MTV snagged an exclusive photo from the mysterious Where the Wild Things Are, which they spotted at the New York Licensing Expo. Click on the tantalizing photo on the right to see the whole thing over on MTV. It isn't very big, but it is one of those evocative images that makes you absolutely crazy to see this movie. It really is perfect -- from the wolf suit down to those mysterious monster paws.

The rumors still abound about it. The fact that it is appearing at the Licensing Expo gives one hope that we will see it, and that they won't actually recast a child they have featured on the advertising. To catch you up, Kim talked to Tom Noonan at Cannes. He thought the film would be released as Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers had intended it to be.

Yet, as Monika reported at the beginning of June, Warner Bros is prepping a month of reshoots. It was unclear how much was being changed, but new casting calls went out for various stand-in roles. That suggests that it is more than a few pick-up shots, and that all the whispers of unhappiness and drastic alterations are true. The silence from all involved (with the exception Noonan and Forrest Whitaker) doesn't help. At least we can enjoy the picture and wonder.

[via Empire]

It can't feel great to be known as the guy who blew a primetime career simply because he couldn't keep his big mouth shut. But, there is still hope for Isaiah Washington, and The Hollywood Reporter announced he has picked up his first feature film role since being fired from Grey's Anatomy. Washington has now signed to star opposite Forrest Whitaker in Tim Story's sports drama, Patriots.

Patriots is based on the true story of Al Collins (played by Whitaker); a high school basketball coach. After the disaster of Hurricane Katrina, Collins put together a local team consisting of kids displaced from their schools and homes, and led them to the state championships. Washington will play the assistant coach who helps lead the squad to the championships.

I can't be the only one getting tired of all these inspirational sports movies. It's gotten to the point where they are bleeding together into one long Hallmark Movie of the Week, but for the ESPN set. Although, I should have expected nothing less from the writers behind Remember the Titans and The Great Debaters (debating is kind of a sport, right?). Patriots will begin shooting on location in New Orleans later this week, and will arrive in theaters later this year.

OK, correct me if I am wrong here, but did anyone really enjoy the last two Fantastic Four movies so much that a third installment is really necessary? I guess when the last film raked in $131,921,738, Fox figured they might as well take another shot. IESB recently got the chance to speak with Ms. Invisible herself, Jessica Alba, about the possibility of a third film. For those of us out there who thought the first two were a waste of time and celluloid, don't worry, it looks like we might have the writer's strike to thank for a delay. Alba tells IESB, "I know the writers strike and the impending actors strike has kind of put a wrench in everything production wise. That film takes a lot of prep, a good six months of prep and about six months to shoot. With the strike, I think, maybe it's put on hold."

The first two films were directed by Tim Story, who is currently working on the feel-good sports movie, Patriots, with Forrest Whitaker. So, if a Fantastic sequel is delayed, there is still plenty of time to get Story back at the helm for a third film. News of a third Fantastic film first surfaced back in June; however, while most reports pointed towards a reunion with the Silver Surfer, Alba made no mention of it in her interview with IESB. As for the rest of the cast, Ioan Gruffudd (Mr. Fantastic), Michael Chiklis (The Thing), and Chris Evans (Human Torch), I can only assume they would all be on board for another film. As long as there is some "gold in these hills," it looks like Fox is going to milk the quartet for all they are worth.

Dang, there sure are a lot of hitman characters in the movies. And what's the difference between a hitman and an assassin, anyway? Does Jason Bourne count, or is he no longer a hitman/assassin by the time his cinematic story begins? Are Pulp Fiction's Vincent and Jules really hitmen or are they technically bagmen? Yeah, it's a difficult task to make a list of prominent hitmen in film. So, I'll let someone else make a "25 Greatest Hitmen" list; here, I present my seven favorites.

Feel free to mention your own preferences. With so many characters, whether easily falling within definition or not, I'm certainly leaving out a lot of good ones. But, as I said, these are my favorites. The cool, the funny, the interesting, they're the ones I enjoy watching over and over again, despite their lethal nature.


Martin Q. Blank in Grosse Pointe Blank (1997, George Armitage)

There is no better hitman than John Cusack's Martin Blank. He's good at his job, and he's funny, and he's willing to give it all up for love. Of course, he's bored enough by the occupation that he'd probably give it up for any good reason. It doesn't seem to matter to him that it's morally wrong; he's just another normal guy, dissatisfied with his job. And while it does seem to be a gag that's stretched thin, his issues do make him more entertaining than the usual silent-yet-conflicted hitmen. Plus, it's enjoyable to think that this is what really happened to Lloyd Dobbler, or Lane Meyer, or any other Cusack character from the '80s.

Signature line: "I was hired to kill you, but I'm not going to do it. It's either because I'm in love with your daughter or because I have a new found respect for life."

