Will Chris Evans go from Torch to Captain America?

// March 22nd, 2010 // No Comments » // What's Poppin

Yes, Marvel Studios made Chris Evans an offer to play Captain America. But I hear that the testing process will continue because the actor is conflicted about jumping into another superhero role, after playing Johnny Storm/Human Torch in two Fantastic Four installments.
This could certainly be bargaining table posturing, because Marvel drives the toughest deals in town. But other actors have turned away from big superhero movie roles. They include Heath Ledger, who turned down Spider-Man because he didn’t want to be typecast or sign for three movies. (He later came back for an Oscar-winning turn as The Joker in The Dark Knight). Josh Hartnett turned down the chance to play Superman several years ago for similar reasons, even though the 3-picture pact could have paid him nearly $100 million. Marvel is offering far less, and asking for 9 options.

“Little Man” star Marlon Wayans to play Richard Pryor.

// February 21st, 2010 // No Comments » // What's Poppin

When it was announced that Marlon Wayans and not Eddie Murphy would be portraying Richard Pryor in the long-discussed biopic of the comedy giant, the news was greeted with Internet jeering. Wayans wasn’t surprised when he read the disparaging comments — you can’t hang your star on films like “White Chicks” and “Little Man” without consequences.

“Look, I want to be able to make the stupidest movies ever, because they make people laugh and they make money,” Wayans recently said with a smirk. “But that’s not all I want to do. And I think I’ve proven to some people — the ones paying attention — that I can do more. Everybody else, well, they can wait and see and make up their mind.”

Wayans believes he is on the verge of winning over skeptics and just maybe establishing a name for himself that goes beyond his status as “the other Wayans” — or maybe even “the other-other-Wayans.” The 37-year-old is the youngest of 10 children in the show-business brood that came to fame on “In Living Color,” the 1990s television show created and written by Keenen Ivory Wayans and Damon Wayans. His position in the family photo has given Marlon Wayans plenty of opportunity — he and sibling Shawn got their own show, “The Wayans Brothers,” for four seasons on Fox beginning in 1995 — but also an ongoing challenge in establishing anything resembling an individual identity.

“I have no complaints,” Wayans said, “but I do have a plan. I love doing comedy, but I also love to do drama.”

When it comes to laughter and tragedy, it would be hard to think of a figure that bundles them together in more compelling fashion than the late Richard Pryor, a Peoria, Ill., native who grew up in his grandmother’s brothel, was expelled from school at age 14 and went on to become a firebrand force in pop culture as a stand-up comic, movie star, writer. When, in 1998, he became the first recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, he was described by Lawrence Wilker, the president of the Kennedy Center, as a signature voice in the national conversation: “He struck a chord, and a nerve, with America, forcing it to look at large social questions of race and the more tragicomic aspects of the human condition.”

Director Joe Johnston talks Jurassic 4 and early Captain America.

// January 18th, 2010 // No Comments » // What's Poppin

Joe Johnston’s The First Avenger: Captain America isn’t due in theaters until July 2011, but his latest movie The Wolfman is out next month.

In preparation for its release, Johnston spoke with BoxOffice.com and discussed the concepts of Marvel’s comic book adaptation and even dropped a bomb about another Jurassic Park trilogy.

First, the director confirmed it will tell the origins of how Steve Rogers became Captain America. Johnston describes him as “an every man who’s been given this amazing gift of transformation into the perfect specimen—the pinnacle of human perfection.” Maybe Rogers hits some of that Mark McGwire magic.

Johnston continues, focusing on the emotional impact the physical effects have on the character. “At the heart of it, it’s a story about this kid who all he wants to do is fit in. This thing happens and he still doesn’t fit in. And he has to prove himself a hero—essentially go AWOL to save a friend. Eventually at the very end, I don’t want to give away to much, but he does fit in.” I don’t know. It sounds like a 5th grader explaining the Star Wars trilogy.

