Several weeks ago we wrote that Joe Roth was meeting with newly anointed Disney production president Sean Bailey on a “Wizard of Oz” prequel about the wizard before he came to Oz.

Now we’re hearing that those meetings went well, so well that the project is on a fast track of sorts. According to word in the development community, Robert Downey Jr. is talking to producers about starring as the wizard (hard not to lick your lips at that one).

Down Meanwhile, two directors are said to be considered top candidates to get behind the camera: “American Beauty” director Sam Mendes (who may have some time on his hands now that “Bond 23″ is in trouble) and “Hairspray” and “Bedtime Stories” director Adam Shankman, who most recently pulled the strings from behind the curtain at the Oscars. [READ THE REST HERE]

That depressing news about Bond 23 means a few people now have spaces in their diaries. Not least among them is Sam Mendes, but he may not be idle for long. Production Weekly are calling him the “front-runner” to direct Oz the Great and Powerful. Robert Downey Jr is also apparently musing on whether to join the project as Oz himself (a whizz of a wiz, if ever a wiz there was).

The film is one of approximately 27 Oz projects currently bubbling away in Hollywood, but suddenly looks a bit nearer to fruition than the Todd McFarlane (and/or Josh Olson) one, the John Boorman one, the New Line one, or Wicked. Previously known as the slightly pithier Brick, Oz the Great and Powerful is an origin story, told from the wizard’s point of view. It details how, as a young man, the Wiz arrived in Oz as part of a travelling circus, and how he became the hapless charlatan behind a curtain that we know and love.

Disney is the studio that’s getting behind this one, keen to find their next Alice in Wonderland. Joe Roth (Alice, Hellboy) is producing, and Mitchell Kapner (The Whole Nine Yards, Romeo Must Die) has written the screenplay. Nothing there to exactly set the world alight, but the meticulous Mendes and the improv-happy Downey Jr are a curious combination which could make for interesting results. We’re keeping optimistic. After all, sometimes the dreams that you dream really do come true.

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When Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark returns to the big screen May 7 he’ll be facing a new set of foes in the form of Mickey Rourke’s unpredictable Whiplash and Sam Rockwell’s nefarious Justin Hammer. Get a first look!

“Justin Hammer is a rival arms dealer to Tony Stark,” explains Sam of his character, who teams up with the Russian Whiplash, aka Ivan Vanko. “Our characters are so much the opposite that it works pretty well.”

“He’s driven through desperation to reach out to Ivan Vanko,” says director Jon Favreau of Hammer. “With Ivan’s talent, together they might be able to challenge Tony Stark.”

“We did whip training; we used bullwhips,” says Mickey about his character’s signature weapons. “There were a lot of almost-martial arts moves where I was familiar with using nunchucks, so old training from a long time ago came in handy.”

Robert adds of his devoted co-star, “The interesting thing about the guy was no sooner was Mickey cast than he was literally spotted in a Russian prison doing research.” [Source: ET]

Hollywood star Robert Downey Jr. has revealed he has the head from his Iron Man suit at his house.

The actor who plays the superhero and his alter-ego Tony Stark in upcoming sequel Iron Man 2 took the metal mask from the set as a memento but insists his home isn’t too geeky, reports contactmusic.com.

“I have an Iron Man head at home and various other bits downstairs but my home isn’t a shrine to Iron Man. But I think it’s cool,” he said.

Downey has previously revealed he asked film bosses to let him take one of the superhero’s full suits home.

“The producers keep telling me that they’re going to give me a suit with all the bells and whistles but I still don’t have it. I don’t know, maybe I should get it in my contract. It would be great to have one at home – a talking point,” he quipped. [SOURCE]

Robert Downey Jr. has an Iron Man head at his house.

The actor – who plays the superhero and his alter-ego Tony Stark in upcoming sequel ‘Iron Man 2′ – took the metal mask from the set as a memento but insists his home isn’t too geeky.

Downey – who lives with his film producer wife Susan Levin – said: “I have an Iron Man head at home and various other bits downstairs but my home isn’t a shrine to Iron Man. But I think it’s cool.”

The 45-year-old star can’t wait for fans to see the movie and admits he is immensely proud to play the much-loved Marvel comic book character.

He added: “It’s mind-blowing to me because I’d always felt like I wanted to – and could – do something like this. I have probably taken ‘Iron Man 2′ more seriously than any other movie I’ve ever done, which is appropriately ridiculous for Hollywood.”

Downey has previously revealed he asked film bosses to let him take one of the superhero’s full suits home.

He said: “The producers keep telling me that they’re going to give me a suit with all the bells and whistles but I still don’t have it. I don’t know, maybe I should get it in my contract. It would be great to have one at home – a talking point.” [SOURCE]

IT’S his first sequel and Robert Downey Jr. felt more pressure making Iron Man 2 than at any point in his career.

Remember, this is the man who was better known for his drug offences and courtroom trials from 1996 to 2001.

It was only when his pal Mel Gibson paid Downey’s insurance bond for the 2003 film The Singing Detective that his once stellar career was put back on track.

Thriller Zodiac followed in 2007 and in 2008 he finally made it back into Hollywood’s good books – first with Iron Man and then his Oscar-nominated role as a white man pretending to be black in war comedy Tropic Thunder.

The success story continued last year with Sherlock Holmes, which won him a best actor Golden Globe.

And now he’s back as millionaire turned metal man Tony Stark in Iron Man 2, which is out in a couple of weeks.

Downey, 45, said: “I’ve never been in a sequel. It’s very daunting because I feel the expectation of the millions of people who watched it and enjoyed it and told me that it was a little different than your usual genre picture – and that they expected us to not screw it up.

“So I have probably taken Iron Man 2 more seriously than any movie I’ve ever done, which is appropriately Hollywood.”

Now once again one of the industry’s most bankable actors, and happily married to film producer Susan Levin, Downey conceded that Tony Stark is him – just cooler.

He said: “There are a lot of similarities although in so many ways I’m nothing like the guy and I actually, really, had to play a much cooler version of myself. (more…)

Robert Downey Jr. is amazed at how “fantastic” married life is.
The ‘Iron Man 2′ star – who married the movie’s producer Susan Levin in 2005 – credits his spouse for helping him turn his back on drug addiction and can’t imagine ever living without her.

He said: “I don’t joke when I say she is my better half. She truly is.

“I cannot believe what a fantastic life I have today. But here’s the thing, she didn’t change me at all. She just gave me an ultimatum at a certain point.

“Ultimately, we both changed a lot so that now I can’t ever imagine a life before her. I’ve certainly come to believe that Mrs. Downey and I together are definitely better than me alone or me and anybody else.”

The actor also believes his role as Tony Stark in 2008′s ‘Iron Man’ finally helped him turn around his image, and hails his transformation as a miracle.

He added to The Independent newspaper: “It’s pretty miraculous. Although I’m not sure the public’s opinion of me changed, it was more of a movie industry thing.

“Nonetheless, it’s mind-blowing to me because I always felt like I could do something like this, even when nobody else agreed. It’s wild.” [SOURCE]

Robert is on the cover of the May Edition of “Mens Journal”. Pictures are in the gallery thanks to my good friend Lena!

There are new Iron Man 2 TV Spots. You can see them HERE.