Martin Scorsese has reportedly washed his hands of big budget Hollywood pictures after his latest feature film The Departed. The legendary director was quoted as saying, "when there are very big budgets there is less risk that can be taken." The Departed weighed in at $90 million yet has afforded him the largest box office opening of his lofty career at $28 million. Next up on Scorsese's plate is a low budget adaptation of Japanese novel The Silence.

Source: BBC News

The creator of Scrubs, Bill Lawrence, is writing and directing a prequel to the 80s Chevy Chase film Fletch. Scrub's main man Zach Braff will take over Chase's leading role in the film. The script will be adapted from the early Gregory McDonald novel Fletch Won. Filming is set to start in April once Scrubs wraps. Braff brought Lawrence on board to the project after many talks with Harvey Weinstein.

Source: Reuters

After several ill advised sequels, Bruce Willis will further pickle his waning acting career by staring in the comically named Live Free or Die Hard. This will mark the fourth installment of the Die Hard series with Len Wisemen (Underworld) set to direct this looming catastophe. The story is said to center on an attack to America's computer infrastructure. The film is projected to hit theatres on June 29th.

Source: Reuters

The latest Batman sequel entitled The Dark Knight will bring back Christian Bale to the title role, adding Heath Ledger as his devilish grinned nemesis, the Joker. Christopher Nolan will also remain at the director's helm. The latest installment is set to begin filming in the early months of 2007. Nolan and Bale will also be teaming up in the Disney feature The Prestige due out this fall.

Source: MSNBC

Jessica Simpson is set to star in the movie rendition of television guilty pleasure extraordinaire -- Babewatch. The star vehicle that seemed to be the launching pad for the career's of Playboy Playmates, including one Pamela Anderson, seems a good fit for the fluff Dukes of Hazzard actress. Simpson is using every global endowment at her disposal to forward her career.

Source: Life Style Extra, UK

In the weeks leading up to the Oscars, Brokeback Mountain seemed a virtual lock to take home best picture honors for its story of homosexual love shared between two cowboys. Critics circles around the country seemed to be hoisting the crown upon them. Though director Ang Lee walked away from the party with accolades, the racial charged drama Crash took top honors. A gay themed drama has never won the biggest prize to date. As expected, Philip Seymour Hoffman secured best actor credits for Capote, and Reese Witherspoon edged out the Desperate Housewife for best actress. George Clooney and Rachel Weisz rounded out the supporting categories.

Most of us who eat through DVD rentals via snail mail have suspected Netflix was doing some shady things in its shipping and receiving department for some time. Its new terms of service disclaimer confirms that not all customers are created equal. It institutes a practice called throttling, keeping its most frequent renters from sending the company to the financial poor house. In doing so, Netflix slows shipments and gives these individuals lesser priority in renting hot new releases. The move has angered some customers who feel cheated by the company's slogan pledging unlimited rentals. Even so, Netflix commands amazing customer loyalty, adding 1.6 million subscribers last year while only 4% of its members cancelled service.

Source: Yahoo News

The boys from Boston, who first made a splash in Good Will Hunting, are joining forces on screen once again. The Oscar-winning duo will play attorneys fighting a 15-year struggle to get an innocent man on death row released. The project will be produced by Live Planet, Damon and Affleck's company that brought Project Greenlight to the small screen. This should finally kill the rumor mill that the duo is set to remake the immortal Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Source: Yahoo News

It seems all the boys who have been holding their breath for another revealing Katie Holmes nude scene after the Gift may have to wait a bit longer. A 12-second sex scene she shares with Aaron Eckhart in the forthcoming film Thank You for Smoking, mysteriously disappear during its screening at Sundance. Writer/director Jason Reitman was perplexed by the edit he had no hand in. Lots of people seem to be pointing fingers at Katie's fiance, Tom Cruise. His overly possessive streak, when it comes to Holmes, is said to be the cause of the vanishing clip.

Source: Yahoo News

Brokeback Mountain was the big winner at the Golden Globes Monday night, taking home four awards including best dramatic film and directing credit for Ang Lee. Felicity Huffman won best actress for her portrayal of a transsexual in Transamerica and Philip Seymour Hoffman took actor honors for his work in Capote. Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon won best actor/actress combo in the musical and comedy category for their work in Walk the Line. For all its accolades, Brokeback has emerged as the frontrunner in the Oscar race for best picture though no gay-oriented film has ever won the top honors. As for television, ABC was the big winner scoring with Desperate Housewives as best comedic series and Lost as best drama.

