Liam Hemsworth Eyed For Lead Role In 'INDEPENDENCE DAY' Sequel

The Wrap reports that Hunger Games actor Liam Hemsworth has been offered the lead in Roland Emmerich's sequel to Independence Day.

Will Smith was in talks to return but ultimately decide to pass on sequel while Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman are expected to reprise their roles.

Fantastic Four's Michael B. Jordan is said to be rumored for another lead role in the film.



SOURCE: THE WRAP

Jennifer Lawrence And Natalie Dormer Looking Like Badasses In MOCKINGJAY Set Photos

DailyMail and other photo sites have scooped some new set images from Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1.  Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones) is decked out with some heavy firepower, while oddly we see others like Katniss still using bows. The photos also include images of Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Sam Claflin and Mahershala Ali. To say this movie looks amazing is an understatement. I totally dig what I'm seeing, I avoid the final book because I wanted the last two films to surprise me. I'm glad I did because it looks like the movies might turnout better than the final book.

Liam Hemsworth Could Take The Lead Of Universal's Sci-Fi Thriller THE RAVEN

Deadline reports that Aussie actor Liam Hemsworth (Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Expendables 2) is in talks for the lead role in The Raven. The science fiction thriller is based on a short viral video by director Ricardo de Montreuil which was picked up by Universal to be turned into a feature film. It has a script from Michael Gilio and Justin Marks and is expected to begin production in June.

Two More Images From CATCHING FIRE Feature Liam Hemsworth And Josh Hutcherson

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Jena Malone Officially Joins 'CATCHING FIRE'

HeatVision has official word from Lionsgate that Jena Melone (Sucker Punch, Hatfields & McCoys) has landed the role of tribute Johanna Mason in Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

Philip Seymour Hoffman Offered Role In 'CATCHING FIRE'

There is breaking news via Variety that an offer from Lionsgate has gone out to Philip Seymour Hoffman (MI3, Boogie Nights, Big Lebowski, The Master) for the role of Plutarch Heavensbee in Catching Fire. The Hunger Games sequel has Francis Lawrence set to direct this summer with a release date of November 22nd 2013.

SOURCE: Variety

It's Official Francis Lawrence Will Direct 'CATCHING FIRE', Production Still Set For Fall

Lionsgate can give a sigh of relief has they've officially set Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend) to direct the Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire. Even more impressive is that the fall shoot won't be changed and things are going along as originally planned before Gary Ross exited. 20th Century Fox must be happy with the news as Jennifer Lawrence will be headed right into production on the X-Men First Class right after Catching Fire wraps. There had been concerns that if Fire didn't start in the fall, Jennifer would be whisked away by Fox. As the studio already pushed production on First Class 2 from the fall to January 2013 giving Jennifer enough time to make Catching Fire.

Action Packed And One-Liner Filled Trailer For 'EXPENDABLES 2'

Francis Lawrence Offered To Direct 'CATCHING FIRE'

HeatVision reports that Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend) has been offered the directing gig for the Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire. Production on the film is expected to start as soon as August to meet the November 2013 release date. ThePlaylist had originally reported that Lionsgate was down to Lawrence and Bennett Miller (Moneyball). Other directors that ended up in the mix included Tomas Alfredson (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Let The Right One In), Joe Cornish (Attack The Block), Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code), Cary Fukunaga (Sin Nombre, Jane Eyre) and Antonio Bayona (The Orphange).

It will be interesting to see what the franchise will look like with Francis calling the shots. While he's had success with I Am Legend his other films including Constantine and Water For Elephants didn't impress audiences. He does have a better grasp at digital effects than Gary Ross but some of films have used some terribly unimaginative creature designs such as the vampires in I Am Legend.

Harrison Ford And Gary Oldman Re-Team For 'PARANOIA' Starring Liam Hemsworth

Deadline reports that we'll be seeing an Air Force One reunion of sorts with the thriller Paranoia. Harrison Ford (Cowboys And Aliens, Ender's Game) and Gary Oldman (Motor City, Dark Knight Rises) have joined Liam Hemsworth (Hunger Games, Expendables 2) in the film from director Robert Luketic. Details on the espionage thriller aren't known but will involve two dueling telecom giants.

