CAST
HUGH JACKMAN
DANNY HUSTON
DOMINIC MONAGHAN
RYAN REYNOLDS
LIEV SCHREIBER

DIRECTED BY
GAVIN HOOD

A prequel to the popular X-Men trilogy, X-Men Origins: Wolverine chronicles the origin of everyone’s favourite cagey mutant, and examines his relationship with William Stryker (Danny Huston) and his Weapon X program.  

Hugh Jackman returns in the title role which made him a star. Joining him are Ryan Reynolds as wise cracking assassin Deadpool; and Liev Schreiber as Sabretooth.

Handling directorial duties is the unlikely choice of Tsotsi filmmaker, Gavin Hood. And, if the recently released trailer is any indication - which promises to continue with the critically acclaimed tone established by Bryan Singer in the first two instalments of the franchise - Hood was indeed the right man for the job.

(image:firstshowing.net)

CAST
BRAD PITT
SAMUEL L.JACKSON (VOICE OF)
MELANIE LAURENT
MIKE MYERS
ELI ROTH

DIRECTED BY
QUENTIN TARANTINO

A special group of American-Jewish soldiers, led by illiterate hillbilly Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), plough Europe during WWII, with the specific objective of spreading fear through The Third Reich by scalping every Nazi they find. 

Much Like Kill Bill Vol.1 & 2, Inglorious Basterds promises to pay tribute – or steal from – numerous films within its genre. The plot itself practically screams The Dirty Dozen.

Whether Quentin Tarantino can make a film which will be seen in the same class as other WWII classics remains to be seen. I would be pleased enough if QT can maintain his past brilliance, after stumbling with Death Proof.

(image:tarantino.info)

CAST
MALIN AKERMAN
BILLY CRUDUP
JACKIE EARL HALEY
JEFFREY DEAN MORGAN
PATRICK WILSON

DIRECTED BY
ZACK SNYDER

Based on the popular 1980s limited comic series, Watchmen tells the tale of a group of outlawed super heroes, who band together years after to investigate the murder of one of their own.

Watchman has gone on a preverbial road to hell and back to get where it is today. After two decades of development hell, the film finally snagged a movie studio –Warner Bros. – and a filmmaker ballsy enough to bring creator Alan Moore’s vision to life in 300’s Zack Snyder.

Then came a lawsuit out of left field from original distributor 20th Century Fox, claiming copyright infringement. Thankfully Fox and Warners have reached an agreement, and the film will be released March of this year.    

(image:wikipedia.org)

CAST
VIGGO MORTENSON
KODI SMIT-MCPHEE
ROBERT DUVALL
GUY PEARCE
CHARLIZE THERON

DIRECTED BY
JOHN HILLCOAT

Based on Todd McCarthy’s depressing apocalyptic tale, about a father and son (Viggo Mortenson and Kodi-Smit McPhee) who travel across the barren landscape of what was once American civilisation, The Road was supposed to be released late last year as an Oscar contender, yet the film was pushed back to sometime 2009.

Despite the negative vibes from such a move, The Road still intrigues due to its source material and the talent involved. Mortenson is always solid, no matter what role, and young Australian actor Smith-McPhee is one of the most exciting young talents to emerge in years.

Add Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce, and Robert Duvall to the mix, and direction by The Proposition filmmaker John Hillcoat, and The Road just may be the heavy drama to watch come mid this year.

(image:wikipedia.org)

CAST
ALISON LOHMAN
JUSTIN LONG
DAVID PAYMER
LORNA RAVER

DIRECTED BY
SAM RAIMI

After spending the last 7 years bringing three solid Spider Man films to the big screen, writer/director Sam Raimi returns to the world of horror, with the provocatively titled Drag Me To Hell.

The film stars Alison Lohman as a loan officer, who while trying to evict an old woman from her house, has an evil curse placed upon her which effectively makes her life a living hell.

Fans of the Evil Dead series know that Raimi has the chops to pull off an effective horror movie. Whether his penchant for the creepy has been watered while directing men in tights remains to be seen. Here’s hoping for a minor role for Raimi regular and groovy bad ass Bruce Campbell.

