The Playlist

Megan Fox In Talks For Judd Apatow's 'Knocked Up' Spinoff

By Kevin Jagernauth
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March 16, 2011 5:48 AM
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6 Comments

After getting bounced from the 'Transformers' series and bombing in a trifecta of films -- "Jennifer's Body," "Jonah Hex" and "Passion Play" -- Megan Fox is currently undergoing a career reinvention. She recently wrapped the indie film "Friends With Kids" and now she's adding a high-profile comedy gig to her plate in a move that will certainly get people talking.

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Watch: Oprah's Dream Comes True As Tom Hanks & Julia Roberts Kiss In Trailer For 'Larry Crowne'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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March 16, 2011 5:28 AM
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3 Comments

You can practically hear the 35-49 segment in a studio marketing executive's pie-chart presentation exploding upon the release of the first trailer for the Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts rom-com "Larry Crowne."

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Watch: New Trailer For 'Friends With Benefits' Gives Up Emma Stone Cameo, Owned By Patricia Clarkson

By Kevin Jagernauth
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March 16, 2011 5:09 AM
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5 Comments

A new trailer has landed for "Easy A" director Will Gluck's follow-up to his fantastic comedy vehicle that made launched Emma Stone's career into the stratosphere, and it wastes no time in giving up/ruining the goods. Cameos by Emma Stone and Andy Samberg are out of the way in the first 10 seconds, and hey, Woody Harrelson plays a gay dude! While we would've liked those surprises to have remained until we saw the film, we have to say, that we were still pretty charmed by this one and our optimism remains intact.

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Watch: New Trailers For 'Cave Of Forgotten Dreams' & 'Essential Killing' Land

By Kevin Jagernauth
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March 16, 2011 4:53 AM
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0 Comments

Even though we're now in March -- the new tentpole month -- there are still things happening at your local arthouse, so just remember that you do have options before plunking down $12 for "Battle: Los Angeles." A couple of trailers have arrived for some films that will certainly be much healthier alternatives in the weeks to come, so let's get right to it.

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Villains In 'Red Dawn' Remake To Be Changed To North Koreans Instead Of Chinese So MGM Can Sell It

By Kevin Jagernauth
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March 16, 2011 4:20 AM
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9 Comments

North Koreans are the new Chinese, who were the new Russians it would seem. "Red Dawn," a remake of the 1980s film about a bunch of kids who keep those pesky Soviets from taking over America was remade by Dan Bradley (a stunt coordinator making his directorial debut) with the Chinese now serving as the updated baddies. But according to the LA Times, it appears that the film is undergoing a post-production makeover that will now digitally swap out Chinese flags and whatnot and substitute with North Korean ephemera. Additionally, dialogue in the film will be altered to match the story changes as well, which will not totally erase the Chinese but give the North Koreans a bigger role as the dudes who stomp on the stars and stripes. So why all the changes? MGM has been showing the film to potential buyers and without a chance to crack the Chinese market, potential customers are passing on the film.

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SXSW Exclusive: Greg Mottola Talks The Influence Of Steven Spielberg On 'Paul'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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March 16, 2011 4:06 AM
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0 Comments

Yes, the buzz is now near deafening around "Paul," but not without good reason. The film is already playing like gangbusters in the U.K., home to the film's stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and over the weekend, the film unspooled to an enthusiastic reception at SXSW. In our review, we called the film funny, touching and rewarding, noting an inspiration from the works of Steven Spielberg, and that's no mere coincidence.

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HBO Lines Up Projects With Philip Seymour Hoffman & Chloe Sevigny; Gets 'Cocaine Cowboys' Moving

By Catherine Scott
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March 16, 2011 3:39 AM
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0 Comments

HBO has been lining up terrific projects left and right with quite a few being announced just this past week. Today, Deadline reports that HBO is developing a drama project titled "Upstate." The project comes from eOne Television and Cooper's Town Productions, headed by actor Philip Seymour Hoffman and Emily Ziff. Written by Brett C. Leonard (HBO's "Hung") and playwright Bob Glaudini (who collaborated with Hoffman on "Jack Goes Boating"), the script focuses on Roy Perkins, a recently laid-off man who relocates his family to an undisclosed rural location in America in order to become a correctional officer in a private, for-profit prison. The town and Perkins' family begins to prosper from this new prison, and tensions inside (and outside) the prison begin to erupt. There's no word yet as to whether Hoffman will star in the lead role, or whether this project is being conceived as a pilot for a series or as a one-shot miniserie, but it sounds like some interesting material to be sure.

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Sam Worthington To Star In Aussie Surfing Action Pic 'Drift'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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March 16, 2011 3:00 AM
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2 Comments

While Sam Worthington does get some flack around these parts for not being much of a presence in the big, expensive blockbusters that orbit around him, we'll give him credit for following up his "Avatar" success with some smaller, more interesting choices. The relationship drama "Last Night," the thriller "Man On A Ledge," the crime drama "The Fields" and the assassin pic "The Debt" are all waiting in the wings for the actor and he's signed on for another film, and no, it doesn't involve having blue skin.

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Kristen Wiig Nervous, But Excited For Her Breakout Turn In 'Bridesmaids'

By Christopher Bell
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March 16, 2011 2:44 AM
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3 Comments

SNL Comedienne Also Talks What Drew Her To 'Paul' And The Lack Of Difference Between American & British Comedy Actors

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SXSW Review: 'New Jerusalem' A Hypnotic Film Experience About Friendship And Religion

By Christopher Bell
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March 16, 2011 2:30 AM
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0 Comments

Despite a rather large and enthusiastic critical embrace of American neo-neo realism ("Wendy and Lucy," "Goodbye Solo," "Ballast," and a few others), there haven't been many (if any) new players entering the field. By contrast, mumblecore micro-indies are cropping up like corn, with young directors seizing the me-too attitude and grabbing shitty cameras to capture characters in apartments talking about relationships or focusing on their own inadequacies. Some are different, some are great, and like anything, you have to wade through the shit (which still get perplexing amounts of overenthusiastic quotes) in order to find the few artists pushing for something more. The neo-neo's are fewer in numbers but they're generally all worthwhile in some way, using their own brand of minimalism not to film conversations but to start them.

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