Trailer Time: John Carter, Sherlock Holmes 2 and Arthur Christmas

First trailer out from Pixarian Andrew Stanton's first live action film, John Carter, starring Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins and William Dafoe. I have no sense of the story or what this film is about, all I know it's Tim Riggins! In a gladiator-ish outfit!  Reason #1 to watch this movie.



The next trailer has Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law reprising their roles as Holmes and Watson from Guy Ritchie's surprising good retelling of the Sherlock Holmes saga in Sherlock Holmes 2: A Game of Shadows.  This time around, Noomi Rapace (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and Stephen Fry (Wilde) join the cast.  Expectations are high.




The folks at Aardman Studios are back with another feature this Christmas, bringing us the tale of Santa's son Arthur and a secret look inside Christmas headquarters.  It's Arthur Christmas bringing you a taste of Christmas in July!

What to Watch - List of Upcoming Films in 2011.

2011, already! Confused about what films are releasing this year? Never fear! I'm putting together a list of movies that I want to watch in this new year and I'm sure some of the titles will match what you would like to see as well.  Let's get started, shall we?

JANUARY

Country Strong

Directed by: Shana Feste

Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim McGraw, Garrett Hedlund, Leighton Meester

The Way Back

Directed by: Peter Weir

Starring: Ed Harris, Jim Sturgess, Colin Farrell, Mark Strong, Saoirse Ronan

The Company Men

Directed by: John Wells

Starring: Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, Kevin Costner, Maria Bello

Read on for the rest of months here...

WB shows off its 2011 slate of movies.

I love this studio, I believe I've said that before.  Warner Brothers is showing off some first looks into their movies up for release next year.  Here are some notable big releases that should interest you.




January 28
The Rite 
Directed by: Mikael Håfström
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Ciarán Hinds, Rutger Hauer, Alice Braga

February 18
Unknown
Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra
Starring: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones, Aidan Quinn

February 25
Hall Pass 
Directed by: Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrelly
Starring: Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Alyssa Milano, Jenna Fischer, Christina Applegate

March 11
Red Riding Hood 

Directed by: Catherine Hardwicke
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman, Lukas Haas, Shiloh Fernandez, Julie Christie


March 25
Sucker Punch 
Directed by: Zack Snyder
Starring: Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Vanessa Hudgens, Carla Gugino, Jon Hamm, Jamie Chung, Jena Malone

April 8
Born to be Wild 
Directed by: David Lickley
Narration by Morgan Freeman

April 22
Crazy Stupid Love 
Directed by: Glenn Ficarra and John Requa
Starring: Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carrell, Julianne Moore, Marisa Tomei, Kevin Bacon
May 26
The Hangover Part II 

Directed by: Todd Phillips
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong, Jamie Chung

June 10
Something Borrowed 

Directed by: Luke Greenfield

Starring: Kate Hudson, Ginnifer Goodwin, John Krasinski

June 17
Green Lantern 

Directed by: Martin Campbell
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Mark Strong, Peter Sarsgaard

July 15
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 

Directed by: David Yates
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes

July 29
Horrible Bosses 

Directed by: Seth Gordon
Starring: Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx

August 26
Final Destination 5 
Directed by: Steven Quale
Starring: Nicholas D'Agosto, Emma Bell, David Koechner, Arlen Escarpeta, Tony Todd

September 9
The Apparition 
Directed by: Todd Lincoln
Starring: Tom Felton, Sebastian Stan, Ashley Greene

October 7
Dolphin Tale 
Directed by: Charles Martin Smith
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, Nathan Gamble

October 21
Contagion 

Directed by: Steven Soderbergh

Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne

November 18
Happy Feet 2 
Directed by: George Miller
Starring the voices of Elijah Wood, Elizabeth Daily, Sofía Vergara, Robin Williams, Pink, Hank Azaria


December 9
Hugo Cabret
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Chlöe Moretz, Jude Law, Richard Griffiths, Emily Mortimer, Ben Kingsley


New Year's Eve
Directed by: Garry Marshall
Starring: Lea Michele, Robert De Niro, Abigail Breslin, Hilary Swank

December 16
Sherlock Holmes II 

Directed by: Guy Ritchie
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Stephen Fry, Jared Harris, Noomi Rapace

Undated
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island 

Directed by: Brad Peyton

Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Michael Caine, Kristin Davis, Vanessa Hudgens, Josh Hutcherson

The lovely Hi-Res images are courtesy of Comingsoon.net!

December 2011: The busiest movie month?

Come next December 2011, I'm going to have to have start living on weekends at the movie theaters because it seems like every movie is releasing that very month.  At least the ones I want to see anyway.  Lets look at the evidence.

It's starts off with December 9th.  Martin Scorsese's Hugo Cabret is up first.  His first 3D venture is about a young boy, Hugo, who lives in a train station in 1930s Paris and has to solve a mystery surrounding his late father.  The cast includes Asa Butterfield as Hugo, Chole Moretz, Jude Law, Sacha Baron Cohen, Ben Kingsley and Christopher Lee.  I'm really looking forward to see how Scorsese tackles 3D.

It goes up against New Year's Eve, the followup to Valentine's Day.  It's just an excuse to see as many good-looking and famous actors in one film.  Gary Marshall will be back as director.

