It can't feel great to be known as the guy who blew a primetime career simply because he couldn't keep his big mouth shut. But, there is still hope for Isaiah Washington, and The Hollywood Reporter announced he has picked up his first feature film role since being fired from Grey's Anatomy. Washington has now signed to star opposite Forrest Whitaker in Tim Story's sports drama, Patriots.

Patriots is based on the true story of Al Collins (played by Whitaker); a high school basketball coach. After the disaster of Hurricane Katrina, Collins put together a local team consisting of kids displaced from their schools and homes, and led them to the state championships. Washington will play the assistant coach who helps lead the squad to the championships.

I can't be the only one getting tired of all these inspirational sports movies. It's gotten to the point where they are bleeding together into one long Hallmark Movie of the Week, but for the ESPN set. Although, I should have expected nothing less from the writers behind Remember the Titans and The Great Debaters (debating is kind of a sport, right?). Patriots will begin shooting on location in New Orleans later this week, and will arrive in theaters later this year.

OK, correct me if I am wrong here, but did anyone really enjoy the last two Fantastic Four movies so much that a third installment is really necessary? I guess when the last film raked in $131,921,738, Fox figured they might as well take another shot. IESB recently got the chance to speak with Ms. Invisible herself, Jessica Alba, about the possibility of a third film. For those of us out there who thought the first two were a waste of time and celluloid, don't worry, it looks like we might have the writer's strike to thank for a delay. Alba tells IESB, "I know the writers strike and the impending actors strike has kind of put a wrench in everything production wise. That film takes a lot of prep, a good six months of prep and about six months to shoot. With the strike, I think, maybe it's put on hold."

The first two films were directed by Tim Story, who is currently working on the feel-good sports movie, Patriots, with Forrest Whitaker. So, if a Fantastic sequel is delayed, there is still plenty of time to get Story back at the helm for a third film. News of a third Fantastic film first surfaced back in June; however, while most reports pointed towards a reunion with the Silver Surfer, Alba made no mention of it in her interview with IESB. As for the rest of the cast, Ioan Gruffudd (Mr. Fantastic), Michael Chiklis (The Thing), and Chris Evans (Human Torch), I can only assume they would all be on board for another film. As long as there is some "gold in these hills," it looks like Fox is going to milk the quartet for all they are worth.

Variety reports that the desperate-for-a-hit Weinstein Company is close to signing Forest Whitaker to star in Patriots, a drama to be directed by Tim Story (Barbershop, The Fantastic Four). Whitaker will play "Al Collins, basketball coach for John Ehret High in Marrero, Louisiana, who led his Patriots to the state championship a year after Katrina ravaged the school and displaced many of its students." Collins' team was made up of ten players who had attended five different schools prior to Katrina. I smell Oscars, baby! This is the first film to set a start date as a result of the WGA's deal with The Weinstein Company. Robert Eisele (writer of The Great Debaters, which also starred Whitaker) wrote the script for Patriots.

Says Story, "I've gotten caught up with the Fantastic Four films but wanted to find a smaller film with heart, that brought me back to Barbershop, and this has come together with one of the best actors out there. What Coach Collins did to give back the lives of his players is so inspiring." It does sound like an inspiring story, and with its post-Katrina setting, it's bound to be moving. But Hollywood, you listen to me and you listen good. I need you to take a year off from the inspirational sports movies set against a backdrop of racism, adversity, etc. Just one year, that's all I ask. I can't take it anymore. I like these movies. The formula works. I love Forest Whitaker. But this is enough. They're all basically the same. And Great Debaters? You count too. Simply substituting debate for basketball or football doesn't disguise you. You're one of them, too. And this is enough.

What happens to a director who helms three unwatchable films in a row? Well, it depends on how much money they make, obviously. After coming out with the snore-fest Barbershop, then following that up with the universally-panned comedy Taxi and directing a braindead adaptation of beloved comic Fantastic Four, Tim Story is now being handed the keys to another comic franchise, The Losers. The plot, which has gone through several permutations over the years, revolves around a bunch of Army misfits during WWII who are betrayed, then go on a mission to find out who set them up and why. HR reports that the movie "will be a one-off but with sequel potential," which I guess goes without saying. Interestingly, the adaptation that's getting greenlit was written by Peter Berg, who was set to direct but changed his mind for unspecified reasons.

