Like any good movie fan, I have my own fully developed set of pre-dispositions when it comes to certain actors/directors/writers, etc. You know how it is -- there are some people you just inherently trust to provide you with quality work. Likewise, there are similar characters which immediately instill feelings of fear and disgust. This doesn't mean you can always predict the quality of a film brought to you by one of these folks (for instance, I love William H. Macy, and dude is in some awful movies), but it does give you somewhere to start. For me, Doug Jones is very near the top of the list, despite his somewhat atypical body of work. I can't speak to the quality of every film Jones is in, but I can almost categorically promise that I will love his performance in it.

Delightfully, Jones has signed on to two of my very favorite comic book franchises, landing major character roles in both Hellboy and The Fantastic Four. Jones has recently completed work on FF2, and is gearing up for work on Hellboy 2, and in the downtime chatted just a bit with IF Magazine. He said to expect a lot more screen time for Abe Sapien in the Hellboy sequel, and a great buddy role with Hellboy. Of the Four he said very little, because he wasn't sure what he was allowed to discuss. He did, however, note: "I'm going to play it safe and say that it would be difficult to introduce the Silver Surfer without Galactus having some kind of presence in the film."

It seems that Renee Zellweger, the lady of quirky diaries and bunny creation seems to be quite interested in the pigskin lately. She's not doing Bridget Jones 3, or Bridget Jones Way Too Many, so she definitely has the time. In December, Erik Davis shared news that Zellweger would be joining The Office's John Krasinski in George Clooney's Leatherheads, which is a player - fiancee - coach football love triangle. Now, she is looking for a little football of the biopic variety.

According to The Guardian, Zellweger is going to play a foster mother of current pro football prospect Michael Oher -- a left tackle prominently featured in the popular book by Michael Lewis -- The Blind Side - Evolution of the Game, which the film is based on. It's one of those feel-good success stories, much more than the likes of Rudy. Oher was a large, poorly-educated African-American teen who was brought into a wealthy, white Republican family. It seems that she'll pick up the role of Leigh Anne Tuohy, the woman who, along with her husband, steers Oher into football. He got an education, and is now thought to be one of the leading pics for pro football.

What should make the movie a little more interesting than Zellweger being motherly, or yet another story about solid white folk inspiring a poor, down-trodden African-American kid is Oher himself. The Guardian ends with a story about how Oher handled once being insulted during a school match -- he picked the player up, carried him off the field and when asked, he explained that he "was going to put him back on the bus."

Yes, we now officially have another name to throw in the Wonder Woman pot -- this time around, it's actress Sophia Bush who seems to be raising more than a few eyebrows. IESB recently sat down with Bush to discuss her role in The Hitcher remake, and decided to bring up a rumor they had heard awhile back but never wrote about. When asked whether she had discussed playing Wonder Woman with the powers that be, Bush simply replied, "Maybe." Oh, and then she smiled.

Bush's name has now been added to a long list of potential actresses up for the role, which includes Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra, Charisma Carpenter, Jessica Biel, American Idol's Katherine McPhee (chalk that one up as the most bizarre), Rachel Bilson and Cinematical's own Kim Voynar. (Keep in mind, Kim has nothing whatsoever to do with Wonder Woman, but I thought it would be fun to toss her name into the mix as well. Go Kim!)

Though we still don't know exactly where Joss Whedon is in the production process (re-writing draft 15, perhaps?), it can't be long before his star is announced. As far as Sophia Bush goes, she fits the perfect age range (unlike back when she was replaced by Claire "Why am I so boring" Danes in Terminator 3 for being "too young"), certainly looks the part (then again, there are thousands of pretty brunettes out there in La La Land) and, according to IESB, she has a kick-ass physique -- one that's capable of, well, kicking ass. So I guess we'll see -- is "maybe" with a smile enough to get excited? Not for me ... but I could care less about a big-screen version of Wonder Woman. Your thoughts?

When shocking, strange or just plain crazy bits of information swim through the veins of movie news, there's often some way to disregard it. Maybe it's a rumor, or maybe the people in question aren't the best in the business -- so you can toss it off to a lack of taste. However, when the news is linked to the well-respected, you have to wonder what's in the water. This isn't the first time Kirsten Dunst news has stopped me in my tracks. I wondered what Sam Raimi was thinking with Spider-Man, and then what Sofia Coppola was thinking with Marie Antoinette. (I actually used to enjoy Dunst, but as time has passed, so has the appreciation.)

