Found footage films are becoming more and more popular in Hollywood these days. Its most recent success story would have to be that of Project X, a film Barrett enjoyed. It’s been out for less than two weeks and already made almost twice as much as it cost to make. Anyone would call that a success. Anytime a movie is considered a success, it’s almost required there be a sequel to keep the cash flow going. The Hollywood Reporter has the story that writers Michael Bacall and Matt Drake will be returning to write a Project X sequel if producers Todd Phillips and Joel Silver are willing to return, and signs seem to be pointing to yes. The sequel is tentatively titled Project X 2.

Project X is just one of the many films labeled as “found footage” that have gone on to be very lucrative. It cost $12 million to make and has made $23.1 million as of today. If you think about it, making a film like Project X is not only very smart and budget friendly, it’s also easy. There is little to no crew needed to film, and there’s a lot of impromptu dialog by mainly no-name actors. Those things alone will severely drop the budget of any film. It’s a wonderful blueprint for profit. Here are some other films that have followed that same formula. Cloverfield cost $25 million, and made $170 million. Paranormal Activity cost only $15,000, and made $193 million. Lastly, The Blair Witch Project cost less than $1 million, and made over $248 million worldwide. Found footage works, and we should expect to see many more movies like Project X in the future.

On to some of the other sequel news. For those who appreciate some good family fun adventure, you’ll be happy to hear that Journey 2 director Brad Peyton and co-writers Mark and Brian Gunn are closing in on a deal to return for the next installment called Journey 3. No word on if Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will reprise his role. I hope he does just to keep Brendan Fraiser off the screen.

And finally, Paramount has hired Peter Craig to pen the sequel to Top Gun, 25 years after it’s initial release. Peter Craig is a newcomer who wrote the screenplay for Ben Affleck’s The Town and is also working on Bad Boys 3. Tom Cruise confirmed that he was in talks to return for the Top Gun sequel. As if we really need one. There will more than likely be an official announcement once the original Top Gun is finished being converted to 3D and re-released in theatres later this year. “Take my breath awayyyyyyyy.”

What Do You Think Of This Sequel News?

Follow Josh on Twitter: @JWingface

Since 2007 Michael Bay has done nothing but Transformers films. You could call that a good thing because together the three films have grossed more than $2.5 billion. And you could also call that a bad thing because Michael is slated to direct a fourth Transformers movie. But before he dives back into the Hasbro money-pool, he has made it clear that his next project would be much smaller in scale, budget, and definitely not in the Transformers universe. He signed on for a dark comedy called Pain And Gain. The film is about a couple of Miami bodybuilders who get caught up in an extortion ring involved in a kidnapping scheme that goes terribly wrong. Sounds a lot like Fargo. Too much like Fargo. Now comes word this pre-production project needs immediate script revisions. Which is funny, cause Transformers 2 had the same issue, but never saw such revisions.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Scott Rosenberg has been called upon to help the defective script, especially in the department of character development. Scott’s name can be found on the credits of films like Con-Air, Gone In 60 Seconds and Kangaroo Jack. Those films are not great examples of quality character development, which makes this choice of using Rosenberg puzzling and somewhat stupid.

If I were in Michael Bay’s situation and wanted to develop my characters in a dark comedy, why not front the bill and ask the Coen Brothers for a little help? They are masters at character development. And with Pain And Gain being headed by two of the most brooding and deep actors with Dwanye “The Rock” Johnson, Mark Wahlberg, and (of course) Israeli Supermodel Bar Paly, we are going to need as much character development in the script as we can get.

Pain And Gain is supposed to be released in 2013, but if the script is not ready to go… never mind. Michael Bay will probably go through with it anyway.

Do You Think This Film Will Make It To Theaters?

Follow Josh on Twitter: @JWingface

What a difference a week makes. Just last Monday Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises wrapped its long, action-packed, 7-month production. Earlier this week, Empire held a clever cover reveal contest where fans could vote on who would be featured on their Nov. 24th TDKR issue: Batman vs. Bane. Bane won handily, but both covers were revealed online several days ago. Now, thanks to some awesome Bat fans in the UK, we have some digital scans of the hard copy issue featuring  new set pics, as well as some big reveals into the story of Nolan’s final Batman chapter.

SPOILER WARNING: There is a major plot reveal, albeit an “official reveal” via Nolan himself.  

Proceed at your own peril….

