EDITOR'S NOTE: A WHOLE SMATTERING OF MOVIE ITEMS. AND THE REALLY NIFTY PART? THEY ARE IN NO ORGANIZED ORDER WHATSOEVER! (COOL, HUH?!)ThinkFilm acquires 'Penguins' mockumentaryU.S. indie ThinkFilm has snapped up worldwide distribution rights to comedian Bob Saget's mockumentary "Farce of the Penguins," ThinkFilm president and CEO Jeff Sackman said Wednesday.
The deal was struck for the low seven figures.
Saget is writing, directing and will narrate an adult-oriented voice-over with authentic and fake wildlife footage. He's also producing with David Permut, who brainstormed the idea with Saget after watching "March of the Penguins" and hearing the comedian riff on the narration at a private screening this year.
ThinkFilm theatrical division head Mark Urman said foreign markets might recruit the "local equivalent" comedian to Saget with a view to preserving the project's humor worldwide. A poster depicting penguins wearing a bra and panties with the tagline, "What happens in Antarctica, stays in Antarctica," already has been created to attract buyers at this year's American Film Market.
EDITOR'S NOTE: TYPICAL. NOT ONLY IS THE SPOOF ON ITS WAY AND I HAVEN'T SEEN THE REAL DEAL YET, BUT HERE THEY ARE WITH A MARKETING CAMPAIGN BEFORE THEY EVEN HAVE A MOVIE. AIN'T OUR COUNTRY GRAND?!Witherspoon shooting for 'Reckoning'Reese Witherspoon might have her day of reckoning at Paramount Pictures.
The actress is developing the dramatic thriller "The Reckoning" through her Type A Films shingle as a possible starring vehicle.
Based on a book by Jeff Long, the story centers on a photojournalist who arrives in Cambodia to cover the U.S. military search for the remains of an American pilot shot down during the Vietnam War. Ted Tally ("Red Dragon," "The Silence of the Lambs") penned the screenplay, which is out to directors
Williams back for two Doubtfire sequels?
He was a little unconvinced at first – was apparently waiting to see how ripe Bonnie Hunt’s script for it was before officially agreeing to do it – but Robin Williams tells Sky News that he’s definitely doing “Mrs Doubtfire 2” in the near future.
"There are plenty more adventures left for her, and the script could easily run to film 3 too. Fans will love it”, the fluffy-armed comic tells the site.
According to the site, “Mrs Doubtfire 2” is aiming for a release sometime in the New Year – I’m guessing, Christmassy-period.
Williams’ first outing as Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire pocketed a sumly $219M domestically.
EDITOR'S NOTE: IT FEELS LIKE A LONG TIME IN THE VIDEO STORE FOR A SEQUEL. BUT NOT LONG ENOUGH FOR ANY MAJOR NOSTALGIA TO HAVE SET IN. (OR IS THAT JUST ME?)Poirot vs.007?Poirot himself, David Suchet, could be eying a duel with Bond.
The actor, who has also starred in stateside efforts like “The In-Laws” and “A Perfect Murder”, is rumoured to be up for the role of villain Le Chiffre in “Casino Royale” says
IGN FilmForce.
Le Chiffre is a fearsome and perilous agent of the USSR. But having lost 50 million francs of his country’s money on a private investment, he is in trouble. Unless he can win back the money at the gambling tables, before it is missed, his life is at risk from a SMERSH hired gun. Bond is sent on a inimitable charge - to beat Le Chiffre at cards and so ensure his death at the hands of his own people.
Meantime, and rather fascinatingly,
IMDB has listed Belgium born Cécile de France [“Around the World in 80 Days”] as playing Vesper Lynd in the film.