Now, it looks like I will have to wonder what Michel Gondry is thinking. The man is responsible not only for intriguing music videos like Cibo Matto's Sugar Water, but also for the surreal Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and the more recent, The Science of Sleep. Now, if inferences on her hints are true, Gondry is doing the unthinkable -- something that truly rivals Lindsay Lohan as Stevie Nicks. In an interview for New Zealand's online mag Stuff, Kirsten Dunst started hinting at her next project with Gondry: "[It's] about somebody who everybody knows, but I can't say who it is." She then admitted that the somebody in question is a "well-known singer." If she is, indeed, going to be singing about a Heart of Glass, let's just hope they use the original music and not a Dunst version. To give her credit, she looks similar, but can she pull of the curling lip and killer eyes?

[via FilmIck]

Just last month, our own Matt Bradshaw brought us the possibility that Guillermo del Toro, the man responsible for Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth, would be bringing an H. P. Lovecraft novella to film -- At the Mountains of Madness. It's a creepy story about explorers who find the remnants of a pre-human society of aliens in the icy cold landscape of Anarctica. As Matt reported, del Toro has been working on an adaptation for years, and now it seems like his work will reap large rewards, if Latino Review has any say about it.

According to the website, they got their hands on a version of del Toro's script for Mountains, and it has inspired one hell of a fanboy response from El Mayimbe. According to the reviewer, who has read the story: "Folks, off the bat, Guillermo and his writing partner f**king nailed it!" He says it's full of action, adventure, sci-fi and monsters -- which sounds Lovecraftian so far. Along with the article's glowing praise is a long run-through of the first act, complete with more super-excited exclamations. Myself, I've never read any of Lovecraft's work, but I can't help but start to feel the tingle of anticipation in the face of such excitement, especially when it comes from the hands of del Toro.

[via Arrow in the Head/JoBlo]

Word has been spinning around about Luc Besson and his latest, and at one point reportedly last film, Arthur and the Invisibles (Minimoys) for a while now. It has that kid who seems to appear in everything, a whackload of famous names attached, and the spinning hubub over Besson's alleged retirement. While it was looking to be a really interesting animated offering, the response hasn't been too good so far -- Rotten Tomatoes has 2 out of 10 fresh tomatoes, and one of the fresh ones has rotten spots. Now, the film seems to be getting a deadly blow from The Academy Awards.

According to Cartoon Brew, Arthur is being officially disqualified from consideration for Best Animated Feature. The film, which is part live action and part animation, apparently has less animation than first anticipated -- under 75%. While this is a blow for Luc and the Weinsteins, it is also a blow for the possible nominees, unless the people behind the golden statues bend the rules. Before Arthur's removal, there were 16 eligible features, and 16 is the magic Oscar number, as Scott Weinberg told us in November. When there are at least 16 options, there are 5 nominee places. However, when the eligible number dips below 16, we only get 3.

The animation race was looking to be a great moment for the Oscars this year, with competition from the likes of Cars, Flushed Away, and even A Scanner Darkly. But what will come of it now? Personally, I think they should just keep Arthur in and let him get axed by the competition, thereby securing us the broader race we were hoping for. If current rumblings are true, Arthur has already shot himself in the foot anyway. ...

I don't want to talk about Britney Spears this week. Personally, I've read more than enough news about her, and she barely qualifies as a film-related personality, anyway. I don't want to deal with Anna Nicole Smith either, at least until her daughter's paternity test comes back ... and even then, I'm on overload. And Rosie O'Donnell? I'm trying to ignore that whole thing with Donald Trump, which doesn't even make sense.

Unfortunately, it's a slow gossip week without the above-named celebrities. I realized at some point that if I am reporting items on Mary-Kate Olsen's boots and Charlton Heston's neighbors, it is definitely not a red-letter gossip week. I couldn't even find any George Clooney or Johnny Depp photo opportunities. However, at least I know I'll entertain the Jessica Alba fans with the last news item on the following list.

Even if you are not a fan of the Grindhouse tradition, you have to admire a movie that is going all out to re-create a movie going experience that most of us have probably never had. There has been no shortage of headlines about Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's Grindhouse. The latest is the announcement that Shaun of The Dead director Edgar Wright is on board to direct another "faux trailer" for the film.

It was only a little over a week ago that Matt had news that Rob Zombie was directing a trailer titled Werewolf Women of the SS for the film. Along with Zombie, Eli Roth is joining in on the fun with his trailer for the film titled Thanksgiving. Fangoria reports that Wright is the newest addition to the expanding list of director "cameos." There are no details as to what Wright's trailer will be about, but I would expect there to be more that a smidgen of Zombie action to the proceedings. Grindhouse is set for release this April, which is going to busy month for Wright since his upcoming cop film, Hot Fuzz with Shaun of The Dead's writer and star Simon Pegg, will also hit theaters.

