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The DVD Report February, 2010

Tom Felton Joins The Apparition

Terminator Franchise Rights Sold! For A Buck!

Tim Robbins Has Joined GREEN LANTERN as a Disapproving Father

Soderbergh To Direct Contagion Next

Video: Seven Film Clips Plus A Look Inside THE WOLFMAN

Inspired by the classic Universal film that launched a legacy of horror, The Wolfman brings the myth of a cursed man back to its iconic origins. Oscar winner Benicio Del Toro stars as Lawrence Talbot, a haunted nobleman lured back to his family estate after his brother vanishes. Reunited with his estranged father (Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins), Talbot sets out to find his brother...and discovers a horrifying destiny for himself. Lawrence Talbot's childhood ended the night his mother died. After he left the sleepy Victorian hamlet of Blackmoor, he spent decades recovering and trying to forget. But when his brother's fiancée, Gwen Conliffe (Emily Blunt), tracks him down to help find her missing love, Talbot returns home to join the search. He learns that something with brute strength and insatiable bloodlust has been killing the villagers, and that a suspicious Scotland Yard inspector named Aberline (Hugo Weaving) has come to investigate. As he pieces together the gory puzzle, he hears of an ancient curse that turns the afflicted into werewolves when the moon is full. Now, if he has any chance at ending the slaughter and protecting the woman he has grown to love, Talbot must destroy the vicious creature in the woods surrounding Blackmoor. But as he hunts for the nightmarish beast, a simple man with a tortured past will uncover a primal side to himself...one he never imagined existed. Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park III) directs The Wolfman, and six-time Oscar-winning special effects artist Rick Baker brings his design and makeup talents to transform Del Toro into the fearsome title character. Universal Pictures has supplied IESB with seven film clips and A Look Inside featurette from THE WOLFMAN! Watch them via the players below! THE WOLFMAN opens in theaters February 12 Sir John defends Lawrence from a mob at Talbot Manor Lawrence warns Gwen to leave for her safety Sir John locks himself in, and Lawrence starts to transform into the Wolfman Sir John watches Aberline and his party come to take Lawrence away Aberline persues the Wolfman through the streets of London Gwen asks Lawrence to stay with her Gwen consults the gypsy about the curse The Wolfman - A Look Inside

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New Images from PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS! Check out Uma Thurman's Medusa and Her Snakes!

Chris Columbus ("Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," "Home Alone") directed the epic fantasy-adventure starring a trio of rising young stars -- Logan Lerman ("3:10 to Yuma") as the film's title character, the brave, fearless young warrior, Percy Jackson; Brandon T. Jackson ("Tropic Thunder") as the Satyr Grover, Percy's protector who attempts to earn his very first horns while keeping the young demigod out of harm's way; and Alexandra Daddario ("Bereavement") as another demigod, Annabeth, daughter of Athena, who joins Percy on his quest to prevent a devastating war. Also starring are Sean Bean ("National Treasure") as Zeus, supreme ruler of the gods of Olympus; Pierce Brosnan ("Mamma Mia") as Chiron, the Centaur who runs the special training ground for these demigods while becoming Percy's mentor in explaining his blood connection to the gods; Steve Coogan ("Night at the Museum") as the greedy lord of the Underworld, Hades, who craves a weapon he believes is in Percy's possession; Rosario Dawson ("Sin City") as the goddess Persephone, Zeus' daughter and Hades' long suffering, imprisoned wife; Catherine Keener ("Capote") as Percy's mom, Sally, who is held hostage by Hades in the Underworld; Kevin McKidd ("Grey's Anatomy") as Percy's father (and Zeus' brother and arch rival), Poseidon, god of the sea; Joe Pantoliano ("The Sopranos") as Percy's slovenly stepdad, Gabe; and Uma Thurman ("Kill Bill") as the mythological Gorgon, Medusa. Jake Abel ("The Lovely Bones") portrays Luke, son of Hermes and one of the demigods who befriend Percy at Camp Half Blood. "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" filmed in Vancouver, with additional locations in Las Vegas, New York City and Nashville. Twentieth Century Fox releases the film in theaters everywhere on February 12, 2010. Author Rick Riordan, who taught Greek Mythology for a many years in middle school in California and Texas, came up with the idea for the first Percy Jackson book, which led to four additional novels and a huge fan base numbering in the millions, after reading the sagas of the ancient Greek heroes as bedtime stories to his son, Haley. "When I ran out of myths, my son became disappointed," the author relates on his website. "He asked me if I could make up some new stories with the same characters. I remembered a creative writing project I used to do with my sixth graders, which allowed them to create their own demigod hero, the son or daughter of any god they wanted, while having them describe a Greek-style quest for that hero. "Off the top of my head, I made up Percy Jackson and told Haley all about his quest to recover Zeus' lightning bolt in modern day America. It took about three nights to tell the whole story and, when I was done, Haley told me I should write it out as a book." Those three nights ultimately became a yearlong odyssey for Riordan in completing his first book for young readers. "I picked a few of my sixth, seventh and eighth graders and asked them if they'd be willing to 'test drive' the novel," Riordan continues. "I'm used to showing my work to adults, and had no idea if kids would like Percy. I finally understood what it must be like for them, turning in an essay to me and waiting to get their grades back! Fortunately, the kids really liked it. They had some good suggestions, too." The book was published in 2005, but it would be another five years before Hollywood would bring the first of the Percy Jackson stories to the screen. While the studio explored turning Riordan's first book into a movie, the author continued the series by penning a new novel each year between 2006 and 2009. Chris Columbus was attracted to "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" because, as he relates, "We haven't seen the world of Greek Mythology in a story like this before," he elaborates. "I think Rick Riordan tapped into something quite unique, juxtaposing the world of the ancient Greeks with the underbelly of contemporary America." Columbus describes his new genre effort as a contemporary adventure meets Greek-Mythology film, as opposed to a pure period-piece Greek myth with gods in flowing robes sitting on billowy clouds. "This story has a sense of reality and an epic quality while still portraying a sinister, supernatural battle between good and evil," he explains. 20th Century Fox has supplied IESB with nine high resolution images from PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS. Click on each image below for a bigger view!

