Is Tom Savini directing Friday the 13th?

Jason will return Hockey mask and all for yet another sequel to Friday the 13th at some point in 2015... But who's directing the movie?

Apparently, during a panel at the Mad Monster Party Convention recently, award-winning special effects and make-up artist - and Man The Knife Killer actor - Tom Savini mentioned that he was being courted to direct the new Friday The 13th!

This would make for a fantastic addition to the new flick and would surely excite the fanbase to know Jason is in the capable hands of slashy Savini. However, according to other sources, it sounds like Savini being part of the franchise again is too good to be true. BloodyDisgusting are telling us not to hold our breath, saying that:

Special effects legend Tom Savini was at the Mad Monster Party in North Carolina this weekend telling fans that he’s “being courted” to direct the next Friday the 13th... Instead of rushing to post false news for the traffic bump, we did the work, checked with our sources, and were able to learn that this is completely untrue.

So, was Tom Savini being considered to direct at some point and it fell through? Was he just having fun with the crowd at the Mad Monster Party Convention? It's hard to tell, but it does sound like Paramount is trying to nail down a helmer for Friday the 13th, so stay close for more info as we get it!

Source;
http://moviepilot.com/posts/2014/03/24/is-tom-savini-directing-friday-the-13th-1287712?lt_source=external,manual

The Last of Us movie will adapt the game's storyline

by Danny Cowan

The upcoming film version of Naughty Dog's The Last of Us will be an adaptation of the game's original post-apocalyptic storyline, creative director Neil Druckmann told IGN this week.

"It's an adaptation of the story of The Last of Us," Druckmann said. "As far as where we go and how we make it fit into a film, how it takes into account the unique properties of film... We're not sure yet. We're only just scratching the surface."

Historically, video game-based movies often veer sharply from their source material. The Super Mario Bros. film's reptilian underworld and Street Fighter: The Movie's Bison Dollars linger as reminders of the rocky relationship between the film and game industries, and the difficulties involved in bringing popular games to theaters.

Rumors of a film based on The Last of Us began circulating with a pair of URL registrations late last year, and Deadline later reported that Druckmann would write its script with input from Naughty Dog staff. Sam Raimi's company Ghost House Pictures will assist with production.

Source;
http://www.joystiq.com/2014/03/13/the-last-of-us-movie-will-adapt-the-games-storyline/

Star Wars VII 'will return to ice planet Hoth' (March 2014 UPDATE on Star Wars 7 as we know so far)

Reports indicate Iceland will stand in for planet Hoth when shooting for Star Wars VII begins next month LAST UPDATED AT 15:20 ON Mon 24 Mar 2014 THE next film in the Star Wars series could include scenes on the ice planet of Hoth, last seen in Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, according to reports.

Filming is not officially set to begin until May but Icelandic news site Visir reports that the Star Wars crew may begin work on scenes in Iceland as early as next month.

Hoth was the setting for an epic clash between the rebel alliance and the evil Galactic Empire, led by Darth Vader.

The battle between rebels and the imperial forces on the snowy planet is one of the best loved sequences in the sci-fi series.

Director JJ Abrams has filmed in Iceland once before, recording "plate shots" for the 2013 picture Star Trek Into Darkness, Visir says.

Plate shots are background images, often used alongside green screen recordings or computer animation to create composite sequences that superimpose actors or props over a particular setting.

If it does go ahead, filming in Iceland is expected to capture background imagery of this kind for Star Wars VII. Icelandic film production company True North has been linked to the project.

Members of the Star Wars crew were reported to be scouting for locations in Iceland alongside True North in October last year, although True North declined to comment on any involvement with the picture.

Disney and Lucasfilm have also released no new information about the upcoming film since the revelation last week that Star Wars VII would be set 30 years after Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.

Many believe that the new films will see the return of Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill in their roles as Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Luke Skywalker. Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o and Girls star Adam Driver have also been tipped for roles in the new film.

