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George Clooney’s new thriller The American opened at the top of the box office this weekend, beating both newcomers Machete and Going The Distance.

Clearly Clooney’s still got it, as the silver fox drew audiences to the trill of $12m, while last week's joint numero unos Takers slipped to second, and The Last Exorcism tumbled to fourth with $7.7m.

Machete burst onto the scene in third place with $11.3m, while other new opener Going The Distance topped off the top five with $6.8m.

The Expendables proved they were anything but by retaining a position in the top ten, dropping from third to sixth with $6.5m, The Other Guys bagged seventh place and a further $5.4m, while Eat Pray Love dove from fourth to eight with $4.8m.

After eight weeks in the charts, Inception still proved a draw, landing the ninth place and taking $4.5m, and Nanny McPhee Returns clung to tenth place with $3.7m.

The French film icon is as passionate as ever, but it's for the care of creatures rather than people. Her outspokenness on this and more has ruffled feathers.

The French film icon is as passionate as ever, but it's for the care of creatures rather than people.

Luc Besson’s new costume drama The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec, starring Louise Bourgoin and Mattieu Amalric, is set to open the Cambridge Film Festival on 16 September.

Celebrating its 30th year, the festival selected Besson’s movie for its opening night because, according to Festival Director Tony Jones, “it’s a real return to form” for the French director.

“Luc Besson is a prolific writer, producer and director and a perennial favourite with Cambridge audiences,” says Jones.

“Over the years we’ve screened many of his films – Angel-A, Subway, The Last Battle, Leon, Nikita – so we’re thrilled to kick off our 30th edition with his latest, The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec, a romping period adventure which marks a real return to form for the maverick French filmmaker.”

Taking place between 16-26 September, the Cambridge Film Festival is held primarily at the Arts Picturehouse, but screenings will also take place at the Jesus Green Lido, as well as by the river Cam.

Films set to make an appearance this year include sci-fi shocker Monsters, Rhys Ifans’ Mr Nice and The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest. There will also be a screening of the first ever 3D Kung Fu movie with Yuen Woo Ping’s True Legend.

Made In Dagenham, the new film from Nigel Calendar Girls Cole, will close the festivities. For more information on the festival, head on over to its official website here.

Marvel boss Kevin Feige is a busy guy, what with Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man and The Avengers all currently wrestling for room on his plate.

But Total Film managed to get a few minutes with the comic book mogul as shooting continues on Captain America right here in the UK.

Talking up everything from Hugo Weaving’s “frightening villain” Red Skull, the current state of production on The Avengers, and just why England is the best place to shoot Captain America, Feige had plenty to say…
 
Why have you chosen the UK to film Captain America?
Well it’s that two thirds of the film actually takes place in Europe and there are many scenes in and around London. So it just made sense that we film it where the majority of the film takes place. Having been here now for almost two and a half months prepping and twenty-some days into shooting.
 
The history here is pretty impressive. I was at Pinewood yesterday and you walk past pictures of the set of Tim Burton’s original Batman and all the amazing work that Donner did on Superman. Everytime we’re on a new stage in Shepperton somebody tells me this is where the war room was for Dr. Strangelove.
 
Or this is where they shot some of 2001. There’s such an amazing genre film history here and the technicians and the crews and the sets are just some of the best we’ve ever had. It’s been a pleasure.
 
How the Red Skull looking?
Hugo Weaving has been in the Red Skull effect, in costume for a couple of weeks now and it’s a hell of a lot of fun. We gave people a little taste in San Diego about what his character will look like but now that we’ve started to work with the actual skull it’s going to be a lot of fun and a rather frightening villain.
 
What’s happening with The Avengers?
There’s not much I can tell you but Joss [Whedon] is hard at work with the script and we’ve hired most of our crew. They’re looking to design and build and prepare for when we start filming next year.

Sir Ridley Scott has revealed that we should expect his return to the Alien film franchise to pack quite a punch.

