Last night we took the crew to see Iron Man. You can read James's and Scott's reviews of the film, but I'll just add that this movie ROCKS, and in case you're a parent debating whether to bring your kids to see it, I felt that what violence is in the film is mostly cartoonish, Indiana Jones-level stuff, so if your kids can handle those films, they'll be fine. All of my kids were engaged in the film from start to finish, and there was nothing in it that scared them as much and that damn sea lion in Happy Feet.

But I digress. Before the film, of course, they had the usual array of trailers (Speed Racer, Indy 4, Prince Caspian), and one of them was for The Dark Knight. Now, I've generally been avoiding seeing or reading too much about The Dark Knight, so this was the first time I'd seen the trailer. And my reaction to it was ... I don't know if I want to see this film. Much as I love Christian Bale and Aaron Eckhart, I just found the scenes of Heath Ledger as the Joker oddly painful to watch.

After a lot of hemming and hawing, some hopeful casting news, and outrage over McG being attached to direct, it looks like Terminator 4 is good to go.

There are a few things to glean from this Hollywood Reporter story. First, obviously, is what's in the headline: Moon Bloodgood, who played Generic Love Interest in Pathfinder and starred in the canceled television series Journeyman, has been cast as the female lead, a survivor of the nuclear holocaust we witnessed at the end of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. She joins Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, and Anton Yelchin. Second, notwithstanding earlier reports to the contrary, the third sequel is apparently still called Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins. Finally, the movie is scheduled to begin principal photography on May 5th, which means that barring some Terry Gilliam-scale disaster, this long-speculated-about project is actually happening.

Count me among the McG skeptics. Previous installments of this franchise have been helmed by world-class action movie craftsmen (disclaimer: I am a fan of Jonathan Mostow), and I'm not convinced that McG has either the chops or the instincts to fill their shoes. The mincemeat he made of a terrific story in We Are Marshall doesn't inspire confidence, and the pyrotechnics of the Charlie's Angels films don't tell me much. That said, I'm excited for the Terminator saga to continue, since there's a lot more of this story to tell (and since Google is currently building SkyNet). Has anyone been watching the Fox TV show?

With all of the little tykes and tots who have hit the big screen over the years, one would think that it might be one heck of a daunting challenge to narrow the list down to a top 25, but I think Moviefone may have done it. They've posted a list of the Top 25 Child Stars of All Time, and they've hit just about every child star I can think of, including a few I forgot about.

The list starts with Kirsten Dunst. She might not have had a lot of movie gigs in her early days, but she certainly wowed audiences with her portrayal of Claudia in Interview with the Vampire. I, for one, was so impressed that I had a much different vision of her future career, and am still waiting for the day that she can tap into what made her shine all those years ago. From there, we've got a collection of old and new names, moms and sons, and all the biggies.

The queen of children's entertainment Shirley Temple meets up with newer talent like Anna Paquin and Christian Bale (remember Empire of the Sun?). There's also some funky trivia tidbits as well. Growing up, I was a rabid fan of Hayley Mills, from her classic In Search of the Castaways, to her brief stint in the first incarnation of Saved by the Bell. But did you know that she was cast to be Stanley Kubrick's Lolita before Disney got her out of the deal?

Check out the list, and weigh in below. Do you think they got it right, and is anyone missing?

Bahahahahahaha. Yesterday was chock full of huge, monumental movie news. A disproportionate amount of it involved the geek realm, with casting and sequel bites galore. For example, we reported that Christian Bale and Brandon Routh were headlining the new Justice League movie as Batman and Superman. JoBlo insisted that all the rumors are true and Jake Gyllenhaal is replacing Tobey Maguire in the role of Spider-Man. (On the other hand, maybe it's Nicholas Brendon, or -- dear god no -- Jason Biggs.) From GFR, we learned that the Cloverfield monster was going to be putting in an appearance in Transformers 2. IGN even created an entire fake trailer for The Legend of Zelda movie! In slightly less shocking news, it turned out that Iron Man might get an April release date after all, depending on where you live.

But my favorite piece of news announced yesterday? Slashfilm's bombshell that Daniel Day-Lewis was headlining a Peter Weir remake of Werner Herzog's Fitzcarraldo -- the one about a man who decides to build an opera house in the Peruvian jungle. This version, however, will be set 50 years in the future and feature a soundtrack by Mick Jagger. Weird, subtle, and just plausible enough (at least until you get to the futuristic setting) to make you frown before remembering what day it is. (After reading the first paragraph, I did more than frown: I rushed to start a Cinematical post!) Well-played, gentlemen.

Holy "Where the hell did this one come from" Batman! In a last ditch effort to win back fans, Warner Bros. has apparently convinced both Christian Bale and Brandon Routh to reprise the roles of Batman and Superman for their upcoming live-action Justice League of America film (currently titled Justice League Mortal). A press release just sent to Cinematical comes with this hilarious quote from a studio rep: "Brandon wasn't too hard to convince; he half-jokingly told us he's dreamt about this opportunity every night for the past several months."

