NEWS FLASH: Dennis Quaid Added to the Cast of Channing Tatum's 'G.I. Joe'

Variety recently announced that Dennis Quaid will be joining Channing Tatum in 2009's comic book-based action film 'G.I. Joe'.

Quaid will play General Hawk, the tough team leader and Channing will play Duke Hauser, the lead soldier in the Stephen Sommers-directed film.

Here is a complete list of the main 'G.I. Joe' cast and the roles they will be playing:

• Channing Tatum - Duke Hauser
• Dennis Quaid - Hawk
• Arnold Vosloo - Zartan
• David Murray - Destro
• Sienna Miller - The Baroness
• Ray Park - Snake Eyes
• Rachel Nichols - Scarlett
• Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje - Heavy Duty
• Saïd Taghmaoui - Breaker
• Marlon Wayans - Ripcord
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Rex
• Byung-hun Lee - Storm Shadow
  

'G.I. Joe' is scheduled to start shooting in mid-February in Los Angeles, California. I've been told that Channing is currently having to ramp up for the role very quickly, since he was just recently cast.

The movie is set for an August 7, 2009 release in the US, but you can CLICK HERE to get a current list of all of the release dates around the world.

Source: Variety.com

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NEWS FLASH: Channing Tatum’s ‘Step Up 2’ Heads Back to the ArcLight for World Premiere

‘Step Up 2: The Streets’, the sequel to Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan’s 2006 extremely successful dance hit ‘Step Up’, will have its world premiere next Monday, February 4, 2008 at the ArcLight Theatre in Hollywood, California. Coincidentally, ‘Step Up’ also had its world premiere at the same theater back in 2006.

For those who are lucky enough to be anywhere near Hollywood next Monday, celebrities are scheduled to arrive at 6PM and the screening of the movie will begin at 7PM. You can expect to see ‘Step Up 2’ stars like Briana Evigan, Robert Hoffman, Cassie Ventura, Adam G. Sevani, Telisha Shaw, Black Thomas, and Danielle Polanco on the red carpet.

With all of the new projects he has on his plate right now, I’m not sure if Channing will be able to attend the premiere yet, so I’ll let you all know as soon as I find out anything.

On the 'Step Up 2’ soundtrack front…

CTU's regular readers already know that the hot Atlantic Records soundtrack exclusively features the # 1 smash hit "Low" by Flo Rida and T-Pain, plus new singles and videos from Missy Elliott, T-Pain, Enrique Iglesias, Trey Songz featuring Piles, Plies featuring Akon, Cassie, Cherish featuring Yung Joc.

As I also mentioned on the blog last Friday, Missy Elliott has two new songs on the 'Step Up 2’ soundtrack , and she has worked with Disney and veteran video director Dave Meyers to create the very first 3-D video for "Ching-a-Ling" and "Shake Your Pom Pom". MTV will premiere the video in 3-D on Monday, February 4th during "TRL." Glasses for home viewing will be distributed via various promotions.

In addition to the MTV premiere, the music video also will be shown in 3-D during a special screening of ‘Step Up 2: The Streets’ on February 5, 2008 in New York, with Elliott scheduled to attend. Additional 3-D presentations may be scheduled, and the video also will be shown in 2-D.

The 'Step Up 2’ soundtrack will be released on February 5, 2008 and ‘Step Up 2: The Streets’ opens in US, UK, and Czech theaters on Valentine’s Day, Thursday, February 14, 2008. You can CLICK HERE to watch the trailer and get all of the current release dates around the world.

Source: Billboard.com

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Check Out Channing Tatum's Top Ten BIGGEST Fans for 2008!!!

As I mentioned in my previous post this morning, I would really like to thank all of Channing Tatum's Fabulous Fans who took the time to enter the 1st Annual Channing Tatum Unwrapped BIGGEST Fan Contest!!!

You all definitely did not make my job easy, but I have finally completed the difficult task of choosing Channing Tatum's top ten BIGGEST fans for 2008. The thing that's really cool to me about the top ten is that it shows the broad spectrum of Chan's fans all around the world. Different ages, races, countries, and reasons for liking him and his movies, but all in complete agreement about being a huge Channing Tatum fan.

