We’re already bracing ourselves for “Battleship,” directed by Peter Berg (“Hancock,” “Friday Night Lights”). Ridley Scott had been circling a “Monopoly” movie before he got pulled back into the “Alien” realm. “Clue” and “Candyland” are other games looking to make the leap to the big screen (or back to the big screen, in the case of “Clue”).

Beyond that? It seems like a “Ouija” movie in the near future. And this morning, it is being reported that “Charlie’s Angels” and “Terminator Salvation” helmer McG will direct the picture for Universal. THR reports that McG beat out Breck Eisner (“The Crazies”), and will direct from a script by “Tron: Legacy” co-screenwriters Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz.

This is interesting, though. Instead of being a straight-up horror, which is what a Ouija board movie would suggest, THR says this story would center around an adventurous family and have more in common with “The Mummy” or the “Indiana Jones” franchise than with “The Ring.”

More on “Ouija” as it develops.

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HollywoodNews.com: Jackson Rathbone, best known for his role as the scarred vampire “Jasper Hale” in the Twilight movie series, and Aimee Teegarden, known to loyal “Friday Night Lights” fans as “Julie Taylor,” have been cast to star in the new teen action series “Aim High.” Rathbone will star as teenage government operative “Nick Green” and Teegarden will star as Nick’s charming love interest “Amanda Miles.”

“We’re thrilled to have Jackson and Aimee on board,” said Producer McG. “They’re incredibly talented, collaborative
individuals with undeniable screen presence.”

“Aim High” is the story of a young man leading a double life – juggling his studies by day and serving as a government agent by night. This series chronicles the life of Nick Green, a junior who’s just starting a new school year as one of the country’s 64 highly trained teenage operatives.

When he’s not handling international spies, Nick is dreaming of Amanda Miles, the most popular girl in school who’s cool, intelligent and very alluring. Amanda mercilessly flirts with Nick, but before he can enjoy her advances he has to avoid Derek – her overly protective boyfriend who threatens him for even looking at her.

“Aim High,” a Warner Premiere and Dolphin Entertainment series, comes from Director/ Producer McG (Chuck / Charlie’s Angels), Wonderland Sound and Vision, and production services are being provided by Bandito Brothers.

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Image by PR Photos

He will if he wins the role of Douglas Quaid – a part made famous by Arnold Schwarzenegger – in a planned “Total Recall” remake.

Farrell leads a list of candidates that includes Tom Hardy (“Inception”) and Michael Fassbender (“Inglourious Basterds”), according to the Hollywood Reporter. Len Wiseman of “Underworld” and “Live Free or Die Hard” would direct the remake, which is looking to begin production early next year.

Schedules likely will go a long way to deciding who is available for “Recall.” Farrell is up for “By Virtue Fall,” with Eric Bana, but could finish in time to join the “Recall” shoot.

But Hardy, whose currently shooting “This Means War” with McG, has been attached to Christopher Nolan’s third “Batman,” and no one expects him to jeopardize that for a chance to headline a remake of a Schwarzenegger flick.

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Photo courtesy of PRPhotos.com.

HollywoodNews.com: While Hollywood took its time deciding who should play the role of Lisbeth Salander in “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” a role perfected by Noomi Rapace, the Swedish actress has wasted no time in choosing her stateside roles.

Word comes from Heat Vision, Collider and a number of other sites that Rapace will make her English-language debut in “Sherlock Holmes 2.” Rapace will play a French Gypsy and beyond that, the entire plot is being kept secret by Warner Bros.

Collider reports: “It is known that Holmes’ arch nemesis, Moriarty, will have a presence, with Daniel Day-Lewis, Sean Penn, Javier Bardem, and Gary Oldman rumored for the role. Sherlock’s brother Mycroft will likewise make an appearance.” Also Rachel McAdams is suppose to make a cameo as Sherlock’s old flame Irene Adler.

Rapace was also rumored to take meetings for parts in “Mission: Impossible 4,” James McTiegue’s period thriller “The Raven” and McG’s “This Means War.”

Jeremy Renner has exclaimed that Rapace is his co-star in “Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters” but nothing has been confirmed as of yet.

Meanwhile, award consultants are shepherding Rapace in the best actress category this season for “Dragon Tattoo.”

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Photo Credit: Music Box

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By Anthony D’Alessandro

HollywoodNews.com: FILM REVIEW — If there was a classroom full of action directors, such as Michael Bay, Gore Verbinski and McG, Robert Rodriguez would be that rascal who would take them hostage, rap their knuckles with a ruler and stick their noses in a corner.

What would Rodriguez inculcate? How to make an efficient, hyper-kinetic edited, voluptuous action film, employing the most zealous dramatic ensemble.

