The Change-Up is released in the UK 23rd January on Blu-ray and DVD and to mark the occasion, we’ve been given three copies of the movie to give away on Blu-ray. The Change-Up stars Ryan Reynolds, Jason Bateman, Leslie Mann, Olivia Wilde and is directed by David Dobkin.

Growing up together, Mitch (Ryan Reynolds) and Dave (Jason Bateman) were inseparable best friends, but as the years have passed they’ve slowly drifted apart. While Dave is an overworked lawyer, husband and father of three, Mitch has remained a single, quasi-employed man-child who has never met a responsibility he liked. To Mitch, Dave has it all: beautiful wife Jamie (Leslie Mann), kids who adore him and a high-paying job at a prestigious law firm. To Dave, living Mitch’s stress-free life without obligation or consequence is a world away from his sensible, settled lifestyle. Following a drunken night out together, Mitch and Dave’s worlds are turned upside down when they wake up in each other’s bodies and proceed to freak out. Despite the freedom from their normal routines and habits, the guys soon discover that each other’s lives are nowhere near as rosy as they once seemed. Further complicating matters are Dave’s sexy legal associate, Sabrina (Olivia Wilde) and Mitch’s estranged father (Alan Arkin). With time not on their side, Mitch and Dave comically struggle to avoid completely destroying each other’s lives before they can find a way to get their old ones back.

To enter the competition, click next to be taken to the question……

We got our first full look at the upcoming action thriller Safe House back in November last year when the first trailer hit, and it looked pretty sweet. Led by Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds, the film looks to be a nice dose of explosive action and intrigue early in the New Year.

Washingtonis of course a natural, and I’m a big fan of Reynolds, so putting the two together can only be good news in my books.

We’ve now got a new black and white poster to share from the film, courtesy of ComingSoon.net, ahead of its release next month. Along with Washington and Reynolds, the film has a great supporting cast that includes Vera Farmiga, Brendan Gleeson, Robert Patrick, Joel Kinnaman, and Sam Shepard. It marks the feature debut of screenwriter David Guggenheim, and the English-language debut of Swedish director Daniel Espinosa, who is reuniting with his Easy Money star Kinnaman for this.

“Oscar(R) winner Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds star in the action-thriller Safe House.Washingtonplays the most dangerous renegade from the CIA, who comes back onto the grid after a decade on the run. When the South African safe house he’s remanded to is attacked by mercenaries, a rookie operative (Reynolds) escapes with him. Now, the unlikely allies must stay alive long enough to uncover who wants them dead. For the past year, Matt Weston has been frustrated by his inactive, backwater post inCape Town. A “housekeeper” who aspires to be a full-fledged agent, the loyal company man has been waiting for an opportunity to prove himself. When the first and only occupant he’s had proves to be the most dangerous man he’s ever met, Weston readies for duty. Tobin Frost has eluded capture for almost a decade. One of the best ops men that the CIA’s known, the ex-intelligence officer has given up assets and sold military intel to anyone with cash since he turned. From trading secrets toNorth Koreato aiding splinter cells, the damage he’s done to theU.S.is immeasurable. And he’s now back on the reservation with a secret. As soon as Frost is brought in for debriefing, mercenaries come and tear apart Weston’s safe house. Barely escaping, the unlikely partners must discover if their attackers have been sent by terrorists or someone on the inside who will kill anyone standing in the way. Now it’s up to Weston to figure out who he can trust before they’re both eliminated from the game.”

Safe House will be hitting cinemas on 24^th February this year, which is a date I’m looking forward to. In case you missed the trailer a few months ago, I’ve embedded it beneath the poster below to get you looking forward to it too. As usual with the poster, click to enlarge.

Put Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds in a movie and what do you get?

Something that’s going to be ridiculously awesome. At least, if this first trailer is anything to go by.

Apple, via FirstShowing.net, have debuted the first trailer for Safe House, the action thriller co-led by Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds, and it looks pretty damn sweet to me. And it goes nicely alongside the teaser poster that IMP Awards have for the film too.

“Oscar(R) winner Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds star in the action-thriller Safe House. Washington plays the most dangerous renegade from the CIA, who comes back onto the grid after a decade on the run. When the South African safe house he’s remanded to is attacked by mercenaries, a rookie operative (Reynolds) escapes with him. Now, the unlikely allies must stay alive long enough to uncover who wants them dead. For the past year, Matt Weston has been frustrated by his inactive, backwater post in Cape Town. A “housekeeper” who aspires to be a full-fledged agent, the loyal company man has been waiting for an opportunity to prove himself. When the first and only occupant he’s had proves to be the most dangerous man he’s ever met, Weston readies for duty. Tobin Frost has eluded capture for almost a decade. One of the best ops men that the CIA’s known, the ex-intelligence officer has given up assets and sold military intel to anyone with cash since he turned. From trading secrets to North Korea to aiding splinter cells, the damage he’s done to the U.S. is immeasurable. And he’s now back on the reservation with a secret. As soon as Frost is brought in for debriefing, mercenaries come and tear apart Weston’s safe house. Barely escaping, the unlikely partners must discover if their attackers have been sent by terrorists or someone on the inside who will kill anyone standing in the way. Now it’s up to Weston to figure out who he can trust before they’re both eliminated from the game.”

Alongside Washington and Reynolds are a brilliant supporting cast that includes Vera Farmiga, Brendan Gleeson, Sam Shepard, Liam Cunningham, and Robert Patrick. The script comes from David Guggenheim, a new writer whose credits include the upcoming Nicolas Cage-starrer Medallion, with direction from Sweden’s Daniel Espinosa.

Washington’s naturally pretty brilliant in everything he does, and I’m a big fan of Reynold’s too, so matching them together is a great play in my books. And the trailer really seems to be proving me right. This is going to be one to watch out for. It’ll be hitting the UK on 24th February next year, which really can’t come fast enough. Without further ado, here’s the new trailer to enjoy, followed by the poster. As usual with the latter, click to enlarge. And if you wish to watch the former in beautiful HD, then you can head on over to Apple here.

Green Lantern is an unknown quantity to most of us, without years of pop-culture osmosis and numerous previous big screen versions to get us familiar with the Guardians of the Universe or the Planet Oa and the Green Lantern Corps.

Ryan Reynolds is the most recognisable element of DC’s latest blockbuster and the question you need to ask yourselves as the Blu-ray sits on the shelf opposite you is ‘What sets this superhero movie apart from the countless others?’.

Reynolds is Hal Jordan, a seemingly reckless test pilot who is recruited by an intergalactic protection force just as their most dangerous enemy has escaped. Jordan accepts the Green Lantern Corps ring and is flung through space to the planet of Oa, the home of the Corps to train and become one of the universe’s peace keepers. As he begins to understand his responsibility and powers he is overawed and, facing doubts from other members of the Corps, returns to Earth to face another, far more familiar, enemy.

It’s a basic plot, and each character fits nicely into their assigned point in the narrative. Reynolds has a lot of fun with the role as does Peter Sarsgaard as Hector Hammond as Jordan’s friend who lets his jealous (and an alien force) go to his head. For a superhero story that is virtually limitless in its scope this is a decidedly earthbound tale, necessitated perhaps by the anchoring nature of an origin story but director Martin Campbell moves us quickly through the narrative without every letting us enjoy the world we’re in. There is nothing in the way of surprises here, and while it’s a fairly competent and good-looking blockbuster it’s a shallow first look at a world which promised a lot more.

The Blu-ray boasts an extended edition which appears to consist of the entire opening scene involving the young Hal Jordan witnessing his father’s plane crash pasted on to the beginning of the film. It’s a slow start to the film, and looks very odd when the flashbacks to the scene are bizarrely kept in the extended edition and appear twice in relatively quick succession.

There is a rich universe to explore here, one that is not given its due in this film as it becomes a collection of narrative short cuts and superhero clichés stitched together with some CGI. The heart of the problem is a lazy script (a choice example is Kilowog who has never seen a human but refers to an introductory training session as ‘Ring-Slinging 101′), but it doesn’t weigh the story down, just add an air of disregard which is a shame. Mark Strong is, naturally, excellent as Sinestro and it’s hopeful that if a sequel rears its head then he’ll play a larger role.

I have no problem with an unoriginal premise – this is an origin story and they must all take on the elements of responsibility and maturation to varying degrees, where Green Lantern falls short is be teasing us with a thin surface of a far richer world and lurching from plot point to plot point in a mad rush to introduce the world before the sequel (already being developed despite the generally unfavourable reception of this film) tells the more interesting story.

There’s some great CGI with the Parallax attack on the city and the attacks generated with the all important ring being highlights,  though Oa suffers from the same lack of majesty that Asgard suffered from, and Reynolds is a fun Hal Jordan and it never takes itself to seriously. There’s a certain chemistry between Reynolds, Lively and Sarsgaard it’s hard to care when everything is played out with a strangely uneven tone and a lack of spark and wit which brought Thor and Iron Man to the big screen with such success.

**~~~ (2/5)

Special Features:

There’s a solid line-up of extras on the disc, with some excellent behind the scenes, pre-CG, footage as well as the (necesary for most) accompanying material which sets out the vast background and history to the character and this world. In truth watching all of this material throws the finished film into sharp relief and I came away feeling that more could have been done to make this an exceptional comic book movie, something which the sequel will hopefully fulfill should it be made. It’s well put together and as a package the Green Lantern experience feels more complete with these extras and your appreciation for the world may increase, as may your frustration that Martin Campbell’s film aimed high but unfortunately missed its target.

• MMM: Green Lantern’s Light (Focus Pods and PiP)
- Focus Pods:
The Art of Green Lantern
Weapons Hot: The U.C.A.V. Dog Fight
Reinventing the Superhero Costume
Ring Slinging 101
We Are the Corps
Acting Under 10 Pounds of Silicone
Guardians Revealed
When Parallax Attacks
• The Universe According to Green Lantern
• Ryan Reynolds Becomes The Green Lantern
• Deleted Scenes
• Justice League #1 Digital Comic
• Preview of Green Lantern: The Animated Series

**½~~ (2.5/5)

Green Lantern is out on Blu-ray and DVD today.

