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'Oldboy' is Dead! Long Live the Real 'Oldboy!'
Filed under: Action, Foreign Language, RumorMonger, Steven Spielberg, Remakes and Sequels
Looks like our friends over at Latino Review have some news on that Oldboy remake that would have starred Will Smith with Steven Spielberg directing. The initial news about this remake (which actually would have been an adaptation of "the Japanese manga by Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiya") had fans of the uber-violent and disturbing cult film confused and distressed, to say the least. (Okay, irate. They were irate.) I haven't read the manga, but I find it hard to believe that it would be any easier to adapt for a Smith/Spielberg-type audience than the movie Oldboy itself. Either way, it's bananas.So fans can rest easy because a trusted source has tipped off LR that the whole shebang is as dead as a doornail because "Mandate and DreamWorks didn't see eye to eye, therefore DreamWorks has apparently walked away." And the thing with Latino Review is that their trusted sources are, well, trustworthy, so expect more details soon -- and stories in the trade papers that will claim the same scoop. Tomorrow.
I just don't get the appeal of remaking foreign films for US audiences, especially now that services like Netflix and GreenCine can bring whatever obscure film you just read about on your friend's Twitter/Facebook/Tumblr to your home in a matter of days. Although it could have been fun to see Will Smith eating a live octopus and disposing of enemies in exceedingly violent ways while under the direction of Steven Spielberg, it's still insulting to assume that American audiences are somehow not smart enough to find these movies on our own. Or, gasp, read subtitles! Oh, the horror.
Who Should Play The Major in The Live-Action 'Ghost in The Shell'?
Filed under: Action, Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Casting, Fandom, Scripts, Dreamworks, Steven Spielberg
There has been talk of a live action Ghost in The Shell for some time now, and while I knew that a US remake was probably inevitable, there was still a small part of me that thought that maybe this time, we would be spared another inferior North American 're-imagining' of a pretty spectacular anime. But I guess I'm not that lucky, because Variety is now reporting that Dreamworks has just hired Laeta Kalogridis (Shutter Island) to adapt the manga for a live action 3D film, bring the film that much closer to reality.Street Kings writer, Jamie Moss, had originally been hired to write the story of "...the exploits of a member of a covert ops unit of the Japanese National Public Safety Commission that specializes in fighting technology-related crime." But I guess Dreamworks wasn't thrilled with the final result, because now Moss is out and Kalogridis is in.
Details about the film are still pretty scarce, and there are plenty of things to decide on, but maybe the most important detail will be casting. The story of GITS is a strange and complicated one, but it all hinges on The Major. It will be crucial to find the right actress for the role if this film has a hope in hell of succeeding -- so I thought I would have a little fun and make a few suggestions to who I think could rock the Thermoptic Camouflage.
After the jump; Five ladies I think could be Major Motoko Kusanagi...
Robert Downey Jr. To Star in Spielberg's 'Harvey' Remake?
Filed under: Classics, Drama, Casting, RumorMonger, Steven Spielberg, Remakes and Sequels
Now that we've all had enough time to get used to the idea that Spielberg is about to remake one of the most respected films in history, maybe it will help a little to know that it might star Robert Downey Jr. According to the LA Times' Hero Complex blog, the announcement is imminent that Downey will be starring in Spielberg's update of the classic film, which marks a change from some of the other names that had been attached, including the obvious heir apparent to Jimmy Stewart (and long time Spielberg cohort) Tom Hanks and Will Smith.Harvey was the story of a gentle soul by the name of Elwood P. Dowd, and his best friend, who happens to be an invisible six-foot rabbit named Harvey. The original play won the Pulitzer Prize, but most of us probably remember the 1950 film starring Jimmy Stewart as Dowd. News of the remake hit back in August, and according to Complex, during a set visit to Iron Man 2, "the actor spoke with affection and awe about the late Stewart's nuanced timing and camera sense."
Hugh Jackman Has 'Real Steel'
Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sports, Casting, Scripts, Family Films, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Dreamworks, Steven Spielberg
I would love to see Hugh Jackman in a boxing movie. It seems like he's long past due for one given his physical prowess, and he'd be a good fit for a Cinderella Man sort of tale. Unfortunately, he's decided to pursue the sport through robots and Shawn Levy, as Variety reports that he's in line for Real Steel. Based on a story by Richard Matheson, Real Steel is probably best described as Rocky meets Wall-E and The Iron Giant. Jackman plays a professional boxer who has to hang up the gloves, and rearranges his life when human boxers are replaced by 2000 pound robots. Our obsolete fighter tries to go with the flow, and becomes a Robot Boxing promoter, but success constantly eludes him because all he can afford are crappy robot parts. Then one day, he discovers a discarded robot who has a distinct gift for winning. Wouldn't you know it, the ex-fighter also discovers he's the father of a 13 year old son, and they bond as their scrappy robot fights his way to the championship.
