Even though Robert Rodriguez has long been touting 2009′s Machete was the beginning of a trilogy of films, it was thought to be dead in the water due to the lackluster performance of the original. Now, Deadline is reporting that Rodriguez has producer Alexander Rodnyansky on board and is ready to move forward with the sequel Machete.

The sequel, as was hinted during the first film, will be titled Machete Kills, already has a script and will start production as soon as April. The new film finds Machete recruited by the U.S. Government to take on a mission that would be too much for any normal man.

Machete must battle his way through Mexico single-handed to “take down a madman cartel leader and an eccentric billionaire arms dealer who has hatched a plan to spread war across the planet with a weapon in space.”

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Hard to believe it, but with Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs nearly 20 years old, it only makes sense that up-and-coming writer/director combos are going to start making their homages to Quentin Tarantino for what’ he’s done to the cinematic community. That’s the first thing that comes to mind with the trailer for Catch .44.

The film has an interesting vibe, most of which can be attributed to several periods of Tarantino’s work, from neo-noir to grindhouse. Here’s the film’s synopsis to shed a bit more light.

Oscar winner Forest Whitaker, Bruce Willis and Malin Akerman lead an all-star cast in this suspense thriller where everyone has an agenda… and a Magnum to back it up! For Tes (Akerman) and her two cohorts Kara (Nikki Reed, the “TWILIGHT” franchise) and Tara (Deborah Ann Woll, “True Blood”), the job sounded simple enough: intercept a double-cross drug shipment for their crime boss Mel (Willis) at an isolated diner.

But when an unstoppable chain of events unfolds, everyone soon realizes no one is who they seem and the job may be something other than eliminating the competition. What started as simple instructions has now turned into a deadly cat-and-mouse game – with large guns pointed at everyone.

You won’t get to catch this film in theaters, as its going straight to DVD and Blu-Ray on December 20th. Take a look at the first trailer after the jump.

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You have to hand it to Quentin Tarantino. Besides being a very talented director who tells interesting stories well he’s also got the ability to put together some great ensemble casts. From his fist film Reservoir Dogs, through his most recent Inglorious Basterds, the director never ceases to lock in some great actors for his films.

He’s continuing that trend with his upcoming Sergio Leone-inspired western Django Unchained. He’s already got Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson and Leonardo DiCaprio. Now, according to Deadline, we can add Oscar-winner Kevin Costner to the mix as well.

According to the report, Costner would play Ace Woody, “the sadistic trainer of the male fighting slaves who entertain the white patrons of Candyland as well as the female slaves who are forced to be prostitutes. The club and ranch are owned by Calvin Candie (DiCaprio) and Ace Woody is the one who pits the “mandingo” fighters against one another.” Sounds like a nice guy. Mmm, not.

Once Coster is set for the role he and DiCaprio should make an interesting pair of bad guys. I’m sure it will be very interesting to see how it all turns out. The film is set to go into production in the Fall with an eye to a late 2012 release.

We’ll bring you more on this film as we get it.

Quentin Tarantino will be making time during the pre-production of his upcoming western, Django Unchained, to appear in a film from legendary spaghetti western star Franco Nero. Before the announcement of what Tarantino’s next project would be, we heard rumors that he would be working with Nero on his next project.

Most assumed once Tarantino’s western was announced, that Nero would be involved in this film. Many were surprised that once the cast for Django Unchained had been announced, including names like Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz and Samuel L. Jackson, that Nero’s name wasn’t among them.

It seems the rumors were true and they will be working together, just not on Django. According to Nero, Tarantino has agreed to make an appearance in the actor’s upcoming film The Angel, The Brute and The Wise. So now, instead of Nero acting in a Tarantino’s film, we’ll get Tarantino acting in Nero’s.

In a recent interview with Box Office Magazine, Nero explained his pitch to Quentin. “I said ‘Quentin, we are going to do a western. It would be an homage to Sergio Leone and John Huston, the director that discovered me, and would you be so kind to play a cameo?’ And he said…‘Oh, great, so I can come with Robert Rodriguez and my friends to play them?’ I said, yeah! That would be great!”

It seems it is Nero’s lucky day, as he gets a cameo from not only Tarantino, but he also get Robert Rodriguez and some of  Tarantino’s other celebrity friends.

Even though Tarantino’s role is more of an extended cameo than a co-starring role, Nero will undoubtedly have to accommodate Tarantino and his friends when it comes to production.

Welcome to another edition of On the Radar where we delve into all corners of the entertainment, tech and geek Internets for news, views and whatnot that may have escaped our regular coverage during the week. Let is know if we missed something interesting.

Let’s get started!

• Jamie Foxx is no Will Smith, but that didn’t stop Quentin Tarantino from getting him to play his slave (in a non-offensive way) in Django Unchained.

• We’ll be getting the final film in a mere weeks, but that hasn’t stopped J.K. Rowling from keeping the Harry Potter franchise top-of-brain with the newest marketing ploy, Pottermore.

• Pixar is being pretty secretive about their newest film, Brave. The first thing we’re getting, however, is a glimpse at the very stylized characters of the film.

• We know that Entourage is a pretty douchey show, but this new poster makes us feel like they may just know themselves, and feel really bad about it.

• A Russian company called Stoyn has helped make every 80s fanboy’s dream come true by releasing Pop Culture Popsicles. We have a feeling the Darth Vader flavor may taste more like plastic than anything else.

• The very first images of Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy have hit the web. Strangely, they look identical to Peter Jackson’s last trilogy about a ring…

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This week, Chris and Matt draw closer to the 100th episode of The Flickcast as they shed a tear for the canceled shows announced in the last week like Human Target, The Chicago Code and Breaking In. Some shows, however, are still “on the bubble” such as Chuck and ABC’s V.

The two also go over why Will Smith joining Tarantino’s Django Unleashed would be such a bad idea, the pointlessness of HBO Go when you’re a Time Warner Cable customer, and what it means to be a real fan of comedy.

Their picks this week were, as usual, quite different. Chris went old school and reminded us how awesome and less ridiculous the first season of 24 was, while Matt explains the insanity and hilarity that ensued in HBO’s comedy special Talking Funny starring Ricky Gervais, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, and Louis C.K.

And for those who still don’t know what the title is referencing, and why Matt is singing through most of the episode, behold the original theme to the film Django.

Take a listen to what we’re talking about in this week’s episode after the jump.

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Before you get all bent out of shape and start asking why no-one learned anything from Wild Wild West, take a listen to the idea first. Quentin “homages aren’t stealing” Tarantino has decided to take to the world of spaghetti westerns and “reboot” the classic franchise Django.

Here’s the most recent info from Heat Vision:

Sources prepped for those meetings say Tarantino would like Smith to star in the film, the script for which has been making the rounds in recent days to wide acclaim. No official offer has been made to Smith, and any deal would of course be subject to working out financials, which might be difficult given Smith’s status as one of Hollywood’s few sure-thing stars.

Smith is being teed up for the title role of Django, a freed slave who seeks to reunite with his slave wife, a journey that will see him team with a German bounty hunter to take down an evil plantation owner.

Tarantino wrote the bounty hunter part with Christoph Waltz in mind, according to insiders. The German ends up training Django and helping him seek his wife.

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Right after the announcement that one of our favorite shows on NBC, Community, is getting a third season, we’ve got something even more exciting as the show is doing an entire episode dedicated to Pulp Fiction tonight. And make no mistake, this one looks to be right up there with the classic chicken and paintball episodes.

From NBC:

On Community, our favorite study group puts down the chicken fingers and grabs a royale with cheese. In this clip you can get your first look Abed’s “Pulp Fiction” themed birthday party featuring Shirley with facial hair, Britta in a wig, and Pierce in a… well, you’ll just have to see what Pierce is decked out in.

Check out the very brief sneak peek after the jump. Catch an all-new Community tonight at 8/7C on NBC.

