Pixar & Discovery Channel Unite To Create 'Reign Of The Dinosaurs'; Billed As "Avatar Meets Jurassic Park"

Discovery seems to be scooping up all the talent for its upcoming shows. First, the channel landed Steven Spielberg for its next documentary series “Future Earth.” Now Discovery goes back in time with the help of Pixar to produce “Reign of the Dinosaurs” -- a look at the prehistoric age of dinos with the help of Pixar’s top-notch animation and celebrated approach to storytelling. News about a possible co-production came out early last year, when several Pixar animators took a field trip to archaeological sites at the Black Hills Institute in South Dakota.

The special for the cable network is currently billed as “Avatar" meets "Jurassic Park”, and we can only hope it will be a dino-only affair, without pesky human time travelers out for precious prehistoric hides -- after all, James Cameron isn’t involved, is he? Here's the official synopsis from the Discovery press release:

Avatar meets Jurassic Park as the latest paleontological research meets Hollywood story telling. Discovery Channel teams with the top creative talent from Disney and Pixar to create an unparalleled television event. New creatures abound in a wondrous new world - giant dinos with Freddy Krueger style clawed hands, pygmy T-rex, frogs so big they can eat dinosaurs. Learn the latest in understanding of dinosaur behaviors with exotic mating dances, the inner workings of the T-rex's nuclear family, dinosaurs drunk on fermenting fruit, dinosaurs in apocalyptic events, the underwater birthing of mosasaurs, and prehistory's angriest mammals. A daring and provocative new chapter in television, REIGN OF THE DINOSAURS is bound to be the benchmark for all future dinosaur natural history programming.

So wait, with the "Avatar" reference, will this be in 3D as well? Who knows, but if they can broadcast golf in 3D we suppose anything is possible now. -Mark Zhuravsky

Robert Rodriguez's 'Spy Kids 4' Becomes 'Armageddon,' Shoots In July; Academy-Award Winning 'Counerfeiters' Director Does Dracula

- Robert Rodriguez's 4th "Spy Kids" film has a title. It's called, "Spy Kids 4: Armageddon" and is expected to begin shooting mid-July at his Troublemaker Studios in Austin with a release date already in place for August 19, 2011. The "Spy Kids" aren't very celebrated by the geek audience that normally adores Rodriguez's films, but let's not forget, they basically introduced us to Carla Gugino and Daryl Sabara (who stole every scene in "World's Greatest Dad"). Still no date on "Machete" yet (which Sabara has a role in), but we assume they'll show footage at this summer's Comic-Con for the target audience.

-Yahoo Movies brings us the first look at brand new posters for "Shrek Forever After." Also, here's a new production still. You're welcome.

-An upcoming graphic novel based on the legend of Geronimo is soon to be fodder for a likely big budget blockbuster thanks to Dan Lin, who previously sired "Sherlock Holmes" to the big screen. The project is described as a cross between "The Last Of The Mohicans" and "300," which is like saying, "Wow, Michael Mann, your movies make great trailers."

-Stefan Rusowitzky ("The Counterfeiters") is the latest helmer aboard the Dracula spinoff "The Last Voyage Of The Demeter." The long-in-development film, which Marcus Nispel was previously attached to, tells the story of a freight ship carrying Dracula's coffin that runs into trouble when the sun comes down and the fanged one wants to have a freak party. "The Counterfeiters" was great and won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar at the 80th Academy Awards in 2008, so can someone tell us why Rusowitsky is polishing Nispel's leftovers?

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Geekbeat! 'Thor' Rumor-Busting, 'Iron Man 2' Snaps, The Return Of 'Swamp Thing'? 'Ong Bak 3' Trailer

-The LA Times is teasing an upcoming interview with director Kenneth Branagh regarding "Thor," that reveals recent reports of Anthony Hopkins' on-set grumpiness were false (damn!) and that Branagh got the job because Marvel head Kevin Feige is a big fan of "Much Ado About Nothing."

-Click here and here for new photos from "Iron Man 2;" part of a Paramount photo splurge revealing that, in still-form, the damn thing looks like a videogame, but, you know, can of worms, etc. Elsewhere at the LA Times (what a bunch of nerds, eh?), Jon Favreau discusses "multi-villain-itis" and how "Iron Man 2" will transcend that specific genre staple by... having Sam Rockwell? Fuck it, sure, sounds good.

- Peter Berg's "Battleship" will begin principal photography on August 16th in Baton Rouge (how Hollywood loves New Orleans' tax incentives). Taylor Kitsch will play the lead.

- One of Wildstorm Comics' countless generic creations is hitting the big screen. "Danger Girl," which producer Adrian Askarieh describes as "Kill Bill" meets "Raiders of the Lost Ark" meets "Mission: Impossible," is headed in front of the cameras for director Todd Lincoln. Askarieh is also developing adaptations of the comic "Hack/Slash," the videogame "Kane And Lynch" and "Leonardo Da Vinci And The Soldiers Of Forever," so clearly we've got a visionary on our hands, "Danger Girl" fans.

-Vincenzo Natali, the fringe horror director behind "Cube" and the upcoming "Splice," is apparently a big fan of "Swamp Thing." Joel Silver is attached to produce a 3D movie of the cult comic character, and Natali nerded out with MTV about Alan Moore's '80s reinvention of the mythos. No filmmaker is attached to the project, which previously saw big screen immortality in Wes Craven's "Swamp Thing," the beginning of a downward slope of multimedia adaptations for the ecologically-themed antihero.

