When Asa Butterfield (Hugo) joined the cast of Summit Entertainment’s Ender’s Game adaptation last month we were told Harrison Ford was being sought for the role of Colonel Hyrum Graff. Now Variety reports that Ford’s involvement is confirmed, and he’ll be joined by young Oscar nominee Abigail Breslin (Zombieland).

Ender’s Game is an adaptation of Orson Scott Card’s 1985 sci-fi novel and is set in Earth’s future, where an imperiled humankind have barely survived two conflicts with the Formics (an insectoid alien species also known as the “Buggers”). These aliens show an ant-like group behavior, and are very protective of their leader, much like Earth ants protecting their queen.

In preparation for an anticipated third invasion, an international fleet maintains a school to find and train future fleet commanders. The world’s most talented children, including the novel’s protagonist, Ender Wiggin, are taken at a very young age to a training center known as the Battle School. There, teachers train them in the arts of war through increasingly difficult games including ones undertaken in zero gravity in the Battle Room where Ender’s tactical genius is revealed.

Ford’s character is in charge of the Battle School and while he is often portrayed rather coldly in the book, Graff shows affection for Ender which can be seen at several points throughout the story. Abigail Breslin will play Valentine Wiggin, Ender’s older sister, while Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) will play Petra Arkanianthe who quickly becomes Ender’s ally and trusted right hand.

Summit Entertainment has set a March 15, 2013 release date for Ender’s Game. Gavin Hood (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) is directing, and Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Star Trek) are producing.

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According to Variety Hailee Steinfeld, who this year received an Oscar nomination for her performance in True Grit, is in talks to join the cast of Ender’s Game. Earlier this week Hugo actor Asa Butterfield was confirmed to play Ender Wiggin, a gifted young gamer skilled in strategy and logistics, now Steinfeld will play Petra Arkanianthe who quickly becomes Ender’s ally and trusted right hand.

Ender’s Game is an adaptation of Orson Scott Card’s 1985 sci-fi novel and is set in Earth’s future, where an imperiled humankind have barely survived two conflicts with the Formics (an insectoid alien species also known as the “Buggers”). These aliens show an ant-like group behavior, and are very protective of their leader, much like Earth ants protecting their queen.

In preparation for an anticipated third invasion, an international fleet maintains a school to find and train future fleet commanders. The world’s most talented children, including the novel’s protagonist, Ender Wiggin, are taken at a very young age to a training center known as the Battle School. There, teachers train them in the arts of war through increasingly difficult games including ones undertaken in zero gravity in the Battle Room where Ender’s tactical genius is revealed.

Hailee Steinfeld just missed out on playing the lead in The Hunger Games to Jennifer Lawrence, but now she’s joined another a teen sci-fi movie with franchise potential, so it’s not all bad.

Summit Entertainment has set a March 15, 2013 release date for Ender’s Game which will be directed by Gavin Hood (X-Men Origins: Wolverine). Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Star Trek) are producing.

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According to Variety Asa Butterfield, who can currently be seen in Martin Scorsese’s Hugo, has signed on to play the lead role in Ender’s Game which will be directed by Gavin Hood (X-Men Origins: Wolverine).

Ender’s Game is an adaptation of Orson Scott Card’s 1985 sci-fi novel and is set in Earth’s future, where an imperiled humankind have barely survived two conflicts with the Formics (an insectoid alien species also known as the “Buggers”). These aliens show an ant-like group behavior, and are very protective of their leader, much like Earth ants protecting their queen.

In preparation for an anticipated third invasion, an international fleet maintains a school to find and train future fleet commanders. The world’s most talented children, including the novel’s protagonist, Ender Wiggin, are taken at a very young age to a training center known as the Battle School. There, teachers train them in the arts of war through increasingly difficult games including ones undertaken in zero gravity in the Battle Room where Ender’s tactical genius is revealed.

With the young lead cast the producers are said to be looking for an established actor to play Colonel Hyrum Graff, who is in charge of the Battle School. Talks with Viggo Mortensen apparently didn’t work out, so other actors such as Harrison Ford are being discussed. Wikipedia states the character “is often portrayed rather coldly” in the book but “the reader does see Graff’s struggle with what is moral and amoral in his quest to shape Ender’s life” and “while Ender sees him as a harsh manipulater” Graff shows “affection for Ender which can be seen at several points throughout the story.” I could see Ford working out quite well if he takes the role.

