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?

The only thing that might be iffier than doing a sequel to a beloved movie would be whipping up a prequel. Instead of seeing the characters you've grown to love in new scenarios, you have to buy into someone else playing the characters. Sure, it can give great depth or explanation to how someone came to be what they are, but if the original is done right, it leaves some large shoes to fill. You not only have to believe that this is the younger version of the character, but that this performance can manifest into what's to come.

Although Silence of the Lambs follow-ups never reached the original's success, moviemakers continue to explore the world of Hannibal Lecter, as is the case with the latest prequel installment, Hannibal Rising. Erik Davis reported in October that AICN had a brief test screening review up that considered the film riveting. Now, some pictures of the young Hannibal Lecter are out, and I'm starting to fall into the James Bond/Daniel Craig conundrum, but even moreso.

Rope of Silicon has a number of new Lecter pictures up, and unfortunately, they're making me giggle instead of squirm. The two that I find chilling are the ones with other actors in the shot. When I see Gaspard Ulliel trying to look serious and haunting with his leather jacket and wine, it just seems a bit silly. What do you think? Do you find the pictures embody the Lecter creepiness, or does it just look like a kid trying on his dad's big shoes?

The peeps over at TMZ have managed to grab the first pic of Brad Pitt from the set of his new film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button ... and he's gone bald ladies and gentlemen. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe this is the first time Brad has gone bald since Fight Club -- not that it matters much, but I'm sure all you Pitt fanatics will be interested to see what the dude looks like without any hair. Of course, Brad didn't really shave his head, he just threw on one of them bald caps and, well, he looks kind of disheveled.

Personally, I'm really looking forward to Benjamin Button -- of course, the obvious reason being that this is David Fincher's next film after Zodiac. And since early buzz on Zodiac is telling us the film doesn't feel Fincher-esque, I'm real curious to see what he does with a plot that's a little more "out there." Benjamin Button also marks the third time Fincher and Pitt have worked together, and the other two films they collaborated on (Se7en, Fight Club) were outstanding pieces of work. For those not familiar with the film, Pitt plays a guy who begins aging backwards and winds up falling in love with a woman who is 20 years younger than he originally was. Sounds groovy. As of now, it looks like bald Brad will be arriving in theaters in May 2008.

This is me on the weekends: I sit around twiddling my thumbs and waiting for a new Stephen Chow movie. (It used to be Terry Gilliam, but that's over between us until I hear he's really doing Good Omens.) It seems like ages and ages since I laughed my way through Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer. I've been grabbing eagerly at any crumbs of news about Long River 7, aka A Hope, the film Chow is currently shooting in China. The film has been described as "the Stephen Chow astronaut movie" and "the Stephen Chow sci-fi film" and "whatever we have to wait for him to finish before he does Kung Fu Hustle 2."

So you know, I jumped like a rabbit when MonkeyPeaches posted a photo from the set of A Hope (MonkeyPeaches isn't very good about linking to individual entries -- you'll have to scroll down the page to find the story and picture). It's not even a picture of Chow, but of a spaceship that's part of the movie. MonkeyPeaches also quoted a summary of the plot that appeared in a Chinese newspaper: Chow plays a single dad who loses his job and gives his son a toy he found in the trash ... except the toy turns out to be a powerful object from another planet. Compare this summary to the one MonkeyPeaches reported in September (which also includes a few pictures of Chow on the set of the film). Then compare it to the storyline that Martha heard about back in July. It's like one of those group games where you whisper something from one person to another down a long line and it keeps changing in weird ways. All these slightly varying stories are making me even more curious and eager about the film. At least it's stopped sounding frighteningly like a heartwarming family drama, and more like something with potential for some goofy comedy. That spaceship does look wonderfully cheesy. We'll just have to wait, and wait, and wait to find out for sure.

