Rooney Mara Is Lizbeth In Fincher's Dragon Tattoo

Rooney Mara (Social Network) has been cast as Lisbeth Salander in David Fincher's Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, the first in a trilogy. She will star alongside Daniel Craig in the film which starts production in Sweden soon.

Pitt & Depp To Star In Nemesis?

Nemesis focuses on the villain rather than the hero of the story. Instead of fighting superheroes he goes up against regular cops with an endless supply of killing skills and weapons. The comic hasn't even fully been released but Tony Scott (Man on Fire, Top Gun) has signed on to direct with the help of 20th Century Fox who will supply the film's budget. Millar offered up to Empire who he'd like to see cast in the film. Mark would like to see Johnny Depp as Nemesis and Brad Pitt as Chief Blake Marrow. Now there is word from Millar that director Tony Scott is actually reaching out to the actors for the roles.


While some might scoff at the idea of getting these two heavy weights together. Pitt's Plan B produced Kick-Ass he's also worked with Tony Scott on True Romance and Spy Games. Depp worked with Angelina Jolie on The Tourist and most likely has been in contact with Pitt. I wouldn't be surprised to see Pitt take the producer's chair again and help sway Depp into joining the film.

Jonathan Liebesman Will Direct Clash of The Titans 2

Jonathan Liebesman (Battle: Los Angeles) has officially been hired by Warner Bros. to direct Clash of The Titans 2.

Robert Rodriguez Mulling Over Directing Deadpool

While Fox is trying to find directors for Wolverine 2 and Fantastic Four they are trying to lock in Robert Rodriguez for Deadpool. The prospect of the action junkie helming the off-the-world comic book film is exciting but it's not set in stone just yet. Deadline reports the comic project could conflict with his Spy Kids reboot. Hopefully if Machete is successful enough for the studio they'll end sweetening the deal to make sure he directs.

Darren Aronofsky To Direct Wolverine 2?

Deadline is reporting that Fox and producer/actor Hugh Jackman have been in talks with several directors to helm Wolverine 2. Now they list Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler) as a possible candidate which is beyond exciting. Aronofsky has been previously developing remakes of both Shogun Assassin and Robocop (which both fell apart). He was also in the running to direct Batman Begins. So it's impossible to predict what he do with a large budgeted Japanese set Wolverine film. If Fox is smart they'll choose talent over box office success and hire Aronofsky who will give the franchise new life. Plus it doesn't hurt that Jackson and Darren have previously worked together. Previously David Slde hs been the frontrunner but Slade doesn't have the body/quality of work Darren has.

Fox Wants Bruce Willis For Fantastic Four Reboot

CBM has another exciting tidbit for the new Fantastic Four reboot. They've heard from their studio source at 20th Century Fox that an offer has gone out to Bruce Willis. He would voice the fully CGI character the Thing and would stand in for the brief Ben Grimm scenes in the opening credits. Hopefully Fox is using the Incredible Hulk as an influence for the reboot. It seems like they're ditching the Thing's suit and taking the series in a more serious direction. I've mentioned I'd love to see Willis play the new Ben Grimm (The Thing), so I'm excited for the possibility.

New Metroid Game Trailer Teases Film

The new live action trailer for Metroid: Other M gives us glimpses of what a movie could look like. It's impressive for the 40 seconds of actual footage and the score is chilling. John Woo was once attached to direct a live action film but it fell apart and it's unknown if it will ever happen. It's interesting to see Nintendo using a campaign similar to the Halo commercials.

Noomi Rapace Offered Role In MI4 & Other Casting News

Tom Cruise and the studio aren't mucking about when it comes to casting Mission Impossible 4. They've already hired Jeremy Renner (Hurt Locker) and now according to Deadline are in active talks with Noomi Rapace for a role. Noomi is best known for her powerful performnces in the Swedish trilogy: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest. Hopefully they'll be able to rangle this powerhouse actress for the series.


