The Olympic sport that was betting on who would be cast as the leads in Fifth Shades of Grey is over as Charlie Hunnam and Dakota Johnson have scored the coveted roles.

The TV stars, Hunnam of Sons of Anarchy and Johnson of Ben and Kate, make the leap to the big screen in the highly anticipated film based on the blockbuster book by E.L. James. Hunnam will play the steely and sexy Christian Grey and Johnson won the part of Anastasia Steele.

News stories had these two circling the roles in Fifty Shades of Grey, and the rumors of Dakota Johnson as Anastasia had fans of the book a little puzzled. But, now all that discussion is over because the cast is finally set with that 2014 release date looming.

Tell us… is this good casting? 

Will Charlie Hunnam be a good Christian? 

Is Dakota Johnson who you envisioned as Anastasia? 

Cory Monteith was set to bust out of his Glee persona, as we saw in this McCanick photo. Now his final film, All the Wrong reasons, has had its trailer premiere, further cementing the tragedy that was the Cory Monteith death earlier this summer.

All the Wrong Reasons Trailer

Monteith plays a department store manager whose marriage is in trouble. He’s only been wed to his sweetheart for a few months, but she is having intimacy issues. It’s kind of ironic, because his wife mans the security cameras at the store where they both work… sometimes witnessing some seriously intimate moments!

They both find comfort in others, she with a former fireman who is now working as a security guard at the store after an accident cut short his fire rescue career. He is finding solace in the arms of a single mom who also works at the store.

All the Wrong Reasons is debuting at this week’s Toronto Film Festival.  

The rumors when it comes to casting for Star Wars: Episode VII have been all over the place. Sure, we heard that Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher will reprise their roles… and that makes sense. Then, there are the stories about Jonathan Rhys Meyers joining the cast, and as what? Now, we think there is a rumor that has some serious mettle: Benedict Cumberbatch will likely be in the cast. As what… that is unknown.

Cumberbatch, as we all know, is close with Star Wars: Episode VII director J.J. Abrams. Cumberbatch killed it as the villain in Star Trek: Into Darkness and Abrams clearly appreciates the UK actor’s work. As the story for Star Wars: Episode VII is likely to center on Han and Leia’s kids… that rules that out given his age.

Perhaps Cumberbatch will play another, as yet unnamed character... or even more delicious, the film’s villain. But -- and this is a huge but -- he was just a villain in an Abrams movie, so honestly that is unlikely here.

We can clearly see Cumberbatch in the Star Wars universe. He can play both hero (as he does as Sherlock Holmes) or villain and even play the grey areas in between.

When it comes to this rumor, we believe where there is smoke here, there is fire. Mark our words… Cumberbatch will be in Star Wars: Episode VII. Just as what… that is the mystery. What we do know is Star Wars: Episode VII will start shooting in January 2014.

Stay tuned!

Daniel Radcliffe was uncanny in a literary page-to-screen effort that we all know was J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter. Radcliffe is playing a literary icon this time out, and that is Allen Ginsberg in Kill Your Darlings. The John Krokidas film Kill Your Darlings hits theaters October 18 and has released its first clip and a few new photos as well.

This first clip features Radcliffe’s Ginsberg when he first meets Dane DeHaan’s Lucien Carr.

Kill Your Darlings Clip

As teased in the first Kill Your Darlings trailer, the film tells the story of the beginnings of the Beat Generation and finds Radcliffe playing literary legend Ginsberg, with Jack Huston playing Jack Kerouac (On the Road), Ben Foster as William S. Burroughs and DeHaan as Lucien Carr.

Making his first appearance in photo or clip form in Kill Your Darlings is Dexter star Michael C. Hall, who portrays David Kammerer (see below).

Kick-Ass co-creator Mark Millar has made it be known that he has always envisioned the series as a trilogy. So, regardless of how Kick-Ass 2 does in theaters, fans can count on a third story in the world of Dave Lizewski… even if it is just in comic book form.

