According to Variety, Michael Fassbender, is now attached to star in romantic drama The Mountain Between Us for director Gerardo Naranjo (who received rave notices for indie Mexican thriller Miss Bala). This would mark Naranjo’s studio debut.

With a screenplay by J. Mills Goodloe (Adaline) adapted from Charles Martin's novel, the story follows two strangers who survive a plane crash and depend on each other to survive in the harsh Colorado mountains, and inevitably fall in love. Fassy will play Ben Trace, a doctor and experienced climber who uses his skills to get Ashley, an injured writer, safely down the mountain. 20^th Century Fox is stilling looking for their Ashley. (This sounds reminds me of a particular set piece in The English Patient. I'm picturing Ralph Fiennes carrying Kristin Scott Thomas out of the cave.)

No date has yet been set for the film to go before the cameras. We already know Fassbender is preparing to star in Sir Ridley Scott's The Counselor,  as well as Steve McQueen’s Twelve Years a Slave. At some point he’ll have to work in press for  Scott's epic Prometheus which opens in the UK on 1^st June and in the US on June 8. 

Again, I have to ask, exactly when will he be taking a "break"? (Not that I want him to go away, but even the Fassinator has to recharge the batteries.) Time for some pics, yes?

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In general, I’m not a fan of trailers for trailers, but in this case I’m prepared to make an exception. There’s a teaser out for the full length trailer for Sir Ridley Scott’s Prometheus that we’re set to get on Saturday. I’m so excited to finally get a good look at the film, hopefully with some dialogue, that I’m excited about the trailer for the trailer!

It’s quick, only twenty seconds long, so you won’t waste a lot of time on it, but it does feature a bit of new footage. It makes me hopeful for the full length version.

Scott’s Prometheus, takes a team of scientists on a journey through the universe on the spaceship "Prometheus" on a voyage to investigate alien life forms. The team of scientists becomes stranded on an alien world, and as they struggle to survive it becomes clear that the horrors they experience are not just a threat to themselves, but to all of mankind.

Starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green, Ben Foster and Guy Pearce, we can expect Prometheus to land in theaters 1^st June in the UK and June 8 in the US and Canada.

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clip via FilmStage

There is a new image floating around the interwebz from Sir Ridley Scott’s Prometheus. While it is unquestionably beautiful, there is some dissention among the ranks as to what it actually depicts.

It seems to be a “star map/control room” on one of the ships (key word being ‘seems’) featured in the film, and almost undoubtedly (but not positively) an alien ship. The controversy seems to surround the figure in the middle of the image, surrounded by virtual stars. The majority of observers have said that the figure is probably Michael Fassbender’s android, David. I’m not really on board with that. At first glance the figure looked decidedly female, so I was thinking it was Noomi Rapace’s character Elizabeth Shaw, although on closer inspection, I suppose it could be male.

This is pure marketing genius, in my opinion. Anticipation is already high for this film, which doesn’t even come out until summer, but by releasing a nebulous image like this, it’s got everyone buzzing anew.

The shorthand version of the plot synopsis for Prometheus:

As resources dwindle on Earth, a team of scientists journey through the universe on the spaceship "Prometheus" on a voyage to investigate alien life forms. The team of scientists becomes stranded on an alien world, and as they struggle to survive it becomes clear that the horrors they experience are not just a threat to themselves, but to all of mankind.

Prometheus, with a cast that includes Rapace, Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green and Guy Pearce opens on 1^st  June in the UK and June 8 in the US.

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Oh it’s been far too many days since we had some new Michael Fassbender. I know I’ve been jonesing, how about yourself? First we have another bit of casting news for one of the busiest men in show business: Fassbender has signed on for Daniel Espinosa’s followup to Safe House, The Outsider. With a script by Andrew Baldwin, the gritty action film follows the story of a POW in Osaka, Japan  during WWII who ends up working for  the Yakuza. Imdb lists the project as “in development” with a 2014 release date. Considering that Fassbender has said he wants to take some time off, even though he’s been lining up work left and right, including another with Sir Ridley Scott, The Counselor, set for a summer 2012 shoot and  before that he’s making Steve McQueen’s Twelve Years a Slave his next film, also set to shoot this summer, so who knows when Espinosa’s film will fit into the schedule. I like the sound of it though.

In other news, Fassy’s got himself on the cover of yet another magazine.  He covers the March 2012 issue of Italian men's magazine, MAX with an amazing portrait by Nicolas Guerin. Put on your shades or you'll be blinded by the hotness.

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The story behind this viral video of Guy Pearce as Peter Weyland. Weyland in the world of Sir Ridley Scott’s Alien, is a scion of the Weyland family of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. The company that owned the Nostromo, the commercial freighter in Alien. The corporation would also be mentioned in the sequels. So, if a character called Weyland is responsible for sending the Prometheus into space, Scott has essentially tied Prometheus to Alien, making it a prequel, despite what whether or not he wants to officially call it that. This, boys and girls, is what has the sci-fi geeks the world over, all abuzz.