Next week, of course, Story will see the release of Fantastic Four 2: Rise of the Silver Surfer, a film I really can't believe they let him direct after the way he handled the first one, but there you go. Silver Surfer reunites the original cast and adds a planet-surfing scout for a planet-devouring villain, who has a very familiar voice. We recently conducted a reader Q&A with the co-screenwriter of the film, Don Payne, and you can read some of the questions and answers from that by clicking here.

Since it did not stand up to some of the buzz surrounding the other superhero flick this summer, the sequel to Fantastic Four has had a relatively low profile. There have already been a few sets of posters so far, and now Marvel.com is hosting 10 new international posters for Fantastic Four 2: Rise of The Silver Surfer. The one-sheets have been pretty consistent, and these latest posters are no different. Giving us a look at all 4 heroes decked out in their "spandexed" best. We also get another look at the Surfer himself, and now since we know what he is going to sound like too, a pretty clear picture is starting to emerge for fans.

Director Tim Story has already promised fans a definite improvement from the last film -- namely more action. Opinions have varied so far on whether a sequel can deliver, although considering the reaction the trailer received back in December, expectations seem pretty low to begin with. It's not like this latest round of posters is going to convince anyone to see the film who wasn't planning on it already. Although I'm sure a 30-foot Jessica Alba in a skin-tight cat suit will draw at least a few glances. Considering no one was all that excited about this sequel in the first place, any talk of a third film is going to have to wait until opening weekend.

Last we heard from director Tim Story, he told us (via his MySpace Page) that Galactus would make an appearance in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, but that the design was not finished yet. However, he did say "it will be pretty powerful." Seeing as, in the comics, Galactus is a God-like villain who consumes entire planets in order to stay alive, one would assume his/its first appearance on screen would be quite epic. You'd think that, right? Well, according to AICN (via one of their secret scoopers), you best break out the umbrella because Galactus is going to look like ... a storm cloud. Ya know, as in "I think it's going to rain -- oh wait, that's not rain, it's ... a God-like villain looking to consume our planet. Gee, how easy it is to confuse the two."

For a more detailed description, the scooper says we should expect something like "Superman/Silver Surfer flying through clouds with Galactus/Jorel VO." As to who would be voicing this monstrous, planet-eating rain cloud, AICN recently received word that Laurence Fishburne might be lending his voice. (Something tells me fans might want to ingest the blue pill and the red pill in order to thoroughly enjoy this sequel.) Keep in mind, these are just rumors right now, and nothing has been confirmed. For all we know, Galactus will be hidden behind this cloud and, at the very end, will reveal itself to be ... Mike Myers dressed as an Indian guru. Oh wait, that's another film. Nevermind. Regardless, we'll all get to see for ourselves when Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (aka Tim Story's Last Chance to Deliver a Successful Franchise) hits theaters on June 15.

For regular readers, it is no big secret yours truly adores The Fantastic Four. The comic book, mind you -- although I do secretly enjoy the movie far more than I have any right to. While the first flick was something of a disappointment, I continue to hold out absurd and probably entirely ungrounded hopes for the second film. After all, Doug Jones is in it, which alone should raise the standards of the movie considerably. For a while there, we were getting hit from all sides with new Fantastic Four movie information -- plots, casting, etc., but recently it has quieted down to nothing more than a parade of set pictures. And so in an effort to fill the Fantastic Four void I decided to jot down some things I'd learned from the original film in what may become the first of a sequence of "things I learned from comic book movies" installments of the Geek Beat.

Keep in mind, this is based solely on the movie version of the Fantastic Four, and not the World's Greatest Comic Magazine. Some of the principles would hold true for the comics as well; some would not.

The Geek Beat Presents: Ten Things I Learned From The Fantastic Four ...

