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Posts with tag TopherGrace

Tobey Maguire Recreating Brown v. Board of Education

Filed under: Drama », Casting », Deals »

At first blush, this has all the marks of the sort of tepid, respectful, boring prestige picture that's normally a huge turn-off. Director Gary Ross (Pleasantville, Seabiscuit) will reteam with Tobey Maguire for The Crusaders, a film about the lawyers who litigated the landmark 1954 Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education (of Topeka, but who keeps track?). That, of course, was when the Court unanimously held that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional.

Maguire will play idealistic young lawyer Jack Greenberg, who teamed with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and future Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall (Terrence Howard was rumored for that role, but that seems to have gone away) to fight the segregationists. This project has been kicking around for a while, and Topher Grace was previously attached to star in what is now Maguire's role.

Ross and Maguire's Seabiscuit, which I thought was precisely the sort of unimaginative, tediously reverent historical Oscar-bait that the Academy loves but anyone with any taste can't stand, bored the pants off me. This sounds like a similar sort of project -- though on the other hand, having spent significant time venerating Brown v. Board in law school, I'm curious to see what Hollywood will do with this story. Sort of in the same way a geologist might be fascinated with The Core, y'know?

Universal Hires Shane Abbess for 'Source Code'

Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Thrillers », Deals », Universal »

Considering how much can go wrong in a filmmaker's career, it's always nice to hear a success story. Variety reports that Universal has hired Australian director Shane Abbess to helm the sci-fi thriller Source Code. Universal picked up the rights to the film back in 2007, but the project sat on the back-burner until now. Abbess is a relative newcomer who made his name directing commercials and his feature debut was the 2007 Gothic thriller, Gabriel. The film was financed, written, and directed by Abbess, and told the story of an angel in purgatory. Oh, and something about 'bringing the light' and saving souls.

Code will be a time-travel story, but so far Universal is keeping the details under wraps. Ben Ripley (the writer behind such classics as Species III) has already penned a spec script, but there is no word on whether Universal will be using his draft. Originally, Topher Grace had been attached to produce and star in Code, but there was no mention of Grace in the latest notice. Code is aiming for a 2009 release, but Universal might want to stay away from May, otherwise they're going to have some stiff 'time traveling competition' in the form of Terminator 4.

Ashton Kutcher Attached to 'Father's Day'

Filed under: Comedy », Casting », Sony »

After a couple bad choices (A Lot Like Love; The Guardian), Ashton Kutcher is again working with his usual co-producer Jason Goldberg (Guess Who; "Punk'd"). The two have been tapped to make a comedy for Columbia Pictures called Father's Day, which will be scripted by Ian Deitchman and Kristin Robinson. The plot is not given in Variety's report, but we can assume it isn't another remake of Francis Veber's Les Compères (the 1997 Hollywood version was also called Father's Day and starred Robin Williams and Billy Crystal). The only description we're given is that this Father's Day will be a multi-generational comedy. So, I'm thinking something like It Runs in the Family or Parenthood, but I could be way off. Kutcher isn't yet confirmed to star in the movie, but the studio picked up the pitch as a potential vehicle for him (hopefully John Cusack wasn't interested).

Though I haven't liked any Ashton Kutcher vehicle since Dude Where's My Car? (well, I did think The Butterfly Effect was hilarious, but I don't think it was supposed to be) and I believe his stardom is fading a bit, I think that his partnership with Goldberg could at least produce a much-needed hit for the guy. Remember, Kutcher was once the box office champ of "That '70s Show" actors, even winning a head-to-head opening-weekend battle against Topher Grace in 2004 with The Butterfly Effect versus Win a Date With Tad Hamilton. Now, thanks to Spider-Man 3, Grace is on top, and I think he will stay there for awhile. Next up for Kutcher is What Happens in Vegas, co-starring with Cameron Diaz.

Cinematical Seven: Ways They Could Have Made 'Spider-Man 3' Better

Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Fandom », Cinematical Seven », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Remakes and Sequels », Lists »




I saw Spider-Man 3 Saturday night. It was a total mess, but the visuals were incredible, the fight scenes were thrilling, and I enjoyed enough of the film to make it worth my time. Still, it occurred to me on the way home that with a few simple changes, the film could have been a superhero classic. And

Before we begin, please know that I'm not a die-hard Spidey fan. The first two Spider-Man films were entertaining enough, but I forgot them immediately afterward. I know when you read that heading you probably thought this article would consist of complaints like "Why didn't they do such-and-such with the character of Venom like they did in Issue #231 of blah-blah-bloo?" But that's not me. This article comes from the point of view of an average guy with no knowledge of comic books who went into Spider-Man 3 with no expectations. Here's what I would have changed to make the movie more entertaining to me. SPOILERS AHEAD!

