RIDDLE ME THIS, RIDDLE ME THAT: IS ROBIN WILLIAMS THE RIDDLER IN THE NEW BATMAN?

Now, before you get your hopes up, this is just something that Robin Williams would like himself. One of the best comedians ever, while speaking to "Empire Magazine", Williams has admitted that he would like to become Batman's nemesis since he loves the famous superhero franchise: I would do Batman in a second, playing anyone. I'd play The Riddler in the next one, although it would be hard to top Heath Ledger as the villain and I'm a little hairy for tights. He also added that he was offered roles in previous sequels, but he didn't get them in the end: The Batman films have screwed me twice before: years ago they offered me The Joker and then gave it to Jack Nicholson, then they offered me The Riddler and gave it to Jim Carrey.
As HOLLYWOOD SPY previously reported, The Riddler might be one of the villains in Christopher Nolan's third brutal attack on Batman, and according to some rumors one of the candidates for the role is young Joseph Gordon Levitt. Everybody knows I don't have a high opinion about Nolan's take on the Batman, but I like the idea of Robin Williams doing a playful Riddler and bringing back the sparkle and humor that Nicholson, Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones had given to Batman films. He was stunning in "Insomnia" and "One Hour Photo", showing that he has a dramatic talent beside the comedic one.

MARVEL UPDATES: TOMMY LEE JONES JOINS "CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER", ALICE EVE JOINS "X-MEN: FIRST CLASS"

Today I have some Marvel updates for you: the new casting solutions for "X-Men: First Class" and "Captain America: the First Avenger". As you know one of our favourite British talents Michael Fassbender has been signed in officially for the role of young Magneto in "X-Men: First Class" and thus the rumors we've talked about for a month have been confirmed, but now he has a new colleague in the movie, beside James McAvoy who will portray Professor Xavier: blond beauty Alice Eve ("She's Out of My League") will portray Emma Frost, aka the White Queen, in the new installment of the mutant saga. Rosamund Pike will play Moira McTaggert, the assistant to Professor X, while Benjamin Walker will appear as a young Henry McCoy, or The Beast.
On the other front, the rumors about Tommy Lee Jones playing Colonel Phillips in "Captain America: The First Avenger" have also been confirmed and he will portray the man who will recruit Chris Evans to join the secret experiment that will make Captain America out of him.

TOM HARDY REVEALS EXCLUSIVE UPDATES ON "MAD MAX: FURY ROAD"

Here's a story for my boys and pics for my girls :)One of our favourite British lads, ultratalented Tom Hardy has just given an interview to "FirstShowing" revealing some interesting things about the upcoming reboot of the popular sf adventure "Mad Max" in which he will play the lead role. According to Hardy new "Mad Max" will revisit the updated world from the second movie and his character will have the same amount of grit, rawness and authenticity. Experts who worked on "Lord of the Rings" will do CGI in "Mad Max" as well, but as Hardy says they will do the action the Chris Nolan way with real big rigs, big explosions, big car crashes, big fight scenes. The shooting will probably last for a whole year and Tom Hardy must drop 30 pounds and start with stunt and fight training, in order to achieve the new look for Mad Max which he explained very vividly: Imagine a hungry wolf. Or like when you put a cat in the bath. You grab a cat by the throat and stuff it under the fucking water. You know what it looks like? That's what I'm going to look like. But like a puma. Very hungry and very dangerous. It's imperative. This is the kind of guy who's not well. So I have to create that reality.
With the budget of $100 million "Mad Max: Fury Road" is supposed to start filming later this year down in Australia.

DANIEL DAY LEWIS PROFESSOR MORIARTY IN "SHERLOCK HOLMES 2", KELLAN LUTZ'S PIC AS POSEIDON IN "IMMORTALS", PAUL BETTANY'S PIC FROM "THE PRIEST"

Here's a mishmash of fresh movie updates for the boring old Sunday :)According to some rumors, if Tom Cruise's "Knight & Day" fails at Box Office, Paramount Pictures might kill Ethan Hunt, his action hero character in "Mission Impossible" and add a subplot that introduces a new, younger protege for Cruise's character in "Mission Impossible 4".

