Premiere Daily

11.30.07: Cusack Seeks 'Factory' Thrills, 'Play' Time For Crowe and More On Sundance

Going for more pulp fiction after his summer hit 1408, John Cusack has signed to play an obsessive cop hunting a serial killer in Buffalo, New York, in The Factory. When his daughter goes missing, Cusack gets medieval in his approach to tracking the killer down. More at The Hollywood Reporter.

11.29.07: Sam Jackson On Nanny Duty, Keri Russell Joins Sandler On 'Bedtime Stories' and 'Compass' Boycott Called

Jackson's Nanny Diaries

Super Nanny, The Nanny Diaries: nannies are a hot screen property, perhaps because they’re second only to agents in the Hollywood populace. Maybe that’s what’s convinced Samuel L. Jackson to sign up for New Line's Man That Rocks The Cradle, in which the one-time Pulp Fiction star will play a live-in child-watcher to an overworked father of four. Or “child whisperer”, as the PR guff labels him. More at Variety.

"Hellboy II" Liz Sherman Revealed

The first official still of Selma Blair as firestarter Liz Sherman in "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" is up on the official movie web site.

Sundance Unveils 2008 Festival Program

The Sundance Institute has released the official list of films competing at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

The Joker Revealed on Empire Magazine Cover

"Wait'll they get a load of me."

British film magazine Empire has released the first full-on picture of the new Joker from Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins sequel, The Dark Knight.

11.28.07: Jake Feels the Pigskin, Gotham Awards Anoint 'Into The Wild' and Perry Smells Teen Spirit

Jake Gyllenhaal will get to show off this ball-tossing skills after signing up to play Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath in Universal Pictures’ biopic. The ex-New York Jets’ pigskin hurler was nicknamed Broadway Joe for his camera-loving rock-star status back in the ’60s. More at Variety.

Photos From the 'Watchmen' Set! - UPDATED

Our friends at Warner Bros. just passed along four images from the set of Watchmen. Have a look (click for a bigger image):

'I'm Not There' Scores 5 Spirit Award Nominations

And now, your 22nd Annual Spirit Award Nominees...
The complete list of all the films, filmmakers, and actors being honored
at the 22nd Annual Spirit Awards (which will be handed out on February
23rd, one day before the Academy Awards) has been released, and Todd Hayne's
recent Bob Dylan think-piece I'm Not There scored itself five slots on
the list.

11.27.07: 'Shutter Island' Draws Ruffalo and DiCaprio, Cusack Goes to 'Shanghai' and Jesus Has an Evil Twin

The Zodiac star has joined Leo and Marty’s continuing love-in on the Scorsese-produced Shutter Island, the latest Dennis Lehane book being burnished for big-screen consumption. Ruffalo and DiCaprio will star as U.S. Marshalls hopping to the titular island to investigate the disappearance of an insane asylum patient, only to slam into a hurricane, deceitful hospital staff and an inmate riot. More at The Hollywood Reporter.

11.26.07: 'Enchanted' Charms Box Office, Crowe Might 'Play' and MI6's 007 Bother

Disney scored with the latest concoction to roll off its princess-fantasy assembly line after Enchanted gobbled up an estimated $50 million over the Thanksgiving holiday. Other newbies entering the Top 10 over the five-day holiday stretch are the big-screen videogame adaptation Hitman, which scored $21 million to land at number three (behind Beowulf, which added another $23.3 million in its second week to bring its war chest to $56.4 million), music weepie August Rush which settled in seventh spot with $13.3 million and the Stephen King adaptation The Mist, nipping at Rush’s heels with $13 million. Enchanted’s enchanted run slots in behind another Disney film, Toy Story 2, as the second biggest Thanksgiving opening weekend ever. More at Variety.

11.23.07: Cruise's Cameo Revealed, Sean Penn Is Speechless and New 'Cloverfield' Trailer Hits

Tom Cruise isn’t best pleased after long-lense snaps showing the actor made up as a fat, balding studio exec leaked onto the web. Pilfered from the set of Ben Stiller’s Tropic Thunder, the images were swiftly removed while his reps scolded offending paparazzi: “Mr Cruise’s appearance was supposed to be a surprise for fans worldwide… They have ruined what should have been a fun discovery for moviegoers.” More at MTV Movies.

