Jason Bateman Page 4

Disney is being sued by a screenwriter who claims the company stole his idea for the Oscar-winning animated film Zootopia.

Gary L. Goldman, who wrote 1990 sci-fi flick Total Recall and executive produced Minority Report, claims in a lawsuit that Disney’s Zootopia is “substantially similar” to a project he once pitched with the same title.

Zootopia’s bunny cop Judy and sly fox Nick Wilde

Continue reading: Screenwriter Accuses Disney Of Stealing The Idea For 'Zootopia'

Every year we get a few new examples of sequels no-one asked for; follow-ups to movies that weren't particularly memorable to begin with but for whatever reason made enough cash to spawn a second instalment in the feeble hope that a franchise might be in the making.

[L-R] Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis and Jason Bateman in 'Horrible Bosses 2'

The current example is 'Horrible Bosses 2', the continuing adventures of three morons (Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day) who spectacularly failed to take care of their boss problems the first time around. The prime selling point for the original film was Jennifer Aniston talking dirty, so of course that role has been beefed up considerably this time. But critics have slammed the sequel for being even more vacuous than its predecessor.

Continue reading: Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis And Charlie Day Return In The Regrettable 'Horrible Bosses 2'

Apparently the first ever BookCon, held in NYC over the weekend isn’t just limited to what its name would suggest. Case in point: Tina Fey, Jason Bateman and author Jonathan Topper dropping in to promote their upcoming film, This Is Where I Leave You. There is a tie-in, in that the film is based on the eponymous book by Topper. Both the novel and the film adaptation tell reunion tale of the Altman family.

Tina Fey and co. are currently promoting their latest flick, due out in September.

The members of the family are all dealing with their individual issues, when they are forced to reconnect after the death of their father and the family patriarch.

Continue reading: Jason Bateman, Tina Fey And The Cast Of "This Is Where I Leave You" Take The Drama To BookCon

Jason Bateman's directorial debut Bad Words has received glowing reviews ahead of its full U.S. release on March 28, 2014. Bateman plays Guy Trilby, a 40-year-old who finds a loophole in the rules of The Golden Quill national spelling bee and decides to cause trouble by hijacking the competition.

Jason Bateman as Guy Trilby in 'Bad Words'

Guy ruthlessly crushes the dreams of 8th graders and their ambitious parents, though a reporter - played by We're the Millers' Kathryn Hahn - attempts to discover his true motivation and an awkward 10-year-old proves to be his match.

Continue reading: Ok, So Jason Bateman's 'Bad Words' Is Probably The Best Comedy Of 2014

As we move properly into awards season, films are jostling to be the frontrunner. This week saw nominations announced by the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild, two key awards in the run-up to Oscar night. At the moment, the leading contenders are David O Russell's Abscam comedy-drama American Hustle and Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave. But anything can happen, see the other contenders here.

The dark horse in the awards race is The Wolf of Wall Street, a late entry into contention. The film held its European premiere in Paris on Monday, attended by Leonardo Dicaprio, director Martin Scorsese and costar Jean Dujardin. Buzz is growing quickly for the film, which opens in most cinemas in January. Watch the latest trailer for Wolf Of Wall Street here!

Continue reading: A Week In Movies: SAG And Globe Nominations, The Stars Hit Europe, Big Sci-fi Trailers Debut...

The video begins just like any other Mumford & Sons vid; nothing to suspect here. Rays of sunlight obscure the banjo twanging members as they play in the middle of a country field. There's out of focus striding through long grass and slow motion walking up a dirt track with their folk instruments. There's no reason to believe the band on video could be any other performers than the British folksters themselves.

The Group Let Themselves Be Parodied.

That is, until the sun-streaked dust clears and our suspicions are aroused. Is that really Marcus Mumford? Isn't Ted Dwane's beard looking a bit raggier than usual? Wait a minute - that worn, rustic, wooden instrument isn't really being played. They're fakes!

Continue reading: Mumford & Sons Fans Pranked By Masquerading Comedians In 'Hopeless Wanderer' [Video]

Netflix has introduced their new viewer profile feature. The multi profiles (up to five per account) will allow individual viewers their own viewing area which will ensure they are receiving appropriate recommendations.

