Desperately looking for that leading lady cachet that comes only with starring in movies like Gothika, Dark Water and The Reaping, recent Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon has decided to leap aboard the genre wagon and earn herself some shrieks -- along with a nice paycheck from Universal.
Ms. Witherspoon has signed to star in something called Bell Witch. Apparently it's about a woman who becomes convinced that a legendary witch is out to harm her little baby. Eek! The screenwriter on the scene is Scott Kosar, a man who has dabbled in genre flicks solid (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), weak (The Amityville Horror) and surprisingly excellent (The Machinist). In addition to Bell Witch, Kosar is still working on that remake of Romero'sThe Crazies.
But when I said that Reese "signed" for the gig, that wasn't entirely accurate. Seems the actress took a fancy to a spec script called Our Family Troubles, and now that screenplay goes over to Kosar for a Witherspoon retrofitting. No word yet on who'll be directing Bell Witch, but I'm hoping it's not going to be someone safe, generic and boring.
An American Haunting was also based on the legend of the Bell Witch. For more info on the old gal, try Wiki.
Both Fox and Universal have decided to pull the plug on the Halo movie adaptation due to concerns over the rising budget and novice director Neil Blomkamp. The budget on the film has been rumored to approach $200 million, well above the original $135 million, a claim strongly denied by executive producer Peter Jackson's agent Ken Kamins.
According to Kamins, "What happened was this: Universal, on behalf of both studios, asked for a meeting with the filmmakers just prior to the due date of a significant payment. Basically, they said that in order to move forward with the film, the filmmakers had to significantly reduce their deals. They waited until the last minute to have this conversation. Peter and Fran, after speaking with their producing partners and with Microsoft and Bungee (the studio that designed the original game), respectfully declined." The due date he refers to is the now past-due October 15th deadline that Microsoft set for an up-front payment of $5 million for the rights to the film and the script penned by Alex Garland, and a further payment of 10% of the gross.
While waiting until the last minute is nothing new in Hollywood or other business ventures, it is hard to argue with Universal and Fox's decision to pull out at this stage. Even though the two studios were partnered on the film, they would have both been laying out more than $100 million each in budget costs, to share only 45% of the profits, in a genre that has never performed well at the box office -- video game adaptations.
The involvement of Peter Jackson was a huge shot in the arm for the production, but there have been many concerns over the hiring of first-time director Blomkamp to the project, who only has 3D animation and short film credits to his name. Not exactly someone you'd want to trust with a $200 million dollar budget, and the reins to the crown jewel in Microsoft's gaming empire. Blomkamp's short film Alive in Joburg does have strong visual elements reminiscent of the Halo universe, but it would be an enormous leap to go from that to a mega-budget Hollywood tentpole.
Pre-production work continues on the film, and Kamins claims that they remain behind Blomkamp's vision for the film, but with two major Hollywood studios pulling out, what are the chances it will make it to theaters?
It's fairly easy to get psyched up about a project written by the dude who kicked off his career by penning episodes of Beavis and Butthead, Daria and The Simpsons. Larry Doyle's first feature attempt (Duplex), however, fell way short of the funny. Chalk up another spectacular starring role for Ben Stiller. After returning to the animated world with Looney Tunes: Back in Action, Doyle just recently sold his latest comedy, Me2, to Disney. Currently, the plot is being kept under wraps (although they did let slip something about time travel), and we're not sure whether it will be animated. However, Mark Waters (Mean Girls) has signed on to direct, so chances are this one will go the live action route.
And speaking of top secret plots, Universal snatched up Gerald Olsen's comedy pitchOne Dave at a Time for Mary Parent and Scott Stuber (is it just me, or does it seem these two are in on literally every single deal?) to produce. Usually, when they don't feel like giving us a basic plot description, that means the idea is very high concept and, therefore, they're probably afraid of two or three similar projects suddenly popping up. Based on the title alone (and since I'm a pro at figuring out storylines with little to no information), I'm going to take a wild guess and say this one involves cloning, possibly along the lines of Multiplicity. But what do I know ... I just work here.
With only two feature films (The Grudge and The Grudge 2) under his belt (both of which are adaptations of someone else's screenplay), writer Stephen Susco is about the make a leap into the director's chair. Hey, anything to keep the guy's mind off of The Grudge 3 is just fine by me.
Mr. Susco will be writing and directing a film called White for the folks at Rogue, aka Focus, aka Universal Pictures. Based on the novella by Tim Lebbon, White is (according to Variety) "an apocalyptic tale centering on a band of people trapped in a blizzard and systematically picked off by mysterious phantoms." So ... no freaky Asian kids who hang around in attics? Cool.
