"The Dark Knight Rises"
Empire magazine has unveiled the covers for their special coverage of next summer's sure-to-be blockbuster.  I have to say, the more I learn about this project the more excited I am to see it.  I think writer/director Christopher Nolan may have indeed saved the best for last.  Photos from the article are also included. 

"Prometheus"
This week's Entertainment Weekly has new scans from Ridley Scott's ultra-secret film "Prometheus". Check out the images...

This is one of many 2012 features that I am absolutely amped to see.  The movie hits theaters on 6/8/12.

"Godzilla"
WB and Legendary Pictures have hired scribe Max Borenstein ("The Seventh Son") to write the script for the upcoming 'Godzilla' reboot.  David Goyer (the current Batman trilogy) recently took a stab at the script.  The film will be helmed by indie director Gareth Edwards. 

"Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
With the film turning into an unexpected summer blockbuster (earning $453.3 million worldwide) Fox is planning to push for an Oscar nod for motion capture actor Andy Serkis in the Best Supporting Actor category.  Serkis drew much of the same buzz for his mo-cap work as Gollum in 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy, as well as for his work on 2005's "King Kong".  Back in 1980, Fox and Lucasfilm tried unsuccessfully to get an Oscar nod for puppeteer Frank Oz for his work as Yoda in "The Empire Strikes Back".  Disney also attempted to get Oscar considering for Robin Williams for his work in the 1992 animated hit "Aladdin" (Williams ended up walking away with a special award from the Golden Globes that year).  If Fox is successful this time out, it would be the first time in history for an actor receiving Oscar recognition for not technically appearing on screen.

"Blade Runner"
Director Ridley Scott has confirmed in an interview with Speakeasy that the new "Blade Runner" project is "liable to be a sequel".  Scott also went on to say that the film will have a new cast, meaning that we won't be seeing either Harrison Ford or Edward James Olmos in the new incarnation.  Scott revealed that the sequel will probably be his follow-up to next year's "Prometheus".  Funny how history is repeating itself.  "Blade Runner" was Scott's first film after the 1979 classic "Alien".  Now the sequel to "Blade Runner" is following the prequel to "Alien".  Go figure.

"Popeye" (Sony)
Sony has hired Jay Scherick and David Ronn to write the animated adaptation of "Popeye".  The scribes last wrote Sony's summer hit "The Smurfs".  Though not many details are yet known about the project, the CG animated flick will be released in 3D. 

"Zorro"
Sony has hired television writers Matthew Federman and Stephen Scaia ("Jericho", "Warehouse 13", and "Human Target") to pen the studio's planned reboot to the "Zorro" franchise. I would assume the studio is hoping to get this one within the next two years. The previous two 'Zorro' flicks, 1998's "The Mask of Zorro" and 2005's "The Legend of Zorro", earned a combined worldwide haul of $392.7 million. Those films starred Antonio Banderas and Oscar-winner Catherine Zeta-Jones.

"Man of Steel"

Below are three shots of Oscar-winner Russell Crowe in costume as Superman's father Jor-El. Click on any image for a larger size:

"Godzilla"

Two shots from the website infamouskidd.com of what may be (close to) the final look of the new updated Godzilla for the reboot film. Click on either image to enlarge.  

"Mortal Kombat"
New Line/WB's "Mortal Kombat" will be the latest dormant franchise that will be rebooted.  The new movie will be written by Oren Uziel and directed by Kevin Tancharoen.  The studio hopes this one will be ready for either a late 2012 release or a (more likely) 2013 launch. 

"RoboCop"
Writer/director José Padilha and co-writer Joshua Zetumer recently turned in their latest draft of the script for the upcoming "RoboCop" reboot and the focus now is shifting toward casting. Padilha revealed that he will be meeting actor Michael Fassbender for the lead role. Fassbender made a big splash this year for his peformance as Magneto in "X-Men: First Class" as well as his work in the film "Shame". Fassbender is currently working on the "Alien" prequel "Prometheus" with director Ridley Scott.

