Actor reteams with director Francis Lawrence for new film.
*Will Smith has agreed to reprise his role as scientist Robert Neville in a prequel to his 2007 blockbuster "I Am Legend."
Francis Lawrence will also return as director of the project, which is based on a detailed outline that was written over the past few months by Lawrence, Smith and the film's producers Akiva Goldsman and James Lassiter, according to Variety.
The prequel will chronicle the final days of humanity in New York before a man-made virus caused a plague that left Smith’s character the lone survivor among a mutated mob in the city.
Making a prequel was the only way to stretch a franchise that grossed $584 million worldwide for Warner Bros. and keep Smith in the lead role. His character was killed in the first film, after extracting a potential cure for the virus for the scattered survivors.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Depp Does Burton's 'Alice'
Johnny Depp has signed to play the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton’s upcoming Alice in Wonderland,as presented at a Disney event at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles and reported by the Hollywood trades and others. Burton and Depp have worked together frequently throughout their careers on films that have become cult and merchandise hits, and Alice has the potential to join that list.
The studio also announced that Depp will reprise his role as Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean 4, and will play Tonto in the upcoming Lone Ranger film
The other big news at the event was primarily about Disney’s animated line-up. Cars 2 will be moved up to summer 2011 from 2012 (see "Disney Going 3-D"), and in the run-up, a series of animated Cars shorts will be shown on Disney Channel and before films in the theater. A new theme park attraction based on Cars will also open in Anaheim in 2011.
The studio also announced that Depp will reprise his role as Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean 4, and will play Tonto in the upcoming Lone Ranger film
The other big news at the event was primarily about Disney’s animated line-up. Cars 2 will be moved up to summer 2011 from 2012 (see "Disney Going 3-D"), and in the run-up, a series of animated Cars shorts will be shown on Disney Channel and before films in the theater. A new theme park attraction based on Cars will also open in Anaheim in 2011.
Del toro to Co-write Vampire Trilogy
Del Toro to Co-write Vampire Trilogy With Chuck Hogan
Guillermo del Toro, who’s directed the last two Hellboy films and is about to begin work on two Hobbit films, will co-write a trilogy of vampire novels with crime author Chuck Hogan. The first, The Strain, will be released next summer from HarperCollins imprint William Morrow. The three books will reveal progressively more information about an ancient vampiric race that originated in Old Testament times.
Guillermo del Toro, who’s directed the last two Hellboy films and is about to begin work on two Hobbit films, will co-write a trilogy of vampire novels with crime author Chuck Hogan. The first, The Strain, will be released next summer from HarperCollins imprint William Morrow. The three books will reveal progressively more information about an ancient vampiric race that originated in Old Testament times.
Monday, September 22, 2008
"Kung Fu Hustle" Helmer to Direct 'Green Hornet'
Stephen Chow Will Also Be 'Kato'
The Hollywood trades are reporting that Kung Fu Hustle director/star Stephen Chow will direct the new Green Hornet movie and also star as Kato. A slimmed-down Seth Rogen will portray Britt Reid, the newspaper publisher and nocturnal masked crimefighter, who was created by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker (the same team responsible for The Lone Ranger) for a 1930s radio show.
Sony/Columbia optioned the property in 2007 (see “Green Hornet’s Big Screen Buzz”) and Seth Rogen has been attached to the film for over a year (see “Green Hornet Gets Seth Rogen”), but the addition of Chow, who is a major martial arts star (and director) in Asia, provides much needed momentum to this project, which is now scheduled to hit theaters on June 25th, 2010.
The Green Hornet has appeared in a number of comic book series and in two 1940s movie serials, but the character’s most popular iteration was undoubtedly The Green Hornet TV series, which ran from 1966-1967 and introduced Bruce Lee to American audiences. Chow, whose Kung Fu Hustle was also produced by Sony/Columbia, was obviously pleased to be involved in the project, especially because of its connection to Bruce Lee, one his idols, commenting: “I'm excited to be taking on The Green Hornet -- obviously I've been a huge fan of the show since I was a kid. The idea of stepping into Bruce Lee's shoes as Kato is both humbling and thrilling, and to get the chance to direct the project as my American movie debut is simply a dream come true."
Well known for his innovative use of slapstick and absurdist humor in martial arts comedies such as Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle, Stephen Chow appears to be the perfect choice both to reprise Lee’s role as Kato and to direct the film.
