Columbia Pictures Changes the Name of ‘Karate Kid’ Remake

When Columbia Pictures announced last year that it would be remaking the 1984 classic “Karate Kid,” not too many fans were pleased with the idea. The movie studio would only ruin the original, most said, harshly criticizing the Hollywood tendency of always returning to the past and “reinventing” classic movies for different audiences. Now, in a move to distance itself from this controversy, Columbia has changed the name of the film, FirstShowing informs.

The news, although not officially confirmed yet, comes from none other than Jackie Chan, who would be appearing in the film as the iconic Mr. Miyagi. According to him, Columbia Pictures is trying to send a message to all those fans who took offense (in some form or another) with the remake, by showing them that this upcoming project will only be loosely based on it, and not a reinvention as it was speculated.

“They don’t want to call it ‘Karate Kid’ any more. They want to call it ‘The Kung Fu Kid’.” Jackie Chan reportedly said in a recent interview, as quoted by the aforementioned source. However, the name change does little for the fans and movie-oriented publications, who are still complaining about how Will Smith is using this classic film as a vehicle for his son, the aspiring actor Jaden Smith, who will be the “kid” in the movie, of course.

With a screenplay by Chris Murphy, the “Kung Fu Kid” (provided Columbia sticks with this name), will only “borrow elements” from the 1984 film, which technically does not qualify it as a remake, SlashFilm reports. Harold Zwart (“Pink Panther 2”) will be at the helm of the project, while Will Smith’s Overbrook company will oversee the production. Other than Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith, the film will possibly also include Jada Pinkett Smith, Will’s wife, in the role of the kid’s mother. As fans can see, the upcoming film will be, by all means, a family business.

With all the changes and the controversy, Columbia Pictures has not yet announced a release date for the movie. However, for more on this, keep an eye on this space.

Knowing

Academy Award® Winner Nicolas Cage (National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Leaving Las Vegas) stars in KNOWING, a gripping action-thriller of global proportions about a professor who stumbles on terrifying predictions about the future—and sets out to prevent them from coming true.

In 1958, as part of the dedication ceremony for a new elementary school, a group of students is asked to draw pictures to be stored in a time capsule. But one mysterious girl fills her sheet of paper with rows of apparently random numbers instead.

Fifty years later, a new generation of students examines the capsule’s contents and the girl’s cryptic message ends up in the hands of young CALEB KOESTLER. But it is Caleb’s father, professor JOHN KOESTLER (Nicolas Cage), who makes the startling discovery that the encoded message predicts with pinpoint accuracy the dates, death tolls and coordinates of every major disaster of the past 50 years. As Ted further unravels the document’s chilling secrets, he realizes the document foretells three additional events—the last of which hints at destruction on a global scale and seems to somehow involve Ted and his son. When Ted’s attempts to alert the authorities fall on deaf ears, he takes it upon himself to try to prevent more destruction from taking place.

With the reluctant help of DIANA WAYLAND (Rose Byrne) and ABBY WAYLAND, the daughter and granddaughter of the now-deceased author of the prophecies, Ted’s increasingly desperate efforts take him on a heart-pounding race against time until he finds himself facing the ultimate disaster—and the ultimate sacrifice.

Madonna pays visit to Britney’s ‘Circus’

Britney Spears opened her "Circus" tour in New Orleans on March 3. The tour moves on to Newark, N.J., on March 13.
NEW YORK - After Britney showed up at Madonna’s tour in Los Angeles last November, the material mom returned the favor showing up at the pop princesses’ sold-out “Circus” tour stop Wednesday night in New York City — but just as a spectator.

According to Us Weekly, Madonna took in Spears' show with her manager Guy Oseary — along with multiple bodyguards — from a VIP suite at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island.

“She purposely walked up the main stairs in front of everybody so they would all notice her,” an concert source told the mag. “Celebrities definitely don’t need to go up the main stairs to get to their suites.”
Madonna reportedly left just before Spears' encore of “Womanizer,” which caused quite the scene.

As she made her way out of the venue, fans gathered around Madonna screaming. The fan frenzy reportedly made Madonna smirk as she exited.

On Spears' Web site, the “Circus” star’s team thanked Madonna for coming, saying; “Britney was thrilled to have her there!”

The “Circus” tour will continue on Friday in Newark, N.J.

Craig lands role in Tintin movie

British actor Daniel Craig has landed the role of Red Rackham opposite Billy Elliot star Jamie Bell, who will play the intrepid young reporter Tintin.

Filming for The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn, directed by Steven Spielberg, has already begun.

Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Mackenzie Crook will also appear in the film.

Terminator Salvation (2009)

Set in post-apocalyptic 2018, “Terminator Salvation” stars Christian Bale as John Connor, the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators. But the future Connor was raised to believe in is altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future, or rescued from the past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet’s operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind.

The latest installment of “The Terminator” film franchise, “Terminator Salvation” is directed by McG, from a screenplay by Michael Ferris and John Brancato. The film is produced by Moritz Borman, Derek Anderson, Victor Kubicek and Jeffrey Silver, and executive produced by Peter D. Graves, Bahman Naraghi, Mario F. Kassar, Andrew G. Vajna, Joel B. Michaels, Dan Lin and Jeanne Allgood.
The film also stars Anton Yelchin as Kyle Reese, Bryce Dallas Howard as Kate Brewster, Moon Bloodgood as Blair Williams, Helena Bonham Carter as Serena Kogen, Common as Barnes, and Jadagrace as Star.

The Halcyon Company Presentation of a Moritz Borman Production of a McG Film, “Terminator Salvation” is being distributed in North America by Warner Bros. Pictures, with Sony Pictures Releasing International handling distribution in most international territories (excluding Korea and select Mideast territories).

realesed:5th June 2009 - UK Release

Watchmen : ZACH SNYDER LAUNCHES WATCHMEN CONTEST

LOS ANGELES - Zack Snyder is offering you the opportunity to create "Veidt Enterprises" TV commercials that could end up in the feature film WATCHMEN, scheduled to be released in theaters on March 6, 2009.
To get started, download the standard definition and/or high definition assets from the links below, and then shoot your own original TV commercial that advertises one of the products! Remember, the movie is set in 1985, so TV commercials should be in 4:3 aspect ratio (so it looks like standard TV, not widescreen) and they should be either 15, 30 or 60 seconds in length. The products are all made by "Veidt Enterprises," and you can download the product logos for your use as well.

Make your TV commercial in NTSC standard definition (720x486) or higher resolution, upload it, and then others can vote on your work. The contest ends on June 2, 2008. The 40 finalists will win signed posters from Zack Snyder. The top five finalists from user votes will win High-Definition Canon Vixia HG10 camcorders. Up to 20 of Zack's favorite finalists will win $1000.00, and have a chance to be included in the WATCHMEN feature film itself.

Contest Website: http://youtube.com/watchmenmovie

watchmen in teather 6 march

In an alternate 1985 America, costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and the "Doomsday Clock" - which charts the USA's tension with the Soviet Union - is permanently set at five minutes to midnight. When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the washed-up but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his former crime-fighting legion - a ragtag group of retired superheroes, only one of whom has true powers - Rorschach glimpses a wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy with links to their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the future. Their mission is to watch over humanity...but who is watching the watchmen?
cast: Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Carla Gugino
Director: Zac Snyder
Date of released:
5th March 2009 - Australia Release
5th March 2009 - Germany Release
5th March 2009 - Netherlands Release
5th March 2009 - Russia Release
6th March 2009 - UK Release
6th March 2009 - US Release
18th March 2009 - Belgium Release
18th March 2009 - France Releas