After months of speculation Columbia Pictures have confirmed that Andrew Garfield has been signed up to play Peter Parker/Spiderman in Marc Webb’s upcoming 3D Spider-Man reboot. Garfield was among the list of final contenders along with Jamie Bell, Anton Yelchin, Aaron Johnson, Logan Lerman, Alden Ehrenreich, Frank Dillane, Michael Angarano, and Josh Hutcherson. This casting decision gets two big thumbs up from me, Garfield is a class act, he was fantastic in Boy A, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus and Lions For Lambs. Garfield is going to get a lot more exposure later this year when he’s seen in David Fincher’s Facebook movie The Social Network and Mark Romanek’s Never Let Me Go alongside Carey Mulligan. With this casting decision and the fact that Marc Webb is directing, I’m actually looking forward to this reboot. Marc Webb directed (500) Days Of Summer, a film I really enjoyed– a HUUUUUGGGGE achievement considering my devout hatred of romantic comedies. One thing that does baffle me about this decision is that I thought that they were looking for a High School Spiderman, Garfield is 26……….he look’s kind of young I guess.

“Spider-Man is a classic superhero — a young man who balances his responsibility to serve humanity and crush evil with the shyness and normalcy of someone struggling to find himself. The role demands an extraordinary actor. You need someone who can magically transform himself from Peter Parker into Spider-Man. An actor who will depict the vulnerability of youth and the strength and confidence of a legendary figure at the same moment. We have found that actor in Andrew Garfield. From the first time we saw him in the upcoming film The Social Network, to his glorious screen test, which floored all of us, we knew that we had found our new Peter Parker,” says Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures.

On selecting Garfield, director Marc Webb said, “Though his name may be new to many, those who know this young actor’s work understand his extraordinary talents. He has a rare combination of intelligence, wit, and humanity. Mark my words, you will love Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker.” Spider-Man swings back onto the screen in 3D on July 3, 2012. The new film will begin production in early December directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt. Laura Ziskin and Avi Arad will produce the film from Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios.

This looks so bad it could be GREAT ( in a terrible movie sort of way). This is not gonna be ‘a personal film’ or a ‘deep potrayal of human kind’, you get what it says on the tin, Piranhas in 3D. Sometimes your brain needs to be turned off and you need something like this in your life. I’m gonna bang my head against a wall and get a little tipsy just before I see this to get into the right mind frame. The cast is not too shabby, Adam Scott, Christopher Lloyd, Ving Rhames, Dina Meyer, Richard Dreyfuss and Elisabeth Shue.

In Lake Victoria Arizona, a tremor causes the lake’s floor to open, setting free scores of prehistoric piranhas… They’re back! Every year the population of sleepy Lake Victoria explodes from 5,000 to 50,000 for a single, wild weekend – the 4th of July, a riot of sun, drunken fun and sex-crazed mayhem. But this year, there’s something more to worry about than hangovers and complaints from local old timers. Lake Victoria sits in the crater formed by a prehistoric volcanic eruption, and when earth tremors tear open a crack in the lake floor, all hell breaks through. Piranhas – a million ravenous, razor-toothed monsters, unchanged since the dawn of time. Unstoppable killing machines acting blindly under one primeval impulse: to hunt down anything that moves and strip it to the raw, bleeding bone. In seconds.

I’m of two minds about 3D movies if I’m honest, I can understand the people that like the effect and how (when done well) it helps heighten the cinematic experience, for example with Avatar, yet on the other hand I also understand the people that are (viciously) against 3D, especially when considering how Warner Brothers butchered Clash Of The Titans by converting it to 3D and the heightened prices.

One thing I’m not on the fence about is that I certainly wouldn’t like to see ‘Batman 3′ in 3D and thankfully from what the series cinematographer Wally Pfister says below it looks like that’s not gonna happen. Cinematical caught up with him just before he received the Star Award for his career in cinematography from the Dallas Film Society. He talks briefly about filming in digital, 3D, IMAX and how he and Christopher Nolan decided against filming Nolan’s upcoming Inception in 3D. In other Batman related news, reports are that Warners Bros will be announcing more about ‘Batman 3′ in July can’t wait.

“I did it [IMAX] for one shot of The Dark Knight because he said, you have to say you did it, and literally I had this strapped to my shoulder and I was carrying it. But I think Chris is game for doing something interesting like that, Lord knows that the 3-D fad might pass by the time that summer comes around.”

“But I know one thing about the film that Chris is adamant about is that he wants to shoot on film,” Pfister said. “He doesn’t want to shoot on video, and I’m the same way.”

The release date for this is inching nearer and nearer, just over a month now from April 2^nd. I have to admit I can’t wait, I love me a good sword and sandal film, I’m spoiled for choice this year with this, Centurion and Robin Hood. It’s not gonna be very thought provoking but I’m sure it would be full of action and entertaining. Liam Neeson saying ‘release the Kraken’ is epic enough for me.