Also on Susco's plate are the indie horror Zero Dark Thirty and a new spec script he just unloaded called Sanctuary.
It's not that I have anything against Jennifer Aniston, I just don't think she's a very good actress. Or even a moderately decent actress at that. I tend to believe that if she wasn't involved with Brad Pitt when Friends ended, it's quite possible she would've wound up in some crummy "Help, I'm in my thirties and life is so confusing" sitcom on either CBS or ABC. I can totally see it now: The Trials and Tribulations of Wendy Warner, starring Jennifer Aniston and Rob Lowe. Please, you know something like that was pitched to her. It's a given.
Needless to say, Aniston rode her high-profile romance and divorce straight onto the big screen, and by breaking up with Vince Vaughn twice a week, it seems her name will remain in the gossip rags and on our minds for quite some time. In fact, Universal just picked up Counter Clockwise, a script written by Paul Bernbaum with the intentions of having Aniston produce and also star. Story centers around a real-life study conducted by Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer in which she "reversed the aging process of her subjects by making them believe they were younger." Aniston, a Harvard psychologist? I don't buy it. You?
In a move that sent hearts atwitter in the fanboy community, director Guillermo del Toro spoke about the anticipated Hellboy sequel while in Manhattan promoting his latest film (Pan's Labyrinth). The long awaited sequel to 2004's Hellboy has been wasting away in development -- well, hell. Universal Studios has now come to the rescue and is going to be the new home of Mike Mignola's stubby horned anti-hero.
Now you would think that would be enough to get everyone's attention, but del Toro wasn't done. The director went on to drop a few bombs about what he had in mind for the sequel "My hope is that if everything goes well and we continue [the franchise], Hellboy can start fighting the Universal monsters! I would love to see that." -- why am I getting flashbacks to The Monster Squad? del Toro is quick to point out that he wants to use the classic Universal monsters and is not interested in "modernizing" them.
So before we all start arguing over who's going to win in a fight between Hellboy and Dracula, its probably best to take this news lightly. Guillermo del Toro isn't committing to anything yet -- "We talked briefly about this because I think it is such a great possibility for the future, to do that either in the animated universe or in another universe we create just for that. ..." Man, what a tease.
Before they introduced the world to Eric Cartman and friends, South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone were hired by Universal to create a "training video" geared toward boosting team moral after Seagram's company bought the studio back in 1995. However, at the time, no one knew who Parker and Stone were, let alone the fact that they were complete maniacs. What followed was a hilarious (and, as far as Universal was concerned, unusable) training video starring folks like Steven Spielberg, Sylvester Stallone, James Cameron, Michael J. Fox, Demi Moore and Angela Lansbury, among others.
If you're one of those people looking for a few laughs on a crummy Monday afternoon, then this is sure to do the trick ... if only to watch Speilberg act as a tour guide traveling through the Jaws attraction. Enjoy! (Note: Due to foul language, this video is potentially NSFW.)
The biggest problem with Man of the Year is that, much like American Dreamz, which came out earlier this year, it simply doesn't seem to know what genre it aspires to be. It's not quite thrilling enough to be a political thriller, nor is it dark enough or funny enough to be a black comedy or political satire. My viewing partner at the screening the other night made the observation that it's almost as if somebody figured that Jon Stewart is hot, people aren't happy with our politicians (are we ever, really?) and that a film about a political humorist like Stewart running for and winning the presidency would get butts into seats.
Toss in little intrigue around a glitch in the spandy-new computerized voting system designed to replace the Era of the Dangling Chad, add Robin Williams, mix with some "serious" cred from Laura Linney, Christopher Walken, and Jeff Goldblum, and what's not to like? Unfortunately, a lot of interesting cinematic ingredients all tossed together don't always make for a delectable, filling meal, and such is the case with this tepid film.
Having written the screenplays for Meet the Parents, Meet the Fockers and Along Came Polly (which he also directed), it's obvious John Hamburg has an eye for comedy, as well as starring vehicles for Ben Stiller. Now it looks like Hamburg will take on two more directing gigs for Universal (did the studio officially adopt him or what?), one of which he wrote himself and the other appears to be a collaboration.
Based on a pitch by Hamburg, Scott Turpel and Kyle Pennekamp, Universal has picked up the buddy action comedy Secret Agent Men, a project Hamburg will direct, while Turpel and Pennekamp pen the script. Story is being kept under wraps right now (dare I say it's a secret), though something tells me Stiller's name will circle one of the starring roles. However, Hamburg's other film (which he'll direct first), The Troubleshooter, is currently searching for its cast, so I guess now it's a question of whether or not Stiller will show up in just one or both films?
