Mysterious New Sci-Fi Project'Alien Sleeper Cell'in Development« FirstShowing.net

Maybe I'm making a bigger deal out of this than I should, but you never know, something like this could be the nextDistrict 9.Varietyposted a news article talking about producerBill Blockand his companyQEDInternational's upcoming line-up of projects, from aJust Causeadaptation toThe FieldstoCrosshair, but they also mention one in specific, without providingtoomany details. One project he's working on is calledAlien Sleeper Cell, written by newcomerMorgan Davis Foehl, an assistant editor onI Now Pronounce You Chuck& Larry, that deals with"otherworldly beasties."That's all they say and that's all we can find.

There really isn't anything else about thisAlien Sleeper Cellout there. What makes it interesting is that Bill Block was one half of the producing team (Peter Jackson the other) onDistrict 9. Now Block is a half of the producing team on this too, partnered with Adrian Askarieh'sPrime Universe Prods. Once the script is complete, Block's QED Intl. and Prime Universe will package the project and seek out independent financing or partner with a studio to fund it. So it's obviously in theveryearly development stages, butAlien Sleeper Cellsounds like something to keep our eye on, it might be pretty cool.Anyone hear anything about it?

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'Rise of the Apes'Pushed Back to November,'Penguins'in Summer« FirstShowing.net

Briefly:20th Century Foxis re-arranging their2011release schedule, as is the custom once execs meet at the beginning of the year and discuss the status of their films. The biggest change is a delay forRise of the Apes, directed by Rupert Wyatt, starring James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto, which was pushed fromJune 24ththis summer untilNovember 23rd, Thanksgiving week. Considering we haven't seen anything from it yet and its marketing is highly dependent on Weta finishing photo-realistic rendering of CGI apes, a delay is understandable and acceptable, because I want it to turn out the best it possibly can.More below!

Hollywood Reporterannounces a few other major Fox date changes.Mr. Popper's Penguins, directed by Mark Waters and starring Jim Carrey, whichwe just featured photos for, has moved up from August 12th toJune 17thto fill their summer slots. David Gordon Green'sThe Sitter, starring Jonah Hill, was pushed up toJune 24th; Thomas Bezucha'sMonte Carlowith Leighton Meester and Selena Gomez opensJuly 1st; New Regency'sWhat's Your Number?with Anna Faris moves from April 29 toSeptember 30th; David Frankel'sThe Big Year, with Jack Black and Steve Martin, will now openOctober 14th. Solid fall line-up.

The only other big change wasGattacadirectorAndrew Niccol'sNow(formerlyI'm.mortal), with Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried, which moved from its original date of September 30th toOctober 28th, which seems like an interesting change considering that means it's opening Halloween weekend up against other horror films (likeDibbuk Box) and as far as I know it's not horror, it's a sci-fi thriller. Do they really think it'll perform well on Halloween? That's actually one of this year's sci-fi movies that I'm really excited for. Anyway, those are the only updates, but always check thefull2011 Release Schedulefor the latest.

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Ridley Scott's Alien Prequel'Prometheus'Ready to Launch in 2012« FirstShowing.net

Whoa - it's here, the official announcement that Ridley Scott'sAlienprequel (or, no longer anAlienprequel, you'll find outwhy) is in development.Deadlinereports that 20th Century Fox has officially announced the titlePrometheusand a release date ofMarch 9th, 2012. But here's the catch, it might not exactly be anAlienprequel after all, as it has morphed into something"more original."And this original idea apparently involves five major roles, one of which will be played byNoomi Rapace, the others haven't been cast, but actresses circling roles called"Vickers"areAngelina JolieandCharlize Theron. More quotes below!

As wealready know,Lost'sDamon Lindelofcame in last year to rewrite Jon Spaihts's original script that he initially drafted for Scott. Well, it expanded into"new directions"(as was hinted atin a recent update) and has become something else. So here's how it's explained in its current form by Ridley Scott himself:

"While Alien was indeed the jumping off point for this project, out of the creative process evolved anew, grand mythologyanduniversein which this original story takes place. The keen fan will recognize strands of Alien'sDNA, so to speak, but the ideas tackled in this film areunique, large and provocative. I couldn't be more pleased to have found the singular tale I'd been searching for, and finally return to this genre that's so close to my heart."

