Werner Herzog's Bad Lieutenant cast just became a whole lot crazier. Variety is reporting that Val Kilmer and Xzibit are joining Nicolas Cage and Eva Mendes in the much-maligned remake / re-imagining / re-something of Abel Ferrara's cult classic.

Kilmer will be playing Cage's police partner, presumably the straight arrow to complement Cage's cop-on-the-edge. This comes right on the heels of Kilmer being cast in Silver Cord, so I think it's safe to say someone's trying to make a comeback. (Am I the only one who laments the passing of years, and what it has done to one of my biggest crushes? Has it really been so long since The Saint?)

Xzibit, fresh off The X-Files: I Want to Believe, will be playing their nemesis, Big Fade.
Remember, folks, it's a re-imagining, which is why you don't remember any of these characters from the original.

If there aren't shockingly hilarious tales of egos and fistfights from the Lieutenant set, I'll be among the bitterly disappointed. While I suspect Kilmer has chilled with the passing of years, I'm thinking that combining him with Herzog is bound to be tempestuous. Is it too much to ask that Herzog just goes even further, and hires Sean Young and Gary Busey? Perhaps even Mike Myers? Throw the script out the window, and just film the production. I think it would be far more fun than any re-imagining.

I'll admit that I've never actually been seduced by a movie poster ... until now. Yahoo has debuted four of the standalone female Spirit posters, two of which (Eva Mendes as Sand Sarif and Scarlett Johansson as Silken Floss) we've already seen. Now, as pictured above, we also get to check out Jaime King as Lorelei Rox (and, yes, she definitely rox) and Sarah Paulson as Ellen Dolan. Oh, but that's not even the best part -- when you head on over to Yahoo and move your cursor over the different posters, you get to hear each girl repeat the line scrolled across her face. Oh yes. It's pretty cool ... and pretty hot.

In addition to the talking posters, director Frank Miller has gone live with another blog post. In it, he talks about CGI and the role it plays in the industry, as well how it fits into The Spirit. Working with Stu Maschwitz, Miller says, "Stu Maschwitz, CGI wizard, helped me understand this. Of all people. Sure, Stu had the entire CGI arsenal at his disposal – but he insisted that THE SPIRIT be true to its soul. Even when I wanted to go for an impossible, across-the-city camera move, he balked, saying it would "look digital. And Stu wouldn't let one damn character turn into a "bendie" or digital in any way. Hence my favorite shot – the Spirit leaps onto a water tower, and stumbles, just for a moment. Pure Eisner." I'm diggin' this one so far, and look forward to seeing a lot more of it at Comic Con later this summer.

The Spirit hits theaters on December 25.

I'm not sure what to think of this Bad Lieutenant remake (or re-imagining) since the first one was so ridiculously off the charts that when news first broke about a re-do, most folks gave a look like they just stepped on a cockroach and the thing was still squirming around all half-squashed and whatnot. Translation: "Yuck ... really? They're remaking THAT film?" Nevertheless, if anyone can make this sucker shine, it's Werner Herzog, and Variety now tells us that Eva Mendes is eying a role opposite the already-cast Nicolas Cage.

Apparently they're straying quite a bit from the original, so all we know at this point is that Cage will play a corrupt cop who likes to play dirty. In the original, Harvey Keitel starred as a corrupt cop investigating a nun's rape, though there's no word on whether that storyline will remain in this new version. If so, will Mendes play the nun (originally played by Frankie Thorn)? Mendes and Cage last worked together on Ghost Rider, which I haven't seen, so I can't comment on their chemistry. However, I've been waiting to see Mendes get a little nutty on screen since she usually plays it safe. This should be an interesting one to watch, whaddya think?

This isn't really earth-shattering news on The Spirit, but it is an interesting item nonetheless. Frank Miller has written a blog for Spike all about his experiences at New York Comic Con. (And if you missed it, which I did, he also reminisces fondly about his rocky relationship with Will Eisner over on the movie's official site.)

Miller writes all about his love for New York, admiration for a comic convention that is rivaling San Diego ("San Diego -- New York's hot on your ass!"), and the excitement of debuting the teaser trailer. "It was with provincial pleasure that I got to introduce The Spirit teaser trailer in the city that so wonderfully inspired Will Eisner, and inspires me like a son of a bitch today. It was, to say the least, the perfect setting."

He continues, "The Spirit movie is a love letter to New York, and here we were: Deborah Del Prete, my producer and a behind-the-scenes warrior without whom the movie would've been unachievable, me, Eva Mendes, who brought Sand Saref to unforgettable life, and Mike Uslan, the man who held tight to the license, and the trust Will Eisner extended him, until he was confident Eisner's treasure could be portrayed with the respect it deserved. And right there, filling the hall was a raucous New York crowd, roaring in response to their first glimpse at what, I believe, is a dream come true for all of us. Only two regrets: I'd have happily suffered Eisner's inevitable criticism, and our inevitable argument, were my Mentor alive to see it."

Another new (and improved, in my opinion) image of Samuel L. Jackson as The Octopus in The Spirit has been revealed, courtesy of Comic Con Magazine (click image to enlarge). Directed by Frank Miller (Sin City, 300), and based on the graphic novel by Will Eisner, The Spirit follows rookie cop Denny Colt (Gabriel Macht) who returns from the dead to fight crime in Central City. Jackson plays The Octopus, The Spirit's main nemesis -- a villain who plans to wipe out all of Central City and kills anyone unlucky enough to see his face. (That said, I guess we're all doomed -- damn you Comic Con magazine for showing us this dude's face!)

