There’s no doubt that the comic book world has been kind to Matthew Vaughn of late. After the double-whammy of Kick-Ass and X-Men: First Class, he has yet to commit to his next project, though a couple of properties connected to Mark Millar (who wrote Kick-Ass) are believed to be under consideration.

Firstly, there is The Secret Service, which Vaughn co-wrote with Millar and Watchmen co-author Dave Gibbons. Nothing else is known about the graphic novel, other than the handy element that Vaughn holds the film rights. Second on the menu is Superior, which Millar is also writing, this time with artist Leinil Francis Yu. Superior is about a boy with multiple sclerosis who gets the opportunity to become a superhero, with “sources” saying that Vaughn would supervise the script for any film based on the graphic novel, whereas The Secret Service might be more likely as a scripting joint venture between Vaughn and his regular writing cohort Jane Goldman.

So, Vaughn and Millar staying firmly in graphic novel and superhero territory for the time being. In all honesty it is commendable for Vaughn to take his time in deciding on his next venture. Given the relative success of X-Men, he has presumably not been short of offers.

Source: THR.

If you were one of the lucky ones who took a chance on the secret screening at this year’s New York Film Festival then you can feel pretty pleased with yourselves as it was revealed yesterday that a ‘work-in-progress’ print of Martin Scorsese’s 3D adaptation of Brian Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret, or Hugo to his mulitplex friends, would be that secret film.

To say I’m jealous would be a terrifying understateent, as I’ve followed the production with great enthusiasm since it was announced that Scorsese would be taking on the project,  a beautiful story wrapped up in a love of the magic of cinema, and everything I’ve seen so far has done nothing to dampen my spirits.

Today we see a new featurette from the film with Scorsese himself talking us through his take on the tale with some new footage spliced in there too. Also a couple of new pics have emerged which show off the wonderful production design.

A Thanksgiving release for a 3D kids film from Scorsese will be a new experience for director and audiences alike but if there’s as much magic in this film as in the lost world of silent cinema it celebrates then we’re in for something special.

Pics from Empire,

Video from The Playlist

Mark Millar’s creator-owned comic label, Millarworld, has proved a veritable feast for studios, eager to produce their own Wanted or Kick-Ass. While Sony prepares War Heroes and 20th Century Fox chews on Nemesis, however, Matthew Vaughn is returning to the fold for seconds, having just purchased the rights to the comic book creator’s Superior (via Comic Book Movie).

Superior isn’t your bog-standard tale of spider-bitten geeks and brooding playboy industrialists, however, with the story instead focusing on a young boy who suffers from multiple sclerosis. Granted a single wish (by a bona fide space monkey, no less), Simon is transformed into Superior, a fictional superhero and franchise icon whom he has idolised for years.

Millar has been outspoken regarding his decision to write a character with MS, the comic subsequently attracting the attention of The National MS Society; a charity that welcomes Millar’s attempts to present the disease in a positive light.

“I wanted to write about a superhero with a disability and I chose MS because it’s something that touched one of my school-friends growing up. I’m acutely aware of the unexpected way the disease can strike anyone and the enormous difficulties it can cause. Superhero stories are essentially wish-fulfilment fantasies and nothing seemed more powerful to me than a little boy with a magic wish not only wanting to walk again, but to fly.”

“I’m delighted to work with such an incredible institution as the MS Society and feel privileged that they approached me to use this character in a positive way. We’re used to seeing characters with MS as victims and I wanted to do something where the kid is not only a lead, but the most powerful person on the planet. I’m really delighted people have taken this to their hearts as much as they have.”

With the character using his powers both for the traditional crime-fighting duties as well as slightly less conventional causes - ending war in the Middle East, feeding starving children and rescuing people caught up in natural disasters – Millar can certainly rest assured that he has achieved what he set out to do.

Although Vaughn now owns the rights, it is by no means a sure thing that he will direct the picture, too. With a track record as glowing as his, however, he really cannot sign on the dotted line soon enough.

I’m still a little miffed that it was decided to excise ‘The Invention of’ and then ‘Cabret’ from the title of Brian Selznick’s wonderful novel to leave us with the rather dull title of ‘Hugo’, yet I’m still very much looking forward to Martin Scorsese’s first dalliance with the third dimension as he tells the story of the titular orphan discovering the truth and legacy of the old toymaker whose shop sits in the Paris railway station in whose walls he lives.

There’s a cracking cast for this film with Asa Butterfield and Chloe Moretz leading  Jude Law, Richard Griffiths, Ben Kingsley, Christopher Lee, Sacha Baron Cohen, Emily Mortimer, Helen McCrory and Ray Winstone in this 3D extravaganza which takes in everything from automatons to the magic of the silent cinema.

The only trailer we’ve seen was a lot of fun and given the period setting every new glimpse we get of the film is riddled with detail and essential for those looking forward to this one.

So, here are two images from the fine people at The Playlist which show off the toy shop of Uncle George (whose true identity cineastes will know) with Ben Kingsley looking appropriately severe and there’s also a look at Jude Law as Hugo’s Father building a robot which becomes very important to the whole shebang.

It’s a magical story, one which Scorsese has hopefully translated perfectly to the big screen. The 2nd of December is the date to mark in your diaries.