Ok, I'll admit it. I'm as big a sucker for a comic book/action film as I am for a beautiful woman, so this story satisfies me on both counts. To which comic book/action film and beautiful woman am I referring? Glad you asked. The woman is the seriously cute Vanessa Minnillo and the film is Tim Story's upcoming Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

According to Variety, the comely brunette MTV VJ and Entertainment Tonight correspondent is joining the cast of the Fantastic Four sequel to play the love interest of Johnny Storm (aka The Human Torch, aka actor Chris Evans) in the film. Minnillo joins returning Fantastic Four vets Evans, Michael Chiklis, Ioan Gruffudd and the exquisite Jessica Alba, who are already cast and hard at work on the film.

This marks Minnillo's first feature film role, and it appears the gal has come a long way since first appearing in an episode of City Guys (2001) as "Hot Girl." While she'll have a similar part in FF2, at least she'll be given a name (why do I feel like she'll still be referred to as "that hot girl Johnny Storm is into?"). Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer hits theaters on June 15, 2007. I know, you're counting the days. But in case you're not, I think its around 235.

Related Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer News here at Cinematical:

Silver Surfer Joins the Fantastic Four

Fantastic Four Sequel Goes Nova

Fantastic Four Starts Filming

Director Tim Story's current mood is "productive," in case you were curious. But not just productive, no, productive with a little winky smiley face -- the kind which playfully says "hey, we're buddies, you understand!" I know this because Story just stopped by his old MySpace to drop off a Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer update. Unlike certain other movie creators, Story did not get angry about photos being released from on set (the wedding pictures which have been floating around lately); he just promised there were still a few surprises from the scene which the photos didn't share. He also said he and Michael Chiklis were having "a ball" with The Thing wearing regular old clothing, as Ben Grimm is becoming more comfortable with his monstrous form. The only other news Story dropped before signing off with "peaces" was a quick note on early production stuff from WETA: "Bad a** Ladies and Gentlemen. Trust me - digital is the way to go with this."

Now granted Story is the director, and thus is supposed to say very positive things about his own film, but nonetheless I trust him on this one. Whatever else happens with the film, and regardless of how great or terrible the whole movie turns out, I expect to love the look of the Silver Surfer.

Can you tell Fantastic Four: Rise of The Silver Surfer is really getting underway? I sure can, because news and pictures are starting to pop up faster than I can blog about them. Today brings us a collection of pictures via Flickr, and just a bit of news to boot. Ready for an eyeful of Marvel's latest project?

• The page with tons of wedding pictures we pointed you towards yesterday has been updated with even more wedding pictures. I continue to delight in the slight, but very good looking, improvement to The Thing's costume. Ben Grimm has been my favorite Marvel character since my pre-school days, and his new movie persona looks straight out of the pages.
• Speaking of wedding pictures, here is a shot of Stan Lee as mailman Willie Lumpkin. The word you are searching for to describe him is swank. Boatloads of it.
• And while we're on the subject of Stan the Man and swank, may I point you to this picture of Stan with director Tim Story?
• Want to see what the Silver Surfer is going to look like? Too bad. But you can see him decked out in green doing some pseudo-stunts. Looks like fun.
• And for a bit of news, multi-talented production company North Projects claims to be doing some vague "behind the scenes" work for the flick. What they mean by this is anyone's guess ... I'm sure there are plenty of good innuendo-filled jokes you could make here if you were so inclined.
  

Over at Hollywood Report, they've snagged a few new set pictures from the filming of Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. The crew is currently shooting on the streets of Vancouver, and opportunity abounds for cameramen to get nearby enough to snap a few shots. In today's edition, you can have a look at the Baxter Building (known in the non-Marvel world as Vancouver's Marine Building), star Ioan Gruffudd in his civilian clothes (with his Fantastic Four costume sticking out), and a "Fantastic Four Store." The store is obviously a nod to the Four's increasing popularity and celebrity appeal in the new film -- unlike other Marvel heroes such as the X-Men and Spider-Man, the Four tend to enjoy enormous, almost unchallenged support from everyday people, government, and law enforcement figures. Yours truly wishes such a store truly did exist, but that would require the actual existence of the Fantastic Four. Which would likewise require the existence of super villains and world devourers and such ... and nobody wants that.

