Mockingjay: Part 2 - First Teaser

We have our first look at the war moving into the Capitol in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2... and it looks pretty awesome.

Lionsgate exploring Hunger Games prequels and sequels

More proof that studios need to beat every living ounce of something great.

Lionsgate announced earlier that Mockingjay - Part 2 will be released in IMAX 3D, but we also got a bit of information from CEO John Feltheimer regarding the future of The Hunger Games franchise. Apparently the studio is exploring options for expansion not limited to sequels and/or prequels to the original trilogy.

The Hunger Games has earned over $2 billion at the box office so far, but it's very unlikely that our main stars would continue doing Hunger Games films even after the second half of Mockingjay is released this November. Depending on how close they stayed to the end of the book, Katniss and Peeta would be long gone by the time any sequels came to be.
This is obviously a get rich scheme and it's disgusting. The focus shifted off Twilight so now they're trying to push forward The Hunger Games. I don't approve.

Saw re-release gets a new poster and trailer

Just in case you've never seen Saw, you might want to skip the trailer. The 10-year anniversary trailer not only features the classic moments of the original Saw, but it spoils the ending. Just a heads up.




But anyway... the 10th anniversary re-release of Saw also comes with a new poster which looks pretty cool. You can catch it in theaters once more for a week this October beginning at 10pm on the 30th. It's also worth mentioning that if you catch a screening of Annabelle this weekend, some theaters are giving away free posters for the re-release.

Lionsgate to re-release Saw

This Halloween viewers will have a chance to experience Saw in theaters all over again, or for the first time, as Lionsgate is re-releasing the 2004 horror hit. Saw will be shown at select theaters for midnight screenings on October 30th with a full release on October 31st.

Saw was released on October 29, 2004 and it went on to gross a total of $55.2 million and spawned a franchise with seven films which grossed $874 million worldwide. The top earning Saw film was Saw II in 2005 which brought in $87 million at the box office. The Saw franchise was a key moment in Lionsgate's history as it was the studio's first major franchise and paved the road for their global growth.
James Wan directed the first Saw film and co-wrote it with Leigh Whannell. The film starred Whannell, Cary Elwes, Shawnee Smith, Michael Emerson, and Danny Glover. Although Wan only directed one film, he stayed on as a producer for the following six films as did Whannell.

Comic-Con poster for Mockingjay - Part 1

We are getting a sneak peek of the exclusive Comic-Con poster for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1. The film won't have any real presence at the con this year as Lionsgate decided to forfeit a panel, but we are still getting some pieces of info from the film.

Personally, this poster looks like a freshman Photoshop project but it is what it is.

Lionsgate developing a new Power Rangers movie

Any child of the 90's has to be somewhat curious about this. Word has it that Lionsgate and Saban are in the process of developing a new, live-action Mighty Morphin Power Rangers movie.
There have already been three Power Rangers movies, with the last being in 1997, but Saban is moving forward with a new live-action version and has teamed with Lionsgate. The pairing resulted in Lionsgate's success in creating franchises like The Hunger Games, Divergent, Saw, and Twilight. Granted Twilight was Summit Entertainment prior to Lionsgate acquiring the rights, but who really cares. Lionsgate has previously stated their intent to continue branding popular franchises for global property and appeal, so this isn't really that much of a surprise. In addition to the movies and the show there have been tons of toys, Halloween costumes, apparel, comics, and much more. Needless to say the Power Rangers is a very lucrative and successful brand. 

The Power Rangers debuted in 1993 and all the kiddies, like myself, who watched the show are now mid-20's to 30's. It focused on six teenagers who were confronted by a giant head and given the powers to morph into colorful rangers and fight aliens. I was just made aware that they are still on television in Power Rangers Megaforce.

Allegiant to be split into two films

Following the standard for franchises these says, the Divergent trilogy has made the double-finale move and will be splitting Allegiance into two films. As far as Divergent goes, we will see the second installment titled Insurgent on March 20, 2015. The two-part finale will begin on March 18, 2016 and will end on March 24, 2017.

