Dimension Films announced today that the highly anticipated sequel FRANK MILLER’S SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR will open nationwide on October 4, 2013. Casting is underway, with original cast members returning to work with directors Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller, from their script co-written by Academy Award® winner William Monahan . Academy Award® nominee Mickey Rourke and Jessica Alba are already confirmed to return.

The script and details of the film’s story are being kept tightly under wraps. The remaining cast will be announced shortly with some huge names expected to fill the roles of Sin Ciy’s newest characters yet to be seen on the big screen.

The original SIN CITY broke new ground with its iconic stylish look and grossed over $160 million worldwide. FRANK MILLER’S SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR will not only bring fans back to the world that Rodriguez and Miller created, but will also add a new dimension by bringing their unique visual style to life in 3D.

The film will be released by Dimension Films in the US and Canada, and produced by Quick Draw Productions, AR Films, Miramax and Solipsist.

Aldamisa International’s C.O.O. Jere Hausfater and President of International Sales and Distribution Nadine de Barros and will oversee international sales for this project at the Cannes Film Festival.

The film is expected to begin production this summer at Robert Rodriguez’s Troublemaker Studios in Austin, Texas.

Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller return as co-directors, and the prequel/sequel nature of the film mean that much of the cast of the first film are expected to return, regardless of their fates by the end.

Miller has co-written the script with the Oscar-winning William Monahan (The Departed), with production set to get underway this year for a release next year. Mickey Rourke and Rosario Dawson are already set to reprise their roles, and hopefully we can look forward to more casting news soon.

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This past weekend, Dawson — who is set to play labor leader Dolores Huerta in the upcoming Cesar Chavez biopic — addressed a packed conference hall at the University of Southern California during the opening plenary of the Voto Latino Power Summit, an organization dedicated to engaging Latino youth voters and leaders, of which she is a co-founder and chairwoman.

Alongside co-founder Maria Teresa Kumar, the President and CEO of Voto Latino and Huerta, who also participated in the event, Dawson had this to say about playing the civil rights activist in the upcoming film:

“The more I get to know [Huerta], the more I am impressed and a little frightened about making sure that I get it right.”

When Huerta, took to the podium, she told Dawson, “Rosario, I’m glad you’re gonna play me. That’s awesome.”

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On Monday, festival organizers announced the 39 jurors who will award prizes for the best films at this year’s festival, which begins April 18.

In addition to Fanning and Dawson, the star-studded list includes actors Hugh Dancy, Susan Sarandon, Kim Cattrall, Patricia Clarkson, Whoopi Goldberg, Gabourey Sidibe and Shailene Woodley, plus filmmakers Michael Moore, Stuart Blumberg, Mike Newell and Brett Ratner.

Oscar-winning director and producer Irwin Winkler, known for “Rocky” and “Goodfellas,” will serve as jury president.

Also serving on the festival jury are TriBeCa restaurateur Drew Nieporent; Chanel CEO Maureen Chiquet; Scooter Braun, the music producer credited with discovering Justin Bieber; and Robert Hammond, executive director of Friends of the High Line.

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The script and details of the film’s story have been kept tightly under wraps. Casting will begin next week, with Mickey Rourke, Michael Clarke Duncan, Angelina Jolie, Rosario Dawson and Michael Madsen all strongly been rumored to return.

“Sin City: A Dame to Kill” For was developed by Frank Miller based upon his graphic novel, with a screenplay by Frank Miller and Academy Award winner William Monahan (The Departed). The book is about Dwight McCarthy (Clive Owen) planing to have his vengeance against the woman who betrayed him, Ava Lord, while Nancy (Jessica Alba) is trying to cope with Hartigan’s death.

The film is expected to begin production this summer at Rodriguez’s Troublemaker Studios in Austin, Texas.

The original Sin City was brought to the screen by Rodriguez and Miller and released by Dimension in 2005, and proved to be a landmark step forward in filmmaking, breaking ground with immersive green screen to create its iconic stylish look. The first film, released on April 1, 2005, grossed over $160 million (US) worldwide and is a consistently strong home video and television performer.

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Winning programs will be showcased via the online event format with the unveiling of the 2012 NAMIC Vision Awards Winners Gallery. Starting in mid-April, :60 second clips of the winning entries in each of the 15 categories may be viewed at http://www.namic.com. Additionally, NAMIC members will have the opportunity to cast their votes for the NAMIC Members’ Choice Award and select their favorite program from the field of winning entries.

