Archive for May, 2010

Marvel Hires ‘No Heroics’ Writer Drew Pearce for ‘Runaways’

More good Marvel news to top off that bit about James McAvoy in X-Men: First Class. Deadline reports that Marvel has hired British television writer Drew Pearce, of “Lip Service”, The Musical Storytellers Ginger & Black, and a recent superhero show called “No Heroics”, to write the script for the adaptation of Marvel’s Runaways comic. As was announced in April, Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist director Peter Sollett will be directing the film (not Joss Whedon as once rumored). It sounds like a very strong creative team is coming together for this adaptation, which is great to hear – but we still don’t know when exactly it’ll start shooting.

Brian K. Vaughan’s Runaways follows a group of kids who happen to be the offspring of super-villains and are endowed with their own powers for evil. However, the kids want no part of their parents diabolical plans and instead wish to use their powers for good along with exposing their parents for the villains that they are. Calling themselves “The Pride,” they setup a secret lair under the La Brea Tar Pits. For reference regarding Sollett’s work, check out this trailer for his “No Heroics” show below – it’s pretty damn good. I think they’ve made a great choice bringing him on, I just hope it’s as entertaining as that show. Stay tuned for updates!

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Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes Takes Control Over New TMNT

Aw hell no! We’ve got some bad news to report on today. Deadline is saying that Paramount, who picked up all of the rights to TMNT through Nickolodeon, has “brought on” Michael Bay and his production company Platinum Dunes to develop the new live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie that’s currently in the works. Platinum Dunes, run by producers Andrew Form and Brad Fuller, is usually known for making horror movies, mostly remakes, so they’re trying something new by taking this on. The producers will start meeting with writers over the next few weeks, which may mean they’ll be going at this from scratch again.

Back in April of last year it was announced that a new live-action TMNT movie was in the works, due in 2011 or 2012, and it was being developed by co-creator Peter Laird and (at the time) Legendary Pictures. But then Nickelodeon bought all the TMNT rights for $60 million and then Paramount gained control of the project. Thankfully, producers Galen Walker and Scott Mednick, who spoke at Comic-Con just last year about making this a darker movie inspired by the comics, are still on-board. However, that script from John Fusco might be thrown out or reworked, but we don’t know for sure, since not much else was revealed by Deadline.

Here’s the thing – I don’t have as big of a gripe with Platinum Dunes as most people do, Andrew Form and Brad Fuller are good people who are just trying to make good movies, but I just would’ve preferred someone else to develop this project. Deadline’s article reads like Michael Bay is going to have his hands deep into this project, which I also don’t want, but I guess there’s not much we can do about that. I don’t think Bay’s influence has hurt any of Platinum Dunes’ other horror movies, so I’ll be hoping for the best with TMNT in the end. We’ll keep you updated on all the latest regarding this project as things continue to move forward.

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James McAvoy Will Play Charles Xavier in X-Men: First Class!

Fascinating. Heat Vision reports that James McAvoy has signed on to play a young Charles Xavier, aka Professor X, in Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class prequel. They definitely were trying to get this into production right away! This also probably means that those rumors about McAvoy playing Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit turned out false, or at least Guillermo del Toro didn’t pick him. Although, considering Hobbit doesn’t have a greenlight yet, it may still be a possibility… Anyway, they don’t say whether or not McAvoy will be bald like Patrick Stewart was in the Bryan Singer X-Men’s – so that question remains unanswered.

First Class charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga. Before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Before they were archenemies, they were the closest of friends, working together, with other Mutants (a few new ones), to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known. In the process, a rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X’s X-Men.” Oooh! McAvoy last appeared in The Last Station and Wanted and recently finished shooting Robert Redford’s The Conspirator.

We’re still waiting to hear who else Vaughn will cast as younger versions of most of the mutants we’ve come to know and love. We also still don’t know exactly which other characters will show up – besides Xavier and Lensherr. Either way, we’re already anxiously awaiting to find out who Vaughn will cast next – so stay tuned!

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Get Your Own ‘Seriously, Don’t F**k My Mom’ Shirt from Cyrus

Apparently the latest little bit of viral/grassroots marketing that Fox Searchlight is doing for the upcoming Duplass Brothers’ comedy, Cyrus, involves these potentially offensive t-shirts. Printed clearly on the front is a quote from the film: “Seriously, Don’t F**k My Mom.” According to Anne Thompson at indieWIRE, and Searchlight themselves, these shirts have become quite the hot commodity, although I’ve personally never actually seen any before. If you dig the shirt, you can buy one for $24.95 over in the official Fox Searchlight shop. I saw Cyrus at Sundance and it’s a great film worth seeing, but will this actually help build more buzz?

