Though the film has gone through a bunch of titles (Tonight, He Comes, John Hancock), they've finally settled on Hancock, and the first trailer for the film has arrived online (courtesy of JoBlo). In Hancock, Will Smith plays a superhero named Hancock who's fallen on hard times, and when he hires a PR exec (Jason Bateman) to correct his image, Hancock winds up falling for the dude's wife (Charlize Theron). What are we getting here? Well, the first trailer shows us tons of special effects and a lot of comedy mixed together -- all of it to the tune of hip hop. Funny thing is, the film isn't even listed as a comedy -- IMDb has it as a action drama/fantasy -- though they're clearly going for laughs in this first bit of marketing material.

And you know what, those laughs are actually pretty funny. Like the part when Hancock looks at the YouTube clip of himself saving a beached whale. Only, when he throws the whale back out to sea, it lands on a lone sailboat way out in the ocean. "I don't even remember that ," he says. Bateman replies, "Green Peace does." There's a bunch of stuff like that here; apparently they're setting up the fact that Hancock (who looks like a homeless guy) keeps trying to save the day, though he causes a ton of destruction in the process. It's like the anti-superhero movie, and it definitely looks like it belongs in the summer popcorn fluff category. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Directed by Peter Berg, Hancock arrives in theaters on July 2, 2008.

Wanna see a bunch of pics featuring Will Smith hanging by a few wires? PopSugar now has a mini gallery of behind-the-scenes photos from the set of Smith's new film John Hancock (or is it just Hancock?). No, it's not a biopic on the first man to sign the Declaration of Independence -- instead, it's another one of them superhero flicks with a twist. In the film, which was previously titled Tonight, He Comes (wonder why that was changed???), Smith plays a down-and-out superhero who isn't feeling much love from the public anymore. He soon finds himself involved in a questionable relationship with the wife (Charlize Theron) of a PR guy (Jason Bateman) who's trying to repair his image.

Hancock is being helmed by Peter Berg (The Kingdom, Friday Night Lights); apparently the fourth choice in a line of directors who were previously attached, then bailed. That list includes Michael Mann, Jonathan Mostow and Gabriele Muccino. Back in May, Latino Review posted another one of their craptastic script reviews for Hancock, spoiling the heck out of the thing, while giving it a C+. In it, they also gripe that putting Smith in a corny superhero suit could ruin things as his character is more of an everyman than a, say, Iron Man. Well, these latest photos definitely show Smith in some sort of suit (looks like black leather with one long stripe across the chest), but it's definitely not in your face. As far as I know, Hancock will not be present at this week's ComicCon, so we'll have to wait awhile for more. As of now, the film is set to arrive in theaters on July 2, 2008.

IGN is reporting they've confirmed that the superhero drama Tonight, He Comes, scheduled for released in July 2008, has been retitled John Hancock. The film, which is being directed by Peter Berg, will revolve around what IMDb refers to as a "questionable" relationship between Will Smith and Charlize Theron. Smith plays a down-on-his-luck superhero who hires a PR man to repair his image and then he starts putting the moves on the PR man's wife. The cuckold will be played by Jason Bateman, who is now becoming something of a Peter Berg regular, also appearing in this year's The Kingdom, opposite Jennifer Garner and Jamie Foxx. Scripting duties for John Hancock have been handled by Oscar-bait hack Akiva Goldsman, Vince Gilligan and Vincent Ngo, and Michael Mann is on board as a producer.

Smith will next be seen in I am Legend, the adaptation of the Richard Matheson novella about a man who must defend himself against the rest of the world's inhabitants, who have turned into vampires, and he's got a comedy in the works as well, opposite Nic Cage. As for Theron, she's becoming one of those actresses whose upcoming projects are hard to determine because she has so many in the air. Her IMDb page lists seven upcoming films, including some that will be released soon like Paul Haggis's In the Valley of Elah and Battle in Seattle, and others that I wouldn't count on, like Jinx (the Halle Berry movie?) and The Braziian Job.

