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Shia LaBeouf joins 'The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman

Shia LaBeouf will star in The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman.

Commercials director Fredrik Bond is now attached to helm the movie, reports Variety.

The film centres around Charlie Countryman, an ordinary man who happens to fall for Gabi, the lover of crime boss Nigel.

Countryman finds himself put through a gauntlet of grueling ordeals and beatings in order to charm the girl and keep her safe.

Craig J Flores of co-producers Voltage Productions said in a statement: "After our fantastic experience collaborating with Shia on The Company You Keep, I jumped at the idea of working with him again on Charlie Countryman.

"The spark in this amazing script - mixed with Shia's pure talent and Fredrik's masterful ability to create an elevated love story we just can't get enough of - will redefine pulp romance."

LaBeouf was rumoured to be attached to the film after its initial announcement in 2010.

Later, Zac Efron was said to be replacing him, with Dante Ariola also formerly attached to direct.

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Joss Whedon denies Spider-Man cameo in 'Avengers'

Joss Whedon has denied rumours that Spider-Man will cameo in The Avengers.

The director quashed the speculation during a live Q&A on Twitter.

There is no Spider-Man cameo," Whedon said.

"But the Avengers do turn off the dark," he added, in reference to the Broadway Spider-Man musical.

The rumours were sparked by Logan's Run star Jenny Agutter, who has her own cameo in The Avengers.

She has said of her role: "I'm sworn to secrecy. I wasn't allowed a script until I got there, and when I did, I felt like a complete child being on big sets and a huge parking lot full of Winnebagos."

The Avengers arrives in cinemas on April 27 in the UK and on May 4 in the US, while The Amazing Spider-Man reboot - starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone - will debut on July 3.

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Kate Hudson to become action star in thriller 'Everly

Kate Hudson has been cast as the lead role in the upcoming Everly.

Directed by Joe Lynch, Everly focuses on a woman who has to ward off assassins hired by her mob boss ex, writes The Hollywood Reporter.

Lynch has apparently come up with the concept to shoot the film in just one room when production begins in May.

Everly will be produced by Crime Scene Pictures and Anonymous Content.

Crime scene partners Adam Ripp and Rob Paris said: "When we heard that Kate wanted to make the transition into an action star, we knew we had found our Everly. The physicality and intensity of this role will be transformative for her."

The Something Borrowed actress became a mother for the second time back in June after giving birth to a baby boy named Bingham 'Bing' Hawn.

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Al Pacino for animated film debut in Steve Carell's 'Despicable Me 2'

Al Pacino has been cast to voice a character in the upcoming Despicable Me 2.

Pacino's character is said to be a nemesis to the lead character Gru (Steve Carell) in the animated sequel, reports Deadline.

The news comes after Javier Bardem dropped out of the sequel in January. He was in talks to play a villain.

It is not yet clear if Pacino is replacing Bardem in Despicable Me 2 since Pacino's role is being kept secret.

Despicable Me was released in 2010 and told the story of the villainous Gru, who uses three orphan girls as pawns for his plan to defeat a new villain, Vector (Jason Segel).

Carell and Segel will return to reprise their characters.

Despicable Me 2 is set to open in theatres on July 3, 2013.

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Short Circuit' remake lands writer Matt Lieberman

The Short Circuit remake has appointed Matt Lieberman as screenwriter.

Dimension Films announced that the scribe will work closely with director Tim Hill to reimagine the 1986 cult classic.

"Dimension has had great success with the Spy Kids family series which grossed over $500 million worldwide," said Bob Weinstein, co-chairman of The Weinstein Company.

"We are looking for Short Circuit to be our next family franchise and are excited to be working with Matt Lieberman and Tim Hill, who has had great international success with Hop and Alvin and the Chipmunks."

The original Short Circuit told the story of a military research robot called Number 5, who becomes sentient and goes on the run.

It was produced by David Foster, who will oversee the development of the remake along with Ryan E. Heppe, John Hyde and Brian Manis.

Short Circuit is scheduled for release in summer 2013.

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Harrison Ford in talks for Ridley Scott's 'Blade Runner' follow-up

Harrison Ford has reportedly entered talks to appear in Ridley Scott's new Blade Runner project.

The actor has apparently been approached to reprise his role as Rick Deckard for the follow-up to Scott's 1982 sci-fi.

