LUKE EVANS & BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH IN "THE HOBBIT"! "PERCY JACKSON" TO BATTLE "THE SEA MONSTERS"! MAGICIANS AGAINST HITLER IN HBO'S "HOBGOBLIN"! LASSE HALLSTROM HELMS NICHOLAS SPARKS' "SAFE HAVEN"

 Fresh news from the Middle Earth keep on coming as the casting for Peter Jackson's THE HOBBIT continues along with the shooting of the film. There are two new members in the cast.

Jackson has decided to take yet another of Tarsem Singh's actors for the new film (as you remember he already took Lee Pace from Tarsem's THE FALL, who will play an Elven king), and it's my beloved Luke Evans (CLASH OF THE TITANS, IMMORTALS, THE THREE MUSKETEERS) who will play Bard the Grim, an expert archer and the heir to King Grion of Dale's throne. His character is similar to Aragorn in having a lot of action scenes in the film. Another new cast member is Benedict Cumberbatch who will play a powerful dragon Smaug in a motion capture way,  and will also lend his voice to Necromancer or the evil Sauron. (Source: Deadline)

SHORT HEADLINES Fox has found a director for their PERCY JACKSON sequel called THE SEA MONSTERS in Thor

Freudenthal (DIARY OF A WIMPY KID). This time Logan Lerman will go underwater to find the mythical Golden Fleece and rescue a kidnapped friend. I have another news on Darren Aronofsky today: according to "Variety" he might direct HBO's HOBGOBLIN, a pilot episode for an extremely interesting new  fantasy adventure series revolving around a group of con men and magicians during World War II, who use their skills to battle the supernatural forces unleashed by Hitler!

One of my favourite directors, who always makes heartwarming and positive film, Lasse Hallstrom (CHOCOLAT, DEAR JOHN, CIDER HOUSE RULES) is going to helm the film adaptation of

Nicholas Sparks' bestselling novel SAFE HAVEN. The suspense story follows a young woman who, trying to escape her past,  moves to a small North Carolina town, and falls for a loving widowed father, who  heals her heart and helps her escape the danger that threatens her. As you remember, Lasse already worked on the adaptation of Sparks' novel in DEAR JOHN, and you also remember other films based on his novels, such as THE NOTEBOOK and THE LAST SONG. Of course, hater fanboys will hate the project, but the funk with them :)
LINK OF THE DAY My gorgeous Samantha Sotto is getting published by famous Random House this year. Be sure to follow her THE SLIGHT DETOUR blog and tell her I sent you :)
And don't forget to come by on Sunday, when you will read the new HOLLYWOOD SPY's UPCOMING STARS segment here at your favourite spy place ;) Unbelievable pics and hotness tomorrow!

HUGH JACKMAN & PAUL BETTANY IN "LES MISERABLES"? KATE WINSLET & JOSH BROLIN IN "LABOR DAY"! JAMES MANGOLD DIRECTS "WOLVERINE"! HBO'S "THE VIAGRA DIARIES"

 Now, I'd generally try to avoid any movie adaptation of Victor Hugo's famous LES MISERABLES novel, since it's a rather grim and monotonous story, but this piece of news might just change

my mind: according to "MovieWeb" Hugh Jackman has signed on to play one of the two lead roles in the story about a prisoner named Jean Valjean, who is on the run from a policeman named Javert during the French Revolution. He will probably be Jean and Paul Bettany might take the role of Javert. As you remember, HOLLYWOOD SPY has informed you before that the director of the film will be Tom Hooper, whom we loved as the director of THE KING'S SPEECH and the famous ELIZABETH 1 mini series with Helen Mirren. And maybe this film could bring Hugh his well deserved first Oscar?

SHORT HEADLINES Now this sounds as a super adorable and totally unusual match: delightful Melissa McCarthy (of GILMORE GIRLS fame, currently enjoying the spotlights after her role in BRIDESMAIDS) and dashing Jon Hamm(MAD MEN)

will play in an unconventional love story in which his character will be obsessed with hers. The untitled project will be helmed by Judd Apatow (THE 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN). Famous TV mogul Darren Star will produce HBO's new show THE VIAGRA DIARIES in which Goldie Hawn will be a woman who struggles with being single for the first time in 35 years, after her husband has a midlife crisis at 65 and leaves her. It's official - Hugh Jackman's THE WOLVERINE will be directed by James Mangold (3:10 TO YUMA, WALK THE LINE, IDENTITY).

