Win a Copy of 'Get On Up' on Blu-Ray!

You have a chance to win a Blu-Ray of Get On Up, featuring Chadwick Boseman's incredible performance as the "Godfather of Soul" James Brown! Directed by Tate Taylor (The Help) and co-starring Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Nelsan Ellis, Dan Akroyd, Tika Sumpter, and Craig Robinson, Get On Up takes audiences through Brown's impoverished childhood and his fearless journey to become one of music's most influential figures.

To enter, simply fill out the contest form below. You now have two ways to enter to increase the chances of winning! Winners will be chosen on Sunday, January 11th.

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Watch 2014's Top Actors Smooch in '9 Kisses' Video Series

People I'm jealous of this morning: Every guy in these videos not named David Oyelowo or Timothy Spall. You want to know why sometimes you read stories about people fighting really hard for certain movie roles? It's because of stuff like this, New York Times' video series '9 Kisses', in which some of 2014's best actors and actresses kiss one another in different scenarios. My favorite? Chadwick Boseman and Kristen Stewart, partly because I've had that EXACT SAME DREAM where Stewart is my #1 fan. Jenny Slate and Rosario Dawson in some hot girl-on-girl action? Yes please. And Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Miles Teller's video is pretty sweet, too. Shailene Woodley and Jack O'Connell's kiss is cool because it maintains some of the tougher edge of the roles they've been playing all year.

These are all kind of awesome to me. Watch and enjoy.

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Chadwick Boseman to Star in L.A. Crime Thriller 'Message from the King'

It doesn't get much bigger than the roles Chadwick Boseman has had to play so far in his short career. Jackie Robinson, James Brown, and soon Marvel's Black Panther, all intimidating and challenging roles that carry a lot of significance for a great many people. And so it's to his credit that he's been able to thrive the way he has. Before he dons the Panther suit for Captain America: Civil War and the character's upcoming solo film, Boseman will first shoot the crime thriller Message from the King.

Boseman has agreed to star and exec-produce Message from the King, a film that will take him into the seedy Los Angeles underbelly. He plays Jacob King, who arrives in the city from South Africa in search of his sister, only to discover on the first day that she has been brutally murdered. In town for only a week, the rest of the film details the next six days.

Belgian filmmaker Fabrice Du Welz will direct with filming to begin in February.

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More Details on Marvel's 'Black Panther'; No Solo Movies for Black Widow or Hulk

Have you had time to come down off the high from Marvel's announcements today? Basically, the studio revealed their complete Phase Three lineup and their release dates, official titles, and so forth. They also revealed Chadwick Boseman would be starring in a Black Panther movie, that a Captain Marvel film had been confirmed, and so much more it's probably best you just go here and read the whole thing. There are still a few minor details left to cover, though, mostly provided by Marvel Studios' chatty chief, Kevin Feige.

First up is Black Panther, which will arrive in 2017, thus beating Warner Bros.' Cyborg film by a good three years and becoming the first prominent superhero film since Blade to feature an African-American lead. We can expect to see Black Panther appear first in Captain America: Civil War and play a major role for all of Phase 3 and beyond. Deadline says Marvel has locked in Boseman for a 5-picture deal, which is pretty much par for the course. As for who else could be working on the film? None other than Reginald Hudlin, producer on Django Unchained and director of two of my all-time favorite comedies, House Party and The Great White Hype. Hudlin wrote a meaningful but ultimately terrible run of Black Panther comics some years back, following on the heels of writer Christopher Priest's amazing 5-year stretch which truly redefined the character.

Marvel is finally giving fans the female-led superhero film they've been asking for, and it will feature Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel. Danvers is a soldier born and bred, beginning as a pilot in the Air Force (one of her numerous superhero codenames was Warbird) and rising to the ranks of NASA security chief. She eventually encountered the Kree alien Mar-Vell aka the original Captain Marvel. A freak accident caused her to become a Kree/human hybrid, granting her the powers of flight, super strength, invulnerability, and energy projection. Feige says it will be through her that we'll see a merging of Marvel's cosmic and earthbound stories.

