Noam Murro to Direct 300' Spin-Off

Warner Bros. has zeroed in on Noam Murro to direct its 300 spin-off, 300: Battle of Artemisia (formerly known as Xerses).

The Israel-born director, who helmed the 2008 film Smart People, was vying for the gig with Jaum Collet-Serra, the director of this year’s Liam Neeson thriller Unknown. But Warners, which liked both directors, in Solomon-like wisdom divided up gigs for the filmmakers, yesterday handing Collet-Serra the adaptation of Akira. An official offer to Murro is expected to be made early next week.

Artemisia is based on Frank Miller’s upcoming graphic novel that takes Xerxes, the Persian leader who is an antagonist in 300, and turns him into more of a pivotal figure. He's a man in search of godhood after the death of his father, battling an Athenian warlord named Themistocles. The story takes place over the course of several years, but the focal point is the battle of Artemisium, which occured in 480 BC.

Zack Snyder, who directed 300, wrote the script with his 300 partner Kurt Johnstad.

The aim is to shoot Artemisia in the same stylized vein as Snyder did with 300.

Artemisia would be a change of pace for CAA and Management 360-repped Murro, whose Smart People was an indie drama that starred Dennis Quaid as a widower dealing with his adopted brother (Thomas Hayden Church), his overachieving daughter (Ellen Page) and possible new love in the form of Sarah Jessica Parker. 

The movie caught Hollywood's eye and got Murro lined up to direct the in-development Die Hard 5 movie.

Anna Paquin Talks True Blood

While much is said of her role on the HBO hit, her very public coming out, and her Oscar win for The Piano at age 11, she says there are other moments in her life that she would focus on if she wrote a memoir -- like her time on-stage while attending Cambridge.

“No one saw any of that stuff, so it’s almost as if it never happened,” she says. “On stage you don't have anything to hide behind. I have never felt so naked."

Here are five other things Paquin said in a recent interview that stood out:

On the response to her coming out as bisexual:
Frankly, no one had ever asked me before. My sexuality is something I’m completely comfortable with and open about. There’s a lot of prejudice toward us, but the more people talk about it, the less of a big deal it will be. And that will be better for everyone. Who people choose to sleep with—or spend their lives with—shouldn’t matter, not that anyone particularly cares who I’m attracted to.

On her New Zealand modesty:
We don’t know how to take compliments, unless of course they’re about The Lord of the Rings—those we’ll happily accept.

On sex scenes with Moyer on True Blood:
Maybe it should be weird, simulating sex with your husband in front of people. But it's really not. When its a love scene with someone you actually love it's no 'Can I touch him here, can I touch him there' You know what your boundaries are, or aren't I suppose.

On her husband’s fans:
There is probably something wrong with me, but I find it amusing to watch these men and women fawn all over him. It's not like anyone is really trying to do anything inappropriate. They just want him to hug them... or bite them

On Sookie’s luck:
Sookie is always in distress, it wouldn't be True Blood if someone wasn't trying to kill her

Bad Santa trilogy is in the works

A Bad Santa sequel is said to be in the works.

Producers on the original movie, in addition to its two studios Dimension Films and Miramax, have contracted various writers to begin working on a follow-up to the 2003 comedy, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The studios also allegedly hope that by hiring a number of different writers, they will be able to pick their favourite script or potentially develop two new films to complete a Bad Santa trilogy.

Bad Santa stars Billy Bob Thornton as a conman that poses as Santa Claus to rob a department store.

In March, it was reported that Thornton was in talks to reprise his role as Willie in a sequel to Bad Santa. The actor previously said that he would be interested in returning for the follow-up.

Sheridan Smith heading to Tower Block film

Sheridan Smith is to start work on Tower Block within weeks.

Shooting on the gritty British drama, which is being directed by first time feature film-makers Ronnie Thompson and James Nunn, is set to kick off around east London from July 18.

Starring alongside the Legally Blonde star are Skins actor Jack O'Connell, History Boys' Russell Tovey, and Ralph Brown from Mean Machine, reported Screen Daily.

James Moran, whose previous screen credits include Doctor Who, Torchwood and horror-comedy Severance, wrote the script about the repercussions facing residents of tower block 31 after they witness the murder of a young teenager.

"It's a dark, gritty action thriller about a sniper attacking the residents of a tower block (hence the name)," wrote the screenwriter on his blog.

He added: "I'm so excited that it's getting made, with such a fantastic cast and an amazing directing duo, and I'm dying to see what madness and mayhem they achieve on screen. I can't wait to sit at the back of the cinema and watch the audiences when it's out, too - this one's going to be a nail biter, it's relentless."