So far, we’ve been getting some fantastic casting updates over the past few weeks, with Prison Break’s Robert Knepper most recently joining the cast for Ryan Reynolds’ next big film, R.I.P.D., alongside Jeff Bridges, Kevin Bacon, and Mary Louise-Parker.

The film is being directed by Robert Schwentke (RED), and has been adapted from Peter M. Lenkov’s original comic book by frequent collaborators Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay (Æon Flux, Clash of the Titans).

We’ve now got some sunny photos from the film’s set to share with you, courtesy of Collider, that show Ryan Reynolds’ holding one of the biggest, fattest handguns I can remember seeing. I’ll readily admit that my knowledge of firearms is next to nothing, but the barrel of his gun seems pretty huge, right? It does to me, at least. Excellent stuff.

Reynolds was last seen in The Change-Up and Green Lantern this year, neither of which did especially well, but whilst I haven’t seen the former, I thought he was definitely the best thing Green Lantern had going for it, and in my opinion, his performance had nothing to do with the film’s less than stellar box office takings.

Either way, Reynolds has been making a good name for himself over the past few years, and this is a project that I’m really looking forward to. Having your leading cast include Reynolds, Bridges, Bacon in the villain’s role, and Louise-Parker is definitely promising, and I can’t wait to see how this looks on the big screen.

The film will see Reynolds playing a murdered cop who discovers upon his death that he’s been recruited for the R.I.P.D., the Rest In Peace Department, a force of dead police officers who fight the spirits of the world unready to leave it.

It definitely sounds like an interesting project, and whilst most of the visuals we should be able to look forward to aren’t likely to surface in any of the set photos we’ll be getting in the weeks to come, it should be well worth the wait to see the finished product. R.I.P.D. has a slated release date of 28th June, 2013, and we’ll hopefully be getting it at the same time here in the UK. It’s still a while off yet, but nonetheless, I can’t wait. Without further ado, here are the new set photos to enjoy. As usual, click to enlarge with the first, third, and fourth photos.

To mark the release of Green Lantern on Blu-ray and DVD 17th October, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment have given us three copies of the movie to give away on Blu-ray^TM. triple play along with three copies of the Green Lantern book from Titan.

Green Lantern: Secret Origin info:

Green Lantern: Secret Origins introduces you to the breathtaking world of Green Lantern – from the home planet of Oa to the dark secrets of the Guardians of the Galaxy and Hal’s mentor, the Green Lantern Sinestro. This new edition features an introduction by Ryan Reynolds and a behind-the-scenes look at Green Lantern The Movie.

Green Lantern Synopsis:

Take the oath to serve and protect when Green Lantern flies onto 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Download from 17 October 2011 from Warner Home Video. Starring Ryan Reynolds (The Proposal) in the title role, DC Comics’ legendary super hero soars to the edges of space, where a war has been raging between those who rule with fear, and those who protect life: the Green Lantern Corps.

Directed by Martin Campbell (Casino Royale), “Green Lantern” also stars Blake Lively (Gossip Girl), Peter Sarsgaard (Knight and Day), Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes), Academy Award® nominee Angela Bassett (What’s Love Got to Do with It) and Academy Award® winner Tim Robbins (Mystic River). Also featured are the voice talents of Oscar® winner Geoffrey Rush (Shine) and Oscar® nominee Michael Clarke Duncan (The Green Mile).

In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, an elite, powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. Warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him the ability to create anything his mind can imagine. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan (Reynolds).

Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal’s humanity is one weapon no member of the Corps has ever had, and if – with willpower, determination and the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Lively) – Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax… he will save the Earth and all of mankind from certain destruction.

Released onto 3D Super Play, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Download from 17 October 2011

To be in with a chance of winnig this great competition, simply answet the following question using the form below:

Green Lantern is helmed by this director, who most recently directed The Edge of Darkness, starring Mel Gibson, and the James Bond adventure Casino Royale, starring Daniel Craig.  Name the director.

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

The small print:

• Open to UK residents only
• Only one entry per household will be counted
• The competition will close 17th October at 23.59 GMT
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received
• No cash alternative is available

The usual T&Cs can be found here. Good Luck!

© GREEN LANTERN and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC Comics.  © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.  All Rights Reserved

Robert Knepper, best known for his brilliant performance as Theodore “T-Bag” Bagwell throughout TV’s Prison Break, has signed on to star in the film adaptation of the Dark Horse comic, R.I.P.D., Heat Vision report.

He joins what is already a fantastic cast, led by Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges, and also starring Mary Louise Parker, Kevin Bacon, James Hong, and Marisa Miller. Frequent collaborators Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay (Æon Flux, Clash of the Titans) have adapted Peter M. Lenkov’s original comic book, and production has already begun.

