LatinoReview has a scoop that during The Brothers junket, Maguire was asked who he wanted to work with his answer was, Guillermo del Toro. Which he followed with:

"We may have something here in the near future."

Cue the internet fanfare and rumor whirlwinds. This must mean that Tobey is the next Bilbo Baggins — but then again, it's the closest thing we've heard to actual Hobbit news in a while. Plus LatinoReview confirms this overheard conversation with a CAA source. Plus, Tobey is not shooting Spider-Mans 4 and 5 back to back, so he may have some free time. And it is a role of a lifetime — we'd still rather see David Tennant in the role, but Tobey has had an impressive career, and there's no doubt he could handle the role. We guess the rest is in GDT and Jackson's hands.

UPDATE: Movieline has the update from Maguire's publicist saying that the whole rumor is false, meanwhile super Tolkein site TheOneRing.com says the rumor is completely new to them, and none of their sources can confirm the possible Maguire Bilbo talks.

AICN pointed out a very interesting blog post from the personal site of Thomas Dolby:

My host is friend and former collaborator Paul Sebastien, who over the years has worked for Xbox, Playstation, and now LucasArts. Last night he was telling me a little about the forthcoming Star Wars-related TV show, movie and online games-very cool indeed. I'm not a huge fan myself (and definitely not a gamer) but it sounds like Mr Lucas has got his head into a good place. I met him several times when I was working on a movie in the 80s called [name suppressed to protect credibility!] and he's a decent chap, but I could have done without the last three SW movies.

And there you have it: he wrote "movie." Everybody freak out! First off, we have no idea what context this was said in. Since he started talking about the live action TV show, one could guess that there may be a two-hour TV movie to introduce the series. Or maybe Lucas is making our dreams come true and giving Sam Witwer a chance to bring the Force Unleashed video game to life on the big screen. Maybe it was a slip of the tongue, and he didn't mean movie at all — instead he meant web series. Who really knows?

Whatever it may be — and it may be nothing at all — we're exceedingly skeptical that it would be a brand new film with little to no tie-ins besides the original series. Which we can safely assume is something everyone secretly wishes would happen, new movies to make us all forget the dreaded Prequels. But if wishes were Tauntauns, right?

And we're not alone in our doubts, Bonnie Burton over at StarWars.com's twitteredsimply "bahahahahahahahaha!"

Still, we're excited for the live action series, and if that's a bigger hit than the Clone Wars animated series, who knows what may happen?

Nikki Finke, who actually has pretty reliable sources, is playing the "I know who the Black Cat is" game. First it was Rachel McAdams, then Romola Garai, and earlier this week Julia Stiles was thrown into the mix. But now Finke is claiming that Anne Hathaway has been approached for a role in Spider-Man 4.

While Sony Pictures insists no decisions have been made, sources tell me that the producers have approached Anne Hathaway to star in the film.

At least it's a step forward from reports of "auditioning". But maybe we can start a rumor next that Kristen Bell is up for the role? Because she would be actually, you know, good as Black Cat?

According to entertainment site Pajiba, not only is original director Peter Berg exiting the large Dune remake, but he was also secretly meeting up with Robert Patinson to discuss lead roles in the film.

Now that Pattinson is no longer interested in the project, Berg is looking to leave and Paramount is desperate for a new director and hoping to entice Neil Marshall, director of The Descent, or Neill Blomkamp, director of District 9, into taking over. Marshall is their number-one pick.

While we're taking this report with a giant heaping of salt, we have to say it makes sense and is getting us a little excited.

I think we're all in agreement that Neill Blomkamp would be gangbusters for this film, that's obvious. His passionate love of science fiction alone would at least mean he'd give his all at recreating a successful scifi film. But since Neil Marshall is the studio favorite, probably because he's cheaper, and Blomkamp has a lot of his own work he wants accomplished, let's talk Marshall.

First off Marshall can do more with less: he proved that with the tiny budget film The Descent. Since Paramount wants to make this film for an alleged $175 million, he probably has a few ideas. Also, Marshall is a fan of the genre. He loves aliens, plagues, Mad Max, monsters and conspiracies, and he will take care of the subject material or at least attempt to respect it. Even though Peter Berg's films are pretty to look at and very flashy, they're usually empty or devoid of feelings (witness Hancock). And finally, no matter how crazy and ridiculous Marshall's cult gem Doomsday got, it still wasn't Hitch or Hancock, sorry I hate both those movies equally.

[Via Cinematical]

An article in the Washington Post today warns city residents to prepare for an onslaught of tourist fans to descend on the city seeking clues to the conspiracies that Brown is famous for weaving into his hacky tomes. Publisher Random House has printed 5 million copies for its first run of the novel, the largest print run in the publisher's history. So what can we expect? Freemasons, obviously. And possibly a cloned Christ. According to Dan Brown expert Dan Burstein, who has written about Brown's early research for the novel:

Could he go in the direction of human cloning? Could some Freemasons . . . could they have known something about the cloning? And now we hear that Dan Brown is interested in the [Medieval European mystics] Rosicrucians. So what does that mean? Some theories say the Rosicrucians had a piece of the cross. Maybe if you had bloodstains on some pieces of the cross, you could clone Christ.

Already, people working with Masonic groups are girding their loins for a massive onslaught of conspiracy-crazed fans. Mark Tabbert, director of collections at the George Washington National Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, told the Post:

We might have to spend the next 25 years responding to Dan Brown's fiction. That's what I dread.

Who will play Christ's clone in the movie version? That's all I want to know.

via Washington Post Thanks, Tetracycloide!

R.U.R. stands for "Rossum's Universal Robots," and it's about a company that figures out how to manufacture synthetic humans. They're called robots, but in fact they're more like synthetic biological beings – and eventually they revolt against their masters.

This isn't the first time that R. U. R. has been made into a film – there is also a 1930s version – but it's the first modern version. Director James Kerwin is said to be aiming for release of the movie in 2011. Kerwin's previous film, Yesterday Was A Lie, played at both Sundance Film Festival and San Diego Comic Con – how's that for a mix of inde cred and scifi cred?

My hope is that Kerwin will bring back the idea of synthetic biology in this adaptation, which seems far more futuristic than mere metal men.

via IMDB and official website

No, really. This is a massive spoiler. Are you sure you're down with that? Okay then.

Here's a set picture from Tennant's final episodes, which an anonymous source sent to us:

Yes, that's John Simm, probably returning as the Master, the Doctor's arch nemesis and fellow Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. And on the other side of Tennant? Timothy Dalton, having a view to a kill as some kind of Time Lord dignitary, complete with Gallifreyan bathrobe and medallion. It's been rumored for ages that Simm was coming back for Tennant's finale. And it's also been rumored that Dalton will be showing up, playing the Chancellor of the High Council of Time Lords. This picture, which appears to show Tennant, Simm and Dalton clowning around between takes, seems to clinch both of those rumors.

I have to say, if the Master causes Tennant's Doctor to regenerate into Matt Smith, then it's going to be the third time this has happened. The Master polished off Tom Baker's Doctor (in "Logopolis") and Sylvester McCoy's Doctor (in the can't-believe-it's-canon TV movie.) You'd think after someone killed you three times, you might start getting a bit stroppy. That's almost a quarter of the Doctor's lives, right there.

And then separately, there's this intriguing picture of one of the episode's sets. What do you think those odd-looking canisters are?

The movie was rumored to take the six-book original series by Katsuhiro Otomo and translate it into two feature films. Ruairi Robinson was attached to direct the project.

Bloody Disgusting is now reporting that the film is dead in the water.

Sad news comes in this weekend as we have learned that not only has Robinson left the project, but Tetsuo and Kaneda's adventure is "dead as a doornail," a report we've confirmed with two separate sources.

You guys speculated that the project sounded rushed, and that such an undertaking probably couldn't be done, in a manner worthy to the series in time, for a 2010 release. So maybe it's all for the best, and maybe this it will have another life in the future — the far future where there are psychics, sex slaves, floating chairs, and we live in a Neo-City.

Oh No They Didn't is reporting that Kirk Acevedo has been cut from Abrams Scooby Gang on Fringe. Taking it to the streets, Acevedo reportedly announced the folly upon his Facebook (although we have no verification right now, it certainly looks like his page).

This is actually very sad. Charlie balanced out the cast pretty well. He played a great straight man and I always enjoyed trying to guess if he and Olivia had a love connection or not - he certainly cares about her a great deal. Plus there were a ton of theories that maybe he was a secret bad guy, and it was only in recent episodes that we started to learn more about him as a person. It's unfortunate that we're not going to get to see his character fleshed out more. The most we got was a few screen shots of Charlie and his wifey in bed - we know there was so much more to uncover in this brooding soul.

But what's done is done, and it sounds like he's already getting replaced by a tough-as-nails and "brash" female agent named Catherine.

Somehow I feel like this is all Olivia's fault.

HitFix is sparking the new rumor that Bradly Cooper is the next Green Lantern for Martin Campbell's space cop flick. Granted, the site is only stating that he is under consideration for the role along with many other actors, but this may be a smart move for the Lantern franchise especially with what else is coming up for Cooper.

Don't think Cooper is a big enough star to carry a superhero flick? You may change your mind after his summer movie The Hangover is released in August, since it's already starting to churn up a positive buzz.

If The Hangover is as fantastic as its rumored to be - and these days what ever is - it may put Cooper in a more favorable light for a lead. Then again who knows who else is up for the role? Still I've been Cooper supporter way back to his Alias days, when he played Bristow's bestie.

On the flip side, you could argue that Green Lantern isn't necessarily the comic book character that will bring all audiences into the theater, and therefore this gives Cooper a better shot to star in a flick that may not get Superman size funds. Either way, this feels like a good casting match.

Besides the fact that Whedon has hinted at the termination of Dollhouse for some time now, it seems people are coming out of the woodwork to confirm his dire outlook on the situation. One source close to Whedon tells us the relationship between Whedon and Fox is over, "poisoned," and that the show will definitely be canceled.

A Fox rep says it's not true:

Dollhouse is not canceled. With the exception of this Friday due to Prison Break's return, Dollhouse will continue to run as scheduled in its Friday time slot leading up to its first season finale on Friday, May 8th. A decision regarding a second season would be announced at the network's Upfront Presentation on May 18.

Meanwhile, Entertainment Weekly just reported from their sources on the life span of our beloved Sarah Connor Chronicles:

It's done," maintains a source close to the show. "Everyone has pretty much known for a couple of weeks." Adds a network insider: "Consider it canceled."

But a Fox rep reiterates what they told EW, telling io9: "No decision has been made yet and we will be announcing our fall schedule on May 18."

Is there any hope either of these shows will turn up in Fox's fall upfronts? We can always keep our fingers crossed. And keep writing to Fox, and to Fox's advertisers, in support of these shows, of course. And vote for them in E! Online's "save one show" poll. Here's a video of the fans asking Fox to keep T:SCC on the air:

Firstly, show creator Tim Kring would like to reassure those worried by rumors of a Hayden/Milo feud that neither Claire nor Peter Petrelli will get the axe as a result of the actors' split; any death or disappearance will happen for other reasons entirely:

The final decision about which characters live and die on Heroes rests with me... I've made no announcement yet as to who will return and who won't.

(Psst, Tim? If you don't make an announcement, then it'll be more surprising when it actually happens on the show. Just sayin'.)

As if that's not enough, Hayden Panatierre is also denying the rumors:

Milo and I are very close... We have enjoyed and continue to enjoy working together.

But that's not all; those rumors about Ali Larter leaving the show? Also bunk, according to recently-returned producer Bryan Fuller, who told Entertainment Weekly:

She's not going anywhere... I've never seen somebody so committed to the show as Ali, and the show is absolutely committed to Ali.

Fuller also promises that the show is building to Larter's character, Tracy, ending the season in "a fantastic way." But what is the world coming to when all of these anonymous rumors turn out to be false? Is nothing sacred?

Zap2It's Korbi Ghosh says she's heard Lost star Evangeline Lilly is busy auditioning for TV pilots... for shows starting next fall. And supposedly Lilly's agent has been telling people she'll be available. Lilly's agent told EW and E! Online that it's not true, but Ghosh stands by her sources. And ABC has declined to comment.

I have a hard time believing this rumor, since the show's unlikely to kill off Kate a year early, or otherwise remove her from the narrative. And presumably Lilly is locked into a contract for the rest of the show's run, so she can't just leave the show early on her own initiative. But you never know. What would the Skaters and Jaters do, other than maybe join those of us who are shipping Sawyer and Juliet?

Screen Rant is buzzing about a possible Neil Patrick Harris Flash, which we completely support 100% even though we know it will never, ever happen. Why? Because it's a brilliant idea, and because our dreams-coming-true quota was all used up when they cast Christian Bale as John Connor.

But NPH isn't the only blondie with his hand in the Flash pie. According to Think Mcfly Think, Scott Porter is in the racing for the role as well. You may remember Porter as Jason Street, the handicapped quarterback in Friday Night Lights. If Porter gets this role that would mean two FNL stars are now superheroes of sorts, with Taylor Kitsch as Gambit in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

And speaking of Origins, what happened to the Ryan Reynolds as The Flash rumor? I assume gone with his Deadpool casting because, well, why would you want to be The Flash when you could be Deadpool?

