HBO’s ‘The Sunset Limited’ Trailer: Two Old Guys, One Room

Pop quiz, everyone -- if you were locked in a room with Samuel L. Jackson, what would you do? Well, if you’re Tommy Lee Jones in HBO Film’s adaptation of The Sunset Limited, you’d have decided that a chat about the meaning of life and existence of God was just the thing.

Before he gets back in the habit of kicking some extraterrestrial butt on the big screen in Men in Black 3, Jones will show up on the small screen in Sunset Limited, which now has an official trailer.

Pulitzer Prize-winner and acclaimed American novelist Cormac McCarthy (No Country For Old Men, The Road) adapted his original one-setting, dialogue-driven play The Sunset Limited for this HBO production. Jones and Jackson star as two nameless characters (referred to as “White” and “Black” in McCarthy’s original teleplay) who occupy opposite ends of the theological spectrum: Jones plays an atheistic professor and Jackson portrays an ex-convict/evangelical Christian.

White’s attempt to kill himself by jumping in front of a train called The Sunset Limited was thwarted by Black, who thereafter escorted the suicidal teacher to his home in a poorer region of New York. Both the original play and movie adaptation take place entirely within the confines of Black’s rundown but sufficient apartment.

Watch the trailer for The Sunset Limited below:

Jones was also at the helm of HBO’s Sunset Limited, his third round in the director’s chair after the western novel-turned-TV movie The Good Old Boys and the well-received 2005 indie theatrical feature, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada. The scenery may be far more basic in Jones’ latest film, but it boasts some truly poetic, nuanced prose penned by McCarthy instead. (SIDENOTE: Jones and McCarthy also happen to be friends, a connection of note for the often reclusive author.)

Sunset Limited looks to also feature some darkly humorous moments, courtesy of Jones playing his trademark no-nonsense persona off Jackson’s penchant for theatricality. Watching the two grizzled veterans of the screen in action together should be well worth it -- just don’t expect Jackson to chain up his costar to a radiator (a la Christina Ricci in Black Snake Moan) this time around.

The Sunset Limited premieres on HBO on Saturday, February 12th at 9 p.m. EST.

Source: HBO Films

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‘Unknown’ Trailer #2 & TV Spots

In 2008, veteran actor Liam Neeson proved himself a competent modern day action star with the surprise hit Taken, some say even giving Jason Bourne a run for his money… and that’s saying something!. Now Neeson is back in action with Unknown, a new mystery thriller co-starring January Jones (X-Men: First Class, Mad Men) and Diane Kruger (Inglourious Basterds).

Way back in October of last year we got a look at the official trailer for Unknown. Today we have a new trailer and three TV spots to try and get us excited about the movie. But before we get to them, let’s remind ourselves of the plot:

A man (Neeson) awakens from a coma, only to discover that someone has taken on his identity and that no one, (not even his wife), believes him. With the help of a young woman (Kruger), he sets out to prove who he is.

Now that you’re clued in -- certainly a lot more than Neeson’s character! -- check out the latest trailer and TV spots for Unknown:

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UNKNOWN TRAILER #2

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The trailer doesn’t provide us with much in the way of new footage and basically acts as a condensed version of the official trailer we saw last year. However, the TV spots do give us some fresh footage that hints at what might really be going on with Neeson’s character. For instance, in the third TV spot we hear Neeson talking about going insane -- could it be that Neeson really is crazy and that he isn’t Dr. Martin Harris after all? Or is that exactly what these mysterious people who appear to have stolen his identity want him to think?

I look forward to unraveling the mystery when Unknown opens in a few weeks’ time. Although the film doesn’t look to be anything overly memorable and certainly not a mystery/thriller classic, at the very least it should provide for some nice twists and turns, as well as a platform for Neeson to kick ass once again.

Unknown opens in U.S. theaters on February 18th, 2011.

Source: Latino Review

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New ‘Game of Thrones’ Trailer – Meet the Characters of Westeros

HBO has long been known as television’s number one place for compelling dramas, but the network’s upcoming fantasy show Game of Thrones is an entirely new challenge.

Will the network that made gritty dramas like The Sopranos and The Wire, succeed in the world of swords and sorcery? My guess would be yes, but you can’t blame them for hedging their bets with a massive marketing push.

In the last two months, HBO has released tons of content from Game of Thrones, including a teaser trailer, a huge 11-minute preview of the series, and a handful of new set photos. Over the weekend HBO released yet another trailer for the show, this time showing off the many characters in the series and their overlapping desires for the Iron Throne of Westeros.