Source: MSNBC

Reports are surfacing that, following her head turning role as Ann Darrow in King Kong, Naomi Watts has been offered the role of Russian vixen Vesper Lynd in the upcoming Bond flick Casino Royale. Don't go Photoshoping pix of her and Daniel Craig together just yet. Friends say Watts may decline the role for fear of typecasting which has derailed many a promising career. Angelina Jolie and Charlize Theron have already been offered the part, and subsequently turned it down.

Source: IMDB

The Golden Globes nominations have officially been released and the new Ang Lee drama Brokeback Mountain tops all films with seven nominations including best dramatic picture. It will go head-to-head with such vaulted releases like Good Night and Good Luck, The Constant Gardener, A History of Violence and Match Point. Brokeback Mountain has already won the New York Film Critic Circle's highest honor of being named best picture and further praised with best director and best actor awards (Heath Ledger). George Clooney racked up 4 nominations spread across his tour de force filmmaker efforts on both sides of the camera in Good Night and Good Luck and Syriana.

So after nostalgia has run amok in recent remakes of the Dukes of Hazzard and Starsky & Hutch, I'm sure you are wondering what TV lost boy is next. Say hello to everyone's favorite motorcycle cops, CHiPs. Wilmer Valderrama, of That 70s Show, has signed on to fill Erik Estrada's role as Ponch. The project is said to being built around Valderrama. I think I still have CHiPs uniform around here from when I was a kid. I wonder if they'll let me be Jon?

Source: Reuters

Jennifer Lopez, will star with her husband, Marc Anthony, in a music-based flick focusing on the life of late salsa king, Puerto Rican singer Hector Lavoe. The film entitled, El Cantante, or The Singer, has started filming in New York with additional shooting also planned for Puerto Rico. Release for this J-Lo produced, hubbie/wife feature is scheduled for sometime next year.

The most important concern for moviegoers is that, while we know Marc Anthony can and will sing, J-Lo might try to go for a duet with him. I urge caution if this is reported to take place in this movie. (Sorry to mention this, but remember their Oscar duet a while ago?)

Pat Morita, the beloved "Mr. Miyagi" of the Karate Kid franchise passed away Thursday of natural causes at age 73. With countless affectionate imitations of his "Wax on wax off" instructions to Ralph Macchio's "Daniel-san," Morita became an unlikely but much adored icon that everyone recognized. He is survived by his wife and three daughters from a previous marriage.

Source: CNN

Chris Tucker, the most over paid actor in America, finally agrees to return to the franchise that made his career and set him up for life, Rush Hour. The third installment will deliver to Tucker $20 million against 20% of the film's gross. Considering he has only made two movies since 1998, Rush Hour and Rush Hour 2, that's a quite a hefty pay day for a guy who lately has only made appearances in music videos for Michael Jackson and Mariah Carey. Whatever he's doing, he's doing it right. Can't argue with that.

Source: Yahoo

Can "The Man of Steel" be resurrected that way Batman made a splash last Summer? Catch a sneak peak at the next big comic book to big screen blockbuster before Superman Returns arrives to save the day.

Source: Yahoo

Fans of Katie Holmes have a new reason to grumble about her relationship with Tom Cruise. The 26-year-old rising actress is reportedly giving up acting for good to be a stay at home mom. A source told Britain's The Sun newspaper: 'Katie has decided to give up acting altogether. She's been telling friends that she and Tom have decided it is best she stays at home and brings up their baby.' This follows rumors earlier this month that she wouldn't be tying the knot until Tom signed a pre-nup guaranteeing her millions if the marriage dissolves before 5 years.

Source: Monsters and Critics

Nip/Tuck's resident bad boy, Julian McMahon, is putting aside the ultra-suave Christian Troy to take on a starring role across from Sandra Bullock in the upcoming thriller Premonition. The premise of the story is about a housewife whose husband is involved in a fatal car accident, yet he's shedding his body bag the next day. It will begin shooting in January in Louisiana with German filmmaker Mennan Yapo. Let's hope for a higher grade film than McMahon's last exercise in mediocrity Fantastic Four.

Source: Reuters

Netflix was all ready to let you download your favorite films to your desktop, but they've hit a snag -- Hollywood studios. It seems there have been difficulties securing licensing agreements due to Hollywood's reluctance to release their pictures into the wild of the Internet. Netflix's CEO said the company would continue to work on the infrastructure for the service with the hopes that future negotiations will thaw their frozen plans.

