Frickin' Eh Movie News 10.21.07: Ambiguity Rules Edition
Posted by Matthew Motiuk on 10.21.2007
Star Trek! Wolverine! The Mist! Barcelona! Bourne! And ambiguity, the word of the day! It's all here to feed your movie-news addiction!
At university orientation, our leaders told us about a poster sale at Dinwoodie Lounge at the University of Alberta that was this huge event that lasted one week every year. I wandered in on the last day to check it out, and holy crap. It was unbelievable. They cleared out all the bar stuff and put posters everywhere - aisles and aisles of movie, music, art, drinking, and everything else posters. My favourite was a Scarface poster of Tony Montana shooting, done in black and red, but with no colours - it was all writing, someone having written out lines from the movie in black or red pen. But it's over now, so I have to wait for next year. So let's get started in this overly ambiguous installment of the Frickin' Eh Movie News.
Cage Vanishes
Nicolas Cage will star in The Vanished for Focus Features. The film marks the studio directing debut of Hany Abu-Assad, the Palestinian-born director of Paradise Now.
The thriller, written by Larysa Kondracki and Eilis Kirwan, concerns a father who goes in search of his college-aged American-born Muslim son, who's missing overseas.
"Vanished" will be produced by Noah Rosen and David Alpert of Circle of Confusion and Tracy Seward. Production is scheduled for the spring.
Cage first plans to star for director Darren Aronofsky in indie drama The Wrestler in January. He jumps right into The Vanished in April.
What's with the Indie movies for Cage? Trying to shake it up late in the game? This might not be the best way to do it. And is Cage going to be the father in this movie? He's not Muslim! I am so very confused . . . Whatever the case, this is a new director in Hollywood who could provide a new direction for movies, so let's see how it plays out.
Damon To Be Bourne Again? (Reading This Title Is Not Nearly As Witty As Saying It)
Has Matt Damon changed his mind? Despite saying during the press rounds for Ocean's 13 that he was done with the Jason Bourne franchise, he said Thursday that he's still open to another sequel.
"Personally, the character means a lot to me because the character has done so much for my career. You know, it put me in the position where I have a lot more choices of kind of movies I want to make," he said in Tokyo.
"If ['The Bourne Supremacy' and 'The Bourne Ultimatum' director] Paul Greengrass, maybe years down the road, was interested in doing another one, then I would do it, too," he said. "I don't think either of us completely put the character to bed yet."
Ooh . . . let the subtle hints and rumours begin. Obviously Bourne is a big franchise and the movies are solid ones, and with the success of the final movie, obviously there are plenty of people desiring another. There is a point where you have to leave some things to rest, though. I don't know if the Bourne movies are at that point, but I could definitely see this being the next Indiana Jones kind of thing where the aged original actor, years later, reprises the role and brings the franchise back. Or they'll release another one in two years.
Yes, More Star Trek
Karl Urban will play Leonard "Bones" McCoy, the Starship's Enterprise's medical officer, in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek feature for Paramount.
Abrams has been furiously casting "Trek," with Chris Pine, John Cho, Simon Pegg and Eric Bana joining the film last week.
Also on board are Zoe Saldana as the young Uhura, Anton Yelchin as the young Chekov and Zachary Quinto as the young Spock. Leonard Nimoy, who originated the role of Spock, also will be part of the film.
The movie is expected to shoot from November through March.
I think we're about full, judging by the amount of casting news we've received in only a couple of weeks. He does kind of have the look of McCoy . . . closer than the ones last week, I think. Once again, we'll simply have to wait for the movie to see how it all turns out.
Wolverine Has A Date
20th Century Fox has set a May 1, 2009 release date for Hugh Jackman starrer X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which director Gavin Hood (Rendition, Tsotsi) begins shooting later this year. David Benioff wrote the script.
"Wolverine" is expected to feature many other mutants -- some new to the film franchise and some from one or more of the three "X-Men" films. Liev Schreiber is reportedly in final talks to take on the role of a younger version of nemesis William Stryker, played by Brian Cox in X2.
As of now, the only other film staking out the May 1, 2009, date is Disney's animated film G-Force.
The film explores the claw-wielding character Wolverine's violent and romantic past, and his complex relationship with Victor Creed and the ominous Weapon X program, as well as his encounters with other mutants.
Hood will start shooting in Australia before moving to New Zealand and, later, to New Orleans.
On one hand, I'm looking forward to this. Wolverine was the foundation of the X-Men movies, and giving him his own movie should be interesting. The part about his romantic past does not entice me, however. Regardless, it will hopefully be done in the same vein as the X-Men movies, and I'll be looking forward to this one come 2009.
Because What We Needed Was Another Scorpion King
The newest entry in Universal's DVD Originals offerings, The Scorpion King: Rise of the Akkadian, commenced principal photography in Capetown, South Africa on October 1, 2007. Universal Studios Home Entertainment Family Productions is co-producing with Film Afrika and ApolloMovie. Universal Studios Home Entertainment is distributing the all-new epic adventure, which expands the line's presence into the live-action adventure arena for the first time. The film is slated for release on DVD in 2008.
