Cinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.com/media/feedlogo.gifCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comen-usCopyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/'The Nutcracker' Ditches Its Ballet Rootshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/07/the-nutcracker-ditches-its-ballet-roots/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/07/the-nutcracker-ditches-its-ballet-roots/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/07/the-nutcracker-ditches-its-ballet-roots/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


"This Christmas...CRACK SOME NUTS!" Ah, I can see the poster's tagline now. Darren Lemke (upcoming Shrek Forever After) is penning a live-action action-adventure version of the classic Tchaikovsky Christmas ballet The Nutcracker for production company Temple Hill Entertainment.

The original ballet tells the story of a little girl whose nutcracker doll comes to life and fights an army of mice. "I like the classic stories, but only if you can find a way to embrace them, without betraying them, and tell the tale with a forward thrust, making them feel modern," Lemke told The Hollywood Reporter. The tone of Lemke's pitch is said to be in the vein of the live-action Narnia films.

I love the music, but I've found every version of The Nutcracker I've seen to be excruciatingly boring. Yes, I realize that makes me sound like an uncultured, knuckle-dragging caveman. I have no doubts that seeing a live performance would change my tune, but, until then, I'm interested in the idea of a dance-less, action-oriented fantasy film (just don't lose the Tchaikovsky, please). I'm also expecting plenty of product placement from Planters.

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]]>Christmasdarren lemkeDarrenLemkeTchaikovskythe nutcrackerTheNutcrackerJohn GholsonMon, 07 Dec 2009 10:33:00 ESTSummit Entertainment and Brad Pitt Staking 'Vlad'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/07/brad-pitt-vlad/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/07/brad-pitt-vlad/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/07/brad-pitt-vlad/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

You would have to be living under a rock in the deepest regions of the jungle, or the frostiest regions of the Arctic to avoid knowing that Summit has made some major money out of a bunch of broody vampires. So, while they're developing comic books and Houdini franchises, they're also making sure they have another immortal in their stable. The immortal of all immortals: Dracula. But it isn't the bloodsucking Dracula, but rather the one of historic legend known as Vlad Tepes.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Summit has optioned a script by actor-turned-writer Charlie Hunnam that tells the story of the young Vlad Tepes. Brad Pitt's Plan B is producing, and they're in negotiations with Anthony Mandler to direct. This would be Mandler's directorial debut, and he reportedly wowed them with a sizzle reel reminiscent of 300. THR notes that Summit has very much wanted their own 300 since losing Zack Snyder's to Warner Bros, and what better historical figure to adapt to that style than the Impaler?

The film is said to be "an action oriented take" but Vlad's military record is completely wrapped up the thousands upon thousands of people he had dismembered and impaled. You don't make a film about Vlad Tepes unless you're going to revel in that sort of thing. I immediately want to say that you can't even make him sympathetic, but Bram Stoker's Dracula repainted him as a lovesick lord, so there you go. (He even impaled people -- but they were Turks so no one blinked an eye.) You have to hand it to Summit, though. Whereas most studios find it daring to take on William Wallace or King Leonidas, they're going for the king of all horror and splatter. One frame of this might make up for all those angered by Twilight's bloodlessness.

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]]>Anthony MandlerAnthonyMandlerbrad pittBradPittcharlie hunnamCharlieHunnamfeaturedPlan Bplan b entertainmentPlanBPlanBEntertainmentsummitSummit EntertainmentSummitEntertainmentVladVlad the ImpalerVladTheImpalerElisabeth RappeMon, 07 Dec 2009 09:45:00 EST'Back to the Future' With a Gay Mom?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/06/back-to-the-future-with-a-gay-mom/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/06/back-to-the-future-with-a-gay-mom/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/06/back-to-the-future-with-a-gay-mom/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Lea Thompson and Michael J. Fox in 'Back to the Future'

Idle thoughts on a Sunday afternoon: How radically different would some movies be if the sexual orientation of a single character was changed? Actress Meredith Baxter revealed last week that she's a lesbian, which made me think of her most famous role as a mother in Family Ties, which made me think of Michael J. Fox, who played her son in that series. And that made me think of his most famous role as a son in Back to the Future, which made me think: what if Marty McFly's mother (played by Lea Thompson) was gay?

