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Lord of the Rings director, Peter Jackson has given some insight into a few nagging issue regarding the upcoming two-part epic, The Hobbit.

Peter Jackson was in London Tuesday night for the Royal gala premiere for The Lovely Bones. The film, (whose official release is on January 15, 2010) is based on the hugely popular Alice Sebold novel about a murdered teenage girl whose spirit remains as she watches her family deal with the aftermath of her death and a possible reckoning with her own killer. However, don't be so quick to bring the Kleenex just yet. It's actually kind of like Bill Cosby's Ghost Dad meets Steven Seagal's Hard to Kill. "Lovely Bones" (which is what we shall call her instead of character name, Susie) is back from the dead and taking the law into her own hands! No more school, no more tests, this time she's only out to blow s**t UP!!

...Okay, maybe that wasn't an accurate description of the film. (Although a movie with "Lovely Bones" decimating and entire army of Columbian drug-lords with a minigun would be one that I'd go see.) Getting back to what's germane, Jackson was able to field some Hobbit-related questions at the London premiere gala. As a result, we've learned a few things.

1. The Hobbit will NOT be filmed in 3-D.

This was very old rumor that seemed to show its face in Hobbit news time and time again. After much speculation, Peter Jackson squelched the idea definitively when he stated:

"The Hobbit will not be filmed in 3D, despite the current vogue for the technology in the movie industry." Adding. "Guillermo wants to shoot in 35mm, old-fashioned film, which suits me, because he wants to keep it in the same space as the original trilogy".

Jackson, in stating his own views on the current resurgence of 3-D adds that it "only adds to the experience." Further adding: "The only thing I get annoyed about is the image being a little dull. It does feel like you're looking at the movie with sunglasses on. But literally, that could just be about getting brighter bulbs in the projectors."

2. The style of the films will be consistent with LOTR.

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There seems to have been some confusion on the web regarding the status of the long-discussed Silver Surfer solo film. After a recent interview with J. Michael Straczynski, the co-writer of the script in question, speculation was rampant that the film starring Galactus' former herald would be set to join the pile of comic projects that never came into being.

"What happened was when Fantastic Four 2: Rise of the Silver Surfer didn't do as well as they hoped it would do, it caused them to call into question a Silver Surfer movie. The script that I wrote picked up right where FF2 left off. So if they do a Silver Surfer film down the road, it'll have to be its own separate thing."

Hindsight being 20/20, it seemed pretty clear that Straczynski was referring to the death of the "old" Silver Surfer script which was set to be a direct follow-up to 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. However, what he probably needed to clarify, was that ANOTHER script is currently in development, which, as he states, will be "its own separate thing." Regardless, reports of the death of the Silver Surfer project (perhaps rooted in a bit of schadenfreude) were precipitously making their way around news circles.

Straczynzski took it upon himself to clear the air on the matter with a statement he sent to IGN, in which he says, among other things:

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Robert Downey Jr. really, REALLY wants you see Sherlock Holmes. In fact, based on an interview for the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly, he may be banking his career on the film's performance.

Once on the precipice, drug-addicted and close to suicide, he has come a long way in recent years with his health and blockbuster resurgence. Commenting that he had "no set plans for the future," the multi-time Oscar-nominated actor has been aiming for a normal life, free from the hectic structurally-lacking lifestyle of a big-time Hollywood star. For Downey, Sherlock Holmes may be a career crossroad;  a failure may induce him to reassess his place in the industry and perhaps take some time away from the spotlight to focus on family. He seems to imply that this decision rests on the shoulders of Sherlock Holmes.

“I’m f—ing really good at what I do — and have been for a long time, so I don’t waver on that,” he says. “But here’s the thing: I can only be a guy on a call sheet probably, I don’t know, maybe a couple more times. It’s something I’m so grateful to have in my palm, and yet I already see its inevitable decay.” Or not. Then again, he says with a weary smile, “If Sherlock Holmes performs well, I could be busy for the next 5 or 7 or 10 years.”

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Hey, did you hear about this little movie called The Twilight Saga: New Moon? I heard a rumor that this vampire/werewolf/teen emo romp was rather popular and that its success at the box office this past weekend was more than a sure thing. Given how much money everyone knew this film would make over the weekend, it still managed to surprise, making WAY more: $140.7 million to be exact.

