Pinoy Films at the PiFan Filmfest in South Korea, and the Asian Summer Filmfest in Spain

Filipino films will be screened at the 17th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan) to be held in South Korea, from July 18 to 28.

Rico Maria Ilarde’s “Pridyider” and Richard Somes’ “Mariposa (Sa Hawla ng Gabi)” will be shown alongside Erik Matti’s full-length feature “On the Job” and Rommel Tolentino’s short “Buog” in PiFan. [for more information about the Puchon Intl. Fantastic Filmfest, go to their website: www.pifan.com]

Ilarde’s “Pridyider” is also going to Spain, for the 10th Asian Summer Film Festival. Also to be shown at the Asian Summer Film Fest are Matti’s “Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles” and Tyrone Acierto’s “The Grave Bandits.” The Asian Summer Film Festival will be held from July 9 to 14 in Barcelona, Spain.
[for more information about the Asian Summer Film Festival, go to their website: www.cinemaoriental.com]

SOURCE: Philippine Daily Inquirer

The New Terminator Movie will be a Reboot

A while back, we reported that Schwarzenegger was going back to the Terminator franchise, that means a new movie is coming. Now, Paramount, Annapurna Pictures, and Skydance Productions have partnered for this project and have officially announced that the new Terminator movie will be a reboot that will launch the series anew, to be released by Paramount Pictures on June 26, 2015. If you ask me, a reboot does make sense; the Terminator series is a terribly flawed franchise (the whole time-travel scenario is messy and inconsistent), and does need a good re-organization and re-structuring of its entire story arc. [full article after the jump]

Before Midnight moved a week later

The Philippine release date for BEFORE MIDNIGHT has been moved to July 10, 2013. The film was originally set for a July 3 release date [check out this prominent press release which announces that]. But it looks like the slot for the date has been filling up with too many big name movies simultaneously piling up. If there is one lesson we should learn from the Kick-Ass 2 re-sked [check that news HERE], it's that local release dates are indeed subject to change as late as days before the scheduled date. [check out our previous report on the release date]

Knight Rider movie being developed

KNIGHT RIDER was one of the most popular TV series of the 80's, it was the show that made David Hasselhoff a household name. Now a movie adaptation of this show is being developed, and (Wild Hogs) screenwriter Brad Copeland has already been hired, indicating that this project is ineed moving along. The Weinstein Company, which owns the feature rights to the property, is aiming for a more high-octane, action-oriented adaptation, to catch up on the hype and the popularity of movies like the Fast & Furious movies. There are talks that David Hasselhoff, star of the original series, will be involved with the new version in one way or another, on the other hand, there is no word on whether Mr. Feeny (William Daniels) will return to voice the role of K.I.T.T., the extremely advanced and indestructible vehicle that was featured in the 80s original. [hit the jump to read the rest of the article]

Farewell, Richard Matheson

Author Richard Matheson, who was 87, has died at home. His family announced his passing in a protected Facebook post; the news was shared by publisher Tor/Forge.

Matheson's imaginative stories were enticing to Hollywood. His book "I Am Legend" was made into a film, not just once but three separate times. 2007's "I Am Legend," starring Will Smith, was preceded by "The Omega Man" with Charlton Heston in 1971 and "The Last Man on Earth" in 1964 with Vincent Price.[read the rest of the article after the jump]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cast Looks Complete William Fichtner cast as Shredder

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is set for a reboot, directed by Jonathan Liebesman (Battle: Los Angeles, Wrath of the Titans), the production and filming on this project has already begun. Among its more prominent cast include Megan Fox as April O'Neil, Will Arnett as April's  cameraman and rival, Vernon Fenwick. Danny Woodburn as Splinter, and Whoopi Goldberg as Bernadette Thompson, a female version of Burne Thompson who is April and Vernon's boss at Channel 6 News. Now, it has been revealed that William Fichtner is going to be playing the role of the Turtles' arch-enemy: The Shredder. [read the rest of the article after the jump]

