brian grazer Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Diablo Cody Writing Hugh Hefner Biopic?
Filed under: RumorMonger »
Though it really could mean anything, because people in Hollywood take meetings with other people in Hollywood every single day (it's what they do, and it keeps them alive), we found it rather interesting to learn that Diablo Cody met with Playboy founder Hugh Hefner yesterday to talk about that long-delayed Brian Grazer-produced Playboy flick that may or may not star either Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Downey Jr. or someone else entirely, and may or may not be directed by Brett Ratner.
We know this because of Hefner's Twitter account, where yesterday afternoon he tweeted the following: "Meeting with Diablo Cody to talk about the Brian Grazer Playboy film today." Cody, however, kept hush hush about the meeting on Twitter, and Hefner never followed up to tell his followers how the meeting went. That said, knowing that he's meeting with writers means they're either looking for a brand new script or a rewrite of what already exists. Last time anything official hit regarding this project, it was back in 2007 when John Hoffman signed on to pen the script, with Ratner attached to direct.
Cody seems like an odd choice for a screenwriter, though, especially since she seems to dig projects that are chick-centric (then again, I guess any film about the life of Hugh Hefner would include plenty of female, um, parts). What could she possibly add to the project, other than a whole bunch of quirky, high school hipster-speak? Seems like an odd pairing ... what do you think this is all about?
Universal Going Retro With 'Go Mutants!"
Filed under: Classics », Comedy », Horror », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Deals », Universal », Scripts », Family Films », Newsstand »
Universal has been busy readying remakes of many of their classic horror icons -- The Mummy kicked it off to a slow start ten years ago (gee, it's due for another remake!), The Wolfman hits theaters this fall, and allegedly The Bride of Frankenstein, The Creature From the Black Lagoon, and The Invisible Man will follow. But they're not just planning on remaking their stable, but option a few younger and fresher versions of their icons too.According to Variety, the studio has optioned Larry Doyle's upcoming novel Go Mutants! It's a teen comedy / adventure story set in a world where all those classic 1950s alien invasion movies actually happened. A few decades later, the offspring of those invasions have assimilated among the rest of the population, and are happily attending high school.
It's too early to tell if it'll be another Monster Squad, as the book doesn't hit store shelves until next summer, but Doyle promises you'll see cameos from Gort and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. One of those is not like the other, so all bets are off as to who else you might see, but I'd put money on the Mole Man and the Metaluna Mutant. Perhaps he'll reach beyond the creature feature cast, and throw in the Invisible Man -- you can't tell me that sly creep didn't use his gift to father a few brats and avoid the child support.
An Early Review for Ron Howard's 'Frost/Nixon'
Filed under: Drama », Universal », RumorMonger »
A dedicated contributor to the Ain't it Cool News machine got the chance to catch what they claimed was the final cut of Ron Howard's political drama, Frost/Nixon, and the good news is that it earned a resounding thumbs up (if you make it through the entire review, there is also a little surprise regarding the Arrested Development feature). Frost/Nixon is based on the famous stage play by Peter Morgan, which premiered in 2007 and earned Frank Langella a Tony for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play.In 1977, Frost, as the host of a popular news show titled Frost on America, conducted a series of hard-hitting interviews with Richard Nixon. Nixon had been interviewed countless times before, but Frost was perhaps the only journalist to ever get him to admit his culpability in the Watergate break-in. Morgan adapted his own play for the screen, and it centers on Frost's team as well as re-enactments of the interviews.
Reprising their roles are Frank Langella as the disgraced former President Nixon, and Michael Sheen as British journalist, David Frost. Joining Langella and Sheen are Kevin Bacon, Oliver Platt, and Sam Rockwell as James Reston Jr. Judging by AICN's tipster, it looks like most of the praise will be directed at Langella's stellar performance as the former president. So for those of you who like to get an early jump on your Oscar pool, you might want to keep Langella in mind. Frost/Nixon goes into limited release on December 5th.
Universal and Imagine Team for Another Gangster Flick
Filed under: Drama », Casting », Universal », Scripts », Newsstand »
I can't wait to check out American Gangster this weekend, and apparently Universal and Imagine are pretty high on it as well. They're already working on another true crime drama about men on opposing sides of the law. They have bought the rights to make "The Knife," an investigative article by Guy Lawson, into a feature film. The intriguingly-haired Brian Grazer will produce. "The Knife" will be published in the January issue of GQ. Lawson is quite the hot writer right now, HBO is making his book The Brotherhoods: The True Story of Two Cops Who Murdered for the Mafia into a mini-series produced by Dick Wolf.
According to Variety, the title of "The Knife" refers to "the code name given to a Crips member in South Central who became an informant and collaborated for a decade with FBI agent Tim Flaherty to crack murder, drug and arms-deal cases." Sweeeeet. I love crime movies. The gang member's identity is still being kept secret, apparently he's living a Henry Hill-style life. Who do you see in these roles? Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe are two of the best actors in the game, but they're somewhat safe choices for their roles in American Gangster. Let's say you're a casting director -- who would you cast as the gang member and Flaherty? I'd like to see a fresh pairing, maybe...Chris Tucker and Paul Giamatti? Check out James' American Gangster review here and Ryan's junket report on the film here.
