Anthony Hopkins Circling Alfred Hitchcock Biopic

Anthony Hopkins, famed onscreen cannibal, is in talks to portray Alfred Hitchcock in an upcoming biopic, Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho, an adaptation of the Stephen Rebello book of the same name. Sacha Gervasi, who helmed Anvil! The Story of Anvil, is in talks to direct, and Black Swan screenwriter John McLaughlin wrote the script. 

The story focuses on how Hitchcock, at the top of his directing game, decided to make a "lowly" self-financed horror movie, which of course became a pretty big deal. At the time, he was also working on his relationship with his wife. However, Hopkins was previously attached to a different incarnation of the adaptation, which had Ryan Murphy tied to it as director. That one didn't happen, but here's hoping this one will.

Is Hugo Strange in Batman 3?

Be still, my fanboy heart. Could it be that oft-rumored villain Professor Hugo Strange could still make an appearance in The Dark Knight Rises?

Once it was announced that the villains were going to be Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) and Bane (Tom Hardy), it" certainly seemed unlikely that there would be any further villains announced. But Geek Tyrant points out a cryptic, inconclusive tweet today from trusted Bat-site Batman-on-Film -- which read simply, "RW as Strange? Hmm..." -- has created a bit of a buzz online.

BoF has made mention of rumors of Robin Williams as Strange before, but never to a degree to suggest they were anything but that: rumors. Perhaps we're all simply reading into their tweet way too much, but considering that Williams and TDKR director Christopher Nolan previously teamed for Insomnia (which saw the funnyman deliver a chilling performance as the villain) they're rumors that have the whiff of possibility to them.

Williams was linked with Bat-villains twice before: first, as the Joker in 1989's Batman (which went to Jack Nicholson) and later the Riddler in Batman Forever (the then-less expensive Jim Carrey snagged that role). If this rumor is true, could the third time be the charm?

In the comics, Hugo Strange was known for making monster men, either psychologically or through chemical means. Could he be the one who essentially creates Hardy's Bane? We shall see. In the meantime, Strange is the villain in the video game Arkham City. 

Is Bardem 007's Next Villain?

Just days after the news broke that he'd been offered the lead role of gunslinger Roland Deschain in the epic film and TV adaptation of The Dark Tower comes word that Oscar winner Javier Bardem has also been offered a major role in Bond 23.

"Details about the character are being kept under wraps for now. But traditionally the biggest male role opposite 007 is the villain," according to Deadline. "The EON Productions offer by principals Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli to Bardem to join star Daniel Craig and director Sam Mendes was made last week, at around the same time that Bardem received his Best Actor nomination for Biutiful."

Deadline adds that MGM is also trying to leverage their ownership of the Bond franchise to get more out of potential Bond 23 distributors: "(MGM's) in the middle of negotiating to make an overall deal for worldwide theatrical and home entertainment distribution of not just Bond but also MGM's new product as well as its library of films. But what isn't known is that, as part of that deal, MGM wants whichever studio is chosen to distribute Bond 23 to co-finance a number of [non-Bond] films with MGM."

The site claims the studios angling for Bond 23 -- namely Sony, Paramount and Fox -- are becoming frustrated with MGM's machinations. Could these moves come back to bite them? 

Cavill is the New Superman

British actor Henry Cavill has been cast in the title role in Warner Bros.' Superman reboot to be directed by Zack Snyder and produced by Christopher Nolan.

Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures officially announced Sunday that the 27-year-old actor -- perhaps best known for his role on The Tudors and who will next be seen as "Theseus" in Immortals -- has won the role after a long search.

Snyder said in a statement, "In the pantheon of superheroes, Superman is the most recognized and revered character of all time, and I am honored to be a part of his return to the big screen. I also join Warner Bros., Legendary and the producers in saying how excited we are about the casting of Henry. He is the perfect choice to don the cape and S shield."

This isn't Cavill's first Superman rodeo, having been a leading contender for the part back when Brett Ratner and McG were attached to direct and Superman Returns (which, as you know, Bryan Singer ended up making with Brandon Routh).

Cavill was also the runner-up to Daniel Craig for the role of James Bond in Casino Royale, but was ultimately deemed too young for the role. He is also said to have auditioned for the title role in Batman Begins. 

David Goyer scripted the new Superman film. In addition to Nolan, the reboot will be produced by Charles Roven, Emma Thomas and Deborah Snyder. The film is slated for a December 2012 release.

