News Archive

Coens to go Inside Llewyn Davis for next project

They showed they had True Grit (and major box office and awards appeal) with their last film, so, being the slightly eccentric duo that they are, Joel and Ethan Coen have gone from the Old West to musical biopic Inside Llewyn Davis.

Variety reports that the film is likely to be inspired by the life story of American folk music guru Dave Van Ronk, telling the tale of a fictional struggling folk musician in 1960s New York. Van Ronk, who died in 2002, is said to have been an influence on the likes of Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan. There is no casting news as yet, but that shouldn't stop the rumours from flying...

John Moore will tackle Jon McClane as Die Hard 5 director

In what we hope was an X Factor-style judging contest, soundtracked by Take That, John Moore has emerged triumphant in the search for a director for Die Hard 5. Deadline reports that 20th Century Fox has officially handed Moore the reins to John McClane's fifth adventure after original director Noam Murro left to work on 300 spin-off Battle of Artemisia.

Apparently, other names on the list had included the likes of Joe Cornish, Justin Lin and Nicolas Winding Refn, but franchise star Bruce Willis was most convinced by Moore. Skip Woods has written the script for Die Hard 5, which reportedly sees McClane and his son battling bad guys in Russia.

Director Marc Webb talks Spider-Man

He has the perfect name for a Spider-Man director, and he seems fairly confident about his new version too. Marc Webb admitted to being "sceptical at first", but spoke excitedly about helming the upcoming The Amazing Spider-Man, starring Andrew Garfield as the new web-slinger.

Webb told Total Film at Comic-Con: "Spider-Man is part of our culture, he's a perennial character. He belongs on the big screen. Spidey is constantly re-examined and there's way too many versions of him in the comics… That was something I thought we could do cinematically."

Despite his only feature film experience before Spidey coming in the form of indie rom com hit (500) Days of Summer, Webb felt up for the challenge of tackling the superhero - and doing so in 3D: "I was a little sceptical at first - you feel the presence of those other movies. But then I was like, 'How could I walk away from this? What an opportunity!' What better cinematic character is there than Spidey! I wanted to shoot certain things very specifically for 3D.

"There's an experiential component to 3D that's really fantastic and we're experimenting with generating that point of view so you feel how Spider-Man feels when he's jumping over these buildings," he said.

"We made a conscious effort to do those effects practically and we had an incredible stunt team. We built this whole rig - hundreds of feet long - in Harlem, and we actually swung a man through traffic down the street. I thought that was really exciting, not to mention an incredible level of acrobatics".

Anna Kendrick sounds Pitch Perfect

She may be a small lady, but Anna Kendrick is out to prove she has a big enough voice to star in singing comedy Pitch Perfect. The Up In The Air actress is currently in talks for the lead part, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

30 Rock writer Kay Cannon has adapted the script from Mickey Rapkin's non-fiction book, which follows an outsider student who discovers she has a talent for singing and becomes a key part in the school's a cappella group. Some of you may remember that Elizabeth Banks was linked to the lead role a few years ago. Jason Moore is the man with the megaphone for this one and shooting is expected to kick off in New Orleans before the end of the year.

Kendrick will next be seen in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 followed by 50/50 with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen.

Eddie Murphy to host the Oscars?

Following the uninspiring performances from young bucks Anne Hathaway and James Franco as this year's Oscar hosts, could the Academy be turning to a Hollywood veteran for next year? Reports suggest that Eddie Murphy has emerged as the favourite to present the 84th Academy Awards ceremony.

Producing duties are in the hands of Bret Ratner and Deadline reports that Murphy's name is at the top of his list as host. The pair recently worked together on comedy Tower Heist with Ben Stiller. Rumours also abound that Oscars favourite Billy Crystal will be involved in some way. Murphy memorably missed out on the Best Supporting Actor award for Dreamgirls in 2007 with Alan Arkin taking the gong home instead for Little Miss Sunshine.

The Help works overtime to retain US No. 1

Despite three new films being released over the weekend, 1960s Civil Rights drama The Help did not need any assistance to ward off the competition, maintaining its stranglehold on the US Box Office summit with a $14.2 million total over the weekend. The Debt at second, Apollo 18 in third and Shark Night 3D taking fourth were the trio of new entries unable to shift The Help. Hollywood's woman du jour, Jessica Chastain, holds the rare honour of appearing in both the number and number two films in the chart. Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes dropped two places to complete the top five.

Zoe Saldana couldn't arrest Colombiana's second week slide to sixth; Our Idiot Brother looked foolish in seventh; while Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark was left in the shadows at eight. The Spy Kids' fourth adventure went into the cold at nine, and The Smurfs are also feeling the chill at ten.

The Inbetweeners still knee-deep at top of UK chart

The Inbetweeners Movie refused to budge for a third week in a row as the sweary sex-starved sixth formers earned £3.68 million over the weekend. Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes lived up to its name by climbing up a place to two, swapping positions with One Day at three. The Smurfs were still plying their blue movie appeal (not that kind of blue movie) at four, while Bollywood rom com Bodyguard was the week's highest new entry at five.

