Mad Max certainly has come a long way since 1979 – 30 years ago! – when Mel Gibson inhabited him for the princely sum of $15,000.
 George Miller has written, directed and/or produced all the “Mad Max” movies, and he’s at it again. Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy are rumored to be in talks for “Mad Max: Road Fury,” looking at a 2011 release date.
The Hollywood Reporter is now reporting that the movie will film Down Under next year in Sydney and outback New South Wales. Warner Brothers yanked “Green Lantern” off the continent, so maybe this movie and its $100 million budget will help to fill the void.
It’s unlikely that Mel Gibson will be returning, at least not as Max, but ABC is putting Sam Worthington out there as a replacement.
Yeah, I can see that. What about The Gyro Captain, though? They’ll have trouble finding a suitable replacement for Bruce Spence.
Image: © Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Post from: Film Gecko
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 Rumors are ugly, vicious beasts. They raise our hopes with wild speculation, hopes which are all too frequently dashed beneath the cold, harsh light of reality. Still, a brother can dream, right? Remember when, a couple weeks back, I started frothing at the mouth over a spec script that "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" writer Stuart Beattie had written for "Halo: Fall of Reach"? Well there have been some developments, it seems.
For those who don't know, writing something like a script on "spec" means that you're doing it on your own time and with no certainty of actually selling the thing. In Beattie's case, he's a dedicated gamer who sees a lot of potential in the "Halo" franchise. Hollywood is rife with gamers these days, but few are higher-profile than "Boom Blox" producer and blockbuster originator Steven Spielberg. As this rumored luck should have it, Spielberg read Beattie's script and was "blown away" by it.
"Halo" was previously in the hands of Peter Jackson, who was going to produce the video game adaptation with newcomer Neill Blomkamp at the helm. Despite Blomkamp's months of prep work, "Halo" fell apart for a variety of reasons. Not that anyone should be complaining, as the loss of that project pushed Blomkamp and Jackson into next week's surefire summer favorite, "District 9."
The rumor comes to us via IESB, who cite an unnamed source. Spielberg and Beattie are both repped by Creative Artists Agency, so there's already an easy connection. The site reportedly triple-checked the information with "studio executives" and "close ties to CAA," so the info certainly seems legit. Especially since Beattie and Spielberg appear to be kindred spirits on the interactive entertainment front.
All I'm saying is that this had better be accurate. As a lover of the blockbuster in all of its terrible glory, Spielberg is a bit of an icon to me. It was enough to know that he was dipping his hands into gaming via a partnership with Electronic Arts, the collaboration that gave us "Boom Blox." This "Halo" thing though... wow. Let's just hope he zips through "Harvey" quickly enough that he'll be free to direct it. That's a "Halo" movie I want to see.
What do you make of this news? Can Spielberg do game adaptations right on film, where so many have failed before him?
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 1. "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" ($56.2 million)
2. "Julie & Julia" ($20.1 million)
3. "G-Force" ($9.8 million)
4. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" ($8.9 million)
5. "Funny People" ($7.9 million)
Don't ever let anybody tell you that fighting for freedom wherever there's trouble is easy. Despite becoming the fourth biggest August debut of all time thanks to a strong $22.3 million Friday opening, "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" only earned $18 million on Saturday, a 16% drop from its opening day figures. The result is a projected $56.2 million opening weekend according to studio number-crunchers.
Deadline Hollywood Daily points out that the movie's solid rankings -- it scored a B+ CinemaScore rating and an A- for viewers under 18-years-old -- are deceiving given the hefty price it cost to film "G.I. Joe" in the first place. With some high profile pictures coming out in the next two weeks, including "District 9" and the long-awaited "Inglourious Basterds" from Quentin Tarantino, it's unlikely that "Cobra" will rise to Paramount's $300 million projection. Still, where the film could fail in ticket prices, it's likely to pick up in action figures and related merchandise.
While "G.I. Joe" got tangled in the trenches, "Julie & Julia" cooked up a surprising amount of success. The film opened to $7.5 million on Friday, increasing to $7.8 million the following day. Current estimates peg the Julia Child biopic at a $20.1 million opening weekend. One of the key ingredients to "Julia's" success is the specific audience that's flocking to theaters. "This was maybe the oldest audience I can remember," a rival studio executive told Deadline Hollywood Daily. "55% of the moviegoers were over the age of 50."
The bottom three contenders remain in place, with "G-Force" yielding $4.1 million on Saturday and a weekend total of $9.8 million. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" and "Funny People" raked in $3.7 million and $3 million on Saturday respectively with a weekend total of $8.9 million and $7.9 million.
Have you gotten out for "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" or "Julie & Julia" yet? Have their performances matched or diverged from your own predictions? Let us know in the comments section or on Twitter!
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 1. "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" ($22 million)
2. "Julie & Julia" ($7.5 million)
3. "G-Force" ($2.8 million)
4. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" ($2.4 million)
5. "Funny People" ($2.4 million)
With blue and red lasers a-blazing, "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" stormed the box office on Friday to a $22 million dollar opening, on track to earn a respectable $55 million this weekend. The success might surprise the readers following our Box Office Poll -- after questionable trailers, some potentially damaging rumors about the director and other signs of failure, many of you expected "Rise of Cobra" to sink. Now we know -- remember kids: knowing is half the battle -- and it's not just ticket sales that the real American heroes are making bank on.
"This property will sell hundreds of millions of dollars of Hasbro toys that we get a royalty in," an unnamed Paramount Pictures executive reminds Deadline Hollywood Daily. "And given the action, this will be a huge seller on DVD."
Even though the gun-toting soldiers commandeered the top spot, there was another film with a winning recipe this week: the Meryl Streep-led "Julie & Julia" debuted to a $7.5 million dollar opening.
According to Deadline Hollywood Daily, the film's Friday success is reflective of "massive free media coverage because of its subject matter -- American cooking icon Julia Child. The result was that Nora Ephron's foodie pic will make back half of its budget with its projected opening weekend." Not a bad start for a movie that cost only $40 million to make.
The rest of Friday's box office battlers performed between the $2 - 3 million mark. "G-Force" took the bronze hamster wheel with $2.8 million, while the spells and jokes of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" and "Funny People" failed to rake in more than $2.4 million.
Which movie is getting your ticket price this weekend? Will you rise with "Cobra" or cook with "Julia"? Tell us your plans in the comments section or on Twitter!
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Posted by MTV Movies Team
 MTV staffer Jonathan Mussman had a unique opportunity to work closely during high school with John Hughes. I don't want to spoil the surprise, so why don't we let Jonathan take it from here...
by Jonathan Mussman
As someone who spent his teenage years growing up in Northbrook, IL on the famed Chicago North Shore, John Hughes was more than iconic -– he was everything I strived to be. A successful filmmaker who never once turned his back on his hometown. We lived and breathed John Hughes as he captured my high school life to an exact T on film.
I first met John Hughes at a pre-screening of "Sixteen Candles" at the Old Orchard Theater in Skokie. From that moment I became obsessed with this man, who could capture my life and neighborhood on screen so well, to the point that the city and the suburbs were another character in his films.
Prior to the filming of "The Breakfast Club," John sent most of his actors to live among the characters they were portraying. As a freshman, I remember standing in the Student Activities office working on a project when all of a sudden Emilio Estevez came running through to seek refuge from a gaggle of screaming girls.
It was apparently day three of his “character observation” that he was outed in the weightlifting room, after someone recognized him from his one film: “Repo Man.” Moments later I recall seeing Judd Nelson being escorted down another hallway to Dr. Duffy’s office, our beloved Dean of Students, to be reprimanded for acting out in shop class.
By the time "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" started shooting, I was already a major fan of John's work -– I had modeled my future with hopes to follow in his footsteps. I was given the opportunity to act as a Student Activities rep for the film when they came to shoot at our school. I remember standing there for days and hours befriending the crew, publicists, actors and Mr. Hughes himself.
