The long-rumored Bad Santa sequel took another step towards becoming reality today with The Wrap reporting that Billy Bob Thornton is in talks to return to the franchise, being produced by The Weinstein Company in partnership with Miramax.  “Officially in talks” is of course one step closer than the last time we heard about it, when it was Billy Bob reporting that “there’s been talk” of it.  If everything goes well, and Billy Bob starts wearing Harvey Weinstein’s ring, they’ll be considered to be “going around,” and I don’t think I have to tell you how serious that is.  As long as no one accidentally insults The Boxmasters, or makes him sit in antique furniture, or brings up Komodo dragons, everything should be fine.

Meanwhile, Tom Arnold is talking up a True Lies sequel now that Arnold Schwarzenegger is through playing governor. It would be a great role for Tom Arnold, because pretty much anything would be.

“We [Arnold and Schwarzenegger] have both read the script. There is a script that James Cameron and a guy named Jeff Eastin, who created the TV show ‘White Collar,’ wrote. It is really great. Jim can’t direct it. But he can produce it. We hope it gets done. We have a few fun things we want to do. I am supposed to remain cool about this. For me, it would be a lot of fun to work with the guys again.” [Movieweb via Moviefone]

True Lies is one of my favorite James Cameron movies, so I’d love to see a sequel.  But keep in mind, “in talks” and “there’s been talk” are still four to five steps of development ahead of “Tom Arnold really wants to do it.”

This is the trailer for The Skeptic, about a guy who doesn’t believe in ghosts who goes to live in a haunted house.  Gosh, I wonder what happens.  Let’s let FirstShowing do the heavy lifting:

This is somewhat of an older film, as it was actually shot in late 2005/early 2006 and is just coming out this year. It stars Tom Arnold, Zoe Saldana, Andrea Roth, and most importantly, Tim Daly, who seems to make all the difference. Maybe I’m just being to optimistic, but it looks like Daly is one of the only really great parts of this.

He certainly is.  This was my favorite part of the trailer.  He really sells that “I’m about to pass out” feeling.  It’s the crossed eyes that do it.  I wonder if they teach that at the actor’s studio.

Additional note: The Skeptic was directed by Tennyson Bardwell, who could go head-to-head with Thor Freudenthal in a preposterously ostentatious name contest. I bet he has a monogrammed ascot.

From the producer of American Pie and the director of American Pie 2 comes American Summer a movie about hookers and Tom Arnold.  It stars Matthew Lillard (who’s doing great, thanks for asking) and is currently seeking a distributor at Cannes.  Industry analysts describe as a cooler, drier version of Wet Hot American Summer.

I’d give you plot rundown, but that’d be like explaining a painting of dogs playing poker.  Really, I just want to know why everyone hates Tom Arnold so much.  I guess it’s kind of like the Gilbert Gottfried thing, where he’s annoying, but I find his annoyingness somehow endearing.  He was the best part of True Lies.  Plus, this one time he helped me get my pet kitty Emilio Estevez down from a tree.  I don’t why the little guy climbs up there all the time, Daddy just wants to cuddle. 

(Watch the NWS, tit-filled version of the trailer after the jump) 

This is the trailer for The Year of Getting to Know Us (no word on why the title in the trailer is Rocket), starring Lucy Liu, Buster from Arrested Development, and Jimmy Fallon. I like seeing Jimmy Fallon in dramatic roles, because it means he probably won’t be breaking character to giggle and smile at the camera like some Love-Me-Daddy A-hole during every goddamned sketch.

Jimmy Falon [sic] stars in what Sundance describes as a “darkly comic exploration of the classic dysfunctional-family dynamic” and “a quirky exploration of how the people in our lives make us who we are.” (premiering at Sundance 2008)  – [/film]

I’m not gonna lie, the guy’s done some funny stuff in the past, but I can’t escape the memory of Howard Stern asking him a simple question like who he voted for in the presidential election and him answering, "Hehehe, I don’t remember hehehe…"

Call me old fashioned, but I like it when comedians aren’t enormous pussies terrified of pissing anyone off. Yeah, that’s right, Fallon, you just got called out by a semi-anonymous guy on the internet. WHAT’S UP NOW?? God, he must be so embarrassed. Sucks to be you, bro.