'Cemetery Junction,' Written & Directed By Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant Goes Straight-To-DVD In The U.S.

Well, this certainly is a shame.

"Cemetery Junction," the first directorial feature film effort by the usually fantastic duo of Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais, has been denied a US theater release and will go straight to DVD come August 17th thanks (or no thanks) to Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. It's hard to believe that the force behind hugely popular television shows "The Office" and "Extras" wouldn't find even a limited release, especially when extremely small films such as "Cropsey" and "Delicious Peace Grows in a Ugandan Coffee Bean" (never heard of them? Both are at IFC) find life at small independent and art house theaters.

However, maybe it's not so hard to believe. The film is markedly different from the dry, awkward humor that populated both "The Office" and "Extras," deciding to focus on teenagers growing up in a small and suffocating town. Reviews have been mixed, with the average rating at Rotten Tomatoes being a 5.7. We gave it a lukewarm review in April, noting that "the framing's mostly a little vanilla," the "editing botches a few of the jokes," and when it comes down to it in the end, "there isn't a whole lot of substance." While not without any merits -- many reviews, including ours, compliment the acting talent -- the film isn't exactly begging for theatrical exposure.

There's also the fact that Ricky Gervais hasn't really had great numbers in the American films he's starred in, with "The Invention of Lying" barely making back its budget (it managed to when the film went worldwide) and "Ghost Town" making a little more than half of its budget domestically. While these were straight up comedies, playing to Gervais's comedic acting strengths, we can't blame Sony Pictures for not wanting to get behind a more serious effort involving Gervais. Plus, "The Office" and "Extras" have done splendidly on DVD in the US, so it's a safe bet for the distributor to aim for that audience, even if the film is radically different from the two shows.

However, when all is said and done, it's still pretty disappointing. Hopefully Merchant and Gervais fare better with their next project. Again, "Cemetery Junction" hits the US on August 17th with a DVD and Blu-ray release that will feature an interview with the two, plus some featurettes (most of which are Blu-ray only).

Gruff Rhys Documentary 'Separado!' Gets A Trailer

Between all of his musical projects, Gruff Rhys — most notably the frontman and creative force behind Welsh psychedelic rockers Super Furry Animals — up until this point, hasn't delved into the world of film beyond a few soundtrack credits.

Though we missed note of this one when the film made its world premiere in Wales last fall, Rhys does have a new musical documentary entitled "Separado!" which he wrote, scored, and co-directed with Dylan Goch and will make its American premiere this month at the Los Angeles Film Festival on the 24th and 26th. Rhys' score/soundtrack to the film will be released as his next solo album.

The documentary centers on Rhys' quest to meet up with his lost long Patagonian uncle René Griffiths, a musician who is known in the area for combining Welsh and Argentine tradition and arriving on stage on horseback (check some samples out here). In the film's press release, 'Separado!' is described as Rhys' quest through the "theaters, nightclubs and desert tea houses of Wales, Brazil and the Argentine Andes as he discovers what became of his family, the Welsh Diaspora and its musical legacy." Even for those unfamiliar with his music, the doc sounds pretty cool purely as a cross-cultural examination. Judging from the trailer (which you can watch below) that describes the film as a "psychedelic western musical," the film seems to have a pretty wacky aesthetic (no surprise considering Rhys' music) that seems to be a sort of meeting point between The Flaming Lips' "Christmas on Mars" and Chilean surrealist Alejandro Jodorowsky.

Rhys also commented on the film back in November around its premiere. "At worst, it's a Borat-style search for someone. At best, it's a musical road trip couched in a magical realist style. But it's also a product of wanting to find out more about René," he told the Guardian in an interview outlining some of the background on the film. Whatever the film is or isn't, you can color us intrigued. There's no word yet of an American release beyond its appearance at the LAFF later this month, but Rhys did mention to Prefix that he hopes to put 'Separado!' out on DVD sometime this year.

Interview: Colin Farrell and Neil Jordan Talk 'Ondine'

Director Neil Jordan has always had one foot in the real world and one in the realm of things imagined. Films such as "The Crying Game," "The Brave One," and "Michael Collins" have kept him grounded, while the more fantastical elements of "The Company of Wolves," "Interview with the Vampire," and "In Dreams" have kept audiences guessing. We had a chance to conduct an interview with the filmmaker and his lead actor Colin Farrell to discuss his latest project, the myth-infused romance "Ondine." We've found the film alternately enchanting and a little flawed, but it's hard not to be taken in by its sweet, simple story and gorgeous (though raw-looking) cinematography from Wong Kar Wai favorite Christopher Doyle.

The film casts Jordan's fellow Irishman Farrell as Syracuse, a fisherman who rescues a young woman named Ondine (Alicja Bachleda) when he pulls her from the sea in his nets. Fantasy arrives in the story via Syracuse's young daughter, Annie (wonderful newcomer Alison Barry), who believes Ondine is a Selkie — a mythological creature who changes from seal to human and back again — ensnaring the hearts of those she encounters. Jordan's own career plays well into the film, keeping the audience guessing as to which side of his tastes this film will hew.

"I like stories that don't fully understand themselves," Jordan says of his fairy-tale-laden filmography. "I've never made an entirely realistic movie ever in my life. I suppose that I was told too many myths and legends and fairy tales when I was a kid. My father was a national school teacher and he used to terrify the life out of me. Everybody in Ireland comes from some weird rural background, but he told me a lot of ghost stories that I've probably never recovered from."

Farrell's approach to the story and the character of Syracuse was completely different, choosing to remain ignorant of the screenplay's roots in legends and mythology. "It was very clear from day one that all I needed was in the script, from page one and I didn't really have to go outside the script. I just thought about a lot from the first time I read it to the time that I agreed to do it. You become consumed by imagining what it'll be like to walk in this man's shoes and to immerse yourself in this world."

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Ryan Reynolds & Sandra Bullock May Star In Action Comedy, 'Most Wanted' Made By The 'The Proposal' Team

Is the Ryan Reynolds/Sandra Bullock duo a good one?

