Dark Knight follow-up plot details?

Cinema Blend has what it believes are details on the follow-up to The Dark Knight. Just as Knight is inspired by the Batman graphic novel The Long Halloween, its sequel will be inspired by Halloween’s follow-up, Dark Victory. Interestingly, Victory primarily focused on Two-Face as the villain, while also introducing Batman’s sidekick Robin. As for The Joker, he was indeed meant to be included in the second sequel to Batman Begins. However, due to actor Heath Ledger’s death, it appears the role may be written out of the picture rather than recast.

Dark Knight images, spoilers hit online

Located at GameSpot Forums, four images from The Dark Knight may be viewed. In addition, the person responsible for posting the screen captures offers a description for the events taking place in each picture. The gallery gives a glimpse into how dark Dark Knight may be, due to its psychotic villain The Joker.

Pitt to partake of Tree of Life?

According to CBS’s Austin, Texas affiliate KEYE, Brad Pitt may have accepted the lead role in director Terrence Malick’s Tree of Life, reports IGN. The late Heath Ledger had previously been linked to the role. Little is known about the project or its main character, although the long-in-development feature is said to be a “complex drama.”

Big Screen Roundup: 1/31/08 Edition - Part II

The official website for Superhero Movie has debuted. As it turns out, however, the trailer for the flick is no longer at YouTube.

Coming Soon has a scanned version of the second new Empire Magazine photo from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The image features Cate Blanchett as villain Agent Spalko. Other exclusives Coming Soon serves include a video of Jim Carrey bungee jumping for the comedy Yes Man, as well as a clip from The Accidental Husband and a one-sheet for Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns.

Dark Horizons informs that Oscar-winner Paul Haggis has signed to an overall nonexclusive deal with United Artists. Under the agreement, he will write, produce and possibly direct projects for the studio through his production company, Hwy61.

Variety reports that DreamWorks has acquired all domestic and remake rights to the Slamdance Fest entry Paranormal Activity. Helmed by Oren Peli, the micro-budget haunted house film was shot over one week with a high-def camera in his own house with two unknown actors.

According to Moviehole, Robert Englund will indeed be approached about reprising his role as Fred Krueger in the Nightmare on Elm Street remake.

Lightning Entertainment has acquired the international sales rights to Jada Pinkett Smith’s directorial debut, The Human Contract, writes Variety. The pic “tells the story of a relationship between a repressed advertising exec and a reckless woman.”

The New York Daily News has the latest on the video it describes as “showing a guilt-ridden Heath Ledger at a Hollywood drug party confessing to strangers he [had used pot] for most of his life.” Apparently, Entertainment Tonight is no longer planning to broadcast the video.

Big Screen Roundup: 1/28/08 Edition

Guillermo del Toro is in talks to direct back-to-back installments of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, informs The Hollywood Reporter. Both del Toro and Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson will oversee writing for the films. Co-financed by New Line and MGM, the Hobbit series will have a production budget estimated at $150 million for each feature. At this time, it appears the release date for the first film will be in 2010, with the second one following in 2011.

Director Christopher Nolan has written a touching tribute titled “Charisma as Natural as Gravity” to the late actor Heath Ledger. Available to read at Newsweek, the essay focuses on Ledger’s enthusiasm and work ethic during the filming of Nolan’s The Dark Knight. Meanwhile, Superhero Hype! has collected three new images from the upcoming Batman feature.

Variety records that Universal Pictures and Working Title Films have agreed to a two-picture deal with Atonement director Joe Wright.

Julia Roberts will produce and star in the film adaptation of Margot Berwin’s upcoming novel Hothouse Flowers for Sony’s Columbia Pictures, writes The Hollywood Reporter. The actress will portray “a recently divorced woman who is dissatisfied with her job at a Manhattan ad agency and goes off on an adventure that takes her to places she never expected to go.”

IGN has learned John Cleese is in negotiations to join the cast of the remake for the 1951 sci-fi classic The Day The Earth Stood Still. Cleese’s role would be that of “physicist Dr. Barnhardt, a Nobel Prize laureate who plays a key part in figuring out the mission and meaning of the arrival of the alien Klaatu.”

Coming Soon rounds up sources showing Channing Tatum to have the lead role of Duke in director Stephen Sommers’ G.I. Joe live-action adaptation.The Canadian Press reports that the next project for Robert Redford to produce and star in will be A Walk in the Woods, an adaptation of the bestselling 1998 Bill Bryson book about hiking the Appalachian Trail. Barry Levinson is expected to direct the film.

