It was over two years ago that we got the first installment of Hoodwinked! It did well enough in its first weekend, making $17 million dollars ($3 mil short of its cost), that #2 was put into the works. Now writer and voice Cory Edwards has been blogging about the second installment, and has listed the cast that Weinstein Co. has put together. Some voices remain, like Glenn Close, David Ogden Stiers, and Andy Dick. Oh, and we can't forget Patrick Warburton -- but it's not like anyone, ever, could replace him.

But there are also some new names to the mix. Red, who was voiced by Anne Hathaway, will now get the invincible hero Hayden Panettiere -- which Edwards says is a good fit because Red becomes "more of a 'caped crusader'" in the film. Meanwhile, James Belushi's The Woodsman will now be voiced by the unstoppable Jack Putter -- Martin Short. You can't really complain about a Short replacement, unless well, he was taking over for a rippling, glistening superhero -- then it would be weird.

But there's also some tasty new vocal talent coming along for the ride. Edwards says Joan Cusack will play a "villainous witch," Brad Garrett is The Giant (of the beanstalk variety), Wayne Newton of all people will be Jimmy Ten Strings -- the Giant's singing harp, David Alan Grier will play a troll, and to top it all off, Amy Poehler and Bill Hader will voice Hansel & Gretel. How's that for an all-star cast?

[via Ace Showbiz]

Before the rain pooed on my parade and the poo rained on my parade at the Independent Spirit Awards Saturday, I had a pretty great time. The highlight for me was being "on set" for a series of interviews between Martin Short's Jiminy Glick and various celebs. I was just tipped off by the good folks at Netflix that those conversations have hit youtube, and if you're a fan of the character, you may want to check them out. Here's Jiminy with Matt Dillon, with a never foxier Illeana Douglas, with the always youthful Dennis Hopper (an interview that opens with a depantsing), with Ed Begley, Jr, with Juno director Jason Reitman and his father Ivan, with Aaron Eckhart, with John Waters, and with Allison Janney. They could all stand to be edited down a bit, but there's a lot of good stuff in there. If I had to direct you to the funniest couple of discussions, I'd recommend the Illeana Douglas and the Ed Begley, Jr, which contains graphic mouth-to-mouth.

I intended to run a live blog from the show, but the internet connection went out -- one of the dangers of doing a live show from a tent in the rain! I did get to see some cool people up close and personal. Philip Seymour Hoffman (a winner for Best Male Lead) charmed the little press room in a fun Q & A with Savages writer/director Tamara Jenkins (a winner for Best Screenplay) and it was a thrill to meet Scott Frank, a screenwriter I truly admire. He won Best First Feature for The Lookout, one of my favorite 2007 films. I always question what they deem "independent," but I do appreciate that the Indie Spirits have special honors -- like the John Cassavetes Award -- to honor the truly independent and low-budget films each year. Did anyone watch the broadcast? I know it's not the biggest awards show of the year (or even the weekend), but the show was really entertaining. Have favorite moments or disagreements with the winners?

Jack Putter to the rescue!

There's lots of names that get thrown around when you talk about cinematic heroes in the '80s. Some people will cite the beefcake fighters like Jean Claude Van Damme. Others will cite Harrison Ford's adventure-thriving Indiana Jones. There's also Superman, Maverick, John McClane, Axel Foley, Rocky... You name it. But they all pale in comparison to one man. He wasn't so wimpy that he needed sweat-covered muscles, fighting moves, or big guns. All he needed was a little, itty bitty man inside him, and a good, healthy dose of the crazy. The man was Jack Putter.

Yes, Martin Short. Some might say that SCTV is his best work, but there's something about his portrayal of Jack Putter in Innerspace that is just beyond irresistible. While many comedic actors can pull off slapstick, it usually has that air of forced goofiness. But not for Short. He can shriek, flail, and fall over and make it seem perfectly natural to his character. There is no one else that could have pulled Putter off -- making both the over-the-top hypochondria and physical ordeal seem natural. It also helps that he's not falling to the slapstick weight of poor decisions that make many comedies today uncomfortable. Putter is a purely enjoyable and laugh-inducing character.

There's nothing like the professional desire to get your hands on a lean piece of machinery -- especially if you specialize in repairs. Back in the seventies, the sweet set to have, if the above commercial was to be believed -- a Hitachi Luminar. It was gorgeously encased in wood, and sported a wonderfully-small, square, and curved screen. Perfection! There were even a few buttons on the side -- a total boob-toob addict's wet dream!

Unfortunately, they were also sturdy suckers that never broke. Poor Martin Short. All he wanted to do was learn the television repair business. After two years slaving away at the profession, he just never got his hands on a Hitachi. Now that's a hard life struggle. Luckily, he's had his fair share of success since, which is currently topped off with his self-titled show, being the wrench in Santa's side, and now the upcoming The Spiderwick Chronicles as Thimbletack/Bogart.

And because it's the holiday season, here's some festive dancing for you:

I have to admit, I have absolutely zero memory of the Canada Pavillion at Disney's Epcot World Showcase. Granted, that's because I was super-schmoozed by England's audience-participation Shakespearian performances and Mexico's delicious restaurant. But apparently, I wasn't missing much, at least where the introductory Canadian film is concerned. The CBC has reported that after years of complaints, the film is finally being re-done.

The first contains footage shot from 1979, and has been criticized for it's focus on Canadians as lumberjacks, fishermen and Mounties. Gisele Danis of the Canadian Tourism Commission says: "I'd say that in the last 10 years ... we got a lot of complaints from Canadians who said, 'I don't think this is reflective of Canada. We're not just about geese. We're not about flannel jackets and we're definitely not about just great, wide-open landscapes." After years of lobbying, the CTC has gotten the change, one they've been involved in.

The new face of Canada will be none other than Martin Short, who says: "It's more of a comedic look ... it's, shall we say, a lighthearted examination of Canada. It's little vignettes and things, and I narrate it as well." Being familiar with Short's work, it's not surprising that this will include him playing a number of characters that range from a cowboy to a member of Cirque du Soleil. I don't know about you, but that sounds better to me than 70's landscapes.

More news about the casting of the upcoming fantasy film The Spiderwick Chronicles from Paramount and Nickelodeon. According to the Hollywood Reporter, a number of big names are in negotiations to round things out, and its shaping up to be quite an eclectic mix. If all goes well Mary-Louise Parker, Nick Nolte, Martin Short Joan Plowright, Izabella Miko and Andrew McCarthy will be joining the cast. (It was the notion of Martin Short and Nick Nolte appearing together that spurred my use of the word "eclectic.")

Currently shooting in Montreal, pic is based on the series of books by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi which revolves around twin brothers Jared and Simon (both played by Freddie Highmore who gave a heart-breaking performance in Finding Neverland) who, along with their sister Mallory (Sarah Bolger), uncover a world of fairies and other creatures. As I mentioned not long ago when I posted that David Strathairn had joined the cast, the story sounds reminiscent of the Narnia books, but I haven't read The Spiderwick Chronicles, so I won't judge just yet. If everyone signs on the dotted line, Parker and McCarthy will play the children's separated parents and Plowright will be the children's' aunt. Nolte and Short voice two otherworldly (presumably CGI) characters: Mulgrath, a shape-shifting evil lord trying to get his hands on the kids, and Thimbletack/Bogart, a small being that can either protect a household or mischievously throw it in disarray. Miko, whose pixie-like countenance can be seen above, will play the leader of the elves. The movie will be directed by Mark Waters.

[via Sci Fi Wire]