“The story centers on a murdered cop (Reynolds) who is recruited to work in the Rest in Peace Department, a police force comprised of ghosts who battle spirits unready to depart this world.

Knepper will play one of the spirits, known as a “deado” in the movie’s lingo.”

R.I.P.D. sees director Robert Schwentke following up from the terrific success of last year’s comic book adaptation, RED. Even though Reynolds’ last two films – Green Lantern and The Change-Up – haven’t performed tremendously well at the box office (the latter has only just come out here, but came out a month ago in the States), I still think that he’s a brilliant actor, and I thought he was the best thing Green Lantern had going for it. In my opinion, he did really well from a script that could have been much better. As such, I’m really looking forward to seeing him take on this role, which sounds like it has the potential to be a fantastic protagonist in a terrific film.

Knepper was one of my favourite characters, and undoubtedly many other people’s too, in Prison Break throughout its four seasons, managing to bring T-Bag to life in a way I can’t see anyone else doing nearly as well. He also had a great turn in the last season of Heroes, and has starred in several high-grossing feature films, including George Clooney’s Good Night and Good Luck, The Day the Earth Stood Still, and the Hitman film. He’s been such a good actor in everything I’ve seen him in to date, so there’s every reason to expect we’ll get another terrific performance from him in R.I.P.D.

The film has a scheduled release date of 28th June, 2013 in the US, and hopefully we’ll be getting it then too. Whilst that does like quite a while away, with production having already started, it sounds like it should be well worth the wait.

To celebrate the release of The Change-Up, Hey U Guys and Universal Pictures UK are giving one lucky reader the chance to win a signed poster and a goody bag, with 4 runners up receiving a goody bag each.

Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman star in The Change-Up, from director David Dobkin (Wedding Crashers), writers Jon Lucas & Scott Moore (The Hangover) and producer Neal Moritz (Fast & Furious, Click).  The R-rated comedy takes the traditional body-switching movie, ties it up tightly and throws it off a cliff.

Growing up together, Mitch (Reynolds) and Dave (Bateman) were inseparable best friends, but as the years have passed they’ve slowly drifted apart.  While Dave is an overworked lawyer, husband and father of three, Mitch has remained a single, quasi-employed man-child who has never met a responsibility he liked.  To Mitch, Dave has it all: beautiful wife Jamie (Leslie Mann), kids who adore him and a high-paying job at a prestigious law firm.  To Dave, living Mitch’s stress free life without obligation or consequence would be a dream come true.

Following a drunken night out together, Mitch and Dave’s worlds are turned upside down when they wake up in each other’s bodies and proceed to freak the &*#@ out.

Despite the freedom from their normal routines and habits, the guys soon discover that each other’s lives are nowhere near as rosy as they once seemed.  Further complicating matters are Dave’s sexy legal associate, Sabrina (Olivia Wilde), and Mitch’s estranged father (Alan Arkin).  With time not on their side, Mitch and Dave comically struggle to avoid completely destroying each other’s lives before they can find a way to get their old ones back.

The Change-Up is out Friday September 16th and stars Jason Bateman, Ryan Reynolds, Olivia Wilde and Leslie Mann.

To be in with a chance of winning this awesome prize, simply answer this question using the form below,

What’s the name of Ryan Reynolds’ character?
•    Dave
•    Mitch
•    Michael

(You could also win a VIP screening for you and your friends on the film’s Facebook Page right here!)

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

The small print:

• Open to UK residents only
• Only one entry per household will be counted
• The competition will close 20th September at 23.59 GMT
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received
• No cash alternative is available

The usual T&Cs can be found here and below. Good Luck!

 Terms and conditions
• The winners will be drawn at random from all the correct entries, and only they will be contacted personally. Prize must be taken as stated and cannot be deferred. There will be no cash alternatives.
• Universal Pictures UK and HeyUguys.com do not accept any responsibility for late or lost entries due to the Internet or email problems. Proof of sending is not proof of receipt. Entrants must supply full details as required on the competition page, and comply with all rules to be eligible for the prizes.
• No responsibility is accepted for ineligible entries or entries made fraudulently.
• Unless otherwise stated, the Competition is open to all GB residents of 15 years and over, except employees of: (a) the Company; and (b) any third party appointed by the Company to organise and/or manage the Competition; and (c) the Competition sponsor(s).
• This competition is a game promoted by HeyUGuys. HeyUGuys’s decision is final in every situation and no correspondence will be entered into. HeyUGuys reserves the right to cancel the competition at any stage, if deemed necessary in its opinion, and if circumstances arise outside of its control.
• Entrants will be deemed to have accepted these rules and to agree to be bound by them when entering this competition. These rules are governed by the laws of England and Wales.
• Prizes unclaimed after 28 days will be deemed to have been forfeited and HeyUGuys reserves the right to either offer the prize to the entrant whose name is next drawn at random or to re-offer the prize in any future competition.

Here’s the first trailer for the Dennis Lee directed movie, Fireflies in the Garden which is based on the poem by Robert Frost. It stars Julia Roberts, Ryan Reynolds, Emily Watson, Carrie-Anne Moss and Cayden Boyd. A great cast indeed but read on for my thoughts on what you’re about to watch. This film was actually out in the UK back in 2009 before HeyUGuys started. Personally though, I’ve never heard of it.

