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Deadline has learned that Harald Zwart has been tapped by Company Films and Fundamental Films, a leading Chinese production and distribution outfit, to direct Keanu Reeves in a racing flick titled Rally Car. Zwart, who's previous directing credits include The Karate Kid remake, One Night At McCool's and The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones, will be helming from a script by Jeremy Lott, based a... Read More...

HollywoodNews.com: The 16th Annual Hollywood Film Awards, presented by the Los Angeles Times, is pleased to announce that the feature "Argo," directed by Ben Affleck, will receive the "Hollywood Ensemble Acting Award." "We are very proud to recognize the ensemble cast of "Argo," for their dramatic and outstanding performances," said Carlos de Abreu, Founder and Executive Director of the Hollywood Film Awards. The 2012 Hollywood Film Awards has also announced that it will honor director David O. Russell with the "Hollywood Director Award"; Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro with the "Hollywood Supporting Actor Award"; Academy Award-winning actress Marion Cotillard with the "Hollywood Actress Award"; three-time Academy Award-nominated actress Amy Adams with the "Hollywood Supporting Actress Award"; producers Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner with the "Hollywood Producers Award"; writer/director Judd Apatow with the "Hollywood Comedy Award"; actor John Hawkes with the "Hollywood Breakout Performance Award" for "The Sessions"; and Quvenzhané Wallis...

More projects coming back to life to it seems. With "The Dark Tower" and "Arthur And Lancelot" headed to the big screen once again thanks to Warner Bros. earlier this week, another project thought left for dead last month, is now back, alive and kicking.

"The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones," once set up over at Screen Gems, is still moving with Constantin Films and Unique Features announcing today that they are backing the Lily Collins led film, with "Karate Kid" helmer Harald Zwart to direct. An adaptation of the popular young adult novel series by Cassandra Clare, the story is set in contemporary New York City, and follows a seemingly ordinary teenager, Clary Fray, who discovers she is the descendant of a line of Shadowhunters, a secret cadre of young half-angel warriors locked in an ancient battle to protect our world from demons. After the disappearance of her mother,...

There's something about you, girl!

Liv Tyler reminds us that she is indeed the daughter of the frontman of Aerosmith as she shows off her own not-too-shabby set of pipes in a completely unexpected video for Givenchy perfume.

The "Incredible Hulk" star does an electronica (or something) cover of Inxs' "Need You Tonight" in this extended commercial that proves she can carry a tune almost as well as the late Michael Hutchence, especially when backed up with sexy black-and-white cinematography and usually-unseen dancers who steal more than a few fondles and feels.

(Is this actually the first time we've heard Liv sing? Did she sing in "Empire Records" or "The Lord of the Rings" or, uh, "One Night at McCool's" or anything? Refresh our memory if you know.)

Anyway, we'll think you agree that this video smells good, and kudos especially for not changing the "There's something about you, girl...

Recommended reading from Vulture this morning. They've assembled a video slideshow of sexy movie car washes -- you know the ones, where pretty young starlets tousle their hair, spray water on their chests, and lean over things suggestively in the hopes of earning thousands of dollars for their cheerleading squad or sorority (see "The House Bunny," above) -- and presented them for comment from Debra Gorgos, editor of Professional Carwashing & Detailing Magazine, or, as we know it in the car service industry, PC&D. Love the PC&D.

Gorgos plays her part with perfect dry humor. Here's her response to Liv Tyler, lost in soapy ecstasy in this sexy car wash scene from "One Night at McCool's:"

"It's a good idea to keep car-wash soap off your skin... I can't even imagine what would it be like getting in your eye." Of course, Tyler probably didn't have to worry about any of that.

Director Harald Zwart (The Karate Kid) is attached to helm "Bakugan," based on the popular strategic game and anime series "Bakugan Battle Brawlers." In 2009, "Bakugan Battle Brawlers" was named Toy of the Year for the second consecutive year by the Toy Industry Association. The series features marble-like balls that transform into powerful monsters when rolled on game cards. Zwart previously directed "One Night at McCool's," "Agent Cody Banks" and "The Pink Panther 2." He has now become an A-list helmer after "Karate Kid" grossed over $350 million on a $40 million budget.

In Hollywood, it's never about what you've done, it's about what you've done lately. Before this summer, Harald Zwart directed One Night at McCool's, Agent Cody Banks and The Pink Panther 2. Not exactly box office or critical bonanzas. Still, he found himself in China directing the remake [1] of The Karate Kid for Sony. From a $40 million budget, that film made almost $400 million worldwide and now Universal is entrusting Zwart with one of their precious possible franchises. He's been tapped to direct Bakugan, based on the popular game and anime show Bakugan Battle Brawlers. Bakugan Battle Brawlers is a cartoon show that originated in Japan and airs on the Cartoon Network in America. It's about a group of kids who control "marble-like balls that transform into powerful monsters when rolled on game cards," according to The Wrap [2], which broke the news about Zwart. It's spawned video games, toys, and much more.

