UPDATE:

Ubiquitous Brit thesp Bill Nighy is the latest to join the ever-expanding cast as resistance leader Quatto. If you read our previous report on the project below, you’ll see that this film differs wildly from the original – so it’s safe to say Nighy will ‘not’ be playing the character as a mutant-old-man-baby-lookin’-conjoined-twin-type-thing. But I kinda wish he were.

{youtube}xO1kKemcwYk{/youtube}

Additionally, John Cho (HAROLD & KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANAMO BAY) will play McClane – a representative of the evil company responsible for messing with our hero’s noggin.

———————————————————————————————————

{jcomments on}11/05/11
Ethan Hawke is the latest to be cast in UNDERWORLD director Len Wiseman’s upcoming TOTAL RECALL remake. Originally intended to be a secret cameo (huh?) the cat’s out of the bag now courtesy of THR.

The Hawke will join Colin Farrell as lead Douglas Quaid (as originally portrayed by Schwarzenegger), BREAKING BAD’s Bryan Cranston as the film’s villain, Mrs. Wiseman Kate Beckinsale (how’d she land this gig I wonder?) as Quaid’s lady, and Jessica Beil.

The film will use Phillip K. Dick’s original short story WE CAN REMEMBER IT FOR YOU WHOLESALE as it’s source rather than Verhoeven’s Mars-based 1990 actioner – which means lovers of three-breasted alien temptresses will be sorely disappointed.

Shooting starts in August for a 2012 release date.

Hands up who’s sick to death of flippin’ remakes! Let us know with your comments below!

Continue reading

UPDATED!

Director Peter Jackson has just announced that the UK comic legend and all-round super smart guy STEPHEN FRY is the latest to join the ever-expanding cast of THE HOBBIT as The Master of Laketown.

This marks yet another score for Jackson, who recently revealed some more major additions to the two movies…

————————————————————————————————-

11/05/11

Huzzah! The curse has been lifted! Seems Peter Jackson’s casting woes of late are taking a turn for the better with news coming in on the return of several familiar faces making their way back to Middle Earth.

Arguably the most important announcement (courtesy of Sir Ian McKellen himself!) is the return of Hugo Weaving in the role of Elrond.

McKellen also revealed that FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS writer/star Bret McKenzie will once again appear – but not sadly, as Figwit, the character he played for 3 seconds in FELLOWSHIP OF RINGS. Instead he will play elf Lindir.

The third casting coup should delight DR WHO fans, as we finally have confirmation of the Seventh Doctor’s long-rumoured involvement. McCoy will portray Gandalf’s chum Radagast the Brown.

THE HOBBIT PART I is scheduled for release in December of 2012, followed by PART II in December 2013.

Excited to return to Middle Earth? Let us know with your comments below!{jcomments on}

Continue reading

{jcomments on}11/05/11
Ok, so REEL STEEL may just be ROCKY with robots, but this theatrical trailer does actually start to convince me that such a goofy concept could actually work. I defy you not to get a little pumped…

Check it out here.

Dreamworks are so confident audiences are going to flip for their movie the sequel is already being written as we speak. We’ll only have to wait until October to see whether that particular writer is wasting his time or not.

Psyched? Ambivilent? Shaking head in despair for modern cinema? Let us know with your comments below!

Continue reading

{jcomments on}11/05/11
While it still doesn’t have a director attached (Stallone has nixed the idea of wielding the megaphone this time out) or cast yet confirmed, the marketing team behind THE EXPENDABLES 2 have marched on undaunted, unveiling their teaser poster and official synopsis for the sequel in Cannes today.

It should be said that the blurb below does contain a MAJOR SPOILER, so die-hard EXPENDABLES fans should perhaps approach with caution…

“The Expendables are back and this time it’s personal! After Tool (Mickey Rourke), the heart and soul of the Expendables, is brutally murdered on a mission, his comrades swear to avenge him. They’re not the only ones who want blood. Tool’s beautiful young and wild daughter Fiona embarks on her own revenge mission, complicating matters when she is captured and ransomed by a ruthless dictator plotting to destroy a resistance movement. Now Barney and the Expendables must risk everything to save her and humanity.”

Exciting stuff.

Production company Nu Image aim to get the film to our screens in August 2012.

Which faded action stars would you like to see in the movie this time? Will Van Damme suck it up this time and join in the fun, or go do JCVD 2 instead? Let us know with your comments below!

Continue reading

UPDATED:

Interesting bit of casting this – Comedic actor Charlie day (best known for his role as the idiot man-child Charlie Kelly in IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA) is the second name to sign on for Guillermo Del Toro’s much-anticipated movie.

Also on board is the ubiquitous Idris Elba (seriously, is there a project this

bloke’s name isn’t attached to?!)

