Redford To Act In "Gold in the Snow"?

Robert Redford hasn't stepped in front of the camera for an acting gig since 2007's "Lions For Lambs," and it's not like that film was great or anything. It's been quite a while since the aging film star took to the screen, but it looks as if that might just happen.

According to The Playlist, Redford might be making a return to star in Nicolas Vanier‘s next directorial effort, "Gold In The Snow."

An English-language adaptation of Vanier‘s own 2004 novel, the film would find Redford playing an old trapper who helps a young American man seeking gold along the Klondike river in Alaska in 1897. Three well-known actors are said to be in contention for the younger role.

Although Redford's role in the film will most likely be small, I'd be thrilled to see him in front of the camera again. I recently watched "All the President's Men" again for the first time in a while, and I marveled at how great Redford was in the film. On top of that, "Spy Game" always has been a personal favorite and it made me hope that Redford would do more acting work in his later years.

Redford directed the upcoming historical drama "The Conspirator" starring James McAvoy, which will be released in April.

Shooting for "Gold" would take place over the course of a year to capture the Yukon territory as it passes through the various seasons.

Arterton, Garfield Team For Mann's Next

Over the years Michael Mann has proven himself to be one of the most capable and skilled director's in Hollywood. Whether it's a literary drama adaptation, such as "The Last of the Mohicans," or a modern-day heist film like "Heat," Mann never misses a beat no matter the genre or story.

That's just one reason why it's welcome news that the director is preparing for work on his next film--the other reason is because of its fantastic leading cast. According to Total Film, rising acting stars Gemma Arterton and Andrew Garfield are teaming for Mann's next film, which is a biopic about combat photographer Robert Capa.

Based on Susana Fortes' award-winning novel, "Waiting for Robert Capa," the story follows a romance between war photographers Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, who met in Paris in 1935. Both exiled Jewish photographers, they decide to change their names to sell their works and head to Spain to capture images of the Civil War.

Her real name, Gerta Pohorylle, became Taro as nod to the Japanese artist Taro Okamoto. Endre Friedmann chose Robert Capa as a mix of actor Robert Taylor and film director Frank Capra, so he would appear to be American.

While the plot may not yell 'blockbuster smash,' this is exactly the type of smart, intellectual film that Mann knows how to work with. On top of that, both Garfield and Arterton are considered to be rising stars in the acting game and I think they both fit in perfectly with the roles.

Garfield has had a huge year, starring in both "The Social Network" and "Never Let Me Go," while also beginning work on the upcoming "Spider-Man" reboot. I'm thrilled to see Garfield and Mann team up, because Garfield has quickly become one of my favorite actors to watch and with Mann's direction, this could end up being an award contender once it wraps.

While no shooting dates have been set yet, Mann has stated that he wants the film to be a gritty, real world look at the story.

Guggenheim Talks Barry Allen In "Flash"

Superhero movies are a dime a dozen these days. Just look at the upcoming slate of films set to be released this year and beyond: "Green Lantern", "Thor", "The First Avenger: Captain America", "The Avengers", "Iron Man 3", and "The Dark Knight Rises". I could go on, but you get the point.

Understandably so, the 'less popular' hero films have taken a back seat to some more high profile projects, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't keep an eye on them anyway. Especially if it's one of my favorite superheroes from my childhood, better known as "The Flash".

Writer Marc Guggenheim, who wrote the screenplay for the upcoming "Green Lantern" film, is pulling the same duty for the upcoming "Flash" project, and he spoke to MTV News about the film, and gave some details on the story.

Guggenheim is currently putting the finishing touches on the scrip with fellow writers Michael Green and Greg Berlanti, and explained in the interview why they decided to use the original incarnation of "The Flash", Barry Allen, for the film.

Said Guggenheim: "It's very similar for the whole reason we went with Hal for the Green Lantern. That's the Silver Age character. That's the character people grew up on. That's the name first associated with that character. So part of it is honoring the legacy aspect, and the other aspect is just practical - you can go forward, but you can't really go backward. Just from a practical standpoint, I feel it's better to go in a linear, generational fashion than it is to double back."

