If there's anyone who has pulled off a wickedly impressive image transformation, it's Angelina Jolie. She used to be the wild child who'd wear bloody tees to her wedding (with Jonny Lee), or bloody vials around her neck (as she did with Billy Bob). Then she did a 180, becoming a goodwill ambassador and starting her own multicultural Brady Bunch with Brad Pitt.

I'm happy for her, but I can't help but miss the good ol' days. She might have been wild, and she might have shocked many -- but she had a great spark, one that seems to have disappeared inside the current carefully manufactured icon she is today.

The gleam might be hidden these days, but luckily we're living in a world of DVD entertainment. We can head back to the past whenever we want to. What follows are my two favorite Jolie gigs. They're far from the best movies, but they definitely embody both the old Angelina, and a certain period of '90s rebellion. I give you: Hackers and Foxfire.

I guess whether we like it or not, viral campaigns are hot, hip and here to stay. Universal pictures has launched the viral site for Timur Bekmambetov's Wanted, and it all revolves around a shadowy group known as the Fraternity of Weavers. Now for the tricky part: to crack the code on the website you must enter five secret words to earn a peek at the handbook for the fraternity -- plus you get a little bit more info behind Angelina's bad-ass hand tattoo. So if you're the kind of person who likes puzzles, then feel free to figure it out on your own. But, if you're like me and a little impatient, you can click over to Coming Soon and they have the solution -- I won't spoil it here.

Wanted is based on Mark Millar's graphic novel about an everyday schmo (as played by James McAvoy) who turns out to be the heir to a secret society of assassins. Angelina Jolie stars as Fox, the second in command and mentor to McAvoy. Morgan Freeman plays the elder statesman and co-founder of the group, while hip-hop artist Common stars as the weapons expert, The Gunsmith.

The viral site provides plenty of background info on the history of the ancient fraternity, but for the most part it's a bunch of spiritual mumbo-jumbo about fate, destiny, the Cathars, and ancient weaving cults -- oh, and plenty of Wikipedia links. There's also a sign up page if you're interested in becoming a member of the fraternity (hazing optional?). One imagines more viral goodies will most likely show up at some point before Wanted opens in theaters on June 27th.

Warning: This post contains excessive grasping at straws.

Most knowledgeable folks seem to think that the upcoming Wanted looks like a piece of junk. I can understand their position: the trailer was kind of a sensory assault, and didn't exactly make the film seem original. For my part, I'm not ready to write it off. I like James McAvoy, director Timur Bekmambetov is a fellow Russian, and I tend to enjoy the wildly implausible brand of action that the film seems to be going for. So I'm happy to report a piece of news that kind of surprised me: Wanted has been rated R by the MPAA for "strong bloody violence throughout, pervasive language and some sexuality." That elaboration makes it seem like they won't be trying to trim the bad parts to earn a PG-13.

Now, okay: obviously that doesn't mean much. I mean, the similarly (identically?) themed Hitman was rated R too, and look how that turned out. But for me, the R rating speaks not directly to quality, but to the kind of film Wanted is likely to be. Seeing the trailer (and not knowing the source material), I thought that while it looked kind of cool, it also looked like a broad, inoffensive, second-rate action romp -- my first association, probably due to the presence of Angelina Jolie, was with Lara Croft Tomb Raider. But maybe it won't be. Maybe it'll turn out to be harsh, and sexy, and over-the-top in ways that are actually interesting. Maybe it'll be more like Running Scared or Shoot 'Em Up than like Ghost Rider. You might think that those comparisons don't help and that it still looks like crap, but it seems to me that an R rating for a movie like this increases the odds of it being worthwhile. Or am I off my gourd?

Universal was out in full force over the weekend, hosting panels for The Incredible Hulk (see our report here), Wanted and Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Though less attention has been given to Wanted and Hellboy II so far, both films will provide, perhaps, some of this summer's most spectacular visuals.

Wanted

We mentioned it the other day, but prior to the Wanted panel at NY Comic Con, Cinematical was invited to Universal's suite high on the 52nd floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel to hang with director Timur Bekmambetov and watch the Wanted Comic Con footage a drop early. Following the brief screening (on a monstrous flat screen TV), I caught up with Timur and spoke to him about the film. One thing, in particular, was whether he planned on a Wanted franchise, or if this would be a one-off film. Timur laughed when I asked, and said we'd have to wait to see if people go to see this one first. Also of note, when I asked if he planned to continue his very successful Night Watch/Day Watch series of films, Timur shot back: This [meaning Wanted] is it! This is the third film. Even though it has different story, the tone is the same from the other films."

Oh, and then came the footage ...

