We like to mix things up here at Screen Rant, which is why today we’re giving you some new materials from an action movie (The Losers), an animated children’s film (How To Train Your Dragon), and an R-rated coming-of-age rock biopic (The Runaways). How’s that for variety? Anyway, let’s get started.

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The Losers

By now, you should probably be familiar with The Losers, but in case you’re not, here are the details. The film, which is directed by Sylvain White, is an adaptation of a Vertigo graphic novel about a group of CIA operatives, codenamed The Losers, who are seeking revenge after they are betrayed by their handler.

The Losers boasts an impressive cast including Zoe Saldana (Avatar), Jeffery Dean Morgan (Watchmen), Chris Evans (Push), Idris Elba (Thor), Jason Patric (Narc), Columbus Short (Armored) and Oscar Jaenada.

From the look of the first trailer, the film seems like it will have a nice combination of high-intensity action and humor. Check out some new images of The Losers, as well as a new poster, below. Click for high-res versions of the images courtesy of Collider.

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Pg. 2 for clips of How To Train Your Dragon and The Runaways…

]]> http://screenrant.com/new-losers-runaways-train-your-dragon-clips-and-images-robf-48122/feed/ 1 http://screenrant.com/logorama-directors-adapting-tom-clancys-ghost-recon-movie-robf-47954/ http://screenrant.com/logorama-directors-adapting-tom-clancys-ghost-recon-movie-robf-47954/#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:44:22 +0000 Rob Frappier http://screenrant.com/?p=47954

After winning Academy Awards for their critically acclaimed animated short, Logorama, it’s no surprise to hear that directors Francois Alaux and Herve de Crecy are turning their skills toward live-action film. What is surprising however, is the project the pair have agreed to take on.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Alaux and de Crecy have agreed to direct a live-action short film based on the popular Ghost Recon video game franchise. Per the THR article, the film will be a 20-minute prequel to the newest Ghost Recon release, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier. Besides Alaux and de Crecy, the Ghost Recon project has other notable names attached, including screenwriter Tim Sexton, who co-wrote the sci-fi drama Children of Men as well as Ridley and Tony Scott whose company, RSA, is producing the film.

I’m not a huge gamer (you’ve got to turn to the excellent writers at Game Rant for that kind of knowledge), but as a film fan, I think this is a pretty cool idea. When I do play video games, I like being totally immersed in the story, and having additional media to provide context is a great way to do that. Furthermore, since Ubisoft (the makers of Ghost Recon) are throwing between $8 to $10 million into a 20 minute film, you can expect a fairly high production value, which is always great news.

To get an idea of what the Ghost Recon live-action short might be like, fans can take a look back at another Ubisoft-sponsored film for the game Assassin’s Creed 2. That film, which was entitled Assassin’s Creed: Lineage, premiered back in October in anticipation of the November release of Assassin’s Creed 2.

Considering this is the second time Ubisoft has financed a live-action film to promote one of its games, I wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes a regular custom for big releases. What do you think? Is it a good idea to expand the narrative of a video game with a live-action film? Do you think the creative minds behind Logorama are the right pick for this project?

Source: THR

Coming off the biggest success of his career with the critically acclaimed Sherlock Holmes, director Guy Ritchie is poised to apply his unique cinematic talents to another legendary figure, King Arthur. According to Variety, Ritchie is currently attached to direct a “re-imagining” of King Arthur for Warner Brothers, based on a script from screenwriter John Hodge (Trainspotting). The film is being produced by Atlas Entertainment and Hollywood Gang.

Interestingly, the last thing we heard about Ritchie and King Arthur was that he might direct a re-imagining of the Excalibur legend. That project was to be written by comic book writer Warren Ellis, who is responsible for the comic series Red (now a film starring Bruce Willis), among other notable titles.

The fact that Ellis is not mentioned in the Variety article leads me to believe that perhaps Warner Brothers has decided to go in a different direction than an Excalibur re-imagining. On the other hand, the Variety article does say that Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur will be the primary source material for the film, which was also the source material for John Boorman’s famous 1981 version of Excalibur, so who really knows what’s going on. (I don’t even want to get into what this means for Bryan Singer’s Excalibur project, which is also at WB.)

