Disney Buys STAR WARS Film Rights, EPISODE VII Coming 2015?

This has to be the biggest news since Disney took over Marvel. THR reports that Disney has bought Lucas Film for $4 billion and it includes the Star Wars franchise. Even more mind blowing is that they plan to put Episode VII into production for a 2015 release date. We should expect Episode 8 and Episode 9 are also on the table at this point. No word on a director even if a script is even in place. However, if 2015 is a date they have in mind, pitches have been made. The plot of the film is currently unknown but some have speculated it could be a reboot perhaps focusing on the Knights of The Old Republic era. 2015 is looking like it's going to be an epic year for blockbusters with Avengers 2 and Justice League also set for release.

George Lucas has retired and has systematically sold the rights so it's unlikely he'll be writing or directing. I'm sure that will please some die-hard Star Wars fans. The only problem here is that currently there isn't a visionary in place a franchise like Star Wars would need. We could see Disney handle Lucas Film as they have with Pixar and Marvel by letting them do their own thing. The question is will Disney hire a visionary like they did with Joss Whedon handling the creative-side of the Marvel films? It's not hard to imagine Lucas friend Steven Spielberg won't be pitch a new trilogy.

Cobie Smulders Confirmed For CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER

While her role may be minor the Captain America sequel. Cobie Smulders has been confirmed by Variety to be apart of the cast of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Agent Maria Hill in a deleted scene was at odds with Nick Fury while speaking to the World Council after the events of The Avengers. It's possible she could be planning a takeover of S.H.I.E.L.D. by replacing Fury as director. Setting in motion the events of Civil War which has been rumored for to be used in future Avenger films.

SPECULATION: Nikolaj Coster-Waldu Wanted For Zemo In CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER?

It was just announced that Crossbones will be joining Winter Soldier as the film's villains. It's unclear if Rumlock will be pulling the strings of Winter Soldier or will be just doing wet-work alongside him as an assassin. There had been rumblings that Baron Zemo was going to be the main villain of the film. He along with a few other classic villains were in original drafts of the script for First Avenger. While the Zemo rumor hasn't been confirmed, "a foreign villain" is still being cast. Dutch actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau's (Game of Thrones, Black Hawk Down, Oblivion, Headhunters) name did appear as in the running for that other unnamed part. My assumption here is that Nikolaj was testing for that role which could be Zemo and not Rumlock.

First Official Teaser Poster For THE WOLVERINE

Frank Grillo Officially Cast As Villain Crossbones In CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER

Variety confirms that rising star Frank Grillo has landed a villainous role in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Grillo will play Cap baddie Brock Rumlock better known as Crossbones. The character is best known for famously killing the hero off in the comics. We should expect big things from Grillo who has appeared in films such as Edge of Darkness, The Grey, Warrior and End of Watch. He joins Anthony Mackie (Million Dollar Baby, Hurt Locker) as the second new addition to the franchise. Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan are back in their title roles with Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johansson reprising their Avengers roles.

Jamie Chung Joins SIN CITY 2: A DAME TO KILL FOR

HeatVision reports that actress Jamie Chung (Sucker Punch, Hangover 2) has been brought in to replace Devon Aoki for the role Miho in Robert Rodriguez's Sin City: A Dame To Kill For. Jamie King is also back along with Jessica Alba, Mickey Rourke and Rosario Dawson.

George Clooney's MONUMENTS MEN Lands Daniel Craig, Cate Blanchett, Jean Dujardin And Others

Deadline reports that George Clooney's next directorial effort Monument Men has nailed down it's cast. The WWII drama's lineup is stunning to say the least with Daniel Craig (Munich, Road To Perdition, Skyfall), Cate Blanchett, Jean Dujardin (The Artist, Wolf of Wall Street), Bill Murray (Moonrise Kingdom), John Goodman (Big Lebowski, Argo), Hugh Bonneville and Bob Balaban. A crew of art historians and museum curators unite to recover renown works of art that were stolen by Nazis before Hitler destroys them.

Rza To Direct GENGHIS KHAN

HeatVision reports that rapper/composer turned actor and director Rza (Man With The Iron Fists), has lined up his next projects. The most interesting of the two is Genghis Khan which was written by John Milius who penned Conan, Red Dawn and Apocalypse Now. Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler) had been attached to play the lead which I assume could still happen with Rza being apart of the Roth, Rodriguez and Tarantino inner-circle.

Red Band Trailer For HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS

                             

First Poster For HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS

FAN MADE: Poster For Quentin Tarantino's Gangster Flick

BASTERDS And DJANGO The Beginning Of A Tarantino Trilogy Starring Christoph Waltz?

Quentin Tarantino has stated to TotalFilm (via ThePlaylist) that his films Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained are apart of a trilogy. While he doesn't state what the next installment is it's very likely actor Christoph Waltz will have a role in it. The main theme of the last two pictures has been period pieces and which could hint to what is next. There has been talk of Quentin wanting to make a Pretty Boy Floyd-type gangster film. If I had to bet what was next for Tarantino it would be shooting this gangster film before rolling on the untitled sequel to Kill Bill.

"'Inglourious Basterds' and 'Django Unchained' bespeak a trilogy," the director says. "As different as they are, there is a companion piece quality. There might very well be a third one. I just don’t know what it is yet.”

FIRST LOOK: Amber Heard In MACHETE KILLS

James Mangold Says THE WOLVERINE Is A Japanese Noir Film

Director James Mangold has revealed a little more to Empire (via CBM) about the tone of The Wolverine. Not mention talking about it's themes which seem darker than previous X-Men films. James also gives a bit of knock to the Avengers giving the impression Wolverine won't be the fun romp that film was. Could this be the movie Wolverine fans have been asking for a decade? I guess we'll find out for sure this summer.

"It's rooted in drama. Effectively almost every superhero film, in a sense, revolves around some large group of humanity that's either killed or held hostage while superheroes battle it out with supervilains. The essential driving forces of this movie are interpersonal and dramatic, about love, bitterness, loss, vengeance, redemption, depression, suicide, conquering inner demons - it's going to make it a very different film than people have seen." 

"The cultural qualities that Japan and its people bring - honour, a sense of duty, of conflict - really fit beautifully around Logan. Our film find Logan at a point where he's very much a ronin - a samurai without a master. Anyone he ever had a connection to is either dead or gone." 

"When I say realistic, what I mean is that it's not built on 70-foot lizards from outer space. Our goal is to try to be a little less super-CG and wires, and a little more hardcore. I want the film to feel analogue. You always have large-scale action and adventure - it wouldn't be a movie about gods if you didn't have epic physicality. But we all feel we're making a Japanese noir picture with tentpole action in it." 

New Image Of The Mandarin With The Ten Rings From IRON MAN 3