Bonneville, opening today in limited release after mostly sitting and stewing in its own juices since it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival way back in 2006, is another of those "do this before you die" flicks, melded with a road trip movie for spunky older chicks. Take the "great older actor" Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson roles in The Bucket List, replace them with a trio of "great older actresses" in the form of Kathy Bates, Joan Allen and Jessica Lange, throw them in an old Bonneville convertible for a road trip, and toss in the ruggedly handsome and ever-reliable Tom Skerritt as a love interest, and you've got all the makings of a flick that practically telegraphs being aimed at the older demographic.

Things get started with the death of Joe, husband of Arvilla (Lange). Arvilla and Joe had been together for 20-something wonderful years filled with travel and adventure; now Joe's daughter, Francine (Christine Baranski, who's not given much to do beyond being shrewish and shrill), wants her father's ashes back so she can bury them next to her mother. Arvilla wants to keep Joe's remains for herself, but Francine gives her an ultimatum: return my father's ashes, or I'll take away the house you lived with him in for all your life together.

A few years ago, a little film called Bonneville premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. A year went by, and then the film popped up at a few more festivals. Finally, SenArt Films grabbed the feature, and it's finally making its way to the big screen this year. You'd think that it must be some sort of super-indie to create pretty much zero buzz and not find any takers for well over a year after its premiere, but it's actually a film that has quite of few big-name actresses in it -- Joan Allen, Kathy Bates, Jessica Lange, and Christine Baranski. (On the male side of things, there's also Tom Wopat, yes that Wopat, and Tom Skerritt.)

Now that it will hit screens this February, The Hollywood Reporter has posted about the film's unique marketing campaign. You'd think with a road trip movie named Bonneville, they might have some sort of car promotion, or maybe even a big party in Bonneville, PA. Not in the least. Instead, they are teaming up with Princess Cruises and hosting sneak previews on a number of the line's ships. It will be shown on oceanic trips to destinations like Australia, Thailand, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, and Argentina.

I don't get it, but nevertheless, even if you're not cruising around the world on a Princess ship any time soon, this is what you'll get if you go see the flick next month -- a woman named Arvilla (Lange) is faced with a big life decision, so she grabs her two best friends (Bates and Allen) and they take a road trip across the US in a '66 Bonneville convertible. Of course, this trip is a rediscovery, so I imagine it'll be a bit like Boys on the Side, but for an older generation. Limited release begins on February 29.

Last May, word came out that a remake of the Japanese tearjerker Hachiko monogatari was in the works, starring the actor who has had a bum rap when it comes to animals -- Richard Gere. The production was supposed to kick into action back in September, but as is usually the case, the project was delayed. Hachiko, A Dog's Story now has a new start date in January, and Variety reports that it's also got a co-star and director. Joan Allen (The Upside of Anger) has signed on to star with Gere, and Lasse Hallstrom (The Cider House Rules) will take the directorial chair.

The project is based on the true story of the Hachiko statue in Tokyo's Shibuya station. A teaching assistant had a devout dog who would meet him every day. When the man gets sick and doesn't return home, the dog continues to wait, for what Variety says is almost ten years. As the remake story goes, Gere is a college prof who takes in an abandoned dog, so I'm not sure if the dog gets abandoned twice, or if he gives it a new home after it waits around for its master for years. Either way, it's sure to be full of tears and heartbreak, just what every moviegoer is looking for! Annoyingly, there is no word on who Allen is playing. Gere's lady friend? A sinister person from the pound? Who knows. The film heads into production this January in Rhode Island, if there are no further delays.

Sorry, Jason Statham fans. He's not going to be your "Real American Hero." Statham had been rumored as the likely choice to play Action Man in the upcoming G.I. Joe flick, but Statham insists he has nothing to do with the film. "The old Internet can be quite misleading at times," he tell MTV Movies Blog. "I don't know where that came from." Statham is keeping busy without Joe though, bro. The Bank Job is due out in 2008, and he's currently on the set of Death Race with a surprisingly excellent cast that includes Ian McShane and Joan Allen. That film is being directed by Paul W.S. Anderson (the terrible Soldier and the almost-terrible Alien Vs. Predator). I always wondered why that guy didn't change his name. You'd think years of people being disappointed when he's not Paul Thomas Anderson would get to the guy.

In addition to those projects, the ass-kicking Statham is lining up some sequels that will bring him back to some of his more popular roles. For starters, there's Crank 2, which Statham promises will be "effing ridiculous." "If you thought the first one was crazy, this is ridiculous. It's mad," he says. "I couldn't resist working with those chaps again. It gives me a chance to go wild in the aisles." For more on the Crank sequel, check Scott's report here. And yet another Statham sequel is in the works -- Transporter 3. "I have a massive yearning to do Part 3 with Luc (Besson). I think it will happen (soon)," says Statham. I haven't seen the Transporter films, though I hear great things. I do happen to think Crank is one of the finest pure action films in years. I'm dying for a sequel, if only to see how they make up for the fact that it sure looked like Statham's character -- spoiler warning -- died in the original. Oh, and bring Dwight Yoakam back! Man, I love that guy.