My job is done and now it's up to all of you to choose the top three. Just to remind everyone what's at stake here...the top three BIGGEST fans will all receive a photo personally autographed by Channing Tatum himself. Then, his wonderful family will choose Channing Tatum's 2008 BIGGEST Fan from the top three finalist.

The BIGGEST fan will receive a $50 gift certificate that can be used to attend all of Channing's 2008 films ('Step Up 2: The Streets', 'Stop-Loss', 'Battle in Seattle', and 'Fighting'), and a free DVD of all of the aforementioned films as soon as they are released.

Without further ado...CLICK HERE to check out and vote for Channing Tatum's 2008 BIGGEST fans!!! (FYI...the page may take a minute to load, because of all of the pictures and video, so please be patient.)

Voting will end on February 4, 2008, and I will announce the top three finalists on February 11, 2008. Channing Tatum's 2008 BIGGEST Fan will be announced on the blog on February 14, 2008.

If you didn't make it this year, no worries. We will be holding this same contest every January from here on out. Also, I will be saving all of this year's entries and using some of them for future Fabulous Fan Spotlights on the blog, so be on the lookout for those each month starting in March.

Good luck to Channing Tatum's Top Ten BIGGEST fans!!!

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CTU NEWS: Channing Tatum's Top Ten BIGGEST Fans Announced at 1PM Central TODAY!!!

I am so sorry for the delay on announcing Channing Tatum's Top Ten BIGGEST fans. I received a ton of entries, so thanks to everyone who took the time to enter. It was really hard to choose only ten of you, because Channing has such amazing fans all over the world. I'm sure that you will have a difficult time choosing the top three fans and Channing's family will have an even harder time choosing the top one fan after that.

I will announce the top ten candidates on the blog at 1pm Central TODAY, so check back to see if you're one of the lucky fans who could win an autographed photo of Channing and will be able to watch all four of his 2008 films in the theaters and on DVD for FREE!!!

See you all at 1PM today to start the voting for the top 3 BIGGEST fans!

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NEWS FLASH: Channing Tatum Confirmed as Duke in 2009's 'G. I. Joe'

Although tons of entertainment news sites have been reporting it all day long, we now have an official announcement from the Hollywood Reporter that Channing Tatum has most definitely been cast in the iconic role of Duke, the central character, field commander and second in command in 2009's 'G.I. Joe'.

Channing will join previously confirmed castmates Sienna Miller, Ray Park, Rachel Nichols, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Saïd Taghmaoui, Marlon Wayans, Arnold Vosloo and 'Stop-Loss' castmate Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the film that was written by Stuart Beattie and Skip Woods and will be directed by Stephen Sommers.

The movie is scheduled to start filming in Los Angeles, California on February 13, 2008 and is already set to hit US theaters August 7, 2009. You can CLICK HERE to get all of the current release dates for 'G.I. Joe around the world.

Here is the Hollywood Reporter article confirming Channing's new role:

Tatum Will Duke It Out in 'Joe'
By Carly Mayberry
Jan 29, 2008

Channing Tatum has joined the "G.I. Joe" team for Paramount.

Tatum will play Duke, a key leader of the G.I. Joe crew, a role originally thought to be played by Sam Worthington. Worthington, however, could not coordinate the production's schedule with his current work on James Cameron's "Avatar," which has run over schedule.

Tatum, who had been cast in Oliver Stone's My Lai massacre film "Pinkville," found some time in his schedule with that production being put on hold due to the writers strike.

He joins Sienna Miller, Ray Park, Rachel Nichols, Marlon Wayans, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Said Taghmaoui and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the live action film, which is set in the future and based on the popular Hasbro action figures.

Stephen Sommers is directing from the latest script penned by Stuart Beattie.

Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Hasbro's Brian Goldner are producing with Sommers and Bob Ducsay. The film is scheduled for an August 7th, 2009 release.

The project is turning out to be quite the William Morris package. Tatum is repped by the agency, which also reps Sommers, Hasbro and Wayans.

Tatum, who will appear in the upcoming "Fighting" with Terrence Howard as well as the war drama "Stop Loss" starring Ryan Phillippe, has also been cast in "Public Enemies" for Universal.

Besides WMA, he is repped by Management 360 and attorney Rick Genow of Stone, Meyer, Genow, Smelkinson and Binder.

I think Fabulous Channing Tatum Fan and CTU reader Kat of Nashville says it best:

Hollywood should just get smart and cast him in everything. I will personally be at every movie he will be coming out in this year. And in all future years. Channing is an amazing talent. He was so convincing as Antonio in 'Guides'. He blew me away in that role. I think if he was cast in movie about 'How to Clip Your Toenails' I'd be first in line. :-)

Blessings Channing,
Kat, Nashville

I can't agree with Kat more. I admittedly would not have seen G.I. Joe had Channing not been chosen for the film, because I'm notoriously a romantic comedy fan. So here's the smart thing about hiring Channing Tatum...

Whatever kind of movie you put him in, his highly-supportive fans in every corner of the world will not only see it multiple times in the theaters, but we will also buy it on DVD and buy anything else associated with the film just to support him. With two little boys, I'll be the first one in line to get whatever G.I. Joe action figures and accessories Hasbro creates in relationship to this movie.

I'm a true believer in the old adage that everything happens for a reason. We were all disappointed with the postponement of 'Pinkville', but that event actually opened the door for Channing to be able to take this career-changing role and his role in 'Public Enemies'.

Who would have thought that something so good could have come out of the horrible WGA writer's strike? Channing and his team just managed turn lemons into some pretty sweet lemonade and all of us thirsty fans are waiting with empty glasses in hand.

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Today OK! Magazine (And Everyone Else) is Loving Channing Tatum!!!

Everyday we love him, but today (with all of the buzz around Channing Tatum with his new roles in 'Public Enemies' and 'G.I. Joe') OK! Magazine and the rest of the world is loving him too!

From OK! Magazine to JustJared.com to just about every other entertainment or comic book-related site and/or blog out there, Hollywood is all abuzz with the news of Channing's new roles.

They are finally catching on to what we've all known for a really long while, and I have to say that it's about darn time!!! :-D

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NEWS FLASH: It's OFFICIAL...Channing Tatum Takes Over Hollywood in 'G.I. Joe' AND 'Public Enemies'

I announced a little over a week ago that Channing Tatum was up for the part of Duke in 2009's 'G.I. Joe', and I just announced yesterday that Chan may be in 2009's 'Public Enemies' with Johnny Depp.

Preparation has once again crossed paths with opportunity for this young up and comer. I can't stop smiling right now, because I just learned that Channing has managed to land BOTH roles!!!! :-D

Variety is reporting that writer/director/producer Michael Mann has officially added Chan to the star-studded 'Public Enemies' Cast. You can read the entire article below to get the latest scoop:



Michael Mann Rounds Up 'Enemies'
Cotillard joins Depp, Bale in crime drama
By MICHAEL FLEMING

Director Michael Mann has set Marion Cotillard to join Johnny Depp and Christian Bale in "Public Enemies."

The Depression-era crime drama gets under way in Chicago on March 10 for Universal Pictures.

Channing Tatum, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Dorff and Jason Clarke are also joining the cast.

The Oscar-nominated "La Vie en rose" star Cotillard will play Billie Frechette, the lover of the country's most notorious gangster, John Dillinger (Depp).

Tatum will play outlaw Pretty Boy Floyd, Ribisi will play Alvin Karpis, Dorff is near a deal to play Homer Van Meter, and Clarke will play John "Red" Hamilton. That quartet repped a Dillinger gang that knocked off banks all over the Midwest during the Depression.

Bale plays Melvin Purvis, who was tapped by FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover to lead a manhunt that established the FBI as the country's first federal police force after the G-Men killed Dillinger outside the Biograph Theater in 1934.

The shooting script was written by Ronan Bennett, Ann Biderman and Mann. Mann will produce with Kevin Misher. Jane Rosenthal is exec producer.

U, Mann and Misher spent several years developing the film, which came together quickly after the postponement of Depp's expected spring slot, the Warner Bros. drama "Shantaram."

Cotillard is available because the Weinstein Co. postponed "Nine," the Rob Marshall-directed musical she is still expected to star in with Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz and Sophia Loren. Moving that project forward was a key reason TWC signed an interim deal with the Writer's Guild of America.

