Possible Plot Detail for 'The Dark Knight Rises' Unraveled

Director Christopher Nolan has been close-mouthed about his forthcoming film "The Dark Knight Rises". However, The Dark Knight Rises Community might have spilled a brief description about how young Bane grows into a juggernaut in the sequel of "The Dark Knight". 

According to the information posted on the community's Facebook page,[SPOILER ALERT!] "A bald-headed child wearing ragged clothes emerges from the well and pulls his hood over his head. The child, speculated as young Bane, emerges from a vat of Venom, and is trained by Pence's Ra's al Ghul. The years of addiction to Venom builds him to be a massive monster with amped up senses, intelligence and physical prowess." 

Tom Hardy stars as Bane, and Anne Hathaway portrays Selina Kyle a.k.a. Catwoman. Christian Bale reprises his role as the titular character, with Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman returning to the film and taking the roles of Lucius Fox and Gordon respectively. "The Dark Knight Rises" will come out in theaters nationwide on July 20, 2012. 

Post Title → Possible Plot Detail for 'The Dark Knight Rises' Unraveled

Catherine Hardwicke to Direct Adaptation of THE BITCH POSSE

Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke will again tackle teen angst with an adaptation of Martha O’Connor’s The Bitch Posse. Deadline reports that Hardwicke will direct from a script by Tristine Skyler (Getting to Know You). The film covers familiar territory for the director as it focuses on a group of three high school friends. A terrible incident occurs that changes their dynamic forever, and the book switches back and forth between the girls’ high school years and present day, which finds one of them in a mental institution, another in a loveless marriage, and the third a promiscuous failed writer.

Miranda Bailey and Matthew Leutwyler are producing the flick through their Ambush Entertainment banner. Hardwicke most recently helmed Red Riding Hood, which was released last month to middling reviews. Hit the jump for a synopsis of O’Connor’s novel.

Here’s the synopsis for The Bitch Posse:

“You Have Now Entered a Chick-Lit-Free Zone,” O’Connor’s dark, scabrous debut warns. Given the sassy title and the familiar subject matter of female friendship, readers should be forgiven if they expect Bridget Jones—but O’Conner’s heroines resemble that lovable Brit like leopards resemble kittens. The story focuses on three friends, Cherry, Amy and Rennie, as high school seniors and as women in their mid-30s. Compelled by miserable home lives to form the Bitch Posse as teenagers, the three girls ricochet dangerously through their last year of high school, sharing a passionate, almost sinister bond until a terrible secret rips them apart. Still damaged—and separated—by the unspeakable event, the three live equally wretched lives as adults, Cherry in a mental institution, Rennie as a promiscuous failed writer and Amy in a loveless marriage. After pages of vodka, cocaine, “fucking” and “cutting” (in both past and present narratives), the friends’ terrible secret finally comes to light, though it reveals logistical and thematic gaps in the narrative. “[H]er past is like a sore that won’t ever heal, memories are spurting at her like blood and she can’t close the wound” characterizes the level of emotional complexity attained in this heavy-handed novel, but the story fascinates even as it repels. 

Post Title → Catherine Hardwicke to Direct Adaptation of THE BITCH POSSE

Do These DARK KNIGHT RISES Set Photos Reveal The Lazarus Pit?

Well, this didn’t take long.  Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises started filming in Jodhpur, India today and we already have some leaked images of the set finding their way online.  Leaked set photos normally don’t reveal much about a film, but what makes these interesting for any Batman fan is the inclusion of a green screen pool.  The “green screen pool = Ra’s al Ghul’s The Lazarus Pit” theory found its way online the moment the photos popped up and it’s easy to see why so many fans have begun to speculate this given the recent news that Josh Pence will be appearing in the film as a young Ra’s al Ghul in flashbacks.   Hit the jump to see the photos and to read more about the Lazarus Pit along with what this could mean for Nolan’s final Batman film.

