The upcoming 4th installment in the hugely successful Spider-Man franchise, sparked many a forum debate about which villain or villains should take on Spidey. The two popular choices boiled down to The Lizard and/or Carnage. Insider sources have now revealed the Lizard will be the choice and the only choice for Spider-Man 4.The idea seems to be sound as the franchise has been more successful when a single villain was used rather than when having multiple villains, which led to weak story lines. This coupled with the fact that before taking on this project, director Sam Raimi said that if he ever returned to direct Spider-Man, he would turn Connors into the Lizard makes the identity of the villain more or less settled.

Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, The Lizard first appeared in Spider-Man comics back in 1963. The Lizard is really Dr. Curtis Connors and in Spider-Man 1, 2 & 3 the movie set up the future entry of The Lizard by showing Dr. Conners in minor segments. A gifted army surgeon, Connors lost his right arm in a blast and later became obsessed with reptilian limb regeneration. After experimenting on animals Connors ends by experimenting on himself which eventually turns him into the monster known as The Lizard. Spider-man helps The Lizard turn back into Dr. Connors by finding a cure. However the cure is short lived in that during times of stress or due to chemical reactions, Connors unwittingly turns back into the monster. The Spider-Man Vs. The Lizard saga uses this as a recurring theme, with Spidey finding a cure that turns The Lizard back into Connors every time he transforms.

The much-awaited remake of Frank Herbert’s Dune has run in to production problems with the reported exit of director Peter Berg. Known for his hit The Kingdom, Berg had originally stated the movie would be a “PG-13 rated massive epic”. With screenwriter Joshua Zetumer, he had also presented Paramount with a 175-page draft earlier this year. However Berg and his Film 44 production company have now backed out of the project for unknown reasons.

This leaves Paramount desperately seeking to find a new director. Among the shortlisted choices are Neil Marshall and Neill Blomkamp. Marshall is producer Kevin Misher’s first choice, however his claim to fame is the moderately successful The Descent, however, his disastrous Doomsday doesn’t sit well with Paramount. The studio prefers Blomkamp who directed District 9. The problem is that Blomkamp has just got the green-light for his next science fiction project, which means he won’t be able to take on any project until that is completed. Paramount doesn’t seem to have problem with that as they are willing to take their time and do this project properly. One of their requirements is that they want “a director who already has a preexisting passion for the novel and is enthusiastic about the project”. With a budget of $175 million assigned to this project that would be the wise approach.
While all of this means the movie will be made and that it will be made well, it also means that fans have a long wait ahead of them until they see even a teaser trailer for the remake.

The 2009 film adaptation of Charles Dickens’ 1843 story, was written and directed by Robert Zemeckis. Starring Jim Carrey in a multitude of roles, including Ebenezer Scrooge, the 3D film was produced through performance capture.

A review on the CNN IBN site suggested that it might be ‘too dark’ for the younger viewers. While Carrey’s performance is exemplary, the reviewer stated, “Disney’s A Christmas Carol is as thrilling as anything you’ve seen - just look at the glorious opening credit sequence in which the camera soars above the rooftops of Victorian London. Nevertheless, the visual excellence aside, it is hard to engage yourself in Scrooge’s journey to self-discovery.

Meanwhile the Tomato meter at Rotten Tomatoes gave it a mere 56% with the consensus on the movie being, “Robert Zemeckis’ 3-D animated take on the Dickens classic tries hard, but its dazzling special effects distract from an array of fine performances from Jim Carrey and Gary Oldman.”

In a review by James Berardinelli, he says Zemeckis takes an age-old tale and converts it into something that looks like it belongs on a PS3. He goes on to say that, “There is little doubt that the visual razzle-dazzle usurps the emotional element - you can feel immersed in the world, but remain distanced from the characters.”

The Washington Times review on the other hand poses an interesting question: does the 3D effect add anything to the 166-year old tale or is it simply a showy display of technological virtuosity for its own sake?
Overall, the reviews have been disappointing with the consensus the visual effects are excessive in retelling Dickens’ story of Ebenezer Scrooge.

Sony Pictures Classics have picked up domestic distribution rights to Rodrigo Garcia’s drama ‘Mother and Child’. The cast includes Annette Bening, Naomi Watts, Kerry Washington and Samuel L. Jackson.

The film Mother and Child, written and directed by Garcia is about three women and the choices they have to make on children. The three parallel stories come together to highlight the bond between mother and child. The film made its debut at the 2009 Toronto International Film festival - and was the target of many US distributors. The Sony deal fell through shortly after Toronto, but took time to settle and is yet another late buyout from the film festival.

This is Garcia’s third feature. The first two are ‘Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her’ and ‘Nine Lives’.

In a statement, Sony Pictures Classics said, “We have known Rodrigo García for a long time. First, as the cinematographer of ‘Mi Vida Loca’ in the early ’90s, then as a writer and director, and have always been impressed with his incredible skill at creating roles for actors, especially for women. With ‘Mother and Child’, Rodrigo has managed to define characters which allow for career best performances for all of the actors he has cast in a film that we feel will connect with people all over the U.S. We are excited to be working with him, his remarkable cast and his producers Julie Lynn and Lisa Maria Falcone,”

Meanwhile, Garcia in a press statement said, “I have been wanting to work with [SPC heads] Tom [Bernard] and Michael [Barker] for a long time. SPC is one of the great brands in independent filmmaking. It’s so fortunate that we can be part of that family.”
The film is due to be released by SPC in 2010.

