Jonah Hex Tagged Articles at Cinematical

The first set photos of Megan Fox in costume as Leila in the upcoming comic adaptation of Jonah Hex have arrived online, and -- guess what -- they have the girl wearing next to nothing, as usual. And look at that sickeningly tiny waist! Fox admits she has a 22-inch waist size, so there's not a whole lot of movie magic going on there. In the film, Fox plays a gun-wielding beauty and love interest to Hex (Josh Brolin) -- but she's also a prostitute who our hero rescues from a brothel. MovieGab has the first group of images, some of which include Fox dressed more conservatively while riding in a horse-drawn carriage. Jonah Hex, which also stars Will Arnett, Michael Shannon and John Malkovich and hits theaters on August 6, 2010, tells of a ruthless bounty hunter with a scarred face who attempts to track down a voodoo practitioner who plans to free the Confederate South with an army of the undead. If successful, 20th Century Fox will most likely look to franchise the character in multiple sequels.

In other Megan Fox news, the June issue of Esquire will feature the first ever magazine cover shot with the high-tech Red One video camera ... and guess who's on the cover? While the magazine on newsstands will show a series of still photographs from the shoot, folks can sneak the video cover online now, as well as check out a longer video of the shoot over on Esquire's website on May 4. They claim this to be the first time in magazine history that a cover image was shot as a video. Megan Fox can next be seen in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen on June 24.

Probably the last thing that most people think about when they look at Megan Fox is religion or pure or holy (except when saying, "Holy sh*t is she hot!"). But, over at the Hollywood Reporter's Risky Business Blog, they report that Fox is now attached to star as an 'Angel' alongside Mickey Rourke in the indie crime story, Passion Plays. Mitch Glazer wrote and will also direct the story of a down-on-his-luck trumpet player who saves an 'Angel' who is under the thumb of a ruthless gangster. Rourke would be playing the trumpet dude (well, it was either that or the gangster) and Fox will play the 'Angel' who is described in the script as "a slender beauty with wings who is part of a carnival."

Most of us are used to the idea of Rourke in these kinds of 'gritty' films, but Fox on the other hand could probably use the chance to expand her resume beyond being the girl who made her name by leaning over a car. Granted, her first chance to be more than Michael Bay's window dressing came with her starring role in Diablo Cody's horror Jennifer's Body, but she hasn't strayed far from her roots and will be back working on the comic book flick Jonah Hex and the period action flick Ironclad (although her role in that particular film hasn't been confirmed) in the coming months.

Regardless of what I think of Fox's abilities, it might be nice to see her do some actual acting for a change. Because let's be honest with ourselves, standing around looking hot isn't exactly 'acting' for this chick. But I do applaud her for taking a page from the Nicolas Cage playbook, and beefing up her resume with a healthy mix of indie credibility and Hollywood blockbusters.

Passion Plays is expected to arrive in theaters later this year.

Warner Bros' Jonah Hex gained some really interesting casting today (yes, realThe Hollywood Reporter casting, no April Fool's stuff). According to , Will Arnett and Michael Shannon are joining the cast, which already includes Josh Brolin, John Malkovich, and Megan Fox.

Arnett will be playing a Union soldier named Lieutenant Grass who enlists Hex to kill Turnbull, Malkovich's Confederate voodoo practitioner. Per an old casting notice, Grass is a man who's blindsided by the dirty fighting style of his enemies, a man more interested in new styles of warfare than really understanding his enemy. The role isn't meant to be funny, so Arnett will be toning down his style. Even when he's funny, he's got a bit of the creep about him (no offense, Mr. Arnett) which seems perfect for Jonah Hex, where everyone is a little ... off.

Shannon, fresh off his Oscar nomination, will be playing Doc Cross Williams, the bizarre ringleader of a brutal gladiator / circus event. Williams' is one of Hex's recurring nemesis in the series, whose finest achievement is making Wild Bill Hickok into a zombie. THR says he's likely to appear in sequels which is the first time anyone's mentioned a Jonah Hex franchise. While we're still a long ways away from being able to say "Hell yeah, bring it on", it's little touches like Wild Bill Hickok zombies that makes Jonah Hex such an enticing project.

Megan Fox knows how to please her fans -- and it isn't by trying out for edgy indie fare, romantic comedies, or soul searching dramas. It's by sticking to the "boy movies" based on comic books or transforming cars.

So it should come as no surprise that Fox has signed for not one, but two comic book properties. The first is Fox Atomic's long-rumored Fathom, which casts Fox in the lead role of Aspen Matthews. The film doesn't have a director yet, though it once attracted James Cameron. Jordan Mechner (creator of the video game Prince of Persia) is writing the script. To Fox's credit, she's been a fan of the comic since its start in 1998, and is helping to develop and shape the big screen adaptation. Will her ex-fiancee Brian Austin Green stay on as producer, as listed in The Hollywood Reporter?

Fox is also set to join Josh Brolin and John Malkovich in Warner Bros' Jonah Hex -- which brings a really promising project down a notch or two in my eyes. (Hey, she's perfect for Fathom. But I would have preferred Hex steer cleer of such pandering.) Fox will play Leila, a gun-wielding beauty and love interest for Jonah. I don't believe she ever appeared in the original series, though Hex's mythology is so uneven that she very well might be a current character. (There was a female supermodel who claimed to be Jonah Hex, maybe she's inspired by that.)

