The 7 Best Movie Duos of 2013

How can anyone resist a great movie duo? Whether they're romantic relationships, friendships, siblings, or bromances, no one can deny that these types of duos, when combined with great actor chemistry and great dialogue, can be what makes or breaks a movie. Movie duos can carry a movie, make us laugh, make us cry, connect with them, or just enjoy their banter. 

So, I've compiled a list of the seven best movie duos of 2013 that have been the most memorable. Once again, I admit to being indecisive, so they're in no particular order because no one is necessarily better than the other, though some might be dearer to my heart than others! 

Her - Theodore and Samantha (Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson) 

• Not many onscreen romantic couples can sway you with a few conversations like Theodore and Samantha did in Spike Jonze's film. Sure, Samantha's an artificially intelligent operating system, but their relationship is natural and full of witty and genuine moments that it's kind of hard not to like them.  

The Kings of Summer - Joe, Patrick, and Biaggio (Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso, Moises Arias)

• Ok, so this is technically cheating because it's a trio and not a duo, but Joe, Patrick, and Biaggio wouldn't be anything without the other in some way. And so, I've gone and included all three of them. Initially, Joe and Patrick leave their parents and build a house in the middle of the woods, learn to be independent and grow. Biaggio doesn't so much tag along so much as he just kind of blends in. He's the middle man and weird persona who keeps the peace... and the humor. 

Philomena - Philomena Lee and Martin Sixsmith (Judi Dench, Steve Coogan)

• Judi Dench and Steve Coogan make for a great dynamic duo. Based on a true story, Martin Sixsmith helps Philomena search for her long, lost son who was adopted without her consent fifty years ago. Coogan and Dench have an easy relationship and although they seem to be polar opposites, their interactions are filled with witty banter and deep conversations. 

Rush - Niki Lauda and James Hunt  (Daniel Bruhl, Chris Hemsworth)

• Hollywood loves making sports movies, but it's been awhile since there's been one that makes you really feel for the characters. Ron Howard gets it right when he decided to make a film about the rivalry between Formula One racers James Hunt and Niki Lauda. Daniel Bruhl and Chris Hemsworth have an onscreen bitterness and hatred towards each other, but the duo respect the other underneath it all. Bruhl and Hemsworth prove that angry looks and quick-witted banter works regardless of the movie subject. 

The Spectacular Now - Sutter and Aimee (Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley)

• Rarely do teen films these days make any lasting impressions. Half the time, they make teens look stupid, shallow, and uninteresting. This film does the opposite and what makes the film even more special is the chemistry and relationship between Teller and Woodley. They have a natural and genuine relationship that builds on friendship before moving into romance. They make a great duo simply because they work really well together in all respects. 

Star Trek Into Darkness - Spock and James T. Kirk (Zachary Quinto, Chris Pine)

• Probably one of the most well-known and loved duos is the friendship between Spock and Kirk. That doesn't change in J.J. Abrams' reboot of the franchise nor in its sequel. Spock's logic vs. Kirk's emotionally-fueled decisions makes for a great balance and their constant banter makes for great entertainment all while keeping the momentum of the film going. 

White House Down - President Sawyer, Cale (Jaime Foxx, Channing Tatum)

• The White House took a double hit in 2013 with both this film and Olympus Has Fallen. But only a duo that includes Tatum and Foxx is worthy of any kind of respect. The film has drama mixed with humor, and a lot of it is thanks to them. If there was any doubt that Tatum's character wasn't qualified to protect the president, all doubt is removed when you see the two of them working side by side. 

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2013's Top 5 Fight Scenes!

When talking about entertainment two words almost always come up as must have's, sex and violence. Rocky covered the romantic side of things the other day with her 'Top 5 Kisses of 2013', which you can check out here, now it's time for the other side of that one-two punch of sure fire fun. Without further adieu let's get to some gratuitous violence, shall we?