Also starring in the flick are Scarlett Johansson (as the Octopus' secretary, Silken Floss), Eva Mendes (as Sand Saref), Jaime King (as Lorelei Rox) and Paz Vega (as Plaster of Paris). Gotta love the names in this one. If I may recommend myself for the sequel; I could play Dynamo Clorox III. Sweet! The first trailer for The Spirit was released during New York Comic Con, and I'm sure the cast and crew will have plenty of goodies for the folks attending San Diego Comic Con in July.

The Spirit arrives in theaters on December 25 (Happy Birthday Jesus, indeed!). Check out our gallery below.



[via Coming Soon]

I've been hankering for a good crime flick with a women in the lead for a long time (I can't be the only one who thinks that Catherine Zeta Jones' pregnant drug runner deserved way more screen time in Traffic). But, in the grand tradition of most crime movies, women are relegated to the sidelines as either 'the downfall of the anti-hero', or, 'sexy punching bag' -- neither of which is very flattering, but hopefully that will change with Queen of the South. Variety reports that Eva Mendes has signed to star in the big screen adaptation of Arturo Perez Reverte's crime novel, La reina del sur (Queen of the South).

The story is being touted as a "female Scarface," and centers on a woman who flees to Spain when her drug-dealing boyfriend is murdered. Once she arrives, she starts her own narcotics operation to finance revenge against her lover's murderers -- and quickly becomes top dog. Joining Mendes in the cast are Josh Hartnett and Ben Kingsley in as-yet unnamed roles.

News of the flick first surfaced last year, with Mendes, Jennifer Lopez, and Penelope Cruz on the short list for the role, but in the end Mendes won out. Personally I would have liked to see Lopez take on the role (it's been too long since we had the chance to see her be a bad ass), but I guess in a pinch Mendes will do.

Do you think Warners made the right choice with Mendes? Or is there anyone else out there who would have liked to watch Lopez 'tussle' just one more time?

The first two posters for The Spirit have debuted online shortly before the trailer (which hits today at 4pm). The image above comes to us via AICN and it appears to be the official teaser poster. Included after the jump is the exclusive Comic Con poster for The Spirit (via Yahoo Movies), featuring Eva Mendes as Sand Saref -- bending down, oozing sexy in some tight black outfit. The gal looks pretty damn good, and I love how her character's name is only a few letters off from the name of a font. Fonts are hot! Right off the bat we can see these first two posters have that Sin City vibe Miller and Robert Rodriguez created a few years ago for the live-action version of Miller's other comic. The cold, newspaper-retro style with a splash of bright red.

Personally, I absolutely loved Sin City and so I'm definitely loving what we've seen so far from The Spirit. I do wonder how much Miller (who's directing The Spirit himself) borrowed from his experience with Rodriguez. Will we see an identical vision, or will Miller emerge with his own style, look and feel? What do you think?

Comic Con poster after the jump, or in the gallery below.

UPDATE: Images have been removed at the request of the studio.

While she doesn't look all too excited, I'd gladly take this version of Scarlett Johansson as my nurse any day of the week. According to Egotastic!, the above image is part of three test shots of her character Silk N. Floss in Frank Miller's adaptation of Will Eisner's classic comic, The Spirit. In the film, Johansson will play a super sexy femme fatale; secretary and accomplice to the Octopus (played by Samuel L. Jackson). The Octopus is a villain who kills anyone unlucky enough to see his face. The Spirit also stars Gabriel Macht as Denny Colt (aka The Spirit); a rookie cop who returns from the dead to fight crime in Central City. Eva Mendes, Sarah Paulson, Jamie King and Paz Vega round out the cast. Check out more pics of Johansson in the gallery below.

The Spirit is scheduled to arrive in theaters on January 16, 2009.

I admit it: I have a pretty big soft spot for Russ Meyer's Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! It was the first movie I rented after moving out of rural land and discovering urban video stores that had all the old classics, hard-to-find flicks, and cult greats. It marked a new era in my movie-going life, but I think that even if this was some movie I hated, or never even heard of, I'd still throw up in my mouth a little over this piece of news. Liz Smith over at Variety says that Quentin Tarantino is itching to remake the 1966 cult classic. Normally, this would be fine. I usually enjoy, or even love, what he puts up on the big screen. But cult fans -- Tarantino seems to have lost his marbles.

Smith goes on to say that he's got his first casting choices set -- Kim Kardashian (Sure, why not?), Eva Mendes (I can dig it...), and Britney Spears. Yes -- wacky, unstable, and driving 100 mph towards a sturdy, brick wall, Crazy Lady Spears. That has to be the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Hell, I'm even with Smith on ditching Spears and picking up La Lohan. Why? The latter might have her share of tabloid turmoil, but at least she's got some acting chops in there as well. A little craziness and some acting talent -- that's just what a Pussycat remake would need. Besides -- would he wants Spears on the set? Just imagine the tabloid fodder that would bring.

Yes! I must forget this news for a bit to maintain my sanity, so let's play a game: Should Britney get the gig, and bring her tabloid life to the film set, how would it play out? Muse below!