Here comes the 'Men in Black' hiatus

After a postponement of roughly a month, Will Smith's upcoming sci-fi comedy "Men In Black 3" will begin shooting tomorrow in New York. But in an unusual move for a big-budget Hollywood film, the production will take a nearly two-month hiatus from filming when it wraps for the holidays.

Two sources close to the 3-D production say the plan is for the film to shoot through the week of Christmas, then shut down until the middle of February, when it will resume.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of sensitivities around the big-budget 3-D movie, say that screenwriter Jeff Nathanson, whose credits include "Catch Me If You Can" and "Rush Hour 2," has also been brought in to begin work this week on a new draft of the film's script. Nathanson will specifically work on the story's time-travel component that sees a leap back to 1969, when Josh Brolin appears as a young Agent Kay (the character made popular by Tommy Lee Jones, who also reprises the role in this film).

"Tropic Thunder" writer Etan Cohen authored the first draft of the screenplay.
The shoot that begins this week will focus on the film's present-day events, while the production that picks up in mid-February will be centered on the 1969 storyline, the sources said.
The schedule likely won't affect the planned release of the film, which is scheduled for May 2012. But production shut-downs are very rare, especially on bigger-budget films, as they tend to drive up costs (the crew must continue to be paid during the shut-down).

The film's producer confirmed the hiatus but said it was not the result of creative disagreement but rather part of a plan conceived months ago that would allow the production to begin in 2010 but allow parts of the movie, which is set in the summer, to shoot in a more temperate climate.

"We had to start shooting this year to take advantage of New York State tax incentives, but we also needed to be able to shoot certain exteriors in warmer weather," producer Walter Parkes said. "So back in July we had the idea to keep the start date but build in a hiatus so we could essentially extend the production to late spring.”

A Sony spokesman on Monday echoed Parkes' statement.

The news of the hiatus comes after reports last month that the third installment of the Smith-led franchise was being pushed back from its October start date -- the second time that the preproduction process was halted -- because of dissenting views on the story among Smith, director Barry Sonnenfeld and the movie's producers.

At the time Sony said the delay was happening for tax-incentive reasons and was not related to any creative disagreement.

The script for "MIB 3" has generated a lot of talk in the blogosphere, particularly for the "Back to The Future"-style plot twist that sends Smith's Agent Jay back to 1969. According to those who've read said script, he travels back in time and meets Andy Warhol (who is secretly an alien) and other counterculture figures such as Yoko Ono and Jimi Hendrix (also secretly aliens).

Wizard Of Oz getting remade by Robert Zemeckis?

Dorothy, Toto and friends could all be getting a 21st century make-over, if Warner Bros gets its way.

The studio have set up shop on a remake of the 1939 classic Wizard Of Oz, and have approached Back To The Future director Robert Zemeckis to direct the live-action update.

Bafflingly, though, the WB are so dead set on sticking true to the ’39 Oz that they’re planning on dusting off Noel Langley and co’s original script and shooting with that.

Which sounds like a disaster of Psycho ’98 proportions. And it’s all because the WB want to compete with Disney’s upcoming Sam Raimi directed The Great And Powerful Oz, if Deadline’s spies are to be believed.

They won’t be the only ones, with Drew Barrymore also in line to helm Surrender Dorothy, which follows Dorothy’s great, great granddaughter and her visit to Oz.

Will Zemeckis and the WB push on with this nutso plan? Zemeckis is certainly busy, with his 3D Yellow Submarine movie due in 2012, and further commitments to direct live-action time-jumping film Timeless.

Let’s hope this all just turns out to be a really bad dream.

Has Hollywood gone one remake too far? Mass revolt anyone? Tell Me below…

Larry Charles reunites with Sacha Baron Cohen

Larry Charles has signed up to work with good buddy Sacha Baron Cohen on new film The Dictator.

Cohen has written the script in collaboration with Curb Your Enthusiasm writers Alec Berg, David Mandel and Jeff Schaffer.

This will be the third time Charles and Cohen have worked together, after Charles directed Borat and Bruno.

Work will hopefully begin on The Dictator after Cohen has finished with Martin Scorsese’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

The project was picked up by Paramount after a bidding war with other studios, which cumulated in Paramount sending Cohen’s talent agency WME a pair of goats in Paramount shirts.

