Trade magazine, Variety, has announced its annual 10 Actors to Watch. This is a list of hot up-and-comers, most of whom have had break-out roles in the past year and who Variety thinks you’ll be seeing a lot more of in the future.

10. Laz Alonzo (Credits: Fast & Furious): Vin Diesel’s on screen nemesis from ‘Fast & Furious’ will next be seen in ‘Avatar’ and a remake of ‘Straw Dogs.’

9. Maggie Grace (Credits: Taken, Lost ): She was Liam Neeson’s kidnapped daughter in ‘Taken.’ Next she’s Cameron Diaz’s younger sister in ‘Knight and Day,’ (which also features Tom Cruise) and Adrien Brody’s love interest in ‘The Experiment.’

8. Tom Hardy (Credits: Bronson): From playing a notoriously violent prisoner in ‘Bronson’ to becoming Mel Gibson’s replacement in ‘Mad Max: Fury Road,’ alongside female lead Charlize Theron.

7. Rachelle Lefevre (Credits: Twilight, New Moon). The Canadian was recently canned (due to “scheduling conflicts”) from the ‘Twilight’ Vampire series and replaced with Bryce Dallas Howard but work keeps flowing in. She’ll soon be seen in the adaptation of the Mordecai Richler novel ‘Barney’s Version’ as well as in ‘Casino Jack,’ with Kevin Spacey.

6. Jeremy Renner (Credits: The Hurt Locker, The Unusuals): He played Jeffery Dahmer in ‘Dahmer’ and a specialist who defuses bombs in Iraq in ‘The Hurt Locker,’ and will next appear in Ben Affleck’s bank robber flick, ‘The Town.’

5. Nicholas Hoult (Credits: About a Boy, A Single Man) The boy from ‘About a Boy’ is a grown man now, soon to be featured in Tom Ford’s ‘A Single Man’ and the upcoming remake of ‘Clash of the Titans.’

4. Alia Shawkat (Credits: Whip It, Arrested Development): ‘Arrested Development’s’ Maeby appeared in Drew Barrymore’s ‘Whip It’ and will next will be seen in the indie comedy ‘Cedar Rapids.’

3.Michael Stuhlbarg (Credits: A Serious Man): He’s acted on Broadway as well as in Joel and Ethan Coen’s ‘A Serious Man,’ among other films. Next up is a turn as infamous mobster Arnold Rothstein in Martin Scorsese’s new HBO series ‘Boardwalk Empire.’

2. Emma Stone (Credits: Superbad, Zombieland): Stone moved from the Judd Apatow hit comedy ‘Superbad’ to the next comedy/horror hit ‘Zombieland’ to another comedy, ‘Easy A,’ in which she plays an “imaginary prostitute.”

1. Christoph Waltz (Credits: Inglourious Basterds): He was the horrid Hans Landa in Tarantino’s ‘Basterds,’ for which he got the top actor award at Cannes, and there’s Oscar buzz. Next Waltz will be the villain in the upcoming ‘Green Hornet.’

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The reviews are in for ‘Gentlemen Broncos’ — the latest from Jared and Jerusha Hess, the husband and wife team behind ‘Nacho Libre’ and sleeper hit ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ — and they are abysmal.

‘Gentlemen Broncos’ has been called “unfunny” and “ill conceived” by the Los Angeles Times, “overly quirky” by Reuters and “unwatchable” by Bloomberg.com; while USA Today calls the characters “pathetic,” “uninteresting,” and “unsympathetic.” The New York Times says the film is a “misfire.” Entertainment Weekly’s Lisa Schwarzbaum begins her review with “I really didn’t like Gentlemen Broncos.”

One positive assessment comes from Television Without Pity. The site says “Gentlemen Broncos: It’s Like Napoleon Dynamite With a Plot and Acting,” and called the acting “great” at that. Mostly, however, the opinions are not positive — though Jemaine Clemet’s performance is largely praised as the one bright spot.

It’s the second critical failure for the filmmaking duo. ‘Nacho Libre’ fared better, but not well, upon its release in 2006.

Perhaps ‘Napoleon Dynamite,’ the 2004 flick that came out of nowhere and charmed audiences and critics alike, becoming a pop culture phenomenon, was a fluke. The Hess’s first movie, if not universally liked, was mostly well received. And it made a star out of Jon Heder. Perhaps it’s time to bring it back in sequel form and see if it works again. Apparently this is under consideration.
 
Starpulse recently spoke to Jared Hess, who said there will probably not but maybe will be a second ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ movie.

He said, “I think initially, there was talk about that but at least from doing another film, shooting another live-action movie with Napoleon, I just don’t know if it would have the same charm, especially with the success that particular film has had.”

But then he went on, “I think the characters of that world were so much fun, it definitely maybe warrants the continuing adventures of them so we’ll see what happens.”

