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Film News Roundup – November 2009 – Week 1

Disappointed With The Latest INDIANA JONES? Have Patience, Luc Besson Is Bringing Us ADELE BLANC-SEC!
Now listed as in production, Les Aventures Extrodinaire d’Adele Blanc-Sec is a projected trilogy of films to be directed by Besson based on a series of comics by Jacques Tardi.  Here’s how the listing for the first film on the AFM website describes it: Set in the carefree world before World War I, Adèle Blanc-Sec’s adventures see the brave young woman fearlessly battling crooks, corrupt politicians, demon worshippers and mad scientists. Legendary cartoonist Jacques Tardi’s original stories perfectly recreate the intrigue, romance and excitement of one of the most tumultuous periods in history.

Columbia wants more ‘Men in Black’
Cohen to pen third installment in franchise
Studio has tapped “Tropic Thunder” scribe Etan Cohen to pen “Men in Black 3.” There are no deals in place for the franchise’s stars Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, though it’s unlikely that Col would greenlight the project without the duo’s involvement.

Ridley Scott Talks Alien Prequel
“It’s a brand new box of tricks,” said Sir Ridley. “We know what the road map is, and the screenplay is now being put on paper. The prequel will be a while ago. It’s very difficult to put a year on Alien, but [for example] if Alien was towards the end of this century, then the prequel story will take place thirty years prior.”

Rhys-Davies On The Hobbit
“It was just a gentle “What would you feel about putting it on again?” But no. I’d be interested in trying to create a different type of persona within… the thing. That is challenging as an actor. I’d really prefer to play something quite different. Maybe an Elf. They’ve got a different set of problems with The Hobbit because you’ve got 13 dwarves, a whole band of them… You’re trying to represent a whole race… You’re trying to do for dwarves what The Lord of the Rings did for hobbits. ”

Jessica Biel getting ‘Engaged’
Actress attached to star in and produce raunchy comedy
The actress is attached to star in and produce rookie screenwriter Julia Brownell’s original screenplay “F***ing Engaged,” a raunchy comedy about a couple who make a pact to have sex every day leading to their wedding so they don’t turn into their crusty old parents.

Tony Scott dances to ’80s tune
Film based on Chippendales creator Banerjee
Tony Scott has become attached to direct a film about the rise and fall of Steve Banerjee. With a tone similar to the Scott-directed “True Romance,” pic will follow the improbable rise and fall of Banerjee, who went from pumping gas in Culver City to running a high-end nightclub that evolved into Chippendales. After hiring a New York choreographer to polish the all-male dance troupe, Banerjee became wildly rich, as well as unreasonably competitive and paranoid. Banerjee hired a hitman to murder the choreographer when negotiations went sour. After being arrested, Banerjee died in jail awaiting trial.

Mummy producer Jim Jacks, Intandem line up spring shoot on Mortis Rex
“I’ve always been interested in Roman history in general and the dark myths surrounding the building of Hadrian’s Wall in particular,” Jacks said. “Mortis Rex’s uniquely original, blood chilling telling of the legend of the Lost Legion with a monster movie twist has the makings of a truly exciting and commercial movie that is sure to spark excitement from global audiences.”

Ang Lee boards Life of Pi film
Director says he has cracked the structure of Yann Martel’s allegorical novel about a boy adrift at sea with a tiger
Yann Martel’s 2002 Man Booker prize-winning novel Life of Pi chronicles the travails of a shipwrecked teenage boy stuck on a life raft with only a female orangutan, injured zebra, hungry hyena and brooding Bengal tiger for company. “I’m delivering the first draft,” Lee said. “I think I’ve cracked the structure of the movie and I’ll figure out how to do it later. How exactly I’m going to do it, I don’t know … A little boy adrift at sea with a tiger. It’s a hard one to crack!”