Jason Bateman and Amanda Anka at the premiere of Season 4 of Arrested Development at the TCL Theater in L.A. Arrested Development is one of Netflix's flagship shows.

The tool was introduced in the US on Thursday so the internet provider would better be able to understand their audiences' viewing habits and needs. For instance a child of 6 may enjoy watching a show such as Peppa Pig whereas the 30+ adults of the household may prefer horror films. There's a distinct difference between the sorts of recommendations Netflix would provide for the two very different audiences. This latest application is intended to solve this problem. 

Continue reading: Netflix Introduces Multiple Viewer Profiles

Jason Sudeikis, the most high profile member of the Saturday Night Live cast, has announced he will not be returning to the show in the fall. Sudeikis is following comedians Bill Hader, Fred Armisen, Andy Samberg, Seth Meyers and Kristen Wiig out of the long-running show, leaving NBC bosses with a dilemma on their hands as they seek to keep the show relevant, popular and most of all funny for its 39th season.

Sudeikis, who has worked on the show for 10 years, announced the news during a taping of the Late Show with David Letterman,

"Yeah, I'm going to leave. Yeah, I'm not coming back next fall." he told the veteran host, to a bewildered audience. Letterman had apparently not heard of the departure and began asking the actor questions about life working on the show, with the 37-year-old dropping the bombshell shortly after.

Continue reading: After SNL, Where Does Jason Sudeikis Go Next?

The Primetime Emmy Award nominations were announced yesterday (Thursday 18th July). The nomination ceremony was presented by Kate Mara and Aaron Paul via a live video stream on the Emmy's website. 

Kate Mara at the Vanity Fair and Juicy Couture's Celebration of 2013 in L.A.

Netflix has managed to triumph with nominations for their shows: House of Cards; Hemlock Grove and Arrested Development. The company are developing this aspect of their business, which is proving hugely popular and profitable. The future does seem bright for the company which announced it was expanding into its 64th country. It also seems likely their awards over the next few years will increase especially with recent praise of Orange is the New Black. 

Continue reading: Primetime Emmy Awards 2013: How Accurate Were Nomination Predictions?

Emmy nominations are in and with that the season for speculation is open. There’s no question about one thing though: for a newcomer, Netflix is taking the awards by storm. Although the major networks are welcoming the two productions by the online TV provider – Arrested Development and House of Cards, there’s no doubt that Netflix’s move on the original programming market should be making traditional media giants just a tiny bit nervous. But what exactly are the Netflix shows nominated for? Well, they got the big ones, for Lead Actor, Actress and Directing in a Drama Series and of course, for Outstanding Drama Series overall. Arrested Development also received a big nod, with Jason Bateman being nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

Bateman is getting some recognition this year.

Fans of shows generally underappreciated by awards committees, such as Parks & Rec, for example, also have a reason to celebrate. Amy Poehler was nominated for Lead in a comedy, as was Tina Fey for the now cancelled 30 Rock. Behind the Candelabra is ahead of the pack, while HBO’s Game of Thrones and FX’s American Horror Story: Asylum follow close behind. Mad Men is also bowing out on a high note, with several nominations, before it returns in the fall for one final season.

Continue reading: What Do The Emmy Nominations Tell Us About The 2013 TV Landscape?

How do you stop piracy? Do you offer up exclusive content, only available on physical purchases? Do you appeal to the box-set culture, or do you try and exert limitations that make it impossible? All these have been tried, but none of these have worked, and there’s one simple reason: you can’t stop piracy.

Spacey stars in the online-only House of Cards

But what you can do is make it pointless. With low-costing, subscription-free on-demand streaming services becoming ever-popular – Netflix being the golden child of a generation – watching content when it suits you is no longer illegal, and no longer does it cost loads of money.

Continue reading: 'House Of Cards' Heralds New Era Of TV With Emmy Nomination

The Primetime Emmy Award nominations will be announced on Thursday (18th July). Speculation surrounding the awards is high, with Netflix's Arrested Development predicted to triumph. The awards will be announced by Kate Mara and Aaron Paul.

Aaron Paul will announce the nominations on Thursday.