5. Iron Man 3- Iron Man suit fleet VS The Mandarin

Iron Man 3 was not a good film, to be honest it was downright bad when it came to the final development of what was to be Tony Stark's archenemy. Yet, even the crappiest gift can have a pretty bow, and that's what we got at the end of Tony Stark's latest adventure. It's pure visual candy with plenty of easter eggy goodness for comic fans (see: Hulkbuster), it isn't particularly rewarding to the storyline nor does it make much sense in more than one facet but DAMN is it sweet to see the Iron Man squadron of suits come flying to Tony and that, my friends, is what merits a place at the bottom of this list. 

4. Star Trek: Into Darkness- Klingon showdown

While more of a gun battle than a straight up fight there was no way I could leave this scene off the list. Benedict Cumberbatch was already on the fast track to my favorite actors list after seeing Sherlock, but this scene, in which he mows down a squadron of Klingon warriors perfectly illustrates the capabilities of this villain. Extra points for the cool black hooded trenchcoat!

3. The World's End- Bar Fight

It's kind of an odd thing to have a movie show up in both a best fights list and a funniest scenes list. Unfortunately I ran into the same problem that Mae did earlier this week when she included The World's End in her Top 5 funniest scenes of 2013 list, which you can check out here, that problem is that, oddly, there seem to be no clips of these scenes anywhere on the 'net. In any event the fight that puts this awesome flick on my list of best fights comes about 3/4 of the way into the film when the group decides to stop trying to be inconspicuous and take the blanks head on. If you haven't seen this movie get out there and do so now, watching Nick Frost nail a combat roll and the wield two bar stools like a veteran bar ninja is one of the greatest things to happen inside of a theater this year. The best part? It's not done for laughs, the choreography is legit and would not look out of place in something like a remake of Roadhouse (with different actors of course). 

2. GI Joe: Retaliation- Snake Eyes V Storm Shadow 2
Do I really need to explain my reasoning here? These guys are the ultimate ninja warriors, the characters we all wanted to be the most when we were kids...hell even their names are right out of Encyclopedia Badassica. We got to see a lesser version of this ultimate showdown in GI Joe: Rise of Cobra but the battle we get in Retaliation blows that one away. As if that weren't enough we also get Jinx, Snake Eyes protege, and a legion of Storm Shadow trained ninja thrown in the mix.

1. The Grandmaster- Opening Fight Scene
Prior to the release I was prepared to have this movie at the top of every list I do this year, sadly Wong Kar Wai's epic film chronicling the legendary Ip Man fell apart after the first 20 minutes. But you know what? Those first 20 minutes make it worth it. To a true martial arts fan seeing a well choreographed, beautifully show fight scene is no different than anyone else watching a top level ballet. The way Wong Kar Wai captures the flow of movement throughout this entire opening scene make it one of the most breathtaking fight scenes I've seen to date. What really puts it over the top and earns it #1 over Snake Eyes V Storm Shadow is the striking use of black and white and the wonderfully artistic rainfall which both serve to extenuate the beauty of the martial art.

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Zachary Quinto Says J.J. Abrams May Film 'Star Trek 3' In 2014

With so many summer tentpoles one right after the next, the success of Star Trek Into Darkness has gone mostly unnoticed. But the fact is it's earned $444M worldwide, besting the prior film, and may have Paramount and J.J. Abrams fast tracking a sequel.

According to Zachary Quinto, the plan is for filming on the next Star Trek to take place in 2014, with Abrams still hoping to direct it, despite his commitments to Star Wars: Episode VII. Here's how Lucien at Buzzhub puts Quinto's comments...

“I attended a public interview with Zachary Quinto at the Galway Film Festival in Ireland on Friday, and during it, he revealed that Paramount have told the Star Trek cast that they’re planning to shoot ST3 in 2014, and that J.J. still wants to direct!"