Check out the new trailer below:

Game of Thrones is based on the popular A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy series by George R.R. Martin. If you want to get caught up on the series before it premieres, I suggest you head over to Wikipedia for a more detailed summary (assuming you’ve got a few hours of free time to kill).

I am very interested to see how Game of Thrones turns out. The producers of the show have repeatedly said that it will appeal to both fantasy fans as well as non-fantasy fans, which is good, but what about people who are unfamiliar with the books? As a newbie to Martin’s fantasy series, my quick perusal of the Wikipedia article was head-spinning. Can HBO successfully translate 3,188 pages of literature into an accessible and successful TV series?

HBO rarely makes a misstep, so I will definitely give Game of Thrones a chance. At the very least, it will give me an opportunity to watch Sean Bean back in action as a bearded warrior, a la Boromir from Lord of the Rings.

I am curious to hear from fans of the book series. Having watched all of the promotional materials for this show, how do you think it will turn out? If you had to convince a non-fantasy-loving friend to check it out, what would be your biggest big selling point?

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Game of Thrones premieres April 17th, on HBO. Make sure to check back at that time for our review of the show.

Source: HBO

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New ‘Battle: Los Angeles’ Trailer Brings The Alien Onslaught

One of the most anticipated films of the year, and another entry to the quickly expanding alien invasion genre, is that of Jonathan Liebesman’s Battle: Los Angeles. Mixing elements of District 9 and Black Hawk Down, but playing with a much larger scale battlefield, Battle: Los Angeles is set to take moviegoers to the front lines of a key location during the world invasion.

The film has seen two trailers and numerous posters, reminiscing on real life UFO sightings throughout history, but each has only shown slight reveals of the aliens and their tech, leaving the rest to your imagination. As refreshing as it’s been to have not been shown all in a theatrical movie trailer, the third Battle: Los Angeles trailer has just released and it presents a whole new look at the film and what it entails.

The latest Battle: Los Angeles trailer focuses on the action and horror as we get up close and personal during the intense and action-heavy beginning of the alien onslaught. We also finally get some decent screentime for the film’s star, Aaron Eckhart. Watch and enjoy:

I am completely sold on this movie. While there are quite a few shots from previous trailers and footage, there is a lot of new content in this teaser. What really works for Battle: Los Angeles is how grounded in reality it is. Even in this particular trailer, almost the entire first minute follows the characters enjoying everyday life until that first scene of the strange “meteors” hitting the battleship. The impact of that hit emanates into the feeling of anxiety watching the events unfold.

The film takes place in Los Angeles as we spend our time with a platoon of Marines fighting for survival, but in the background the aliens are attacking locations all over the planet, hence the international title of the movie being World Invasion: Battle Los Angeles (franchise alert!). The most interesting new footage unveiled with this trailer is by far the large vehicle coming out of the ground at the end, which looks quite similar to the alien mothership from District 9. That should cause some problems for the characters played by Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Lucas Till and co.

Ready to be colonized? I’m cheering for the aliens.

Share your thoughts in the comments and with us on Twitter @rob_keyes and @screenrant.

Battle: Los Angeles invades theaters on March 11, 2011.

Source: Yahoo! Movies

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New ‘Priest’ Trailer Delivers More Post-Apocalyptic Action

Fans of the Korean comic book Priest have been waiting patiently to see whether or not Screen Gems’ long-delayed feature film adaptation honors or degrades its source material.  The previous trailer seemed to indicate that a few liberties had been taken with the story, but that that the hybrid of western, fantasy and horror genres had been preserved.

Priest‘s rather tumultuous journey to the big screen began when Sam Raimi expressed interest in producing a version directed by Andrew Douglas (The Amityville Horror remake) and starring Gerard Butler. That incarnation evidently deviated even further from the comic and while a bullet may have been dodged when it collapsed, the news that Scott Stewart (Legion) was stepping into the director’s chair and starting from scratch wasn’t particularly reassuring either.

Yahoo! has just debuted a second trailer for Priest and if you were already skeptical, this probably isn’t going to ease any of your concerns. Differences from the comic aside, the first trailer at least did a decent job of laying out the film’s premise and telling audiences everything they needed to know. In my opinion, the new trailer is ridiculously incoherent and sloppy.

In the interest of providing some context for what you’re about to see, here’s the official synopsis for Priest:

PRIEST, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller, is set in an alternate world — one ravaged by centuries of war between man and vampires. The story revolves around a legendary Warrior Priest from the last Vampire War who now lives in obscurity among the other downtrodden human inhabitants in walled-in dystopian cities ruled by the Church. When his niece is abducted by a murderous pack of vampires, Priest breaks his sacred vows to venture out on a quest to find her before they turn her into one of them. He is joined on his crusade by his niece’s boyfriend, a trigger-fingered young wasteland sheriff, and a former Warrior Priestess who possesses otherworldly fighting skills.

And here’s the new trailer:

There’s no denying that Priest is a slick looking movie with some incredibly cool iconography (I really liked the recently released character posters), but this trailer accomplishes the exact opposite of what it’s supposed to – it actually makes me less interested in seeing the film. There are a few interesting action beats, but stylistically speaking – it looks like they just threw everything they could think of at the wall to see what would stick. Then again, maybe it’s just the way this is cut together.

If nothing else, Priest boasts a pretty impressive cast that includes Paul Bettany, Karl Urban, Maggie Q and Christopher Plummer. Watching Urban play an over-the-top villain might be reason enough for me to check this out, but I’m getting the feeling it might be best to approach this with diminished expectations.

Priest will finally hit theaters on May 13th.

Source: Yahoo! Movies.

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Starz Releases Trailer For ‘Camelot’; Sneak Preview In February

Even though the premiere of Camelot is fast approaching, there’s been very little to see of Starz’ latest original series. That changed yesterday as the trailer for the show hit the Internet, offering a glimpse at the look and feel of the newest version of King Arthur’s legend.

Taking place immediately after the death of King Uther, Camelot will focus on the struggle between Uther’s low-born son Arthur and Morgan Le Fey, who claims the throne as Arthur’s half-sister. We see a very young Arthur taking hold of the ruins of Camelot castle, establishing his leadership and the Knights of the Round Table in the iconic keep. Familiar pillars of Arthurian legend Merlin, Guinevere and Sir Lancelot make appearances in the trailer.

The series is being produced by veterans of Showtime period show The Tudors. Executive producer Morgan O’Sullivan has previous experience with the source material in the 2004 film King Arthur, and writer Michael Hirst has experience with more historically sound English royalty in two separate Elizabeth movies. The cast skews very young, with Jamie Campbell Bower (of the Harry Potter and Twilight franchises) taking the role of Arthur. Eva Green, who made her mark as a Bond girl in Casino Royale, plays the evil Morgan Le Fey. British actress Tamsin Egerton takes the role of Guinevere while Shakespeare in Love‘s leading man Joseph Fiennes plays a middle-aged and beardless Merlin.

See for yourself here:

On a programming note, Starz is planning a preview of Camelot directly after the finale Spartacus: Gods of the Arena on February 25th. The series will premiere in its regular slot on April 1st. This may be a move to get people excited for the series before HBO starts its marketing blitz for Game of Thrones.

Here’s a behind-the-scenes preview of the show with cast and crew commentary:

So how does the trailer look? While the acting appears solid and the sets and costumes are appropriately medieval, I can’t shake the feeling that the producers are going for an edgy, teen-focused drama. The rock-and-roll soundtrack certainly didn’t help. The direction isn’t one that’s entirely suited to Arthur’s quest, nor is it one we haven’t seen before: BBC and SyFy’s Merlin already shows us teenaged versions of the once and future king and his cohorts.

While the Starz project certainly has higher production values and a more mature feel, I was hoping to see an older Arthur taking charge. But I’ll reserve judgement -- many a movie and TV show has been cast in the wrong light by a misleading trailer. All that said, Joseph Fiennes’ non-traditional and menacing portrayal of Merlin shows promise.

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Starz will show a sneak preview of Camelot on February 25th directly following Spartacus: Gods of the Arena at 10:56 PM. The series debuts on April 1st.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

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Red Band Trailer For ‘The Mechanic’

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Join Screenrant on FacebookRed Band Trailer For ‘The Mechanic’Jan 3, 2011 by Roth Cornet Do you like this story?

Take a look at Jason Statham, Ben Foster and Donald Sutherland in the kill or be killed action-thriller, ‘The Mechanic.’

A new red band trailer for director Simon West’s remake of the 1972 Charles Bronson action-thriller The Mechanic has been released.

Jason Statham stars as Arthur Bishop, a specialized and elite assassin known as a “mechanic” who can be trusted to seamlessly “eliminate targets” with precision, speed, and machine-like detachment. Yet, when his mentor Harry McKenna (Donald Sutherland), the only man he is attached to, is murdered, he becomes personally invested in seeing vengeance done.

Harry’s son Steve (Ben Foster) comes to him for the training necessary to take part in the epic unleashing of retribution that Bishop has planed. The hit-man’s life quickly becomes both more dangerous, and more complex, when their mission and lives are threatened by his ex-employer, Dean Sanderson (played by the go-to “evil yuppie” character actor Tony Goldwyn).