"RoboCop" is expected to start shooting sometime this spring.

The official press release announcing Juan Carlos Fresnadillo as the director of the "Highlander" reboot...

Juan Carlos Fresnadillo will direct Summit Entertainment’s re-imagination of the cult film HIGHLANDER co-financed by RCR Media Group. Summit’s HIGHLANDER is written by Art Marcum and Matt Holloway. Neal H. Mortiz and Peter Davis will produce the project along with Enrique López Lavigne and Belen Atienza. RCR Media Group’s principles Rui Costa Reis and Eliad Josephson will executive produce the film. Justin Lin will also executive produce. Summit acquired the rights to remake the cult classic from Davis – Panzer Productions, Inc. in May of 2008. Production on the film is slated to begin spring of 2012.

In HIGHLANDER, after centuries of dueling to survive against others like him, Connor MacLeod, an immortal Scottish swordsman must confront the last of his kind, a murderously brutal barbarian, who lusts for the Prize.

Juan Carlos Fresnadillo directed 28 WEEKS LATER as well as INTRUDERS, which is premiering at the Toronto Film Festival.

Press release for the upcoming reboot of the Keanu Reeves/Patrick Swaze actioner "Point Break"...

LOS ANGELES, CA., SEPTEMBER 12, 2011 – Financing and production company Alcon Entertainment is set to remake the 1991 action-thriller POINT BREAK as a feature film for release by Warner Bros, its home studio, it was announced by Alcon co-founders and co-CEO’s Broderick Johnsonand Andrew Kosove. The Alcon principals secured rights to the project the week of the original film’s 20th anniversary from RGM Media, John McMurrick and Chris Taylor. Kosove and Johnson will produce along with Michael DeLuca, John Baldecchi, Chris Taylor and Kurt Wimmer who also wrote the screenplay (“Salt,” “Law Abiding Citizen,” upcoming “Total Recall”). RGM Media principal Devesh Chetty and investor John McMurrick, Chairman ofMarloss Entertainment, will serve as Executive Producers. The film is being fast tracked, with the filmmakers set to take the project out to directors soon.

The new version is set in the world of international extreme sports,and like the original involves an undercover FBI agent infiltrating a criminalring, but plot points beyond that have not been revealed by the filmmakers. State Johnson and Kosove: “Who doesn’t love the Kathryn Bigelow original and its pure heart-pounding action and thrills? Kurt’s take infuses the story and characters with new twists and settings.” Adds DeLuca “’Point Break’ wasn’t just a film, it was a Zen meditation on testosterone fueled action and manhood in the late 20th centuryand we hope to create the same for the young 21st!” In addition to the feature rights, Alcon has also secured television and gaming rights to POINT BREAK. The Bigelow original, starring Keanu Reeves, Patrick Swayze and Gary Busey, was produced by Largo Entertainment and released by Fox.

"Beetlejuice"
WB have inked a first-look deal with David Katzenberg and Seth Grahame-Smith's production company Katzsmith.  One of the projects under this deal will be the reboot to Tim Burton's 1988 hit film "Beetlejuice".  Reports indicate that the deal grew from Grahame-Smith's screenwriting work on Tim Burton's upcoming vampire flick "Dark Shadows".  There is no word on when we can expect to see the new version of "Beetlejuice" to hit the screen, but I would expect to see it in either 2013 or 2014.

"Blade Runner"
Legendary director Ridley Scott is once again returning to one of his greats from the past. Scott, who is currently shooting the "Alien" prequel "Prometheus", has inked a deal to direct and produce a "new version" of his 1982 sci-fi gem "Blade Runner". It is currently unknown whether the movie will be a prequel/sequel or a reboot.

