The Hush-Hush News Report 11.16.11: The Doctor Who Movie...Nobody Wants

Posted by Jeremy Wilson on 11.16.2011

News and thoughts on the teaser trailer for The Hobbit coming, Doctor Who possibly heading to the big screen, the status of the BioShock film, Kristen Stewart being rumored for Akira, the Rock teaming up with The Walking Dead's Shane, the battle of the Snow White movie trailers and more!





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Lucky for all of you, I love my readers, love writing about film and have once again given you your weekly dose of Hush-Hush. Because if I didn't love all that, I'd still be playing Skyrim right now. You're welcome. Now, onto the news!


The Hobbit Teaser Trailer Coming



Andy Serkis has talked to IGN recently and let slip that a teaser trailer for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will be reaching theaters around Christmas time!

"There will be a trailer fairly soon, actually. Around Christmas time, I believe. It's just around the corner."

IGN also asked the actor about his work as Second Unit Director on the two Hobbit films as well as how it will look: "It's quite fascinating," he said. "I'm having a ball. It's a huge operation, really. We're on the road at the moment, at various different locations on South Island in New Zealand. There are some truly remarkable landscapes that we're filming in. It's just stunning."

About shooting in 5K at 48 frames (in 3D no less): "It's unlike anything I have ever seen before," he explained. "The brain has become so attuned to watching films at 24 frames a second. This is something completely different. It's incredible. You feel inside it and surrounded by it. It's really great. People will not be disappointed."

Best guesses right now are that any possible teaser trailer will be shown ahead of either Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (December 16th) or The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (December 21st). I would be shocked if it wasn't Tintin. I know that film has been out around much of the world for the last month already, but it's simply a better fit (it's a family film; plus, it's produced in part by Jackson/WETA). I'm intrigued by the shooting in 48 frames...from all accounts, it's stunning, but I do find it interesting that they would attempt it through one of the most beloved franchises of all time. I also trust them on the 3D...for now. I would be shocked if they let that get in the way of the story or if they did a piss-poor job of the actual effects.

To sum up: I'm so excited I can hardly see straight. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will be released on December 14th, 2012. 13 months. Let the countdown begin.


Doctor Who, Coming To A Theater Near You?



Earlier this week, reports surfaced about David Yates (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2") being tapped to bring "Doctor Who" to the big screen. Yates evidently told Variety that the long-running BBC science fiction show, "Needs quite a radical transformation to take it into the bigger arena," and that "Russell T. Davies and then Steven Moffat have done their own transformations, which were fantastic, but we have to put that aside and start from scratch."

Yates also expressed that as far as timetables go, he and the BBC are currently in the process of looking for writers, and "we're going to spend two to three years to get it right."

He went on to say: "The notion of the time-traveling Time Lord is such a strong one, because you can express story and drama in any dimension or time. We want a British sensibility, but having said that, Steve Kloves wrote the Potter films and captured that British sensibility perfectly, so we are looking at American writers too."

The majority of "Doctor Who" fans were outraged, especially at the notion of a film completely separate from the television show's mythology (the show began in 1963) or an entirely new doctor (not current Doctor, Matt Smith, or popular former Doctor, David Tennant). It also seems some were caught unawares at Yates' comments with both the BBC and BBC America official Twitter feeds throwing some water on the raging fire of internet hate.

BBC executive Edward Russel: "There's always talk of a movie. Perhaps? Maybe one day. But not right now!"

BBC America: "A Doctor Who feature film remains in development w/ BBC Worldwide Productions in LA. As of yet no script, cast or production crew in place."

The official "Doctor Who" Magazine also tweeted: "To those hearing Doctor Who movie rumours, it's just the same rumours which have been going round for years. Nothing's currently happening!… The day Doctor Who undergoes a ‘radical transformation' as a movie is the day DWM undergoes a radical transformation as a car boot sale."

I find this interesting, because I spent the past six months or so working my way through the "new" Doctor Who (9th Doctor on...). I like the show a lot and I can definitely understand – with a show so old – the fanbase taking umbrage with this "Harry Potter outsider" coming in and messing with their franchise. I get it. The only thing I would say, is that much the same thing was said about J.J. Abrams when he first took the Star Trek gig. And look how that turned out. The difference, obviously, is that Star Trek had numerous cinematic versions in conjunction with the television series (even using the same crews from the original and TNG). However, I'm not totally unwilling to hear Yates out and give him a shot. There is a LOT of material he can mine from the Who universe and any film version would have too be accessible to newcomers – not simply diehard Whovians.

