Ellen DeGeneres To Return As Dory In Finding Nemo 2

 


We still don't know much about what will happen in Finding Nemo 2, the upcoming sequel to one of Pixar's biggest hits that sees director Andrew Stanton returning to the studio for the first time since Wall-E. But now we at least know one character we can expect to see. Ellen DeGeneres, who voiced the blue tang fish Dory so well that many of us thought she ought to win awards for it, is in negotiations to reprise her role.

She's been open about wanting to participate in a Finding Nemo sequel in the past, according to The Hollywood Reporter, so it probably won't be tough to hammer out a deal. Stanton was only confirmed to be returning to develop the film last month, so we haven't gotten any story details yet, or any idea of which characters the film might include. But Dory probably makes more sense than anyone else to return. At the end of Finding Nemo Marlin and Nemo were content, having reunited and going back to their normal lives, but Dory had just started out living in their community and understanding the meaning of "home." Inevitably a sequel would disrupt that, but as a character with no short-term memory, Dory's adventures could spin off in any number of interesting directions.

But if Dory is set to be the film's main character, and not just a jabbering sidekick, we might run into trouble. Because what worked so well about the original film was the balance of stick-in-the-mud Marlin and flighty Dory, and how the two learned to complement each other and rely on each other. Pixar's already centered one sequel around the former goofy sidekick by making Mater the center of attention in Cars 2, and we all know how that turned out. Despite the various issues with John Carter, I still have faith in Stanton as a storyteller-- and he and DeGeneres are both talented enough to make a great movie even without the Pixar team. But until we hear about more voices being added to the cast, we might have to wonder just what they have in story for Dory, and whether it will work a second time around.

Finding Nemo 2 is currently set for release in 2016.

Gerard Butler Won't Be In The 300 Sequel

 


The sequel to Zack Snyder's 300, which has been called 300: The Battle of Artemisia but may not stay that way, has already gone into production in time to meet its August 2, 2013. But it's taken us this long to figure out what we all kind of already knew for sure-- Gerard Butler, who broke out as a star in the original 2007 film, won't be making a return appearance in this stylized comic book universe.

Talking to MTV, Butler pretty blithely said "Oh yeah, I'm not doing it. I wish them the best, but it didn't [work out]. It wasn't really my thing." Of course, given that Battle of Artemisia is a prequel to 300, and Butler's character really didn't have to be involved in the story, that's not really a surprise-- they're taking the story in a new direction for one thing, and for another, Butler is a lot more expensive than he was five years ago.

Returning from the original film, though, will be Rodrigo Santoro as the villainous Xerxes-- we talked to him earlier this summer about his preparation to return to the part, and how he'll handle getting all those piercings back in. Who knows if Battle of Artemisia can be as big a hit as 300 was, but I think we can all admit Gerard Butler's absence isn't going to make a huge difference.

John Travolta Could Headline Toxic Avenger Remake

 
 This summer Colin Farrell stepped into the amnesiac action hero role originated by Arnold Schwarzenegger in Total Recall. This fall Karl Urban will take to theaters in Dredd, playing a part previously defined by Sylvester Stallone and Richard Waters. And next summer Joel Kinnaman will be the new (and improved?) Robocop, following in the clunking footsteps of Peter Weller and Robert John Burke. But beyond that John Travolta could re-define the role originated by Mitch Cohen in 1987's The Toxic Avenger.

Obviously, the last possibility is strange on a few levels. First up, when a reboot is discussed, it's often with a mind to bring in young audience unfamiliar with the prior version. To attract this crowd, it's frequently a young, and often rising star that is attached to the project, not an established and aging A-lister. Then, there's the fact that of all the titles above The Toxic Avenger is by far the one that seems least likely to attract a mainstream audience. And yet Twitch reports industry tracking site It's On the Grid has Travolta attached to star in the reboot of the cult classic about a mutant and his mop destined for greatness!

It's worth noting, the item doesn't say what role Travolta would play, and as I outlined above, it seems highly doubtful that he'd play Toxie. More likely, he'll play some sort of bloated villain. But despite its B-movie origins, this Toxic Avenger is looking to avoid campiness as the project is described as an action-comedy remake in the vein of The Mask, basically a comedy meant to appeal to a broad audience. Though comedy is not exactly Travolta's strong suit (Old Dogs, Wild Hogs), but he made for a wily and captivatingly over-the-top baddie in Oliver Stone's Savages, so maybe this casting news isn't so crazy after all.

