Category Archives: Movie Adaptations

Be Prepared To Meet The Ghostman As It Comes To Theaters

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Warner Bros. has acquired the film rights to the debt novel from 23-year old author Roger Hobbs. The novel, entitled The Ghostman was drafted and written while Hobbs was still in college. Variety has reported that the studio would begin adapting the book with a projected release day of early next year.

The novel has yet to be released, but is set to arrive stateside later this year.

The official description of the novel is as follows:

Jack Delton is a hard man to get hold of. There are maybe thirty people who know he exists. Not all of them believe he is still alive. And only one of them knows his real name. So when he gets the email he knows whatever it is, it’s going to be bad. Marcus Fairlan and Jack used to work together. Until they had a falling out, after which Jack assumed the only reason Marcus would want to find him would be to kill him. It turns out it’s worse than that. Marcus bankrolled a casino heist that has just gone spectacularly wrong, leaving a parking lot full of bodies and an armed and dangerous crackhead named Jerome Ribbons gone AWOL with a million dollars in cash. Marcus had the money earmarked for a major drug deal, and if he doesn’t deliver, not only is the deal going down the tubes, but the man known as The Wolf is going to come looking for him. To make things right with Marcus, Jack needs to locate Ribbons, get the money and make the delivery. All in just 24 hours. Even for a man with Jack’s resources, it’s a tall order. Especially when he has a funny feeling the whole thing is a set-up…

So far there is no one attached the star in the adaptation. Kevin McCormick will produce the film through his production company Langley Park.

 

First Official Poster For The Host Revealed

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The Host, the upcoming adaptation of the 2008 novel written by Twilight author, Stephenie Meyer, has finally revealed its official poster which you can see above.

Meyer’s novel and the upcoming film is a little more sci-fi than her previous multimillion dollar franchise, Twilight. Here is an official description of the novel:

“The Host” is a riveting story about the survival of love and the human spirit in a time of war. Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact. Most of humanity has succumbed.

When Melanie, one of the few remaining “wild” humans, is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading “soul” who has been given Melanie’s body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too-vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn’t expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love.

The film is being produced by Open Road Films and is being directed by Andrew Niccol.

The Host cast, headed by Saoirse Ronan as the main character, includes:

  • Saoirse Ronan as Melanie Stryder/Wanderer
  • Max Irons as Jared Howe
  • Diane Kruger as The Seeker
  • Jake Abel as Ian O’Shea
  • Chandler Canterbury as Jamie Stryder
  • William Hurt as Jeb Stryder
  • Boyd Holbrook as Kyle O’Shea
  • Frances Fisher as Maggie Stryder
  • Scott Lawrence as Doc

The Host is expected to hit theaters on March 29th, 2013.

You can also see the trailer for the film below:

First Look at Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper in Serena

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The Hunger Games star, Jennifer Lawrence, has begun shooting her new project Serena in Prague. The film comes from 2929 and Studiocanal Productions, and she will star opposite of Bradley Cooper. Serena is based on on Rash’s acclaimed novel of the same name, which was a finalist for the 2009 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction.

We only have one photo from the adaptation, but frankly she looks gorgeous. I love the 1920’s look and she pulls off flawlessly.

The film follows newlyweds George (Cooper) and Serena Pemberton (Lawrence) who travel from Boston to the mountains of North Carolina where they begin to build a timber empire in 1929. Serena soon shows herself to be the equal of any man: overseeing crews, hunting rattle-snakes, even saving a man’s life in the wilderness. Together, this king and queen rule their dominion, killing or vanquishing all who stand in the way of their ambitions. But when Serena learns that she can never bear a child, she sets out to murder the woman who bore George a son before his marriage. And when she starts to suspect that George is protecting his illegitimate family, the Pembertons’ intense, passionate marriage begins to unravel as the story moves toward its shocking reckoning.

Serena is being directed by Susanne Bier with a screenplay from Christopher Kyle.

