Daniel Craig may be cut from Girl Who Played with Fire

It appears that Sony's disappointment with David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is starting to set in.

Rumor has it that if a second film is even released (aka, The Girl Who Played with Fire) one key character may be written out. That character being Mikael Blomkvist who was played by Daniel Craig. Seeing that the second installment of the Millennium trilogy doesn't have a whole lot to do with Blomkvist and more to do with Lisbeth Salander this could potentially work. However, it seems that Sony may want to dump Craig entirely because his post-Skyfall pay demand has become too high for them. Sony is attempting to save some money by potentially not bringing Craig back due to the fact that the first film was a box office disappointment and they just plain don't want to pay to bring him back.
However, the other reason for this may be due to the fee writer Steve Zaillan is charging to write the script for The Girl Who Played with Fire. If you add in potential re-writes if they cut out Blomkqvist that will tack on additional money for Zaillan which could go higher than the pay increase Craig is now demanding. It sounds to me that each way Sony is screwed.

But, of course, Daniel Craig's representative is denying the salary demand and claims they have not even entered negotiations for a second film. There also is question as to if David Fincher will even return. The Girl Who Played with Fire is kinda going out on a loop right now, I think.

[Spoiler] Google reveals Catching Fire arena

Google Earth has revealed a rather important sneak peek of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. The popular map software has revealed an aerial view of the Quarter Quell arena.
This is kind of a bummer for those going into the movie with no knowledge, but seeing that I read the book all I have to say is... at least it looks the way it should. At least from what I can tell.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is set to be released on November 22nd.

Hit the jump to see the Google Earth image of the new arena.

Iron Man 3 has a new poster

Looks like Tony Stark got more than he bargained for this time around.

[Random] Paperman now available on YouTube

I saw this short film before Wreck-It Ralph last year and I must say that I absolutely loved it. If you haven't seen Paperman I strongly suggest checking it out.

Evil Dead release pushed to early April

The release date for the upcoming reboot of Evil Dead has been pushed forward to April 5, 2013. This is about a week earlier than the original release date the film got. This move is because The Heat, starring Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock, got pushed back to June so Evil Dead took its spot. This puts Evil Dead in direct competition with Jurassic Park 3D as they now open the same weekend.

Girl Meets World has its star!

The casting search for Cory and Topanga's daughter for the upcoming Boy Meets World spin-off has officially come to an end. EW released that 11-year old Rowan Blanchard has secured the role for the Disney Channel role after a nationwide casting search.

Girl Meets World producer Michael Jacobs had this to say about the casting of Blanchard:

“As soon as Rowan walked into the room, I was reminded of why Ben Savage was loved as Cory Matthews. Rowan is real and accessible and I am hopeful this girl is about to meet a world that will love growing up with her as well.”

 Production on the pilot episode is set to begin in February and the show is expected to be added to the 2013-2014 Disney Channel schedule if the show is officially picked up.

Justice League depending on Man of Steel's success?

Apparently so.

According to Variety, Warner Bros. President Jeff Robinov basically said the greenlight on the 2015 Justice League release depends on the success Zack Snyder's new Superman film, Man of Steel. If the movie does well they will move forward. If not then I guess they will scrap Justice League until they can do a better lead into it and plan a little more. I personally think they should do the latter regardless, but you can't tell Hollywood anything. They just want money. It isn't about releasing quality films anymore.

This statement most likely happened mainly due to how lackluster WB's DC adaptations have been apart from the Batman trilogy Christopher Nolan gave us. Green Lantern was a huge disappointment in 2011, Superman Returns basically bombed in 2006, they haven't been able to get anything off the ground regarding Wonder Woman, we can't possibly forget how awful Catwoman was in 2004, etc.. Even Snyder's other DC film Watchmen got some pretty harsh criticism in 2009. I'm not surprised they are putting the fate of Justice League on Man of Steel, but I feel like they might be deceived. People are going to see Man of Steel regardless just because it's Superman. There are a lot of people excited for it. Even if the movie sucks it will still rake in a decent amount at the box office. That is my prediction.

Man of Steel opens in theaters on June 14, 2013.

More new Kick-Ass 2 images featuring Hit-Girl

Not the best photos as they just look like on-set photos, but we have some new ones for Kick-Ass 2. My excitement just keeps growing. The photos are thanks to Empire Magazine.

Anna Paquin joins X-Men: Days of Future Past; Ellen Page and Shawn Ashmore also on board

Director Bryan Singer confirmed via Twitter some more casting news regarding X-Men: Days of Future Past. We already have Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellan, and Patrick Stewart returning for cameos, but we now have Anna Paquin (Rogue), Ellen Page (Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat), and Shawn Ashmore (Bobby Drake/Iceman) on board for the First Class sequel.
If you remember the previous X-Men movies, or the comics, Rogue and Bobby developed a relationship despite physical contact being a huge problem due to Rogue's mutation. The reason Pryde is returning is the simple fact that she has a pretty important part in the Days of Future Past storyline so it's kind of a given that she is returning.

Other returning cast members (so far) include Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, and Nicholas Hoult. X-Men: Days of Future Past is set for a July 18, 2014 release.

