So even if you choose to ignore the somewhat 'white-washed' casting for the big-screen version of Bringing Down the House, if you are a fan of the book you can't help but notice that there seems to be very little that remains of the original (and fascinating) story of a group of 'math nerds' who became high stakes card sharks. Sony has just launched the official site for 21 starring Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, and Kevin Spacey. Their site offers plenty of small video clips to watch and the usual downloadable offerings, but inexplicably they never give you the chance to play a little black jack of your own.
21 centers on "Six MIT students, in a blackjack team, [who] train to become experts in card counting and subsequently take Vegas casinos for millions in winnings. However, casino workers become suspicious and attempt to take down the team, using any means necessary." Sturgess plays Ben Campell, a numbers genius who is struggling to pay his bills. He is recruited into a team of card counters by his professor (as played by Spacey) and as to be expected, the good times don't last long. Ben starts to lose control and his mentor and friends turn on him just as the casinos are starting to catch on to the scam.
To be honest, as much as I enjoyed the book, I don't think I will be first in line for this one. Part of what made the book so interesting to me was that these were just regular people who became 'criminals'. The film seems to want to take a more Ocean's 11 approach right down to the music in the trailer, and, frankly, it's been done before. 21 hits theaters on March 28th.
So in spite of everything, I have always enjoyed watching Brendan Fraser on screen. There have been highs, and God knows there have been plenty of lows, but I have stuck with the fellow Canuck through thick and thin -- up until now anyway. CinemaBlend is hosting a gallery of images from the update of Jules Verne's sci-fi classic, Journey to the Center of the Earth. The story has been updated ever so slightly and now centers on Fraser "as a science professor whose untraditional hypotheses have made him the laughing stock of the academic community. But on an expedition in Iceland, he and his nephew stumble upon a major discovery that launches them on a thrilling journey deep beneath the Earth's surface, where they travel through never-before-seen worlds and encounter a variety of unusual creatures". Joining Fraser are Josh Hutcherson as his nephew and Anita Briem as a fairly glamorous-looking mountain guide helping Fraser find his lost brother.
Rumor has it that originally the indie director Paul Chart had been slated to direct, but once the 3D technology was part of the production, Chart bowed out. His loss was visual effects artist Eric Brevig's gain, and Journey is Brevig's first foray into directing a feature film. Erik brought us the exclusive first look at the poster for the film a few days ago, and it's kind of funny that a film that is going to rely on the visuals has released not one but two sets of relatively blah images -- I guess you really need the glasses to make it pop. Well, at least the film still has the distinction of being the first wide-release to be released exclusively in the emerging technology of Real D Cinema. Journey is set to arrive on over 1500 screens on July 11th, 2008.
So this is probably way too early to start getting excited about David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button -- but cut me a little slack; it's not like this guy is known for making movies with any frequency. Frankly, I should probably just take what I can get. Hollywood Elsewhere has received a scoop from the set of Button, and even if you only believe half of what was reported then things are still looking pretty good for the literary adaptation. According to Elsewhere, the news came from the husband of the costume designer for the film. There is no shortage of praise in the report and some of the highlights of what she said include: "the script was top-notch" and that, "Fincher and Brad Pitt were consummate professionals".
Button is based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's story about a man who finds love at 50 only to begin to age backwards, causing him some serious complications (and if you ever wondered how Pitt was going to age, then here is the chance for a sneak peek). The movie is a reunion not only for Fincher and Pitt (who worked together twice before), but also for Cate Blanchett as well (she also co-starred in the Oscar-nominated Babel with Pitt). Also in the cast are Julia Ormond, Elle Fanning (sister to Dakota), and Tilda Swinton. Pitt even got his family in on the film and his daughter Shiloh will be making her screen debut -- so much for keeping his kids out of the public eye.
Elsewhere's scooper went on to say that, "some of the sequences they saw that had been edited were absolutely stunning. Her description of the mood of those who worked on it is that of bated breath -- a near universal belief that they have made an outstanding and moving film, one that transcends and one they wish not to jinx by too much loose talk". Well, if nothing else it is nice to know that I am not the only one betting big on this film. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is set for release on November 26, 2008.
