MTV snagged an exclusive photo from the mysterious Where the Wild Things Are, which they spotted at the New York Licensing Expo. Click on the tantalizing photo on the right to see the whole thing over on MTV. It isn't very big, but it is one of those evocative images that makes you absolutely crazy to see this movie. It really is perfect -- from the wolf suit down to those mysterious monster paws.

The rumors still abound about it. The fact that it is appearing at the Licensing Expo gives one hope that we will see it, and that they won't actually recast a child they have featured on the advertising. To catch you up, Kim talked to Tom Noonan at Cannes. He thought the film would be released as Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers had intended it to be.

Yet, as Monika reported at the beginning of June, Warner Bros is prepping a month of reshoots. It was unclear how much was being changed, but new casting calls went out for various stand-in roles. That suggests that it is more than a few pick-up shots, and that all the whispers of unhappiness and drastic alterations are true. The silence from all involved (with the exception Noonan and Forrest Whitaker) doesn't help. At least we can enjoy the picture and wonder.

[via Empire]

From Cannes last week, Kim shared a discussion with Tom Noonan about Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are. Although she wasn't able to ask about the whole Wild kerfuffle that has been going on, between test screenings and release dates, she said: "He seemed to think the film will be released in his current iteration, though of course, if that's not the case, he wouldn't necessarily be in the loop."

No, it looks like he wasn't. According to Bloody Disgusting, Warner Brothers has scheduled reshoots for Jonze's film, which will take place in Los Angeles from June 5-30. They say: "It is unclear how much is being reshot, but there are new casting calls out for various stand-in roles."

Considering the fact that test screenings reduced some kids to tears, begging to be let out of the screening, I imagine the reshoots will try to wipe away the scary bits. That'll be good for sensitive young tykes, but not so much for adults, and those who said positive things about the test screenings. Maybe they can just put out two; it would be a shame for the original vision to go to waste. Then again, all of this depends on SAG not striking.

What do you guys think? Should kids get a less-scary version? And, what should be done with Jonze's original vision?

During the roundtable interviews for Synecdoche, NY today, actor Tom Noonan, who plays one of the "wild things" in Spike Jonze's adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's book, Where the Wild Things Are, chatted with us a bit about the film.

Noonan confirmed that the film was not shot using motion capture, but is "mostly live action -- they shot us (the actors) in a room, they video-taped us doing the parts, and then they trained acrobats and dancers and had them imitate our gestures, then put them in the costumes and had our voices coming out."

John Krasinski has had a bit of a rough start transitioning his TV career into a movie career. For starters, have you seen License to Wed? Luckily for my favorite office drone, his upcoming projects look a lot more promising. Variety reports that Krasinski, SNL's Maya Rudolph, and Cheryl Hines have signed to star in Sam Mendes' new untitled comedy. News of the film first appeared back in January, and just over a month later, three top-notch comedians have signed on for the film. That has got to be a good sign, right?

Celebrity novelist Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida (author of Girls of the Verge and Egger's wife) wrote the script for the romantic comedy. Eggers made his name with his memoir, Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, but is still relatively new to the screenwriting trade. In the film, Krasinski and Rudolph will play an expectant couple traveling around the country looking for a place to settle down and start a family.

If you have ever read anything written by Eggers or the McSweeney's 'brand' then you know that this slight premise is just the kind of story you would expect. Knowing Egger's penchant for personal touches, I'm sure some of the details of his life with his own family found their way into the script. The production is expected to start shooting this April in Connecticut, and the film is set for release in 2009.

With the writer's strike over, Warner Bros. believes they have a winner in this Justice League movie, and they're once again plowing ahead to try to get the film up and running for a debut in 2009. Variety tells us that writers Kieran and Michele Mulroney are currently re-tooling the script, while George Miller remains in pre-production in Australia. Additionally, the cast have been told to keep training for their roles. As previously reported, JLA will feature Adam Brody (the Flash), Common (Green Lantern), Armie Hammer Jr. (Batman) and Megan Gale (Wonder Woman). Other actors are rumored to have landed roles, but nothing seems to be official yet.

By mentioning Armie Hammer Jr., we assume this means Batman and Superman will play key roles in the film. Just recently, there was a rumor going around that had both characters scrapped from the new flick. Then again, since the script is still being re-tooled, we really don't know what the final outcome will look like. Assuming all goes right, Warners will use Justice League to launch solo films for a few of these other characters, like the Flash and Wonder Woman. Marvel, on the other hand, is taking the exact opposite approach: They're launching solo films -- and cross-promoting characters within each solo film -- before stepping up to the plate with an Avengers film. Which do you think will be the more successful route?