After the first images of Henry Cavill, Freida Pinto and Mickey Rourke in Tarsem Singh's Greek epic "Immortals", new pics from the set reveal a funny little skirt that Kellan Lutz will be sporting around while playing the Greek God Poseidon. Off course Poseidon won't have a mobile phone and a cigarette in his hands and some sneakers on his feet like Kellan does in this paparazzi pic stolen from the set :)

One of the favourite pastimes for movie geeks these days is guessing who will be Professor Moriarty in "Sherlock Holmes 2". Rumor has it that director Guy Ritchie is trying to decide between Sean Penn, Javier Bardem and Gary Oldman, but his main pick would be Daniel Day-Lewis. The role has been recently linked to Brad Pitt as well.

Paul Bettany's vampire sf adventure "The Priest" has been moved to May 2011 again so that it could get 3-D treatment, but we have a new scary pic of Paul as a legendary warrior who disobeys church law by teaming with a young sheriff and a priestess to track down a murderous band of vampires who have kidnapped his niece in a world ravaged by centuries of war between man and vampires. The movie has another two amazing actors in its cast - Karl Urban and Stephen Moyer.

KATE WINSLET TO PLAY THE FAMOUS KIDNAP VICTIM NATASCHA KAMPUSCH

A story that shocked us all a few years ago about Natascha Kampusch the kidnap victim from Austria is going to be adapted for the big screen. You probably still remember this terrifying case of this young girl who was abducted by Wolfgang Priklopil while walking home from school, after which he held her captive in his cellar for eight years. She somehow managed to escape in 2006, while Priklopil committed suicide immediately after that by throwing himself under a train. This stirring movie will be directed by Bernd Eichinger who already has his lead actors in mind according to the first rumors - while he wants Christoph Waltz to play Priklopil, Natascha Kampusch will probably be portrayed by no one else but Kate Winslet. Although she is 12 years older than the 22 years old Natascha, Kate has already proved herself in many disturbing and psychologically difficult dramatic roles accepting many professional challenges that most of her colleagues wouldn't carry out. Natascha Kampusch has admitted that she has accepted to turn her story into a film because of thousands of kind letters she has received after her tragic experience.

CHANNING TATUM GOES AVATAR IN THE NEW SF EPIC "ION"

It seems that beside Kirsten Dunst's "Upside Down" flick, we shall get another romantic sf movie, but this time something more like "Avatar". According to "MovieWeb", Fox is preparing a huge sf spectacle called "Ion" with charismatic Channing Tatum as the lead hero. Produced by Tony and Ridley Scott, "Ion" will follow a man who travels throughout the different Earths in the universe to try and find his lover who was reincarnated. Apparently, the script is similar to "Avatar" because it contains a lot of fantasy elements and it has the same larger-than-life scope, and it was circling around Hollywood in the past but it didn't find the right studio before the current post-Avatar climate. As we've already reported, Channing will also star in "The Vow" again a romantic movie, and we shall also see him in the long awaited Roman epic "The Eagle of the Ninth".

EVA LONGORIA AND NATHAN FILLION MIGHT JOIN "THE AVENGERS"

Now these are good news. We've kinda already mentioned these things before, but the rumors are circulating wildly again: the hottest housewife Eva Longoria and the hottest space cowboy Nathan Fillion might become superheroes in the superhero extravaganza "The Avengers". As HOLLYWOOD SPY reported two years ago, Eva Longoria could get the role of Janet Van Dyne, who transforms into sexy The Wasp, while Nathan Fillion could get the role of Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym, who transforms into Ant-Man. They were first partners as scientists in the Marvel comics, and after that they got married. Two years ago, Eva Longoria was seen leaving Marvel Studios with a copy of "The Avenger" comic book and rumors also state that Nathan is currently negotiating to take the role in the series of "The Avengers" movies.
Official announcements of the casting for "The Avengers" will probably be revealed at San Diego Comic Con this July.

AISHWARYA RAI AS A WW2 HERO IN "THE SPY PRINCESS"

Here's a nice story for my male readers, to indulge them a bit after all the Armitagemania :) One of the most beautiful creatures from India, ex miss world Aishwarya Rai whom we've seen in "The Last Legion" and "The Pink Panther2" is planning to take the lead role in "The Spy Princess" according to Beyond Hollywood. The WW2 drama will follow the real life wartime adventures of Noor Inayat Khan or Nora Baker, a girl from a princely Indian Muslim family and a female spy who infiltrated France working for Britain during the WW2. While on a secret mission, Nora Baker's spying career had many interesting twists and turns. For her work, Baker won the French Croix de Guerre with Gold Star, and was awarded the George Cross, Britain’s highest award for gallantry not on the battle field. The script will be written by Judy Morris ("Happy Feet").

