HOLLYWOOD SPY'S SUMMER 2011 FILM GUIDE: SUPER HEROES, PIRATES, TRANSFORMERS, SMURFS, BARBARIANS AND APES!

The summer season in cinemas, which usually starts with May, is just around the corner, so let's take a quick look on the biggest movie treats which await us with the hot summer months. I must admit I find this cinematic summer rather boring and non creative. PS red letters are clickable links.

MAY - NORSE SUPER HEROES AGAINST PIRATES AND SF PRIESTS

May will bring us the long awaited super hero epic THOR from Kenneth Branagh in which Chris Hemsworth plays a powerful warrior from the mystical realm of Asgard, ruled by Anthony

Hopkins, who comes down to Earth to stop the evil forces from invading Earth. Then there's also the visually breathtaking sf epic PRIEST in which Paul Bettany plays a futuristic priest who goes after the evil gang of vampires lead by Karl Urban which kidnapped his niece. If you're a fan of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, the 4th part ON STRANGER TIDES comes in May too with Johnny Depp, Sam Claflin, Penelope Cruz and lots of mermaids. The end of May also brings KUNG FU PANDA back in the sequel, but if you're in the mood for profound

dramas you might check out THE TREE OF LIFE with Brad Pitt and THERE BE DRAGONS with Dougray Scott and Wes Bentley.

 JUNE - MUTANTS AGAINST GREEN LANTERN AND PENGUINS

June will definitely be the month of super heroes, first with X-MEN: FIRST CLASS with James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, a retro look upon the youth of our favourite

mutants which will explain how Magneto and Professor Xavier became enemies and will also show us January Jones as White Queen, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique and Nicholas Hoult as Beast, followed by mesmerizing GREEN LANTERN with Ryan Reynolds about a brotherhood of intergalactic warriors sworn to keep peace and justice wearing green rings which give them super powers. June will also bring us J.J.Abram's sf epic SUPER 8 done in a retro style about a mysterious alien force which threatens to destroy little town in Ohio and MR. POPPER'S

PENGUINS in which Jim Carrey has a growing family of the flightless birds which he tries to train to perform in a traveling show.

 JULY - CAPTAIN AMERICA VS COWBOYS, ALIENS, HARRY PLOPPER AND TRANSFORMERS

July will be the month of the biggest blockbusters with CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER in which Chris Evans plays a super human  created for US army in WW2, COWBOYS

AND ALIENS in which Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford will have to lead both cowboys and Native Americans against aliens who plan to tame the Old West and enslave everyone. July will also bring two big sequels: TRANS FORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON in which Shia Labeouf and Josh Duhamel will use the help of powerful Autobots led by Optimus Prime against the evil Decepticons, who are determined to avenge their defeat from the first film. And there's also the epic finale of HARRY PLOPPER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS with the all-out war between forces of good and evil. July also brings two adorable

films FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS with Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis, and ONE DAY with Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess, and also the China set epic drama SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN with Hugh Jackman.

AUGUST - CONAN, THE LOST SMURFS, NAZI CRIMINALS AND SOME APES

Known usually as the dumpster place for less potential summer flicks, August will bring us some Barbaric action and scantily clad ladies and muscular hunks in the new CONAN THE BARBARIAN with Jason Momoa, Rachel Nichols and Rose McGowan who will have to face the blue super power of THE SMURFS who are coming to the big screens lost in the middle of Central Park.

August will also bring some remakes and reboots: RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES with James Franco and FRIGHT NIGHT with Colin Farrell and Toni Collette in which a high school kid has to face a naughty and dashing vampire. We shall also watch THE DEBT with Sam Worthington and Helen Mirren, an action movie about agents who are trying to catch notorious Nazi war criminals.

MICHELLE WILLIAMS TO JOIN JAMES FRANCO & MILA KUNIS IN "OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL"! EPIC TRAILER FOR "THERE BE DRAGONS" WITH WES BENTLEY, DOUGRAY SCOTT & RODRIGO SANTORO!

As you already know, Sam Raimi is preparing OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL in which James Franco will be Oz, and Mila Kunis will be the wicked witch of the West. As you also know, Blake Lively was mentioned as the possible good witch, but Raimi

is now in conflict with Disney over the actress who will play another wicked witch. The director wants plain, boring and always weak Hilary Swank, while the studio wants profoundly talented, beautiful and always powerful Michele Williams (both nominated for Oscar two times). At the same time John C. Reilly is in talks to become Oz's sidekick but it's not sure whether he will take the job since he is also negotiating around the role of Haymitch Abernathy in THE HUNGER GAMES. The film should hit cinemas in 2013.