BEST PERFORMANCE – DRAMA
Andre Braugher – Men of a Certain Age – TNT
Jada Pinkett Smith – Hawthorne – TNT
Jenifer Lewis – Five – Lifetime
Lisa Gay Hamilton – Men of a Certain Age – TNT
Regina King – Southland – TNT
Rosario Dawson – Five – Lifetime

The drama project, O.C.T., is being developed with both women attached as executive producers. Though O.C.T. — an acronym for the NYPD’s Occult Crimes Taskforce — is still in its early stages, it is being considered as a star vehicle for the Sin City actress.

The scripted drama, an increasingly appealing genre for the cable network, will explore the inner workings of the task force, which was established after the Civil War to make the New York City streets safe from practitioners of black magic, demons from another dimension and all manner of supernatural malcontents.

Like the graphic novel, co-created by Dawson and David Atchison, O.C.T. will center on the character of Sophia Ortiz, a new member of the bureau who uses magic, spells, ghosts, the undead and the unnatural. At the heart of the story is an ongoing struggle between the O.C.T. detectives and an organized demon-force attempting to take over Manhattan. (At one point, Dimension Films was developing a big-screen version.)

News of the project comes as A&E wraps up its best quarter on record, with the network best known for Hoarders and Storage Wars posting gains in the key adults 25-to-54 demo (now averaging 819,000 viewers) and with total viewers (1.6 million). If ultimately ordered to series, O.C.T. would join a scripted slate that includes The Glades, Breakout Kings and the upcoming Longmire.

The script will be penned by The Unusuals’ Jorge Zamacona, who also will serve as a producer alongside Dawson and Hurd, who is particularly well-versed in the graphic novel to TV business as evidenced by the success of AMC’s Walking Dead. Atchison, Ford Gilmore and Tony Shasteen, the graphic novel’s illustrator, will join them as producers.

Zamacona is repped by CAA and Gang Tyre, and Dawson is repped by CAA, Untitled Entertainment and Bloom Hergott.

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“I am delighted to join Amtrak and train fans everywhere in celebrating National Train Day. I love trains not only because they offer a more intimate way to see the country and experience the communities along the way, but also because they are one of the greenest ways to travel, which is a value that has always been important to me,” says Rosario Dawson.

“So many of my very first memories of travel as a kid in New York City were on the train,” adds Dawson. “I remember riding on Amtrak and jumping up at the first opportunity to visit the cafe car. It’s great to be able to walk around, hang out and grab a bite at my leisure. I’m always watching the fast changing scenery through the windows which can be as mesmerizing as a film. It always makes the trip so much more vivid.”

“We are thrilled to have Rosario Dawson, someone who is an inspiration both on and off the screen, as our spokesperson for the 5th Annual National Train Day,” says Emmett Fremaux, Amtrak Vice President, Marketing and Product Development. “Like many of our customers, she is passionate about staying connected to her community and is someone who enjoys the journey, not just the destination.”

A multi-faceted talent, Dawson is known to her legions of fans for her work in film, her leading roles with today’s hottest actors and directors, as well as her efforts as a philanthropist in communities across the country. When not starring opposite the likes of Will Smith in Men In Black II and Seven Pounds, Denzel Washington in Unstoppable, and Edward Norton in 25th Hour, Dawson is supporting a variety of community organizations. She is the co-founder of Voto Latino, the country’s leading non-partisan organization dedicated to bringing new and diverse voices into the political process to promote positive change, and is an active board member of V-Day, a global organization founded by Eve Ensler committed to ending violence against women and girls. An ardent environmentalist, Dawson works with the Environmental Media Association to promote healthy, sustainable lifestyles and inspire environmentally responsible behavior, and serves as a mentor through its School Garden Program which provides interdisciplinary and student-centered experiences to enrich learning through “living classrooms.” Dawson also lends her time and efforts to the Lower Eastside Girls Club in Manhattan, a group devoted to helping girls grow, learn, have fun, and develop confidence in themselves and their ability to make a difference in the world.

National Train Day will bring the “rail way” to life for attendees, and those participating online and through social media. To join in the celebration, passengers inspired by their train travel experience are encouraged to submit photos, video and stories at NationalTrainDay.com, facebook.com/NationalTrainDay or @natltrainday for a chance to win prizes.