Posted by dominie in Films, News on January 5th, 2009
According to /Film via The Daily Telegraph, Hugh Jackman (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Australia), Hugo Weaving (The Wolfman, Lord of the Rings series, The Matrix series), and Ryan Kwanten (True Blood) have been cast to provide their voices for Zack Snyder’s upcoming animated feature film, Guardians of Ga’Hoole, based on a New York Times bestselling children’s series by author Kathryn Lasky and illustrator Richard Cowdry.
Snyder’s animated feature will be based on the first three books in the 14 book series. The epic fantasy is set in the Forest of Tyto and “follows a young barn owl named Soren, who is kidnapped by owls of St. Aggie’s, where owlets are brainwashed into becoming soldiers. He and his new friends escape to the island of Ga’Hoole, to assist its noble, wise owls who fight the army being created by the wicked rulers of St. Aggie’s” (/Film).
The movie will be made by Australian animation studio Animal Logic, the team behind Happy Feet, 300, and Babe. Warner Bros. has slated the Guardians for release on July 30, 2010.
Posted by dominic in Films, General, News on January 5th, 2009
Hey there Monster Fans, I’m back-albeit a tad late-with this week’s ever interesting box office report. Ironically, I should be able to simply repost last week’s report for the simple fact there was no change in the top seven spots from the Christmas weekend.
Marley and Me, starring Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston and a bunch of different Labradors in different stages of life remained at number one. Grossing $24.1 million, the Fox picture has fetched $106.5 million in two weeks of release.
Adam Sandler’s family friendly Bedtime Stories came in (again) at number two with $20.3 million. The Buena Vista fantasy film has conjured up $85.3 million in two weeks and was down only 26% from last weekend.
The amazingly beautiful (yes that is my opinion) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button retained the third spot with a haul of $18.4 million. The Brad Pitt aging backwards drama from Paramount fell 31.5% for a two week total of $79 million.
Tom Cruise’s conspiracy to kill Hitler action/drama Valkyrie directed by Bryan Singer was fourth with a catch of $14 million. The United Artist release was down 33.3% for a total of $60.6 million.
Yes Man was fifth at $13.9 million. Jim Carrey’s film about a man who can’t say no dropped a low 16.9% and has grossed $79.4 million in three weeks, passing its $70 million budget.
Sixth saw Seven Pounds starring Will Smith as an IRS agent or something adding $10 million to its three week earnings for a total of just over $60 million. Sony’s release dropped 24.3% and surpassed its $55 million budget.
The animated TheTale of Despereaux rounds out the top seven for the last two weeks with $7 million. The Universal release has grossed $43.7 million in three weeks and was down 21.4% from last weekend.
Bringing a little change to the lineup the Miramax film Doubt jumped two spots from tenth to eighth. The religious period piece grossed $5 million for a four week total of $18.7 million.
The Day the Earth Stood Still was the only film to drop on the list, from eighth to ninth. With a weekend take of $4.9 million the sci-fi remake from Fox has grossed $74.2 million in fourth weeks and is close to reaching its $80 million production budget.
And last but not least Slumdog Millionaire jumped from thirteenth to tenth with $4.8 million. The Fox Searchlight release which cost $15 million has made $28.7 million in eight weeks of release.
Just a personal note, the new Edward Zwick film Defiance opened on two screens pulling in $121,000. That’s a huge $60,500 per-screen average. Starring Daniel Craig, the movie tells the story of three Jewish brothers who fight a guerrilla war against the Nazis in Russia. Defiance opens wide later this month.
That’s it for this week you crazy kids. Go watch some movies.
Posted by pete in General, Literature, News, Reviews on January 5th, 2009
At an old manor house on a remote Scottish island, six managers of a large corporation arrive for a week-long stay. Within days they will all suffer horrifying deaths and their bodies will never be found. The government assigns the case to Department 18, the special unit created to investigate the supernatural and the paranormal. However this is no mere haunted house. The evil on this island goes back centuries, but its unholy plots and schemes are hardly things of the past. In fact, while the members of Department 18 race to unravel the island’s secrets, the forces of darkness are gathering…and preparing to attack.
Dorchester Publishing continues their run of outstanding horror titles with Black Cathedral by L.H. Maynard and M.P.N. Sims.
Wow, what a book. This is one truly frightening tale. Maynard & Sims hit this one out of the park.
From the very first chapter Maynard & Sims grab hold of you and don’t let go. They rivet up the tension and scares with an almost maniacal glee. They drag you deep into their nightmare world and leave you stranded there…alone.
Their vision of this haunted Scottish isle is terrifying and bleak. Their descriptive prose paints a desolate portrait of this uninviting place. You can feel the evil oozing from the pages. The pace never lets up, the frights are many and will keep you trembling until the very last page.
If supernatural horror and being scared to death is your thing you have no excuse for not buying this book.
