I think I'm pretty much the only one who wasn't crazy about Little Children, save for a second half that featured an outstanding performance from Jackie Earle Haley (someone give this guy a best supporting something -- please, I beg you). Maybe I caught it at the wrong time (trust me, 10am isn't the best time to catch a flick in the theater, especially when you were up partying the night before), but the thing just moved too slowly ... and another dull performance from Patrick Wilson didn't help. Ever notice how the one thing every Patrick Wilson flick has in common (aside from the fact that Wilson appears in a role) is that whoever co-stars outshines him in almost every conceivable way?

With that said, Wilson has signed on to star opposite Anne Hathaway in Passengers -- remember that supernatural thriller flick we told you about last month? Hathaway herself isn't the most exciting actress, but she's cute, bubbly and you can't help but kind of like her. With Rodrigo García helming, pic revolves around a grief counselor who helps assist the survivors of a plane crash, but becomes wrapped up in a whole mess of thrills and chills when each survivor begins to disappear one by one. Oh, and amidst all this, she finds the time to fall in love with Wilson's character who -- you guessed it -- is one of the survivors. Ronnie Christensen (who makes his feature debut here, having penned a few TV projects like the instant classic Chameleon 3: Dark Angel) wrote the script, and production will begin shortly with Mandate Pictures producing and Columbia Pictures distributing domestically.

I remember being surprised when I heard that The Chronicles of Narnia was thickly Christian. Then again, I was a young girl when I read the books, so I was more drawn to the cool talking animals and crazy adventures than involving myself in textual interpretation. However, for those that find the religious inclusion particularly stifling, Phillip Pullman's Dark Materials series is said to be a rebuttal of C. S. Lewis' Chronicles. It's got the articulate animals, religious allegories and other adventures, without some of the more Christian aspects. Now, on the heels of Narnia, Dark Materials is heading to the big screen.

As we've previously reported, the first book, The Golden Compass, is currently in production with stars ranging from 007 Daniel Craig to Nicole Kidman and Sam Elliot. I imagine that things are going well on the set of Compass, since Variety has now reported that in the midst of its shoot, New Line is making plans for the next part of the trilogy. The company has hired Hossein Amini to pen The Subtle Knife, installment #2. You might remember Amini from his adaptation of Henry James' The Wings of the Dove, or from Wes Bentley's The Four Feathers.

As Knife gears up, it will be interesting to see which actors will remain throughout the series. As Martha Fischer bemoaned, Craig is already wrapped up as Bond. But I am more curious to see what happens with Nicole Kidman. She backed out of both Lar von Trier's Manderlay and The Aviator due to scheduling problems, but frankly, could she have done as well in the latter as Cate Blanchett? Perhaps Cate or Bryce Dallas Howard will have to be brought in again.

[via Coming Soon]

Back in September we learned that Jude Law and Michael Caine would be starring in a remake of Anthony Shaffer's Sleuth, which was a popular stage play before Joseph L. Mankiewicz directed a 1972 movie version starring Sir Laurence Olivier and ... Michael Caine.

What's (potentially) interesting about this re-do (aside from the fact that Kenneth Branagh is directing and Harold Pinter is writing) is that Mr. Caine will, of course, be stepping into the role originally played by Olivier, while Mr. Law (who has wanted to make this flick for a long time, apparently) will be playing Caine's old role.

For those who don't remember the movie, it's about a veteran writer and a hotshot young actor who spend one twist-filled weekend at a fancy English manor -- but the actor's been canoodling the writer's wife ... and the writer knows it.

Sony Pictures Classics just climbed on board with Branagh and Company, and they seem to be in quite the hurry to get the thing made: Production begins this month.

If Judd Apatow thinks Seth Rogen is the next big comic star, apparently some other people are trying to shove Rainn Wilson into those shoes. The lovable doof from The Office is slowly lining up a number of big-screen roles for himself, working with everyone from Jason Reitman (in Bonzai Shadowhands) to Bob Odenkirk. Someone might want to tell Apatow that his boy Rogen has some serious competition.

MTV has just picked up the comedy Kanan Rhodes: Unkillable Servant of Justice, in which Wilson will star while Odenkirk directs. (Hmm, borrowing a bit from the Mckay/Ferrell duo with that title, are we?) Odenkirk calls the pic a "souped-up Pink Panther-slash-Ace Ventura," in which Wilson will play a guy who serves subpoenas ... but in a very James Bond-esque sort of way. So basically, he'll be playing Dwight from The Office if for some reason Dwight was fired and took a job serving subpoenas.