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Enter to Win a Prize Package from IESB's "VALENTINE'S DAY" Sweepstakes!

"Valentine's Day. It comes every year whether you like it or not." If you are happily in love, Valentine's Day is a day of hearts and flowers, romance and sentiment. If you are among those who are unlucky in love, it is just another day. An all-star ensemble cast comes together in "Valentine's Day," which follows the intertwining storylines of a diverse group of Los Angelenos as they navigate their way through romance and heartbreak over the course of one Valentine's Day. Couples and singles experience the pinnacles and pitfalls of finding, keeping or ending relationships in a day in the life of love. Enter IESB's VALENTINE'S DAY sweepstakes for your chance to win some really lovely prizes from the film! "VALENTINE'S DAY" In Theaters February 12th Check out the official site located at www.valentinesdaymovie.com One (1) Grand Prize Winner from IESB will receive: BCBGMAXAZRIA $50 Gift Card1-800FLOWERS $40 Gift CardHeart Shaped Box of Chocolate Hearts CandyRose Scented White Candle with Ribbon & Valentine’s Day CharmDouble Walled Ceramic TumblerLadies HoodieLong Sleeve Ladies ThermalsSplit-Ring Key Holder w/HeartValentine’s Day Pink HatValentine’s Day Soundtrack CD Two (2) Runners Up will receive: Ladies HoodieLong Sleeve Ladies ThermalsSplit-Ring Key Holder w/HeartValentine’s Day Pink HatValentine’s Day Soundtrack CD Pictures of Prizes are Below! Be the first to know! Receive exclusive Warner Bros. Movie News Updates! 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, The Official Flowers of "Valentine's Day" the movie Win a $50 gift certificate from BCBGMAXAZRIA and discover your perfect Valentine’s Day style with looks inspired by the movie The soundtrack to Valentine's Day. Featuring new music from Taylor Swift and Jewel! In Stores February 9th An all-star ensemble cast comes together in "Valentine's Day," which follows the intertwining storylines of a diverse group of Los Angelenos as they navigate their way through romance and heartbreak over the course of one Valentine's Day. Couples and singles experience the pinnacles and pitfalls of finding, keeping or ending relationships in a day in the life of love. Directed by veteran filmmaker Garry Marshall, the film stars Jessica Alba ("Fantastic Four"), Academy Award® winner Kathy Bates ("Misery"), Jessica Biel ("I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry"), Bradley Cooper ("The Hangover"), Eric Dane (TV's "Grey's Anatomy"), Patrick Dempsey ("Enchanted"), Hector Elizondo (the "Princess Diaries" films), Academy Award® winner Jamie Foxx ("Ray"), Jennifer Garner ("Juno"), Topher Grace ("Spider-Man 3"), Academy Award® nominee Anne Hathaway ("Rachel Getting Married"), Ashton Kutcher ("What Happens in Vegas"), Academy Award® nominee Queen Latifah ("Chicago"), Taylor Lautner ("The Twilight Saga: New Moon"), George Lopez ("Beverly Hills Chihuahua"), Academy Award® winner Shirley MacLaine ("Terms of Endearment"), Emma Roberts ("Hotel for Dogs"), Academy Award® winner Julia Roberts ("Erin