Amazing Animals

I thought I'd liven things up this week with some Pet Tricks from the Letterman Show. Enjoy these smart and adorable dogs.

Koko

Alex   

Salty

George
Mila

Oscar

Oi
Kwibi

Leo

Jennyand Shirley

Pork Chops

Movie info (411)

It’s time for movie news!

Movies Opening this week (October 12^th)

Argo

Here Comes the Boom

Sinister

Gambit

Seven Psychopaths

Smashed

New Trailers

Broken City

A Good Day to Die Hard

The Lone Ranger

Parker

Gambit 

The Guilt Trip

This week there was some exciting news about:

Ok, it’s not all about Meryl Streep this time. But we’re really excited to hear that the legendary actress is currently in some serious talks to join Rob Marshall‘s upcoming adaptation of Into The Woods. And as we said, she’s not the only one, because Anna Kendrick, Patrick Wilson, James Corden and Nina Arianda are also potential candidates for the feature film.

As we previously reported, Into The Woods will include some of the most beloved fairytales like Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk andRapunzel, and all together will give us an original story.

That new story will center on a Baker and his wife who try to reverse a curse on their family in order to have a child, exploring the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests and their desire for happily ever after.

And now, something about the possible cast. BroadwayWorld has confirmed that Meryl Streep is in talks to join the film as the Witch, but was unable to make the reading.

On the other hand, the rest confirmed cast of the screenplay reading, which took place yesterday, included:

Nina Arianda as The Baker’s Wife; Christine Baranski as the Stepmother;Tammy Blanchard as Florinda; Victoria Clark as Cinderella’s Mother/Giant;James Corden as the Baker; David Garrison as the Narrator; Ivan Hernandez as the Wolf; Megan Hilty as Lucinda; Cheyenne Jackson as Rapunzel’s Prince; Allison Janney as Jack’s Mother; Anna Kendrick as Cinderella; Michael McGrath as the Steward/Baker’s Father; Laura Osnesas Rapunzel; Taylor Trensch as Jack; Casey Whyland as Little Red Riding Hood; and Patrick Wilson as Cinderella’s Prince.

They also add that the writer of Into The Woods, James Lapine, is currently reworking the script for the screenplay, while Stephen Sondheim is expected to contribute some new songs.

Just for a record, this team earned 10 nominations at the 1988 Tony Awards, winning three including best score and best book of a musical.

This definitely looks huge, so make sure you stay tuned for more!

Conjuring the Next Harry Potter

Erin Morgenstern, an elfin painter with ink-black hair and a fondness for bowler hats, Tarot cards and antique clocks, has never published so much as a short story before. Now, with her first novel coming out in September, she's at the center of the most high-stakes competition in the entertainment industry: the race to discover the next Harry Potter.

The Night Circus' Ms. Morgenstern's novel, set at the turn of the 19th century, tells the story of two young, love-struck magicians who compete in a magical circus. Doubleday won the novel with a high-six-figure advance. Rights have sold to 30 foreign publishers; some countries paid six figures, a sum typically reserved for established blockbuster authors. Read the rest of the story here.

Not A Joke: The 'Hungry Hungry Hippos' Movie Is Really Happening

This is one of those days where you just have to shake your head in despair at Hollywood's decision-making abilities. But one company's trash is another's treasure, as The LA Times reports Emmett/Furla Films has agreed to finance and produce three board game movies for Hasbro after Universal decided to drop a lot of those properties. The three in question are Monopoly (which has been gestating for awhile), Action Man, and yes, even Hungry Hungry Hippos. No word yet on the approach for that film, whether they'll try to make it live action, a CGI hybrid, or fully animated, but there's news on the other projects below. Click here to read more. 

Drew Pearce Giving a Rewrite to Legendary's New Take On 'Godzilla

We just found out that Marvel's Iron Man 3 is getting a trailer on October 23rd (hopefully with some of the Comic-Con footage we saw included), and now word comes from Variety that IM3 co-writer Drew Pearce has been hired to take a pass at the script for Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment's giant monster movie Godzilla for Monsters director Gareth Edwards. The Expendables co-writer David Callaham, Batman Begins co-writer David S. Goyer, and The Seventh Son scribe Max Borenstein have all tried their hand so far, but thankfully that doesn't mean there's any trouble brewing behind the scenes. Read more here. 

Michael Bay Producing Time Travel Found Footage Film 'Almanac'

Found footage horror is starting to get a bit boring, but last year's superhero infused take on the subgenre with Chronicle was a breath of fresh air. Now it sounds like Michael Bay and his Platinum Dunes production banner (usually responsible for more boring horror in the form of remakes of Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street) is looking to mix things up with a time travel found footage project called Almanac that is said to be in the same vein as Josh Trank's surprise hit earlier this year. However, those are the only plot details known about the project at this time, so we'll have to let out imaginations run wild. Click here to read more. 

