Matt Reeves And Others Wanted To Direct DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Now that director Rupert Wyatt has exited the Planet of The Apes franchise. Fox is now on the hunt for a new director to replace him with the 2014 release date looming. Deadline reports that Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, Let Me In) is on the top of their list along with other candidates that include Guillermo del Toro (Pacific Rim, Hellboy), Rian Johnson (Looper, Brick), J Blakeson (Alice Creed), Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later), Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter) and Juan Antonio Bayona (The Impossible).

Reeves has left the Twilight Zone film which was setup at Warner Bros., so there's a good chance he'll sign on. Guillermo is also a solid choice as he's a genre nut and could really amp up the action aspect for the sequel. Johnson's jump into science fiction with Looper could make him a decent candidate. Only problem is that Rian usually only directs projects he writes himself. I assume if he signs on he'll be making script rewrites which would only be a benefit to the project.

Ryan Reynolds Frontrunner For 'HIGHLANDER'

ShowBlitz has interesting casting news today as Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds is now the frontrunner for the lead in the Highlander reboot. No official offer has been made but it's looking good and Ryan doesn't often turn down these type of roles. The assumption is that Ryan will play Colin, a Scottish highlander who discovers he's an immortal while fatally wounded on the battlefield only to be resurrected. Under the guidance of an elder immortal he's taught the rules and limits of his new powers. He chugs along for hundreds of years living through the highlights and downsides of history, until the president day story begins. The immortals are locked in a struggle to become the only one left alive. An immortal can only be killed by their head being cut-off. When the duel is over the winner absorbs the fallen immortal's energy which in-turn increases their power/strength and immortality. Some immortals like Colin keep a close group of immortals as friends instead of hacking their heads off for power.

Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) is set direct and replaced Justin Lin (Fast Five) who had to drop out of the project to focus on Fast Six. Iron Man scribes Art Marcum and Matt Holloway came on to do rewrites but the quality of the film won't be known until we get a trailer. It's an interesting choice considering Ryan's massive Green Lantern flop and negative buzz surrounding his next comic book project R.I.P.D. However, he did have a number one hit with Safe House that co-starred Denzel Washington. Hopefully it light another fire under 20th Century Fox to finally get Deadpool made. It's unknown at this point if this will be a complete reboot of the franchise or stay faithful to same beats of the original film. A villain hasn't been named but it's possible a new super-immortal could be introduced along with non-villainous immortals that Colin plays nice with.

Juan Carlos Fresnadillo Talks Highlander Reboot

Director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later, Intruders) seems to be cautious these days when talking up future projects since he backed out of both The Crow remake and the Bio-Shock film. Another film that has him attached is Universal's reboot of the touch and go Highlander franchise. Frensnadillo gave a brief to statement ThePlaylist on the direction his film that should ease the hardcore fans like myself of the original movie. He says he's focusing on the original mythology of the first film. Ignoring the alien subplot of the second film and the inclusion of the television characters in the latter sequels.


"I’m developing the possibility of making 'Highlander...I find the concept very interesting, immortality as a curse. We’re using the materials of the universe, but this is some kid of reboot, since the story could use a new approach."


"Everything comes from the universe of the original film. There will be no aliens!"

Juan Carlos Fresnadillo Directing Highlander Reboot

Deadline reports that Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) has officially been set to direct the Highlander remake. Previously Justin Lin (Fast Five) had been in talks but it looks Lin isn't taking the job. Juan Carlos Fresnadillo is a decent director and boosted Danny Boyle's infected franchise with his sequel. He's also linked to The Crow remake but I'm sure Highlander will go first as a script from Art Marcum and Matt Holloway (Iron Man) is further in completion.

My choice to play Connor MacLeod would be Kevin McKidd. The Scottish actor has had some impressive roles including Trainspotting and the HBO series Rome. McKidd had been a fan favorite to portray Marvel Studios' Thor along with Daniel Craig.

Bradley Cooper In Talks For The Crow

HeatVision reports that Bradley Cooper is in early talks to take the role of Eric Draven in The Crow remake. The say that Cooper met with recently announced director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) in Spain about the film. Previously Mark Wahlberg had been linked for the role but it doesn't look like that will be happening.

Juan Carlos Fresnadillo Will Direct Crow Remake

Deadline is reporting that 28 Weeks Later director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo has been hired to helm the invention of cult comic book film The Crow. Mark Wahlberg has been linked for the lead but has said he has yet to read a script.