So if Captain Marvel is getting her own film, what about Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow? Or Mark Ruffalo's Hulk? With so many new characters being introduced, is there room for some of the original and extremely popular gang to get their own solo franchises? Well, not anytime soon...

Feige: "Well, frankly, as I said in the presentation, it’s about bringing new characters to the screen. Black Widow couldn’t be more important as an Avenger, herself. Like Hulk, the Avengers films will be the films where they play a primary role. Her part in Avengers: Age of Ultron is very very big, and further develops and further enhances her character. The plans that we have for her throughout the rest of the Avengers saga is very very big, and lynchpin, in fact, to those films. So instead of taking her out there, or instead of doing a prequel, which we haven’t done yet, continuing the forward momentum and the continuity of the cinematic universe. Of which Widow is a key, key part."

Same goes for the Hulk...

Feige: "Well, I wouldn’t say he’s absent from the timeline, I’d say Hulk is going to appear in many of those movies, particularly all those Avengers movies leading up to 2019 and Infinity War. Mark Ruffalo is on board for all those films, and we’re excited to bring him to those films. What happens with a standalone Hulk film? I’ll only say what I would have said about Black Panther last week or Captain Marvel the week before that, or Doctor Strange the week before that, or Guardians of the Galaxy two years ago, or Ant-Man ten years ago: we’ll see. We’d love to do it, we’d love to find the place to put it, but right now, Hulk will be appearing, with his friends, in their films."

Basically, today was the Marvel presentation we were hoping to see three months ago at Comic-Con. Better late than never. [/Film]

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Marvel Announces 'Black Panther'; Two-Part 'Avengers: Infinity War'; 'Captain Marvel'; 'Inhumans' and More

This is how you fire back in a big way. After Warner Bros. floored everybody last week by announcing an impressive run of films featuring their stable of DC Comics superheroes, it was up to Marvel to retaliate in kind. And boy, did they ever. Today they held a special press event that was expected to have at least one major announcement, and instead it had about a dozen. Let's just jump right in because this is going to take awhile.

One major complaint has been that Warner Bros. beat Marvel to the punch on female and minority-led solo projects, but that's no longer an issue as they've announced both a Captain Marvel film and one for Black Panther. Captain Marvel, which will indeed be the Carol Danvers version as previously rumored, will open July 6th 2018. Black Panther, who apparently will play a major role in the future, will be played by 42 and Get On Up star, Chadwick Boseman, as many had speculated months back. It's a great pick as Boseman is young, a rising star, athletic, and has the charisma to play the King of Wakanda. That film arrives on November 3rd 2017. Marvel also confirmed Inhumans, which centers on the Royal Family of moon-dwelling aliens led by Black Bolt, for November 2nd 2017. Doctor Strange, which many had thought would arrive in July 2016, will instead appear in theaters on November 4th 2016, with Scott Derrickson directing and presumably Benedict Cumberbatch, although Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige neglected to confirm that yet.

So let's talk about sequels because there are plenty. Guardians of the Galaxy 2 has been shuffled to May 5th 2017, with James Gunn and the original cast all to return. The third Thor film is titled Thor: Ragnarok, hitting theaters on July 28th 2017. So what's a Ragnarok? Well, two different versions of Ragnarok exist. One version is a clone of Thor, designed by Tony Stark, that goes crazy during the Civil War event. The other is the apocalyptic "end of days" for the entire Norse line of heroes, and with Chris Hemsworth's contract expiring soon this could mean Thor's end is approaching. The same goes for Captain America 3, which is now titled Captain America: Civil War, and maintains its May 6th 2016 date. The Civil War storyline, which pits heroes vs. heroes, begins the path to Cap's eventual death. Does that mean it will happen on screen? Is the torch about to be passed to the Winter Soldier or possible Falcon? Only time will tell.

