'Days of Thunder' Isn't Being Remade
Filed under: Action, Drama, Romance, Paramount, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman
It wasn't a huge hit. It didn't receive good reviews. And it's not really considered a classic by any measure. But Days of Thunder has its fans, and those people would be really pissed if Paramount decided to remake their beloved NASCAR movie. That's why it's surprising that the studio is not following with the traditional Hollywood procedure of redoing, rebooting or otherwise diminishing the original. Instead, according to Variety, Paramount is celebrating Days of Thunder on its 20th anniversary.No, it's not getting a special theatrical re-release nor is it likely that Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman will be reunited for a big occasion. Simply, the studio has made a number of licensing deals related to the film's anniversary. Kohls will be selling men's t-shirts with the tagline "You Can't Outrun the Thunder" and Robert Duvall's signature line, "Rubbin' is Racin.'" Also, there's reportedly a downloadable videogame on the way this summer!
It may not sound like much, but there's something to be said for Paramount's idea to spotlight a 20-year-old property. Are they interested in giving back to the small, loyal fanbase? Or, do they hope to acquire new fans -- a new generation of racing fans, for instance -- by promoting the heck out of an archive title with a continued niche audience? The reasoning from the studio is officially thus: "Days of Thunder is a timeless racing film that has maintained a strong following 20 years after its theatrical release."
Do People Actually Like Sam Worthington?
Following rumors from last November, The Hollywood Reporter posts that Sam Worthington will star in The Fields (previously called The Texas Killing Fields). Ami Canaan Mann -- daughter of Michael -- will direct Don Ferrarone's script, which is based on a true story. Worthington will play a "Texas homicide detective who joins with a New York detective to investigate unsolved murders in the Texas bayous." Pre-production has begun on the project, but the Manhattan law is yet to be cast.With this latest confirmation, it's clear that all of those Worthington rumors aren't just blank, rumor-mill hype whipped up because of Avatar. His name has been batted about for Mad Max 4, he's said to be attached to American Crime, there have been questions about playing savior of the universe Flash Gordon, and maybe even Dracula.
The man is definitely a hot commodity, and with all due respect (I swear!) I ask: why? He's got the looks and the build to play the tough guy, that's for certain. He's an okay actor too (although we should look for more than okay), but he's lacking that OMG Next Big Thing! charisma. Or the I really like this guy! charisma. Or the He's so damn cool! charisma. Even fluffy action movies (could Flash Gordon be anything but?) need that winning presence to pull you in and fuel a franchise. Imagine Han Solo and Indiana Jones without Harrison Ford's charm... Or more applicably, the old-school Mel Gibson who led Mad Max and Lethal Weapon. The classics we love are iconic because of that magnetic, irresistible pull the stars possess.
Writer Says 'Saw VII' Will Mark the End of the Franchise
Filed under: Horror, Newsstand, Remakes and Sequels
Just when we started to get used to what could become a really fun Halloween box office to-the-death match-up between the Saw franchise and the up-and-coming Paranormal Activity franchise comes word that in all probability Saw VII will mark the final installment in the franchise. Speaking to a UK radio show, Saw IV, V, VI and VII co-writer Patrick Melton revealed that while the plan was to continue making Saw films until at least part eight, the lackluster box office showing for Saw VI has pretty much put the nail in this franchise's coffin.
Melton says (via Latino Review), "I think it's going to end with Saw VII. I have a very strong feeling its going to end with Saw VII. That's something we're debating now. You saw in previous interviews or discussions where we thought Saw VIII would be the last one where we had the first trilogy and the second trilogy and then sort of a grand finale wrapped up in two films. But frankly because Saw VI hasn't performed as well as we anticipated, the idea is well why make two movies when we can make one really excellent movie that wraps up as best we can? And it's going to be in 3-D which sort of adds to the spectacle. So if you had to ask me, I don't own the franchise, nor do I run the studio, but I have a feeling, a strong feeling that it's going to be Saw VII which will be also known as Endgame. And nothing's official yet, but that's where we're hoping things will go."
Monday Morning Quote-A-Back: Feb. 8, 2010
Filed under: Movie Marketing
The movies of the past couple of weeks have not exactly been lighting up the critics. The Tooth Fairy, When In Rome and Legion have come within the similar crosshairs with scores of 15%, 17% and 18%, respectively, over at Rotten Tomatoes. Those are the critics though. Not the junketeers, who as usual have gone rogue as the champions of said movies.
