Matthew Fox Tagged Articles at Cinematical

It's a scary thing when I can barely remember where I left my cell phone, but I go "Billy Smoke? I did a story on that last year." Back then it only had Matthew Fox attached, but now it has a director. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jeffery Nachmanoff has signed on to direct the adaptation of B. Clay Moore's comic series. This will be his second director gig, the first being the moderately received thriller Traitor.

Smoke centers not on the black monster of LOST fame, but on a top-of-the-line hitman who narrowly escapes a botched job. The brush with death sends him in search of redemption, and he decides the only way to find it is to kill all the assassins of the world. Pretty tall order. Moore's series is still awaiting publication -- a thread on Oni Press is giving a date of April 2010. The author says Warner Bros is "seriously jazzed about this one" and that the project is moving quickly.

It's difficult to judge it without even a preview of the book, but given the comic adaptations Warner Bros has been putting out, let's give this one our full attention and see what comes of it. Is it possible that by 2010 or 2011 Fox will be a major action star in his own right, the days of LOST and Party of Five behind him? You never know.

Remember when it was common wisdom that TV stars couldn't cross over and become movie stars? The boundaries between TV and movies have been shattered, with actors freely crossing over between the two mediums. Over the next three weekends, we'll see a host of actors who made their mark in television stepping up to starring roles on the big screen. Tomorrow, fans can support Miley Cirus in Hannah Montana: The Movie, next week Zac Efron will pretend to be 17 Again, and later in the month, the heroic Ali Larter and the wired Idris Elba will tangle in Obsessed.

With that in mind, here are seven TV stars who should be in more movies. Not all of them currently play lead roles, but they all have the capability of dazzling audiences worldwide. For this edition, we're focusing on the gentlemen of the dramatic arts.

1. Jon Hamm

As Don Draper in the superb, eloquent Mad Men, Hamm has been crafty, elegant, and far too sexy when he's puffing on a cancer stick. He also has that rare gift of allowing viewers to peer through his eyes into his soul, which is a scary thing when you consider what Draper has done on the show. Hamm amply demonstrated his comedic ability on the episode of Saturday Night Live that he hosted last year, and again on a recent run of 30 Rock as a gorgeous, clumsy doctor living in a "bubble." He had nothing much to do in the disastrous remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still, so he's ripe for some good movies. Drama, comedy, romance ... is there anything he can't do?

According to Variety, Matthew Fox is in talks to play the title character in Warner Bros' Billy Smoke, an adaptation of Oni Press's newest comic book series. Don't feel bad if you're wondering who the hell Billy Smoke is, and why you can't keep up with comic books these days -- it won't be published until next year. Oni Press doesn't even have a preview of it up, so we can't judge it based on six pages.

However, the story goes a little something like this: Smoke is an elite hit man, who is nearly killed during a botched job. He has a change of heart, and realizes that his only way to find redemption is to rid the world of all assassins. It's waking up the ghost of another film in my brain, but I'll be damned if I can remember what it is. Readers?

The series is being written by by B. Clay Moore, who already has racked up some luck in the movie business. His graphic novel, Leading Man, was recently optioned by Universal. And yes, that too is published by Oni Press. I'm a little worried they are actually taking over Hollywood, as this is the fifth book of theirs to be optioned by a studio. The Last Call was bought just last week. I'm not sure what titles are even left to buy at this point -- may I nominate Polly and the Pirates?

At the Long Beach Grand Prix, the roar of high-powered race car engines fills the air, a deep bass thrum cutting through the smell of exhaust in the early summer heat. Tens of thousands of race fans have gathered to take in the metal-and-rubber reality of racing, but in the Long Beach Convention Center, a small group of journalists have gathered to talk about a big-screen fantasy vision of the spectacle roaring around us, Cinematical was there to speak with the people behind Speed Racer: Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci and Matthew Fox, as well as producer Joel Silver.

Emile Hirsch, relaxed and fairly amused, is asked about embodying a classic character. "It's pretty cool." He laughs; "I was a very big fan of the show growing up ... I would just watch it every morning with cereal ... sometimes soda in the cereal. ..." I then asked Hirsch if, after reading the script, he was worried about being Mark Hamill to Matthew Fox's Harrison Ford, that Speed would be out-cooled by Racer X. "Well, now I am ..." The rest of the sentence is unprintable, but Hirsch then mocked Fox's masked mystery man and spoke sincerely about Speed's virtues: "Yeah, (Racer X) is so cool ... No, no, no; Speed's got the nobility; Speed does the right thing; Speed is ... Speed's cool."

(Hirsch on coolness:)

I don't know a lot about Speed Racer aside from what I've gleaned from the theme song over the years -- apparently, the young man's a demon on wheels -- so, in many ways, I'm the best possible audience for Larry and Andy Wachowski's new big-screen interpretation of the character. Originally a Japanese animation program exported and re-dubbed for the American market in the '60s, Speed Racer has now been revived and revitalized for now. And the Wachowskis have created a blast of pure pop family fun; Speed Racer's a bright, bold visual spectacle designed for kids.

And why shouldn't it be? Or, rather, how could it not? This is a property where one of the supporting characters is, after all, a monkey; any fully-grown individual hoping for an adult action film or racing realism is looking in the wrong place. Speed Racer plays like a car-crazed visual wonder -- it looks and feels like what pop artist Roy Lichtenstein would dream if you locked him in a room full of gas fumes, gave him only candy to eat and showed him nothing but Tron, Indianapolis 500 footage, episodes of the '60s Batman TV show and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. All at the same time. With the volume very, very high.

Here he comes. Here comes Speed Racer. He's a demon on wheels! Good lord, I'm hooked, and I have to admit -- Speed Racer didn't really appeal to me until I saw the trailers. In case the last incarnation wasn't enough to whet your speed racing appetites, two new international trailers have hit the net.