Well, I guess if you are looking to cast an unlikely couple, then Ewan McGregor and Jim Carrey would probably be at the top of the list. Varietyreports that McGregor has signed to play the romantic lead opposite Jim Carrey in the black comedy, I Love You Philip Morris. The film centers on Steven Russell (Carrey), a Texas conman who fell in love with his cellmate, Phillip Morris (played by McGregor). The script is based on the true story of Russell and his various escape attempts to be with his true love. Some of the more elaborate attempts included "using a green pen and bucket of water to change his prison outfit into what appeared to be surgical scrubs, another time by faking his death from AIDS and signing his own death certificate". But all did not end well for the lovers and while Morris eventually made it out of prison, Russell managed to earn a 144 year sentence for his various escape attempts.
The film is the directorial debut of Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, who are best known as the writers of Bad Santa. Ficarra and Requa also wrote the script based off of crime reporter Steve Mcvicker's novel. The film is set to start production as soon as Carrey is finished with Robert Zemeckis' latest foray into motion capture, A Christmas Carol(where Carrey is set to play multiple parts). McGregor has already lined up the Hitchcock-inspired Number 13 and the big-screen version of I, Lucifer for 2008. Plus, he has just finished work on The List with Hugh Jackman -- now that's the on-screen couple I've been hoping for; but no such luck.
Since I was never usually that big of a fan of kids lit, even when I was a wee one I was always trying to get my grubby little hands on some Stephen King or V.C Andrews rather than Judy Bloom (well, I was a kid, so there is no accounting for taste). So it shouldn't come as a surprise that today is the first time I had ever heard of the classic adventure books Tom Swift. Varietyreports that Nickelodeon and Spike exec Albert Hecht (Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius) have secured the film rights to the series for a feature film.
First appearing in 1910, the books focused on a young inventor named Tom Swift living with his widowed father, who comes from a long line of genius inventors. The books have continued to this day thanks to ghostwriters and each series has undergone an update so there was a new and improved Tom for each generation. Edward Stratemeyer (Stratemeyer's Syndicate was also behind The Bobbsey Twins, The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew ) wrote the original outlines for the books, but the series has operated under a series of ghostwriters using the name Victor Appleton.
Hecht described the early books as having a "...kind of a Jules Verne feel, where they're talking about inventions that have actually now happened." Those early ones have titles like Tom Swift and His Motor Cycle. Eventually, the series was modernized and taken in more of an edgy, graphic-novel direction". Hecht has hinted that the film might be a mix of live action and CGI animation. Some of the other changes Hecht has in mind involve changing the family business. Hecht tells Variety, "The initial concept is to posit that Swift Industries is now a leading "green technology" company, giving the 20th century series a modern twist." Wow, that's kind of lame. Oh well, I guess they could always call it Tom Swift and the Giant Carbon Credit.
Well it looks like we can chalk up another victim of the writers strike. Right after news broke that The Weinsteins had put their big-screen version of the musical Nine on hold, it now looks like Johnny Depp's Shantaram will be joining the list of casualties as well. Varietyreports that Warner Bros. has halted production on the adaptation of Gregory David Robert's best-selling novel. Depp was set to co-produce and star in the drama about "an Australian heroin addict who escapes a maximum-security prison, reinvents himself as a doctor in the slums of India and eventually uses gun-running and counterfeiting skills to fight against the invading Russian troops in Afghanistan". Mira Nair had signed on to direct back in January after Australian director Peter Weir left the project due to those pesky "artistic differences".
As was the case with The Weinsteins Nine, Shantaram's delay was a direct result of the strike. Mainly because it meant there was zero chance of any re-writes taking place before the film was set to begin shooting. According to Variety, screenwriter Eric Roth (Forrest Gump) was working on the project until the very last minute before the strike. But when combined with the problems securing a location for the shoot due to monsoon season in India, it looks like the film is going to be put on hold for the foreseeable future. I wouldn't worry though, the film has been a passion project for Depp for some time now, so I doubt he will let if fall by the wayside. There is no word yet on whether Depp is looking for a replacement project in the meantime, but stay tuned for any updates that come our way.
At this point, I'm starting to think that it's contractually obligated that if either Kevin Spacey or Kate Bosworth appears in a film, the other automatically gets a part. OK, so maybe I'm exaggerating just a little, but you can't deny that the two seem to really enjoy working together. Yahoo Movies is now hosting the trailer for their latest collaboration, 21, the real-life story of six M.I.T students who develop a foolproof plan to win at Black Jack. The film is based on the book Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich (and I guess I don't have to explain why they chose to go with the new title 21 -- I doubt Sony wanted their audiences getting the film confused with a C-grade Queen Latifah comedy).
