Showing Out

Last we heard on Jamie Foxx starring in in a film, he signed on to shoot the big screen version of Sheneneh alongside Martin Lawrence. But additionally, he’s got another work in the pipeline, too. According to screenwriter Kyle Ward’s Twitter account, Foxx has signed on to play Lynch in Lionsgate’s video game adaptation of Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, which is slated to be directed by Simon Crane (producer of Jumper). Bruce Willis was previously attached to play the role of Kane, though that deal isn’t necessarily finalized for the film at the moment. In the meantime, if you can’t really wait for the film adaptation of the game, be on the lookout for the video game sequel Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days, which will be released later this year. Good luck with this one, Foxxy.

For those of you up on your Michael Jackson paraphernalia and collectibles, you most likely have Ian Halperin’s book Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson. Now, there’s even more news worthy of rejoicing. According to Variety, Halperin is keeping on with his MJ-focused projects with his upcoming 88-minute documentary Gone Too Soon that comes from 300 hours of footage taken inside MJ’s camp. The film is set to premiere next month at the Mip TV confab in Cannes, with plans to bring the film to theaters in Canada and France on June 25th - the first anniversary of Jackson’s death. The footage in the film includes audio and video of Jackson just before his death, in addition to interviews with everyone from his everyday life (his trainer, hairstylist, manager, chef, etc). If this doesn’t get your blood pumping, you need a Jacksonvention.

Last we heard on Ice Cube’s 30 for 30 episode “Straight Outta L.A.” for ESPN, the rapper took a trip to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to commemorate the Los Angeles Raiders, bringing along a camera crew to do a documentary-style film that reflected on the last team to play in the stadium. Now, it’s heading to a screen near you. According to Screen Daily, the ep will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 23rd, with plans to air the doc on ESPN on May 11th. “Straight Outta L.A. gives us an entertaining, first-hand account of how a professional sports team captivated a city and ultimately changed the culture of LA,” said Nancy Schafer, Tribeca Film Festival’s executive director. “For the past three years, the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival programme has been an audience favourite at our Festival, and this year’s line-up will continue that tradition.” Gotta love them festivals.

Actress Kali Hawk has gotten a few big gigs in the past couple of years, having starred in Couples Retreat as Faizon Love’s wife and the upcoming Judd Apatow-produced Get Him to the Greek. Now, she’s getting a bit more serious with her roles, with the announcement that she’s joined the cast of the thriller Answers to Nothing. The film, which stars Dane Cook and Barbara Hershey, is set to be directed by Matthew Leutwyler, writer of the upcoming remake of Creepshow. The film is set against the backdrop of a missing person’s case, focusing on lost souls based in Los Angeles who search for redemption and meaning and how said people affect each other in non-evident ways. No word on when the film begins shooting, but keep on the lookout for Hawk. Her career is clearly - ahem - starting to soar.

Last we heard on Lee Daniels’ follow-up to Precious, the director had cast Lenny Kravitz in his upcoming civil rights film Selma. Now, he’s got another actor added to the fold. According to THR, Daniels has cast David Oyelowo as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in the film, which, though its funding is “on shaky ground,” seems to be moving full speed ahead. Oyelowo, who starred in The Last King of Scotland and will next appear in George Lucas’ Red Tails, joins Hugh Jackman, who stars as “a racist sheriff in the tale revolving around the historic marches staged by King in 1965 in Selma, Ala. Though there’s no word on when filming will begin, financial woes are already threatening the production, with funder Pathe International reportedly scaling back its involvement in bankrolling the film. But if Daniels managed to make Precious on a shoestring budget, anything is possible. Stay tuned for more on this one.

Speaking of James Cameron, here’s some news regarding his most recent box office feat Avatar. According to the L.A. Times, Avatar will hit retail on April 22nd care of Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment in both DVD and Blu-ray formats. The release is being described as “unconventional,” forgoing the extra features and settling on just a simple menu function, a decision meant to allow every part of the disc to be used for the best graphical presentation. And on top of that, Avatar will become the first Blu-ray film in history to be released by a major studio without a single promo trailer or item of any kind. The only downside? The release won’t be in 3-D. But by the time April 22nd rolls around, if you haven’t seen the film yet, you’re already a lost cause.

Just when you thought life could get any worse, here comes some news that is bound to crush your soul. Like everything in Hollywood these days, James Cameron is planning on bringing his next film to the big screen in 3-D - only it’s with his 1997 blockbuster Titanic. In an interview with Empire, Cameron plans to bring Titanic back to theaters in 3-D in 2012, discussing how the project is coming along. “We’re going to do Titanic in 3-D!” he says. “We’ve already done a 90 second clip of it and it’s phenomenal and gorgeous, so that’s going to be the project for next year. It’s a conversion of it, not native photography; we can’t go back.” Talk about a shipwreck. Yikes.

Forest Whitaker had a mediocre entry with his new film Our Family Wedding at the box office this weekend, bowing at number five with little fanfare. But that doesn’t mean he’s throwing in the towel anytime soon. According to Variety, Whitaker has already set his sights on his next flick with the thesp in talks to star in indie drama Little Treasure, a film that focuses on a couple who returns to the wife’s homeland of China. The film, which will be shot on location in Shanghai, will be directed by Michael D. Olmos from a script by Josh Goldstein with shooting to begin next month. Looks like someone’s gettin’ that Shanghai money.

If you were one of the many unfortunate souls who didn’t happen to score a ticket to Black Eyed Peas’ current “The E.N.D. World” Tour (though there’s still a good chance you can - it runs until the end of August), then dry those eyes. According to THR, a film of the concert will screen in 500 movie theaters nationwide beginning on March 30th, giving you a chance to see Fergie in her hi-def glory. The event is being brought to your local cinema care of Fathom Events, who taped the show at Los Angeles’ Staples Center in addition to nabbing 30 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage and interviews to tack onto the film. Though you probably won’t get to see any footage of opening acts LMFAO and Ludacris, you know it’ll be worth it just to see the gleam of will.i.am’s diamond-studded jacket on a giant screen.

It’s amazing that word of the upcoming movie Predators only got out back in October 2009, yet here we are with footage from the film already hitting the net. In the above clip, we get a first look at Robert Rodriguez’s reboot, with the director discussing how he approached making the film as clips from the set are shown through voiceover. The film stars Adrien Brody, Laurence Fishburne, Topher Grace, Danny Trejo, Alice Braga and a handful of others in this series remake, focusing on a group of elite warriors are hunted by members of a merciless alien race known as Predators. Though we don’t get to actually see any Predator (the big reveal will most likely be made in the weeks leading up to the film’s release), the footage looks like it’s pretty tough. If this is up your alley, check for it when it hits theaters July 7th.