RICHARD ARMITAGE IS YOUR FAVOURITE TV HUNK. NEW POLL: THE HOTTEST VIXEN!

Your Favourite TV Hunk poll part two is officially over with the record breaking number of almost 1800 votes! The army of Richard Armitage's fans has bravely won the battle proclaiming the British actor the winner with 1473 votes (83%), and leaving the brave gladiator Andy Whitfield on the second place with 236 votes (13%). Nathan Fillion won the 3rd spot with just 20 votes.
Now, since I don't know much about Richard, and since he couldn't be here himself to accept the tittle, he has sent us Nat, the high priestess of his fan-temple (and we suspect his secret paramour as well ^_^), to give us a speech about him, and this is what Nat told us: "Richard Armitage is a 38 year-old British actor whose popularity is spreading across the world thanks to his acting talent and gorgeous good looks that just get better with age. He is most famous for his roles in British TV, such as: John Thornton, the brooding, cravat-wearing cotton mill owner in the BBC mini series, "North & South", Sir Guy of Gisborne, the Sheriff's dark and jaded side-kick in the BBC series "Robin Hood", Harry Kennedy, the adorable and sweet love interest in the comedy series "The Vicar of Dibley", Lucas North, the tattoo-covered government agent with a troubled past in "Spooks", and most recently, John Porter~ the ass-kicking, gun slinging military man in Sky1's "Strike Back". He has also appeared in many British films. In respect to Richard's very loyal fan base, there's no real explanation for Armitage Syndrome. One minute, a person will be minding their own business, then the next, they've tuned in to see "North & South" or "Robin Hood" and *BAM!* they're hooked on Richard and must see everything he's ever done. Warning: it could happen to you (And you will probably enjoy it and in the process, make a lot of online friends who can relate!)"

And now off to our next poll. I feel I have to do something for the guys this time, so our next poll will most definitely be a feast for their eyes (and other sensitive body parts): who is THE HOTTEST VIXEN - is it Brazil/Serbia's own Adriana Lima, Nordic bomb Victoria Silvstedt, blond beauty Doutzen Kroes, Slav angel Karolina Kurkova, sensual Josie Marran, steamy Carmen Electra, another Slav angel Joanna Krupa or the naughty Kelly Brooke? You can vote as much as you like next two weeks, and you may thank me as well for these pics :)

FIRST OFFICIAL IMAGE FROM "CONAN" REMAKE, AND "DR.STRANGE" GETS A MOVIE

Earlier, this Spring, I've shown you some secret images from the set of the new adaptation of "Conan" which is being filmed currently over in Bulgaria,but today I have for you the first official image of young Jason Momoa as the famous barbarian hero looking all dangerous. As you know the new remake will follow Conan in his younger years and will also star Ron Perlman, sexy Rachel Nichols and Rose McGowan. The movie will come out some time next year, and it is the first in the whole line of the barbaric-epic remakes along with the reboots of "Kull" and "Red Sonja".

"Deadline Hollywood" has also revealed today that "Conan's" writers were just hired to adapt Marvel's comic "Dr. Strange" for the big screen. Scheduled for 2012, "Dr. Strange" will follow a self-centered New York surgeon who lost his touch after a car accident. He became a wandering derelict and then found his way to a healer in the Himalayas. This is where he learned to tap into psychic powers to fight evil wizards and other evildoers. If you ask me I see Karl Urban in this role :) But then again, everyone knows, I see Karl everywhere :)

NEW ANIMATED MOVIES: "PUSS IN BOOTS" AND "DOROTHY OF OZ"

Today we have for you the first images from two new animated projects. Dreamworks has decided to make a spin-off with the only character from "Shrek" I like, the adorable "Puss in Boots", and today they have revealed the first image showing Puss beside the lead female character, Kitty, voiced by Salma Hayek :)Coming to cinemas in winter 2011, "Puss in Boots" will tell the hilarious tale of Puss's (Antonio Banderas) early adventures as he teams with mastermind Humpty Dumpty and the street-savvy Kitty to steal the famed goose that lays the Golden Eggs.