Tatum was available after United Artists halted the Oliver Stone-directed "Pinkville." Ribisi has been shooting the James Cameron-directed "Avatar," and Clarke most recently wrapped the Jada Pinkett Smith-directed "The Human Contract" as well as the Paul W.S. Anderson-directed "Death Race."

As if that wasn't exciting enough, Ain't It Cool News just posted that we will learn from an official press release later today that Channing has also been awarded the coveted role of Duke in 2009's G.I. Joe, Paramount Pictures' live-action film based on the popular Hasbro action figures. I will post the information as soon as I can get it.

We already knew that this year was going to be incredible for Channing Tatum, but I can't begin to explain how excited I am that Hollywood is really seeing the true talent that he is and is giving him his due so early in the game. I'm thinking I'm going to have to hire a staff pretty soon just to keep up with all of the moving and shaking this up and coming actor is doing. Honestly, I just feel really fortunate to be allowed to go along for the ride.

Congrats, Chan, on everything you have accomplished and everything that you have in store. I know this is just the beginning, and we all can't wait to see what else you have up your sleeve!!!

Source: Variety.com, Ain't It Cool News

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NEWS FLASH: Channing Tatum's 'Stop-Loss' Will Show at South By Southwest Film Festival Too!!!

I recently posted on the blog that Channing Tatum's upcoming film 'Battle in Seattle' was going to be showing at the popular South by Southwest Film Festival in March.

Well, if you didn't have enough reason to go to the festival, I just learned from director Kimberly Peirce that 'Stop-Loss' is also supposed to be shown at the 2008 South By Southwest Film Conference and Festival (SXSW).

Just to remind you, SXSW, a popular Austin-based film festival that's also held in conjunction with a music festival and digital interactive festival, will run from March 7-15, 2008.

The festival will announce the complete schedule for feature films on February 5, 2008, and I'll let you know exact showtimes and locations for screenings for 'Battle in Seattle' and 'Stop-Loss' when they're released. For more on SXSW Film 2008, please visit their official site.

Kimberly also said that she is getting ready for the second 'Stop-Loss' college, press, and publicity tour around the county, and that the film will have a premiere in both Los Angeles, CA and New York City, New York before it has it's official theatrical release in the US on March 28, 2008. CLICK HERE to get all of the current 'Stop-Loss' release dates around the world and watch the very moving trailer.

I was already seriously thinking about going to the festival, because it's not far from where I live in Texas. Now that both of Channing's films are going to be showing, there is an even better chance that I will attend. I'll keep you all posted and maybe I'll even see a few of you there. :-D

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RUMOR OR REEL?: Channing Tatum to Join Johnny Depp's 'Public Enemies'

We recently learned that Channing Tatum is currently in the running for the lead role of Duke in 2009's G.I. Joe, Paramount Pictures' live-action film based on the popular Hasbro action figures. The movie is set to start principal photography (aka "begin filming") on February 13, 2008.

Last week I caught wind of a possible new role for Channing Tatum in yet another high-profile Hollywood film on the Wisconsin-based blog network Dane101.com. Today I found a couple other sources (The-Numbers.com, HSX.com) that say Channing may have already been added to this new film's cast, so I thought I would go ahead and make a post about it.

Dane101.com made an extremely small mention a little over a week ago that Channing Tatum was rumored to be in writer/director/producer Michael Mann's new Universal Pictures project called 'Public Enemies' that's set to release in 2009.

The real-life crime drama is already getting a ton of buzz in Hollywood and currently stars Johnny Depp as 1930's American bank robber John Dillinger and Christian Bale as Melvin Purvis, the Federal agent who led the manhunt to take down Dillinger and other high-profile criminals like Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd during a booming crime wave in the 1930's.

The film's screenplay was adapted by Michael Mann from Bryan Burrough's non-fiction book "Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and Birth of the FBI, 1933-34".

The movie starts in 1933, after Dillinger is already a notorious gangster, and it follows him into the last few years of his life as he runs from the law, namely Purvis. The LatinReview.com has a great summary of the script, so you can read below to learn more about the movie:

September 1933. JOHN DILLINGER is driven to prison by his partner and confidant, RED HAMILTON. As he gets processed into prison again, several inmates break out and report to Dillinger, who leads them back to Red and the getaway car.

