Following a weekend in which audiences were obsessed with Obsessed and I was in San Diego for 3 days drinking myself into oblivion with some friends where I saw many women who almost made Angelina Jolie look like Roseanne Barr, here’s the latest film news.

First off, here is a pic of the cover of the “Art of Terminator Salvation” book.  Is it just me or does the background look a lot like The Matrix‘s real world?

There might not be a third X-Files film or will there be?  Fans grill the creator and a key writer about this and more at [Hero Complex] with a video interview.

David Cronenberg’s 1983 thriller Videodrome is getting a remake.  [The HD Room] has more info on what is expected to be a big budget sci-fi film with a “nano-technology” focus.  If you have seen the original, please share.

The Company Men, not to be confused with In The Company of Men, has added Maria Bello and Craig T. Nelson (“Coach” in the house!) to a cast that already included Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner, and Tommy Lee Jones, not to be confused with Tommy Lee.  “You cannot reduce me to his size.” [Movie Jungle]

I came to be an insider film fan through “Premiere” magazine which has been defunct in print form for a few years now.  [Thompson on Hollywood] mentions that former magazine “Movieline” is putting it’s archives online but Primo continues to lag behind.  Just an FYI for those that care about an older age of film news, before the ‘net.

More Megan Fox Jonah Hex set pics have emerged today via [Movie Gab].  These are sans robe like the previous pics, meaning she is wearing less, meaning that’s a good thing.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall and busted his damn head open, so that is indeed horrific.  Hence, Humpty Dumpty comes around, a horror/sci-fi film that [Dread Central] says is to be directed by David R. Ellis of Snakes on a Plane infamy.  Can’t wait for this one!!

Finally, [Film School Rejects] tells of Kevin McDonald (State of Play director) next project being Isaac Asimov’s End of Eternity.  It bares no relation to the Governator’s End of Days from the past.

Today’s news features a host of casting and directing updates. Beware the ‘net today though, as Conficker exists and it is April Fool’s Day.

Ryan Kavanaugh is looking to direct one of three big name actresses (Theron, Hathaway, Roberts) in book adaptation Atlas Shrugged. [Hollywood Wiretap]

We start with more disappointing news for once heralded rapper Ice Cube who [Rope of Silicon] indicates is prepping Ride Along for New Line.  Another in a growing line of feeble comedies from the once hardcore rap King.

Jamie Bell and Channing Tatum are in talks for Kevin McDonald’s (State of Play) next film The Eagle of the Ninth.  Not a Tiger Woods scorecard but a Roman military drama. [MovieWeb]

Evil Dead fans rejoice at the word that Sam Raimi and brother are working on Evil Dead 4 script.  [Film Junk] mentions their blazing rate of writing.

Wreaking internet fandom havoc was [/film] with their posting of a new Matrix Resurrection film being announced (with image).  An amusing April Fool’s joke.  Saw another AF joke that said Johnny Depp signed a 3 picture deal to be Freddy Krueger in “Elm Street” reboot.  That one might have even been better than this.

[Movies Online] has tons of Fast & Furious interviews posted with cast stars and director Justin Lin.

Comic book adaptation Jonah Hex adds Will Arnett and Michael Shannon to the cast that is led by Josh Brolin.  I’ll take out your guesswork and tell you Shannon plays a “bizarre” guy. [Dark Horizons]

Plans for a Groundhog Day musical are in the works, so says Harold Ramis.  Thus underscoring the pathetic nature of reboots in tinseltown. [CHUD]

Steve Carell is on his way to being Dumped, playing another loser who can’t get or keep a girl it appears.  Stretch! At least this one is due to a divorce. [JoBlo]

[Moviehole] punches more holes in why Spider Man 3 sucked and Sam Raimi confirms Spider Man 4 script is in the works. Raimi wants complete control over this one though.  I never saw Spider Man 3 after everyone lauded Spider Man 2 and I was indifferent about it at best.  Just not my thing.

Finally, a great review on Matt Damon’s upcoming The Informant is up at [The Film Nest].  Oh, wait…that’s us.  Damn there is a lot of great stuff at this site, check it out!

I’ve personally enjoyed watching movies based on journalism and what impact the media has on the world.  It’s also sad to see the industry, specifically print, going down the tubes and being reduced to a faint pulse.  Since the mid to late 90s, newspapers have been dying a slow death with the advent of online news. With the current state of the economy so bad, I think it might be the nail in the coffin for print journalism. Major newspapers like the San Francisco Chronicle are threatening to shut down, writers are being laid off and production work might be outsourced to other countries. At the same time, I’m also excited that online journalism/blogging is on the rise, because news will continue to survive and keep the world informed. Since journalism has always made an impact, like exposing political lies and corruption, it also good to see movies dramatizing these events. Some great movies on journalism would be All the President’s Men, Good Night and Good Luck, True Crime, Zodiac, Shattered Glass and Season 5 of “The Wire.” State of Play could be another movie to add to the list.

"Do you hear the words that are coming out of my mouth?" "I know that McAdams is running her hands perpendicular to each other."

Russell Crowe stars as Cal McCaffrey, an investigative journalist working for the Washington Globe. He is probing a murder case that is related to congressman and presidential hopeful Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck).  The person murdered was Collins’s ex-research assistant, whom he also had an affair with.  Collins, at the time of the affair, was looking into possible scandal by a company. He believes the company was responsible for her death. With political rivals having knowledge of the murder scandal, they use this as bait to ruin his presidential nomination. While investigating the case, McCaffrey, who previously was a campaign manager for Collins, becomes romantically linked with Collins’s wife, Anne Collins (Robin Wright Penn). Rachel McAdams (who I’ve always liked as an actress) plays Della Frye, an ex-blogger, now political reporter. She is assisting McCaffrey on the murder case story and also learning the ropes from him. There is a sweet quote from the trailer where Frye inquires about McCaffrey’s journalism skills. “Did we just break the law?” Frye asks. “Nope, that’s what you call damn fine reporting,” McCaffrey says. Helen Mirren also co-stars as Cameron Lynne, a hard-edged editor of the Globe. The rest of the cast includes Jason Bateman, Jeff Daniels and Viola Davis.

The film’s director, Kevin McDonald, also directed the Academy Award winning films The Last King of Scotland and One Day in September. State of Play is based off a BBC mini-series of the same name, which was created Paul Abbott, a BAFTA winning writer. Matthew Michael Carnahan, Billy Ray and Tony Gilroy (The Bourne franchise, Michael Clayton) adapted into a full-length feature.

"Is that a flag or a smiley face pin on your lapel?"

State of Play looks like a very good political thriller and an A-list cast and director heads it. It’s good to see a movie showing how important journalism is and a reminder how prominent newspapers still are, even in an age of near extinction.

State of Play opens April 17^th.