According to Deadline Hollywood Daily, Harvey Weinstein of The Weinstein Co. is already considering another installment in the Rambo franchise. An early idea from Weinstein involves “bringing the character back to the United States.”

ShockTillYouDrop.com speaks with Funny Games stars Michael Pitt and Brady Corbet about Michael Haneke’s remake of his own psychological thriller.

Variety indicates that Marlene Forte will be seen s “Chief Transporter” in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek. The magazine also reveals Marion Cotillard, Channing Tatum, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Dorff and Jason Clarkeas as joining Johnny Depp and Christian Bale in the Michael Mann feature Public Enemies.

Dark Horizons updates readers on release date changes for the following movies: Choke (8/1), Hellraiser (2009), Trailer Trash (no longer scheduled), Youth in Revolt (12/12), The Patriots (11/14) and Towelhead (8/15).

Coming Soon brings readers such exclusives as a clip from the King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters DVD, as well as an interview with Strange Wilderness star Kevin Heffernan.

Big Screen Roundup: 1/25/08 Edition

The official website for The Dark Knight has been updated with a memorial for Heath Ledger. In addition, the Why So Serious promotional site now features a black ribbon in remembrance of the deceased actor.

The title of the latest entry in the James Bond franchise has been revealed: Quantum of Solace. As explained by The Associated Foreign Press, the name is taken from the title of a short story in Bond creator Ian Fleming’s 1960 anthology For Your Eyes Only. Latino Review has a video and poster for the announcement.

Moviehole broadcasts that the next movie for director David Zucker will be a comedic take on A Christmas Carol, set at Independence Day rather than Christmas.

Variety notifies that Sam Mendes is preparing to direct an untitled contemporary comedy, previously known as This Must Be the Place, for Focus Features. The screenplay for the film was written by the husband-and-wife team of Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida.

Ain’t It Cool News clears up the rumor that the next project from Paul Thomas Anderson will be a horror film. When asked by the site’s owner, Harry Knowles, about the speculation, the director commented, “News to me. I thought I just made a horror film… Wish I had something to report, but I’m dry as a bone…”

Laurence Fishburne, Jean Reno and Milo Ventimiglia have joined Screen Gems’ heist action flick Armored, indicates Variety. The movie centers on “a young armored car guard who is persuaded by his veteran cohorts to empty a truck of its $10 million cargo.”

The Writers Guild of America has reached an interim agreement with Marvel Studios and Lionsgate. The two companies are the latest to reach such an agreement, following WGA deals with The Weinstein Company, United Artists, Worldwide Pants, Spyglass Entertainment, MRC, Jackson Bites, Mandate Films and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment.

A possible early description of the Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull trailer has been posted at Ain’t It Cool News.

TheBadandUgly.com spreads the word of a film adaptation for the 1934 comic strip Mandrake the Magician, directed by Chuck Russel and to be released this year. Apparently, UFC fighter Randy Couture will appear in the motion picture.

The Boston Herald notes that the title of director Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of Shutter Island is now Ashecliffe, inspired by the name of the mental institution where much of the story’s action takes place.

The London Times devotes a piece to the creation of the Oscar-nominated The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Screenwriter Ronald Harwood and Janusz Kaminski, director of cinematography, provide their thoughts on the film’s making for the article.

In a report containing spoilers, JoBlo summarizes possible hints found in Cloverfield that suggest a sequel to the hit monster movie is being considered.

Ain’t It Cool News speaks with Colin Hanks about The Great Buck Howard as well as a documentary Hanks will be directing that spotlights “the demise of the music industry.”

Coming Soon presents six TV spots for Warner Bros. Pictures’ epic adventure 10,000 B.C.

The Digital Bits offers the newest info on home entertainment releases for No Country for Old Men (3/11), The Wiz: 30th Anniversary Edition (2/12), Moondance Alexander (4/29) and Radiant City (3/4). Meanwhile, Sony is planning a Blu-ray debut for The 6th Day (4/8), as Paramount is bringing back its Jack Ryan Collection HD-DVD box set (3/25).

Trademork.com writes that Hasbro, Inc. have filed to protect the trademark Stretch Armstrong in relation to “production and distribution of motion pictures, television programs, television games shows and cartoon series; on-going television programs in the nature of children’s game shows and animated television cartoon series[…]” This development has fueled speculation that a Stretch Armstrong film or television project could be on the way.