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The Hollywood Reporter says work on ’Men in Black 3 is underway.’ ‘Tropic Thunder’ writer Etan Cohen is writing the script, and Barry Sonnenfeld, who directed the first two films, will return for this one, though no formal deal is in place. The studio is reportedly looking at a 2010 date to start production and it may be as early as spring.

Whether the stars will return to don the suits and shades is uncertain. Will Smith has not committed but there is reportedly buzz that he is keen to return. Tommy Lee’s involvement is also in question.

The first two movies starred Smith and Jones as Agents J and K of the MIB, a top-secret agency that polices alien activity on Earth. The agency is so covert that that any memory of MIB activity must be wiped out by a “Neuralyzer.” MIB agents appear at UFO landing sites, not unlike reports of real-world (perhaps mythical) Men in Black.

‘Men in Black’ is one of the most successful comedy franchises of all time. THR says the first two pics — released in 1997 and 2002 — combined to earn nearly $1.1 billion worldwide.

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Anthony Hopkins is in talks to play the Norse god Odin in ‘Thor.’ Odin is Thor’s father and ruler of Asgard.

Kenneth Branagh is directing the Marvel Studios’ adaptation, says The Hollywood Reporter.

In the story, Thor is a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions re-ignite an ancient war. As punishment, Thor is cast down to Earth where he is forced to live among humans and learns what it takes to be a true hero.

Screenwriter Mark Protosevich has described it as “a superhero origin story, but not one about a human gaining super powers, but of a god realizing his true potential. It’s the story of an Old Testament god who becomes a New Testament god”. And Kenneth Branagh has described it to MTV as “a human story right in the center of a big epic scenario.”

Chris Hemsworth is Thor and the cast includes Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and  Tom Hiddleston as Loki. Natalie Portman and Colm Feore will also appear.

Hemsworth, Jackson and Hiddleston will also appear in ‘The Avengers’ in the same roles.

Hopkins will next be seen on screen in ‘The Wolfman,’ with Benicio Del Toro. He will also appear in Woody Allen’s ‘You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger.’

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Ever wonder about the founder of the Chippendales? Soon all your questions will be answered.

Variety says director Tony Scott (‘Top Gun,’ ‘Enemy of the State’) is attached to direct a movie about the rise and fall of Somen “Steve” Banerjee, the man responsible for creating the all-male dance troupe.

It’s quite the crazy tale. Banerjee was an Indian American business man who went from owning a gas station and a failed backgammon club to taking over a flailing nightclub that evolved into Chippendales — which eventually evolved into the touring troupes. Banerjee was consumed by excess when the male strip clubs became a phenomenon in the 1980s, and is said to have become immensely paranoid. He got caught up in the competition, trying to get someone to burn down a rival disco and eventually turning to murder.

In 1993, Banerjee was charged with murder, and conspiracy to commit the murders, of eight different people. He was also charged with racketeering and arson. He committed suicide in jail in 1994, at age 48.

The tone of the biopic will reportedly be similar to that of ‘True Romance,’ also directed by Tony Scott. Scott is currently working on ‘Unstoppable,’ starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine.

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There’s no rest for British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen and executives at 20th Century Fox.

Lawsuits against the ‘Borat’ creators were dismissed in lower court rulings but now the plaintiffs are appealing the decision and seeking a jury trial. According to Radar Online, producers of the movie were hit with suits from a number of people who claim they were unwittingly and unwillingly involved in the mockumentary — which ridicules all things Middle American and Middle class — and duped in signing releases.

Once their cases were tossed out by the lower court, a number of plaintiffs who had filed individual complaints have now teamed up and officially launched a single appeal. Among those suing are driving instructor Michael Psenicska and etiquette coach Kathie Martin.

Cohen’s sense of humour often inspires litigious reaction. Fellow comedian, Pauly Shore, is also toying with the idea of legal action, alleging a scene from Cohen’s latest mockumentary, ‘Bruno,’ was stolen from his own comedy ‘Adopted.’

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The ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ reboot is set to scare the bejesus out of a new generation come April 2010. And the all-new Freddy Krueger is grateful to fans for creating an online buzz that prompted movie bosses to cast him in the iconic role.

Jackie Earle Haley talked to MTV about the role the web played in getting him a job. “The first I heard about it was people were suggesting me on the Internet for the part of Freddy. And I thought that was pretty cool,” Haley said. “I wasn’t sure who they had talked to, or what was going on.”

The story is that fans knew 62-year-old Robert Englund would likely be unable to portray the dream-haunting killer for much longer, and began speculating about who should next don the striped sweater. Talk turned to 48-year-old Haley, a former child star (he was Kelly in ‘The Bad News Bears’), who recently starred as the vigilante Rorschach in ‘The Watchmen’ and as a conflicted pedophile in ‘Little Children.’

Once the filmmakers behind the reboot, who are also responsible for remakes of ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ and ‘Friday the 13th,’ read the online buzz, they agreed Haley was a perfect fit and never even auditioned a second actor.

