'Indiana Jones 5' May Be Getting A New Script From 'This Is Us' Creator Dan Fogelman

Indiana Jones 5 is still set to hit theaters in 2021, but you'd never know it since little stays in place for very long. The last we'd heard, writer Jon Kasdan had been hired to rewrite the script which delayed production considerably, although it remains Steven Spielberg's next project ahead of his West Side Story remake. But that could change if a new rumor regarding yet another script change turns out to be true.

According to MakingStarWars, who aren't usually known for Indiana Jones stuff but probably have a pulse on what's going on at Lucasfilm, This is Us creator Dan Fogelman has been hired to toss out Kasdan's script and start over fresh. Yeah, that could push things back considerably.  While we don't know the specifics of the change, it's said that Kasdan's story would've centered on the  Wałbrzych gold train, buried by the Nazis in Europe at the end of WWII. Sounds pretty cool. 

Fogelman's story would be doing something completely different, however. While his series This is Us has become must-see viewing for millions of people, his work on the big screen has been mixed. Most recently he wrote and directed Life Itself, a melodrama that was absolutely savaged critically. He doesn't strike me as the right guy for an Indiana Jones movie but one never knows. If he can get this done quick enough there shouldn't be any delay on next summer's start date and Indiana Jones 5 proceeds as expected. If not, I have doubts we'll ever see it as Harrison Ford can't wait around forever.

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'Life Itself' Is Getting Sh*t On By Critics, And Dan Fogelman Is Pissed About It

Any time you invest a lot of yourself into something creative and put it out there to the masses, it really hurts when the audience thinks it fucking sucks. The only thing you can do is grow a thick skin and let it bounce off, because criticism isn't going to go away, it's just a part of life. You'd think people in the movie and TV industry would be used to it, but that's not always true. Dan Fogelman may have a hit show in NBC's This is Us, a show I'm sure takes its share of heat each week, but the reviews for his new movie are what have him fuming, and he wants the world to know how pissed he is.

See, Life Itself is getting hammered by critics. Right now it sits at just 12% among Rotten Tomatoes critics and fluctuating. It was 9% just 10 minutes ago, I swear. And any time you have a movie this universally reviled, critics like to really flex their muscles, max out on the amount of shit they can dump on it. Of the quotes listed on the front page that made me chuckle, USA Today's Brian Truitt scores with "A stuffed turkey that wastes most of its noteworthy ingredients...".  And National Post's Chris Knight nails it with "Never trust a movie that uses the term "unreliable narrator" more than six times." Rolling Stone's Peter Travers was clearly not a fan, asking “How do you rate a cinematic black hole that doesn’t deserve a single star? Do you simply give it five eyerolls?”

Another guy on the front page that I've learned to really trust is Travis Hopson of Punchdrunkcritics.com, who says  "Life itself may be unpredictable yet sadly Life Itself is anything but."

I like that guy.

Anyway, in an interview with TooFab, Fogelman blames white male critics for the bad reviews and the total destruction of film criticism as we know. I blame white men for a lot of shit, too, but this seems excessive. Here's what Fogelman had to say...

“I think that something is inherently a little bit broken in our film criticism right now. I also think it’s somewhat broken in our television criticism, I think that the people with the widest reach are getting increasingly cynical and vitriolic and I think there are a couple of genres and a couple of ideas that they [attack, which] doesn’t speak to not just a mainstream audience, but also a sophisticated audience.”

“I think a couple of the early reviews that have come out about this movie [‘Life Itself’] feel so out of left field to everybody who’s a part of this movie and to people who have been screening this film for the better part of a year now to both fancy filmmakers, critics, and audiences. There’s a disconnect between something that is happening between our primarily white male critics who don’t like anything that has any emotion.”

To be fair, there's been a lot of talk recently about white male film critics reviewing movies they have zero cultural connection to. This subject reared its ugly head with Ava DuVernay's panned A Wrinkle in Time, and we've seen Rotten Tomatoes try to correct course by flooding their ranks with every critic under the sun, all in the name of diversity. 

But if Fogelman thinks it's only a bunch of white dudes who think his movie is shit...well, he's got another think coming. I'm African-American and my review is probably one of the harshest out there. I wanted to rip my eyeballs out. 

Of the 50 listed critic review for Life Itself, 20 of them are by women. The film only has 6 positive reviews in all, which means ladies think it's shit, too.  Men and women can't agree on much, but thinking Life Itself is a terrible movie? That's something we can all find common ground in. 

