Oliver Stone and Jamie Foxx may re-team for an MLK biopic

A while back I reported on this blog that Paul Greengrass was developing an MLK biopic named Memphis but it ended up being rejected by the King family.  A second picture called Selma is now in the hands of director Ava DuVernay but that's languishing in development Hell. 

You can now add a third MLK film to the list.

"The Wrap" reports that two time Oscar winning director Oliver Stone is in talks with DreamWorks to direct a film about the famous civil rights leader.  Fellow Oscar winner Jamie Foxx is also in talks to play the part of King.  If both sign on it will be the first time the two have worked together since 1999's Any Given Sunday.  Screenwriter Kario Salem has been working on the script for over three years, conducting extensive interviews to make the screenplay as authentic as possible.  Dreamworks acquired the rights to King's story, including the "I Have A Dream" speech back in 2011.

I could see this scenario playing out very well.  Foxx is an excellent actor and absolutely has the chops to handle the role.  Oliver Stone, while not having the most success in recent movies, certainly knows 1960s America well.  I think he would excel in a film like this.

No news yet on when the film might be released, but this has Oscar bait all over it so I'd expect late 2015.  Jamie Foxx can be seen in next May's The Amazing Spiderman 2.

Spawn re-make still a possibility; Jamie Foxx (sort of) attached

Been awhile since I've reported anything about the proposed Spawn remake which creator Todd McFarlane is helming.  But now we may have a glimpse into the direction McFarlane wants to go.

In a recent interview with "Assignment X," McFarlane said he wants to make the film for about $10 million, reduce the superhero aspect significantly, and make it a hard R.  I think those are all admiral goals.  Especially considering Spawn the character is more of an anti-hero than anything else.  And if you think about it, the timing couldn't be more perfect because anti-heroes are in now.  You only have to look at television shows like "Breaking Bad," "Dexter," and "Sons of Anarchy" to see that.  As for keeping it a hard R, I think that's a given.  You're talking about a violent special forces agent who is murdered and returns from Hell as an axe wielding semi-demon bent on escaping his fate and fucking over the Devil to boot.  Not really something that screams Care Bears and Rainbow Brite.

As for the $10 million budget that might be a little more difficult, especially since McFarlane wants Jamie Foxx to play the main character.  They've discussed the project numerous times, but I don't think an actor of Foxx's caliber would be willing to work on spec for this one.

Here's hoping that this one gets made sooner rather than later.

"Finding Dory" "50 Shades of Grey" "Gods of Egypt"....Casting news comin' at ya!!!!

Three films enter, three actors join.  Like Thunderdome.  Or not.

Anyhooo...I have a bit of casting news for three VERY different films.

First up is weird actor extraordinaire, Willem Dafoe who told "Total Film" that he will reprise his role as the scarred Gil in Pixar's Finding Dory.  Dafoe also added that he's already begun work on the project and that he believes Finding Dory will be better than Finding Nemo.  That's high praise considering that the consensus is that Finding Nemo is the best Pixar film ever.

Next up is everyone's favorite Mom Porn film 50 Shades of Grey.  "Deadline" reports that actress Jennifer Ehle (Zero Dark Thirty) has been cast as the main character Anastasia's mother, Carla.  This comes on the heels of Ehle also being cast in the heist film The Forger, directed by Phillip Martin.

Lastly, Brenton Thwaites has signed on for a lead role in director Alex Proyas's film Gods of Egypt.  This news comes, once again, care of "Deadline."  Thwaites joins Geoffrey Rush, Gerard Butler, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.  The film revolves around an attempt to destroy Set (Butler) the ancient Egyptian god of the desert.

No word on a release date yet for Gods of Egypt but 50 Shades of Grey releases August 1, 2014 and Finding Dory hits theaters June 17, 2016.

Another heist movie for director Danny Boyle

Slumdog Millionaire, Trainspotting, 28 Days Later; these are just a few of the films that define Danny Boyle as a director.  He's quite simply one of the best in the world.  While I haven't seen Trance yet, by all accounts it's an atypical heist movie.  Looks like Boyle liked the genre so much he's hitching his wagon, or should I say plucking his diamond, to another heist film.