That would eliminate the most squeamish element of the movie: Lorraine's attraction to Marty. (When she's admiring him in his Calvin Kleins, yeesh! Get me out of here.) Instead, Marty might have time traveled back to 1955, seen that Lorraine wasn't attracted to George McFly (Crispin Glover), and then gradually come to realize -- with his 1985 perspective -- that his mother wasn't attracted to any of the boys in school, but was nursing a secret crush on one of her female classmates. Recognizing the social pressures against homosexuality in the 50s and battling his own mixed feelings, Marty still maneuvers circumstances so that his mother will decide to remain in the closet and marry George. Marty goes back to the future with a heavy heart, glad to be alive but with the secret, bittersweet knowledge that his self-sacrificing, loving mother may not be not truly happy.

What other movies might be radically changed if the sexual orientation of one of the characters was different?

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]]>back to the futureBackToTheFuturecrispin gloverCrispinGlovergay back to the futureGayBackToTheFuturelea thompsonLeaThompsonmarty mcflyMartyMcflymereth baxterMerethBaxtermichael j foxMichaelJFoxPeter MartinSun, 06 Dec 2009 17:02:00 ESTFTC Blasts Hollywood For Selling R-Rated Content to Kidshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/04/ftc-blasts-hollywood-for-selling-r-rated-content-to-kids/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/04/ftc-blasts-hollywood-for-selling-r-rated-content-to-kids/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/04/ftc-blasts-hollywood-for-selling-r-rated-content-to-kids/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

The FTC wants Hollywood to think of the children. The New York Times reports that the FTC has blasted the film industry for "explicit and pervasive targeting of young children," specifically by advertising PG-13 and R-rated films during TV shows and websites that may attract younger audiences. The "unrated" DVD craze is also said to be geared at corrupting the youth, as the films up the gore ante on films originally given a PG-13 or R rating, and retailers routinely sell R-rated DVDs to kids under 17.

While I do believe in protecting the youth of America, I'm not sure the FTC is being entirely fair to the movie industry. With the Internet, kids can go anywhere. Saying that advertisements for R-rated films "may" show up on sites kids and teens visit is casting a pretty wide and impossible net that can really only be contained by parental controls. Nor is it the fault of studios that retailers are selling DVDs to young kids. Blame that on a retail industry that's kept in motion by underpaid teens and twentysomethings who just don't want to be yelled at when they refuse to sell Watchmen to a 13 year old. Stores should put in a strict and well-advertised policy that they'll check IDs before selling DVDs, just like movie theaters do, and the problem can be solved right there. Now, could there be an insidious plot by studios to prevent such discipline, and prop up their dwindling DVD sales? I can't answer that.

While Hollywood certainly could do more self-policing, like the video game industry does, I will always feel the blame rests on two (or in some cases, one) individuals the FTC doesn't like to blame: Parents. It isn't the job of studios or stores to make sure kids aren't watching violent or explicit content.

Continue reading FTC Blasts Hollywood For Selling R-Rated Content to Kids

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]]>FTCHollywood markets to kidsHollywoodMarketsToKidsr ratedr rated moviesRRatedRRatedMoviesunratedunrated dvdUnratedDvdElisabeth RappeFri, 04 Dec 2009 16:32:00 ESTIs Taylor Lautner Our Next Superhero?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/04/taylor-lautner-superhero-max-steel/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/04/taylor-lautner-superhero-max-steel/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/04/taylor-lautner-superhero-max-steel/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

One Twilight star is earning a considerable amount of buzz these days, and for once, it's not Kristen Stewart or Robert Pattinson. It's the other corner of the love triangle, Taylor Lautner, who went from being "the kid with the long hair" in Twilight to the young man so determined to keep his werewolf role that he hit the gym big time. He came out of New Moon with a fair amount of praise for his performance, and critics dubbed him the one most likely to succeed post-Twilight.

According to the LA Times, Lautner is being considered for the part of Max Steel. Steel is the latest Mattel toy to be put into pre-production by Paramount. He's a 19-year-old extreme sports star who becomes fused with nanotechnology, and the unholy use of nanos gives him super abilities such as enhanced speed, strength, cloaking and invisibility. But he uses these powers not to win the Olympic snowboarding competition, but for the forces of good, battling a secret terrorist organization. Max began life as an action figure, and became a CGI television show in 2000. Though he only ran for two television seasons and fell out of favor here, Max Steel remains one of Latin America's most popular superheroes, and has a constant stream of direct-to-DVD movies there.

Lautner would certainly be a good pick for Max Steel. He's got some action chops, and has a much more masculine appeal than a lot of stars his age. The studios likes all that and more -- he is being eyed as someone who can lure in that elusive female audience that allegedly won't see action films without a lead like Lautner. What if the gender balance is completely destroyed, and Max Steel has to work to draw in the men? I'm not sure Hollywood would know what to do.