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Review: 'Life Itself', Dan Fogelman Can't Even Ripoff 'This Is Us' Properly

I don't like to admit this sort of thing but in the case of Life Itself it must be done: I knew within about five minutes that I would hate this movie. Normally, I'm not given to passing judgement on anything so quickly but Dan Fogelman, the guy whose NBC show This is Us has all of your Facebook friends weeping every week, is so self-important and "clever" so early on that it sets the bad wheels in motion. Life Itself is a more pompous Collateral Beauty; a manipulative, preachy and contrived mess full of big stars punching well beneath their weight class.

The only one who is exactly where we expect him to be is Fogelman, who is basically giving you a two-hour version of This is Us. Which begs the question, "Why does it work on the small screen but not as a movie?" Commercial breaks? Life Itself is multigenerational and overwrought, following scads of characters who rarely if ever cross paths but are connected by an event. It's usually a terrible tragedy, but in this case it's like multiple tragedies. This damn movie is dark, and gets dark quick, but Fogelman tries to lighten it up with some narrative slight of hand. The irritation begins with Samuel L. Jackson, who both narrates the early going and appears as a version of himself, filling our heads with drivel about who the hero of the story will be. The narration in this movie always gives away whatever theme Fogelman wants to get across, because he doesn't have the capacity to express it through his characters, nor does he trust the audience to figure that shit out for themselves.

Tragedy befalls the apparent "hero", a therapist played by the great Annette Bening. But Fogelman pulls the rug out from us; that's not really the true opening of the movie. It's all just a façade. Why? Well, later narration has some obnoxious crap for us about unreliable narrators, too.

Divided into chapters to stress how incredibly serious-minded this whole thing is, the film stars Oscar Isaac as Will, a New York City neurotic who has fallen madly in love with Abby (Olivia Wilde). He believes they are a perfect couple, always meant to be. Flashbacks to their courtship in college show the level of Will's commitment to her and the book of corny shit no guy would ever say;  “I’m waiting for the right moment, because when I ask you out, there’s not going to be any turning back for me."

Oh yeah, that's a Fogelman.

But are Will and Abby really happy? What was that about unreliable narrators? The opening thirty minutes of the film are aggravating, but there's potential in exploring the way in which Will constructs fantasy in his head to cope with life's many twists and turns. See, life itself is unpredictable. That's a fine place to start for a movie, but that's pretty much all Life Itself is. At one point Abby comes up with a college thesis that is, literally, a regurgitation of the whole "life is unpredictable/shit happens" narrative. But like her school paper it is merely an idea and never really explored in a way that is meaningful.

Again, I blame Fogelman for this. Rather than creating characters for the audience to connect with he'd rather shock them with one heart-tugging tragedy after another. We're soon introduced to Will and Abby's daughter, Dylan (Olivia Cooke), who is named after, of course, Bob Dylan. If you're not a fan of the famous singer/songwriter then this movie will be like nails on a chalkboard, because his music is everywhere. And when it's not playing, his music is referenced repeatedly. Outside of her caring, protective grandfather (Mandy Patinkin, a real pleasure), Dylan's life is marked by loss, which has made her sullen and angry. Jump thousands of miles away to Spain, and we find out that Dylan's life is connected to another family. Javier (Sergio Peris-Mencheta) is a simple olive picker who has earned the respect of his co-workers and the notice of his wealthy boss, Mr. Saccione (Antoino Banderas). Promoted to foreman, Javier is now able to care for his new wife Isabel (the always-terrific Laia Costa, doing her best work yet), and young son Rodrigo (Alex Monner), who has dreams of going to New York City. Hmmmm....

Those who know Fogelman will be able to suss out this circular journey pretty quickly, not that knowing makes tolerating it any easier. The Spanish portion of the story, some of it subtitled but the crucial bits in English, have the benefit of gorgeous cinematography taking in the countryside's natural beauty. But there's a massive disconnect that Fogelman struggles to fix, and every attempt to do so strains credulity. It works much better when Fogelman stops trying to connect the dots and just lets the story unfold and his actors perform. Isaac is in full Inside Llewyn Davis mode here, showing humor and deep reservoirs of soulfulness and pain that nearly overshadow Fogelman's mawkish screenplay. Peris-Menchata, Banderas, and Costa are terrific, as well, grounding this drama in a way that it sorely needs. While telegraphed a mile away, the hero-or-villain dynamic between Javier and Saccione could be its own movie, and I would pay to see it. Unfortunately, it's just a small piece of an unfulfilling, obvious film that never earns the feelings it wants from viewers. Life itself may be unpredictable yet sadly Life Itself is anything but.

