The Hush-Hush News Report 12.7.11: KHAAANNNN!!!

Posted by Jeremy Wilson on 12.07.2011

News and thoughts on Gary Oldman discussing The Dark Knight Rises, Patty Jenkins leaving Thor 2, Benicio Del Toro pulling out of Star Trek 2, a possible sequel to Grown Ups, Fox News saying The Muppets are brainwashing children, Hugo getting a major award and more!





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Del Toro Out of Star Trek 2



About as fast as it takes to make the jump to light speed. That's how long Benicio Del Toro was (seemingly) on board to play Khan in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek sequel. Last week Latino Review (they know they're stuff) had reported that Del Toro had indeed been cast as the villain in the upcoming sequel – only for Abrams to come out later and flatly deny it to HitFix. His terse "Not true" seemingly sent mixed signals about whether Khan was involved in the film's story at all and if Del Toro – who has been the clubhouse leader for months to play the role – would really be on board (as Khan or another character).

Now we have reports that not only is Khan the villain for the film, but that a deal to bring in Del Toro to play him broke down in the middle of last week. Rumors have swirled that the deal came apart because of financial considerations. With the film about to start shooting early next year, producers are eager to cast the role so that production doesn't get delayed.

I suppose technically Abrams wasn't lying about Khan/Del Toro. If the deal fell through before his denial, then he can obviously claim Del Toro wasn't involved and wouldn't play Khan. However, it's fairly obvious Khan IS involved in Star Trek 2 and Del Toro had been discussed in the role for months. I definitely understand that Abrams (sort of notorious for his secrecy on his film projects – Star Trek, Cloverfield, Super 8) wants to keep secret as much as humanly possible and try and avoid the kinds of leaks that are happening on a regular basis with other big titles like The Dark Knight Rises.

I have no idea how Abrams is going to introduce/use Khan in this film. I'm not entirely sure it's a great idea. The Wrath of Khan is pretty much the gold standard of Star Trek and Khan is one of the most famous villains in the history of the entire series. The problem, is that there is a specific backstory involved and Khan isn't like other Star Trek villains. You can't just trot him out there for any story like you could the Romulans or Borg. I know it's an alternative timeline, but we're still fairly early in this new timeline and it doesn't really seem like it's time to introduce Khan yet. I know Abrams probably doesn't want to do more than one more film and that he probably wants to do Khan, but it still seems like a risk to me. I loved Abrams' first take on Star Trek and have little doubt the next one will be just as good, but I think I'd prefer another villain.

What about everyone else? Who do you think should be the main villain in Star Trek 2? If it is Khan, who should play him now that Benicio Del Toro is not involved?

RoboCop In For Star Trek 2



Peter Weller, star of the RoboCop franchise has signed on to appear in Abrams' "Star Trek 2" in an unspecified role. He joins Alice Eve as new additions to the sequel's cast, which includes the original cast from the 2009 smash hit. In addition to his experiences in the "RoboCop" franchise, Weller also has previous "Star Trek" experience. He played John Frederick Paxton, the leader of Terra Prime in 2005 on "Star Trek: Enterprise." Paxton and Terra Prime were radicals who wanted to expel all non-humans from Earth its solar system. It is unlikely that Weller would be playing Paxton in the upcoming film and it appears (for now) that Abrams is looking for someone else to play the film's primary villain, now that Del Toro is out of the picture.

I guess it's too much to ask to have a RoboCop cameo in Star Trek 2. Seriously, how awesome would it be to have Kirk running a holodeck simulation that took him back to RoboCop-era Detroit. Hey, if Picard can run 1940's noir programs, why can't Kirk do this? Although, I guess they don't really have holodeck simulators on Star Fleet ships yet. That's a question for a Trekkie. Somebody go fetch one to ask. Anyway, I like Weller and Alice Eve, so that helps smooth out the disappointment with Del Toro not being involved. I don't think they necessarily need a bunch of other people (other than casting Khan), but I'll ask you: Who else would you like to see in Star Trek 2?