Apparently, Cohen will play two roles in The Dictator; a goat herder (presumably the reason behind Paramount’s gift), and a deposed foreign dictator who gets lost in the USA.
Expect The Dictator to arrive sometime in 2012.
 

Hoping for more Borat? Dreading more Bruno? Let Me know!

DiCaprio set to begin Hoover project in 2011

Leonardo DiCaprio has announced that filming for Clint Eastwood’s Hoover biopic will begin in January/February 2011.

The film will focus on controversial figure J. Edgar Hoover, who founded the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the 1930s and remained its director until his death nearly forty years later.



Hoover was known to be a shady operator who kept files on countless public figures and world leaders - and was himself not immune to scandal - so there is plenty of great material for Eastwood and DiCaprio to work with.

On breaking with frequent collaborator Martin Scorsese, DiCaprio recently joked that "an infidelity is in place".

Eastwood famously beat Scorsese and DiCaprio's The Aviator to the Best Picture Oscar in 2005 with Million Dollar Baby.

Regardless of the material or subject, a collaboration between these two is something I definitely can't wait to see.

Will this Hoover up awards? Or will it simply blow? Let me know!

Ford wanted Han Solo killed off

Harrison Ford wishes George Lucas killed off Han Solo in the 'Star Wars' movies.

The 'Indiana Jones' star played the roguish Han Solo in the first three 'Star Wars' movies. To the fans he was one of the most popular characters in the film series, but Ford claimed that he wasn't interesting and wished he was killed off.

Ford said, "As a character he was not so interesting to me. I thought he should have died in the last one (Return of the Jedi), just to give it some bottom.
"(But) George didn't think there was any future in dead Han toys"

Ford does love the Indiana Jones character however, and he recently revealed that he will reprise the adventurer role for a fifth time.

He's currently promoting newscaster comedy 'Morning Glory'.

Gibson's not angry at Neeson

Mel Gibson is not upset after he was dropped from 'The Hangover, according to his replacement Liam Neeson.

Gibson was due to play an intense tattoo artist in Thailand for the sequel to last year's hugely successful comedy. However, he was replaced after castmembers complained about the troubled actor's inclusion in the sequel.

Neeson, who now playing the character, insists that Gibson wasn't furious about being replaced.
He said, Apparently, yes (the part was originally for Gibson) - I didn’t realise it at the time.

"I spoke to Mel. Mel's cool about it. We're all cool. Mel and I did a movie together about 20 or 25 years ago. It was a long time ago. So, we know each other."

Good girls gone bad

In recent years Jennifer Aniston’s career has got stuck in a serious rut. This actress – who, let’s not forget, was by far the most talented member of the 'Friends' cast – has recently lurched from one indistinguishably dumb rom-com to the next (see 'The Bounty Hunter', 'He's Just Not That Into You' and many more), all the while playing exactly the same ditzy, wise-cracking blue-collar gal stereotype.

Since then, Aniston has altered her on-screen image and has turned to more raunchy roles. We saw a taste of her dirtier side in 'The Bounty Hunter' (see image), but since then the transition has been quite dramatic with the hotly anticipated arrival of 'Wanderlust' in which she is co-starring in this subversive tale of suburban counter culture, with the artist formerly known as Rachel Green by all accounts going topless, having three-way lesbian sex and indulging in some illegal narcotics. Risky stuff, but this Judd Apatow-produced slice of edginess could breathe some life back into a career fast becoming stale. Indeed she's the latest in a long line of Hollywood actresses to surprise us and relinquish their good girl rep in order to give their careers a push - though sometimes not in the right direction...

Amanda Seyfried, from Mama Mia! to Chloe

Think Amanda Seyfried and flowing blonde locks, Mediterranean beaches and earnestly hollered ABBA songs come to mind. Unless you've seen ‘Chloe’ that is. Obviously eager to subvert her doe-eyed image (reinforced by the likes of 'Dear John' and even 'Jennifer's Body'), Seyfried decided to play a duplicitous call girl who manages to seduce not only Liam Neeson's college professor but also his wife Julianne Moore as well. The performance proved that wholesomeness + naughtiness = sexy.

