Carmike Cinemas opts to not show ‘The Interview’ after new threats issued in latest Sony hack

Written by O’Boyd

Carmine Cinemas has become the first movie theater chain to decide it won’t run the Seth Rogan/James Franco film “The Interview.”

Sony reports it is moving forward with the planned Christmas release. According to The Hollywood Reporter, it has told theater chains that booked the film it has the option not to show it in their theaters. Carmike Cinemas operates 278 theaters across the country and is based in Columbus, Ga.

The news come amid more threats from the hacker group Guardians of Peace, which has claimed responsibility for the massive leaks of thousands of Sony employees’ private emails and files. The group also made its first threat towards theaters earlier Tuesday, stating a 9/11-style attack would happen if the film is released.

Just before midnight, THR reported the New York premiere for the film had been cancelled. 9/11 happened in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001. Rogan and Franco have also cancelled planned appearances in the city for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Tuesday, the hackers made good on their promise of releasing a “Christmas gift” by releasing an eighth batch of documents to the Internet. The Hollywood Reporter reports it appears to be the entire email account of Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman and CEO Michael Lynton.

On Monday, Lynton told people at a town hall meeting: “This will not take us down.”

In Tuesday’s messages, THR said it warned: “We will clearly show [the remainder of the Christmas gift] to you at the very time and places ‘The Interview’ be shown, including the premiere, how bitter fate those who seek fun in terror should be doomed to.”

Also from THR:

Tuesday’s email message was sent to reporters with links to peer-to-peer sites that contained part one of GOP’s “Christmas gift,” which it promised over the weekend in a previous message.

“We have already promised a Christmas gift to you,” the message continued. “This is the beginning of the gift. … Soon all the world will see what an awful movie Sony Pictures Entertainment has made. The world will be full of fear. Remember the 11th of September 2001. We recommend you to keep yourself distant from the places at that time. (If your house is nearby, you’d better leave.) Whatever comes in the coming days is called by the greed of Sony Pictures Entertainment. All the world will denounce the SONY.”

The note then mentioned the September 11, 2001, attacks, and stated that the “world would be full of fear.”

“Soon all the world will see what an awful movie Sony Pictures Entertainment has made. The world will be full of fear. Remember the 11th of September 2001. We recommend you to keep yourself distant from the places at that time. (If your house is nearby, you’d better leave.)”

Viola Davis slated to be final piece to ‘Suicide Squad’ puzzle

Written by O’Boyd

Looks like we won’t be seeing Oprah Winfrey in a comic-book related film after all. At least not in “Suicide Squad.”

Latino Review broke the news late Tuesday evening that Viola Davis, currently starring in the ABC television show “How to Get Away With Murder,” will play the role of Prison Warden Amanda Waller in the new “Suicide Squad” film. The role was considered down to Davis and two other actresses: Oprah Winfrey and Octavia Spencer.

She’s join Jared Leto as the Joker, Will Smith as Headshot, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Tom Hardy as Rick Flag, Jai Courtney as Boomerang and Carla Delevinge as Enchantress. Latino Review describes Waller as “a former congressional aide and government agent often placed in charge of the Suicide Squad, a semi-secret government-run group of former supervillains working in return for amnesty.”

Latino Review reports the only sticking point would be trying to figure out how to work the film into her already busy television schedule.

New international trailer for Disney’s ‘Cinderella’ remake hits web

Written by O’Boyd

It was just a couple of weeks ago that Disney released its first trailer for the live-action remake of “Cinderella.”

The film is slated to hit theaters on March 13 and looks really interesting. It stars Cate Blanchett, Lily James, Richard Madden and Helena Bonham Carter. A “Frozen” short, “Frozen Forever,” is also slated to be viewed before the “Cinderella” film.

A new international trailer has hit the web with some new and additional footage not seen in the original trailer.

Above is the international trailer. Below is the original first trailer.

Could there be a ‘Ghostbusters’ film involving Channing Tatum, Chris Pratt?

Written by O’Boyd

The latest news coming out of the Sony hacks has Channing Tatum interested in a spinoff to the “Ghostbusters” franchise with Chris Pratt tagging along. And apparently Sony is in on the ride.

The Daily Beast reports Tatum sent an email to Sony’s Amy Pascal on Aug. 21 expressing his interest in making such a film.

From The Daily Beast:

“Let us show the world The DarkSide and let us fight it with all the glory and epicness of a HUGE BATMAN BEGINS MOVIE. I know we can make this a huge franchise. Fun adventure craziness. COME OONNNN!!!”

