TM Movie News: Ending 2013 with a BANG!

- by Steve Garcia, 30 December 2013

The end is nigh, my beloved Trash Muties, but that won’t stop the news! Is there a new mystery villain in the next Avengers movie? What’s the word on those Avatar sequels? Who’s going to be in the Man of Steel sequel this week? Who is Ant-Man?! All these questions will be answered and more on the year’s last edition of MOVIE NEWS!

Ant-Man:

• We have an Ant-Man! According to the big guys at Marvel themselves, Paul Rudd (Anchorman, Knocked Up) is officially going to star as Marvel’s tiny hero. A perfect pair to Edgar Wright’s directing and writing, Rudd is certainly a great casting call. That, along with his potential chemistry with Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo while they’re talking about science stuff in a future Avengers movie is enough to get my nerdgasm going. Now the big question is which Ant-Man will he be? Pym? Lang? O’Grady?! Here’s a quote from Kevin Feige, the grand master behind the Marvel movies, regarding the actor:
  
• “When Edgar Wright came to us with the idea of Paul Rudd, we felt a huge sense of relief because the first step in creating any Marvel Studios film is finding the right star. We knew early on that we had found the right person in Paul. When he not only agreed to do it, but became as enthusiastic as any actor we’d ever met with about doing the work, we knew we’d found the right guy. We couldn’t be more excited for our audiences to see what he’s going to do to bring Ant-Man to life.”
  

Avatar Sequel(s):

• After Avatar made its spot as the highest grossing film of all time, James Cameron made it clear that this was only the beginning of this goldmine of a potential franchise. In regards to the film’s sequel (slated for a 2016 release), the story will shift its focus from the main character, Jake Sully (played by Sam Worthington), and expand on his newfound family on the alien world of Pandora. Cameron’s official word:
  
• "We spread it around quite a bit more as we go forward. It's really the story of his family, the family that he creates on Pandora. His extended family. So think of it as a family saga like 'The Godfather.'"
  
• Comparing “The Godfather” to something like "Avatar" might sound a little uneasy to some, but after making close to $3 billion at the box office with the last one, Cameron can say and do whatever he wants. We still have a ways to go before we revisit Pandora, but Cameron’s movies are always a pleasure to watch. Get hyped!
  

Avengers: Age of Ultron:

• If you thought the Man of Steel sequel was packed, take a step back and look at the next Avengers movie. After Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch found their actors in Aaron Taylor Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen, Don Cheadle (Col. James Rhodes/War Machine) revealed that he will be suiting up for a scene in the film as well! Whether or not he’ll actually join the team is unknown at this time, but after the events in Iron Man 3, speculation is all around the board.
  
• Potential SPOILER time: But what about the villains? Is Ultron not enough to tickle your fancy? According to the super spies at Latino Review, they claim that HYDRA leader Baron Wolfgang von Strucker will be in the film as well as a supporting villain. Among this alleged scoop, the site also states that Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch will be working for him, and that actors being eyed for the role are Martin Csokas (Aeon Flux) and Dougray Scott (Hitman). Being that Marvel Studios can’t reference Magneto or anything X-Men related because of legal reasons, this potentially new cinematic origin might be the fix for all of that. But is it true? We’ll find out soon enough.
  

Bill & Ted 3:

• That fabled Bill & Ted sequel continues to pop into the news, ladies and gentleman! In a recent interview with IGN, Keanu Reeves confirmed that:
  
• “The writers Ed Solomon and Chris Matheson wrote a script. So there's efforts being made to try and get it made. It's a cool story. They came up with a really good story. It would be surreal to play that character at 50, but as long as it's funny and touches peoples' hearts.”
  
• He later went on to say that he and Alex Winter (Ted) collaborated with the writers, as well. So we have the original writers, with the original cast, collaborating with each other to give us a movie where 50-year-old Bill & Ted embark on another triumphant trek? Excellent! Besides, if Reeves is confident that this movie will be good enough even without the genius George Carlin, it has my blessing. Party on, dudes!
  

Fast and Furious 7:

• Following the tragic death of Paul Walker, Fast 7 was put on hold. On his Facebook page, co-star and close friend to the deceased, Vin Diesel, officially announced that the highly anticipated sequel will be released on April 10, 2015. Little is known as to what changes the film will face (as it was halfway finished filming before Walker’s death), but Walker will still be in the final cut, and that director James Wan and writer Chris Morgan are planning to write Walker’s character out of the series. Supposedly Walker’s younger brother Cody was approached by the studio to serve as a double for him, as CGI can be used to add Paul’s face to his body if necessary.
  

Gilligan's Island:

• Actor Josh Gad is co-writing and staring a big-budget film based on Gilligan’s Island for Warner Bros. Normally, a cinematic remake of a TV show that has long been dead is something I’d pay no attention to, but this one is special, folks! Gad is an amazingly talented actor and singer, as seen in Disney’s Frozen and The Book of Mormon. Therefore, if he’s involved, that means everyone needs to see it. As of right now, we don’t know for sure which of the castaways he’ll be playing, but after rumors of Michael Cera being eyed for Gilligan, my money is on the Skipper. No word on a potential release date yet, but I’ll most certainly keep you updated!
  

