Latest Movie News From Moviefone

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• Nicolas Cage Teams Up With 'Borat' Director For Osama Bin Laden Comedy
• This One Thing Will Totally Change How You Look At Star Wars
• Watch Jennifer Lopez and Ryan Guzman Talk 'The Boy Next Door' Live!
• 'Strange Magic' Review: You'll Probably Fall Under Its Spell
• Which Key Sex Scene Isn't In 'Fifty Shades of Grey'?
• 19 Times Phoebe Buffay Was Our Favorite 'Friend'
• Kevin Costner Gets Serious in This Exclusive 'Black or White' Clip
• 'The Huntsman' Moves Forward With New Director, And Maybe Emily Blunt Too
• Bruce Willis Gets Taken in CIA Thriller 'Extraction'
• 'Orphan Black' Star Tatiana Maslany and Rooney Mara Testing for 'Star Wars' Spin-off
• Best of Late Night TV: Eric Stonestreet, Stephen Amell Play 'Name That Thing'; Keri Russell's 'Inflatable Flip Cup' (VIDEO)

Nicolas Cage Teams Up With 'Borat' Director For Osama Bin Laden Comedy Posted: Wa wa wee wa! Nicolas Cage is starring in a comedy about Osama Bin Laden. For real. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the actor is joining forces with "Borat" director Larry Charles to film a satire about a regular joe who goes on the hunt for the terrorist leader. "Army of One" is based on a 2010 GQ article, which chronicled the attempts of construction worker Gary Faulkner to track down bin Laden. "Army of One" is described as "semi-scripted," which likely means quite a bit of improv. That's clearly in Charles' wheelhouse, as he also directed "The Dictator," "Bruno," and "Religulous." As for Cage, his last film was "Left Behind" (literally). Maybe he'll have better luck with improv. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

This One Thing Will Totally Change How You Look At Star Wars Posted: (H/T Imgur) This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Watch Jennifer Lopez and Ryan Guzman Talk 'The Boy Next Door' Live! Posted: Jennifer Lopez and Ryan Guzman drops by AOL today to discuss their new erotic thriller, "The Boy Next Door." The steamy movie stars Lopez as a recently divorced teacher whose one-night affair with her student (Guzman) takes a turn for the worse -- and then some. Watch the live interview today at 4:40 p.m. ET. "The Boy Next Door" comes to theaters Friday, January 23. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

'Strange Magic' Review: You'll Probably Fall Under Its Spell Posted: Like any decent trick, "Strange Magic" came about as a bit of a surprise. Instead of the usual multi-year lead-up of most animated film releases, the release announcement for this film came as a bit of a shock when its beans were spilled last November. The project is directed by Gary Rydstrom, a sound designer and editor credited with the majority of the most popular live-action and animated films ever made, from "Toy Story" to "Titanic," with the "Star Wars" prequels, "Jurassic Park," and "Saving Private Ryan" under his belt. He has 17 Oscar nominations (with seven wins), yet this is the first time he's credited as the director of a film. The story is credited to Rydstrom's boss at Skywalker Sound, the one and only George Lucas. This is a straight-up fairy tale, complete with dark forests, goblins, elves and the like. Oh, dear. Are you going to be some Lucas fanboy about this? Frankly, I went in fully expecting the film to be a dud. The trailers make the film look pretty miserable. Yet consider me pleasantly surprised with this film -- it has moments that are truly charming, and with some really commendable visuals, decent voicework, a bunch of catchy songs... ... Wait, this is a musical? Yeah, basically. It's a "jukebox" style assemblage of pop tunes (not unlike how Lucas used the songs of the '50s in his seminal "American Graffiti"). The title (don't you know?!) is a song by E.L.O., and there's touches of Heart, The Doors, Bob Marley and more throughout. I grant that this doesn't sound like it'd work, but if you give over to its infectious vibe (and like to be surprised about just what music clearances they were able to procure) it's a lot of fun. You've got vocalists like Alan Cumming, Evan Rachel Wood, Meredith Anne Bull, Elijah Kelley, Kristin Chenoweth and Maya Rudolph giving their all to some of these catchy-as-hell tunes. Yeah, I'm not convinced. Look, all musicals require a certain level of suspending your disbelief, and this film may require a bit more of that. If there's something to be said for this flick, it's a completely non-cynical look at cynics in love. Rydstrom described it as "'Beauty and the Beast' where the beast doesn't change," and that's a nice hook for the film. Yes, the movie is painting in primary colours, sloshing archetypes and story tropes around with big, at-times-obvious-and-predictable gestures. But hey, sometimes that can be satisfying, seeing a well-executed story that checks all the right boxes. It does look pretty. Well, it is. The animation is unique, even if it occasionally slips dangerously close to "uncanny valley" territory. Still, the features on the bog king or the gossamer quality of Marianne's wings are beautifully rendered, both in terms of design and in terms of, well, CGI rendering. Yeah, I'm still not convinced. Many won't be. This is hardly new stuff for Lucas to be doing -- his "Labyrinth" and "Dark Crystal" projects also were overtly "fairy tale" in their construction, and that delightful scene in the criminally unloved "Reign of Fire" demonstrates beautifully how the black knight vs. the good knight battle of "Star Wars" echoes deep into the recesses of Campbellian narratology, the notion that all stories in some way tell an ancient hero's journey over and over. I'm not about to declare "Strange Magic" a modern classic or anything like that, but I admit I found its charms effective enough at pulling me into the story. I was also able to enjoy the visuals and cruise-ship arrangement of tunes. As a standalone piece of ILM Animation, it's tonally quite different than its siblings that come from Disney Animation and Pixar, let alone the works from other studios. There could be allusions made to the execrable "Shrek" franchise, or maybe "Tangled," but I think despite its obvious nods to foundational myths and Baby Boomer pop songs, this feels like its own thing. Meh. Look, I'm aware the praise may be faint, but I had a soft spot in my heart for this film. I've seen enough of these kid-friendly tales to know the good from the bad, and this definitely leans towards the good. Its lack of self-reflexive irony and fart jokes may not make it the peer of some of the other crud that'll be fed to the kiddies from other animated works, but I found that strangely refreshing. I've not completely fallen in love with "Strange Magic," but it did in its own way cast a spell. It's charming and engaging, with enough darkness to keep it engaging and enough lightness to keep you warmed throughout. Its twist on the meanings of certain anthemic love songs is a treat if you let it be. Maybe that's the trick with this film -- like anything you love, maybe you just have to go with it and see where it leads you. Strange magic indeed. "Strange Magic" opens in theatres on January 23. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Which Key Sex Scene Isn't In 'Fifty Shades of Grey'? Posted: There is a lot of sex in "Fifty Shades of Grey," the book. There won't be quite as much in "Fifty Shades of Grey," the movie. Though the idea of an NC-17 version floated around, the finished movie is rated R for "strong sexual content" and "unusual behavior." And the script was even toned down from early drafts. "There was a sense there was way too much sex," director Sam Taylor-Johnson told Variety. "The story, of course, is of equal importance. We tried to balance the narrative correctly, so one doesn't feel like it's drowning the other." One infamous sex scene that stars Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson won't be portraying? Let's just say it involves a tampon. Including it "was never even discussed," Taylor-Johnson revealed. Though author E.L. James fought to include as many original details from her book as possible, she ultimately gave her thumbs up to the movie - even without all of the sex scenes. "'Fifty Shades of Grey' is first and foremost a romantic love story," she said, "and sex is only a part of that." This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

19 Times Phoebe Buffay Was Our Favorite 'Friend' Posted: There's no denying that "Friends" has been a huge part of pop culture since it first aired back in 1994, but it seems like everyone we know has been talking about the classic sitcom recently since the complete series is streaming on Netflix this very moment. Due to our own excessive binging, we've got "Friends" on the brain, too. And while we try to love all of the six main characters equally, we've recently been on a total Phoebe kick upon revisitation of the series. We just can't shake our love for Lisa Kudrow's kooky blonde. Agree? Sit back and enjoy some Phoebe Buffay moments that prove she's the best friend anyone could ask for. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Kevin Costner Gets Serious in This Exclusive 'Black or White' Clip Posted: In the upcoming feel-good film "Black or White," Kevin Costner plays a man named Elliot who's raised his granddaughter Eloise (Jillian Estell) her entire life. After Elliot's wife dies, Eloise's other grandmother Rowena, played by Octavia Spencer, makes a play for shared custody of Eloise. Legal wrangling and life lessons ensue in this family drama from Mike Binder ("Reign Over Me," "The Upside of Anger"). This exclusive clip shows Elliot sharing a moving moment with young Eloise as he breaks some sad news about her grandma. "Black or White" opens January 30. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