1) Kill Mary Jane in the opening scene


The Uncle stuff is played out, Peter needs something new to be upset about. And I used to love Kirsten Dunst, but now she "acts" her scenes like she can't wait for someone to yell "Cut!" so she can go and make out with one of The Strokes. Are we really supposed to believe that Peter would choose Dunst's dehydrated, negative, miserable Mary Jane over Bryce Dallas Howard's pants-explodingly hot, upbeat, and cheerful Gwen Stacey? Mary Jane is a terrible girlfriend! She spends the entire film whining about her lackluster singing abilities to a guy who spends his time keeping the city free from evil! She's dull, she's pouty, and she participates in elaborate Chubby Checker-scored cooking/dancing/infidelity montages with James Franco! Dump her!

2) Have your villains get upset before the last twenty minutes roll around


A no-brainer. I can't recall seeing a movie where the villains decided "You know, maybe we should kill the hero" so late in the game. The Sandman appeared to be thinking about what to have for dinner for most of the film. Venom doesn't even enter the picture until the last third. It's screenwriting 101, especially in a movie of this kind. By the end of Act One, you better be damn sure your audience knows who the antagonist is, and what your hero is up against. Nobody seems to have clear motives here. All the characters are confused and conflicted and don't really know who they want to kill and why or if they even want to. That's fine for a Scorsese film, but this is Spider-Man, people!

3) More J.K. Simmons and Bruce Campbell

In the few moments of screen time given to each of these fantastic character actors, they charged the movie with an energy that nearly all of the other actors lacked. As a huge Oz fan, it's always a little jarring to see J.K. Simmons in other roles – I kept expecting him to sexually assault Peter Parker. But once I got past that, the guy was hilarious. And Bruce Campbell's champagne back-and-forth in the restaurant was pure gold. Truth be told, Campbell should have played The Sandman. He certainly would have brought more life to it than Thomas Haden Church -- who must have thought he was playing the Sandman who puts kids to sleep.

Tobey Maguire Reportedly Offered $20M For 'Spider-Man 4'

Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », New Releases », Sony », Fandom », New in Theaters », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Remakes and Sequels »

The British Telegraph is running a fairly standard puff piece on Tobey Maguire in the run up to the release of Spider-Man 3, with Maguire spouting the same 'maybe I will, maybe I won't' boilerplate when it comes to the next installment in the series. "They'll definitely develop a fourth movie and write a screenplay, and I would consider it if there's a good script, a good story that I felt was worth telling and Sam Raimi was involved and the right cast came together for it," he says. More interestingly, the paper seems to know something that I don't, which is that a $20 million offer is already on the table for Maguire, should he decide to put on the costume one more time. Maguire was paid $16 million for Spider-Man 3, was signed only for three films, and currently has no other film projects lined up, superhero or otherwise, according to the paper.

Maguire blanches at the notion that he is confiining himself to big-budget work: "When I read a script, it has nothing to do with the size of the budget or whether it has global appeal," he's quoted as saying. "I just want to tell stories and play different roles, and I always want to work with great filmmakers." The article also goes into the old story about Jake Gyllenhaal almost getting to put on the suit for Spider-Man 2 before a last-minute intervention by Ron Meyer, president of Universal, put the kibosh on that. In typical British press style, the reporter also feels compelled to point out that Maguire didn't "look particularly relaxed" during the interview, and looks more like a "classroom nerd" than a superhero. You gotta love those Brits.

Michael Biehn Lands Role in 'Kids in America'

Filed under: Action », Drama », Casting », Deals »

As I continue to slog through our three -- count em' three -- hours of audio tapes from the Grindhouse junket, I'll be passing along news as I find it. During a rather uneventful roundtable with James Cameron mainstay Michael Biehn, who has a small role in the film, Biehn was asked what his next project was, and he said: "I'm doing a movie called Kids in America, with Topher Grace. Topher is actually executive producing. It's got Anna Faris and this kid Danny Fogler." And who does he play? "A cop. No. Yes! A cop. You get one guess, right?" I take that to mean he's playing a cop.

Apparently, for Cinematical's purposes, Biehn was sort of like the Michigan J. Frog of press junket interviews, because once he got into the other roundtables, he started talking up a storm about Avatar and how Jim Cameron is thinking of putting him in it and is also planning to not use cameras -- is he going to shoot the whole thing with his mind? Even though he gave us the short end of the news stick, here's hoping Biehn's next Cameron role lives up to Aliens or The Terminator, which are two of my favorite films. His next non-Cameron films, apart from Kids in America, include Psych: 9, a horror-thriller in which he will play ... you guessed it, a cop. He also has a role in a movie called That's Amore, which, at a glance, appears to be a low-budget attempt at remaking the Ernest Borgnine classic Marty, which doesn't sound like a good idea.

Everything You Need To Know To Prepare For Spider-Man 3

Filed under: Action », Sony », Fandom », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Remakes and Sequels »




You'd be hard-pressed to find a person who's not excited about Spider-Man 3. In the five years since director Sam Raimi first introduced us to Tobey Maguire as the webbed crusader, we've experienced what is, perhaps, one of the greatest comic-related superhero trilogies of all time. And, if what we've seen so far of the third film is any indication, it's going to positively knock our socks off. In preparation of the film's release, we've collected a slew of information from Cinematical, AOL Movies and Moviefone and decided to provide you with a Spidey 3 FAQ ... featuring an all new character guide. Not sure what the story is about? Wait, a black Spider-Man? Who is he? And what about this blonde girl Gwen Stacy? Does she really think she's going to steal Mary Jane's man?