Above you can see a photo of the Exclusive Comic Con poster for Wanted (click on the image to enlarge). Wanted is just one of the films that will host a panel tomorrow during New York Comic Con, with the film's director Timur Bekmambetov on hand to answer questions ... and a little birdie told me there might be some new footage screened as well. I was able to meet Timur tonight during a private function at Universal's fatdaddy suit in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel here in New York City. I could sit here all day and talk about this friggin' suite -- remember the apartment they rocked out in Cloverfield, way up overlooking Central Park? Yeah, this was the exact same view. Unreal.

I'm not allowed to talk about what went down in this suite, but I believe we're allowed to show you this poster and urge you all to head out to Comic Con tomorrow to check out Timur and Wanted. Screw it ... based on what I saw, this movie looks pretty damn ridiculous. Action. Lots of it. Crazy car chase. Jolie with marks all over her body. Lots of red. I'll shut up now. .

Wanted hits theaters on June 27th.

I've been mulling over the whole issue of the Atlas Shrugged film adaptation, which, at the moment at least, seems to be churning ahead to start filming later this year, and I wanted to talk about something several commenters have mentioned: whether it would be better to film Atlas as a miniseries, as opposed to a two-hour-or-longer movie. Of course, attempts have been made to bring Ayn Rand's most famous book to the screen before, and they've never made it past the script stage.

Why? Well, first of all, there are a lot of politics around this book. The Ayn Rand Institute and Leonard Peikoff have been notoriously protective of it for years, and trying to make a film that's going to please both the hardcore Objectivists (those who follow Rand's philosophy) and the average moviegoer who just wants to be entertained is, in my opinion, just an exercise in futility. Then I read this interview over on The Atlasphere with John Aglialoro, producer and CEO of Cybex, International, who paid $1 million for the film rights to Atlas.

Despite the talk and the buzz, I never thought it would actually happen. If any novel merits the term "unfilmable," certainly Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged is it. I mean, the climax is a 60-page radio broadcast! And the entire thing is what can charitably be called a screed, preaching Rand's extremely unliberal "objectivist" political philosophy. So when I heard that Vadim Perelman (The House of Sand and Fog and the upcoming The Life Before Her Eyes) was developing the project, with Angelina Jolie attached to star as Dagny Taggart, my reaction was quite simply: Pfffffft.

But it looks like I pfffffted too soon. Comingsoon.net talked to Perelman this week, and he told them that he's finishing up the script, and that Lionsgate wants to start shooting in December. So, uh: it looks like this might actually happen.

I would commit atrocities to get my hands on a copy of Perelman's screenplay. I can only imagine what it does to condense the thousand-page-plus book into even a very long movie. What worries me most is that the novel doesn't really exist without Rand's politics, if that makes any sense: they're so integral to the story that cutting them out would make everything else pretty much pointless. And I'm not sure Hollywood -- even the relatively adventurous Lionsgate -- has the stomach for a politically faithful adaptation.

Good news everyone: Looks like we're going to get TWO Clint Eastwood flicks this fall; one of which will actually star the legendary actor-director -- his first on-screen role since Million Dollar Baby. We already know about Changeling, starring Angelina Jolie and directed by Eastwood. That's set to hit theaters on November 7. However, Variety now reports there's another Eastwood film called Gran Torino set to hit theaters in December. What's this film about? How does he make his films so friggin' quickly? And is he really a superhero ... or just a dude who moves fast?

Well, unfortunately, we know absolutely nothing about Gran Torino, save for its title. Yup, and we only know that because Warner Bros. quietly scheduled the film's release date yesterday without revealing any more information. Will it feature cars? Will Eastwood play an aging mechanic who teams up with a down-on-her-luck female race car driver for a go at the big prize (whatever that may be)?

Any guesses as to what this film is about or who will star alongside Eastwood?

Over at our sister site Moviefone, they have a piece up counting down Hollywood's 25 hottest on-set hookups. From Bogey and Bacall to Madonna and Warren Beatty, from Brad and Angie to Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn, those Hollywood stars just can't seem to keep their movie romances confined to the screen. We thought it might be fun to pit some of these on-set romances against each other, in sort of a celebrity hook-up showdown. Sound off and let us know which of each pair of hook-ups you think is hottest:








Which Hollywood hookups from Moviefone's list do you think were smolderingly hot? Which leave you cold? And whose hookups did they overlook?

Is there another woman on the planet who can look as beautiful with semi-automatics as Angelina Jolie? It's just not fair. (Does anyone find it slightly ironic that a woman who is so dedicated to humanitarian aid has such a fondness for spraying bullets on film?)

The new Wanted trailer has debuted online over at MySpace (it's still not on YouTube, so I can't embed it for you), and it's one of those things you shouldn't like. Like Twinkies or Skittles. But then Angelina Jolie defies physics and scoops up poor James McAvoy in a furious red sports car.