Now we see MELVIN PURVIS, federal agent, run after PRETTY BOY FLOYD. After a good chase, Purvis fires at Floyd and hits him, killing the gangster.

In the throes of the Great Depression, Dillinger sets up shop in Chicago with a network of men, including a gunsmith, a corrupt cop, and a car dealer – he’s nearly invincible: His robberies are perfectly planned – every man on his team has a job and does it well. There are no casualties and to top things off, Dillinger has the public’s support – he is a charismatic and good looking gentleman who is always nice to the civilians, as he assures them he is only after the bank’s money, not theirs.

Meanwhile in Washington, a young politician named J. EDGAR HOOVER tries to get more money from Congress to fight organized crime. Hoover is an arrogant and stubborn elite, but he’s dynamic, gets results, and is bent on ridding the world of men like John Dillinger. Hoover is impressed with Purvis, Back from his capture of Pretty Boy Floyd, and assigns him on his new mission: destroy Dillinger.

Purvis tracks Dillinger and we get to see a number of old surveillance methods, including old fashioned wire taps, but Dillinger is always a step ahead. One night at a club, Dillinger meets a beautiful young girl named BILLIE and falls in love on the spot. He pursues her and his charm wins her over.

Later on, Dillinger is captured again, but not for long – his charisma and clever maneuvering, as well as ties to a slick lawyer, afford him the chance to once again escape from custody.

But this notoriety wears thin and Dillinger slowly realizes that his Robin Hood style antics of bank robberies may be a thing of the past. As his connections begin to dwindle, Dillinger has to start doing things he thought he’d never do to survive, all while Purvis gets closer in his pursuit – and from Hoover’s orders, it’s clear that Dillinger is wanted more dead than alive.

Why do I think this is more reel than rumor? Well, Misher Films is one of the three production companies helping to bring 'Public Enemies' to the big screen, and Kevin Misher (a really nice film executive who I personally had the pleasure of meeting when I was on set last October) of Misher Films also produced Channing's upcoming film 'Fighting'.

I'm totally working off of layman speculation here, but Hollywood loves to work with people they already know, especially people like Channing that are extremely talented, easy to work with, and come with an established fan base in tow ;-) , so I'm thinking this one may have some of truth in it.

The movie is supposed to start filming on March 10, 2008 in Chicago, Illinois and Milwaukee, Madison, Oshkosh and Little Bohemia, Wisconsin. If he is in this film, I'm not sure what would happen with G.I. Joe, but either film would be great for Chan.

Stay tuned to Channing Tatum Unwrapped...I'll let you all know when I am able to get some confirmation from Channing's camp on the validity of this casting, and I'll also see if I can get any scoop on which role he may be playing.

Source: Dane101.com, LatinReview.com, The-Numbers.com, HSX.com

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NEWS FLASH: Check Out Channing Tatum's 'Stop-Loss' on Facebook

Channing Tatum's upcoming war drama 'Stop-Loss' just released a new Facebook profile where you can "fan" the page and get a chance to win a Panasonic Camcorder. You can click on the image to the right to take a look at the new profile and to easily enter their contest.

On the new 'Stop-Loss' Facebook profile, fans can also learn about the movie, watch videos created by the film makers, soldiers, and others, take part in the discussion topics, leave comments and reviews, and check out the exclusive new movie stills in the 'Stop-Loss' photo albums.

Here's a sneak peek of some of the new stills you'll find on the profile and in the 'Stop-Loss' set of the Channing Tatum Unwrapped Photo Gallery:

'Stop-Loss' releases in the US theaters on March 28, 2008. You can CLICK HERE to check out the trailer and get all of the current release dates around the world.

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NEWS FLASH: Channing Tatum's 'Step Up 2: The Streets' Releases New Movie Stills and Polish Release Date

Channing Tatum's highly-anticipated film 'Step Up 2: The Streets', the sequel to his 2006 dance hit 'Step Up', just released even more new movie stills, and I have added over 20 of them to the Channing Tatum Unwrapped Photo Gallery.

In addition to the new stills, I recently found the following movie synopsis at ContactMusic.com that gives us a few more details on the film's storyline:

Nothing in life has come easily for 16-year-old street dancer Andie West (Briana Evigan) - nothing, that is, except dance. After her mother died, she was taken in by her mother's best friend, Sarah (Sonja Sohn), but for Andie, Sarah's house is just one more place she doesn't belong; her only real family is her dance crew, the 410, and her guardian angel from the neighborhood, Tyler Gage (Channing Tatum).

