WTF?!

OK, so if anyone was perhaps caught a little bit off guard by my news that Forest Whitaker is being eyed up for a role in 'Taken 3', prepare to be well and truly bamboozled! You ready for this?

Jesse Eisenberg. That's right JESSE F**KIN' EISENBERG has been cast as Lex Luthor in 2016's 'Batman Vs. Superman'.  Just let that sink in for a second ... Even though we're only just leaving January this casting is undoubtedly going to dominate internet forums and interviews on the red carpet for the next year. HUGE, HUGE, HUGE, HUGE, HUGE NEWS!

At first glance - not exactly 'menacing'.

 
If anyone ever said they saw this coming, then they my friend are a liar. If you went into a bookies and tried placing a bet on such an event, you'd probably be laughed out of the establishment with your tail between your legs. However, I must stress that I am not adverse to this unquestionably 'brave' decision. I ,like the majority of you reading this I'd wager, have simply been left dumbstruck. 

Eisenberg, at the tender age of 28, now has an overwhelming weight on his shoulders by trying to bring Superman's greatest foe to life on the silver screen. Yes, those trademark curly locks of his will be first to go, and he'll be looking a little more like 'Heisenberg' than Eisenberg during filming but I'm sure he's up to the challenge. A star-turn as Mark Zuckerberg in David Fincher's 'The Social Network' more than proved his worth, and he also looks promising in upcoming film 'The Double', directed by Brit funnyman Richard Ayoade. Yet, an announcement of such magnitude is definitely going to leave mouths gaping. The decision by the studio to confirm the casting obviously displays immense faith in Eisenberg, but will he be able to handle the pressure? In potentially the biggest superhero movie of all time could he prove to be the proverbial scene-stealer? Or will he prove a miscasting of epic proportions that is simply drowned out by performances from Cavill, Affleck, Gadot et al? Only time will tell.

But that's not all - fans of Michael Caine prepare to weep, because sadly it will be Jeremy Irons who will be taking on the role of Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred this time around. HUGE NEWS once more, but judging by online reaction it doesn't have people quite as startled as Eisenberg's casting. Excited? Yes! Potentially worried? Unlikely! Irons is a magnificent actor, which his Academy award for 'Reversal of Fortune' will no doubt attest to, but I'm sure you'll agree that he's perhaps 'gone off the back burner' a bit in recent years. What with 'The Borgias' being cancelled, and the less said about 'The Pink Panther Two' and 'Eragon' the better - this could be just what Irons needs to catapult himself back into the big picture. I genuinely can't wait for Irons' English gravitas and dulcet tones to ooze into the persona of cinema's most iconic butler. I'd love to see the Irons of 'Dead Ringers' and 'Die Hard With A Vengeance' return to our screens in a big way, and this could be the platform to do it! The best of luck to him, and to Eisenberg who I can see being a magnet to which criticism and internet trolls gravitate over the coming months. To anyone who questions his ability, simply give 'The Social Network' another look over and I'm sure you'll more than agree that he's got what it takes. Oh, and to anyone who wants to have a pop at Jeremy Irons just remember ... he was muthaf**king 'Scar' in 'The Lion King', so stick that in your pipe and smoke it!

Lex Luthor got nothing on this guy!

 

A Pinch of Finch

Just a a brief round up of some movie news, and some great new trailers for you all!

First up is action movie '3 Days to Kill' starring Kevin Costner and Amber Heard:

I saw this described on a website as potentially being "Kevin Costner's Taken". It does look quite promising, and it's great to see Costner back in a leading role. It was a nice to see Costner return to box office success in 'Man of Steel' earlier this year, and for a man who dominated Hollywood in the early 90s, this could be his opportunity to remodel himself as a born again action hero just like Liam Neeson did. The film also appears to have some comedy moments and it seems like it would be a great "popcorn flick" to watch with your mates.

Next, we have the long awaited 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes':

By contrast this doesn't give too much away, but it certainly gets the heart racing. After laying the groundwork in 2011's prequel Rise of the Planet of the Apes, we now pick up on the story 15 years later with humans and apes engaged in all-out war. This sequel is highly anticipated and though we're not sure what it will entail altogether, the menacing sight of Caesar at the head of an ape army and the gravitas tones of Gary Oldman screaming that he needs to speak with him has us counting down the days until its release next year.

Finally we have romantic comedy 'Blended' with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore:

The premise reminds me a little of 'Just Go With It', another Sandler venture, but I'm convinced that if Sandler and Barrymore can recapture some of the chemistry we saw between them in '50 First Dates' then this one will guarantee plenty of laughs. Blended is also due out next year.

As for today's news:

Warner Bros. are said to be interested in casting Joaquim Phoenix in the role of Lex Luthor for their upcoming Batman vs. Superman movie. With 2000's 'Gladiator' Phoenix proved he had the acting chops to take on the role of the lead villain, and this speculation seem to startle anyone in the same way the Batfleck scandal did earlier in the year.

Keeping with superhero movies Marvel are said to be holding talks with Paul Rudd over the casting of the titular character 'Ant-Man' in the forthcoming 2015 movie, directed by Edgar Wright. Joseph Gordon-Levitt's name was also in circulation a few weeks ago, but it now seems Rudd has established himself as front-runner for the role.

And to finish just thought I'd share this video of this guy I came across on Facebook, I think he's pretty talented. Enjoy!