The Big Screen Bulletin 02.08.10: Dear John Dumps Avatar

Posted by Steve Gustafson on 02.08.2010

Is the Captain America movie already stumbling? I have the complete rundown inside! Daredevil is back in action and I have my casting picks for you! Shooter 2 is out of ammo and Alice in Wonderland news! Plus, the box office results, Brooklyn's Finest trailer, and much more!

Welcome back to the Big Screen Bulletin! My name is Steve Gustafson and I'm writing this report from my room at the Westin. Why am I here? That's how I do thing when a BLIZZARD moves in. Why stand in line at the grocery store when you can order room service? While the majority of people are digging out their cars, walking the streets like extras from The Road, and eating mac & cheese; I've been using the heated indoor pool, getting a massage from the fine spa, and ordering movies on the TV. Enough of my bragging, we've got news to cover!

More Steve? Why not? Check me out:
Monday: Big Screen Bulletin. Thanks again for reading!
Wednesday: The Silicon Valley 10 & 1. Great column last week. Everyone from Games Trailer to crew involved with the show Supernatural gave me love. Don't miss the boat!
Friday: The TV/Movies Top 5. The past one was about the BEST in science fiction TV series. Check out who made my list!
Saturday & Sunday: The Hollywood 5 & 1. Celebrity gossip and hot women. It might be the most pure fun and manly here at 411mania.

Real quick. I want to thank those who left comments on my last report, responded on Facebook and Twitter, and sent me emails about movie reviews. I would like to share some now:

Cuchulain said: "Regarding critics swaying me on going to a movie. I took the, perhaps random, decision to read a selection of critics' reviews AFTER having seen a film then seeing how they match up with my opinion. Having done this a number of times I quickly ruled out some of them and gave the others a few more goes. After a while I am down to two reviewers who I know have similar thoughts/opinions on movies as I do. If a movie is coming up that I'm unsure about, I'll read their review and decide. As for a general, non-specic reviwer dictating whether I see a film or not. No chance. I find the majority of them (with the exception of the good folks here at 411) talk b.s. Seems to me that they all have to come up with something to be critical about in order to show they know something that the average reader doesn't or even just to justify their pay packet. In that regard you can defintely tell the difference between an amatuer and professional critic. I would trust the word of an amatuer any day."

Autumn's Enchantments said: "How much influence does a critic's opinion make in my decision to see a movie? Steve, truthfully, NOT one bit. If a movie looks interesting to me, I'll see it no matter what. I love the independent films, so I usually go for them first. The key word here is 'opinion' ;-)"

Hip hop artist John Public got at me and shared this: "yeah critics are mostly famous for being wrong. i'm probably going to see a movie more based on the preview and how that 2 minutes relates to my own interests."

Thanks again for your thoughts!


I know I should have a nifty logo and name but let's just say this new segment is going to be called Casting Quarterback. Where we can have fun and do a little dream picking. If it goes over well, expect it to be a semi-regular feature here. Looks like in order to keep the movie rights to Marvel Comics' Daredevil under their belt, 20th Century Fox and New Regency are looking to develop a reboot of the sightless superhero with News Corp VP Peter Chernin producing and David Scarpa writing a script, according to Deadline Hollywood. The original movie directed by Mark Steven Johnson and starring Ben Affleck in the title role was released almost seven years ago and grossed $179.2 million worldwide. I know the character gets knocked for being a non-A-Lister, but I think there is some gas to this character. And, like anything, if you get the right mix, you could tell a great story and make some money.

Let's get this out of the way. Daredevil has the worst gallery of villains. The Owl? Stilt-Man? Gladiator? Yes, he has Kingpin, Bullseye, and Elektra (sometimes) but how often can you go to the well with those? For the movie I would focus the rise of Daredevil as he battles Mister Fear and The Hand. Of course The Kingpin is pulling strings behind the scenes and Bullseye is in the movie in a cameo role. I know this smells awfully close to Batman Begins, the story of Daredevil has enough of its own quirks that you don't have to travel down the same road. So who do I have on this one?

Daredevil/Matt Murdock: Jonathan Rhys Meyers
I've heard several names out there but I like Jonathan. He's getting some good press and is ripe to get a franchise superhero under his belt. He could easily pull off Murdock and has the action chops to keep Daredevil fresh. I know Murdock has red hair in the comics but is that really a sticking point?



Foggy Nelson: Kevin Connolly
Uh oh, a non-overweight Foggy? I don't see why not? Connolly is best know as E on Entourage but I've seen a couple of films recently that he's been in and wouldn't mind seeing how he would do in a slightly larger "best friend" role. He easily has the ability to play nervous and unsure of himself, and would be a good comedic foil off of Rhys Meyers without going campy.



