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Category: Films

Headline News

Universal Laughs With Jeff the Immortal

By Rick DeMott | Thursday, September 6, 2007 at 12:00am

Universal has purchased Chris Bishop's supernatural comedy JEFF THE IMMORTAL, VARIETY reports. Marc Platt of Marc Platt Prods. is producing. Adam Goldberg will exec produce.

The story follows a slacker who discovers he has superpowers and begins using them in dubious ways.

Adam Siegel and Jared LeBoff are shepherding for Marc Platt Prods., with Jeff Kirschenbaum doing the same for Universal.

Headline News

Romeo Must Die Helmer Controls Street Fighter

By Rick DeMott | Thursday, September 6, 2007 at 12:00am

Andrzej Bartkowiak, the helmer of action flicks such as ROMEO MUST DIE, EXIT WOUNDS and CRADLE TO THE GRAVE, has signed on to direct a second big-screen adaptation of Capcom's popular videogame STREET FIGHTER for Hyde Park Ent., reports VARIETY. Hyde Park head Ashok Amritraj and senior executive Patrick Aiello are the producers.

Justin Marks, who is also adapting VOLTRON and HE-MAN for the big screen, is penning the screenplay for STREET FIGHTER. The story will follow female fighter Chun Li's search for justice.

Films Headline News

Future Films Goes To Past for Viking Dream

By Rick DeMott | Thursday, September 6, 2007 at 12:00am

Future Films has tapped writer/director Menno Meyjes, who directed the upcoming MARTIAN CHILD and wrote the scripts for THE COLOR PURPLE and LIONHEART, to take the reins of its Viking flick, LAST BATTLE DREAMER, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Ryan Phillippe, Abbie Cornish and Sean Bean have already signed on to star.

Set in the 7th century, the story follows Viking warrior Thorfinn (Phillippe) and his brother Hakon (Bean) as they lead an invasion of Britian.

Headline News

Tron Maker Decodes Soul with IGN Hostess

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, September 5, 2007 at 12:00am

TRON writer/director Steven Lisberger has teamed with IGN hostess Jessica Chobot to concoct a new cyber tale called SOUL CODE, reports VARIETY. The duo first met at a TRON screening where Lisberger was impressed with Chobot's passion and female point of view on the dangers of cyberspace. The twosome hatched an idea that follows a female tech pioneer, who has created a way to download a person's memories, as she copes with having her memories inserted into the mind of a far younger woman.

Headline News

Halloween Remake Terrorizes Labor Holiday Box Office

Trick or treat came early (emphasis on the latter), as Rob Zombie's HALLOWEEN (2007) led a record-breaking Labor Day pack of movies for the closing summer period ended Sept. 7, 2007. The remake of John Carpenter's horror classic from MGM/Weinstein captured $30.5M. Slipping to second was Sony's R-rated comedy, SUPERBAD, which earned $15.8M for a three-week cume of $92.6M. Third place went to newcomer BALLS OF FURY (with vfx from Mr. X) from Rogue Pictures, which swatted $14.1M and $17M for the week.

Animation Headline News

Spidey 3 Leads Record Breaking Summer Box Office

The sizzling summer box office captured a record $4.1B (when not adjusted for inflation or ticket prices), led by Sony's SPIDER-MAN 3 with $336.5M (containing bar-raising vfx from Sony Pictures Imageworks). Second place belonged to Paramount/DreamWorks' SHREK THE THIRD, with $321M, the fourth best in animation history, the third best among CG animation contenders and second best for DreamWorks Animation. Paramount/DreamWorks' TRANSFORMERS (with innovative vfx from ILM) followed in third with $310.5M.

Film Headline News

Evangelion Tops in Japan

Japanese animated feature EVANGELION: 1.0 YOU ARE (NOT) ALONE was the highest-grossing film over the September 1-2 weekend in Japan, pulling in over $2.42m (Y280.4m), reports SCREEN. The film, which opened on 84 screens, had a per-screen average of $28,800, the highest by a large margin of any film this year.

While animated franchise installments like POKEMON frequently open in the top spot, it's unusual for films that are more adult-oriented. It's also rare that a film reaches the number-one position on fewer than 100 screens.