Brockovich") and award-winning singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, in her feature film debut. Marshall directed "Valentine's Day" from a screenplay by Katherine Fugate, story by Fugate and Abby Kohn & Marc Silverstein. The film is produced by Mike Karz and Wayne Rice, with Toby Emmerich, Samuel J. Brown, Michael Disco, Diana Pokorny and Josie Rosen serving as executive producers. The behind-the-scenes team includes director of photography Charles Minsky, production designer Albert Brenner, editor Bruce Green, costume designer Gary Jones and composer John Debney. New Line Cinema presents, a Wayne Rice/Karz Entertainment Production, a Garry Marshall Film, "Valentine's Day," to be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. "Valentine's Day" has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA for some sexual material and brief partial nudity. Winners will be notified by email! Contest ends February 15, 2010. Name: Email Address: Street Address: City, State: Zip Code: Incomplete entries will be disqualified. Entrants must be over 18 and residents of the United States. Additional rules below apply - RELEASE AND INDEMNIFICATION: BY ENTERING THE SWEEPSTAKES, ENTRANTS RELEASE AND HOLD HARMLESS WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC. AND EACH OF ITS RESPECTIVE PARENTS, DIVISIONS, AFILIATES, SUBSIDIARIES, AGENTS AND ADVERTISING AGENCIES (COLLECTIVELY, WBEI) FROM AND AGAINST ANY AND ALL LOSSES, DAMAGES, RIGHTS, CLAIMS, AND ACTIONS OF ANY KIND ARISING IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, FROM THE SWEEPSTAKES OR PARTICIPATION IN ANY SWEEPSTAKES-RELATED ACTIVITY (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION THE REMOVAL FROM THE SITE OF, OR DISCONTINUATION OF ACCESS TO, ANY MATERIALS), OR RESULTING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, FROM ACCEPTANCE, POSSESSION, USE, OR MISUSE OF ANY PRIZE AWARDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE SWEEPSTAKES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION PERSONAL INJURY, DEATH, AND/OR PROPERTY DAMAGE, AS WELL AS CLAIMS BASED ON PUBLICITY RIGHTS, DEFAMATION, AND/OR INVASION OF PRIVACY. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: IN NO EVENT WILL THE WBEI BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OR LOSSES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, ARISING OUT OF ANY ACCESS TO AND/OR USE OF THE SWEEPSTAKES SITE, THE DOWNLOADING FROM AND/OR PRINTING MATERIAL DOWNLOADED FROM THE SWEEPSTAKES SITE, THE REMOVAL FROM THE SWEEPSTAKES SITE OF, OR DISCONTINUATION OF ACCESS TO, ANY MATERIALS, OR THE ACCEPTANCE, POSSESSION, USE, OR MISUSE OF, OR ANY HARM RESULTING FROM THE ACCEPTANCE, POSSESSION, USE OR MISUSE OF, OR PARTICIPATION IN, ANY PRIZE AWARDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE SWEEPSTAKES. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, THE SWEEPSTAKES, ALL PRIZES, AND ALL MATERIALS PROVIDED ON OR THROUGH THE SITE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

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Enter to Win a COUPLES RETREAT DVD Prize Package from IESB!

