of drugs in his system was too low to have killed him, it has been reported.

TMZ, the celebrity website that broke the news of the actor's death last Tuesday, quoted sources "intimately connected with the investigation" saying that the 28-year-old may have died from a heart attack.

"It's now appearing that the level of toxicity (from medication) in Ledger's system was low enough that it may not have caused his death. These sources say Heath's heart stopped," the website reported.

Initial tests on the body of the star of Brokeback Mountain proved inconclusive, but Ledger's family has insisted that he would not have taken his own life.

In an article published yesterday, Sarah Lyall, who conducted the last interview with the actor in November, said Ledger "did not seem depressed, or suicidal or whacked out from drugs" when they met.

"What he seemed was exhausted," Lyall told the Observer. "It looked to me like the sort of fatigue you get not from being tired of life, but from being too full of it - too full of plans, too full of self-analysis, too full of noisy thoughts that won't stay quiet."

The actress Naomi Watts, Ledger's former girlfriend, was reported to have visited the Los Angeles mortuary where his body was being kept. She was also said to have joined Ledger's family and friends in a private memorial ceremony.

His body was expected to be flown to Australia today, where it was thought that a funeral would be held in Perth, his home city.

On Saturday evening a moving tribute by Ledger's father, Kim, in which he remembered his son riding a skateboard through the streets of New York, was read out during an Australian ball at the city's Waldorf Astoria hotel.

"Heath did not become an actor for the fame or fortune," Mr Ledger wrote of his son.

"He loved his craft and he loved helping his friends. He loved chess and skateboarding too. My image of Heath in New York is him with his skateboard, a canvas bag and his beanie. "

"That was Heath to me."

An iconic photo of Ledger, smiling and leaning back in a cowboy hat in Brokeback Mountain, was projected onto a screen as Australia's consul-general to the US, John Olsen, read out the tribute.

"Heath is, and always will be, an Australian," wrote Mr Ledger, who flew to America to escort his son's body back to Perth. "He adored his home. His last two weeks with us over Christmas in Perth were just bliss."

Earlier Daniel Day-Lewis, the British actor, interrupted Oprah Winfrey on her celebrity talk show to pay tribute to Ledger.

Fighting back tears, the 50-year-old Oscar hopeful said he had "marvelled" at Ledger's work. At the Sundance Film Festival in Utah, Robert Redford, the veteran actor, talked about the impact of Ledger's death, comparing it to the shock caused by the 1981 assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan.

"That's too young to check out. It was a shock," Redford said.

He described Ledger as "one of those actors who was very, very special because he played so many different kinds of roles".

Last night Day-Lewis also dedicated his Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance in "There Will Be Blood" to Ledger.

"In Brokeback Mountain he was unique, he was perfect," Day-Lewis said. "That scene in the trailer at the end of the film is as moving as anything I think I've ever seen."

Backstage, Day-Lewis said he never met Ledger but the actor's death was all he had been thinking about recently.

"I thought he was beautiful. I just had a very strong feeling I would have liked him very much as a man," he said. "I admired him very much. I'm absolutely certain he would have done many wonderful things in his life."

[Captain Barbossa]

John Ortiz Signs on to Both Public Enemies and Fast and the Furious 4

It seems that Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Vin Diesel and Paul Walker will all be getting some company in the form of actor John Ortiz.

MTV Movies Blog is reporting that Ortiz has signed on to both Public Enemies, starring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale and The Fast and the Furious 4, which brings Vin Diesel and Paul Walker back to the franchise.

While the actor, who last appeared in American Gangster and Aliens vs. Predator - Requiem, didn't have a whole lot to say about The Fast and the Furious 4 film, he revealed some tidbits about his character in Public Enemies.

"Public Enemies, is about the life of John Dillinger, and the gangsters of the 1930's," Ortiz said of the flick, which will also star La Vie en Rose Oscar-nominee Marion Cotillard. "It's totally old school. All of the gangster films that we see, and the stories, including American Gangster it started with those guys back in the 30's."

Ortiz will portray legendary gangster Frank "The Enforcer" Nitti in Public Enemies, a character previously played by the likes of Sylvester Stallone (Capone) and Stanley Tucci (Road To Perdition).

Filming on "Public Enemies is slated to start shooting in March, while The Fast and the Furious 4 will go before the cameras later this year.

Guillermo Del Toro Confirmed as the Director of The Hobbit!?

A new video from Youtube might in fact confirm what we've all been waiting to hear: Guillermo del Toro may very well indeed be directing both of the upcoming The Hobbit films for New Line Cinema. The One Ring.net has also had this news confirmed by an inside source.