Last year, I wrote about ensemble epic drama THERE BE DRAGONS, and I shall now remind you of its trailer, since the film premieres May 6th in USA. This epic adventure romance set during the turmoil of the Spanish Civil War follows the lives of two young men, Josemaria Escriva (Charlie Cox) and Manolo Torres (Wes

Bentley), childhood friends who are separated by the political upheaval of pre-war Spain to find themselves on opposite sides as war erupts. Choosing peace, Josemaria becomes a priest and struggles to spread reconciliation by founding the movement Opus Dei. Manolo chooses war and becomes a spy for the fascists. He becomes obsessed with a beautiful Hungarian revolutionary, Ildiko (Olga Kurylenko), who has joined the militia in pursuit of passion and purpose. But when Ildiko rejects him out of love for the courageous militia leader Oriol (Rodrigo Santoro), Manolo's jealousy leads him down a path of betrayal. As personal and national battles rage, the characters' lives collide and their deepest struggles are illuminated through the fateful choices they make. Each will struggle to find the power of forgiveness over the forces tearing their lives and friendship apart.
The amazing cast also included Dougray Scott and Geraldine Chaplin.

RALPH FIENNES JOINS HELENA BONHAM CARTER IN "GREAT EXPECTATIONS"? IAN HOLM RETURNS TO "THE HOBBIT"! REFINED TRAILER FOR "ANOTHER EARTH" ZACK BRAFF IN "THE DEVIL & THE DEEP BLUE SEA"

A few days ago HOLLYWOOD SPY has informed you that the new adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic GREAT EXPECTATIONS is in works with young Jeremy Irvine in the lead role of an orphan who has a rich protector Miss Havisham (to be played by Helena Bonham Carter) helping him all his life, and now there are rumors that Ralph Fiennes could take the role of the naughty criminal Magwitch. We still have to see who will director Mike Newell choose to play Estella, adopted daughter of Miss Havisham who falls in love with the orphan boy. As you remember the last version was with Eathan Hawke and Gwyneth Paltrow and it wasn't successful.

SHORT HEADLINES Charming and often funny Zach Braff from ABC hit sitcom SCRUBS is planning to return to the big screens. Later this fall, he should start filming an interesting movie THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA. The story will follow an introverted architect who, unable to reconcile the grief from recently losing his wife, befriends a wisecracking young girl and agrees to help her build a raft to cross the Atlantic. The charming and heartwarming story will see Zach starring beside Jessica Biel and young Chloe Moretz. *Peter Jackson has revealed that Ian Holm will also return to THE HOBBIT beside Elijah Wood, Andy Serkis, Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett and Orlando Bloom, as the older version of Martin Freeman's Bilbo Baggins.

One of the films that everyone is talking about after Sundance festival, is ANOTHER EARTH, a mesmerizing and profound mix of drama and sf about  a bright young woman (Brit Marling),  accepted into MIT's astrophysics program, who aspires to explore the cosmos. On the eve when a strange planet, the Earth's duplicate, appears in the sky, a tragedy strikes when she accidentally hits another car in the street, killing the son of  a brilliant composer (William Mapother). When she comes out of jail, the lives of the two of them will become irrevocably intertwined after she visits him in an effort to apologize. Check out the trailer for the film, which has received great criticism and will be released in cinemas this July.

INSPIRING TRAILER FOR "THE HELP" WITH EMMA STONE & VIOLA DAVIS. KATE BECKINSALE JOINS COLIN FARRELL IN "TOTAL RECALL"!

 SHORT HEADLINES *We wondered some time ago why Len Wiseman, who is doing the remake of sf classic TOTAL RECALL with Colin Farrell, hasn't offered the lead female

role to his wife Kate Beckinsale, but now he did just that. She will get the role of Lori, played before by Sharon Stone, while the second female role could go to Eva Mendes, Jessica Biel or Rosario Dawson. *Patricia Arquette will direct HEMLOCK DRIVE, a drama about a dying mother who enlists her three grown children to throw her a living funeral in a desperate attempt to unite her family. The cast will include Susan Sarandon, David Arquette and Adam Brody.

