Cinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.com/media/feedlogo.gifCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comen-usCopyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Original Script for 'Hancock' Leaks Onlinehttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/03/original-script-for-hancock-leaks-online/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/03/original-script-for-hancock-leaks-online/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/03/original-script-for-hancock-leaks-online/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Okay, so we went through something similar with Frank Darabont's unused draft of the latest Indiana Jones installment, which managed to be a bit better (read: Mutt-less) compared to the still entertaining end result. Now, it appears that the original draft for Hancock -- long titled Tonight, He Comes -- has popped up by way of Jeff Wells over at Hollywood Elsewhere (read it here). Oh, and if it's authentic, it happens to be missing the next-to-last page.

I've found the behind-the-scenes hearsay -- conveniently summed up in this NY Times piece -- on this film to be fairly fascinating. First, as scripted by Vy Vincent Ngo, Tonight had made the rounds as a reportedly hard-R superhero drama that capitalized on the somewhat sexual nature of the title. However, it seems once Will Smith was brought on board, Sony saw fit to tame things down considerably.

Even as recently as April, the MPAA had twice handed them an R instead of the sought-after PG-13, and now the finished result runs a choppy 92 minutes -- distinctly shorter than indicated in AICN test screening reports which made particular mention of a subplot involving statutory rape. Of course, as Wells brings up, it's hard to ignore the involvement of producer/screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, whose recent work on Smith's last hit, I Am Legend, had a similarly slapdash second half at the compromise of the original material.

I've yet to get more than a couple of pages into this thing, but do you guys think this is the real deal, and if so, do you guys think that this is the real film compared to what's on thousands of screens this week?

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]]>actionhancockpeter bergPeterBergsuperherotonight he comesTonightHeComeswill smithWillSmithWilliam GossThu, 03 Jul 2008 16:45:00 ESTCinematical Visits MOMA's "Dali: Painting and Film" Exhibithttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/02/cinematical-visits-momas-dali-painting-and-film-exhibit/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/02/cinematical-visits-momas-dali-painting-and-film-exhibit/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/02/cinematical-visits-momas-dali-painting-and-film-exhibit/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,



Even the weirder artists of the twentieth century have been attracted to the allure of Hollywood filmmaking, and Salvador Dali was no exception. In the fall of 1941, the surrealist painter hosted a masquerade party at Pebble Beach during one of his regular visits to the town. Called "Surrealism Night in An Enchanted Forest," the fundraising event, intended to assist European refugee artists, brought out a number of stars, including Bob Hope and Ginger Rogers. It was here, the story goes, that Dali became attached to a major studio production called Moontide. The great German emigre Fritz Lang was hired to direct the movie, and asked Dali to create a three-minute nightmare sequence for the film. Unfortunately, after the incident at Pearl Harbor later that year, Twentieth Century Fox deemed the project too bleak. Lang was replaced, and Dali's nightmare sequence went with him.

Although inspired by the movies, Dali didn't always have the easiest time making them. He would get another chance to inject his hallucinatory vision into American cinema with the hypnosis scene in Alfred Hitchcock's Spellbound, but it's his unrealized projects that truly indicate the scope of the painter's ambition. So many ideas, such little time. Dali: Painting and Film, a breathtakingly unique exhibit currently on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, surveys Dali's completed cinematic works in addition to tidbits from the ones that never came to fruition. Marvelously structured to show how his paintings were intentionally cinematic, the exhibit contains all the obvious highlights from Dali's movie career alongside lesser-known productions. The importance in film history of his collaborations with Luis Bunuel remain uncontested; two large screens in separate rooms showing Un Chien Andalou (where the opening eye splicing retains its original gross-out impact) and L'Age D'Or attest to that. Fewer visitors, however, might know about Dali's collaboration with the Marx Brothers on a deliriously strange movie that sounded too good to be true.

