Crispin Glover Joins Tim Burton’s “Alice” cast

Crispin Glover has joined the cast of Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland,” taking on the role of The Knave Of Hearts.

Glover will appear along with Johnny Depp (Mad Hatter), Anne Hathaway (White Queen), Helena Bonham Carter (Red Queen) and Mia Wasikowska (Alice) in the Disney adaptation of the Lewis Carroll tale.

British actors Michael Sheen and Matt Lucas have already signed up for the movie, part of which is being filmed in Plymouth.

In the novel, Glover’s character is put on trial for stealing The Queen Of Hearts’s tarts, however, Alice (Wasikowska) comes to his defence.

Burton is using a combination of live action and performance-capture technology in his adaptation.

“Alice in Wonderland” is scheduled for release in 2010.

WB vs Sony - Two Movies About Real-Life Colombian Hostage Rescue

Warner Bros will make an untitled action thriller about last summer’s real-life hostage rescue in the Colombian jungle.

In July, 15 prisoners were freed by undercover forces who tricked the captors, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), into thinking they were moving the hostages to another location.

The film will focus on Operacion Jaque, a five-year plan to locate and rescue three Americans who had been captured in 2003 by Colombian guerilla group FARC. The covert effort involved numerous governments, diplomats and intelligence services and a vast network of spies, military advisers and soldiers plus high-tech surveillance measures.

New York Times Magazine’s foreign correspondent Peter Landesman will script the drama.

“We’re fed so many post-9/11 movies filled with political ambiguity, but this story is unequivocally about good vs. evil, with a happy ending,” Landesman said.

Warner Bros becomes the second major studio to put a rescue film in development. The rival is Sony’s “Operation Checkmate,” which also explores the same event, scripted by Jessica Postigo, with Simon Brand to direct.

McG To Direct “Dead Spy Running”

Warner Bros. has acquired rights to “Dead Spy Running” for McG to direct.

The spy novel which tells the origin story of newly trained spy, written by British author Jon Stock will be published next summer as the first of a trilogy, aims to reinvent the spy genre.

McG will direct at least the first installment.

McG is in post-production on “Terminator: Salvation,” the fourth installment in the “Terminator” franchise, which is set for release May 22, 2009.

Guy Pearce To Star in “Animal Kingdom”

Guy Pearce will star alongside Ben Mendelson and Joel Edgerton in director David Michod’s first feature, the crime drama “Animal Kingdom.”

“Animal Kingdom” will focus on a 17-year-old who tries to survive a criminal family with help from a cop (Guy Pearce).

Produced by Liz Watts, “Animal Kingdom” also will star veteran actress Jackie Weaver and be distributed in Australia and New Zealand by Madman.

Javier Bardem Is “Biutiful”

Javier Bardem will star in Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s film “Biutiful.”

Spanish-language movie “Biutiful,” which Gonzalez Inarritu wrote, shoots on location in Barcelona next week.

The film is about a man embroiled in shady dealings who is confronted by a childhood friend, now a policeman.

Guillermo Arriaga and Gonzalez Inarritu were Mexico’s most successful filmmaking duo, starting with their breakout hit “Amores perros” in 2000 and with English-language films “21 Grams” and “Babel” that formed a trilogy.

“Biutiful” will be co-produced by Fernando Bovaira’s Mod production company and Cha Cha Cha, Gonzalez Inarritu’s three-way partnership with Alfonso Cuaron and Guillermo del Toro.

“Australia” New International Trailer

A new international trailer for the upcoming “Australia” directed by Baz Luhrmann, starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman, has appeared online.

“Australia” is scheduled to hit theaters on November 26, 2008.

New “The Spirit” Widget

Lionsgate has released a new widget for “The Spirit” which you can post on your own website - Facebook- MySpace - blog.

Widget provides up to date content including clips, trailes and three part game. The first level is playable now and the second two will be unlocked in the coming weeks. Read the rest of this entry