Posted by dominie in Films, News on January 4th, 2009
Paramount Pictures has removed Case 39 from their 2009 slate indefinitely . It was scheduled for April 10, 2009 in our 2009 Preview announcement. The Renee Zellweger starrer horror has been tucked away for over two years already, and its a mystery why Paramount has just announced a straight to DVD release date.
Directed by Alan Alvart, Case 39 centers on an idealistic social worker (Zellweger) who saves an abused 10-year-old girl from her parents only to discover that things are not as they appear.
Posted by dominie in Films, News on January 2nd, 2009
In continuation of our 2009 movie previews, below we have the lineup from Dimension Films/MGM 2009 Preview.
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Middle of Nowhere (A Perfect Getaway) (March 13, 2009)
Studio: MGM
Director: David Twohy
Screenwriter: David Twohy
Starring: Timothy Olyphant Steve Zahn Milla Jovovich Kiele Sanchez
Synopsis: Timothy Olyphant will play a newlywed whose Hawaiian honeymoon becomes a nightmare when he and his bride are stalked by two killers.
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Piranha 3D (July 24, 2009)
Studio: Dimension Films
Director: Alexandre Aja
Screenwriter: Alexandre Aja, Grégory Levasseur
Synopsis: They’re back! Every year the population of sleepy Lake Havasu explodes from 5,000 to 50,000 for a single, wild weekend - the 4th of July, a riot of sun, drunken fun and sex-crazed mayhem. But this year, there’s something more to worry about than hangovers and complaints from local old timers. Havasu sits in the crater formed by a prehistoric volcanic eruption, and when earth tremors tear open a crack in the lake floor, all hell breaks through. Piranhas - a million ravenous, razor-toothed monsters, unchanged since the dawn of time. Unstoppable killing machines acting blindly under one primeval impulse: to hunt down anything that moves and strip it to the raw, bleeding bone. In seconds. 
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H2: Halloween 2 (October 200
Studio: Dimension Films
Director: Rob Zombie
Screenwriter: Rob Zombie
Starring: Scout Taylor-Compton Tyler Mane Malcolm McDowell Daeg Faerch Sheri Moon Zombie
Synopsis: The new film picks up right as the first remake ended, following the aftermath of Michael Myers’ murderous rampage through the eyes of the sister he hunted. 
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The Road (TBA)
Studio: Dimension Films
Director: John Hillcoat
Screenwriter: Joe Penhall, Cormac McCarthy
Starring: Viggo Mortensen Charlize Theron Guy Pearce Kodi Smit-McPhee Robert Duvall
Synopsis: The story centers on a man who embarks on a nightmarish road trip after a nuclear explosion in an attempt to transport his son to safety while fending off cannibals. 
Posted by dominie in Films, News on January 2nd, 2009
Happy New Year from all of us at Famous Monsters of Filmland. Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to a great 2009 with you! In continuation of our 2009 movie previews, below we have the lineup from Universal Pictures including Rogue Pictures and Focus Features.
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The Unborn (January 9, 2009)
Studio: Rogue Pictures
Director: David Goyer
Screenwriter: David Goyer
Starring: Odette Yustman Gary Oldman Cam Gigandet Meagan Good Carla Gugino Jane Alexander Idris Elba Rhys Coiro James Remar
Synopsis: The psychological thriller follows an 18-year-old who is haunted by a Dybbuk - the soul of a dead person barred from heaven - in the form of a young boy who perished in Auschwitz. Visit theunbornmovie.net 
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Coraline (February 6, 2009)
Studio: Focus Features
Director: Henry Selick
Screenwriter: Henry Selick, Neil Gaiman
Starring: Dakota Fanning Ian McShane Teri Hatcher Keith David Jennifer Saunders
Synopsis: A high-definition stop-motion animated feature – the first to be originally filmed in 3-D – with spectacular CG effects, based on Neil Gaiman’s international best-selling book. A young girl walks through a secret door in her new home and discovers an alternate version of her life. On the surface, this parallel reality is eerily similar to her real life – only much better. But when this wondrously off-kilter, fantastical adventure turns dangerous, and her counterfeit parents (including Other Mother) try to keep her forever, Coraline must count on her resourcefulness, determination, and bravery to get back home – and save her family. Visit Coraline.com 
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Drag Me to Hell (May 29, 2009)
Studio: Universal Pictures
Director: Sam Raimi
Screenwriter: Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi, Jeff Lynch
Starring: Alison Lohman Justin Long Jessica Lucas Dileep Rao Lorna Raver David Paymer Adriana Barraza,Fernanda Romero Reggie Lee Alex Veadov Bojana Novakovic Bill E. Roger
Synopsis: Director Sam Raimi (Spider-Man trilogy, Evil Dead series) returns to the horror genre with Drag Me To Hell, an original tale of a young woman’s desperate quest to break an evil curse. 
