screen gems Tagged Articles at Cinematical
'Legion' Gets a Comic Book Prequel
Filed under: Horror », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Deals », Sony », Newsstand », Movie Marketing », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Religious »
When the red-band trailer for Legion appeared online, the responses ranged from "What the hell?" to "How can angels go bad?" to "I don't like the look of that at all." All the footage is very dark, demonic, and confusing and we have to wait until January 2010 to figure out why all hell (or heaven) seems to be breaking loose.But guess what! You don't have to wait that long if you're insanely curious about it. IDW Publishing announced that Scott Stewart and Tom Waltz have penned a four issue miniseries that will serve as a prequel to Stewart's upcoming holy war. Legion: Prophets will introduce you to the Theologians, the Guardian, the Codebreaker and the Voice, five very different and unlikely individuals who become humanity's only hope in surviving the Apocalypse. (Here we thought it all rested on the well-built shoulders of the ex-angelic Paul Bettany.) "There were a lot of cool and scary characters and situations that I wasn't able to include in the main narrative of the movie, so I'm very excited to be able to expand the Legion universe beyond the film and explore those other stories through the comic book series," says Stewart.
Legion: Prophets hits comic store shelves in November, just in time for the holidays and to make you look a little askance at the angels glittering on every holiday decoration. If you're still into the movie after reading the paper prequel, Legion comes to the big screen on January 22, 2010.
[via io9]
'Priest' Recruits Stephen Moyer and Lily Collins to the Cloth
Filed under: Action », Horror », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Casting », Sony », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Western »
I have been dutifully keeping track of the Priest roster for a lot of reasons that range from who was once attached to the project, to a weird fascination with Paul Bettany's religious roles, and a longing for a horror western. But now the project has jumped from "I'm curious to see how it'll turn out" to "Ok, it can be horrible and I'll still see it!" thanks to the addition of one Stephen Moyer.According to Variety, Moyer and Lily Collins are the latest to make their Priest vows. I know what you're thinking, because I thought it too: "Oh, Moyer playing another vampire. That's a bad move." (We all thought it when Cam Gigandet climbed aboard.) But Moyer is playing a mortal this time around, and has been cast as Isaacs' brother, and the father to the kidnapped niece. (I'm guessing. Unless there's another Isaacs sibling with offspring?) I wonder if brotherly British actors will be able to keep their native accents, or if they'll be putting on Western drawls?
As Priest starts shooting today in Los Angeles, you can probably guess that Lily Collins isn't playing a vampire or avenging huntress like Maggie Q, but has been cast in the very crucial role of Isaacs' niece, who he is out to rescue come hell and high water. (Probably literally!) But most importantly, she'll be playing Moyer's daughter which means our favorite Southern vampire should get lots of big screen time.
'Priest' Recruits Karl Urban and Maggie Q
Filed under: Action », Horror », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Casting », Sony », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Western »
Having said its prayers and a few Hail Marys, Priest is ready to slay some vampires, ToykoPop style. The film is set to begin shooting in Los Angeles next week, but before it does, it's given Paul Bettany's Ivan Isaacs an ally and a villain.According to The Hollywood Reporter, Karl Urban has joined the cast as the vampire villain Black Hat. Once a priest and a vampire hunter, Black Hat is now a member of the bloodthirsty undead. Worse, he fancies himself a god of the vampires. I don't think he's a character found in the original manga, as I understand most of the villains to be fallen angels and demons, but I'm honestly not that familiar with it. Hopefully, it'll be something Urban can really sink his teeth into (pardon the pun) as he did with Star Trek, and not be another clunker to his credit.
To add a little girl power to the order, last week THR reported that Maggie Q had signed on as a warrior priestess, "a vampire hunter as tough as the priests" just in case we doubted her staking ability. Come on! As pop culture goes, we ladies have been a lot more successful in the war against the bloodsuckers. Buffy, Selene, Anna Valerious, Cassandra Hack, Mina Harker, the list just could go on forever. Isaacs should thank his lucky stars he's got a girl helping him and Sheriff Cam Gigandet out in the vampire infested wilderness. Incidentally, if you're looking for this film to give you a vampy fix between Twilight and True Blood, don't hold your breath. It won't hit theaters until August 13, 2010.