I started watching this trailer for the first 1 minute and 40 seconds thinking that it was going to be a dark thriller about a father and son who have struggled with their relationship for their entire lives but then at the 1 min 40 mark, the music changes and it goes into a mushy story about forgiveness and reconciliation. Don’t get me wrong, reconciliation is what life is all about but this trailer had me fooled at something so much darker at the beginning than it did by the end. After that 1 min 40 mark, you could see where it was going so much so that I now don’t need to watch the movie!

To an outsider, the Taylors are the very picture of the successful American family: Charles is a tenured professor on track to become university president, son Michael is a prolific and well-known romance novelist, daughter Ryne is poised to enter a prestigious law school, and on the day we are introduced to them, matriarch Lisa will graduate from college — decades after leaving to raise her children. But when a serious accident interrupts the celebration, the far more nuanced reality of this Midwestern family’s history and relationships come to light.

Maybe I’m being a little bit over the top in my analysis. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Though Ryan Reynolds’ latest film here, Green Lantern, didn’t perform that great at the box office, taking just under its $200m. budget at the box office, it was nice to see Reynolds  generally accepted as one of the best things the film had going for it.

One of his next projects, RIPD, is starting to sound increasingly awesome, and THR and Deadline report that Victoria’s Secret model Marisa Miller, veteran Asian-American actor James Hong, and Glee’s Mike O’Malley have joined the film’s cast.

Of all these new additions, James Hong is the only name I really know well, for his brilliant role as Cassandra’s martial arts expert father in Wayne’s World 2. His fight scene with Mike Myers is the stuff of comedic legends. Marisa Miller will be making her feature debut with this after a few small roles in TV’s Entourage and How I Met Your Mother, and Glee regular Mike O’Malley has also signed on to the project.

The film will be based on the original comic by Peter M. Lenkov, and will be directed by Robert Schwentke, whose experience directing last year’s comic book movie success, Red, should definitely be useful for RIPD. Neal H. Mortiz will be producing, and his credits are more than a little bit impressive, including I Am Legend, all five The Fast And The Furious films, and every episode of Prison Break.

RIPD focuses on Nick Walker (Reynolds), a recently murdered cop that joins the Rest In Peace Department, a team of undead cops that fight spirits not yet ready to leave this world, whilst Walker all the while tries to hunt the man that killed him.

Jeff Bridges, Kevin Bacon, and Mary Louise-Parker (who worked with Schwentke on Red) are all also attached to what is already looking like a fantastic cast. Bridges will be playing Reynolds’ new undead partner, Bacon will be playing the villain, and the lovely Louise-Parker will be the one overseeing the RIPD, informing Reynolds of what’s happened to him and his new duties.

In this comic book world, the undead take on a different form for external appearances when humans see them – after all, if you bump into anyone you knew when you were alive, things could get a bit tricky to explain. James Hong will be playing Grandpa Chen (what a name), Reynolds’ avatar, and amusingly Miller will be playing Bridges’ avatar.

There has of course been a big rise in the number of comic book adaptations made for the big screen in recent years, and whilst not all of them are as worthwhile as the rest, this definitely sounds to me like something that could turn out pretty awesome. The lead cast is brilliant, as is the director, and with a 28^th June, 2013 release date, this certainly has the potential to be a popular summer blockbuster in two years.

Olivia Wilde, best known for playing Thirteen in House, is currently in talks to replace Jennifer Garner in the upcoming indie dark comedic thriller, Better Living Through Chemistry, Variety report.

Garner and her husband Ben Affleck are now expecting their third child, opening up the lead female role for the film, and Wilde sounds perfect for the part. She brilliantly brings out both the good and bad in her characters, and the latter is something she’ll likely be doing a healthy amount of for this project.

Wilde’s popularity has been steadily rising over the past few years, starring alongside Emile Hirsch, Anton Yelchin, and Justin Timberlake in Alpha Dog, becoming one of the leads with Hugh Laurie in House, starring with Garrett Hedlund and Jeff Bridges in TRON: Legacy, and can currently be seen opposite Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, and Sam Rockwell in Jon Favreau’s fantastic Cowboys & Aliens this summer.

Better Living Through Chemistry would see her working again with her Cowboys & Aliens co-star, Sam Rockwell, who will play a quiet small-town pharmacist stuck in a rut and a loveless marriage, who finds himself in affair with a trophy wife, whom Olivia Wilde is set to play. She introduces him to the recreational side of prescription drugs, and things start to spiral out of control when they start plotting her husband’s death.

Michelle Monaghan (Source Code) will be playing Rockwell’s wife, and Dame Judi Dench is expected to be the film’s narrator. Geoff Moore and David Posamentier will be making their writing and directorial debut with this film, which made it onto the last Black List of best unmade films, and it sounds like it should be excellent when it gets made. I only hope that its indie nature won’t mean that it doesn’t get a UK theatrical release.