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Film buffs and those who follow “the biz” remember how epic of a breakup the Weinsteins and Disney’s Mirimax was back in 2005. The brothers Weinstein had become some of the biggest movers and shakers in Hollywood, helping directors like Tarantino, Smith, and countless others become household names. Then, due to a creative dispute, the Weinsteins left the clutches of the mouse to create TWC.

Now, after almost 6 years of separation, the two entities are teaming up once again. This time, to have another swing at some of the instant classics that Bob and Harvey Weinstein helped come into existence.

The two companies are forming a partnership in order to bring sequels and TV spinoffs to films like Rounders, Bad Santa, Copland, Clerks, and dozens others. Let’s hope they continue to produce movies that, at least for the most part, try to push the envelope a bit and are not just status quo.

Click through for the full press release.

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Ever sinse actor Christoph Waltz burst onto the scene in Quentin Tarantino’s terrific Inglourious Basterds, I’ve been waiting for him to have another amazing role to follow that film. Now, it appears he’s found one.

Alongside Reese Witherspoon and Twilight’s Robert Pattinson, Waltz stars in the Francis Lawrence-directed drama Water for Elephants. Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Sara Gruen, the story concerns a love triangle under the circus Big Top.

In the film, Pattinson’s character, a veterinary student named Jacob, abandons his studies after his parents are killed in a car accident and joins the traveling circus as their vet. Of course, complications ensue when he falls in love with Marlena (Witherspoon), the wife of the brutal yet charming head animal trailer (Waltz).

Regardless of the subject matter, the presence of Pattinson and the seemingly melodramatic nature of the plot, I’m in because of Christoph Waltz. Plus, I love the circus.

Check out the first trailer for the film after the jump and decide for yourself if this film’s for you. Water for Elephants hits theaters on April 15, 2011.

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Welcome to this week’s On the Radar where we delve into all corners of the entertainment, tech and geek Internets for news, views and whatnot that may have escaped our regular coverage this week. Let is know if we missed something interesting. Otherwise, on to the links!

• Have you seen this Emmy Winning Star Wars Fan Film?

• In Star Trek: the Next Generation casting news we wonder WHO could have been Geordi LaForge?

• We love robots, but we can’t stop simultaneously laughing and shaking our heads when we watch this video.

• Here’s some of the coolest looking custom consoles we’ve never seen. Jealous? Hell yes.

• Apparently, girls were pissed at the director of The Human Centipede during casting when they read the script. Are we surprised? No. Have you seen the movie?

• Quentin Tarantino will get his very own Friar’s Club Roast. It’s certainly a better idea than Flava Flav or Hasselhoff. Although, that Hoff one was pretty damn funny.

• Football could have something to do with everyone in the country Tivo’ing this year’s Oscars. What?

• In case you were wondering (or worried about your own problem) here’s a list of the 12 heaviest drinkers in the history of TV. Not on the list? It’s probably because you’re not famous and nobody cares.

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In 2007, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez brought us Grindhouse, a gritty, blood-soaked double feature that tipped its hat to the low budget exploitation movies that played during the 1970′s. The film featured some really fun trailers for fake movies.  Rob Zombie, Eli Roth, Edgar Wright, and Rodriquez were each responsible for one of the trailers.

The trailers were such a huge hit with fans that one of them has been turned into a movie. Machete (directed by Robert Rodriguez) hits theaters on September 3rd.

Now comes word that Eli Roth’s trailer for Thanksgiving will be made into a full length feature film.  Roth confirmed the news with Cinema Blend, and said that the movie is in the beginning stages.

The Thanksgiving trailer features the town of Plymouth, Massachusetts  celebrating the holiday while a serial killer dressed as a Pilgrim goes on a decapitation spree.  It is deliciously gruesome and the voice over narration is to die for (pun intended.)  This year, there will be no leftovers!

Roth has recruited friend Jeff Rendell to help pen the movie. Rendell appears in the trailer as the deranged Pilgrim. The two hope to write the story as soon as Roth finishes doing publicity for The Last Exorcism, which he produced.  That film will be released this Friday, August 27.

Check out the trailer for Thanksgiving after the jump. Warning: very NSFW.

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