It's not easy reconciling the two sides of Robert Rodriguez. One likes to make pseudo-schlock flicks with machine-gun-leg chicks, and the other likes to make kids movies -- not exactly an expected transition is it? Latino Review has posted a script review for Rodriguez's latest kiddie romp, Shorts. So let's get right to the point, shall we? Review's scooper liked what he saw. Sure there were some complaints, and we'll get to those in a moment, but overall it's a solid thumbs up.

Shorts is the story of Toe Jackson, a young boy in a Texas subdivision who narrates four stories set in the heart of the suburban neighborhood. Now for the bad news. According to the review, the script is a little heavy on the "fart jokes" -- also, it may be a little too focused on the boys. This is a shame considering what a great young female character Rodriguez created in Spy Kids. Then again, he also managed to make a list of the most misogynistic flicks, but I digress. The reviewer also had some complaints about character names, because the script is loaded with cutesy ones like Loogie and Nose.

It's likely that most of Rodriguez's fans are focused squarely on the long awaited sequel to Sin City, not to mention those of you out there hankering for a full-length Machete feature, so Shorts probably won't be high on your list of priorities. If, however, you've got some rug rats at home, then you might want to get used to the idea of seeing this movie in theaters. Shorts is tentatively scheduled for release in 2009.

Chalk up another missed opportunity for Lindsay Lohan, as it now appears the gal will not be starring in the upcoming flick Poor Things, no matter what Shirley MacLaine tells us. Lohan originally dropped out last year when she was admitted to rehab (first or second trip for her, I forget?), and now according to The Hollywood Reporter, they're looking at Brittany Murphy as a possible replacement. I say 'looking at' because negotiations with Murphy haven't even begun yet; she's just one actress they're eying for the role. Poor Things also has a new director in Scott Marshall (Blonde Ambition), who replaces Ash Baron-Cohen after the dude dropped out over "creative differences."

Poor Things tells the story of two female con artists who befriend and then murder homeless men for their insurance policies. Sounds interesting enough, although I never knew the homeless were known for their phenomenal insurance policies. The film already stars Shirley MacLaine and Olympia Dukakis (as the two female con artists, I believe), as well as Rosario Dawson and Channing Tatum. HR also says that Murphy was cast in Sin City 2; a project we haven't heard much about as of late. I assume she'll be reprising her role from the first film. No word on when Poor Things will finally go into production, but we'll let you know.

After braving the huge throng last night during Preview Night, it's Thursday in San Diego and that means its panel time. So, both Kevin and I will be slogging through the San Diego Convention Center to bring you as much info as we can during the next four days. First up for me today is actress/comic book creator Rosario Dawson and her panel where she discusses her comic book Occult Crimes Taskforce (aka OTC), its success, its future and when (or if) It's ever going to be made into a movie. Well, if you're a fan of the comic book and Ms. Dawson, I won't leave you in suspense any longer: it will be a movie.

In fact, the project was originally conceived as both a comic book and a movie from the beginning. At the moment, however, according to the actress herself, they are "still negotiating a few things and working to find a writer at the moment." So, apparently no firm deal is in place for the movie version of the comic but they do plan on doing a movie eventually and are actively searching for a screenwriter to translate the comic to the screen.

During the panel Dawson also went on to discuss various other aspects of her career, her future acting plans and her love of comic books. On the film front, the actress reveled that there will be a Sin City 2 but that "Robert (Rodriguez) is doing Barbarella first" so don't expect to see it for awhile.

She also discussed her feature producing debut Descent, which deals with some "pretty heavy subjects like rape and sexual violence" as well a her love of all-things Quentin Tarantino, whom she refers to repeatedly as a "genius" and a "phenomenon." So, if you want to keep enjoying some OCT goodness, you'll have to be content with the comic for now. Anxiously waiting for Sin City 2? Settle in as it looks to be quite some time before it gets made.

