The Weekly Ketchup: Talia Shire Talks "Rocky," Teasers Galore, And More!

by Nick Hershey | December 29, 2006

In this week’s Ketchup, Talia Shire gives her views on Adrian’s absence from "Rocky Balboa," and we’ve got all sorts of trailers and teasers, from "The Fantastic Four 2," "Grind House" and "Ocean’s 13."

Also, this week’s version of a "Transformers" update is a peek at Optimus Prime, and director Sam Raimi gives some insights on "Spider-Man 3." Read on.

This Week’s Most Popular News:

Talia Shire Responds to Adrian’s Absence in "Rocky Balboa"
Like most "Rocky" fans, I found myself wondering why Talia Shire didn’t pop up in "Rocky Balboa." Did Sylvester Stallone simply want the character … gone, or was the actress simply unwilling to return for a fifth sequel? Well, USA Today has the answer.

"Fantastic Four 2" Teaser Bulletin: Johnny Storm vs. The Silver Surfer!
We’ve heard all the rumors and the casting announcements and various pieces of sequel-mania, but now comes the first official footage (and flipbook!) from "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," and I think it looks pretty damn solid.

Tarantino, Rodriguez, Clooney & Pitt: It’s "Grind House" and "Ocean’s 13" Trailer Time!
A pair of pretty high-profile movie trailers hit the ‘net quite recently, one for the long-awaited Quentin Tarantino / Robert Rodriguez action-horror combo "Grindhouse," and the other for the second star-studded sequel to "Ocean’s Eleven."

First Good Peek at Optimus Prime
The recent trailer has me pretty enthused for Michael Bay’s "Transformers," but it’s tough finding new stuff to say every time a new piece of promo material hits the wire. Anyway, Empire Magazine has Optimus Prime on its most recent cover. Pretty nifty, too.

Sam Raimi Spills Some "Spider-Man 3" Beans
The world has to wait for May to see what’s up with good ol’ "Spider-Man," but based on the guy’s most recent theatrical trailer, the web-head looks to be knee-deep in trouble. Director Sam Raimi recently had a chat with Premiere Magazine and shared some insights that the fans should find pretty enticing.

Giving the fans what they want.

In Other News:

Elijah Wood has joined John Hurt in the cast of "Oxford Murders," for Spanish director Alex de la Iglesia‘s English-language mystery.

With Malcolm McDowell already cast as Dr. Loomis, Tyler Mane ("X-Men,") will play the adult Michael Myers in the Rob Zombie-directed remake of "Halloween."

"Casino Royale" has officially become the highest grossing James Bond film of all time, with a worldwide gross of $451.8 million, surpassing "Die Another Day" which grossed $431 million.

The long-running off-Broadway musical "Naked Boys Singing!" will be filmed for the big screen, with a behind-the-scenes documentary to be added as a bonus DVD feature.

Director Adam McKay has confirmed that the upcoming comedy "Step Brothers," with Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, will deliberately be rated R, to prevent any self-censorship on language or nudity.