"I'm the Dude. So that's what you call me. You know, that or, uh, His Dudeness, or uh, Duder, or El Duderino if you're not into the whole brevity thing."
Director Lee Unkrich has confirmed the rumor that Michael Keaton will be voicing a role in the upcoming Walt Disney Pictures/Pixar feature, Toy Story 3.
The actor will voice the character "Ken" in the film.
Set for release on June 18th, 2010, the film brings back the entire cast, including Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, Estelle Harris, John Ratzenberger, Ned Beatty and Michael Keaton.
Executively produced by Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg and Gary Goetzman, the team behind the Emmy-winning 2001 HBO miniseries “Band of Brothers,” this epic ten-hour miniseries tracks the intertwined odysseys of three U.S. Marines – Robert Leckie (James Badge Dale), Eugene Sledge (Joe Mazzello) and John Basilone (Jon Seda) – across the vast canvas of the Pacific. The extraordinary experiences of these men and their fellow Marines take them from the first clash with the Japanese in the haunted jungles of Guadalcanal, through the impenetrable rain forests of Cape Gloucester, across the blasted coral strongholds of Peleliu, up the black sand terraces of Iwo Jima, through the killing fields of Okinawa, to the triumphant, yet uneasy, return home after V-J Day. Produced by HBO Miniseries in association with Playtone and DreamWorks Television, and scheduled to debut on HBO in early 2010. HOME
The team behind the global phenomenon The Da Vinci Code returns for the highly anticipated Angels & Demons, based upon the bestselling novel by Dan Brown. Tom Hanks reprises his role as Harvard religious expert Robert Langdon, who once again finds that forces with ancient roots are willing to stop at nothing, even murder, to advance their goals. Ron Howard again directs the film, which is produced by Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, and John Calley. The screenplay is by David Koepp and Akiva Goldsman.
When Langdon discovers evidence of the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati - the most powerful underground organization in history - he also faces a deadly threat to the existence of the secret organization's most despised enemy: the Catholic Church. When Langdon learns that the clock is ticking on an unstoppable Illuminati time bomb, he jets to Rome, where he joins forces with Vittoria Vetra, a beautiful and enigmatic Italian scientist. Embarking on a nonstop, action-packed hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and even to the heart of the most secretive vault on earth, Langdon and Vetra will follow a 400-year-old trail of ancient symbols that mark the Vatican's only hope for survival.
Angels & Demons is due on 15th May. Leave a comment on this post below.
Director: Ron Howard Starring: Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Jean Reno, Ian McKellan, Alfred Molina, Paul Bettany, Jürgen Prochnow Score: 7 / 10
This excellent review is by guest blogger, James Jacob of Basket Case.
With Angels and Demons being released next week, I wanted to re-watch and review the prequel / follow up - The Da Vinci Code. If you weren't already aware, the Da Vinci Code book is actually a sequel to Angels and Demons (they even reference it in the opening chapter!) but for the movie versions, this is reversed.
If you haven't seen the countless news stories already, The Da Vinci Code is based upon the cult phenomenon book by author Dan Brown about Harvard professor of religious symbology Robert Langdon (Hanks), who is called in by French detective Bezu Fache (Reno) to provide some insight into the death of a notable museum curator.
However, he soon discovers he was not there to help, but instead to become the prime suspect into the murder. With the help of the curator's granddaughter, Sophie Neveu (Tautou), they join forces to find out who killed her grandfather and why.
Meanwhile, we follow Bishop Aringarosa (Molina) and his own quest with the aid of albino monk Silas (Bettany) to find the key to... well, I won't ruin it for the one or two of you who don't know or haven't read the book.
The main thing that bothered me with The Da Vinci Code was the pacing. There are certain sections that flowed well, only to be undone with so much talking, explanation and lecture, I felt like I was back at University as my lecturers were giving a presentation. The pace was very much either on or off, no middle ground to move the plot along, it seemed if they weren't explaining the decisions made by Emperor Constantine then the main cast was on the run in a car.
Also disappointing to me beyond pacing, is the acting from such a talented cast. Firstly, Tom Hanks. As the leading man, and the one audience members follow, Hanks presents a character without much behind him. Most of the time, I can watch Tom Hanks get lost in his characters but here, I was looking at Tom Hanks, with a mullet, pretending to be a man named Robert.
And the same can be said for most of the supporting characters including Audrey Tautou, who is sorely miscast in a important role to play opposite an even diluted Tom Hanks performance, Jean Reno, Alfred Molina and even Paul Bettany (though I must admit, he was indeed pretty damn scary and certainly creepy).
For instance, and this is spoiler material here, Alfred Molina basically is a father figure to a psychologically disturbed Bettany, but I didn't feel the emotion between the two. Sure, Aringarosa was using Silas for the needs of the Opus Dei, but their outcomes had no resonance and therefore, the film as little impact in that area.
However, it's our very own Gandolf, I mean veteran actor Ian McKellan that delivers the best performance out of the bunch. It's not to say it's anything magical, but he was the only one I even remotely was interested in and probably saved this film from becoming a complete dog. His character is eccentric, full of energy and seemed to be the only one involved with the story with any sort of grandeur or amazement.
The Da Vinci Code is not a bad film but instead more... disappointing. Taking a good 20-minutes off the standard version would've made the pacing better, though then Howard would alienate the book's core base. This is why adapting a novel is difficult as books hold so much information that it is nearly impossible to include everything needed, so one wonders if this was the case here. I consider Code to be disappointing, not the major stinker that some around have trashed it.
You really have to remember that this is just a film however and not spend hours surfing the net looking for refernces to Opus Dei, The Priory of Sion and the Holly Grail. Here in the UK, a very much unliked ex-Education Minister is also an Opus Dei member - so take everything with a pinch of salt!