And the big one that confirms previous reports of the third Avengers film being split into two, Marvel announced the two part Avengers: Infinity War, with the first chapter on May 4th 2018 and the next May 3rd 2019. Without going too deep into specifics, it's basically a gigantic war that involves basically the entire Marvel Universe, the villain Thanos, and the all-powerful Infinity Gauntlet. The pieces of the Gauntlet have played a key role in nearly every Marvel film, and this would be the culmination of all of those storylines. It would also be an easy way to incorporate the Guardians of the Galaxy, and possibly bring in other spacebound heroes like Adam Warlock and Nova.

Phew! That's a lot to take in. Best to just sit back and mull all of this over for now, because I suspect Marvel is done with any major news for a very long time. Check out promo art and logos below!

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Review: 'Get On Up' Starring Chadwick Boseman, Nelsan Ellis, and Viola Davis

The conundrum when it comes to any biopic on a larger-than-life figure is how to encapsulate their amazing story into a single two hour film. In most cases it simply can't be done and those that attempt typically fail. Get On Up star Chadwick Boseman gave an Oscar-worthy performance as Jackie Robinson in 42, a biopic that tried exactly that and couldn't measure. But Get On Up, directed by The Help's Tate Taylor, takes a novel approach to Brown's incredible story. Rather than the usual point-by-point retelling, the film relies largely on mood and emotional beats for a dazzling, non-linear look at the "hardest working man in show business".

While the film can get a little jumbled and confusing at times, this "brand new bag" of a biopic is coursing with energy thanks to an electric, rousing performance by Boseman that simply must be seen. Right from the start we get a sense of the film's rather flippant attitude towards Brown's life and career, as a bathroom toilet, loaded rifle, and flashing police sirens lead to one of his worst moments. This was 1988, and truly it was the time when Brown was at his lowest ebb. It's a weird place to start a film that is essentially about his rise to fame, but it all serves a purpose when the particulars of Brown's harsh upbringing surface. Born in a hovel in the heart of the Jim Crow south to an abusive father (Lennie James) and neglectful mother (Viola Davis), Brown's childhood was nothing but hardship. Run-ins with the law, a stint living in his aunt's (Octavia Spencer) brothel, and brutal racism built up a thick skin so that when life punched him in the gut Brown never flinched. Even later when he and the band are flying into Vietnam and their plane is shelled by artillery fire, Brown takes it in stride while the others are freaking out.

Just as "the funk" he and his talented band of musicians (the great Maceo Parker was part of the band, played here by Craig Robinson) created defied musical conventions and rhythms, Brown was equally hard to pin down. He could be a tyrannical slave-driver, an unabashed perfectionist, and more than a little paranoid towards his longtime best friend and right-hand man Bobby Byrd (Nelsan Ellis of True Blood fame), but he's also the same guy who insisted on performing days after the death of Martin Luther King in hopes of preventing a riot.  Women seem to flit in and out of his life with little rhyme or reason, with the echoes of past abuse reflecting in his attitude towards relationships. You sometimes wish Taylor and screenwriters Jez and John-Henry Butterworth had spent more time with the ugly stuff; the drugs and domestic violence. But they keep it just on the margins to not upset the PG-13 apple cart, allowing Boseman to hint at us with a knowing smile or regretful glance the inner-workings of Brown's mind. Always more than just an entertainer, Brown was a shrewd businessman who skirted a racist system by cutting out the middle man and promoting his own shows, with the help of friend and mentor Ben "Pops" Bart, played wonderfully by Dan Akroyd.

Boseman was so good as Jackie Robinson that to say his performance is revelatory wouldn't quite be true, but its confirmation that we are in the presence of a special talent. While he seems a little uncomfortable in the early passages of the film, Boseman settles into Brown's skin utterly and completely soon after, capturing the man's complexity and live-wire spirit all the way down to his creaky, sometimes unintelligible southern twang. On the stage floor he's nothing short of remarkable, performing Brown's signature gliding maneuvers as perfectly as the man himself would have demanded. While Boseman mostly sings over top of Brown's recorded vocals each performance crackles as if you were watching a live show. Mick Jagger serves as exec-producer and no doubt had special input on one moment when an upstart Rolling Stones are upstaged by a pissed off Brown. While Boseman is incredible, the other transcendent turn comes from Ellis, who takes a familiar role and turns it into something special and sympathetic. Byrd stood by Brown's side when nobody else would, even though it meant giving up his own dreams of stardom. Their rocky friendship is the heart and soul of a film that is full to overflowing with both.

