1.) Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures have announced a May 16, 2014 release date for their new take on Godzilla. The press release states director Gareth Edwards (Monsters) will “return the character to its epic roots with a gritty, realistic actioner.” Remember a time when the word “gritty” wasn’t used to describe everything? Those were the days.
2.) Michel Hazanavicious (The Artist) is being courted by Universal Pictures and Tom Hanks to direct their adaptation of the Erik Larson nonfiction book In The Garden of Beasts. Hanks will star as William Dodd, a Chicago professor who becomes America’s first ambassador to Hitler’s Germany before the Nazis began to assert an iron grip across Europe. He brings his family along for the ride, and at first they embrace the excitement surrounding the movement. Dodd’s daughter (who the studio hopes will be played by Natalie Portman) even has a series of affairs with the men of the Third Reich before gradually realizing what Hitler has planned. We’ll start the over/under for Oscar nominations at 5. I’ll take the over. [Deadline]
3.) Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine, The Place Beyond the Pines) says his next project will be an adaptation of Sam Fussell’s memoir “Muscle” for HBO. The plan is to realize it as a TV series and not as a film as the story follows an Oxford graduate who moves to New York City and spends four years in the world of bodybuilding in an effort to protect himself. [The Playlist]
4.) Paul W.S. Anderson‘s Resident Evil: Retribution hits theaters today and early reviews peg it at a 25% over at RottenTomatoes, but bad reviews have never kept Anderson or his franchise down and it appears he’s looking at another video game to adapt. Word is he’s set his sights on Capcom’s “Monster Hunter”, a fantasy game in which the lead character attempts to, well, hunt monsters. [The Playlist]
5.) Anyone else think it’s a little odd that we’re a little over a month away from the release of Skyfall and we still have no idea who is singing the Bond theme? As it turns out, we might have found out over a year ago if we were paying close enough attention. Adele has essentially been confirmed for the gig via THR and Showbiz 411, and may have let her involvement slip back in April 2011 during an appearance on the U.K.’s The Jonathan Ross Show, saying she was heading back “in the studio in November” to record “a theme.” She quickly stopped herself, saying “Wow, that’s really giving something away.” British tabloids have also, more recently, reported sightings of Adele heading into Abbey Road studios, which is where composer Thomas Newman is overseeing the soundtrack.
Rock band Muse has also been rumored for the gig after going on record saying they would “say yes” if offered the chance, but it sounds like they might have to wait a few more years.
To go along with that, here’s the latest poster for Skyfall, which hits theaters on November 9.
