Frickin' Eh Movie News 01.27.10: Dark Side of the Moon

Posted by Matthew Motiuk on 01.27.2010

This week, find out who will play Conan the Barbarian and what record Avatar has broken now. Plus, Clash of the Titans may have been delayed, Sam Worthington is cast in a new role, and Robert Rodriguez's Machete gets a distributor!

Life for me has changed unbelievably in the past two weeks, especially accelerating this week. Me and two guys from work got an old house to rent, and we've got some leeway in fixing it up, so my immediate future will be a lot of fixing up that place, on top of school and work already. Hopefully I'll be moving soon into the house, and I'm working on figuring out how to work my job in the future, too. It's a lot of change. Which prompted me to listen to Wind of Change by the Scorpions, which then led me to discover they released a new CD in 2004 which I am enjoying quite a bit. But that's a random divergence. Let's get back on track:


The Mid-Week Box Office Time Machine

Yet again, Avatar ruled the box office handily, although it's starting to decline in the numbers, as it raked in $36 million. That was an easy victory over Legion which opened in second with $18.2 million. The Book of Eli dropped a spot with $17 million. The Tooth Fairy opened at fourth with $14.5 million and The Lovely Bones dropped from third to fifth, making another $8.8 million. Sherlock Holmes stayed put at sixth, Extraordinary Measures opened in seventh with $7 million, and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel fell from fourth to eighth. Ninth place went to It's Complicated, which fell from seven. The Spy Next Door rounded out the top ten, falling from fifth in its second week and making only $4.8 million.

What will attempt to get close to Avatar this weekend? Well, first of all is Mel Gibson's return to the big screen in Edge of Darkness, a dark thriller directed by Martin Campbell and based upon his own miniseries. The only other challenger is When in Rome, a romantic comedy starring Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel. So take your pick.


Fox Wins Machete

Deadline Hollywood Daily's Nikki Finke is reporting that bidding for the distribution rights to Robert Rodriguez's next movie, the independently-financed Machete, expanding upon the fake trailer created for Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino's Grindhouse experiment, has ended with 20th Century Fox winning out over five other studios for the rights to distribute it.

Danny Trejo returns in the title role, surrounded by a number of big stars including Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba and Michelle Rodriguez. Robert Rodriguez wrote and produced the movie with financing from Rick Schwartz's Overnight Productions, and directed it with co-director Ethan Maniquis.

According to the report, the six studios were shown roughly 15 to 30 minutes of footage with the price set at $9 million with a healthy profit sharing from the film's theatrical and back-end grosses. Those who read ComingSoon.net regularly know that Fox was already working with Rodriguez on relaunching the "Predator" franchise, even calling the upcoming summer release Robert Rodriguez's Predators. While the Weinstein Company had the first look rights for the movie due to their long involvement with Rodriguez, the Machete deal included a production deal with Rodriguez, so one can probably assume that Fox will be the filmmaking pioneer's new home.

Ah, a descendant of Grindhouse. An interesting move, considering on the whole that particular experiment failed rather miserably, but it's a very cool idea. Make a fake trailer into a full movie? I love the idea and I hope it does work out. Stacking the cast with some fantastic actors is a good first start. Now we just need to wait and see what it's really all about.


Buried Goes to Lionsgate

Lionsgate has acquired domestic distribution rights to Buried, the claustrophobic thriller in which Ryan Reynolds plays a civilian contractor who's kidnapped in Iraq and awakens buried in a coffin in the desert.

The film, which cost $3 million to make, was directed by Spanish helmer Rodrigo Cortes. The studio picked up the rights for about $3.2 million.

"'Buried' is a powerful reminder that all you really need for an unforgettable movie experience is a great story, inventive filmmaking and brilliant acting," Jason Constantine, Lionsgate's president of acquisitions and co-productions, said in a statement.

