The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Dumps Mary Jane and Other Spidey News

My Photoshop Skills.

Well, it looks like the ever-growing cast of Marc Webb's webslinging sequel may have just shrunk a bit. Unfortunately for her, Shailene Woodley's filming schedule just freed itself up considerably. The startlet's role of Mary Jane Watson is chopped after a few days of shooting. Webb stated, "I made a creative decision to streamline the story and focus on Peter and Gwen and their relationship." Any speculation of a potential love triangle between Spidey, Gwen, and MJ can be laid to rest for at least one more Spider-Man film. [Also, Spoilers:Gwen Stacey's death. Whoops, Spoilers.] While Webb was quick to heap praise on Woodley's talents, it remains in doubt that The Descendents actress will return.

Let the speculation for the recast begin!

New Wolverine Trailer

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 A-List Cast Keeps Growing

Amazing Spider-Man 2, complete with new suit.

This post requires more Emma Stone.

UPDATE: Mary Jane Watson's scenes cut from Amazing Spider-Man 2. Shailene Woodley no longer involved.

If you want to know who are the hot, rising stars in young Hollywood, look no further than the ever growing cast of The Amazing Spider-Man sequel. The rebooted franchise already boasts top young talent in Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, but that talent list keeps on growing with the additions of Dane DeHaan, Shailene Woodley, and Felicity Jones. To top it off, Chris Cooper, Jamie Foxx, and Paul Giamatti have signed on to the Marc Webb directed film with Sally Field and Martin Sheen set to return. However, with such an elite ensemble, there is a fear that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 could become weighed down by an influx of stars and their respective storylines.

While true to the comics, Webb's first film took a different approach than Sam Raimi's Spidey trilogy by choosing Gwen Stacy to be the one true love of Peter Parker. However, things may be changing in Parker's life with the introduction of Mary Jane Watson, to be played by Shailene Woodley (The Descendents).

Now the next paragraph may contain spoilers, so click here if you don't want to be spoiled.

Proof that the Cinema Gods Hate Us: Michael Bay's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

This is the coolest thing about this post.

Ruining your childhood since forever.

Yes. Let this soak in for a hot sec. Michael Bay is producting a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live-action/CG mix. To top it off, Bay has tapped Jonathan Liebesman to direct. Leibesman has previously directed critically acclaimed films such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, Battle: Los Angeles, and Wrath of the Titans. Oh wait. Those weren't critically acclaimed. They were just bloated, CGI-infested excuses for movies. So Liebs and Bay are a match made in heaven. If heaven was full of crappy VFX and explosions. The only redemptive quality of this project are writing duo Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec, both of which worked on the script to Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol, which wasn't terrible.

Obviously, the news that Bay is producing a TMNT film reboot has caused quite a frenzy amongst fanboys of the pizza-loving, sewer dwelling reptiles. To further rub salt in fanboy wounds, Bay has renamed the film to simply, Ninja Turtles. Why? Well, they're not really "mutant" anymore. According to Bay, these turtles will be from space. So Teenage Alien Ninja Turtles. TANT. One letter away from what this project actually is to the film world. Cowabunga. 

Veronica Mars and the Power of Kickstarter

A recent Kickstarter campaign for a movie based on the formerly popular show, Veronica Mars, received an inordinate amount of money. The Kickstarter raised well over the target $2 million in under 12 hours, a Kickstarter record. Needless to say, the film will be going into production soon, and is set for a limited release in 2014.

Fans of Veronica Mars are most likely beside themselves with glee (almost as much as Kristen Bell is when she sees a sloth. Almost.), as they have waited 6 long years for some Mars news. While Kickstarter isn't a new thing to filmmakers (over 30 films are Kickstarter funded at this year's SXSW and YouTube channels are no strangers to the site), this recent Kickstarter project does have fans of other long-cancelled shows eagerly anticipating a possible Kickstarter of their favorite show.

However, fans of Terriers, Pushing Daisies, Firefly and Chuck need to chill out. Seriously. Don't get so excited. The odds of a Kickstarter campaign for any of these shows are marginal at best.