Thor 2 Loses Another Director



Patty Jenkins ("Monster") has left "Thor 2" and won't be directing Marvel's sequel to its successful blockbuster from earlier this year. Jenkins had been connected to the film for a long time as Kenneth Branagh stated early on that he wouldn't be back to direct the sequel. Deadline is reporting that Jenkins' leaving the project had to do with "creative differences" and that there is a feeling that "she'll probably end up working on one of these superhero films, but perhaps not on a sequel."

"Thor 2" lost its original choice for director, Brian Kirk ("Game of Thrones"), early on in the process, but that wasn't seemingly set in stone like with Jenkins. Marvel now has to scramble to find a new director for the film, because production is slated to start soon and "Thor 2" has a release date of Novemeber 15th, 2013, which has already been moved back once.

This isn't good news. Not only could Marvel not convince Kenneth Branagh to come back for a sequel, but now they've lost their next two choices to direct the sequel. We also have been hearing the term "creative differences" thrown around a lot, and that's never good. I enjoyed Thor, but I thought it was probably the weakest of the new Marvel films (perhaps other than Iron Man 2). Marvel and Disney obviously want the sequel churned out as fast as possible, but they better be careful. They seemingly rushed Iron Man 2 and it resulted in a film that seemingly no one was happy about. They need to find a director with vision and a love of the material, not just some director looking to cash a check and make their "breakthrough", but also need to be careful about meddling (aka "creative differences") that drive creative people away. Studio meddling tends to lead to bad films. Bad films tend to end franchises.


The Muppets: Brainwashing Your Kids



The video below is a segment from "Follow the Money" on Fox Business Network, hosted by Eric Bolling.

I don't even know what to say. We've always known Eric Bolling was a complete moron, but I almost felt bad for him here. He didn't look all that prepared and those talking points he was reading from were fairly obvious to point out. This entire segment was the height of idiocy. The irony is, of course, this will probably be the one and only time anyone links to Fox Business Network. Watch the video for yourself. I leave it to you to make up your mind. Are The Muppets brainwashing your children and carrying liberal Hollywood's agenda of class warfare? Or...is Eric Bolling an idiot talking head with a cable (sort of) show that has to fill five minutes? YOU DECIDE AMERICA!



(My favorite line was the Andrea Tantaros of "The Five" bemoaning the "hungry muppet" and pointing out all the government programs like S-CHIP and food stamps to take care of hungry kids. Why would that muppet be hungry?!) It's also OBVIOUS they haven't actually watched the movie. The point of The Muppets isn't that rich is being bad; it's that Tex Richman is a trickster and wants to take The Muppet Theater from...you know, the good guys aka The MUPPETS...and tear it down to drill for oil. It's good to know, however, that Fox News stands with oil barons and against feeding hungry muppets. Rant over. To get that rancid taste out of your mouth, here's a clip of why they muppets are great in the first place. Let yourselves be brainwashed by cute and adorable felt animal puppets.






Gary Oldman Talks The Dark Knight Rises



Gary Oldman sat down with Moviefone and talked a bit about a little film coming out next year called "The Dark Knight Rises."

"We find him – obviously I can't give too much away because I'm sworn to secrecy – but when we meet him, things are calmer in Gotham. It's reminiscent of the Gordon that we met in the first one. There's a world-weariness to him, and even though things on the surface are now calmer, he's cleaned up Gotham with the Harvey Dent Act, it's seething underneath.

I think the story's really good. The story really delivers. And I can't say any more than that...It's great. It's a terrific conclusion to the trilogy. Nolan rounds it off: he brings in a bit of the first one, from 'Batman Begins,' and he does some really surprising things with it. I thought his choice of villain was very interesting, to use Bane instead of Riddler or Penguin. He's not gone with the most obvious choice. The challenge for Chris was always really the story and I think he didn't want to make a third one for the sake of it. I think there was pressure on him, obviously, because the second was so successful. So there's always going to be some pressure to keep it going. But he's too smart and classy, really to just make a third just for the sake of making it, because others are demanding or want it from him and I think he felt that, 'Let me get the story right.' So the fans won't be disappointed.

