Last night director Michael Bay appeared on Starz‘s In The House. In the program he addressed a few things. The first was the decision regarding fast tracking Transformers 3 for a 2011 release and putting his small film Pain & Gain on hold:

“The true story is we went to Vegas to celebrate ['Revenge of the Fallen'] crossing the $400 million mark domestic. I said I’m excited to do my small little movie. They said, well we’re here to talk about that. I’ve become friends with these guys that run Paramount and they [told me,] ‘We’re going to get fired if we don’t have a 2011 franchise,’ so I’m like you can’t let these guys down. “The economy’s been so rough, it’s kind of important. When you say yes to movie like this you automatically give 3000 people jobs. 1000 for the toys. 2000 for the filmmaking. I’m going to put [the small film] on hold and do it right after ['Transformers 3'].”

This sounds sincere to me and hopefully puts an end to the constant bickering that Bay decided to do TF3 first for the money. We also reported yesterday that Bay announced that two of Transformers 3‘s action scenes will be in Chicago and Moscow. He gave a bit more updates on the show in regards to the story:

“You can’t just rehash the old,” he explained. “We’re adding a lot of new elements. We’re adding new characters. We’re adding a lot of twists.”

He sounds very confident, but unlike the last time we heard this song and dance from Bay, he actually has the time to devote to these “twists” and “new characters.” The final (and perhaps most important) update from Bay was in regards to the constant debate over whether or not the film will be in 3D:

“It’s a process we’re testing with some ‘Transformers’ scenes,” he said. “How successful it is with my movie in terms of a lot of real stuff coming out of the frame, real dirt, real complicated little particles coming towards the lens, because hopefully that process will work. I’ve seen some tests that look great on other movies. I just want to see how it looks on my footage.”

Bay is probably the biggest name in Hollywood right now that has been 100% against using 3D in films. Bay has constantly referred to himself as an “old school film maker.” I will let you interpret that how you wish (I personally agree with that) but, I think a 3D environment is too jarring for the types of films Bay makes. The way Bay moves his camera, or rather the speed at which he moves the camera, is too fast for anyone watching in 3D to comprehend. Though I was not one of the people who had a problem with the action in Revenge of The Fallen, I can only imagine that 3D would only make things worse. We sit 3 months away from the start of production so hopefully we will have a final answer between now and then.

Should Transformers 3 be shot in 3D? Do you think Bay will pull of a story with a lot of twists this time around?

In a recent post on director Michael Bay‘s official website, it was announced that 2 of the upcoming scenes in Transformers 3 will take place in very prominent cities: Read the full story

A new international video showing some of the production of Iron Man 2 starring Robert Downey, Jr., Don Cheadle, Mickey Rourke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett  Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Samuel L. Jackson, and directed by Jon Favreau has been released. It can be found here or streamed below. Read the full story

To celebrate The Boondock Saints 10th Anniversary Event and the release of The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day on DVD and Blu-Ray, we have two posters signed by writer/director Troy Duffy to giveaway courtesy of www.boondocksaints.com. Check out details of the event and how to win the poster below. Read the full story

At today’s press junket for the upcoming film Cop Out, MTV was talking about comparing Bruce Willis‘s role in the film to John McClane. Willis began talking about how it’s more fun to make fun of the McClane mythology then it is to emphasize it, but then he dropped a bomb shell no one was expecting: Read the full story

Much has been heard lately from director Kevin Smith about his next project, a hockey film titled Hit Somebody. Today came perhaps the most important update so far. Smith has cast his lead in the film and it is going to be Cop Out star Seann William Scott. Smith stated the following to NHL.com:

“Seann, for me, was the key into the character,” Smith told NHL.com. “I had all the elements in place, and the one thing I was missing was the personality. Generally I like to write to a voice, but I didn’t know who that voice was or what that voice could be. And then after spending all the time with Seann on this movie, he’s pitch perfect. He is that guy.

“This dude has something in him that you can just see hangs so well on Buddy. He’s got some pain that’s going to work out well. More importantly he has so much love in his heart. Seann Scott is such an ebullient, happy person who’s just happy to be there. And on (“Cop Out”) you could see it. On our set the guy is just so delighted to be working, to be making people laugh. But he’s always dismissed as Stifler. … This is his chance to shine.”

I was hoping for one of Smith’s regulars for the film but Seann William Scott is a fine choice. I can’t wait to hear more. Smith’s new film Cop Out opens this Friday.

Do you like the casting choice?

