Well, I don’t think they had anything to do with this news, but I’m sure they are positively giddy over it.

From First Showing comes an Earth-shattering story about Mark Millar and a pitch he has to bring Superman into the 21st century. The original interview is from The Daily Record, and this is what Millar said to them:

I’ve been planning this my entire life. I’ve got my director and producer set up, and it’ll be 2011. This is how far ahead you have to think.” He continues, explaining that “the Superman brand is toxic after that last movie [flopped], but in 2011 we’re hoping to restart it. Sadly I can’t say who the director is, but we may make it official by Christmas. But fingers crossed it could work out, that would be my lifetime’s dream.”

OMG.

That was literally my first reaction. It’s weird how in this computer age, you can actually react in your head with IM abbreviations.

First Showing had some more good stuff to say:

Why is this such an important project to Millar? “Since I was a kid I’ve always wanted to reinvent Superman for the 21st century.” Last year, he explained that “I have literally hundreds of pages of notes and sketches just waiting for this opportunity. This would be my dream gig and, as a fan, I know exactly what this project needs to work. This has to be Superman for the 21st Century, keeping everything we adore, but starting from scratch and making the kids love it as much as the 30-somethings.”

Well, I am ALL FOR IT. I think this is the best news I’ve heard regarding superhero movies since Christian Bale was signed to play Batman and Christopher Nolan took the helm at directing.

Millar added a more recent clarification on his messageboard regarding his initial quotes from The Daily Record interview:

“PS: That Superman news is interesting, isn’t it? In the interests of clarity (because I’m sure this will be picked up somewhere) a very well known American action director heard about my love of Superman, approached my and asked me to team up with he and his producer to make a pitch for this. We’ve been talking for several weeks now and, if this is going to happen, we’ll know by Christmas. He has huge pull at WB so fingers crossed. But this is nothing more than a huge US name pulling me into his fold and making me part of a package.”

So what do you guys think? Amazing news? Mark Millar, the author of so many great comics, now feverishly working to reinvent the Superman franchise?

Who is the American action direction? Let’s hope it’s not Michael Bay right?

Millar was the author of Superman: Red Son (pictured right), the alternate reality comic in which Clark Kent grows up in the Soviet Union instead of the United States. It’s on my MUST-READ list.

The praise I’ve heard for Red Son has been great, so can you imagine what he could possibly do for this fledgling movie series?

Sometimes waiting for an official trailer from an upcoming blockbuster film just isn’t good enough. If you can’t get the actual preview itself, then perhaps a description of it works just the same.

The guys at Aint it Cool News got their hands on a reported script/description for the first trailer/teaser of Terminator: Salvation, the next chapter in the Terminator franchise, which stars Christian Bale as John Connor.

The bigger news is that you can expect to SEE the actual trailer attached to The Dark Knight when it comes out on July 18th.

I.Cannot.Frakking.Wait.For.The.Dark.Knight.

In the meantime, here is the description of the trailer from AICN…spoilers of course if you’d rather wait until July 18th.

It opens with footage of people out in every day life. Christian Bale voiceovers
something like:

“I always knew it would happen”…

Than a pause…

“They told me I could stop it.”

The same people begin looking to the sky….

“That I could save us”.

Looks of horror come across their faces as he says,

“They were wrong”.

Music rises as we cut to black for a second. The Terminator theme starts, with the duh duh,
duh, duh, duh.

NEXT SUMMER appears on the screen…

We get a quick shot looking out over a sunny desert, and then a shot of Bale, in badass commando uniform
and very recognizably the same guy who plays Batman, being lowered into a huge bunker
of weapons.

THE FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE

rolls across, and we get mixed clips from inside one of the survivor bunkers as seen in Terminator 1 – but they look more concentration campish; very crowded, shots of Bale walking with a large crowd. And then the word…

BEGINS.

The music quickly rises as we get shot of a huge truck racing down a high way, a shot or two of a helicopter flying mixed with more close ups of the actors when Bale whispers, “They’re coming”.

It all goes quiet.

Massive drums blare the beginning of the theme (again) but this time much louder, more pumped up, as we get a metallic silver T that morphs into a 4.

We then get the big money shot of the trailer. Its Bale on a motorcycle with some girl on the back.
They speed through a door of what looks like a warehouse toward us. As soon as they
pass the screen, a huge terminator on wheels, a lot like the one they battle in the
first one, smashes through the wall, chasing them. It looks awesome.