While the "The Proposal 2" wasn't green lit and was in fact, canceled earlier this year by Disney, the romantic comedy went on to make $317 million at the box-office.

When was the last time a romcom made that kind of money? Hell, it's been a minute and while that decision seems to demonstrate that Disney has their heads fully up their asses (the film only cost $40 million to make), other studios are wisely realizing the chemistry and potential displayed in that film is worth revisiting again.

And that studio is Universal, who are tapping the couple to star in "Most Wanted," an action comedy directed by none other than "The Proposal" director Anne Fletcher, its writer Pete Chiarelli and its producer David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman.

Sounds like that entire creative team is saying, "You don't want more Disney? Screw you, we'll take our couple and ideas elsewhere."

According to THR, the film sounds a little like something like a cross between the recent, "Killers" (the Ashton Kutcher/Katherine Heigl action comedy no one went to see) and "The Bounty Hunter" (the comedy with Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler that not many went to see).

Apparently the story starts off with Bullock as a criminal suspect and Reynolds as an FBI agent who is supposed to be escorting her to court when the two are ambushed and forced to go on the run. It apparently has a "Midnight Run"-esque tone which is funny considering Universal is also developing the "Midnight Run" sequel that may or may not star Chales Grodin again (Robert DeNiro seems like he's already on board as is director Martin Brest).

Despite the aforementioned action comedy flops, or at least pictures that didn't exactly make mega-bucks, Sandra Bullock is hot. She won the MTV Generation Award last night at the MTV Movie Awards and while that may not seem to mean much, there's a reason that award was given to her. The older-crowd zeitgest gelled for her last year and she was probably the most profitable woman in movies last year.

"The Blind Side," which gave the actress her first Oscar Best Actress statuette, made her another $300 million worldwide, leaving her 2009 tally to be in the ballpark of $600 million (Not counting "All About Steve," which was severely trashed and earned her a Razzie, but collected another $38 million).

The grand irony here? The pitch of this picture went to Disney first, but they underwent a regime change last year and passed. Why does it feel more than obvious that they're going to regret this decision come 2011 when this picture is finally released?

Sam Mendes Goes For The Emotional Jugular In Ad For Apple's New iPhone 4

In case you weren't online in the past few hours, didn't talk to anyone or had a busted Internet connection, Apple unveiled iPhone 4 today to the drooling and fawning of the faithful.

As we previously reported, Sam Mendes was tapped to direct the iPhone 4 ad and he delivers a spot that dispenses with hipster dancing iPod ads or geeks battling over whether they are PC or Apple and goes straight for the feelings. Highlighting the new voicechat feature FaceTime, Mendes milks every major life moment for maximum effect: a baby crawling! Graduation! A sonogram! Getting ready for date! Old people! Ok, ok, so we're cynics, but we have to admit it's a finely crafted spot (and that sign language bit is pretty clever) that is still leagues above whatever Luke Wilson is doing shilling plans for Sprint.

With the Apple gig now out of the way, Mendes can focus on the film adaptation of Ian McEwan's "On Chesil Beach" with Carey Mulligan in talks to star, as well as a stage musical of "Charlie & The Chocolate Factory."

Justin Long & Mike White Say "Make Homosexuals Marry"

The campaign to overturn California's Proposition 8 legislation has found new life in the "Make Homosexuals Marry" campaign. The cheeky argument demands that gays should be allowed to married so they can suffer all the same pitfalls that plague straight couples.

In a very funny new short "Devin And Glenn" directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck ("Blades Of Glory"), Justin Long and Mike White play a newly married gay couple who, over time, get stuck in a marital funk. The three and half minute short finds a great, subtle tone and there are plenty of big laughs. Nicely done all around.

Watch the short below and yeah, overturn Prop 8!

Watch: 'Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows' Trailer Unveiled

“The Twilight Saga: New Moon” may have been the teen phenomenon of the moment at the MTV Movie Awards last night, but those in attendance were also the lucky first viewers of the teaser for “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” Although we’re skeptical of calling the first view of a teaser trailer a premiere, the unveiling does mark the beginning of the end of a massive movie franchise and arguably the largest pop culture fixture of the last decade.

The Potter franchise has certainly had its ups and downs over the last nine years. Stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson have aged faster than their characters (Radcliffe, for example, is playing a 17 year old despite being nearly 21 himself) and the films have seen a slew of directors (reaching its high point, in our opinion, with Alfonso Cuarón’s "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban").

The series’ producers seem to have found a winner with David Yates, director of the last two installments as well as the final film. Yates has brought a darker, grittier feel to the project, one that matches the more somber tone of the later books of JK Rowling's series.

The trailer itself, though, leaves much to be desired. It’s filled with requisite scenes of teen passion (Radcliffe’s Harry and Bonnie Right’s Ginny smooching, awkwardly), teen angst (Grint’s Ron and Harry fighting) and shots of Ralph Fiennes looking badass and menacing in his excellent turn as arch-villain Voldemort. Other than that, there’s no real sense of a plot, which is forgivable in a teaser, but hopefully the next trailer will have a bit more meat.

Most interestingly, the spot makes no mention of the fact that it is only part one of the 'Hallows' film, set to be released this November. Part two is due out in summer 2011. Will Warner Bros. add this in later in the ad campaign? Let’s hope so, because otherwise audiences are going to be very confused (and probably more than a bit unhappy) to walk out of a two hour movie with no resolution only to be told to wait another year for the second half.

In the light of the other major two-part film in the works, Summit's "Breaking Dawn" with Bill Condon in the director's seat, is this the beginning of a trend in Hollywood? We hope not. Although the producers of ‘Hallows’ have held firm that the decision to split the final book into two films is solely for the benefit of the story, it’s hard not to see the added benefit to those same producers’ bank accounts. In the end, though, maybe we should be grateful—there’s no way this writer could survive a bladder-punishing four-hour movie, even for Harry Potter.

Stanley Tucci To Play Super Serum Scientist In 'Captain: America'

More bits and pieces of "The First Avenger: Captain America" cast are falling into place as Joe Johnston gears up for a July shoot in Europe.