Not a ton of earth-shattering news here, but it is apparently an internet dictum that all movie news articles have at least one reference to The Dark Knight Rises. I looked it up. Anyway, we've all seen that picture of Bane on the steps holding that picture of Harvey Dent, so it's not terribly surprising that this is where they're going with it. Unfortunately, I think the spoilers have really hurt the film. I'm fairly certain it'll be great, but the air of mystery surrounding it has most definitely been leaking like air from a balloon. We knew a lot about The Dark Knight, but it didn't feel like we could definitely trace the entire story from beginning to end six months before it released (maybe some could, but I couldn't). At the rate we're going, I feel like I'll know almost everything about the film before I even see it, whether I want it that way or not.


Adam Sandler Wants To Make Crappy Sequels Now



Evidently, Sony Pictures and Happy Madison are discussing the possibility of a sequel to Adam Sandler's 2010 "hit" "Grown Ups." Remarkably, this would be the first time Sandler has made a follow-up to one of his movies. Screenwriter Fred Wolf is being sought to pen the script and the entire cast (Chris Rock, Kevin James, Rob Schnieder and David Spade) is expected to be back for the sequel, although Sandler's involvement hinges on the script (stop snickering!). "Grown Ups" is Sandler's highest-grossing worldwide hit, having grossed $271 million.

This is the movie equivalent of getting coal in one's stocking. Adam Sandler may have been funny once – long, long ago. However, that hasn't kept him from releasing some absolute dogs. let's take a look at the Happy Madison movie slate for 2011: Just Go With It, Jack & Jill, Zookeeper and a film I still haven't been able to shake from my mind months later, Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star. Hell, Grown Ups wasn't even any good. I can't even think of an Adam Sandler/Happy Madison movie I would want to see a sequel to. The best I could come up with would be The Wedding Singer, since that would be watchable at the very least. I hope this doesn't happen...but you know it will.


Trailer Face-Off:



This week we have one big new wide release – New Year's Eve – and two new limited releases – Young Adult and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Are you planning on seeing any or all of these? Which looks better? Let me know in the comments.



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This Week In Awards


The National Board of Review handed out awards last week, naming Hugo and Martin Scorsese Best Picture and Best Director respectively. Their other awards and lists included:

Best Film: Hugo
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Best Actor: George Clooney, The Descendants
Best Actress: Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Best Supporting Actress: Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
Best Original Screenplay: Will Reiser, 50/50
Best Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash, The Descendants
Best Animated Feature: Rango
Breakthrough Performance: Felicity Jones, Like Crazy
Breakthrough Performance: Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Debut Director: J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Best Ensemble: The Help
Spotlight Award: Michael Fassbender (A Dangerous Method, Jane Eyre, Shame, X-Men: First Class)
NBR Freedom of Expression: Crime After Crime
NBR Freedom of Expression: Pariah
Best Foreign Language Film: A Separation
Best Documentary: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Special Achievement in Filmmaking: The Harry Potter Franchise - A Distinguished Translation from Book to Film

Top Films
 (in alphabetical order)
The Artist
The Descendants
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
The Ides of March
J. Edgar
Tree of Life
War Horse

Top 5 Foreign Language Films (In Alphabetical Order)
13 Assassins
Elite Squad: The Enemy Within
Footnote
Le Havre
Point Blank

Top 5 Documentaries (In Alphabetical Order)
Born to be Wild
Buck
George Harrison: Living in the Material World
Project Nim
Senna



The Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association also handed out awards this week, splitting the difference between their New York brethren and the NBR. Their awards were:

Best Film: "The Artist"
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, "Hugo"
Best Actor: George Clooney, "The Descendants"
Best Actress: Michelle Williams, "My Week with Marilyn"
Best Supporting Actor: Albert Brooks, "Drive"
Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, "The Help"
Best Acting Ensemble: "Bridesmaids"
Best Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash, "The Descendants"
Best Original Screenplay: Will Reiser, "50/50"
Best Animated Feature: "Rango"
Best Documentary: "Cave of Forgotten Dreams"
Best Foreign Language Film: "The Skin I Live In"
Best Art Direction: Dante Ferretti, Production Designer, and Francesca Lo Schiavo, Set Decorator, "Hugo"
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, "The Tree of Life"
Best Score: Ludovic Bource, "The Artist"

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From The Great Capt. Smooth (Guest):
A MIB3 poster puzzle would be wrong. Puzzles shouldn't be used for torture.

