2012 has already seen its share of high-quality movies and the summer has just begun. We were anticipating the release of more great films as the year goes on, and we’ve got a bit of mixed news on that front. Deadline has a schedule update from Warner Bros. regarding two of their big releases, Ruben Fleischer’s Gangster Squad and Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity. Gangster Squad is getting a September 7th, 2012 release date, and Gravity has been pushed back from a November 21st opening to sometime in 2013. More below.

As Deadline points out, WB’s calendar is pretty full near the end of the year with The Hobbit, The Great Gatsby, Argo, and Gangster Squad itself are all poised to grab the attention of adult moviegoers. I’m looking forward to Gravity, Cuaron’s sci-fi thriller that stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, but if this delay means they have a bit more time to tighten it up and make a better movie, then I’m all for it. Fans have been waiting for Cuaron’s return to filmmaking since Children of Men back in 2006, and if this turns out half as good as that film (which all signs indicate it will, complete with Cuaron’s signature long takes and style), we’re all in for a treat. 2012 seems to be hogging all of the glory, anyway; we’ve gotta have something to look forward to in 2013, right?

Gangster Squad has a fantastic cast, and I’m glad that one is getting moved up from its previous October release so we can see it as soon as possible. Check out the new trailer here if you haven’t seen it yet. Are you looking forward to either of these films? Sound off in the comments section and let us know!

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Ever since the news came out that Gary Ross would not return to direct The Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire, fans have been speculating about who would take over the franchise. The L.A. Times heard about a few possible candidates, and now The Playlist has updated that list with a few names of their own. Check out the potential directors below.

First off, The L.A. Times heard that David Cronenberg (The Fly), Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men), and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Babel) were up for the job. It seems unlikely that Cronenberg would take on such a mainstream property like this, since the director has built his career on pushing the envelope and subverting audience expectations; I doubt he’d be interested in something so straightforward. I feel like Inarritu’s past work is a bit too cerebral for this franchise, so that leave Cuaron as the obvious choice, especially considering his work on another hugely successful book-to-movie franchise: he directed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

But now The Playlist has added two more names to the mix: Bennett Miller (Moneyball) and Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend). Miller has another movie in play called Foxcatcher with Mark Ruffalo and Steve Carell, so that could end up being a problem with scheduling. But Lawrence, who is the clear choice in my mind, apparently has an open schedule and could start working on this highly-anticipated sequel as soon as possible. I Am Legend shares a lot of basic elements (visual effects, action, emotion) with the Hunger Games series, and since Lawrence has only worked on one movie since the Will Smith starrer back in 2007, he might posses the same creative fire that drove Ross – who hadn’t directed a movie in ten years – to box office records with the original film.

Either way, Lionsgate has a quick decision to make if they want to remain true to Catching Fire’s November 22nd, 2013 planned release date. Who would you like to see direct it?

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Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men, Prisoner of Azkaban) began shooting his ambitious sci-fi movie Gravity starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney back in May, and Warner Bros. have now set a release date for November 12, 2012.

Much of the film is devoted to a woman’s struggle to get back to Earth (and her daughter) after her team at a remote space station are decimated by debris from an exploded satellite. George Clooney will play the team leader at the space station, while Bullock will play the female lead. Most of Gravity will just involve her on-screen, so it’ll be interesting to see Bullock back in a sci-fi setting in that type of environment.

Warner Bros. have also set a release date of December 25, 2011 for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close which stars Bullock and Tom Hanks. The Oscar-friendly date will only involve a limited release, but it will open wide January 20, 2012. In the movie Bullock and Hanks play the parents of a brainy nine-year-old who searches for a lock that matches a mysterious key left behind by his father, who died the year before in the North Tower on September 11, 2001. Director Stephen Daldry (The Hours) is a rare filmmaker who has been nominated for a best directing Oscar for every feature he’s made, so put this movie on your awards radar.

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Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity initially had a hard time getting off the ground. Angelina Jolie turned down the lead role twice, and talks with Natalie Portman didn’t work out (which on hindsight was probably due to her pregnancy). Luckily Sandra Bullock signed on, but then Robert Downey Jr. had to pull out because of The Avengers, only to be replaced by George Clooney.

Things have been quiet on the project since Clooney’s casting 4 months ago, but producer David Heyman (Harry Potter) recently confirmed that filming will now begin in May in the UK.

From Collider:

I’m doing Gravity with Alfonso Cuaron, which starts the end of May. Which is great. The whole film has been pre-vised and figured out, it’s f**kin’ awesome. I mean, unlike anything you’ve seen in space. It’s just great. He’s a privilege to work with—he’s a real visionary.