Get On Up may not be the most comprehensive biography, but as it breaks every single rule in the genre's rulebook it's a fitting James Brown tribute.

 Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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James Brown Breaks New Ground Trailer for 'Get On Up'

In last year's hit baseball drama, 42, Chadwick Boseman played groundbreaking player Jackie Robinson, a man who broke the sport's color barrier. In Get On Up he plays another game changer as James Brown, who became known as the "Godfather of Soul" and the "hardest workin' man in show business" for some very good reasons.

Brown's struggle to break free of a troubled upbringing are the heart of this latest trailer, with Boseman given a chance to show his dramatic range and dance moves. Tate Taylor (The Help) is at the helm, reunited with Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer with Nelsan Ellis, Dan Akroyd, Jill Scott, and Tika Sumpter co-starring. Davis plays Brown's estranged mother who shows up after he's hit the big time, throwing his world into disarray. The voicework is a little distracting but it would probably be worse to try and have Boseman emulate Brown's signature sound.

Get On Up blows the roof off on August 1st.

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Chadwick Boseman Appearing as Black Panther in 'Avengers: Age of Ultron'?

Marvel has no shortage of characters they can spinoff from their wildly successful Avengers franchise, and we've seen them take advantage of it at every turn. Not only is there a Doctor Strange movie expected in the next couple of years, but a Netflix deal has TV series for Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage. That pretty much takes them out of the running to be on the big screen anytime soon, but one character that fans have been clamoring to see part of the team is Black Panther.

Ever since the nation of African nation of Wakanda (where the metal for Cap's shield is found) popped up on a map in an early Iron Man film, then was mentioned again in Captain America: The First Avenger, a Black Panther film has been expected at some point. About a year ago Chadwick Boseman (42) was rumored to be up for the role of king T'challa, and now a new story has surfaced that says he'll actually appear in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

It makes some degree of sense if explained in comic book nerd terms. Wakanda is the only place in the world where one can find vibranium, the most powerful metal in the world. The robotic villain Ultron is usually made of adamantium, which in the comics is the toughest metal, but since that word is sewn up over at 20th Century Fox for their X-men universe (Wolverine's bones are made of adamantium), the next best option for Marvel is vibranium. So if Ultron is going to construct himself a body worthy of facing the Avengers, he's going straight to Wakanda to get the vibranium right from the source.

Now, this rumor has surfaced over at Badass Digest, who incorrectly claim Ultron's "comic book famous" shell is made of vibranium, but apparently it's not famous enough for them to know what it's really made of. It was then reiterated over at Shadow and Act, who proceed to claim Black Panther has a Netflix series coming, which is also not true. So take this for pure speculation at this point, although it would be pretty darn cool if true.

Avengers: Age of Ultron opens May 1st 2015.

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Review: 'Draft Day' Starring Kevin Costner and Jennifer Garner

If there's one actor most closely associated with the sports movie genre, it's Kevin Costner. If there's a guy who has exemplified the middle-aged, lousy in life but king on the field archetype it's him, and he's done it unabashed classics like Bull Durham and Field of Dreams. But even in the underrated golf comedy, Tin Cup, Costner has excelled at this very specific sort of character, which is why it's been so strange to see him away from it for so long. For me at least, it's a role I've sorely missed seeing, but never would I have thought to see it re-emerge in a football dramedy/thriller like Draft Day.