The photos come to us via CBM, who also provides some info on what exactly the Lazarus Pit is:

“The Lazarus Pit is mythical vats of arcane chemicals in the DC comics universe. The most common user of the pit is Ra’s al Ghul. Ra’s al Ghul accidentally discovered the first Lazarus Pit as a cure for the dying son of a sultan he worked for. The Pit had a terrible side effect, however; it turned the Prince temporarily insane, leading to him killing the doctor’s wife. After being blamed for the murder, the man who would become Ra’s Al Ghul was buried in the desert. He was rescued by a tribe and a boy named Huew. After this he used the Lazarus Pit to save himself, and vowed to avenge his wife. The doctor gave himself the title Ra’s al Ghul – The Demon’s Head.”

This is all just fun speculation for right now, but the inclusion of the Lazarus Pit does also fit into the earlier rumors that Marion Cotillard’s character, Miranda Tate, is actually a cover for Talia al Ghul.  Given the scale and attention surrounding The Dark Knight Rises, I’m sure we will get more leaked set photos along with news debunking or confirming this rumor soon enough.  Until then, we can continue to anticipate and speculate about what Christopher Nolan has planned for us before the film opens on July 20^th, 2012.  

Post Title → Do These DARK KNIGHT RISES Set Photos Reveal The Lazarus Pit?

Michael Fassbender in Talks for Danny Boyle’s TRANCE

Michael Fassbender has had a hell of a year, and we aren’t even at the halfway point. He recently landed a role in Ridley Scott’s return to science fiction, Prometheus — now the actor is eyeing Danny Boyle’s next film, Trance. According to THR (who refers to the film as “Trances“), Fassbender is in talks to become the first cast member to join Boyle’s fast-tracked film. The film is a remake of Joe Ahearne’s 2003 art heist TV movie aptly named Trance. Hit the jump for a lengthy synopsis, the potential role of Fassbender, and why the film is being put in fast-forward.

It was reported just a few days ago that Boyle will attempt to sneak Trance in before he directs the opening ceremony for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Of course, he won’t actually attempt to finish all of the film in one go. He is human, after all. Instead, Boyle will shoot the entirety of the film beginning in September and then shut down and set his sights on the ceremonies in January. Afterwards, he will return to the film in August 2012 and cut it with an eye for a March 2013 release.

THR provided this handy synopsis for Trance:

“An assistant at an auction house masterminds the heist and teams up with a gang of thieves, but suffers a blow to the head and wakes up with amnesia. He is the only one who knows where the painting’s location is and after his continued failure to remember, the gang begins to suspect duplicity on his part and hire a female hypnotist to get into his brain.”

They also point out that if Fassbender does land the role, he will play, “the shady leader of the gang who partners with the assistant.” The film would be a return to an edgy thriller for Boyle in the mold of his breakout film, Trainspotting. Fassbender is currently shooting Prometheus and can be seen playing Magneto in Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class on June 3rd.  Stay tuned for more casting news on the film and hopefully Fassbender’s confirmation.

Post Title → Michael Fassbender in Talks for Danny Boyle’s TRANCE

Weekend Box Office – THOR Dominates with $66 Million Opening

The mighty, mighty Thor brought his blondeness to a theatre near you this weekend: earning an estimated $66 million from 3,955 locations.  That might seem kind of low for a superhero movie destined to lead off the summer season but, actually, it was right about where the God of Thunder was expected to land… being a “lesser superhero” and all.

	Title	Weekend	Total
1	Thor	$66,000,000	$66
2	Fast Five	$32,500,000	$139.9
3	Jumping the Broom	$13,700,000	$13.7
4	Something Borrowed	$13,200,000	$13.2
5	Rio	$9,500,000	$116.2
6	Water for Elephants	$5,700,000	$41.7
7	Madea’s Big Happy Family	$3,800,000	$46.7
8	Prom	$2,500,000	$7.9
9	Hoodwinked Too!	$2,200,000	$7
10	Soul Surfer	$2,100,000	$36.7

Although Thor was undoubtedly one of 2011’s most anticipated releases, I got the feeling that many people “anticipated” seeing if it would fail.  After all, there were many more question marks with this Marvel adaptation than there have been in the past.  Like, would a super-Arian looking God make a relatable superhero?  Would director Kenneth Branagh take all the fun out of this big-budget popcorn flick?  And, after last week, would the fact that Fast Fivewas first out of the summer movie gate spell trouble for his God-liness?

