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Del Toro hopes to remake 'Monte Cristo'



Guillermo del Toro has revealed that his dream project is a "Gothic-Western" remake of The Count Of Monte Cristo.

Speaking to MTV News, the Hellboy director said that he hopes to one day helm a reinvention of Alexandre Dumas's classic novel.

"It's a Gothic-Western retelling of The Count Of Monte Cristo, and I co-wrote it with Kitt Carson and Matthew Robbins around 1993 to 1998," he said of the script, thought to be titled The Left Hand of Darkness.

"I wrote a lot of that during the kidnapping of my father, so [there's] a lot of rage," he added, referring to the 72 days his dad was held in Mexico. "I adore that screenplay."

The Count Of Monte Cristo centres on Edmund Dantes, a man who escapes prison after 13 years to exact revenge on a friend who betrayed him. The last big screen adaptation of the story was released in 2002 with James Caviezel and Guy Pearce in the lead roles.

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Morgan brings Reynolds swagger to 'Watchmen'



Jeffrey Dean Morgan has revealed that he attempted to bring some "Burt Reynolds swagger" to his role in Watchmen.

Speaking to Digital Spy at the movie's world premiere, the actor said that he took inspiration from Watchmen illustrator Dave Gibbons's template for his character The Comedian.

"Hopefully [I'll bring] some swagger," Morgan said. "Maybe a little Cannonball Run, some Sharkey's Machine, who knows? Maybe a little bit."

Discussing his role as a government-sanctioned vigilante, Morgan said: "He's the dark side of the superhero film we're doing here. [He's an] alcoholic, nihilist, doesn't treat women very well. All the good stuff that superheroes probably should do!"

Watchmen is released in cinemas on March 6.

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Cera 'agrees to Arrested return'



Michael Cera has allegedly agreed to reprise his role as George-Michael Bluth in the Arrested Development movie.

Citing sources close to the production, E! Online claimed that the actor will appear in the big screen spinoff, ending speculation that he is the lone cast member holding out on the comedy.

The main cast of the short-lived Fox sitcom - Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, Tony Hale, Jessica Walter, Jeffrey Tambor and David Cross - have all reportedly agreed to star in the movie, to be written and directed by series creator Mitch Hurwitz.

Arrested Development, which centred on level-headed businessman Michael Bluth (Bateman) as he attempted to control his dysfunctional family, aired on Fox from 2003 until 2006.

Speaking about the movie at Sunday's Oscars, executive producer Ron Howard revealed that the project is "going ahead" as planned.

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Disney's 'Bolt' tops UK box office



Animated comedy Bolt has held on to its lead at the top of the UK box office.

The 3-D Disney adventure, about a dog who believes he has superpowers, pips new entry Confessions Of A Shopaholic to the number one spot. Slumdog Millionaire, Hotel For Dogs and The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button round out the top five.

New release Push debuts at number seven, while Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino narrowly misses out on a place in the top ten, landing at 11 with a limited theatrical release.

The UK box office in full:

1. (1) Bolt - £3,006,050
2. (-) Confessions Of A Shopaholic - £2,846,622
3. (2) Slumdog Millionaire - £1,561,139
4. (5) Hotel For Dogs - £1,180,278
5. (4) The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button - £1,010,219
6. (3) He's Just Not That Into You - £974,319
7. (-) Push - £625,300
8. (8) Pink Panther 2 - £595,956
9. (7) Notorious - £482,498
10. (9) Vicky Cristina Barcelona - £333,456

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Streep 'stuffed bra to get acting jobs'



Meryl Streep has reportedly confessed that she used to stuff her bra in order to land acting roles.

According to WENN, the Oscar-winning actress admitted that she employed the technique to boost her sex appeal in castings.

"I have cheated to get a part. The first time I was on Broadway years ago. Before the audition I filled by 32DD bra cups with paper towels," she is quoted as saying.

"I got the part! I did it again to Sydney Pollack for Out Of Africa. I'd heard he didn't think I was sexy enough so I filled them up again."

