G.I. Joe

June
12
G.I. Joe Fracas

Gijoe_7-535x356-thumb-585xauto-1883

Fact: the Internet tends to pile on to dramatic negative stories, whether or not they are true. That is the case with the rumor about Paramount taking director Stephen Sommers off summer movie G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.

Fact: Angry Films' Don Murphy is one of the producers on the Transformers franchise, along with Lorenzo di Bonaventura, who is producing G.I. Joe. The two are not tight. Murphy posted A report was posted on DonMurphy.net that Sommers was taken off the troubled movie. UPDATE: Murphy saw the post Thursday morning at 8:30 AM, he writes in an email: "I removed it; then 5900 sites with no ethics referred to it as accurate based on nothing."

Fact: Sommers is a hack director. He happened to direct one movie, The Mummy, which was such a huge hit that studio execs believed he was a commercial director who could handle visual effects.

Fact: The best things in The Mummy were supplied in great part by VFX house ILM. Also, on that film Universal execs and producers Sean Daniel and Jim Jacks kept Sommers in line. After he had a monster hit he was harder to control.

Fact: Van Helsing is one of the worst movies ever made.

Fact: G.I. Joe is tracking well and could be marketed into a hit, you never know.

Fact: Where there's smoke, there's fire.

Check it out:

G.I. Joe's trailer is NOT encouraging:

May
7
Dark Knight Ripple Effect: Dark Summer Movies

Terminatorsalvation_l

It's not like the Terminator franchise was ever light, exactly. But in the post-Dark Knight era, summer action movies--even Star Trek--are trending dark and edgy, and Terminator Salvation, Angels & Demons, and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen certainly fit the bill. Word on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is that's darker than any of its predecessors.

On the other hand, word on Mummy director Stephen Sommers' G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, about a unit of soldiers on a mission to save the world from an evil mastermind, is that it's strictly summer popcorn fare. UPDATE: Here's the trailer, complete with toppling Eiffel Tower. Sommers is still playing with pixels. And the Super Bowl spot:

And here's the latest Terminator trailer:

Which one do you most want to see? It's going to be a fiercely competitive summer. Vote for your most anticipated summer action movie:

Which summer actioner do you most want to see?
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Terminator Salvation
Angels and Demons
Star Trek
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
The Taking of Pelham 123
Public Enemies
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
District 9
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Inglourious Basterds
  
pollcode.com free polls

January
30
SXSW Watch: Stop-Loss to Play Fest

Tatum_channingIt's not official until the SXSW line-up is announced February 5, but word is, Kimberly Peirce's Stop-Loss will play the fest. Paramount and producer Scott Rudin must feel that debuting a film in Austin is a good-luck charm: PTA's There Will be Blood drew its first raves after it snuck into the Fantastic Fest in Austin. Last year, Judd Apatow's Knocked Up came out of SXSW (which runs this year from March 7 - 15) with plenty of strong buzz.

In other news, Stop-Loss star Channing Tatum will play Duke in Par's upcoming G.I. Joe.


About

Variety blogger Anne Thompson is your trusted source for film industry news. She tracks Hollywood, Indiewood, awards season and film festivals for this daily blog.
Member: Alliance of Women Film Journalists


