Weekly Ketchup: "Spider-Man 3," "Superman Returns" Box Office, "Over the Hedge 2," "I Am Legend," The Joker, A Hasselhoff Mishap, and More!

by Nick Hershey | June 30, 2006 | Comments

This week in RT News, comic book adaptations were the rage, starting with a new teaser trailer and spoilers of next year’s "Spider-Man 3." Robin Williams seems keen to portray The Joker in the next "Batman Begins" sequel, and the "Fantastic Four" sequel has a title and plot synopsis available for scrutiny. Also, Jo Blo has an early review of M. Night Shyamalan’s latest offering, "Lady in the Water."

In Other News: "Superman Returns" does $32M in two days; Will Smith may have a big-time co-star for his next film; some cartoon animals may have a new "Hedge" to conquer; Ron Howard wants to throw his hat into the comic-book movie ring; and we can all rejoice that David Hasselhoff’s vocal chords were unharmed after a run-in with a chandelier. Read on for details.

This Week’s Most Popular News:

Teaser Bulletin: "Spider-Man 3"
It doesn’t swing into movie theaters until next May, but you can catch the brand-new "Spider-Man 3" teaser right here … and it’s pretty darn cool.

Robin Williams Keeps Chatting About The Joker
No casting decisions have been announced just yet, so just relax. But apparently Mr. Robin Williams is lobbying pretty hard for the role of The Joker in Christopher Nolan’s impending "Batman Begins" sequel. Nolan and Williams worked together on "Insomnia," so maybe he knows something we don’t…

"Spider-Man 3" Spoiler Feast!
If you’re a ravenous fan of all things spoileriffic, and you also have some affection for the "Spider-Man" series, then head on over to a blog called "film ick" and enjoy all sorts of second sequel tidbits — including the news on who just might be the flick’s fourth villain.

"Fantastic Four and the Silver Surfer" Plot Synopsis
According to the JoBlo.com boys, we now have a new title and a small plot synopsis for next summer’s "Fantastic Four" sequel. As always, we take unconfirmed reports with a grain of salt, but if and when more info becomes available, well, we’ll share that, too.

Early Reaction to the "Lady in the Water"
M. Night Shyamalan’s newest feature, "Lady in the Water," opens in a few weeks, but Mike Sampson over at JoBlo’s was able to sit in on an early screening, and even penned an early review.

In Other News:

"Superman Returns" grossed $11M on Thursday for a solid $32M total after two days of release.

Johnny Depp is rumored to be joining Will Smith in the upcoming "I Am Legend."

Dreamworks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg is considering a sequel to "Over The Hedge" after strong box-office returns in the U.S.

Leonardo DiCaprio is set to produce a biopic of counter-culture guru Timothy Leary.

Anthony Hopkins, Meryl Streep and Paul Giamatti will star in the adaptation of Jay Parini’s novel The Last Station, for director Michael Hoffman.

Ron Howard is eyeing J. Michael Straczynski’s thriller The Changeling for his next directorial project.

Jesse Eisenberg will star with Richard Gere and Terrence Howard in the comic thriller "Spring Break In Bosnia."

Aidan Quinn has joined the cast of the cross-culture independent feature "Dark Matter."

The producers of "Eragon" will bring another young adult fantasy book series to the big screen, called "The Uglies."

And last but certainly not least, David Hasselhoff had emergency surgery after severing a tendon in his right arm when he accidentally rammed his head into a chandelier — resulting in a hail of glass — in a London gym bathroom. Fans of the "Baywatch" star can rest easy, as he is now out of the hospital and — we hope — back to planning that self-penned, self-named "David Hasselhoff Musical."