Ever since Italian director Gabriele Muccino officially arrived in the States with The Pursuit of Happyness (his first English-language film), he's been searching for the perfect project to follow up his U.S. studio debut. At one point he was attached to helm Tonight, He Comes -- another Will Smith pic set in Brooklyn, New York. Though he eventually left that film (to be replaced by Peter Berg), Muccino has decided to remain in Brooklyn and helm Man and Wife for Universal Pictures. Written by Lorene Scafaria, Variety calls the pic a love story which "stresses an immigrant's love for the U.S. -- something, I imagine, hits pretty close to home for Muccino.

The director adds, "Diving into this culture is something I've enjoyed doing, but there is nothing more universal than love, and this is about how love can wake a man up like nothing else." Love is a theme Muccino has been attracted to; in 2001 he wrote and directed One Last Kiss, which was later remade in America as The Last Kiss starring Zach Braff. He was also set to helm A Little Game of Consequence for Focus Features but, like with Tonight, He Comes, left the project (along cast members Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz)) when script issues were raised. Double Feature partners Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher (World Trade Center, Freedom Writers) will produce Man and Wife, which will begin production this summer in Brooklyn; currently, no cast officially attached.

It's supposedly known as one of the best unproduced scripts floating around Hollywood, yet the thing has gone through three directors (Michael Mann, Jonathan Mostow, Gabriele Muccino) and it's taking a heck of a long time to get this puppy up on the big screen. According to Production Weekly, Jason Bateman (who's got a great little role in Smokin' Aces -- trust me on this one, he steals the show) is close to starring alongside Will Smith and Charlize Theron (I'm sorry, but were we aware that she signed on to this film? If so, no one told IMDB) in Tonight, He Comes.

While we've known for awhile that Smith will be playing some sort of slacker superhero, PW provides a bit more of a plot description, one that sounds decent enough for a big summer film -- it's currently eying a July 2, 2008 release date. Basically, Smith is a superhero with a drinking problem who causes lots of "collateral damage" while solving crimes. Thus, he has a bad image with the public. That is, until a public relations consultant (Bateman) swoops down to save the day as payment for Smith rescuing him from (insert problematic situation here). Yet, as our friendly PR dude works to save the superhero's image, his newest client is off romancing Bateman's beautiful wife (Theron).

Peter Berg is now (hopefully) attached as director, and he's working off a script penned by Vincent Ngo (which was rewritten by Vince Gilligan). Shooting is set to begin this May in Los Angeles ... though I thought the film was supposed to be set in Brooklyn, so I imagine they'll be making their way to New York soon enough.

Odds and ends from Thursday:

• If the BBC is correct, it looks like Brad Pitt's "interest" has turned into an official casting as far as that big-screen Americanized version of the BBC miniseries State of Play goes. Jim Abbott (writer and exec producer) confirmed Pitt's involvement after receiving a surprise phone call from the actor. Pitt will play a journalist named Cal McCaffrey who finds himself wrapped up in a murder conspiracy involving his former boss. [via Dark Horizons]
• What the hell is wrong with Tonight, He Comes? After going through THREE directors (Michael Mann, Jonathan Mostow, Gabriele Muccino), a new name is surfacing and we're praying this one actually sticks. According to Production Weekly, Peter Berg is close to helming the pic which finds Will Smith playing a superhero suffering through a mid-life crisis. If this is supposedly one of the "best unproduced scripts in town," then how come no one wants to direct it? Inquiring minds definitely want to know.
• Hey, remember how we told you that Orlando Bloom's character may not survive through a fourth Pirates installment? Well, Moviehole spoke with a rep for Disney who denied everything saying, "We are working closely with Disney and want you to know that while we cannot comment on specific plot points, such rumors are completely unfounded." Even if these rumors were true, it's not like Disney is going to come out and go, "That's it, you got us!" Personally, I say they kill off everyone except Captain Jack, then bring him back for a spin-off TV series on Cartoon Network called, The Adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow Jr. Whaddya think?