Quinto went on to say that the schedule would be much quicker this time, but nothing is actually confirmed yet. Ever since he took on the Star Wars job, Abrams and Paramount have been clear that Star Trek was a priority for him, and that he would be a part of the franchise in some capacity. It just seems unlikely that he could be at the helm of one without it affecting the schedule of the other.  Meanwhile, Quinto really wants to follow in his Spock predecessor Leonard Nimoy's footsteps and cameo on The Big Bang Theory.

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Cinema Royale #18- Star Trek Into Darkness

J.J Abrams is boldly taking us where no man has gone before with his anticipated sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness! So it only makes sense that we'll be joined by resident Star Trek expert Leslie Combemale!

Plus, Paramount's handling of Star Trek Into Darkness embargoes has kicked up a hornet's nest among critics, but is it all warranted? We'll explore the growing animosity between the working press and the big studio, and if it can ever be fixed!

You can find Cinema Royale every single week on Blogtalkradio, Itunes, Libsyn, and Podomatic. Listen to this week's episode below...

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'Star Trek Into Darkness' advance screening

Ready to boldly go where no man has gone before? We've got an advance screening to J.J. Abrams' highly-anticipated Star Trek Into Darkness, and we want you to be there! The event takes place at a Washington DC theater on Wednesday May 15th at 9pm. Please note the start time!

To qualify, you MUST be a fan of Punch Drunk Critics on Facebook, so if you haven't "Liked" us yet please go there and do so now. We'll be using the Gofobo ticketing system for this contest, so you'll need to register there, as well. To win, simply leave a comment here with your name, favorite Star Trek character (doesn't have to be from the movie), and a method of online contact (email, Facebook, Twitter). If we can't reach you, we'll move on to the next reader. Winners will be selected and notified on Sunday May 12th.

Good luck, live long and prosper and all that jazz.


Star Trek Into Darkness – Official Trailer 3 by FanReviews

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Special 3D trailer for 'Star Trek Into Darkness'

Hey, still have your Iron Man 3 3D glasses left over from last night? Then you'll be able to fully enjoy this special 3D cut of the Star Trek Into Darkness trailer. I guess Paramount figures there are enough folks who have 3D Blu-Ray players in their house to make something like this worth it. Or they just know people aren't inclined to give their glasses back like they're supposed to.  Enjoy. Star Trek Into Darkness opens in IMAX 3D on May 15th, everywhere else on May 17th.



PLOT: In the wake of a shocking act of terror from within their own organization, the crew of The Enterprise is called back home to Earth. In defiance of regulations and with a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads his crew on a manhunt to capture an unstoppable force of destruction and bring those responsible to justice.

As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.

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New clips from 'Iron Man 3' and 'Star Trek Into Darkness'

Along with the scoring heat and an uptick in Slurpee sales, the summer also means its time to do away with all the cheaply-produced rubbish from the winter, and start getting into the really expensive rubbish. Ok, that won't always be true, and really this season looks relatively solid. If Oblivion was the soft opening salvo to the popcorn season, it kicks into high gear this week with Iron Man 3, then enters warp speed with Star Trek Into Darkness.

New clips from the latest Iron Man and Star Trek flicks have been released, to better whet your appetite to see them in your favorite IMAX theater.  The Iron Man 3 clip is basically an extended look at the previously revealed Air Force One scene, in which Tony Stark must pull out all of the stops to rescue passengers hurtling to their deaths. It's an action-heavy clip that shows Stark purely as a hero, rather than a billionaire driven largely by ego.  Iron Man 3 hits theaters on May 2nd.

The Star Trek Into Darkness clip could perhaps be seen as a bit of a spoiler, only in that it reveals exactly how the villainous John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) came to be aboard the Starship Enterprise. Otherwise, the banter between him and Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) is impenetrable without proper context, so those who are curious to learn where all those odd coordinates lead will have to check out the film when it opens in IMAX on May 15th, then everywhere else two days later.