Elektra Natchios: Eliza Dushku
I was going back and forth between her and Jamie-Lynn Sigler. Dushku wins because you can believe that she can kick your ass. She has that sweet and innocent look going but can turn it into deadly with a switch. Just no SPIN-OFF!



Mister Fear: Arnold Vosloo
Here's your main villain. Vosloo is another one who I want to see getting more work. He was underused as Zartan in the G.I. Joe but I still have fond memories of him in The Mummy. He looks like he could really chew up the scenery and would be a good counterpoint to Daredevil: The Man Without Fear!



Bullseye: Jason Statham (Cameo)
I'm banking on this movie to do well and save Bullseye for the second film. I'd have him make an appearance, show how bad ass he is, and get people hyped for him in the second one. And who is cooler than Statham? I know in recent interviews he's expressed interest in playing Daredevil himself, but he could bring some needed weight to Bullseye. Oh, and no stupid scar on the forehead please. Keep it close to his costume and you'll be fine.



Kingpin: Paul Wight
WHOA! I know this sounds NUTS but he has the size and the look. I would write Kingpin so he plays to Wight's strength without jeopardizing the character. Keep him in the shadows. No big monologues. Menacing demeanor. And no fighting hand-to-hand DD in the first film. And maybe not the second either. I know he's fought in the comics, but have him surrounded by those who fight for him. Paul can do this.



All right. Here's the part where you tell me I'm crazy and have no business making silly picks. And the part where YOU tell ME who YOU would cast! See you in the comment section!


If you're new to the Bulletin, I've classified the news by a symbol in front of the news segment. That way, if you're looking for certain information, just look for the logo. Easy enough to decipher but to ease your reading pleasure I've provided a legend for you. I've included the "legend" below.

Let's dive into the weekend!

Number One Aga...What's This? A NEW Number ONE!

1. Dear John $32,400,000 (-) ($32,400,000)
2. Avatar $23,600,000 (-24.6%) ($630,093,000) Read the review!
3. From Paris with Love $8,120,000 (-) ($8,120,000)
4. Edge of Darkness $7,005,000 (-59.3%) ($29,097,000) Read the review!
5. Tooth Fairy $6,500,000 (-35.0%) ($34,333,000) Read the review!
6. When in Rome $5,504,000 (-55.4%) ($20,899,000) Read the review!
7. The Book of Eli $4,835,000 (-45.7%) ($82,163,000) Read the review!
8. Crazy Heart $3,650,000 (+58.1%) ($11,188,000)
9. Legion $3,400,000 (-52.6%) ($34,678,000) Read the review!
10. Sherlock Holmes $2,630,000 (-41.8%) ($201,579,000) Read the review!
11. The Blind Side $2,600,000 (-13.9%) ($241,626,000)
12. Up in the Air $2,350,000 (-16.1%) ($76,681,000) Read the review!

It was just a matter of when, not so much as who. The Nicholas Sparks adaptation Dear John opening to an estimated $32.4 million, taking over the number one spot that phenom Avatar has held for the last seven weeks. The weekend's other wide opener, John Travolta's From Paris With Love opened with a disappointing $8.1 million. Don't expect that number to change with the core male audience catching the Super Bowl over the weekend. Studios predict a 50-60% decline across the board. Benefiting from Oscar buzz was Crazy Heart, earning $3.6 million after jumping from 239 screens to 819 in its eighth week for a total of $11.2 million. The movie scored mentions for stars Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal, as well as for songsters T Bone Burnett and Ryan Bingham in the original song category.

Avatar still reigned overseas, slipping only 20% for an estimated weekend gross of $76 million. Cameron's epic has an overall haul Stateside of $630 million combined with an international cume of $1.58 billion for a worldwide take of $2.21 billion. That's big, big, big money.

I hate to play Chicken Little, but The First Avenger: Captain America is stumbling out of the gate. This past weekend we've been deluged with news about the next piece of the Marvel puzzle. While some of the news has been your standard, "We want to make the best movie possible" variety. A few pieces have me wondering how much planning has gone into this and do they realize how important THIS piece is when it comes to the Avengers movie. I'll be the first to admit, I hope I'm wrong, because I want this movie to succeed. Let's break the news down, piece by piece. SPOILER AHEAD

Captain America Costume The Los Angeles Times got a chance to talk to director Joe Johnston about the costume, story, and casting details: "The costume is a flag, but the way we're getting around that is we have Steve Rogers forced into the USO circuit. After he's made into this super-soldier, they decide they can't send him into combat and risk him getting killed. He's the only one and they can't make more. So they say, 'You're going to be in this USO show' and they give him a flag suit. He can't wait to get out of it.....When he does go AWOL, he covers up the suit but then, after a few things happen, he realizes that this uniform allows him to lead. By then, he's become a star in the public mind and a symbol. The guys get behind him because he embodies something special." Which leads to a new costume: "In the first USO sequences, the frustrated patriot will be wearing a version that is closer to the classic Jack Kirby-designed costume, but then later as the super-soldier hits the war zone he will be wearing a sturdier, more muted version that he makes himself that is more like battle togs. The stripes across his mid-section, for instance, will be straps, not colored fabric." Johnston went on to say: "It was never in the comics because they didn't really need it. In comics, he puts on the costume and the reader just justifies because of the nature of the medium."