I had a chance to speak with Angelina Jolie at the press junket for A Mighty Heart on Friday, and I asked her about a few of her upcoming (or potentially upcoming) projects. As for the one the fanboys care most about -- Sin City 2 -- she laughed when I asked her if she would do it, and then she smiled and simply said "It might be resurfacing." She had a little more to say about the adaptation of Atlas Shrugged, which is moving forward very slowly, despite having the Plan B powerhouse of Pitt and Jolie behind it. Angelina told me that the project is still on the table, but "the thing with Atlas is just, we all feel that it's one of those projects where if you can't do it right, you really can't touch it. So we have not had all the pieces come together. There's not been a director that's right to come on, or all of those elements. So until it does, you know, I certainly don't want to be a part of something that's just put together to hit 'this date.'"

Having spoken with Dan Futterman beforehand, who is working on some romantic comedy vehicles, I also told Angelina that it occured to me that she did relatively few comedy projects. Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Life or Something Like It were the only ones I could think of. "I'm really not funny," she said. "Archie [Panjabi] thinks I'm funny. Archie and I had a lot of laughs. Yeah, I really don't think I'm that good at comedy. I don't think I'd be very good at it. I think there are other actresses that do it really great. And they should, cause they'd be better, you know." We also talked about how she approaches accent work and some other stuff, which I'll be writing up in a full report as soon as I have time. Stay tuned to Cinematical.

Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller collaborated on, in my humble opinion, the best-ever adaptation of a Miller work -- Sin City (Although admittedly, I didn't see Elektra, so don't hold me to that!) Sin City did pretty well at the box office, and critics and audiences loved it. You'd think the powers that be would be thrilled to have a sequel in production. Alas, that doesn't seem to be the case. There's been much talk lately that Sin City 2 has been officially delayed, and some are saying it might not even happen. The sequel, an adaptation of Miller's A Dame to Kill For and a prequel to The Big Fat Kill, has been pushed back due to Miller's gig directing The Spirit and Rodriguez's planned remake of Barbarella. Miller is pretty sick of waiting, telling mtv.com "Robert (Rodriguez) and I have a script and we're all raring to go. We're aching to get started. I want to work with that crew again ... that wonderful cast."

Miller says "There was just some problems above us that I don't understand ... that I don't really want to understand." Still, Miller insists Sin City 2 is happening, and that he fully expects a Sin City 3 as well. Rodriguez has said the third film will focus on Miller's Hell and Back, about a hallucinating artist named Wallace -- a role that has repeatedly been linked to everyone's favorite pirate Johnny Depp. "I ain't talking cast until we're actually shooting or close to it!" says Miller, but the article makes it seem like Depp is a definite ace in Miller's sleeve. I sure hope we get a couple more of these flicks, because I thought Sin City was awesome. It took me a second viewing to come to that conclusion, but that is where I now stand, in case you are interested. From a nudity standpoint alone, the movie deserves two ... no, three thumbs up. Carla Gugino, if you're reading this -- wanna go out for a burger or something? Or get married?

Yup, that's right. "Delayed." Yesterday, I told you about a little interview which featured Michael Madsen claiming that Sin City 2 might not be moving forward as planned due to the box office failures of Grindhouse. While we're not entirely sure that Grindhouse played a part in this whole ordeal, Frank Miller told Rotten Tomatoes that the film has been officially delayed as both men gear up to take on separate projects before re-visiting the Sin City universe. Miller says, "Sin City 2 is still likely to happen, just not right away. The script is written and Robert [Rodriguez] and I are raring to go, but it looks like I'm going to be doing The Spirit first and Robert's going to be doing Barbarella first." Maybe it's just me, but "likely to happen" isn't the greatest confidence booster in the world. Was Miller holding a Magic 8-Ball when he was asked that question? "All signs point to This Sucks!"

