The Lizard Possibly the One and Only Villain in 'Spider-Man 4'

The single baddie speculation for the fourth installment of the web-slinging superhero movie comes in just days after actor Dylan Baker confirmed his return as Dr. Curt Connors.

Words on the street are, Spider-Man could be dealing with only one nemesis in "Spider-Man 4" and the foe will be none other than The Lizard. Market Saw was the one which teased the possibility, claiming that its "strong source" has suggested that the fourth movie of the franchise won't feature multiple villains.

Market Saw's report came in less than a week after "Spider-Man" series actor Dylan Baker confirmed he will make his return as Dr. Curt Connors, Peter Parker's college professor who eventually becomes The Lizard. During the revelation of his involvement in the project, Baker managed to keep mum on the chance of his character will be seen as the lead baddie.

In mid-October, director Sam Raimi has explained that the choosing of the villain will depend on how the character fit into the story arc of Peter Parker. "What we're trying to do right now is really understand the journey Peter is going to go on this time and have the villain maybe be a counter to that growth, something that he has to overcome," he said.

"Or maybe he has to grow in a way to overcome the villain," he went on detailing, "because there always seem to be stories of coming of age, of a young man growing up and learning things about life, so once we are identifying the exact movement that Peter has to grow to, I think the villain - and we're trying this right now; we're trying to choose a villain based on who would be the proper counter to that growth, so we really have dramatic conflict."

"Spider-Man 4" is produced by Avi Arad, Grant Curtis and Laura Ziskin. Tobey Maguire has been set to reprise his role as Peter Parker aka Spider-Man, and Kirsten Dunst will once again take on her Mary Jane Watson role. Production may start in March 2010, Raimi had suggested. This fourth "Spider-Man" movie is expected to open wide in the U.S. on May 6, 2011.


source: aceshowbiz.com

An Inside Look Into 'Ninja Assassin' Unleashed

Get behind the scenes as Korean pop artist Rain and the stunt crew train for and rehearse the action sequences for the James McTeigue-directed martial arts film.

The training for the impressive stunts in the November-released "Ninja Assassin" has been uncovered in a new featurette. Providing an inside look at the training for the action sequences, the promo video courtesy of Cineplex offers glimpses of the training leading actor Rain and others undergo to prepare themselves for the action-packed sequence.

Intercepting the training footage are several never-before-seen footage from the movie as well as some behind-the-scenes from the set. Director James McTeigue, producer Joel Silver and stunt coordinator Chad Stahelski are also seen giving commentaries on what the movie is all about and what they want to achieve. Stahelski, in particular, shares that they don't want to rely on the visual effects in offering the stunts.

"Ninja Assassin" centers its story on Raizo, one of the deadliest trained assassins in the world. When he discovers that the organization raising him, the Ozunu Clan, is merciless, he breaks out of it to avenge his friend's death. One day, his path crosses Europol agent Mika Coretti who is investigating the Clan for political murder. Now, the two have to work together to reach their goal, destroying Ozunu Clan.

Filmed in Berlin, Germany, the action adventure movie is produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski brothers. It features the likes of Naomie Harris, Ben Miles, Sho Kosugi and Rick Yune in addition to Rain. Warner Bros. Pictures planned to release this film on November 25.

'Star Trek' Collects Hollywood Movie Award

Besting over 'District 9', 'The Hangover' and 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' among others, this J.J. Abrams' sci-fi is given the kudo at the 13th annual Hollywood Film Festival.

After taking home a number of kudos from 2009 Scream Awards, "Star Trek" has added another award to its collection. On Monday, October 26 at the 13th Annual Hollywood Film Festival which was held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, the J.J. Abrams-directed sci-fi was unveiled to be the winner of Hollywood Movie Award.

Collecting the most votes from Yahoo! Movies visitors, the Zachary Quinto-starring film bested over "District 9", "G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra", "The Hangover", "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince", "Inglourious Basterds", "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" and "Up" among others. Upon receiving the prize, Quinto said, "Gee, I'm shocked the online community chose to honor Star Trek."

"Star Trek" wasn't the only winner on the special night. Michael Haneke's "The White Ribbon" won the Hollywood World Award. Quinto, Robert De Niro, Hilary Swank, Christoph Waltz, Julianne Moore, Jeremy Renner, Carey Mulligan and Gabourey Sidibe were among the recipients of special honors for acting.

Bradley Cooper picked up an award for comedy, while Kathryn Bigelow and Lee Daniels were honored for directing. Other award collectors included "Up" for animation, Ryan Kavanaugh for producing, Alexandre Desplat for film composing, Roger Deakins for cinematography, and Nora Ephron, Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber for screenwriting.