Heat Vision blog reports that Stanley Tucci has joined the film in the role of Dr. Abraham Erskine. The role appears to be a fairly minor one, as in the comics the scientist was part of the team who developed the Super Solider, leading to the creation of Captain America. We imagine his part will be a first reel turn only.

Tucci joins Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Hugo Weaving , Dominic Cooper, Toby Jones, Sebastian Stan, Neal McDonagh, Samuel L. Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones in the film that will have Captain America flying around like some sort of fey outdoorsman. Captain America lands in theaters on July 22, 2011.

Tom Cruise Says He's "Working On" A Les Grossman Film

Why?

We have no idea why the marginally funny cameo by Tom Cruise in "Tropic Thunder" has somehow gained momentum, but it appears that train isn't about to stop anytime soon. E! cornered the actor last night at the MTV Movie Awards, and when asked about a potential feature for his corpulent comedy character, he replied "we’re working on it.”

Is it just us or is Les Grossman — a supposed parody of movie executives that has slowly turned into a parody of Tom Cruise himself — a one note laugh that has been driven into the ground? Was there anything more bizarre at the MTV Movie Awards last night than watching a washed up Jennifer Lopez dance with camera mugging Cruise to an ancient Ludacris song? It's as if for a moment the ceremonies teleported into a bizarro world where all three of those things were somehow relevant. Does anyone really need ninety minutes of this character? Ugh.

In case you missed it, the Cruise/Lopez/Ludacris mashup is below. You've been warned.

Admittedly Awesome: 'Star Wars' Creature Cantina Scene Used To Sell Adidas Shoes

World Cup ads are the new Super Bowl ads. Actually, they're better.

On the heels of the epic Alejandro González Iñárritu directed Nike World Cup ad everyone was all hot for a couple weeks back is a re-imagining of the "Star Wars" Cantina scene for Adidas featuring Daft Punk, Noel Gallagher, Ciara, Ian Brown of the Stone Roses, David Beckham, Jay Baruchel, a show stealing Snoop Dog, and more. With some fantastic compositing work by Academy Award winning visual effects house The Mill, who also took care of the post production work on the Inarritu Nike spot, modern celebrities are placed into the famous scene for some fairly satisfying results.

It's nice to see Lucasfilm display a sense of humor about their fan-reviled "who shot first" revision from the re-release of the original Star Wars trilogy. The whole scene makes the franchise almost feel fresh again for a moment. Or maybe the "add Daft Punk to anything to make it awesome" formula still has some steam behind it. Looks like it's working for Tron: Legacy anyway.

Here's the spot:

Dennis Dugan To Direct Adam Sandler In Dual Roles In 'Jack & Jill'

Adam Sandler is set to work overtime taking both roles in the high concept comedy "Jack & Jill."

First announced last fall, the weird premise is a romantic comedy that focuses on the titular twins, who will both be played by Sandler. We're guessing that the twins don't fall in love with each other, but hey, the project is being penned by Robert Smigel ("Saturday Night Live"), Steve Koren ("Click," "Bruce Almighty") and Sander himself, so you never know.

Dennis Dugan has confirmed to Cinema Blend that he will be directing the film, continuing his longstanding relationship with Sandler, who he worked with previously on "Grown Ups," "You Don't Mess With The Zohan," "I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry," "Big Daddy" and "Happy Gilmore." Filming will begin later this year with an eye to hit theaters in 2011.

Lost John Ford Film Uncovered Among 75 Films Found In New Zealand Archive; Lost Charlie Chaplin Film 'A Thief Catcher' To Screen Next Month

It's a great time to be a classic film fan. Following the recent discovery of the long thought to be lost scenes from Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" in an Argentinian film archive in 2008, 75 films long presumed to be gone forever have been found in a New Zealand film archive storage vault, and a Charlie Chaplin film has been turned up by film preservationist Paul E. Gierucki.

Leading the pack of films found in New Zealand is a silent by legendary director John Ford. Titled "Upstream," the film is "described as a backstage romance between an aspiring actor and a girl from a knife-throwing act." The find is significant as it is believed only 15% of Ford's silent era films are known to have survived. The film is said to display the techniques of "forced perspectives and chiaroscuro lighting" that Ford learned from F.W. Murnau who had arrived on the Fox lot and made his masterpiece "Sunrise" a year earlier.

As for the Chaplin film, it's actually an extended cameo that marks his appearance in the recently discovered "A Thief Catcher." The film finds Chaplin reprising his role as a Keystone Kop, wearing his familiar mustache.

"Upstream" is currently being restored and is expected to re-premiere at the Academy Of Motion Pictures & Sciences in September. "A Thief Catcher" will debut at the upcoming Slapsticon in July in Arlington, VA.

The films -- which include features starring Clara Bow, Mabel Normand and Pearl White -- will be restored on worst case, first served basis. Some films that are too delicate to make the journey by boat in U.N. approved steel containers, will be restored in New Zealand with the rest spread out to various preservation facilities in the United States. A partial list of the discovered films is after the jump:

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Has Jamie Bell Been Cast As Spider-Man?

Update: Reps at Sony have said they have "no comment" on this latest casting rumor. Usually, if things are way off base studios and/or PR reps tend to issue straight up denials, but perhaps this latest bit of news has some weight behind it? Stay tuned.

Take it strictly as an unsubstantiated rumor for now, but Bleeding Cool are reporting that according to numerous sources, Jamie Bell has been selected to portray Peter Parker in Marc Webb's forthcoming "Spider-Man" reboot. Does this mean Donald Glover officially now has no shot?

If this news is indeed true, it would mark the second major franchise for Bell who will be starring in the titular role of the upcoming "The Adventures Of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn" trilogy of films. We wonder if Sony would really want an actor who is already top-lining a franchise for a rival studio to head up their tentpole. It remains to be seen, but he's a great choice nonetheless, so if it's true it gets our solid approval.