Seeing as both films still need to cast, to shoot and to promote, I can't imagine Sin City 2 happening for at least six to eight months, at least. But with Miller looking to break in as a solo feature director, who knows if he'll even be interested in co-directing again with Rodriguez. Not to mention the Weinstein boys are probably going to take a long hard look at the franchise in the meantime and decide whether or not it's worth the money. Also in the article, Miller said that he was so stoked after watching U2 3D in Cannes that "plans to do my own 3D film are forming in my head." Does that mean The Spirit will be in 3D? Probably not, but I wouldn't be surprised if he moves in that direction once Sin City 2 inevitably sinks to the bottom of development hell. Tis' a real shame. At least we have Miller's next graphic novel to look forward to -- Batman vs. Al Qaeda. Seriously. That's what it's called. Perhaps Uwe Boll can adapt? Whaddya think?

Last we heard about Sin City 2, the script was finished and Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller were gearing up to start shooting later this summer (apparently, Rodriguez may also have a teaser prepared). But then Grindhouse bombed at the box office. According to an interview with Michael Madsen over on Premiere.com, those Grindhouse failures might end up squashing the entire Sin City franchise going forward. When asked about the highly-anticipated sequel, Madsen replied: "They haven't shot it yet. I don't know if they ever will. I am not sure [about] the franchise. I think the Grindhouse thing didn't kind of work out..." But has he even seen a script yet? "No. I talk to Frank Miller quite often. He came up to my house and we drank a lot of tequila. Frank is pretty funny. I haven't seen the script for Sin City 2. I don't know if they are gonna make it. I hope they do. And if and when they do, I will be in it."

Call me crazy here, but to put the kibosh on a very lucrative (and entertaining) franchise all because one film (geared toward a very particular audience) didn't do well at the box office would be -- how shall I say this and not sound cruel -- utterly moronic. I tend to think that Madsen won't be brought into the loop until its time to shoot his scenes, but you'd think the guy would've at least seen a script if the film was supposed to start shooting in a month or two ... and he was in it. Could it be that The Weinsteins were so let down by the performance of the Rodriguez/Tarantino flick that they're actually questioning moving forward? Seeing as we haven't heart anything in quite some time, there might be some truth behind what Madsen is saying. And if so, that's a real bummer. Premiere also asked the actor about his participation in Quentin Tarantino's WWII epic Inglorious Bastards. As far as that goes -- guess what -- Tarantino is still writing it. When will this guy ever finish writing it? More importantly, will The Weinstein Co. back that one if they eventually decide to wipe their hands clean of Sin City? Lots to talk about folks -- what do you think?

Say what you will about Joe Carnahan's movies (like Narc and Smokin' Aces, both of which I like quite a bit), but you can't say the guy's not a bona-fide, hardcore movie geek. (I actually had dinner with the guy once. Topics of conversation ranged from Richard Donner to Takashi Miike to Eli Roth.) Joe keeps a personal blog to blather away in, and right after sharing his writers' block stress with his fans, he mentioned something pretty darn juicy regarding Sin City 2.

Seems that Robert Rodriguez stopped by to visit with Smokin' Joe, and he brought some footage that very well could be the very first Sin City 2 teaser! Here's what Carnahan had to say: "Robert Rodriguez stopped by the office yesterday and showed me what may become the teaser for 'SIN CITY 2' and HOLY SH*T is it something. I don't want to let any cats out of any bags, so all I can say is there's not a hetero male moviegoer alive that's not going to deeply DIG that spot. Remember, he's doing 'A Dame To Kill For' and brother has he got it."

So that means Rodriguez already shot some SC2 footage? Or did he just use his digital wizardry to cook up something sexy and sizzling? Hell, maybe the director will share it with the rest of us! I'm guessing that with the Grindhouse "push" well and truly over, Rodriguez might be focusing exclusively on Sin City 2 right now ... which is just fine with me. (And millions of other movie nerds.)

