The Weekly Ketchup: "Batman Begins" Villain Talk, "Transformers" Set News, "Evan Almighty" Budget Woes, And More!

by Nick Hershey | October 13, 2006

In this week’s Ketchup, we have more guessing games regarding who will be Batman’s other foe in "The Dark Knight," music and pics from the "Transformers" movie, and "Evan Almighty"’s rapidly ascending budget, which even the power of God may not be enough to save.

Also, a beloved "Harry Potter" character does a disappearing act, and Orlando Bloom may not return for a fourth "Pirates of the Caribbean." Read on for more.

This Week’s Most Popular News:

Who’s Playing Two-Face in "Batman" Sequel?
Christopher Nolan has confirmed Two-Face will be one of the villains in "The Dark Knight," his follow-up to "Batman Begins," and IGN FilmForce is trying to determine who will play the role.

"Transformers" Music, Optimus Prime Headshot, and More Set Photos Emerge
Cinematical has a nice roundup of various "Transformers"-related happenings from around the web, including news on the theme song, a first look at Optimus Prime’s head, and a photo from the set!

Steve Carell’s "Evan Almighty" — At $225M, An Unholy Mess?
Few doubt that Steve Carell is an outsized comic talent. But the Los Angeles Times is suggesting that his current project, "Evan Almighty," is getting a reputation for its outsized budget, one that could ultimately run as high as $225 million, which would make it the costliest comedy of all time.

"Harry Potter" Sleight-Of-Hand: Dobby’s Disappearing Act
Looks like someone’s cast a nasty disappearing spell (written outum scripto!) on "Harry Potter" creature Dobby, since the CGI-powered timid house elf won’t be seen in "Order of the Phoenix."

Bloom Out For "Pirates 4?
Is Will Turner, Orlando Bloom’s character in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series, marked for death? According to WENN (via Cinescape), the script for the fourth "Pirates" movie is in the works, and it may sanction the demise of Jack Sparrow’s young sidekick.

Update: The rumors about Orlando Bloom have been highly exaggerated.

"And for your next miracle, you will make a pissed-off studio happy."

In Other News:

Peter Berg is set to direct the Will Smith superhero film "Tonight, He Comes," becoming the project’s fourth director.

Amber Tamblyn will star in the indie thriller "Blackout," about three people trapped in a hospital elevator that turns into a harrowing experience.

Randy Quaid is set to star with Seann William Scott in the comedy "Gary the Tennis Coach."

The buddy action comedy "Secret Agent Men" has been acquired by Universal Pictures with John Hamburg ("Along Came Polly") set to direct.

Fox will bring "The Devil Wears Prada" to television as a half-hour series.

Tim Burton‘s holiday classic "The Nightmare Before Christmas" will debut in 3-D on October 20th in over 200 theaters worldwide.

Julia Roberts is set to star in "Eat, Pray, Love," based on Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir of the same name.

Rachel Weisz will star in Rian Johnson‘s (Brick) indie thriller "The Brothers Bloom."

Amy Adams will star in the indie feature "Sunshine Cleaning" with directors Christine Jeffs and Karen Moncrieff.

Rebecca Romijn and Keith Carradine have joined the cast of "Lake City," which already features Sissy Spacek, Troy Garity, and Dave Matthews.

Scott Speedman will star opposite Liv Tyler in the suspense thriller "Strangers," with Bryan Bertino writing and directing.

Paul Scheuring (creator of TV’s "Prison Break") will write and direct the English-language remake of "The Experiment."

James Cameron will co-write a produce "James Cameron’s Sanctum," a live-action drama about a father and son deep-sea diving team that will be filmed in high-definition 3-D. Gary Johnstone will direct the movie for Rogue Pictures.

Sacha Baron Cohen reportedly will join Johnny Depp in Tim Burton’s adaptation of "Sweeney Todd," the musical thriller set in Victorian England.

Filmimg for the movie "Dallas" has been put on hold as the entire cast, except for John Travolta as J.R. Ewing, is being replaced.

Fox 2000 has acquired Kim Barker’s script "All About Steve," with Sandra Bullock slated to star in and produce the film.

John Goodman has joined the cast of "Death Sentence," a vigilante drama that stars Kevin Bacon, Aisha Tyler, and Kelly Preston.

Jenna Dewan, Ryan Pinkston, and Nick Zano have joined the cast of the "Revenge of the Nerds" remake.

Genius Products, the home video subsidiary of the Weinstein Co., has acquired North American rights to "Dirty Sanchez: The Movie," AKA the Welsh version of "Jackass."