11.22.07: 'State Of Play' Loses Pitt, Bale Linked to 'Terminator 4' and Depp Sings Like a Demon

Pitt Quits State Of Play
Dicey days for Universal’s big-budget political thriller State Of Play after Brad Pitt ditched his starring role as a political consultant-turned-journalist investigating a murder. The very grumpy studio is sabre-rattling that Pitt, who wasn’t happy with the script’s state of play, has violated a pay-or-play deal, which Brad’s camp deny. Universal are desperately seeking an A-list substitute to stop the project fizzling out. More at Variety.

11.21.07: 'G-Force' Lands Cage, Watts Linked to 'Angels & Demons' and New 'Sweeney Todd' Posters

Cage And Buscemi Join G-Force
Con Air cohorts Nicolas Cage and Steve Buscemi have enlisted their vocal cords in Disney's G-Force, a live-action/CG amalgamation about a group of brainy animal commandoes at war with one of your typical take-over-the-planet megalomaniacs. Cage, Buscemi and Tracy Morgan will voice computerised rodents (mole, hamster and guinea pig, respectively), while Bill Nighy and Will Arnett front the human cast. More at The Hollywood Reporter.

11.20.07: Depp's 'Shantaram' Another Strike Casualty and Sienna Signs up for 'G.I. Joe'

Following Angels & Demons, Shantaram, which had been all set to go with Johnny Depp in the lead, is the latest casualty of the Writer's Guild strike. Mira Nair'€™s adaptation of the Gregory David Roberts novel, about an Australian heroin addict working as a doctor in Bombay'€™s slums, was due to kick off in India in February before Warner Bros put the project in deep freeze after screenwriter Eric Roth ran out of time scaling back scenes to suit the studio'€™s budgetary tastes. More at Variety.

11.19.07: 'Beowulf' Rises And Bruce Willis Jumps to 'The Surrogates'

Robert Zemeckis’s motion-capture adaptation of Beowulf, ye olde stalwart from high-school reading lists, snared the top spot at this weekend’s box office with an estimated $28.1 million haul. Nearly 40 percent of Beowulf’s takings came from digital 3-D screens, proving the potency of digitally slimming middle-aged British character actors (Ray Winstone) into medieval beefcake. Bee Movie landed in second place with another $14.3 million while American Gangster tore past the $100 million mark adding another $13.2 million to its coffers (now up to $100.9 million). Also entering the Top 10 are Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium and the Coen brothers’ No Country For Old Men, while Lions For Lambs continues limping meekly down the charts with $2.9 million to add to its $11.6 million total. We’re fearing for United Artists’ staff come Christmas bonus time. More at Variety.

11.16.07: 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' Ready to Roll

Daniel Radcliff, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, and director David Yates are back for more Harry Potter. The director and starring trio have signed on to the sixth installment, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Joining the cast are Jim Broadbent (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe's Professor Kirke) as Potions Professor Horace Slughorn and Helen McCrory (Becoming Jane's Mrs. Radcliffe) as Narcissa Malfoy, Draco's mother and the sister to evil Bellatrix Lestrange.

Broadbent and McCrory join the returning cast of Helena Bonham Carter (Lestrange), David Bradley (Argus Filch), Robbie Coltrane (Rubeus Hagrid), Warwick Davis (Filius Flitwick), Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), Michael Gambon (Albus Dumbledore), Alan Rickman (Severus Snape), Maggie Smith (Minerva McGonagall), Natalia Tena (Nymphadora Tonks), Julie Walters (Mrs. Weasley), and David Thewlis (Remus Lupin), as well as Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood), Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom), and Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley).

Some of Harry Potter's most anticipated roles went to film newcomers. Jessie Cave will play Lavender Brown, a girl with a mega crush on Ron Weasley. Hero Fiennes Tiffin will play an 11-year-old Tom Riddle, while 16-year-old Frank Dillane is the teenage Riddle, who is already well on his way to becoming Lord Voldemort.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince finds Lord Voldemort tightening his evil grip on both Muggle and the Wizarding worlds. Hogwarts is no longer as safe as it once was, and Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the school's walls. Dumbledore becomes increasingly intent on preparing Harry for the final battle he knows is coming. The Half-Blood Prince hits theaters on November 21, 2008.

Can't get enough Harry Potter? Check out the official Warner Bros. site.

