Box Office: 'Captain America 2' Busts April Records with $96M, Over $300M Worldwide

1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier- $96.2M
Marvel's license to print money continues with Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which broke all domestic April records with a $96M debut, surpassing Fast Five's $86M. Like all of the studio's films since The Avengers, it was leaps and abounds above its predecessor, scoring 47% more than Captain America: The First Avenger, and securing Marvel's position as Hollywood's top dog for comic book films. Sorry, Warner Bros., but you may want to consider moving that Batman vs. Superman release date in 2016 to avoid the freight train of Captain America 3.
2. Noah- $17M/$72.3M
As Captain America soared, Noah sunk to the bottom of the sea. The Russell Crowe-led Biblical action flick dropped 61% in its second week, but at $178M worldwide it's doing pretty well.
3. Divergent- $13M/$114M
4. God's Not Dead- $7.7M/$32.5M
The incredible run of faith-based drama God's Not Dead continues. The film expanded to 1700 theaters and slipped only 12% in week three.
5. The Grand Budapest Hotel- $6.3M/$33.3M
Entering the top five is Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel, which was in more than 1260 theaters and dropped only 26%.
6. Muppets Most Wanted- $6.2M/$42.1M
7. Mr. Peabody & Sherman- $5.3M/$102.2M
Dreamworks' Mr. Peabody & Sherman has surprisingly surpassed the $100M mark domestically, but has double that when the international haul is factored in.
8. Sabotage- $1.9M/$8.7M
9. Need for Speed- $1.83M/$40.8M
10. Non-Stop- $1.82M/$88.1M

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Travis Hopson and Tim Gordon are Addicted to Film!

Last night to a jam-packed studio audience (consisting of us and our producer), Tim Gordon and I debuted the first episode of our new show, Addicted to Film! It's something we've been planning for a long time, as a means of continuing what many of you see us do on WETA Around Town, only with a lot longer than 90 seconds to get our points across. And of course, we made fun of one another and went off into conversations about other things, but that's just what we do!

On this show we kicked things off by doing what we do best: talking about ourselves. Then we discussed Arnold Schwarzenegger in Sabotage and what the disappointing box office means for him; we then attempted to talk about Noah without descending into a theological debate; and then we weeped for Michael Pena in Cesar Chavez.

Addicted to Film airs live every Sunday night at 7pm, broadcasting from Listen Vision Studios in Washington, DC. Follow the show on Twitter, and subscribe to my Youtube Channel to get every episode sent your way! Check out the first episode below, and be sure to hit us up with any feedback!

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Box Office: 'Noah' Sails Easily to #1; 'Captain America 2' Earns $75M Overseas

1. Noah- $44M
So much for those who thought Darren Aronofsky's big Hollywood production of Noah would flop after all the negative press. The film starring Russell Crowe as the ark-building animal tamer opened to a sizable $44M, plus another $51M internationally. The $95M debut puts a big dent in the $130M+ budget, and should also quiet the religious purists hoping it would fall short of Son of God, which currently stands at $57M after five weeks of release.
2. Divergent- $26.5M/$95.2M
The 51% slide of Divergent in its second week isn't so bad, and is actually pretty good for the sci-fi genre. The point is that Lionsgate should now feel fully confident in moving ahead with the sequel and wrapping up the entire trilogy.
3. Muppets Most Wanted- $11.3M/$33.2M
Slipping only 33% from last week, Muppets Most Wanted has bounced back well from a mediocre opening weekend.  It's still not likely to come close to matching the haul of the first film, though. 
4. Mr. Peabody & Sherman- $9.5M/$94.9M
5. God's Not Dead- $9M/$22M
The people who were openly bashing and rooting for the failure of Noah ended up at God's Not Dead, which has maintained an incredible hold in its second week. The faith-based drama stars Dean Cain and Kevin Sorbo, and could end up as one of the year's great success stories. The timing couldn't have been better considering all of the religious fervor surrounding movies of late, and it'll be interesting to see just how long this lasts.
6. The Grand Budapest Hotel- $8.8M/$24.4M
Adding an additional 673 theaters didn't slow down Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel, which jumped 30% and managed an astounding $9K per site average.
7. Sabotage- $5.3M
Is Sabotage the last gasp of Arnold Schwarzenegger as a top name star? The David Ayer-directed action flick, which boasts a pretty solid cast surrounding the Governator, is one of the lowest grossing debuts in Schwarzenegger's career. Somehow it managed to do worse than The Last Stand, which nobody saw and fewer liked. One would think audiences would turn out to see the follow-up film from Ayer, who last directed End of Watch to great critical and box office success. To me, that means people aren't turning out specifically because of Schwarzenegger, which is sad because this is a different sort of movie for him. Unfortunately, it was marketed as a brainless shoot 'em up and only fans of those flicks turned out.
8. Need for Speed- $4.33M/$37.7M
9. 300: Rise of an Empire- $4.3M/$101.1M
10. Non-Stop- $4M/$85.1M

In other news, Marvel's Captain America: The Winter Soldier opened in a few markets internationally, earning a whopping $75M. That bodes well for its domestic release next week, one that Marvel is expecting to far surpass Captain America: The First Avenger's final tally of $370M. If the trend following The Avengers continues upwards, it should squash those numbers easily.