I’m not gonna lie the Alice In Wonderland London Press Conference was full of really REALLY weird and random questions, they were actually quite embarrassing, I think some Film journalists should be sent to the loony bin, they were truly mad for example ‘Tim Burton what’s the difference between Underland and Wonderland’ or something like that and ‘Johnny Depp would you wear a blue suit like in Avatar’………….strong WTF!!!! Alice In Wonderland is in cinemas (including Odeon cinemas ) March 4th.

From Walt Disney Pictures and visionary director Tim Burton comes an epic 3D fantasy adventure Alice in Wonderland, a magical and imaginative twist on some of the most beloved stories of all time. Johnny Depp stars as the Mad Hatter and Mia Wasikowska as 19-year-old Alice, who returns to the whimsical world she first encountered as a young girl, reuniting with her childhood friends: the White Rabbit, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Dormouse, the Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat, and of course, the Mad Hatter. Alice embarks on a fantastical journey to find her true destiny and end the Red Queen’s reign of terror

Cast: Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Crispin Glover, Matt Lucas, Marton Csokas, Tim Pigott-Smith, Lindsay Duncan, Geraldine James, Leo Bill, Jemma Powell, Mairi Ella Challen and Mia Wasikowska as Alice

Voice Cast: Alan Rickman, Stephen Fry, Michael Sheen, Timothy Spall, Christopher Lee, Paul Whitehouse, Barbara Windsor

What was it like playing Alice? As such an iconic character did that add any pressure?

Mia Wasikowska: There’s a certain amount of pressure when you’re playing a character and very well known and loved by some many people. But we discussed that from the beginning and one of the things we wanted to do was take away that baggage that comes with being Alice In Wonderland and get behind the teenage girl behind the iconic image.

What attracted to you making the film?

Tim Burton: What really intrigued me was the opportunity to make a 3D Alice in Wonderland. It seemed like a proper mix of the medium and the material. A few years ago, I don’t know if I’d have been intrigued by it, but it just seemed like the trippyness of the world and the tool of 3D seemed like a good mix. And also going back, there’s about twenty different versions and I’d never really connected to them, but the characters and imagery and the iconic way it has infiltrated culture was just so strong. I just felt like it was an interesting great challenge.

What do your kids make of the film?

Johnny Depp: My kids actually saw the film cos I haven’t, I sent them out on the front lines (laughs). They loved it, completely adored it. They went crazy, quoting things from it and loving all the characters, they weren’t freaked out by it at all.

You and Tim have a great body of work together, what’s it like working with him?

I’ve always admired Tim for his commitment to his vision and the impossibility of compromise and for doing exactly what he wanted and when he wanted in his own way.

We’d met 20 years or so ago for Edward Scissorhands, the fact that Tim cast me was a miracle, it was total luck that he decided to cast me in that film. The one thing I will say is that as you’ve known someone for that length of time you do get close. In terms of the process, in terms of the work it really hasn’t changed for one second since Edward Scissorhands. One thing that has evolved for the both of us is when grown men start changing nappies you discuss it (laughs). Having kids and that kind of thing, one thing is proud to say is I’m the first person to give Tim the full DVD set of The Wiggles. Also they used to call me box office poison, which I was kinda ok with, it didn’t bother me at all, then suddenly Pirates happened, now Tim doesn’t have to fight with studios to give me the gig any more, which he had to prior too, it just happens.

I love your intelligent, profound movies more than anyone, yet I also love to sit back with a heap of Popcorn, a Pepsi Max, small tub of Ben & Jerry’s Ice-cream and watch a good fun movie, Zombieland fit that bill perfectly, I loved it! The screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick recently talked to MTV about the direction they are going in with it’s equal. (for you 3D haters, just watch it in 2D I know there’s a ever growing band of you!)

“We want to stick with our dysfunctional family,” revealed Paul Wernick, who created the post-apocalyptic zombie world with writing partner Rhett Reese. “But also introduce new characters.”There absolutely will be a sequel, and it will absolutely be in 3D,” Reese revealed. “Now, it’s just a question of what that sequel will be. It’s not a question of having enough ideas, but almost having too many ideas. We have a lot of ideas!”We entirely want to write with 3D in mind,” Wernick added, shooting down the majority of filmmakers who these daysclaim to concentrate on the story first and the three-dimensional stuff later. “We have the vision, and want to have fun with the technology.”

They also talked about the upcoming Deadpool movie they are currently scripting, another film I’m looking forward too. Deadpool is one of the most witty and entertaining comic book characters and I’m pretty sure it’s universally accepted Ryan Reynolds fits the roll to a tee.

