ScreenGems Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Check Out Paul Bettany and Cam Gigandet in 'Priest' Gear!
Filed under: Action », Horror », Independent », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Sony », Fandom », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Images », Western »
Scott Stewart's horror-western Priest started shooting in Los Angeles this week (Stewart's Twitter account promises it already earned its R rating), and given the excess of cameras in that city, it's really not surprising that the first photos of Paul Bettany, Cam Gigandet, and vampire henchmen have already cropped up on JFX Online and IESB.net. Normally, first photos are kind of boring unless they give glimpses into awesome costumes and make-up, and the Priest ones offer that in spades. Check out the cross on Bettany's forehead! Straight off the manga cover it is.
I really suspected they'd abandon the western part of the horror-western storyline, but these photos reassure me that Stewart really is going to the Wild West with it. The costume of Sheriff Cam Gigandet looks exactly as I hoped it would! How often does that happen? (Isn't he more interesting in cowboy boots than as a sparkly vampire? I think so, but the opinion of Twilighters may differ.)
Unfortunately, the first days of shooting seem to lack the presence of Maggie Q and Karl Urban, who I am dying to see primarily becauseany character named Black Hat has to have an outfit worth seeing. But even more disappointing is the lack of one Stephen Moyer. But with paparazzi following his and Anna Paquin's every move, I'm sure we'll be seeing him in his gunbelt, boots, and spurs by next week.
I really suspected they'd abandon the western part of the horror-western storyline, but these photos reassure me that Stewart really is going to the Wild West with it. The costume of Sheriff Cam Gigandet looks exactly as I hoped it would! How often does that happen? (Isn't he more interesting in cowboy boots than as a sparkly vampire? I think so, but the opinion of Twilighters may differ.)
Unfortunately, the first days of shooting seem to lack the presence of Maggie Q and Karl Urban, who I am dying to see primarily becauseany character named Black Hat has to have an outfit worth seeing. But even more disappointing is the lack of one Stephen Moyer. But with paparazzi following his and Anna Paquin's every move, I'm sure we'll be seeing him in his gunbelt, boots, and spurs by next week.
'Legion' Gets a Comic Book Prequel
Filed under: Horror », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Deals », Sony », Newsstand », Movie Marketing », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Religious »
When the red-band trailer for Legion appeared online, the responses ranged from "What the hell?" to "How can angels go bad?" to "I don't like the look of that at all." All the footage is very dark, demonic, and confusing and we have to wait until January 2010 to figure out why all hell (or heaven) seems to be breaking loose.But guess what! You don't have to wait that long if you're insanely curious about it. IDW Publishing announced that Scott Stewart and Tom Waltz have penned a four issue miniseries that will serve as a prequel to Stewart's upcoming holy war. Legion: Prophets will introduce you to the Theologians, the Guardian, the Codebreaker and the Voice, five very different and unlikely individuals who become humanity's only hope in surviving the Apocalypse. (Here we thought it all rested on the well-built shoulders of the ex-angelic Paul Bettany.) "There were a lot of cool and scary characters and situations that I wasn't able to include in the main narrative of the movie, so I'm very excited to be able to expand the Legion universe beyond the film and explore those other stories through the comic book series," says Stewart.
Legion: Prophets hits comic store shelves in November, just in time for the holidays and to make you look a little askance at the angels glittering on every holiday decoration. If you're still into the movie after reading the paper prequel, Legion comes to the big screen on January 22, 2010.