The Raid 2, only the most anticipated sequel ever for a film few actually saw, opened in only seven locations and racked up a solid $177K. The roll out expands next week and goes semi-wide on April 11th.

The Diego Luna-directed, Michael Pena-starring biopic Cesar Chavez hit 664 theaters and earned $3M, a middling number for a film with middling reviews.

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Cinema Royale #56- Noah; Sabotage

The controversy surrounding Darren Aronofsky's Noah has led some to write off the Biblical epic, but on this week's Cinema Royale "The Cinema Siren" +Leslie Combemale joins in to look at whether the film can be enjoyed by all audiences. Noah stars Russell Crowe, Emma Watson, Jennifer Connolly, and Anthony Hopkins.

Plus, Arnold Schwarzenegger gears up for Sabotage, the cop thriller from the director of End of Watch!

All this plus news on Terminator: Genesis, Chris Evans' future as Captain America, Indiana Jones, and more!

Cinema Royale is part of the Hashtag Studios Broadcast Network. Listen in and subscribe here to get the best in movie reviews, news, celebrity interviews, and more sent your way every single week!

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Review: Darren Aronofsky's 'Noah' Starring Russell Crowe, Emma Watson, and Jennifer Connelly

It's hard to imagine that an auteur like Darren Aronofsky, whose cinematic tastes have ranged from pro wrestling dramas to ballet thrillers to existential fantasy, could ever venture into unexplored territory. And yet he's found a road untraveled in Noah, his big budget Hollywood make-over of the most famous flood ever and the Biblical tale everybody knows, even if it's because Steve Carell made a comedy out of it. Controversy has dogged Aronofsky's version since the beginning, but the fundamental tenants of the story are faithful and respectful, for better or worse. However, it's when Aronofsky dares to unshackle the story from its familiar confines, exploring the tale's dark psychological corners and indulging in his flair for fantastic visual surrealism that Noah truly sets itself apart.

Russell Crowe steers this ship, giving a commanding, two-fisted turn as Noah, the last in the heroic line of Seth and the natural enemies of the descendants of Cain, who slew his brother Abel ten generations prior. The first murder, Adam and Eve's taste of the forbidden fruit, rape, and all sinful human desire have led "the Creator" to decide the Earth must be cleansed.
“Fire consumes all, water cleanses.”

Noah has been waiting for a sign from the Creator, and he gets in the form of powerful visions of the world washed away in a great flood. With the help of his grandfather, the long-lived Methuselah (Anthony Hopkins), he deciphers these visions as meaning he must build a giant ark, not so he can save humanity from a watery grave, but to rescue the innocent animals so the world can begin anew. So yes, most of the elements we know remain intact, but Aronofsky spruces it up to Lord of the Rings levels of grandiose fantasy. Noah is aided in his building of the ark by the Nephilim, fallen angels transformed into gangly stone giants who start as enemies but become fierce protectors. And who are they protecting him from, exactly? What kind of villain could one come up with for a fairly narrow story such as this? Tubal-Cain (Ray Winstone) is the snarling embodiment of everything wrong with humanity; through gritted teeth (sometimes filled with chewed-upon humans and lizards) he leads his ravaged, depraved clan against Noah in an attempt to board the ark and save themselves.

While Noah is ruled by "Heaven's will", his family is bound by more earthly desires. His wife Naameh (Jennifer Connelly) has stayed true to her husband but has begun to worry about this most recent task; Noah's son Shem (Douglas Booth) wishes for a child with the barren Ila (Emma Watson), while the other son Ham (Logan Lerman) is desperate to find a girl before they all wind up at the bottom of the sea. Good luck with a name like Ham!  The internal family dramas are obviously an embellishment to give a much-needed human touch as there are few other surprises to be found until that first drop of holy rain splashes Noah's face.  When so much of the story hinges on fate and divine intervention, there simply isn't much room for drama.

