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After spending years in development, "Dark Shadows" is finally taking shape. Not only is longtime Tim Burton collaborator Johnny Depp on board for the lead role of 200-year-old vampire Barnabas Collins, but a slew of other actors – Jackie Earle Haley and Eva Green, to name a few – have also joined the fray.

Now, two more names are hopping aboard Burton's adaptation of the 1960s gothic soap, and they're familiar ones. Helena Bonham Carter, Burton's partner and a regular presence in the director's recent string of films, is confirmed for a role in "Dark Shadows."

That news shouldn't come as much of a surprise. No, it's the other name that's considerably less expected: "Batman Returns" actress Michelle Pfeiffer is reuniting with Burton for the movie as well.

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Tags dark shadows, Helena Bonham Carter, michelle pfeiffer

Since witnessing the first official gathering of "The Hobbit" cast in New Zealand last week – not first-hand, mind you – I'm having a hard time getting Middle-Earth out of my mind. If you're in the same headspace as me, good news: we've got some updates on Peter Jackson's two-part "Lord of the Rings" prequel.

Alas, be careful what you wish for: it's not all good news, kicking off with some rumor-busting. Although she was identified as a cast member late last month, it turns out that "The Lovely Bones" actress Saoirse Ronan's involvement with "The Hobbit" isn't official.

"No, nothing has actually been confirmed yet," the actress told The Irish Times. "I'd love to get a role in 'The Hobbit.' I think everybody in the world would like a role in 'The Hobbit.'"

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Tags saoirse ronan, the-hobbit

One of the upcoming films we're most looking forward to (especially after this past weekend's "Saturday Night Live") is the Russell Brand-starring remake of the '80s classic "Arthur." Between Brand doing his best Dudley Moore impression and Helen Mirren as his trusty butler Hobson, that's more than enough incentive to get me in theaters.

But a new poster for the film just hit the Internet, and we have to admit, it makes a bold claim that we just don't agree with: that Arthur is "the world's only loveable billionaire." Really?

Judging by the set visit MTV was invited to, the first theatrical trailer for the film and Brand's overall persona, Arthur does look to be quite the loveable character. But the world's only loveable billionaire? Well that we've got to disagree with, because there are plenty of other movie billionaires that we love just as much as him.

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Tags arthur, russell brand

There's not too much, still, that’s known about Zack Snyder's "Sucker Punch," and that's a large part of what makes the film so exciting to us here at Movies Blog. Much like "Inception" in 2010, it's the parts we don't know about the film -- how do those multiple realities work together? Why are there zombies and samurai and dragons? -- that keep us so intrigued.

But as the March 25 release date looms ever closer, the biggest question is how are Snyder and Warner Bros. going to sell the film to an audience that hasn't been following the tiny nuggets of plot details that have slipped out over the past few months. If you watch the trailer from that perspective, it might look pretty (it didn't make our list of the best 2010 trailers for nothing) but it might not make much sense, either.

Enter the first "Sucker Punch" TV spot. It includes much of the footage shown in the full-length trailer but still maintains the same amount of questions raised by the summer's teaser. The solution to the problem of selling it to a wide audience seems to be, like with "Inception," to let the questions of what is real and what is imagined drive the hype.

Watch the latest TV spot after the jump!

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Tags Emily Browning, sucker punch, Zack Snyder

Sweeney Todd. Ichabod Crane. Willy Wonka. Make no mistake about it, Johnny Depp is used to thriving in the shadows of established, beloved characters. But even though the "Pirates of the Caribbean" actor has brought his own unique take to these well-known roles, he's approaching his latest shadow, Barnabas Collins, with a bit of caution.

When Depp begins shooting "Dark Shadows" with director Tim Burton this spring, he'll be forced to tackle the same role played so famously and expertly by Jonathan Frid on the 1960s gothic soap. Those are big shoes to fill, and Depp knows it – in fact, he's planning on skewing quite closely to what worked so well with Frid's performance.

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Tags dark shadows, johnny depp, Jonathan Frid

There was no way you could know when you clicked on this post that your mind was going to be blown. Now you know. If it's too much to handle, step away now, slowly. The braver at heart should hit play on the below video and keep reading, because you're about to have some of the magic of filmmaking revealed for you.

Armie Hammer did an outstanding job in David Fincher's "The Social Network" in dual roles as twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss. Josh Pence also did a great job in the role, though you'd never know it looking at the movie. Hammer and Pence were cast to play the brothers, but Pence is used as a body double for Hammer's dual performance. "Body double" is really underselling things though. What happens here is more of a "digital Frankenstein."

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Tags armie hammer, josh pence, The Social Network

Without knowing much about it at all, "Prometheus" is already one of the most exciting films on the horizon in 2012. What was once considered an "Alien" prequel, "Prometheus" was ultimately announced as a new original idea from director Ridley Scott and screenwriter Damon Lindelof – until leading man Michael Fassbender cleared the air and informed us that "Prometheus" absolutely has direct ties to the "Alien" franchise.

Now, another piece of the murky puzzle has fallen into place: "Prometheus," which already stars "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" actress Noomi Rapace and the aforementioned "Inglourious Basterds" actor, has landed a third lead in the form of Charlize Theron.

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Tags Charlize-Theron, prometheus

FROM SPLASH PAGE: Sony announced the official title for the upcoming reboot of the "Spider-Man" movie franchise today. The film will be titled "The Amazing Spider-Man," and will hit theaters July 3, 2012.

Along with revealing the official title for the film, Sony provided a brand new image of lead actor Andrew Garfield in costume as Spider-Man. The press release announcing the title also directed fans to the project's new website: theamazingspiderman-movie.com.

Read more about "The Amazing Spider-Man" over at Splash Page!

Tags spider-man, The Amazing Spider-Man

It was only a matter of time before likable stars and critical darlings Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman teamed up on a project together, but who could have guessed it would be the unlikely duo of Park Chan-Wook and Wentworth Miller that would bring them together?

The Los Angeles Times reports that both of the 2011 Oscar nominees are in talks to sign on for "Stoker," a mystery-drama that follows a girl named India Stoker (played by the increasingly in-demand Mia Wasikowska), her mother (Kidman), and their mysterious uncle (Firth) who shows up after her father's death.

So how do Chan-Wook and Miller factor in? Acclaimed South Korean director Chan-Wook ("Oldboy," "Thirst"), who has allegedly already met with Firth and Kidman to discuss the film, would be tackling his first-ever English-language film.

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Tags Colin Firth, Nicole Kidman, Park Chan-wook, Stoker, Wentworth Miller

Ten years ago, Christopher Nolan was best known for his mind-bending thriller "Memento" and the similarly dark "Insomnia." In the time since, he's directed two extremely successful "Batman" films, cemented his reputation as a master of twists in "The Prestige" and literally received full reign from Warner Bros. in creating his dream film (pun intended), "Inception."

But 10 years after "The Aviator," will the world be ready for another of Nolan's pet projects -- another movie that's all about Howard Hughes?

Let's backtrack a little. In the early 2000s, Nolan had wanted to make a film called "Mr. Hughes" about the renowned aviator and billionaire, based on Michael Drosnin's biography "Citizen Hughes: The Power, the Money and the Madness." But around that same time, Martin Scorsese put his own Hughes film, "The Aviator," into production, and Nolan was forced to back off.

The film went on to be a resounding success and even won five Oscars, but that was seven years ago. Now that Nolan is seemingly on the top of the world (even if he still hasn't received a much-deserved Oscar nomination for his directing), sources inform Vulture that Nolan thinks it's about time to return to the project.

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Tags christopher nolan, martin scorsese, The Aviator, the dark knight rises