Rumormonger Videos

A whole bunch of casting rumors have arrived online this week, pushing some, like CHUD's ever-vocal Devin Faraci, to write an editorial-ish piece on why we shouldn't really be paying too much attention to these rumors because, well, they're rumors. And while your parents may have told you that rumors come from a stork who brings them in its mouth and drops them off on your pillow, the reality of the situation is that rumors can start from just about anywhere -- whether it's something overheard by some blabbermouth low-level assistant at an agency or something that's completely fabricated for more internet traffic (I'm looking at you The Sun and The Daily Express!), these days it's really hard to tell. That being said, rumors can be fun because they foster discussion and get those inner studio exec wheels turning in our brains, so here are a few making the rounds right now. Spider-Man 4 Who: Julia Stiles Role: Unknown, though with recent information somewhat confirming that Black Cat will be a character, folks are assuming she tried out for that part. Source: UGO are the ones claiming Stiles met with a casting company in New York City to discuss joining the film in some capacity. Our Thoughts: Stiles has been in a lot of films throughout her career, though she's dabbled in the big-budgeted before playing Jason Bourne's sidekick in all three Bourne movies. Thus, she definitely brings enough bad-assery to play a Spidey villain, and also enough sincerity to play a Spidey ally. Good choice for Black Cat in my opinion.Filed under: Action, Comedy, Casting, RumorMonger, Fandom, Comic/Superhero/GeekContinue reading Casting Rumors: Julia Stiles in 'Spidey 4', Steve Carell in 'Young@Heart' and More! Permalink | Email this | Comments

And the list of women who may or may not appear in Spider-Man 4 continues to grow. Now Nikki Finke over at Deadline Hollywood reports through her sources (who, when it comes to Marvel, seem to be pretty reliable) that producers have "approached" Anne Hathaway regarding a starring role in Spider-Man 4. It doesn't say she's been offered the role, or that she's in negotiations to take on the role, only that she's been approached. Finke also wasn't sure which role it would be, though all signs point to it being that of Black Cat -- who, in the past couple weeks -- has seen everyone from Julia Stiles to Rachel McAdams vying for a piece of that pus ... Spidey pie. Hathaway definitely showed off her acrobatic side in last summer's Get Smart, and certainly has enough of that hottie-yet-down-to-earth sex appeal to draw Mr. Parker into a web of problematic romantic entanglements. Personally, I still like Stiles for the role, but that's me. The studio, however, probably figures they'll get more butts in the seats with Hathaway. So we'll see. Regardless, we're getting close to an official announcement. Who do you want? Spider-Man 4 hits theaters on May 6, 2011.Filed under: Casting, RumorMonger, Fandom, Comic/Superhero/Geek Permalink | Email this | Comments

Obviously folks can't handle not knowing anything about the next Batman film because once some random person mentions anything having to do with the movie, the entire online blogging world jumps, squirms and runs out the door with a story. The latest, so you're all caught up to date, is that some anonymous source told the Batman on Film fansite that Warner Bros. and Christopher Nolan would be making a decision regarding Nolan's participation in the next film by January. Some claim he's already signed on to direct, but last we heard he wasn't. Regardless, Batman on Film does make a good point in saying that it's probably in Warners best interests to make an announcement prior to Nolan doing press for Inception since he's bound to be inundated with Batman-related questions. Will it by January? Who knows. Either way you're most likely not going to see a new Batman movie in theaters before 2012, so take a chill pill and let's wait this thing out. In other news, guess who's not going to be playing Black Cat in Spider-Man 4? Yup, Rachel McAdams has officially denied claims that she's up for the role. She told Entertainment Weekly, "That's a total rumor, I have to say. I was hanging out in Toronto the other day and someone came up to me and said, 'I just heard you're doing Spider-Man 4.' And I said, 'Really? No one told me!' It's not true." A rep for Sony Pictures concurs: "It's an Internet rumor, as so many things are these days." Then again, even if she was circling the part, her lips would be sealed, so are we really any closer to finding out the real truth? Probably not. But at least you're clued in to the latest goings-on.Filed under: Casting, RumorMonger, Fandom, Comic/Superhero/Geek Permalink | Email this | Comments

