While Sony and Marvel would love to continue the Spider-Man franchise past this May's third installment, there's a good chance they'll be doing so without Spidey himself, Tobey Maguire. We already know Kirsten Dunst probably won't return, James Franco recently threw in his own thoughts on a fourth film and Marvel exec Kevin Feige told MTV that "there will be many more Spider-Man films to come" -- but the big question remains: Are additional sequels worth it if the trilogy's main stars don't return? Would it really be a Spider-Man film without Sam Raimi or Tobey Maguire?

When presented with these questions, Maguire told Starpulse News that, unless a miracle occurs, he's done slinging webs for now. Says Maguire, "This might be a good place to stop -- I am not tied contractually to any more Spider-Man movies. I am not completely closed to the idea of another one if it made sense but I would say the odds were in favor of this being the last one". But what exactly does that mean -- "if it made sense?" If what made sense? The stories are there, the fans are certainly there -- could Maguire be alluding to, dare I say it, the money? If so, then I imagine whatever new contract is drawn up would have to, not only provide him with a gigantic paycheck, but also be for only one film. There's no way this dude is committing himself to another three, and he's probably going to see where his co-stars and director stand before any final decisions are made.

Would you support a Spider-Man 4 if the original cast doesn't return?

[via Dark Horizons]

Seriously, do I really need to say any more about Hot Fuzz? Everyone here at Cinematical has been dying to see this flick, and I imagine I will have to literally fight Scott Weinberg in some sort of hand-to-hand battle, using the crappiest DVD boxes in our collections as weapons, for a chance to review the pic once it finally hits theaters on March 9. And damn those Brits who get to see it on February 16, as that's when the film slides into UK theaters.

For those of you completely out of the loop (how dare you not know about this film), Hot Fuzz is Edgar Wright's follow-up to the unbelievably awesome Shaun of the Dead. Wright once again enlists the help of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost to head up what looks to be (and the key word here is 'looks') one helluva action comedy -- perhaps the best in recent years. To accompany the two teaser trailers we told you about in October, the numerous video blogs and the film's official website -- Hot Fuzz now has a full-length trailer for all of you to dive right into. After watching said trailer, you'll notice other familiar faces like Timothy Dalton, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy and -- wait a minute -- was that Stephen Merchant in a cameo role? Check it out and let us know what you think.

The 1963 epic Cleopatra, starring Elizabeth Taylor in the title role, is often mistaken for being a financial flop. But it was actually one of the highest grossing pictures of its year. It couldn't turn a profit right away because its cost was just too high and so it may have seemed like a disaster originally, but after so many years it eventually made money. If the film were made today for an equivalent cost, it might not be as successful. Its budget would be close to $300 million. Judging from the grosses of other recent epics of this kind, it probably wouldn't come close -- even with international box office -- to making its money back, let alone the original's inflation-adjusted earnings of $442 million.

So, producer Scott Rudin will have to be tighter with the cash when he goes into production on a new Cleopatra film, which will be based on a book by Pulitzer-Prize winner Stacy Schiff due in 2009. Columbia Pictures bought the rights to this unfinished book based on a 10-page proposal for a reported seven figures (that's at least a million bucks, so already the budget is rising). It is expected to spotlight the Egyptian queen's strengths as a ruler as opposed to her reputation as a lover. Hopefully she will be played by someone closer in appearance than Taylor, though I would like to see Taylor have some sort of cameo.

With all the hubbub and furor of the holidays I know a lot of people are thinking the same thing I am: "I could sure use a vacation." Am I the only one who finds it ironic that we're all too busy with a holiday to take a vacation? One of film's greatest appeals (though, certainly not the only one) is its ability to function as a vacation of the mind, to let the viewer sit in a darkened theater and check out for ninety minutes or so. This week, Trailer Park takes a holiday.

Mr. Bean's Holiday
The Youtube version of this trailer that Erik Davis mentioned the other day has been taken down, but Movie Box has a much less muddy copy right here. I best remember Rowan Atkinson, not as the mute goofball Mr. Bean, but as Black Adder which he played through four series on the BBC. I suppose the Bean character is more accessible to U.S. audiences, but Black Adder had some of the smartest comedy I've ever seen on television, and I find myself hoping that show will make it to the big screen. Anyway, Bean can be a pretty funny character as well, and the trailer shows him on vacation in France being baffled by French cuisine and competing in the Tour de France, seemingly without knowing it.

Off the Black
Indie dramedy with Nick Nolte as an unhappy man approaching senior citizen status. He is without family, so to take a vacation from reality (and bring his former classmates along for the ride) he arranges to have a young man (Trevor Morgan from The Sixth Sense) pose as his son at his 40 year high school reunion. Timothy Hutton also stars. Like the films they promote, trailers like this are a breath of fresh air. No explosions, no special effects, and no over enthusiastic voice over. I want to see this one.

