The Playlist

John Travolta Locked For Title Role In 'Gotti: Three Generations'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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March 30, 2011 8:48 AM
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2 Comments

We'll give credit where credit is due. We didn't think producer Marc Fiore could pull it off. But lo and behold, he's landed a big actor to take on the lead role in the upcoming saga "Gotti: Three Generations."

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David Yates Eyed For Al Capone Pic 'Cicero'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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March 30, 2011 8:08 AM
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4 Comments

Warner Bros. has a thing for crime pics and it's easy to see why. They got Oscar gold for "The Departed" and Ben Affleck's "The Town" was a surprising smash hit at the box office so no wonder they want to feed audience hunger for pics focusing on the seedy criminal underbelly. Ruben Fleischer's "Tales From The Gangster Squad" is already heating up with offers out to Sean Penn and Ryan Gosling and now another gangland pic is building steam.

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Steven Soderbergh Says 'Haywire' Moved To Summer; Happy About His 'Reshoot' Luxury On The Picture

By Edward Davis
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March 30, 2011 7:36 AM
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1 Comment

Filmmaker Gives More Details On The Leni Riefenstahl Project He Deep-SixedLate last year we reported that Steven Soderbergh's spy action thriller "Haywire," starring MMA fighter and non-actor Gina Carano, was set to bow on April 22. In January, Soderbergh himself confirmed that date, but obviously if you've been paying close attention, you know that's not happening.

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Warner Bros. Wants Sean Penn & Ryan Gosling For Ruben Fleischer's 'Tales From The Gangster Squad'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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March 30, 2011 7:20 AM
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1 Comment

There is no doubt that "Tales From The Gangster Squad" is very, very high on the priority list at Warner Bros. With names like Darren Aronofsky, Paul Greengrass, Francis Lawrence, Martin Campbell, Greg Berlanti, Scott Cooper and Jose Padilha all being tossed around at various points to direct the film, "Zombieland" helmer Ruben Fleischer landed the gig late last year. But WB isn't done yet trying to lure top talent to their crimeland pic.

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Bryan Cranston To Square Off Against Colin Farrell In 'Total Recall'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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March 30, 2011 7:06 AM
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5 Comments

With a release date announced for the "Total Recall" reboot about a month ago, there has been little word on the project other than Colin Farrell starring in the thing with Len Wiseman directing. Well, with shooting gearing up start this spring, it looks like the cast is starting to get locked in.

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Jean-Paul Belmondo To Get Eternal Coolness Confirmed At The Cannes Film Festival

By Kevin Jagernauth
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March 30, 2011 6:44 AM
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0 Comments

French New Wave cinema was full of memorable faces, but few were as instantly recognizable, timeless and just plain fucking cool as Jean-Paul Belmondo. The actor got his major break working opposite Jean Seberg in Jean-Luc Godard's sublime "Breathless" and from there, his star would rise.

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Jennifer Aniston, Alicia Keys, Demi Moore Sign On To Direct Lifetime Omnibus 'Project Five'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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March 30, 2011 5:54 AM
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0 Comments

'Monster' Director Patty Jenkins Also On Board, One More Name To Be AnnouncedAs we've elaborated on at length in the past, omnibus films are a mixed bag at best. It's just hard to take a diverse array of talent and cram it into one coherent vision, but damn if Hollywood just won't stop trying.

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Ridley Scott Takes A Page From Werner Herzog, Now Chasing Gertrude Bell Biopic

By Kevin Jagernauth
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March 30, 2011 5:28 AM
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5 Comments

This might put a damper on Werner Herzog's day. While the eccentric helmer has been trying to get his own tale of Gertrude Bell off the ground -- last month he was said to be in serious talks with Naomi Watts for the part -- another director, with a bigger marquee cachet and easier access to financing is mounting his own picture on the same subject.

'Wolf Creek' Director Greg Mclean Heads To '6 Miranda Drive' For Low Budget Supernatural Horror Pic

By Kevin Jagernauth
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March 30, 2011 4:57 AM
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0 Comments

Aussie horror filmmaker Greg Mclean is something of an underdog in the current horror landscape. While he doesn't quite have the name recognition of a James Wan or Oren Peli, his pics "Wolf Creek" and "Rogue" have established a firm following for the director and he's currently lining up his next effort, a micro-budget affair with a big company behind it.

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Review: Oscar Winner 'In A Better World' Morally Complex, Well Made, But Not Quite Transformative

By Kimber Myers
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March 30, 2011 4:19 AM
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1 Comment

When you see Susanne Bier’s “In a Better World” and people ask you if you had a good time at the movies, the answer will most certainly be “no.” Like Bier’s other work (notably “Brothers,” “Open Hearts,” “Things We Lost in the Fire” and “After the Wedding”), this 2010 Danish Oscar winner for Best Foreign Film is a serious, emotional drama about how tragedy simultaneously unites and divides us. There’s little enjoyment or entertainment to be had--and there isn’t meant to be--but Bier has crafted another solid film, and it’s easy to see why “In a Better World” won the votes of the mind-numbingly traditional Academy Award voters, particularly against the jaw-dropping Greek oddity “Dogtooth.”

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