…we’re using technology that’s never seen before. This film will be more immersive, I believe, than anything you’ve seen before. You will really feel like you are in space. It will not be an objective view of space, it will be an immersive view of space. And you know as you say, with Children of Men, he loves these long shots. It’s gonna be a really bold, bold film.

Much of the film is devoted to a woman’s struggle to get back to Earth (and her daughter) after her team at a remote space station are decimated by debris from an exploded satellite. George Clooney will play the team leader at the space station, while Bullock will play the female lead. Most of Gravity will just involve her on-screen, so it’ll be interesting to see Bullock back in a sci-fi setting in that type of environment.

Heyman said Gravity wouldn’t be filmed in 3D, but will be converted and released as a 3D film as “you can make the 3D in a post process much more easily than if you were shooting all live-action or sitting in a room.”

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Last month we heard that Robert Downey Jr. had left Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity due to scheduling conflicts. The man has a lot of upcoming projects, including The Avengers and Oz, the Great and Powerful, which meant a trip into space with Sandra Bullock wouldn’t be happening. It is, however, happening for George Clooney who Warner Bros. has brought on-board to replace him.

THR say that Warner Bros. considered scrapping the movie after Downey Jr. bailed (Angelina Jolie had already turned down the role of the female astronaut twice, and efforts to get Natalie Portman didn’t work out) but as Clooney has agreed to star in the movie production will likely begin early next year.

Much of the film, which will be 60% CGI, is devoted to a woman’s struggle to get back to Earth (and her daughter) after her team at a remote space station are decimated by debris from an exploded satellite. George Clooney will play the team leader at the space station who also survives the space disaster, but previous reports mentioned that if Downey took on the role he would only be required for 3 weeks of filming, so the character may not be around a whole lot.

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Last month there was speculation that Robert Downey Jr. may have to bail on Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity due to scheduling conflicts, and now according to THR that is indeed the case. Downey has a lot of upcoming projects, including The Avengers and Oz, the Great and Powerful, which means a trip into space with Sandra Bullock won’t be happening.

THR say that Bullock is still in negotiations for the movie, which will be 60% CGI. Much of the film is devoted to a woman’s struggle to get back to Earth (and her daughter) after her team at a remote space station are decimated by debris from an exploded satellite. Robert Downey Jr. would have starred as the team leader at the space station, but his character would have only appeared in the first act (you can probably guess why).

Downey leaving is a blow for Warner Bros. as having the actor in trailers would have drawn people in, but as the role would only require 3 weeks on set they can easily find another actor. The eventual replacement may not have the same star power as Downey Jr. but this will be Bullock’s movie anyway, and she proved last year that she was a box office draw.

It would be a shame for Cuaron if Gravity fails to get off the ground due to casting issues. Angelina Jolie and Natalie Portman both passed, so hopefully Bullock remains on-board and Cuaron gets to return to sci-fi. Children of Men was one of the best movies of 2006 and I can’t wait for his follow-up.

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Just when it looks like Alfonso Cuaron has finally found his female lead for Gravity in Sandra Bullock (after being turned down by Angelina Jolie twice and Natalie Portman), the director may be about to lose his leading man.

According to Deadline “scheduling problems have made Robert Downey Jr. suddenly doubtful for Gravity“. The actor may only be required for 3 weeks on set as he won’t be leading the film, but fitting that in amongst Sherlock Holmes 2 and The Avengers could be difficult. Plus Sam Raimi and Disney want him for Oz, the Great and Powerful.

Gravity will be an ambitious movie set in space which will be 60% CG feature animation. Much of the film is devoted to a woman’s struggle to get back to Earth (and her daughter) after her team at a remote space station are decimated by debris from an exploded satellite. Robert Downey Jr. would star as the team leader at the space station, and it was never the intention for him to carry the film.

Deadline says that Warner Bros. “expect to work out the scheduling problems” so Downey might not be off the project yet, but the drama and delay over finding a leading lady hasn’t helped matters. I’m sure they could find another actor for the role if Downey is unavailable, but Warner Bros. would prefer a big name as they haven’t put $80 million+ behind a female-lead sci-fi film for a while.

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First Angelina Jolie passed and now it seems Natalie Portman has too. According to Deadline Portman will not be appearing in Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity, an ambitious movie set in space which would be 60% CG feature animation. Much of the film is devoted to a woman’s struggle to get back to Earth (and her daughter) after her team at a remote space station are decimated by debris from an exploded satellite.

