No one can ever accuse Jason Statham of phoning it in. He may not make the best films in the world, but the guy has to stay in crazy good shape. With the announcement from Cannes that three more films in Luc Besson’s Transporter series are in the works, there’s a high likelihood that Statham will remain in good shape for several years to come.

Luc Besson’s production company EuropaCorp plans to co-produce numbers 4, 5, and 6 in the Transporter franchise, along with the Chinese company Fundamental Films. This means that at least one of the films will likely be shot in China. The films are budgeted between $30 and $40 million.

There’s no news yet if Jason Statham will carry on his lead role as Frank Martin, the badass in the dark suit who delivers packages with no questions asked. Statham’s been doing his franchise thing elsewhere recently – he’ll be back in The Expendables 3, Fast & Furious 7, and most recently got all sexy with Jennifer Lopez in Parker. Does he really need a Transporter 4, 5, and 6?

Truth be told, why not? Statham will not go down as a brilliant actor, but he does what he does very well and seems to enjoy doing it too. The Transporter films are among the more enjoyable and surprising action franchises. Well-made, with an interesting protagonist in Statham and an edge of more European action elegance than your typical Hollywood ‘things that go bang’ action flicks. I also never argue with an opportunity to watch Jason Statham strip down, as he did in Transporter 3.

In any case, we’ll be seeing more Transporter films in the near future, with or without that beautiful bald man. If Statham does not return, I will be equally excited to see who they get to replace him.

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Zac Efron is set to star in a new film for Fox titled Narc. Described as a “collegiate take on Donnie Brasco,” the film will be produced by Julie and Rick Yorn. Written by Garrett Meyer, the true crime story will follow “a frat president and lacrosse captain who gets busted with cocaine. To avoid jail time, he agrees to become an undercover informant for the police and begins ratting out individuals higher up the criminal ladder.”

Efron is looking to shed his previous image as a teen heartthrob by taking on some roles that fall out of his comfort zone. In the near future he’ll be seen in the drama Parkland, a comedy called Townies with Seth Rogen and Rob Reiner’s upcoming film You Belong To Me, just to name a few. Now with Narc, he’ll be adding gritty thriller to his list of genres that he’s worked in and will once again be moving further away from the type of actor that people used to know him as.

Personally, I think that Zac Efron is more than just a pretty face. I’ve enjoyed quite a few of his performances and I believe that with the right material, he could really show off his acting chops. Narc sounds like it could be a good project for the actor and granted the script is solid, it could turn out to be quite successful.

What do you think of Narc? Are you happy to see Zac Efron attached to the project? Let us know in the comments below.

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HBO have released a teaser trailer for the upcoming Clear History, a film starring and co-written by Larry David and directed by Greg Mottola (Superbad). In it, the usually balding and clean-shaven creator of Curb Your Enthusiasm is given a full head of flowing locks and a giant beard, driving an open-topped sports car and singing along to some classic rock.

Entertainment Weekly revealed that the film will also star John Hamm, Bill Hader, Kate Hudson, Eva Mendes, Danny McBride, and Michael Keaton, and will stick to Larry David’s signature style of improvised dialogue over a structured story. Most excitingly of all, J.B. Smoove will also be joining the cast – his chemistry on Curb Your Enthusiasm was electric, and he can always be depended-upon to make a good scene great.

But what’s the story? Well, Larry David plays Nathan, a hipster marketing executive who sells his shares in a company after a fight with his boss (Jon Hamm), only to miss out on billions when the company’s new product – an electric car – is a big success. If this sounds great to you then you’re in luck – the teaser trailer can be found below.

It’s vaguely based on a the misadventures of a minor character in Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs, and seems like prime Larry David territory – pettiness, jealousy, passive-agression, blind fury, and schadenfreude all being staples of his work.

Larry David doesn’t have a great track record with feature films – his only other effort being Sour Grapes, a critical and commercial failure starring Steven Weber and Craig Bierko. Its lack of success was even more surprising given its release at the height of Seinfeld mania – a show that Larry David also co-created. The plot to that film also involves one character suddenly becoming rich, at the expense of another character’s effort, so this is clearly a subject close to the writer’s heart. Has there ever been an example of a Larry David partnership resulting in one person gaining much more than the other? One to mull over, perhaps.

Clear History will be aired on HBO in August 2013.

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We knew that it had to happen sooner or later, but … I did not know I would feel this emotional. I mean, we’ve been through so much with Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Zombies, murderous townsfolk, explosions, ice cream. And now, because it really cannot end any other way: the Cornetto trilogy comes that much closer to the end with the first trailer for the final installment: The World’s End. 

The World’s End has been very cleverly marketed, much of the plot kept strictly under wraps, and now with the release of the first US trailer, we have an actual taste of that final, sweetest Cornetto. For those that don’t know what the finale to this loose trilogy will entail, here’s the plot: five friends reunite in their hometown to do one last major pub crawl, ending at The World’s End pub. But all is not hunky-dorey, and there’s a good chance that more than the fate of their livers is hanging in the balance. 

The big question about The World’s End was … well, what’s going to happen? Who are the monsters this time? The trailer answers that, resoundingly with: ROBOTS! Much like the idyllic little town in Hot Fuzz, the village in The World’s End appears to have been invaded by robots, replacing the actual townsfolk. At least, that’s what I got from this first trailer.

It looks like more of the same humor that made Hot Fuzz and Shaun Of The Dead so very enjoyable: bromance, the puncturing of idyllic small town life, pub crawls, murderous creatures bent on destruction. All very English, all very funny.

Awesome? Yes. With a cast that includes Pegg and Frost, along with Paddy Considine, Rosamund Pike, Martin Freeman and Eddie Marsan, this looks like a fitting end to the trilogy. Screw superheroes: this is what I’m waiting to see.

The World’s End arrives in US theatres on August 23, 2013.

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There are a million unanswered questions surrounding the reveal of Microsoft’s Xbox One yesterday, with one of biggest being exactly how the next-gen console will handle used, rented, or borrowed games.

Officially, the company states one their FAQ that they “are designing Xbox One to enable customers to trade in and resell games,” but they have not yet detailed exactly how this program would work. The popular theory — which comes from a Microsoft representative speaking to Wired — is that there will be a “fee” that would need to be paid in order to install and play the next-gen games on a second Xbox Live account.

Based only off the statements from that Microsoft representative, this sounds like (and is) a horrible anti-consumer plan. However, if all that is required to install and play used/borrowed games is a small fee, this could end up being a huge windfall for consumers at the expense of Microsoft and third-party publishers.

Since next-gen Xbox One software prices have not been announced, let’s assume that Microsoft sticks to the current $60 price point for new games. Additionally, let’s assume that this “used game fee” is $10 — similar to EA’s scrapped Online Pass program. In this situation it would be extremely easy for two friends to get together, buy one new copy of a game ($30 each), pay an extra $10 to install/activate the game on the second Xbox One console, and they end up paying just $35 each for the $60 game.

Expand that situation out to three friends and the price drops to about $26.67. Four friends, would pay $22.50 each. Five friends, $20. Six friends, $18.34, and so on.

Even better, imagine that you purchase the new Xbox One game yourself for $60 and then go around town charging $15 to install that same game on other people’s consoles. They get a new game for $25, and you have yourself a nice little slightly-shady business model.

Naturally, Microsoft could easily block schemes like this by putting a limit on the number of times that any single copy of a game can be installed on another system. Of course, any restriction like that would trample all over the first-sale doctrine, and put them in hot water with retailers who have trade-in programs.

Obviously, the best course of action here would be for Microsoft to drop this entire idea of putting any kind of fee on used/borrowed/rented Xbox One games and allow the market to operate as it always has. Hopefully, some executive in the halls of Microsoft’s corporate office comes to that realization before their official used-game plans are announced.

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Warner Bros. have released the final trailer for Zack Snyder’s Man Of Steel – and it’s all about Zod. The marketing machine behind the upcoming Superman reboot has ensured that every angle of the film is covered. By the looks of it, Warner are hoping to snare every type of film goer by unleashing a variety of trailers and TV spots. You’ll have noticed Henry Cavill’s visage adorning countless posters, bus shelters and hipster tote bags (Err…probably.)