-Wispy "Skins" actress Kaya Scoledario reveals in the latest issue of ASOS (our favorite magazine) that she auditioned for a role in "The Hobbit." This basically means she didn't get the role. Also, her legs.

-"Ong Bak 2 "and its production troubles may have driven Tony Jaa into the wild, but he has returned with a vengeance in "Ong Bak 3." The new trailer paints the film, a direct continuation from the second installment, as essentially being a Muay Thai version of "The Crow" but with more elephants. Jaa's public meltdown, which led to his being replaced in the director's chair, was the highlight of the second film's production, but he's once again directing solo, and Thai audiences get to see how many new ways Jaa has found to elbow someone on May 5th.

Colin Farrell Is 'Something Borrowed'

Along with the news of Stephen Graham's appearance in the fourth "Pirates of the Caribbean," Production Weekly also today brings news that Colin Farrell will join Ginnifer Goodwin, Kate Hudson, John Krasinski and Colin Egglesfield in the romantic comedy "Something Borrowed," based on the novel by Emily Giffin. which begins filming in The Hamptons in a few weeks.

The plot follows the impending nuptials of Darcy and Dex (Hudson and Egglesfield), which are disrupted when Rachel, Darcy's best friend, begins an affair with Dex. Krasinski plays Rachel's best friend, while Farrell is set to play Marcus, a friend of Dex who plays a key role in the plot, that we won't give away here. Most of the actors are also signed for a sequel, "Something Blue," also written by Giffin. That book largely focuses on Darcy as she begins the novel....well, we're not gonna spoil that here. Needless to say, you can expect most of the cast to return for the sequel.

While, generally speaking, we'd rather choke to death on confetti than sit through another insipid wedding-themed rom-com, this has the potential to be a little more interesting than most; the plot sounds a little more adult than, say, "Made of Honor," and Luke Greenfield, the director of terminally underrated Playlist favorite "The Girl Next Door" is at the helm. Plus, Farrell's been on a roll recently, and has surprisingly never done a rom-com before, so presumably something besides an easy paycheck has attracted him to the project?

Stephen Graham Joins 'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides'

For some reason, the tweets from industry magazine Production Weekly have become a must-read for anyone interested in movie news; we've lost count of the number of projects or bits of casting news we've been alerted to through this relatively low-key outlet, and this Friday evening is no exception.

First up, the tremendous British actor Stephen Graham has been cast in Disney's blockbuster sequel "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides." Graham broke through as Jason Statham's sidekick in Guy Ritchie's "Snatch," before unforgettably playing racist skinhead Combo in Shane Meadows' "This Is England;" a performance that, in a world where The Playlist decided such things, would have picked up every award going. He's since appeared in "Public Enemies" and "Season of the Witch," and plays Al Capone in Martin Scorsese's upcoming HBO show "Boardwalk Empire," but a role in the nautical blockbuster should bring him to his widest audience yet.

He'll apparently be playing the role of Scram, which, at a guess, will either be a sidekick to Ian McShane's villainous Blackbeard, or some kind of comic relief, of the kind played by Mackenzie Crook and Lee Arenberg in the original 'Pirates' trilogy. Say what you like about the series (and this writer maintains that, despite their countless flaws, there's more good ideas to be found even in the 'Pirates' sequel than in 90% of blockbusters), but with McShane, Graham, Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush and Penelope Cruz on board, the cast of the fourth installment is shaping up nicely, even if director Rob Marshall ("Chicago," "Nine") is likely, on previous form, to stage all the action sequences under a proscenium arch.

Update: Also joining Graham will reportedly be one of two newcomers in Max Irons (son of Jeremy) and Sam Claflin. The two are competing for a role reported as "Orlando Bloom's replacement" though we imagine that is only the idea of the young heartthrob rather than Bloom's actual role of Will Turner.

Interestingly, the two actors are also apparently competing for same role in Catherine Hardwicke's forthcoming "The Girl With The Red Riding Hood" which has Amanda Seyfried attached to star.

Michel Gondry's 'Green Hornet' To Possibly Undergo 3D Conversion?

We shouldn't pretend to be shocked. Michel Gondry's "The Green Hornet" is the film version of the old radio/TV/movie serial franchise, which stars Seth Rogen, Christoph Waltz, Tom Wilkinson and Cameron Diaz, and it will have many dazzling action sequences we imagine. With updates nearly every day about films converting to 3D, and the bank they make at the box office — even when they're unworthy — it was inevitable that Sony would be interested in taking the easy way out using 3D conversion.

Producer Neal Moritz spoke to Collider and (Producer of cinephile adored films "Urban Legend" and "Evan Almighty") said:

"We’re doing tests right now on 'Battle: Los Angeles' and we’re doing right now on 'Green Hornet' about turning those movies into 3D movies. We’re going to look at the tests, see how they look and then make a decision."