As for who would play The Doctor...honestly, I have no idea. It doesn't sound like they are all that close to casting. It also sound like any and all previous Doctors are out of the picture – even fan favorite David Tennant. I like Tennant a lot and wouldn't mind him cast, but let's be honest it would be hard to sell to newcomers since he's not a huge "name." At this early stage the names I thought of – that could possibly pull of the role and sell the movie – were actors such as Ewan McGregor, Cillian Murphy and Nicolas Hoult. Remember, this is probably going to be an action-adventure sci-fi film. I'm not saying they would be my final choices, just that those were the ones who leapt to mind when I heard the story. Again, I'm NOT saying I want a Doctor Who movie...but it's fun to think about for now.

If it happens, who would you want to play The Doctor?


Big Daddy Needs A New Agent



The film version of one of the greatest video games of all time continues to be in limbo. Or maybe stuck in a failed underwater utopia. Irrational Games leader Ken Levine, creator of BioShock, has stated that, while they were close to a deal for getting the film made, they are not in any rush.

"We got very close to having it get made – we had a deal in place and a director. But for us there's no burning [desire] to have a movie made just to get it made. For us and for Take-Two, it's really got to be something that will a) give the fans something that they want, and b) for those who don't know BioShock, really introduce them to something that is consistent with the game, and is it going to be a good representation of the game."

He added, "There are differences between games and movies, no doubt, but the movie has to draw from the same DNA in terms of the world and the story beats, but you know, we don't have a need to get it made."

We've talked about this in relation to the Assassin's Creed movie deal, but it would seem it applies to any possible BioShock movie as well. Ken Levine and Take-Two are not going to do anything that would "hurt" the BioShock brand. Obviously, it seemed a lot closer when Gore Verbinski was on board and seriously interested. But the struggle to fund an R-rated film seemed to have nixed the whole thing. We can debate whether having a PG-13 BioShock would hurt the brand the way Levine believes (much like with any Assassin's Creed film), but it does seem an "R" rating seems fairly integral to any treatment of the game, its story and tone.

In fact, this is going to pop up as a problem in any number of cinematic versions of video games. Violence is part of the culture, but it is even more prevalent in video games than it is in film. Ask anyone who has played a Call of Duty multiplayer; there are 12 and 13-year-old kids playing video games that would merit an R-rating from the MPAA. It's a little bit of a disconnect and will affect getting any of these more mature-themed games the kind of budget they need to make a great movie. While I'm fairly optimistic about an Assassin's Creed film, I would be fairly shocked to see a BioShock movie get off the ground.


Jon Bernthal Joins Dwayne Johnson In Snitch



Jon Bernthal, who plays Shane on The Walking Dead, has been cast in Snitch, an action drama starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Susan Sarandon which begins filming in Louisiana next month. Johnson will play a construction company owner who becomes a DEA "snitch"in order to lighten his son's prison sentence. Bernthal's character is an ex-con laborer who works at the construction company and is forced by Johnson to help him get in touch with an underground drug dealer.

Anyone who is watching The Walking Dead right now knows what Bernthal is capable of as an actor. He's doing great stuff this season. While I'm a fan of Bernthal, Sarandon and Johnson, I don't think most of The Rock's movies have been much good. I hope this is different, but it sounds fairly in line with the kinds of action roles and films Rocky has been doing.


More Akira Casting Rumors



In news that will surely send a few manga and Akira fans into a tizzy, it seems that Kirsten Stewart (Twilight) has been reportedly offered the lead role in Jaume Collet-Sera's live-action remake at Warner Bros. Pictures. Stewart would play Kei, a young medium who becomes the love interest for Kaneda (reportedly to be played by Garrett Hedlund). Akira – for those who don't know – was a 1988 cyberpunk science fiction manga and (later) an animated film co-written and directed by Katsuhiro Otomo. The story takes place in New Manhattan and follows the leader of a biker gang who must save his friend (who is discovered to have potentially destructive psychokinetic abilities) from government medical experiments. Rumors have been circulation for awhile now, with Keanu Reeves originally attached to star in a proposed trilogy (which was scrapped), but with a director and two stars on board, it would seem the long-gesticulating project could be ready to go.

Nothing like one of the "Twilight Three" to infuse some vitriol into a casting rumor. Seriously, you have to read some of the comments. I actually consider Kristen Stewart the "best" of the three; Pattinson and Lautner have shown me nothing beyond what they do in these insipid Twilight films. Stewart actually has done decent stuff: Into the Wild, Adventureland, and The Runaways (as Joan Jett). I'm actually a bit more surprised at Garrett Hedlund's casting as Kaneda. Stewart – for better or worse, depending on your view of the Twilight films – has a fan base and something of a track record at the box office. Hedlund had one shot – Tron: Legacy – and pretty much failed. The film did alright at the box office, but it didn't get very good notices and it didn't propel Hedlund into being viewed as one of Hollywood's up-and-coming stars.

