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Gerard Butler joins 'Olympus Has Fallen

Gerard Butler has joined a new political action movie called Olympus Has Fallen.

The film focuses on a former Secret Service agent, to be played by Butler, trying to stop a terrorist attack on the White House.

Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt have penned the script, while a director has yet to be hired, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Butler, who recently finished a stay in rehab for substance abuse, will be co-producing the film.

Also in the works for the 300 star is a role in a new diamond heist thriller called Brilliant, for which he was chosen to replace Eric Bana as lead.

Butler has recently starred in Coriolanus opposite Ralph Fiennes, who also directed.

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Michael Bay: 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be aliens in revamp

Michael Bay has revealed a new origin for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the upcoming film.

The producer has said that the characters will be aliens in the live-action revamp of the franchise.

"When you see this movie, kids are going to believe, one day, that these turtles actually do exist when we are done with this movie," Bay said in a video at Nickelodeon Upfront posted by Stuff We Like.

"These turtles are from an alien race and they are going to be tough, edgy, funny and completely lovable."

The reptilian heroes are famously known as pet turtles who mutated into anthropomorphic beings after being exposed to toxic waste in the sewers on New York City.

The franchise first launched as a black and white comic book in 1984. It achieved huge commercial success in the late '80s and early '90s, spawning several live-action films and cartoon series and a massive array of merchandise.

Director Jonathan Liebesman (Wrath of the Titans) is expected to helm the Ninja Turtles reboot for Paramount Pictures.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be released in US theatres on December 25, 2013.

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Sylvester Stallone: 'The Expendables 2 will be R-rated

he Expendables 2 will carry an R rating, according to Sylvester Stallone.

Having previously confirmed rumours that the movie would be rated PG-13, the actor has now announced that it will carry the same higher rating as the first film.

Speaking to The Stallone Zone, Stallone said: "After taking in all the odd rumours and hearsay, EXPENDABLES II is an R."

It had previously been reported that the sequel's vulgarity would be toned down, following the addition of Chuck Norris to the cast.

In a translated version of an interview with Polish newspaper Gazeta, Norris said: "In Expendables 2, there was a lot of vulgar dialogue in the screenplay. For this reason, many young people wouldn't be able to watch this. But I don't play in movies like this.

"Due to that I said I won't be a part of that if the hardcore language is not erased. Producers accepted my conditions and the movie will be classified in the category of PG-13."

At the time, Stallone defended the PG-13 rating, saying: "The PG-13 rumour is true, but before your readers pass judgement, trust me when I say this film is LARGE in every way and delivers on every level."

The Expendables 2 will arrive in cinemas on August 17, 2012, with Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and Jason Statham all reprising their roles alongside the newly cast Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme.

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Paul Rudd joins Tina Fey on 'Admission'?

Paul Rudd is in negotiations to join Tina Fey in Admission.

The Wanderlust actor is in discussions to star in About a Boy director Paul Weitz's new movie, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The Karen Croner screenplay centres around a college admissions counselor (Fey) who strikes up a romance with a man she knew when she was in school (Rudd) in order to shake up her quiet, routine existence.

Owen Wilson was previously rumoured to be considering the role.

Rudd recently starred alongside Zooey Deschanel in Our Idiot Brother.

He will next appear in Judd Apatow's This Is Forty and the John Malkovich-produced The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Shooting on Admission is set to begin in late spring while Fey is on hiatus from 30 Rock, which has not yet been picked up for a seventh season.

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Seth Rogen, Kevin Hart for buddy cop comedy project

Seth Rogen and Kevin Hart have signed up to appear in a buddy cop comedy from Paramount Pictures.

The currently untitled project will see the pair portray a fictional version of the first ever interracial police partners.

Rogen and his Superbad co-writer Evan Goldberg will produce, along with writer Rodney Rothman.

The story will be set just after World War II in the late 1940s, which sees the pair go undercover in jazz circles to bust a marijuana ring.

Seth Rogen signed up to star in Disney project The B Team in December.

Kevin Hart landed a guest role in ABC's Modern Family last year.

He is expected to reprise his role of CJ in Scary Movie 5 when it is released later this year.

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Jack Ryan 5' director Jack Bender steps down

Lost director Jack Bender has stepped down from Jack Ryan 5.

