Movie-List’s Watercooler is a “this-week-in-movie-news” aggregated from our friend’s around the ‘net.

▪ G.I. Joe Sequel Casting

After going back to the drawing board and deciding to bring in all new characters aside from Duke, Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow, Paramount recruited The Rock to play heavy machine gunner Roadblock in the film. Since then they have begun to fill out the roster with a variety of additional actors, some more well known than others. Most notably, on Friday it was announced that Adrianne Palicki (Friday Night Lights) has been hired to play Lady Jaye…

She will be joined by another female Joe member, the ninja Jinx, who will be played by Elodie Yung (District B13: Ultimatum). Detroit 1-8-7 star D.J. Cotrona has also reportedly landed the role of Flint, who could also end up being Palicki’s love interest if they stay true to the cartoon and/or comics. If that wasn’t enough, they’ve also cast Wu-Tang Clan member RZA as the Blind Master, a character that is believed to have trained both Snake Eyes and Jinx…

Last but not least, there are rumours swirling around the casting of the original Joe, better known as Joe Colton. According to Deadline, Bruce Willis is a frontrunner for the role, and if they can get him on board, I think this movie would be looking a whole lot better than the first.

Source: FilmJunk

▪ Thor Gets Sequel, New Director

Chris Hemsworth’s mighty Asgardian warrior will be back on the big screen in Thor 2, which is slated for theatrical release in 2013 – just a matter of under three months after his Avengers teammate, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), suits up again in Iron Man 3.

Similar to how Iron Man 1 & 2 helmer Jon Favreau won’t be returning as director for the third film in that series, Thor’s Kenneth Branagh won’t be calling the shots on the sequel to his comic book flick. He is, however, expected to return in some capacity, probably as a producer.

Source: ScreenRant

▪ Paramount Opens Animation Division

The business deal that sees Paramount distributing the films of DreamWorks Animation is getting more complicated. That pact is set to expire on December 31, 2012, and while Paramount offered a one-year extension to DreamWorks Animation, Jeffrey Katzenberg declined and is looking for a different partner, and perhaps a sale.
But that’s OK, because Paramount is starting its own animation division, Paramount Animation, which will begin releasing one animated film per year beginning in 2014. This could be the beginning of a plan for a Rango sequel, but regardless, Paramount is getting into animation. The press release announcing the new arm is after the break.

Source: /Film

▪ Marvel Secretly Bringing ‘Avengers’ to Comic-Con with SHIELD Viral

Despite claims that The Avengers was not going to show up Comic-Con this year, at least not with a Hall H presentation, word from inside Disney/Marvel is that there is actually going to be a presence – just unlike anything we’ve seen. An inside source has provided us with early details, and as a big fan of viral marketing, I couldn’t resist sharing some of them (the rest will remain a secret until Comic-Con). The main focus will be S.H.I.E.L.D., similar to the badges at WonderCon, and they will have actual set pieces from the movie placed on the showfloor as part of a faux-security and recruiting station for S.H.I.E.L.D. – but there’s more!
As was teased with WonderCon, S.H.I.E.L.D. is becoming the main focus of Marvel’s viral marketing efforts at comic book conventions, and in San Diego this year they’re going all out. More vehicles (sponsored again by Acura, but of course) will be scattered throughout, along with more S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel. We’ve also heard that the massive Helicarrier bridge is a very important set piece in the actual movie, and might be the centerpiece for Marvel’s booth this year, just like Odin’s giant throne was the centerpiece last year (but that’s not 100% confirmed and won’t be until someone gets photos from the showfloor). Oh and apparently there will be footage showing on screens at the booth. But we’re not exactly sure what – likely the teaser.

We also heard that some of the cast, including Chris Evans (Cap), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) and Mark Ruffalo (Hulk), might show up for signings at Marvel’s booth. Of course, with any actor, their availability changes in an instant (especially considering they’re all still shooting Avengers) and I’m sure we’ll hear more closer to Comic-Con. That said, this does make sense, as Captain America comes out the same Friday, July 22nd, as Comic-Con. Maybe they’re planning to launch that secret teaser trailer that night (starting Thursday at midnight shows) and run it on the showfloor throughout the weekend, with signings and more.

Source: FirstShowing

▪ New Image from Spielberg’s The Adventures of Tintin

▪ Johnny Depp Almost Ready To Sign For ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean 5’

Has Made $350 Million From Franchise.
’nuff said.

Source: /Film

▪ Jamie Foxx confirms involvement in Django Unchained
After offering Will Smith the lead, and considering Idris Elba, Terrence Howard and Chris Tucker, Quentin Tarantino and The Weinstein Company began talks last month with Oscar winning actor Jamie Foxx (Ray, Collateral) to star in Django Unchained.

Django is a freed slave, who, under the tutelage of a German bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) becomes a bad-ass bounty hunter himself, and after assisting Waltz in taking down some bad guys for profit, is helped by Waltz in tracking down his slave wife and liberating her from an evil plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio). Samuel L. Jackson will play DiCaprio’s slave, Stephen, while Kerry Washington, who starred opposite Jamie Foxx in Ray, is in talks to play Django’s wife Broomhilda.

Filming will begin in November and The Weinstein Company has given Django Unchained a December 25, 2012 release date.

Source: Filmonic

▪ Trilogy planned for Snow White and the Huntsman

Snow White and the Huntsman, which is set to star Kristen Stewart as Snow White, Chris Hemsworth as the Hunstman and Charlize Theron as the Evil Queen, is not only an attempt by Universal to jump on the classic literature/fairytale bandwagon, it’s also an attempt to launch a new franchise.

Producer Joe Roth, who also produced Alice in Wonderland, recently told EW:

It’s meant to be the first in a series of films. This story will end, but there will be questions remaining for these three characters.

He also explained the basic story of the film:

We retain the basic story in the same way we retain the basic story of Alice, a young girl meant to be the queen who is cast out… The Huntsman is a mercenary, in the sense that he’s a guy who is very able in the woods, more able than most anyone. His job is to capture runaway girls, who are all fleeing the kingdom because of the queen. He’s a nondescript bounty hunter, as we first meet him… [Snow White] starts out not a damsel in distress, but innocent, and after 11 years of imprisonment by the Evil Queen, she escapes and learns the ways of a warrior in the woods

Source: Filmonic