In Hollywood, until you're somebody you're nobody. Even guys like Steven Spielberg and Ridley Scott were once unknown to the masses and struggling to make a name for themselves. With success comes notoriety and notoriety gets you more work, so it's no surprise that Robert Schwentke is in the news. His first two films - the jumbo-jet-set thriller Flightplan and the sci-fi romance The Time Traveler's Wife - were both profitable for their respective studios and Universal Pictures has taken notice, giving him the keys to the Rest In Peace Department, better known as R.I.P.D.

The project is based on a Dark Horse comic book property of the same name that follows two detectives - one recently deceased, one long-dead - who take on paranormal cases. Ryan Reynolds committed to the gig earlier in the summer, but the second lead hasn't been filled yet. Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi, who scripted this year's Clash of the Titans, wrote the screenplay for the film, while Mike Richardson, founder and President of Dark Horse, and Lawrence Gordon will produce for Dark Horse Entertainment. Neal Moritz is producing through his Original Film banner.

Schwentke is now in a great position to really make a mark on the industry. He's taking notes from Danny Boyle as he jumps from one genre to the next, proving that there's no story he can't tell. Additionally, Red, the Summit Entertainment DC Comics adaptation that he directed, is tracking very well and has an upper hand on its competition when it releases on October 15th as it's the only action film hitting theaters next month. It should benefit from the lack of similar programming during that frame and open to relatively big considering it's exciting and eclectic cast. With R.I.P.D., he has another opportunity to make a commercial blockbuster with big stars and big effects and make a big name for himself.

By Daniel Hubschman

Despite the deluge of comic book adaptations that have made their way to the big screen in the last decade, M. Night Shyamalan's Unbreakable remains one of my favorite superhero movies of all time, and proves beyond a doubt that Shyamalan can be an extremely masterful filmmaker when he takes his time with a story and sticks to the basics - like character development - which he overlooked with The Last Airbender. So I was intrigued to see on MTV's Splashpage the elusive director talking explicitly about a possible sequel to his 2000 thriller and its connection to his planned 'Night Chronicles' trilogy, of which the upcoming Devil is the first part.

'I cannibalized the idea for the sequel to Unbreakable for one of the 'Night Chronicles,' Shyamalan told MTV's Josh Horowitz. 'It was such a cool idea for a villain, and it was actually originally in the script for Unbreakable, and it was too much. There were too many villains, so I pulled this villain out and was like, 'I'll make this the second flick.''.

But as time went on, Shyamalan's villain came to be co-opted into his upcoming 'Night Chronicles' trilogy, which he will neither write nor direct, though he conceived the stories and will produce - a smart move after The Last Airbender received such negative criticism. 'I fleshed it out more and more, and thought, 'This could be a standalone movie,' he continued. 'I'll just say it: the third 'Night Chronicles' movie is what would have been the sequel [to Unbreakable]. So now I need to come up with a new idea.'.

I, for one, hope Shyamalan develops a bad case of writer's block. Unbreakable was a fantastic movie - probably the director's best - but not one that requires a sequel. What made the film great was its hidden (spoilers ahead!) setup: it's a superhero origin story disguised as a slow-paced drama about a failed marriage. What makes the movie work is that we don't realize we're watching Bruce Willis becoming a hero almost until the very end; it's one of the few Shyamalan 'gotcha' twists that really works (unlike in The Village). A sequel could only be another superhero movie, which would lack the magic and mystery of the original. Still, I'm intrigued that a character and storyline that Shyamalan had planned for Unbreakable or its sequel will be coming to the screen as the third installment of the director's 'Night Chronicles' project.

By Ben Landy

Olivia Thirlby -- best known as Ellen Page's hip-speaking bestie in Juno -- has been cast in the upcoming 3D adaptation of Judge Dredd. She stars opposite Karl Urban (Star Trek) as a telepathic rookie who shadows his character, Dredd.

Pete Travis (Vantage Point) is directing the Alex Garland (Sunshine, 28 Days Later) penned script. The film has a budget of $45 million and starts shooting later this year in South Africa. The film's producers have confirmed that Dredd will be a stand alone film, not connected at all to the Sylvester Stallone film from the '90s (thankfully! eesh!).

Mother Earth is coming for us - through the eyes of director Barry Levinson.

The Oscar-winner, known for his direction of Rain Man and Bandits, is directing a new 'zombie eco-horror thriller' (whatever that is) called The Bay. The team behind Paranormal Activity, including director Oren Peli and producers Jason Blum and Steven Schneider, is assisting in production of the film.

Previously known as Isopod, the film tells its story of a viral outbreak in Claridge, Maryland in a nontraditional manner - through a collection of camera phone accounts, 911 calls, and other mediums. Spooky! Looks like Levinson is trying to create his film in a new and fresh way, but we can't help but wonder, Blair Witch Project anyone?Sadly, no other details plot details are known about The Bay. But, the term 'eco-horror' elicits one movie in our mind: The Happening. And boy, did that suuuck! Here's to hoping that with Levinson's steady hand and strong resume of character development, The Bay will be a success.

By Eric Sundermann

The cast for Final Destination 5, a.k.a. 5inal Destination, just added four new members: David Koechner, Nicholas D'Agosto, P.J. Byrne, and Ellen Wroe.

Koechner (The Office, Anchorman) is the biggest name on the list. He's playing a clueless executive (imagine that!), and will probably die from a stapler to the forehead while galloping around the office, screaming 'yeehawww!'

