While out at SXSW, Cinematical's Scott Weinberg and I had a chat about Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and we both agreed it was a pretty good flick. Naturally, it wasn't dark and intense enough for the hardcore fans, but we kinda liked the fact that there was this comic book film that was made for actual kids, as well as fans. It was goofy, fun, exciting and cool. Best comic flick ever? Hardly. But definitely worthy of another sequel.

Alas, according to Chris Evans (aka Johnny Storm), it would appear a third Fantastic Four is not in the cards. He tells MTV, "I'm pretty sure we won't do [another] one. I'm assuming that one is a closed book." Evans later went into a tad more detail: "After the first one was released we got wind of potential titles and plots [almost immediately], and I've heard nothing from anyone at Fox [yet]. We had all planned on doing [another] one but if there were going to be a third I think a week after the second one was released we would have heard." Too bad.

There's always a chance, however, that Johnny Storm will show up in another comic book flick; either a Silver Surfer solo film or, perhaps, a completely different hero. Will he do it if he's offered the part? "Absolutely. If Johnny Storm wanted to make a pop in appearance in one of those movies that would be a treat."

What say you? Were you hoping for a Fantastic Four 3?

Tomorrow (June 21) marks the summer solstice, and I guess to celebrate the beginning of the season, director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting) has sent Cinematical this compilation of trivia about the solstice and the sun. Boyle isn't just sharing us some random facts, though; this is obviously a promotion for his latest movie, Sunshine. It would seem to have made sense for Fox Searchlight to release the sci-fi pic, which stars Cillian Murphy, this weekend rather than exactly one month after, but whatever (its better than waiting until December). The movie has already opened in other parts of the world, way ahead of the appropriate date.

For those unaware of Sunshine, it is about a crew of spacemen sent to jumpstart our solar system's dying star. Yes, it sounds a little like an exo-version of The Core, but with Boyle and his usual screenwriter Alex Garland (since 28 Days Later, anyway -- he also wrote the source novel from which Boyle made The Beach) involved, Sunshine is sure to be much, much better. So far, the movie has a great score over at Rotten Tomatoes, though the reviews seem to be more enthusiastic about the look of the film than its story. Regardless, I am really looking forward to the pic; I haven't disliked one of Boyle's films yet, and I'd hate for this to be the first.

Click on the pic for the full-sized, Boyle-approved facts. For other, more directly-related promotional materials for Sunshine, check out the links to Cinematical's past coverage after the jump.

Okay, bear with me because this is going to get confusing. Keanu Reeves is starring in an upcoming thriller called Night Watch. Its title used to be The Night Watchman, but it was changed, likely to avoid getting mixed up with the upcoming Zack Snyder superhero flick Watchmen. Oh, and this Night Watch has nothing to do with the other Night Watch, the 2004 Russian film that was pretty popular in its own right, and spawned a sequel -- Day Watch -- out this summer. Oh, and it also has nothing to do with the 1997 Ewan McGregor morgue thriller Nightwatch. Which was a remake of a 1994 Danish film...called Nightwatch. So in conclusion, to avoid confusion, they've changed the title to one that will probably cause much, much more confusion. Everybody up to speed? Alright, then let's move on.

Casting news on the film has been dribbling out steadily. In February, Erik told you that Keanu Reeves would star in the film, as an alcoholic LA cop framed by his former mentor. Then Jessica added that the mentor would be played by the always-excellent Forest Whitaker. And now I am telling you that Naomie Harris has joined the cast. Harris is best known for playing Tia Dalma ("Voodoo Lady") in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. She tells mtv Night Watch is "really dark. It's a really great movie, though, and I'm really excited to be part of it." David Ayer will direct the film, which he co-wrote with Jamie Moss and master of LA corruption stories -- James Ellroy. Ayer certainly knows police dramas, having written one of the best recent examples -- Training Day. He made his directorial debut with last year's very effective Harsh Times. Rapper Common, Chris "Flame On!" Evans, and Dr. House himself -- Hugh Laurie -- will round out the cast. I'm not a big Reeves enthusiast, but any movie that puts Whitaker in his "Kavanaugh on The Shield" mode definitely has my interest.

Eight weeks before Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer hits theaters, a number of Youtube videos have popped up featuring a giggly fat man in silver body paint and bald cap who walks around what looks like Venice interacting with the locals and declaring himself to be the real Silver Surfer, as opposed to the toned figure on the billboards. "I wanted to play myself and they said 'no.' I wanted to play Mr. Fantastic and they said 'no.' Racism. It's because of my skin color." I'll say this for Fox's viral marketing department -- at least these clips are mildly amusing. The best one features the chubby Surfer actually attempting to surf. "It's a beautiful morning," he says, chatting up a guy next to him who is also about to go out. "Kind of reminds me of the great deepness of space, you know? Kind of goes on forever." He then takes a running start at the water and freaks out because the water is too cold.

The other three videos aren't quite as good as the surfing one, and the one where he offers "surfing lessons from the Silver Surfer" on the street corner cuts way too fast for us to discern anything about what's going on. Fox should hire a cameraman who knows the principles of comedy a little better. Nevertheless, like I said, it's pretty funny if you're looking for something to watch on a rainy day, as it actually is today. I'll close by reiterating the point of the whole thing -- Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer opens in theaters on June 15.