OK, where to begin? Let’s get the biggest story tidbit out of the way first, shall we?. In the Empire issue, Nolan discusses the story timeline of TDKR in relation to the ending of TDK. Many have been speculating that this final chapter would pick up right after the last film left off. That being, Batman on the run from Gotham PD. A hunted vigilante, selflessly taking the blame for Harvey Dent’s death. Well, while that timeframe might be immediatley addressed in the film, Nolan has decided to incorporate a long gap into where this final chapter will take place….8 years later. Nolan elaborates on the time gap, as well as Bane’s archetype as a villain and how he’s the biggest foe (physically and mentally) Batman has had to face yet:

It’s really all about finishing Batman and Bruce Wayne’s story. We left him in a very precarious place. Perhaps surprisingly for some people, our story picks up quite a bit later, eight years after The Dark Knight. So he’s an older Bruce Wayne; he’s not in a great state.

So when you’re looking to continue the story – in this case finish Bruce Wayne and Batman’s story, as we see it – then you certainly don’t want a watered-down version of a character you’ve already done. You want a different archetype. What Bane represents in the comics is the ultimate physical villain. 

8. YEARS. That is probably one of the most interesting/biggest reveal of the plot thus far. What does that mean? It means that Batman has hung up the cape and cowl for almost a decade because of  the emotional pain of being directly/indirectly responsible for Rachel’s death.  But what has he been doing all this time? Why did it take Bane so long to unleash his fury upon Gotham City? So many questions (Riddler pun).

Along with that reveal, probably the most exciting inside scoop comes from Tom Hardy describing Bane the character, who delves into graphic detail into just how brutal this character is. Hardy elaborates:

He’s brutal. Brutal. He’s a big dude who’s incredibly clinical, in the fact that he has a result-based and oriented fighting style. It’s not about fighting. It’s about carnage. The style is heavy-handed, heavy-footed, it’s nasty. Anything from small-joint manipulation to crushing skulls, crushing rib cages, stamping on shins and knees and necks and collarbones and snapping heads off and tearing his fists through chests, ripping out spinal columns. He is a terrorist in mentality as well as brutal action.

First of all. Look at the limited edition Empire cover above. For all those concerned about Hardy’s physical stature as Bane can rest easy. The dude is cut. Straight up jacked. Look at those arms! And we don’t even know if there will be some CGI touch-ups to make him even bigger than that. Anyway, let’s quickly revisit Hardy’s description of how “brutal” Bane will be in this film: “stamping on shins and knees and necks and collarbones and snapping heads off and tearing his first through chests, ripping out spinal columns.” HOLY SHIT. How will this film be rated PG-13. So. Bad. Ass.

We also have some deets from Oscar-winning Costume Designer Lindy Hemming on the functional aspect of Bane’s mask:

He was injured early in his story. He’s suffering from pain and he needs gas to survive. He cannot survive the pain without the mask. The pipes from the mask go back along his jaw line and feed into the thing at the back where there are two canisters of what ever it is…the anesthetic.

So what about the highly-anticipated 6-minute prologue set to debut in front of 70mm IMAX prints of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol on December 16th? It’s seemingly a similar formula to the prologue of The Dark Knight that was attached to I Am Legend in 2007 – an introduction to the main villain and some random, juicy footage to chew on. Nolan elaborates:

The Prologue is basically the first six, seven minutes of the film. It’s the introduction to Bane and a taste of the rest of the film. With Bane we are looking to give Batman a physical challenge that he hasn’t had before. In terms of finishing our story and increasing its scope, we were trying to craft an epic.

Let’s revisit that again: “We were trying to craft an EPIC.” With all the on-set footage we’ve seen of prison riots, stadium explosions, grande chase sequences and an all-out war on the streets, it seems as though Nolan is attempting to craft the biggest film…ever.

See some scans of the Empire issue in the gallery below (click image to enlarge).

The Dark Knight Rises into theaters July 20th, 2012.

[via Slashfilm, First Showing]

What Do You Think? Discuss.

After 179 days, three continents and dozens of spoiler-ific set leaks, Christopher Nolan’s final installment of his Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, has wrapped filming; after a final two-day shoot on the Queensboro Bridge in NYC over the weekend. My reaction can be seen HERE. Anyway, it’s been a fun ride with all of the forum ninjas providing behind-the-scenes vids and pics; but honestly I’m so happy that it’s wrapped so that, from now on, we will only see footage that Nolan & Co. want us to see. Which is a good thing. More after the break.

