Three Actresses in Talks for Superman: Man of Steel Lead; Not Lois Lane

Casting rumors for Zack Snyder’s Superman reboot, Superman: Man of Steel continue to roll out of Hollywood.

Today we’re getting word that Snyder has narrowed down his list of potential actresses for the female lead in Man of Steel – a female lead that is not Lois Lane.

Despite rumors and speculation surrounding a-list actresses, such as Olivia Wilde and Rachel McAdams, Variety is reporting that Warner Bros. is looking to cast lesser-known talent for the part – so as to not overshadow there new Superman, Henry Cavill.

While it’s still unknown what character (either old or new) the leading lady will play, the studio has reportedly narrowed the field down to three actresses – Diane Kruger, Rosamund Pike, and Alice Eve.

Check out the candidates below:

Diane Kruger, Rosamund Pike, and Alice Eve

Diane Kruger is probably the most well known of the three, though she’s hardly a household name. Fans will recognize Kruger as Bridget von Hammersmark in Inglourious Basterds, leading lady Abigail Chase in both National Treasure films, as well as Helen of/in Troy.

Similarly, Rosamund Pike has had significant parts in a number of well known films including Maggie (Bruce Willis’ wife) in Surrogates and Bond Girl Miranda Frost in Die Another Day.

Alice Eve is likely the least familiar of the potential leading ladies with only a starring turn as Molly in the recent comedy She’s Out of My League to put her on moviegoers’ radar. That said, audiences will be seeing her soon as Emily in the Edgar Allan Poe/Detective mash-up The Raven starring John Cusack.

All three actresses have proven they’ve got what it takes to take the lead in a high-profile film but Diane Kruger is certainly the easiest to see headlining an enormous, high-stakes production like Superman: Man of Steel but, given the studio’s interest in a starlet that doesn’t outshine Cavill, could her resume actually hurt her chances?

Of course the biggest question remains: who will the winner play? Since the upcoming Superman film will focus on “the early days of Superman” it’s certainly possible we could see high school sweetheart Lana Lang – who was featured prominently in both Superman III as well as the CW’s Smallville. That said, since the filmmakers seem to be taking a fresh approach to the film franchise – it’s hard to imagine they’d rely on the same plot line as the recent TV series – with Lois inevitably overtaking Lana.

Superman love interests: Lori Lemaris and Lana Lang

Of course there’s always Lori Lemaris but working in the whole mermaid angle might be a bit convoluted for a franchise reboot – especially one executive produced by Christopher Nolan. Could Snyder take Nolan’s cue and create a non-canon love interest for the Man of Steel, similar to Rachel Dawes in Batman Begins? Of course, Snyder could also follow in Bryan Singer’s footsteps and cast the leading lady as Superman’s daughter… from the future… or something.

Whatever lady-character Snyder has selected, choosing to focus on a pre-Lois Lane female lead is a smart move on Snyder’s part – similar to what Marc Webb and Nolan did with their superhero love interests. Not only will it help differentiate this Superman picture from the Reeves and Routh projects, it’ll also give the filmmakers somewhere to go in future films.

Follow us on Twitter @iambenkendrick and @screenrant and let us know who you’d like to see get the role – and who you think the actress will play.

Superman: Man of Steel is targeting a December 2012 release date.

Source: Variety

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Movie Image Roundup: ‘Green Lantern’, ‘Three Musketeers’, ‘Cars 2′ and More [Updated]

[UPDATE: Check out some new hi-res Pirates of the Caribbean 4 images!]

There are over 150 movies releasing in theaters this year and you can get a detailed look at each month’s releases in our Massive 2011 Movie Preview. As the year progresses, we can expect PR departments from various studios to begin ramping up the marketing pushes on all of these films.

One way they build excitement for a film is by releasing still images, which usually consist of behind-the-scenes material, freeze frames from the movie (out of context of course) or occasionally a “cell phone reporter” will snap a picture or two while a film is shooting. Sometimes a studio will just take a Hi-Res still from the latest trailer and call it “new.”

Today we have 26 different images from 11 different films of various styles – some good, some bad, but all interesting. Let’s kick things off with a trio of Green Lantern images.

