'HOBBIT' Actor Adam Brown Joins 'PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES'

Variety has a casting update for Disney's Pirates of The Caribeean: Dead Men Tell No Tales which sees actors Adam Brown, Delroy Atkinson and Danny Kirrane joining the cast.

Brown, being the most noteworthy actor of the bunch playing the dwarf Ori in Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy. Not to mention working with Orlando Bloom in two of those films. Bloom is expected to reprise the role of Will Turner in the film.

The other new cast members include Javier Bardem, Kaya Scodelario, and Brenton Thwaites.

SOURCE: VARIETY

Marvel Confirms Benedict Cumberbatch For DOCTOR STRANGE

Marvel Studios has finally put everything to rest and are announcing Benedict Cumberbatch (Star Trek Into Darkness, Hobbit, Sherlock, War Horse) as Stephen Strange in Doctor Strange. The film starting production next year will be directed by Scott Derrickson with a script from Jon Spaihts (Prometheus, The Mummy). The film will be apart of the Phase Three lineup and is set for release on November 4th, 2016. There is no word on other cast members, but this means the rest of the cast can now be put together. Below is the entire press release from Marvel on the announcement.

Benedict Cumberbatch has entered the world of the mystic arts.

The actor will star in Marvel’s “Doctor Strange,” scheduled to hit theaters November 4, 2016. The film, directed by Scott Derrickson with Jon Spaihts writing the screenplay, will follow the story of neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange who, after a horrific car accident, discovers the hidden world of magic and alternate dimensions.

“Stephen Strange’s story requires an actor capable of great depth and sincerity,” said Producer Kevin Feige. “In 2016, Benedict will show audiences what makes Doctor Strange such a unique and compelling character.”

Cumberbatch rose to international prominence with his critically acclaimed turn as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous creation in “Sherlock,” currently preparing its fourth season. The series’ most recent season earned Cumberbatch the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie in 2014, after winning the BAFTA/LA Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year in 2013.

Cumberbatch most recently starred in “The Imitation Game,” playing famed mathematician and logician Alan Turing, and will soon be seen in “The Hobbit: The Army of the Five Armies” as Smaug and the Necromancer. For the role of Smaug, Cumberbatch stepped into the world of motion capture to bring the dragon to life. He will next be seen in Scott Cooper’s film “Black Mass,” the story of Whitey Bulger coming to theaters next September, where he stars opposite Johnny Depp and Joel Edgerton.

The star’s other credits include the Academy Award-winning “12 Years a Slave,” “War Horse,” “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” “August: Osage County,” “Star Trek Into Darkness,” “The Fifth Estate,” and “Parade’s End.” Benedict will be returning to the stage this summer in Hamlet at the Barbican with Lyndsey Turner directing. His last stage performance in Danny Boyle’s Frankenstein opposite Jonny Lee Miller awarded him the Olivier.

With “Doctor Strange,” Cumberbatch is just the latest actor to join the bold Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, introducing new heroes and continuing the adventures of fan favorites across multiple films.

SOURCE: MARVEL 

Andy Serkis Joins AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON And Five Characters He'd Nail

Variety has word from actor Andy Serkis that along with consulting with Mark Ruffalo for his motion-capture scenes as The Hulk in Avengers: Age of Ultron. That he'll also have an unnamed role in the film as well. Considering his high-profile taking lead roles in films such as King Kong, Lord of The Rings, Rise/Dawn of Planet of The Apes and Star Wars: Episode VII, we should expect a big part for Andy.

"The Imaginarium is the performance capture consultant, and I’m playing a role,"

"I’m not at liberty to mention. But it’s all the same to me. I’ve never drawn a distinction when playing a role, whether it be live action or performance capture. Acting is acting. It’s just basically what you wear to the set that’s different."

I assume that this character could be more labor intensive, than say the voice work that Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel did for Guardians of The Galaxy. Considering he's basically the best performance capture actor working today (here's hoping the Academy eventually makes performance capture a category), I doubt this is the motion-capture work for Thanos or Ultron. I have a strong feeling he'll get his own character in the film, likely setting-up Avengers 3 or future Marvel films.

KANG: Another Marvel cosmic villain that could be teased at the end of Age of Ultron (similar to Thanos in Avengers) is Kang The Conqueror. Although Kang is from the future, placing him among the ranks of Thanos wouldn't be too difficult. Marvel has already placed cosmic villains such as Ronan The Accuser and The Collector into the service of Thanos, so it's possible other villains like Kang could become his pawns as well.

I'm not sure if Marvel is ready to throw the villain into the spotlight, but setting him up for Avengers 3 could make a lot of sense. Yet, we know that Marvel is changing the origins of Ultron, having him created by Kang, might also be a new angle for the villain. Having Serkis do a cameo as Kang would allow him plenty of time to make more Star Wars and Apes films, before taking a bigger role for Avengers 3, which is expected to be released in either 2018 or 2019. Kang would also make a great villain for future installments.

The time-travelling aspect is apart of the original Age of Ultron storyline, and if the film does end-up using that theme. Having a character like Kang, that possesses time-travelling abilities in the MCU could be a way to allow that to happen. Or, at the very least keep the time-travelling aspect in place, somewhat.

