Mark Z., Author at The Playlist

Bradley Cooper Denies He’ll Play ‘The Flash’

Mark Z. — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 20:51:00 +0000

Even with his post-“Hangover” buzz leading to the critical disasters “All About Steve” and “Case 39” being unceremoniously dumped into theaters, Bradley Cooper is still riding high.

The “A-Team” star was recently rumored to be the frontrunner for the role of D.C. Comics’ adaptation of “The Flash,” but Cooper himself seems to be in the denial phase of accepting the role. “I’ve never heard anything about it ever in my life. It’s funny,” he was quoted as saying to SuperHeroHype.

Continue reading Bradley Cooper Denies He’ll Play ‘The Flash’ at The Playlist.

Milla Jovovich Confirms Fifth Resident Evil Film, Mentions Turning To Fans For Ideas

Mark Z. — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 16:27:00 +0000

We think we felt the earth move, ladies and gentlemen. In a completely unprecedented display of fan service as yet unheard of for a major franchise, “Resident Evil: Afterlife” star Milla Jovovich reported that her husband, the prestigious art-house director Paul W.S. Anderson (“Alien Vs. Predator,” “Death Race”) will be turning to fans for ideas to include in the fifth film. NY Magazine reported Jovovich as saying, “we’ve been talking to a lot of fans on Twitter and stuff, so it’s probably going to be one of the first movies where we really talk to fans to see what they want, and what characters they want to see.

Continue reading Milla Jovovich Confirms Fifth Resident Evil Film, Mentions Turning To Fans For Ideas at The Playlist.

Kevin Pollack May Appear In Kevin Smith’s ‘Red State’

Mark Z. — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 16:15:00 +0000

Another red-blooded soul is seemingly en route to join Kevin Smith’s upcoming political horror film “Red State.” Slash Film dropped the news that Kevin Pollack, who appeared in Smith’s much-maligned “Cop Out,” has been offered a role in the helmer’s new film. Pollack confirmed that he received the offer on his Twitter account, but he did not elaborate on whether he had accepted it. We have little doubt in this regard, since Pollack is a respected character actor and would benefit from joining Smith’s new film, which has amassed quite an impressive cast in the last few months.

Continue reading Kevin Pollack May Appear In Kevin Smith’s ‘Red State’ at The Playlist.

First Look Clips: Russian-Dubbed Intl. Trailer For ’13’ Starrring Sam Riley, Mickey Rourke, Jason Statham, 50 Cent

Mark Z. — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 17:36:00 +0000

The new trailer for “13,” Gela Babluani’s remake of his 2005 French film “13 Tzameti” has arrived. Incidentally, tzameti is the Georgian word for “13,” which makes the film title a mindfuck on a whole ‘nother level. More importantly, “13 Tzameti” was a taut thriller with a vicious little concept that’s too good to spoil (and was spoiled in both the international trailer for that film and this one). This trailer (which you can check out below), is unfortunately dubbed into Russian (the international language of Europe, clearly), but we here at the Playlist were able to decipher with the use of our personal translator (this writer).

Continue reading First Look Clips: Russian-Dubbed Intl. Trailer For ’13’ Starrring Sam Riley, Mickey Rourke, Jason Statham, 50 Cent at The Playlist.

A New Low For Uwe Boll? NSFW Trailer Arrives For Director’s Holocaust Film ‘Auschwitz’

Mark Z. — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:53:00 +0000

Coming up right on the heels of two major Jewish holidays, including the all-important Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), the trailer for Uwe Boll’s next film, “Auschwitz,” has dropped. And it is a doozy; brief, but incredibly explicit and starring Mr. Boll himself as an unsympathetic Nazi officer. We know he’s unsympathetic because he stands idly by with a forlorn expression outside of a room full of Jews being gassed with Zyklon B.

Continue reading A New Low For Uwe Boll? NSFW Trailer Arrives For Director’s Holocaust Film ‘Auschwitz’ at The Playlist.

