Horrible Bosses opens this weekend, which stars Jason Sudeikis, Jason Bateman, and Charlie Day as three guys who are fed up with their employers — and decide to take action. Colin Farrell, Kevin Spacey, and Jennifer Aniston play the wretched bosses in question, but they're hardly the first of their kind. On that note, let's take a look at some of the big screen's most memorable supervisors, from good to bad to worse.
Want a lesson in the recent financial crisis, as taught by a movie star? George Clooney will produce and possibly direct a film about the 2009 Wall Street bailout. The film is loosely based on a 2009 article from the Washington Post titled "The $700 Billion Man." The piece, written by Laura Blumenfeld, is about TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program) architect Neel Kashkari and the bank bailout after the 2008 economic collapse. Clooney, who helmed the Oscar-nominated Good Night and Good Luck, is currently directing The Ides of March.
Hollywood never misses an opportunity to take a popular musical to the big screen (it's happening right now with Rock of Ages), so it's no surprise that American Idiot is next on the list. The musical, which is based on and features songs from Green Day, centers on a group of teenagers with a bleak outlook on the world, with themes of war, drugs, and growing pains.
I'm not entirely sure how the musical will translate to film, especially since the show is almost all singing. We'll need a bunch of actors who can sing of course, but perhaps the most coveted role will be that of St. Jimmy, the manifestation of one of the lead characters' addiction to heroin, who basically serves as the voice of temptation. Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong himself had a run in the Broadway musical in this role, while Melissa Etheridge also spent time in the part.
I'm hoping the new adaptation will avoid some of the problems we've seen in films like Mamma Mia and Across the Universe, and I have a lot of faith in screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (who wrote Milk). Before the casting gets going, who would you put in the film?
Tom Hanks is taking on one of the most critically acclaimed novels of the past 10 years: the actor has signed on to star in Cloud Atlas. The film is an adaptation of the David Mitchell book, which follows six nested stories ranging from the distant past to the postapocalyptic future. Each tale is abruptly cut off, and the following one starts with a reference to the one prior.
For example, the book begins in the 19th century South Pacific and is written from the perspective of a captain's log, and the second segment starts when a character finds the log, and so on. When it gets to the central piece, the sections start going backward to finish up each story. There's no confirmation on which character Hanks will play yet, though he's rumored for Dr. Henry Goose, which is part of the opening segment.
If that book description sounds unusual, the directing news is just as interesting. Three people are set to share directing and screenwriting duties: Andy and Lana Wachowski (of the Matrix films) are collaborating with Tom Tykwer, best known for Run Lola Run.
Brace yourselves, because it just might be time for a collective groan: Bradley Cooper is reportedly in negotiations to star in the upcoming remake of The Crow. This is the kind of news that I hope doesn't come to fruition, not just because I can't see Cooper in the role, but because I'm not particularly psyched about the project in the first place. I had a hard time swallowing the news when Mark Wahlberg's name was attached, and somehow Cooper seems like a more obscure choice. After scoring a number one movie with Limitless, this just seems like a step in the wrong direction. What say you — can you see Cooper filling in for Brandon Lee, or are you hoping this is just a rumor like I am?
The final chapter in the wizarding world of Harry Potter will come to a close with this Summer's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II, but there still might be a few stories left to tell. David Heyman and David Baron, who produced the Potter films, have been busy compiling footage behind the scenes to make a documentary entirely devoted to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It sounds like an interesting peek behind the curtain, taking a look at what the actors are like between takes and how grueling the process can be. I'm always game for more Potter goodness, but with no word on when we'll get to see the finished product, who knows if fans of the series will still care when the documentary arrives. Where do you stand — would you watch a documentary about the making of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows?
Henry Cavill is all set to play the next Superman in Zack Snyder's reboot Man of Steel, and now we have a villain for him to fear: Michael Shannon. The actor will play General Zod, Superman's nemesis, who is from the planet Krypton like the indomitable hero. I had expected that the big casting news for the villain would have been for the part of Lex Luthor, but it looks like Snyder is mixing things up. Now that the cast is really coming together, how do you feel about the latest updates?
Ang Lee's big-screen adaptation of Life of Pi has just snagged its first big name cast member in Tobey Maguire. The actor has signed on to play a reporter in the story of an Indian boy that takes an epic journey at sea with an orangutan, a tiger, and a hyena. It's a small role for Maguire, but should help generate buzz for the film, which is already drawing attention from fans of the best-selling novel.
Ben Affleck is about to take up residence in East Egg. The actor is in talks to play Tom Buchanan in Baz Luhrmann's upcoming adaptation of The Great Gatsby, the role that Bradley Cooper has had his eye on. Buchanan is the husband of Daisy (who will be played by Carey Mulligan) and is the man who stands in the way of the love between his wife and Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio).
The only thing in the way of Affleck's participation is a scheduling conflict with this film and his next directing effort for a movie called Argo. I for one hope it works out; I love the idea of Affleck as the wealthy Buchanan in 1920s garb and DiCaprio's romantic rival — even if it is in 3D.
Robert Pattinson is about to get a new conscience in the form of Jay Baruchel. The actor has been cast in Cosmopolis as the shy founder of the company that Pattinson's character, a financial genius, works for. Baruchel's character functions as a guide for Pattinson's, who spends an eventful day traveling across Manhattan in a limo. Baruchel is the latest star to join the cast of David Cronenberg's drama, along with a recently cast love interest for Pattinson.