Again, we have to stress this is just a rumor for now. A couple of weeks ago, Josh Hutcherson emerged as a shortlist candidate and earlier this year Logan Lerman's name was briefly batted around. More recently, Bell's name was thrown around with the likes of Andrew Garfield ("Boy A," "The Social Network"), Alden Ehrenreich ("Tetro"), Frank Dillane (one of the evil kids from the recent "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" ), and again, Hutcherson.

With the release date of July 3, 2012 still a good way off, we're guessing an official announcement of some kind will emerge at the forthcoming San Diego Comic-Con.

Danny Boyle May Direct 2012 London Olympic Opening Ceremony

With the Olympic Games coming to London for the 2012 iteration, a local may direct the opening ceremony. And not just any local - Danny Boyle is rumored to be in the running.

Boyle, who got his start directing theater at the Royal Court Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company, got his filmmaking start in 1994 with “Shallow Grave.” Since then, the UK-based filmmaker has given us “Trainspotting,” “28 Days Later,” and the vastly underrated “Sunshine.” His last film, “Slumdog Millionaire” (have you heard of it?) won eight Oscars, including a Best Director award for Boyle. The Times Online reported a source as saying “Nothing has been signed yet, but we do fully expect him to do it.” Boyle himself had this to say on the subject: “I can’t say any more. It would be lovely, wouldn’t it?” The Olympic organizers attempting to woo Boyle continues the trend of film directors choreographing the opening ceremonies that seemingly started with Zhang Yimou, who put together the eye-popping spectacle that launched the 2008 Beijing games. If Boyle does take the duties for the Olympic games, his biggest challenge might be in making the official mascots Wenlock and Mandeville somewhat respectable instead of the laughing stock they have already become.

Boyle is currently bringing Aron Ralston’s miraculous survival story to the big screen in “127 Hours,” which recently saw Lizzy Caplan (best known as the snarky hipster chick in “Cloverfield”) join the cast. Boyle is also keeping busy on the stage, lining up Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" at London’s National Theater, which will open early next year.

Alejandro González Iñárritu's 'Biutiful' Finds International Buyers, But Still Without U.S. Distribution

Alejandro González Iñárritu's "Biutiful," his first film following the rupture with longtime collaborator and screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga, debuted at the Cannes Film Festival to largely mixed reviews. While Javier Bardem earned near-universal praise for his performance, the film failed to resonate on the Croisette. We called it "impeccably acted, wonderfully shot and assuredly put together," but also a thematically muddled and depressing "slog." The film follows Uxbal -- who can communicate with the dead, has an uneasy relationship with his bi-polar ex-wife and is juggling a handful of slowly spiraling black market deals -- in his last days as he tries to set things right before he passes away from terminal cancer (yeah, that's the reason Bardem looks positively beat up on the pictured poster). And it would appear the film's lukewarm reception and difficult subject matter are making it a tough sell to domestic distributors.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Focus Features International which is repping the film outside the U.S., has secured deals for the film in the U.K., Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Taiwan, Thailand, Australia, Israel, Greece, Switzerland and a handful of Scandinavian countries. However a deal with a U.S. distributor has still not been signed.

We're not particularly surprised. Unfortunately, given the current cinematic climate, a 2-hour-20-minute-long depressing Spanish language film, even directed by someone as highly regarded as Iñárritu and starring Bardem, is a difficult proposition. However, if Bardem begins to get someone award season buzz behind him -- and yes, his performance is that good -- we guess that distributors might be more keen to come on board. However, it seems that for now, they are taking a wait-and-see approach.

Hilary Swank & John Carpenter To Visit 'Fangland'

It's been nine long years since John Carpenter's last feature film "Ghosts Of Mars," but the director seems to be back behind the camera in a big way. He has the horror film "The Ward," starring Amber Heard in the can and according to ComingSoon he's now lining up an adaptation of "Fangland" with none other than two-time Academy award winner Hilary Swank.

Based on a novel by John Marks, the story centers on Evangeline Harker, a television reporter for a "60 Minutes" type show who is abducted and "infected" by a Romanian crime lord in a modern day take on the Dracula story. Here is the full book synopsis from Booklist:

Professional and personal aspirations collide when Evangeline, an ambitious associate producer of The Hour ("the most successful news show in American television history") accepts Robert's wedding proposal just before jetting off on an assignment she would rather dodge. Her uber-producer dismisses her protestations, so it's off to Transylvania to evaluate a possible story on Romanian reputed crime lord Ion Torgu. Marks' sense of place (a horse and wagon in front of a Coke sign symbolizes the transition from communism) and tone-setting emphasis on blood and bloodlines kick in early as Evangeline mulls over blending her Italian Irish heritage and Robert's mix of Creek Indian and the U.S. marshals who fought them, a union represented for her by the engagement ring she insists on wearing to meet the small, pale Torgu, who proves a kind of terrorist, and who infects her "like a virus" when she is abducted. She resurfaces months later, recuperating in Transylvania and recalling nothing. A scary twenty-first-century take on the stuff of Dracula, worthy of its rightful place among others.

For Swank, it will be a return to the horror genre after 2007's "The Reaping" and fans may know she also had a role way back when, in the "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" film. As for Carpenter, it will be another visit to the vampire genre, his first being 1998's "Vampires."

Craig Gillespie's 'Fright Night' Remake To Be Set In Vegas & Feature A 'Jaws'-Like Vampire

With a script by Marti Noxon, former 'Buffy' showrunner and "Mad Men" consultant, Craig Gillespie's remake of '80's horror flick "Fright Night" was always destined to steer away from its campy, lo-fi predecessor.

Starring Anton Yelchin and Toni Collete as the lead mother and son, the film also has Irish thespian Colin Farrell on board as the neighboring vampire but don't expect any 'Twilight' business with his character.

"He's a much more 'Jaws'-like vampire in the Amblin tradition," Noxon told Variety. The remake will also reportedly be set in Las Vegas with production set to begin as soon as later this summer. Still no word, however, on whether rumors of the film going meta, with the protagonist reaching out to an actor from the original film for help with his vampire problems, are true.