EDITOR'S NOTE: NICE OF THE BOND PEOPLE TO GIVE US A WEEK OR TWO OFF BETWEEN INCESSANT BOND CASTING RUMORS. WE GOT TO SPEND TIME WITH OUR FAMILIES, REST UP A BIT. SIGH.....Klaus Badelt Dives Into POSEIDONWolfgang Petersen's POSEIDON, a remake of 1972’s THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE (so ably scored by John Williams
)EDITOR'S NOTE: OUR JOHNNY? DID ANYONE REMEMBER THAT HE SCORED THE FIRST SINKING SHIP? (SHAME ON ME FOR NOT REMEMBERING THAT)., will get music by German composer Klaus Badelt, according to the Gorfaine-Schwartz Agency.
The Warner Bros. film stars Kurt Russell, Josh Lucas, Richard Dreyfuss, Emmy Rossum and Jacina Barrett and will be released on 12 May next year.
EDITOR'S NOTE: GOOD CAST. (FOR A BUNCH OF PEOPLE WHO DROWN MELODRAMATICALLY)Director Wolfgang Petersen has a certain history when it comes to the choice and dismissal of composers for his films. The rejection of Gabriel Yared's score for TROY, replaced by James Horner, was one of the most controversial in recent years. Before that, Petersen threw out Randy Newman's adrenaline-pumping score for AIR FORCE ONE in favor of a more patriotic Jerry Goldsmith soundtrack. Let's see how things turn out on POSEIDON, which has a reported $140 million budget.
EDITOR'S NOTE: THE SCORE FOR "TROY" WAS VERY LOUD. IS THIS A GOOD THING? (I MEAN, GIVEN HOW DUMB THE MOVIE WAS, LOUD MUSIC BEATS DUMB DIALOGUE, I GUESS. ALTHOUGH IT WAS LOUD VEERING ON PAINFUL AT TIMES).Klaus Badelt has recently scored the Asian epic THE PROMISE for director Chen Kaige. He is also attached to Kurt Wimmer's ULTRAVIOLET, but is no longer involved in CURIOUS GEORGE.
EDITOR'S NOTE: GOT ALL THAT? CAUSE THERE WILL BE A QUIZ.Anderson Heads to CASTLEVANIACrystal Sky Pictures has picked up the rights to Konami's videogame CASTLEVANIA for Paul W.S. Anderson to write and direct.
The story will center on the origins of Dracula and the uprising of the Belmont Clan, a vampire-slaying family who supposedly become humanity's last hope.
EDITOR'S NOTE: SO THEY'VE GOT A VIABLE DEMOCRATIC PARTY CANDIDATE FOR 2008? (OR IS THIS JUST ANTI-VAMPIRE HOPE WE'RE TALKIN?)The film will go into production in the middle of 2006
Vartan confirmed for RogueMoviehole can officially confirm that Michael Vartan has joined the cast of “Rogue”, Greg McLean’s follow-up to the Australian goosebumper “Wolf Creek”.
Vartan has arrived in Australia and is gearing up for his trip to the top end as we speak.
Though rumoured to be involved, we hadn’t been able to get an official response to those whispers that Vartan was onboard – until today. Vartan is the second of two male leads, the other being Sam Worthington.
Vartan [“Alias”] and the cast fly out to the Northern Territory tomorrow to shoot scenes for the film, which tells of an American journalist on assignment in the Australian outback who encounters a man-eating crocodile.
EDITOR'S NOTE: WHICH IS WHY I WORK FROM HOME. NO MAN-EATING (OR WOMAN-EATING) AMPHIBIANS OF ANY SORT HERE. In addition Vartan, Geoff Morell [“Marking Time”], Rob Taylor, Heather Mitchell ["Muriel's Wedding"], Celia Ireland ["Australian Rules"], Damien Richardson ["The Hard Word"] and Mia Wasikoska have also joined the cast.