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Land of the Lost (June 5, 2009)
Studio: Universal Pictures
Director: Brad Silberling
Screenwriter: Chris Henchy, Dennis McNicholas
Starring: Will Ferrell, Danny McBride, Anna Friel, Jorma Taccone
Synopsis: Space-time vortexes suck.
Will Ferrell stars as has-been scientist Dr. Rick Marshall, sucked into one and spat back through time. Way back. Now, Marshall has no weapons, few skills and questionable smarts to survive in an alternate universe full of marauding dinosaurs and fantastic creatures from beyond our world-a place of spectacular sights and super-scaled comedy known as the Land of the Lost.
Sucked alongside him for the adventure are crack-smart research assistant Holly (Anna Friel) and a redneck survivalist (Danny McBride) named Will. Chased by T. rex and stalked by painfully slow reptiles known as Sleestaks, Marshall, Will and Holly must rely on their only ally-a primate called Chaka (Jorma Taccone)-to navigate out of the hybrid dimension. Escape from this routine expedition gone awry and they’re heroes. Get stuck, and they’ll be permanent refugees in the Land of the Lost.
Based on the classic television series created by Sid & Marty Krofft, Land of the Lost is directed by Brad Silberling and produced by Jimmy Miller and Sid & Marty Krofft. 
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The Wolfman (November 9, 2009)
Studio: Universal Pictures
Director: Joe Johnston
Screenwriter: Andrew Kevin Walker and David Self
Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving, Art Malik
Synopsis: Like the 1941 original that starred Lon Chaney Jr., new pic will be set in Victorian England. Del Toro will play a man who returns from America to his ancestral homeland, gets bitten by a werewolf and begins a hairy moonlight existence. Visit thewolfmanmovie.com 
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The Last House on the Left (TBA)
Studio: Rogue Pictures
Director: Dennis Iliadis
Screenwriter: Mark Haslett, Carl Ellsworth, Adam Alleca
Starring: Garret Dillahunt Rhys Coiro Martha MacIsaac Riki Lindhome Sara Paxton Tony Goldwyn Monica Potter
Synopsis: John and Emma Collingwood are on vacation at their lakeshore house when, by a bizarre twist of fate, they give shelter to the sociopaths who have just assaulted and nearly killed their daughter. Upon discovering the truth, they exact a chilling revenge on her attackers… 
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Thirst (TBA)
Studio: Focus Features (Universal)
Director: Chan Wook-Park
Screenwriter: Chan Wook-Park
Starring: Song Gang-ho Kim Ok-bin
Synopsis: The story about a well respected priest Sang-hyun, who falls in love with his childhood friend’s wife and who, after a failed medical experiment is turned into a vampire. The priest’s faith can only hold for so long as his humanity withers away in this unique thriller and horror impassioned by an illicit love story. 
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25/8 (Tentative title, Date TBA)
Studio: Rogue Pictures (Universal)
Director: Wes Craven
Screenwriter: Wes Craven
Starring: Max Theirot Denzel Whitaker Shareeka Epps Emily Meade
Synopsis: As legend has it, a notorious serial slayer will return to the sleepy community of Riverdale to finish off the seven children born on the night he purportedly died. But is the slayer really dead, or is he still at large? Or has the mysterious evil personality that once impelled his bloody spree entered the body of an unwary teen, who will now be compelled to do his evil bidding?
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Cirque Du Freak
Studio: Universal Pictures
Director: Paul Weitz
Screenwriter: Brian Helgeland, Paul Weitz
Starring: John C. Reilly, Ken Watanabe, Chris Massoglia, Josh Hutcherson, Patrick Fugit, Ray Stevenson, Michael Cerveris, Frankie Faison, Jane Krakowski, Orlando Jones, Kristen Schaal and Salma Hayek
Synopsis: Cirque Du Freak tells the frightening tale of a boy who unknowingly breaks a 200-year-old truce between two warring factions of vampires. Pulled into a fantastic life of misunderstood sideshow freaks and grotesque creatures of the night, one teen will vanish from the safety of a boring existence and fulfill his destiny in a place drawn from nightmares.
14-year-old Darren (Chris Massoglia) was like most kids in his suburban neighborhood. He hung out with his best friend, got decent grades and usually stayed out of trouble. But when he and his buddy stumble upon a traveling freak show, things begin to change inside Darren. That’s the exact moment when a vampire named Larten Crepsley (John C. Reilly) turns him into something, well, bloodthirsty.
Newly undead, he joins the Cirque Du Freak, a touring sideshow filled with monstrous creatures from a snakeboy and a wolfman to a bearded lady (Salma Hayek) and a gigantic barker (Ken Watanabe). As Darren flexes his newfound powers in this dark world, he becomes a treasured pawn between the vampires and their deadlier counterparts. And while trying to survive, one boy will struggle to keep their brewing war from devouring what’s left of his humanity.