Discussions are in "very early stages", according to Twitch Film, but Ford's potential recruitment appears to have debunked suggestions that no original castmembers will be returning.

The move also adds credence to reports that Scott wants the film to be a direct sequel to Blade Runner, rather than a reboot or prequel.

Producer Andrew Kosove claimed last August that Ford will not be invited back for the picture.

"In no way do I speak for Ridley Scott," he said. "But if you're asking me will this movie have anything to do with Harrison Ford, the answer is no.

"This is a total reinvention. In my mind that means doing everything fresh, including casting."

Alcon Entertainment confirmed that more details about the new Blade Runner, including confirmation of its screenwriter, will be announced by the end of Feburary.

Scott is currently working on Alien-inspired movie Prometheus, which features the likes of Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender and Charlize Theron.

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Eli Roth, Selena Gomez to star in earthquake thriller 'Aftershock

Eli Roth and Selena Gomez will star in earthquake thriller Aftershock.

The low-budget project, which Hostel director Roth co-wrote with Nicolas Lopez and Guillermo Amoedo, centres on a devastating natural disaster that hits Chile. The quake strikes an island that houses an insane asylum, causing the inmates to break free.

The movie will follow on from The Last Exorcism and be released under the 'Eli Roth Presents' banner.

Lopez will direct Aftershock with Roth in the lead role, and his past collaborators Ariel Levy, Nicolas Martinez and Lorenza Izzo among the supporting cast. Music star Gomez, who starred in the recent Monte Carlo, signed up for a cameo role after visiting Chile for a concert.

Roth told Deadline that he has been a fan of Lopez's films since his 2004 debut Promedio Rojo.

"This collaboration marks the beginning of what we call Chilewood, making genre films for the global market using all the resources Chile has to offer," Roth said.

"We are making a smart elevated disaster genre movie with superb production value, something really big. The film's going to be very scary, very intense, and very real."

The Weinstein Company and Relativity Media are reportedly in talks with Aftershock's producers about securing distribution in the US.

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Joseph Gordon-Levitt to direct and star in Scarlett Johansson comedy

Joseph Gordon-Levitt has signed on to direct and star in a new comedy alongside Scarlett Johansson.

Deadline. reports that the 500 Days of Summer actor will make his directing debut on the film, for which he will also write the screenplay.

Gordon-Levitt will portray "a modern-day Don Juan" who attempts to become less of a "selfish d**k" throughout the course of the film. Johansson will play the female lead, with an additional actress expected to be cast in the near future.

The former 3rd Rock from the Sun star told the website that he has wanted to direct for years and is "confident" that he can steer the project in the right direction.

"I was a child actor for years and quit at 19, went to school awhile, and a big part of why I came back was that I ultimately wanted to make movies," Gordon-Levitt said.

"I spent a year working with Chris Nolan, Rian Johnson, Steven Spielberg, and I did my best to pay attention. I've also been making short films for a long time now, I've directed a ton of them, and that is a huge part of why I feel comfortable and confident in this."

Shooting on the as-yet untitled film will begin April 16.

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Karate Kid' sequel officially moving forward

Columbia Pictures is officially moving ahead with a Karate Kid sequel.

Zak Penn has been hired to work on a script for the follow-up to the 2010 remake, reports Variety.

The sequel was first announced in 2010, with the writers of Kung Fu Panda rumoured to be working on the script.

No actors have been cast in the movie at present, but Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith are both being sought to reprise their roles.

Penn's last feature was 2008's The Incredible Hulk. He has since been writing and producing the television show Alphas.

The original 1980s Karate Kid trilogy starred Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita.

Macchio has said that he has no interest in appearing in another Karate Kid movie.

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The Wolverine' gets July 2013 release date

The Wolverine has been given an official release date.

Hugh Jackman's follow-up to 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine will hit cinemas on July 26, 2013.

The film's release has been held back by production delays and script rewrites.

The Wolverine sees Logan embroiled in a forbidden romance in Japan that brings him to blows with the Silver Samurai.

The release date will see the movie pitted against Lionsgate's Dirty Dancing remake and Disney's Phineas and Ferb film.

Matthew Vaughn was recently confirmed for a follow-up to X-Men: First Class, the first instalment of which featured Jackman in a cameo.

Jackman told Digital Spy last autumn that he thinks the script for The Wolverine feels like "the best we've ever had".