Final Destination 5 made a pit-stop at six; Fright Night had a quiet evening, debuting at seven; while Apollo 18's lunar lunacy only earned it an eighth-placed opening. Harry Potter's long goodbye still had a few more waves to go at nine, while Cowboys & Aliens proved a weak combination at ten.

John Carpenter goes West

Apparently, the man who brought us horror classics like Halloween and The Thing has always wanted to make a Western - and it looks like John Carpenter's dream is finally coming true.

"I'm right now working on a little gothic western, we'll see if we can get it set up," he told the Fright Night Festival in Louisville, Kentucky.

"I got into this business to make westerns. And I got typecast as a horror director after Halloween. My dream was to have a career in directing movies and so I went where they wanted me to go."

We doff our cap to you for finally following your heart, Mr Carpenter. There are no details available on the film yet, but with the success of the likes of True Grit and, to a much lesser extent, Cowboys & Aliens, there is clearly still a market for saddles and saloon shoot-outs.

Willis and Arnie anything but Expendable

Brace yourselves for Hollywood's worst kept secret, but it has finally been confirmed that Bruce 'Yippee-ki-yay' Willis and Arnie 'True To His Word' Schwartzenegger will indeed 'be back' for the next instalment of The Expendables, only this time with "substantial roles".

We'd hope so too after the pair featured for just a couple of minutes in the first film, but reports suggest that Willis will be playing the arch bad guy, with none other than Jean Claude Van Damme as his deputy.

It is still unclear as to the Austrian Oak's role, but former faves Statham, Rourke, Lundgren and Sly are all set to return with Chuck Norris and possibly even snakehips himself, John Travolta, rumoured to be joining the motley crew.

With Simon West (Tomb Raider, The Mechanic) in the director's chair this time around, filming is due to start next month.

Hopkins avoids killer role

Renowned and reviled the world over for his Chianti-guzzling, liver-chomping portrayal of Hannibal Lecter, legendary Welsh thesp Anthony Hopkins is planning to stay on the right side of the law with his next role.

Hopkins, who most recently starred as Odin in Thor and an unconventional exorcist in The Rite, is currently eyeing up serial killer flick Solace, according to Variety.

But rather than play the nutter, Hopkins is forgoing the leather mask and psychotic instincts in favour of playing John Clancy, a doctor with psychic abilities, brought in by the FBI to go head to head with a formidable foe.

Slated for next year, the film is yet to reveal a director, but it has been scripted by James Vanderbilt (Zodiac) and more recently by Peter Morgan (360 and Frost/Nixon) so things look very promising indeed.

Gwyneth Paltrow keen on Sharing

She's been in the news recently talking about her views on infidelity and Gwyneth Paltrow is now set to play a less than monogamous character as she joins the cast of dramatic sex addiction comedy Thanks For Sharing.

Variety reports that Paltrow joins Joely Richardson, Mark Ruffalo and Tim Robbins as a quartet of friends brought together as they undergo a 12-step treatment for sex addiction, while trying to create decent relationships in their personal lives. Paltrow plays Ruffalo's squeeze, Phoebe, while Richardson's character, Katie, is married to Robbins.

Writer Stuart Blumberg (The Kids Are All Right) will direct from a script he wrote with Matt Wilson. Blumberg said: "I couldn't imagine actors more perfect than Gwyneth, Mark, Tim and Joely for this film, and I can't wait to see them bring these characters to life with their unique and formidable talents."

Cotillard joins Audiard's Rust and Bone

Bringing together two of French cinema's brightest lights, director Jacques Audiard (who gave us the fantastic Oscar-nominated A Prophet last year) has nabbed A-Lister Marion Cotillard for his next project, Rust and Bone.

Cotillard will be working from a screenplay by Audiard and his writing partner Thomas Bidegain based on Craig Davidson's collection of short stories, entitled Rust and Bone. The stories focus on a dark world of illegality and low-lifes; the titular tale tells the story of a boxer whose broken finger bones mean he ends up taking part in illegal fights.

Although there is no confirmation as to which of the stories will be adapted yet, Matthias Schoenarts, Celine Sallette and Bouli Lanners will co-star with Cotillard, according to Variety. The French Oscar winner will next be seen in Contagion, followed by a little-known film called The Dark Knight Rises.

Charlie Sheen swaps tiger blood for a Glimpse Inside

Has Charlie Sheen finally come off the crazy wagon and decided to get his career back on track? After being fired from Two and a Half Men, Sheen is hoping to shine again with Roman Coppola bringing the troubled star to the big screen as the titular character in his newest film, A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charlie Swan III.

Variety reports that the story will chart the downfall of Sheen as a world-famous graphic designer who loses everything when his girlfriend splits up with him. Jason Schwartzmann is in line to co-star with Sheen who hasn't had a substantial film role since 2004's The Big Bounce.

Russell Crowe happy to join Les Miserables

He may have his own band (named 30 Odd Foot Of Grunt, if you're interested), but Russell Crowe still isn't the first name that would come to mind for an epic musical. Director Tom Hooper hasn't let that stand in his way though as he's signed the Aussie Oscar-winner up for his live-action version of Les Miserables.