But let me know what you think: Are you happy with the casting for Akira? Who would be your choices to star in the film?


Tim Burton Becoming Peculiar



Deadline is reporting that Tim Burton is in talks to helm the film version of Ransom Riggs' popular novel, Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children. The plot synopsis seems to be right up Burton's alley:

"It involves Jacob, a 16-year-old whose childhood was filled with stories his grandfather told him about an orphanage for unusual children. Among the residents: a girl who could hold fire in her hands, another whose feet never touched the ground, and twins who communicated without speaking. When his beloved grandfather dies unexpectedly but leaves a message behind for his grandson, the teen heads off to his grandfather's home on an isolated island off Wales. There he discovers the abandoned remains of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. It is in great disrepair and as Jacob explores its bedrooms and hallways, he can see the children were more than peculiar, they might have been there because they were dangerous. And he can't shake the feeling they are still lurking around."

That all sounds well enough. There is no doubt that Tim Burton is a legend and has made some great movies. I know a lot of people who have read this particular book and think it's good. It seems to be well suited for Burton's style, so we'll see. Hopefully, it's a little less Alice in Wonderland and a little more Edward Scissorhands.


Trailer Face-Off: Snow White-Style



This past week has seen the release of both trailers for the upcoming 2012 Snow White films. And for anyone who thought they'd be the same movie...well, based on these trailers, they are most definitely not. The trailer for "Snow White and The Huntsman," starring Kristen Stewart in the title role, Chris Hemsworth as The Huntsman and Charlize Theron as the Evil Queen looks to be a dark action film that serves as the beginning of a proposed trilogy. "Mirror, Mirror" takes the opposite approach, with a much lighter comedic tone nearly to the point of slapstick. That film stars Lily Collins as Snow White, Julia Roberts as the Evil Queen and Armie Hammer as the Prince. "Mirror, Mirror" opens on March 16th, 2012 while "Snow White and the Huntsman" opens on June 1, 2012.

Your Turn: Are you looking forward to either or both of these films? Which trailer is better?
(Honestly, I prefer Snow White and the Hunstman.)



OR

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From The Great Capt. Smooth (Guest):
Man! I saw that headline about Hayley Atwell and thought it was about me!

You wish :)

From Aprince66 (Guest):
I hope the Mad Max flicks get made. As kids, my friends and I would play Mad Max rolling our old Tonka trucks covered in GI Joes and He Man figures down a huge hill into a ditch and into Lincoln Log buildings and laugh at the carnage. Good times.

I never played that with my friends (we were more TMNT and Ghostbuster kids) but Mad Max was always a franchise that stuck out, especially as kids. I hope they get made as well, but I can't say I have a good feeling about their chances (I hope I'm wrong).

From Vince (Guest):
Hey Jeremy,

First of all, I'm really loving the racetrack oscar odds, it's really helpful in figuring out which movies to see if I want to see all the nominations.

Also, I don't know if you remember the old Where's Waldo? Saturday morning cartoon, where they basically took a page from one of the books (usually Find Waldo Now) and crafted a story around it. Not actively terrible, but Waldo's personality was a cross between Ned Flanders and Barney the Dinosaur. A Vin Diesel Waldo could only be an improvement.

Hey Vince, glad you like it. Much appreciated. As far as those go, we're starting to kick the awards season off and I think their will be some more shifting. Remember, those are the odds to win – there are different odds of nominations.

As for Waldo, I do faintly remember a show (maybe early 90's?) but I can't say I remember too much about it. It seemed to me when I was writing last week's column that I had seen an animated Waldo somewhere, but couldn't remember exactly when or where. Nice catch. (And if SNL had any sense, they'd steal my Vin Diesel as Waldo idea for a sketch...it couldn't be worse than those MacGruber sketches).

From Guest #6397 (Guest):
the first amendment doesn't cover offensive speech? That's funny because I never thought you needed freedom to say things everybody agrees with...

in any case, I get your point (1st amendment = goverment/law not protection from ostracism)

There is a war on words in this country-- I won't usually write "N-Word", I'll just say the damn thing (not in a derogatory way, but if we're talking about saying words and what words are offensive? you're damn right I'll mention it...), though that would get this comment banned.

