-40-

For starters I have to say that I'm watching Casablanca and Dumb & Dumber (speaking of which) while writing this and my review about Partners, so my mood and writing style might change a bit when I change movies. From classic cinema to fart jokes and laxative, gotta love diversity with films.

From top left: Futurama, Friends, 30 Rock, Glee

TV 

I have to start with the biggest news from the past week (or should  I say blog week, since I don't really follow normal weekdays with my "week"). Seth MacFarlane is going to host the 85th Annual Academy Awards in Feb 24th. This came as quite a surprise to me, since MacFarlane is not really know for performing, especially as this is quite a big gig.  Producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced the news few days ago and told that they wanted to go back to the 1930's and 40's when the Oscars weren't hosted by actors or other performers. MacFarlane recently hosted SNL (read my review here) and that is said to have finalised the decision. Because MacFarlane likes to sing, and because both producers are heavily involved in musicals, I assume there will be quite a lot of singing. Though he is known for a certain type of humour, I think he will adapt pretty well with the classy Oscar-style. Guess we'll just have to wait and see, I have high hopes for this.

Since 30 Rock is starting its final season this Thursday, EW decided to delight us with having Tina Fey grace the cover of their newest magazine. She channels Audrey Hepburn on the cover and Brigette Bardot in the story. They also got these funny new clips from the season 7 premiere, which you can watch here and here.

Then some casting news. Go On (which just got ordered for a full season) is getting visited by Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls, Parenthood) who will play Ryan's (Matthew Perry) ex and an old friend of her dead wife. New Girl is also off for a great start, the first two episodes have been hilarious and star studded and Olivia Munn (Newsroom) was announced to guest star in a multi-episode arc playing Nick's ex-girlfriend.

Saturday Night Live will be hosted by Daniel Craig this week, and now they have revealed two new hosts. Christina Applegate and Bruno Mars. At first I thought Bruno Mars would be the musical guest when Applegate hosts, but apparently Mars will take on double-duty and both host and play music. I think I'll love the episode with Applegate and hate the one with Mars, but we'll see. She is currently the star of Up All Night which just started its second season. Sean Hayes has already guest starred on the show and now it looks like a mini-Arrested Development-reunion will occur as Tony Hale will visit the show. He of course starred as Toby in AD while Up All Night star Will Arrnet played Gob on the cult comedy.

I also found this hilarious video from Jimmy Kimmels YouTube channel from the Emmys, check it out:

FILM

It has been a while since I've seen any Hunger Games news, but now I've found two. Catching Fire has filled the remaining spots of its cast. All roles are for tributes from another districts and I've never heard of any of these actors, but if their part are as big as those of the minor tributes in the previous movie, I doubt we'll get a deeper look at these characters. The second news is that Danny Strong will write the script from the last book, Mockinjay. The book will be split in two, so this is a challenge for the writer as he has to decide the point where he separates part one and two. Danny Strong just won two Emmys for writing and producing Game Change.

In other sequel related news. Both director Marc Webb and lead actor Andrew Garfield have signed on for the Amazing Spider-Man sequel which will start shooting next year. Emma Stone is also in talks to reprise her role as Gwen Stacy and I don't see any reason why she wouldn't sign the deal, unless she has some major trouble with her schedule. Though it had maybe the worst title ever, The Rise of The Planet of The Apes did manage to become a box-office success so a sequel was almost guaranteed. It is called Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and it just got a new director, Matt Reeves. He has previously directed such movies as Cloverfield and Let Me In. If they are any indication, this film will be a bit darker as its predecessor. Especially as this movie will be about how the apes rise from small rebellion to the ruling species of the Earth.

Darren Aronofsky, director of Black Swan, planned a movie about Jackie Kennedy just after the assassination on JFK, but Aronofsky has since dropped out of that project. Now there have been rumours that Natalie Portman would be courted for the role, if Aronofsky would return as the director. I really pray for the Hollywood gods to make it happen, since I think this would be the perfect role for Portman.

Another one of my favourite stars, Meryl Streep, has been in the headlines this week. She landed the part in Tommy Lee Jones' new movie, The Homesman. The movie is a period piece about a couple who escort three insane woman across the country. It is not yet clear which role Streep would play, I hope one of the crazy ladies. At least that would be entertaining. Another project she is a really exciting one too. Rob Marshall (Chicago, Nine) has been working on a Into The Woods adaption for quite some time and now there is a word out that Streep would play the part of the Witch. Marshall held a script reading with Anna Kendrick as Cinderella, Patrick Wilson as her Prince, James Corden as the Baker, Nina Arianda as the Baker's Wife and Donna Murphy as the Witch as Streep was anavailable at the time. Into the Woods is a great Sondheim-musical and Marshall is the best choice for the director. Hopefully they'll start filming soon.

TRAILERS

First one is for the Melissa McCarthy comedy Identity Theft. Last week I wrote that she would star in it with Sandra Bullock, but I don't know what kind of brain fart that was since its Jason Bateman who is the second star of the film. Anyways the plot is pretty much explained in the trailer:

 The second one is for thriller called the Stoker with Nicole Kidman and Mia Wasikowska. I think there is only one word to describe this trailer: intense.

The last one is for Silver Linings Playbook with Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawerence. Cooper plays a man who goes a bit crazy after he founds his wife with another man. Lawerence plays a young widow. They both struggle with their losses and find comfort in each other.

That's all folks! New post coming next week!