George Lucas has taken two decades to bring Red Tails to the big screen. The true story of the first legion of African American fighter pilots is at its least a powerful lesson in history. At its best it features some of the most incredible air fighting footage we’ve seen on the big screen.

The film begins with a quote from an Army College study about how African Americans lack the tools necessary to be a capable fighting force. Of course we know it to be nonsense, and Lucas and director Anthony Hemingway spend the next two hours putting the proof in the pudding in the form of a rousing tale of bravery and sacrifice in the name of country, personal pride and breaking down the barriers of blatant racism.

The Tuskegee airmen were part of an “experiment” by a few forward thinking Pentagon brass that was almost not allowed to flourish. In Red Tails, Terrence Howard is Colonel A.J. Bullard. He is the man charged with convincing those in charge to give his airmen a chance at battling on the front lines instead of running missions chasing down German trucks carrying weapons on Italian roads.

In Italy, where they are stationed, we see those missions. The men are talented and excel at their tasks, but keenly know their role in winning the war is limited. Cuba Gooding Jr. is Major Emmanuel Stance and his charge is difficult: Maintain morale for his troops, despite what they know is a thankless job for a country that doesn’t see them as equals.

Red Tails does a solid job of setting up the situation, but truly shifts into high gear when the men are allowed to take part in a mission providing air cover for a beach landing of ground troops. They succeed, and even achieve success in a manner that the Pentagon can now not ignore.

The cast who portray the airmen and the ground crew who keep them flying is top notch. Particularly impressive is the work done by Tristan Wilds (90210) as Ray “Junior” Gannon and Nate Parker as Marty “Easy” Julian, the troupe’s leader in the sky.
 
Perhaps because of Lucas’ involvement, there are shades of Star Wars, particularly in the air battle scenes. With the advancement in technology, those dogfights are breathtaking. But, the film does feel at times a little amateur in its presentation of character development and plot movement. That doesn’t limit Red Tails’ power. It is a truly inspiring tale that is a must-see for teens everywhere (the film is rated PG-13 for violence, or it would be a must-see for all kids). For them, it may be hard to imagine a world where anyone wasn’t allowed to pursue their dreams, much less a skill in which they excel.

Red Tails Trailer

Audiences know that these real life heroes would return from war adorned with medals for their valor. Yet, they would go back to a life of segregation and discrimination that would not ease for decades to come. In one particular scene, the hope of a future that could be is expertly captured. After securing the safe mission of a legion of bombers, the crew of those massive planes sees the Red Tails, as they are called because of their planes' red tails, outside an officer’s club. Where previously one of the Tuskegee airmen got in a bar fight for trying to enter the all-white club, they are now taken in and bought drinks. The moments inside that bar where the two races share drinks and war stories give us a glimpse into the future that might be, and that is Red Tails' greatest triumph.

They say that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat its failures. Witnessing those intimate moments in that bar between men who are soldiers first, and white and black men second, provides that lesson learned and is the greatest of Red Tails' merits.

Full-on action is represented in Haywire, sci-fi gets its due in Underworld Awakening and Red Tails, an important lesson in American history, all headline this week’s edition of the weekend movie preview.

Haywire: Steven Soderbergh’s first foray in the action movie genre hits a home run in a film that announces the arrival of a new star in Gina Carano. As Soderbergh always does, he scores a superstar ensemble cast in Haywire including Antonio Banderas, Ewan McGregor, Channing Tatum and Michael Douglas in the story of a highly trained operative (Carano) who is betrayed and comes back to seek vengeance. Check out our Haywire review for more on this outstanding film.

Haywire Trailer 3

Red Tails: George Lucas serves as executive producer in the true life tale of the World War II Tuskegee airmen and their heroic efforts to turn the tide of the war. Like Haywire, Red Tails possesses an ensemble cast, led by Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding Jr. The air fighting sequences are beyond impressive and its lessons are many. As we state in our Red Tails review, the movie shows how history can soar.

Red Tails Trailer

Underworld Awakening: Kate Beckinsale is back in black in the fourth installment of the Underworld franchise. The actress’ character Selene awakes in a landscape that finds that humans have discovered the vampires and their adversaries the Lycans and have launched an all-out effort to eradicate both. Don't miss our Underworld Awakening review for more.

