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Latino Review has posted three new TV spots for Fox's May 26 summer blockbuster...

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THE CELESTINE PROPHECY
The long-awaited indie adaptation of James Redfield's best-selling novel -- a personal quest for enlightment. Coming to theatres April 21.
View the trailer

Source: Latino Review

South Park won its first Peabody Award on Wednesday, winning praise from judges as TV's boldest, most politically incorrect satirical series. The George Foster Peabody Awards, for broadcasting excellence in both news and entertainment, are given annually by the University of Georgia. The series was praised as a show that "pushes all the buttons, turns up the heat, and shatters every taboo," Peabody Awards Director Horace Newcomb said. "Through that process of offending it reminds us of the need for being tolerant."

Source: ABC News

A week after the project was shelved, director Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham) is taking charge of the film. The script was crafted by Robert Harling, with rewites by Sacha Gervasi. Series creator David Jacobs is producing. This is the second TV-revival for Chadha, who is also directing I Dream of Jeannie for Sony.

Source: Variety

Drive (Pilot)
Alan Ruck (Spin City) has signed onto the Fox pilot centering on an illegal cross-country road race, which has been described as a fictional Amazing Race on acid. Show is written and produced by Buffy veteran Tim Minear.

Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Whoopi Goldberg has been cast as Chelsey Watkins, an evil foster mother who faces off with Det. Mike Logan (Chris Noth), in the May 7 episode. There's speculation this could become a recurring role. The episode will also feature a crossover appearance by Law & Order's Lt. Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson).

Amigos
Tim Allen and George Lopez will co-star in the comedy for Touchstone Pictures. The film, based on a story idea by Allen, focuses on mismatched in-laws who are forced to raise their grandson.

Normal Adolescent Behavior
Amber Tamblyn (Joan of Arcadia) will star in this darkly comic look at sexual politics among precocious and privileged teenagers, for New Line Cinema. Beth Schachter wrote the script and will direct.

Sharky's Machine (Remake)
Mark Wahlberg will star as the tough, demoted homicide cop who rallies together a ragtag group of cops to take down a man who rigs elections. Phil Joanou will direct. Burt Reynolds directed and starred in the original, based on the novel by William Diehl. Updated version will vary in places from the original and likely won't be set in Atlanta.

Nanny Diaries
Paul Giamatti and Chris Evans (Fantastic Four) have joined the cast. The film stars Scarlett Johansson as a working-class woman from New Jersey who becomes a nanny to a wealthy Manhattan family. Giamatti will play Mr. X, the family's imposing patriarch. Evans plays a Park Avenue hunk who steals Johansson's heart. Donna Murphy (Spider-man 2) and Laura Linney round out the cast. The film is based on Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin's popular satirical tome.

Conquistador
Antonio Banderas is set to star in the indie, Spanish-language epic which traces the exploits of 16th century explorer Hernan Cortes. Andrucha Waddington is directing. The story, from a screenplay by Nicholas Kazan (Reversal of Fortune), revolves around Cortes' internal and external struggles as he and a small band of soldiers arrive in the New World and bring about the violent destruction of the Aztec empire.

Dance
Nicolas Cage and 50 Cent will co-star, in a story based on the life of prison boxing coach Billy "The Kid" Roth.
Project is based on John Darling Haynes' 2003 documentary. A one-time successful prizefighter, Roth has spent more than 40 years as a volunteer boxing coach in Louisiana state prisons. Cage will play Roth, while 50 Cent will play an inmate the coach believes has the talent to be a contender -- the only hindrance being that he's serving a life sentence.

Blue State
Anna Paquin (X-Men) will star with Breckin Meyer (Garfield) in the romantic comedy about a young, idealistic Democratic campaigner who follows through on a promise to move to Canada if George W. Bush got re-elected. The film marks the directing debut of Marshall Lewy, who wrote the script.

Bill
Aaron Eckhart (Thank You for Smoking) will star as a manwho bottoms out when he catches his wife cheating. He finds a catalyst for a resurgence when he reluctantly mentors an unruly teen. Melisa Wallack wrote the script and will direct the film with her husband, producer Bernie Goldmann -- the directing debut for both.

Source: Variety

CHARLOTTE'S WEB
It's BABE 3: PIG IN A STORYBOOK. Nope, look again. The beloved EB White book and subsequent 1973 animated classic receives a live-action update with help from Julia Roberts, Dakota Fanning, Oprah Winfrey, Robert Redford, Andre Benjamin, and more. All I can say is Steve Buscemi has some big shoes to fill. Coming to theatres December 20.
View the teaser trailer

CLERKS 2
Jay and Silent Bob return to the friendly confines of Red Bank, NJ and discover very little has changed in 10 years. Coming to theatres August 18.
View the internet trailer

GARFIELD: A TAIL OF TWO KITTIES
If we don't learn from our past mistakes, we are doomed to repeat them -- on vacation in a foreign country. Bill Murray returns as the CGI fat cat. They must have backed up a truckload of money and dumped it in his driveway. Coming to theatres, June 23.
View the trailer, if you dare.

THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT
If we don't learn from our past mistakes, we are doomed to repeat them -- on vacation in a foreign country. Is there an echo in here? Lucas Black (Sling Blade) takes the over wheel from Paul Walker and drives us all over the edge. Coming to theatres, June 16.
View the trailer, but wear your seat belt.

THE DA VINCI CODE
Ron Howard and Tom Hanks bring Dan Brown's best-selling conspiracy novel to life. Coming to theatres May 19.
View the trailer

STANDING STILL
Think The Big Chill for the Generation Y, except it's a wedding that pulls everyone together instead of a funeral. Starring Amy Adams (Junebug), Ethan Embry (Can't Hardly Wait), Colin Hanks (Orange County), Mena Suvari (American Pie), and James Van Der Beek (Dawson's Creek). Coming to theatres April 21 (limited release).
View the trailer

In a flurry of film and television casting news...

CBS Evening News / Today Show
As expected, Katie Couric is leaving the Today Show for the big chair once occupied by Dan Rather and Walter Cronkite at CBS. Meanwhile, Meredith Vieria will abandon Barbara, Star, Joy, and that other girl to take over Katie's spot on the big NBC morning show couch.

Law & Order: SVU
The one and only Jerry Lewis will guest-star as the homeless uncle of Detective Munch (Richard Belzer).

Fred Claus
Paul Giamatti (Sideways) will play Santa, opposite Vince Vaughn as his trouble making sibling.

Hot Rod
Andy Samberg (SNL) has been cast as an accident-prone, Evel Knievel-worshipping daredevil.

Source: TV Guide

John Stamos, who guested on E.R. during 2005 November sweeps is set to join the NBC medical drama this fall as a series regular. Stamos will reprise his role as Tony Gates -- paramedic/med student/Gulf War veteran. I guess this means Jake in Progress has ultimately progressed as far as it could.

Source: TV Guide

IFC has created a viral game to promote their new anime series Samurai Seven. The game is called Samurai Kittens and it has to be seen to be believed. Sick and twisted, but entertaining nonetheless. Those of you who grew up playing Street Fighter and other combat games will appreciate it.

KARAS: THE PROPHECY

Manga Entertainment proudly presents the newest animated technology from Japan, 2D/3D Hybrid Animation and the 40th Anniversary release by the people who brought Speed Racer, Battle of the Planets, and Gatchaman, Tatsunoko Productions’ KARAS (The Crow). Originally created as a six-part original video animation series, KARAS will be released as two feature films: Karas: The Prophecy on April 25, 2006 and KARAS: The Revelation later this fall. Hailed by the Japanese news media, KARAS is a cross between a cyberpunk version of The Crow and Batman with a samurai sword.

SYNOPSIS
Set in Tokyo, we follow the story of Eko (voiced by Matthew Lillard), a KARAS who protected the order of Japan between the human and spirit/demon world over many years decides to take revenge on mankind by giving a group of poltergeist new bodies. The human world, not knowing about the spirit and apparitions existing amongst them are protected by Yurine (voiced by Piper Perabo) the cities incarnate and protector of Japan since ancient times. She creates another KARAS to defeat the evil one while Nue, (voiced by Jay Hernandez), a wandering apparition is sent back to the human world to defeat Eko and discovers the work of Eko’s poltergeist, Mikurashu. Now, a special situation arises where two ravens exist in the same town – there isn’t room for both of them!

BASICS
Price: $19.98
Street Date: April 25, 2006
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen
Audio: Dolby 6.1 EX (English), Dolby 2.0 Surround (Japanese)
Subtitles: English
Run Time: 90 min

BONUS FEATURES
Behind the Scenes Montage: The Making of KARAS
Original Concept/Animation Comparison
Original Japanese Trailers and TV Spots
Interviews with Japanese Voice Actors, Directors, and Producers
24-page Karas mini-comic from Dark Horse Comics

New Line is serving notice that the standard DVD format will not bow to the birth of High Def. The Jul 23 DVD release of Final Destination 3 DVD offers unprecedented bonus features that rival the proposed interactivity of the next-generation formats. With the Final Destination 3: Thrill Ride Edition, viewers will be able to choose between dozens of different fates for characters via a combination of newly filmed alternate scenes. At a budget of $700,000 to $1 million, the extras are meant to continue the movie’s story line, in which characters are able to foresee they way they will die.

This spring and summer is the launch period for both the HD DVD and Blu-ray formats; a critical selling point for which is the promise of bonus features superior to those available on standard DVDs. “We’re not trying to make a statement about one format over the other,” , said Mike Mulvihill, New Line Home Entertainment senior VP of content development. “But the statement we are making is that New Line takes the technology seriously, whatever the format is.” Many DVD producers are thrilled to score an extras budget of $1 million given to this release. Mulvihill said the additional funds were necessary so the studio could involve the director and cast in creating the new material. “Our thinking is this will translate into incremental sales.” Mulvihill said of the ‘choose-your-fate’ option. “We can’t put a fine point on it, but our expectation with all of our added value is that it broadens the appeal of the movie to a wider audience.”

Source: Video Business