Fare Thee Well, Everyone

By now you should have had the opportunity to tune into The 4th Annual Critic Corner Award Show. It was my most ambitious show to date, and my last. I am retiring The Critic Corner.

It has been a great run and I thank you all for your support these past 8 years! Fare thee well, my friends!

-Andres Segovia, March 3, 2010

The 4th Annual Critic Corner Awards Show!

Alas, The 4th Annual Critic Corner Awards Show debuts!!! Let me know what you think in the comments!

Total Run Time Length: Approximately 1 hour and 41 minutes

PART 1 - Run Time: 35:57

PART 2 - Run Time: 29:08

PART 3 - Run Time: 26:54

PART 4 - Run Time: 8:23

Christopher Nolan will oversee the next SUPERMAN while preparing BATMAN 3!!

REPORT:
It's A Bird! It's A Plane! It's Chris Nolan! He'll Mentor Superman 3.0 And Prep 3rd Batman

"Avatar" #1 movie in Domestic and Foreign box office

It finally happened, Avatar topped Titanic at the domestic box office on Tuesday 2/2/10.

READ STORY AT http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=2667&p=.htm

The 82nd Annual Oscar Nominees

Best motion picture of the year
“Avatar” A Lightstorm Entertainment Production
James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers (20th Century Fox)
“The Blind Side” An Alcon Entertainment Production
Nominees to be determined (Warner Bros.)
“District 9” A Block/Hanson Production
Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers (Sony Pictures Releasing)
“An Education” A Finola Dwyer/Wildgaze Films Production
Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers (Sony Pictures Classics)
“The Hurt Locker” A Voltage Pictures Production
Nominees to be determined (Summit Entertainment)
“Inglourious Basterds”
A Weinstein Company/Universal Pictures/A Band Apart/Zehnte Babelsberg Production
Lawrence Bender, Producer (The Weinstein Company/Universal Pictures)
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate)
A Lee Daniels Entertainment/Smokewood Entertainment Production
Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers
“A Serious Man” A Working Title Films Production
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers (Focus Features)
“Up” A Pixar Production
Jonas Rivera, Producer (Walt Disney)
“Up in the Air” (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
A Montecito Picture Company Production
Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers

Achievement in directing
“Avatar” (20th Century Fox) James Cameron
“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment) Kathryn Bigelow
“Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company/Universal Pictures) Quentin Tarantino
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate) Lee Daniels
“Up in the Air” (Paramount with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios) Jason Reitman

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart” (Fox Searchlight)
George Clooney in “Up in the Air” (Paramount with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
Colin Firth in “A Single Man” (The Weinstein Company)
Morgan Freeman in “Invictus” (Warner Bros.)
Jeremy Renner in "The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side” (Warner Bros.)
Helen Mirren in “The Last Station” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Carey Mulligan in “An Education” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate)
Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia” (Sony Pictures Releasing)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Matt Damon in “Invictus” (Warner Bros.)
Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger” (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones” (DreamWorks with Film4, Distributed by Paramount)
Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Penélope Cruz in “Nine” (The Weinstein Company)
Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air” (Paramount with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart” (Fox Searchlight)
Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air” (Paramount with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate)

Best animated feature film of the year
“Coraline” (Focus Features) Henry Selick
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” (20th Century Fox) Wes Anderson
“The Princess and the Frog” (Walt Disney) John Musker and Ron Clements
“The Secret of Kells” (GKIDS) Tomm Moore
“Up” (Walt Disney) Pete Docter

Adapted screenplay
Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell - “District 9” (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Nick Hornby - “An Education” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche - “In the Loop” (IFC)
Geoffrey Fletcher - “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate)
Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner - “Up in the Air” (Paramount with Cold Spring and DW)

Original screenplay
Mark Boal - “The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment)
Quentin Tarantino - “Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company)
Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman - “The Messenger” (Oscilloscope)
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen - “A Serious Man” (Focus Features)
Bob Peterson, Pete Docter - “Up” (Walt Disney)

