Michael Spierig Tagged Articles at Cinematical
'Captain Blood' Remake Heads for Outer Space
Filed under: Action », Classics », Casting », Deals », Warner Brothers », Fandom », Scripts », Remakes and Sequels »
If you know your pirates and are a fan of classic cinema, then I'm sure I don't need to tell you about Captain Blood. The 1935 swashbuckling classic starred Errol Flynn as a doctor convicted of treason who escapes to the Caribbean to join forces with a French pirate, and was the role that made Flynn a star. But here we are 74 years later and suddenly the word 'remake' started to come up in conversation over at Warner Bros. That was almost a year ago, but not only is the film still in the works, the story is about to get one hell of a venue change. Variety now reports that Daybreakers duo Michael and Peter Spierig have been hired to direct an update that would transplant the action to outer space.Back in December, Monika brought us the news that John Brownlow had been hired to pen a faithful remake, but now it looks like Brownlow will be going back to square one with his script. Blood's producer, Bill Gerber, promises that even though there are some changes afoot for the update, "There are some things you don't mess with, and that is as classic a movie storyline as you will ever find."
But here's the big question: Who will be our new Captain Blood? It's a mighty big part to fill; Flynn was a legend of Hollywood and the granddaddy for every bad-boy with a heart of gold to come after him. It's a role that requires charm, action, and a way with the ladies. The project could be a gamble for WB, but I guess as long as it doesn't turn into Ice Pirates 2, things should work out just fine.
After the jump: My suggestions for the new interstellar Captain Blood...
Sam Neill Joins Ethan Hawke's Vampire Pic 'Daybreakers'
Filed under: Horror », Casting », Deals »
Is there anything left to say about vampires? The question answers itself, but get ready for a new vampire movie, Daybreakers, starring Ethan Hawke. As we recently told you, Hawke won't actually be playing a vampire in the movie -- he's playing a researcher in the year 2017, when most of the world's population has been turned into vampires by a plague. With the number of human beings rapidly dwindling, the vampires face a problem -- how will they get blood after they've sucked the last person dry? Word comes today via ScreenDaily that Sam Neill has signed on to co-star with Hawke in the film, but frustratingly, they haven't revealed what part he's going to be playing in the film. If he's not the vampire leader, I think we'll all be very surprised and disappointed.
The president of Lionsgate International had this to say about the casting: "Sam Neill is an outstanding actor who brings gravitas to all his roles and we are delighted he is joining Ethan Hawke for this exceptional and visionary project." Gravitas, eh? We'll see about that. Writing and directing duties on this project are being shared by Peter and Michael Spierig, whose most recent film was 2003's Undead, which I haven't seen but sounds like good practice. Finally, the article also notes that the Weta Workshop has been tasked with putting together the effects for the film, which is a big bonus -- those guys know what they are doing. So who knows -- this might be one to look forward to. No word yet on when Daybreakers, but don't expect it to show up anywhere near the Sam Raimi-produced vampire film 30 Days of Night, which has already marked its release-date territory for late fall.
Ethan Hawke Will Lead Vampire Pic 'Daybreakers'
Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Casting », Lionsgate Films », Scripts »
It's been ten years since Ethan Hawke went to a genetically-determined future in Gattaca. He played Vincent, a naturally-born man with no chance to fulfill his dream of space travel because he wasn't a perfect, genetically-engineered man. The production found him his wife, a family and a messy break-up over the last decade. With that all behind him, The Hollywood Reporter has posted that the actor is heading for the future again, but this time it's a future full of vampires for the new flick -- Daybreakers.Unfortunately Mr. Hawke isn't playing a vamp. Boo! Instead, he's playing a researcher in 2017. (Or, maybe he's a researcher vamp!?) A plague has turned most of the population into bloodsuckers and the human race is becoming extinct. With their numbers dwindling rapidly, the vamps have two options -- catch and farm the humans, or find another blood source. As someone who has seen a lot of Buffy and Angel, I'd say animal blood, but maybe these vamps don't like something so pedestrian. Of course, just when all hope seems lost, a group of vampires discover something that could save the human race. (On the IMDb page, the plot outline says that a band of humans also fight back.) The flick comes from Undead brothers Peter and Michael Spierig, who co-wrote and will co-helm the production, which gears up this July in the land Down Under. It's a neat idea, and I'd probably watch it just to see if Hawke vamps out. It's time he changed things up a little.
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