Check out the first, inspiring trailer for THE HELP, based on one of the most talked about books in years, a New York Times bestseller, with Emma Stone as Skeeter, Viola Davis as Aibileen and Octavia Spencer as Minny, three very different, extraordinary women in Mississippi during the 1960s, who

build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project (interviewing the black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent southern families) that breaks societal rules and puts them all at risk. From their improbable alliance a remarkable sisterhood emerges, instilling all of them with the courage to transcend the lines that define them, and the realization that sometimes those lines are made to be crossed, even if it means bringing everyone in town face-to-face with the changing times. Deeply moving, filled with poignancy, humor and hope, THE HELP is a timeless and universal story about the ability to create change. Premiering this August, the film also stars Bruce Dallas Howard, Sissy Spacek, Mike Vogel and Chris Lowell.

CATHERINE ZETA JONES AS VILLAIN IN "ROCK OF AGES" MUSICAL! VIN DIESEL IS "TERMINATOR"? CHARMING TRAILER FOR "BRIDESMAIDS"!

God news, people, our Catie is back! Although I wasn't at all interested in the upcoming remake of the ROCK OF AGES musical

film, now I'm definitely watching it: according to "Deadline" Catherine Zeta Jones will join the cast of the film, about a small town girl who wants to make it big in Los Angeles, which already includes Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Mary J. Blige, Russel Brand and Paul Giamatti. Catherine will play the main negative character in the film, a hardcore, moral conservative who wants to shut down rock’n roll in the city of Los Angeles. Since the film will have loads of 80's music, Catherine will sing "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" from Pat Benatar and "We're Not Gonna Take It" from Twisted Sisters.

SHORT HEADLINES Now this is quite a surprise: according to fresh rumors, Vin Diesel could take the famous TERMINATOR role in Universal's new sequel. Apparently

the FAST FIVE director Justin Lin could helm the new movie in the sf saga and Vin could be his lead man. *THOR and CAPTAIN AMERICA sequels have been officially confirmed even before the premiere of the two potential summer blockbusters. *Emily Blunt's charming husband John Krasinski has joined NOBODY WALKS, a film which will follow a week in the life of a Los Angeles family who invite a young, charismatic artist into their home, only to find her disrupting their lives.

Today, I'm bringing you a trailer for the upcoming film BRIDES MAIDS starring Jon Hamm,  Rose Byrne, Kristen Wigg (who's in the lead role although she seems to be the weakest link in

the cast, and I'm not sure where they found her) and Dianne Wiest. The film which premieres next month follows a simple and poor girl whose life is a mess. But when she finds out her lifetime best friend is engaged, she simply must serve as her maid of honor. Though lovelorn and broke, she bluffs her way through the expensive and bizarre rituals trying to find her way among the colourful group of rich and snobbish bridesmaids. With one chance to get it perfect, she'll show her best friend and her bridesmaids just how far you'll go for someone you love.

CHARMING TRAILER FOR "MR. POPPER'S PENGUINS". J.J. ABRAM'S SECRET PROJECT "ZANBATO". ELIZABETH BANKS JOINS "HUNGER GAMES". REBECCA ROMIJN & THANDIE NEWTON IN "GOOD DEEDS"

Since I know most of my readers like HUNGER GAMES saga, here are new casting updates on the film adaptation. After Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson have taken the three lead roles in the story that will follow a cruel futuristic world in which teens have to fight in arenas, the project has new additions to the cast: style icon Elizabeth Banks will play Effie, the pink-haired chaperon to Katniss and Peeta, while young Leven Rambin and Jack Quaid (the son of Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan) will play Distric 1 tributes Marvel and Glimmer.

SHORT HEADLINES *Ah, finally some nice face in Baz Luhrmann's THE GREAT GATSBY adaptation. According to rumors he has offered Isla Fisher the role of Myrtle, a married woman having an affair with Tom Buchanan who will probably be

played by Ben Affleck. Leonardo DiCaprio will be Jay Gatsby, Tobey Maguire is Nick Carraway, and Carey Mulligan is Daisy. *Breathtaking Rebecca Romijn has joined GOOD DEEDS, as a businesswoman who left her career to be a mother. Beside her, the film will see Tyler Perry as a man who falls for a struggling single mother (Thandie Newton) just days before his wedding to a powerful woman (Gabrielle Union). *It appears that one of J.J. Abram's (STAR TREK) secret projects is ZANBATO, an epic with swashbuckling robots with swords, which will also be inspired by Japanese history.