Underworld Awakening Trailer 3

Ewan McGregor never got to play England’s greatest cinematic spy, but when he got the script for Haywire, he figured it was pretty close. “There was a spy element, what it is like to be an undercover spy -- James Bond,” he said and smiled as Movie Fanatic spoke with the Irish actor recently. But, that wasn’t the only selling point. It had star-making potential for Gina Carano and it was directed by Steven Soderbergh.

“At the center of it is this incredible strong female lead, which is unusual in a film like this. It was very intriguing, and for me personally, the opportunity to work with Steven was very strong. He's a filmmaker who is on all of our lists, in terms of people you really want to work with.”

McGregor could not believe the utter professionalism of Carano and was amazed that she was making her movie debut. “I felt there was a complete ease, working together. So it was seamless really. It never crossed my mind,” he said. “I never felt that I was working with somebody that was doing their first job. I knew that going in, and then it never crossed my mind really.”

His hand-to-hand battle scene with the former MMA star was unlike what any of the other actors experienced, such as Channing Tatum. “I think my fight is very different. I'm fighting for my life. Channing is instigating, I'm defending. My Kenneth would not really, in reality, have lasted that long,” McGregor said and laughed.

The actor was never worried about going toe-to-toe with Carano in those Haywire fight scenes. She is a pro, after all. “We were in very safe hands with Gina because she's so precise. I really never felt there was ever an issue or worry to get hurt. The only time I did get hurt was when I accidentally punched Gina in the head. I had three punches. One, two, and the third punch had to go right over Gina's head and I messed it up. I punched her solidly right in the side of her head, and she came straight up to me and said, ‘Are you okay?’ And I was trying to be very butch, ‘Yeah, I'm fine.’”

In fact, he wasn’t. “I had broken three fingers, and Gina didn't feel a thing,” McGregor said with a chuckle. 

Haywire Trailer 2

The actor’s first scenes in Haywire (don't miss our review) immediately showed him that Carano came to play, as a thespian to be taken seriously. “We had a very long scene. We had this long walk down the staircase, all one shot, 'til we walk over to this handrail which reveals all of Barcelona below. It was a lot of dialogue and there was no cut, so we had to get it right from start to finish, and she just nailed it over and over again. It was never a worry.”

Riddick has begun its shoot and to celebrate, Vin Diesel posted a photo of himself as the titular hero on his Facebook page.

Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick director David Twohy is back at the helm for the latest adventure of our favorite alien outlaw-hero. Sci-fi fans were thrilled with the return of Riddick to the big screen, not the least of which is because Battlestar Galactica star Katee Sackoff is in the cast.

The story of Riddick, from what we can discern from sources, follows Diesel’s character after he was left for dead on a desolate planet by his fellow kind. He must fight for survival against the planet’s alien species and when word gets out that he is alive, bounty hunters arrive from across the galaxy to finish the job and kill Riddick once and for all.

It’s time to start the music as The Muppets are coming home on Blu-Ray and DVD. Jason Segel stars and co-wrote the franchise’s reboot with Nick Stoller (check out our exclusive interview). The film arrived in November 2011 to great fanfare and now you can witness it at home when it debuts March 20.

An added treat offered in the Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack is the full soundtrack! What else can fans expect from The Muppets home video?

For one, Disney is introducing a new feature to the Blu-Ray library called “Disney Intermission” that allows viewers to pause the film and have the Muppets characters appear on the screen and entertain until the movie is continued.

A slew of behind-the-scenes extras are featured as is a hilarious blooper reel. According to the film’s stars, this is the moment Muppets fans have been waiting for.

“Blu-ray is a great way to bring the Muppets into your home without having to worry about cleaning up after us,” said Kermit the Frog. “The behind-the-scenes extras are a revealing tell-all look at what it took to bring our movie to the big screen. It’s a must-see for fans of bloopers, flubs and slip-ups – which pretty much describes our act.”

Miss Piggy, never one to keep her opinions to herself, adds her two cents. “Now you can watch moi whenever you want! Ooh! Lucky vous!”

Underworld Awakening marks the return of Kate Beckinsale as the Death Dealer Selene after she sat out the third film, which served as a series prequel. She, yes, awakes at the beginning of the latest film and it is established that she has been out cold for 12 years. The mystery of how she escaped the Antigen corporation facility lies at the heart of the film’s plot.

