revolution studios Tagged Articles at Cinematical
'Universe' Saga Continues: Nikki Finke Says Taymor To Blame
Filed under: Drama », Music & Musicals », Sony »
When it was revealed Tuesday that Across the Universe was having some creative control issues, a lot of people (myself included) sided with the film's director, Julie Taymor. While I didn't go so far as to compare Taymor to Orson Welles (that would be the NY Times), I had to put in my usual two cents about how a visionary director should at least be in the loop regarding the final cut if he or she isn't actually given authority over the final cut. Apparently Taymor is too stubborn for such a privilege, though, as she has a reputation for not being willing to compromise. L.A. Weekly's Nikki Finke wrote up a story on how difficult Taymor is and why it is in fact her fault that Universe is having troubles.Finke goes into great detail regarding Taymor's career and cites examples of problems she's had since becoming a big hit on Broadway with the stage adaptation of The Lion King. Both of the director's previous films had their share of difficulties and Finke finds it surprising that anybody would even hire Taymor for anything anymore. So, in a way, Joe Roth is at fault for not knowing any better. This story is illustrative of what I and others despise about Hollywood, how the business side of the movies is always more important than the art side. And I understand this is the way it is and I understand this is best for the industry. But as much as whining doesn't help, it is often our job as writers to complain about the system, and Finke sure isn't going to change my mind about supporting Taymor on this one.
Julie Taymor Fighting Studio Over 'Universe' -- May Remove Her Name
Filed under: Animation », Drama », Music & Musicals », Sony », Celebrities and Controversy »
I guess it makes sense for a studio to not give final cut privileges to someone like Julie Taymor. Sure, she's got a brilliant mind for visuals, but sometimes the artsy directors are the ones most in need of help in areas like editing. Plus, Taymor is not yet a bankable director, with only two feature films in the bag so far. Still, it is easy to see why she would be upset about the studio cutting her new film, Across the Universe, without telling her. Now Taymor is threatening to remove her name from the film -- as if Alan Smithee could make such a beautiful-looking movie. The Beatles-inspired musical is being distributed by Revolution Studios, and since the film was originally supposed to be released last fall, studio head Joe Roth was probably getting antsy about completing it already. But anybody who has seen one of Roth's own movies (Freedomland, for instance) would hate to have to give up something for him to finish. I don't really understand why Taymor couldn't at least be involved in the editing process, but I also have no idea how stubborn or difficult she might be about her work. Whether or not she is credited, though, I will still know that she was responsible and I will still be excited to see the film, even if I do think the premise seems a little cheesy. Some of the sequences do look mind-blowing, as you can see from the trailer.
Mr. Blandings gets a makeover
Filed under: Comedy », Casting », Family Films », Newsstand », Remakes and Sequels »
Revolution Studios has been hard at work preparing the
cast and screenplay for a remake
of Mr.
Blandings Builds His Dream House, starring today's Cary
Grant, Ice Cube. However, the movie has undergone a rather sudden
revision, and is now being retooled and rewritten into a sequel to Cube's 2005 hit, Are We There Yet?. Though the plot of the movie will reportedly
still be fairly close to that of Blandings, it's now called Are We Done Yet? (as in with the dream
house), and both Cube and Nia Long, his co-star from Are We There
Yet?, will reprise their roles from that film. Additionally, the studio is scrambling to sign Aleisha Allen and Philip
Bolden, the young actors who played the kids in the first movie. (Since the script is already being rewritten and
the studio really, really needs those kids, they're in a position to make completely outrageous demands. I hope they
both get butlers.)Though it's a little unclear why the production on Blandings was originally halted, it's thought that the (deeply disturbing) success of Big Momma's House 2 is what drove Revolution in the remake direction. It's a very scary time, friends, when Martin Lawrence in a fat suit is influencing the thinking of Hollywood studio heads.
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