Top Maniacal Rumors of the Week

Captain America
© Marvel Comics

Top Maniacal Rumors: Leo America, Knight Time & Punisher Hex!

By: Jarrod Sarafin
Date: Friday, June 20, 2008

It’s time for another edition of Mania’s Most Maniacal Rumors, where we blow the lid off the week’s juiciest gossip and hush-hush industry whispers.

If you have a rumor you want to contribute, we’re all ears. Just send it to jarrod@mania.com.

Leonardo DiCaprio to Play Captain America?

Rumor: One of the wildest rumors of the past week is the one that has Leonardo DiCaprio possibly grabbing a shield for Marvel Studios and donning the Captain America costume in the near future.

Source: Latino Review

Mania Verdict: FALSE—In fairness to El Mayimbe at Latino, even he says it’s way too early in the game for any casting announcements and that Marvel Studios wants Leonardo or Brad Pitt for the Captain America character, not that they’re going to have them.

No Conclusion to Director Timur Bekmambetov’s Night Watch Trilogy?

Timur Bekmambetov's DAY WATCH

Rumor: The latest batch of rumors this week is that director Bekmambetov—whose new film Wanted hits theaters June 27—is not interested in returning for Dusk Watch, a third installment in his Night Watch series.

Source: Mania

Mania Verdict: TRUE—The director told Mania’s Josh Gordon earlier this week that he considers Wanted to be his “Twilight Watch”.

Dark Knight Is 152 Minutes Long?

Christian Bale returns as THE DARK KNIGHT(2008).

Rumor: A rumor surfaced this week that director Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros. have the running length sitting at 152 minutes for The Dark Knight, which hits theaters July 18, 2008.

Source: Hollywood Elsewhere

Mania Verdict: TRUE—While studios usually opt for shorter running times in today’s Theater vs. DVD climate, they don’t mind the occasional exception. Nolan kept Batman Begins at 140 minutes, so the latest edition is only 12 minutes longer.

11^th Episode Added to Battlestar Galactica Final Season?

Is there more meaning in this image after seeing the mid-season finale of BSG?

Rumor: While BSG fans don’t like waiting until January 2009 to watch the final 10 episodes of the hit television series, a new rumor has appeared spreading word that there could be an 11^th episode added to the slate.

Source: TV Guide

Mania Verdict: TRUE—A sci-fi rep has confirmed that Ronald Moore’s series finale script extends past the allotted time for the episode so we’re likely to get an extra hour out of BSG before it leaves the airwaves for good.

Lawrence Kasdan to Pen Robotech?

Veritech fighter from ROBOTECH

Rumor: A few months after Tobey Maguire joined the adaptation of the anime classic as executive producer (and possibly leading star), the latest news is that Raiders of the Lost Ark and Empire Strikes Back screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan is penning the screenplay.

Source: CHUD

Mania Verdict: TRUE—The Hollywood Reporter would confirm the details later in the week, adding that Akiva Goldsman and Chuck Roven are boarding as producers.

Thomas Jane as the Jonah Hex?

Rumor: A new photo has popped up online which seems to show actor Thomas Jane (former Punisher) in a make-up shot of the comic hero Jonah Hex, a movie still in the planning stages.

Source: Film School Rejects

Mania Verdict: TRUE & FALSE---- Yes, it's a bit of both. It's false because Mark Neveldine, co-writer and director of “Hex”, told Ryan Rotten that the above photo is a fake or if it’s not, it has no relation to their upcoming movie. Creative team Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor is still wrapping up Crank 2 for a 2009 release.

At the same time, it's true because as fellow Maniac Jetpack Jesus says below, it turns out that Thomas Jane was behind the photoshop pic above and it was made strictly out of his fanboy love for the character. He had no idea it would make its way online to news media but he admits to doing it at the Warner Bros. studios. since he wants the part.

More From Mania

Rise Up and Hear the Bells: The Return of Captain America

300 and Captain America: Your Mail
(Wednesday, March 21, 2007)
Comicscape Double Feature: Captain America and 300
(Wednesday, March 14, 2007)
WHAT IF: CAPTAIN AMERICA #1
(Friday, December 9, 2005)
CAPTAIN AMERICA #1
(Sunday, April 28, 2002)
CAPTAIN AMERICA: DEAD MEN RUNNING #1
(Thursday, February 7, 2002)
CAPTAIN AMERICA #50
(Thursday, January 3, 2002)
CAPTAIN AMERICA Mini
(Wednesday, October 17, 2001)

