The Hush-Hush News Report 11.30.11: Say Hello To My Little Remake

Posted by Jeremy Wilson on 11.30.2011

News and thoughts on Fox seeking Matthew Vaughn to return for X-Men: First Class 2, the announcement of a new Scarface script being written, the new Men in Black 3 posters, The Artist starting off award season strongly, a look at VOD possibly saving indy film and more!





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There's not a ton of fanboy movie news the past few days, but that doesn't mean The Hush-Hush goes quiet, no sir. I'm going to talk about the "official" beginning of the movie awards season below, but before we get to the news I have a couple thoughts:

1) I know it is not for everybody, but I really enjoy awards season. I don't actually believe these awards genuinely reflect the best of the year in movies, but it's fun to debate, rank and discuss the various merits of the best in film for a year. Some years I think they get them right. Some years not su much. Even though the concept of arbitrarily assigning scores and values to subjective works of art and entertainment becomes less appealing as I get older, I still enjoy awards season and Top 10 lists. It's fun and always presents the chance to introduce people to movies they may have missed, or can lead to a really compelling debate over a particular film.

2) However, it does bother me to no end that movies awards season has more in common with college football (not the good parts, aka BCS) than we care to admit. I know I list the Oscar odds, but those are more for fun. It doesn't cloud what I believe actually should be in the running. It is patently ridiculous that a film like War Horse has been a frontrunner for Best Picture for most of the year...since no one has actually seen it (it has recently started to ramp up screenings). This is all subjective enough; we don't need to make it even worse by giving films a leg up over others before anyone has seen them. The odds are just people's fun predictions; It does tend to feel though that some (not all) only select awards contenders or "best of the year" from a limited pool that is predetermined before we actually see these films (I'm looking at you, Stephen Daldry, and you, War Horse). That sucks and is just wrong.

3) I saw both Hugo and The Descendants this past week. The different reactions and "awards season chances" of both films sort of encapsulate what I was talking about. The Descendants has been an Oscar frontrunner for months and months; nobody was quite sure what to make of Hugo. Both have been similarly received. Hugo has scores of 83 at Metacritic and 96% at Rotten Tomatoes. The Descendants has an 84 at Metacritic and 91% at Rotten Tomatoes. Both are getting rave reviews and are films from revered American filmmakers. So what's the difference? One had already been elevated into the race months ahead of time; the other caught people off guard and isn't seen as "awards season type" movie. I really, really liked The Descendants – it's a great movie and deserves to be in the discussion. Hugo is a masterpiece that should be in the thick of things, but isn't. Maybe that will change (I hope it does), but at the moment, it appears Hugo has too far to climb to try and catch up with the frontrunners. That's too bad.

Read my review of Hugo here

Now on with the news...



Scarface Remake Coming



It has been reported that David Ayer ("Training Day", "Street Kings") has been hired to pen the script for the new remake of "Scarface". The original, "Scarface: Shame of the Nation" was a 1932 Howard Hawkes film that was updated by Brian De Palma with a massively successful and cultural defining 1982 remake (starring Al Pacino). Apparently, the film will be a contemporary update on the story, with very little similarity other than the main story arc. Nikki Finke of Deadline writes:

"The new film is being produced by Marc Shmuger and his Global Produce banner along with Martin Bregman, who produced the Brian De Palma-directed version. When the studio set up the project in late September, the intention wasn't to do a remake as much as to marry the common elements of the two films with a contemporary crime context. Basically, the focus is on an outsider, an immigrant who barges his way into the criminal establishment in pursuit of a twisted version of the American dream, becoming a kingpin through a campaign of ruthlessness and violent ambition."