I constantly complain about modern special effects, how CGI creatures don't look realistic enough, but I have to admit this is pretty hypocritical of me. I love the work of effects legend Ray Harryhausen, and his models were never believable. There was a lot more inventiveness and craftsmanship in his effects, though, and there's no denying that the films he worked on have a creative spark that many modern fantasy films lack. Sometimes I think that my preference for model work over CGI has to do with their tangible appearance, but then that doesn't explain my forgiveness for the composite shots in Harryhausen films, which typically appeared as flat as today's worst CGI.

Anyway, despite our now having films with great computer effects like Jurassic Park and Peter Jackson's King Kong, Harryhausen will never be forgotten. Earlier this year, the 86-year-old received a well-deserved George Pal Memorial Award at the Saturn Awards and he was celebrated in the documentary The Sci-Fi Boys, which screened at Tribeca. Now, thanks to YouTube, someone is presenting all of Harryhausen's creatures and spaceships in a chronologically edited montage. Check it out below:

When we last checked in with He-Man, the blonde 80's superhero was hanging on by a thread -- no longer a master of the universe -- but more like a master of development hell. Fox 2000 had assigned screenwriter Adam Rifkin to pen a new draft, John Woo was still attached as a producer and Cinematical's resident geek Mark Beall couldn't care less. Here's a site tip for all you fanboys out there -- if Mark doesn't get excited about a film (and, trust me, 99% of the time this dude is ecstatic about everything and anything, except maybe Ghost Rider), then it's pretty safe to say the project is a dud.

Recently, Moviehole managed to sneak in a phone call with Fox 2000's Rodney Ferrell and -- He-Man fans might want to close their eyes for this one -- he told them the studio had abandoned the film, giving the project back to Mattel. Wait, so does this mean we don't get to see a shirtless Paul Walker or Triple H battle a horrific looking CGI-created version of Skeletor? Would it be wrong for me to call up Mr. Ferrell and tell him his next drink is on me? However (and please note that a gigantic question mark should be wrapped around the following sentence), there's a chance Mattel may still be interested in a He-Man film, and that John Woo could still be involved in some capacity -- but they will have to find someone else stupid enough to help produce and distribute. Man, where's Dolph Lundgren -- I think I need to be hugged.

Considering the negative buzz revolving around Clooney's upcoming role in The Good German, it's probably a good thing that he's already got a few crime-filled films on the horizon for fans to look forward to, joining Burn After Reading and Leatherheads, for 2008. Personally, I think he needs a little more Killer Tomatoes in his life, but I realize that's just me.

First, Clooney's set to produce and star in the previously-reported Joe Carnahan film, White Jazz for Warner Independent. If you're not familiar with the title, it's the fourth in James Ellroy's crime quartet which include the recently released The Black Dahlia, the seems-to-be-going-nowhere The Big Nowhere, and the acclaimed hit, LA Confidential. Starring as the corrupt police lieutenant means Clooney is Lieutenant David Klein, and according to Wikipedia, it was once a role for Nick Nolte in a version that never made it out of development hell.

Second, he's teaming up with Jerry Weintraub again to direct Belmont Boys. The plot: Thirty years after seven thieves failed to pull off their dream job, they get a chance to try again. Hmm. Weintraub swears this won't be an Ocean's rip-off, and that they're planning to have a long list of older stars take the leads. While it may have almost half the numbers of Twelve, it seems like a cut-and-dry cross between The Crew and the Ocean's franchise. The film has set locations through the US and Europe, so I assume that the older thieves have more mobility than their Crew predecessors. And, maybe this is just a warm-up for Ocean's 45, since they're already on their third sequel!

Although it may not be quite as famous as the Batmobile, the Fantasticar is truly one of the greatest and most well-known rides in comic book-dom, particularly among Marvel geeks. Granted, it has at times looked like a flying bathtub, but it is still one fantastic machine. If you read the Fantastic Four or even just Marvel comics in general, you probably adore the Fantasticar, right? And you were probably more than a bit excited (and nervous) when Tim Story announced he'd be incorporating it into The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

Well, True Believers, the moment is upon us, and Tim Story has shared the first official look at the Fantasticar. It doesn't look like a flying bathtub, which is probably for the best. But it does have a very classic, soft look about it -- intentionally so, apparently. Story was quite adamant about keeping the vehicle less aggressive looking than many of the early designs he was presented with. I've got to say, I'm actually impressed with it. Details say it'll fly around 500 mph at 30,000 feet and will feature smaller breakaway vehicles, so somebody is doing a decent job of keeping it comic book accurate. Swing by USA Today and let me know what you think of the picture -- amusingly, Ben Grimm is the only one not shown.

