MartinLawrence Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Get a few chuckles with a skit, and soon it will become a film. If you're a fan of the BET Awards, you should be familiar with Sheneneh and Wanda. The two made up the super-stylishly named bank-robbing team Skank Robbers, a faux trailer parody (after the jump) that aired during the awards, played by Martin Lawrence and Jamie Foxx respectively. This skit got enough laughs that it wasn't only deemed successful, but also cinematic -- Variety reports that the pair have decided to turn the brief concept into a film, a la Machete.

Sheneneh and Wanda, two characters dreamed up during the comedians' stand-up days, will be "modern-day independent women trying to make it on their own, one bank robbery at a time." The pair have been wanting to star in a movie together for a while, so this is their big shot -- one that Foxx is writing and Screen Gems is fast-tracking. ...This is it?

Granted, I'm not some old-school Sheneneh fan, but what exactly is it about this pair that makes them worthy not only of a feature film, but also being fast-tracked? Hasn't Hollywood already gotten enough comedians cross-dressing? Don't these men have something better to do than ... this? And if now is the time to bring In Living Color to the big screen, oh, the other characters I would pick.

MacGruber, Sheneneh, Wanda ... what skit is next?

Face it -- it's Michael Bay's world now, and we just live in it. Weary of dominating the world with gigantic robots and Megan Fox, Bay might just be returning with the Bad Boys. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Columbia has hired Peter Craig to pen a third installment of the Bad Boys series, and hope to get the old team back together in the truest sense of action movies.

The studio hopes that a strong script can lure them all back for another mission. Neither Bay, Jerry Bruckheimer, Will Smith or Martin Lawrence have a deal to return, and since this is still in the early stages of development, that's no surprise. However, THR notes that all have expressed an interest in returning if the story is strong enough. The potential hurdle is the massive salaries Smith and Lawrence now command, something that's proving to be a problem with many action movies these days.

So, what else can I say? Bad Boys 3 is coming. I'll make a shocking prediction and say that it'll take place in Miami, feature a drug cartel, some human trafficking, and a lot of explosions. Explosions with tanks coming out of them. There will be at least one smoking hot chick. At the end, Smith and Lawrence will sing Bad Boys with the wrong words. It's going to be Baytastic, but at least it isn't a Bad Boys reboot.

Back in January, we all recoiled a little bit at the news that Neil LaBute was remaking Death at a Funeral -- a nice little British movie that only just came out in 2007, making a remake seem even more superfluous than they usually are. The fact that he was making it with Chris Rock made the whole thing seem even more cheesy. (Not that we don't like Rock ... it's just that we like him in original, edgy stuff.)

Well, the remake just got a lot more over the top. The Hollywood Reporter has announced that Martin Lawrence and Tracy Morgan have joined, along with Loretta Devine, Ron Glass, Danny Glover, Regina Hall, James Marsden, Zoe Saldana and Columbus Short. (Who wants to bet money that Marsden is the gay lover? Anyone? Anyone?)

It's keeping the exact same plot of misplaced cadavers, gay blackmail, hallucinogenic drugs, and family secrets, though Rock cowrote the script with Ayesha Carr, so we can expect some changes. It's just not clear yet what they might be ... but at least it probably won't involve bear suits or misogyny. I'm still not convinced this needed to be remade, but I suppose if you're going to do one, it ought to feature Danny Glover. Let's just hope Tyler Perry stays a million miles away from the set.

ETA: Yes, the title originally read Tracy Jordan. I watch way too much 30 Rock.

Lots going on this week -- here are a few stories that fell between the cracks ...

UPDATE: Slashfilm was sent a link to a password protected page on the Legendary Pictures website that lists the title of the Superman Returns sequel to be Superman Unleashed. No word on whether that's old or new or if it will stick, but that looks to be the title they're working with now.