Gallery: Dali: Painting and Film

EntranceUn Chien AndalouThe lobster phone. Portrait of Jack Warner

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]]>1932filmadolf hitlerAdolfHitlerafter hoursAfterHoursalfred hitchcockAlfredHitchcockandy warholAndyWarholanimal crackersAnimalCrackersbabaouobob hopeBobHopechaos and creationChaosAndCreationdalidali fascismdali painting and filmdaliandithesurrealis...DaliFascismDaliPaintingAndFilmdestinodisney animationDisneyAnimationfeaturedfritz langFritzLangginger rogersGingerRogersgiraffes on horseback saladGiraffesOnHorsebackSaladharpo marxHarpoMarximpressions from upper mongoliaImpressionsFromUpperMongolialage dorLageDorluis bunuelLuisBunuelmartin scorseseMartinScorsesemomamomastoremoontidemuseum of modern artMuseumOfModernArtpearl harborPearlHarborpersistence of visionPersistenceOfVisionsalvador daliSalvadorDalispainspellboundsurrealismsurrealist womanSurrealistWomanthe age of innocencethe marx brothersthe surrealist womanTheAgeOfInnocenceTheMarxBrothersTheSurrealistWomantwentieth century foxTwentiethCenturyFoxun chiean andalouun chien andalouUnChieanAndalouUnChienAndalouwalt disneyWaltDisneyEric KohnWed, 02 Jul 2008 22:02:00 ESTVal Kilmer Pulls the 'Silver Cord'http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/02/val-kilmer-pulls-the-silver-cord/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/02/val-kilmer-pulls-the-silver-cord/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/02/val-kilmer-pulls-the-silver-cord/#commentsFiled under: , ,

When films turn personal, there are a myriad of ways they can turn out. One way I never thought of -- out of body experiences that need soul saving. Variety reports that Val Kilmer, Shane West, Cam Gigandet, Eric Balfour, and Arielle Kebbel have signed on for a film called Silver Cord. James Ordonez will direct the feature, which he wrote with Ken Gord, and relive some personal experiences.

As Variety describes it, the film "centers on Ordonez's brother who came back to life after being declared clinically dead on multiple occasions. The brother died in 2004." But the summary up on IMDb says a whole lot more, written by James himself: "The story of a young man who is separated from the love of his life. To find her he has an Out of Body Experience but the silver cord that connects his soul with his body breaks and he is believed to be dead. In a desperate race against time his friends have less than 24 hours to save his soul before his body is cremated."

It's not every day you get so-called true life stories about people leaving their body to find paramours and then losing their body and being declared dead. Since he'd been declared dead a number of times, I guess the dude had a penchant for out-of-body travel.

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]]>Arielle KebbelArielleKebbelCam GigandetCamGigandetCinematicalEric BalfourEricBalfourJames OrdonezJamesOrdonezKen GordKenGordShane WestShaneWestSilver CordSilverCordVal KilmerValKilmerMonika BartyzelWed, 02 Jul 2008 19:32:00 ESTWarner Bros is 'Hiding in Time'http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/02/warner-bros-is-hiding-in-time/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/02/warner-bros-is-hiding-in-time/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/02/warner-bros-is-hiding-in-time/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Every day, another graphic novel is optioned by a studio great or small, and very rarely do they stir much interest in me. They always seem to be a variation on the assassin-with-a-heart-of-gold or superhero deconstruction, which can't even motivate me to pick up the graphic novel, let alone buy a movie ticket. So, it's a rare treat when the trades run the latest comic to be snatched up and I go "Okay -- this one I get." Hiding in Time is one of these.

According to Variety, Warner Bros has bought the rights to Christopher Long and Ryan Winn's series. Time is set in a future where the Witness Protection Program is no longer interested in changing your name and moving you to Tampa -- instead, they send you back in time to hide from those you snitched on. If hiding out in the Black Death to escape your mob buddies sounds too good to be true, it is, as a group of armed thugs begin hunting them down across the ages. It's up to one humble scientist in the Time Portal Division to stop them. (The trades mention that the scientist teams up with a master thief to track down his old crew -- I don't know if that's part of the movie pitch, or if that actually happens in the series.) No director has been named, but Beau Thorne is tackling the screenplay.