GORILLA MAN: Considering how much attention Rocket Raccoon is getting, it wouldn't be much of a stretch to see another animal mo-cap character join the MCU. Mainly, Gorilla Man one of the Agents of Atlas, the team also includes SHIELD agent Jimmy Woo and Namor's cousin Namora. The gun-wielding Gorilla Man is another heroic animal from the Marvel universe, and seems like an easy character to assume Serkis could play. Having played two iconic apes in the past already, with Caesar (Rise/Dawn of The Planet of The Apes) and King Kong. Of course, Gorilla is entirely different than those previous roles, which would mean a brand new ape character for Andy to play with. Plus, getting to do more action sequences as well.

ABOMINATION: There has been more than a few teases that we could see the return of The Abomination, and a massive battle between these two could result in major civilian causalities. Leading to the eventually plot points that start-off the Planet Hulk story. I actually liked Tim Roth's Blonksy, but hated the design of Abomination. Perhaps, another redesign is in order and possibly a recasting. Since Ruffalo is now Banner, we could see other Incredible Hulk characters recast with new actors. It would also be great to see Andy play a straight-up menacing villain.

RED HULK: We strangely haven't see William Hurt return as General Thunderbolt Ross. A possible sign that both Hurt and Liv Tyler might be getting recast for future films. I think that Serkis is able to age himself up enough to pull-off both the General and Red-Hulk versions of Ross. Apparently, Red-Hulk was expected to be a feature player on the axed ABC series. It's not hard to imagine Marvel wanting to use him in the films instead. Marvel has also been setting-up the "Hulks" with their animated series The Agents of SMASH. I'd actually love to see Andy play characters like this, ones with a mix of both live-action and CGI performances. Plus, Andy rocked a great moustache in King Kong.

SILVER SURFER: Currently, the rights to this cosmic hero are at Fox. However, at one point Marvel was trying to make a deal with 20th Century Fox to regain the rights to both Surfer and Galactus. The studio was trying to include the characters in the recent production of Guardians of The Galaxy. At the moment Fox isn't ready to move forward with old plans to make a Silver Surfer film. At best, he'll end-up another secondary character in the new Fantastic Four franchise. I'd personally love to see what someone like Serkis could bring to both Norrin Radd and The Surfer. It's extremely unlikely we'll see the Silver Surfer in Age of Ultron, but he's a character Serkis could really give dimension to.


SOURCE: VARIETY

Marvel Wants Benedict Cumberbatch And Tom Hardy For DOCTOR STRANGE

It was recently confirmed that Scott Derrickson (Sinister) would be directing Doctor Strange for Marvel. While the casting was currently a bit of mystery on it's own. The likes of Johnny Depp, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jon Hamm, and Jared Leto were rumored to be in the mix or at least considered. New names are being added that group, and one being a major fan favorite.

According to Deadline, Marvel has others also in mind for the casting of Doctor Strange. They report that Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, Hobbit, Star Trek Into Darkness, War Horse, ) and Tom Hardy (Inception, Dark Knight Rises, Bronson) could take roles in the film, and are on a studio casting wish-list. It's unknown if both are wanted for the same role, or are being paired together for the feature. Ben and Tom have a bit of a history together, working in television and even on film projects like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Benedict Cumberbatch has been a fan favorite for the role of Stephen Strange for years now, and there was even rumors he had previously met with Marvel about a role. While he's on a "list" nothing is too solid, but it does sound like he turned down a Star Wars role for something bigger.

Unlike Cumberbatch, Hardy has a lot more on his plate. He's already signed-up for the lead in Dough Liman's Splinter Cell movie and could have another franchise on his hands with Mad Max: Fury Road coming out next summer. I think it's less likely we'll see Hardy chosen, but the actor is a workaholic and loves taking-on genre work.

I also wouldn't be shocked if Marvel is looking to pair the two together in the film, casting one as the villain and the other Stephen Strange. It's hard to say which one could be the hero/villain, as they have plenty experience playing both kinds of characters.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

First Footage From THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG

First Scene From The Hobbit: The Desolation Of... by dm_514f5e7f66d4c

James McAvoy Wants To Play Gandalf In THE SILMARILLION

First off, Peter Jackson and New Line/Warner Bros. haven't announced any plans to explore another trilogy based on the Silmarillion. The book is a prequel to both The Hobbit and Lord of The Rings, it's unknown at this point if they even own the rights to make films. However, this hasn't stopped James McAvoy from campaigning for a role in it. He tells TotalFilm that the next role he'd like to tackle would be Gandalf in The Silmarillion. I'm not too familiar with the book but I expect the studio would consider turning it into a third trilogy.

“I’d like to play Gandalf..It’s called The Silmarillion! It’s a collection of poems and songs that chart the ancient history of Middle-earth. My true geek is coming to the fore, but they’re really, really beautiful stories. In part of that is the genesis of Gandalf, or Mithrandir, or Stormcrow, or any of his many, many names. Anyway, maybe that’s the one!” 