Crowe will be crooning as the villainous Inspector Javert who pursues Hugh Jackman's penniless hero Jean Valjean as he tries to rebuild his life after two decades in prison. The King's Speech crew of Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush, plus Anne Hathaway may also be adding their voices to the chorus, which would make Les Mis one not to miss when it's released on December 7, 2012.

Contagion catches US Box Office cold

Who knew?! All you really need to guarantee domestic Box Office success is a raft of A-Listers, an Academy favourite in the director's chair and great word of mouth. Allow to incubate under the glare of critical scrutiny and sit back as your new pic accrues $23 million in its opening weekend. Steven Soderbergh's global virus thriller Contagion managed to best long-standing No. 1 The Help and nab the top spot at the US Box Office. The poorly all-stars of Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law and Marion Cotillard elbowed their way to the front of the queue then with The Help down to 2 and new entry Warrior going for the ground and pound at 3. The Tom Hardy/Joel Edgerton-starring sports flick hit cinemas in a comparatively limited release but still managed to pull in $5.6 million over the weekend.

The Debt's still cashing cheques its reputation can't cash at 4 whilst Zoe Saldana's taking on all-comers in revenge thriller Colombiana at 5. James Franco just can't stop monkeying around with Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes at 6 and things are looking increasingly fishy for Shark Night 3D at 7.

Apollo 18 failed to ignite the public's imagination it would seem as the 'found footage' horror slips to 8 and Paul Rudd's Our Idiot Brother crashes at 9. Meanwhile Spy Kids 4: All The Time in The World is fast running out of that commodity at 10.

Denzel spreads wings and takes Flight with Zemeckis

It's been a little over 10 years since celebrated filmmaker Robert Zemeckis actually made one of those 'proper films'. Content with championing new mo-cap technology with the likes of Polar Express and Beowulf, the last time Zemeckis worked with 'real' actors was for 2000's Cast Away. So it's with some relief that Paramount announce work on Flight, to be helmed by Zemeckis and set to star the one, the only, Denzel Washington.

Shooting is set to kick-off in October based on a script by John Gatins (who's recently penned Real Steel, a pic that Zemeckis produced). Flight tells the redemption story of 'Whip' (Washington), a commercial airline pilot who pulls off a heroic feat of flying in a damaged plane, saving 98 lives on a flight carrying 106 people. While the world begs to embrace him as a true American Hero, the everyman struggles with this label as he is forced to hold up to the scrutiny of an investigation that brings into question his behaviour the night before the doomed flight.

Interestingly, this will be the first time these two Hollywood stalwarts have worked together as the Who Framed Roger Rabbit director gets ready to bark the orders at the Training Day legend.

Bond 23 update a-go go!

Things are really starting to hot up for Her Majesty's fave secret agent this week as a slew of news comings crawling our way from the production base of Bond 23. By all accounts the Sam Mendes-directed instalment in the long-running 007 franchise will shoot a key scene in and around Turkey's historic Sultanahmet Square - that's according to the country's own culture minister.

You'd be forgiven for not exactly holding the front page but wait, there's more. Original scribe Peter Morgan (The Queen, Frost/Nixon) claims that his "big hook" in the story appears to have remained intact despite Gladiator pen-pusher John Logan's recent re-drafts.

Meanwhile that bastion of trustworthy movie knowledge The Daily Star claims that Brazilian model, and one-time squeeze of old rocker Ronnie Wood, Ana Araujo is vying with Brit star Naomi Harris (Pirates of The Caribbean) to become the next 'Bond Girl'.

And finally, MTV News let slip earlier this week that VMA award winner Adele has a new 'theme' in the works for November, something she would neither confirm nor deny as Bond related.

The Inbetweeners tops the UK Chart yet again!

Hooray the lads! There's really no stopping that quartet of bad-mannered manchildren as The Inbetweeners continues to sweep up at the UK Box Office. In its fourth week of release the boys scooped a further £2.1 million to take their total tally to a mind-altering £40 million!! Meanwhile Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis are getting overly familiar in anti rom com Friends With Benefits. The bawdy, brouhaha-inducing hit managed to take a bow with a strong £1.9 million. Jane Eyre, the period romp romance starring Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender, makes a rather distinguished entrance at 3 courtesy of a £1 million debut.

There's a bit of blue for the dads as The Smurfs, buoyed by a strong 3D turnout, holds firm at 4 and James Franco is still monkeying around at 5 with Rise of The Planet of The Apes - the chimp-tastic prequel has thus far managed to pull in £6.6 million from UK cinema-goers.

One Day is certainly rueing the day it ever set foot in the UK Box Office Chart as the chick-lit romance slips to 6 whilst Zoe Saldana is having a hard time of it at 7 with her revenge-driven Colombiana. Three weeks in and Final Destination 5 is on its last legs at 8 whereas Colin Farrell refuses to see the light as his vampire hit Fright Night plunges to 9. That just leaves the undisputed moneymaker of 2011, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2, to round out the Chart at 10.

J.J. Abrams WILL direct Star Trek 2 - it's official

Many simply assumed that polymath talent J.J. Abrams would be directing Star Trek 2. Not so. Nothing was locked in what with Abrams focusing all of his energies into Super 8 and new TV mind-bender Alcatraz. But from this morning Trek fans can breathe easy as the man behind Alias and Lost has officially signed up to helm the follow-up to 2009's summer smash.