Aronofsky has some serious guts to take the film in the direction it ultimately leads, as Noah's unshakeable faith begins to border on psychosis, putting his entire family at risk. Exploring the line between religious zealotry and paranoid schizophrenia, it's safe to say this is going to elbow a few purists right in the ribs. But it's also where Aronofsky seems most comfortable as extreme obsession has been a constant theme since early his earliest work. Stuck at sea in the claustrophobic Ark, with a hidden stowaway lurking in the lower bowels, Noah's family find themselves in the midst of a psychotic thriller with their patriarch as the looney bin's top patient. While it does go a little overboard and into camp territory at points, what's most fascinating is how little Aronofsky and co-writer Ari Handel need to do in bringing about this tonal shift. It's a natural progression of Noah's fanaticism taken to a disturbing level.

It should come as no surprise that Aronofsky presents some gloriously moving images in which to tell this story, sending us to deep space at one point to detail the universe's creation. Ironically, the first thoughts that may come to mind during these scenes are of the science-based series, Cosmos, which creationists are currently rending garments over. But Aronofsky's film sits quite naturally in a space that believers and non-believers can appreciate, allowing room for a bit of evolution to the divine origin. The fast-forwarded style of Requiem for a Dream escorts us through the blackness of space to the birth of all life and its modern destruction at the hands of men. It's an exhilarating sequence, one only matched by the ferocity of the flood as it strikes and engulfs the world.  Aronofsky has never had a canvas this big to paint on and what he does with it is miraculous.

It's unlikely that Noah will fully satisfy secular or deeply religious audiences, but it shouldn't drive them away, either. While presenting the spiritual tale from a modern sensibility often makes for a clunky combination, Aronfosky's daring approach and visual deftness stop this ship from running aground.

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Check Out the Second Trailer for 'Noah' Now With More Emma Watson!

The last trailer we got for Noah was, in a word, amazing, yet I couldn't help but to feel like it was missing something. I now know what that missing element was, copious amounts of Emma Watson! This second trailer highlights the personal sacrifices that will be made by Noah's family with shots of, what we can assume is, Noah's children being made to leave their significant others behind. Russell Crowe delivers yet another epic line to his son, you'll just have to watch to see what it is! The best thing about this trailer? Well, it's introduced by Ms. Watson herself who proves even further that she is worth pining over with an adorable outtake reel to her trying to intro the trailer. Check it out below and let us know what you think!

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First Clip from Darren Aronofsky's 'Noah'

There's some good and bad news when it comes to Darren Aronofsky's much-maligned Biblical film, Noah. The bad news is that it continues to be pilloried by some religious groups, who have convinced Paramount to saddle all of the marketing with disclaimers. Plus, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Bahrain have banned the film on religious grounds. The good news is that Aronofsky is getting the cut of the film he championed all along, and he seems convinced much of the controversy will end once people begin seeing it. He tells Variety...

“The film was made for believers and non-believers. I’m more concerned about getting non-believers into the theater or people who are less religious. A lot of people are thinking, ‘Oh. I don’t want to go see a Bible movie,’ but we completely shook up all expectations and people will see that as soon as they sit down and watch the movie."

In the meantime, the first clip from the film has dropped, and it features Russell Crowe as the titular figure who built the Ark to survive God's watery wrath. In this scene he's explaining to his family the monumental task God has placed in front of them.

Noah hits theaters on March 28th.

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Paramount Tweaks 'Noah' Marketing to Soothe Whiny Religious Groups

Paramount has been facing an uphill battle trying to win over religious groups in the lead-up to Darren Aronofsky's Bibical epic, Noah. In the wake of test screenings that showed some people of faith took issue with Aronofsky's approach to the material, which includes his adding a number of elements not part of the original text, Paramount has decided to alter its marketing for the film at the request of a religious broadcasting group.

In a statement released by Paramount and The National Religious Broadcasters, the studio will now add an explanatory message ahead of any future marketing material for Noah, so that audiences know that this is not a straight re-telling of the story but a dramatization inspired by the story of Noah. Oh for Chrissakes! Here is the text of the message that will be included in future trailers, the movie's website, and all radio and print materials....

“The film is inspired by the story of Noah.
While artistic license has been taken, we believe that this film is true to the essence, values, and integrity of a story that is a cornerstone of faith for millions of people worldwide.
The biblical story of Noah can be found in the book of Genesis.”

The move was made after an appeal by Jerry Johnson, President CEO of The National Religious Broadcasters, and he at least seems appreciative Paramount decided to make this move. 

 Johnson: "We are grateful that Paramount is striving, with this disclaimer, to strike a proper balance between artistic creativity, character development, and honoring the sacred Scripture." 