Wow, Lindelof must've struck someseriousgold, because it sounds like he's riled up Scott in a big way and even made sure to get Fox on-board ready to go with a 2012 release date. Deadline spoke to Lindelof who, as well, seemed ecstatic to even be working on the same project:"In a world flooded with prequels, sequels and reboots, I was incredibly struck by just howoriginalRidley's vision was for this movie. It's daring, visceral and hopefully, the last thing anyone expects. When I sat in a movie theater as a kid, feet raised off the floor for fear that something might grab my ankles, I never dreamed in mywildest imaginationI would one day get to collaborate with the man responsible for it. Working alongside him has been nothing short ofa dream come true."And with that dream realized, together they're set to bring usPrometheusin 2012!

That's all the info Deadline has for now, also adding that"the other major roles will be cast shortly,"as I'm sure production will be aiming to get underway sometime soon this year. This probably explains why Jolie leftGravityand why Noomi Rapace (ofThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) was one of Scott's top contenders originally. This really sounds incredible, an entirely new sci-fi series from Ridley Scott and Damon Lindelof that brings in new characters in a new universe. And I bet he'll somehow still sneak in an explanation for the"Spacey Jockey"fromAlien. Stay tuned for more updates as they arrive!Until then - what do you think?

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American Society of Cinematographers Awards 2011 Nominees« FirstShowing.net

Its been a hell of a year for cinematography, at least I thought. There were quite a few truly gorgeous films, but it's time to take a look at this year's nominees in the feature film category of the 25th AnnualAmerican Society of CinematographersOutstanding Achievement Awards. The five nominees are:Black Swan'sMatthew Libatique,Inception'sWally Pfister,The King's Speech'sDanny Cohen,True Grit'sRoger DeakinsandThe Social Network'sJeff Cronenweth. In the photo above is Libatique working onBlack Swan."These five people haveset the standardfor today's cinematography,"said ASC's Richard Crudo.

This is the ninth nomination for Deakins, most of the others have come from various Coen Brothers films, too. In addition to his nomination forTrue Grit, Deakins will also be honored as the recipient of the ASC's 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award. So no matter what, he's a winner! This is the third nomination for Wally Pfister followingBatman BeginsandThe Dark Knightpreviously. Cohen, Cronenweth and Libatique are all first-time nominees. I'm amazed this is Libatique's first, he also shotRequiem for a Dream,Inside Man,The FountainandIron Man 1& 2- yet no nominations before this?!"The artistically diverse approaches these talented cinematographers employed are a glimpse at whatvisionaries with a cameracan accomplish,"said ASC President Michael Goi in the press release."They arevisual storytellersof the highest caliber."

Strong words from the pres, but nonetheless true. I certainly can appreciate great cinematography when I come across it and these five movies are definitely the best work out of this past year. My top pick personally isThe King's Speech, just because they used the most refreshingly unconventional and unique approach to shooting a period piece, yet it still looked absolutely stunning, truly representative of the old adage that"every frame should look as beautiful as a photograph"- and they certainly did! I've been trying to setup an interview with Danny Cohen, who's also a fairly young newcomer, but haven't had any luck yet. The winner of the ASC Awards will be announced at their celebration in Hollywood onFebruary 13.Good choices?

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Frances McDormand Aims to Capture Animals in'Madagascar 3'« FirstShowing.net

Though they may not be the best films to come out of DreamWorks Animation, families seem to love the antics of the wild animals in theirMadagascarfranchise. And the adventure is slated to continue withMadagascar 3. Since DreamWorks' Jeffrey Katzenberg recently commented on plans for afourth installmentof the animated franchise, this third one better deliver. It sounds like they're on the right track with some new voice talent coming on board asHeat Visionreports the talentedFrances McDormand(Fargo,Burn After Reading) has landed the role of a calculating and goal-oriented animal control officer who leads her team to capture the animals.

This will be the first time McDormand has used her voice for an animated feature, so part of me wishes it was something a little better (I'm just not a big fan of theMadagascarmovies). In May of 2009,we heardthat the story would have our heroes (Ben Stiller,Chris Rock,David SchwimmerandJada Pinkett Smithare reprising their roles) relocate from Africa to Europe via a traveling circus. That still sounds accurate since some new characters are supposed to include an Italian sea lion, a Russian tiger and a Latina jaguar (but apparently the nationalities of these characters could change). However, Katzenbergrecently mentionedsomething about the animals being back in the NYC zoo too. Hopefully he didn't spoil the ending.Anyone interested?