(image:aceshowbiz.com)

CAST
JOHNNY DEPP
COLIN FARRELL
JUDE LAW
HEATH LEDGER
CHRISTPHER PLUMMER

DIRECTED BY
TERRY GILLIAM

The late, great Heath ledger passed away mid shoot of The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, notorious director Terry Gilliam’s latest fantasy head trip.

Yet rather than let the film and Ledger’s performance waste away, famed actors Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law stepped up and signed on the dotted line to play different incarnations of Ledger’s character, a mysterious outsider who must travel through parallel worlds to rescue the daughter of an immortal magician (Christopher Plummer), who has fallen into the hands of the Devil (Tom Waits).

Worth watching for Ledger’s last screen appearance alone, with Depp and co. only sweetening the deal.   

(image:reelmovienews.com)

CAST
LEONARDO DI CAPRIO
BEN KINGSLEY
EMILY MORTIMER
MARK RUFFALO
MICHELE WILLIAMS

DIRECTED BY
MARTIN SCORSESE

One film which has yet to garner well earned buzz is Shutter Island, the latest adaptation of a Dennis Lehane novel (Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone), which is directed by master filmmaker Martin Scorsese.

The film stars Scorsese cohort Leonardo Di Caprio as an U.S. Marshall who investigates the disappearance of a mental patient (Emily Mortimer), who had committed multiple murders.

A cracking cast joins Di Caprio and Mortimer, including Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, and Michelle Williams. A late year release might indicate its potential as a serious Awards contender.

(image:worstpreviews.com)

CAST
MARK WAHLBERG

DIRECTED BY
DARREN ARONOFSKY

With The Wrestler well and truly establishing filmmaker Darren Aronofsky as one of the best filmmakers currently working in cinema, perhaps it is time that The Fighter got up and running?

Let me elaborate: The Fighter is a biography based on world champion boxer “Irish” Mickey Ward, which actor Mark Wahlberg has agreed to portray, undergoing two years of training to get ready for the part. For the role of Mickey’s trainer brother, both Brad Pitt and Matt Damon have been attached, although it is hard to see the former snagging the role, considering the despicable way in which he retreated from Arronofsky’s The Fountain.

The film has been placed under tentative production for a while now, with Aronofsky indicating that internal politics at Paramount Studios is holding up the next step, which is to cast and shoot the bastard. 2009 is still set as a release date. Let’s hope Aronofsky and Wahlberg can see it through.

CAST
MAX RECORDS
PAUL DANO (VOICE)
JAMES GANDOLFINI (VOICE)
CATHERINE KEENER
FORREST WHITAKER (VOICE)

DIRECTED BY
SPIKE JONZE

Much like The Fighter, Where the Wild Things Are is also stuck in a rut. The only difference is that this film was ready for release in May, 2008. Yet test screenings proved to be disastrous, when kids began to cry in droves at the much darker tone taken by writer/director Spike Jonze’s adaptation of the popular children’s story.

As a result, Warner Bros. Productions freaked and demanded re-shoots for the film. This is a shame, since released stills and test screening footage promises that Where the Wild Things Are will live up to the potential as a bizarre and unique fantasy, for both kids and adults. 

(image:thecia.com.au)

CAST
CHRISTIAN BALE
JOHNNY DEPP
BILLY CRUDUP
MARION COTILLARD
CHANNING TATUM

DIRECTED BY
MICHAEL MANN

What can be better than having two of the best actors working today face off in a Michael Mann crime film?

Placing aside the obvious comparisons to 1995’s Pacino/De Niro classic Heat, Public Enemies promises to be a monster in its own right, as Christian Bale’s dogged FBI agent takes own Johnny Depp as infamous 1930s gangster, John Dillinger.

A supporting cast featuring recent Oscar winner Marion Cotillard, Channing Tatum, and Billy Crudup as J. Edgar Hoover further elevates the appeal of this soon to be modern classic crime.

Yet this is all about Bale V Depp, orchestrated by perhaps the greatest maestro of testosterone cinema. And with cinematographer Dante Spinotti behind the lens, I am sure it will look great too!   

(image:ew.com)