Achievement in cinematography
“Avatar” (20th Century Fox) Mauro Fiore
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” (Warner Bros.) Bruno Delbonnel
“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment) Barry Ackroyd
“Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company) Robert Richardson
“The White Ribbon” (Sony Pictures Classics) Christian Berger

Achievement in costume design
“Bright Star” (Apparition) Janet Patterson
“Coco before Chanel” (Sony Pictures Classics) Catherine Leterrier
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” (Sony Classics) Monique Prudhomme
“Nine” (The Weinstein Company) Colleen Atwood
“The Young Victoria” (Apparition) Sandy Powell

Best documentary feature
“Burma VJ” A Magic Hour Films Production (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller
“The Cove” An Oceanic Preservation Society Production (Roadside Attractions)
Nominees to be determined
“Food, Inc.” A Robert Kenner Films Production (Magnolia Pictures)
Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
“The Most Dangerous Man in America” A Kovno Communications Production
Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
“Which Way Home” A Mr. Mudd Production
Rebecca Cammisa

Best documentary short subject
“China’s Unnatural Disaster” A Downtown Community TV Center Production
Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill
“The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner” A Just Media Production
Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
“The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant” A Community Media Production
Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
“Music by Prudence” An iThemba Production
Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
“Rabbit à la Berlin” An MS Films Production (Deckert Distribution)
Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra

Achievement in film editing
“Avatar” (20th Century Fox) Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron
“District 9” (Sony Pictures Releasing) Julian Clarke
“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment) Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
“Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company) Sally Menke
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate) Joe Klotz

Best foreign language film of the year
Israel - “Ajami”
An Inosan Production (Kino International)
Argentina - “El Secreto de Sus Ojos”
A Haddock Films Production (Sony Pictures Classics)
Peru - “The Milk of Sorrow”
A Wanda Visión/Oberon Cinematogràfica/Vela Production
France - “Un Prophète”
A Why Not/Page 114/Chic Films Production (Sony Pictures Classics)
Germany - “The White Ribbon”
X Filme Creative Pool/Wega Film/Les Films du Losange/Lucky Red Production (Sony Classics)

Achievement in makeup
“Il Divo” (MPI Media Group through Music Box) Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
“Star Trek” (Paramount and Spyglass) Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
“The Young Victoria” (Apparition) Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
“Avatar” (20th Century Fox) James Horner
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” (20th Century Fox) Alexandre Desplat
“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment) Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
“Sherlock Holmes” (Warner Bros.) Hans Zimmer
“Up” (Walt Disney) Michael Giacchino

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
“Almost There” (Walt Disney)
Music and Lyric by Randy Newman from “The Princess and the Frog”
“Down in New Orleans” (Walt Disney)
Music and Lyric by Randy Newman from “The Princess and the Frog”
“Loin de Paname” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Music by Reinhardt Wagner, Lyric by Frank Thomas from “Paris 36”
“Take It All” (The Weinstein Company)
Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston from “Nine”
“The Weary Kind” (Theme from "Crazy Heart") (Fox Searchlight)
Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Best animated short film
“French Roast” A Pumpkin Factory/Bibo Films Production
Fabrice O. Joubert
“Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty” A Brown Bag Films Production
Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell
“The Lady and the Reaper” Kandor Graphics & Green Moon Production
Javier Recio Gracia
“Logorama” An Autour de Minuit Production
Nicolas Schmerkin
“A Matter of Loaf and Death” An Aardman Animations Production
Nick Park

Best live action short film
“The Door” An Octagon Films Production (Network Ireland Television)
Juanita Wilson and James Flynn
“Instead of Abracadabra” A Directörn & Fabrikörn Production (Swedish Film Institute)
Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström
“Kavi” A Gregg Helvey Production
Gregg Helvey
“Miracle Fish” A Druid Films Production
Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey
“The New Tenants” A Park Pictures and M & M Production
Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

