Seth Rogen certainly has reason to smile today with “Pineapple Express” opening to $12 million in ticket sales in its first day of release. But it’s not the smile of Mr. Rogen we’re obsessed with. It’s that laugh. That infectious, wheezy, ever-so-easily earned laugh. It might even be termed a guffaw. When I sat down with Mr. Rogen (and his co-star James Franco) the other day he didn’t skimp on that famous chuckle. We love it so much around here we decided to create the below tribute.
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Archive for August 7th, 2008
Seth Rogen: The Happiest Man On Earth?
Posted by Josh Horowitz on August 7th, 2008Seth Green Talks ‘The Freshmen’ Movie — And Why It Won’t Be ‘Mystery Men’
Posted by MTV Movies Team on August 7th, 2008
FROM SPLASH PAGE: In terms of livin’ the geek high life, Seth Green’s got it made. Not only is he widely known for his work in film and on Adult Swim’s hit “Robot Chicken,” but he’s also got a hit comic book in Top Cow’s “The Freshmen.”
“Freshmen” fans who were lucky enough to attend this year’s San Diego Comic-Con were given a special treat, as publisher Top Cow handed out special one-shot issues which bridged the gap between the recently concluded second volume of the series and the upcoming third volume. But there’s another medium that Green is now actively developing, and that’s bringing “The Freshmen” to Hollywood as a feature film. Read More…
Opening This Weeekend: Pineapple Express, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2
Posted by Mr. Shrek on August 7th, 2008Action films have tried and failed to surpass The Dark Knight at the box office over the last few weeks.
This weekend, more light-hearted fare will attempt to dethrone The Joker and company. Let's take a closer look at the main two films opening nationwide...
Pineapple Express
Stars: Seth Rogen, James Franco
Quick synopsis: Two pot heads witness a murder and go on the run.
Prediction: A solid second place finisher, but an R-rated comedy won't have the drawing power to take over the top spot.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2
Stars: Blake Lively, America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, Amber Tamblyn
Quick synopsis: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants return for more young female bonding.
Prediction: A niche movie, but one with a strong cast. Will finish third at the box office.
David Goyer May Bump ‘Magneto’ To Make Way For ‘Invisible Man’
Posted by Larry Carroll on August 7th, 2008
David Goyer is a busy man these days. Making the most popular film of the year, and one of the highest-grossing movies of all time, will do that to a guy.
Now, the “Dark Knight” screenwriter is hoping to capitalize on his success with such recent superhero scripts as “The Flash” and “X-Men Origins: Magneto,” which he’ll also direct.
“That may be next,” he told us recently. But first, Goyer revealed, he hopes to vanish for awhile.
“I’m writing a new version of ‘The Invisible Man’ for Universal,” said the red-hot writer/director, who was at Comic-Con recently to promote “The Unborn,” a horror flick due in theaters next year. “I’m in the process of doing ['Invisible Man'] right now, and I’m working with some conceptual artists in tandem with writing the script. I’m actually working with one of the artists from ‘Batman Begins’ and ‘The Dark Knight.’ So it could be ‘Magneto,’ or it could be ‘The Invisible Man’ next.”
Old–school horror fans will undoubtedly be rooting for the latter. And it should make them giddy to know that Goyer has been tracing the non-material man all the way back to his roots, in order to yank him into the modern age.
“Well, ‘The Invisible Man,’ the Universal film, is a great movie, a Claude Rains film,” Goyer said with admiration. “My take is kind of an extrapolation. It actually deals with a nephew of the first character. It’s got some of the characters from the H.G. Wells book, but it’s kind of a continuation.”
Goyer said that if you’ve seen the Rains film, you might actually get more out of the new version; but at the same time, there’ll be no prior knowledge required.
“It involves Scotland Yard getting their hands on the current Invisible Man and basically saying, ‘Wow, you’d be a really good secret agent to send into Imperial Russia right now,’” an enthusiastic Goyer said of the plot. “It starts off from there.”
As for the intended look of the film he’ll direct as well as write, Goyer made reference to a popular style of fantasy that has emerged over the last few decades: “It kind of crosses a lot of genres. It’s very steam punk.”
And if you’re thinking that the nephew of Jack Griffin will similarly be rendered as a floating hat and scarf in our age of CGI, think again.
