Dubai to Host New Theme Park Based Entirely Around Marvel Characters

Move over Orlando, Dubai is looking to become the world's next major theme park hub. United Arab Emirate-based Al Ahli Group and Marvel Entertainment, Inc. have announced a joint partnership that will bring a new mind-blowing theme park to Dubai; one that can (and most likely will) utilize Marvel's entire library of superheroes, including Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, The X-Men, The Fantastic Four, The Silver Surfer and Iron Man. According to a press release, the project will open in 2011 and is sure to become a must-see for you thrill fanatics and Marvel fanboys.

A number of Marvel characters (including Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk) are already featured at Orlando's Islands of Adventure -- however, to my knowledge, there are currently no parks that specifically cater to the Marvel universe. Mohamed Khammas, CEO of Al Ahli Group, notes that with this new partnership they aim to create "the ultimate entertainment destination for families and children of the region and the world, a destination where they can live their childhood fantasies and create new memories for the entire family to cherish and remember." The creative team (working off a direct investment of $1 billion) will be based in Hollywood, Orlando and Dubai during the development process, with the ultimate goal being to create "a new standard for theme parks around the world." The only problem? You have to go all the way to Dubai. Drats.

The whole thing sounds pretty interesting, and I wonder whether they will incorporate scenes from the films into each ride (a la Disney with their Pirates of the Caribbean ride in Orlando). Is this a place you'd be interested in visiting? What sort of rides would you like to see show up?

[via Hollywood Wiretap]

Remember 'Southland Tales'? Here's New Pics To Remind You

I rented Donnie Darko the day it came out on DVD. This was before it reached cult status, I hadn't really heard anything about it at all. I put it in the machine with very low expectations, Patrick Swayze was in the thing for crying out loud! Two hours later, I sat in the dark, completely blown away. I immediately watched it again. I wanted to call everyone I knew and tell them to watch this movie, and fast. These days, it's very difficult to find something truly "under the radar," but Donnie Darko felt like a real discovery to me, and to a lot of people. I think it's one of the best movies of the decade. So of course a new film from its director, Richard Kelly, is big news. And no matter what the critics think of Southland Tales (and they haven't been kind thus far - Andrew O'Hehir at Salon called the 160-minute Cannes cut of the film "about the biggest, ugliest mess I've ever seen" and you can read James's negative review here), I'm dying to see it.

Listed on imdb as a "comedy musical sci-fi thriller," Southland looks interesting to say the least. Set in Los Angeles, 2008, with the city on the brink of "social, economic and environmental disaster," it's got a cast that redefines "eclectic" (Justin Timberlake, John Larroquette, Mandy Moore, Jon Lovitz, Cheri Oteri...getting the idea?),and you can see just how eclectic in this cool new group of photos from the film over at iesb. There's shots from the movie, behind-the-scenes stuff, storyboards, paintings, sketches, all kinds of goodies. A majority of the photos are of Seann William Scott (who plays twin brother cops), The Rock and an almost disturbingly attractive Sarah Michelle Gellar, who plays a porn star in the film. Southland Tales has been picked up by Columbia Pictures, and Kelly is said to have made some pretty drastic cuts in preparation for a potential release soon.

Clip from Lucy Liu's Vamp Flick 'Rise' Leaked to Web

I'm not sure if this is a actual leak, or if Ghost House Pictures is trying to finally drum up some buzz for Rise. In the summer of 2005, Lucy Liu filmed the vamp flick, intended to be the actress' step into the horror genre. With names like Michael Chiklis and sexy Sin City alum Carla Gugino co-starring, and Marilyn Manson popping up as a bartender, you'd think it would have sped its way to horror fans' eager eyes. It didn't, but now Arrow in the Head has gotten a tip to a clip that has found its way to YouTube. It's all sexy, lesbian, sweaty and blood-lickingly NSFW.

According to IMDB, the movie will finally be released on June 1st. What's it about? Well, Lucy plays a reporter who wakes up, undead, in the morgue. More than a little ticked about her predicament, she vows revenge against the vamps who put her there, mainly, I would assume, the other lady (who appears to be Gugino) in the clip. One by one, she hunts them down. Does it sound familiar? At least Liu didn't suffer the same fate. However, this was the last live-action film on Mako's long resume -- the man who did guest spots in just tons of shows over the years, and who was also the voice of Master Splinter in the upcoming TMNT before he died last July. The movie could be cool, but the delays don't give me much hope.

Jon Favreau Is Blogging 'Iron Man' Filming

Though he's knee-deep in filming Iron Man, director Jon Favreau is saving a little bit of time to update fans on his progress. In a recent message on his MySpace page, Favreau tells us the first week of photography was "extremely challenging," but went off "without a hitch." He goes on to praise the efforts put forth by his cast and crew, saying "Downey was definitely the right choice." (For those not aware, Robert Downey Jr. is playing the role of Tony Stark, aka Iron Man.)

Apparently, these first few weeks of shooting revolve around Stark's origin story -- how he was captured while on a trip to Afghanistan (originally Vietnam), where he was kept hostage and forced to build weapons. It's during this time when he builds the Iron Man suit and uses it to escape. Says Favreau: "I'm looking forward to getting out of the "cave." The first few weeks of shooting are spent, somewhat in sequence, establishing Stark's captivity. It sets the table tonally for the rest of the film. The close quarters and tight schedule make it the toughest part of the shoot on the cast and crew." Am I the only one who cannot wait to see how Downey Jr. pulls off this character?

In related news, Iron Man scribe Mark Fergus is currently making the rounds promoting his directorial debut First Snow. In a recent interview over at the Movie Blog, the unavoidable "sequel question" was raised. On whether or not there will be an Iron Man 2, Fergus says that "absolutely, the seeds have been planted for a lot of stuff to come, for sure." As far as his involvement goes, Fergus admitted that he hopes to be "invited back for that party." Of course, it all depends on how well the first one does first. So, Iron Man fans, if you want more, then get ready to break out that wallet.