IESB has got a COUPLES RETREAT DVD Prize Package to give away to five lucky readers! Couples Retreat, the must-own comedy hit is coming to Blu-ray and DVD February 9th, which is packed with is packed with hilarious bonus features, including a never-before-seen alternate ending and deleted/extended scenes, each with commentary from director Peter Billingsley and writer/producer/actor Vince Vaughn! In support of the release we have prize packages of the DVD and a Couples Retreat beach mat! Vince Vaughn and an All-Star Cast Venture to Paradise in the Blockbuster Comedy Hit COUPLES RETREAT Pack Your Bags for the Most Uproarious Tropical Vacation Ever When the Movie Arrives on Blu-rayTM Hi-Def, DVD & Digital Download on February 9th, 2010. A vacation in paradise goes hilariously awry in Couples Retreat, the laugh-out-loud comedy coming to Blu-rayTM Hi-Def, DVD and Digital Download on February 9, 2010 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Vince Vaughn (Wedding Crashers), Jason Bateman ("Arrested Development"), Jon Favreau (I Love You, Man), Kristin Davis ("Sex and the City"), Kristen Bell (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Malin Akerman (27 Dresses), Faizon Love (The Perfect Holiday) and Kali Hawk (Lovers & Haters) star in this movie about four couples who get way more than they bargained for on a tropical getaway. Couples Retreat, is packed with hilarious bonus features, including a never-before-seen alternate ending and deleted/extended scenes, each with commentary from director Peter Billingsley and writer/producer/actor Vince Vaughn. Take home this must-own comedy hit or give the gift of laughter to someone you love this Valentine's Day. Have your breath taken away by the stunning tropical locations of Couples Retreat on Blu-rayTM offering perfect picture and the purest digital sound available. And, for a limited time only, the Blu-rayTM version includes a Digital Copy of the film that can be viewed anytime on a variety of portable electronic devices. Couples Retreat on Blu-rayTM Hi-Def and DVD comes with extensive bonus features including:· Feature Commentary with director Peter Billingsley and writer/producer/actor Vince Vaughn.· Alternate Ending - Back in Chicago: Watch with commentary from director Peter Billingsley and writer/producer/actor Vince Vaughn. · Gag Reel· Deleted & Extended Scenes featuring commentary from director Peter Billingsley and writer/producer/actor Vince Vaughn. · Therapy's Greatest Hits: See the therapy sessions with the cast that you didn't see in the film. · Paradise Found: Filming in Bora Bora: The cast and filmmakers share the various aspects of making the film on an island paradise. * Behind The Yoga: Go behind the scenes of the preparation, rehearsals and antics of the film's hilarious yoga scene. The following bonus features are exclusive to Blu-rayTM Hi-def: * U-ControlTM: Video commentary with director Peter Billingsley and writer/producer/actor Vince Vaughn * Deleted Scenes: Watch additional deleted scenes exclusive to the Blu-rayTM. * BD-LIVETM: Access the BD-LiveTM Center through your Internet-connected player to get even more content, watch the latest trailers and more! o My Scenes Sharing: Bookmark favorite scenes from the movie to share with your BD-Live buddies! * Digital Copy: Transfer Couples Retreat to your iPod®, Mac® or PC and experience it anywhere, anytime! * pocket BLUTM: Experience Blu-rayTM in an exciting new way with the pocket BLUTM application for iPhone® or iPod® touch. o Mobile-to-Go. Add exclusive bonus features to your device to enjoy anywhere, anytime! o Virtual Remote and Keyboard: Control Blu-rayTM features and communicate with ease. Synopsis: Vince Vaughn leads an all-star cast in the laugh-out-loud comedy about eight friends whose vacation in paradise is one they'll never forget. Their group-rate vacation comes at a price when they discover that participation in the resort's unconventional couples therapy activities is anything but optional. Co-starring Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau, Faizon Love, Kristin Davis, Malin Akerman, and Kristen Bell, Couples Retreat is a hilarious party in paradise, loaded with laughter and fun! www.CouplesRetreatMovie.com CAST AND FILMMAKERS Directed By: Peter Billingsley Written By: Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn & Dana Fox Produced By: Vince Vaughn, Scott Stuber Executive Producers: Victoria Vaughn, Guy Riedel Director of Photography: Eric Edwards Production Designer: Shepherd Frankel Edited By: Dan Lebental, ACE Associate Producers: Sandra J. Smith, Micah Mason, Dana Fox Costume Designer: Susan Matheson Co-Producer: Jon Isbell Music Supervisor: John O'Brien Music By: A. R. Rahman Cast: Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau, Faizon Love, Kristin Davis, Malin Akerman, Kristen Bell, Temuera Morrison, Jean Reno, Kali Hawk, and Carlos Ponce Enter to win IESB's COUPLES RETREAT Prize Package sweepstakes by filling out the form below! Winners notified by email. Contest ends February 12th! Good luck and thanks for playing! Name: Address: City, State: Zip: Email Address: Incomplete entries will be disqualified, one entry per person per email

