So, has MGM’s “Red Dawn” remake been shelved or not?

The L.A. Times says yes; TheWrap is being told no by the studio.

According to a report in the Times Friday morning, Dan Bradley’s redo of John Milius’ 1984 original is in the can but has been delayed indefinitely from its scheduled Nov. 24 release due to MGM’s uncertain future.

But when TheWrap contacted the studio, its head of marketing, Mike Vollman, was adamant the the movie is “still dated for Nov. 24.” He had no comment regarding the Times report besides pointing out that it didn’t quote anyone from MGM.

If “Red Dawn” has, in fact, been delayed indefinitely, it’s just the latest project to be affected by MGM’s financial woes .

Sam Mendes’ “Bond 23″ was put on indefinite hiatus earlier this year, and Guillermo del Toro recently left the director’s chair of “The Hobbit,” which MGM has still not greenlit.

MGM was also the original studio behind the Kevin James comedy “The Zookeeper,” but Sony will now distribute that movie next summer.

Aside from its soundtrack, “Red Dawn” has been completed, but the up-for-sale studio is awaiting a buyer or an investor willing to pay for the marketing and distribution of its movies, or take them off its hands. Until one of those things happens, the fate of “Red Dawn” will remain up in the air.

“Red Dawn” stars Chris Hemsworth (“Thor”), Josh Hutcherson (“Journey to the Center of the Earth”), Josh Peck (“The Wackness”), Adrianne Palicki (TV’s “Friday Night Lights”), Jeffrey Dean Morgan (“Watchmen”) and Connor Cruise (son of Tom).

The alleged delay wouldn’t necessarily be a bad move for the project. If “Red Dawn” is released after “Thor” makes Hemsworth a bigger household name, there could be more money to be made — especially if Hutcherson lands the coveted role of Peter Parker in Sony’s “Spider-Man” reboot, as has been rumored.

Which leaves the 3D horror film “Cabin in the Woods,” the only other movie on MGM’s release schedule.

– From thewrap.com

“Red Dawn” has a lot of things going for it. It is based on a popular film, it stars Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen) and Isabel Lucas (Transformers 2), and has a budget of $75 million.

Unfortunately, the remake will not be hitting theaters on November 24th as planned. In fact, the movie may never be released. “Red Dawn” was made by MGM, which has run out of money and needs a company to purchase it and provide the kind of big investment needed to market and distribute films of this size.

The new movie will focus on a group of teenagers looking to save their town from an invasion of Chinese and Russian soldiers. The original 1984 film starred Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen and C. Thomas Howell.

– (You can also read a political conspiracy theory article about this at the LATimes.com)

An upcoming MGM remake of the 1984 film “Red Dawn” — this time, with the Chinese as the enemy — has drawn sharp criticism from one of the leading state-run newspapers two days in a row.

“U.S. reshoots Cold War movie to demonize China” and “American movie plants hostile seeds against China,” read the Monday and Tuesday editorials in Beijing-based The Global Times, whose daily circulation, in Chinese and English editions, is about 1.5 million.

Coming on the heels of secretary of state Hilary Clinton’s recent China visit, the commentaries said the $75 million film directed by Dan Bradley and starring Connor Cruise (son of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman), “is deeply rooted in Americans’ fear of China’s rise.”

“Despite the world’s focus on U.S.-China relations in the Strategic and Economic Dialogue and their increasing economic connections, China can still feel U.S. distrust and fear, especially among its people. Americans’ suspicions about China are the best ground for the Hawks to disseminate fear and doubt, which is the biggest concern with the movie ‘Red Dawn,’” one commentary said.

Excerpts of the new “Red Dawn” script, by writers Carl Ellsworth and Jeremy Passmore, leaked out last weekend on the Web site The Awl. The excerpts appear to reflect a story that sees China’s People’s Liberation Army — led by Korean-American actor Will Yun Lee playing the chief baddie, Captain Lo — invading the U.S., with a group of resisters fighting back.

Thanks to the awesome Sam I have exclusive scans from the May issue of Cleo for you! It features a fun and different photoshoot alongside a new, long and very interesting interview, in which Izzy talks about everything including how she was discovered, life in LA, the dance scenes in A Heartbeat Away, being single and much more! It’s a really great read. I’ve also added some outtakes from this photoshoot plus another, older photoshoot. Thanks goes to the equally awesome Nina for these photoshoots and providing Cleo scans as well – really appreciate it!