He’s already talked previously about the two 3D Alien prequels that are being lined up, and we know that he’ll be delving into the history of the giant ‘space jockey’ creature discovered in the first Alien way back when. We also know that it'll be set in the year 2058, 30 years before Ripley first entered the scene.

But in a new chat with The Independent, Scott said that we shouldn’t expect a watered-down horror from the new Alien flicks. The first film in particular, should be a nasty piece of work.

“The film will be really tough, really nasty,” Scott says. “It’s the dark side of the moon. We are talking about gods and engineers. Engineers of space. And were the aliens designed as a form of biological warfare? Or biology that would go in and clean up a planet?”

Sounds fittingly grandiose, but will de-mystifying the savage xenomorph make it less terrifying? Arguably, the ET hell beast has already been damaged by the Alien Vs Predators movies, so a new flick that returns its nasty should be just the ticket.
 

The western chronicles a mountain man who misled wagons.

FILM GROSS/CUMULATIVE TOTAL

1 The American (2010) $13M/$16.1M

2 Takers (2010) $11.4M/$37.9M

3 Machete (2010) $11.3M/$11.3M

4 The Last Exorcism (2010) $7.55M/$32.3M

5 Going the Distance (2010) $6.88M/$6.88M

6 The Expendables (2010) $6.75M/$92.3M

7 The Other Guys (2010) $5.4M/$107M

8 Eat Pray Love (2010) $4.85M/$69M

9 Inception (2010) $4.53M/$277M

10 Nanny McPhee Returns (2010) $3.57M/$22.4M

CBS is eyeing a spy drama based on aspects of Robert Ludlum’s novels about the spies who work for the secretive Treadstone Corp. Project is in the early stage of development for CBS and CBS TV Studios. Eye has ordered a script to be penned by scribe John Glenn. Glenn will exec produce. “CSI” maven Anthony Zuiker is also on board as an exec producer.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118023727.html?categoryId=14&cs=1

Olivia Thirlby has been cast as Cassandra Anderson in DNA Films’ 3D adaptation of “Judge Dredd.” Thirlby will star opposite Karl Urban’s Dredd in the futuristic action pic. She will play the telepathic rookie who shadows Dredd. Pic is helmed by “Vantage Point” and “Omagh” director Pete Travis and script is penned by “Sunshine” and “28 Days Later” scribe Alex Garland (both DNA-produced fare). The $45 million futuristic pic is backed by India-based Reliance Big Entertainment and Stuart Ford’s aggressive sales outfit IM Global through a deal with Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich’s DNA Films banner.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118023709.html?categoryId=19&cs=1

The film's title, translated from French, means "Scorched," and the movie's psychic and physical fires burn hot and deadly.

The film's title, translated from French, means "Scorched," and the movie's psychic and physical fires burn hot and deadly.

CBS is developing a sitcom project based on upcoming book “The True Adventures of a Terrible Dater.” Susan Brightbill, who wrote the book (set to be published this year), is adapting it into a half-hour comedy. “Dater” centers on a single woman who works as an architect in Chicago and her friends as she navigates the world of dating. Sheldon Turner and Jennifer Klein will exec produce the project, which comes from Warner Bros. TV.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118023685.html?categoryId=4027&cs=1

Jaleel White and Parris Mosteller have joined the cast of family pic “Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer,” which director John Schultz (”Aliens in the Attic”) has begun lensing in Los Angeles. “Judy Moody” toplines Australian actress Jordana Beatty, while Heather Graham will play the impulsive Aunt Opal. Adapted screenplay was penned by Kathy Waugh and Megan McDonald, author of the popular Judy Moody book series. Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness are producing through their Smokewood Entertainment shingle.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118023683.html?categoryId=13&cs=1

Scripter Brian Lynch (”Hop”) has signed an exclusive overall deal with Chris Meledandri’s Illumination Entertainment. Lynch shared “Hop” screenplay credit with Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. It’s the tale of a slacker who accidentally hits the Easter Bunny with his car and is forced to save Easter himself. Universal has set an April 1 release date for the CGI-live action comedy produced by Meledandri with John Cohen.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118023679.html?categoryId=13&cs=1

Sunday estimates: 'Takers' holds strong at No. 2, Robert Rodriguez's film drops to third place.