Iron Man 3 - film clip #2 [1080p HD] (2013) Shane Black, Robert Downey Jr., Guy Pearce, Jon Favreau, Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Bettany, Ben Kingsley, Rebecca Hall, Don Cheadle, William Sadler, James Badge Dale by myfilm-gr

Star Trek Into Darkness - Film Clip #1 [HD] (2013) J.J. Abrams, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, John Cho, Bruce Greenwood, Benedict Cumberbatch, Peter Weller by myfilm-gr

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New clip and posters from 'Star Trek Into Darkness'

Even though Star Trek Into Darkness has premiered in some spots overseas, we still have a few weeks to go before it hits our shores. This being a J.J. Abrams joint where secrecy is held above all things, the early reviews have mostly been spoiler-free, but not all of them so just be wary. Instead, it may be a good idea to tide yourself over with a new clip, because you know Abrams wouldn't let anything crucial slip through the cracks.

The latest clip leaves behind the moral quandary of yesterday's footage and shows off what's expected to be an action-heavy blast from start to finish. The scene shows Kirk (Chris Pine), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), and Spock (Zachary Quinto) flying through a treacherous area to evade a pursuer hot on their tail. A batch of new posters have also been released, some of them featuring the supporting cast who have largely been ignored thanks to all of the hype surrounding Benedict Cumberbatch.

Star Trek Into Darkness opens on May 17th.

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New footage in the final 'Star Trek Into Darkness' trailer

We're only a month away before Star Trek Into Darkness flies into theaters, and Paramount has been  ramping up the hype for it accordingly. Between all of the posters and sneak peeks, more of the film is being revealed than ever before. But one also has to remember that this is a J.J. Abrams joint, and we're only seeing exactly what he wants us to see.

What's expected to be the final trailer for the film is here, and it shows a lot without giving anything away. The exception may be the destruction of the Enterprise, and even that could be left open for interpretation. Benedict Cumberbatch still looks like a prime choice to be the villain leading Kirk (Chris Pine) and his crew into the darkest chapter of their lives.

Starring Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, John Cho, Alice Eve, Anton Yelchin, Bruce Greenwood, and Peter Weller, Star Trek Into Darkness opens in IMAX 3D on May 15th, then in 2D and 3D on May 17th.


Star Trek Into Darkness - Trailer #3 VO HD by cinemur

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New 'Star Trek Into Darkness' character posters and TV spot

Hey, if the MTV Movie Awards are good for anything at all, it's for tons of clips and trailers. Last night was no different, and even though a new trailer for Star Trek Into Darkness will land online tomorrow, the opportunity was still taken to present some sneak peek footage. It's mostly the same footage we've seen before, with Benedict Cumberbatch's villain running roughshod over the Enterprise crew, along with more of Alice Eve in her underwear. Not sure how that fits into the plot, but I'm not going to complain. Four new character posters have also been revealed, fitting into the action-oriented tone of the recent one featuring Zoe Saldana as Uhura.

Directed by J.J. Abrams, Star Trek Into Darkness opens on May 17th. 

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Action-packed new 'Star Trek Into Darkness' trailer

A new trailer for J.J. Abrams' Star Trek Into Darkness has been released, seemingly from out of nowhere. Perhaps it's in response to the early buzz that began earlier this week after a select group of writers were allowed to see 30 minutes of the film, with a few spoilery bits of information revealed. Nothing too major, and I'm sure Abrams only showed them exactly what he wanted them to see.

Clearly targeting the multiplex crowd, this trailer features plenty of new footage and jam-packed with action from start to finish. It doesn't quite look like a Star Trek movie, though, especially with the ridiculous helmets. The best comparison I can make is to Star Wars, so maybe we ought to start looking at this as an indication of how that film could be presented. Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) is heavily featured in this footage, his pain-in-the-butt reputation at Starfleet still very much intact.

Star Trek Into Darkness hits theaters on May 17th.

