Here’s some more bad news for Tom Cruise and his upcoming Valkyrie movie. 11 extras fell out of a moving truck during filming in Berlin last year, and are now trying to sue United Artists for $11 million.

The accident happened almost exactly one year ago and saw all 11, still wearing their Wehrmacht uniforms, sent to the hospital with an array of injuries, ranging from bumps and bruises to broken ribs and pulled ligaments. One extra was kept in the hospital for four days on suspicion of internal injuries.

The actors fell onto the street when a fold-down side-rail on the bed of the truck — against which the thespians were leaning — failed. The group’s lawyer, Ariane Bluttner, says that United Studios knew that the trucks used in the filming were not entirely safe.

“The studio knew the trucks were rickety,” Bluttner told SPIEGEL ONLINE. “There had even been an internal memo about the railings.”

This would be devastating for United Artists, as Valkyrie probably won’t even make $11 million in it’s opening weekend. Although, I highly doubt a couple of bruises and a few pulled muscles is worth $1 million for each extra. If I was thrown from a truck I would just demand Tom Cruise perform the ‘Scientology Dance of Life’ to the tune of Milkshake by Kelis. That’ll teach em to keep their trucks safe and secure!

Babylon A.D. will finally be released in the upcoming days and we will be able to see the latest Vin Diesel action-fest. Although, one man who will not be doing any publicity for the film is director Mathieu Kassovitz, who recently spoke to AMC and told them why he is not particularly happy with his own movie…or 20th Century Fox.

“I’m very unhappy with the film,” he says. “I never had a chance to do one scene the way it was written or the way I wanted it to be. The script wasn’t respected. Bad producers, bad partners, it was a terrible experience.”

“It’s pure violence and stupidity,” he admits. “The movie is supposed to teach us that the education of our children will mean the future of our planet. All the action scenes had a goal: They were supposed to be driven by either a metaphysical point of view or experience for the characters… instead parts of the movie are like a bad episode of 24.”

The film’s production was reportedly riddled with problems, from vast delays to budgetary concerns to weather setbacks. Kassovitz points to the studio, “Fox was sending lawyers who were only looking at all the commas and the dots,” he says. “They made everything difficult from A to Z.” The last stroke, Kassovitz says, was when Fox interfered with the editing of the film, paring it down to a confusing 93 minutes.

“I should have chosen a studio that has guts. Fox was just trying to get a PG-13 movie. I’m ready to go to war against them, but I can’t because they don’t give a shit.”

Fox once again prove that all they are good at is pissing people off and turning good material into your typical mindless blockbuster. I was interesting in seeing Babylon A.D. but now I am not too sure.

Warner Bros. have filed a lawsuit against Mirchi Movies in Mumbai as they feel the title of its upcoming movie, Hari Puttar - A Comedy of Terrors, is a tad too similar to its Harry Potter franchise.

“We have recently commenced proceedings against parties involved in the production and distribution of a movie entitled ‘Hari Puttar,’ ” London-based Warners spokeswoman Deborah Lincoln told The Hollywood Reporter. “Warner Bros. values and protects intellectual property rights. However, it is our policy not to discuss publicly the details of any ongoing litigation.”

“Since the case is sub-judice we can’t comment as of now,” Mirchi Movies CEO Munish Purii said Friday. “However, we registered the ‘Hari Puttar’ title in 2005 and it’s unfortunate that Warner has chosen to file a case so close to our film’s release. In my opinion, I don’t think our title has any similarity or links with ‘Harry Potter.’ “

I don’t see how a relatively small comedy film all the way in India will have an impact on Warner Bros’ billion dollar franchise. However, having having read ‘Hari Puttar’ out loud three times it does sound a lot like ‘Harry Potter’.

[The Hollywood Reporter]

Back in February news appeared that 20th Century Fox had filled a lawsuit against Warner Bros over Zack Synder’s upcoming Watchman movie. The whole case is a bit complicated and here is what it’s all about:

Fox claims that between 1986 and 1990, it acquired all movie rights to the 12-issue DC Comics series and screenplays by Charles McKeown and Sam Hamm. In 1991, Fox assigned some rights via a quitclaim to Largo International with the understanding that the studio held exclusive rights to distribute the first motion picture based on “Watchmen,” according to the lawsuit. When Largo dismantled, the rights were transferred to producer Lawrence Gordon. Under a “turnaround agreement” between Fox and Gordon, the producer agreed to pay a buy-out price to Fox if he entered into any agreement with another studio or third party to develop or produce “Watchmen,” among other things.

The project apparently bounced around to Universal and Paramount before returning to Warners. Now, Fox claims that neither Gordon nor Warners has paid the buy-out price or advised the studio of any other conditions required under the agreement, including procedures necessary to acquire the rights to “Watchmen” from Fox.

Basically, according to Fox they own rights to Alan Moore’s Watchman and Warner Bros just went ahead and made the film. Now there has been a development. A judge has denied a Warner Bros. motion to dismiss 20th Century Fox’s lawsuit over the right to make a film based on the graphic novel.

From Variety:

Judge appears to conclude that Fox retained distribution rights to the graphic novel penned by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons through a 1991 claim, and he concludes that under the 1994 turnaround with producer Larry Gordon, Gordon acquired an option to acquire Fox’s remaining interest in “Watchmen,” which was never exercised, thereby leaving Fox with its rights under the 1994 agreement.

This is bad for Warner Bros. Very bad. Apparently the court is still contemplating Fox’s motion for an injunction, which means that if they get it, Warner Bros will essentially be forced to give up all rights to Fox and they’ll in turn distribute the movie. The Fox rep also adds that “while the Judge’s opinion is preliminary and his views could change in the course of the litigation, his current take on the facts is consistent with our position.”

I am sure everyone remembers the badly timed arrest of Christian Bale after the European opening of The Dark Knight in London. Well there is good news for Bale, he will not be charged!

From CNN:

Batman star Christian Bale will not face charges relating to an alleged assault last month on his mother and sister, prosecutors said Thursday, suggesting their decision was based in part on the family members’ wishes. Christian Bale’s mother accused him of assault the night before the London premiere of “Dark Knight.”

Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service said there was insufficient evidence to afford a “realistic prospect of conviction,” and ordered police not to take any further action.

The service said in a statement that while it “treats all incidents which take place in a domestic context seriously, it is important that the views of complainants are also taken into account when making decisions in such cases.”

Even if Bale did ‘assault’ his family members (which is rumored to be nothing more than a push and shuffle), the press attention and humiliation he received the day after his movie opened, and for the following days, was bad enough punishment in my opinion.

I’m glad this has now been resolved, as we can watch Terminator Salvation without thinking John Connor gave Sarah Connor a backhand or two.

Guy Ritchie’s RocknRolla, starring Gerard Butler and Thandie Newton, is due for release by Warner Bros in October in the States. However, producer Joel Silver is out and about shopping it to studios such as Lionsgate and Sony Pictures. Why is this?

The Los Angeles Times explains,

Silver was looking for a buyer for the film. People who’ve seen the film say it’s not bad at all. But as Warners goes through the arduous process of absorbing two dozen or so New Line films into its distribution system, the studio simply has too many movies to release, so it’s starting to pick out the weak calves from the herd.

If people say the film is not bad why is it considered one of the ‘weak calves’? Well the LA Times spoke with Warners chief Alan Horn, and he had this to say,

“I think it’s a well-made picture, but while it’s funny in spots, it’s very English,” he said. “I don’t think it’s broadly commercial. It feels like a film that deserves a spirited release, but not a wide one. Joel has an 800-screen deal, which we’ll honor, but we might not be willing to spend the marketing money he wants us to.”

So because the film is ‘very english’ Warner Bros don’t know how to go about marketing it and are therefore not willing to spend the money. Producer Joel Silver would rather get another studio to buy and release the film so that it can get a wider release, more than the 800 screens Warner Bros intend.

Being an English person I am a little disgruntled by the fact a movie is considered a ‘weak calf’ just because it is English. Are Gerard Butler and Thandie Newton not big enough actors in the States to promote a film? Or is this a case of the big movie studio thinking the American public won’t be interested in a film not set in America with American actors, when in fact they may be?