Emma Watson Denies Fifty Shades of Grey Rumors

It looks like teenage boys and creepy men with pencil-staches will be quite disappointed with this news, but it looks like Hermione just isn't into bondage and S&M. The Harry Potter starlet took to Twitter to debunk the many rumors swirling around that had her playing Anastasia Steele.

Who here actually thinks I would do 50 Shades of Grey as a movie? Like really. For real. In real life.
— Emma Watson (@EmWatson) March 17, 2013

Emma Watson's reply comes on the heels of an apparently leaked report from a German movie studio, Constantin Film, by the hacking group Anonymous claimed that Watson is attached to the Fifty Shades project. The studio was quick to state that all the records that were hacked were "out of date and widely accessible" to employees. However, it didn't stop the Internet to start salivating over the thought of the Potter star headlining the erotic E.L. James adaption.

Reports of Watson being tied to a Fifty Shades of Grey film have pretty much been swirling around since the film was announced. While Watson is certainly attempting to branch out from her "good girl" image she had with the Potter franchise with The Bling Ring and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, it remains doubtful that she would go so far as to take on such a role as Anastasia Steele.

With no male or female lead and no director in sight, Universal Studios may have been too ambitious when they said the film would be released in the summer of 2014. E.L. James hand-picked Oscar nominated producers Michael De Luca (The Social Network and Moneyball) and Dana Brunetti (The Social Network) back in July of 2012, but very little has been announced since that point.

Deadpool Might be in Dev Limbo

This is most likely the news that no Marvel fan wants to hear. Although 20th Century Fox has yet to release any type of statement about the upcoming Deadpool movie, the Merc with the Mouth film adaption may be in developmental limbo. Former VFX wiz and Deadpool director, Tim Miller has been tapped to helm Fox's Artemis. No this won't be an Artemis Fowl series adaption (thankfully... because that would mean the Deadpool film would probably be dead), but rather a sci-fi action thriller set in deep space (think Lockout). Again, no official statement has been released concerning Deadpool, but it looks like Artemis will be a project that Miller focuses on first.

Well, bummer. Since Fox chose Miller to direct the untitled Deadpool film, there has been virtually zero news about it. Ergo a delay in production is really no surprise. Nonetheless, this is a pretty big disappointment, especially because many were under the impression that all it needed was the green light from Fox. Miller was the studio's third choice as director, as Robert Rodriguez and Swedish commercial director Adam Berg turned down the director's chair. While it is a bit surprising that Fox decided to use Miller for a big named, big budgeted film, he could very well be the right man for the job. He has worked has on the visual effects for Planet of the Apes, X-Men, and X-Men 2, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. 

The movie already has Zombieland writers, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, on the project, and Ryan Reynolds eagerly awaiting to wield a whole assortment of weaponry. Sure the version of Reynolds' Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine was absolutely nothing like the Deadpool in the comic books, Reynolds was an awesome Wade Wilson. He brought the right amount of sass and attitude to the role in an otherwise dismal movie.

Vampire Diaries' Nina Dobrev as Lara Croft?

With the release of the newest Lara Croft video game, Tomb Raider, rumors of the possibility of a film adaption have swirled. While video game adaptions have been, too be blunt, awful, there seems to be a renewed interest in basing films on video games. Uncharted (to be directed by David O. Russell, which is kind o the best), Assassin's Creed, Splinter Cell, and even an Angry Birds movie are in the works, and now it looks like the Tomb Raider film franchise will be rebooted like its video game counterpart.

Producer, Graham King, the man that backed The Departed, Aviator, Hugo, The Town, and Rango has teamed up with Tom Headington and both have acquired the reboot rights from Tomb Raider franchise company, Square Enix. King has expressed interest in making it a true reboot of the film franchise, as he wants to focus on a younger Lara Croft. It should be noted that her origin story is also the basis of the newest video game.

While I remain skeptical of video game adaptions, King's magic touch could very well vault  successful VG-to-film adaptions to the forefront of Hollywood. We saw it done when Sam Raimi started the comic book craze with his version of Spider-Man, and we may see a video game film kick soon as well.