Steven Spielberg to make Comic-Con debut with 'Tintin'

Steven Spielberg will attend Comic-Con for the first time next week to promote his upcoming movie The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn.

The Indiana Jones director will be at the San Diego event on July 22. He will appear in Hall H with exclusive content from the film, but it is unconfirmed whether producer Peter Jackson will join him.

Spielberg will also be handed the Inkpot Award at the convention, which is given to professionals in the pop culture field.

Comic-Con will feature a wide range of talks and displays from the world of film, television, gaming, comics and other pop culture elements next week.

Capcom released its schedule for the convention earlier this week, including footage from the latest Resident Evil game.

The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman recently said that he would love a panel for The Wire at Comic-Con.

Watch the new trailer for The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn below:

Kristen Wiig to Star in, Executive Produce 'Imogene'

"Cinema Verite's" Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini will direct the film beginning in August.

Maven Pictures and Anonymous Content announced Tuesday that Bridesmaids star Kristen Wiig will star in Imogene as the title character.

 

Imogene, Wiig's passion project, centers on a moderately successful New York playwright who fakes a suicide attempt in order to win back her ex-boyfriend, only to be under the custory of her mother, a gambler.

 

Imogene marks the first film for Celine Rattray and Trudie Styler's new production company Maven.

Production on the film is set to begin Aug. 8 in New York City.

Wiig, also a regular on NBC's late-night sketch show Saturday Night Live, will executive produce with Shari Springer Berman, screenwriter Michelle Morgan and Steve Golin. Alix Madigan will produce with Rattray and Styler. Berman and Robert Pulcini (Cinema Verite) will direct the film.

“We're incredibly grateful to be working with Kristen, Shari, Bob and the extraordinary team on Imogene, Maven's first feature project," said Rattray and Styler. "Imogene has every element we were looking for: strong writing, remarkable directing talent, a movie star we believe in, a New York setting, and commercial appeal. This exemplifies all the key elements of our vision for Maven's future slate."

Madigan and Golin developed the project and brought Berman and Pulcini on board to direct.

Rattray left her post as president of Mandalay Vision earlier this year to form Maven with Styler.

 

Busy Depp has film trio in pipeline

Johnny Depp obviously likes keeping himself busy, as news emerges of three upcoming films for the actor.

The Pirates Of The Caribbean star is said to be in talks to potentially star and produce the big-screen adaptation of 1972 TV movie and 1974 series The Night Stalker and a drama about the Midnight Ride, made by Paul Revere.

He would be teaming up with Infinitum Nihil partner Christi Dembrowski, and Disney studios as production partners.

Johnny is said to be considering playing tabloid reporter Carl Kolchak in The Night Stalker, who searches for his wife's murderer amid supernatural happenings involving vampires, zombies, werewolves and aliens.

But he is also thinking about playing Boston silversmith - and renowned American Revolutionary War figure - Paul Revere, who warns Colonial militia of the impending British invasion in the historical drama about the Midnight Ride.

Meanwhile, Julian Schnabel revealed he had plans for the Hollywood superstar with In The Hand Of Dante, based on Nick Tosches' book.

"It belongs to Johnny, but I'm not going to make it for a couple of years. We're gonna work on writing it, developing it. We didn't sign anything. It's just something Johnny asked me to read and I think it's a great book. It's pretty beautiful. It's about everything," the Miral director told The Playlist.

Johnny will next be saddling up with Armie Hammer in Gore Verbinski's The Lone Ranger, and is currently shooting Dark Shadows with frequent collaborator Tim Burton.

Evil Dead remake in the works

Bruce Campbell has confirmed that a remake of his horror classic The Evil Dead is being made.

The actor, who starred as Ash Williams in Sam Raimi's cult trilogy, joined Twitter over the weekend and claimed that another instalment in the Evil Dead series is coming soon.

Campbell told a follower: "Believe in the remake, dog! The project is real. In the works. Cool as hell. Scary as hell."

Additionally, website Dread Central has reported that Raimi's long-time editor Bob Murawski is working on the new Evil Dead movie in Detroit. A source for the horror outlet described the new film as "a small indie thing like the first two".

Raimi's producing partner Rob Tapert revealed at the start of the year that scripts were being looked at for a reboot of the franchise.

The Evil Dead, released in 1981, follows five college students vacationing in a remote woodland cabin who find a tape recording that unleashes spirits. The film was labeled a "video nasty" by UK ratings board the BBFC and wasn't released uncut until 2001.

