Darren Aronofsky

Russell Crowe Up For 'Noah,' 'RoboCop' Reboot?

Posted 2/2/12 4:14 pm EST by Kevin P. Sullivan in News

Russell Crowe

Russell Crowe has been at the front of some of today's most intriguing casting rumors. A chain reaction of reports set off by a Deadline post places Crowe on the shortlist for two high-profile projects.

Wednesday night (February 1), Deadline's Mike Fleming reported that he heard that Darren Aronofsky has his top choices picked for his biblical epic, "Noah." According to Fleming, Aronofsky wants Russell Crowe for the title role and Liam Neeson for a different character.

The "Black Swan" director's first choice, Christian Bale, had to drop out due to a busy scheduling conflicts, and Crowe's credentials certainly qualify him as a suitable replacement.

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Christian Bale Out, Michael Fassbender In For Darren Aronofsky's 'Noah'?

Posted 12/1/11 11:51 am EST by Kara Warner in Casting Call, News

Fassbender Bale

It looks like Christian Bale's busy post-"Batman" schedule has forced him to bow out of Darren Aronofsky's "Noah." According to Variety, Bale has passed on the leading role in Aronofsky's long-developing biblical epic, opening the door for 2011 "It Man" Michael Fassbender to step in and replace him.

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Jason Statham Speeds To 'Fast And Furious'?

Posted 10/4/11 5:57 pm EST by Terri Schwartz in Dailies

Jason Statham

"The Transporter" is about to show off his driving skills in a brand new franchise.

Twitch reports the rumor that Universal Pictures is in preliminary talks with Jason Statham to have him come on board the next "Fast and the Furious" film. There's also a possibility that the movies will return to Europe to begin shooting back-to-back in 2012. All conjecture for now, but if true, what do you think of Statham joining Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson and the rest of the "Furious" gang?

Check out the rest of today's film news after the jump!

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New 'Hobbit' Image Reveals Gandalf And Bilbo Baggins

Posted 6/27/11 5:23 pm EST by Terri Schwartz in Dailies

Gandalf So sue us, we're about as excited as you can get about Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit" adaptation.

Fortunately for us fans, Empire is too. That's why we're pretty thrilled that "The Hobbit" is gracing the August issue of the mag (out June 30) with some brand new looks at Martin Freeman as Bilbo, Ian McKellen re-donning the gray robes as Gandalf, and tons of inside scoop from the set. It should at least tide us over until the flick's Comic-Con panel.

In the news after the jump, "Prometheus" footage will be screened soon, a "Horrible Bosses" red band trailer hits the web and "Fast & Furious 6" gets a new release date.

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'Muppets' Trailer Arrives, Tom Cruise 'Rock's Out

Posted 6/20/11 4:53 pm EST by Terri Schwartz in Dailies, Trailers

They've been green with envy, nursed a hangover and invaded the Green Lantern Corps. But now, it's time to really meet "The Muppets."

It still doesn't give us a very good idea of what the plot of "The Muppets" will be about, but at least the trailer advertises this actual movie. That means the trailer comes complete with plenty of musical set pieces, Chris Cooper, Amy Adams and Jason Segel sightings, and a whole lot of Muppets. Unlike what Adams' character says in the teaser, we doubt this is going to be a very short movie.

There's more movie news past the jump, including a new release date for "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" and the first photo of Tom Cruise in "Rock of Ages."

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'Black Swan' And Batman Collide For 'Noah'?

Posted 6/14/11 4:24 pm EST by Josh Wigler in Casting Call, News

Aronofsky/Bale After leaving "The Wolverine" behind, all eyes have been on Darren Aronofsky's next big move. And while it doesn't seem likely that he's abandoned one superhero project in favor of another, there is some speculation that Aronofsky's next will team him together with a new superhero actor.

Multiple reports reveal that Aronofsky is currently shopping around a big-screen version of "Noah," his long-developing retelling of the timeless tale of Noah's Ark. "Noah" reportedly comes with a $130 million budget, but without a leading man already in place, perhaps Aronofsky's big-budget biblical blockbuster is a bit of a tough sell… which is why he's calling in Batman for air support.

That's right: New York Magazine is reporting that the "Black Swan" director has been speaking with "The Dark Knight Rises" star Christian Bale about starring in "Noah" in an effort to secure studio backing for the film.

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'The Hangover Part III' Drives Zach Galifianakis Insane

Posted 6/8/11 5:46 pm EST by Josh Wigler in Dailies

Zach Galifianakis When the time comes for a third "Hangover", the new drink won't taste like the last two shots.

Zach Galifianakis tells Rolling Stone that he's already "getting fricking phone calls" about "The Hangover Part III." According to the actor, the plot would center on "his character escaping from a mental institution with help from the wolf pack." Given how Alan views the world as seen in "Part II," a trip to the looney bin might do the guy some good.

Check out the rest of today's news after the jump, including some new movement on a "Tron Legacy" sequel and more!

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Angelina Jolie Says 'Maleficent' Has A 'Great Script,' Unsure About Director Rumors

Posted 5/25/11 1:16 pm EST by Kara Warner in Interviews, News, Video

Those of us who have been excited about Disney's "Maleficent" project have been on a bit of a roller coaster ride of on-again, off-again production news.

The proposed live-action feature, which is, in a nutshell, "Sleeping Beauty" told from the titular sorceress' perspective, lost its original directorial candidate Tim Burton, due to his committments on "Dark Shadows," which, although a bummer, might have opened the door for "Black Swan" helmer Darren Aronofsky, who is reportedly being courted by Disney to step up to the plate.

When I happened upon still-attached star Angelina Jolie at the premiere of "Kung Fu Panda 2" recently, I asked her if she'd heard any news about the project or Aronofsky's involvement.

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Vin Diesel Wants An Oscar For 'Fast Five' And Darren Aronofsky Goes To The Future In Today's Dailies

Posted 5/10/11 5:20 pm EST by Josh Wigler in Dailies

"Fast Five" is a lot of things: it's fast, it's furious and it's… Oscar worthy?

Vin Diesel certainly seems to think so, at least. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, the "Fast Five" star said he "wouldn't be surprised if there is some Oscar talk around" the latest "Furious" film. "Sooner or later, people are gonna say, 'Wait a minute, just because they are for the working class doesn't mean they're not great.'" That's Vin's take, but what do you think? Is "Fast Five" deserving of an Oscar, or is it just a straight-up crowd pleaser?

Mull the question over in the comments section, and in the mean time, click past the jump to read about the rest of today's biggest movie news!

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