Robin Hood + Gladiator = Nottingham!
Filed under: Action », Drama », Universal », Remakes and Sequels »
At least that's what producer Brian Grazer would like you to believe regarding his upcoming "reversal" on the Robin Hood legend. According to the MTV Movies Blog, the revisionist epic Nottingham will be the Gladiator-ish version of an oft-told tale. And since he's already got Ridley Scott as director and Russell Crowe for his leading man, this seems to be a pretty logical direction for Grazer to lean towards. (Plus all those box office receipts, Oscar wins and DVD sales make for a pretty alluring formula.)Here's what the producer had to say about the project: "Nottingham is the Gladiator version of Robin Hood ... I think it will have the same propulsion that Gladiator had - the same adrenaline hits." Sir Ridley also chimes in with a few vague-yet-contorted plot threads, but you'll have to visit the source to check those out. I will tell you that the script was written by Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris (yes, the guys who gave you Demon Knight and Bulletproof Monk), but the IMDb indicates that Brian Helgeland is also attached to the project -- which is good news because he's a fine screenwriter. Plus he also wrote the best AND the worst film of 1997, and that's just strange.
More on Ridley Scott's Nottingham as it becomes available. This one sounds like it could be pretty cool, and double my interest if they make it rated R! (Yeah, right.)
Trailer for 'Funny Games' Remake
Filed under: Thrillers », Warner Independent Pictures », Trailer Trash », Remakes and Sequels », Trailers and Clips »
There are only a handful of examples out there of a director who has chosen to remake their own movie. But I guess if Alfred Hitchcock can do it, why not someone else? MSN is now hosting the trailer for Michael Haneke's remake of his own film, Funny Games. Starring Naomi Watts and Tim Roth, the update follows the same story as the original; a family vacationing at a remote country home is terrorized by a psychotic duo -- this time around it's Michael Pitt (Last Days) and Brady Corbet. Judging from the trailer, it's going to be a tough sell to North American audiences. Mainly because you can't tell whether the film is going for pitch black comedy, or a straight thriller. Not to mention (Warning, spoiler ahead), the ending might be a little hard for US audiences to take. Unless, of course, Haneke had some major changes up his sleeve.This is just the first remake of a Haneke film slated this year. Rumors of Ron Howard taking on Haneke's thriller Cache with long-time production partner Brian Grazer surfaced back in February, although there has yet to be official confirmation. Haneke is also slated to start production on The White Tape or the Teacher's Tale, a period piece set in a German village pre-WW1. Since I haven't seen the original Funny Games, I can't say whether or not the remake is a good idea or not; although experience has taught me that most remakes can never live up to the original -- even if they are made by the same person.
Brett Ratner Will Direct 'Playboy,' Hugh Hefner Biopic
Filed under: Drama », Deals », Scripts »
The thought of Brett Ratner directing a biopic about Hugh Hefner is interesting, to say the least. The Family Man was his one high-profile foray out of action adventure flicks like the Rush Hour franchise and X-Men, or the more thrilling Red Dragon. Of all the directions he'd go, I wasn't expecting a sexual revolution. Variety has reported that the director is teaming with producer and hair gel lover Brian Grazer to finally bring Playboy to the screen -- a film about Hefner's life. John Hoffman, whose last released feature was the super-awesome Good Boy! is going to pen the script. Grazer grabbed Hef's life rights a while ago, and has been working on getting a workable project since then. If you can imagine it, Scott Silver once tried to whip Hugh into a musical, which could have been fun, but also potentially terrible, and Oliver Stone even worked on some drafts. Where they've failed, Ratner and Hoffman have succeeded -- pleasing not only Grazer, but Hugh himself. Perhaps it's due to all the Playboy pinball he's played, or used to play, as Variety also says that Ratner sent Grazer his Playboy pinball machine. As for the scope, the director says: "Hef came from a puritanical upbringing and reinvented himself to be the godfather of the sexual revolution. He also used his magazine to advocate civil rights and free speech, and put James Brown on his show Playboy After Dark when they didn't put black performers on national television. He broke all kinds of taboos, especially in sexuality. I want to show it all, from the First Amendment struggles to his first orgy to the stroke in the 1980's that almost killed him." It sounds like a little something for everyone! When this project goes into production will depend on which of his two upcoming screenplays gets finished first -- he's also waiting for a caper film to get a re-write, one that might see Chris Tucker acting alongside Sidney Poitier of all people. Now onto the big question: Who will play Hugh?
Which Sammy Davis Jr. Biopic Will Lead the Pack?