In a sense, all of those earlier Costner films are a form of wish fulfillment. Wish fulfillment for guys, anyway, where the breaks go exactly right on the green or the home run sails over the fence with glorious perfection, all while some gorgeous woman cheers on from the stands. Draft Day kind of follows that same pattern, except replace the stands with an office and the home runs with draft picks. Think the behind-the-scenes insider jargon of Moneyball mixed with the Cleveland woe of Major League, all wrapped in the effortless branding and gigantic egos of the NFL.

Costner proves he's a natural of the gridiron as much as the baseball diamond, playing Cleveland Browns general manager Sonny Weaver, Jr. Sonny's life is in disarray, and it couldn't happen at a worse time. His father, the team's legendary head coach he was forced to fire a couple of seasons ago, has recently passed away. The tension this decision has created with his mother (Ellen Burstyn) is thicker than an offensive tackle; he's been having a secret romance with the team's salary cap analyst, Ali (Jennifer Garner), who has just revealed she's pregnant; and all of this occurs just as the NFL Draft is mere hours away. Coming off a mediocre year plagued by injury, Sonny is basically given an ultimatum by the team owner (Frank Langella) to "make a splash" at the Draft or risk getting canned.

While the life decisions Sonny is forced to make, like choosing whether he even wants to be a father, are familiar and play out with few surprises, it's the wheeling 'n dealing of big time professional football that really moves the chains. It's new ground for Ivan Reitman, the legendary director of many comedy staples in the 1980s, and he overcompensates when trying to capture the frenetic pace and anxiety of NFL war rooms where every decision literally means millions of dollars. Through a combination of 24-style ticking clocks and split screens that would make Jack Bauer throw up his arms in protest, Reitman zips us through the many internal and external factors intruding in on Sonny's decisions. Taking the ultimate gamble, he decides to mortgage the team's future, trading away three future #1 draft picks to secure the top spot right now. Not only does it send ripples through the league, but what should have made his choice easier only gets tougher.

The consensus #1 choice, and would fit the owner's splash-making criteria, is blue chip quarterback Bo Callahan (Josh Pence), a pretty boy with a hot shot agent (P. Diddy, appropriately) and possible character issues. On the other end of the spectrum is the guy Sonny wants, linebacker and tackling machine Vontae Mack (Chadwick Boseman), a natural team leader and a genuinely good guy. There's also the hometown boy, running back Ray Jennings (played by Houston Oilers RB Arian Foster), whose father (Terry Crews) played for the Browns. Choosing Callahan would make the franchise happy, including their arrogant Super Bowl-winning coach (Denis Leary), but is it necessarily the right thing to do?

So yeah, this is one of those alternate realities where things like morals and personal codes of honor intrude in the high-stakes world of NFL decision making. Like that exists! It's often hokey and preachy, frequently serving as a self-aggrandizing advertisement for the NFL and the purity of its wealthy players. When one player, who is destined to make millions even if he drops a few spots, laments how badly his family needs him to be the #1 pick so he can make more, it's a little tough to sympathize with his "plight". But Sonny is a guy you genuinely want to see succeed, and Costner gives him all of the rough edges we've seen in most of his other genre characters. His chemistry with Garner, at her feistiest for the first time in way too long, is playful and a lot of fun until it comes time to make some tough choices. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones might see a little of himself (okay, a lot) in the performance given by Langella.

But at the same time, Draft Day is an authentic window into the NFL like we've never seen before on the silver screen. There's a certain thrill in actually seeing your team represented as part of the story; their actual team uniforms, logos, stadiums, and players are all there. Even league commissioner Roger Goodell shows up, only to get booed by the Draft's typically rowdy fans. It really does feel like you're being let in on a secret peek behind the curtain, or sitting right there at Radio City Music Hall. While Draft Dayis hardly a Super Bowl champ, NFL fans aching for some football will want to run and check it out.

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First Trailer for James Brown Biopic 'Get On Up' Starring Chadwick Boseman

After Spike Lee, Wesley Snipes, and Eddie Murphy toyed with the idea of bringing the story of James Brown to the big screen some years ago, it was ultimately a less starry duo who finally made it happen. The Help director Tate Taylor and 42 star Chadwick Boseman are telling the story of the "Godfather of Soul" in Get On Up, and the first trailer has just hit the stage.