Ayer went on to tell Deadline: "This is a fantasy for me, I can still remember when I saw the film at 13 and it blew my mind," he said. "I sought it out; I went after it hard. I see it as the story of the American dream, with a character whose moral compass points in a different direction. That puts it right in my wheelhouse. I studied both the original Ben Hecht-Howard Hawks movie and the DePalma-Pacino version and found some universal themes. I'm still under the hood figuring out the wiring that will translate, but both films had a specificity of place, there was unapologetic violence, and a main character who socially scared the shit out of people, but who had his own moral code. Each was faithful to the underworld of its time. There are enough opportunities in the real world today that provide an opportunity to do this right. If it was just an attempt to remake the 1983 film, that would never work."

Maybe if we all stop clapping, this will die like Tinkerbell. Oh who are we kidding. Of course they were going to update Scarface. The Pacino film was obviously and update and its been decades since that film. In Hollywood that's a veritable lifetime. They're remaking everything else, including beloved 80's movies (see: RoboCop) so why the hell not. The only question left is who to cast. Any suggestions?


Men In Black 3 Posters Seek To Blind You



Columbia Pictures has released the first two posters for their upcoming "Men in Black 3. (see:above) Towards the bottome of the posters, there is a website address – TheMenInBlackSuitsAreReal.com – which leads to a facebook account run by 'BugEyes26' and says:

"I've uncovered that there's these Men in Black suits who monitor and police alien activity on earth. Up until now no one believes me, so I'm on a mission to prove that they're real and that's why I started this Facebook page. More soon."

"Men in Black 3" re-teams Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones and opens nationwide May 25th, 2012.

Loved Men in Black. Did not love Men in Black 2. If it gets back to the spirit and simplicity of the original, then I'm all for it. If it gets bogged down in overwhelming exposition and if Lara Flynn Boyle is anywhere near it, then I'm out.


Another Board Game; Another Hollywood Blockbuster



Marti Noxon has been brought on to help rewrite the screenplay for the troubled production of "Ouija." Noxon is a frequent collaborator with Joss Whedon and penned scripts for this year's "I Am Number Four" and "Fright Night." The script for the "supernatural adventure" was originally written by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz ("Tron: Legacy") with a later rewrite by Simon Kinberg (a closer who has worked recently on scripts for "Jumper" and "Sherlock Holmes"). The film was originally supposed to be directed by McG and released by Universal; however, they let the porject go over the summer. The Ouija board game has been produced by Hasbro's Parker Brothers since 1966.

You all know my love for stories about Hollywood attempting to turn board games into blockbusters. I missed I Am Number Four but anyone involved with Joss Whedon and Buffy is good by me. The bigger issue: does anyone really want to see this? Anyone? Maybe those who really want this to happen...are beyond the grave.


Directors Wanted Back For Summer Hits



20th Century Fox Chairman and CEO, Tom Rothman, told ComingSoon.net that the studio wants both Matthew Vaughn and Rupert Wyatt back to direct the sequels for "X-Men: First Class" and "Rise of the Planet of the Apes." Rothman told the site:

"Both of them were really great scripts and so we have to be sure to get great scripts again. We're working hard on the scripts for both of them, but we have every hope of moving forward with them."

I really liked both X-Men: First Class and Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Both were major hits and pleasantly surprised critics and worried fans when they came out over the summer, proving to be two of the better blockbusters to arrive in theaters. Good to hear the studio was happy with their work (and box office tallies) and are keen on not messing too much with a good thing. It also appears both Vaughn and Wyatt want to return for the sequels, so this is good news all around!


Breaking Dawn – Part One Passes Half-Billion Mark



"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1" has gone past the half-billion dollar mark in 12 days. Summit Entertainment announced that the film has grossed $508 million dollars in worldwide sales, with $223 million of that being made domestically.

"We couldn't be more pleased with the success of this film and a franchise that the fans have continued to support over the past several years," Summit Entertainment Co-Chairmen Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger said in a joint statement.

"Thank you to all involved with the films from the actors, filmmakers and Stephenie Meyer to the most important group of all, the global fan base that continues to drive a desire for more Edward, Jacob and Bella.".