When Sex and the City was on television, they tried to balance opulence with frugal flavah. Charlotte was buying a share in the Hamptons, but it meant that she couldn't buy shoes from the likes of James Urbaniak. Samantha had a great job, but still had to shop around for a home she could afford. Miranda had to move to Brooklyn to buy enough space for her family. And Carrie, she had all sorts of financial woes from credit cards cut in front of her to almost losing her apartment when the building went co-op. But when they hit the big screen, all fiscal responsibility flew out the window. On the cusp of the economic collapse, the Sex and the City ladies were reveling in lavish lifestyles, spending thousands on this or that, not seeming to have a money-related care in the world. But with tighter times, it looks like the sequel might be going overboard in the other direction. Hit the jump for the latest spoilers hitting the rounds.Filed under: Comedy, Drama, Romance, RumorMongerContinue reading 'Sex and the City 2' Spoilers Reveal a Whole Different World? Permalink | Email this | Comments

MGM Studios' financial troubles will soon be coming to a sad end. Back in September, it was reported that MGM was in such poor shape that they might be forced to auction off their assets, including James Bond and The Hobbit. That day has come to pass. Variety reports that MGM Studios is officially on the auction block. MGM has been given a month of breathing space from their interest payments, time they plan on using to begin "a process to explore various strategic alternatives including operating as a standalone entity, forming strategic partnerships and evaluating a potential sale of the company." But all hopes of survival may rest on what they sell off from their glorious history, including a library of 4,000 titles, the logo, the United Artists company, James Bond, and half ownership in The Hobbit. Time Warner, News Corp, and Lionsgate are said to be interested in all of the above. As their library scatters to the four winds, it'll be really interesting to see what remakes and reboots it spawns. Remember, Robocop was on the MGM remake slate, and surely some hungry studio will snap that up. The Cannon Films and ITV Global Entertainment collections are just ripe for harvesting. Perhaps you'll finally see a Lifeforce movie, or a remake of Capricorn One, or an aspiring Tarantino type will buy up all those American International Picture rights and revive motorcycle gang movies. Sure, we all want to know who will wind up with James Bond, but it'll be far more fascinating if someone tries to remake Psych-Out. * *It's possible this is considered one of AIP's "early" films, though it's unclear where that cut off date is.Filed under: Deals, Executive shifts, Lionsgate Films, MGM, Warner Brothers, RumorMonger, Distribution, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, James Bond Permalink | Email this | Comments

To further prove that people with lots of money still care about people who used to have lots of money, The Daily Express reports that Johnny Depp may help bail actor Nicolas Cage out of his growing financial problems. Cage, as you may or may not know, is in some serious debt. He's already had two of his homes go into foreclosure, he owes something like $6 million in back taxes and he's currently suing his former business manager for $20 million claiming he sent "him down a path toward financial ruin." Now, though, things may be looking up for Cage as Depp could be coming to his rescue. The Daily Express says that Depp has contacted Cage and told him not to worry, that he'll sort everything out. Why Depp, you ask? Isn't that sorta random? What, was Depp a big fan of Con Air or something? Actually, no -- Depp feels like he owes his career to Cage in a way since Cage reportedly recommended Depp to his agent wayyy back in the day when Depp was a struggling musician. The story goes that Cage's recommendation led to Depp nabbing a role in the original Nightmare on Elm Street (his first), and the rest is history. So, is Johnny Depp really going to pony up some crazy cash to bail Nicolas Cage out of trouble? And can Hollywood somehow find a way to turn that into a movie with both power actors starring opposite one another? And would you go to see it?Filed under: RumorMonger, Celebrities and Controversy, Newsstand Permalink | Email this | Comments

