The Weekly Ketchup: "Spider-Man 3" Sneak Peek, Keira Knightley Jumping Ship, MGM Hedging Its Bets, And More!

by Nick Hershey | November 17, 2006

In this week’s Ketchup, we snuck a peek at the "Spider-Man 3" trailer, Keira Knightley may jump ship before the "Pirates" franchise walks the plank, and MGM seems to be putting all its eggs in a few baskets.

Also, "The Simpsons Movie" trailer made it’s first official appearance, and at least two people want a "Daredevil" sequel. Read on.

This Week’s Most Popular News:

Unfinished "Spider-Man 3" Trailer — Now with Venom!
It might not survive on the internet for too long, so if you want to see what Venom is going to look like in "Spider-Man 3," and you don’t mind suffering through some obviously incomplete special effects, then you better click the goods right now — before they’re gone!

Ms. Swann Leaving the "Pirates" Nest?
With "Pirates of the Carbbean: At Worlds End" being primed for its summertime release, the actors are now sharing their thoughts on the future of the series. And as far as Keira Knightley is concerned, she seems fine with moving on when the trilogy ends.

MGM Promises More Panther, Bond, Crown, Rocky & Hobbit
It looks like the cash-strapped MGM is about to seriously scale back on its productions, but they still have five strapping franchises on which they’ll bet the ranch…

Trailer Bulletin: "The Simpsons Movie"
Just in case you missed it last night during (a rather amusing episode of) "The Simpsons," here’s the brand-new trailer for "The Simpsons Movie" — but don’t go in expecting anything in the way of spoilers or plot breakdowns.

"Daredevil" Director (and Villain) Want to Do a Sequel
Director Mark Steven Johnson recently opined that, yeah, he’d like to do a "Daredevil" sequel, provided anyone at Sony actually wanted to. And then big ol’ Michael Clarke Duncan spoke up and said "Me too! I’d do a sequel!"

Who wants some more of this?

In Other News:

Australian director Peter Weir ("Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World") is in talks to helm Fox 2000’s "Shadow Divers," based on Robert Kurson’s best-selling nonfiction book "Shadow Divers: The True Adventure of Two Americans Who Discovered Hitler’s Lost Sub."

"Letters From Iwo Jima," Clint Eastwood‘s follow-up to his critically acclaimed World War II drama "Flags of Our Fathers," will open domestically in limited release in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco on December 20, 2006.

Tim Firth will adapt Ahmet Zappa‘s kids’ book "The Monstrous Memoirs of a Mighty McFearless" for Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Walt Disney Pictures.

Screenwriter Russell Gewirtz is working on both the script for the "Inside Man" sequel and an untitled thriller starring Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock as Trump Tower janitors who scheme to rip off its luxury tenants.

Dominic Purcell ("Prison Break") and Jesse Metcalfe ("John Tucker Must Die,") are heading to "Town Creek," a vampire horror movie that Joel Schumacher is directing.

Rhona Mitra will star in the lead female role for writer/director Neil Marshall in Rogue Pictures’ futuristic action thriller "Doomsday," which is slated to begin production in early 2007.

Beach Boy Brian Wilson has made a deal with producer Mark Gordon to tell his life story in a feature film. The deal also provides access to Wilson’s vast catalogue of music for use in the film.

New Line Cinema has launched development of a feature based on the life of Daphne Sheldrick, a pioneer in efforts to save orphaned baby elephants.

Paramount Vantage has scooped up film rights to Frank Portman’s debut novel, "King Dork," for Will Ferrell and Adam McKay‘s Gary Sanchez Productions to produce.

National Lampoon Inc. is partnering with the Farrelly Brothers through their Conundrum Entertainment on National Lampoon’s "Bag Boy," centered on an underdog teen who discovers he’s got the talent to excel in the world of competitive grocery bagging.

Universal Pictures has picked up "Walk of Shame," a pitch by Jessi Klein for Stuber/Parent to produce.The film is a romantic comedy about the lives of a group of young singles living in New York.