Jacob Hall
Much of the plot of 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' has been kept tightly under wraps, but we do know that the film will feature three iconic Spidey villains. We've seen photos of Jamie Foxx's Electro, we know that Chris Cooper has been cast as Norman "The Green Goblin" Osborn and now, we have our first look at Paul Giamatti as Aleksei Sytsevich, AKA, The Rhino!
After an early marketing campaign that did everything in its power to hide plot details, 'The Hangover Part 3' has started revealing its secrets at a rapid-fire pace. First, there was the recent trailer that finally let us in on the plot of the film. Now, we have the first clip, which sheds some light on what appears to be the film's main conflict.
Look, we all knew that 'Iron Man 3' was going to make a whole bunch of money and open at number one at the box office and kick the summer movie season off in style. The question was never "Is 'Iron Man 3' going to make any money?", the question was always "What absolutely absurd amount is 'Iron Man 3' going to make in its opening weekend?"
Well, you can add that 'Annie' remake to Jame Foxx's increasingly busy schedule. The Oscar-winning actor is currently in negotiations with Sony to join the project, which will star 'Beasts of the Southern Wild' lead Quvenzhane Wallis as the adorable orphan girl of the title.
Some will call this a slow weekend, but it may be better to think of it as the calm before the storm. Next week, the summer movie season begins and people are saving their pennies for 'Iron Man 3,' so it's not really surprising that this was an uneventful couple of days at the multiplex. At least the folks behind 'Pain and Gain' can be glad that their film led an otherwise quiet weekend.
Michael Bay's 'Pain and Gain' arrived in theaters this weekend, so naturally, everyone is asking him about 'Transformers 4' and 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.' Although both films don't arrive until 2014, Bay offered additional information about them that will possibly ease the jittery nerves of fanboys all over the world.
'Hellboy' and 'Hellboy II: The Golden Army' were only modest successes by the standards of superhero movies, grossing $99 million and and $160 million respectively, so the demand for a 'Hellboy 3' doesn't seem particularly high. However, according to Hellboy himself, Ron Perlman, a third film needs to happen.
'Iron Man 3' may not have opened in the United States yet, but it's already a smash hit overseas, earning more money in its opening weekend than 'The Avengers' did. There's a reason why movie studios are starting to think internationally when it comes to their blockbusters -- people in other countries want to see these movies just as much as Americans and a successful international release can double or triple a domestic gross.
With 'Drive,' Ryan Gosling and director Nicolas Winding Refn creating a haunting and brutal crime flick for the ages. The duo look to recreate that magic with the upcoming 'Only God Forgives,' which moves the action to Thailand but maintains their last film's slick style and uncomfortable violence. Three incredibly NSFW clips from the film have arrived and it certainly looks like Refn and Gosling are bringing their A-game.
Tom Cruise and science fiction are a powerful combination. Although the opening weekend of 'Oblivion' didn't break any records big or small, it's a more than solid start for a non-franchise, non-sequel, non-reboot. That's a sad statement on the current state of Hollywood, but that's another topic for another day.