Kurt Russell and Jay Baruchel Plan a Heist in 'The Art of the Steal' Trailer

Much like the trailer we just put up for Rob the Mob, the heist film The Art of the Steal is made somewhat more interesting by the assemblage of talent. But much like the first trailer we saw months ago before its coolly-received TIFF premiere, there's little about it that doesn't give you the sense of "been there, done that".

Starring Jay Baruchel, Kurt Russell, Terence Stamp, Katheryn Winnick, and Matt Dillon, the film centers on washed-up motorcycle daredevil  and former art thief Crunch Calhoun (Russell), who takes on the infamous "one last job' with his brother. Of course it goes belly-up as these things always do, and you can probably figure out all the twists and turns from there.

The Art of the Steal hits VOD February 7th, and then in theaters March 14th.


The Art of the Steal with Kurt Russell – Official Trailer by FanReviews

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Simon Pegg To 'Man Up'; Ray Liotta Cameos In 'Stretch'; 'Big Eyes' Adds Terence Stamp

When Simon Pegg has ventured outside of the relative ease of the "Three Flavours", Star Trek, and Mission: Impossible films, things haven't gone quite so smoothly. Attempts to branch out into the mainstream with Run Fatboy Run and How To Make Friends and Alienate People didn't work out, to put it mildly. But Pegg's going to give it another go, as Empire reports he'll star in Brit comedy, Man Up. Few details are available right now, other than that it features a script by Tess Morris (Beer Goggles) and will be a romantic comedy.

* Another day, another addition to Joe Carnahan's increasingly-impressive cast of Stretch, the indie action comedy starring Patrick Wilson as the titular limo driver who seeks to pay off his debts by chauffeuring a reclusive billionaire through a wild night. The latest to join are Ray Liotta and David Hasselhoff,who are expected to cameo as themselves. You know it's a weird night if you run into those two on the same evening. Shaun Toub also comes aboard as the no-nonsense owner of the limo company that employs Stretch. Chris Pine, James Badge Dale, Ed Helms and Brooklyn Decker co-star. [TheWrap]

* Other than Frankenweenie, there's no doubt that Tim Burton has been a bit of a creative funk. That's why his upcoming biopic, Big Eyes, has people already hoping it'll be a return to the Burton who gave us Ed Wood twenty years ago. Terence Stamp (The Limey) is the latest to join the film, which stars Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz as 1950s artists Martha and Walter Keane. Known for their popular images of big-eyed children, they would have an eventual falling out and legal dispute when he tries to take credit for her work. Danny Huston, Krysten Ritter, and Jason Schwartzman co-star, with Stamp playing New York Times art critic John Canada. 

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Stephen Frears to helm a remake of his 1984 crime flick, The Hit

The last decade or so has been a mixed bag of highs 'n lows for veteran British director, Stephen Frears. The highs don't get much loftier than High Fidelity, which every relationship weary dude I know(including yours truly) has on their DVD shelf. He also found success with the gritty Dirty Pretty Things, and The Queen, which starred Helen Mirren, may have drawn more attention his way than ever in his storied career. His last couple of films are barely worth mentioning, though, like the awful Gemma Arterton flick, Tamara Drewe. Cheri wasn't so bad, but a proper representation of his talents.

Frears is making an unexpected move for his next film, reuniting with producer Jeremy Thomas and writer Peter Prince on an American remake of The Hit. Featuring a score by Eric Clapton and Terence Stamp in his first starring role in over a decade, the 1984 film centered on a former criminal henchman who tries to live a peaceful life in a remote Spanish village, only to have his old life come back to haunt him. He's tracked down and marked for execution by two hitmen, played by John Hurt and Tim Roth.

The plan is to make this more of an American film, moving the action to Mexico and the United States. Frears hasn't really done a movie like this since, but I'm really kindof excited for this. As much as we like to bag on remakes, they've been pretty good lately. Frears should have no problem tweaking the story just enough to keep it fresh. 

Frears' next film is the sports gambling comedy, Lay the Favorite, with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Bruce Willis. [Variety]

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Terence Stamp joins Ben Hibon's serial killer Peter Pan flick

There are a couple of Peter Pan projects on the way, but both are vastly different. There's Peter Pan Begins, which last I heard still had Channing Tatum attached with a script by Billy Ray(Shattered Glass). The other one most has my attention, as it's unlike any version of the J. M. Barrie novel that we've ever seen, more like a dark and twisted crime procedural.

Titled simply 'Pan', the film once had Guillermo Del Toro attached to direct, but ultimately ended up in the hands of Ben Hibon, the man behind those beautifully animated sequences in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt. 1. Back in May, Sean Bean, Aaron Eckhart, and AnnaSophia Robb came aboard. Moviehole now reports that Terence Stamp(The Limey) has come aboard in an unspecified role. That would normally be enough to make this a buzzworthy flick, but it's the premise that sets it apart.

Based on a script by Benjamin Magid, this version of Peter Pan is set in the modern world, and reimagines Captain Hook(Eckhart) as a haunted cop, with Smee(Bean) as his only friend on the force. Peter Pan is a violent serial killer, with Wendy(Robb) one of his potential victims who got away. What role Stamp would play is unclear, but how cool would it be if he were an aged version of Pan? Just a thought.

No clue when this one will kick off, but I wouldn't expect it anytime soon. Maybe not for a couple years at least.

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