Point/Counter-Point: ‘Lebanon’ Is Appropriately Claustrophobic And Gut-Wrenching Or Total Contrived War-Tragedy Porn

Mark Z. — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 00:48:00 +0000

The worst movies inadvertently make us question the skill and care that went into them. The good ones temporarily make us forget we are in a theater or at home, propped up on the couch or in a chair, expectant of the next twist or plot development. The great films make us forget completely, transport us and envelop us for several hours, a brief aside from a world that often doesn’t play by the rules.

Continue reading Point/Counter-Point: ‘Lebanon’ Is Appropriately Claustrophobic And Gut-Wrenching Or Total Contrived War-Tragedy Porn at The Playlist.

Point/Counter-Point: ‘Step Up 3D’ Is DOA & Limp OR Impressive Dance Sequences Are Electric & Immersive

Mark Z. — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 15:25:00 +0000

We here at The Playlist take pride in our commitment to what cinema sometimes aspires to be – a moving, endearing, soul-searing and ultimately life-changing experience. And even though we are given to the occasional onset of fuddy-duddiness, we recognize the necessity for mass-market produce in the vast aisles of cinema. This is where “Step Up 3D” comes in – engineered up the wazoo for maximum crowd-pleasing appeal.

To understand the legacy (yes, legacy) of breakdancing films, we could go back to “Wild Style” or “Breakin’ ,” but it’s easier to lay the claim of godfather to this century’s dance flick craze before the feet of one long-forgotten 2004 picture – “You Got Served.” Ken Hanke of Mountain Xpress out of Asheville, NC put it best in his review – “It’s the Citizen Kane of break-dancing movies!

Continue reading Point/Counter-Point: ‘Step Up 3D’ Is DOA & Limp OR Impressive Dance Sequences Are Electric & Immersive at The Playlist.

Bradley Cooper Offered Lead In Romantic Comedy ‘TMI’; Jim Carrey Offered Role In ‘Burt Wonderstone’

Mark Z. — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:26:00 +0000

A couple of offer stories, courtesy of Pajiba, have made their way online and as per usual we give you a caveat that these are just offers and nothing more (at this point).

First up, Bradley Cooper has been offered the lead in a rom-com script titled “TMI,” or “Too Much Information.” The script, from writers Marc Klein (“The Good Year”) and Kristen Smith (“The House Bunny”), is the story of “two ‘just friends’ types who finally realize they’re made for each other after a drug-induced evening of debauchery.” If it sounds a little dated, the script was reportedly pitched as a cross between “Along Came Polly” and “Keeping The Faith,” two films that haven’t exactly stayed with audiences.

Continue reading Bradley Cooper Offered Lead In Romantic Comedy ‘TMI’; Jim Carrey Offered Role In ‘Burt Wonderstone’ at The Playlist.

Timur Bekmambetov To Produce Remake Of Russian Box Office Hit ‘Black Lightning’

Mark Z. — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:53:00 +0000

We’ll say it: Timur Bekmambetov is probably one of the most powerful foreign directors plying a trade in Hollywood today. With the hugely successful Russian-borne “Night Watch” franchise behind him and having earned major confidence in Hollywood with “Wanted,” Bekmambetov has wasted no time in adding a flurry of projects to his slate, leaving us scrambling to figure out just what the man is actually attached to.

Feel free to add another property to the mix, as Variety reports that Bekmambetov is currently in talks to supply American moviegoers with an English-language remake of Russia’s newest hit, the blockbuster “Black Lightning.” The film, which Bekmambetov described as “a Slavic ‘Transformers’ meets ‘Batman,’ about a car-mad student who supertunes an old Soviet sedan and runs up against the criminal underground,” did fantastic business in Russia with a $20 mil box office gross.

Continue reading Timur Bekmambetov To Produce Remake Of Russian Box Office Hit ‘Black Lightning’ at The Playlist.

Is ‘Top Gun 2’ On The Way With Tom Cruise?

Mark Z. — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 13:44:00 +0000

With “Knight and Day” opening to a barely solid $20.5 mil this past weekend ($27 mil over 5 days), while some people might be questioning Tom Cruise’s box office draw, it should be noted that films like “Collateral” ($25 mil) and “Jerry Maguire” ($17 mil) also started small only to pick up after a few weeks at the box office. Undoubtedly, those in the Cruise camp will be asking questions and perhaps, a return to one of his early successes might be the key to unlock the domestic box office love once again.