The magic of Hollywood was there right before my very eyes –- one scene I recall clearly was shot on the steps of our Center for the Performing Arts, the location that substituted for the memorable scene where Ferris came to school to collect Sloan and start their adventures downtown.
Many months after the last scene was shot in Chicago, I remember calling Mr Hughes to express my love for his craft. I recall calling his office and presenting myself as a student of Glenbrook North, and him taking the call moments later. We talked as if we were best friends. I asked him how the film editing was going and then actually had the guts to request a special screening for the students prior to its release. He said he would see what he could work out and then transferred the call to his unit publicist, who was still working on the film to collect further details of my request.
A few days later I received a letter from John letting me know that the studio responded favorably, and that he'd give us the print to premiere for my fellow students. Not only did the studio allow the premiere, they also booked and paid for the largest theater on the North Shore. The greatest moment in the letter was when John asked me to introduce the film. Needless to say I accepted the request.
I have so many fond memories, of being a guest on the set of "Weird Science," "Home Alone" and "Uncle Buck." Fortunately for me, all were located within miles of my house as John constantly challenged the Hollywood machine while setting up shop far from Los Angeles.
He will be missed –- an amazing filmmaker, proud Chicagoan, creator of a genre and, most importantly, someone who helped define a generation.
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IMAX Corp. posted their Q2 financial report which showed a profit of 5 cents a share or $2.6 million for the second quarter ending June 30. Analysts offer their views on the recent report:
Reuters: Imax posts Q2 profit
The Hollywood Reporter: Imax’s larger theater network pays off in Q2
The New York Times: For Imax, a Hollywood Focus Pays Off
The Wall Street Journal: Imax 2Q Net 5c; Posts First Quarterly Profit In 3 Years
Associated Press: IMAX returns to profitability as revenue soars
The Motley Fool: IMAX Fades to Black
The Canadian Press: Imax shows Q2 profit as revenue nearly doubles from year earlier
FOXBusiness: IMAX Returns to Profitability
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 FROM MTV.COM: "Star Trek" launched Chris Pine into Hollywood stardom. "Terminator Salvation" delivered Sam Worthington, a guy you'll be hearing a lot more of in movies like "Avatar" and "Clash of the Titans." "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" introduced the world to a guy named Freddie Stroma, a blond Brit who has leading man written all over his chiseled cheekbones.
A bunch of big-budget summer movies have given us a breakout star, someone we must keep our eye on, an actor or actress who will use the summer of 2009 as a springboard to even bigger and better things. On Friday, "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" hits theaters. Who will we be talking about on Monday? Will "Joe" prove popular enough to boost the profile of someone most people have never heard about before?
MTV News caught an early screening of the film, and now we present our top picks for the actor and actress you'll be talking about in the days and years to come:
Continue reading Who Will Be The 'G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra' Breakout Star?
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 Is it intervention time for Ridley Scott? The man is helming the still-untitled "Robin Hood" adventure and he already has plans to direct the "Alien" prequel and a "Monopoly" adaptation as well. Today, the director is ramping up yet another project, making Scott either a brave new director or a shameless workaholic.
However you want to describe him, Scott is nonetheless throwing himself towards "Brave New World," based on the classic Aldous Huxley novel of the same name. Scott's been attached to the film for quite awhile, but today brings word from The Hollywood Reporter that Leonardo DiCaprio is joining the fray as a producer with an eye for a starring role. "Apocalypto" writer Farhad Safinia is set to pen the script.
The story of "Brave New World" focuses on a dystopian future in which the populace is governed by The World State, a unifying global society. Human beings are genetically engineered, drug use and self-serving consumption is the norm, and ugliness is frowned upon. When an outcast is brought into the society, he becomes the center of public attention, eventually leading to a deadly downward spiral.
"Brave New World" will be produced collaboratively between DiCaprio's Appian Way and Scott's Scott Free banners for Universal Pictures, according to THR. The article also notes that the timing on "Brave New World" hinges on the script's readiness, meaning "Alien" and/or "Monopoly" could come first.