This is  the third largest opening weekend of all time, behind The Dark Knight's much-touted record of $158,411,483 million and Spider-Man 3's $151,116,516. The film (along with Sandra Bullock romcom, The Blind Side) also helped push the weekend's overall business numbers to its second-best ever, just behind the weekend that...you guessed it, The Dark Knight debuted along with Bolt.

Rest easy, Batman fanboys. The Twilight Saga has not overtaken your (okay, "our") precious Dark Knight...yet. However, should you have this fear, there is definite cause for concern. Let's break this down, shall we?:

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I'm currently in line to see The Twilight Saga: New Moon for the third time. But maybe you're not so lucky. Too bad for you, loser. Anyway, if you can't tear yourself away from your computer long enough to see the greatest movie event in history (and yes, that includes Citizen Kane), please enjoy the trailer, re-enacted using The Sims 3. <span class="tooltip-content"> <span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper active' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab PC'></span></span> <span class='tooltip-active tooltip2 PC'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/35856/the-sims-3/index/" title="The+Sims+3">The Sims 3</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/35856/the-sims-3/news/" title="The+Sims+3 news">News</a></h6> (30)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/35856/the-sims-3/news/" title="The+Sims+3 news">Previews</a></h6> (5)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/35856/the-sims-3/review/" title="The+Sims+3 review">Review</a></h6></li> </ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/35856/the-sims-3/videos/" title="The+Sims+3 videos">Videos</a></h6> (36)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/35856/the-sims-3/screenshots-and-images/" title="The+Sims+3 screenshots &amp; images">Screenshots</a></h6> (36)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/35856/the-sims-3/screenshots-and-images/" title="The+Sims+3 cheats &amp; walkthroughs">Cheats and Walkthroughs</a></h6> (22)</li> </ul> </span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span> </span><div class="arrow"></div>

It seems that a casting rumor (albeit one that no one's talking about) concerning the upcoming Iron Man 2 has been shot down.

What do we know about Iron Man 2?: Robert Downey back in full gear, Scarlett Johansson looking all hot as a redhead in a tight-black suit, and Mickey Rouke in a weird "He-Man" outfit with plumbing snakes attached to his arms. However, one source of early speculation pointed to the question of whether or not Iron Man's primary nemesis in the comics, The Mandarin would make an an appearance. While we may not have gotten a definitive answer on the character's status, we have learned that Faran Tahir will not portray the villain.

Why is that significant? WHO is Faran Tahir? Both valid questions.

Tahir (Captain Robau from Star Trek) portrayed the character Raza in the first Iron Man film. He was the leader of the terrorist group who wounded and kidnapped Tony Stark. Of course, Stark would smoothly deceive them, building the Iron Man Mark I suit, instead of the Jericho missile they tried to force him to make under duress. You know the rest of the story -- Stark breaks out and just mops the floor (as much of a floor a cave can contain, anyway) with the baddies. No Guantanamo for these guys. However, the terrorist group was referred to as the "Ten Rings," which was a clear reference to the 10 rings which serve as the source of the evil Mandarin's powers. It was speculated that Tahir's "Raza" character (whose fate remained up in the air) would return as a reinvented version of The Mandarin himself. (Sounds good, right?) This assertion, however, has now been shot down. In an interview with MovieWeb, Tahir states unequivocally: "No, no I'm not in the film."

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Who is the latest actress to be mysteriously linked to the upcoming Spider-Man 4? Get ready to join the club, Anne Hathaway! With the rumor regarding Rachel McAdams just dying down, you would have thought that there would be a brief, unspoken embargo on Spider-Man 4 casting rumors. They may not always be accurate (well, they're rarely accurate) but if anything, they are consistent.

Deadline's Nikke Finke is reporting that according to her sources, producers have approached Anne Hathaway for a yet-unknown role in the franchise's fourth effort. Besides the fact that she will not replace Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane, that is essentially the extent of the report. Finke herself comes clean in prefacing that she knew very little about comic books or comic-related properties. Clearly, this is not the case of a fangirl spreading wild rumors for attention. According to Finke:

"You know I'm insecure about my geek bonafides which I've been trying to improve in recent years. (Heck, I grew up never reading a single comic book.)"

Nevetheless, the fact that she classifies this tidbit as a "bonafide" may be telling in how much weight it carries. (It's certainly not as outrageous as some other SM4 rumors we've been hearing.)

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There are pranks, and then there's downright cruelty. CollegeHumor's prank war between Amir and Streeter is on its eighth iteration, and I think tricking someone into thinking they're about to die is about as nasty as you can get. So enjoy that, along with some cute kittens and a couple people you'll surely want to date once you see their profile videos.