Lastly - to get you properly in the mood, below if the trailer for Angels and Demons.
Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) is brought to Europe to help solve the murder of a world renowned physicist and prevent a catastrophic terrorist attack against the Vatican.
Image Comics' The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft, created by Mac Carter and Jeff Blitz, is being developed for Ron Howard to direct at Universal. The fictionalized tale borrows elements from Lovecraft's life, such as his own bouts with writer's block, and transforms his darkest nightmares into reality.
Toiling away as a timid and eccentric writer of pulp horror stories, H.P. Lovecraft, is powerless in the world... in love with a girl who doesn't love him back, mired in a profession that inspires no respect and frozen in the grip of a terrible writer's block. Until one day when everything changes. Lovecraft comes in contact with an ancient book that passes onto him an insidious curse: whenever he sleeps, his darkest nightmares come true and are loosed on the world. Suddenly, this shy and bumbling writer becomes both an unwitting god of destruction and the only man who can fight the wickedness he unleashes. It's a fantastical revision of the life and work of H.P. Lovecraft, a story in the mold of the classic Universal horror movies. A weird tale indeed.
Universal picked this up because its take on classic horror fits in well with their monster movies like Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy and the Wolf Man.
Mac Carter, who worked on the comic series and also directs commercials, will write the script and serve as an executive producer.
Ron Howard doing a comic book horror movie. Bit of a change for him. I love all things Lovecraft so it will be great to see the man himself on the big screen. I reckon Howard could be a good choice for the director as he does make quality films.
Two questions for you. Who could play Lovecraft (Don't say Tom Hanks) and what part will Ron's brother, Clint, play?
Universal is developing Major Matt Mason, a live-action feature based on the vintage Mattel action figure as a starring vehicle for Tom Hanks. Graham Yost is writing the script.
According to Variety, the toy line originated in 1966; Mason led an astronaut team that worked on the moon and lived in a space station. The toy was a hit in the buildup to the first manned moon mission. Mattel retired the line in the 1970s.
When Mattel execs Tim Kilpin and Barry Waldo came to Playtone for a meeting, they brought an arsenal of the Matt Mason figures. Hanks came armed with his own.
No production date has been set.
Yost's script credits include "Speed." He and Hanks explored moon matter when Hanks was an executive producer of the HBO mini "From the Earth to the Moon," with Yost serving as supervising producer and writer of two episodes. Yost has also been a writer or producer for Hanks and Goetzman on the Playtone-produced HBO minis "Band of Brothers," "John Adams" and "The Pacific."
Mattel is teamed with Warner Bros. and producer Joel Silver on "He-Man and Masters of the Universe," which will be directed by "Kung Fu Panda" co-director John Stevenson, and "Hot Wheels," which moved from Sony.
Universal adds the film project to several toy-based movie projects the studio has percolating with Hasbro, with a "Stretch Armstrong" film being written by Steve Oedekerk, "Monopoly" with Ridley Scott, "Candyland" with "Tropic Thunder" scribe Etan Cohen and director Kevin Lima, and the Platinum Dunes-produced "Ouija."
A second featurette for Angels & Demons entitled "Science and Religion" courtesy of Yahoo. Director Ron Howard discusses the conflict between science and religion that's at the heart of this movie.
Starring Tom Hanks, Ayelet Zurer and Ewan McGregor. Due out on 15th May 2009.
Director: Sean McGinly Starring: John Malkovich, Colin Hanks, Emily Blunt, Tom Hanks, Tom Arnold, Griffin Dunne Running Time: 87 minutes Score: 2 / 10
This review by Pamela Fruendt.
I saw a preview of THE GREAT BUCK HOWARD last night ( 3/18/09 ). The story is loosely based on the career of Master Mentalist 'The Amazing Kreskin.'
I had every anticipation of having a great evening...Great word out of Sundance. Great trailer. Free film. What could be bad about it?
Guess what? This film is so utterly disappointing. It is a cruel and demeaning look at aging performers unable to adapt to a changing world.
John Malkovich gives a moving performance as Buck Howard...After all, he is John Malkovich but he can't carry the film alone. Colin Hanks' acting is flat and uninspired giving the oh so talented Emily Blunt mere crumbs with which to work.
Even Colin's real life father, Tom Hanks, can't save this film despite a moving yet all too brief appearance .
See the film if you're a Malkovich fan...otherwise wait for cable or DVD. I've seen the Amazing Kreskin myself and this film does him a tremendous disservice.
A series of clips from Angels & Demons including never seen before footage thanks to E.T..
The follow-up to the hit phenomenon 'The Da Vinci Code' from Oscar-winning team Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, 'Angels & Demons' finds Tom's Robert Langdon character on the hunt for The Illuminati, a group who believes that faith can be disproved by science.
Director Lee Unkrich has confirmed the rumor that Michael Keaton will be voicing a role in the upcoming Walt Disney Pictures/Pixar feature, Toy Story 3.
Director: Ron Howard
Actors wishing they were somewhere else 
Ron Howard 
Richie Cunningham, Potsie and Ralph Malph (Dan Brown)
Tom Hanks, Vittoria Vetra, Ewan McGregor, Ron Howard 
Image Comics' The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft, created by Mac Carter and Jeff Blitz, is being developed for Ron Howard to direct at Universal. The fictionalized tale borrows elements from Lovecraft's life, such as his own bouts with writer's block, and transforms his darkest nightmares into reality.
Universal is developing Major Matt Mason, a live-action feature based on the vintage Mattel action figure as a starring vehicle for Tom Hanks. Graham Yost is writing the script.
I'm sure Tom Hanks is saying, "Did you just pinch my ass?"
Director: Sean McGinly