Game Of Thrones is also suspected as a strong contender in the category of Best Drama Series. Homeland who won a number of awards last year is predicted to flop owing to its disappointing second series.

Continue reading: Primetime Emmy Award Nominations: Will Netflix Triumph With 'Arrested Development'?

Arrested Development has spurred a development that could get people arrested. It’s also landed us the award for ‘most laboured pun’, which we’re pretty happy about. Despite the entire show being released on streaming service Netflix, the show has been illegally downloaded using the torrent method.

100,000 people either ignored the fact they could get a free one-month Netflix trial and watch the whole season cost free, or they simply didn’t know it. The fact that is was available in its entirety, on a streaming service, has meant less illegal downloads, though. Game of Thrones, for instance, showsn on HBO in America and Sky Atlantic in the U.K, reached millions of downloads, as did shows like The Walking Dead, Lost and Breaking Bad. Arrested Development has received a mixed reception since coming back from the dead. It was cancelled for low ratings, despite being one of the most popular shows of its generation. Seasons one, two and three were all highly rated, and developed a cult following, which lead to this long-awaited return. Perhaps the method of watching it, with many people binging on season 4, and the weight of expectation have dragged it down into mediocrity.

Continue reading: 'Arrested Development' Spurs Illegal Download Flurry

You’ve all probably binge-watched Arrested Development now, haven’t you; you consumer-obsessed bunch of popcorn eating, sleeping-bag-clad television addicts. But was it back to its best?

It’s not up to you, really. Sure you’ve watched it, but we have to let the experts decide whether something was good or not. The Telegraph – they’re experts, and they don’t think it’s back to the Arrested best. “Whether or not it was worth the wait depends largely on how tickled you are by the words ‘Steve Holt!’ or ‘motherboy’,” they write. “Embracing the impenetrably self-referential joke-within-joke formula that got it taken off the air in the first place, the new series makes no concessions whatsoever to new viewers.” The Hollywood Reporter were more impressed with the return of this cult classic. Not only is there a real brilliance to how the episodes are constructed,” they write, “but after a slow-ish start (as creator Mitch Hurwitz and his writers no doubt had to get their mojo back, but also because the structure is incredibly intricate and, at first glance, there seems to be a disjointed feeling to them), the comedic payout begins to multiply with each succeeding episode.”

The Arrested Development gang outside the infamous banana stand

Continue reading: Arrested Development – Back To Its Best?

Arrested Development made its long-awaited return this weekend. As it’s Netflix that have brought this cult hit back to prominence, a question rears its head: should we watch this in one go, fighting off a sugar-induced comatose while 90% enveloped by a sleeping bag? It really comes down to another question: is it good?

A bearded Jason Bateman at the premiere of season 4

The reviews certainly suggest that this immensely popular comedy is somewhere near its best, and despite a few flat points, season 4 is a worthy addition to the already existing trio of seasons available. Binging the whole series, which is part of Netflix’ marketing strategy, might be detrimental to the season as a whole, though. Some of the flat points are only flat because they came after 3 consecutive hours of watching it. Compare the show to a similar project from Netflix, House of Cards, starring Kevin Spacey, and we can get closer to our answer. Binging on House of Cards was one of the best ways to watch it; with complex plotlines intertwining each other and creating a web of intrigue, it was best viewed in sequence. Arrested Development has an established cast, and the viewing is so light, watching them one-after-the-other can make the comedy grow tired.

Continue reading: The Return Of Arrested Development – To Binge Or Not To Binge?

Hurrah, Arrested Development returns this Sunday. Fans of the original series could not be more excited, while everyone else is just kind of looking around being really confused. The Emmy-award winning show will come back with 15 brand new episodes, to Netflix of all places and in a lot of ways, it will be pretty similar to the Arrested Development we know and love – it will be divided into roughly half-hour episodes, with the entire main cast reprising their roles - Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Jeffrey Tambor, Michael Cera, Alia Shawkat, Jessica Walter and Portia De Rossi.

Jason Bateman returns as Michael Bluth this Sunday.