Only yesterday, I told you to start expecting an avalanche of Fantastic Four 2: Rise of the Silver Surfer news now that the film has officially begun shooting. Well, since I always come through on my promises, here I am only one day later bringing you the next dose of Fantastic news. The cast and crew of the flick are currently shooting in Vancouver, BC, and two separate fans who live in the area have reported accounts of what they've seen on their local streets. Here's the general summary:

• A grey-ish silver Dodge Ram was being hoisted into the air by a crane. The guy had no idea why, but hey ... it sounds fun, right?
• Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm (The Thing) will, at some point in the film, emerge from a wedding cake store with -- you guessed it -- wedding cakes. Two of them, to be precise.
• After acquiring said cakes, the dudes find Thing's car blocked in by vans. With the help of movie magic, Thing lifts his vehicle into the air and moves it to the road. I approve of this, it feels very comic book-y.
• The Thing was again sighted in full costume, and his brow is visibly thicker, which should please Four fans everywhere.

Regular readers know I'm an avid fan of the Fantastic Four -- as a comic book, that is, not as a movie. Although I did enjoy parts of the first film, like most geeks I was more than slightly disappointed with the final outcome. However, director Tim Story has made many adjustments in the downtime between movies, largely due to the disappointed outcry of the geek community, and is making an attempt to come back strong with his second installment, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. I've been covering all news with optimism, largely because it seems as though most of the steps taken by Story and company have been good ones. I keep insisting hope springs eternal, and I've repeatedly said I'm willing -- and eager -- to give the franchise a second chance.

And now, the time is upon us: Shooting has begun on the new film, and Story has updated his blog with some early thoughts from the set. From this point on, things get serious, and we move from talking a good game to actually playing one. So, stay tuned to CinematicaI and I promise I'll be all over the Fantastic Four news looking for signs of hope or despair.

Andre Braugher is a mystery man currently when it comes to Tim Story's upcoming Fantastic Four sequel. We have no idea what he'll be doing in the second movie translation of The World's Greatest Comic Magazine -- but we know he'll be in there somewhere, because of a Variety article about Forest Whitaker taking a guest role on TV's E.R. Stick with me here, it'll make sense eventually. Whitaker will be in a "multi-episode story arc" for E.R. this season as a stroke patient, but he was not the original choice for the role. Instead, he will be replacing ... you guessed it ... Andre Braugher, who had to back out of his original commitment to the show so he can "co-star" (their word, not mine) in the new Four flick.

Co-star? Not a bad gig to land, although it makes you wonder who he'll be playing. Definitely a step up in the world from "hospital patient who has a stroke." Stay tuned to Cinematical for further updates as they become available.

In all my ravings about Jon Favreau and how great he is for staying so plugged into the Iron Man fanbase, I often forget to mention other directors who do the same thing. Take, for example, Tim Story, the director of the Fantastic Four franchise. Now, he isn't as in touch with his fans as Fav is, but he does keep a MySpace page, and uses it to keep fans relatively up to date with the happenings of his projects. I was reminded of this today when I realized Story had updated his blog with a bit of information which simply makes me ecstatic.

Not so very long ago, Story himself promised us an "awesome" Fantasticar* for the new FF movie. This weekend, Story got a chance to see the car in its full glory, and he was very impressed; from the sound of it, he'll be coming through on his "awesome" promise in flying colors. He raved over it, calling it "the coolest thing he's ever seen" (although he did admit to some personal bias), and said "I went to their top secret locale way out in the middle of nowhere and when I walked in, I just couldn't believe my eyes. It's better than I imagined. Can't wait to shoot this thing."

We can't wait either, Tim Story. Bring on the Fantasticar!

*If you are unaware of the Fantasticar, you should know it is a very important item for Marvel fans. I imagine you can piece together what it is from the name of the thing.