Even though Angelina Jolie played the Tomb Raider heroine of the 2001 and 2003 movies, it is doubtful she will be back on board. Seeing as how King wants a younger Croft, the possibility remains very minimal that Jolie would reprise her role; although, there could be two versions of Lara Croft (aka a younger version in flashbacks as an older version tells of her adventures).

The latest version of Lara and her voice actress, Camilla Luddington

In the recent Tomb Raider video game, Camilla Luddington voiced the role of Lara Croft, and she remains tied to the film adaption. It should be noted that Croft a British archaeologist, and Luddington is indeed British. Her voice work in the video game is exceptional, and she would be an excellent choice (and an obvious one at that) to play Croft. Even though she is 29, Luddington could easily pass as a younger version of Croft.

However, another young Hollywood actress has been knocking on the door to play the role.

Third Hobbit Movie Possible

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is Part I of the potential trilogy.

EDIT: The Hobbit franchise has been broken down into three films, the first (An Unexpected Journey) set to release the 14th of December of this year, with the other two (The Desolation of Smaug and There and Back Again) projected for 2013 and 2014 respectively.

In news that is already rocking my world, it was just released tonight that there's a possible third film coming to the Hobbit movies, directed by Lord of the Rings mastermind Peter Jackson.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is due to be released on December 14, 2012, with The Hobbit: There and Back Again coming out on December 13, 2013.

While a third film is certainly not guaranteed, it has been verified that Peter Jackson has been in talks about another sequel, possibly with actors Ian McKellen and Martin Freeman also participating in the discussion.

One of the largest obstacles to a third film is working out a budget between the directors, producers, and Warner Bros.

The decision to split The Hobbit into two films was greeted with some controversy, as the book is significantly shorter than any of the Lord of the Rings books. Jackson assuaged some of the anger by informing us that the movies would extensively cover topics not explicitly discussed in the books - topics that Hobbit and Lord of the Rings creator J.R.R. Tolkien wrote about in his notes, but never in published material. These topics cover in large part the comings and goings of Gandalf and The White Council, including their overthrowing of The Necromancer (Sauron) from the fortress of Dol Goldur in Mirkwood.

Rumor is that a third movie would draw more from those notes, but also from the Appendices located at the end of The Return of the King. The Appendices cover most of the history of Middle-Earth in very little detail, from brief snippets of the ancient Elves in previous ages through a close look at the Tale of Aragorn and Arwen. It's unclear what exactly Jackson would choose to adapt, if the sequel is approved.

Marvel's Expanding Universe: Comic Con in Short

Because Otherwise We'd Be Here Forever

Finally found a cover picture for these articles!

Due to complaints that the superhero-movie posts are too many, and the "other stuff" movie posts are too few on this site, I'm going to compile the 10 posts I wanted to put up these past few days into one summarized post of all the excellence that happened at Comic Con. From an intergalactic raccoon to cream-colored armor, here's the finest bits of Marvel news for you.

2012 Part II: 6 Most Anticipated

6 Films to Look Forward to Before the World Ends

Continuing the 2012 series

If you read our articles, you've probably seen our 5 best and worst movies from the first half of 2012. In anticipation for the second half of our last year alive, let's look ahead at the second half of the year and see what movies are definitely worthy of a theater visit. Also, stay tuned for the 5 movies to stay away from in these next 6 months. Originally this list was going to consist of 5 movies, but the second half of the year has a bit more going for it than the first.

Hugh as the convict Jean Valjean

Les Misérables

Tom Hooper's adaptation of the incredible stage musical looks to be a huge success already. They (wisely) decided not to have Taylor Swift in the film, and instead have Amanda Seyfried playing Cosette. Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe star in this French Revolution-era musical. The re-make theme in Hollywood grows much stronger with this film, as yet another classic is getting reworked.

