Damon Houx
There had been rumors that Sam Raimi -- who's on board as a producer -- would helm the remake of Tobe Hooper's 'Poltergeist,' but they didn't come to pass. Gil Kenan, best known for being behind the motion captured 'Monster House' and live-action film 'City of Ember,' just landed the job as the remake's director.
With the phenomenal success of 'Paranormal Activity' and its sequels, other studios took to copying the formula of making micro-budgeted horror movies, which is partly why we got 'Sinister.' Done for $3 million, it has made over $87 million worldwide, and so it's no surprise they're working on a sequel, which got officially announced today.
Sam Raimi's 'Evil Dead' trilogy is one of the touchstones of cult cinema. From the first no-budget horror film, to the frenetic, slapsticky horror-comedy of the second, to the Dungeons and Dragons and Mark Twain-inspired third film, they are marvelously entertaining movies that inspire very passionate fans. Which is why people keep asking Raimi about a fourth film. Well, he's answered, and suggests he's going to write a new sequel this summer.
'X-Men: Days of Future Past' is to commence shooting in April, and it will include a lot of familiar faces. One current holdout is Halle Berry, who originated the role of Storm. Last we heard she wasn't in the picture, but now it looks like there's a strong chance of Storm appearing in 'Future Past.'
Today is a good day for the former cast-mates of 'Harry Potter' as not only is Daniel Radcliffe signing up for 'Frankenstein,' while Emma Watson is now in early talks for 'Cinderella,' which will be directed by her 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' co-star Kenneth Branagh.
When it was announced that 'The Hobbit' would be turned from two films into three, it seemed possible that Warner Brothers and Peter Jackson could kill themselves trying to deliver an additional three hour movie only seven months after the release of the second. So it's not a big surprise that 'The Hobbit: There and Back Again' has been pushed from July 18 to December 13, 2014.
As 'Anchorman 2' has begun shooting, casting is now filling in quite nicely, and on top of the core five of Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, David Koechner, and Christina Applegate, and new additions Kristen Wiig and James Marsden, now Meagan Good and Dylan Baker have officially joined the cast.
'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,' and the new approach to the 'PotA' films is decidedly different than the tact taken in the 1970's. There, each sequel was given a smaller and smaller budget and with fewer name talents. Not so with 'Dawn,' as it just added Gary Oldman to the cast.
In 2009, Bradley Cooper went from utility handsome guy into movie star with his turn in Todd Phillips' 'The Hangover,' and in 2012 Cooper became an Oscar nominee for his work in 'Silver Linings Playbook.' It looks like before 2015 Cooper plans to add another feather to his cap as he's looking to direct his first feature film.
About a month ago, news broke that Marvel had big plans for Hulk, and that they might be sending him to outer space at the end of 'The Avengers 2' in anticipation of a 'Planet Hulk'-style movie. Alas, those rumors have been debunked today.