Category: Fanboy

Crazy like a Fox.

The forthcoming Nolan Batman adds Morgan Freeman to the mix as “Lucius Fox, a respected businessman and the CEO of billionaire Bruce Wayne’s mega-conglom, based in Gotham City.” (If this is some character from the comics, I’ve never heard of him.) Also, Neeson is confirmed as Ras Al Ghul, meaning the only high-profile character left is Commissioner Gordon (which Chris Cooper, sadly, already turned down.)

Speakers for the Dead.

Has the success of LotR cleared the way for stalled sci-fi film projects? Casting for the long-awaited Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy has already been noted here, and now there’s finally movement on an Ender’s Game movie: Director Wolfgang (Das Boot, Air Force One) Petersen is already signed, and apparently the writers of X2 have come aboard for a rewrite. Hmm…that’s good news. Now I wonder what’s up with Morgan Freeman’s take on Rendezvous with Rama? It seems the only fanboy project in the tank right now is Indiana Jones and the Wrath of Lucas.

Qui-Gon to Ras Al?

In more good news on the Batman front, Liam Neeson is set to play a villain, most likely Ras Al Ghul to Cillian Murphy’s Scarecrow. Well, so much for Viggo, but I still like this casting. I just hope Christian Bale can get back into Bruce Wayne-shape after getting creepily thin for The Machinist. Update: Has Nolan found Arkham Asylum?

Haircut 100.

A day after the announcement of the Original Trilogy DVDs (coming this September – unfortunately, they’re the Greedo-shoots-first versions), a new wave of Episode III pics make it online, including Anakin and Padme in full, bad-hair glory. After killing Indy IV due to a, ahem, *bad script*, Lucas now has extra pressure to make this Star Wars movie a keeper. Well, I for one have gone to the dark side…if there’s hope for this franchise, I don’t sense it.

The Calculus Affairs.

In a strange bit of movie news, Steven Spielberg and Roman Polanski may be heading rival Tintin projects. Moreover, the Spielberg version is looking at Rupert “Ron Weasley” Grint or Jamie Bell as the boy detective in question…Not exactly star wattage, but I could see Bell in particularly working out. (And I could also see Spielberg going to the well and putting Tom Hanks or somebody as Captain Haddock.) As for a Polanski Tintin…I’m scared to think about it.

Confessions of Two Dangerous Minds.

By way of Quiddity, the cast of Hitchhiker’s Guide gets rounded out, and I like what I’m hearing. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Mos Def will be Ford Prefect (good race-neutral casting, although I hope he’s still British), Zooey Deschanel plays Trillian (how’d her agent ever manage to stop the Knightley Behemoth? Keira’s got more momentum these days than Kerry) and Sam Rockwell is Zaphod Beeblebrox, president of the universe (That’s classic…but no word yet on how or if they’re casting his second head.) This should be fun.