Filed under: Documentary », Drama », Deals », New Line », Universal », Cinematical Indie »
Remember the dueling Truman Capote biopics, Capote and Infamous? That's nothing compared to the possibilities for movies focusing on Sammy Davis Jr. and his memorable career. According to the New York Times, the potential movie projects currently number four -- three features and a documentary, focusing on different aspects of the singer/actor's life from various biographical sources. If the Capote films are any kind of benchmark, it seems that the first movie to reach theaters will likely be the one with the biggest box-office success. This means that when one of these films actually goes into production, the other projects may crumble. Here are the contenders for the big race:- Denzel Washington starring in and possibly directing a Brian Grazer-produced adaptation of 2003 biography In Black and White: The Life of Sammy Davis Jr., written by Wil Haywood. Imagine Entertainment and Universal Pictures have teamed up for this movie. This is the one I'm betting will prevail, simply because of the big-name talent behind it.
- Andre Benjamin (aka Andre 3000) starring in Sammy and Kim, about Davis's affair with actress Kim Novak in the 1950s, which drew a lot of controversy at the time. The sensationalist aspect of this story could potentially draw a lot of crowds.
- New Line is finalizing a deal to adapt Davis's best-selling autobiography from 1965, Yes, I Can, which was actually written by Jane and Burt Boyar. Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who have produced Chicago and Hairspray, are attached as producers. This biopic is endorsed by Davis's widow, but no lead actor has yet been named.
- A documentary is also in the running, also based on Yes, I Can, and using Burt Boyar's filmed interviews with Davis. This sounds like it might be a good alternate, smaller film that would clarify facts that might balance out a more sensational, fictionalized biopic.
Universal Will Remake '70s Sci-fi Epic 'Colossus'
Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Universal », Remakes and Sequels »
I bet a whole lot of our astute and sci-fi-addicted readers remember the 1970 Joseph Sargent / James Bridges flick called Colossus: The Forbin Project -- and you can bet that producer Brian Grazer and director Ron Howard remember the movie too. It looks like they'll be teaming up with Universal to mount a remake of the cult not-so-classic. The plan is to use the original film as sort of a jumping-off point. Up and coming screenwriter Jason Rothenberg will be using three books by D.F. Jones as his source material, which means yes: That's probably a franchise you smell brewing.As Variety handily points out, Colossus has a lot in common with movies like The Terminator and The Matrix, although (obviously) this one came first. It's about a pair of hyper-brilliant super-computers (one Russian, one American) who get "linked up," only to decide that mankind deserves to be enslaved and therefore threatens the planet with nuclear devastation. (Hmm, I think I need to see this movie again.) But like I said, Mr. Rothenberg will be using two extra books when penning his screenplay, so the new-fangled adaptation will probably look a whole lot different than the 1970 version.
Anyone else out there just add Colossus to your Netflix queue? I know this news sounds like "just another remake," but I don't see it that way. It's not like Universal considers "Colossus: The Forbin Project" a well-known film. More likely that Rothenberg loves the books and did what he could to get his new adaptation off the ground. Plus, "computers gone wild" is a really fun concept. (Other movies that feature computers too smart for their own good include 2001: A Space Odyssey, WarGames, Short Circuit and Electric Dreams.)
Angelina Jolie Will Battle LAPD
Filed under: Drama », Thrillers », Casting », Deals », Mystery & Suspense », Universal », Scripts », Newsstand », Angelina Jolie », Politics »
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The next project for Angelina Jolie will be a Clint Eastwood film about corruption in the LAPD, Variety reported last night. The Changeling, from a script by J. Michael Straczynski (World War Z), has been fast-tracked by Universal Pictures, the studio that housed Jolie's last film, the C.I.A. drama The Good Shepherd. Production is slated to begin in late 2007, with Brian Grazer and Ron Howard producing, along with Malpaso honcho Rob Lorenz. The story is based on events that occurred in 1920s L.A., but it's not clear whether a historical or contemporary approach will be taken with the project.
Jolie's role will be that of a woman whose son is abducted and then returned -- but she thinks the child that's returned is not hers. Somehow this leads into a revelation of deep-seated corruption in the LAPD. According to the article, Ron Howard was originally tapped to direct the film, but ultimately turned it down in favor of adapting "Frost/Nixon" into a feature film. Jolie will next be seen in A Mighty Heart, the story of Mariane and Daniel Pearl, and will lend her voice to Robert Zemeckis's Beowulf as Grendel's mother. Interestingly, the Variety article also gives some credence to the notion that that Jolie has made a firm time-commitment to her long-time pet project Atlas Shrugged, which Randall Wallace has written for Lionsgate. Cinematical asked Jolie directly in December what the status of Atlas Shrugged was, and you can read her response here.
Indie Roundup: 'Sweetgrass,' 'Clarkworld,' 'Broken Embraces'
Shelf Life: Fight Club_thumbnail.jpg)
Watch: Famous 'Matrix' Scene Re-Created with LEGOs
Peter Jackson Says Spielberg's 'Tintin' is Done Filming, but...
Interracial Harmony: 'Ninja Assassin' vs. 'Blind Side'
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