Guggenheim also spoke about the villains in the film, and the fact that "The Flash" has one of the best rogue's gallery lineups in comics. Although he didn't give any specific names who would appear (the studio would kill him), he mentioned that the villain Chunk will not appear in this first movie.

One of the most interesting quotes of the whole interview came when Guggenheim spoke about the tone and influence of the film, and the main characters profession.

Said Guggenheim: "When Barry Allen was the character, he was a science policeman. We’re obviously updating that and now he’s in forensics and CSI. The tone is sort of darker, and more like "Seven" and "Silence of the Lambs" in that mysterious and noir-ish way, which is also working in conjunction with the superhero elements. It's a lot of fun. I think the character is made for a story and a screenplay that gives you more than the sum of its parts."

I love that Guggenheim and the writers are working on a darker toned story, it looks to be more in the vein of "The Dark Knight" rather than let's say the original "Spider-Man", which to me is a plus. Utilizing Allen's profession as a policeman and being influenced by films such as "Seven" and "Silence of the Lambs" should make the film extremely interesting and help thrust a second tier-type hero into the forefront.

Although the project is a few years off, snippets like this only raises excitement and anticipation for audiences. Look for "The Flash" to run his way into theaters sometime in 2013.

Jesse Eisenberg Takes Some "Free Samples"

Jesse Eisenberg gave one of my favorite performances of the year in "The Social Network". Funny, dramatic, abrasive, he did it all.

Eisenberg has been one of my favorite actors since his "Squid and the Whale" days, and his turn as Mark Zuckerberg just might garner him an Oscar nomination in the coming months.

The success of the film leaves Eisenberg in a great place when it comes to picking his next role, basically he can to whatever he'd like. To follow up on his critically acclaimed performance Eisenberg has signed up for the dramedy "Free Samples" according to The Wrap.

The story follows a law-school dropout (Jess Weixler) who fills in as a server as a friend's food truck, where she doles out free samples of ice cream. The job tests her patience, and while she figures out what to do with her life, she finds herself being courted by a young man (Eisenberg) whom she barely remembers from the night before.

Eisenberg's love interest character is described as a supporting role.

The (most likely) future Oscar nominee will join Jason Ritter (who previously shared the screen with him in "The Education of Charlie Banks,") and will co-star along with Tippi Hedren, Hallie Pfeiffer, Keir O'Donnell, Jocelyn Donahue and Matt Walsh.

Eisenberg is clearly one of Hollywood's best young actors, so his appearance in this film will only be a positive. On top of that the last time Eisenberg and Ritter worked together was on the film "The Education of Charlie Banks" which was one of the most underrated movies I have seen in quite a long time. Eisenberg and Ritter were both fantastic in the film and I could see a repeat of that type of work from the duo in this film.

The indie type dramedy fits in perfectly with Eisenberg, who should definitely add some humor as the love interest in the film. Jay Gammill is directing "Free Samples" from a script by Jim Beggarly.

The project doesn't have a release date yet but production is currently underway in Los Angeles.

"Quantum" Leaps Into A Reboot

Actor Scott Bakula has confirmed that a script for a cinematic reboot of the "Quantum Leap" franchise is in the works, according to Blastr.

The actor spoke about the project while at Comic Con, saying show creator Donald P. Bellisario is working on the film script and has a producer who wants to do it. Said Bakula: "Don did say that as he was writing, he told me he was having trouble 'getting you and Dean out of my head.' But I know he will do it."

"Quantum Leap" was broadcast on NBC from 1989 - 1993. It was created by Bellisario and starred Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, a scientist who becomes lost in time following a time travel experiment, temporarily taking the places of other people to "put right what once went wrong."

Dean Stockwell co-starred as Al Calavicci, Sam's womanizing, cigar-smoking sidekick and best friend, who appeared as a hologram that only Sam could see and hear.

The series featured a mix of comedy, drama and melodrama, social commentary, nostalgia and science fiction.

