Woody Harrelson must have a pretty great agent. After dropping off the map for a while, he had somewhat of a career resurgence with Zombieland a few years ago, and has steadily been working since. After his scene-stealing turn as Haymitch Abernathy in Gary Ross’ The Hunger Games, it looks like Harrelson has another great project lined up. Variety says he’s in negotiations to play the villain in Scott Cooper’s upcoming revenge thriller Out of the Furnace. Details below.

Out of the Furnace stars Christian Bale and Casey Affleck as two brothers in the Rust Belt, one of whom goes to jail while the other gets involved with a ruthless gang. When Bale’s character gets out of prison, he must decide whether to stay out of trouble, or go after the people who messed with his brother. Harrelson is in talks to play Curtis DeGroat, the leader of the gang. Zoe Saldana will play Bale’s love interest and Sam Shepard is set as his uncle.

Sounds like another opportunity for some scenery chewing for Harrelson, who really thrives in supporting roles like this one. I’m really excited about this movie – not only because of the cast (which is great, obviously), but because Crazy Heart director Scott Cooper is both writing the script and directing here. This sounds like a hell of a second feature film, and I can’t wait to see how it turns out.

Read similar posts to Woody Harrelson heats up cast of Out of the Furnace on Filmonic

After the enormous success of 2010′s The Fighter, David O. Russell has had quite a few options thrown his way for his next job. He was all set to direct a film adaptation of the video game Uncharted, but ended up backing out due to creative differences, and he was also up for directing the Angelina Jolie Disney film Maleficent, but Robert Stromberg ended up scoring that gig. Now, Russell is attached to direct American Bullshit, the fascinating true story of an FBI sting in the 1980s the revealed Congressional corruption and led by the world’s best con man. More after the jump.

The script is written by Eric Warren Singer, who has only written one feature before: the Clive-Owen starrer The International. While that movie didn’t connect with audiences, I have a feeling this one might; the true story con man angle conjures memories of Catch Me If You Can, and if Russell can direct something half as good as Spielberg’s caper flick, American Bullshit should be pretty damn solid. The Hollywood Reporter has the story, and they go out of their way to point out that Russell is only attached at this point, pointing to the casting of the lead actors as the kick in the pants this project really needs to get off the ground.

Deadline, however, has heard that Russell spoke with Christian Bale at one point about starring but they say the director is NOT involved with the film. Regardless of who you believe here, it sounds like a cool project. Ben Affleck was attached to direct at one point, and since the script made it onto the 2010 Black List, I’m sure we’ll see one director or another behind the cameras on this one soon.

Read similar posts to David O. Russell could direct American Bullshit on Filmonic

Last week, we told you about one of many upcoming films starring Christian Bale: a gritty revenge thriller called Out of the Furnace. The movie is written and directed by Crazy Heart helmer Scott Cooper, and now Zoe Saldana is negotiating to join the cast and Casey Affleck is the frontrunner for a role as well. More after the jump.

The movie follows “a man (Bale) released after serving four years in prison. His hopes for a peaceful homecoming are thwarted when he sets out to find the man who brutally murdered his younger brother to avenge his death.” Saldana would play Bale’s ex-wife, a waitress who is currently married to the town sheriff. Casey Affleck is in talks for the role of Bale’s brother (though he hasn’t been officially offered the part yet), and there’s even word that Viggo Mortensen could play the villain. Cooper’s mentor Robert Duvall is still expected to join the cast soon, likely as Bale’s uncle in the film.

Out of the Furnace is quickly moving up on my list of anticipated films, and with a cast and director like this, it could result in a killer movie. Are you as pumped as I am about this project?

Read similar posts to Zoe Saldana and Casey Affleck could join Christian Bale in Out of the Furnace on Filmonic

Christian Bale’s got a busy year ahead of him, shooting Terrence Malick’s new film Knight of Cups and doing press for one of the most anticipated films of the year, The Dark Knight Rises. Looks like the actor’s schedule is getting a little busier, as he’s in talks for the revenge drama Out of the Furnace for Crazy Heart director Scott Cooper. More after the jump.

The Hollywood Reporter has the story, and describes the plot as centering on “a man released after serving four years in prison. His hopes for a peaceful homecoming are thwarted when he sets out to find the man who brutally murdered his younger brother to avenge his death.” The script has been floating around Hollywood since 2008, attracting the likes of Ridley Scott, Mark Wahlberg, and Rupert Sanders before falling into the hands of Relativity Media, who will back the project with Scott Cooper directing. Cooper plans to cast his mentor and Crazy Heart star Robert Duvall in Out of the Furnace, but no deals have been set yet.

The movie was once known as The Low Dweller and Bale was attached to star, but timing issues caused things to fall apart. Now it’s all back together with a different title, and filming will begin this spring. What do you think about Bale starring in a revenge film like this?

Read similar posts to Christian Bale to get revenge in Out of the Furnace on Filmonic

Since winning Best Actress at the Academy Awards for her performance in Black Swan, Natalie Portman has stepped out of the spotlight to be a mom. But now it’s time to get back to work, and the actress has set up two back-to-back projects with the same director: none other than Terrence Malick, whose Tree of Life is up for Best Picture at this year’s Oscars and has garnered him a nomination for Best Director. I think it’s safe to say there will be a certain amount of prestige attached to these films.

First up is Knight of the Cups, which co-stars Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, and…Isabel Lucas (let’s play a game – which of these actors doesn’t seem to belong here?). Nobody knows much about this one – other than it shoots this summer – but suffice it to say that any Malick movie is going to be highly anticipated among the cinephile community. And immediately following will be a film called Lawless, which co-stars Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett (sound familiar?), Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara, and Haley Bennett. Some filming for this was done at last year’s Austin City Limits music festival, but we’re not sure if that was just some kind of character research or if we’ll end up seeing any of that footage in the final cut.

The Playlist brings up an interesting point: though Knight of the Cups and Lawless were initially announced as individual projects, the casting of Portman, Bale, and Blanchett leaves us wondering whether there may be some connection after all. Don’t expect much as far as answers go any time soon; Malick’s projects are almost always shrouded in secrecy.

Malick clearly wants to scratch a filmmaking itch that has been building up for years by taking on so many projects this quickly. There was a five year gap between The New World and Tree of Life, and now he’s got these two projects, plus another one that stars Ben Affleck, Rachel Weisz, and Javier Bardem that’s presumably finished but still without a title or release date.

Read similar posts to Natalie Portman to star in two Terrence Malick films on Filmonic

Bootlegs have been popping up over the weekend but Warner Bros. has today released the second official trailer for The Dark Knight Rises. It begins with Alfred worrying about Bruce and slowly builds, with Selina Kyle warning him “there’s a storm coming, Mr. Wayne”. Then chants begin, a football field crumbles, Bane emerges, and the Batwing roars down a Gotham street. We also get brief glimpses at Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Gary Oldman.

Watch below:

The Dark Knight Rises is set for release on July 20th, 2012. Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman will reprise their roles alongside Anne Hathaway (Catwoman), Tom Hardy (Bane), Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Read similar posts to Second trailer for The Dark Knight Rises hits on Filmonic

Remakes have the reputation of provoking emotions of disgust, confusion, and even hilarity among fans, but it really depends on the actual film that happens to be the victim of being remade. After the recent news of a Scarface remake in the works, fans were downright livid with Hollywood and questioned its integrity for making movies, which is absolutely understandable.

How about if that film is a well loved cult classic that has a passionately dedicated group of fans? When handling with that type of group, a remake is the equivalent of declaring war, and the recent film being targeted, according to Variety, is American Psycho.

Yes that’s right, the film that made us aware of Christian Bale’s acting potential as the psychotic yet suave Patrick Bateman, is getting a remake. In fact, Lionsgate has already hired Noble Jones as both writer and director, meaning this is all too real to be just a sick joke. Now the original, even though being released in 2000, was set in the 80′s and did a fantastic job as showing a psychotic version of Wall Street boom and the effects fortune can lead to.

However, the remake will be taking place in the present day, which honestly completely misses the point, taking away from the entire message that both the original book, written by Easton Ellis, and the film adaptation focused on.

The most devastating news of all, though, is the fact that Bale’s performance was all too perfect, giving a psychotic and methodical killing machine a sense of charm and charisma, and ultimately jump starting Bale’s acting career. So to see someone else take over the role of Bateman would just diminish a character that already reached the pinnacle of perfection, making it just an empty attempt to make some quick cash.

Ironically, the original, being a cult classic and all, had a poor return at the box office, only making around $15 million, so with only the diehard fans essentially being aware of the film, it would make it difficult for a new audience to flock to a newer version of the film without being aware of what the actual meaning is, and just thinking it’s a typical horror movie. But alas, the film is being made and someone will fill Bateman’s shoes, but whom?

Well actually Ellis had recently said on his Twitter that “I have warned Lionsgate that I will not approve a new version of “American Psycho” unless it stars SCOTT DISICK or MILES FISCHER.” Disick is definitely the oddball here because, with those of you unfamiliar with him, he’s primarily a reality “star” in Keeping Up With The Kardashians as Kourtney Kardashian’s husband.

Yea, maybe he has had some experience with a little drama in his days and he does have a Bateman-esque look to him, but the lack of actual acting experience is definitely a problem. On the other hand, Fischer, in addition to having true acting experience (ok, maybe a role in Final Destination 5 isn’t that great, but at least it’s something), actually bears a striking resemblance of a young Bale and has even played Bateman in a parody music video entitled “This Must Be The Place,” which you can check out below:

So with that being said, no matter how “perfect” Fischer may be, the remake is still an idea that I definitely don’t support. We’ve all bear witness to what some remakes have done to our favorite films in the past, coming off as just a heartless rehashing, and I have a feeling that this one is no exception.