It's been a while since I've seen Paul Bartel's Death Race 2000, but I do remember that it's the movie that created the whole "hit that pedestrian with your automobile and you get 15 points" joke that people still (somehow) think is funny -- plus I remember it being a whole lot of grungy, campy, R-rated fun. (Most people seem to think mega-producer Roger Corman directed this particular flick, but nope. It was actually the admirably weird actor / filmmaker Paul Bartel, who'd also go on to direct Eating Raoul, Lust in the Dust and Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills. So credit where it's due.)

Plus it's probably the only movie you'll ever see that has characters named Frankenstein, Calamity Jane, Matilda the Hun, Nero the Hero and Machine Gun Joe Viterbo. The futuristic action satire is about a cross-country car race that awards points for pedestrians slaughtered. Fun stuff indeed, but did you know that "fan favorite" filmmaker Paul W.S. Anderson is about to start shooting a remake for Universal? (Well, you should if you're a regular reader. Previous reports on this project can be enjoyed here, here and here.)

Jason Statham has been cast in the lead of Death Race for a little while now, but The Hollywood Reporter indicates that a few cool names have joined the fray. In addition to the also-previously-announced Tyrese Gibson, the producers will now cut paychecks for not only the fantastic Joan Allen, but also the perpetually amusing Ian McShane. (Unless I'm insane, IGN Movies broke the Allen news at Comic Con last week.) Ms. Allen will play an evil warden; Statham the reluctant prisoner forced to participate in the race; McShane a racing coach; and Gibson will play "Machine Gun," the role originally played by Sly Stallone in the 1975 original.

As you're no doubt aware, Paul W.S. Anderson is the man who brought you Shopping, Mortal Kombat, Event Horizon, Soldier, Resident Evil and Alien vs. Predator. Some movie fans see this guy as the ruiner of all things potentially cool, but I see a guy who's directed six films -- two of which I really enjoy watching. In baseball that batting average gets you a new contract. (Can you guess which two flicks they are?)

ComicCon is officially over ... or has it just begun?

• MTV caught up with Sam Raimi over the weekend, and (as most of us have done and will continually do until the man either throws a punch or gives up a plot point) hassled him about Spider-Man 4. Has anything changed since the director said he wasn't sure if he'd be helming a fourth installment? Kind of. A meeting has finally taken place between Raimi, Avi Arad and Laurie Ziskin -- they're "beginning to gear up to meet with writers" and Raimi still looks extremely uncomfortable in his own skin. The man still doesn't know if he will direct, but he does "want a hand in bringing it to the screen." As far as which villains will show up, Raimi has some ideas but would like to hear from writers on where they think Spidey should go from here. I say he should go to Iraq and help solve some problems over there, but that's me.
• Dark Horizons caught up with screenwriters Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon (Reno 911, Balls of Fury) at The Con, and the boys said they're beginning work on the script to Night at the Museum 2. The duo (who also penned the original) are keeping plot details under wraps, but say "there'll be existing characters and plenty of new ones." Both Ben Stiller and Robin Williams are set to reprise their roles. Man, what I would give to see a Salvador Dali exhibit somehow factor into the equation.
• Director Paul W.S. Anderson was also blabbing to folks over the weekend. He told IGN that Tyrese Gibson and Joan Allen have joined the cast (which already has Jason Statham playing one of the leads) of Death Race 3000; a remake of the 1975 flick starring Sylvester Stallone and David Carradine. Gibson is no stranger to high-speed chases, having also starred in 2 Fast 2 Furious. The film will revolve an ultra-violent futuristic car race in which drivers are awarded points for mowing down innocent pedestrians. Can't wait to see the lawsuits that come from this flick -- "Dude, I seriously hit that guy because I thought I'd get 10,000 points. I'm innocent -- blame the movie!" Says Anderson about the film: "We start shooting in four weeks time in Montreal. Jason Statham's playing Frankenstein and Machine Gun Joe's played by Tyrese Gibson. And Joan Allen is the big villain baddie of the movie, which I'm very excited about. She's gonna kick Statham's ass!"

Just when you thought summer was beginning to wind down, remember that there's still at least one more big-budgeted action-packed threequel gearing up to invade theaters in a couple weeks. The Bourne Ultimatum arrives on August 3, and Cinema Blend has a pretty nifty gallery of stills for you to sift through. Check out Matt Damon as he reads a book, uses a laptop, rides a motorcycle, inspects a slide thingy and, of course, runs ... fast. Fellow cast members Julia Stiles, David Strathairn, Paddy Considine and Joan Allen also show up in a few shots, as the search for Jason Bourne intensifies when the man decides to return home and wag his presence in the face of those seeking him out.