Taking on the life of Brown is a daunting task, and so Boseman has been surrounded by an experienced cast. Octavia Spencer, Viola Davis, Jill Scott, Craig Robinson, Nelsan Ellis, Dan Akroyd, Tika Sumpter, and Lennie James co-star in the story that takes us from Brown's humble childhood to his rise as one of the greatest performers in the 20th century. Mick Jagger, who considered Brown a major influence on his career, is producing.

Boseman's got the hair and the moves, but we'll see if he can Get On Up when the film opens August 1st.

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Chadwick Boseman Joins 'Gods of Egypt'; Rebecca Hall Boards 'Tumbledown'; Nikki Reed Opens 'Email'

 * 42 star Chadwick Boseman has been keeping plenty busy ever since that Jackie Robinson biopic. He's currently filming Get On Up in which he'll play James Brown, and he'll be seen next in Draft Day opposite Kevin Costner. Now he'll go all divine and stuff by joining Gods of Egypt, directed by Alex Proyas. Starring Gerard Butler, Geoffrey Rush, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Brenton Thwaites, and Courtney Eaton, the film centers on a group of rebels battling against the evil god, Set. Boseman will play Thoth, the god of wisdom in the February 12th 2016 release. [Deadline]

* Rebecca Hall, soon to be seen in Transcendence opposite Johnny Depp, has joined the cast of rom-com, Tumbledown.  Directed by Sean Mewshew and starring Jason Sudeikis, Joe Manganiello, and Blythe Danner, the film follows a widow struggling to write a biography about her late husband, a famous musician. That changes when she meets a brash New York academic with a different take on her husband's life and death. The unlikely pair must collaborate to craft the famous singer’s story and begin to write the next chapter in their lives together.

* Just when you thought it was safe to use Yahoo Mail, Nikki Reed goes and signs on for Email, a horror from director Kelvin Tong. Reed will play "a journalist who travels to Singapore to investigate the mysterious circumstances of her sister’s death and discovers a string of bizarre killings involving a cursed email. Along the way she meets Ted, an ex-pat technology reporter, and together they face the supernatural forces and unravel a mysterious conspiracy far bigger than they expected." So basically it's You've got Mail meets The Ring? Blergh. 

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First Look at Chadwick Boseman as James Brown in 'Get On Up'

Just months after knocking it out of the park (pun intended) as Jackie Robinson in 42, Chadwick Boseman has moved on to play another prominent African-American icon. He landed the sought after role of the "Godftather of Soul" James Brown in Get On Up, the follow-up film from The Help director, Tate Taylor.  There was a lot of skepticism Boseman could make the transformation since he and Brown are nothing alike, but in the first photo released by EW he actually looks the part.

So what made Taylor decide to take on this film rather than doing something similar to The Help? According to him, he had received nothing but "women in pain" scripts afterwards, but fell for Brown's life story, promising to show us the good and the bad about the legendary singer...

Taylor: “As I dug in and started to discover more about him, the good and the bad, I loved the reasons he was often bad and I loved the reasons he was good. I love that he would stop at nothing to keep reinventing himself so he could stay current, and as a result he changed music.”

As for the vocals, Boseman's voice will be overlaid with Brown's to create something we haven't heard before.  He'll be joined in the film by Octavia Spencer, Nelsan Ellis, Jill Scott, Dan Akroyd, Tikka Sumpter, Viola Davis, Lennie James, and Craig Robinson who is also pictured.

Get On Up opens August 1st 2014.

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Kevin Costner Makes the Top Pick in First 'Draft Day' Trailer

For fans of the NFL, the day of the college draft is full of promise. It's the time when Hall of Fame careers begin and championship franchises are built. It can be pretty intense, and director Ivan Reitman hopes to capture that energy in the sports drama Draft Day, and judging by the first trailer he may have it nailed.