11.16.07: Win 'Waitress'

Premiere is giving away four DVDs of Adrienne Shelly's Waitress. Starring Keri Russell, the romantic comedy follows Jenna, a small-town server with big dreams and a good-for-nothing husband (Jeremy Sisto). Jenna enters a local pie-baking contest with dreams of winning the $25,000 to open her own pie shop and leave her husband. Soon she discovers that she's pregnant by her husband and falling for her handsome new ob-gyn (Nathan Fillion). Enter Now!

11.16.07: 'The Ugly Truth' Rivets Heigl While Rogen Takes Up 'Porno'

Knocked Up's Seth Rogen gets into Porno, writer's strike jeopardizes awards season, and Stewart basks in the Twilight.

Heigl Uncovers The Ugly Truth

Katherine Heigl is set to star in the romantic comedy The Ugly Truth from the writing and directing team behind the mega hit Legally Blond. Heigl plays a single morning show producer at ends with her chauvinistic correspondent. However, when he starts testing his outrageous relationship theories out on her, something unexpected happens. Robert Luketic directs while Karen McCullah and Kirsten Smith assume writing duties in the film scheduled to start shooting in April. More at The Hollywood Reporter.

11.15.07: Win 'Chuck and Larry'

Premiere is giving away three copies of the outrageous comedy I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, and Jessica Biel. Hurry and Play.

11.15.07: 'Ghostbusters' Quartet Boards Videogame and Coppola Casts 'Tetro'

Tetro Finds Two Leads and Offers Bardem Role While Holy Rolls In Duo

Ghostbusters Gets Videogame

Ghostbusters stars Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Bill Murray, and Harold Ramis will lend their voices and likenesses to a new Ghostbusters videogame by Vivendi Games and Sony Pictures. Film's original writers, Aykroyd and Ramis, will write the game's storyline which will take place in the early '90s and center on ghostly invasion in New York City. More at Variety.

11.14.07: AFI Fest Brings Out Stars and Doles Out Awards

AFI Fest 2007 wrapped up this weekend in Hollywood just in time to let the city's stars enjoy a quiet week off before hitting the Holiday movie and Oscar campaign cocktail-party and premiere trail. Fest kicked of with the high profile Lions for Lambs premiere that drew out megawatt stars Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Will Smith, Robert Redford, and even soccer stud David Beckham and wound down with another fairly big flick, Love in the Time of Cholera, which drew out pop star Shakira and film's Javier Bardem. During the two-week fest, star-studded pics like Juno and The Savages may have overshadowed films in competition but this year's fest contained a plethora of screen gems.

(Photo by Eric Charbonneau/WireImage.com)

11.14.07: 'Four Christmases' Drafts Duvall and 'Star Trek' Adds Pair

Captain Kirk finds a father, LaBute will write while Hackford directs The Woman Next Door remake, Japanese manga hit Dragonball coming to theaters, and Dillon checks into Hotel for Dogs.

Duvall Finds Holiday Spirit

Robert Duvall joins Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn in Four Christmases. Comedy centers on a couple who struggle to visit all four of their divorced parents on Christmas. More at Variety.

11.13.07: Win Signed Coen Brothers Poster

Premiere is giving away one official-sized No Country for Old Men Poster signed by Joel and Ethan Coen. No Country for Old Men, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin, is in theaters now. Enter Now!

11.13.07: Brosnan and Verhoeven Elicit 'Affair' and Pinkett Smith Gets 'Contract'

Pinkett Smith Steps Behind the Camera, Bledel Has a Ticket to Ride, and Olyphant Gets a Life

Brosnan, Verhoeven Ready The Thomas Crown Affair 2

Pierce Brosnan will return as the gentleman thief in The Thomas Crown Affair 2 and Paul Verhoeven is set to direct. Rene Russo will not return when the sequel starts shooting in January. A new love interest will be introduced but she has yet to be cast. Pic will be set in Europe and the Middle East and will have Crown entangled in a centuries-old feud. More at The Hollywood Reporter.

11.12.07: 'Bee Movie' Tops Box Office and Blackwater Becomes a Trilogy

Blackwater Hits Hollywood, Rapper Xzibit Joins Pinkville, and Rourke Gets in the Ring

Bee Buzzes Into Weekend Box Office

Bee Movie grew some wings its second week out. The animated Jerry Seinfeld-starring laugher took in $26 million and buzzed to the top of the box office chart. Last week's bloody number one release American Gangster dropped to the second spot with $24.3 million. Vince Vaughn's holiday flick Fred Claus scored third with $19.2 million while the star driven Lions for Lambs managed to amass a meager $6.7 million its first week out. Lions, starring Tom Cruise, Meryl Streep, and Robert Redford, did, however, capture the fourth spot but its underwhelming take underscores the current audience avoidance of politically charged fare. Similar toned films such as Rendition have also tanked this fall. Holdover Dan in Real Life nabbed the fifth slot and Saw IV, The Game Plan, P2, 30 Days of Night, and Martian Child round out the top ten. More at Variety.