The final full length trailer for Man Of Steel ain’t messin’ about. There’s no teasing, no soaring score and no gentle hints at a tender father-son relationship. We’ve seen that before in previous clips. The majority of trailers we’ve seen thus far have pitched Superman’s story from his perspective. His internal struggle dealing with his origins, his parents and his destiny.

This time around General Zod steals the show and demands that Kal-El listen up! As we tune into Zod’s tyranny, there’s a heap of new footage. This may deter hardcore fans who want to remain in the dark, in which case, don’t read any more or watch the trailer. Previously-seen footage suggested there might be a smidgen of a battle but skirted around it, rarely embellishing. Now we’re offered a no-holds-barred look at the devastation Zod has in for Earth if old Supes doesn’t get his act together. Zod and his minions make their objectives known oh too well. In a single line crammed with exposition (as if were in the script for the sole purpose of a future trailer), we’re told that for every person Superman saves, Zod’s crew will wipe out a million.

The film stars Henry Cavill, Russell Crowe, Amy Adams, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Antje Traue and Laurence Fishburne.

Man Of Steel opens worldwide on June 14th in 2-D and 3-D.

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Neil Jordan’s Byzantium is this year’s answer to the histrionic vampire craze which Twilight essentially castrated.  Don’t expect twee mutterings between teenagers. Or a shirtless werewolf to mark out the third prong of a love triangle. This latest full-length US trailer takes a bite straight out of cinema’s varicose veins. Kickstarting a tired premise, it’s a delight to see a glimpse at Jordan’s newest take on vamps.

Starring Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan, Byzantium knocks together a heady mix of historical period piece and the misery of a dilapidated coastal town. While she may look like a teenager, 16-year old Eleanor (Ronan) is in fact centuries old. The story follows Eleanor and her vampiric mother, Clara (Arterton) and their nomadic lifestyle. To satiate their need for human blood, the duo take shelter in a small town by the sea and succumb to its residents. With their guards down and budding relationships blossoming, the secret of their immortality is threatened.

The newest trailer has you wondering: why didn’t Jordan make this film earlier? He’s dallied with the fanged ones before in 1994′s Interview With The Vampire; that too a tale of an ageing vamp desperate to find his way in the world. Maybe he was waiting to strike back with his female counterpart take on a similar story. It’s an impressive trailer which demonstrates the scope of the film.

There’s a lot packed in across multiple generations and various costume changes. Arterton, who kicked butt in Hansel And Gretel: Witch Hunters looks as if she’s digging the chance to sink her teeth (sorry) into a meatier character with the familiarity of the genre still surrounding her. It’s about time really, as she’s a massive talent no doubt helped by her brilliant name (ahem.) Ronan is captivating as the troubled teen – but with an eight-year age gap between the leads, is Arterton really old enough to be her mother? Of course, she might be her sire in which case, we’ll let that detail slide.

We’ll find out if the film lives up to the trailer when Byzantium opens on June 28th.

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Infinity Ward has already revealed what players can expect from the single player narrative for Call of Duty: Ghosts, but a behind-the-scenes documentary has given fans first details on how next-gen technology will impact graphical fidelity and shatter our conceptions of multiplayer.

The next-generation of technology has allowed Infinity Ward to improve the graphical presentation of Call of Duty significantly. Improvements have been made to the game engine by the means of interactive smoke, improved textures, particle enhancements, improved fluid dynamics, polygon increases, and a significantly enhanced lighting system. In addition to these core alterations, Infinity Ward’s new Sub D technology maintains the curvature of polygons as players close the distance between themselves and the object which will vastly improve the overall graphical presentation.

Infinity Ward is hoping to increase player immersion by utilizing a host of new improvements to how players maneuver through the environment. A new mantle system allows players to slip over cover seamlessly, slide into cover, and then use the new lean system to cautiously survey the battlefield before rushing into the fight.

This new level of immersion is making its way into the multiplayer experience as well, with dynamic maps and player driven actions dynamically changing the way you play. Mark Rubin’s statement that flooding can dynamically occur strikes a chord of intrigue after I have stared at the screens of developers in the background for quite some time The footage suggests that players can expect these events such as flooding and earthquakes to truly change gameplay.