Another project is "Dorothy of Oz", new animated version of the famous story. The character sketches for the film have just been revealed along with the breathtaking list of actors who will lend their voices, and you can now take the first look at Dorothy (Lea Michele), the Cowardly Lion (James Belushi), the Tin Man (Kelsey Grammer), Marshal Mallow (Hugh Dancy) and the Scarecrow (Dan Aykroyd)... The film follows Dorothy and her old friends the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Lion, as well as some new ones, who all set out on a perilous journey to stop the crafty Jester from using the power of the Wicked Witch of the West's wand to turn the people of Oz into puppets. But that seems to be the least of Dorothy's problems as her travels lead her straight into a treacherous maze, a cave full of very hungry dragons and an evil spell that could destroy the Yellow Brick Road. Dorothy has the daunting knowledge that it is up to her to stop Jester's terrible plan. "Dorothy of Oz" shall premiere in 2011.

DIRTY DOZEN BLOGFEST - HOLLYWOOD SPY'S TOP 12 FAVOURITE MOVIES OF ALL TIMES

Alex J. Cavanaugh, one of my dearest friends and the author of the upcoming sf bestseller "Cassastar" has organized a DIRTY DOZEN blogfest, and my task is to reveal the twelve movies I love the most. So, here we go, films which won my heart and respect either by being profound and enlightening, by spreading magic or by showing groundbreaking creativity and beauty:

MOULIN ROUGE - the breathtaking, groundbreaking, positively captivating and deeply enchanting parade of stunning talent, creativity and love. I love everything in it - the story, the acting (especially Ewan McGregor and Jim Broadbent), the sets, the costumes, the spectacular songs and magical mix of cult pop songs and cabaret. Baz Luhrmann a master genius.

ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE - larger than life, magnificent, jaw-dropping, spectacular epic with at least 10 almost legendary scenes to remember as the real gems in the cinematic history. And the outstanding, surreal, majestic performance of Cate Blanchett - "Woman. Warrior. Queen" - Cate not Elizabeth :) Shekhar Kapur a master genius.

THE MUMMY - my favourite "fun movie", a movie which reminds me of the golden years of cinema when movies were made out of dreams and fantasy. As one of my dear friends, Answer, once said "The Mummy" is one of those adventure films that will forever stand the test of time and go down in history as the greatest films of their genre. Flawless story, flawless acting, flawless chemistry, director Stephen Sommers paying attention to all possible details - twists, action, sets, unforgettable supporting roles, dialogues, jokes ... The epitome of true cinematic magic.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS - as a great dreamer I had been waiting for a huge fantasy epic almost all my life and then Peter Jackson fulfilled my wishes. An epic which comes to life maybe once in every 20 years, and a whole new world with mesmerizing sets, costumes, beings and creatures, nations and towns, fortresses and warriors. THE TWO TOWERS would be my favourite part, and Cate Blanchett as Galadriel and Karl Urban as Eomer, my favourite characters.

MURIEL'S WEDDING - deeply catharsic drama with hilarious moments and stirring insights into social alienation. Toni Collette in her first, groundbreaking role of a girl who didn't fit in so she learned how to stand out, and went up while being buried deep down. And all that seasoned with the irresistible hits from ABBA, because everyone can be a DANCING QUEEN or a king and TAKE IT ALL like a WINNER if you just TAKE A CHANCE:)

THE READER - Kate Winslet showing why we consider her one of the best living actresses. The haunting, enlightening and deeply disturbing drama which shows that nothing is black and white and that there are reasons and causes behind everything. The movie about the truth which humanity isn't yet prepared to accept, and one of the very few films which left me speechless with so much to say.

LITTLE CHILDREN - as you already know, what I value most are satires dealing with deep social issues, movies which reveal the real problems of modern society in all their shocking authenticity. The film about weaknesses, vulnerabilities and temptations, about struggles of living in this vast ocean called world, which can drown you if you don't know how to swim. Stunning performances from Kate Winslet and Patrick Wilson.