For you Spidey fanatics, consider this FAQ just another reason to get pumped up about the film. And, for those who don't know much about the superhero -- and may have missed one or two of the other films -- but still want to make it appear as if you're "in the know" (oh, you know who you are), then feel free to use us as your primary Spidey resource. Spider-Man 3 officially swings into theaters on May 4.

So, what's the film about?

From the official Spider-Man 3 website: In Spider-Man 3, based on the legendary Marvel Comics series, Peter Parker has finally managed to strike a balance between his devotion to M.J. and his duties as a superhero. But there is a storm brewing on the horizon. When his suit suddenly changes, turning jet-black and enhancing his powers, it transforms Peter as well, bringing out the dark, vengeful side of his personality that he is struggling to control. Under the influence of the suit, Peter becomes overconfident and starts to neglect the people who care about him most. Forced to choose between the seductive power of the new suit and the compassionate hero he used to be, Peter must overcome his personal demons as two of the most-feared villains yet, Sandman and Venom, gather unparalleled power and a thirst for retribution to threaten Peter and everyone he loves.

Topher Grace Signs for Some Time Travel

Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Thrillers », Casting », Deals », Universal », Newsstand »

Seems like someone is digging the whole sci-fi vibe -- Topher Grace, who will next be seen in Spider-Man 3 as the guy who ultimately becomes Venom, has signed on to play the leading man in a new sci-fi thriller picked up by Universal. Source Code (Matrix meets Office Space?) will be based off a spec script penned by Ben Ripley (yes, the dude who wrote both Species III and Species IV!), while Mark Gordon is producing.

All we know about the plot thus far is that it has something to do with time travel ... which leads us to believe Grace will play some sort of blogger who, while tinkering with the source code for a blog post about how much he hated working on That '70s Show, somehow stumbles upon the key to traveling through time. Finally! He's found a way to go back and make it so Ashton Kutcher doesn't become the overly-hyped doof he is today. Go Topher!

Personally, I really like Topher Grace -- he sort of reminds me of Tobey Maguire, it Tobey's voice wasn't perpetually going through puberty -- and at least he's attempting to spread out his roles across different genres. On top of this thriller, Grace will also star in a drama called The Crusaders, a coming-of-age dramedy called Kids in America and a comedy, Coxblocker (which obviously had to change its name from ... well, you know).

Grace Joins the Kids In America

Filed under: Comedy », Drama », Romance », Casting », Newsstand »

Topher Grace has come a long way since playing Eric Forman -- the skinny dork on That 70's Show. Really, I never believed the super-cute Donna (played by Laura Prepon) would have ever given him the time of day -- let alone date him or sleep with him. It's just the magic of television I guess. Even dorks get the girl. Fortunately, Grace has been able to leave Forman behind and transition into much different and more adult roles -- and he's managed to do a very good job of it too.

From his first feature film role in Steven Soderberg's Traffic to playing Spidey-nemesis Eddie Brock in Spider-Man 3, Grace has steadily added to his resume and put together an impressive body of work in a relatively short amount of time. And now, according to Production Weekly, the actor has been set to star in Michael Dowse's Kids in America -- which, at first glance, might seem like a step back towards Forman territory.

The film, written by Dowse and That 70s Show vets Jackie and Jeff Filgo, centers around recent college grad Matt Franklin (Grace) obsessed with the dream girl that got away. But a wild Labor Day party gives him one last chance to get the girl and, along with his twin sister and their best friend, learn a little something while struggling with the future and their impeding adulthood.

Even though the plot of the film sounds a little like That 70s Show: The Later Years, I don't think it will really end up that way once it finished. Plus, Grace has really matured a an actor and I think he's smart enough to pick good roles for himself and improve even more. So, despite the films' description, I'm going to give it, and Grace, the benefit of the doubt. So far, he hasn't let me down and I don't think he will here either. Production on Kids in America is expected to start in February in Phoenix.

Venom is Leaked to the Internet in New Trailer

Filed under: Action », Fandom », Trailer Trash », Movie Marketing », Comic/Superhero/Geek »



While I'm not a huge comic book fan, Spider-Man never ceases to make me anxious and excited, even with Dunst's stabs at romance. When our Mark Beall linked the new Spider-Man 3 trailer the other day, I clicked in a hurry, anxious to see how the new cast additions would look. The trailer had all sorts of nail-biting action, great Sandman bits and some Harry Osborn, but while there was lots of Topher, there was no Venom.

However, an un-aired trailer has been leaked on youtube. Some of the CG isn't complete, but it shows some different scenes, and more importantly, it gives us our first look at Venom! He looks a lot more exciting than a whiny guy trying to avenge his father. With this leak, my impatience for the film's release is growing by the millisecond!

Without further ado, click away before the trailer disappears!
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