But hey -- THR reveals that Malkovich's Turnbull will be a voodoo practioner who is trying to raise an undead army of Confederate soldiers. So not even the gratutious inclusion of Fox and her smoking guns can really dim my enthusiasm. Who knows? She might even end up cool as well as hot.

For legions of Joss Whedon fans, one of his most lovable qualities is his outspoken nature. Sometimes it gets him into a little trouble, but hey, its all in good fun right? Well, DC Comics might not see it that way now that Whedon has thrown in his two cents about why DC hasn't had the same success as Marvel when it comes to bringing comic books to the multiplex. Elisabeth brought us the bad news back in January, that WB had put their DC properties on hold for the foreseeable future (with maybe the exception of a certain caped crusader), but, there are still a few DC properties that have survived. With Jonah Hex and the Green Lantern at the top of the list.

So what makes some superheroes successful at the box-office while others are destined to languish in development? According to Whedon it all comes down to humanity -- and what else would you expect from one the biggest touchy-feely comic book geeks around. Whedon says, "DC's characters, like Wonder Woman and Superman and Green Lantern, were all very much removed from humanity. Batman was the only character they had who was so rooted in pain, that had that same gift that the Marvel characters had, which was that gift of humanity that we can relate to." Even though Whedon is an expert when it comes to comics, I'm not sure if he has me convinced. The genius of a character like Superman is exploring the feelings of isolation and the price that is paid when you become someones protector and savior -- and if you need a great example of how to bring somebody like Superman into the real world, check out Tom DeHaven's It's Superman!

After the jump, Whedon gives the lowdown on Wonder Woman...

Wanna convince Josh Brolin to be in your movie? Just let him cast it himself and he'll be putty in your hands!

You might remember that Brolin was having a hard time deciding whether he wanted to do Jonah Hex back in November. He was; he wasn't; he wasn't sure; he couldn't decide. Brolin said: "It's so ridiculous. But once I started putting people in my mind and saying what if I put Malkovich in this role then what does this movie become?" It might have been musing back then, but three months later, it's a reality!

Variety reports that John Malkovich will play Turnbull in the film, a rich plantation man mourning the loss of his son Jeb by Union soldiers in a whole complicated ordeal. Naturally, he blames Hex, Jeb's best friend, and enemies are made. Oh lord, bring on the tongue in cheek wonder! It sounds like Brolin is getting just what he wanted -- a fun movie with some acting chops.

Brolin tempted me towards this project, but with Malkovich has definitely been piqued. I just keep imagining Dr. William Block and Osbourne Cox locked in a room together. Add Danny Trejo as El Papagayo and I think I'd die in delight. How about you?

Yesterday, Jimmy Hayward was announced as the director of Warner Bros' Jonah Hex. The Horton Hears a Who helmer is a surprising choice, but an ex-PIXAR man really isn't anything to sniff at. As we wait to see what mark Hayward leaves on the Neveldine/Taylor script, MTV News caught up with Jonah's on again, off again star, Josh Brolin. He approves wholeheartedly of Heyward, which would suggest he is actually taking the role. "He's amazing," gushes Brolin. "He's an amazing, amazing guy."

And what does he bring to the project that Neveldine and Taylor didn't? "Brilliance." Yikes. Brolin was quick to temper that potential criticism though. "I think the Crank guys are great. They're wonderful, and Mark [Neveldine] still e-mails me, he's very much involved, but I just think Jimmy Hayward is going to bring something truly unique."

Already, Jonah Hex has inspired a lot more Internet discussion and drama than I would have ever expected him to -- from Thomas Jane's leaked photo, to Brolin's mysterious involvement, to the director switcharoo, he's already had more pre-production press than most of DC's stable. I can't wait to see what other twists and turns this takes on the dusty road to filming.

If you watched Horton Hears a Who last spring and immediately thought "This is exactly how I see Jonah Hex," I would have demanded to know what narcotic you were on. Then, I would have had to apologize because you clearly weren't alone. Someone at Warner Bros was thinking the same thing, because according to The Hollywood Reporter, Horton's helmer Jimmy Hayward has stepped in as the director of Jonah Hex.

After losing Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, the studio has been frantically searching for a replacement, as they hope to begin shooting in March or April. McG and Andy Fickman were both on the short list, and back in December, Lexi Alexander was reportedly interested in the script. Instead, they chose a former PIXAR man, who made his directoral debut with Horton Hears a Who.

From all reports, they're keeping the Neveldine/Taylor script, so there is that, but Hayward is expected to give it his own mark. Who knows, maybe it's a smaller step from Dr. Seuss to a scarred cowboy than I'm able to picture. You can even argue that animated films and comic books have a lot in common, so you can't really judge ... but it's still a surprising pick, all creative differences considered.

So, will the choice of Hayward tip the balance for Josh Brolin or not? THR is still listing him as attached, but last we heard, he was still undecided as to whether or not to take the lead -- and it all hinged on who was sitting in the director's chair. Will he approve of Hayward over Neveldine and Taylor? Or will he depart for the open prairie, leaving Hayward without a cowboy?