Take a look at the red band trailer below via IGN:

The film is scheduled for release later this month in what is essentially the early winter lull before the more robust and anticipated Spring and Summer films begin to be unleashed. The film does not feel like it will bring much to the table in terms of innovation, or fresh character development; but it does look like it will fulfill the standards of the action genre — death defying chase scenes, unparalleled levels of property damage, and a pleasant variety of unlikely death.

With the story of two men on a mutual mission of revenge; an experienced hit-man training a younger padawan, so that said padawan can efficiently deal aforementioned vengeance to the cold-blooded suit responsible for the death of his father, The Mechanic has all of the elements of a heat-em-up-for-the-winter “boys will be boys” action movie.

The Mechanic hits theaters in the U.S. on January 28th.

Follow me on twitter @jrothc and Screen Rant @screenrant.

Source: IGN

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Anthony    22 hours ago

VERY cool Red Band trailer!

Reply jwalka    22 hours ago

what’s the actual synopsis for this movie because sometimes it says its about the ben foster getting revenge but the original trailer makes it look like statham and foster are against each other (after foster gets skill he turn on statham).

i tried watching the original and gave up after 20 or so minutes, couldn’t stand the olden day look of the film mixed with the short monotonous dialogue. though i hear its a really good movie with a great ending so hopefully they’ll follow the original closely but not enough to ruin it for old timers.

Reply Cody    7 hours ago

This movie looks pretty damn good, glad to see some real blood and violence. I don’t know who that chick taking Staham’s character for a ride is but man I want her.

Reply Anthony    4 hours ago

Hormones buddy!! Relax LOL.

Reply vlad    4 hours ago

gonna see this

Reply Taylor    2 hours ago

nice.

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AMC Releases ‘The Killing’ Teaser Trailer & Featurette

After a hat trick with hit original series Mad Men, Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead, AMC doesn’t intend to slow down any time soon. In addition to Hell on Wheels, production on the first season of The Killing is wrapping up for a March 2011 debut. The cable network has released a short promo and a featurette to whet the appetites of murder mystery fans.

Billed as a character-focused alternative to more standard police procedurals, The Killing follows an investigation into the murder of a Seattle girl. Each of the thirteen episodes covers exactly one day, and the narrative jumps between the lead investigator, the girl’s grieving parents and the mayor of the city.

Based on Danish miniseries Forbrydelsen, the show will explore the motivations and emotions of its characters as they follow the clues to find the murderer. According to executive producer Venna Sud:

“What we’re trying to do with this show is take the genre and turn it on its head… This is all about the secrets we have… it’s about how worlds collide, how there’s very little separation in a city, how everything sort of comes together around this murder investigation.”

Sud’s previous working includes writing and producing two seasons of CBS’ Cold Case. Other crew members include executive producer Mikkel Bondesen (Burn Notice, The Good Guys) and associate producer Shana Fischer (Dirty Sexy Money). Mireille Enos will lead the series as Detective Sarah Linden, the lead detective of the murder case. Fans of HBO’s Big Love will recognize her as Jodeen Marquart, one of the leading wives. Bill Campbell of The 4400, Enough and The Rocketeer plays the mayor, who has a special interest in both the case and the detective. Michelle Forbes (True Blood, Battlestar Galactica) and Brent Sexton (Deadwood) round out the cast as the victim’s grieving parents.

Watch the promo and featurette below:

If the sneak peek and the cast and crew interviews are anything to go on, The Killing will focus heavily on grief and betrayal. The acting and production design looks subtle and muted -- even the Northwestern setting lends itself to a contemplative and bleak atmosphere. Between that and the character-focused nature of the series, AMC is taking a big gamble. Mainstream audiences seem to be much more interested in glitzy whodunits like Numb3rs and the various CSI incarnations. However, cable networks have had much more success with more ambitious versions of the police procedural, like The Closer, Southland and Justified. AMC hasn’t tackled anything quite like this yet, but if their recent work is any indication, the new show will be one to keep an eye on.

The Killing starts its freshman season in March on AMC.

Source: Zap2it

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‘Doctor Who’ Season 6 Trailer

Not only was this year’s Doctor Who Christmas special, A Christmas Carol, a fun and surprisingly kinetic episode -- it also ended with an intriguing sneak peek at the show’s upcoming sixth season.

For those of you who were unable to catch it, don’t get your suspenders in a twist --  the minute-long trailer has just debuted online courtesy of BBC America. So now you can get your first glimpse of old friends, new foes, and The Doctor’s latest fashion accessory (personally, I prefer the fez).

