Offspring Entertainment has released the first trailer of the much anticipated film adaptation of the rock musical Rock of Ages. Musicals, despite being released only once in a while and being an acquired taste, are still pretty popular among a diverse audience. This year’s The Muppets definitely gave strong message that musicals are alive and well, plus we’ve had some of the most interesting forms of musicals in recent years, such as Nine, Hairspray, and, of course, Sweeney Todd.

Rock of Ages, however, may gain a larger audience due to its familiar list of songs from some of the most popular rock bands of the 80s, plus with a star studded cast it’s safe to say even fans who aren’t fond of musicals may want to take a look. The aforementioned cast includes Tom Cruise, Malin Akerman, Bryan Cranston, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Alec Baldwin, Mary J. Blige, Paul Giamatti, Russell Brand, Julianne Hough (Footloose), and Diego Boneta (Paradise Lost), among others. Adam Shankman, who also directed the 2007 adaptation of Hairspray which turned into a surprise box office hit, directs the film.

Check out the trailer below:

Set in 1987 Los Angeles, Drew and Sherrie are two young people chasing their dreams in the big city. When they meet, it’s love at first sight, though their romance will face a series of challenges.

So as you can see, Rock of Ages definitely makes it known that the typical cliches of the 80s, from the sex symbol rock stars to the sense of style, are the main attraction, while the overall plot points are at a minimum to focus a little more on the soundtrack. Who can blame them when you have songs from legendary bands like Def Leppard or Journey as source material?

Probably the best part of the trailer, though, is the monumental, god-like status of Cruise’s rock star, Stacee Jaxx. We never hear him speak nor do we barely see his face (once or twice) but it’s still so effective, bringing a clever use of the “less is more” approach.

The rest of the trailer is pretty standard, showing samples to a few of the film’s musical numbers and introducing majority of the characters, but it still looks to be a fun spin on a genre that has such a limited audience, and promises that even non-musical fans will have a great time singing along to their favorite songs. If you’re a fan of rock and roll and a few comedic moments, definitely check out Rock of Ages.

Rock of Ages hits theatres on June 1, 2012.

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Consider this a huge rumor for now, but the possibilities are too much for us to ignore. Pajiba reports Quentin Tarantino is in discussions with 20th Century Fox to co-write and direct their newest take on The Shadow, the pulp radio character of the 1930′s most recently played by Alec Baldwin on the big screen.

Back in January, we mentioned Sam Raimi was interested in directing this project; Raimi had been attached as a producer on The Shadow for years, and before he got hooked up with Oz, The Great and Powerful, his directing slate was clean. But when Sony sold the rights to The Shadow to Fox, there was talk that David Slade (30 Days of Night, Hard Candy) was slipping into the director’s chair. Turns out those were unfounded rumors, and now the rumor mill is churning again, this time with QT’s name at the center.

Pajiba makes sure to point out that while their source is sure of the discussions currently taking place, anything is possible in Hollywood and Tarantino could drop the project at a moment’s notice. Given the director’s notorious reputation as someone who announces projects only to have them never see the inside of a theater, we’ll take this one with a grain of salt. Also consider that we don’t have any true confirmation from Tarantino himself; while I could see him tackling pulpy material like this, I’d also expect him to be yammering on about it to anyone who will listen.

What do you think about Tarantino directing The Shadow?

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Since leaving the Spider-Man franchise a couple of weeks ago, no solid news has broken regarding Sam Raimi’s next directorial gig. Sure, there have been the ever-present rumors about the World of Warcraft movie, but nothing that we can really sink our teeth into.

The latest rumor is that Raimi may slip into the director’s chair of an upcoming adaptation of The Shadow, a film he is already attached to as a producer. IESB has a script review and heard from their sources that Raimi is interested in directing again as soon as possible; apparently he loves the latest draft of the script and is interested in taking the reins on this project.

I saw the 1994 Alec Baldwin version of The Shadow (a decision I instantly regretted), but I can definitely see the potential for new life in this property. With a certain level of reverence for the pulpy material (the character has been around since the 1930′s), a distinct style, and solid casting, a new adaptation of this character could be really entertaining on screen. What do you think?

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Earlier today Deadline Hollywood reported that Oscar producers Adam Shankman and Bill Mechanic asked Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr. to co-host the 82nd Oscar ceremony as a duo, which would have been schweeeeeet. But they said no. So now they’ve gone for their second option, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin.

Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin will serve as co-hosts of the 82nd Academy Awards®, Oscar telecast producers Bill Mechanic and Adam Shankman announced today. “We think the team of Steve and Alec are the perfect pair of hosts for the Oscars,” said Shankman and Mechanic. “Steve will bring the experience of having hosted the show in the past and Alec will be a completely fresh personality for this event.”

“I am happy to co-host the Oscars with my enemy Alec Baldwin,” said Martin.

“I don’t play the banjo but I’m thrilled to be hosting the Oscars – it’s the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Baldwin.

I doubt there will be any singing and dancing with Beyonce this time, however I’m sure the pair will be comedy gold. The event will take place on March 7th 2010.

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