It then says:

Memorial Day 2009.

Yeah, I think I have goosebumps just reading it. And I owe it all to The Sarah Connor Chronicles, which reinvigorated my interest in the Terminator franchise. Not to mention Bale playing John Connor.

I have high hopes for this first new installment.

[Aint it Cool News]

Now, keep in mind that this is just a rumor from the British tabloids, but they say that Ridley Scott is keen to sign him for the part. Bale, of course, has been grabbing up all the best roles lately which include the title role in The Dark Knight this summer as well as the main role in the Terminator sequels.

If this rumor proves to be true, Bale would be rejoining his 3:10 To Yuma castmate, Russell Crowe who has already signed on to play the Sheriff of Nottingham. Sienna Miller was recently cast as the Maid Marion. Saoirse Ronan who was in Atonement is also in the cast. There are also rumors that Vanessa Redgrave and William Hurt are in talks to join the cast.

As you probably know by now I think that Christian Bale automatically improves the quality of a movie by at least three points just by being in the film. Nottingham was already high on my radar, but if Bale joins it’ll be one of the movies I’m most looking forward to next year. I’m incredibly excited about this and I hope this rumor proves true.

Apparently, costume fittings begin next week so we should know something one way or the other fairly soon. The only thing that worries me is that we know Bale is currently working on Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins so that might impact whether or not he’d be available for Nottingham. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

What do you think? Would Christian Bale make a good Robin Hood? Do you think the movie would be better or worse with Bale in it?

Michael Mann is a great filmmaker and he normally makes really good choices. Public Enemies is set during the crime wave of 1933-34 when the government’s attempts to stop Depression era criminal legends such as John Dillilnger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd transformed J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI into the country’s first federal police force. Mann authored the script as well, based on the 2004 novel by Bryan Burrough.

The film is being headlined by Johnny Depp who will be playing Dillinger and Christian Bale who is playing Melvin Purvis, the legendary FBI agent who led the manhunt for John Dillinger in the early ’30s. It will also star Best Actress Oscar winner Marion Cotillard as well as Channing Tatum, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Dorff.

How then, to explain the casting of Leelee Sobieski as one of John Dillinger’s last girlfriends? Variety is reporting that Mann actually cast the once up and coming actress in the film. Why would you sully such a great cast by adding Leelee Sobieski? Have they not seen the work she’s done? I mean, I realize it’s been years since she’s actually done anything that anyone would have seen, but still…surely they can remember what it was like when she used to appear in movies and everyone would wonder why?

I can only assume that her character dies a horrible bloody death at the end of a tommy gun in this film or Michael Mann had a momentary lapse of judgment brought on by the excessive use of alcohol. I’m hoping it’s the former.

Howard will be taking the place of Charlotte Gainsbourg who was set to play Kate Connor, the wife of human resistance hero John Connor, played by Christian Bale, but had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts with another film she had already committed to. I can’t even begin to imagine how awful Charlotte Gainsbourg has to be feeling right about now since the other film is a nothing French comedy that no one in the states will probably ever see.

The character of Kate Connor was first introduced in Terminator 3 as Kate Brewster and was played by Claire Danes. Kate Brewster was actually the one who sent the last terminator that was played by Arnold back in time to protect John (since John had been assassinated by the same terminator on July 4, 2032).

In case you aren’t aware, Bryce Dallas Howard first gained attention as an actress in M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village and later as the title role in Lady In The Water. She also played Gwen Stacy in Spider-Man 3. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe for her role in As You Like It.

I think she’s a great addition to the cast. She’s a good actress and she has a lot of credibility. There’s one thing we can definitely say about the producers of the new Terminator trilogy and that is that they are putting together an impressive cast of up and coming actors along with the already well established Christian Bale. If these movies don’t work, it won’t be because of the acting.

According to the BBC News:

The Welsh-born star, who is soon to be seen in Batman Begins sequel The Dark Knight, has already started shooting the first of those films, Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins.

“He’s really an actor’s actor, so we’re very proud,” said Victor Kubicek of film company Halcyon.

“Christian was our first choice and he’s a big fan of The Terminator, so we’re very lucky,” Kubicek told the BBC at the Cannes Film Festival.