Despite not being on the payroll as such, Abrams, along with Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof, has been busy penning a script for Star Trek 2, which is finally due to be completed by the end of this month. Working from this schedule we could anticipate seeing the film sometime in 2013.

Chatting to Collider, Abrams recently stressed that; "I just want to make sure that we're putting the story and the characters, the cast and the crew, and most importantly the audience, first before we start talking about exactly which locations we're going to be shooting at and what the wardrobe and visual effects budgets are."

Van Damme and Norris confirmed for The Expendables 2, Cage on his way?!

Following the news that both Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger will appear in more substantial roles in The Expendables 2, just about every hard case in Hollywood is being lined to appear in Sylvester Stallone's testosterone-fuelled follow-up.

Already confirmed to return to the fray alongside Sly are Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, Terry Crews and Jet Li. They could soon be joined by IP Man star Donnie Yen, Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme. Indeed, in a recent chat with Entertainment Weekly, Sly commented that "we'll have a big showdown between me and Van Damme, which has been anticipated for a long time, so it should be a good one."

It would appear that Sly's working overtime too to get the signatures of John Travolta and Nicolas Cage. The latter could be convinced to join in the fun by the director Simon West who has previously worked with Cage on Con Air.

"We've got Chuck Norris and I think Nic Cage...We're trying to work out different scenarios. I like using people that had a moment and then maybe have fallen on some hard times and give them another shot. So we're always looking for actors like Michael Biehn and Michael Pare. I like those kinds of guys. Someone did it for me and I like to see if I can do it for them. We also need some new blood in there, a Navy Seal-type, because with the Expendables none of them have 20-20 vision anymore. They need some help, man", added Stallone.

Rise of The Apes star Oyelowo on target for One Shot

Get to know the name, because pretty soon this Brit rising star is going to be everywhere. After sterling support work in Rise of The Planet of The Apes and US smash hit The Help, David Oyelowo has scored a direct hit with Tom Cruise's latest - based on Lee Child's Jack Reacher novel of the same name.

Christopher McQuarrie will direct from a script he penned. In One Shot, Reacher investigates a case where a sniper is accused of murdering five people before being captured. Oyelowo will play a veteran homicide detective investigating the mall sniping.

Cruise, obviously, is down to play Reacher with Rosamund Pike as his love interest.

Emmerich avoids Asteroids and forms a Singularity

He's torn apart our world on more than one occasion and now the 2012, Godzilla and Independence Day director seems to be getting quite skittish in his old age as he's ducking out of game-to-film adaptation Asteroids. The Master of Disaster will instead focus his energies on the near future dust up that is Singularity.

"I was very honoured that they wanted to have me as a director," Emmerich told Collider. "I kind of liked the script very much, but at that time I was writing with my writing partner Harold Kloser on a new script called Singularity, and I opted for that."

Singularity will be an entirely new property and not linked to this year's steampunk-tinged game of the same title. "It takes place in the future 40 years from now," says Emmerich. "It's like kind of this moment where computer technology is so advanced that we kind of - it's the danger of losing control."

The Terminator meets 2012?! We're in! Singularity is currently scheduled to begin filming in March.

Source Code getting the CSI treatment?

Duncan Jones' trippy sci-fi mind-bender Source Code still ranks highly amongst many journalists as their pick of the bunch thus far in 2011. So it's little surprise then that US network CBS have nabbed the rights to develop Source Code into a television series. The alternate dimensions, 8-minute time travel concept is clearly ripe for the picking and, by all accounts, CBS are lining up two series of twelve episodes.

The Source Code series will be produced by Mark Gordon (Grey's Anatomy) who also produced the movie and, just like in the movie, the show will follow a top secret agency that sends agents back through time to live the final 8 minutes of someone's life who died in a tragic event with the hopes to solve it.

Bruce Campbell will not Kick-Ash in Evil Dead remake

Fans of the seminal horror/comedy splatter-fest The Evil Dead were somewhat outraged when news reached them that Sam Raimi's calling card will indeed be remade, re-imagined and re-hashed. Imagine their ire then when they hear that cult icon Bruce Campbell, he who played the boomstick-toting Ash, will not feature in the new film and nor will his beloved character.

It was long rumoured that Campbell would have a cameo in Fede Alvarez's redo but that's been firmly quashed by the man himself. Campbell posted on Twitter that...

"No Ash character currently.

Last statement: ED remake is a re-telling. All bets are off and all involved love the new approach."

...perhaps the love going round the production comes courtesy of a script penned by Juno and Jennifer's Body pen-pusher Diablo Cody? Either way, Raimi will produce this new pic and oversee newcomer Alvarez's work.

True Blood's Stephen Moyer vs. The Jersey Devil!

If you do something well you should never do it for free, certainly it's advice that True Blood star Stephen Moyer has taken to heart as he's just signed up to Darren Lynn Bousman's The Barrens - another supernatural yarn that'll no doubt he bolstered by Moyer's cult following.

Anchor Bay are getting right behind this one as the Saw II helmer crafts a story about a family lost in the dense woods of the New Jersey Pine Barrens (hence the title) and stalked by the local monster - the Jersey Devil.

