The Weekly Ketchup: Donnie Wahlberg on His Saw IV Cameo, a Funnier Bond(?), Yates on the Next Harry Potter, and More!

In this week’s Ketchup, Donnie Wahlberg is none too pleased at how the Saw franchise has kept him involved, the producers of the next James Bond film may lighten the mood, and director David Yates is already looking ahead to the Half Blood Prince. Also, two film making titans squared off over a release date, and Stan Lee gives his thoughts about the recent spate of comic book movies. Read on.

This Week’s Most Popular News:

Wahlberg Upset Over Saw IV Cameo
Most actors are happy when they get asked back to a role. Not Donnie Wahlberg. Though left for dead at the end of Saw II, he was granted more screen time in Saw III. That seemed to be the end, but it looks like there’s more Wahlberg in Saw IV.

Bond 22 Less Serious, More Comedic; Bond 23 Set for 2010
After the overtly gritty and serious Casino Royale, I personally predicted that after a few dark Bond movies they’d try to pump in goofy humor again. Turns out they are, and could actually start as early as the next Bond.

Yates Plans Harry Potter VI: Half Blood Prince
David Yates has just finished Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix but he’s already planning the sixth film, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Where Order is an intense film about teenage feelings of isolation, Prince will go to the next level of teenage years.

James Cameron’s Avatar Stares Down Monsters vs. Aliens For Summer Date
Not too long ago we heard there was a big shoving match going on for the release date of May 22nd, 2009. The combatants were DreamWorks’ Monsters vs. Aliens and James Cameron’s Avatar. And one of ’em blinked.

Stan Lee Chats About Iron Man, The Hulk, and The Fantastic Four
When Marvel man Stan Lee isn’t doing goofy little cameos in superhero movies, he’s hosting a TV series called “Who Wants to Be a Superhero?” — but let’s just focus on the movies for now.

Could this be funny?

• George Lopez has joined the cast of Henry Poole Is Here, the comedy starring Luke Wilson and Radha Mitchell.
• Novelist and screenwriter Michael Tolkin will adapt the 1982 Broadway musical Nine for the big screen to be directed and produced by Rob Marshall.
• John Leguizamo has joined the cast of M. Night Shyamalan‘s thriller The Happening, which already stars Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel.
• Spencer Breslin will play the title role in Harold, a high-school comedy also starring Cuba Gooding Jr., who serves as producer.
• Walden Media has acquired an untitled film about the life of surfing legend Jay Moriarty, with Jim Meenaghan and Brandon Hooper writing the screenplay.
• Ray Liotta has joined Jessica Biel and Forest Whitaker in the cast of Powder Blue, a drama written and directed by Timothy Linh Bui.
• Alan Rickman, Chris Pine, Eliza Dushku, Bill Pullman and Rachael Taylor have joined the cast of Bottle Shock, a drama about the wine industry written and directed by Randall M. Miller.
• Rodar y Rodar and Becker Intl. will produce an English-language remake of Guillem Morales’ psychological thriller El Habitante Incierto (The Uncertain Guest).
• Jason Lee, Brittany Murphy, Giovanni Ribisi, Tim Roth, Jim Broadbent and Lili Taylor will star in The Other Side, a fantasy comedy produced and directed by David Michaels. 
• Sarah Polley and Jared Leto will star in the romantic comedy Mr. Nobody, from writer/director Jaco Van Dormael.

Getting the Shyamalan treatment