"Variety" reports that Boyle is set to direct a feature film version of the documentary Smash and Grab: The Story of the Pink Panthers*.  The documentary revolves around the real Pink Panther network of jewel thieves who have pulled off crimes in Dubai, Switzerland, France, and Spain, among other countries. 

As cool as this documentary probably is (and by all accounts it's getting rave reviews) this material sounds dynamite in the hands of Boyle.  Really feels like something right up his alley.  Boyle is currently circling several projects so this may not necessarily be his next project.  However, I'm sure Boyle will be announcing his next film very shortly.

*The Pink Panthers received their moniker from Interpol.  One of their first heists was a $500,000 diamond in London, England.

"Ted 2" will drop in 2015

Aside from the "Thunder Buddies" song which became very annoying after seeing it so many times on commercials, I thought last year's Ted was hysterical.  Some of the one liners killed me.  ("I look like Snuggles' accountant!")  Talks of a sequel began soon after the film was released and now it seems we have a bit of a firmer date on when that sequel will hit theaters.

"Deadline" reports that Ted 2 will release on June 26, 2015.  No details on the plot just yet or if Mila Kunis will return but I don't see a scenario where Kunis doesn't come back*.  The first film was a huge success making over half a billion dollars worldwide.  Let's hope Seth McFarlane puts as much devotion into this film as he did with the original.  And that Patrick Stewart returns to narrate of course.

McFarlane is currently filming  A Million Ways to Die in the West with Charlize Theron, Liam Neeson, and Neil Patrick Harris.  That movie releases May 20, 2014.

*Forget about Kunis, let's hope to Hell Sam Jones comes back!

Third times the charm, writers of the first two "Amazing Spider-Man" movies will return for the third film

I didn't particularly care for The Amazing Spider-Man.  It's not that the film was bad, it just felt empty and lacking in substance and soul.  There's no denying the box-office numbers though, and it looks like everyone associated with the film is in it for the long haul.  Although the sequel doesn't hit until next May, the third and fourth feature films are already in the works.  And it appears as though all of the writers from the first two movies will return at least for the third.

"The Hollywood Reporter" reveals that writers Jeff Pinkner, Alex Kurtzman, and Robert Orci will all return for the third Amazing Spider-Man which isn't set to debut until June 10, 2016.  A fourth film will follow on May 4, 2018.  Why all the pre-planning you ask?  Apparently the people behind these films are structuring these movies to facilitate a larger story arc.  For example, while Norman and Harry Osborn will be introduced in the next film, they'll play a minor role.  Their roles won't come to fruition until the third film.

Well I suppose if you are going to treat a series of movies in this manner, it's best if  you remain consistent.  Retaining the same writers goes a long way to accomplishing that goal. 

As I said I didn't really like the first film but the cast for the second movie looks excellent.  Paul Giamatti, Chris Cooper, Jamie Foxx, Sally Field, and Andrew Garfield are all a part of it, so that seems encouraging.  Plus part of the film was shot in my hometown of Rochester, New York so how can I not check it out?

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 opens May 2, 2014.

Double dose of casting: Lizzie Caplan joins Seth Rogen comedy and Joely Richardson hooks up with AH-NULD

A little casting news this evening.  The first comes via "Empire" magazine which reports that Lizzie Caplan (Mean Girls, Hot Tub Time Machine) will join the Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg comedy The Interview.  The film involves a talk show host and his producer who somehow get involved in a plot to assassinate the premier of North Korea.  Caplan will play an intelligence operative named Lacey.

Meanwhile, although the film Maggie is already in production, "The Wrap" reports that Joely Richardson (Event Horizon, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) has signed on to zombie movie alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger.  Joely will play Maggie's mother which is reportedly a small role.

I'm glad to see both of these actresses getting gainful employment.  Caplan is a very underrated actress and I loved Joely Richardson in television's "Nip/Tuck."

Both films are set to release sometime in 2015.