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]]>featuredMattelMax SteelMaxSteelParamounttaylor lautnerTaylorLautnerElisabeth RappeFri, 04 Dec 2009 12:45:00 EST'Entourage' Movie in the Works?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/04/entourage-movie-in-the-works/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/04/entourage-movie-in-the-works/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/04/entourage-movie-in-the-works/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Tired of watching a group of horny male Hollywood-somethings bounce around to various Los Angeles hot spots and make fun of each other while beautiful, half-naked wannabee models-turned-actresses try to have sex with them on the small screen? Don't you think this sort of entertainment deserves the big-screen treatment? Well you may be in luck, as Entourage producer Mark Wahlberg recently told The Hollywood Reporter that the show only has two seasons left under its current contract, and while there could be more seasons of boring plotlines in our future, the possibility of ending it on the big screen is very much alive.

Wahlberg's exact quote: "We'll see; there could be more. But then, a movie." Not much to go on, and this wouldn't be the first television show to tease a potential trip to the big screen, but in reality it is the one that makes the most sense. You'd think a show that was all about Hollywood and movies would stage their final send off on the big screen. It just seems like the obvious choice. Of course, the writing on the current show kinda sucks, so it's hard to imagine a full-length Entourage movie being anything beyond an extended collection of shallow, egocentric pieces of random nothingness. I mean, seriously, do you watch the show? Nothing ever happens! This past season it took I don't know how many episodes (13?) for someone to actually get engaged. And that was like the biggest thing to happen on the show in its history. A freaking engagement!

So, yeah, if Entourage wants to make a successful run at the big screen, then they need to up the ante, give us a plot that's more than Vince maybe-kinda-sorta doing a film that he loves and Ari hates (or vice versa), and give us a reason to actually care about these characters for once.

Thoughts?

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]]>cinematicalentourageentourage movieEntourageMoviefeaturedhbomark wahlbergMarkWahlbergErik DavisFri, 04 Dec 2009 09:45:00 ESTSpielberg Backs Out of 'Harvey'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/04/spielberg-backs-out-of-harvey/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/04/spielberg-backs-out-of-harvey/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/04/spielberg-backs-out-of-harvey/#commentsFiled under: ,

Only a few months after we learned the Steven Spielberg was prepping a remake of the classic film Harvey, the famed director is backing out, according to Variety. The piece is strangely vague, and says only that after spending half a year developing the feature, and after 20th Century Fox reserved soundstages for the production, the director announced his withdrawal from the project.

From there, they go on to mention the challenges of finding a star. There's no mention of Robert Downey Jr., who was rumored to be circling the project, and just says: "Spielberg's first choice was Tom Hanks, but the actor wanted no part of taking over a role played by the iconic star [James Stewart]." First, good. While I like Hanks' work, thinking of him as Elwood P. Dowd breeds flashbacks of Forrest Gump. Second, I might be in the minority, but I liked the idea of a remake, so this is a disappointment. Perhaps this is because I saw it on stage as well, and to me, Dowd is as much Stewart as it is Edward Herrmann. Perhaps it's just because Robert Downey Jr. would be perfect for the role.

Who knows? Maybe it will go on. With Spielberg out, is there anyone else who should take the helm? Me, I'm thinking Wes Anderson for a modern whimsical spin.

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]]>CinematicalfeaturedHarveyRobert Downey Jr.RobertDowneyJr.Steven SpielbergStevenSpielbergTom HanksTomHanksMonika BartyzelFri, 04 Dec 2009 09:03:00 ESTCharles Shyer to Direct Chick Buddy Flick 'BFF'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/03/charles-shyer-to-direct-chick-buddy-flick-bff/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/03/charles-shyer-to-direct-chick-buddy-flick-bff/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/03/charles-shyer-to-direct-chick-buddy-flick-bff/#commentsFiled under: ,

Charles ShyerAccording to The Hollywood Reporter, Baby Boom and Alfie (2004) director Charles Shyer has signed on to direct a chick flick. Shyer will be behind the lens for the tale of two best friends (BFF, for the acronym-challenged, means best friends forever in girlspeak) who have reunited as adults, only to find one is a country mouse and one is a well-heeled city gal. The script was originally written by Vanessa Parise and Robin Dunne and is now being rewritten by Ellen Greenberg and Hallie Shyer, who is currently co-writing the screenplay for Eloise in Paris along with Charles Shyer, who will also direct. It's hard not to wonder why Greenberg and Shyer are rewriting an original script -- too many cooks in the kitchen, etc. -- but let's give them the benefit of the doubt.

