Film News Roundup – October 2009 – Week 3
A New ‘World War Z’ Script Due ‘In The Next Few Weeks,’ Says Author Max Brooks
“I read (J. Michael) Straczynski’s first draft, and it was f—ing brilliant. As the book writer i know that’s sacrilege to say, but it really was good,” Brooks said. “I turned to my wife and said ‘Honey, this is as good as the book. This is gonna be an amazing movie.’”
Adrien Brody to star in ‘Predators’; Topher Grace in negotiations to join him
Adrien Brody is boarding to star in “Robert Rodriguez’s Predators,” Fox’s reboot of the sci-fi franchise being directed by Nimrod Antal. Rodriguez is producing with Elizabeth Avellan. Topher Grace is in negotiations to join the action-adventure movie, to which Alice Braga (“I Am Legend”), Mahershalalhashbaz Ali (“The 4400″), Walt Goggins (“The Shield”), Rodriguez mainstay Danny Trejo and UFC fighter Oleg Taktarov have also been cast.
‘Vacation’ sequel booked at New Line
New Line is meeting with writers to pen the script for a sequel of sorts to the 1983 comedy classic, but the take is already developed: The story focuses on Rusty Griswold, the son of Clark Griswold, the protagonist of the initial movies and portrayed by Chevy Chase. Rusty, now a father himself, takes his family on a road trip vacation.
Gilliam Finds His Don Quixote
And he has a start date for the film
“We’re up and running again, we’ve rewritten the script and finally got it back, the budget’s come in… and I think we’ve found our Quixote! But who’s it going to be? Well, I’m not going to tell you, but it’ll start next Spring.”
J.J. Abrams talks STAR TREK 2, FRINGE, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 4 and More!
“The Shatner thing comes up quite a bit. As someone who was a William Shatner fan, in a huge way, just because of The Twilight Zone episodes he did, and then completely appreciating what he did in Star Trek, but not really becoming a fan until I started working on this movie, it was a foregone conclusion that we wanted Shatner in the movie. The problem was that his character died, on screen, in one of the Trek films, and because we decided, very early on, that we wanted to adhere to Trek canon, as best we could… the required machinations to get Shatner into the movie would have been very difficult to do….”
Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman talk STAR TREK Sequel, COWBOYS AND ALIENS, TRANSFORMERS 3, the VIEW-MASTER Film and more
“So, there’s Empire Strikes Back, Superman 2, Aliens, Terminator 2, Star Trek 2. What do all those movies have in common? Well, they’re amazing stories, all on their own. You didn’t have to see the first movie. And, there was some incredible, emotional test of character, in all of those movies.”
Interview: Michael Stuhlbarg, Star of A Serious Man
Stuhlbarg’s performance as Larry Gopnik is masterful for its subtlety and its remarkable capacity to evoke sympathy and empathy from the audience. Slashfilm chatted with Michael about how he came to star in the film, his approach to the character of Larry, as well as his thoughts on the film’s ending.
‘Ghostbusters 3′ Director, Story Kickoff Point
Ivan Reitman, director of Ghost Busters and Ghostbusters II, is in fact attached to get behind the camera for Ghostbusters 3. While he’s attached, the word is that he hasn’t decided whether or not he really wants to direct, yet. The sequel takes place when the paranormal researchers “reopen” their ghost removal service after it has been closed for quite a few years. Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Rick Moranis and Sigourney Weaver have all confirmed their involvement (in various interviews on the web).
Director Roland Emmerich Talks Adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s FOUNDATION Trilogy as well as His Next Movie About…William Shakespeare?!
“I was interested in Asimov before and I think with “I, Robot” they changed everything and fans kind of hated the movie so I didn’t want to do that. On the other end, The Foundation is a similar problem in that you have all these short stories and then they were combined into a book and so in a way there is not one character and I spoke with the Rob [Rodat, writer of "Saving Private Ryan"] and he said we have to consolidate the characters and that’s what we did and it worked really, really well in the context and I think if Asimov would have conceived this as a science fiction trilogy or series from the very beginning.”
View-Master creators compare their film to … E.T.?
“What I’ll say is that some toys should be movies and some toys should not be movies, and I’d like to believe we know the difference between those things. So, it’s like, ‘Bring it on.’ If you want to be cynical about View-Master, great ’cause we’re so confidence in where it’s going to end up going that we feel like there’s nowhere to go but up,” said producer Alex Kurtzman.