Also of note: Warners has set a October 16, 2009 release date for Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are.

Look no further, the wild things are in this post ...

Another photo from Where the Wild Things Are has popped up online (see above), courtesy of CinemaBlend. There's actually two photos, but one of them we've already seen (it features the little kid dancing around a group of unseen beasts). This new photo is actually pretty cool; this time we see the "wild things," except they have their backs toward us and are looking at what appears to be a setting sun. I read this book like a thousand times when I was a kid, and I'm stoked to see Spike Jonze directing because, honestly, aside from Tim Burton he's the only one nutty enough to take the challenge. And Jonze co-wrote the script with Dave Eggers! Insanity, folks -- insanity. Cannot wait for this; it arrives in theaters on October 3rd. A heartbreaking work of staggering genius ... or just plain heartbreaking? I guess we'll see ...

And speaking of images, a new one from Hellboy II: The Golden Army has arrived online -- and for the first time we get to see what Ron Perlman looks like as Hellboy. Well, actually, it's the second time we're seeing Perlman as Hellboy, and if you caught the first flick, then the dude looks pretty much the same. I'm sure something has changed (one more rip in his shirt?), but I'll leave it up to you fanboys to discover the new material. In the Guillermo del Toro-directed film, Hellboy and his team of creatures return to defend the earth against a bunch of other creatures. I guess you could call it a "Creature Feature" ... except not really. Hellboy II: The Golden Army arrives in theaters on July 11.

Finally, Slashfilm got their hands on Darren Aronofsky's script for The Wrestler ... and they're digging it quite a bit. This is the film Aronofsky decided to make after The Fountain tanked. It was something a little more commercial -- something that might actually make money at the box office -- and it was originally supposed to star Nicolas Cage in the lead role. Things have changed, and now Mickey Rourke is in the lead role as Randy 'The Ram' Robinson, a past-his-prime wrestler whose life has gone into the toilet. But there's always that one last shot at redemption, right? Slashfilm says, "Think Rocky, which is a very apt comparison. And the ending is something you would never expect. It's not an obvious choice. I'm sure some people will leave this movie really angry, while others will love it. One thing is for sure, I can't wait to see it on the big screen."

No, it's not another sequel to the Neve Campbell/Denise Richards classic! The extremely likable Lauren Ambrose (Claire on Six Feet Under, Denise Fleming in Can't Hardly Wait) will voice a character in the upcoming adaptation of Maurice Sendak's beloved childrens' book -- Where the Wild Things Are. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ambrose is playing KW -- "one of the giant characters in the land of the Wild Things. When a young boy named Max visits their strange world, KW and company turn him into their king."

Ambrose is taking over the role from Michelle Williams. Apparently Williams got along well with the filmmakers, but "her voice didn't match their original vision of how the Wild Things should sound." Where the Wild Things Are mixes flesh-and-blood actors, computer animation, and live-action puppetry. I can't wait to see it, I adored the book as a kid and I love pretty much everyone involved with the film. Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation -- a couple of my favorite flicks) will direct, and wrote the screenplay with Dave Eggers (A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, one of my favorite books). You can go into the Wild in Fall 2008.

It's certainly not much, but what appears to be the first teaser poster for next summer's The Incredible Hulk has popped up over at the Licensing Show in New York City, among an assortment of promotional material for films like Where the Wild Things Are, The Golden Compass, Beowulf, The Dark Knight, Speed Racer, Kung Fu Panda and Iron Man. That's it to the right of your screen (courtesy of Wizard); as you can see Hulk looks pretty much as he should from behind, all jacked up and what not. What's interesting about the poster (and I don't know if this was done solely because of the location of said Licensing Show), but it appears Hulk is standing in the shadows on a New York City street. Does this mean most of the film will be set there? Should we now start looking forward to Hulk hurling a taxi cab at someone? Granted, those two street signs could be anywhere, but NYC immediately popped into my mind when I saw it. You be the judge.