Along side Lawrence and Cooper, the film also features Toby Jones and Rhys Ifans.

We are very happy to be partnering with 2929 again,” said Olivier Courson, Chairman and CEO of Studiocanal. “Susanne Bier is a director we all greatly admire at Studiocanal, so to be able to finance and distribute her next film is a great pleasure for us. And like any filmgoer, we are very excited to see Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence together in this epic film.”

The film is produced by Ben Cosgrove, 2929 co-owners Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban, Chockstone Pictures’ Paula Mae Schwartz and Steve Schwartz, and Nick Wechsler via his Nick Wechsler Productions banner. Studiocanal co-financed the project with 2929 and is handling all foreign sales.

Producer Alex Kurtzman Talks Adapting Ender’s Game

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We love the Ender’s Game production blog, but its sometimes-updated ways are making us anxious for more information. Apparently, MTV felt the same and recently talked with producer Alex Kurtzman about the project.

Written by Orson Scott Card, the story is set in a future utopian version of Earth. It follows a young boy who is a strategist of the genius level who becomes drafted by the International Fleet to battle and destroy to Formics. Formics are a dangerous alien race that threaten mankind. And if Ender fails, then Earth will be gone forever.

“I’m really proud of the work everybody’s done on ‘Ender’s.’ Particularly because it’s a very complicated sprawling book that a lot of people have tried for a very long time to figure out how to make,” Kurtzman said.

He also talked with them about the difficulties of taking the original book, written by Orson Scott Card, and successfully transferring it to the big screen in a way that is understandable for all audiences.

“[Director] Gavin Hood, the minute that we read his script we realized that in a miraculous way he’d managed to distill down the essence of the book and the big moves to a very understandable clear format. He had made changes that were I think totally protective of the novel, he hasn’t changed any of the plot, it’s just about not being able to put all of it in one movie. He really distills it down to its essence in a beautiful way and that was an amazing thing to see. It’s an amazing thing to see the movie come to life because it’s such a special and different movie.”

It is not just the director, Gavin Hood, getting praised by Kurtzman. He also has nothing but great things to say about the cast of the adaptation which includes Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, and Abigail Breslin.

“Asa [Butterfield] is unbelievable in it. Hailee [Steinfeld] and Abigail [Breslin] are incredible. Harrison [Ford] and Viola [Davis] are just, they’re weirdly exactly what you imagined when you read the book, or at least I did,” he admitted. “It’s really going to be a special movie. We’re about halfway through it, maybe close to halfway but it’s been a wonderful shoot so far.”

“We’re just happy to support the vision of the book,” he added. “It’s such a treasured novel and it’s very rare that you get an opportunity to work on something like that so we were very psyched.”

Kurtzman definitely seems thrilled about the way the film is turning out. It will definitely be interesting to see how the film as a whole turns out as well as how scenes set in the Battle Room come together.

Upcoming Adaptations for April 2012

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Friday, April 20

The Moth Diaries

Rated: R

Rebecca (Sarah Bolger), is a young girl who, haunted by her father’s suicide, enrolls in an elite boarding school for girls. Before long, Rebecca’s friendship with the popular Lucy (Sarah Gadon) is shattered by the arrival of a dark and mysterious new student named Ernessa (Lily Cole). Lucy falls under Ernessa’s spell and becomes emotionally and physically consumed by her glamorous new friend. Rebecca, whose overtures of concern are rejected by Lucy, finds herself lost and confused. She begins to develop a crush on her handsome English teacher, Mr. Davies (Scott Speedman) and immerses herself in the Gothic vampire novel Carilla for his class. Rebecca starts to suspect that Ernessa is a vampire, but, despite the suspicious deaths that begin to occur, her fears are treated as simple girlish jealousy. As the bodies of young girls pile up and the line between reality and the supernatural starts to blur, Rebecca decides to take matters into her own hands and get rid of Ernessa.