Audiences discover that humans have learned of the vampire and Lycan species and they have embarked on what appears to be a successful campaign to rid the world of the non-humans. The only thing is Antigen, who was charged with leading the systematic extermination, kept a few non-humans (Selene and this mystery individual) for tests to determine if they can find a “cure” for the “disease” that turns humans into otherworldly beings.

And there are still Lycans around as Selene learns real quick after escaping the facility. In fact, there are werewolves out there that are unlike anything she has battled previously.

The star of the film and its best asset is Beckinsale. She is in her best kick-ass mode and does not disappoint. If you had asked us if the British actress’ most phenomenal work would be in a supernatural movie series when she first emerged from the U.K., we would have laughed. But Beckinsale owns this part, and thus the film series. The third film suffered in her absence and her return in the fourth is its saving grace. Where in Contraband, she was merely a wallflower, we would adore seeing her in more roles where she can extol justice and let her brilliance shine.

Director Bjorn Stein’s 3D film, which is also available in 2D, moves at a decent enough pace. But it falters in that the plot is honestly all over the place. We learn 20 minutes in about the mystery individual who helped Selene escape and their role in the Underworld Awakening storyline. But the emotional attachment that is attempted to be established between Selene and this person never takes hold.

Other cast members do their best as well to bring what could be a poor movie into the regions of mediocre to solid. Theo James’ David and Michael Ealy’s Detective Sebastian shine in their respective roles and the film even sports an Oscar nominee in Stephen Rea as the head of Antigen, Dr. Jacob Lane. His character’s secret is the one great surprise of the film and Underworld fans will delight when it has its big reveal.

Underworld Awakening Trailer

Underworld Awakening is clearly made for fans of the series and for that, they will be joyous. It is the best film in the franchise since the first one debuted in 2003. Its 3D is an added bonus for Underworld aficionados. To see this world first crafted by Beckinsale’s husband, director Len Wiseman, in three dimensions is another pleasantry for the Underworld nation.

For everyone else -- or even people who “kind of like” the series -- Awakening is a slight letdown in terms of cinematic value. But again, this film is not for the masses. It is for those who have made the series hundreds of millions of dollars in the last nine years. Those moviegoers should get in line and with Selene back in action, they’ll be glad they did.

Man on a Ledge is the thriller that Movie Fanatic has called “wildly original” in the film's latest TV ads and features Sam Worthington as an innocent man who has been pushed too far. Nick Cassidy (Worthington) was falsely accused of a crime and has come back with a vengeance to not only seek justice for himself, but also put those responsible for his predicament behind bars. Summit Entertainment has just released a new extended trailer giving audiences even more to chew on as the film is set to premiere January 27.

Extended Man on a Ledge Trailer

Man on a Ledge features an all-star cast including Elizabeth Banks, Ed Burns, Anthony Mackie, Jamie Bell, Kyra Sedgwick and Ed Harris.

The Avengers’ release date is crawling closer and the U.K.’s Empire magazine has rolled out some new photos and a series of character covers. It seems like it has been a while since The Avengers trailer debuted (we need a new one Marvel!), but to keep fans' fires burning, the film gives us more visuals from the May 4 release.

Check out the additional photos below as well as the covers of the mag that are devoted to Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Captain America (Chris Evans).

March 2 brings us a new adventure from the wildly creative mind of Dr. Seuss as The Lorax debuts on screens. Universal Pictures has released the first TV trailer for the film that features the vocal talents of Danny DeVito, Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, Rob Riggle and Betty White.

The Lorax TV Trailer

The animated flick follows the efforts of a particularly interesting 12-year-old boy as he searches for the magic ingredient that will make him irresistible to the girl on whom he has a massive crush.

Jason Segel and Ed Helms starring in the same comedy? Sign us up! The first trailer for Jeff Who Lives at Home has arrived and judging by the teaser, Segel and Helms have comic chemistry in droves. The film also stars Susan Sarandon and Judy Greer and is from the directing duo of brothers Jay and Mark Duplass (Cyrus). Look for the flick March 16.

Jeff Who Lives at Home Trailer

Paramount Vantage also released the Jeff Who Lives at Home official synopsis:

On his way to the store to buy wood glue, Jeff looks for signs from the universe to determine his path. However, a series of comedic and unexpected events leads him to cross paths with his family in the strangest of locations and circumstances. Jeff just may find the meaning of his life... and if he's lucky, pick up the wood glue as well.

