Footloose Looking for New Director

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Paramount, Musicals, Remakes, Rumors, Upcoming Releases

The Footloose remake has temporarily been grounded.

Although Paramount’s had already lined up a new Ren McCormick (Chace Crawford) and Ariel Moore (Julianne Hough) for its planned update, the studio is now without a director.

Up until last week, Kenny Ortega (High School Musical, This Is It) was the man helming the project. Unfortunately, creative and budget differences lead to his exit. According to reports, Ortega wanted $30 million for a musical extravaganza while Paramount was looking at $25 million for something a bit edgier.

A statement from Ortega’s reps, though, claims his recent project was to blame for his departure. “Coming off the extraordinary project, Michael Jackson’s This is It, director Kenny Ortega has decided it is premature for him to commit to his next film and will not be moving forward with Footloose as previously reported.”

It’s believed Paramount will still try to keep to its March production start date.

Read More | Variety

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Mamma Mia Sequel? Here We Go Again

Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Universal, Family, Music, Musicals, Sequels, Comedy, Casting, Celeb News, Celebrity Gossip, Rumors, Upcoming Releases

Mamma Mia! star Amanda Seyfried recently confirmed that a sequel to the successful flick is in the works. So what’s the bad news? It, too, will feature ABBA music. Well, we can’t have it all.

“I will do it,” Seyfried reported. “And I know Meryl’s [Streep] game as well, so bring it on.”

Get ready for the sing-along.

Read More | Perez Hilton

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Sequel News: 30 Days of Night, Mad Max and More

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Paramount, Action, Adaptation, Drama, Horror, Musicals, Sequels, Casting, Celeb News, Upcoming Releases

30 Days of Night: Cold-loving bloodsuckers have just been granted a lengthier stay. Principal photography on 30 Days of Night: Dark Days, a sequel to the 2007 horror film, is already underway. The movie, which will be directed by Ben Ketai, will center on vampire hunters searching for a queen (Mia Kirshner). Diora Baird, Harold Perrineau, Kiele Sanchez and Rhys Coiro all co-star.

Click to continue reading Sequel News: 30 Days of Night, Mad Max and More

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Sneak Peek: New Video Clip From Nine

Posted by Kathleen Kane Categories: Weinstein Company, Adaptation, Drama, Musicals, Romance, Casting, Filmmaking, Trailers, Upcoming Releases, Videos

Rob Marshall’s new film Nine is epic.

For one, the cast is impeccable: Daniel Day-Lewis, Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, Sophia Loren, Kate Hudson, and Stacy “Fergie” Ferguson. That’s 7 Oscar wins and 11 Oscar nominations between them!

Secondly, this video—spliced with rehearsal footage and new clips of the film—just makes me more excited for musical (that could be my Chicago and Moulin Rouge fangirl in me). Having been partially based on Federico Fellini’s autobiographical 8 1/2, I can’t see why it won’t please audiences.

I suppose we shall find out on its opening day, December 25th; in the meantime, enjoy the video!

Read More | LA Times

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Casting Corner: Kristen Bell, Justin Long and More

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Columbia Pictures, Disney, Universal, Action, Biopics, Classics, Drama, Independent, Musicals, Period, Remakes, Casting, Celeb News, Upcoming Releases

Here’s a quick look at some of the casting announcements made recently:

Kristen Bell: Who knew Veronica Mars was a dancer? Kristen Bell has just been added to the cast of Burlesque, a film that will see Christina Aguilera playing a small-town girl working at a cabaret-esque club in Los Angeles. The film, which stars Cher as the establishment’s owner, will feature Bell as the soon-to-be former lead dancer. Dancing with the Stars’ Julianne Hough will also do what she does best.