Sequels Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness followed in 1987 and 1992, while the series has also been expanded to video games, comic books and an off-Broadway Toronto musical

10 Movies That Should Never Use Aromascope

When I first heard that the fourth 'Spy Kids' film would have a "4D" title attached at the end, we naturally assumed it was a not-so-clever joke at the number of sequels in the franchise, plus the fact that this one would be in 3D. But then we discovered what that "4" really stood for: Aromascope (aka Smell-O-Vision).

When 'Spy Kids: All the Time in the World in 4D' is released on Aug. 19, viewers will get a chance to actually smell the movie. Cards loaded with eight different scents will be handed out to those attending both 2D and 3D screenings.

While I sure that Rodriguez will make good use of this "fourth dimension," it got us thinking: What movies would we not want to smell?

'Jackass' Franchise
Just thinking about the smells in these films is enough to make you sick. Among some of the odorific pranks: going to the bathroom in the middle of a hardware store, being thrown around in a Porta-Potty that's attached to a bungee chord, puking after snorting a line of Wasabi at a sushi restaurant, that horse scene ,etc.

'Days of Thunder'
Sure, the 1990 blockbuster had plenty of cool special effects (for the time, anyway), but do you really want to sit in a movie theater and smell burning rubber, oil and gas coming off a pack of race cars? Neither do I.

'Dumb and Dumber'
Taking a whiff of what went down in the bathroom after Lloyd (Jim Carrey) fed Harry (Jeff Daniels) a few spoonfuls of ex-lax would be enough to scar our sense of smell for several lifetimes. Plus, the scene in the beginning where the dogs are covered in mustard and ketchup couldn't have been pleasant either.

'The Exorcist'
When 'The Exorcist' was released in 1973, movie theaters provided special barf bags for viewers. And if this film ever ended up using Aromascope technology, they would definitely need them. The scene where a possessed Regan (Linda Blair) pukes green gook all over Father Karras (Jason Miller) is still considered one of the grossest movie scenes of all time.

'Fight Club'
This movie has plenty of glorified fight scenes in basements filled with sweaty bodies and blood. Also, the chemicals Project Mayhem used to build explosives were probably noxious. Not exactly our idea of a sweet-smelling cinematic experience.

'The Nutty Professor'
Eddie Murphy reintroduced us to the power of gas when the Klumps decided to have a fart contest at the dinner table. It was hilarious to watch, not so much to smell.

'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'
Another epic dinner scene. If you like the scent of eyeball soup, cooked bugs and chilled monkey brains, then this would be number one on your list for potential Aromascope movies.

'Alien'
We didn't hear anyone complain about the smell when a creature bursts through Kane's chest, kills him, then escapes onto the ship, but I have to imagine that the odor couldn't have been very pleasant.

'Night of the Living Dead'
Dead people do not smell good; dead people reimagined as zombies probably smell worse. Mix in the fact that they are feeding on others, and you have a recipe for one foul-smelling flick.

'Saw 3'
Yes, all of these movies are pretty gruesome, but this one has liquefied pig corpses. Enough said.

Minka Kelly: 5 Things to Know

The actress stood by her longtime love, Derek Jeter, as he made history on Saturday. She'll return to TV this Fall on ABC's "Charlie's Angels"

While Derek Jeter basks in his recent 3,000th career hit, girlfriend Minka Kelly is keeping busy all on her own. The 31-year actress was most recently seen in Just Go With It and The Roommate, but is currently preparing for her starring role on ABC's Charlie's Angels reboot.

 

While we anxiously await her turn as an angel in the Fall series, here are five things that you may not know about Kelly.

1. She was born in Los Angeles to former Aerosmith guitarist Rick Dufray, but took on the last name of her single mother, Maureen Kelly. Kelly's mother worked as an exotic dancer and after several moves, they settled in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she attended middle school. Kelly returned to L.A. after graduating high school.


2. Before landing the role of Lyla on NBC's Friday Night Lights, Kelly spent a year studying to become a surgeon's assistant, despite the urging of friends to pursue modeling.


"I've held several feet of colon in my hand. I could definitely sew up your leg. And anyway, modeling wasn't for me," she told Men's Health in 2008. "I'm too short. I've got a big butt. It wasn't going to happen."


3. Though she lost out to Mila Kunis for the 2011 "Holy Grail of Hotness" honor from Spike, Kelly was named Esquire's Sexiest Woman Alive in 2010.


4. The actress was dubbed fittest woman in Hollywood by Gold's Gym in 2011 thanks in part to a healthy diet, as well as her new martial arts routine in preparation for Angels.  On the same token, she beat Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian and Beyonce for the Best Booty award.


5. Kelly has been in a stable relationship with Jeter since 2008, but was previously linked to Chris Evans, Donald Faison and John Mayer. It's been widely reported that the couple may be engaged, but neither Kelly nor Jeter has confirmed.