In other Mission Impossible 4 casting news three actresses have screen tested for the film. They include Lauren German (Happy Town, Hostel II), Paula Patton (Precious) and Kristin Kreuk (Smallville).


Simon Pegg is also in talks to reprise his role in the series.

Fantastic Four Updates (Casting & Directors)

CMB reports 20th Century Fox is moving quickly on their Fantastic Four reboot and plans on releasing the film in the summer of 2012. They've come up with some interesting bits of casting and director choices from their studio source.


The previous rumor of Adrien Brody for Mr. Fantastic is spot on. They also report that Stephen Moyer (True Blood) is up for Dr. Doom, Alice Eve is up for The Invisible Woman and Kevin Pennington is up for The Human Torch.


Now the directors who could be hired to take on the task of the reboot. They include Joe Carnahan (Smoking Aces, A-Team), David Yates (Order of The Phoenix) and James McTeigue (V for Vendetta).

RUMOR: JJ Field Playing Union Jack In Captin America?

There are online rumors that British actor JJ Field (Centurion) could be playing the role of Union Jack in the upcoming Captain America. It would make sense that the character would be involved since the inclusion of The Invaders. Yet there is zero sources to back up this rumor.

Stallone Teases Willis Could Be Villain In Expendables 2

Sly has finally joined the world of Twitter and has suggested that Bruce Willis could be a super villain in Expendables 2. Let's just pray that Arnold Schwarzenegger is also on board for the ride.

Albert Brooks To Play Villain In Drive

This seems like excellent casting on the part of writer/director Nicolas Winding Refn (Pusher, Bronson). He's put Albert Brooks (Simpsons, Out of Sight) best known for nice guy comedic roles in the role of the baddie in Drive. Some might remember Brooks played the over the top Bond-type villain Hank Scorpio on the Simpsons. He also played the villain in the Simpsons movie.

Christopher McQuarrie To Adapt Unforgiven For Angelina Jolie

Deadline reports Christopher McQuarrie (Usual Suspects) has been hired by GK Films to adapt the British miniseries Unforgiven as a starring vehicle for Angelina Jolie. The story revolves around a woman who is sent to prison after killing two policemen. When she is released and trying to rebuild her life she becomes the target of a revenge plot. The studio seems to have a very solid working relationship with Jolie. They just greenlit her directorial debut with a film set round the Bosnian War. Along with financing her newest film The Tourist that also stars Johnny Depp.

Ari Graynor To Join Jonah Hill In The Sitter

Deadline reports Ari Graynor (Holy Rollers, Youth In Revolt, Nick & Norah) has been cast as the female led in David Gordon Green's (Pineapple Express, Your Highness) The Sitter. Jonah Hill will play a babysitter who is way over his head. It sounds like mix of Get Him To Greek meets Problem Child.

Blockbuster Will File For Bankruptcy

So it looks like the mighty rental giant is about to hear it's own swan song. Blockbuster will file for Chapter 11 next month. This is the second large American rental chain (MovieGallery) to suffer from the expansive VOD and online market (NetFlix, Redbox). So what does this mean to the average consumer? It means the company could be sold off or retooling it's resources. Basically closing down a majority of it's outlets and focusing on the other rental markets. It's doubtful Blockbuster will go quietly into the night so I don't expect it will die off. I give my support to all those effected by this shakeup even more so the ground level employees who will be taking the brunt of this.

I remember when Blockbuster moved into my neighbourhood destroying my love affair with my local Jumbo Video outlet. I knew the owners growing up from playing baseball with their children. There was something magical about knowing the people who owned/ran the store and how they made it feel like being in theater lobby every time you walked in. The place would be covered with new posters, standees and free popcorn. I'm not sure I'll ever have that feeling again most likely because I'm jaded or it's a different time. I really do hope independent video stores take back the market.

RUMOR: Marion Cotillard Is Catwoman Or Talia al Ghul?

