The actor Terrence Howard (recently seen in Iron Man and Fighting) will incarnate Nelson Mandela in Winnie, a film which will lean on the ex-wife of the first black South-African president. Jennifer Hudson will play the part of Winnie in this coproduction between Canada (Equinox Films) and South Africa (MaAfrika Films).

Darrell Roodt directs this historical drama which will profit from a budget of 15 million US$. The filming must start on May 30th in Cape Town, Johannesburg and on the island of Robben where Nelson Mandela passed 18 the 27 years of his detention.

The life of Winnie Mandela is as animated as that of her husband. This mother and wife supported during years her activist husband and she was even imprisoned to have militated for her release and against Apartheid. Her image was partly tarnished following her association with a bodyguard which assassinated a supposed adviser. She was also shown of fraud.

Andre Pieterse, Darrell J. Roodt and Paul L. Johnson had co-written the scenario inspired by the biography Winnie Mandela: A Life by Anne Marie of Preez Bezdrob.

Winnie will be distributed in Canada by D-Films.

Jennifer Hudson should also interpret the theme song of the film.

The American actors Michael Shannon (seen in The Runaways and Revolutionary Road for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor) and Michelle Monaghan (seen in Mission: Impossible III, Eagle Eye, Gone Baby Gone and Made of Honor) agreed to join Gerald Butler (recently seen in The Bounty Hunter, Law Abiding Citizen, The Ugly Truth and P.S. I Love You) in Machine Gun Preacher, a film inspired by the life of Sam Childers.

Marc Forster (who directed Quantum of Solace, The Kite Runner and Stranger Than Fiction) directs this feature film for the Canadian entertainment company Lionsgate Entertainment Corporation. The filming must start this summer.

Gerald Butler will incarnate Sam Childers, a former Hell’s Angels member who became Born Again Christian. This last will begin in a crusade in Sudan to save children under the influence of rebellious warlike chiefs. The scenario was written by Jason Keller according to the memories Childers: Another Man’s War. It’s about the true story of a man’s battle to save children in the Sudan.

Michelle Monaghan will play the part of Lynn, the wife of Childers, whereas Michael Shannon is in talks to play the part of a friend very close to the man.

The American actress and model Jessica Biel (recently seen in Valentine’s Day, Easy Virtue, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry and The Illusionist) and the British actor Luke Evans are in final discussions to play in Vivaldi, a sentimental drama. The feature film will be carried out by Patricia Riggen (the director for the Mexican-American film Under the Same Moon). The project will be produced by Raffaella De Laurentiis

The scenario was written by T.J. Scott and Kevin Lund. At the moment, we only know that the story line will concentrate on the defended lovesong which developed between the Venetian Baroque composer, priest, and virtuoso violinist Antonio Vivaldi and her protégé Anna Tessieri Giro.

Although the particular relation was the subject of several lies at the time, Vivaldi always denied to have maintain a love affair with his professional fetish singer and several modern specialists tend to believe that this relation was purely platonic.

Jessica Biel could be seen this summer in the film The A-Team, an action motion picture based on the television series, whereas Luke Evans is filming Immortals at present moment in Montreal under the direction of Tarsem Singh.

The actor Hayden Christensen was recruited to play in The Genesis Code, a film inspired of a novel of John Case.

The film will follow Joe Lassiter, a private detective who, whereas he inquires into the death of his sister and his nephew, discovers that a religious sect could be mixed there. With the assistance of the sister of a friend, his investigation will lead him in a mysterious private clinic in Italy where secret experiments were led successfully. The results are if threatening for the bases of the church which they will make very to prevent the secrecy from being revealed.

The novel of John Case was published originally in 1997. It was published by Ballantine Books.

Myriad Pictures, which will co-produce the feature film, will try to sell the project at the Film Market of Cannes Film Festival.