THE FOUNTAIN - Deeply touching story of a man's quest for the fountain of youth in order to save his love from the clutches of death. I've never seen such an awe-striking cinematic tale with profound story and astounding visuals in which present meets past, love fights death in the helpless war against time. Hugh Jackman's best role ever, and sensual Rachel Weisz in a film for the empathic intuitive viewers ready to understand its depths and messages.

THE FALL - everyone knows how much I love director Tarsem Singh's visual creativity and his talent to explore dreams and fantasy. This is a truly mesmerizing story of a little girl who appears as a blessing in disguise while being an inspiration to the most wonderful storytelling cinema has ever seen. I must add I'm very honored to be a friend with the casting director of this movie and little Catinca Utaru's (the main actress in the film) mother as well. One of the visually most striking movies of all times.

DOGVILLE - a very bold, ironical and intelligent satire criticizing the modern American establishment and political system while telling the story of the suppression, aggressive hypocrisy and brutality in a little American town. The movie has no sets which makes you focus on the main characters and their slow moral downfall. Breathtaking performances from Paul Bettany, Nicole Kidman, Laurel Bacall, Patricia Clarkson, Jeremy Davies... Like THE READER, this is also one of the few movies that left me totally speechless.

SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE - now being a great fan of love, cooking and magic it's quite natural I would get totally enchanted by this romantic story which blends love, food and magic while teaching us how love shouldn't be a habit or an obligation, but something spellbinding, something that puts magic into our hearts, something that makes our reality look like a dream. Positively adorable performances from Sarah Michelle Gellar and Sean Patrick Flanery.

THE LION IN WINTER (2003) - I don't think I've ever seen a film in which all the actors in it had absolutely flawless, convincing, remarkable and truly amazing performances like in this historical saga about king Henry II (Patrick Stewart), queen Eleanor (Glenn Close), their sons Richard the Lionheart (Andrew Howard), Geoffrey (John Light) and John (Rafe Spall), and Richard's forbidden gay love who happens to be a king of France and his father's enemy at the same time (Jonathan Rhys Meyers).

Beside these movies, I must also mention some other stunning dramas - CRASH, HEAVENLY CREATURES and Kenneth Branagh's HAMLET, and some visually groundbreaking films - 300, THE CELL, DUNE, EQUILIBRIUM and SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW.

"LEGENDS" AND "FABLES" - WHEN FAIRY TALES GET TWISTED

I've recently mentioned a whole list of fairy tales that are going to get their movie adaptations in the near future, and we have two more upcoming films with the same subject.
Ron Howard will produce the adaptation of the graphic novel "Legends" which shows popular fairy tale characters in a very dark aspect: "Legends" begins when the remains of Pinocchio are found. Red Riding Hood, now a noted wolf hunter, and Jack The Giant Killer partner to discover who is murdering the creatures of folklore. Along the way, they are assisted by characters such as Goldilocks, re-imagined as a mercenary, and Hansel & Gretel, now psychic exterminators.

On the other side, David Yates ("Half Blooded Harry Plopper") will probably direct "Fables". It's still not sure whether it will be a Warner Bros. film or ABC mini-series based on the graphic novels. "Fables" deal with various characters from fairy tales and folklore, referring to themselves as "Fables", who have been forced out of their Homelands by "The Adversary" who has conquered the realm. The Fables have traveled to our world and formed a clandestine community in New York City known as Fabletown. Fables who are unable to blend in with human society (such as monsters and anthropomorphic animals) live at "the Farm" in upstate New York.

NEW ROLES FOR ALEXANDER SKARSGARD, RACHEL MCADAMS, CHANNING TATUM, SAM WORTHINGTON, FREIDA PINTO, LAUREN GRAHAM...

Ok, people here's a bunch of fresh casting news (with a bunch of hot pics, Dezz knows whatcha like) to kick off the weekend:
Our favourite Scandinavian Alexander Skarsgard will join young Taylor Kitsch (currently shooting "John Carter of Mars") in a sf movie adaptation of the popular Hasbro game "Battleship" which will follow an international fleet coming together to battle a water-bound armada of otherworldly origin. Alexander Skarsgard will play Kitsch's brother, a straight and narrow naval officer whom Kitsch, a wildly spirited naval officer, idolizes.