The Hollywood trades are reporting that Kung Fu Hustle director/star Stephen Chow will direct the new Green Hornet movie and also star as Kato. A slimmed-down Seth Rogen will portray Britt Reid, the newspaper publisher and nocturnal masked crimefighter, who was created by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker (the same team responsible for The Lone Ranger) for a 1930s radio show.
Sony/Columbia optioned the property in 2007 (see “Green Hornet’s Big Screen Buzz”) and Seth Rogen has been attached to the film for over a year (see “Green Hornet Gets Seth Rogen”), but the addition of Chow, who is a major martial arts star (and director) in Asia, provides much needed momentum to this project, which is now scheduled to hit theaters on June 25th, 2010.
The Green Hornet has appeared in a number of comic book series and in two 1940s movie serials, but the character’s most popular iteration was undoubtedly The Green Hornet TV series, which ran from 1966-1967 and introduced Bruce Lee to American audiences. Chow, whose Kung Fu Hustle was also produced by Sony/Columbia, was obviously pleased to be involved in the project, especially because of its connection to Bruce Lee, one his idols, commenting: “I'm excited to be taking on The Green Hornet -- obviously I've been a huge fan of the show since I was a kid. The idea of stepping into Bruce Lee's shoes as Kato is both humbling and thrilling, and to get the chance to direct the project as my American movie debut is simply a dream come true."
Well known for his innovative use of slapstick and absurdist humor in martial arts comedies such as Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle, Stephen Chow appears to be the perfect choice both to reprise Lee’s role as Kato and to direct the film.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Cannell Confirms Hero Movie
Stephen J. Cannell, creator of the cult '80s TV series The Greatest American Hero, confirmed to fans that a feature film is in the works.
"We've written a screenplay, and we've hired a director, and we're in the midst of putting this together for the future," Cannell told an audience in Hollywood on Sept. 7 at a panel commemorating the Screen Actors Guild foundation's 75th anniversary.
The director is reportedly Stephen Herek, known for such '80s kitsch as Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and Critters--a fact Cannell did not confirm at the reunion panel.
The entire cast, producers, writers and famed stuntman Dennis "Danger" Madalone joined Cannell for a lengthy Q&A session moderated by John Tesh, a Hero historian and husband of star Connie Sellecca.
After Cannell's movie announcement, Sellecca took the opportunity to lock in roles for herself and fellow original cast members William Katt and Robert Culp.
"I'm going to put Stephen on the spot," Sellecca said with a grin. "Cameos for us?"
"Absolutely guaranteed," Cannell responded. "More than cameos: acting jobs."
"I took a sneak peek at the [feature] script, and it's absolutely charming and wonderful," Katt told the rapt audience. "I know people are going to love it."
The Greatest American Hero ran for three seasons on ABC, 1981-'83, and centered on Ralph Hinkley (Katt), a teacher who comes into possession of a red alien suit that endows its wearer with superpowers--but he loses the instruction manual. Culp played Hinkley's FBI minder and Sellecca his long-suffering girlfriend.
The show is enjoying a renaissance of sorts, with a new comic book produced by Katt and producing partner Chris Folino under their Catastrophic Comics banner. The first issue should hit shelves in November.
Additionally, there are plans for a series of four-minute animated Web shorts, voiced by Katt, Culp and Sellecca.
"It"s a litmus test for Stephen's [film plans]," Katt said of the comic and shorts.
"The cast all felt--and I think the writers as well--[that] we had stories left to tell, and so that's what we’re doing," Katt said. "We're picking up where we left off, and I know that there's a great audience out there that is going to be receptive to that."
Katt added: "In the public arena, at Comic-Con and other [conventions] out there, we've found that there is a tremendous warm welcome still left waiting for The Greatest American Hero." --Jeff Otto
"We've written a screenplay, and we've hired a director, and we're in the midst of putting this together for the future," Cannell told an audience in Hollywood on Sept. 7 at a panel commemorating the Screen Actors Guild foundation's 75th anniversary.
The director is reportedly Stephen Herek, known for such '80s kitsch as Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and Critters--a fact Cannell did not confirm at the reunion panel.
The entire cast, producers, writers and famed stuntman Dennis "Danger" Madalone joined Cannell for a lengthy Q&A session moderated by John Tesh, a Hero historian and husband of star Connie Sellecca.
