The Rock is in the building!  Dwayne Johnson is set to take over where Brendan Fraser left off by starring in the Journey to the Center of the Earth movie sequel.  The surprise 2008 hit has earned a sequel titled Journey 2: The Mysterious Island which will be shot in 3-D.

Fraser will not be returning due to scheduling conflicts (a little strange to me, since he doesn’t seem to be that busy these days), so DJ steps in.  Brad Peyton is on board to direct and Josh Hutcherson will still star as explorer on the cusp, Sean Anderson.  Heat Vision has more:

Johnson will play the boyfriend of Hutcherson’s mom, who Hutcherson is forced to bring on a trip to a mythical and monstrous island to find his missing grandfather. The script is loosely based on Jules Verne’s “The Mysterious Island.”

Three other characters will be introduced in the movie and cast during the next few weeks. Production is eyeing a late October start in North Carolina and Hawaii.

I’m thinking the quote from HV has the name of Hutcherson wrong, and it should be Anderson but not sure.  I never saw the ‘08 film (or the 1959 original for that matter), which grossed almost $250 million worldwide.  I’m a little surprised that they would go forward without Fraser, but The Rock has similar experience in his repertoire these days and I like Johnson enough that he would appear a reasonable alternative.  If you saw the original, let me know what you think of the new casting.

Fresh off his third straight Emmy victory last night for Best Actor in a Dramatic TV Series for “Breaking Bad,” Bryan Cranston is set to tackle a role on the larger screen.  He and “Southland” star Michael Cudlitz are joining the cast of The Grief Tourist for Vision Entertainment Group.  About the new movie, from Variety:

Story centers on a troubled soul who retraces the footsteps of serial killers who fascinate him as his hobby. His dark obsession with past killers soon becomes his reality and leads viewers on a menacing and horrific journey inside his twisted mind.

I’ll be honest, I don’t watch much TV outside of sports, so I have never seen Cranston’s work in Breaking Bad, but it is obviously regularly lauded, and those close to me, hold it in incredibly high esteem.  I’d probably watch if I was planning on watching something on the tele, so that’s high enough praise for me.  While the story for The Grief Tourist doesn’t specify, it is assumed (wrong or right) that Cranston is the “troubled soul” in the clip above.  (It might be Cudlitz, so if you clarify, let me know).

Anyway, it actually sounds potentially intriguing and Cranston’s popularity power position seems ripe for the ubiquitous jump to the big screen that TV stars have traditionally taken.  This role seems to suit him (from what I’ve heard).  Let me know what you think.

Here are some recent casting news updates from inside the Hollywood circle.

First off, EW is telling all that Dustin Hoffman is going to be reprising his role in the third Focker film, Little Fockers.  Originally, he was supposedly written out of the movie, but he is now confirmed to be back in.

Hoffman will be in four scenes, some indeed with Streisand, a studio source confirms. These were shot during one week of additional photography, after Hoffman had seen the movie and wanted to be a part of it. The source also confirms that the reason for Hoffman’s initial unavailability was not salary-related.

While I thought the first film Meet The Parents was pretty strong for a comedy, its sequel was unwatchable, so this news comes with little entusiasm here.

Up next, Jessica Alba (who is working with Robert Rodriguez in his upcoming Machete, will also star in the latest in his Spy Kids series, Spy Kids 4.  Considering Spy Kids probably doesn’t require great acting (I haven’t seen any of them but I feel strongly in this guess), Alba is perfectly cast as a retired spy.  I could totally see her in that. HeatVision says of Spy Kids 4: All The Time In The World:

The Dimension movie is a reboot of sorts for the moneymaking franchise, which initially starred Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara as the kids of superspy parents (Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino). Rodriguez wrote and directed each installment.

Vega and Sabara are no longer kids — Vega is nearly 23 and recently engaged — but Rodriguez wanted to continue the series.

The new movie centers on Alba as a retired spy who has been reactivated. The actress, mother of a toddler in real life, will be playing the mother of a baby and two preteen stepchildren.

Makes complete sense that it is Spy “kids” with young 20 something actors in the roles.  Moving on…

The Passion of the Christ star Jim Caviezel (I thought he was gonna take off after that movie(?), I guess not) is set to star in Transit. Via THR

In the story line, thieves on the run from a bank robbery come across a suburban family on its way to a camping trip. When the criminals stash their stolen money in the family’s SUV at a rest stop, the road trippers, with Caviezel as the protective father, unwittingly draw the murderous band of outlaws on their trail.

Seems reasonably intriguing.

Comingsoon says Katie Holmes is joining the cast of Adam Sandler’s Jack and Jill.  Al Pacino and Sandler also star.