As we all know, reuniting with old friends usually brings a host of problems with it -- especially old rivalries. Will BFF follow the typical formula of jealousy and catfights like the shrill Bride Wars, or will we get something fun like Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion, a guilty pleasure film wherein the BFFs don't reunite but go back to their high school reunion and show those folks what's up?

On a related tip, one totally underseen, direct-to-DVD chick buddy flick is Spring Breakdown, starring Amy Poehler, Parker Posey, and Rachel Dratch. Have you rented it? What's your favorite girly buddy movie?

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]]>BFFbuddy flickBuddyFlickCharles ShyerCharlesShyerchick flickChickFlickcomedySpring BreakdownSpringBreakdownJenni MillerThu, 03 Dec 2009 20:02:00 ESTSundance '10 Announces Non-Competing Film Premiereshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/03/sundance-non-competing-film-premieres-2010/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/03/sundance-non-competing-film-premieres-2010/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/03/sundance-non-competing-film-premieres-2010/#commentsFiled under: ,



Sundance is a celebration of independent filmmaking, but half the fun is seeing the premieres of larger films that might not come out for months, or years in some cases. In fact, the non-industry people who attend Sundance every year might not be able to tell you what documentary won the Grand Jury prize last year (it was Ondi Timoner's We Live In Public), but they're always able to tell you when they saw "that new George Clooney movie."

With that in mind, Sundance has announced the premieres that are screening out of competition. You can see a full list, complete with synopsis and cast listing for each film, just beyond the break. There's a few standouts so far, and I'd have to say my most eagerly anticipated is The Company Men, where Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper and others have to survive corporate downsizing. There are a few films that sound potentially painful, including Buried, where Ryan Reynolds plays a contractor in Iraq who finds himself buried alive with only a lighter and a cell phone.

However, our real money is on Splice, a Park City at Midnight premiere, which are usually quirky comedies or horror movies. "Clive and Elsa are young, brilliant, and ambitious. The new animal species they engineered has made them rebel superstars of the scientific world. In secret, they introduce human DNA into the experiment." Excellent! Plus it's directed by Vincenzo Natali, who also helmed the terrific Cube, and stars Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley.

Check out the full list just beyond the break, where you'll see that Catherine Keener and John C. Reilly are appearing in two movies apiece at Sundance, thereby making them eligible for the Parker Posey award.

Continue reading Sundance '10 Announces Non-Competing Film Premieres

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]]>BuriedfeaturedPark CityParkCitypremieresSpliceSundanceSundance2010The Company MenTheCompanyMenKevin KellyThu, 03 Dec 2009 16:50:00 ESTIs Warren Beatty Working on a 'Dick Tracy' Documentary?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/03/warren-beatty-dick-tracy-documentary/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/03/warren-beatty-dick-tracy-documentary/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/03/warren-beatty-dick-tracy-documentary/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Actor/director Warren Beatty's long legal battle with Tribune Company over the rights to the character Dick Tracy revealed an interesting kernel of information on what might be Beatty's next film project -- a documentary on the comic strip detective. Tribune Co. tried to claim the Dick Tracy rights as an asset in a recent bankruptcy hearing, but Beatty holds the rights to the character as long as he makes "productive use" of the property. It's a sweet deal for Beatty and an absolute nightmare for Tribune Co., as the wording of the agreement doesn't seem to put any time table on when the agreement expires.

This isn't the first time Tribune has tried to wrest control of their character from Beatty. in 2005, Beatty announced that he was interested in pursuing a Dick Tracy sequel/reboot/remake/cash grab with the apparent intention of getting Tribune off his back over the rights. It's been almost five years since that announcement, and obviously it hasn't happened yet, however it doesn't seem to be stopping Beatty from making up new, seemingly off-the-cuff Dick Tracy projects to thwart Tribune's demands.

Continue reading Is Warren Beatty Working on a 'Dick Tracy' Documentary?

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]]>dick tracyDickTracywarren beattyWarrenBeattyJohn GholsonThu, 03 Dec 2009 16:32:00 EST'Up in the Air' Named Best Film of the Year by NBRhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/03/up-in-the-air-nbr/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/03/up-in-the-air-nbr/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/03/up-in-the-air-nbr/#commentsFiled under: , ,

For the past two years in a row, the National Board of Review (aka NBR) and the Academy Awards have each honored the same film as their top pick of the year. Will that streak now continue with Jason Reitman's Up in the Air? Paramount couldn't have picked a better release date for Up in the Air because 24 hours after the film was named best of the year by NBR, it will arrive in theaters in limited release. Aside from taking top honors, Reitman's film about a corporate downsizer who can't seem to connect with anything (or anyone) also won Best Adapted Screenplay (Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner) and Best Supporting Actress (Anna Kendrick).

