Warner Bros. will release both J. Edgar and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close in 2011...

...putting them square in the Oscar race (and proving me right in heavily favoring them in my early predictions...huzzah). The Playlist has the details:

With The Weinstein Company busy over the last few weeks getting their Oscar season in order, Warner Bros. is following suit setting (vague) dates for two of their big prestige films of the year.

First up, Clint Eastwood‘s “J. Edgar” will hit theaters in a to be determined date in October. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as former FBI director J. Edgar Hoover and he’s got a great supporting cast around him. b> Armie Hammer, the breakout star of “The Social Network,” will play Clyde Tolson, Hoover’s assistant/lover, while Naomi Watts will play Helen Gandy, Hoover’s personal secretary. The film will also star Judi Dench, Stephen Root, Ed Westwick, and Josh Lucas. Of course, the big question is not if the film will be Oscar bait, but just what categories in can contend in. Even “Hereafter,” released in the same frame last year largely to muted reviews, wound up with an nomination for Visual Effects so anything is possible.

Next up, is Stephen Daldry‘s “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” and with Warner Bros setting it for sometime in December, they are clearing putting most of their Oscar push behind this one. Based on the book by Jonathan Safran Foer, the story focuses on Oskar Schell, a nine-year-old boy from Manhattan whose father died on 9/11. Two years later, the boy discovers a key belonging to his father, which sends him on a search through the city. Newcomer Thomas Horn will play Oskar, with Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks as his parents, and John Goodman as a doorman who aids Schell on his quest. Viola Davis, Jeffrey Wright, Max Von Sydow and James Gandolfini round out the cast.

Best selling and critically acclaimed book + three time Best Director Oscar nominee + five time nominee and two-time Oscar winning actor + Best Actress winner = instant awards horse. They would have to screw the pooch pretty hard to mess this one up.

But if all this Oscar talk is boring you to tears, and you just want some big dumb noise, “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”—IN 3D! WOO!—has now been set for October 5, 2012 release.

-Joey's Two Cents: Mark your calendars now...thoughts?

Flixter and Rotten Tomatoes get bought...by a movie studio?

From Deadline:

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group today announced an agreement to acquire Flixster, the movie discovery application company with over 25 million worldwide users per month. The acquisition also includes Rotten Tomatoes website devoted to film reviews, information and news. Under the terms of the deal, Flixster will continue to operate independently and will expand its services beyond movie discovery to enable digital content ownership and delivery across any connected digital device.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group will utilize the Flixster brand and technical expertise to launch a number of initiatives designed to grow digital content ownership, including the recently announced consumer application “Digital Everywhere.” This studio-agnostic application will be the ultimate destination for consumers to organize and access their entire digital library from anywhere on the device of their choice, as well as to share recommendations and discover new content. The Flixster acquisition and “Digital Everywhere,” combined with the Studio’s support of the UltraViolet format are all part of an overall strategy to give consumers even more freedom, utility and value for their digital purchases.

“Driving the growth of digital ownership is a central, strategic focus for Warner Bros.,” said Kevin Tsujihara, President, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group and Office of the President, Warner Bros. Entertainment. “The acquisition of Flixster will allow us to advance that strategy and promote initiatives that will help grow digital ownership.”

Flixster is currently the number one movie discovery application on mobile platforms with over 35 million downloads to date, including Android, Blackberry and iPad, and ranks among the most downloaded of all iPhone apps. Rotten Tomatoes is one of the most trusted and influential brands in movie reviews with over 12 million unique visitors per month. Flixster and Rotten Tomatoes will remain fully independent. The Flixster team will stay in San Francisco and the Rotten Tomatoes team will continue to work autonomously in Los Angeles.

“We’re thrilled that Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group shares our vision for how ‘anytime, anywhere’ digital entertainment can become an amazing user experience,” said Joe Greenstein, co-founder and CEO of Flixster. “We’re excited that Warner was willing to make this kind of commitment to a leading independent consumer platform. We look forward to working with Warner as well as each of the other studios to innovate and build products that users will love.”

-Joey's Two Cents: I highly doubt there will suddenly be an influx of good reviews for Warner flicks, but you never know...thoughts?

John Cryer and Angus T. Jones to Star in New ‘Two and a Half Men’ without Charlie Sheen – Confirmed

It has been a brutal two months for Chuck Lorre.

Charlie Sheen was fired from his show “Two and a Half Men”, the remaining season was cancelled, and the future of the sitcom was unknown.

While there has been some speculation and many great ideas floated about, we didn’t really know anything solid – until now.

The Inquisitr is reporting that Chuck Lorre has confirmed to them that the remaining parts of the eighth season, and any new shows from that point on, will now focus on Jon Cryer and Angus T. Jones character while a possible new character may be introduced.

It’s official – “Two and A Half Men” is BACK!

This was what we were hoping for all along. We knew there had to be a way to keep the show going, and Cryer and Jones are the perfect match to bridge any transition in plot.

One insider said,

“They already have the set, a group of actors with contracts, an audience, and a place to start a new plot. They would have been fools to not try and keep it going – even if it was for just one season to see how it goes. They could have a bigger hit on their hands now than they did with the old show and Sheen. Charlie thinks he’s indispensable – but he’s not.”

The deal most certainly looked attractive to both Cryer and Jones. Sheen was pulling in $1.8 million per episode, Cryer was earning $550k, and Angus (Jake) was making $350k per show.

With Sheen’s salary expense out of the way, producers can afford to spread that love around a little more to the remaining cast and crew – everybody wins.

Except Uncle Charlie.

While it is not clear what impact Sheen’s $100 million lawsuit against Chuck Lorre, CBS and Warner Brothers will have on the shows finances, some smart legal people tell us that Charlie will probably not prevail.

So let’s bring the show back with Jon Cryer and Angus T. Jones as the new leads, and weave in larger roles for Herb Melnick (Ryan Stiles), Berta (Conchata Ferrell), Rose (Melanie Lynskey), and of course mother Evelyn (Holland Taylor).

That’s all we ever wanted. We don’t need Charlie Sheen anymore.

Go Chuck Lorre!

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