Cast: Lily Cole, Sarah Gadon, Sarah Bolger, Scott Speedman, Judy Parfitt

Director: Mary Harron

Based on a novel by the same name by Rachel Klein.

 

Think Like a Man

Rated: PG-13

Think Like a Man follows four interconnected and diverse men whose love lives are shaken up after the ladies they are pursuing buy Harvey’s book and start taking his advice to heart. When the band of brothers realize they have been betrayed by one of their own, they conspire using the book’s insider information to turn the tables and teach the women a lesson of their own.

Cast: Steve Harvey, Gabrielle Union, Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy, Taraji P. Henson

Director: Tim Story

Based on Steve Harvey’s book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man.

Friday, April 27

The Raven

Rated: R

The macabre and lurid tales of Edgar Allan Poe are vividly brought to life – and death – in this stylish, gothic thriller starring John Cusack as the infamous author. When a madman begins committing horrific murders inspired by Poe’s darkest works, a young Baltimore detective (Luke Evans) joins forces with Poe in a quest to get inside the killer’s mind in order to stop him from making every one of Poe’s brutal stories a blood chilling reality. A deadly game of cat and mouse ensues, which escalates when Poe’s love (Alice Eve, She’s Out of My League) becomes the next target. Intrepid Pictures’ The Raven also stars Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges) and Oliver Jackson-Cohen (Faster).

Cast: John Cusack, Luke Evans, Brendan Gleeson, Alice Eve, Oliver Jackson-Cohen

Director: James McTeigue

Based on the stories written by Edgar Allen Poe

 

The Pirates! Band of Misfits

Rated: PG

Accompanied by his ragtag crew, an enthusiastic pirate captain (Hugh Grant) sails the high seas and dreams of besting his bitter rivals, Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek), in a quest to win the coveted title of Pirate of the Year. The captain’s quest takes him and his comrades from the exotic shores of Blood Island to Victorian London’s foggy streets. Along the way, they battle an evil queen (Imelda Staunton) and join forces with a young scientist (David Tennant).

Cast: Hugh Grant, Brendan Gleeson, Martin Freeman, David Tennant, Imelda Staunton

Director: Peter Lord

The film is based on the first two books from Gideon Defoe’s The Pirates! series, The Pirates! in an Adventure with Scientists and The Pirates! in an Adventure with Whaling.

Mark Wahlberg In Talks For Grisham’s The Partner

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Famed author John Grisham is finding that one of his most popular novels is getting new life on the big screen through New Regency. Currently, actor Mark Wahlberg is in talks with the studio to star in and producer the adaptation. He would be producing the film with Stephen Levinson.

John Lee Hancock was previously attached to write and direct at one point, but as of now he is no longer involved. Who the new writer and director has yet to be determined.

The 1997 novel follows a disillusioned lawyer who steals $90 million from his law firm. He then stages his own death and successfully is able to disappear for several years. But this seemingly brilliant white-collar crime gets complicated by a murder charge.

According to the official website the plot summary is as follows:

They watched Danilo Silva for days before they finally grabbed him. He was living alone, a quiet life on a shady street in Brazil; a simple life in a modest home, certainly not one of luxury. Certainly no evidence of the fortune they thought he had stolen. He was much thinner and his face had been altered. He spoke a different language, and spoke it very well.But Danilo had a past with many chapters. Four years earlier he had been Patrick Lanigan, a young partner in a prominent Biloxi law firm. He had a pretty wife, a new daughter, and a bright future. Then one cold winter night Patrick was trapped in a burning car and died a horrible death. When he was buried his casket held nothing more than his ashes.From a short distance away, Patrick watched his own burial. Then he fled. Six weeks later, a fortune was stolen from his ex-law firm’s offshore account. And Patrick fled some more.But they found him.”

New Regency’s Arnon Milchan previously brought a few of Grisham’s novels to the big screen such as  “A Time to Kill,” “The Client” and “Runaway Jury.”