The standard began with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows. Since then we have seen a double finale for The Twilight Saga with Breaking Dawn parts 1 and 2 and will get the first part of The Hunger Games finale, Mockingjay, this November. 
Divergent has had a decent start after making $117 million domestically in its first three weeks while Veronica Roth's original trilogy has sold over 20 million copies. Box sets and ebooks have risen in sales as well. 

Lionsgate announces 8th Saw film for October 2015

Lionsgate has announced their intent to finally release an 8th installment of the Saw franchise in October 2015. Leigh Whannell will not be writing or directing as has been rumored, or hoped for, by some. Saw V director David Hackl has received the privilege to ruin yet another Saw movie and it is expected that Tobin Bell will return as the voice of Jigsaw. No word on any other returning cast or if Cary Elwes will return, but that's about all we have. It's happening. I just can't.

  

 

No telling if Saw 8 will go up against yet another Paranormal Activity flick, but it is assumed it will. With the semi-success of The Marked Ones and a fifth PA movie out this fall, I won't be surprised if another one is slated for 2015. 

Charlie Sheen absent from Anger Management tapings

Looks like the winning, tiger blood Sheen is back.

Lionsgate has apparently been forced to delay production past the scheduled date and use stand-ins for filming of Anger Management as Charlie Sheen has stopped coming to work. Sheen's publicist claims he did not show up due to the illness of another cast member and Lionsgate refused to comment, but this is rumored to have angered other cast members, even to the point that some are threatening to stop working if this persists.
Anger Management was greenlit by FX for 100 more episodes after just one, 10-episode season in 2012 due to the overwhelming success of the show's debut. After Sheen was made famous due to his struggle with substance abuse during his stint on Two and a Half Men, many speculated if he could complete a 110 episode commitment to a new sitcom after being very publicly fired and replaced with Ashton Kutcher. Anger Management is currently 2/3 of the way there with the intensive filming schedule of two episodes per week. It is still scheduled to be completed this fall even with the attendance issue.

This is not the first hiccup this sitcom has experienced. Early in the show, co-star Selma Blair was dismissed from the show after she brought accusations about Sheen's work ethic to light. Sheen responded on Twitter and even busted out the dreaded "c-word." She is not the only one to question Sheen as many viewers brought up his decline on Two and a Half Men and claimed the show was doomed at some point.
Despite all of this, Anger Management has been steady for FX. The ratings are consistent despite retaining a fraction of the first season viewership. If the show can complete the 110+ episodes it is set to bring in an international revenue of up to $800 million.

Sheen's regular co-stars include Shawnee Smith, Noureen DeWulf, Brett Butler, and Martin Sheen. Guest stars, so far, include Lindsay Lohan, Denise Richards, LeAnn Rimes, CeeLo Green, and Carol Kane.

Lionsgate pays $7 million for American Ultra

Lionsgate must believe in the chemistry between Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg. The company just paid out $7 million to acquire the rights to the new indie action-comedy, American Ultra. Filming on the project begins next month in New Orleans.
The film tells the story of a stoner (Eisenberg) and his girlfriend (Stewart) after his life is turned around when he discovers the government is plotting to wipe him out due to his past. This is the second pairing of the actors who first collaborated in Greg Mottola's indie success, Adventureland, back in 2009. 

Kristen Stewart spent 2013 fairly under the radar in terms of film. She didn't even have a release last year. The last time we saw her was in 2012 when she starred in On the Road, Snow White and the Huntsman, and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2. She recently starred in the military indie, Camp X-Ray, which premiered to so-so reviews at Sundance. She is also set to appear in Sils Maria and Anesthesia later this year.
Eisenberg was recently cast as Lex Luthor in the upcoming Batman vs Superman project and can be seen this year in The Double and Rio 2. At this point it's probably safe to say he's most famous for his roles in Now You See Me and Zombieland.

