Eastwood film Gran Torino gets December 17 slot
Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino guns into the marketplace on December 17 in hopes of awards-season attention.
Eastwood, who also directed the Warner Bros. release, plays a grouchy widower spurred to tough action when his neighbourhood is beset by violent gangs. The film gets its title from his character’s vintage 1973 Ford Gran Torino.
Torino is one of two Eastwood films seeking kudos from the nation’s critics and voting groups. His period drama Changeling, starring Angelina Jolie, opened last Friday through Universal.
Opening last Wednesday in limited release, Torino will face box-office competition over the subsequent December 19 weekend that includes two wide-release star vehicles – Sony’s Will Smith starrer Seven Pounds and Warners’ own Jim Carrey-toplined Yes Man.

All aboard Transformers at Universal parks
Transformers, the Hasbro toy property that led to Michael Bay‘s blockbuster film and an upcoming sequel, is being developed as a Universal Studios theme park attraction. The studio said that the attraction will fuse 3D-HD media, special effects and robotics with a ride system. It‘s scheduled to debut at Universal Studios Singapore and then at Universal Studios Hollywood, both before Summer 2011.
Steven Spielberg, a producer of the 2007 film, is also involved. Spielberg serves as creative consultant to the Universal parks division and has worked with the company on Jurassic Park —The Ride, an attraction at Universal parks in Orlando, Hollywood and Japan; the E.T. Adventure, in Orlando and Japan; and the War Of The Worlds sets in Hollywood. The Transformers sequel, Revenge Of The Fallen, is set to be released by Paramount in the U.S. on June 26. The first film raked in more than $700 million at the worldwide box-office.

Freaks on leash of Pineapple Express director
David Gordon Green, director of the recent pot comedy Pineapple Express, will take the helm of the horror thriller Freaks Of The Heartland a monster-story based on the Dark Horse graphic novel. Illustrated by Greg Ruth, Steve Niles‘ six-part 2004 series about the horrible secret of a rural Middle American town involves Trevor Owen‘s attempts to protect his “monster“ of a 6-year-old younger brother and Gristlewood Valley‘s other “freaks“ from their parents‘ worst instincts. The Overture Films project will be adapted by freshman scribes Peter Sattler and Geoff Davey. Green‘s other credits include Snow Angels and Undertow.