The last time I saw a movie in which a character got buried in a coffin was Kill Bill, and trying to make it through that scene was the reason I refused to make it through the rest of the movie. Which is a bad start already for me. That said, Ryan Reynolds is awesome, and a movie centred around his acting and charisma will be a pretty strong movie regardless. Hopefully it's all they promise and more.


Hobbits Delayed

In an article at Variety talking about New Line Cinema, which two years ago became a unit under Warner Bros. Pictures, studio executive Alan Horn reveals that the first of the two Hobbit films may not hit theaters until late 2012, a full year after the previously-announced December 2011 release:

Once the script for the second film is in -- Jackson and his longtime collaborators Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens are working on it with Del Toro -- New Line will work up a budget for both films and start casting. New Line exec Michael Disco, who was once Emmerich's assistant, will oversee for the studio.

Horn won't predict when the first of the two "Hobbit" films will be out, but says the most probable scenario would be a release in the fourth quarter of 2012.

"It's a big bet for us. But it's one we think will pay off given the success of 'Lord of the Rings,'" says Emmerich. "This is one of the few movies it feels like people are waiting for."

New Line's original plan was to release the first film in December 2011, followed by the second one in December 2012. One reason for the delay may be the restructuring of MGM, which shares the financing rights with New Line for the "Hobbit" films. MGM is currently accepting bids for the studio and those rights may go to another studio (Warner Bros. is said to be one of the bidders).

Wow, that's a long time to wait, all the way until 2012. Especially when all previous estimates were saying 2011, this is going to make a couple people pretty pissed off, I imagine. Throw that in with all the uncertainty surrounding MGM right now and it's going to be a very interesting end result indeed. With a lot of turbulence. So don't take anything for granted when it comes to this movie.


Watts and Craig Moving Into the Dream House

Naomi Watts is set to star opposite Daniel Craig in Dream House, director Jim Sheridan's psychological thriller at Universal Pictures.

Written by David Loucka, the film is about a family that relocates into what appears to be the ideal residence in small town Connecticut. However, the father (Craig) and his family are disturbed to discover that their beautiful new home was the site of another family's slaughter, believed to be at the hands of the husband who survived.

Watts will the family's neighbor in the Morgan Creek production. Filming is scheduled to start in February in Toronto.

Meh. Sounds like just a ghost story. Presumably it will be slightly more complex, but it's still just a ghost story. Unless they do something really strange and cool with it, which hopefully will happen, because there's nothing better than when a movie breaks every expectation. We'll see where this one goes.


Conan Is Chosen

According to Deadline Hollywood, Lionsgate and Millenium Films have picked the actor to play the lead role in Marcus Nispel's reinvention of Robert E. Howard's Conan and it's 30-year-old Jason Momoa, who may best be known for his run on "Stargate Atlantis" and who also appears in HBO's upcoming mini-series "Game of Thrones."

At the same time, Latino Review says that an offer has been put out to Mickey Rourke to play Conan's father Corin.

The movie is scheduled to start production in Bulgaria on March 15.

Well, if I had actually ever heard of Momoa then I'd have an opinion on this choice. But I haven't, so I don't. That said, it's sticking in the tradition of Conan, considering Arnold himself was an unknown when he took on his role. Rourke as Conan's father? That's pretty cool. Hopefully this one shapes up to do the original justice.


Weird Al Partners With Cartoon Network for Movie

"Weird Al" Yankovic announced on his official blog this morning that he has signed a production deal with Cartoon Network which includes a live-action feature film. Here's part of his post:

When I say that I've "just" signed, that means that I actually signed several months ago, but this is the first time I've been allowed to openly talk about it.

Without going into too much detail, the good folks at Cartoon Network decided that they liked me and wanted me to provide some content for them – series, features, animation, live-action… they were open to anything. So after a couple years (yes, really) of the lawyers going back and forth, we finalized a deal – now all I have to do is start making stuff!

The first thing I'm on track to do for them is, in fact, a live-action feature film.