Star Wars VII to be set 30 years after last film 19 March THE next film in the Star Wars series will be set 30 years after Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. Walt Disney's CEO, Bob Iger, confirmed the setting at a meeting of the company's shareholders on Tuesday.

The new film will also feature a return of the robot R2D2, but executives remain tight-lipped about other casting decisions.

JJ Abrams, the creative force behind some of the most popular sci-fi films of the last decade will direct and co-write the new film that will star "a trio of new young leads along with some very familiar faces", according to the official Star Wars website.

Industry insiders have tipped Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong'o and Girls actor Adam Driver for roles. Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill are expected to reprise their roles as Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Luke Skywalker.

Another Hollywood heavyweight touted for a lead is Harry Potter and Batman actor Gary Oldman. According to The Guardian, actors who have already auditioned include Zac Efron and Saoirse Ronan.

Benedict Cumberbatch and Michael Fassbender have also been linked with key roles.

 Filming will begin in two months' time at London's historic Pinewood Studios.

The six previous movies in the Star Wars series were devised and directed by George Lucas and have taken almost £3bn in cinemas worldwide since the first film was released in 1977.

Star Wars Ep 7 rumours: who will star in new film? 14 February CHIWETEL Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender and Benedict Cumberbatch are among 15 actors rumoured to have bagged a role in the new Star Wars film, written and directed by J.J. Abrams.

The original trio of Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) and Harrison Ford (Hans Solo) are also almost certain to reunite for the film, which is set for release in September 2015.

Leaked information from Drew McWeeny on film website HitFlix apparently revealed that the script is complete and that filming will begin at London’s Pinewood studios later this year. He said: “Multiple sources now have confirmed for us that Star Wars Episode VII is set to start shooting mid-May and will run through September of this year.” He also claimed that “most principal casting on the film is complete”.

Another Hollywood heavyweight touted for a lead role is Harry Potter and Batman actor Gary Oldman. “They’ve called,” said the 55-year-old this week during an interview with Sky Movies. "I don't know if it’s, er … You know, I'm more cynical about it now,” he said. “I'll believe it when I'm on the plane home. The deal isn't done, but yeah, they've inquired.”

The only officially confirmed cast member is Kenny Baker, who will reprise his 1977 performance as R2D2.

We’ve put together a list of all the actors who’ve been linked with the film:
Almost certain Carrie Fisher let slip in an interview that she, Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford will reprise their original roles, although it has not yet been officially confirmed by Abrams.

In the running According to the Guardian, actors who have already auditioned for roles include:
Zac Efron
Saoirse Ronan (The Lovely Bones, Hanna)
Michael B Jordan (The Wire, Friday Night Lights)

In talks Actors reported to have had talks with JJ Abrams about a role in the film include:
Gary Oldman
Benedict Cumberbatch
Michael Fassbender
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Simon Pegg
Jack O’Connell (Skins, Game of Thrones)
Alex Pettyfer (Magic Mike, I am Number Four)
Sullivan Stapleton (Animal Kingdom, The Hunter)
Jesse Plemons (Breaking Bad)
Adam Driver (Girls)

 It is thought that the full cast list will be released in the next couple of months.

Source;
http://www.theweek.co.uk/film/star-wars-episode-7/57322/star-wars-vii-will-return-ice-planet-hoth

Ridley Scott To Shoot Multi-Fassbender Prometheus 2 This Year, Green Lantern Writer On Board – UPDATED

by Brendon Connelly

This is interesting. Nattering at a junket, I heard a rumour about the Prometheus sequel needing Michael Fassbender to play multiple David 8 synthetics and it’s now this is being corroborated by The Wrap.

I wonder if this means the other half of the rumour, about the film leading us right up to the beginning of Alien, will also pan out? Maybe the gossipeers just made a lucky guess.