Cam Gigandet Takes Orders From 'Priest'
Filed under: Action », Horror », Independent », Casting », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Western »
Something must happen to you when you play a vampire in Twilight or Underworld -- you just can't steer clear of the supernatural and fangs. Cam Gigandet (whom the Twilighters know as the evil vampire and Bella-snatcher, James) is now set to stake his former cinematic kin in Priest opposite Paul Bettany, but he isn't straying too far from his bloodsucking roots. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gigandet will be playing a young wasteland sheriff who is part vampire. (I'm never sure how this works. To me, being a vampire is like being dead or pregnant -- there's no in-between.) He partners up with Ivan Isaacs (the titular priest) in order to find Isaacs' niece, who just happens to be the girl he loves. She's been kidnapped by vampires, the latest casualty of a battle between man and vampire that has raged for centuries.
Priest is based on Hyung Min-woo's popular manga series, and will be directed by Scott Stewart. Though Cory Goodman's script has reportedly changed things quite a bit, one thing it is keeping is the Western / horror setting, which intrigues me, even if my girlish curiosity does make me long for its old cast and Sam Raimi as producer. But hey, at least it's set to finally happen. All they need now is the niece, and a few bad vampires to set against Gigandet and Bettany. Say, is Michael Sheen available?
Discuss: Does Screen Gems Care Too Much About Black People?
Filed under: Drama », Thrillers », Casting », Sony »
Yesterday's New York Times featured a rather flattering profile on Screen Gems president Clinton Culpepper and how his Sony studio arm reliably turns a profit on its comedy and thriller titles. Despite Culpepper declining to be interviewed for the piece, it goes noted amidst "past and present associates" that the man has a preference for "the white comedy, done black," a supposed genre brought up with regards to Chris Rock's forthcoming remake of Death at a Funeral with an all African-American cast.The minority-cast likes of You Got Served, Stomp the Yard and This Christmas have certainly proven profitable for Screen Gems, but do any of you out there refuse to see Funeral or The Big Chill, and yet may fork money over if those films were done with a more superficially familiar ensemble? Or do you personally wish for more out of niche filmmaking meant to appeal to the African-American audience than the wacky antics of Martin Lawrence and Madea?
And with regards to this Friday's Obsessed, is there a double standard with regards to a white woman (Ali Larter) interfering with the happiness of a black couple (Idris Elba and Beyonce Knowles)? If the roles were reversed (and if the alleged working title of Oh No She Didn't were kept instead), would everyone be up in arms about stereotyping and such? On the flip side, would anyone argue that having a white villainess is maybe being too politically correct? Let us know.
Sony Kills 'Fright Night' Remake, Instead Wants 'Hell Night'
Filed under: Horror », Deals », Sony », RumorMonger », Scripts », Remakes and Sequels »
I just want to get this out there right at the start: whoever is responsible for putting the kibosh on plans for a remake of the 1985 horror Fright Night has my eternal thanks. Shock Till You Drop is reporting that Sony's Screen Gems has halted development on the project and word is that the real reason for Sony's decision was that they were unable to come up with a satisfactory script. The film's original director, Todd Holland, had been involved with the project, but in a previous interview with STYD, Holland had confirmed that the script "...apparently has gone through 3 unusable drafts..."Screen Gems has been in the horror-remake business for a while. Some of their other attempts included remakes of Prom Night, and the English-language remake of REC, better known as Quarantine. Fright Night might be safe for now, but fans of 80's horror still have plenty to worry about; rumor has it that Sony is still remaking the horror flick Hell Night, about a group of college kids getting knocked off in a variety of gruesome ways at an old mansion.
Now hold on to you hats, kids, because it gets worse from here: Sony has already announced that Hell Night would be a PG-13 film. When pressed for a reason as to why Gems was looking to clean up the original flick, Screen Gems president was quoted as saying, "If you are going to make a movie for a bunch of kids, you have to make it PG-13. You try not to make a movie for an audience that is older than your protagonist." Unfortunately, that argument isn't going to change my opinion about 'gore-free' horror any time soon, how about yours?
So is it just me, or is the goodwill of horror fans slowly running out for these kinds of remakes? Sound off below...