In a somewhat unusual move, the new season of Doctor Who will be split it into two parts. The first six episodes begin airing this spring and will culminate with a mid-season finale (presumably a cliffhanger) before picking up again in the fall. Since the show is still currently in production, the majority of the footage featured in the trailer (such as The Doctor’s inaugural trip to America) is likely from the earlier half of the season.

Fasten your bow ties and check out it out below:

It’s hardly a surprise to see that the River Song character will be prominently featured again. Evidently, season six will finally clue fans in on her connection to The Doctor and in my opinion it’s not a moment too soon. The ambiguity of their relationship was great fun initially, but I felt that the whole thing was getting a bit tiresome by the end of last season.

There have been a few other missteps along the way (like the Crayola-colored Daleks), but by and large I think showrunner Steven Moffat has done a pretty incredible job since he inherited Doctor Who. I remain impressed with previous showrunner Russell T. Davies’ ability to craft a multi-season arc, but I have to say I much prefer Moffat’s writing and overall approach.

While there haven’t been too many callbacks to the Davies era, it’s nice to see the Ood pop up in the trailer. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of context provided for their appearance or for anything else that we’re seeing in the preview, but this definitely teases at a refreshingly diverse and suitably epic season.

Matt Smith is probably my favorite actor to play The Doctor since the show’s resurrection in 2005 and I think Amelia Pond (Karen Gillan) is one of his better companions. I can’t wait to see what sort of trouble they get into this season.

As stated, season six of Doctor Who will premiere in spring 2011.

Source: BBC America.

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‘Limitless’ Trailer & Poster Will Open Your Mind

Chances are good that when someone drops the name Bradley Cooper, you think “the handsome goofball from The A-Team and The Hangover” -- not “the most intelligent man on Earth.” But that’s exactly the role Mr. Cooper will be playing in the upcoming sci-fi thriller/satire, Limitless.

An official trailer and poster have been released for Limitless (formerly, The Dark Fields), which stars Cooper alongside Sucker Punch gal Abbie Cornish and Little Fockers star acting legend Robert De Niro.

Limitless is officially described as “a paranoia-fueled action thriller” that revolves around Eddie, a lowly copywriter and aspiring novelist who turns his life around by taking a new drug that allows him to use 100% of his total mental capacity. But exterior forces, including that of Wall Street type Carl Van Loon (De Niro -- yes, that’s really his character’s name), threaten to destroy his newfound existence of wealth and riches -- even as Eddie begins to experience the troubling side effects of his new medication.

The theatrical preview for Limitless more than hints at the film’s main themes (the dangers of science, the corrupting nature of power and money), but it’s difficult to asses whether the movie is more satire, sci-fi cautionary tale, drama, or thriller. Elements from all these genres will likely be present in Limitless, but is that a recipe for success -- or disaster?

Watch the Limitless trailer (via Apple) below:

Neil Burger (The Illusionist) directed Limitless, which was scripted by Leslie Dixon -- a writer whose credits range from the remakes of The Thomas Crown Affair and Freaky Friday to Mrs. Doubtfire and the musical Hairspray. Going off Dixon’s resume, it seems like Limitless could be more darkly comedic than the trailer lets on -- which makes the casting of Cooper perhaps more appropriate.

It’s difficult to assess from this theatrical preview alone whether Limitless will be simultaneously clever and exciting -- or just fall flat on its face. We will say this: Kanye West’s hit single, “Power,” was much more effectively used in The Social Network TV spot released last summer than it was in the Limitless trailer, truth be told.

Check out the Limitless poster below:

Limitless arrives in U.S. theaters on March 18th, 2011.

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‘Thor’ vs. ‘Green Lantern’ DC/Marvel Movie Trailer Showdown!

Well it’s about that time -- time to kick open the doors and once again instigate the age-old battle between DC Comics fans and Marvel Comics fans, this time in the arena of the silver screen.

In the last month we’ve been graced with the first real looks at two upcoming movies featuring second-tier characters from the DC/Marvel universes: Thor and Green Lantern. Now, based on what we’ve seen in the Green Lantern trailer and the more recent Thor trailer, it’s time to discuss which comic book house is making the better product in the era of “Comic Book Movies 2.0?.