“We’re outlining it pretty seriously right now,” explained Rhett Reese. “We’re in the early stages.”We just absolutely adore the character and the comic,” explained Wernick. “And tonally, it’s right up our alley. He’s the unstable, smart-ass, self deprecating guy – and they say write what you know, so [we're perfect for it].”What’s great about Ryan is that he’s been the keeper of the Deadpool flame for many years, he’s loved the character since forever; he lives it and breathes it,” Reese said of some of the specific ideas Reynolds has brought up to them. “We’re a little newer to Deadpool, although we’ve done a bit of catching up. One of the nice things about working with Ryan is that he tonally gets it – if we ever do something that is off the Deadpool path, or if it doesn’t feel like Deadpool, he catches it.”

This gets two thumbs up from me, Liam Neeson is Zeus nuff said. Originally scheduled for a late March release, this may be getting pushed back until April due to Warner Brothers considering converting it to 3D. This trailer adds a bit more dialogue than the first two teaser trailers which were completely visually driven.

After much anticipation Avatar was finally revealed to the worlds press yesterday with screenings around the world and the World Premier and Press Conference in London.  It’s been getting rave reviews from critics (apart from The Guardian who I think are a great paper but I generally disagree with their movie reviews, they gave Surrogates 3 out of 5, but Inglorious Basterds 1 out of 5!) Empire gave a great interview that sums everything up nicely. Below is about 70% of the press conference from yesterday, have a butchers!

It’s finally out there, how do you feel?

James Cameron: Sorely empty (laughs) but we can feel we’ve got our head held high that we got the picture done on time by the skin of our teeth. It’s been a four and a half year process, so we’re gonna pull the cover back and show the world, so to speak here in London, it’s really a huge relief to let people see it instead of people keeping on talking about it, it will put the rumors to bed

What was it like when you saw you Avatars after the motion capture?

Zoe Saldana: It blew my mind, Jim would sometimes incorporate us in the process, he would send us the results of all the company’s he was working with, we couldn’t express through words how we felt, they look so new and so beautiful and they looked so much like us, it was kinda unimaginable.

Sigounrey Weaver: We all had renderings of our Avatars while we were doing our performance capturing, for me Grace had such a haunting face, I think because her human life is so guarded, the rendering was a real inspiration to me, so I was very surprised when I actually watched the movie that he hadn’t done it like the rendering, Grace looked just like Sigourney only that I was 10 feet tall and blue which is a much improved version of myself (laughs). It was wonderful having a double life as a character and seeing it realised so magnificently by Jim.

Sam Worthington: My biggest fear was that I try to be a very subtle actor, I was worried that my performance would not translate when it goes through the computer, I was hopeful. Then when I watched it, THAT was my performance, every glimmer in my eye, every smirk, every goofy walk, that has enraptured my spirit, hopefully when you sit and watch the film, after 20 or 30 minutes your not watching big blue people your watching the spirit of us.

How did you connect with your cast when you were directing them in virtual reality?

James Cameron: The interesting thing about performance capture is that its probably the best actor/director relationship I’ve ever been involved in because normally on a photographic set, and we shot for 4 months photographically in Wellington, you’ll see that parts of the film were done that way and parts of the film where done virtually, but with the virtual working process I’m not distracted by the lighting, the time of day, the sun setting if the shot has to be done by 6.15, a 1000 questions come up that pull the director away from working with the actors who are really just there to do the acting, they’re there to act and I’m there to work with them and try and get the best performance I can from them, so we spend our time to find a moment of truth then we’ll go and huddle over the hi-def playback so we can look at their faces, I won’t see them as their Na’vi or their Avatar characters for months or even years after that because the process takes so long, but as long as I know in that moment that we’ve gotten it, then I don’t have to worry about it down stream, it’s a long process but what we get in the end is exactly where we started from, we wisely didn’t make the assumption we can change it or modify it later, we fought hard in the moment to get exactly what we wanted to say, no ones harder on Zoe, Sam or Sigourney than themselves. I’ve had a really stimulating process and I think we all bonded making this film, in attempts for excellence

Visually what were your influences?

James Cameron: I just swept in every design influence I’ve had in my life, I’ve always had a deep respect for nature, a lot of my youth was spent out in the woods, hiking and collecting samples and putting it under microscopes and them types of things, I’ve spent over 2500 hours under water and I’ve seen things that are absolutely astonishing at the bottom of the ocean which really is like an alien planet. I’ve always felt that’s been a gift in my life to live out a science fiction adventure for real on them diving expeditions, the ocean was a big influence, the creatures, the textures, the colourful creatures.

I found it really interesting that the heroes in the film weren’t the ones who had huge mechanised military force on there sides, could you tell us a bit about the message your projecting?