To fault Rodriguez for his campy, snuff-inspired shoot-em ups would be like shortchanging John Woo’s talents for executing chopsocky ballet or Martin Scorsese’s overindulgence in Italian-Catholic symbolism.

Much like those guys whose cinema is beholden to their heritage, Rodriguez’s actioners, like a rich Sopaipilla drowned in honey, are drenched in sexy melodrama, exploitative action and South of the Border mythos.

So comes his Mexican Rambo film “Machete,” which he co-directed with his rhythmic editor Ethan Maniquis from “Grindhouse.” And while “Machete” is arguably the best action film of the summer, sniping “Salt” in its twists and kicking Adam McKay’s “The Other Guys” in the cajones with its comedy, the film wears its pro-Mexican Immigration message heavily on its sleeve — a bold agenda that is apt to divide action aficionados at the box office: Red state testosterones are apt to walk out while blue state arthouse crowds will savor the ride.

While the knife-wielding ex-Mexican Federale “Machete” is more or less a cinematic cousin to Rodriguez’s “Mariachi” and “Desperado” protag assassins (in fact Rodriguez originally conceived the character during the shoot of the latter film, not the “Grindhouse” faux trailer), it’s the film’s overt political soap box which makes “Machete” a more intelligible ride than its steel barrel predecessors. Sylvester Stallone’s pro-America speech at the end of “Rambo” seems mousy next to the social message which Rodriguez and Maniquis drum about U.S.-Mexico border corruption. The duo play out the drama effectively down to the final moment when Machete (the fierce, somber Danny Trejo) is pulled over by Jessica Alba’s ICE agent Sartana: Instead of handing her his papers, Sartana gives Machete a set of his own.

After watching his wife get beheaded by the drug lord Torrez (a hammy Steven Seagal) in an ambush sting, master of knives Machete retreats to Austin, Texas where he gets by as a day laborer. He is befriended there by Luz (Michelle Rodriguez) who by day serves Mexican transplants from her taco truck and in her off time masterminds the Network, a group of revolutionaries who protect undocumented Mexicans. Luz and the nearby workers are spied upon by Sartana who has the 411 on their comings and goings.

Making matters worse is a bad ass border patrol aka The Vigilantes led by Von (Don Johnson) and secretly supported by independent Senator McLaughlin (Robert De Niro), a demagogue nut whose philosophy on immigration isn’t that far from Arizona’s.

Machete’s fate changes when he’s approached by a mysterious wealthy businessman, Booth (Jeff Fahey), to assassinate the controversial Senator for $150,000. Machete takes the job, but upon pointing his gun, notices that there’s a white rifleman who nicks the Senator; thus framing Machete, a Mexican, as the killer.

Immediately on the lam, Machete won’t stop his beheading spree until he’s reached Booth, who turns out to be a consigliere for McLaughlin. The assassination has upticked the Senator’s popularity while the media has vilified Machete.

Promising Sartana that he’ll deliver the true culprit, Machete obtains some help from his brother Padre (Cheech Marin), a zany Catholic priest who compiles folders on his sinful parishioners from the video confessions he hears.

As expected Rodriguez excels in his sharp choreographed action scenes, but what makes “Machete” less pedestrian than the next action title at the multiplex is its relentless plot twists, many which evolve from the faceoffs the director-scribe creates from pairing various actors off in his melting pot cast.

Above all, “Machete” is blatantly hysterical: Rodriguez doesn’t write a one-liner as an ironic tough-guy retort, which was common in Stallone and Schwarzenegger ‘80s fare, rather it’s strictly for laughs. After Machete puts his Federale partner in machine gun’s way in the beginning, the hero’s only response to his friend’s bloody body is “Lo Siento.” Not to mention, Rodriguez and Maniquis know how to play the funny in the movie’s nudie moments: one riotous scene being when Machete wages revenge against Booth by seducing his wife and his daughter April (Lindsay Lohan) in the pool.

The fact that Rodriguez is able to attract marquee talent who enjoy reveling in his prose, accentuates his pulp to a higher level. Trejo balances his softness with his cut-throat tone. De Niro is spot on as a corrupt southern Senator. Michelle Rodriguez, who has griped in recent interviews about being pigeonholed as the macho girl, should be content with her gift as there are few actresses who display such poise naturally. Jessica Alba delivers her gung-ho lines with the gravity of a beauty pageant contestant, but alas that’s what makes her situations silly.

Lindsay Lohan in her cameo plays an ironic take on her real-life persona as the drug-addicted, internet pin-up daughter of Booth. It’s no coincidence when she tells her dad “The online public wants me. Do you know how many hits my website gets?” Rodriguez/Maniquis lense Lohan gracefully in the violent climax as she absorbs herself in a nun’s attire but you wish there was more of her piercing presence onscreen. Obviously, Fox thinks otherwise due to her off screen shenanigans (She was cut out of the official trailer upon news that she was heading to jail).