Anyway, enough of those maybes, here’s the status as it stands now. Ridley Scott is planning to shoot Prometheus 2 later this year, and it will indeed take the March 2016 release date that came up for discussion the other day. Green Lantern and Gotham’s Michael Green will take a fresh pass at the script, working from a draft by Jack Paglen, and having apparently pleased Scott with his take on the Blade Runner spin-off.

According to The Wrap, the tone of the film will be much more like Alien than Prometheus, and while that’s no bad thing, I’m not sure tone and atmosphere were where Prometheus let us down.
I was secretly hoping Johnny Hardstaff was going to get his hands on the Prometheus sequel while Scott marched on to something else on his very long list of intriguing engagements – The Forever War, in particular, seems somewhat overdue.

Hardstaff directed the various ‘virals’ associated with the first Prometheus and they were as cold and sharp as ice. Don’t you want to see what the man behind this short video can do with a feature film running time?
UPDATE: Variety are saying Ridley Scott may not direct, though he will produce, and that the film doesn’t yet have a release date… this being despite a March 2016 date on Fox’s calendar being held ready for some sort of Scott-related film. Hmmm.

Source;
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2014/03/24/ridley-scott-to-shoot-multi-fassbender-prometheus-2-this-year-green-lantern-writer-on-board/

'Ghostbusters 3' Release Date: Sony Starts Work On Ghostbusters Sequel, But Without Bill Murray And A Bunch Of Others

Guys, I've got some bad news. Sony Pictures has finally, officially, begun to work on "Ghostbusters 3." That's bad enough, for a variety of reasons that I am more than happy to discuss, if you can look past your nostalgia-tinted glasses. But a more immediate problem has come up: Ivan Reitman, the director of the original "Ghostbusters," has dropped out of the project. Don't do it, Sony Pictures. I know you'll do it anyway, but don't.

The "Ghostbusters 3" release date news comes to us via Deadline, which has reported that Sony is planning on starting production in early 2015 here in New York City. This movie has been mothballed for longer than pretty much any movie ever; it's been loosely in the works pretty much since the last one came out in 1989. And there have been endless stumbling blocks, most of them named Bill Murray. That part hasn't changed, but the team finally has a script that Reitman, Dan Aykroyd, and Sony Pictures don't hate (Bill Murray won't read it; he has things to do, like act in prestige movies and pop into Williamsburg bars).

The "Ghostbusters 3" trouble began in February, when, to the great sadness of absolutely everyone except literal terrorists, Harold Ramis died at the age of 69. Ramis, of course, starred in the original "Ghostbusters" as one of the title characters. He also wrote the movie, and directed the landmark "Groundhog Day," one of the greatest '90s movies, and "Caddyshack," a largely forgotten sports movie. Just kidding: both movies are iconic. Ramis was very close friends with Ivan Reitman, and his death evidently hit him pretty hard. As a result, and because Bill Murray simply won't do it, Reitman told Deadline that he's pulling out of the movie.

That's not going to hold up the "Ghostbusters 3" release date, though. If anything, it will finally get it made: they don't have to meet Reitman's high standards. He's fully backing the project, and is actually helping Sony find a new, appropriate director. The script, apparently, keeps the original Ghostbusters in a rather minimal role. But that's pretty necessary, especially when one of them has passed away, one of them won't do it, and one of them is Dan Aykroyd. That last one might have the worst lot of all.

As for the actual "Ghostbusters 3" premiere date, it's hard to say. If the movie really does start filming in late 2014 or early 2015-the latter is more likely, considering there isn't a director or a cast yet-we would probably see the movie in theatres in summer 2016. But they're going to need someone really, really good to prevent this from becoming a huge stinker. Ivan Reitman could have done it, and his steady hand will certainly help it along-he's staying on as producer, which counts for something.
But without Harold Ramis, without Bill Murray, without Ivan Reitman, is there even any point to Ghostbusters 3?

Source;
http://www.idigitaltimes.com/articles/22351/20140324/ghostbusters-3-release-date-bill-murray-aykroyd.htm