Posted by dominie in Films, News on December 31st, 2008
Continuing with our 2009 preview, below we have the lineup from Sony Pictures including Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, and Sony Pictures Animation films.
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Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (January 23, 2009)
Studio: Screen Gems (Sony)
Director: Patrick Tatopoulos
Screenwriter: Danny McBride, Dirk Blackman, Howard McCain
Starring: Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy, Rhona Mitra, Steven Mackintosh, Kevin Grevioux
Synopsis: “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans” delves into the origins of the centuries-old blood feud between the aristocratic vampires, known as Death Dealers, and the barbaric Lycans (werewolves). A young Lycan, Lucian (Michael Sheen), emerges as a powerful leader who rallies the werewolves to rise up against Viktor (Bill Nighy), the cruel vampire king who has persecuted them for hundreds of years. Lucian is joined by his secret lover, the beautiful vampire Sonja (Rhona Mitra), in his battle to free the Lycans from their brutal enslavement. Visit EntertheUnderworld.com 
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Obsessed (April 24, 2009)
Studio: Screen Gems (Sony)
Director: Steve Shill
Screenwriter: David Loughery
Starring: Idris Elba, Beyonce Knowles, Ali Larter, Bruce McGill, Jerry O’Connell, Christine Lahti
Synopsis: Derek Charles (Idris Elba), a successful asset manager who has just received a huge promotion, is blissfully happy in his career and in his marriage to the beautiful Sharon (Beyoncé Knowles). But when Lisa (Ali Larter), a temp worker, starts stalking Derek, all the things he’s worked so hard for are placed in jeopardy. 
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Angels and Demons (May 15, 2009)
Studio: Columbia Pictures (Sony)
Director: Ron Howard
Screenwriter: David Koepp, Akiva Goldsman
Starring: Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgard, Pierfrancesco Favino, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Armin Mueller-Stahl
Synopsis: The team behind the global phenomenon “The Da Vinci Code” returns for the highly anticipated “Angels & Demons,” based upon the bestselling novel by Dan Brown. Tom Hanks reprises his role as Harvard religious expert Robert Langdon, who once again finds that forces with ancient roots are willing to stop at nothing, even murder, to advance their goals. Ron Howard again directs the film, which is produced by Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, and John Calley. The screenplay is by David Koepp and Akiva Goldsman.
When Langdon discovers evidence of the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati - the most powerful underground organization in history - he also faces a deadly threat to the existence of the secret organization’s most despised enemy: the Catholic Church. When Langdon learns that the clock is ticking on an unstoppable Illuminati time bomb, he jets to Rome, where he joins forces with Vittoria Vetra, a beautiful and enigmatic Italian scientist. Embarking on a nonstop, action-packed hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and even to the heart of the most secretive vault on earth, Langdon and Vetra will follow a 400-year-old trail of ancient symbols that mark the Vatican’s only hope for survival. Visit AngelsandDemons.com 
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2012 (July 10, 2009)
Studio: Columbia Pictures (Sony)
Director: Roland Emmerich
Screenwriter: Roland Emmerich, Harald Kloser
Starring: John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Thandie Newton, Danny Glover, Woody Harrelson
Synopsis: Never before has a date in history been so significant to so many cultures, so many religions, scientists, and governments. “2012″ is an epic adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors. 
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District 9 (August 14, 2009)
Studio: Screen Gems (Sony)
Director: Neill Blomkamp
Screenwriter: Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell
Starring: Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, David James, Mandla Gaduka, William Allen Young, Vanessa Haywood, Kenneth Nkosi, Devlin Brown
Synopsis: “District 9″ depicts a science fictional world where extraterrestrials have become refugees in South Africa.
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Zombieland (October 9, 2009)
Studio: Columbia Pictures (Sony)
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Screenwriter: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg
Synopsis: Woody Harrelson has signed on to star in the horror comedy “Zombieland,” which revolves around a mismatched pair of survivors who find friendship and redemption in a world overrun by zombies. Harrelson plays one of the men, a zombie fighter named Albuquerque.
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The Stepfather (October 16, 2009)
Studio: Screen Gems (Sony)
Director: Nelson McCormick
Screenwriter: J.S. Cardone
Starring: Dylan Walsh, Sela Ward, Penn Badgley, Sherry Stringfield, Jon Tenney, Paige Turco, Amber Heard
Synopsis: Michael Harding (Penn Badgley) returns home from military school to find his mother (Sela Ward) happily in love and living with her new boyfriend, David (Dylan Walsh). As the two men get to know each other, Michael becomes more and more suspicious of the man who is always there with a helpful hand. Is he really the man of her dreams or could David be hiding a dark side? 
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Planet 51 (November 20, 2009)
Studio: TriStar Pictures (Sony)
Director: Jorge Blanco, Javier Abad, Marcos Martinez
Screenwriter: Joe Stillman
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel, Justin Long, Seann William Scott, Gary Oldman, John Cleese
Synopsis: Animated sci-fi tale set on “Planet 51,” whose inhabitants live in fear of an alien invasion. Their paranoia is realized when astronaut Capt. Charles “Chuck” Baker arrives from Earth. Befriended by a young resident, the astronaut has to avoid capture in order to recover his spaceship and return home. 