Gondry doesn't seem to be anti-3D either. Remember, he's already planning a 3D experimental art project with Björk. Lazy last minute 3D-ing doesn't even seem to be hurting the most mediocre films — see "Alice in Wonderland" and "Clash of The Titans" — so does that mean the likely higher quality 'Hornet' will likely get the 3D treatment? It certainly wouldn't surprise us, but you know that we're rooting against it (and shit, will do everything we can to see the regular 2D version). Not that this news should really derail any anticipating fans, a few months ago Gondry told EW that they were able to get away with "crazy stuff," which we're tentatively taking at face value. "The Green Hornet" isn't our most anticipated film of the year and the cast seems to be an oddball mash-up of disparate players, but we're still trying to hold out hope that the studio system doesn't quash Gondry's out-there creativity, even if they force some garish 3D on it (let's not forget you do ultimately have a choice when it comes to paying for what version you want to see). — Christopher Bell

4 Clips From Luc Besson's 'Les Aventures extraordinaires d'Adèle Blanc-Sec'

Luc Besson's latest directorial effort "Les Aventures extraordinaires d'Adèle Blanc-Sec" (The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Dry-White) debuts today at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Fest and Europa, Besson's film company, has uploaded four new clips from the film.

"Adèle Blanc-Sec" is based on one of the first stories in a ongoing series by French comic artist Jacques Tardi focused on a cynical novelist turned journalist who faces off crooks, politicians, demo worshippers and mad scientists when a 136 year-old pterodactyl hatches in Paris in 1912.

As hinted at in the trailer released last month, the clips showcase a film that isn't afraid to fully embrace the more fantastical elements of the story. In fact two of the clips have a distinct "The Mummy" vibe (though we imagine it will be much better than that tepid trilogy). The film appears to have a voice over narration, and we're still sort of gaga over the costume design in the film.

Unfortunately the clips are in French and unsubtitled, but they're still worth a peek.

"Les Aventures extraordinaires d'Adèle Blanc-Sec" hits French theaters next week and stars Louise Bourgoin, Gilles Lellouche and Mathieu Amalric. -Nathan Sizemore

Trailer & Clips For Twisty UK Thriller 'The Disappearance of Alice Creed'

There are plenty of big budget action films and star-studded comedies coming to us this summer and why not? Sometimes you want to kick back and enjoy a fun, goofy time at the theater. There are alternatives, though, and one of the most promising looks to be British import "The Disappearance of Alice Creed." The film looks to be a tense, fast-paced thriller. An international trailer and poster have recently found their ways into our laps, and the release date attached is June 11th.

The film centers around the kidnapping of the well off young woman Alice Creed (Gemma Arterton) by two ex-cons. Her kidnappers are played by Martin Compston, an up-and-comer you may recognize from "Red Road" and Eddie Marsan, who starred most recently in "Happy-Go-Lucky" and "Sherlock Holmes." The initial crime goes off without a hitch, but Compston's character Danny soon finds himself easily manipulated into a pact with his victim. How will the inevitable tensions rise? Twist after twist after twist.

"Alice Creed"s trailer has a great amount of promise. The direction looks wonderfully tight, and the actors seem beautifully cast. Everyone appears to be giving it their all. While we're at it, lets applaud the cinematography as well. A plethora of twists is assured, and from the footage it looks like the film might be able to pull them off. Good buzz started around the film during festivals in London and Toronto, and we don't doubt it was warranted.

Anchor Bay is responsible for distribution in the States. Director J. Blakeson has two short films under his belt, and a notable writing credit with "The Descent 2" but this will mark his debut feature as a writer-director. There is currently no rating attached to the film, but brief glimpses of sex and violence promise an R rating in what is looking like an ambitious vision from Blakeson. -Eric T. Voigt

Nirvana Fans Sigh With Relief, Robert Pattinson Will Not Play Play Kurt Cobain

Famed sparkling vampire portrayer and ruffled hair enthusiast Robert Pattinson will not be playing grunge god Kurt Cobain, debunking earlier reports by the always unreliable British tabloid The Sun. The Sun also reported Scarlett Johansson had been tapped to portray Courtney Love, so color us surprised no one called The Sun’s bluff even earlier.

Pattinson is next scheduled to appear as Edward Cullen in the next Twilight abomination, followed by a leading role in “Bel Ami”, in which he'll play George Duroy, a sexy social climber in turn-of-the-century, 1890s Paris, who seduces his way to wealth and fame from a poor beginning. Uma Thurman, Kristin Scott Thomas and Cristina Ricci co-star. He will also star as Jacob Jankowski in the high-profile adaptation “Water For Elephants,” based on the novel by Sara Gruen, starring Reese Witherspoon and the inimitable Christoph Waltz and directed by Francis Lawrence.

The last official word on the gestating Cobain biopic is that Oren Moverman is/was in talks to helm the picture. Moverman is the director of last year's “The Messenger”, which we thought was a “captivating, fierce and a must-see film that while perhaps not entirely flawless (what is, really) will take your breath away more than once in a few crucial and agonizing scenes.” While you're waiting for your heart shaped box, give that film a rental if you haven't seen it. -Mark Zhuravsky

For Some Reason 'Big Momma's House 3' Is Happening

Fans of terrible cross-dressing comedies rejoice! Fox have announced the third installment in the “Big Momma’s House” series. Martin Lawrence will once again be donning the wrinkly fat suit as an FBI agent who has to inexplicably pretend to be an old lady in order to crack cases (seriously, three movies based on that premise?), and in “Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son,” he will be joined by Brandon T. Jackson, as his offspring Charmaine. Also joining the cast are Faizon Love, Emily Rios, Portia Doubleday and Michelle Ang.

The plot this time around finds "Big Momma (Lawrence) and Charmaine (Jackson) go undercover at an all-girls performing-arts school to unmask a murderer. Love will play Kurtis Kool, a school security guard and former Run-D.M.C. roadie who becomes smitten with Big Momma. Rios, Doubleday and Ang will play students at the school who befriend Jackson's character." John Whitesell, who directed “Big Momma’s House 2” and was responsible for both “Deck the Halls” and “See Spot Run” (he’s nothing if not consistent), is back on board for this sequel, while Matthew Fogel is writing the screenplay.