As far as Odenkirk goes, he's desperately looking for a hit -- Let's Go to Prison was a horrific waste of space and his upcoming The Brothers Solomon looks to be another big swing and a miss. And you'd think after Mr. Show, the dude would produce some quality entertainment -- perhaps he and David Cross need to reunite for something real soon. Odenkirk claims Kanan Rhodes (which was written seven years ago) will feature a "superpowered" comedic cast, so here's hoping he hits this one out of the park ... and doesn't strike out swinging.

At the risk of stating the fairly obvious: movies are a visual medium. Sure, you have actors speaking lines of dialog, music, sound effects and a whole host of other elements that go into the final motion picture experience. But first, you have the image, the picture, the light and shadow. Think back to all the movies you've loved over the years and what comes to mind? For me, its occasionally a great line of dialog I remember fondly. But more often, its a series of iconic images etched in my mind from the films I've seen.

John Wayne standing in the doorway at the end of The Searchers, T.E. Lawrence walking on top of the train, triumphant and defiant, after he and his men attacked it in Lawrence of Arabia, De Niro's violent slo-mo ballet in the ring as boxer Jake La Motta in Raging Bull, Janet Leigh meeting Norman Bates' "mother" while taking a shower in Psycho, the hands pointing to the sky indicating where the sounds made by the aliens came from or the giant mothership almost obscuring Devil's Tower in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and yes, even the "Rosebud" sled burning in the furnace at the end of Citizen Kane. These images, and so many more, helped define the "look" of movies then and now -- and will continue to do so far into the future.

So, I feel its fitting that Variety is currently running some articles that specifically address one of the most important jobs of the filmmmaking process and one of the major -- if not the major -- element that determine the "look" of any movie -- the cinematographer. In the articles, many of the top cinematographers working today, such as Newton Thomas Sigel, Tom Stern, Emmanuel Lubezki and the great Michael Ballhaus, discuss the latest tools and techniques that allow them to push the boundaries of filmmaking and further shape how movies look. In addition, Variety also interviews many other cinematographers, such as Wally Pfister of The Prestige, Robert Richardson of The Good Shepherd and Rodrigo Prieto of Babel, about "facing the challenges, aesthetics and problem-solving behind some of this year's most visually compelling pix." All in all, a good series of articles and a good way to pay a little well-deserved respect to these artists.

Remember back when Indecent Proposal first came out, and the topic of almost every conversation amongst friends was whether or not they would let their significant other spend one night with a man for a boatload of money? And, if your friends were like my friends, most of them immediately replied, "A whole night without the woman breathing down my neck? Heck, I'd do it for a hundred bucks and a Red Lobster gift certificate for sure."

Well, it's been awhile since that topic was on the tips of everyone's tongues and, now, writer-producer Les Firestein (The Drew Carey Show) is looking to bring it back ... but with a twist. New Line has just snatched up an untitled comic pitch from Firestein, which Jimmy Miller will produce, with a story that approaches the Indecent Proposal situation from a, well, fairly scary angle. Basically, what happens when a very wealthy man approaches a couple and offers them a ton of money for one sexy night with ... the guy. Not the girl. Would a straight man switch teams for one night if it means he will acquire a small fortune? No other information was released at this time -- Firestein still has to write the script -- and then we'll get to see whether this thing has the legs to attract some top-notch talent. Will Ferrell, anyone?

So, guys, what would you do?

It's official. Berlinale has announced the six contenders in their film competition. Those in the running include some Berlin favorites as well as American repeats. Here is the list of nominees:

• The Good German -- which has received mixed reviews in America -- is directed by Steven Soderbergh and stars George Clooney (a Berlinale regular), Cate Blanchett, and Tobey Maguire. The film takes place in a post war Berlin where an investigative reporter finds himself in the center of a murder mystery. The controversy continues when unexpected people from his past become inconveniently intertwined.

• The Good Shepherd is an interesting pick to say the least. Robert DeNiro both stars in and directs a film that has yet to receive any noteworthy appreciation. Matt Damon (not my favorite) and Angelina Jolie (strangely miscast) play a couple who is ultimately torn apart by Damon's occupation with the CIA. It also takes place in the 1930s; maybe Berlinale is dwelling in this era a bit this year?

• German director Christian Petzold will be showing his second Berlinale nominated film Yella. The storyline profiles a woman who wishes to escape a life that refuses to stop following her no matter where she relocates.

• Irina Palm starring Marianne Faithful is the second film made by Belgian director Sam Garbarski. Faithful plays a struggling widow who takes a sex position in order to survive.

• Goodbye Bafana is an intriguing true-life story about the prison guard who protected Nelson Mandela during his internment. Billie August directs as Joseph Fiennes plays James Gregory, the prison guard.

