Pirates Franchise Sails On…Without Depp?

Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Disney, Action, Adventure, Family, Sequels, Casting, Celeb News, Celebrity Gossip, Corporate Shakeups, Rumors, Upcoming Releases, Videos

Which is bigger: Depp or Disney?

Dick Cook, former chairman of the uber-company and friend to actor Johnny Depp, recently left the company and left the fate of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise up in the air. Depp stated that he may discontinue his piracy if Cook is no longer at the helm of the ship.

But here’s the really shocking part: Disney plans to forge ahead without him. Depp is signed up to do On Stranger Tides, the fourth installment in the franchise, but two more movies are planned after this.

So…is there any way the movies could possibly work without Captain Jack Sparrow? Disney’s pretty big…but it’s doubtful the company has the chops to make Pirates work without Depp in the lead.

Read More | MTV via Perez Hilton

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Sam Mendes Fears for Big Dramas

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Corporate Shakeups, Filmmaking

Sam Mendes claims the recession has made Hollywood dramas and period movies are “almost impossible” to make.

The director says that while his recent movie, Away We Go, had been done “very cheaply,” other films are struggling in the current economic climate.

“The recession has hit the industry in a very odd way as big movies are more popular than ever,” Mendes said to BBC Radio 4’s The Film Programme. “But the movies in the middle are almost getting squeezed out, which is the big dramas, the movies that do cost a bit of money with well-known actors in them.”

Click to continue reading Sam Mendes Fears for Big Dramas

Read More | BBC

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Lone Transformers Crew Member Defends Megan Fox

Posted by Robin Paulson Categories: Celebrity Gossip, Celebrity Controversy, Corporate Shakeups, Rumors

Apparently there are people who love Megan Fox!

Shortly after a trio of anonymous Transformers workers blasted Megan over her comments made about director Michael Bay, a lone production assistant named Anthony Steinhart has thrown his hat into the fiery ring.

Considering that IMDB exists, it isn’t hard to figure out who the anonymous Megan-haters are—Steinhart just wants to clear his name for the record.

Check out his letter, in full, after the jump.

Click to continue reading Lone Transformers Crew Member Defends Megan Fox

Read More | Just Jared

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Disney to Pay $4 Billion for Marvel Entertainment

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Disney, Corporate Shakeups

Disney has just added 5,000 characters to its arsenal.

In a deal announced today, The Walt Disney Company says it intends to purchase comic book giant Marvel Entertainment. The acquisition is worth a whopping $4 billion.

“This transaction combines Marvel’s strong global brand and world-renowned library of characters including Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four and Thor with Disney’s creative skills, unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties, and a business structure that maximizes the value of creative properties across multiple platforms and territories,” Robert A. Iger, Walt Disney Company’s President and CEO, said in a press release.

Click to continue reading Disney to Pay $4 Billion for Marvel Entertainment

Read More | Comix 411

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Tommy Lee Jones Sues Paramount For $10 Million

Posted by Robin Paulson Categories: Paramount, Action, Adventure, Drama, Noir, Thrillers, Box Office, Celebrity Gossip, Celebrity Controversy, Corporate Shakeups, Rumors

While Fox and Warner Bros. are dealing with their battles, Paramount now has to deal with one of their own, thanks to a $10 million dollar lawsuit compliments of Tommy Lee Jones.

The veteran actor is seeking payment that he claims is rightfully owed to him for the services he provided for the 2007 Coen Brothers’ hit, No Country For Old Men.

Although both Paramount and Jones declined to comment, the actor’s publicist simply pointed to the lawsuit, which notes a contract N.M. Classics (a subsidiary of Paramount’s) that promises Jones “significant box-office bonuses and ‘back-end’ compensation.”

Click to continue reading Tommy Lee Jones Sues Paramount For $10 Million

Read More | San Antonio Express-News

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Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Favreau Talk Iron Man 2

Posted by Robin Paulson Categories: Paramount, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Political, Thrillers, Celeb News, Corporate Shakeups, Distribution, Filmmaking, Rumors, Scripts, Upcoming Releases

UPDATE: Thanks to one of those smarter people who actually brought a camera, The Game Jerk has posted a video of the Q&A that you can check out after the jump.

Although I have continuously kicked myself repeatedly for not bringing a camera last night, I was still at least able to mentally hold on to the great moments witnessed last night at a special screening of Iron Man. While the director was already scheduled to appear for a live commentary at Santa Monica’s Aero Theater, fans of Marvel’s first self-financed film were in for an even better treat when Tony Stark himself, Robert Downey Jr., showed up at the last moment.