[via io9]
'Priest' Recruits Stephen Moyer and Lily Collins to the Cloth
Filed under: Action », Horror », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Casting », Sony », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Western »
I have been dutifully keeping track of the Priest roster for a lot of reasons that range from who was once attached to the project, to a weird fascination with Paul Bettany's religious roles, and a longing for a horror western. But now the project has jumped from "I'm curious to see how it'll turn out" to "Ok, it can be horrible and I'll still see it!" thanks to the addition of one Stephen Moyer.According to Variety, Moyer and Lily Collins are the latest to make their Priest vows. I know what you're thinking, because I thought it too: "Oh, Moyer playing another vampire. That's a bad move." (We all thought it when Cam Gigandet climbed aboard.) But Moyer is playing a mortal this time around, and has been cast as Isaacs' brother, and the father to the kidnapped niece. (I'm guessing. Unless there's another Isaacs sibling with offspring?) I wonder if brotherly British actors will be able to keep their native accents, or if they'll be putting on Western drawls?
As Priest starts shooting today in Los Angeles, you can probably guess that Lily Collins isn't playing a vampire or avenging huntress like Maggie Q, but has been cast in the very crucial role of Isaacs' niece, who he is out to rescue come hell and high water. (Probably literally!) But most importantly, she'll be playing Moyer's daughter which means our favorite Southern vampire should get lots of big screen time.
'Priest' Recruits Karl Urban and Maggie Q
Filed under: Action », Horror », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Casting », Sony », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Western »
Having said its prayers and a few Hail Marys, Priest is ready to slay some vampires, ToykoPop style. The film is set to begin shooting in Los Angeles next week, but before it does, it's given Paul Bettany's Ivan Isaacs an ally and a villain.According to The Hollywood Reporter, Karl Urban has joined the cast as the vampire villain Black Hat. Once a priest and a vampire hunter, Black Hat is now a member of the bloodthirsty undead. Worse, he fancies himself a god of the vampires. I don't think he's a character found in the original manga, as I understand most of the villains to be fallen angels and demons, but I'm honestly not that familiar with it. Hopefully, it'll be something Urban can really sink his teeth into (pardon the pun) as he did with Star Trek, and not be another clunker to his credit.
To add a little girl power to the order, last week THR reported that Maggie Q had signed on as a warrior priestess, "a vampire hunter as tough as the priests" just in case we doubted her staking ability. Come on! As pop culture goes, we ladies have been a lot more successful in the war against the bloodsuckers. Buffy, Selene, Anna Valerious, Cassandra Hack, Mina Harker, the list just could go on forever. Isaacs should thank his lucky stars he's got a girl helping him and Sheriff Cam Gigandet out in the vampire infested wilderness. Incidentally, if you're looking for this film to give you a vampy fix between Twilight and True Blood, don't hold your breath. It won't hit theaters until August 13, 2010.
Red-Band Trailer For 'Legion' Might Scare You Back to Church
Filed under: Action », Comedy », Horror », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Sony », Newsstand », NSFW », Movie Marketing », Religious », Trailers and Clips »
The enormous casting call of Legion was one of the earliest stories I penned on Cinematical, a fact I recalled in a blinding flashback when I encountered Paul Bettany's naked abs in a San Diego elevator. From ComicCon on, the film seems to have been attracting a curious buzz, probably helped greatly by Bettany's wing-framed body. Come on, it's pretty darn nice.
A very long, very red-band trailer for Legion has appeared on MySpace and now we can get an eyeful of what the lucky Hall H attendees saw at ComicCon. It's strange, horrifying, violent, and weirdly funny. There's a dash of Preacher, Dogma, and The Prophecy about this clip and I'm honestly surprised it isn't based on an edgy comic book of some kind because it has that mash-up of camp and blasphemy that you generally only find in a book published by Vertigo or Dark Horse. I'm very curious about this one. It looks like it could be awful, and yet I have to admire any film that features a lanky Englishman kicking ass, Dennis Quaid doing anything, Kevin Durand doing his usual scary thing, and people willing to crack jokes in the face of angelic invasion. Plus, it's my humble opinion that storylines featuring scared teenagers who may be pregnant with a Messiah just never get old.
Hop below for the trailer. No lying about your age now, you whippersnappers. Remember, your guardian angel is watching.
A very long, very red-band trailer for Legion has appeared on MySpace and now we can get an eyeful of what the lucky Hall H attendees saw at ComicCon. It's strange, horrifying, violent, and weirdly funny. There's a dash of Preacher, Dogma, and The Prophecy about this clip and I'm honestly surprised it isn't based on an edgy comic book of some kind because it has that mash-up of camp and blasphemy that you generally only find in a book published by Vertigo or Dark Horse. I'm very curious about this one. It looks like it could be awful, and yet I have to admire any film that features a lanky Englishman kicking ass, Dennis Quaid doing anything, Kevin Durand doing his usual scary thing, and people willing to crack jokes in the face of angelic invasion. Plus, it's my humble opinion that storylines featuring scared teenagers who may be pregnant with a Messiah just never get old.
Hop below for the trailer. No lying about your age now, you whippersnappers. Remember, your guardian angel is watching.
Cam Gigandet Takes Orders From 'Priest'
Filed under: Action », Horror », Independent », Casting », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Western »
Something must happen to you when you play a vampire in Twilight or Underworld -- you just can't steer clear of the supernatural and fangs. Cam Gigandet (whom the Twilighters know as the evil vampire and Bella-snatcher, James) is now set to stake his former cinematic kin in Priest opposite Paul Bettany, but he isn't straying too far from his bloodsucking roots. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gigandet will be playing a young wasteland sheriff who is part vampire. (I'm never sure how this works. To me, being a vampire is like being dead or pregnant -- there's no in-between.) He partners up with Ivan Isaacs (the titular priest) in order to find Isaacs' niece, who just happens to be the girl he loves. She's been kidnapped by vampires, the latest casualty of a battle between man and vampire that has raged for centuries.
Priest is based on Hyung Min-woo's popular manga series, and will be directed by Scott Stewart. Though Cory Goodman's script has reportedly changed things quite a bit, one thing it is keeping is the Western / horror setting, which intrigues me, even if my girlish curiosity does make me long for its old cast and Sam Raimi as producer. But hey, at least it's set to finally happen. All they need now is the niece, and a few bad vampires to set against Gigandet and Bettany. Say, is Michael Sheen available?
Discuss: Does Screen Gems Care Too Much About Black People?
Filed under: Drama », Thrillers », Casting », Sony »
Yesterday's New York Times featured a rather flattering profile on Screen Gems president Clinton Culpepper and how his Sony studio arm reliably turns a profit on its comedy and thriller titles. Despite Culpepper declining to be interviewed for the piece, it goes noted amidst "past and present associates" that the man has a preference for "the white comedy, done black," a supposed genre brought up with regards to Chris Rock's forthcoming remake of Death at a Funeral with an all African-American cast.The minority-cast likes of You Got Served, Stomp the Yard and This Christmas have certainly proven profitable for Screen Gems, but do any of you out there refuse to see Funeral or The Big Chill, and yet may fork money over if those films were done with a more superficially familiar ensemble? Or do you personally wish for more out of niche filmmaking meant to appeal to the African-American audience than the wacky antics of Martin Lawrence and Madea?
And with regards to this Friday's Obsessed, is there a double standard with regards to a white woman (Ali Larter) interfering with the happiness of a black couple (Idris Elba and Beyonce Knowles)? If the roles were reversed (and if the alleged working title of Oh No She Didn't were kept instead), would everyone be up in arms about stereotyping and such? On the flip side, would anyone argue that having a white villainess is maybe being too politically correct? Let us know.
Paul Bettany Is Ordained for 'Priest'
Filed under: Action », Foreign Language », Horror », Independent », Casting », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Religious », Western »
Paul Bettany obviously has a thing for the sacrilegious. Fresh off playing the Archangel Michael in Legion, Bettany is reteaming with director Scott Stewart for Priest, ScreenGems' adaptation of Hyung Min-woo's popular manga series. Bettany will play Ivan Isaacs, the warrior priest who turns his back on the Church to rescue his niece from a pack of vampires. The role once belonged to Gerard Butler, until the project fell apart sometime in 2006. ScreenGems revived the project last December with Stewart, keeping Cory Goodman's screenplay.