From Monty Python’s 1975 comedy classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail, to Antoine Fuqua’s 2004 action-epic King Arthur, which starred Clive Owen as the titular king, the story of King Arthur and The Knights of the Round Table has been told and retold on film.

So what makes Ritchie the right man for the director’s chair? Perhaps it is the fact that he was so successful in breathing new life into Sherlock Holmes. That film, which was more action-packed than any Sherlock Holmes film to date, grossed more than $450 million worldwide.

Personally, the prospect of seeing a Ritchie-directed King Arthur sounds like a lot of fun. While they haven’t all been great, there’s something about Ritchie’s films that I’ve always enjoyed, and I think that he could bring a lot of style to a story that, frankly, could use a fresh take.

What do you think? Is Guy Ritchie the right man to take on King Arthur?

Source: Variety

You heard it here first folks, Conan the Barbarian used to get stuffed into lockers. Okay, okay, I’m joking, but Jason Momoa, the actor who will be playing the legendary warrior in Marcus Nispel’s 2011 film, did get his fair share of bullying when he was younger.

In a wide-ranging interview with the Des Moines Register, Momoa talks about his experiences growing up as a “little hippy kid from Iowa,”  his introduction to Hollywood as a cast member of Baywatch, and his thoughts on taking up the legendary mantle of Arnold Schwarzenegger to play the mighty Conan.

While the article is chock full of interesting details about Momoa’s life (enough to make even the most ardent Momoa-haters sort of like the guy), we here at Screen Rant are most interested in details on Conan’s progress. To this end, the article featured a number of interesting new nuggets to pore over.

When Momoa was first cast in the role, one of the big criticisms from fanboys was that he didn’t have the right build to play the “almost inhumanly strong” Conan. Of course, Hollywood generally has no problem in beefing up actors quickly, which is exactly what is happening with Momoa.

Quoting from the article:

He [Momoa] expects to add 10 more pounds of muscle to his frame with help of David Leitch, a stunt performer seen in “The Bourne Ultimatum” and Chad Stahelski, the martial arts stunt coordinator for “The Matrix Reloaded” and “The Matrix Revolutions.”

Additionally, Momoa is enrolled in an “intense six-week training program at a stunt and martial arts academy” where he is learning the fine art of smashing skulls with a 10 lb sword. Beyond the character’s physicality, Momoa also talked about how he sought to get into the mind of Conan by re-reading the source material, namely the original books by author Robert E. Howard.

While these new details may not be enough to convince Conan fans that Momoa is the right man for the role, I happen to think that he’ll do a pretty good job. At the very least, with Mickey Rourke in the running to play Conan’s father, and Avatar bad guy Stephen Lang cast as Conan’s main adversary Khalar Singh, we know that Momoa will have a good supporting cast to work with on what is shaping up to be one of 2011’s more exciting films.

What do you think? As Conan comes together, are you comfortable with Momoa in the lead role?

Currently, there is no release date for Conan, though the film is expected to hit theaters next summer.

Source: Des Moines Register

Blockbuster, the once mighty king of movie rental stores, has fallen on hard times. According to a recent MarketWatch report, the company experienced a fourth quarter loss of $435 million dollars. Additionally, as we reported last year, the company is planning to close hundreds of stores across the United States. Considering its financial problems, you don’t have to be an economist to see that Blockbuster needed to shake things up. Of course, the steps the company has taken to earn back some of their revenues may rub customers the wrong way.

According to a report in Home Media Magazine, Blockbuster has quietly reintroduced late fees (though they’re not calling them that) as part of the company’s in-store rental policy. Per the new rules, a $4.99 DVD or Blu-ray rental may be checked out for five days. If the rental is not returned by the fifth day, customers will face a $1 per day fine, which will cap at $10. So, in essence, if you check out a new release and don’t bring it back, you owe Blockbuster $14.99.