Streep eventually earned an Oscar nomination for her role as author Karen Blixen in the 1985 movie.

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Akerman: 'I loved Watchmen boys' club'



Malin Akerman has confessed that she loved being part of Watchmen's boys' club.

The actress told DS at the movie's world premiere that she had fun as one of the few women in the superhero cast.

"Absolutely, which I loved because a lot of times you're not an equal with the boys," she commented. "You're maybe the girlfriend or the wife, but this was so much fun because growing up I'd always been one of the guys.

"I felt right at home and I really, really enjoyed it. It's such a fantastic role and a fantastic film."

The Heartbreak Kid and 27 Dresses star plays Silk Spectre in Watchmen, a second-generation costumed vigilante who is romantically involved with superhero Doctor Manhattan (Billy Crudup).

Watchmen opens in cinemas on March 6.

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'Slumdog Millionaire' heading for stage



The producers of Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire are reportedly planning to adapt it into a musical.

According to India's Hindustan Times, movie bosses are hoping that a stage production will help raise money for children living in the slums of Mumbai.

"The profile of the film will remain high - we can’t assume attention on these children will drift away," producer Christian Colson is quoted as telling The Times.

He reportedly said that a fund set up for the children has already amassed over £500,000 and will continue to grow if the planned musical goes ahead.

Earlier, it was revealed that the Indian authorities had gifted two of the film's child stars with free houses for "making the nation proud".

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'Into You' secures Aus box office top spot



Jennifer Aniston's He's Just Not That Into You is the number one film at the Australian box office.

The ensemble comedy, which also stars Ben Affleck, Scarlett Johansson and Drew Barrymore, took in $2.5 million to spend its second week at the top of the chart.

New release The International debuts in second place, while Zack And Miri Make A Porno and The Reader climb into the top ten, placing at number six and seven respectively.

The top ten in full (totals in Australian dollars):

1. (1) He's Just Not That Into You - $2,530,000
2. (-) The International - $1,116,125
3. (2) Gran Torino - $1,081,827
4. (4) Slumdog Millionaire - $933,782
5. (3) Ghost Town - $774,420
6. (26) Zack And Miri Make A Porno - $755,910
7. (20) The Reader - $552,417
8. (7) Changeling - $408,099
9. (5) Transporter 3 - $381,674
10. (6) My Bloody Valentine 3D - $317,174

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50 Cent plans 'Saints Row' movie



Rap star 50 Cent has revealed plans to develop a movie based on THQ's open-world action series Saints Row, reports Gamespot.

The rapper, real name Curtis Jackson, indicated during a telephone press conference with reporters that he is "optioning the rights" for the project.

"With my relationship with THQ, you'll actually see me develop Saints Row into a screenplay and into a film project," he said.

During the conversation, he also revealed that upcoming game 50 Cent: Blood On The Sand will incorporate similar game-play mechanics to Army Of Two and the Gears Of War series.

The release follows the million-selling 50 Cent: Bulletproof, which he accepted was "difficult to control".

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Razzies boss: 'Film industry is scared'



The creator of the Golden Raspberry Awards has claimed that the movie industry is "terrified" of the alternative gongs.

John Wilson told The Guardian that the Razzies try to focus on well-known films with stars and a big budget because they have "no excuse" to be as bad as some are.

He said: "We are promoting something the industry does not appreciate. They try to ignore us like a fart in a church.

"We poke fun; we're the banana peel on the floor, not the slap in the face. We're not saying 'F*** you'; we're asking 'Why?'

"Oscar night is all about air-kissing and back-slapping, so it terrifies the industry that there are people like us out there."

He added that Halle Berry gave the "perfect example" of how to deal with winning a Razzie when she attended the ceremony and gave a parody speech.

"Admit it, embrace it, enjoy it and move on. Don't get irritable, ignore it or dismiss it as irrelevant," he said.

This year's awards, held the day before the Oscars, were dominated by Mike Myers comedy The Love Guru and Paris Hilton.

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Haley feared losing 'Watchmen' to A-lister



Jackie Earle Haley has revealed that he almost missed out on a role in Watchmen when producers were looking to cast A-list actors in the movie.