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WB has been catching a lot of heat for their decision to use an entirely CG Green Lantern suit. What’s odd is that these pictures of Tomar-Re and Sinestro (Mark Strong) in full CG Green Lantern Corp outfits look amazing. Hopefully they will be able to match that quality with Ryan Reynolds’ Green Lantern outfit when the film releases. The makeup used to increase the size of Peter Sarsgaard’s head to the proportions of evil genius Hector Hammond is quite impressive, though.

Green Lantern hits theaters on June 17th, 2011.

Source:  Cine Heroes (via Coming Soon)

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Johnny Depp hits the high seas again this summer in Pirates of the Caribbean 4, and this time his characters, Captain Jack Sparrow, is on the hunt for the legendary fountain of youth. But of course, things can’t ever go easy for Captain Jack: this time around he has the most feared pirate of the all on his tail: Blackbeard (Ian McShane). If that weren’t enough, Jack has unfinished drama with Blackbeard’s spunky daughter, Angelica (Penelope Cruz), as well as his traitorous first mate, Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush). In these new hi-res images we see Blackbeard’s wrath, and Captain Jack’s attempts to tip-toe his way to treasure.

CLICK EACH IMAGE FOR A HI-RES VERSION

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides hits theaters on May 20, 2011.

Source: Disney

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Even though The Three Musketeers have been seen onscreen more than two dozen times, director Paul W.S. Anderson has decided to once again update the classic Alexander Dumas tale – in 3D no less. Today we have our first good look at the Musketeers – Athos (Matthew Macfadyen), Porthos (Ray Stevenson) and Aramis (Luke Evans) – as well as, the intrepid, young and fearless D’Artagnan (Logan Lerman).  Even though they are “updating” the story, Three Musketeers so far appears to have an authentic  17th century look to it.

Three Musketeers will be in theaters on October 14th, 2011.

Source: Summit Entertainment

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Last month we discussed the Worst Belated Sequels in movie history – that is to say a franchise that had too had too much delay between films. Scream 4 could possibly join this list as it’s been 11 years since Scream 3 sliced through theaters – though early screen tests suggest Scream 4 might be good. Most of the original actors and actresses have returned for Scream 4 and below we see Sheriff Dewey Riley (David Arquette) and reporter Gale Weathers-Riley (Courtney Cox) together, as well as, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) in the familiar position of being attacked by the Ghostface killer.

Scream 4 will be in theaters on April 15th.

Continue to more new movie images…

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Benicio Del Toro Still the Front Runner for Moe in ‘The Three Stooges’

Following MGM’s reorganization, which placed Spyglass co-heads Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum as co-CEOs of the studio, we’re finally seeing some momentum from some of the studio’s stalled projects.

James Bond 23 already has a release date and the Farrelly Brothers are eyeing an April start for production on their Three Stooges film with Benicio Del Toro still interested in portraying lead-stooge Moe.

Three Stooges fans have endured an emotional roller coaster ride, ever since the Farrellys announced their intention to bring a new Stooges threesome to the silver screen back in 2009. Since the initial announcement, numerous names have been attached to the three lead roles: Sean Penn as well as Paul Giamatti were both, at one point, set to play zany middleman Larry, and Jim Carrey was considered a lock for the role of knucklehead Curly – until MGM’s legal problems seemingly destroyed the chance of the film ever being produced.

Despite a lot of back and forth over the casting of Larry and Curly, one actor has remained committed, or at least interested, in portraying the the gruff and no-nonsense Moe. Speaking with The Providence Journal, Peter Farrelly confirmed that Benicio Del Toro is still their top choice for Moe Howard:

“We’re casting, but nobody is in right now. Benicio [Del Toro] is the front runner for Moe, but we’ve not made a deal with him yet.”

Though Del Toro hasn’t wavered like his potential cast-mates, it’s important to remember that he isn’t locked for the role  - as recently as two weeks ago we reported on a rumor that Jackass lead Johnny Knoxville, SNL star Andy Samberg, and Australian comedian Shane Jacobson could be on the Farrelly’s shortlist for Moe, Larry, and Curly respectively.The rumor was quickly dismissed as untrue and annoying by Peter Farrelly but still indicates there’s some uncertainty surrounding the casting of the film’s three leads.