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]]>Christopher LongChristopherLongHiding in TimeHidingInTimeimage comicsImageComicsWarner BrosWarnerBrosElisabeth RappeWed, 02 Jul 2008 18:35:00 ESTThomas McCarthy Joins '2012' Instead of Making More Awesome Movies of His Ownhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/02/thomas-mccarthy-joins-2012-instead-of-making-more-awesome-movi/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/02/thomas-mccarthy-joins-2012-instead-of-making-more-awesome-movi/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/02/thomas-mccarthy-joins-2012-instead-of-making-more-awesome-movi/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

When is the news of an actor you really like joining the cast of a high-profile new movie bad news? When you wish that actor were doing other things with his time, that's when. In the case of Thomas McCarthy -- whom you may remember from his masterfully detestable performance as weaselly reporter Scott Templeton in the final season of The Wire -- I wish he were writing and directing another film as brilliant and deeply moving as The Visitor, which at this halfway point is my favorite movie of 2008. I'd even settle for something with the wry, quiet charm of his lovely 2003 debut The Station Agent.

Instead -- ::sigh:: -- he's gone and taken a supporting role in Roland Emmerich's disaster flick 2012, playing Amanda Peet's boyfriend. C'mon, Tom: anyone can do that. Only a handful of people have your behind-the-camera chops. Quit messing around.

I'm being mean, and in this Hollywood Reporter piece McCarthy makes a valiant effort at defending the choice in terms of how working with directors who make different kinds of films helps him with his own work. (The article also mentions that McCarthy moonlights as an uncredited studio script doctor, which I didn't know, and which makes perfect sense given the natural, effortless flow of the films he's written.) Okay fine. But direct something else please.

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]]>2012amanda peetAmandaPeetroland emmerichRolandEmmerichthe station agentthe visitorTheStationAgentTheVisitorthomas mccarthyThomasMccarthytom mccarthyTomMccarthyEugene NovikovWed, 02 Jul 2008 11:32:00 ESTIt's Time to 'Recoil'http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/01/its-time-to-recoil/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/01/its-time-to-recoil/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/01/its-time-to-recoil/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Sinister plans and prison releases are nothing new to the world of cinema. You've got everything from Snake Plissken having an explosive implanted within him so that he will save the President, to Leito getting led back to District 13 to help a cop defuse a bomb. But now we're getting an old story of corruption on the big screen. Variety reports that Leverage and producer Charlie Loventhal have teamed up to adapt Jim Thompson's 1953 novel Recoil, with Ralph Pezzullo writing the script.

The project will focus on a man named Pat Cosgrove. He's sent to prison for bank robbery, and is ineligible for parole because he doesn't have a sponsor. Then a dude named Doc Luther pops up, and offers him a job and sponsorship. But the job isn't all work and owage -- it's fishy generosity. He gets housing, cash, cars, and clothing, without having to do much, if any, work. Then, as Variety describes it, he's "set up for murder by the same corrupt political insiders who sponsored his parole." And people say it's rough on the inside...

This could be a fun flick, and it's definitely not the first Thompson text to hit the screen. It's just been a while. The last time his work hit the film world, it was for This World, Then the Fireworks in 1997, but the writer, who died back in 1977, was also the pen behind The Getaway, The Grifters, and After Dark, My Sweet.

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]]>Charlie LoventhalCharlieLoventhalCinematicalJim ThompsonJimThompsonRalph PezzulloRalphPezzulloRecoilMonika BartyzelTue, 01 Jul 2008 19:35:00 ESTOne 'Hobbit' Movie to (Maybe) Rule Them Allhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/30/one-hobbit-movie-to-maybe-rule-them-all/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/30/one-hobbit-movie-to-maybe-rule-them-all/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/30/one-hobbit-movie-to-maybe-rule-them-all/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

There has been a lot of heated debate about that second Hobbit film. Many Lord of the Rings fans will take anything Middle-Earth, even if it's two hours cobbled out of appendices. Others see it as a betrayal of the Tolkien canon, and a blatant money grab by all involved. I readily admit I fall into the first category -- but I certainly don't want to see a bad film just to get a visual Middle Earth fix.

