by Matt Thompson

When "The Bourne Ultimatum" hit theaters in 2007, it was a logical assumption that it would be the last film in the Bourne series. Then Matt Damon signed on for a fourth film last October.

We reported over the summer that Damon was stumped when it came to creating an attractive plot to the fourth installment in the series. He reached out to the audience with an open invitation to anyone who had a brilliant idea for the story.

Two months later, the problem seems to be solved. In a recent interview with Total Film, Damon revealed that he and director Paul Greengrass are working feverishly on putting together a script for "Bourne 4." Read more...

Today is Veteran's Day. It is a time when we step back for a moment to honor the bravery and sacrifices of our nation's soldiers. Men and women who give everything, up to and including their lives, all in the name of protecting this country and all that it represents. Also known as Armistice Day and Remembrance Day in other parts of the world, the holiday always falls on November 11, commemorating the anniversary of the 1918 armistice that brought an end to World War I.

The history of film is rife with stories pulled straight from the front lines. War stories make great cinema, both because they serve up gripping tales of heroism and because they honor those who take on such acts in the real world. So today, in honor of the veterans from wars past and wars ongoing, we give you this small selection of classics to spend some time with. It isn't an "all time" picks list; just some suggestions. And make sure you click the pic at the top of the post to check out our Veteran's Day photo gallery for some cool vintage stills. Read more...

Wow. This looks awesome. I replied to one of our reader's comments earlier today, someone who expressed hesitation about Matt Damon potentially being cast in the Coen brothers' planned adaptation of "True Grit," a Western. I responded with the opinion that Damon is a fantastic talent, that he possesses the rare ability to fully inhabit the characters he portrays. I used to be iffy about the "Bourne" movies, but have since come around in a big way. So you can imagine how exciting "Green Zone" is, since it reunites Damon with "Bourne" director Paul Greengrass.

You're on board now, right? Looks like pretty compelling stuff. Action-packed, topical, Damon in action hero mode, Greengrass in blockbuster mode. March 12, 2010 is suddenly a long way away.

I almost can't take this news. The brothers Coen -- Joel and Ethan -- are among the best filmmakers out there. This isn't opinion; it is a fact, supported by such stellar efforts as "The Big Lebowski," "A Serious Man" and the Oscar-winning adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel, "No Country For Old Men." So when the news broke last month that they'd be directing a new take on Chris Portis' novel "True Grit," I was beside myself.

MTV's Josh Horowitz caught up with the duo later in September, in one of their only solo interviews of the Toronto International Film Festival. There they confirmed that Jeff Bridges, previously revealed to be playing Rooster Cogburn, would indeed be wearing his character's eyepatch, like John Wayne before him. "That'd be like doing Richard II without the limp," Joel said. He also revealed the source of the adaptation: "We’re not looking at the movie. It’s a great book. It’s a very funny book." Read more...

FROM HOLLYWOOD CRUSH: It worked out pretty well for those Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Billy Bob Thornton guys. Now, could “Twilight” series star Justin Chon follow in their star-making footsteps and write himself a classic movie role?

Back in the mid-90s, the three stars were struggling actors who’d appeared in a decent number of feature films, but felt like they weren’t being offered the right kinds of roles by Hollywood. Mix in Matt and Ben’s screenplay for “Good Will Hunting,” an Oscar for Best Screenwriting, and the rest is history. Billy Bob Thornton followed a similar path with “Sling Blade.”

Charlize Theron isn't only up for a role in "Mad Max 4." No. She's also been keeping busy... by getting busy!

Last night, Charlize kissed a girl. A woman really, from the look of things. Hard to tell with their faces smashed together like that, isn't it? The kiss -- and the $140,000 that paid for it -- was part of a charity event supporting OneXOne, an organization committed to helping children in developing regions. You may remember OneXOne from the recent "Entourage" season finale, in which Matt Damon, as himself, hassled movie star Vinnie Chase (Adrian Grenier) to get involved.

Theron was initially on stage to auction off a trip to Africa, complete with a Nelson Mandela meet-and-greet, Us Magazine reports. The bidding topped out at $37,000, so the the actress sweetened the deal by offering up a 7-second kiss to a man for $130,000. One lucky lady upped that ante to 20 seconds for $140,000, and she took the prize. Hit the jump to get a look at the big picture. Read more...

David Slade's still in the thick of "Eclipse" filming, and in his most recent tweetage from the set, it sounds like there's some violence in the mountains getting underway with some celebration on the side. A few of his cast members still seem to have Rome on their minds, which is understandable given the "New Moon" footage premiering there.

In completely non-"Twilight"-related posting, Ashton Kutcher's been hanging out with Barbra Streisand and Jeremy Piven headed out to an event being held by Matt Damon in San Francisco. Meanwhile, Ice-T's been shooting up the post-apocalyptic world of "Borderlands." To find out what he thoughts of it, as well as what Amanda Bynes thinks of marriage and what Arnold Schwarzenegger's been up to with a bunch of boy scouts, click onward to the Twitter-Wood report for October 22, 2009. Read more...

FROM SPLASH PAGE: As longtime readers know, we've been closely following the ups and downs of a potential adaptation of Brian Bendis' graphic novel "Torso" for quite a while now. The crime drama follows a post-Untouchables Eliot Ness as he investigates the one of the nation's first serial killers, and at one point in the project's move to the big screen, David Fincher was attached to direct with Matt Damon, Casey Affleck and Rachel McAdams tagged for lead roles.

While the project initially attracted significant buzz, Paramount let its rights to the adaptation expire back in January, leaving many people—including Bendis himself—uncertain if it had a future in Hollywood. However, just like any good comic book character, the project isn't staying dead for very long, and Bendis revealed during a recent visit to Splash Page HQ that the "Torso" movie has found momentum once again.

"A week ago I had final, but this weekend, not so much with the final," said Bendis when I asked if he had a "final word" on the project's status.

Continue reading EXCLUSIVE: Brian Bendis Says 'Torso' Movie Is 'Not Dead Yet'

It's been almost a week since Ridley Scott was in the trades. Did you miss seeing his name attached to another potential directorial gig? Well, this latest Scott news doesn't concern a new project. He has long talked about doing a movie about the Gucci family, which would presumably climax with the murder of former fashion mogul Maurizio Gucci, who was gunned down in 1995 by a hitman hired by his ex-wife Patrizia Reggiani. Now, according to Variety, Angelina Jolie has been offered the part of Reggiani.

Despite having more anticipated projects, like the "Alien" prequel (which we'd love to see Jolie star in), and more marketable ideas, like the "Monopoly" board game adaptation, on his plate, Scott is still actively developing "Gucci." The film is reportedly a priority for Fox 2000, which is in the process of hiring someone to rewrite the script. The story will span three decades, focusing not just on Maurizio Gucci's death but on his family's fashion empire in general. Read more...

There was a lot to catch up on in Twitter-Wood today after my long weekend, including the 40th anniversary of Monty Python's first appearance on television, which member John Cleese and fan Edgar Wright both noted. Elsewhere, Edward Norton and Danny Masterson had good things to tweet about Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke's live solo performance, and Miley Cyrus and Ashley Tisdale joined Paris Hilton among those tweeting their Halloween costume plans for 2009.

There is loads more to check out, though, believe it or not, as James Gunn tweeted a pic of himself offering juice to a horse that may belong to Rainn Wilson and Jeremy Piven posted a behind-the-scene shot of Matt Damon from "Entourage." I can't even summarize it all today, I retweeted so many people. I'm @brianwarmoth, and this is your Twitter-Wood report for October 5, 2009. Read more...