Armie Hammer Officially Joins Johnny Depp in The Lone Ranger

You may recall that last month Armie Hammer (The Social Network) was reported to have been in talks to join Walt Disney Pictures’ big screen adaptation ofThe Lone Ranger, playing the titular lead.
More than talk, it’s now been revealed. According to Variety, Hammer has officially signed on to the production, and will star opposite Johnny Depp, who has already been attached to the role of Tonto for the past couple of years.
The film is set to go into production this fall.
While Hammer hasn’t logged a lot of movie screen time, he definitely showed enough presence and chops in David Fincher’s The Social Network as the Winklevoss twins to merit attention. He’s also racked up a lot of television credits over the past six years in series from Arrested Development to Gossip Girl. Moreover, the 6′ 5″ actor has plenty of stature and a baritone voice. Plus, he’s repped by William Morris Endeavor, so clearly movers and shakers in Hollywood are impressed by his talent.
Story: The Lone Ranger’s origin story begins with a group of Texas Rangers chasing down a gang of outlaws led by the notorious Butch Cavendish. After the Rangers are ambushed by the outlaws, a Native American named Tonto stumbles on the scene and recognizes the lone survivor, Reid, as the man who has previously saved his life. After nursing Reid back to health, the two men dig six graves for Reid’s comrades, among them Reid’s brother. Reid fashions a black mask using material from his brother’s vest to conceal his identity, so that Cavendish will think there were no survivors. Even after he and Tonto bring the Cavendish gang to justice, Reid continues to fight evil under the guise of the Lone Ranger.
Directed by Gore Verbinski, The Jerry Bruckheimer production is set to arrive in theaters sometime in 2014.
Does Hammer strike you as a good choice to play The Lone Ranger? Or are you perhaps concerned that he might be upstaged by Johnny Depp’s turn as Tonto? Let us know your thoughts below.

Nazi Mutants on Hold as David O. Russell Departs Uncharted

David O. Russell, who was writing and ostensibly set to direct the adaptation of the ‘Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune’ video game, is no longer involved in the project, reports Heat Vision.
The video game adaptation — which is being produced by Columbia Pictures — centers on a search for El Dorado complicated by Spanish/Nazi mutant creatures.
Insiders tell THR that one reason for the split was that Russell — hoping to reteam on the project with his Fighter star Mark Wahlberg — submitted a 200 page draft to the studio, adding new characters not present in the video game. The writing duo of Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer worked on the project before Russell signed aboard.
Columbia is now searching for new creatives to develop the project, though the Donnelly-Oppenheimer script was well-regarded and may still be used as a foundation for the film.
The premise charts the journey of protagonist Nathan Drake, supposed descendant of the explorer Sir Francis Drake, as he seeks the lost treasure of El Dorado, with the help of friend Victor “Sully” Sullivan and journalist Elena Fisher. Their journey is complicated when a rival hunter joins the fray, and is further amped up when creatures — mutated descendants of Spaniards and Nazis — begin attacking those hoping to learn the treasure’s true secrets.
Hopefully, we’re not the only ones who think this sounds like an awesome guilty pleasure

First Pic of Robert Pattinson in David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis

oday the first photo of Robert Pattinson and Sarah Gadon from director David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis arrived online. You can check out the photo below.
The pic was snapped by Cronenberg’s daughter, Caitlin, on the set. Caitlin Cronenberg is an established photographer.
Based upon the novel of the same name by Don DeLillo, the new movie takes place in Manhattan and revolves around Eric Packer (Pattinson), a multi-millionaire who goes through his fortune in a 24-hour attempt to get a haircut.
Cosmopolis co-stars Juliette Binoche, Paul Giamatti, Kevin Durand and Jay Baruchel.
The film has yet to secure a domestic distributor.