Despite a few minor leaks from parts of the movie appearing online, the official trailer for “How to Train Your Dragon” is finally out. The trailer, released by DreamWorks Animation fortunately contains no footage from any of the leaks, and is fresh material.

How to Train Your Dragon is an adventure comedy, set in the mythical world of wild dragons and burly Vikings. The movie is an adaptation of a book written by Cressida Cowell. The story focuses on a young Viking, a teenager in fact, named Hiccup who lives on an island named Berk. On this island, fighting dragons is a way of life and the young Viking’s initiation is just around the corner. This is his only chance to prove his worthiness to his tribe. However, he bumps into an injured dragon and goes on to befriend him, which then of course does not augur too well for him, as he tries to convince his tribe that they need not fight dragons.

The dragon in the movie, Toothless, is a Night Fury; the rarest of all dragons. In the book, however Toothless is incredibly small for a dragon. During the early stages, the plot of the movie followed Cowell’s novel plot closely.

Experts say the trailer lacks that essential oomph; however, it is the first preview of the animated movie. The top voice talents for the movie include the Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Gerard Butler, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Craig Ferguson. The official release date of the movie is March 26 in 2010.

George Clooney is in talks to play the lead role in Fox Searchlight’s The Descendants. The movie, with director by Alexander Payne at the helm, will use an adapted script by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash.

The Descendants, a family ‘dramedy’ is about a wealthy landowner. Matt King, a wealthy Honolulu attorney, takes his two adolescent daughters and goes on a search for his wife’s lover, all in the hope of keeping his family together. In the movie, King’s wife is in a coma, and he finds out that his wife had an affair just before the accident left her in a coma. The movie is based on Kaui Hart Hemmings’ 2007 novel bearing the same name.

This project is Payne’s first collaboration with Clooney. It is also Payne’s first feature in half a decade and is the follow-up to 2004’s Sideways. The movie is produced by Fox Searchlight.

The production for the movie is set to start in February 2010 in Hawaii. Payne directed Election in 1999 and is an executive producer for HBO’s TV series, Hung. Matt King, the character Clooney will play if he takes on the role is not like any other character he has previously played. King is a slightly quirky man who tries to argue with his 10-year old daughter who wears obscene t-shirts and bullies her classmates, while his 17-year old daughter is fighting a drug addiction.

The entire family, which we would call an absurdity, will prove to be a challenging role for Clooney. Clooney has three movies in the pipeline: Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Men Who Stare at Goats and Up in the Air.

A documentary it may be, but opening to a solid $68.5 million worldwide, Michael Jackson’s This Is It is making MJ fans very happy. In the first five days, the movie has taken the top slot at the domestic box office, grossing $32.5 million and the worldwide haul for the same period topped off at $101 million. The film was released to positive reviews from fans and critics alike. Jackson’s portrayal and performance are praised while the only criticism is that, the movie was made by people who wanted to profit off Jackson’s death.

The movie documents Michael Jackson’s rehearsals of the concerts “This is it”, both on-stage and behind the scenes. It shows Jackson creating, developing and staging the high-tech performances as well as mentoring his team. Although Jackson did not have any intention of releasing the footage, it was agreed controversially after his death that the film should be made and released for his fans. After much opposition to the movie from the Jackson family, a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge approved a deal between Michael Jackson’s estate, AEG and Sony pictures. It is reported that Sony eventually paid $60 million for the film rights.

Paramount’s surprise hit Paranormal Activity only manage second place, even with the addition of 459 theatres. The budget horror movie made $84.8 million in 6 days. Paranormal is seen as the biggest reason for the failure of Saw VI, which managed to make only $22.8 million making it the least successful in franchise history.

In a bid to remind us that she is an actress and not just a pretty face, Katie Holmes is taking on a role in The Romantics. Holmes will co-star in the independently financed comedy as she steps in for Liv Tyler who left the project for undisclosed reasons

The plot of the movies is a follows, eight friends re-unite for Lila’s (Anna Paquin) wedding. Laura (Holmes) is Lila’s best friend and maid of honor. However both girls have a past with the groom (Josh Duhamel) and thus the problems arise. The impressive cast features Malin Akerman, Elijah Wood, Adam Brody and Jeremy Strong. The movie is Scripted and Directed by Galt Niederhoffer and is also adapted from a book she authored. A little know fact is that Katie Holmes joins the movie as an executive producer as well. Holmes’s Broadway debut was last season in Arthur Miller’s All My Sons. Although she has appeared in movies like as Batman Begins and The Ice Storm, she is best known for her role as Joey Potter from television’s Dawson’s Creek.

In 2006 Holmes married fellow actor Tom cruise, who is sixteen years her senior, at the 15th-century Odescalchi Castle in Bracciano, Italy. The Scientology ceremony was attended by many Hollywood stars. The marriage is seen by many as controversial and also considered to be a means for promoting each other’s careers. As if confirming that view, the couple is currently engaged in re-negotiating their multimillion dollar marriage contract.