Producer Avi Lerner dropped a handful of big names when asked which action heavyweights are being courted for the inevitable Expendables 3 ; I’m willing to bet at least one of them (*cough* Snipes *cough*) takes him up on the offer. “We’ve approached Clint Eastwood to be one of the guys, we’ve got a character in mind for him,” Lerner told Total Film. “We’re talking to Harrison Ford . [And we want] Wesley Snipes when he comes back from prison. I’ll give you one more name, we’ve got Nicolas Cage to play [one of the characters]… And we’re going to bring Mickey Rourke back, if he won’t be too crazy.” Which begs the question: When has Mickey Rourke not been “too crazy?” Is he still Mickey Rourke if he isn’t acting just a little insane? [ Total Film ]
Ever wonder where Donald Trump got his take-n0-prisoners executive style? Well, based on his favorite movies, it’s part Corleone family , part Tommy DeVito , part Rhett Butler and part Blondie from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly , although, frankly, it was Clint Eastwood who could have used a little of the Donald’s mojo when it came to that lame-ass speech the actor-filmmaker gave at the Republican National Convention in Tampa. After the Today show aired an unseen GOP convention video on Wednesday that featured the real-estate tycoon and reality-TV-show host firing President Obama Celebrity Apprentice -style — check out the video after the jump — Movieline got to thinking about what films Trump might like to watch when he’s not the one on camera. We inquired, and he graciously provided us with a list that, if you ask me, provides an interesting glimpse into his business philosophy. The son of the late real-estate developer Fred Trump, Donald didn’t just follow in his father’s footsteps, he built the Trump name into an internationally recognized brand and became a hip-hop idol in the process. Given his beginnings, it’s not surprising that one of his picks deals with another type of family business. Another choice, reveals that for all the firing he does, Trump is a romantic at heart. Herewith, are Trump’s five favorite movies, along with commentary from the man himself. 1. Citizen Kane (Director, Orson Welles; 1941): ” It is one of the greats of all time. The acting, the story, the production values are all superb. The fact that it was Orson Welles’ first feature film is also impressive, and the mystery of Rosebud in the midst of a narrative about a business power play gives it further resonance. Hard to beat.” 2. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Director, Sergio Leone; 1966) ” It’s tough. It’’s real. It’s well done. The music is unforgettable. The characters are well developed and sometimes remind me of some of the types I’ve had to deal with over the years in business. No weak points here.” 3. Gone with the Wind (Director, Victor Fleming; 1939): “It’s a classic. It has stood the test of time. For me, it’s a love story combined with a time in our country’s history that was pivotal in our evolution. The scope of the storytelling is tremendous.” 4. G oodFellas (Director, Martin Scorsese; 1990): ” Great entertainment, with a stellar cast and terrific direction. The intensity propelled the story forward and the ‘business’ and how it was handled was impressive.” 5. The Godfather (Director, Francis Ford Coppola; 1972): Another classic, as was The Godfather: Part II. The story is riveting and the characters were perfectly cast and directed. The family aspect intrigued me as did their business and history. Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news , world news , and news about the economy Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
After nine seasons on NBC, The Office will air its final episode next May. Executive producer Greg Daniels confirmed that Season 9 will be its last . “This year feels like the last chance to … make an artistic ending for the show,” Daniels said of the show based on the beloved UK comedy of the same name. The Office debuted in the U.S. in 2005, making a star out of Steve Carell as Michael Scott, hapless manager of paper company Dunder-Mifflin’s Scranton branch. Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, BJ Novak, Mindy Kaling, Ed Helms and others have co-starred hilariously in the long-running pseudo-documentary. Carell left the series after its seventh season in 2010. Daniels says viewers won’t want to miss all the questions that will be answered during the swan song. Among the big reveals? “We’re going to see who is behind the documentary. [Fans] will pleased and excited by what we have planned for them this year.” “There’s so much to pay off after nine seasons … My biggest concern is just packing in all these great ideas the writing staff has into the ending.”