Rating: 1.5 out of 5

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'Life Itself' Trailer: 'This Is Us' Creator Leads Oscar Isaac Through A Multigenerational Romance

An ensemble love story that spans generations? Better call Dan Fogelman! The creator of phenom TV series This Is Us (The one that has all your friends in tears each week) is bringing his talent for multigenerational romantic drama to the silver screen with Life Itself, and the first trailer for it is here.

Starring Oscar Isaac, Olivia Wilde, Mandy Patinkin, Laia Costa, Olivia Cooke, Annette Bening, Samuel L. Jackson, and Antonio Banderas, the film follows the intersecting stories of people in New York and Spain across generations. One look at the trailer will probably have This Is Us regulars swooning, but Fogelman isn't making it easy to figure out the catalyzing event that connects his characters.

Here is the official synopsis: As a young New York couple goes from college romance to marriage and the birth of their first child, the unexpected twists of their journey create reverberations that echo over continents and through lifetimes in Life Itself. Director and writer Dan Fogelman (“This Is Us”) examines the perils and rewards of everyday life in a multigenerational saga featuring an international ensemble including Oscar Isaac, Olivia Wilde, Antonio Banderas, Annette Bening, Olivia Cooke, Sergio Peris- Mencheta, Laia Costa, Alex Monner and Mandy Patinkin. Set in New York City and Carmona, Spain, Life Itself celebrates the human condition and all of its complications with humor, poignancy and love.

Life Itself opens September 21st.

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'Life Itself' Trailer: 'This Is Us' Creator And Oscar Isaac Bring Multigenerational Drama To The Big Screen

Dan Fogelman has millions of viewers in tears each with his multigenerational series drama, This Is Us. So can he replicate that kind of success on the big screen with another love story that spans generations and follows people from all walks of life? Amazon Studios is hoping so, and they're expecting big things from Life Itself, which stars Oscar Isaac and Olivia Wilde.

Amazon debuted the first teaser during tonight's season finale of This Is Us. The story is pure Fogelman, following various characters all around the world who are connected in some way. Along with Isaac and Wilde the film includes Annette Bening, Laia Costa, Olivia Cooke, Antonio Banderas, and Mandy Patinkin. Here's the official synopsis:

“‘Life Itself’ centers on a couple (Oscar Isaac and Olivia Wilde) which leads a multigenerational love story spanning both decades and continents, from the streets of New York to the Spanish countryside, and are all connected by a single event.”

Life Itself opens in theaters on September 21st.

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Oscar Isaac To Star In Dan Fogelman's 'Life Itself'

While Dan Fogelman is enjoying some of the best small-screen reviews of his career for This Is Us, he's also keeping his film career going strong. The Danny Collins director has found a big time star for his follow-up, Life Itself, and it's none other than Oscar Isaac.

Isaac will lead the drama which sounds like pure Fogelman. Basically it tells a multi-generational story in which every character around the world, from New York to Spain, is somehow connected. How that plays out will be interesting to see, but this sounds like the beginnings of an ensemble piece and Isaac is a pretty good place to start.

Fogelman will begin filming on that in the spring, so we should be hearing about some other casting soon. [Deadline]

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Review: 'Danny Collins' starring Al Pacino, Bobby Cannavale, Jennifer Garner, and Annette Bening

At the ripe old (young?) age of 74, Al Pacino has begun to act his age. Or more accurately, he's begun to look back on his long career and is making up for a lot of wasted years. To say his recent output hasn't been up to the legend's former standard would be an understatement, but lately we've seen Pacino quietly begin to rebound by exploring facets of his own life. In last year's The Humbling he played an actor who regains his passion thanks in part to a new love. But it's in Dan Fogelman's sweet and endearing Danny Collins, a film about second chances and starting over, that Pacino rights the course and gives his best performance in years.

