Film News Roundup – December 2009 – Week 3
Mila Kunis Talks About Her Role in Darren Aronofsky’s BLACK SWAN and Provides a Few Plot Details
My character appears and is everything that she wants to be in life… She’s not as technically as good as Natalie’s character, but she has more passion naturally, and that’s what Natalie’s character lacks, and so it’s a battle. It’s a yin and yang.
MORE INFO/SCRIPT REVIEW ON THE RED DAWN REMAKE
Generally speaking, the story isn’t bad, but the dialog is a cliché-ridden mess, and a lot of the action sequences are only half written or fuzzy from a physics standpoint. It’s hard to imagine how they’d shoot a lot of them unless they use that “cause-blur-effect” style shaky-cam editing, but considering the director did stunts on Bourne and was the second-unit director on Quantum of Solace, that’s probably exactly what they’ll do. There’s a sizable portion of the script devoted to a training montage in the mountains, plus a few crucial moments that involve jumping across gaps and going from building to building. If that doesn’t turn out to mean parkour, I’ll eat my Tapout shirt.
Del Toro Gives a HOBBIT Update
The target for production. Its simple: we may say what we want but until there are two scripts delivered and budgets and schedules to support them we will be all under a yellow light of development. THAT we have not stopped. As I have reported in the past, we are scouting, designing (my last 3 hour meeting with Weta was this morning) and will not stop. BUT the greenlight and thus commencement can only be granted by the studio. Pete as producer and me as director will do everything we can in the meantime.
The Black List lands in industry stockings
Franklin Leonard, now an executive at Universal, has just released his 2009 Black List of the “most liked” screenplay of this past year. Leonard’s annual survey of industry friends and contacts began five years ago and arrives in email boxes just before the holidays. Unsurprisingly, as the list has gained in notoriety each year, many more of the scripts on the list have already been snatched up by studios and production companies. According to the list, very few of the scripts are currently available. As such, the list now reps less an announcement of unknown talent than a validation of those newer writers who have already made headway into the screenwriting machine.
SIGOURNEY WEAVER SPILLS MASSIVE GHOSTSBUSTERS 3 PLOT DETAILS
She told Channel 4 News: “I’m afraid to say it [Ghostbusters 3] is happening, I hope people are excited about that. I don’t know if I’m going to be in it, I have had a couple of calls asking ‘would you read the script’. I know that my little son Oscar – who was kidnapped from me – I think he has grown up to be a ghostbuster. I might be in it; I see nothing wrong with being in it, although I don’t think I will have a big part. I think Bill Murray has a little more to do with it – he’s a ghost.”
Cameron Diaz is a ‘Bad Teacher’
Actress will star in Columbia’s raunchy comedy
Cameron Diaz is heading back to school for Columbia Pictures’ raunchy comedy “Bad Teacher.” Story centers on a foulmouthed, gold-digging middle-school teacher who, after getting dumped by her boyfriend, competes with a colleague for the affections of the school’s model teacher.
Natalie Portman to slay zombies
Actress takes on ‘Pride & Prejudice’ adaptation
Portman will star in and produce “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” a film that is based on the bestselling book written by Seth Grahame-Smith and Austen. Lionsgate will finance and distribute. Quirk Books published the tome. Described as an expanded version of the Austen classic, the book tells the timeless story of a woman’s quest for love and independence amid the outbreak of a deadly virus that turns the undead into vicious killers.
Disney options ‘Fallen’ books for film
Young-adult novels center on girl torn between fallen angels
Disney has optioned rights to “Fallen,” a young-adult novel by Lauren Kate that features angels. The book, released this week by Delacorte Books for Young Readers, is part of a four-tome series, all of which were included in the deal. The contemporary story centers on an alienated girl torn between two charismatic young men, unaware that they are fallen angels who have battled over her for centuries.
DW buys ‘Wife vs. Ninja’ pitch
Michael Besman to produce action-laughs mix
Company has nabbed Michael Besman’s pitch “Wife vs. Ninja,” which centers on a Long Island housewife who discovers that the beautiful young intern who recently stole her scientist husband is actually a bloodthirsty ninja assassin intent on stealing his work.
Donna Murphy locks on to ‘Rapunzel’
Joins Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi in Disney’s animated pic
Tony-winning actress Donna Murphy is readying her hair stylist for “Rapunzel,” joining Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi in Disney’s animated movie. Byron Howard and Nathan Greno (“Bolt”) are directing the musical comedy, which reimagines the Grimm fairy tale of the girl with the magic golden tresses. The story centers on Rapunzel (voiced by Moore), who is kidnapped from her parents’ castle as child and locked in a hidden tower before escaping with the help of a bandit (Levi).