Both men have signed a three-picture deal, which means Warners has plans to extend Justice League beyond the initial film, due out in 2009. Currently, there's no word on whether Armie Hammer (the actor supposed to play Batman) will still appear in some capacity, be it as a younger version of Batman or as a random extra in a background shot. On why he ultimately decided to take the role when there's a good chance it could confuse fans and screw up Nolan's franchise, Bale said, "I don't see me taking on this role getting in the way of anything, aside from someone else's paycheck. The script is awesome. Batman is awesome. Brendon and I look forward to taking this one to the next level."

Sounds like the studio is finally getting serious about this film, bringing on two actors with established fanbases -- guys they know will bolster the flick's box office. There are still a lot of unanswered questions, like what happens to Bryan Singer's The Man of Steel now and will Chris Nolan even go ahead with a third Batman film with Bale doing JLA? Well, one thing is for sure: This whole project just got a lot more interesting ...

For more, check out the entire press release over here.

Terminator IV doesn't yet have a replacement title -- but it apparently has a Kyle Reese. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Anton Yelchin is set to star alongside Christian Bale in the franchise reboot, set for release in May 2009.

It seems a bit early to be dragging John Connor's father-to-be into the story, doesn't it? If this is really going to be an ongoing franchise, the "My dad was also my comrade" seems like a juicy plot point that might be worth holding back. Otherwise, you're just remaking The Sarah Connor Chronicles instead of that War Against the Machines saga everyone's been wanting.

But the film has not only gained a new cast member, but possibly a new writer. Paul Haggis is in talks to come on board to work on the script, with production scheduled to begin in early May. Haggis has certainly shown he can handle a franchise reboot with James Bond -- perhaps we'll see a Terminator film in the same style. One can hope.

At any rate, how thrilled must Yelchin be to land Pavel Chekhov and Kyle Reese? They should cast him as Paul Aterides next.

Christian Bale was on hand at ShoWest to promote some footage from The Dark Knight, and gave a revealing interview to Entertainment Weekly. The magazine immediately pumped him for Batman information, and Bale was forthcoming -- but noncommittal.

When asked if there would be a third installment, Bale wouldn't confirm or deny. "Um, look, let's wait and see." When the magazine "mistakenly" referred to it as a sixth installment, Bale was quick to correct them, and elaborate on the possibilities of a trilogy. "No, no, no, no, no. Part 3 is what I'd consider it, yeah, I don't say part 6. Batman Begins - that was the beginning there, with all due respect to the others. We are re-creating this. You know, obviously the decision is out of my hands. I would, knowing the Dark Knight story, I would like very much to complete a trilogy. And I think that knowing the story of The Dark Knight, it leaves you anticipating something that really can get very, very interesting for a third. Now, the question would be: Is Chris going to be doing it? Because to me I find it tricky to imagine working on it without it being a collaboration with Chris."

So, can we safely assume that Heath Ledger's premature death does not affect the trilogy's storyline? That has been the biggest question on everyone's mind. If you combine this interview with Aaron Eckhart's latest, I am still of the belief that Joker ends up in Arkham, and Two-Face could be the main villain in a third film. I can't imagine they didn't leave Joker's fate open ended, considering the villain's place in Batman's world, but no one from the film seems to feel the storyline cannot continue. Perhaps a bigger question is why Nolan isn't confirmed to continue the series.

A rose by any other name, the sages tell us, would smell as sweet. In that spirit, Coming Soon has a story noting that the McG-helmed, Christian Bale-led fourth film in the Terminator franchise, previously known as Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins, will now have a wholly different title. It will, of course, still be a wholly unnecessary extension tacked on to the first two films; it will still be directed by McG; it will still have almost nothing to do with James Cameron's original vision for the films; it will lack Arnold Schwarzenegger; however, it will not be called Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins. No replacement title has yet been announced.

Currently slated for release May 2009, Terminator IV will ostensibly kick off a three-film series detailing the man-machine war that's the backbone of the Terminator films; Christian Bale (Rescue Dawn, Batman Begins) will star as the adult John Connor alongside newcomer Sam Worthington (Who, amusingly enough, is also scheduled to appear in ... James Cameron's Avatar). And yet, new name or not, I have almost no enthusiasm for this project.

Will you check Terminator IV out when it lands in May 2009, or does the cash-hungry smell of desperation and futility that lingers about this whole idea put you off?

World's Finest has learned that Kevin Conroy will be the man behind the mask in Batman: Gotham Knight. Christian Bale was originally thought to be lending his voice to the animated feature, as it will be released alongside The Dark Knight.

Conroy did Batman's voice in the wildly popular Batman: The Animated Series, so it makes for a nice bit of continuity there. And he won't be turning in some weird Bale impersonation. I confess to being a bit disappointed, as I always think it's cool when actors lend their voices to an animated tie-in. But this will probably delight everyone who hated Bale's Batman growl.

I just can't decide.

On one hand, it seems to make perfect sense that Christian Bale is playing John Connor. Who else can save mankind? He's Batman, for crying out loud.

And yet ... it is the fourth Terminator movie. Directed by McG, who's saving grace seems to be that he's not Brett Ratner. While it fits with Bale, Ruler of Fanboys, it doesn't fit with Bale, Ruler of Critics. Bale doesn't really do sequels, let alone fourquels, especially of a character he didn't originate.

It is either going to be brilliant fun, or something that leaves us wondering what kind of dirt McG blackmailed him with. Either way, we'll find out on May 22nd, 2009. Warner Bros has announced it as the release date for Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins. Fans of the franchise have been waiting forever to see Connor fight the war against the machines, and now they can start crossing off the days on the calender.

I want to say that Michael Mann's Public Enemies cannot possibly get any better -- but this could be one of those movies where so much awesome has come together that the universe must destroy it in order to keep us all in balance.

The Hollywood Reporter has announced that David Wenham and Stephen Graham have joined the cast -- which is led by Johnny Depp as John Dillinger, and Christian Bale as the famed FBI Agent, Melvin Purvis, who hunted him down. These two actors can do no wrong, and it is going to be a lot of fun watching them go head to head.

Wenham, who was last seen as Dilios in 300, will be playing Pete Pierpont, a member of Dillinger's gang who is violently opposed to authority. Graham will be playing the famous gangster, Baby Face Nelson. They round out Dillinger's gang, which already includes Marion Cotillard, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Dorff, and John Ortiz. (Is the Reporter a misprint, by the way? Wikipedia lists a Henry Pierpont in Dillinger's gang, not a Pete.)

We know Christian Bale will be playing an older John Connor, and there's rumors that Josh Brolin might be in line to play the new (and improved?) Terminator, but now Variety tells us that Sam Worthington has been cast as the other lead; some dude named Marcus. This move is rather interesting, because it means James Cameron (director of Terminator and Terminator 2) has taken a liking to Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins director McG, as Cameron was the one who recommended Worthington for the new job (the actor is also starring in Cameron's Avatar). We're not sure how much influence Cameron is having on the production, but if he's managed to get Worthington into the lead role, I imagine he's offered a bunch of additional advice as well. And that can't be a bad thing.

According to Variety's description, Marcus is "a central figure in a three-picture arc that begins after Skynet has destroyed much of humanity in a nuclear holocaust. A group of survivors led by John Connor (Bale) struggles to keep the machines from finishing the job." Even though McG is at the helm -- and not Cameron -- I'm still looking forward to this one a great deal. Sort of how we were always looking forward to a Star Wars film set during the Clone Wars; well, same goes for a Terminator film set in the future. I'm already imagining some kickass battle sequences involving a small group of humans and a slew of Terminator robots. Could be very very cool. The first of the three films, Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins, is due out in the summer of 2009.

In a new interview over at 213.net, director McG spoke about his plans to bring the Terminator back to the big screen in Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins. We already know that Christian Bale has been cast as an older John Connor -- the John Connor from the future who helps lead the resistance against the robots. McG spoke about his vision for Terminator Salvation, where this film fits into the confusing timeline (thanks Sarah Connor Chronicles for jamming us all up!), and -- most importantly -- who he wants to take over for Arnold Schwarzenegger as the new (and improved) Terminator.

When pressed to answer who they're looking at to play the new Terminator, McG noted, " ... it's very difficult to say because it's a decidedly masculine role and I think we're living in a time where a lot of actors are very effeminate and they're sort of skinny, heroine chic and there's really a masculine component to the role. And there's guys out there like Russell Crowe and Eric Bana, bring a good physicality, they do what they do, but I don't know if they're exactly right at the end of the day. (Smiles) Josh Brolin is a very exciting actor - we'll see." Hmm, does that mean Brolin is one the guys up for the role? Certainly seems like McG is championing him -- whaddya think?

McG also spoke about long conversations he had with James Cameron, and how Cameron reassured him that he felt the same sort of nervous when he had to take over for Ridley Scott on the second Alien picture. When asked whether this film would take place after Terminator 2 or Terminator 3, McG replied, "This is the space between; this is post Judgment day. So there really is no continuation, you know what I mean? Its sort of a different animal, whereas the first two pictures on this thing are Terminators from the future, this picture takes place in 2019." He later added, "We speak to the idea of one version of a future, which is clearly articulated by Michael Biehn in the first picture." Check out the full interview over here; Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins is due out in June of 2009.

[via IGN]