Although the roles that he and Dean Stockwell played in the original time-jumping genre drama will go to younger actors, Bakula clearly still would like to be involved in some way saying, "Dean and I will have a part in it somehow."

It's personally one of my favorite shows of all-time, having discovered it on re-runs on SyFy years back. It's truly original and remains a great science fiction series. It's good to see something getting redone that actually deserves it.

Hopefully it will all come together and once more, we can see Dr. Sam Beckett say "Oh, boy!"

Marvel's Kevin Feige On "Doctor Strange," "Iron Fist," "Black Panther"

With two "Iron Man" films already released, "Thor" and "The First Avenger: Captain America" currently in production, Marvel Studios is building up its slate to a massive climax — but what happens after Earth's mightiest heroes assemble on the big screen?

It's generally known that after "The Avengers," Marvel Studios is looking into making smaller-budgeted films based around their second and third-tier characters, but until now, they hadn't been addressed officially.

Talking with MTV News, Marvel's Kevin Feige was asked about what titles could be developed for films post-"Avengers," aside from the already announced "Runaways" adaptation.

Said Feige: "I think what Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction have done with 'Iron Fist' lately is exciting. I think 'Black Panther' and Wakanda has some amazing potential to be a feature film. 'Doctor Strange,' as you've mentioned. There are some obscure titles, too, like 'Guardians of the Galaxy.' I think they've been revamped recently in a fun way in the book."

Obviously Marvel already has its fair share of established characters that could carry their own film, such as War Machine, Black Widow and, considering his reported nine-picture deal, Samuel L. Jackson's very own Nick Fury.

Asked if Nick Fury would get his own film, Feige said: "I think the answer is yes... I think S.H.I.E.L.D. could be its own franchise. I think, frankly, 'The Avengers' is going to be told from that point of view."

Marvel has a lot of flexibility here, but at the same time they could drop the ball. With their films being so popular and the richness of their characters, they can make short films, features, television shows, nearly anything that relates to certain franchises.

Imagine a weekly series detailing the inner workings of S.H.I.E.L.D.? A mission a week type procedural with a laundry list of Marvel characters involved. I think I could get into that. There are a ton of characters they can choose from, and Feige has shown that he's not afraid to spotlight some of the lesser known heroes.

Look for more on Marvel's plans as the release dates for "Thor" and "Captain America" creep closer.

Cillian Murphy Wants to Be "I'm.mortal"

Cillian Murphy, fresh off playing "The Mark" in Christopher Nolan's "Inception," has joined the cast of Andrew Niccol's latest sci-fi feature "I'm.mortal."

According to Heat Vision, Murphy is in final negotiations to star with Amanda Seyfried and Justin Timberlake in the Fox drama.

The story is set in the not-too-distant future, when the aging gene has been switched off. To avoid overpopulation, time has become the currency and the way people pay for luxuries and necessities. The rich can live forever, and the rest try to negotiate for their immortality.

Justin Timberlake plays a ghetto rebel wrongly accused of murder that is forced to go into hiding with a beautiful and rich hostage (Amanda Seyfried). They soon begin a steamy romance. Murphy will play a 'Timekeepers' officer described as "precise as the time he keeps."

This project has a boat load of potential, and the addition of Murphy is another step in the right direction. Although Niccol's projects have been uneven throughout his career, I think "Gattaca" is vastly underrated and proved that Niccol knows his way around sci-fi. On top of that, with Timberlake putting in some solid work on "The Social Network," he has shown he isn't just a singer who is acting.

Niccol directs from a script he wrote and shooting begins in September.

Oliver Stone To Direct "Travis McGee"

Oliver Stone is set to develop and possibly direct the detective thriller "Travis McGee" for 20th Century Fox says The Hollywood Reporter.

According to the Hollywood Reporter: Fresh off directing “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” for Fox, Oliver Stone is in talks to helm “Travis McGee” for the studio. Leonardo DiCaprio is attached to star as the lit-based title character.

John D. MacDonald's character creation is a beach bum and scrappy private dick who lives on a houseboat in Florida and takes random cases.