Continue reading Is ‘Top Gun 2’ On The Way With Tom Cruise? at The Playlist.

‘Diary Of A Wimpy Kid’ Sequel Fast-tracked For A March 2011 Release

Mark Z. — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 17:58:00 +0000

Fox 2000 know an easy score when they see one, and following the tidy gross of $64 million on a budget of $15 million for “Diary Of A Wimpy Kid,” they are moving ahead on a sequel with hopes to have it in theaters by March 2011.

The sequel, to be titled “Diary of Wimpy Kid 2: Roderick Rules,” is certainly in the pipeline with stars Zachary Gordon, Steve Zahn and Rachael Harris are all scheduled to return.

Continue reading ‘Diary Of A Wimpy Kid’ Sequel Fast-tracked For A March 2011 Release at The Playlist.

Dreamworks Animation To Bring Good Luck Troll Doll Toy Line To The Big Screen

Mark Z. — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 14:52:00 +0000

Hey everyone, cultural pop quiz! Who remembers these little guys? Ok, who remembers the story behind them? Nobody? Really…well, that must be because there isn’t one. Enter DreamWorks Animation, who plan to adapt the Troll line into a feature length film, leading many of us at The Playlist scratching our heads in equal parts confusion and resentment.

Alex Schwartz, the head of development over at DWA, was quoted as saying “We look forward to working alongside Dam Things to build on the mythology of the Good Luck Trolls while delivering the sense of adventure, heart and comedy that DreamWorks Animation is known for.” The troll doll saga was most recently adapted as the animated TV series “Trollz”, which curiously featured a group of girls who attempted to balance their teenage lives while fighting monsters in the cleverly named town of Trollzolopis (Nilbog, anyone?).

Continue reading Dreamworks Animation To Bring Good Luck Troll Doll Toy Line To The Big Screen at The Playlist.

Danny Boyle May Direct 2012 London Olympic Opening Ceremony

Mark Z. — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 15:52:00 +0000

With the Olympic Games coming to London for the 2012 iteration, a local may direct the opening ceremony. And not just any local – Danny Boyle is rumored to be in the running.

Boyle, who got his start directing theater at the Royal Court Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company, got his filmmaking start in 1994 with “Shallow Grave.” Since then, the UK-based filmmaker has given us “Trainspotting,” “28 Days Later,” and the vastly underrated “Sunshine.” His last film, “Slumdog Millionaire” (have you heard of it?) won eight Oscars, including a Best Director award for Boyle.

Continue reading Danny Boyle May Direct 2012 London Olympic Opening Ceremony at The Playlist.

Gong Li & Andy Lau Know ‘What Women Want’

Mark Z. — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 16:22:00 +0000

Just when you thought Hollywood was the only place on Earth where recent films can get remade every couple of years… First Zhang Yimou remakes “Blood Simple” and now, along comes the Chinese remake of Nancy Meyers’ “What Women Want.” The decade-old (ancient) romantic dramedy starred “Apocalypto” director Mel Gibson as Nick Marshall, a chauvinistic-at-worst rich guy who realizes he has the ability to hear women’s thoughts. Helen Hunt played the object of his affections.

Continue reading Gong Li & Andy Lau Know ‘What Women Want’ at The Playlist.

Michael Bay To Produce Power Gliding Heist Film ‘Heatseekers’

Mark Z. — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:19:00 +0000

Tower heist? Powered gliders? Parachutes? Infiltration? We would say “somebody call Michael Bay” but it seems he’s way ahead of us on this one.

The Michael Bay co-founded production company Platinum Dunes, responsible for such genre cannon fodder as the “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” remake, “The Amityville Horror” remake, the “Friday The 13th” remake, and the upcoming “Nightmare On Elm Street” remake (spot a trend there?) has acquired an original property (yay!) in the form of George Mahaffey’s “Heatseekers.” The script by the attorney-turned-screenwriter follows “a young ex-military pilot who infiltrates a gang of aerial “pirates” working out of Bangkok and takes part in an elaborate tower heist using powered gliders and parachutes.” That either sounds like the best or (most likely) worst thing ever.