Source: The Register

It looks like Jennifer will be working off those post pregnancy pounds right away. Garner has just signed on to star in the erotic thriller Sabbatical. It is a film about a couple in the doldrums of a 7-year relationship that take a sabbatical from one another for two weeks to spice things up. When she returns, her husband isn't there. It will be a departure from her usual ass kicking romps on Alias, but I'm sure her hormonally challenged audience won't mind getting to see an extra helping of skin from the super sexy Agent Bristow.

Source: Monsters & Critics

John Rambo's been living a reclusive life back home in the states, but when a girl goes missing, he is forced to strap on the war gear and resuscitate a franchise that died in the 80's. Not long after Slyvestor Stallone announced another Rocky sequel, somebody thought it would be a good idea to revive the Rambo legacy. Rocky VI begins shooting this December and Rambo IV in Spring 2006. If all goes well, expect R.V.R., Rambo vs. Rocky. I might pay to see that.

Source: IGN

The Gotham Awards have given nominations for Best Picture to Brokeback Mountain, Capote, A History of Violence, Keane and Me You and Everyone We Know. The Gothan Awards are usually a solid gauge for next years Oscar contenders. Brokeback Mountain is the new Ang Lee drama about two gay cowboys starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger opening December 9th. It also received a nomination for best ensemble cast along with Crash and Good Night and Good Luck. The awards ceremony will be held on November 30th.

Source: IMDB

Sylvester Stallone is returning to his seminal role as Rocky Balboa for the sixth installment set to be titled Rocky Balboa. The new film is said to have a similar gritty feel that defined the first two of the series. Stallone wrote the script and will direct the film that will see Rocky coming out of retirement to fight some low-profile fights when he's approached to take on the reigning heavyweight champion. Let's hope its more Rocky and less Rocky V. I think we're all still trying to forget we bet good money on that dog.

Source: CNN

With Elizabethtown opening today nationwide, one of our favorite directors/writers and music aficionados, Cameron Crowe, sits with IGN to discuss topics from mix tapes to the types of films he makes: "movies that we are completely obsessed with and then the Tom Cruise movies." Read this engaging interview at IGN.

After months of speculation, British newspapers are reporting that the Layer Cake star has locked down the coveted role as 007. Craig will be making his debut in the film Casino Royale. Besides the gangster drama Layer Cake, Craig has also had roles in Road to Perdition, The Jacket and Laura Croft: Tomb Raider. The Sun reported that the 18-month search came down to Craig and Henry Cavill. It seems Craig's first mission was to get a hot leading lady on his arm for the premiere. Rumors are the endgame for Sienna Miller and Jude Law came when Jude found out about Sienna's tryst with his friend Craig.

Source: Canada.com, Zap2it

Good old J. Edgar Hoover's witch hunt. The late screen siren was one of several Hollywood stars the FBI kept tabs on, speculating on their affiliation with the Communist party. Other notable figures included Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, John Lennon, the Beach Boys and Lucille Ball. In newly released documents, Monroe fell under the gaze of the FBI when applying for a visa to travel to Russia and was subsequently tracked meeting with a Communist group in Mexico. Sinatra perked suspicions after attending sex parties with President Kennedy. Now that's your grandparents tax dollars hard at work.

Source: IMDB

After the killer Batman remake hit theatres this summer, the Superman franchise is preparing to storm the box office in 2006. With Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane, Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor and newcomer Brandon Routh taking on duel responsibilities as Superman and Clark Kent it looks like there is a lot of talent filling out the cast. Behind the camera is Bryan Singer who brought us two great X-Men films. Here are the first production photo stills released on Yahoo Movies.

After scoring commercially and critically with the Aviator and Gangs of New York, Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio have decided to team-up yet again for a biopic about former president Theodore Roosevelt. It is said to be based on Edmund Morris' Pulitzer-winning biography The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt. The two also add the Departure to their collective film catalog that is due for release next year.

Source: BBC

The controversial documentary filmmaker, Michael Moore, is said to have been inspired by Bush's mishandling of Hurricane Katrina. He is said to be seriously considering documenting the infliction on New Orleans. He tells the New York Daily News, "There is much to be said and done about the man-made annihilation of New Orleans, caused not by a hurricane but by the very specific decisions made by the Bush administration in the past four and a half years. Do not listen to anyone who says we can discuss all this later. No, we can't. Our country is in an immediate state of vulnerability. More hurricanes, wars, and other disasters are on the way, and a lazy bunch of self-satisfied lunatics are still running the show."