Never mind that if Aronofsky had stuck to the text we'd be talking about a 15-minute movie, but whatever. As distasteful as I may find this, it's a move I understand Paramount making. With the bulk of the attention recently focusing on the number of Christians who won't see the movie at the urging of some religious websites, they had to do something like this to try and get those people back. Never mind that the studio and Aronofsky have been bending themselves into pretzels for weeks to say the film respects the beliefs of people of faith.

But what I want to know is where does this go now? Does it mean if enough people complain we can get a disclaimer in front of Son of God claiming it was inspired by the work of men and not the word of an imaginary deity? Because if so, send that petition my way now.

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New Trailer for 'Noah' Brings the Wrath of God

If this latest trailer for Darren Aronofsky's biblical epic Noah tells us anything it's that Russell Crowe belongs next to Morgan Freeman when it comes to epic narration skills. His Jor-El did nothing but elevate Man of Steel and it's already obvious that he will do the same for Noah. The single line "I am not alone" is delivered in such a chill inducing manner...even if that was all to see in this trailer it would still be worth your time, but that's not all there is to see. The visuals are simply astounding and I don't just mean the overload of beauty that is Jennifer Connelly and Emma Watson sharing a screen. When the flood finally comes, if these quick shots are any indicator, it's going to be one of the biggest visual effects accomplishments of the year. This is one of the main things that separates Noah from other apocalyptic films like last weekends Pompeii. Pompeii wasn't bad visually, it was actually pretty damn good, Noah just looks THAT much better. Check it out below and let us know what you think!

Noah hits theaters March 28, 2014

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New Posters for 'The Raid 2', 'Noah', and 'In the Blood'

With only a little over a month until The Raid 2: Berandal is unleashed on an unsuspecting populace, Gareth Evans has released a cool new poster for the film. The Raid: Redemption pretty much left me a drooling mess it was so awesome, but the sequel is on a whole other level. In my review I call it one of the "great sequels in recent history" and it's no exaggeration. Iko Uwais is back as Rama, and this time he's forced to go even deeper into the criminal underworld, which only means he's got a longer way to fight back out. The Raid 2: Berandal opens on March 28th 2014.

Although some religious groups have already decided to turn up their nose at Darren Aronofsky's Noah because some website told them to, the marketing blitz continues on with the release of new character posters. The images feature co-stars Emma Watson, Douglas Booth, and Anthony Hopkins. Russell Crowe stars as the titular Biblical figure who built a massive ark to save his family from God's watery wrath. Opening on March 28th (The Raid 2 vs. Noah? Unfair!), Noah co-stars Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, and Logan Lerman.

Gina Carano showed she can do a little more than just break bones in Steven Soderbergh's Haywire, but let's face it, we really just want to see her beat people up. And after doing just that in Fast & Furious 6, she'll crack skulls in action flick In the Blood. Directed by John Stockwell, who has made a living off gorgeous surf locale flicks like Blue Crush and Into the Blue, he again hits a sunny paradise for a story that centers on a wife fighting to rescue her husband, kidnapped during their Caribbean honeymoon. Carano plays the butt-kicking spouse, naturally, with Cam Gigandet as her husband. Danny Trejo, Luis Guzman, and Stephen Lang co-star when In the Blood opens April 4th.

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Poll Says Christians Already Hate 'Noah' without Having Seen It

A few days ago, THR ran a piece about Darren Aronofsky's troubled production on Noah (we wrote about it here), the massive Biblical epic he's been developing with Warner Bros. The story basically recounted how the director and studio fought over the version of the film to be presented, and the efforts they went to in order to make those of faith comfortable with Aronofsky's interpretation of the familiar story.  The film, which reportedly cost north of $130M, has an uphill climb if religious groups refuse to turn out, and ridiculous polls like the one released by Faith Driven Consumer aren't going to help.

In their badly-worded, obviously biased poll, they report that 98% of Christians (out of 5000 supporters according to Washington Examiner) aren't satisfied with Hollywood even attempting a Biblical film, much less one that dares to have a message they may not agree with. Here's the rather terrible phrasing of the question...

 "As a Faith Driven Consumer, are you satisfied with a Biblically themed movie – designed to appeal to you – which replaces the Bible’s core message with one created by Hollywood?"

What I hate about this is that it has an obvious anti-Hollywood bias, as if everybody on the left coast are a bunch of godless heathens. That's the narrative a lot of these sites like to push (unless they're talking about their "heroes" like Chuck Norris or Ronald Reagan, then they LOVE Hollywood), and the implication that Noah has somehow ripped out the crux of the Bible's message feeds into that. Of course, nobody over at Faith Driven Consumer has seen the movie. Apparently they didn't read the THR article in full, either, otherwise they would have seen Aronofsky and the film's producers talking at length about their desire to be true to the story while filling in the many blanks with fresh material.

