Regina Hall and Keegan-Michael Key go on 'Vacation'; Matt Bomer Joins 'The Nice Guys'

 Filming on the Vacation reboot/sequel has already begun but there's still room for two more cast members to join the road trip comedy. Regina Hall (Think Like a Man Too) and Keegan-Michael Key of Key & Peele have come aboard the film as family friends to the Griswolds. Ed Helms plays a grown-up Rusty Griswold whose family road trip turns out to be a disaster, just like the one his father took him on as a child. Christina Applegate, Chris Hemsworth, Charlie Day, Skyler Gisondo, Steele Stebbins, Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo star with John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein directing. [Variety]

Once Matt Bomer is done reuniting with Channing Tatum and the gang for Magic Mike XXL, he'll head over to film The Nice Guys for Iron Man 3 director, Shane Black. Bomer will be joining Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe in the 1970s-set thriller about an ex-alcoholic bruiser and an alcoholic private detective who team up to investigate a girl's disappearance and the mysterious death of a porn star. Bomer can be seen now in the sci-fi comedy Space Station 76, and is due to return for the sixth and final season of his USA series, White Collar.

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Elizabeth Banks Joins 'Magic Mike XXL' as Full Cast and Plot Revealed

Over the last couple of weeks there has been a lot of news on who is in and who is out of Magic Mike XXL. Matthew McConaughey sadly won't be returning, but what about Matt Bomer, Kevin Nash, and Joe Manganiello? Turns out they'll all be be back, along with Adam Rodriguez and Gabriel Igleasias, while Elizabeth Banks, Donald Glover, and Michael Strahan (!?!?) will be coming aboard. They'll be joining the previously announced Jada Pinkett Smith, Amber Heard, and Andie MacDowell, with Channing Tatum obviously returning to the film he's again co-writing with Reid Carolin. What, no Alex Pettyfer?

Along with that announcement, Warner Bros. has revealed the first real plot details, confirming it as a road trip movie. The story will take place three years after the last film when Mike gave up stripping for good, and it looks like his boys are ready to do the same.

"Magic Mike XXL" finds the remaining Kings of Tampa ready to throw in the towel. But they want to do it their way: burning down the house in one last blow-out performance in Myrtle Beach, and with legendary headliner Magic Mike sharing the spotlight with them. On the road to their final show, with whistle stops in Jacksonville and Savannah to renew old acquaintances and make new friends, Mike and the guys learn some new moves and shake off the past in surprising ways.

Directed by Greg Jacobs, Magic Mike XXL opens July 1st 2015.

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Space Out with Patrick Wilson, Liv Tyler, and Matt Bomer in Trailer for 'Space Station 76'

Pulling off the difficult blend of science-fiction and comedy has proven too daunting for many a filmmaker. For every Galaxy Quest there's a Spaced Invaders or Alien Trespass, and even Tim Burton largely failed at it with Mars Attacks (I know some love it, but come on). So it's no wonder the attempt isn't made more often, and that only makes this trailer for Jack Plotnick's Space Station 76 all the better because it looks pretty funny.

Starring Liv Tyler, Patrick Wilson, Matt Bomer, Jerry O'Connell, and Marisa Coughlan, this 1970s' sci-fi spoof follows a group of humans and robots living in a space station. When a new assistant captain arrives it throws them all into crisis mode. Beyond the pinpoint retro production design and the stellar casting, the fun of this trailer is how it resembles a space soap opera. If done right this could be a lot of fun.

Check out the trailer below and we'll update you when Space Station 76 gets a release date. [EW]

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New Trailer for HBO's 'The Normal Heart' Starring Mark Ruffalo and Julia Roberts

Next month HBO is going to drop something big on us on a Sunday night. No, it's not another episode of Game of Thrones, it'll be Ryan Murphy's AIDS drama, The Normal Heart, featuring a cast as strong as any you'll see on the big screen. And with only a few weeks until it hits, a new trailer has been released.