[via ComingSoon.net]

In a world where animation often comes from the likes of young artistic animators and superHiro effects artists, Hayao Miyazaki is today's Walt Disney -- older and very successful. The man turned 67 yesterday, and with many years and vast achievements under his belt, rumor has it that he's set to retire. But first, he's completing his super-secret current film. Rumors have been circling over what the film will be about, but now the cat might be out of the bag -- or be a hopeful ploy to de-rail us.

According to Film Ick, it has been confirmed that the rumors that started circulating in 2005 are true -- he is adapting a Chinese children's novella named I Lost my Little Boy. (Does this go against what he told R30 in July, that the film's title will use the word "no" twice, or is he just changing the name? Or, are we all just going crazy in small rumor morsels and false information?) Anyhow, the film revolves around a boy dying from heart disease who still manages to go on great adventures. What's even more interesting than the plot is how it came to be. The Ick story claims that the novella is "very obviously inspired" by Miyazaki, and rumor has it that Totoro is mentioned in the book. If the latest word is right on key, it'll be interesting to see how Miyazaki adapts a work that is an adaptation of his own work. Will it become hyperreal? That just might be the case since Wikipedia has news that he's creating the film's storyboards in watercolor because of the movie's "unusual visual style."

[via Twitch]

Hey, remember way back in August, when the rumor mill suggested Dominic Purcell would take the lead role in Marvel's mulligan Incredible Hulk film? Yeah, okay, neither do I. But the rumor mill did suggest it, and is just now getting around to resolving the issue. As we all know (which is really a nice way of leading into an explanation for those of you who don't know), Marvel wasn't entirely pleased with their recent attempt at a Hulk film, and rather than going for a sequel with Eric Bana and Ang Lee, decided instead to pretend like the film didn't happen and just reboot the franchise. Naturally, this means a new actor will be needed for Bruce Banner, and Purcell's name was among those who popped up early on the list of potentials.

SuperheroHype spoke this week with Purcell, and quizzed him about the late-summer rumors. Purcell confirmed expectations by denying an involvement with the film. He said he was never approached by Marvel, and has absolutely no plans for being a part of the film. Not that he wouldn't be interested if they came knocking, of course -- everyone wants to be a cool superhero, right?

Odds and ends from Friday:

• The James Brown rumor mill is definitely heating up (and, personally, I'm on fire with anticipation) -- first came word that Usher was interested in the role, and now we're hearing Samuel L. Jackson's name passed around. Sam Jackson as James Brown? What's next, Spike Lee steps from behind the camera for a little diddy action? Hey, I love Jackson just as much as the next Star Wars prequel mega-fan, but you really expect me to believe the man has that many moves? Seriously now, how about we start throwing some real talent in this already rocky wave pool.
• Brad Pitt? His career in trouble? Say it ain't so, David Thompson. Oh, he says plenty: "But Pitt is utterly exposed. He hasn't had a release since Mr & Mrs Smith, and Babel in 10 weeks has earned about $20m (£10.2m) and is playing at 250 theatres across the nation. The way he's fading away at the age of 43, he could be an actress." Ouch. While Thompson does make some good points (Damon and DiCaprio are hitting their strides, while Pitt is too lost saving the world alongside his wife), I am of the opinion the man still has some juice left ... and if we have to wait another year (and for another David Fincher film) to witness the re-birth of Pitt 2.0, so be it.
• The LA Times recently asked a number of online film folks to give us the 411 on 2007 and -- whaddya know -- Cinematical's Kim Voynar and Erik Davis (wait, that's me!) managed to throw in our four cents on the new year and the Hollywood dreck that lies ahead. Nah, not all of it looks bad (we think, and hope) -- Kim said Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has tremendous "flop potential," while I went ahead and gave Evan Almighty the award for "The Biggest Disappointment We Saw Coming From a Mile Away." Hey, but there's always another Pixar film to look forward to ...

[First two stories came via Hollywood Wiretapp]

Unlike the explosive nature of Keith Moon's presence as the drummer for The Who, his biopic has been slowly stirring for a long time now. Sure to be a madhouse of larger-than-life mayhem, the biopic has been in forever-development by Who's frontman, Roger Daltrey, and producer Nigel Sinclair -- who has produced everything from The Wedding Planner to No Direction Home: Bob Dylan. Two years ago, news sites including Cinematical were rumbling about Mike Myers becoming Keith Moon.