But creator Mitch Hurwitz warns viewers not to expect a perfect replica of the earlier seasons. Besides the obvious changes, necessitated by the fact that this season comes seven years later, the story will be structured slightly differently. Instead of all the characters appearing most of the time, like we’ve been used to, every episode from season four will be centered around a single character, with the rest of the Bluth family making only occasional appearances. Longtime fans, however, will be rewarded for their dedication, with story arcs that continue over several episodes. Much like his audience, Hurwitz himself could not be more excited by the show’s return. Or more surprised.

Continue reading: Arrested Development Creator As Suprised As Fans By The Show's Return

Yes, the peeps of Arrested Development are cool on screen and off. Or at least we like to think so. The show will finally be back on screen (in a whole new way) next week and everyone is SO EXCITED. Yes, the caps were absolutely necessary there. After a seven-year absence (has it really been that long?) the Bluth family is back in fifteen all-new episodes, premiering May 26th on Netflix. Not only that, but there is also a rumored movie, also written by the creator, Mitch Hurwitz, picking up where the fourth season ends.

Arnett looked casual and relaxed at the LA premiere.

The premiere for said season was held this week in Los Angeles and, of course, Jason Bateman and Will Arnett had to go and make a scene. It was a funny one though and aptly reminiscent of the show, in which Bateman and Arnett’s characters (Michael and Gob Bluth) are constantly at each other’s throats.

Continue reading: Welcome Back, Arrested Development Stars Will Arnett And Jason Bateman Pick Fight At Premiere

Another article to trumpet the return of Arrested Development, and quite frankly we’re more than happy to keep them coming for you, because we’re as excited as anyone about the return of the cult comedy to Netflix after seven years away.

Netflix will air all 15 new episodes at the same time on Sunday evening (May 26, 2013) and the cast have been reflecting on the demise of the original series on Fox in 2006, as well as the new episodes. "I think the show scored some 'cool points' for dying before its time," said Michael Cera, who plays Michael Bluth’s son George Michael. "But there are still a lot more places for it to go." Jason Bateman, who plays Michael Bluth, commented "Clearly a lot of people DIDN'T like the show, so I guess all we were hearing from were those who do—and that happens to be a brand of people who are not afraid of speaking their minds."

Mitch Hurwitz, the creator of the show, has had to battle scheduling issues, but he’s got the new shows done, with the focus changing so that each episode focuses on a particular character. "Mitch and the cast didn't want to do something not as good as the old series," said Bateman. "We didn't want to do something lateral or just a retread." Cera added "I think it's new at every opportunity, while retaining the show's original heart."

Continue reading: Arrested Development Season 4 Launches This Weekend

In what is probably one of the most anticipated television moments to happen in recent memory, Arrested Development will make its long-awaited return to the small screen (in particular the computer screen) by the end of May. As such, the cast and crew have been hard at work whipping up even more publicity in the shape of interviews, banana stands and as many in-jokes and double entendres you can throw in a pot and make into a stew being thrown around the web.

The Bluth's famous banana stands have got to be one of the best marketing ploys by a film or TV show to date, and if the new season gains enough momentum then hopefully they will become a regularly marketed item (please God!). Recently at the Columbus Circle banana handout in New York, show producer and narrator Ron Howard and everybody's favourite beefcake Terry Crews - who will be appearing in the new series - the mixing of stars and the public typified just what makes the show so good. As Crews explained, "You really feel like they're members of your family, and that's what makes it so funny. Because you recognize all the dysfunction, even in yourself."

Continue reading: Arrested Development: How Can Season Four Live Up To The Publicity?

It's almost time, just as the trailer promises, we're at the final countdown until Arrested Development finally returns thanks to Netflix. The trailer for the upcoming fourth season, soundtracked by Europe's biggestc hit, promises us the much needed dose of illusions, birds, uncomfortable cousin tension and of course some of the finest acting you will ever see from the world's most famous openly never-nude in what could be the biggest TV moment to hit the internet.

The trailer tries not to give too much away, but there is an ostrich in it, which will hopefully walk on Buster's pillow at some point, some incredibly detailed set designs (of course) and plenty more references to past jokes. All that in a trailer that is less than 1 minute 30 seconds.

