MOVIE NEWS FOR APRIL 21ST: IRON MAN 2, JONAH HEX, BLACK PEARL, AND THE NEXT FEMALE ACTION STAR

Iron Man sequel promises plenty of bang

Alyssa Braithwaite at the Sydney Morning Herald
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World peace – it’s the top wish of beauty pageant contestants everywhere. But it’s just no good for superheroes.

In Iron Man’s second big-screen outing, it’s six months later and billionaire inventor Tony Stark’s super-powerful armoured suit has attracted the attention of warmongers and terrorists. Acting as a deterrent, it prompts an unprecedented period of peace – East/West relations are at an all-time high and nations are co-operating.

But that wouldn’t make for a very exciting sequel to the hit 2008 film, would it?

‘‘Yeah, we’d have a very boring movie,’’ says Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau, laughing. ‘‘Peace is great in real life, but when you go to the movies you want to see things blow up…So we get around to that, and that’s where Mickey Rourke comes in.’’

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The Hex Files

by David Hofstede at Cowboys and Indians
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Given the current Hollywood obsession with movies based on comic book characters (Iron Man, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Batman) it was only a matter of time before some of the classic comic book cowboys also found their way to a theater near you. And it is no surprise that from a diverse and colorful variety of Western characters that have entertained readers for decades, including Kid Colt, the Ringo Kid, and the original Ghost Rider, the first comic book cowboy to merit the big-screen treatment is Jonah Hex.

Modern westerns, much as we would prefer it to be otherwise, are hardly a guarantee of box office success. But with Jonah Hex, elements of science fiction and horror are mixed with traditional cowboy action, making the character an easier sell to teenage moviegoers. And while Kid Colt and the Two-Gun Kid haven’t been viable comic book characters since the days when fans bought their adventures off spinner racks at 7-Eleven, Jonah Hex remains a popular seller for DC Comics. The current series published its 50th issue in December 2009.

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Mark Hamill Directing His Own Comic Book Movie?

by Sandy Schaefer
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The star of the original Star Wars Trilogy is set to direct a movie which will be based off a comic book of his own creation – likely The Black Pearl.

Mark Hamill revealed over the weekend at the Los Angeles Comedy Shorts Festival that he is prepping to direct a modestly-budgeted film based off a comic book of his own writing.

While Mr. Luke Skywalker himself wouldn’t reveal specifically which of his comic creations he’d be bringing to the big screen (apparently, his partners on the project have asked him to wait until after the Cannes Film Festival in May), he did drop a few hints that indicated it would be the dark, satirical tale The Black Pearl.

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6 Stars Who Could Be The Next Female Action Hero

by Meredith Woerner at io9
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Who will be the big screen’s next Sigourney Weaver? We’ve had a few years now without any great action movies starring women, but 2010 could be the year this changes. Here are six picks for the action heroines of tomorrow.

Zoe Saldana: Sure Zoe Saldana blew our minds, jumping from flower to flower with Jake Sully, praying after she kills Pandoran puppies, and finally battling the big power suit to defend her man. Plus she suffered no fools aboard Star Trek‘s Enterprise as Uhura. But up until now she’s still been playing second fiddle to Kirk, Spock and James Cameron’s jungle wilderness. That could be changing — Saldana’s next film, this Friday’s The Losers, promises to show us a much deadlier side of Zoe.

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When I starting reading the Action Hero article I thought “The next Sigourney Weaver? Really?” When I think of female action heroes, I think Milla Jovovich. Come on, The Fifth Element? Ultraviolet? Resident Evil? She’s the current female action hero, no question. She could actually kick someones ass, not just act like she is.  I think Zoe Saldana is right behind her though, although Chloe Moretz is up there too. The more I hear about Jonah Hex the more I want to see it. At first I thought another Wild, Wild West, but I think it will be way better.

What are you hoping to see in Iron Man 2? What do you think of Mark Hamill doing a comic book movie?