Hot Tub Time Machine helmer Steve Pink will directThe Toxic Avenger reboot, which he co-wrote with Daniel Mitchell. There's no word on when the film may lens. Author: Kristy Puchko

Dumb And Dumber Sequel Plot Revealed

 


 At this point the Dumb & Dumber sequel might need to live on as a "wishful thinking" kind of movie, though one with more powerful wishful thinking behind it than most. It seemed to be full speed ahead into production earlier this year, until Jim Carrey suddenly backed out over the summer, claiming the studio wasn't committed enough. Then Jeff Daniels stepped up to promise that it was really going to happen, but no firm dates have yet been set.

But all this time, directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly have stuck by the movie, and talking in the UK to Digital Spy (they're just now getting The Three Stooges over there, poor bastards), the Farrellys hinted at a spring start date, as well as the story that will send Harry and Lloyd on a new adventure:

"I can tell you that there is no growth out of either one of them and it's 20 years later… The story revolves around the fact that one of them may have sired a child. They want to go and find the child because he's having a kidney problem and he wants to ask him for one of his kidneys."

All that stands to reason, both the fact that Harry and Lloyd haven't gotten any smarter-- wouldn't it be disappointing if they had?-- and that it takes a selfish request for a kidney to get one of them to hunt down the kid. Of course, all this depends on one of them convincing a woman to sleep with him, and given how things went with Mary Swanson last time, that doesn't seem too likely. If we do finally wind up getting this long-promised sequel, though, I'm sure we can get over that little narrative hump. 
  Author: Katey Rich

Karen O Debuts Frankenweenie Song Strange Love

 





Many modern moviegoers grew up with the weird and wonderful movies of Tim Burton inspiring our dreams and sometimes our nightmares. Now, one of these self-proclaimed "impressionable offbeat youths" is all grown up and giving back to the wild-haired auteur who inspired her. Yeah Yeah Yeahs front woman Karen O has recorded a brand new track for Burton's upcoming animated feature Frankenweenie.

Based on a live-action short the filmmaker crafted prior to his feature debut with Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Frankenweenie centers on a young boy named Victor Frankenstein who brings his beloved family pet back from the grave with a little bit of mad science and plenty of electricity. Through the film's latest trailer and a string of character images, it's clear that Burton drew inspiration for his latest venture from classic horror films of his childhood idol Vincent Price and James Whale. So, it's fitting that O, who told Rolling Stone her artistic sensibility was shaped by Burton's catalog, is continuing the daisy chain of nostalgia-based inspiration.

When Burton asked her to create "unconventional unconditional love song," she married her memories of early Burton movies with the very influences that shaped Frankenweenie, saying:

"My music inspiration came out of the same era of B-movie fright film references sprinkled throughout the film. I went in the direction of exotica and calypso stylistically because it's quirky, good vibes music of that era, and when you throw in a Theremin solo, it's a marriage made in heaven. I remember Beetlejuice introducing me to the genius of Harry Belafonte's calypso record, so I wanted to give a nod to that, too."

The results are a fittingly, funky and sweet tune called "Strange Love," which you can hear in full at Pitchfork. O's catchy ode to puppy love—complete with barking back-up singers—will be reportedly play over Frankenweenie's end credits and will be included on the album Frankenweenie Unleashed!. The supplemental soundtrack will include songs from Neon Trees, Plain White T's, Robert Smith, and Winona Ryder. It will be released alongside Frankenweenie: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on September 25th. The Frankenweenie
  Author: Kristy Puchko

Warner Bros. Passes On The Dark Tower Series Movies

 




As of a couple of weeks ago, it was looking like the fate of the feature adaptation of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series would be determined at some point this month. And sure enough, the verdict from Warner Bros. is in, and it's not good. Word is, the studio has decided to pass on the project.

We shared word earlier this month that a new draft of the screenplay for the first Dark Tower movie was being submitted by Akiva Goldsman, after which WB would made a decision as to whether or not to move forward with the ambitious project. The series was set to be adapted to a number of films, with TV series bridging the gap between movies. Ron Howard and Brian Grazer were set to produced through Imagine Entertainment, with Howard directing and Stephen King set up as a producer. Variety reported today that Warner Bros. has decided not to green-light the budget for the film.