After Cannell's movie announcement, Sellecca took the opportunity to lock in roles for herself and fellow original cast members William Katt and Robert Culp.
"I'm going to put Stephen on the spot," Sellecca said with a grin. "Cameos for us?"
"Absolutely guaranteed," Cannell responded. "More than cameos: acting jobs."
"I took a sneak peek at the [feature] script, and it's absolutely charming and wonderful," Katt told the rapt audience. "I know people are going to love it."
The Greatest American Hero ran for three seasons on ABC, 1981-'83, and centered on Ralph Hinkley (Katt), a teacher who comes into possession of a red alien suit that endows its wearer with superpowers--but he loses the instruction manual. Culp played Hinkley's FBI minder and Sellecca his long-suffering girlfriend.
The show is enjoying a renaissance of sorts, with a new comic book produced by Katt and producing partner Chris Folino under their Catastrophic Comics banner. The first issue should hit shelves in November.
Additionally, there are plans for a series of four-minute animated Web shorts, voiced by Katt, Culp and Sellecca.
"It"s a litmus test for Stephen's [film plans]," Katt said of the comic and shorts.
"The cast all felt--and I think the writers as well--[that] we had stories left to tell, and so that's what we’re doing," Katt said. "We're picking up where we left off, and I know that there's a great audience out there that is going to be receptive to that."
Katt added: "In the public arena, at Comic-Con and other [conventions] out there, we've found that there is a tremendous warm welcome still left waiting for The Greatest American Hero." --Jeff Otto
More X-Men Movies Possible
20th Century Fox is mulling the possibility of more X-Men spinoff movies, including a young X-Men project as well as Deadpool, based on a character played by Ryan Reynolds in the upcoming X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Variety reported.
The studio is even considering reviving the Daredevil franchise.
The report is part of a story assessing the studio's lackluster box-office performance during the summer of 2009.
Coming up for the studio: X-Men Origins: Wolverine on May 1, 2009; Night at the Museum 2: Escape From the Smithsonian on Memorial Day weekend; and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs on the Fourth of July weekend.
The studio is even considering reviving the Daredevil franchise.
The report is part of a story assessing the studio's lackluster box-office performance during the summer of 2009.
Coming up for the studio: X-Men Origins: Wolverine on May 1, 2009; Night at the Museum 2: Escape From the Smithsonian on Memorial Day weekend; and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs on the Fourth of July weekend.
For All the Die-Hard G. I. Joe Fans
IDW Reveals First Three G.I. Joe Titles
Coming Out of #0 in October
September 9, 2008
G.I. Joe #0 Cover
by Dave DormanIDW Publishing, which promised a far-reaching G.I. Joe publishing program when the license was acquired earlier this year (see “IDW Gets G.I. Joe”), has announced its first three G.I. Joe comic series for 2009, which will be introduced in its #0 issue in October. The three new series will launch sequentially in the first three months of 2009, and all will be promoted with multiple covers. Each of the three series is represented in the #0 issue by a short story by the series creative team.
G.I. Joe, by Chuck Dixon and Robert Atkins, launches in January with covers by Dave Johnson, Atkins, and for the first issue, a special wraparound cover by Gabriele Dell’Otto. The story is set after Larry Hama’s G.I. Joe series, and will feature a new set of adversaries, a shadowy organization introduced in the #0 issue in October.
G.I. Joe: Origins, by Larry Hama and Tom Feister with covers by Feister and Adrea Di Vito, launches in February. The storylines will look at the formation of the G.I. Joe organization and its members.
G.I. Joe: COBRA, a four-shot miniseries written by Christos Gage and Mike Costa with art by Antonio Fuso and covers by Fuso and Howard Chaykin, launches in March. The storyline follows a G.I. Joe member as he tries to infiltrate Cobra.
Other G.I. Joe titles planned for 2009 include deluxe reprints of older material and comics that lead into the August 7th release of the live action G.I. Joe feature film (see “G.I. Joe Lead Cast”). The G.I. Joe property will also get a boost early in 2009 with the launch of a series of short animations, written by Warren Ellis (see “Warren Ellis Writing G.I. Joe Cartoon”).