The story centers on a group of M.I.T math students who along with their 'mentor' come up with a new system of "counting cards" -- if you haven't read the book and don't mind a little math in your light reading then I would definitely recommend it. Although I wouldn't recommend trying out their system, unless you don't mind the idea of getting roughed up by pit bosses.
The film was directed by Robert Luketic, who isn't exactly a household name, but is probably best known as the director of Legally Blonde. The book was adapted for the screen by Allan Loeb (Things We Lost in the Fire) and Peter Steinfeld (Analyze That). Joining Spacey and Bosworth are Laurence Fishburne in what looks like the role of a casino boss (better known as "the Heavy" in the flick) and Jim Sturgess as the newest member of the gang. 21 is set for release on March 28th, 2008.
OK, so while it probably isn't the most exciting news I've heard today, it certainly is a scoop on some unlikely casting. Sources for ComingSoon are reporting that Michelle Pfeiffer is set to star alongside Ashton Kutcher in the Rick Moody adaptation, Personal Effects. The film is based on Moody's story, Mansion on the Hill, from the book Demonology. Kutcher will play Andrew Wakefield; a young man who is hired by a high-end wedding planning business right after his sister is killed in an accident on her own wedding day. In the original story, Andrew is irreparably damaged by the loss of his sister and even seeks out a bizarre revenge against her fiancée. The story then cuts between Andrew's memories of his sister and his new life in the business of marriage. David Hollanger wrote the adaptation and is also attached to direct. Hollanger is an American TV writer and producer and Personal Effects would be his first feature film.
I think it's fair to say that when you think of the darker side of character studies (the story is from the same man who wrote the Ice Storm after all), you don't think of Kutcher -- but maybe he will surprise us all, you never know. Details about the film are pretty sketchy at this point, although news of the film is already making its way around the net. That is unless this is all somebody's idea of a practical joke. Kutcher is currently filming the comedy What Happens in Vegas (which seems a little better suited to his talents) and Pfeiffer is in talks to star in Chasing Montana. Effects is reportedly set to start filming on location in Vancouver, Canada later this month. But on the off chance there is somebody out there who is waiting with bated breath for Kutcher's dramatic debut; stay tuned, and we'll let you know as soon as we hear something official.
What a difference a month can make. Back in September, Viggo Mortensen seemed pretty confident when he told MTV Movies Blog that he was in talks to star in a big-screen version of Cormac McCarthy's, The Road. Now, Shock Till You Drop is reporting that Guy Pearce could be replacing Mortensen in the film. Mortensen was never officially confirmed, so Pearce as a replacement would seem to be the most likely scenario -- especially since the story isn't exactly teeming with characters. The novel focuses on a father and son who are survivors of an apocalyptic event and are trying to make it to 'the coast' while surrounded by fellow survivors who have reverted to cannibalism. If you haven't read the book, I really recommend picking it up, although be warned: don't let that Oprah Book Club selection sticker lull you into thinking this is a feel-good story. Nothing could be further from the truth.
John Hillcoat is already set to direct the Joe Penhall adaptation and since Hillcoat worked with Pearce on the revisionist western, The Proposition, back in 2006, that could tip the scales in Pearce's favor. The film could be a bit of a hard-sell with audiences to begin with. There is some truly disturbing stuff going on in the story, and for those of you who have read the book, you probably know what I mean. Luckily, no matter which actor they go with, I think either would be more than capable of handling the role, don't you? The Road is tentatively scheduled for release in 2009.
It's probably hard enough adapt a book into a screenplay, especially if your source material only runs about 15 pages long. New York Magazinereports that they have managed to get hold of a copy of the screenplay for Where the Wild Things Are by Dave Eggers and Spike Jonze. Now for the good news: according to them, it is pretty darned good (that's if it's still the same version written back in '05). NY's Culture Vulture blog posts, "Where the Wild Things Are is filled with richly imagined psychological detail, and the screenplay for this live-action film simply becomes a longer and more moving version of what Maurice Sendak's book has always been at heart: a book about a lonely boy leaving the emotional terrain of boyhood behind".
