April 2009 News Archive (Page 2)

Here's your first look at Russell Crowe in the iconic role of Robin Hood.

The actor is starring alongside Cate Blanchett (as Maid Marian) in the 2010 movie, which will be helmed by Gladiator director Ridley Scott.

“He doesn’t have the old Robin Hood tights,” producer Brian Grazer told USA Today of the character’s updated wardrobe. “He’s got armor. He’s very medieval. He looks, if anything, more like he did in Gladiator than anything we’re used to seeing with Robin Hood."

The film, currently titled Robin Hood, is set for a 2010 release.

Miley Cyrus proved it last week and Zac Efron drove the point home this weekend: it's a tween world. The rest of us are just living in it.

Efron led 17 Again to the head of this weekend's box office. Take a look at the complete top five:

1. 17 Again: $24.1 million
2. State of Play: $14.1 million
3. Monsters vs. Aliens: $12.9 million
4. Hannah Montana: The Movie: $12.6 million
5. Fast & Furious: $12.3 million

Ready for your first look at this summer's Transformers sequel?

The 90-second clip below stars Megan Fox and Shia LaBeouf. It was posted on the official site of the director, MichaelBay.com, as the footage features Sam (LaBeouf) informing Autobot Bumblebee that he’s leaving for college.

The emotions flow from there...

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen opens on Friday, June 24.

We've uncovered a new set of photos from X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

In the film, which opens on May 1, Hugh Jackman's character seeks revenge against Victor Creed (who will later becomes Sabertooth) for the death of his girlfriend.

As the pics below reveal, though, these two weren't always enemies. Click on each image to enlarge it...

A Wanted sequel has already been confirmed.

Expect buzz to grow around the movie, too, now that a screenwriter has been found for it. Evan Spiliotopoulos, who penned the immortal Pooh's Heffalump Movie, will write the script, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The first Wanted, which starred Angelina Jolie, grossed $339 million worldwide.

The publicity and hype for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is about to pick up serious steam.

With the movie opening June 24, expect to see the number of ads for the sequel increase as days go by.

For example, the following display will pop up in theaters across the country any day now:

If you're a female, it's a good weekend to attend a movie. Actors such as Zac Efron, Ben Affleck and Jason Statham are all opening new films. Here's a look at each...

17 Again
Stars: Zac Efron, Matthew Perry
Quick synopsis: A 35-year old man goes back in time and repeats high school.
Prediction: Like Miley Cyrus last week, another tween favorite will rule the box office. Deal with it.

State of Play
Stars: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck
Quick synopsis: An investigation focuses on the murder of a congressman's mistress.
Prediction: Strong cast, intriguing plot, number-two at the box office.

Crank: High Voltage
Stars: Jason Statham
Quick synopsis: The sequel 2006's surprise hit, Crank.
Prediction: Very little publicity. Dedicated Statham fans aren't to take it very far.

As previously reported, Josh Schwartz had been hired to write a screenplay for X-Men: First Class.

The movie will focus on teenage characters attending the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. However, it's now been confirmed that the project is not a spin-off, but a full on X-Men prequel.

X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner said this week that it will center around “the first class of Xavier’s school, way back when.”

We can't wait. In related franchise news: X-Men Origins: Wolverine comes out next month.

It's an especially good time to be Megan Fox.

The actress, who stars in this summer's guaranteed blockbuster, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, is also headlining Diablo Cody's next project, Jennifer's Body.

Now, Fox has signed on to play a reluctant heroin smuggler in The Crossing, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The thriller centers on a couple that returns from a holiday in Mexico and gets carjacked by drug dealers. After they kidnap her husband, Fox's character must transport a shipment of narcotics across the border to free him.

It will be difficult to find a movie this year with a less original premise than 17 Again. The age-reversal storyline has been done to death.

Still, the performance of Zac Efron, a mainstream star in the making, makes this a worthwhile family film.

Read our detailed 17 Again review to find out why.