Mobile Headline News

Kerner Mobile to Unveil 3-D Cinema at NASCAR Labor Day Weekend

Kerner Mobile Technologies will debut the first in its new line of 3-D Mobile Cinemas at the California Speedway in greater Los Angeles on Labor Day weekend. Kerner Mobile's 30-foot 3-D movie screen is set inside a 10,000 sq. ft. tented theater.

"The Kerner 3-D Experience is an incredible display of breathtaking digital 3-D animation for people of all ages to enjoy," said Dan Nelson, CEO of Kerner Mobile Technologies. "It's the first theater of its kind, and we are excited to debut at California Speedway this year."

Silver Headline News

Silver Surfer to Ride Fox's Blu-ray Wave

Twentieth Century Fox Home Ent. (TCFHE) will release FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER on Blu-ray Disc Oct. 2 in North America and Oct. 9 internationally, and LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD Nov. 20 in North America and Oct. 28 internationally (day-and-date with the BD release of the DIE HARD TRILOGY.

Headline News

Pirates Writer Suits Up for G.I. Joe

One week after word came out that Paramount Pictures had tapped MUMMY director Stephen Sommers to helm the big screen adaptation of G.I. JOE, the studio has hired Stuart Beattie (PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL, COLLATERAL) to pen the screenplay, the trades report. Paramount hopes to make the live-action feature a summer 2009 tentpole.

Headline News

Zack Snyder Inks Illustrated Man Gig

Warner Bros. has inked a deal with Zack Snyder to direct and produce the remake of THE ILLUSTRATED MAN, VARIETY reports. WATCHMEN writer Alex Tse will adapt the screenplay based on Ray Bradbury's 1951 collection of short stories.

The original followed a tattooed man, who searches for the woman who inked the images on his body. Anyone who stares at the tattoos is drawn into a futuristic tale.

World Headline News

Zombie Walks Away with Two-Picture Dimension Deal

Writer/director/rocker Ron Zombie has signed a two-picture deal with Dimension Films, reports VARIETY. HALLOWEEN producer Andy Gould, who is also Zombie's manager, is part of the deal as well. No details of the projects were announced, but Zombie will write and direct both projects.

Headline News

The Rock Ascending Witch Mountain

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is in talks to star in Walt Disney Pictures' WITCH MOUNTAIN, reports the trades. Andy Fickman (THE GAME PLAN) is the director of the film, which will start filming in March.

The original was based on a novel by Alexander Key that followed a brother and sister duo who goes on the run with a devious group, which tries to exploit their paranormal abilities. The Rock would play a Las Vegas cabbie who picks up the siblings.

Headline News

John Goodman to Voice Paul Bunyan

Exodus Film Group announced today that it has cast Golden Globe winner John Goodman in the role of Paul Bunyan for their upcoming CG-animated family adventure film BUNYAN & BABE, based on the famous legend. Goodman joins comedian Eddie Griffin (UNDERCOVER BROTHER, NORBIT), who will provide the voice of Bunyan's sidekick Babe, a blue ox.

"John is dream casting for us," said Max Howard, Exodus president and executive producer. "He epitomizes the true American spirit of Paul Bunyan."

Effects Headline News

rhinofx Helps Scarlett Johansson Fly In Nanny Diaries

New York's rhinofx recently completed all the vfx for MGM/Weinstein Co.'s NANNY DIARIES (including the opening diorama sequence), starring Scarlett Johansson, Laura Linney and Paul Giamatti.

Arman Matin and Harry Dorrington shared the visual effects supervision for the movie. The rhinofx team was constantly on set and helped directors Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini pull off some intricate motion control sequences, CG freeze effects, photogrammetry and image based modeling.

Headline News

Stone To Revisit Vietnam in Pinkville

United Artists is wrapping up talks with Oliver Stone to helm PINKVILLE, a Vietnam War drama chronicling the events of the 1968 My Lai Massacre, according to the trades. Bruce Willis and Channing Tatum have already signed on to star, with Michael Pena in negotiations to join the cast as well.

Lucas Headline News

Ridley To Pen Lucas' Red Tails

George Lucas has tapped John Ridley (THREE KINGS, UNDERCOVER BROTHER) to write his pet project RED TAILS, the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, reports VARIETY. The script will be based on a story by Lucas, who is funding development via Lucasfilm and exec producing. Industrial Light & Magic will handle the aerial battles.