Other big winners include Clint Eastwood for Best Director (Invictus), Morgan Freeman for Best Actor (Invictus), Carey Mulligan for Best Actress (An Education) and Woody Harrelson for Best Supporting Actor (The Messenger). The Cove, which is a film we've been heavily championing all year long, won for Best Documentary, while Pixar's Up took home Best Animated Feature. The biggest and most talked-about surprise so far is that top awards contender Precious was nowhere to be found, and wasn't even listed among the year's top ten list, though as a fan of both films it was nice to see District 9 and Moon make the top ten independent films list (along with a special mention for Moon director Duncan Jones in NBR's Spotlight Award for Best Directorial Debut).

Check out all the winners after the jump.

Continue reading 'Up in the Air' Named Best Film of the Year by NBR

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]]>cinematicaldistrict 9District9featuredinvictusmoonnational board of reviewNationalBoardOfReviewnbrpreciousthe covethe hurt lockerTheCoveTheHurtLockerupup in the airUpInTheAirErik DavisThu, 03 Dec 2009 15:02:00 EST'The Piper' Plays a Tune to the Big Screenhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/03/the-piper-plays-a-tune-to-the-big-screen/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/03/the-piper-plays-a-tune-to-the-big-screen/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/03/the-piper-plays-a-tune-to-the-big-screen/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Dark and gritty have become the keywords for comic-based movies, but it's not a trend that's confined to the big screen. A lot of comics are saving studios the trouble, and spinning their own gloomy version of a popular tale, and Hollywood is responding by optioning them all up. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the latest to sign on the dotted line is Zenescope, who will be helping to bring The Piper to the big screen.

The Piper is a four-issue series by Joe Brusha and Ralph Tedesco, and is part of Zenescope's Grimm Fairy Tales line that puts a lot of emphasis on the grim. (That's not hard given most original fairy tales.) Piper takes the story of the Pied Piper of Hamlin, and turns him into a bogeyman that is revived by high school student Sean. Tormented by bullies, Sean seeks someone to help him exact revenge. But if you've seen any film where a figure is revived by the Book of the Lost, you know things will get a lot bloodier than anyone imagined. You can check out the first few pages online. As usual with Zenescope's books, the art is pretty special.

Persistant Entertainment has the project open to writers, so if you're a screenwriter who is feeling a little bloodthirsty, you can give it a shot. The rest of us will have to wait to see if it comes together, and if it's a strong enough tune to carry us into the theater.

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]]>Joe BrushaJoeBrushaPantry FilmsPantryFilmsPersistant EntertainmentPersistantEntertainmentRalph TedescoRalphTedescoThe PiperThePiperZenescopeElisabeth RappeThu, 03 Dec 2009 13:50:00 EST'The Hobbit' May Be Pushed to 2012http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/03/the-hobbit-may-be-pushed-to-2012/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/03/the-hobbit-may-be-pushed-to-2012/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/03/the-hobbit-may-be-pushed-to-2012/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

The journey back to Middle Earth is taking longer than anyone anticipated, even its filmmakers. Peter Jackson revealed in an interview with Movie Reporter * that they're hoping to complete the second draft of The Hobbit script by the beginning of next year. Once that's done, they can calculate budget and set a start date, but even the most enthusiastic estimates mean that filming would begin in middle to late 2010. That's not even factoring in the MGM money woes, and how that could affect budgeting, though signs point to Warner Bros picking up the entire tab.

Jackson was silent as to whether the original release dates would hold, but I think we're all familiar enough with the magic of movie making to know that we're unlikely to see The Hobbit in December 2011. Remember, that was the date given for the first half of the film. It's more likely you'll see Part 1 in December 2012, and Part 2 in December 2013.

If you contemplate those numbers with a sinking heart, you're not alone. For me, it's not that 2012 or 2013 are particularly far away (you know how the years speed by the older you get!), but that so much can happen to a film, its writers and directors, and its potential cast members. I'm certain The Hobbit will happen, but it can't hurt to send some geeky good vibes its way, and hope it gains some speed and cast announcements very soon.


[*I've linked to TheOneRing.net, which translated the German interview for the rest of the Internet, and allowed the story to be subsequently picked up in Variety.]