Lindsay Lohan, from The Parent Trap to Machete

Difficult to think of Lohan as a “good girl” admittedly, but back in 1998 she was as cute as a button in Disney's remake of 'The Parent Trap'. A ton of drugs, a few days’ prison time and a million photos of her drunkenly rolling out of nightclubs later and she's now found herself playing a bit part (which involves a gratuitous nude scene) in trashy action flick 'Machete'. 'Mean Girls' fans will find this sad; others might suggest she brought it on herself.

Natalie Portman, from Leon to Closer

From the age of 12, when she first shot to fame in ‘Leon’, Portman cultivated a brainy, nice girl image (helped by a break from Hollywood to attend Harvard). This all changed in 2004 when she went (almost) naked to play a lying stripper in Mike Newell's caustic relationship drama 'Closer'. Characteristically it was a smart move: it proved she was a talented grown-up star and almost made us forget her performance as Queen Amidala in the 'Star Wars' prequels. Almost.

Jennifer Connelly, from Labyrinth to Requiem for a Dream

Who would have imagined that, 14 years after being surrounded by puppets and staring into David Bowie's glazed-over eyes on the set of 'Labyrinth', Connelly would be shooting up smack and using a two-sided sex toy in 'Requiem for a Dream'? The seriously gritty role sealed her reputation as a cute child-star turned seriously talented adult actress, but made for rather depressing viewing all the same.

Elizabeth Berkeley, from Saved by the Bell to Showgirls

Berkeley was the object of many a teenage boy's affections having played the cute Jessie in early ‘90s high school comedy 'Saved by the Bell'. After the show wound up, this, let's say, limited actress somehow landed herself the lead role in epic mega-bucks, Vegas-set trash-fest 'Showgirls'. Berkeley had to literally bare all in the movie, most memorably in a cringe-worthy swimming pool sex scene with Kyle MacLachlan. Brief notoriety before a return to obscurity followed.

Drew Barrymore, from ET: The Extraterrestrial to Poison Ivy

Drew Barrymore knows all about being a good girl gone bad; she was the adorable child star of 'ET' who became addicted to drugs and ended up stripping for playboy. Her wild teen years are best summed up by her performance in 'Poison Ivy', where the actress played a scheming schoolgirl seductress/murderer with a fetish for older men. Luckily she was fab in the film and (after a spell in rehab) went on to enjoy a stellar adult career.

Julie Andrews, from The Sound of Music to SOB

She was the ultimate paragon of Hollywood wholesomeness after 'Mary Poppins' and 'The Sound of Music'. So imagine audiences’ surprise back in 1981 when they saw the clearly bored Andrews (at the age of 46) going topless and singing alongside erotically-attired toy soldiers in the mixed-up showbiz satire 'SOB'. She deserved points for sheer chutzpah, but the whole thing just felt plain wrong.

Kate Hudson, from How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days to the Killer Inside Me

After a killer performance in 'Almost Famous', Hudson's career appeared to be drifting into a bland rom-com-shaped cul-de-sac ('How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days', 'Fool's Gold', 'Bride Wars' etc). Perhaps an urge to discover her earlier edginess was why she signed on for controversial drama 'The Killer Inside Me', which involved graphic, spanking-heavy sex scenes opposite a murderous Casey Affleck. Actually, compared to that, a career in rom-coms doesn't sound too bad.

Anne Hathaway, from The Princess Diaries to Havoc

What better way to avoid being typecast after 'The Princess Diaries' than to play a promiscuous, crack-smoking wannabe gang-banger? Anne Hathaway did just that with a starring role in drug drama ‘Havoc’. With that out of her system, however, she went back to safer fare like 'The Devil Wears Prada' and 'Becoming Jane', though the odd voiceover in 'The Simpsons' and 'Family Guy' could hint at more subversive naughtiness to come.

Vanessa Hudgens, from High School Musical to Sucker Punch
When you're a former Disney starlet, it's almost obligatory to sully your former squeaky clean image with a sexy new look when you hit your 20s (Britney Spears anyone?). 'High School Musical' star Vanessa Hudgens is no exception, having swapped the musical mega franchise with a role as a mental asylum patient/high-class hooker/robot-killing ass-kicker in the upcoming 'Sucker Punch' (from understated '300' director Zack Snyder). Her tween fanbase is in for a shock.