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Exclusive Photo Gallery: Red Carpet Premiere of DEAR JOHN

The red carpet premiere of DEAR JOHN starring Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum was held Monday night at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood. IESB Photographer Rick Chavez was on the red carpet and shot an exclusive photo gallery to share! Cast and crew plus celebrity guests were in attendance that included Amanda Seyfried, Channing Tatum, Henry Thomas, Adam Shankman, Alexa Vega, Anne Fletcher, Bella Thorne, Bryan Ferry, Clint Culpepper, D.J. Cotrona, Daren Kagasoff, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Haylie Duff, Jaimie Alexander, Jeff Blake, Jenna Dewan, Jonathan Sadowski, Kaili Thorne, Kathryn Newton, Kayla Ewell, Keith Robinson, Kellan Lutz, Lasse Hallstrom, Madisen Beaty, Matt Bowen, Nick Zano, Olivia Munn, Rachel Hunter, Richard Jenkins, Ryan Kavanaugh, Ryan Merriman, Shelby Young, Tiffany Thornton, Tucker Tooley, Vail Bloom, Wyck Godfrey and many more! Click on the image below to view IESB's exclusive photo gallery! DEAR JOHN opens in theaters February 5th.

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I, Frankenstein Lives!

Lakeshore has another classic monster in its sights after the Underworld films earned a pretty penny – Frankenstein. To be specific, it’s actually Frankenstein’s monster. I know, I know. I’m at risk of sounding like a douche (Too late?) Heat Vision reports they’re commencing with their next potential horror franchise I, Frankenstein. Based on a comic book series by Underworld co-creator Kevin Grevioux, the project has Patrick Tatopoulos attached to the director’s chair. He too is an alum of said franchise having helmed last year’s prequel Rise of the Lycans. What makes this property even cooler? It’s been produced by IESB big-cheese himself Robert Sanchez and our pal Ryan Turek helped develop the project (aka "Ryan Rotten" of Shock Till You Drop fame!) Knowing Robert and his hatred of Twilight, I doubt this involves "emo Frankenstein." Instead, the monster is a private investigator and Dracula is a kingpin in the crime syndicate. So sue me for being happy for Robert and Ryan. I've been sitting on this info for awhile. But it's genuinely cool to see nice people succeed in this at-times nasty business. Congrats, guys!

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Exclusive: Paramount Versus The House of Mouse

When the news broke that Disney would be purchasing Marvel, there were varying reactions - some positive, others negative and most standing in the middle wondering what all of this meant for the House of Ideas in the scheme of things. Key people involved put on their best face and were all smiles and insisted they had "no intention" of getting in the way of the various prearranged deals between Marvel Films and non-Disney studios. That began to change when Disney CEO Robert Iger, according to Fox Business News, said back in September that he would like to end those distribution deals once the Disney/Marvel deal was complete. IMHO when Disney purchased Marvel for 5 billion dollars, they bought a well-dressed up pig. While Marvel does own a ton of characters (approx. over 5000), a few of the most well known and successful characters such as Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four and the X-Men have homes at other studios. Sony of course has Spidey and 20th Century Fox, besides having the entire X-Men Universe also controls for perpetuity Daredevil and the Fantastic Four (includes the Silver Surfer and Elektra). Actually, if you take a look at what Fox controls it's pretty amazing. For example, the Deadpool character who is having his own feature film developed currently is part of the X-Men universe. Pretty much a freebie and a big middle finger to Marvel and Disney. So right off the bat, some of the biggest names in the Marvel library will not be branded with a big ol' Walt Disney logo anytime soon. And that my friends is pissing off the folks at Disney. And what does Disney do with this well dressed pic? Bring in the lawyers of course to see what they can get back. While the Fox and Sony deals are pretty solid contracts, Marvel's distribution deal with Paramount is a bit vulnerable. Paramount's distribution deal began with Iron Man. After the Robert Downey Jr. starring blockbuster exploded in May '08, Par and Marvel extended their distribution agreement to include two Shellhead sequels (Iron Man 2 and 3) plus Thor, Captain America and The Avengers. Remember, Disney said they weren't going to step in and interfere with any deals already set when the Marvel sale was complete. But, hey, that was at the time...things change in Hollywood and now it's looking like the House of Mouse was lying through its teeth. So what's the big news? Apparently, there is nothing short of a tug of war going on between Disney and Paramount over the properties Par had already lined up and contractually committed to distribute with Marvel. Sadly, it appears that the Mouse may have found a loophole. How certain are we of this? Certain Disney publicists have already been telling members of the press that Iron Man 3 will definitely be distributed and branded with the Walt Disney logo. Ask the lawyers for details. Besides looking for loopholes to break deals, it also appears that Marvel and Disney are doing their best to also get in the way of letting the Paramount teams do their jobs in marketing and publicity. Rumblings we are hearing say there are a couple different scenarios that Disney may explore with Paramount. The first would be to allow Paramount to distribute Thor but joint teams Disney/Paramount with Disney supervisors calling the shots regarding marketing and publicity. One thing is for certain, Disney does not want any help from Paramount on Captain America and The Avengers. We are hearing Disney would consider allowing Paramount to distribute Iron Man 3 but that there is no way in hell a Paramount logo would be seen on either the Cap or Avenger films. Disney is spending 500 billion pretty pennies to own Marvel and they want to make sure the Walt Disney brand is all over those films. Another option Disney is considering is paying off Paramount the dollar amount they would be expected to make from the four remaining films in their contract (in the 200 and 250 million dollar range) which is approximately four times the amount that the Melrose studio received from the first Iron Man film. The knee-jerk reaction from many after reading this article will be to deny the ever-living-Hell out of the report. And I have no doubt you're going to hear key Disney/Marvel officials do as such. Not to mention, some will go to their reps and "debunk" us - especially ironic considering it's the job of said reps to lie their asses off. For now, things look to get worse before they get any better. It makes this situation all the more disappointing because Marvel Films was kicking ass and taking names with their slate before all this Disney business. Makes you wonder what Walt Disney himself would think about all this. IESB will keep you posted as soon as we hear more on the matter. Excelsior!