LOTS of people still say "fag" to mean things other than gay (mostly "annoying"-- see South Park), it isn't always meant as a gay thing anymore... even still, that doesn't make it okay because it's unprofessional.

It's so funny reading comments sometimes. I feel like I don't even need to interject, because the commenter here (anonymous) is basically arguing both sides of the coin. That's fine. Well, whoever you are, I agree with some of what you are saying. The "N-word" debate is probably the most interesting, especially in the context of...well, context. There is no doubt that right now, Black Americans (especially the younger generation) say the word pretty freely. However, that is definitely one of the big "No-No" words for White America. The problem is when you try and apply that standard (which seems to have become generally accepted) to something like older artistic material. A big deal was made earlier this year about stripping the "N-word" from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – which is widely hailed as one of, if not the greatest American novel of all time. Censorship might be the only thing more frightening to Americans than political correctness, and I personally am terrified of censoring something as wholly American as Huck Finn, warts and all.

I don't agree with the use of the F-word as it is unequivocally an insult and bigoted term IN THIS DAY AND AGE against gay individuals. Guess what? You want to call something annoying, like you say. Use the word...annoying. Unless you're British and want a cigarette, there is just is not reason to use it. And no, I don't care what South Park says. There's just no reason to say it. Maybe it was acceptable or frequently used when we were kids...but you know what, we're not kids anymore. We live in a generation and society where gays, lesbians and bisexuals are being seen as equals and as a group that shouldn't be targeted like they were in the past. There is a war on words in this country. But we already know the winners: progress and diversity. I'm not a fan of censorship or political correctness run amok, but this isn't that. That term and the way Ratner expressed it are out of bounds nowadays and for good reason. There are lots of other words and synonyms to use, in place of that.

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The Hush-Hush Racetrack Oscar Odds

The following are the racetrack odds for this years Academy Awards courtesy of Gold Derby. The odds are the result of voting and analysis by "Experts" from other major sites and publications, "Editors" of Gold Derby and "Users" of the site. In addition to the odds is the % chance to win.

BEST PICTURE
The Descendants – 12/5; 29% (last week: 14/5; 26%)
The Artist – 14/5; 26% (last week: 4/1; 20%)
War Horse – 9/2; 19% (last week: same)
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close – 12/1; 8% (last week: 8/1; 11%)
The Help – 20/1; 5% (last week: 16/1: 6%)
J. Edgar – 33/1; 3% (last week: 25/1; 4%)
Moneyball – 50/1; 2% (last week: 33/1; 3%)
Midnight in Paris – 50/1; 2%
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – 100/1; 3% (last week: 50/1: 2%)

Little bit of a shakeup this week, as the big news is the fall of J. Edgar You may be looking at the odds for this week and last for J. Edgar and thinking that's not that bad. The problem is that the film is only being buoyed by users' votes at this point. The film is given 100/1 odds by both experts and editors over on Gold Derby, but users continue to give it 9/1 odds. That will most likely change as time goes by and more film-goers see it. Eastwood's biopic is doing terribly at the moment, finishing 5th at the box office in its debut weekend with only about $11.5 million. Add to that extremely mixed critical reaction (41% over at Rotten Tomatoes and 59 at Metacritic) and it would seem that the film's Oscar chances have been dashed. Both Midnight in Paris and The Help are helped by J. Edgar's fall. The Artist continues to perform very strongly and has incredible word-of-mouth and initial reports on Hugo are very favorable for Martin Scorsese's 3D family film. It may rise after its release.

BEST ACTOR
George Clooney (The Descendents) – 1/1; 50% (last week: 6/5; 45%)
Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar) – 4/1; 20% (last week:same)
Jean Dujardin (The Artist) – 15/2; 12% (last week: 13/2; 13%)
Brad Pitt (Moneyball) – 16/1; 6% (last week: 10/1; 9%)
Michael Fassbender (Shame) – 33/1; 3% (last week: 50/1; 2%)
Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) – 33/1; 3% (last week: 25/1; 4%)
Ryan Gosling (The Ides of March) – 100/1; 1% (last week: same)
Woody Harrelson (Rampart) – 100/1: 1% (last week: same)
Brad Pitt (The Tree of Life) – 100/1; 1% (last week: same)
Michael Shannon (Take Shelter) – 100/1; 1% (last week: same)

It remains to be seen how J. Edgar will affect Leonardo DiCaprio's Oscar chances. I believed that if the film was even half-way decent he would have a real chance to win. Unfortunately, the film is actually pretty bad. He'll still get nominated, but it's harder to see DiCaprio's path to a win in a year with other viable other candidates. The release of Shame has also lifted Michael Fassbender's chances, giving the NC-17 rated film a viable chance at an Oscar nomination.

