what's tasty and new in show business. [beta]
Ready for more portion-controlled goodness in this week’s Quick Hits & Snack Bits? Read on to find out who will be directing Monster Squad and The Tourist; casting news for Bruce Willis, Channing Tatum, and Gerard Butler; new projects for Billy Ray and Cary Fukunaga; updates on Ghost in the Shell; a helluva early-developing rumor involving Leonardo DiCaprio, plus a whole bunch more!
First up is Monster Squad, the long-in-gestation supernatural comedy that is NOT a remake of the much beloved 1987 film from Fred Dekker and Shane Black. This one’s brand new, and if you’re wondering what it’s about, so are we. Brian Lynch first wrote the spec about an international coalition of kids who battle monsters under the bed (then titled Nightcrawlers), but Michael Arndt later retooled it to feature a neurotic father who had to face childhood demons. Brian Copeland has written the latest draft, but the new logline is being kept under wraps. One thing we do know is that Shrek Forever After director Mike Mitchell has been tapped as the new director. [via Variety]
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Nicholas Sparks has a pretty streaky record. For every sappy, saccharine movie based on one of his novels that falls flat, there’s a sappy, saccharine one that is somehow charming enough to get away with it. 2004’s younger-skewing The Notebook is the obvious example there, and it looks like they’ll be trying to strike lightning again with a similar formula in Dear John.
Part of the reason why The Notebook worked was because director Nick Cassavetes had the advantage of two talented performers in Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, plus not a modest share of on-screen (and off-screen) chemistry. It looks like Dear John may have at least some elements of that. Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried aren’t quite as acclaimed a pair of actors as Gosling or McAdams, but those two were relatively unproven when they made their Notebook turn as well.
Tatum is fast becoming a bona fide leading man, and has shown enough chops between his popcorn flicks to warrant the mantle. Plus he’s just so damn likable. And somewhere between Mean Girls and Mamma Mia!, Seyfried showed a penchant for outshining her supporting player designation, revealing herself to be an utterly charming and eclectic actress capable of headlining a movie. So maybe it’s the tear-jerky sucker in me or the Snow Patrol soundtrack, but the Dear John trailer has me strangely excited to see how their pairing turns out. There’s a requisite amount of cheesiness, of course, but it doesn’t hurt to have a solid supporting cast that includes Richard Jenkins and Scott Porter, and Lasse Hallström ain’t no slouch as director, either. I’m hopeful for this one.
Check out the trailer after the jump. Read»
These couldn’t be two more different films, but today brings us the new posters for Dear John and Daybreakers.
Based on the Nicholas Sparks novel, Dear John centers on the romance that blossoms between a soldier on home from leave and an idealistic college student. The story follows the couple through seven years of their lives as he faces increasingly dangerous deployments and she helps keep their relationship alive with love letters that eventually result in “fateful consequences.” A synopsis like that would usually induce yawns, but this one’s got a solid cast (Channing Tatum, Amanda Seyfried, Scott Porter, and Richard Jenkins) and a director that always makes at least a few interesting choices (Chocolat and The Cider House Rules‘ Lasse Hallström).
The second poster is for vampire flick Daybreakers, which we already saw a very intriguing trailer for. If you’ve ever wondered what a futuristic blood farm would look like, this one-sheet should answer some of your questions. Starring Ethan Hawke, Claudia Karvan, Willem Dafoe, Isabel Lucas, and Sam Neill, this film is looking very, very good.
Hit the jump to see the posters.
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UPDATED! Who is Branagh considering for the role of the villain, Loki? Find out who the latest rumors are saying could be the God of Thunder! Read»