Rosemary's Baby miniseries approved by NBC

A great horror classic is now getting its turn on television. Rosemary's Baby, originally released in 1968, is getting a television miniseries greenlit by NBC. The adaptation will be a four hour series, most likely aired in four parts, and will be based on the 1967 novel by Ira Levin. Agnieszka Holland will direct while Scott Abbott and James Wong are writing the screenplay.  This was announced as a project in development by Lionsgate Television back in July.

Rosemary's Baby tells the story of a young married couple who move into a haunted apartment in Paris. The wife becomes pregnant and subsequently becomes paranoid about the safety of her child because she believes her neighbors have mysterious, evil intentions for her child. The 1968 film adaptation starred Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, and Ruth Gordon. It was directed by Roman Polanski.
I personally love Rosemary's Baby and with the success of shows like Bates Motel and American Horror Story, I don't think this is very surprising. I would expect differences from the film and most likely from the book as well. If you have never seen the film or read the book I would encourage you to do so. It's a great story.

Lionsgate developing a Hunger Games theme park?

This is some interesting news. Apparently Lionsgate has been approached regarding a theme park concept for The Hunger Games franchise. CEO Jon Feltheimer mentioned that he has been approached in two territories about possible theme parks. There is no telling exactly what these concepts would be about or where they would show up, but it would be awkward for sure. I don't know if many theme park guests would want to ride and attraction that focused on children killing each other. I also don't know what park this would appear at. I would assume Lionsgate would have to sell certain rights to the franchise to get it to appear inside Universal Studios and I doubt Disney would jump on it.

In other theme park news, Disney CEO Bob Iger elaborated on the rumors of a Star Wars takeover of the Disney Parks worldwide. He confirmed that concepts for more Star Wars attractions are in development at Disney Imagineering for Disneyland in California and Disneyworld in Florida, but there is nothing set in stone just yet. He also says once the domestic concepts are completed they will move on to include more Star Wars in the international parks in Paris, Tokyo, and Shanghai.

Lionsgate developing new Saw installment

This has been rumored for about 3 years now and while there is no script or motion in place, there is word that Lionsgate is actively developing an 8th film in the Saw franchise. The company is looking for a way to continue one of the most, if not the most, profitable horror franchises in history. Saw basically dominated Halloween from 2004-2010 starting with James Wan's feature film debut. Since Saw fell off the radar after an extremely disappointing finish with Saw 3D, the Halloween box office has been handed over to the Paranormal Activity franchise.
If you have never seen a Saw movie you are probably living under a rock. Especially since there are seven of them. Google it.

Now... with this said we have to keep in mind that there is apparently no rush for Lionsgate. There were rumors of a Saw reboot, but sources are claiming the company wants to stay true and just continue on with an 8th installment.

Not happy... not happy at all. Saw 3D was an ass raping to all fans back in 2010 and I can't even imagine what they would continue with. Go home, Lionsgate. You're drunk.


The bigger picture here is who Lionsgate would tap to direct. I am highly doubting any of the four previous directors would jump on the opportunity to direct an 8th film or a reboot. Let's take a look at what our Saw alums are up to:

James Wan:
Wan directed Saw in 2004 and was half of the founding team of the franchise along with Leigh Whannell. He co-wrote the film and directed the original short which featured Whannell in the lead role. He stayed on as an executive producer up until Saw 3D in 2010. However, since Saw we have seen films such as Dead Silence, Insidious, The Conjuring, and Insidious: Chapter 2 and is considered to be one of the best horror directors in the past 10 years. He is also currently directing Fast and Furious 7. In other words, he has moved on to much bigger and better things.
Return odds - no way in hell

Darren Lynn Bousman:
Bousman directed Saw II, III, and IV for our viewing pleasure and was one of two directors to basically get screwed in the end. Bousman chose not to direct Saw V and went on to direct Repo! The Genetic Opera, Mother's Day, and The Devil's Carnival. Not bad films but all are fairly low profile projects, but he seems content with that. In fact, on the Devil's Carnival road shows he refuses to sign any Saw merchandise for fans.
Return odds - no way in hell