As for DiCaprio, there are a few characters he could play. The most obvious pick for the leading man is John the Savage, one of the main characters in "Brave New World." John is born outside of the strictly-controlled mainstream society, making him an outcast in the "civilized" world. But he's also an outcast in his "primitive" society, thanks to being the bastard child of a civilized man. This dichotomy and his maladjustment to the dystopian London ultimately lead to him becoming further ostracized and increasingly dangerous to himself and others.
If DiCaprio wants to scale back his acting involvement, he'd do equally well as Helmholtz Watson, an Alpha-Plus intellectual that has both the brains and the looks. I'd like to see his take on Bernard Marx as well, but the character is defined by his awkward physical appearance -- something DiCaprio isn't quite known for, to say the least.
Personally, I'm stoked for this film. If you haven't read the book, you should really put it towards the top of your list. My only concern is Ridley Scott's other obligations -- but frankly, I'd rather him move ahead with this project than retread old ground on "Alien." Scott's vision is perfectly suited for this "Brave New World."
Are you interested in Scott's take on "Brave New World," or do you think the book is too difficult to adapt? Would you rather him push ahead with "Alien"? Let us know what you think in the comments!
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 These days, Judd Apatow and friends are exploring deeper, more meaningful issues than most Hollywood comedies dare -– and they’re doing it at the top of the box-office. One of the film’s stars, Seth Rogen, is in the process of re-defining his career. Superhero flick "The Green Hornet" starts shooting soon and the comedy/drama “I’m With Cancer” will come after that.
So when we had the chance to catch up with the funnyman recently, we had to ask whether he spent his time on the “Funny People” set taking notes on how to successfully balance those tender issues of life, death and laughter.
“It’s funny, actually,” Rogen answered. “'I’m with Cancer’ existed as a script before ‘Funny People,’ but they were written around the same time.”
Apatow’s "People" tells the tale of George Simmons, a veteran comedian making peace with those he’s hurt -– and himself -– after he is diagnosed with a terminal disease. Meanwhile, “I’m With Cancer” is the autobiographical story of Will Reiser, a 25 year old comedy producer (“Da Ali G Show,” “Best Week Ever”) who finds out he has the disease. Rogen plans to produce with his longtime collaborator Evan Goldberg, and he will also play a supporting role in the flick.
“'I’m with Cancer' is a very personal story, about what happened to our friend for the most part,” Rogen explained of any tonal similarities to “Funny People.” “So we didn’t really need much added insight into that. I was there with [Reiser] as he experienced a lot of it.”
Rogen admitted, however, that it has been fascinating to watch Apatow make, market and release a comedy with such a heartrending topic at its core. “It was interesting see how you could play it,” he explained. “But they are, oddly, very different. Even though, even in my head, they’re kind of about similar things.”
“I'm With Cancer” is very much fueled by Reiser’s voice –- and his struggle -– which Rogen said will ultimately make it feel quite different than Apatow’s new film.
“[Reiser] wrote the screenplay; he was definitely there with himself as he experienced all of it,” Rogen said of his friend’s story, which he hopes to start shooting sometime next year. “So I would say they’re pretty different movies.”
In your mind, what’s the best film you've ever seen that balances the extremes of comedy and drama?
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FROM MTV.COM: By day, he was a Hollywood hotshot, signing autographs and posing for pictures. At night, he became a rock star, fronting 100 Monkeys for a series of sold-out shows featuring catchy music, shrieking fans and a giant dancing banana.
If there were a king of TwiCon, it would be Jackson Rathbone. In between events, we caught up with the fan favorite to discuss Twilighter Nation, trying to kill Kristen Stewart and why destroying a baby grand piano hurt so good.
Continue reading 'New Moon' Star Jackson Rathbone Describes 'Intense' Birthday Scene
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George Miller has written, directed and/or produced all the “Mad Max” movies, and he’s at it again. Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy are rumored to be in talks for “Mad Max: Road Fury,” looking at a 2011 release date. 
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