In this clip (which is not a clip from the movie, it is a very clever tie-in from TED*). Peter Weyland is giving a speech to a crowd about changing the world (and becoming Gods).

The video is the brainchild of Sir Ridley and screenwriter Damon Lindelof, and was directed by Luke (son of Ridley) Scott. It provides a bit of background as well as the start of a possible explanation for the mission of the Prometheus.

Prometheus, starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Guy Pearce, Ben Foster, Logan Marshall-Green and  Sean Harris, begins its voyage on 1^st June in the UK and June 8 in the US.

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*TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started in 1984 as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design

source

Just under the wire, here are my predictions for this evening’s 84^th Annual Academy Awards. As I’ve said before, I can’t remember a year in which I was less interested. The whole thing just seems off this year. Not only because of the Brett Ratner/Eddie Murphy Fiasco and not only because Michael Fassbender was denied a nomination. So were Ryan Gosling, Albert Brooks and director Nicolas Winding Refn for Drive. Drive was almost completely shut out. Nick Nolte was worthy of a nomination for Warrior, but so were Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton. There were several performances in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy that warranted recognition along with Gary Oldman’s long overdue nomination. Again, Tom Hardy was worthy, but especially Colin Firth and Mark Strong deserved mention.

Jean Dujardin practically has it sown up at this point and while I can say, at least he’s not George Clooney, whom I like, but as I’ve said The Descendants was not the movie for which he should be honored. But about Dujardin I have to say, and remember I did like The Artist, he gives an excellent performance, but you have to know that there's something missing when everyone loves the dog the most*, and I have no idea what criteria the Academy used, but I’d like to know how they can consider that he gave a better performance than Fassbender did in Shame. Never in their careers have either Brad Pitt or George Clooney turned in a performance like Michael Fassbender’s either. It would never be asked of them. They are personalities, movie stars if you will, more than actors at this point. (And it has very little to do with actual nudity, lest anyone think I’m so easily distracted. Fassbender’s performance itself was what was naked and raw, like watching an open wound), Hell, Fassbender was worthy in any of the four big films he put out this year.

My original thinking was all wrong in that it’s not that Demian Bichir got Fassbender’s nomination, but rather Pitt and Clooney who elbowed out both Fassbender and Ryan Gosling or Michael Shannon for Take Shelter. (But Pitt and Clooney get nominated so that they will show up to the ceremony and walk the red carpet and people at home will tune in to watch.)

Then there's the whole debacle with Best Original Song. It’s not just the fact that “The Keeper” wasn't nominated and it really deserved to be (and I'm not alone in my thinking), but the fact that there are only two and they won't even be performed! We’re going to get a performance by Cirque du Soleil instead?! W.T.F.?

Those two categories aside, it saddens me that it’s just about a foregone conclusion that The Artist will win Best Picture.  The Artist was completely charming and delightful and I enjoyed it while I was watching it. Is that all we require of a Best Picture? I haven’t seen it again. That to me is a measure of a memorable film. In this day and age when home viewing options are more and more convenient and the lag time between a theatrical release and release on VOD, dvd or blu-ray grows shorter and shorter, for me to forgo a newer film and fork over my hard earned cash to see a film again and again in the theater, means it’s something special, in my opinion. I’ve seen Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy three times and I cannot wait to get my greedy hands on the dvd on March 20.  I’ve seen Hugo four times in both 3D and 2D. It continues to move me. Every damn time it takes my breath away.  

It is ironic that The Artist and Hugo both deal with similar periods in film history, albeit from different perspectives. But while The Artist will forever seem like a novelty to me; a silent, black and white film made in the 21^st century, the story itself is a series of clichés strung together. Hugo is in a word, magical (not to mention technically far superior. Martin Scorsese used 3D with the deft and sure hand of an artist – no pun intended- to enhance the film and the viewer’s experience. Not to make use of a gimmick or to squeeze a few more bucks out of each ticket) It was an example of a master at work. Martin Scorsese, the man who gave us Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas etc,  made a movie his 12 year old daughter could love and it was brilliant.

I do maintain that The Artist and Hugo would make one helluva double feature, but for me, Hugo was the Best Picture of the Year, hands down.

In any case, since I didn’t get a vote, here are my predictions **

and my picks if I had #. I'll be back later with your actual winners list!