[via Twitch]

On this edition of Movie Pics, Jim Carrey goes crazy, Michel Gondry takes a trip to Passaic, New Jersey and -- wait, there's another Iwo Jima film from Clint Eastwood? Oh, you bet your ass there is. Check it out:

• Some of the first images from Clint Eastwood's second Iwo Jima-related film, Letters from Iwo Jima, have hit the net. While Flags of our Fathers (in theaters now) recalls the Battle of Iwo Jima from the American perspective (ya know, the whole famous flag raising photo thing), Letters focuses on the Japanese perspective. Ken Watanabe stars in the pic, and it's currently scheduled for a February 7 release. [via JoBlo]
• It's not much, but the New York Times ran a story recently covering Michel Gondry's decision to shoot his new film, Be Kind Rewind, in Passaic, New Jersey. One of the pics show a bunch of kids hanging around outside what appears to be the actual video store in which folks like Jack Black and Mos Def try to save (by re-creating a bunch of classic movies after they're accidentally ruined) in order to satisfy the store's one loyal customer -- an old woman with signs of dementia. The other photo features Gondry on set. Flick is due out in theaters next year.
• Though the trailer for The Number 23 was supposed to run before prints of Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, that didn't happen (we think). However, JoBlo snagged a bunch of screencaps from the trailer and, well, Jim Carrey looks pretty messed up in this one. Directed by Joel Schumacher, pic seems to go the Stranger Than Fiction route in that it revolves around a guy (Carrey) who becomes obsessed with a book he thinks is based on his life -- a book that ends with a murder that hasn't happened yet. Spooky. Unlike Fiction, The Number 23 is going the dark route, as you can probably detect from the assortment of stills available. Yep, dark and bloody. I dig it.

It's hard for me to visit my parents' house without the topic of Seinfeld popping up at least seven times. My folks live and breathe the show; they watch it a few times a day. Oh, but it's not just them -- my cousin (who lives in Australia) watches it religiously and says the show is huge over there. My best friend is obsessed with Seinfeld, and if it happens to come on while he's visiting my apartment, the dude suddenly becomes hypnotized -- his eyes transfixed on Jerry, George and Elaine as if they've somehow grabbed control of his mind. Myself? I watch it. The wife watches it. And the dog loves it. Yeah, it's pretty safe to say Seinfeld (the show and the man) has completely taken control of my entire universe. But it's cool ... I never had much of a life to begin with.

Suffice it to say that I am pretty excited about Jerry Seinfeld's upcoming animated Bee Movie (yes, that's what it's called), in which the comedian co-wrote, produced and starred in. A preview of the flick shows up on the new Over the Hedge DVD and, lucky for us, a few screenshots were posted over at Animated News. In the pic, Seinfeld voices Barry B. Benson, a bee who, after graduating college upset with the fact that he's forced into the boring career of making honey, decides to sue all humans after he realizes that they actually eat (and subsequently steal) all the honey. Also starring in Bee Movie are Renée Zellweger, Matthew Broderick, Larry King, John Goodman and Kathy Bates, among others. Bee Movie is currently scheduled to buzz into theaters on November 2, 2007. Heck, I'm pretty stoked about this one. You?

[via Coming Soon]

On this edition of Movie Pics, Angelina Jolie suits up as Mariane Pearl, Matt Damon returns as Jason Bourne and -- whaddya know -- a Christopher Nolan-related story that doesn't have to do with Batman. There's a first. Check it out:

• While it's not much, USA Today published the first photo of Angelina Jolie as Mariane Pearl in A Mighty Heart, now filming in Pune, India. In the pic (which is based off Mariane's 2003 book A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband Danny Pearl), Jolie stars as the widow of Daniel Pearl, a journalist for the Wall Street Journal who was kidnapped and later murdered by terrorists in Pakistan four years ago.
• The first pics from the set of The Bourne Ultimatum have hit the net and, while the film still does not (officially) have its villain, they're wasting no time filming what appears to be a slew of scenes involving Matt Damon and Julia Stiles. If you're at all interested in 10 photos of Damon on a moped, then these should be right up your alley.
• Finally, Coming Soon has a set of tantalizing photos from The Prestige, Christopher Nolan's upcoming film due out October 20. Starring Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman and Scarlett Johansson (who, honestly, would have been so much better than Katie Holmes in Batman Begins), pic revolves around two rival magicians obsessed with one-upping the other with a series of dangerous and deadly tricks. As our own Jeffrey M. Anderson noted, The Prestige "sounds like it will be the movie The Illusionist should have been."