11.09.07: Spock's Mother Uncovered and Wahlberg Is 'Max Payne'

Mark Wahlberg brings the Max Payne video game to life while Harnett hits the gridiron.

Ryder Finds Her Inner Vulcan

Winona Ryder is joining J.J. Abrams' Star Trek as Spock's mother. The origins film centers on the young Starship Enterprise Crew during their Starfleet Academy days. More at Variety.

11.08.07: Thornton Joins LaBeouf Thriller and 'Star Trek' Finds First Captain

Bruce Greenwood Earns His Trek Stripes while director Roman Polanski Sees The Ghost

Thornton Flies to Eagle Eye

Billy Bob Thornton is joining Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, and Rosario Dawson in the terror plot thriller Eagle Eye. Thornton plays a Homeland Security Team leader who seeks out terrorist suspects. LaBeouf, who was arrested Sunday in Chicago for trespassing at a Walgreens while on location for Eagle, plays a slacker who stumbles onto the plot. More at Variety.

11.07.07: Lucas has a 'Tell-Tale' Heart and Whitaker Goes Viral

Whitaker ventures into viral marketing pact with Mountain Dew and the strike rages on.

Lucas' Tell-Tale Heart Beats For Poe

Josh Lucas is set to star in the psychological thriller Tell-Tale inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's classic The Tell-Tale Heart. Lucas will play a single father whose recently transplanted heart forces him to search for his donor's killer before he too dies. More at The Hollywood Reporter.

11.06.07: Connelly To 'Stand Still' While Stallone Blows Up

Stallone ready to step into Charles Bronson's shoes and celebs turn out in support of striking writers.

Earth to Connelly

Jennifer Connelly is joining Keanu Reeves in the sci-fi remake The Day the Earth Stood Still. Kathy Bates is also in talks to join the film that gives earthlings an alien ultimatum: Live in peace or die. More at Variety.

11.05.07: LaBeouf Arrested in Chicago Walgreens

Hollywood’s golden boy has taken a tumble. Earlier this year Shia LaBeouf broke out of the rising star rut and emerged as a bona fide one with a trio of blockbusters, the animated Surf’s Up, thriller Disturbia, and actioner Transformers. Suddenly, LaBeouf was on the mainstream conscious then came Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. He was handpicked to star alongside Harrison Ford and could possibly lead the franchise in the future. Finally, one of Hollywood’s young stars was in the press for all the right reasons. The 21-year-old seemed to have avoided the classic pratfalls then early Sunday morning, LaBeouf was arrested at a Chicago Walgreens after refusing a security guard’s request to leave the store. He had previously been partying at Underground Nightclub and was cited on a misdemeanor count of trespassing from the incident. LaBeouf cooperated with the police and will be due back in court on Nov. 28. He is in Chicago filming his next project Eagle Eye, a thriller in which he plays a slacker who along with a single mother (Rosario Dawson) uncovers a terrorist plot. Hollywood has traditionally been very forgiving of unruly stars so long as they keep performing at the box office and since LaBeouf’s next project is Indiana Jones that shouldn’t be a problem.

11.05.07: The Strike Is On

The Writers Guild of America is officially on strike. All writing for TV and film has ceased and scribes are out on the picket lines. Members are required to spend 20 hours a week on the picket lines and have been instructed not to bring posh food items to the line. Studios have been stockpiling scripts so they won't feel the strikes full effects for months, but many TV programs will immediately feel the heat. Late night talk shows, daytime soaps, and primetime sitcoms that need new material daily or weekly will be the first hit. News programs and reality fare may become even more prevalent should the strike continue. DVD residuals and payment for work distributed over the Internet are the major points of contention. Communication between the guild and studios and networks broke down last night and no new talks have been scheduled. More at Variety.

11.05.07: 'Gangster' Pummels Box Office While Writers Enter 11th-Hour Talks

Writers enter last minute talks in hopes of staving off strike, New Line Likes Longoria Parker's Body and Costner's Daughter.