As I said, these scans are exclusive to Isabel Lucas Online, so please do not re-post them elsewhere. You are welcome to post a link back to the site or gallery album to share the scans, but do not repost the images themselves.

• Cleo (Aus) – May 2010 x7
• 2010 – Session #001 x3
• 2005 – Session #003 x1

A script review for Red Dawn has been posted at FilmDrunk – there’s no real mention about the performances or characters, but it gives you a basic idea of what the film will be like.

In Daybreakers news, a couple of new posters have been released – neither of which feature Isabel unfortunately – and you can view them over at cinemaspy.com.

Risky Business ran into MGM Chairperson Mary Parent, who revealed that the upcoming Red Dawn remake will play like “a live-action ‘Call of Duty.’”

Parent told the site she had seen footage from the film and that first-time director Dan Bradley, who worked on the stunt work in the “Bourne” and “Spider-Man” movies, “has really outdone himself.”

Opening November 24, 2010, the film stars Chris Hemsworth, Josh Peck, Adrianne Palicki, Josh Hutcherson, Isabel Lucas, Connor Cruise, Edwin Hodge, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Matt Gerald.

– comingsoon.net

Some people remember “Red Dawn” as an Eighties classic powered by Cold War paranoia. Others think back to recent events and recall that it was one of the greatest films in the career of recently-deceased Patrick Swayze. Still others may remember it as the first movie to ever be released with a PG-13 rating.

The truth is, it’s all of the above. And now, it’s also a remake.

“I’m working on ‘Red Dawn’ right now, up in Michigan,” explained “Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant” star Josh Hutcherson when we caught up with him recently. “It’s going great. We blew up all of downtown Detroit last week. It was pretty epic.”

Co-starring such up-and-comers as Isabel Lucas, Josh Peck and Chris “Soon to be Thor” Hemsworth, the flick could do for those actors what the 1984 original did for the likes of Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Charlie Sheen, Lea Thompson and other icons of that decade.

Finally, some photos of Isabel on the set of Red Dawn have surfaced! Isabel was photographed wearing what appears to be an orange jump suit on the set last Thursday – you can see her peering out of a large window, as well as enjoying a meal of spaghetti whilst on a break.

I’ve also added a couple of small photos from a new-old 2007 photoshoot.

• Red Dawn > On the set – October 22nd 2009 x8
• 2007 – Session #009 x2

Jeffrey Dean Morgan is a very, very busy man. Having shot the thriller The Resident earlier this year, Dean Morgan moved immediately into production of the DC/Vertigo comic book adaptation The Losers, currently shooting in Puerto Rico. Now word comes from the actor himself that he’ll be taking a role in the upcoming remake of the 1984 John Milius cult classic, Red Dawn.

“I’m jumping back in,” Dean Morgan reveals to ComingSoon.net, ” I go to work on something about ten days after I’ve finished shooting ['The Losers']… It’s a remake of a movie that I love… ‘Red Dawn.’ I just love that f**king movie, ever since I was a kid.”

Red Dawn, slated to start shooting soon in Detroit, MI, takes place in an alternate reality where the United States has fallen to the forces of communism and focuses on a group of high school students who form a militant band to fight back.

“I guess I’m more or less the old Powers Booth character,” says Dean Morgan of his role, “There’s all the kids and Powers Booth is the pilot that lands in the film and kind of helps them take down the bad guys. Blow communism away. It’s a really good, young cast. I’ll be the old guy in it, which is cool.”

When the remake of the ’80s cult favorite “Red Dawn” hits the big screen next year, local residents will see some familiar sights since actors and film crews descended on the community to film scenes for it this week.

Film crews have been out at the old Notre Dame High School, making use of the football field and parking lot. They were planning to be there specifically through Friday, but, in general, they’re in Michigan through early December in communities including Detroit, Troy, Mount Clemens and Pontiac, said publicist Peter Silbermann.

“It was a perfect location,” he said of the Harper Woods spot. “We needed a football field, and it’s a big one and it works perfectly for this production,” he said.

“It’s going to be a fabulous action thriller and we’re thrilled to be here in Michigan,” Silbermann said.

Some of the cast members in this remake include Chris Hemsworth, Josh Peck, Isabel Lucas and Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman’s adopted son Connor Cruise.