Stephenie Meyer’s first non-Twilight book, The Host, is heading to the big screen and today has added another star. Diane Kruger joins the ensemble that already includes Saoirse Ronan and Max Irons.

The Host landed on shelves in 2008 and became a blockbuster. It was the author’s first effort at a novel that did not include Edward and Bella and her fans responded extraordinarily by helping the book stay on the bestseller charts for over a year.

The story concerns itself with how love and the human spirit can endure, despite the onslaught of war. Aliens have invaded and humans have literally become their “hosts” by losing their bodies to the colonizers. Most of the human race find themselves living in this manner, but a few “wild” souls have managed to escape alien occupation of their bodies and it is through them that the war against the invaders will be won or lost.

Early reports from Open Road Films has the movie landing in theaters March 29, 2013.

While talking to the press at the Winter Television Critics Association (TCA) gathering for his show Wilfred, questions naturally drifted towards The Hobbit for star Elijah Wood. Peter Jackson has returned to Middle Earth for the prequel to J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy and now Wood gives us some new insight as the man returns to playing Frodo.

The first thing that struck Wood was Jackson’s use of 3D cameras to bring Tolkien’s world to audiences. "It’s totally amazing. It’s really cool to see the 3D on set, and to know what the images ultimately look like. The technology is so good now,” Wood said.

The actor also reported that getting a feel for what you were shooting as an actor has never been more effective than as Jackson is employing on The Hobbit set. “I remember, years ago, video assist was really rudimentary and watching playback was so rudimentary. It only gave you a sense of what the image was really going to look like, especially when you were shooting on film and getting a video feed. Until you actually see dailies, you can’t see what the image looks like,” Wood added. “Now, because The Hobbit is being shot digitally, we’re seeing a full HD image, in 3D, pretty much exactly as it’s going to look when it’s thrown up onto a big screen. That’s amazing! And, it takes a lot of the guesswork out of it.”

Wood also stressed that, although technology has grown, success has infused the prequels with some comforts that the original three movies did not have -- but at the end of the day it’s still about Jackson’s vision and bringing a beloved story to life.

“The thing that’s great about The Hobbit is that, returning to that space, it’s largely the same group of people who had made The Lord of the Rings -- a lot of the same crew members and creative heads of departments,” Wood said. “I was definitely aware of the fact that there were more trucks now and more trailers, and the production feels larger in scale. On a technological level, obviously that’s a huge part of it, as well. But, at the end of the day, it’s still the same group of people, making it very much in the same spirit as The Lord of the Rings, so that intimacy and that family aspect on set is still the same.”

Although his role in The Hobbit is minor, he clearly appreciated his return to the Shire. “My involvement is so small. It was a gift to go back and return. I was in Hobbiton again, for the first time in 11 years. I turned 19 in Hobbiton. I’m 30 now. That put a lot of things into perspective,” Wood said and smiled. “It was beautiful. It was just beautiful to go back. I only worked a small amount when I was there. I was there for a month, and the majority of my time was just going to set every day and meeting a lot of the new cast members, catching up with old friends, and being in Wellington again. It feels like home, and those people feel like extended family to me. It was such a treat to go back. It was awesome!”

Movie Fanatic has been following any news we can get on the upcoming 24 movie, including the word that filming should begin in April. Star Kiefer Sutherland was talking to the Television Critics Association about his new Fox show Touch and didn’t have much more to say about 24, but… we’ll take it.

“The status on the movie is that, hopefully, we will be shooting the end of April, beginning of May,” Sutherland said. The actor said he sees the movie as a continuation of the hit series that closed out after seven seasons. “The script that we’ve got right now, which I’m very, very excited about, is relatively a direct continuation. It’s within six months from the end of the last episode. We’ll see where it goes from there.”

Lastly, he answered the question all 24 fans have: How will the film handle the real-time aspect of the hit show? "It’s two hours, representing 24 hours. The movie is not in real time,” Sutherland said. “It’s a two-hour representation of a 24-hour day.”

The Academy Award nominations have been announced for its 84th annual celebration of film and the clear leaders are The Artist and The Descendants. The twin winners for Best Drama and Best Musical/Comedy of the Golden Globes are set to face off for Best Picture when the Oscars are doled out February 26.