There is no word yet on who will play any of the roles, but I think it is safe to say that if Wahlberg gets the part, this will definitely be a huge release for New Regency.

The best part of this is that we get to see a television spot for the book from when it was released in 1997. You can watch it below in all of its 90’s glory:

The Hunger Games, Gossip Girl Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2011

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Every year disgruntled parents and guardians, and even teachers, argue over new books and old books that teachers should not allow students to read in the classroom. It literally happens every year, so the American Library Association (ALA) released the The Top Ten List of Most Frequently Challenged Books, and they just released the list for 2011.

This year’s most anticipated blockbuster, The Hunger Games, sees its source material on the list, The Hunger Games trilogy written by Suzanne Collins. Some do not find this surprising as the book does feature young children and teens killing each other in a brutal reality television setting.

Also on the list is the book series, Gossip Girl, which inspired the CW television series.

It is no surprise that 2011 saw several attempts at book banning. The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) received 326 reports regarding attempts to remove or restrict materials from being taught in school curriculums as well as attempts to remove them from library bookshelves. According to the ALA a challenge is defined as a formal, written complaint filed with a library or school requesting that a book or other material be restricted or removed because of its content or appropriateness.

You can see the full list of The Top Ten List of Most Frequently Challenged Books for 2011 below:

1) ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle
Offensive language; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group

2) The Color of Earth (series), by Kim Dong Hwa
Nudity; sex education; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group

3) The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins
Anti-ethnic; anti-family; insensitivity; offensive language; occult/satanic; violence

4) My Mom’s Having A Baby! A Kid’s Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy, by Dori Hillestad Butler
Nudity; sex education; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group

5) The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
Offensive language; racism; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group

6) Alice (series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Nudity; offensive language; religious viewpoint

7) Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
Insensitivity; nudity; racism; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit

8) What My Mother Doesn’t Know, by Sonya Sones
Nudity; offensive language; sexually explicit

9) Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily Von Ziegesar
Drugs; offensive language; sexually explicit

10) To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
Offensive language; racism

Ender’s Game Release Date Delayed To November

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Summit Entertainment has moved Ender’s Game way back from March 15th 2013 to November 1, 2013. They haven’t said why the massive move happened despite the fact that the film was without competition on both release dates, and filming has already begun. However, November 2013 already has some big name films premiering such as Singularity, Marvel’s Thor 2 and the already highly anticipated The Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire all arriving within weeks of Ender’s Game. 

Written by Orson Scott Card, the story is set in a future utopian version of Earth. It follows a young boy who is a strategist of the genius level who becomes drafted by the International Fleet to battle and destroy to Formics. Formics are a dangerous alien race that threaten mankind. And if Ender fails, then Earth will be gone forever.

The cast, which includes several award winners, is as follows:

  • Asa Butterfield – Ender Wiggin
  • Harrison Ford – Colonel Hyrum Graff
  • Abigail Breslin – Valentine Wiggin
  • Hailee Steinfeld – Petra
  • Aramis Knight – Bean
  • Moises Arias – Bonzo
  • Jimmy Pinchak – Peter Wiggin
  • Suraj Parthasarathy – Alai
  • Conor Carroll – Bernard
  • Khylin Rhambo – Dink
  • Brandon Soo Hoo – Fly Molo
  • Ben Kingsley – Mazer Rackham
  • Viola Davis – Major Anderson
  • Caleb J. Thaggard – Stilson
  • Stevie Ray Dallimore – John Wiggin
  • Andrea Powell – Theresa Wiggin
  • Nonso Anozie – Sergeant Dap

 

Men in Black: Alien Crisis to Invade Games on May 25

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Activision has announced that Men in Black: Alien Crisis will hit the shelves on May 25.  This will be the same day as the release of Sony’s Men in Black 3; adapted from the the Men in Black comic books.  The news that has hit the net has been of the generic nature as no one seems to know what stance to take on the game.  There simply isn’t enough information to make an informed opinion.  Maybe consumers have become numb to the words of advertisement announcements.

