Trailer Time: New Year's Eve, Battleship and Drive

In the grand tradition of big star casts from Love Actually, He's Just Not Into You and Valentine's Day comes the trailer for New Year's Eve where "there will be more celebrities than rehab"! Trailer quote, not mine and yes, that was Robert De Niro snuck in at the end of the trailer.

I can't believe they actually made a movie out of Battleship. This just goes to show you never say never! Starring Liam Neeson, Alexander Skarsgard and Taylor Kitsch (Tim Riggins!!!), the movie is set to release next May.



The red-band trailer for Ryan Gosling's next feature, Drive, has been drawing a lot of buzz. It's been long since a non-sequel, not based on previous material has had much success so all eyes will be on this for sure. Carey Mulligan and Brian Cranston (Breaking Bad) co-star.

Cast Additions: J. Edgar Hoover, New Year's Eve, and Life of Pi

• Armie Hammer (The Social Network) is being considered to join Clint Eastwood's Hoover biopic, J. Edgar, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.  He would play the role of Hoover's confidante, advisor and rumored lover, Clyde Tolson.  Charlize Theron is also in talks as Hoover's personal secretary.  This will be the first time that Clint and Leo will be working together and I'm really excited to see the outcome.  This movie is going to have a lot of pretty onscreen.  I'm not complaining.
• It's time to start thinking about New Year's Eve.  But not about the upcoming holiday but rather the film.  The holiday-centric film's cast now has Jessica Biel, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ashton Kutcher, Robert De Niro, Lea Michele, Hilary Swank, and Michelle Pffeifer.  Sofia Vergara may also join the cast.  Biel and Kutcher, in Garry Marshall's previous holiday film , will not be reprising their characters from Valentine's Day as this is an entirely different film altogether.  Blame it on Love Actually for the catalyst for inter-connected stories with a huge star cast.
• Like Galadriel, could Legolas also be coming to The Hobbit universe?  Orlando Bloom fans are holding their breath.
• Harvey Weinstein can rest easy that his film, Blue Valentine, has had a mini-victory.  The harsh NC-17 rating has now been lowered to an R.   This greatly eases Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams chances at an Oscar nomination.  Common sense prevailed, yes but his other film, The King's Speech, wasn't so lucky and retained the R rating for the string of curse words stammered out by Colin Firth.
• Disney's The Muppets Movie is moving up its release date from Christmas to Thanksgiving.  It will release on November 23, 2011.  My December 2011 viewing schedule is less crowded.
• Life of Pi has added to its cast Gerard Depardieu and Adil Hussain.  Irrfan Khan will then be playing the adult Pi who tells his story of a most wondrous sea journey.

Weekly News Roundup: New Year's Eve and a Heroine for Batman!

• Whoa! New Year's Eve got a whole lot of interesting.  Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ashton Kutcher, and Hilary Swank are all considering roles in the holiday flick.  Empire Online has more deets about it.
• Robert De Niro's New Year will also be very special for him because it's been announced that he will be receiving the Cecil B. DeMile Award Lifetime Achievement Award at the Golden Globe Awards on January 15th, 2011.  He's ready for his closeup!
• Steve  Carrell (The Office) will produce and star in Imagine where he discovers he's the long lost son of a famous rocker who wants to reconnect.  This will be Dan Fogelman's, writer of such animated hits as Cars, Bolt and the upcoming Tangled, directorial debut.  
• Dame Judi Dench's cameo in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides confirmed by producer Jerry Bruckheimer.  This movie just got cooler!
• Cameron Crowe's We Bought a Zoo added two new cast members.   Patrick Fugit, from Crowe's hit Almost Famous and Elle Fanning, younger sister of Dakota, will be acting alongside Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson.  
• Disney is in talks with Jon Favreau to make Magic House where the attractions at the theme park come to life.  I so don't want to go there.  
• Twentieth Century Fox has acquired the rights for BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs 3D which will release in 2012.  Let the dinosaurs roam the earth, I say.
• And finally, the best for last, let's add one more rumor to the Batman rumor mill.  Chris Nolan is said to be looking at a short list for an actress opposite Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale).   Will it be Rachel Weisz, Naomi Watts, Blake Lively, Natalie Portman, Anne Hathaway or Keira Knightley? Or will it be someone else all together?