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]]>Guillermo del ToroGuillermoDelToroMGMpeter jacksonPeterJacksonThe HobbitThe Hobbit delayedTheHobbitTheHobbitDelayedWarner BrosWarnerBrosElisabeth RappeThu, 03 Dec 2009 11:32:00 EST'Green Lantern' Will Choose Adventure Over Originhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/02/green-lantern-will-choose-adventure-over-origin/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/02/green-lantern-will-choose-adventure-over-origin/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/02/green-lantern-will-choose-adventure-over-origin/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Every day, I hope we'll get another big piece of The Green Lantern casting (and not just an open casting call) such as Sinestro or Carol Ferris, or even Abin Sur. This is a movie we're all really eager to see take shape. But for now, we'll have to be content with hints about the script, which Ryan Reynolds gave to the MTV Splash Page.

Reynolds revealed that Hal Jordan won't be the beneficiary of a very intense origin story: "It is [an origin story] to a certain degree, but it's not a labored origin story, where the movie [truly] begins in the third act. The movie starts when it starts. We find out Hal is the guy fairly early on, and the adventure begins." That probably comes as a surprise to anyone even remotely familiar with Lantern mythology, as the intergalactic world Hal comes to inhabit is pretty complex and detailed. It would be an easy thing to bog the movie down in that, though, and maybe giving it a more cursory approach is better. This is intended as a franchise after all, and they can always go deeper with subsequent films.

The man who will be Hal Jordan also stressed that the film won't be just about the green and black suit, but about the man who inhabits it. "I think you walk away from this first film, and the moments that you remember and the moments that mean so much to you, not unlike Iron Man, are the moments where the guy's not in the suit. That to me is the tough thing to get right."

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]]>hal jordanHalJordanmartin campbellMartinCampbellRyan ReynoldsRyanReynoldsThe Green LanternTheGreenLanternWarner BrosWarnerBrosElisabeth RappeWed, 02 Dec 2009 18:02:00 ESTEverything You Need to Know About Peter Berg's 'Battleship'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/02/battleship-peter-berg-story/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/02/battleship-peter-berg-story/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/02/battleship-peter-berg-story/#commentsFiled under: , ,



When it comes to films based on board games, folks are immediately inclined to make fun of the idea and trash the project -- which is why Universal decided to get out in front of the negative buzz by sending a group of movie writers down to San Diego to meet with Battleship director Peter Berg prior to production to find out exactly what the man (and studio) have planned when it comes to this particular board game adaptation (which is the first of many in the pipeline). So ... what, are we looking at a film set in 1987 about two 10-year-old kids trying to sink the other dude's Battleship before mom calls them inside for dinner? Not quite. Here's the quickie version:
  • Battleship will follow a small fleet of American and international (ie: Japanese) ships (5 in total) that for some reason get separated from the rest of the Navy and must take on an opposing fleet of alien ships that have arrived on earth in order to build some sort of "bridge" that will help their alien race in some way.
  • These aliens are called The Regents (which has nothing to do with the High School exam ... we think), and they're not here to destroy earth or humankind -- they're just here to use the planet to help save their own species. However, they will defend themselves if provoked, and, well, what else are we to use our giant massive Naval ships for?
  • The aliens will be a mix of human actors and CGI. Berg compared them to Davey Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean.
  • The Regents aren't all that superior to us either, as Berg noted that the fight will be a fair one. The story will be more strategic, like the game, in that it will focus on each party (human and alien) using their skills to locate and destroy the other before they themselves are destroyed.
  • And yes, someone will say "You sunk my Battleship!" at some point during the film.
For tons more details, head over to read reports from CHUD and Latino Review.

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]]>battleshipcinematicalfeaturedpeter bergPeterBergthe regentsTheRegentsErik DavisWed, 02 Dec 2009 11:15:00 ESTDisney Remaking 'The Black Hole' With 'Tron' Teamhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/01/disney-remaking-the-black-hole-with-tron-team/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/01/disney-remaking-the-black-hole-with-tron-team/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/01/disney-remaking-the-black-hole-with-tron-team/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

It's a new day at Disney with their new studio chief, Rich Ross, and everyone has been rather eager to see what new direction the studio moved in, and what projects they fast tracked. It turns out that their new vision is a rather old one. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney has dug deep into the vaults and decided to remake The Black Hole. They've put Tron: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski and producer Sean Bailey on the project, hoping that they can make The Black Hole as cool as they've made all things Tron.

I feel terrible, but I have absolutely no memory of this film. I know I probably saw it at some point, but its lovable droids have been wiped out by multiple viewings of Star Wars, so allow me to recap. The 1979 original centered on a group of space explorers discover the lost USS Cygnus, floating dead on the edge of a black hole. Logically they haven't seen Event Horizon, so they happily board the ship to what's become of the crew. There they meet a scientist and his group of robot friends (some cute, and one mean, red, and named Maximilian), and he claims his crew deserted him when he tried to travel through the black hole. Of course, he's not telling the truth. The robots are the former Cygnus crew, and the scientist has no intention of letting them leave. Dun dun dun ...