While we're really sold on NPH as The Flash we have to toss in a few more members of Hollywood into the mix, and here are our suggestions for the man in the red spandex suit:

Ben Foster:


Why He's A Front Runner: This character actor is just dying for a lead role. He can pull of completely deranged sidekick (3:10 to Yuma) and sweet faced Angel (X-Men). I would love to see Foster put a little heat behind the eyes of The Flash and give him some depth.
Why He'll Lag Behind: He's just not big enough yet to star in a tentpole production, which is sad (and the same fate I forsee Topher Grace being handed for the Venom spin-off).

Ryan Gosling:


Why He's A Front Runner: Women love him (The Notebook) so it will drive the ladies into the theater, plus he has that hero look about him. He'll be cast as a big screen hero yet; Hollywood won't let that chin go to waste.
Why He'll Lag Behind: I could see this opportunity being passed up by Gosling; he's been rumored as so many other heroes before (Green Lantern, anyone?) that he may be sick of the speculation and say, "no thanks" ...which would be a huge mistake.

Astro Boy is the story of a scientist who creates a robot kid to replace his dead son. But the robot kid can't fulfill the grieving father's expectations, so he journeys off in search of acceptance, entering a netherworld of betrayal and robot gladiators. Eventually, he returns home to save the father who rejected him. The film stars the vocal talent of Freddie Highmore, Nicholas Cage, Eugene Levy, Bill Nighy, Donald Sutherland and Kristen Bell.

Earlier today, Slashfilm reported that Astro Boy had shut down production. There have been reports for a while that Imagi was having financial difficulties — in December, auditors Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu cast doubt on Imagi's financial resources going forward.

But Corbett says Imagi definitely has the money to finish making Astro Boy, which already has distribution with Summit Entertainment and a release date of Oct. 23, 2009. She says the film remains on course to make that release date.

In a nutshell, here's what happened: Imagi is funded by private equity firms, and the company had received some funding last year. A new round of funding was set to kick in on Feb 3, but in the meantime the company was counting on some "bridge financing" to cover expenses between now and early February.

When that "bridge financing" looked like it might not materialize, the only responsible thing to do was shut down the company's U.S. offices for a week, says Corbett. Everyone, including the animators, was put on "mandatory unpaid leave," until the new round of financing comes in on Feb. 3. (Union rules require the company to let everyone go if they don't have money on hand to pay salaries.)

Says Corbett:

We had this money secured in the late fall. We had bridge money to take us through February, when we knew that bridge money was not going to [materialize]... we could not have people come in and not be sure [we'd be able to pay them.]

This only affects the company's U.S. office — the Hong Kong office is closed down too, but that's for Chinese New Year, when everything in Hong Kong shuts down anyway.

So where does that leave Astro Boy? "Our number one objective is to get back on the rails," says Corbett. "We want to do everything to get Astro Boy out the door." The film is entirely storyboarded and planned out. The animation is about 50 percent rendered and completed at this point, and almost all of the film's vocal talent has already been recorded. Most importantly, the company already has enough money coming in, in February, to finish off work on Astro Boy.

Meanwhile, the company is continuing to raise money for upcoming projects. Corbett wants to put out a CG Gatchaman movie in November 2010. "We're trying to do a film every year to 18 months," Corbett says. Right now, Corbett is in Chicago working on sponsorship opportunities. McDonald's and American Greetings are already involved with Astro Boy, and she's pitching additional partners like Kraft and General Mills for Gatchaman. Astro Boy tie-ins will include everything from action figures to greeting cards.

Meanwhile, what about that trailer we showed you recently for T-28, the movie based on the franchise known in the U.S. as Gigantor? That was a trial balloon, explains Corbett. T-28 is a property that Imagi founder Francis Kao has been interested in working on for several years, and the company decided to release a teaser trailer to see if people would be interested in a full-length film. They were blown away by the interest, but there are no immediate plans to do a T-28/Gigantor movie.

Here's the rumor: Marcus Wright is a man who's executed on death row in 2003. His body is donated to science and collected by Project Angel, a project of the evil cybernetic intelligence Skynet. Marcus is reanimated, but with a Terminator skeleton. His organs are all still there and pumping, but he's now half-Terminator. At the end of the movie, John Connor is killed in battle fighting a T800. Not wanting the hope of humanity to die with Connor's body, the leaders of the resistance rip off Marcus' skin and replace it with Connor's. Now Marcus has Connor's face and body. Gross.

Although Ain't It Cool News proclaims this ending is only an rumor, the plot seems to line up with the past reporting. First the news was leaked that there will be a new Terminator with a endo-skeleton and the fact that Marcus' character was a man whose last memory is of being on death row. So it's very possible that this could be the real ending. It would also give Christian Bale a lot to work with in the last two movies. [Ain't it Cool News]