Luketic is responsible for train-wreck comedies like Win A Date With Tad Hamilton!, Monster-In-Law, The Ugly Truth and Killers. However, moving into a different genre could be a career resurrection for the director. I won't be holding my breath this film will anything more than average at best. I wouldn't be shocked to see a casting change up in the coming months.

Gary Ross Won't Be Directing 'CATCHING FIRE', Lionsgate Has A Shortlist Of Replacements

Earlier this week it was announced that Gary Ross wouldn't be returning to direct the Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire. There had been rumblings of "problems" during the production which didn't help when Steven Soderbergh ended up offering his services as second unit director. Ross' shaky-cam shooting style was said to be the biggest flaw of the film. So it's not surprising to see the studio searching for a new visionary director. Hunger Games is now a franchise and needs to evolve that could mean different directors with each new film. The film has already earned for Lionsgate and they need to keep the production moving or risk losing Jennifer Lawrence to the X-Men First Class sequel.

24Frames reports the studio already has a shortlist of directing candidates which includes Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men, Gravity),  David Cronenberg (Cosmopolis, Eastern Promises) and Alejandro González Iñárritu (21 Grams, Biutiful, Babel). Alfonso seems like the best choice since he's come into an established franchise before with the Prisoner of Azkaban and is currently one of the best science fiction directors working today. Alejandro has the awards pedigree with multiple films earning Oscar nominations and wins. However, he's never made the jump to blockbusters so it could be interesting to see him take on Catching Fire, even more science fiction. Oddly enough, while Cronenberg seems the weirdest choice of this group he was previously offered to direct films like Return of The Jedi, Robocop (original) and Top Gun.

Stallone Changes Expendables 2 Rating To Restricted

It looks like Sly Stallone is again caving to pressure from the online community to change the rating of Expendables 2. A few months back rumors of a PG-13 rating had been confirmed by Stallone which enraged the fans. Originally, the first film had been shot for PG-13 rating but later would get added digital blood and dubbed swearing. It looks like the second film will also be going in that direction as well as Sly confirms to StalloneZone (via SlashFilm) the sequel will indeed be rated R. . The film starring Stallone, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jet Li, Jason Statham, Liam Hemsworth, Chuck Norris, Terry Crews, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Scott Atkins will be released on August 17th 2012.

Chronicle's Josh Trank Could Direct Venom For Sony

24Frames reports that Sony is in talks with Chronicle director Josh Trank to replace Gary Ross (Hunger Games) on their Spider-Man spin-off Venom. It had been originally setup with Ross set to direct along with a script from Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Zombieland, Deadpool). However, there were many rewrites and Gary eventually dropped out to focus on the Hanger Games franchise at Lionsgate. Josh was rumored to be in the mix for Fox's Fantastic Four reboot. He would later deny the rumors a couple of times. It's unknown if this is just wishful thinking but Trank is likely getting a bunch of offers.

At one point the studio's plan was to have a completely reboot of Venom, ignoring the events of Spider-Man 3. Perhaps, making this an Ultimate version of Venom to compliant Marc Webb's Amazing Spider-Man. There also had been talk of darker toned film than any of the Spider-Man films. It makes sense considering the anti-hero does end up becoming a hero of sorts even if he seriously hurts and kills the people who cross his path. Topher Grace won't be returning as the studio would be looking to find a new Eddie Brock. I personally think that Liam Hemsworth or someone of his size would make a good Brock.

Jai Courtney Will Play Bruce Willis' Son In Die Hard 5

Deadline reports the search is finally over for the actor to play John McClean's (Willis) son in A Good Day To Die Hard the fifth film in the franchise. Australian actor Jai Courtney has landed the coveted role. Jai is best known for the series Spartacus: Blood And Sand. He recently starred alongside Tom Cruise in his upcoming action film One Shot. In the movie John has to travel to Moscow when his son is jailed but the two stumble on another terrorist plot. Production will start soon with a release date set for February 14th 2013.

Apparently the role came down to Courtney and Liam Hemsworth (Hunger Games, Expendables 2). It's surprising that Moore and Willis would chose Jai over Liam. Considering that Hemsworth is a rising action star in his own right. He has Hunger Games coming out soon which is gathering him an international fanbase. Liam also worked with Willis on Expendables 2 that will also heighten his profile. Courtney is relatively unknown and while this move might have been great for a new franchise it's odd they would look to him for a role like this. Since it's assumed that John Jr. could end up continuing the franchise for Fox when Willis retires from action films.