Achievement in sound editing
“Avatar” (20th Century Fox) Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment) Paul N.J. Ottosson
“Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company) Wylie Stateman
“Star Trek” (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment) Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
"Up” (Walt Disney) Michael Silvers and Tom Myers

Achievement in sound mixing
“Avatar” (20th Century Fox)
Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson
“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment)
Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
“Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company)
Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano
“Star Trek” (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment)
Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” (DreamWorks and Paramount with Hasbro)
Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson

Achievement in visual effects
“Avatar” (20th Century Fox)
Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
“District 9” (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
“Star Trek” (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment)
Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton

Achievement in art direction
“Avatar” (Twentieth Century Fox)
Set Decoration: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg
Art Direction: Kim Sinclair
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro
Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
“Nine” (The Weinstein Company)
Art Direction: John Myhre
Set Decoration: Gordon Sim

“Sherlock Holmes” (Warner Bros)
Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood
Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
“The Young Victoria” (Apparition)
Art Direction: Patrice Vermette
Set Decoration: Maggie Gray

Cameron tops Cameron! Avatar Outgrosses Titanic!

Finally, after over a decade of holding the #1 slot atop the worldwide box office, Avatar unseated Titanic as the highest grossing movie in the world before adjusting for inflation. Both films were directed by James Cameron.

In about 7 days or so Avatar will outgross Titanic in the domestic market as well.

-Andres

REUTERS: "Avatar" earns $1.84 billion worldwide

REPORT: "Titanic" just hit an iceberg named "Avatar."

James Cameron's sci-fi spectacular replaced his maritime melodrama as the biggest international release of all time during the weekend and is on the verge of claiming its worldwide crown, which also includes North American receipts, distributor 20th Century Fox said on Sunday.

The News Corp (NWSA.O)-owned studio said "Avatar" has sold $1.841 billion worth of tickets worldwide during its unbroken six-week reign, and was a day or so away from surpassing the seemingly insurmountable $1.843 billion racked up by "Titanic" in 1997-1998.

The international portion stands at $1.288 billion, eclipsing the $1.242 billion haul of "Titanic.

READ THE REST OF THE STORY HERE

List of Golden Globe Award winners

MOTION PICTURES:
_Picture, Drama: "Avatar."
_Picture, Musical or Comedy: "The Hangover."
_Actor, Drama: Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart."
_Actress, Drama: Sandra Bullock, "The Blind Side."
_Director: James Cameron, "Avatar."
_Actor, Musical or Comedy: Robert Downey Jr., "Sherlock Holmes."
_Actress, Musical or Comedy: Meryl Streep, "Julie & Julia."
_Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, "Inglourious Basterds."
_Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique, "Precious: Based on the Novel `Push' by Sapphire."
_Foreign Language: "The White Ribbon."
_Animated Film: "Up."
_Screenplay: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, "Up in the Air."
_Original Score: Michael Giacchino, "Up."
_Original Song: "The Weary Kind" (theme from "Crazy Heart"), (written by Ryan Bingham, T Bone Burnett).
TELEVISION:
_Series, Drama: "Mad Men," AMC.
_Actor, Drama: Michael C. Hall, "Dexter."
_Actress, Drama: Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife."
_Series, Musical or Comedy: "Glee," Fox.
_Actor, Musical or Comedy: Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock."
_Actress, Musical or Comedy: Toni Collette, "United States of Tara."
_Miniseries or Movie: "Grey Gardens," HBO.
_Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Kevin Bacon, "Taking Chance."
_Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Drew Barrymore, "Grey Gardens."
_Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie: John Lithgow, "Dexter."
_Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Chloe Sevigny, "Big Love."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Its Official: Avatar will outgross The Dark Knight

According to Boxofficemojo.com, the 29-day gross for both The Dark Knight and Avatar are as follows:

The Dark Knight $459.6
Avatar $460.9

The growing feeling as the film continues to perform strongly is that Avatar may/can surpass the total all-time gross posted by Titanic. This is not adjusted for inflation and doesn't take into accounting the mark up ticket prices for 3D and IMAX showings.
-Andres

AVATAR CROSSING $1B WORLDWIDE!!