It all sound desperately uninspired and predictable and yet another dreary indication of Hollywood’s lack of imagination, but both of the previous instalments made over $100 million worldwide, so there is an audience for this kind of thing. If the filmmakers behind “Big Momma’s House 3” give that audience exactly what it wants they could have another easy $100 million coming their way. - Phillip Concannon

Trailer For 'Sex And The City 2' Finds Carrie & Co. Surviving The Economic Downturn

Ahhh....the ladies are back. The new "Sex and the City 2" trailer has landed online and its full of crisis, puns and an overall obliviousness to the economic downfall that has taken place over the past few years in the U.S. But no worries folks, there are shiny dresses, beautiful sets and most importantly, a performance by the pants-less wonder Liza Minelli. For Carrie and Samantha, it seems that maturity and aging is still a bit of an issue, while motherhood has seemed to transform Miranda into a superstar and Charlotte into a neurotic mess -- quelle surprise. We are teased with celebrity cameos like Miley Cyrus and Penelope Cruz, but it seems the real story is all about Carrie's relationship with Mr. Big.

The trailer asks, "What happens after you say 'I do'?" and assuming you are in your 40s and rich, you head to Abu Dhabi (actual shooting location? Morocco) with your gal pals. Carrie will once again have to choose between Mr. Big and Aidan, her ex-fiancé, as she runs into him during her ladies trip and believes there has to be reason to run into an ex halfway across the world. Really? Anyone who has lived in New York City knows you will forever be running into people from your past you would prefer to never see again.

Overall, the films seem to do no justice to the characters many of us fell in love with over the six seasons the show had on HBO. While judgment should be reserved until May 27th, when the films hits theaters nationwide, we fear another fractured story focusing on possessions and status, rather then the repeatedly mentioned "soul mates" and friends. - Danielle Johnsen

'Cloudy With A Chance Of Pickles' On The Way?

Rumors are circulating that a sequel to box-office hit "Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs" is in the works. Phil Lord and Chris Miller, currently working on Jonah Hill's "21 Jump Street," are also expected to return to the helm. Based on the popular children's book "Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs" was a somewhat of a surprise box office hit, doubling its budget by bringing in $234 million worldwide haul and as well as spawning a fairly successful video game, spanning all three major gaming systems.

If you haven't seen it, the film follows inventor Flint Lockwood (voiced by Bill Hader) as he creates a machine that rains choice food from the sky. Things go haywire when demand goes crazy, and the machine ends up wreaking havoc throughout the land. It's up to Flint and his newfound friends to stop them. The sequel would most likely be based on the book's followup, "Pickles To Pittsburgh." Bear in mind, the project only recently went into development so it might be of a bit wait before it hits screens.

The original was not only insanely funny (hey, these are the people behind the cancelled-too-soon "Clone High") but it was also very intelligent social commentary, focusing on our world's obsession with food. Unfortunately, it was written off as either insanely goofy or just a children's movie while "WALL-E" got the royal treatment. Food raining from the sky isn't exactly subtle -- but it's a hell of a lot more understated than fat people in floating around in chairs watching TV all day. This writer even thinks it should've won the Oscar over "Up", which definitely was a fine film with depth, but give us a jab at factory farming and the country's ignorance of where its food comes from any day. So yeah, you can count us in for a potential sequel. - Christopher Bell

Steven Spielberg Plots A 'Future Earth' With Discovery

If the popularity of shows like 2006’s “Planet Earth” and last years “Life” were any indication, the Discovery Channel’s next nature documentary series has the makings to be a huge success.

This time around, though, the Discovery Channel will team up with Steven Spielberg, Dreamworks Television and Dreamworks Animation SKG for "Future Earth," an animated miniseries focusing on what Earth will look like in the future.

The show will give thorough examples of what specific locations of the planet will look like in 25 to 100 years in the future. There’s been a lot of anticipation for the new show, mostly because the previous Discovery Channel programs were developed so well and of such high quality. Scholars, futurists and most likely Doc Brown will be interviewed for their expertise and their predictions are to be included in the series.

Switching gears from his WWII miniseries “The Pacific” which premiered on HBO in March, Spielberg is excited about being involved with Future Earth. “I am excited to be back in business with DreamWorks Animation and all the active imaginations and creative artists at the best animation company in the world today,” said Spielberg. “Joining together with Discovery, we have an opportunity to bring exciting new experiences to take television audiences into the imagined future of planet Earth.”

Undoubtedly one of the most significant film personalities in the history of film, we’re interested in seeing Spielberg’s vision for a Discovery Channel staple program. Clark Bunting, president of both the Discovery and Science channels, and who is also probably already counting the dollars this series will rake in, also looks forward to continuing to work with Spielberg and his DreamWorks production companies in the future. -Sara Laurence

More Bruce McDonald: Potential 'Pontypool' Sequel, A Michael Ondantje Adaptation, & A Stephen McHattie Jazz Gig

During the 2010 SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas, the Playlist sat down with Canadian filmmaker Bruce McDonald for a looong conversation about myriad projects including his latest film, the Broken Social Scene concert film/narrative feature "This Movie Is Broken" which made its world premiere (read our review) at the fest.

