Earlier, we reported on the casting for Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series being turned into film (and Chelsea Mueller assured us “it's going to be okay.”)

In addition to the three leads—Rose, Lissa, and Dimitri—the producers have announced more cast members, including the parts of Mia, Mason, Jesse, and Karp. Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace) has already been cast as Kirova.

Here's Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters' description:

St. Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school–it's a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St. Vladimir's–the very place where they're most in danger. Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy's ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi–the world's fiercest and most dangerous vampires–make Lissa one of them forever.

Mia will be played by Sami Gayle (Blue Bloods), Cameron Monaghan (Shameless) will be Mason Ashford, Ashley Charles is Jesse Zeklos and Claire Foy (White Heat) will play Karp.

Interestingly, the producers have decided not to feature Eddie Castillo in this film, since it's only later in the series that Eddie's actions and role become important. The producers commented, “Basically, it is difficult to find a charismatic, high-caliber actor to play an unfortunately but necessarily reduced role. We all felt it best for the first film and the Eddie Castile character himself to wait for Frostbite, where Eddie's role is more full-bodied so we could find a more special actor. Apologies for any pain this decision may cause…”

Filming begins in two weeks, with a scheduled release date of on Feb. 14, 2014.

Late last week, the internet lit up with another exciting rumor on the potential creative team for the film adaptation of E.L. James's Fifty Shades of Grey—this time, it was the stunning news that British director Joe Wright has become the front runner choice for director. His name has been added to a list of film makers under consideration that apparently includes Gus Van Sant, Patty Jenkins and, oddest of all, Bennett Miller.

(ETA: Deadline now reports that Wright is out of the running, but that doesn't mean he's not the best choice—plus, schedules can change!)

Van Sant might do this movie some justice; in fact he's proven himself quite able to cover male/male sensuality in past films such as Milk, My Own Private Idaho and Mala Noche. But Wright seems like the better choice, given his sensual-overload filmmaking style and proven talent for representing a woman's emotional inner life on screen. One can only hope that if he really is on the short list, that the folks over at the film company Focus Features, and novelist/producer E.L. James (in between her script burning sessions with Kelly Marcel) will seriously consider him.

Joe Wright has a well established knack for high-end book adaptations. His most recent film was last year's Anna Karenina, a fantastical satin-lined waltz through the original Tolstoy novel that explored many forms of love and desire. It was an extremely adult-themed film, full of romance and seduction, and rated R in the USA for good measure. Previous Wright films Pride and Prejudice and Atonement also included heavy drama, romance, and intense emotions, not to mention being flush with stunning visuals and sensual production design.

[How do you make a good Fifty Shades of Grey movie?...]

Entertainment Weekly has just reported that Ansel Elgort has been offered the role of Augustus “Gus” Waters in the film adaptation of John Green's The Fault in Our Stars opposite Shailene Woodley's Hazel Grace Lancaster.

H&Her Kate Nagy had this to say about Green's The Fault in Our Stars in her review of the book: 

[It's a] well-received Young Adult novel about two teenaged cancer patients who fall in love, and…wow. This book is to typical teen romance as Veuve Clicquot is to Capri Sun. Both funny and—well, “sad” doesn’t begin to describe it—it’s the best book I expect to read this year.

Intense, right? Could this movie earn a place in Jennifer Proffitt's list of top “no HEA” movies? We shall see!

One odd note: Woodley and Elgort will first be seen playing siblings in the Divergent film. Will they be able to transition from fraternal to romantic?

Richard Madden may struggle to reach the throne as Robb Stark in HBO's Game of Thrones, but soon he'll be taking another throne in the live-action adaptation of Disney's Cinderella. We think Madden will look the part—although if they follow the look of Disney's Prince Charming, we don't know how we'll feel about him without his signature scruff. Madden is cast opposite Downton Abbey's Lily James who will play the girl with the shoe fetish—Cinderella.

In the past Cinderella has been taken on in some memorable (if not always in a good way) adaptations. In 1997, Brandy Norwood, Whitney Houston, and Victor Garber (to name a few in this star-studded movie) starred in Rodger and Hammerstein's Cinderella and in 2004, a young Anne Hathaway and Hugh Dancy took on (in my opinion) the questionable Ella Enchanted.

Can you imagine Disney's Cinderella in live-action form? How do you feel about Richard Madden as Prince Charming—right on or 'what were they thinkin!'?

This post contains spoilers about the endings of Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, 500 Days of Summer, The Notebook, and Love Story. Read with caution, and a box of tissues!

Reading romance, we all kind of expect there to be a Happily Ever After. But in movies, just because something is romantic doesn’t always mean it will end happily. Recently I saw 2012's Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. With a title like that, it would end only in one way: not happily. 

For those of you who haven’t seen the film [SPOILERS AHEAD], it features Steve Carell and Kiera Knightley who face a world at the edge of destruction. An asteroid is hurtling towards Earth and all attempts to blow it up or change its path are futile and it is going to impact within a few days. Carell tries to reunite with his lost love and Knightley, after learning she won’t be able to go home to her family in England, decides to join him on his final road trip to love. Of course, the pair falls in love (a couple I would have never put together, but hey, it’s the end of the world and somehow it works…) and faces the end of the world together and happily in one another’s arms.