Spotted other actresses who've gone over to the dark side? Let me know below.

Wolverine 2 is given official title The Wolverine

Darren Aronofsky has revealed the official title for Wolverine’s second solo cinematic outing will be The Wolverine.

It’s further proof that Hollywood really hates numbers in sequel titles (just look at Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol). But could it also hint that this sequel will be pressing the reboot button?

Previously, Marvel did a similar thing with The Incredible Hulk, which sought to rethink the movie franchise after Ang Lee’s Hulk went down like a tsunami with most cinema-goers.

And with X-Men Origins: Wolverine possessing its fair share of critics, it’s easy to see why a sequel would want to distance itself from its predecessor – even if it's still got the same leading man.

Aronofsky himself has said that The Wolverine will be a “one off” adventure and “very different” from the first film – which seems in keeping with that reboot theory.

Meanwhile, aiding the Black Swan director behind the camera will be cinematographer Matthew Libatique, who's previously worked with Jon Favreau on both Iron Man movies and Cowboys & Aliens.

Those fears for Wolverine’s future are quickly melting away…

The Wolverine opens in 2012.

Pirates Of The Caribbean 4 teaser poster online

Johnny Depp’s fourth high seas, rum-swigging adventure Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides has unveiled its first teaser poster online.

Much in the style of the teasers for its three forbears, the poster features a skull wearing Depp’s Jack Sparrow headband, with two swords forming a cross behind.

What’s different is that this skull is silver – yes, silver. Does this mean we’re going to find a rather more affluent Cap’n Sparrow in our third follow-up? Uhhh, not likely.

Check out the poster below…

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides finds Jack Sparrow journeying to the legendary Fountain of Youth, and encountering Blackbeard (Ian McShane) and his daughter (Penelope Cruz).

The film opens on 20 May, 2011.

Natalie Portman writing a sex comedy

There is nothing, it seems, that Natalie Portman can't do.

Black Swan has set her up as a hot favourite for the awards season, and on her upcoming slate she has two comedies (Your Highness and No Strings Attached) and superhero flick Thor, and her name's also been mentioned for The Dark Knight Rises and The Great Gatsby.

Well now the Harvard grad is planning to add screenwriter to her list of talents, as she is shopping around her script for BYO, a raunchy sex comedy that she co-wrote with college friend Laura Moses.

The script is intriguingly described as a female Superbad: apparently the plot sees two unlucky-in-love ladies (one is earmarked for Portman to play) throw a party to which every woman must bring an eligible bloke (BYO = Bring Your Own, FYI).

Anne Hathaway's name has been mentioned in connection with the other lead role, but it's early days right now as the script needs to be picked up by a studio first.

Portman must have enjoyed working on raunch-com No Strings Attached as she's returning to familiar ground, but we're keen to check out her writing skills.

Keen to see a Superbad starring Nat and Anne? Tell me below.

Colin Farrell offered lead in total recall

Colin Farrell is reported to be in negotiations to take on the lead role in Len Wiseman's Total Recall remake.

The Irish actor is set to take on the role made famous by Arnold Schwarzenegger in Paul Verhoeven's ultraviolent 1990 sci-fi movie.

Len Wiseman of Underworld and Die Hard 4.0 fame is in the director's chair this time round, which doesn't exactly overwhelm us with confidence, but Farrell's involvement would certainly be a welcome prospect.

It has been a while since Farrell headlined an action flick, and one of his only previous forays into science fiction was Steven Spielberg's superb Minority Report.

Kurt Ultraviolet Wimmer has written the script, which will apparently go back to the source material that Verhoeven's movie was based on: Minority Report author Philip K. Dick's short story We Can Remember It For You Wholesale.

The original Total Recall bore very little resemblance to Dick's short story, taking the basic premise and moulding it to suit Arnie's action man persona. There's plenty of scope for Wiseman and Wimmer to make a very different adaptation of the material, so it'll be interesting to see what they do with it.