Iron Man 2 wraps ahead of schedule

Jon Favreau and Marvel have revealed that production for Iron Man 2 wrapped on July 18, after just 71 days of shooting. Producer Kevin Feige explained why the film was able to wrap so quickly:

Shooting Iron Man 2 was a fantastic experience and we couldn't be happier. Although there were many challenges in making this film, having Jon Favreau, Robert Downey, Gwyneth Paltrow, and almost the entire crew from the first film back on board, allowed us to hit the ground running as everyone was instantly familiar with each other from day one. This dynamic allowed us to get done what we needed on a day to day basis and was a big factor in why we finished slightly ahead of schedule. [Marvel.com via Get The Big Picture]

Considering that I thought this movie might turn out to be a trainwreck (changing writers, hiring a new cast member, not hiring Emily Blunt) this is pretty reassuring news, and just in time for the publicity blitz that is Comic Con.

In addition to what seems to be weekly Iron Man news, Yahoo! Movies (via /Film) shares this new photo of Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff (aka Black Widow):

First photos of Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow

There had been some very blurry images of Johansson in Iron Man 2 last night, but now we can all look at the high rez versions (via IESB and FirstShowing). Robert Downey Jr. and Mickey Rourke are featured on the front cover of Entertainment Weekly's Comic-Con preview issue, but who gives a damn about those two when you can drool over Scarlett in a skin-tight outfit? Hotness aside, I still think she was woefully miscast.

More Iron Man 2 details from EW: On one side is Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), a fast-talking weapons manufacturer who fancies himself the next Tony Stark; on the other, Vanko, who, while incarcerated in a Russian prison, creates his own battle-suit, which shoots devastating, whip-like beams. Hammer and Whiplash join forces to take down Downey’s character, Tony Stark. Rourke, for his part, wanted to instill some lightness into the role of the heavy. "I told Favreau, 'I don't want to just play him as a one-dimensional pussy,'" he says. "He let me have a cockatoo, who I talk to and get drunk with while I’m making my suit."[via FirstShowing]

You can check out more of the Entertainment Weekly Iron Man 2 exclusive at EW.

Scarlett Johansson signs on for 'Iron Man 2'

When I threw Scarlett Johansson's name out into the ether as a possible replacement for Emily Blunt in Iron Man 2 I was half kidding. I didn't actually mean she should play Black Widow, movie Gods! Playlist points us to Nikki Finke's announcement:

[This is interesting because] Scarlett actually screen-tested for the role and didn't get it. But I hear that, unlike Mickey's quote, the deal for her is "just the opposite, a terrible deal made by CAA," one of my insiders says. "It's as bad as any deal that I've heard. It's lowball money. And it ties her to countless movies, including that ensemble The Avengers, which is what makes this brutal for a lot of actors."

Opening today - Dakota's twofer

He's Just Not That into You
Five years ago I would have raced to see Scarlett Johansson in anything. But romantic comedies do NOTHING for me unless most of the cast has a British accent. Director Ken Kwapis may have directed some episodes of the American version of The Office, but if knowing he also directed License to Wed doesn't have you screaming from the movie theater, I don't know what will.

Coraline
The first of Dakota Fanning's movies (surley we get two tickets for the price of one). Unlike her live action movie, this animated fantasy about a girl who discovers a strange new world, looks promising. The animation is stunning, but that's to be expected from director Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas). The PG rating means it might scare the crap out of the kids much the same way Nightmare did me. Call it my lust for vengeance unleashed upon a new generation.

Aishwarya Rai & Steve Martin - The Pink Panther 2

The Pink Panther 2
Peter Sellers rolling in his grave aside, expect it to make a bucket load of money. I refused to watch the first Pink Panther with Steve Martin (Clive Owen cameo be damned), and this one looks worse if such a thing is possible. Quelle horreur.

Push
This is not the sensation from Sundance:

“A shadowy government agency is genetically transforming citizens into an army of psychic warriors – and ...disposing of those unwilling to participate.”

Haven't we seen this before? My girl brain is excited about a drool worthy Chris Evans, but with the exception of Sunshine his films are painful to watch. I expect getting through this will be agony.


Limited Release:


Chocolate
With its very limited release the DVD won't be far behind its US release. It does sound interesting – there aren't exactly a lot of Western films about an ass kicking girl with autism, who takes on an organized crime ring:



Fanboys
Everything I know about this movie leaves me pretty fucking irritated. Star Wars fanboys going on a road trip in 1999 to watch Episode I? Before I go into my own fangirl tirade (fuck you Jar Jar) I have to ask: why does the Weinstein Company hate us?

Jump right in with a comment. Which film are you planning on seeing this weekend? Got a review of any of them (which to steer clear of, which to watch)?