Few shows have earned as much real estate in my heart as the wonderful WB/CW sitcom Gilmore Girls. Maybe it's the pretentious pop culture devourer in me. Or the hopeless romantic who always wished (and still does) that Rory would ditch Dean and Logan and run off into the sunset with her One True Love, Jess. (Sorry, are you on Team Dean? I will fight you. Team Jess forever!) No show has had as much love for its smart, sassy women, or packed as many caffeine-fueled zingers and indie rock cameos into the span of an hour, than this lovely small town fantasy set in Stars Hollow, CT. And yet, despite my overwhelming love for Gilmore Girls, I had major issues with the last few seasons. To be honest, I didn't watch the final episode simply out of spite. But apparently I'm not alone; show creator Amy Sherman-Palladino hasn't watched the entire last season! Major burn!Filed under: Comedy, Drama, RumorMonger, Fandom, NewsstandContinue reading Show Creator Hints at a 'Gilmore Girls' Movie Permalink | Email this | Comments

Here's the thing about Bob Zemeckis and all his newfangled motion-capture outings. When put to more mythic use in Beowulf, I was more drawn in by the adventure and less distracted by the characters. However, between The Polar Express and A Christmas Carol, I couldn't help but be re-struck time and time again but that unfortunate uncanny valley, especially when the characters look so much like the real thing (see: Gary Oldman as Cratchit) that I'd just as soon watch them give live-action performances that would then go surrounded by countless effects (you know, the way they used to make movies). That disappointing truth, combined with last weekend's good-not-great opening for Carol, isn't getting Zemeckis down, though. According to Pajiba, he's pursuing The Nutcracker as his next holiday adaptation to be 'enhanced' by mo-cap technology. (I think it's fairly safe to assume after Carol and Express that this will likely end up in 3-D as well.) The site says that he'll be working from E.T.A. Hoffman's original novel over the Tchaikovsky ballet, "a period piece, set in 19th century Russia, which will explore how the cursed Nutcracker character came to be and the battle between the dolls and the mice." Well, that shows how much I remember of the original tale (a war between dolls and mice?). Personally, I just want this one to go on the busy man's back burner if it means getting that Roger Rabbit sequel done sooner. At least the bunny doesn't creep me out with his lifeless eyes...Filed under: Animation, Deals, RumorMonger, Family Films Permalink | Email this | Comments

Spoiler Warning: The world isn't going to end in 2012. The most comical aspect of Sony's marketing strategy for 2012 is that it's got people actually believing that the world is going to end in the year 2012. Folks are so beside themselves that NASA has already intervened to try to combat the thousands of paranoid emails they've received, and now Discovery.com is doing their part to calm down the human race by attempting to prove that the world will not end on December 21, 2012, contrary to what those dastardly Mayans predicted. What they've done is collected the 10 most popular doomsday scenarios and then systematically debunked each one by presenting, ya know, facts and stuff. So before your cousin Eddie tries to convince you that he totally know what he's talking about and the world is, like, totally going to end in 2012 because he saw it somewhere on TV at some point but he doesn't remember where, well, you might want to read up on what the Discovery folks have to say. Here are a couple examples: 4. An asteroid will smash into Earth. A threatening near-Earth asteroid that's gotten the most press is the 900-foot wide Apophis. But its chances of collision have been downgraded to 1 in 250,000 at its next close approach in 2029. In theory, an uncharted asteroid or comet could come out of the blue tomorrow. But if we don't know about it today, the Mayans certainly didn't know about it 1,200 years ago. Earth-killer impacts are tens of millions of years apart. So there's no reason to be a doomsday clock-watcher. More after the jump ...Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, RumorMonger, FandomContinue reading Top 10 Reasons Why The World Won't End in 2012 Permalink | Email this | Comments