EDITOR'S NOTE: I THINK VARTAN IS CUTE, BUT IN THE SAME WAY THAT YOU DON'T WANT THE ABSOLUTELY PRICIEST HOUSE ON YOUR BLOCK, DO YOU...AS A B-LEVEL CELEB....WANT TO BE THE ONLY EVEN VAGUELY RECOGNIZABLE NAME ON THE CAST LIST? (JENNIFER GARNER DUMPS HIM FOR BEN AFFLECK AND HE LOSES ALL CAREER SENSE).Claire, not Jim, aboard Terminator 4Rumours that James Cameron would return for a fourth “Terminator” movie are untrue, according to an interview the directing great has done with
The Times.
Cameron, who also rules out a “True Lies 2”, was, according to the grapevine, being coaxed back to the director’s chair for a final
Terminator instalment. Not so, Cameron tells the stone tablet.
On a better note, Claire Danes, someone who originally wasn’t going to be returning for another, has signed on for “Terminator 4”. Danes will reprise her role as Kate Brewster.
Jonathan Mostow is said to be returning as director.
Though – naturally – the studio would like Arnold Schwarzenegger to return, writer John Brancato has a ‘back-up’ plan in case the Governor can’t – and I can’t see how he could – find the time.
Pee-Wee Herman returning in two new filmsFear not fellow crazyhorse attendees, regular patron Pee Wee Herman is set for a revisit.
Paul Reubens, the chap behind that laugh, was at the Arclight in Hollywood’s screening of “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure” this week and lathered the audience up with news that he’s got two new ‘Pee Wee’ movies on the way, says
AICN.
The first, said Reubens, will see Pee Wee having to save ‘The King of Cartoons’, who has been kidnapped. That one, says the actor/comic, will be closer in tone to the ol’ Saturday Morning show.
In the second film, Pee-Wee gets out of prison, and joins a lumberjack community. He ends up scoring big with his singing and produces a single. Unfortunately fame doesn’t agree with Pee-Wee and he alienates his fan base.
The second film – which is apparently loosely based on Reuben’s career and will be a hard-R rated movie - has just been penned, so Reubens says it’s without a producer yet, but the first film has generated interest and looks like coming to fruition. Should the second film not garner any interest – he might turn it into a comic book.
EDITOR'S NOTE: I GUESS THERE IS AN AUDIENCE FOR A MOVIE BASED ON PEE-WEE'S LIFE. SHUDDER......IRON MAN Goes HomeMarvel Entertainment has taken back the film rights to the comic book character IRON MAN. They are possibly looking to raise the money themselves to produce the film.
Marvel is looking to find the right "creative talent" to attach to the project and if they do then they would raise the money and license the film for distribution.
David Hayter and Alfred Gough & Miles Millar have written various drafts of the script but Marvel plans to start from scratch.
"Joey" Goes for Sci-fi HorrorMatt LeBlanc and his producing partner John Goldstone have set up THE WATCH at Dream Entertainment.
The script, by John Claflin and Daniel Zelman, centers on a team of highly specialized soldiers sent to blow up a Nazi fuel depot, only to discover they are being hunted by an evil spirit unleashed by the Nazi's secret occult experiments.
EDITOR'S NOTE: BOY. I GUESS THAT COULD REALLY HAVE TURNED THE TIDE OF THE WAR, HUH? GOOD THING THE GOOD GUYS HAD SPIRITS WORKING FOR THEM, TOO. (WE DID, DIDN'T WE?)Victor Salva will direct. LeBlanc and Goldstone will produce.
MAN WHO FELL Remake in the WorksWarner Independent Pictures and Cherry Road Films are teaming up to remake THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH. Oren Moverman will write the script based on Walter Tevis' 1963 novel.
The story centers on an alien who comes to Earth disguised as a businessman to procure water for his parched planet. Along the way, he becomes the head of a powerful international conglomerate and discovers just how greedy mankind is, falling into a metaphysical crisis.
EDITOR'S NOTE: I HAD A METAPHYSICAL CRISIS JUST THE OTHER DAY. I WAS TRYING TO DECIDE HOW MUCH TO BID FOR A QUINLAN VOS ON EBAY, AND.................. DOES THAT COUNT?The original film starred David Bowie and was directed by Nicolas Roeg.