There's not going to be a lot of surprises with Real Steel (they'll be misfits who find each other, and build a family), and Levy's track record isn't particularly promising. Nor is Hollywood particularly good at adapting Matheson's work to the big screen. But with Steven Spielberg as executive producer (a job which reunites him distantly with Matheson), there might be some hope. Not much, but some. I really wish Jackman would take some time and pick another film like The Prestige or The Fountain, and steer clear of the goofy popcorn concepts.
Now It's the 50 Best Movies of the Decade!
Filed under: Fandom, Tom Cruise, Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, Lists, Trailers and Clips
Earlier today we brought you Rotten Tomatoes' list of the 100 worst reviewed films of the decade. Now, though it might be a little premature (considering that we still have a little while to go before we hit our next decade), the good folks over at I Heart Chaos have decided to get the ball rolling on those end-of-decade lists by shoveling out what they believe are the Top 50 Movies of the 2000's. Usually these kinds of things start to gain in popularity towards the end of the year, but I guess the early bird does get the worm, so let's get right to the chase and find out who made the cut.
When you've got a a list of 50, there is plenty of wiggle room, and it's a pretty comprehensive list that manages to find room for cult faves and foreign flicks. But I'll admit, even though Chaos has put together a solid list, I was a little surprised that the #1 film for this decade is Quentin Tarantino's Samurai/Cowboy epic, Kill Bill -- though that's the beauty of a list, everyone wants to have a little friendly debate, I guess. You can read the entire list over at Chaos, but rounding out the top five are The Dark Knight, No Country for Old Men, and Kinji Fukasaku's adaptation of Battle Royale.
The great thing about a long list like Chaos' is that it makes room for all kinds of movies that sometimes you just don't have room for in streamlined lists of five or ten entries. But I love a challenge, so I decided to put together a list of my top films of the 2000s ... although I've cheated just a little.
After the jump: my nominations for the top films of the 2000s...
Steven Spielberg Is Broadway Bound
Filed under: Music & Musicals, Deals, Dreamworks, Steven Spielberg, Trailers and Clips
Famed director Steven Spielberg has made lots of different kinds of movies over the years. He's dabbled in sci-fi, comedy, period pieces, kid's flicks -- you name it, he's made it. But one genre he's never touched is maybe the hardest of them all: the musical. Well, that's about to change, because Variety reports the director is working with Showtime to develop a behind the scenes series about a musical Broadway show. Spielberg has reportedly been developing the series for years now, and has now handpicked his team for a deal with Showtime.The series is still in development, but what is known is that the show will center on "a behind-the-scenes look at every aspect of launching a tuner, from penning the songs to recruiting investors." There are also plans to mount an actual Broadway show once the season finishes on Showtime.
According to Variety, Spielberg is counting on the series having the legs to go for at least a few seasons and center on different productions each season. Personally, I love pulling back the curtain on anything to do with the world of entertainment, and there is no shortage of stories to choose from considering the entertainment business is packed with some wild characters. So what do you think? I know I'm sold on the idea -- how about you?
After the jump: some of my favorite behind-the-scenes musicals...
Will Johnny Depp Ditch 'Pirates 4' For Dick Cook?
Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Executive shifts, Disney, Celebrities and Controversy, Scripts, Family Films, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Steven Spielberg, Johnny Depp, Remakes and Sequels
As the entertainment world headed out for the weekend, there was a very big shake-up at Disney, with studio head Dick Cook being ousted from the company. Disney's president Bob Iger is determined to reinvent the studio from top to bottom, and reportedly saw Cook as a relic of Disney's cartoonish past. But Cook has a lot of success under his belt, and friendships with the likes of Steven Spielberg, Tim Burton, and Johnny Depp. Depp was one of the first to speak out about Cook's departure, and hinted darkly to The Los Angeles Times about the fate of Sparrow and the Black Pearl. Depp revealed that he only has a potential deal in place for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. It's all dependent on how good the script is, and how favorable he is towards a post-Cook Disney. "There's a fissure, a crack in my enthusiasm at the moment. It was all born in that office." Jack Sparrow was indeed born in Cook's office. As all Sparrow and Depp fans know, Disney had been trying to convince Depp to sign on for a Disney film for years, but it wasn't until Cook name-dropped Pirates that Depp was in.
