New 'Iron Man 2' Teaser Poster Features More War Machine

It admittedly does look like a pretty cool teaser poster (check out the grey War Machine armor that Don Cheadle will wear) and nerds are probably already frothing at the mouth at it, but it does sort of pain us to have written two "Iron Man 2" stories in less than twelve hours.

We don't have much else to say other than regurgitating the basic info: the film is directed by Jon Favreau (who did a great job creating an escapist entertainment vehicle) and stars the same principal cast again (minus Terrence Howard) including Robert Downey Jr., and Gwyneth Paltrow, with the additions of Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle and Samuel L. Jackson (who was in the original in a teaser cameo, but didn't actually appear in the feature itself, however he does have an active role in this one).

Paul Bettany appears as the voice of the computer Jarvis as do Leslie Bibb and Clark Gregg, and according to IMDB Kate Mara and John Slattery ("Mad Men") also have roles (the latter is supposedly playing Howard Stark).

"Iron Man 2" hits theaters on May 7, 2010.

'The Hobbit' Delayed Until Summer 2010

Peter Jackson is currently doing international press for his new, ahem... film, "The Lovely Bones" — a gooey, new-agey serial killer thriller? We'll have to get that one off our chest later, but woo boy, yikes — and apparently when asked by German reporters what's happening with "The Hobbit" he doesn't have a lot of positive things to say. Last we all heard the "Lord Of the Rings" prequel was supposed to shoot in March 2010, but apparently that date has been pushed back a few months.

We’re currently working on the second script which we hope to have completed by the end of this year or beginning of next. When the scripts are completed, we can begin with the exact calculation of the necessary budget. We hope to start filming in the middle of next year. However, we’ve received no green light from the studio yet.”

Still no green light for a series that made billions of dollars world wide, huh? Does the shaky status of MGM and the potential half-sale/half-ownership prospects of "The Hobbit" have anything to do with it? Considering just how much money that original series made, we would have to assume that's exactly the concern. Will this change the casting situation and actors that are leaving certain months open to shoot? Let's hope for Jackson and director Guillermo Del Toro's sake, no. Then again, casting is always a world of happy accidents and disappointments that can always bring interesting new possibilities. [via the OneRing]

Tarantino Says 'Kill Bill 3' Won't Be Next Movie; Won't Be Called 'Kill Bill 3' Either...

Speaking with MTV, Quentin Tarantino has dropped a few tiny details about "Kill Bill 3."

Namely, the film won't be called that. "It wouldn't be 'Kill Bill,' " Tarantino insisted. "It would be Volume 3 of the story of the Bride."

But don't expect that to be the title either. He still hasn't settled on one. And with good reason. No script is written (obviously). It also won't be the next thing Quentin directs, meaning, he's probably going to work on a screenplay for something else, but he doesn't say what.

"There's no script; there are just ideas and notes," Tarantino said of the Volume 3 film. "I won't do that next, but it could very well be the thing I do after next."

Knowing his leisurely pace, don't expect any 'Kill Bill' film for a good four years on a conservative guess (if not much longer). As Tarantino notes, a third film 10 years after the fact was always the tentative plan, but the director hasn't always made good on his sequel promises so it's understanding why people have been skeptical, but also making noise about this one again (after all, there was no word on any further 'Kill Bill' films for several years there).

Best Of The Decade: The Playlist's Best Films Of 2000

It seems everyone's doing the Best Films of The Decade in a top 10 list, but this feels almost impossible to us. Too many good films, many of them deserving of recognition. We suppose you could take the number 1 from each of our yearly lists to create The Playlist's Best Films Of The Decade, but even then, it's tough to demarcate in such a way; we had enough squabbling as it was doing each year. And FYI, to keep things straight, we decided to categorize each film by the year it came out in the U.S.

So here we begin, with the year 2000, the start of the 21st century, when everyone was finally over pre-millennium tension, Y2K and other-made up nonsense by the press trying to describe some sort of global anxiety or malaise. Film was not in a bad place. After years of Oscar rewarding chum like "Forrest Gump" (over the "Shawshank Redemption") or playing it safe, ("Braveheart"), the Academy was finally wising up and awarding a dark suburban drama, "American Beauty" the 2000 Best Picture (released in 1999). And after several coveted nominations and a few key Grand Jury prize awards, in 2000, Lars Von Trier would finally win the Palme d'Or for his harrowing musical, "Dancer In The Dark." It seems, at least momentarily, good cinema was finding the credit that was due.

*Don't get too caught in the numbering either, it's a bit arbitrary and only a loose order of how the Playlist EIC would rank them.

10. "Requiem for a Dream"
More horror story than after school special, Darren Aronofsky’s lightning bolt drug nightmare concerns four individuals barely clinging onto hope in 1980’s Coney Island. Pitched at a heightened reality and littered with moments of crippling existential torment, this Hubert Selby Jr. adaptation still carries its visceral punch years later as a portrayal of how close ordinary people can be to the abyss. Without a single dormant moment, the volatility of the camera is countered by a set of unsettling performances we spent years divorcing the actors from, particularly Ellen Burstyn, now forever huddled behind the couch, watching for that refrigerator. Another highlight is the oppressive Clint Mansell score, which perversely became the defacto accompaniment to a series of action movie trailers.