Independence day Sequels being developed

Roland Emmerich must have ran out of ideas for disaster movies that he's going back to one of the movies that had first generated his career. Emmerich is planning a sequel for his 1996 alien invasion movie: INDEPENDENCE DAY. Not just one, but two sequels. And the title of these sequels will be... (you better swallow whatever it is youre eating first before reading it) it's title is: ID Forever Parts One and Two [read the full article if this plan will materialize, after the jump]

Farewell, Lau Kar-leung

Legendary Hong Kong Actor and Director Lau Kar-leung (the director of landmark Kung Fu films "The 36th Chamber of Shaolin," starring "Kill Bill"’s Gordon Liu, and "Drunken Master II" with Jackie Chan) passed away after a two-decade battle with cancer.

Martial artist, action choreographer and film director Lau Kar-leung died on Tuesday morning following a two-decade battle with cancer. He was 76. [article continued after the jump]

Farewell, Sammy Lagmay

Comedian Sammy Lagmay passed away on Wednesday afternoon due to complications brought about by diabetes, his sister Mylene Mariano told the Philippine Daily Inquirer. He was 55.

A former production office messenger, the funny man was discovered and became a mainstay on the 1980s sitcom “Chicks to Chicks” on IBC 13/IBC Channel 12.

He often played the put-upon sidekick in several sitcoms (“Abangan ang Susunod na Kabanata,” “George and Cecil”) and movies (“Bala at Lipstick,” “My Monster Mom”) and also worked as assistant director on ABS-CBN shows (“That’s My Doc,” “Okay Fine Whatever”). [article continued after the jump]

Jesse Robredo biopic currently being developed

One of the most admired people in recent Philippine History is the late local government secretary Jesse Robredo. A man many consider worthy of being remembered in our nation's history. Now a film about his life is currently being developed, with Epy Quizon at the helm as director.

According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Quizon said that the film would be about Robredo as a father, husband and friend. He said he did not want “a political movie,” though Robredo’s political career would be woven into the story. Quizon noted, “He was very smart and goal-driven. He had no vices. He had lots of friends but no one was special—he treated them equally.” [read the full article after the jump]

The Poltergeist Remake is Greenlit

POLTERGEIST is set to be haunting a new generation of audiences as shooting on Gil Kenan‘s remake of Poltergeist has been set to begin this September.  MGM and Fox 2000 has sent out a press release announcing that they’ll co-finance the picture, and it will indeed shoot this fall.  Per the press release, “In a revisionist take on the classic horror film, a family struggling to make ends meet relocates to an outdated suburban home and is confronted by an angry spirit who kidnaps their youngest daughter and challenges them to band together to rescue her from the clutches of evil.” [hit the jump to check out the press release for this project]

KICK-ASS 2 moved to August

Bad news to the fans of, and those who are looking forward to the Philippine release of KICK-ASS 2. It looks like the Philippine release date which was officially set on June 26, 2013 will not be happening, and the release date has now been pushed to August 14, 2013 according to IMDB's release date for the film. [read the full article after the jump]

Trailer Tuesdays: Monsters University, The Place Beyond the Pines, 4 Sisters & A Wedding, The Heat, The Wolverine

Our Trailer Tuesdays this week brings forth some trailers for the upcoming Monsters University, The Place Beyond the Pines, and 4 Sisters & A Wedding. All of them set to open tomorrow June 26, and The Heat which will open on Friday June 28. We also get a glimpse of The Wolverine which is (arguably) a reboot that is clearly meant to overwrite the previous awful Wolverine movie. The Wolverine is set to arrive in Philippine shores July 25. 
UPDATE: Kick-Ass 2 moved to August 14, 2013
[hit the jump to check out the trailers]

Sarah Gadon is Not Mary Jane Watson

A few days ago, we reported that Shailene Woodley who was originally set to play Mary Jane Watson in the next Spider-man movie will be replaced. Soon thereafter news came up that Sarah Gadon was set to join the cast for Amazing Spider-man 2, in a role not revealed, but it made sense to most that she was cast to fill in the void left by Woodley. Now, Gadon has come out in her twitter account that she will Not be playing Mary Jane, stating:

