RObert Downey Jr. Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Back in October, Adam Shankman was determined to make the Oscars fun, itching to "kick up the funny a little bit" and celebrate entertainment. But there wasn't a whole new revamp in mind -- he still wanted to continue with the path laid out last year and have Hugh Jackman host ... but the actor refused. Rumors immediately started bubbling that Neil Patrick Harris was circling, but there were other funny men in his sights. Deadline Hollywood reports that Shankman and Bill Mechanic went to Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr. to host as a duo.

But they said no.

Talk about a bummer. It's quite easy to imagine the red carpet coverage wind down, and Stiller and Downey Jr. dancing or strolling to center stage. They could easy bring a healthy dose of classic funny, yet still embody the new spin focused solely on entertainment and mirth. Hell, I would easily take Robert on his own. Can you imagine a series of blips where he acts out scenes from the top contenders or top grossing films? He could fall in love and be a lonely old man with a balloon house, travel into space, throw out classic Tarantino dialogue, channel Julia Child, suffer through a painful locker, feel the pressure of A Single Man...

But that dream is done. Is there any duo who could bring the same excellence? It would never happen, but if Ben and Robert are a no-go, I want insanity with a slice of brilliance by joining Christopher Walken and Jane Lynch. How about you? What other Oscar hosting duos would you suggest?

Click image below to view full poster

Cinematical has just received this exclusive new poster for Sherlock Holmes, due in theaters on Christmas Day. No more reserved stuffiness for this detective -- there's not a magnifying glass and classic hat in sight! Talk about a poster that boils the feel of a film down to one snazzy collection of images. Color us not surprised -- Robert Downey Jr.'s confident smirk alone is enough to tantalize, but there's also Jude Law with the campy and inquisitive Watson brow and a background of images ranging from a bottle of poison (cyanide, not any sort of booze) to faded glimpses of Rachel McAdams and Mark Strong. As the trailer and now this poster attest, Downey Jr. and Law are itching for roguish fun of a whole new flavor.

Set in 1891, Guy Ritchie's take on the famous detective finds Holmes and Watson battling an evil cult leader named Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), whose devilish schemes could give the crime-fighting duo their toughest challenge yet. "Revealing fighting skills as lethal as his legendary intellect, Holmes will battle as never before to bring down a new nemesis and unravel a deadly plot that could destroy the country" (read the full synopsis after the jump). Of course, with a depravity that knows no bounds as he brawls and flirts his way to the truth.

Sounds like the perfect roguish antidote to sappy holiday fare, doesn't it? Click on the image below to view the full poster.

"In this case, he is Iron Man, we know the characters, we know the tone, we know the rules, the way the world works ... and now we get to play." Jon Favreau on Iron Man 2.

A brand new set video that's definitely not as annoying as those flashy Entertainment Tonight videos has arrived online via France's Canal Plus, and though the intro is in French, the rest of it -- which includes some never-before-seen set footage and interviews with Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. -- is definitely worth a watch. As you can see from the image above -- which shows Scarlett Johansson wearing Iron Man's repulsor glove -- the video teases us with a little more Black Widow action. Not only do we get that brief shot, but we also catch a glimpse of Johansson (as Black Widow?) walking away from an explosion, as well as taking part in some pretty cool stunt work.

Instead of ET's set video on the racetrack, this one takes us inside Tony Stark's workshop, where Stark is attempting (and failing) to build a giant particle accelerator that wraps around and up through his driveway. Says Downey Jr, "I'd be surprised if you weren't surprised." Following that up, Favreau also notes how, historically, the second superhero movie usually rocks. "In comedies, number two is bad because you do the same story again. But with a superhero movie, number two is easier and better. And usually, if you look at most superhero movies, two is better than one. Three is usually not as good as two or one, so that becomes scary because you don't want to repeat yourself."

Watch the video after the jump. Iron Man 2 hits theaters on May 7, 2010.

In the last several weeks, "Shelf Life" columns have examined venerated films from different genres or filmographies that were tangentially if not directly related to the week's new releases: Carrie in anticipation of Jennifer's Body, Dawn of the Dead before Zombieland, and so on. This week, we're looking ahead at a future Blu-ray release, next week's Natural Born Killers, because, quite frankly, who's seen this thing in the last decade?

That of course isn't to say it's not still an incendiary classic, but in retrospect, Oliver Stone's treatise on media savagery feels like both a product of its time and a random blitz of imagery that has since dulled our perceptions of (and reactions to) the film's overall effect. But then again, it just might have been ahead of its time, or maybe just a misunderstood romance, or some other unholy beast that looks a lot different 15 years after it debuted in theaters. As such, Stone's Natural Born Killers is the subject of this week's "Shelf Life."

Now that we've all had enough time to get used to the idea that Spielberg is about to remake one of the most respected films in history, maybe it will help a little to know that it might star Robert Downey Jr. According to the LA Times' Hero Complex blog, the announcement is imminent that Downey will be starring in Spielberg's update of the classic film, which marks a change from some of the other names that had been attached, including the obvious heir apparent to Jimmy Stewart (and long time Spielberg cohort) Tom Hanks and Will Smith.

Harvey was the story of a gentle soul by the name of Elwood P. Dowd, and his best friend, who happens to be an invisible six-foot rabbit named Harvey. The original play won the Pulitzer Prize, but most of us probably remember the 1950 film starring Jimmy Stewart as Dowd. News of the remake hit back in August, and according to Complex, during a set visit to Iron Man 2, "the actor spoke with affection and awe about the late Stewart's nuanced timing and camera sense."