The fifth instalment in the Jack Ryan franchise is due to begin shooting this summer, with Chris Pine taking the lead role previously played by Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck and Alec Baldwin.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bender, who served as an executive producer and lead director on Lost, will no longer direct the film because of a scheduling conflict.

Bender is currently an executive producer and director on Alcatraz, and has also recently signed on for both duties on new SyFy pilot Rewind.

Jack Ryan 5 will reportedly be the first in the franchise not to be based on any of Tom Clancy's original novels, and will centre on Ryan in his pre-CIA days.

Production on the film was previously delayed by script issues and Pine's commitment to Star Trek 2. Filming is still expected to begin once JJ Abrams's sci-fi sequel wraps.

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Anthony Head added to 'Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters

Anthony Head has joined the cast of Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters.

The Iron Lady star will appear as centaur Chiron in the sequel to Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The character was portrayed by Pierce Brosnan in the previous film.

The second movie sees Jackson (Logan Lerman) set out on a quest with his fellow demi-god friends to retrieve the legendary Golden Fleece.

Head is best known for his role as Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, also portraying Uther Pendragon in the Merlin television series.

He joins Mary Birdsong, Yvette Nicole Brown, Missi Pyle and fellow Joss Whedon alumni Nathan Fillion in the Thor Freudenthal film.

The franchise is based on Rick Riordan's hit young-adult series of novels.

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters is scheduled for release on March 27, 2013.

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Vinnie Jones joins Stallone, Schwarzenegger in 'The Tomb

Vinnie Jones has signed up to star in the upcoming action blockbuster The Tomb.

Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger will lead the project, which centres on a prison expert (Stallone) who gets trapped in a lock-up that he designed.

Earlier this week, Jones hinted that he may be joining the film, saying: "I might have a film coming up with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sly Stallone. Those boys are knocking on a bit.

"At least I'll be prepared if the action scenes get a bit too heavy for them."

However, he has now confirmed his involvement, telling The Sun: "Start filming April 19 in New Orleans. Biggest blockbuster of next summer - $120 million budget (£80 million).

"It's about three cons in prison looking to bust out."

Person of Interest actor Jim Caviezel also recently signed up for the project.

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Scarlett Johansson to reprise Black Widow role in 'Iron Man 3'

Scarlett Johansson is reportedly attached to the third instalment of the Iron Man franchise.

According to Latino Review, a casting call for the movie lists Johansson as a confirmed castmember as her character Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff, who was an assistant to Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) in Iron Man 2.

Johansson, who will be portraying Black Widow in the upcoming Avengers film, previously said that she would like to see a "gritty" movie about the comic book heroine.

"I love playing the Widow," she shared. "I think she's got a very interesting past, a lot of storylines to explore, and certainly [producer] Kevin [Feige] loves that character."

Last month, Marvel Comics announced three-issue miniseries The Avengers: Black Widow Strikes, based on the actress's version of Black Widow.

The Avengers will open to cinemas on April 26 in the UK and May 4 in the US, while Iron Man 3 is set for a May 3, 2013 release.

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Kenneth Branagh to direct 'Jack Ryan 5'?

Kenneth Branagh has been named as a possible director for the upcoming Jack Ryan 5 project.

The Thor director is reportedly having talks with Paramount Pictures to replace the outgoing Jack Bender, who quit production last week due to scheduling conflicts, reports Variety.

The website claims that if Branagh signs a deal soon, the project will remain a top priority for the studio.

The currently untitled project will follow the character of Jack Ryan, created by Tom Clancy.

Chris Pine has signed up for the action movie as Ryan, who has previously been played by Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck and Alec Baldwin.

Production on the film was previously delayed by script issues and Pine's commitment to the Star Trek follow-up. Filming is still expected to begin once JJ Abrams's sci-fi sequel is completed.

Kenneth Branagh was nominated for 'Best Supporting Actor' for his role in My Week with Marilyn at this year's Oscars, but lost out to Christopher Plummer.

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Gerard Butler to replace Dominic Cooper in 'Motor City'?

Gerard Butler is in talks to take the lead role in Motor City.

The Coriolanus star is negotiating to replace Dominic Cooper on Albert Hughes's revenge thriller, reports Variety.

Jake Gyllenhaal was briefly attached to the film following the exit of original star Cooper, both of whom abandoned the project due to scheduling conflicts.