Serenity star takes on VampiresEveryone’s favourite anti-hero is about to dock from “Serenity” for a spell to date battle with vampires.
According to
Fangoria, “Serenity” star Adam Baldwin will star in “Thirst” a new Vampire movie from director Jeremy Kasten.
The movie also stars Buffy vets Clare Kramer, Tom Lenk, and Serena Scott Thomas.
Matt Keeslar [“Scream 3”], Jeremy Sisto [“Clueless”], Neal Jackson [“Oz”] and Erik Palladino [“Dead and Breakfast”] round out the cast.
EDITOR'S NOTE: PRETTY GOOD CAST. “It’s a very edgy vampire film that’s shaping up to be something special,” Producer Mark A.Altman tells Fango.
“I’m really excited about it.“It’s vampire story which is a metaphor for addiction, and Clare and Matt give very poignant and powerful performances which ground the film in reality. Clare plays Lisa, a woman dying of a terminal illness, who discovers that the only way to save herself may be death itself. Jeremy Sisto plays Darius, the leader of the vampire family, who is a cross between Charles Manson and Quentin Tarantino. He’s fantastic. EDITOR'S NOTE: MANSON AND TARANTINO? SO INSANE AND..........UMM......HIP? “
I’ve wanted to do a vampire film for a long time,” the producer notes, “
but it wasn’t until this script came across my desk that I found a project that was fresh and original and dealt with vampirism in a totally new way. That was the approach that Jeremy Kasten, DP Ray Stella and I decided to bring. Unlike our other recent films, this one isn’t slick; we’re going for a very real, ragged documentary style with lots of jump-cutting and handheld camerawork. It’s very cutting edge and extremely hardcore and gory. My partners at Mindfire, Mark Gottwald, Chuck Speed and myself really wanted to work with Jeremy again, and he really got the material and the cast is absolutely superb.
“
Our makeup effects are by Autonomous Effects, the new shop headed by Jason Collins of Almost Human and Elvis Phillips,” Altman adds. “
This film is very, very bloody; it is by far the most violent film we’ve done, with blood gags that are original and very, very sick…in a good way. If we’re lucky, this could really be the NEAR DARK of the 21st century. We’re playing it very real—no capes and fangs—and Ray is giving the film an incredible look. This movie has incredible potential—but tomorrow we're shooting a massacre at a fetish club, so I’d better go get some sleep because I don’t want to miss one bloody minute of that!” EDITOR'S NOTE: GOSH, THEY SHOULD JUST BOTTLE THIS GUY AND USE HIM FOR THE PROMOS, HUH? (URP)
Vaughn has STARDUST in EyesLAYER CAKES's Matthew Vaughn is in talks with Paramount Pictures to direct STARDUST. The script by Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman is based on Neil Gaiman's adult fairy tale, which was published by DC Comics.
The novel
Stardust: Being a Romance Within the Realms of Faerie is set in a town in the English countryside where the magical and mortal mix. The story centers on a young man who promises his beloved that he'll retrieve a fallen star by venturing into the magical realm, where he has to contend with witches, goblins, gnomes, talking animals and evil trees.
EDITOR'S NOTE: EVIL TREES, HUH? AND SHE NEEDS THIS FALLEN STAR BECAUUUUUSSSE........?????Dimension Checks into 1408Dimension Films has hired DERAILED's Mikael Hafstrom to direct the film adaptation of 1408 by Stephen King. The script by Matt Greenberg is being rewritten by ED WOOD's Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski.
The story centers on a man specializing in debunking paranormal occurrences who meets his match when he checks into the notorious room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel. There, he encounters true terror.
