THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER says that Green Knight Ventures is working on a modern spin to Edgar Allen Poe's THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER. The cast includes Claire Forlani, Dougray Scott and Rufus Sewell. THE USHERS will be filmed in 3-D by director Stephen Kay based on a script by Gian Marco Masoni. The original story centers on Roderick Usher and his recently buried sister whose seems to be lingering in the house.
Magnolia Pictures has scooped up North American rights to historical epic WARLORDS, which stars Jey Li and Andy Lau, according to VARIETY. The distributor plans to release the film in late summer. Set during the 1860's Taiping Rebellion, the story follows a general (Li) who survives a slaughter by playing dead and the group of bandits he joins forces with afterward. Peter Chan (3 EXTREMES II) directed the Chinese hit.
Australia's THE DAILY TELEGRAPH reports that director George Miller is scouting locations for the fourth installment of the MAD MAX series. Citing insiders, the paper says the film could start filming as soon as late 2009.
Hayden Christensen and Djimon Hounsou will star in MANDRAKE, the film adaptation of comic strip MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN by Lee Falk, per COMINGSOON.net.
DEEP IMPACT director Mimi Leder will helm the film written by Josh Oppenheimer and Thomas Dean Donnelly, JV Hart and Ian Jeffers from an original story by Kevin Bernhardt.
If we're going to have films based on the Ouija Board, Candy Land and Monopoly, why not Battleship? Universal has hired HANCOCK director Peter Berg to sink battleships, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Jon and Erich Hoeber have been commissioned to adapt the classic Hasbro game. While no plot details have surfaced, Universal is looking for a big naval action flick out of this one.
MK2 game studio head Nathanael Karmitz and Onyx Films' president Aton Soumache will produce a 3-D animated film and videogame called FUNNY LITTLE BUGS, reports VARIETY. Adapted from Antoon Krings' bestselling kids series, the film will carry a budget of $33 million. Krings will co-direct the film, which will start production in January 2010.
VARIETY reports that Nu Image has secured foreign rights to Thomas Jane's 3-D thriller DARK COUNTRY. Jane also stars with Ron Perlman and Lauren German. The story follows newlyweds stuck on the Nevada highway and the hell they experience there. Hyde Park's Patrick Aiello and Ashok Amritraj produced. Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group has the U.S. rights.
CANNES, France, May 16 -- STUDIOCANAL and Universal Music Group (UMG), the world's leading music company, announced today a partnership for the upcoming and highly-anticipated 3D animated feature, AROUND THE WORLD IN 50 YEARS.
As part of this agreement, UMG will handle all North American theatrical, DVD, television and non-theatrical rights to the movie which has all the hallmarks of classic family film. Moreover, UMG will also handle the soundtrack album on a global basis.
ANGELS & DEMONS opened soft at the U.S. box office for the weekend of May 15-17. The religious thriller (vfx by Double Negative, CIS Vancouver, The Moving Picture Co., Plowman Craven & Associates, and The Senate Visual Effects) put $46.2M in the collection plate for Columbia Pictures.
Making an impression at James T. Kirk's father in STAR TREK, Aussie actor Chris Hemsworth is now Thor, according to Nikke Finke. In addition, she reports that British actor Tom Hiddleston (THE GATHERING STORM) has been cast to play Thor nemesis Loki. The Marvel feature is set for release on May 20, 2011. Kenneth Branagh is directing the film about the Norse god of thunder.
IESB reports that THE HANGOVER star Bradley Cooper has landed the role of Lt. Templeton “Faceman” Peck in THE A-TEAM. Joe Carnahan is directing the feature redux for 20th Century Fox. Recently, news has hit the Net that Cooper was in the lead for the role of Green Lantern. Previously it was announced that Common would play BA Baracus, the role made famous by Mr. T.
THE HANGOVER writers Jon Lucas and Scott Moore have been tapped to turn Disney's themed amusement park land Tomorrowland into a feature film, according to ComingSoon.net. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is set to star as test pilot Rip, who gets transported to the future. Lucas and Moore will take a non-retro look at the future for what they describe as "PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN in space."