But, then again, we never expected to see Kick-Ass 2 hit screens, so don’t be surprised if Universal Pictures is tempted to make a third film. At least at that point, they can always package it in the always attractive trilogy home video market.

"I'd always planned it as three books and three movies. I've just about finished the book. I'll be finished in about a week or two's time, and that's the end. It's weird because my agent keeps saying to me, 'We made a lot of money here, let's do Kick-Ass 4 and 5,''" Millar said.

He admits that even if his agent wants it, there is no way in the world this universe will go past three chapters.

With Kick-Ass 2 only banking $24 million in the U.S. and it making a grand total of $40.2 million internationally, chances for a third film could appear to be next to nill. But… these films do astronomically well on home video. So until the proverbial fat lady sings… this franchise is still, well, kicking ass.

Zac Efron is literally sizzling in two new stills from the upcoming comedy Neighbors (the film recently changed its name from Townies). The latest comedy from director Nick Stoller (The Muppets, The Five-Year Engagement) finds Efron playing a frat boy who is enjoying his life of revelry when a married couple with a new baby moves next door to his frat house.

Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne are the young couple who on the outside appear to be perfect parents. But, on the inside… they kind of want to head next door and rage it up!

Stoller is also the writer of the film and his writing and directing pedigree is top notch. He directed Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek as well as penned Jim Carrey’s Yes Man.

Neighbors will premiere its trailer tomorrow!

Dwayne Johnson gives new meaning to the words “ripped abs” in the latest tweeted photo from the set of Hercules. In the pic he is getting made up, as part of a four-hour makeup process. If you look closely, where his abs should be it appears he has been ripped by some sort of creature!

"Blade slashes, claw & animal teeth gashes," he writes. "Daily 4hr make up process. #DontTouchMyPec #HERCULESMovie"

Johnson has been social media happy on the set of his latest film. We’ve seen the Hercules set, his Hercules helmet and even an impressive looking Hercules army.

The Brett Ratner film hits theaters July 25, 2014.

You would think if you had been approached to play Lex Luthor in the Man of Steel sequel, you would know! Well, Bryan Cranston was talking over the weekend and admitted that if he was being cast, or even being pursued… it was “news to me.”

Cranston was talking to Boston.com and was asked about rumors he was signed to a six-picture deal to play the bald-headed baddie who has tormented Superman for generations. “Six? This is all news to me. I think that maybe my name is bandied about because I’m known to be bald,” he said. "'What bald guy can we get?' The reality is they can take any actor and shave his head or put a bald cap on him!”

We do know that Ben Affleck is Batman, but beyond that… it’s all a mystery in terms of the Man of Steel sequel's casting of new roles. So tell us, in your opinion…

Who should play Lex Luthor in the Man of Steel sequel? 

One can just feel the excitement Arnold Schwarzenegger has being on the set of The Expendables 3. Just last week he posted a picture with Harrison Ford and today he is following that up with an Instagram post featuring him, director Patrick Hughes and the original The Expendables star himself, Sylvester Stallone.

Now, we just need to see some pics of co-stars Jet Li, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews and perhaps those newbies Antonio Banderas and Mel Gibson!

The Expendables 3 is currently shooting in Eastern Europe.

Now You See Me was the surprise hit of the early summer and it lands on DVD and Blu-Ray, set to be a go-to home video of the early fall. This all-star cast (including legends Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman) is featured in the most original of stories about a group of magicians who pull off a series of international heists that leave federal and international agents baffled.

The Four Horsemen are Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco and Isla Fisher and attending their illusion shows could wind up being quite profitable. See, the quartet pull off robberies all around the world, without leaving the confines of their live shows, and oftentimes, their audience members' bank accounts explode with riches!

Hot on their trail, as seen in the Now You See Me trailer, is federal agent Mark Ruffalo, who is trying to figure out how they do it in order to bring them in. Interpol is also trying their best to arrest the troupe as their robberies often hit international banks. Thus far, nothing can be proven and no evidence clearly links them to crimes that certainly embody the full phrase that inspired the movie’s moniker… Now You See Me… Now You Don’t!