For a sizable amount of the male population, this is probably the best news they will hear all day. Us Weekly reports that Jessica Biel has agreed to appear nude in the upcoming drama, Powder Blue. Biel will star as a single mother stripping to raise money to save her terminally ill son. Joining Biel are; Forest Whitaker, Ray Liotta (as Biel's father), and Patrick Swayze as the owner of the club where Biel works. Directed by Timothy Linh Bui, the story centers on four strangers whose lives intersect in strange ways on Christmas Eve. According to sources for Us Weekly, Biel will retain final say over what makes it into the movie, but, she has reportedly "signed a contract that explicitly details the bare minimum fans will see - including shots of her breasts and butt."

In the past, Biel had been unwilling to bare it all on screen -- much to the disappointment of many I'm sure. The actress had even commented that she had felt she had been overlooked for roles because of it. To be honest, I don't see what all the fuss is about; especially if you remember Biel's controversial Gear magazine shoot back in 2000 -- it's not like the actress has shied away from showing a little skin. Although, Biel was quoted in that same Us Weekly piece as saying that her time as a Gear cover girl left her feeling "humiliated." Biel even recently told Australia's Sunday Herald, "I wouldn't feel comfortable with the extent of the nudity in Monster's Ball, I would be terrified of a role like that right now." So there really must have been something special about Bui's film to change her mind. Blue is currently shooting in Los Angeles and set for release in 2008.

It has been over a year since anything solid has been heard about the political thriller Vantage Point. Plus, most people (myself included) probably missed the casting news about the film the first time around. But, here we are a year later, and Sony Pictures is hosting a full theatrical trailer. And, when I say full trailer, I really mean it, since it manages to give away some pretty crucial plot elements. The story centers on a political conspiracy involving Mexico and the U.S. and it unfolds "Rashomon-style" with the different people present at an assassination attempt, each providing their own version of the events. It looks like the trailer has been up and running on the film's official site for a little while now, but there is not much else on the site other than the chance to register for updates.

The film was directed by newcomer Pete Travis, who until now was working in television, and this is also the first feature for the film's screenwriter, Barry Levy. The all-star cast includes; William Hurt, Dennis Quaid, Forest Whitaker, and Sigourney Weaver. With the film's political subject matter and heavy-hitting cast, it seemed like a prime release for the fall season. Instead, Vantage Point is set for release on February 15th, and will be competing for box-office against the family film, The Spiderwick Chronicles, and the sci-fi teen drama Jumper. But, it's not like they are going to be competing for the same audience anyway, so maybe Point has a shot at ruling the box office after all, at least for that week.

I can't be the only one who saw this title of the film and thought of the old joke about "master debaters," but that is probably not the best association to make when you are talking about a family film. Variety reports that Kimberly Elise has signed on to the period flick The Great Debaters. The movie is the second directorial effort from Denzel Washington and centers on a small East Texas debate team that challenged Harvard's famed team to a debate. The film is set in the 30's, which will probably add an extra "feel-good" element to it, as its sure to be not only a story of triumph over adversity, but some deep-seated discrimination. The cast also includes Nate Parker (Pride), Forest Whitaker and Washington who will play the coach of the debate team. Elise is set to play Whitaker's wife and the mother to the team's star debater.

Elise must have had an inside track on the role since one of the film's producers is media queen Oprah Winfrey, who gave Elise one of her first big-screen roles in the adaptation of Toni Morrison's Beloved, and Elise has already worked with Washington on The Manchurian Candidate. After shooting has finished in Louisiana, Elise will return to work on the international drama Red Soil. The Great Debaters is set for release in 2008.

So you probably had to read that headline a few times before it sunk in. That's right, the man behind Code Name: The Cleaner has apparently joined the cast of the gritty crime thriller Night Watch (no relation to the Russian film of the same name) written by James Ellroy. Cedric (The Entertainer) Kyles told Blackfilm.com that he had joined the cast which already includes; Keanu Reeves, Hugh Laurie (TVs Dr. House, or as he will always be known to me, Lieutenant George in The Blackadder) Forrest Whitaker, Chris Evans, and Naomie Harris. Kyles seemed happy at the prospect of doing something other than comedy -- although calling Code Name: The Cleaner a comedy is still up for debate -- saying, "I play an informant named Scribbles. There are all these corrupt cops and they getting information from this modern day "Huggy Bear", but it's not comedic. I'm a street guy and I'm on some drugs a little bit. The director said that this would be a great serious role for me."

The story is set in LA and focuses on an alcoholic cop who is framed for the murder of his mentor and considering it's a James Ellroy story, it will be packed with the usual array of corrupt cops and double crosses. David Ayer is on board to direct and is working from a script he co-wrote with Ellroy. Since the film has already taken some leaps in casting in hiring Reeves as an embittered career detective, should it really be that much of a surprise that Cedric The Entertainer is now along for the ride?

[via Moviehole.net]