Recent Comments

Categories

Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman star in Baz Lurhmann's highly-anticpated drama, 'Australia.' ; Nicole Kidman; trailer; Baz Lurhman; australia; movie; Drama; Hugh Jackman; variety; Death Race Movie Trailer; Michael Cera and Kat Dennings star in the teen comedy, 'Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.' ; video trailers; Michael Cera; Kat Dennings; Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist trailer; College Movie Trailer; Daniel Radcliffe stars in Warner Bros. and author J.K. Rowling's final chapter of the 'Harry Potter' franchise. ; 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' trailer; new; trailers; video; variety; Josh Brolin stars as George W. Bush in director Oliver Stone's portrayal of the controversial President. ; W trailer; trailers; Oliver Stone; bush; Josh Brolin; 'W' trailer; video; variety; Christian Bale plays 'John Connor' in Warner Bros.' fourth installment of the 'Terminator' series. ; Variety Video; Christian Bale; 'Terminator: Salvation' teaser trailer; Based on the memoir by Danny Wallace, Jim Carrey stars as a man who must say 'Yes' to everything for one year. ; Zooey Deschanel; Jim Carrey; trailers; variety; 'Yes Man' trailer; Warner Bros. brings one of the most popular graphic novels of all time to the bigscreen. ; Watchmen movie trailer teaser; 'The Watchmen' trailer; video; variety; BETWEEN THE LINES explores the Vietnam War through the prism of the surfing sub-culture.; Paul Rudd and Sean William Scott star as two "Role Models" in the new comedy from Universal. ; trailers; Paul Rudd; Sean William Scott; video; variety; 'Role Models' movie trailer; Tom Cruise stars in the upcoming WWII thriller about the assassination of Adolf Hitler. ; World War II; katie holmes; Hitler; trailer; valkyrie; Tom Cruise; video; variety; Daniel Craig stars as James Bond in Sony's highly anticipated sequel to 'Casino Royale' ; Daniel Craig; trailer; 'Quantum of Solace' trailer; free download; James Bond; variety; embed; Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo play two con man attempting to swindle an eccentric heiress in 'The Brothers Bloom.'; Adrien Brody; 'The Brothers Bloom' trailer; video; variety; Mark Wahlberg and Twentieth Century Fox bring the gritty videogame hero to the bigscreen. ; Mark Wahlberg; New Trailer; Download; 'Max Payne' trailer; variety; Eva Mendes, Scarlett Johansson, and Samuel L. Jackson star in comic mastermind Frank Miller's directorial debut. ; Rainn Wilson stars as an out-of-work '80's drummer who's called upon for a last-minute gig. (Fox); Fox; comedy; christina applegate; 'The Rocker' trailer; video; variety; Rainn Wilson; The Coen Bros.' follow up to 'No Country' is a quirky drama starring Brad Pitt and George Clooney. (Warning: graphic language); George Clooney; Joel and Ethan Cohen; trailer; Brad Pitt; Burn After Reading; John Malkovich; video; variety; Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe star in Ridley Scott's adaptation of the CIA thriller. ; trailers; Leonardo DiCaprio; 'Body of Lies' trailer; variety; Ridley Scott; Russell Crowe; Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connolly star in Twentieth Century Fox's remake of the sci-fi classic.; december 12th; Fox; 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' trailer; Remake; jennifer connolly; movie trailers; variety; keanu reeves; Director Guy Ritchie returns another British gangster film. This time starring '300' stud Guy Ritchie. ; Gerard Butler; madonna; Guy Ritchie; trailers; 'RocknRolla' trailer; Anne Hathaway plays a drug-addict sibling who returns for her sisters wedding in the Jonathan Demme drama. ; movie; 'Rachel Getting Married' trailer; Jonathan Demme; trailers; Anne Hathaway; 'City of God' director Fernando Meirelles directs Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo in the adaptation of José Saramago's epidemic novel.; trailers; Mark Ruffalo; 'Blindness' trailer; video; Variety review; Julianne Moore; Based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzerald, Brad Pitt stars as a man who ages in reverse in David Fincher's chronological drama. ; trailer download; angelina jolie; Warner Bros.; 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' trailer; Brad Pitt; David Fincher; movie trailers; variety; 'Disturbia' director D.J. Caruso reunites with Shia LaBeouf in this political assassination thriller. ; 'Eagle Eye' trailer; Shia LaBeouf; movie trailers; video; variety; Bill Murray and Tim Robbins star in this fantasy/drama about a illuminous city that slowly begins to fade. ; free; Bill Murray; 'City of Ember' trailer; movie trailers; Tim Robbins; variety; embed; Saw V Teaser Trailer; Vin Diesel returns to the action-genre in Fox's futuristic thriller, 'Babylon A.D.'; August 2008; Fox; Vin Diesel; 'Babylon A.D.' trailer; video; variety; Woody Allen is back behind the camera with Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardhem and Scarlett Johansson topping this Spanish romance. ; Scarlett Johansson; Javier Bardhem; 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' trailer; Penelope Cruz; Woody Allen; spain; Movie Trailer; Dennis Quaid stars in the real-life story of Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman trophy. ; Dennis Quaid; Heisman Trophy; Ernie Davis; 'The Express' trailer; video; variety; Twilight trailer 2; A scene from Alex Gibney's upcoming documentary, 'Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson' ; 'Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson' scene; trailer; variety; Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck and more top this star-studded romantic comedy from Warner Bros.; He's Just Not That Into You; trailer; Ben Affleck; Jennifer Aniston; Justin Long; Drew Barrymore; variety; Righteous Kill - Movie Trailer; A young girl tries to navigate her way through the dubious (and sexual) temptations of Los Angeles. ; sexual crowd in los angeles; 'Garden Party' trailer; young girl; video; variety; Sean William Scott and John C. Reilly star as two co-workers vying for the same promotion. ; comedy; 'The Promotion' trailer; Sean William Scott; John C. Reilly; video; variety; Mulder and Scully return to the bigscreen this Summer in FOX and creator Chris Carter's 'X-Files: I Want to Believe.'; trailer; Fox; Mulder; Scully; Chris Carter; David Duchovney; Gillian Anderson; variety; X-Files: I Want to Believe; Seth Rogen and James Franco star in the Judd Apatow produced stoner comedy, 'Pineapple Express.'; James Franco; 'Pineapple Express' trailer; comedy; Judd Apatow; stoners; Seth Rogen; variety; stoner; Lucasfilm is back with another 'Star Wars' movie. This time, however, the jedi's are animated. ; Film; jedi; trailer; lucasfilm; Star Wars: Clone Wars; animated movie; George Lucas; variety; Heath Ledger stars as the Joker in Christopher Nolan's highly-anticipated sequel to 'Batman Begins.'; Kiefer Sutherland stars as an ex-cop who begins to investigate the evil force that has penetrated his home. ; Kiefer Sutherland; Mirrors; trailers; 'Mirrors' trailer; horror; video; variety; Real-life teens star in one of the most talked about documentaries of the year. ; documentary; trailer; American Teen; variety; sundance; Fox's intergalactic comedy highlights the antics of astronaut chimps with all the “wrong stuff.”; ' Fox; 'Space Chimps; trailer; animation; video; variety; Jack Black and Ben Stiller topline this jungle comedy about a group of Hollywood actors getting caught in the action.; Matthew McConaughey; comedy; Robert Downey Jr.; Ben Stiller; Tom Cruise; movie; Tropic Thunder; Jack Black; Meg Ryan and Annette Bening star in the remake of George Cukor's 1939 film.; Bette Midler; eva mendes; 'The Women' trailer; Meg Ryan; video; variety; Diane Keaton; Marvel Comics returns to the bigscreen with the second installment of the action/fantasy thriller. ; The Golden Army; Marvel Comics; Hellboy 2; movie; sequel; Selma Blair; Three women are stalked by a killer with a grudge that extends back to the girls' childhoods.; Sony Picturehouse; trailer; Thriller; amusement; horror; variety; Pixar's latest entry tells the story of a loveable yet mischievous robot named 'Wall-E'; Will Smith plays a superhero with some not-so-super habits in Sony's big-budget 'Hancock.'; Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy star in this action-apprentice tale of justice. ; Morgan Freeman; Thriller; James McAvoy; angelina jolie; action; movie; wanted; Twilight - Movie Trailer; Physicist Bruce Banner takes flight in order to understand -- and hopefully cure -- the condition that turns him into a monster.; Pierce Brosnan and Meryl Streep star in the film adaptation of the Broadway hit musical. ; Will Smith plays a superhero with some not-so-super habits in Sony's big-budget 'Hancock.'; Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly star as two step-brothers who must find their way to brotherly love. ; sony; comedy; 'Step Brothers' trailer; John C. Reilly; will ferrell; video; variety; Heath Ledger stars as the Joker in Christopher Nolan's highly-anticipated sequel to 'Batman Begins.'; The newest trailer for the Ed Norton-starrer 'Incredible Hulk.'; America's favorite gal pals jump to the bigscreen this summer. ; Jack Black voices a 600-pound martial arts whiz in the Dreamworks animated film, 'Kung Fu Panda.'; Brendan Fraser and co. are back at again in 'The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor'; Made of Honor Movie Trailer; Based on the classic 1960's Japanese animated series chronicling the aspirations of a young race car driver as he attempts to obtain glory, with the help of his family and the Mach 5.; Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: Movie Trailer; The Forbidden Kingdom - Movie Trailer; Get Smart: Movie Trailer; Story about six MIT students