In the second Now You See Me movie trailer, it was easy to marvel at how filmmaker Louis Leterrier crafted his thriller that never forgets to also have fun. I mean, just look at this Now You See Me clip of Franco eluding Ruffalo’s advances… all using slight of hand card throwing!

The home video finds not only the theatrical version of the film, but also Leterrier’s director’s cut, featuring 16 minutes of previously unseen footage. Given that the film has the most astonishing of illusions (overseen by the master, David Copperfield) -- this is truly a case where more is definitely merrier.

Given that this is a film that is so purely a director’s baby, the Leterrier commentary track is utterly priceless. To hear how he interwove the film’s drama with illusions and suspense elicited from the heists themselves, is simply a lesson in filmmaking at its finest.

Other bonus features that enthralled us were the Now You See Me Revealed featurette. Everyone wants to know how a magic trick is achieved, but few ever get to see it. With the “Revealed” bonus feature, Leterrier takes us behind the curtain and shows how he achieved some of his movie magic.

And for fans of magic and illusion, A Brief History of Magic featurette is not to be missed. Given the nature of the film and the incredible thought that went into its creation and execution, it is fascinating to see what aspects of the history of magic filmmakers and stars of this film were most inspired by.

We aren’t the biggest fans of deleted scenes. Most often, they are removed from the film for good reason. But the deleted scenes on Now You See Me… only enhance the viewing experience because the entire film leaves you wanting more, and what better way to get that, than to see what didn’t make the cut. 

Being a teenager can be a difficult time for anyone. If you are picked on by your classmates and also possess devilish supernatural powers, the entire experience could lie just this side of hell.

The film Carrie knows that all too well and it has released three new stills that all feature the amazing Chloe Grace Moretz (recently starring in Kick-Ass 2). As seen in the most recent Carrie full trailer, she shines in the role made famous by Sissy Spacek in Brian De Palma’s classic.

Filmmakers behind this incarnation of Carrie state that it is a “reimagining” of the 1976 film that itself was based on the first book by Stephen King. Pretty stellar author debut, no?

Both films promise to have that jaw-dropping prom scene and as we see in the photo below, Moretz’s Carrie is getting ready for the big dance while her mom (Julianne Moore) looks on. Oh, if she only knew how that night would end!

The film, from its very first Carrie trailer, made it clear that another classic moment from the original film will also be in this new version… the shower scene that essentially begins our journey into hell. A photo of its beginnings is our final still to debut!

Look for Carrie when it arrives in time for Halloween on October 18. 

Vin Diesel tells Movie Fanatic that he has heard the calls of social media for more Riddick and it arrives September 6 in the form of the third film to feature the sci-fi anti-hero... as previewed in the Riddick trailer. But, after 2003’s The Chronicles of Riddick, Diesel and franchise creator/director David Twohy had to go the independent movie route to give fans a third chapter.

Those that adored the Riddick character that was first introduced in Pitch Black in 2000 wanted the film to be R-rated and that all but guaranteed the studio would not be interested.

“Luckily for us, there was an outcry from social media to make this one rated R which ruled out all possibilities of a studio backing it. Rated R movies are few and far between nowadays. We had to take a more independent route, so I went to Europe and presented what this film was going to be and got the bulk of the financing for the movie,” Diesel said.

Funding it themselves wound up being a blessing in disguise for Diesel -- who also serves as producer -- and writer-director Twohy. “Thank God, the audience wanted it rated R because that justified taking a more independent route.”

Going independent also meant the freedom to make the movie they wanted. Yet, after the studio backed The Chronicles of Riddick, they felt they had to do something a little different story-wise with Riddick than they had planned. In fact, it is what Diesel has been trying to do with his other franchise, Fast and Furious.

“It isn’t the story that I had always envisioned to follow the last chapter of Riddick. Part of what I’ve been trying to do at the studio -- as you’ve seen with the Fast and Furious franchise -- is to create movies while simultaneously thinking about the succeeding chapters, and how they would all interlink and each film would speak to one another,” Diesel said.