• Last but not least is a film from South Korean director Chan-wook Park. I Am A Cyborg But That's Ok tells the story of a woman living in a psychiatric hospital who believes she is a cyborg (this may be about me soon due to my recent obsession with Battlestar Gallactica). During her stay she falls in love with a man suffering from mental ailments of his own.

It's no surprise Nicole Kidman is drawn to roles in which she plays one half of a messed up married couple. As we all know, the woman has gone through her fair share of marital troubles throughout the years -- first with Tom Cruise and now with rehab man Keith Urban. Perhaps these mega Hollywood stars are so used to the intense conflict in their films, they're automatically drawn to it in their real lives. Perhaps they're addicted to the drama. Hmm, I know a few people like that.

Nevertheless, Kidman has been keeping herself busy as of late -- we'll be able to see her in three films this year alone (The Invasion, The Golden Compass and the Untitled Noah Baumbach Project -- which I believe is called Margot at the Wedding). Now, Variety tells us Kidman has signed on to produce and star in an adaptation of David Lindsay-Abaire's hit Broadway play, Rabbit Hole, for Fox Searchlight. And guess what? She plays one half of a happily married couple who must find a way to pick up the shattered pieces of their life following a devastating tragedy.

Play, which opened in 2006 to rave reviews, stars Sex and the City's Cynthia Nixon in the role Kidman will take on. Though I have not seen the play myself, based on what I've read, this sucker is one helluva tear-jerker ... so you might want to start stockpiling tissue boxes now. No word yet on who will star opposite Kidman (John Slattery stars in the staged version), but I suspect they'll be searching for the perfect leading man. Hey, how about Tom Cruise?

Okay, so the Spider-Man 4 rumor mill is already old news, even if part three hasn't technically ... you know ... happened yet. Essentially, the argument boils down to two camps -- a few of the actors, who say they are tired of Spider-Man and ready to move on, and a few of the Marvel execs who say the franchise will live forever because there are endless Spider-Man stories already in existence just waiting for a chance to make the big screen.

But a new voice has just entered the discussion; one of the most important voices. Sam Raimi, the talented and beloved director of all three films in the franchise, has just offered his thoughts on the future of the franchise in a discussion with Premiere Magazine. You can read all his thoughts here, but the short version is, Raimi is interested in more movies provided he can keep Tobey Maguire on board. He admits it is possible he will tire of the franchise any day, but his mood right now is one of pure love.

This is a fantastic endorsement for fans who hope to see the franchise live on. I have no doubt Marvel would hit up a new director if Raimi should quit -- or cast a new Peter Parker if Maguire moves on -- but we all know the dangers of a revolving door of directors, and losing the talent of Raimi would be a big blow. Not necessarily a death blow, because franchises like Harry Potter have passed through many a director, but I think we can all agree that Spider-Man is far better off with Sam Raimi than without him.

Time has a way of making certain movies disappear, while others remain classics forever. Does anyone today remember Gordy, the other talking pig movie that came out just a few months before Babe in 1995? Director Chris Noonan, who received a Best Director Oscar nomination for Babe, does.

"I knew the director of that film," says Noonan during a recent visit to San Francisco, where he sat down for a chat with Cinematical. "I didn't know he was planning a talking pig movie. He told me that he was very interested in what I was doing, and he'd love to see a script. So I sent him a script of Babe, just as a sort of colleague-friendly gesture, well before we shot it. And then Gordy came out soon after. And I haven't actually spoken to him since then."

Remember Shrek? Cute fairy-tale story, nice animation and music, interesting, original characters and storyline? Happily N'Ever After, I'm sorry to report, is nothing like Shrek. It's not often I can say with certainty less than a week into a new year that I've already seen what's sure to become one of the worst films of the entire year, but in this case, I feel pretty secure in the certainty that this film will be anchoring my "worst of 2007" list come December.

There was, quite honestly, nothing good about this film, from the cheesy opening voiceover to the predictable ending, so all I can really do for you is enumerate the ways in which this film is utterly wretched, in the hopes that you will stay away from it in droves, thus saving yourselves money and the desire to have the memory of its 73 minutes burned physically from your brain (actually, I suppose you could say its brevity is the one good thing the film has going for it).

The end of the box office "slump of '05" and an overall increase in domestic gross over last year should make some U.S. theatre owners happy. However, the studios are more likely to be smiling because of the international grosses. 2006 was a record year for exported movies from Hollywood, and this will probably result in more franchises, sequels and other mainstream fare.

These tentpoles keep Hollywood alive these days, and the studios depend on and cater to worldwide audiences rather than Americans. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that for the sake of the profit, we'll be seeing more movies like Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and The Da Vinci Code, both of which performed incredibly at home and overseas despite critical pans. Quoted in Variety, Buena Vista International's Anthony Marcoly confirmed this by saying the current strategy is to produce big movies with wide appeal that will over-perform in the international markets.