This is why we can't have nice things. Yes, I'm talking to you, America. I have only seen the first Twilight film, so I can't speak directly about the quality of this newest entry. However, we've heard, read and seen enough to know they haven't essentially changed much. From everything I've heard this is the "best" of the films so far, thanks in no small part to director Bill Condon. However, that's like saying herpes is the best of the sexually transmitted diseases. Ultimately, it doesn't matter since they all pretty much suck. The second week of this mess of a franchise beat quality films. Go see Hugo. Go see The Muppets. Go see Arthur Christmas, The Descendants, The Artist or Melancholia. Good movies deserve to be seen even in the wake of such terrible, shirtless, poorly written evil.


Is VOD The Savior For Indies?


It appears that at least part of studios' efforts to push more new theatrical releases beyond standard theaters has worked. "Independent" films have found a new and seemingly major source of revenue. While efforts by some of the major studios to bypass the theater chains have repeatedly failed, resulting in ridiculous rental charges and PR debacles (The "Tower Heist" mess), it appears major exhibition chains don't care what happens with flicks that could be considered indies or art-house. Films such as "Margin Call", "Melancholia", "All Good Things" and "13 Assassins" have all made the majority of the revenue from video-on-demand services such as those from cable providers and even sites such as Amazon.

"In reality, for most independent movies, VOD will be far and away the largest source of revenue in the future," Magnolia Pictures co-owner Mark Cuban told TheWrap.com. "More than theatrical and far more than streaming."

Independent studios had struggled of late as more studios folded and smaller art-house theaters struggled to stay open. Now, many in the industry believe VOD and streaming will help alleviate costs and allow studios to maintain a consistency in the production slate and in their bottom line. It also cuts costs, as most VOD providers give those studios a 70-30 split in their favor as opposed to theaters that often take 60-40 or 50-50 splits of the revenue.

Not everyone, however, believes that VOD is the savior for independent cinema. "It's much more complicated situation than what Mark Cuban is trying to sell," Tom Bernard, co-president of Sony Pictures Classics, told TheWrap.com. "If your movie can play through all the windows that start with the theatical release, nine times out of 10 it will be much more successful than the VOD/theater box office.

The concerns of a decrease in potential earnings from a wider theatrical release are real and expressed by many, but this year has seen a number of films whose road to profitability have been made easier by VOD rentals. Platform releasing is increasingly being seen as unsustainable for smaller films, who don't have the marketing budgets to make it work and whose films are often released wider weeks after a debut date (in NY/LA usually). "That's the future," said Marc Schiller, CEO of the indie marketing firm BOND Strategy and Influence. "Adding in day and date VOD allows you to reach the masses more quickly. When you think about platform releasing, you're spending all this energy trying to get national press, and 90 percent of the people you are trying to reach aren't even able to see your film, because it's not released where they live yet. By the time it comes out in their local theater, it's old news."

This is the future and I find it interesting that Hollywood – at least part of it – is starting to get on board. Let me say, I will ALWAYS go see a film on the big screen versus my computer or TV. There is really no comparison. However, the fact is that many people don't get the chance to see a lot of great smaller films, either because they do not have an art-house theater anywhere near them or a particular film isn't playing anywhere in their vicinity. I understand it and I think it's incredibly smart for these smaller studios and filmmakers to take advantage of the technology and services available in order to get their films seen and make more money than may be possible with a limited and sporadic theatrical run. I haven't done it often, but I did rent Margin Call through Amazon's service. Melancholia is also available, but I've heard from numerous people that you really should see Lars Von Trier's film on the big screen. Margin Call equaled its box office grosses with a VOD tally of about $4 million and Melancholia has about $2 million and counting. Obviously, I think it will work better for some than for others, but I don't think there's any chance we see the same thing with bigger mainstream releases. The Tower Heist debacle made everyone look bad and it really just doesn't make a ton of sense from a business perspective. Theaters have every right to be scared of major releases being available simultaneously on VOD, but rightfully they seem to have left the indies do their own thing. This lets film lovers – wherever they happen to live – see more movies. Win.