Of course, some other right-wing, faith-based sites have picked up on this story and are using it to claim that Christians will stay away from Noah in droves and perhaps go check out Son of God instead. Actually, it sounds more like these sites are encouraging people to do that. We'll see what happens, but if these folks are upset now about Hollywood making movies based on the Bible then it's going to be a rough couple of years.

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Darren Aronofsky's Cut of 'Noah' Hitting Theaters; Plus New Character Posters

Considering all the time he's spent developing a big budget, epic version of the story of Noah, it's no wonder Darren Aronofsky has fought to maintain his creative vision. Last fall it looked like Paramount was getting nervous about the film and the reaction by religious groups that may not take to Aronofsky's approach. The studio's test screenings weren't exactly winning the religious audience over, and without any word on it we were left to wonder what form Aronofsky's film would take. But it looks like the director has had his say, and the film will be hitting theaters uncut.

In THR's impressive piece on Noah's production, Aronofsky reveals that things didn't always go well between him and the studio, saying "There was a rough patch". The director was faced with the unfamiliar situation of having multiple cuts of his film, prepped by the studio, tested for audiences without much of the special effects, music, and designed to appease a specific demo that may not appreciate his vision.

“I was upset – of course. No one’s ever done that to me… I imagine if I made comedies and horror films, [test screenings] would be helpful,” he says. “In dramas, it’s very, very hard to do. I’ve never been open to it.” The studio also insisted that test audiences are sophisticated enough to evaluate movies without finished effects in place. “I don’t believe that,” he says. 

Paramount's concern, expressed by vice chair Rob Moore, is that certain people may go in wanting a simple adaptation of the Biblical tale, not realizing that Aronofsky rarely goes by the expected playbook.

One worry, says Moore, was that “significantly conservative folks who have a more literal expectation” from a movie about Noah might turn against it and become hostile. “There are some people where it’s a very emotional experience of, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa — a Hollywood studio is trying to tell a story from my faith, and I am skeptical,’ ” he says. “Not necessarily 50 percent of the people, but maybe 10 or 20 percent. And those people can be very noisy.” 

Aronofsky added that one of his goals was to take the familiar story in a new direction while "completely honoring and respecting everything in the Bible", and Paramount eventually agreed his cut, which is about 2 hours and 18 minutes in length, was the best way to go.

"They tried what they wanted to try, and eventually they came back," the director says. He adds, "My version of the film hasn't been tested … It's what we wrote and what was greenlighted."

And now we'll have to wait until March 28th to see how everybody, the religious and non-believers alike, respond to Noah when it hits theaters. For now, check out a number of new character posters featuring Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, and Logan Lerman.

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Adam Driver Joins Martin Scorsese's 'Silence'; Nick Nolte Added to 'Noah'

The third season of HBO's Girls debuted over the weekend, which no doubt has Lena Dunham fans (and fans of her boobs) dancing in the streets. While she and many of the women on that show have raised their profile significantly, the biggest breakout has been co-star Adam Driver. Over the last couple of years he's worked alongside Stephen Spielberg, the Coen Brothers, Noah Baumbach, Clint Eastwood, and is getting mentioned for major franchise flicks like Batman vs. Superman and Star Wars: Episode VII. So what's next up for him? How about working with Martin Scorsese?

Driver has joined Scorsese's long-developing adaptation of Silence, based on the Shusaku Endo novel about a pair of 17th century Jesuit priests who face persecution while spreading Christianity in Japan. Andrew Garfield, Ken Watanabe, and Issei Ogata are set to star. The only question is if Scorsese will actually get around to filming it this year as suspected. A July start date was mentioned before but doesn't seem to be set in stone just yet. [Showbiz411]

From one potential project to one that is nearing completion; Nick Nolte is a late addition to the cast of Darren Aronofsky's Biblical epic, Noah. The director tweeted the announcement, revealing that Nolte would be taking on the role of the Watcher Samyaza, the part which previously had Mark Margolis attached.  Samyaza is a fallen angel whose interactions with humans bore God's wrath, leading directly to the Great Flood. Noah opens on March 28th.

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Travis' Most Anticipated 2014 Movies: January to March

The book on 2013 is now closed, and I for one thought it was an incredible year. It was so good, with early and late season films ending up on my "Best of" list, that it will be tough for 2014 to live up. There's bound to be some let-down, and with 2015 already looking like the "Year of the Blockbuster", we may see 2014 be like the forgotten middle child or something. But there are still a lot of movies that I'm looking forward to, and I've decided to break them down by season, giving you my top 10 for each. Bear in mind this doesn't necessarily mean I think these movies will be good, just that I'm looking forward to them for one reason or another. And no, they don't all spring from the pages of some comic book. I make no promises about the summer, though.