Click to continue reading Casting Corner: Kristen Bell, Justin Long and More

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Original Fame Director Speaks Out Against Remake

Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: MGM, Music, Musicals, Remakes, New Releases, Trailers, Videos

Maybe Fame does live forever. Though the remake has premiered, some are still nostalgically looking to the past. One of the contributors to the original film project, Sir Alan Parker, has gone on record to speak out against the newly-remade movie.

Fame, which was released in 1980 and quickly became a classic, recently arrived in the UK. It was originally directed by Parker, who said that seeing the remake was “a bit like being mugged.” You see, apparently he was never consulted about the new version of the film, which Sir Alan sees as something of a slight. Calling the project “dreadful,” he says of the situation, “such are the realities of Hollywood manners and American copyright law.”

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Read More | The Telegraph

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In Theaters This Weekend: September 25, 2009

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: IFC Films, MGM, Miramax, Paramount, Sony, Touchstone, Biopics, Documentary, Drama, Horror, Musicals, Period, Political, Remakes, Science Fiction, Comedy, Lists, New Releases

Here are a few selections in theaters this weekend:

• Fame (PG): starring Megan Mullally, Kelsey Grammer, Bebe Neuwirth (directed by Kevin Tancharoen)
• Pandorum (R): starring Dennis Quaid, Ben Foster, Cam Gigandet (directed by Christian Alvert)
• Surrogates (PG-13): starring Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, Rosamund Pike (directed by Jonathan Mostow)

Click to continue reading In Theaters This Weekend: September 25, 2009

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Casting Corner: Anton Yelchin, Michelle Monaghan and More

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Disney, MGM, New Line, Warner Bros, Action, Animation, Drama, Family, Musicals, Remakes, Romance, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Casting, Celeb News, Upcoming Releases

Here’s a quick look at some of the casting announcements made recently:

Michelle Monaghan: The Made of Honor actress is going to be kept waiting in Due Date, a Todd Phillips-directed comedy. Michelle has been cast as the pregnant wife eager for her husband (Robert Downey Jr.) to make it home. Unfortunately, the dad-to-be is accompanied by Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover) during his hurried journey home. The film is still in pre-production.

Click to continue reading Casting Corner: Anton Yelchin, Michelle Monaghan and More

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Meryl Streep Calls Male Execs Scared of Women

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Columbia Pictures, Universal, Drama, Family, Musicals, Casting, Celebrity Gossip, Rumors

Oscar winner Meryl Streep says film studios are “shocked” when her films are popular.

The Julie and Julia star thinks that the industry is “scared” of making films that appeal to women because all the studio executives are men.

The 60-year-old actress said, “It’s always a shock to the studio when a film like Mamma Mia does well because men run the studios and live their own fantasies through them. It’s harder for a man to jump inside a woman character’s mind and imagine, ‘This could happen to me’. They see it and they understand that there is a market and it will make them an enormous amount of money. But we all respond to instinct, ands it’s their inner boy that jumps up and goes, ‘Yeah I wanna see another G.I. Joe!’”

Click to continue reading Meryl Streep Calls Male Execs Scared of Women

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This Week on DVD and Blu-ray: September 15, 2009

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Disney, Magnolia, MGM, Miramax, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Documentary, Drama, Horror, Musicals, Period, Sequels, Comedy, Home Entertainment, Lists, New Releases

Here are some of the DVD and Blu-ray options available this Tuesday:

• The 13th Warrior: DVD
• Amadeus (Director’s Cut): Blu-ray
• An American Werewolf in London (Full Moon Edition): DVD, Blu-ray
• Army of Darkness (Screwhead Edition): Blu-ray
• Child’s Play: Blu-ray
• Deadgirl: DVD
• Deep Impact: Blu-ray
• Easy Virtue: DVD, Blu-ray
• Fame: DVD
• Friday the 13th, Part VII: The New Blood: DVD
• Friday the 13th, Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan: DVD
• Grace: DVD, Blu-ray
• Hero: Blu-ray

Click to continue reading This Week on DVD and Blu-ray: September 15, 2009

Read More | Amazon

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