Coming Out of #0 in October
September 9, 2008
G.I. Joe #0 Cover
by Dave DormanIDW Publishing, which promised a far-reaching G.I. Joe publishing program when the license was acquired earlier this year (see “IDW Gets G.I. Joe”), has announced its first three G.I. Joe comic series for 2009, which will be introduced in its #0 issue in October. The three new series will launch sequentially in the first three months of 2009, and all will be promoted with multiple covers. Each of the three series is represented in the #0 issue by a short story by the series creative team.
G.I. Joe, by Chuck Dixon and Robert Atkins, launches in January with covers by Dave Johnson, Atkins, and for the first issue, a special wraparound cover by Gabriele Dell’Otto. The story is set after Larry Hama’s G.I. Joe series, and will feature a new set of adversaries, a shadowy organization introduced in the #0 issue in October.
G.I. Joe: Origins, by Larry Hama and Tom Feister with covers by Feister and Adrea Di Vito, launches in February. The storylines will look at the formation of the G.I. Joe organization and its members.
G.I. Joe: COBRA, a four-shot miniseries written by Christos Gage and Mike Costa with art by Antonio Fuso and covers by Fuso and Howard Chaykin, launches in March. The storyline follows a G.I. Joe member as he tries to infiltrate Cobra.
Other G.I. Joe titles planned for 2009 include deluxe reprints of older material and comics that lead into the August 7th release of the live action G.I. Joe feature film (see “G.I. Joe Lead Cast”). The G.I. Joe property will also get a boost early in 2009 with the launch of a series of short animations, written by Warren Ellis (see “Warren Ellis Writing G.I. Joe Cartoon”).
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Stephen Sommers Mulls Warner's Tarzan
Stephen Sommers is in negotiations to direct a big-screen version of Tarzan for Warner Brothers and producer Jerry Weintraub, Variety reported.
Sommers will also co-write the Tarzan script with Stuart Beattie. Sommers directed the recently wrapped G.I. Joe for Paramount, with Beattie penning the final draft of the screenplay.
Warner and Weintraub have been developing Tarzan since 2003, when John August was hired to pen a new take on the Edgar Rice Burroughs-created character. Two years ago, the studio was negotiating with Guillermo del Toro to direct.
Burroughs' Tarzan of the Apes was written in 1912. Onscreen, the ape-man character became strongly identified with Johnny Weismuller during the 1930s in MGM's series of features.
Sommers will also co-write the Tarzan script with Stuart Beattie. Sommers directed the recently wrapped G.I. Joe for Paramount, with Beattie penning the final draft of the screenplay.
Warner and Weintraub have been developing Tarzan since 2003, when John August was hired to pen a new take on the Edgar Rice Burroughs-created character. Two years ago, the studio was negotiating with Guillermo del Toro to direct.
Burroughs' Tarzan of the Apes was written in 1912. Onscreen, the ape-man character became strongly identified with Johnny Weismuller during the 1930s in MGM's series of features.
Del Toro Helming Frankenstein
Guillermo del Toro is now booked with films through 2017, including remakes of Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Slaughterhouse-Five, Variety reported.
Universal Pictures--which has a three-year first-look deal with the director--and del Toro are making a long-term commitment by setting up four directing projects, including the aforementioned movies.
The fourth project is an adaptation of Drood, a Dan Simmons novel that will be published in February by Little, Brown.
Del Toro's first priority is New Line and MGM's The Hobbit and its sequel, to which he has committed the next five years. He has begun writing Hobbit with Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, collaborating via video conferencing and trips to New Zealand every three weeks.
While it's difficult to plan projects five years into the future, at this point Universal executives told the trade paper that Drood, based on the life of Charles Dickens, is the most likely to be del Toro’s first post-Hobbit directing vehicle.
Universal also still has its sights set on del Toro's pet project, an adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness.
Also on the horizon: David Moody's apocalyptic novel Hater, which del Toro will produce with Mark Johnson but not direct, and Crimson Peak, a gothic romance spec script by del Toro and his Mimic collaborator Matthew Robbins, which del Toro will produce but not direct. (Universal is owned by NBC Universal, which also owns SCIFI.COM.)
Universal Pictures--which has a three-year first-look deal with the director--and del Toro are making a long-term commitment by setting up four directing projects, including the aforementioned movies.
The fourth project is an adaptation of Drood, a Dan Simmons novel that will be published in February by Little, Brown.