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Exclusive: The Shadow Script Review & Director Update

When I was given the chance to read "The Shadow" screenplay I was geeked up for the opportunity. Not because I was a fan of the character, I knew nothing about the character or the universe going in, but because I love reading scripts. I've read them and edited them as a secondary form of income, I've written them and enjoyed a couple of failed meetings, but getting to read one and review it was something I hadn't been given the chance to do, until now. I actually looked at it as a good thing that I wasn't familiar with anything related to the character of The Shadow, never read the graphic novels or heard any audio from the radio shows. Didn't see 1994 film or catch any footage from the failed television attempts.Although I can never be categorized as such, I was going into this as close to being "the general public" as possible. No inside information, no affinity or distaste for the character, I was "Joe Moviegoer" if only for a night.The script was written by Siavash Farahanl, and what I had in my virtual hand was the 2nd draft dated 8/01/09. From what I can gather from some quick research, this is a debut script by Farahanl, but he did take on director duties on a project titled "Ingenue" in 1999. From page one you are thrown into a dark and gloomy version of New York City, as a girl in her twenties contemplates suicide teetering on the beams of the Brooklyn Bridge. This is the readers first look at Margo Lane. The name certainly caught my attention, a hybrid of Margot Kidder & Lois Lane I thought to myself, not realizing that the character of Margo Lane made her first appearance in 1937. Before there was a Lois Lane. The young suicidal girl is hesitant and ends up loosing her balance falling fast off the bridge, only to be caught by a laughing "Shadow" who gives her a second a chance at life. "The Shadow" who knows a little too much about her sad past, propositions her with a new life which later leads to money and heart thumping adventure as an agent working under his umbrella. Let me just say Margo Lane and The Shadow are characters you care about, Farahanl plays up the mystery of The Shadow against the vulnerability and naivety of Margo Lane, and they remained connected even though their story lines criss-cross throughout the script. Although the possible film could be looked at as an ensemble piece because of the plethora of characters, these two characters are the backbone of the script. You never get sick of The Shadow's viewpoint on the world around him and his role as the ultimate anti-hero. He's menacing, he can break bones with his bare hands, and mow down an entire room of thugs with his Colt 45's. Margo Lane is that fish out of water that you grow with. She goes from a helpless lost soul to an empowered heroine because she has to. Being thrust into a word of murder and mayhem would force anybody to learn the way of the gun and you really believe in her character development. Farahanl does a decent job of balancing the rest of the characters and believe me, it is a tall order, many of said characters are agents working under The Shadow. The best way to describe them are as much less campy versions of Doc Savage's "The Fabulous Five". You are introduced to the Shrevvy early on, he acts as a cab driver, bringing Margo to the beginning of her new life at the Metrolite Hotel. The loyal Shrevvy can be found through out the course of the script, providing transportation at all the right times for Margo. That same night we are introduced to Inspector Cardona at Trinity Church, in a twist Father Francis is confessing to him about a "supervillian" who is called Mr. Remorse. Remorse is responsible for various slayings and a kidnapping. The murderer confesses his deeds to Father Francis who in turn shares them with the Inspector. At the church is where we are first introduced to Mr. Remorse, he storms the confessional with deadly white German Shepards, which completely bungle Father Francis. Remorse is an imposing figure clad all in white to match his crazed dogs and sports a gas mask in the vein of a human skull. Sounds like a sick visual to be viewed on screen. Of course The Shadow puts down the Shepards and saves Cardona, you can tell they have somewhat differing views on justice. Although The Shadow doesn't