No matter what camp you fall into, however, Guillermo del Toro just made a statement that should please everyone. According to Defamer, he promises they are looking at adapting The Hobbit first and foremost -- and that a second film may not even happen. "We believe there is a second movie," del Toro said. "If there isn't, there will not be. If we find it, we will shoot it, but by God, if we do not find it, we will not shoot it. I am anxious to shoot the book, and I'm willing and able to dedicate myself to shooting the [second film]. In the four books that are in the domain of the copyright, there are appendices and ideas and things that can be traced without risk. But I have to be careful not to overstep. We believe there is a way to create this film and make it interesting, but it's too early."

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]]>guillermo del toroGuillermoDelToroj.r.r. tolkienJ.r.r.TolkienPeter JacksonPeterJacksonThe HobbitThe Hobbit spin offTheHobbitTheHobbitSpinOffElisabeth RappeMon, 30 Jun 2008 09:02:00 ESTDiscuss: Do Politics Belong in Kids Movies?http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/28/discuss-do-politics-belong-in-kids-movies/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/28/discuss-do-politics-belong-in-kids-movies/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/28/discuss-do-politics-belong-in-kids-movies/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,



A couple of people have been griping about Wall-E director Andrew Stanton's refusal to admit that his cute little movie about a robot in love actually contains some pretty upfront green politics, but there's a far more polarizing reference in the film than its harmless pro-environment agenda. It's no major plot spoiler to reveal that, about an hour or so into the story, Fred Willard appears in a recorded message as the mysterious president of Earth's corporate government and orders the ship's captain (Jeff Garlin) to "stay the course." Wait, we've heard this one before: It was the go-to statement used by the Bush administration for about three years or so when describing its modus operandi in Iraq (the term was abandoned when staying the course started to sound like a bad idea). In Wall-E, the context is quite different -- it's an order to not do something, rather than take action -- but hard to ignore nonetheless.

Certain critics with (surprise!) conservative slants have taken issue with this. At Dirty Harry's Place, John Nolte expresses his disappointment in the first paragraph of his review: "Have we lost the wonderful studio who brought us The Incredibles and Ratatouille to Bush Derangement Syndrome?" he asks. New York Post critic Kyle Smith picked up the rant and decided to write his own, even though he hadn't seen the film yet: "This kind of crack, lame as it is, also breaks the spell of the movie by hurling you out of the theater and back into reality."

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]]>andrew stantonAndrewStantonanimated filmsAnimatedFilmsbrad birdBradBirdconservativeconservative biasConservativeBiasconservativesdirty harrys placeDirtyHarrysPlaceeric kohnEricKohnfamily filmsFamilyFilmsfeaturedfred willardFredWillardiraqjohn nolteJohnNoltekyle smithKyleSmithliberalliberal biasLiberalBiasliberalsnew york postNewYorkPostpixarpixar wall-ePixarWall-epoliticspresident bushpresident2008PresidentBushratatouillestay the courseStayTheCoursethe incrediblesTheIncrediblestopicalwall-ewalleEric KohnSat, 28 Jun 2008 18:32:00 EST'Meet the Parents' Heads to Koreahttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/27/meet-the-parents-heads-to-korea/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/27/meet-the-parents-heads-to-korea/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/27/meet-the-parents-heads-to-korea/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Friends with successful pens... What they write can be the ultimate compliment, especially if you get to have a hand in the story's creation, or an all-too revealing surprise riddled with personal information (like, say, Diary of a Sex Addict). Luckily, for Iain McConnell, it's the former; The Hollywood Reporter has posted that McConnell and his cousin, Jason Filardi, will be penning the story of his Korean wedding for Lionsgate.