Is John Woo going to work with Tom Cruise again? Quite possibly, and in a World War II setting to boot. Woo has been in a hold pattern over Hollywood ever since Paycheck came out, although he's recently struck gold with both audiences and the box office overseas with Red Cliff, which hits American shores on November 20th. Now he's circling Flying Tigers, a project about the first American volunteer group in the Chinese Air Force during WWII. We spoke to Woo recently about Red Cliff, and you can read the full interview with him later this week. However, we couldn't resist sneaking in a question about Cruise, and you can read what we got after the break.Filed under: RumorMonger, Tom CruiseContinue reading Tom Cruise Not Attached to John Woo's 'Flying Tigers' ... Yet Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Internet loves casting rumors, but the gears of speculation are always at their highest when the topic is a superhero. Or, more accurately, who a superhero is going to be fighting in his/her's next trip to the big screen; and with Spider-Man 4 snowballing into production, the rumors have once again begun swirling around who Spidey is going to be web-punching this time around. First reports that Dylan Baker would finally be transforming into The Lizard seemed to confirm Sam Raimi's return to making a single-villain picture, but now a new name has been tossed into the ring. Mania.com is reporting that their sources have cited Rachel McAdams as in talks with the film's producers to take on the role of Felicia Hardy, also known as Black Cat. If you're unfamiliar with the character, she is a sometimes good, sometimes bad cat burglar who, in addition to being a possible love interest of the web-crawler's, tries to use her less-than-legal prowess to break her father out of jail. It would be an interesting spin to have villainess for part four, but it's unclear at this point as to whether or not the film's Black Cat will ultimately be friend or foe. A bigger shake-up to the film's line-up could come by way of the second bit of Mania's news, which stakes that the producers are also currently out casting a male villain. Assuming Raimi hasn't already broken with his desire to keep the baddies solo, this would mean that Dr. Curt Connors is not fulfilling his destiny as The Lizard after all, despite Dylan Baker confirming he'd be returning in the role. It's all very fluid and salty at this point, but if Mania's sources are indeed correct, Spider-Man 4 has either multiplied its villains once again or kept The Lizard caged until a later date.Filed under: Sony, RumorMonger, Comic/Superhero/Geek Permalink | Email this | Comments

Well, it's November, which means the awards contenders are steadily coming out of the woodwork, and just as we have the Academy Awards to look forward to, we also have their fine print to tolerate. The first of this year's disqualifications naturally come from the music end of things, the same category that didn't see fit to honor the tremendous original scores composed for The Dark Knight last year and There Will Be Blood the year before that. According to Kris Tapley over at In Contention, both "Up in the Air" and "Help Yourself" from Jason Reitman's Up in the Air have been pulled out of the Best Original Song race. The former was written by Kevin Renick before he met Reitman (the song is presented in the film as it was presented to the filmmaker, with homemade introduction and all), not to mention that it comes halfway into the credits when only the first song over them can qualify. (Really, AMPAS?) And a portion of the latter had existed earlier in Sad Brad Smith's career and thus means the song itself was not created in full for the film. It's an earnest and catchy tune, used prominently in the trailers and well in the film (and now available on iTunes, cough), but it now looks like those are two more slots left to be dominated by Disney's latest...Filed under: Comedy, Drama, Awards, Paramount, RumorMonger, Oscar Watch Permalink | Email this | Comments

Good news, Twilight fans. You have the first official news for the third Twilight installment, courtesy of our own Jen Yamato, FearNet and the New Moon junket.* The magically-coiffed Robert Pattinson has confirmed that Breaking Dawn will begin filming in Fall 2010, and that it's penciled into his schedule for next year. Of course, Dawn remains unconfirmed by Summit. The most controversial installment of the Twilight series, rumors swirl that the studio is hesitant to take it to the big screen. If it is made, it seems likely that it could be split into two films a'la Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Personally, I don't see Summit risking the money they'd make on #4, and they'll find a way to steer around the gorier aspects of the book. But now you know when to look for it, though you still have the madness of Eclipse pre-production to get through. Pattinson also dished on the movie I want to mark on my calender (Sorry, I dig boots and spurs more than vampires), a Western called Unbound Captives. The directorial debut of Madeleine Stowe, it stars Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, and Pattinson. The young heartthrob revealed that it's tenatively scheduled to begin shooting in early 2010, and he sounds enthusiastic for a role that'll be miles away from Edward Cullen. "I'm playing a kid who is kidnapped by Comanches when he was four years old, and he is brought up by them. His mother spends her entire life trying to find me and my sister. When she finds us, we can't remember who she is and can't remember anything about the Western culture she grew up in. I speak Comanche the whole movie. You can't really speak more differently from Edward." [Special thanks also goes to Collider who apparently pried the Breaking Dawn date out of Mr. Pattinson]Filed under: Action, Drama, Independent, Romance, New Releases, RumorMonger, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Remakes and Sequels, Western Permalink | Email this | Comments