First Look: Paul Dano In So-Yong Kim's Family Drama 'For Ellen'

Here is your first look at Paul Dano in So-Yong Kim's family-drama "For Ellen" which is set for delivery in the spring of 2011.

The film follows an aspiring young rock star who decides to become a bigger part of his six-year-old daughter’s life in the midst of a divorce and embarks on a road trip back to his Midwestern home town to do so. Also starring will be the likes of Jena Malone as the kids' mother along side Jon Heder, Margarita Levieva and Dakota Johnson.

Dano previously described his character as a "selfish, sort of narcissistic prick who’s kind of a hard rocker: tattoos, jewelry, leather jacket" which definitely sounds like a massive gear change for the actor who has a big 2011 lined up with Kelly Reichardt's Western "Meek's Cutoff" and Jon Favreau's comic-book adaptation "Cowboys & Aliens" also slated to hit theaters.

"For Ellen" is being produced by Jen Gatien and Bradley Rust Gray (the upcoming "Jack & Diane") with lensing reportedly still underway.

New Look: Two Clips From Derek Cianfrance's Romantic Drama 'Blue Valentine'

Three clips have been unveiled from Derek Cianfrance's romantic-drama "Blue Valentine" in what promises to be a Ryan Gosling-Michelle Williams tour de force.

The film follows the story of Dean and Cindy over the course of 36 hours as they try to repair their dwindling relationship whilst cutting to their past and how they came together. Co-starring are the likes of John Doman, Mike Vogel and Faith Wladkya, who plays the lead couple's daughter.

Our Cannes review described the film as a prickly, raw and devastatingly real drama in particular lauding the two leads' authentic performances. From "the gestures, mannerisms, longing and body language of courtship and love to the silence, tension and confusion of a relationship gone cold," the actors are said to embody and live within these characters and exhibit a striking familiarity with each other.

Both of the clips are from the flashback sequences chronicling the development of the relationship in the film. In the first Dean (Gosling), runs into Cindy (Williams) on a bus and jokingly asserts that because she is so beautiful, she must be crazy. Cindy, looking to prove that she's funny and easy to get along with and not a nut, decides to tell a particularly off-color and hilariously wrong joke. We're kind of bummed to see one of the film's best scenes land online in advance of the release; it's the kind of moment best savored in the context of the movie.

The second, more dramatic scene, finds Dean and Cindy walking on the Brooklyn Bridge. It's shortly after Cindy finds out something that could threaten their budding relationship and she's unsure how to break it to Dean. Dean, aware that something is not right, goes to extreme lengths to get her to open up about what's troubling her (and don't worry, it's not revealed here).

And in case you missed it, here's another clip that hit the web a couple of weeks ago.

Unfortunately, the film isn't due for release until December 31st when it'll hit with a limited Oscar-qualifying release. These clips, however, should provide enough incentive for the wait and/or make the wait seem frustratingly longer.

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Nicolas Winding Refn & Mads Mikkelsen Set To Reunite For Gore Verbinski-Produced Heist Film

Nicolas Winding Refn and Mads Mikkelsen are set to reunite once again, with the helmer looking to cast him as the lead in his previously-announced untitled heist film produced by Gore Verbinski.

“My whole mission has been: ‘How will I bring Mads Mikkelsen to Hollywood?’" Winding Refn told the NY Times, unveiling plans for the re-teaming. “And if no one else will give him the lead in a Hollywood movie, I will.”

No details are currently known of the heist project other than the fact it will be produced by 'Pirates Of The Caribbean' helmer Verbinski. Mikkelsen's likely casting is the first confirmation that the project is still on Refn's radar, though it's probably a lower priority than the Ryan Gosling-led neo-noir "Drive" and the Bangkok-set modern Western "Only God Forgives," which is slated to shoot this summer.

Refn also provided a little insight into the collaborative processes between him and Mikkelsen. "We have a verbal agreement: If I ask him, he has to play the lead.” Refn explained. Then, as the project takes shape, they stop talking and make the film before going their separate ways without communicating until one day “[Refn will] call him and say, ‘Let’s make another movie,’ and the process starts all over again."

It's interesting how the relationship between two seems to be purely professional but whatever they're doing is definitely working — this heist film is an exciting prospect to say the least. Meanwhile, their atmospheric Viking epic "Valhalla Rising," which we saw at TIFF and can't recommend enough, will see a limited release through IFC Films on July 23rd.

Sometimes I Let Him Do The Wide Shots: 'Scott Pilgrim' Continues To Look Ace In New Clip

We were as delighted as anyone by the sweep of victories for Claire Denis' "35 Shots Of Rum" at last night's MTV Movie Awards, but one of the other highlights of the night was in the pre-show, when the first clip from Edgar Wright's "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World" made its debut. There has been a flurry of trailers and TV spots in the last week, and they've pretty much laid to rest any lingering doubts we had about the project -- Michael Cera looks to have nailed the role, and it looks faithful to the books, but without a "Watchmen"-level slavishness.

The pre-show clip is our first look at footage in the context of a complete scene, and it's pretty terrific. We've long thought that Chris Evans would walk away with his scene as douchebaggy skater-turned-movie-star Lucas Lee, and he seems to deliver here, with several big laughs in a sixty second clip. Kieran Culkin looks like he'll be a scene stealer as gay best friend Wallace Wells, and the action (in a fight against Lee's team of stunt doubles, an invention of Wright's) is genuinely thrilling, well cut and choreographed. Is it August already?

"Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World" will hit theaters on August 13, 2010.

Joe Carnahan Keen To Bring 'Preacher' and 'Taskmaster' To The Screen

We're only a few days away from the release of Joe Carnahan's "The A-Team," and, from interviews that the director is giving to plug the film, it seems that he hasn't got his fill of comic-book action from a film where a tank parachutes out of a plane. Superhero Hype spoke to the helmer over the weekend, and he talked up a pair of comic book properties that he's keen to adapt.