Of course, "McConnell" isn't a Korean name, and this is where the Meet the Parents bit comes in. Iain was teaching English as a second language when he fell in love with a Korean woman. He proposed, and she said yes, but she had a catch: "Her Korean family must approve and they must have a traditional wedding in Korea." So, the guy packs up himself and his family and heads to Korea to make that happen. (If you're wondering what the wedding would be like, check out the pic at the right, and maybe watch Lane's wedding on Gilmore Girls.)

Filardi previously penned Bringing Down the House, which isn't the best flick out there, but he's also got Seventeen Again and the upcoming Topper remake on the way. So, this could be cute. But hopefully it won't be quite as painful to watch as Ben Stiller's version. That one's funny, but man, it pains me.

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]]>CinematicalIain McConnellIainMcconnellJason FilardiJasonFilardiMeet the ParentsMeetTheParentsMonika BartyzelFri, 27 Jun 2008 19:02:00 EST'Wanted' Scribes Take On 'All Creatures Great and Small'http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/27/wanted-scribes-take-on-all-creatures-great-and-small/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/27/wanted-scribes-take-on-all-creatures-great-and-small/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/27/wanted-scribes-take-on-all-creatures-great-and-small/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Just so we are clear, the new script by Wanted writers, Michael Brandt and Derek Haas, will have nothing to do with James Harriot's novel, All Creatures Great and Small -- although it does make a little confusing since they have the same title. The Hollywood Reporter announced that the duo have signed to complete a script for Sony and Original Films producer, Neil Moritz. According to Brandt, he and Haas came up with the idea after securing a blind deal with Sony, and Creatures was the first project they wanted to pitch to the studio.

Creatures centers on a future where humans are vastly outnumbered by animals. Brandt describes a pretty bleak future for us bipeds in the script: "... where people are literally living in forts, and the animals are running free."

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]]>countdowndenzel washingtonDenzelWashingtonderek haasDerekHaasmichael brandtMichaelBrandtrichard mathesonRichardMathesonrobert ludlumRobertLudlumthe matarese circleTheMatareseCircleWantedJessica BarnesFri, 27 Jun 2008 17:33:00 ESTEdgar Wright Talks 'Ant-Man'http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/26/edgar-wright-talks-ant-man/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/26/edgar-wright-talks-ant-man/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/26/edgar-wright-talks-ant-man/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Everyone seems to have superheroes on the brain this summer, so it's the perfect time for Edgar Wright to pop out of the woodwork to remind us about Ant-Man. In an interview with PiQ magazine about the DVD release of Spaced, the topic drifted to Ant-Man on the big screen.

Wright confirmed that the second draft of the script is still underway, and that the film will be a, "different way of seeing a superhero origin, because you've seen so many of them and we really tried to figure out a fresh take on that story. So it's definitely a Marvel film but it's got a little twist on it in terms of the way that it plays out."

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]]>ant manAntManedgar wrightEdgarWrightJoe CornishJoeCornishmarvelmarvel studiosMarvelStudiosstan leeStanLeethe avengersTheAvengersJessica BarnesThu, 26 Jun 2008 14:31:00 ESTIt's Time to Sign Up for 'Parent Class'http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/26/its-time-to-sign-up-for-parent-class/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/26/its-time-to-sign-up-for-parent-class/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/26/its-time-to-sign-up-for-parent-class/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Oh, how I've dreamed of parent class. Some kids are the paragon of good behavior, and allow the kiddie cuteness to shine bright, but others ... the hellions that scream through a restaurant throughout dinner, ride over the toes of unsuspecting pedestrians with their tricycles, crawl all over you on a plane where you can't escape ... Or the parents who think corn chips are a healthy vegetable meal for their kids, or think boredom needs to be rectified by medication ... For them, I've always wished there was a mandatory parent class.

At least there will be one on the big screen. The Hollywood Reporter posts that Overture has picked up a pitch called Parent Class from Toni Kotite and Marty Scott. The project will focus on "a divorced couple who are deemed unsatisfactory parents and must enroll in a class on how to improve their child-rearing skills." Producer James Gibb says that he once attended a child-rearing class, so they do exist, but I don't know about the mandatory aspect.

