Showing Out

Unlike most film-related sites, we haven’t been posting every single update about the forthcoming sequel to Iron Man. You have to draw the line when people on the set are quoted as saying “It’s going to be amazing” and having a million blogs pick it up. OK, rant finished. Now warrants an official post, with the first teaser poster for Iron Man 2 just hitting the net over on Yahoo. The film, directed by Jon Favreau, picks up six months after Tony Starks reveals his true identity, with many of the original cast members returning for the sequel. Iron Man 2 stars Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Jon Favreau, Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Garry Shandling, John Slattery, Kate Mara, Clark Gregg and Olivia Munn. The film is slated for a May 7th release, so hit the jump to see the full poster in all its glory.

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Who saw this one coming? We can’t get enough of Alec Baldwin on 30 Rock, so it breaks our hearts to hear the news that Baldwin is considering calling it quits on his acting career, claiming in an interview with Men’s Journal that it’s “pretty much it for him” after 30 Rock. According to THR, Baldwin stated, “I don’t have any interest in acting anymore,” adding, “Movies are a part of my past. It’s been 30 years. I’m not young, but I have time to do something else.” And to rub salt in the wound of his own career, Baldwin added, “I consider my entire movie career a complete failure. [...] The goal of movie-making is to star in a film where your performance drives the film, and the film is either a soaring critical or commercial success, and I never had that.” “And now, the movies I’ve been in,” he said, “I never give them a moment’s thought. Every movie I’ve ever been in, I just avoid.” Yikes! Nice throwing dirt on your own legacy, Balwdin, even if that legacy comes up pretty short.

Who would have thought that People magazine would be the outlet to get the first exclusive still from the upcoming The Karate Kid? Nonetheless, here it is in all its glory, giving everyone a less than thrilling first look at the film before it hits theaters. The film stars Jaden Smith as Dre, a skateboarding kid that moves to China against his will after his mom (Taraji P. Henson) gets a new job there. Of course, his inability to adapt to the culture leads bullies to pick on him, a point at which a maintenance man named Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) offers to help him defend himself by teaching him martial arts. The film, directed by Harald Zwart (The Pink Panther 2), is slated for release on June 11, 2010. Hit the jump to see the official first poster.

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Broadway hasn’t really recovered since tourism took a huge hit post-9/11, but things are looking up for B’way in this day and age. According to the AP, Thanksgiving weekend was a huge success for certain shows in New York City, with Wicked leading the pack with a record-breaking $2 million made last week. Other shows that managed to pull in some heavy cash flow were The Lion King and Billy Elliot, the former of which roped in $1.69 million at the Minskoff Theatre and the latter sucking $1.57 million out of theatergoers’ pockets. This isn’t even the end of it, as Christmas week tends to be a heavy time for families to shell out the big bucks to see a big Broadway production. We, on the other hand, will see you at the TKTS booth.

Not too long ago, we talked with actor Curtiss Cook about the roles he’s got in the works, and Breaking Point was next on the chopping block. Like clockwork, we now get the official trailer for the film, which hits theaters this Friday, December 4th. The film stars Tom Berenger as Steven Luisi, an ex-criminal defense attorney that gets involved in using drugs. He soon gets roped into a murder case that he attempts to solve with ex-athlete turned gang member Richard “Beanz” Allen (Sticky Fingaz), taking on the murderous Gang leader Bowen (Busta Rhymes) who used to supply Luisi with drugs. All of this most likely ends in some serious showdown, which we imagine will be ridonk. Be sure to check for this one.

A while back, we posted about Viola Davis signing on to co-star alongside Keir Gilchrist, Zach Galifianakis, Emma Roberts, Zoe Kravitz, Aasif Mandvi, Lauren Graham and Jim Gaffigan in the film It’s Kind of a Funny Story. Now, it looks as though production has begun on the film, which sees writer/directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck at the helm (they previously did Half Nelson). According to a press release, the film began production this week in New York City, and while there isn’t really much more news on how filming is coming along, it’s a sign that the movie is still on track to hit theaters November 2010. And for those of you that don’t know of this one, it focuses on a teenager (Gilchrist) that ends up in the adult ward of a mental hospital after voluntarily checking himself into a health clinic and finding that the youth ward is closed. We’re sure we’ll hear when production is a wrap, so stay tuned.

With any animated Disney film, the soundtrack is essential component to making the film thrive. If you take a stroll down memory lane, nearly every Disney animated fairy tale has boasted a timeless score that’s closely tied to the film, with classics like The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Lion King and a host of others having an equally classic batch of tunes featured in the film and a few extras tacked onto the album release.

Though Disney’s latest animated flick The Princess and the Frog hasn’t yet been released on a national scale, listeners can get a taste for its musical counterpart with the release of the film’s soundtrack, which is almost entirely scored by movie composition master Randy Newman (the theme song “Never Knew I Needed You” comes courtesy of Ne-Yo). And while a Disney soundtrack really needs the visual counterpart to help thread the narrative together, the music stands alone as a lush, finely orchestrated collection of songs, peppered with New Orleans flair on some tracks and bits of ragtime, classical and pop on others. But as varied as it is, the soundtrack sure plays like it’ll fit right into the film itself - a sure sign the Disney might have another hit on their hands.

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You might not know that Anthony Mackie is a seasoned Broadway thespian, so we figured we’d break the news to you gently. His latest foray into acting on Broadway comes in the form of A Behanding in Spokane, which stars Mackie alongside Christopher Walken, Sam Rockwell and Zoe Kazan in the John Crowley-directed play. Written by Academy Award-winner Martin McDonagh, Spokane focuses on take a man searching for his missing hand (Walken), two con artists (Mackie and Kazan) and an inquisitive hotel clerk (Rockwell), with plans for the play to begin performances Monday, February 15th and open Thursday, March 4th at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. As for Mackie, he’s been a Broadway baby for years, getting his kicks as Tupac Shakur in the Off-Broadway production of Up Against the Wind (he would later reprise his role in Notorious), later making his way to Broadway, starring opposite Whoopi Goldberg in August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, acting in Chekhov’s The Seagull and starring in the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Soldier’s Play. This is real acting, folks. Take notes.

Disney’s newest addition to its cabinet of animated films is The Princess and the Frog, which hits theaters next Friday, December 11th. But like most films that are trying to build up a healthy buzz, advance screenings (and limited showings in select cities) were held to give reviewers the opportunity to check out the film before it hits its mainstream stride. And so far, the reviews have been glowing. The film, which stars Anika Noni Rose as the voice of Princess Tiana, has dazzled critics across the country, and instead of forcing you to comb through the internet to find enough reviews to help you form your own opinion, Showing Out went ahead and did the work for you. Hit the jump to see a batch of reviews and quotes about The Princess and the Frog.

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A little more film news for you today, this time coming on the independent hush. According to a press release, writer/director Ava DuVernay’s I Will Follow has wrapped up principal photography, putting the film on track for a late 2010 release date. The film, which was shot in Topanga Canyon, California, stars Salli Richardson (pictured above), Tracie Thoms (Rent, Cold Case), Omari Hardwick (Next Day Air) and Beverly Todd (Crash, The Bucket List) in a drama that focuses on a thirtysomething woman that moves out of her home after a loved one passes away. Taking place in real time, the film, which also stars Dijon Talton (Glee) and Michole White (She Hate Me), follows her moving day that’s sidetracked by a handful of emotional tests, leading to “emotional freedom.” I Will Follow is the follow-up to DuVernay’s L.A. music doc This is the Life. Hit the jump to see pics from the set.

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