who were trained to become experts in card counting and subsequently took Vegas casinos for millions in winnings.; Dreamworks Animations presents Kung Fu Panda.; Single business woman who dreams of having a baby discovers she is infertile and hires a working class woman to be her unlikely surrogate.; A team of people work to prevent a disaster threatening the future of the human race.; Two sisters Anne Boleyn (Natalie Portman) and Mary Boleyn (Scarlett Johansson) contend for the affection of King Henry VIII (Eric Bana) ; Jack Black destroys every tape in his friend's video store. In order to satisfy the store's most loyal renter, an aging woman with signs of dementia, the two men set out to remake the lost films.; The attempted assassination of the president is told from five different perspectives.; A genetic anomaly allows a David Rice ( Hayden Christensen) to teleport himself anywhere.; Once moving into the Spiderwick Estate Jared and Simon Grace find themselves in an alternate world.; A story about family, greed, religion, and oil, centered around a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business.; Amir (Khalid Abdalla) has spent years in California and returns to his homeland in Afghanistan to help his old friend Hassan.; Back home in Texas after fighting in Iraq, a soldier refuses to return to battle despite the government mandate requiring him to do so.; An attorney known as the "fixer" in his law firm, comes across the biggest case of his career that could produce disastrous results for those involved; George Clooney; sydney pollack; Michael Clayton; John Rambo (Stallone) assembles a group of mercenaries and leads them up the Salween River to a Burmese village where a group of Christian aid workers allegedly went missing.; Trailer to Iron Man Video Game; Trailer from video game; "Margot at the Wedding" is a circus of family neuroses and bad behavior that perhaps a therapist could make sense of better than Noah Baumbach can. ; Nicole Kidman; Margot at the wedding; jennifer jason leigh; vareity review; movie review; variety; review; A young man from the South Bronx dreams of making it as a rapper, until a run-in with local thugs forces him to hide in Puerto Rico with the father he never knew.; You have to believe it to see it.; The last man on earth is not alone.; The rebellion begins. ; Variety presents a special screening of "The Darjeeling Limited" with Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola and Adrien Brody.; A CIA analyst questions his assignment after witnessing an unorthodox interrogation at a secret detention facility outside the US.; A freak storm unleashes a species of blood-thirsty creatures on a small town, where a small band of citizens hole-up in a supermarket and fight for their lives.; A scorching blast of tense genre filmmaking shot through with rich veins of melancholy, down-home philosophy and dark, dark humor, "No Country for Old Men" reps a superior match of source material and filmmaking talent.; Tommy Lee Jones; movie review; variety; Variety review; No Country for Old Men; Directors: Vincent Paronnaud & Marjane Satrapi Starring: Catherine Deneuve, Danielle Darrieux, Tilly Mandelbrot...; Trailer from video game; Robert Ford, who's idolized Jesse James since childhood, tries hard to join the reforming gang of the Missouri outlaw, but gradually becomes resentful of the bandit leader. ; Brad Pitt; Casey Affleck; the Assassination of Jesse James; Variety Screening Q&A with director Sidney Lumet.; Before the Devil Knows You're Dead; Sidney Lumet; Philip Seymour Hoffman; movies; The search for true love begins outside the box. A delusional young guy strikes up an unconventional relationship with a doll he finds on the Internet.; ryan gosling; trailer; Patricia Clarkson; movies; Craig Gillepsie; Lars and the Real Girl; Survivors of the Raccoon City catastrophe travel across the Nevada desert, hoping to make it to Alaska. Alice (Jovovich) joins the caravan and their fight against the evil Umbrella Corp.; Director: Sean Penn Starring: Emile Hirsch, Hal Holbrook, Vince Vaughn; THERE WILL BE BLOOD chronicles one Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis), who transforms himself from a silver miner into a self-made oil tycoon. ; There Will Be Blood; Here's an exclusive look at Joel and Ethan Coen's trailer for their Cannes hit "No Country for Old Men," starring Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin and uber villain Javier Bardem. ; trailer; movies; No Country for Old Men; Tomy Lee Jones; Ethan Coen; Josh Brolin; Javier Bardem; Joel Coen; Directors: Nadia Conners & Leila Conners Petersen Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Sylvia Earle Ph.D., Mikhail Gorbachev...;

TIP ANNE THOMPSON

Visit the Widget Gallery

Anne's Links

August 2009

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
            1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30 31