New Simon Pegg’s “How to Lose Friends” Poster

A poster for the upcoming Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz) comedy “How to Lose Friends and Alienate People” has appeared online, featuring the entire cast standing around Pegg.

In the movie, Sidney Young (Pegg) is a disillusioned intellectual who both adores and despises the world of celebrity, fame and glamour. His alternative magazine, Post Modern Review, pokes fun at the media obsessed stars and bucks trends, and so when Young is offered a job at the diametrically opposed conservative New York based Sharps magazine its something of a shock! It seems Sharps editor Clayton Harding is amused by Young’s disruption of a post-BAFTA party with a pig posing as Babe. Thus begins Sidney’s descent into success - his gradual move from derided outsider to confidante of starlet Sophie Maes - and a love affair with colleague Alison Olsen, that will either make him or break him. Read the rest of this entry

Tom Cruise and Sem Raimi Team Up for “Sleeper”

Tom Cruise and Sam Raimi will team up for a movie adaptation of the comic book “Sleeper“, says The Hollywood Reporter.

Even if Cruise opts not to do Sleeper, his interest in the project is propelling it forward, despite complicated rights issues that must be sorted out. Raimi has long been a fan of the book, and the project could have found homes at Sony and Regency if those issues hadn’t been so complex.

Written by Ed Brubaker with art by Sean Phillips, Sleeper, which ran from 2003-05, centers on an operative whose fusion with an alien artifact makes him impervious to pain and allows him to pass it on to others through skin contact. He is placed undercover in a villainous organization by an intelligence agency and falls for a member of the group, named Miss Misery.

Sleeper is the third project that Cruise has become associated with over the past two weeks –all three separate from his commitments at UA. In addition to “The Tourist“, the actor has expressed interest in the Working Title-Universal comedy “Food Fight.”

New “W.” Posters

A couple of days ago low quality posters for Oliver Stone’s “W.” popped up online, which were apparently being displayed just outside of where the Democratic National Convention is being held in Denver. Today we received higher quality versions to give you a better look at the man leading a life misunderestimated.

IGN also has a new billboard advertising the film. The caption reads “Anyone Can Grow Up To Be President”.

Vin Diesel to Direct “Fast and Furious” Prequel

Vin Diesel, who stars in “Babylon A.D.” which hits theaters this Friday , told ComingSoon.net today that he is directing a 20-minute prequel to “Fast and Furious 4.”

Diesel will star in the prequel along with Michelle Rodriguez reprising her role as Letty and Sung Kang returning as Han. Rodriguez only appeared in the first movie, Sung Kang was in the third, and Diesel was in the first with a cameo in the third.

He didn’t mention however what format the prequel would be released. Maybe a special feature on the DVD, a TV special or possibly a webseries.

“Fast and Furious 4″ opens on June 5, 2009. Fugitive ex-con Dom Toretto (Diesel) reignites his feud with agent Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker). But as they are forced to confront a shared enemy, Dom and Brian must give in to an uncertain new trust if they hope to outmaneuver him.

Russell Crowe to Play Comedy Legend Bill Hicks?

Ridley Scott’s Nottingham has been pushed back indefinitely but at least until Spring but star Russell Crowe not wait. Instead, he’s trying to get underway with a new biopic of achingly cool comedy legend Bill Hicks.

For those of you not in the know, Hicks was one of the smartest, most acerbic comedians of the 80s and early 90s, who struggled with drink and drugs before getting his career back on track - only to fall victim to cancer at just 32 years old. Despite his tragically young death, he lived long enough and worked hard enough to influence pretty much every comedian since, and has been paid tribute in everything from The Simpsons to the comic series Preacher.

The Oscar winner said it would be at least seven months before the film gets off the ground in England, allowing him to spend more time at his Woolloomooloo home with wife, Danielle Spencer, and sons, Charlie, 4, and Tennyson, 2, and working on other projects.

“More time in Australia is always a bonus,” Crowe said last week.

“I have another project based on the life of comedian Bill Hicks, which is going from treatment to draft stage with Kiwi writer Mark Staufer.”

Yes, New Zealander Mark Staufer is scripting, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Read the rest of this entry

Warner Bros’ “Watchmen” in Serious Legal Trouble

A judge has denied a Warner Bros motion to dismiss 20th Century Fox’s lawsuit over Warners’ right to make a film based on the graphic novel “Watchmen.”

The ruling is a huge victory for Fox, which may end up as being a profit participant in the film. Fox retained the rights to the graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, which the studio originally purchased in 1991. When producer David Gordon picked up the option on the project out of turnaround in 1994, the judge ruled, he never excersised that option for Fox’s remaining interest in the film, therefore, Fox’s rights to the film should still be intact.

Project, which has been in development for two decades, finally began lensing in September with Zack Snyder at the helm. Warners was set to release the film, which stars Patrick Wilson and Jackie Earle Haley, on March 6th in the same slot in which “300” opened. Read the rest of this entry

Voltron Finally Coming Together After A Relative Turnaround

Twentieth Century Fox has dropped its robot action movie Voltron: Defender Of The Universe, reports Variety but that doesn’t necessarily mean the project is dead.

Ryan Kavanaugh’s financing and production venture Relativity Media is in negotiations to back the property, though on a more moderate budget, utilizing the type of cost-effective technology like Zack Snyder used in 300.

Mark Gordon (The Day After Tomorrow) and Jordan Wynn are still producers for the adaptation of the 1980’s Japanese anime while Bryan Zuriff is still executive producing. A director is likely to be announced shortly to lead the film, based on Justin Marks’ screenplay. Read the rest of this entry