Wilde has recently finished filming Butter, with Hugh Jackman and Garner, so it could well have been Garner who put forward Wilde’s name to replace her. She’s been absolutely fantastic in everything I’ve seen her in, and it’s always nice when great young actresses get the attention they deserve.

She’ll next be seen on our screens in The Change-Up, alongside Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds, which is due out on 16th September, and will follow that up with Andrew Niccol’s highly anticipated In Time opposite Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried, both of whom she has worked with before on Alpha Dog. (If you’re yet to see Alpha Dog, I cannot recommend enough that you should seek it out.) Things are certainly looking good for Wilde’s career at the moment, and Better Living Through Chemistry is another title we can look forward to seeing her in.

Kevin Bacon (Super) has signed on to play the villain role in R.I.P.D.

Bacon will star opposite Ryan Reynolds (Green Lantern) and Jeff Bridges (Tron: Legacy) in the Robert Schwentke-directed supernatural drama.

Based on the comic book series by Peter Lenkov, R.I.P.D. follows a cop killed in the line of duty who is recruited by a team of undead police officers working for the Rest in Peace Department.

Dark Horse Entertainment, Original Film and Dark Trick Films will co-produce and co-finance the film, with production expected to start later this year.

Source: Variety

In a bid to share the entire movie with us, Universal Pictures have released another red band trailer and five new clips for their new movie, The Change Up which stars Ryan Reynolds, Jason Bateman. Leslie Mann, Olivia Wilde and Mircea Monroe.

The Change-Up is directed by David Dobkin who has previously brought us the likes of of Shanghai Knights and Wedding Crashers.

Synopsis: Mitch (Ryan Reynolds) and Dave (Jason Bateman) star as best friends who grow apart as their lives take different paths. Mitch lives the carefree life of a bachelor, while Dave is a successful lawyer, husband and father. When the two simultaneously wish to swap lives, things get a little … complicated. What’s that saying … be careful what you wish for?

It’s scheduled for released in the UK 16th September.

Check out the new clips and red band trailer (please note it’s red band for a reason) below.

Source: Hollywood.com

In spite of the mild enthusiasm that Green Lantern has found upon its release, both in terms of box office performance and critics’ reviews, THR report that Warner Bros. are already planning the film’s sequel to set up a new superhero franchise.

Green Lantern had a budget of $200m., with what’s said to have been a hefty, close to nine-figure, advertising budget on top of that, and it took in just shy of $53m. in the States on its opening weekend, which has to be a disappointment for the studio.

Its current gross stands at just under $120m. worldwide, so if it continues as it has been doing this past week, it may well break even, but profits likely won’t be that significant until DVD and Blu-Ray sales start being accrued a few months down the line.

Nonetheless, Warner Bros. are still planning to go ahead with a sequel. Without any spoilers for those who are yet to see the film, like most comic book films do, the first Green Lantern leaves the door wide open for a sequel. Variety reported last year that Michael Goldenberg had already been hired to write the sequel for the DC Comics superhero, a year before Green Lantern was even released, so the potential for a sequel has always been there.

Following the performance at the box office for Green Lantern Warner Bros. will no doubt want to take a serious look at the current script for the sequel and make sure that it’s going to be a sound investment, and do whatever they have to to increase the probability of returning with a much stronger sequel to give them a chance of setting up a franchise, with a long-term aim of at least one more film beyond the second.

That could potentially mean a complete re-write of the script, which could take some time. The studio of course has enough projects being released in the next few months alone that are all but guaranteed to be successful to take their time with a Green Lantern sequel, including the final instalment of the Harry Potter franchise; Horrible Bosses; Crazy, Stupid, Love.; A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas; Happy Feet 2; J. Edgar; and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.

Whilst I do admit that Green Lantern didn’t quite live up to its potential, I still thought it was a good film with a great cast, and I think a sequel which listens to the criticisms of the first film could be a much better film. The mistakes from the first film will hopefully be learned, and allow them to develop a much stronger script to fully realize the infinite potential Hal Jordan’s ring grants him, because it really does have the potential to be a very successful franchise.

Some of the blame for the film has landed with its director, Martin Campbell, and I think there’s a good chance that a sequel to the film would be helmed by another director, possibly one with more experience in the superhero genre. Ryan Reynolds, on the other hand, has been praised for his brilliant performance in the film, and along with his supporting cast (Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong), he makes the film likeable, and Warner Bros. should definitely be set on having him return as the leading Lantern.

It’s still pretty early days to be talking about a sequel, but with a script already written and confirmation that the studio is still moving ahead with its plans to turn the project into a franchise, the outlook for Green Lantern 2 (:subtitle to-be-confirmed) is looking very plausible, if not probable.

So, a whole assortment of comic book characters are out of the blocks and the reviews and numbers are coming in.

Critically speaking, Thor and X-Men: First Class seem to have fared best, with Green Lantern taking a bit of a pounding. Commercially, Thor has done pretty well ($430m+ so far), X-Men is closing in on $300m (with no 3D uplift and having been out for less time than Thor so far) and Green Lantern posted an impressive $50m+ opening weekend in the US. Whether those savage reviews will send it tumbling down the charts before long, only time will tell.