After Andie skips school for the hundredth time to rehearse with the 410, Sarah tells her she's had enough - she's sending Andie to live with her aunt in Texas. But luckily for Andie, Tyler steps in and saves the day: he convinces Sarah to let Andie stay in Baltimore if she agrees to attend the Maryland School of the Arts. Now all Andie has to do is get in.

Once Andie lands at MSA, she finds herself fighting to fit in while also trying to hold onto her old life. Her school commitments quickly start taking up all her time, and after she misses one too many 410 rehearsals, her crew throws her out. But Andie refuses to give up; instead, she joins forces with the MSA's hottest dancer Chase Collins (Robert Hoffman), and they recruit a crew of their classmates to compete in Baltimore's underground dance battle, The Streets. Sparks fly between Andie and Chase, and she ultimately finds a way to live her dream while building a bridge between her two separate worlds.

I also just learned that Missy Elliott is currently shooting a new music video with director Dave Meyers for “Ching-A-Ling,” one of the singles from the soon to released 'Step Up 2: The Streets' soundtrack.

Sources from Dave Meyers’ camp tell Rap-Up.com that this will be the first 3-D music video ever. Be on the look out for Missy's hot new video on MTV in the coming weeks!!! The soundtrack will be available on February 5, 2008 and you can CLICK HERE hear many of the songs.

Finally, good news for all of Channing's Polish fans!!! 'Step Up 2: The Streets' is going to have its theatrical release in Poland on February 29, 2008. You can get more information about the movie on the Polish website Wirtualna Polska.

Everyone else can CLICK HERE to get a complete list of all of the current release dates for the film around the world and to watch the movie's two new trailers.

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NEWS FLASH: Channing Tatum's 'Battle in Seattle' Gets Glowing Review at CinemaBlend.com

Channing Tatum's upcoming drama 'Battle in Seattle' just received a glowing 4 out 5 star review at the popular movie site Cinema Blend.com.

You can check out the complete movie review written by Cinema Blend's Katey Rich below:

Battle in Seattle Review
by Katey Rich

I’ve been to two protests in my life, one of them being a march against the Iraq war in the month preceding the invasion in 2003 (yes, I’m still proud of it). I didn’t see anyone get arrested or witness anything near the drama that happened at the 1999 WTO protests in Seattle, but I clearly remember the exhilirating atmosphere out there, believing in the power of the people to actually change the world.

That heady emotion, along with the darker underbelly of mass demonstrations, enlivens Battle in Seattle and gives the film its deep emotional core. By not necessarily glorifying the activists while agreeing with their cause, writer-director Stuart Townsend creates a multilayered portrait of an eventful five days that is much more about the people involved rather than the cause they were fighting for. It probably won’t find its way onto the WTO’s Netflix queue, but it’s worth a look even from those who think protesters are just bored, unwashed hippies.

After a quick presentation explaining why the WTO is evil (short answer: it kills the third world!), Battle in Seattle jumps right into the action. The WTO was planning a meeting in Seattle with all of their worldwide delegates, and in an attempt to draw attention to the perceived crimes of the organizaiton, thousands of protesters descended upon the city. One group is led by Jay (Martin Henderson), a longtime environmental activist who has already seen trouble with the law. Jay begins a tentative flirtation with tough girl Lou (consummate tough girl Michelle Rodriguez), but the two are soon swept up in the action of the first day of demonstrations. Lou, along with environmentalist Django (Andre Benjamin, a.k.a. Outkast’s Andre 300) is part of a group that chains itself together in order to block the WTO delegates from getting to the conference, while Jay works to execute a peaceful protest. In the meantime, Mayor Jim Tobin (Ray Liotta) tries to keep his promise to the protesters that excessive police force wouldn’t used, despite pressure from the state government and even the White House.

Elsewhere Ella (Charlize Theron) works her cashier job even as the protest outside grows increasingly violent, while her husband Dale (Woody Harrelson) is part of the police force trying to keep the peace. A number of hotshot young cops (Channing Tatum and Joshua Jackson among them) are anxious to start cracking skulls, even as the official word is to make no arrests and use no force. A television reporter is caught up in the spirit of the protestors’ message, while inside the conference, delegates with good intentions are ignored because of the disruption outside.