So what’s PACIFIC RIM and why should the readers of Starburst care? Read our previous story below…

—————————————————————————————

10/05/11

SONS OF ANARCHY star Charlie Hunnam has landed the lead role in the top-secret Guillermo Del Toro movie PACIFIC RIM. While details are still in short supply, it’s reported the story will revolve around a world invasion by Godzilla-sized aliens, and the humans who are forced to then build and pilot giant Mechas in order to battle them!

Booooorrrrrring.

Seriously though, this movie sounds like it’s aiming to deliver something on a scale we as audiences haven’t seen before – at least in live action. Sure, neither the concept of piloted Mechas, nor giant-ass city-stomping monsters are new to the genre, but few filmmakers have even dared rendering them outside of anime (even James Cameron himself struggled for years to get BATTLE ANGEL ALITA developed) and those who have (we’re looking at you, Emmerich) delivered with questionable results.

Del Toro has had a rough few years career wise – first he was forced to quit THE HOBBIT, then the long-promised Lovecraft adaptation AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS fell through – so it’s thrilling to hear one of his pet projects is finally coming to fruition.

Expect Warner Bros. to aim for a 2013 release… by which time giant-ass city-stomping monsters may very well rule the world. But I ain’t getting in one of those Mechas. I’ve got a note from me mum.

Giant Monsters vs. giant Robots, what more could you want? Let us know with your comments below…{jcomments on}

Continue reading

UPDATED:

In news that will delight fans of TEXAS 2, Chop-Top himself Bill Moseley (THE DEVIL’S RJECTS) is the first to be officially cast in the movie. Though sadly not reprising that particular character, he will be taking over the role of Drayton (aka ‘The Cook’) originally portrayed in the first two films by Jim Siedow. This project is actually sounding more promising with every piece of info that emerges – that said, I must remind myself I was burnt once already with the 2003 reboot. Excellent trailer, horrible movie. Going to keep my fingers crossed anyway.

—————————————————————

10/05/11

Twisted Pictures (they of the fan-favourite SAW franchise) are starting to gain momentum with their new TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE reboot/sequel/requel with news coming in that John Leussenhop (TAKERS) is in talks to direct.

Going under the moniker LEATHERFACE 3D, the new movie will continue directly on from Tobe Hooper’s original, ignoring all subsequent entries including Marcus Nispel’s first attempt at rebooting the franchise in 2003.

As a huge fan of the original (and though a very different animal, it’s 1985 bat-shit crazy follow-up) it’s tempting to be outraged by this project, but the prospect of erasing the last five (increasingly unsuccessful) movies from the canon is a gamble I’m willing to get behind. Leatherface is a horror icon, and deserves the chance to remind audiences just why. Though if this goes the way of TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING, then it’s likely this will be the last time we’ll see the Sawyer family on the big screen. Leussenhop and co have a lot to live up to.

Casting has begun with a prospected summer shoot. If all goes well Leatherface will be teaching the torture porn hungry crowds a trick or two Halloween 2012.

Will this go the way of every other horror reboot, or are you quietly optimistic? Anybody else a fan of TEXAS 2 or is it just me? Let us know with your comments below!{jcomments on}

Continue reading

Celebrated comic writer Grant Morrison is teaming with director Barry Sonnenfeld (MEN IN BLACK) to bring his forthcoming graphic novel DOMINION: DINOSAURS VS. ALIENS to the big screen. Anyone else think this might be an off day for Morrison?

The story – in case the title doesn’t clue you in – revolves around an alien invasion during prehistoric times, and it’s up to the dinosaurs to stave off extinction. Oh. Guess that’s the end of the movie blown then.

The comic will be released later this year, with the movie version unlikely to hit anytime before 2013… giving everybody involved plenty of time to fix that laughably unoriginal title.

Arsed? Let us know with your comments below!{jcomments on}

Continue reading

A mere few weeks after Peter Jackson lost Rob Kazinski as Hobbit Fili, another casting problem emerges with the news HANNA star Saorise Ronan wont be joining him for the New Zealand shoot after all, citing the formidable production schedule as her reason for dropping out of her prospective role as elf Itaril. The epic undertaking (THE HOBBIT PART I & II are being shot back-to-back) was also the reason previous director Guillermo Del Toro had to bow out, after years of pre-production and the wait for a greenlight, facing a further two years away from other potential projects proved too much.

While it’s not unusual to have actors drop out at the last minute, you’ve got to wonder what Jackson is doing to deserve these casting hassles – Stuart Townsend famously left FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING during the shoot to be replaced by Viggo Mortenson, Ryan Gosling was recast with Mark Whalberg on THE LOVELY BONES – and now these. Still, at least it worked out for the best on one of those movies… we all know which.

It’s not all bad news however, with the recent announcement that Ian Holm will reprise his role as (the older) Bilbo Baggins in the film’s bookend sequences, further strengthening the continuity between this and Jackson’s previous trilogy.

THE HOBBIT PART I is scheduled for release in December of 2012, followed by PART II in December 2013.

Troubled by the casting hiccups? Who should play Itaril instead? Let us know with your comments below!{jcomments on}

Continue reading