Deadline Hollywood Daily is reporting that James Cameron's 3D epic just crossed the $1b mark this weekend worldwide making it the 5th movie to do so ever!

The tally so far beats The Dark Knight, the last film to cross the billion dollar mark.

If this weekend's estimate's hold, Avatar would be at an estimated $350m. If momentum holds this film could very well be on its way to $500m! It will shortly become the highest grossing film of 2009 beating the Transformers sequel!

-Andres

Complete List of Golden Globe film and TV nominees

FILM NOMINEES

Best drama
"Avatar"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglorious Basterds"
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
"Up in the Air"

Best musical or comedy
"(500) Days of Summer"
"The Hangover"
"It's Complicated"
"Julie & Julia"
"Nine"

Actor in a drama
Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart"
George Clooney, "Up in the Air"
Colin Firth, "A Single Man"
Morgan Freeman, "Invictus"
Tobey Maguire, "Brothers"

Actress in a drama
Emily Blunt, "The Young Victoria"
Sandra Bullock, "The Blind Side"
Helen Mirren, "The Last Station"
Carey Mulligan, "An Education"
Gabourey Sidibe, "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"

Director
Kathryn Bigelow, "The Hurt Locker"
James Cameron, "Avatar"
Clint Eastwood, "Invictus"
Jason Reitman, "Up in the Air"
Quentin Tarantino, "Inglorious Basterds"

Actor in a musical or comedy
Matt Damon, "The Informant!"
Daniel Day-Lewis, "Nine"
Robert Downey Jr., "Sherlock Holmes"
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, "(500) Days of Summer"
Michael Stuhlbarg, "A Serious Man"

Actress in a musical or comedy
Sandra Bullock, "The Proposal"
Marion Cotillard, "Nine"
Julia Roberts, "Duplicity"
Meryl Streep, "It's Complicated"
Meryl Streep, "Julie & Julia"

Supporting actor
Matt Damon, "Invictus"
Woody Harrelson, "The Messenger"
Christopher Plummer, "The Last Station"
Stanley Tucci, "The Lovely Bones"
Christoph Waltz, "Inglorious Basterds"

Supporting actress
Penelope Cruz, "Nine"
Vera Farmiga, "Up in the Air"
Anna Kendrick, "Up in the Air"
Mo'Nique, "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
Julianne Moore, "A Single Man"

Foreign language
"Baaria"
"Broken Embraces"
"The Maid (La Nana)"
"A Prophet"
"The White Ribbon"

Animated film
"Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs"
"Coraline"
"Fantastic Mr. Fox"
"The Princess and the Frog"
"Up"

Screenplay
Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, "District 9"
Mark Boal, "The Hurt Locker"
Nancy Meyers, "It's Complicated"
Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, "Up in the Air"
Quentin Tarantino, "Inglorious Basterds"

Original score
Michael Giacchino, "Up"
Marvin Hamlisch, "The Informant!"
James Horner, "Avatar"
Abel Korzeniowski, "A Single Man"
Karen O, Carter Burwell, "Where the Wild Things Are"

Original song
"Cinema Italiano" (written by Maury Yeston), "Nine"
"I Want to Come Home" (written by Paul McCartney), "Everybody's Fine"
"I Will See You" (written by James Horner, Simon Franglen, Kuk Harrell), "Avatar"
"The Weary Kind (Theme from 'Crazy Heart')" (written by Ryan Bingham, T Bone Burnett), "Crazy Heart"
"Winter" (written by U2), "Brothers"

TELEVISION NOMINEES:

Best TV drama series
"Big Love," HBO
"Dexter," Showtime
"House," Fox
"Mad Men," AMC
"True Blood," HBO

Best TV comedy or musical series
"30 Rock," NBC
"Entourage," HBO
"Glee," Fox;
"Modern Family," ABC
"The Office," NBC