“Scheduling conflicts” is the reason given, an now Warner Bros. must search for another leading lady if this movie is ever going to get off the ground.

The next obviously choice is recent Oscar winner Sandra Bullock who had a great year at the box office last year. Deadline say Warner Bros. is “making a full court press” for the actress, probably because they can’t think of anyone else to lead after her. Naomi Watts, Marion Cotillard, Carey Mulligan, Scarlett Johansson, Sienna Miller, Abbie Cornish, Rebecca Hall, Olivia Wilde and Blake Lively have all been considered, but none have proved themselves as box office draws (but I guess they haven’t really been given the chance).

$80 million is quite a lot to put behind a movie with a female lead, but only because no studio has done it in a while. Aeon Flux, Elektra and Catwoman killed female lead action movies (because they sucked, not because they had female leads), and now the studios have a situation where Angelina Jolie is the only actress who can carry an action film.

Robert Downey Jr. has signed up to star as the team leader at the space station, but it was never the intention for him to carry the film. Filming was set to begin next year, but that will all depend on if they find a lead.

Who do you think should star in Gravity? Personally i’d be interested in names such as Kate Winslet, Halle Berry or Rachel Weisz.

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At the beginning of the month we heard Natalie Portman was being considered by Warner Bros. for the lead role in Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity, an ambitious movie set in space which would be 60% CG feature animation. Much of the film is devoted to a woman’s struggle to get back to Earth (and her daughter) after her team at a remote space station are decimated by debris from an exploded satellite.

Now THR report that both Portman and Warner Bros. are in “active negotiations”. Previously it was mentioned that the studio were looking at a number of actresses such as Sandra Bullock, Marion Cotillard, Naomi Watts, Carey Mulligan and Scarlett Johansson.

If Portman signs on filming will probably begin sometime next year. Filming was originally scheduled to begin this summer but Angelina Jolie decided against appearing in the film after numerous offers, which caused Warner Bros. to search for another actress who could carry a film all by herself.

Robert Downey Jr. has signed up to star as the team leader at the space station, but it was never the intention for him to carry the film. The plan was to work filming around Sherlock Holmes 2 and The Avengers, but he is only expected to be on set for 3 weeks. The opening shot alone is slated to last at least 20 minutes, so a lot of time will be needed for rehearsals.

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Last week we heard Angelina Jolie had turned down an offer from Warner Bros. to star in Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity, an ambitious movie set in space which would be 60% CG feature animation. Much of the film is devoted to a woman’s struggle to get back to Earth (and her daughter) after her team at a remote space station are decimated by debris from an exploded satellite.

It was mentioned that the studio were now considering a number of actresses such as Sandra Bullock, Marion Cotillard, Naomi Watts, Carey Mulligan and Scarlett Johansson, but now Natalie Portman has apparently been offered the role following buzz from the Telluride Film Festival for Black Swan.

From Risky Business:

As Darren Aronofsky’s psychological thriller rallied audiences at the Venice and Telluride film festivals last week, Portman has fielded an offer from Warner Bros. to star in the drama “Gravity.” The lead in the epic survival story, co-written by Alfonso and Jonas Cuaron, has been a highly sought role for months, with Angelina Jolie pulling out of it recently.

In the wake of “Swan” notices, Cuaron finally got the green light from the studio to relay the offer to Portman without requiring a screen test. Portman, who couldn’t make it to Telluride’s “Swan” screenings Sunday, is expected to read the latest version of the script this week and make her decision shortly.

Although Cuaron, Downey and the studio have juggled multiple potential stars, including Scarlett Johansson and Blake Lively, none has come up all cherries. But the role now is Portman’s if she feels up for it. As an added benefit to the studio, even with a nice raise, her salary would only come in at about half of Jolie’s.

Out of all the names mentioned I would have probably gone for Portman too. Awards season buzz for her role in Black Swan may be a bit premature at the moment, but regardless of whether she gets nominated or not she is still a good actress, and one I would gladly pay to see with Robert Downey Jr. in an Alfonso Cuaron film.

Robert Downey Jr. has signed up to star as the team leader at the space station, but it was never the intention for him to carry the film. He will work filming around Sherlock Holmes 2 and The Avengers but he is only expected to be on set for 3 weeks. Although, the opening shot alone is slated to last at least 20 minutes, so a lot of time will be needed for rehearsals. If you’ve seen Children of Men you’ll be familiar with Cuarón’s long and fluid style.

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