Raze- January 10th
Director: Josh C. Waller
Cast: Zoe Bell, Rachel Nichols, Tracie Thoms, Doug Jones

Dude, it's Zoe Bell. Okay, those who know me understand that's more than enough reason to get excited over Raze, which pits the insanely-tough Bell against Rachel Nichols and dozens of other beauties in an exploitative, grindhouse-style flick that's a little bit Fight Club, a little bit Quentin Tarantino.

The Monuments Men- February 7th
 Director: George Clooney
Cast: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Cate Blanchett, Jean Dujardin

Ever since his directorial debut, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, I've been impressed every single time George Clooney has stepped behind the camera. Not only is he always able to snag a great cast, but he manages to make big social or political points while telling an entertaining story. The Monuments Men may be his most ambitious film yet, and while the delay has me somewhat concerned, I trust he'll be able to nail the difficult balance of drama and humor.

Robocop- February 12th
Director: Jose Padilha
Cast: Joel Kinnaman, Abbie Cornish, Samuel L. Jackson, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Michael K. Williams, Jay Baruchel, Jackie Earle Haley

Here's one I'm looking forward to even though it might be atrocious. The darkly satirical films of Paul Verhoeven have been popular targets for remake of late, and after that awful first trailer it looked like Robocop may turn out like Total Recall and totally miss the point. But the most recent footage, backed by Samuel L. Jackson's boisterous boasts about the future of our country's war on terror have renewed my faith, and I'm starting to warm up to Joel Kinnaman as the robotic defender of justice.  Honestly, I could care less about the sleeker suit or that you can see Kinnaman's eyes or whatever the latest complaints are. All that matters is that he's believable both as an ass-kicker and a family man, which shouldn't be too tough to pull off.

300: Rise of an Empire- March 7th
Director: Noam Murro
Cast: Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Jack O'Connell, Lena Headey,  Rodrigo Santoro

Against my better judgement I'm surprisingly excited for 300: Rise of an Empire. Sure, Zack Snyder has moved on to helm the Man of Steel's next killing spree, handing the reins to the totally unproven Noam Murro. But the Smart People director seems to have captured the visual style and bloody swords 'n sandals action that made the first film a smash. Even if it lacks the same level of star power without Gerard Butler, it's more than made up for by the chance to watch Eva Green as she makes a bid for world domination. Yes, she can lead me into impending doom anytime.

Veronica Mars- March 14th
Director: Rob Thomas
Cast: Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring, Chris Lowell, Ryan Hansen, Krysten Ritter, Percy Daggs III, Tina Majorino, Francis Capra, Ken Marino, Enrico Colantoni

I don't think anybody could have predicted Veronica Mars would make it to the big screen. Not even the most loyal marshmallow could have forseen the Kickstarter juggernaut it would become that got us to this point, but since I'm one of those who happily donated some cash you best believe I'm happy about it! Of course there are some concerns that what worked on TV won't fly as a movie, but as long as Kristen Bell is back as Veronica, and you've got Logan, Weevil, and good ol' Keith Mars joining her, there's every reason to believe fans of the show will leave happy.

Blood Ties- March 21st
Director: Guillaume Canet
Cast: Clive Owen, Zoe Saldana, Billy Crudup, Mila Kunis, James Caan, Marion Cotillard, Matthias Schoenaerts

So what if the response out of Cannes was mixed on Guillaume Canet's Blood Ties? I've never been let down by Canet, who directed the excellent crime thriller Tell No One, nor co-writer James Gray. The sprawling 1970s crime tale actually reads like something closer to Gray's sensibilities, with Clive Owen and Billy Crudup as brothers on opposing sides of the law. It's territory Gray has tackled plenty of times before in Little Odessa, We Own the Night, and The Yards, but he's never had a cast that stretches this deep. The combination of Canet and Gray's talents with an incredible amount of star wattage is too tantalizing to resist.

Nymphomaniac Part One- March 21st
Director: Lars von Trier
Cast: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Shia LaBeouf, Stellan Skarsgard, Uma Thurman, Willem Dafoe, Stacy Martin, Udo Kier

Maybe it makes me a dirty old man but I'm hella excited for Lars von Trier's Nymphomaniac, and yep, it has everything to do with seeing how far he's going to push the envelope. The trailers and clips we've seen up to this point have suggested a depraved corunucopia of fornication, with von Trier seemingly hitting on every sexual sub-group he can find. Now that the film is out in Europe we've started to hear some advance word, and it sounds like there's some sort of method to his madness, which pretty much sums up every film he's made. I think mainly it'll be interesting to see how our country deals with the in-your-face material. We had a hard enough time handling a couple of lesbian sex scenes in Blue is the Warmest Color. What are people going to think about a film that goes well above and beyond that?