He explained: "The story was intricate and interesting, filmically I thought it would be ideal. This is a movie I've been longing to make."

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Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson to reteam for comedy 'Interns'

Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson are to reteam for 20th Century Fox's upcoming comedy Interns.

Real Steal helmer Shawn Levy is on hand to direct the project, which is based on a screenplay penned by Vaughn, Vulture reports.

Interns will see Vaughn and Wilson play a pair of corporate types in their 40s, who lose their jobs in a downsizing operation. The duo take up intern posts at a Google-esque tech company, only to find themselves struggling to compete with its web-savvy 22-year-olds.

Vaughn and Wilson last starred alongside one another in 2005's The Wedding Crashers, a hit comedy directed by David Dobkin.

Interns was originally picked up by Universal, before budget issues saw the studio drop the project along with Jeremy Garelick's The Insane Laws, to which Vaughn was also attached.

20th Centruy Fox is yet to announce a release date for Interns.

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Tom Felton to play Elizabeth Olsen's husband in 'Therese Raquin'

Tom Felton has been cast in the upcoming thriller Therese Raquin.

The Harry Potter actor will play the husband of Therese Raquin (Elizabeth Olsen), who was murdered by Therese and her lover Laurent and begins to haunt the couple after his death, reports Deadline.

The film will be directed by Charlie Stratton and also stars Glenn Close as Madame Raquin.

Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter, confessed last year that he's afraid of being typecast because of his involvement with the popular franchise.

He explained: "It's a mixed bag, because it gets you through the door to meet people, but they're often sceptical and don't believe you can do anything else."

Since the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 back in July, Felton was in Rise of the Planet of the Apes and can be seen next in The Apparition, Grace and Danger and From the Rough.

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Jason Statham to star in 'Heat' remake

Jason Statham is to star in Brian De Palma's Heat remake.

Oscar-winning screenwriter William Goldman, who scripted the Burt Reynolds-starring original from 1987, will pen the new version for Sierra / Affinity.

Heat is based on the novel of the same name written by Goldman. Statham is also attached to the movie remake as producer, along with Steven Chasman.

"We are pleased to once again be working with Jason and Steve on another project which in this case is based on great source material from a rare combination of an acclaimed novelist who is also at the top of his game as a screenwriter," said Sierra's Nick Meyer.

"We look forward to bringing this elevated action-thriller from Brian De Palma to distributors around the world. We feel this project has it all - a first rate piece of material, a legendary director and a global action star."

Heat tells the story of a tough recovering gambling addict, who makes his living providing protection in the gambling world. When a close friend is brutally beaten by a mobster, the protagonist sets out on a dangerous revenge mission.

Heat is scheduled to begin principal photography in France in late 2012 or early 2013.

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Animal Kingdom's Sullivan Stapleton to star in '300' prequel

Sullivan Stapleton has been given the lead role in the 300 prequel.

The Australian actor, who is best known for his role as Craig Cody in 2010 Oscar-nominated crime drama Animal Kingdom, was recently offered the part in the Noam Murro-helmed project.

Stapleton will play Xerxes, the Persian king leading his army against Greek forces, sources close to the project told The Hollywood Reporter.

Stapleton is also appearing in Warner Bros' upcoming motion picture Gangster Squad.

In December, it was revealed that Casino Royale actress Eva Green was in talks for the lead role of Artemisia in the spin-off.

The Great Gatsby star Joel Edgerton was previously believed to be in the running for the role of Xerxes in 300: Battle of Artemisia, but he reportedly declined the part.

Gerard Butler has previously said that he considers his role in the first 300 movie to be his "favourite", adding that he would love to reprise his role as Leonidas.

Butler also said that he hopes the script for the prequel will be "great" and that he will "love it"

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Arnold Schwarzenegger confirmed for 'The Tomb' with Sylvester Stallone

Arnold Schwarzenegger has been confirmed to be rejoining the cast of The Tomb.

He will star alongside Sylvester Stallone in the action-thriller, reports comingsoon.net.

The film centres on Ray Breslin (Stallone), a prison expert who becomes trapped in a lock-up of his own design.

Schwarzenegger will appear as heroic prisoner Church, who rallies the other convicts in their darkest hour.

Rumours surfaced last month that Schwarzenegger had rejoined the film after he previously stepped down from the role of Breslin, which then went to Stallone.

