shanghai Tagged Articles at Cinematical
The Weinsteins Bump ALL Their Movies to 2009
Filed under: The Weinstein Co. »
If they got some sort of financial bonus for every year they kept an unreleased movie on the shelves, I could understand it -- but this is getting a little ridiculous. According to a rather interesting L.A. Times piece, the Weinsteins are taking all their movies (save for Zack and Miri, The Reader, and perhaps the inevitably brilliant Extreme Movie) and bumping them back to next year. That includes some oft-delayed titles like Killshot and Fanboys, as well as higher-profile stuff like Crossing Over (with Harrison Ford and Sean Penn) and Shanghai (with John Cusack). Ah yes, and the highly-anticipated adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Cormac McCarthy novel The Road.Despite the fact that The Weinstein Co. is losing employees by the fistful, Harvey W. insists that the reasons for the delays are legit: Killshot he wants to hold for Mickey Rourke's The Wrestler; Fanboys is waiting for a Comcast promotion in January; Crossing Over deserves to enter a non-crowded marketplace; and Shanghai isn't even finished yet. Regarding The Road ... hmph, it never came up.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan Heads to 'Shanghai'
Filed under: Drama », Casting »
If you remember our previous coverage of the upcoming Shanghai, you'll recall that John Cusack is going to star as a man "who returns to Shanghai in the months before Pearl Harbor due to the death of his friend" -- one who was murdered. Now, we've got the friend.The Hollywood Reporter posts that Jeffrey Dean Morgan has signed on to play the slain man named Connor. So, Connor's friend comes to investigate, and when he does, Cusack finds some big, hidden governmental secret. Could it be the plans for Pearl Harbor? I figure that has to fit in there somewhere, sort of like A Few Days in September.
As for Morgan, he's a great addition to the film, although it's another small role (unless there are a lot of flashbacks). He knows how to steal the show with these smaller, supporting roles, but I wonder how many of these gigs Morgan will have to take on before he gets to solid, meaty starring fare? Maybe his stint as The Comedian will help turn the tide. But we'll get to see this flick before Watchmen; Shanghai is set to be released this December.
Hong Kong Filmart: 'Storm Riders II,' Western 'Rain,' Rebuilt 'Shanghai'
Filed under: Action », Foreign Language », Independent », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Casting », Deals », The Weinstein Co. », Remakes and Sequels », Cinematical Indie »
As I reported in December, Danny and Oxide Pang (Bangkok Dangerous, The Messengers) were hired to direct the sequel to action fantasy The Storm Riders. More details have surfaced at the Hong Kong Filmart, according to Variety. Filming begins next month with original stars Aaron Kwok and Ekin Cheng set to return; Simon Yam, Nicholas Tse, and Charlene Choi will also star. The picture will be the first Hong Kong movie filmed exclusively on blue screen, a la 300, though the budget is just $12 million, compared to 300's estimated cost of $65 million. The Storm Riders II is due for release at the end of 2009.Variety is also reporting that the wonderfully versatile Gary Oldman is in "advanced negotiations" to star in Rain Fall, the "story of a hit man who is forced to protect the daughter of one of his victims against assassination by the C.I.A." If the deal goes through, Oldman would join Shiina Kippei (Shinobi) and actress Akiho Hasegawa. Max Mannix will direct the Japan-set thriller; veteran producer Satoru Iseki is employing "sophisticated Western financing techniques" to get the picture made.
We've been tracking World War II action epic Shanghai since last summer. Production was expected to start this spring in Shanghai, but the Chinese authorities denied the shooting permit after the Weinstein Co. had spent nearly three million dollars building sets. Variety says that production has now been shifted to Thailand and England, though there's no word on a new start date. The film will be directed by Mikael Håfström and stars John Cusack, Chow Yun-Fat, Gong Li and Ken Watanabe.
'Shanghai' Welcomes Ken Watanabe to Romantic War Mystery
Filed under: Action », Drama », Romance », Casting », Mystery & Suspense », The Weinstein Co. »
We first caught wind of Shanghai this past summer, as part of the announcement that The Weinstein Co. had landed $285 million to make Asian-themed films. At the time it was described simply as "an action epic set during World War II." A few months later, James Rocchi told us that John Cusack was in negotiations to star as "an American expat who returns to Shanghai in the months before Pearl Harbor due to the death of his friend." James noted that the beautiful Gong Li had already been cast, and that director Mikael Håfström was on board. Cusack and Håfström previously worked together on 1408.Variety Asia Online is reporting that another piece of the puzzle has been added: Ken Watanabe has joined the cast. No details are offered about the role he will play, though the article fleshes out the plot a little. Referring to the character that will be played by Cusack (now confirmed to star), the article states: "While trying to solve the murder [of his friend], he falls in love and discovers a much larger secret that his own government is hiding." Hossein Amini wrote the script; he was nominated for an Academy Award for his work on The Wings of the Dove, and also adapted Jude as well as the more recent Killshot.
Watanabe has great presence; he shot to prominence opposite Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai and was memorable in both Batman Begins and Letters from Iwo Jima; he also received kudos for his work as a businessman beset by Alzheimer's Disease in Memories of Tomorrow. During the time period covered in the upcoming film, Shanghai was occupied by Japan, but, as noted above, we'll have to wait and see which part the Japanese-born Watanabe will play. Production is expected to start this spring in Shanghai. Watanabe was also recently cast in Cirque du Freak, which rolls this month, but I presume the filming schedules are compatible.
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Exclusive: Title Track for 'The Road' Soundtrack
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