The Bourne Legacy

Seemingly taking place around and after the time of the previous Bourne movies, The Bourne Legacy stars Jeremy Renner as the incredibly dangerous Aaron Cross. Edward Norton will get a shot as the antagonist in this film, and we've seen him do this successfully before. Edward Norton and Jeremy Renner are both remarkable actors, and should perform in their respective roles. I have not read the book, but Robert Ludlum's novels rarely fail to impress, as with the film adaptions. Though this is the first novel to be written by someone other than Ludlum (Eric Van Lustbader), the film looks to have the potential to live up to its predecessors. Rachel Weisz also plays a major role in The Bourne Legacy as Aaron's main love-interest. Again, I haven't read the book, so I don't know that for sure. I'm still excited for the 4th Bourne installment.

Guest Writer, Ethan Smith - The Dark Knight Rises Trailer 5 - “Journey”

YAMB Welcomes Guest Writer Ethan Smith from Ethan Unscripted

The Dark Knight Rises is only a week away, and if you’re between the ages of 5 and 95, you’re excited about it. As if Warner Bros. needed to add any more fuel to the fire, they have released one final trailer that highlights some key moments from the previous two films. This is especially exciting for those of us who are nerdy enough to go see the marathon before the midnight showing on the 19th. (9 hours of Batman! I hope we get bathroom breaks!)

The trailer begins with a quote from good ol’ Alfred, one of the many characters who provides moral direction for Bruce Wayne. “I never wanted you to come back to Gotham. I always knew there was nothing here for you, except pain and tragedy.”

Creepy Batman is creepy...

Well, that’s kinda depressing! Alfred never wanted Bruce to come back (he was probably enjoying having the mansion and the cars to himself), but it is a good point. As long as Bruce is in Gotham, he will always be reminded of his parents’ deaths, and as long as that reminder is there to drive him, Bruce will never be able to escape the Batman.

Next we get a shot of Bruce in the well, being swarmed by bats from Batman Begins, before seeing the screen title: “The Beginning of a Legend.” This is followed by the often repeated lines, “Took quite a fall didn’t we, Master Bruce?” (Alfred) “And why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves back up.” (Bruce’s dad) We see Bruce kneeling over his fallen parents.

Chris Pine Discusses the Future of the Star Trek Franchise

In 2009, J.J. Abrams released his big-screen reboot of the Star Trek franchise, which garnered success on a popular, critical, and financial level. Three years later, details continue to emerge involving the film's sequel. But can the cast and crew that managed to create such a fine product the first time manage to build upon their previous achievement?

Quick Poll: Who is more attractive? 
Chris Pine . . . 

Chris Pine, who will resume his role of Captain James T. Kirk and also act as co-writer for the currently untitled sequel to Star Trek, remains confident that this task can be accomplished. What especially excites Pine is the prospect of developing a highly character-focused story which will delve deeper into the relationships between the crew members manning the Enterprise. Abrams rebooted the Star Trek franchise on an alternative timeline, meaning that the film has the freedom to differentiate the way its crew operates from the way the crew operated in the original television series. This provides an avenue to explore how the crew developed before they became the sort of cohesive and highly functional unit presented on the show. “Even though they’re a crew from what we know about the original team, the fun of getting there is following that journey to where they become that tight-knit crew. It’s no fun if they’re already a tight-knit crew. So suffice to say, they’re still learning how to get along,” says Pine. “The crew from the original series had gone on many, many journeys, they were a well-oiled machine in terms of how they function, and these characters are still figuring out who they are and who they are to each other. And I did not want to jump so far ahead that we missed a really important emotional connection to that transition for them.”

The Dark Knight vs. The Dark Knight Rises

On July 20 the wait for The Dark Knight Rises will be over. But can the final installment of director Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy rise above and beyond the standards set by its predecessor, The Dark Knight? Boasting popular and critical acclaim, including a score of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, The Dark Knight cannot be topped easily. Here are five things the third film in the trilogy needs to have in order to rise above its predecessor.

Zoe Aggeliki and Jena Malone in Talks for Johanna Mason in Catching Fire

The next Johanna Mason?