Rumor: Emily Blunt in the Running to Play Ms. Marvel in 'Avengers 2'

Marvel and the lovely British actress Emily Blunt must really want to work together. Back in January of 2009, Blunt was rumored to take the role of Black Widow in Iron Man 2, but as we all know, the part eventually went to Scarlett Johansson. Then in 2010, Blunt was on the shortlist to play Peggy Carter in Captain America: The First Avenger, but the role ended up going to Hayley Atwell. Now rumors of Blunt's involvement in big screen comic book adaptations have come back around as The Daily Mailseems to think that she is currently being "hotly tipped" to play Ms. Marvel in The Avengers 2, hitting theaters in 2015. Read more here. 

Hillary 

Sunday Social (18)

Here are things I am excited about this fall.

1)   Sweaters, Cardigans, and Jackets. I love layers and being comfy.

2)  My TV Shows are starting

Old Favorites like Hawaii Five-0, Castle, Glee, Once Upon a Time, Modern Family, Switched at Birth, and 30 Rock. There are also some new shows like Elementary that I’m excited for.  I recently made a list of all the shows I watch and its getting out of control.

3)  Yummy Food and Treats 

4)  I am going to see Thriller (performed by the Odyssey Dance Company) this next weekend. Its so fun and its perfect for Halloween.

5)  Thanksgiving-I can’t wait to have a break from school and see my family

My Boyfriend MB

Of course I am talking about Michael Buble.
I found out this week he is doing another Christmas Special for NBC. He was taping part of it this week.
(P.S. if you haven't listened to his Christmas Album you really should) Here are some pictures of the taping.

This isn't part of the Christmas Special, but isn't he just adorable? Who's ready for a new album...I sure am!

Amazing Animals-Christian the Lion

I’ll bet you've never seen a pet like the one in this Video of the Day. In 1969, two friends, John Rendall and Ace Berg, purchased a lion. At the time, Christian the lion was a 35-pound cub. He had been born in a zoo. The friends raised Christian in their London home. All three hung out in a friend’s furniture shop on the weekends. 

Within a year, Christian had grown to 185 lbs. Rendall and Berg realized they couldn’t keep him much longer. But they didn’t know what to do with him. A chance encounter changed that. Two actors from the film Born Free walked into the furniture store. 

The actors recommended a conservationist, George Adamson, living in Kenya. Christian was soon in Africa. There he was rehabilitated and released into the wild. 

In 1974, Rendall and Berg decided to visit Christian one last time. He was now a wild animal. Adamson told them it was doubtful that Christian could be found. No one had seen him in nine months. 

The two flew to Kenya, anyway. On the day they landed, Christian appeared outside Adamson’s camp. Somehow, he knew. He waited outside the camp until Rendall and Berg arrived. 

This video was taken during their reunion with Christian. What a story!  ( I know the music is completely corny but its a neat video)

Read Past Amazing Animal Posts.

Koko

Alex   

Salty

George
Mila

Oscar

Oi
Kwibi

Leo

Jennyand Shirley

Pork Chops

Coming Soon Movie News

Opening This Week (October 5^th)

Frankenweenie

Taken 2

Butter (Limited Release)

The Paperboy (Limited Release)

Wuthering Heights (Limited Release)

V/H/S (Limited Release)

New Trailers

Identify Thief

Silver Linings Playbook Trailer (New)

Stoker 

Featured Video: My favorite scenes from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Justin Timberlake Tastes 'The Last Drop' with 'Nick & Norah' Director

After getting caught up in baseball and love in Trouble with the Curve, it looks like Justin Timberlakeis going to be hitting the sauce. Variety has word that the pop star turned actor is in talks to lead The Last Drop, a romantic and dramatic comedy from director Peter Sollett and the Good Universe production banner, who previously collaborated on the adaptation of Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. In the film, Timberlake will play a charming alcoholic who works as a restaurant critic for New York Magazine who falls for a young woman and realizes he must overcome his addiction in order to have a real chance with her. Read More Here. 

Marc Webb & Andrew Garfield Confirmed for 'Amazing Spider-Man 2'

Back in July it wasn't clear if Fox would actually allow Marc Webb to continue the "untold story" of everyone's favorite webcrawler that began with The Amazing Spider-Man this summer due to the director's commitment at Fox Searchlight to direct another film for them at some point following their success with (500) Days of Summer. Now Columbia Pictures has made it official with a press release announcing that Webb will return for The Amazing Spider-Man 2. In addition, as if there was ever any doubt, Andrew Garfield is confirmed to return as Peter Parker and Emma Stone is in talks to come back as Gwen Stacy. Click here to read more. 