If done right, this could be a fun flick, between learning how to deal with the energy of a kid, and having to go through this all with an ex. Side note: I wonder -- do they have finals? Do they lock an ADD kid high on sugar in a room with the students and see how they handle the situation?

Have you ever taken a child-rearing class? What goes on at these things? And is there detention?

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]]>CinematicalJames GibbJamesGibbMarty ScottMartyScottParent ClassParentClassToni KotiteToniKotiteMonika BartyzelThu, 26 Jun 2008 10:33:00 ESTMike White HAS Written a Script for 'School of Rock 2'http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/24/mike-white-has-written-a-script-for-school-of-rock-2/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/24/mike-white-has-written-a-script-for-school-of-rock-2/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/24/mike-white-has-written-a-script-for-school-of-rock-2/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Back in May, Jack Black was chillin' in Cannes, talking about Angelina's twins, and then letting loose some surprising news: a script was written for School of Rock 2. He didn't say much else, so it seemed like one of those early Arrested Development rumors -- something that could be great, but was so vague that it could easily be nothing more than a rumor or a hope.

But it's not! Defamer reports that on Sunday, School of Rock writer Mike White was part of a screenwriting panel at LAFF with Catherine Hardwicke and Craig Gillespie. He said: "I actually just completed a draft of what's potentially the sequel [to School of Rock], and I'm still, like, crying as I'm writing the script. I try to come at it from a personal place..."

Wait. A sequel -- a real sequel -- has been written, and it made him cry? He wouldn't say what it's about, but that he just turned it in, and doesn't know if it will even get made. Perhaps they were just tears of personal happiness, but he did go on to discuss his writing process and said: "But at least now I have a better sense of what it was we created -- what worked and what didn't. I can kind of reboot it." Reboot? What!?

What say you? Are you ready for a rebooted School of Rock?

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]]>CinematicalMike WhiteMikeWhiteSchool of RockSchool of Rock 2SchoolOfRockSchoolOfRock2Monika BartyzelTue, 24 Jun 2008 12:32:00 EST'Joshua''s George Ratliff to Write and Direct 'Salvation Boulevard'http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/24/joshuas-george-ratliff-to-write-and-direct-salvation-bouleva/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/24/joshuas-george-ratliff-to-write-and-direct-salvation-bouleva/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/24/joshuas-george-ratliff-to-write-and-direct-salvation-bouleva/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

George Ratliff's Joshua is my pick for the most underseen and underappreciated movie of last year; I suspect that as a true psychological horror film with something on its mind, it was simply too unpleasant to find much of an audience. But it proved Ratliff's chops as a brainy, skilled filmmaker, and he's been able to get more work (presumably) as a result. He'll be writing and directing an adaptation of an upcoming novel called Salvation Boulevard by Larry Beinhart. Beinhart is probably best known for writing American Hero, which David Mamet would adapt into the popular satire Wag the Dog.

Salvation Boulevard is more demanding stuff: it's a mystery about a private investigator hired to find the killer of a college professor that becomes an exploration of religious faith when it turns out that the professor was an atheist, the P.I. is a born-again Christian, the main suspect is a Muslim student, and the defense attorney is a Jew. Sounds a bit contrived, but I suspect we're missing some data. The movie's executive producer is quoted as saying that the book "uses a mystery to examine the religious process, the mega-churches and how they manipulate minds."

The novel comes out in September, and no schedule's set for the production of the film. In the meantime, go find Joshua on DVD!

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]]>david mametDavidMametgeorge ratliffGeorgeRatliffjoshualarry beinhartLarryBeinhartsalvation boulevardSalvationBoulevardwag the dogWagTheDogEugene NovikovTue, 24 Jun 2008 10:32:00 ESTDisney Makes Another Body Switch Wishhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/23/disney-makes-another-body-switch-wish/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/23/disney-makes-another-body-switch-wish/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/23/disney-makes-another-body-switch-wish/#commentsFiled under: , ,

And I thought living out Freaky Friday or Honey, I Shrunk the Kids would suck.

