Ron Howard’s daughter takes on The Twilight Saga: Eclipse!

by Quaid

Sorry Rachelle Lefevre, there’s a new “Victoria” in town. She’s hot, she’s well-known, and she’s the daughter of a highly successful director and child star.

That’s right, Bryce Dallas Howard is jumping into the Twilight saga starting with Eclipse. The actress will portray “Victoria,” a role played by Lefevre in both Twilight and the upcoming New Moon.

I can hear the public outcry now, only there was so little character development in the first movie that I doubt anyone but the most hardcore of hardcore fans will notice Rachelle’s absence.

Why do this, Bryce? After starring in McG’s ultra-sucky Terminator movie, did you say to yourself “Fuck it, I’m going to try and land supporting roles in as many shitty blockbuster franchises as possible”? I mean, will you be replacing Megan Fox in the next Transformers movie, too?

Or Shia? Actually, that would be kind of hot.

Summit Entertainment executive Erik Feig says:

“We are incredibly happy that Bryce has agreed to come into the franchise. Rachelle brought “Victoria” to great screen life and Bryce will bring a new dimension to the character. The franchise is lucky to have such a talented actress as Bryce coming in to fill the role.”

Translation:

“Thank Christ we can finally afford a name actor! At first we had to hire all these no-names that have no box-office draw, but now that we’re making money we can shit-can these dedicated actors and bring in some fucking movie stars. FUCK YOU RACHELLE!”

Then again, that’s just speculation on my part. Apologies on the language. I obviously feel very passionately about this.

And now, gratuitous pictures.

How Ron Howard Makes Blockbusters (A Flowchart)

Just The Facts

1. Ron Howard is a former child actor who has directed some of the most financially successful and critically acclaimed films of the past 10 years.
2. His critically acclaimed movies are usually inspirational
3. His blockbusters, 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' ($260 million), 'The Davinci Code' ($217 million) and 'Angels & Demons' ($155 million world wide this weekend) rely on a much stranger secret formula.

Ron Howard's Loose Grasp of 'True Stories'

While we've already pointed out the liberties that A Beautiful Mind and Frost / Nixon took with the truth, the historical boxing drama, Cinderella Man, is perhaps his greatest up-yours to historical accuracy. In the film, a down on his luck blue-collar boxer named James Braddock has to fight a terrifying heavyweight champion named Max Baer.

The movie is basically Rocky meets the Great Depression meets Rocky IV. There are of course a few key differences from the Rocky franchise, in addition to the Depression setting. For instance, Braddock is a down on his luck Irish city dweller, not a down on his luck Italian guy. And unlike in Rocky IV, his opponent unapologetically kills two people in the ring, not just one. Also, Cinderella Man probably isn't quite as historically accurate as Rocky IV.

Sure, Braddock fought Baer, and yes Baer killed a man in the ring. But he did it accidentally, and felt so bad about it that he spent the rest of his life donating the money he made fighting to the guy's widow and family.

In Cinderella Man, Howard makes Baer approximately as repetant as Jason Vorhees. Outside the ring, Howards version of Baer is basically a high school bully from an 80s movie with less emotional complexity, and worse hair. Sort of a dick move, since the guy was reportedly kind and charismatic, and spent his entire life trying to make amends for the accidents.

In fact, a tortured super star who spends the rest of his life trying to make up for his in-ring brutality might have been a more interesting character to make a movie about. But that would of course require subtlety, which isn't Mr. Howard's strong suit.

Michael Cera says yes to Arrested Development!!! Finally!

by Daniel Herrera

Long time hold out Michael Cera, has finally agreed to do the film adaptation of the hit television series Arrested Development. The entire cast had agreed in making the long awaited film for some time now. Reports have been coming in for months now that the film was coming and the script being written but no confirmation. This Sunday during the Oscar pre-show Development producer Ron Howard, had even stated : “It’s looking very much like we’re going to make [the movie], but we’ve now been asked to stop offering any details. It’s cloaked in a little mystery, but it’s looking good.”

Apparently, Cera had not wanted to do the part to avoid being typecast since his filmography is so vast and varied, that it would be a step back to pay recognition to the series that put his name on the map. It was according to E! that the news was released today via an ‘inside source’ that the actor had finally agreed to do the film. E! even states the film may go by the end of the year so hopefully this news will help abate some of the hate towards Cera, and smooth anticipation for the film.

First look at Tom Hanks in Da Vinci prequel Angels & Demons

By Lina Ritchie

It is set to break all box office records when it is released next year.

For now, however, we'll have to console ourselves with these exclusive pictures from Angels & Demons, the eagerly anticipated prequel to The Da Vinci Code.

Tom Hanks, who was reportedly paid £25m for the role, returns as Robert Langdon, the world-renowned Harvard symbologist, who this time is on a mission to prevent a terrorist act against the Vatican.

Scroll down to watch the trailer...

Angels & Demons: Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) and Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer) work together to prevent a terrorist act against the Vatican

In this outing, directed once more by Ron Howard, Hanks is joined by Ewan McGregor, Stellan Skarsgard and newcomer Ayelet Zurer.

Angels & Demons, based on the third novel by Dan Brown, starts with Langdon being summoned to a Swiss research facility (CERN) to analyse a mysterious symbol seared into the chest of a murdered physicist, Leonardo Vetra.

Armin Mueller-Stahl and Ewan McGregor play Straus and Carlo Ventresca respectively in the eagerly anticipated prequel to The Da Vinci Code

While there, he discovers the rebirth of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati, the most powerful underground organization ever to walk the earth.

Langdon and Vetra's daughter, Vittoria, played by Zurer, embark on a search for the secret brotherhood, as well as a new destructive weapon that could kill millions.

Langdon discovers the rebirth of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati, the most powerful underground organization ever to walk the earth

The Da Vinci Code upset Catholic leaders throughout the world when it was released in 2006 for suggesting that Jesus was a married father when he died.

However the controversy didn't harm its takings - the film took over $200million at the US box office alone.

While filming Angels & Demons in Italy, Hanks and Howard attracted opposition again and were forbidden from filming in two Roman churches by Rome's diocese.

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While filming Angels & Demons, Hanks and Howard were forbidden from filming in two Roman churches by Rome's diocese

At the time a spokesman for the diocese said: 'It's a film that treats religious issues in a way that contrasts with common religious sentiment.

'We would be helping them create a work that might well be beautiful but that does not conform to our views.

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The film's makers once again met with religious opposition - just as they had done on The Da Vinci Code

Angels & Demons will be released in the UK on May 15, 2009.

Watch the trailer here for Angels & Demons...