Freida Pinto (currently shooting ancient Greek epic "Immortals") and Don Cheadle have been offered roles in the sf prequel "Rise of the Apes". They could join James Franco in the film which will revolve around the aftermath of a scientist's genetic engineering gone wrong, and will depict the war between man and ape in a fight for supremacy.

Two cute young people Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum will star together in "The Vow", based on a true story about a young woman who loses all recent memory in a car accident and struggles to rebuild her identity, just two months after she got married.

One of my favourite TV actresses, adorable Lauren Graham ("Gilmore Girls") has made a very very strange decision to star in "Scream IV". She will again play a mother in the new installment of the horror franchise.

The luckiest guy in Hollywood, Sam Worthington could join Chris Pine in "This Means War", in which they will play best friends and longtime spies who wage black-ops warfare on each other when they both fall for Reese Witherspoon. Don't be overly optimistic, the movie is directed by McG :)

SMURFILICIOUS FIRST TRAILER FOR THE "SMURFS"

Holy Smurf, the first teaser for the "The Smurfs" movie is finally here and those little blue cuties are ready to charm you away. The teaser doesn't really reveal much, it's here just to tease you off course, since the shooting of the movie is still on. Starring Neil Patrick Harris, Hank Azaria, Anton Yelchin, Alan Cumming and Katy Perry, "The Smurfs" will see those tiny blue Smurfs chased out of their village by the evil wizard Gargamel, after which they will tumble from their magical world and into ours, right into the middle of Central Park. Just three apples high and stuck in the Big Apple, the Smurfs must find a way to get back to their village before Gargamel tracks them down. Now I would prefer if they did the movie set in their Smurf village without including the urban surroundings, but I guess nobody asked me what I think :)

TECHNICAL PROBLEMS WITH OUR LATEST POLL

People, I'm not sure what's going on with our latest poll, the Google doesn't want to open it anymore. It seems our votes have basically blocked it and jammed it with pretty much an unbelievable number of votes. So far there were almost 2,000 voters, and I'm guessing these Blogger polls weren't made for such an outrageous numbers of voters??? We'll wait and see whether this is just a temporary error and whether it will fix itself, and if not, I guess I will have to proclaim the winner tomorrow based on what I remember the score was yesterday (Richard Armitage with around 1000 to 1500 votes, Andy Whitfield with more than 200, and Nathan Fillion with around 20). I just hate these technical errors.

EXCLUSIVE: FIRST TRAILER FOR "THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER"

Here's another magical treat for you: the first trailer for this winter's fantasy adventure "The Chronicles of Narnia: the Voyage of the Dawn Treader". In the third part of the saga, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, along with their pesky cousin Eustace Scrubb, find themselves swallowed into a painting and on to a fantastic Narnian ship headed for the very edges of the world. Joining forces once again with their royal friend Prince Caspian and the warrior mouse Reepicheep, they are whisked away on a mysterious mission to the Lone Islands, and beyond. On this bewitching voyage that will test their hearts and spirits, the trio will face magical Dufflepuds, sinister slave traders, roaring dragons and enchanted merfolk. Only an entirely uncharted journey to Aslan's Country, a voyage of destiny and transformation for each of those aboard the Dawn Treader, can save Narnia, and all the astonishing creatures in it, from an unfathomable fate.

TRULY MAGICAL FULL LENGTH TRAILER FOR "LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS: THE OWLS OF GA'HOOLE"

After we saw the behind the scenes clip a few days ago and the short teaser earlier this year, we now have the first full length trailer for the mesmerizing animated epic adventure "Legend of the Guardians: the Owls of Ga'Hoole" which was released today by Warner Bros. Directed by the groundbreaking director Zack Snyder the movie will tell a heartwarming and majestic tale of fantasy and family adventure through never before seen animation and sensational visuals. Check out this cinematic miracle:

PETER JACKSON OR DAVID YATES DIRECTING "THE HOBBIT", SAM RAIMI DIRECTING "OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL", ROBERT RODRIGUEZ DIRECTING "DEADPOOL"

A bunch of news connected to movie directors has hit the Net today. Warner Bross. is trying hard to convince Peter Jackson to direct "The Hobbit" who, according to "Deadline New York", still didn't give them his definite no. Apparently, other choices for the helm of the "Lord of the Rings" prequel are David Yates ("Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows") and Brett Ratner ("X-Men: the Last Stand").