In a move reminiscent of the Angel episode "Story Time," The Hollywood Reporter posts that Disney has picked up a pitch from Patrick Doody and Chris Valenziano called Happy Little Family. But instead of all those human parts morphing into a small, felty puppet, they're becoming dollish.

The film will focus on an entire family who somehow get turned into a "popular set of dolls" after a wish goes nuts. (Once again with the Whedon references, you'd think people would've learned the harm of wishing by now...) So, the family are now dolls, and they have to "work together to survive the dangers they encounter in their newfound state" while trying to figure out how to re-humanize themselves.

Is there an evil spell on them? Do they just have to learn how to work together as a family to survive? Since this is Disney we're talking about, I'll assume the latter.

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]]>Chris ValenzianoChrisValenzianoCinematicalHappy Little FamilyHappyLittleFamilyPatrick DoodyPatrickDoodyMonika BartyzelMon, 23 Jun 2008 20:32:00 ESTMark Millar's 'Kick-Ass' Updatehttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/23/mark-millars-kick-ass-update/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/23/mark-millars-kick-ass-update/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/23/mark-millars-kick-ass-update/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Now that Wanted is ready to hit the big screen and early buzz has been positive, it should come as no surprise that Mark Millar's other film project has kicked into high gear. Comic Book Resources got the chance to speak with Millar about the upcoming feature film adaptation of his work when the conversation turned to the feature film version of his Icon series, Kick-Ass. Millar tells Resources, "The casting's all been done, and everything's all in line now with that. There's two big names attached, which I can't mention so we can get on the cover of 'Variety.' And now we've got everyone. The kids who show up at the end of issue #3 - we just cast the girl, and that was a really tricky one because we needed to find someone who could do martial arts stuff."

The story of Kick-Ass is a little different from your average tale of a caped crusader. Instead, Kick was told through flashbacks about a 15-year-old kid named Dave Lizewski. Dave is just a regular kid with no special powers or abilities, but he makes the incredibly dangerous decision to become a superhero. Early speculation has Matthew 'Layer Cake' Vaughn handling the script and directing duties, but so far nothing has been confirmed -- and Millar has kept quiet on that front.

So let the games begin: sound off below on who you think can fill Lizewski's homemade tights.

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]]>john romita jrJohnRomitaJrKick-Asslayer cakeLayerCakeMark MillarMarkMillarmatthew vaughnMatthewVaughnwantedJessica BarnesMon, 23 Jun 2008 19:32:00 ESTBilly Madison, the Home-Schooled Versionhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/23/billy-madison-the-home-schooled-version/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/23/billy-madison-the-home-schooled-version/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/23/billy-madison-the-home-schooled-version/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Thirteen years ago, well before You Don't Mess with the Zohan, Adam Sandler was Billy Madison -- the twenty-something slacker who had to go back to school to prove his worth to his father. But it wasn't just hitting the halls of high school; Billy slid his adult butt into the teeny chairs for elementary education. And now we're getting another academic fish out of water story, but of the home-schooled variety.

The Hollywood Reporter posts that DreamWorks has picked up a pitch by Mike Arnold and Chris Poole called Home Schooled. It's about some 30-year-old guy who has done his learnin' from home, and is now going to head off to college. If it took him that long to finish elementary and high school, I'm betting this transition won't go smoothly, and will probably have some Old School wildness to boot.

While we haven't seen any of their work on the big screen yet, Arnold and Poole are on a role. The Grackle has been picked up by New Line for Matthew McConaughey to star in; Captain Awesome was picked up by Fox Atomic; they're writing The Litigator as part of a blind script deal; and finally, they've got Beaujolais going at Fox, with the Farrelly brothers producing and Danny McBride starring. That's not too bad for a duo who write their scripts through Skype.