Source: IMDB

For all those Six Feet Under fans bemoaning life without their Feet, perk up because Peter Krause (or better known as the ill-departed Nate) has been paired with the Egyptian actor Khaled Abol Naga to star in Jeff Renfroe's indie flick Civic Duty. Krause plays an American accountant consumed with terrorist plots and the spinning of cable news when Abol Naga moves in next door. Krause last appeared on film in the uneven We Don't Live Here Anymore with Naomi Watts and Mark Ruffalo.

Source: Empire Movies

While Pierce Brosnan getting his walking papers from the iconic role of James Bond shouldn't come as any surprise, the franchise's new writer may raise a few eyebrows. Oscar nominee Paul Haggis has been hired to take on the rewrite of the 21st 007 installment, Casino Royale. Haggis has drawn acclaim for his writing on films like Million Dollar Baby and this summer's sleeper hit Crash. So with a grade-A writer on board, does that mean we have to do without the cheesy Bond one-liners?

Source: CNN

2005 has marked the worst slump in box office tracking history seeing tickets down 8% over year ago numbers. A proliferation of reasons have been cited for the drop off from film piracy to screwy lunar cycles, but most are sheer conjecture at best. A study was done searching 1.9 million Internet blogs to pull out 1350 posts using Internet bots, and the key reason cited was the lack of quality films. Many other reasons came up such as the ease of selection of online renters like Netflix and hefty movie ticket costs to onscreen commercials and inadequate parking. Films aren't just competing against themselves, but also sporting events and concerts for the attention of the consumer. If finding a quality picture at the Cineplex is to you like finding meaning in a Pauly Shore movie, check out PM's films page to see what's worth your hard earned dollar.

Source: Yahoo

If it wasn't enough that Steve Carell knocked the ball out of the boxoffice park last weekend with the smash comedy The 40-Year-Old Virgin, now he prepares to take on the role of God. Carrell will dress in Jim Carrey's role in the sequel to Bruce Almighty called Evan Almighty. This go around his character, Evan Baxter, will be asked to build an ark and go gathering animals. Did you ever wonder how Noah kept all the animals from becoming one another's lunch, and how did they not get overrun by rabbits?

Source: TimeOut

Julia Roberts will reportedly close out her acting days after finishing her slated appearances on Broadway's Three Days of Rain next year. Evidently, the new mother wants to spend time with her twins and husband Danny Moder. She has done mainly voiceover work since completing Ocean's Twelve in 2004. Ocean's Twelve is to be her swan song on film? Really?

Source: IMDB

You've got to hand it to Morgan Spurlock. He sure pissed off a lot of people when he implied in Super-Size Me that part of the blame for America's obesity epidemic rests on fast food restaurants like McDonalds. Merab Morgan set out on an entirely different experiment, only eating Mickey D's for 90 days and dropping 37 pounds. She was trying to make a point that the blame rests on people's choices and not on the restaurants. Unlike Spurlock, she was very diligent in mapping out her daily diet to stay under 1400 calories. How many people could eat all their meals at McDonalds and stay under 1400 calories? That's a lot of McSalads. I think she missed the point of Spurlock's film. It's not that people can't make healthy choices, its that these restaurants don't provide us with ample healthy options and clearly posted nutritional information to make the correct choices.

Source: Yahoo

Sony Pictures has been ordered to pay $1.5 million to settle a lawsuit involving citing a fake movie critic in ads for several of their films. Moviegoers who paid good money to see piffle like Hollow Man, The Animal, A Knight's Tale or Vertical Limit can file for a $5 ticket reimbursement. Any remaining funds would be donated to charity. So go get your $5 so you can blow it on some other film you'll have heartburn after seeing.

Source: Yahoo Movies

So what was Natalie Portman's new do all about at the Star Wars premiere? She's been hard at work on an action film from the "creators of the Matrix Triliogy" called V for Vendetta and Portman fans can rejoice as she graces the silver screen again with her beauty and talent. Check out a preview from iFilms.com.

The long awaited end to the Star Wars Trilogy will hit DVD shelves on November 1. Its release will correspond to the release of "Star Wars: Battlefront II" for all gaming platforms. The DVD release of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith will include a full-length documentary, two new featurettes and 15 web documentaries all packaged in a 2-disk set.