Moyer will play the head of the family and the guy called into action as the legendary creature picks off his brood one-by-one. Bousman told Variety that he wants to take the legend of The Jersey Devil "another step further. I don't want to turn it into a cheesy creature feature. It's about the characters for me, and having watched Stephen for years on 'True Blood,' I have no doubt he's the right leading man."

Kate Winslet scoops Best Actress Emmy

Dust off the Union Jack; it's a proud morning to be British. Kate Winslet, one of our nation's finest actresses, has added an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for her performance as the title character in Mildred Pierce to her heaving mantelpiece.

Winslet already has an Oscar and Golden Globe to her name, while she returns to the big screen next month in Steven Soderbergh's all-star Contagion in what has been a busy year for the 35-year-old. Winslet's Mildred Pierce co-star Guy Pearce won the Supporting Actor gong on the night, while British production Downton Abbey took home four awards, including Outstanding Miniseries or Movie and Supporting Actress for Maggie Smith. A full list of the winners is included below:

Outstanding comedy series: Modern Family

Outstanding drama series: Mad Men

Outstanding miniseries or movie: Downton Abbey

Outstanding lead actress, miniseries or movie: Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce

Outstanding supporting actor in a miniseries or movie: Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce

Outstanding directing for a miniseries, movie or dramatic special: Brian Percival, Downton Abbey

Outstanding lead actor in a miniseries or movie: Barry Pepper, The Kennedys

Outstanding supporting actress, miniseries or movie: Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey

Outstanding writing for a miniseries or movie: Julian Fellowes, Downton Abbey

Outstanding lead actor, drama: Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights

Outstanding lead actress, drama: Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Outstanding supporting actor, drama: Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones

Outstanding directing, drama: Martin Scorsese, Boardwalk Empire

Outstanding supporting actress, drama: Margo Martindale, Justified

Outstanding writing, drama series: Jason Katims, Friday Night Lights

Outstanding variety, music or comedy series: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Outstanding directing for a variety, music or comedy series: Don Roy King, Saturday Night Live (host: Justin Timberlake)

Outstanding writing for a variety, music or comedy series: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Outstanding reality competition: The Amazing Race

Outstanding lead actress, comedy: Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly)

Outstanding lead actor, comedy series: Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Outstanding writing for a comedy: Steve Levitan, Jeffrey Richman ("Caught in the Act"), Modern Family

Outstanding director, comedy: Michael Alan Spiller ("Halloween"), Modern Family

Outstanding supporting actor, comedy: Ty Burrell (Modern Family)

Outstanding supporting actress, comedy: Julie Bowen (Modern Family)

Lion King reigns over US Box Office

Who says you can't teach an old lion new tricks? Simba and pals may be 17 years old, but, courtesy of some three-dimensional razzle dazzle, Lion King has roared to the top of the US Box Office again. A $29.3 million haul was enough to topple last week's front-runner, Contagion, which fell to two, while Ryan Gosling's Drive parked itself at third place. The Help was still lending a hand at four and Straw Dogs, starring James Marsden and Kate Bosworth was left howling at five.

Sarah Jessica Parker confounded audiences by debuting at six with I Don't Know How She Does It; audiences were still paying to see The Debt after three weeks; and Warrior was losing the fight, dropping five places to eight in its second week. Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes slipped to nine, leaving Colombiana to prop up the chart at ten.

Tinker sabotages UK Box Office

Well, first week out and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, the adaptation of Le Carre's hugely popular novel, has shot straight to the top of the chart. The espionage drama clearly brought the crowds in from the cold, taking just shy of £3 million in its opening weekend, thanks in part to its ludicrously impressive cast featuring the likes of Oldman, Firth and Hardy.

The raising of the Tinker flag meant the downfall, finally, of The Inbetweeners after four impressive weeks at the summit and a jackpot of £40 million plus!

Elsewhere Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis were still living off charitable handouts with Friends With Benefits at three, while Michael Fassbender's magnetic charms could not prevent Jane Eyre from slipping one spot to four.

Likeable lads Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds failed to shake things up at five with The Change Up, while those helium voiced critters The Smurfs slumped to six.

Sarah Jessica Parker's latest effort, I Don't Know How She Does It, was finely balanced at seven, while those Apes were no longer rising, rather falling to eight after six weeks in the chart.

Anne Hathaway's British turn in One Day and Jesse Eisenberg's latest comedy vehicle 30 Minutes Or Less round out the top ten.

Lilly getting Lost in all-new Hobbit role

Lost star Evangeline Lilly, recently seen duking it out alongside Hugh Jackman in 'bot-basher Real Steel, has been cornered recently and quizzed as to her upcoming work in Peter Jackson's epic prequel, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Understandably, Lilly is growing quite nervous about the prospect of portraying a truly original character in the J.R.R. Tolkien adaptation.

"I am very concerned to this day that people will watch the film and I'll be the black mark on the film" she told SFX. "I know how adamant the purists are and I'm one of them! That said, upon reading The Hobbit again, as an adult, I can see why additional characters were needed to round out the story as an adaptation - especially female characters!" Lilly of course will be playing Tauriel the Elf - a character specially created for her talents by Jackson.