Ant-Man confirmed for Marvel Phase 3; Doctor Strange included

Kevin Feige, Marvel's President of Production, has confirmed some early details regarding Marvel Phase Three which will begin after The Avengers 2 in 2015. The first major detail being confirmation of Edgar Wright's Ant-Man project. Feige stated in an interview with MTV that Ant-Man will launch Phase Three on November 6th, 2015.
Also mentioned was the long awaited inclusion of Doctor Strange. There was no real confirmation of exactly where Doctor Strange is going to pop up first, but Feige hinted toward Guardians of the Galaxy so it's possible he may have his first cameo there. He also could show up in The Avengers 2. At this point anything is possible.


And before getting too excited about this news don't forget we still have Phase Two which kicks off this May with Iron Man 3. Following Iron Man we have Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, and The Avengers 2.

J.J. Abrams to direct Star Wars Episode VII

I guess Abrams coming out and stating he had no interest in being part of the new Star Wars trilogy and would "rather be in the audience" was a farce... or a ploy for more money.

Anyway, it has been confirmed that J.J. Abrams (Star Trek, Lost) will be directing Star Wars Episode VII after all. Abrams has come out on top of a rather long list of potential directors, including Zack Snyder, and is now one of the top honchos behind two of the most popular sci-fi franchises. The other, of course, being Star Trek. Abrams is the newest confirmation for this new trilogy. Other people on board are writer Michael Arndt who is writing the screenplay for Episode VII and writers Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg who are writing screenplays for future Star Wars films and/or spinoffs.
Another rumor regarding Zack Snyder is that he will be involved with a Star Wars spinoff film set to take place in the same universe as Episode VII.

[UPDATE 1/26] It is now official that Abrams is directing. Disney and Lucasfilm made the official announcement and George Lucas has released a comment about it.

"I’ve consistently been impressed with J.J. as a filmmaker and storyteller.  He’s an ideal choice to direct the new Star Wars film and the legacy couldn’t be in better hands."

I am currently shaking my head as I think this has gone way too far already and we haven't even started. I would like to be excited about Abrams being involved but we all saw what happened with Lost. The guy isn't perfect. I also think Disney's involvement is going to slice Star Wars' right hand off for me. They won't do anything but milk it for all it's worth and that is a true shame. As a big Star Wars fan I should be super excited for this and should have been excited since they announced a new trilogy was coming, but I still haven't found that happy place with this. If there are more Jar Jar type characters and purple lightsabers, or God forbid Jar Jar Binks and/or the Gungans comes back... I quit.

Chloe Moretz attached to If I Stay

The film adaptation for the young adult novel If I Stay seems to have their lead female set. Chloe Moretz (Carrie, Let Me In, Kick-Ass) is said to be attached to the project for the lead character Mia. Dakota Fanning was previously attached to the role but later dropped out along with director Heitor Dahlia. Along with the addition of Moretz it seems RJ Cutler (Nashville) will now step into the director's chair.

The basic plot for If I Stay if you don't know:

"While out on a drive with her family, 17-year-old Mia is suddenly separated from her body and forced to watch the aftermath of the accident that kills her parents and gravely injures her and her younger brother. Far from supernatural, this shift in perspective will be readily accepted by readers as Mia reminisces about significant events and people in her life while her body lies in a coma.

Alternating between the past and the present, she reveals the details and complexities of her relationships with family and friends, including the unlikely romance with her punk-rock boyfriend, Adam. An accomplished musician herself, Mia is torn between pursuing her love for music at Julliard and a future with Adam in Oregon. However, she must first choose between fighting to survive and giving in to the resulting sadness and despair over all she has lost."

Adele to perform at the 2013 Academy Awards

To go along with her Golden Globe and her Oscar nomination, Adele now has locked a performance slot for the Oscars. She will perform her song "Skyfall" from the newest James Bond film of the same title. She received a nomination for the song and, hopefully, will win it.

Bring it on, Adele! I have been waiting for a good Oscar performance for a few years now.

Iron Man 3 to have international IMAX release

Iron Man 3 is set to open here in North America on May 3rd, but it will have an international opening on April 25th in the IMAX 3D format. The film will be digitally remastered for sound and picture to achieve the format. Iron Man 3 will be the fourth Marvel film to take advantage of the IMAX 3D format. Previously The Avengers, Thor, and Iron Man 2 were released in IMAX.

The reason for this? The previous three movies to be released in IMAX broke box office records. =^D

Bruce Willis to return for A Dame to Kill For

It has been rumored for a while, but Robert Rodriguez has now confirmed via an interview at Sundance 2013 that Bruce Willis will return for Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.
Rodriguez also talked about the usage of 3D in the sequel. He stated they are filming in 3D so the dimension and stylization created will "blow people's mind." 

If you don't remember Willis' character in Sin City, he played a police detective named John Hardigan who was assigned to investigate a serial killer rapist. He discovers the suspect is the son of the most powerful man in the city, Senator Roark. Hardigan is shot after his partner frames him while attempting to rescue 11-year old Nancy Callahan. Roark frames Hardigan for the rape of Nancy and he spends 8 years in prison. Nancy is the only person to keep in contact with him over the course of his sentence and he accepts whatever comes at him as long as she remains safe.



Sin City: A Dame to Kill For will be released on October 4, 2013. The film also stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rosario Dawson, Juno Temple, Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Jaime King, and Josh Brolin.