It's been a while since Weird Al's been doing anything, besides the odd CD, so this is exciting for me. I always enjoyed his comedy. Hopefully we get something in the vein of UHF out of this, because that was always a good one. Let's hope he can crank out something good and make his years of negotiating worthwhile.


Harry Potter, Clash of the Titans In 3D?

Heat Vision is reporting that Warner Bros. Pictures will release the last two "Harry Potter" movies and the upcoming Clash of the Titans in 3D.

The studio did not confirm Heat Vision's report today, but an announcement on "Titans" is expected by week's end, and official word on the "Potter" films may follow.

The trade adds that the studio has pushed the release date of "Titans" back one week to April 2, something the studio also didn't confirm yet.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 is scheduled for a release on November 19 of this year, followed by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 on July 15, 2011.

No, don't deprive me of Clash of the Titans, even by a week! It seriously is probably the movie I am most excited to see so far this year. And there are some huge ones this year. 3D can't hurt either of these. It might be a pointless waste of time, but it may improve the experience a little bit, especially if you're right on this 3D bandwagon. Which, like most bandwagons, I am not on. Hopefully we get some confirmation on both of these so we know.


Avatar Is the Worldwide Box Office Champion

After just 39 days in theaters, James Cameron's Avatar surpassed Cameron's own Titanic on Monday, January 25th at the worldwide (U.S., Canada and international) box office to become the highest-grossing film of all time.

Avatar has reached $1,858,866,889 while Titanic earned $1,843,201,268 total.

The theatrical run of Avatar continues in 122 countries around the world on over 16,000 screens with 72% of the box office, or $1.35 billion, coming from 3D screens thus far.

The domestic (U.S. and Canada) total now stands at $554,981,691, which still trails Titanic's $600,788,188, but probably not for long. Internationally (outside of US and Canada), the film has reached $1,303,885,198 compared to Titanic's $1,242,413,080.

"We are deeply gratified that so many millions of people around the globe have embraced 'Avatar,'" said Fox in a statement. "Its success results from the efforts of literally thousands of people, who, over the course of several years, worked to bring James Cameron's vision of Pandora to life. The themes of protecting the environment, respecting life, and yearning for a peaceful planet have united moviegoers worldwide. We're very proud of, and grateful to, James Cameron, his amazing and dedicated team, and all the many people at Fox, who worked so long and so hard to achieve this milestone."

How good must it feel to be James Cameron right now? You make Titanic which tops the box office around the world. You fiddle around with a couple projects for a while, and then over ten years later, take this lifelong project you've had in your head, use the technology that has finally caught up to your vision, and beat your own record. I mean, seriously. I'd say worldwide champion is a pretty impressive title to have, and whether or not he gets the domestic crown doesn't really matter (although let's face it, it's going to happen). Now all I have to do is get a chance to see it . . .


Worthington May Be Dracula Next

Latino Review is reporting that Avatar and upcoming Clash of the Titans star Sam Worthington is a frontrunner to star in Universal's Dracula Year Zero, to be directed by Alex Proyas (Knowing, I, Robot).

The film is an origin tale of Vlad the Impaler, the Romanian royal who inspired Bram Stoker's vampire tale. It centers on how Vlad became the creature; the choices that he made to make him into the tragic character.

Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless wrote the script.

Worthington has shot from a nobody to the top of the acting world in the span of half a year, after stealing the show in Terminator Salvation and then grabbing the lead role in the biggest movie of all time. And I'm not complaining, he's an absolutely fantastic actor and I'm really excited to see him in more. This is an especially interesting project for me. I like Proyas as a director, and the story sounds fascinating. Rather than look at the terrifying creature later on, link that to the choices he made in life. Very exciting; hopefully everything goes off without a hitch.


Saw VI Director Jumps Back to Saw, Abandons Paranormal Activity

Just a week ago, Paramount announced that Saw VI director Kevin Greutert would helm the sequel to Oren Peli's Paranormal Activity and that the studio would release the movie on October 22, directly up against Saw VII 3D.