Jennifer Lawrence and Academy president Tom Sherak made the announcement this morning in Hollywood and there were few surprises, save the inclusion of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close on the Best Picture list and its nomination for Best Supporting Actor for Max von Sydow. Although one could argue that Hugo was actually the big winner and that was a huge surprise. It leads with 11 nominations to The Artist's 10. But, most people in Hollywood -- and Movie Fanatic agrees -- believe this contest is between The Artist and The Descendants.

Early snub thoughts (be sure to stay with Movie Fanatic all day for our Oscar analysis) include Bridesmaids being left off the Best Picture roster, although its inclusion of Melissa McCarthy for Best Supporting Actress and Kristen Wiig and writing partner Annie Mumolo’s nod for Best Original Screenplay was a complete joy. We have all heard more times than we care to remember… Oscar doesn’t appreciate comedies, thus Bridesmaids lack of Best Picture love.

And as a huge fan of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Movie Fanatic is thrilled with Rooney Mara’s inclusion in the Best Actress race.

Without further ado, here are the nominations for the 84th Academy Awards:

Best Picture
The Artist
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
The Descendants
The Help
Midnight in Paris
War Horse
Hugo
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Best Actor
George Clooney, The Descendants
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Demian Bichir, A Better Life

Best Actress
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
Viola Davis, The Help
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Best Supporting Actor
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Best Supporting Actress
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Berenice Bejo, The Artist

Best Director
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Michel Hazanvicius, The Artist
Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life

Best Adapted Screenplay
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Ides of March
The Descendants
Hugo
Moneyball
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Best Original Screenplay
Midnight in Paris
The Artist
Bridesmaids
Margin Call
A Separation

Best Foreign Film
A Separation
Bullhead
Footnote
In Darkness
Monsieur Lazhar

Documentary Feature
Hell and Back Again
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated

Film Editing
The Artist
The Descendants
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball

Documentary Short
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
God is Bigger Elvis
Incident in New Baghdad
Saving Face
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom

Best Animated Film
Rango
A Cat in Paris
Chico and Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots

Best Cinematography
The Artist
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
The Tree of Life
War Horse

Best Art Direction
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
War Horse

Costume Design
Anonymous
The Artist
Hugo
Jane Eyre
W.E.

Makeup
Albert Nobbs
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
The Iron Lady

Best Score
The Adventures of Tintin
The Artist
Hugo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse

Best Song
Man or Muppet, The Muppets
Real in Rio, Rio

Short Film (Animated)
Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life

Short Film
Pentecost
Raju
The Shore
Time Freak
Tuba Atlantic

Sound Editing
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Transformers Dark of the Moon
War Horse

Sound Mixing
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball
Transformers Dark of the Moon
War Horse

Visual Effects
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Real Steel
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers Dark of the Moon

The Oscar nominations have been announced and there were a fair share of snubs and surprises, including the absence of Tilda Swinton for Best Actress for We Need to Talk About Kevin and let’s not ignore that there were only two nominees for Best Song! We think Bridesmaids being left off Best Picture is a snub, but in a weird way, having Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig declared “Oscar nominees” for that film is one of the biggest surprises.

Snubs:
Throughout the award season, besides Viola Davis and Meryl Streep, one name remained constant on everyone’s list of Best Actress nominees: Tilda Swinton. Her work on We Need to Talk About Kevin was astounding, but perhaps the Academy felt that the movie itself was too dark. The Oscar winner played a mother of a killer. Too much? We’re guessing so.

As we said earlier, Movie Fanatic is also surprised by Bridesmaids being left off the Best Picture nomination roll. Yet, Oscar does not traditionally reward comedies and thus why it is time for a separate category for Best Comedy. The Golden Globes does it and Oscar should too. The film was on hundreds of Top 10 Movies of 2011 lists -- including ours -- and in my opinion, should have been the tenth film nominated film for Best Picture.

Some may say that Leonardo DiCaprio being left off the Best Actor list for his role in J. Edgar is a snub. Perhaps it is a minor one as the film was average and that most likely hurt Leo’s chance of being an Oscar nominee in 2012.

Michael Fassbender had a phenomenal year, especially with his work on Shame and A Dangerous Method. He did not receive a single nomination for an astounding body of work in 2011. That could be because of several factors: The Academy saw this as a breakout year for an actor that will surely be nominated someday and the field was too crowded to include him.