[Get the tissues ready, folks...]

We know Downton Abbey is all over pop culture these days. How I Met Your Mother recently paid homage to the show when Marshall, Lily, and Ted found themselves addicted to a very similar period drama called Woodworthy Manor. And in an episode of The Mindy Project a few weeks back (“Santa Fe”), Mindy's ex Josh got a quick update from a high-profile pal/client (the Green Bay Packers's Clay Matthews) on the Crawley drama he'd missed while he was TV-less in rehab. Then there was the time the show was a hot topic with Gossip Girl's upper east siders (or at least with Serena's mom Lily)... The list goes on, really.

So yes, Downton is all over the place lately. But did anyone see that Iron Man 3 connection coming?

******MAJOR IRON MAN 3 SPOILERS AHEAD*****

[Who knew Tony could be so sensitive?...]

Be careful, this post mostly discusses Tony and Pepper's relationship in Iron Man 3, however it IS a review of the movie. While it is not intended to contain spoilers, if you have not seen the movie yet you may not want to read this review before seeing it.

SOME SPOILERS AHEAD! Read with caution!

No one ever said being a superhero’s girlfriend was easy.

Even Lois Lane, laboring under the mystifying delusion that her alien crush and her identical-except-for-corrective-lenses, never-seen-in-the-same-room colleague were actually separate people, must have realized that dating Superman would be a tougher gig than dating regular ol’ Clark Kent. The constant cries for help always interrupting dinner, the supervillains with their axes (and, indeed, death rays) to grind, the secrecy, the power disparity, the thinking he’s dead on a regular basis, the always coming in second to the Greater Good. Ugh.

But in Iron Man 3, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) has even more to deal with. Not only is her man traumatized following the harrowing events in New York (see: The Avengers), but he’s also, well, Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.), former playboy of the Western World and unapologetically arrogant erratic genius. That would be difficult to deal with even without the fact that he just played a significant role in saving the planet from space aliens eager to destroy us all.

[Being with Genius, Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropists Ain't Easy...]

We've discussed books being made into films many times at H&H—what books should be made into movies, what books were better than the films (and occasionally vice versa), and which actors we'd like to see portraying our favorite characters.

But one topic we haven't asked—what movie do you wish you could read as a book? 

Any fan of Sci-Fi or just a fan of Star Trek knows about them. And we've all been shipping them even before Shipping was a thing. Kirk and Spock have stolen our hearts again and again, not to mention how they ripped them out in THAT scene in Star Trek II. Well, it 's nice to see the return of the dynamic between Kirk and his ONLY science officer in the above clip.  I mean the Enterprise's Science officer, that's what we were arguing about here wasn't it?

Are you excited for this new Star Trek II? Do you think Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto have the same kind of chemistry as Spock and Kirk Prime? And what do you think will be the fate of the perky blond that literally places herself between the two?

“Today we are cancelling the Apocalypse!” Here's the brand-new trailer for Pacific Rim, directed by Guillermo del Toro and coming out July 12.

Here's the official synopsis:

When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity’s resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes—a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi)—who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse.

But once we heard Idris Elba and Charlie Hunnam were starring, it didn't matter what it was about (even though it sounds fantastic). Are you in for the dual gorgeousosity of Idris and Hunnam?

Kristin Cashore's YA fantasy Graceling trilogy—Graceling, Fire, and last year's Bitterblue—have been optioned for film, according to Variety. The rights have been purchased by the same companies behind the first Vampire Academy series film, Blood Sisters, which is currently slated for a 2014 release.

Graceling and its companion novels are set in a world where individuals with special powers—called Graces—are set apart from their fellow citizens with mismatched eyes, and each book revolves around a different heroine (Katsa, Fire, and Bitterblue, respectively). In book 1, Graceling, the strong and skilled assassin Katsa meets her match in another Graced fighter, a prince named Po, and together they help to rescue a young princess (Po's cousin, Bitterblue) and her kingdom from its dangerous ruler.

Have you read the Graceling trilogy? Looking forward to seeing it brought to life on the big screen? Who would you like to see cast as Katsa and Po? 

***

And on a related note, for those caught up on the series...

BOOK SPOILERS

 Am I the only who NEEDS a Bitterblue/Giddon book at some point?! Sequel, sequel!

The first set photo from the Divergent movie was revealed today by Entertainment Weekly. The movie is based on a dystopian Young Adult series by Veronica Roth in which society is split into five factions based on ideal human characteristics—selflessness, bravery, peacefulness, intelligence, and honesty. In this scene, Shailene Woodley, who plays the lead character Beatrice “Tris” Prior, has knives thrown at her head by Four after she takes the place of a fellow initiate into the Dauntless (bravery) faction.