9. "Almost Famous"
Director Cameron Crowe mined his real life experiences on the road with bands like Led Zeppelin as inspiration for this classic-rock coming of age tale. Set in 1973, an aspiring high school reporter cons his way into a gig with Rolling Stone magazine and goes on the road with an up-and-coming rock band. With an all-time soundtrack (Led Zep's first legally sanctioned film tunes), stellar performances from the likes of a young Kate Hudson, Billy Crudup, Philip Seymour Hoffman (a phenomenal rendering of rock critic Lester Bangs) Frances McDormand, and more "I forgot they were in this movie too" moments (Zooey Deschanel, Anna Paquin, Jimmy Fallon, Rainn Wilson), it's tough not to fall in love with this drug fueled look back at the golden age of rock and roll. Plus the "Untitled' director's cut (a meaty 2 hours and 42 minutes) is even better.

8. "Amores Perros"
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's epic triptych of the tale of lives connected by a violent Mexico City car wreck was a festival darling and Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Film, and heralded the arrival of neo-Mexican cinema, along with Alfonso Cuaron's “Y Tu Mama Tambien” (both starring Gael Garcia Bernal). But, while “Y Tu Mama” is a fun, sexy romp, “Amores Perros” is a searing, visceral kick straight to the solar plexus. The film veers from adrenaline fueled car chases and dog fights, to the walls of a luxury apartment where a lost terrier drives an injured model to the brink of insanity, to the street life of the vagrant hitman El Chivo — allowing the viewer to peer into the darkest depths of human love, loss and pain. Rodrigo Prieto’s cinematography sets the gold standard for the hyperrealistic, gritty style that has influenced both indie auteurs and Hollywood films since. As the original title suggests, in a classic double entendre, love is indeed, a bitch.

7. "Before Night Falls"
A moving and passionate testament to the power of art and open expression in the face of ideological fascism, Julian Schnabel's sophomore directorial effort was both political in its anti-censorship stance (and anti-Castro bearing) and personal in its soulful depiction of the protagonist's human integrity. Impressionistic and fractured, the picture is also a visually stunning portrait of the life of Cuban poet and novelist, Reinaldo Arenas, who paid the price for daring to be openly gay and harboring counter-cultural ideas in his published works during Castro's revolutionary, yet tyrannical regime. Already becoming a star in Spain, 'Night Falls' also brought Javier Bardem to wider audiences, and the film featured a show-stopping, double-duty performance by Johnny Depp as a flaming drag queen and a no-nonsense Cuban Lieutenant.

6. "George Washington"
David Gordon Green might be better known now as the guy who directed "Pineapple Express," but in 2000 when his career was just blooming, he delivered a resplendent, poetic and Malick-ian meditation on childhood set in the decaying urban areas of North Carolina. Eschewing basic narrative for capturing snapshot moments of youth and beauty — Tim Orr's textured and contrasty cinematography is superb and Michael Linnen and David Wingo's lilting acoustic score is plaintively tender — it's no wonder that just four years later Terrence Malick himself would ask the young filmmaker to direct the gothic, Southern adventure horror, "Undertow." While Green has veered off in several eclectic directions, the lyrical and soulful "George Washington" still proves to be his most absorbing work.

5. "Dancer in the Dark"
While it's now remembered as the film where Lars Von Trier's exacting directorial style drove Björk to declare she would never act again, it needs to be reassesed as one of Von Trier's most distinct works to date. The film, a daring and moving blend of musical tropes with Bergman-esque tragedy, is a heartbreaking journey through the increasingly drastic and selfless acts of a mother determined to save her son's sight. Featuring a great soundtrack exclusively written by Björk, with inspired and slightly amateur musical numbers, "Dancer In The Dark" moves headlong into to the rare shock ending that will leave you in tears.

4. "Beau Travail"
A great adaptation should take its source story, throw away everything it doesn't need, and reveal what's left in a way only the film medium could. French auteur Claire Denis does just this in her reimagining of Melville's classic "Billy Budd." The story, now set in modern day Djibouti, revolves around a French Foreign Legion whose commanding officer (Denis Lavant), cannot come to terms with the physical and moral superiority of one of his men. As one would expect from a contemplative French drama, not a lot is said or done, but the underlying emotionally tacit storm between the characters lurks under every scene, creating a smoldering effect of masculine tension that simmers so violently it's practically homo-erotic. The film sets Benjamin Britten's enormous score (taken from his opera for the same novel) to the every day military drills of the troop, turning routine procedure into choreography. The end result, despite being realistic and unforced, is as much a film as it is a graceful ballet and a slow-moving work of poetry.

3. "Ratcatcher"
Lynne Ramsay's expressive and well-observed debut about a latchkey lad living in the squalor of 1970s Scotland during a garbage strike is breathtaking; a beautiful and raw slice of cinema vacillating back and forth between the gray and decrepit landscapes of poverty and negligent parents and the celebratory escape of imagination and play. An accidental drowning kicks-off the story, but rather than becoming a who-dunnit mystery, the film simply follows the exploits of the guilt-ridden boy trying to make sense of his world and cope in his bleak surroundings. It's haunting and dilapidated, while still hinting towards hope. Spike Jonze said "Ratcatcher" largely influenced the tender, yet honest childlike tones and gorgeous, roughhewn visuals of "Where The Wild Things Are" and it certainly shows.

2. "Traffic"
Featuring 135 speaking parts, 110 locations and shot in 8 different cities, Steven Soderbergh's drug trade epic could've been a mess. However, by wisely deciding to color code the intersecting storylines of the film's exploration of the proliferation of drugs from manufacture to distribution to use, Soderbergh gave Stephen Gaghan's sprawling script a final structural layer that brought viewers viscerally from the grimy drug warrens of Mexico, to the pristine political hallways of Washington. Boasting an ensemble cast that mixed heavyweights with promising newcomers (some of whom would later gain A-list status), Soderbergh's film is a sobering account of the failures of the "War On Drugs" on all levels.