If you have never read Wild Things, my first question would be -- did you even have a childhood? But I realize there are probably at least a few of you out there who, for one reason or another, never picked it up. Where the Wild Things Are centers on "Max, who one evening plays around his home, 'making mischief' in a wolf costume (chasing the dog with a fork, etc.). As punishment, his mother sends him to bed without supper. In his room, a mysterious, wild forest grows out of his imagination and Max journeys to the land of the Wild Things"
According to NY Magazine, the flick now makes Max an "8-year-old with an absent father, an older sister who's drifting away from him, a mother whose personal and job concerns leave her little time or energy for the rambunctious boy she dearly loves". Even though Culture Vulture didn't offer up many details, I've read enough Dave Eggers to know that no one can pluck the 'familial heartstrings' like he can, so I would be inclined to get behind their enthusiasm. Combine Eggers writing with Jonze's style and the odds seem pretty good that this could be the family film to beat in 2008.
Well, it's official: After watching the latest trailer for the Omega Man update, I Am Legend, I can safely say that I am now looking forward to this movie. Worstpreviews.com is hosting the new trailer for the sc-fi thriller about the last man on earth left to do battle with fellow survivors of a cannibalistic plague. WB has managed to improve their poster art for the film, so I guess they thought they would apply the same mentality to their trailers. The first trailer release back in June was much more focused on the drama angle of the film. This time, its all about the thrills -- and it definitely succeeds (although I probably could have done without the shots of Will Smith in full science-guy mode; lab coat and all).
Directed by Francis Lawrence, Smith stars as the survivor of a plague battling to find a cure before he is overrun by some pretty nasty fellow survivors. The script was written by Poseiden's Mark Protosevich, and Smith is joined by Salli Richardson and Alice Braga, but the trailer makes it very clear: this movie is all about Will Smith. Personally, I think he can carry it off, but that might just be me. So don't worry if this trailer has not sated your appetite for all things Legend. DC comics still has graphic novels on the way, and you can already play a MMO through Second Life courtesy of WB and The Electric Sheep. I Am Legend hits theaters on December 14th, 2007.
Before I go any further, I should probably get this off my chest. I never liked Sex in The City; there, I said it. I know there are millions of you out there with plenty of valid reasons as to why it was the greatest show ever -- but those four chicks just got on my nerves. Which is a shame considering how much I like Sarah Jessica Parker -- anyone who starred in Footloose and Square Pegs can't be all bad.
Variety reports that Parker will star in The Late Bloomer's Revolution. Based on Amy Cohen's memoir of the same name, the film will follow a "single woman who, after the death of her mother, develops a bond with her father as they both try to get on with their lives in the dating world." It's a character remarkably similar to Carrie Bradshaw, and the book was described as having a "much deeper masochistic streak than Sex and the City, even if she copes with setbacks like a virulent face rash with as much self-deprecating humor as she can muster."
Revolution will be the feature directorial debut of Amy Sherman-Palladino, creator of The Gilmore Girls and executive producer of the upcoming Parker Posey comedy series, The Return of Jezebel James. All eyes are still on Sex and The City though, and between rumors of fake flashbacks and pregnancies the production is under some serious scrutiny right now. Parker (Sarah, not Posey) seems to be firmly entrenched in the romantic comedy camp, and has also been attached to A Family Affair, about a woman who accidentally has an affair with her future father in law. Now that's someone who sounds like they could use advice from someone like Carrie Bradshaw.
Seems like everyone wants to take a stab at filming a Stephen King adaptation lately. Although my guess is that the smart money is still on Frank Darabont's The Mist. But that doesn't mean that any other King project is doomed to end up on one of James' lists. Variety reports that Tobe Hooper has been hired to direct the big-screen version of From a Buick 8. This is King's second 'killer car' story, the first being Christine back in 1983. Buick centers on the recollections of the members of Troop D, a police barracks in western Pennsylvania. After *a young boy is is killed, his father becomes obsessed with the origins of a mysterious Buick 8 left in the town one night by a mysterious man in black (is there any other kind?).
But for those of you out there who can't get the ridiculous image of Keith Gordon being chased down the street by a 1958 Plymouth Fury out of your heads, there is no danger of this film going off the rails into camp territory. Hooper tells Variety, "From a Buick 8" will not be "your stock horror film by any means. There's a really cool, layered quality to the story." Hooper is best known for directing the Texas Chainsaw Massacre back in 1974, but this will be a far cry from the blood and gore of leather-face. Actor-writer Johnathon Schaech and Richard Chizmar were in charge of adapting Buick for the screen and the flick will be produced by Chesapeake Films along with long-time King collaborator Mick Garris.
Correction: It is the son who goes looking for his father's murderer, not the other way around.