It sounds like the brakes have been put on that deal as Deadline Hollywood reports that "Saw" franchise partners Twisted Pictures and Lionsgate have exercised an option that puts Greutert back in the director's chair for Saw VII 3D, leaving Paranormal Activity 2 without a director for the moment.

The site adds that David Hackl, who directed the fifth "Saw" installment and was previously attached to helm #7, has been taken off the project and will be assigned another film quickly.

What does this mean for Paranormal Activity 2? If Paramount still wants to make the Oct. 22 release date, we will find out very soon.

It's always nice to see a piece of news completely reversed within the span of a week. Sigh. This is probably better, though. You have to wonder if this wasn't some power play of Greutert to get drawn back into the Saw franchise and give him another chance to knock down Paranormal Activity. It's possible. Maybe not likely, but possible. As far as all this goes, I imagine it will make very little difference. Could Hackl go to Paranormal Activity instead? Perhaps. Or maybe Peli will just take over again – something I never understood why he wouldn't do in the first place. We'll see soon, though.


Rapid-Fire: Moon (2009, starring Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey, Dominique McElligott)

As you may know, I usually shy away from really fresh movies unless I'm hurting for a movie to review before my deadline (most recently being last week) but sometimes, a movie needs to be showcased for its own reasons. This week I present one such case:

What's this movie about? Well, in the future, the moon is being mined for resources to power the Earth. One man, Sam Bell (Rockwell), runs the entire operation by himself, and is just about to go home when a crash occurs, and strange things start happening. The story goes off from there and it's got some interesting, if not crazy out-of-left-field, twists and turns along the way.

The fascinating thing about this movie, for me, is the fact that it quite literally revolves around one man. Sam Rockwell is the only major character that you meet. While GERTY the computer (Spacey) is there with him, and gives him a hand from time to time, it's a minor role compared to the lead, and everyone else is only seen in videos or heard in the distance. It makes for an interesting dynamic, and a movie like this needs a fantastic actor carrying it. Luckily, this doesn't disappoint.

But it's also necessary to mention the other aspects. The visuals are beautiful – when he is out on the moon at several points, it's a breathtaking view, and they did a great job. The structures, base, and vehicles are all very believable. There are no big special effects or anything like that; this is a movie that solely runs off of the lead character's performance. And the story is great. When the story and acting are combined, you feel truly sympathetic with the characters by the end of the movie.

To describe the acting, it's really only necessary to mention Rockwell in the lead. And he does a great job. Since it was revealed in the trailer and tagline, I don't think I'm ruining anyone's knowledge of the movie by saying that he finds himself on the moon, so Rockwell plays a dual role. The interesting thing is how different the roles are. One is a straight-laced, fresh, and energetic Bell; the other is a set in his ways, passive, sickly, and tired version of Bell. I don't think I've ever seen such divergent characters played by the same actor, and they play off each other like they are completely different actors, but with important connections. It's rare that I am impressed solely by an actor's performance above all else, but in this case, exactly that happened. Spacey is the only other major actor as GERTY, and he does an excellent job as well. He's actually very believable as a robotic companion.

I am not fluent in the older science fiction but I can understand the throwbacks and hints at the older style. That said, this movie doesn't need you to have that knowledge. This is an amazingly crafted, beautiful psychological movie that showcases just how amazing of an actor Sam Rockwell is. I very highly recommend this one.


Closing Time . . .

I find myself wanting to wait until I move into my new house to watch any of my Blu-ray movies because one of my future roommates is bringing a much larger television than I have, and watching a Blu-ray on my TV always seems like a bit of a waste. Which means I guess I'll put off my James Bond marathon and RocknRolla until later, maybe. Anyway, the near future will mostly be filled with painting, not movies. But anyway, until next week . . .


[All news, images, and other stuff from www.comingsoon.net, www.imdb.com, www.rottentomatoes.com and www.youtube.com.]