On this edition of Movie Pics, Detective John McClane gets stuck in the wrong place (eh, Baltimore ain't so bad) at the wrong time ... again, and Kurt Russell shows up in Austin looking real cool, ready to do some serious damage.

• That's right, the Baltimore Sun has snagged the first pics from the set of Live Free or Die Hard. Yippee-ki-yay motherf**ker! In the photos, Bruce Willis is back, bald, walking on top of cars and looking a bit old. Once again, it appears traffic congestion is his biggest nemesis. Kick ass! Traffic rocks!
• Hey, is that Kurt Russell on the set of Death Proof, Quentin Tarantino's half of Grind House? You bet your sweet ass it is! Apparently, the dudes are still wreaking havoc in Austin, Texas -- this time, they're shooting at some sort of Food Mart ... which actually appears to be a doctored-up 7-Eleven. In the pic, Russell plays the driver of a car that kills people ... we think.

I've never been a big fan of Hairspray (the movie) and, though my parents simply adore the Broadway musical, it's one of only a handful of shows in New York I refuse to see. Mind you, this has nothing to do with the story, characters or the fabulous musical numbers -- it's just, well, not my thing.

Regardless, a new Hairspray film is currently in production and a few pics of John Travolta as Edna Turnblad have just arrived online. When I first heard they were casting John Travolta to play the lovable, yet large Edna Turnblad, I was somewhat perplexed. This was a completely different role for Travolta, and if he was going to top Harvey Fierstein's stage performance of Mrs. Turnblad, then Johnny would have to take his acting to some unfamiliar places. Low and behold, as you can see, Travolta has donned a fatsuit and looks rather ... charming. Directed by Adam Shankman, this new version of Hairspray is due out in theaters in July 2007.

Are you ready to check out some brand new movie pics? C'mon now, don't sound too excited. On this edition of Movie Pics, we ask you to consider some images from Christopher Guest's new film, Jet Li and Jason Statham prepare to kick your ass right out of the theater and -- wait -- so that's what Kurt Russell will be driving in Grind House. Read on my fellow picture freaks:

• This fall, Christopher Guest returns to his mockumentary ways with For Your Consideration, a film that appears to poke fun at the way certain actors handle the tremendous burden that is Oscar buzz. As far as cast goes, Guest has assembled a few of his regulars (Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara and Fred Willard, among others), as well as some new blood (ahem, Ricky Gervais). While I haven't been crazy about the last couple Guest flicks, the plot, the cast and these new pics have certainly kicked my anticipation meter up a few notches. [via JoBlo]
• Before he calls it quits as a martial arts action star, Jet Li will make sure he kicks as much on-screen ass as possible, what with his role as a mysterious assassin in the upcoming film Rogue. Pic revolves around an FBI agent (Jason Statham) who, after his partner and family are killed, sets out to avenge his buddy's death by targeting the man (is Jet Li a man or a machine?) responsible. Cinema Blend has the first images from Rogue, which also stars Luiz Guzmán (I take it we won't get to see a fantastic jump-kick from Mr. Guzmán) and Devon Aoki.
• Word on the street is that Quentin Tarantino has officially taken over the city of Austin (Jette, I want you on set, STAT!), while shooting Death Proof -- his half of next years double feature masterpiece, Grind House. Tarantino describes Death Proof as "sort of a slasher film, but instead of a knife, it's a car." Well, thanks to the good folks over at AICN, we now have pics of said car, which will be driven by Kurt Russell -- who I'm hoping brings a little old school awesome to the role.