Previously, Blockbuster customers were allowed to keep a movie for seven days, but if they didn’t return it on time, they were charged the retail value of the DVD. If the customer returned the DVD within 30 days, the charge would be rescinded, but the customer would still be hit with a $1.25 restocking fee. This policy, which was heralded in Blockbuster commercials as “The End of Late Fees,” also caused the company some problems when a California court ordered that Blockbuster’s advertising was misleading.

While I don’t find Blockbuster’s new policy particularly troubling ($14.99 is high for a DVD, but it’s not extortionary), at this point it’s sort of like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t the age of in-store movie rental seem long gone?

Let’s take a look at the movie rental market. On one hand, you have Netflix, which pioneered the “sit on your couch at home and let DVD’s come to you” approach to movie renting, hitting an all-time high in its stock value ($70/share). Then, on the other hand, you have Redbox, which, despite disagreements with studios over when to release new rentals, is popping up on every corner with no-hassle $1 per day rentals. And don’t even get me started on live-streaming movies online. Once that really begins to take off, where will the Blockbuster model fit? The answer: nowhere.

What do you think, does the return of late fees make you mad? How do you rent movies?

Source: Home Media Magazine via /Film

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Angelina Jolie is in talks with Darren Aronofsky to develop an adaptation of Serena: A Novel, a 2008 period piece from author Ron Rash. The film’s script was written by Chris Kyle (K-19: The Widowmaker) and it will be produced by Nick Wechsler, who was behind this year’s critically acclaimed adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road.

Widely admired among literary critics, Serena takes place in 1929 tells the story of a man, George Pemberton, and his wife, Serena, as they move to North Carolina to build a timber company.

Here’s some more plot details from Amazon:

Although George has already lived in the camp long enough to father an illegitimate child, Serena is new to the mountains–but she soon shows herself to be the equal of any man, overseeing crews, hunting rattle-snakes, even saving her husband’s life in the wilderness. Together this lord and lady of the woodlands ruthlessly kill or vanquish all who fall out of favor. Yet when Serena learns that she will never bear a child, she sets out to murder the son George fathered without her. Mother and child begin a struggle for their lives, and when Serena suspects George is protecting his illegitimate family, the Pembertons’ intense, passionate marriage starts to unravel as the story moves toward its shocking reckoning.

After nixing the possibility of a return from the grave for Wanted 2, Angelina Jolie seemed to be preparing for a new film from director Alfonso Quarón, Gravity. Then we heard a report from Entertainment Weekly that Jolie had dropped out of Gravity as well. Will Serena finally be the next project the Hollywood A-lister takes on?

In discussing the cost of producing Serena, the THR article makes a comparison to another period film, the Academy Award-nominated There Will Be Blood. Forgetting about the film’s budget for a moment, what if Angelina Jolie’s role in the film was written to the same level of excellence as Daniel Day-Lewis’ Daniel Plainview? Wouldn’t you jump at the opportunity to be a part of that? Considering the talent involved, it seems like Serena could be the type of Award-worthy role that is too good to pass up.

Of course, as one of Hollywood’s most consistently bankable actresses (she is earning $20 million for the upcoming spy film Salt), Angelina Jolie has earned the right to be picky. To this end, even though it’s not the type of film that will earn hundreds of millions of dollars for its investors, I’m willing to bet that if Jolie says she’s on board, someone in Hollywood will want to produce this film.

Does Serena sound interesting to you? Where does Angelina Jolie rank on your list of favorite Hollywood leading ladies?

Source: THR

According to Variety, Fox 2000 has emerged as the victor in a bidding war over Katherine Fisher’s young adult fantasy novel, Incarceron. The film will be produced by Seed Productions, which is headed by actor Hugh Jackman and producer John Palermo. As with most things in Hollywood these days, the project has been put on priority with the hope of turning the property into a bankable franchise as Fisher releases more novels in the series (the second book, Sapphique, hits U.S. shelves next January).

For those unfamiliar with Incarceron (I had never heard of it before), the Variety article offers a convenient summary of the bestselling novel.