Though it really could mean anything, because people in Hollywood take meetings with other people in Hollywood every single day (it's what they do, and it keeps them alive), we found it rather interesting to learn that Diablo Cody met with Playboy founder Hugh Hefner yesterday to talk about that long-delayed Brian Grazer-produced Playboy flick that may or may not star either Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Downey Jr. or someone else entirely, and may or may not be directed by Brett Ratner.

We know this because of Hefner's Twitter account, where yesterday afternoon he tweeted the following: "Meeting with Diablo Cody to talk about the Brian Grazer Playboy film today." Cody, however, kept hush hush about the meeting on Twitter, and Hefner never followed up to tell his followers how the meeting went. That said, knowing that he's meeting with writers means they're either looking for a brand new script or a rewrite of what already exists. Last time anything official hit regarding this project, it was back in 2007 when John Hoffman signed on to pen the script, with Ratner attached to direct.

Cody seems like an odd choice for a screenwriter, though, especially since she seems to dig projects that are chick-centric (then again, I guess any film about the life of Hugh Hefner would include plenty of female, um, parts). What could she possibly add to the project, other than a whole bunch of quirky, high school hipster-speak? Seems like an odd pairing ... what do you think this is all about?

Earlier this summer, reshoot rumors were thick around Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes. One of the more believable ones was that Brad Pitt was stepping in to make an appearance as Moriarty, though it was clouded in so much "Pitt must save Ritchie!" hyperbole that it was almost impossible to believe. As always, there seems to have been some truth to the tabloid rumors, because The Hollywood Reporter says Warner Bros is already prepping more Holmes, and Pitt is in talks to play the detective's legendary adversary, Moriarty.

While neither Ritchie, Pitt, or producer Joel Silver will comment on whether Pitt already makes a shadowy appearance in the upcoming film. Those who have read the script say that Moriarty does appear, but is all mysterious and silhouetted, and it's impossible to see who he really is.

As Pitt debates whether or not he wants to pit brainpower and martial arts against the elementary Robert Downey Jr., the studio has brought on Kieran and Michele Mulroney, the team behind their Justice League: Mortal project to pen the script. Though nothing is official yet, THR notes "much of the talent," notably Downey, Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, and Ritchie are expected to return. (Mark Strong isn't mentioned. Spoiler or no surprise?) It's worth noting that if Pitt signs on and the line-up remains as is, there's only one native Brit in the entire cast of this very English classic.

There's a long-running joke in Hollywood that one of the easiest ways to earn an Oscar is to either 'Ugly it up" or contract a disease. But, in recent years, one of the newer trends that can lead an actor to the podium is for them to take on a role where they play a person of same-sex orientation (a fact that has already become the stuff of satire). Over the past 10 years, plenty of actors have earned Oscars for playing gay roles, and the latest actor to join the club could be Matt Damon, who has signed to play Liberace's lover in Steven Soderbergh's biopic of the flamboyant musician.

So what's the big deal? Don't actors pretend to be different people all the time ... isn't that their job? Well, yes, but it's a little more complicated than that. Gay and lesbian political advocates have long lamented the sad state of affairs where straight actors are getting gay roles, instead of giving 'out' actors their chance to shine. So, while I question the idea that only gay actors could play a gay character, just as only straight actors can play straight characters, the sad fact is that Hollywood is still relatively puritanical when it comes to allowing their actors and actresses to be out and proud -- and that needs to change. But, that doesn't mean I think an actor (gay or straight) shouldn't play role any role they want ... just as long as they're good at it.

So on that note, I decided to give a little credit to five performances by straight actors in gay roles that transcended orientation and, ultimately, are just damn fine performances.

After the jump: my picks for the best of straight actors going gay for pay...

I really believe this is the best geek news we'll have all month. Not only is Robert Downey Jr. officially on board Cowboys & Aliens, The Hollywood Reporter announced that he's bringing Jon Favreau along for the ride. Considering the original screenplay was penned by Iron Man screenwriters Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, it's literally a dream team come true.

As if it wasn't touched by the movie gods enough, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, they-who-can-write-no-failures, are penning the script, and producer Damon Lindelof came aboard last fall. There's no way this can fail. Even if the movie was one big trick, and simply 2 hours of Robert Downey Jr. in a cowboy hat reading a phone book, it would succeed. We would just call it arthouse, and praise them all for subverting our expectations!

But there's no danger of arthouse here, Cowboys & Aliens really does promise to be pure fun with this team. The story takes place in 1880s Arizona, where a war is raging between settlers and Native Americans. Their war is interrupted by the arrival of a UFO, which promptly unleashes hell onto the plains of Silver City. The Native Americans and settlers must unite to fight a larger threat, and are led to battle by Zeke Jackson (Downey), a gunslinger and former member of the Union Army. You can read the entire graphic novel online, which should keep you satisfied until Cowboys & Aliens hits theaters in the summer of 2011.

Just days ago, we were buzzing about a rather startling rumor that Robert Downey Jr. might just put on the cravat and fangs of Anne Rice's Lestat de Lioncourt. The comments were pretty much split down the middle on this one, and for good reason. He's an unlikely pick, but it's not as though you can deny he always turns in a fine performance.

But what does Anne Rice think of all this? Jay Tomio of BSC caught up with the author to get her take on the project and its possible star. As everyone remembers from the days of Tom Cruise's casting, Rice has never been shy about voicing her thoughts when it comes to adaptations of her work. Downey can breathe easy though -- if he does take the part, there will be no advertisements against him, because Rice loves the idea.