And today, you can also check out the first trailer for Jim Carrey's upcoming new comedy MR. POPPER'S PENGUINS. Premiering this June and starring also Angela Lansbury and Carla Gugino, it follows a house painter Mr. Popper who pens a letter to a team of Arctic explorers, and gets surprised after receiving a penguin in the mail. Later, after making his mischievous new pal a cozy new home in the freezer, the hapless Mr. Popper comes into possession of a playful female penguin as well. Before long Mr. Popper finds himself surrounded by a growing family of the flightless birds, and begins training them to perform in a traveling show dubbed Popper's Performing Penguins.

1ST PICTURES OF CHRISTIAN BALE IN "NANJING HEROES"! JASON STATHAM AS A GOOD THIEF IN "PARKER". MESMERIZING 19TH CENTURY DRAMA "THE VINTNER'S LUCK"

 Jason Statham, one of our favourite action heroes with a good heart :) has taken a new role: Helen Mirren's husband, director Taylor Hackford will helm PARKER, and Statham will take the lead role in the story about a disciplined thief who lives by a strict code of conduct. He never steals money from people who actually need it, although he will strike back with a vengeance if he is crossed. The movie about a charming thief will be based on the books by Donald E. Westlake.

Today, thanks to "Beyond Hollywood" you can check out first pics of Christian Bale from the shooting of Zhang Yimou's (HERO) new epic drama NANJING HEROES. I've already wrote about this movie which will  chronicle the slaughter of thousands of Chinese citizens

by the Japanese troops in the city that was the nation’s capital back in 1937. Bale will play a priest named John who saved many innocent people by working with German businessman called John Rabe. With the budget of $90 million it will be one of the most expensive Asian films ever. The film will be shot about 40% in English and the rest in Chinese.

Now, this also sounds like an unusual but charming film. Coming out in USA in just a few weeks, THE VINTNER'S LUCK starring Jeremie Renier, Gaspard Ulliel, and two Oscar nominees Vera Farmiga and Keisha Castle Hughes (who's acting I've never

liked), tells the compelling tale of Sobran Jodeau, an ambitious young peasant winemaker and the three loves of his life: his beautiful and passionate wife Celeste, the proudly intellectual baroness Aurora de Valday and Xas, a fallen angel, who strikes up an unlikely friendship with Sobran which endures for many years. A fantastical creature with wings that smell of snow, Xas turns out to be an unconventional mentor. Under his guidance Sobran is forced to fathom the nature of love and belief and in the process grapples with the sensual, the sacred and the profane - in pursuit of the perfect vintage. Set in 19th century France, the film was shot on location in France and New Zealand.

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"GRAVITY" WITH SANDRA BULLOCK & GEORGE CLOONEY STARTS SHOOTING THIS MAY. BETTY WHITE & DORIS ROBERTS IN A CAT FIGHT? JEAN MARC BARR & JOSH LUCAS IN KEROUAC'S "BIG SUR"!

I must admit Alfonso Cuaron has returned my interest in his upcoming project GRAVITY when he kicked Robert Downey Jr.

from the cast and gave the male role to George Clooney beside Sandra Bullock who took the lead role after it was turned down by Rachel Weisz and Angelina Jolie. According to "Collider" the shooting of this sf epic movie should start later this May in UK. Using innovative technology and artsy visual approach, the film will tell the story of a female astronaut, the lone survivor of a space mission, who desperately tries to return to Earth, and reunite with her daughter. The $80 million production will see her racing against time in the middle of dark universe. George Clooney will play the captain of the ship who has a pivotal role in the story.

Although I'm not overly amazed by HOT IN CLEVELAND show, I must admit it does have one huge huge quality - amazing Betty White as crazy but adorable Elka :) And it seems Elka will get even crazier at the end of the first season, since she will have a cat fight with, believe it or not, Doris Roberts, whom we remember as annoying and manipulative mother from EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND. She will appear in HOT IN CLEVELAND as  a woman who had an affair with Elka's husband in the past, but since she still makes her angry, Betty White will get into a huge physical fight with her :) 

Now this could be interesting to those who like American literature. A production has just started on BIG SUR, in which French actor Jean-Marc Barr  will play Jack Kerouac. According to "MovieWeb" Josh Lucas has been cast as Neal Cassady, with Kate Bosworth playing his girlfriend Billie. The story  will follow Jack Kerouac's move from New York to Northern California where he tries to rediscover himself while writing his famous work "On the Road". The semi-autographical tale will also cover Kerouac’s battle with fame, his battle with drugs and his relationship with Cassady’s mistress Billie. Anthony Edwards, Rahda Mitchell, Stana Katic and Balthazar Getty are also in the cast.