Next into the fray? The First Avenger himself, Captain America. Before they sorted out the silly wings on his mask he looked a bit daft, but now he seems to look okay. Whether Chris Evans’ considerable charisma can help compensate for the fact that Captain America is a less well known Marvel character, we will have to see.

Ryan Reynolds should have been able to rescue Green Lantern from some of its ridiculousness and pomposity, but it wound up a little po-faced when it should have enjoyed some of Thor’s humour and silliness. Will Captain America get the tone right, or will it fail to engage us?

After all of that speculation and philosophising, here are some concept stills as well as a couple of on set shots, to help get you further in the mood for Joe Johnston’s film, which gets its release on 22nd July in the US and 29th July here in Blighty.

Source: ComicBookMovie.com

Beginning with a large chuck of inaudible exposition and a digitally-rendered landscape and trio of characters that even George Lucas would criticise for looking too much like an Xbox game, we’re plunged into the world of the Green Lantern Corps – a collective of peacekeepers from around the galaxy who are having to contend with a new and formidable enemy called Parallax. When one of the Corps’ most revered warriors, Abin Sur, is mortally wounded by their evil cloud-like foe, he navigates an escape pod to the nearest planet (guess which one?).

Upon arrival on Earth, his magic ring (from which the Green Lantern obtain their powers) acts as an intergalactic Sat Nav and sources the nearest human replacement who is worthy of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the rest of the defenders of the universe. Enter cocky test pilot Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) who, underneath his overconfident exterior, and haunted by the tragic death of his pilot father he witnessed as a child (cue unnecessary and thoroughly clichéd flashback), struggles with the necessary courage and fearless attitude needed to make a name for himself within the Corps.

Will he be able to rise to the occasion and win back the love of childhood sweetheart and fellow pilot, Carol Ferris (Blake Lively) whilst saving mankind from Parallax and its twisted human host, Professor Hector Hammond (Peter Sarsgaard)?

It takes a real skill and surefootedness in making sure all the elements are present and correct in a origin story, and as Green Lantern is part of the second tier of characters in the DC canon, it’s fair to say that it’s already handicapped to a certain extent as more ground needs to be covered than that of the worlds of Superman and Batman. While a similar property like Iron Man (from competitors Marvel) may have its flaws, it was still able to tell the birth of its hero with a flare and pace which is sadly lacking here.

Even director Martin Campbell, who has previously tackled the beginnings of two icon fantasy characters with favourable results (The Mask of Zorro and Casino Royale), and is usually more than reliable when it comes the shooting and framing of action scenes, seems adrift as the CGI overload threatens (literally at one point) to engulf the screen.

With a reported $8 million spent by the studio to further enhance the effects work in the later stages of post-production, quite where that money has gone is anyone’s guess.The wise Guardians of the Lantern’s universe (who are perched upon steep rock thrones atop of a huge platform) look like mid-90’s digital work. This may have been forgiveable (last month’s X-Men reboot had its fair share of clunky CGI) if attention had been paid to character and plot, but that too is severely in need of a polish.

The cast too, are a mixed bunch. Considering that the makers have assembled a strong  supporting cast, there’s some hit and miss performances here. Lively is ok, but it’s another big screen role which only offers a glimpse of that real star potential she clearly possess. Sarsgaard fares less well, and in a role which would have been enthusiastically offered to John Malkovich 20 years ago, his mad scientist routine is very one note, but this is probably due more to the script’s shortcomings. A parallel between his and Reynolds’ transformations is vaguely referenced visually towards the beginning and there’s even a hint of a possible past love triangle between the three leads (remember, this is a comic book adaptation, so it’s required that the hero, villain and heroine share some kind of emotional connection), but all this is rather worthless when no back story has been properly established, or any kind of character motivation is formed. Sarsgaard has a strained relationship with his senator father (Tim Robbins, unintentionally repeating his turn of ‘American President’ in the second Austin Powers film) and that’s about it really.

Mark Strong is good as Lantern spokesperson Sinestro (appearance-wise, think a beetroot-coloured Spock) and he has a quiet authority and gravitas. It’s just a shame that his world is skimmed over in favour of the duller, earth-bound exploits (something which Thor managed to juggle much more successfully). Jordan’s time on Oa (the Lantern’s planet base) is mercifully short, and the training he receives by members Kilowog and Tomar-Re (voiced by Michael Clarke Duncan and Geoffrey Rush, respectively) barely amounts to a couple of minutes of screen time. This is another big problem with the film. It really struggles to cover the two worlds which it has set up, and events and important plot points are skimmed over and given little time to unfold. There appears to be a large chuck of narrative missing in some cases, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the DVD included cut scenes which almost amounted to the same running time of the film.