Source: Reuters

Mel Gibson looks to be cornering the market on archaic languages in film. He is set to begin filming Apocalypto in Mexico, which will be in a Mayan dialect. Gibson will write and direct the film assembling the cast from unknown performers from the region of filming.

Source: CNN

All the cartoons of our youth seem to be finding new life on the screen. Just months after the official announcement of a Transformers movie coming to the big screen, now the Smurfs join the party as well. Paramount Pictures has acquired the rights and is planning to make a trilogy of Smurf films with the first debuting in 2008, the 50th anniversary of the blue anomalies. They are planning on doing the film in 3-D CGI. Did you ever wonder what happened to all the female Smurfs?

Source: RTE

Emilio may have been a no show at the Breakfast Club reunion at the MTV Music Awards last month, but don't take his absence as a lack of devotion to his brat pack. Estevez has signed on for the coming Hughes sequel. When asked about specifics, he said "John's got an idea for a sequel - mature aged students at college, all doing time again - for some reason or another. The twist would be that we're all the polar opposites of how we were in the original. Judd Nelson for instance, would now be the straight-laced one. I'm definitely in. If it happens, I'm there."

Source: Dark Horizons

"Could you describe the ruckus, sir?" - Anthony Michael Hall

AMC Theatres are so sure that you'll love Cinderella Man that they will refund your money if you don't like it. This marks the first money back guarantee that the theatre has offered since Mystic Pizza in 1988. It is seen as a dramatic step to shake up the lackluster box office that has plagued this summer movie season. While it may seem risky, Cinderella Man is a great film that screams Oscar caliber performances so there shouldn't be much refunding. Look for the PM review of Cinderella Man tomorrow.

Source: CNN

Evidently there is all sorts of controversy floating around Lindsay Lohan's appearance and her new film Herbie: Fully Loaded. Parents groups have been up in arms saying that Lohan's character was too busty and revealingly dressed for a children's feature. Herbie fully loaded indeed. Rumors had spread that Disney has digitally reduced her cleavage though the film's director denies this allegation. Most recently Lohan has been taken off the posters for the film as the movie bosses say the blonde haired, incredibly shrinking actress doesn't resemble the fiery red head from the picture.

Source: Brand Republic

Chuck Palahniuk, the genius behind Fight Club, has three novels currently treading their way to the screen. Ain't It Cool News reports that Survivor was picked up by the creative team behind Constantine (yikes!). Choke has been written and is ready for casting by the same producer responsible for Requiem for a Dream and I Heart Huckabees. Finally, Diaries is in negotiations to be an HBO miniseries directed by none other than Seven's David Fincher. Now that does sound like an interesting coupling of talents.

Source: Ain't It Cool News

Rush Hour director, Brett Ratner, is the newest commander of the X-Men franchise taking over from where Bryan Singer left off. It's an unlikely choice, but one can't forget that Ratner was originally offered the job only to see Singer turn it into his own success. Read more from E! Online.

Batman Begins hasn't even premiered yet, but the buzz is so big that it's sure to be a smash at the box office. Sequels are inevitable, and you'll be glad to know that the current Batman star, Christian Bale, will be happy to revisit his Bruce Wayne alter-ego. Not since Michael Keaton has an actor served double duty as the Caped Crusader, and Bale will be happy to oblige. Read more from BBC News.

It was inevitable. In the spirit of Super Mario Bros., Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, 20th Century Fox and Universal Pictures will team up to develop the film version to one of the mosting addicting video games in recent history, Halo. It's advanced video graphics will no doubt translate well on the big cgi screen. Read more from Reuters.

Justin Lin, the acclaimed director of the pro-Asian-American indie hit Better Luck Tomorrow, has signed on to direct a third installment of The Fast and the Furious franchise. This time around, the raceway is Tokyo Japan, minus Paul Walker, where the action is sure to be taken beyond the limits that any American Hot Rod film has ever seen. Read more.

Actress Anne Bancroft died of cancer Monday at Mount Sinai Hospital. She won the Oscar for best actress in 1962 for playing Helen Keller's teacher in the Miracle Worker. She collected three additional Oscar nominations during her career as well as a Tony for her work on the stage. She is perhaps best known as the tempress older woman who seduces Dustin Hoffman in the Graduate. She was a talented actress whose presence will certainly be missed.