This is likely to be disappointing news for fans of the books, who've been hoping to see the story of the gunslinging Roland Deschain brought to the big screen. As Variety notes, Imagine can take the project to other studios, but if Warner Bros. is passing, that can't be a good sign. The endeavor may be too costly and risky for other studios to tackle. I don't think I'm in the minority in saying it's better to have it done right or else, not done at all. So we'll have to wait and see whether there's another studio interested in Imagine's project.

Is This How We'll Meet Smaug In The Hobbit?

 




Benedict Cumberbatch is usually pretty good at being sneaky, to the point that we still don't really know the identity of the character he'll be playing in the upcoming Star Trek sequel. But now the actor who seems to be everywhere, and really is everywhere, has slipped a very intriguing detail about another one of his huge upcoming projects: The Hobbit. You won't actually see Cumberbatch in the trilogy of films, since he's playing Smaug the Dragon, but here's some info straight from the horse's mouth about when you'll get to see him:

I think my eye might open at the end of the first film and then you’ll get the rest of me in the second.

That comes from Bleeding Cool, where they picked up on a comment Cumberbatch made while doing press for an upcoming BBC series Parade's End. And from the way he's talking, it sounds like he was thinking of there only being two Hobbit movies, which was the case until a few weeks ago, when Peter Jackson confirmed they'll be making a third film. So who knows if Cumberbatch's story is still valid, or if we'll somehow see Smaug's appearance in the middle of the second movie now-- after all, he's the dragon guarding the gold at the end of the journey for Bilbo and his band of dwarves, so it wouldn't make sense for him to appear a third of the way through the story.

And yet, Cumberbatch's version of the story makes sense, even if you're just looking at how Gollum was introduced in Fellowship of the Ring, teased briefly before taking center stage in the next film. And the trick of showing just a character's eye before smash cutting to the end credits has occurred in two notable places lately, at the end of Avatar and in the last Twilight installment, Breaking Dawn Part 1. Maybe Jackson is ready to make it an official trend by doing it a third time?

Either way, this is at least one Hobbit mystery that will be answered sooner than later-- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is set for release December 14. Click here to learn much more about it.

DreamWorks Animation Moves Over To 20th Century Fox

 

 Though DreamWorks Animation released the very successful Madagascar 3 this summer, through their distribution partnership at Paramount Pictures, the company has been preparing for over a year now to make one giant change. Now the animation outfit has finally confirmed that they'll be departing Paramount for 20th Century Fox, setting up a new distribution partnership through which the independent animation studio can get their films out to moviegoers but still operate largely on their own.

According to Deadline Sony was in the running to pick up DWA until very recently, and for a while some thought that they would self-distribute, especially after bringing in a former Disney executive last year. But while Fox has had strong family-friendly releases like the Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise and the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies, their only big animated successes have been with the Ice Age films, now in their fourth installment and likely winding down.

Fox will retain Blue Sky Studios, which is currently set to release a sequel to Rio as well as Epic, which is due next spring and recently unveiled a trailer. Under the 5-year deal with DreamWorks Animation, Fox will also be responsible for the release of The Croods and Turbo, as well as any number of potential films announced in development including Kung Fu Panda 3 and a movie all about the penguins of Madagascar. Fans of DreamWorks Animation's movies, especially the younger ones, probably won't notice much of a difference, but now that the animation studio has moved on to a more comfortable home, we might be able to look forward to some interesting developments going forward.

Avengers Deleted Scene Asks Bruce Banner A Tough Question

 WIth The Avengers coming to Blu_ray on September 25, it's time to start getting a glimpse at all the extras the disc will hold, and now we've got our first look at one of the deleted scenes. When Hulk leaves the helicarrier and crash lands into a warehouse somewhere, only to chat briefly with Harry Dean Stanton, it turns out we didn't see all of it in the theatrical release.
 The clip debuted at Entertainment Weekly, where they've had a fantastic stranglehold on all kinds of awesome Avengers extras-- their video roundtable interview, surrounded by a bunch of action figures, is a must-watch. And somehow it seems entirely appropriate that the first deleted scene we see involves The Hulk, who had the most heavy lifting to do as the biggest "new" character to the film, and whose identity crisis in dealing with his "condition" is one of the film's best emotional through lines. Leave it to Harry Dean Stanton to make it all so crystal clear.

Hopefully there will be a lot more to learn about whether Hulk is "a big man who turns into a little man, or a little man who turns into a big man" when we see The Avengers Blu-Ray in late September.