BEST ACTRESS
Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) – 19/10; 34% (last week: 7/5; 41%)
Viola Davis (The Help) – 13/5; 28% (last week: 7/2; 22%)
Michele Williams (My Weekend with Marilyn) – 11/2; 11% (last week: 13/2; 13%)
Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs) – 15/2; 12% (last week: same)
Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin) – 33/1; 3% (last week: same)
Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene) – 50/1; 2% (last week: same)
Kirsten Dunst (Melancholia) – 100/1; 1%
Charlize Theron (Young Adult) – 100/1; 1% (last week: 50/1; 2%)
Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) – 100/1: 1% (last week: same)

Well, this is strange to me. The Iron Lady is finally beginning to be seen and Meryl Streep is getting strong reviews. However, this category is as much a race now as it ever has been. Viola Davis continues to close in on the top spot off the continued momentum for The Help. Michele Williams and Glenn Close still appear to be very viable dark horses. And don't forget the ingenues! I still think Elizabeth Olsen and Rooney Mara have more than a decent shot at being nominated (Mara may end up in the Supporting Actress race). A couple performances of the 20th century's most famous women, a cross-dressing performance and an African-American actress in a movie about race (Hollywood loves that, see: Crash). Very interesting category.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christopher Plummer (Beginners) – 8/13; 61% (last week: same)
Max von Sydow (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) – 12/1; 8% (last week: same)
Albert Brooks (Drive) – 14/1; 7% (last week: same)
Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn) – 16/1; 6% (last week: 20/1; 5%)
Nick Nolte (Warrior) – 50/1; 2% (last week: same)
George Clooney (The Ides of March) – 50/1; 2% (last week: 100/1; 1%)
Jim Broadbent (The Iron Lady) – 50/1: 3% (last week: 33/1; 3%)
Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Ides of March) – 50/1: 2% (last week: same)
John Hawkes (Martha Marcy May Marlene) – 100/1; 1% (last week: same)
Jonah Hill (Moneyball – 100/1; 1% (last week: same)

This is Christopher Plummer's to lose, plain and simple. Plummer is an overwhelming early favorite for his much lauded work in the critical darling Beginners. Plummer has never won an Oscar before and his role as a widower who comes out of the closet plays right into one of Oscar's favorite pastimes: play gay and win. The fact that Beginners had an early release and has been seen by most (with Plummer's status as frontrunner cemented early on) certainly doesn't hurt. Max von Sydow, Albert Brooks and Kenneth Branagh are also getting some notice and will more than likely receive nominations, but of all the races, this is the one that is closest to being wrapped up. Clooney's slight bump was due to Gold Derby's Users, where he is at 16/1. Among Critics and Editors, he remains a long-shot at 100/1 odds.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Octavia Spencer (The Help) – 5/6; 55% (last week: same)
Vanessa Redgrave (Coriolanus) – 15/2; 12% (last week: 8/1; 11%)
Berenice Bejo (The Artist) – 14/1; 7% (last week: 12/1; 8%)
Shailene Woodley (The Descendents) – 20/1; 5% (last week: 25/1; 4%)
Sandra Bullock (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) – 33/1: 3% (last week: same)
Jessica Chastain (The Tree of Life) – 33/1; 3% (last week: same)
Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) – 33/1; 3% (last week: 50/1; 2%)
Judi Dench (J. Edgar) – 50/1: 2% (last week: 33/1; 3%)
Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs) – 100/1; 1%
Evan Rachel Wood (The Ides of March – 100/1; 1% (last week: same)

This category is ripe for a dark horse and/or closer. Octavia Spencer is the early favorite off the success of The Help, but the rest of the category and nominees are a crapshoot at this point. One would think that Berenice Bejo and Shailene Woodley will receive nominations off the strength of their respective films. Sandra Bullock is "America's Sweetheart" and while she may not win, the film is in contenion for Best Picture. Vanessa Redgrave commands respect and is also a contender to win, even if Coriolanus isn't necessarily a film on many peoples' radars. If the Academy wanted to broaden their horizons and follow their Emmy brethren, Melissa McCarthy could sneak a nomination and continue her magical year, even for the kind of mature "gross-out" comedy the Academy generally ignores.


Funny Video of the Week:




Trailer of the Week:




That's all for this week. Let me know what you think in the comments section. For now, this is Jeremy Wilson, off the record, on the QT...



...and definitely, "Hush Hush!"