1. "In the Mood for Love"
Wong Kar-Wai's film about two neighbors who form a bond when they suspect their respective spouses of infidelity, is a moving masterpiece about the boundaries of passion and the longing of desire. The sumptuous cinematography by Christopher Doyle is only aided by an impeccable attention to detail in the costume and set design departments. Nor would it be as moving if weren't for one of the best soundtracks of the decade, featuring a sensuous, well-chosen collection of jazz, string motifs and Chinese pop. But none of it would be worth talking about were it not for the impeccable performances by Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung who say more here with silence and furtive glances than most actors do with dialogue over their entire careers.

Honorable Mention:
2000 had several great films that we're a bit bummed to have to cut off this list, but we gave ourselves a rule of 10 films only. Suffice to say there was lots of bickering, fighting and arguing, but such is life with lists like these. The biggest controversies for 2000 amongst Team Playlist were Edward Yang's sprawling family drama, "Yi Yi," Sofia Coppola's dreamy, soft-focus debut, "The Virgin Suicides" and Kenneth Lonergan's remarkable brother-sister drama, "You Can Count on Me" with excellent performances from Mark Ruffalo as a total fuck-up 30-something and his exasperated sister, Laura Linney. Other films that we admire, but didn't quite make the cut included Alison Mclean's "Jesus' Son" featuring awesome performances by Billy Crudup and Samatha Morton as drug-addict adult-lescents in the 1970s, Stephen Daldry's celebratory boyhood meets ballet drama, "Billy Elliott," Lars Von Trier's comedic docu-like dogme film "Idioterne" ("The Idiots"), Steven Soderbergh's economic and no-nonsense,"Erin Brokovich," Stephen Frears' manchild, record store-centered love story, "High Fidelity," Terence Davies' "The House of Mirth" featuring an excellent Gillian Anderson turn, and perhaps Neil LaBute's best film, tellingly one he didn't write, the dreamy and odd, "Nurse Betty."

Yes, that's a long-ass honorable mention list, but there were a lot of films to love that year. So, your favorite or best pictures of 2000? — Gabe Toro, Katie Walsh, Kevin Jagernauth, Kimber Myers, Beau Delmore and RP

Paramount Dips Into The 'Paranormal' Kitty Once Again, Acquires 'Area 51'

-After what was said to be a bidding war, Paramount has acquired Oren Peli's follow-up to "Paranormal Activity," the alien found footage feature "Area 51." The $5 million film reportedly finds teenagers sneaking into the famous military location and encountering spooky happenings. The Paramount deal also involves a clause for a sequel to "Paranormal Activity," which may hit theaters with "Area 51" in 2010.

-JJ Abrams is producing a feature film adaptation of the Genndy Tartakovsky animated series "Samurai Jack." Tartakovsky has been working on the film for awhile now, but Abrams' Bad Robot production company is stepping up to ensure a theatrical release for the $20 million project. "Samurai Jack" aired on the Cartoon Network and was a visually ambitious takeoff on samurai films, though it's been canceled for awhile now, and we really don't know anyone clamoring for this movie. Tartakovsky, who recently storyboarded much of the action for "Iron Man 2," was also a major creative force behind other cult animated series such as "The Powerpuff Girls" and "Dexter's Labratory."

-Sam Worthington has revealed he's signed on to do a trilogy of "Avatar" movies (which is really old news if you read enough Cameron interviews). We're sure James Cameron is getting right on that.

-Fede Alvarez, who made waves on the internet for his skimpy five minute robot-attack short, has just signed a development deal with Sam Raimi's Ghost House Pictures to shepherd an alien-attack film. He's received a million dollars for a pitch which is going out to writers before Alvarez gets veto power. All this for a Uruguayan with a special effects reel and a copy of the "28 Days Later" soundtrack.

-Guy Pearce has joined Roger Donaldson's "The Hungry Rabbit Jumps," though sources are hush hush as to who he might be playing. The action thriller finds Nicolas Cage as a husband who joins a vigilante group when his wife (January Jones) is assaulted.

-In an interview with Coming Soon, "Predators" director Nimrod Antal reveals that they're shooting for an R-rating and it will be primarily practical effects. He also refuses to confirm or deny an Arnold Schwarzenegger cameo.

-Dirk Benedict and Dwight Schultz have confirmed their cameos in the modern updating of their show "The A-Team." Reportedly, Mr. T has turned the producers down many times over the years, stating, "You talk like a fool. Either I'm BA Baracus or nobody," and then recently, “It’s insulting me to ask me to be in it [as someone else]. It’s just like my ex-girlfriend saying ‘Why don’t you come out to dinner with my new boyfriend?’ You see what I mean? I am not going to do that.” As it should be, Mr. T. As it should be.

-TV actors in every way Jeremy Piven and Kate Walsh have joined Thomas Dekker, Lynn Collins, Mira Sorvino, Elizabeth McGovern and Joseph Morgan in "Waska." Gaby Dellal directs from a script by Catherine Trieschmann based on the book "Angels Crest" by Leslie Schwartz. We shrugged too.

-Send in your best writing samples! Sylvester Stallone is looking for a co-writer for his next "Rambo" adventure, which will take place south of the border.

Rapper Who Sang 'Fuck Da Police' Now Going On A 'Ride Along'

Is there some sort of fraternity of rappers laughing about selling out to the man? Is it sort of an inside joke? First we've got Ice T, who famously rapped about being a "Cop Killer," inciting the wrath of middle aged white congressmen and suburbia at large, suddenly donning investigative gear for a "Law and Order" spinoff. And now we have Ice Cube, who famously rapped "Fuck Da Police," getting in gear for a pallid-sounding sitcom concept called "Ride Along." Do these guys get together at Old Rapper Conventions and laugh about this?