Naturally, the remake won't be a straight-up retelling, and Disney is keeping the plot a secret. The only thing they're willing to reveal is that the menacing robot Maximilian will return, and that the black hole will be more of a plot point. Science will also be involved, and I imagine a little Star Trek too. Will it inspire the instant excitement of Tron: Legacy? Or will it be an entirely new concept to most moviegoers?

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]]>Disneyjoseph kosinskiJosephKosinskiSean BaileySeanBaileythe black holeThe Black Hole remakeTheBlackHoleTheBlackHoleRemaketron legacyTronLegacyElisabeth RappeTue, 01 Dec 2009 20:32:00 ESTIs This the World's Worst Film Critic?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/01/is-this-the-worlds-worst-film-critic/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/01/is-this-the-worlds-worst-film-critic/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/01/is-this-the-worlds-worst-film-critic/#commentsFiled under:

Hate and ye shall have a voice. Exercise shocking taste and ye shall have a voice!

I guess it was inevitable. News programs have slowly become overrun with sensationalism, voices comfortably spewing out the most shocking commentaries they can, annoying those who disagree and rile up those who love a little inappropriate sass with their politics. And it's only natural that this would slowly leak into the movie reviewing world. Guardian has thrown up a love/hate piece for film critic Fiore Mastracci, who they call "a critic so dreadful he's bordering on genius." A once under-the-radar critic, his review of The Road has been making the rounds.

Where many critics love flicks like The Road or Fantastic Mr. Fox, Fiore is a lover of Punisher: War Zone, The Pink Panther (2006), Hitman, Transporter 2... In other words, he's that Regular Joe type moviegoer who equates good cinema with those brainless adventures on the big screen. Then again, the Guardian says he was also a film teacher and used to have his own cable show. So, somewhere, there seems to have been some schooling.

Maybe he's the Gwar of the film critic set, one whose fame and art is nothing like their education and smarts. Whatever the case, his reviews are full of catch-phrases like "celluloid masturbation" and "excrement on celluloid," and he loves throwing in an Obama jab when he can.

Is he merely the best-worst film critic out there? Or an expert in sensationalized film critique for that part of the public that hates to feel anything but laughter and adrenaline rushes while in that theater seat?

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]]>Cinematicalfilm criticsFilmCriticsFiore MastracciFioreMastracciThe RoadTheRoadworst film criticWorstFilmCriticMonika BartyzelTue, 01 Dec 2009 19:02:00 ESTGotham Indie Awards Crown 'Hurt Locker,' 'The Maid'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/01/gotham-indie-awards-crown-hurt-locker-the-maid/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/01/gotham-indie-awards-crown-hurt-locker-the-maid/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/01/gotham-indie-awards-crown-hurt-locker-the-maid/#commentsFiled under: ,

The MaidIn case you missed the live-Tweeting and live-blogging from last night's Gotham Independent Awards at NYC's Cipriani, we're here to help. Indie favorite The Hurt Locker took home the two big awards, Best Feature and Best Ensemble Performance, although The Maid's Catalina Saavedra snagged the award for Best Breakthrough Actor, beating out The Hurt Locker's Jeremy Renner, Ben Foster (The Messenger), Patton Oswalt (Big Fan), and Souleymane Sy Savane (Goodbye Solo). Robert Siegel, who also wrote The Wrestler and wrote and directed Big Fan, snatched the Breakthrough Director award from The Hurt Locker's Kathryn Bigelow and the Coens.

Meanwhile, the stomach-churningly fascinating Food Inc. won best doc for its close look at how what's on our plates really got there, and how big biz helped (or harmed, as the case may be). And the Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You award went to You Wont Miss Me, which was directed by Russo-Young, who cowrote the film with Stella Schnabel. (The missing apostrophe is on purpose, natch.)

Sounds like there were some indie hijinks happening, as those on the scene reported that Rosie Perez congratulated Willem Dafoe, who was there to present Kathryn Bigelow with a career tribute, on his, uh, performance in Antichrist, declaring it a "sick-ass movie." (Truth.)

Do you think that these awards will have any affect on the rest of the award season? As Monika noted last night in her latest Girls on Film column, the Academy Awards Best Actress pool is a bit shallow. Could we see Catalina Saavedra ready to hit the red carpet for the Oscars? Have you seen any of the IFP films, and if not, are you going to seek them out now?