New Clips from JJ Abrams’ Super 8 Reveal More Story Bytes

As anticipation builds for what might just be the breakout hit of the summer, Steven Spielberg and JJ Abrams’ Super 8, two new clips have arrived online; the first teases the events in connection with the now famous train sequence that sets the story in motion; the second provides an overview of the secret from beyond through a variety of scenes from the film.
You can watch both below.
Story Synopsis: In the summer of 1979, a group of friends in a small Ohio town witness a catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 movie and soon suspect that it was not an accident. Shortly after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town, and the local Deputy tries to uncover the truth – something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined.
Super 8 stars Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler, Ron Eldard, Noah Emmerich, Gabriel Basson, Joel Courtney, Ryan Lee, Zach Mills and Amanda Michalka,

New Photos and Video Reveal that the Future Was Fab in Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men First Class

20th Century Fox is not standing idly by while Marvel and DC grab the superhero limelight. Many consider the 2011 summer movie season to have kicked off with Thor, but competent as that film was, many are also hoping that Captain America: The First Avenger and Green Lantern may be even better. While there’s no way to gauge that presumption at this point, Fox is showing us ever more ‘mod’ images from X-Men: First Class—and it looks to be a stunner, certainly in aesthetics and tone, if not in story (though preliminary sneak peeks have us excited about that, too).
Though director Matthew Vaughn’s film may not offer continuity with the ‘X-Men’ films that came before, or indeed, even the property’s canon, at the end of the day, it might not matter. The film will either stand on its own, or it won’t.
And so far, early speculation is that it will…and then some. Meanwhile, a host of new photos, along with two new TV spots, have debuted online, including January Jones (Mad Men) in the familiar white bra top Hellfire Club member Emma Frost used to wear in the comics.
In our opinion Vaughn is to be commended for including touchstones from the comic, including the traditional blue and yellow outfits that Bryan Singer ditched in the original X-Men.
What Vaughn has wrought reminds us in some respects of a retro-modernistic redux of TV producer Gerry Anderson’s Fab Future, as characterized in his ’60s and ’70s Supermarionation series, and live action skeins like U.F.O. and Space 1999. The Hellfire Club’s submarine and its crew, in particular, feel like an updated take on U.F.O.‘s Skydiver 1 and its crew.
You can check out several of the images below, and also head over to CBM to see the entire collection of all 40 images, including the X-Jet and the Hellfire Club’s submarine.
In addition, two new TV spots have debuted, which you can also check out using the embedded players below.
X-Men: First Class arrives in theaters on June 3.

Vertigo Films Planning Sequel to Gareth Edwards’ Monsters

Fledgling filmmaker Gareth Edwards’Monsters was a sharp little film. With a budget of only $500K, Edwards squeezed every cent of that budget onto the screen—admirably focusing on the most important aspects of good horror: atmosphere, suspense building and characters. What one doesn’t see in a horror film is often far more terrifying than what one does see. Edwards understood this and crafted an effective little film.
Monsters grossed over $4M and was critically praised. Thus, Vertigo Films has now announced it will make a sequel to Monsters, this time with commercial directors Brent Bonacorso and Jesse Atlas at the helm.
According to Variety, Edwards will serve as executive producer along with Monsters actor Scoot McNairy.
The sequel is budgeted around $5M and will begin shooting in September, possibly in Argentina.
“We’re going to keep the same quality and intelligence of the first film and make it much more of a straight genre picture,” said producer Allan Niblo. “Monsters 2 will expand the world created in the original movie whilst upping the action ante.”
Niblo describes the tale, set in a walled city, as a story about two brothers finding each other in a world of monsters. He added that the variety of aliens will differ in the new installment.
We know what you’re thinking: Sequel; commercial directors; bigger budget—will it all equate to an overblown disappointment, like so many sequels? Given the story description above, and with Edwards still aboard as a producer — and ostensibly some creative input — we actually remain hopeful.