Since the only female spies I can think of in the movies are La Femme Nikita, various Bond Girls, or Charlie's Angels, I don't think I'm wrong for thinking that there has never been a terribly realistic portrayal of a woman in the espionage business. Hopefully, that is going to change. The Hollywood Reporter announced that Paramount Vantage has tapped Sex and Death 101 scribe Daniel Waters to adapt Lindsay Moran's memoir, Blowing My Cover: My Life as a CIA Spy.
Published in 2005, the book covers her time in the CIA, and critiques what she calls "a dysfunctional intelligence organization." Moran joined the CIA in 1998, after graduating from Harvard and working in Bulgaria as an English teacher. After five years as a "case officer," she became disillusioned with her lifestyle and quit. Moran's dissatisfaction with "the life" was also closely tied to her disappointment with the fact she was "far from being a female James Bond." She "discovered that the life was more isolating than anything else, with her not able to tell even her closest confidants or boyfriends what she did for a living."
Surprisingly, she was allowed to speak freely about her time with the organization, and even criticized them for both their slow reaction to the Sept 11th tragedies and their role in the Iraq War. Karen Tenkhoff (The Motorcycle Diaries) will produce. There is no word on a director yet, but considering the amount of spy projects getting the green light, it shouldn't take long. But for those who like their spy films with a little less bureaucracy and a little more glamor, there is always Bond 22. You can always count on 007 to give us our fix of super-model spies and unlikely adventures.
I'll be honest with you, I would rather read anything other than something that has been branded as chick-lit. But, they do seem to be tailor-made for screenplays. The Hollywood Reporterannounced that New Line has hired Kelly Bowe to adapt Jill Smolinski's novel, The Next Thing on My List. The story centers on a woman who finds the list of a deceased friend which includes all the things her friend wanted to accomplish before the age of 25. So, our heroine decides to finish the list for her. Unfortunately, most of the choices seem pretty PG; running a marathon, kissing a stranger -- c'mon, there isn't even a drug binge or a bank heist on the list (I guess that would be closer to my idea of a list ... I told you I wasn't cut out for chick-lit).
Co-producing the film with New Line is Wendy Finerman Prods. Finerman was behind the big-screen version of 2006's The Devil Wears Prada and also produced the upcoming romantic drama, P.S., I Love You, starring Hillary Swank and Gerard Butler. So while there is plenty of talk lately about women in the movie business, New Line seems quite happy to step in and cover the gap. While the Sex and the City flick is at the top of the list, there is no shortage of films for those of the "female persuasion" -- including the film version of the relationship self-help book, He's Just Not That Into You and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (starring Jennifer Garner and Matthew McConaughey). So it looks like List will be joining a growing slate of so called "girly" films that New Line is scheduling for the coming year.
So even if you choose to ignore the somewhat 'white-washed' casting for the big-screen version of Bringing Down the House, if you are a fan of the book you can't help but notice that there seems to be very little that remains of the original (and fascinating) story of a group of 'math nerds' who became high stakes card sharks. Sony has just launched the official site for 21 starring Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, and Kevin Spacey. Their site offers plenty of small video clips to watch and the usual downloadable offerings, but inexplicably they never give you the chance to play a little black jack of your own.
So in spite of everything, I have always enjoyed watching 
So this is probably way too early to start getting excited about 
Well, I guess if you are looking to cast an unlikely couple, then 
Since I was never usually that big of a fan of kids lit, even when I was a wee one I was always trying to get my grubby little hands on some Stephen King or V.C Andrews rather than Judy Bloom (well, I was a kid, so there is no accounting for taste). So it shouldn't come as a surprise that today is the first time I had ever heard of the classic adventure books 
Well it looks like we can chalk up another victim of the writers strike. Right after 
At this point, I'm starting to think that it's contractually obligated that if either 
OK, so while it probably isn't the most exciting news I've heard today, it certainly is a scoop on some unlikely casting. Sources for ComingSoon are 
What a difference a month can make. Back in September, 
It's probably hard enough adapt a book into a screenplay, especially if your source material only runs about 15 pages long. New York Magazine 
Well, it's official: After watching the latest trailer for the 
Before I go any further, I should probably get this off my chest. I never liked 
Seems like everyone wants to take a stab at filming a 
Since the only female spies I can think of in the movies are 
I'll be honest with you, I would rather read anything other than something that has been branded as chick-lit. But, they do seem to be tailor-made for screenplays. The Hollywood Reporter 
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SCOOP: Spider-Man 4 and 5 Might be Shot at the Same Time!
Cinematical Seven: Disney's Awesome Live-Action Kid Adventures