First up, Carnahan's put his name forward to take over from Sam Mendes on the long-gestating movie version of Garth Ennis' "Preacher." The series, published between 1995 and 2000, follows a priest who comes into contact with a supernatural being called Genesis and goes on a mission to find an absentee God, and has long been in development as an adaptation -- "Tank Girl" director Rachel Talalay was attached for some time, and "Daredevil" writer-director Mark Steven Johnson was working on a version for HBO. Thankfully, both of those bullets were dodged, and John August was hired last year to script for Mendes.

The British director left the project earlier in the year, and Carnahan told Superhero Hype "...I'm really keen on or interested in... "Preacher" because I'm a big Garth Ennis fan and I love that series and that's out there, and that might be something... I really love that. You gotta do the Allfather (D'Aronique) and all that crazy shit and I haven't seen a script and I don't know what it is, but yeah, we'll see. Who knows?" It seems like that it's possible that Carnahan's had early discussions with producer Neal Moritz, but that's at the most -- it could simply be him expressing an interest.

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Weekend Box Office: 'Shrek' Wins Very Busy March Weekend In June

Who was anyone kidding? This allegedly summer weekend looked no different than your average March free-for-all. A three-week old kiddie picture vs. a second-tier Judd Apatow offering, an Ashton Kutcher Lionsgate movie, a fifth-rate talking animal picture and a culty horror curiosity. Forecasting any of these movies doing $20 million+ was being, hmm, adventurous, though you couldn't blame prognosticators, who assumed that the hot weather and lack of school should equal arbitrary big numbers for someone. That's the dirty secret of box office forecasting now that big movies can open at any point in the year: people either see shit or they don't. Unless there's a zeitgeisty, high-anticipation factor these days (exceedingly rare), people won't go. Unless they do, because there's nothing to do on a Friday. Marketing helps. Quality, and release date, tend to be irrelevant.

"Shrek Forever After" had a fairly weak debut in comparison to the other films in the series, but after this third weekend, it looks like its legs are stronger than those of any "Shrek" offering since the first. This is a small consolation for Dreamworks, who are looking at what may be the lowest-grossing film in the series, but it's still potentially face-saving, as is the credit that comes with being #1 three weeks in a row. A deflated marketplace, to be sure - this is looking like the lowest-grossing summer in a number of years - but there's still Hollywood value in trotting out ads three weeks after the fact trumpeting the "#1 Movie In America" chatter.

At #2, "Get Him To The Greek" opened modestly. This was an interesting picture to forecast, as some felt the Apatow gravy train ended with "Funny People." Putting Jonah Hill in a leading role was also dicey as, while he was a supporting character in that universe, his only success as a headliner was "Superbad," where he played, essentially, a kid. As an adult, he's been matched up with Russell Brand, who, besides an MTV Awards hosting gig, is not much bigger now than he was as a supporting character in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," which "Greek" was spun-off from. Maybe the ads needed to play up a stronger connection to "Marshall," which opened to almost the same numbers a couple of years ago in a less-crowded spring marketplace? Or perhaps take advantage of the presence of Diddy, a worldwide star more famous than the other two leads who has a role noticeably larger than a cameo? But then, of course, how do you bill him? Diddy? P. Diddy? Puff Daddy? Puffy Combs? Puff? When will any of those names not sound stupid on a marquee?

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Review: Josh and Benny Safdie's "Daddy Longlegs" Is An Irritating Mess

One of the most difficult things when watching a movie is to separate yourself from the character. Though it is difficult to accept they might be doing something that is completely beyond you, it's also part of the experience. Sometimes characters do things that most can't fathom (see: "L'Enfant" or "Ossos," both about people trying to pawn their baby) but these things are often part of the realism of the situation (in those cases, poverty and immaturity). But can a director go too far and expect the audience to suspend their disbelief until it snaps, just to make a compelling character study? This is the problem with Josh and Benny Safdie's "Daddy Longlegs."

Our first glimpse of the daddy himself, Lenny (Ronald Bronstein, director of "Frownland"), shows him in a small hot dog shop looking for a footlong. Settling for two hot dogs on a big bun, he hops a fence, trips, drops the dog, picks it off the ground and decides its the funniest thing ever. He then proceeds to lie on the grass in the park, not a care in the world, taking in the moment. This scene perfectly sets up the character, proving him to be childish, impulsive, immature, and rather senseless.

The film continues, shot in a gritty, hand-held style, as divorced Lenny takes his kids (played by Sage and Fray Ranaldo, children of Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth) for a two-week stint. We are treated to some fairly typical single parent struggles: juggling work and child care; the pain-in-the-ass ex wife that constantly clashes with Lenny and his unconventional parenting ways; the children refusing to go to bed. It's all pretty standard and expectable, and the Safdies manage to do these overdone topics pretty well. There's also some charm to be found as Lenny plays 'the cool dad' with the kids; their playful scenes are joyful and cute. It's when the Safdies decide to go off the beaten path that the film devolves into nonsense.

Here is where things get extremely difficult. Though the film is essentially about a dad who is still a child inside, this character is still a person and should act like a person in the world constructed around him. Often a director will do something against the norm, which will align more with what the director is trying to say or present rather than with typical realism. It may or may not work for some audience members, but screwing around with the narrative for art's sake is usually a risk worth taking. In "Daddy Longlegs," Lenny often makes pretty awful parenting decisions, some being more harmful than others. These decisions are boiled down to things he didn't think through or didn't know, which is fine, until it becomes insulting to the viewer.

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'Double Take' Is An Intriguing Essay On Hitchcock's Films & U.S./Soviet Tensions

The film-essay is usually a hard genre to digest; while there's a lot to be gotten out of them, often they tend to be very trying and difficult. "Double Take," directed by Johan Grimonprez, is an exception to the rule (the fact that it got any theater time at all should be argument enough), as it remains consistently enjoyable and humorous throughout its duration. The central 'plot,' if you want to call it that, revolves around Alfred Hitchcock encountering his double in his studio. This eerie premise opens up many doors, including one that leads into the world of the Cold War and American paranoia.