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Vinyan (TBA)
Studio: Sony
Director: Fabrice du Welz
Screenwriter: Oliver Blackburn, Fabrice de Welz
Starring: Rufus Sewell Emmanuelle Béart Julie Dreyfus Borhan Du Welz
Synopsis: Still not having accepted the loss of their son in a tsunami disaster, Janet and Paul Behlmer are back in Bangkok. Hanging on to the fact that his body has never been discovered, Janet desperately clings to the idea that pirates might have kidnapped their kid in the confusion that followed the catastrophe. Looking for someone to guide them in the Thai underworld, they bribe their way to a mysterious Mr. Gao, who takes them to Ranong, where a mercenary supplies them with a boat and crew to explore the pirate-infested shores of Burma. Slowly, they will lose themselves into a strange child-infested jungle and to their inner demons. 
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Malice In Wonderland (TBA)
Studio: Sony
Director: Simon Fellows
Screenwriter: Jayson Rothwell
Starring: Maggie Grace Danny Dyer Nathaniel Parker Katia Winter Bronagh Gallagher Matt King Paul Kaye
Synopsis: Jayson Rothwell’s script has Alice re-imagined as an American student who is hit by a London taxi and finds herself disoriented in Sunderland, where she has to navigate a macabre underworld of characters.
Posted by dominie in Films, News on December 31st, 2008
Continuing with our 2009 preview, below we have the lineup from DreamWorks/Paramount Pictures.
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The Uninvited (January 30, 2009)
Studio: DreamWorks Pictures (Paramount)
Director: Thomas Guard, Charles Guard
Screenwriter: Craig Rosenberg, Doug Miro, Carlo Bernard
Starring: Emily Browning, Elizabeth Banks, Arielle Kebbel, David Strathairn
Synopsis: In the suspense thriller The Uninvited, based on the 2003 Korean motion picture Changhwa, Hongryon written and directed by Kim Jee-woon, Anna (Emily Browning) returns home after spending time in a psychiatric facility following her mother’s tragic death and discovers that her mother’s former nurse, Rachel (Elizabeth Banks), has moved into their house and become engaged to her father, Steven (David Strathairn). Soon after she learns this shocking news, Anna is visited by her mother’s ghost, who warns her that Rachel has evil intentions. Together, Anna and her sister (Arielle Kebbel) must convince their father that his new fiancee is not who she pretends to be, and what should have been a happy family reunion becomes a lethal battle of wills between stepdaughters and stepmother. Visit Uninvitedmovie.com
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Monsters vs. Aliens (March 27, 2009)
Studio: DreamWorks Animation (Paramount)
Director: Rob Letterman, Conrad Vernon
Screenwriter: Not Available
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Seth Rogen, Rainn Wilson, Stephen Colbert, Kiefer Sutherland, Paul Rudd
Synopsis: When California girl Susan Murphy is unwittingly clobbered by a meteor full of outer space gunk on her wedding day, she mysteriously grows to 49-feet-11-inches tall. The military jumps into action and Susan is captured and secreted away to a covert government compound. There, she is renamed Ginormica and placed in confinement with a ragtag group of Monsters: the brilliant but insect-headed Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D.; the macho half-ape, half-fish The Missing Link; the gelatinous and indestructible B.O.B.; and the 350-foot grub called Insectosaurus. Their confinement is cut short, however, when a mysterious alien robot lands on Earth and begins storming the country. In a moment of desperation, the President is persuaded to enlist the motley crew of Monsters to combat the Alien Robot and save the world from imminent destruction. Visit MonstersvsAliens.com 
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Case 39 (April 10, 2009)
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director: Christian Alvart
Screenwriter: Ray Wright
Starring: Renee Zellweger Sam Easton Alexz Johnson Alexa Karter Chelan Simmons Kirsten Storms Alexis Thorpe
Synopsis: Case 39 centers on an idealistic social worker (Zellweger) who saves an abused 10-year-old girl from her parents only to discover that things are not as they appear. 