BEST PICTURE

**The Artist
The Descendants
The Help
#Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
War Horse

Tree of Life

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

BEST DIRECTOR

**Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne The Descendants
#Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris

Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life

BEST ACTRESS

Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
#Viola Davis, The Help
**Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs

BEST ACTOR

**Jean Dujardin, The Artist
George Clooney, The Descendants
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
#Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Demian Bichir, A Better Life

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

#Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
**Octavia Spencer, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids

Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

**Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Kenneth Branagh, My Week with Marilyn
#Nick Nolte, Warrior

Max Von Sydow, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

**Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
#J.C. Chandor, Margin Call

Asgar Fahredi, A Separation

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

**Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, The Descendants
John Logan, Hugo
Stan Chervin, Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian, Moneyball

George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon, The Ides of March

#Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

BEST ART DIRECTION

**Laurence Bennett, The Artist
Stuart Craig, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
#Dante Ferretti, Hugo
Rick Carter; Lee Sandales War Horse

Anne Seibel; Hélène Dubreuil Midnight in Paris

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

**Guillaume Schiffman, The Artist
Jeff Cronenweth, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Robert Richardson, Hugo
#Emmanuel Lubezki, The Tree of Life
Janusz Kaminski, War Horse

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Mark Bridges, The Artist
#Michael O'Connor, Jane Eyre
Sandy Powell, Hugo
**Lisy Christl, Anonymous

Arianne Phillips, W.E.

BEST FILM EDITING

**Michel Hazanavicius and Anne-Sophie Bion, The Artist
#Thelma Schoonmaker, Hugo
Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Christopher Tellefsen, Moneyball
Kevin Tent, The Descendants

BEST MAKEUP

Albert Nobbs
**#Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
The Iron Lady

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

**Ludovic Bourse, The Artist
#Howard Shore, Hugo 
Alberto Iglesias, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
John Williams, War Horse

John Williams, The Adventures of Tintin

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

**#"Man or Muppet," The Muppets

“Real in Rio”, Rio

BEST SOUND EDITING

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
#Hugo
**Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Drive

War Horse

BEST SOUND MIXING

**#Hugo

Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Moneyball

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

**Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Hugo
#Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Real Steel

BEST ANIMATED FILM FEATURE

**#Rango
Puss in Boots
Kung Fu Panda 2

A Cat in Paris

Chico & Rita

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated

Hell and Back Again

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FEATURE

Bullhead, Belgium
Footnote, Israel
In Darkness, Poland
Monsieur Lazhar, Canada
**#A Separation, Iran

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*Props to my homeslice C. for that one!

There is no reason for this post other than we needed some Michael Fassbender up in here. Am I right?

Actually, I wanted to announce that Steve McQueen's Shame, starring Fassy in the best performance by an actor of the year, certainly, in recent memory, probably, has gotten a blu-ray release date. Shame will hit the streets on April 17. Mark your calendars. If you haven't seen it, if it missed your town in its theatrical run, you'll be able to find out what the fuss is about (and scratch your head in bewilderment that Fassbender was overlooked by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences- More on that later).

While the reception to co-writer/director Steve McQueen's Shame has been somewhat mixed, even as Fassbender and even Carey Mulligan have been lauded, it is a fascinating character study and in its unique way, lets the audience form their own conclusions about the brother and sister at its core.  The audience gets to bear witness to a lot of  intimate and destructive behavior but you're not told exactly what led them down the paths that they're on. The fact that the film doesn't spell things out or spoon feed the viewer in any way is perhaps what I like best about it.

Okay, enough seriousness. (I'll have to go through all of this again in April when it's released anyway.) Who wants pics?!

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This is a post for all of our readers who happen to reside in the UK or are lucky enough to get the Beeb on your telly.  (The original not the watered down version they give us. BBC America you know I love you…I have no choice.)

Okay, now that that’s out of the way, the real purpose of the post is to tell you that Michael Fassbender, one of your favorites and mine is going to be a guest  on Top Gear! I’m so excited! This Sunday February 19 at its usual time, 8pm, on BBC Two and BBC HD, you will be able to see The Stig give Fassy a driving lesson and then let him loose on the Lotus-designed Top Gear test track in their infamous “Reasonably Priced Car”, which is now the Kia Ceed. (Although I can more easily picture him in the Bentley Conti or the Porsche Panamera.)  Right now, Rowan Atkinson has the time to beat  at 1.42.2.  (Tom Cruise is only two seconds off the lead in fourth place with 1.44.2.)

Well, as excited as I am at this moment, I was even more excited when I thought I was going to be able to see it in the near future. It wasn’t until I realized that this is episode 4 of season 18 and BBC America is currently running season 17 that disappointment set in. Grrrr…. (I’ll rerun this post again in a few months time when BBC America has caught up.) In the meantime, head over to the Top Gear page on the BBC site and reacquaint (or acquaint as the case may be) yourselves with Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond. Oh and of course, The Stig.  These guys are hilarious.

Here’s a vid of Jeremy introducing the show:

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