Okay, so what else is new, right? Well, there are a few noteworthy things to point out, such as the rising market share for smaller distributors. Focus Features and Lionsgate had spectacular years thanks to Brokeback Mountain and Saw II and III, respectively. The former proves the international box office isn't completely epics and other big-budget entertainments. On a sad note, though, Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties also did very well.

As Erik noted earlier today, the Screen Actors Guild noms are out, and there are few surprises. I was a little surprised by what Jeff Wells at Hollywood Elsewhere had to say about Eddie Murphy's Best Supporting Actor nod for Dreamgirls, though (WARNING: There is a spoiler in his post, so be warned before you click over there):

"What could the Murphy nom be about? Because he sings well, drops his pants and [SPOILER DELETED]? I ve been told all along that the SAG rank-and-file regards Murphy as an asshole. Maybe it's the old animal-kingdom instinct of showing obeisance before power, because Murphy was King Shit in the '80s? I know this: Murphy isn't fit to shine Mark Wahlberg's shoes."

Oof. That seems a little harsh. I mean, I like Wahlberg well enough, he's a solid actor, but Murphy, when he's on, does his thing very well. Personally, I'm impressed, if nothing else, with Murphy's ability to continually reinvent his career and surprise his fans. I've not seen Dreamgirls yet, unfortunately, but from all reports he does a bang-up job and is deserving up a nom, if not the win. Chime in with your thoughts, readers -- especially if you've seen Dreamgirls and have thoughts on Murphy's performance. Is Wells spot-on in saying Murphy shouldn't be nominated? Or is he full of hot air?

In two short days, just after I found my way out of the sunny city of Los Angeles, it is going to be invaded. Amongst the stylish socialites and surfers will be another breed of leggy blondes with blue eyes and rolling accents. From January 3rd to 13th, the city is playing host to The Scandinavian Film Festival, which is sponsored by the American-Scandinavian Foundation of Los Angeles. The festival will feature films from, obviously, the Nordic countries of Iceland, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden. It's not a bad list of films, if you're looking to add a little Scandinavian flavour to your film palate. Many have been submitted for Oscar consideration, and some, like Susanne Bier's After the Wedding have already been highlighted in other festivals, like TIFF 2006. The passes are pretty cheap, so if you find yourself in the area, you might want to indulge in some Nordic fare.

The Festival's website has a complete list of films, but here is a little taste of their opening gala:

Long Flat Balls - Norway - This comedy from Harald Zwart, director of One Night at McCool's, chronicles men who work in a struggling garage and travel to Germany to see the Norwegian soccer team play in the World Cup.

Children - Iceland - Directed by Ragnar Bragason, Children is a film about dysfunctional people, from a schizophrenic neighbor to a criminal. They share blood and interwoven destinies, and it is the first of a two-parter release, the second of which is Parents.

Bigger Than Barbie - Norway - This documentary from Tina Davis isn't actually about the flaxen, buxom doll, but about beaded dolls by South African women in Cape Town that travel to the states to become Bigger than Barbie.

Falkenberg Farewell - Sweden - This film from Jesper Ganslandt, which was shown during TIFF, deals with a bunch of angsty young men about to finish high school and deciding what to do with their lives, while living in a town overrun by senior citizens.

After the Wedding - Denmark - Susanne Bier's film, which was nominated for two European Film Awards, is about a man who runs an orphanage in India, and finds himself faced with a strange $4 million donation that has special conditions.

If you're a fan of animation, you might have heard of Uli Meyer. In the eighties, the animator scored a huge break when he was discovered by Richard Williams, the animation director for the award-winning Who Framed Roger Rabbit. He offered Meyer work on the hit film, and the rest was history. From there, the German expat helped set up Amblimation (which is now DreamWorks Animation), and created his own company, Uli Meyer Animation. He is credited with hundreds of commercials; he produced CGI for Lost in Space; and his company is responsible for a lot of the animation in Space Jam.

Mr. Meyer also happens to have an animation blog that he updates fairly regularly. Although it usually houses a collection of pictures, the animator threw up a special treat just before the holidays last year. Meyer fired up a camera, sat down with a smoke in one hand and a pen in the other, and scribbled out a short doodle. It's an interesting, albeit brief, glimpse into his process -- one mixed with a flurry of scribbles and a little saliva. Fortunately for anxious readers, since his cigarrette was firmly in his hand the whole time and he doesn't want to promote his bad habit, he hopes to put up another doodle soon sans smoke.

[via Cartoon Brew]