Continue reading Michael Bay To Produce Power Gliding Heist Film ‘Heatseekers’ at The Playlist.

‘How To Train Your Dragon’ Sequel Coming In 2013

Mark Z. — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:05:00 +0000

No surprises here. Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation has announced that a sequel to “How To Train Your Dragon” is in the works with the studio aiming for a 2013 release.

“Dragon” scored another comeback this past weekend, landing in the #1 spot (again) adding another $15 million to its ledger, and bringing its total for the last four weeks to $178 million. This puts the domestic gross within range of “Monsters Vs.

Continue reading ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ Sequel Coming In 2013 at The Playlist.

‘Inception’ Viral Campaign Kicks Into Next Gear With Dream Research Video, Plus New Photos Too

Mark Z. — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 14:57:00 +0000

The viral campaign for Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” continues with a tantalizing new interview, which you can check out below. The interview deals with concepts of REM sleep and human consciousness, as well as lucid dreaming. Who is CPT Darren Bartel? What is Project Somnacin? Bartel’s voice is heard briefly in the video and he is seemingly the representative of a military program that allows one or several people to enter the mind of another person during sleep.

Continue reading ‘Inception’ Viral Campaign Kicks Into Next Gear With Dream Research Video, Plus New Photos Too at The Playlist.

Paul Rudd Circling ‘Better Living Through Chemistry’ & ‘Horrible Bosses’

Mark Z. — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 03:45:00 +0000

If you’ve seen the trailer for the upcoming “Dinner For Schmucks,” you know Paul Rudd is playing the straight man…again. Either he must relish riffing while in ordinary guy mode or he’s being viciously typecast. Now, Rudd is looking to break the mold by looking to pick up roles in two very dark comedies — “Better Living Through Chemistry” and “Horrible Bosses.” Production Weekly reports that he is seeking the role of one Douglas Varney in “Chemistry” and the lead Nick in “Horrible Bosses.”

“Chemistry,” was written by David Posamentier and Geoff Moore.

Continue reading Paul Rudd Circling ‘Better Living Through Chemistry’ & ‘Horrible Bosses’ at The Playlist.

Reunited: Christopher McQuarrie To Write ‘Jack The Giant Killer’ For Bryan Singer

Mark Z. — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 00:40:00 +0000

Bryan Singer’s “Jack The Giant Killer” has landed a redraft by an Oscar-winning writer.

Heat Vision Blog broke the news today that Christopher McQuarrie, who won a well-deserved 1995 Best Screenplay Oscar for his work on Singer’s “The Usual Suspects” and also scripted the director’s last film — the Hitler would-be assassination thriller “Valkyrie” — was tapped to give the draft a new polish.

Mark Bomback (“Live Free or Die Hard”, “Race To Witch Mountain’) and Darren Lemke (“Gemini Man,” “Shrek Forever After”) had written prior drafts and now McQuarrie is looking to step in and take a shot at it.

Continue reading Reunited: Christopher McQuarrie To Write ‘Jack The Giant Killer’ For Bryan Singer at The Playlist.

Sonic Youth To Provide Soundtrack For French Cannes Entry ‘Simon Werner a Disparu’

Mark Z. — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:07:00 +0000

To a long-time reader, it might be no surprise that we here at The Playlist love Sonic Youth. The rockers, whose last (and 15th!) album was The Eternal, an excellent reminder of the legacy of noise rock’s key founders, are now confirmed to have scored Fabrice Gobert’s Un Certain Regard Cannes entry “Simon Werner a Disparu.” or “Lights Out,” its English title. The synopsis, courtesy of TF 1 International, is below:

March 1992, in a small town in the suburbs of Paris.

Continue reading Sonic Youth To Provide Soundtrack For French Cannes Entry ‘Simon Werner a Disparu’ at The Playlist.