Marion Cotillard (Inception) is again rumored for the role of Selina Kyle (Catwoman). The interesting part is that she could also be up for the daughter of Ra's al Ghul. Of course this seems like nothing but gossip like the majority of previous Batman 3 casting rumors but it would be interesting to see Marion play Talia. Since it could help bookend the series with the daughter of the saga's first villain.

Jeremy Renner Joins Mission Impossible 4

Deadline reports Jeremy Renner (Hurt Locker) will star opposite Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible 4. Jeremy is likely to take over the series if Cruise decides to walk after the fourth installment. He has also lined up a very high profile role as Clint Brton (Hawkeye) in The Avengers which starts shooting early next year and could lead to his own solo movies.

What Kind of Movie Should New Mutants/X-Force Be?

Now that X-Men First Class is starting up production and Wolverine 2 set to shoot in the winter. There is still one more promised X-Men project that hasn't begun serious development and that would be New Mutants/X-Force. First Class is opening up doors with it's 6o's set Bond style. So why not try to make X-Force an 80's style action film? While I do enjoy the original films and I'm now beyond excited for First Class due in part to Matthew Vaughn's involvement and it's amazing cast. I think moving away from the dry teen drama we saw in original films could help move the story and action to a better place. It could be interesting to see the studio take a grittier direction with their characters.

DIRECTORS:


While Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass) is the only confirmed/hired director at the moment. The fact 20 Century Fox is in talks with both Robert Rodriguez for Deadpool and David Slade (Hard Candy) for Wolverine 2, the next X-Men film could get another great director. My dream would be to see Zack Snyder direct since he was once attached for Wolverine but left to focus on other films. After watching the trailer for Sucker Punch he can make anything visually convincing so it could help the chances of use finally seeing the Sentinels in action. Considering Snyder's work relationship with Warner Bros. I think it might be difficult for another studio to hire him. He also is currently working on Xerxes which could be his next movie. Daniel Espinosa (Snabba Cash) is an interesting new director he was considered to direct First Class. I think Daniel is another great choice if Fox can get him since he is also in high demand to direct other projects.





STORYLINES:


I'm not that knowledgeable on the history of the X-Force but the majority of new issues seem to be better suited for film than the originals. What I'd like to see is Cable forming a side special-ops unit of the X-Men and is setup for rescues and liberation of captured mutants. It could make for the best use of the Sentinel saga along with the mutant work camps. I could live without Wolverine in the film but it would be nice to see him if only as a supporting character. It's difficult to say if we'll ever see Laura Kinney (X-23) in the films but this could be the right one for her. Just as long as they skip over the cloning it could work.


The other interesting aspect is crossovers. Deadpool is now an active member of the X-Force and could be featured or cameo in the movie. With Ryan's workload it seems unlikely there will be room for a Deadpool sequel anytime soon. A small role in X-Force could keep fans happy if Deadpool is successful. I'd also love to see the lineup involve known characters like Psylocke, Archangel, Domino, Majik, Warpath and Boom Boom.


CASTING THOUGHTS:


Stephen Lang (Avatar) as Nathan Summers (Cable)


Rebecca Hall (The Town, Prestige) as Elisabeth Braddock (Psylocke)


Cillian Murphy (Inception) as Archangel


Maggie Siff (Mad Men, Sons of Anarchy) as Neena Thurman (Domino)


Rudy Youngblood (Apocalypto) as James Proudstar (Warpath)


Lyndsy Fonseca (Kick-Ass) as Laura Kinney (X-23)


Brie Larson (Scott Pilgrim) as Tabitha Smith (Boom Boom)


Beau Garrett (Tron Legacy) as Illyana Rasputin (Magik)

Marvel Studios Hires Writer For Iron Fist

Deadline reports that Marvel Studios has hired Rich Wilkes (xXx, Airheads) to write treatment for the Iron Fist film. While this is exciting news this doesn't men we will be seeing it anytime soon.

Doug Liman Will Direct All You Need Is Kill

Warner Bros. has officially hired Doug Liman (Bourne Idenity, Mr. & Mrs. Smith) to direct the live action film based on the manga All You Need Is Kill.