For those wondering what the heck this has to do with the movie, first you’ve got to watch the trailer, second let me explain the plot. Basically, John C. Reilly plays a dorky, lonely guy who recently divorced. One day he meets Marisa Tomei’s character and falls in love with her, but she has a grown up son, played by Jonah Hill, who still lives with her and has a very peculiarly personal relationship with his mom. Of course, he gets in the way and things get even crazir when Reilly tries to move in with her. “Seriously, don’t f**k my mom,” is just one of many hilarious quotes in the movie. Cyrus will hit theaters starting on June 18th this summer.

Cyrus was written and directed by the Duplass Brothers of The Puffy Chair and Baghead previously. It was shot predominantly improvised by the main actors and is quite hilarious. For more, visit the official website.

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Watch This: Behind-the-Scenes of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Okay, for a Disney family movie, you’ve gotta admit that The Sorcerer’s Apprentice looks pretty frickin’ badass. Disney has just debuted a fun behind-the-scenes featurette called “Good vs Evil” that has plenty of new footage, interviews with Nic Cage, Jay Baruchel, Alfred Molina, Jon Turteltaub and Jerry Bruckheimer, and much more. It looks like the effects are getting closer to finished and we finally get to see a lot more cool stuff, since up until now they’ve only really shown a few scenes, even in the trailers. Anyway, check this out and put The Sorcerer’s Apprentice down as one movie you definitely need to see this summer. Watch below!

Watch the “Behind the Scenes: Good vs Evil” video for The Sorcerer’s Apprentice:

A sorcerer (Nicolas Cage) leaves his workshop in the hands of his apprentice (Jay Baruchel), who gets into trouble when the broomstick he put a spell on to do chores for him somehow develops a mind of its own.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is directed by veteran filmmaker Jon Turteltaub, who also directed 3 Ninjas, Cool Runnings, The Kid and both National Treasure movies previously. The screenplay was co-written by Carlo Bernard (The Uninvited) and Matt Lopez (Bedtime Stories). This is based on the story that first appeared in Disney’s Fantasia in 1940. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice hits theaters everywhere on July 16th this summer.

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Must Watch: Trailer for Eli Roth Produced The Last Exorcism

Holy hell this looks creepy! Lionsgate has debuted the official trailer for The Last Exorcism, an Eli Roth produced and Daniel Stamm directed (A Necessary Death) horror film. This new exorcism film is shot like a faux-documentary, kind of Paranormal Activity about evangelical minister’s last exorcism, which definitely ups the creepiness of the whole thing. I love that style, but my concern is that audiences may be getting tired of it quickly, but I don’t really know. This does look like it will be pretty good, so don’t let Eli Roth’s name scare you off. If you’re a horror film fan or love exorcisms (who doesn’t?) then check out this creepy trailer!

Watch the official trailer for Daniel Stamm’s The Last Exorcism:

You can also watch The Last Exorcism trailer in High Definition on Yahoo

The Last Exorcism, previously known as Cotton, was directed by A Necessary Death director Daniel Stamm and co-written by Huck Botko and Andrew Gurland, who together wrote & directed the 2004 comedy Mail Order Wife previously. This stars Patrick Fabian, Iris Bahr, Louis Herthum, Ashley Bell, Tony Bentley, Caleb Jones, Shanna Forrestall, Allen Boudreaux, Logan Craig Reid and Jamie Alyson Caudle. This film was shot on location very quietly down in Lousiana and it definitely looks like it’ll scare the crap out of a lot of people. Lionsgate is bringing The Last Exorcism to theaters everywhere starting on August 27th later this year.

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Weinsteins’ Deal to Buy Back Miramax Falls Apart Last Minute

We first reported back in April, based on a news story published by The Hollywood Reporter, that Bob and Harvey Weinstein were on the verge of securing a massive $600 million deal to buy back Miramax, the distribution company they founded in 1979 and sold off to Disney in 1993, which finally went under last year (and is now being sold off). Although at the time it was confirmed that it wasn’t really a done deal yet, there was talk that it still was going to happen sooner or later, and that an announcement might come at Cannes. But now the Wall Street Journal confirms that their talks have failed and Disney is looking at other options.

While I was in Cannes, I was waiting for the announcement, but as I was heading home earlier this week, I started to wonder what happened – now we know. The Wrap reports some additional details on the failed talks, including that some of the issues that prevented the deal from going through involved “structure of Miramax’s relationship with the Weinstein Company.” They also say that “legal minutiae and details of the library split caused the talks to drag on and ultimately fizzle.” It’s a bit sad to report, after the news in April, that the two brothers who started Miramax won’t actually become the new owners of the company after all.

We’re not sure what Disney is planning to do, but the WSJ says “Walt Disney Co. is now faced with several options about the future of its independent film library.” And one option is to “link the effectively dormant Miramax with a small but active studio whose most critical asset may be its distribution deal-something Miramax as a standalone entity lacks.” Interesting possibility, but I can’t truly comment, since this is getting into the business details that I know nothing about (at least at the level of running a studio like Miramax or The Weinstein Company). Whatever ends up happening with Miramax, we’ll be sure to keep you updated!