• Ronald loves forklift driving, long walks on the beach, and women who aren't afraid of him. See his video on FilmDrunk.

• CollegeHumor's prank war between Streeter and Amir has been pretty awesome, and Amir just upped the stakes. I'm unsure how Streeter managed not to soil his pants.

• Supertremendous presents the 25 funniest kitten photos on the 'net.

• CraveOnline lists their picks for the 10 best vigilante movies of all time. Do you agree with their choices?

• Uncoached has some Canadian motivational posters that are sure to make you want to move up to the Great White North.

• If you still have a cache of last-gen games lying around, Crispy Gamer will let you know the ones that are quickly turning into collectables.

Ladies and gentleman, I have some sad, sad news to report: A rumor about the upcoming Spider-Man 4 has turned out...NOT to be true!!! (I'll give you a minute to compose yourselves.)

Last week, you may remember a rumor regarding the casting of Rachel McAdams as longtime Spidey nemesis/love interest The Black Cat. Website Mania's "reliable source" said talks were happening for the lovely Ms. McAdams to don the tight, black, white-trimmed cat-suit. (Which I'm sure would have highlighted her various...assets quite well.) However, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, McAdams set the record straight:

“That’s a total rumor, I have to say. I was hanging out in Toronto the other day and someone came up to me and said, ‘I just heard you’re doing Spider-Man 4.‘ And I said, ‘Really? No one told me!’ It’s not true.”

The assertion was also backed-up by a rep for Sony pictures. So either the source was dead wrong, or someone just got thrown under the bus, big time.

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Will we know more about Batman 3 sooner rather than later? A rumor is currently circulating that Warner Bros. will make some sort of official announcement in January on the status of the heavily-discussed sequel to The Dark Knight. The discussion originated from a Batman fansite called Batman-on-Film, that claims the breaking news from their "solid and longtime source."

While Batman 3 may already be the top source of Internet blog chatter, the drama surrounding whether director Christopher Nolan will return for this third film has been a fruitful source in its own right for much of the rumor mills. According to BOF's source, Warner is (understandably) a bit anxious to get this franchise sequel off the ground, and if Nolan drags his heels too long, they may just move on without his directorial talents.

However, as others seem to be accurately pointing out, the rumored announcement would coincide quite conveniently with the beginning of the promotional campaign for the July 16 release of Nolan's film Inception. Nolan (at least, according to imdb) doesn't seem to have any other projects on the horizon, other than his still-rumored attachment to an "Untitled Batman Project." Nonetheless, doubts still linger. According to BOF:

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This past weekend, Roland Emmerich's stunning effects-laden bonanza, 2012 reminded moviegoers of one thing: The complete and utter destruction of the world kicks ass! With a domestic/Canadian tally of $65 million and $225 million worldwide, 2012 made an awful lot of money, thanks in part to a premise supplied by an ancient Mayan calendar (however accurately or inaccurately it was represented.) It was no less than porn for the oblivion-seeking nihilist that rests within every one us.

Its weekend performance also achieved the status of being the best worldwide opening for a film not based on any sort of franchises established in other forms of media. However, measured up against other franchise films debuts, it bowed at No. 9, placed among good company, merely behind such franchise favorites as the Star Wars, Spider-Man, and Harry Potter films. (Harry Potter is still the king with this year's The Half Blood Prince's $394 million.)

What else is there to say about the end-of-the-world epic, in which John Cusack holds up a boom-box playing Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" to calm the Earth's seas and tectonic plates, eventually winning its love in a romantic ending where Cusack helps the Earth overcome its fear of flying with a trip to England? (Did I spoil something?!) Regardless, now off the heels of this success, Emmerich has firmly reestablished his title as the "King of Fake Apocalypse." With recent discussion of a sequel to one of his other huge, "all s*** gets destroyed" epics, Independence Day (or ID4) seemingly heating up, one must wonder if 20th Century Fox might be clamoring to get the Emmerich franchise back off the ground. 

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We couldn't get enough of J. J. Abrams' Star Trek earlier this year, and now you can bring this sexy update to the sci-fi classic home with you. (Sorry, girls, Chris Pine is not included.)

Tonight, Alison Haislip catches up with director Abrams to talk about what fans old and new can hope to see in the November 17th DVD release, including the special 3-disc Blu-ray edition for those hardcore Trekkies.