have a shadowy face to white mask showdown with Remorse at this point. There is plenty of that to be had throughout the script. The Shadow and Remorse tango everywhere from outside the New York stock exchange during a Christmas tree lighting to an epic battle involving trains. Remorse comes at The Shadow with everything from a flamethrower to an assault rifle while The Shadow relies on his hand to hand combat skills and his trusty Colt 45's. This script definitely doesn't lack action. From car chases to the gun battles, which occur not only when The Shadow graces the pages, but when the storyline with Margo elevates and she gets her legs about her. Her first assignment as an agent at the Metrolite Hotel involves a stake out in which she witnesses a murder and gets shot at before being driven away by the always reliable Shrevvy to meet agent Claude Fellows at a secret local who reveals more about her role in The Shadow's twisted world. I'm not going to give you a line by line account of the entire storyline but I am going to tell you the script was more than solid. The action is balanced and as I mentioned above you really care about the two main characters which is most important in any form of written or visual media. I think the general public seeing The Shadow on screen for the first time would be akin to the first time they laid eyes on Blade or Nolan's Batman in "Batman Begins". You get that sense of wonder just from reading Farahanl's descriptions of the character and that world of mystery never fails you as you reach the end of the journey. Margo's character journey is impressive and realistic. You sympathize with her, you cheer for her as she grows, and you reach the last page wanting more of her. The problem I see with this venture is that the general public will feel a sense of, "haven't we seen this all before?". Even though "The Shadow" was a trailblazer in regards to comics the average moviegoer will be comparing this possible film to "Batman", "Daredevil", "The Punisher", "Wanted" and other similar films. Some of the lines voiced by The Shadow echo "Batman Begins", which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The way he approaches a criminal situation are very similar to "The Punisher" and "Batman". His vigilante reputation, where he is still looked at as a criminal by the police and the public, echoes the ending of "The Dark Knight" and the agents give you a taste of "Wanted". I hope that if this film does indeed make it to screen because if you are a comic-book fan you will love this script and a possible film, it is the general public that might not get on board as they should.Another factor working against possible commercial success is the content. There is nudity and some brutal fight scenes. A man thrown into meat grinder and coming out as ground beef on the other side. Broken bones at every turn. Body parts strewn around a train station. Hookers servicing males. You're looking at an "R" rating which ultimately can hurt box office if not given right type of marketing. Columbia Pictures doesn't want this to become the next "Watchmen" or "Punisher: War Zone" but if you go to a PG 13 you lose the ferocity of "The Shadow" that Farahanl so meticulously crafted. Farahanl has done the character justice and has turned at least one individual into a fan of "The Shadow", I hope to be in my usual row in the middle of the theater when this film previews. "The Shadow" is currently set up at Sony with Sam Raimi (having recently walked from the "Spider-Man" films) lined up to produce. However, we are hearing from our sources that Raimi is itching to get back in the director's chair ASAP and wants "The Shadow" to be his next directorial feature. He loves the character and flipped over this latest draft. Remember, we called the "Spider-Man 4" troubles first. Even when the parties involved either pleaded the fifth or just denied it outright. So we are aware of what’s going on over at Sony as well as Raimi's camp. Whether Raimi gets his way remains to be seen.

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Latest Headlines

Tom Felton Joins The Apparition

Hey, Joel Silver! You just produced Sherlock Holmes, one of the biggest hits of your career after a butload of bombs! What are you going to do next?Produce another low-budget horror movie? Um, ok. Tha...

Terminator Franchise Rights Sold! For A Buck!

