Photo by Marvel Studios

The first cut of a movie is usually much longer than the version that audiences end up seeing. Shooting more material than is ultimately needed is pretty standard practice in Hollywood these days; it not only gives filmmakers more leeway and freedom in the editing room, but it also gives fans some nice bonus material for the Blu-ray.

This weekend’s box office champ “Iron Man 3” was once a much different movie. From script to final edit, the superhero blockbuster went through a number of major changes during its development and production – changes related to the film’s length, plot points, and language.

Warning: Plot details of 'Iron Man 3' to follow.

Speaking with Empire, “Iron Man 3” director and co-writer Shane Black and co-writer Drew Pearce revealed that the original cut of the superhero movie was over three hours long! This three-hours-and-15-minute version of the movie apparently featured an extended car chase scene, as well as several extra villains (Mallen and

Photo by Warner Bros.

Studio Warner Bros. and director Baz Luhrmann aren’t the first people to take a crack at adapting F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel “The Great Gatsby.” That distinction belongs to filmmaker Herbert Brenon, whose silent “Gatsby” adaptation was produced just a few years after the novel’s publication in 1926.

The book was once again adapted for the silver screen in 1949 with Alan Ladd and Betty Field, and again in 1974 with Robert Redford and Mia Farrow. Almost every film based on Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” has met with mixed reviews, and based on the mediocre early buzz, Luhrmann’s version starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan seems to be no exception to that rule.

For better or worse, the book shelf has long been a source of inspiration for screenwriters and filmmakers. Indeed, some of the earliest motion pictures ever produced were adaptations of books by authors like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (“Sherlock Holmes Baffled”), fairy tales like “Cinderella,” and plays by William Shakespeare. In many cases, adapting a book into a movie is just a case of Hollywood looking to capitalize on the popularity of a certain book or series (see: “Harry Potter,” “The Twilight Saga,” “Hunger Games” and the recent wave of young adult books getting the big screen treatment).

Sony Pictures

Director Marc Webb’s “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” is currently shooting in New York City, and while fans still don’t know much about the upcoming superhero movie, a number of photo leaks have revealed some major information about the film.

Warning: This post contains possible spoilers for 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2.' Don't click through if you don't want to know.

(Photo by: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images, Jemal Countess/Getty Images)

Director Baz Luhrmann’s big budget adaptation of author F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel “The Great Gatsby” isn’t exactly a cut-and-paste Hollywood update of the classic tale of love and obsession. The film is a lavish and star-studded affair, which isn't terribly surprising given the “Moulin Rouge” director’s equally extravagant and talent-filled previous work. However, many viewers probably weren’t expecting 3D visuals and a hip-hop infused soundtrack from the glamorous 1920s set drama.

Aside from the music and eye-popping visuals, one other thing that sets Luhrmann’s “Great Gatsby” apart from previous adaptations of Fitzgerald’s book is the movie’s truly international cast. Featuring Americans (Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Macguire), Brits (Carey Mulligan), and Australians (Joel Edgerton, Elizabeth Debicki, and Jason Clarke), “Gatsby” also includes one of India’s biggest actors in a small but integral role: Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan plays gangster Meyer Wolfsheim.

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The rights to Blade and the Punisher have gone back to Marvel. (Photo credit: New Line Cinema, Lionsgate)

Slowly but surely, they’re all coming home!

Marvel Studios recently made news by confirming that the company had re-acquired the film rights to comic book hero Daredevil from rival studio Fox. Now, it seems that even more of the company’s characters are coming back into the fold.

In a recent interview from the upcoming issue of Entertainment Weekly, Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige confirmed that the film rights to characters like Ghost Rider, Punisher, and Blade have all returned to the studio.

“Whenever a character comes back to us, it’s usually because the other studios don’t want to make the movies anymore – and that usually means the [previous] movies may not have been particularly well-received,” Feige said.

Tyrannosaurus Rex in 'Jurassic Park' (Photo: Universal Pictures)

It’s strange to think that none of the “Jurassic Park” sequels actually returned to Isla Nublar, the fictional North Pacific island home to the original dinosaur reserve. Both “The Lost World: Jurassic Park” and “Jurassic Park III” were set on the nearby -- and clearly inferior (especially if the movies are any indication) -- Isla Sorna.

This week, though, there’s some good news for fans of the original movie. It seems the upcoming “Jurassic Park 4” will be going back to the series’ roots by returning to Isla Nublar – or at least what’s left of it. Although no official details have been released about the project, “JP4” director Colin Trevorrow (“Safety Not Guaranteed”) tweeted a photo of a lush tropical location yesterday, captioned with the name “Nublar” and the hashtag #JP4.

That certainly looks like the Isla Nublar most folks remember from the first movie (it’s likely the same Hawaiian location used in that film), although there is a distinct lack of dinos in the photo! The movie version of the

Photo: Warner Bros.

While Hollywood may do its darndest to make sure that the big tentpole films and Oscar contenders appeal to the broadest possible spectrum of viewers, the fact is that there are some movies that quite simply aren’t for everyone.

A prime example of this would the 1999 sci-fi classic “The Matrix,” starring Keanu Reeves. The film, an eclectic mix of cyberpunk fashions, kung fu flick inspired martial arts, and heady science fiction themes, was not only very well received by critics but it was a huge smash at the box office to boot. It’s a good movie (though the same certainly cannot be said of its two sequels) and, justifiably, one with a lot fans. However, not to unfairly stereotype said fans, it’s a pretty safe bet that very few of those “Matrix” diehards were middle-aged mothers.

Photo: Marvel Studios

Any performer required to keep pace with manic “Iron Man 3” star Robert Downey Jr. for an entire movie has their work cut out for them. Thankfully, Don Cheadle is just the man for the job.

The Oscar-nominated actor reprises the role of Colonel James “Rhodey” Rhodes, best friend to Downey’s Tony Stark, in Marvel’s highly anticipated follow-up to “Iron Man 2” and “The Avengers.” Unlike previous films in the franchise, the third film in the series puts the relationship between Rhodes and Stark front and centre. Unsurprisingly, this change in direction is the result of a change in director: “Lethal Weapon” and “The Last Boy Scout” screenwriter Shane Black (“Kiss Kiss Bang Bang”) replaces Jon Favreau for this outing. In Toronto this week, Cheadle said that Black’s action genre experience gave the dynamic between Rhodes and Stark an entirely new dimension in the film.

“His ear toward the buddy cop movie definitely comes into play with the relationship between Tony and Rhodey,” Cheadle said. “The focus on irreverence and comedy in the face of insurmountable odds really feels like Shane’s trademark, and that’s something that this film had which I think made it a lot of fun.”

See also: 'Iron Man 3' only the third-most pirated movie online last week

Despite the film, as Cheadle put it, “breathing the same air” as 2012’s superhero ensemble “The Avengers” – which