"Prometheus"
Actor Patrick Wilson ("Watchmen") has joined the cast of director Ridley Scott's "Alien" prequel. Wilson joins an already impressive cast which includes Michael Fassbender, Oscar-winner Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Noomi Rapace, Ben Foster, and Guy Pearce. This is one of the 2012 releases that I'm most looking forward to seeing.

"Highlander"
Director Justin Lin will no longer be helming this reboot, but will stay on as an Executive Producer. Lin will next be directing "Fast Six" and will likely follow that up with the "Terminator" reboot. With the massive success of "Fast Five" (currently sitting on a worldwide box office haul $604.4 million), Universal simply made Lin an offer he couldn't refuse to return for the follow-up.

Summit is now actively searching for a suitable replacement for Lin to helm "Highlander". The Twilight Saga' (and "Dexter") scribe Mellisa Rosenberg recently did a rewrite to the script and the studio is hoping they have a film ready for 2013. With 'The Twilight Saga' ending in 2012, Summit really wants a new franchise to fill the role of resident cash cow.

"The Terminator"
Director Justin Lin recently revealed that he has met with series star Arnold Schwartzenegger, as well as series creator James Cameron on the upcoming reboot. Here is what Lin had to say about the subject in a recent interview...

“Just even this week, I had a great meeting with Arnold and James Cameron, just sitting down unofficially. And James is so gracious because he’s not part of the project, he’s not going to be producing, but it was great of him just as a filmmaker to take time out to just talk.”

If all goes well, Lin will helm this one after he completes work on "Fast Six". Lin is also on the shortlist of directors being considered for "Die Hard 5" at Fox. See what directing back-to-back blockbusters ("Fast & Furious" and "Fast Five" earned a combined $967 million globally) can do for your career?

"Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
With the success of the 'Apes' reboot (it will pass the $100 million mark this weekend), the makers of the film are now talking about a sequel. There have even been rumblings of a potential trilogy of films. Here are the remarks director Rupert Wyatt made while speaking with Bleeding Cool (link provided at bottom)...

“You could start this story again eight years from where we left off, the next generation of apes, those that have come from our protagonists, perhaps going in to a conflict with humans and showing real fear, in the same way as going into war for young soldiers in this day and age, telling their story. Or how apes are taking over cities, and being moved into human environments and having to interact with them and deal with things that are part of our culture and understand and evolve through them. Spies that are in the employ of the apes, working against humans and humans maybe existing underground, because that’s a way they can avoid the virus, coming up above ground wearing gas masks, and maybe that’s what dehumanises them.”

"Dirty Dancing" (Lionsgate)
LGF has tapped Kenny Ortega to helm the reboot to the 1987 film which launched the late Patrick Swayze into stardom.  Ortega served as dance choreographer for that film.  The 1987 hit was made for a meager sum of $6 million at Vestron Studios, but went on to earn $214 million worldwide ($64 million coming domestically).  The movie spawned a largely forgotten sequel called "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights" in 2004 (released by Lionsgate through Artisan).  It only earned about $28 million globally (just $14 million of that was earned domestically).

"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" at the Box Office...
This weekend saw Fox's "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" exceed expectations and top the box office with $54 million. The reboot came in well past the most generous weekend predictions with most having it pegged at a debut in the neighborhood of $35-$45 million. Overall, 'Apes' delivered the fifth biggest debut ever for a series reboot, as well being only the fifth such film to open north of the $50 million plateau. Seems that being fifth was a theme for this movie as it also claimed the fifth best opening ever for the month of August coming in behind "The Bourne Ultimatum" ($69.3 million), "Rush Hour 2" ($67.4 million), "Signs" ($60.1 million), and "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" ($54.7 million). Continuing the theme, this was only the fifth time that an August release opened with more than $50 million. Go figure.

'Apes' will have little difficulty in becoming the seventh series reboot to top the $100 million mark domestically. At a relatively modest budget of just over $90 million, the movie is performing well above studio expectations. The studio believes the movie will have sturdy legs in the coming weeks so I think its safe to say that we'll be seeing a sequel in either 2013 or 2014. Congrats to everyone involved for successfully re-launching the 'Apes' franchise.

"Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
This weekend will likely see "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" become the latest franchise reboot to open #1 at the box office, at least according to most early predictions. The general consensus is that the movie will earn no less than $35 million, but as high as $50 million this weekend. The early reviews have so far been stellar and Fox is hoping that propels the movie to the higher end of opening weekend box office projections. I'm expecting the movie to become the eighth reboot to have a debut weekend mark north of the $40 million mark. Since 2005, four reboots have managed to open with more than $50 million ("Star Trek", "The Karate Kid", "The Incredible Hulk", and "X-Men: First Class").

Currently, there have been six reboots that managed to end their respective domestic runs with $100 million, with only two of those topping $200 mil ("Star Trek" and "Batman Begins"). I think its a safe assumption that 'Apes' will be the seventh reboot to top the century mark, but I'm doubtful it'll have enough juice to pass the double-century plateau. Still, the movie was made for a relatively modest sum of $90 million and a strong performance globally will all but guarantee a follow-up within the next few years.

Fox isn't expecting mega-blockbuster numbers, but they are hopeful that this one will be big enough to re-energize the franchise.

"Man of Steel"
Oscar-nominated actor Laurence Fishburne has been cast as Daily Planet editor-in-chief Perry White. This is a fantastic addition to an already impressive cast which boasts Oscar-winners Russell Crowe (Jor-El) and Kevin Costner (Jonathan Kent), as well as Oscar-nominees Amy Adams (Lois Lane), Diane Lane (Martha Kent), Michael Shannon (General Zod) and now Fishburne. British actor Henry Cavill will be playing Superman/Clark Kent.

To my knowledge Fishburne will become the first African-American actor to take on the role of Perry White, which was last played on the big screen by Oscar-nominee Frank Langela. "Man of Steel" hits theaters on June 14th, 2013.

“Iron Man 3” (Marvel/Disney) 5/3/13
“Fast Six” (Universal) 5/24/13
“Turbo” (DreamWorks/Paramount) 6/7/13
“Man of Steel” (WB) 6/14/13
“How to Train Your Dragon 2” (DreamWorks/Paramount) 6/21/13
“R.I.P.D.” (Universal) 6/28/13
“Despicable Me 2” (Universal) 7/3/13
“Pacific Rim” (WB) 7/12/13
“Oblivian” (Universal) 7/19/13
“Thor II” (Marvel/Disney) 7/26/13

UPDATED: As the news sinks in that "Man of Steel" is now a summer 2013 release, the studio's reasoning is becoming clearer. Before today WB only had "Pacific Rim" scheduled for the summer 2013 frame (July 12th). By adding "Man of Steel" to the schedule they now have a film that has a realistic shot at being one of the biggest movies of that summer. Another factor to the switch may have been the suits at WB were a bit leery about two of their major tentpoles opening within weeks of each other. Before the change, 'The Hobbit' was set to open just two weeks before the Superman reboot. I'm sure the WB execs didn't want either 'The Hobbit' or "Man of Steel" dipping into one another's box office tallies. At the end of the day, the change makes a lot of sense and WB has given "Man of Steel" a real shot at being a dominant summer hit instead of it (possibly) getting lost in the shuffle in the wake of 'The Hobbit'.

Trailer Reviews

"The Amazing Spider-Man"
The teaser leaked online before being pulled by Sony. I did manage to see it before it was yanked and as I posted in the description in the Reboot Directory, this one looks and feels very much like "Batman Begins" with a dash of "Twilight" thrown in (you'll notice star Andrew Garfield's messy Edward Cullin-like hairdo). For me, the best moment was the POV shot of Spidey making his way through the New York City skyline, culminating in the lone shot of Peter in the costume. It would've been nice to more of the new suit, but we'll have to wait until the second trailer for that. Overall, a solid teaser that showcased both the story and the impressive cast that director Marc Webb has assembled.