In a summer movie season when Hollywood is wondering why people aren't flocking to the box office, one film has made its unexpected mark. The remarkable race relation's drama Crash featuring the talents of Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock and Matt Dillon has brought in a very diversified viewer base shooting its four-week total to $36 million. Usually a high browed film like this would be released in the fall to put itself in contention for Oscar, but the studio felt it could have a good showing in the summer market.

Read the full article at Yahoo News and check out the PM review on Crash.

It's been 17 years since Sly blew up everything and evidently it is time for him to don the war paint and the rippling muscles of Rambo again. Rights to the franchise had been caught up in corporate red tape and just got cut free when the Weinstein's threw in the towel at Disney. Stallone at 58 will be writing the screenplay as well as playing the lead. Far be it of me to state the obvious, but isn't Sly a little old to be hanging off of helicopters and slugging it out with the bad guys?

Read the full article at Yahoo Movies.

With one more thumbs up needed from Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones 4 could see the light of day as George Lucas and Steven Spielberg have given their approval on a script written by Jeff Nathanson, who also scripted Catch Me If You Can and Terminal. Read more.

Batman is back. After four films about the caped crusader, beginning famously in 1989 with Tim Burton's gothic original and ending infamously in 1997 with Joel Schumacher's benippled Batsuit, the franchise suffered a run of aborted reboots until Warners brought in Nolan, 34, the gifted mind behind Memento, whose no-frills approach was just what the bloated Batman saga needed. His pitch: let's start from scratch. Batman Begins, which opens on June 15, rewinds all the way to Bruce Wayne's days as a Princeton graduate and explains exactly how and why he acquired a Batsuit, a cave, a souped-up car and a yen for cracking the skulls of evildoers. The film is also a stylistic rebirth. Nolan's vision doesn't have a trace of comic-book-movie excess; it's a globetrotting epic--Bruce Wayne goes to Bhutan!--in the mold of the adventure movies he grew up adoring.

Read the full article at Newsweek and keep an eye out for our coming review of the new Batman.

Don't you forget about The Breakfast Club. At the 2005 MTV Movie Awards, to air June 9, the network plans to reunite the cast of the classic '80s movie, the cable channel said Friday.

Though Emilio Estevez, who played Andrew Clark, isn't confirmed, in attendance will be Molly Ringwald (Claire Standish), Ally Sheedy (Allison Reynolds), Anthony Michael Hall (Brian Johnson) and Judd Nelson (John Bender).

Read the full article on Yahoo News.

Many Americans are changing how they watch movies - especially young people, the most avid moviegoers. For 13 weekends in a row, box-office receipts have been down compared with a year ago, despite the blockbuster opening of the final Star Wars movie. And movie executives are unsure whether the trend will end over the important Memorial Day weekend that officially begins the summer season. Meanwhile, sales of DVD's and other types of new media continue to surge.

With box-office attendance sliding, so far, for the third consecutive year, many in the industry are starting to ask whether the slump is just part of a cyclical swing driven mostly by a crop of weak movies or whether it reflects a much bigger change in the way Americans look to be entertained - a change that will pose serious new challenges to Hollywood.

Read the full article at New York Times.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Topher Grace, who starred in "That '70s Show," has joined the cast of "Spider-Man 3." Although his character wasn't revealed, director Sam Raimi said Grace "will be perfect for the complexities of the role we are developing." Read the full article.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The last of the "Star Wars" movies has done what no movie in history has ever accomplished - sold $50 million worth of tickets in a single day.

"Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" grossed $50,013,859 from showings at 3,661 theaters and more than 9,000 screens around the country on Thursday, including special midnight shows, according to box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. Read the full article.

Blockbuster Online has an even bigger challenge to overcome now that Wal-Mart has shut down their online rental service in order to promote DVD sales via its competitor, Netflix. In exchange, "Wal-Mart will offer its online customers the opportunity to sign up with Netflix at their current subscription price for a year." Read the full article.

Lindsay Lohan has a mission ... and she wants to accept it. The actress/singer says she has met with Mission: Impossible III director J.J. Abrams regarding the possibility of starring in the third installment of the 1960s TV show remake.

"I actually met with J.J. Abrams, who is directing," Lohan told "Access Hollywood" yesterday (May 17). "I'm a huge fan of Lost and Alias, so hopefully, we will see what happens. If so, I'll be in training for a few weeks, putting on some muscles."

Read the full article at Billboard.

Without Michael Moore and Fahrenheit 9/11 at the Cannes Film Festival this time, it was left to George Lucas and Star Wars to pique European ire over the state of world relations and the United States' role in it.