As for who might join Del Toro (assuming the actor signs-on) in the iconic roles previously held by Penn and Carrey, it appears to be anyone’s game:

“The problem is that everybody’s gotta read for the part. Our feeling is that it just can’t be your take on Moe. It’s gotta be Moe. Someone could nail Curly’s mannerisms, but if you’re 130 pounds it probably wouldn’t work.”

As we get closer to The Three Stooges production start date in April, it’ll be interesting to see who the Farrelly Brothers decide is, or is not, Larry, Curly, and Moe. Considering their interest in accomplished and diverse actors such as Benicio Del Toro, Jim Carrey, Sean Penn, and Paul Giamatti, the Farrellys seem to have a unique vision for how to resurrect the iconic comedy trio and it’s unlikely that the directors will turn to typical comedians like Knoxville and Samberg.

That said, if you’re expecting the Farrellys to ditch their slap-stick roots and channel Milos Forman’s Man on the Moon (which starred Carrey as funny-man Andy Kaufman), Peter Farrelly also discussed the story (which, we previously reported, will feature three very different acts with an interlaced story):

“It’s all new material. It’s not a biopic. We want to give a matinee feel to it. But none of the studios had any interest in it at the beginning. There was a lot to prove. We even had to show that in the script, despite all the hitting the Stooges were known for, it could be a PG movie.”

With traditionally slapstick subject matter, and a roster of films including Shallow Hal, The Heartbreak Kid, and Stuck on You, it’ll be intriguing to watch production unfold – and see how the filmmakers utilize an actor like Del Toro, should he sign on the dotted line.

Follow us on Twitter @iambenkendrick and @screenrant and let us know who you think should play the iconic Stooges.

The Three Stooges is tentatively scheduled to hit theaters in 2012.

Source: The Providence Journal [via Cinemablend]

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Three New Images from ‘Sucker Punch’

Zack Snyder is one of those directors that you either love or hate. If you don’t think that’s true, just listen to someone who liked The Watchmen talk to someone who didn’t like it. The conversation can get pretty heated.

I happen to fall into the “love him” camp. In my opinion, Snyder’s hyper-stylized camera work and meticulous attention to set design really add a new dimension to his movies, even when the story-telling is somewhat lacking. That’s one of the reasons why I’m excited to see Snyder’s new action/fantasy film Sucker Punch.

Everything we’ve seen from Sucker Punch so far – from our first look at Comic-Con to the most recent Sucker Punch trailer – has cemented the film as one of our most anticipated movies of 2011. Recently, MovieWeb got a hold of three new images from the film. While not as explosive as some previous material (in the literal sense that they don’t show any explosions), these new images are still quite interesting.

Check out the three new images below. Unfortunately, we don’t have higher resolution versions, but if you’re feeling really desperate for eye-popping action, check out this recent batch of clips from the movie.

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As I mentioned before, there’s nothing explosive about these images, but there’s still plenty to admire. One thing that strikes me about the second image is just how much Scott Glenn looks like David Carradine. It’s almost eerie, as if Carradine came from beyond the grave to turn in one last performance as a martial arts master.

As for the first and last images, look at the level of care and detail put into the set design. The calendar/time sheet board behind the girls in the last image is a good example. From the yellowed paper to the different handwriting on each piece of paper, the prop is entirely unique and adds to the look of the scene. It may not seem like much, but small details like that help movies make stronger connections with audiences. For more details on the making of Sucker Punch, check out this recent featurette from the movie.

Sucker Punch hits theaters on March 25th, 2011.

Source: MovieWeb

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Ang Lee’s ‘Life of Pi’ Cast Adds Three More

A tumultuous experience forever changes the life of 16 year-old Piscine Molitor “Pi” Patel in Yann Martel’s acclaimed literary work, Life of Pi. In Ang Lee’s cinematic adaptation, Mr. Patel will eventually grow up into the man who will make life all the more difficult for Peter Parker in the new Spider-Man (in a way).