I'm just kidding ya! It wasn't for a dollar, but in actuality $29.5 million.Even stranger is the new owner of the franchise Pacificor - a hedge fund company I didn’t know was even in the running. Hell...

Tim Robbins Has Joined GREEN LANTERN as a Disapproving Father

Ex-Mr. Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, has joined the cast of GREEN LANTERN for Warner Bros. The Heat Vision Blog had the news, Robbins will play Senator Hammond, the disapproving father of the movie's...

Soderbergh To Direct Contagion Next

If I told you a movie was being made featuring the acting stylings of Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard, and Matt Damon, would you be all in? What if I revealed that Steven Soderbergh would be ...

Interview: Emily Blunt is in Love with THE WOLFMAN

American audiences largely became aware of Emily Blunt with her breakthrough role as the sharp-tongued assistant to Meryl Streep's lead in The Devil Wears Prada and, since then, she has gone on to dev...

Interview: Hugo Weaving is in Search of THE WOLFMAN

In The Wolfman, the murder of Lawrence Talbot's (Benicio Del Toro) brother catches the attention of Scotland Yard's Inspector Aberline, played by Hugo Weaving, who soon grows suspicious of Lawrence hi...

Robocop Reboot May Or May Not Be In 3D

If it’s not Darren Aronofsky behind the camera, then frankly I don’t care about this Robocop reboot. At all. With all due respect (and no personal ill-will) to whomever takes over the job (assuming Da...

Medieval Goes Kaput!

Last we heard from cheese-directing extraordinaire Rob Cohen, he opted to helm the medieval action epic called...err...Medieval. Hey, it was either that or XXX 3: The Search for Vin Diesel’s Dignity. ...

Mr. & Mrs. Smith Rebooted?!?

While mostly a frightening series, the Twilight Zone did have a sweet-side here and there. My all-time favorite episode is Mr. Bevis about a nice guy who’s given a chance to have the perfect life afte...

Interview: Kelli Giddish and David Hudgins are Living in a PAST LIFE

The new Fox television drama Past Life, inspired by the book The Reincarnationist by M.J. Rose, is about an unlikely pair of detectives who investigates the world of the unexplained. Dr. Kate McGinn ...

Interview: Director Joe Johnston and his WOLFMAN Plus Full Transcript of CAPTAIN AMERICA Updates

In the 1930s and ‘40s, Universal Pictures released a series of horror films that created a new genre of entertainment for audiences, known as the monster movie, and now one of the most haunting of the...

Interview: Whoever is Bitten by a Werewolf and Lives Becomes a Werewolf Himself - Benicio Del Toro is THE WOLFMAN!

Actor/producer Benicio Del Toro has long been a fan of the monster genre and was very interested in paying homage to it. With a desire to update The Wolfman for modern audiences, the Academy Award win...

Interview: Anthony Hopkins and THE WOLFMAN Say Get On With It!

As the cold and unemotional Sir John Talbot, Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins plays the father that abandoned his actor son decades earlier, in The Wolfman. When Lawrence (Benicio Del Toro) return...

Thing Prequel Has Cast Its Leads

Certain stories lend themselves to re-interpretations. Take an old story and re-imagine it to fit what’s going on in the world. George Romero’s Dead series adheres to the philosophy. So it’s not "sacr...

Bill Murray Crosses The Stream In Ghostbusters 3

It’s been a long-standing rumor told by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis over the years. Bill Murray (who’s been the lone holdout on Ghostbusters 3) would agree to return under one understanding: his char...

Batman 3 Being Written Right Now?

When the news hit of David Goyer exiting Flash Forward, I thought "How long till someone says this is because of Batman 3?" Don’t give me that funny look, you know everyone was thinking that too!Some ...

Interview: Jennifer Garner, Ashton Kutcher and Jessica Alba Say Happy VALENTINE’S DAY!

The romantic comedy Valentine's Day starts out on a romantic note between Reed Bennett, played by Ashton Kutcher, and his girlfriend Morley, played by Jessica Alba. As the owner of Siena Bouquet, a fl...

More on THE FIRST AVENGER: CAPTAIN AMERICA - Johnston's Created a Backstory for the Flamboyant Red, White and Blue Traditional Costume

At first look, Captain America can look almost like a reject from The Village People with the more modern, darker look of our superheroes in THE DARK KNIGHT and IRON MAN. But, director Joe Johnston s...