“That felt like the challenge of our millennium. In the old millennium, when we made sequels and franchise movies, we just put the brand up there and slapped something together. We didn’t expect the property to grow. It was exploiting a brand. That’s why I turned down all those sequels to all those films. I didn’t feel like they were approaching it with that level of respect to an overall chronological story.”

When Twohy and Diesel were making The Chronicles of Riddick they put together three binders, and each had a lock. “We gave them to the head of the studio with one key. On the first binder, it said Core I, the second binder said Core II, and the third binder said Core III. At that production level, the amount of money that we were spending at that point, we were thinking of going directly to the Underverse for Core II, and then to Furya for Core III,” Diesel admitted.

Then, time became their enemy. “When years and years started to go by and we weren’t delivering the next chapter, we had to make a very conscious decision to find a way to tell the next chapter, continue the story and continue the mythology, even if it meant we weren’t going to get the size budget we had just had on The Chronicles of Riddick.” 

Since Riddick is such a dark character, the passage of time worked out well in other ways. He is a father now, and Diesel did not want to emotionally go into Riddick’s head with young children.

“Now that I have kids, it’s a little bit trickier to watch Riddick. We were initially going to try to make Riddick before I did Fast 5, and then I learned that we were expecting a child. I didn’t think it would be fair to the child and I didn’t think it would be fair to the fans to go to that dark place while welcoming a life into the world -- so Riddick waited until after I did the more family-centric Fast 5,” Diesel said.

“If you remember, in Fast 5, the idea of pregnancy was very present in the Brian (Paul Walker) and Mia (Jordana Brewster) relationship, which played to the fact that my son was being born while we were making that movie. So, I couldn’t play the Riddick character and go to that dark place.”

Diesel also reported that this is, he hopes, not the last time audiences will see Riddick do his thing. “The reality is that I always envisioned the Riddick franchise as a continuing mythology, so I always imagined that there would be many other films to follow. And yet, I do feel like I answered that growing request from the fans that said, ‘Please make another Riddick,’” he said.

The superstar said that it was one of the three promises that he either made or “people assumed that I made” on the social media network. “One of them, obviously, was the return of Letty (Michelle Rodriguez). That was something everyone was so vocal about, four and a half years ago. The second was the resurrection of Riddick, and reawakening that mythology,” Diesel said.

So, what was the third? “The third one was Hannibal the Conqueror, which is the one promise I haven’t delivered on yet, but I will!”

When asked about the difference between being a co-star and a producer, he reveals something about himself that is kind of surprising: He is a fan of a certain role playing game!

“I try to create an environment where, when we step onto the set, we’re all in character. A funny thing we used to say while we were playing Dungeons and Dragons, when someone would say something random like, ‘I’m tired, so I might just take a nap,’ the DM (Dungeon Master) would say, ‘Everything that you say is in game,’ which is a similar approach to the way we approached making this movie,” Diesel said. “So, if I’m on set and I’m in character, I’m not thinking like a producer.”

If Riddick misses, Diesel could literally lose everything. “This was tricky because it wasn’t like being the producer of Fast & Furious. This was being the producer of something that, if it didn’t work, I would have lost my house. Everything that I had on my life was leveraged to make this movie. So, the stakes were higher than for any producer I know because the skin in the game was real,” Diesel said.

“I was so committed to answering this growing request from the social media fans to continue this character, and the only way that I could pull it off was by leveraging everything.” 

Before he can return to the world of Sherlock Holmes as Moriarty, as he clearly wishes to from our Jared Harris exclusive interview, the UK actor has something else more firm on his plate. News has arrived that Harris has been cast in Sherlock Holmes director Guy Ritchie’s latest film, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

Harris is the latest stellar actor to join Ritchie’s cast including Man of Steel star Henry Cavill, who will play Napoleon Solo, Armie Hammer (The Lone Ranger) is signed as Illya Kuryakin and Hugh Grant is on board to portray Waverly.