We got our first look at Matthew Goode in the upcoming Burning Man back in July ahead of its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month.

The pictures didn’t give much away about the film, but its first trailer has now arrived, via FirstShowing.net, and it gives us a much deeper look at the film without giving away too much, just a sense of how brilliant it’s going to be.

The film is written and directed by Jonathan Teplitzky, who is also attached to direct Colin Firth in The Railway Man, and along with Goode (Watchmen), it also stars Bojana Novakovic (Drag Me To Hell), Essie Davis (The Matrix Reloaded), Rachel Griffiths (TV’s Brothers & Sisters), and Kerry Fox (Bright Star). In it, Goode stars,

“as a man struggling to deal with personal tragedy and reacting wildly and recklessly to six women trying to save his life as he attempts to reconnect with his 8-year old son.”

Beginning, literally, with a crash, the trailer then moves into showing the film’s lighter side, of love and happiness, before moving into its darker tones of loss, and Goode’s seeming loss of control. But then comes another change, and we see Goode trying to set his life straight, with these words spliced between the scenes:

“The moments that change our life show us how to live it.”

And couple that inspirational sentence with the music, taken from (if I’m not mistaken) Kick-Ass’s absolutely fantastic score, and you’ve got yourself one hell of an end to a trailer. Admittedly, when you set that music to pretty much any visuals, you’ll make them seem epic. But Burning Man does look like a terrific film, and it’s something I’m really looking forward to seeing.

No word yet on when this will be coming to the UK, but keep your fingers crossed that it will be landing soon. Without further ado, here’s the brilliant first trailer for the film. The Kick-Ass music kicks in at 1:47, and things get even more awesome. Enjoy.

Chloë Moretz made a real name for herself last year when Matthew Vaughn’s adaptation of Mark Millar’s comic book series, Kick-Ass, came out on the big screen.

Since then, there’s been a lot of talk about the possibility of a sequel, and in a new interview Moretz has done with Movies.com, courtesy of Comic Book Movie, she talks about how she’d love to return, and hopefully in the next year or two.

She of course made a big impression first time around as Hit-Girl, and will no doubt be doing more of the same if the sequel does go ahead. Millar’s been writing the comic book sequel and has released the first three issues, but whether the film’s sequel would follow the comic book’s sequel remains to be seen.

“Movies.com: Are they going to be able to do Kick-Ass 2 in time for you to be Hit Girl again? 

CM: Actually, yeah, but I think I’m going to be a little bit older. I’d like to do it in the next year or two because I think that’s a really good time age-wise. You can show Hit Girl in a different light which would be a lot of fun.

Movies.com: Would you like to revisit her at different ages?

CM: I think it would be fun to show her, because you know her as this 11-year-old assassin, so I think it would be fun to show her as this twisted young adult, this 16-17-year-old Catwoman-y almost, twisted and dark person.

Movies.com: She could have a driver’s license then.

CM: Ex-ACTLY! Hit Girl could be riding Ducatis all over New York City. Duh.”

Sounds pretty damn awesome to me. Moretz is a brilliant young actress, and she’s proven more than once how talented she is in some very different roles, and getting to see her return to Hit-Girl as an older, slightly different version of the character we’ve already seen would be a lot of fun. Some people might question the necessity for a sequel to the film, but I think this would have a lot of potential to be so good like the original, so why not? The official green-light for the film is yet to be lit, but hopefully Moretz knows something the rest of us outside the loop don’t.

On the surface of it, Super might sound to many almost exactly like Kick-Ass, albeit with a much lower budget.

The premise of the two films does, superficially (no pun intended), sound very similar. Both films feature an ordinary guy without any powers that goes about trying to stop crime. And this similarity means that Super has typically been compared, generally unfavourably, to Matthew Vaughn’s film. But don’t let this put you off, because the two films are very different, and both are excellent in their own right.

The comparison between them is one that has been fairly extensively made by Super’s critics, and thus it only seems right to start off by addressing the issue. Beyond that basic premise of an ordinary guy fighting crime in a slightly ridiculous costume, Super is a really different film; darker and a little more graphically violent it really earns its 18 rating.

Rainn Wilson takes the lead in this film as Frank, a.k.a. the Crimson Bolt. Before donning his costume for the first time, we see his regular life married to Sarah (Liv Tyler), an addict whose recovery is spiralling downwards. When she leaves him to be with Jacques the Jock (Kevin Bacon), a local drugdealer, Frank gets a vision he believes to be from God that tells him he has been chosen for a bigger purpose, to become the Crimson Bolt. And so begins his crime-fighting days with the excellent and ridiculous catch phrase, “Shut up, Crime,” and his weapon of choice, the wrench.

Unlike Kick-Ass, the Crimson Bolt is not a comic book fan, and he enlists the help of local comic book store employee Libby (Ellen Page), a.k.a. Boltie, in becoming a superhero. She convinces him to be let her be his sidekick, and the pair go about violently and bloodily fighting crime. The Crimson Bolt’s main aim is always saving Sarah from the Jock, and the film reaches its climax in a firefight rescue operation for his wife.

