• EW is reporting that today day is the day of decision for the Justice League movie, which is completely cast but still not ready to go:
Holy work-stoppage, Batman! The ongoing WGA strike now has Warner Bros.’ superhero bonanza Justice League of America in its crosshairs. A source tells Hollywood Insider that filmmakers would like another script rewrite and are now debating whether to begin shooting without one. The studio has a Jan. 15 deadline to either greenlight League for a spring production start — meaning a summer ’09 release — or push it into the post-strike ether.
Beat commentary: This is really nothing new for WB, which seems to go back and forth on their superhero movies like a marble on the table of the Titanic. You’ll recall that the Superman movie was subjected to a gazillion aborted starts and stops before landing Bryan Singer (McG and Tim Burton among them). As for Wonder Woman, it’s hardly worth talking about. So…par for the course.
• There will be a Solomon Kane movie! Kane is a character created by Conan mastermind Robert E. Howard. Instead of a grim pre-historic barbarian, Kane was a grim, gloomy 16th century adventurer, who went around in a hat. Sort of like Vampire Hunter D. James Purefoy has been cast as Kane, and Max Von Sydow and Pete Postlethwaite recently joined the cast, along with Rachel Hurd-Wood, Alice Krige and Mackenzie Crook. Michael J. Bassett (“Deathwatch”) will direct. Dark Horse is said to be readying the comic.
• Speaking of Conan, that movie is back on. Calling Triple Aitch!
• Marvel has released two new stills from IRON MAN. In the first, Robert Downey Jr. reveals the de rigeur white Marvel Hero Wife-Beater™. In the second he reveals the RARE GRAY VARIANT!!! Very exciting.
• Speaking of IRON MAN, the big rumour is that IRON MAN and THE HULK are going to crossover big time with General Thunderbolt, and a scene that connects both movies. IRON MAN director Jon Favreau is said to be hot to direct an Avengers movie that would — in our dreams — star Downey and Edward Norton. They would also swap wifebeaters.
• But the REALLY really exciting news is that Hugh Jackman is gearing up to play Wolverine in X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE. Have mercy. Liev Schrieber has been cast as Creed/Sabretooth which is exciting but who cares. Another photo of Jackman looking Wolverine-ific in the jump.
Ha ha! Fooled ya!
• Our most favoritest movie rumour is that HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS will be filmed as two movies. That would make total sense, esp. as the movie splits into two parts very very neatly. The ending to part one would be a heartbreaking cliffhanger of epic proportions for the five or six people who didn’t read the book. Other rumours are swirling that Steven Speilberg and/or Guillermo del Toro and or Alfonso Cuaron, or some other true A-list director will sign on for the Hogwarts Express. We’ll believe it when we see it but a movie that truly matches the emotional depth of the book would be a treat.