Guardians of the Galaxy:

• Not only did we get our Ant-Man, but after months of speculation, Marvel officially announced that Vin Diesel will in fact be voicing Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy. Here’s a quote from the director, James Gunn regarding the pick:
  
• "Vin Diesel is a super awesome dude. I can't tell you how much I like this guy. Yep it is completely official. AND he's amazing. I never knew someone could say I AM GROOT so many different ways and with such feeling (and that sounds like I'm kidding but I'm not!)"
  

Man of Steel Sequel:

• I’m still not calling it "Batman vs. Superman", and for good reason, ladies and gentlemen! According to Variety, the Oscar-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix is reportedly being looked at by Warner Bros. to be the film’s main antagonist. Director Zack Snyder has already confirmed that Lex Luthor will be in the film, so naturally, all eyes and ears are waiting for the confirming word. While I think he would be an excellent fit for the role, you need to remember that the movie is still in pre-production and Phoenix has stayed very far away from high-profile movies, especially like this one, for quite some time now. Take this with a grain of salt, Trash Muties! Still, fingers crossed!
  
• In other Man of Steel news, the Oscar-winning Argo writer Chris Terrio will be rewriting the script for the highly-anticipated sequel. David Goyer wrote the original script, as well as the one for Man of Steel. Rewrites are fairly common, especially when it comes to big-budget films like this, so this is far from bad news, folks! Plus, this should come as a surprise to no one because of Ben Affleck’s involvement. My confidence in this film just grew a little bit! In BatFleck we trust!
  

Pan:

• In a world where origin stories are the hip thing, it was only a matter of time before they infiltrate our childhood storybook icons like Peter Pan! According to The Hollywood Reporter, “The script by Jason Fuchs sees Pan and the man who becomes Hook as friends, with Hook a member of the crew on Blackbeard's pirate ship. Blackbeard is the villain of the piece, with the friends teaming up to take him down. However, a rift between the two soon develops, and diverging paths are taken.” While nothing is set in stone yet, Hugh Jackman is in talks to play Blackbeard. I’d love to see Jackman in a villainous role, so I guess I have to be on board for this one! Pan it is!
  

Sandman:

• A few weeks ago, I told you guys that Joseph Gordon-Levitt was rumored to be involved with staring, writing, and directing a movie based on Neil Gaiman’s critically acclaimed Sandman. As it turns out, not only did he confirm that it’s happening on his own twitter account, but he is also working alongside Man of Steel writer David Goyer and Gaiman himself, as well as using the hashtag “#Prelude.” While I personally never read this must-read (I know, I’m a slacker), “Prelude” most likely refers to Gaiman’s first story arc on the series “Preludes & Nocturnes.” Check out his tweet, for I have no opinions whatsoever!

The Wind Rises:

• Speaking of Joseph Gorden-Levitt, he and a plethora of big-name stars will be lending their voices to the English dub of the newest Hayao Miyazaki film, The Wind Rises. Along with JGL, other names include (but certainly aren’t limited to!) Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, William H. Macy, John Krasinski, and Elijah Wood. The English version of this film was directed by the Oscar-winning director Gary Rydstrom (Saving Private Ryan), and is slated for a February 21, 2014 release at select theaters in the U.S.
  

X-Men: Apocalypse:

• The Apocalypse is among us, and director Bryan Singer showed us which writers are going to get us there! Mike Dougherty and Dan Harris co-wrote X2, and Simon Kinberg is Fox’s main superhero guy, as he’s guiding the X-Men franchise as well as the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot along with comic book writer Mark Millar. As for the tweet, you can check it out below! It’s snowing in Egypt, folks! Apocalypse lives there!

STUFF YOU SHOULD LOOK AT:


3 Days to Kill:

• Kevin Costner’s in a new movie! It’s Taken, but without the unbelievably suspenseful high stakes! LOOK AT IT!
  

22 Jump Street:

• Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill are going back to school! The red band trailer for 22 Jump Street is out and awesome (despite it being the same movie, but in college, but who cares?)! LOOK AT IT!

The Amazing Spider-Man 2:

• Our first teaser poster is out, and inconspicuously leaves out an official title! A great battle is afoot! LOOK AT IT!
  

Blended:

• Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore are back together again, and it looks significantly better than Sandler’s last few flicks! Terry Crews is in it! LOOK AT IT! (If you want to!)

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes:

• The first trailer is finally here! Caesar’s back and he’s angry! LOOK AT IT!

The Expendables 3:

• The gang is back! And they brought Harrison Ford and Wesley Snipes with them! LOOK AT IT!
  

How To Train Your Dragon 2:

• The first official trailer just hit the web! Supposedly it spoils stuff! LOOK AT IT! (At your own risk!)
  

Sabotage:

• Arnie’s in a new movie! Lots of guns and lots of betrayal! LOOK AT IT!
  

Transcendence:

• Johnny Depp’s in a Sci-Fi movie! Without Tim Burton! So cool it got TWO teaser trailers and a full-length trailer in the span of a week! I’m really into this movie! Below is the full length trailer, but look up the other two (1, 2) too! LOOK AT ALL OF THEM!
  

And we’ve come to the end, folks! What do you think about all those trailers? Who’d win in a fight: Caesar and the apes or the Expendables? Got any opinions on the Sandman movie? How do you feel about Paul Rudd as our Ant-Man? Let us know! As always my good mutants, be good to one another, and have an excellent New Year!

Tagged: TM Movie News.

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