It looks like all is not well with Mummy 3. Last week Erik finally confirmed that Rachel Weisz would not be returning to reprise her role as the plucky librarian/adventurer. So while the official reason provided by Weisz's reps was scheduling conflicts and quality time with her family, sources for IESB .net say the real problem might have been the script. Early reviews of the Mummy script weren't favorable, but now IESB's sources say the script is being re-tooled as a father and son adventure to accommodate Weisz's absence -- which sounds a little too close for comfort to some of the ideas bandying around for the latest Indiana Jones. Now titled Mummy 3: Curse of the Dragon, the film leaves Egypt behind (and Oded Fehr for that matter), and is set in China. The story will have our hero, Rick O'Connell, battling cursed Terra Cotta Warriors. Jet Li is still in talks for the film, but consensus seems to be that his signing is pretty much a foregone conclusion.

Weisz had been mentioned as a possible contender for Sin City 2, which according to Rosario Dawson, is shooting this summer. This could lend some weight to the rumor that Weisz is joining Rodrguez's cast and maybe is the source of her "scheduling conflict." Either way, bailing out of Mummy 3 might be the smarter choice, Enough bad word of mouth just might be the final "nail in the sarcophagus" for the franchise. I guess we will have to wait until Summer 2008 to find out.

With Grindhouse all wrapped up and set to debut a week from this Friday, Robert Rodriguez can finally move onto his next film: a sequel to the highly-successful Sin City. Frank Miller has already completed the script, which will based off the story A Dame to Kill For, and the entire crew is currently gearing up to begin production sometime this summer (we think). While there's still no word regarding Angelina Jolie's involvement as, well, the dame to kill for, Rodriguez is now dropping a few other big names into the mix -- Johnny Depp and Antonio Banderas. According to the director, Depp (who starred in Rodriguez's Once Upon a Time in Mexico) wanted to play Jackie Boy (Benicio del Toro) in the original Sin City, but was too busy shooting The Libertine at the time. Needless to say, Rodriguez wants him to play a bigger role in the Sin City franchise -- but that role won't show up until Sin City 3.

Yes, Sin City 3. Rodriguez told MTV that the third film will revolve around the Sin City story Hell and Back, focusing on a main character named Wallace (to be played by Depp?) who is drugged repeatedly and, subsequently, wanders through the film hallucinating. (So, it's kind of like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas ... but in black and white.) While no deal is in place yet, Rodriguez feels confident that Depp will take the role. As far as Banderas goes, there was no word whether he would fit into part 2, part 3 or both; the actor really wants to take on a role, any role -- going so far as to say he'd play the hunchback. Seeing as Rodriguez and Miller are apparently planning two Sin City sequels at the same time, one wonders whether they will be shot back-to-back. According to IMDb, both films are currently scheduled to be released in 2008, though I imagine the latter would roll over into 2009 in order to establish a little bit of breathing room between the two. Thoughts?

Just a year ago, Rosario Dawson was rather loose-lipped about what was happening with the Sin City 2 sequel. The actress suggested that the film was postponed due to Angelina Jolie's pregnancy because Robert Rodriguez wanted the adoption addict to play A Dame to Kill For. Now the actress isn't sharing as much, although things look to finally be back on track for the film, according to an IESB report from Dawson at ShoWest. The actress says that part 2 will begin shooting in June or July (finally!), and that it will, indeed, be a Dame-themed sequel.

When talking about the lead, she said she had an idea who was wanted for it, and under prodding, she stated with a smile: "Angelina Jolie? I can't talk about it." Uh-oh. Did Robert give her a talking-to? I would be surprised if Jolie finally takes the part. She's just adopted a new kid, and seems to be busy with everything but Frank Miller's gothic world. So, maybe he's turned his sights to Rachel Weisz, as other rumors have suggested, or even Rose McGowan. If I had to guess, I'd say he'd go with the latter. He and Tarantino had nothing but great things to say about her and her stint in Grindhouse. I see them going for someone into the material and less tabloid sensational. Either way, if Dawson is right, we should have more serious and solid word on casting soon.

Earlier, Erik Davis told you the Sin City team was tired of waiting on Angelina Jolie and was moving on to make Rachel Weisz the "Dame to Kill For." This is generally a good move in my opinion, because I'm tired of waiting for Sin City 2, although Erik did make an interesting point when he said "However, Weisz -- um -- she's cute and all, but I wouldn't kill for her." So replacing Jolie for time considerations is fine, but we're not sure what we think of Weisz as the replacement. Okay, I hear ya. How about we instead suggest a different name for the part?