This reboot looks very different than the Sam Raimi pictures and Webb is going for a darker tone this time out. While I'm a big fan of the movie's plot direction, it may be a tough sell for those moviegoers that loved the original films helmed by Raimi. Grade: B+

"The Avengers"
Again, the teaser was leaked online before being pulled by Marvel. This will be the end of the credits sequence for "Captain America: The First Avenger", and this is exactly what you want in a teaser. It's fast, loud, and we see quick flashes of the main players in the movie. Nick Fury's (Sam Jackson) final line pretty much says it all, "Gentleman, you're up." While this summer has yet to yield a blockbuster ($200 million-plus earning) superhero film (Capt. America has a shot), I fully expect "The Avengers" to open huge next year, especially considering it'll be opening the summer season. To me, this is the epitome of what a great teaser trailer should be. Grade: A+

"The Dark Knight Rises"
WB unveiled their teaser for the final film in Christopher Nolan's epic Batman trilogy this weekend with the release of the finale to the 'Harry Potter' franchise. The non-bootleg version of the teaser hit the web on Monday. My initial thoughts are that it looks very worthy to the previous two films and Nolan could avoid the dreaded "third film curse" that a lot of prior film franchises have had to endure.

In the teaser we see a hospitalized Commissioner Gordon talking to someone (most assume its Batman) about how evil has essentially taken over Gotham since the disappearance of Batman and that it is time for the Dark Knight to make his return to right many wrongs in the city. We see a quick glimpse of Bane, as well as the teaser poster art. The most talked about shot is the last one of an obviously winded Batman squaring off with an approaching Bane.

In my opinion, this is a fantastic teaser for what is easily one of next year's most anticipated movies. The only reason I'm not giving it an A+ is because we didn't get at least a glimpse of Anne Hathaway as Catwoman. A minor quibble for an otherwise great preview. Grade: A

“Dredd” (from the Reboot Directory)
Currently filming with director Pete Travis (“Vantage Point”) and starring Karl Urban as Judge Dredd.  Other cast members include Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey, Jason Cope, Domhnall Gleeson, Langley Kirkwood, Francis Choulder, Kevon Kane, Joe Vaz, Warrick Grier, Scott Sparrow, Luke Tyler, Travis Snyders, Martin Kintu, and Rakie, Ayola.

With a production budget in the neighborhood of $45-$50 million, the producers are hoping this film spawns sequels instead crashing and burning at the box office like the first attempt at a Dredd flick.  1995’s “Judge Dredd” starred Sylvester Stallone, cost more than $85 million, and managed to earn $113.5 million worldwide (only $34.7 million coming domestically).  The movie was an unmitigated box office and critical disaster.  All plans for a franchise were quickly scrapped. 

This new version will hopefully avoid the mistakes made with the first one.  This one is expected to be released sometime in 2012.

"The Amazing Spider-Man"
The teaser trailer debuts next weekend with the release of "Captain America: The First Avenger" and Entertainment Weekly will also be doing a cover story on the new Spidey flick. Posted on the left is the cover shot from the mag. The issue hits newsstands on Tuesday.

"RoboCop"
Throw another name into the mix as actor Michael C. Hall ("Dexter") is now rumored to be up for the lead role in the "RoboCop" reboot. While Hall is a fantastic actor (how he has yet to win an Emmy for his work on "Dexter" is beyond me) this goes against hiring a younger actor since Hall recently turned 40. No offense to Pine, but of the two I'd love to see Hall's take on the material. Another plus is that Pine is attached to other big name projects and the studio wouldn't have to wait for him. Hall is currently shooting the sixth season of "Dexter" and will be done sometime in December. If, and I stress if since this is all a rumor at this point, Hall is hired for the part, filming can begin in January. Stay tuned...