Note that Hayden Christensen is well known to have played Anakin Skywalker (who became Darth Vader) in the second (Attack of the Clones) and third (Revenge of the Sith) motion pictures of the Star Wars prequel trilogy. He was also seen recently in New York, I Love You and Jumper and will be on the big screen soon in action movie Takers directed by John Luessenhop.

The actor Anthony Hopkins is in final negotiations to play in Arabian Nights, the next motion picture of Chuck Russell (who directed The Scorpion King, Eraser and The Mask). The adventure film, which also stars the actor Liam Hemsworth, will be produced for Inferno Entertainment.

The scenario for this project was written by Chuck Russell and Barry P. Ambrose. The feature film will follow a young chief (played by Liam Hemsworth) who, after its king was assassinated at the time of a coup d’etat, make team with Sinbad and Aladin to save legendary Persian queen Scheherazade.

Hopkins will play the part of Pharotu, a malefic wizard who kills the love of Sinbad, a siren, and which tries to acquire other magic capacities.

The filming must start at the end of the summer.

Bill Johnson, from Inferno Entertainment, produces the project in partnership with Mark Ciardi and Gordon Gray from Mayhem Pictures as well as the company ROAR.

Hopkins recently gave the counterpart to Chris Hemsworth, the older brother of Liam, in Thor. For his part, The Last Song was recently seen in the film adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks novel The Last Song.

The stories about superheroes allure the film enthusiasts always as much. Iron Man 2 unloads in first position of the North American box office this week.

The motion picture from the actor, screenwriter  and film director Jon Favreau collected 133.6 million US$ for its first weekend in cinemas. Nothing astonishing. The feature film is projected in 4 380 North-American cinemas. It is about absolute records. The original film had piled up 98.6 million US$ at its release.

The superhero did not pulverize a record of receipts. The Dark Knight had made a success of 158.4 million US$ of profits as of its release in the cinema rooms in July 2008.

This second shutter stars in particular Robert Downey Jr., Mickey Rourke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sam Rockwell, Jon Favreau, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson.

The new version of the horro film A Nightmare on Elm Street loses a place and is found in second position with receipts of 9.1 million US$. It is the actor Jackie Earle Halley who takes again the role of Freddy.

The animation film How to Train Your Dragon is in third place with 6.7 million US$. In fourth position, the film Date Night loses a position in the classification with 5.3 million US$. The fifth place is supplemented by The Back-up Plan with Jennifer Lopez which obtains 4.3 million US$.

A new title arrives at the tenth position with 1.5 million US$. It is a documentary about Babies projected in 534 cinemas. The history is that of four babies who are followed during one year, from the day of their birth to their first birthday.

Here is the Weekend Box Office Results for May 7-9, 2010:

1. Iron Man 2, 133.6 million US$

2. A Nightmare on Elm Street, 9.1 million US$

3. How to Train Your Dragon, 6.7 million US$

4. Date Night, 5.3 million US$

5. The Back-up Plan, 4.3 million US$

6. Furry Vengeance, 4 million US$

7. Clash of the Titans, 2.3 million US$

8. Death at a Funeral, 2.1 million US$

9. The Losers, 1.8 million US$

10. Babies, 1.5 million US$

Out of a very great popular success and even critical, Iron Man takes again service in a continuation even more muscular and spectacular. Undoubtedly that too much is like not enough, but when the laughter is present, it is difficult to resist to the temptation.

The world is a sedentary place thanks to Tony Stark (played Robert Downey Jr.), alias Iron Man. his charisma, his eccentricity and his unforeseeable character do not make however the happiness of all. A rival (played by Sam Rockwell) seeks to copy his technology, the villain (played by Mickey Rourke) would like to be avenged for him and even a faithful friend (played by Don Cheadle) calls in question his actions. That hardly goes better on the female side, whereas his assistant (played by Gwyneth Paltrow) is not any more over the same wavelength and that a new employee (played by Scarlett Johansson) resists his charms. The rich playboy will have to modify his behavior if he does not want to only find himself alone… and six feet underground.