The Hobbit's current success has proved audiences are still hungry for more Middle Earth adventures. An Unexpected Journey has almost made $800 million worldwide already and won't be exiting theaters anytime soon. Warner Bros. (New Line) originally budgeted for two Hobbit films ($500 million) but they added more to the budget. Including new Battle of The Five Armies scenes to be shot expanding the project into a trilogy. It's possible the studio could strike while the iron is hot and start development on the Silmarillion.

The catch seems to be Peter Jackson is exhausted making these films and likely won't be returning to direct any more installments. Originally, Guillermo del Toro was hired to direct the Hobbit only to exit over lengthy production delays. Jackson reluctantly took the director's chair but brought in Andy Serkis as his second unit director. Serkis has shot a ton of scenes for the trilogy and will be spearheading the Five Armies shoot for There And Back Again. I wouldn't be shocked if they do make these films Andy Serkis could end up being the one to direct them. As Jackson had been mentoring and grooming Serkis to direct future projects during the Hobbit production.

Cate Blanchett Could Play Evil Stepmother In CINDERELLA

TheWrap reports that Cate Blanchett (Hobbit, Lord of The Rings, Hanna) is in talks to play the evil stepmother in Disney's live-action Cinderella film. She would be the first actor attached to the project from director Mark Romanek (Never Let Me Go). It's yet another film in the trend of fairy tales blockbusters. Previously, we seen Snow White, Alice In Wonderland, Red Riding Hood (not successful) along with upcoming adaptations of Hansel And Gretel, Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty) and Oz, The Great And Powerful.

Behind The Scenes Hobbit Image Shows Bilbo In Gollum's Cave

Peter Jackson Will Shoot The Hobbit With 3D & RED EPIC Cameras

There is some interesting technical information being released toady from the set of the The Hobbit. While director/writer/producer Peter Jackson was able to stomp out some serious issues that plagued the production for months. He's now starting to get ready to shoot the two films by choosing his cameras. There is word from Engadget that Jackson will shoot most of the film with 3D and will include the use of 30 Red EPIC Digital cameras. The RED digital format is beyond stunning on the big screen and could help boost the visuals of the films.

Peter Jackson Officially Directing The Hobbit, Offers Go Out For Roles

It looks like the massive epic of just getting production started on The Hobbit films is finally coming to an end. Deadline reports Peter Jackson has finally come on board to direct, the film has been greenlit and offers have gone out to actors. The only thing holding it back is the current labor dispute which could see the films shot outside of New Zealand. Interesting enough Martin Freeman (Hitchhikers Guide) is up for Bilbo Baggins while others such as David Tennant (Doctor Who), Michael Fassbender (X-Men First Class, Inglourious Basterds) and James Nesbitt (Jekyll, Sunday Bloody Sunday) have been offered unnamed roles in the film. Ian McKellan and Andy Serkis are expected to return as well.

Will Martin Freeman Play Bilbo Baggins?

Not too long ago TheSun reported that Martin Freeman (The Office, Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy) passed on the The Hobbit to focus on his television series Sherlock. Now word comes from EW that the studio wants Freeman so badly they'll work round his show. Martin had been on the top of fans wishlist to play Bilbo and it looks like it could work out.

RUMOR: Neill Blomkamp Directing The Hobbit?

TheOneRing who is basically the best source for anything involving The Hobbit has heard from their sources/spies that Neill Blomkamp could be taking over for del Toro. If true this could be the saving grace for the films since Peter Jackson doesn't seem keen on directing them. Blomkamp is responsible for District 9 one of the greatest science fiction films of the last ten years which Jackson produced. The pair also worked together for the Halo movie before things fell apart. District 9 with it's modest budget ($30 million) ended up a massive box office success. Along with critical acclaim leading to it's four Oscar nominations including Best Picture.

Guillermo Del Toro Leaves The Hobbit, So What's Next?

Guillermo del Toro has announced on TheOneRing he will be stepping downa as director for The Hobbit. There has been talk for months of problems with MGM dealing with it's finical troubles which had been hindering the production start. I expect that Peter Jackson will wait it out then jump on board to diret the two films.

"In light of ongoing delays in the setting of a start date for filming “The Hobbit,” I am faced with the hardest decision of my life. After nearly two years of living, breathing and designing a world as rich as Tolkien’s Middle Earth, I must, with great regret, take leave from helming these wonderful pictures. I remain grateful to Peter, Fran and Philippa Boyens, New Line and Warner Brothers and to all my crew in New Zealand. I’ve been privileged to work in one of the greatest countries on earth with some of the best people ever in our craft and my life will be forever changed. The blessings have been plenty, but the mounting pressures of conflicting schedules have overwhelmed the time slot originally allocated for the project. Both as a co-writer and as a director, I wish the production nothing but the very best of luck and I will be first in line to see the finished product. I remain an ally to it and its makers, present and future, and fully support a smooth transition to a new director."


So what's next for Guillermo? There seems to be lots of projects he could take on which include a new Frankenstein film for Universal Pictures. There has been talk of him directing Doctor Strange for Marvel Studios. Hellboy 3 has also been in development which would be the final movie in the series.