James Cameron: I think obviously there’s a connection to recent events and there’s a conscious attempt to even invoke Vietnam era military with the way the guys are jumping of the helicopters, it’s a way of connecting a thread through history, I’d even take that thread farther because I like to have a historical memory that goes back farther than just now, going back to the 16^th and 17^th century’s how the Europeans pretty much took over the South Central area and North America and displaced and marginalised the indigenous people there, there’s a long wonderful history of the human race written in blood going as far back as we can remember going as far back to the Roman Empire and even farther back that that where we seem to have this tendency to take what we want without asking as the character Jake says in the film. I see that as a broader metaphor not so intensely politicised, broader in a sense of how we treat the natural world as well. It’s a sense of entitlement like we’re here, we’re big, we’ve got the guns, we’ve got the brains, we’ve got the technology so we’re entitled to every damn thing on this planet and that’s not how it works, we’re gonna find the hard way if we don’t wise up. The film espouses a love/relationship with technology, obviously we use technology to tell a story about nature which is an irony in itself, it’s not that technology is bad we just need to be in control of our technological process.

Was is it hard with something this big to keep up with Jim’s vision?

Zoe Saldana: We had so much reference, we went to Hawaii for 4 days before shooting the film, we wore dental floss type costumes, umping around the rain forest for four days, getting our feet wet knowing what it’s like to walk on that ground, seeing how the sun was cast on the leaves and trees, cooking fish on the ground. Because Jim knew he needed people who could make something out of thin air the least he could have done was to take us places and answer every question, there was no such thing as a redundant question, there was always resources, anything we needed.

Sam Worthington: I was only wearing a lace g string (laughs), some ears, a tale and a weird wig, I thought it was gonna be a holiday but we worked hard, then a guy came by and asked what are you doing, we said we’re making a movie, he said a budget movie, who’s directing it, we said that bloke over , so there’s Jim with a handy cam and he goes is that James Cameron, we said yeah, he said FUCK he’s gone downhill since the Titanic (laughs). Now that has become Avatar.

Is there gonna be an Avatar 2?

James Cameron: I always said during making of the film I dreaded it making money because we’d have to do it all over again, but in fact when I pitched it to Fox, I said so much has been put into this one a whole planet, plants, creatures, bugs etc, they were all designed by people over a period of years, they all have value so the pitch was that we spent so much money on that we won’t need as much for the second one, we can just focus on the story, they bought that (laughs) so now I feel like I have to, but that will only happen if this one makes some money, I’ve got a story set out for the 2^nd one, and 3^rd film but my lips are sealed.

With just over a week from release 20th Centrury Fox are bombarding us with a bunch of featurette’s and clips from Avatar, below is a new ’story featurette’ and design featurette narrated by Sigourney Weaver. For me I think they’ve been giving a bit to much away with all these different featurettes, but I can see where they are coming from they’ve spent a HUUUUUUGGGGGGGGE amount of time and money. I can generally tell the marketing for a film is going well when my Mum is asking me about the film! Avatar is in cinemas 17th December

According to Comingsoon.net 20th Century Fox will debut a new trailer for James Cameron’s Avatar in US theaters this Friday, October 23rd. The trailer will clock in at roughly around 3 minutes and 30 seconds. But it won’t be coming online until October 29th.  The first trailer was a bit of a let down for me especially after attending Avatar day and seeing around 20 minutes of the film in 3D, the teaser blew me away, I hope this trailer better represents the clips I saw.

The storys protagonist, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), is a former Marine who was wounded and paralyzed from the waist down in combat on Earth. Jake is selected to participate in the Avatar program, which will enable him to walk. Jake travels to Pandora, a lush jungle-covered extraterrestrial moon filled with incredible life forms, some beautiful, many terrifying. Pandora is also home to the Navi, a sentient humanoid race that are more physically capable than humans, although considered primitive. Standing three meters tall, with tails and sparkling blue skin, the Navi live in harmony with their unspoiled world. As humans encroach deeper into Pandora’s forests in search of valuable minerals, the Navi unleash their formidable warrior abilities to defend their threatened existence.

Jake has unwittingly been recruited to become part of this encroachment. Since humans are unable to breathe the air on Pandora, they have created genetically-bred human-Navi hybrids known as Avatars. The Avatars are living, breathing bodies that are controlled by a human “driver” through a technology that links the driver’s mind to their Avatar body. On Pandora, through his Avatar body, Jake can be whole once again. Sent deep into Pandora’s jungles as a scout for the soldiers that will follow, Jake encounters many of Pandora’s beauties and dangers. There he meets a young Navi female, Neytiri, whose beauty is only matched by her ferocity in battle. Over time, Jake integrates himself into Neytiri’s clan, and begins to fall in love with her. As a result, Jake finds himself caught between the military-industrial forces of Earth, and the Navi, forcing him to choose sides in an epic battle that will decide the fate of an entire world.

AVATAR opens in cinemas everywhere December 18, 2009.