McDonald obviously told us about several projects like his upcoming women-in-prison martial arts film, "Lucky Ho," the chatty rock girls reconciliation film, "Trigger" a New Orleans-set documentary called, "Music From The Big House," and his sequel to "Hard Core Logo."

But of course there's more for the filmmaker who is easily becoming the most prolific director in the Great White North. We couldn't help but ask McDonald about those rumors to a sequel to the strange zombie/horror film, "Pontypool" which was released in 2008 and gave an excellent star turn to the character actor Stephen McHattie (known recently for portraying Hollis Mason, the first Nite Owl, in "Watchmen," as well as an awesome appearance in "A History of Violence").

Whether "Pontypool 2" will ever happen probably depends on whether there is money people to front the bill — it would be bigger in scale than the original — but McDonald confirmed a script was written. In fact, it was supposed to come first.

"It's funny, the sequel or whatever terminology is, was written way before than the [original] movie that we did," he said. "Pontypool itself was really a spin-off of what we really had been working on for many years. But because that project would have been $5-6 million dollars — it takes forever to find the right combination of actor, producer, director, timing, click and then suddenly [the smaller scale version] happened. It's adapted from the book which is insane and full of riches. There's not really one story in the novel and it has many of these little things. So the writer of the book kinda has this trilogy going."

Trilogy you say? But the irony of sequels to films that cost under $2 million dollar (or in some cases much less) is not lost on the filmmaker. "I feel a little insane talking about sequels to these small independent movies like 'Hardcore Logo,' but part of me, is like, why not, let's do it. It's pretty rich source material. So essentially the Pontypool thing is almost the same event, but sort of in it, rather than listening to it. Different characters, different cast. You could make a TV Series out of it. We'll go to HBO!"

Since McDonald always seems to have several projects simmering on the burner we asked what else might be cooking and he said he's writing a Chet Baker-like jazz music film for McHattie, who clearly he adores. "McHattie's the best. He's a little intimidating at first, but he's an incredible actor and a big teddy bear at the end of the day," he said fondly. The filmmaker is working on a potential adaptation of Michael Ondantje's, "The Collective Works of Billy The Kid," which might be rather difficult as that work is a piece of experimental poetry, but McDonald is never one to steer away from challenges.

When will these projects happen? McDonald laughs, "The money guys will probably go, 'Let's calm down here and focus our attack.' " But at the rate he's working (four films essentially shot in 12 months give or take), hopefully we shouldn't be waiting too long.

In Theaters: 'Date Night,' 'After.Life,' 'When You're Strange'

With a weekend like this one, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was deepest darkest January and the studios were dumping their surefire misses on an indifferent public. The key difference is that studios actually release movies in January. As we make our way into Summer blockbuster territory, only one film is getting a wide release this week, the Steve Carrell/Tina Fey comedy "Date Night." With little competition outside of last week's CGI borefest "Clash of the Titans," the film should have a good shot at the top spot at the box office. Maybe we'll finally spend some time outdoors this weekend.

In Wide Release: "Night at the Museum" director Shawn Levy teams up with two of the biggest (and best) TV comedy stars for the comedic adventure film "Date Night." For their first-ever collaboration, the twosome play a married couple who get mistaken for spies while out in Manhattan on an all-too-rare date. We caught the film earlier this week, finding a very weak script held together by strong comedic performances from the leads. The movie is also chock full of smaller roles from a grab bag guestlist including Mark Walhberg, James Franco, Mila Kunis, Mark Ruffalo, Kristen Wiig and more. Critics mostly agree with our assessment, Rotten Tomatoes tracking the film at 70%, with a 58 score from Metacritic.

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Trailer: 'The Other Guys' Looks Like More Predictable, But Stupid Fun From McKay/Ferrell

"In the toughest city in the world... nobody fights crime like these guys," goes the opening tagline to Adam McKay's new directorial effort, "The Other Guys." McKay of course being one half of the genius team with Will Ferrell that has brought us idiotic delights such as "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," "Step Brothers," "Talladega Nights," plus amazing Funny or Die clips like "The Landlord" and the especially good, "Green Team."

This time the story he and Ferrell have concocted teams the goofy lead actor with straight man
Mark Wahlberg, and the film also stars Samuel L. Jackson, Dwayne Johnson, Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan, Anne Heche, Damon Wayons Jr., Ray Stevenson and many more faces you'll know.

The simple synopsis is this: Two mismatched New York City detectives (Wahlberg, Ferrell) seize an opportunity to step up like the city's top cops whom they idolize (Jackson, Johnson) -- only things don't quite go as planned.

It's not rocket science, but that's not the point. The whole thing looks like a typical McKay/Ferrell riff on action buddy comedies -- with two guys that hate each other -- and not particularly breaking their mold, but you know what? Their shit works and is generally funny no matter what. And yes, we laughed thoughout, Ferell is just damn good at idiotic comedy. The trailer features, Chamillionaire's still awesome, "Ridin' Dirty" and Jane's Addiction's "Been Caught Stealing." The picture hits theaters August 6, 2o10 via Columbia Pictures.

Cuba Gooding Jr. Demands 'Sacrifice' From Christian Slater, Devin Bostick & Kim Coates

The Cuba Gooding Jr. vehicle "Sacrifice" is now feeling a little less lonely with Christian Slater, Devon Bostick ("Survival of the Dead") and Kim Coates ("Black Hawk Down"). The film, which will shoot on the mean streets of Ottawa, Canada, "follows a tough undercover cop (Gooding Jr.) who inadvertently gets involved in a dangerous heroin ring when a young defector of the drug trade leaves his five year-old sister in the cop's care." Slater's appearance is a cameo as a "priest with a military history in Afghanistan" so you can bet he will probably freak out/evoke Jack Nicholson in the film.