OK, a couple of red flags pop up. I'm mixed on the USO and AWOL points. How much of the movie is going to focus on this? When I think Captain America, I think action. BUT let's look at some other news to get a better picture.



Casting
Filming starts in London at the end of June. Who will wear the costume and carry the shield? "Well, we're testing five or six guys," Johnston said. "The youngest is 23, the oldest is 32. Most of the guys in the war are just kids, 18 or 19, but we want to go a little bit older. We have to have somebody locked in before I leave March 1 for London." Johnston did say that they definitely are going for an American actor, preferably an unknown. A challenge, he said, is finding an actor that can play scenes as "98-pound-weakling" Steve Rogers and also pull off the brawny hero scenes, although some visual effects wizardry will come into play. Going into a little more detail: "So he's up on stage doing songs and dances with chorus girls and he can't wait to get out and really fight.....He realizes the value of the uniform symbols but he modifies his suit and adds some armor, it will be closer to the Cap costume in some of the comics in more recent years...this approach, it's the only way we could justify ever seeing him on a screen in tights, with the funny boots and everything. The government essentially puts him up there as a living comic-book character and he rips it off and then reclaims some of its imagery after he recognizes the value of it. We think it's the best way to keep the costume and explain it at the same time."

Rumors have been flying all over the place on WHO is playing Steve Rogers/Captain America. I think we've covered that in the past and I'm keeping my mouth shut. BUT it needs to be someone believable. Who can lead and who can hold their own when they are on the screen with the likes of Samuel Jackson, Robert Downey Jr, and Ed Norton. Is an unknown going to be able to do that? I'm very skeptical on this one. Plus, Captain America dancing and singing on stage? It makes me think of Spider-Man 3 and the infamous jazz club scene. *CRINGE*

The Villain and WWII
ShockTillYouDrop.com Managing Editor Ryan Rotten had a chance to talk with Johnston about the movie and confirmed that the Red Skull will indeed be the villain. Also, about why they decided to set the majority of the movie during WWII: "Virtually the entire story except the bookends are in World War II because we all recognize we have one chance to tell the origin story of how he became Captain America, you can't tell a modern story and then go back and tell the origin story. If you're going to do it, let's do it. Let's do it first. Everyone wanted to tell an origin story. There was a version where it was a modern story and it didn't work."

This is a gamble. While I feel it's important to feature World War II in the film, how are audiences going to embrace that aspect? Will this have a Saving Private Ryan feel or is it going to come off camp? Which could be a disaster if audiences don't buy it.

The Invaders
Marvel Studio's Kevin Feige did an interview last year and said that The Invaders would appear in the movie. In the original comics The Invaders were a WWII super team that counted Captain America and Bucky amongst its members. In the movie universe it looks like The Invaders will be a European team that works alongside Cap. The question at the time was would The Invaders just be a cameo or would they have a real part to play in the movie? Again Johnston spoke on this at the press day for The Wolfman, and he revealed hat The Invaders were going to be a major presence in the film. "They'll be in the entire second half," he said. Johnston also said the team will be six members strong.

To me, this is the biggest question mark of all. With an Invaders team, Cap, Bucky, Red Skull, and who knows who else you're looking at 10 costumes sharing screen time. 10 characters plus. Is Captain going to be able to stand out or will he get lost in the mix. Of course, we have a long way to go, so things can change. But the pre-production is crucial to a films success. Keep checking 411mania for all the latest, of course.



Paramount's recently-established 'Famous' label have ditched plans for a sequel to the Mark Wahlberg flick Shooter. The studio was said to be "inching forward" on a follow up to the 2007 action thriller, even had a script fit for filming, but canned the project last week for unknown reasons. Word was Wahlberg wasn't willing to return for a bookend cameo, plus, he has another season of Entourage, The Brazilian Job, Cocaine Cowboys and the recently-announced Five Brothers, a sequel to John Singelton's Four Brothers Among Paramount Famous' upcoming films, sequels, threequels, fourquels include follow ups to Mean Girls, The Naked Gun, and Grease. I think we've found the answer to "How news can you pack into one little paragraph?" Speaking on Shooter 2, I loved the first. I thought it was well done and a fun little movie. Having them dump the sequel isn't causing any tears and I wouldn't be surprised if this project came up again in the future when they are looking through the books for a movie to throw into production. Wahlberg's plate is full with interesting projects. I'm a fan of Entourage so that's good. The follow up to Italian Job is A-OK with me. Some of you may not have seen the documentary Cocaine Cowboys, but do yourself a favor and watch it. GREAT stuff. I'm a bit...hesitant on Five Brothers but will take the wait-and-see position. Now, Mean Girls, The Naked Gun, Grease...these have bad news written all over them and are just more examples of milking franchises. But at this point, does complaining about it do any good? I know it's not pretty, but we (Myself included) have to just accept it. I did hear that The Naked Gun has a hilarious script. But Grease is a real question, especially with the hit-or-miss world that is musicals. Mean Girls isn't calling for one, but as long as the tweener market brings in money, who can blame them.