David Hackl:
Hackl gave us the second to worst Saw film in the entire franchise with Saw V. The production designer turned director has done essentially nothing since Saw V. He re-teamed with Bousman and served as a production designer for Repo! The Genetic Opera and The Barrens. He currently has a project called Red Machine that is in post-production.
Return odds - plausible

Kevin Greutert:
Greutert gave us the best film since Saw III with Saw VI in 2009. He had served as editor since Saw and was hired to direct VI and did a pretty great job. However, Mark Burg and Oren Koules chose to royally screw Kevin over with Saw 3D and it was apparent that he just didn't give a shit because it was the worst Saw movie to date. Since then Kevin has edited The Collection and directed a film called Jessabelle that is scheduled for release in August 2014.
Return odds - no way in hell

Leigh Whannell:
Whannell never directed a Saw film, but was the co-writer of the original concept with James Wan. He starred as Adam in Saw and Saw III and served as writer on Saw II and Saw III. Whannell even wrote the concepts for the Saw: Rebirth short and the Saw video game.  He also stayed on as an executive producer along with Wan up until Saw 3D. However, he has remained with James Wan and has also moved onto better things. He co-wrote Insidious and Insidious: Chapter 2 and starred in both films as Specs. He also co-wrote Wan's film Dead Silence. He is currently rumored to be on board for Insidious: Chapter 3. Some of us Saw geeks have joked about Whannell directing a future Saw film, but the keyword is "joked." He left Saw a long time ago.
Return odds - no way in hell


Long story short, Lionsgate will have to do some serious convincing to get any of these guys back or they will have to find a new director. I am betting on the latter.

Jessabelle delayed by Lionsgate

The new horror film by Saw VI director Kevin Greutert has been significantly delayed by Lionsgate. Originally it was slated for January 10, 2014 and now we won't see it until August 29, 2014. There isn't any news as of right now what prompted the delay.

Jessabelle stars Sarah Snook, Mark Webber, and Joelle Carter. The basic plot is:

"A girl who is forced to return to her father’s home in Louisiana when a car accident leaves her without the use of her legs. What she finds there is a mystery surrounding her own birth and an angry ghost that seems determined to destroy her.”

Julianne Moore confirmed for Mockingjay Parts 1 & 2

I could have sworn this already came out (UPDATE: It did), but we have confirmation that Julianne Moore will play President Alma Coin in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Parts 1 & 2.

Without giving too much away, Moore will play the President of  District 13 who you will soon find out is a lot more complicated than it seems. Click the jump for some spoilers on Coin.

New viral imaging for Catching Fire

The one seriously bugs my eyes out, but these are pretty cool.

Check out my Catching Fire review here.

Twilight Forever box set revealed

We all knew this was coming.

A box set featuring all five Twilight movies along with over two hours of new bonus footage will be released on November 5th. Twilight Forever: The Complete Saga will feature each film (10 Blu-Ray discs or 12 DVDs), Ultraviolet digital copies for each, and a photo album. In addition to the previously released 10 hours of bonus footage, the two new hours will feature new behind-the-scenes footage as well as new cast interviews.

The box is two-sided featuring Edward and Bella on one and Jacob on the other.

 

As for pricing, the Blu-Ray is going to run you $74.99 and the DVD is about $65. That isn't bad considering what other ultimate sets can cost you. For a Twilight fan this looks like a pretty legit box-set. I won't be buying it but I'm sure the twihards will get their fix in this holiday season. I also bet certain stores will give away limited edition goodies along with it. Target and Best Buy like to do that sort of thing when it comes to Twilight.

Catching Fire panel for Comic-Con announced

There have been some questions about who exactly will attend Comic-Con for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire panel. We now have the answer.

