Vincenzo Natali, who co-wrote and directed by cult sci-fi film CUBE, is set to helm the long-in-the-works sci-fi picture, SPLICE, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Copperheart Ent.'s Steven Hoban is producing with Gaumont's Franck Chorot and Angry Bulls' Guillermo del Toro, Don Murphy and Susan Montford exec producing.
Universal and Imagine Ent. are set to remake the 1970 sci-fi epic COLOSSUS: THE FORBIN PROJECT, reports VARIETY. Ron Howard is interested in directing and Brian Grazer will produce.
Jason Rothenberg has been tapped to adapt the first three novels in D.F. Jones' COLOSSUS series into one film. The story deals with a scientist who creates a supercomputer for the government, which then decides the best way to protect the citizens is to take absolute control over everything.
Dave Collins is exec producing.
LOST star Matthew Fox is in closing talks to take on the role of Racer X in Larry and Andy Wachowski's big screen adaptation of anime classic, SPEED RACER, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Additionally, Australian actor Kick Gurry (Alex Proyas' GARAGE DAYS) is up for the role of Sparky, Speed's spacey mechanic. Fox and Gurry would join a cast that includes Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, Susan Sarandon and John Goodman.
For the live-action summer tentpole, FANTASTIC 4: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER, 20th Century Fox has secured Laurence Fishburne (THE MATRIX) to lend his voice to the Silver Surfer, reports the trades. Doug Jones (HELLBOY, PAN'S LABYRINTH) is providing the performance capture.
Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis will all be returning to the live-action sequel. Weta Digital is the chief visual effects house on the film, which is set for release June 15, 2007.
IMAX Corp. and Warner Bros. Pictures announced that select scenes of the IMAX DMR version of HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX would be digitally converted into An IMAX 3-D Experience. IMAX Corp. plans to use its proprietary 2D to 3D conversion technology to transform approximately 20 minutes at the end of the film. HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX will be released in IMAX theaters and conventional theaters on July 13, 2007, and Warner Bros. Pictures will be the exclusive distributor of the film to IMAX theatres worldwide.
Chris Columbus has signed on to direct and produce a big screen adaptation of Rick Riordan's fantasy book, THE LIGHTNING THIEF, which is the first book in the PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS series, reports VARIETY. Fox 2000 and Columbus' 1492 Pictures will produce. Maverick's Greg Mooradian and Karen Rosenfelt will also produce. The plot follows a young boy that learns he is the descendant of a Greek god and must mediate a battle between mythological deities.
Columbia Pictures has bought a high-concept action-adventure script from FREDDY VS. JASON writers Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Sam Raimi and Josh Donen will produce via their Buckaroo Ent.
The top secret project is being toted as a family fantasy film that follows a cynical New Yorker who is transported into a fairy tale land where he must save a village and its princess from evil creatures.
Director Peter Jackson volunteered to shoot 4K footage for RED Digital Cinema's highly anticipated RED digital camera to use at NAB 2007. What started out as a test session quickly turned into a World War I era short titled CROSSING THE LINE. Written and directed by Jackson, CROSSING THE LINE intercuts a suspenseful aerial dogfight with an intense battle below, as two heroes try to survive while holding onto their precious keepsakes: a teddy bear and a photo of a sweetheart.
Uber-producer Jerry Bruckheimer has tapped Michael Bay to direct the film adaptation of the videogame, PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME, reports IESB.net. Walt Disney Pictures hopes Bay will follow-up this summer's TRANSFORMERS with PERSIA, setting summer 2009 as its release date.
The videogame chronicles the adventure of a prince who partners with a rival princess in an effort to stop a mad ruler from unleashing a massive sandstorm on the world. The game's creator Jordan Mechner wrote the first draft of the script with rewrites from Jeffrey Nachmanoff.
Warner Bros. Pictures has hired Lawrence Kasdan to re-invent CLASH OF THE TITANS, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. A previous draft was written by Travis Beacham (KILLING ON CARNIVAL ROW). Basil Iwanyk will produce out of Thunder Road.
The original film followed Zeus' son, Perseus, and his quest to rescue Princess Andromeda by succeeding a series of challenges created by Zeus, which included capturing Pegasus and the head of Medusa.
Lynn Harris is shepherding for Warners.
Knocking two-week box office champ BLADES OF GLORY to second place, debuting thriller DISTURBIA, starring hot young actor Shia LaBeouf, moved into the top slot at the U.S. box office for the weekend ending April 15, 2007. DISTURBIA, with vfx via Halon Ent., secured $22.2 million in its first outing. With vfx by Rainmaker Visual Effects, Image Engine, Gentle Giant Studios, Intrigue and Spectrum Effects, BLADES OF GLORY only slipped one slot to bring in another $13.8 million, thus bringing its grand U.S. total to nearly $90 million.
Two-time Academy Award nominee Edward Norton has signed on to play Bruce Banner, who when angry transforms into The Hulk in Marvel Studios' new big screen adaptation of THE INCREDIBLE HULK. The film, which is being directed by Louis Leterrier (TRANSPORTER 2, UNLEASHED) and distributed by Universal Pictures, is scheduled to smash into theaters on June 13, 2008.