Rutger Hauer Will Be A ‘Hobo With A Shotgun’

Mark Z. — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 11:20:00 +0000

Have you seen “Treevenge” yet? No? This gleefully violent piece of old school grindhouse sleaze comes from relative unknown Jason Eisener. Eisener’s previous major project was the trailer for “Hobo With A Shotgun,” which he submitted to a SXSW contest back in ’07 as part of a promotional push for “Grindhouse.” “Hobo” won the audience over and was attached to Canadian prints of “Grindhouse.” Eisener began talking about developing “Hobo” into a feature-length film not long after.

Continue reading Rutger Hauer Will Be A ‘Hobo With A Shotgun’ at The Playlist.

Prosecutors Argue Polanski’s Victim Can’t Dismiss The Case, Even Though Coverage Leaves Her ‘Repeatedly Victimized’

Mark Z. — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 10:56:00 +0000

The last time we reported on Roman Polanski’s case, Samantha Geimer and her legal team had joined Polanski’s in a unified attempt to get the charges dropped, and Swiss authorities were refusing to extradite the director as appeals were still running their way through the courts. Now, the prosecution is unwilling to drop the charges on the basis that it would “fundamentally alter the way in which crimes are prosecuted.”

In a new appeal filed with California Second District Court of Appeal, the Los Angeles-based attorneys argued that “if victims were parties to criminal cases, cases could be dropped either through intimidation, coercion or public pressure.” This is despite the fact that Geimer has fought to have them dropped for some time now, citing “that renewed interest of the case and media coverage has led to her being repeatedly victimized.” Whether or not you believe that the case against Polanski should be dropped, the amount of media attention it has gathered really can’t be argued.

Continue reading Prosecutors Argue Polanski’s Victim Can’t Dismiss The Case, Even Though Coverage Leaves Her ‘Repeatedly Victimized’ at The Playlist.

Oren Moverman To Direct ‘Rampart’ Possibly With ‘The Messenger’ Stars Woody Harrelson & Ben Foster

Mark Z. — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 17:40:00 +0000

Production Weekly stayed busy yesterday, dropping several new updates including one which reported that “The Messenger” director Oren Moverman will be directing the crime drama “Rampart,” which may reunite him with “Messenger” cast members Woody Harrelson (who was nominated for a Best Supporting Oscar for his role) and Ben Foster. Now, ioncinema pitched in with more info on the project — it was originally a vehicle for Stephen Frears.

“Rampart” was scripted by James Ellroy and deals with the LAPDs Rampart Division, which was involved in a massive corruption scandal in the early 1990s.

Continue reading Oren Moverman To Direct ‘Rampart’ Possibly With ‘The Messenger’ Stars Woody Harrelson & Ben Foster at The Playlist.

Ethan Hawke May Star In “Contained Action Thriller” ‘The Numbers Station’

Mark Z. — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 17:26:00 +0000

Ethan Hawke is staying busy, adding yet another project to a growing slate.

Production Weekly reports that Hawke is in talks to star in “The Numbers Station,” from relatively unknown screenwriter Scott Frazier. This may not be Frazier’s first script but it appears to be his first sale. Story details are super sparse, but ever-trusty resource Wikipedia tells us numbers stations are “shortwave radio stations of uncertain origin. They generally broadcast artificially generated voices reading streams of numbers, words, letters (sometimes using a spelling alphabet), tunes or Morse code.” Hmm, could be a sci-fi-ish thriller with a crime drama edge, but that’s just a shot in the dark.

Continue reading Ethan Hawke May Star In “Contained Action Thriller” ‘The Numbers Station’ at The Playlist.

They Love A Man In Uniform: Curtis Hanson & Clark Gregg To Tell The Story Of Fradulent Lawman

Mark Z. — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 04:25:00 +0000

Who is Bill Anthony Jakob?

Evidently a pathological mystery man who showed up in a small Missouri town with the righteous intention of closing down meth labs, it turned out Jakob was a bank security guard with a phony badge and made national headlines when he was eventually indicted on 23 counts of impersonating a law enforcement officer and fraud charges.

The 38-year-old optioned his life story to producers John Davis, Dan Spilo and David Klawans back in ’08 and now, according to Deadline, writer/director Curtis Hanson (“L.A.

Continue reading They Love A Man In Uniform: Curtis Hanson & Clark Gregg To Tell The Story Of Fradulent Lawman at The Playlist.