If this film was to come out a few years ago, say in the time of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and Bridget Jones' Diary, there would probably be a horde of chick-flick enthusiasts cheering, while the rest of the movie-going public gives it a collective....eh. However, The Devil Wears Prada seems to have changed things a bit -- some typical chick-flick fare unexpectedly became a big-buzz movie, mainly due to a certain Ms. Streep. Now, we've got The Nanny Diaries, which has its own high-calibre cast. If the just-released trailer is any indication, it hits all of the mainstays of quirky, mainly-for-ladies comedy, but this may or may not be a good thing.

The players: Scarlett Johansson, Laura Linney, Paul Giamatti, Alicia Keys and Chris Evans (I second Martha's huh?). The story: The X family get a new nanny and treat her terribly. She's frustrated, but she's also falling for a neighbour, Harvard Hottie. Wackiness ensues. The trailer looks fun, but I'm a bit concerned with all of the familiar bits. Sure, movies take from other movies, but while watching the trailer, my brain kept a running count of spoofs -- the music from Metropolitan as they scan the NYC neigborhood, the poor girl meeting the dashing beau at her low-riding worst, continually seeing him during embarrassing run-ins a la Bridget Jones, the challenging kid and the frazzled nanny like Uptown Girls, the advice reminiscent of Prada and of course, the spy-cam scene from Meet the Parents. Regardless, the film looks like fun, light fare, and it's hard to go wrong with Linney.

• Patrick Stewart. Geek credentials -- Living legend. Captain Picard of Trek fame, and Professor X of X-Men fame. They don't come bigger than this dude in the geek world. Stewart will be Max Winters, a "tech industrialist who is amassing an army of monsters in the city."
• Sarah Michelle Gellar. Geek credentials -- television geek queen, as the star of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Gellar is the voice of April, who is a "researcher" in this film, instead of a news host. She's also the resident den mother for the turtle boys.
• Chris Evans. Geek credentials -- just building the resume, but off to a very strong start as the Human Torch from Fantastic Four. Evans is Casey Jones, the crazy guy with the hockey stick.
• Kevin Smith. Geek credentials -- creator of Jay and Silent Bob, and high-profile comic book fan. Smith's just got himself a small part as a small time chef.
• Zhang Ziyi. Geek credentials -- all sorts of wire-fu, including House of Flying Daggers and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Ziyi provides the voice for lead villain Karai, leader of an army of Foot Ninjas.

I'm not only a sucker for a good remake of classic cheese, but I also love musing over who should be cast as classic characters. Sometimes my vision makes it, like Christian Bale's lips getting the chance to pout below that tight Batman mask, and sometimes it isn't meant to be, like Maggie Gyllenhaal as a classy Lois Lane. Somehow, in all of the discussions I have had over the years concerning remakes, CHiPs never occurred to me. However, I really don't think I could've come up with someone better to take over Ponch than Wilmer Valderrama.

Cinematical has been following the development of this remake for a while now. While recent rumors have given the new Ponch his twenty-first century Jon Baker, Valderrama recently set the record straight during a press junket. There is no saucy partner signed onto the project yet, although Wilmer's wording didn't completely rule out Chris Evans in the part.

What is more promising is Valderrama's attitude towards the remake. The word "remake" usually makes us queasy, and leads to many questions. Will it be a farce like The Brady Bunch Movie? Will it seem too different like Miami Vice? Wilmer insists that this current-day adaptation will be respectful, colorful and fun. Although they've got the script and are currently looking for a director, I wonder if the feather-haired duo will hold the same magic outside the unique style of the seventies and eighties?

[via Cinema Blend]

The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond is a forgotten screenplay* penned by Tennessee Williams. In fact, if you search Wikipedia, it doesn't even come up. It is part of a collection that was found after the playwright's death, and was subsequently published in 1984. It is now coming to the silver screen -- with a headline actress guaranteed to grab people's attention.

Continuing her attraction to almost larger-than-life casts, Lindsay Lohan will star in the feature, which also includes Chris Evans, Ellen Burstyn, David Strathairn and Ann-Margret. The script tells the story of Fisher Willow (Lohan), a 1920's debutante from Memphis with an allergy to narrow-mindedness and a habit for throwing shocks and insults. She falls for Jimmy (Evans), the poor son of an alcoholic man (Strathairn) who works for her family. Obviously, the class divide causes a strain which is further amplified when Fisher loses a diamond.

The casting seems fitting on all accounts. Lohan has made an image for herself as a shocking socialite, and she is familiar with the pressures of losing high-price jewellery, a mistake that is becoming a trend. Burstyn as the southern matriarch is a no-brainer, as is Ann-Margret as Fisher's spinster aunt. And Strathairn, well, he embodies great, gritty acting.

I see this film going one of two ways. There could be a reason no one knows about the play ... and if it's bad, it could swallow the talents of the cast. Or, it could take the Titus route. Although Titus Andronicus was a surprising choice from Shakespeare's vast collection (although one of my personal favorites), it came together in an intriguing, artsy horror fest.

[via The Hollywood Reporter]

*Thank you, Derek for pointing out that this wasn't a theatrical play, but a screenplay. MB