The official synopsis has also been released to give audiences an idea for what they can look forward to from the production set to start shooting September 9.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Synopsis:
Set against the backdrop of the early 1960s, at the height of the Cold War, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. centers on CIA agent Solo and KGB agent Kuryakin. Forced to put aside long-standing hostilities, the two team up on a joint mission to stop a mysterious international criminal organization, which is bent on destabilizing the fragile balance of power through the proliferation of nuclear weapons and technology.

The duo’s only lead is the daughter of a vanished German scientist, who is the key to infiltrating the criminal organization, and they must race against time to find him and prevent a worldwide catastrophe.

Charlie Hunnam and Dakota Johnson cast as leads for Fifty Shades of Grey has not quite reached the level of reaction to the announcement that Ben Affleck is Batman in the Man of Steel sequel. But, fans are certainly just as passionate.

Many of them said, including many on our Facebook page, that neither Hunnam or Johnson “look” like Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey. Some have even said that neither are the type of A-list names that can draw millions to the multiplex. But, really, that should not matter when a page-to-screen effort is based on the sensation that is author E.L. James’ book.

James took to Twitter and believe it or not, even appreciates the “haters” because she believes it shows that there is immense passion out there for her highly passionate book. “To all the supporters, lovers and haters -- thank you so much for the passion that you have for this project,” James said. “You all rock. All of you.”

With the Fifty Shades of Grey release date announced as less than a year away, it must also simply be a sigh of relief that Hunnam and Johnson were cast… period. It takes months and months to put a film together and with that deadline looming that is the studio-announced release date… anticipation had to be running quite high.

Fifty Shades of Grey producer Dana Brunetti also took to Twitter to respond to the casting news and reported that there is much more to putting together an ensemble than it appears. “There is a lot that goes into casting that isn't just looks. Talent, availability, their desire to do it, chemistry with other actor, etc,” Brunetti said.

The producer then directed his comments squarely on those who disagree with the casting. “If your favorite wasn't cast, then it is most likely due to something on that list. Keep that in mind while hating and keep perspective.”

Well, to paraphrase Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting… how ‘bout them apples?!

Arthur Newman has one huge aspect going for it: The casting of Colin Firth and Emily Blunt as leads. Firth plays Wallace Avery, a man so miserable in his own skin, he takes on the titular persona. Meanwhile, Blunt is not too pleased with her life either. The two get together and take a road trip in an effort to escape their miserable worlds.

Arthur Newman lands on DVD and Blu-Ray and its message is clear: Life may always appear better for others, but once you walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, it may not necessarily be so rosy.

Firth, Oscar winner for The King’s Speech, is uncanny in his effort to tackle an American accent. And Blunt does a fine job as well. The road trip story breaks the mold of the subgenre with its wide swath of emotions as the audience cannot help but feel for these lost souls.

As we stated in our theatrical Arthur Newman review, this is one rich story that is a must-see -- not only for Firth fans, but for all movie aficionados.

Previewed in the Arthur Newman trailer, Firth’s character has an estranged wife, a child who has no interest in visiting with him, and worse… a “what if” that was the promise of a budding professional golfing career.

The “will they” or “won’t they” romance of the leads is hardly important as the film works best in its ability to make the audience look in the mirror at their own lives. What are our perceived failures, and are they in hindsight… triumphs? We are who we are because of the path taken, not because of the path NOT taken.

There is not much in terms of bonus features on both the Blu-Ray and DVD. In fact, there is only a “making-of” doc, which is quite good and gives the viewer enough behind-the-scenes feel to make the Arthur Newman purchase feel worthy. 

This past summer, Michael Shannon as Zod simply astounded. He personified justified evil in the most uncanny of ways. Before Man of Steel, Michael Shannon embodied a true evil in The Iceman and its true story of a real-life mob hit man. As the film lands on DVD and Blu-Ray, Movie Fanatic is presenting a chance for one lucky reader to win a copy of the Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack.

The film stars Oscar nominee Shannon, with fellow nominees Winona Ryder and James Franco, along with Ray Liotta, David Schwimmer and Captain America himself, Chris Evans, as you’ve never seen him before.