Summit Entertainment has set a March 15, 2013 release date for Ender’s Game and it is being produced by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Star Trek).

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Last week Tim Pocock who played Cyclops in X-Men Origins: Wolverine updated his Twitter page with the following:

currently shooting Australian TV series till February 2010…then X-men first class ;)

However, a few days later he had this to say:

victim of cruel prank.last tweet=NOT me.AM filming Aussie show till2010.no official word on XM:FC but am interested.please post retraction.

Was this actually a prank? Or had 20th Century Fox picked up on it and told him to shut his Twitter hole? Well /Film recently had the chance to ask producer Lauren Shuler Donner what’s going on:

According to Shuler Donner, there’s no truth to the initial claim at all. She announced that the film has no scheduled start date and will definitely not be kicking off in February. What’s more, she confirmed that no actors have signed contracts to appear in the film.

I asked if they had signed the young mutants up for an option on future films, and she admitted that yes, everybody was under option. No surprises there.

Donner also said that she is cooking up plans for an X-Men 4 and a movie based on The New Mutants, although having followed the X-Men films for years I know that Donner likes to blurt out ideas and nothing ever comes of them. I think that they should focus their attention on making the films they’ve already got scripts for like X-Men: First Class and X-Men Origins: Magneto…

…which brings me to an interview MTV had with X-Men Origins: Wolverine director Gavin Hood.

David Goyer has been the popular name mentioned to direct “X-Men Origins: Magneto,” but if the “Dark Knight” writer finds himself committed when the project finally comes together, Hood says he’d be willing to step behind the camera.

“I think the character of Magneto is still a phenomenally interesting character,” Hood told MTV News while discussing last week’s release of “Wolverine” on DVD and Blu-Ray.

“Absolutely, if I was asked I’d take an interest,” the director said. “But the truth is I haven’t been asked and I think that the studio right now is waiting to see how we do with the ["X-Men Origins: Wolverine"] DVDs, and who knows where we’ll all be if and when a ["Wolverine 2"] script is ready.”

In interviews Gavin Hood comes across as an intelligent and likeable guy, however I don’t want him directing Magneto. I’d prefer them to get someone with a bit more experience with big budget movies, and a director who can tell 20th Century Fox where to stick it when they start making stupid creative decisions.

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X-Men Origins: Wolverine will be released on DVD and Blu-ray next week and to promote this a Q & A session was held with director Gavin Hood and producer Lauren Shuler Donner. While the DVD and it’s features were the main topic of discussion, Hood was asked about Wolverine 2 which is currently being written by The Usual Suspects writer Christopher McQuarrie.

From Latino Review:

I just think that the Japanese story is so iconic and beautiful and could be so visual. That’s the one and I’m reluctant to talk about others because I know Len [Wein]’s writing others now. And honestly, here’s the truth: if the Japanese story works, there might be another sequel. And if it doesn’t, there won’t be. You can get ahead of yourselves by sort of stirring up rumors of what might be. I’m not going to even go there.

I don’t even know if I would be involved. Right now I’m not attached. Nobody’s attached. They’re developing a script and we’ll see where everybody is. I’m hoping to be shooting something next year and I don’t think that ‘Wolverine’ will be ready for next year. I haven’t been approached one way or another. The studio is obviously very cautious. They want to see how Wolverine does on DVD. Let them develop the script, let’s see what the script looks like, let’s see how the studio feels about the script, how Hugh feels about it and then we’ll take it from there.

Wolverine is the worst reviewed X-Men movie to date. The script wasn’t the best, the pacing was off and the effects (especially the claws) were worse than the first X-Men film. And while all of those weren’t all Gavin Hoods fault, I would prefer them to get a different director for the next film. Bryan Singer ideally.

