Film News Roundup – July 2009 – Week 3
Harold Ramis Talks In-Depth About Ghostbusters 3
In this almost 7-minute interview, you’ll get the inside scoop on the long-awaited threequel and the challenges he’s about to face. [Video]
Scribe tapped to rewrite ‘Leagues’
Randall Wallace set for story of Captain Nemo’s origin
Randall Wallace has been brought aboard to rewrite “Captain Nemo: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” Disney’s take on the classic Jules Verne character being directed by McG. Idealogy’s Sean Bailey is producing with McG. “Nemo” aims to tell the origin of Captain Nemo and his submarine warship, the Nautilus. Nemo is a mysterious but noble antagonist in the book, a scientific genius with a thirst for knowledge and a desire for revenge against the forces of imperialism.
‘Scooby-Doo’ director takes on ‘Smurfs’ movie
Raja Gosnell to helm live action/animated project
Raja Gosnell has signed to direct the live-action/animated hybrid big-screen version of “The Smurfs” for Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation. Gosnell is the editor-turned-director best known for helming “Scooby-Doo” and “Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed” in addition to last year’s “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” all of which combined live actors and settings with photo-realistic animated talking animals.
Jodie Foster, Mel Gibson circle ‘Beaver’
She may direct and co-star; he’s in talks to play lead
Jodie Foster is in negotiations to direct and co-star in the whimsical drama, and Mel Gibson is in talks to play the lead role. Kyle Killen’s “Beaver” has generated heat in development circles, landing the top spot on the Black List last year. The story centers on a grown man who wears a beaver puppet on his hand that he treats as a real person, and those familiar with the script have compared it to “Lars and the Real Girl” and the work of Charlie Kaufman.
‘Hong Kong Phooey’ lands Goodman
‘Family Guy’ scribe to adapt Hanna-Barbera cartoon
David Goodman has been tapped to pen “Hong Kong Phooey,” Alcon’s take on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon being produced by the company’s Andrew Kosove and Andrew Johnson. Rat Entertainment is also producing. The cartoon, which aired in the mid-1970s, concerned a kung-fu fighting dog and his sidekick cat who fight crime. Alcon plans to make the adaptation a live-action/CGI hybrid.
Alfredson to direct ‘Tinker’ for WT
Morgan wrote script for Le Carre adaptation
Working Title has tapped Swedish helmer Tomas Alfredson to direct its adaptation of John Le Carre’s classic spy tale “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.” The story involves a retired British intelligence officer who is asked to return to his old agency to discover which of his former colleagues is a Russian spy. Alfredson’s vampire pic “Let the Right One In” won best narrative feature at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. The English-language remake rights have been acquired by Hammer Films, with “Cloverfield” helmer Matt Reeves attached to direct.
What’s next for Spock Prime? Trek’s Nimoy speaks
“I have no illusions on whether or not they need me. They decided that they wanted to make this film using Spock as kind of an anchor for the story, which I think worked very, very well. They don’t have to do that again. If they decide they have a role for me to play, I would be very interested in talking to them about it. But I have every reason to believe that they have established a whole new set of characters, and they can sail very well without me, and that’s fine. Either way is good with me. I am very gratified that this has happened.”
Harry Potter cast lifts veil on final films
The next movies will split Rowling’s seventh and final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, with part one debuting on Nov. 19, 2010, and part two bowing July 15, 2011. The two films will be very different, although they are two halves of a whole story. Part one is essentially an edgy, verite “road movie” that’s a strong departure from the more comedic Half-Blood Prince. As for part two, it’s basically a “big opera.” “It’s a great big epic with huge battles,” he said. “And it’s oddly moving, because it concludes the whole saga.”
Edgar Wright On His Next Project
Exclusive: Baby Driver could follow
“I’d like to make Baby Driver next if possible. On this film [Scott Pilgrim] and other things I’ve been blogging furiously and putting up a photo every day, but I think when I do that one I’d like to go completely silent for once. Probably because it’s not an adaptation or anything, or a sequel to anything else. I’d like to just make it in private, basically.”
TRON 2 Plot Confirmed
Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), the tech-savvy 27-year-old son of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), looks into his father’s disappearance and finds himself pulled into the same world of fierce programs and gladiatorial games where his father has been living for 25 years. Along with Kevin’s loyal confidant (Olivia Wilde), father and son embark on a life-and-death journey across a visually-stunning cyber universe that has become far more advanced and exceedingly dangerous.
Danny Huston cast in Robin Hood pic
Actor will play King Richard in the untitled project
Danny Huston, who appeared this summer on the big screen in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” playing Wolverine’s nemesis William Stryker, is joining the cast of the untitled Robin Hood movie, which Ridley Scott is now directing in England. Russell Crowe plays the legendary folk hero and Huston will step into the shoes of the historical figure King Richard, who became known as Richard the Lionheart because of his exploits in the Third Crusade.
‘Bruno’ tailored in U.K. for younger crowd
Universal releasing two versions of the film at the same time
Universal Pictures U.K. is releasing a re-edit of Sacha Baron Cohen’s “Bruno” to secure a “15″ certificate and help boost audiences. It’s the first time that two versions of one film will have been released at the same time in the U.K. The “15″ version is 110 seconds shorter than the original “18″ film and was only submitted to the British Board of Film Classification on Monday.
Jackie Chan set for ‘Karate’ remake
Actor to play opposite on Jaden Smith
Jackie Chan will play the wise kung-fu master in a Hollywood-Chinese remake of the 1984 hit “The Karate Kid” that kicked off filming in the Chinese capital at the weekend, a movie company publicist said Monday. Chan’s young disciple in “Kung Fu Kid” will be played by Jaden Smith, the son of Hollywood superstars Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith.
Jason Statham tracking ‘Blitz’
Actor in final talks to star in thriller
Jason Statham is in final negotiations to star in “Blitz,” a London-set thriller about a serial killer targeting police officers. Lionsgate U.K. is fully financing the project, which is an adaptation of Ken Bruen’s bestseller of the same name. Statham will play a tough, uncompromising cop assigned the task of tracking down the killer. Paddy Considine will play his partner.
Paramount toys with ‘Max Steel’ pic
Studio teams with Roth for Mattel property
The toy property revolves around a 19-year-old extreme sports junkie recruited by a secret agency after an accident infects his body with nanobots, making him superhuman. Although Mattel introduced the character in the U.S. in 1999 as an action figure, and soon after in an animated series that ran from 2000-2002, he’s proved more popular in Latin America, where Max Steel is the region’s No. 1 action figure. Mattel has continued to produce animated direct-to-DVD features for the region, produced by Rainmaker Entertainment in Vancouver.
The Fine Print
This is by no means meant to be a comprehensive roundup of the entire weeks’ news. All stories are chosen by me for no other reason than that they got my attention and might capture yours. If something you think is more important chime in on the feedback; we’d love to hear comments and have a conversation about it.
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