Del Toro's first priority is New Line and MGM's The Hobbit and its sequel, to which he has committed the next five years. He has begun writing Hobbit with Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, collaborating via video conferencing and trips to New Zealand every three weeks.
While it's difficult to plan projects five years into the future, at this point Universal executives told the trade paper that Drood, based on the life of Charles Dickens, is the most likely to be del Toro’s first post-Hobbit directing vehicle.
Universal also still has its sights set on del Toro's pet project, an adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness.
Also on the horizon: David Moody's apocalyptic novel Hater, which del Toro will produce with Mark Johnson but not direct, and Crimson Peak, a gothic romance spec script by del Toro and his Mimic collaborator Matthew Robbins, which del Toro will produce but not direct. (Universal is owned by NBC Universal, which also owns SCIFI.COM.)
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Fox and Warner "Watchmen" Feud Escalates
September 2, 2008
The legal battle lines have been drawn in the dispute between Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox over the rights to create a screen adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon’s Watchmen graphic novel. According to the New York Times, which reviewed papers filed in federal court in Los Angeles on Friday, lawyers for both sides have “laid plans for a frenzied fight.” Fox continues to request an injunction that would prohibit the planned March 6th debut of the Watchmen film directed by Zack Snyder, while Warner Bros. continues to maintain that there is no legal merit to Fox’s suit.
The dispute is centered on that murky corner of developmental hell known as “turnaround” in which a studio basically gives up on a project, but in order to save itself the potential embarrassment of a rejected film becoming a success for another studio, producers who take the project elsewhere have to give the original studio another look at the project anytime “changed elements” (new casting, new director, new script, new budget, etc.) come into play.
According to Warner Bros., Producer Lawrence Gordon offered the project to Fox once again in 2005 right before he took it to Warner Bros. The Times reports that Warners is asking for an April trial date, while Fox has called for a June trial. It appears likely that, if the dispute does go to trial, Universal, Legendary Pictures, and Paramount, who were all involved in the lengthy gestation of the Watchmen movie project, will “be drawn into the fray.”
While there are no signs of a deal yet, there is plenty of incentive to get one done. The slick Watchmen trailer has driven sales of the Watchmen graphic novel through the roof (see “A Million Copies of Watchmen”) and spurred excitement for the movie among a considerable fan base. The Watchmen movie is a potential 300-size Q1 hit for Warners, and irate fans are already considering a boycott of Fox films in retaliation against the studio's Watchmen lawsuit. If Fox does succeed in getting an injunction barring the March 6th debut of the Watchmen movie, it may well prove to be a Pyrrhic victory.
The legal battle lines have been drawn in the dispute between Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox over the rights to create a screen adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon’s Watchmen graphic novel. According to the New York Times, which reviewed papers filed in federal court in Los Angeles on Friday, lawyers for both sides have “laid plans for a frenzied fight.” Fox continues to request an injunction that would prohibit the planned March 6th debut of the Watchmen film directed by Zack Snyder, while Warner Bros. continues to maintain that there is no legal merit to Fox’s suit.
The dispute is centered on that murky corner of developmental hell known as “turnaround” in which a studio basically gives up on a project, but in order to save itself the potential embarrassment of a rejected film becoming a success for another studio, producers who take the project elsewhere have to give the original studio another look at the project anytime “changed elements” (new casting, new director, new script, new budget, etc.) come into play.
According to Warner Bros., Producer Lawrence Gordon offered the project to Fox once again in 2005 right before he took it to Warner Bros. The Times reports that Warners is asking for an April trial date, while Fox has called for a June trial. It appears likely that, if the dispute does go to trial, Universal, Legendary Pictures, and Paramount, who were all involved in the lengthy gestation of the Watchmen movie project, will “be drawn into the fray.”
While there are no signs of a deal yet, there is plenty of incentive to get one done. The slick Watchmen trailer has driven sales of the Watchmen graphic novel through the roof (see “A Million Copies of Watchmen”) and spurred excitement for the movie among a considerable fan base. The Watchmen movie is a potential 300-size Q1 hit for Warners, and irate fans are already considering a boycott of Fox films in retaliation against the studio's Watchmen lawsuit. If Fox does succeed in getting an injunction barring the March 6th debut of the Watchmen movie, it may well prove to be a Pyrrhic victory.
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