Divergent- March 21st
Director: Neil Burger
Cast: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Miles Teller, Maggie Q, Mekhi Phifer, Jai Courtney, Zoe Kravitz

What do I know about Divergent? Not a lot, really. It's about humans divided into ideological factions or something, but I don't know why that's cool or anything. What I do know is that it stars Shailene Woodley, and so far she's batting 1.000 in making movies that speak directly to me, and the chance to see her rejoin The Spectacular Now's Miles Teller is simply too good. How is he not the love interest here, too? Fire the casting director, post haste! I don't know if this will be "the next Hunger Games" or "the next Mortal Instruments", but Divergent has my attention.

Noah- March 28th
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Cast: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson, Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Logan Lerman

All of the sudden it's like everybody wants to make a Biblical epic. Okay, cool, but the one that should be the most impressive is Darren Aronofsky's big budget Noah, which he's been consumed with trying to adapt for quite a long time. Frankly, I'm less interested in the familiar tale of the guy charged by God to build a giant floating zoo to spare himself from a watery death, and more interested in Aronofsky's specific take, which has already ruffled the feathers of a few religious groups. Ruffle away, my friend.

The Raid 2- March 28th
Director: Gareth Evans
Cast: Iko Uwais

It's only been out for a couple of years and already The Raid: Redemption is a stone cold classic, and one of the few martial arts movies from overseas that have made a genuine impact on our shores. If you saw it, then you know already know it reaches incredible levels of violence at a pace so furious it's hard to stop and catch a breath. The sequel, believe it or not, promises to be even bigger with director Gareth Evans taking the action topside and onto the street where all types of new, vicious threats await. I can't wait!

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New International Trailer for Darren Aronofsky's 'Noah'

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, and so is that most special of days Black Friday (well to some of us it is), it's time to look forward to the holiest holiday of all, Christmas. Which makes this perfect timing for Darren Aronofsky's Biblical epic Noah to ramp up the marketing campaign with a brand new trailer, even if the film will hit theaters closer to Easter.

There are brief flashes of new footage in this latest trailer, but one thing remains clear and it's that this is going to be one massive spectacle. Russell Crowe stars as Noah, and we all know his story, right? Well, Aronofsky is throwing a few things into the mix most people aren't familiar with (and some downright hate being included), such as demon angels, giants, the story of Cain & Abel, and Noah's environmentalism.

Controversial? Yeah, probably, which only makes Noah one of the more anticipated films of next year. Look for it to open on March 28th 2014, co-starring Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Douglas Booth, and Kevin Durand.

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Trailer for Darren Aronofsky's 'Noah' Starring Russell Crowe, Emma Watson, Anthony Hopkins, and More

It's been a long hard road for Darren Aronofsky to bring his massive, highly expensive Biblical epic Noah to the big screen, and the battle isn't over yet. Filming wrapped last year and the director has been busy putting the finishing touches on the special effects, which are substantial to say the least. As we've learned over the last couple of weeks he's also been fighting with Paramount over the final cut of the film, as some religious groups haven't taken too kindly to his approach to the story of Noah and the Great Flood. While no decision has been made yet to the best of our knowledge, the film is close enough to completion that the first trailer has arrived, and it's mighty impressive.

Russell Crowe stars as Noah, who we all know as the man given a divine command to build a massive ark to survive a Great Flood sent to wash away a sinful humanity. But there's more to this version than just rounding up pairs of animals (this isn't Evan Almighty, thankfully) and riding a few waves, as we see Noah's faith tested in numerous ways, including by a powerful nemesis played by Ray Winstone. The images of the flood and the potential scope of the film are staggering, but it looks like Aronofsky's knack for creating intimate character portraits is also in full display, aided by Crowe who seems to be at his powerful best. We only get a hint of the environmental aspect that has riled up some religious groups (do they think it was written by Al Gore or something?), so it'll be interesting to see if Aronofsky is able to deliver the film as he intended.

Starring Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson, Anthony Hopkins, Logan Lerman, Kevin Durand, and Douglas Booth, Noah sets sail on March 28th 2014.


Noah (Trailer) by tvPRIME

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Teaser Footage from Darren Aronofsky's 'Noah' Starring Russell Crowe

While Darren Aronofsky and Paramount continue to haggle over the final cut of his Biblical epic, Noah, they still have to hype the blockbuster-sized film before it opens next year. While test screenings are still taking place to fix what has been labeled a "major challenge" of a final act so that it doesn't offend Christian groups, ET has provided our first footage from the film, which usually means a full trailer is on the way.