A must agree with you about the "Oscar" movies. People go see certain movies due to Oscar buzz that they wouldn't otherwise see. I seriously doubt that King's Speech or Black Swan would've done nearly as well if they had been released as a regular movie without that buzz.

Yeah, Black Swan is a good example. The Oscars are as much about marketing as anything else and they tend to shine a spotlight on films that might struggle to find an audience if left to fend for themselves (The Artist is probably another good example). Tell people to go see a black & white silent film and they'd laugh at you. Tell them its one of the Oscar favorites and they might check it out. My point is that these are still awards and they still have tangible consequences. I love picking favorites and ranking stuff, but ultimately, that's all just for fun. When it gets time to actually critique and nominate films and performances, their predetermined "favorite" status shouldn't factor in. It should be a level playing field and every film/performance should have to earn their nomination and eventual win.

From Aprince66 (Guest):
Why the F are they calling it a Scarface remake when they clearly state this,
"Apparently, the film will be a contemporary update on the story, with very little similarity other than the main story arc. Nikki Finke of Deadline writes:"
Oh right... they want to cash in on the popularity of the movie from Gangsta's and suburban kids that say it's their favorite movie. Whats next, Boondock Saints remake?

Sounds about right to me. I also think they'll end up making the central character more similar to the Pacino version than they're letting on. We're still in the really early stages of this so who knows how it'll all turn out. It could be a straight remake, a reboot, or something inbetween (like Prometheus). I'm not for it, but in Hollywood...no cow is too sacred to slaughter.

From G-Walla (Guest):
Does Agent J have a mustache?

That's what it looked like to me...although the seizures those posters induced may have caused some minor brain damage. Can't be sure, but I saw that and thought it was...strange. Somehow that scene in the first Men in Black with the sunglasses and the "I make this look good" wouldn't have been quite as good if the Fresh Prince had been sporting a mustache. We'll have to wait and see.

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The Hush-Hush Racetrack Oscar Odds

We're changing things up a bit this week. The following are the racetrack odds for this years Academy Awards courtesy of Gold Derby. The odds are the result of voting and analysis by "Experts". I've taken out (for this week at least) votes from the site's editors and users. In addition to the odds is the % chance to win.

BEST PICTURE
The Artist – 17/10; 37% (last week: 15/8; 35%)
The Descendants – 4/1; 20% (last week: 15/8; 35%)
War Horse – 13/2; 13% (last week: 11/2; 15%)
Moneyball – 16/1; 6% (last week: 100/1; 1%)
The Help – 20/1; 5% (last week: 33/1; 3%)
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close – 20/1; 5% (last week: 12/1; 8%)
Midnight in Paris – 20/1; 5% (last week: 50/1; 2%)
Hugo – 25/1; 4%
The Tree of Life – 50/1; 2%

Well, that didn't take long. Anyone who has been paying attention has watched The Artist go from plucky underdog to solid favorite to win Best Picture in the span of a couple months. And unlike others, it's chances are getting stronger as more people see it. Both Moneyball and The Help moved up this week and seem like surer bets to receive nominations. Also, Hugo appears on the board as Martin Scorsese's critically lauded film has benefited from being named Best Picture by the National Board of Review.

BEST ACTOR
George Clooney (The Descendants) – 1/1; 51% (last week: 8/15; 66%)
Jean Dujardin (The Artist) – 10/3; 23% (last week: 5/1; 17%)
Brad Pitt (Moneyball) – 11/2; 16% (last week: 20/1; 5%)
Michael Fassbender (Shame) – 25/1; 4% (last week: 33/1; 3%)
Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar) – 33/1; 3% (last week: 25/1; 4%)
Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) – 50/1; 2% (last week: same)
Woody Harrelson (Rampart) – 100/1; 1% (last week: same)
Ryan Gosling (The Ides of March) – 100/1; 1% (last week: same)
Michael Fassbender (A Dangerous Method) – 100/1; 1% (last week: same)

Brad Pitt's NY Critics Circle win has likely propelled him to being the third choice and possible dark horse if Clooney falls or the Academy can't pull the trigger on Dujardin. Fassbender is an extremely talented actor but I find it hard to believe the Academy would pick him for an NC-17 film that has divided critics somewhat. DiCaprio is out as a serious contender to win (although I still believe he'll receive a nomination). Gary Oldman has never been nominated for an Oscar. Just sayin'.