" I will not be playing MJ in Spider-Man. I have a role in the film, but it is not that one :) "

[READ THE PREVIOUS REPORT HERE]

LOCKE & KEY to be developed into a Film

LOCKE & KEY is a horror comic book series/graphic novel created by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez that has recently been picked up by Universal Pictures to be developed and adapted into a movie. Writers and producers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (Star Trek and Transformers) will be producing this adaptation.

The graphic novel centers on three siblings who return to their family home in Massachusetts following their father’s murder. There, they discover that the house is full of secrets when they start finding magical keys which hold impossible powers such as turning people into ghosts, or being able to erase someone's memories. They are not the only ones who know of the keys; a demonic creature known as Dodge is also after the keys, with the goal of opening the Black Door, which will allow the demons of hell to enter our world. [read the full article after the jump]

Ryan Reynolds quits the planned Highlander reboot/revival

It's as good as dead. Looks like the development for a HIGHLANDER reboot is dying, without much glint of hope. Ryan Reynolds who was previously attached to this project has quit. Last year, this project lost its targeted director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo as well. Reynolds would have played “Connor MacLeod, an immortal Scottish swordsman forced to confront the Kurgan, a brutal barbarian who lusts for the fabled ‘Prize.’” All hope for the reboot/revival for this cult fantasy franchise has now frozen back into development hell. If you ask me, it would be a miracle if they ever get to revive this terribly unappreciated franchise.

Jurassic Park 4 greenlit for 2015; Will be Shot in 3D

It has been 20 years since the first Jurassic Park movie, and 12 years since the last sequel. And it's no surprise that Jurassic Park was re-released (this time) in 3D format this year; it's related to the plans of making a new Jurassic Park movie; Jurassic Park 4 has already been greenlit, and set for development and production. Colin Trevorrow (who directed Safety Not Guaranteed) was chosen to direct JP4, and Bryce Dallas Howard and David Oyelowo are the frontrunners to be on the cast. It should also be most interesting to note that it will be shot in 3D. [hit the jump to read the full article]

Mary Jane Watson may be removed from Amazing Spider-man 2; Updated: Has a New Mary Jane Watson been Found?

The Spider-man character Mary Jane Watson (previously played by Kirsten Dunst in the Sam Raimi, Tobey Maguire Spider-man movies) was supposed to make her appearance in the upcoming Amazing Spider-man 2. But now, it looks like she will be a character that will be shelved until we get to part 3. The role is played by Shailene Woodley, a role that is very important to the Spider-man mythos, because she ends up as Spidey's leading lady, she is Spidey's Lois Lane.

Her fate in the cutting room floor may be caused by the fact that her appearance in this movie will actually be a mere set-up for her to become the lead lady in the next movie (part 3). That is the initial idea behind it. But it may not be the character, but the actress. Now the director Marc Webb himself has come out revealing that the role of Mary Jane might be recast. [read the full article after the jump]

"Fifty Shades of Grey" movie adaptation; Felicity Jones rumored to star as lead; Sam Taylor-Johnson is officially confirmed as director [UDPATED]

One of the most highly-anticipated movie adaptations yet to begin production and development is the adaptation of the popular novel FIFTY SHADES OF GREY

Now the project moves forward as a director has been named;  Sam Taylor-Johnson has been chosen to helm this movie. Felicity Jones has also been attached to star as the female lead character, but this has yet to be confirmed and finalized.
UPDATE: The release date has been announced: This movie is set for an August 1, 2014 release date [updated 6-29-13]. [read the rest of the news after the jump]

Farewell, James Gandolfini

James Gandolfini, the US actor best known for his role as a therapy-seeking mob boss in The Sopranos, has died at the age of 51.According to reports, Gandolfini suffered a possible heart attack while on holiday in Rome. According to the TMZ website, New Jersey-born Gandolfini went to Italy to attend a film festival in Sicily.

