In directing The Avengers, Joss Whedon is the third director to take on Bruce Banner and the Hulk. In recent years, both Ang Lee and Louis Leterrier have attempted to tell his story, and their visions of the raging Hulk were met with mixed reactions from fans. This was a hard character for Whedon to tackle, but in a recent interview with SFX, he talked about how he approached the character to make him work in The Avengers. Here he talks about what he needed to get right:

So much. A Bruce Banner who’s not obsessed with his own problems. A Hulk who not only feels flesh and blood, but is clearly an extension of Banner himself and not just a CGI thing that roars. A Hulk who feels dangerous, who might actually hurt someone we care about, who belongs in a classic horror film. And much more. He’s the hardest character by far, and ended up being the most fun.

I have a feeling that Whedon may actually be bringing us the best onscreen version of the Hulk so far. Mark Ruffalo is playing the character this time around, and I think he'll do a great job! Here's what Whedon had to say about what Ruffalo brings to the character:

Mark is such a delightful mensch it’s stupid. His Banner is a bunch of contradictions: graceful and awkward, meek and confident, erudite and working class, funny and sad. And contradictions are what the Banner/Hulk dynamic are all about. Also, Mark kinda looks like the Hulk. So we got to build our Hulk from him.

It's going to be a real treat seeing this vision of the Hulk blowing up on screen and kicking Loki ass. There are a lot of characters missing from The Avengers in the film and when asked about who else he would have liked to bring to the big screen he said, 

A boatload. Pretty much everyone but Wonder Man. I never did figure out what he was for.

Wonder Man is obviously his least favorite of the bunch. I'm so excited about The Avengers it's ridiculous. It's shot up to my number one most anticipated film of 2012, and the awesome thing is, I'm 100% convinced that it will exceed my already high expectations. 

What do you all think about how Whedon is approaching The Hulk in The Avengers? Do you think it will end up being the best movie Hulk so far?

Source: SFX (http://www.sfx.co.uk/2012/03/06/joss-whedon-on-the-hulk-in-the-avengers/)

Your lack of faith isn't as disturbing as this collection of Star Wars Vehicles and characters made out of decapitated baby doll parts. These sci-fi nightmares were created by Etsy seller GeekyVixen. Check out the images and have fun being attacked by these things in your dreams tonight.  

Here's a second trailer for Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard's great looking horror film Cabin in the Woods. This film has been a long time coming. It's crazy to me that it's taken so long to get to the big screen, but rest assured it's coming on April 13th, 2012. The movie looks crazy and ended up being something I wasn't expecting. But I like what I see.

The film stars Chris Hemsworth as a young professional who visits a quaint cabin in the woods with a group of friends and ends up scratching the surface of something so massive and horrific that they can only begin to fathom it as time quickly runs out. The movie also stars Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford, Kristen Connolly, and Fran Kranz.

Here's a very short synopsis for the film:

Five friends go to a remote cabin in the woods. Bad things happen.

If you think you know this story, think again.

Do you think Whedon has helped develop a horror film that we will thoroughly enjoy?

The Muppets is about to be released on Blu-ray and DVD. To help promote it, Disney has released another parody trailer, this time they take on The Hunger Games. I thought The Muppets was a fun movie, but it's also one I don't feel a need to watch over and over again. My kids on the other hand think differently, and I'll be picking up a copy for them. 

The Blu-ray/DVD hits stores on March 20th. Do you think the movie was good enough to buy?

Check out this great short film featuring two Ninja's locked in an epic battle in and around an old abandoned concrete building. The short was directed by Christian Pfeil and is called A Short Story Of Marriage. 

One of the things that makes this short so cool is how it was shot. When you watch it you'll notice that the camera has free reign to go anywhere it wants and has a steady fluid movement to it. None of these shots use CG effects, but generally, most shots like this do require CG effects. This CG-free cinematography is accomplished by a remote control camera set-up called a Quadrocopter. Below the Ninja short, I've included another video showing you how this awesome camera set-up works. 

Watch the videos below and tell us what you think!

Tim Burton's Frankenweenie is set to get an IMAX release. THR reports that the feature-length, black-and-white film has been added to IMAX'S 2012 film slate.  This news comes after the announcement that Burton's Dark Shadows, starring Johnny Depp, is set for release on May 11, 2012.

A digitally-remastered version of Frankenweenie arrives on October 5, the same date it shows up in standard theaters. This is pretty cool, because it marks the first black and white Hollywood feature and the first stop-motion animated movie to screen on Imax. Catherine O'Hara, Martin Short, and Winona Ryder lend their voices the remake of a live-action short directed by Burton in 1984.