The film seems to have plenty to say, alternating between Hitchcock meeting his double (the Hitchcock look-alike Ron Burrage), Hitchcock hosting his television show, creepy Folgers coffee commercials, and the kitchen debate between Vice President Nixon and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. Within these scenes we also get a sense of the impending doom that both television and nuclear war represent. It is all very interesting to watch (especially the debate and the coffee commercials, which might be the most unintentionally brilliant adverts ever created), even if the thread linking all of these elements seems non-existent. Actually the entire thing is really about doubles, as seen when Hitchcock meets his own or in the debate between the U.S. and Soviet Union. Grimonprez sticks to the quote "If you meet your double, you must kill him."

Indeed, that quote explains much of the intention behind the film: how doubles co-exist while at the same time trying their utmost to wipe one another out. Aside from the obvious US vs. Soviet Union clips, there's also a sense of the underlying paranoia around war and bombs, with Hitchcock films like "The Birds" and "Topaz" serving as both extremely well-made movies and the celluloid manifestations of peoples' fear of attack. Interestingly enough, the only clips from the television show "Hitchcock Presents..." are his clowny opening introductions and aforementioned commercials from the sponsor, Folgers. Why the actual programs were left out may seem a mystery, but for this kind of film has to be absolutely intentional. Could it be the that Grimonprez is focusing on the silliness of television and implying that movies, and movies alone, should remain in the cinema? Or could it be him exposing the emptiness of the medium, presenting it as having nothing to show or say for itself?

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Justin Theroux Joins David Wain's 'Wanderlust' With Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston & Judd Apatow Producing

Writer/director/actor Justin Theroux ("Tropic Thunder," writer of the upcoming "Zoolander 2") has joined the cast of David Wain's "Wanderlust," co-starring Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston and Ken Marino with Judd Apatow producing.

Not a bad group of talent at all to say the least, and we bet the cast will still expand to add a few more good names.

Aniston and Rudd lead the film and play a couple who retreat from city life to join a commune. Theroux's role is currently unknown.

The project is a recently announced superstar comedy union between the fellas of "The State" and the Apatow comedy milieu from a script by Marino and Wain. Helmer Wain impressed studio execs by salvaging Luke Greenfield's "Role Models" during massive reshoots, but he also earned a lot of cred by turning down a chance to direct "Little Fockers." With a solid budget and studio backing from Universal, we're excited to see what the Apatow-Wain union can produce.

Theroux is an in-demand triple threat these days. He wrote "Iron Man 2" all on his own, stars in David Gordon Green's "Your Highness" as the villain (it hits April 2011), he obviously has the "Zoolander" sequel to contend with, and his writing obviously turned a lot of heads with "Tropic Thunder," a key gig in his career arc -- Ben Stiller loved his script so much, he pegged him for the fashion-obsessed sequel, and Robert Downey Jr. dug him so much he suggested him to Jon Favreau. We'd also like to see him take on another directorial gig when he gets a breather as 2007's "Dedication" starring Mandy Moore and Billy Crudup was underrated. [Deadline]

Dear God, No: 'Sex And The City 3' Could Be In The Cards

So even though “Sex And The City 2” placed third behind “Shrek Forever After” and “Prince of Persia” on last week's pitiful Memorial Day weekend (the lowest box-office MD weekend in seventeen years), and took less in five days than its predecessor did in three — that’s no reason to suggest there won’t be a third installment.

In fact, Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros., says "Personally, I’d love to see [a third film]. We’re sitting back and watching what happens.”

By “watching what happens,” what he really means is “going to keep the damn thing in cinemas until it has turned enough of a profit to be deemed a hit.” “I'm looking at five weeks of summer where I feel I have the competitive advantage to maximize the revenue of the movie,” said Fellman, who admits the opening weekend was slower than expected but later states with sinister assurance, “The girls are going to go.” Aside from the ick factor of a presumably middle-aged man referring to mostly middle-aged women as “girls,” this is notable because for all WB felt certain of a instantaneous hit, they’re now having to switch to a longer-term strategy. Not only that, but it seems insiders are baffled as to why the ladies didn’t show up in droves this time, and in their struggle to account for it, reveal more than they might want to about their attitudes towards female audiences.

Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com, “suspects negative word of mouth through social networks may also have hurt the movie beyond the critical trashing it took” because, he says “women trust each other.” Really? No shit. Of course word of mouth plays a huge role — doesn’t it always, whether the mouths are pretty and be-lipsticked or taciturn and surrounded by stubble?

How is “women trust each other” a thing worth saying unless you regard women as some exotic alien species whose every behavior, no matter how obvious, is noteworthy? Unfortunately that's close to the truth of it for many Hollywood businesspeople who seem to look at ‘women’ the way white-coated scientists might look into a petrie dish filled with monocellular proteins: “Good lord, they’re forming bonds of trust, and, look at that, using social media... that’s not what we expected, harrumph harrumph.” Add to this Dergarabedian’s equally incisive analysis that “it turns out Memorial Day weekend was much more family-oriented" and boom! we’ve an explanation for SATC2’s underperformance that pretty much sidesteps the whole “it’s awful; its trailer was awful; its marketing campaign was awful; and people don’t like seeing awful movies” issue.

Quality simply doesn't seem to enter into the equation in the discussion surrounding “SATC2,” as though to suggest it’s not doing the business because it’s a rotten film is absurdly simplistic, especially when dealing with the notoriously fickle (read: stupid, will go see anything pink and glittery) female audience. Fellman says: "great reviews are always good but this is a franchise where we have such a strong fan base. Yes, the reviews were unfavorable … but the audience likes it." Translation: “It’s 'Sex and the City,' dumbasses! The ditzy broads that love this shit don’t read reviews!” And he may be somewhat right about that, but unfortunately for him, it seems the ditzy broad demographic may be smaller than he thought.

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Whaaa? David Bergstein Almost Has Miramax In His Poisonous Grasp?

Apparently, bullshit artist extraordinaire David Bergstein and Ron Tutor, a Los Angeles-based construction magnate, are very close to acquiring Miramax Films.

... Say what?