Best actor in a TV drama
Simon Baker, "The Mentalist," CBS
Jon Hamm, "Mad Men," AMC
Michael C. Hall, "Dexter," Showtime
Hugh Laurie, "House," Fox
Bill Paxton, "Big Love," HBO

Best actress in a TV drama
Glenn Close, "Damages," FX
January Jones, "Mad Men," AMC
Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife," CBS
Anna Paquin, "True Blood," HBO
Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer," TNT

Best actress in a TV comedy
Tina Fey, "30 Rock," NBC
Edie Falco, "Nurse Jackie," Showtime
Toni Collette, "The United States of Tara," Showtime
Lea Michele, "Glee," Fox
Courteney Cox, "Cougar Town," ABC

Best actor in a TV comedy
Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock," NBC
Steve Carell, "The Office," NBC
David Duchovny, "Californication," Showtime
Matthew Morrison, "Glee," Fox
Thomas Jane, "Hung," HBO

Best actor in a supporting role
Jeremy Piven, "Entourage," HBO
Neil Patrick Harris, "How I Met Your Mother," CBS
William Hurt, "Damages," FX
John Lithgow, "Dexter," Showtime
Michael Emerson, "Lost," ABC

Best actress in a supporting role
Jane Lynch, "Glee," Fox
Rose Byrne, "Damages," FX
Janet McTeer, "Into the Storm," HBO
Jane Adams, "Hung," HBO
Chloe Sevigny, "Big Love," HBO

Best TV movie or miniseries
"Georgia O'Keeffe," Lifetime
"Grey Gardens," HBO
"Into the Storm," HBO
"Little Dorrit," PBS
"Taking Chance," HBO

Best actor in a miniseries or TV movie
Kevin Bacon, "Taking Chance," HBO
Kenneth Branagh, "Wallender," PBS
Chiwetel Ejiofor, "Endgame," PBS
Brendan Gleeson, "Into the Storm," HBO
Jeremy Irons, "Georgia O'Keeffe," Lifetime

Best actress in a miniseries or made-for-TV movie
Joan Allen, "Georgia O'Keeffe," Lifetime
Drew Barrymore, "Grey Gardens," HBO
Jessica Lange, "Grey Gardens," HBO
Anna Paquin, "The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler," CBS
Sigourney Weaver, "Prayers for Bobby," Lifetime

Ben Stiller Promotes Avatar on Late Night W/ Conan!cl

IRON MAN 2 POSTER!!!

NYT: A Movie’s Budget Pops From the Screen

REPORT: Can a movie studio make money on a film based on an original and unfamiliar story, with no Hollywood superstars, a vanishing DVD market and a price tag approaching $500 million?

That question looms large for 20th Century Fox and its 3-D science-fiction film “Avatar,” among the most expensive movies ever. Despite many skeptics, the studio thinks it can turn a profit, in part because the film’s creator, James Cameron, was the driving force behind the studio’s immense hit “Titanic.”

But just in case box-office receipts for “Avatar” fall short, Fox has worked hard to hedge its large bet on the movie.

Despite the estimated half-billion dollars spent on its production and marketing, “Avatar” may carry surprisingly little financial risk for Fox’s parent company, the News Corporation, even if it disappoints. That is because of shifting industry economics, reliance on outside investors and help from a network of allied companies and in-house business units.

Fox’s efforts underscore how studios generally have been able to minimize their exposure at a time of blockbuster budgets — albeit at the cost of limiting their profit potential as well.

The final cost of the film has not been tallied, as Mr. Cameron, who has worked on the film for 15 years, and his collaborators, as far-flung as Weta Digital in New Zealand, continue to complete their work. Published reports have put the production budget at more than $230 million.

But the price tag would be higher if the financial contribution of Mr. Cameron and others were included. When global marketing expenses are added, “Avatar” may cost its various backers $500 million.

READ THE REST OF THE STORY HERE

Men in Black 3?

REPORT: The men in black are massing.

Sony Pictures is moving forward on "MIB 3," the third movie in its sci-comedy franchise.