-- The first official ... logo (?) for New Moon (aka Twilight 2) has arrived online via MTV (which I heard now stands for Music, Twilight, Very Bad Reality Shows) and, ya know, it looks like the original Twilight logo except with some extra yellow-orange color. Not sure if I'm crazy about the whole Twilight Saga thing, but I guess they had to find a place for the word 'Twilight' in order to remind people that it's the same franchise. Nevertheless, you can check it out at the top of this post.

-- Looks like Mickey Rourke might not be done with Iron Man 2 after all. The actor told Jeffrey Lyons recently that he's met with the screenwriter and director and there's a chance they'll work out something (the key word there being 'Give me more money you cheap bastards'). Some say Rourke and his people are holding out to see if he wins the Oscar for Best Actor, which would surely give him a bit more leverage in the contract negotiations. So we'll see ...

-- Meanwhile, in the year 2018, it looks like Linda Hamilton is in talks to reprise her role as Sarah Connor for Terminator Salvation. She confirmed earlier rumors, telling MTV that, if the talks go well, she'd be providing a voiceover -- most likely one that will open the movie.

After the jump: Scream 4, Superman and a Coming to America sequel ...

Somewhere inside Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins -- buried in frenzied improvisations and manic mugging, adrift in a sea of easy sentiment and familiar family-drama moments -- there's a kernel of a good idea, as successful L.A. self-help guru Dr. R.J. Stevens (Martin Lawrence) comes back home to the South for a family celebration. R.J.'s got it all -- the syndicated, Montel-styled talk show, the beautiful fiancée, the Hollywood good life -- but that doesn't seem to impress the family he hasn't seen in 9 years, who know him as Roscoe Jenkins. Much like Dan in Real Life, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins puts a self-help expert who is in desperate need of help for himself into the middle of a sprawling, squalling family, and that environment makes the distance between the persona and the person readily, painfully apparent. And, much like Dan in Real Life, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins skims the surface of that idea, scooping up a few laughs and a bit of drama, but it never digs too far below that, or really engages with the central plot.

I'm surrounded by four gregarious guys who ride Harleys, blow up bars and throw down with a rival biker gang named the "Del Fuegos." And strangely, I'm not afraid of getting my ass kicked. Perhaps that's because the aforementioned Harley pilots are John Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy, and they did all of that stuff in their new road-trip comedy Wild Hogs. The guys and I are in Boston, the second stop on their Wild Hogs promotional tour. Yesterday, they were in Atlanta, where long-haired, bearded, diehard bikers turned out in droves of thousands to follow the foursome as they cruised the streets on their hogs. A similar event -- a police-escorted bike ride from Beantown's Four Seasons Hotel to City Hall -- had been planned for later today, but alas the 18-degree temperatures and 40 mile-per-hour winds have crapped all over that plan like a pigeon on a motorcycle helmet. Instead, John, Tim, Martin and Bill will arrive for a ceremony with the Mayor Thomas Menino in big, warm, comfortable Suburbans. (More on that later).

For now, however, we're sitting in a warm hotel room at the Four Seasons listening to Allen work on one hell of a hilarious non sequitur in his patented Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor manly yawp: "I'm Spartacus. Who's Spartacus? I'm tired of dying. I'm tired of eating soup. Who's Spartacus? I'm Spartacus!" He's got me and his Hogs co-stars in stitches -- that is, until he blurts out, "Does it involve a spanking?!" Then the silence hits -- but only briefly, before another bout of prolonged laughter.

Two minutes in, and it's already clear that these four guys don't just play pals in a movie; they are pals. When Travolta claims, "I have to edit everything Tim says," Allen retorts with a comical threat in his best Arnold Schwarzenegger accent. And when asked who the most skilled rider is, they bust each others chops mercilessly one moment, then dole out Coca-Cola-sweet compliments the next.

Wow, this is awesome. Usually we have to wait for a DVD release to be offered a meaningless (and generally entertainment-free) collection of movie bloopers, but the marketing team behind the motorcycle comedy Wild Hogs has decided to dole out those goodies extra early. Click right here to see if this material makes Wild Hogs look more appealing ... or less. (Still, it's a bit funnier than the trailer.)