Director Damien Lee's past work includes "Abraxus", which is a cult b-movie starring former governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura; "Ski School" which was an early 90s teen movie about a ski school that pretended it was still in the 80s; "Agent Red", a Dolph Lundgren show-stopper about two soldiers being stuck on a submarine with terrorists and chemical weapons (WUH OH!!); and finally, of course, a WW2 drama love story titled "The Poet" where a rabbi's daughter falls in love with a German soldier. So whatever little expectations you might've had can be tossed in the bin.

So judging by the lack of information on the internet, the small amount of boring plot we have, and the director's resume, it's safe to say that no one cares. -Christopher Bell

Vera Farmiga To Make Directorial Debut With 'Higher Ground'

Fresh off her Oscar nominated turn in "Up In the Air" Vera Farmiga's schedule has quickly filled up and its about to get busier, as she is set make her directorial debut (and star) in the indie film "Higher Ground". The film is based on Carolyn Brigg's memoir "This Dark World" and its set to go in front of cameras in upstate New York in June.

Here's the book synopsis from Amazon:

A riveting memoir of one woman's immersion into Fundamentalist faith and her decision, twenty years later, to leave it all behind.

Carolyn Briggs grew up with modest means in the Iowa heartland. Pregnant at seventeen, married a few months later, by the age of eighteen she found herself living in a trailer with no plans beyond having more babies-until she found Jesus. It began innocently enough-a few minutes lingering on the televangelist stations, a cursory look at the Bible-and soon she had wholly given herself over to a radical, apocalyptic New Testament church. Her daily life was permeated with a sense of the divine-she spent hours a day in prayer and Bible study, wore modest clothing, even braced herself for the Rapture every time she heard trumpet music over the supermarket loudspeaker. It was only when her marriage began to unravel that Carolyn dared to question the religious dogma she had embraced for all of her adult life to date.

Beautifully written and powerfully told, this memoir is a fascinating look at the nature of faith and the inspiring story of one woman's struggle to find her place in the world.

This sounds like the perfect project for Farmiga that looks to be in the same low-key, but gritty and intense territory as her breakthrough film "Down to the Bone," which we highly recommend.

Farmiga is currently shooting Duncan Jones' sci-fi film "Source Code," and is also set to star in Madonna's sophomore directorial effort "W.E." which is also slated to shoot this summer. - Scott Ludden

Jay Baruchel Assures Us 'Jay & Seth Vs. The Apocalypse' Is Still Coming

Seems like the actual apocalypse might take place before Jay and Seth can ever get to it.

Jay Baruchel recently spoke to MTV at WonderCon regarding the long in stasis "Jay & Seth Vs. The Apocalypse" co-starring Seth Rogen and to be eventually penned by Rogen and writing partner Evan Goldberg.

"It's a good problem to have, when [co-star Rogen] and I are too busy to find the time," Baruchel said. "It's high on the triage list. It's something that'll get done very soon."

"They're in the process of writing it right now. My prediction would be sometime in the next year and a half it'll at least get going... He and I are too busy. And Evan, [Rogen's] writing partner, he and I wrote something called 'The Goon,' a hockey movie which we're trying to get going at some point this year. So there's just a lot happening."

Despite being first announced nearly two years ago, Baruchel has continually just reiterated old sentiments regarding the film's prospects with the latest quotes almost verbatim to the one gave in June of '09. We're wouldn't be surprised if it still hasn't progressed past a collection of ideas on a pizza box at this stage.

Baruchel has kind of blown up since then as well with his slate filled with the likes of "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," "She's Out Of My League" and "How To Train Your Dragon." On top of that, the actor is also harboring his own writing and directorial ambitions with the hockey film "The Goon" and slasher pic "Pigs" and sounds much more enthused about those than he ever was about "Jay & Seth."

We just don't see this happening at all and, frankly, we're more than happy to leave it as a mildly amusing Youtube clip. - B.T. Webster

Has Quentin Cracked The 'Vega Brothers' Story? Michael Madsen Reveals New (Nutty) Scenario (That Will Still — Hopefully — Never Happen)

Is there nothing more amusing/sad than an actor clinging to a part that set sail a long time ago? We'll get to that in a second.

You might remember a few months ago around the time of Quentin Tarantino's second "Kill Bill 3" announcement (he had spoken about the desire to do a third and fourth film around the release of "Kill Bill 2"), we did a little feature on the Abandoned Tarantino Babies: all the Quentin films he talked about, but never came to pass.

On the top of that list of projects that will never happen was “Double V Vega” otherwise known as the “Vega Brothers.” As we wrote:

...the long-in-gestation prequel to both “Reservoir Dogs” and “Pulp Fiction,” would have followed the exploits of characters within the Tarantino-universe: Vic Vega (Michael Madsen's character from 'Resevoir') and Vincent Vega (John Travolta's character from 'Pulp, yes they were brothers) during the latter’s time in Amsterdam.

Tarantino held a torch for this project for years—even during press for “Kill Bill,” he claimed it was still very much a possibility. In a 2007 interview with "Opie & Anthony," he said he briefly considered making it a sequel (which is strange because both characters died in their respective films), “I actually came up with a way I could have done it, even being older and dead where they all had older brothers and both of their brothers got together because the two guys died. And they wanted revenge or something like that. But now, [the actors] are too old for that.” He concluded by finally admitting “it’s kind of unlikely now.”