Henry Cavill's other credits include Whatever Works, Stardust, Tristan + Isolde and The Count of Monte Cristo.

Transformers 3 Dark of the Moon Trailer - Official (HD)

Heavy Rain Film Takes Shape

The spring shower of Heavy Rain movie news that we got last May has now turned into a steady stream as the game adaptation bags itself a high profile exec.

Deadwood executive producer David Milch has now signed on to script the film adaptation, joining former New Line chiefs Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne who will produce via their Unique Features shingle for Warner Bros., according to Variety.

Heavy Rain is being fast-tracked, although Milch will have to get the first season of HBO series Luck out of the way before he can commence work.

It's unclear how much of Quantic Dreams' Heavy Rain will make it over to the big screen, although given how cinematic the source material is it's a prime target for an adaptation.

The Dark Knight Vs. Catwoman, Bane

Fans of Christopher Nolan's Batman films have been waiting for concrete news on the next sequel pretty much since the day The Dark Knight hit. For a time, it wasn't even definite that Nolan would return, and only recently have such basic details as the title emerged.

But today was a good day for Bat-fans, as WB finally revealed which villains the Caped Crusader will be clashing with in The Dark Knight Rises – Selina Kyle and Bane. The former will be played by Anne Hathaway, who likes to get naked in a lot of her movies recently; and the latter by Inception's Tom Hardy

So what do you think, fandom? Are these the right villains to carry the torch from Joker and Two-Face? Are they the villains you expected? Does Anne Hathaway have the aura of danger, the athleticism, and the sexiness to make us all forget about Michelle Pfeiffer's portrayal?

And does Hardy have what it takes to portray the man who, in one of his early comics appearances, broke Batman's back? Can Bane even bounce back with moviegoers after his poor showing in 1997's Batman & Robin?

And while we referred to Catwoman as a villain, it's entirely possible she'll serve as less of a direct foe to Batman and more of an uneasy ally or possible romantic interest. What do you want to see from Nolan's Catwoman? Deadly femme fatale, or conflicted heroine?

This announcement also serves to dispel some of the many rumors swirling about the project. It's now clear that the recent alleged script leak was a false alarm, as that script had Black Mask, Deadshot, Roland Dagget and a hybrid of The Riddler and Hugo Strange acting as the primary villains. Are you glad that script turned out to be a fake, or would you have liked to see that particular story play out on the big screen? 

And some rumors haven't quite been discredited. Lately, reports have surfaced that Eva Green will be playing Talia al Ghul, daughter of Batman Begins baddie Ra's al Ghul, and also that Naomi Watts will play a love interest to Bruce Wayne. Are you crossing your fingers that those rumors still pan out? Would you like to see Talia join the cast, or will that just put the movie into Spider-Man 3 levels of overcrowding?

I want to hear your opinion on all of the above. Bat-pod down to the comments section to voice your thoughts on all things Dark Knight Rises.

Tron 3 Teaser Trailer?

There have been rumblings for a few weeks now that Disney was going to be making some sort of an official announcement on Tron 3 soon, and now we may finally have it.

Ain't It Cool News reports that there will be a teaser trailer (of sorts) for the threequel on the forthcoming Blu-ray release of Tron: Legacy 3D. Citing someone who worked on the shoot for the home video extra, AICN says there were at least three different scenes filmed before Thanksgiving 2010.

SPOILER WARNING!

While we're going to refer you back to AICN for the full details on the alleged scenes, here's the skinny on what this crew member claims is in them. The first scene involves Bruce Boxleitner (as Alan Bradley) and Dan Shor (as Ram), the second sees Quorra (Olivia Wilde) at ENCOM, while the third and most nerdgasm-inducing sees Cillian Murphy as Dillinger Jr. opposite his dad, played by the first Tron's villain, David Warner! The two apparently reveal that their schemes are under way.

Meanwhile, Bleeding Cool says there is "a listing on the BBFC database for something called Disc Roars. At 2 minutes and 51 seconds it's the shortest work listed for Joseph Kosinski. The cast list given is: Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde. Disc Roars is not showing on the official list of special features for the Tron: Legacy DVD and Blu-ray. I believe it is more than likely to be the 'secret' teaser, and that Disc Roars is nothing but a smokescreen codename."

Matrix 4 and 5 in the Works

Well this one came out of left-field. While attending a U.K. event to promote latest film Henry's Crime, Keanu Reeves revealed that the Wachowskis are planning two more Matrix movies.