The McGee film, penned by Dana Stevens, is based on the first book in the series "The Deep Blue Goodbye". The novel tracks the Florida-based “salvage consultant” as he reluctantly leaves his houseboat to go in search of a treasure hidden by a soldier after World War II.

Leonardo Di Caprio, Peter Chernin, Amy Robinson and Jennifer Davisson Killoran are set to produce.

Anything DiCaprio is attached to will generate some headlines, but the pairing of Stone and the leading man is almost too good to be true. Let's hope this film goes down as planned.

Ryan Reynolds Tackles Undead In "R.I.P.D."

Ryan Reynolds will star in yet another comic adaptation, this time the supernatural buddy action/comedy "R.I.P.D." says Collider .

According to Collider: Reynolds will be starring in R.I.P.D. feature film adaptation of the graphic novel R.I.P.D. (Rest In Peace Department).

Reynolds will play a young cop murdered in the line of duty who agrees to enlist in "God's police force" for a chance to catch his killer. The action follows a regular day in the life of him and his partner, a gunslinger who himself has been dead for centuries.

Reynolds has quickly found himself as the go-to guy for comic book adaptations. He played "Deadpool" in "X Men Origins: Wolverine", who is also set to get a spinoff film, and he will play Hal Jordan in the upcoming "Green Lantern".

Neal Moritz will produce the PG-13 feature and filming commences in January after Reynolds wraps the R-rated body-swap comedy "The Change-Up" which starts filming in October.

McG and Seyfried Con The "Ivy League"

Amanda Seyfried will star in "The Girl Who Conned the Ivy League."

According to /Film: The latest project to fall into the laps of Amanda Seyfried and McG is a movie based upon Sabrina Rudin Erdely’s Rolling Stone article, "The Girl Who Conned the Ivy League."

The story follows habitual identity thief Esther Reed, who enrolled as a student at Columbia University under the name of a missing girl, Brooke Henson.

Detectives looking for the real Brooke Henson track the fake Brooke down, but before they can nab her, she hits the road and vanishes. At this point, police detective Jon Campbell takes on the hunt as easily his biggest case to date--and the chase is on.

Lorene Scafaria ("Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist") pitched the adaptation, which "Terminator Salvation" director McG will likely helm.

I had such high hopes for McG on “Terminator Salvation” and he let me down big time. I mean, I suppose I shouldn’t have had such high hopes from the director of “Charlie’s Angels,” anyway, but from the way things began, it looked as if it was going to be great. Nevertheless, I’m hoping that this film is a chance for him to redeem himself.

Look for the film to shoot later this year.

Sean Penn to Star in "Three Stooges"?

In 2009, Sean Penn announced that he was retiring from acting to focus on his family, which meant he was leaving the Farrelly Brothers remake of “The Three Stooges.” But it’s a new year, and the Boston Herald reports that Sean Penn is looking to get back to work.

According to the Herald: Sean Penn, who dropped out of the Farrelly Brothers’ “Three Stooges” movie during the bust-up of his marriage, is back on board to play middle Stooge Larry, said director Bobby Farrelly.

There were rumors that Paul Giamatti would replace Penn, but that didn’t end up working out. Since the film couldn't kick into gear for its August start date, the brothers decided to shoot the lower budget “Hall Pass,“ with Owen Wilson.

That movie is about a ho-hum hubby whose wife, looking to spice up their sex life, gives him a “pass” to play the field for a week. “Hall Pass” starts shooting in Atlanta next month with the brothers presumably shooting “Stooges” next.

Larry is now good and set, and with Penn back on, Benicio Del Toro should still play Moe. That leaves the one final Stooge left, Curly. Bobby Farrelly has said that Jim Carrey isn't interested, so who will fill those large shoes? Only time will tell.

I am no expert on the Stooges, but having Penn back automatically makes this project something to follow. Hopefully they can add another big name to the cast (Will Ferrell? Steve Carrell?) to round out the classic comedy group.

Look for “The Three Stooges” in 2011.