Latest Casting for John Landis’ ‘Burke and Hare’
BD’s David Harley writes in that David Tennant, star of “Dr Who”, has been cast alongside Simon Pegg in Burke and Hare, as was announced by director John Landis this weekend at the Spooky Empire convention in Orlando, FL. Based on a true story, Burke And Hare is about two 19th century graverobbers who find a lucrative business providing cadavers for an Edinburgh medical school.
‘World Of Warcraft’ Film Lands ‘Saving Private Ryan’ Writer, Says Sam Raimi
Raimi confirmed that the story, which had previously been believed to be an adaptation of the book “Arthas: Rise of the Lich King,” will actually be an original effort based in the universe of the popular online role-playing game. “We would choose… something that encompasses lands and characters and storylines, and we would be true to it. But our story may or may not be about one of those central characters.”
Paul Schrader looks to India
Writer-director teams with Bollywood on ‘Xtrme’
Schrader’s latest film, “Xtrme City,” is a bilingual collaboration with Bollywood scribe Mushtaq Shiekh, creative director of media conglom Sahara One, with financing from former sports agent Dwight Manley. Story centers around a former U.S. ranger who joins forces with an Indian commando to rescue the ranger’s sister-in-law, who’s been kidnapped by a crime lord in Mumbai’s underworld.
Twisted moves to ‘Texas’
‘Saw’ makers cutting ‘Chainsaw’ deal
Twisted Pictures is becoming the house of multiple sharp objects. The makers of the “Saw” series are closing a deal to take over the “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” franchise, putting the villains Leatherface and Jigsaw under one roof. Sources said the producer/financier is in talks to partner in the films with Lionsgate, which has distributed all the pics in the highly profitable “Saw” series. The plan is to contemporize the storyline for a 3D film.
Park pushes for ‘Couperet’ remake
Costa-Gavras confirmed story at Pusan
“Thirst” helmer Park Chan-wook will remake French helmer Costa-Gavras’ 2005 pic “Le Couperet” (The Ax). “I was glad to hear that Park, who has made political genre films, wants to remake my film. I met him and we talked a lot here in Pusan. I didn’t want to give any opinions of mine but I will support him as much as I can in France,” said Costa-Gavras. “Le Couperet” is a dark comedy thriller about a middle-class worker who turns into a killer after being unemployed for more than three years.
The Cutting Room Floor
- Ridley Scott’s Monopoly Movie Update
- Daft Punk to cameo In ‘Tron Legacy’
- Woody Harrelson On ‘Defendor’ And His Comic Book History
- Author Tim Powers finds himself setting sail with ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’
- ‘Paranormal Activity’ writer-director to explore ‘Area 51′
- Marlon Wayans to replace Eddie Murphy as ‘Richard Pryor’
- ’24′ director Jon Cassar drives ‘Motorcade’
- Matt Groenig Says ‘Don’t Hold Your Breath’ For Another ‘Simpsons’ Movie
- ‘Trick ‘r Treat’ Horror Maestro Planning Sequel
- Weinstein Co. alters ‘Nine’ and ‘A Single Man’ schedule again
- Burton’s ‘Alice,’ Mia Wasikowska in talks for ‘Restless’
- Lucy Liu in ‘Nomads’ pic, bred in Mexico
- Parker Posey joins dark comedy ‘Highland Park’
- JJ Abrams may bring back Peter Graves for M:I 4
- Leonard Nimoy says Star Trek doesn’t need him anymore
- Trek 2 shocker: The original Spock and Kirk—in 3-D?
- Neil Marshall Gets “Burst” of 3D Inspiration
- Lars von Trier goes from gore to Sci-Fi
- Independence Day Sequel Stalled By Fox
- Peter Chernin turns to Moses for first project
- Disney picks up ‘Reel to Real’ pitch
- WWE star Paul “Big Show” Wight set for ‘Knucklehead’
- Rebecca Mader from ‘Lost’ books two roles
- ‘Opposite Day’ attracts Disney
- RZA joins Downey Jr. to star in ‘Due Date’ for Warners
- Samuel L. Jackson set for ‘Same Kind of Different as Me’
- Wesley Snipes and Abel Ferrara reunite on ‘Game of Death’
- Isla Fisher hooks pic pair at Universal
- Andrew Douglas to direct ‘Perfect Assassin’
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt thriller ‘Uncertainty’ for IFC
- Tab Hunter set for tell-all doc
- Bruce Greenwood and David Walliams invited to ‘Dinner for Schmucks’
- Mandalay options son of Steven King novel, ‘Horns’
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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