Smith ready for U.S.-Canada, then it’s ‘Hit Somebody’

Sunday, 02.21.2010 / 5:02 PM / All-Access Vancouver

By Adam Kimelman - NHL.com Staff Writer

Acclaimed filmmaker Kevin Smith spent Sunday doing interviews for his new movie, “Cop Out,” which comes out Feb. 26. But there really was only one thing on his mind. U.S. vs. Canada. “I called my kid (daughter Harley), she’s sleeping in a different hotel room from me this morning,” Smith said. “I got up very early and I said, ‘You know what happens tonight?’ And she said, ‘Parise vs. Brodeur,’ and I said ‘Yes!’ It’s a big game for us.” Smith, New Jersey to the core despite his current Los Angeles address, still bleeds Devils red. So for him, it’s a win-win situation knowing either Canada goalie Martin Brodeur or U.S. forwards Zach Parise and Jamie Langenbrunner are going to leave Canada Hockey Place happy. “That’s a big bucket of win for me,” said Smith. “I’m not sitting there going (go) Team USA, and I’m certainly not sitting there going (go) Team Canada. I’m just like, that’s the best hockey you’ll ever see. Unlike an all-star game, these guys are going for medals. They’re going to play really hard.” So hard, in fact, he hopes for some NHL-like extracurricular activity. “I’m hoping they’re so competitive Marty starts busting out like (Ron) Hextall and starts slashing ankles,” Smith said. “It would be awesome to see a Marty-Parise fight.” While that likely won’t happen — at least outside of Lou Lamoriello’s nightmares — expect to see that kind of action in Smith’s next project, the hockey-themed “Hit Somebody.”

2010 OLYMPICS

U.S. ready for an emotional game

NHL.com Team USA insists it’s just another game, but there is little doubt emotions will be running high when it faces Team Canada on Sunday at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. READ MORE › RELATED STORIES:

• Hockey world primed for ‘Super Sunday’
• Time to stop talking and get on the ice
• BLOGS: Destination: Vancouver | Road to Vancouver

ALL 2010 OLYMPICS STORIES › |  OFFICIAL ROSTERS ›

OLYMPIC SHOP › |  IIHF / NHL RULE COMPARISON ›

Smith revealed exclusively to NHL.com that Seann William Scott, who worked with Smith on “Cop Out,” will play Buddy, the title character in “Hit Somebody.” The script, based on a Warren Zevon song with lyrics by acclaimed writer Mitch Albom, is a story of a hockey enforcer who strives to score just one goal in a hockey game.

“Seann, for me, was the key into the character,” Smith told NHL.com. “I had all the elements in place, and the one thing I was missing was the personality. Generally I like to write to a voice, but I didn’t know who that voice was or what that voice could be. And then after spending all the time with Seann on this movie, he’s pitch perfect. He is that guy.

The A+ studio that brought such classics as 12 Rounds, The Condemned, The Marine, and See No Evil are at again. WWE Films are trying their hand at a family drama titled Big Red and have hired the one and only Ed Harris to star in the film along side Amy Madigan. As is usual practice for all WWE Films productions, the wrestler cross this time will be Randy Orton. The plot of the film according to Variety is as follows: Read the full story

A new international trailer for Oliver Stone‘s Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps starring Michael Douglas, Shia LaBeouf, Josh Brolin, Frank Langella, Carey Mulligan, Susan Sarandon, Vanessa Ferlito and Charlie Sheen has been released at Sun TV. You can view the new trailer here.

Plot: Emerging from a lengthy prison stint, Gordon Gekko finds himself on the outside of a world he once dominated. Looking to repair his damaged relationship with his daughter, Gekko forms an alliance with her fiancé Jacob (Shia LaBeouf), and Jacob begins to see him as a father figure. But Jacob learns the hard way that Gekko – still a master manipulator and player – is after something very different from redemption.

The new trailer gives much more of the plot of the film. We see more of LaBeouf’s relationship with Gekko’s daughter which the original trailer did not give us. This trailer does get me more excited for this film. I was a huge fan of the original film and I can’t wait to see what Stone has planned for the film.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps hits theaters April 23rd.

What do you think of the new trailer?

With all the news of reboots and re-imagining hitting Hollywood, the idea of a direct sequel is pretty much unheard of. MTV Movies Blog recently sat down with GI Joe 2 writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick regarding the impending sequel. They stated:

“It will be a sequel,” added Wernick. “It will be a continuation of ‘G.I. Joe’ [as it was established last summer].”

“It’s hard to think of it being any bigger; that was a big movie,” Reese said of any pressure to top the first film’s massive action sequences. “They blew up a lot of stuff. We hope for it to be as fun, that the characters really pop. We’ll be introducing some new characters.”

You can see their full statement below:

It is still unclear if Stephen Sommers is going to return but this gives me hope. Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are also penning Zombieland 2 and Deadpool. Keep checking back with The Film Stage for more on GI Joe 2.

Did you like the first G.I. Joe? What do you want to see in a sequel?

According to a breaking report in Variety Lionsgate has decided, 5 weeks before it’s release, to pull the Nicolas Cage starring Season of The Witch from theaters. No reason has been given for this decision and no new release date has been scheduled. Spokesman Kate Hubin simply stated:

“We’re looking for the best release date.”

That it is all. This doesn’t take away from much competition though. Still set to come out the weekend of March 19th are Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Repo Men, The Bounty Hunter, and The Runaways.

There are many speculations currently floating around as to why Lionsgate made this decision but my guess (based on the god-awful trailer for Witch) is that they didn’t want to leave people with a bad Nic Cage taste in their mouth so close to their tentpool release of Kick-Ass which needs all the positive press it can get it’s hands on.

Why do you think Season of The Witch was pulled?