Starring Russell Crowe as Noah, the $125M effort will chronicle his diving mission to build the famous Ark and survive the coming flood. But this won't be the story we're all familiar with as Aronosfky is presenting the character as "the first environmentalist", while also tossing in demon angels, giants, and other creatures into the mix. The footage teases the wide-scale approach Aronofsky is taking, and hopefully he'll get to maintain his creative vision for the film when all is said and done.

Starring Jennifer Connelly, Saoirse Ronan, Douglas Booth, Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Kevin Durand and Mark Margolis, Noah opens on March 28th 2014.

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Darren Aronofsky Feuding with Paramount over Final Cut of 'Noah'

For his first major studio effort, the $125M Biblical epic Noah, Darren Aronofsky has been clear that this wouldn't be just a straight retelling of the story. His version will encompass many aspects we normally wouldn't expect, from giants, to demon angels, to the story of Cain & Abel, and will be the largest undertaking in Aronofsky's career. Even the visual effects geniuses at Industrial Light & Magic say it's one of the most complicated projects they've ever worked on. And what's more, the complete story has been available in graphic novel form long before production ever began. So why is there suddenly a problem over the material?

THR reports that Aronofsky and Paramount are battling over his final cut of the film after test screenings comprised of various religious groups didn't exactly go over well. The "trouble reactions" they produced have caused the studio to want changes made to the film. Of specific contention seems to be the final act, which they are calling a "major challenge", and the need is to come up with an exciting conclusion that doesn't alienate the potentially-large Christian audience. Aronofsky has long called Noah "the first environmentalist" and plans to present him as more than just the guy who built the Ark and survived a flood. Of course, not everybody is going to be down with that interpretation and early leaks of the script have led to some harsh responses from religious commentators. In short, this doesn't seem to be a story that will speak to any one particular faith and will be more of a fantasy/supernatural film (some would argue that's what the Bible is anyway, and I would agree) with broader appeal. That may not be what Paramount thinks is best for business, though.

As expected, Aronofsky isn't willing to budge, with one rep saying "He's very dismissive. He doesn't care about [Paramount's] opinion."  Both sides are trying to work things out, with studio vice chairman Rob Moore promising "one version of the movie that Darren is overseeing." "Overseeing" doesn't necessarily mean it will be the final version he wants, though.

Noah stars Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Douglas Booth, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Anthony Hopkins, Ray Winstone, and is expected to open March 28th 2014.

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Set photo gives a snake-filled look inside Darren Aronofsky's 'Noah'

My first thought after seeing this new pic from inside the famous Ark of Darren Aronofsky's Noah? Indiana Jones would be freaking the fuck out. The second thing I thought was that I'd kill for Samuel L. Jackson to make a cameo, scream about "mothafuckin' snakes" before getting devoured or something. In the image, tweeted by the director's longtime cinematographer Matty Libatique, the vaunted boat is full of the slithery reptiles and an alligator in the distance. 

So what's the deal? To the best of my knowledge, Noah was instructed by God to take a pair of every known animal, so I guess there were a heck of a lot of snakes crawling around back then. Or it's just a way for Aronofsky to make the film a little bit creepier, as we already know this won't be your traditional Sunday School retelling of Noah's famous story. There will be giants, demon angels, Cain & Abel, and plenty more you wouldn't expect. There will also be lots of raging water, presumably. Might be smart to hit the bathroom early.

Russell Crowe stars as the titular boat builder, with the rest of the amazing cast filled out by Jennifer Connelly, Douglas Booth, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Anthony Hopkins, Ray Winstone, Kevin Durand, and Mark Margolis. Noah drifts into theaters on March 28th 2014.

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Darren Aronofosky casts his Cain and Abel for 'Noah'

We've seen the massive Ark being built for Darren Aronofsky's Biblical epic, Noah, and with production about to kick off he's still putting his cast together. So far he's managed to snag pretty much every big name he's wanted(except for Michael Fassbender), and now he's adding a pair of unknowns to play the most famous siblings in history.


The Icelandic pair of Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson and Arnar Dan are set to play Cain and Abel in the film. Now, to the best of my admittedly limited knowledge of the Bible, Cain and Abel don't have anything to do with Noah's story, so they'll likely be seen in flashback or to set up the fall of man that convinces God to unleash the holy heck of floods on the planet. Cain and Abel were the sons of Adam and Eve, the first humans to be born. Abel also has the distinction of being the first human to die, as Cain murdered his brother when God showed preference to Abel's offerings.

Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson, Douglas Booth, Logan Lerman, Anthony Hopkins, Ray Winstone, Marton Csokas, Dakota Goyo, and Kevin Durand star when Noah hits theaters on March 28th 2014. [Iceland Review]

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

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