Movie News Friday

This is a new feature I've decided to add to the blog, seeing as if there is one thing I'm as obsessed with as books, it's movies. And, being on email alert for movie website Empireonline.com, I feel I'm pretty well equipped to deliver the newest, most up-to-date news on films, book related or not. Also, I might perhaps include little mini reviews of movies I've recently seen.

So, first things first.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus trailer has been released, and it's lookin' goood.



The new Gerard Butler film, Law Abiding Citizen, now has a trailer. Not sure if I'll see this. Looks a lot like Gamer.



The director of Nacho Libre is back, with the new Kid-From-Sky-high vehicle, Gentlemen Branco.



And...(from Empire)

It’s early days yet, but it looks like Fox’s mutant prequel sequel, X-Men Origins: Wolverine 2 (or whatever the hell it’s going to be called), is heading in the right direction after Christopher McQuarrie was brought on board to write the screenplay.

McQuarrie, probably best known as Bryan Singer’s go-to screenwriter of choice (he wrote Public Access, won an Oscar for The Usual Suspects, did an uncredited polish on the first X-Men, and most recently penned Valkyrie), is one of the best writers in Hollywood, and his hiring would seem to be a strong signal that Fox and producer/star Hugh Jackman are determined to ensure that the Wolverine sequel is an improvement on the original.

That, of course, wouldn’t be hard. Although the movie grossed almost $400 million at the global box office, it was widely considered to be a largely unsatisfactory and nonsensical origin tale that managed a feat previously thought impossible by rendering its title character somewhat dull.

The sequel, though, should be much better. Although little is known about the main storyline, it has been confirmed, by the world and his wife, that the sequel – based on the great Frank Miller/Chris Claremont mini-series from the early ‘80s - will see the newly-amnesiac Logan pitch up in Japan, where he gets drawn into a conflict between his animalistic side and a desire to adhere to the noble ways of the Samurai code.

Sounds like this could be right up the alley of the guy who wrote and directed The Way Of The Gun, although details are still very vague. How will Taylor Kitsch’s Gambit fit into all of this? Will Liev Schreiber’s Sabretooth make a snarly return to torment the brother he will soon, according to X-Men, never know he had? Will this be a Wolverine movie that actually focuses on Wolverine rather than bends over backwards to become a team-based flick?

The answers will start to come, probably as soon as McQuarrie completes his first draft. Of course, McQuarrie’s involvement has already sent the rumour mill into overdrive, with some suggesting that Bryan Singer may be coaxed back into the X-fold.

Singer, though, has committed to the new movie version of Battlestar Galactica, so it seems likely that a new director will be found. Which makes us wonder: is McQuarrie a contender? He’s only directed once – the aforementioned and underrated Way Of The Gun, back in 2000 – but now that he’s reunited with his old friend, Jackman, you never know…

Lauren Shuler Donner is also producing the movie, which won’t go before the cameras for a while yet.

Hopefully we'll be getting a Gambit spin-off soon.

A new trailer has been released for Disney's flamigo documentary, Crimson Wing. I doubt many people will see it, but hey, you never know.



Also, Kim Basingr has joined Zac Efron in director Burr Steers (17 Again) new film, The Death and Life of Charlie St. Crowd.

Juno writer's new film, Jennifer's Body, starring Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried, has a pretty bitchin' trailer too:



...and a hilarious fake PSA Ms. Fox did to promote the film:



Jon Heder is starring in Buddy Holly Is Alive And Well On Ganymede, a new sci-fi comedy. Weird, but can't be any weirder then Justin Long's cameo as Goerge Harrison in Dewey Cox.

Eclipse has it's Maria; a young actress named Catalina Sandino.



Cute, I guess.

And, yesssss, Where The Wild Things Are.



Hell. Yes.

In TV news, the new trailer for The Vampire Diaries (based on the bad-ass books by L.J. Smith--suggest) series hit online recently. Yet another guilty pleasure to consume large portions of my television viewing experience...



Also, the CW has confirmed that Mz. Paris Hilton will guest star on an episode of Supernatural.



Joy.

In the wing of Supernatural, here's a funny blooper-turned-segment starring Jenson Ackles. Warning: Adult diapers may be needed.

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Here's the trailer for Bandslam...



...and an ET exclusive look at the movie adaptation of Beastly, reviewed here.



And here's the trailer to the new Bruce Willis movie, based on the amazing comic book:



The new film starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman, and a surprisingly intense Tobey McGuire. Brothers.



New Lars von Trier flick, Antichrist.



Finally, based on the Cormac McCarthy novel, Martin Scorscese's Shutter Island...



...and Mathew Broderick sings "Twist and Shout" in Ferris Beuhler's Day Off in this weeks Blast From the Past:




Movie Song of the Week:



"The Beginning is the End is the Beginning" by Smashing Pumpkins, from the Batman and Robin and Watchmen soundtracks.

And now, I leave you with the new Paramore music video for Ignorance.



Happy Friday!