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Star Trek (May 8, 2009)
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director: J.J. Abrams
Screenwriter: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman
Starring: John Cho, Ben Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Winona Ryder, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, Eric Bana, Leonard Nimoy
Synopsis: From director J.J. Abrams (Mission: Impossible III, Lost and Alias) and screenwriters Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman (Transformers, MI: III) comes a new vision of the greatest space adventure of all time, Star Trek, featuring a young, new crew venturing boldly where no man has gone before. Visit StarTrekmovie.com 
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Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (June 26, 2009)
Studio: DreamWorks Pictures (Paramount)
Director: Michael Bay
Screenwriter: Ehren Kruger, Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Kevin Dunn, Julie White, John Benjamin Hickey, Ramon Rodriguez, Isabel Lucas, John Turturro
Synopsis: In the highly-anticipated “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” debuting June 26, 2009, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) again joins with the Autobots® against their sworn enemies, the Decepticons®. Michael Bay directs from a screenplay by Ehren Kruger & Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman. Visit Transformersmovie.com 
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G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (August 7, 2009)
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director: Stephen Sommers
Screenwriter: Stuart Beattie
Starring: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Byung Hun Lee, Sienna Miller, Rachel Nichols, Ray Park, Said Taghmaoui, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans, Dennis Quaid
Synopsis: Paramount Pictures and Hasbro, whose previous collaboration was the worldwide blockbuster “Transformers,” join forces with Spyglass Entertainment for another extraordinary action-adventure “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.” From the Egyptian desert to deep below the polar ice caps, the elite G.I. JOE team uses the latest in next-generation spy and military equipment to fight the corrupt arms dealer Destro and the growing threat of the mysterious Cobra organization to prevent them from plunging the world into chaos. “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.” is directed by Stephen Sommers (”The Mummy,” “The Mummy Returns”). 
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The Lovely Bones (December 11, 2009)
Studio: DreamWorks Pictures (Paramount)
Director: Peter Jackson
Screenwriter: Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci, Michael Imperioli, Saoirse Ronan
Synopsis: Based on the critically acclaimed best-selling novel by Alice Sebold, and directed by Oscar® winner Peter Jackson from a screenplay by Jackson & Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens, “The Lovely Bones” centers on a young girl who has been murdered and watches over her family – and her killer – from heaven. She must weigh her desire for vengeance against her desire for her family to heal. Oscar® nominee Mark Wahlberg and Oscar® winners Rachel Weisz and Susan Sarandon star along with Stanley Tucci, Michael Imperioli and Oscar® nominee Saoirse Ronan.
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Shutter Island (TBA 2009)
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director: Martin Scorsese
Screenwriter: Laeta Kalogridis
Starring: Max Von Sydow, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Max von Sydow
Synopsis: From Oscar®-winning director Martin Scorsese, “Shutter Island” is the story of two U.S. marshals, Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), who are summoned to a remote and barren island off the cost of Massachusetts to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a murderess from the island’s fortress-like hospital for the criminally insane.
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Paranormal Activity (TBA)
Studio: DreamWorks Pictures (Paramount)
Director: Oren Peli
Screenwriter: Oren Peli
Starring: Katie Featherston Micah Sloat
Synopsis: A young couple suspects that their house is haunted by a malevolent entity. They set up video surveillance to capture evidence of what happens at night as they sleep. Their surveillance and home videos have been edited into the 99 minute feature film “Paranormal Activity”. 
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Carriers (TBA)
Studio: Paramount Vantage (Paramount)
Director: Àlex Pastor, David Pastor
Writer: Àlex Pastor, David Pastor
Starring: Lou Taylor Pucci Chris Pine Piper Perabo Emily VanCamp
Synopsis: Four friends fleeing a viral pandemic soon learn they are more dangerous than any virus. 
Posted by dominie in Films, News on December 31st, 2008
2008 is coming to a close, but that just means a whole new year of scary stories, creepy creatures, ghastly ghosts, (need I go on?) are upon us. And that’s exactly what we here, from Warner Bros. Pictures, a 2009 preview featuring a hefty slate of films that will keep your fingers tingling, including a re-release of 2008’s biggest picture, The Dark Knight. What films are you looking forward to most in 2009? Check out the individual synopses, release schedule, cast info, and click to watch available trailers below (courtesy of ComingSoon.net).
The Dark Knight (re-lease conventional theaters and IMAX January 23, 2009)
Director: Christopher Nolan
Screenwriter: Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman
Synopsis: The Dark Knight reunites director Christopher Nolan with star Christian Bale, who returns to continue Batman’s war on crime. With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Batman sets out to destroy organized crime in Gotham for good. The triumvirate proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as the Joker (Heath Ledger), who thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces the Dark Knight ever closer to crossing the fine line between hero and vigilante. Visit TheDarkKnight.com
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Inkheart (January 23, 2009)
Director: Iain Softley
Screenwriter: David Lindsay-Abaire
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Paul Bettany, Helen Mirren, Jim Broadbent, Andy Serkis, Sienna Guillory, Eliza Hope Bennett, Rafi Gavron
Synopsis: Mortimer ‘Mo’ Folchart and his 12-year-old daughter, Meggie, share an extraordinary gift for bringing characters from books to life when they read aloud. But there is a danger: when a character is brought to life from a book, a real person disappears into its pages. On one of their trips to a secondhand book shop, Mo locates a book he’s been searching for since Meggie was three years old, when her mother, Resa, vanished into its mystical world. But Mo’s plan to use the book to find and rescue Resa is thwarted when Capricorn, the evil villain of Inkheart, kidnaps Meggie and, discovering she has inherited her father’s gift, demands that she bring to life his most powerful ally, the Shadow. Determined to rescue his daughter and send the fictional characters back where they belong, Mo assembles a small group of friends and family–some from the real world, some from the pages of books–and embarks on a daring and perilous journey to set things right. Visit Inkheartmovie.com
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Friday the 13th (February 13, 2009)
Director: Marcus Nispel
Screenwriter: Damian Shannon, Mark Swift
Starring: Jared Padalecki, Danielle Panabaker, Aaron Yoo, Amanda Righetti, Travis Van Winkle, Derek Mears
Synopsis: From Platinum Dunes and director Marcus Nispel (”The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”) comes a re-imagining of the classic horror film “Friday the 13th.”