Lucas' themes of democracy on the skids and a ruler preaching war to preserve the peace predate Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith by almost 30 years. Yet viewers Sunday and Lucas himself noted similarities between the final chapter of his sci-fi saga and our own troubled times.

Cannes audiences made blunt comparisons between Revenge of the Sith the story of Anakin Skywalker's fall to the dark side and the rise of an emperor through warmongering to President Bush's war on terrorism and the invasion of Iraq.

Read the full article at Yahoo Movies.

Last Days, by former Palme d'Or winning director Gus Van Sant, portrays the inner turmoil that engulfs a troubled musician in the final days of his life. While Van Sant has admitted the film is inspired by Cobain and the Seattle music scene of the time, he has pointed out that it is still a work of fiction.

But parallels between Cobain and main character Blake are there to be seen. From the messy blond hair of actor Michael Pitt to suggestions that his character has spent time in drug re-hab - the main character is a Cobain-like figure. Moreover, the film is set in 1994 - the year Cobain shot himself.

Read the full article at BBC News.

With The Godfather and Scarface already set for video game treatment, perhaps it was inevitable that someone would do the same for another landmark in unflinching American film, Taxi Driver. Majesco announced today that the famous 1976 film, which starred Robert De Niro in the iconic role of unstable cabbie Travis Bickle, will be the basis for a new game set for release in spring 2006. Read more.

Scarlett Johanson has decided that Mission: Impossile 3 just isn't for her due to concerns with changes to the script. MI3 looks to be getting off the wrong foot as others like Carrie-Ann Moss and David Fincher have also decided to abort mission as well. Could this be an opportunity for Cruise's current love, Katie Holmes, to step in? Read more.

In less than two weeks, geeks everywhere will be lined up for the final installment to the Star Wars saga. This one promises to be darker with some disturbing images of a "gruesomely mutilated" Anakin after a light saber duel with former mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi. It has received a PG-13 rating, which George Lucas says, "These [scenes] are pretty intense. Who should be allowed to see them should be left up to the parents, but at least they're warned that it's pretty intense. "Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" opens May 19th everywhere. Read the full article on CNN.

The Man of Steel is back with a new face and a new movie. Set for release June 30, 2006, the return of the franchise has received much buzz and fans can finally get a sneak peek of new guy, Brandon Routh, in his new threads.
Read more.

The biggest U.S. import from China during the 2002-2003 NBA season was 7'6", 310lbs, Yao Ming. Having outgrown the Chinese Basketball circuit, he jumped waters and landed with the Houston Rockets and has become one of the most dominating big men in the middle. From off-court endorsements to on-courts battles with Shaq, Yao Ming has propelled himself into American households while continuing to build on his legendary status back home in China. Now, his first season in the NBA has been developed into a documentary that is currently out in limited release. Check out clips from The Year of the Yao.

Also, check for availability/showtimes in your area.

Will the aging Pierce Brosnon reprise his role as 007? The rumours contradict earlier news that Daniel Craig ("The Jacket," "Layer Cake") is next in line to take over the Bond franchise. The next bond film is to be called "Casino Royale," Ian Fleming's first Bond book, which has the agent at the beginning of his spy career. So, the Brosnon rumours may be just be that, rumours.

Read the full article on itv.com.

OH MAN, TIME CAN'T MOVE FAST ENOUGH! "The Transformers," the greatest toy action figures and cartoon series EVER, will hit the big screen (tentative release date is Nov 17, 2006) as a live action film with Michael Bay currently as director and Steven Spielberg to executive produce. For any guy who grew up in the 80's, you surely have had at least one of the "Robots in diguise" toy and dreamed of owning the entire collection...or was it just me? Movie technology has advanced throughout the years making it possible to even conceive such an idea. Soon, all us geeks will be in Autobot/Decepticon heaven!

Read the full article from Timeout.com.

The good news is Ben Affleck won't be starring in films anytime soon. The bad news is he'll be in control of one called "Gone Baby Gone." Oh brother. Big Ben will be adapting novelist Dennis Lehane's kidnap mystery for the big screen, but has no plans to act in it. Let's hope he keeps his word by not directing himself deeper into has-been oblivion.

Read the full Boston Herald article.

Thomas Haden Church, the "life of the party," which was "Sideways," will party on as Spidey's archenemy in the next installment of the "Spider-Man" series.

Director Sam Raimi made the announcement Monday along with producers Laura Ziskin and Marvel Studios' Avi Arad.

