arthur and the minimoys Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Supposedly retired action maverick* Luc Besson, currently making the rounds on behalf of Transporter 3 (which he produced), told Collider that not only was 1997's The Fifth Element supposed to be the first in a trilogy, but that he also has vague plans for another sci-fi trilogy after finishing up the two sequels that no one asked for to Arthur and the Invisibles (see a pattern here?).

I must say: more power to the man if he just keeps coming up with ideas and happens to be good at executing them. As flimsy as his promise of retirement has been, if it brings us a sequel to District B13 and the reportedly entertaining Liam Neeson vehicle Taken (which doesn't open in the States until next January), then I can live with watching him keep on keepin' on, as it were.

(Well, except for those Arthur flicks, but perhaps that's a finger of blame better pointed towards the Weinsteins...)

*Us film bloggers are taking this word back, damn it.

If there is one thing that I can say for certain, it is that Luc Besson doesn't quite have a handle on what it means to "retire." After "retiring" last year, Erik posted in January that the director's Arthur series would be continuing into a cinematic trilogy. Now Besson has said that he will be directing the first sequel, although he's made no reference to the third film specifically. According to him, he'll take on the second part, and then that's it: "Right now that is it. I am going to do Arthur 2 for sure. But that is different, it is not new, it is a continuation." I see. I guess if a movie is a continuation, and not an entirely new story, it doesn't go against ones retirement? If that's the case, I'm sure he'll direct the final film as well.

I guess his weariness is weighing on his mind. He also stated: "The thing is just that I am tired and a little dried up. There is an old saying in French: 'If you have nothing to say, just shut up.'" While I'd be inclined to agree, I think there is a difference between shutting up and repeatedly claiming that you're going to retire. But that's not all -- while he is pushing off his retirement and calling the next film his last, he still says: "If in one week, one month, one year I feel that I have the strength, I will bother you for two more hours." What's the point of claiming retirement along with a statement that you might make another film? Why not just not say anything and make another film if and when the inspiration strikes? This isn't retirement, this is a break!

And just when you thought he was retiring from directing, Luc Besson is back baby -- the man has officially announced, not one, but two upcoming sequels to what will essentially be an Arthur trilogy. First, as many of you are already aware (since it's currently playing in theaters, and expanding domestically next week) is Arthur and the Minimoys, based off the first two volumes from the Besson-penned fantasy book series.

We recently got word that if Minimoys did well at the box office (and with the audience), Besson would begin adapting Arthur and the Forbidden City, the second book in the series. However, according to Variety, they claim Minimoys combines both the first and the second book -- which means Forbidden City is out, and the next two pics will revolve around volumes three and four. Seeing as Minimoys has already passed the five million admission mark in France (already surpassing Besson's other films, save for The Big Blues and The Fifth Element), the writer-producer-director has taken out a four-page ad in a French trade magazine that claims Arthur and the Vengeance of Malthazar is coming in 2009 and Arthur and the War of Two Worlds is coming in 2010.

Now, I should note that nowhere in the article does it mention that Besson will indeed be helming the next two installments, though all signs point to him directing -- I mean, they are his babies. The epic story blends live action with animation, and follows a little boy named Arthur (Freddy Highmore) who finds himself transported to a magical land underneath his yard packed full with creatures called Minimoys.

I don't know what to make of Luc Besson. I first became aware of the director in college after seeing his action-classic La Femme Nikita. In fact, that film was one of the first ones I purchased on DVD when I got a DVD player. Then, he went on to direct the nearly-as-impressive The Professional and The Fifth Element -- featuring the exquisite Milla Jovovich as the perfect woman (inspired casting, IMHO). I liked those films but I didn't love them as much as I loved La Femme Nikita. And please, don't even get me started on The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc. Man, what happened there?

Anyway, Besson continued to direct a few more films after The Messenger -- including Angel-A and the upcoming children's live-action/cgi film Arthur and the Minimoys (which our own Monika wrote about previously). However, for some reason -- declining popularity, critical drubbing, boredom, being French -- Besson announced that he was retiring from directing now that he's basically finished with his latest film. Cut to today because it seems he may have had second thoughts and that the rumors of his retirement may have been "exaggerated."

According to Production Weekly, Besson would consider a return to directing if his film Arthur and the Minimoys does well. Provided that the film is a success, Besson would begin adapting the second book of the series Arthur and the Forbidden City for the screen with an anticipated start of shooting as early as June of next year. I don't know, this sort of smells of desperation, doesn't it? Sure, its up to him if he wants to retire. But either do it or don't do it. And either way, don't hang it on the audience and try to make them feel guilty or something if you stay retired because your film doesn't do well. If you do that, you just end up sounding like a whiner who can't make up his mind. And really, nobody likes a whiner.

It's been a while since we've had some news on Arthur and the Minimoys, save a trailer. Wait, Invisibles. No, Minimoys. Is anyone else getting a Sorcerer-vs-Philosopher flashback? To recap, the film is based on Arthur and the Minimoys, a book written by Luc Besson himself. In the book, Arthur and his grandmother are facing eviction, suffering in the absence of his grandfather, who is missing. After discovering one of his grandfather's drawings of a red-haired princess, he travels to the land of Minimoys in an attempt to save his family.