Imagine, you’re playing out a typical game of team deathmatch when the map is suddenly washed away by a massive flood. Instead of it simply being the end of the match, you are now playing out the final minutes of your game underwater in a completely new gameplay experience. Now, this is me merely speculating on what could very well be possible but it is still an exciting notion indeed.

Player driven actions will also aim to alter the flow of maps dynamically by giving players the control to open and close doors or set explosive traps. Infinity Ward is aiming to add an additional layer of strategy to multiplayer that will require players to know more than just the layout of the map. You will be forced to learn how to adapt to a map that dynamically changes the flow of your movement through a level.

In addition, next-gen CoD multiplayer will bring full character customization that will allow players to choose a range of different heads, bodies, helmets and gear to add that personal investment the multiplayer has been missing for quite some time.

“You can connect with who you are as a player more so than we’ve ever done in the past. We focus on gameplay. It’s the thing we design for. It’s the thing that drives our success as a franchise. With all of the new tech, all the new story lines, everything we’re putting into this next-generation Call of Duty we are still 60 fps, low-latency controls, a great feeling game.”

What do you think of the next-gen technology for Call of Duty: Ghosts? Are the improvements enough to draw you back in or will the enhancements to multiplayer draw you back in for another round? Give us your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.

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Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, why the hell do you make such an enchanting on-screen couple?! Here it is almost two decades after Richard Linklater directed Before Sunrise, the first film to introduce our hopeless lovers Jesse and Celine, and almost a full decade after we re-visited Jesse and Celine for a romantic French encounter in Before Sunset, yet Linklater is still finding a market for his latest story about Jesse and Celine – Before Midnight. You don’t see many romantic dramas being franchised these days, but Linklater has found something astonishingly special with his Before franchise.

After all the passion and turmoil has settled from Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, Linklater’s newest film meets Jesse (Hawke) and Celine (Delpy) after spending some nine years together as a couple, raising their two beautiful daughters Ella (Jennifer Prior) and Nina (Charlotte Prior). We first catch up with only Jesse though who is saying goodbye to his son Hank (Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick) before he flies home to Chicago, where Jesse’s ex-wife lives. Torn up about not being there for his son as he enters his high school era, a conversation begins with Celine about the possibility of moving to Chicago, but this is quickly pushed aside by his fiery lover. With a vacation in Greece about to begin, Jesse lets the argument go and focuses on brand new novel ideas while enjoying good company paired with proper relaxation. When six weeks passes though and our couple’s holiday nears an end, Jesse and Celine’s alone time turns into an analysis of their relationship, a discussion of love, and the revealing of deep-seeded fears/emotions which become a heightened point of debate – one that threatens to tear our destined lovers apart.

Much like Linklater’s first two Before films, Before Midnight has virtually no plot, as technically not much happens, yet is brimming with intellectual critique and debate on societal topics like technology, human existence, and then the obvious relationship drama that takes place between main characters Jesse and Celine. Actually, the talking never stops, as Linklater uses these brilliantly long takes of straight dialogue that are momentarily broken up by a character noticing some scenery which allows Linklater to make a well-placed cut. For the most part though, Before Midnight takes place in three main locations and over three very significant, thought-provoking exchanges.

Starting with a basic catch-up introduction, our first major conversation takes place in Jesse and Celine’s car, driving back from the airport to their vacation destination while Nina and Ella sleep. This is the light-hearted banter which re-establishes our fabled lovers as a successful couple, joking around and interacting with extreme comfort, but this is also the introduction of Jesse’s fatherly worries of leaving Hank without a real male role model during the most important of times. The thought of moving is brought up by Jesse, but as I said earlier, Celine is having none of it as she debates a major decision of her own – whether to take a high paying government job. Both points are brought up, both characters get their say, but the whole car ride is rather pleasant, stuffed full of cutesy little relationship jokes and moments of true hilarity from two extremely real personalities.