Above, you get more of the usual -- color-infused, wild-arse racing -- one that at least briefly gives me flashbacks to Grease. (Speed Racer fans, I ask you -- which came first -- tire slashers in Speed Racer, or Grease?) That's the trailer you can check out above. After the jump, you can check out the second version. It might seem the same at first, but stick with it. Along with more dialog, you can check out Christina Ricci's pixie-bobbed Trixie. And, most importantly -- Matthew Fox's Racer X.

The film hits theaters on May 9.

Like many recent thrillers, Vantage Point is set against the war on terror, as U.S. President Ashton (William Hurt) arrives in Salamanca, Spain to announce new international treaties and efforts in the fight against freedom's enemies. We open in a news van, as harried, hard-bitten producer Rex Brooks (Sigourney Weaver) is orchestrating her camera team and reporters on scene. When reporter Angie Brooks (Zoe Saldana) breaks from the celebratory mood to talk about the protesters outside the courtyard where the crowd awaits the President's words, Rex is miffed about the departure from the script. "We're here for the summit, not the sideshow." Rex has a very definite plan for the day in her head. As shots ring out, the President goes down and explosions ripple through the courtyard, it's clear someone else does, too. ...

Directed by Pete Travis, Vantage Point's plot unfolds as a series of recollections and first-person stories; we begin with Rex's by-the-books coverage turning into a nightmare of murder and mayhem; we flash back to follow Secret Service veteran Thomas Barnes (Dennis Quaid) as he and partner Kent Taylor (Matthew Fox) transport the President to the location; we follow American tourist Howard Lewis (Forest Whitaker) as he winds up accidentally videotaping what may be the key to the attempt on the President's life; we follow President Ashton as he weighs the security risk of the speech against the importance of what he's going to say. ...

The first poster for Speed Racer has arrived online (courtesy of JoBlo) -- a film that's sure to give you an "interesting" experience at the theater when it arrives on May 9. The trailer, which first hit Moviefone recently, has caused all sorts of commotion from people who either love the trippy live-action look to people who hate the fact that it looks like a high-priced video game. This particular poster, according to recent photos over at FirstShowing, appears to be lenticular for the in-theater versions. That means the image changes based on the way you look at it. So next time you visit the theater, expect a bunch of stoners to be standing in front of the Speed Racer poster like a pack of hypnotized Chim-Chims.

Directed by the Wachowski Brothers (or siblings), Speed Racer is based on the popular '60s cartoon. It stars Emile Hirsch as an up-and-coming race car driver who enters into a dangerous race in order to help thwart an evil company's plans to destroy his car and his family's business. The film co-stars Christina Ricci, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon and Matthew Fox. You can check out the trailer over on Moviefone, or visit the film's official site for more info.

You've probably already seen the pics, so now it's time to enjoy the first trailer for one of this summer's most anticipated films, Speed Racer. Based on the classic 1960s cartoon, Speed Racer was brought back to life on the big screen by those Matrix wizards, the Wachowski Brothers. And whether you agree with what they've done or not, guaranteed you haven't seen anything like this before. Bursting with vibrant colors, and featuring scenes that look absolutely spectacular to watch (you'll need to see this one in the theater), Speed Racer stars Emile Hirsch as the aspiring race car driver Speed, who, with help from his family (Mom and Pops played by Susan Sarandon and John Goodman), his girlfriend Trixie (Christina Ricci) and a little chimp named Chim Chim, builds the unstoppable Mach 5 and teams with the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox) to win the death-defying, cross-country rally known as The Crucible in order to save his family's business and beat the evil Royalton at his own game. You can check out the trailer up top, or head on over to Moviefone to see it in glorious HD. Additionally, we've included a gallery of still photos below. Speed Racer is set to crash its way into theaters on May 9, 2008.

I'd just like to say that it's a pleasure to write about three films that aren't sequels:

A brand new behind-the-scenes clip from Speed Racer has hit the net, courtesy of Entertainment Tonight. In it, they go on set with Matthew Fox (aka Racer X) to learn a little about the cars, the film's vibe and the production. While I'm not really allowed to say anything about anything for another 24 hours or so, let me just say that I have seen something (hint: Knowles has seen it too) with regards to Speed Racer that is so unbelievably awesome -- you seriously have no idea how insane this film is going to look. No idea. The Wachowski Brothers are back and they're officially bad ass to the bone. I wish I could say more, but sadly I cannot. Just hold on because you're all in for one helluva ride when this puppy touches down in theaters on May 9 (my birthday!). [Check out the video after the jump]

Looks like that live-action G.I. Joe project is slowly piecing together its cast. Slashfilm reports that Ray Park (better known as Darth Maul from Star Wars Episode I) has been cast as one of my favorite Joe characters, Snake Eyes. Those fans of the toyline, animated series and comic books will remember Snake Eyes as this mysterious ninja character who is known for his martial arts capabilities. When I was a kid I used to play with these action figures all the time, and I somewhat recall Snake Eyes being blind. Is that true, or is that one of the storylines I made up back in the day? It's sad, but I forgot. Anyway, Sienna Miller has already been cast as the Baroness, evil sidekick to Destro. So whaddya think of Ray Park? Maul is back baby!

Finally, Paramount is sending around a new photo from Iron Man (seen above), which looks pretty damn awesome. In the film, which arrives in theaters on May 2, Robert Downey Jr. kicks off a whole new superhero franchise as the alcoholic, multi-millionaire-turned-robot loving madman, Tony Stark. He builds this suit, kicks some ass, woos Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts) and, at some point, runs into Samuel L. Jackson as fellow Marvel hero Nick Fury. Here's hoping director Jon Favreau kicks off the Summer of '08 with a bang ... and a boom.