Rosie O’Donnell is resting comfortably at home today, following a major health scare last week: the former talk show host suffered a heart attack and considers herself lucky to be alive. But might have that frightening incident have led to a thawing in one of Hollywood’s most icy feuds? After learning of the news, Donald Trump – the same Donald Trump who has referred to Rosie as a “pig, a “degenerate” (below) and ” a loser ” – actually Tweeted the following message to his occasional rival: “Rosie, get better fast. I’m starting to miss you!”
Heads up, fanboys and girls: Marvel has released a barrage of Avengers clips ahead of its September 25 Blu-ray/DVD street date, including the geek-baiting post-credits scene that had fans in a tizzy. No, not the one that boosted sales of shawarma around the nation ; the other Easter Egg, which revealed a menacing glimpse of the real orchestrator behind Loki’s invasion of Earth. The impending Blu-ray/DVD release has also given Marvel occasion to release a handful of additional clips from the film, reminding what life was like before The Dark Knight Rises came along and stole everyone’s thunder. I’d include a spoiler warning here, but if you’re reading this now and haven’t seen Avengers yet… well, I can’t help you there. The post-credits peek reveals Marvel baddie Thanos, who is believed to be the villain in the next Avengers pic. This might also be the closest we’ll come to another Hellboy sequel. (Kidding!) [via Badass Digest ]
“I didn’t just want to come here and say I made a record in Jamaica and grew some dreadlocks,” insists rapper Snoop Dogg in the trailer for Reincarnated , announced today as an official selection of this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. “Rastafari called me.” Watch the trailer for Reincarnated for your first glimpse of Snoop Dogg — or rather, Snoop Lion, his newly minted reggae identity — leaving hip-hop behind to sing and smoke up a storm in his new rasta life. The doc, a co-production of Vice Films and Snoop’s own Snoopadelic Films, probably isn’t a terribly incisive or objective look at the musician’s musical shift, and it’s unclear how fleeting an alter ego “Snoop Lion” will be in the long run. But as the trailer speeds through a montage of Snoop’s past, it makes a case for why the erstwhile Calvin Broadus might have sought spiritual rebirth after a decades-long career in the rap game that has seen friends and collaborators pass on, sometimes violently. Beyond the personal loss of figures like Tupac and Nate Dogg, Snoop’s musical career has seemed to plateau in the last decade; how did the slim (with the tilted brim) rapper behind 1993’s “Doggystyle” wind up phoning in verses on Katy Perry Top 40 hits, writing rap songs about True Blood and roasting Donald Trump? Seizing the opportunity for Ali-esque cross-cultural/getting-in-touch-with-his-roots drama, Reincarnated came about when Snoop traveled to Jamaica to record with the producer Diplo. “While there,” explains the synopsis, “Snoop finds himself embraced by the Jamaican people, is positively impacted by Rastafarian culture, and becomes reincarnated as Snoop Lion.” Verdict: It all sounds so perfectly calculated. And yet, compared to Snoop’s post-fame exploits, it might also be his most sincere artistic expression in years. Reincarnated will screen at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival. See more titles in the line-up here . Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Maybe call it a trailer preamble. Tidbits of the backstory and a tease of M. Night Shyamalan’s upcoming sci-fi pic After Earth spread around the internet after the film’s official site launched a run-down of the backstory. The video gives an account of a 1908 spacecraft crash and the subsequent discovery of a technology called “Lightstream” that propelled humankind forward, before ultimately destroying it. Will Smith and his son Jaden Smith star in the project, which is slated for release next June. The Columbia Pictures release pictures the descendants of the original Polish scientist who worked on the technology, the Raige family, studied Lightstream for generations, but its advances also resulted in environmental catastrophe and one of their own, Skyler Raige leads thousands to an alternative world. They become the most influential family in human history… Smith and Smith play, you guessed it, father and son in this new world 1,000 years after the cataclysmic events forced humanity to flee earth, according to Comingsoon.net (http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=92568). The elder Smith returns from duty to be a father to his estranged son Kitai (the younger Smith). But when an asteroid destroys their craft, they crash-down on a now unfamiliar planet Earth. Kitai has always wanted to be a soldier, and now with his father seriously injured in the cockpit, he must traverse a hostile land to recover their rescue beacon. [Source: Comingsoon.net and Columbia Pictures ]