SENDING LOVE TO CATHERINE ZETA JONES! RYAN GOSLING TO JOIN JOHNNY DEPP IN "LONE RANGER"? GASPARD ULLIEL & LAMBERT WILSON IN "PRINCESS OF MONTPESIER"

I wanted to take a moment to send support and love to the most amazing woman in Hollywood, our dear Welsh queen Catherine Zeta Jones. As you probably know a few days ago she went to a

clinic in order to solve her bipolar disorder. As a truly magnificent and kind person she always has been she didn't hide this from the public, wanting to show that having a psychological problem isn't something to be ashamed of. As you know we haven't seen Catherine in cinemas for almost four years know (Ever since her refined and profound role in NO RESERVATIONS) because she had to deal with too many personal issues of her husband Michael Douglas. His problems with his ex wife, with his drug using son and his cancer have put Catherine in some really difficult situations with which she had to deal beside raising their two little kids. So let us send some positive energy and love to our Catherine, may she return to us as soon as possible with her stunning beauty, dignified personality and mesmerizing charisma.

SHORT HEADLINES According to "MovieWeb" Robert Zemeckis will produce the movie adaptation of crazy book HOW TO SURVIVE A GARDEN GNOME ATTACK. The film, which won't be for kids, will be based on the tongue-in-cheek survival guide to help garden gnome owners prepare for and ward off an imminent invasion from the menacing lawn statues. *According to latest rumors, Disney is currently negotiating with Ryan Gosling to take the title role in THE LONE RANGER. If he accepts it, he will star beside Johnny Depp, whose Tonto will actually be the lead character in the film unlike the previous versions. Before this, Gosling is doing LOGAN'S RUN remake, and Depp is doing DARK SHADOWS film adaptation.

A film which just started playing in US cinemas, earning positive criticism, is French historical adventure THE PRINCESS OF MONTPESIER, starring Melanie Thiery and two of my favourite French actors Gaspard Ulliel (BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF, A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT) and  Lambert Wilson (MATRIX, CATWOMAN). Gaspard Ulliel plays a cunning warrior who is in love with Marie de Mezieres (Mélanie Thierry) and although she loves him as well, her father arranges Marie to marry the Prince of Montpensier (Grégoire Leprince Ringuet). When the Prince is sent off to war, he leaves his new bride with his loyal friend Chabannes (Lambert Wilson). When he returns from war, along with Duc d'Anjou (Raphaël Personnaz), all four men become smitten with Marie and vie for her affections.

And you could all pop over to our dear Lynda Young and vote for her blog as the best one in whole Australia! :)

FIRST PICTURE OF EWAN MCGREGOR IN "JACK THE GIANT KILLER"! "GAME OF THRONES" GETS 2ND SEASON! HBO SHOW ON NEIL GAIMAN'S "AMERICAN GODS"

Now this sounds like a potentially interesting project. HBO is preparing TV series based on Neil Gaiman's book AMERICAN GODS which describes a battle between two different God-like factions. One set of Gods is based on myths and legends who became real because the human race believed in them at one time. They're starting to disappear, and are being replaced by a new set of Gods that are a manifestation of America's preoccupation with technology, celebrity,  media and drugs. The main character will be an ex-con who gets mixed up in this war when he unwittingly decides to join a conman who turns

out to be a dieing deity gathering troops for the final battle.

Today you can also check out stunning first picture from the set of Brian Singer's JACK THE GIANT KILLER showing Ewan McGregor in full armor as the captain of the royal guard.  The film will follow young man Jack (Nicholas Hoult) who unwittingly breaks a long standing peace between the humans and giants when he goes after a princess who the giants kidnapped. Beside McGregor and Hoult, the cast also includes Bill Nighy, who will play the two-headed leader of the giants, and Stanley Tucci, who will play the main villain.

And are you super excited about the grand premiere of HBO's new epic fantasy series GAME OF THRONES which starts this Sunday, April 17th? If not, check out this stunning clip which could change your mind. The beautiful video depicts the first meeting of brute Dothraki leader Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa) and Daenerys Targaryen, whose brother promised her to the horseback savage in order to use his people to regain the throne of Westeros. During the prescreenings of the show everyone was so amazed and breathtaken that apparently the second season has already been ordered even before the Sunday  start of the first one. The second season will follow George R.R. Martin's novel "A Clash of Kings from" his "A Song of Ice and Fire" saga.