"Taken" Director to Helm "Dune"

Paramount Pictures has set Pierre Morel to direct “Dune,” the adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 sci-fi classic novel, reports Variety.

According to Variety: Pierre Morel, helmer of "Taken" and "District B13," has climbed into the director's chair and is officially set to replace Peter Berg, who dropped out to film "Battleship" this past October. Morel has signed a deal with the studio and will work toward getting the script right.

Peter Berg was set to direct but exited the project when he committed to Universal’s “Battleship,” based on the Hasbro naval combat board game. Universal set a July 1, 2011 release for that film and committed to follow with Berg’s passion project, the Afghan was drama “Lone Survivor.” Those back-to-back directing gigs will keep Berg busy for at least two years.

“Dune” was first turned into a film by David Lynch, whose 1984 effort was not a financial success. Herbert’s novel--about an intergalactic struggle to control the supply of a valuable spice found only on the remote desert planet Arrakis--remains the biggest selling sci-fi novel and it’s still enormously popular.

Paramount is also looking for a new scriptwriter. Josh Zetumer wrote the last draft, but Morel is looking to incorporate some of his own ideas into the script.

Even though the project has been through some troubles with the changing of directors, Morel seems like a very inspired choice. Morel has said he is a long time fan and he even brought his well-worn copy of the novel with him to meetings at Paramount, according to a source.

The deal makes “Dune” a candidate to be the next directing assignment for Morel, who is also in the early stages of development on a sequel to “Taken.”

Look out for “Dune” sometime in 2011.

"The Thing" Prequel Begins Shooting in March

Universal's planned prequel to John Carpenter's cult classic film "The Thing" will begin pre-production in March, reports Production Weekly.

According to Production Weekly: Universal's prequel to John Carpenter's classic thriller "The Thing," is due to begin filming March and continue until June in Toronto.

The story will deal with the initial dredging up out of the ice of the shape-shifting alien life form by researchers at a Norwegian Antarctic facility. The original film, starring Kurt Russell, dealt with the shape shifter as it infiltrated an Antarctic research team, taking the appearance of the researchers that it killed--and thus causing paranoia within the group.

Matthijs Van Hejningen helms the new film from a script by Ronald D. Moore and Eric Heisserer.

The fact that Ronald D. Moore (“Battlestar Galactica”) wrote the script makes this film promising, but I’m wary of remakes that just don’t seem like they will live up to the original. Carpenter’s “The Thing” is considered a classic in its genre and I’m not sure if the new film will be able to live up to its predecessor.

Jeremy Renner Says He Definitely Won't Be Playing Hawkeye

A few weeks ago rumors broke over the Internet that Jeremy Renner, star of “The Hurt Locker,” would be playing the superhero Hawkeye in the upcoming “Thor” and “Avengers” movies.

Nothing was concrete, but it seemed like a realistic proposition at the time. As it turns out, the idea never really got off the ground, and in an interview with Movieline, Renner gave an update on the situation and explains what happened with Marvel.

According to Movieline, Renner said: "That was just one of those things that got blown way out of proportion. It was an idea. Those Marvel guys, I'm a big fan of them. They're so smart about how they want to do these things--they have "Captain America" and "Thor" coming around, "Iron Man 2," and then I happen to know Zak Penn, who's writing 'The Avengers.'”

Renner added: “So, they thought Hawkeye is an interesting role, and asked me if I knew anything about him. I said no, so they gave me their sort of spiel on what he was, and I thought that it was kind of interesting. The only reason it came out this early, because 'Avengers' is two years away, is that they're thinking OK, we may throw him in 'Thor,' we may not, as a cameo. You know what I mean? So, there's truth that we talked about it, but there's no truth to me doing it."

To be honest, I’m actually kind of disappointed that this isn’t going down. The cameos have played well so far in the Marvel films, especially in “Iron Man.” On top of that, after seeing how fantastic Renner was in “The Hurt Locker,” he would have brought an interesting angle to the superhero role. It’s not clear whether the character of Hawkeye will actually appear or not in either film, but clearly Renner won’t be playing that part.

Look out for “Thor” May 20, 2011.