Cook was one of Depp's supporters against a studio who was unimpressed with his eyeliner, gold teeth, beaded dreads and drunken demeanor. "When things went a little sideways on the first Pirates movie and others at the studio were less than enthusiastic about my interpretation of the character, Dick was there from the first moment. He trusted me." Lo and behold, an icon was born (whether you love him, hate him, or are just tired of him, you have to admit that Sparrow will outlast us all), and we got a little swashbuckling in the summertime. Hats off to Captain Cook for that, and if Sparrow never sails again, at least we'll know that friendship won out over a love of franchise gold.
Matt Damon and Clint Eastwood Visit 'Hereafter'
Filed under: Drama, Thrillers, Casting, Warner Brothers, Scripts, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Dreamworks, Steven Spielberg
Once Clint Eastwood casts you in a movie, you're his friend for life and you'll probably enjoy a steady supply of work until the terrible day he decides to retire. (If I was a young actor at Warner Bros, I would just happen to walk by his office with bagels and coffee, just in case he was hungry and casting.) Thus, it's almost no surprise that Eastwood's next film will share the same leading man as his last. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Matt Damon, soon to be seen in Eastwood's Invictus, will take the lead in Hereafter. The plot of Hereafter is being kept under tight, tight wraps. All anyone knows about it is that it boasts a script by Peter Morgan and is "a supernatural thriller in the vein of The Sixth Sense." (Movieline, though, snagged a copy of the script and offered up some more details, including the following: "After two tense set pieces that leave its main characters changed forever, the film becomes a quiet drama about three people trying to figure out what, if anything, exists after death." Oh, and Matt Damon sees dead people.)
It's also being executive produced by DreamWorks and Steven Spielberg. They were the original owners of Morgan's spec script, but happily handed it to over to Eastwood and Warner Bros, with Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy staying on as executive producers. It'll be the fourth film Spielberg and Eastwood shared producing credits on. (The others are The Bridges of Madison County, Flags of Our Fathers, and Letters from Iwo Jima. You might need that for a trivia contest someday.)
Discuss: How Long Until There is an Oscar for 'Best 3-D Film'?
Filed under: Awards, Box Office, Fandom, Steven Spielberg
It may not be the future of film as some herald it, but it doesn't take a psychic to realize that 3-D, gimmick it may still seem, is here to say. Two unrelated news items today coalesced together into a dawning realization, is an Academy Awards category for Best 3-D Film inevitable? But before the examination of such a hypothetical category, let's take a look at the news that inspired this post.The Final Destination wins the international Hollywood box office.
According to Screen Daily, The Final Destination took in $17.3mil on its opening weekend run around the globe. Considering how poorly received the newest entry in the death-claims-all franchise was critically, that may seem like a surprise, but the mere presence of eye wear is the chief explanation for the successful haul. Russia alone accounted for roughly half of the weekend total, and according to the same report, half of Russia's contributions were driven by the extra premium charged for the third dimension.
What's that mean? Well for one, more crappy horror movies are going to go the 3-D route from now on. This trend was already on the rise, but studios will not ignore a win at the domestic and international box offices. And for two, more 3-D films of all genres will be on the rise. Clearly The Final Destination is not the sole catalyst for this gimmick renaissance, but it is the latest check box in a long column of studio wins.
The Hole wins the inaugural Persol 3-D Award for the Best 3-D Stereoscopic Film of the Year at the Venice International Film Festival.
Steven Spielberg Promises He Will Elect Lincoln
Filed under: Drama, Celebrities and Controversy, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Dreamworks, Steven Spielberg, War
I didn't read a single story relaying Robert Redford's The Conspirator casting that didn't mention Steven Spielberg's long delayed Lincoln biopic. Apparently, Variety and Spielberg didn't either, because the director came out to assure everyone that the Civil War was still on.As Spielberg and history buffs know, he's been trying to get a biopic off the ground for years, with Liam Neeson tapped to play the president. Neeson has supposedly spent years researching the part with every book he can get his hands on. It seemed close to happening last spring, but stalled due to budget and location problems. (That should put filmmaking into perspective a little bit. If Spielberg can't get a film financed, who can?) He's now focusing his energy on his reimagining of Harvey while Tony Kushner revises the Lincoln script.
But Redford's Lincoln-themed film doesn't daunt Spielberg, as well it shouldn't. It's not really a Lincoln film, as it deals with the aftermath of his assassination. That's a topic in and of itself, which is exactly how the director is shrugging off any hints of competition. "We are very happy that Redford will be doing this Lincoln movie. It is completely different from what our DreamWorks Lincoln movie will be, and we believe that it will add to the commercial potential of our film. Lincoln as a subject is inexhaustible." Just don't make us (or Neeson) wait too much longer, Mr. Spielberg. Please?
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