Recently, Damon has gone on record saying that this will mark the last time he reprises his role as Jason Bourne, leading lots to assume that this franchise will stop at three films. Of course there's always a chance someone will change their mind and greenlight a fourth adventure, although they'll have to find someone alluring enough to fill Damon's shoes. Those interested in learning more about the film are more than welcome to check out some additional trailers and posters -- other than that, there's not much I can do for you. Will director Paul Greengrass produce a film that's on par (or even better) than the previous installment? Will Julia Stiles find a way to keep us awake this time while she delivers her lines? Will Jason Bourne finally learn his real identity -- that he's not actually an ex-CIA operative, but an ex-Burger King employee who watched way too many action films growing up? So many questions left unanswered; how will they wrap it up?

A couple of new posters for The Bourne Ultimatum have been released, and I like the hard edge they're going for. I've never read the Ludlum books, so I can't speak to how well the screen character measures up to the book Bourne, but I know that as far as the movies go, it's long past time for the 'confused Bourne' to give way to a Bourne that knows which end is up and can get into a full-scale war with those Treadstone guys led by Joan Allen. The buzz on this one is actually pretty good -- Paul Greengrass is back, as is Tony Gilroy, who scripted the first two films, and Tom Stoppard also had a hand in the script. As for Matt Damon, he's been going around saying that this will be the trilogy capper and there won't be any more Bourne films after it, so hopefully the series is going out with a bang.

The plot involves Bourne coming out of hiding once again to make contact with a journalist who has gotten wind of his story. The journalist has some info about Treadstone, and David Strathairn plays the bad guy who gets wind of this new development and doesn't like it one bit. Strathairn sends Pam Landy back into the fray to find Bourne and take him out. Julia Stiles is back for the third time, but I doubt she'll have a more significant role than she's had in the other two films. The film, which was shot in a large number of international locales, from Morocco to Spain to France to Germany, and all over the U.S., will be hitting theaters on August 3.

I should probably start by admitting that I'm one of those rare people who is not a huge fan of the Bourne series. However, I've still tried to like them -- after seeing The Bourne Identity, I still went to see The Bourne Supremacy. Unfortunately, the one thing that would keep me watching them no matter how indifferent I am to the product was infuriatingly killed off in the last one. With that said, I'm not entirely thrilled that this trailer starts off with a bunch of old footage, and reminds me of all the Franka Potente that is no longer there. On the other hand, I found myself strangely amped by the poster -- both for Bourne coming home, and for the mysterious, yet completely descriptive of the movie, pose.

But how is this trailer for fans of the series? As Erik Davis said in his news of the first trailer, "it looks just like the other two -- a bunch of government types are still chasing Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), while he's doing his best to allude the villains and figure out his identity before it's too late." Joan Allen is still tough and cool as Pamela Landy: "Trying to kill him [Bourne] and failing -- just pisses him off." Damon is still beating down whoever comes across his path, with wildly driving cars or sailing through the air as he jumps from one building to the next. And Julia Stiles.. Well, she looks a bit goofy with her new 'do, but she only gets a brief flash of screen time. And finally, the whole trailer lies around the end revelation. Is that really something you'd want to reveal? Is it obvious and okay, or does it kill the sense of mystery? Either way I might forgive the Supremacy shocker and see what ultimately happens to Bourne.

Though it's hard for me to imagine him as a villain (after watching him play the sweet, yet emotionally deranged Stephan in The Science of Sleep), Gael García Bernal has been offered the role of bad guy in The Bourne Ultimatum, which just started shooting this week in Tangier. (Hmm, so that's why Matt Damon seemed jacked when I saw him at The Departed press junket.)

However, negotiations haven't even started yet and, with production kicking into full swing, folks will have to act fast (ie: give the dude whatever he wants) if they want to remain on schedule. The third (and final?) installment in the Bourne franchise finds our favorite amnesiac spy hero (Damon) unearthing clues to his past which somehow pin him up against a superkiller (Bernal, if he takes the part). Paul Greengrass will direct, with Joan Allen, Julia Stiles and David Strathairn set to star alongside Damon. Is it just me, or does anyone else have a hard time picturing Bernal as a superkiller?

In what might be called a surprising move, the Chicago Film Critics Association yesterday turned its back on the critically trendy Capote and Brokeback Mountain and instead named Paul Haggis' Crash their best picture of 2005. Based on the words of the group's chairman, it sounds like the voice of one particular Chicago critic had a disproportionate amount of power during decision-making time. Said Dan Gire, "Roger Ebert's over-the-top enthusiasm for the film's quality and message had a great deal to do with providing us the impetus to award it best film." Hmm. So, do they do a ballot-based vote, or just sort of sit in a room, push their favorites, and then raise their hands? It's not as if the latter isn't OK, it's just unclear from the article exactly how things work  - perhaps Mr. Ebert can come by and clarify things for us.

In another break with the mainstream, the CFCA named Joan Allen - an incredibly gifted actress whose lack of recognition has always been completely baffling - best actress for her work in The Upside of Anger. (Good for them - it's about damn time someone gave that woman an award.) The other major categories, however, offered no surprises: Philip Seymour Hoffman was their best actor, David Cronenberg best director, and Grizzly Man best documentary.