Speaking to Digital Spy at the movie's world premiere, the actor said that he made his own Rorschach audition tape to convince director Zack Snyder to hire him.

He explained: "I heard they were going to put movie stars in it and I was like, 'No!'. I called my agent and kept bugging him and he was like, 'Dude, let it go, it's not going to happen'. Then I got a call and he said, 'Looks like they're doing something different, so let's not wait'.

"I did an audition tape and sent it in. I literally made a Rorschach Halloween costume and a bunch of my friends came over and we took half a day to shoot it, half a day to edit it, and we sent it to Zack."

Actors such as Tom Cruise, Jude Law and Simon Pegg had been linked with roles in Watchmen during its earlier incarnations under filmmakers Darren Aronofsky and Paul Greengrass.

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Warner to continue 'NeverEnding Story'



Warner Bros will remake its 1984 fantasy film The NeverEnding Story, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Based on a German-language novel by Michael Ende, the 1984 original focuses on a young boy called Bastian who escapes into the parallel world of Fantasia when he reads a book titled The NeverEnding Story.

The Wolfgang Petersen-helmed fantasy pulled in $20 million at the US box office and spawned a 1990 sequel and a direct-to-video third instalment in 1996.

The Kennedy/Marshall Company and Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way firm will produce the remake, which will reportedly examine the book in greater detail than the original.

Warner is hoping to capitalise on the popularity of the children's fantasy genre with the new NeverEnding Story. Its Harry Potter series has earned more than $4.5 billion from its five films.

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Warner asked for War on Terror 'Watchmen'



Producer Deborah Snyder has said that Warner Bros urged the makers of Watchmen to update the story to reflect the War on Terror.

Speaking to DS at the world premiere, Snyder admitted that she and her director husband Zack were eager to go against the studio's wishes and retain the period backdrop.

"The studio wanted us to make it present-day, the War on Terror, and we felt that's us just commenting on what's going on today," she said. "It was more important to make it more of a metaphor, so setting it back in 1985 was the critical thing for us."

Directors Terry Gilliam, Darren Aronofsky and Paul Greengrass have all been attached to a movie adaptation of the comic book over the years, with the latter pair overseeing scripts that shifted the setting from 1985 to the modern day.

When asked about a potential Watchmen sequel, the Snyders quickly dismissed the idea. "Hell no!" remarked Deborah. "There's no sequel to Watchmen," Zack added. "That's crazy!"

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Columbia to remake 'Total Recall'



Columbia Pictures is in final negotiations to remake 1990 action movie Total Recall, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Neal H. Moritz and Original Films are developing the project, which would reprise the Arnold Schwarzenegger sci-fi hit.

The original Paul Verhoeven-directed film was based on Philip K. Dick's short story We Can Remember It For You Wholesale. Schwarzenegger played Doug Quaid, an average Joe who suffered from recurring dreams about Mars. After having memories implanted by a company called Rekall Inc., Quaid believes he is a secret agent and ends up fighting a Martian colony lead by a tyrannical leader.

It grossed $261 million at the box office.

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Sean Penn criticises anti-gay protesters



Sean Penn has criticised the homophobic protesters who took issue with his Oscar win for the portrayal of openly gay politician Harvey Milk.

Penn beat Mickey Rourke to the best actor award for his performance in the lead role of Milk, which also won best screenplay at the ceremony.

The actor was met by a number of anti-gay individuals when he arrived at the Kodak Theatre, WENN reports.

He said: "It's becoming such an archaic, childish and cowardice (sic) position that they really start to look like clowns without the makeup on.

"It's something that's really easy to get angry at but you start to feel sad for them, and it's time to quiet them for the damage they do to others.

"It's kind of mind-boggling, the sophomoric level of thinking."

When he won his award, Penn jokingly thanked the "commie, homo-loving sons-of-guns" who voted for his performance.

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Pine: 'I've created new Captain Kirk'



Chris Pine has promised fans that he will bring a new take to the role of Captain Kirk in J.J. Abrams's forthcoming Star Trek.