Check out the complete list of noms here.

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]]>awardsBig FanBigFanFood Inc.FoodInc.Gotham AwardsGothamAwardsThe Hurt LockerThe MaidTheHurtLockerTheMaidYou Wont Miss MeYouWontMissMeJenni MillerTue, 01 Dec 2009 15:02:00 ESTUPDATED: Paul Greengrass Quits 'Bourne 4'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/01/paul-greengrass-quits-bourne-4/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/01/paul-greengrass-quits-bourne-4/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/01/paul-greengrass-quits-bourne-4/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Everyone and their grandmothers seems to want a fourth Bourne film, and the question of "When, when, when?!" has dogged Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass for a long time. Shockingly, the answer may now be "never," as The Playlist is reporting that Greengrass has quit Bourne 4.

Script problems and a fractious relationship with Universal are said to be the cause of the split.
Two scripts have been penned for the film, and reportedly no one is fond of George Nolfi's take. Josh Zetumer came aboard to write a new one, a decision that irked Greengrass as he wasn't consulted as to the choice of writer. But that's a relatively minor point, as the real problem seems to be Greengrass' free-wheeling style, which has cost Universal millions and millions on every film he's made. While Bourne turned a fine profit, the studio is concerned about Green Zone, which is now estimated to have cost $150 million due to all of Greengrass' famous tinkering. This is a film that doesn't carry the Bourne brand name, and deals with the very un-blockbuster topic of Iraq.

So, Greengrass and Universal have been butting heads, as he wants to continue his usual approach on Bourne 4, and they want him to keep the budget under control. Thus, he's upset at the way he's been treated, and has now walked away. Rumors swirl that he might return, but there's just as much feeling that the studio could hire a new director. This leaves everyone uncertain as to whether Damon would return since he's been famously loyal to Greengrass. For now, everyone is watching the trades to see what'll be announced (and with Damon doing Invictus press, maybe it'll come up unofficially), and hoping for the best. The last thing anyone wants is Bourne without the guys that made it great.

UPDATED: Head after the jump for a statement from Paul Greengrass

Continue reading UPDATED: Paul Greengrass Quits 'Bourne 4'

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]]>bourne 4Bourne4George NolfiGeorgeNolfigreen zoneGreenZoneJosh ZetumerJoshZetumermatt damonMattDamonPaul GreengrassPaulGreengrassUniversalElisabeth RappeTue, 01 Dec 2009 14:15:00 ESTChris Weitz to Direct Two-Part 'Breaking Dawn' Finale?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/01/chris-weitz-to-direct-two-part-breaking-dawn-finale/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/01/chris-weitz-to-direct-two-part-breaking-dawn-finale/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/01/chris-weitz-to-direct-two-part-breaking-dawn-finale/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

As The Twilight Saga: New Moon crosses $200 million, execs over at Summit Entertainment are quietly (or not so quietly) trying to figure out what to do about Breaking Dawn, the final (for now) adaptation in the Twilight movie franchise. According to a piece in Variety, only screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg is confirmed to finish out the series, and right now it looks like they're going to go the Harry Potter route and split Breaking Dawn up into two parts. Problem is, none of the actors have deals for a second part, and so like what happened with Harry Potter, there's a very good chance Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner could be looking at upwards of eight figures for their participation.

The other big question mark (aside from how you adapt the predominately darker Breaking Dawn into a film that will appeal to the tween and teen set) is who will direct. David Slade is currently helming Eclipse, the third installment in the Twilight franchise, and from the sound of things that's the only segment he'll be directing. Right now it looks like Summit wants Chris Weitz to finish out the series, which is why -- according to Variety -- they haven't yet closed the deal on The Gardener, which is the smaller, more personal film he wanted to direct next. But will Weitz commit to the back-to-back films, which are sure to keep him away from his family for several months?

What's the alternative, though? To bring on a director new to the franchise to helm its big finale? That doesn't make sense, and I'm sure Summit is preparing to empty their wallets on this one in order to line up the correct pieces. Sources claim the studio wants Weitz to finish the job, though they haven't yet made him an official offer. What do you want to see happen?

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]]>chris weitzChrisWeitzcinematicalfeaturedKristenStewartrobert pattinsonRobertPattinsontaylor lautnerTaylorLautnerthe twilight saga: breaking dawnthe twilight saga: new moonTheTwilightSaga:BreakingDawnTheTwilightSaga:NewMoontwilightErik DavisTue, 01 Dec 2009 10:10:00 EST