Monica Bellucci (THE MATRIX RELOADED) has conjured up a part in Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer's THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE, according to VARIETY. The screen beauty will play Nicolas Cage's Balthazar Blake's long-long love, the sorceress Veronica. Other cast members include Jay Baruchel, Alfred Molina, Teresa Palmer and Toby Kebbell. The Jon Turteltaub-directed film follows a modern day sorcerer who takes an apprentice to help him fight evil forces in NYC.
According to VARIETY, Warner Bros. has acquired the feature film rights to ITV's TV series PRIMEVAl, which airs in the U.S. on BBC America and SyFy. Weed Road's Akiva Goldsman and Kerry Foster are producing along with Emily Cummins. Weed Road is looking for a writer. The show revolves around a secret team of scientists that set out to close wormholes and deal with the prehistoric and futuristic creatures than happen to sneak through.
Shock Till You Drop is reporting that Lightning Media has picked up distribution rights to horror spoof DIAGNOSIS: DEATH, starring FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS' Bret McKenzie, Jemaine Clement and Rhys Darby. Jason Shutter will helm from his script with Raybon Kan, who will also star in the film. Cast also includes Jessica Grace Smith and Suze Tye. The story follows people who go into experimental facility for radical cancer treatment and begin seeing ghosts.
VARIETY is reporting that THE ORPHANAGE director Juan Antonio Bayona and writer Sergio Sanchez are teaming up again. The new project is said to be based on a true story that will "pose large technical challenges." Big visual effects, maybe?
Spain's Apaches Ent. will produce the film with Telecinco Cinema and Bayona's Spongeman. Filming is set to start in spring 2010. Sanchez has finished the first draft and Apaches is shopping the project to partners at Cannes.
Magnolia's genre arm Magnet Releasing has acquired the U.S. rights to John Woo's historical epic RED CLIFF, according to VARIETY. Magnet plans to release an edited version of the two-part film in the fall. The Chinese-lingo flicks have already earned $100 million in Japan. The film follows the events of the Battle of Red Cliffs during the ancient Three Kingdoms period in China.
KUNG FU PANDA helmer John Stevenson is a hot commodity in Hollywood these days. AWN previously reported that he was attached to direct the live-action HE-MAN movie, GRAYSKULL and now
Via THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, DreamWorks is working on a remake of FRIGHT NIGHT. The original 1985 horror/comedy followed a teenager who discovers that his neighbor is a bloodsucker. Michael Gaeta and Alison Rosenzweig will produce the film with Michael De Luca. Mark Sourian will shepherd for DreamWorks. Gaeta/Rosenzweig Prods. is looking for a writer.
If Guillermo del Toro's classic rendition and a modern version starring Keanu Reeves aren't enough, Abel Ferrara is planning his own take of Robert Louis Stevenson's THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE, starring Forest Whitaker and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, according to VARIETY. Titled JEKYLL AND HYDE, the modern take on the material will have Whitaker and 50 Cent playing the two sides of the main character's split personality.
HOLLYWOOD REPORTER is running the news that Terry Gilliam has found a new partner for his long-suffering film THE MAN WHO KILLED DON QUIXOTE in Oscar-winning producer Jeremy Thomas. Penned by Tony Grisoni, the fantastic spin on the tale of the aged knight who chases windmills has a filmmaker becoming Quixote's sidekick Sancho Panza. Nine years ago Gilliam tried making this film with Johnny Depp, but a series of problems shuttered the project.
MGM is gearing up to acquire distribution rights to the fifth TERMINATOR film, reports VARIETY. Due to a lawsuit filed against franchise owners Halcyon, MGM has a 30-day right of first refusal on the franchise. MGM passed on TERMINATOR SALVATION, but now, with star Christian Bale and director McG in line to return, MGM sees less of a risk with the Arnold Schwarzenegger-less direction the franchise is taking. Insiders wonder whether MGM can handle the pricetag associated with the franchise.
As they walk the Croisette in Cannes, France, UP director Pete Docter, producer Jonas Rivera, co-director Bob Peterson and executive producer John Lasseter will share with fans worldwide their first Cannes Film Festival experience through the micro blogging site Twitter.
Disney-Pixar's newest animated comedy adventure film UP will be the first animated movie and first 3D film ever to serve as the Opening Ceremony film at the Cannes Film Festival on May 13, 2009.