For decades, Richard Kiklinski was a devoted husband and pillar in his community. What no one knew, even his wife and family, was that he was a ruthless killer responsible for hundreds of deaths over the years.

As seen in The Iceman trailer, Shannon is steely in his portrayal and the man deserves serious Oscar consideration for this role. It is the most unbelievable of stories that is actually remarkably real.

The film is based on the book The Iceman: The True Story of a Cold-Blooded Killer by Anthony Bruno and follows Kiklinski from novice killer to efficient murderer who became the go-to guy for taking care of the mob’s dirty laundry.

Use the widget below to enter on Facebook or Twitter. There are three unique ways to enter, and by entering all three ways you can increase your chance at winning! And enter now, this prize pack’s winners will be announced September 20. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open Road Films has released two stills from Machete Kills and one behind-the-scenes look at director Robert Rodriguez. The first still is the one we’re most excited about. It features Carlos Estevez as the President of the United States. Who’s Carlos, you ask? Why, you might know him better by his stage name… Charlie Sheen!

The Grindhouse spin-off and Machete sequel lands October 11 and also stars Michelle Rodriguez… seen in the photo below conferring with her director.

Machete Kills brings back Danny Trejo as the titular character who is recruited by Sheen, er, Estevez, to take care of an international arms dealer. Also starring in Machete Kills are Sofia Vergara, Lady Gaga, Antonio Banderas, Jessica Alba, Demian Bichir, Vanessa Hudgens, Mel Gibson and the woman pictured below, Amber Heard.

Check out the Machete Kills trailer for more!

Transformers 4 can now go by its official name: Transformers: Age of Extinction. Paramount Pictures not only announced that the fourth Transformers film from Michael Bay will be called the aforementioned title, but they also released a teaser poster that truly fits the moniker.

Given the title, and the sandy feel of the teaser poster, it is safe to assume that those rumors are true that Dinobots will be involved somehow in the latest film based on those iconic Hasbro toys. And we are quite pleased with that new look for Bumblebee too.

As seen in this Transformers 4 set photo, Mark Wahlberg stars in Transformers: Age of Extinction and will be joined by Jack Reynor, Nicolas Peltz, Stanley Tucci and Kesley Grammer. The explosive film that Bay has promised will feature a “chase from hell” lands in theaters June 27, 2014.

Keanu Reeves must have spent some quality time in Asia, because after a somewhat quiet decade of work, he is back with a literal one-two punch of Asian set and themed films. We saw his 47 Ronin international trailer debut yesterday and today we’ve got his first full trailer for Man of Tai Chi.

Man of Tai Chi Movie Trailer

Man of Tai Chi is also Reeves’ directorial debut and tells the story of a young martial arts master in Beijing and follows all his sacrifices and triumphs while trying to be the best. The film also serves as a reunion for Reeves, as it features his first work with Tiger Hu Chen, the man responsible for those killer moves in The Matrix.

Look for Man of Tai Chi in theaters November 1, and on iTunes September 27. The Man of Tai Chi poster has also premiered below!

There is something oddly appealing about wanting to see a man-on-man duel of wits, brawn and bucks that is Ben Affleck versus Justin Timberlake in Runner Runner. The gambling thriller has released a full trailer and if they say chemistry is everything, I’d bet heavily on this film that also stars Gemma Arterton and Anthony Mackie. I mean, look at this Runner Runner clip where Affleck blows up at Timberlake for busting into his house all hot and bothered.

Runner Runner Movie Trailer

Timberlake is Richie, an ironic name given the fact that he graduates from Princeton deep in debt and decides to wage all his money on an online gambling site to pay off his enormous student loans. See, Richie is quite good at poker and he figures it’s money in the bag. Well, of course it’s not or we wouldn’t have a movie grounded in some sort of reality. Affleck owns the online casino and when Timberlake smells foul, he heads down to Costa Rica to make things right. He never could have guessed how deep he would get.

The first Runner Runner trailer hinted at the spotlight on the ease with which one can lose their shirts online. This latest teaser for the film landing October 4 has us thinking it’s much more and all about those leads going tete a tete.