Damon Houx
We're starting to get excited about the release of 'Jack Reacher.' Sure, this December has some hotly anticipated films like 'Django Unchained' and 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,' but after last year's 'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol' we're happy to spend two hours watching Tom Cruise in action.
Though it's yet to have the staying power of superhero films, of late every few months there's a new movie based on a Young Adult novel about a special young girl involved in a world of magic or a dystopian future. This genre needs a nickname, stat. February will bring us the adaptation of 'Beautiful Creatures,' and now there's a new trailer.
For the build up to the December 25 release of 'Django Unchained,' Quentin Tarantino has started to do interviews, and in one of his latest he listed the actors who might have been his Django were it not for Jamie Foxx. That list? Idris Elba, Chris Tucker, Terrence Howard, Michael K. Williams, Tyrese Gibson and Will Smith.
Though 'The Amazing Spider-Man' tried to sidestep the Osborn family, the sequel 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' is going to introduce us to Harry Osborn, and the role has already been narrowed to three candidates: Brady Corbet, Dane DeHaan and Alden Ehrenreich.
'Skyfall' has become a monster hit, and is on track to be the most successful Bond film of all time (unadjusted, natch), as it's already crossed $100 Million domestically, is over half a billion worldwide, and shows no signs of stopping. Now the film's stunning opening credit sequence is available online.
Though it hasn't released a teaser or poster (in fact it's only released three frames) 'Star Trek Into Darkness' is one of next summer's biggest blockbuster events, and to get audiences excited J.J. Abrams' latest will screen the nine minute opening of the film on Imax screens starting December 14. Which is the day 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' opens. Which means 'Star Trek' is going to make 'The Hobbit' that much longer.
There may have been some worries that - after a year of seeing films shuffle from 2012 to 2013 - Quentin Tarantino's 'Django Unchained' wouldn't be hitting theaters on Christmas Day this year. But it looks like worrying time is over, as advertising is starting to bump up, and the film now has its own website.
Though 'Anchorman 2' isn't due out until sometime next year, and shooting has yet to commence, the script is being worked on and writer/director Adam McKay was out promoting something else when the sequel came up. He dropped some nuggets about the film, including that it's likely to have at least one musical number.
With the holiday season about to kick into gear, we're about to see the big guns of the Oscar pictures, and one of the biggest of 2012 is 'Les Miserables.' Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe and Amanda Seyfried lead the cast of the awards-bait film, and now they've taken had their pictures by Annie Leibovitz for Vogue magazine.
Yesterday we learned that Michael Arndt had written a treatment for the upcoming 'Star Wars' sequel, currently called 'Episode 7,' but that didn't seem a confirmation that he had the job. Today it looks like his work has been approved and he's the first writer to take a crack at a new 'Star Wars' film.