If that term -- “Comic Book Movies 2.0? -- doesn’t sound familiar, it’s because I just made it up (feel free to use it). I personally define the era of “Comic Book Movies 1.0? to be that time period running from the late 199os through the early 2000s, where films like X-Men, Spider-Man and Hulk turned comic book properties into Hollywood’s new golden calf. That “1.0? era ended around 2009 with Chris Nolan and The Dark Knight, which launched us into this “2.0? era, in which comic book movies are not just popcorn blockbusters, but serious (not to be confused with “dark”) cinematic ventures that attempt to be deep, complex, insightful and artistically refined, in addition to being fun and epic.

We could debate the shift in comic book movie eras for an entire post, but we can all acknowledge that DC, Marvel (and every comic book publisher in between) are currently ramping-up to make comic book movies in a way that has truly not been seen before: with comic properties as studios’ major tentpole focus; shared movie continuities; unique and visionary directors at the helm; and of course, money, money, money being invested.

2011 will truly kick off the era of Comic Book Movies 2.0, with Thor, Green Lantern, and Captain America leading the charge. With all that said, let’s get to the trailers, shall we?

It’d be nice if we had the trailer for Captain America: The First Avenger to add to this mix, but for now Thor and Green Lantern are what we have to work with. I’ll post both trailers below for those who haven’t yet seen them, then we’ll compare them according to specific criteria:

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Sure, we could talk about the casts of Thor and Green Lantern as a whole, because both movies feature an impressive cast of actors. However, in terms of these first trailers it’s the two leading men playing the titular comic book heroes who receive the majority of the focus, and will inevitably be responsible for carrying their respective films. So it’s the two leading men we shall discuss:

While Australian movie fans are probably familiar with Hemsworth’s work, American movie fans are still getting to know him. Hemsworth was featured in the indie flick Ca$h -- but admittedly, a lot of people didn’t catch that flick. The actor also had a brief but intense bit part in A Perfect Getaway last year -- but again, a lot of people are just now catching that flick on cable. Unfortunately for Hemsworth (and Marvel) the actor’s two big American projects -- the Red Dawn remake and the Joss Whedon horror film The Cabin in the Woods -- either of which might’ve made Hemsworth a household name -- both fell by the wayside thanks to the MGM Bankruptcy. Guess Hemsworth put his faith in the wrong studio…

Most American audiences will know Hemsworth best from the opening sequence of J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot, where he played Captain Kirk’s father, George Kirk. While people may not immediately recognize that G. Kirk is the guy playing Thor, most will certainly acknowledge that -- while brief -- his Star Trek performance left a positive impression of Hemsworth as an actor.

As for Thor? Well Hemsworth has certainly beefed himself up to look the part of a warrior god and truly fits the mold of the character in terms of attitude. The intensity is there, the touch of humor (“Oh no, this is Earth isn’t it?“) and even some deeper Oedipal themes are successfully conveyed in his expressions when he confronts his father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins), in the trailer. If there were any doubters before, I think most fans are now breathing easy that marvel picked Hemsworth as their Thor.

Most people know Ryan Reynolds as the funny handsome charmer scamp from films like Van Wilder, The Proposal, or Waiting. Despite those comedic associations, Reynolds has proven he has range, playing dark and intense characters in films like The Amityville Horror remake and Buried; he also showed action/comedy chops in comic book flicks like Wolverine and Blade Trinity.

By now Reynolds is a household name, has been dubbed “Sexiest Man Alive” and (until yesterday) was married to one of the most famous actresses on the Hollywood A-list. So he’s a natural and prudent choice to help Warner Bros. give Green Lantern the mainstream appeal the character needs.

However, the fanboy community is still torn over the decision to cast Reynolds as Green Lantern/Hal Jordan. It’s not that they don’t like Reynolds, it’s just that some geeks feel that his funny handsome charmer scamp personality would’ve been much better suited to the character of The Flash (another DC movie on the horizon) rather than the more serious character of Hal Jordan. But despite the light tone of the first Green Lantern trailer, we here at Screen Rant know that the film will explore some dark themes; and while Reynolds can no doubt handle those darker moments, inevitably there will be other moments where flashes his charm or goes for a laugh, and that will leave some GL purists groaning and rolling their eyes.

VERDICT: He might not yet be tested on American shores, but Chris Hemsworth as Thor looks to be the early frontrunner.

Continue to direction, design and effects…

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First ‘Water for Elephants’ Trailer Starring Robert Pattinson & Reese Witherspoon

Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen’s whimsical 2006 novel about life and love in a traveling circus during the 1930s, was a huge hit. Not only did it receive an Oprah’s Book Club recommendation (the Holy Grail of book recommendations), but the paperback version landed on top of the New York Times Best Seller list.

Obviously, a film adaptation with Twilight megastar Robert Pattinson was a foregone conclusion.