As for taking over the role from Englund, Haley says, “It’s definitely stepping into some big shoes. Robert Englund has done a fantastic job of making Freddy the iconic character that he is. And all these years later, the idea is to pay homage to that first film, and to re-envision it.”

He also says that director, Sam Bayer, is coming from a “darker, more serious place,” than Wes Craven, whose eighties ‘Elm Street’ flicks, though terrifying and gory, were heavily laden with groaners and punnery.

As the new Krueger works on his slicing and dicing, online buzz is building once again, this time for Haley to play the evil Sinestro in the ‘Green Lantern,’ which stars Ryan Reynolds.

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Classic horror film actor, Sir Christopher Lee, says he barely watches the genre he helped Hammer Film Productions resurrect in the 50s. Lee, 87, spoke to CNN about the “obscene” direction horror movies have taken over the years, saying “I find it quite nauseating what they do. The blood is all over the screen like an avalanche — the mutilation — dreadful things, and I just don’t enjoy that.”

Now Lee will star in director Antti Jokinen’s ‘The Resident,’ the first movie under the relaunch of Hammer Films which has been dormant since 1976. New investors bought the film company two years ago and summoned Sir Lee with hopes of repeating history. After all, many attribute Hammer’s success to 1958’s ‘Dracula,’ which starred Lee as the bloodsucking vamp, in what was arguably his most famous role before he played Sarunam in the ‘Lord of the Rings’ flicks.

‘The Resident,’ due for release in spring, 2010, will also star Hilary Swank, Dean Morgan, and Lee Pace. The film relies on psychological scares, rather than gore, which is right up Lee’s ally. In the actor’s opinion, the most frightening movie ever made is Roman Polanski’s ‘Rosemary’s Baby.’ He says, “What you don’t see is far more frightening than what you do see.”

Still busy as he approaches the age of 90, Sir Lee is also working alongside Colin Farrell in ‘Triage,’ a drama expected for release in November. He is also the voice of Mr. Price in the animated film ‘Monstermania!’

‘The Resident’ co-star, Dean Morgan, told CNN that he was ecstatic to find Lee had joined the cast. Morgan said, “I work with so many actors that don’t have respect for what we do, or respect for the history of what we do and not only does he respect it, but he is a part of the history of this craft.”

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Ang Lee’s film, ‘Taking Woodstock,’ received kudos at the Cannes Film Festival for a colourful sequence in which the main character takes LSD for the first time. But the scene was not inspired by personal experience on the part of the Oscar-winning director. This despite the efforts of his family.

Lee has never dropped acid, according to Starpulse.com. So, his kids tried to get him to try it as research, but he wouldn’t go on the trip. Lee said, “I’m almost embarrassed to say I’ve never taken LSD myself, at the end of the day it doesn’t matter if you’ve taken it or not, you have to visualize it — this is what I said to my kids when they said ‘Daddy you should try it’.”

Lee says you don’t have to live the experience to be able to make a movie about it. He told the UK’s Metro paper, “I said to them I didn’t have a sex change to film the character of Vilma (a transvestite played by Liev Schreiber) why should I take drugs?”

The Metro says Lee did, however send his extras on a two-day hippy “camp” where they learned all about the Flower Power era in a “hippy handbook.”

“It was kind of like school. I gave them books to read and they had to take exams. They watched loads of documentaries. I think they really enjoyed it.”

Still, there were no drugs involved. “We made sure of that!”

A website is suggesting that James Cameron lift the inspiration for ‘Avatar’ from a 1957 short story.

Filmdrunk is reporting that a reader of the website Io9 has noticed some striking similarities between the 3D film epic and a story by Poul Anderson, titled ‘Call Me Joe,’ which is included in the Science Fiction Hall of Fame.

Like ‘Avatar,’ says the Io9, ‘Call Me Joe’ centers on a paraplegic who telepathically connects with an artificially created life form in order to explore a harsh planet — in the novel, Jupiter, in the film, a moon called Pandora. “Anglesey, like Avatar’s Jake Sully, revels in the freedom and strength of his artificial created body, battles predators on the surface of Jupiter, and gradually goes native as he spends more time connected to his artificial body.”

Poul Anderson also wrote a 1978 novel called ‘The Avatar.’

Io9 points out that there is nothing necessarily sinister about drawing inspiration from other writers but that Cameron has mentioned a host of influences for ‘Avatar,’ including ‘Dances with Wolves,’ ‘Rudyard Kipling,’ and ‘Edgar Rice Burroughs’ but has not mentioned Poul Anderson.

If there is something to it and the similarities cause problems for Cameron, it wouldn’t be the first time this has been an issue. After the original ‘Terminator’ was released in 1984, sci-fi writer Harlan Ellison sued the filmmakers, claiming that portions of the film had been lifted from two episodes he had written of ‘The Outer Limits.’ The company settled with Ellison and a credit added to the movie ”gratefully acknowledging his work.”

‘Avatar,’ set for release in December, is expected to revolutionize 3D technology. It stars Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana.

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