Butler will join The Dark Knight Rises star Gary Oldman and The Rum Diary's Amber Heard on the movie.

Motor City centres on a small-time crook who is released from prison after being framed for a crime and sets out for revenge and to win back the woman he loves.

Butler most recently starred in Machine Gun Preacher.

Motor City is due to go into production in June, at the same time as diamond heist pic Brilliant, to which Butler is also attached.

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'Project X' star Oliver Cooper in talks for 'Grown Ups 2'

Project X star Oliver Cooper is in talks to join the cast of Grown Ups 2.

The project is a sequel to Columbia Pictures' 2010 comedy featuring an ensemble cast led by Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Maya Rudolph and Salma Hayek.

Dennis Dugan is returning to the director's chair, and most of the original cast are expected to reprise their roles. Sandler and Jack Giarraputo will produce the follow-up, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Grown Ups told the story of a group of childhood friends who hold a reunion following the death of their basketball coach. The movie performed well at the box office, grossing $271 million (£169m) worldwide.

Cooper made his cinematic debut in Project X, a found-footage comedy produced by The Hangover director Todd Phillips. His co-star Thomas Mann recently landed a role in Alcon's Beautiful Creatures.

Grown Ups 2 is yet to be given a release date.

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WWE star Randy Orton dropped from new film 'Marine' over military past

WWE's Randy Orton has been dropped as star of Marine: Homefront amid questions about his real-life military record.

Orton's casting in the third Marine film had drawn protests from one of the men he served with in the US Marine Corps in 1999.

Cpl Mike Vinn alleged that Orton deserted his fellow marines on two occasions, resulting in the wrestler being dishonourably discharged and serving 38 days in jail.

Marine: Homefront producer WWE has apologised for casting Orton in the role of a heroic marine.

A WWE spokesperson told TMZ: "WWE demonstrated poor judgment in signing Randy Orton for the third instalment of the film.

"Despite Randy's popularity, the fact that he was dishonourably discharged from the USMC made it inappropriate for him to be cast in this film."

The original Marine film starred John Cena and proved to be the WWE's most successful box office film.

A straight-to-DVD sequel starring WWE star Ted Dibiase Jr was released in 2009

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Sebastian Koch, Yulia Snigir to play 'Die Hard 5' villains

Sebastian Koch and Yulia Snigir have signed up for roles in A Good Day to Die Hard.

German actor Koch - who had a leading role in The Lives of Others - will play a villain named Komorov in the action project, reports Variety.

Russian model Snigir will portray another villain named Irina in her first English language movie role.

Bruce Willis will return as John McClane in the fifth Die Hard movie, with Max Payne's John Moore directing.

Spartacus actor Jai Courtney recently signed up to play McClane's son in the upcoming sequel.

Koch also appeared in a supporting role opposite Liam Neeson in Unknown.

A Good Day to Die Hard is set for release on February 14, 2013.

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Taylor Lautner in talks for Adam Sandler's 'Grown Ups 2'

Taylor Lautner is in talks to join the cast of Grown Ups 2.

The Twilight actor is said to be eyeing a "fun" role alongside Adam Sandler in the Columbia Pictures movie, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The original film, which was released in 2010, features on four friends who reunite over the Independence Day holidays following the death of their high school basketball coach. It took over $270 million (£170 million) at box offices worldwide.

Grown Ups director Dennis Dugan will return for the sequel, while original cast members including Salma Hayek, Kevin James, Chris Rock and Maya Rudolph have also been tapped to sign up.

Sandler will produce the film with Jack Giarraputo, his producing partner at Happy Madison.

Since rising to fame in the Twilight movie series, Lautner has appeared in thriller Abduction alongside Mirror Mirror star Lily Collins.

Lautner and Sandler were both 'honoured' with nominations at this year's Razzie awards, honouring the worst filmmaking in Hollywood.

Sandler's recent release Jack and Jill broke the awards ceremony's record for most prizes won when it picked up 10 prizes earlier this month.

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Universal reboots 'The Mummy'

The Mummy franchise is to be rebooted by Universal Pictures.

Prometheus screenwriter Jon Spaihts has been tapped to head the project, reports Variety.

"I see it as the sort of opportunity I had with Prometheus," said Spaihts.

"To go back to a franchise's roots in dark, scary source material, and simultaneously open it up to an epic scale we haven't seen before."