The following day, Hannah Minghella, co-president of production for Columbia Pictures, sent Pascal and other Sony executives an email further explaining Tatum’s idea.

“So… in a curious turn of events – the Russos and Channing want to develop Ghostbusters as a vehicle for Channing and Chris Pratt to do together. The Russos, Channing and Reid have been brainstorming ideas and want to create a whole new mythology that would support multiple movies (the way that Nolan reinvented Batman). To be clear – the Russos want to produce (not direct) and while Channing and Chris are looking for a movie to do together they haven’t mentioned this to him yet because they weren’t sure how we’d react. They want to make it simultaneously super scary while also super funny. They love the idea that they are mortal heroes who are believers in the paranormal and the only people who can defend mankind from a paranormal threat. I know we’re mid negotiations with Paul [Feig]. I’m not sure whether we’d ever develop two different versions simultaneously. Joe Russo is open to the idea that both movies could be developed in partnership so they compliment one another within the same Ghostbusters universe. Apparently the Russos are very close to Paul and Joe suggested Paul could be attached to direct both. Personally I think it’s possible for the female version to co-exist with this other version so maybe they’re not mutually exclusive.”

A new “Ghostbusters” with an all female cast has been buzzed about for weeks. Jennifer Lawrence, Melissa McCarthy, Emma Stone, Amy Schumer and Lizzy Caplan have been mentioned for the roles, among others.

‘Kong: Skull Island’ adds J.K. Simmons to cast

Written by O’Boyd

J.K. Simmons, the fire-breathing teacher in “Whiplash,” will be a part of the newest King Kong remake, “Kong: Skull Island.”

Deadline is reporting Simmons will join Tom Hiddleston, who will be the lead actor, in the Universal Pictures film that’s set to be released on March 10, 2017. The film will center around Skull Island, where King Kong calls home.

Next ‘Star Trek’ film has narrowed list to five directors

Written by O’Boyd

Paramount Pictures, JJ Abrams and Skydance Productions have narrowed a list down to five directors who could lead the third installment of the current “Star Trek” franchise.

Rupert Wyatt, Morten Tyldum, Daniel Espinosa, Justin Lin and Duncan Jones

Deadline is reporting Rupert Wyatt (“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”) heads a list that includes Morten Tyldum (“The Imitation Game”), Daniel Espinosa (“Safe House”), Justin Lin (“Fast & Furious”) and Duncan Jones (“Source Code”).

One of the five will take over for Roberto Orci, who was originally slated to direct the film but has seen bowed out. Edgar Wright was once believed to be of interest, but his name appears to have faded from the picture.

There is no timetable for when the new director will be chosen.

‘MoonQuake Lake’ isn’t real … and that’s a good thing

Written by O’Boyd

The remake of the film “Annie” hits theaters on Friday. But so does “MoonQuake Lake.”

Sort of.

In “Annie,” Jamie Foxx’s billionaire character Will Stacks takes Qhvenzhne Wallis’ Annie and her friends to the premiere of a film called “MoonQuake Lake.” So it’s a movie within a movie.

The fake movie has Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher, who recently celebrated the birth of their first child, along with Rihanna. The film even has its own website, which launched earlier this year.

The film – “Annie” not “MoonQuake Lake” – is directed by Will Gluck, who previously directed Kunis and Justin Timberlake in “Friends with Benefits.”

The trailer is … interesting, to say the least.

‘Let’s Be Cops’ tops DVD rentals for first time

Written by O’Boyd

Every Tuesday, we’ll publish the latest list of top DVD rentals, according to information released by HomeMediaMagazine.com. The website is one of the industry leaders in tracking information on movie rentals at scores and at Red Box.

“Let’s Be Cops,” the buddy comedy about two guys who dress up as cops and become neighborhood sensations, tops the DVD rental charts released this week by Home Media Magazine, which charts such numbers each week.

The film, which has a 6.6 rating on IMDB.com, was released on Nov. 11. Word of mouth along with its full saturation into Red Box helped in putting it on the top of the charts. The film was not initially released to Red Box until a few weeks later because of the rental policy it has with 20th Century Fox for all its films.

“Tammy,” last week’s No. 1, moved down to No. 2 while “How to Train Your Dragon 2” was third in its first week of full release. Guardians of the Galaxy, which was released onto DVD last Tuesday, didn’t come to Red Box until Friday, which caused it to pop up fourth. The film is currently the highest-selling DVD and Blu-Ray in the country.

NOTE: Last week’s numbers by Home Media Magazine were not released until last weekend for an undetermined reason. Below is the list for this week and the list for last week.