There are generally two kinds of superhero movies: the one which is caught with serious in its way of exposing its moral dilemmas (Watchmen is an excellent example), and the one that only thinks of diverting while wanting to put full the sight of it (in this category, the recent Kick-Ass discharged its task honourably). First Iron Man represented the quintessence of the second category and its continuation exploits this seam again. Resulting from the comedy, the director Jon Favreau continues to develop the gag which kills and the sarcastic counterpart with much of ease, which probably makes this spectacular the most comic feature-length film of the year. All the characters handle the irony and they make use of it abundantly.

Contrary to The Dark Knight, Spider-Man 2 or X-Men 2, these new adventures are not used to explore a new facet of the hero or to work out a psychology even more elaborate. In fact, the story line does not have any direction and its sinuous turnings, at the same time patriotic, propagandists and moralizers (all history with the father) do not have any other function but to multiply the sequences of action, rather spectacular mercy. Difficult not to retain its breath at the time of the racing scene Monaco or during the final confrontation which evokes Avatar and Lethal Weapon 4 at the same time.

Once this dust fallen down, it remains however almost nothing any more with the meter, if it is not an umpteenth. continuation which surprises hardly, too wormy in its first part and rather ridiculous thereafter. If the first version surprised by its incisive tone and its chronic do-not-give-a-damn attitude, this second reading takes again with the letter the same formula, making it look fatter to the extreme, improvising turnings almost worships (the animated discussion between Robert Downey Jr. and Samuel L. Jackson) and others much more doubtful (which point out a little too the failure Hancock).

The Relaxed interpretation of extremely talented actors brings this added-value which is often lacking with the accounts of the same kind. As usual, Robert Downey Jr. is very good in the skin of shifted protagonist and he does it without never pouring in the higher bid. At his sides, Gwyneth Paltrow seems to be less dull than usually, and Don Cheadle replaces with conviction Terrence Howard which was isolated for questions of money. They are however the small new ones which steals the popularity. First of all Scarlett Johansson who will make fantasise the male public with her moves (a derivative should be devoted to her character in a brought closer future), Mickey Rourke which had the potential (unfortunately badly exploited) to incarnate the most memorable villain since the Joker by the regretted Heath Ledger, and especially Sam Rockwell who points out that since the underestimated Moon (and even before that), he remains one of the best actors of the moment. Perhaps these figures do not have roles with the height of their talent, except that they discharge with happiness and delight of their task.

More diverting that intelligent, effective in the absence of to be really original, Iron Man 2 recalls that summer Hollywood is already started, and that it starts in force with this awaited deflagration which will make several happy, in condition of course of not worrying about the laughable scenario without tail nor head. What makes company a half success or a half-failure. And notneed to have patience until the generic end it to see an extract of the next production of a comic from Marvel (in fact Thor) so much this scene is used absolutely for nothing.

On an original idea of Alain Chabat, who was caustic in another life, Babies follows 4 small children during one year in Namibia, in Japan, in the United States and in Mongolia. Prepare yourself, the trap of the sentimentalism will be closed again.

To have the turned out badly spirit, we would think almost the speech held by the producers responsible for the documentary Babies, with the number of which one finds with astonishment the ex-member of a comic troop and direct Alain Chabat. The is what the talks about this project probably happened: “Okay guy, I had an genius idea, we will make a film about… babies! ”. “Babies? But why?”. “Well, it is cute, the babies, everyone likes them, the babies, they will be able to go in family”. “Yes, but will be told in your film? ” “It does not matter, you put just babies on the screen during an hour and half, with pretty music and pretty images and it will be perfect”. “It is a little right, no? ”. “Good, okay, we just have to put 4 babies from 4 different places on the planet, as that there will be also a humanistic, universal key. You will see, it will be irresistible. No need moreover to make a film”.