The second main conversation takes place during the last dinner of Jesse and Celine’s vacation, as they share a meal with the house owner (a writer friend who invited Jesse) and his female friend, the owner’s grandson and his girlfriend, and another couple who Jesse and Celine are friendly with. Again, this isn’t the harshest subject matter found in Before Midnight, but the topics of debate are scarily relevant and ever so juicy. No subject is off limits, as the group jokes about technology making writers obsolete, how the virtual world will ultimately take over sex, and dating in today’s current century with devices like Skype. Another main discussion exploits the idea of a relationship, and whether people should be living as one or coexisting as two separate bodies who respect each other. This is where Linklater’s script gets extremely deep and philosophical, trouncing romantic dramas which try to push the whole “21st century relationship” angle to no avail. Linklater outsmarts all these sad attempts at “independent love” by expressing different viewpoints from characters of all ages and situations, challenging one to redefine everything they may understand about preconceived notions with more conservative roots.

The third act of our epic saga is where Linklater kicks our hearts into overdrive though, starting with Jesse and Celine as they wander through stunning Greek landscapes towards a hotel room which has been booked for a secluded one-night getaway. What starts as fun and games quickly turns into an outpouring of frustrations, mis-conceptions, bottled emotions, and hard to stomach realizations that people struggle with through their everyday lives, all eating away at Jesse and Celine. While logic is ignored at times in favor of gripping dramatic tension, it’s hard not to be moved by two characters who are literally fighting a battle with love, trying to hurdle every obstacle be it a vengeful ex-wife, personal goals, or father time – but Linklater’s handling of the material yet again shows nothing but maturity, honesty, and understanding. Even though things may not be fairytale-esque, it doesn’t mean you aren’t living your very own, unique, personal fairytale romance.

For as breathtaking as Linklater’s script is (Hawke and Delpy actually have writing credits too), none of the raw, human emotion would have existed without perfect chemistry between Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. While I’d expect the two actors to work well together after absolutely setting the screen on fire in Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, I didn’t expect them to still be THIS good. The connection between these two lovers feels incredibly real, their arguments are heated with a loving passion which actually stings when one hurts the other, their happier moments inspire smile-worthy joy, and their crazy, f#cked up relationship inspires nothing but hope for a sea full of hopeless romantics struggling to balance life, love, and the pursuit of happiness. While Hawke and Delpy run the emotional gamut from infatuated to enraged, each feeling is shown even stronger than the last – never releasing viewers from their intoxicating trance.

Before Midnight is an emotional rollercoaster of a romantic drama that marvelously captures so many fears and ideals today’s lovers hold on to, as Linklater thankfully treats his audience like adults who can actually process conceptual information without having a spoon jammed down their throats. It’s not easy to watch Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy traverse the rough waters of true love, but it’s damn near the most rewarding romantic watch you’ll find these days.

In all honesty, if Richard Linklater can make me enjoy a love story which contains nothing but two characters jabbering on the whole time about grandiose thoughts on defining a relationship, three times none the less, then he certainly deserves the goldest of stars from this critic.

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Shortly after it was announced that Spike Jonze’s new film Her, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Olivia Wilde and Rooney Mara, had been given a theatrical release date of November 20th, 2013, it has been revealed that Scarlett Johansson and Chris Pratt are also listed as cast members.

This news comes from Warner Brothers Pictures’ Twitter account, which tweeted:

“Spike Jonze’s new film, ‘Her’, w/ Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson, Rooney Mara, Chris Pratt & Olivia Wilde to open Nov. 20th.”

The film was shot in the first quarter of 2012 and through the whole production process there was no mention of Johansson or Pratt, so this announcement is completely out of the blue. As random as it may be though, I’m definitely happy about this reveal.

Johansson and Pratt are both fantastic actors and I think their comedy backgrounds will suit this film perfectly. I also cannot wait to see them sharing the screen with the likes of Phoenix, Adams, Wilde and Mara.

For those of you unfamiliar with the film, Her “is a quirky romance following Theodore (Phoenix), a lonely writer purchases a newly developed operating system (not unlike iPhone’s Siri) designed to meet the user’s every needs. To Theodore’s surprise, a romantic relationship develops between him and his operating system.”

Are you excited to see Her? Do you think Johansson and Pratt will fit well into the film? Let us know in the comments below.

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