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New 'Star Trek Into Darkness' Super Bowl TV spot

There's something weird about the ultra-mysterious Star Trek Into Darkness, helmed by the ultra-secretive J.J. Abrams, debuting a TV spot when there are more eyeballs looking at it than ever. Surely one of the hundreds of millions of folks will pluck out some never-before-realized nugget of information from it? Perhaps regarding Benedict Cumberbatch's villain, or maybe even something tying into the newly released movie tie-in app?

The spot's pretty cool, and Cumberbatch is an absolute bad ass. Check out the plot and footage below.


PLOT: In Summer 2013, pioneering director J.J. Abrams will deliver an explosive action thriller that takes “Star Trek Into Darkness.”

When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis.

With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction.

As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.

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Terminally ill fan who saw 'Star Trek Into Darkness' passes away

In a sad bit of news this weekend, Daniel Craft, the Star Trek fan who was given a chance to see Star Trek Into Darkness early as his final wish, passed away on Friday night from cancer. Craft had been involved with Subway Cinema and organizing the New York Asian Film Festival. His desire to see J.J. Abrams' film caught the director's attention, leading to his being given the opportunity to catch an early viewing. His reaction to the film and the experience can be read here.

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Alice Eve and Benedict Cumberbatch's 'Star Trek' roles revealed

Well it appears we have two Star Trek Into Darkness mysteries solved, but the answers only create more questions. Earlier today we received a new image from the film, with Benedict Cumberbatch's character imprisoned, presumably on the Enterprise.  The caption for the image has been released, and it finally clues us in to who Cumberbatch is playing, and it's not Gary Mitchell or Khan....

(Left to right) Zachary Quinto is Spock, Benedict Cumberbatch is John Harrison and Chris Pine is Kirk in STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS from Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions.

He's not a character I'm all that familiar with, but there are a couple of Harrisons in Star Trek lore. There's one, simply named 'Harrison' in the Star Trek database, and he was a technician aboard the Enterprise who nearly suffocated when Khan cut the air supply. Kirk apparently awarded him some kind of commendation. And then there's a William Harrison who was stranded on a Roman-style world and became a gladiator, dying in a televised match just before the Enterprise arrived.


Assuming J.J. Abrams is going to stick to hard continuity is foolish, so the name could mean nothing or everything. I also think it can't be a coincidence that a character with obvious ties to Khan is being introduced now in such a major way. I won't be shocked at all if Khan is in the film, perhaps played by someone we know, or someone Abrams has managed to keep hidden. Do we know for sure who Peter Weller is playing yet?


And then there's Alice Eve, who can be seen in the trailer being looked at fondly by Chris Pine in one scene, for a pretty good reason.  Comingsoon's Silas Lesnick visited Bad Robot Productions and, other than confirming the presence of Klingons in the film, also revealed exactly who Eve is playing, and it's kind of a doozy....

Alice Eve’s Star Trek Into Darkness character revealed… She’s playing Carol Marcus!

Marcus is actually kind of a big deal, known for her planet development process, Project Genesis. Oh, and she also had a relationship with Captain Kirk which produced their son, David. Again, assuming Abrams will stick to the script is silly, but I think it's safe to say something is going to happen between them and that Eve will be sticking around for awhile. 

We don't always get matter-of-fact reveals like this from an Abrams project, so some have speculated this all just a clever ploy on his part to trick us. Maybe that's true, but I kind of doubt it.

Star Trek Into Darkness opens on May 17th 2013.

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The 'Star Trek Into Darkness' trailer has landed!

It's been amazing how tight-lipped all have been in regards to Star Trek Into Darkness, and while that's par for the course on a J.J. Abrams film, it's really been taken to a whole new level this time. We still know next to nothing about it, even with a carefully-worded plot summary released just a few days ago. But now the curtain is being lifted, and we've finally got the first genuine footage from the film, and it's mighty impressive.