Gangster Busts Up Box Office

Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe's American Gangster easily won the weekend with a whopping $46.3 million, the biggest opening ever for an R-rated crime drama, while Jerry Seinfeld's animated Bee Movie buzzed into the second place spot with $39.1 million. Duo, the two highest grossing opening films this fall, brought new hope to a season that had been sluggish compared to last year. Weekend receipts came in 8 percent higher than last year but the fall season is still 4 percent behind last year. Saw IV, Dan in Real Life, and 30 Days of Night round out the top five. More at Variety.

New 'Hellboy II: The Golden Army' Concept Art

Universal Studios has just updated the official "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" website with new concept art for the continuing adventures of everyone's favorite stone-handed demonspawn-turned-romantically-insecure-paranormal-investigator.

11.02.07: 'Lions for Lambs' Roars for AFI

Lions for Lambs actor Tom Cruise led a star-studded strut down the red carpet when Lions headlined the AFI Festival Opening Night Gala at ArcLight Hollywood Cinemas. Katie Holmes, Will Smith, David Beckham, Meryl Streep, Robert Redford, Michael Pena, Jenna Elfman, and Tate Donovan joined in the gala celebration.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are the picture of sophistication at ArcLight Cinema.

11.02.07: The Strike Is On

Members of the Writers Guild of America will strike on Monday against both studios and networks. All writing under WGA contracts must cease at 12:01 a.m. Monday. The Guild could not come to terms with studios and networks over DVD residuals and work distributed over the Internet. While the television will feel the strikes effects more immediately than their film brethren who have been stockpiling scripts in advance, the strike will effectively hamper all entertainment industry business should it not be resolved quickly. More at Variety.

11.02.07: Marsden Hops in Diaz's 'Box'

James Marsden is in final talks to play Cameron Diaz's husband in horror flick The Box. Duo will play an unhappy couple who receive a mysterious cube from a stranger (Frank Langella) and are instructed to push a button. If they push it, they'll receive a fortune but a stranger will die. More at The Hollywood Reporter.

(James Marsden in Enchanted)

11.02.07: Arquette, Lillard, and Jones Get with the 'Times'

David Arquette, Matthew Lillard and Orlando Jones are joining Jack Black and Justin Chatwin in the Renaissance Fair comedy Ye Old Times. Black narrates the film in which Arquette and Lillard's medieval acting troupe faces off against Jones' at the cheesy tourist trap. Chatwin will play the romantic male lead. More at The Hollywood Reporter.

(David Arquette in Riding the Bullet)

11.02.07: Writer Strike Threatens Hollywood While Graphic Novel 'The Killer' Gets Pick-up

The Writer's Guild of America will strike today, Director David Fincher Tracks Killer, and Peter Jackson Takes On Project

Writers Prepare For Strike

The Writers Guild of America will go on strike today effectively crippling both film and television production. The Guild will officially notify film and television writers of the strike this afternoon via email. The effects on television could be felt almost immediately with scripted programming giving way to more news and realty shows. Most studios greenlit a plethora of projects as the possibility of strike grew more likely and that pipeline will keep film production moving forward for the immediate future anyway. If the strike is not resolved quickly, the writers could bring the industry to its knees. The Guild could not come to renewal terms for their 3-year contracts due to disputes over DVD residuals and payments for shows distributed over the Internet. More at The Los Angeles Times.

11.01.07: The Joker Strikes Again

In a flash of marketing genius, Warner Bros. has let loose hoards of fanboys wielding camera phones and digital picture-makers in cities across America. While the studio still claims no involvement in The Dark Knight site Whysoserious.com, today's posting leaves little doubt. Yesterday's message now sits in clickable shreds with instructions attached to each piece. The Riddler asks fans to dress up like him then take a picture of themselves in front of their city's most famous monument. Each shred contains directions to a specific location for each city. Halloween is apparently not over for Bat fans, but the true treat can be found on the bottom right-hand corner. Click the paper and wait. After the flames pass, a picture of Heath Ledger as the Joker appears. Here's the site.

11.01.07: 'Juno' Makes Its Move

In anticipation of Juno's American Film Festival screenings and to promote its new earlier release date Fox Searchlight is giving the heartwarming indie the five-star treatment. Today, they released the official poster (sure to give all fathers of teenage girls another reason to lock their daughters in at night) and upgraded the film's official site. Check it out.