Having now seen Super, I struggle to understand why the comparisons between it and Kick-Ass have been made so often, because the two are sincerely very distinct films. Super is a brilliant mix of comedy, action, heart, and insanity all rolled up into one excellent movie. Writer and director James Gunn managed to gather together a great cast for his film, with Wilson playing the role of the Crimson Bolt well. Page is my personal favourite of all the characters, because she plays Libby/Boltie absolutely perfectly. Her character calls for a healthy dose of crazy, and that truly comes across on screen. She’s a brilliant actress in everything she does, and this film is exemplary in its demonstration of her talents.

We also get a great cameo from Nathan Fillion (Firefly), who worked with Gunn on his last movie, Slither, playing The Holy Avenger, and one from Linda Cardellini (E.R.), playing a pet store employee that has an adorable collection of rabbits.

It’s a real shame that this movie was released like it was. It had a limited run in America back in April this year, and an extremely limited run in a handful of cinemas here in the UK at the start of July. Just two short weeks after its American release, it became available on Video on Demand, which couldn’t have helped its box office takings, but thankfully it’s been better received through this medium. Now that it’s been released on DVD and Blu-Ray, hopefully it can find an audience here in the UK; it really deserves one. It was filmed back in late 2009/early 2010, and I’ve been looking forward to it for about as long, and it was worth the wait.

It probably won’t be the best film you see this year, or the best superhero film you see this year, but it’s nonetheless an enjoyable watch. The music works brilliantly to complement the action, which isn’t something you often get when the soundtrack isn’t an original score; the dialogue will make you laugh and cringe; the effects will impress you given its low budget; and the plot will both make your eyebrows raise in confusion and surprise and keep you entertained for a great ninety minutes.

Is its premise similar to Kick-Ass? Yes. Is it the same film? Not even close. Does it deserve to be watched? Definitely. Bottom-line, Super is a lot of fun, and stands firm in its own right as a great film.

Film:

Special Features:

• Behind the Scenes – Running at eighteen minutes, this behind the scenes is not the best, but certainly not the worst. We get some nice interviews with the cast and crew, some moments of Wilson trying (and, in my opinion, failing) a bit of ad lib comedy on camera, and a bit of insight into the run-up of the film’s development. One of the highlights has to be the on-set footage of a stuntman being set ablaze, and the fire extinguishers that immediately follow the ‘Cut!’ which was good fun to see. Something that comes across from cast and crew alike was the enjoyment of shooting the film in just over three weeks. In a clip talking to Gunn, he explains how he hoped the fast pace and energy that you need to make a feature-length film in three weeks would translate to the final product, and it really does. Super doesn’t slow down for a second, which is one of the things that makes it so enjoyable, so Gunn’s hopes were certainly successful.
  
• Trailer

A commentary with Gunn and some of the cast would have been nice to fill out the extras a bit. Having just a Behind the Scenes and a trailer for the film seems a bit empty in the Special Features menu screen, but given the low price of the film immediately upon release (online, you can get change from £10 for the Blu-Ray), I’d say it’s fairly reasonable. Despite the lack of many extras, I’ve taken into account the price and the brilliant detail you get in Super on Blu-Ray into my rating, certainly making it worth the slight extra on top of the DVD price.

Blu-Ray:

This film has me intrigued. Not only is it Martin Scorsese’s first foray into the world of 3D but it is primarily a film for children, as well as the fan of the magical era of silent cinema.

I enjoyed Brian Selznick’s book The Invention of Hugo Cabret immensely, quite why the film has followed Disney’s nonsensical title shortening of its John Carter of Mars movie to become, first Hugo Cabret, and finally Hugo, is beyond me but the enchanting tale of the titular orphan living in a Paris train station is a captivating love letter to the magicians of early cinema.

With the help if a young girl and her grandfather, who is inextricably linked to the young world of moving pictures, Hugo struggles to cope with the loss of his father and help a reclusive man step back into the public spotlight.

We’ve kept a close eye on this film since it was announced that Scorsese was taking charge as the promise of the recreation of some of the famous silent films was too good to ignore, and you can see some set videos and images here.

Sir Ben Kingsley appears alongside Chloe Moretz and Asa Butterfield who lead the cast of Jude Law, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helen McCrory, Emily Mortimer, Michael Stuhlbarg and Christopher Lee.

Apple have the trailer in HD.

The title for this movie has changed more times than I can remember but now a poster for the film which once was called The Invention of Hugo Cabret then Hugo Cabret and now simply Hugo, has been released! Thanks to an eagle eyed ComingSoon.net, we get to see the first promotional material for the movie directed by the legendary Martin Scorsese.

The movie stars Chloe Moretz, Jude Law, Richard Griffiths, Ben Kingsley, Christopher Lee, Sacha Baron Cohen, Emily Mortimer, Helen McCrory, Ray Winstone and should be with us 2nd December this year.

Synopsis: Adapted from the Caldecott-winning Brian Selznick novel “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” Hugo is the story of a resourceful boy who lives in a train station and teams up with a spirited young girl to solve a mystery that is based in his past and affects both of their futures.

This year sees the release of yet another plethora of comic book adaptations, most recently topped by the arrival of X-Men: First Class in cinemas. To coincide with Matthew Vaughn’s prequel – albeit a prequel with reimaginitive tendencies – the internet has inevitably started buzzing with claims that it may constitute The Greatest Comic Book Movie Ever Made (TGCBMEM).

This particular section of geekdom invariably dusts off their hyperbole every year or so, proclaiming some new release the pinnacle of comic book movie-making, having previously crowned such films as Superman (1978), Spider-man (2002) and The Dark Knight (2008) with the unashamedly self-important title.

Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate what makes each of the aforementioned movies great – and I certainly enjoyed X-Men: First Class (though perhaps not as much as Adam Lowes) – but I find it all too predictable tipping which movies might invariable draw such avid fanboy attention. This endless pursuit of hierarchy has an unfortunate tendency to belittle movies never listed as contenders for the coveted title – somewhat of a tragedy in a genre with precious few incontrovertible misfires. With the exception of Catwoman (2004), Blade: Trinity (2004) and Elektra (2005) there aren’t many adaptations completely without merit. In a genre that spans dimensions, planets and publishers, is there really just one definitive, objective winner?

Make no mistake, I have my own favourites, but I find it a difficult and thankless task to lumber them with such an unweildy accolade (and acronym) as TGCBMEM. Perhaps it is because my tastes differ so drastically from the most vocal patrons of the genre. For example: I adored Kick-Ass (2010), a film which beautifully deconstructs the superhero ethos while embodying it entirely; I found much to like in X2 (2003), quite despite my near allergic reaction to Hugh Jackman’s quickly tiresome Wolverine; and, when nobody else would, I championed Fantastic Four (2005), a brilliantly entertaining superhero romp which refused to take itself too seriously. But my own TGCBMEM? Does V for Vendetta (2006) even count? Would Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) qualify? I don’t suppose it even matters, my heart ultimately only truly belongs to one comic book movie: the utterly incomparable Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008).

“What”, you might ask, “the one about the red-skinned, kitten-loving space-monkey?” Indeed, but if you’ll just hear me out? You see, one of the biggest markers of quality I have encountered time and time again, according to the TGCBMEM crowd at least, is realism. A current zeitgeist, the ostensible fad stipulates that all superheroes must be grounded in reality if they are to be taken seriously by genre connoisseurs. Quite beside the fact that these same people would unlikely deride Toy Story for being about sentient children’s toys, or dismiss Inception for dream-hopping, they nevertheless believe a superhero should be gritty, citing the “darker is better” mantra as a categorical imperative.

The result has been a bizarre tendency whereby filmmakers try to prune their properties of everything that once made them super. Spider-man is deprived of his practicality and intellect, his webbing made organic in case there’s only so much super his audience can take. Galactus, meanwhile, is transformed into a nebulous space-fart to save cinemagoers the sight of a giant, purple alien. The worst offender, in my opinion that is, is Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight.

You see, entire pantheons of the comic book’s established villainy have been necessarily denied entry to the director’s own pocket universe lest they show Batman up for what he really is: a comic book character. Deemed gritty and mature by the fun police, this desired realism is nevertheless undermined by a preposterous ninja threat, a far-fetched fear toxin and the sequel’s ridiculous “signal tracking device”. In all honesty, I’d much rather have watched a caped-crusaderless Dark Knight, without Christian Bale there to stupid up (my phrase, you may prefer “compromise”) a perfectly good crime drama with his gravelly growl and tumbling batmobile; none of which is ideal when the sorest thumb in your movie is that of its titular protagonist.

I don’t love Hellboy II: The Golden Army because it’s silly, but because it doesn’t shy away from its more outlandish elements. The film is at times dark, consistently moving and often (intentionally) hilarious. With other franchises going to painstaking lengths to humanise their superhumans, whether by lumbering them with glasses and a paper round, mirroring a more traditional coming-of-age yarn or blinding their protagonist with radioactive waste – audit must have freaked – Hellboy just stands there – cigar in mouth – defiantly, defying logic by navigating such empathetic waters with surprising ease. Guillermo del Toro’s fearless direction obviously helps, with the script’s embrace of humour and character resulting in one of the most heartfelt comic book capers committed to celluloid. I know heart isn’t everything, or so I’ve been informed on numerous occasions, but untroubled by green screen and bat-nipples, Hellboy II at least has the horns to feature an emotional rendition of Barry Manilow’s “Cant Smile Without You”.

It doesn’t disappoint in the action stakes either. While the world might not be trembling before Parallax’s yellow something of whatever, the sparing use of CGI and preference for practical effects lend The Golden Army an earthy feel that works to compensate for the admittedly bonkers sight of a horned demon battling climatically with a martial artist elf. Boasting a small ensemble consisting of a psychic fish, an explosive emo and an ectoplastic diving suit, the arcs devoted so such unusual characters brings them to life in a way the rejection of Robin, the omission of The Mandarin and the integration of the Cuban Missile Crisis otherwise fail to achieve.

Above all, however, I love the film’s confidence. One movie in to a franchise that would soon be stuck in limbo (there are no words), Hellboy II is often quoted as a very personal movie by del Toro and it really shows. The different between it and it’s less successful predecessor is perhaps explained by the director’s bridging project: Pan’s Labyrinth. Earning the director a slew of award nominations, Pan’s Labyrinth is a dark (how’s that for credentials?) fairytale replete with fantastic creatures and realistic horrors. Bleeding though into The Golden Army, such skill and painstaking workmanship – combined with an unmatched understanding of the source material – imbued the film with a dignified quality that goes beyond name-checking Frankenstein and deriving respect from fads.