He won three Emmy awards for his role as Tony Soprano, a mafia boss juggling his criminal career and family life."It is with immense sorrow that we report our client James Gandolfini passed away today while on holiday in Rome, Italy," said his managers, Mark Armstrong and Nancy Sanders, in a statement on Wednesday night.
"Our hearts are shattered and we will miss him deeply."
[read the full article after the jump]

7 Filipino Projects Vie for The 6th Network of Asian Fantastic Films in South Korea

The 6th Network of Asian Fantastic Films (NAFF), the industry program of Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan), has announced the official selections for this year’s Project Spotlight: The Philippines.

Each year, Project Spotlight selects one country and focuses on the diversity of its film genre. This year, NAFF has chosen to highlight the Philippines for their unique stories and storytelling ability. With the inception in 2008, the 6th edition of Project Spotlight is expecting another energetic celebration for those attending this year’s event as they interact with the industry’s movers and shakers with the support from the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP).

Seven projects have been officially selected for this year’s event, a reminder of the rapid emergence of genre films from the Philippines. These seven projects have been selected after having gone through a tough selection criterion where the selection jury looked closely at each project’s originality, commitment to its genre, and the possibility of its completion. [read the full article after the jump]

Amazing Spider-man 3 and 4 set for 2016 and 2018 target dates

Sony's reboot of the Spider-man franchise may not be a very good movie, but it did manage to rake in the box office numbers, enough to fuel the urge for a sequel, and continue with their rebooted direction. And while it makes that much money, you can be sure that there will be more Spider-man sequels off this rebooted continuity.

Amazing Spider-man 2 is currently in production, and is slated to be released May 2014. The producers (and Sony) are expressing optimism on their superhero franchise, that they have locked on to set two (2) more films; Amazing Spider-man 3 and Spider-man 4; and have set their target release dates on June 10, 2016, and on May 4, 2018, respectively. [read full article after the jump]

Splinter Cell movie being developed

Tom Clancy's SPLINTER CELL is a series of award-winning action-adventure stealth video games that follows the military-spy-action-adventures of a covert operative named Sam Fisher. It is set to be adapted into a movie, and that is definitely something to look forward to. Warner Bros. and Paramount have been competing for the rights to produce the adaptation. Ubisoft was pleased to announce that they now have a writer for the project. Screenwriter Eric Singer, who wrote the screenplay for the 2009 espionage thriller The International (starring Clive Owen) has been tapped by Ubisoft to work on the script for a film adaptation of Splinter Cell. They have also been eyeing Tom Hardy for the lead in this movie. [read the full article after the jump]

Trailer Tuesdays: World War Z, Gambit, Riddick, and 4 Sisters and a Wedding

Our Trailer Tuesdays this week brings forth some trailers for the upcoming World War Z, and Gambit, both movies set to open tomorrow June 19. We also get a glimpse of 4 Sisters & a Wedding which opens June 26. And on the upcoming hype trailer, we have the new international trailer for RIDDICK which is set to be released September this year... [hit the jump to check out the trailers]

Schwarzenegger is Back! He targets to be around on the sequels to TERMINATOR, TWINS, CONAN, EXPENDABLES; and set to appear in TEN and ESCAPE PLAN

After quite a long time, Schwarzenegger is BACK. Arnold Schwarzenegger will be back for another TERMINATOR movie. The legendary action actor is also setting his sights on a Conan sequel entitled KING CONAN, a TWINS sequel, and to make another appearance in the third EXPENDABLES movie. Terminator 5 is set to shart shooting in January 2014. But before that, we will be seeing Schwarzenegger in January with the movie TEN, and on October this year with the movie ESCAPE PLAN. [read full article after the jump]