"The Hobbit didn't include female characters at all and was a very linear story, a book for children, really. What Peter, Fran [Walsh] and Philippa [Boyens] have done is all in perfect keeping with Tolkien's world, while adding a third dimension to an otherwise very two-dimensional story" added Lilly.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is due out Christmas, 2012.

More Bateman please! Jason signs on for two films

No one can accuse Jason Bateman of being work shy; whereas most actors would sign on for one film at a time, we have news this morning that the prolific actor will be tickling our ribs in both Disconnect and The Longest Week.

Both are indie comedies: The Longest Week, directed by Peter Glanz, will see Bateman playing the layabout son of wealthy parents who is forced to adjust when his funds are cut off, promptly falling in love with his Change-Up co-star Olivia Wilde in the process.

Disconnect, on the other hand, will pit Bateman alongside Alexander Skarsgard, Frank Grillo, Andrea Riseborough, Colin Ford and Michael Nyqvist in an ensemble cast where the characters are "affected and in some cases destroyed" by "the internet and other forms of modern communication". The films will be shot consecutively in October and November, with The ID Theft and The Insane Laws to come afterwards on Bateman's schedule.

Jeremy Renner is crowned King Of Heists

Not far behind Bateman in the workaholic stakes, Jeremy Renner will return to the world of bank robberies after receiving an Oscar nomination for The Town with new film, King Of Heists.

Based on the J. North Conway non-fiction book of the same name, Renner will play George Leslie, a mild-mannered gent who came to New York and secretly masterminded a heist of nearly $3 million in 1878 from the Manhattan Savings Institution. Will Staples has penned the script, with Lorenzo di Bonaventura and James Cameron producing. No director has been confirmed yet to helm the project.

Renner is a busy boy, of course: he'll next be seen in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, followed by Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, and then a little known film called The Avengers.

Jose Padilha talks RoboCop reboot

Sniff all you want at the recent reboot culture - director Jose Padilha feels his RoboCop reimagining is "urgently needed". He also told Dutch entertainment website, film1, that his version will not simply repeat Paul Verhoeven's 1987 film, starring Peter Weller.

"I love the sharpness and political tone of RoboCop and I think that such a film is now urgently needed. But I will not repeat what Verhoeven has done so clearly and strongly," said Padilha

The director hinted that instead he would be exploring the psychological issues around his character.

"If you are a man who changes into a robot, how do you do that? What is the difference between humans and robots developed? What is free will? What does it mean to lose your free will? Those are the issues."

Charlize Theron finding a place in Cities Of Refuge?

We've missed Charlize Theron from our screens recently, but it seems our appetite for the South African Oscar-winner will be more than sated in 2012. According to Deadline, Theron could be about to sign on to star and produce Cities Of Refuge.

The minimal details on the project include an official line that it is a crime thriller where Theron would play "an investigator brought in to solve a brutal murder and kidnapping in which things aren't what they seem." Hmm, intriguing…

Newbie Brandon Willer is the screenwriter on the project, which, if she signs on, would have to squeeze into Theron's busy 2012 schedule; we'll be seeing her in blockbusters Prometheus and Snow White And The Huntsman next year, in addition to Jason Reitman's Young Adult due in February - just in time for the Oscars.

Jose Padilha talks RoboCop reboot

Sniff all you want at the recent reboot culture - director Jose Padilha feels his RoboCop reimagining is "urgently needed". He also told Dutch entertainment website, film1, that his version will not simply repeat Paul Verhoeven's 1987 film, starring Peter Weller.

"I love the sharpness and political tone of RoboCop and I think that such a film is now urgently needed. But I will not repeat what Verhoeven has done so clearly and strongly," said Padilha

The director hinted that instead he would be exploring the psychological issues around his character.

"If you are a man who changes into a robot, how do you do that? What is the difference between humans and robots developed? What is free will? What does it mean to lose your free will? Those are the issues."

It's superhero sequels ago-go

The economy may be in a mess, but Hollywood execs know the safest way to make a quick buck, and that's through a sequel, and just to make doubly sure, throw some superheroes in the mix. So with that in mind, Captain America is being slated for 2014, according to Chris Evans. The superhero with a penchant for stars and stripes will be seen in next year's Avengers, but, Evans added, "They may wait until 2014 until they release the next Cap. Marvel has a lot of balls in the air. They aren't going to cannibalise their films."

Meanwhile his erstwhile demi-god colleague Thor is planning a return to the fore in 2013, but legendary director Ken Branagh will not be tackling this one. Rumours have it that Games Of Thrones helmer Brian Kirk could be a frontrunner, but Monster's Patty Jenkins may be a late entry. Who knows, but either way, we can't wait!

And finally, for today at least, news that Kick Ass 2, the critically acclaimed movie starring Aaron Johnson, may have to go ahead without Matthew Vaughn due to scheduling conflicts.

Writer Mark Millar told Hero Complex: "Hopefully, we can use the same actors if and when we do a sequel, but getting Matthew [Vaughn] to direct or Jane [Goldman] to write a movie at this budget would be very difficult because they're superstars now and they have projects of their own. "I'd imagine, if this happens any time soon, that Matthew will produce and possibly co-write, like George Lucas did with The Empire Strikes Back, and hire a new director."