We Pick the Ten Greatest ‘Best Picture’ Movie Posters

Nowadays, even before a movie hits the theaters, the store shelves are flooded with every manner of books, games, graphic novels, t-shirts, and toys. However, whenAlien first arrived back in 1979, the concept of movie tie-ins was still in its infancy, and the only merchandise related to the classic sci fi-horror masterpiece was a novelization, a graphic novel adaptation, a photo-novel, and an ‘art of’ book. Since then, the movie has gone on to spawn a franchise and the acid-spewing bio-mechanoid has entrenched itself firmly into pop culture. Yet, in over thirty years, a detailed account of the famous production has been sorely lacking. Although there have been articles in such film magazines as Cinefex and Cinefantastique, each merely scratched the surface on Ridley Scott’s monster hit.
Finally, somebody took on the task of chronicling the production, from script to final cut: author and executive editor of Empire Magazine Ian Nathan. In it, Nathan has collated interviews and anecdotes, and amassed a treasure trove of behind-the-scenes material that has rarely been seen before… and Voyageur Press’ Alien Vault is the result.
Well, the writing is clear, concise, and makes for an entertaining and informative read, and the pages are illustrated with a good number of never-before-seen photos, paintings and screen captures. Particularly interesting is the description of how the project came to be, from the initial inspirations to the studio green light. I especially liked the on-set accounts of the filming of key scenes, although Nathan feels the need to put it in context by recounting the film’s plot, which should be unnecessary by now.
Throughout, Nathan prefers to stick with the main players; director Scott, writer O’Bannon, and other central figures, but it seems many of the other key players only get a passing mention. For instance, the book devotes an entire chapter to actress Sigourney Weaver, yet glosses over the rest of the cast. Other crew members are also mentioned, but only fleetingly. Full in-depth interviews with special effects supervisor Brian Johnson, artists Ron Cobb, and H.R. Giger, would have been a great addition, but are sadly missing.
If I had any reservations about the book it’s that the whole package could have been designed a little better. On first glance, the publication certainly looks very impressive. However, given that many publications of this sort opt for a large format, it is surprising that the Alien Vault comes in a smaller 8 3/4″ x 9 3/4″. The slipcase, while giving the impression of a quality keepsake, is unnecessary and the book’s hardcover is of a lesser board quality than a more expensive cloth-binding.
Inside, the overall layout is functional if a bit clinical and the book’s smaller format diminishes the impact of the dazzling visuals by restricting enlargement sizes. For the easily amused, the book is also peppered with pouches for photos, mini posters, storyboards, and stickers. The most impressive of these is an orthographic drawing of the Nostromo, however, at a mere 11″ x 17″, I would have preferred a larger set of blueprints attached as a fold-out rather than the other bells and whistles that come with the book. Conspicuously missing are the blueprints for many of the other tech; the Refinery Ship, the Narcissus, weapons, as well as detailed pictures of the costumes, graphics, miniatures and props. Many of these photos exist on the internet and in other publications, so why not here? Instead, the book features quite a number stills from the movie, many that we’ve seen before.
At $35 USD, Alien Vault is relatively inexpensive; it’s a book for those interested in a good general overview of the production’s background and history, and while it certainly contains many pictures and other materials not found elsewhere, I would have gladly paid extra for a more complete compendium of all things Alien and dispensed with the gimmicky extras. For a film so visually arresting and innovative, it would have been nice for the book’s concept and design to echo that aesthetic. As it is, the layout of Alien Vault feels a bit pedestrian rather than a fitting visual tribute. While I am glad a publication such as Alien Vault exists, part of me is still waiting for the ultimate account of the making of this horror classic.

DreamWorks Unveils International Poster for Real Steel

After already debuting the domestic poster for Real Steel, DreamWorks Pictures has today unveiled the international poster for the film (via heyyouguys.co.uk), which gives one a better look at the featured robots. You can check it out below.
Story Synopsis: A gritty, white-knuckle, action ride set in the near-future, where the sport of boxing has gone hi-tech, Real Steel stars 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 (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.
Opening in conventional and IMAX theaters on October 7, the Shawn Levy-directed film stars Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly, Dakota Goyo, Anthony Mackie and Kevin Durand.