“The following is kind of based on a true story, a little bit", Danny Collins greets us with a cheekiness that carries through the remainder of the film. It is based, in some small part, on the true story of songwriter Steve Tilston, who learned years after-the-fact that his idol John Lennon had written him a very personal letter. That's where Tilston's story ends, but Fogelman takes that idea and creates a heartfelt, if a tad schmaltzy, love letter to music and family. Pacino plays Danny Collins, a washed up singer who released one incredible album in 1971. In fact, when interviewed by a journalist (Nick Offerman) in a truly Almost Famous-esque opening scene, Danny looks horrified at the prospect of being famous. But that comes after he admits John Lennon was his greatest inspiration. Not a bad place to start, kid.

Decades later and Danny hasn't made an album since. He's indeed famous, but it's for performing the same, catchy pop tunes repeatedly to crowds of old women and drunken students. It's made him rich, but is he happy? With his bad dye job, outlandish outfits, drug habit, and a hot young gold digger for a girlfriend, he's basically a walking stereotype. If Liberace and Neil Diamond had a lovechild, he'd be it. Everything changes for Danny when his best friend and longtime manager (Christopher Plummer) arrives with a very special birthday gift: a letter written to him by John Lennon some 40 years earlier. Lennon's sage advice about fame and family inspire Danny to reconnect with Tom (Bobby Cannavale), the son he never really knew. Tom, a blue-collar worker with a pregnant wife (Jennifer Garner) and young daughter suffering from ADHD, wants nothing to do with the man he considers a flamboyant deadbeat.

Okay, so the premise sounds like it was ripped right out of a Hallmark card, but Fogelman, who wrote rom-com Crazy Stupid Love and Disney's Tangled, knows how to tug at the heartstrings without going overboard. Well, not too often, anyway. Even when a character reveals a terminal illness, Fogelman keeps the emotions simple and raw. It's in the interactions between Danny and his newfound family that the film really hits home. That their reunion energizes his creative spirit is a given, but the film has a generally positive, hopeful tone that is infectious. Pacino, who still shows the tendency to overdo it on occasion, shares a number of funny scenes with the well-modulated Plummer. He also has a number of great scenes with Cannavale, who continues to be one of today's most reliable actors regardless of genre. Less effective are the romantic subplots involving Danny's pursuit of a perky, age-appropriate hotel manager played by Annette Bening, and a pointless courtship between two young members of the hotel staff (Josh Peck and Melissa Benoist). While Fogelman may have been trying to parallel the path both relationships took, it was just one thing too many in a film with enough going on already.

Accompanied perfectly and beautifully by a handful of Lennon's finest solo tracks, including "Imagine"(the film's original title) and "Working Class Hero", the appreciation for him is palpable. It also lends considerable dramatic weight to the film's quieter moments, which is when Danny Collins is at its best. While Pacino's singing needs a ton of work (thankfully it doesn't last long), he hasn't been this invigorated for a role in some time. Like the title character, Pacino has found it's never too late to begin anew, and hopefully audiences eager to see him at his best will give Danny Collins a chance.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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Interview: Dan Fogelman Talks 'Danny Collins', Working with Al Pacino, and More

There's a pretty good chance at least one of the movies Dan Fogelman wrote has touched your life in some way or become a favorite. Pixar's Cars and Cars 2, Disney's Tangled, Crazy Stupid Love...he's been keeping busy as a screenwriter but has now turned the page to directing with Danny Collins. For a debut feature Fogelman was able to amass a cast any longtime filmmaker would envy: Al Pacino, Annette Bening, Bobby Cannavale, Jennifer Garner, and Christopher Plummer star in the dramedy about an aging, hard-living rock star who has given up creativity for easy paychecks singing old tunes. When he discovers that his idol, John Lennon, wrote him an inspiring letter some 40 years earlier, it forces Danny to reexamine what's truly important.

Fogelman has tackled the issue of growing older in films like Last Vegas and The Guilt Trip, but Danny Collins also deals with celebrity culture, family, and second chances.

I was happy to have a chance to talk with Fogelman about Danny Collins, making the decision to direct, and how he got Al Pacino to sing in front of a live audience. You can check out that interview below, and also find my review of Danny Collins here.

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Bradley Cooper looking to Direct Robert De Niro in 'Honeymoon with Harry'

In the works for years, the unusual wedding comedy Honeymoon with Harry seems to have found someone new to walk down the aisle with. Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro had been looking to star in the film with Jonathan Demme directing, but that didn't work out. Now Dan Fogelman, superstar writer behind Crazy Stupid Love, has come aboard to give the script a rewrite. But as for who will direct it, apparently Cooper is looking to do it himself.