EDITOR'S NOTE: NONE OF THAT NAMBYPAMBY FAKE TERROR FOR US, NO SIR!Summit & Mandaylay Board DEATH SHIPSummit Entertainment and Mandalay Pictures have acquired the rights to the short story
Death Ship by Richard Matheson. Michael Brandt and Derek Haas will rewrite from a script by Scott
Burn and Stephen Gregg. The short story
Death Ship first appeared in the March 1953 issue of Fantastic Story Magazine.
It was adapted for a 1963 TWILIGHT ZONE episode. In that version, astronauts Paul Ross (Jack Klugman), Ted Mason (Ross Martin) and Mike Carter (Frederick Beir) land on a distant planet and believe that they're the first earthlings to arrive on this uncharted world. At least, they assume that this is true until they come upon the wreckage of an American spaceship. Investigating, they find the bodies of three space travelers. This is disconcerting enough, but what really makes the astronauts' hair stand on end is the fact that the three dead men look exactly like Ross, Mason and Carter.
EDITOR'S NOTE: GOOSEBUMPS. The project will now be called COUNTDOWN.
PHANTASM a No Go
Icons of Fright's Jsyn recently caught up with director Don Coscarelli at the NYC Horror Film Festival.
Coscarelli told him that the widely reported rumor that New Line is going to be producing a new PHANTASM trilogy is not true. Apparently, it was a premature leak and the deal did not pan out for whatever reasons. Coscarelli said he would definitely like to do them because he loves working with Reggie and Angus, but wants to wait for the right studio that will treat the franchise respectfully.
The director also told Icons of Fright that he fully intends on doing a sequel to BUBBA HO-TEP, it's just a matter of "when".
MITTY Just a Dream AgainTHE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY is once again off. Paramount Pictures and the producers apparently could not find an appropriate female lead to star opposite Owen Wilson. With the ongoing delay, Wilson has moved on to other projects.
The film was to be directed by Mark Waters and produced by Samuel Goldwyn Jr. and John Goldwyn.
Per rumors, Zach Braff's name is being tossed around as a possible replacement for Wilson.
EDITOR'S NOTE: LESS WILSON BROTHER....ALMOST ALWAYS A GOOD THING.Garner Goes on SABBATICALJennifer Garner and her produced company have set up SABBATICAL at Touchstone Pictures as a starring vehicle for her.
The erotic thriller centers on a couple that hits the doldrums in their seventh year of marriage. To inject some life into their union, they decide to take a two-week sabbatical from each other during which, within a set of rules, they can do whatever they want. When the wife returns to the agreed-upon meeting place two weeks later, however, she discovers that her husband has disappeared.
EDITOR'S NOTE: SO....DOES SHE LOOK FOR HIM? OR JUST CONTINUE HER SABBATICAL?Paramount Puts Faith in MAGDALENA
Paramount Pictures has picked up the rights to Top Cow's comicbook, MAGDALENA. Screenwriter Kevin Taft will adapt.
The story centers on a young woman named Patience who discovers she is part of a lineage of female warriors descended from Mary Magdalene. She must save the world from supernatural evil.
EDITOR'S NOTE: AIN'T THAT ALWAYS THE WAY? FIND OUT YOU'VE GOT SOME COOL NEW GIG, AND THEN YOU FIND OUT THAT YOUR NEW BOSS IS SATAN. (WAIT...THAT WAS MY LAST JOB....)Gale Anne Hurd and Platinum Studios' Scott Mitchell Rosenberg will produce.
Fox Hires Woods for Diesel's HITMAN20th Century Fox has hired Swip Woods to adapt the video game HITMAN into a feature script. The film will star Vin Diesel.
Chuck Gordon and Adrian Askarieh will produce. Vin Diesel will executive produce.
The story centers on an international assassin, known as Agent 47, who works for a mysterious organization dubbed the Agency.
The studio hopes to turn this into a franchise.
EDITOR'S NOTE: YES, I'M SURE THEY DO.Boll is Going POSTALProducer-director Uwe Boll will bring the video game POSTAL to the big screen. He has optioned the film rights to the game from Running With Scissors, the developer.