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Watch Bad Robot’s ‘Morning Glory’ Trailer with Harrison Ford

Paramount has debuted the official trailer for Morning Glory, a J.J. Abrams produced comedy starring Harrison Ford, Rachel McAdams, Patrick Wilson, Jeff Goldblum, Diane Keaton, 50 Cent, and plenty more. The trailer just hit on Apple which means this is also going to be showing in theaters in front of Sex and the City 2 because this is unquestionably a trailer aimed at females, although that’s not saying guys can’t enjoy it, too. I’ve been looking forward to this ever since I first heard that Abrams was producing a comedy with Harrison Ford as a news anchorman, but it doesn’t really look that great. Maybe it’s just me – take a look? 

Watch the official trailer for Roger Michell’s Morning Glory:

You can also watch the trailer for Morning Glory in High Definition on Apple

A hotshot television producer (Rachel McAdams) is given the challenge of reviving a struggling morning show program, despite the constant feuding of its high-profile anchors (Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton).

Morning Glory is directed by South Africa-born filmmaker Roger Michell, of Notting Hill, Changing Lanes, The Mother, Enduring Love and Venus previously. The screenplay was written by Aline Brosh McKenna who previously wrote Laws of Attraction, The Devil Wears Prada and 27 Dresses. Produced by J.J. Abrams & Bryan Burk at Bad Robot. Paramount is bringing Morning Glory to theaters on November 12th in the fall.

Details on What the RollerCoaster Tycoon Movie is All About

Earlier this month we officially announced that Sony Pictures Animation was developing an adaptation of the video game RollerCoaster Tycoon. As a fan of the game, and simply as a curious moviegoer as well, I didn’t quite understand how they would be adapting a strategy theme park management game into a feature film with an actual narrative (the game doesn’t have one). The project is being developed by The Karate Kid director Harald Zwart (who we recently interviewed), and Cinema Blend just briefly spoke with him about it. Apparently they’re going for a Night at the Museum-like concept with a theme park that “comes to life.”

“Well we had a pitch, a story — it’s basically a theme park comes to life,” Zwart told me. “We had a story woven into the theme park of the Rollercoaster Tycoon, and that’s what we sold to Sony, and that’s what we’re hoping to make into a movie.” Zwart said the pitch is inspired by the fantasy everyone has as a kid, to be left alone in the theme park to roam freely. “Just the idea of taking a ride like in Disneyland and the rides suddenly come to life, [or] you’re able to step off and stay behind when everybody else had gone.”

I guess I’m down for that, sounds like it could be fun. The next question though is if it’ll be a live-action/CGI hybrid or a pure animation project. Considering it’s a Sony Pictures Animation production, I’m guessing it’ll just be pure CGI animation, presented in 3D. I mean, that’s the selling point right there – putting people on theme park rides in 3D in a movie theater – although that’s the exact opposite of what I want to see in movie theaters. I never really liked the Night at the Museum movies, but I did love the concept (creatures come to life). If this is at least as entertaining as those movies, then maybe it won’t be so bad after all. Thoughts?

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Temuera Morrison Talks Green Lantern, Plus Planned Sequels

Back in March, we heard that Temuera Morrison (Jango Fett from Attack of the Clones) would be playing Abin Sur, a Green Lantern Corps. member who is instrumental in Hal Jordan becoming Green Lantern. Well Latino Review had the unique opportunity to talk with Morrison while he was meeting & greeting fans at Disney’s Hollywood Studios 30th Anniversary Celebration of Empire Strikes Back and of course, they just had to ask about his work on the superhero movie. Morrison said he’s already done filming, but apparently there are plans to bring him back for some sequels so we can see his character’s full backstory. Interesting.

Though it’s obviously way too early to know for sure how these sequels will play out, especially when Green Lantern hasn’t even been released, let alone had a trailer, there have at least been discussions with Morrison about bringing him back to flesh out his character even more. In addition to showing Latino Review pictures on his cell phone of himself all covered in prosthetic make-up for the role (no picture but they say it’s pretty much exactly like the concept art) here’s what Morrison told them about playing Abin Sur in the movie:

“We did the whole scene together where I give him the ring, our suits are CGI so we had these grey suits with things on them so it was cool and working with Martin Campbell again was great too. You know [they're] making sequels right? They want me to come back in the sequel. They want to show you my backend story for the next movie. They want to show you how I become part of Green Lantern Corps.”

So it sounds like DC Entertainment is already thinking far ahead and banking on Green Lantern knocking it out of the park. I’m right there with them and I truly hope that Ryan Reynolds kicks serious ass as Green Lantern, and I would love to go deeper into the mythology and hear about Abin Sur’s back story. Filming is still underway down in Louisiana. I’m hoping that sooner than later, maybe at the San Diego Comic-Con in late July, we’ll get our first look at some official footage, at least stills, from Green Lantern. Until then, we’ll be keeping you as updated on this superhero movie as we possibly can, so stay tuned right here! Excited?

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