Here is what IMAX President, Greg Foster had to say:

Imax has a long-standing relationship with Tim Burton, whose unique artistic vision and brilliant storytelling has captured the imagination of audiences around the world.

I usually do not see movies in IMAX, but I would much rather see a something that has color and/or action on an IMAX screen. Do you plan to see Frankenweenie in IMAX?

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Back to the Future screenwriter Bob Gale has been hired to write the script for the adaptation of Scott Hampton's supernatural graphic novel Trespassers. 

I've never read the comic, but it sounds like it has a fun story that will make for a good horror film. According to Variety, the story "centers on a group of mythbusters, set on debunking the legend of a famous allegedly haunted house. They have their scientific rationality tested when they discover demonic guardians, a gateway to hell, and the fact that not all of them are exactly who they claim to be." 

It's cool that Gale is on board to adapt the movie. On top of writing Back to the Future, he wrote Tales From the Crypt and 1941. It's strange to think that he hasn't done a lot more movies over the years. 

The movie is being produced by Ryan E. Heppe who had this to say in a statement:

A good horror flick needs one thing: a simple, original premise that's terrifying as hell. Add to that obvious franchise potential, and the opportunity to combine "found footage"-style scares with traditional filmmaking frights and you've got something really unique.

Heppe is currently in the process of remaking the 1980s film Short Circuit. He's also making feature film versions of T.J. Hooker and V. 

Have you read Trespassers, and do you think it will end up making for a good film?

Here's a great 4-minute red band trailer for 21 Jump Street that has completely sold me on seeing this movie. It shows that the movie will be both very funny and entertaining. I'm not the biggest fan of Jonah Hill or Channing Tatum, but they seem to fit these roles perfectly. The movie was directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller (Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs) and stars also Brie Larson, Dave Franco, and Ice Cube, with a cameo by Johnny Depp, which should be cool. 

Here's the Synopsis:

In the action-comedy 21 Jump Street, Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are more than ready to leave their adolescent problems behind. Joining the police force and the secret Jump Street unit, they use their youthful appearances to go undercover in a local high school. As they trade in their guns and badges for backpacks, Schmidt and Jenko risk their lives to investigate a violent and dangerous drug ring. But they find that high school is nothing like they left it just a few years earlier – and neither expects that they will have to confront the terror and anxiety of being a teenager again and all the issues they thought they had left behind.

21 Jump Street is set to be released on March 16th, 2012. Check out the clip below and let us know what you think the funniest part of it was. My only hope is the studio didn't pack all of the funny parts of the film into the trailer.

You have heard of the Royale with Cheese from Pulp Fiction, but here is an even cooler burger for you to enjoy. Tuxboard.com sent us some cool photos of the Darth Vader Burger from Quick. I wonder how the dark bun tastes.

Take a look at the pictures below and share your thoughts.

 Would you enjoy a Darth Vader burger?

Follow me on Twitter @Jim_Napier, Google+ and Tumblr

Photo Credit & Fast Food

Source: Tuxboard (http://www.tuxboard.com/burger-noir-dark-vador-chez-quick/)

Last we heard, Jonathan Nolan and Michael Pitt were being sought for the Akira live-action feature film. Topless Robot (via BleedingCool.com) has shared a fan-made live-action film that will likely be superior to the Hollywood version. Check it out below and share your thoughts.

Hollywood should take a cue from fan-made movies. If they were to actually listen to fans, then more movies would have success at the box office. Sounds like a win-win situation to me. Would you rather see this fan-made Akira?

Follow me on Twitter @Jim_Napier, Google+ and Tumblr

Source: Topless Robot (http://www.toplessrobot.com/2012/03/now_thats_how_you_make_a_live-action_akira_movie.php)

Here's a second new film clip for The Hunger Games featuring a nice little moment between Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Cinna (Lenny Kravitz), her stylist for the games. There's no action here, but it's still very cool seeing these characters coming to life!

The highly anticipated movie will be released in theaters on March 23rd, 2012. Do you have any concerns over how the movie is being adapted?

The movie is being directed by Gary Ross, and stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Wes Bentley, Toby Jones, Alexander Ludwig, Isabelle Fuhrman, Amandla Stenberg, Stanley Tucci and Donald Sutherland.