And speaking of Stiller, what happened to the guy? Is it just me, or are his role choices progressively getting worse?
If they're going to make any money off of Evan Almighty (next summer's sequel to Bruce Almighty) Universal will need to pray for a miracle to occur ... and fast. Due to a slew of visual effects and the need to shoot hundreds of live animals, Evan Almighty's original budget of $140 million has turned into $160 million and could top out at $175 million. Throw in your marketing costs, and some folks think the film could wind up with a budget of $250 million, making it the most expensive comedy ever.
If that turns out to be the case, pic's budget could top Bruce Almighty's total domestic gross of $242 million before it even hits theaters. While the original went on to collect $484 million worldwide, something tells me this sequel starring Steve Carell in the lead role will not even come close to those numbers, especially if the film receives some early bad buzz (which, I should point out, has not happened yet). In the sequel, Carell (reprising his role as Evan Baxter) is contacted by God (who will once again be played by Morgan Freeman) and told to help build an ark in preparation for a great flood. Carell is a hot actor these days, but does he have what it takes to make Evan Almighty one of the most successful comedies in the history of film? Quite a gamble if you ask me, and I'm just dying to see if it pays off ...
Brace yourselves, horror fans, because I know that whenever I announce a new remake you all get very edgy, jittery and annoyed. And I'm right there with you, but my job is to share the news -- no matter how geek-stressing it may be. So get comfortable, take a deep breath and read on...
Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes outfit (the production company that exists solely on the backs of horror classics) has signed a deal with Universal's Rogue division, and the result is this: New remakes of The Hitcher, Near Dark and The Changeling. Plus they still have that remake of The Birds set up with Universal, so we can probably toss that one into the deal as well.
PD's Hitcher remake is nearing completion, and it looks like Near Dark is next on the agenda. The company recently hired music video helmer Samuel Bayer to direct the new Dark from a screenplay by Matt Venne. And I think this is where most of the animosity comes from: The hardcore horror geeks absolutely love The Hitcher and Near Dark, and would rather those films remain semi-obscure (and awesome) than become just more grist for the remake mill. Frankly I think they'd be better off remaking stuff like The Funhouse and Hell Night, but maybe that's why these guys are wealthy film producers and I'm just a movie critic / blognerd.
Yes, it's official: For the remainder of the year, Hollywood will announce a new football-related film every other day ... unless a group of us band together, head to every major studio and orchestrate a surprise blitz on whoever is in charge. The latest major player to grace the big-screen field is Universal Pictures who have just picked up the movie rights to a New York Times article, with Jack Black coming on to produce through his brand spanking new shingle Electric Dynamite.
The article (titled In College Football, Big Paydays for Humiliation) centers around a practice in college football where teams pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to have other weaker teams play against them for easy wins. (Occasionally, I'll do the same thing with video games, only my five year-old cousin will happily take a cupcake over paper money.) Of course, this will be a comedy, and Black is set to take a role in the film, but not star. No screenwriter or director is attached. I swear, if the film's plot description turns out to have the words 'rag-tag team of misfits' anywhere in it, I will personally sack the idea before it hits theaters. Although Jack Black attempting to play football definitely conjures up a humorous image.
Best-selling author Augusten Burroughs, whose memoir Running With Scissors has been adapted into a film starring Annette Bening and Jill Clayburgh, already has another film deal in the works -- for a book he hasn't even finished writing yet. Burroughs notes on his website that he is writing a memoir about his father, which -- although not even written yet -- has been optioned by Universal. Red Wagon, the prodco behind Jarhead and Memoirs of a Geisha, will produce. Universal bought the rights to a book that doesn't yet exist, says Burroughs, all because they heard him talk about his father and believed in his passion. Burroughs says of the deal, "People complain - endlessly, it seems - about "Hollywood" and the quality of "Hollywood" pictures. But here we have some of the biggest names in the business, going forward with a project only because of the passion of the author. Is it a risk? Technically, yes. To buy something before you've even seen it? Yes, that's a risk. But it's only by taking risks that we get to the really, really good stuff in life."