Tune in to Attack of the Show tonight at 7:00pm to see what he has to say!

A tweet from Production Weekly reports that Thor will bring down the hammer real soon. According to them, the film is to begin shooting in LA in mid-January (we assume for studio work.) The production will then move to Santa Fe, NM in March up into late April, where principal photography should be wrapped.

It seems that the Avengers blitz will soon take one more step towards realization. With its May 20, 2011 release date, Thor will be followed by First Avenger: Captain America on July 22, followed by May 4, 2012's release of the granddaddy of them all, the groundbreaking, precedence-shattering movie crossover event The Avengers. The artisitic and financial success of each of these movies could hinge on the success of the ones that precede it.

It all starts with the release of Iron Man 2 on May 7, 2010. Of course, the film is guaranteed to be a mega-hit. In fact, it could end up being a 5-minute documentary on badger poop and it would still rake-in huge opening numbers. However, much like the case of Transformers 2, huge box-office numbers do not necessarily make an artistic success. So I think there's a strong possibility that the Transformers franchise may lose a lot of its momentum going into its (guaranteed) upcoming third effort. Now, try to imagine if it had held the weight of THREE distinct spin-off franchises? You might be a bit worried if you were deeply invested.

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Fans have surely been waiting a long time for the inevitable news of a film adaptation of the Metal Gear Solid games. How, then, would those fans feel, should a name such as Paul W.S. Anderson become attached to the project? Well, it turns out that there's a chance we may find out.

Website ShockTillYouDrop was recently in Toronto on the set of the Anderson-directed Resident Evil: Afterlife and conducted a brief interview with producer (and Anderson colleague) Jeremy Bolt. In addition to updating the status of the long-discussed Castlevania film, he dropped a bit of bombshell when he stated that Anderson would like adapt Konami's Metal Gear Solid game franchise for the big screen. That is the extent of what is known on the MGS issue, but more will surely develop to clarify (or perhaps shoot down) its significance.

Do we really need to go into depth as to the why this is wrong? Some things are just so obvious, it's silly to even waste time explaining them. You don't stick a fork into a power outlet, you don't swim right after you eat, and you don't hire Paul W.S. Anderson to direct a Metal Gear film. Don't get me wrong, Anderson is not the worst director walking the planet, in fact, (as I've said in other writings,) his video game films such as the Resident Evil series and the first Mortal Kombat film are solid efforts, given the genre. His films provide a steady supply of action and excitement buttressed by a relatively stable storyline. While there's nothing intrinsically wrong with that, it is NOT how I would want to feel about a film that would have audacity to adopt the Metal Gear Solid mythos, which I (and legions of millions across the globe) find sacred. Solid Snake deserves so much better than to be placed as some fan-placating symbolic character in a prospectively over-the-top spectacle full of Woo-esque slow-motion shots.

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We know how much everyone loves Olivia Munn. That's why I felt the need to issue a PSA and point out her role in the upcoming movie, Slammin Salmon. For Munn, along with some ridiculous gangster wannabes, the new trailer for the Smokin' Aces sequel, and some awful bootleg dvd covers, check out the links below.

• The new trailer for Slammin' Salmon, the latest from Broken Lizard (Beerfest, Super Troopers), on FilmDrunk. Look closely, and you might spot a cameo from G4's own Olivia Munn.

• Crispy Gamer presents another great moment in voice acting: Castle Shikigami 2 <span class="tooltip-content"> <span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper active' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab PC'></span></span> <span class='tooltip-active tooltip2 PC'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/57415/castle-shikigami-2/index/" title="Castle+Shikigami+2">Castle Shikigami 2</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/57415/castle-shikigami-2/news/" title="Castle+Shikigami+2 news">News</a></h6> (1)</li> <li><h6>Previews</h6></li> <li><h6>Review</h6></li> </ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6>Videos</h6></li> <li><h6>Screenshots</h6></li> <li><h6>Cheats and Walkthroughs</h6></li> </ul> </span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span> </span><div class="arrow"></div> .

• Seth McFarlane has a dirty secret, and CollegeHumor is ready to expose it.

• Items lost in translation are always good for a laugh, so here's 15 of the worst international bootleg dvd covers.

• Crave Online has the smokin' new trailer for Smokin' Aces 2: Assassin's Ball.

• Ridiculous gangster wannabes are not solely an American phenomenon, Uncoached proves they have them in Russia as well.