james mangold Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Don't hold your breath, but Tommy Boy may have chosen his next project. Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz "are in advanced negotiations" to star in an action comedy currently titled Wichita, according to Variety. Cruise is notoriously indecisive cautious, though, so it's not a go until the cameras start rolling.

If all goes well for 20th Century Fox, the idea is to throw the movie into the summer 2010 maelstrom. Fox already has The A-Team, Gulliver's Travels, and Predator set for the season. The bigger question is how Cruise would handle the role. The character he would play is described as "a secret agent who pops in and out of the life of a single woman." The movie is described as having "several action scenes," so it sounds like it would lean more on comedy and romance. The sole time Cruise has tried to be funny and romantic was his Academy Award-nominated performance 13 years ago in Cameron Crowe's Jerry Maguire. Cruise looks very good when he's running, and can play stoic and stiff in his sleep, but comedy is basically an undiscovered country for him.

The secondary question is James Mangold, who is set to direct. He has mad skills with actors (Girl, Interrupted, Walk the Line), but his only previous romantic comedy was Kate & Leopold with Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman in 2001, which, alas, I haven't seen. Cameron Diaz is a definite asset as a comedic actress. Still, I'm wondering: is this a recipe for disaster?

After skating the edges of the Western genre for years, with his 'urban Western' Cop Land and his country western-flavored music biopic Walk the Line, James Mangold has finally taken the plunge and made a full-on Western with 3:10 to Yuma, and the result is a success. While very faithful to the 1957 original -- some scenes are actually recreated word for word -- this film is also Mangold's own, stirring up the same ideas he's always shown interest in. If you're a Mangold fan, you know there are shadings of the classic High Noon situation in all of his films, with the good but under-pressure man standing by his principles as he's deserted by everyone around him, and 3:10 is no exception. This time, the good man is a poor, hobbled rancher named Evans, played by a typically dour Christian Bale. Evans is so broke he's about to go under when an opportunity presents itself -- he can make a fistful of cash if he's brave enough (or stupid enough) to walk a notorious and recently captured gangster named Ben Wade to the train station that will take him to prison.

Stepping into the shoes of Ben Wade is Russell Crowe, who plays the part as though he's certain that he's the film's good guy. When the film first catches up with Wade, he's sullen and bored with the criminal life, and prefers to sit up on a ridge and draw pictures of wild life, while leaving the scheming to his frustrated goons. Not that he's a pacifist -- Wade is a man capable of quick, brutal violence (even with a fork), although not prone to hatred or stupidity or any of the other dull characteristics we'd tend to associate with a man who robs and kills for a living. In fact, Crowe's (and Mangold's) decision to give Wade an abundance of good qualities to cancel out the bad ones may be a bit too much at times -- after all, we don't really want to root for this guy, do we? It's always something of a cheat when a movie tells us that the bad guy has taken many lives in the past, but doesn't really show us that side of him during the film.

When it comes to the remake of the 1957 classic 3:10 To Yuma, Lionsgate seems awfully eager to debut their western update. A recent email from LG indicates the following: "On behalf of Lionsgate, we are pleased to announce the SNEAK PEAK of 3:10 to Yuma, the new film from director James Mangold (Walk the Line), starring Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Gretchen Mol and legendary Western star, Peter Fonda. The highly anticipated film will be showing in theaters on Sunday, September 2nd, the weekend prior to its wide release on September 7th." For those unfamiliar with the original film, the story focuses on a struggling rancher and father (Bale) who volunteers to escort wanted criminal Ben Wade (Crowe) to a train that will take him to trial. But nothing is ever that easy in the wild west, and Wade's gang is not about to give up on their head honcho.

This is the second time that Lionsgate has changed their mind when it comes to Yuma's debut. Back in July, James had given us the heads-up that the studio was eying a September 7 release date -- maybe to avoid "western overload". This September we will finally be getting a look at Brad Pitt's Assassination of Jesse James, and later this Fall, there is the somewhat more revisionist No Country for Old Men. Early reviews of Yuma have been rather positive, so it's not surprising that the studio would be in a rush to get the film into theaters. Lionsgate seems convinced they have a winner, and judging by the teaser trailer and some of the best poster art I've seen in a long time, I think they might be right.