USA people give me your thoughts on RocknRolla! Below is the trailer to remind you how English it is:

While on the rounds for Tropic Thunder, Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. revealed to Moviehole that he isn’t too keen on The Dark Knight, or DC Comics for that matter.

“My whole thing is that that I saw ‘The Dark Knight’. I feel like I’m dumb because I feel like I don’t get how many things that are so smart. It’s like a Ferrari engine of storytelling and script writing and I’m like, ‘That’s not my idea of what I want to see in a movie.’ I loved ‘The Prestige’ but didn’t understand ‘The Dark Knight’. Didn’t get it, still can’t tell you what happened in the movie, what happened to the character and in the end they need him to be a bad guy. I’m like, ‘I get it. This is so high brow and so f–king smart, I clearly need a college education to understand this movie.’ You know what? F-ck DC comics. That’s all I have to say and that’s where I’m really coming from.”

Ouch.

I wonder if there has been some history between him and DC Comics? Could Downey be annoyed that The Dark Knight overtook Iron Man at the box office, making it the biggest superhero movie of the summer?

At least he speaks his mind and doesn’t spew out crap like most actors.

There has been controversy surrounding Tropic Thunder starring Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr, over the repeated use of the word ‘retard’, as well as depictions of those with mental disabilities as the objects of humor.

At the center of the storm is Ben Stiller’s character in the movie, Tugg Speedman. Speedman is an actor who, in an effort to be taken more seriously, plays a mentally retarded character in a film called Simple Jack. The studio maintains that neither Stiller nor the movie is pointing and laughing at those with mental disabilities, but rather at a Hollywood system that cruelly seems to crave and reward such performances from its biggest stars.

Timothy P. Shriver, chairman of the Special Olympics, producer of the Special Olympics comedy The Ringer, and brother-in-law of Arnold Schwarzenegger, says he and his representatives are encouraging citizens to picket the film at its Monday night premiere in Westwood. One reason he’s planning to picket is DreamWorks’ refusal to alter the film in any way. The R-rated comedy will remain in tact, according to company spokesman Chip Sullivan. What has happened, as we speculated this past week, is the removal of Simple Jack references from the film’s marketing.

The only group that gain from this sort of controversy is the movie studios. In most cases controversy means bigger profits as people want to see what all the fuss is about. Ben Stiller must be a clever man. Not does he offend mental disability groups, there is a good chance some people will have a few things to say about Robert Downey Jr playing a black man.

Do people need to lighten up or do movies like Tropic Thunder cross the line?

A recent advertisement for Calvin Klein featuring Eva Mendes has been banned from appearing on TV due to the outrageous sexual content. In the 38 second clip Eva Mendes is seen rolling around on a bed, and wait for it…a nipple is shown. That’s right, a nipple.

If you can bring yourself to watch such filth then look below.

Eva, 33, said: “I love it. That means the ads are totally Calvin, totally provocative and a little controversial.”

She continued: “In the commercial you’ll see me rolling around in bed a lot, that’s basically all I do. I have been a fan of Calvin Klein’s Obsession ads since I can remember.”

A British court has just ruled that Lucasfilm is the sole owner of the Stormtrooper costume designs from Star Wars, not a plastics manufacturer who was hired in 1976 to reproduce designs created by a team of Lucasfilm artists.

From The Hollywood Reporter:

Andrew Ainsworth, a principal of Shepperton Design Studios, had claimed he created the designs and reproduced Stormtrooper helmets for sale. Ainsworth had sculpted the helmets for the first “Star Wars” film.

High Court judge Anthony Mann ruled that Ainsworth violated Lucasfilm’s U.S. copyrights by selling the helmets to customers in the U.S.

Mann, however, also ruled that in Britain, the English copyrights for the outfits had expired. Ainsworth’s attorney, Seamus Andrew, said the ruling meant his client can sell the helmets anywhere but in the U.S.

Lucasfilm initially sued Ainsworth in California and obtained a $20 million judgment. However, Mann refused to enforce the judgment in Britain, finding that Ainsworth’s U.S. sales, which totaled $50,000-$60,000, was not significant enough for U.S. jurisdiction.