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Ben Stiller Chats About Producing Richard Ayoade's'Submarine'« FirstShowing.net

If you followed our coverage from the Toronto Film Festival, one ofmy favorite films(and favorite of nearly everyone who saw it) was the charming coming-of-age comedySubmarine, directed byRichard Ayoade("The IT Crowd") and starring the youngCraig Robertsas Oliver Tate (above). Well, inEmpire's postwith new updates fromBen Stiller, instead of covering therepetitivenews thatZoolander 2isstillwaitingfor the studio, I'm focusing on Stiller's comments aboutSubmarine. What is his connection? Stiller, along with his company Red Hour Films, produced the film in the UK, so he's highly responsible for making it happen.

Here is most of what Stiller had to say about Richard Ayoade'sSubmarinefrom Empire'srecent update:

"Garth Marenghi{Ayoade's fictional character} I had seen and was a fan of. That was all I knew. So I can’t say that we had any kind of relationship beforehand. We just got sent the script – I don’t even know, to tell you the truth, how we got hold of it – but Richard's agent might be our agent too. But we thought it was a really great script and then I saw his videos that he had directed and just thought he had a reallyinteresting sensibility. We met and he’s just a very thoughtful guy. And I thought what he did with the movie wasvery assured and bold, for a first film. Just his process was very specific. I had a really good experience with him."

That's always good to hear. And in case you think Stiller didn't really know about it, when asked about the star Craig Roberts, he continues with even more glowing comments:"I thought Craig wasamazingtoo. I felt like he and Yasmin (Paige) both, you could sense that they so trusted Richard as a director. I loved that he is very honest but alsovery funny. Their relationship is so funny but also has the awkwardness. The cast and the director– everyone's just doing their thing and not apologising for it."They definitely don't need to apologize for it either! It was a wonderful film and will probably end up as one of my favoritesthisyear, too.

For those anxious to finally watchSubmarine, since I've been hyping it so much, the good news is that it wasbought by The Weinstein Company in Torontoand will be arriving in theaters sometime later this year after it also plays theSundance Film Festival. I'm just happy to hear that the experience behind-the-scenes was as positive as the end result on the screen, as I know onceSubmarinehits theaters it should instantly become a favorite of a lot of moviegoers. We will continue to keep you updated and let you know when TWC releases a trailer as well. In the meantime, be sure toread my reviewfrom Toronto - I'll be seeing it again at Sundance!

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Charlize Theron Takes'Snow White& the Huntsman'Over'J. Edgar'« FirstShowing.net

After considering two very different roles in two very different projects, it looks likeCharlize Theronhas finally made her choice. Though it had previously been mentioned Theron wasleaning towardstaking the role of Helen Gandy, a Justice Department file clerk who ended up being J. Edgar Hoover’s secretary in Clint Eastwood'sJ.Edgarbiopic, she's apparently chosen to play the evil queen inSnow White and the Huntsman. Since this Snow White project was meant to be filming by now, the delayed schedule must have conflicted with Eastwood's film, but another high profile project may have been a factor.More below!

This news of Theron finally signing on came in the form of another bit of casting forJ. EdgarfromDeadline."Gossip Girl starEd Westwickhas joined the cast as Agent Smith. Rather than being a manipulative villainous computer program in The Matrix, this character is a clean cut operative with writing skill and once Hoover discovers the man can write, he conscripts the agent to write the FBI director's biography. But complications arrise when Smith gets a little too close to the truth. But before that news came along with Theron's denial ofJ. Edgarand confirmation ofSnow White and the Huntsman, it had been said she turned down the historical drama for another big project.

Vulturereports that Theron apparently dropped out of the project because she's considering taking the lead role in Ridley Scott'sAlienprequel. The actress is supposed to have the script in hand this week a decision to follow shortly thereafter. However, it seems kind of strange to turn down a solid part for just the chance to take the lead role in another film, even if it is anAlienprequel. The studio wants a big name like Theron, but Scott is still sweet on Noomi Rapace (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). Despite Vulture's reliability, the news on theAlienprequel from all sources has been all over the place, and we'll just wait for some official news. We'll keep you posted as more information becomes available.

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