D'Agosto (Heroes) plays a guy who doesn't make a fast decision on his own life - which definitely doesn't sound like it ends well. Byrne (Dinner for Schmucks) will be an obnoxious kleptomaniac (who probably steals from death - haha! get it?); and Wroe (Huge) plays a snobby gymnast and daughter of a company executive - so yeah, she'll die pretty quick.

The four new members join Miles Fisher (that dude who looks like Christian Bale). 5inal Destination is penned by Eric Heisserer (A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010), The Thing) and produced by Craig Perry. The film starts shooting on September 13 in Vancouver.

By Eric Sundermann

After not surprising anyone by winning the Emmy for Best Miniseries, The Pacific's co-executive producer and writer Bruce McKenna wants some more and according to Deadline, he'll have his chance.

Last week, McKenna pitched The Battle of Midway to Warner Bros - a 3D film telling the story of the 3-day long battle in the Pacific Ocean which is touted by history professors as the turning point in the naval war against the Japanese. The studio must have liked it, because they bought it and are fast tracking the film. McKenna is expected to turn in a script in eight weeks and the movie will cost around $200 million.

No word on casting yet, but Tom Hanks will probably be involved in some capacity (either as a producer on the project or hopefully as a star, but don't hold your breath).

This isn't the first time the Battle of Midway will be captured on film. In 1942, director John Ford won an Oscar for his documentary short film, The Battle of Midway, using real footage shot by the Navy. Then in 1976, Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, James Coburn, and Hal Halbrook starred in Midway - another take on the famous battle in the Pacific Theatre.

This one may not have real footage or Henry Fonda, but according to Warner Bros, the production will be influenced by more recent rousing war films like Saving Private Ryan or Pearl Harbor. Hopefully, more of Saving Private Ryan. Hopefully.

By Eric Sundermann

Grimm Up North Film Festival is back for a second year – Bigger, Bloodier and more Brutal than ever.

This Halloween between the 28th and 31st October the darkness descends on Manchester, as the UK’s premier horror and sci-fi film festival returns. Last year’s inaugural festival saw 25 feature films, including 15 premieres - featuring Q&As and seminars with directors, cast and crew. Grimm Up North screened movies from Japan, Finland, Germany, Romania, Canada and Australia with many of the award-winning international films as UK premieres.

For months festival organisers have been sifting through the latest in genre cinema to bring the best horror and sci-fi to this year's festival. They've kept their ears firmly to the ground and are delighted to officially announce the first of the confirmed Grimm Up North 2010 films!

Grimm Up North can announce that Reel Zombies, Evil In the Time of Heroes (starring Billy Zane), Slice and Alien Vs Ninja will all be playing at the festival. There will be further announcements from premieres to classics, opening night galas to special guests coming soon…

Are you brave enough to sit through a screaming screening? If you have the guts, we promise you’ll be hooked. You can find out more at the official website

Guillermo del Toro's next film, says Deadline, will be the 3D At the Mountains of Madness, an adaptation of the HP Lovecraft tale that he’s been attached to for some time. The film is at Universal and now has James Cameron coming aboard as a producer.

At the Mountains of Madness will be a big-ticket item, says Deadline, with the film starting preproduction in the next few weeks ahead of shooting next summer.

Per Deadline, the story sees a gruesome discovery during a scientific expedition to the South Pole in the 1930s that hints at the true origin of mankind having come from elder gods from another planet. Bad things happen when those life forms are awakened.

Producers are Susan Montford and Don Murphy.

Mountains was first set up at DeamWorks in 2004 by del Toro, Montford and Murphy. Del Toro and Matthew Robbins wrote the script, which they are now retooling. The package was acquired by Universal when del Toro made a big overall deal there in 2007.

By Nancy Tartaglione

Edgar Wright has long been toiling away at his Ant-Man script and storyboards, hoping to get the film greenlit sooner than later. At this week's Comic-Con, many details about almost all of Marvel Entertainment's upcoming projects will make their way to the public, but one burning question that I'm personally interested in is whether or Ant-Man will, in fact, be a part of Paramount Pictures The Avengers and, if so, who will play him.

According to AMC's John Campea, that question may have already been answered as he has received word that Adrien Brody is at the top of a shortlist for actors to play Henry Pym, who fashions technology that allows him to shrink to the size of and communicate with the insects. Latino Review confirmed the scoop from a contact at the actor's agency (Paradigm), who said that 'at press time, they were pursuing Ant-Man but got nothing yet.'

The Playlist has challenged the rumor, stating that they have 'checked with sources very close to the project this morning and it's evidently untrue.' This conflicting report also states that recent claims that fanboy favorite Nathan Fillion is also in the running for the part are untrue. Brody's significantly higher industry status suggests that, of the names mentioned, he'd be the studio's choice.

By Daniel Hubschman, Hollywood.com

I can't help welcoming our new primate overlords. It's hard to have high hopes for the Planet Of The Apes prequel, since Tim Burton's recent foray into the franchise was so dismal, but there seems to be a lot of talent involved. Brian Cox is the latest to join the impressive cast of Rise Of The Apes. Cox, known for his impressive scenery-chewing capabilities, has been cast as 'the villainous owner of a primate sanctuary' who will inevitably be first up against the wall when the Ape uprising starts. Cox joins cast members James Franco, John Lithgow, and Andy Serkis, who is putting the motion capture suit back on to play the ape leader Caesar.

Rise Of The Apes will be set in the modern day and serve as an origin story for the primate franchise. The story follows a scientist (Franco) whose genetic engineering accidentally creates an advanced race of apes, led by Caesar. The film is being directed by Rupert Wyatt, who previously worked with Cox on The Escapist, and written by Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa.

By Natalie Silverman