Also of interest (to me, at least) is the first image from Spike Jonze's Where The Wild Things Are, adapted from a book that I read about a trillion times as a kid. Jonze and Co. are taking their time with this one; originally, I thought it was supposed to hit theaters this fall, but apparently I was wrong -- the release date on IMDb shows October 3, 2008. Those interested can also check out two posters for Iron Man, as well as more shots of the Mach 5 from Speed Racer and the Batpod from The Dark Knight. Wizard has a full gallery of images up now, so head on over there to check it all out. And, as the poster declares, The Incredible Hulk will crush theaters on June 13, 2008.

Although this year's New York Comic-Con was a disappointment with regards to their coverage of upcoming geek-related films, this summer's San Diego Comic-Con (July 26-29) will be picking up the slack; they've just unveiled a fine list of films that will be giving sneak preview presentations at The Con. Hopefully we'll be getting some tasty footage out of most of these; if not, I'm sure others (which include films that just recently started production) will provide pics, plot info, etc ... The full list of films (which is subject to change at any time, and will probably grow larger as Comic-Con gets closer) is as follows:

Alien vs. Predator 2: No Peace On Earth, American Gangster, Babylon AD, Balls of Fury, Beowulf, The Bourne Ultimatum, Coraline, Fred Claus, Get Smart, The Golden Compass, Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, I Am Legend, The Incredible Hulk, Indiana Jones 4, Invasion, Iron Man, National Treasure 2, Resident Evil: Extinction, Speed Racer, The Strangers, Stardust, Star Trek XI, Sunshine, Sweeney Todd, 30 Days of Night, Trick 'r Treat, Wanted, Where The Wild Things Are, White Out.

Right off the bat, I find it interesting that Alien vs. Predator 2 has the title No Peace on Earth attached to it. That seems new, and I wonder whether or not it will stick. Also, where's The Dark Knight? There's no way Warner Bros. is letting their Batman Begins follow-up skip class that day; look for this one to show up unannounced. Some pics that folks will be especially interested in include Star Trek XI (will we finally get a finalized cast list?), Indiana Jones 4 (pics of Harrison Ford as Indy? A title? Sean Connery announcement?), The Incredible Hulk (our first peak at the brand new look of Hulk?) and Where The Wild Things Are (anyone else dying to see what Spike Jonze has done with this classic children's book?). Cinematical will be attending San Diego Comic-Con this year, so stay tuned for lots more as we get closer to the convention.

It's really hard to tell whether this is real or not -- it's in a couple of places around the web, but no one lists a precise source for the request. Plus, the email addresses are personal, not directed to a specific firm or publicist. This site (which looks like it focuses on a musical) seems to be where the call originated; I suppose, given Spike Jonze's strong music ties, that such a thing popping up there is possible.

Anyway, here's the deal: Supposedly, there's an open call (It looks like maybe they didn't find him in NYC last month.) for the actor who will play Max in Jonze's screen version of Where the Wild Things Are. If you (And if you're a kid Max's age, reading Cinematical? We love you) or your kid is between seven and nine years of age -- they'll take a precocious seven-year-old or a short, young-looking nine, but eight is ideal -- who is "sensitive, loving, lovable, smart, with a sense of humor," not to mention "playful, rambunctious, mischievous," you might want to be emailing these folks, because your boy is in demand. Of course, since that describes pretty much every eight-year-old boy I've ever met, at least during his good moments, your kid might be part of a rather massive casting pool.

If anyone has more info about the legitimacy of this call, let us know in the comments.

Not long ago, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Paul Dano, a crucial component in the wonderful ensemble cast of Little Miss Sunshine. In the film, Paul plays Dwayne; an extremely angry Nietzsche-reading teenager who has taken a vow of silence until he is accepted into the Air Force Academy. Paul crashed onto the independent film scene in a big way when he starred as a young boy "involved" with a much older man in Michael Cuesta's directorial debut, L.I.E. Since then, Paul has gone on to star in films like The Girl Next Door, Taking Lives and The Ballad of Jack and Rose.

Most recently, he's had the chance to work with director Richard Linklater on the upcoming Fast Food Nation, as well as helped voice a Wild Thing in Spike Jonze's big-screen adaptation of the popular children's book, Where the Wild Things Are. Paul had a lot to say. So did I. Check it out:

Cinematical: How did you first get involved with Little Miss Sunshine?

