David O. Russell to possibly direct Disney's 'Maleficent'

With Tim Burton's exit from the project earlier this year, Disney is still looking for a director for their live-action version of Sleeping Beauty entitled "Maleficent." Among the many directors that Disney has in mind to helm the picture is "The Fighter" director David O. Russell.

Russell should be available as it was recently announced that he parted ways with the Columbia Pictures project "Unchartered: Drake's Fortune." While nothing is confirmed, it would be interesting to see what Russell would do with this type of material. 

"Maleficent" is said to be told from the witch's perspective and has mega-star Angelina Jolie attached for the lead. 

Via The Hollywood Reporter

Here's the voice cast for 'Frankenweenie'

Tim Burton is gearing up for the production of his upcoming stop-motion flick "Frankenweenie," a Disney feature based on his short about a man who brings his dog back to life after it gets hit by a car.

Deadline reports Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Martin Landau and Catherine O'Hara have all joined the cast. Ryder will voice Elsa, while Landau will do Mr. Rzykruski. Short and O'Hara will tackle several roles.

John August ("The Nines," "Corpse Bride") penned the script for "Frankenweenie," and Disney will release the film March 9, 2012. Ryder will soon be seen in "The Dilemma." Landau last did voice work in "9."

'Alice in Wonderland' rules foreign box office

Tim Burton and his "Alice in Wonderland" took the worldwide box office by storm last week when the Disney 3D release opened everywhere, and now the film is still leading charts domestically and overseas. On the international circuit, the film took an estimated $76 million this weekend, and its foreign cume now stands at a superb $221 million.

Martin Scorsese's "Shutter Island" is doing just fine as well internationally, scoring another $19.2 million in 43 territories. The film brought its total gross to $82 million. Following in third place with $17 million was James Cameron's "Avatar," which reached a cumulative gross of $1.914 billion.

Meanwhile, No. 4 this weekend was Paul Greengrass' war thriller "Green Zone," which bagged $9.7 million in 14 markets. Matt Damon plays a U.S. solider who runs into trouble with officials when he starts to believe the Iraqi WMD program doesn't exist.

At No. 5, Chris Columbus' adventure "Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief" collected $6.3 million, lifting its international total to $120.5 million. Still in the race was Guy Ritchie's "Sherlock Holmes," which generated $6.1 million. "Valentine's Day" earned $3.5 million.

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Huge! 'Alice in Wonderland' scores $41M Friday!

Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" destroyed its competition at the North American box office Friday with a stunning $41 million in ticket sales, according to early estimates. The Walt Disney release could potentially bag $120 million this weekend.

Playing at 3,728 theaters, Burton's 3D version of the classic tale scored a superb average of $10,998 per theater after being boosted by a solid marketing campaign. Despite mixed reviews, the film has Johnny Depp, which easily helped luring folks to theaters.

At a distant No. 2, Antoine Fuqua's new cop drama "Brooklyn's Finest" opened with a decent $4.7 million from ticket sales at 1,936 locations. Starring Richard Gere, Don Cheadle and Ethan Hawke, the film follows three troubled Brooklyn cops trying to get by.

Meanwhile, Martin Scorsese's "Shutter Island" picked up another $3.9 million in third place, reaching a domestic total of $86.5 million after a strong two-week run. Warner's "Cop Out" followed at No. 4, generating $2.8 million for a cume of $26 million.

Breck Eisner's horror remake "The Crazies" collected $2.3 million at No. 5, lifting its total haul to $22.7 million after one week in release. James Cameron's "Avatar" followed closely in sixth place Friday, reaching a total gross of $714.4 million.

Source: Box Office Mojo (www.boxofficemojo.com)

Movie Review: “Alice in Wonderland”

Seen on: March 2, 2010

The players: Director: Tim Burton, Writer: Linda Woolverton, Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Matt Lucas, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Sheen

Facts of interest: None.

The plot: Tim Burton offers a new take on the classic story about a girl finding her way to a magical land ruled by eccentric characters.

Our thoughts: Alice puts on a big armor and gears up to slay a ruthless dragon in Tim Burton’s new take on “Alice in Wonderland,” and while this 3D version boasts a horde of visually stunning sequences filled with energetic characters, it’s the simplistic story that prevents this one from being crowned a tour de force.

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Johnny Depp as Mad Hatter in 'Alice' photo

As the March 5, 2010 release date of Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" is approaching, expect more and more of these photos to hit the Web. Disney recently release this still from the upcoming adventure, and as you can see, it's Johnny Depp!

Depp plays the Mad Hatter in Burton's reimagining of a classic tale, and Mia Wasikowska is Alice. The film is a mix of live action and performance capture, and it will be shown in 3D. Anne Hathway, Helena Bonham Carter and Matt Lucas co-star.

Review: “9”

Seen on: August 28, 2009

The players: Director: Shane Acker, Writer: Pamela Pettler, Cast: Elijah Wood, Christopher Plummer, Martin Landau, John C. Reilly, Jennifer Connelly

Facts of interest: "9" was co-produced in Luxembourg, my home country. Neat!

The plot: In a world in which humanity was defeated in a battle against machines, a rag doll named 9 sets out on a mission to save what is left on the planet.

 Our quick thoughts: Director Shane Acker took an acclaimed short film he created and developed it into a big-screen adventure with the support of producers Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov. Sounds neat, doesn’t it? The result is Focus Features’ “9,” a decent animated action film that boasts incredibly intriguing visuals but fails to impress in the story department.

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Intriguing 'Alice in Wonderland' trailer pops up online

The first teaser trailer for Tim Burton's upcoming "Alice in Wonderland" is now officially online, and I am definitely among those digging it. Yes, I do enjoy Burton's eccentric cinematic style, and yes, I am most definitely looking forward to his version of this classic tale.

The focus of this preview lies on Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter of course, but you do get a perfect look at Mia Wasikowska in the role of Alice. Sure, the visual effects look quite stunning as well.

"Alice" is a mix of live action and performance capture, and the film will hit theaters in 3D March 5, 2010. Anne Hathway, Helena Bonham Carter, Matt Lucas and Crispin Glover co-star, among others.

So, Johnny Depp fans, what do you think about his latest stunt after seeing him going all weirdo again in this teaser? Please do sound off below.

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Fancy more 'Alice in Wonderland' photos? You got it.

I don't know about you, but I'm already eagerly waiting for a teaser trailer for Tim Burton's vision of "Alice in Wonderland," which won't open in theaters until March 5, 2010.

In the meantime, I've stumbled across several set pics and concept art, and just the other day, I found some more pics from the upcoming mix of live action and performance capture.

The pics (from Vanity Fair) were posted on Planeta Disney (via CS), and they offer you a glimpse at Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen and Mia Wasikowska as Alice. Oh, and the third one is that famous Johnny Depp shot as the Mad Hatter. I'm sure you've seen it already.

Anne Hathaway, Matt Lucas and Crispin Glover co-star, among others. The film will also be released in 3D.

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Updated look of Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter

Ever since I first heard about Tim Burton's take on "Alice in Wonderland," I've been dying to find out how the film will look like. I mean, you're pretty much always in for a surprise with Burton.

The folks at USA Today just received some concept art from the upcoming film, and you can check out some of it above and below, and more here. Looks quite intriguing indeed!

Last year, I posted an early look of Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, and that picture was pretty close to the look you can see below. Darn, he looks creepy, doesn't he?

Mia Wasikowska, Anne Hathway, Helena Bonham Carter, Matt Lucas and Crispin Glover co-star in the film, a mix of live action and performance capture. The film will also be released in 3D March 5, 2010.

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