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Headline News

Judge Expected to Move Watchmen Verdict Up

Warner Bros. is asking U.S. District Judge Gary Feess to make a decision sooner rather than later on the fate of WATCHMEN, according to VARIETY. Fox, having won Feess' ruling last month over distribution rights, is trying to block the release of the film on March 6.

Film Headline News

Quantum Top Grossing Bond Flick of All Time

At the motion picture box office, there is one man who keeps showing that nobody does it better: Bond. James Bond.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures'/Columbia Pictures' QUANTUM OF SOLACE, the 22nd James Bond adventure, has taken in over $167.1 million to become the most successful Bond film of all time in North America, surpassing the $167 million grossed domestically by CASINO ROYALE. The film is still playing in 891 theaters in the United States.

Headline News

Female Lead for Sorcerer's Apprentice Set

Australian actress Teresa Palmer is set to play the female lead in Disney's THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE opposite Nicolas Cage's sorcerer and Jay Baruchel's apprentice, per THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.

The live-action feature borrows from the Mickey Mouse portion of FANTASIA, featuring an apprentice who is left to clean the magic workshop by the sorcerer. Turning to magic to get the chores done, the apprentice gets a broom to clean, but loses control when the broom develops a mind of its own. Palmer will play Baruchel's love interest.

Film Headline News

McG Goes 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Director McG is set to direct Disney's 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA: CAPTAIN NEMO, an origin story of the captain as he creates his warship, the Nautilus, per VARIETY.

The characters will come from the Jules Verne novel that was the basis of Disney's 1954 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, which Walt Disney famously bet his studio on. The film is best remembered for the giant squid scene, but was the second-highest grossing film of the year, won three Oscars and has been the basis of more than one theme park ride through the years.

Headline News

Judge to Decide Watchmen Fate

Fox and Warner Bros. decided to skip a jury trial over the distribution rights for WATCHMEN and let U.S. District Court Judge Gary Allen Fees decide the case on January 20, reports VARIETY.

The studios reached the agreement on Monday. Feess ruled on December 24 that Fox does own the distribution rights to the film and advised the studios to either reach a settlement or prepare their appeals. Warner Bros. has not yet backed off a planned March 6 release date for the Zack Snyder-directed graphic novel adaptation.

Headline News

Disney Signs Hedlund for Tron

Garrett Hedlund is the latest actor hired for Disney's TRON sequel, per VARIETY. Hedlund's credits include FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, FOUR BROTHERS and TROY.

First-time feature director Joseph Kosinski will direct the reboot of the 1982 pioneering CG film. Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner will reprise their roles, and actresses Olivia Wilde and Beau Garrett have also been confirmed to star.

Hedlund will be the lead character, playing a man who gets pulled into his computer, retracing the steps of Bridges' computer programmer in the first film.

Headline News

Simon Pegg, Nick Frost Go 3-D for Tintin

British actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are set to play the Thompson Twins in the two-film TINTIN project from directors Peter Jackson and Spielberg, according to VARIETY.

Based on Georges Remi's comicbooks and co-financed by Sony Pictures Ent. and Paramount Pictures, the 3-D performance capture films feature Tintin as a globetrotting reporter and the Thompson Twins as incompetent detectives only distinguishable by the shape of their mustaches. Thompson (with a "p") has a flat mustache and Thomson (without a "p") has a flared one.

Headline News

Horton Director Tapped For Jonah Hex

HORTON HEARS A WHO! director Jimmy Hayward is set to make his live-action debut with Warner Bros. new Western JONAH HEX, based on the DC Comics character, per THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.

Hayward was an animator on the Canadian TV series REBOOT before joining Pixar for TOY STORY, A BUG'S LIFE, TOY STORY 2, MONSTERS, INC. and FINDING NEMO. Also involved with Fox, he worked on Blue Sky's ROBOTS and made his directorial debut on HORTON, which debuted last year.

Headline News

Starz Starts on Gnomeo & Juliet

Starz Animation, Toronto, is currently in production on Miramax Film's feature animation project, GNOMEO AND JULIET. Directed by Kelly Asbury and with music and lyrics by songwriting team Elton John & Bernie Taupin, this animated feature will be released in 2011.

Starz has posted several jobs they need filled, including openings for a scene prep artist, animator, lead lighter and technical director.

Effects Headline News

A New Year for the Dogs: Marley Stays on Top of the Box Office

MARLEY & ME (Fox, vfx by At The Post, LOOK! Effects and Lola Visual Effects) won the weekend box office, earning $24.26M between Jan. 2-4, 2009 and earning a total two-week holiday gross of $106.66M.

Disney's Adam Sandler family comedy BEDTIME STORIES earned $20.5M, staying in second place. With vfx by RotoFactory, Cinesite, Gentle Giant Studios, LOOK! Effects, Lola Visual Effects, Mark Rappaport Creature Effects, Proof and Tinsley Transfers, the film has earned $85.54M since debuting Christmas Day.