According to AICN, Reeves met with the Wachowskis over Christmas, at which time they announced that they had "completed work on a two-picture script treatment that would see him return to the world of The Matrix as Neo."

The pair have already met with James Cameron to discuss the potential use of 3D, with Keanu claiming that they will be looking to shoot a movie that will revolutionise the action genre in the same way the original did.

The team will apparently talk again once the Wachowskis have finished work on their long-gestating adaptation of Cloud Atlas, but this is certainly exciting news for fans of the franchise.

Prometheus

 The untitled project once billed as a prequel to the original Alien movie now has a new name – Prometheus. Director Ridley Scott is back for another sci-fi/horror adventure set in the cold depths of space, but the movie will no longer be a direct prequel to Alien, but rather a film inspired by that project's development. (So. Confused...)

Scott spoke to Deadline about the film, saying, "While Alien was indeed the jumping off point for this project, out of the creative process evolved a new, grand mythology and universe in which this original story takes place. The keen fan will recognize strands of Alien's DNA, so to speak, but the ideas tackled in this film are unique, large and provocative. I couldn't be more pleased to have found the singular tale I'd been searching for, and finally return to this genre that's so close to my heart."

Noomi Rapace ( The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) has a role in the film, as scientist Elizabeth Shaw. Meanwhile, both Charlize Theron and Angelina Jolie are reportedly in the running to play the other female lead, Vickers. Scott has also voiced an interest in Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds) for the role of the ship's android crew member. Damon Lindelof recently did a re-write on the screenplay.

At one point Scott had referred to the then-untitled prequel as the first in a pair of films, both of which would focus on the character that became the "Space Jockey" corpse seen in Alien. The first prequel would feature the Space Jockey and how it and its ship came into contact with the aliens. The second prequel would "go to where [the Space Jockey] came from", according to Scott. How much of this storyline will factor into the script remains to be seen.

Downey Sets The Wayback Machine

Robert Downey Jr. is taking control of the WABAC Machine.

Entertainment Weekly claims the Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes star will lend his voice to DreamWorks Animation's CG-animated, 3D feature film version of Mr. Peabody and Sherman, which began as a segment on Jay Ward's animated series The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.

Downey will voice the genius dog Mr. Peabody; no word yet on who will voice his pet boy, Sherman. Together, Peabody and Sherman used their time machine to witness and more often than not alter historical events. Rob Minkoff ( The Lion King) will direct from a script by Jeffrey Ventimilia and Joshua Sternin, which is said to focus on the canine-boy duo's origins.

"Mr. Peabody is this genetic anomaly," Minkoff told EW. "He does have brothers and sisters, all of them non-speaking, no super-smart dogs. He's an outcast, but has overcome it by being so great at so many things."

Downey was previously set to play a genius in the animated Megamind, before Will Ferrell took over the role.

Exclusive: J. Jonah & Spidey Reboot

The new Spider-Man movie has been filming for a few weeks now, and there's still been no word on who has been cast as Peter Parker's boss, Daily Bugle chief J. Jonah Jameson.

This prompted us to do a little digging and we found out from very reliable sources that it's because ... J. Jonah Jameson won't be in the movie. That's right, Spidey fans. We've confirmed that no one will be growling "Parker!" in this 3D reboot. So much for those rumors about John Slattery or Sam Elliott playing him.

That's not to say The Daily Bugle isn't in the movie, as these recent set photos of a Bugle delivery van make clear.

How do you feel about J.J. sitting this Spider-Man out? Sound off in the Comments below!

World Invasion : Battle Los Angeles - Official Trailer 2 [HD]

'The Mechanic' Trailer

'Source Code' Trailer

Waiting For Forever Movie Trailer Official (HD)

'Cowboys and Aliens' Trailer HD

Pirates 5 Writer Hired

Disney believes future installments in its Pirates of the Caribbean franchise are seaworthy enough to hire a series veteran to script Pirates of the Caribbean 5.

Deadline reports that Disney has sealed a deal with Terry Rossio, the co-writer of the previous four Pirates pics, to script the fifth entry. It will mark the first film in the series Rossio will have written without his partner, Ted Elliott.

The site adds that Disney is also angling to sign Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides director Rob Marshall to helm the fifth movie, and that Johnny Depp has a deal to reprise his role as Jack Sparrow for another movie although he's not locked.