The stars of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises descended upon NYC — the O.G. Gotham City — to premiere the Batman trilogy finale Monday night, with some surprise guest celebs hitting the red carpet alongside Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Wonder how red carpet guest Donald Trump enjoyed the flick, which sees the hulking villain Bane encourage the 99% to rise up and topple the system into ruin? Or if Hathaway shared the secrets of her Catwoman costume with feminist icon Gloria Steinem ? Those snaps and more in Movieline’s TDKR premiere gallery … Click the happiness below for more images . Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Leighton Meester 1, Leighton Meester’s slightly insane mom 0. That’s the score after the Gossip Girl star won a judgment against her mom today, officially stating that Leighton does not owe Connie Meester any money. Ever. Leighton claimed Connie diverted money Leighton had sent to her little brother Lex, who suffers from serious medical problems, and spent it on herself. Frivolously. Connie used the $7,500 per month Leighton sent home for Lex on things like plastic surgery, Botox, and hair extensions, resulting in a lawsuit from Leighton. The elder Meester then sued her , demanding a portion of the star’s earnings, claiming Leighton had promised to take care of her and that’s why she spent the cash. But a judge today officially dismissed that claim, ruling there was no such agreement and siding squarely with Leighton (who also appears in That’s My Boy ). Leighton actually didn’t sue to recover any money from Connie, BT-Dubs, she just wanted a judge to make her mom go away and stop stealing from Lex. Done and done.
Donald Trump has announced that the Miss Universe Organization – which he owns! – plans to sue Miss Pennsylvania USA, a.k.a. Sheena Monnin . Monnin resigned her crown Tuesday claiming Sunday’s Miss USA pageant was rigged … and has no morals for allowing transgendered contestants. Miss Rhode Island Olivia Culpo won Miss USA 2012 , while Monnin, who did not place in the top five, said it was predetermined from the start. Trump begs to differ and says he hopes Monnin has a good lawyer. Donald Trump Responds to Sheena Monnin “We’re going to bring a lawsuit against this girl,” he told Today co-anchor Ann Curry and ABC’s George Stephanopoulos in separate interviews. “It is so ridiculous,” Trump told Curry of Monnin’s charge, noting that the voting is “supervised by Ernst and Young and everything is certified.” “They’ve done an investigation. I just found out about it … the person that supposedly showed the list totally denies that that ever took place.” Besides, he noted later, “the organization doesn’t care who the Top 5 are, or the Top 10,” adding, “I mean, what difference does it make?” Hard to argue with him on the latter point. You’ve seen one Miss USA, you’ve pretty much seen them all … even if they’re all smoking hot. Anyway, Trump says Sheena Monnin is bitter because she’s not it. Monnin announced Tuesday on Facebook page she was resigning after she “witnessed another contestant who said she saw the list of the Top 5 BEFORE THE SHOW EVER STARTED proceed to call out in order who the Top 5 were.” “After it was indeed the Top 5 I knew the show must be rigged; I decided at that moment to distance myself from an organization who did not allow fair play and whose morals did not match my own,” she added. By “morals,” she means Trump’s decision to change the rules and allow Jenna Talackova to compete for Miss Canada despite being born a man. Asked his first impression of Monnin, Trump said, “I saw her and my impressions were she didn’t have a chance of being in the Top 15 – not even close.” “And all this is, is a girl who went there, lost, wasn’t in the 15, and she’s angry at the system … I never felt she had a chance. All this is is buyer’s remorse.” Donald Trump, ladies and gentlemen.