HERCULES with Dwayne Johnson and Brett Ratner moving forward

From Dwayne Johnson's Twitter, he teased his look for HERCULES

MGM and Paramount Pictures are moving ahead with their HERCULES movie that will star Dwayne Johnson as the titular character and will be directed by Brett Ratner. This movie will be bBased on the graphic novel Hercules: The Thracian Wars, the ensemble-action film is a revisionist take on the classic myth set in a grounded world where the supernatural does not exist. The screenplay is by Ryan Condal and Evan Spiliotopoulos. This movie will probably be a movie that will exclude all the supernatural, fantastical elements usually expected of what a Hercules movie would be. The pic also stars Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, Joseph Fiennes, Peter Mullan, John Hurt, Rebecca Ferguson, Ingrid Bolso Berdal, Askel Hennie, and Reece Ritchie.  Hercules opens on July 25, 2014. [read the full article after the jump]

NEED FOR SPEED live action movie adaptation in the works

NEED FOR SPEED is probably the most successful series of racing video games. Now, DreamWorks Pictures and video game company EA are working together to create a live-action adaptation of this racing franchise to the silver screen. A Behind-the-Scenes featurette video has been released, which gives us a glimpse of what that will look like.  It shows off some top-of-the-line racecars caught up in a high-octane race from the cops, along with commentary from director Scott Waugh (Act of Valor) and shots of star Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) in the driver’s seat. This movie will also star Dominic Cooper, Ramon Rodriguez, Rami Malek, Imogen Poots, Dakota Johnson and Scott Mescudi. "Need for Speed" is set for a  March 14, 2014 release date. [more details and the featurette video after the jump]

“Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan” and “Mamay Umeng” to be shown in Czech Filmfest

Two Filipino films have made it to this year’s Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic, set June 28 to July 6. Lav Diaz’s “Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan” will be featured in the fest’s Another View section. On the other hand, The movie “Mamay Umeng” directed by Dwein Baltazar, will be competing in the Forum of Independents section, wherein it will vie alongside 11 other “low-budget films, by young filmmakers with outstanding talent and original vision.”

“Mamay Umeng” previously won best film at the Jeonju fest in Korea. Also up for grabs is broadcasting rights with Czech TV worth  5,000 euros ($6,481).

source: The Philippine Inquirer

MAN OF STEEL review

'Epic' is easily a term that best describes the movie. A storyline that starts in incredible chaos, boils in emotional character development laced with a script very rich in heart and thought, and follows the journey of a protagonist that embraces the ideals of being a savior.

The storyline is more rounded, and makes perfect sense. Everything that felt so ridiculous before in the Superman mythos, now made sense; from his superhero costume, to the reason why Superman's weakness can be caused by Kryptonite is even addressed. It feels like all the characters are properly fleshed out. The villain has a reasonable motivation, and the back characters have their own opinions to share, that all made sense. Click Here to READ THE FULL ARTICLE

"Kiki's Delivery Service" currently being made into a live-action movie

Hayao Miyazaki is one of the most popular icons (perhaps even greater than Walt Disney) in the world of animation and animated cinema. In some aspects, he can be considered as a god when it comes to animated cinema. One of his timeless cinematic gems "Kiki's Delivery Service" has now been adapted into a live-action movie. Director Shimizu Takashi who is known for directing Ju-On and The Grudge (Hollywood version/remake of Ju-on) will be taking time away from his horror roots into the more light, fun and fantastical world of Kiki's Delivery Service. The movie is currently in active production, and is set for a 2014 release. [more details, such as a production still, after the jump]

Superman's 7 Best Onscreen Adaptations

SUPERMAN'S 7 BEST ONSCREEN ADAPTATIONS
by Reymundo Salao

MAN OF STEEL opens today, and I cant help but talk about the legacy of the Superman movies and enumerate his finest onscreen moments. SUPERMAN has had various iterations onscreen (on TV and Movies); from the serials and TV series of the 1940s, 1950s, to the cartoon series of the 1960s, 1970s, to the Christopher Reeve Superman movies of the 1980s, to the TV series Lois & Clark in the 90's and till the present, with the reboot and relaunch of Superman via director Zack Snyder and producer supervisor Christopher Nolan. Most of them were popular iterations. But, dare I say; only a handful of them stand out as decent adaptations of who or what Superman is. Let me share with you what is THE BEST of Superman (And I'm sorry, because for me, the Christopher Reeve Superman movies are weak, and are excluded from this list). These are the finest iterations of Superman onscreen...[read the rest of the article after the jump]