Also missing from the Best Actor list was Ryan Gosling for his work on The Ides of March. He scored a Golden Globe nod for his work, but Oscar gave him the cold shoulder. Gosling's co-star in Drive, Albert Brooks, should have received a Best Supporting Actor nomination, but alas... he did not.

You could call War Horse earning an Oscar nomination for Best Picture and its director, Steven Spielberg, being left off the director’s nominees a snub for sure. Also, the fact that his The Adventures of Tintin failed to secure a Best Animated Feature nod is a huge snub.

Surprises:
Topping our list of surprises is the nomination for Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo for Best Original Screenplay for Bridesmaids. McCarthy’s notice for Best Supporting Actress is awesome, but not quite a surprise given the year she has had. But, the fact that Wiig can now add Oscar nominee to her resume is a huge shock.

The biggest surprise was the inclusion of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close in Best Picture and its nomination for Max von Sydow for Best Supporting Actor. The film is astounding (check out our review) and both nods are more than deserved. When those two particular nominations were called, there were yells from the room of journalists, who are normally quite reserved at these functions!

A slight surprise comes in the Best Animated Feature category as a couple of below the radar films scored nods, A Cat in Paris and Chico & Rita.

Lastly, only two songs nominated for Best Song? We’re being thrilled at Man or Muppet getting its due for The Muppets and we feel it will win. But in a year with so many great animated movies sporting some stellar soundtracks and The Academy only awards two with a nomination? Now… that may be the biggest surprise at all. At least the song performance part of the already too long show will help keep the night short.

After starring in eight Harry Potter films, conquering Broadway in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and scaring up things on screen in the upcoming Woman in Black, what will Daniel Radcliffe do next? Would you believe star as iconic poet Alan Ginsberg? According to the actor, that’s exactly it.

"It's one of the things that's on the table absolutely,” Radcliffe told MTV News. “It would be amazing and I'm very, very enthused for that script and that young director.”

That young director he’s referring to is John Krokidas and the film will be called Kill Your Darlings. The film also stars Elizabeth Olsen and follows the story about how Beat Generation legends Jack Kerouac, Ginsberg and Lucien Carr first become friends.

"It's welcome to the world of independent film,” Radcliffe said of the unique filming landscape. “From one day to the next it could happen or not happen. Until I'm there on the set, I'm not going to say anything about it."

With Radcliffe and Olsen attached, independent film or not, Kill Your Darlings will happen… mark Movie Fanatic’s words!

Back in April of 2011, Movie Fanatic reported on Keanu Reeves’ speaking out on the possibility of a Bill and Ted 3. Reeves even stated that a script was “six weeks away.” Well, much like a phone booth passing through time, it's been almost a year since those fateful comments and according to Reeves’ Bill and Ted co-star Alex Winter, don’t hold your breath.

"I don't know. In all frankness, it's just a slow universe. It took us fifteen years to come up with an idea that we thought we'd want to do. We is just me and Keanu and Chris (Matheson) and Ed (Solomon) and we're all really close friends,” Winter said. “We talk about it from time to time and we see each other a lot anyway. It's always like, 'Is there anything there to do? Is there a 'there' there?' A couple years ago, we were having dinner and we came up with an idea which has evolved over the years that we thought was really great. And we spent another year developing it just the four of us. Then Chris and Ed spent another year writing it. And the script only got finished two months ago and it's really green. It's the beginning of what could be nothing, frankly.”

Is Reeves simply having fun with the Bill and Ted nation that would relish the idea of a third film in the series? According to Winter, most likely.

“There's hoopla because frickin' Reeves keeps blathering about it. Every time he's interviewed he talks about it and he's one of my closest friends and I love him dearly, but I think he's got a very post-modern sense of humor. I think he's doing it partially just to (expletive) with people. We wrote a script. We like it. We don't really even have the rights. Well, we kinda have the rights.”

Not exactly the endorsement Bill and Ted fans would like to hear about a third go-around of the comic duo. “There's a long road of crap we have to deal with before it ever, if it ever, becomes a movie. I can tell you that Chris and Ed are really great writers and the script is fantastic so it would be fun to do.”

Although we awoke before the sun came up to learn of the Academy Award nominations, it didn’t take long for those nominated to let their feelings be known. Nominee for Best Picture producer and Best Actor, Brad Pitt immediately phoned The Today Show and his joy was palpable. “We're ecstatic over here. It means so much considering this film was just dead on the rocks two years ago," Pitt said. "It took a lot of people to get it to the screen. It's a great honor. I'm really happy."