“I don’t want to give too much away, but I took what being invisible could mean to the next logical extreme,” he explained. “We do a lot of crazy things in it that are sort of far beyond what anyone’s done with it yet.”
Are you excited for another “Invisible Man” movie? Or do you think Chevy Chase, Kevin Bacon and the other invisible men of the last few decades have shown that the concept has been hollowed out?
The Dailies: August 7, 2008
Posted by Shawn Adler on August 7th, 2008
- Finally some hot girl on God action! Megan Fox in NC-17 trailer for fake movie “Teresa: The Making of a Saint” from “How to Lose Friends and Alienate People.” (Teresa)
- They seriously have to be too old for this shiat. Shane Black reportedly writing “Lethal Weapon 5.” (Coming Soon)
- Is it too late to replace Alicia Keys and Jack White? Joe Cornish (co-writer of “Ant-Man”) crafts definitive Bond themesong. (CHUD)
- First look at Viggo Mortensen in “The Road.” (USA Today)
- “Office” star B.J. Novak in talks to star as PFC Utivich in Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglorious Bastards.” (THR)
Grant Morrison’s ‘We3’ Movie Gets A ‘Big Hot Director,’ But Who Is It?
Posted by Jennifer Vineyard on August 7th, 2008
FROM SPLASH PAGE: A dog, a cat, and a rabbit need a home — that’s not just a way-oversimplified description of the plot of “We3,” but also the status of the film version of Grant Morrison’s mini-series about animal soldiers.
Since “We3” was originally optioned to New Line — and since New Line has since imploded/been absorbed into Warner Bros. — Morrison said the producers behind the project got the option back and have made quick progress with it. While at New Line, “We3” was considered by over a dozen directors but no one signed on. Now, Morrison said, “we have a director attached,” and while he wouldn’t reveal who that was, he said it was a “big, hot director” as well as a “real cool guy.” Guess that narrows the field. Read More…
Judd Apatow Dishes on Pineapple Express
Posted by Mr. Shrek on August 7th, 2008Pineapple Express has scarcely been released across the country, but it's safe to Judd Apatow has another hit on his hands.
The writer talked about his latest project in a recent interview. Here are excerpts:
What were the actors actually smoking in the movie?
Well they smoked this thing the prop people had, I’m sure it was made of pure asbestos or something even worse for your lungs than actual marijuana. But I really don’t know. I did not smoke it and I didn’t show any care of how bad it taste or how damaging it was to the actors.
Do you think this will be James Franco's breakout comedy role?
I think so. He’s such a warm funny guy in person and he’s made a lot of choices which put him in deadly serious movies, but there’s this other side to him you see in Pineapple Express. He’s a very inspired comedic mind. He holds his own with the best comedians of this generation with ease. What I love about it is he makes you believe that this guy actually exists. Right now in an apartment in LA somewhere, you feel that guy is watching “227.”
Reel Movie Reviews: Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Posted by Mr. Shrek on August 7th, 2008
As soon as we saw that Penelope Cruz and Scarlett Johansson were signed on for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, we wanted to buy our tickets online. We assume many women felt the same way, thanks to the presence of Javier Bardem in the movie.
But do these beautiful stars make the Woody Allen film worth seeing? Let's find out from a few critics...
- Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona has a natural, flowing vitality to it, a sun-drenched splendor that never falters... -- The New Yorker
- Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a lovely gift from a filmmaker who, when he's on his game, truly hits the mark... -- Cinematical
- A valentine to Spain's noted city, Allen's romantic comedy isn't very deep but it's his most entertaining and commercial work since Bullets Over Broadway, a showcase for the talents of Bardem and his three femmes, Johansson, Hall and Penelope Cruz... -- Emanuel Levy
- A sexy, funny divertissement that passes as enjoyably as an idle summer's afternoon in the titular Spanish city... -- Variety
Britney Spears’ And Quentin Tarantino’s Reps Throw Water On ‘Pussycat’ Rumors
Posted by MTV Movies Team on August 7th, 2008
By Gil Kaufman
We already warned you not to get too excited about that report in England’s Daily Telegraph on Britney Spears possibly taking the lead in a Quentin Tarantino remake of the trash classic “Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!” After all, Tarantino himself told MTV at Cannes earlier this year that the rumors were “complete bulls—.” Now <a href="http://www.accesshollywood.com/article/10710/britney-rep-singer-not-
playing-killer-lesbian-stripper-in-film/" target="_blank">Access Hollywood has confirmed that the story is nothing but wishful thinking.
