tom rob smith Tagged Articles at Cinematical

It was just last week that anime fans the world over breathed a sigh of relief that Leonardo DiCaprio's live-action Akira was no more. But, that doesn't mean Hollywood has lost its taste for anime, and there are still plenty of other reboots headed our way. So while most of them have stayed in development limbo, two of the more popular titles: Cowboy Bebop and Robotech have started to make new ground, and some of the people involved are starting to talk.

Cowboy Bebop:
When the live action film of the beloved anime was first announced, fans were not thrilled with the idea. Plus, it probably didn't help that Keanu Reeves was taking the role of Spike. But, maybe we shouldn't count out the film yet, because when it comes to the film's screenwriter, there is good news and some bad news. But, let's start with the good news. In an interview with Anime Vice, Craig was asked about whether or not he was familiar with the series, and to his credit, Craig went into full fan-boy mode, telling them about some of his favorite episodes and that both he and Reeves have been meeting with Sunrise studio (the creator of the anime) to make sure that the original 'feel' of the show remains intact. According to Craig, "they [Sunrise] were very specific about their vision for the series, and how it might convert to a live-action film." -- sounds promising, right? Well, the bad news is that Craig has zero experience with sci-fi, and made his name writing about con-men and dysfunctional families. But, I'm going to remain hopeful that with Sunrise watching over the flick, there might be a chance we get something a little better than expected.

Read the rest over at SciFi Squad

Ridley Scott, who will probably avoid romantic comedy after A Good Year, is busy getting back to the kinds of projects he does best. His highly anticipated American Gangster, with Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington, will be released this November. Just last week, Jessica brought you news on his next project, which is now called Penetration. (Sadly, it is not an epic porno). That film will star Leonardo DiCaprio, and is a political drama about a former journalist injured in the Iraq war who is hired by the CIA to track down an Al Qaeda leader. White-hot screenwriter William Monahan, who also wrote Scott's Kingdom of Heaven, is adapting the screenplay from David Ignatius' novel -- Body of Lies. And after that Scott will direct an adaptation of Child 44, British television writer Tom Rob Smith's debut novel.

The thriller is set in Stalinist Russia and the story centers on "an officer in the secret police who is framed by a colleague for treason. On the run with his emotionally estranged wife, he stumbles upon a series of child killings and launches his own rogue investigation, even though it means risking his own capture." Rogue investigations? Emotional estrangement? Child killings? Alright, Ridley, you got me! The novel won't be released until 2008, and is said to leave open the possibility of a sequel. I can't imagine Ridley Scott would approve of the picture I chose to represent him for this article, so let me make it up to him by recommending one of his more underrated movies: White Squall. Great flick, and one not a lot of people have seen.