Sometimes what’s more exciting about hearing what movies are being released in the coming weeks is hearing what movies are actually in production and what’s happening behind the scenes.  It’s easy to get distracted by box office releases, but don’t forget the ones that are in the works that haven’t gotten the full fanfare they so deserve.  There are some good ones that are shooting right now, and you’ll want to keep your eye on them as they get closer to completion. 

Paramount Pictures has recently acquired an untitled science fiction pitch that’s to be written by Brian Miller.  In the past he won a writing contest and his submission became ‘Apollo 18.’ It’s rumored that this pitch has a budget of under $30 million, so it goes without saying that this newest pitch already shows some potential.  We’ll have to wait and see what will develop from it.

CBS Films’ sister company, Simon & Schuster Children’s Books, is facing harsh backlash for securing the rights to the young adult novel ‘Level 2.’  Why is that a big deal?  Because a nondisclosure agreement was signed by the publishers before they got the manuscript and then the movie information was shared almost immediately afterward (editors don’t normally share that info when a NDA is signed).  The agent is denying that a NDA was required to be signed, and that CBS Films merely read a reader’s report from its sister company and didn’t receive inside information.  In any event, both the book and movie are already creating quite a stir.

Warner Bros./Legendary Pictures live action adaptation of ‘Akira’ is scheduled to start production this coming August.  A rewrite delayed it but it seems as though it should be on schedule from this point forward.  It’s rumored that the two leads will come from this group of actors: Robert Pattinson, Andrew Garfield, James McAvoy, Garrett Hedlund, Michael Fassbender, Chris Pine, Justin Timberlake and Joaquin Phoenix.

More news from Warner Bros…it seems as though Kevin Costner will be playing the beloved Johnathan Kent in Zack Snyder’s cinematic rendition of Superman.  Costner will star alongside Diane Lane, who plays his wife, Martha, and the film’s star, Henry Cavill, who will play the new Clark Kent/Superman.  It’s rumored that the villain could possibly be Michael Shannon, though it’s still too early to say for sure at this point. 

Uh oh…20th Century Fox just lost an important figure in the production of their movie ‘The Wolverine.’ Darren Aronofsky has officially withdrawn from the project.  It’s rumored that the ‘Black Swan’ director is currently entrenched in a messy break up and is facing custody issues concerning his son, and the production of the movie would keep him out of the country for a huge length of time (which are all probably factors in his withdrawal).  Aronofsky was recently quoted as saying, “As I talked more about the film with my collaborators at Fox, it became clear that the production of ‘The Wolverine’ would keep me out of the country for almost a year. I was not comfortable being away from my family for that length of time. I am sad that I won’t be able to see the project through, as it is a terrific script and I was very much looking forward to working with my friend, Hugh Jackman, again.”

There you have it!  Here’s the latest Hollywood scoop concerning movies-to-be.  As we find out more we’ll be sure to let you know.