In my opinion, a good comic book movie prises substance over style – including characters for a purpose and rewarding them with development for their efforts. Spider-man 3 (2007) is the film most often exampled for this failing, but its triad of villainy is positively well-rounded compared to other offenders. X-Men: Last Stand (2006) and Origins: Wolverine (2009) are two films which falter in their preference of cameos and flashing lights over character and subtext, a crime considering the analogous nature of the X-Men series. I suspect Green Lantern (2011) will be just as unsuccessful when it throws Ryan Reynolds at a million dollars worth of greenscreen later this month, though I may yet be proved wrong. A great comic book movie, however, must make you care about the characters, because great power comes with great responsibility – often followed by a healthy serving of investment-sensitive sacrifice.

This year’s Thor was a massive success in this respect, as it took a plethora of characters from numerous realms and fleshed them out with expert aplomb. Thor too was a little on the silly side, boasting a few too many rainbow bridges to gel with the serious faced TGCBMEM crowd. Needless to say it didn’t receive the same attention as First Class, with the latter’s discussion of genetic mutation and allusion to Nazi Germany and Jekyll and Hyde tying it to the respected world: both scientific and literary. I can’t help but feel that Thor is the better movie, however, unburdened as it is by what came before – even if it does make a few exceptions for what might still be to come. You don’t have to deconstruct, retcon or shoehorn superheroes into the real world to produce a great movie, you just need the confidence to realise the character unashamedly – whatever planet he’s from.

Kick-Ass was similarly exceptional, with a potty mouth and well-judged sentiment that leant it depth and emotionality – whether it be enthralled elation or utter hot-chocolate-prompted devastation. More than just a reaction to comic book movies, Kick-Ass came close to eclipsing its competition with a great script, break-neck direction and enough homages to necessitate repeated viewing. Taking the Hulk (2003) route (which to me, for the record, is the definitive Hulk movie – hey, my grave is already dug) and advertising the required suspension of disbelief from the outset by sign-posting its debt to the medium, Kick-Ass came the closest yet to creating a realistic comic book movie, but in the most delightfully incidental way possible.

OK – so my mind might have wandered, but I guess my point is that there is no objective basis in heralding a comic book movie the best ever; there will always be those who disagree – and so there should be – and perhaps I know this better than most. With the current retcon culture rebooting characters after their first box office stumble, and with the orbital nature of fashion and filmmaking trends, the different incarnations and zeitgeists the characters will invariably reflect will doubtless ensure this TGCBMEM ceremony continues. What of next year, then? Is Joss Whedon’s The Avengers in line for the accolade or should I just give in now and anoint Nolan’s next Batfilm? Will darkness ever give in to light? More than anything, however, I’d like to hand the floor over to you. In your opinion, what is the greatest comic book movie ever made – if indeed there is one?

Only a couple of days after a picture showing Johnny Depp appearing in Martin Scorsese’s 3D movie The Invention of Hugo Cabret found its way online Le Parisien have posted a set video with a look at Sir Ben Kingsley in his role as Georges Melies.

While we’ve seen Sir Ben in costume before, as young and old Meilies, this the first time we’ve had a look at the set design and it’s a glimpse and nothing more but in the absence of anything more substantial this will have to keep fans of Scorsese and the book sated for now.

Kingsley appears alongside Chloe Moretz and Asa Butterfield who lead the cast of Jude Law, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helen McCrory, Emily Mortimer, Michael Stuhlbarg and Christopher Lee.

If you want to read what LeParisien had to say by way of commentary to this video I’ve pushed the text through the verbgrinder of Google translate – here’s what came out the other end:

On this summer morning, the snow littered the streets of Paris in the plot: a dry ice stamped Hollywood. Until tonight, the American maestro Martin Scorsese, 67, runs sequences winter of his next film, “The Invention of Hugo Cabret”, near the Madeleine. At dawn yesterday, an impressive armada invests the square of the Opera-Louis Jouvet. Heavy truck parked by the dozens in the neighborhood, the streets adjoining are looped. On the plateau, some 400 technicians to install the lights, water the sidewalk with snow cannons and place the cables between the loops. “Here, they repainted the walls, it gives the charm! ‘Says a local resident. This is to accommodate the film’s story (that of a young orphan whose fate is upset by the encounter with filmmaker Georges Melies) that places have been transformed into little Paris of the 1930s. Old streetlights have arisen. The Spa is a beauty salon become retro. The restaurant, an apothecary’s shop. And in the salon is finished installing period chandeliers. But where Scorsese? In the Athenaeum Theatre, transformed for the occasion in silent films. There, the director made some taken with her actor Ben Kingsley (Georges Melies), before turning the outdoor scenes. Nothing should filter through the technology of this film in 3D. Outside, the big arm of the prying and safety alpaguent dislodge roundly journalists stationed on balconies. For now, about 350 extras left lunch at the Grand Hotel, in frock coat and robe. Here comes a black sedan. Costumed, Ben Kingsley jumped into the car and disappears. The onlookers are gathering. Everyone wants to see the director of “Taxi Driver”. “On Monday, when he came to mark the spot, it looked like Marlon Brando, the class,” says Paolo, the owner of an Italian restaurant that has a bricks on shooting. ” As for Calabrese’s great pride, “Scorsese had lunch in my little restaurant, with its own cook, but production was canceled at the last moment …” And so Scorsese who rears his glasses away in the back a Mercedes. “Oh, that’s not true! I missed “plague a young woman. The filmmaker and his team are still there until evening, then left turn to London. Video. Martin Scorsese revives the 30s in Paris