Liam Hemsworth To Star In Timeless

Deadline reports that Hunger Games actor Liam Hemsworth (Expendables 2) has signed on for the romantic science fiction drama Timeless. Not to be confused with the British travelling hit-man project Timeless, that's been described as a mix between Looper and Source Code. This romantic drama follows a young man who's wife dies and pursues time travelling technology to be reunited with her. There's an odd mix of people involved that includes director Phillip Noyce who is best known for action films like Patriot Games, Clear And Present Danger, The Saint and the poorly put together Angelina Jolie starer Salt. Not to mention the film's script is from Bill Kelly who wrote Enchantress.

I have no idea what to expect from this film. It could end up a serious dramatic science fiction film. Or, more likely a sappy drawn out chick flick. I'm not sure what this film says about Liam's chances for A Good Day To Die Hard (Die Hard 5) but it looks like his quickly setting up future projects.

Die Hard 5 Role Down To Two Actors?

Recently is was reported by Deadline that four actors were in the running to play John McClane's (Willis) son in A Good Day To Die Hard. They included James Badge Dale (The Departed, The Pacific), Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad), Liam Hemsworth (Hunger Games) and DJ Cotrona (G.I. Joe 2). The part is expected to be important as the new actor could possibly continue the franchise for an aging Bruce Willis. James seems to have chosen playing Armie Hammer's brother in The Lone Ranger instead. Aaron Paul has stated to ThePlaylist that his involvement would conflict with the shooting of the final season of Breaking Bad.

"It kept going back and forth and back and forth but at the end of the day I don't know if the role was offered to me if I'd be able to do it because of scheduling conflicts with 'Breaking Bad.' "


This news can only suggest that both James and Aaron are out of the picture. Leaving Liam and D.J. as the final candidates. Liam recently worked with Willis on the Expendables 2 and has a bit of a following since being cast in Hunger Games. Hemsworth also has a heist project in the works that could co-star Dwayne Johnson. His action star creditability is slowly creeping up to match his brother's.

Controna previously worked with Bruce as well on G.I. Joe: Retaliation which could help his odds. The only problem is that while he might be cheap to hire he doesn't have name recognition like Liam does. D.J. was linked with a number of other actors testing for the role of Tetsuo in Warner Bros' Akira. He could end up joining that project instead leaving the role vacant for Hemsworth. A production start is looming as 20th Century Fox has set the release date for February 14th 2013.

Liam Hemsworth Stars In Empire State, Dwayne Johnson Could Also Join

Deadline reports that Liam Hemsworth has finally landed a starring vehicle with the heist film Empire State. Liam the younger brother of Chris Hemsworth (Avengers, Red Dawn, Thor) has been slowly gathering steam with supporting roles in Hunger Games and Expendables 2. The film is based on the true story of a 1982 NYC armored car company robbery thought at the time to be the largest cash heist in U.S. history. Empire State was written by Adam Mazer (Breach) and will be directed by Dito Montiel (A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints) shooting is expected to start in April. Dwayne Johnson (G.I. Joe 2, Fast Five) is also in talks for the film but could end up conflicting with Michael Bay's Pain And Gain. Johnson recently confirmed he landed a lead in Pain.

He-Man Movie Back On Track At Sony

It hasn't been a great journey for the He-Man: Masters of The Universe reboot. Originally setup at Warner Bros. with producer Joel Silver and director John Stevenson (Kung Fu Panda) going to make the remake. The project eventually seemed too expensive or creatively off for the studio and it got the axe. There hasn't been any news on the film until now. BleedingCool reports Sony is resurrecting the project at Escape Artists. No screenwriter or director has been mentioned but with the success of Thor this now might be a priority for Sony. A mix between Thor and Flash Gordon the film has some potential to become a fun fantasy blockbuster. This movie could really work if the scale is there along with a strong cast.

I feel like the Hemsworth brothers would be perfect for the role of He-Man. Chris Hemsworth has pretty much edged himself as the go to guy for fantasy leads with roles as Thor and The Huntsman. I think if anyone could breathe a third dimension into to He-Man it would be Chris. His brother Liam is also gathering some action credit of his own with Hunger Games and Expendables 2 on the horizon.

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