Premiere Daily

05.09.08: Verbinski To Direct 'Bioshock', Jackson Does 'Unthinkable', Perlman Joins 'Bunraku'

Gore Verbinski will direct the adaptation of last year’s smash-hit videogame Bioshock, which takes place in an idealized underwater city where things have gone horribly wrong. In the game, players control a pilot who crash-lands at a secret entrance to the city and is drawn into the local power struggles. “I think the whole utopia-gone-wrong story that’s cleverly unveiled to players is brimming with cinematic potential,” said the Pirates Of The Caribbean helmer. More at Variety

05.08.08: Knoxville & Posey Buy Into 'Fruitcake', Routh Enters 'Dead Of Night'

Johnny Knoxville and Parker Posey have committed themselves to John Waters’ next project Fruitcake. The plot of Waters' latest nutfest is being kept under wraps but apparently centers on the eponymous title character, a boy who runs away from home over the holidays after he and his parents are arrested shoplifting meat. He meets up with a teenage runaway who’s being raised by two gay men and trying to track down her birth mother. More at The Hollywood Reporter

05.07.08: Ellen Page's Period Piece, Grodin's Muppet Cameo, Brolin in 'Nailed'

Ellen Page Gets Her Period (Piece)
Although the breakout star of Juno has become a poster child for her pop culture-infused generation, Ellen Page will try her hand at acting in a classic period drama. BBC films has announced that Page has been cast in the titular role of a new adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre.  Alison Owen, who served as producer on the recent period piece The Other Boleyn Girl, is developing the project from a screenplay by Moira Buffini and production is slated to begin this fall. More at Variety.

05.06.08: Marvel Reveals Film Slate, Redstone Blesses Cruise Casting in 'MI: 4,' Winehouse Not on 'Bond'

Marvel Announces Film Slate
Hot on the heels of their weekend box office success with Iron Man, Marvel Studios has announced plans for more big screen adaptations of their comic book franchises. As expected, Marvel has greenlit an Iron Man sequel to open on April 30th, 2010. Iron Man 2 will be followed in 2010 by the bow of hammer-wielding Norse god Thor on June 4th. Thor is slated to be directed by Matthew Vaughn. Marvel is also looking ahead to 2011 when they will introduce their superhero team The Avengers with two films: The First Avenger: Captain America, which is scheduled for May 6th, and The Avengers which will premiere in July and is currently being written by Zak Penn. The Avengers comics feature Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Captain America and Thor working together to fight for justice. A feature is also in development for the final original member of the Avengers team, Ant-Man, with Edgar Wright on board to write and direct.  More at Variety.

05.05.08: 'Iron Man' Clanks to #1, 'MacGyver' Headed to Big Screen, Terminator 4 Aims for PG-13

Iron Man Dominates Weekend Box Office
Paramount and Marvel Studios blockbuster Iron Man had a heroic opening weekend, bringing in estimated $104.2 million domestically and $96.8 million internationally for a total box office of $201 million. Star Robert Downey Jr. and director John Favreau propelled their new comic book franchise to the 2nd best domestic opening ever for a non-sequel, coming in just behind Spider Man's 114.8 million opening on the same weekend in 2002. Critical reception to the film has been excellent as well with Iron Man being hailed as the best reviewed super hero movie ever. The strong opening weekend should give Paramount and Marvel more incentive to greenlight a rumored sequel that reportedly could start filming in early 2009 for a 2010 summer release. Read Premiere's review of Iron Man.  More at Variety.