So now that the writer's strike is over and done with, what's going to happen to that planned-but-postponed Justice League flick? Well, it seems Warner Bros. kinda sorta listened to the fans on this one, and Blockbuster (of all people) reports that they've seen the updated synopsis for the film and -- guess what -- Superman and Batman are nowhere to be found. Why is that? Well, one is dead and the other has been given the boot. Here's the somewhat spoiler-filled synopsis Blockbuster claims to have received: "Feb 28, Sydney, Australia: The film is about Green Lantern, Green Arrow and others of the Justice League of America, an organization made up of the world's greatest superheroes. They must deal with the expulsion of Batman and the death of Superman at the hands of the monstrous Doomsday."

Sh*t. Now that sounds like a pretty cool ending to a film we'll never get to see. But it's also a smart move on Warner's part; this way they stay far away from the other two franchises, and use this film to launch the franchises of those other characters. Okay, great, so the film will begin shooting later this year? Not so fast says Moviehole -- they claim filmmakers are now eying a 2010 start date instead of mid-2008 because most of the cast have already gone and booked other gigs. We imagine the script will be re-tooled big time (seeing as Supes and Bats were major players), and who knows whether George Miller will remain onboard. The downside to this is that if Warners holds out on making solo films for, say, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, The Flash etc, we won't get to see those until -- what -- 2012, 2013? Or, alternatively, they could go the Marvel route and develop the solo films, cross-promote the characters within each solo film, and then come out with the group pic. In the meantime, I'm sure we'll get a third Batman flick (hopefully from Christopher Nolan), and we'll eventually get a second Superman film, from either Bryan Singer or someone else.

Here's my question: Would you even want to see a Justice League film without Batman and Superman? Are Warner Brothers damned if they do and damned if they don't?

Who gets to fight in 2008? Find out below ...

Finally! News regarding Justice League! And the news is ... that news should be coming later this week! That's right, according to an article over at Entertainment Weekly, Warner Brothers has until January 15 to decide whether to officially greenlight Justice League of America for a spring production -- and summer 2009 release -- or hold off on making any decisions until the strike is over. EW claims filmmakers are not happy with the script, that they'd like another rewrite, and are still debating whether to move forward as is. Apparently all seven superheroes have been cast, but word is Warners isn't exactly thrilled that they'd be risking upwards of $200 million on such a young crop of names. Will the project move forward? Will it get delayed? Will we ever find out either way? Stay tuned ...

Casting rumors regarding the much-hyped G.I. Joe flick have been flying here, there and everywhere. CHUD responds to an earlier IGN story that claimed Sam Worthington (Avatar) was up for the role of Duke in the flick, with recent indie darling Joseph Gordon-Levitt being looked at to play Duke's best friend. CHUD has heard that the Worthington rumor was indeed true, however the deal never worked out. And as far as Gordon-Levitt goes, well, that piece of info comes with a pretty major spoiler. Hear that? Major spoiler ahead. Do not keep reading if you don't want to read a major spoiler. Well, apparently, in the latest script, Duke's best friend turns out to be none other than Cobra Commander. Which means, yes, that Gordon-Levitt is being looked at for the role of villain. Fanboys -- whaddya think about that ridiculous plot twist?

UPDATE: We've removed the Bond 22 info at the request of Rotten Tomatoes.

Could it be that we finally have some substantial Justice League of America news? Well, I don't know how big this news is, but at least it's something -- and it's this something that might win over a few more fans. The Dominion Post tells us that Weta Workshop will be designing all of the costumes used in the upcoming Justice League of America flick. This includes costumes for such characters as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter. Barrie Osborne, the film's Wellington-based American producer confirmed the news: "They are doing all the costumes and they're doing a brilliant job. A lot of people thought it would be too hard, that you can only make those things in Hollywood."