The weekend after that brings Mission Impossible 4 and Sherlock Holmes 2 on December 16th.  The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo comes out on December 21st.  Do you know how it's been since Daniel Craig has a release, I can't possibly wait that long?  December 23 belongs to Cameron Crowe's movie with Matt Damon, We Bought a Zoo, which sounds very promising and The Muppets are back on the screen on Christmas Day with Jason Segel and Amy Adams.

And finally, my very own dilemma on December 28th, which Steven Spielberg film to watch first?  Will it be War Horse, a WWI epic about a boy and his horse or The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn.  Hate the title, though I can't wait to see the collaboration with Peter Jackson.  So long between releases and they both end up on the same day! How is that fair?

So there you have it.  This isn't counting the other films that have yet to decide their release dates but all I know is we'll be spoiled for choices unless the studios blink first and decide to change their release date.

'One Day' First Look

• USA Today has a first look into One Day, currently filming and being directed by Lone Scherfig (An Education).  Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess play Emma and Dexter, university friends, who meet every day over 20 years on July 15 on St. Swithin's Day in UK (kinda like Groundhog day in USA).  The movie is based on David Nicholl's very popular book by the same name (which I have yet to finish) and was already on my must-see list when I saw this was being made into a movie.  In the meanwhile, next assignment, find time and finish reading the book.   
• Have you been wondering what Sawyer aka Josh Holloway has been upto now he's no longer on Lost?  He's joining Tom Cruise's posse over at Mission Impossible 4.  I know I'm always bemoaning the fact the Hollywood relies waaay to much on its sequels but come on, it's Mission Impossible.  Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Ratatouille) is directing and J.J. Abrams will be producing.  Also in the cast are Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker), Paula Patton (Precious), Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames.  I'm beginning to care again.  Don't let me down.  
• MI 4's competition for next December 2011 is another sequel, Sherlock Holmes 2.  The casting news has been fast and furious these past couple of days.  Joining Noomi Rapace and Stephen Fry will be Jared Harris (Mad Men, Fringe) as Sherlock's nemesis, Professor Moriarity.  Guy Ritchie is back to direct this one.  

Tuesday Tidbits

• Lots of news coming out of the Avengers movie that makes me so so happy.  First up, Mark Ruffalo as the new Hulk, will be performing his role not only as Bruce Banner but also as the Hulk mostly in part due to motion-capture.  Very Avatar-esque and thus inducing hope that the Hulk doesn't just look only CG but retains his human element as well.  Fingers crossed.  Secondly, from the Joss Whedon world of actors comes news that Morena Baccarin (Serenity, V) could be joining the cast.  No word yet on who she could be playing but I love it when Joss re-collaborates with actors from his TV shows.  It's like meeting old friends.    Like I said, I'm happy.
• Guess who's cast as Mycroft Holmes in Sherlock Holmes 2?  Stephen Fry! I don't see the family resemblance between Fry and Robert Downey Jr. but it will be amazing to see the battle of wits between the two as Mycroft is said to be smarter than Sherlock.  Sibling rivalry anyone?
• Jason Reitman is no slouch.  Two Oscar-nominated films already in his resume and he's already working on his third.  Charlize Theron, Patrick Wilson and Patton Oswalt are all in negotiations to be in Reitman's film about YA writer who returns to her hometown to find her ex-boyfriend married and with a child.  Diablo Cody, his screenwriter from Juno, will be writing the script.  
• Finally, this NY Times piece has a wealth of information about what's coming from Disney in the next few years and it's sounds promising.  David Fincher (The Social Network) is said to be working on 20,000 Leagues under the Sea and Sam Raimi (Spiderman) is supposed to be re-imagining the Wizard of Oz.  Disney's penchant of making movies out of theme park rides continues as Guillermo Del Toro is looking at Disneyland's Haunted Mansion Ride.  Oh, and they really really want Angelina Jolie to play Maleficient in a live-action version of Sleeping Beauty.  I do too 'cause that would just be awesome.  In the not-so-awesome news of the article, there will be a National Treasure 3.  Because two weren't enough for everyone.  Trust me, it was enough.  Good read though.  

Weekly News Update

• Sofia Coppola's Somewhere wins the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.  That it won the big prize is kind of surprising since all the attention and media buzz was previously on Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan.  But, personally, I like Sofia's style of film making.  Somewhere is based on her own experiences following her own famous father, Francis Ford Coppola, around.  
• The Venice jury was lead by Quentin Tarantino and also awarded the Silver Lion to Alex de la Iglesia for his film, Balada triste de la trompeta (A Sad Trumpet Ballad).  Other notable winners were Vincent Gallo, Essential Killing for Best Actor and Ariane Labed, Attenberg for Best Actress. Black Swan didn't leave empty handed.  Mila Kunis won the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor & Actress.
• Noomi Rapace, known as the original Lisbeth Salander in the Swedish versions of the Millenium trilogy, has landed her first big English film.  She has been cast as the female lead in Sherlock Holmes 2.  She joins Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law who are reprising their roles as Holmes and Watson.  No word on who will be cast as Holmes' nemesis, Moriarty. 
• Possible Hobbit casting news?  Martin Freeman (Love Actually, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy) is rumored to be the top choice.  Apparently, there were some scheduling conflicts as he's also cast as Dr. Watson in the BBC series of Sherlock.  However, as Entertainment Weekly is reporting, the producers of The Hobbit are still keen on casting him and trying to work something out where he can be on both projects.