Keanu Reeves Wants ‘Man Of Tai Chi’ To Be More Than Action
00If you’ve been paying attention at all to what Keanu Reeves has been up to lately, you should know that he’s prepping his directorial debut, “Man of Tai Chi.” Now, usually when an actor makes his or her transition to directing, it’s usually with a smaller indie film to work out the kinks.
That’s not what Reeves is doing.
“Man of Tai Chi” is an ambitious, big-budget martial arts film, one that Reeves has been working out in his head for half a decade and one that will employ some state-of-the-art technology to take the audience into a fight like never before.
MTV News’ Josh Horowitz spoke with Reeves at the premiere for his new filmmaking documentary, “Side by Side,” to ask why he decided to go so big with his first effort.
For Reeves, choosing “Man of Tai Chi” as his first feature film came down to necessity. “It was the story I was hoping to tell,” he said. “I had worked on the script for about five, six years, and it just eventually became in my head, and I had to tell the story.”
But he needed to tell the story on his terms. Reeves is an unabashed fan of martial arts films, but he needed his film to be more than just a series of fight sequences. “My take on it was to not have action for action’s sake and try to incorporate instead of action sequences… they were also story telling, not just plot but character development,” he said. “It wasn’t just evil versus good or angry and defending. It was a little more about the journey of this person and going through the martial arts of who they were and who they are.”
As always with Reeves, there are lingering questions about the status of a third “Bill and Ted” movie. Last week, we learned that “Galaxy Quest” director Dean Parisot had joined the film, signaling some forward progress for the sequel. Reeves offered a brief updated and filled us in on the rehearsal sessions Alex Winter told us about earlier this year.
“We like the script. We’re just going to see if we can get it made,” Reeves said, adding that he and Winter had, in fact, gone back into versions of the characters for early rehearsals. “We’ve stayed really great friends, so it’s always great to see him and with the writers, saying some of the dialogue, just to see how that would feel, and it was interesting.”
Do you want to see a third “Bill and Ted”? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!
‘The Bourne Legacy,’ ‘The Campaign,’ And More: Double Feature Friday!
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This week, Jeremy Renner is an airhead, Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis face off in an election, and Spike Lee and Mookie return to Brooklyn.
Check out all of this week’s pairing on Double Feature Friday!
“The Bourne Legacy” & “National Lampoon’s Senior Trip”
What better way to prepare for the latest offerings from Jeremy Renner than to go back to the very first film that he ever made! There is little that I can say that would convince you that this is a film worth watching better than the trailer below.
“The Campaign” & “Election”
When Alexander Payne entered the world of high school elections, he created one of the most twisted and hilarious comedies of the 90s. In it, Reese Witherspoon plays the immediately iconic Tracy Flick, a busy body who is determined to win the election for class president. Opposite her is Matthew Broderick as Jim McAllister, a teacher at the school who breaks the rules to ensure she doesn’t. The movie is funny and sad and insanely entertaining.
“Red Hook Summer” & “Do The Right Thing”
While an obvious choice, the only real pairing you can make with Spike Lee’s latest film is the movie that started it all for him. “Do The Right Thing” introduces us to Lee and Mookie, the Brooklyn pizza delivery guy who returns to the screen in “Red Hook Summer.” Lee’s newest exploration of his home borough, Brooklyn, marks the writer-director’s homecoming to the streets that made him an indie star.
What are you watching this weekend? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!
If one movie is never enough for you and you’re looking for a flick to get you in the mood for this week’s new release, Double Feature Friday is here to help. Every week we break down the new releases and pair them with older movies that you should catch before heading out to the theater. Or just skip the new movie and check out the classic we recommend.
‘Vampire Diaries’ Executive Producer Talks Elena’s Transition, New Hunters And More
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by Ashleigh Schmitz
While the cast of “Vampire Diaries” gave us some juicy information for the upcoming fourth season during Comic-Con, it’s executive producer Julie Plec who spilled the most in a recent interview with EW.com. (Hint: the fourth season goes well beyond Elena’s transition and her choice between Stefan and Damon.)
Alaric’s Aftermath
Since the mind-blowingly awesome finale last spring, perhaps the biggest thing on viewers’ minds going into the season four premiere is how Elena will handle her transition from human to vampire. And that’s all fine and well, but Plec advises it’s not the biggest problem in Mystic Falls. “When Alaric Saltzman told the council that the town was filled with vampires, [he] told a lot of details about a lot of people that in the first episode back we’ll see have created a little bit of a domino effect,” Plec said, also letting slip that there will be a “powerful, surprising death sequence” when the show returns. Remember that Caroline and Tyler were all ready to run away together? We can imagine they’re on the same Mystic Falls hit list as the Salvatores.