I didn't think it was possible for any movie to be too big for Michael Bay, especially not a Transformers movie. But judging from this candid DVD extra, even Bay thinks Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen veered on excessive, and he's promising to scale back when he tackles #3. As we speak, Bay is combing through the Transformers lore that Hasbro has sent him and pondering who or what will be smashing crap up in another installment. Just the way he says "Transformers lore" makes me want a story centered on Bay exploring ancient catacombs to uncover the missing Transformers arcana with Megan Fox as his sidekick. (She'll be packing a Ph.D in Hasbro lore because she's not afraid to be smart and sexy.) As Bay ponders how to go sideways from Revenge (his words, not mine), he does have a few ideas in mind. He wants more Bumblebee, and to explore the powerful relationship he has with Sam. He wants more characters, and more emotion. He wants it to be "more undercover" and "less exposed" which might be difficult for our transforming pals when they destroyed the Great Pyramid of Giza. At the end of the video, Bay decides to abandon plot ideas and offer a cash reward. Then he says "Just joking!" because come on, the man has to eat, and Fallen didn't make a kajillion dollars, just a few hundred million. However, maybe a few of you more skilled in Transformers lore than he is can make use of the address, and write him with what you want to see in #3. Check out the video of slippery promises below the jump.Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Paramount, RumorMonger, Fandom, DIY/Filmmaking, Home Entertainment, Remakes and Sequels, Trailers and ClipsContinue reading Michael Bay on 'Transformers 3': Less Action, More Emotion Permalink | Email this | Comments

By: John Gholson This movie should've happened fifteen years ago, and it should've starred Tim Allen. It didn't, so here we are in 2009 talking about whether or not a live-action movie based on Hanna-Barbera's animated "futuristic" sitcom The Jetsons will ever see the light of day. Pajiba says yes, and they say that Peter Segal (Get Smart, Tommy Boy) is the director currently circling the long-dormant project. Director Robert Rodriguez (Shorts) was once enthusiastic about taking a crack at the material, but Warner Brothers wants to move on the project soon and Rodriguez keeps a full plate. Unlike Pajiba, though, I don't see this potential shift in directors as a huge step down. Read the rest over at SciFi SquadFiled under: RumorMonger, Fandom Permalink | Email this | Comments

What's happened to all the great movie nudity lately? Billy Crudup started the year off with a bang, so to speak, with his big blue penis in Watchmen, and Marcus Nispel's Friday the 13th reboot featured sweaty sex and generous amounts of naked female flesh, but the summer and fall seasons have been curiosly bereft of talked-about sex scenes or body parts. Jessica Biel's bravely-bared breasts and backside in Powder Blue went direct to video, Hayden Panetierre nonchalantly limited her exposure to 'side boobage' in I Love You, Beth Cooper, and Megan Fox decided to keep her nipples to herself in the proudly feminist relationship drama ('cause it sure wasn't horror) Jennifer's Body. In my youth, movies educated me about the wonderful diversity of naked bodies. Today, television and the Internet have stolen much of the thunder once claimed exclusively by the theatrical experience. (Case in point: Susan Sarandon's daughter, Eva Amurri, just made a big splash by going topless in Californication.) No wonder Terminator: Salvation director McG teased the audience at WonderCon earlier this year, bringing actress Moon Bloodgood up on stage and asking: "Who wants to see Moon's boobs in the picture?" She later said: "I'm a woman, I have boobs, it's a beautiful shot." As anyone who saw the movie in a theater knows, though, her toplessness was cut, reportedly as part of Warner Bros.' effort to secure a PG-13 rating. The unrated director's cut is due out on DVD and Blu-ray on December 1, and the deleted scene has, apparently, hit the Internet (watch it after the jump). The verdict?Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Warner Brothers, RumorMonger, Fandom, Home Entertainment, Remakes and SequelsContinue reading Moon Bloodgood's Topless 'Terminator: Salvation' Scene: Worth the 'R' Rating? Permalink | Email this | Comments