Here’s some of the official announcement:

In Men In Black: Alien Crisis, players take on the role as Peter Delacoeur, a MIB Agent in training, assigned to unearth enemy aliens who are planning to destroy planet Earth. With hidden surveillance and stealthy guards on the prowl, players must ambush confidential alien intelligence and stop all alien attacks. Men In Black: Alien Crisis brings exciting, realistic MIB Agent movements as players shoot, and dodge their way through action-packed levels to escape fierce alien assaults. Additionally, all platforms feature two-player split-screen gameplay and four-person “hot-seat” competitive action for awesome friends and family involvement.”

Right off the bat I had an sophomoric reaction to the name of the video game character, Peter Delacoeur.  If we are to follow the naming convention of all MIB agents, it means that the name will be shortened to the first letter of the first name.  “In this game, you will play as Pee.”  ‘Welcome Pee.’  “Look out Pee!”  If you’re playing on the Ninteno Wii, you’ll control Pee with your Wii.  Yes, I’m a comedic genius.

While the name may be hysterical to my addled mind, the cover art is brilliantly done.  The image of the MIB agent is obscured enough to conjure the image of Will Smith or Tommy Lee Jones, without having to pay any likeness fees.  Honestly, I can almost imagine the moustache on the shadowy face of Agent Pee.

“To create a completely authentic Men in Black world and tone, Activision aligned with Jeff Gomez and Mark S. Pensavalle’s Starlight Runner Entertainment, Inc. to create the story and script of the upcoming videogame. Starlight Runner, a leading creator and producer of highly successful transmedia franchises, was selected by Sony Pictures to work in concert with the filmmakers to provide a single voice to the Men in Black universe with the upcoming film and related properties.”

Remember, this is Activision we’re talking about.  While known for Call of Duty and the Guitar Hero games, it seems the majority of gamers want to hate what they have to offer.  The consensus though is that the game will be, “kiddy” in nature, which is not so innovative or “in your face” and a little more generic when it comes to gaming.  As the game’s story doesn’t seem to be cannon to the actual movie, it gives me the feeling that the game will be closer to Call of Duty with an MIB skin on top of it.

“The game will be available for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii. All versions of the game are compatible with the Top Shot Elite peripheral. The PlayStation 3 version is also compatible with the PlayStation®Move sharp shooter and the Wii version with the Wii Zapper™.”

FEATURES INCLUDE:
  • 3rd Person Combat Tactics: Dodge and take cover as you battle hostile aliens in this action-packed, 3rd person rail shooter.
  • Investigation and Interrogation: Players must obtain vital intelligence by examining locations and interrogating suspects.
  • Nothing is What it Seems: Aliens often use clever disguises. Employ MIB investigative techniques to detect hidden threats.
  • Diverse and Customizable Weapons: Wield an awesome assortment of alien firepower including MIB classics like the “Noisy Cricket” and unique firing modes such as “freeze rays” and “antigravity grenades.”
  • High Octane Action-Oriented Experience: Pursue and escape fierce aliens in intense cinematic chase sequences.

Fran Kranz, Other Whedonites To Appear Joss Whedon’s “Much Ado About Nothing”

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Like most Joss Whedon fans, I love Fran Kranz. He is one of my favorite veterans of Joss Whedon projects. (Dollhouse anyone!) Finally, we get to see him again in this Friday’s opening of The Cabin in the Woods. 

While he does have the new film opening he is also going to be appearing WITH Whedon (as well as Amy Acker, his costar from Cabin in the Woods) in Much Ado About Nothing, a new low-budget adaptation of the William Shakespeare play. It was filmed last year as a “mystery project” and in only 12 days.