Cube would play a cop who has suspicions about the man his sister's going to marry. Instead of sussing him out in a non-sociopathic way, he decides to take him on an unsanctioned ride-along. Not only that, but he's an "upper-crust white psychologist," which means all sorts of race/class differences are going to be discussed. Even money there's a disagreement over what to play on the radio. Even money also on the idea that the future husband-in-law has terrible taste in everything.

Dunno about you, but we've been on a few ride-alongs, and they really run the gamut, but mostly, they're depressing, and not fodder for an action-comedy. In one situation, we watched a domestic dispute resolve itself in an ugly manner. In another, we watched a thirty minute investigation centered around someone who had relieved themselves in construction equipment. What we're saying, in other words, is that we want Lars Von Trier to direct this. Or maybe one of those guys from the Romanian New Wave.

The script, originally from Greg Coolidge, is being re-written by Jason Mantzoukas, who apparently drew some heat, according to the trades, because of a buddy cop comedy he developed for NBC that they didn't pick up. Which is a weird way to draw heat, since no one watches NBC, meaning that "Off-Duty," which featured Romany Malco and Bradley Whitford, must have been at least as watchable as "Sabado Gigante."

So Paul Greengrass Has Quit 'Bourne 4'? Yes, At Least For Now...

We honestly figured someone like Nikki Finke would be breaking this before us (and our source was a little surprised as well), but she's been a little AWOL of late which leaves the door open.

Sources and friends close to the project tells us that Paul Greengrass has quit "Bourne 4" and walked away from the project. This actually happened more than a week ago, and we've been getting our ducks in a row before publishing this report (and again, we're shocked Finke or the Wrap didn't get wind of this yet and way before us).

If you've been following our Bourne reports of late, you know we've been hinting towards trouble on this project for some time now, but it's not hard to discern even as an outsider.

Two scripts have been written for the project, which is not exactly a vote of confidence. One penned by George Nolfi (who co-wrote 'Bourne 3' and is currently busy working with Matt Damon on "The Adjustment Bureau"), and a few months ago, Universal hired another scribe, Josh Zetumer, to write what they are diplomatically calling a "parallel" script. Zetumer has been a Black List favorite for several years, and has "The Infiltrator" in development with Leonard DiCaprio's company, Appian Way, and wrote Peter Berg's "Dune" — he is hot to say the least.

A small part of the problem? Greengrass, who has been busy toiling away on "Green Zone," was not consulted by Universal in the hiring of a new writer. This obviously did not make him happy, but that's only part of the issue that's been ongoing for some time (meanwhile, no one seems to love Nolfi's version).

Matt Damon has already said that "Green Zone," another Universal film that Greengrass directed, cost $100 million to make. But the price tag of this Iraq War-set thriller is actually much closer to $150 million — Greengrass has reshot several times (gets expensive) and has been tinkering away in the editing room for months spending Universal's money and testing their patience. This was supposed to be a smaller movie that Greengrass made in between 'Bourne' films, something Universal let Greengrass make to keep him happy and part of the Uni/Bourne family, but you can bet when he said, "(expensive) Iraq War thriller," the studio wasn't exactly jazzed, even if Matt Damon was the star.

Going further back, "The Bourne Ultimatum" was a huge hit, obviously, but again was made in a similar fashion: very expensive and lots of reshoots because no screenplay was finished. Greengrass is now infamous for "finding the movie" or "figuring it all out" during the middle of production. As in, shooting lots of various things and letting the story naturally and organically come to the surface. He's fine with continuing that approach on "Bourne 4," but after the "Green Zone" expense, the buttoning-up of budgets across the board and the major overhead of 'Bourne 3' (that had to be a huge hit to be successful), Universal does not want to take that risk once again and the studio and director have been butting heads on that point ever since. Considering everything Greengrass did with the Bourne franchise, he hasn't been happy how he's been treated on "Green Zone" and how hard the studio has been riding him. It seems like the straw has finally broken the camel's back.

So right now, they're citing "creative differences" and we expect this to hit the trades at any moment.

There's chatter about this all around CAA, and Universal surely doesn't want word to get out. The conventional wisdom is that Greengrass and Universal can kiss and make up and in a few months they could be right back at it, but as a rather famous director said this weekend, "So, I guess they're looking for a new 'Bourne' director, huh?"

What's Matt Damon's take on this? He's "loyal to Paul" which means he's likely not going to star in any "Bourne 4" film without him. Or at least not without his blessing and even then, it would have to be a spectacular script (and right now one of those doesn't exist, but Universal has been exploring other options....).

So with the recent Comcast/Universal deal on the horizon (Comcast will likely buy 51% of NBC Universal from General Electric, i.e. proposing to take majority control of the movie company) what does that mean? Well, one of the first things Comcast apparently did was call Patrick Whitesell (Damon's agent) within the last two weeks to ask if Matt was going to do the 'Bourne' film or not because it was going to figure in their valuation for the studio.

So there might be pressure there and it will probably behoove Universal to kowtow, kiss butt and make nice with Greengrass to bring him back into the fold. It could happen and it's not unreasonable to think that it might. Meanwhile, Greengrass has been sniffing around a biopic of [redacted] that we can't say anything else about.

Some have suggested Greengrass walking away is a "typical Paul move" and again, that he possibly could be back on the project in a few more months, but at the very least it does strongly indicate the tension and problems that have been brewing between the director and the studio for several months now.

"Bourne 4" is way off track. The studio, Greengrass and Damon's schedule (which he kept open) was hoping to shoot the film in the fall of 2010. With no script, that's unlikely going to happen (though anything's possible). Damon said earlier this fall (before Greengrasss quit) that the film was probably 18 months away from even going before the cameras. During TIFF he said two years. -- addition reporting by Kevin Jagernauth

'Iron Man 2' Glimpses Of Don Cheadle As War Machine & Possible Final Version Of Micke Rourke's Whiplash Character

A few "Iron Man 2" updates that we thought we'd round up. But don't get too excited. First off, Bleeding Cool has given us a sort of first look of what Don Cheadle's War Machine character will look like in his armor via this action figure illustrated in Diamond Previews, a comics industry catalogue. It's funny looking for sure, but it is a toy. Hopefully Cheadle looks much cooler in the final costume.

Meanwhile, the Geek Files at Coventry Telegraph have a look at Mickey Rourke's Whiplash villain, a character that never really existed in the original comic books (though ultimately he was sort of a composite figure). So to get on track with this new character hitting screens in May 2010, Marvel Comics have released a new Iron Man vs Whiplash title. And they've made the character the same Russian, Ivan Vanko character that Jon Favreau and writer Justin Theroux invented for the film.

Geek Files speculate this is what Whiplash will probably look like in the final version of the film when his armor is completely done (the shots of Rourke so far have been only in partial costume with his body and face very visible; also he kinda has a mop of dreads). We suppose they're probably right, but don't really care. We just want "Iron Man 2" to be as engaging and entertaining as the original one.

Lastly, it's well-known that Jon Favreau started production on "Iron Man 2" with an incomplete script and even actors like Gwyneth Paltrow and Scarlett Johansson said that two weeks out before production that they hadn't been delivered any pages yet. That's essentially because Favreau and Theroux, while having the skeleton of the script completed, were writing and revising as they went along.

Favreau admitted as much in the newest issue of Empire saying that even Robert Downey Jr. helped out in the writing process. "Robert is a real partner in the process. He's been very involved in the screenplay. When he went away to do Sherlock Holmes he was still part of our creative process. Even in the first film, where he was originally a hired gun playing the role, he really stepped up to rewrite scenes — he's a great writer, too. So we really are sharing the responsibilities."

Downey himself talked about writing and contributing ideas. "I have fortified my belief that if I have a creative instinct about something, usually it's not because I've had too much coffee or because I'm bored - it's because I sense there's something there. And it's always mind-blowing when you follow a hunch and realize it's exactly what the movie wanted."

The great thing about "Iron Man' is that it let Robert Downey Jr. roam free with his crazy acting hunches, but at the same time felt like it kept him on a long leash so he didn't get too out of control. Hopefully that's the case again, because if you tilt that performance any further South, it would probably begin to get kind of wacky.

Amy Adams Joins John Hillcoat's 'The Promised Land' AKA 'The Wettest County In The World'

Despite a tough subject and a surely bleak tone and atmosphere, John Hillcoat's dilapidated prohibition-era brothers drama, "The Wettest County In The World," looks like its moving forward.

Hillcoat recently said the picture is shooting in February and said Shia LaBeouf and Ryan Gosling were attached, presumably as two of the three wild protagonists: the Bondurant brothers who ran a small moonshine dynasty in depression-era Virginia.

More evidence this is happening soon comes via Collider's vast collection of AFM posts trying to entice buyers and lenders to fork over cash to fund various projects. The last batch they received reveals that Amy Adams is attached to the cast meaning she's probably replaced fellow red-head Scarlett Johansson who was once eyeing a role (there is one major red-head character in the script, but she feels more buxomy like a Christina Hendricks, alas). No major loss, Adams is a far superior actress than Johansson. Since we've seen none of these reports in the trades yet, we assume all these actors are "attached" (signed commitments to appear in the film), but none are officially, 100% on board. We could be wrong and we hope so.

The next change is major. According to the poster, the film is now called, "The Promised Land," and we're not sure what that's about, but whatever, in the end it also works. We're just happy to hear that the film appears to be on track (though it's Millennium Films who did the super low-budget Herzog-directed "Bad Lieutenant" which is slightly worrisome).

In this conservative film climate, we're just happy that a picture like this is being made at all. Sounds like a small budget and name-brand cast willing to take a paycut are exactly what the doctor ordered. Other actors once mentioned as circling this project include Paul Dano and Michael Shannon. No word if they're still apart of the project, the screenplay of which is penned by Nick Cave (who wrote Hillcoat's "The Proposition," but here's to hoping they are.

Will 'The Social Network' Help Facebook Go Public?

Please note - this story contains really boring finance speak. You have been warned.

Facebook, the social media machine that everyone kind of hates being on but feels obligated to will be getting its highest profile media boost next year when David Fincher's tale of the founding of the site, "The Social Network," hits theaters.

Last week, it was reported that the privately held company has created a dual class stock structure, shifting all current stockholders to Class B which will have ten times the voting power of holders of Class A stock. While a statement released by the company has stated that the move "should not be construed as a signal the company is planning to go public" and that the site "has no plans to go public at this time" the Financial Post in the opening paragraph of their annoyingly pay-walled story says that the tiered stock options can generally be seen as another step the company is taking to go eventually go public.

Pundits are figuring that going public shortly after the film's release might give a slight boost to the stock value, and may even spur interest in those (like us) who really don't have much interest (or knowledge) in the stock market into picking up a few shares. It's a potentially crafty move, but of course, it all depends on how much the kids these days who live on Facebook actually care about the how the site was founded. Would you buy stock in Facebook?

In other news, David Fincher is following up his Facebook film with a spiritual sequel about the founding of Twitter. The interesting thing is none of the spoken lines in the film are more than 140 characters.

Nah, we're just kidding about that one.