There are a couple different ways to spin these numbers. On the positive side, Thor is looking pretty audience friendly.  He has a current Rotten Tomato score of 78% which is well above the 61% that The Incredible Hulk rated in 2008 and even a bit better than the 74% that Iron Man 2 rated this time last year.  So that’s good.  Also good is the more than $242 million thatThor has earned overseas since its global roll-out over a week ago.  So even with his price tag of $150 million (not including marketing) Thor is going to do what he was supposed to: make money while preparing the way for the Avengers in 2012.

Here is where Thor looks a little less impressive: when you compare his first weekend numbers to just about any comparable title.  Sure, Thor’s $66 million domestic debut was higher than the $55.4 million that The Incredible Hulk made in 2008 but his attendance was lower and, in any case, is that truly the bar that the studio wanted to hurtle?  Plus, that second Hulk did not see release until mid-June.  It was Iron Man who led off the super-hero stuffed summer of ’08 with $98.6 million.  In fact, Thor has the lowest first place total of any film opening on this weekend since 2006 when Mission: Impossible 3 made $47.7 million.  Add to that the fact that Thor, unlike any of the big May titles of the past, was screened in 3D at 60% of his locations, and the comic book God is looking like more of a movie mortal all the time.

Of course, there is no telling how different things would have been for Thor had Universal not pulled off their big heist of the summer movie season with Fast Fivelast weekend.  After that record-breaking start, the action movie fell by an estimated 62% in its second weekend due, partially, to the fact that it lost many of its highest profile screens to Thor.  Even so, Fast Five has already earned enough in ten days to become 2011’s highest-grossing release by a comfortable margin.  Enjoy that one while it lasts.

Two romantic comedies were offered as counter-programming to Thor this weekend: Something Borrowed and Jumping the Broom.  The higher-profile Borrowed (with stars like Kate Hudson and John Krasinski in its cast) earned an estimated $13.2 million.  That was about where the Alcon/WB release was expected to land on this male-skewing weekend, though it should be noted that Matthew McConaughey’s Ghosts of Girlfriends Past managed to top $15 million on this same frame back in 2009.  In fact, Jumping the Broom ended up looking a lot more impressive.  Not only did its estimate of $13.7 million edge out its rom-com competition, it did so on far fewer screens – 2,034 to Borrowed’s 2,904.

Overall, this weekend’s box office was down 10% over 2010 when Iron Man 2 led off with $128.1 million.  That means that next weekend should also be down: considering that Thor is expected to repeat at the top (though with a traditional 50% decline in grosses).  Thor’s only direct competition will come from Priest, the 3D action/fantasy film which, so far, doesn’t seem to have the critics in its corner. We’ll see what happens.

Post Title → Weekend Box Office – THOR Dominates with $66 Million Opening

First Look at Rhys Ifans (Minus a Bag on His Head) from THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

Last week, we got our first look at Rhys Ifans in Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man.  Kind of.  Ifans plays Dr. Curt Conners, a scientist who accidentally becomes The Lizard when he tries to regrow his lost arm.  Moral of the story: if you’ve lost an arm, take comfort in the fact that you’re not a man-reptile.  Anyway, while I imagine that the character will be mostly (if not entirely) CGI, the set photo from last week showed Ifans with a bag over his head presumably to hide some level of transformation.  Today, we now see Ifans in human-form and without the bag, but with a long green glove on one arm.  That’s so the animators can CGI out the actor’s arm, although if he were method, he would just chop it off.  Computer graphics ruin everything.

Post Title → First Look at Rhys Ifans (Minus a Bag on His Head) from THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

First Trailer for FINAL DESTINATION 5

The trailer for Final Destination 5 has gone online.  This time the big disaster is on a suspension bridge.  As always, those who don’t have the courtesy to die in giant disasters get hunted down by the grim reaper and eliminated in gruesome, Rube Goldberg-projects of doom.  In a hint that the series may be running out of creative ways to off its characters, Final Destination 5 preys on our fears of LASIK and acupuncture.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  Final Destination 5 stars Emma Bell, Nick D’Agosto, Miles Fisher, Arlen Escarpeta, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, P.J. Byrne, Ellen Wroe, Courtney B. Vance, David Koechner, and Tony Todd.  The film opens in 3D on August 26th.