The Tooth Fairy
"Dwayne Johnson is the champ of family movies! - Greg Russell, The Movie Show Plus, WNYB-TV/Detroit
"A great family comedy! - Eli Ferradas, WSVN-TV/Miami
Legion
"Entertaining and full of laughs." - Pete Hammond
"Wild and fun! - Jim Ferguson
"Flat-out hilarious! You'll fall in love with When In Rome!" - Bryan Erdy
Pretty impressive of Bollini and Edwards to get quoted opening weekend on Legion considering the film was withheld from screening for critics. Especially since that's usually Earl Dittman's territory. We move on, though, to this weekend's box office success story (Dear John) and box office disappointment (From Paris With Love). On the positive side, they doubled up the critical favor on The Tooth Fairy and When In Rome grabbing 30% and 34% of non-negative reviews.
"Wild and fun! - Jim Ferguson
"Flat-out hilarious! You'll fall in love with When In Rome!" - Bryan Erdy
Pretty impressive of Bollini and Edwards to get quoted opening weekend on Legion considering the film was withheld from screening for critics. Especially since that's usually Earl Dittman's territory. We move on, though, to this weekend's box office success story (Dear John) and box office disappointment (From Paris With Love). On the positive side, they doubled up the critical favor on The Tooth Fairy and When In Rome grabbing 30% and 34% of non-negative reviews.
Scenes We Love: To Live and Die in L.A.
Filed under: Scenes We Love
William Friedkin's To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) debuts on Blu-Ray this week, and I hope more people start give it a chance. It really deserves to be ranked as an American classic, alongside Friedkin's The French Connection and The Exorcist. Friedkin is one of my favorite directors, though a deeper appreciation of his work comes when you hear him speak, either in person or on his DVD commentary tracks. He's deeply intelligent and an incredible storyteller. He's also a survivor of early success in a time of great creative output in Hollywood. He has lived life and knows a little something about it. He began as a documentary filmmaker and on television, and he's a meticulous researcher. The main attribute to all his films is the abundance of rich details. But one thing Friedkin knows -- and it's perhaps the main reason he switched from non-fiction to feature films -- is that, no matter how much research one does, nothing is ever known for sure.
And so it follows, perhaps ironically, that he has directed three of the finest car chase sequences in the history of film. He understands that the muscle of a car chase is in the details, in establishing the place and time, and elements like space and atmosphere. But he also understands that the heart of a chase is in the unknowable factors; how on earth is something this screwy going to turn out? In The French Connection (1971), the bad guy tries to escape in an elevated train, while the cops chase him in their car below. In Jade (1995), the hero goes on a car chase that unfortunately detours into San Francisco's Chinatown, which is a crowded street on any normal day, but on this day there is also a parade.
SXSW Exclusive: 'Red, White & Blue' Teaser Trailer
Filed under: Drama, Thrillers, SXSW, Mystery & Suspense, Trailers and Clips
"In Austin Texas, the lives of three young people "Erica, Franki and Nate" intertwine in a fateful, tragic way and head down a rocky and violent road to heart-rending oblivion."Going off the above description from the official SXSW program guide, Red, White & Blue reads like it could be a number of different films, but two names attached to the production hint at what kind of "heart-rending oblivion" it'll be. First off, this is the latest film from The Living and the Dead director Simon Rumley, so we can begin to rule RW&B out as, say, a Havoc-type melodrama about teenagers dipping their toes into life on the other side of the tracks and winding up in over their heads. Second, its roster of producers includes Tim League, which should give anyone familiar with the cinematic tastes of both Fantastic Fest and the Alamo Drafthouse (League is a co-founder of both) an idea of what kind of genre brew will be coming to SXSW in a few weeks time.
But even with those two nuggets, nothing gives as good an idea of what's in store than seeing the beast in motion. And with that, Cinematical is proud to offer you the premiere of Red, White & Blue's first teaser trailer, starring Noah Tyler, Amanda Fuller and Marc Senter.
Be warned, the below teaser is most definitely Not Safe For Work. Nudity and sexual explicitness abound, so keep that in mind before you click on.
Memo to Brangelina: Don't Let Them Reboot 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith'!
Filed under: Action, Comedy, Romance, Thrillers, RumorMonger, 20th Century Fox, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Remakes and Sequels
I'm sure I'm not the only person who likes Doug Liman's Mr. & Mrs. Smith. But I might be the only person who considers it a masterpiece. The problem is, I don't really know how to defend it without sounding like a bad combo of fanboy and academic. Saying it's the best action movie interpretation of the comedy of remarriage subgenre since Twister surely isn't bringing anyone to my side, even if they are fans of both Twister and classic screwball comedies of the '30s and '40s.Regardless of my inability to properly convince people of how perfect Mr. & Mrs. Smith is, I'm sure I can get enough people to agree with me that Fox should not dismiss the film by trying again with a sort of remake/reboot. According to Vulture, the production company New Regency, which operates out of the Fox lot and through its distribution, and original producer Akiva Goldsmith are hoping for a new franchise this time around with a prequel/origins movie (now titled Mr. and Mrs. Jones) that recasts the title characters, originally played by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.