So then why is Michael Madsen still talking about this project? It is because he still pines for the idea? We're guessing he wouldn't mind returning to a film with some degree of stature continuing than the rut of generic/low-budget/straight-to-video fare he's been stuck doing of late.

Madsen was recently was asked about the project on the WAAF Boston Hill-Man Morning Show (via Cinematical) and revealed that Quentin seems to have found a way (albeit an ludicrous one) to do a sequel. But wait, how? Both characters are dead. Well, where there's a will there's apparently a way. Madsen says,

"Quentin decided that John [Travolta] and I got too old to make a prequel," he explained, but then added when asked if the project was done said, "No, actually Quentin went down to Tijuana recently, and on his return he said that he came up with an idea that the movie didn't have to be a prequel, that John and I could play each other's twin brothers."

"I'd be Vic Vega's twin brother," Madsen explained. "[Travolta would] be Vincent's twin brother and we're both on a flight from Los Angeles, having just been released from prison, and neither one of us know that we're the twin brother of the other one and we're both on our way back to LA to avenge the death of our brothers."

Umm, Quentin? Stop smoking pot and pounding tequila in Mexico, seriously (and Madsen makes a joke about this too). We wish we were making this up, but here's the clip. Odds on this ever happening? You decide, but we'll go with "never".

Troma's 'The Toxic Avenger' Getting A PG-13 Reboot

A little late on this one, but it turns out that "The Toxic Avenger" has caught the reboot disease. Plans are to take the old, campy, sex-filled original and make it a family friendly pro-environment PG-13 movie. Well, who better to front the green movement than a deformed mop-wielding super hero from New Jersey? Your guess is as good as ours.

It's not so weird to think of a family friendly Toxic Avenger — there was a failed cartoon series on Fox in 1991, and if you think back really hard, you might even remember seeing the Toxie action figure in the sea of Ninja Turtle and X-Men toys. Toning it down and making it a positive thing isn't really unheard of, and the movie will probably follow suit like the cartoon did and take cues from "Captain Planet."

For those unfamiliar with the source material, "The Toxic Avenger" was a low budget, 1984 horror-comedy made by purveyors of the earnestly ridiculous, Troma. In the film, a "stereotypical 98 lb nerd weakling" (though played as almost mentally disabled by Mitch Cohen) falls into a drum of toxic waste, which transforms his body and gives him near super human strength. After dealing with his transformation, the hero takes care of the various gangs and crime bosses in his town of Tromaville. Though this writer has only seen the first movie in the trilogy of films, I can attest that its hilarious and enjoyable piece of work, and it might be interesting to see what they could come up with for a family friendly movie. With legions of super hero movies still being made, it wouldn't be such a bad thing to see Toxie take the box office for a weekend or two. And with Akiva Goldsman ("I Am Legend," "Mr. & Mrs. Smith") on board as one of the producers, it might just happen. — Christopher Bell

Trailer: 'Just Wright' Is A Tyler Perry Wannabe

Last weekend the seemingly unstoppable Tyler Perry scored yet another box office win with “Why Did I Get Married Too?”

The modestly budgeted 20 million dollar picture raked in a whopping 29 million Easter weekend coming in second place despite being critically detested. The prolific, fat-suit prone Perry has proven to be a huge cash cow for distributer Lionsgate, occasionally churning out multiple films a year with starless, African-American casts, shot on the cheap. Naturally other studios are now throwing their hats in the ring by making more films aimed at the “urban market”. This weekend, once promising filmmaker Neil Labute’s urban remake of the 2007 British comedy “Death at a Funeral” will undoubtedly score at the box office. Hollywood Elsewhere’s Jeffrey Wells reports that the film was tracking almost neck and neck with the hugely hyped comic book adaptation “Kick-Ass.” Due to the success of films aimed at black audiences, Fox Searchlight is getting in on the action by putting out “Just Wright,” starring rappers-turned-actors Queen Latifah and Common.

The trailer does the audience the favor of unraveling the entire plot so that they can choose to avoid sitting through the pandering, cliche riddled rom-com. Like Perry’s films, “Wright” seems to have the same mixture of relationship melodrama and bland humor but is luckily fat-suit free. Latifah, a romantically troubled tom-boy somehow lands Common, a rich and handsome basketball player by the film’s end (the trailer leaves no doubt of this) proving to be the ultimate fantasy this side of "Twilight." Latifah’s tame, Will Smith-esque crossover appeal has allowed her to ride these roles to decent box office success, and we're sure that will be the case this time around. The trailer also features Ke$ha’s “Blah Blah Blah,” which just so happens to be one of the most vile songs ever recorded.

“Just Wright” was written by Michael Elliot and directed by Sanna Hamri. It co-stars Paula Patton and Pam Grier and opens May 14th. -- Robert Barnett

Ashley Greene Joins Jim Field Smith's Offbeat Butter Sculpting Comedy, 'Butter'

Ashley Greene has joined the ever-growing cast of Jim Field Smith's political satire, "Butter," which begins shooting next week in Louisiana.

The "Twilight" star will play a "rebellious high school teenager named Kaitlen Pickler" in the 2008 Black List favorite penned by Jason Micallef which follows a number of competitive characters in a small Midwestern town as they become entwined in an annual butter-carving contest.