Carey Muillgan In Talks For Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive

Carey Mulligan is in talks to star alongside Ryan Gosling in the crime thriller Drive.

RUMOR: Brody & Heard Up For Roles In F4 Reboot?

There are rumors online suggesting that both Adrien Brody and Amber Heard could be starring in the Fantastic Four reboot.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead The New Mary Jane?

Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim, Death Proof, Die Hard 4) is one of many possible actresses testing to star opposite Andrew Garfield in the new Spider-Man reboot.

RUMOR: Could Alice Eve Be In Avengers?

Alice Eve while not cast in Captain America still could be in mind for another role in the Marvel universe. Now Avengers director Joss Whedon has given a small hint that we could be seeing another female character in the film other than Black Widow. While nothing has been confirmed CBM's belief is that there could be role in the film for Eve. It's unknown who the character is but it could either be a hero or villain. The likely candidates are Enchantress, Carol Danvers (Ms. Marvel), Yelena Belova (Black Widow II) or Sharon Carter.

X-Men First Class Updates

Bryan Singer has been talking up the newest addition to the X-Men saga. Comparing the new vision for the film as 60's Bond level type storytelling and action. This sounds very ambious for project that has such small post production time frame. None the less X-Men First Class sounds like it could pump the new blood needed to save the franchise. He also confirmed that Kevin Bacon will be playing Sebastian Shaw and the Hellfire Club will be used in the film.


It doesn't look like Alice Eve will be playing Emma Frost now that January Jones (Mad Men) has officially been cast in the role.


Along with Jones others have been added to the cast such as Jason Flemying (Ben Button, Lock Stock), Rose Byrne (28 Weeks Later, Sunshine) and Oliver Platt.

Alexandre Aja To Direct Corba: Space Pirate

There is talk that director Alexandre Aja (Piranha 3D, High Tension) is directing a live action film based on the anime series Cobra: Space Pirate.

Edgar Wright Talks Ant-Man

Writer and director Edgar Wright might not be getting much of a break now that Scott Pilgrim is in theaters. There is a massive demand from his fanbase and Marvel fans to get Ant-Man completed. Since Edgar has been writing the script for a while now with the hopes of directing it. He recently spoke with Vanity Fair on the project and gave insight into his concept for the character.

"I know there’s a big stigma attached to it, mostly because every movie about shrinking has been about people in peril. I think it’d be great to do a shrinking film about a bad-ass secret agent.

Even something like The Incredible Shrinking Man, which is a fantastic film, is about a guy in trouble. But this is going to be nothing like that. It’s essentially a high-tech spy heist film with somebody with a very particular power."

Scarlett Johansson Vs. Blake Lively For Gravity Role?

It looks like Scarlett Johansson isn't the only actress interested in co-starring alongside RDJ in Alfonso Cuarón's (Children of Men) science fiction thriller Gravity. There is word from the NYDailyNews that Blake Lively (Green Lantern) is also interested in the role.

Cillian Muprhy To Join I'm.mortal?

HeatVision reports that Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later, Sunshine, Inception) is final talks to take a role in Andrew Niccol's (Lord of War, Gattaca) new science fiction thriller I'm.mortal. The film already has it's leads with Amanda Seyfried and Justin Timberlake (Social Network)

Avengers Teaser Trailer, Shooting In Feb 2011

The Comic-Con teaser for the Avengers has hit the web. Along with confirmation that Marvel Studios will start production on the film this February.

John Carter of Mars Coming June 2012

While Disney's last sand set epic didn't please audiences it looks like John Carter of Mars will. The larger than life science fiction action film will be hitting theaters on June 8th 2012.

Riley Keough Joins Mad Max 4

Riley Keough (Runaways) has joined the fourth installment of the Mad Max series entitled Mad Max: Fury Road. She will star alongside Tom Hardy (Inception), Charlize Theron (Monster) and Patrick Stewart (X-Men 1-3).