A New Vampire Hunter
Speaking of Alaric, it doesn’t sound like the show will be long without a new vampire hunter, who, from the sounds of it, probably won’t become friends and allies with the Salvatores. Plec said the new vampire hunter is “very hardcore, he’s very skilled he’s very strong. He kind of takes our heroes by surprise, in that they think they can wipe the floor with him pretty easily and quickly, and he sort of stuns them with being difficult to defeat early on. They’re going to realize they’ve got a bigger problem than they’re used to.”
Elena’s Transition and Bonnie’s Dark Magic
With a town on the lookout for vampires, how will Elena feed as she transitions? Added to the equation, as Plec teases, Bonnie will be trying to prevent Elena’s transition – no doubt using more dark magic that the young witch has been dabbling in of late.
Klaus
Thanks to Michael Trevino we know that Klaus won’t stay in Tyler’s body too long, but regardless of who’s body he’s in it looks like he’ll stick around Mystic Falls for a while – and it may have something to do with the vampire hunter. “He definitely has an agenda that he wants to service which we’ll start to get a hint at about three episodes, four episodes in,” Plec said. “And it will involve how he feels about the existence of this hunter.”
The Other Originals
Don’t say goodbye to Rebekah and Elijah yet, either, as “we’ll definitely get glimpses of the other Originals over the course of the year.” And what about mama Original, Esther? “One of the things that we’ve always said in the writer’s room is Esther’s creation of the original vampires was predicated on a spell that she already had, so where did she get that? And what does that mean?” said Plec. “Does it mean that there are vampires that pre-date the original vampires?”
“Vampire Diaries” will return to the CW October 11. Will you be watching?
Kanye, Justin Bieber And More Compete In MTV’s Summer Jam Games
00Who has the hottest jam of the summer? Vote now for your favorites in hip-hop, pop, R&B, EDM and rock.
By James Montgomery
Kanye West
Photo: WireImage
‘Dark Knight’ Shooter Identified As James Holmes, More Investigation Details Emerge
00Details are starting to emerge from the horrific “Dark Knight” shooting that took place in Aurora, Colorado on Friday (July 20). The shooter has been identified as James Holmes, a 24-year-old Aurora resident.
Click here for photos from the scene in Aurora, Colorado.
An Aurora Police Department report has even more details, revealing that approximately 50 victims were wounded in the incident, with 12 of the victims confirmed as deceased and “the bodies of 10 victims still at the crime scene inside the theater.”
President Barack Obama released the following statement on the shooting: “Michelle and I are shocked and saddened by the horrific and tragic shooting in Colorado … We are committed to bringing whoever was responsible to justice, ensuring the safety of our people, and caring for those who have been wounded. As we do when confronted by moments of darkness and challenge, we must now come together as one American family.”
Obama later gave a press conference about the shooting, saying, “We will take every step possible to ensure the safety of all of our people. We’re standing by our neighbors in Colorado during this extraordinarily difficult time.”
Warner Bros., the studio behind “Rises,” have released a statement of their own: “Warner Bros. and the filmmakers are deeply saddened to learn about this shocking incident. We extend our sincere sympathies to the families and loved ones of the victims at this tragic time.”
Celebrities, including “Avengers” star Chris Evans, have reacted to news of the shooting as well. “My heart is completely shattered,” wrote the erstwhile Captain America.
We’ll keep you posted with further updates as they emerge.
Share your condolences for the families of the victims in the “Dark Knight Rises” shooting and express your thoughts on our Facebook page.
Joss Whedon Talks ‘Avengers,’ ‘Firefly,’ The ‘Doctor Horrible’ Sequel And More At Comic-Con
00Bad news, Marvelites: word of an “Avengers” Director’s Cut hitting theaters later this year has been greatly exaggerated.
At Comic-Con, we had a few minutes to chat with director Joss Whedon and he told us that it’s “not true” that an extended version of his mighty superhero film would be returning to cinemas later this year. We spoke with him about a whole lot of other topics, too, including his big “Firefly” reunion at the show, his plans for “Much Ado About Nothing,” the possibility of “Doctor Horrible 2” and more. Check it all out in the video below!
Comic-Con Star Power: Kristen Stewart, Matt Damon And More!
00Casts of ‘Glee’ and ‘Vampire Diaries’ (and hopefully some surprise guests) will also be on hand in San Diego.
By Kara Warner
Kristen Stewart
Photo: Getty Images