Kevin Costner stars as the general manager of the Cleveland Browns who finds himself under the gun when his team trades for the #1 draft pick. Set over the course of a single day, he must try and save football in Cleveland while balancing his personal and professional life, which includes flirting over football with Jennifer Garner. Obviously the comparisons to Moneyball are there as the film goes into the internal mechanics of a pro ball club, and if this proves half as successful as that was Draft Day won't have to worry about being labeled "Mr. Irrelevant".

Directed by Ivan Reitman and co-starring Frank Langella, Joe Manganiello, Chadwick Boseman, Denis Leary, Terry Crews, Sam Elliott, Ellen Burstyn, Tom Welling, Sean Combs, and Rosanna Arquette, Draft Day gets selected on April 11th 2014.

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Chadwick Boseman Will Get Down As James Brown In New Biopic

Want to know how it's obvious that 42 star Chadwick Boseman hit a home run with his portrayal of Jackie Robinson? His name has been floated for a number of major projects since, including the coveted lead role in Marvel's Black Panther. But before that superhero film ever gets off the ground, or even announced, Boseman will take on another groundbreaking African-American icon; the godfather of soul, James Brown.

In the works for years, the film finally got a head of momentum last fall when The Help director Tate Taylor came aboard. The  Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth penned screenplay will track Brown's rise as a Georgia youth an R&B/Soul music legend. And even more, the film is produced by Mick Jagger, who counts Brown as a major influence on his own career. It'll be a very different sort of role for Boseman, who channeled his natural charisma inward to play the stoic Jackie Robinson. He'll need to be a lot more aggressive and outward as Brown, so we'll see if he can get on the good foot and do the justice a role like this deserves.

Filming is set to begin this fall in Mississippi.[Variety]

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Is '42' star Chadwick Boseman suiting up as Marvel's 'Black Panther'?

There's little doubt that Marvel desperately wants to bring a Black Panther film to the big screen. They've been trying to piece one together for a couple of years, hiring a writer to start work on the script with nothing much coming out of it. News on the film perked up a couple of weeks ago after some oddly-timed tweets by Morris Chestnut, who was either vying for the role or already had it. Whatever his motivations were, it sounds as if Marvel is on the verge of making a final decision.

If you manage to endure the lengthy and rather pointless babble from Latino Review, you'll eventually learn that they've caught wind of the top name on the short list to play Black Panther, and it's 42 star Chadwick Boseman. The site says Marvel has been eying Boseman ever since the Jackie Robinson biopic became such a huge hit, and in keeping with their history of locking up young stars for major roles (ala Chris Hemsworth in Thor), Boseman became a likely target.

Bear in mind that many of these shortlists don't amount to much, and Latino Review in particular has a spotty track record. They don't reveal any other names on the list, or give any indication whether Chestnut is still in the running. That said, this seems like an avenue Marvel may be willing to travel down, as Boseman would clearly be an affordable option, and they can build him as another of their homegrown stars. I had Boseman as my top choice when all of the Chestnut rumors were breaking, so obviously it's a move I agree with. Make it happen, Marvel.

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Chadwick Boseman the top pick for 'Draft Day'

In his first two major film roles, Chadwick Boseman has played a pair of Hall of Famers. He hit the ground running as Floyd Little in The Express, and he's currently earning raves for his performance as Jackie Robinson in 42. Now he's headed back to sports movie territory, joining the pro football comedy, Draft Day.

Directed by Ivan Reitman and featuring a Black List-selected screenplay that has drawn comparisons to Moneyball, the film stars Kevin Costner as the GM of the Cleveland Browns who spends one crazy day trying to make the right draft picks to save his team. Boseman will play Louisiana outside linebacker Vontae Mack in what is described as a small but pivotal role. He joins Denis Leary, Frank Langella, Jennifer Garner, and Ellen Burstyn.

The NFL has given Draft Day their complete blessing, and some shooting will take place during the NFL Draft next week. You can listen to our interview with Boseman here, where he talks about the pressures of playing someone as important as Robinson. [Deadline]

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