Robert Redford Returns to Baseball in the Branch Rickey Biopic

You know who apparently doesn’t get enough credit in Jackie Robinson’s story about breaking the color barrier in baseball? White guy Branch Rickey. Because it’s not simply enough to give credit to an African-American who risked his life to play the great American pastime, Brian Helgeland (A Knight’s Tale) will write and direct a biopic about Rickey, an executive who made the brave decision to sign Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1945. 24 Frames reports that Robert Redford who starred in the 1984 baseball drama The Natural, will play Rickey in a role I’m fairly certain will be preachy and simplistic.

Hit the jump for more on Redford’s participation and why this project makes me cringe.


Rather than focus on Robinson’s story, Helgeland’s movie will look at the “complex” relationship between Rickey and Robinson, and how Rickey signed the famous athlete for reasons both economic and idealistic. Says Redford of the story:

“No one really knows the Rickey part, the political maneuvers and the partnership they had to share. It’s the story underneath the story you thought you knew.”

Because if there’s a group of people who really don’t get their stories told any more, it’s rich white guys. I will lay 10-to-1 odds that the big message of the movie is: “Racism is bad.” Of course, preachy has become Redford’s trademark as seen in his recent films Lions for Lambs and the upcoming The Conspirator. Basically, this movie just sounds like Helgeland and Redford trying to make a Jackie Robinson movie through the lens of white privilege. Hooray.

Maggie Grace Officially Abducted For 'Taken 2'

Though plot details are currently top secret on "Taken 2," it's probably a good guess that Maggie Grace will once again be the cause of or at least involved in another kidnapping drama of some sort now that she's officially signed on for the sequel, according to Deadline.

In the original "Taken," Maggie was kidnapped by sex slave traders, which caused Liam Neeson, who played her dad, to punch, torture and/or kill every last person in France. Good thing he got her back alive, otherwise Liam may've sunk the entire country into the sea.
Liam is apparently back for "Taken 2" as well, after some short-lived nonsense involving producer Luc Besson possibly re-casting the role to accommodate Neeson's desire for a vacation (sleep when you're dead, Irish!).

Olivier Megaton, who directed Jason Statham's third "Transporter" adventure, looks to be on board to direct.

Our guess for the plot of "Taken 2?" Liam gets kidnapped this time, and Maggie is forced to punch, torture and/or kill every person in whatever country he's being held. We'd watch that, and so would you.

Meanwhile, Maggie Grace recently wrapped "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn," in which she plays Irina. Part 1 of the two-part "Twilight" wrap-up opens Nov. 18, 2011, which will (hopefully) be here before you know it.

JUSTICE LEAGUE Movie coming in 2013?

This week gave us big news stories for three different DC Comics movies. The biggest story of the week was the revelation from Warner Bros' new studio boss Jeff Robinov that the studio plans on releasing a live action Justice League movie in 2013. Back in 2007/2008, the studio was nearing production of a Justice League movie that would have been directed by George Miller (Mad Max, Happy Feet), but it was shelved because of the WGA strike. Warner Bros' plans for Justice League appear to include at least five of DC Comics' most popular superheroes: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and The Flash. It's not yet known if other Justice League members like Green Arrow, The Atom, Aquaman, Hawkman and Martian Manhunter might also be included. Justice League is being seen as a potential launching pad movie for The Flash and Wonder Woman movies of their own. But the Justice League movie will not connect directly to Christopher Nolan's Batman movies, or Zack Snyder's Superman movie coming in late 2012. For Justice League, a new Batman and Superman will be introduced. What is not yet known is whether this will also apply to Green Lantern, or whether Ryan Reynolds might reprise his role in Justice League as well. Speaking of Green Lantern, we learned this week that Michael Clarke Duncan will be providing the voice of the gargantuan Lantern Kilowog, and that Geoffrey Rush will be voicing the bird-like Lantern Tomar-Re.

HBO Announces its Summer Lineup with Dates for True Blood and Entourage

Have you been waiting for you favorite HBO series to come back? Well HBO has just announced its hot summer lineup.

* True Blood will return for Season 4 with 12 episodes starting Sunday, June 29th at 9pm.

* The 8th Season of Curb Your Enthusiasm will kick off Sunday, July 10th at 10pm.

* And for all you Entourage fans, its final season will begin Sunday, July 24th at 10:30pm.

Are you excited as I am? HBO is going to have a sizzling summer with all these new episodes. I am a True Blood fan myself, and hopefully this season is better then the last. I hear that this season will include witches. For those who read "The Sookie Stackhouse Series," (I've only read the first two novel) then you pretty much know what will be in stored for our Sookie. Vampires? Hot! Werewolves? Cool. Fairies? What? Witches? Ughh.... Let's see how they intertwine all these fantasy characters and still have a sense of "realism."