I just saw Running with Scissors this week (review to come at the end of the month), and if Burroughs' book about his father is anywhere near as good as Running with Scissors and his other work, I could get pumped about it. I suppose it's a little naively hopeful to feel excited about a film adaptation of a book that's not yet been written, but what can I say? I'm a lit geek and a film dork; you put those two things together, and my heart goes all a-flutter. Burroughs was closely involved creatively with the film adaptation of Running With Scissors. I wonder if he'll get Ryan Murphy to direct again, and whether Joe Cross will reprise his role (assuming Burroughs will be a character in the yet-to-be-written source material). Burroughs' fans will also be glad to know that in addition to all this writing of books and creating of films, he's also developing a new weekly, hour-long series for Showtime.
While this story might not mean much for those of you not living in New York City, let me tell ya -- this freaking real-life news item dominated the front page of every New York newspaper for quite some time. Basically, two retired NYPD cops (Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa) were busted in Las Vegas (where they were living) and brought back to New York to face a ton of charges that included murder, attempted murder, murder conspiracy, money laundering, obstruction of justice and drug distribution. Apparently, these crimes were committed while the two (police officers at the time) were on the Mafia's payroll. If there are two things New Yorkers love to obsess about it's corrupt cops and the mob, which meant this story was a winning lottery ticket for most NY papers.
And, of course, Hollywood was not far behind. Once these boys were found guilty, folks jumped on the story trying to decide how to go about bringing it to the big screen. Well now, David Ayer (best known for the gritty cop dramas Training Day, S.W.A.T. and Harsh Times) has signed on to rewrite and direct Mafia Cop for Universal. Ayer will take over for David Gordon, the guy originally tapped to pen the script. Currently, no one is attached to star, though I could see Al Pacino playing Caracappa. Who do you think would be good in these roles?
I first took notice of David Strathairn after seeing his Oscar-nominated performance as Edward R. Murrow in Good Night and Good Luck. It was a strikingly subtle piece of work. He's certainly no newcomer, as the man has been making films since 1980. But his career is obviously on an upswing, and he has several movies in various stages of completion right now, with The Sensation of Sight (which is starting to make the rounds at film festivals) looking particularly interesting.
According to Coming Soon, Strathairn can now add two more films to his resume. The Spiderwick Chroniclesis being produced by Nickelodeon Movies and Paramount Pictures, with obvious intentions of duplicating the success of youth-oriented fantasy films like The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and the Harry Potterfilms. With a plot revolving around three children who move to their great uncle's ancient mansion only to discover a magical book which opens up a new world, the story sounds -- for want of a better term -- Narnian. Strathairn will play a lead role, though it's unclear which one. The film is being directed by Mark Waters, who also helmed Mean Girls and The House of Yes.
Strathairn will also be appearing in the Bourne Ultimatum from Universal, the third film in the Bourne franchise which will once again star Matt Damon. This one finds Bourne on the run (what a surprise), hoping to solve the mystery of his past, with Strathairn playing the leader of a secret operation which is hunting down our hero. Paul Greengrass, director of United 93, will helm.
Desperately looking for that leading lady cachet that comes only with starring in movies like Gothika, Dark Water and The Reaping, recent Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon has decided to leap aboard the genre wagon and earn herself some shrieks -- along with a nice paycheck from Universal.
Both Fox and Universal have decided to pull the plug on the Halo movie adaptation due to concerns over the rising budget and novice director 
It's fairly easy to get psyched up about a project written by the dude who kicked off his career by penning episodes of Beavis and Butthead, Daria and The Simpsons. 
With only two feature films (
It's not that I have anything against 
In a move that sent hearts atwitter in the fanboy community, director 
Having written the screenplays for 
If they're going to make any money off of 
Brace yourselves, horror fans, because I know that whenever I announce a new remake you all get very edgy, jittery and annoyed. And I'm right there with you, but my job is to share the news -- no matter how geek-stressing it may be. So get comfortable, take a deep breath and read on...
Yes, it's official: For the remainder of the year, Hollywood will announce a new football-related film every other day ... unless a group of us band together, head to every major studio and orchestrate a surprise blitz on whoever is in charge. The latest major player to grace the big-screen field is Universal Pictures 
Best-selling author Augusten Burroughs, whose memoir 
While this story might not mean much for those of you not living in New York City, let me tell ya -- this freaking real-life news item dominated the front page of every New York newspaper for quite some time. Basically, two retired NYPD cops (Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa) were busted in Las Vegas (where they were living) and brought back to New York to face a ton of charges that included murder, attempted murder, murder conspiracy, money laundering, obstruction of justice and drug distribution. Apparently, these crimes were committed while the two (police officers at the time) were on the Mafia's payroll. If there are two things New Yorkers love to obsess about it's corrupt cops and the mob, which meant this story was a winning lottery ticket for most NY papers.
I first took notice of 