Odds and ends from Tuesday:

• I'm not exactly sure why a couple would pretend to break up, but the premise is intriguing enough for me to want to know more. Italian director Gabriele Muccino, who will be making his English-language directorial debut with The Pursuit of Happyness (starring Will Smith) this fall has now signed on to helm A Little Game Without Consequence for Focus Features. Based on the French play, Consequence was already adapted as a French film in 2004. Recently, Muccino replaced Jonathan Mostow as director of another Will Smith pic called Tonight, He Comes. However, he soon left the project claiming the story just didn't jive with his style and sensibilities.
• IGN is confirming Nicole Kidman and Paul Bettany have joined the growing cast of The Golden Compass, directed by Chris Weitz and based off Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. Kidman will be thrown into the role of villain, playing the insidious Mrs. Coulter, while Bettany will be taking on Lord Asriel. As previously discussed, Compass will kick-start New Line's most ambitious and expensive adventure since Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy. Not long ago, an unknown 12-year-old girl named Dakota Blue Richards landed the lead role in Compass, proving there is enough room in Hollywood for two little girls named Dakota.
• Talk about actors that fly way under the radar, Mos Def has signed on to star opposite Jack Black in Be Kind, Rewind. Written and directed by the always eccentric Michel Gondry, Rewind sounds right up my alley. What? Didn't anyone tell you eccentric was the new sexy? Pic stars Black as a guy who unintentionally destroys a bunch of tapes in his friend's video store after his brain becomes magnetized in a freak accident. In order to satisfy the store's one loyal customer, the two join together and attempt to remake some of the lost films including Back to the Future, The Lion King and Robocop. Also in negotiations to star are Kirsten Dunst and Danny Glover. Be Kind, Rewind begins shooting in early September.

Because he's apparently opposed to both time to breathe and vacations of any kind, Will Smith has signed on to star in yet another movie: To the list that already includes I Am Legend, Tonight, He Comes, Greenbacks, and It Takes a Thief, we now need to add Seven Pounds. According to Variety, the movie is a drama about "a man intent on killing himself who falls in love before he can do the deed." Hmm. Does that sound like a really short movie to anyone else? He's going to kill himself, but then falls in love and decides not to. And ... credits. What'll that take, like 10 minutes maybe?

Anyway. I guess, if nothing else, we should give Smith credit for trying not to get stuck in a genre rut -- in just those five films, he's got a sci-fi picture (I Am Legend), an superhero-in-crisis drama (Tonight, He Comes), a international thriller (Greenbacks) and an action-oriented based-on-a-TV-series flick (It Takes a Thief), and now there's a straight-up drama as well. Either people think Smith can act, or they're confident enough of his box office power that they don't really care whether he's going to be good or not, because people will pay to see him in anything. Either way, he's probably not going to be clipping coupons any time soon.

Erik reported just last month about the change at the helm of Will Smith-starrer Tonight, He Comes. At that time, Gabrielle Muccino (who just directed Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness) had come on board to replace the dearly departed Jonathan Mostow, who left the project because of that old standby, "creative differences." Mostow, in turn, had taken the place of Michael Mann, who apparently decided that Miami Vice was more worth his time than a movie about a "superhero in midlife crisis" (though he's still producing).

And now, just weeks after Muccino's arrival, Variety is reporting that he, too, is gone. This time, though, the split is amicable (That instance sort of makes you wonder about the other two departures, huh?) -- the director just didn't think the story was a good fit for his style and sensibilities, so he and his pal Will shook hands and went their separate ways. They still totally like each other. Really.

So, anyone out there got any free time and want to take over what is rapidly becoming a "troubled project?" The start has already been pushed back from this summer to early 2007, if that makes any difference. Please send your resumes to Will Smith, c/o Sony Pictures.

Not for nothing, but a part of me is really looking forward to Tonight, He Comes. If I were a superhero who crash-landed in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn (Tonight's basic premise), the first problem I would solve is all that damn traffic on the Belt Parkway. If you don't live in Brooklyn nor know what the Belt Parkway is, then we can trade places any day. Seriously, give me a call -- most likely I'll be stuck somewhere around exit 14.

The film, which will star Will Smith as said superhero, now has another director attached in Gabrielle Muccino. The two recently wrapped shooting together on The Pursuit of Happyness for Columbia Pictures who, coincidentally, is also putting out Tonight, He Comes. This will mark the third director for Tonight after Michael Mann ( who is also producing with Akiva Goldsman) dropped out to film Miami Vice. Afterward, it was rumored that Jonathan Mostow stepped up to the plate, though we're not sure why he's now been replaced by Muccino and is no longer in the picture. Pic will follow an under-appreciated superhero who winds up in Brooklyn after suffering through a mid-life crisis. Right now, the studio is creeping towards an early 2007 production start, while Muccino's Happyness hits theaters on December 15.