Paul Dano: It was a long time ago, like three and a half years ago. I met with John (Dayton) and Valerie (Faris), the directors, and auditioned for the movie. At that point, they were trying to get it made. It went well, we talked and it seemed like they really wanted me to do the movie. And I really wanted to do the movie – it was a wonderful script. And then the movie kept getting pushed, kept getting pushed. And I live in New York, so whenever I was out in LA, I would say hi to them (Jonathan and Valerie), grab coffee, that sort of thing. A few years go by, I'm thinking maybe I'm too old or too tall, and luckily, it just got made. Another year later and who knows if I would have been fitting for the part. It boggles me this movie took so long to get made because the script was brilliant.

Got a small boy nearby that you wouldn't mind subjecting to some Wild Things? Is he yours? Do you both live in New York?

Then head on over The Church of St. Paul the Apostle (60th & Columbus) on Saturday, July 8th (between 10am and 4pm), because that's where WB will be holding an open casting call for Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are, which is the big-screen adaptation of Maurice Sendak's well-beloved book. The casting directors are looking for young boys between the ages of 7 and 11. (No, Michael Jackson does not work for the casting directors. Matter of fact, all kids must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.)

Adapted for the screen by Jonze (Adaptation.), Michael Goldenberg (Contact), and award-winning author / first-time screenwriter Dave Eggers, Where the Wild Things Are tells the story of "Max, a headstrong young boy who runs away from home and finds himself in a thriving forest bordering a vast sea. Misunderstood and rebellious, Max sets sail to the land of the wild things were mischief reigns."

The live-action / animation combo will star Benicio Del Toro, Forest Whitaker, Catherine Keener, Michelle Williams, Catherine O'Hara, and ... maybe your kid.

Details are beginning to emerge about the previously announced movie adaptation of Maurice Sendak's children's classic Where the Wild Things Are. Major casting decisions have been declared, although due to the nature of the film most of the casting is for voice work, of course. Catherine Keener will play the only live-action part cast thus far; the mother of main character Max. Max himself has yet to be cast.  Six other actors will be tapped for voice work: Benicio Del Toro, Forest Whitaker, Michelle Williams, Catherine O'Hara, Tom Noonan and Michael Berry.

I know it is just a children's movie, but I am super-excited for this flick. Who among us doesn't have tremendously warm and fuzzy memories of Where the Wild Things Are from our childhood? If I had children, I'd take them to see it several times. As I don't, I'll just have to go myself and buy the DVD for my children of the future to watch. After they've heard/read the book, of course.

We reported a few months ago that Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright (the geniuses who gave us Shaun of the Dead) were hard at work on Hot Fuzz, his follow up film. According to Pegg, Fuzz is "like a British Shane Black movie," in which he was set to star alongside Nick Frost (Shaun's Ed) as "mismatched cops who team up in a West Country backwater." Now, though, it sounds as if Pegg's statement may have been misunderstood by the press - Moviehole is reporting that, while he (and Frost, presumably) will indeed appear in the film, the lead roles will in fact be played by ex-Bond Timothy Dalton and Jim Broadbent. Sounds good to me - both men are incredibly talented, and it would be a treat to see Dalton doing clever comedy. The movie is set to begin filming soon, so hopefully we'll have some answers sooner than later.

Meanwhile, from another corner of the internet comes a rumor about Spike Jonze's eager-anticipated (or maybe that's just me) live-action Where the Wild Things Are adaptation: Better Than Fudge reports that Catherine Keener told Charlie Rose that she's been cast as Max's mother, and will be acting alongside puppets created by Jim Henson's studio. Again, promising news (at least the Henson part) - if it's true.

Everyone and their brother has been eagerly looking forward to the film version of Maurice Sendak's seminal children's book, Where the Wild Things Are, and the announcement that Spike Jonze would direct only kicked the frenzied anticipation into higher gear. Problems, however, arose, primary among them the fact that Universal (who owned the property) had some serious disagreement with Sendak about what Variety calls "the concept" of the movie.

Happily, however, at least that problem has been solved: in a display of class rarely seen in Profit, Profit, Profit! Hollywood, Universal agreed to let the film's producers shop the movie around - and it's now owned by Warner Brothers, who plan to get the it going later this year. Woo hoo! Just to refresh your collective memories about the project, the script has been co-written by Jonze and annoyingly-trendy-but-actually-brilliant novelist David Eggers, the movie will be CGI-aided live action, and Sendak has described himself as "in love with" what Jonze and Eggers have done so far. Did I mention "woo hoo"?