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]]>Chris PooleChrisPooleCinematicalHome SchooledHomeSchooledMike ArnoldMikeArnoldMonika BartyzelMon, 23 Jun 2008 13:02:00 ESTUniversal Will 'Repeat After Me'http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/20/universal-will-repeat-after-me/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/20/universal-will-repeat-after-me/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/20/universal-will-repeat-after-me/#commentsFiled under: , ,

I'm not sure what's going on with the high school version of Groundhog Day, Monday Monday, that Erik posted about last year. Flint Wainess wrote the script, and it was said to feature a teen who has to relive his first day of high school over and over until he does it right. But now we're getting a different spin on the theme. Instead of groundhogs or pimple-ridden teens, we're getting weddings.

The Hollywood Reporter posts that Universal is getting in on the action with Repeat After Me, a pitch coming from Dave H. Johnson, who has already sold another wedding-centric pitch called Man Wedding. In Repeat After Me, a couple realizes "that they are reliving their disastrous wedding day again and again and start to question getting married in the first place."

This is a bit of a switch on the old theme -- two people instead of one, and getting out of romance instead of into it.
If this plays out as it suggests -- a cautionary tale about getting married capriciously -- it could be a nice change of pace.

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]]>CinematicalDave H. JohnsonDaveH.JohnsonRepeat After MeRepeatAfterMeMonika BartyzelFri, 20 Jun 2008 17:31:00 EST'Silver Surfer' Not Getting the Greenlight?http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/20/j-michael-straczynski-on-silver-surfer/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/20/j-michael-straczynski-on-silver-surfer/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/20/j-michael-straczynski-on-silver-surfer/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

For the Silver Surfer fans dying to see his spin-off movie, this will come as a bitter disappointment. AMC's SciFi Scanner caught up with J. Michael Straczynski and asked him about the status of his Silver Surfer script. Not surprisingly, it is in the dead zone.

"Whether or not it ever gets made, I don't know, because they were kind of disappointed in how Fantastic Four 2 did. And given how this will be a subset of FF2 in terms of the marketing strategy, I think there is hesitation there about putting it forward. The script is pretty good, I like it, but whether or not it goes into production, I have no idea."

Silver Surfer would have taken place minutes after Fantastic Four 2 ended, and his surfboard raced back to his open arms. "You find out why Silver Surfer was there and what happened to him. We would have seen Galactus, his home world, what happened and him trying to get back there, because now that he's betrayed Galactus, he's concerned his home world might be in jeopardy."

Continue reading 'Silver Surfer' Not Getting the Greenlight?

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]]>Fantastic Four 2FantasticFour2Galactusj. michael straczynskiJ.MichaelStraczynskiSilver SurferSilverSurferElisabeth RappeFri, 20 Jun 2008 13:31:00 EST'Conan' Script is Getting a Rewritehttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/19/conan-script-is-getting-a-rewrite/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/19/conan-script-is-getting-a-rewrite/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/19/conan-script-is-getting-a-rewrite/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Despite being one of the most beloved characters in the sword and sorcery genre, I can't help thinking that the reboot of Conan the Barbarian might be doomed -- I mean, it has been almost a whole year since news of a bidding war first surfaced, and after endless casting speculation we find out that now the script is suffering through a few growing pains of its own. IGN spoke with Nu Image/Millennium Films and they said that writers Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer have just started their "contractually obligated" rewrite of the script.

There is still no word on a director yet, but IGN reports that "The filmmakers are still talking to some directors but expect to engage more of them once they have a screenplay everyone is happy with." At one point everyone from Rob Zombie to John McTiernan was attached to the project, but nothing ever panned out -- could that have been the sign of a bad script that wasn't getting any better? But, for fans that are eager for the northern barbarian to get a makeover, all is not lost. IGN reports that the studio is planning on getting the production moving "sooner rather than later" in hopes of capitalizing on the popularity of the new MMORPG, Age of Conan - Hyborian Adventures -- that is if they can ever find someone to direct or star in the film.

Conan is expected to arrive in theaters sometime in 2009.

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]]>age of conan hyboria...AgeOfConanHyboria...conanJoshua OppenheimerJoshuaOppenheimerthomas dean donnellyThomasDeanDonnellyJessica BarnesThu, 19 Jun 2008 20:37:00 EST