Searching for his missing sister, Clay heads up to the eerie woods of legendary Crystal Lake, where he stumbles on the creaky remains of rotting old cabins that lie in wait behind moss-covered trees.
And that’s not the only thing hiding under the brush.
Against the advice of police and cautions from the locals, Clay pursues what few leads he has, with the help of a young woman he meets among a group of college kids up for an all-thrills weekend. But they are about to find much more than they bargained for.
Little do they know, they’ve entered the domain of one of the most terrifying specters in American film history—the infamous killer who haunts Crystal Lake, armed with a razor-sharp machete… Jason Voorhees. Visit Fridaythe13thmovie.com. 
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Watchmen (March 6, 2009)
Director: Zack Snyder
Screenwriter: David Hayter, Alex Tse
Starring: Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Carla Gugino, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Patrick Wilson
Synopsis: A complex, multi-layered mystery adventure, “Watchmen” is set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and the “Doomsday Clock” - which charts the USA’s tension with the Soviet Union - is permanently set at five minutes to midnight. When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the washed-up but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his former crime-fighting legion - a ragtag group of retired superheroes, only one of whom has true powers - Rorschach glimpses a wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy with links to their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the future. Their mission is to watch over humanity…but who is watching the Watchmen? Visit Watchmenmovie.com
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A not so ghastly ghosts (depends on your view of ex-girlfriends)
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (May 1, 2009)
Director: Mark S. Waters
Screenwriter: Scott Moore, John Lucas
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Lacey Chabert, Michael Douglas, Emma Stone, Anne Archer, Robert Forster
Synopsis: Celebrity photographer Connor Mead loves freedom, fun and women…in that order. A committed bachelor who thinks nothing of breaking up with multiple women on a conference call, Connor’s mockery of romance proves a real buzz-kill for his kid brother, Paul, and a houseful of well wishers on the eve of Paul’s wedding. Just when it looks like Connor may single-handedly ruin the wedding, he is visited by the ghosts of his former jilted girlfriends, who take him on a revealing and hilarious odyssey through his failed relationships–past, present and future. Together they attempt to find out what turned Connor into such an insensitive jerk and whether there is still hope for him to find true love…or if he really is the lost cause everyone thinks he is. 
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Terminator Salvation (May 22, 2009)
Director: McG
Screenwriter: Michael Ferris, John Brancato, Paul Haggis, Jonathan Nolan, Shaun Ryan, Anthony Zuiker
Starring: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin, Bryce Dallas Howard, Moon Bloodgood, Common
Synopsis: In the highly anticipated new installment of “The Terminator” film franchise, set in post-apocalyptic 2018, Christian Bale stars as John Connor, the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators. But the future Connor was raised to believe in is altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future, or rescued from the past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet’s operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind. Visit TerminatorSalvation.com
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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (July 17, 2009)
Director: David Yates
Screenwriter: Steven Kloves
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Jim Broadbent, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, David Thewlis, Julie Walters, David Bradley, Jessie Cave, Frank Dillane, Tom Felton, Matthew Lewis, Evanna Lynch, Helen McCrory, Natalia Tena, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Bonnie Wright
Synopsis: Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort’s defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas. And Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hadn’t counted on Romilda Vane’s chocolates! And then there’s Hermione, simpering with jealously but determined not to show her feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again. Visit HarryPotter.com. 
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Orphan (July 24, 2009)
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Screenwriter: David Leslie Johnson
Starring: Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman, CCH Pounder
Synopsis: The tragic loss of their unborn child has devastated Kate and John, taking a toll on both their marriage and Kate’s fragile psyche as she is plagued by nightmares and haunted by demons from her past. Struggling to regain some semblance of normalcy in their lives, the couple decides to adopt another child. At the local orphanage, both John and Kate find themselves strangely drawn to a young girl named Esther. Almost as soon as they welcome Esther into their home, however, an alarming series of events begins to unfold, leading Kate to believe that there’s something wrong with Esther–this seemingly angelic little girl is not what she appears to be. Concerned for the safety of her family, Kate tries to get John and others to see past Esther’s sweet facade. But her warnings go unheeded until it may be too late…for everyone. 