Here’s the official synopsis for Final Destination 5:

In this fifth installment, Death is just as omnipresent as ever, and is unleashed after one man’s premonition saves a group of coworkers from a terrifying suspension bridge collapse. But this group of unsuspecting souls was never supposed to survive, and, in a terrifying race against time, the ill-fated group frantically tries to discover a way to escape Death’s sinister agenda.

Post Title → First Trailer for FINAL DESTINATION 5

Johnny Depp Says THE LONE RANGER Will Reinvent the Role of Tonto

When it was reported that Johnny Depp would be playing Tonto in the adaptation of The Lone Ranger, some were left wondering why an actor of Depp’s stature would take the sidekick role.  The answer: he wouldn’t.  In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Depp expresses bewilderment that Tonto would take orders from The Lone Ranger:

“I remember watching [the 1949-1957 TV series in reruns] as a kid, with Jay Silverheels and Clayton Moore, and going: ‘Why is the f—ing Lone Ranger telling Tonto what to do?’”

Apparently Johnny Depp was a foul-mouthed kid.  Hit the jump for what he and director Gore Verbinski (Rango) are planning for the film adaptation.

Depp tells EW:

“I liked Tonto, even at that tender age, and knew Tonto was getting the unpleasant end of the stick here. That’s stuck with me. And when the idea came up [for the movie], I started thinking about Tonto and what could be done in my own small way try to — ‘eliminate’ isn’t possible — but reinvent the relationship, to attempt to take some of the ugliness thrown on the Native Americans, not only in The Lone Ranger, but the way Indians were treated throughout history of cinema, and turn it on its head.”

And if you’re wondering, “Wait.  Isn’t Depp a white guy?  Won’t this be redface?”, Depp is part-Indian (or so he was told growing up):

“I guess I have some Native American somewhere down the line.  My great grandmother was quite a bit of Native American, she grew up Cherokee or maybe Creek Indian. Makes sense in terms of coming from Kentucky, which is rife with Cherokee and Creek.”

The Lone Ranger is set to hit theaters some time next year.

Post Title → Johnny Depp Says THE LONE RANGER Will Reinvent the Role of Tonto

First Look at ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER

The first image from Timur Bekmambetov’s Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter has gone online.  In case you couldn’t get the plot from the title, the movie is about America’s 16th President secret life as a vampire slayer.  Based off the book by Seth Grahame-Smith, the story re-imagines that Lincoln’s mother and grandfather were killed by a vampire and that the president’s resolve to end slavery was due in part to the “fact” that vampires were involved with the slave trade.  However, he also learns that there are good vampires and bad vampires and that he can’t simply just kill them all willy-nilly.

Hit the jump for the image and to learn how the production is devoted to historical accuracy in this incredibly silly story.  The film stars Benjamin Walker, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Anthony Mackie, Dominic Cooper, Alan Tudyk, Jimmi Simpson, and Refus Sewell.  Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter opens in 3D on June 22, 2012.

In a lengthy story on the film’s production, The New York Times (who also provided the image above) reports that the movie “embeds Lincoln, played by Benjamin Walker, within a meticulously researched, surprisingly authentic, three-dimensional past — but with vampires.”

Production designer François Audouy is using computer effects and actual locations to blend the real and the artificial, and using Civil War maps that are actual reproductions of ones provided by the Library of Congress and Illinois state historian Thomas F. Schwartz.  Schwartz, who is also contributing to the Steven Spielberg’s vampire-less Lincoln biopic, Lincoln, was a consultant on the film and advised Vampire Hunter on “how they might slip vampires into Lincoln’s story with minimal damage to the historical record.”  No one has told the production that by slipping vampires into Lincoln’s story, the damage to the historical record has already been done.