Boll hopes to have the $10 to $15 million film in theaters by late 2006 or early 2007.
The filmmaker said, "
The film will have all the political incorrectness and American craziness from the game, wrapped around an action-thriller story line."
Caine has PRESTIGEDirector Christopher Nolan has cast Michael Caine in THE PRESTIGE. He joins a cast that includes Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman.
The thriller centers on rival magicians in early 20th century London who battle each other for trade secrets. The rivalry is so intense that it turns them into murderers. Caine will play a former magician who teaches Jackman's character the tricks of the trade.
EDITOR'S NOTE: IT WOULD BE NICE IF THEY HAVE A GOOD SCRIPT, BUT THAT'S ALMOST GREEDY OF ME TO ASK FOR. I MEAN, WITH THIS CAST AND DIRECTOR....WHO REALLY CARES!?Hard time for Van Damme and SnipesThe closest Wesley Snipes and Jean Claude Van Damme have ever got to each other is adorning the shelves of Blockbuster video. Now, the two forgotten men of action cinema are teaming up – in a united effort, no doubt, to return to the multiplex.
EDITOR'S NOTE: LET THE AUTHOR OF THE ITEM TAKE THE EASY ONES.....“The Hard Cops”, written and directed by Sheldon Lettich, will star Van Damme as a combat vet who’s just returned from fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. Short up for a job, he agrees to the bodyguard to a former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, who needs protection from a dangerous rap music mogul. Van Damme’s character must assemble a team, the hard cops, to help protect the boxer. Problems arise when the boxer suspects that his protector has fallen in love with his sister.
Production begins early next month in British Columbia, before moving onto Romania, says
Production Weekly.
Sheldon Lettitch, the film’s helmer, dropped by the forums at
VanDammefan.com to chat up the film. He says, “
We've been told by Sony that we have an excellent chance of getting a theatrical release in "Urban Markets"; in other words, cities in the USA that have substantial numbers of Blacks & Hispanics. They did this recently with "The Gospel," a low budget movie with no major stars, which opened on approximately 600 screens nationwide and generated a very high per screen average (over $8,000 per screen) on its opening weekend. It all depends on whether or not we can get a few other recognizable names in the cast (besides JCVD) and whether or not the movie turns out good (that's MY job!). We're in negotiations with a few very well known African-American stars right now. Hopefully, if all goes well, I'll be able to announce their names next week.”
Van Damme is also involved in a sequel to “Bloodsport”, as well as the new films “Going between the lines” and “Freedom”. He also has a role as Cornerdurus in the comedy, “Asterix at the Olympic Games”.
Mortimer finds role in 'Chaos'Emily Mortimer is in negotiations to star opposite Ryan Reynolds in the romantic comedy "Chaos Theory" for Warner Independent Pictures and Castle Rock Entertainment. Helmer Marcos Siega ("Pretty Persuasion") already has boarded the project, which is being produced by Frederic Golchan.
The story centers on a compulsive organizer (Reynolds) who decides to live his life without planning and in the process discovers love with Mortimer's character. Daniel Taplitz ("Breakin' All the Rules") penned the screenplay. WIP's Mark Gill and Michael Andreen will oversee for the studio, while Martin Shafer and Liz Glotzer will shepherd for Castle Rock
'Witches' casts spell on DisneyHyde Park Entertainment and Frequency Films are teaming up with Walt Disney Pictures to develop Frequency principal Joel Wyman's original spec screenplay "Witches." Angela Robinson is attached to direct and will produce through her company, Pink Thunder. Hyde Park's Ashok Amritraj and Jon Jashni will produce along with Patrick Aiello and Wyman.
Linson pic 'Happened' for De NiroRobert De Niro is gearing up to channel the life of writer-producer Art Linson in the Barry Levinson-directed "What Just Happened" for 2929 Prods.
The actor will play a desperate movie producer hanging on to the tattered threads of his career as he tries to maintain his dignity while surviving the mounting humiliations of Hollywood.
Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner's 2929 will fully finance the film -- in the $25 million budget range -- with Tribeca Prods.' Jane Rosenthal, De Niro and Linson producing. The film does not yet have domestic distribution, but 2929 International's Shebnem Askin will be selling it to international distributors at this year's American Film Market, where 2929 also plans to introduce it to the studios.
Estevez adds three stars to 'Bobby' castLindsay Lohan, Shia LaBeouf and Brian Geraghty are joining the cast of "Bobby," Emilio Estevez' project about the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, which he wrote and is directing. Anthony Hopkins, Demi Moore, Sharon Stone, Elijah Wood, Nick Cannon and Freddy Rodriguez already are cast in the film, which is set to go into production next week in Los Angeles. Estevez also has a role.
Bold Films is financing and producing the ensemble film, which mixes fact and fiction to chronicle the intertwining lives of a grand cast of characters present at Los Angeles' Ambassador Hotel in the hours leading up to Kennedy's assassination.
EDITOR'S NOTE: INTERESTING CAST.Turner tapped to adapt script for Kevorkian biopicBarbara Turner has been tapped to adapt for the big screen the biography "You Don't Know Jack" about Dr. Jack Kevorkian.
Barbara Kopple is on board to direct the drama, which delves into the life of Kevorkian, a proponent of physician-assisted suicide and one of the most controversial American figures of the 20th century.
Steve Jones, who commissioned the draft, will produce via his Bee Holder Prods. banner, with Glenn Rigberg executive producing. Jones owns the exclusive rights to the unpublished book, written by Kevorkian's assistant of 25 years, Neal Nicol, and the doctor's neighbor and lifelong friend, Harry Wylie. The project marks the first time the 77-year-old physician, nicknamed Dr. Death, has fully authorized anyone to tell his story.
Yari goes out on 'Ledge' for helmer CarusoYari Film Group has optioned "Man on a Ledge," an action-romance film for D.J. Caruso to direct. Written by Pablo Fenjves and Patrick Kelly, the film originally was set up at MGM by producer Gavin Polone.
Yari head of production Brad Jenkel said he had been interested in the script from the beginning and with the help of Polone was able to get it out of Sony after the MGM buyout.
The film, which is not yet cast, centers on a recently released ex-con who plans a diamond heist across the street from a hotel ledge off which he's threatening to jump
Zondag drawn to 'Otter' taleRalph Zondag has signed on to direct "Ollie the Otter" for Regency Enterprises. The project marks the first animated project for the 20th Century Fox-based studio. Regency is co-financing the CG film along with CritterPix, a San Rafael, Calif.-based animation studio.
Based on the children's book by Kelly Alan Williamson, "Ollie the Otter" centers on a circus sea otter named Ollie who tires of doing the same old stunts at the behest of his demanding father. Ollie leaves his family and the aquatic circus behind to find himself. He eventually realizes that his father isn't so bad after all
EDITOR'S NOTE: WELL NOW THAT WE KNOW THE ENDING.....Fletch Won or Scrubs : The Movie?According to
MTV, “Scrubs” Bill Lawrence is set to write “Fletch Won”, taking over for Kevin Smith whose been attached to the film – based on the book, and not on the Chevy Chase movies – for donkeys years. The icing on the cake? J.D himself, Zach Braff, is only a hop and a skip from signing on as the titular reporter.
Braff’s long been a fave to wear the media badge of Fletch, but Smith was always seemingly keener on having Jason Lee [“My Name is Earl”] don the disguises.
No Word on who’ll direct the Weinstein Brothers release yet.
EDITOR'S NOTE: AND YET ANOTHER MOVIE FRANCHISE OF YORE THAT JUST BEGGED TO BE REDONE? (AM I OLD YET, OR IS IT JUST HOLLYWOOD?)AND NO....I DON'T WANT AN ANSWER TO THAT.