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This Week In Awards


The New York Film Critics Circle was the first major group to hand out awards this year as they moved up their announcement to get a jump on the National Board of Review and others. It is widely seen as their attempt at getting in the first word of the awards season and trying to set the trend and influence others. The two main films thought to be in contention for Best Film from the NY Film Critics were The Descendants and The Tree of Life. The former is seen as a favorite and "critical consensus" movie, while the latter appeals to their refined critical tastes and is directed by a group favorite, Terrence Malick.

However, both films were surprisingly pipped by the early rising star of this year's run-up to the Academy Awards, The Artist. Indeed, The Artist may have filled a number of requirements for the group as it is a heartfelt and uplifting story wrapped in the shell of a film critic's dream – a black-and-white silent film. It's old-school and that ode to film history most certainly was acknowledged by arguably one of the biggest and most important critics' groups in the country. It also may have served as a "consensus" pick among a group who have been known to vote against some films over the years. The Tree of Life has a lot of passionate supporters in the group and in the industry, but its detractors are equally loud. It is conceivable that The Artist benefited from an "anything-but-The Tree of Life" vote. The Descendants struck out on the whole with the group as Alexander Payne, George Clooney and Shailene Woodley all lost in their races. The big winners were The Tree of Life, which still walked away with wins for Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain and Cinematography, and Moneyball for Pitt (you can win for multiple roles) and Best Screenplay. They also have been known to show a slight favoritism towards New York-based actors (thus, the wins for Brooks, Streep and Margin Call).

The 31 members of the NYFCC met Tuesday at the Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center to vote.

BEST PICTURE
"The Artist"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Emmanuel Lubezki ("The Tree of Life")

BEST SCREENPLAY
Steve Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin ("Moneyball")

BEST DIRECTOR
Michel Hazanavicius ("The Artist")

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"A Separation"

BEST ACTOR
Brad Pitt ("Moneyball," "The Tree of Life")

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Albert Brooks ("Drive")

BEST ACTRESS
Meryl Streep ("The Iron Lady")

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jessica Chastain ("The Help," "Take Shelter," "The Tree of Life")

BEST NON-FICTION FEATURE
"Cave of Forgotten Dreams"

BEST FIRST FEATURE
"Margin Call"

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From Charles (Guest):
Wonder why they have Li, Couture and Hemsworth's names listed at the top but weren't important enough to be on the poster

Only so many egos can fit onto one testosterone-fueled poster. It's still early...but also because except perhaps for Li, they're not selling points for the film.

From Todd Vote (Guest):
I love how the EX2 poster lists the names, the towards the end it's all like 'also Van Damme, with Willis, and Schwarzenegger'.

My point about so many egos extends to this comment as well. Those are the big boys, the "stars" most are going to see. They may not even have huge roles, but they're big enough to come either at the beginning or at the end of the marquee.

From The Great Capt. Smooth (Guest):
I'm shocked we don't see more movie posters turned in to jigsaw puzzles.

How about those Men in Black 3posters! If you find the hidden image in those...go to a doctor because you'll go blind trying.

From Aprince66 (Guest):
I was sick this weekend and found myself watching The Fly and Fly 2 on Netflix. As a kid, I absolutely loved remake with Goldblum. I saw Fly 2 in theaters and remembered very little about it accept my friend crying. Surprisingly, well over 20 years later, I felt both films still hold up well. I find it interesting Cronenberg's talking about the franchise again, and would be 100% for a sequel, reboot, whatever.

I don't want a reboot, but a sequel or crazy kind of prequel could possibly work. And I agree, The Fly still holds up quite well all these years later. Creepy doesn't change that dramatically, whatever the era. And nobody does creepy better than Cronenberg.

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The Hush-Hush Racetrack Oscar Odds

We're changing things up a bit this week. 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". I've taken out (for this week at least) votes from the site's editors and users. In addition to the odds is the % chance to win.

