From beginning to end, Date Night, starring Steve Carell and Tina Fey, feels like a film left over from the 50s, remade in the 80s and now brought to life in 2010. Though it be high concept formula entertainment through and through, it succeeds where its players do. Luckily they’re all more than capable.

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Today we have new information on the casting of two upcoming projects. The first comes from Joe Johnston‘s Captain America. In an interview with SCI FI Wire, Johnston talked about how we will know the actors for the film soon:

“We need to cast it soon,” Johnston said. “We have a very short list, but we’re still juggling actors here. I’d say within the next couple of weeks we’ll have ourselves a Captain America, I hope.”

Production will start in the UK this June for a July 22, 2011 release date.

The next story comes from the Hugh Jackman project, Real Steel, directed by Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum). The sci-fi sports film is budgeted around a modestly $80 million. Check out the press release from Dreamworks below, regarding the open casting call.

DreamWorks Studios has launched a nationwide casting search to fill a lead role in its upcoming movie “Real Steel,” it was announced today by DreamWorks Studios.

Actors interested in the role have two ways to audition. Beginning immediately, individuals can submit a videotaped audition through RealSteelcasting.com. Complete instructions are available on the website.

Additionally, two open call auditions will be held starting on Sunday, February 14, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois and then on Saturday, February 20, 2010 in New York, New York. No acting experience is necessary for interested actors, nor are they required to prepare anything for the audition.

Role to be cast is ‘Max’: Male, 10-14 years old. He’s a street-smart, tough, charming kid with a hard, untrusting outer shell which hides a warm enthusiastic spirit beneath. He is a complicated, strong-willed and resourceful boy.

Details on the open call auditions are as follows:

CHICAGO
Sunday, February 14, 2010
11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Chicago Academy of the Arts
1010 W Chicago Street
Chicago, IL 60642-5490
(Parking behind building)

NEW YORK
Saturday, February 20, 2010
11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Shetler Studios
244 West 54th Street
12th Floor
New York, NY 10019-5515

Complete details on the auditions are available at RealSteelcasting.com. All videotape submissions will become the property of Dreamworks Studios and will not be returned.

The new sport of robot-boxing is the backdrop for the sports drama “Real Steel” about a former boxer (Hugh Jackman) who gets one last shot at the title when he teams up with his long-lost son (‘Max’) to train a unique robot for the upcoming Real Steel World Championship. Film is being directed by Shawn Levy (“Night at the Museum”) and produced by Don Murphy, Susan Montford and Shawn Levy. Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke, Steve Starkey, Josh McLaglen, and Mary McLaglen are all executive producing. John Gatins has written the script.

Are you excited for these projects? Who would you like to see cast?

After successfully securing nearly $825 in financing from J.P. Morgan, Reliance Pictures and Disney, DreamWorks is going forward with the sci-fi sports tale Real Steel directed and produced by Shawn Levy and starring Hugh Jackman in the leading role. The sci-fi sports epic will be produced on a mere $80 million budget — significantly less than most studio sci-fi films produced recently.

Real Steel is one of 17 projects that Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider retained in the split with Paramount in 2008. The Richard Matheson short story is a continuation of Spielberg’s work with projects involving humanistic robots — A.I.: Artificial Intelligence and Transformers to name a few.

Jackman will play promoter and manager to a struggling robot in a world where boxing matches are no longer decided by feats of strength and heart — Boxers in this world have been replaced by boxing robots. Much of the heart of the story is based on the father-son relationship that develops with the 11-year-old son that Jackman discovers, however on the surface it’s described as a “rousing sports movie.”

Production is set to begin in June 2010 with a 2011 release.

Is a $80 million budget enough for a large studio sci-fi release?

Source: Variety

Last week I attended the Night at The Museum: Battle of The Smithsonian premiere, I’ve already posted some of my interviews which you can check out in our back log. Now here’s another one of the quick interviews I got to do with the Hank Azaria.

Check out the interview >>

Last week I attended the Night at The Museum: Battle of The Smithsonian premiere, I’ve already posted my interviews with Ben Stiller, Shawn Levy, and Tom Rothman. Now here’s another one of the quick interviews I got to do with the comedic genius Ricky Gervais.

Check out the interview >>

Of course attending the premiere of Night at The Museum: Battle of The Smithsonian was director Shaw Levy. I got the chance to talk to him and he gave me some updates on Hardy Men and is upcoming film Date Night.

Read the exclusive interview >>

Variety has reported Mark Wahlberg, James Franco, Common, Kristen Wiig, Taraji P. Henson and Leighton Meester are all joining Tina Fey, Steve Carrell for Shawn Levy’s Date Night.The only synopsis we have is that a regular old date night becomes much more than one couple expected.

/Film breaks down the characters:

• Mark Wahlberg: a “successful and crazily buff securities expert” who gets to flirt with with Tina Fey. Note that their description says securities, not security. The ‘crazily buff’ description is what inspired the Wahlberg component of the top-of-post image.
• James Franco: a “not-too-bright con man and petty criminal”, so I guess he’ll be bringing back the face fuzz…?
• Leighton Meester: the babysitter. I bet this is the typical 20-somethings as teens casting gambit again.
• Taraji P. Henson: a cop. Variety didn’t include the P, so maybe she ditched it while I wasn’t looking. Apparently, she’s playing the only character to suspect that Tina and Steve’s characters are in trouble.
• Common: a villain. No more information given. Hmmmm.
• Kristen Wiig: Tina Fey’s best friend. Hmmm. Maybe Amy Poehler had something better to do.

It looks like Franco is continuing with comedy after Pineapple Express and the upcoming Your Highness. I’m interested in see Wahlberg in a real comedic role, as Max Payne and The Happening were both pretty funny, but in the wrong kind of way.

The film could hit theaters as soon as 2010. Look for Levy’s next directorial effort with Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.

What do you think of Date Night?

Today we have a new poster for Shawn Levy’s sequel to Night at the Museum. Check it out below:

I thought the trailer was surprisingly funny. Check it out below via TrailerAddict:

The original Night at the Museum was enjoyable. The addition of Amy Adams, Bill Hader, Jonah Hill, Steve Coogan, Hank Azaria, and Christopher Guest should prove to be a fun summer flick when it goes up against Terminator Salvation on May 22nd, 2009.

Do you want to see Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian?