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Peter Bogdanovich Moves from Meows to Barbies and Manson
Filed under: Comedy, Deals, Scripts
It's been eons since we've gotten a Peter Bogdanovich tale. Aside from some TV work and his Tom Petty documentary in 2007, there hasn't been a big-screen feature since he dug into William Randolph Hearst's dirty laundry with The Cat's Meow in 2001. And before that, The Thing Called Love in 1993. No finishing Orson Welles' The Other Side of the Wind (he stated last month that he didn't think editing the film would ever be possible), and no code cracking. But finally, The Hollywood Reporter posts that he will write and direct an adaptation of Kurt Anderson's novel Turn of the Century.If anything should reinvigorate the feature career of the man who helmed Paper Moon, The Last Picture Show, and Mask, and bring in a new audience, this is it. The book is a modern social satire oft-compared to Tom Wolfe's Bonfire of the Vanities. Written in 1999, the novel follows the MacTiers in the year 2000, "a Manhattan power couple with three kids who are managing their troubled marriage in a world where BarbieWorld has opened in Vegas and Charles Manson's parole hearing is live on TV." George has produced a series called NARCS, which mixes real drug busts with snappy scripts, while wife Lizzie is a software entrepreneur who created a "force-feedback technology," which is part of an alternative history game that senses fear. "Dinner time!" is announced room to room via e-mail, Lizzie's guilt over voting for Rudy Giuliani leads her to hand out $5's in penance, and there's a Jimmy Smits/J-Lo revolution in Mexico.
Bogdanovich isn't the first name I would think of to helm a technology-ridden modern satire like this, so I'm dying to see what he makes of it. Should things continue as planned, the film will shoot next spring in New York.
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.
Rock 'n' Roll Girl Chaos Gets a Canadian Kick
Filed under: Independent, Music & Musicals, Casting, Scripts
Old-school rock is hot these days. We're quickly approaching the release of The Runaways, full of Joan Jett, Cherie Currie, and rock chaos, and now another project is on the horizon. But this time, however, it's a modern look back. Twitch found out that Bruce McDonald is heading back to his days of Hard Core Logo rock with a new film called Trigger -- news that's a nice way to finish off a week with two McDonald retro pieces (Elimination Dance and Pontypool).
According to New Real Films, Trigger was written by Marion Bridge scribe Daniel MacIvor and will star Molly Parker and Tracy Wright as two "rock 'n' roll women who once shared a friendship, a band, and a whole lot of chaos. Now, a dozen years later, they meet again, and over the course of one evening rediscover friendship, remember rock 'n' roll, and reignite chaos." Somewhere in that new chaos, Don McKellar factors in as the third star. So, not only a return to Hard Core Logo form for the female set, but also another feature for Elimination Dance and Monkey Warfare stars Wright and McKellar.
The above picture is only one of the many New Real shares of the production right here. And don't worry -- Parker might look all sweet and awkward with that peace sign, but the gallery also includes a shot of Parker rocking out with an air guitar. I guess rock 'n' roll isn't dead!
Cue The Naughty Jokes -- Taylor Lautner Is 'Stretch Armstrong'
Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Casting, Universal, Scripts, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand
We can now officially call Taylor Lautner A Boy Toy. In addition to becoming the action figure-turned-cartoon Max Steel, Heat Vision reports that Lautner has nabbed the lead in another toy driven franchise: Stretch Armstrong.Stretch Armstrong will be based on the Hasbro toy that was born in the 1970s and relaunched in the 1980s. Unlike Max Steel, Stretch never even got a cartoon or comic book to call his own. He was just stretchy. Naturally, this won't do for a live action adaptation, so Universal and screenwriter Steve Oedekerk have given him a goofy origin story. Stretch is now an "uptight spy who stumbles on a stretching formula." For whatever reason, he drinks it, and develops a power that rivals Mister Fantastic's. He decides the power to stretch must be used for good, and becomes a crimefighter. To make it even more appealing, Universal plans to make the film in 3D. This will undoubtedly be every member of Team Jacob's dream come true, though I find the idea of 3D extended extremities absolutely terrifying.
There's no doubt about it.. Hollywood has declared Lautner the new action star. I don't think Sam Worthington is going to take kindly to the news that he's already in danger of losing his crown. Can we get a movie where the two of them face off in single combat? In 3D? I think that's the only way to figure out who's the bigger man.
Danny McBride and Jody Hill Team for 'L.A.P.I.'
Filed under: Action, Comedy, Independent, Casting, Deals, Scripts, DIY/Filmmaking
If there's one man not lacking for work in this economy, it's Danny McBride, but we're cool with that. He's signed on to yet another movie, but according to Variety this one is more special than most because it's the debut production of Rough House Productions, the shingle McBride heads up with Jody Hill and David Gordon Green. The film is an action comedy titled L.A.P.I., and the plot is being kept under tight wraps. All that's known is that McBride will be playing "a beaten down, hard boiled P.I." Hill will be directing, and the script is being penned by Michael Diliberti and Matthew Sullivan. If you follow the screenwriters' Black List, you'll recognize their name immediately. They're fast up-and-comers, and hitching themselves with Rough House Productions can only help their upward climb.
The talent accumulated on this is enough to make any comedy fan excited. Because I'm a dork, I always associate private investigators with the 1940s, so my mind has put McBride in a fedora. I doubt that's the case, but I can certainly wish for it to be a 1940s action comedy. Something tells me it'll be more in the vein of Tropic Thunder and Hill's Observe and Report -- a modern day P.I. who has a bit of a dark, scary edge to him. It's something to look forward to, anyway, and I'm anxious to see who they recruit for McBride to bounce off of.
Without Terminator, McG Decides 'This Means War'
Filed under: Action, Comedy, Romance, Deals, Scripts, 20th Century Fox, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand
Poor McG. At this time last year, he was the king of the world! Terminator: Salvation was rumored to be the coolest movie of the summer, and he was raking in franchise deals like there was no tomorrow. But there was, and it's now, but he may finally be stepping behind the camera again for a genre miles away from Judgment Day -- a romantic comedy. According to Variety, McG is in talks to direct This Means War, a romantic spy comedy starring Reese Witherspoon and Bradley Cooper. This Means War has been through the rewrite mill for a couple of years, and its latest incarnation (penned by Timothy Dowling) is a delightful romp where two spies are lifelong friends until they fall for the same woman. Presumably they then try to kill each other using nasty, slick covert methods like cyanide capsules and thin wires you can hide in a sleeve. The girl's preferences, of course, will not factor into their bitter rivalry. It never does! (I wouldn't be surprised if Gerard Butler is the third corner of the triangle, since the tabloids claim to have spotted him lunching with Witherspoon. Those are the kind of rumblings that preceded The Bounty Hunter.)
Fox is desperate to get the film off the ground, and wants to begin shooting by late spring. If McG is as eager to return to the director's chair, expect the wheels to start turning immediately.
Terrence Malick Taps Bale and Bardem for Romance
Filed under: Romance, Casting, Deals, Scripts
He may have been circling Held By the Taliban last month, but now Terrence Malick is looking for a little romance. Deadline Hollywood reports that Malick's next film will be a romantic love story starring Christian Bale, Javier Bardem, Rachel McAdams, and Olga Kurylenko. Unfortunately, practically nothing is being shared about the feature, except that Malick wrote it and plans to get into production this fall. (A lovers' rectangle perhaps?)The fastidious filmmaker is known for taking his time creating his films, so chances are he's not going to elbow Kathryn Bigelow, or whoever else is circling the Taliban pic, out of the way. Then again, someone has definitely lit a fire under this man. Let's recap: He started his career in 1969 with the short Lanton Mills. Badlands was his first feature in 1973, followed by Days of Heaven in 1978, The Thin Red Line in 1998, The New World in 2005, and The Tree of Life coming sometime this year. That's it -- his entire directorial career. Completing a project in four years is considered a big event for the filmmaker, and although Life isn't even out yet, having been delayed to get finished, here he is prepping his next. And, if he does take on the Taliban pic, he'll have two features in the works before his latest hits the screen.
The man is on a roll! And with that cast above, he's sure to whip up something interesting.
Disney Conjuring Up An 'Enchanted' Sequel
Filed under: Animation, Comedy, Music & Musicals, Romance, Deals, Disney, Scripts, Family Films, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Remakes and Sequels
Disney has never made a film it didn't want to return to at least once or twice, and (usually) spin off into direct-to-DVD sequels. The latest to receive a Mouse House double dip is Enchanted, and Variety reports the film has already attracted Anne Fletcher to the director's chair. Jessie Nelson will pen the script. At this point, none of the original actors are signed to return, though Disney is hoping they'll all sign on for a sequel. I absolutely loved the original Enchanted. It was delightfully self-aware for a Disney film, and yet it wasn't slick or modern enough to lose any heart. As romantic comedies go, it's a pretty empowering one for females of all ages. Giselle fights a dragon, finds her own willpower, and starts her own business. She could survive just fine without Patrick Dempsey. I love it. It's just one of the sweetest, funniest movies I've seen, especially from Disney.
I see no reason for a sequel. The point of Enchanted (and any fairy tale, modern or medieval) is that it ends happily ever That's it! They've overcome their drawbridges and dragons, and now they get to chill out. This is what Shrek failed to grasp a dozen times over, and what Ever After miraculously dodged. Considering Fletcher's uneven resume (The Proposal, 27 Dresses), one assume they'll undo "happily ever after" and force Giselle to make some traumatic choice between New York and Andalasia. Perhaps Dempsey will get to save her, just to even things up. Whatever they cook up, it's just an unnecessary twist for a feel good movie.
Christopher Smith to Bring British Young-Adult Spy Series 'CHERUB' to the Big Screen
Filed under: Action, Fandom, Scripts
Over at Horror Squad we've got a rather extensive interview up with British director Christopher Smith (not to be confused with American documentarian Chris Smith) in regards to Triangle, out today in the States on DVD and Blu-ray. Naturally we talked a good bit about his genre films past (Creep, Severance) and present (Triangle, the forthcoming Black Death), but one of the more intriguing topics was his next film, CHERUB.It's based on an ongoing British series of books for young-adults by Robert Muchamore about a group of kids the government has turned into mini spies. But before you have visions of Agent Cody Banks or Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker, check out Smith's explanation of what they're going for:
"We're hoping to shoot in the summer. There's a big franchise of books in England called CHERUB and what it is is like a Nikita story. It's about a young kid from a broken family who suddenly realizes that he's an orphan and he's being cared for by the government. We're doing it quite realistically, so instead of the kids, ya' know, jumping out of helicopters and doing that, it's more about how the government uses kids in the same way drug dealers would use kids to traffic things. It's more Bourne Identity than it is James Bond."
And if that doesn't sound enticing enough, he goes on to describe CHERUB as a mix of This is England and The Goonies. I've never read the books, but a mixture of Shane Meadows' grittier side of England and '80s adventure awesomeness sounds like a potent concoction I never knew I wanted but now know I need.
Is anyone out there a fan of the series? If so, hop over to Horror Squad for a bit more on Smith's take on the material, as well as a lot more.
Sgt. Rock Skips Iraq and Ships Out For Times Unknown
Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Warner Brothers, Scripts, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Comic/Superhero/Geek, War
Once upon a time, Sgt. Rock was set to battle Nazis in occupied France. Over the years, he's changed commanders -- er, directors -- and actors but one thing was always certain: Like Captain America, Sgt. Rock would keep to his time and place. Until last November, when Warner Bros announced they were taking him into the future with Francis Lawrence and screenwriter Chad. St. John.At the time, the news didn't attract much notice, perhaps because it was a little confusing. A lot of Sgt. Rock fans thought the film might be in his future rather than Earth's, and we would see him fighting in Afghanistan or Iraq. While that was a logical leap, it turned out to be wishful thinking. Joel Silver told the LA Times that Sgt. Rock will indeed be jumping into the not-too-distant future and saving humanity. There's no hint as to who or what he will be fighting in that futuristic battlefield. Will it be an old enemy made new again, such as Russia or neo-Nazis? Or will it be something like aliens or cyborgs? Silver is keeping tight-lipped, and revealed only that a new draft of the script had arrived: "It's a little bit in the future. As a war movie, it's not going to be 'where it's been,' it's going to be 'where it's going.' We didn't want to do Iraq, we didn't want to do a contemporary war. We wanted to do a sort of futuristic war. It's pretty strong."
I still don't understand the point. Like Cap, Sgt. Rock is the kind of character that was created and defined by WW2. He belongs there. I think Inglourious Basterds proved audiences were hungry for fictional WW2 adventures. The appeal of films like The Dirty Dozen and Where Eagles Dare has never waned. Why not go classic with Sgt. Rock instead of so silly and generic?
Tom Cruise and J.J. Abrams Reunite for 'Mission Impossible 4'
'Big Top Pee-Wee': The Original Benicio Del Toro Wolfman
Spin-ematical: New on DVD and Blu-ray for 2/9
Watch This: Brilliant Oscar-Nominated Short 'Logorama'
Chris Nolan to Lead 'Superman' Reboot!?
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