Female Expendables Already In Development

 




Though The Expendables has obviously become a brand name, with two hit films now out there and rumors of a third all over the place, the concept of uniting a bunch of famous action stars isn't something you can copyright. So while we may never get an official female version of The Expendables-- which, inevitably, would be called something awful like The Expendablettes-- a different production company is apparently ready to give it a shot.

According to Variety< production outfit 1984 Private Defense Contractors-- who h are behind upcoming movies like Steven Soderbergh's The Bitter Pill and the Brad Pitt-starrer Killing Them Softly-- are in the works on a female version of The Expendables, with writer Dutch Southern hired to handle the script, and "several prominent actress affiliated with the action genre" reportedly in talks. Southern, despite the name that seems ready-made for a career in 70s Hollywood, is a relatively unknown property, with one film-- Hoof Harrington's Greatest Hits-- in development, according to IMDB.

Meanwhile, the idea of a female Expendables is kicking around all over the place-- Expendables 2 director SImon West even suggested the title "Expenda-Belles" to E!, while name-dropping the likes of Angelina Jolie Cameron Diaz, Milla Jovovich and Jamie Lee Curtis. His casting idea makes sense, and I'd be surprised if at least one of them isn't one of the "prominent actresses" in talks, but the title Expenda-Belles makes me want to take a nap, so I'll leave it at that. Let us know who you'd like to see in this still theoretical movie, and stay tuned for our own take on who ought to be in The Expendables 3 later today.
Author: Katey Rich

Anna Kendrick Leads Shortlist For Captain America 2 Female Lead

 



Though we're all excited to see the return of Captain America in his sequel, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the movie will be missing a lot of what made the first one so fun. As we all know thanks to The Avengers, Captain America is now living in modern times, and though his 1940s values and sense of right and wrong intact, familiar figures like his love Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), his mentor Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) and his best friend Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) are all long gone… or are they?

As you might have heard, the title Winter Soldier suggest Bucky will be making a comeback as a bad guy, and now they're coming up with a way to keep Peggy Carter alive, at least in spirit. The New York Post reports that Anna Kendrick, Imogen Poots and Felicity Jones currently make up the shortlist for the lead in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Though they're not specifying the role, a quick look at the physical similarities between all three of them and Hayley Atwell-- plus the fact that Cap's love interest in the Winter Soldier arc of the comics is Sharon Carter, Peggy's niece-- makes things pretty clear.

In the comics, at least, Bucky/Winter Soldier kidnaps Sharon, which helps Cap identify the villain as his former friend. But who knows what directors Joe and Anthony Russo are planning for the story this time around, so don't count on anything just yet. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is set for release on April 4, 2014, which means the production is probably moving fast to get the cast in place. Poots and Jones ought to have an advantage from being British, as Carter is, but never rule out Kendrick, who snagged an Oscar nomination for her first major role in Up in the Air, and seems tenacious enough to tackle a natural British accent in no time. If the Post's shortlist turns out to be true, though, we should count on one of the three of them snagging the role very soon.

Jim Carrey Pursued For Kick-Ass 2 Role

File this one under very-unconfirmed at this point, but it's looking like there's a chance Jim Carrey could be headed back into superhero territory. The actor, who once played the Riddler in Batman Forever, is reportedly being "courted" to join the cast of the Kick-Ass sequel, Kick-Ass 2: Balls to the Wall.

Kick-Ass 2 is set to be directed by Jeff Wadlow, and will see Chloe Moretz, Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Nicolas Cage returning for the super-hero sequel, along with John Leguizamo and Donald Faison. Between the new and returning stars, the cast is already shaping up to have even more star power than the first. And now it looks like there's a chance Carrey could be joining the mix.

Deadline posted the update today, stating that Universal is pursuing Carrey to play the role of The Colonel, a character described as a "showy supporting role," who "helps galvanize the team of misfit super heroes assembled to fight evil." That seems like the kind of character Carrey's well capable of taking on. But according to Deadline, it's uncertain whether Carrey will be on board to do it, though the site does note that he's a fan of Matthew Vaughn and the original film.

So, at the moment, nothing's confirmed, but it does sound like an interesting part, and if Carrey isn't the man to take the job, I'll be interested in hearing who is brought on board to fill the Colonel's shoes for the film.

Known mainly for his comedic work, Carrey's recent credits include Mr. Popper's Penguins and I Love You Phillip Morris. He's also taken on a few guest-starring roles on television (30 Rock, The Office) in recent years. Coming up for the actor is the Incredible Burt Wonderstone, and (possibly) the Dumb and Dumber sequel.