I’m sure we’ll be seeing quite a bit of news roll out until the film actually starts production, and we’ll no doubt keep you updated. But, unless you’re a supporter of the remake, definitely tread lightly with this one because, if you’re like me, you’ll be needing a lot of convincing in order to accept this.

Read similar posts to New American Psycho adaptation being developed on Filmonic

A Bane-focused prologue for The Dark Knight Rises is currently playing before Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol in IMAX and a new trailer is expected to be released soon, but in the meantime Warner Bros. has released a new teaser poster.

The poster, which could foreshadow some unpleasant events in the film, features Batman’s broken mask on the ground, with Bane (Tom Hardy) stood menacingly in the background.

Check out the full poster below, and click to enlarge.

The Dark Knight Rises is set for release on July 20th, 2012. Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman will reprise their roles alongside Anne Hathaway (Catwoman), Tom Hardy (Bane), Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Read similar posts to New poster for The Dark Knight Rises – The Legend Ends on Filmonic

Over recent months we’ve been hearing about Darren Aronofsky’s next project Noah, which will be a big screen adaptation of the Noah’s Ark story. In October Paramount and New Regency came on-board to finance and distribute the $130 million movie, and Aronofsky was said to be interested in having Christian Bale play the lead character.

Well Variety now reports that Bale has had to pass on the role as he’ll be shooting Terrence Malick’s next two films, Lawless and Knight of Cups, back-to-back next year. Instead, Aronofsky is said to be holding talks with Michael Fassbender.

Fassbender is on a roll at the moment following the success of X-Men: First Class and that’s unlikely to slow down with the awards buzz he’s picking up for Steve McQueen’s Shame. Fassbender is no stranger to the swords and sandals genre having starred in 300, but this time he’ll be leading the film instead of playing a supporting role.

Below is a recently released French trailer for the graphic novel which gives us an idea of what to expect:

Earlier this year Aronofsky said:

“Since I was a kid, I have been moved and inspired by the story of Noah and his family’s journey. The imaginations of countless generations have sparked to this epic story of faith. It’s my hope that I can present a window into Noah’s passion and perseverance for the silver screen”.

Academy Award nominated screenwriter John Logan (Gladiator, The Aviator) is re-writing the script and the aim is to begin production next year.

Read similar posts to Christian Bale won’t be Darren Aronofsky’s Noah, but Michael Fassbender might on Filmonic

In the latest issue of Empire Magazine The Dark Knight Rises director Christopher Nolan spoke about “finishing Batman and Bruce Wayne’s story” in the film, and revealed that Rises picks up 8 years after the events of The Dark Knight (which is a long time, Alfred must be on the verge of retirement).

Tom Hardy also spoke about Bane’s “brutal” and “nasty” fighting style which is “all about carnage”.

Excepts from the article have been posted on Empire‘s site:

“It’s really all about finishing Batman and Bruce Wayne’s story. We left him in a very precarious place. Perhaps surprisingly for some people, our story picks up quite a bit later, eight years after The Dark Knight. So he’s an older Bruce Wayne; he’s not in a great state.

“With Bane, we’re looking to give Batman a challenge he hasn’t had before. With our choice of villain and with our choice of story we’re testing Batman both physically as well as mentally.”

Speaking of physical challenges, what can Tom Hardy tell us about Bane? “He’s brutal. Brutal. He’s a big dude who’s incredibly clinical, in the fact that he has a result-based and oriented fighting style. It’s not about fighting. It’s about carnage. The style is heavy-handed, heavy-footed, it’s nasty. Anything from small-joint manipulation to crushing skulls, crushing rib cages, stamping on shins and knees and necks and collarbones and snapping heads off and tearing his fists through chests, ripping out spinal columns. He is a terrorist in mentality as well as brutal action.”

Costume designer Lindy Hemming also lets drop a few clues to his backstory as she talks about Bane’s look. On the mask, she says, “He was injured early in his story. He’s suffering from pain and needs gas to survive. He can’t survive the pain without the mask. The pipes from the mask go back along his jawline and feed into the thing at his back, where there are two cannisters.”

Nolan also said the prologue which will be attached to Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol in IMAX “is basically the first six, seven minutes of the film. It’s an introduction to Bane, and a taste of the rest of the film.” Ghost Protocol hits IMAX on December 16 (5 days before the general release on December 21).

The Dark Knight Rises is set for release on July 20th, 2012. Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman will reprise their roles alongside Anne Hathaway (Catwoman), Tom Hardy (Bane), Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Read similar posts to Christopher Nolan and Tom Hardy talk The Dark Knight Rises on Filmonic