Deadline reports that Cooper is interested in making his directorial debut on Honeymoond with Harry, which would have him starring as a former womanizer who changes his ways when he meets the perfect woman. When she dies just before their wedding, he decides to go on their honeymoon anyway to drink himself to death. Instead he encounters her father (De Niro), a man he has never gotten along with, who is there to spread his daughter's ashes.

Yeah, it sounds a little sappy but De Niro and Cooper have always worked well together and apparently are keen to do so again. This also sounds like a simple enough project for Cooper if he does decide to step behind the camera.

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John Lennon Inspires Al Pacino in First Trailer for 'Danny Collins'

Unlike some actors who steadfastly refuse to act their age as they get older, Al Pacino has embraced it. Most recently he played an aging actor who falls in love with a younger woman in The Humbling, and now in the rock drama Danny Collins he stars as a former rocker inspired by the late John Lennon.

Formerly titled Imagine, the film has Pacino as an aging rock star big in the 1970s but still living the hard-partying lifestyle. When his manager turns up a 40-year-old letter written to him by John Lennon, it spurs him to try and reconnect with the family he's long neglected. Bobby Cannavale stars as his son, in a role that Steve Carell and Jeremy Renner were both attached to at different times. Annette Bening, Jennifer Garner, Christopher Plummer and Melissa Benoist make up a pretty impressive cast for Dan Fogelman (Crazy Stupid Love screenwriter) in his directorial debut.

Overall, this trailer is mostly forgettable and cheesy, but maybe Danny Collins will continue Pacino's solid streak w hen it opens March 20th 2015.

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Review: 'Last Vegas' Starring Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, and Morgan Freeman

Old folks are funny. Everybody knows this, right? Especially in movies they are hi-larious. And Las Vegas? Also a place where funny movies tend to take place, like in The Hangover. Hey, The Hangover didn't suck until it got away from the "sin city", right? So old folks and Vegas should be like mana from comedy heaven in Last Vegas, but it's really the combination of Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Kline that the film manages to overcome some glaring shortcomings with the script.

The screen vets play lifelong friends, known in their reckless Brooklyn youth as the Flatbush Four, but now are dealing with the effects of old age. Archie (Freeman) is a military vet who has suffered a stroke, and thus his son (Michael Ealy in a throwaway role) has him on a short leash. Sam (Kline) has retired to Florida where he's stuck in a boring, passionless marriage. Paddy (De Niro) has fared the worst, having become a shut-in after the death of his wife, a woman he and former best pal Billy (Douglas) were both vying for back in the day. Resentment still brews between them for reasons that are dangled in front our noses like a carrot, but really aren't that difficult to figure out. Despite the script by Crazy Stupid Love writer Dan Fogelman, this isn't a film sturdy enough to support long-lasting mysteries.

Billy is the only one of the group who has chosen to remain a swingin' spring chicken, and after a rather awkward funeral speech he decides to ditch bachelorhood and marry his 30-year-old girlfriend.  Sam and Archie, eager for an escape, are totally gung-ho for throwing their millionaire pal a bachelor party in Vegas, but the fuming Paddy has to be tricked into it, and even when he arrives he's little more than a dark cloud.

Directed with a brisk pace by Jon Turteltaub, the film easily bypasses any threads that (rather ironically) would be too mature for a sophomoric comedy such as this. Instead it's a constant barrage of old age stereotypes (did you know old people are bad with technology and use Viagra?) delivered in a fairly conventional package. Archie hits the black jack tables and stumbles into some cash, good enough to earn the gang a swanky hotel upgrade and a resentful concierge (Romany Malco).  In one of those storylines that could have really gone somewhere with a little effort, Sam's wife has given him free reign to basically sleep with whoever he wants (armed with Viagra and condoms) in an effort to bring some spark back to his life. Of course what we get is a creakier version of Hall Pass but his attempts to get laid do provide some of the biggest chuckles. It's Freeman and Kline who carry much of the comedic burden, and the former seems especially jazzed to get drunk, party with models, and down one too many Red Bulls.