As "Entertainment Weekly" reports, the movie adaptation of Joyce Maynard's novel LABOR DAY has just got its two lead

stars: our British rose Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin. The story follows a divorced, broken hearted mother, an ex dancer, and her 13 year old lonely and friendless son, who are spending their Labor Day weekend in New Hampshire when a mysterious bleeding man approaches them and asks for a help. In the next few days he will teach the boy many things he didn't know - from how to throw a baseball to how to put those we love above ourselves. The biggest surprise is that the man who has joined them is an escaped convict and a murderer.
LINK OF THE DAY Our favourite Irishman, Lurk, over at THE ANGRY LURKER brings his review of Jason Statham's THE MECHANIC.

1ST POSTER FOR SPACE OPERA "JOHN CARTER" WITH A STUNNING CAST! "STRAW DOGS" WITH JAMES MARSDEN & ALEXANDER SKARSGARD! GERARD BUTLER WANTS AN OSCAR FOR "MACHINE GUN PREACHER"? RUSSELL CROWE IS SUPERMAN'S DAD

Well, you can't really see much on this poster except for the bare chested Taylor Kitsch and some red letters :) but it's the first teaser poster for my most anticipated upcoming film (beside Tarsem's IMMORTALS) Andrew Stanton's space opera JOHN CARTER (previously OF MARS). Coming to theaters next

March, the film is set on the exotic planet following a war-weary, former military captain John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), who is inexplicably transported to Mars where he becomes reluctantly embroiled in a conflict of epic proportions amongst the inhabitants of the planet, including Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe) and the captivating Princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins). In a world on the brink of collapse, Carter rediscovers his humanity when he realizes that the survival of Barsoom and its people rests in his hands. The stunning cast also includes ROME's Polly Walker and James Purefoy, Mark Strong, Ciaran Hinds, Samantha Morton, Dominic West. Click to read the whole detailed post on the film (with some very indecent pictures :).

SHORT HEADLINES As "Playlist" reports, Relativity has bought Gerard Butler's MACHINE GUN PREACHER from Lionsgate in order to make it an Oscar vehicle for the Scottish

actor who plays  a former drug-dealing Hell’s Angel who returns to religion and opens an orphanage in Sudan, after which he also forms a militia to prevent the children from being turned into child soldiers. And speaking of Oscars, the Academy had decided that next year the Best Film category can have between five and ten nominated films and not all ten like this year. The films will have to have 5% of the first place votes to get nominated. Russel Crowe is in talks to play Superman's real dad Jor El from Krypton in MAN OF STEEL in which Kevin Costner plays the adoptive father.

Check out the first, rather beautiful, poster for action thriller STRAW DOGS which premieres this September with impossibly hot cast including James Marsden, Alexander Skarsgaard, Dominic Purcell and Kate Bosworth. The film revolves around a Los Angeles screenwriter David Sumner (James Marsden) who decides to move with his wife (Kate Bosworth) to her hometown somewhere deep South. There, while tensions build between them, a brewing conflict with locals becomes a threat to them both. This is off course a remake of Dustin Hoffman's 70's classic but with a changed setting.
LINK OF THE DAY Budd over at SCIFI MEDIA is giving away three copies of Scott Sigler's INFECTED novel!

CHRISTIAN BALE IN DARREN ARONOFSKY'S "NOAH"? MATTHEW FOX IN BRAD PITT'S "WORLD WAR Z"? JESSICA SIMPSON IS "FASHION STAR"!

 I must admit I've kinda expected this to happen: according to "Vulture" Darren Aronofsky's new $130 million epic project

NOAH has possibly found it's lead man in Christian Bale, which is logical since such an expensive project does need a star of Bale's caliber. It would also help Aronofsky to find money at the major studios. As you remember, based on a graphic novel, this dark fantasy epic will bring a more grim, gritty, edgy and shocking version of the famous Biblical story of Noah who gathered all the animal species on his ark before the Flood.

SHORT HEADLINES The story of BEASTS OF BURDEN does sound crazy,but this comic book is getting its movie

adaptation. The story revolves around a bunch of dogs and a cat who are trying to defend their owners and their town's residents from unusual supernatural forces. The film will be produced by Andrew Adamson (SHREK, THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA). Gorgeous cutie Jessica Simpson will be a celebrity mentor in Elle Macpherson's and NBC's new reality programme FASHION STAR which will see a group of unknown designers competing for a multimillion dollar contract. Jessica owns a very lucrative fashion company of her own.