Nothing moreover, nothing less, here exactly what this Babies looks like: pretty signed images of the documentary director Thomas Balmes emphasizing the relief and the exotic colors of landscapes and the development over a year of four little darlings connected in little sketches as in an album photographs, a pretty music for Bruno Coulais (Microcosmos, Les choristes ) covering the whole with syrup of marshmallow and four small children, Bayarjargal, Mari, Ponijao and Hattie, growing each one with their manner in Mongolia, in Japan, in Namibia and in the United States. When in more we add to this large unpacking of charm (obviously, every more execrable moment of these first years -the crises, tiredness, the tears – is saved) the fact that the production financed the medical monitoring of Namibian moms, who until then had not put the feet in a hospital before, how not to succumb to this film which does not finish any more being cute?

And it is precisely there that the ultra-cuteness this documentary is born: how to be against the virtue? How to refuse to let itself take by the giant trap of the sentimentalism which it tightens without passing for a heartless person? How to give the right to think that after fifteen minutes was have already the impression to have understood a hundred times the question? Admittedly, these four babies are nice like all. Admittedly still, of American ultra-comfort to Japanese modernity while passing by Mongolian rurality and the Namibian destitution, each one of these babies loved with as happy and opened out air as its neighbor. Admittedly finally, the absence of comments seems a serious asset. From there to say that there was matter with a film of cinema, there was only one step which was crossed with far too much joy, considering the little of interest of the project to the final one. The proof, once again, that everyone well too quickly becomes generous when it is about babies.

As from midnight last Friday, the superhero movie Iron Man 2 is been projected in 4.380 North American cinemas, an absolute records. The preceding record belonged to The Dark Knight which had been presented in 4.366 establishments (for a total of a little more than 9000 screens) in 2008.

The film could garner between 155 and 160 million US$ according to the estimates. The record to be beaten also belongs to The Dark Knight which had collected receipts of 158,4 $US million at its first weekend in July 2008.

Directed by Jon Favreau, this second shutter stars Robert Downey Jr. (in the role of Tony Stark), Gwyneth Paltrow (in the role of Pepper Potts), Mickey Rourke (in the role of Ivan Vanko), Don Cheadle (in the role of Lt. Col. James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes), Jon Favreau (in the role of Happy Hogan), Sam Rockwell (in the role of Justin Hammer), Scarlett Johansson (in the role of Natalie Rushman / Natasha Romanoff), Samuel L. Jackson (in the role of Nick Fury), John Slattery (in the role of Howard Stark), Garry Shandling (in the role of Senator Stern), Kate Mara (in the role of U.S. Marshal), Clark Gregg (in the role of Agent Coulson) and Olivia Munn (in the role of Chess Roberts).

Iron Man 2 has been released on the conventional screens and on Imax screens.

The original film had collected 98,6 million $US at its first weekend and 318,4 $US millionin the North American box office at the end of its cinematographic career.

American Zoetrope, the studio founded by Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas, is in Canada, more precisely in the province of Quebec, in order to film scenes for the film adaptation of the novel One the Road by Jack Kerouac. Kristen Stewart will belong to the distribution.

They seek places where to turn of the scenes of their film everywhere in the province of Quebec, according a newspaper in Montreal

In interview with USA Today, Kristen Stewart said that she was related to the project. She there will camp Marylou and says herself very glad to the idea to play in this feature film.

Many scenario writers, from Francis Ford Coppola to Gus Van Sant, tried to carry this novel to the big screen in the past. This time, Walter Salles (who wrote the scenario for The Motorcycle Diaries) will be with the orders.

Jose Rivera sign the scenario of this feature film project which should be born on the big screen in 2011. The filming must begin at the summer.

One the Road, written in 1951 and published in 1957, tells the adventures of a man and his fellow traveller who furrow America.

Garrett Hedland will camp the main character there. Stewart will play his wife. Sam Riley will incarnate the travelling companion of the protagonist.

Kerouac had been born in the United States from Canadian parents.