As the article explains, " Weta Workshop specialises in physical effects such as costumes, props, models and movie sets, and Weta Digital does computer-generated visual effects." As of now, Osborne thinks it's possible Weta Digital will also be involved, however it depends on their current workload. Osborne, who worked on Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, as well as films like The Matrix, goes on to add: "George Miller has a great take on the material, so it elevates it to something that's not a comic-book movie."

Last we heard, Justice League of America would most likely postpone production until after the writer's strike. All this article says is that production is supposed to begin this year, but "this year" could mean anywhere from next month to later this summer to sometime during the fall to around the beginning of December. Additionally, Warner Bros. has yet to officially announce the cast. So, does knowing Weta Workshop is involved help you feel better about this film?

[via Coming Soon]

• Marit Allen (c.1941-2007) - Costume designer who worked often with Ang Lee (on Brokeback Mountain, Hulk and Ride with the Devil) and Nicholas Roeg (on The Witches, Eureka, Bad Timing and Don't Look Now). She also produced wardrobes for Eyes Wide Shut, Smilla's Sense of Snow, Dead Man, Mrs. Doubtfire, Mermaids, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and 2007's La Vie en Rose and Love in the Time of Cholera. She had recently been working on costumes for Justice League of America. She died of a brain aneurism November 26, in Sydney, Australia. (Variety)
• Jeanne Bates (1918-2007) - Actress who co-starred in the 1943 serial of The Phantom. Known for playing nurse characters in TV and film, she appears as such in Gus, The Strangler and Paula. She also appears in Eraserhead, Mulholland Dr., Die Hard 2 and Grand Canyon. She died November 28 in Woodland Hills, California. (FindaGrave.com)
• Fred Chichin (1954-2007) - French musician and songwriter who composed music for André Téchiné's latest, The Witnesses. He also appears as himself, with his band Les Rita Mitsouko, in Godard's Keep Your Right Up. He died of cancer November 28, in Paris. (France 24)
• Mali Finn (c.1938-2007) - Casting director who worked on many on many films by James Cameron, including Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Titanic and True Lies, and by Joel Schumacher, including Batman Forever, Batman & Robin and Tigerland. She also worked on The Untouchables, L.A. Confidential, The Matrix trilogy, Wonder Boys, All the Real Girls, Running with Scissors, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Shooter and the upcoming 10,000 B.C., among others. She died of melanoma November 28, in Sonoma, California. (Variety)
• James M. Hart (1943-2007) - Special effects coordinator who worked on Newsies, Apollo 13, The Vanishing and Witness. He died November 19. (IMDb)
• Evel Knievel (1938-2007) - Daredevil stunt motorcyclist who appears as himself in Viva Knievel! and Freebie and the Bean (as "motorcyclist"). He was portrayed by George Hamilton in 1971's Evel Knievel and by Sam Elliott and George Eads in separate TV movies of the same name. He died November 30 in Clearwater, Florida. (AP)
• Al Mancini (1932-2007) - Actor who plays a soldier "Tassos Bravos" in The Dirty Dozen. He also appears in Miller's Crossing, Falling Down, Big Business, Turk 182! and The Public Eye and voices a fish in Babe: Pig in the City. He died of Alzheimer's disease November 12, in London, Ohio. (FindaGrave.com)

If you're anything like me, upon reading some of the names that were up for roles in the new live action Justice League of America movie, your first response was probably: "Who the f*ck is that?" It's okay to feel that way; most of the actors up for roles are young up-and-comers who don't have many credits next to their name. And in order to be familiar with them, you'd need to watch The O.C. or read Teen Hotties of the Month Magazine. Forget about the film for a moment (which I do not think should be made at this time), my main problem with this cast is that they're so damn young. Armie Hammer, for example, is rumored to be playing Batman. He's 21. He looks like a baby. And am I the only one who expects my Batman and Superman to actually be, ya know, MEN?