When word hit that Ridley Scott was on board to direct the long talked about A L I E N prequel, what ran through your mind? Were you thinking lots of alien action? A Giger-iffic closer look at the xenomorphs? If so, you might want to start reeling back those alien expectations. Empire Magazine recently got the scoop from Scott, and he's got something else in mind. The director was in London for his daughter's debut at the London Film Festival when he told the mag about his ideas for the prequel. He said: "We know what the road map is, and the screenplay is now being put on paper. The prequel will be a while ago. It's very difficult to put a year on A L I E N, but [for example] if A L I E N was towards the end of this century, then the prequel story will take place thirty years prior." Empire takes this to mean a human focus for the film. I wish that dreaded set of Star Wars prequels hadn't made me recoil at the thought of any ultra-updated FX in prequel stories. However, on the bright side: If Scott tackles things in a similar way -- looking to Giger for inspiration, for example -- it's sure to be a beauty of a film. Are you up for this A L I E N prequel, or do you wish the past just stayed in the uncharted murky depths?Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, RumorMonger, Scripts, Remakes and Sequels Permalink | Email this | Comments

You kids today, with your Marvel Studios and your top-notch directors. Many of you are too young to remember just what ugly treatments comic books received in the 1980s and 1990s. Oh sure, there was Tim Burton's Batman, but treatments like David Hasselhoff's Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD were the norm. When a Thor movie was kicked around, the only requirement was muscles and blonde hair. In the 1990s, there was one man that fit that description: Fabio. A funny little flashback has surfaced on Colleen Doran's blog, which has prompted a delightful trip back in time at Mania. In 1997, Fabio decided that he wanted to play Thor, so he approached animation director Seth Kearsley, and they cooked up a storyline with the help of Henry Gilroy. As Mania points out, this was not a Marvel movie , but it casually borrowed a few elements. The result, pictured to your right, was an unholy blend of Marvel's Thor and Captain Marvel / Shazam where Thor was punished for his arrogance by being shoved into the powerless body of a young boy. Despite its cheese and lack of Hollywood backing, it managed to recruit a lot of comic book talent for its designs, including Hellboy creator Mike Mignola. They were also desperately seeking Charlton Heston to voice Odin, and were in negotiations with Pamela Anderson to voice the Valkyrie Brunhild. But it died off, never to be seen again ... until the Internet could laugh about it.Filed under: Animation, RumorMonger, Fandom, Scripts, DIY/Filmmaking, Comic/Superhero/GeekContinue reading Once Upon A Time, Fabio Was 'Thor' Permalink | Email this | Comments

Last March, the trades confirmed that Peter Berg was the latest director brave enough (or foolish enough) to tackle a new adaptation of Frank Herbert's legendary Dune. News has been scarce since, though just last month Berg was assuring MTV that he was still involved, and that he was trying to crunch Josh Zetumer's 200-page script into something manageable "without offending the purists." Other than some intriguing Robert Pattinson casting rumors, there hasn't been much for fans to really discuss or rant about. But an intriguing story has popped up on Pajiba. Their inside source claims that Berg has dropped out of the Dune remake, and that Paramount is scrambling for a new director. The search is fraught with difficulty for Paramount, according to Pajiba's source. "The search, however, has run into two issues: 1) they're looking for a director who can put the movie together for under $175 million, which sounds manageable, but they don't want anything resembling the crap effects of the '84 film, and 2) they want a director who already has a preexisting passion for the novel and is enthusiastic about the project." But the search has allegedly landed on two splashy newcomers: Neil Marshall and and Neill Blomkamp. Marshall is said to be the frontrunner, championed by producer Kevin Misher. But the studio lukewarm on Marshall's resume and likes Blomkamp, who they feel has the "vision" for the film. This is all rumor and speculation at this point, and nowhere is it stated why Berg dropped out of the remake. (A schedule conflict would be likely. Berg has one heck of a full plate.) There's also something a little too dreamy about those mentions of Blomkamp and Marshall. I'm very, very curious to see how this little rumor is played out, and if it could lead to a Dune adaptation that's palatable and faithful to Herbert.Filed under: Action, Classics, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Paramount, RumorMonger, Scripts, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Remakes and Sequels Permalink | Email this | Comments