In the Dennis Dugan-directed script, a family man by the name of Jack deals with his twin sister, Jill, when she visits for Thanksgiving then won’t leave. Sandler will play both characters.

Holmes would play Sandler’s wife; Pacino is set to play himself.

BTW, Jack and Jill went up the hill with $1.25 a piece, Jill came down with $2.50.  Holmes is starting to re-take on roles after her married life has settled in it appears.  I like that Pacino is playing “himself”.  What does that mean these days? Does he even know how he really is in real life anymore?  A valid question.  If you have thoughts, share them.

The most coveted female role in Hollywood has gone to a relative unknown.  Rooney Mara, whom director David Fincher helmed in the upcoming The Social Network, is set to star in his next film, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.  Based on the best-selling Stieg Larsson novel, the film is slated to be part of a trilogy for both the director and studio Columbia Pictures.

Mara beat out other stars such as Kristen Stewart, who worked with Fincher on Panic Room, and Natalie Portman, who refused to audition for him for this role.  Smart move on her part.  I think not.  Mara is the sister of better known (and hotter) actress Kate Mara (Brokeback Mountain, Iron Man 2) and has a lineage in football (you can look it up, her name will give it away to true football fans).

The Millenium Series of Larsson books have sold more than 40 million copies worldwide.  You can add Rooney to the list of ladies who should be making a household name for herself, with the likelihood of her being penciled in for all three films in the possible series as well.  The studio has already secured thespian Daniel Craig to co-star in the film.  So, share your thoughts on the big deal for this coveted role.  Source: Variety

Gerard Butler, star of RockNRolla and Law Abiding Citizen is in discussions to star in Slide, a movie based on Little League baseball with the idea it will be reworked into a film about soccer.  Doesn’t this sound on the surface like Kicking & Screaming, the Will Ferrell vehicle from a few years back?  It does when you hear that Butler would be a coach (ala Ferrell) with a questionable past and is a, as 24Frames tells it:

character comedy that centers on a troubled father trying to make up for lost time by coaching his son’s team — but who finds himself in hot water after some of the local mothers take a little too much of a shine to him (and he to them).

Now, I never saw Ferrell’s comedy, but this sounds awfully familiar.  Whereas the original concept would have been akin to Bad News Bears.

Soccer films don’t have a great box office rep, but one would think if done well, there is always hope, as soccer is the biggest youth sport in America, by far (if I recall).  Butler on the other hand, really hasn’t shown he can be a box office force, though many of his films have at least seen respectable results (often in part due to the co-star).  If Butler were to rock the Lion-O mane like in the header picture, it might be more interesting.

Gabrielle Muccino, the Will Smith-led Pursuit of Happyness director, is interested in helming.  This would lead one to believe perhaps it wouldn’t be such a funny film.

Not sure what to make of all this, it is still in the development stages with nothing locked down, so if it happens, I’ll let you know and we can evaluate it further.

While we still don’t know who is going to be cast in the red-hot female lead role in the upcoming David Fincher film The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, we do know that Daniel Craig has been added to the cast for the possible trilogy.  From Comingsoon:

ComingSoon.net has confirmed that Daniel Craig will star in David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, based on Stieg Larsson’s posthumously published crime thriller trilogy, “The Millennium Series.” The deal includes two sequels based on The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest.

Craig will play a key journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, in the films.  As journalists are want to do, he stirs up dirt and generally uncovers of a lot of corruption in the film.

Craig is a fine addition to any cast, so this is just another feather in the cap of the film at this point.  I’ll keep you abreast of more news on the project as it makes its way to me.

Edward Norton’s Bruce Banner is no more.  Oh, wait, we already knew that?  Fine.  But what we didn’t know was who was going to step into the role of Banner and alter ego The Hulk for the upcoming The Avengers movie and quite possibly more films.  That answer has now been made known to us. The Hulk is Mark Ruffalo, of Shutter Island fame.  Deadline Hollywood’s Nikki Finke reports:

I’ve just learned the ink is drying on the deal reached by Brillstein Entertainment Partners with Marvel. (There’s no official confirmation yet from Marvel whose reps aren’t available for their usual “No comment”.) So it looks like Marvel movie mastermind Kevin Feige may pull this off and bring Ruffalo along with other of The Avengers superheroes and director Joss Whedon to tomorrow night’s panel at Comic-Con.

It doesn’t matter what anyone is saying on record, this is in all likelihood, very much a done deal.  So, while I was sad to see Norton go, I give Marvel kudos for the addition of Ruffalo, a solid actor, who lacks the star-punch of other names but still should be very capable in the role.  The history of The Hulk role in films has now seen Eric Bana, Edward Norton and Mark Ruffalo, all playing the Hulk in a matter of less than a decade.  Not so good in terms of continuity, but not so bad in terms of quality of actor.  I hesitate to suggest that Ruffalo is a step up above Norton, but he is also not a significant step down, if at all.  So, I think this is in overall terms, pretty good news.