At the time, Myers was coming off a myriad of family hits and flops, and was sliding into seclusion and battery re-charge. Now, as Wayne finishes up some more Shrek vocal stylings, Moon news is re-rumbling. See Me Feel Me: Keith Moon Naked For Your Pleasure, seems to be back on track for release in 2009. Where an actor usually has to sell himself and prove to the audience that he can embody the famous musician, Myers was picked by Roger Daltrey himself. While its undoubtedly an honor to be chosen by someone in the band, I wonder if it is better to blast people harboring low expectations out of the water, rather than having to live up to the expectations of a famous frontman.

Then again, Mike Myers really seems made for the role. Moon was an unpredictable and hyperactive man, probably suffering from ADHD, who had a penchant for destruction and quirky antics. The man inspired The Muppets' Animal, and really, who is more of an animal than Mike Myers?

Okay, so the Spider-Man 4 rumor mill is already old news, even if part three hasn't technically ... you know ... happened yet. Essentially, the argument boils down to two camps -- a few of the actors, who say they are tired of Spider-Man and ready to move on, and a few of the Marvel execs who say the franchise will live forever because there are endless Spider-Man stories already in existence just waiting for a chance to make the big screen.

But a new voice has just entered the discussion; one of the most important voices. Sam Raimi, the talented and beloved director of all three films in the franchise, has just offered his thoughts on the future of the franchise in a discussion with Premiere Magazine. You can read all his thoughts here, but the short version is, Raimi is interested in more movies provided he can keep Tobey Maguire on board. He admits it is possible he will tire of the franchise any day, but his mood right now is one of pure love.

This is a fantastic endorsement for fans who hope to see the franchise live on. I have no doubt Marvel would hit up a new director if Raimi should quit -- or cast a new Peter Parker if Maguire moves on -- but we all know the dangers of a revolving door of directors, and losing the talent of Raimi would be a big blow. Not necessarily a death blow, because franchises like Harry Potter have passed through many a director, but I think we can all agree that Spider-Man is far better off with Sam Raimi than without him.

Since I never really was a fan of Alias when it was on TV, I only had a vague sense of who Michael Vartan was beyond some gossip stories surrounding his break-up with co-star Jennifer Garner and only the odd movie role. One of Vartan's last high profile roles was with Jennifer Lopez in the romantic comedy Monster in Law, as a Mama's boy caught between his fiancée and his dear old mom.

Vartan looks like he might by expanding his horizons with a new role in the horror film Worst Nightmares for director Frederick King Keller. Moviehole.net reported that Bridget Moynahan, Lance Henriksen and Greg Kinnear are also in talks to star in the film. The script was written by Shane Briant and follows a Pulitzer Prize winner who is tormented by a serial killer that murders his victims based on their worst nightmare. The killer also finds time to run a website called www.worstnightmares.com to recount his evil deeds, so I would imagine a viral site is a given for the marketing campaign. Remember when serial killers just used to stab and shoot people? Ever since Se7en, serial killer flicks seem to have gotten so complicated, what with all the ironic deaths and all. So far the cast is still up in the air, but Vartan has expressed interest in the role of the killer. Since he usually plays romantic leads in films, I'd be curious to see if he could pull it off.

If you're going to be in Miami from January 5th to 8th, you might want to stop by the Art Miami Fair at the Miami Beach Convention Center and behold a new painting of the Virgin Mary -- actually, make that the Virgin Angelina. Artist Kate Kretz is presenting a new oil and acrylic painting on linen entitled "Blessed Art Thou." It presents Angelina Jolie and her three children as the Virgin Mary and offspring, hovering in heavenly repose over a typical American Wal-Mart with flags draped from the rafters and plus-sized shoppers obliviously gazing at the merchandise. A sickly green hue fills the air over the shoppers, one of whom seems to be staring in the general direction of a copy of Us Weekly, which is wedged in the magazine rack next to a "For Dummies" book. A frothy cloud cover forms a dividing line between the serene celebrity heaven above and the hell below.

In conjunction with the unveiling, Kretz has been keeping a blog on her website, detailing the step-by-step creation of the painting. The blog seems to be in the same "too much information" spirit as the painting itself, giving us an excess of detail about her artistic process. Here's a sampling: "hair and sash are not the only dark values, so the grouping is more unified against the clouds. I think the clouds have lost some impact, as the blue dress is stronger than the blue of the clouds...."