Down in the HUG Bunker, we’re pretty big fans of flame-haired screenwriter Jane Goldman, so it was a pleasant surprise to find out that she’s pretty fond of us too!

Not only did she tell us how much she liked the site, but she also let us know the progress of Kick-Ass 2, what she thinks of X-Men: First Class (she’s seen it), and her next projects, the adaptation of Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem and several things she was very cagey about.

Watch the below for more info or click here to view the rest of our coverage from the Jameson Empire Film Awards 2011.

A new image from Martin Scorsese’s forthcoming 3D adapation of Brian Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret has hit the internet giving us a first look at Johnny Depp in his role at M. Rouleau.

ComingSoon and their enigmatic source ‘Steven’ scanned this picture in and as Depp is credited as a Producer on the film there was always a chance he’d appear on screen.

The rest of the cast is impressive with winner of last night’s Empire Award for Best Newcomer Chloe Moretz and Asa Butterfield leading the cast of Sir Ben Kingsley, Jude Law, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helen McCrory, Emily Mortimer, Michael Stuhlbarg and Christopher Lee, some of whom we’ve already seen in costume on set.

Here’s the picture,

Matthew Vaughn is fast competing with Zack Snyder to see who can churn out the most comic book adaptations in one career with news from Deadline with the Kick-Ass director has another project involving those defenders of good in the works.

Vaughan is still putting the final post-production touches to this summer’s prequel X-Men: First Class, but he’s claiming already that a major Hollywood studio is very keen to fully fund his next big project. It’s an adaptation of a yet-to-be-published comic book called The Golden Age and penned by our very own talk show host/awards presenter/all-round geek Wossy (aka Jonathan Ross).

The two are already close (Ross’ wife Jane Goldman has been a co-writer with Vaughan on many of his projects, included his newest) and the rather intriguing premise here (which focuses on a special retirement home where superheroes end up) sounds like it has the potential to be a huge amount of fun.

With a wish list made up of the likes of Hollywood giants Clint Eastwood, Jack Nicholson, and Warren Beatty, this is one project which I’m sure Vaughan won’t mind running the risk of being labelled “that comic book guy” for the rest of his days.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Martin Scorsese’s 3D debut, is one of the most anticipated films of this year.

Not least it will give moviegoers the chance to see how the filmmaker adapts to the extra dimension, but for me Brian Selznick’s wonderful story is enough to get me into the cinema.

A crucial part of the story involves the orphaned Hugo discovering and repairing an automaton (an automatic device – a robot, or self-operating machine if you will) which, he believes, will deliver a message from his father. The film’s twitter account posted this very cool image a few moments ago – out first look at the all important machine.

The cast Scorsese has assembled is particularly impressive with Chloe Moretz and Asa Butterfield leading the cast of Sir Ben Kingsley, Jude Law, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helen McCrory, Emily Mortimer, Michael Stuhlbarg and Christopher Lee, some of whom we’ve already seen in costume on set.

The film has just finished filming and is set to be released on the 9th of December 2011. All we need now is a trailer…

Here’s the pic,

Image removed at the request of the studio

Joining HeyUGuys back in June of this year, I was eager to put my personal popcorn addiction to good use. A Psychology student by day and an usher by night, I had built up an encyclopaedic knowledge of film over three years of part time work, ever broadening my horizons with a determination to watch anything and everything I could. Finally blessed with an outlet for my burgeoning opinions and limitless enthusiasm, HeyUGuys has offered me opportunity after opportunity resulting in an inordinate number of cinematic highlights this 2010.

With Hollywood finally dropping the tiresome “darker is better” mantra to provide two of the very best comic-book adaptations to date – Kick-Ass and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, in case it needed pointing out – and DreamWorks raising the bar with a series of above studio-par animated releases, it has been a year of many memorable moments. Inception was mind-bending, Four Lions was ground-breaking and The Crazies showed that not all horror remakes had to be rubbish. Shrek got good again, Joe Dante finally returned to comedy-horror with The Hole 3D and Ron Weasley got to step up to the plate and destroy a Horcrux. From Monsters to My Name is Khan, Piranha to Paranormal Activity 2 and Buried to Burlesque, this year has been full of stand-out cinema, whatever your tastes.

From home I have reviewed Eat Pray Love (OK), Streetdance 3D (better) and A Town Called Panic (best), I have been equal parts shocked and delighted by movie news, I have revisited Alien vs. Predator for a commemorative Video Vault and have each week found something new to recommend or ridicule as I work to develop my understanding and opinions of the film industry in general.