If Pattinson’s involvement makes all you Twilight haters want to head for the doors, I highly recommend you at least check out the first trailer for Water for Elephants. Yes, Pattinson may not be the world’s greatest actor, but he’s not the worst either.

Besides, when you flank him alongside two Academy Award winners (Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz), you kind of expect him to up his game.

Check out the first trailer for the movie, plus a plot summary, below. For a high-res version, head over to Apple.

Based on the acclaimed bestseller, WATER FOR ELEPHANTS presents an unexpected romance in a uniquely compelling setting. Veterinary school student Jacob meets and falls in love with Marlena, a star performer in a circus of a bygone era. They discover beauty amidst the world of the Big Top, and come together through their compassion for a special elephant. Against all odds — including the wrath of Marlena’s charismatic but dangerous husband, August — Jacob and Marlena find lifelong love.

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Along with hundreds of thousands of other people, I read Water for Elephants and I really enjoyed it. It’s not the world’s deepest read, but it’s entertaining, has interesting characters, and offers an intriguing perspective on what it might actually be like to run away and join the circus (something we all considered as children).

From reading the book, I can say that Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon definitely don’t match what Jacob and Marlena looked like in my head. Of course, that’s just one man’s opinion. If you read the book, what do you think of the casting? Christoph Waltz doesn’t quite match my mental image either, but there’s something menacing about him that still works.

I’m cautiously optimistic about this movie. Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend) is a talented director and the footage in the trailer looks beautiful. It has a kind-of Moulin Rouge vibe, minus Baz Luhrmann’s frenetic camerawork and general craziness. As I said before, the story is engaging and definitely lends itself to a film. The only concern I have is that the film doesn’t get too schmaltzy.

As I read the book, I kept thinking to myself, “I hope somebody doesn’t turn this into a bad TV movie like The Five People You Meet in Heaven.” It doesn’t look like that’s the case with Lawrence’s movie, but I’ll wait for the finished product to be sure.

Source: Apple

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‘Paul’ Trailer & New Poster

Following the teaser trailer back in October, Universal Pictures has released the first full theatrical trailer as well as a new poster for Paul, the forthcoming sci-fi comedy directed by Greg Mottola (Superbad) and starring and written by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz).

The premise for Paul is a simple yet peculiar one: Two Euro buddies decide to go on an American road trip, first paying a visit to the Mecca of all things geek that is the San Diego Comic-Con, before continuing on to Area 51. Along the way, they get into a whole load of trouble after meeting a strange talking alien named Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen) who is being hunted by the government.

The teaser trailer did well to do exactly that – tease. But for those wanting to see a bit more of Paul (often quite literally!) in order to get truly excited about the movie, this first full trailer should do the trick.

Click on the image below to view the  theatrical trailer exclusively over at Yahoo (apologies – we will have an embedded version up ASAP), followed by a unique new poster courtesy of Collider:

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If the latest trailer and poster for Paul aren’t enough to get you shaking with excitement in anticipation of its release next Spring, then I don’t think anything will. The immediate draw for me – aside from the awesome premise – is the duo of Pegg and Frost. Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz (in which they both starred and Pegg co-wrote) are a couple of my favorite comedies of the last ten years. And not only does Paul mark their first outing together without director Edgar Wright (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) to guide them, it’s also their first time writing a feature script together.

By the looks of things, Pegg and Frost have delivered a film that’s equal parts hilarious (you can already tell there will be geek references aplenty) and exciting. And in a world where movie aliens are hell bent on attacking mankind in such modern films as War of the Worlds, Skyline and Battle: Los Angeles, Paul is set apart by the eponymous alien just needing a little help to survive.

Alongside Pegg and Frost, Paul sports a killer supporting cast including Seth Rogen (voicing Paul), Kristin Wiig, Jason Bateman, Sigourney Weaver, Bill Hader and Jane Lynch.

Paul is set to open in U.S. theaters on March 18th, 2011, with the UK getting it a month earlier on February 14th, 2011.

Sources: Yahoo and Collider

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Trailer Social Media Event

December 10th, 2010 | Social Media Events

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‘Real Steel’ Teaser Trailer – Robot Battles With Heart & Purpose

In ‘Real Steel’ Hugh Jackman is a ex-fighter who gets a second chance a glory in the ring by training and battling robots. Does the teaser trailer look better than ‘Transformers 3'?

Yesterday brought us the Transformers 3 teaser trailer. Today, as if in response to Michael Bay’s third entry in his battling robots franchise (which he swears is the best yet) comes the teaser trailer for Real Steel, the movie starring Hugh Jackman (The Wolverine) as a fighter who gets a second chance at glory in the ring via the world robot battling.