Snyder, Goyer, Cavill, and Warner Brothers already setting their sights on Man of Steel sequel

MAN OF STEEL has been gathering strong positive buzz, what with the convincing trailers heating up hype, and the overall consensus of critics and audiences who got to screen the movie ahead of its scheduled release. MAN OF STEEL promises critical and box-office gold. So much so that Warner Brothers is greenlighting the sequel to this new Superman franchise with the same team; writer/director team of David S. Goyer and Snyder will return as the creative team behind the sequel. Not only that, WB is also positive about getting onboard with the idea of Justice League movie this time. [full article after the jump]

THE RAID 2 is in production and is now filming

THE RAID was one of the surprise hits of 2012 and has instantly kicked its way into action cinema history as one of the best action flicks ever made, not to mention, elevated the reputation of Indonesian cinema. Soon after the movie was exported to international cinemas and to Hollywood, its producers and director Gareth Evans had announced that a sequel will be made. And indeed production and filming has already begun.[read the rest of the article after the jump]

The Little Prince set to be an Animated Movie

The Little Prince, the classic French novella by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, is set to be made into an animated movie. Mark Osborne, who directed Kung Fu Panda, is helming the project, which is being produced by Onyx Films’ Aton Soumache (who also produced the stylish 2006 animated film Renaissance0 and Dimitri Rassam. James Franco, Rachel McAdams, Jeff Bridges, Marion Cotillard, Benicio Del Toro, and Paul Giamatti have all signed on to lend their voices to the movie. Production and target release dates are yet to be announced. [read more about The Little Prince after the jump]

FDCP launches Scriptwriting Contest for Genre Films

Calling all Philippine scriptwriters! The Film Development Council of the Philippines has now laid the groundwork for Sineng Pambansa National Film Festival for June 2014. The festival will focus on ‘genre’ filmmaking with 12 entries exploring the possibilities of an entire spectrum of cinematic types with vast domestic and global appeal. The genres included are confined to: action, comedy, fantasy, horror, thriller, futuristic and a hybrid of any two or three.

For the purpose of the festival, the limelight centers on all writers as a nationwide scriptwriting contest is hereby launched. A call for entries is made effective immediately, with winners to be announced on December 2013. [read the rest of the article after the jump]

Alejandro González Iñárritu's BIRDMAN is now filming

If you thought this new movie entitled BIRDMAN that stars Michael Keaton, is a superhero action movie, then think again. Alejandro González Iñárritu is the director of this black comedy that stars Michael Keaton who plays an actor - famous for portraying an iconic superhero – as he struggles to mount a Broadway play. In the days leading up to opening night, he battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career, and himself. The play in the film is an adaptation of Raymond Carver's What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. This is kind of an interesting new route for Keaton, who is well-known as the actor behind Batman during Tim Burton's run on the franchise. If you're not much of a Keaton fan, then check out the rest of the cast that includes Emma Stone, Edward Norton, Zack Galifinakis, and Naomi Watts! Director Alejandro González Iñárritu himself is no small fry as he is notably known to have won the Prix de la mise en scene or best director award at Cannes (2006), the second one being Carlos Reygadas in 2012. His four feature films Amores perros (2000), 21 Grams (2003), Babel (2006) and Biutiful (2010) have gained critical acclaim worldwide including 12 Academy Award nominations. [read more about this after the jump]

Will ATTACK ON TITANS finally get a live-action movie adaptation?

