Movie News Page 1078

"Hellboy 2: The Golden Army" finally finds its home in Universal Pictures. According to Variety, the company has already given its approval to fully finance and distribute the sequel to the 2004 comic book adaptation after Sony through its Columbia Pictures decided to back out from the project.

Still features the original cast from the first installment like Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Rupert Evans, and Doug Jones, the project also welcomes back director Guillermo del Toro to helm and pen the scripts. Lawrence Gordon, Mike Richardson, and Lloyd Levin will produce with Chris Kenney to executive produce.

Following the current flow of movie-sequels making, Disney has confirmed through director Jon Turteltaub that a sequel of "National Treasure" is in development to be made, LA Daily News has learned. The project is planned to start filming by early 2007 to meet a Thanksgiving 2007 release.

Accompanying the filmmaker, original cast members like Nicolas Cage, Justin Bartha, Jon Voight, Harvey Keitel, plus Diane Kruger also return with Jerry Bruckheimer coming back as the producer and Gregory Poirier writing the scripts primarily.

"She is out of Dallas", Leslie Sloane Zelnick a representative for Jennifer Lopez confirmed to American publication Star. The actress, who has been slated to star opposite John Travolta in the big screen remake of classic 1970s show as JR Ewing alcoholic wife Sue Ellen, has abruptly quit the project.

J.Lo's dropped out from the project isn't the only case occurs regarding the production of the much-anticipated "Dallas". Prior to her, director Robert Luketic dropped the project, citing "creative differences" and was reportedly unhappy with casting choices.

James Cameron's much-anticipated and innovative new motion picture "Avatar" will get a special treatment from Joe Letteri and Weta Digital as both parties have signed on to create visual effects, creatures and digital environments for the action sci-fi thriller flick.

"Weta has proven themselves a leader in visionary effects, especially in the area of performance capture based character animation, which is a big part of my new film," says Cameron who serves as either writer or director for the film. That's one of the reasons why Joe Letteri and Weta Digital being signed on.

Sony Pictures and MGM break their silence, confirming to public worldwide that they are about to work on the sequel to this year's "The Pink Panther". The studios even have hired Scott Neustadter and Michael M. Weber to write the script.

While the plot for the sequel remains undisclosed, it is highly reported that the flick is that of high concept.

Who's "The Leading Man"? It has yet confirmed by the Universal Pictures who will play the lead role, but it is obvious that the studio has acquired the rights to turn the comic book into big screen feature.

Acquired the rights from Oni Press, Universal has booked Marc Platt and Eric Gitter to produce the flick.

"Sex and Breakfast" will surely keep Macaulay Culkin busy in the coming days. The actor has been slated to star in the comedy genre which has just started shooting.

As of the story, "Sex and Breakfast" follows a couple with problems in the bedroom who seek solace from a therapist. The shrink espouses group sex as a cure-all.

"Die Hard" fans, mark your calendar on June 29, 2007. 20th Century Fox has set up the date to open the fourth installment of the franchise, now titled "Live Free or Die Hard", so Variety has reported. Being so, the movie therefore will face Disney/Pixar's "Ratatouille" which is also slated to be opened on the same day.

Directed by Len Wiseman of "Underworld" fame, the picture still sees Bruce Willis playing the New York cop John McClane who this time has to stop techno-terrorist from shutting down the nation's computer systems on the Fourth of July.

Previously prepared to open on theatres alongside the likes of "Pulse", "Step Up", and "Zoom", "Accepted" has to give up the plan indeed. Universal Pictures as the film's distributor has postponed its release to one week later on August 18, placing the flick to face off against camp thriller "Snakes on a Plane" in turn.

Concerning this sudden decision, Universal spokesman Paul Pflug reasoned that early survey showed that the movie would result better with its target audience with the later opening, and so it prompted the company to push back the release date as consequence.

Being the winner of the Audience Award at Edinburgh's Dead by Dawn horror festival, "Blood Trails" has successfully planted deep impression on Lions Gate for sure. The company has been reported to have acquired both U.S and U.K distribution rights of the film and is set to release it in the States by September at the Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas.

A German-produced feature, "Blood Trails" follows the story of a bike messenger whose life becomes a living hell after a one-night stand with a mysterious stranger. Robert Krause seats as both director and writer with Oliver Simon producing. Cast include Ben Price, Rebecca Palmer, Tom Frederic, Christian Heiner Wolf, and J.J. Straub.

Adding his resume, "Sex and the City" star Chris Noth has successfully joined the cast of "Frame of Mind" following the trail of actor/filmmaker Carl T. Evans. As the film revolves around a New Jersey police detective (Evans) who unveils a government conspiracy, Noth is billed to play a college professor skeptical of the detective's discovery.

While further details about the picture have not yet been revealed, production of the film is scheduled to start filming by October in the Garden State with Evans also to direct.

The old team is back. Yes, Owen Wilson and Wes Anderson once again join forces to work together in making "The Darjeeling Limited", so Production Weekly has revealed. The two are eyeing December to start the production of the film.

In this project, Anderson will not only direct but also write the scripts with the companion of Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman while Wilson is set to play one of three brothers who journey through India.

Two more great stars are enlisted in "One Missed Call" cast. Fangoria has reported that Ed Harris and Gabriel Byrne have reached deals to join the line-up already filled by Edward Burns and Shannyn Sossamon, making the picture a really high-profile project in turn.

Currently filming in Atlanta, the film is an English-language remake of the Japanese supernatural horror hit, "Chakushin ari", which has seen its sequel being released last year. Eric Valette is attached to direct based on the screenplay adapted by Andrew Klavan.

It's another big screen adaptation project for Wayne Wang. "The Joy Luck Club" director has been tapped to helm "A Thousand Years of Good Prayers", a screen version of Yiyun Li's award-winning novel of the same title, Production Weekly has reported.

Slated to begin the production by this October in Spokane, Washington, the film version will be made based on a screenplay that centers on a Chinese man who travels to the Pacific Northwest to mend his relationship with his recently-divorced daughter. Upon landing his feet in U.S, he unexpectedly bumps into an older, Farsi-speaking Iranian woman, and though they face the inability to communicate with a common language, a bond begins to take form between them.

Updating the news on highly anticipated "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", Helena Bonham Carter has finally been confirmed to be the latest screen star included as one of the several new names listed in this hugely successful franchise.

Lining up together with Imelda Staunton and George Harris in the additional cast, Carter will play Bellatrix Lestrange, the cousin of Sirius Black who is also a Death Eater, known as the devoted follower of Lord Voldemort.