As it stands right now, this whole film will feel like a Beverly Hills 90210 Halloween episode, in which everyone dresses up like their favorite superhero. My suggestion: They wait a few years, and instead of launching a live-action film, why not exploit the new 3D IMAX nonsense. Mo-cap the hell out of the thing. Get an older, more experienced and well-known cast to voice the roles. Let poor Christopher Nolan finish his Batman trilogy without having to deal with pics of Armie Hammer as "hottie Batman" leaking all over the web. Launch solo films for Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and The Flash before this JLA movie. Sure, one day it might be fun to watch Superman and Batman fight one another, as it's somewhat cool to watch the new Alien vs. Predator movies, but wait until those franchises have run out of steam. Those are my two cents, anyway ... How about you?

Over the weekend, a number of different sites received tips regarding the soon-to-be-released Justice League of America cast. The rumors come as The Hollywood Reporter tells us production on the film might have to be postponed due to them being without a finished shooting script, while options on actors who were screen tested are about to expire. I'll discuss whether or not this film is even worth the effort in this week's Monday Morning Poll, but for now let me go down the list and tell you who is (according to rumors) up for each role:

• Batman: Armie Hammer: Random actor who's appeared in Flicka, and in one episode of Veronica Mars. He's 21. (Sources: Batman on Film, Superhero Hype)
• Superman: Scott Porter, 28 (Friday Night Lights TV show, Speed Racer) is up for this role, according to AICN and Cinema Blend, though IESB claims he never read for that part and instead was at one point up for The Flash. Meanwhile, Superhero Hype lists D.J. Cotrona, 27 (Skin, Windfall) as having nabbed the Man of Steel role.
• The Flash: Adam Brody, 28 (The O.C.) has been signed for this role, if you listen to AICN and IESB. However, Superhero Hype claims it's gone to Anton Yelchin, 18.
• Green Lantern: Everyone believes this role has indeed gone to the rapper-turned-actor Common, 35.
• Martian Manhunter: At this time, no one has received information regarding this character.
• Wonder Woman: Megan Gale, 21 (Stealth), according to SH.
• Talia al Ghul: Everyone believes this role will go to Teresa Palmer, 21.
• Aquaman: Santiago Cabrera, 29 (Heroes), according to SH.
• Cinematical Man: According to our own inside studio sources, Scott Weinberg is a lock for this role. Age unknown.

So there you have it. You're all up to date on the currently rumored cast. Warner Bros. is supposed to officially announce the roles this week, however that could change if production gets postponed.

Could it ... be? Maybe? Potentially? Possibly? Is Warner Bros finally about to announce their official cast for the live action Justice League of America film? Should we celebrate? Throw a party? Go out for drinks? Raise a pair of underwear up a flagpole (quick, which movie)? I wouldn't go getting your hopes up just yet (I'm talking to you Mr. "I wear the same JLA shirt 30 days in a row) -- but if IESB is correct, we could be hearing who was cast in this thing at some point this week. Yes, they apparently talked to some Warner Bros. sources who claim the cast is locked -- everyone is in double secret probation mode -- and an announcement should be coming within the next couple days.

A recent Variety article claimed some huge studio tent poles could suffer delays because of the current writers strike, and that Justice League of America was one of those films. Not so, says this WB source, and so it'll be interesting to see what happens throughout the week. Who should we expect in the roles of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter and Cinematical Man? It's anyone's guess at this point; director George Miller and his team have auditioned almost all of "Young Hollywood" and from what we hear, Miller's done a bunch of talent scouting over in Australia as well. Chances are we'll see a mix of American and Australian talent -- faces that are kinda sorta familiar, but no one really big. Then again, they could surprise us with a high-profile actor or actress, but after the whole Jessica Biel debacle, I highly doubt it. Who do you want to see in the film? And check out our JLA cast wishlist down below.

