Timur Bekmambetov directs 'Vampire Hunter'

What is "Wanted" director Timur Bekmambetov working on these days? A lot is the best answer, and Empire caught up with the busy director. One of his upcoming gigs is "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter."

"That one I’m prepping to direct myself. It is not a comedy at all – it is a very entertaining, epic history lesson for millions and millions of teenagers," he told Empire. I hope we will start this winter."

He also said Lincoln will keep the hat and beard, so that's good. He also carries some cool weapons. Other than that, Bekmambetov said "Wanted 2" should move forward, but not in the very near future.

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'20,000 Leagues' returns as two films?

"20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," will be back in the big screen after all, and believe it or not, we may soon even see two versions of it. I really thought Disney's project (to be directed by McG) was dead for good, but it seems like the studio just won't let go of it completely. And now, Fox joins the party as well.

The Hollywood Reporter says Disney is trying to get David Fincher to direct a new version of "20,000 Leagues," with Scott Z. Burns writing the script. Burns wrote "The Bourne Ultimatum" and "The Informant!" At the same time, Ridley and Tony Scott are developing a "Leagues" movie at Fox.

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Mark Millar says 'Wanted 2' not dead yet

As you may have heard, Angelina Jolie is not longer part of "Wanted 2," and after her departure, rumors spread that the sequel to the success hit "Wanted" would be killed off. Not so fast! Universal already kind of confirmed it's still on track, and now Mark Millar weighs in as well.

During an interview with STV, Millar said he thinks the films is still moving forward. He even said it would make more sense not to bring back Jolie's character, considering what happened to her at the end of the first film. He can't confirm it, but he says he believes it's still alive.

Angelina Jolie departure kills 'Wanted 2'?

Angelina Jolie is reportedly out of "Wanted 2," and it seems Universal is therefore killing the project for good. Vulture reports Jolie dropped out to star in another film, leaving the "Wanted" sequel without its popular star. I guess that's it for the thriller with a hot killer.

Anyway, Timur Bekmambetov was planning on directing "Wanted 2," and he spent some time coming up with a way to bring Jolie's character back to action. Rather than look for a different actress and potentially lose money, Universal decided to pull the plug on the flick.

Vulture says Jolie will now be starring in "Gravity," a space thriller directed by Alfonso Cuarón. In that film, she plays the human survivor of a space mission, trying to return to Earth. I wouldn't mind watching her and only her for most of a feature film. How about you?

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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Bekmambetov to bring back Jolie for 'Wanted 2'

The chance of Angelina Jolie's character Fox returning in "Wanted 2" is getting more and more likely. At the recent Comic-Con, "Wanted" director Timur Bekmambetov said he may have an idea how to bring back Jolie for the sequel, but at that stage, it all sounded more like a rumor than a fixed plan.

If you haven't seen "Wanted" but plan to watch it in the near future, I would advise you to stop reading, as a spoiler will follow. When talking to MTV recently, Bekmambetov said he now knows how he could bring Fox back from the dead. As you may remember, she took a bullet at the end of the first flick.

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Will Angelina Jolie really return in 'Wanted 2'?

At this point, that is the big question: Will Angelina Jolie return in the upcoming "Wanted 2" sequel? Considering her presence in the first film certainly helped attract audiences, there may be a chance of her reprising her character.

But how? Well, according to Timur Bekmambetov, director of "Wanted," James McAvoy, who plays the lead character, could try to "wake up" Fox, Jolie's character.

I would categorize this as a rumor of some sort at this stage, but at Comic-Con, Bekmambetov briefly said Fox would be lying in one of those wax baths. You know, those that can heal wounds and stuff.

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Fantastic trailer for '9' finally debuts online!

Have you already seen the beautiful trailer for Shane Acker's upcoming animated movie "9"? If not, check it out after the jump.

Based on his own short film, Acker's film is set in a parallel world, in which a post-apocalyptic nightmare threatens humanity's legacy. Now it's up to a race of oppressed rag dolls to fight for survival.

"9" is produced by Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov, and the film features the voices of Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, Crispin Glover, Martin Landau and John C. Reilly.

As you can see below, the animation looks gorgeous and highly imaginative. It also looks a little bit like an exciting, explosive adventure game you would want to play on your Playstation 3.

Watch out for "9" in theaters Sept. 9, 2009.

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Bekmambetov to direct 'Moby Dick'

Surprise! Surprise! Timur Bekmambetov is all set to direct the big-screen reimagining of Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick,” according to Variety.

You will probably not see as much blood and violence as in Bekmambetov’s recent action hit “Wanted,” but screenwriters Adam Cooper and Bill Collage will bring some changes to the classic tale.

First steps: create a “graphic novel-style” version and eliminate Ishmael’s first-person narrative about Ahab’s obsession with killing the animal.

As the trade says, this change will allow them to depict the whale’s decimation of other ships prior to its encounter with Ahab’s Pequod, and Ahab will be depicted more as a charismatic leader than a brooding obsessive.

"This is an opportunity to take a timeless classic and capitalize on the advances in visual effects to tell what at its core is an action-adventure revenge story," Cooper told Variety.

But with Timur on board to direct, this could indeed work out. The man’s got plenty of talent, although nobody necessarily expected him to helm this kind of project.

Bekmambetov, the director of “Night Watch” and “Day Watch,” is also currently developing a sequel to “Wanted,” which starred James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie.