It was a relatively slow news week in the world of movies, but I managed to pull a few nuggets from the last week. Here they are:

1. Sacha Boren Cohen has started his own production company to do two more films, but they won’t be in the style of Borat and Bruno. After Bruno, all I can say is “thank God.” His next movie will be Accidentes, a comedy where he plays a lawyer.
2. Dan Akroyd returns to a leading role! He’ll be voicing Yogi Bear, while Anna Faris will play a nature documentarian who tags along for the ride. Justin Timberlake is rumored to be in talks to voice Yogi’s pal Boo Boo. (more…)

Here’s a recap of the latest movie news from the last week:

• Robert Zemeckis announced that a script, by the original writers, is in the works for Roger Rabbit 2. Ironically, a movie that stars a cartoon may be his first movie in a long while to feature live-action actors.
• Eduardo Sanchez announced some troubling news: he is preparing to pitch a spec script to Lionsgate for a sequel to The Blair Witch Project. Though he plans to ignore the disastrous second film, this still sounds like a desperate money play.
• John Rhys-Davies said he won’t be returning to The Hobbit as Gimli, which makes sense since Gimli isn’t in the book. He said he would like to return as an elf or another character, though.
• A production company has acquired the rights to remake Gattaca, which starred Ethan Hawke, as a futuristic police procedural on television.
• Anthony Hopkins will play Odin, father of Thor, in the upcoming Marvel action film.
• Tropic Thunder screenwriter Etan Cohen has been hired to write Men in Black 3.
• Mad Max 4: Fury Road is moving ahead with Tom Hardy in the role once played by Mel Gibson. Charlize Theron will co-star.
• With a bunch of other projects in the pipe, J.J. Abrams will unfortunately not direct Mission: Impossible IV. He will produce the project, however, and said that the story will not be a reboot.
• Producer Stephen L’Hereux said that the long-rumored Sin City 2 may finally go to cameras in the second half of 2010, to be directed by both Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller.
• It looks like a Monsters vs. Aliens sequel won’t e happening, due to lackluster international reception. Other than being in 3D, the movie really wasn’t that good.
• Director Peter Berg has dropped out of doing Dune, and rumors put Neil Marshall or Neill Blomkamp as possible replacements.
• Shortly after announcing that Matt Damon and Josh Brolin would star in the Coen brothers remake of True Grit, the famed directors stated that the movie would follow the novel more closely, bringing to life some of the humor that “was lost in the original.”
• Joe Wright will direct Kiera Knightley in a remake of My Fair Lady.
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As always, there has been a fair amount of movie news over the last week. Here’s the good stuff:

1. Paranormal Activity beat out Saw VI at Friday’s box office. Saw’s box office reign may be over, as it is likely to take in under $20 million this weekend (compared to last year’s $30+ million opening).
2. Mad Max 4: Fury Road is finding traction, but without Mel Gibson. Rumors have the George Miller sequel starring Charlize Theron and Sam Worthington. I want Worthington’s agent.
3. Daniel Craig says Bond 23 will start filming near the end of 2010. In that time, one hopes they figure out how to make it more like Casino Royale and less like Quantum of Solace. (more…)

A lot of things happen in a week, most of them boring. Here are ten things that aren’t:

1. Sam Raimi acknowledges and agrees with criticism toward Spider-Man 3. Says he’s “to get back to the basics” with Spider-Man 4 (set to be released in 2011)
2. Che, which was originally released in December 2008, is finally coming to DVD – but not until January 19, 2010. It will be released as one movie versus its two theatrical parts.
3. The rumor mill is circling Beverly Hills Cop 4; one source says the studio is looking to hire a new writer to start over from scratch, and another says they’re looking to adapt an unrelated spec script. Yet another says that Judge Reinhold and John Ashton will reprise their roles, but conflicting reports say no casting has been decided.
4. The president of the National Association of Theatre Owners said his members were “ballistic” over Paramount’s decision to release such films as G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra to DVD only 88 days after its theatrical release. Most people are ballistic that the movie is coming to DVD at all.
6. The documentary Michael Jackson: This Is It is selling out on Fandango, even though its release is two weeks away. And yet, concert promoter AEG’s claim that the film will make $250 million in five days seems a bit steep.
7. Jon Favreau said he won’t be directing The Avengers, but he will be a producer.
8. Chris Pine (Captain Kirk in Star Trek) more than likely will be the next Jack Ryan, following in the footsteps of Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and yes, Ben Affleck.
9. Roland Emmerich is considering doing Independence Day 2, though it hinges on Will Smith’s involvement.
10. Bryan Singer says he’s open to directing X-Men 4. Fans everywhere hope that he can wipe away the memory of the third film – and Wolverine.
11. The screenwriter of Saving Private Ryan has been tasked with writing a Warcraft movie.

Studio executives should have a good sense for future trends, correct? They are the ones intimately involved in the business of movies, and as much as we gripe about the crap that is shoveled into theaters, the fact is that studios make a good amount of money. These executives, to some extent or another, know what they’re doing. (more…)

It appears to be almost a certainty. In an interview, Harrison Ford had this to say about the prospects of Indiana Jones 5, to be titled Indiana Jones and The Quest to Be Better Than the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull:

“The story for the new Indiana Jones is in the process of taking form. Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and myself are agreed on what the fifth adventure will concern, and George is actively at work. If the script is good, I’ll be very happy to put the costume on again.” (more…)

A couple years ago, one of my friends and coworkers invited me to attend a film premiere at the Seattle Art Museum, and I, being a movie buff, obliged her. We showed up and waited in the lobby for half an hour as the previous screening – yes, there were two consecutive showings – emptied from the theater. Another half hour or so later, along with the second large crowd of the evening, I watched Bookie, directed by Bao Tran. (more…)

Summer isn’t officially over quite yet, but the summer movie season (May to August) is, as evidenced by The Final Destination 3D winning its second weekend in a row with a paltry $12 million. This summer made more money for studios than any other summer in history, though such records hardly mean much when the important variable – money – keeps inflating every year. After all, movie tickets are more expensive than ever (I no longer balk at paying $10.50 for a ticket) and with the resurgence of 3D bringing ticket prices up to $14 – $17, a record-breaking summer means diddly squat. (more…)

Hugo Chavez. Man of the people. Enemy of America. Dictator. Movie star?

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is in Italy today signing autographs and walking the red carpet to see Oliver Stone’s new documentary South of the Border, which is about Chavez and his strained relationship with the United States. (more…)

G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra could have been a great movie. It could have been the beginning of a franchise. But then Stephen Sommers was hired to direct the film, and any chance the film had at being even halfway decent went right out the window. When the first footage was released, I knew we were in for something devastating. The G.I. Joe movie trailer all but confirmed the project was a complete disaster. (more…)