Star Trek Sequel Starting Pre-Production Next December?

In an article on MTV.com about Zoe Saldana’s upcoming 2010 schedule, the actress possibly revealed the start date of pre-production for the “Star Trek” sequel.

According to MTV, the actress said, "I spoke to J.J. (Abrams) and Bryan Burk, his producing partner at Bad Robot, and they are still in the middle of building the script with Alex Kurtzman and Bob Orci, and we'll probably be going into pre-production around this time next year."

Although MTV doesn’t mention when exactly the quote is from, chances are it’s from the countless promotional activities the actress has been doing for “Avatar.” The news isn’t anything shocking, but it’s good to know that production is on the horizon. “Star Trek” was easily one of my favorite films of 2009, and I’m hoping the sequel comes out just as good.

In November, Abrams was quoted as saying that he was unsure about directing the sequel without a finished script. But from the sound of Saldana, it seems like writers Kurtzman and Orci, who wrote the first movie, are working hard on the script. Hopefully, Abrams will be back for the sequel, which would make the film even more anticipated than it already is.

Look for the “Star Trek” sequel to begin production sometime in 2011.

Will Sam Worthington Be The Next Flash Gordon?

Another day, another possible franchise for Sam Worthington. The Aussie actor is on a shortlist of actors being looked at to bring “Flash Gordon” back to the big screen, reports Cinemablend.

According to Cinemablend: Worthington is now on a shortlist of actors being looked at to bring back Flash Gordon, the interstellar polo player who fights Ming the Merciless on planet Mongo. Ryan Reynolds is among the other actors being looked at for the role, but with Green Lantern and Deadpool already on his plate, he seems already stuffed with comic book properties. They're gearing up this film for a potential 2012 release, and so I'm sure there's a little bit of truth here.

One insider says it could be a pretty big deal if the Aussie Worthington lands the part of the All-American Flash Gordon. The hero is an American football player who finds himself and his girlfriend as unwilling passengers onboard a rocket ship heading to the planet Mongo, ruled by the evil Emperor Ming the Merciless.

Breck Eisner, who's working on “The Crazies,” is still in line to helm “Flash Gordon” off a script by Mike Sazama and Burk Sharpless.

Said Eisner about the project: "The thing about 'Flash' is, you've got to throw away the '80s version of it. For me, it's about reinventing 'Flash'--we're still staying true to the adventure origins of it, and the adventurous spirit in that movie, absolutely. It's this man brought to another planet and uniting the disparate groups on Mongo, but there is a gritty, intense, dynamic, active quality to the movie. Very modern. It's not camp."

Although it seems like Worthington’s name is attached to every type of hero/franchise project, the actor has shown he can handle that pressure (“Avatar,” “Terminator: Salvation"). If anyone saw “Avatar,” it’s clear he can play the American-type character, and the upcoming “Clash of the Titans” shows off his action flair.

Look for the update of “Flash Gordon” sometime in 2012.

Joe Johnston Planning to Shoot Captain America Next June

There really isn’t much to know when it comes to Marvel’s upcoming "Captain America" film, other than the fact that it will be directed by Joe Johnston and written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (writers of the three “Narnia” films).

But a bit more of information has come out on the film. In a recent interview with Fangoria about Johnston’s upcoming “Wolfman” film, the director mentioned that “Captain America” might start filming this June.

According to the article: "… recalls Johnston, speaking from the art department of The First Avenger: 'Captain America,' which he's readying for a June start."

While it’s a small quote, this is important news for the project. With casting still non-existent at this point, a start date for filming means that at least sometime in the near future the lead role (and subsequent roles) should start to be filled.

Even though there hasn’t been a lot of information on the project thus far, I think this film could surprise everyone. With “Iron Man 2” and “Thor” getting a lot attention, “Captain America” has a chance to stay under-the-radar, which could really work in its favor. A bulk of the film should take place in a WWII setting, which will allow for some creativity, and Johnston has had experience with that time period before (“The Rocketeer”).

“The First Avenger: Captain America” will be released July 22, 2011.