Christina Ricci will star opposite Emile Hirsch in Warner Bros. Pictures' and Village Roadshow Pictures' SPEED RACER. Ricci will play Trixie, Speed's loyal and courageous girlfriend, who also proves to be a formidable ally both on and off the racetrack.
Paramount Pictures has made the official announcement that Shia LaBeouf (DISTURBIA, upcoming TRANSFORMERS) has joined the cast of INDIANA JONES 4. Produced by Lucasfilm Ltd., directed by Steven Spielberg, and released by Paramount Pictures throughout the world beginning May 22, 2008, the screenplay has been written by David Koepp. Frank Marshall will produce the film with George Lucas and Kathleen Kennedy serving as exec producers.
The Oneida Indian Nation's Four Directions Prods. today (April 12, 2007) announced completion of its first 3D animated short film, which tells the ancient Oneida legend of RACCOON AND CRAWFISH. The eight-minute film will debut at the Syracuse International Film Festival on April 18, 2007.
The project represents a new milestone for the up-and-coming studio, according to Dale Rood, director of studio operations for Four Directions Prods. and a Turtle Clan representative to the Nation's Men's Council.
Bigger Picture has announced that it will begin producing original animated features for its parent company, AccessIT's theatrical kids matinee series Kidtoon Films, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. The first film is set for release in spring 2008 and will be based on Atari's videogame franchise, BACKYARD SPORTS. Bigger Picture has also attained film right for John Lithgow's children's books, MICAWBER and MARSUPIAL SUE. Sabella Dern Ent. will serve as the production company on the projects. Additionally, Bigger Picture hopes to produce animated shorts as well.
CASINO ROYALE writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade have been hired by producers Dino and Martha De Laurentiis to pen an updated version of BARBARELLA, reports VARIETY. Dino De Laurentiis, who produced the original 1968 version, recently regained the films rights to the Jean-Claude Forest's French comicbook series from the creator's son Julien. Hollywood Comics principal Jean-Marc Lofficier and French agent Laurie Roy participated in the deal, which will also see the reprinting of first two BARBARELLA comics to coincide with the feature, as well as previously non-translated material.
Columbia Pictures is in final talks with Tom Hanks and director Ron Howard to join its big screen adaptation of Dan Brown's DA VINCI CODE prequel, ANGELS & DEMONS, VARIETY reports. Sony's hasn't officially commented on the project, but sources say the studio hopes to start filming in January. Akiva Goldsman is writing the screenplay, which finds Hanks character Langdon mixed up with murders that include the Illuminati and the Vatican. When Goldsman joined the project, word was out that it would be transformed into a sequel to DA VINCI, which grossed $758 million worldwide.
Lionsgate will be the domestic distributor for Jackie Chan and Jet Li's previously untitled J&J project, which is now known as THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Lionsgate will co-release the film with the Weinstein Co.
The story follows a disgruntled 17-year-old wannabe kung fu trainee, who, after being beaten up by a street gang, is transported to ancient China where he must free the Monkey King (Li) and locate his all-powerful staff. John Fusco penned the screenplay from which Rob Minkoff will direct.
Karey Kirkpatrick, who directed OVER THE HEDGE and Paramount Pictures' forthcoming THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES, has signed a two-year, first-look agreement with Nickelodeon Movies and MTV Films via his newly created Blue Shirt Prods., VARIETY reports.
The deal only covers live-action productions, mainly family films. Kirkpatrick still has a exclusive animation deal with DreamWorks.
Tokyo-based Nikkatsu announced a slate of 16 films for 2007 and 2008, including live-action adaptations of Tatsunoko Prod.'s popular anime series, YATTERMAN and GATCHAMAN, reports VARIETY. Both films are being produced under a deal between mobile services provider Index, which is Nikkatsu's parent company, Tatsunoko and toymaker Takara Tomy. The agreement covers DVDs, games, characters and mobile services.
Spain's animation house Perro Verde has announced it will simultaneous distribute in Spain its first animated feature, GOING NUTS, in theaters, online, DVD and TV on May 25, 2007, reports VARIETY.
After leaving THE FLASH feature, BATMAN BEGINS writer David Goyer returns to the DC Comics universe for a project titled, SUPER MAX, at Warner Bros., according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. The premise puts a wrongly convicted Green Arrow behind bars at a super max prison for supervillains. Justin Marks, who is writing the VOLTRON adaptation, originally pitched the idea and will pen the screenplay for the film, which Goyer will produce with his wife, Jessika Borsiczky Goyer. Lynn Harris is shepherding for the studio.
Despite a crowded Easter, BLADES OF GLORY still retained its number one ranking. The Paramount/DreamWorks ice skating comedy with Will Farrell and Jon Heder grabbed another $22.5M for the period ended April 8, 2007. With vfx by Rainmaker Visual Effects, Image Engine, Gentle Giant Studios, Intrigue and Spectrum Effects, BLADES OF GLORY now has a two-week cume of $69.7M.
Jim Hensons Creature Shop is creating the mischievous creature in the live-action feature, THE DOUBTFUL GUEST, with a combination of animatronics and CGI and faithful to illustrator-writer Edward Goreys look and whimsical tone, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.
Walden Media, Fox 2000 and the Jim Henson Co. are partnering on the adaptation of THE DOUBTFUL GUEST about a quirky family whose lives are turned upside down by the uninvited guest.