Pitt continued as he said how thrilled he was for his co-star and first-time nominee. "I'm so happy for Jonah Hill,” he added.

The superstar was also clearly surprised at the Oscar love given another film of his from 2011. “I'm doubly happy that Tree of Life made it in there. We thought we were all but forgotten; just excited for (director and nominee) Terry Malick.”

Jonah Hill, Pitt’s Moneyball co-star and nominee for Best Supporting Actor, wasted no time in shooting the love right back at Pitt. “I am so humbled, appreciative and in shock about this incredible honor. I’d like to thank the Academy, Sony Pictures, the cast and crew of Moneyball, Brad Pitt, and, most of all, our brilliant director Bennett Miller.”

Gary Oldman, nominee for Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, sent Movie Fanatic a statement through Focus Features letting his feelings be known on the honor. “This afternoon in Berlin I have learned that I was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Actor. You may have heard this before, but it has never been truer than it is for me today, it is extremely humbling, gratifying, and delightful to have your work recognized by the Academy, and to join the celebrated ranks of previous nominees and colleagues,” Oldman said. “Amazing.”

Meryl Streep, an early favorite to grab her third Oscar for The Iron Lady was her usual selfless soul when she stated, “I am honored to be in company with such beautiful artists, and touched deeply by my fellow actors for their generosity in giving me this acknowledgment.”

My Week with Marilyn Best Supporting Actor nominee Kenneth Branagh reflected on his nod by extolling his honor in portraying his real life character. “It was a rare honor to play Sir Laurence Olivier. To be recognized by the Academy for doing so is overwhelming,” he said. “I’m absolutely thrilled.”
 
The nomination leader was Hugo, which earned 11 including a Best Director nod for helmer Martin Scorsese. The winner of Best Director for 2006’s The Departed was clearly as moved with the 2012 nod as he was with winning a few short years ago. “I am deeply honored to have been nominated by the Academy for my work on Hugo. Every picture is a challenge, and this one -- where I was working with 3D, HD and Sacha Baron Cohen for the first time -- was no exception,” Scorsese said. “It’s a wonderful feeling to know that you’ve been recognized by the people in your industry. I congratulate my fellow nominees. It’s an impressive list, and I’m in excellent company.”

Lastly, we have the always classy Viola Davis, who earned her nod for her stellar work on The Help. “This second nomination will affect my career even more than the first one. Honestly, I can't wait to get back to doing what I love: Acting,” she said. Like Pitt with Tree of Life, she was also thrilled for a smaller film in which she appeared and its honor. “I'm also incredibly happy that Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was nominated for Best Picture. It was the last film called and I was just thrilled, I really was. We often honor films that are technically proficient, but not necessarily coming from the heart. I always love the underdog story, the dark horse that comes out of nowhere. It proves you can't predict what reaches people.”

When Liam Neeson is spotted on a Batman set, one begins to wonder. It was July and Christopher Nolan was filming his The Dark Knight Rises and insiders had Neeson on the scene, literally. But does that mean the actor is in the film? The star of the upcoming The Grey (check out the trailer) has finally commented on the issue, and no, it does not clear anything up.

"I can tell you nothing about Dark Knight Rises, seriously. I was on set for maybe an hour-and-a-half and the director didn't tell me anything of what it's about," Neeson said recently. "So, I'm being very honest when I say I have no idea what's going to happen."

Neeson portrayed Batman Begins' Henri Ducard, aka the villain Ra's al Ghul, and some sources inside Dark Knight Rises have him returning to the role. Time will tell, no?

Stay with Movie Fanatic for our exclusive video interview with Neeson going live January 25!

It’s amazing what an Academy Award nomination can do, just ask the producers of Rango. The animated Johnny Depp-starring film about a plucky chameleon is heading back to the big screen.  Rango comes back to theaters for a limited one-week release beginning January 27.

Depp isn’t the only fantastic voice talent in the cast. He is joined by Justified star Timothy Olyphant, Isla Fisher, Bill Nighy, Alfred Molina and Abigail Breslin.

It is Movie Fanatic’s “should win” for an Oscar, although we’re not sure it will win. Stay tuned for our predictions.