The “Grindhouse” fan favorite fake trailer, “Machete,” which had a theatrical release in 2010, is officially getting a sequel. Director Robert Rodriguez (“El Mariachi”) has announced, via Deadline, that the sequel, “Machete Kills,” has a production start date of April. Of course, Danny Trejo (“Desperado”) is set to return to the titular role, and Alexander Rodnyansky is set to return as producer and financer. The new story has Machete recruited by the U.S. Government to take down a madman cartel leader and an eccentric billionaire arms dealer who has hatched a plan to spread war across the planet with a weapon in space. The casting possibilities are endless, and I can’t wait to see who they think of to play the villain roles. I don’t care what anyone says “Machete” was bloody B-flick fun, and delivered exactly what it promised. Here’s to hoping bad guys will continue to f#ck with the wrong Mexican.

Finally, Mel Gibson will be making his return to the silver screen as a director. After “The Beaver” flopped, and with the news that his latest film “Get the Gringo” is going straight to DVD and VOD, Gibson has revealed his plans to direct two huge war movies. According to the LA Times, Gibson and his “Braveheart” co-writer Randall Wallace have just written a new draft for his Viking epic “Berserker.” Gibson said that his movie, originally intended to star Leonardo DiCaprio, will have Vikings that are very unsympathetic, real, and visceral. To me this means that we are in for a violent and gory film in the vein of “Apocalypto.” Also, Gibson’s film about Judah Maccabee is currently being written by Joe Eszterhas, and will be: “heroic beyond belief. The entire might of the Seleucid Empire, which was Persia, their whole objective at the time was to wipe Judea off the map and they almost did it except for this little hold out that miraculously grew and wanted it all back again.” Basically we have two amazingly violent historical epics coming to us from Mel Gibson, one of the most controversial, but greatest director/actors of our time. Say what you want about his personal life, but the man is a freaking genius behind the camera.

THR has learned that Steve Martin’s (“The Jerk”) novel “An Object of Beauty” is being given the big screen treatment. Amy Adams (“The Fighter”) is set to star in and produce the film, which follows an art entrepreneur over 15 years of her life, as she acquires her own gallery, travels the world, and tangles romantically with a series of men. This seems like the perfect role for Adams, whose gorgeous looks is only matched by her talents as an actress. This is the second Martin novel to be adapted into a film; he wrote and co-starred in the adaptation of his 2005 novel “Shopgirl.” There is no word yet as to whether or not he will star in this film as well.

Acting powerhouse Philip Seymour Hoffman is getting a starring role in a novel adaptation. Anton Corbijn (“The American,” also known as “More Boring than Watching Dan Tie His Shoes”) has been tapped to adapt John le Carré’s novel “A Most Wanted Man” to the big screen, and Hoffman has signed on for the lead. Variety is reporting that Philip is set to play a near-dead half-Chechen, half Russian man on the run, desperate for help, and looking to recover his late Russian father’s ill-gotten fortune.  A young female lawyer and private British banker become entwined in his fate and all the while, they are being watched by a covert German spy unit. Shooting is set to begin this September in Hamburg. I can’t say I am looking forward to this at all as “The American” is one of the few movies I have actually fallen asleep in. I have complete confidence in Hoffman delivering a stellar performance, like always, but I feel like this role is just a waste for him. Oscar bait? Sure it is, but how many people will hate him for making them waste $10 for a nap in a theater?

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