Starring Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy, Wild Hogs comes from second-time director Walt Becker (after Van Wilder) and first-time screenwriter Brad Copeland -- a man who has penned a few episodes of Arrested Development and My Name is Earl and must therefore have some talent. Plus the flick seems to have a Ray Liotta cameo, and really, doesn't every movie need a Ray Liotta cameo? The Disney comedy opens on March 2.

Once upon a time, a guy in the throes of a midlife crisis would buy himself a red sports car. But these days, any balding, potbellied man worth his salt trades in his SUV not for a Corvette, but for the biggest, fastest motorcycle he can find. Four wheels bad, two wheels good!

That's the premise behind the upcoming comedy 'Wild Hogs,' which stars John Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy as suburban schmoes who hit the road, badass biker-style. Of course, they find that being badass isn't quite as easy as the brochure made it sound, even if they are sporting those studly black do-rags and leather jackets.

You can watch the trailer at the official site, but you can only see the poster right here. Click on the image for the super-size version, and then tack it to your wall while you wait for your own hog to arrive from the shop. Your wife/mom/grandma won't mind. 'Wild Hogs' opens March 2, 2007.

POST: Are you excited for this movie?

GET IT: More info on 'Wild Hogs'

Look, I like Martin Lawrence. I like him as a stand-up comedian and I like him as an actor -- but I absolutely hate the roles he takes on. He sort of reminds me of Eddie Murphy in that both men have made some great little flicks (Bad Boys for Lawrence and Beverly Hills Cop for Murphy), but then somehow found themselves climbing out of a deep hole filled with crap. In fact, the two even starred in one such "winner" -- remember Life? Ugh.

I've always wanted to see Lawrence grow up a bit, take on a role that's not so silly and ridiculous, while adding a nice touch of heart in at the end. Well, his next project may just make all my Martin Lawrence wishes come true. Universal Pictures has attached Lawrence to star in The Better Man, with Malcolm Lee (Roll Bounce) set to direct. Pic revolves around a popular syndicated talkshow host who, after attending his parents 50th anniversary alongside his famous wife, begins to ponder whether he's getting the most out of life. It appears Lee agrees with me, as he goes on to say: "There's emotion and pathos here that give Martin a chance to display more layers than usual." Yes! Give us that! Get out of the fat suit for God's sake and take on a real role. The Better Man will be produced by Scott Stuber and Mary Parent, and will go into production this March.

What do you think of Martin Lawrence? Has he shown us all his cards, or do you feel he still has a few surprises left up his sleeves?

If the idea of seeing John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, Tim Allen and William H. Macy do the following things sounds appealing to you, then by all means you should click right -->HERE<-- and watch the all-new trailer for Wild Hogs. Ready for the list? OK...

• Scream at children
• Search for internet porn in a crowded coffee house
• Get hit in the crotch with softballs
• Fall off motorcycles
• Get hit in the neck with birds
• Blow up a bar
• Get hit in the butt by a bull
• Spoon in bed together

Now, far be it for me to judge a movie I've not seen, but I'd be willing to bet my Criterion Edition Brazil DVD that I just described the very best jokes to be found in the whole of Wild Hogs. Aside from the intriguingly odd foursome, there's nothing about this comedy that looks even remotely fresh or appealing. (Plus, the trailer has the one little "wistful" moment, which means the fart jokes and pratfalls will, somewhere around the end of Act II, give way to some really mawkish sentimental crap ... and I've got no patience for pap like that.)

The screenplay comes from first-timer Brad Copeland; the director is Walt Becker, last seen cinematically as the man who helmed Van Wilder. (Yes, it's taken Becker four years to rediscover his muse.) In addition to the four aforementioned knuckleheads, Wild Hogs also promises bit parts from cool folks like Ray Liotta, Marisa Tomei, John C. McGinley and Stephen Tobolowsky. The "City Slickers meets Masters of Menace "opens on March 2.

Wait ... Tobolowsky's in it? Sold!