Casey Affleck joins Paradise Lost

Well the wrong 'uns may have been cast for Paradise Lost, namely Bradley Cooper, Ben Walker and Djimon Hounsou as Lucifer, Michael and Abdiel respectively, but what of the fight for the good? Fortunately on that score, things are looking up with Casey Affleck set to sign on. Recently seen in more sinister roles such as The Killer Inside Me and The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford, Casey will be channelling all his positive energies into the role of Archangel Gabriel.

Meanwhile Diego Boneta, star of Rock Of Ages, and Camilla Belle, of 10,000 BC fame, are tipped to play original sinners Adam and Eve in director Alex Proyas' adaptation of the Milton classic.

Could Fassbender be the new RoboCop?

When does Michael Fassbender sleep? The highly sought-after actor is being linked to yet another role to potentially add to his already packed schedule; director José Padilha has said he wants him to play RoboCop in his reboot.

The original 1987 version directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring Peter Weller as the crime-fighting superhuman cyborg will be given the reboot treatment and it seems the director knows who he wants as first choice for the lead role. In an interview with Brazilian TV (translated by Bleeding Cool), Padilha said: "I can't talk yet, it's too early to speak, but there are some actors I like. I really like the Fassbender, I'd like to talk to him — I'll talk to him.

"There's a possibility… and there's a lot of other great actors that would play RoboCop. But that's the idea, to film around January, February, March." Will Fassbender be available though? He's due to start filming Brendan Gleeson's At Swim-Two-Birds soon, while early next year we'll be seeing him in Haywire, A Dangerous Method and Shame.

Lion King still reigns at US Box Office

It's the circle of life, and whichever way you look at it, The Lion King is on top. The 3D version of the Disney classic was king of the box office jungle for the second weekend running, fighting off four new entries with its $22.13 million haul. Brad Pitt in Moneyball was the closest rival in second with $20.6 million and family flick Dolphin Tale not far behind in third. Taylor Lautner's suspiciously Bourne-esque actioner Abduction debuted at four, with Killer Elite completing the top five.

Contagion's effect wore off as it dropped four places to six; Drive dropped down a few gears to seven; while The Help could use a hand at eight. Straw Dogs was howling with derision at nine and Sarah Jessica Parker continued to baffle audiences in I Don't Know How She Does It at ten.

Lion King still reigns at US Box Office

It's the circle of life, and whichever way you look at it, The Lion King is on top. The 3D version of the Disney classic was king of the box office jungle for the second weekend running, fighting off four new entries with its $22.13 million haul. Brad Pitt in Moneyball was the closest rival in second with $20.6 million and family flick Dolphin Tale not far behind in third. Taylor Lautner's suspiciously Bourne-esque actioner Abduction debuted at four, with Killer Elite completing the top five.

Contagion's effect wore off as it dropped four places to six; Drive dropped down a few gears to seven; while The Help could use a hand at eight. Straw Dogs was howling with derision at nine and Sarah Jessica Parker continued to baffle audiences in I Don't Know How She Does It at ten.

Tinker Tailor Carrés away the top spot

Despite an influx of new releases, espionage drama Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy still managed to keep the young upstarts out in the Cold by bagging a second week at the top of the chart. The adaptation of Le Carré's hugely successful novel has now garnered just shy of £7million.

Gatecrashing the party at number two is romantic comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love. With its all star cast featuring the likes of Steve Carell, Julianne Moore and Ryan Gosling, the movie just nudged out Mixed Martial Arts drama Warrior, which smashed its way to third place in its debut week.

The lads were suffering a come down after their incredible antics in The Inbetweeners Movie, which has pulled in a whopping £43million in its six weeks, while Ryan Gosling pulled up for a second stab at the chart in stylised thriller Drive, which motored into fifth in its opening week.

Elsewhere Timberlake and Kunis are still tight in Friends With Benefits in sixth, while The Stath is back with Killer Elite charting at seven.

Jane Eyre, The Smurfs and The Change Up round out the top ten.

Chastain on Cruise control

She may have come from nowhere, but believe us when we tell you that the name Jessica Chastain will be on everyone's lips in the next 12 months! Currently starring in Israeli spy thriller The Debt, which also stars Helen Mirren and Sam Worthington, the flaming haired starlet has not one, not two, but five films out this year alone including The Help, Take Shelter, Coriolanus and previously The Tree Of Life. Not a bad haul!

But not content to sit on her laurels, the Californian actress has now been signed up to play the love interest to Hollywood's Mr Big (well sort of) - Tom Cruise in an as yet untitled sci fi movie.

Ms Chastain reportedly saw off competition in the form of Noomi Rapace, Olga Kurylenko, Brit Marling and Olivia Wilde to land the gig.

Previously titled Oblivion and Horizons, the film will be directed by Tron: Legacy's Joseph Kosinski and will see Cruise trying to prevent an alien attack on a post apocalyptic Earth.