Here's the Synopsis:

Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which "Tributes" must fight with one another until one survivor remains. Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she's ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love. THE HUNGER GAMES is directed by Gary Ross, and produced by Nina Jacobson's Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. Suzanne Collins' best-selling novel, the first in a trilogy published by Scholastic that has over 16 million copies in print in the United States alone, has developed a massive global following.

Source: Yahoo! (http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/the-hunger-games/#jumbo)

Watching Jake Lloyd play Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace was just as annoying for me as Jar Jar Binks. I can't blame Lloyd for the terrible performance because every actor in the movie was bad! The film had an all star cast that included Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson, and Natalie Portman, and they all gave the worst performances of their careers. Yeah, I think we can all agree that was Lucas' fault. 

Apparently Lloyd, who is now 22-years-old, will need to eventually undergo some counselling. In a recent interview, Lloyd explains that working on The Phantom Menace was a "Living Hell" and it's because of his experinces with that film and Lucas that he never acted again. He only reprised his role as Anakin for five video games. Hell, the guy can't stand it when a camera is pointed at him. "I've learned to hate it when the cameras are pointed at me." Now that's pretty sad. Here's a kid that gets to live the dream of playing one of the most iconic villains of all time, in a beloved franchise, and it screwed him up--making him despise the very thing he loved.

During that time while he was trying go to school and be a kid, he was being rushed all over the world doing media interviews. He felt alienated from all the other students and friends around him, and resented Lucas so much that he ended up eventually destroying all his Star Wars memorabilia. Wow! He goes on to explain that,

Other children were really mean to me. They would make the sound of the lightsaber every time they saw me. It was totally mad. My entire school life was really a living hell—and I had to do up to 60 interviews a day... When you have something like that there's a lot of expectations for it to meet the standards of the public, and I don't think George [Lucas] did that.

Damn, that really sucks. After reading this interview, I don't think I'll be so hard on him again. Lucas must be hell to work with. What do you think about what Lloyd had to say? 

Source: Daily Mail (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2110383/Anakin-Skywalker-actor-Jake-Lloyd-Star-Wars-fame-turned-life-living-hell.html)

Check out this incredibly epic new image from Ridley Scott's Prometheus! This is a single image of the star map control room, and it's mind-blowing! The image comes from the movie's viral website, Weyland Industries. Make sure to click on the image to see it in full resolution! Damn, I can't wait to see this scene in motion on the big screen in 3D! The details are amazing. 

I guess if you go to the website and keep searching and playing around on it you might find something new. I can't wait for this film. What do you think of the crazy new image?

Here's the synopsis:

Ridley Scott, director of "Alien" and "Blade Runner," returns to the genre he helped define. With PROMETHEUS, he creates a groundbreaking mythology, in which a team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a thrilling journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race. To see yesterdays Trailer preview click here.

Prometheus was written by Damon Lindelof and Jon Spaihts and stars Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Sean Harris, Kate Dickie, Rafe Spall, Logan Marshall-Green, Guy Pearce, and Patrick Wilson.

Source: Via: FirstShowing (http://www.firstshowing.net/2012/stunning-high-res-star-map-prometheus-image-found-on-viral-site/)

Ben talks about Justified being picked up for a 4th season, Terra Nova getting canceled by FOX, Joss Whedon speaking about his version of The Hulk in The Avengers, Kristen Bell voicing the lead in new Disney movie Frozen, and Hugh Hefner's biopic moving forward at Warner Bros. instead of Universal.

Check out this humorous trailer mashup for The Avengers that includes footage of the actors that star in film cut together as the classic Friends TV series opening sequence with the theme song. The fan trailer was edited by Colleen and found on Madison On York. I think it turned out great, so I hope you enjoy it.

Source: Madison On York (http://madisonyork.tumblr.com/post/18784354768/this-is-a-video-made-by-colleen-a-friends-version)
Source: Comic Book Movie (http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/JoshWildingNewsAndReviews/news/?a=55812)

The Amazing Spider-Man is set to thrill audiences this summer, and Sony Pictures is already looking to make a movie for another Spidey character. The LA Times reports that Chronicle's Josh Trank is in talks to direct a Venom movie. 

The project would focus on "the gooey villain who was a mainstay of the Marvel comics, and was Spider-Man's nemesis. The character attaches himself to a human host and becomes as powerful as the web-slinging superhero." Topher Grace played Venom in Spider-Man 3 in 2007.

This long-gestating project has been in the works at Sony since 2008. Back in 2009, Hunger Games director Gary Ross was in talks to make a version that would show Venom as an anti-hero. Jacob Estes (The Details) penned a draft of the script several years ago. Sony is currently seeking a new writer.