Three more actors have signed on for Lee’s 3D take on Martel’s best-selling work and their ranks include a lesser-known actor named Adil Hussain; accomplished French thespian Gérard Depardieu; and Indian character actor Irrfan Khan, who recently joined the Spider-Man reboot cast as the villain Van Atter.

In-jokes aside, Khan boasts a more than solid resume and has appeared in numerous Indian film productions. He also gave an excellent performance as the father of Gogol (Kal Penn) in Mira Nair’s adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel, The Namesake; appeared briefly, but left an impression as another paternal figure in Wes Anderson’s The Darjeeling Limited; and played the police inspector to whom Jamal (Dev Patel) told his life story in Danny Boyle’s Oscar-winner, Slumdog Millionaire.

According to Variety, Khan will play an adult Pi Patel in Lee’s latest project. Life of Pi will also star newcomer Suraj Sharma as the younger version of the lead character, a boy who is shipwrecked in the Pacific Ocean and survives on a boat with a collection of animals (including a 450-pound Bengal Tiger that Pi dubs Richard Parker) for some 227 days – or at least that is the story he claims to be “the truth” when interviewed by two Japanese maritime officials after the fact.

The essentially unknown (in the U.S.) Hussain will play Pi’s father in the film, possibly opposite Bollywood actress Tabu. Depardieu is an accomplished French film star who’s also appeared in a handful of English-language period pieces, such as the TV mini-series versions of Les Misérables and The Count of Monte Cristo, as well as the feature-length adaptation of The Man in the Iron Mask. He will portray Chef in Life of Pi, a character who plays an important role in a story that Pi tells to the Japanese officials, when they voice their doubts about his fantastical tale of survival at sea.

Life of Pi is one best-seller that has struggled to make its way onto the big screen. It’s a difficult tale to realize via film, since most of the action takes place on the ocean and involves a number of dangerous animals that will likely have to be brought to life in Lee’s film through the use of CGI, animatronics, footage of real-life creatures, or possibly some combination of all three.

Lee has secured a $50 million budget for Life of Pi, which will be shot in 3D, possibly through the use of the same EPIC digital cameras being used for The Hobbit and (appropriately) the Spider-Man reboot. It will certainly be interesting to see how the filmmaker captures the experience of being adrift at sea using state of the art technology.

Life of Pi will arrive in 2D and 3D theaters on December 14th, 2012.

Source: Variety

Artwork by Peter Kasim

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Three New ‘Green Hornet’ TV Spots

We recently got a double-whammy of Green Hornet awesomeness when the second domestic and international trailers hit the web. Now we have even more promo materials to get you excited for this latest superhero movie, in the form of three brand new TV spots.

Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) directs Seth Rogen and Jay Chou in The Green Hornet, with the acting duo playing the titular superhero and his assistant, Kato. Rogen and Chou are joined by Cameron Diaz and Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Bastards) as the love interest and villain, respectively.

The Green Hornet stars Rogen as playboy-turned masked superhero Britt Reid, who teams up with his recently-deceased father’s assistant, Kato (Chou), and sets out to fight crime in the streets of L.A. via a technologically-enhanced, 1960s model Imperial car dubbed the “Black Beauty.” The two eventually hatch an ingenious scheme to take down the leader of L.A.’s criminal underworld, Benjamin Chudnofsky (Waltz): pose as criminals themselves, in order to get closer to the man.

Check out the three new Green Hornet TV spots below:

I love the Iron Man vibe that The Green Hornet is constantly giving off -- that mix of fun action with wry comedy should hopefully provide the same sort of entertainment that made the first, and a lot of the second, Iron Man so enjoyable. Rogen is obviously an unlikely superhero (he’s admitted that himself on many occasions) but in a way that’s a good thing, since it means he’ll be more relatable as an everyman who gets swept up in this fantastical world.

Even more of a strange choice than Rogen was Gondry as a director. He was an unusual choice because he’s only ever done smaller-scale, very intimate films (he was one of the last directors I’d think of for a superhero movie) but by the looks of things he was an inspired choice for The Green Hornet. His inventive visual style should hopefully set the film apart from the million-and-one other superhero movies out there.

Green Hornet is set to hit 3D and regular theaters on January 14th, 2011.