James Cameron Interview! Talks AVATAR, BATTLE ANGEL, THE DIVE And More!!
“I am not even sure that I am going to do that film. As a next film, THE DIVE is a more likely candidate.”
Interview: The Cast of The Lovely Bones
“I was very reticent to take the part at first for reasons that Mark just explained. I have kids and I can’t really read anything or watch anything about kids getting harmed. I don’t like things about serial killers. There’s so much serial killer information out there. It’s documented constantly but a lot of it just gratuitous or it’s almost like pornographic really, the way that it’s being shown. But this was not that,” said Stanley Tucci.
‘Pee-Wee’s Playhouse: The Movie’ Is Incoming, And We’ve Got Story Details
“It’s already done, the script is already fully written; It’s ready to shoot,” explained Pee-wee in his trademark style. “It’s ready to shoot tomorrow. Oh wait, not tomorrow! I’m not available tomorrow. I had a conflict, forgot.”
Studio Ghibli to Announce Next Project on December 16th
On the Ghibli Asemamire radio program [via Anime News Network via Nausicaa.com], producer and former Studio Ghibli head Toshio Suzuki announced that they’ll be revealing their next film on the 16th. Now before you go nuts and think this is Miyazaki’s next film, Suzuki explained that this project is from a new director and that they plan to debut the movie in theaters next year. As for the brilliant Miyazaki, he’s already at work on a different film which might open in four years.
Gears Of War Movie To Be An Origin Story
MTV spoke with producer Wyck Godfrey who said the movie will focus on the origin rather than the actual war:…Godfrey explained that jumping straight into the Locust side of things might not appeal to moviegovers given the current global atmosphere. “Trying to tell the epic story of an alien planet that’s living in a horrific environment just feels like the wrong mood right now,” he said.
The Cutting Room Floor
- Saw VII in 3D Gets a Release Date: October 22, 2010
- ‘Fantastic Voyage’ Is The Secret James Cameron/Shane Salerno Collaboration
- J.J. Abrams gets right to award-winning novel ‘Let the Great World Spin’
- Summit to distribute Polanski’s ‘Ghost Writer’
- Clint Eastwood’s supernatural drama ‘Hereafter’ calls Bryce Dallas Howard
- James Cameron on AVATAR Sequels, FANTASTIC VOYAGE and BATTLE ANGEL
- Why it took Avatar’s villain, Stephen Lang, 24 years to get the job
- Incentive Filmed Entertainment to produce fewer pics with bigger budgets
- Dougray Scott to star in indie romantic fantasy ‘The Veil of Maya’
- James Cameron Speaks For The First Time After Watching ‘Terminator Salvation’
- Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender to join ‘Jane Eyre’
- Why you won’t see rape and murder in Jackson’s ‘Lovely Bones’
- ‘Hangover,’ ‘Up’ on AFI’s top 10 film list
- David Lynch Talks About Not Directing ‘Return of the Jedi’
- Maiz, Corazon team on ‘Tlatelolco’, film looks at 1968 Mexican student massacre
- Image Entertainment picks up rights to ‘Don McKay’ release
- ‘Step Up’ writer boards ‘Jump Around’
- Joe Penhall to adapt ‘Butcher’s Crossing’
- ‘Twilight Saga: Eclipse’ sets Imax release
- Rashida Jones joins David Fincher’s ‘The Social Network’
- Sean Patrick Flanery cast in indie sci-fi ‘Scavengers’
- Josh Brolin answering the call for ‘Men in Black 3′?
- Mandalay Pictures options teen book ‘The Lonely Hearts Club’
- 20th Century Fox to produce ‘Jackpot’, a teen version of ‘21′
- Kevin Smith’s A Couple of Dicks Gets A New Title; First Trailer This Christmas
- THE WOLFMAN to be rated R!
- Andy Daly rounds out ‘Yogi Bear’ cast
- Alcon boards ‘A Dolphin Tale’
- Avatar’s Cameron shrugs off buzz—and promises a sequel
- Apparition to release Rock biopic ‘The Runaways’
- Kenny Ortega takes on adaptation of Broadway musical ‘In the Heights’
- Ryuichi Hirokipreps period drama, ‘Raiou’
- Vigorous Pictures options ‘The Last Spymaster’, ‘Murder in the High Himalaya: Loyalty, Tragedy and Escape From Tibet’
- Mel Gibson pens and stars in ‘How I Spent My Summer Vacation’
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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