New Line Moves from Valentines to 'New Year's Eve'
Filed under: Comedy, Romance, Deals, Scripts, Remakes and Sequels
New Line must be pretty happy with Valentine's Day, the new Garry Marshall rom-com that hits theaters this Friday. It hasn't even been released yet, and the studio is already prepping a follow-up. Variety reports that they're getting ready for a spin-off of the ensemble comedy, and they expect Marshall to come back and direct.Titled New Year's Eve, the film will deal with a big Fourth of July celebration. No, I kid. Shooting late this year for release at the end of 2011, the film will tackle New Year's Eve celebrations, and it will include "some" of the characters from Valentine's Day. I'm assuming that "some" will be whomever is interested in continuing on the romance train. Katherine Fugate is returning to write the feature, and the producers are back; it's pretty much a repeat of the last film.
Since the first isn't out yet, it would be a wee bit hard to muse over what the follow-up will be like. However, I'm eager to see what happens with Eric Dane and Bradley Cooper. If you caught my post last week, their relationship has been well hidden by the film's marketing department, and as a reader who has seen the film commented, "they're still the only couple in the movie that never touch one another, let alone kiss." Maybe it's all riding on the sequel.
'Ghostbusters 3' News: Murray Confirms Rumors, Possible Villain Revealed?
Filed under: Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, RumorMonger, Remakes and Sequels
As the writers slave over another draft of the Ghostbusters 3 script -- with production hopefully beginning later this year -- some more news regarding the film's storyline has slipped out across these internets, with one aspect being an exclusive to Cinematical.
Possible spoilers for Ghostbusters 3 to follow ...
First up is the news that Bill Murray has confirmed his other-worldly role in the film. A few months back, Sigourney Weaver had let slip that Murray was going to be playing a ghost in the film -- a rumor that was later squashed by folks who claimed that particular storyline was featured in a very old draft. However, Murray has now gone on record as not only disliking the second Ghostbusters movie (something he's said before) and thinking that Groundhog Day should've been a bigger hit, but also noting that he would only return to the Ghostbusters franchise if they made his character a ghost. He says, "I said to them, 'I'll do it if you kill me off in the first reel.' So now they are going to have me as a ghost in the film." Murray as a ghost? I hope it works. What do you think?
Meanwhile, as most talk revolves around the returning actors and the identity of the new recruits, little has been said about the film's mythology and who (or what) the Ghostbusters will be battling this time around. Well, Cinematical has it on very good authority that as recent as this past summer, the central mythology of the sequel was being based on Zoroastrianism, which is one of the earliest religions on record. Like with most religions, the war between good and evil is at its central core, and in terms of evil there's Ahriman: the god of darkness, the eternal destroyer of good, personification and creator of evil, bringer of death and disease.
Is Ahriman the film's villain?
When Good Directors Happen to Crappy Franchises
Filed under: Action, Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Remakes and Sequels
Since damn near everything that opens in wide release these is either a sequel or a remake, and since I feel some obligation to at least sample anything that qualifies as a "cultural phenomenon," whether or not I like it, I usually find myself hoping for the best from franchises that haven't much impressed me in the past. One reason for optimism – or at least for less existential dread – about the 2010 release schedule is that a number of thus far middling-to-terrible franchises appear to have been taken over by obviously talented filmmakers who stand a chance of making this year's installments of their respective series at least tolerable. Certainly any doubts I had about whether I was going to watch these latest franchise entries disappeared once I found out who was directing them.
The franchise: Twilight. So far, Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen, Lords of Dogtown) and Chris Weitz (About a Boy, The Golden Compass) have delivered two dull-as-nails installments of this wuss-vampire franchise, though Weitz's New Moon did at least appear to pick up some steam as a teen soap opera, if not (at all) as a thriller or a horror flick.
Do People Actually Like Sam Worthington?
Writer Says 'Saw VII' Will Mark the End of the Franchise
SXSW Exclusive: 'Red, White & Blue' Teaser Trailer
New Line Moves from Valentines to 'New Year's Eve'
When Good Directors Happen to Crappy Franchises
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