In the speculation over who’ll be the lead actor, no one seems to be asking the question of how Captain America will work in today’s global box office. A flag-waving patriot wearing the stars and stripes isn’t going to play well overseas, where 60% or more of money is made in major theatrical releases. On top of that, it’s a period piece set in World War II, an entirely different look at the comic book genre that is striving to become more modern.

Then there’s the future plans for more dinosaur clones. Johnston, a personal friend of Steven Spielberg, was handed the reigns to the Jurassic Park franchise in 2001. His sequel, Jurassic Park III, was not well received and saw a significant drop-off in box office returns from the groundbreaking original and the adaptation of Michael Crichton’s “The Lost World.”

fourth Jurassic Park under Johnston has been rumored before with wild script details even surfacing about dinosaurs being trained to carry military weaponry. It was just ridiculous enough to come full circle back to awesome. However, Frank Marshall said everything changed when Crichton passed away in November 2008.

Johnston disagrees, flat out saying, “There is going to be a Jurassic Park IV“ before adding “… and it’s going to be unlike anything you’ve seen. It breaks away from the first three—it’s essentially the beginning of the second Jurassic Park trilogy. It’s going to be done in a completely different way.”

A new Jurassic Park trilogy? Does the new way mean stereoscopic 3D or giant laser beams on dino heads? Unfortunately, Johnston didn’t provide any further details on where another Jurassic Park trilogy would actually go, especially since Crichton stopped at two books.

Spoiler Alert: Conan Script leaked-Here are some juicy details.

// December 4th, 2009 // No Comments » // What's Poppin

So by now the internet has spread the new “Conan” script like wildfire, but I haven’t seen a review yet. So because I like you, love films, and the fact that we have the script in our hands I’m gonna take the time to break it down to you my way.

Ok, so it opens up with Conan’s mom and dad in the woods, Mom has baby and she dies.

Cut to:
Corin (Dad) and a bunch of teen warriors in training doing their thing with a younger Conan in tow. Of course Conan gets made fun of cause he’s smaller, at this point they get into some Mr. Miaggi bullshit where they have to have stones in their mouths as they look for the wooden sword in the woods, you guessed it whomever finds the sword is “Stinky cool dude of the day”.

That doesn’t go down as plan, shit hits the fan when 4 “Pictish” warriors covered in war paint appear. A fight breaks out and the Picts warriors killed a Cimmerian kid (one of Conan’s tribe), Conan whacks 3 out of 4 (yeah at 9 years old) he looks at his dad and says “they killed one, I killed three now I am a warrior” everybody is a little freaked out by this and now we cut into the whole “Rocky” workout montage.

Climb the mountain Conan, lift the heavy logs Conan, Sleep outside while your dad fucks the sheeps Conan, ok the last one is not in there but it could be.

He gets pissed off and bitches to his father that shit is getting old already, he wants some action.

So Dad goes through this whole “The Sword” is this and that speech when….

The Cimmerians get whacked including Corin, Conan lives.

Now it’s pay back bitches.

Honestly people I’ve seen this movie before. It’s like “Rocky”-Karate Kid meet 300 I don’t think you need any more info on it but if you want the script go to Showbizcafe.com you can download the script as a PDF file.

http://showbizcafe.com/en/news/exclusive-conan-script-leaked/1845

New Iron Man Poster by way of Director Jon Favreau’s twitter account

// November 30th, 2009 // No Comments » // What's Poppin

So director Jon Favreau’s Twitter account shows the new poster for Iron-Man 2!

In addition to featuring the new Iron-Man costume, and that fancy Iron-Man 2 title you’ve so been looking forward to, the poster gives us one of our first looks at War Machine.

So the poster only shows Iron Man and War Machine posing like rappers, but we like it anyways cause Robert Downey Jr is bad ass!! Terence Howard has been replaced by Don Cheadle in the sequel. We love Cheadle too so this could be fun!!