“But with Batman he’s already done the whole franchise thing, so we weren’t sure he’d respond.”

Luckily, said Kubicek’s business partner Derek Anderson, “he read the script and he loved it, so he’s signed on for all three.”

The first installment in the trilogy is being directed by McG and is set to hit theaters on May 22, 2009. That’s right about a year from now if you’re keeping track.

So why wait? Let’s talk DVDs…

I’m Not There

An interesting little movie that I haven’t seen yet, but it has 12 different actors playing various forms of Bob Dylan, including Christian Bale, Heath Ledger and Cate Blanchett, who was nominated for Best Support Actress in this role.

The movie claims to be Inspired “by the music and many lives of Bob Dylan”, but there are no characters of that name anywhere to be found. It has a 78% rating on RT, and 7.5 on IMDB.

P.S. I Love You

A chick flick to the max from what I hear, but it has Hillary Swank who can be a great actress at times. Lisa Kudrow also co-stars. In the film, Swank is married happily to a guy who comes down with an illness and dies. But somehow, it was like he knew it was coming, and he had created this sort of “scavanger hunt” of things she needs to do that she wouldn’t have before.

If the wife rents it, I’ll likely sit down and watch it with her…but this was just a tip to all you ladies out there. Chick flick time!

Twister (Blu-Ray)

This seems like it would be fun to see on Blu-Ray. I loved Twister, for whatever reason, and I make no apologies for it. Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton and Cary Elwes make chasing tornadoes around look like a lot of fun.

My close friends would tell you that I’m a weather nut, and if I could have a vacation chasing storms around during the summer in the midwest, I’d take it.

The 4400 – Complete Fourth Season

I believe this was the last season of this sci-fi series on USA, and there were a ton of fans devastated over it being canceled right as it was getting back on track.

I may want to check this whole thing out someday, I know Jason was a big fan.

Blu-Ray Releases

• The Air I Breathe (Image)
• The Devil’s Own (Sony)
• First Sunday (Sony)
• Helvetica (Plexifilm)
• Helvetica (Limited Edition) (Plexifilm)
• Ozzfest: 10th Anniversary (Warner Music Group)
• P.S. I Love You (Warner)
• Saawariya (Sony)
• Shall We Dance? (Walt Disney)
• Twister (Warner)

Common will play a freedom fighter and member of John Connor’s (played by Christian Bale) inner circle. The story of the film centers on John Connor who is now in his 30s and who now leads what is left of the human race in a battle against the machines.

The cast list right now looks like this:

• Christian Bale – John Connor, leader of the resistance
• Sam Worthington – a central character in the planned three picture arc
• Anton Yelchin – Connor’s friend and future father Kyle Reese
• Moon Bloodgood – a no-nonsense and battle-hardened member of the resistance who is carrying a lot of guilt over surviving the nuclear holocaust
• Common – freedom fighter and member of John Connor’s inner circle
• Josh Brolin (rumored) – director mentioned him as an ideal Terminator, but has not been confirmed for the cast

McG is directing from a script by John D. Brancato, Michael Ferris, and Paul Haggis.

Terminator 4 is set to hit theaters on May 22, 2009.

Public Enemies is set during the crime wave of 1933-34 when the government’s attempts to stop Depression era criminal legends such as John Dillilnger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd transformed J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI into the country’s first federal police force. Mann authored the script, based on the 2004 novel by Bryan Burrough. Johnny Depp will be playing Dillinger while Christian Bale is set to play Melvin Purvis, the legendary FBI agent who led the manhunt for John Dillinger in the early ’30s.

Production on Public Enemies got underway in Chicago on March 10, 2008.

In fact, The Hollywood Reporter reports that Moon Bloodgood is in final negotiations to join the cast of the film as the female lead. Most of you will probably remember Bloodgood from NBC’s short-lived series “Journeyman” (or ABC’s short-lived series “Day Break”).

In the fourth installment of the “Terminator” movie series Bloodgood will play a no-nonsense and battle-hardened member of the resistance who is carrying a lot of guilt over surviving the nuclear holocaust. She will be joining Christian Bale, Sam Worthington and Anton Yelchin who have already been cast in the film.

Principal photography is set to begin May 5, with Charlie’s Angels director McG at the helm. Terminator 4 is set for release on May 22, 2009.