Jennifer Garner is producing and starring in the Weinstein Company pic that'll see her play the protagonist wife of a former butter sculpting champion who tries to take her mantle from her husband only to be thwarted by a young African American girl, played by Yara Shahidi. Ty Burrell plays Garner's husband who is engaging in extra-marital affairs with Kate Hudson's character though it's not known what role will be played by the recently-announced Rob Corddry.

The project is definitely one to keep an eye out for and should make for an interesting offbeat comedy as long as it can steer clear of sentimentality, particularly that surrounding it's alleged analogy for the 2008 Democratic primaries.

Tony & Ridley Scott To Run MGM?

Well, here's some your daily dose of odd news. Tony and Ridley Scott are apparently interested in making the move from producers/directors to studio honchos, as they are eyeing to the top spots at the "new" MGM.

The financially embattled studio is currently on the auction block and according to the Financial Times, the Scott brothers "have expressed interest in running MGM". But that's about all anybody seems to know. The paper goes on to say, "The Scott brothers have their own production company, Scott Free, but it is unclear whether their proposal would involve combining it with MGM, or if they are seeking a stake in the recapitalized studio. They could not be reached for comment." The presumption is that once the studio figures a way out of its financial woes, the Scott brothers want to be on board whatever team is going to be driving the revamped MGM.

What do we think? Bad idea. Running your own production company (the duo run Scott Free Productions) is one thing, but running your own studio is another, adding layers of politics, financial obligations and paperwork that we would imagine would drive any creative team absolutely nuts. However, if they are merely eyeing a percentage-stake sort of scenario, that wouldn't be too far out of the question. With MGM owning both "The Hobbit" and "James Bond" franchises, as an investment opportunity it makes sense -- sort of -- but would largely depend on whoever else is involved in taking the reigns of the studio next not running it into the ground. Again.

Sam Mendes Dumps 'Preacher' In Favor Of Bond

All week, Collider have been running an in-depth interview with taste-free producer Neal H. Moritz, full of new information about his upcoming slate, which includes "Green Hornet," "Jack the Giant Killer," and, most eagerly awaited of all, a direct-to-video sequel to "S.W.A.T." directed by someone called Benny Boom. Perhaps the biggest piece of news, however, came today.

Moritz tells the site that Sam Mendes, who had been developing Garth Ennis' comic book series "Preacher" with screenwriter John August ("Big Fish"), has now left the project in favour of the James Bond film it was announced he would be directing at the start of this year. With Bond, like "The Hobbit," in limbo due to the uncertain state of parent company MGM, it seems like an odd decision to have made, but Mendes never seemed wholly committed to the comic book adaptation, and with a start date unlikely until next year, it seems like he wasn't willing to hang around.

According to Moritz, the script certainly wasn't the issue, fortunately, telling Collider that "John August wrote a script that I think is terrific. The hardest thing... was how to distill it down. And what he made the smart decision instead of trying to cram everything into one, there's plenty of room for 2 or 3 movies. So that's what he's done and he's done a really faithful adaptation, but made it probably more accessible to a broader audience right now. That movie's definitely R-rated and it's an amazing central character." We smell a franchise...

There's even the possibility that August might direct himself, although Moritz's response -- "I said we'll talk about it" -- suggests that the scribe shouldn't hold out much hope, as they're going out to several "lofty" directors first. Mendes always seemed like an odd choice for the project, particularly with Moritz, a producer who has maybe the shittiest track record in Hollywood, quality-wise, shepherding it (seriously, he's the worst; look at his IMDB page, we dare you to find one credit that's even worth a rental). It's probably for the best that he's gotten out of this one.

RIP Malcolm McLaren (1946-2010)

Sad news yesterday, with the announcement of the death of impresario, manager, film producer and punk godfather Malcolm McLaren. Born in 1946, in London, McLaren started out as a fashion designer at art school, opening a clothing shop with his then girlfriend Vivienne Westwood in 1971. Through this, he designed stage outfits for the New York Dolls, and from there became the manager of a band called The Strand, rearranging the line up and bringing in frontman John Lydon to form the band that would become known as The Sex Pistols.

McLaren appeared in Julien Temple's film "The Great Rock n Roll Swindle," which portrayed him as "The Embezzler," the group's svengali, using them to create chaos in the music industry, although Temple's 2000 follow-up "The Filth and the Fury" retells the band's story from their perspective, in a more straight-laced documentary style.

He went on to manage Adam & The Ants, and formed the punk band Bow Wow Wow with three former members of that group, as well as releasing a series of solo, hip-hop influenced albums, most notably Duck Rock and Waltz Darling. His music received a new lease of life in the last decade, with "Buffalo Gals" being sampled by Eminem for "Without Me" in 2002, and "World's Famous" being re-used by Amerie on the song "Some Like It" in 2007, while the song "About Her" was used by Quentin Tarantino on the soundtrack for "Kill Bill Volume Two."



He also moved into film production in the last years of his life, serving as a producer on Richard Linklater's "Fast Food Nation." He'd been diagnosed with cancer in October, and died in a clinic in Switzerland yesterday. McLaren was a complex figure, one that we'd be wrong to sentimentalize, but he was a true original, and his anarchic spirit will be sorely missed. John Lydon, who had a tempestuous relationship with McLaren, perhaps put it best yesterday; "For me Malc was always entertaining, and I hope you remember that. Above all else he was an entertainer and I will miss him, and so should you."

You can watch the first ten minutes of "The Great Rock N Roll Swindle" below.