John Barrowman wants Torchwood film

John Barrowman has revealed that he would "love" to make a Torchwood film.

The actor plays Captain Jack Harkness in the Doctor Who spin-off which returns for a fourth series on BBC One.

He said: "I'm not going to talk about the future of Torchwood beyond where we are, but if I said I wouldn't love to have Captain Jack on the big screen, I'd be lying."

His co-star Eve Myles, who plays Gwen Cooper, previously told Den Of Geek that she would be interested in making a film too.

"It would be sensational to have a beginning, a middle and an end in 90 minutes. A big, walloping Torchwood crunched into 90 minutes would be breathtaking," she said.

Torchwood begins on Thursday, July 14 on BBC One.

The Dark Knight Rises' Pittsburgh shooting

Another day, another minor update on The Dark Knight Rises' production.

It has been announced that Christopher Nolan's epic bat-threequel will be shooting scenes at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, under the sneaky working title Magnus Rex.

But this report is a little more tantalising than it sounds, as CMU's website gave some rather intriguing details about the scenes that would be taking place.

What follows is mildly spoilery, so skip the next few paragraphs if you fancy going into TDKR completely cold:

Apparently, the location shooting involves: "an explosion, a prison break, precision stunt driving, gunfire, atmospheric smoke, and controlled pyrotechnic explosions."

Also: "One character drives a motorcycle through the fourth floor lobby, out the front doors and down the steps onto Fifth Ave."

We didn't need to be whipped into any more of a frenzy about the scale of this trilogy-closer, but those appetite-whetting details have sent us over the edge.

In other news, it is being widely reported that the first teaser trailer (and poster) for The Dark Knight Rises will be doing the rounds with Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

It makes sense, given that Harry Potter is pretty much Warner Bros' biggest movie of 2011, and with TDKR due out in almost exactly one year's time, it seems like the ideal opportunity to launch some early promo material.
The Dark Knight Rises opens on 20 July 2012.

Emma Watson what's Next

With the final chapter in the Harry Potter franchise out in theaters next Friday, what's next for 21-year-old actress Emma Watson?

 

Watson, who was only nine years old when she was cast in the first film, 2001's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, has stuck primarily with the franchise -- unlike her cohorts Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint, who have dabbled in other indie features and theater.

 

But, Watson is working on two post-Harry Potter projects, the first being My Week With Marilyn, the Marilyn Monroe feature starring Oscar nominee Michelle Williams in the title role. Watson will play Lucy and joins an ensemble that includes Eddie Redmayne, Dominic Cooper, Julia Ormond, Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench, Toby Jones and Dougray Scott.

Directed by Simon Curtis, My Week With Marilyn -- scheduled for a Nov. 4 release -- is based on Colin Clark's memoir which details writer-director Laurence Olivier and Monroe's relationship during the production of The Prince and the Showgirl, which was released in 1957. Watson's role in the movie is a small one.

The second project is the big-screen adaptation of Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower, slated for a 2012 release. The movie is based off the book of the same name, which centers on an introverted high school freshman Charlie who makes friends with high school seniors Samantha and Patrick. They introduce him to the world of sex, drugs and complicated relationships. Watson plays Samantha, the lead female character in Wallflower and who is Patrick's step-sister.

Production on Wallflower began in early May and took place around Pittsburgh, Penn. In addition to Watson, the cast includes Logan Lerman as Charlie, Paul Rudd, Mae Whitman, Nina Dobrev as Charlie's sister, Kate Walsh, Dylan McDermott, Ezra Miller and Johnny Simmons.

Arterton to conduct new choir film

Gemma Arterton is to star as the conductor of a 'rock choir' in a new British film co-starring Vanessa Redgrave and Terence Stamp.

The film called Song For Marion has been inspired by the surge in progressive community choirs around the country, spurred on by hit TV show Glee, and will feature music from Motorhead, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder and Cyndi Lauper, the Daily Mail reports.

Vanessa, 74, will play Marion who is a member of the local choir in the north-east of England, and she and her conductor, played by Bond girl Gemma, are both keen to get her retired husband Arthur, played by Priscilla Queen Of The Desert star Terence, to join.

Christopher Eccleston has also been cast as the son who has a difficult relationship with his father.

Producer Ken Marshall, from Steel Mill Pictures, revealed: "Both Vanessa and Terence can sing, and each has a big solo spot number", adding that Vanessa's number is a classic ballad "that will have you crying into your shirt."

The film will be directed by Paul Andrew Williams, whose debut, gritty drama London To Brighton, won much critical acclaim.

The film begins shooting for six weeks at the end of July on location in and around County Durham.