McG is teaming with “Prison Break” creator Paul Scheuring to develop a private eye series at ABC. The McG/Scheuring project, “I, PI,” has scored a hefty commitment from the Alphabet net. What’s more, McG is looking to carve out time from his busy feature career to direct the hourlong should it go to pilot. “I, PI” is a blue-sky actioner centering on an investigator who learned everything he ever needed to know about being a P.I. from watching shows like “Magnum, P.I.” and “Simon and Simon” while growing up. As a result, he tends to subconsciously emulate those TV shamuses while out on the streets.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118023678.html?categoryId=14&cs=1

Jan de Bont has signed up to direct Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi in an independently-produced, English-language co-production of the classic tale of Hua Mulan, the legendary young heroine soldier who joins an all-male army. “Mulan,” set to start shooting this fall outside Shanghai, is screenwriter John Blickstead’s recreation of the Chinese Joan of Arc story that was first described in a 6th century poem. The story was popularized around the world in the 1998 Walt Disney animated film of the same name. Zhang is one of China’s biggest actresses, and the new “Mulan” film comes at a time when the country’s movie business is growing by leaps and bounds at home but has scored relatively few hits overseas.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3ic89e89e7caab6358a04c86ced39f8b13

Jesse Wigutow has been tapped to rewrite Summit’s “The Osterman Weekend,” the remake of the 1983 Sam Peckinpah thriller. Robert Schwentke is directing. In the reboot, on the eve of an annual weekend getaway with friends, a man is visited by a reporter who tells him his friends aren’t who he thinks they are. When the reporter turns up dead, the man gets caught in downward spiral of doubt and paranoia and, ultimately, a desperate fight to stay alive long enough to figure out who he can trust and who’s out to kill him. The story is based on a Robert Ludlum novel, and the reporter character was a CIA agent in the original film, which was set against the backdrop of the Cold War. Producing are Peter Davis via his Davis-Panzer Productions banner, Simon Kinberg via his Genre Films banner, Doug Liman, and Jeffrey Weiner on behalf of Ludlum Entertainment.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3ic89e89e7caab63580b518f5d8eb83ab5

British thesp Jamie Bell is in final negotiations for cop thriller “Man on a Ledge” for Summit Entertainment and Lorenzo di Bonaventura. Sam Worthington’s attached to star with Asger Leth directing. Anthony Mackie’s also in talks to star. Mark Vahradian and David Ready are also producing the film. Script, penned by Pablo Fenjves, centers on a female psychologist and a former NYPD officer who threatens to jump to his death.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118023686.html?categoryId=4076&cs=1

Continuing its quest to populate its programming with more original shows, IFC has added two new series to its fall lineup. The first, a 15-minute commercial-free pop culture roundup called “The Grid,” premieres on Sept. 9 at 7:45PM, and the second, a musical documentary show featuring artists such as Snoop Dogg and La Roux called “360 Sessions,” premieres on Sept. 7 at 9PM.

http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/09/03/ifc-adds-two-new-shows-to-its-lineup/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+weblogsinc%2Ftvsquad+%28TV+Squad%29

Something's not quite right in Kazuo Ishiguro's parallel world. Director Mark Romanek suggests just enough to leave you vaguely unsettled. Finally able to take his big shot, he opts for subtlety.

Something's not quite right in Kazuo Ishiguro's parallel world. Director Mark Romanek suggests just enough to leave you vaguely unsettled. Finally able to take his big shot, he opts for subtlety.