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Three More ‘TRON: Legacy’ Featurettes

Concerned TRON: Legacy fans, fear no more -- Walt Disney Pictures has released even more promotional material as the company continues to (hopefully) heighten anticipation for the 3D tentpole pic.

Three new TRON: Legacy featurettes are now available for viewing, so if you crave insider knowledge about the villain, plot, and general atmosphere of the sequel (which is structured as a standalone film), then they’re worth a look.

Clu 2.0 (a.k.a. CGI young Jeff Bridges) has been featured prominently throughout Disney’s TRON: Legacy marketing blitz and the character now even has his own featurette. Once you get past the obvious issues afflicting the de-aged Kevin Flynn (namely, that he looks a bit fake and his growly vocals have inexplicably not changed over the course of two decades), the fact that the film’s conflict literally boils down to “man vs. self” is actually kind of clever and adds some personal drama to all the snazzy 3D visuals and action.

It helps that the plot of TRON: Legacy centers around the reunion between Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) and his father, Kevin. The relationship between the two will hopefully be developed enough to keep moviegoers’ interests when lightcycles and flashy F/X aren’t decorating the screen -- which admittedly might only amount to 10% of the film’s running time, but still, substance is always a good thing.

Watch the Clu 2.0 and “story” featurettes for TRON: Legacy below:

This next behind-the-scenes look at TRON: Legacy doesn’t contain anything but miniscule bits of not-yet-glimpsed footage or new information released about the project -- if that even. It’s probably for the best that Disney puts a cap on releasing much more material from the movie before it inadvertently makes the entire thing available online in some form.

Check out the most recent TRON: Legacy featurette below:

Not much else to say right now -- TRON: Legacy looks to be visually spectacular and will undoubtedly benefit from being viewed on the big screen in 3D and/or IMAX 3D and/or even plain “old-fashioned” 2D, for that matter. Can December 17th just hurry up and get here already?

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Jim Carrey Explains his ‘Three Stooges’ Departure

The Farrelly Brothers thirteen year quest to bring The Three Stooges to the big screen has hit yet another roadblock. Although some momentum was gained when Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, and Jim Carrey were lined up to play Larry, Moe, and Curly (respectively), the project ultimately continued to spin circles in development hell.

Penn was the first to jump ship and even though he later considered returning,  Carrey had by that point decided to abandon the film as well. Combined with MGM’s continuing legal woes, the prospect of a Three Stooges movie became increasingly uncertain.

Carrey recently sat down with MTV and speculated that audiences won’t be seeing the Farrelly’s modern-day interpretation of the iconic trio any time soon:

“I think it’s dead … it’s dead at least with me.”

That may be the case, but just because this incarnation of The Three Stooges movie never came to pass doesn’t mean the Farrelly’s will give up on it altogether. If their passion for the project has carried them through thirteen years of obstacles, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they simply put it on the back burner and return to it again at some point in the future.

Even if that’s the case, don’t expect to see Carrey’s name attached to The Three Stooges ever again. He explains that his departure was related purely to concerns for his health:

“For me, I don’t really want to do anything halfway, and I don’t feel like a fat suit does it … I started experimenting with it a little bit, and I gained 35, 40 pounds. I wanted to gain another 30, 40. When you’re [Robert] De Niro in your 20s or early 30s, you can kind of come back from that. It’s a tough thing to come back from when you’re upwards of 30. Your body can’t carry it or you can have a cardiac arrest.”

And of course there would be the added strain of the Stooges’ well-known brand of physical comedy:

“Put that with Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro slapping me in the head all day long, and someone will lose an eye. It won’t be good … It’ll be like ‘Midnight Express.’ It’ll be awful.”

I’m pretty sure I won’t be the only one who’s quietly relieved by this news. I have nothing against Del Toro, Penn, or Carrey – but all three struck me as somewhat unusual choices to play the Stooges. Not as unusual as the decision to make this film in the first place, though; A Three Stooges biopic maybe - but a series of sketches set in the present day? Pass.

Those guys were one of a kind and the influence they’ve had on comedy is already so far-reaching that there’s just no need for a Hollywood re-imagining. I say just let this one go.

Source: MTV.

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