"Godzilla" Legendary
Screenwriter David S. Goyer ("Dark City", "Batman Begins", "The Dark Knight", "The Dark Knight Rises", and "Man of Steel") has been hired to pen the script for the long in development feature.  While there are currently no details on what the story will be about, I'm hoping its going to be a major improvement on the 1998 film.  That movie, which was made by Sony, was made by the then team of Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin, who were coming off of back-to-back successes with "Stargate" and the blockbuster hit "Independence Day".  While the film was a success at the box office (earning $379 million worldwide), it failed to meet the studio's lofty expectations, as well as being panned by both film critics (earning only a 25% rating at Rotten Tomatoes) and moviegoers (a disappointing 38% rating) alike. That film was supposed to be the start of a franchise, but shortly after it's release all plans for a sequel were scrapped.  Legendary Films now hopes to turn this into a not only a huge hit movie, but one that will produce sequels.  Hiring Goyer is a great move as he's one of the rare screenwriters with name recognition, largely due to his partnership with Christopher Nolan over the years.  If all goes well, this one will hit theaters in either 2013 or 2014.

“Robocop"
Rumors are circulating that MGM’s top choice for their “RoboCop” reboot is actor Chris Pine.  Pine is already attached to two other big industry franchises, ‘Star Trek’ (Captain Kirk) and the upcoming Jack Ryan series reboot.  Both of these franchises are housed at Paramount.  MGM recently signed director Jose Padilha to helm “RoboCop” and if they are able to ink Pine to a deal don’t be surprised if this one goes before cameras right after he finishes work on the ‘Star Trek’ sequel. 

All this is moot if they aren’t able to sign Pine, which again is only a rumor at this point.  Still, MGM has stated that they wanted a younger actor (late 20s or early 30s) to headline the movie.  Pine will turn 31 next month.  Whoever they get to play the part will very likely sign at least a three-picture deal, so it makes sense to want an actor well under the age of 40 to hang the franchise on.

“Star Trek” Sequel…
With “Super 8” turning into a big hit for both director J.J. Abrams and Paramount this summer (it has so far tallied $170 million worldwide), the suits at the studio are anxious for the director to get to work on the sequel as soon as possible.  The movie will already miss out on a summer 2012 release, but there is hope that it’ll be ready for Christmas.  I still think it won’t hit theaters until the summer of 2013, but that’s just me.

Rumors have been swirling that next weekend's release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" will be used by WB to release both the teaser poster and teaser trailer to "The Dark Knight Rises". While we all probably won't know anything official until the midnight screenings of 'Potter' on Thursday night, I wouldn't be at all surprised if WB uses this opportunity to get a sneak peek out there of what will be one of their biggest (if not the biggest) 2012 releases.

“Transformers” Update…
Here is an interesting quote from producer Don Murphy concerning where the Transformers franchise goes now…

“What happens next? Certainly not a reboot. We haven't lost the Transformers. They didn't grow up or become expensive like Toby Maguire. I don't know what happens next. I'm pretty sure there will be a second trilogy. I am pretty sure it will kick ass. And I am pretty sure some of you will hate it because it wasn't all bots.”

A second trilogy is the plan and rumors are swirling that action star Jason Statham will be taking over the lead in the series.  What’s more interesting is that Statham is the real-life boyfriend of actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, who took over the female lead duties for TF3 from ousted actress Megan Fox. 

TF3 is on its way to becoming the biggest worldwide hit of the franchise and it’s a no-brainer that both DreamWorks and Paramount intend to ride this train until the wheels come off. 

“Werewolf” (Universal)
2010’s “The Wolfman” was originally slated to get a straight-to-DVD sequel, but now the studio has opted to do a reboot instead.  Louis Morneau has been hired to direct the feature from a script written by Michael Tabb.  Casting is expected to begin very soon.  I wouldn’t be surprised if the studio is positioning this one to be released in either Halloween of 2012 or sometime during the fall of 2013.