What happened next became national news back in 1999. Vandalism, looting and violence erupted among the protesters, forcing the police to respond by illegally arresting hundreds of demonstrators, often using extensive force. Each of our characters is caught up in the chaos, as Lou and Django are apprehended while Jay fruitlessly tries to negotiate with the violent activists. Ella is tragically injured, which unhinges Dale at a key moment when he faces off against Jay.

Even though we know what happened after the protests-- the WTO still exists, and massive protests are still only a moderately successful way of drawing attention to a cause-- Battle in Seattle possesses a great deal of drama and tension, mostly thanks to our concern for the leading characters. Jay can’t afford another arrest before being thrown into jail forever, so the last 20 minutes of the movie hinge on whether or not the activists’ lawyer can convince the mayor that the illegal arrests must be overturned. At the same time Ella has spurned Dale for his participation in the riots, and his careful attempts to win her back are a nice contrast to Jay and Lou’s interrupted courtship.

By showing the events inside the conference as well as the city government, Townsend avoids a myopic view of events that are controversial even among those who supported the protesters’ cause. The movie ends on a happy note, with the WTO talks collapsing thanks to dissent from representatives of poorer countries, but it never pretends the future was just as rosy. The final scene gives way to images of protests against the WTO that have happened all over the world since 1999, a potent reminder of the power of protest that goes beyond punk kids trying to cause trouble. Say what you will about the activists at the so-called “Battle in Seattle,” but they were exercising one of America’s most core constitutional rights, and eventually had something to show for it.

'Battle in Seattle' is currently set for a May 2008 theatrical release in the US and will debut in other countries around the world soon after.

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NEWS FLASH: Channing Tatum's 'Stanford Prison Experiment' Wins Legal Battle, But Loses Writer's Strike War

It’s been a long while since we’ve heard anything new about Channing Tatum’s upcoming movie ‘The Stanford Prison Experiment’, which is based on the 1971 real-life psychological study performed by Emeritus Psychology Professor Philip Zimbardo of Stanford.

The experiment used students to play the roles of prison guards and prisoners to study the use and abuse of power in humans and to examine how good people can be corrupted in bad situations. Zimbardo was forced to end the study earlier than planned when the experiment got out of control.

The Associated Press recently reported that the film has been on hold pending the resolution of a lawsuit between Maverick Films (a Los Angeles-based production company founded by Madonna and husband Guy Oseary in 2001) and Beverly Hills-based Inferno Distribution.

Maverick sued Inferno in October 2006, saying that Inferno unfairly represented itself to gain access to confidential information about ‘The Stanford Prison Experiment’. Inferno lodged a countersuit in December 2006, alleging that Maverick engaged in slander, unfair competition and interference with contractual relations.

Last Wednesday (January 16, 2008) , the two parties agreed to settle the case out of court, which now opens the door for Maverick to start filming the movie that was written by Oscar-winning writer and director Christopher McQuarrie. In addition to Channing Tatum, the film is also rumored to star Ryan Phillippe, Kieran Culkin, Paul Dano, Jesse Eisenberg, Charlie Hunnam, Giovanni Ribisi, Dylan Purcell and Benjamin McKenzie.

The movie was supposed to start filming this month in Palo Alto, California at Stanford University and in Regina, Saskatchewan in Canada. So will fans soon see Channing Tatum matriculating on the campus of Stanford or hanging out in Regina?

The truth of the matter is, Maverick can now legally make the movie, but much like most of the films in pre-production right now, the WGA writer’s strike sadly has temporarily halted the production on this film too. Hopefully some sort of agreement will be made soon so the entertainment industry can get back on track and everyone affected by the almost 3 month old strike can get back to work.

Stay tuned to Channing Tatum Unwrapped, and as always, I’ll keep you posted on any further developments on Channing’s upcoming films.

Source: CBSNews.com, Stanford Daily

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NEWS FLASH: Director Oliver Stone's Take on Channing Tatum's 'Pinkville'

Variety is reporting that Oliver Stone (Oscar-winning director of Channing Tatum's postponed Vietnam war drama 'Pinkville') is now moving on to a new project called 'Bush'.