We all knew that TDKR would wrap in November, but “official” didn’t come through until I saw Jospeh Gordon-Levitt’s tweet from a couple hours ago calling “picture wrap,” supplemented by a link to his Tumblr page wearing a Batman hat (below):

So what’s next? Remember, remember…the 16th of December. Next month is going to be The Dark Knight Rises insanity. With a 6-minute IMAX prologue playing in front of prints of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol AND a second full-length theatrical trailer attached to Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows; both debuting on December 16th; YouTube and Google will most likely crash from an avalanche of searches and pirated video uploads. After six months of barely anything (two official production stills and a one-minute teaser trailer), we are finally going to get a juicy, detailed look at exactly what Christopher Nolan has planned of us come July.

What Do You Think? Discuss.

Yes, Arrested Development fans, you’ve heard me right. The long speculated return of Arrested Development on the big screen will now happen. This is great news for those like me who have been waiting so long for this rumor to finally pan out — for so long many of us thought it would never happen. How could the news get better than a big screen adaptation? How about the cast coming back for a 9-10 episode season? Hit the jump for more.

JustJared reported Arrested Development showrunner Mitch Hurwitz confirmed the show would be returning for one more season, and following that, a long awaited feature film.

Will Arnett, who plays Gob on the show also confirmed the show coming back on Twitter, along with some other information.

Dave Itzkoff of the New York Times adds:

“Hurwitz plans a limited Arrested Development series (9-10 eps, 1 character per ep) that would lead into movie.”

I am not sure what one character per ep means. Does this mean one character will be highlighted per episode? I could just be misinterpreting this info, but it would be awful if the whole cast of characters were not together interacting.

Either way, this is excellent news. Some of the best of the year, maybe even the best news in recent years. One of my favorite shows ever, one of the funniest shows to ever grace television, will not only get more action on the tube, but also a big screen treatment. Arrested Development is BACK!

What Do You Think Of This News?

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery

If you’re wondering, “Wasn’t Jeremy Renner just in a heist film?” The answer is yes, The Town. If you’re wondering, “Is Renner blowing up right now?” The answer is also yes. Renner has just been reported to join an upcoming film called King of Heists (via Deadline). Give the man a break Hollywood, he might need a second to breathe. Renner is starring alongside Tom Cruise in the upcoming Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol, will play Hawkeye in next Summer’s The Avengers, and recently finished Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters. Oh, did I forget to mention he is about to start production on The Bourne Legacy, the film where he will be taking the mantel from Jason Bourne in the series’ fourth installment? Not sure how I feel about another Bourne film, but nonetheless, the man is coveted by many.

King of Heists is adapted from the book written by J. North Conway which has an extremely long title, King of Heists: The Sensational Bank Robbery of 1878 That Shocked America. One thing is for sure, thank God the producers shrunk that title. Renner will play George Leslie, a man who stole $3 million of cash and securities from Manhattan Savings Institution in, well, 1878. Didn’t you see the book title? But seriously, damn — $3 million in 1878 — do you have any idea how much money that is back then?

The script is being written by a new-comer to the scene Will Staples. Renner is also producing the film with his new production company The Combine which is teaming up with Black Bear Pictures. The crew is now on the hunt for a director. Here is to hoping they find someone talented to bring this tale to life, because the story with Renner attached is a great start.

This Sounds Like A Pretty Sweet Movie Right?

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery

Anyone above the age of 20 and an appetite for the bizarre, gory and fun, grew up watching Micheal Keaton in his best performance as the psychotically charming bio-exorcist, Beetlejuice. And while I bitch and moan about sequels and remakes, there are some old flicks that are prime for revisiting. Which is why I’m super (cautiously) excited that Warner Bros. may be developing a sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 classic, Deadline reports.

David Katzenberg and Seth Grahame-Smith, the duo behind Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, have inked a two-year development deal with Warner Bros. One of the projects that they may be developing is Bettlejuice 2 (not the actual title…yet). Grahame-Smith wrote the screenplay for the upcoming Dark Shadows, starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter. That, with the unofficial confirmation from WB, has Deadline speculating that Beetlejuice 2 will be one of the upcoming projects rolled out from the writing duo.

Again, this is not confirmed whatsoever, but Deadline is as accurate as it gets, so I think this has a good chance of going all the way. Regardless of whether they’re able to get Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Winona Ryder or any of the other original cast back on board for the sequel, they MUST, get Keaton to reprise his phenomenal character, in some fashion.

Stay tuned for updates on Beetlejuice 2.

What Do You Think? Discuss.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it…right? Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese have teamed up for four films over the past decade; Gangs of New York, The Aviator, The Departed and Shutter Island. This abundance of consistent collaboration seems to irk a lot of moviegoers out there, as they’d like Marty and Leo alike to work with different talent. But all the above films are top-notch, so I say: Why the hell not? Well, we have a scoop from The Hollywood Reporter that Marty and The Departed screenwriter William Monahan are developing a remake of The Gambler – the 1974 movie starring James Caan as an English professor with a gambling addiction. And as you’d assume, they want Leo to star.