If you aren’t familiar with this flick, check out the Real Steel official synopsis for the lowdown on what the movie’s story is about:

A gritty, white-knuckle, action ride set in the near future [the year 2020], where the sport of boxing has gone hi-tech, “Real Steel” stars Hugh Jackman as Charlie Kenton, a washed-up fighter who lost his chance at a title when 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall steel robots took over the ring.  Now nothing but a small-time promoter, Charlie earns just enough money piecing together low-end bots from scrap metal to get from one underground boxing venue to the next.  When Charlie hits rock bottom, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son Max (Dakota Goyo) to build and train a championship contender.  As the stakes in the brutal, no-holds-barred arena are raised, Charlie and Max, against all odds, get one last shot at a comeback.

Now that you know the setup, take a look at the Real Steel teaser trailer:

I don’t know what Michael Bay has planned for Transformers 3, but I do know that the previous entries in that franchise haven’t offered the same level of robot fighting thrills that I see in just one minute of Real Steel footage. I also like the fact that human beings in this movie actually play a relevant role (serving as the heart and spirit of the ‘bots) rather than just being vehicles for dumb humor and/or money saved on CGI effects.

Speaking of effects, we know from early Real Steel set photos that the film will be using a mix of practical animatronic robots and CGI to create the action-packed fighting scenes, which, for me, automatically puts it ahead of Michael Bay’s work in Transformers in terms of both aesthetic and believability. Finally, in just quick flashes of footage I was able to distinguish several different robot characters -- a feat Transformers has NEVER achieved.

It’s inevitable that Real Steel and Transformers: Dark of the Moon will be compared, and though both films have only put out teaser trailers, the combination of an actual coherent and emotionally-grounded story, better use of human actors, layers of metaphor and a well-balanced mix of old and new effects place Real Steel as the early top contender in my book. Plus, I’d be hard-pressed to find someone who wouldn’t prefer Hugh Jackman over Shia LaBeouf as their leading man of choice. At least when Jackman yells his voice doesn’t crack like a prepubescent teenager. Just sayin’.

Real Steel is slated to hit theaters and IMAX on October 7, 2011 (an indication that it is indeed more than a mindless blockbuster popcorn flick). After seeing both teasers, which film are you looking forward to more -- this or Transformers 3?

Source: YouTube

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‘Fringe’ Season 3 ‘Entrada’ Trailer is Movie-Style Epic

Fringe has been struggling in the ratings during it’s third season. The show started out strong with over 9 million viewers tuning in for the pilot and a good portion of season 1, while season 2 fell into 7-6 million range, and recent reports mark the show below 5 million viewers each week. It’s little surprise then that Fox is moving the series to the dreaded Friday night “death slot” starting at the end of January.

Still, despite the bumps in the road I personally find Fringe to be even better than ever in season 3. Instead of continuing to tease us about alternate dimensions and an epic overarching storyline, the Fringe pushed boldly ahead, splitting the season into two parallel storylines running across two parallel dimensions. And who says sci-fi TV is running out of good ideas?

Of course, parallel storylines must intersect at some juncture (I hear they’re like dimensions, that way), and Fringe season 3 is going to literally make worlds collide this Thursday in an episode titled “Entrada”.

The premise is simple: Peter Bishop (boy from the alternate world, now living in our dimension) has discovered that the agent Olivia Dunham he’s been bedding with recently is actually the Dunham from his home alterno-world, sent to our world on for reasons of espionage and sabotage.

Meanwhile, the Dunham from our world, who got trapped on alterno-world and brainwashed into thinking she is alterno-Dunham has regained her memory and figured out how travel back and forth between dimensions. But Walternate (the alterno version of Walter Bishop, Peter’s dad…sort of) has discovered that our Dunham no longer thinks she’s alterno-Dunham and he is taking steps to have her eliminated.

Alterno-Dunham isn't going down without a fight.

OK… so maybe this is not so simple after all…

Bottom line: there is going to be some serious good twin/evil twin drama going down on Fringe this week -- drama so epic, in fact, that Fox has sprung for this movie-style trailer to showcase it:

Despite the titillating nature of the trailer, from what I can see, “Entrada” will be more of a stage-setter for the real payoff, rather than being the payoff itself. It would make sense that Fox would market the show hard in the lead-up to the big showdown: If they hook enough viewers in the next few weeks, Fringe could have a nice soft landing into its new Friday night time slot. And that’s something I think most of us sci-fi TV fans would like to see happen.

Catch Fringe‘s latest episode, “Entrada” this Thursday @9pm on Fox

Source: Fox

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