Million Headline News

Miyazaki's Ponyo Gets All-Star Backing

Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy and John Lasseter are working with animation house Studio Ghibli to increase the exposure of Hayao Miyazaki's feature PONYO ON THE CLIFF BY THE SEA when it is released in the U.S. this summer, according to VARIETY.

The producers will try to boost the number of screens the film is shown on and increase the box office haul beyond the take for 2002 release SPIRITED AWAY, which was highly lauded but only made about $10 million on about 700 screens in 2002 and 2003.

Film Headline News

Rhinofx Recreates Post-War Germany For Weinstein's The Reader

Expanding their feature film credits, Rhinofx recently completed the vfx work for The Weinstein Company's feature, THE READER, starring Ray Fiennes and Kate Winslet. The film tells a complex story of post-WWII Germany, with the secrets and mysteries of the Nazi-era unraveling across four decades.

Headline News

Basterds Get August Release

Quentin Tarantino's INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS will be released on August 21, 2009, the Weinstein Company announced Wednesday (via ComingSoon.net).

Universal Studios and Weinstein are co-financing the film, a World War II flick starring Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger and Christoph Waltz.

Films Headline News

Library of Congress Makes Terminator Come Back Again

The Library of Congress announced it is adding 25 films to the National Film Registry, including the sci-fi classic THE TERMINATOR from 1984 starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as the time traveling robot, according to multiple news sources.

The registry compendium of motion pictures that have been judged to be culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.

Headline News

Judge Rules in Fox's Favor in Watchmen Case

Los Angeles federal judge Gary Allen Feess ruled on Christmas Eve that 20th Century Fox owns the distribution rights to WATCHMEN, a film they developed but was ultimately made by Warner Bros. and is due for a March 6 release (per VARIETY).

In a surprise five-page ruling a week after setting a Jan. 20 trial date for Fox's suit, Feess said, "Fox owns a copyright interest consisting of, at the very least, the right to distribute the WATCHMEN motion picture."

Total Headline News

Marley & Me Charms Holiday Box Office

Fox's MARLEY & ME won the weekend box office (Dec. 26-28) with $36.4 million, earning a total of $50.7M since its Christmas Day release. The comedy starring Jennifer Aniston, Owen Wilson and 22 dogs had vfx by At The Post, LOOK! Effects and Lola Visual Effects.

The film's $14.75M first day was the largest Christmas Day opening in motion picture history.

Headline News

No Settlement for Watchman, Fox to Fight for Delay

Twentieth Century Fox is continuing in their fight to delay the release of WATCHMEN after the studio won a round in the court battle against Warner Bros., per the ASSOCIATED PRESS.

A previously-announced trial will commence as scheduled on January 20. U.S. District Court Judge Gary Allen Feess held a status conference with attorneys for both sides on Monday, per VARIETY, and no settlement emerged.

Million Headline News

Disney Bails on Dawn Treader

Disney will not co-finance the third CHRONICLES OF NARNIA film with Walden Media, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.

Without elaborating, the two entities confirmed Tuesday that for "budgetary and logistical reasons," Disney will not co-produce and co-finance THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER. The third book in the series by C.S. Lewis follows the younger two Pevensie siblings, Lucy and Edmund and their tiresome cousin, Eustace Scrubb, as they voyage to the end of the world with now-King Caspian.

World Headline News

Tron 2.0 Welcomes Back Bruce Boxleitner

ComingSoon reports that Bruce Boxleitner is returning for Disney's upcoming TR2N, joining fellow cast member Jeff Bridges and newcomers Olivia Wilde and Beau Garrett. In the original 1982 film, hacker Kevin Flynn (Bridges) gets trapped into the graphical world of his computer, joining forces with Tron (Boxleitner) to outsmart the software pirate that holds them captive.

Trailer Headline News

Trailer for 9 Released

Producers Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov and director Shane Acker's upcoming animated feature 9 has a newly-released trailer. Based on the 2005 Oscar-nominated animated short, the feature has the voice talents of Jennifer Connelly, John C. Reilly and Elijah Wood and is due September 9, 2009 (9/9/09) from Focus Features.

In it, a rag doll must face a monster that is hunting his brethren and stealing their souls. Acker wrote the story, with a screenplay by Pamela Pettler.

See it at Apple.com.

Headline News

Chow Might Depart Green Hornet Project Entirely

Stephen Chow told THE ASSOCIATED PRESS that, in addition to dropping out as director of THE GREEN HORNET, he will only play Kato if his schedule allows.

Last week, Chow's departure from the director's chair was announced, but at the time, it appeared as if he would continue on as the superhero's sidekick. Columbia Pictures did not respond to the AP's email request for comment.

Film Headline News

China Won't See Dark Knight

Warner Bros. will not release THE DARK KNIGHT in China, according to VARIETY.

According to a statement Tuesday, "Based on a number of pre-release conditions that are being attached to THE DARK KNIGHT as well as cultural sensitivities to some elements of the film, we have opted to forego a theatrical release of the film in China," the studio said.

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