Is Graham Coxon Scoring Mark Romanek's 'Never Let Me Go'?

....it's an educated guess at best. In an interview with NME, the former Blur guitarist revealed he's currently at work on a soundtrack album for a forthcoming Brit "freak thriller" that's coming out "relatively soon". Of course, the cheeky bastard declined to name the film so we're going to start the speculative ball rolling.

Graham Coxon says the album will sound like "Pink Floyd with fangs" and goes on to say that:

"They [film producers] gave me some themes to play with, famous old nursery rhymes and folk songs that I wanted to muck about with. I came up with 13 or 14 tracks, so about 45 minutes of music – it's a weird, strange kind of album."

That actually sounds pretty cool. Ever since this news floated online last week we've been turning over what the film he could be working on might be and we think Mark Romanek's forthcoming "Never Let Me Go" is a fairly solid guess.

The film, which is already in the test screening phase, is a futuristic thriller that takes place at an elite English boarding school where a trio of students find out they are actually clones created for the sole purpose of organ donation. 'Freak thriller' right? The setting of the film, coupled with its science fiction background seems like its the right fit for fractured, moody nursery rhymes. Moreover, given director Mark Romanek's extensive music video background, we could see him being more comfortable working with individual songs, rather than a traditional score.

But until we know for sure, this is all just a guessing game. Anyone else have some thoughts (or insider info)?

Review: 'Brothers' Is A Harrowing Post-War Drama Anchored By Knockout Ensemble Performances

Ever since the United States' involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, Hollywood has released a steady trickle of documentaries and feature films that all take a strong moral position on the war, that has largely not made for very good cinema. The problem with the "Iraq war film" (which is pretty much a genre unto its own now) is that it more often than not trades politics for plot, resulting in stridently voiced material that doesn't necessarily make for compelling viewing.

On the face of it "Brothers", Jim Sheridan's adaptation of Susanne Bier's 2004 film, seems to be aiming for the same territory. The sexy trailers from the film features a young, hip cast, promises some salacious infidelity and gives us a man clearly broken from the war waving a gun around. But the ads for the film are misleading, looking for an easy hook to get asses in the seats, as Sheridan's film is actually a complex look into what defines a true man of character, and the expectations that are placed on the shoulders of the young men that are sent into war.

The film opens with Capt. Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire) picking up his gadabout brother, Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal) from a prison stint. Regarded as the black sheep of the family, Tommy's almost willing lack of direction seems practically callous as his brother Sam gets ready to leave his wife Grace (Natalie Portman) and their two children behind to do another lengthy tour of duty in Afghanistan. Of course, being raised in a military family led by Vietnam veteran Hank (Sam Shepard), doesn't make things any easier for Tommy who is blunty regarded as a failure in the eyes of his father.

Even after Sam leaves for Afghanistan, Tommy continues to stay out late, getting blind drunk and "borrowing" Sam's pickup in the dead of night. However, when Sam's helicopter crashes during an ambush in Afghanistan, he is declared dead and a slow change begins to happen in Tommy. It starts with small kindnesses in helping out Grace with the kids, and turns into a full fledged father figure/companion relationship. Tommy takes the kids to school and plays with them while Grace, shattered by the loss of her husband and high school sweetheart, begins to pull herself out of her bedroom and enjoy life again. With the help of Tommy, Grace gets a return to some semblance of family life and even begins to laugh and smile.

But one day a phone call arrives. Sam isn't dead.

Having survived the crash with a fellow member of his platoon, Sam was taken hostage by the Taliban where under torture, they tried to urge him and Private Joe Willis (Patrick Flueger) to speak out against the war in Afghanistan on video. Sam is forced to commit an unspeakable act to stay alive (that we're not gonna spoil here), and when he's eventually rescued he's shipped back home to recover.

Upon his arrival home, Sam doesn't integrate easily back into home life. With guilt weighing on his mind and the horror of what he's seen in the mountains of Afghanistan haunting him, Sam slowly begins to unravel. Small things begin to irritate him. Innocuous comments needle him to no end. He begins to suspect his wife no longer loves him and is cheating on him with his brother. In short, the ethical barometer that hew once thought was infallible was forever shattered in a makeshift cell in the no man's land of the Afghan mountains.

The mental wounds begin to eat away at Sam. But, he can't tell his wife what he endured while on duty because he fears she would never understand, while the stigma of Marine personnel requiring counseling (his tough-as-nails father comments that nowadays people stub their toes and need therapy) prevents him from truly opening up and receiving the help he needs. He wants to go back to Afghanistan as soon as possible as it's now the only place where the terrible knowledge he is now privy to makes any sense. Without the clearance to go back into activity, Sam returns home where rage, fear and misunderstanding continue to coil and percolate inside of him until he has no choice to unleash it in all its fury.

If it all sounds forcibly dramatic, it's not. Benioff's script is brilliantly methodical, and it's the surprisingly strong performances from the cast that give the film a truly resonant tone. Tobey Maguire has the flashiest performance, and no doubt its one that will be recognized come awards time as his lean frame, shaved head and Travis Bickle-channelling performance utterly smashes his image as the squeaky voiced Peter Parker. However, Jake Gyllenhaal arguably has the toughest role of the bunch having to believably shift from a good-for-nothing ex-con to a reliable family man. But not only does Gyllenhaal do it, but he knocks it out of the park. In the early stasges of the film, his charming asshole routine is largely lived through his dancing eyes and a perma-smirk etched onto his stubbled face. But when Sam is declared dead, the eyes and smirk are still there but become softer and his attitude, though still somewhat immature, is slowly shaded by the weight of responsibility. It's a great performace.