This past Sunday, after I watched in disgust as the Giants blew a 21-point lead, I searched for a film on cable to ease the pain. Though I had already watched it over a hundred times, Beverly Hills Cop II seemed like the right fit for the mood I was in. I picked it up about 25 minutes into the film, as Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) was attempting to sneak into the gun club by convincing the receptionist he was carrying some sort of nuclear explosives that would detonate if their voices rose above a whisper. I love that scene. I love this movie. Some of Murphy's greatest improv is found in Beverly Hills Cop and Beverly Hills Cop II -- however, the franchise took a high-dive into an empty pool when it attempted to re-visit Foley's antics in Beverly Hills Cop III.

While Murphy has always been attached to star in a fourth installment, after the third one bombed -- $44 million at the box office, whereas the first two grossed $234 million and $153 million (domestically) -- folks were a wee bit weary. However, Paramount now wants to bring back The Foley, and are currently out to writers -- Beverly Hills Cop IV is officially a go. Lorenzo di Bonaventura (Constantine, Transformers) will come on as producer, with Murphy heavily involved in all the decision making. Personally (and Axel Foley is one of my favorite characters of all time, so this certainly hits home pretty damn hard), I'm game for another sequel -- I just wish Jerry Bruckheimer was involved. His participation was critical during the first two films and, after bailing on the third, it definitely showed.

What do you think about reviving the character and making a fourth film? If they could do it with Die Hard, why not Beverly Hills Cop, right?

Travel advisory: if you ever find yourself walking aimlessly under the snake-dripping treetops of an uncharted Amazonian jungle with no food or water, and the only person who shows up to help you looks like the Brazilian Roy Scheider, fire your travel agent. Turistas, an expensive horror movie from the newly christened Fox Atomic logo, is notable for two things: some impressive natural scenery and for fetishizing something that is normally more of a given in the horror genre -- the white-woman-in-distress motif. The story concerns a ragtag group of 'gringos' -- the word is used about 100 times -- who stray off course during some South American holiday-making and end up in the clutches of a mad surgeon with a colonialism-chip on his shoulder. He intends to remove their vital organs and bundle them off to the black market. Once an unlucky gringo is strapped to the operating gurney, they are forced to simultaneously watch their own evisceration and listen to the doctor's quips, like: "I'd also take the skin from your lily-white ass, but it doesn't travel."

Needless to say, creepiness is the wavelength the film wants to travel on, as opposed to the usual buffet of boo-moments. Fair enough, but aside from those unfortunate transplant sessions, there are only a couple of moments that really deliver on that level. One occurs in the opening moments of the film, when the turistas, who clump together on foot after the tour bus they are all sharing crashes, encounter an unaccompanied Brazilian child in the street. A friendly attempt to snap a photo of the kid nearly sets off an international incident, with the angry parents rushing into the frame, spitting curses and threats in Portuguese. It's a good 'back away slowly' moment. A more serious culture clash comes when the group, led by an Australian beach bunny called Pru (Melissa George) and a sensitive jock called Alex (Josh Duhamel) unwittingly arrive at the jungle home of the evil surgeon. Because they don't speak the lingo, they stand idly by, checking their watches, as the doctor and his henchmen walk around them and between them like incurious sharks, all the while chatting in Portuguese about how they are going to slice and dice them.

Wal-mart has officially entered the movie download game. Until now, the retail company had been sitting on the sidelines -- not without its influence, of course -- but apparently it isn't happy simply controlling the download industry, specifically iTunes' share, by way of bullying tactics. Starting today, customers can purchase a download of Superman Returns for as little as $1.97. There's a catch, however: to get the download, you have to first purchase the DVD of the same film. The DVD comes with a sticker, which features on it a code that you enter onto a special website. You then have the option of paying $1.97 for a copy for your iPod, Microsoft Zune, or other portable device; $2.97 for a copy for your laptop or desktop computer; or $3.97 for a copy that can be played on any type of player, portable or computer. Although it seems silly to have to buy the movie in order to buy another copy of the movie, at Wal-Mart's online price of $14.87 for the DVD ($5 less than Amazon and $1 less than Best Buy online), the company really knows what it is doing.

But, does this make Wal-Mart right? Whatever your opinions on the company, there is no denying that this idea is better than the plan to block studios from going to iTunes or the suggestion that Wal-Mart should get a percentage of iTunes movie sales. It may be a sneaky move, but it isn't an altogether perfect option for customers wanting movie downloads -- particularly those who want just the download -- and at least it is a competitive rather than bullying move.

Wal-Mart will be offering other DVD/download combos in the following months, and states that the idea is in a testing phase. As far as the company's interest in download-to-burn kiosks goes, I'm guessing that option has been abandoned.