The show quoted an unnamed “rep for Brit” as saying, “Though she definitely intends to explore acting roles down the road, right now she’s concentrating on recording her next album.” Not exactly a denial, but another unnamed source — this one described as “close to Tarantino” — was more unequivocal about the likely fictitious hookup, saying, “There is no truth to this.” Oh well, a fella can dream, can’t he?
Do you think Britney would have made a favorable contribution to Tarantino’s vision? Chime in below!
‘Pineapple Express’ Exclusive: Seth Rogen And James Franco Reveal Their Full-On Man-Love For Each Other
Posted by Sohyung Kang on August 7th, 2008Apparently “Pineapple Express” is striking a chord with audiences (early reports indicate a huge first day gross for a comedy like this) and why not? It’s got action and comedy and a heartfelt “bromance” at its core. Rogen and Franco’s relationship in the movie carries the day and as you’ll see from the clip below, their love for each other extends beyond the screen. Don’t miss our full interview with the duo right here.
Possibly Coming Soon: A Super, Bad Pineapple Express Sequel
Posted by Mr. Shrek on August 7th, 2008According to James Franco, not only has a Pineapple Express sequel been discussed, but those behind the comedy have come up with a super idea for it.
A Superbad idea, that is!
“Even before Superbad came out, I think the studio was trying to get [Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg] to write a sequel, but they really didn’t want to write a sequel," Francol told MTV. "I guess the kids would go to college or something like that [that was the studio's idea]...
And so, an answer to that was to do a Superbad/Pineapple Express crossover, an unprecedented crossover movie with two directors, Greg Motolla and David Gordon Green, each directing half of the movie and somehow these characters get together, which doesn’t make sense at all, but could work.”
The Superbad boys get into enough trouble when drunk. Can you imagine them high?
How would the two worlds of sex-crazed teens and pot smoking be combined? Franco knows.
“I could sell them [the characters from Superbad] something, but I think we’d want some action, so you know, somehow the kids get in trouble somehow and we have to get them out of it. And Seth plays characters in both movies, so somehow we’d have to kill one of them off.”
Hey, as long as McLovin is there, we're there.
The Dark Knight: Biggest. Comic. Book. Movie. Ever.
Posted by Mr. Shrek on August 7th, 2008The Dark Knight climbed to seventh place on the all-time domestic blockbuster list this week, surpassing the first Spider-Man to become the highest-grossing comic book movie of all-time in North America.
The Batman Begins follow-up added $5.67 million on Tuesday to bring its massive gross to $405.7 million - and it's only been in theaters for 19 days! Spider-Man reached $403.7 million domestically during its entire run in 2002.
Up next for The Dark Knight on its run at the top spot ever? Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, which sits at number-six with $423.3 million.
Sorry, Captain Jack Sparrow (and your absolutely atrocious sequel to one of the best movies in history). Your time has come.
Lethal Weapon 5 Script Written?!?
Posted by Mr. Shrek on August 7th, 2008Hollywood might officially be out of new ideas.
Message board website TrackingB.com reports that Shane Black, who wrote the first Lethal Weapon, has penned a script for Lethal Weapon 5. The site adds that he contacted producer Joel Silver and said that he wanted to continue the story.
In this version of the cop franchise, Riggs (Mel Gibson) is about to retire, but pulls Murtaugh (Danny Glover) out of retirement to solve one final case.
TrackingB.com says that Gibson and Glover would be open to a return, but no deals have been signed.
Lethal Weapon 5? Really?!? Aren't these guys too old for this $hit?
Exclusive Clip: ‘The American Mall’
Posted by MTV Movies Team on August 7th, 2008I guess you could say we have a little “in” with the folks behind “The American Mall,” what with it premiering on MTV next week and all. But don’t let that company synergy dissuade you from checking out our exclusive below. It’s all of 29 seconds but I think you’ll get the gist of Autumn “there IS life beyond ‘The O.C.’” Reeser’s character. She’s up to no good! More exclusives on their way tomorrow!
For more exclusive sneak peeks from “The American Mall,” check out the official site, and tune in to MTV on August 11th at 9 p.m. ET for the world premiere of the movie!