Read the full Reuter's article now.

You heard correctly. The star of "Scrubs" seems the frontrunner for the Chevy Chase role in the upcoming film Fletch Won according to Kevin Smith's web site. Smith stoked the rumor mill by posting Braff's picture in response to a question inquiring about who would play the lead on his message board. Smith is set to start production on the latest Fletch installment once he has finished Clerks 2. Let's just hope that it's more Chasing Amy than Jersey Girl.

Read the full article at the Hollywood News.

"Sin City," one of the most eagerly awaited films this season, will arrive in theatres April 1st. For those that don't know, it's a faithful screen adoptation of the cult comic book series starring a wide range from Hollywood's A-List (Bruce Willis, Clive Owen, Benecio Del Toro, etc.) Just how faithful you ask? Check out this interesting comparison between the movie and comic book as well as a behind the scenes look on Yahoo.

Also, look for PM's review coming soon!

So why is this new version of the Passion being released into theatres during the Easter season? Is this truly a new look at this popular, controversial film or is it simply a way for Gibson to keep buying up the Fiji Islands with your Passion dollars? Gibson and his distributor, NewMarket films, decided to slice 6 minutes from the film in hopes of eliminating some of the ultra-violence that turned off some viewers. Interestingly the MPAA still slapped the edited version with an R rating, so how different can it really be? Admittedly, the Passion was a beautiful and moving film but cutting 6 minutes of the absurd, over the top violence doesn't even come close to giving this film the scrubbing it deserves to bring it in line with reality.

Read the full article at Yahoo Movies.

One of the greatest actors to grace the silver screen is ready to call it a day. Newman says he plans to make one last film "for good luck". What a film it may be. He is suggesting it may be a reunion with his partner from the Sting and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Robert Redford. "I hate to talk about anything until the papers are drawn up, but we've been looking for something for 20 years and now we're looking harder," Newman said. "I hope something will come of it." He will also look to give up his other great passion - motor racing.

Read the full article on CNN.

The 3rd prequel to the Star Wars franchise may have a much needed edge to it in "Episode III - Revenge of the Sith." The darker and more violent film will see Anakin "make a pact with the devil," says George Lucas. He also says that it may not be something you'd want to bring your 5 year old to. Could this be the one that finally lives up to the hype?

Read the Scotsman's article.

One of the most candidly depressing memoirs ever written will finally see the light of day as a major motion picture. However, Elizabeth Wurtzel's "Prozac Nation" won't be attracting moviegoers into theatres. Instead, it will premiere via cable television on the STARZ! Network in March. Though the film has been complete for quite some time, rumor has it that "Prozac" tested poorly with audiences raising concern for it's potential failure in theatres.

If you don't see the movie, definitely check out the book.

Read the full article on contactmusic.com.

Could Quentin Tarantino take over creative duties for "Friday the 13th?" The Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction writer/director is reportedly in "early talks with New Line Cinema, where he is scheduled to meet with executives this week." (Reuters) This should be a great move by New Line to revive a franchise that, like its menacing psycho slasher, keeps coming back for more eventhough it's been dead for some time.

Read the Reuters article.

From one womanizer to another, Julian McMahon, who plays Christian Troy on the daring FX series, "Nip/Tuck," may be trading in his surgical tools and groupies for high-tech spy gadgets and Bond Girls. I never would have thought of Dr. Troy as succeeding Pierce Brosnan in the James Bond Franchise but do see some potential there.

Check out the full article on Mirror.co.uk.

Keanu Reeves may have found a role that could possibly loosen up his usual stiff on-screen presence. "A Scanner Darkly" is basically an animated movie as a result of tracing over a real one. Maybe the studios can add extra expressions to Reeve's poker face.

Set in a future world where America has lost the war on drugs, an undercover cop, Fred (Reeves), is one of many agents hooked on the popular drug, Substance D, which causes its users to develop split personalities. Fred, for instance, is also Bob, a notorious drug dealer. Along with his superior officers, Fred sets up an elaborate scheme to catch Bob and tear down his operation. (Yahoo)

Check out the trailer on Yahoo.

Check out these trailers for some of the most highly anticipated films this year courtesy of Apple's Movie Trailers (Quicktime required).

> Batman Begins
> Be Cool
> Cinderella Man
> The Ballad of Jack and Rose
> War of the Worlds

How does a low budget porn continue to garner such critical attention 33 years after it was released? Read the "San Francisco Chronicle" article.