Taking a surprisingly dark tone, this one looks like it may be The Empire Strikes Back of Abrams' Star Trek franchise. Death and destruction rule the day as we see Benedict Cumberbatch's villain wreaking havoc on multiple locales, and displaying some imposing fighting ability, as well. We catch glimpses of the Enterprise crew here and there, but this is Cumberbatch's show. And it looks like maybe the Enterprise may be crashing and burning at some point.

With a 9-minute preview and a full trailer arriving ahead of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, I'm surprised they even showed us this much. There's also a Japanese cut of the trailer which has a slightly different ending, so you can check that out below as well. Star Trek Into Darkness arrives on May 17th 2013....

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The plot synopsis for 'Star Trek Into Darkness' revealed!

It looks like that super-secretive J.J. Abrams has finally decided now is the time for us to actually learn something about Star Trek Into Darkness. The film has been kept under lock and key for months as eager fans tried to figure out who the villain would be, and just how Abrams planned to upstage his 2009 hit. As we're only a couple of weeks away from the trailer and 9-minute preview preceding showing of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the official plot synopsis is finally here, and it sounds like Kirk and the crew of the Starship Enterprise will be battling a threat from within.

PLOT: In Summer 2013, pioneering director J.J. Abrams will deliver an explosive action thriller that takes "Star Trek Into Darkness."

When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis.

With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction.

As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.

Well that certainly sounds like Benedict Cumberbatch will be playing Gary Mitchell, a former member of Starfleet who goes a little nutso and gains telekinetic powers. That would also explain why Cumberbatch was sporting a Starfleet outfit in those set photos. 

Star Trek Into Darkness reunites Chris Pine, Zoe Saldana, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho, and Anton Yelchin. They'll be joined by newcomers Alice Eve, Peter Weller, Noel Clarke, and Cumberbatch when the film opens on May 17th 2013.

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Sure Shots: 'Star Trek Into Darkness'; Tim Miller; Isla Fisher

* Oh that J.J. Abrams, always keeping things secret from us. Like any footage or even a decent photo from Star Trek Into Darkness, one of the most anticipated movies of next year. Well, he can't hide the sequel from us forever, and it looks like those who attend IMAX 3D screenings of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will get to see a pretty significant chunk of it early. Paramount has announced that nine minutes of Star Trek Into Darkness will be shown in roughly 500 IMAX 3D theaters on December 14th. So it looks like another deal has been struck between Paramount and Warner Bros., who came to a similar arrangement last year when The Dark Knight Rises was previewed prior to Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol. It's likely to be the best glimpse we're going to get before the film opens on May 17th, so I'd pre-order my tickets now.

* Tim Miller sure has a lot on his plate for a guy who still hasn't officially made his directorial debut. The newbie director is attached to two high-profile comic book adaptations in Marvel's Deadpool and Warren Ellis' Gravel, neither of which have had any movement in months. But he's still adding another to his slate, adapting Joe Haldeman's sci-fi short story, Seasons. Collected in the author's Dealing in Futures anthology, the story centers on a cultural expedition to an alien world that goes horribly wrong. Sebastian Gutierrez will pen the script. Haldeman's work has been really popular of late, with Ridley Scott attached to direct an adaptation of his novel, The Forever War. [Deadline]

* The Jackie Brown prequel just got a lot more intriguing for me. Already set to star Yasiin Bey(aka Mos Def) and John Hawkes in the roles formerly played by Samuel L. Jackson and Robert De Niro, Isla Fisher is now being sought for the role of Melanie, who was played previously by Bridget Fonda. Jenifer Aniston and Ty Burrell co-star, although Dennis Quaid has been forced to drop out due to scheduling conflicts. The story takes place fifteen years before Jackie Brown, and follows the career criminals Ordell and Louis as they kidnap the wife of a wealthy developer hoping for a big score, only to have the scheme unravel.  Fisher is a special comedic actress, and should be a perfect fit to play the manipulative Melanie, who always finds a way to subtly make a situation worse. Based on Elmore Leonard's novel, The Switch, the untitled film will be adapted by director Dan Schechter. [Variety]

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