Word on the street is that he hasn't signed a deal yet, but there is a gentleman's agreement in the works that has him 99% attached to the two back-to-back prequels. We should see an official statement once the WGA ends their strike. The One Ring's source said that Howard Shore's involvement was instrumental in this particular agreement between New Line and del Toro. This means that Shore will be back to do the score.

Johann Revealed on the Hellboy II Official Site

Universal has updated their official Hellboy II: The Golden Army website with artwork of the final member of the BPRD team - the mysterious Johann.

To check it out,click




Y: The Last Man to Become a Trilogy?

In an interview with the USA Today about the last issue of Pia Guerra and Brian K. Vaughan's "Y: The Last Man," the director of the comic's upcoming adaptation, D.J. Caruso (Disturbia, upcoming Eagle Eye), says it might become a trilogy of films:

Caruso says he has had "preliminary discussions" with Shia LaBeouf to play Yorick.

"For me, thematically, the most important thing and the reason I want to do this is … I don't want to say it's the end of the innocence, but it's actually a man-child who has to become a real man now," Caruso says. "I think it's a really simple, beautiful theme, but at the same time, the movie's really pop-culture entertainment."

While the original plan was to squeeze the entire series into one movie, Caruso says the film will cover the first 14 issues of the comics. He adds that this opens the door for a trilogy.

[Captain Barbossa]

Brand New Pic of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

[Captain Barbossa]

Watch 6 Clips, 5 Interviews and 2 TV Spots from Vantage Point!

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New Iron Man Superbowl Pic!

Iron Man is getting ready to take flight at the Super Bowl! MTV Movies Blog has been provided with a shot from the upcoming movie's TV spot that is set to air during the Super Bowl this Sunday. Click below to enlarge this new pic of Robert Downey Jr. in action.


Another Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Image Surfaces



New Image of Hugh Jackman & Nicole Kidman in Australia



New Star Wars: The Clone Wars Character Unveiled

It's still unclear when the new Star Wars: Clone Wars series will air, but we do have a glimpse at a brand new character from the series.

StarWars.com has officially unveiled Ahsoka Tano, a mysterious new Padawan. The character will be Anakin Skywalker's Padawan learner in the series, and this Togruta brandishes piloting and light saber skills that rival her Master Skywalker. Take a look at this new animated character below.



Watch 2 New Character Spots and a Deleted Scene from Lost

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Is Michael Rosenbaum Done with Smallville?

Can Smallville survive without Lex Luthor? We may soon find out, based on a quote from Michael Rosenbaum in a video segment at Young Hollywood. Rosenbaum, who plays the role of a young Lex Luthor, suggested that either the show, or at least his involvement in it, will soon be coming to an end.

In the video segment, Rosenbaum finishes it off by saying "Watch Smallville, for only a couple more months, because then I'm done."

Now, it is unclear whether or not Rosenbaum means that Smallville itself is coming to an end, or whether he merely means that he intends to leave the show when his contract expires at the end of the seventh season.

Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour Sets Record!

Walt Disney's Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour broke a ticket presale record, despite opening in less than 1,000 theaters. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fandango and MovieTickets, the top online ticket sellers, said Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour accounted for more than three-quarters of their ticket sales as of Wednesday morning.

The Hannah Montana character, which first started on the Disney Channel, has grown to have an enormous preteen and teen girl following. Miley Cyrus stars as Hannah Montana and her father Billy Ray Cyrus performs with her in concert.

Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour opens Thursday at midnight in 684 digital 3-D theaters.

First Look at a Video Clip from the Supernatural Episode 'Dream a Little Dream of Me'!

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Prince Caspian, Wanted Super Bowl Spots Online!

As we do every Super Bowl here at ComingSoon.net, you can stay tuned to our Trailers & Clips sections for updates on when the various studios' Super Bowl spots come online.

This year, Walt Disney Pictures and Universal Studios are giving fans an early online peek at the Super Bowl spots for two of their highly-anticipated films.

First up is Disney's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, which hits theaters on May 16 and is again directed by Andrew Adamson. You can watch the Super Bowl spot via this link!

Universal Pictures has also brought online the Super Bowl spot for graphic novel adaptation Wanted, with James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman. You can watch that Super Bowl spot via this link!

James Vanderbilt on Writing Spider-Man 4

Source: Spider-Man Luvr28
February 2, 2008


Comics2Film.com says that in a new interview at BlogTalkRadio.com, Zodiac screenwriter James Vanderbilt talked about coming on board to write Spider-Man 4.

"I went in on that. I really loved the films," Vanderbilt said. "It's sort of an odd process because you're sitting down with the people who made the first three and going, 'Well let me tell you what to do.'

"But I was lucky enough that they were interested in me and I'm a huge fan of those movies, so we closed that up right before the strike. Once the strike's over I get to go to work," he added.

No release date has been set for the fourth installment.


EDIT:links for January 2008 news are up at the 1st post(that was big!!!)