Film Ick says they were given a different name for the role -- although they admit up front they have nothing solid to substantiate what they were told. Thus far, that puts them in the same general camp as the Rachel Weisz rumors, though, so hey, why not entertain them? So ... how do you feel about one Rose McGowan? You probably know her from Charmed, but the actress does have at least some minor connection with the Sin City team -- she's appearing in Rodriguez and Tarantino's Grindhouse flick. What do you think? Would you be willing to kill for Rose McGowan?

Yes, it's big, explosive rumor day here on Cinematical -- we've already told you about some McConaughey P.I. coolness, and now Cinema Blend is reporting (via some anonymous inside source) that Rachel Weisz is replacing Angelina Jolie as the "Dame to Kill For" in Sin City 2. Granted, Jolie was never officially attached to the role, but based on what we've heard from cast members and the like, she was very interested in hopping onboard the highly-anticipated sequel to Robert Rodriguez's Sin City -- which, of course, was based off Frank Miller's graphic novels.

For those not aware, Sin City 2 will follow the storylines of A Dame to Kill For with Weisz (or Jolie) playing, well, the kind of dame a man would kill for. But here's my question: Is Weisz a better fit than Jolie for a role like this? Hardcore fans of the graphic novels could probably answer that best -- the way I see it, Jolie was perfect for the part. However, Weisz -- um -- she's cute and all, but I wouldn't kill for her ... that's for sure. It's important to stress that this is just a rumor right now -- production isn't set to begin until 2008 (supposedly) -- and so please don't write off the entire film based on what you've read here. Heck, perhaps you'd rather see Weisz take over since Jolie is just too damn Hollywood-ized right now -- gossip, gossip, Brad Pitt, gossip, gossip -- it's kind of hard to take her seriously anymore. Hey, but you be the judge.

Only a day or so ago, Frank Miller's attorney shared with the world a short statement from Miller regarding the recent rumors of discord amongst the Sin City team. Miller simply said "This is patent nonsense. Cybercrap." Nonetheless, sources (some of which are apparently prominently-placed) continue to claim the once iron-clad friendship between Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller has dissolved, and sequels are in danger. The truth? Well, I suppose those who doubt will continue to doubt, but Frank Miller has stepped up again to deliver another strong endorsement of the team's commitment to a sequel. IF Magazine got a chance to ask a quick question of Miller, and they of course seized the opportunity to ask him about the rumors. Miller told them the script was nearly completed and everything is still a go, as soon as schedules clear up. Oh, and his new work for the film is still planned to happen in comic book form around the same time as the movie releases.

So is Miller trustworthy? I know the man can be hard to work with, but he's certainly the most reputable source we've got stepping up so far. It's hard to be closer to the source than the writer/co-director himself, so until we get something far more official than the rumors we've heard, I'm taking the guy's word for it. You?

Geeks worldwide can heave a big sigh of relief on today's news. While most of us were highly suspicious of the "Oh no, Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller hate each other, Angelina Jolie refuses to be in the movie, and Sin City 2 is doomed!" rumors, they naturally caused some small bit of concern.Thankfully, the ever-talented Comic Book Resources set themselves to digging out the truth behind these ugly rumors. They headed first to Frank Miller's attorney Harris Miller, who informed them the rumors were not to be believed. Harris (called here by his first name to avoid obvious confusion), told CBR Frank is currently working on comics related issues while Rodriguez is of course hard at work on Grindhouse, but there are no arguments between them and the two certainly still plan on returning to Sin City. Harris later forwarded on a response from Frank himself, who said bluntly: "This is patent nonsense. Cybercrap." Granted, Frank has had some problems with Hollywood in the past -- but the partnership with Rodriguez seemed exceptionally surprised, and I'd be shocked if they canned future plans. Stay tuned to Cinematical for further updates, should they arise.