Universal's original Mummy movie was released in 1932, with four sequels following between then and 1944.

Director Stephen Sommers helmed a big-screen reboot in 1999, which spawned The Mummy Returns in 2001 and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor in 2008, as well as 2002's cinematic spinoff The Scorpion King and its two straight-to-DVD sequels.

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50 Cent, Vincent D'Onofrio join Arnold Schwarzenegger film 'The Tomb

The Tomb has added Vincent D'Onofrio, Amy Ryan and rapper 50 Cent to its cast.

The trio will join lead actors Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and Jim Caviezel in the action film, as well as the previously confirmed Vinnie Jones.

Stallone will portray Ray Breslin, a world authority on structural security, who must escape from a maximum security prison of his own design. Ryan will play the character's business partner, D'Onofrio a business director and Jones a prison guard, Variety reports.

Schwarzenegger, who rejoined the project in February, will appear as a heroic prisoner who rallies the other convicts in their darkest hour. 50 Cent's role is yet to be confirmed.

Stallone and Schwarzenegger will also be seen together in The Expendables 2, which is in post-production and will debut in the summer.

The Tomb is scheduled to shoot in Louisiana in the spring.

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Bale, Affleck, Saldana, Shepard join 'Out of the Furnace

Christian Bale and Zoe Saldana have been confirmed to star in Out of the Furnace.

Casey Affleck and Sam Shepard will also appear in the gritty drama, which is written and directed by Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart), Relativity Media announced.

Bale will star as Russell Baze, while Affleck will play his younger brother Rodney Baze Jr.

Saldana has been cast as Bale's love interest Lena Warren, with Shepard as the Bazes' uncle Red.

Out of the Furnace centres on the two brothers from the American 'Rust Belt' who become ensnared in a life of crime.

After his release from prison, Russell must choose between his own redemption and that of his younger brother.

"This is a meaty script with characters as strong as they are complex, and we needed powerhouse actors who complement the story," said Relativity's co-president Tucker Tooley.

"Christian, Casey, Zoe and Sam each approach everything they do with heart and conviction. We can't wait to see what each of them brings to this film."

Bale will next be seen in the hotly-anticipated Dark Knight Rises. Saldana will reprise her role of Uhura in next year's Star Trek 2.

Affleck appeared in 2011's Tower Heist.

Appian Way's Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Killoran are producing alongside Scott Free's Ridley Scott, Tony Scott and Michael Costigan, and Relativity's CEO Ryan Kavanaugh.

Production on Out of the Furnace will begin in Braddock, Pennsylvania later this month.

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Ben Kingsley in line for 'Iron Man 3'

Sir Ben Kingsley is in line to star in Iron Man 3.

The Hugo actor is in final negotiations for the role of the villain in Marvel Studios' sequel, reports Variety.

It has been confirmed that Kingsley will not play Tony Stark's controversial foe The Mandarin.

His character will instead be based on Mallen, a villain enhanced with a nanotech virus.

The character appeared in Warren Ellis's 'Extremis' storyline, on which the film will be loosely based.

Written by Drew Pearce and director Shane Black, Iron Man 3 will see Robert Downey Jr reprise his role as the titular hero.

Kingsley is currently filming Ender's Game, in which he will star alongside Asa Butterfield, Abigail Breslin and Harrison Ford.

Downey will next appear as Stark in The Avengers.

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Short Circuit 5' director promises 'threatening' movie

The director of Short Circuit 5 has promised a more "threatening" tone for the update.

Tim Hill has said that he will be moving away from the "cute" Johnny 5 of the previous films.

"I'm tempted to go back and grab the original," he told the Los Angeles Times, "but I think it has to be closer to what modern design actually is.

"There are computer models and labs developing real machines like this... You've got to find the balance between something fierce and something endearing. The original was cute. But no one was threatened by it."

Hill revealed his plans to bring some new drama to robot star Johnny 5's story.

"The thing that makes it so relevant is that we live in this age of robots, particularly when it comes to war," he said.

"We have drones that do our fighting for us, do all these jobs men and women don't want to do. And that's what makes this so interesting - things like this moment in the story when Johnny realises he's going to be disassembled and contemplates death, and whether it's right to terminate someone else."

Short Circuit 5 is yet to have a production start date announced.

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