The cast members attending will be Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss), Josh Hutcherson (Peeta), Liam Hemsworth (Gale), Lenny Kravitz (Cinna), Jena Malone (Johanna), Jeffrey Wright (Beetee), and Willow Shields (Primrose). Also set to attend is director Francis Lawrence. Along with the panel there will be a new trailer premiering and many websites are saying immediately after it shows at Comic-Con it will be online to watch as much as you want.

Catching Fire will have the panel in Hall H on Saturday, July 20th. Lionsgate's presentations begin at 1:45pm. The film is in theaters November 22nd.

Comic-Con schedule for Saturday, July 20th

The big day of events has been released for San Diego Comic-Con 2013. Saturday will feature panels and events for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, ComiKev, and HBO's True Blood. The schedule below is separated by room. Of course this isn't the entire schedule, so to see the full schedule head over to the Comic-Con website and check it out.


Saturday, July 20th:

Ballroom 20:

Once Upon a Time in Wonderland: Down the Rabbit Hole (10:15am)

Once Upon a Time: Off to Neverland (11am)

Futurama (12pm)

The Simpsons (12:45pm)

Family Guy (1:45pm)

American Dad (2:30pm)

True Blood Panel and Q&A (3:30pm)

The Vampire Diaries Video Presentation and Q&A (4:30pm)

Arrow Video Presentation and Q&A (5:15pm)

HBO Presents the Comic-Con International Masquerade (8:30pm)


Room 6A:

A&E's Bates Motel (10am)

The Future of Xbox Gaming Revealed (11:15am)

Marvel Video Games (12:30pm)

Marvel's INFINITY (1:45pm)

Cartoon Network New Comedies: Uncle Grandpa, Steven Universe, and Clarence (3pm)

Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment: Superman's 75th Anniversary Celebration (4:15pm)

Gays in Comics XXVI (5:30pm)

Gays Comic Fan Mixer and Silent Auction (7pm)

HBO Presents the Comic-Con International Masquerade - Overflow 6A (8:30pm)


Indigo Ballroom:

Machinima: Redefining the 'Fan Film' (10am)

Geek and Sundry: Leveling Up (11am)

How I Met Your Mother (12pm)

The Originals Video Presentation and Q&A (1pm)

The Awesomes: A Hulu Original Series (2pm)

Nerdist Industries (3pm)

Being Human (4pm)

Warehouse 13 (5pm)

Cosmos: A Space Time Odyssey (6pm)


Hall H:

Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures - Godzilla, Seventh Son, 300: Rise of an Empire, Gravity, and The LEGO Movie (10:45am)

Lionsgate - I, Frankenstein and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (1:35pm)

Entertainment Weekly's Women Who Kick Ass (2:55pm)

20th Century Fox [TBA Schedule as of July 6th] (4:15pm)

Marvel Studios - Thor: The Dark World and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (6pm)

ComiKev 2013 - Kevin Smith uses his mouth and you in Hall H (7:15pm)



Still no word on exactly who will be in the panels or exactly what 20th Century Fox will showcase at Comic-Con, but it appears that Saturday is a pretty big day. I would pretty much just camp out inside Hall H seeing that Lionsgate and Marvel are fairly close together.

Catching Fire set for Comic-Con International 2013

[UPDATE] Catching Fire will be in Hall H on Saturday directly after the Warner Bros. and Legendary Presentations at 1:35pm. Here is the schedule for Saturday.

 
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire has been set to appear at Comic-Con International in San Diego. There will be a panel along with a new trailer that will premiere on July 20th. You are able to visit the official Facebook page and submit questions (using the hashtag #CatchingFireComicCon)to be asked to the unannounced cast members that will attend. The panel will be moderated by Fandango correspondent Dave Karger. Catching Fire has been voted on Fandango as the most anticipated movie of 2013. It opens on November 22, 2013.

The powers that be are predicting Lionsgate will be setting up shop in Hall H and that Marvel will be holding panels the same day, so get your tents and sleeping bags ready to go. San Diego Comic-Con International is celebrating their 44th year and will be running from the evening of July 17th to July 21st.