Yesterday the Weinstein Co. announced their battle with the MPAA over the R-rating given to the documentary Bully has come to an end. The film did not get the PG-13 rating the studio wanted and will instead be released this weekend, March 30, without a rating. The R-rating, for those wondering, is apparently for six uses of the eff-word. I’m seeing it tonight, I hope my fragile ears can handle it.
Did you hear about the latest craze? No, well apparently the recent ignorant thing to do is to take to Twitter and make racist comments regarding The Hunger Games. [source]
Jane Fonda will play Nancy Reagan in The Butler for Lee Daniels (Precious) which is based on a Washington Post report by Wil Haygood following Eugene Allen (Forest Whitaker), the White House butler whose career started with Harry Truman in 1952 and ended in 1986 with Ronald Reagan. David Oyelowo is in negotiations to play Allen’s son, while Liam Neeson and John Cusack are circling presidential supporting roles as Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon, respectively. Fonda will appear in a handful of scenes as the first lady of the United States. [source]
Angelina Jolie, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, discussed her upcoming role as the title character in Maleficent, a deconstruction of the “Sleeping Beauty” fairy tale told from the perspective of the princess’ evil nemesis.
“It sounds really crazy to say that there will be something that’s good for young girls in this, because it sounds like you’re saying they should be a villain. [Maleficent] is actually a great person, but she’s not perfect. She’s far from perfect. In general, it’s a very good message to say, ‘let’s look at something from the other side.’ But then also, what our challenge will be — and the script writer [Linda Woolverton] has already cracked it — is not to simplify it, not to just reverse the story but tell a bigger story that doesn’t point the finger [at Princess Aurora] either. It doesn’t flip it.
[…]
“I’ve already got my horns fitted. My kids are very happy. We’re still figuring out the look. We’re experimenting with different things. But the horns are the horns — you can’t deny them. You have to have horns.”
Elle Fanning is set to play Aurora with Robert Stromberg directing. [source]
Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis are lining up to star in Jupiter Rising for Andy and Lana Wachowski (The Matrix, Cloud Atlas). While plot details are unknown Jupiter Rising is an original idea and is being referred to as a potential science-fiction franchise, the first for the Wachowskis since The Matrix. [source]
Joel Kinnaman, who is taking on the title role in the remake of Robocop, told MTV they are working on the new suit right now. He adds, “[The] visor is going to be see-through. You’re going to see his eyes… RoboCop is going to be a lot more human.” [source]
15-year-old Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass) and 24-year-old Haley Bennett (Lawless) are apparently among the contenders for the title role in Kimberly Peirce‘s (Boys Don’t Cry) attempt to remake Stephen King’s “Carrie”. Interestingly enough, nine years separate Moretz and Bennett and other contenders include Dakota Fanning (18), Emily Browning (23), Bella Heathcote and Lily Collins (23). Shailene Woodley (The Descendants) is said to have already passed on the role while Jodie Foster and Julianne Moore are rumored for the role of Carrie’s mother. [source]
A casting call for Iron Man 3 confirms Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle and Scarlett Johansson will return for the third film in the continuing franchise for director Shane Black [source]
The stupidity surrounding the pre-production on the Michael Bay-produced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live-action feature continues as Bay has responded to the recent rumors the film would simply be titled Ninja Turtles, which had people wondering if they would even be teenagers (ugh, just typing that gives me heartache). Here’s what he had to say:
Paramount marketing changed the name. They made the title simple. The characters you all remember are exactly the same, and yes they still act like teenagers. Everything you remember, why you liked the characters, is in the movie. This script is being developed by two very smart writers, with one of the original creators of Ninja Turtles. They care VERY MUCH about making this film for the fans. Everyone on this team cares about the fans. Just give them a chance. Jonathan the director, is a major fan of the whole franchise. HE’S NOT GOING TO LET YOU DOWN.
MICHAEL
So, yes, it will be titled Ninja Turtles with Jonathan Liebesman (Battle: Los Angeles, Wrath of the Titans) directing and a targeted December 25, 2013 release date. Let the unfounded complaining continue on whatever the next rumor may be. [source]
Finally, here’s a third TV spot for Prometheus.