Starring Julia Roberts, Mark Ruffalo, Taylor Kitsch, Jim Parsons, Matt Bomer, and based on Larry Kramer's award-winning stageplay, the story is set in 1980s New York amidst the fear and confusion of the HIV/AIDS outbreak. Ruffalo is Ned Weeks, who sees the disease ravaging those in the gay community and seeks to raise awareness while politicians and the media keep silent. HBO has done a lot of great films on the subject (And the Band Played On is a personal favorite) and this looks to be another one.

The Normal Heart airs on May 25th.

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Teaser for HBO's 'The Normal Heart' Starring Mark Ruffalo, Julia Roberts, Taylor Kitsch, and More

With True Detective coming to an end tonight, HBO rolled out the heavy artillery tonight with a series of trailers for their upcoming shows. Gotta keep them subscribers up! And one of them that debuted tonight was for The Normal Heart, a film that boasts some serious pedigree and a ton of talent.

Based on Larry Kramer's acclaimed play about the 1980s HIV crisis and directed by Glee's Ryan Murphy, the film also stars Mark Ruffalo, Julia Roberts, Jim Parsons (reprising his role from the Broadway show), Taylor Kitsch, Matt Bomer, Jonathan Groff, and Alfred Molina. Ruffalo plays Ned Weeks, a gay activist in New York City trying to raise awareness about the mysterious disease targeting primarily homosexual men. All of this comes at a time when the media was scared to even talk about the disease, and the public was scared to acknowledge its existence.

Frankly, I'm not a big fan of Murphy but this is a great story with a top notch cast so I'll be tuning in to check it out. The Normal Heart airs on May 25th.

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Patrick Wilson, Matt Bomer, Liv Tyler and more to star in 'Space Station 76'

So is this the new thing now? Filming movies in secret, hiding them from the prying eyes of internet movie sleuths until the production is wrapped and ready to go? We saw Richard Linklater do it recently with Before Midnight, and now actor/playwright Jack Plotnick has done the same with his writing/directing debut, Space Station 76, which recently completed shooting in Los Angeles.

Described as a dramatic comedy set in a 1970s version of the future, the story explores the goings on in a space station. Patrick Wilson(Watchmen) will play the bitter and suicidal captain, with Liv Tyler as a new assistant captain whose arrival causes some tension. Matt Bomer(Magic Mike) is a technician sporting a robotic hand, and is dealing with a manipulative wife played by Marisa Coughlan(Super Troopers). The rest of the cast includes Jerry O'Connell, Kali Rocha, and Kylie Rogers.

The film was dreamed up by the fast-rising Plotnick, who intended to make a play out of it, using the space station as a metaphor for his suburban upbringing. Certainly the setting should make for kitschy throwback comedy, and the cast is certainly impressive. Post-production is underway now, so hopefully we'll see how Space Station 76 turns out next year.[THR]

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Crotch shots galore in new 'Magic Mike' red band trailer

For a movie that is basically about a bunch of really hunky dudes stripping down to their skivvies, the spots we've seen for Magic Mike have been pretty tame. Channing Tatum's moves have been more reminiscent of his pop lockin' in Step Up, and that's basically been it. Bare chests? Pfft! Even Twilight has bare chests. Just how dirty is this moving going to get, anyhow?

A new, 1-minute long red band trailer has the answer, and it's....well, you might want to leave the kids at home. It's a virtual parade of six-pack abs, thongs, and foot-long prosthetic schlongs. Yeah, I'm a poet.

Directed by Steven Soderbergh(!!!!), the film is based in part on Tatum's early career as a male stripper. He plays Mike, a stripper at club Xquisite, who teaches a hungry protege the ropes on how to work the ladies for big dollars. Matthew McConaughey, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Alex Pettyfer, Olivia Munn, Cody Horn, Kevin Nash, Wendi McLendon-Covey, and Kevin Nash co-star. Magic Mike opens on June 29th. Check out the trailer below from the comfort of your own home...

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New 'Magic Mike' poster and clip works it all night

If there's going to be a film that comes out of nowhere and sucker punches those bigger, more expensive summer movies it might just be Magic Mike. While it doesn't feature any mutants or armored space Gods or anything, it does feature the superhuman power of Channing Tatum's sweaty abs and unnatural dancing ability. Test audiences have described the film as a definite crowd pleaser, and those sorts of movies tend to work well even in the thick of the summer crush. You can count on a pretty sizable female audience for this one, but is that enough to push Magic Mike into sleeper hit status? The difference maker might be Steven Soderbergh, whose presence as director all but guarantees this will be more than the "home town stripper makes good" story it appears to be.

The latest clip is sure to get a few people all hot 'n bothered, as Tatum, Matt Bomer, Adam Rodriguez, Joe Manganiello, and Kevin Nash(!!!) hump the floor to a steamy rendition of The Weather Girls' 'It's Raining Men'. You just can't have a respectable male stripper film without 'It's Raining Men' somewhere in it.  The story was developed by Tatum and writer Reid Carolyn, and based in part on Tatum's experience as a dancer in the early part of his career. Matthew McConaughey, Riley Keough, and Olivia Munn co-star.

Tatum has already scored two $100M+ hit with The Vow and 21 Jump Street. Could Magic Mike be number three? We'll find out on June 29th...[MTV]

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New 'Magic Mike' trailer with Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey

Of all of us hanging around the Punch Drunk Critics water cooler, only Rocky Hadadi can lay claim to being the target demo for Magic Mike, Steven Soderbergh's male stripper film starring slabs of beefcake like Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey, Matt Bomer, and Joe Manganiello. The trailer was actually pretty good, though, showing all of Soderbergh's signature touches while presenting a rather simple "hometown stripper makes good" fairy tale. The story is based on Tatum's early career as an exotic dancer, and in an interview in this week's Entertainment Weekly, he and the others dish about his attempts to introduce them into the stripper world. We also hear a little about Manganiello's casting process and his familiarity with being half naked as part of his role on HBO's True Blood. You can find the story and a behind-the-scenes glimpse here...

Also, a new UK trailer for the film has been released, and while it's not wildly different from the previous one, it does provide a better look at the mentor relationship between Tatum and Pettyfer's characters. Check that out below, then save up your singles for when Magic Mike opens on June 29th...

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More skin! Two new photos from 'Magic Mike' featuring Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey!

Aw hell, I guess it's only fair. If the earlier photos of a skanky Emma Watson were for old perverts like yours truly, then it's only right we do something for the ladies and present a pair of new shots of the hunky stars of Magic Mike.

Looking like the dudes version of Striptease, Magic Mike is directed by Steven Soderbergh and stars Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey, Alex Pettyfer, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Adam Rodriguez, and Kevin Nash all in various states of undress. Based on Tatum's early career as a male dancer(seriously), the story has him as a veteran stripper teaching a new guy the ropes. "The ropes" means shaking your wiener in hopes some lady will stuff dollar bills down your leather chaps. Speaking of ladies, Olivia Munn, Cody Horn, Riley Keough, and Wendi McLendon-Covey co-star.

Magic Mike is set to disrobe on June 29th. [JustJared]

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Julia Roberts, Alec Baldwin, Matt Bomer, and Jim Parsons join 'The Normal Heart'

I'm pretty tough on Ryan Murphy sometimes here on this site, mainly because I think he's vastly overrated. Great with TV(Glee, Nip/Tuck), terrible with movies(Running with Scissors, Eat Pray Love). But there's no doubt the guy knows how to put together a talented cast of folks, and he always aims high in terms of the ideas he's trying to present. He deserves credit for that, even if his movies tend to be misfires. 

His next project looks to be the biggest yet. He'll be tackling an adaptation of The Normal Heart, the fiery semi-autobiographical stageplay by Larry Kramer, set in the 1980s amidst the HIV/AIDS crisis as it ravaged the New York gay community. Produced by Brad Pitt's Plan B, we've known that Mark Ruffalo was attached to the lead role of gay writer/activist Ned Weeks, head of an HIV advocacy group. Now THR reports that Julia Roberts, Alec Baldwin, Jim Parsons, and Matt Bomer have joined the cast. If this wasn't looking like a potential Oscar contender before, it certainly does now.

The story follows Ned as he angrily tries to draw attention to the epidemic, then known as "gay cancer", at a time when the world was largely ignoring the disease. Roberts will play Emma Brookner, a wheelchair bound doctor who is one of the few taking AIDS seriously. Baldwin will play Ben, Ned's homophobic brother. Bomer is Felix Turner, a gay fashion journalist who becomes Ned's boyfriend. Parsons, who actually acted in the stage version, will reprise his role as a southern gay activist and part of a gay man's health crisis group.

Baldwin, Bomer, and Parsons all have TV shows to worry about, so I assume this will shoot when all three are in hiatus. That means we could be looking at this as a definite awards contender in the near future. Here's hoping Murphy doesn't put such a great story to waste.

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Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, and Matt Bomer show off their abs in new 'Magic Mike' pics

All Steven Soderbergh wants to do this year is make both genders happy. He's got two movies coming out this year, and both should appeal to two very different audiences. The first is Haywire, his fast paced espionage flick with a sexy, physical actress in Gina Carano for guys to drool over. And then in June he's got a little something for the ladies. Ok, a lot of something for the ladies. Magic Mike features Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Matthew McConaughey, and pro wrestler Kevin Nash in various states of undress.  That's basically the plot. Hot dudes, bear chests.

Actually, it's based in part on Tatum's early career shakin' his groove thang for stripper singles, and follows an experienced dancer who takes a younger one under his wing. EW has released a pair of new photos from the film, with Tatum, Pettyfer, and Bomer flexing their washboard abs. You can see the 7-foot Nash in the background, as well. How come ties don't look that good on me?

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Matthew McConaughey strips down in 1st look at 'Magic Mike'

Christmas may be over, but for a lot of women out there I'm betting that the above image is like Santa dropping off one final amazing gift down the chimney. THR has provided the first look at Magic Mike, from director Steven Soderbergh and featuring a beefcake heavy cast of Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey, Joe Manganiello(True Blood), Matt Bomer, and a bunch of people less buffed and oiled. In the above image we get a look at the majority of the cast, including McConaughey in his default shirtless, looking like they're about to perform a patriotic rendition of YMCA. The story, which sounds like a male version of Showgirls, follows a veteran stripper(Tatum) who takes a young upstart(Pettyfer) under his wing and shows him how to shake his wang for crisp $1 bills. Olivia Munn, Wendi McLendon-Covey, and Cody Horn co-star. Ladies, commence swooning. Magic Mike teases it's way into theaters on June 29th! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

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Matt Bomer joins the hunky lads of Magic Mike

I don't really know anything about Matt Bomer except through the commercials on the USA Network for his show, White Collar. Don't know anything about that, either. Apparently he's some sort of sex symbol or something? I dunno, but he must be if he's going to be a part of Steven Soderbergh's stripper pic, Magic Mike.

Based in part on Channing Tatum's early career as a stripper, Tatum stars as an experienced dancer who takes a younger one(Alex Pettyfer) under his wing. Matthew McConaughey plays Dallas, the owner of the club where they....um, ply their trade? Bomer is another member of the crew, so I expect he'll spend half the film bare chested and his groin in some chick's face.

This still seems like a weird film for Soderbergh, as he's only got a few projects until his supposed retirement. Yet the subject matter isn't all that different than The Girlfriend Experience, so maybe he sees something in it that I don't. The script was written by Reid Carolin, with production set to begin next month.[THR]

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