Continue reading: Trailer For Arrested Development Series 4 Goes Viral! (Video)

Fans eagerly anticipating the return of Arrested Development could end up getting a dose of the comeback earlier than planned should they bump into the Bluth family’s Frozen Banana Stand! That’s right, ahead of the cult sitcom’s return to Netflix, it’s been announced that the banana stand will be popping up at locations all over London as part of the Bluth's Original Frozen Banana Stand Worldwide Tour – starting today (May 8, 2013).

So what’s so special about this then? Well, the fact that anyone from the Bluth family could pop up at the stand at any given moment; that means you could come face to face with Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, Jeffrey Tambor, Will Arnett, David Cross, Tony Hale or any of the other stars of the show turning up. It will appear in London again on May 9^th, 15^th and 21^st as well as calling in at other cities around the world in the run-up to the premiere of the new season on May 26^th. Remember Netflix are going to premiere all 15 episodes of the new season at the same time. God it’s going to be good isn’t it? It just has to be.

If you want to know even more information about the Bluth's Original Frozen Banana Stand and where it might be, it’s best to follow their Twitter at @ArrestedDev. We sure will be.

Continue reading: Prepare For Arrested Development Season 4 With A Trip To Bluth's Original Frozen Banana Stand!

May 26, 2013. An important date for Arrested Development fans, as that’s the date when the new series of the show, starring Jason Bateman and Michael Cera shall be unleashed, exclusively on Netflix. The show’s producers have slowly been drip-feeding tiny bits of advance information through to avid fans of the show, including single-character advertising posters and a brief clip of Buster and Lucille doing what they do best (Lucille taking advantage of her youngest son, basically…)

Whilst the actual plot hasn’t really been given away, what we do know is that each of the 15 episodes is going to feature a different character and all 15 will be available to stream in their entirety, all on the same day. Prepare for an Arrested Development marathon, folks… Originally only ten episodes were ordered, though that was later upped to 15, with a focus on different members of the Bluth family and their associations (some characters will get more than one episode dedicated to them). A recent feature from Entertainment Weekly suggests that it will be rare to see all nine of the central characters together at the same time, though there is one scene in Lucille’s penthouse, which was recreated specifically for the new season.  

Whether or not this new experimental approach to Arrested Development will work and live up to the hype, of course, remains to be seen. There’s every possibility that series creator Mitch Hurwitz has totally lost the plot and we’re all going to be terribly disappointed come the end of May 

Continue reading: Can The New Arrested Development Really Live Up To The Hype?

Excitement is really starting to mount for Arrested Development fans as the show’s characters get their own person and finally a clip is release online. Netflix have funded a new series of the popular comedy (starring Michael Cera and Jason Bateman), which was cruelly axed by Fox in 2006 after just 3 seasons. It will be available to Netflix members to stream in its entirety, from May 26, 2013.

New posters of the characters have been unveiled and published by Huffington Post, with each character getting their own individual poster. Somewhat more tantalising, however, is the new clip that has been released, featuring Buster and his darling mother Lucille in a rather compromising situation. Compromising for Buster, that is. As Lucille flaunts the no-smoking rule but sticks to the one that says she’s not allowed hear the balcony (because of her ankle tag, of course), it’s down to Buster to inhale his mother’s cigarette smoke and breathe it out of the patio doors for her. In short: it’s gross. It’s also very funny. But gross, nonetheless.

It’s not long now until the Bluth family return to our screens (well, those of us with a Netflix membership) and in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the series creator Mitchell Hurwitz explained the differences in the various Bluth characters since we first saw them 10 years ago. “This year is about the enduring entanglements of family. They are 10 years older than when we met, so that means emotionally they’re, like, two years older than we met them. Amazing things happen when one goes from being emotionally 12 years old to emotionally being 14 years old.” Now then, we’re off to sleep for a while. We’ve set our alarms for May 26… 

Continue reading: Hold The Front Page! Teaser Clip Online Of New 'Arrested Development' Series

It’s been a solid week reviews-wise for the Jason Bateman-starring Disconnect, with critics giving it a boost ahead of its full release in the US this coming weekend (April 12, 2013).

