Hollywood Headlines 7/23/13

Over the course of the past week things have been stirring in Hollywood. First and foremost, geek-loyal fans of Star Wars can climb off of the tall bridges and building ledges as Lucasfilm has officially denounced the wide-spread rumors that director J.J. Abrams was jumping ship on Star Wars: Episode VII (more info here courtesy of Indiewire.com). Until Abrams confirms anything, it's safe to assume that he will helm the beloved franchises next installment.

Despite the fact that Man of Steel premiered this summer to mixed reviews, director Zack Snyder wasted no time generating buzz for the film's sequel. While a follow-up feature was quickly assumed after the movie's enormous opening weekend, Snyder upped the ante by confirming that his Superman sequel will also feature the DC character, Batman. By the hints floating around Comic-Con, the next addition will be billed something along the lines of Superman vs Batman ... yes, a battle between the two heroes (more info here courtesy of Entertainment Weekly). Furthermore, it's been reported that the DC hero Flash will receive his own film in 2016 and a Justice League super-installment in 2017.

When word broke that funny-man Sacha Baron Cohen would tackle the flamboyant role of rock-star Freddie Mercury in an upcoming biopic about the Queen vocalist, I was legitimately excited. However, Baron has officially dropped off of the film and rumors are circulating that it has to do with a clash between Mercury's former band members and their desire for a cleaner and more refined PG-13 project (more info here courtesy of Indiewire.com). With an Oscar-bait collection of writers and possible directors, Cohen must have been really upset if he walked away from this potential Best Actor opportunity. 

Finally, Harvey Weinstein's well documented dispute with the MPAA and their decision to refuse The Weinstein Company the rights to name their upcoming release, The Butler, after rival company Warner Bros. argued ownership of the title (from an outdated comedy short) has come to an end. After taking his case to the court of public opinion with an outspoken campaign against the initial decision, the MPAA has decided to overturn their ruling ... well, sort of. The feature, which will most likely be titled Lee Daniels' The Butler, has been given the permission to use the word "butler" in the title (more info here courtesy of Indiewire.com). While this petty foul play between rival companies is clearly entertaining, truth is the bickering does nothing to benefit the industry whatsoever.