Additionally, you probably noted in Finke’s statement, Joss Whedon will direct The Avengers.  I admittedly met this news with a shrug.  I don’t know much about him.  How could I, when he is known for TV’s Buffy The Vampire Slayer.  You don’t expect me to have intimate knowledge of that fluff, do you?  Feel free to chime in with your thoughts on The Avengers director and Hulk’s new star.  I am curious to hear what you think.

Everyone’s favorite movie star (not mine, but he’s pretty solid), Brad Pitt is set to star in the upcoming sci-fi zombie movie, World War Z.  The World War Z book author Max Brooks confirmed the news to MTV at Comic-Con, which is the first significant news to hit thus far from the annual event.  Brooks additionally has two other books that were optioned to become films, with Pitt likely to star in them as well (or so it seems, today).  Both Brooks’ Zombie Survival Guide and Recorded Attacks, other books in a series of zombie-related graphic novels have been snatched up by Paramount.  From MTV:

Pitt’s production company Plan B Entertainment first secured the rights to “World War Z” back in 2007 after a bidding war with Leonardo DiCaprio’s company, Appian Way. The actor has long been rumored as a potential lead for the film, but Brooks received the call confirming Pitt’s attachment (and the other “Survival Guide” deals) while signing copies of the books at the Avatar booth tonight (Wednesday, July 21) during Preview Night at Comic-Con.

“I can’t believe how cool Paramount has been to me and these projects, and how cool Plan B has been,” said Brooks when asked for his reaction to the news.

According to Brooks, the studio is currently targeting a Summer 2012 release for the film.

If you have Leo and Pitt in a bidding war for your projects, you know you have a hot commodity.  It would be cool if they were to BOTH star in them.  Just a thought.  Still, with Pitt, almost everything is intriguing and the thought of a possible trio of films with him in the lead only adds to the intrigue.

As for World War Z, the book (and film purportedly) is about survivors accounts of a worldwide zombie outbreak.  Simple enough.  This comes on the heels of last years fun film, Zombieland and a classic IMO from years back, 28 Days Later.  Zombies don’t die, they just multiply.  Movies, that is.  Share your thoughts below.

The confirmed cast for the upcoming comic book movie X-Men: First Class continues to grow.  A few weeks ago came the news about Michael Fassbender and Alice Eve coming into the fold, now the stars added are Kevin Bacon and Jennifer Lawrence.  Variety reports that the negotiations for both are done deals.

Lawrence will play the mutant Mystique.  Bacon will play a villain, but his exact role is being kept under tight wraps. Some fanboy websites have suggested he will play Mister Sinister. Fox declined comment.

X-Men: First Class is an origin movie devised by Brian Singer, director of two of the earlier X-Men films and additionally serving as a producer on this project.  Kick-Ass’s Matthew Vaughn is directing the film, with James McAvoy playing the lead as Charles Xavier, who I am guessing is Professor X.  I’ve never seen any of the earlier films in their entirety, so I can’t comment on their legitimacy.

I do know that the films carry legions of fans both from the movies and the comic books, so normally with Vaughn directing I might have my interest level raised. But alas, I did not see Kick-Ass and still am clinging to the Vaughn of Layer Cake fame.  I don’t know of Lawrence and Bacon, everyone knows.  Hell, I am only separated from him by 2 degrees so its good to see him doing something like this.  Share your thoughts on the cast moves, if you have them.

Everyone’s favorite kid actor from The Sixth Sense, Haley Joel Osment, is all grown up now and ready to make a return to the big screen in the upcoming comedy Sex Ed.  It’s been a minute since he’s been seen on the big screen at all (did anyone see Home of the Giants ?), though he does have at least one film in the can (Montana Amazon) that could see a release later this year.  Homeboy is the double-deuce now (22 years old).  THR spills:

Osment will play, according to producers, “a college graduate who dreams of teaching high school Algebra but due to budget restraints, ends up teaching sexual education, despite being a virgin. He discovers an unlikely mentor in a blues bar, a ruthless enemy in the local PTA, and a gorgeous Polish girl for whom English is a distant second language.”

Sex Ed sounds like your average cheesy comedy, cut from the American Pie mold, though I am sure producers would be thrilled if this movie did half of what that movie did.  Can anyone really believe its been since 1999 that he starred opposite Bruce Willis? That means its been almost that long since M.Night Shyamalan made a decent movie?  (Okay, not quite that long but still).  Let me know if you look forward to HJO’s triumphant big screen return in this.