Here’s an ad for the DVD and Blu-ray release:

And here’s a behind the scenes look at the helicopter chase scene which will be on the DVD (if you buy the 2 disc edition):

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It has been three days since an uncompleted version of X-Men Origins: Wolverine was leaked onto the internet by someone who now has the FBI hunting them down like the scum they are. (I’m sure they haven’t been sleeping very well. The guy who leaked The Hulk apparently got around 7 years in jail). In that time we have had a statement from 20th Century Fox on the matter, and now Fox Entertainment Co-Chairman Tom Rothman has spoken out about the leak. From Entertainment Weekly:

“The version that went out is unfinished. It’s about 10 minutes shorter, doesn’t have key scenes, it wasn’t edited, and none of the effects shots were in any remotely final form,” Rothman tells EW. “It’s a complete misrepresentation of the film and is deeply unfair to the people who have worked on it for years.”

“The picture is not the kind of movie people get the whole experience of by watching on their computer. But other than The Hulk, I don’t think a movie with this kind of anticipation has been stolen. And it’s also a big deal because of how early it is.” Meaning, there’s a whole month before the movie is in theaters, and that gives fans a long time to get their fill of X-Men and move on.

Rothman is touting a bunch of footage shot in Canada earlier this year that he says is not even included in the version online. And he insists that both he and Hugh Jackman have vowed to stop at nothing to get the movie out to as many fans as possible. “Hugh was heartbroken and hurt when he found out. He’s lived with this thing for 10 years. But he’s also a man and knows that life isn’t fair, and is more determined than ever,” Rothman says. “Hugh and I exchanged e-mails: Basically, we’re not going to let the bastards win. But we didn’t use the word ‘bastards.’ That’s a slightly sanitized version.”

Whether you are a fan of Fox and Rothman or not, no studio deserves to have their movie leaked to the masses when people have been working on it for the past two years. It is too early to say what impact this will have on the box office. I suspect the majority of people who have downloaded the leak are either X-Men fans or people who download movies on a regular basis. The fans will go and see it on the big screen regardless (most likely multiple times), and those who download often probably wouldn’t have paid to see it anyway. I think this leak will have little impact on the average moviegoer, who will probably see it based on the trailers and/or their familiarity with the X-Men franchise. Whatever happens, Fox will probably be ploughing more effort into marketing than previously planned as the release date nears.

In other Wolverine news, director Gavin Hood spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about rumors regarding on-set clashes between him and Tom Rothman. He says that while they did had disagreements, it never came to full blown arguments and the differences were settled with ‘dignity and sincerity’. Watch below:

I suspect this was filmed before the leak, which is probably why there is no mention of it. Like Hugh, i’m sure Gavin Hood was angry and disappointed about the leak. Directors await the day that their movie will be released to the public and everyone can be entertained and give their opinion on it (whether it be good or bad). It is a huge shame someone had go and ruin it!

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20th Century Fox are known for pushing their weight around in regards to creative decisions on films. We’ve heard situations where they haven’t been too kind to directors, such as with Alex Proyas during I, Robot, who has said he will never work with them again, and more recently with Mathieu Kassovitz on Babylon A.D. There have been some rumours from the X-Men Origins: Wolverine set that Fox have been asses to director Gavin Hood, which involved Fox ordering people to re-decorating a set. To this day we haven’t heard anything more of it, and to be honest it was kind of a crappy rumour to begin with. I’m sure Fox could do much worse than paint the set a different shade of dark.

According to David Poland’s The Hot Blog Gavin Hood has had pretty much most of what he wanted as they come into the closing stages of post-production.

And here’s one for good measure… had a chat with a high-ranking, unmotivated-to-bullshit member of the Wolverine team… and the take is that the movie is about 90% what Gavin Hood wanted as they finish up post. So… how evil does that make Fox and will the studio get a break? Or is 90% of his vision for the first-time action film director of a comic book film not enough? Or do you think you know what percentage of compromises that Zack Snyder and Chris Nolan (the first time around) and Bryan Singer really made when making their comic book films for Warners?

Fanboys have a habit of letting their dislike for Fox overshadow their judgement on some potentially good movies, however I don’t think X-Men Origins: Wolverine will disappoint (unless you’re a Deadpool fan).

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We told you two days ago that additional filming for X-Men Origins: Wolverine was taking place in Vancouver. They started on the 12th and they will be wrapping up in 2 weeks. Reports have come in that Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, Liev Schreiber, Taylor Kitsch and Dominic Monaghan will be involved in the reshoots, with Dominic talking to Popwrap Blog about them:

Asked if it’s a reshoot or an additional scene, Monaghan says “We’re doing a bit of both, more than anything else, it’s an additional scene… my character features in a huge set piece with Hugh and Liev [Schreiber]. I think the best thing I can tell you is that it’s a flashback scene.”

However, as this is the internet this 2 week reshoot has caused mass hysteria. Collider are reporting that ‘extensive’ reshoots are taking place, and AICN call the reshoots ‘massive’. They back up their over-reacting by recalling the false rumours we heard during filming. One involved director Richard Donner apparently ‘ghost directing’ because Gavin Hood couldn’t do it himself. The actual truth being he was there because of his wife, producer Lauren Shuler Donner.

Then there was another bullshit rumour about 20th Century Fox going behind director Gavin Hood’s back and repainting the set. Whoever makes up this crap should work for the same British tabloid that came up with the ‘Eddie Murphy in Batman 3′ story.

If people didn’t get a buzz from making stuff up then we would now be getting less hysterical reports and posts with actual common sense. Alas, this is the internet, where common sense is almost non-existent. Hugh Jackman and friends are probably filming scenes that will improve the film, and they have 3 months to add any special effects if needed.

There will be an X-Men Origins: Wolverine TV spot during the Super Bowl on February 1st, and we will no doubt get more stuff between now and May.

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A few months ago someone somewhere reported that Richard Donner was spotted on the set of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Then people who like to make things up said that he was on the set because director Gavin Hood was having trouble with 20th Century Fox and Donner had been brought in as a ‘directing consultant’ to smooth things over. As this is the internet, the rumour spread and before long everyone though X-Men Origins: Wolverine was in trouble.

Now, in an interview with THR Lauren and Richard Donner explain what really happened and why Richard was on the Wolverine set.

“For the first time ever, I went to him and I said, ‘Could you please help me?’” Shuler Donner says. “And he came down, and he helped produce ‘Wolverine’ for me in Sydney, Australia, while I went to New Orleans on ‘Cirque du Freak.’”

As the saying goes, no good deed goes unpunished. Before long, Internet wags were speculating that Donner was waiting in the wings to replace “Wolverine” director Gavin Hood.

“I was there to do nothing but help Gavin anyway I could, as a producer and never as a director,” Donner insists. “That was my deal with Lauren. I would never step on another director, and I didn’t go until Gavin asked me to come over and help him. He called me in L.A. and I said, ‘Hey, pal, I’m on my way.’ He’s a good buddy of mine right now.”

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According to Hollywood Elsewhere X-Men Origins: Wolverine has been having some behind the scenes drama involving director Gavin Hood and Fox CEO Tom Rothman. Lots of movie news sites have been posting it, however, it is full of crap and I will tell you why.

They start off with:

This is a second-hand but reliably sourced story about the currently-shooting Wolverine movie,

Wolverine actually finished filming over 2 months ago. To prove it here is an article by The Daily Telegraph talking about the wrap party. It even has images of Hugh Jackman and his wife dressed in 70′s costumes and has quotes from them thanking the cast and crew for all their hard work. That puts the ‘reliably sourced story’ well and truly in the crapper.

Anyway, here’s what they say the big drama is all about.

There was/is a huge Wolverine set being recently used. I’m not even sure which lot it was built on, but the look or mood of the set is, according to a source who was told Hood’s view of things, supposed to be on the dark, dinghy and somber side. I only know what I was told, but the basics are that Hood was away from the set for whatever reason (shooting something else, taking a day or two off), and when he returned to the big somber set he was shocked to find that it had been repainted top to bottom on Rothman’s orders. The murky-scuzzy vibe was gone, and a brighter and less downish look had taken its place.

Rothman redecorated? That’s the best they could come up with? If Rothman wanted to make the movie lighter he would have raised those concerns during the scripting process, he wouldn’t wait until director Gavin Hood conveniently goes off set for a few days to make a move. I am also sure Tom Rothman (however much of an ass he can be) is far to busy to care about what colour a set is.

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