UPDATE: It seems that most sources are indicating that Jena Malone is now going to be playing Johanna Mason. She has reportedly been offered the role, but the deal has yet to be finalized.

After a flurry of rumors and speculation, it seems that Lionsgate studios have narrowed down the casting decision for the role of District 7's axe-wielding bad girl, Johanna Mason. Newby Zoe Aggeliki and that one girl from Sucker Punch, Jena Malone, are reportedly in serious talks to play the role, with Aggeliki apparently the front-runner.

While many young actresses were being considered for the role, with candidates taking to talk shows and Twitter to try to catch director Francis Lawrence's attention, it seems the brass running Catching Fire wanted to avoid big names like Kristen Bell, Ellen Page, and Mia Wasikowska (once thought to be a serious contender).

The Swedish-born Zoe Aggeliki has yet to be seen on the big screen, but she can be seen in the pages of various fashion magazines. Malone has been in the film industry for awhile, but outside of Sucker Punch, she has avoided the big blockbusters that will surely be Catching Fire.

Even though she is the front-runner, 18-year-old Zoe (or Zoi) Aggeliki would be a bit younger than the 21-year-old Jennifer Lawrence, though Collin's novels have the troubled Johanna Mason several years older than the District 12 heroine. It will be interesting if this will hurt the gorgeous Aggeliki's chances for the equally alluring Jena Malone. In my opinion, Zoe looks more like the Katniss Everdeen character I pictured while reading the novels, but that's not important. Sorry, Jennifer.

Malone is most likely known by the mainstream media (or rather teenage boys) as the spunky and sexy Rocket from the  awesomely ridiculous over-the-top movie, Sucker Punch. At 27, Malone would definitely be an older presence that the character Mason needs. She has also shown the acting chops to carry the incredibly complex character that is Johanna Mason.

The Dark Knight Rises

Less than a month remains until the release of one of the most highly anticipated comic book movies of all time. Featuring an amazing cast, 100 minutes of action, and one of humanity's favorite heroes, The Dark Knight Rises is sure to be a success. We here at YAMB have several posts concerning Christopher Nolan's final entry in the Batman trilogy, and have compiled them here for you. Read and enjoy. While you're at it, take some time to get your midnight premiere tickets through the link below!

Anchorman 2 Trailer

Welcome Back, America's Favorite News Team

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues looks to bring back the same humor that so many loved the first time around. The same cast is returning, with the helm being taken by Will Ferrell. Excited to see this already? Want to see more of this great humor? Did I mention there's another trailer? It's exclusively at funnyordie.com, so we put a handy link here for you to see it!


Your Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman,

Zack

New Spiderman "Super-trailer"

Amazing Spiderman Super Trailer Shows Off Action, Depth, Humor, and Heart

Last night, SONY released their "Super Trailer" during dancing with the stars. It featured four minutes of Amazing Spiderman awesomeness. The trailer starts with a sort-of clip of Spidey arriving at a bridge that the Lizard has recently rampaged on. He saves a child's life, and then we get a slightly different version of trailer 3, with new snippets here and there. This new trailer shows us new character depth, some heart, more humor, and of course, more action.

It really looks like Marc Webb has made a film that not only explores the character of Spiderman, but looks at some of the same material as Christopher Nolan's Batman franchise, where he delves into what it would really be like to be a hero. Being Spiderman looks to be no easy feat, and Andrew Garfield looks great in the role. The Amazing Spiderman swings into theaters July 3, 2012.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman,

Zack

Star Trek 2 Villain

Who Will Benedict Cumberbatch be Playing in Star Trek 2?

Warning: this article contains mild character spoilers.

Prometheus: Better than Avatar

Ridley Scott's Return to the Alien Franchise Looks to be the Prettiest Girl at the Ball

And will also eat your face off

Prometheus is the spin-off/prequel to the Alien saga, and we're going to take a look at the engaging story-line, the excellent cast, and above all, the insanely good visuals. Remember James Cameron's Avatar from 2009? This is a lot like that, only a lot different and much better. So really nothing like it at all...