Depp, however, told Entertainment Weekly that he's gung-ho to set sail for another movie. "As long as we can put all the puzzle pieces together, I would most definitely consider it," said Depp.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides opens May 20.

New Captain America Image - The Star-Spangled Avenger goes old school in this new shot.

Today is a good day if you're a Marvel fan. Earlier we got our first glimpse at the new Spider-man costume from Sony's now-shooting reboot, and now we also have a fresh look at Captain America from his impending movie. And even better, it's the World War II version of Cap -- helmet and all!

Entertainment Weekly is running the image in their print magazine and on their site right now. Here's a partial look at it:

Gotta love the helmet and the way they've handled the wings, eh?

Tron 3 Too?

Do you want a Tron: Legacy sequel? Do you care?

In what amounts to a very thin piece from Harry Knowles at AICN, the ultimate Internet fanboy says that he has received word that a third film in the Tron series is "incredibly close to" being announced.

Legacy's lukewarm critical reception and not-exactly-stellar box office notwithstanding, a sequel isn't out of the question -- and, of course, was Disney's ultimate plan when they decided to revisit the 30-year-old series. Franchise, baby, franchise!

Knowles points out that the film is on the verge of hitting $300 million worldwide, but really, is that enough to justify a third film? The production budget on Legacy was reportedly $170 million (and that of course doesn't include marketing and prints and all that jazz), and despite AICN's assertion to the contrary, those light cycle toys and Jeff Bridges action figures haven't exactly been flying off shelves.

Maybe it's all a bid to build buzz for the Blu-ray release of Legacy and the long-MIA original film. Or maybe Knowles knows what he's talking about. Doesn't mean it's a good idea, though.

The New Spider-Man Revealed!

Sony has released the first official photo of actor Andrew Garfield in costume as the big screen's next Spider-Man.

The image, seen below, shows Garfield in costume but maskless as the friendly neighborhood web-slinger. If you look closely, you can see that he has web-shooters on the underside of his wrists.

The costume looks similar to the one worn by his predecessor, Tobey Maguire, but more streamlined and stylized, particularly the gloves and the spider logo on his chest. 

Godzilla Returning to the Big Screen

Godzilla is stomping his way back onto the silver screen, and is taking the director of Monsters with him.

British filmmaker Gareth Edwards is said to be sealing a deal to develop and direct the Legendary Pictures project, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The trade adds that "Edwards will now work with a new yet-to-hired writer on the script."

The film will fall under the company's co-production and co-financing deal with Warner Bros. Toho Company will distribute the film in Japan.

In addition to Legendary, producers on the new film will be Dan Lin, Roy Lee and Brian Rogers. Yoshimitsu Banno, Kenji Okuhira and Doug Davison will Executive Produce.

Toho's Godzilla franchise has extended into various media over its 50+ year span, including books, TV programs, video games and more than 25 films worldwide.

Hobbit Sets Serkis, More Rumored

Andy Serkis is now set to reprise his role as Gollum in the two-part adaptation of The Hobbit.

New Line confirmed Serkis' casting to Variety. Serkis, as you know, played Gollum (and Smeagol) in the Lord of the Rings films. The Hobbit will reunite him with that trilogy's Oscar-winning director, Peter Jackson.

Meanwhile, Deadline claims "others who appeared in The Lord of the Rings poised to return at this point include Ian McKellen (who's still working out a deal to return as Gandalf in a major role), Christopher Lee is in talks to reprise the wizard Saruman, and Ian Holm to return as an older version of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman is playing that title role in the two new movies)."

Pre-production on The Hobbit is currently under way in New Zealand for a February start.

Reitman on Ghostbusters 3

Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman is keen on the script for Ghostbusters 3, saying "it's got a really good story, this one. Maybe the best of the whole series. I hope we get to do it."

In a chat with Coming Soon, Reitman said Bill Murray "hasn't read it. There has been all kinds of chatter online about him reading it and not liking it. He has not read a thing. He's never read anything. And I just sent it to him. So we'll see. God knows how long that will take. But we'll see."

Reitman did confirm that all of the original cast, including Sigourney Weaver, are in the script, but otherwise "there has been a ton of stuff about casting [online], about who's in... none of it is true."

Reitman also told Associated Press that Ghostbusters 3 is "good enough to do, to take the risk of doing again."

New Movie Gossip Site

Welcome to B.M.G. - Bougz Movie Gossip. This site will contain the latest movie news and gossip. Enjoy.