It's been awhile since we last spoke about our favorite Daniel Craig haters -- remember those folks who decided to spend an absurd amount of time protesting the decision to cast Daniel Craig as the next James Bond? Yes, these are the same people who went so far as to create a website called danielcraigisnotbond.com and bombard us with reasons as to why Craig was not a good choice for the role.

Well, after spending months boycotting the film, they're still going strong -- except, now, they're searching through hundreds of Casino Royale reviews and collecting every negative quote they can find in an attempt to ... do what, exactly? Stop us from seeing the film? After Happy Feet beat Bond at the box office this past weekend, they celebrated: "The Boycott triumphantly goes into its second weekend, how poorly will Casino Royale place this week?" Triumphantly? The film has grossed over $224 million worldwide in only two weeks -- as far as a boycott goes, I'd say they failed miserably. Not only did they fail, but they were stomped on, chewed up and spit out into the same garbage pale Daniel Craig uses to dispose of his "dirty tissues." Hey, but keep up the hard work.

In other Bond-related news, Daniel Craig is "supposedly" urging movie bosses to "modernize" Bond and include some full-frontal nudity, as well gay scenes that may or may not include 007. Here's the Craig quote currently floating around the internet: "Why not? I think in this day and age, fans would have accepted it. I mean, look at (British TV series) Doctor Who - that has had gay scenes in it and no one blinks an eye." Hmm, it appears someone likes their martini on the rocks ... not that there's anything wrong with that. Bond questioning his sexual preference? What do you think about that one?

Poor Garth Ennis has been teased, courted and kicked to the curb for years as various directors, actors and studios have expressed interest in his Preacher comic book line from the mid-late nineties, only to ultimately decide they don't actually want it. I've only been writing for Cinematical for a year now and I've already seen it come up at least twice in my tenure alone. For awhile there it looked like a film may have actually been on track (with View Askew set to produce it at one point or another), but back in May a crazy rumor popped up suggesting the project was again dead in the water, and since then we've heard very little from the Preacher camp.

The rumor suggested that while cinema had defeated Garth Ennis yet again, the man was not yet done fighting. Someone at HBO had expressed interest in the project -- but so many people have "expressed interest" in Preacher it hardly seems worth noting anymore. Well today, official news is out, and HBO does want the project. They're putting together a one hour series based on the comics with (*chuckle*) Mark Steven Johnson of Ghost Rider and Daredevil attached to write at least the pilot. So fans, you got denied a movie yet again, but you're staring down the possibility of many, many hours of Preacher in a format which would seem to be a very good fit.

Yeah, I know. We'll believe it when we see it.

It is no secret for regular readers that I wasn't particularly impressed with Ang Lee's version of The Hulk. Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate the flick -- far from it, actually. I found it to be a decent effort with truly inspired moments; I just thought it was lackluster overall. The character of The Hulk has a lot of movie potential, and you've got to credit Ang Lee for trying to go beyond the basic "Hulk Smash!" mentality, but there's only so much character study we want to see on The Hulk before we get antsy for him to start breaking things in cheesy action-movie fashion. Why did we invent action movies if not to showcase characters like Hulk?

Apparently, current Marvel favorite Zak Penn was at one point asked to write up a script treatment for the film which was eventually handed to Lee. Penn's initial draft was rejected in favor of a more introspective piece, but when Marvel realized fans seemed to want more action, they went knocking on Penn's door again. Penn, who has since proved his worth to Marvel by putting together other successful movie scripts, was willing and eager to give it another try. According to Penn, Marvel went back to his original script and said "this is more of the tone we wanted," so he'll be lifting some of his original ideas for his second try.

I'll admit to being initially skeptical of a remake this quickly after an original, but at this point I'm one hundred percent fanboy geeked for a new Hulk film. What are your thoughts on going back to the Zak Penn well?

Just because one of my old high school pals worked on both movies, that doesn't mean I really love both Starship Troopers movies. OK, I actually do love the first one, while the DTV sequel ... meh, a Saturday afternoon DVD, at best. And now it looks like the pair is about to become a trilogy, and get this: Johnny Rico is coming back!

Yep. According to reliable sources, veteran sci-fi screenwriter Ed Neumeier is poised to make his directorial debut on Starship Troopers 3, and I wasn't kidding about Johnny Rico: Original Trooper Casper Van Dien is planning to make his return to Bug Central! Having written both entries already (in addition to the original Robocop and, um, Anaconda 2), Neumeier is obviously pretty familiar with the genre material. (The first Starship flick was based on the classic novel by Robert Heinlein and resulted in a still buzzed-about Paul Verhoeven sci-fi action satire amalgam.)

Production is set to begin in South Africa next March, which means Starship Troopers 3 should be hitting your DVD stacks by this time next year.