The casting came about not out of Bettany and Stewart's desire to reunite for religion, but due to ScreenGems president Clint Culpepper, who apparently thought Isaacs needed to be played by a former albino monk: "I knew the moment I saw Stewart's first cut of Legion that Bettany was Priest and so I mentioned it to him immediately."
Whether this Priest will make it any further into production than Andrew Douglas and Gerard Butler's will remain to be seen -- but since everyone wants their own religious pseudo-western, I bet the second time will be the charm. I still wish Butler's version would have taken off, but Bettany is probably a better physical choice for the role. He bears an uncanny resemblance to the art, anyway. I'm not a huge fan of the series, so hopefully some manga experts can weigh in with what they think of the casting.
Sony Kills 'Fright Night' Remake, Instead Wants 'Hell Night'
Filed under: Horror », Deals », Sony », RumorMonger », Scripts », Remakes and Sequels »
I just want to get this out there right at the start: whoever is responsible for putting the kibosh on plans for a remake of the 1985 horror Fright Night has my eternal thanks. Shock Till You Drop is reporting that Sony's Screen Gems has halted development on the project and word is that the real reason for Sony's decision was that they were unable to come up with a satisfactory script. The film's original director, Todd Holland, had been involved with the project, but in a previous interview with STYD, Holland had confirmed that the script "...apparently has gone through 3 unusable drafts..."Screen Gems has been in the horror-remake business for a while. Some of their other attempts included remakes of Prom Night, and the English-language remake of REC, better known as Quarantine. Fright Night might be safe for now, but fans of 80's horror still have plenty to worry about; rumor has it that Sony is still remaking the horror flick Hell Night, about a group of college kids getting knocked off in a variety of gruesome ways at an old mansion.
Now hold on to you hats, kids, because it gets worse from here: Sony has already announced that Hell Night would be a PG-13 film. When pressed for a reason as to why Gems was looking to clean up the original flick, Screen Gems president was quoted as saying, "If you are going to make a movie for a bunch of kids, you have to make it PG-13. You try not to make a movie for an audience that is older than your protagonist." Unfortunately, that argument isn't going to change my opinion about 'gore-free' horror any time soon, how about yours?
So is it just me, or is the goodwill of horror fans slowly running out for these kinds of remakes? Sound off below...
'Priest' Blessed With a New Director
Filed under: Action », Foreign Language », Horror », Deals », Scripts », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Religious », Western »
Gone is the morally ambiguous costumed vigilante trend for 2009, and in comes the stiff white collars! Just in time to compete with Jonah Hex and Preacher comes the resurrected Priest. According to The Hollywood Reporter, ScreenGems is reviving the project and has brought on Scott Charles Stewart to direct Cory Goodman's screenplay.Hyung Min-woo's manga has been kicking around for a few years -- Andrew Douglas was once set to direct, with Gerard Butler and Steven Straight starring, but that version abruptly fell apart around the time 300 was released. (I wish it had taken off now, I would much prefer to see Butler in a horror-Western than another romantic comedy. Well, no one's playing Ivan Isaacs yet ... are you still into taking priestly vows, Mr. Butler?)
Fans of the manga have complained that the story has been simplified to the point of having little in common with the original -- and sadly, that doesn't seem to have changed. The movie will still center on Isaacs as a warrior-priest who turns his back on the church in order to hunt a pack of vampires who have kidnapped his niece. However, considering that Stewart is fresh off filming the biblical thriller Legion, perhaps he'll rewrite it to include those demons, zombies, crucifixions, and evil angels that make Priest something more than a vampire story.
I'm not that attached to the manga, so I shall merely hope they can make an awesome horror-Western out of it. I firmly believe cinema needs a High Plains Drifter with vampires, zombies, and demons.
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