A mixture of live-action and computer graphics, Martha Fischer previously reported on the interesting cast that contains the voices of pop music icons Madonna and David Bowie. Now it's time to add a whole mess of non-musical names to the list. There are the funny men, like Jason Bateman and Jimmy Fallon, but there are also a whole slew of actors known for their macho image. With the likes of Harvey Keitel, Chazz Palminteri and Robert De Niro also in the film, do the Minimoys have their own collection of mini-mobsters?

Now that Besson is retiring from filmmaking, this could very well be his last directorial effort in the feature film world. If you're trying to get in all the Besson you can before he commits himself to a life of civic work and youth groups, you can also catch the Luc-penned Taxi 4 next year, although the third sequel to a franchise hardly seems like the right send-off to the man who made Leon. Arthur and the Minimoys will enjoy a limited release on December 15, and grab a larger release in the new year.

Odds and ends from Monday:

• Patrick Wilson is set to spend a hot and steamy Evening with Vanessa Redgrave, as the actor has signed on to play the love of her life (through flashbacks, I assume) in the upcoming film to be directed by Lajos Koltai. Claire Danes, Toni Collette and Hugh Dancy also star in a story about a 65-year-old cancer patient who, with her two daughters by her side, reflects on the weekend in which she met the man of her dreams.
• Filming is set to begin next week in Norway on True North, starring Michelle Yeoh, Sean Bean and newcomer Michelle Crusiec. Directed by Asif Kapadia (from a script by Kapadia and Tim Miller), pic is described as "a story about the collision of a native culture with greed-driven invaders." Returning once again to produce (after working with Kapadia on his debut film, The Warrior) will be Film4 and The Bureau. The French label Celluloid Dreams will be in charge of the film's international sales. (Note: A subscription is required to view the above link.)
• With his tenth film (Arthur and the Minimoys) coming out this winter, Luc Besson has officially announced that he's calling it a wrap ... as far as directing goes. Though he's mentioned in the past that his tenth film will be his last, the director (whose resumé includes such films as The Fifth Element and The Professional) spoke out Monday and once again confirmed to the press that this is it. Says Besson, "They are my 10 babies and I love them all. Now it's over." While this may mark the end of his directing career, Besson did not say anything about writing or producing, which leads us to believe he will still linger around.

Odds and ends from Friday:

• Though the President has left the building, he's currently making plans to stick around town a little while longer. Martin Sheen, who played TV President on The West Wing, will take on a role in the film Talk to Me for Focus Features. Pic, which will be set in 1960s Washington D.C., tells the real-life story of a radio station owner (Sheen) who hires controversial black on-air personality Ralph Waldo "Petey" Green (Don Cheadle). Green would ultimately go on to be somewhat of an icon in radio at a time when racial tension was at its peak across the country.
• Universal Pictures have teamed up with Boom Entertainment to bring the horror comic book Tag to the big screen. Talk about an intense and deadly way to play the game tag, story revolves around some average Joe who, while out with his girlfriend one night, falls victim to an ancient curse when a random stranger "tags" him. The curse makes it so this poor dude slowly begins to die, his body literally decomposing, forcing him to either give up and move on to a higher place or find someone else to pass on the curse to. Yikes, imagine explaining that one to your girlfriend: "Um, honey, I'm dying to see you tonight but, well, I'm actually dying ... so, yeah -- rain check?"
• Luc Besson is one of those directors who likes to float somewhere between worlds of crime and fantasy, giving us films like The Fifth Element, La Femme Nikita, Angel-A and the upcoming Arthur and the Minimoys. While Fifth Element was probably his most commercial hit here in the States, Besson's Léon (or The Professional) has garnered a large following and some think it's his best film. Besson recently squashed rumors of a sequel to Léon saying he has no plans to make one and is pissed people keep sending him scripts for an idea that's not theirs. He does admit, however, if there is going to be a sequel, he will write it. Damn, I guess my script for The Not So Professional will have to remain in my draw, where it belongs.

In addition to his directing career, Luc Besson has made a bit of a name for himself as a writer of children's books. His four-volume series about Arthur and the Minimoys has been a big hit in his native France, and Besson has been working for years on a movie about the characters. Though very few details had been available until recently, new information about the film has been showing up every 10 minutes over the past couple of days.

The film, which is a mix of animation and live-action, will feature the voices of Madonna, David Bowie, and Snoop Dogg (already, I'm hooked), as well as the real-life acting talents of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory's Freddie Highmore as Arthur and Mia Farrow, who will play his grandmother. The fantasy plot is a little confusing in summary, but essentially, Arthur's grandparents' house is being threatened by developers, and he decides the only way to save it is to track down his grandfather's mysterious treasure, which he's been told is "hidden somewhere on the 'other side' in the land of the Minimoys" (who are a single centimeter tall, by the way). Arthur somehow reaches the other side, and madcap adventures no doubt ensue.

Besson hopes to have his film ready to premiere at Cannes in May; it has been acquired for American distribution by The Weinstein Company, and will open in here on Christmas.

[via JoBlo]