Word has it this morning that Wonder Woman has finally -- thank the friggin' Lord, I tell ya! -- been cast in the upcoming live-action Justice League of America. Moviehole reports (via the director of one of the gal's most recent flicks) that Teresa Palmer has, in fact, landed the role. I'm going out on a limb here, but I'd say the director Moviehole spoke with was Ron Hardy, who worked with Palmer on December Boys. Since that was an Aussie pic, and Clint from Moviehole is an Aussie, I'd imagine he's pretty close to the production. But I could be wrong, and if I am, Clint will send us an email.

Anyway, this looks to be a bit stronger than any other rumor -- Clint has already updated the post telling us an Aussie newspaper is running the rumor today, and the entire online community is buzzing. Could we finally have our first official (damn you Biel!) Justice League cast member? Palmer is an up-and-comer; she got her start in Wolf Creek as a background actress, before going to do films like The Grudge 2, December Boys and the upcoming Kids in America. She's Australian, which automatically makes her sexy enough for this role in my book, and she's 21-years-old. Nothing is set in stone yet, but you might as well start debating -- is Teresa Palmer a good fit for Wonder Woman?

A day does not go by without someone receiving a scoop regarding casting for the new Justice League of America film. Just this morning, I met a kid outside while walking my dog who claimed to be "close to a few studio execs." I asked him if he knew anything about Justice League, and he claimed to know who had been cast as Batman. "Oh really?" I replied. "Who?" That's when he smirked, spit something out of his mouth and said, "Your Mothah! Oh, Snaps!" Gotta love New York. Anyway, the latest rumors come to us from Dark Horizons, who received an anonymous email from someone claiming to be "in the know" when it came to JLA casting sessions over in London. And what do they know, you ask?

Well, for starters, they claim British actor Rupert Evans has landed the part of Superman in the live-action flick. Here's a quote from the email (which may or may not be legit): "Anyway after going through a whole bunch of British actors, I heard today that one of them has been cast as Superman. Anyway, the guy everyone is talking about is called Rupert Evans." ANYway, who knows what the deal is -- right after that sentence, the person claimed Jesus Christ himself had been cast as Martian Manhunter ... SO take it all with a grain of salt. (Actually I'm kidding about the Christ stuff, but wouldn't that be an interesting move?) Evans starred in the 2004 film Hellboy, and he certainly has those cute, boy-ish, All-American looks ... except for the fact that he's not American, he's British. Which brings me to my next question: Are you cool with a Brit playing Superman? Of course he won't speak with a British accent, but would it bother you hardcore Supes fans at all if you knew the actor portraying him was not American? Think about it over coffee, debate with your co-workers and leave a comment.

Cinematical has learned conclusively that actress Shannyn Sossamon (A Knight's Tale, One Missed Call) has auditioned for director George Miller for the upcoming film Justice League of America. Details are scarce, but we know the following: Sossamon did audition for Princess Di and she apparently blew away the writing team of Kieran and Michele Mulroney and has heard back from them since. According to our source, the Mulroneys were so taken with Sossamon that they championed her to director Miller, even going so far as to state that they had envisioned Sossamon in the Amazonian role all along. But now comes the bad news ... our source also tells us that Miller was less than over the moon about Sossamon's audition (or just didn't see her as being the right casting fit), which means that a resulting stalemate will almost certainly break in his favor. The audition apparently took place sometime prior to the recent 'Young Hollywood' open casting call, and that's all we know at this point.

No further details about the project have leaked out in the last couple of days, and all of Hollywood is waiting for word on who will land the coveted roles of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman and Green Lantern. Oh, and that Martian Manhunter guy, too. Other actors known to have thrown their tights into the ring include Adam Brody, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Common, and Teresa Palmer, of Wolf Creek, who I think would do a bang-up job. Stay tuned for Cinematical as we continue to try to eek out more details of this and other fabulous pre-strike projects! As a footnote, we can also confirm earlier reports that Warner Bros. is in a tizzy over how the film's title will play worldwide, considering how, you know, the rest of the world hates America.