Chronicle has grossed more than $60 million since coming out last month, despite lacking any big name stars. Trank did a phenomenal job with the movie, and I am interested in seeing what he does with Venom. 

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Source: LA Times (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2012/03/chronicle-josh-trank-spider-man-venom-topher-grace-marvel.html)

We've got a new trailer to show you for Snow White and the Huntsman, except this time it's in Japanese. I'm excited for this adaptation of the classic fairytale; it has a big epic feel to it. Director Rupert Sanders has done a wonderful job with it visually.

The film stars Kristen Stewart as an ass-kicking Snow White, Charlize Theron as the evil queen, and Chris Hemsworth as the Huntsman. I love the visual style of the film, and this looks like it will turn out being the better Snow White movie this year. It also stars Sam Claflin, Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, Eddie Izzard, Bob Hoskins, Toby Jones, Eddie Marsan, Stephen Graham, Ray Winstone, Lily Cole, Sam Spruell, Liberty Ross, and Noah Huntley.

Here's the Synopsis:

In the epic action-adventure Snow White and the Huntsman, Kristen Stewart (Twilight) plays the only person in the land fairer than the evil queen (Oscar winner Charlize Theron) out to destroy her.  But what the wicked ruler never imagined is that the young woman threatening her reign has been training in the art of war with a huntsman (Chris Hemsworth, Thor) dispatched to kill her.Sam Claflin (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) joins the cast as the prince long enchanted by Snow White’s beauty and power.

The breathtaking new vision of the legendary tale is from Joe Roth, the producer of Alice in Wonderland, producer Sam Mercer(The Sixth Sense) and acclaimed commercial director and state-of-the-art visualist Rupert Sanders.

The movie comes out June 1st, 2012. 

Source: Via: Latino Review (http://latino-review.com/2012/03/06/snow-white-huntsman-japanese-teaser-trailer/)

FX has renewed Justified for a fourth season. Deadline reports that the hit drama, which is in the midst of it's third-season, has already received a 13-episode order. Nick Grad, FX's EVP of Original Programming said, “Justified is one of television’s best series and this season has reinforced that excellence." Timothy Olyphant stars as Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens in the Graham Yost series based on Elmore Leonard's characters.

There are many reasons all of us on Justified are grateful to get a chance to do another season. We get to do more work with amazing actors, writers, producers, directors, musicians, editors and a jaw-droppingly talented crew.

Source: Deadline (http://www.deadline.com/2012/03/fxs-justified-renewed-for-fourth-season/)

It's been a big week in casting for Kristen Bell. Yesterday it was announced that she will be joining Disney's animated film Frozen. Today it's been announced that she has been cast along side Lilly Collins in the movie Writers. The film is a dramady that, according to Deadline, "follows the members of the Borgens family and their love interests over the course of one tumultuous year. Greg Kinnear plays Bill Borgens, a famous novelist obsessed with his ex-wife (Jennifer Connelly)." Collins will play their daughter Samantha, "who is pursued by a fellow writing student (Logan Lerman). Nat Wolff plays Samantha’s teenage brother, who is experiencing first love with Kate (Liana Liberato)." Bell will take on the role of Tricia, "Bill’s friend with benefits who tries to help him get over his ex-wife." Sounds like a good time!

Then there's the talented Casey Affleck, who has joined the revenge thriller Out of the Furnace. He joins Zoe Saldana and Christian Bale as an ex-con who is released from prison and is given no choice but to avenge the death of his brother. According to Deadline, Affleck will play the unfortunate brother. It's described as being a gritty throwback to films of the 1970s. It will be directed by Scott Cooper, who previously directed Crazy Heart. Affleck is a much more talented actor than his brother, so he'll do fine in this movie.

Source: Deadline (http://www.deadline.com/2012/03/lily-collins-kristen-bell-cast-writers-movie/)

The Hangover's Todd Phillips has directed movies that involve drunken nights of debauchery and craziness. Before he directed Old School, Road Trip, and produced Project X, Phillips got his start with documentaries. He directed the G.G. Allin documentary Hated, and then helmed Frat House for HBO.

I lived in a fraternity house the entire time I was in school. Looking back, there are moments that were pretty insane, and others that I will remember with great fondness. Whether it is real or fake, the documentary is worth a watch. Do you think that Frat House is real, or were the events staged?

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Source: The Playlist (http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/like-project-x-watch-todd-phillips-unaired-nsfw-hbo-documentary-frat-house)