We reported that Bergstein was in the running for the company, but we didn't think it would seriously go this far. The LA Times reports that, while a deal was expected to be finalized by the end of the weekend, nothing as of this morning has been confirmed. However, the two became front-runners for the company after their bid was closest to Disney's sale price of $700 million. Even though Hollywood and everyone in it appear to have the memory of Leonard Shelby, it seems that all remember Bergstein as being, shall we say, particularly shady to put it fucking lightly and the article states that "many in Hollywood, and even some executives inside Disney, considered Bergstein a dark horse given his trouble business dealings." Nervous, but still going ahead, the whole thing is now under lawyer review and the two have the right to conclude a deal exclusively.

Bergstein and Tutor have had a relationship for years, starting as neighbors and then eventually working together, one of their credits being the Luke Wilson (read: lukewarm) film "The Wendell Baker Story." The two seem eager to acquire Miramax and its library, as they look to the future and have plans to build a global digital distribution business. Well, owning "Pulp Fiction" and "Clerks" sure is a start, right? Also putting down some money is an unnamed off-shore investor, so it's unclear as to his knowledge of film or Bergstein's recent film catastrophes.

Seeing as Bergstein destroyed both ThinkFilm and Capitol Films, his neighbor relationship with Tutor must go deeper than borrowing the lawn mower to have him sink this amount of dough into the company. Stay tuned for the official word coming soon, but this feels rather unbelievable. Yes, this story is indeed crazy (we never would've thought Bergstein could rope this one in a million years), but it's true nonetheless and may yield some interesting newsbits throughout the year. We'll see if it indeed happens. Someone will throw in an 11th hour launchblocker, no?

William S. Burroughs Doc Soundtracked By Sonic Youth & Patti Smith, Gets Fall Release

Beastie Boy Adam Yauch's Oscilloscope Laboratories has picked up first time filmmaker Yony Leyser's documentary "William S. Burroughs: A Man Within" for distribution, indieWIRE reports.

The documentary, which follows the life of the life of the legendary beat author and features previously unseen archival footage, will also be soundtracked by iconic noise rockers Sonic Youth and Patti Smith. It is unclear whether the soundtrack will be comprised of previously recorded pieces or new collaborations between the two artists. But, given Sonic Youth's recent score work in Fabrice Gobert's "Lights Out" and the fact that they have previously worked with Burroughs on his 1990 spoken word album Dead City Radio, we wouldn't be surprised if the soundtrack at least featured a bit of new material.

The film, narrated by Peter Weller (the star of "Naked Lunch"), features interviews with admirers and collaborators alike, including John Waters, Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, Gus Van Sant (Burroughs had a small role in "Drugstore Cowboy," and had a tiny cameo in "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues") Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, Sonic Youth, Laurie Anderson, Amiri Baraka, Jello Biafra, and David Cronenberg who obviously found a brilliant way to bring the aforementioned "Naked Lunch" to the screen — a crew of real characters, for sure.

'A Man Within' currently is set for a fall theatrical release with a DVD and digital release to follow thereafter. The film will also get a television broadcast as part of the PBS series "Independent Lens" in their 2010-2011 season. You can check out the trailer for the film below.

Terrible Trailer Twosome: 'The Expendables' & 'Twelve' (Chace Crawford Busted For Pot Too)

Two trailers (and one poster) have arrived today that are both examples of how not to promote your film.

First up is the action extravaganza "The Expendables." The film, a brainchild of Sylvester Stallone, stars or features every major action star of the last few decades, including Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mickey Rourke, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts and Steve Austin. The film is about a group of mercenaries who are betrayed and blah blah blah. Basically, by the time this hits theaters on August 13th you will have seen the same story twice already in "The Losers" and "The A-Team." This latest trailer is clever only in that it decides not to show any footage from the film, hoping that audiences will be suckered by all the BIG FONT names of stars flying at them.


As for "Twelve," the forthcoming privileged-white-kids-doing-bad-things film starring Chace Crawford and Curtis "50 Cent" aka "Fiddy" Jackson, instead of not showing anything, the trailer does the opposite and pretty much telegraphs the entire story from beginning to end. To its credit, this trailer makes a lot more sense than the three-minute spot that hit the web (and was pulled) in April. But to its detriment, it's a mess. It starts off with a voiceover that disappears completely while we get all the plot details and inevitable twists out of the way, before it reappears out of nowhere at the end. Basically, the movie looks like a third-rate take on standard Bret Easton Ellis material. No thanks. And is it any surprise that this was directed by Joel Schumacher? The film has wisely been pushed from its original July 2nd release date -- where it would've squared off against "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" -- and settled on July 30th.

Oh and the irony. Crawford plays a drug dealer in the film, right? Well, life imitates art sorta: he just got busted for pot. Kiss those teen-y good guy roles goodbye.

Guillermo del Toro Circling 'Oz' Prequel?

Oh boy, here we go again. To mix our movie references, one man enters, one man leaves.

Or something like that. Sam Mendes just picked up an adaptation of Ian McEwan's acclaimed 2007 novel "On Chesil Beach" for Focus Features and then concurrently said, thanks but no thanks to Disney's "Oz The Great and Powerful" prequel.

Adam Shankman and Timur Bekmambetov are on the shortlist to direct the 'Oz' film (Shankman incidentally is not doing "Hairspray 2" which is apparently dead), and now yet another name has entered the mix and it's one former "The Hobbit" director Guillermo del Toro according to Deadline.

Though even according to their sources, it's just a rumor that's going round that the Mexican helmer could meet with the production since he's now free of his 'Hobbit' duties.

That's about all the intel they have at the moment and it's thin, but since all eyes are on del Toro and "The Hobbit," it's certainly worth keeping tabs on.

This writer hasn't read the 'Oz' script, but our U.K. writer has read a very recent draft and he has not had anything favorable to say about it internally (and he's hinted about that here too). Robert Downey Jr. is said to still be circling the role of the Wizard, but with "Gravity" and "Sherlock Holmes 2" on deck (one apparently shooting in the summer, the other evidently shooting in the early fall), one probably assumes this will have to start lensing in 2011.

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