Despite all of this, Green Lantern still remains just about watchable, largely due to Reynolds. Like Downey Jr. before him, he’s able to ground the film for an audience, and his main strengths are in dealing with and acknowledging the inherent ridiculousness of his situation. Heaven knows how much worse it may have been if they had cast someone who didn’t possess that lightness of touch the material needed. At one point, he even jokingly channels Christian Bales’ Batman growl in a humorous scene which riffs on the ridiculousness of a Superman-like ‘secret’ identity. The ring can conjure up a tangible representation of anything which the wearer creates in his mind, and this also makes for some entertaining and imaginative moments, particularly one where Jordan references an image of a children’s toy he’s seen earlier, and saves the day. If only the rest of the film was as much fun.

Not quite the mammoth disaster that some are labelling it, nevertheless, Green Lantern is a big disappointment and has to rely constantly on its star to make things work and compensate for a weak script and a director who is clearly ill at ease with CGI. Reynolds should use that magic ring of his to summon up a new agent who is capable of finding him a big-screen role (and potential franchise) worthy of his talents

**~~~ (2/5)

To celebrate the release of Green Lantern in 3D on 17th June, we have a selection of merchandise to give away. We’re giving five people the chance to win one of each of the following:

• A Green Lantern hoodie
• A Green Lantern t-shirt
• A Green Lantern key chain
• A Green Lantern leather cuff
• A Green Lantern umbrella with light
• 5x vintage messenger bag

“Green Lantern” is directed by Martin Campbell and stars Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Jay O. Sanders, Temuera Morrison , Taika Waititi, Jon Tenney, Angela Bassett and Tim Robbins.

You can find out more about the movie on the Official Facebook page or click here to view all our coverage. The official Green Lantern website can be seen here.

Synopsis: In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the “Green Lantern” Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan.

Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax…he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.

To win the pair of tickets, simply answer the following question using the form below:

Green Lantern also stars this actor, who plays Sinestro, a leader of the Green Lantern Corps. and he recently played villainous Lord Blackwood in Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes. Name the actor.

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

The small print:

• Open to UK residents only
• Only one entry per household will be counted
• The competition will close 20th June at 23.59 GMT
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received
• No cash alternative is available

The usual T&Cs can be found here. Good Luck!

© 2011 Warner Bros. Entertainment. All rights reserved.

TM & © DC Comics

To celebrate the release of “Green Lantern” in 3D on 17th June, we have a pair of tickets to a preview screening of the movie in London on Wednesday 15^th June.

“Green Lantern” is directed by Martin Campbell and stars Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Jay O. Sanders, Temuera Morrison , Taika Waititi, Jon Tenney, Angela Bassett and Tim Robbins.

You can find out more about the movie on the Official Facebook page or click here to view all our coverage.

Synopsis: In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the “Green Lantern” Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan.

Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax…he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.

To win the pair of tickets, simply answer the following question using the form below:

In “Green Lantern”, the character of Hal Jordan’s childhood sweetheart, Carol Ferris, is played by this actress, who recently starred in the feature film The Town and is best known for her leading role as Serena van der Woodsen on Gossip Girl. Name the actress.

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

The small print:

• Open to UK residents only
• The winner must make their own way to the screening. The cost of transport is not included
• Only one entry per household will be counted
• The competition will close 12th June at 23.59 GMT
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received
• No cash alternative is available

The usual T&Cs can be found here. Good Luck!

© 2011 Warner Bros. Entertainment. All rights reserved.

TM & © DC Comics

This evening saw the 2011 MTV Movie Awards in LA. Not surprisingly, Twilight: Eclipse was the big winner as is becoming normal at the event!A full list of winners is posted below. Harry Potter came in with only one award where as Kick Ass managed to get a couple both for Hitgirl herself, Chloe Moretz.

The ceremony was as epic as always and boasted presenters including: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Steve Carell, Emma Stone, Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Josh Duhamel, Patrick Dempsey, Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel, Jesse Eisenberg, Aziz Ansari, Danny McBride, Nicki Minaj, Selena Gomez, Leighton Meester and Katie Cassidy. The event was hosted by Jason Sudeikis, in the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, CA.

It’s only a couple of weeks now until Green Lantern debuts on the big screen. Thor impressed and entertained for the most part and now X-Men:First Class is attracting sterling reviews as well. Can Green Lantern overcome the relatively low brand recognition and inherent silliness factor and make a strong showing?

In what looks like an effort to reassure us that it is a proper film, this featurette gives us a bunch of footage with which we are mostly pretty familiar and mixes it with contributions from Ryan Reynolds and the production crew, as well as a bit of on-set footage. There is a bit more of Parallax on show than before, with a couple of nice shots of people being absorbed/disintegrated, but it remains to be seen whether a malevolent cloud can be more effectively presented than the slightly lacklustre effort for Galactus from 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

No doubt someone out there can explain to me the myriad ways in which the two are nothing alike, information for which I would be genuinely grateful. In the meantime, enjoy the featurette here or check it out below, which, in all honesty, is beginning to make something of a believer out of an erstwhile cynic.

Source: Coming Soon (via Subway’s Facebook page – apparently it’s a sponsorship/corporate tie-in thing)