The actor has revealed that he stopped watching William Shatner's portrayal of the character in the original series because he wanted to approach the role with a fresh outlook.

"I wasn't doing myself any favours by trying to pick up on [his] mannerisms and the minutiae of the Star Trek world," he told fans at a South Korean convention.

"I would have created a character that was more impersonation than an original incarnation. J.J.'s prescription for realising the role - and this goes for all of us - was to create our own and not worry too much about obeying the laws of the original Star Trek world."

However, Pine admitted that he had contacted Shatner "by way of apology [to tell] him I wasn't trying to usurp his status because he is the [original] Captain James Kirk".

He added: "I was just simply taking over the mantle of the character and was doing my part to expand on the original."

Star Trek opens in the UK in May.

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Princess Beatrice cameo 'cut shorter'



Princess Beatrice's cameo role in upcoming movie The Young Victoria has been cut to only a few seconds, it has been claimed.

The Royal plays a lady-in-waiting for the young queen in the film, which is due for release on March 6.

A movie insider told The Sun: "It has been cut, as is the case with a lot of smaller parts. It's all a bit blink-and-you'll-miss-it. She goes past very quickly."

After filming the scene in 2007, Beatrice said: "It was tiring and I was freezing cold but I absolutely loved it. I am so excited about it."

Rupert Friend plays Prince Albert in the movie, while Emily Blunt takes the lead role of Queen Victoria, Princess Beatrice's great-great-great-great-great grandmother.

Blunt recently said that the heavy crown she had to wear for the film "left a dent" in her head that had to be covered with makeup.

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'Suicide Squad' comic to become movie

Warner Bros is looking to turn the DC comic book Suicide Squad into a movie franchise, reports Variety.

Debuting in 1959, the series centres on a group of imprisoned supervillains. It was revamped in 1987 with a mix of well-known and unknown DC villains taking on government assignments thought to be too dangerous for superheroes.

Justin Marks will write the screenplay with Sherlock Holmes producer Dan Lin overseeing for the studio.

Marks is the writer behind the upcoming Street Fighter and 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea remakes, while Lin has blockbuster sequel Terminator Salvation and Ricky Gervais's directorial debut This Side Of The Truth scheduled for release this year.

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Jackson signs nine-film Marvel deal



Samuel L. Jackson has signed a deal with Marvel to appear as spy Nick Fury in nine of its upcoming blockbusters, says The Hollywood Reporter.

The actor, who made a cameo as the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent at the end of Iron Man, earlier said that talks to reprise the role had broken down due to "an economic crisis in the Marvel Comics world".

The unique agreement will mean that Jackson is likely to appear as Fury in Iron Man 2, Captain America, Thor, The Avengers and their potential sequels. He may also lead the cast of a S.H.I.E.L.D. movie, about the espionage agency appearing in Marvel's books.

The Iron Man sequel has been plagued by casting problems since it was announced last year. Don Cheadle replaced Terrence Howard in the role of Jim Rhodes, while Mickey Rourke has been trying to negotiate a larger paycheque to star as villain Crimson Dynamo.

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Asian TV censors gay Oscar speeches



A Pan-Asian television network has been criticised for censoring two Oscar winners' speeches during a repeat of the awards ceremony.

Satellite channel STAR omitted the words "gay" and "lesbian" from the speeches made by Milk star Sean Penn and the film's writer Dustin Lance Black, despite them having been broadcast in full earlier.

Accepting his gong for best actor, Penn made reference to legalising gay marriage, while best screenplay winner Black paid tribute to "all the gay and lesbian kids out there".

Prominent Malaysian arts critic Pang Khee Teik blasted the move, saying: "As a gay man, I am truly offended. Stop censoring the words that describe who I am."

He added that cutting the words had "sent a message... that gays and lesbians are still shameful things to be censored from the public's ears".

STAR representative Jannie Poon insisted that there was no intention to upset viewers, but said that the network had a "responsibility to take the sensitivities and guidelines of all our markets into consideration".

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