One could fault Rodriguez and Maniquis’ flamboyant Z nature, but to do so would emasculate “Machete” of its greatness. Playing this film out in a more serious context would truly trigger a riot.

20th Century Fox release and presentation of an Overnight production in association with Troublemaker Studios. Produced by Robert Rodriguez, Elizabeth Avellan, Rick Schwartz. Executive producers Ashok Amritraj, Edward Borgerding, Alan Bernon, Myles Nestel. Directed by Robert Rodriguez, Ethan Maniquis. Screenplay, Robert Rodriguez, Alvaro Rodriguez. MPAA Rating: R. Running Time: 104 minutes.

Machete – Danny Trejo
Senator McLaughlin – Robert De Niro
Sartana – Jessica Alba
Torrez – Steven Seagal
Luz – Michelle Rodriguez
Booth – Jeff Fahey
Padre – Cheech Marin
Von – Don Johnson
April – Lindsay Lohan

Photo Credit: Fox

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HollywoodNews.com: Forget about all the casting news being generated about the U.S. reboot of “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” on the blogsphere.

Noomi Rapace, the actress who originated the role of dark femme Lisbeth Salander in the Swedish version of “The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo” is being groomed for an Oscar.

Deadline and Collider report that the film is eligible as the film was released for a qualifying run in a Los Angeles County theater back in March. Furthermore, “Dragon Tattoo” was made for the big screen, not TV, in its country of origin.

Already Rapace has won the Swedish equal of an Oscar for best actress. To date, “Dragon Tattoo” has made $103 million worldwide.

Rapace’s agents at UTA and managers at Magnolia see the actress as the next Marion Cotillard, the French actress who won the Oscar for “La vie en rose” and went on to star in Hollywood blockbusters like “Public Enemies” and “Inception.”

Already, Rapace is in talks for parts in “Sherlock Holmes 2,” “Mission: Impossible IV,” McG’s “This Means War,” “The Last Voyage of the Demeter” and “The Raven” among many others.

Photo Credit: Music Box

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HollywoodNews.com: Popular burgeoning action star Sam Worthington won’t be trying to win over Reese Witherspoon’s heart in McG’s high octane romantic comedy “This Means War.”

Rather Tom Hardy from “Inception” fame will step in to duke it out with Chris Pine. Film centers around two spies who wage a special ops battle for Witherspoon’s character.

Collider was following the news.

Hardy’s star is on the rise – he’s set to portray Mad Max Rockatansky opposite Charlize Theron in George Miller’s “Max Max: Fury Road.” He’s also on board for the crime drama “The Sweeney.”

Hardy hails from London, England and cut his teeth in the HBO 2001 war mini-series “Band of Brothers.”

Photo Credit: Splash News

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HollywoodNews.com: If you believe in fairies, then clap.

Because Elizabeth Banks is getting ready to don wings and a short-green skirt for her role as Tinkerbell in a live-action version of the Disney character.

Titled “Tink,” the live-action romantic comedy has Adam Shankman, Jennifer Gibgot and McG developing the project as producers.

The film will follow the mischievous nature of the Tinkerbell character. The idea was hatched by Banks with Max Handelman, who not only co-runs the actress’ production label, Brownstone Prods, but is her husband as well.

Elizabeth Wright Shapiro, who has already worked with Banks on a number of projects, is on board to write the script.

Screenplays that Shapiro has penned on Banks’ behalf include “Keiko,” which Banks is attached to direct per Variety.

Shapiro has also penned “Allies With Benefits,” which Scott Free is producing.

Banks’ Brownstone label was recently behind the Disney Bruce Willis headliner “The Surrogates.” The label is quite busy with other projects, “Forever 21″ at DreamWorks and “Pitch Perfect,” at Universal.

Banks’ upcoming acting gigs include Paul Haggis’ “The Next Three Days,” opposite Russell Crowe, and “The Details,” with Tobey Maguire.

At one point, Disney attempted to re-boot “Tinkerbell” as an animated film with Brittany Murphy as the voice. Project proceeded forward as a straight-to-video franchise sans Murphy’s vocals.

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According to Variety, McG (“Terminator Salvation,” “We Are Marshall”) is going to be returning to the big screen again with a new action-comedy entitled “This Means War.” for Fox. The film is already set to star Bradley Cooper and Reese Witherspoon in a film about two friends (Cooper) who end up falling in love with the same woman (Witherspoon). Fox picked up the script back in 1998 and has seen many people attached to the film come and go including director Gore Verbinski and Martin Lawrence.

To read more go to Variety.