"Tropic Thunder" writer Etan Cohen is penning the script, and Barry Sonnenfeld, who directed the first two films, is said to be attached to the new installment, though there is no formal deal or offer as yet.

The studio is eyeing a 2010 start date for the production.

The X factor remains Will Smith. The A-lister, who starred with Tommy Lee Jones in the first two "Men in Black" films, has not committed to the project, though in recent days the buzz in development circles has been that he is interested in returning. Smith does not have a pending movie project lined up.

Jones' involvement is uncertain.

READ THE REST OF THE STORY HERE

AFP: "Titanic" producer fearless over latest movie

REPORT: Hollywood producer Jon Landau said Friday he had no doubt that his latest feature with "Titanic" director James Cameron would live up to its billing as the year's most-anticipated film.

The 300-million-dollar "Avatar", packed with computer-generated imagery and 3-D effects, is the pair's first project together since scooping 11 Oscars with "Titanic" in 1998.

"Any fear about this film is long behind us," Landau said on the sidelines of the 14th Pusan International Film Festival in South Korea, after screening 30-minutes of selected scenes from the film.

"When we started it was a little like the people at NASA who first went to the moon," he said.

"When John Kennedy said they were going to put someone on the moon, they didn't really know how they were going to do it and when we started we had an idea but we had no idea how we were going to do it either."

Landau and Cameron have spent the past four-and-a-half years putting the new film together, promising a combination of computer-generated imagery, 3-D effects and live action, the likes of which the world has never seen.

The pair seem to be on the money -- just as they were with "Titanic", which despite doubts from initial test screenings and critics went on to gross close to two billion dollars worldwide, making it the all-time box office champion.

"Avatar" follows the exploits of paraplegic army veteran who is taken to another world where his genes are mixed with those of an alien creature -- the new being becoming the "avatar" of the film's title.

"The excitement for me is that we are finally going to be able to show something that we have been working on for four-and-a-half years. Because a film is nothing if no one sees it," said Landau.

"No single movie can revolutionise the movie industry but one film can be a step in the evolution of movies. What we think we are doing here is unlocking the door for more filmmakers to tell more stories."

"Avatar" is set for its worldwide release on December 18th.

LINK TO STORY

David Letterman's Sex Scandal Full Confession

PODCAST: The Summer Box Office Wrap Up!

Finally! Another podcast! Its not the best but its informative anyway. How boring, huh?

Well, here's my podcast to wrap up a lackluster summer box office!

Patrick Swayze dies at 57

REPORT: Patrick Swayze, the hunky actor who danced his way into moviegoers' hearts with "Dirty Dancing" and then broke them with "Ghost," died Monday after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 57.

"Patrick Swayze passed away peacefully today with family at his side after facing the challenges of his illness for the last 20 months," his publicist, Annett Wolf, said in a statement Monday evening. Swayze died in Los Angeles, Wolf said, but she declined to give further details.

Fans of the actor were saddened to learn in March 2008 that Swayze was suffering from a particularly deadly form of cancer. He kept working despite the diagnosis, putting together a memoir with his wife and shooting "The Beast," an A&E drama series for which he had already made the pilot.

Swayze said he opted not to use painkilling drugs while making "The Beast" because they would have taken the edge off his performance. The show drew a respectable 1.3 million viewers when the 13 episodes ran in 2009, but A&E said it had reluctantly decided not to renew it for a second season.

READ THE REST OF THE STORY HERE

AP: Depp back for new 'Pirates' film coming in 2011

REPORT: Avast! Disney says a new "Pirates of the Caribbean" film is on yonder horizon.

Johnny Depp sailed onstage Friday on a pirate ship at the Anaheim Convention Center to help announce the forthcoming installment of Disney's blockbuster film franchise. He was welcomed with a rousing standing ovation.

Depp will reprise his role as Capt. Jack Sparrow in "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," slated for summer of 2011. It's the fourth in a series.

READ REST OF THE STORY HERE