Subject: Matthew Raymond Dillon, 46-year old American actor and occasional director

Date of Assessment: August 27, 2010

Positive Buzzwords: Underrated, adaptable, resilient

Negative Buzzwords: Stagnant, B-lister, old dog

The Case: In the 1980s, teen heartthrob Matt Dillon lingered on the (hopeful) lips of teen girls, who passionately plastered their bedroom walls with his hunky photo spreads from Bop and Tiger Beat magazines, everwhere. It was at this time that Dillon regularly portrayed hunky hoodlums and banging bullies in film like Over the Edge and My Bodyguard. It was also a decade during which Dillon rose to stardom as an S.E. Hinton darling who hailed from the wrong side of the tracks (quite literally, relative to Tulsa terminology) in Tex, The Outsiders, and Rumble Fish. While these movies led to a career breakthrough, they were all very similar stories with very similar characters as well. Although Dillon managed the occasional change of pace...

Seen on: June 13, 2010

The players: Director: Harald Zwart, Writer: Christopher Murphey, Cast: Jaden Smith, Jackie Chan, Taraji P. Henson

Facts of interest: Zwart also helmed "One Night at McCool's."

The plot: Dre and his mom move to China, where is beaten to the ground and ends up learning kung fu to fight back once and for all.

Our thoughts: In the mood to watch some kids beating the hell out of each other? Then Harald Zwart’s remake of “The Karate Kid” is just the right movie for you. There is indeed a solid dose of hardcore punching and kicking in this family film, and yet viewers young and old keep clapping until the last kid on the big screen is knocked to the ground hard. Makes sense, doesn’t it?...

When people watch Sony's upcoming remake of The Karate Kid , they may be surprised that it's directed by Harald Zwart, the Dutch/Norwegian filmmaker whose American output includes movies like One Night at McCool's , Agent Cody Banks , The Pink Panther 2 - let's just say they weren't the most critically well-received movies ever made. (Zwart also directed the Norwegian comedy hit with the unfortunate English title of Long Flat Balls .) The original "Karate Kid" came out in the summer of 1984, starring Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita and Elizabeth Shue, and it became a movie that really stuck with a lot of people, considered by some as a beloved favorite. The new version stars Jaden Smith, son of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, producers on the movie. He plays Dre Parker, a...

Are you ready for yet another remake? Well, even if you're not, The Karate Kid (2010) is coming your way, hoping to kick its way into your heart...and wallet. The 1984 original starred the late Pat Morita as the wise Asian mentor who helped transform nerdy, picked-on teenager Ralph Macchio into a lean, mean, roundhouse-throwing machine who could catch flies with a pair of chopsticks. The remake puts a new spin on the familiar story. Sherry Parker (Taraji P. Henson) must up and relocate from the United States to China, and takes her young son Dre (Jaden Smith) with her. While there, the bullied boy meets and befriends Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), a maintenance man who also happens to be a kung fu master. It's not long before Mr. Han has Dre in training to become both a black belt and a more self-confident kid. The notion of remaking The Karate Kid...

Check out the "Never Say Never' music video with Justin Bieber and Jaden Smith from Sony Pictures' "The Karate Kid." Very catchy, kids and teens will be toetapping to this one. The eagerly anticipated remake of the classic which starred Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita, opens on June 11th. Smith clearly worked very hard on the project and I must say, his skills look pretty decent. Harald Zwart ("Agent Cody Banks," "The Pink Panther 2," "One Night at McCool's" ) helms from the screenplay by Christopher Murphey and story by Robert Mark Kamen. In Columbia Pictures' The Karate Kid, 12-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) could've been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother's (Taraji P. Henson) latest career move has landed him in China. Dre immediately falls for his classmate Mei Ying - and the feeling is mutual - but cultural differences make such a friendship impossible...

Robert here looking at new releases this week. If you hadn't noticed (of course you've noticed) we've entered a strange barren time of year when the whiz-bang of summer has died off and the post-fest Oscar season has yet to start up. Pickings are slim so I'll remind you that these films are still in theaters: The Hurt Locker, Ponyo, District 9, In the Loop.

9 - The one film attempting to position itself for Oscar recognition will have an uphill climb, especially since three Animated Feature spots have practically been snatched up by Coraline, Ponyo, and Up, and there's plenty of competition for two remaining, should there be two remaining. Critical reaction hasn't been very kind, except toward the visuals and I'm reminded of how many filmmakers today are fantastic visual artists desperately in need of writers who aren't anywhere to be found. [rotten tomatoes / metacritic]

Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself...

Movie Jungle has new clips, interviews, b-roll and TV spots from Sony Pictures eagerly anticipated follow-up "The Pink Panther 2." The film stars Steve Martin, Emily Mortimer, Jean Reno, Andy Garcia, Alfred Molina John Cleese and Aishwarya Rai and opens on February 6th. Harald Zwart ("Agent Cody Banks," "One Night At McCool's") directs from the screenplay written by Scott Neustadster, Steve Martin and Michael H. Webber. All videos are embedded within the same player...