See more related content

More Content By Jarrod Sarafin

Aliens Preparing to Invade ABC Again
(Friday, September 5, 2008)
GHOSTBUSTERS Getting a Call From Sony
(Friday, September 5, 2008)
Kahn Writer Takes on Geoge Washington
(Friday, September 5, 2008)
Pellington Leads Psychic SOLACE
(Friday, September 5, 2008)
Top Maniacal Rumors: Jane's Hex, Metal Life and Crowe Watson
(Friday, September 5, 2008)
Walker and Christensen Digging BONE DEEP
(Friday, September 5, 2008)
Columbia and Marvel Considering GHOST RIDER 2?
(Thursday, September 4, 2008)
De Niro Out of Mel Gibson's DARKNESS
(Thursday, September 4, 2008)
Guillermo del Toro Locked In For Next Decade
(Thursday, September 4, 2008)
HEAVY METAL is Alive Again for Fincher
(Thursday, September 4, 2008)

Buy These Related Products

Comments/Responses

ponyboy76 • Jun 20, 2008, 02:48am •

I could see Brad Pitt as Cap, because he has that same sort of charisma and American apple pie look. Leo, I think doesn`t have the right look.

Well, I think its kind of a cop out by Timur saying that Wanted is his "Twilight Watch". All that means is the Hollywood dollar and lifestyle is way too appealing to leave and go back to Mother Russia. Can you really blame him? Maybe one of these days he'll finish it, but I bet he is pretty happy where he is. Most foreign directors, even though the probably don't admit it, would give there left hand to direct a big budget Hollywood flick.
I`m sure Hanso would agree that the more Dark Knight, the better.
11 episodes! Frakkin Awesome! They should just do what Lost did and have a 2 hour series finale.
I don`t mind Tobey Maguire exec producing but I hope he doesn't play Rick Hunter, although I guess I could see the resemblance. I wonder who they would get to play Min Mei? Hopefully not Kirsten Dunst. Jolie would be great as the female Zentrati pilot that falls for Rick`s boy.
I could definitely see Jane play Jonah Hex but that photo kind of sucks. Glad its fake. Josh Holloway from Lost would be a pretty damn good Jonah Hex.

sportwarrior • Jun 20, 2008, 03:31am •

I agree on Brad Pitt, ponyboy. I'm not sure if there really is a better A or B list choice in Hollywood at this point.

Still haven't seen the first two Night Watch movies... fully intend to, though.

Don't single out hanso... this is gonna be 152 minutes of Dark Knight goodness enjoyed by every Maniac, guaranteed.

11 episodes is cool, but I still feel like it's lame to split a full season of 20+ eps into two seasons... Either combine them into one or make two seasons of 18+ eps... Don't make us wait until next frakkin February for another season again...

The less time Tobey Maguire gets in a movie theater near me, the happier I'll be.

I think you nailed Jonah Hex with the Holloway choice, ponyboy. I can definitely see that working well.

JarrodSarafin • Jun 20, 2008, 04:55am •

I can say I would also have liked Holloway as Gambit in the upcoming Wolverine prequel. He's said a bunch of times that he loved the character growing up and I've grown to respect him from his Lost moments. I think he could have done the character justice. Since he's a true fan, his dedication would have shown too.

As for the 152 minutes of Dark Knight. Haha, I know Hanso will chime in here but I think there is one thing that is bothering me.

Sure, I'm happy that it's going to be a lengthy installment with a lot of good character development...

But..

(Yes, there's a "but")

...We know how mainstream audiences are. People who don't keep up with online movie news such as ourselves. Those are the people who don't know anything about a "1,000,000 to Make Uwe Boll Quit" petition...Hell, those are the people who don't know who Uwe Boll is and don't really care to find out...

Bypassing the mainstream audiences' idea on a "long movie" (Believe me, I'm having flashbacks as to when Grindhouse failed), there's another issue.

Theater business. Like last summer, the studios have stacked way too many movies in back-to-back weekends and each movie is taking away from each other to a degree.

I'm wondering if Iron Man and Indy will be the only $300.0 mil domestic grossers because of it. Ironically, they're both from Paramount, the ruler of the 2008 Box Office Season clearly.

With a running time of 152 minutes, there are questions as to how many showings a day a theater will allow per day for the movie and how it will affect the box office results in our weekly Sunday report.

Sure, I think Dark Knight will make a killing, fellow Maniacs. But I wonder if having Hellboy II a week before and X-Files 2 a week after AND having a 152 minute length will play an effect here.

What does it really matter. I guess I'm just pondering aloud my thoughts. Dark Knight will be a hit and it will likely be deserved.