It's a movie focusing on the life and presidency of George W. Bush, and Josh Brolin is currently slated to star in the film.

So what does this new development mean for Channing Tatum's 'Pinkville'?

Here's what Stone had to say about why the project was postponed, how he felt about the cast, and what he feels about the future of the movie...

"...Stone said his NYU classmate Weiser did a lot of research as they worked for more than a year on the project before setting the script aside when Stone committed to "Pinkville." While UA partners Paula Wagner and Tom Cruise said they pulled the plug on that movie because of the WGA strike, Stone seemed to support widespread speculation that the strike was an excuse to kill another war-themed movie that UA was wary of making after its first release, "Lions for Lambs," flopped.

"On 'Pinkville,' I had a great script and one of the best casts on any of my films, with 40 young actors and Bruce Willis," Stone said. "It's a shame they lost faith in the film, and that they unemployed 500 people right before Christmas. We were three weeks from shooting."

Stone hopes to get his script back so he can revive "Pinkville" down the line..."

Since this new film's script is already written, it's not affected by the ongoing writer's strike that partially caused 'Pinkville' to get postponed. If they are able to get financing quickly enough, 'Bush' could start production as early as April and could be in theaters for the next US election or the inauguration of the new President.

Let's all keep our fingers crossed that Stone is able to get his script back so he can possibly get 'Pinkville' made at some point in the future.


Source: Variety.com

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Condolences

If you were as surprised as I was by the devastating news we all received yesterday, then you'll understand why I feel compelled to take a minute and send my deepest condolences to Heath Ledger's family and friends.

He was an extremely talented and hard-working actor and more importantly, was well-loved by everyone he touched. Heath has been lost way too soon for all that loved him and appreciated his work, and he will be missed.

NEWS FLASH: Download Over 230 High Quality Screen Caps from the 'Step Up 2: The Streets' Trailer

Thanks to Live Journal user greatesthitsx we now have over 230 high quality (HQ) screen captures from the trailer of Channing Tatum, Robert Hoffman, and Briana Evigan's highly-anticipated and soon to be dance hit 'Step Up 2: The Streets'.

You can check out a few of the screen caps below, but you will find all 239 of the new images in the new 'Step Up 2' Screen Captures Set in the Channing Tatum Unwrapped Photo Gallery. Enjoy!!!









Also, thanks to Fabulous Channing Tatum Fan Paul for letting me know about the hot, new dance mash-up video 'Step Up 2' just released featuring Flo Rida's #1 smash hit song "Low". You can CLICK HERE to watch it or you can just check out the new video below:

'Step Up 2: The Streets' hits theaters February 14, 2008. You can CLICK HERE to get world-wide release dates and to watch the extremely infectious trailer.

Thanks to greatesthitsx for posting the screen captures!!!!

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Channing Tatum Pictures of the Week: Fabulous Fan Drawing Submissions

Each week Channing Tatum Unwrapped will post one or more of our favorite pictures of the uber hot Channing Tatum.

Today's Pictures of the Week were submitted by Fabulous Channing Tatum Fan Brad from Atlanta, Georgia and Channing Tatum Unwrapped's newest resident artist. Brad does such an incredible job of recreating the following photos that most of his drawings look like black and white photo copies of the original photos from Chan's public appearances, 'Step Up', 'Stop-Loss', and 'Fighting'.

Here are Brad's most recent works of art with the original high quality photos that he used to create them:

I again can't thank Brad enough for creating and submitting his beautiful drawings and sharing them with the Channing Tatum Unwrapped fan community! You can CLICK HERE to see a slideshow with all of Brad's gorgeous drawings.

Channing Tatum has tons of talented fans all over the world. You can find these drawings and so much more in the Fan Art Set in the Channing Tatum Unwrapped photo gallery.

If you have a favorite picture from this blog, our photo gallery, a picture you have made or a picture that you have found on the net that you would like us to consider, send the picture or a link to the picture to potw@channingtatumunwrapped.com and tell us why you like it. We will post it and your explanation on the blog. If you like or don't like today's picture (for some completely insane reason), let us know that too by clicking on the comments link below. :-)

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