It's Douglas and De Niro who are expected to carry the marginally heavier stuff, which amounts to a resurgence of Billy and Paddy's old beef. The always-welcome Mary Steenburgen enters the picture as Diana, a sultry lounge singer who seems to have an eye for both guys, rekindling their feud. She's actually one of the more refreshing aspects of the story and takes it in some interesting directions, mainly because Diana is feisty and completely open about whom she is. She doesn't stand for Paddy's gloom 'n doom, but nor does she totally buy into Billy's playboy attitude. We come to learn that she hit Vegas to live out her golden years doing what she always dreamed of doing, an experienced lesson that is imparted on the gang in numerous ways without being heavy-handed. But for every instance of nuance there are a half a dozen more where Sam gets hit on by drag queens or De Niro punches out some young jerk (usually the victim is Jerry Ferrara), or the gang pretend to be mobsters.

Last Vegas is basically The Bucket List meets The Hangover, and if that sounds like it would make for a schizophrenic combination then you're absolutely right. Its sillier aspects far outweigh the endearing ones, and more jokes miss than hit, but the film breezes through enjoyably enough that this is one Vegas experience you'll be happy to remember.

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The first trailer for 'Last Vegas' is basically 'The Hangover' for old folks

Let's see...four guys in Las Vegas have a wild night full of drugs, sex, and alcohol on the eve of one's impending nuptials? No, it's not a flashback to Todd Phillips' The Hangover, it's instead the premise behind Last Vegas. The only real difference is that this wolfpack has decidedly grayer fur.

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Review: 'The Guilt Trip' starring Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand

So it seems that we are entering the point of Seth Rogen’s career where he has not fallen into the realm of bland rom-coms, but where he is nestled safely in the “holiday-comedy” zone. That zone where you find this actor, that was awesomely funny not too long ago, in R-rated material, and now, after some years of being one of the Hollywood “it” guys, is paying the price to the Hollywood devil. That cost is The Guilt Trip, no pun intended. The Guilt Trip is also the return vehicle of Barbara Streisand to the starring marquee after 16 years out of the cinematic spotlight, excepting a few supporting turns as Roz Focker in the Fockers’ franchise. Maybe Streisand has a thing for playing Jewish mothers?

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Jeremy Renner and Julianne Moore join Al Pacino in rocker comedy 'Imagine'

When last we heard about Imagine, the upcoming rocker film from writer/director Dan Fogelman(Crazy Stupid Love), it was June of last year when Al Pacino came aboard in the lead role. Steve Carell had signed on the year before and was set to produce, but production was so slow that he had to drop out. Now it looks like his replacement has been found.

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First trailer for 'The Guilt Trip' starring Seth Rogen and Barbara Streisand

Last year's Crazy Stupid Love could have been a very crass and ugly film if in the wrong hands, what with Ryan Gosling and Steve Carell trolling around bars picking up desperate women. Thanks to screenwriter Dan Fogelman, the film had a ton of heart and a number of likable performances, and I see some of those same parallels in his new film, The Guilt Trip.

Starring the unlikely pair of Seth Rogen and Barbara Streisand, the film follows an inventor who recognizes just how lonely his widowed mother has been. Attempting to help her find some measure of happiness, he invites her on a road trip to sell his latest product, while secretly plotting to reunite her with a long lost love. As you'd expect, much of the humor comes from the oil 'n water combo of Rogen and Streisand playing off one another, but there's a surprising amount of sentimentality as well. Rogen's been showing a lot more of his tender side lately and he seems to be getting better at it.

Fogelman's script is directed by Anne Fletcher and co-stars Adam Scott, Yvonne Strahovski, and Colin Hanks. The Guilt Trip opens on Christmas Day. Check out the trailer below....

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Michael Douglas and Robert De Niro will fight over Mary Steenburgen in 'Last Vegas'

Jon Turteltaub(National Treasure) has been putting together the cast for his old folks in the Sin City flick, Last Vegas, and so far he's had so much good luck it might be time to hit the blackjack table. Michael Douglas was the first to sign on, followed up by Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Kline, in a story written by Dan Fogelman, the red hot scribe behind Crazy Stupid Love. Not a bad combination of ingredients, right?

