It’s a news story so obvious it literally hurts to type up.

Because both the original and the sequel were box office draws and because it’s Fox, there’s a third one already in pre-production set to be 3-Dimensional! [Gordon and the Whale]

If you’ll notice, Fox already has a release date set: December 16th, 2011.

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Latino Review is reporting (via Coming Soon) that Fox has picked the rights for the comic book hero The Shadow, which originated in the 1930s as a radio serial (voiced by Orson Welles in some episodes). Sam Raimi is still attached to produce the film, despite the studio switch. He may also direct, but that’s most likely not the case. LR reports that Raimi is warming David Slade up to the directing task.

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According to a report from Variety, the long talked about 24 feature film is finally moving along. FOX has hired writer Billy Ray to pen the script. Variety states in regards to the plot: Read the full story

Call it a shot at financial salvation? After three studio-supported box office near-misses (Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, We Are Marshall, Terminator Salvation), director McG is setting up to discover his softer side.

The film’s called This Means War, starring Reese Witherspoon and Bradley Cooper to be produced by Fox. McG, Witherspoon and Cooper are all un-signed to the project, however.

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Late Friday night Fox won out in the studio bidding war for Robert Rodriguez’s independently-produced Machete, the extension of his faux-trailer that sat in between the double feature flop that was Grindhouse [Deadline Hollywood]

Here’s the trailer to refresh ye olde memory:

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We reported a few weeks ago that Scott Frank (The Lookout) was interested in rebooting Planet of the Apes, but Fox found the budget to be too big and the script too dark and he left the project. Vulture reports the project is now back on and high priority for Fox. They have hired Jamie Moss, who wrote Street Kings, to “rework Frank’s version”. They also brought back the original writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver who were behind The Relic and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle to “polish the dialogue.” According the source producer Scott Rudin left with Frank, but Fox is still interested in using Franks script with producer Peter Chernin, who used to be president of News Corp. Vulture highlights the plot below.

Frank’s Apes script, code-named Caesar, showed how genetic experiments on apes led to their evolutionary eclipse of humans. “Caesar” refers to the genetically altered leader of the simian rebellion, so dubbed because the ape was capable of grand strategic thinking on par with Julius Caesar (whose own surname means “hairy” in Latin). The “Caesar” code name also foreshadowed the script’s plot: Just as the actual Julius Caesar set Rome on the path to the Roman Empire, the experimental ape’s escape sets in motion his fellow hirsute hominids’ (wait for it … ) guerrilla war and subsequent dominance.

A director is rumored to be hired very soon. Check back as new updates come in regarding the project.

Do you want to see more Planet of the Apes? What do you think about the people involved?

According to a post on the official twitter for Production Weekly:

“James Cameron is developing a Shane Salerno-scripted sci-fi action script for Fox, described as an “event” film set in the future.“

Also thanks to THR this bit of information can be provided about the project:

“Plot details are being kept under wraps, but it is known to be an epic adventure in the vein of The Seven Samurai involving a group of aliens and humans with various abilities who are brought together to save Earth.”

It is also unknown at this point if Cameron is planning to direct the film or just act as a producer. Whatever the case may be, this only adds to the mystery involving anything an everything Cameron these days. For now, everyone will have to wait and see how Avatar does before new projects top the headlines.

Would you be interested in another futuristic action film from James Cameron?

Want to see 1.7% of James Cameron’s Avatar? Look no further. IGN has released a two and half minute clip of the Thanador chase scene that was featured at Comic Con and Avatar Day. This clip goes a bit further in the scene, but it is no way similar to seeing it in IMAX 3D, so if you want  a fresh experience I suggest skipping down to 3 brand new articles from Wired magazine that were recently released. Read the full story

James Cameron’s Avatar is less than three weeks away from it’s Dec. 10th world premiere in London (press screenings are also being held the very same day here in the US, one of our writers just got their invite) and anticipation is building. We just got confirmation from Wall Street Journal that the runtime will be just about two and half hours. Producer Jon Landau says “around 30 minutes of the movie remain incomplete, with issues ranging from sound mixing to more serious aspects like visual effects.” Don’t worry, Fox Filmed Entertainment Chairman Jim Gianopulos says the film is still on track for worldwide release. These reports slightly conflict with Market Saw’s info that WETA has wrapped production, but with the film finishing anytime now it’s no wonder there will be conflictions. THR also had a report highlighting the theater distribution and that Avatar could break the 10 week IMAX run record that The Dark Knight currently holds:

It is unclear exactly how many theaters AVATAR will open in, but Snyder estimates it will play in 3D in about 2,500 locations on about 3,500 screens. It will also be available in about 1,500 other locations in 2D, where it could play multiple screens in each theater complex. That would indicate an opening on a minimum of 5,500 screens and possibly significantly more, and that’s just in the U.S. It will also open in theaters in countries around the world.

Cameron has said that one of the constraints on his decision about running time was the Imax runs. AVATAR will open day-and-date in 3D in about 180 domestic Imax theaters (which is included in the 2,500 locations) and several dozen more internationally. In those theaters that are not yet converted to digital projection, they are limited to two of the giant platters that hold the film, which caps the length of a movie using the system at 170 minutes, which thus became the maximum length that Cameron was willing to let AVATAR run. In fact, he came in well under that with his final edit.

In other news Fox has released two brand new featurettes. Check them out below.
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And Len Wiseman, director of the first two Underworld films and Live Free or Die Hard, is set to direct and produce. “The project is based on an original idea about a group of people who survive the end of the world and the mystery surrounding how they got to that position” [THR].

But then they still need a working title. And for 2012 to do well at the box office. Wiseman is a talented filmmaker in terms of style and flair – a 21st century blockbuster staple.

That being said, the recent lack of ideas in the Hollywood project updates has been staggering and rather disheartening. As usual, the talent behind the ideas is intriguing, but the ideas themselves suffer.

The apocalypse? Really? Again? Unless it’s based on a Cormac McCarthy novel it’s hard to be excited.

Only time will tell. But, then again, it’s Fox.

What do you think of this news?