However, one performance that is probably (sadly) going to be ignored, and that bowled us over is the ten-year old Bailee Madison's turn as the eldest daughter, Isabelle. In the second half of the film, she is given scenes with the kind of depth that would test even the most seasoned of actresses and she absolutely kills it with jaw dropping confidence. The frightening metamorphosis she sees in her father is expressed with trembling eyes, body language and a dinner sequence that is central to the entire picture. It's remarkably assured and crafted work from such a young actress, and is one that we hope is going to be a career changer for her.

But for all the good "Brothers" has going for it, its own worst enemy is director Jim Sheridan himself. Most notably, Sheridan's tendency to side with schmaltzy sentiment throws the tone of the picture (and unfortunately, the ending) off-balance more than once. One particularly excrutiating scene has Tommy and Grace bonding over a U2 song while they're smoking a joint. And speaking of music, someone needs to teach Sheridan how to use his pop song cues far more effectively. The first half of the film has some terribly amateur hour music cues that are as bizarre for their song choices as for their scene placement. Thankfully, these get out of the way fairly early on, but whenever they came up, it took us right out of the picture.

But these complaints, while not insubstantial, are muted by the crack performances from Sheridan's incredible ensemble and the thematic richness of the material. "Brothers" is the first major "Iraq war film" that is not particularly concerned with whether the politics to go in were justified, nor does it care about with how a nation conducts itself in a foreign land. Instead it's a harrowing reminder that the trials endured by a soldier on a foreign soil aren't left behind when he comes home; that its repercussions will be felt for generations to come. [A-]

Weekend Box Office: Soccer Mom Bonanza As 'New Moon' Battles 'The Blind Side'

Last weekend, "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" grossed a little over $111 million more than "The Blind Side" over the three day weekend. During this holiday session, however, that gap was narrowed down to $2 million. Chalk this one up to the fickle nature of the "Twilight" fanbase, as well as the burgeoning return of the word-of-mouth hit that is "The Blind Side." "New Moon" dropped 70% (which we sorta predicted) to just barely take the lead over the three day weekend, nabbing $66 million for the five day. The fall was expected, but "New Moon" still clocks in at $231 million, Chris Weitz will continue to work, and shooting continues on "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse." Some in the internet reporting world have shown us the potential wellspring of insanity should the fourth book, "Breaking Dawn" hit cameras, so at this point, we're sorta rooting for it, though, from what we hear, "New Moon" has already taken in $200 million more than its budget domestically while standing at a worldwide figure of around $400. We don't need to celebrate this thing any more than it already has been.

"The Blind Side", John Lee Hancock's white person corrective to "Precious," saw an unprecedented spike. Over the three day weekend, the Sandra Bullock star vehicle about the noble white Christians who take in some strange, illiterate minority and get him involved in a stereotypical minority pastime actually surged from its lofty opening, increasing 17% over it's $30+ million opening, and bringing in $57 million over the five day to bring the total to $100 million. The film is only the second this entire year to score a Cinemascore rating of A+, meaning that women are connecting to the strong female lead (despite her face-freezing plastic surgery look), men are connecting to the football (because football fans must like anything football related- check the grosses on football-exclusive sports movies*) and because families are connecting to the main story strand of a strong Christian family. What this means for Hollywood is that you'll see more of an emphasis on family-centeric stories (giving work to most of Hollywood's middle-aged actresses, which might be good), and a continued marginalization of black youths who can't catch or throw a ball. Also, don't be surprised to see "The Blind Side" enter the awards race with the people's choice vote, though unless the film crosses $200 million, we're probably only talking acknowledgment for Sandra Bullock and possibly some Golden Globe nominations.

The new arrivals didn't compare to the two returning champs. "Old Dogs," which some figured would do smashing family business, just couldn't lure people in with it's two over-the-hill box office stars, anamatronic apes and crotch gags, pulling in a five day gross of $24 million, placing it underneath the three week old "2012," at $138 million with much more needed to maintain a profit-earning pace. Coming in at #5 with a second wind was "A Christmas Carol," which experienced a 30% post-holiday bump to get back into the game with a $23 million five day weekend, beating out "Ninja Assassin." James McTeigue has likely seen the wind knocked out of his sails in his quest to be an A-List action director by that film's #6 showing, pulling in a $21 million take in a five day weekend, likely enough to secure profit for the cheap cash-in.

"Precious," meanwhile, pulled in its first less-than-stellar weekend. The film still averaged $10k per screen, but the expansion over the holiday weekend was only to 34 extra locations (still less than 700) and the film only grabbed $9.4 million worth of ticket-buyers over the five day weekend. It's fallen below the pace it was keeping with last year's "Slumdog Millionaire," and while it's unquestionably a success for Lionsgate, they may have missed their chance to smash open the box office. Is a 1000 theater expansion in the cards? It looks a lot less likely now. News was a lot worse for Fox Searchlight's "The Fantastic Mr. Fox," which carried more sizable expectations. In its opening period in wide release, "Fox" generated only $9.5 million over the five day weekend in over 2000 theaters. Could be that the stop-motion look turned-off audiences, but we may have learned our lesson from this year — we may let Spike Jonze and Wes Anderson make kids' films, but loud and obnoxious in the vein of "Ice Age 3" and "Night At The Museum" will always win the day.**

In limited release, "The Road" was a very big winner, with its per-screen average of $13.7k besting anything in the top ten. It finished at #11 at only 111 locations, with a five day take of $2 million, which bodes well for a stronger expansion, but do the Weinsteins have the capital to sponsor a potential fringe hit like this? The weekend's biggest limited-release shower was, predictably, Disney's "Princess And The Frog," which opened on two screens for a spectacular $712k cume for the three days and $1.1 million for the five days. Even with the holiday, doing over $1 million on only two screens is pretty huge, though a wider release will have to wait until December 11th. The weekend also saw limited releases of "The Private Lives Of Pippa Lee" and "Me And Orson Welles," the former doing $96k on twelve screens for its three days of release, the latter scoring $86k for the five-day on only four screens.

