DavidDobkin Tagged Articles at Cinematical
The Griswolds Are Back! 'Vacation' Franchise Reboot
Filed under: Classics », Comedy », Deals », New Line », Scripts », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand », Remakes and Sequels »
Lately, I've noticed a blogosphere backlash when it comes to remakes and sequels. Because so many are whining about reboots / remakes, the contrarians now assert that remakes are something akin to a new performance of Hamlet. But I'm not sure even the remake champions can defend New Line going back to the Vacation (formerly of National Lampoon, now owned by Warner Bros) well. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio has brought on David Dobkin to develop the project. He may also be lucky enough to direct.New Line plans to relaunch the Vacation series by centering it on Rusty Griswold, son of Clark. He's now married with children of his own, and (brace yourselves) takes them on a vacation. THR is quick to point out that because Rusty will think back on the horror that was the trip to WallyWorld it's not a reboot, but a sequel. The studio is currently looking for writers to pen the screenplay, and note that they're hoping for Planes, Trains, and Automobiles over RV.
Now there's always room for a funny travel movie, but who knew the Griswolds would have a saga that rivaled the Skywalkers. I understand the need for familiarity, but the Griswold family weren't intended to be entertainment icons. They were just a mirror of our own families, so why not trot out a new family? But that's assuming we even need a new Vacation movie. The original
may feature outdated cars and clothes, but nothing in the way of family vacations has changed since 1983. But hey, if it was worth doing once, then it's worth rebooting a dozen times to avoid those piles of original scripts ... right?
Four New Posters for 'Fred Claus'
Filed under: Comedy », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Warner Brothers », Family Films », Movie Marketing », Images »
Let me just start off by saying, I actually really like Vince Vaughn. But for some reason, the airbrushed, "kinder and gentler" Vaughn in the four new posters for the comedy Fred Claus is just creeping me out. The story centers on Vaughn as the no-goodnik brother of the Santa Claus, who tries to mend some familial rifts by helping out with the family business. Paul Giamatti plays the big guy in red, with Vaughn (obviously) as the black sheep in the family. The cast also includes Rachel Weisz, Miranda Richardson, and Kevin Spacey. Claus was directed by The Wedding Crashers', David Dobkin from a script by Dan Fogelman, and this is Dobkin's third film with Vaughn; their working relationship began back in 1998 with the black comedy Clay Pigeons, so they seem to enjoy working with each other.Claus is set for release on November 9th, sandwiched between a couple of other high-profile family films -- Jerry Seinfield's Bee Movie, and Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium starring Natalie Portman and Dustin Hoffman. Last November, Erik had given us news of the teaser for Claus, and I will admit, it looked like it had the potential to be pretty funny. There were no actual scenes from the film mind you, but the deadpan shtick that Vaughn and Giamatti provided seemed like it might be an antidote to the toothless comedy of most holiday movies. Combined with the solid cast, and Vaughn and Dobkin's track record, I'm thinking maybe this won't be another lame holiday offering. Unfortunately, the elf/ninja joke showcased in one poster also has me thinking otherwise.
Vince Vaughn, the other Claus
Filed under: Comedy », Casting », Warner Brothers », Newsstand »
According to Variety, Wedding
Crashers team Vince Vaughn (who is rumored to be approaching
the $20 million/picture mark for the first time) and director David
Dobkin are in negotiations to topline Fred
Claus, a new comedy from Warner Brothers. Though talks are still in the very early stages, the hope is that a
deal will be struck quickly and the movie will zip into production - gee, it's a good thing Dobkin jumped ship
on I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, huh? His sudden free time has really worked out for Warner's.The screenplay by Dan Fogelman revolves around Santa's bitter older brother Fred (to be played, obviously, by Vaughn), "who heads back to the North Pole and gets a chance to redeem himself." You're laughing already, aren't you? Me too. Though nothing not involving either a hobbit or a man in a fat suit and drag can be called a sure thing in Hollywood these days, this has got to come pretty close - Vaughn combines put-upon misery with grudging good guy-ness better than anyone I can think of, and based on that whole Wedding Crashers thing, he and Dobkin are box office gold. Hurry up and get these deals done - I expect Christmas hilarity this year, dammit!
[via Dark Horizons]
A domestic partnership for Sandler and James
Filed under: Comedy », Casting », Universal », Newsstand »
For some reason, Universal has been working on
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, a movie about firemen who pretend to be gay in order to win domestic
partnership benefits, for years and years and years. (Actually, many states offer domestic partner benefits for
heterosexual couples, too, but I guess that's less funny.) The movie's been through an almost endless parade of writers
(Jon Favreau among them) and stars (Will Smith, Nicolas
Cage, James
Gandolfini, Vince Vaughn, and Wilson #2), but has never gotten out of the blocks. Now, however, the
studio has found its dream team, and the movie is a go: according to The Hollywood Reporter, Adam
Sandler and Kevin James will play the happy "couple."The Sandler-James edition of the script has been written by, of all people, the Sideways team of Jim Taylor and Alexander Payne, and currently slated to direct is David Dobkin of Wedding Crashers fame, all of which sounds pretty promising. Though there are a lot of people in that Nearly Starred list that I'd rather see in this movie than the two currently on board, it's hard to deny that the behind-the-scenes team that's in line for this installment is the best group so far. Of course, whether the movie will actually happen this time is something else entirely.
Jeremy Renner Wants To Be An Avenger
Directors We Love: Jim Jarmusch
Indie Roundup: 'Sweetgrass,' 'Clarkworld,' 'Broken Embraces'
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Watch: Famous 'Matrix' Scene Re-Created with LEGOs
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