Giant Wednesday Clip-Fest: X-Men, Green Lantern and Harry Potter

It’s the battle of the clips these days. As X-Men: First Class prepares to open in theaters at the end of this week (June 3), with Green Lantern set to debut on June 17, the studios are rolling out more and more clips for their films to entice audiences into theaters. Our own feeling is that if one were to stitch all these clips together, we’d already have a highlights reel…and then why bother seeing the film?
Twenty TV spots have been released so far for X-Men: First Class, which sort of makes the point for us.
Today you will find more clips from X-Men: First Class, Green Lantern…and the final installment of the Harry Potter franchise, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (opening July 15).
Together, they represent three of the summers biggest tent poles.
The clips are quite self-explanatory, so if you feel so inclined, turn up those speakers and enjoy more gifts from the studio gods…

Costner Out, Russell In for Django Unchained

Kurt Russell, star of the theatrical Stargatemovie and John Carpenter’s The Thing, is in talks to replace Kevin Costner in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Russell will reportedly play a character named Ace who oversees a slave plantation in the American South in the 1800s. The plantation is owned by a depraved character played by Leonardo DiCaprio. The film’s plot focuses on a freed slave’s search for his wife. Jamie Foxx will play that slave.
Also in Django Unchained‘s star studded cast will be Samuel L. Jackson, Laura Cayouette and Christoph Waltz. Russell and Tarantino previously worked together on Death Proof.

Stars of Sanctuary, Stargate and Smallville Line Up for Hunter Syndrome

Amanda Tapping, Colin Ferguson, Lou Diamond Phillips, Ryan Robbins and Allison Mack will be among a host of television stars attending a gala in Vancouver on September 24th to raise funds for research into Hunter Syndrome.
The condition, also known as MPS II, is a genetic disorder that affects children. It substantially reduces their lifespan and afflicts them with a variety of degenerative symptoms that increase in severity with age. Currently there is no cure for the rare syndrome, which is estimated to affect around 2000 children worldwide.
The aim of the 1st Annual Once Upon a Cure Gala is to raise funds and awareness for research into ways to reverse the disease. This research is already yielding promising new treatments and a seven-year-old boy from North Vancouver recently became the first child in Canada to be given a new medication for the condition.
Other actors and filmmakers who will be in attendance at the Gala include Elyse Levesque, Peter Kelamis and Julia Benson from Stargate Universe, Stargate: Atlantis‘ Paul McGillion and Sanctuary actor and director Peter De Luise. In keeping with its name, which is intended to convey hope, the event has an Alice in Wonderland theme.
Tickets for the Gala can be bought from the event’s website. They cost $250 each or $1900 for eight. Information can also be obtained on the Gala’s Twitter feed @onceuponacure.

Draco Malfoy Featured in New Poster for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Warner Bros has released a new character poster for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, this time featuring Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy. Over the past couple of weeks the studio has released similar posters featuring Hermione, Harry Potter, Ron, Lord Voldemort and Neville.
You can check out the new poster below.
Story Summary: Harry, Ron and Hermione set out on their perilous mission to track down and destroy the secret to Voldemort’s immortality and destruction — the Horcruxes. On their own, without the guidance of their professors or the protection of Professor Dumbledore, the three friends must now rely on one another more than ever. But there are Dark Forces in their midst that threaten to tear them apart. Meanwhile, the wizarding world has become a dangerous place for all enemies of the Dark Lord. The long-feared war has begun and Voldemort’s Death Eaters seize control of the Ministry of Magic and even Hogwarts, terrorizing and arresting anyone who might oppose them. But the one prize they still seek is the one most valuable to Voldemort: Harry Potter. The Chosen One has become the hunted one as the Death Eaters search for Harry with orders to bring him to Voldemort…alive. Harry’s only hope is to find the Horcruxes before Voldemort finds him. But as he searches for clues, he uncovers an old and almost forgotten tale — the legend of the Deathly Hallows. And if the legend turns out to be true, it could give Voldemort the ultimate power he seeks. Little does Harry know that his future has already been decided by his past when, on that fateful day, he became “the Boy Who Lived.” No longer just a boy, Harry Potter is drawing ever closer to the task for which he has been preparing since the day he first stepped into Hogwarts: the ultimate battle with Voldemort.
Directed by David Yates, the final film in the long-running franchise stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Tom Felton, Michael Gambon, Jason Isaacs, Alan Rickman, David Thewlis, Julie Walters, Bonnie Wright and Kelly Macdonald.