Alex Zamm to Direct Marvin the Martian Movie
Dec 22, 2009 by Rob FrappierLate Friday night, the Los Angeles Times Hero Complex Blog reported that director Alex Zamm is attached to helm a live-action Marvin the Martian film. …
Late Friday night, the Los Angeles Times Hero Complex Blog reported that director Alex Zamm is attached to helm a live-action Marvin the Martian film. Although Zamm hasn’t directed many films (the direct-to-video Inspector Gadget 2 stands out as the highlight of his career thus far), he is also currently attached to a film version of Hong Kong Phooey.
You heard that right, two classic cartoon characters are being remade for the big screen by one director with mostly direct-to-video experience. Sorry, correction, it’s not just direct-to-video movies. A quick look at IMDB shows that Zamm is also currently in post-production on Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2. Well, if that doesn’t put your mind to rest, I don’t know what will.
In addition to Zamm as director, Marvin the Martian will be written by the team of Paul Kaplan and Mark Torgrove who are also collaborating on a film version of the classic television show CHiPS. Wait a second… did I just type that correctly? The guy who is directing the movie and the guys who are writing the movie are working on nothing but remakes. What is wrong with Hollywood!?! If it weren’t for Pixar, we wouldn’t ever see original movies. But I digress.
According to the LA Times article, the Marvin film will be a Christmas-themed movie and is slated for release around Christmas time 2011. Here’s the Times’ one-sentence description of the film: “Marvin comes to Earth to try to destroy Christmas, but his plans are foiled when he gets trapped inside a gift box.” Sorry, I think I just blacked out for a second. It’s like I was writing and then all of a sudden I typed something so stupid I passed out.
A Christmas movie! Come on. Don’t do that to Marvin! Please, I beg of you. Behind Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, Marvin the Martian was easily my favorite Looney Tunes character, and I’m not the only one who likes him. From his Roman war helmet to the hilarious way he walked, Marvin is definitely one of the most popular Looney Tunes characters there is. In fact, I’m laughing just thinking about Marvin zapping Daffy Duck with his disintegrator gun (only to have Porky Pig bring Daffy back with his “integrator gun”).
In an effort to bring some credibility to the movie, the LA Times article notes that comedian Mike Myers (known for his solid voice-work in the Shrek films among other things) is a name that’s “come up.” Who knows what that means, though. Maybe someone just said his name around the water cooler.
Anyway, I hope my initial impression of this movie is wrong, because I really like Marvin the Martian and I would hate to see such a funny character wasted. On the other hand, if I had never seen Space Jam before and you told me it was about Michael Jordan coming out of retirement to play basketball with the Looney Tunes against a bunch of monsters who had stole NBA players’ powers, I might laugh in your face.
I suppose it’s not fair to dismiss Zamm so quickly. Everybody has to get their start somewhere, right? It just seems like such a shame that rather than coming up with something original, studios are just reaching into their closet of properties to pull out a cheap family movie. What’s next, a Foghorn Leghorn movie? Wait, forget I said that. I’d hate to give anyone an idea for Christmas 2012.
What do you think? Does Marvin the Martian in film form sound like a good idea to you? Just for fun, where do you rank Marvin in the pantheon of great Looney Tunes characters?
Source: LA Times
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For the love of all that is good, please let the Mike Myers rumor be false. I don’t equate him with a good movie (the first Shrek being an exception what proves the rule). I think that there is some potential to do a Marvin the Martian movie, and I hope that the Instant Martians are done right.
Marvin The Martian has always been my favorite Looney Tunes character, and this article pretty much had my stomach churning at sentence 2. Let’s count the ways this whole scenario is wrong:
1. Live Action? Hello – didn’t anyone tell them Marvin is a cartoon? While I’m not a big proponent of 3D, here’s a good excuse to use it.
2. Mike Meyers? I don’t detest him as much as the first poster, but c’mon. I think he already proved with The Cat & The Hat that he can’t make a good illustrated / cartoon to real life conversion.
3. The director of Inspector Gadget 2? I’ll admit I haven’t actually seen it, but the first one was so awful that there should have been a whole lot of people fired for even suggesting a sequel. If that’s this guy’s best credit to date, count me out.
4. Marvin comes up with cool gadgets to blow things up, he can make a potion to create instant Martians (almost cooler than the Genesis device), and he’s going to get trapped in a gift box? This defies explanation.
I could go on, but you get the point. If any of the above are close to being true, I hope the whole thing is really just a viciously misquoted rumor. Otherwise, the same people should be fired that should have been fired over Inspector Gadget 2.
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!!!!
Ugh, this will be the beginning of the bastardization of my beloved Looney Toons characters!!!
Why couldn’t they make a great ANIMATED Marvin movie, a’la Pixar/Dreamworks. This just screammmmms BAD!!!
oh man a pixar marvin movie I just blacked out that would be so awsome in every way.
I almost cried alittle. Marvin is my number one of all time. And this news kills me. I don’t know what else to say…sheesh.
Somebody needs to get a Pu-36 explosive space modulator and destroy this project
I have a Marvin the Martin magnet on my fridge that I got for Xmas from a friend one year, and so I’m constantly thinking of him.
This project should be treated right, like a movie of the new adventures of Duck Dodgers was. THAT would be cool. The Martians and their soldiers got some GREAT screen time.
Agree with Andy S. and Bavel; get Pixar to do a Duck Dodgers in the 25th and a Half Century movie. Making this live-action is just worst than wrong, totally idiotic.
Top of the list. All should agree with me, or I'll have to ANNIHILATE you!
Top of the list. All should agree with me, or I'll have to ANNIHILATE you!
marvin the martian, best, looney tune, EVER!!!!
so bummed the credentials of the people being given this except maybe mike myers… let peter jackson have a go, come on… or at the very least tim burton…imagine