Because of the fact that he had not recorded a commentary for the upcoming DVD, director Jon Favreau was quite exuberant over the fact that he was able to do so in person (also because he was not obligated to be politically correct).

Click to continue reading Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Favreau Talk Iron Man 2

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Court Date Set for Watchmen Lawsuit

Posted by Robin Paulson Categories: 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Mystery, Noir, Political, Thrillers, Corporate Shakeups, Distribution, Filmmaking, Upcoming Releases

While most Watchmen fans only had the film’s release countdown to consider, a new development in the Watchmen copyright lawsuit has added a new date to watch out for: January 6.

U.S. District Court Judge Gary Allen Feess assigned the date for the case, which is set to decide whether or not Fox does hold the rights to the Watchmen movie. Between the January 6 court date and the film’s scheduled March 6 release, let’s hope that things go in the fans’ favor and they settle this between that time.

If the case goes according to Fox, fans of the highly-anticipated Zack Snyder film will never see that March 6 release happen, which could very well happen come January.

The dispute goes back to 1991, when Fox “quitclaimed” its right to Alan Moore‘s acclaimed graphic novel to Largo Entertainment, with an agreement that the production company was to release the movie under the big studio (if not, Largo Entertainment was to buy the rights through an agreed buyout formula from Fox).

Click to continue reading Court Date Set for Watchmen Lawsuit

Read More | The Hollywood Reporter

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Watchmen Fans Protest Fox’s Lawsuit

Posted by Robin Paulson Categories: 20th Century Fox, Paramount, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Classics, Horror, Mystery, Political, Thrillers, Celebrity Controversy, Corporate Shakeups, Distribution, Rumors, Upcoming Releases

Even though the much-anticipated film’s premiere is not scheduled until March 6, true Watchmen fans are not taking any chances with Fox’s plans to completely prevent the release.

ComicBookMovie.com has organized a petition in hopes that the people over at Fox change their minds about touching the classic graphic novel’s film adaptation. One fan named Wyatt Barlup is even planning to picket the Fox lots with like-minded, passionate comrades.

There are even those that are on the offense: readers at Comics2Film.com have suggested taking action against Fox‘s upcoming films The Day the Earth Stood Still and X-Men Origins: Wolverine by calling for a boycott. Whoever knew real life drama could be better than fiction!

Why such extreme action, one might ask? Well, probably the fact that Fox isn’t planning on settling this—the studio heads don’t want to see Zack Snyder‘s film released, period.

Click to continue reading Watchmen Fans Protest Fox’s Lawsuit

Read More | Variety

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Toshiba Stops HD DVD Production

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Picturehouse, Universal, Corporate Shakeups, Home Entertainment, Technology

It’s official.  HD DVD is DOA.

Toshiba finally announced Tuesday what had been rumored for days—it is pulling out of the high-definition market.  Although the HD DVD system preceded Sony’s product, Blu-ray sales have steadily outpaced its competitor.

In the past few months, major studios have aligned themselves with the Sony brand.  Even though Paramount and Universal continued to offer their titles on HD DVD, it was clear the Toshiba format was being crippled.

Recent decisions made by Wal-Mart and Netflix helped drive a nail into the HD DVD coffin.  The companies announced they would no longer be making the high-def option available to its customers.

Shipments of the Toshiba systems will wrap up by March.

Read More | Hollywood Reporter

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Thousands Sign Petition to Save HD DVD

Posted by Johnny Mercedes Categories: Paramount, Universal, Warner Bros, Corporate Shakeups, Home Entertainment, Technology

Impassioned high-definitionites are still fighting to save their precious HD DVD with an online petition. Beginning January 5, the outcry had hoped to urge Warner Home Entertainment to reconsider its recent decision to go Blu-ray, after long-time indecisiveness regarding the format war.

Petitioners also hope the two remaining studios, Paramount and Universal, will see that HD DVD has many supporters and shouldn’t be relegated to history along with Betamax.

Many people have left comments vilifying Warner for allegedly choosing money over consumer choice. Some even swore to never buy another Warner-related film. To be sure, the decision dealt a mighty blow to HD DVD owners; it is clear they feel passionately.

As of this writing, the petition had topped nearly 14,000—not bad considering its short existence—though one wonders what it would take to convince a monolithic conglomerate like Warner.

If you want to do your part to keep HD DVD alive, or if you simply like the competition, sign the petition. Or if you’re ready for the format war to end— eschewing consumer choice and embracing monopoly—you can always sign the Let HD DVD Die Petition.

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