And as to the design of the vampires?  Bekmambetov is keeping that aspect under wraps for now as Audouy tells the Times, “The one thing I’m not supposed to talk about is the look of the vampires,” but he promises something “unexpected.”  I’m expecting fangs.  So if the vampires have fangs, it will be expected.

Post Title → First Look at ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER

Exclusive: Joseph Morgan Talks THE VAMPIRE DIARIES and IMMORTALS

On the hit CW drama The Vampire Diaries, Welsh actor Joseph Morgan plays Klaus, the most evil and dangerous villain that Mystic Falls has seen, in the show’s two seasons. After completing the sacrifice ritual and re-awakening his werewolf side, the vicious Original vampire and his brother, Elijah (Daniel Gillies), disappeared into a ring of fire, leaving everyone in the town full of supernatural creatures wondering what to do next. Now, with the show’s producers revealing that Season 3 will be the season of the Originals, Klaus is sure to make a reappearance, at some point.

During a recent exclusive phone interview with Collider, Joseph Morgan talked about his desire to do American television, the point where he realized what an important part of the story Klaus was, the fun of playing a sociopathic villain, and what he would like to see from Klaus in Season 3. He also talked about his role as Lysander in the upcoming action fantasy Immortals (due out on November 11^th), and what it was like working with Mickey Rourke.

Question: How did your involvement with The Vampire Diaries come about? Were you specifically looking to do American television?

JOSEPH MORGAN: Yeah, I was. I’ve been in Los Angeles for about two years. My first year here, I just went up for movies and the occasional guest role in something. I did a couple of films, but I really started to feel, towards the end of last year, like I wanted to branch out into American television, specifically because you get to develop a character for a longer period of time and you get to develop a relationship with the audience. You really get to grow and evolve with the character, and that was something that was fascinating to me – the possible longevity of playing a part like that. So, when this part came along, it was not only because it was on American television, but also because it was of a genre that I’m very much a fan of. Vampires are a genre now. It was very exciting, for a number of reasons.

Was there a point when you realized how big a part of the story this character was? When you sign on to play a character that’s had a season’s worth of build up, is it more fun as an actor, or is it more nerve-wracking to live up to?

MORGAN: It’s nerve-wracking and daunting, for sure. I feel like this is a tremendous platform for me to launch off and, if I do what I think I’m doing, it’s going to be wonderful and a huge event and so exciting. But, there’s also the opportunity to fall flat on my face in front of everyone. You don’t want people saying, “Well, that was a let-down.” I was very aware of that, not when I first read for the role, but when I started researching the role. I looked online to see if Klaus was in The Vampire Diaries books, which I hadn’t read, at that point, and I found pages and pages about, “Who’s going to play Klaus?,” and all of that stuff. And then, watching the second season of The Vampire Diaries, from Episode 6, they start mentioning him a few times an episode, so there was a massive build-up and an element of pressure involved in playing the role.

How do you see Klaus, as far as what kind of person he is? What do you think it is that makes him the biggest and most dangerous villain that Mystic Falls has ever had?

MORGAN: First of all, I see him as sociopathic. I feel like there’s no line between wrong and right with Klaus. He does what he wants. That’s something that’s terrifying about him. He just fills his needs and desires. He’s the most terrifying character ever to visit Mystic Falls because, certainly from what we’ve seen so far and what we’re going to see, there’s no moment where you go, “Oh, he’s not that bad after all.” He’s constantly upping his game and making the stakes higher. Just when you feel like he can’t get more frightening and you go, “Okay, that must be the last terrible thing he does,” he does get worse. The element of surprise and the casual amusement with which he goes through this journey make him very dangerous.

What has this cast been like to work with? Is it more fun to hate each other on screen when you really like the actors that you’re working with?

MORGAN: First of all, playing a villain, in my opinion, is a lot more fun. You get to say a lot more. There’s often the stoic anchor-hero role who’s the tent-pole of the drama. I’ve always had an incredible interest in the villains, which are a lot more fun to play. It’s always more interesting when you’re doing things with someone you like because you’re much more open to suggesting things. Also, it’s fun. It’s like if you’re sitting with your mates and you’re bantering, or you’re winding each other up and insulting each other in a playful way, but having fun with it. If you’re working with someone who you get on with and you’re supposed to hate them on the screen, then you get this playful challenge thing where you’re trying to one-up each other and that’s really interesting. Sometimes it can become like tennis. The harder you hit the ball back, then the harder the hit it back to you. You just try to constantly out-maneuver each other and it’s a lot of fun.