BEST PICTURE
The Artist – 15/8; 35%
The Descendants – 15/8; 35%
War Horse – 11/2; 15%
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close – 12/1; 8%
The Help – 33/1; 3%
Midnight in Paris – 50/1; 2%
Moneyball – 100/1; 1%
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – 100/1; 1%
J. Edgar – 100/1; 1%

The slow and steady rise of The Artist has paid off and is now considered at the very lease a co-favorite for Best Picture along with The Descendants. Being named Best Film and Best Director by the New York Critics Circle doesn't hurt as the black-and-white silent film has nabbed the first major prizes of the awards season. Add in a bigger haul of nominations from the Indie Spirit Awards and it may become the clear frontrunner in a couple weeks. The Descendants being shut out by the New York Critics hurts, but it is not a dealbreaker by any means, as that group has not an overwhelming success rate of picking that year's Oscar winner in recent times.

BEST ACTOR
George Clooney (The Descendants) – 8/15; 66%
Jean Dujardin (The Artist) – 5/1; 17%
Brad Pitt (Moneyball) – 20/1; 5%
Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar) – 25/1; 4%
Michael Fassbender (Shame) – 33/1; 3%
Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) – 50/1; 2%
Woody Harrelson (Rampart) – 100/1; 1%
Ryan Gosling (The Ides of March) – 100/1; 1%
Michael Fassbender (A Dangerous Method) – 100/1; 1%

Brad Pitt's NY Critics Circle win has likely propelled him to being the third choice and possible dark horse if Clooney falls or the Academy can't pull the trigger on Dujardin.

BEST ACTRESS
Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) – 17/10; 37%
Viola Davis (The Help) – 2/1; 33%
Michele Williams (My Weekend with Marilyn) – 5/1; 17%
Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs) – 16/1; 6%
Kirsten Dunst (Melancholia) – 33/1; 3%
Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin) – 100/1; 1%
Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene) – 100/1; 1%
Charlize Theron (Young Adult) – 100/1; 1%
Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) – 100/1: 1%

Kirsten Dunst moved up and picked up some votes due to the strong critical reaction for her new film, Melancholia. Charlize Theron and Rooney Mara may see similar bumps as their respective films begin to be screened for critics and Academy members in the next couple of weeks.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christopher Plummer (Beginners) – 4/9; 68%
Albert Brooks (Drive) – 9/1; 10%
Max von Sydow (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) – 14/1; 7%
Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn) – 20/1; 5%
Nick Nolte (Warrior) – 50/1; 2%
Jim Broadbent (The Iron Lady) – 50/1: 3%
Jonah Hill (Moneyball) – 100/1; 1%
Patton Oswalt (Young Adult) – 100/1; 1%
Brad Pitt (The Tree of Life) – 100/1; 1%

Christopher Plummer remains the overwhelming favorite. However, those giving out awards are going to have to help a number of actors with multiple possible nominations out in order to give them a fighting chance. Brad Pitt most likely has a better chance at Best Actor for Moneyball, but if Plummer begins to fall, Pitt could sneak in as a dark horse. Brooks has seemingly cemented the #2 role behind Plummer.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Octavia Spencer (The Help) – 2/3; 60%
Vanessa Redgrave (Coriolanus) – 11/2; 15%
Shailene Woodley (The Descendents) – 12/1; 8%
Berenice Bejo (The Artist) – 14/1; 7%
Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) – 20/1; 5%
Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs) – 50/1; 2%
Jessica Chastain (The Tree of Life) – 100/1; 1%
Sandra Bullock (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) – 100/1: 1%
Emily Watson (War Horse) – 100/1; 1%

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. It appears that Berenice Bejo and Shailene Woodley will receive nominations off the strength of their respective films and most likely be dark horse candidates to win. As I thought, Melissa McCarthy continues to rise and is a strong possibility for a nomination at least. Jessica Chastain has had an amazing year, but her problem is that she has too many great roles (The Tree of Life, Take Shelter, The Help). Unfortunately, while that may help her win awards that allow multiple film performances (such as the New York Critics), it doesn't work that way the farther we go.


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!"