As you know, Brad Pitt's movie adaptation of WORLD WAR Z is currently one of the hottest projects when it comes to casting, and according to "MovieWeb" the latest cast adddition is LOST's

Matthew Fox who will play a character called Parajumper, while Pitt will be a U.N. researcher. Based on a bestselling novel by Max Brooks the film is set ten years after the human victory over the world wide Zombie epidemic, referred to as World War Z, and it follows the researcher who scours the world collecting the stories and experiences of those who have survived the conflict that almost eradicated humanity. According to some rumors, Ed Harris could also join the film, and James Badge Dale (THE PACIFIC) has already joined it as the soldier who first spotted the zombie invasion.

LINK OF THE DAY Join our favourite Scottish writer, Michael Malone, in his talk about last meals over at MAY CONTAIN NUTS!

CULT ROMAN SERIES "I,CLAUDIUS" COMING BACK? HBO PUTS $40 MILLION IN NEIL GAIMAN'S "AMERICAN GODS" TV SHOW! "STAR WARS" TV SHOW TOO EXPENSIVE TO HAPPEN?

Although George Lucas has already written 50 episodes for a live action STAR WARS TV series, it seems we really won't see it produced any time soon. Beside the fact that there haven't been

any successful sf shows in recent few years so the project could be risky, the main problem, which Lucas mentioned a number of times himself, is the price: producing huge sf episodes in the way he imagined it, with CGI and huge futuristic sets is expensive. And according to "MovieWeb" the biggest problem is digital animation which would be used in the amount TV is still not able to finance. If it gets done it would be set between episodes 3 and 4 in the time when the Empire was spreading around the galaxy from its Coruscant capital, following the underground leaders who control the black market.

Now, HOLLYWOOD SPY has already informed you that HBO is planning a mini series based on Neil Gaiman's famous novel AMERICAN GODS, but now "The Hollywood Reporter" says

that ten or twelve episodes will have a huge budget of around $40 million! The story 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.

Do you remember legendary BBC TV series I, CLAUDIUS with marvelous Derek Jacobi? Well, according to "Deadline NY" it is

getting a new mini series version over at BBC and HBO by producers of equally legendary but more recent ROME. Based on popular ancient Roman epic novels by cult writer Robert Graves the story brings a glimpse into the power, madness, murder, backstabbing and debauchery that was part and parcel of ruling-class Rome by following the rise of Roman emperor Claudius who was hiding his wit and wisdom behind a stutter and a limp in order to achieve his goals.
LINK OF THE DAY My dear Matty brings an extensive X-MEN: FIRST CLASS review over at FilmMattic!

PARAMOUNT'S ABSOLUTELY CHARMING ANIMATED MOVIE "NOT BORN TO BE GLADIATORS"! PIERCE BROSNAN & CHACE CRAWFORD IN "THE HOUSE GUN" BY A NOBEL PRIZE WINNER!

Well, this could turn into a powerful drama: the novel of Nobel prize winner Nadine Gordimer, THE HOUSE GUN will be

adapted into a film with Pierce Brosnan and young Chace Crawford in the lead roles. It follows a wealthy South African family, whose lives are turned upside down when the son (Chace Crawford) is arrested on a murder charge. The father (Pierce Brosnan) is convinced of his son's professed innocence and hires a black lawyer to try the case. According to "MovieWeb" the story is set in post-Apartheid South Africa. As you remember, Chace will also star in RESPONSIBLE ADULTS next year as a guy who falls for his ex babysitter.

Here's something that doesn't happen often: Paramount has bought an upcoming Italian animated film NOT BORN TO BE GLADIATORS. With the budget of $55 million, this lovely story was written by Oscar winner Michael J. Wilson (ICE AGE2, A SHARK'S TALE) and since it's looking for a 2012 release, the studio is currently searching for the voice cast. The story follows young Timo who, left as an orphan by the terrible eruption of Pompeii, gets saved by the Chirone, founder of the most famous Gladiators’ Academy of Rome. As a young boy he grows up surrounded by all kinds of gladiators

but shows no interest in becoming one of them. Rather, he is a somewhat apathetic but happy go lucky and fun loving young man, slightly overweight and bit out of shape. Everything changes when he falls for Chirone's daughter Lucilla who is promised to Emperor's nephew and Rome's greatest gladiator. In order to prove he is also

worthy of her, Timo must evolve into a Gladiator fit to fight at the famous opening match of the grand Coliseum. To do this he will turn to bizarre and unique training methods from Diana, a mysterious, exotic and sexy trainer.
LINK OF THE DAY My dear Melissa Bradley, American writer, trashes PEARL HARBOR film deservedly :)

HOLLYWOOD SPY SPOTLIGHTS: BREATHTAKING EPIC ADVENTURE "CONAN THE BARBARIAN" WITH JASON MOMOA, RON PERLMAN, RACHEL NICHOLS & ROSE MCGOWAN READY TO PREMIERE THIS AUGUST!