Movie Jungle has new clips, interviews, b-roll and TV spots from Sony Pictures eagerly anticipated follow-up "The Pink Panther 2." The film stars Steve Martin, Emily Mortimer, Jean Reno, Andy Garcia, Alfred Molina John Cleese and Aishwarya Rai and opens on February 6th. Harald Zwart ("Agent Cody Banks," "One Night At McCool's") directs from the screenplay written by Scott Neustadster, Steve Martin and Michael H. Webber. All videos are embedded within the same player...

Movie Jungle has new clips, interviews, b-roll and TV spots from Sony Pictures eagerly anticipated follow-up "The Pink Panther 2." The film stars Steve Martin, Emily Mortimer, Jean Reno, Andy Garcia, Alfred Molina John Cleese and Aishwarya Rai and opens on February 6th. Harald Zwart ("Agent Cody Banks," "One Night At McCool's") directs from the screenplay written by Scott Neustadster, Steve Martin and Michael H. Webber. All videos are embedded within the same player, they are: 7 clips: - Hamburger- Bottle of Wine- Don Corleone- Element of Surprise- Look at the Moon- Karate Master- Fire Interview clips: - Steve Martin- Jean Reno- Emily Mortimer- Andy Garcia- Alfred Molina- Yuki Matsuzaki- Aishwarya Rai- John Cleese- Harald Zwart TV spots: - Legendary- Greatest Detective- Only Man  ...

Movie Jungle has new clips, interviews, b-roll and TV spots from Sony Pictures eagerly anticipated follow-up "The Pink Panther 2." The film stars Steve Martin, Emily Mortimer, Jean Reno, Andy Garcia, Alfred Molina John Cleese and Aishwarya Rai and opens on February 6th. Harald Zwart ("Agent Cody Banks," "One Night At McCool's") directs from the screenplay written by Scott Neustadster, Steve Martin and Michael H. Webber. All videos are embedded within the same player...

Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece RASHOMON and its twisting multiple perspectives have influenced dozens of movies, some good (THE USUAL SUSPECTS, RESERVOIR DOGS), some not quite so (BASIC, ONE NIGHT AT McCOOL'S). Why not go right to the source material -- and remake it? That's now the case with an update planned for a 2010 release. Kurosawa's 1950 original starred Toshiro Mifune and was set in feudal Japan. The mystery involved a rape and murder, and several contradictory accounts of the crime....

Harald Zwart will direct The Pink Panther 2 for Columbia Pictures and MGM.

Steve Martin will reprise his role as the bumbling Inspector Jacques Clouseau in the modern-day farce. Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber penned the screenplay, which follows the continuing adventures of the French detective.

In January, Sony tapped veteran comedy scribes Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel to rewrite the sequel (HR 1/12).

Robert Simonds is producing, and Shawn Levy, who directed the most recent Pink Panther, is executive producing.

Elizabeth Cantillon and Devon Franklin are overseeing for Sony, which is eyeing a late August start date.

Zwart, whose helming credits include Agent Cody Banks and One Night at McCool's, is repped by ICM.

NEW DELHI, India -- Michael Douglas said Monday in Mumbai that he will co-produce and appear in Racing the Monsoon, set to be shot entirely in India. Douglas is here on a scouting expedition for the adventure film, slated to begin production early next year. Douglas also said the project will be the first U.S./Indian feature co-production. The film will be directed by Steve Carr (Daddy Day Care, Dr. Doolittle 2) and co-produced by Douglas' Further Films (One Night at McCool's) with leading Indian entertainment companies Sahara One Entertainment and Percept Pictures (the film production division of advertising agency Percept Advertising).

NEW DELHI, India -- Michael Douglas said Monday in Mumbai that he will co-produce and appear in Racing the Monsoon, set to be shot entirely in India. Douglas is here on a scouting expedition for the adventure film, slated to begin production early next year. Douglas also said the project will be the first U.S./Indian feature co-production. The film will be directed by Steve Carr (Daddy Day Care, Dr. Doolittle 2) and co-produced by Douglas' Further Films (One Night at McCool's) with leading Indian entertainment companies Sahara One Entertainment and Percept Pictures (the film production division of advertising agency Percept Advertising).

American hunk Matt Dillon knows he'll never be a bankable leading man - because he chooses quirky roles. The brooding actor, whose films include Drugstore Cowboy, Beautiful Girls and One Night At McCools, doesn't mind being passed over for straightforward Hollywood leading men, because he likes to keep things interesting. Now the star has taken a role on the other side of the camera, and helmed atmospheric suspense film City Of Ghosts, which was shot in Cambodia. He says, "I've never made things easy for myself. I like telling stories. Acting is great when the job is interesting - and sometimes it's not interesting. I like stories of intrigue. I like things in exotic settings, and Cambodia was an interesting place to me."...

Actor Michael Douglas grossed out his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones with props from his movie One Night At McCools. The stunning Welsh actress was repulsed by the accessories, a hairpiece and false teeth, which acted as a reminder to the 56- year-old's old age. He says, "My wife wasn't too happy about it. I used to put the teeth in once in a while, and she would say, 'Take them out, take them out. I don't want to see that.'"...