'Shingeki no Kyojin' (Attack on Titans) is an anime series, based on a popular manga, that just begun airing in Japan April this year, yet it has already gathered a large fandom, not only in Japan, but here in the Philippines as well. Before the manga was adapted into anime, there had already been talks of a live-action movie; something that its large fanbase will surely go crazy over. This poster has been spreading around the internet and has generated so many rumors filled with excitement. Is this indeed the poster for the live-action movie adaptation of Attack on Titans? Unfortunately, no. It's a hoax. [details after the jump]

"Bwakaw" and "Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay" to be screened at the Taipei Film Festival

Never minding the current tension between the two countries, Taipei will be screening two Filipino movies in their Taipei Film Festival in Taiwan from June 28 to July 2. The two movies which will be featured will be Jun Robles Lana’s “Bwakaw” which is included in the Window on Asian Cinema section, while Antoinette Jadaone’s “Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay” is featured in the Viva La Cinema program. [Details, Synopses, and Screening Schedules after the jump]

FABLES set for a Film Adaptation

One of the best comic books, and one of the most highly-praised comics series (and winner of 14 Eisner Awards), to come out of DC's Vertigo is FABLES. The series deals with various characters from fairy tales and folklore – referring to themselves as "Fables" – who have been forced out of their Homelands by "The Adversary" who has conquered the realm. The Fables have traveled to our world and formed a clandestine community in New York City known as Fabletown. Fables who are unable to blend in with human society (such as monsters and anthropomorphic animals) live at "the Farm" in upstate New York. Now, FABLES is set to be adapted into a film. [read the rest of the article after the jump]

Sam Mendes back to direct Bond 24, Penelope Cruz marked as the next Bond Girl

The 23rd James Bond movie SKYFALL was such a success in the box office and among critics and fans as well, that many of us were disappointed when we heard that director Sam Mendes would not be back to do Bond 24. Initially, Mendes had earlier stated that he would be busy with his career in theater (stage productions of Charlie and the Chocolate Factor and King Lear). And for a while, we had been hearing news about some possible director choices being eyed by EON Productions and Sony for the job; such as Christopher Nolan, among several other names. But recent developments has brought back Sam Mandes to the negotiating table. And we may get to see that Mendes-helmed follow up with Bond 24, and possibly Bond 25 as well. Buzz on this upcoming project is fast gathering steam, as Penelope Cruz has already been marked to be the next Bond girl. [details after the jump]

Blade Runner Sequel Script undergoing Rewrites

BLADE RUNNER is widely regarded as one of the best, and one of the most important movies in sci-fi history. This 1982 futuristic sci-fi movie starred Harrison Ford and directed by Ridley Scott. It has been years since producers have been trying to develop a sequel for this timeless classic. Now, Alcon Entertainment is in negotiations with writer Michael Green to pen the Blade Runner sequel rewrite for director Ridley Scott. [details after the jump]

Jackie Chan, Wesley Snipes, Nicolas Cage, and Milla Jovovich join The Expendables

It seems like the goal of The Expendables movies is to put together a dream-team action cast, and then figure out the plot.  Audiences have been pleased with the line-ups of the past films, and producer/star Sylvester Stallone is hoping to keep fans happy.  We previously reported that Jackie Chan, Wesley Snipes, and Nicolas Cage were all circling The Expendables 3, and now it looks like Stallone has got them.  According to Deadline, the three actors are in “advanced negotiations” to join the film, and Milla Jovovich is also in talks to fight in the boys’ club.  Jovovich could be a fun addition to the mix, and the series has definitely run short on female firepower.  Audiences love her in the Resident Evil franchise, and I don’t think they’ll have any problem seeing her kicking ass alongside Stallone, Statham, et al.
[source: Collider]

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 5 will be directed by KON-TIKI's Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg

A Fifth Pirates of the Caribbean movie is set to be made, and Disney has finally chosen a director for this sequel. Pirates 5 will be directed by the directing duo of Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, who are best known for their work in the Norwegian historical drama film Kon-Tiki, which was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards. [read the full article after the jump]