'Priest' Blessed With a New Director
Filed under: Action », Foreign Language », Horror », Deals », Scripts », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Religious », Western »
Gone is the morally ambiguous costumed vigilante trend for 2009, and in comes the stiff white collars! Just in time to compete with Jonah Hex and Preacher comes the resurrected Priest. According to The Hollywood Reporter, ScreenGems is reviving the project and has brought on Scott Charles Stewart to direct Cory Goodman's screenplay.Hyung Min-woo's manga has been kicking around for a few years -- Andrew Douglas was once set to direct, with Gerard Butler and Steven Straight starring, but that version abruptly fell apart around the time 300 was released. (I wish it had taken off now, I would much prefer to see Butler in a horror-Western than another romantic comedy. Well, no one's playing Ivan Isaacs yet ... are you still into taking priestly vows, Mr. Butler?)
Fans of the manga have complained that the story has been simplified to the point of having little in common with the original -- and sadly, that doesn't seem to have changed. The movie will still center on Isaacs as a warrior-priest who turns his back on the church in order to hunt a pack of vampires who have kidnapped his niece. However, considering that Stewart is fresh off filming the biblical thriller Legion, perhaps he'll rewrite it to include those demons, zombies, crucifixions, and evil angels that make Priest something more than a vampire story.
I'm not that attached to the manga, so I shall merely hope they can make an awesome horror-Western out of it. I firmly believe cinema needs a High Plains Drifter with vampires, zombies, and demons.
'Prom Night' Promo Makes 'Em Scream
Filed under: Horror », New Releases », Sony », Exhibition », Movie Marketing »
In order to promote the new Prom Night remake, Screen Gems designed a neat twist on the usual standees that you see at the multiplex. The cardboard display features a set of doors, which theater patrons are tempted to open up; when they do, an usher or some other theater employee jumps out and scares the crap out of them. As you can see in the YouTube video above, the stunt has even evolved into a viral marketing tool, as clips of moviegoers getting frightened are being uploaded to the net. I'm just waiting for the one that has an old codger faking a heart attack, only to turn the trick back on the theater staff when he screams "just kidding!". Of course, there's also a good chance that these standees are indeed unsafe for people with heart conditions.
The First Teaser Poster for Live-Action 'Tekken'
Filed under: Action », Games and Game Movies », Images », Posters »
When I think back on my 'video game memories,' spending countless hours playing Namco's Tekken is at the top of the list. Well, that and Mario Brothers, but I might be dating myself a little there. So imagine my surprise that a live-action film based on the classic fighting game was not only in the works, but that a teaser poster for the flick was already here (courtesy of ComingSoon.net).Here's a brief synopsis for Tekken, in case you don't remember its awesomeness: "A worldwide martial arts tournament is nearing its final, with a large purse of prize money to the fighter who can defeat Heihachi Mishima in the final round of competition. The contest is sponsored by the giant financial group, the Mishima Zaibatsu. There are eight fighters that remain after winning death matches all over the world. The winner of the tournament will receive The King of the Iron Fist title. Only one will have a chance at defeating Heihachi and taking home the prize money and fame". Dwight H. Little directed the Michael Colleary and Alan B. McElroy script that follows a similar storyline to the original game franchise.
It was five years ago that news of a film first surfaced, but in the barrage of game-based movies in production, I guess it must have gotten lost in the shuffle. Back in 2002, Namco's chairman told IGN that, "Tekken was the perfect game to pursue our dreams together. The game has fun characters and is a wonderful story. Unlike some other games, this has a whole style of its own and is a really fun piece that is very commercial". Well forget 2002; I guess now the right time is 2009, since that is when Tekken is scheduled for release.
Maxim Magazine To Make Maxim Movies
Filed under: Comedy », Deals », Sony »
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Hooray for morons! Maxim Magazine is getting into the movie business. According to Variety, Sony Screen Gems and Maxim Magazine have made some kind of devil's bargain that will see three Maxim-approved movies coming to a theater near you sometime in the near future. The first will be titled Maxim's Virginity Rocks and will be about a "gorgeous transfer student" who is all about abstinence and succeeds in getting all of the sluts in school to stop putting out. The "school stud" must then try to have sex with the transfer student virgin in order to put a stop to her abstinence campaign. I love the fact that there's actually a target audience for a film like this -- it's called "guys who have never heard of pornography."
The second film will be called Fired Up -- I guess a committee is still debating whether the word 'Maxim' is needed in the title for this one -- and will be about "two horny guys who attend a cheerleading camp." No further details on that one -- they wouldn't want vital plot secrets to leak out this early, right? The third film is called Mardi Gras, and will be about three guys who "try to sow their wild oats in New Orleans." Steve Zaillian and Tom Stoppard are currently working hard on the script for that one.
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Robert Downey Jr. Wants to Retire?
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