Top 10 through Dec. 14 (Move links take you to Roger Thomas’ review of the film.)

1. Let’s Be Cops

2. Tammy

3. How to Train Your Dragon 2

4. Guardians of the Galaxy

5. When a Flame Stands Still

6. 22 Jump Street

7. The Expendables 3

8. Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas

9. Maleficent

10. The Giver

Top 10 through Dec. 7

1. Tammy

2. 22 Jump Street

3. The Expendables 3

4. Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas

5. The Giver

6. Maleficent

7. The Purge: Anarchy

8. X-Men: Days of Future Past

9. Earth to Echo

10. Sex Tape

You can see the full list here, from IMDB.com.

‘Selma’ star’s next project is ‘Americana’

David Oyelowo (BET)

Written by O’Boyd

David Oyelowo, currently getting praise for his role in the film “Selma,” about the Civil Rights marches and Martin Luther King Jr., has his next project lined up.

Variety reports he’ll star with Lupita Wyong’o in “Americana.” It’s a film based on the book with the same title and centers around a Nigerian couple who leave their homeland for the U.S. The book, written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, won the National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction in 2013.

Wyong’o is also producing the film along with Plan B, Brad Pitt’s company. It also produced “Selma” and “12 Years a Slave.” The film doesn’t have a director yet.

What You Missed: Dec. 16, 2014

Written by O’Boyd

Another new feature in Cinema Corner 2.0 is our wrap-up file of all the movie-related events from the day. Think the Drudge Report meets Hollywood. We’ll list here some of the stuff we’ve posted from earlier in the day along with other items we think you should check out. Each day, we hope to provide you with a roundup of sorts of the things we believe you’ll enjoy and want to read about.

As always, enjoy.

Be careful out there when navigating those ice and snowy roads during this holiday season. We wouldn’t want you to get in an accident … with a Tie Fighter.

Heres Monday’s headlines from stories we’ve written …

YouTube video pits Spielberg, Hitchcock, Tarantino, Kubrick, Bay in epic rap battle

Hot Toys gives us a glimpse of the new Iron Man armor we’ll see in next “Avengers” film.

Next ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ film may be going young for last major role

Terrence Malick film ‘Knight of Cups’ releases first trailer

‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’ featurette makes us love this film even more

‘Birdman’ soars with 13 nominations for Critics’ Choice Movie Awards

Coming to DVD: Dec. 16, 2014

• The New York Times responds to Sony Pictures’ demand that publications not publish leaked information in the recent hack.

• Another Sony email hack shows there’s the possibility of a “Django Unchained” sequel involving Zorro.

• Seth Rogan gave his opinion on the Sony hack: “Everyone is doing exactly what these criminals want.”

• ˙Here’s why Collider isn’t specifically covering news of the Sony hacks.

• The Hollywood Reporter analysis whether Sony could even have the right to sue the media over published stories on the leaked emails.

• The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case involving the inventor of a Spider-Man kid’s toy that lets you pretend to shoot webs and why Marvel continues to owe him royalties.

• Eddie Redmayne, who plays Stephen Hawking in “The Theory of Everything” just got married.

FirstShowing.net has its 2014 Black List of the best unproduced scripts. There are some neat ideas out there not being developed.

See Daniel Craig and co-star Rory Kinnear riding a patrol boat on the Thames River in front of the MI6 building during shooting for “Spectre.”

• There are two new additions to Sundance: “A Walk in the Woods,” which stars Sundance founder Robert Redford, and “True Story,” with Jonah Hill and James Franco.

• Some spoilers for “Batman V Superman” include a response to those who thought Superman should not have killed Zod in “Man of Steel.”

• Frank Oz, the original voice of Yoda, will reprise the role in the Disney cartoon “Star Wars Rebels.”

• Colby Smulders tackles motherhood in the Sundance film “Unexpected.” Entertainment Weekly has an exclusive photo.

• EW also tries to fact-check “Exodus: Gods and Kings.”

• ComingSoon.net has detailed character analysis for the February film “50 Shades of Grey.” It is SFW … the film is a different story.

 • Here’s the movies leaving Netflix in January. And here’s what’s coming in January.

• SchmoesKnow.com has “A Christmas Carol” as its next movie in its 25 Days of Christmas.

Here’s the 2014 Final Cut movie mashup from JoBlo.com.

• John Hamm is glad he’s not involved in any super hero movies.

• MoviePilot.com has some “haunting” photos of actors that were taken not long before they died.

• In an interview with GQ magazine, Chris Hemsworth doesn’t have much empathy for his brother and his previous love interests.