A day earlier on Sunday, October 25, a separate ceremony was held at the ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood for the handing out of the festival's Discovery Awards. Best Feature Film went to Kim Tae-kyun's "Crossing" and Best Documentary was given to Mai Iskander's "Garbage Dreams". "Scenesters" grabbed Best Comedy, "Stories from the Perch" took Best Animation, "Lambs" won Best Short Subject and The Sound of Truth's "As I Lay Dying" nailed Best Music Video.


source: aceshowbiz.com

Details of Kourtney Kardashian's Baby Shower Uncovered

Some details of the planned baby shower, ranging from the invitations to decoration to the food to be served, have been unveiled.


About to welcome a new addition into the family, Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, and their mother Kris Jenner are planning to host a baby shower for pregnant Kourtney Kardashian, who is due in Christmas. The event is planned for November 14, People which obtains an invitation to the shower reports.

"Please join us for a baby shower honoring Kourtney Kardashian, November 14, 2009, Noon," People quotes the gold lettering print on the invitation. Los Angeles-based invitationers Lehr & Black, who also produced Khloe's wedding invitation, help designing the baby shower invitations.

Meanwhile, event planner Sharon Sacks of Sharon Sacks Productions in L.A. shares with Life and Style some details she has been planning for the upcoming affair. She says she chooses Rrivre Works, and picks Mark's Garden for floral design. "The magic words I just kept hearing were sleek, chic and elegant," she states, adding "[The invitations] already let guests know this shower will be anything but traditional!"

Guests will be treated to Chinois Chicken Salad by Spago's Chinois on Main in Santa Monica and a delicious cake made by Bcake NY that pairs vanilla with fresh berry filling and red velvet cake with cream cheese filling.

"Hors d'oeuvres will be an abundant array of delectable bite-size treats prepared by Renee, the famous chef of Chinois," reveals Sharon. "When the cake is cut, selecting two flavors will allow guests to pick their favorite." She then concludes, "Kourtney's guests will find themselves mingling in a fun, casual setting around the pool. The afternoon will be one filled will surprises!"

Last month, Kim Kardashian revealed her plans to throw Kourtney Kardashian a baby shower, telling Hollyscoop, "There's the baby shower I have to plan, the baby is coming. All this stuff is going to take so much time and it's going to be exciting at the same time."

Kourtney herself already shared with the press her intention to invite friends and family to the baby shower, saying "A lot of my friends from college have babies, so I'm inviting a lot of them. And some of my family members, like my aunt, were talking about doing a family baby shower."


source: aceshowbiz.com

Kevin Jonas and Danielle Deleasa Already Set Wedding Date, Mom Confirms

Denise Jonas says Kevin and Danielle have set their wedding date, but she won't share when, claiming "it's completely private."

In addition to confirming rumors on the street that Nick Jonas is pursuing a solo career, the singer's mother Denise Jonas also opens up about her oldest son Kevin Jonas' wedding plan. To Parade, she reveals Kevin and his fiancee Danielle Deleasa have set a wedding date.

"Kevin and his fiancee Danielle have set their wedding date, but it's completely private," says the mother of four children. "Danielle, bless her heart, is from a great little Italian family. She is everything I ever prayed for and hoped for Kevin," she adds.

Kevin Jonas and Danielle Deleasa first met in May 2007 while they were vacationing in the Bahamas with their families. He proposed to her in July, presenting her with a cushion-cut diamond ring that he designed with Jacob & Co.

While neither Kevin nor Daniel has publicly confirmed their wedding plan, talks have been brewing that they are hashing out terms of a pre-nuptial agreement. In the meantime, Kevin's brothers Joe Jonas and Nick Jonas have been gushing about their plan to throw him a "good, clean and fun" bachelor party. On when and where the party will be held, it is not yet known.


source: aceshowbiz.com

Lauren Conrad to Be a Jester Clown on Halloween

"I'm not going the sexy route, really - it's almost like a jester clown. Tights that are black and white and a tutu and suspenders and funny make-up," she promises.

While attending the Avon Foundation for Women Gala in New York City on Tuesday, October 27, Lauren Conrad took time to have a brief interview with Just Jared, telling the site her costume for the upcoming Halloween. She said, "I'm going to be a clown! I'm not going the sexy route, really - it's almost like a jester clown. Tights that are black and white and a tutu and suspenders and funny make-up."

When asked to name her favorite TV shows, the 23-year-old star revealed, "I am obsessed with 'Glee'. Oh my god. Also, I watch Discovery Channel! I love 'Dirty Jobs' and 'Deadliest Catch' - those are my reality shows!" Lauren, moreover, also dished about her future project as she is having her book "L.A. Candy" adapted for big screen flick.