Not all high points took place onscreen, however, with a sojourn to London this November affording me the opportunity to get behind the scenes and out from behind the counter. Eager to sample the capital’s infectious film culture after months of relative isolation across Aberdeen and Edinburgh, I attended press screenings, visited sets and shared oxygen with actors. I met Noomi Rapace following a screening of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo when she took to the stage for an audience Q&A, I held a scorpion in the foyer of Empire Leicester Square prior to a screening of Disney’s Tangled and had the chance to visit Warner Brothers’ London headquarters to view one of their upcoming releases.

Outside of the auditorium, and London itself for that matter, I had the chance to visit the set of Best Laid Plans, an upcoming feature from David Blair that is attracting somewhat of a buzz in anticipation of its 2011 release. Arriving on set in Nottingham, I interviewed the film’s writer and star in addition to director Blair. Stephen Graham, fresh from shooting Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, spoke at length about his back catalogue, his hopes for the future and the recent student protests – proving almost as otherworldly as he did completely grounded.

However inspiring the above proved, the sentimentalist inside me cannot help but note another occurrence as the true stand-out of the year. Even better than the news that Ridley Scott is planning a return to his Alien franchise, outshining the chance to write news, reviews and features for the web, surpassing the return of Road Runner and Coyote to the big screen and trumping even the final act of How To Train Your Dragon was the opportunity to meet the rest of the HeyUGuys team. For months I had followed them on twitter, read and admired their articles and it was a pleasure to finally meet a collection of the nicest and most enthusiastic like-minded movie-lovers in a small pub in London. Forgive the sentiment, but it really was the highlight of my year.

It really has been a great year for cinema, 2010 teasing the awesome potential for the new decade it has inevitably started. With Scream 4 on the way, the end of the Twilight saga in sight and Marmaduke mercifully behind us, the scene is set for a truly amazing new year.

Black Swan, the forthcoming psychological ballet thriller from acclaimed director Darren Aronofsky, picked up an unprecedented twelve nominations at the annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards.

The King’s Speech and True Grit follow closely with eleven nominations each, while The Social Network and Inception each accumulated nine.

The Critics’ Choice Movie Awards will take place on January 14, 2011 at the Hollywood Palladium and will be broadcast on VH1.

The nominations for the 16th annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards are listed below in full:

Best Picture

- 127 Hours

- Black Swan

- The Social Network

- True Grit

- Winter’s Bone

- The Town

- Toy Story 3

- The Fighter

- Inception

- The King’s Speech

Best Actor

- James Franco, 127 Hours

- Ryan Gosling, Blue Valentine

- Jeff Bridges, True Grit

- Robert Duvall, Get Low

- Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network

- Colin Firth, The King’s Speech

Best Actress

- Natalie Portman, Black Swan

- Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right

- Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole

- Noomi Rapace, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

- Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone

- Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine

Best Supporting Actor

- Christine Bale, The Fighter

- Jeremy Renner, The Town

- Andrew Garfield, The Social Network

- Sam Rockwell, Conviction

- Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech

- Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right

Best Supporting Actress

- Mila Kunis, Black Swan

- Amy Adams, The Fighter

- Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech

- Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom

- Melissa Leo, The Fighter

- Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit

Best Young Actor/Actress

- Chloe Moretz, Let Me In

- Kodi Smit-McPhee, Let Me In

- Elle Fanning, Somewhere

- Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit

- Chloe Moretz, Kick-Ass

- Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone

Best Acting Ensemble

- The Kids Are All Right

- The King’s Speech

- The Fighter

- The Town

- The Social Network

Best Director

- David Fincher, The Social Network

- Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech

- Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan

- Christopher Nolan, Inception

- Danny Boyle, 127 Hours

- Joel & Ethan Coen, True Grit

Best Original Screenplay

- Another Year, Mike Leigh

- Inception, Christopher Nolan

- The Fighter, Scott Silver & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson (Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson)

- The Kids Are All Right, Lisa Chodolenko & Stuart Blumberg

- The King’s Speech, David Seidler

- Black Swan, Mark Heyman & Andres Heinz & John McLaughlin

Best Adapted Screenplay

- 127 Hours, Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy

- True Grit, Joel & Ethan Coen

- Winter’s Bone, Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini

- Toy Story 3, Michael Arndt (Story by John Lasseter & Andrew Stanton & Lee Unkrich)