The story chronicles the young African-American pilots who broke the color barrier to become the first black U.S. fighter pilots. The title of the project refers to the Tuskegee Airmen's planes' tails, which were painted red.

Headline News

Pop6 Experimenting on Animated Gene-Fusion Feature

Montreal-based Pop6 is producing an animated feature version of Jeff Amano's comic book series GENE-FUSION, reports ICv2.com. The comic was the first title published by Amano's Beckett Ent. The initial issue was launched at MIPCOM 2002. Later, Ivan Brandon penned and Neil Vokes drew a four-issue run. Pop6 hopes to have the film ready for 2008.

GENE-FUSION: TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS follows a group of highly trained athletes called Fusers, who compete with genetically altered animals that were created by fusing the DNA of three separate creatures together.

Dark Headline News

Dark Horse Traps War Monkeys

Dark Horse Indie has tapped Cleve Nettles to pen the script for WAR MONKEYS, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Mike Richardson is exec producing.

Based on a story by producer Chris Patton, the horror comedy finds a janitor locked in an underground military research lab with assassin Rhesus monkeys.

Nettles is the associate producer of Imagi Ent.'s CAT TALE.

Headline News

Keanu is Klaatu

Keanu Reeves will play the noble alien Klaatu in 20th Century Fox's remake of the 1951 sci-fi classic, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, VARIETY reports. Michael Rennie's distinct performance in the original is so revered that finding the right actor to take the role has been one of the chief reasons the remake has been in development for so long.

Headline News

Superbad Still on Top

Sony's SUPERBAD pulled in $18M in its second weekend for a cume of $68.6M to retain the top spot at the box office for the period ended Aug. 26, 2007. Moving up a notch back to second place with $12.4M was Universal's THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM (with vfx from The Senate, Lip Sync Post and Snow Business). The third BOURNE has pulled in a four-week take of $185.2M. New Line's RUSH HOUR 3 (with vfx from ILM, Halon Ent. and Element FX, among others) was bumped to third place with $11.7M for a three-week cume of $108.4M. Debuting in fourth, fifth and six were Universal's MR.

Film Headline News

Ang Lee's Lust, Caution Gets NC-17

Focus Features is accepting the NC-17 rating issued to Ang Lee's LUST, CAUTION by the MPAA, reports the trades. The erotic spy thriller will make its debut at the Toronto Film Festival, before hitting New York theaters on Sept. 28, then expanding on Oct. 5.

Adapted by Focus CEO James Schamus and Wang Hui Ling from Eileen Chang's short story, the film follows a shy Chinese drama student who is pulled into plot to assassinate a Japanese collaborator during WWII. Mr. X is handling the visual effects on the project.

Version Headline News

Mummy's Sommers to Direct G.I. Joe

Stephen Sommers (THE MUMMY) has signed on to direct a live-action feature version of G.I. JOE for Paramount Pictures, reports the trades. The studio is aggressively looking for a screenwriter and hopes to start production in February, eyeing summer 2009 for a release.

VARIETY reports that Sommers was hired in the room after pitching his version of the film to Paramount chairman/CEO Brad Grey and production president Brad Weston Wednesday night.

Effects Headline News

Entity FX Kicks in VFX for Rush Hour 3

Entity FX created vfx for RUSH HOUR 3, including 3D backdrops, digital matte paintings and screen composites that helped back up the action in several different interior and outdoor locations.

One challenge involved digitally adding a moving elevator to enhance suspense in an interior chase scene. Elevator elements as well as the character of Soo Young (actress Jingchu Zhang) were tracked in to seamlessly integrate live-shot material with digital matte painting elements.

Headline News

No Place Like McFarlane's Oz for Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow Pictures have acquired a darker take on L. Frank Baum's THE WIZARD OF OZ from SPAWN creator Todd McFarlane and HISTORY OF VIOLENCE writer Josh Olson, VARIETY reports. Olson will pen the screenplay while McFarlane will produce alongside Thunder Road's Basil Iwanyk. Rick Benattar (SHOOT 'EM UP) will exec produce.

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