Stallone Reveals Who Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger Play in THE EXPENDABLES
According to Stallone, Bruce Willis is the one who hires Stallone’s group for the mission and  Schwarzenegger plays another killer for hire.  While they only filmed for six hours on one day, their scene is going to be around five minutes in the movie.

Terminator rights going to auction. Got $200 million?
The rights to the franchise are being sold by Halcyon Company, the production company behind Terminator Salvation, the latest iteration in the series, which grossed $380 million worldwide. The two most recent films failed to garner the acclaim of the first two films, which struck a chord with many fans who saw the series as a metaphor for humanity’s increasing reliance on computers and technology.

‘Gandalf’ has read the Hobbit script and tells us about it
“As Peter has said, they loved writing Gandalf [for The Hobbit] because they knew who they were writing him for,” Actor Ian McKellen said. “There are a lot of characters in The Hobbit including, crucially, Bilbo, and they don’t know who’s going to play Bilbo. So it’s extremely attractive that this part has been written for me. The other Gandalf was written for, well, just as Gandalf. There’s lots for me to enjoy, in all sorts of ways. And I couldn’t be happier. But I’m sworn to secrecy. I’m not to say anything at all about the script.”

Fox Star India going worldwide with ‘Khan’
Hindi pic, the studio’s first, circles Valentine’s Day
Fox Star Studios India, 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight have decided to open Hindi pic “My Name Is Khan” around the world Valentine’s Day weekend at the same time as it bows in India. Directed by Karan Johar and toplining Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, “Khan” will get day-and-date releases in 40 countries, including the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East, all places with large South Asian populations. Film will roll out in remaining territories in spring and summer. “Khan,” with dialogue in Hindi and English, centers on a man who embarks on a journey across the U.S. to win back his true love.

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN REMAKE STARTS SHOOTING
Overture Films just sent over word that they finished their first day of principal photography on Let Me In, the American remake of Let the Right One In. Filming is taking place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, so you can eliminate any thoughts of the film retaining the stark and wintery look of the original. One funny thing is that the synopsis for the film doesn’t mention the V-word, instead describing Abby’s character as a “mysterious newcomer” who makes Owen discover “an unconventional path to adulthood”. They’re very quick to note that while the film will pay homage to the original they’re doing this their own way, making it completely Americanized.

DreamWorks sets scribe for ‘Guardians’
Lindsay-Abaire to adapt Joyce series
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire has been set to adapt “The Guardians,” a DreamWorks Animation adaptation of the upcoming series of children’s books by William Joyce. The Guardians are a group of iconic figures sworn to protect children from the forces of evil. Their ranks include Santa Claus, Jack Frost, the Easter Bunny and the Man in the Moon. The books, a mix of text and illustrations, will be published in 2011 under the title “The Guardians of Childhood.” Each book focuses on one of the Guardians. Joyce, the creator of “Rolie Polie Olie” and “Meet the Robinsons,” will be co-director.

‘Tron Legacy’ writers board Universal’s ‘Ouija’
Universal has tapped “Tron Legacy” writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz to pen the board game-to-screen adaptation, which is being produced by Platinum Dunes’ Michael Bay, Brad Fuller and Andrew Form as well as Brian Goldner and Bennett Schneir of Hasbro. The studio is looking at the project as a supernatural action-adventure movie. It is possible that certain rules of the game — never use it alone, never use it in a graveyard, always say good-bye — figure into the plot.

The Cutting Room Floor

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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About The Author

Scott From LA

Scott is an art director, writer and comics creator living in Los Angeles. He has been a pop culture maven from a very young age. His very first job was as a manager of a comic book store. He spent several years working in a video store, and yes, we are talking VHS tapes. A student of literature and Writing, he brings his obsessive love of comic book trivia, movie history and science fiction/fantasy writing to bear on the work he does for CoolShite.

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Article Information

  • Posted: Thursday, November 5th, 2009
  • Author: Scott From LA
  • Filed Under: Movie News, News
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