BEST ACTRESS
Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) – 17/10; 37% (last week: same)
Viola Davis (The Help) – 2/1; 36% (last week: 2/1; 33%)
Michele Williams (My Weekend with Marilyn) – 5/1; 17% (last week: same)
Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs) – 25/1; 4% (last week: 16/1; 6%)
Kirsten Dunst (Melancholia) – 50/1; 2% (last week: 33/1; 3%)
Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin) – 100/1; 1% (last week: same)
Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene) – 100/1; 1% (last week: same)
Charlize Theron (Young Adult) – 100/1; 1% (last week: same)
Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) – 100/1: 1% (last week: same)

We're about one or two weeks from improbably having Viola Davis leapfrog Meryl Streep as the favorite for Best Actress. I'm fairly stunned at how much people have latched on to The Help. That includes the very real possibility that Oscars will be handed out to both Viola Davis (lead) and Octavia Spencer (Supporting). I thought they'd have a good run for a couple months so near after the release of their film, but it's time to realize. They're not going anywhere. The Help could win two major Oscars.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christopher Plummer (Beginners) – 2/3; 60% (last week: 4/9; 68%)
Albert Brooks (Drive) – 5/1; 17% (last week: 9/1; 10%)
Max von Sydow (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) – 14/1; 7% (last week: 14/1; 7%)
Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn) – 20/1; 5% (last week: same)
Jim Broadbent (The Iron Lady) – 33/1; 3% (last week: 50/1: 3%)
Nick Nolte (Warrior) – 100/1; 1% (last week: 50/1; 2%)
Ben Kingsley (Hugo) – 100/1; 1%
Alan Rickman (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2) – 100/1; 1%
Jonah Hill (Moneyball) – 100/1; 1% (last week: same)

I'm really happy for Albert Brooks. He's one of the best parts of Drive (a movie I love) and deserves some love. I don't think he's going to beat Christopher Plummer, but then again, the Academy (Hollywood in general) loves a good villain and Brooks certainly provides that. Winning the NYFCC award doesn't hurt, although he's a New Yorker and that body is notorious for bestowing honors on fellow New Yorkers. He's separated himself and is not the clear alternative to Plummer.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Octavia Spencer (The Help) – 5/6; 55% (last week: 2/3; 60%)
Berenice Bejo (The Artist) – 6/1; 14% (last week: 14/1; 7%)
Vanessa Redgrave (Coriolanus) – 9/1; 10% (last week: 11/2; 15%)
Shailene Woodley (The Descendents) – 10/1; 9% (last week: 12/1; 8%)
Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) – 20/1; 5% (last week: same)
Jessica Chastain (The Tree of Life) – 25/1; 4% (last week: 100/1; 1%)
Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs) – 50/1; 2% (last week: same)
Sandra Bullock (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) – 100/1: 1%
Jessica Chastain (The Help) – 100/1; 1%

Octavia Spencer is the favorite for The Help, but twho exactly will be her main competition at this point isn't totally clear. It appears that Berenice Bejo has gained some momentum riding on the success of The Artist and Shailene Woodley will be in the mix for The Descendants. It seems as if Melissa McCarthy has plateaued in her support. Jessica Chastain has had an amazing year, but her problem is that she has too many great roles (The Tree of Life, Take Shelter, The Help). Unfortunately, while that may help her win awards that allow multiple film performances (such as the New York Critics), it doesn't work that way the farther we go. It appears as if most are considering her for her performance in Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life.


Funny Video of the Week:

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Trailer of the Week:

That's all for this week. Let me know what you think in the comments section. For now, this is Jeremy Wilson, off the record, on the QT...



...and definitely, "Hush Hush!"