Visit Entertainment Weekly for the full image and an interview with Shailene Woodley.

Last month, Theo James of Downton Abbey was cast as Four, a leader of the Dauntless faction and the mentor-turned-love of Tris.

Divergent is scheduled for release on March 21, 2014.

Check out our other coverage of Veronica Roth and get caught up on the series before the movie's out!

Fifty Shades movie gossip alert!

Alex Pettyfer for Christian Grey? Not exactly. Entertainment news site The Wrap has reported that director Gus Van Sant, who would like to direct the film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey and is bidding for the job along with others, shot test footage (directors are just auditioning for the job at this point, and nothing has been decided) with Alex Pettyfer (Magic Mike, Beastly) in the role of Christian Grey.

What does this mean? At the moment, not much, as, again, there are other directors in the running and test footage is just that: a test. Even if Van Sant gets the job, he may not cast Alex Pettyfer (remember, Pettyfer was also rumored to be closing in on the role of Four in Veronica Roth's Divergent, and that didn't end up happening).

But as competition—and gossip—heats up, we ARE becoming really curious about who might direct and star in Fifty Shades of Grey. Have you been following the news about this movie? Would Alex Pettyfer as Christian make you more or less excited about the movie?

SQUEE! Just a few days after the first poster was released, Marvel has gifted us the first trailer from Thor: The Dark World, with delicious teases of a) a love triangle b) an ultimate sacrifice c) Thor's awesomely huge hammer (!) and d) Loki and Thor's literal bromance!

Thor: The Dark World is out in theaters November 8, 2013.

Summer movie season is almost upon us! Iron Man 3 will debut in the U.S. on May 3, just a couple weeks away, and with that the summer blockbuster season will have launched. And between IM3, Man of Steel, Star Trek: Into Darkness, The Wolverine, Much Ado About Nothing, and more, we here at Heroes and Heartbreakers have a feeling it's going to be an amazing few months at the theater.

Which film are you most eager to see this summer?

Just released is a poster for Thor: The Dark World, in which Thor presumably gets to put the hammer down on anyone who gets in his way. The movie will be released in November of this year.

Here's the blurb:

Thor battles an ancient race of Dark Elves led by the vengeful Malekith who threatens to plunge the universe back into darkness after the events of The Avengers.

Like in the first film, joining Chris Hemsworth as Thor will be Natalie Portman, Stellan Skarsgard, Kat Dennings, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Hiddleston, and Ray Stevenson. Christopher Eccleston will play Malekith.

For more Marvel goodness, check out our roundup of Captain America 2 news, Avengers review, Avengers Beefcake, and Black Widow/Hawkeye speculation.

Pitch Perfect is one of those movies that you turn on and think “whatever, it has (insert actress or thing you are watching it for), I'll just turn it on for a second...”, two hours later you are totally sucked in and want to be Fat Amy's friend, played by Rebel Wilson, and learn the cup song. If you were desperate for more songs, more Anna Kendrick, and most importantly, more Rebel Wilson then prepare yourself for the sequel!

We left off with the Barden Bellas right after they had won Nationals with a thrilling performance of a mash-up. What are we likely to see in the sequel due out in 2015? Rebel Wilson and Anna Kendrick will undoubtedly be returning and the sequel can go one of two ways: following the antics of the remaning Bellas after their big Nationals win, or post-college-life. We know that Brittany Snow's character is likely heading off to New York or Los Angeles to pursue a career in music or broadway and we know that Anna Kendrick's gothic Beca wanted to become a producer in L.A. My hope is to find Beca in Los Angeles dealing with the trials and tribulations of the music industry, but who knows which way it'll go. What do you think? What do you hope to see in the Pitch Perfect sequel?

Although you’ve likely heard of Benedict Cumberbatch, you likely hadn’t until a few years ago when he blew up on the scene in Sherlock, BBC’s modernization of Sherlock Holmes. As many someones have recently told me: he’s not really all that attractive, and even a little weird looking.

I heartily...agree. He is a little weird looking, but in the best way possible. I don’t think he would be as approachable as he is if he wasn’t slightly weird looking. He also wouldn’t have gotten the roles he’s gotten if he were classically handsome. He’s a damn good actor, and in this case the whole is greater than the sum of his parts. I could also make the point that many female models make their careers being “ugly-pretty,” and plenty of actors make their careers on being just plain ugly, forget the pretty. But what makes Cumberbunnies so rabid about his sex appeal?

[The voice, the talent...take your pick!]

Team H&H is a bit divided when it comes to the Team Gale and Team Peeta debate. That being said, the first teaser trailer for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire debuted last night during the MTV Movie awards and it looks like it is deviating a bit from the book, perhaps to the benefit of Team Gale? (Heather here: Don't leave out mention of the Katniss/Gale kiss, Chris!) It looks like we are going to see a bit more of the formation of the Quarter Quell and the machinations of Snow and his lackeys, which I'm OK with. It also looks like Prim is putting on her big-girl pants. What do you think? Do the changes look worth it to you?