#292. Movie Buzz

1. MacGyver headed for big screen
Get your paper clips, (slightly) used chewing gum and rubber bands out, people ... the resourceful, iconic 80s-90s TV show hero MacGyver is being reimagined for the big screen.Yep, that means we're going to be seeing a MacGyver movie sometime soon, coming by way of New Line Cinema and producer Rafaella De Laurentiis.No other details from the Hollywood Reporter story on writer, director and casting info, but we're keeping our fingers (and discarded lollipop sticks) crossed in the hope that they don't try to just ... MacGyver a script together. And dare we hope for a Richard Dean Anderson cameo?

2. Favreau favoured for Avengers?
With Marvel's Avengers movie pushed back to 2012, chances are high that fan-favourite Iron Man director Jon Favreau could direct it.An Aint-It-Cool-News "scooper" reported on the site recently that Favreau's schedule could not accommodate Avengers with its originally planned 2011 release because the director had to get the studio-demanded Iron Man 2 out by next year.Apparently the Marvel Studios people are pretty keen on having Favreau do the Big One too. Avengers is expected to unite Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk and Thor along with other heroes who may be introduced just for that movie and should be HUGE (we're not just talking Giant-Man huge here, effendi).

3. Back off, it's ours
Transformers 3 has a release date: July 1, 2011, according to trade paper Variety.And that's it. Just a release date; no casting, directing, writing or any other details. Apparently, Paramount and DreamWorks just want the world to know that that date belongs to the mighty Autobots and skulking Decepticons, so that no other studio would pick that date for its own big summer release.A bit closer to the here and now, Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen remains on course for its June 24 release. After the latest (awesome and rockin') trailer, aren't YOU marking off the days too?

4. And the number of the counting shall be 4
Not 3, which was rather blahh, and 5 is right out. Yes, fans, you can only count on seeing Spider-Man 4 come 2011, but don't bank on a fifth film just yet despite earlier reports that the fourth and fifth Spidey films would be done back-to-back.Director Sam Raimi told MTV News that right now, all efforts are being focused on just the fourth movie and nothing has even been mentioned about a potential #5. Tobey Maguire is in it, while Kirsten Dunst has yet to confirm if she will be back.As for the villain, Raimi said he had a pretty good idea of which one(s) would be in it, although he declined to reveal anything just yet.

5. Confucius says, Let 'em have it with both barrels

Action star Chow Yun-Fat is set to play Confucius in a movie biography of the great philosopher, Variety reports. The US$2.8mil (about RM10mil) production from Dadi Films will begin production under director Hu Mei later this month, for a late 2009 release.

Source : The Star