Although August is usually considered a dumpster place for summer flicks of suspicious quality, this August will bring us something rather epic and visually stunning, the premiere of this summer's hottest remake CONAN THE BARBARIAN in which Jason Momoa takes the role made famous earlier by Arnold Schwarze negger. Today you can check out some brilliant new posters and the highly exciting trailer. It might not be the best of films plotwise, but it will surely bring us breath taking action, stunning sets and costumes, glorious CGI and of course lots of epic battle.

BARBARIAN TIDBITS

After starring in BAYWATCH and STARGATE ATLANTYS, Jason Momoa's career is currently taking an epic turn with his role as Conan and his role of Khal Drogo in HBO'S epic show GAME OF THRONES.  Stunning Rachel Nichols, who plays the lead female role of Tamara, is best remembered as Scarlett from G.I.JOE film. Before Momoa got the lead role two TV hunks Kellan Lutz and Jared Padalecki were in the run to play the famous Barbarian. Mickey Rourke and Dolph Lundgren were in the run for the role of Corin, Conan's father.

Story begins when Khalar Singh (Stephen Lang), an old friend of Conan's father, Corin (Ron Perlman), arrives in Cimmeria seeking Corin's help in finding Ilira, the "Lost Queen of Acheron". When Corin refuses, Khalar and his Aquilonian mercenaries attack. Corin and the other Cimmerians are killed but Conan escapes. Conan becomes a thief and joins a troup of acrobats, but eventually seeks revenge against Khalar for killing his father. In the meantime,

Khalar has found and captured Ilira on his own but her bodyguard Tamara (Rachel Nichols) escapes. Tamara meets Conan and they both travel to Khalar's city, Khor Khala. This quest that begins as a personal vendetta for the fierce Cimmerian warrior soon turns into an epic battle against hulking rivals, horrific monsters, and impossible odds, as Conan realizes he is the only hope of saving the great nations of Hyboria from an encroaching reign of supernatural evil.
The cast also includes Rose McGowan as the evil witch Marique and Said Taghmaoui as Ela-Shan, and the film is directed by Marcus Nispel known for directing music videos and brilliant Viking adventure PATHFINDER with Karl Urban.

LINK OF THE DAY Lovely L.G. Smith reveals that her Inner Doubt Wears a Thong :)

STUNNING TRAILER FOR HISTORICAL EPIC "HENRY OF NAVARRE"! "WICKED LOVELY" FAERY WORLD! JASON BATEMAN & VINCE VAUGHN IN "THE INSANE LAWS". "DICK TRACY" SEQUEL COMING OUR WAY?

If you like comedies you might like THE INSANE LAWS in which Jason Bateman and Vince Vaughn will portray two great friends whose lives become a living hell when their college kids

fall in love with each other. And the hell becomes bigger when their kids get pregnant :) I'm not sure, I personally didn't like the original film, but for some reason DICK TRACY is getting a sequel, at least that's what Warren Beauty claims. He recently won the legal battle over the rights on the movie adaptation which have been his since the 80's but he didn't do anything with it.

According to "Deadline", Universal is ready for the movie adaptation of Melissa Marr's bestseller WICKED LOVELY which follows a young teen who has seen dangerous faeries her

entire life but has managed to survive by adhering to a strict set of rules that have kept her safe…until now. The 17-year-old will suddenly find herself torn between a seductive Faery king and the mortal she loves, and she will have to go against everything she was taught in order to confront a world she was raised to fear. After HUNGER GAMES, MORTAL INSTRUMENTS, DIVERGENT and INCARCERON, this is yet another YA book getting a film adaptation.

Over at "Beyond Hollywood" I recently came upon this 2010 German epic film which is actually coming to DVD market in USA this July: HENRY OF NAVARRE is a wide-ranging, energetic period piece tracing the rise of Henry of Navarre as he goes from battlefield warrior to France's beloved King Henri IV. The film

brings a classically entertaining adventure, albeit one with more than a little bloodshed and frequent bawdy sexual interludes. In late 16th-century France, Catholics and Protestant Huguenots were at war. Seemingly seeking peace, the French dowager queen, Catherine de Medici summons Henry to her court to have him marry her daughter, Margot, uniting the two warring factions. However, the Catholics slaughter the Protestant wedding guests in what became known as the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre and Henry, now married, must use all his guile to both stay alive and maneuver for the throne.

LINK OF THE DAY Custie brings the most charming list of the baddies from our favourite Roald Dahl's films!

REESE WITHERSPOON IN "WHO INVITED HER?" MATTHEW GOODE & NICOLE KIDMAN IN WENTWORTH MILLER'S "STOKER"! ROLAND EMMERICH AND "ASTEROIDS"! JAKE GYLLENHAAL IN "NOW YOU SEE ME"

Since it seems crazy comedies are currently trendy in cinemas, this one might sound interesting to most of you. According to "Variety" everyone's favourite Reese Witherspoon might take

the lead role in Dreamwork's project WHO INVITED HER? The studio has lead a real war for the script rights for this hilarious comedy in which Reese could play a woman who insists on tagging along on a guy's bachelor party weekend. Reese will also produce this film, just like she is producing THIS MEANS WAR in which Chris Pine and Tom Hardy are playing two guys literally battling over a woman played by Witherspoon.

SHORT HEADLINES Universal is trying to get Roland Emmerich behind the helm of their huge sf film ASTEROIDS in which the remnants of human civilization are  living on far-flung

colonies within an asteroid belt alongside aliens. The survivors were led to believe that this alien civilization was benevolent, rescuing them from doom, but they ultimately discover that the aliens have engineered Earth’s destruction, and soon will do the same for the rest of humankind. Jake Gyllenhaal and Olivia Wilde could take roles in NOW YOU SEE ME, a Louis Leterrier's film about a group of world's best magicians who use their powers and skills to rob banks after which they throw all the money to their audience.

Oooh, again two of my favourite movie creatures in the same project: amazing British lad Matthew Goode (LEAP YEAR, WATCHMEN) might take the role in STOKER, a film based on Wentworth Miller's script. As you remember I already wrote about Wentworth writing screenplays beside acting, and this one

will have Mia Wasikowska (whom I'm not overly amazed by) as a girl mourning the loss of her father and Matthew Goode will play the mysterious uncle who shows up unexpectedly after the death, while Nicole Kidman will portray the girl's mother. Produced by Ridley and Toni Scott, the film, as reported previously in HOLLYWOOD SPY, had Colin Firth, Michael Fassbender and James Franco competing for the lead role.

1ST POSTER FOR STUNNING "THE THREE MUSKETEERS"! 1ST PICTURE FROM THE 2ND SEASON OF "THE WALKING DEAD"! "INDIANA JONES 5" COMING SOON! ARONOFSKY DOING "NOAH" DARK BIBLICAL EPIC

Well, the biggest treat for today is the first, rather strange looking, poster for this Autumn's huge adventure THE THREE MUSKETEERS. As you remember, we didn't expect much

from the film, but the stunning trailer has actually managed to surprise us all and now we wanna watch it. With quite an amazing cast including Logan Lerman as D'Artagnan, Luke Evans as Athos, Ray Stevenson as Portos, Matthew MacFadyen as Aramis, Christoph Waltz as Cardinal Richelieu, Madds Mikelsen as Rochefort, Mila Jovovich as Milady de Winter, Juno Temple as the Queen and Orlando Bloom as Lord Buckingham, the film will bring a visually spectacular new adaptation of the famous novel by Alexandre Dumas.

SHORT HEADLINES I'm not sure why, since the previous installment was atrocious, but INDIANA JONES 5 is coming soon if we can trust Shia LaBeoufwho told MTV that Harrison Ford is ready to put his hat on again and that George Lucas is working on the script. Bellow you can check out the first "charming" picture from the second season of last year's breakthrough show THE WALKING DEAD. The show, which is currently being shot in Atlanta, will be broadcast on AMC this Fall and it will follow the new adventures of our heroes surrounded by crazy zombies

in 13 new episodes. As HOLLYWOOD SPY has informed you earlier this Winter, Darren Aronofsky's next project will be $130 million fantasy epic NOAH, a very dark and edgy retelling of the famous Biblical story.

Check out the new poster for the sf film which comes out this weekend. Directed by J.J. Abrams (STAR TREK) and produced by

Steven Spielberg, SUPER 8 is a classic summer blockbuster set in the summer of 1979,  when a group of friends in a small Ohio town witness catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 movie and soon suspect that it was not an accident. Shortly after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town, and the local Deputy tries to uncover the truth - something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined. If you haven't seen the trailer so far, you can see it in HOLLYWOOD SPY's previous post.