Kranz said regarding the secret project,

He shot that while he was on vacation,” says Kranz. “I remember he said he was going to go to Italy with his wife and kids, then all of a sudden he started to shoot a movie, which is crazy… He does a lot of readings at his house, he’s a great host. He always has people over, but he likes to have something to do, something specific. Sometimes he’ll read plays. One night we all read ‘A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream’. He called me one day and said he was thinking about doing ‘Much Ado About Nothing’, but filming it this time. That struck me as doing something handheld, with a Flipcam or something. Not something big with grip trucks, all of this equipment and stuff. But that’s what it turned into.”

Even better for Whedon fans is that it will also include other familiar faces such as Alexis Denisof, Nathan Fillion, Clark Gregg, and Reed Diamond.

He turned his home into a movie set,” Kranz continues. “He had extras and all of that. We had no idea. But I think that’s what he wanted. He wanted us to go into it with a casual feel and to do Shakespeare like you’re not used to seeing. He didn’t want big production value or it to be over-rehearsed. I think he wanted it to be natural. It might be a bizarre benefit to it that we didn’t master the language. The other actors all came from different places so it was an eclectic group. It’s Shakespeare, the language is rich and dense… I think it could be this wonderful blessing that it feels intimate, alive and casual and fun. I hope that bleeds off the screen and will be refreshing for audiences. I haven’t seen it yet, but I trust Joss always and I think it’s going to be awesome.”

Unfortunately there is no specific release date yet for Much Ado About Nothing, we do get our Fran Kranz fix with The Cabin in the Woods this friday, April 13th, which was written by Whedon and Drew Goddard.

Whedon is also releasing his Marvel’s The Avengers on May 4th.

Fran Kranz also took time to answer recent questions about The Cabin In The Woods.

Early critics of the film have said that this is a film that will deconstruct the horror genre. Kranz gave his thoughts on the genre over the last few years and the effect his new film will have on it.

I loved the first Saw movie, I thought it was awesome and it had a great concept.  I like Eli Roth and thought the first Hostel was kind of fun.  Cabin Fever, too.  But I know the Saw and Hostel franchises were definitely under scrutiny by Drew and Joss, I know they were disappointed by where horror films were headed or where they were presently.  I know Cabin Fever isn’t recent, but can’t think of any “cabin” movies that were made recently.  The “cabin” reminds me of the glory days of horror in the ’70s and ’80s.  The Evil Dead and the original Friday the 13th.  The Cabin in the Woods pays homage to those classics.  When we started shooting, Drew gave us those movies to watch – The Evil Dead, the original Friday the 13th,The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Night of the Living Dead – he wanted to get us into the mindset of the classics.  At the end of the day, Joss and Drew could speak better of this than I can.  I just see Cabin in the Woods as a very fun movie.  Great adventure movie.  When I finished the script, “horror film” did not come to mind, or even “funny horror film.”  I just thought it was a fun, crazy, action, adventure movie.  It steps outside of the genre and is so hybrid genre and unique.  There are so many movie kidnapping and killing movies – torture porn – I just don’t see any value in those.  Cabin is needed and wanted and I think audiences will understand why we’re getting it now.  And, I just drew a blank… “

He also talked about the camaraderie that comes with fellow actors in films together.

Drew was saying how the young people in horror films…he doesn’t get the sense that the characters in these movies don’t like each other anymore.  In current horror films, one person is killed and the rest of the characters don’t even care.  They don’t seem to have real relationships.  That’s something we stressed in our movie.  Drew wanted us to be believable as friends and love each other.  He said, don’t pay attention to turning the conventions on their heads, that’s my job.  He wanted us to focus on being real and making the performances honest.  So, in terms of camaraderie, that informed us to actually being friends.  We all loved each other.  We were up in Vancouver and had our own Cabin in the Woods thing going.  It was just us in a hotel, having dinner, getting drinks.  We grew tight and I’m still very close with everyone and I have a special man crush on Chris Hemsworth.”

Be sure to go see Cabin in the Woods this friday or at least watch the trailer below: