While you may not see much of John Cusack at your local megaplex, he’s still very much one of cinema’s more intriguing actors. Be it films like THE ICE HARVEST or the shockingly solid thriller 1408, Cusack will see quite an upswing in projects, with films like THE RAVEN and DICTABLANDA, a film that he’s also written. And you can add yet another project to that slate.

Variety is reporting that Cusack has joined the cast of Lee Daniels’ upcoming film, THE PAPERBOY, and will be replacing Tobey Maguire. He joins Matthew McConaughey and Zac Efron (as well as Nicole Kidman who is still in talks) in the film, which will follow Ward James and his dropout brother who look into the wrongful conviction of a prison inmate, to be played by Cusack. (more...)

Based on the novel written by Mordechai Richler, BARNEY’S VERSION tells the story of Barney Panofsky from his perspective. Like many faux-autobiographical comedy/dramas, it's often hard to get a sense of true honesty in films of this type. But though this is the sort of problem a film like BARNEY’S VERSION may face, with a lead like Paul Giamatti, that issue isn’t present, and you’ll find yourself caring about Barney just as much as you would as if he was based on a real person.

Barney Panofsky (Paul Giamatti) is a tactless drunk who, after the dissolution of his first marriage, goes on about his life until he meets the woman who would become his second wife (Minnie Driver). It is at a wedding where, in between watching hockey and drinking with his friends, he meets and truly falls in love for the first time in his life with a woman named Miriam Grant (Rosamund Pike). (more...)

UPDATE: BD is reporting that the film is a remake, and will be helmed by Federico Alvarez.

Say what you will, but the EVIL DEAD franchise appears to truly be alive and kicking.

While a remake/reboot of the cult classic franchise has been discussed since the dawn of man it seems, movement on the project has never gotten past the talking stage. However, according to both one of Sam Raimi’s long time partners as well as the film’s star, that’s changing.

First, Dread Central reveals that a fourth film in the franchise is currently setting up production over in Detroit, and that Raimi’s regular editor, Bob Murawski, is working on the film. It remains to be seen as to just what he’ll have to do with the film, but the news has since been confirmed by one Bruce Campbell himself. The actor took to Twitter and proclaimed “believe in the remake, dawg! The project is real. In the works. Cool as hell. Scary as hell.” (more...)

Mike Leigh is a filmmaker with very few peers within his own generation. Be it the upbeat, energetic comedy that is HAPPY-GO-LUCKY or the meditative ensemble piece ANOTHER YEAR, the nearly 70 year old director has been hard at work at crafting one of the most intriguing filmographies in cinema since 1972. Including some definitive classics (TOPSY-TURVY and VERA DRAKE are among his best), no film within Leigh’s canon may be as beloved or as genuinely special as his 1993 masterpiece, the devastatingly brash NAKED.

Starring David Thewlis, NAKED follows the story of Johnny, a drifter with a penchant for philosophy and prophecy. In the wake of a rape, which opens the film, our lead flees to London to avoid a beat down, only to meet up with an old flame. Spouting off rant after rant ranging from politics to religion, NAKED finds the viewer thrust into a world not broad in scope, but instead intensely intimate. The cinematic manifestation of the phrase “character study,” this film is not quite like anything we’ve seen from Leigh. (more...)

The struggle of the Palestinians isn’t something I pretend to know anything about. Maybe that makes me an ignorant American, but it’s just not something I’ve ever been able to take the time to fully understand. Julian Schnabel’s MIRAL is a beautifully shot film that takes a look at one side of the conflict in the Middle East. As beautifully and well-shot as this film is, it’s best understood if you know a lot about the content being displayed on screen. It’s one that is best appreciated that way, but it isn’t completely necessary to have a working knowledge of Israeli politics to fully appreciate this film.

Freida Pinto (SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE) plays the titular Miral. The film is based on the novel and screenplay written by Rula Jebreal, and is semi-autobiographical on portions of her life. The tale revolves around the formation of an all-girls school for Palestinian refugees, established and run by Hind al-Husseini (Hiam Abass). Miral was a young girl given to Hind by her father after her mother had committed suicide. Some of the story also focuses on the troubled women in Miral’s family. Miral’s mother Nadia was an abuse victim who had become an alcoholic, and her aunt Fatima was jailed for attempting to bomb a movie theater. (more...)

The writer/director of the great French film LA VIE EN ROSE takes a crack at an American story set in the South about a wheelchair-bound country singer and her best friend. It’s got an amazing cast and even features original music by American music legend Bob Dylan. Surely, this is a film to be celebrated, considering all the pieces it has making up the whole. Sadly, Olivier Dahan appears to be out of his element in this film and instead has made something akin to a made-for-television Lifetime Channel film instead of a quality drama.

The story centers on Jane (Renee Zellweger) and her friend Joey (Forest Whitaker). Jane is a former singer whose life has been put on hold ever since a car accident left her wheelchair-bound. Joey is her stuttering friend who believes there’s an invisible world he can talk to and is constantly trying to get Jane to start reliving her life. One day after getting into some trouble with the law, Joey convinces Jane to accompany him on a trip to New Orleans where they encounter more than a few obstacles on the way. (more...)

Martin Scorsese quickly established himself as one of the world’s most revered directors with films such as ALICE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE, TAXI DRIVER, and RAGING BULL. Unlike many respected directors of yesteryear who’ve fallen by the wayside, though, he's still a formidable force in the motion picture industry. Now he’s moving into rather unfamiliar territory with the family-oriented fantasy HUGO.

Starring Asa Butterfield (THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS) and Chloe Moretz (LET ME IN), the film takes place in a 1930's-set Paris and involves an orphan going a magical and mysterious adventure. A promo poster for HUGO can be seen in Los Angeles, and thanks to ComingSoon, you too can check out the poster after the break. (more...)

Suprisingly, the new ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN trailer looks great. After hearing a lot of what people had to say about the teaser being rather vague and not inspiring, this trailer shows a lot more of the plot, explaining a better understanding of what this movie is expected to be about. And the motion capture looks pretty good.

Still though, when you watch the expressions and the reactions that some of the characters have it still seems like there's a little bit of lag, almost like the reactions and expressions are delayed, but that could just be my imagination. Check the trailer out after break. (more...)

Steven Spielberg’s upcoming biopic LINCOLN is coming together very quickly now, isn’t it? Deadline Hollywood reports that Walton Goggins will star in the feature as Wells A. Hutchins, a Congressman from Ohio who voted to for the abolishment of slavery.

Goggins, who will appear in both COWBOYS AND ALIENS and STRAW DOGS later this year, joins the already stellar cast that includes Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, and David Strathairn. Production on LINCOLN aims to begin sometime in the fall and looks to be ready for release late next year. No doubt that distributor Touchstone is already planning an awards campaign for this one. (more...)

Aside from a photo of Tom Hardy as Bane, director Christopher Nolan was being his usual secretive self with THE DARK KNIGHT RISES. Now, thanks to First Showing, we have a teaser poster from the final film in Nolan’s Batman trilogy that you can check out after the break. (more...)