What do you think Klaus thinks of the Salvatore brothers? Does he feel that one is more of a thorn in his side than the other?

MORGAN: Maybe. Damon he just thinks is a loose canon. These guys are 160 years old, and he’s been around for probably 10 times that. At worst, they’re a nuisance to him. I don’t think he really sees either of them as a serious threat. Stefan (Paul Wesley) is more predictable for him because he’s in love with Elena (Nina Dobrev) in a way that is honorable. He can predict what Stefan will do and can manipulate that. Damon is a little more difficult because he is so unstacked. He doesn’t seem to value his own life very much, so he will turn up and say, “I killed your witch, and you can kill me if you want,” and just see what happens. That is probably a little more of a nuisance to Klaus, and also a little more impacting as well. He really puts himself out there and Klaus definitely has a fascination with that. I think there is also a fascination with Katherine because of that.

What would you love to see Klaus do or explore in Season 3?

MORGAN: I’d love to go back and find out how Klaus came to be. It would be really interesting. I feel like we have to go there, eventually, and find out how the Originals became vampires and how the curse was placed on Klaus, making his werewolf side dormant. That’s something I’d love to explore. Elijah talked about how, when my step-father found out that our mother had an affair, he slaughtered my werewolf father and all of his family, causing a war between species. I think it would be really interesting to explore that and explore Klaus’ reaction to that, and the volatile relationship between him and his step-father. I’d love to go back and see them as a family together, when it all began.

In playing a vampire, do you have to always stay focused more on the human side of the character, in order to keep him real and more relatable for the viewers and for yourself? Do the flashbacks help inform that portrayal as well?

MORGAN: The flashbacks help incredibly. They did, for me. They gave his backstory before I arrived in Mystic Falls, so I got to not only learn some of the history, but actually live it. That was really helpful to me. And, yeah, it is the human aspect that you play, definitely. You never want to play too vampiric or generically evil, so you look for emotions or character traits that you can relate to. The directors and producers of the show always encourage us to be as natural and as real as possible, and play the reality of what we’re doing. That was a way of justifying Klaus’ behavior and making him more three-dimensional.

How was the experience of working on Immortals, and who are you playing in that film?

MORGAN: I thoroughly enjoyed working onImmortals. My character is very different from Klaus. Klaus is at the top of the food chain in Mystic Falls. He’s the person with the highest status. And, my character in Immortals is the person with the lowest status. I play Lysander, who becomes a traitor of his own race. I leave my people and I go off to join King Hyperion, played by Mickey Rourke, who’s raising this army of God warriors. I go there, but it doesn’t turn out to be everything that I want it to be, and I find myself stuck with him, and yet not getting anywhere in his world. I’m treating so badly because I’m a traitor who betrayed my own people and he doesn’t see me worthy of his trust. So, I end up with the worst of both worlds, almost like a dog that is dragged around, mocked and kicked, and not respected by anyone. It was just a completely different experience.

What was Mickey Rourke like to work with?

MORGAN: I loved working with Mickey Rourke. He’s a wonderful kind of crazy. He’s so generous, as an actor. He’s just fantastic. He’s someone who throws a huge curve ball to you. You never know what you’re going to get, on set with him, but it was so exciting to be in that position where I could just do whatever I wanted because he did, in terms of the performance. I’m so excited to see that film. Tarsem Singh was such a fantastic director.

Are there any types of roles or genres that you’d love to explore, but haven’t had the chance to yet?

MORGAN: I love The Walking Dead. I’m a massive fan of that show. I loved Zack Snyder’sDawn of the Dead, and 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later. I would love to be involved with a film that shows the breakdown of society and a small group of survivors in a world that has crumbled. That’s something I would like to explore.

Post Title → Exclusive: Joseph Morgan Talks THE VAMPIRE DIARIES and IMMORTALS