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Final Destination (August 21, 2009)
Director: David R. Ellis
Screenwriter: Eric Bress
Starring: Shantel VanSanten, Bobby Campo, Haley Webb, Nick Zano, Krista Allen, Andrew Fiscella, Richard T. Jones, Mykelti Williamson
Synopsis: On what should have been a fun-filled day at the races, Nick O’Bannon has a horrific premonition in which a bizarre sequence of events causes multiple race cars to crash, sending flaming debris into the stands, brutally killing his friends and causing the upper deck of the stands to collapse on him. When he comes out of this grisly nightmare Nick panics, persuading his girlfriend, Lori, and their friends, Janet and Hunt, to leave… escaping seconds before Nick’s frightening vision becomes a terrible reality. Thinking they’ve cheated death, the group has a new lease on life, but unfortunately for Nick and Lori, it is only the beginning. As his premonitions continue and the crash survivors begin to die one-by-one–in increasingly gruesome ways–Nick must figure out how to cheat death once and for all before he, too, reaches his final destination. The film marks the latest in the highly popular “Final Destination” series, and its first 3D installment, giving horror fans an especially visceral thrill ride. 
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Whiteout (September 11, 2009)
Director: Dominic Sena
Screenwriter: Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber, Chad Hayes, Carey W. Hayes
Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Gabriel Macht, Columbus Short, Alex O’Loughlin, Shawn Doyle, Tom Skerritt
Synopsis: Carrie Stetko, the lone U.S. Marshal assigned to Antarctica, is investigating the continent’s first murder, which draws her into a shocking mystery. Now, with only three days until winter, Carrie must solve the crime before Antarctica is plunged into darkness and she is stranded with the killer. 
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Where the Wild Things Are (October 16, 2009)
Director: Spike Jonze
Screenwriter: Spike Jonze, Dave Eggers
Starring: Catherine Keener, Max Records, Mark Ruffalo, Lauren Ambrose, James Gandolfini, Catherine O’Hara, Forest Whitaker
Synopsis: Maurice Sendak’s classic book Where the Wild Things Are comes to the big screen in an adventure tale for every generation. 
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The Box (November 6, 2009)
Director: Richard Kelly
Screenwriter: Richard Kelly
Starring: Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella
Synopsis: Norma and Arthur Lewis are a suburban couple with a young child who receive an anonymous gift bearing fatal and irrevocable consequences. A simple wooden box, it promises to deliver its owner $1 million with the press of a button. However, pressing this button will simultaneously cause the death of another human being somewhere in the world…someone they don’t know. With just 24 hours to have the box in their possession, Norma and Arthur find themselves in the crosshairs of a startling moral dilemma and face the true nature of their humanity. 
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Sherlock Holmes (November 29, 2009)
Director: Guy Ritchie
Screenwriter: Michael Johnson, Anthony Peckham, Guy Ritchie
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, Kelly Reilly, Eddie Marsan
Synopsis: In a dynamic new portrayal of Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous characters, “Sherlock Holmes” sends Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson on their latest challenge. Revealing fighting skills as lethal as his legendary intellect, Holmes will battle as never before to bring down a new nemesis and unravel a deadly plot that could destroy the country. 
Posted by dominie in Films, News on December 30th, 2008
Focus Features has launched the official website for Henry Selick’s upcoming 3D stop-motion animated film Coraline, based on the children’s story by Neil Gaiman. The website has been updated with all the Coraline news you could possibly ask for next to the actual movie. Discover all the magic behind the making of Coraline via the downloadable behind-the-scenes footage, enjoy several featurettes, and get acquainted with the cast. You can even upload your own picture to see what you would look like in Coraline’s world!
Click on the link above to visit the official website and stayed tuned here for updates. Coraline arrives in theaters February 6th.
From Henry Selick, visionary director of The Nightmare Before Christmas, and based on Neil Gaiman’s international best-selling book, comes a spectacular stop-motion animated adventure – the first to be originally filmed in 3D!
Coraline Jones (Dakota Fanning) is bored in her new home until she finds a secret door and discovers an alternate version of her life on the other side. On the surface, this parallel reality is eerily similar to her real life and the people in it – only much better. But when this seemingly perfect world turns dangerous, and her other parents (including her Other Mother voiced by Teri Hatcher) try to trap her forever, Coraline must count on her resourcefulness, determination and bravery to escape this increasingly perilous world – and save her family.
Snyder’s animated feature will be based on the first three books in the 14 book series. The epic fantasy is set in the Forest of Tyto and “follows a young barn owl named Soren, who is kidnapped by owls of St. Aggie’s, where owlets are brainwashed into becoming soldiers. He and his new friends escape to the island of Ga’Hoole, to assist its noble, wise owls who fight the army being created by the wicked rulers of St. Aggie’s” (/Film).