Heck yeah -- I cannot wait to see this movie! Cinematical has been handed the final one-sheet for the upcoming 3:10 to Yuma remake, starring Christian Bale and Russell Crowe. If being able to watch two of the finest actors of this generation square off against one another on the big screen isn't enough, then you might want to know that the film is also directed by James Mangold -- whose last flick, Walk the Line, won all sorts of praise (and a few Oscars, if I recall). In the film (which is based on a short story by Elmore Leonard, and a remake from 1957), Bale plays a small-time rancher who's placed in charge of watching a recently-captured outlaw (Crowe) while they await the 3:10 train to Yuma, where said outlaw is scheduled to appear in court. As you can probably imagine, things don't go so well from there. For more on the film, check out our coverage of the ComicCon poster, a couple still photos and the trailer. 3:10 to Yuma arrives in theaters on September 7.

Is this one of the coolest movie posters you've ever seen, or what? Yup, that's the brand new poster for 3:10 to Yuma over to the right of your screen (click on it for a larger version via Coming Soon); that new Western flick starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. What's great about the poster is the fact that they don't bombard the thing with portraits of both Bale and Crowe. Instead, we get some lone cowboy with his back toward us and a couple guns in his hand. I haven't purchased a movie poster in a long time, but part of me is actually itching to hang this bad boy up on the wall. (Unfortunately, the wife might not dig it as much as I do.) Oh, and the trailer ain't so bad either.

Based on a short story by Elmore Leonard, 3:10 to Yuma is a remake of the 1957 film of the same name. That one starred Glenn Ford and Van Heflin in the two lead roles, which will now be played by Crowe and Bale. In the film, which was directed by James Mangold (Walk the Line), Bale plays a small-time rancher who's placed in charge of holding an outlaw (Crowe) while they await the 3:10 train to Yuma for a court appearance. But if you thought the two guys would just hang out, play cards and make friendship bracelets for one another, you're wrong. It was recently announced that Lionsgate moved the film's release date up a month to September 7th in order to be the first Western this fall to hit the marketplace. I know that sounds weird (we haven't seen a quality Western grace the big screen in quite some time), but 3:10 to Yuma will indeed face competition from both Brad Pitt's The Assassination of Jesse James and the Coen Bros. No Country for Old Men (which our own James Rocchi calls a "revisionist Western" and not a "more classic-styled period piece). Should all three films do well, perhaps the Western will make a bit of a comeback. Now that I'd like to see.

Western fans, here's some good news: Lionsgate announced yesterday that they're moving the release date for 3:10 to Yuma (James Mangold's take on the 1957 oat opera of the same name) up a month to September 7th. You may recall stories about Yuma's problematic pre-production, with various big stars stepping on and off the film, but even with a revolving door of casting possibilities and a hefty budget cut, the film's done. And, evidently, Lionsgate are confident enough in the film (starring Christian Bale as a lawman who has to get Russell Crowe's bad man to the train on time, though Hell should bar the way) to be putting it out early.

The Variety piece about the release date change contains an interesting comment from Lionsgate theatrical president Tom Ortenberg: "We certainly wanted to be the first Western in the marketplace ...," implying that with the long-delayed Brad Pitt-starring The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and the Coen Brothers epic No Country for Old Men both due this fall, 3:10 is going to try to be the first film out of the post before audiences presumably get Western fatigue. I for one am more intrigued by the fact that after years of no Westerns, we're getting two-and-a-half (really, No Country for Old Men counts as a revisionist Western and not as a more classic-styled period piece) in one season. Is this release plan marking a new trend, or is it just a coincidence -- and does it matter to you which of the above three films comes out first when the time comes to make your ticket-buying decision?

James Mangold's Cop Land is a stellar example of an "urban western," a contemporary film that beautifully updates the genre's plots and themes -- without the saddles n' spurs that Hollywood seems to be so afraid of these days. You could tell by watching that wildly underrated flick that Mangold had studied a lot of the classic westerns, and I can't wait to see his take on the real deal. 3:10 to Yuma stars Russell Crowe and Christian Bale, a potentially explosive acting duo. It's a remake of the 1957 Glenn Ford/Van Heflin film. The plot's a simple one: Outlaw leader Ben Wade (Crowe) is captured and awaiting the 3:10 train to Yuma for his trial. "Small-time rancher" Dan Evans (Bale) agrees to hold the outlaw, a battle of wills ensues, and in true western style, the whole thing culminates in a shootout, which Mangold says "has the potential to be one of the great movie gunfights." Ben Foster, Peter Fonda, and Alan Tudyk will costar.

Here we have the first two official pictures from the film. As you can see, Crowe and Bale are in full-on intense mode, and I would imagine these shots are taken from the climactic showdown. If you want to really have some fun, put the pictures up so they're facing each other and make your own gunfight. Feel free to add voices and sound effects, I won't judge. You can take the 3:10 to Yuma this October.

I remember seeing my first Sylvester Stallone film at the tender age of ... well, none of your business. This is Hollywood, after all, and we don't discuss our ages here. Anyway, the movie I saw was the classic story of an underdog loser who gets his one shot at greatness called Rocky. It was a great movie and Stallone was great in it, along with the rest of the cast that included Burgess Meredith as driven trainer Mick, Burt Young as simple but lovable Paulie and Talia Shire as Adrian -- the girl who makes it all worthwhile. Rocky was the first movie I remember seeing where the hero didn't win the fight but still got the girl. That worked for me, so after seeing Rocky, I was a Stallone fan.

I've remained a fan over the years, even during the dark days where it seemed Stallone had lost his way. When was doing films like Over the Top, Rambo III and Judge Dredd, I always knew he would eventually come around and take his rightful place among the icons of cinema. Fortunately, he was finally able to redeem himself by appearing in James Mangold's excellent character study Copland. This film proved that not only could Stallone pick good material if he wanted to, he could take that material and really make something out of it.

And now I'm not alone in feeling that Stallone deserves iconic status in the lore of cinema. NATO (the National Association of Theater Owners -- not the political group) thinks so too. According to a recent article in the Hollywood Reporter, Stallone was honored Tuesday evening by NATO with its Show East Icon Award, which is given once a year to an individual or institution that has achieved "iconic" status in entertainment. Stallone accepted the award while standing in a boxing ring with MGM Chief Rick Sands, who was there to promote MGM's newest slate of films -- including the upcoming Rocky Balboa, which Stallone wrote, directed and stars. After accepting the award, Stallone reportedly dropped it. Not missing a beat, the actor said: "I'm glad this fell down. It's all about getting up again, isn't it?" Yes it is.

Remakes are always defended in ways that make the general public appear as idiots. Old films are remade because people don't remember, foreign films are remade because people don't like to read subtitles and documentaries are remade because they teach us stuff. But any documentary that can be remade as a dramatic feature is different from docs that just teach us stuff. They already have an engaging narrative and interesting characters -- otherwise producers wouldn't see the remake potential. Rather than finding new ways to market enjoyable docs to moviegoers, I guess it's easier to do the remake, so filmmakers have an easy movie to make and sell, therefore providing two films to be profited on.

I guess the reason that I'm even more angry this time is because Murderball, which has inspired an upcoming project for director James Mangold, is probably the most entertaining, most easily accessible documentary that has ever existed. Sure it teaches us stuff, but it's also hilarious, action-packed and feel-good. Besides, nobody could play lead murderball (aka wheelchair rugby) player Mark Zupan in a way that would better his own appearance in the Oscar-nominated, Sundance-winning doc. Certainly not Eminem, who expressed an interest last year.

The proposed remake of the classic thriller 3:10 to Yuma has bounced from certainty to limbo, and recently, the odds of it actually being made were looking rather shaky. Back in February, James Mangold (Walk the Line) announced he would direct (and improve, in his opinion) the remake for Sony/Columbia. However, Sony dumped the production in June even though Russell Crowe was attached.

Now Lionsgate has picked up the remake for distribution, although at nearly $80 million, the budget is a little higher than Lionsgate's usual fare (the Saw series). However, It's a risk the studio is willing to take. The new cast includes not only Crowe in the role that the late Glenn Ford originally made famous, but Christian Bale (in the Van Heflin role) and an actor whom Serenity/Firefly fans might recognize, Alan Tudyk. No word yet on how much Mangold has "improved" the script from the 1957 film, which is based on an Elmore Leonard story. Shooting is expected to start in October.