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

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

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Hammer picks up Jack the Ripper project 'Gaslight'

Hammer Films has acquired the rights to Jack the Ripper project Gaslight.

The horror studio has snapped up Ian Fried's screenplay for the proposed film, which made the industry's 2011 'Black List' of best unproduced scripts.

Gaslight sees the notorious London serial killer aiding a mass murder investigation, in which each victim was found with dual puncture wounds on their neck, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"Secretly imprisoned in a London insane asylum, the infamous Jack the Ripper helps Scotland Yard investigators solve a series of grisly murders whose victims all share one thing in common: dual puncture wounds to the neck," reads the project's synopsis.

The mention of dual puncture wounds suggests the involvement of vampires. Hammer CEO Simon Oakes previously told Digital Spy that the studio has plans for a new Dracula movie.

Hammer's latest offering The Woman in Black - starring Harry Potter's Daniel Radcliffe - is out in the US now and debuts in UK cinemas on February 10.

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Jaimie Alexander stars in 'Intersection

Jaimie Alexander has accepted a role in Intersection.

The Thor actress will star alongside Frank Grillo in the thriller, reports Variety.

Alexander will play a woman who conspires with her lover to murder her husband.

Complications arise when the husband and lover are involved in a car accident on a desert road in Morocco.

Alexander recently confirmed that she is in talks to return to the role of Sif in Thor 2.

Idris Elba has also revealed that he is lined up to play her fellow Asgardian Heimdall once again.

Alexander will soon appear in action thriller The Last Stand opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger, in addition to Ward Allen biopic Savannah with Jim Caviezel and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Grillo most recently starred in The Grey alongside Liam Neeson and is also known for his roles in Warrior, Minority Report and Fox drama Prison Break.

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Ridley Scott planning 'Prometheus' follow-up?

Ridley Scott has suggested that he will be making a sequel to Prometheus.

The Alien director, who is currently developing a follow-up to Blade Runner, credited Prometheus with sparking his desire to return to the world of science fiction.

"I just thought Prometheus was so enjoyable - returning to the world of science fiction was so fun - that I wanted to [go back to Blade Runner, too]," Scott told Entertainment Weekly.

"I'm also thinking about what the hell I might do for a Prometheus 2," he added.

The magazine then asked Scott whether he believes that a sequel to the forthcoming Alien prequel is actually in the cards.

The director responded by knocking on a wooden table and smiling.

Alien star Sigourney Weaver recently endorsed the highly-anticipated prequel, praising the decision to continue the franchise in outer space.

Prometheus, starring Noomi Rapace, Guy Pearce, Michael Fassbender and Charlize Theron, will open in cinemas on June 8.

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Morgan Freeman Joins Tom Cruise In Post-Apocalyptic ‘Oblivion’ For Universal

EXCLUSIVE: Morgan Freeman will bring his regal presence to Oblivion, the Joseph Kosinski-directed film for Universal Pictures that stars Tom Cruise, Andrea Riseborough and Olga Kurylenko. Cruise plays the last man on a post-apocalyptic and nearly uninhabitable Earth, who stays behind to repair ships that hunt down and blast a virulent alien species. I haven’t yet been able to figure out what role Freeman will play, but I’m told it’s a critical part.

Michael Arndt is currently rewriting a script that had earlier drafts by William Monahan and Karl Gajdusek. Peter Chernin and Dylan Clark are producing through Chernin Entertainment along with Barry Levine and Kosinski. Jesse Berger and Dave Morrison are executive producers. Freeman’s last starring role in a Universal film was Wanted, and before that he twice played God in Bruce Almighty and the spinoff Evan Almighty. He’s repped by CAA and attorney Jason Sloane.

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Chris Pine: 'Benedict Cumberbatch is fantastic in Star Trek'

Chris Pine has said that Benedict Cumberbatch is "fantastic".

Cumberbatch has been cast as the villain opposite Pine's Captain Kirk in JJ Abrams's upcoming sequel to his Star Trek reboot.

"Benedict is fantastic," Pine told MTV News. "He's just so good. He's super talented, and we are more than grateful to have him on board.

"Benedict has got this intensity about him, and he's obviously extremely intelligent and articulate.

"His vocal quality is something else. He obviously is, unlike many of us, like, an actually trained actor. He actually studied for it!"

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