Meanwhile it seems that last night Sam Raimi has accepted the Disney's offer to direct "Oz: the Great and Powerful" a 3D movie which tells the story of the wizard of Oz as the circus wrangler transported by tornado to the mysterious world of Oz where he gets mistaken for a know-it-all. They are trying to convince Robert Downey Jr. to take the lead role.

And then, there's also Robert Rodriguez who was offered the helm of "Deadpool" in which Ryan Reynolds will again play the "X-Men: Wolverine" super hero but this time in Deadpool's own movie.

NEW BONECHILLING TRAILER FOR ROMAN EPIC "CENTURION"

Check out today's exclusive - the second bone-chilling and adrenaline pumped trailer for the Roman epic "Centurion" with Michael Fassbender as Roman legionary and Olga Kurylenko as Pict princess. Directed by Neil Marshall "Centurion" tells the story of the ill-fated Ninth Legion marching north to Caledonia to wipe out the Picts and their leader. Dominic West is also in the cast of the movie which will be probably be released in the USA at the end of summer (in late August).

AMBER HEARD IS MYSTIQUE IN "X-MEN:FIRST CLASS"

OK, people, new updates from "X-Men: First Class" casting process: according to "Production Weekly" young actress Amber Heard could play young Mystique in the new part of the mutant saga. Rosamund Pike, who was rumored last week that she might take the role of Emma Frost, might get another role playing Moira McTaggert, Professor X's assistant.
There's also an interesting twist in the rumors connected to the male roles - according to all the news Michael Fassbender and Aaron Johnston are both choosing between the roles in "X-Man: First Class" and the "Spiderman" reboot. Both could play young Magneto in "X-Men", Fassbender could also be a villain in "Spiderman" while Aaron could get the role of the Spiderman himself. A total tangle :) We shall soon find out who's getting which role, I hope.

CATHERINE ZETA JONES GETS ROYAL HONORS AND WINS TONY AWARD FOR THE BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

The most beautiful Hollywood star, Catherine Zeta Jones is really having a great time these days. A few days ago in London, in the honor of the Queen's birthday, Catherine Zeta-Jones was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in recognition for her services to the film industry and to charity. Beside being awarded this royal honor, the Oscar-winning Welsh beauty also shinned at the Tony Awards this weekend where she was awarded best actress in a musical for her role as Desiree in Steven Sondheim's "A Little Night Music". And I must mention that she also proved again that, beside Cate Blanchett and Kate Winslet, she is the most elegant movie diva today, appearing at the Tony ceremony in a stunning and truly mesmerizing light blue Versace gown. Check out the pictures.

EXCLUSIVE: THE HAUNTING TEASER FOR HBO'S UPCOMING EPIC FANTASY SERIES "GAME OF THRONES"

We've been waiting for this for a long long time, but HBO has finally aired the first teaser for the upcoming ten-episode epic fantasy series "Game of Thrones" which will be broadcast in early 2011. Unfortunately the teaser is extremely short and doesn't really reveal a thing, but I hope we'll see a longer one soon together with more pictures. As you know the pilot episode had amazed the studio and the producers who were left breathless by it earlier this year, and so "Game of Thrones" is currently getting its ten episodes, which are being shot over in Ireland.
With a very big cast including Mark Addy, Sean Bean, Lena Headey, Jason Momoa, Harry Lloyd, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Peter Dinklage ... this epic series will be based on the bestselling George R.R. Martin novels, centering on seven noble families who fight for control of the mythical land of Westeros. Robert Baratheon, King of Westeros, asks his old friend Eddard Stark to serve as his chief advisor. Eddard, suspecting that his predecessor had been murdered, accepts so that he can investigate further. It turns out more than one family is plotting to take the throne. The conflict between these families leads to war. Meanwhile, in the north, an ancient evil awakens. Amidst war and the political confusion, a brotherhood of misfits, The Night's Watch, is all that stands between the realms of men and the horrors beyond.