- The Town, Ben Affleck & Peter Craig & Sheldon Turner

- The Social Network, Aaron Sorkin

Best Cinematography

- 127 Hours, Andrew Dod Mantle

- True Grit, Roger Deakins

- Black Swan, Matthew Libatique

- The King’s Speech, Danny Cohen

- Inception, Wally Pfister

Best Art Direction

- Alice in Wonderland, Stefan Dechant

- Inception, Guy Hendrix Dyas

- True Grit, Jess Gonchor & Nancy Haigh

- Black Swan, Therese DePrez & Tora Peterson

- The King’s Speech, Netty Chapman

Best Editing

- Inception, Lee Smith

- Black Swan, Andrew Weisblum

- 127 Hours, John Harris

- The Social Network, Angus Wall & Kirk Baxter

Best Costume Design

- Black Swan, Amy Westcott

- Alice in Wonderland, Colleen Atwood

- True Grit, Mary Zophres

- The King’s Speech, Jenny Beavan

Best Make-up

- Black Swan

- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

- Alice in Wonderland

- True Grit

Best Visual Effects

- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

- Alice in Wonderland

- Tron: Legacy

- Inception

Best Sound

- Inception

- Black Swan

- Toy Story 3

- The Social Network

- 127 Hours

Best Animated Picture

- Toy Story 3

- The Illusionist

- Tangled

- Despicable Me

- How to Train Your Dragon

Best Action Picture

- Kick-Ass

- Red

- The Town

- Inception

- Unstoppable

Best Comedy Picture

- Easy A

- Cyrus

- Date Night

- The Other Guys

- I Love You Phillip Morris

- Get Him to the Greek

Best Picture Made For Television

- You Don’t Know Jack

- The Pacific

- Temple Grandin

Best Foreign Language Picture

- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

- I Am Love

- Biutiful

Best Documentary

- Restrepo

- Exit Through The Gift Shop

- Waiting For Superman

- Inside Job

- Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work

- The Tillman Story

Best Song

- I See the Light, Tangled

- We Belong Together, Toy Story 3

- You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me Yet, Burlesque

- Shine, Waiting for Superman

- If I Rise, 127 Hours

Best Score

- Black Swan, Clint Mansell

- The Social Network, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross

- True Grit, Carter Burwell

- Inception, Hans Zimmer

- The King’s Speech, Alexandre Desplat

The fifth annual Richard Attenborough Film Awards took place in London, UK last night and it was quite an occasion!

The Social Network was named film of the year, with Colin Firth (The King’s Speech) and Noomi Rapace (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) picking up the awards for actor and actress of the year, respectively.

The full press release is embedded below:

13 December 2010 — – UK regional critics today announce their Film of the year, as a highlight of the fifth annual Richard Attenborough Film Awards (RAFA’s). The prestigious accolade goes to The Social Network, which also wins Screenwriter of the year for Aaron Sorkin.

The RAFA’s – the UK’s regional film awards – comprise fourteen categories. Seven are exclusively for UK regional film critics, while a further seven are decided by public votes. In recognition of their achievement, each winner will receive a RAFA award, remodelled for 2010 and engraved with Lord Attenborough’s signature.

Voting in the seven categories for regional critics took place online between 15 November and 6 December 2010. The voting constituency was staff and freelance arts and entertainment writers, critics and editors in all branches of UK regional media.

UK Regional Critics’ Vote Winners:

Film of the year

- The Social Network.

Filmmaker of the year

- Christopher Nolan (Inception).

Screenwriter of the year

- Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network).

Actor of the year

- Colin Firth (The King’s Speech).

Actress of the year

- Noomi Rapace (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Rising star of the year

- Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Let Me In)

Legend of the year

- Sir Michael Caine CBE.

Meanwhile, the seven people’s choice awards are detailed below. Toy Story 3 picked up three RAFA’s, while Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 was awarded with the British film of the year award.

UK Public Vote Winners:

British film of the year – in association with The Alan Titchmarsh Show (ITV)

- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.

Film star of 2010 – in association with Newsquest Group

- Angelina Jolie (Salt and The Tourist).

Animated film of the year – in association with HMV

- Toy Story 3.

Breakthrough star of the year – in association with HMV

- Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Let Me In).

3D film of the year – in association with Cineworld

- Toy Story 3.

Top film character of the year – in association with MoviePreviewGuide.com

- Edward Cullen (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse).

Family film of the year – in association with The Birmingham Mail

- Toy Story 3.

Lord Attenborough, the curator of the ceremony, was quoted as saying:

“The last year has shown the cinema to be both resilient and innovative, with large audiences eager to enjoy the unique theatrical experience. It has also brought a superb crop of terrific films with compelling performances from both experience and fresh talents. I offer my warmest congratulations to this admirable set of winners.”

More set pics from Martin Scorsese’s Rubiks Cube of a movie, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, and we get our first look at Emily Mortimer, Helen McCrory and Michael Stuhlbarg.

Yesterday pics of Sacha Baron Cohen and Ben Kingsley found their way online and we’re now waiting to see Jude Law, Ray Winstone and the majestic Christopher Lee to complete the set.

The 3D picture is shooting in Paris and London and is Scorsese’s first foray into 3D movie making and is adapted from Brian Selznick’s celebrated novel.

Here are the pics, which Facebookers can see in a gallery from the film’s page.

While Martin Scorsese’s 3D adaptation of Brian Selznick’s award winning novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret is moving on nicely a few pictures have surfaced showing a few of the formidable cast in their finery.

The film deals with an orphaned boy who, while scratching an existence living in the walls of a Paris train station, strikes up a relationship with the silent film magician Georges Melies.  Sacha Baron Cohen plays the station inspector and sports a rather fetching moustache in the picture below.

Ben Kingsley plays Papa Georges, whose silent films are set to feature in Scorsese’s film, and joins Chloe Moretz and Asa Butterfield alongside Christopher Lee, Ray Winstone and Jude Law.

Here are the pics, all of which were put up over the last week or so,

These pics were pointed out to us on the film’s Facebook page by The Playlist.