Brooklyn's Finest is coming soon! With a cast that includes Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, and Wesley Snipes, this might be a sleeper. I'm rooting for these guys, they deserve a hit. The plot is about three unconnected Brooklyn cops wind up at the same deadly location after enduring vastly different career paths. I'm game. Check it out.

Russell Crowe is reportedly the front-runner for the male lead in the latest remake of A Star Is Born over at Warner Baros. Pictures says The LA Times. If formally offered and accepted, Crowe would play an alcoholic musician who mentors a rising female star and the pair begin a romance. The female role has yet to be cast but Beyonce Knowles is rumored to be in the running s the singer/actress has long been linked with the role. Will Fetters is the most recent screenwriter attached to the project, which has seen numerous drafts. Director Nick Cassavetes recently entered talks to direct. The film would mark the fourth film version of the property.




The more I see of Alice In Wonderland, the more I'm impressed with the visuals. And one of those visuals, the one of Anne Hathaway as the White Queen, looks like a good fit. But it's come out that the original plan wasn't to have Hathaway play the regal beauty, rather she was wanted as the film's lead, Alice. But when Tim Burton joined the project, he'd already formulated a dream cast and Hathaway wasn't part of it. She told GQ, "The studio had the Alice script a long time ago and I was approached back then for the part of Alice. I considered it, but felt, what with The Princess Diaries, that I had been there, done that sort of pretty-girl-in-a-fairy-dress role." She continued, "I told the studio, however, that if they find a director eventually, that I would be interested at a later date in playing the White Queen." As for not being included in Burton's high hopes, Hathway explained, "When Tim came on board he had the cast he wanted and, of course, that didn't include me." Thanks to a number of things; her unique take on the role and the other actress' conflicting schedule, Hathaway got the part. "I wanted the Queen to be a cross between Debbie Harry, Greta Garbo, David Bowie, with a little bit of the work of Dan Flavin thrown in for good measure. A sort of psychotic bunny rabbit." Take a peek at the pictures below and add this to your Must See Lists, if you haven't already.

Don't forget Wonderland Wednesdays is when Disney posts more content from their upcoming film on the Internet every week. Good stuff all around.







It's Sony vs. Lionsgate! Both are in a bidding war for the rights to the Terminator franchise reports Variety. I would throw my hat in just for the pleasure of firing McG. Halcyon Group is putting the rights to future Terminator films, TV series, DVDs and merchandise on auction on Monday in Los Angeles, two days before a bankruptcy court hearing. Last month Lionsgate was the first bidder with an offer of $15 million and a 5% cut of future gross receipts. Now apparently Sony put in a bid on Thursday, the final day for offer submissions. Either way Lionsgate will walk away with something because if it doesn't win it will receive $750,000 as a breakup fee from the winning bidder. Stay tuned!




Brad Pitt is the top contender while Ryan Reynolds is amongst potential backup candidates to star as the lead in a film remake of classic western series Gunsmoke at CBS Films reports The LA Times. Currently tied with Law & Order as the longest running primetime drama in U.S. television history, the series was set in Dodge City, Kansas during the settlement of the American West. The show ran on CBS from 1955 to 1975. In the film version, penned by Gregory Poirier, Pitt or the other potentials would play the lead role of Marshall Matt Dillon which James Arness memorably played for twenty years. I'm a fan of a good Western and I like Pitt in the role. Reynolds...I suppose.



Do you like time travel? Do you like romance? Do you like a movie fail to capitalize on a decent book? Then run out and pick up The Time Traveler's Wife. Jeremy Thomas gives you the rundown here. I heard...bad things...about this one. I don't know who the audience was for this one, but have mercy on them. Couples Retreat had a good cast but lost its way. Jeffrey Harris reviewed it here. Here we go. Something good. Serious Man got some serious buzz and looks like it might be worth a watch. Chad Webb reviewed it herePick up the unneccessary Stepfather (Bryan Kristopowitz reviewed it here or just in time for the holiday I Hate Valentine's Day. There's some counter programming for you. Batting clean up is the incredibly awesome, from what I hear, Bronson.

What do the symbols mean by the story? Here you go:



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