MONICA BELLUCCI, NICOLAS CAGE, JAY BARUCHEL AND ALFRED MOLINA'S POSTERS FROM "THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE"

As I promised at the beginning of the week, here are the last four character posters from the upcoming fantasy adventure "The Sorcerer's Apprentice". Jay Baruchel plays the "The Apprentice", a nerdy NYU physics major, but also a bearer of a dragon ring that comes to life on his finger which will make him a very important sorcerer. Nicolas Cage plays Balthazar Blake a powerful sorcerer who was taught by Merlin. More than 1,000 years old, Balthazar has been searching the globe until he finds the Prime Merlinean, the descendant of Merlin and inheritor of his great powers in Jay Baruchel's character. Monica Bellucci appears in the film as the sorceress Veronica, the love of Balthazar Blake, who is also loved by the main villain Maxim Horvath played by Alfred Molina. Driven by revenge since Veronica loves Balthazar, Maxim will finally bring their battle to modern-day New York City.

"CLASH OF THE TITANS" SEQUEL TO START SHOOTING NEXT JANUARY

We've expected this one as well - this year's epic blockbuster "Clash of the Titans" is officially getting a sequel which will start with the production next January. "Clash of the Titans" has earned almost half billion $ worldwide since it premiered in cinemas this Spring and now the studio is searching for the new director for the sequel since most people believe that Louis Leterrier didn't prove himself behind the helm of this year's movie with his direction possibly being the weakest part of the whole project. The sequel is going to be 3D and the production should start as soon as the main star Sam Worthington finishes "Avatar 2", which shoots later this year. The script will be written by Dan Mazeau and David Johnson (currently working on "Flash" and "Red Riding Hood").

SERBIAN SF BLOCKBUSTER "TECHNOTISE" GETTING A LIVE ACTION REMAKE IN HOLLYWOOD

Serbian animated blockbuster "Technotise" by Alexa Gajic will get a sf live-action remake by Legendary Pictures, and screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis ("Avatar", "Pathfinder", "Alexander", "Battle Angel Alita") is already set to adapt it. Serbian animated movie, "Technotise: Edit and I" was set in the Serbian capital Belgrade in the year 2074, following a story of a failing art student who decides to get a chip implant to circumvent studying but gets more than she bargained for. "Technotise" was quite popular here in Serbia a few years ago, and Edit, the main character, even became a symbol of the famous European music festival "Exit" held each year in Vojvodina. Check out the trailer of the animated original.

ANGELINA JOLIE SHALL RULE EGYPT AS CLEOPATRA

Now admit it - we all knew this was bound to happen: Angelina Jolie is planning to take the Egyptian throne. It appears that producer Scott Rudin has bought the rights on the new Cleopatra biography, "Cleopatra: A Life" by Stacy Schiff, and he wants to adapt it into an epic with Angelina. And as far as I got it from the news and rumors the whole project is focused exclusively on miss Jolie as the lead star.
As you already know, the most famous Cleopatra on the big screen was Elizabeth Taylor who starred in the 1963 "Cleopatra", the biggest box-office flop in history, while Angelina Jolie already proved that she can get all imperial and royal as queen Olympia in "Alexander", another huge flop. At the beginning of this decade there were even some plans for Angelina to portray the famous Russian queen Catherine the Great, who was also portrayed by stunning Catherine Zeta Jones in the popular mini series on the Russian ruler back in the 90's.

BEHIND THE SCENES CLIP FROM THE GROUNDBREAKING AND MAGICAL FILM "LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS"

Now, here's a real treat - a trailer and behind the scenes clip of my personal most anticipated movie this year "Legend of the Guardians", from Zack Snyder the director of "300" and "Watchmen". Coming out September 24th, with voices of Helen Mirren, Hugo Weaving, Geoffrey Rush and Sam Neill, this groundbreaking and heartwarming magical movie follows Soren, a young owl enthralled by his father's epic stories of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole, a mythic band of winged warriors who had fought a great battle to save all of owlkind from the evil Pure Ones.While Soren dreams of someday joining his heroes, his older brother, Kludd, scoffs at the notion, and yearns to hunt, fly and steal his father's favor from his younger sibling. But Kludd's jealousy has terrible consequences causing both owlets to fall from their treetop home and right into the talons of the Pure Ones. Now it is up to Soren to make a daring escape with the help of other brave young owls. Together they soar across the sea and through the mist to find the Great Tree, home of the legendary Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Soren's only hope of defeating the Pure Ones and saving the owl kingdoms.