In expansion news, a big surprise was the sudden emergence of "The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day," which threatened the top ten with a 169 theater expansion, ringing up a five day total of $1.3 million, the most successful yet in the film's five week run. Say what you will about the franchise, Apparition's release pattern is very slowly but surely connecting with its intended fans through grassroots marketing and a steady rollout. Meanwhile, "Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans" expanded into thirty more venues and ran its total up to $692k in two weeks — First Look would do well to mimic Apparition's "Boondock" expansion strategy for this film, which will surely connect with fans, particularly in urban areas, over the next few weeks as a viable underground alternative. Support your local indie theaters, people.

Three Day Weekend Numbers
1. Jacob V. Edward- $42.5 million ($231 mil.)
2. Sandra Bullock, The Most Reliable Name In Big Screen Race Relations- $40.1 million ($100 mil.)
3. Explodo- $18 million ($139 mil.)
4. Old Dogs- $16.8 million ($24 mil.)
5. A Christmas Carol- $16 million ($105 mil.)
6. Ninja Assassin- $13.1 million ($21 mil.)
7. Planet 51- $10.2 million ($25 mil.)
8. Precious: Based On 'Dune' Fan-Fiction By Sapphire- $7.1 million ($33 mil.)
9. The Fantastic Mr. Fox- $7 million ($10 mil.)
10. The Men Who Stare At Goats- $1.5 million ($31 mil.)

*What is it about football films that they seem like the primary film genre for addressing race issues? Worth discussing.
**What's wrong with you? See "The Fantastic Mr. Fox," you assholes.

Abel Ferrara Loses 'Game of Death'

Gonzo indie filmmaker Abel Ferrara has a reputation for pissing people off, not to mention getting pissed off. It originally made him a feared, intimidating, and powerful figure on the indie circuit, but with the recent penny-pinching going on in the independent film market, he's been left without much cachet, his films struggling to receive American distribution ("Mary") or vanishing altogether ("Go Go Tales"). We figured that his next film, an action picture with Wesley Snipes called "Game of Death," was just a cash-in, something to earn extra financing for his future projects, because the guy does not do action pictures.

However, it's a moot point now, as Ferrara has stepped off the project in the middle of production. The action-thriller, which was to co-star action regulars Zoe Bell ("Grindhouse"), Gary Daniels ("The Expendables") and Robert Davi ("Die Hard") was to be Ferrara's re-teaming with "King of New York" supporting actor Snipes, but the Snipes of that era was an exciting acting presence with charisma to spare, and the Snipes of today is a paycheck-seeking martial artist. Despite the association between the two, it's doubtful Snipes shed a tear over Ferrara's departure, though, much like Werner Herzog tricking-out Ferrara's "Bad Lieutenant," we would have been interested to see Ferrara's touch on something a little different than his usual fare. Giorgio Serafini, an Italian TV veteran, will be Ferrara's replacement.

We're not sure what this means for Ferrara's next projects. He's had a wacko "Jekyll And Hyde" update set up for awhile now, with Forest Whitaker and 50 Cent playing the warring personalities, and has also been setting up a "King of New York" prequel. But the combination of failed distribution, volatile personality clashes and, now, project departures probably doesn't look too enticing to producers. In this climate, it's tough for most, but we actually fear for the career extinction of fringe filmmakers like Ferrara.

New 'Expendables' Sizzle Reel Makes It Look Like The Big Dumb Boner Of An Action Movie It's Meant To Be

Update: The sizzle reel, which found its way to YouTube and was promptly taken down in October, seems to still be living on DailyMotion. According to the post date, it was also put up in October and we're guessing the folks at Millennium missed it. Enjoy it while you can as it will probably be taken down shortly. Not much in the way of news since our initial report, except that we might see Bruce Willis and the Governator in cameo roles.

The first (semi?) official look at "The Expendables" has hit the net and, as expected, it looks exactly how it's supposed to look. The action-heads have pissed and moaned about this film being strategically pushed back to August 2010, but we have what looks to be a slightly pumped-up version of the sizzle reel that played at Cannes. Sylvester Stallone writes, directs and headlines the pic, a rock-'em, sock-'em throwback to cheese-filled eighties action pictures involving a group of mercenaries infiltrating a South American stronghold to unseat a villainous dictator.

What we learn from this clip:
-Mercenaries always keep their cell phone on when fighting pirates.
-Jet Li's English has gotten worse?
-Mickey Rourke shops at the same pipe shop as Col. Landa.
-Eric Roberts likes to have a good time. All. The. Time.
-There's a popping throat in there, suggesting there's more than a little R-rated material in the finished product.
-Someone hurt Jason Statham's feelings by saying White Men Can't Jump.
-Terry Crews has a great wardrobe and, apparently, a sonic gun. We'd like to think he provided both props from his personal collection.
-This particular auteur has switched the squibs from "Rambo" with millions of dollars in explosive devices.

All told, it looks like there's a lot more humor than we expected, but otherwise, it looks like the 'roided-up son of "Delta Force," "American Ninja" and all sorts of campy Sunday afternoon action touchstones. Millennium Films has a reputation for working and shooting on the cheap, so someone in their department is likely responsible for making this look and feel like a straight-to-DVD offering, but when Lionsgate preps a full length trailer, it should look notably more polished.