While this sounds well and good – what Marty going back to his roots with a period-set New York drama and all – what’s funny is that this isn’t even the most recent or potential Leo-Marty collaboration in the works. The two are “attached” to the film The Wolf of Wall Street, based on the bestselling memoir by Jordan Belfort - currently “slated” for a 2013 release. They are also both “attached” for the The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt biopic. Both the actor and director have both since moved on to other projects since their “attachement” to these two films was announced – so who knows what they’ll actually end up doing.

As for The Gambler, the story follows “a New York English professor who inspires his students but suffers from a secret gambling addiction. The affliction causes him to extort money from his mother and convince one of his students to shave points in a basketball game.” Never saw the original film, but it did earn James Caan Golden Glob nod, and the story sounds very compelling – a type of story that seems perfectly suited for the talent involved here.

Again, no word on any production timelines or release dates, but stay tuned to The Movie Mash for updates on The Gambler…or whichever of the 17 projects Marty and Leo end up choosing.

What Do You Think? Discuss.

If you are looking to get your The Amazing Spider-Man fix, your search ends here. Entertainment Weekly has a kaleidoscope of new pictures from Marc Webb’s Spider-Man reboot including a look at masked hero’s new webshooters. What you see above is only the beginning, so hit the jump to check out the full lineup.

Below we get a look at Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker, Rhys Ifans as Dr. Connors, Martin Sheen and Sally Fields as Uncle Ben and Aunt May, Emma Stone as Gwen Stacey, and finally Denis Leary as her father George Stacey. The most interesting photo in the bunch to me is the close-up of the comic book inspired webshooters. As those following along know, Sam Raimi’s webshooters were organic and brought about by the spider bite on Tobey Maguire’s hand. But the reboot decided to bring back the mechanical shooters used by Spidey in the comic book series. I just find it a little strange to see the webshooters amongst these photos, but I can’t say I mind getting a closer look.

I have to say that I was skeptical about the Spider-Man Suit initially, but now looking at the refined finished images, I am convinced. This suit is awesome. I have a special fondness for the yellow eyes — it looks so much more menacing to the evil foes he will face off against. I love Andrew Garfield as an actor, and he really has the look of Peter Parker nailed. Oh yeah, I also love Emma Stone, so here is to hoping the two have chemistry as a couple. Being as talented as they are, I am sure that won’t be a problem. I cannot wait for Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man to hit the scene next summer.

Spidey:

Gwen and Peter:

Webshooters:

Aunt May and Uncle Ben:

Peter Playing Basketball:

Captain Stacey:

Dr. Connors in Peril?:

Spider-Man’s First Look?:

Spidey Up Close:

The Amazing Spider-Man hits theaters July 3rd, 2012.

What Do You Guys Think About This Glimpse?

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery

OMFG. After weeks and weeks of nothing, nada, ZIP on The Dark Knight Rises front, Superhero Hype (via Batman News), claims to have “received word from a trustworthy source” that the teaser trailer for Christopher Nolan’s third Batman film will indeed be attached to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II next week. Makes total sense. They’re both Warner Bros. films, HP is WB’s biggest movie of the year, AND it follows the same tradition of all Nolan’s big films releasing the teaser a year prior to the film’s release. . Anyway, if that wasn’t enough to make nerds all over the globe explode, not only will we be getting a teaser trailer, but a teaser poster for TDKR is supposed to hit the web at some point as well. (hold on. gotta catch my breath. just. so. damn. excited.)

No word on what will actually be featured in the trailer, but SHH was able to obtain the length of the trailer, which will clock in at 1:33. That’s significantly longer than The Dark Knight’s teaser trailer, which clocked in at just under a minute. Nolan & Co. have been shooting in London, India and Scotland for just over two months, so there’s gotta be some decent footage that they can show off to wet our appetites. People complained about TDK’s teaser which featured the burning bat symbol and voice-overs from Bale, Michael Caine and Heath Ledger’s Joker. I thought it was great. That’s what a teaser is supposed to do…TEASE you. So if that’s the case this time, I’m totally fine with it. But with a 1:33 run-time, it stands to reason that we’ll get some visuals to supplement that time-frame.

When an HD version pops up online sometime next week, we’ll have it up here on The Movie Mash for your glorious viewing pleasure. In the mean-time, check out the official trailer for The Dark Knight. God… it still gives me chills. The Dark Knight Rises hits theaters July 20, 2012.

What Do You Think? Exciting, right?!