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Sure Shots: Ben Affleck; John Boyega; 'Grown Ups 2'

 
* Ever since the critical and financial windfall Ben Affleck earned them with The Town, Warner Brothers simply isn't letting him out of their sight. He's currently filming the hostage drama, Argo, and has been set for their adaptation of The Stand. Big deals, both of them, and now they've locked him up for Nathan Decker, a political comedy from writer Dan Fogelman(Crazy Stupid Love).  Taking a cue from his buddy Matt Damon in The Adjustment Bureau, Affleck will play a politician who loses everything after an affair, and returns home to rebuild relationships and confront his past. No director is attached yet, but this sounds like a winner already.  [THR]

* Not only was Attack the Block the most inventive film of last year, achieving instant cult status almost as soon as it hit theaters, but it also was a promising debut for star John Boyega(our interview with him here). While he's had a couple of films since, he hasn't had the big follow-up we were hoping for. He was set to star in Da Brick, an HBO series created by Spike Lee that appears to not be happening anymore.  Still, his future is bright, and that breakout role might be around the corner. He's set to star alongside Chiwetel Ejiafor, Thandie Newton, and Dominic Cooper in the adaptation Half of A Yellow Sun. Set during the 1960s Nigerian-Biafran War, the story follows five characters trying to survive the tumultuous decade. Filing will begin in Nigeria next month. [Variety]

* Speaking of young actors making a mighty first impression, Oliver Cooper was undoubtedly the funniest part of Project X(unless you count that poor, abused dog), playing the loud mouthed Costa in the crazy teen party flick. He'll next go from the adrenaline rage of youth to boring and brittle boredom of old age as part of Grown Ups 2. Yep, he'll chill with Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Kevin James, and the rest of the buds as they hang out and shoot the shit while Dennis Dugan films it. Plot? Pfft! Who needs one of those? Grown Ups 2 will soil your favorite theater on July 12th 2013. [THR]

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New poster for Crazy Stupid Love

Even with a summer that includes Transformers, Harry Potter, and Captain America flicks, the one I'm perhaps looking forward to most is Crazy Stupid Love. Starring Ryan Gosling in his first real romantic comedy, Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Marisa Tomei, Emma Stone and Kevin Bacon, the film sees Carell as a poor schmoe who just saw his perfect life blown up when his wife asks for a divorce. Back on the dating scene, he finds himself playing wingman to a smooth talking gent played by Gosling, who helps get his life back in order. The cast is fantastic obviously, and the script should be rock solid considering it's by Dan Fogelman(Cars, Tangled). Glenn Ficarra and John Requa(I Love You Phillip Morris) directed.

A new poster has been released, which normally wouldn't be a big deal for a rom-com. There isn't that much to hype. Except I'm digging this one because it very nearly gives us a look up Maris Tomei's dress. Then again it gives us too great of a peek at Steve Carell's jeaned up junk.

Crazy Stupid Love opens next month on July 29th!

PLOT
Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) is living the dream - he's got a good job, nice house, and great kids. Cal gets the surprise of his life when he learns his wife Emily (Julianne Moore) wants a divorce. His "perfect" life quickly unravels. In today's single world, Cal, who hasn't dated in decades, stands out as Mr. Unsmooth. Spending his free evenings sulking at a local bar, Cal is taken on as a "wingman" to handsome thirty-something player Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling). In an effort to help Cal start living his life again, Jacob opens Cal's eyes to the many options before him: flirty women, manly drinks and a sense of style. The two realize they aren't the only ones looking for love in what might be all the wrong places: Cal's 13-year-old son is crazy about his 17-year-old babysitter, Jessica (Analeigh Tipton) who harbors a crush on Cal. Meanwhile Jacob, who is supposed to have all the right answers is unsure what to do when he finds himself falling in love with Hannah (Emma Stone), a girl who is able to resist his charms yet takes a chance on him. And despite Cal's makeover, the one thing that can't be made over is his heart, which seems to keep leading him back to where he began.

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Al Pacino to play an aging rocker in Imagine, produced by Steve Carell

When you've been around as long as Al Pacino, and made your mark on the industry the way he is, every film you do is going to be scrutinized. And so the last few years Pacino has become something of a punching bag. It's not completely without reason. There's simply no excuse for a guy like him to be in junk like Righteous Kill and 88 Minutes. He emphatically redeemed himself with his perfect portrayal of Jack Kevorkian in HBO's You Don't Know Jack, and now it looks like Pacino is set to stretch himelf once again. Variety is reporting that he is in talks to join Steve Carell's rocker dramedy, Imagine.

Pacino would play an aging rock star, who goes off in search of the son he never knew after discovering an unread letter written by John Lennon.  Steve Carell was initially set to play the son, but due to his heavy schedule had to drop out. He's still on board as a producer, though.

Dan Fogelman wrote the script and will make his directorial debut. A hot commodity of late, Fogelman also penned the script for Tangled and the upcoming Carell comedy Crazy Stupid Love.

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