Natalie Portman Courted to Play Jackie Kennedy Onassis in 'Jackie'

Minka Kelly is taking the role of Jackie Kennedy Onassis in Lee Daniels' generation spanning drama The Butler, but a bigger name actress is looking to step into the role for a lead role in the biopic Jackie. Though Rachel Weisz was once going to lead the project with ex-husband Darren Aronofsky at the helm, the director left the project after splitting with his wife and Weisz fell away from the project as well. Now Deadline reports another Aronofsky collaborator is circling the role as Natalie Portman is being courted by Fox Searchlight to take play Jackie in the film chronicling her life after the assassination of her husband JFK. Read more here. 

Daniel Radcliffe is Interested in Leading New 'Frankenstein' at Fox

Now that the new take on the classic monster movie Frankenstein is in the hands of Lucky Number Slevin helmer Paul McGuigan, after Shawn Levy was seemingly too busy to commit, the cast is starting to shape up. While no official deals are in place and no offers are out, The Wrap has word that Daniel Radcliffe is very interested in taking the lead role of Hunchback in the project that is being called a revisionist take on the classic tale. I would think the Hunchback character would be that of Igor, so maybe this tale is taking the perspective of the assistant to Dr. Frankenstein as he embarks on his infamous experiment?  Read more here.

Deadline reports Warner Bros. is in talks with The Last Station director Michael Hoffman to helm The Best of Me, based on Sparks' best-selling book of the same name, which will be adapted by The Lucky One writer Will Fetters.

The novel was acquired by the studio before it was even published, and Sparks actually pitched the idea to Warner Bros. executives before he even wrote the book. Find a more detailed synopsis here.

Matt Reeves is Confirmed to Direct 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes'

Last week, Cloverfield and Let Me In director Matt Reeves was atop the shortlist to replace recently departed director Rupert Wyatt on Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, the sequel to the surprise hit Rise of the Planet of the Apes. While Guillermo del Toro and Rian Johnson were also on the list, they seemed like long shots. Other names included In addition, The Disappearance of Alice Creed director J. Blakeson,28 Weeks Later director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, Take Shelter director Jeff Nichols and The Impossible director Juan Antonio Bayona. Now Deadline confirms that Reeves has signed to direct the sequel. Read more here. 

George Clooney Sets Sights on Jean Dujardin for 'Monument's Men'

Earlier this year, Jean Dujardin became the first French actor to win Best Actor at the Academy Awards for his impressive turn in The Artist. We'll see him in Martin Scorsese's Wolf of Wall Street next year, but he might team with another awards caliber actor next. The Wrap reports Dujardin is being eyed for a supporting role in The Monument's Men, an adaptation of Robert M. Edsel's book of the same name the true story of a hand-picked group of art experts chosen by the United States government to retrieve artwork stolen by the Nazis. George Clooney will be directing and also starring in the intriguing caper. More Here!

 David Thewlis & Tilda Swinton Join Terry Gilliam's 'The Zero Theorem'

Terry Gilliam is a divisive filmmaker whose productions are often plagued with troubles (some of which are chronicled in an excellent documentary called Man of La Mancha), and though he hasn't been able to bring the story of Don Quixote to the big screen yet, he's moved on to another project and scored some solid talent to help. Deadline reports that Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin) and Harry Potter franchise star David Thewlis have both signed on to join Moonrise Kingdom's Lucas Hedges, French actress Melanie Thierry, and Christoph Waltz in The Zero Theorem, a brand new intriguing sci-fi project. Read more here. 

Awkward Moments Part 2

So here is part two of my awkward moments story. If you haven’t read part one. Click here and do that now before you go any further. Movie News will be postponed until tomorrow. 

So a month after this initial message, I received another text from Jon.

Jon: Do you sing or have you started?

Me: I sing a lot. In my car. By myself.  (I had to say something so I wasn’t completely rude)

Jon: That’s cool. Has anyone ever heard you sing? I’m sorry that I just come out and ask these things out of the blue. I just really liked your voice but I seem to ask and say strange things. I guess that why I can’t get a date. That or I’m ugly. . Lol! Anyway, has anyone ever said they liked the sound of your voice before? IF you want I’ll leave you alone.

So at this point I am instant messaging with my sister, so I don’t respond for a whole 7 minutes. Jon sends me another message. This is the best part of the whole exchange.

Jon: It’s cooo…..all this free time gives me the opportunity to catch up on my Spongebob. I love that stupid yellow fagot. Take it easy.

What!!!! There are just so many things wrong with this “conversation” I can’t even start to list them. And many people are surprised when they asked me if I am engaged yet and I tell them no. It’s just inexplicable.