Comingsoon.net has a lot more about this movie, but this is enough to run off of. Let's face it: this is not a good idea. The movie barely worked with Dwayne (I will henceforth refer to him as Dwayne), so putting it directly to DVD with a budget cast? HA! I'll watch it if I find an abandoned copy on the street, but the disaster that will be the Rise of the Akkadian shall probably go down in history as the most expensive and elaborate direct-to-DVD disaster.
The Birds Are Coming!
Martin Campbell (Casino Royale) is in negotiations to direct Universal's new version of The Birds, starring Naomi Watts.
The studio is planning a reimagining of Daphne Du Maurier's short story, which inspired the 1963 Alfred Hitchcock classic.
Michael Bay, Andrew Form and Brad Fuller will produce through their Platinum Dunes, while Peter Guber and Cathy Schulman are producing for Mandalay Pictures.
Universal is not looking to rush the film into production prior to a possible strike.
Campbell is attached to Fox's runaway train actioner Unstoppable and crime thriller 36 at Paramount. Watts, who will next be seen in Funny Games, is filming The International, and will follow that up with First Look's adaptation of Amy Sutherland's "Kicked, Bitten and Scratched: Life and Lessons at the World's Premiere School for Exotic Animal Trainers."
Nay, nay, one thousand times nay! (Whoever can tell me the origin of that quote gets a hypothetical cookie). This is not a good idea at all. The beauty of the original was that it was kind of a "in your face" attempt by Hitchcock to show the world he could make a scary movie, regardless of music or not. What can possibly be achieved by remaking it? Nothing! Stop remaking classics! Especially when using the director who destroyed James Bond!
Woody Allen Names Barcelona
Woody Allen's Barcelona project now has a title, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, says The Hollywood Reporter.
"Vicky" stars Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem in a film the director described only as a "love letter to Barcelona."
A co-production between Gravier and Barcelona-based Mediapro, with collaboration by Spanish broadcaster Antena 3, the film is set for release in Spain in fall 2008.
Never watched a Woody Allen film, but my general understanding is they're a lot higher class than I could ever appreciate or enjoy. The vague description gives it a bit of an edge, inciting a bit of curiosity in those interested in it.
Hopkins and the Wolfman
It's been rumored for a while, but now Sir Anthony Hopkins has confirmed that he will star opposite Benicio Del Toro in Universal's The Wolfman, scheduled for a February 13, 2009 release.
"I'm going to do 'The Wolfman' with Benicio Del Toro," Hopkins told MTV during an interview for his upcoming movie, Slipstream.
Hopkins will play Sir John Talbot, father to Del Toro's Lawrence Talbot, the character who becomes afflicted with the werewolf curse. Mark Romanek directs from a script by Andrew Kevin Walker.
Hopkins makes things good, most of the time, so this is an exciting turn of events. He's an amazing actor and even in something as bizarre as The Wolfman, he will shine. As for the movie, it should be a fun excursion.
It's Like The Fog, But Mistier
MGM has revealed the second full trailer for Stephen King's The Mist, written and directed by Frank Darabont (The Green Mile, The Shawshank Redemption). Opening November 21, the chilling adaptation stars Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Andre Braugher, Laurie Holden, Toby Jones, William Sadler, Frances Sternhagen and Jeffrey DeMunn.
This looks cool. A little disgusting at points, a little crazy (it wouldn't be Stephen King if it wasn't), but it looks like it has been done in a way that it will be chilling and captivating simultaneously. For me, the actors are all relatively unknown, but there is a lot of promise in this. The Mist rolls over in November.
Rapid-Fire: Underworld (2003, starring Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Bill Nighy)
Rapid-Fire is my chance to do a quick little review of a movie. This week's review comes courtesy of the Psychology, English, and Classics midterms I should have been studying for Wednesday night. Allow me to present:
Be under no illusions: this is a cheesy vampire/werewolf movie, no more. There is a lot of action, both shooting and just all-out brawling, and some of it is really good (Selene shooting the floor out from under her is my personal favourite). But some of it is absolutely ridiculous, such as the very last scene where Viktor's head nicely slides off after about thirty seconds of still moving. My god, how ridiculous is that.
The main problem with Underworld is the ultra-uber-complex story (and yes, two words was necessary to explain that). The vampires are fighting a war with the Lycans (why they had to rename werewolves is beyond me). One of the key points of the movie is only vaguely alluded to until BANG all of a sudden everything falls apart and the truth is revealed. If you think the story is convoluted in the start, wait until you get to the end. This is the weakness. It's not that this is a mindless movie with no story; this has the makings of a mindless movie, with an overly complex story trying to back it up.
That said, if you want some good old vampire-on-werewolf action with lots of blood, gore, and story, then this is the movie for you.
Closing Time . . .
Well, it's Sunday, meaning an overly boring day of work and then some curling 'action' in the evening. So until next week, work on your ambiguity.