'The Huntsman' Moves Forward With New Director, And Maybe Emily Blunt Too Posted: The sequel to "Snow White and The Huntsman" has had a tumultuous road to production, but it looks like "The Huntsman" is about to get off the ground. It only took a week for Universal to replace Frank Darabont, who jumped ship last week; the studio has hired Cedric Nicolas-Troyan to direct this 2016 action/fantasy flick. Nicolas-Troyan was the second unit director and visual effects supervisor for "Snow White and The Huntsman," and even got an Oscar nomination for the latter. He also worked on "Maleficent" as the second unit director. He's attached to a remake of "Highlander," but we all know there can be only one... Plus, "The Huntsman" is scheduled for release on April 22, 2016. Meanwhile, Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron will reprise their roles as the Huntsman and Ravenna, before Snow White (Kristen Stewart) appeared on the scene. Emily Blunt is currently in talks to play Ravenna's sister, possibly the Snow Queen. Sadly, they will probably not be building a snowman in "The Huntsman." [Via The Hollywood Reporter] This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Bruce Willis Gets Taken in CIA Thriller 'Extraction' Posted: Where's Liam Neeson when you need him? Bruce Willis has joined the upcoming thriller "Extraction," but this time around, he's the one who needs saving. Willis will play a retired Secret Service man who's hard at work developing a secret weapon with his CIA operative son when he's kidnapped by terrorists - Willis, that is. When the government won't step in to help, his son goes rogue to rescues his pops himself. "Extraction," which will begin filming in February, will be directed by Steven C. Miller, who recently directed the Santa-centric horror flick "Silent Night" in 2012. The real question is just how much screen time Willis will have in the film. Willis already has a few more projects lined up, like John Pogue's "Wake" and an adaptation of Elmore Leonard's "Bandits." No matter what Sylvester Stallone has to stay about Bruce's work ethic, you can't deny the guy stays busy! [Via Deadline] This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

'Orphan Black' Star Tatiana Maslany and Rooney Mara Testing for 'Star Wars' Spin-off Posted: Talk about a Clone Club. "Orphan Black" star Tatiana Maslany is testing for the lead female role in Gareth Edwards's mysterious "Star Wars" spin-off, along with Rooney Mara and perhaps a few other actresses. The butt-kicking Canadian hasn't really had a big-screen breakthrough yet, but fans of the crazy BBC show know she's more than up to the task. Mara toughened up for the role of Lisbeth Salander in David Fincher's remake of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," but her resume leans more towards small and arty. Another name being bandied about is Felicity Jones, although she will be tied up with Ron Howard's "Inferno" for a while. This "Star Wars" stand-alone isn't due until December 16, 2016, which sounds so far away! Naturally, the plot is still super secret, although Slashfilm reports, "it most likely will be about a group of characters, potentially bounty hunters, stealing the plans for the first Death Star." In the meantime, we'll get our next dose of "Orphan Black" insanity in April. [Via The Hollywood Reporter] This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Best of Late Night TV: Eric Stonestreet, Stephen Amell Play 'Name That Thing'; Keri Russell's 'Inflatable Flip Cup' (VIDEO) Posted: If you're like us and value your sleep, you probably nodded off into your Ambien dreamland before the party started on post-prime time TV. Don't worry; we've got you covered. Here's the best of what happened last night on late night. "Modern Family" star Eric Stonestreet and "Arrow" star Stephen Amell were on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" Tuesday night, and they competed in a fun game called "Name That Thing." Spoiler alert! Eric won, but he admitted in one of his individual videos that Stephen probably should've won because the final round was to name a bunch of U.S. Presidents and Stephen is Canadian. Eric said Stephen knows more about the U.S. than Eric does about Canada, so it wasn't quite fair. Eric also talked about pranking his "Modern Family" co-star Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and shared his latest torture, sending him a sex toy in the mail. He's a big football fan, too, and he and Jimmy discussed the Super Bowl. He won't go to a Super Bowl unless the Kansas City Chiefs are competing. Stephen told Jimmy Kimmel he walked to the studio since he lives closeby. He walked over with a friend, which was a plan he made a long time ago in case he ever got to "do Kimmel." "The Americans" star Keri Russell had to disguise her beauty in a giant inflatable fat suit to play "Inflatable Flip Cup" with Jimmy Fallon on "The Tonight Show." Before playing the game they did an awesome little dance. Love her little "Mother!" shout during the game -- and when she thew her empty cup at Jimmy. Jude Law - dressed interestingly, but always cool - was on "The Tonight Show" talking about his submarine movie "Black Sea." He talked about jumping onto a speeding submarine in real life. Not a good conversation for anyone with claustrophobia. And apparently it smells "unique" on submarines; when you come out, you stink like a badger! Rainn Wilson was on "Late Night with Seth Meyers" and he's a major "Star Wars" fan. He turned into a 12-year-old girl when he met Mark Hamill. He also shared his unique Chewbacca impression. Lauren Graham - love her - was also on "Late Night" and she discussed the final season of "Parenthood" and how she found out that "Gilmore Girls" was canceled. At least this time she knew that the show was ending. Brian Michael Bendis was also on "Late Night" and talked about "Marvel's Secret Wars." The whole Marvel universe is going to become different. Dean Norris was on "Conan" and talked about having a dance-off with "Dancing With the Stars" pro Derek Hough. Dean said he held his own, even if he couldn't walk for a week afterward. Dean has a black belt from martial arts training, and he still does his own fight stunts. Olivia Munn was also on "Conan" and she talked about her racy dance scene with Johnny Depp in "Mortdecai." He kept grabbing her boob for the scene - it was scripted, although Conan questioned who put that in the script. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

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