Wanted 2 still wanted by Universal

It looked like a Wanted sequel might be left in the undesirable pile for some time, but Universal seem to have picked up the pace on the project by hiring original screenwriters Michael Brandt and Derek Haas to work on a script. The 2008 actioner, loosely based on the Mark Millar comic, starred James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman, and saw McAvoy play the son of a professional assassin who also possesses his father's supernatural powers i.e. the ability to bend the trajectory of bullets.

The Wrap managed to get hold of Haas who told them: "We just always loved the Wanted world, and loved working with Universal and Timur Bekmambetov, so we're excited! Wanted 2 is going to take off right after the events that just happened; it'll pick up Wesley a few years later and go back in for another round." Haas later confirmed that Jolie's character would not be returning, tweeting that the script he and Brandt are writing is "Fox-less".

There are no confirmations yet about cast and director, with Haas adding the Wanted director Timur Bekmambetov is "a busy guy".

The BFG on the big friendly screen in new film

Raise a glass of frobscottle to this news! Roald Dahl's much-loved story The BFG will be getting the big screen live-action treatment in a new film adaptation. ET writer Melissa Mathison, veteran producer Frank Marshall and Dreamworks are the team behind this new project, reports The Wrap.

They have a high bar to reach though; as those of a certain age will know, in 1989 children's TV animation studio Cosgrove Hall created a wonderful animated film version of The BFG with David Jason providing the voice for the Big Friendly Giant and Amanda Root as our heroine Sophie.

Mathison is on writing duties, but there is no director or star attached to the project yet.

Spielberg to get between Gods And Kings?

At some point or another every project passes across the desk of one Steven Spielberg be it the Next Big Thing or some guy's wedding video - everyone wants a piece of Mr. Cinema. So keep an open mind as Warner Bros. confess that they've approached Stevo about working on their Gods And Kings epic - an old (biblical) school event picture based on Old Testament stories of Moses.

Deadline reports that the director has read the script for Gods And Kings, written by Michael Green and Stuart Hazeldine and could consider it as a future project. Ongoing discussions will take place but, obviously, there's no commitment as yet what with Spielberg's packed slate in the coming years.

Gods And Kings will be Moses best bits featuring the struggle by the Hebrew slaves against Egypt, the flight out of Egypt, the Burning Bush and the trek across the Red Sea where he'll break out his show-stopping party trick.

Duvall spies One Shot with Cruise?

There's been plenty of buzz surrounding Christopher McQuarrie's forthcoming adap of Lee Child's One Shot and plenty more still when it comes to casting rumours and conjecture! Following Tom Cruise's lead, he'll play the hard-bitten cop Jack Reacher at the centre of the story, there's been a veritable gaggle of stars flocking to this one including Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins, David Oyelowo (Rise of The Planet of The Apes) and now veteran thesp Robert Duvall could be persuaded to tag along.

Variety reports that "details about Duvall's character weren't revealed and though it is a small role, insiders say it is significant to Reacher's story line." Intriguing stuff. There seems to be some unnecessary withholding of info here, something Reacher is all too familiar with in his 9-5, leading many to speculate that Duvall will in fact play Zec, the shadowy villain of the piece.

One Shot will see Cruise go up against a seasoned sniper striking fear in to the collective hearts of a city. The film should see the light of day sometime in 2012.

Woody Harrelson conjures up role in Now You See Me

Some ideas just beg to be made into films. Louis Leterrier, he who brought us The Incredible Hulk among others, has one such rarefied idea - Now You See Me. Rarer still this one seems to be marrying its bonkers brilliant story to a top-notch cast.

Now You See Me will see a quartet of magicians/mentalists/illusionists, otherwise known as The Four Horsemen, go up against an elite FBI squad as the thieving showmen knock over bank after bank and shower their ill-gotten gains over their audiences.

So far, Mark Ruffalo will play the FBI man charged with putting an end to the eccentric crime spree with Jesse Eisenberg down to play the leader of The Horsemen. He'll be joined by Isla Fisher, Melanie Laurent, Morgan Freeman and now Woody Harrelson. Last seen knocking it about in Friends With Benefits, Harrelson will play Merritt Osbourne "a hypnotist known for his Jedi-style mind tricks...he used to perform overseas for the Queen of England, but a bloody incident forces him to flee to Vegas where he joins the Four Horsemen," or so reports Variety.

Amanda Seyfried was due to join up with the cast to play a young technician who assists The Horsemen with their Robin Hood-styled antics. Due to scheduling difficulties though she has since dropped out to be replaced by Fisher.

Murphy's Scarecrow to appear in The Dark Knight Rises?

Nary a day goes by without one on-set leak or another emanating from the production halls of The Dark Knight Rises, Christopher Nolan's eagerly anticipated last hurrah in his Batman trilogy. So keen are the fanboys to get the scoop ahead of the trades that all manner of pics, rumours and plot reveals have manifested themselves on the interweb.

This week more pics of Anne Hathaway in full-on Catwoman garb have reared their not-so-ugly-head and now, WorstPreviews.com have, apparently, nabbed eyewitness accounts suggesting that Cillian Murphy has put a shift in on this new pic.

That would imply that Murphy's Scarecrow, the nut job villain who stole the show in Batman Begins and then made a memorable cameo in The Dark Knight, will indeed make it a hat trick of appearances in Nolan's Caped Crusader series.