-Dear Barry Pepper, please fire your agent. The massively talent and underutilized actor is set to star alongside Winona Ryder in a Hallmark Hall Of Fame Movie “When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story.” The true story is based on the life of the founder of AA, and her relationship with her alcoholic husband and the screenplay is adapted from the book by William Borchert. Cue the violins. Remember when Barry Pepper was supposed to be the next Philip Seymour Hoffman? Dude, what happened? We hope someone out there in Hollywood is reading this and starts passing the guy better scripts because he is way better than this. As for Ryder, we know she’s still getting her career back on track after it took a sideways turn, but at least she has a forthcoming role in Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan” in her pocket.
-Director Fyodor Bondarchuk has stepped in for Paul Verhoeven on the Russian epic, “Winter Queen.” Milla Jovovich, who was attached when Verhoeven was helming, is still set to star in the film. The picture, about the epic battle of Stalingrad, is set to film next year in Budapest and St. Petersburg, and is being planned for release in 2012, to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the battle. With a budget of $30 million, it will be one the most expensive films to ever film in Russia, and it will likely be shot in both English and Russian versions. If the name Bondarchuk sounds vaguely familiar that’s because Fyodor’s father, Sergei was a famed director best known for his epic and beautiful adaptation of “War & Peace” which recently made the arthouse rounds in a new print.
The trailer for “Kick-Ass” has arrived, and it sucks. The first two-thirds of the trailer starts with a voiceover that tries to pretend that no other comic or movie has thought of the concept of an average kid or person deciding to become a superhero even though they lack special powers ( um, “Watchmen” and “Mystery Men” just to name a couple) and then ends with a dull punchline. The last third of the trailer gets to the action and blows its entire load. ZOMG! IT’S LITTLE KIDS BEATING PEOPLE UP. We having a feeling the finished product won’t be able to move beyond being proud of that fact, so count us out. Whatever.