You may roll your eyes at the slow-motion "Goodbye" bullet at the end, but ultimately, this is going to be one of those films to crash to on a hot summer night with a few friends -- a decent thrill ride you'll probably feel silly about going to later. (And it certainly has Timur Bekmambetov's stamp all over it.)

There are also a bunch of new pictures, mostly stills from the trailer. There's James McAvoy's washboard abs for the ladies, Angelina looking coy and suggestive for the boys. . .and well, let's be honest, everyone else. My taste favors Scotsmen, and I still can't look away.

And, if you're a diehard fan of the graphic novel, prepare to be disappointed. I'm hearing that it has only the basic premise in common.

Wanted opens on June 27, 2008.

So, IMDb has two stories about do-gooder celebs up this morning, one about Cameron Diaz calling the Oprah Winfrey show in support of her friend and fellow Angel Drew Barrymore, who was on the show to present a check for $1,000,000 to the United Nations World Food Program, and the other about Reese Witherspoon. Witherspoon is the cosmetic company Avon's "global ambassador for women's empowerment," and in that capacity, she kicked off Avon's partnership with the United Nations Development Fund for Women by announcing that Avon will be selling $3 "Women's Empowerment Bracelets" online to benefit the fund.

The slogan for the partnership is "Empower women, change our world," and if you go to the Avon website to the bracelet, it tells you to "wear the bracelet that could change the world." A sidebar on the bracelet's product page blithely tells you that the bracelet will "go great with the Speak Out Against Domestic Violence Keychain!" No, I'm not making that up.

Cinematical is live at the 2008 Independent Spirit Awards! Our own Patrick Walsh will report back throughout the afternoon.

It is officially raining, and the big-time stars are rolling out. Javier Bardem is looking very dapper, I'm pretty sure I just saw indie favorite The Rock (?), and crowd just collectively spazzed out over Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. I was just interviewed (insulted) by Jiminy Glick on Good Morning America so watch for that, though I'm not sure how much of it they'll be able to use. The discussion culminated with him dumping a barrel of popcorn on himself. Some quality journalism there! Seriously, I can't quite convey how funny Martin Short has been here today. Favorite line -- "I have lost weight, I'm doing Atkins. Not the diet, his widow."

Raining has given way to pouring, and the red carpet is looking soggy and bare. It's ten minutes to showtime and I'm about to head under the big tent for the show. I'll do my best to update you on the winners as they happen, and if you get the Independent Film Channel you can join in the Rainn Wilson-hosted fun live. My thanks to Netflix for setting up this sweet little blogging suite for me, and as an active subscriber, I don't even have to feel like a shameless whore saying that. Sorry for the rambling nature of these posts, but it's been pretty hectic...

For more photos and coverage, head on over to Moviefone.

A new trailer for Kung Fu Panda has just arrived online. You can either watch it above, or head on over to Moviefone to see it in glorious HD. Starring the voices of Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan and Dustin Hoffman, Kung Fu Panda is the latest animated offering from Dreamworks. From the film's official synopsis: "Enthusiastic, big and a little clumsy, Po is the biggest fan of Kung Fu around...which doesn't exactly come in handy while working every day in his family's noodle shop. Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po's dreams become reality when he joins the world of Kung Fu and studies alongside his idols, the legendary Furious Five--Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey--under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu. But before they know it, the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung is headed their way, and it's up to Po to defend everyone from the oncoming threat."

The trailer looks pretty cute, and I love the addition of the Kill Bill music at the end, as Po and his master fight over a dumpling. Yum. Kung Fu Panda is set to arrive in theaters on June 6.

Judging by the amount of work being offered to the Scottish actor James McAvoy, it looks like Hollywood might have found a new 'It' boy -- plus two Oscar nominated films in just under two years is one hell of a calling card. Variety reports that James McAvoy has signed to star in the comedy thriller Perrier's Bounty. The story centers on three unlikely fugitives who are forced on the run from a mobster bent on revenge for the death of one of his top lieutenants.

Bounty was written by Mark O'Rowe, an award winning novelist and sometimes screenwriter. Ian Fitzgibbon is in the director's seat; Fitzgibbon is a relative newcomer with a few TV credits to his name for both acting and writing. He also has another comedy thriller in production, A Film with Me in It, but so far it doesn't look he has had the same luck with casting as he had this time around. Bounty is going to be produced in the UK through Number 9 Films. There is no other cast confirmed right now, but Anne-Marie Duff is in negotiations to star alongside McAvoy.

McAvoy seems to be keeping his options open by choosing a variety of projects. The first will be the comic book adaptation Wanted with Angelina Jolie, which is probably about as far from the refined period romance of Atonement as you can get -- although I think we are going to have to wait for the box office receipts for Wanted before McAvoy's Hollywood status is cemented. Now that he is throwing in some comedy it looks like McAvoy has all his bases covered. Perrier's Bounty is scheduled to start production later this year.