"I'm trying to think one step at a time. I'm gonna focus on writing the script and movies aren't just like the book, so characters might be tweaked ... obviously, I have people that I'm in love with, but I'm gonna wait 'til it's done to start making a wish list," so she stated.


source: aceshowbiz.com

Marketing This Is It: How Sony Created a Global Event

By Bryan Alexander / Los Angeles

It was supposed to be the tour that brought Michael Jackson's magic back — and sure enough, when This Is It the movie opens Tuesday night with simultaneous premieres in 16 cities across the globe, the King of Pop will take the world stage once more. Only in Hollywood could the unfinished dream become celluloid reality, in part because only in Hollywood do they know how to sell it. "This is a testament not only to Jackson's worldwide appeal and the outpouring of grief around his death but also to the marketing of this movie, which has been straight out of a business-school demo," says Steven Gaydos, executive editor of Variety. Sony spokesman Steve Elzer says the many features of the movie's release have created a "unique cinematic event." He may be right. Here's why:

The Two-Week Window
One of Sony's first marketing moves was to set a deadline for the film public, proclaiming that This Is It would play in theaters for a two-week run. Can't you just feel the sense of urgency? "It has event-ized this thing in a huge way," marvels an industry exec. The prospect of an end date lit a fire under the devoted and even the Jackson-ambivalent. Setting a deadline "creates a sense of scarcity for a major event that you have to see," says Harry Medved, a spokesman for the movie-ticketing website Fandango.com. "That's exciting for people." A marketing exec from a rival studio acknowledges the success but sniffs, "It's that old Vegas-concert, Disney-movie hypo-o-meter trick." The exec adds, "If sales go well and there's demand, then they suddenly find a way to extend the engagement." So, yes, there may be more "It" to This Is It.

The Advance Sales
Sure, people were lined up with tickets in hand for Heath Ledger's posthumous turn in The Dark Knight, but Jackson has a more enthusiastic and far more universal fan base, now encouraged by the pressure of a deadline. Sony made a hard push for advance ticket sales over and above what most movies command, with the same thrust and hype that live-concert sales get. The result has been impressive: since the Sept. 27 on-sale date, there have been reports of 1,600 advance sellouts. "This is a movie that's tailormade for advance ticketing," says Paul Dergarabedian, a box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. "People want to have peace of mind that they will not be turned away." The question remains, though, whether an audience exists beyond the first weekend's rush of fans. "There are a lot of unknowns," admits director-choreographer Kenny Ortega. "There's been a quick response by the diehards, the people who cannot miss the film. But it's not for sure if there's anyone beyond Michael's fan base who will make up an audience for something like this."

The Quick Turnaround
"The Champagne loses its fizz the longer you wait," says Gaydos. "Sony wants to get this thing out while people are still talking about it, while it's still a phenomenon. It will only diminish." Although the frenzy over Jackson's death has abated, there was a clear mandate to honor — some might say tap into — the international outpouring of grief. "It's not about exploiting," Ortega says. "Every corner of this planet, people were reaching out saying, 'Show us something.' " Ortega was originally asked to edit the 120 hours of mixed rehearsal film for a release around Jackson's birthday in August. He declined, and the mutual decision was for an October release.

The Mystery Factor
The movie is one of the great secrets in Hollywood. Only a select group of insiders and family members has seen it, and certainly no critics have. Ortega chalks this up to Jackson's need for opening-night magic. "It was always, Don't ruin the secrets, don't ruin the surprises," says Ortega. "Michael always protected that." Gaydos believes the movie is "review-proof." "What are they going to say — that the film is out of focus, that they don't like the music?" he asks. "I don't think anyone thinks it's going to be a cinematic masterpiece." Rather than a fear of bad reviews, he chalks up the lack of advance screenings to Sony's need to build anticipation. "You've got one chance at uncorking this bottle," Gaydos says. "This is great show biz."

That said, one obvious hurdle the film faces is that it's a concert film with no concertgoers — just 18,000 silent seats. That's a whole lot less boisterous than the normal adrenaline-fueled arena chaos. It could be a point of strength: Ortega insists there "is something quite special" about the fact that there is an "emptiness where there would have been a roar of applause." But as a viewing experience, it will doubtless take some getting used to.

The Global Reach
Perhaps only Michael Jackson could command premieres around the world, from the main event in Los Angeles to London to Seoul. All told, there will be 33 premieres, with 16 synched to begin at the same time and eight featuring a satellite feed showing red-carpet arrivals from the gala in Los Angeles. The numbers are staggering even to folks used to marquee-name statistics. Vivian Mayer-Siskind, who worked in the marketing department at Summit Entertainment for the launch of that other worldwide obsession Twilight, says she's impressed. "Michael Jackson is of a level that is really quite unique," she says. "He was and clearly still is a true worldwide performer. And as of Tuesday, this movie is going to be a worldwide event."


source: Time.com