Originally show last September at the Toronto Film Festival, 'Disconnect' focuses on the impact that humanity’s reliance on technology for communication is having on the face-to-face real life communication of their everyday. An interesting premise (and we recommend reading The Shallows by Nicholas Carr for further on this subject,) the film focuses on a group of people and shows how the internet, their laptops and mobile phones have actually affected them and made them more isolated in spite of their ease of reach. In a passionately written review for the Chicago Sun Times, Richard Roeper commented “I believed the lives of these people. I believed they'd do the drastic things they do in the face of crisis. I ached for them when things went terribly wrong and rooted for them when there were glimmers of hope.” The New York Observer meanwhile commented “Responsible, riveting and intense, it's a film about cybercrime that left me shaking-the movie equivalent of sticking a wet finger into a hot socket.”

Some of the praise was more balanced however, with The Hollywood Reporter writing “The thematic points are made clearly, with well-sustained tension and no shortage of dramatic impact. It's just that it's all a bit obvious ...” It may be obvious, The Hollywood Reporter, but if its message isn’t being paid attention to then doesn’t it need to be? Check out the 'Disconnect' trailer below. 

Continue reading: 'Disconnect' Manages Bond With Reviewers Ahead Of Release (Trailer)

It’s the news we’ve all been waiting for, Arrested Development has an official launch date! Netflix, who have signed a deal to air the comeback series of the much loved cult comedy show, have revealed that fans will be getting a chance to watch the 15 (15!) new episodes from their streaming service on May 26^th. Much like other Netflix premieres such as House Of Cards, the entire season will be available to subscribers on the same day.

"In truth we are doing something very ambitious that can only be done with Netflix as partners and on their platform," said Mitchell Hurwitz about Netflix plans to make the show available 24/7. "Finally my simple wish for the show is coming true: that it be broadcast every second around the clock to every television, computer or mobile device in existence."

It’s been over seven years since fans got a chance to check up on the antics of the Bluth family, a rich family with a corrupt father whom allegedly built houses for Iraq. Starring Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, Will Arnett, Portia De Rossi and David Cross among others, all of the main stars will be returning as well as cameo stars like Ben Stiller. The show was hugely critically acclaimed in 2006, but with a bad run of ratings, Fox cancelled it. A constant pressure to bring it back from fans saw the cast reveal in 2011 that they would indeed be filming more episodes.

Continue reading: Hurrah! Netflix Confirm Arrested Development Premiere

That’s it folks, the wait is over. The moment that we have all been weeping in tense anticipation for has finally arrived. Well, actually, it hasn’t arrived yet, but we know when it will arrive so that’s a huge weight off of everybody’s minds. In the absence of a drum roll, allow us to cut to the chase. The Bluth family are back. Netflix have finally announced the return of Arrested Development, starring Michael Cera and Jason Bateman. We all knew it was going to happen… sometime… and now we know when.

15 (count ‘em!) new episodes of the show have been commissioned by Netflix, the online streaming service and Cinemablend reports that they’re going to be launched into the big wide world on May 26, 2013, for all to see (well, all of you who pay your Netflix subscription, that is). That’s a whole episode more than we were originally promised, meaning that AD fans have even more reason to celebrate and look for excuses to be placed in a medically-induced coma between now and May 26.

The plotline for the new series has been kept well and truly hidden. Better hidden than George Bluth Sr. was in the loft all those weeks… What we do know, however, is that they have some seriously high calibre guest stars in the pipeline, including Kristen Wiig, Ben Stiller, Carl Weathers and Conan O’Brien. 

Continue reading: The Bluths Are Back In Town! Nearly... Arrested Development Return Date Announced

The big global release this week is the comedy pastiche The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, starring Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi, Jim Carrey and Alan Arkin as Las Vegas musicians in a battle between old-school illusions and street-magic stunts. Warm and funny, it's also just as silly as you think it'll be.

In between performances as Macbeth on London's West End stage, James McAvoy has been out promoting his new film Welcome to the Punch, an unusually glossy cop thriller set in East London. The film opens this weekend in the UK. Speaking to Contactmusic, he talks about how making action movies is a breeze, and why he prefers to work in Britain if he has the chance. Until a new X-men movie comes up, that is.

Continue reading: A Week In Movies:Carell, Buscemi And Carrey Get Magical, Danny Boyle Back With Ewan McGregor And A First Glimpse Of Bling Ring