The first thing that drew Ami Canaan Mann to the film “Texas Killing Fields” wasn’t the script. “The thing that really drew me was the research material that came along with the script,” she said. The research expounded on the script, which is based on the real-life string of murders that happened in the 1970 through the 1990s along I-45, near League City, TX (according to Mann, the murders happened in Texas City, which is 30 minutes south of Houston). When Mann finally read the script, written by Don Ferrarone, she was just as affected. “It had such a visceral quality,” she said. By the time she had read the…

Title: Man on a Ledge Director: Asger Leth Starring: Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Genesis Rodriguez, Anthony Mackie, Edward Burns, Ed Harris, Titus Welliver It’s a decent idea; Man on a Ledge. Now what can we do with this? Best guess is that this discussion went on all the way through shooting, because after taking in the 102 minutes, the only thing creative and truly engaging is in fact, the man on the ledge. Sam Worthington makes the most of his predominantly statuesque role. The guy is standing on a twenty-to-thirty story ledge of a plush hotel in New York City. A crowd (spectators and first-response teams) form around…

Title: Man on a Ledge Summit Entertainment Director: Asger Leth Screenwriter: Pablo F. Fenjves Cast: Elizabeth Banks, Sam Worthington, Jamie Bell, Edward Burns, Kyra Sedgwick, Ed Harris, Anthony Mackie Screened at: AMC Empire, NYC, 1/24/12 Opens: January 27, 2012 As an action-adventure movie, “Man on a Ledge” succeeds only partly: by providing some tension when an ex-cop who has been convicted of the crime of stealing a $40 million diamond goes out on the ledge of New York’s Roosevelt Hotel 25 stories in the air. The trouble is that much of the action–particularly the busy goings-on across the street from which the title man on a ledge wants to distract…

I’d like to bet there’s a gift for everyone in this Movie News Cheat Sheet because this week’s edition is packed with a particularly eclectic selection of material. My favorite industry present? Starship Troopers is set to return! Ender’s Game fans will be happy to know that the incredibly talented Hailee Steinfeld was offered the role of Petra Arkanian in the big screen adaptation while those who hold the Where’s Waldo books near and dear to their hearts will be thrilled to find out that the feature production is moving forward with screenwriter Todd Berger. We’ve also got a nice sized package of first looks including images from Wrath of…

The theme of this week’s Cheat Sheet? Casting. Well, for the most part. We’ve got the best of the best including J.J. Abrams’ hopes to cast Benicio del Toro as his villain in Star Trek 2 as well as a slew of potential recruits for Warner Bros’ Akira. It’s been confirmed that Jennifer Lopez is producing a Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego movie, but now the question is, will she star in it, too? Then there’s Andy Serkis who just earned a solid paycheck for signing on for Rise of the Planet of the Apes 2 as well as subsequent Apes films. Yes, this Cheat Sheet is certainly…

Title: Texas Killing Fields Directed By Ami Canaan Mann Written By: Don Ferrarone Cast: Sam Worthington, Jessica Chastain, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chloë Grace Moretz, Stephen Graham Screened at: Review, NYC, 9/26/11 Opens: October 14, 2011 When you listen to Governor Rick Perry on the campaign stump for the presidential nomination, you may get the impression that Texas and New York are two separate countries. On Perry’s watch, 235 people have been executed. In New York, nobody. Now comes this freshman directing effort by Ami Canaan Mann, “Texas Killing Fields,” and we’re surer than before that Texas and New York are separate countries-which may explain how the former is a red…

Title: Texas Killing Fields Directed by: Ami Canaan Mann Starring: Sam Worthington (‘Avator,’ ‘Clash of the Titans’), Jeffrey Dean Morgan (‘Watchmen,’ TV’s ‘Supernatural’), Chloe Grace Moretz (‘Kick-Ass,’ ‘Let Me In’) The success of many action-thriller films heavily relies on the visuals and stunts to entice and engage audience interest. But the new Anchor Bay Films release ‘The Texas Killing Fields,’ which was inspired by real murders in the oil refineries of the southeastern section of the state and based on the novel of the same name, instead focuses on the actors’ chemistry and the characters’ reactions to the killer. First-time feature film director Ami Canaan Mann surprisingly succeeds in telling…

Summit Entertainment sent us the official movie trailer and synopsis for the upcoming film “Man On A Ledge” by directed by Asger Leth (GHOSTS OF CITÉ SOLEIL), written by Pablo F. Fenjves, produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura (RED, SALT, TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN) and Mark Vahradian (TRANSFORMERS) and starring Sam Worthington (AVATAR, CLASH OF THE TITANS,TERMINATOR SALVATION), Elizabeth Banks (THE NEXT THREE DAYS, W., THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN), Jamie Bell (KING KONG, BILLY ELLIOT), Anthony Mackie (THE HURT LOCKER, MILLION DOLLAR BABY, 8 MILE), Ed Burns (27 DRESSES), Titus Welliver (THE TOWN), Kyra Sedgwick (TV’S THE CLOSER) and Ed Harris (NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS, A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE). Synopsis:…

Title: The Debt Director: John Madden Starring: Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington, Jessica Chastain, Marton Csokas, Tom Wilkinson, Jesper Christensen, Ciaran Hinds, Romi Aboulafia The Debt is one of those movies where one simply needs to read the synopsis when deciding whether or not to give this a look. It’s a balanced spy-thriller where there is just as much rhetoric as there is old-school action sequences – due to the fact that this 114 minute flick takes place in Germany in 1965. Knowing that, the script is penned by the fantastical Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class), who has found a way to blend substantial moments with over-the-top fun in his…

The first official trailer for the crime drama ‘Texas Killing Fields’ with Sam Worthington and Jeffrey Dean Morgan has been released. Due in theaters on October 7th 2011, the movie comes from director Ami Canaan Mann (Friday Night Lights), and writer Don Ferrarone, who looks to be making his debut as a screen writer. Joining both Worthington and Morgan is actress Jessica Chastain, Chloe Moretz, Annabeth Gish and Sean Michael Cunningham. Check out the intense trailer that features Worthington and Morgan united, as two detectives hunting down a serial killer before the tables are turned. Plus check out the full synopsis below. “Souder, a homicide detective in a small Texan…