I'm just holding reservations on a lot of these studios. I'm not sure why they seem bent on hurting themselves by stacking so many movies so close to each other.

WISEGUY562 • Jun 20, 2008, 05:39am •

Jarrod you're dead on. I've been complaining about that since last may when it started in earnest. Spidey, Shrek and Pirates. That was the exception because they all went over 300mil but now we are seeing movies getting hurt for that practice. Narnia is a prime example and Hellboy will be another.

DK b.o. total 270mil. surpassing my favorite Batman as king of Bat flicks.

Leo is too skinny for Cap. Someone once suggested Matt Damon and I'm partial to that idea or just bring in an unknown ala X-Men, see how many of those are legit stars now.

That shot of TJ had me convinced, those computer programs are getting really good.

pony I said the same thing about Timur the other day. If Wanted turns out to be the hit I think it will be then you know studios are going to open up their pocket books for the man. Plus there' already talk of a sequel being in the works for Wanted according to Terrence Stamps. Anyway those Night Watch movies are overrated IMO.

hanso • Jun 20, 2008, 05:42am •

What happened to Brad Pitt as Thor, is that now dead? How did he end up rumored for Cap now, hmmmmmmmm?
I could definitely see Leo for the part if he bulks up a bit and goes bad ass a la Departed when he’s smashing people’s faces and shit. My money is on Matt Damon to play Captain America. A Pitt & Damon reunion for the Avengers. Money baby money!!!

Glad to see BSG getting more air time, I think I also read they might get a movie in a la Razor, hopefully it’s true. You guys want to hear my theory who the 5th Cylon is? Nah, it’s to long I’ll save it for another time.

Ok, now to good stuff, I see you all been waiting for me to come in and let the truth be known about the greatest cinematic masterpiece ever created in the history of the universe! You know what I’m talking about.
Ok here it goes.
152 mins = EPIC son!!!!!! Legendary!!!!!!!!!! That’s all that can be said about that right there.
It’s only 12 mins longer than Begins, and Begins did well enough to merit a sequel so I aint worried about the Dark Knight box office performance, especially since it’s going to make 9999999999999 gazillion dollars on opening day. Those extra 12 mins will push the movie into EPIlendary (EPIC + Legendary) status, everyone knows a movie has to be exactly 152 mins to be considered EPIlendary.
The film has to be long though, you’ve got Joker running around going ape shit and they gotta play out the whole Harvey Dent storyline to make it more tragic when he falls and becomes Two Face.
As far as Grindhouse goes, nobody wanted to see that crap in the movies, I mean it was some weird experiement shit those guys cooked up about old C movies from the 70s and then it was like 3:30 mins long or something, that ain’t right. I liked Grindhouse don’t get me wrong.
Anyway, Dark Knight has Batman which always helps bring in more people and it has a killer cast which also helps, not to mention it’s Ledger’s last role and you know at least some will check it out just of curiosity.

The Dark Knight owns all!!!!!!!!!!!! Search your feelings you know it to be true.

Flint521466 • Jun 20, 2008, 05:42am •

TDK is gonna be so goddamn good audiences aren't gonna care it's 152 min long. It will be the top grosser of the summer.

hanso • Jun 20, 2008, 05:48am •

Word Flint, u know whats up.

Dark Knight baby!!! CAn uuuuu diiiiiig it!?

scytheofluna • Jun 20, 2008, 05:51am •

Damon wouldn't look right under the mask. DiCaprio or Pitt would be perfect. Brad would be a good choice for either Thor or Cap, he's versatile enough. If Pitt does Thor Michael C. Hall from Dexter should be Cap. If Pitt does Cap' Karl Urban should be Thor.

scytheofluna • Jun 20, 2008, 05:52am •

Hellboy 2 looks amazing. Anybody who didn't like the first one is on crack, but anybody who isn't keen on seeing the second one is just insane.

WISEGUY562 • Jun 20, 2008, 05:59am •

Damon wouldn't look right under the mask? But DiCaprio's scarecrow figure would be perfect? Dude stop smoking whatever it is you're smoking. The guy from Dexter maybe but not DiCaprio please.

Mania is the premiere online destination for fans of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and anime entertainment. It is the largest community offering profiles, video, science fiction movies, sci fi TV, art, sci fi comics, photos, cheats, blogs, science fiction books, forums and feedback. Mania offers insider entertainment industry info and original content for science fiction, fantasy, and horror entertainment genres including: video games, comics, gadgets, movies, television, toys, music, books, DVDs and more. © Mania Entertainment, LLC. 2001 - 2008