“Incarceron” tells the story of a young boy who lives in a prison that is a complete society; outside the prison, the world is stuck in the 17th century and run by computers. The boy comes into contact with the warden’s daughter, who lives in her own sort of jail, and they find a key that can change everything.

From that description, the book sounds kind of dark. Of course, I don’t mean dark in the lame emo sense that marks so much popular teen fiction, but rather in the cool dystopic sense that is a hallmark of good science fiction. If that brief summary piqued your interest, you can find more information on the novel at Amazon.

Over the last 10 years, young adult fantasy literature has become one of the most highly prized commodities in Hollywood. In fact, beginning with the first Harry Potter film in 2001, it’s impossible to go one whole year without seeing a popular young adult novel brought to the big screen. Just look at the list. Besides Harry Potter, here are just a few of the young adult fantasy novels adapted for film: The Golden Compass, The Chronicles of Narnia, and of course, the billion dollar baby, Twilight.

Obviously, Fox is hoping that Incarceron becomes a breakout franchise like some of its better-known peers. Will it actually happen? Only time will tell.

Does Incarceron sound interesting to you? If you have read the book, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

Source: Variety

As the sophisticated cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter, Anthony Hopkins brought to life one of film’s most terrifying faces of evil. Now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Hopkins will turn his talents toward fighting evil as a priest specializing in exorcisms for the supernatural thriller, The Rite.

The Rite, which is allegedly based on true events, follows “a disillusioned American seminary student who attends exorcism school at the Vatican and ultimately finds his faith through encounters with demonic forces.” Hopkins will presumably play an older, more experienced priest who schools the young seminarian in the ways of kicking Satan’s ass.

The film is being directed by Mikael Hafstrom, who has previously helmed the John Cusack creeepfest 1408, as well as the Swedish film Evil, which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Film in 2004. Besides Hafstrom, the rest of the above the line talent on the film includes Contrafilm’s Beau Flynn and Tripp Vinson as producers, Michael Petroni as screenwriter, and Christy Fletcher as executive producer. The Rite is being distributed by New Line.

There are only a few actors in Hollywood that are capable of giving a movie an immediate sense of gravitas, and Anthony Hopkins is one of them. Given his involvement, as well as the fact that a capable director like Hafstrom is behind the camera, the odds are looking good that The Rite will be a pretty decent horror flick.

Personally, movies that involve demonic possession scare the crap out of me. Even though not all of them are good (Exorcist: The Beginning = Bad, The Exorcism of Emily Rose = Decent, The Exorcist = Amazing), I guess that the idea of El Diablo taking over my body and forcing me to thrash about wildly while speaking in tongues just freaks me out.

What do you think? Do movies about exorcism scare you, or am I just being a baby? Also, does Anthony Hopkins exorcising demons sound like a winning idea, or are you too excited about seeing him as Odin in Thor to think about anything else?

Source: THR

The last time we talked about Steven Spielberg’s upcoming 3D motion-capture film The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, we lamented the fact that although the film is complete, it would take approximately two years for the computer animation of the film to be fully completed. Now, thanks to an article in the Los Angeles Times, we have a better understanding of why Spielberg is adamant that animators take their time with Tintin and why he was so excited to use James Cameron’s revolutionary performance-capture technology.

If you are a fan of The Adventures of Tintin, one of the things that most likely stands out in your mind is the comic’s signature ligne claire style of illustration. In bringing Tintin to the big screen, Spielberg wanted to make sure that he preserved this style as much as possible.

From the LA Times article:

“It was based on my respect for the art of Hergéand wanting to get as close to that art as I could,” says the director, referring to Tintin’s author-illustrator, who created the international blockbuster graphic novel series (200 million copies in print) starring intrepid cub reporter Tintin, and his irrepressible canine companion, Snowy, as they venture through the pre-WWII world.

“Hergé wrote about fictional people in a real world, not in a fantasy universe,” Spielberg said. “It was the real universe he was working with, and he used National Geographic to research his adventure stories. It just seemed that live action would be too stylized for an audience to relate to. You’d have to have costumes that are a little outrageous when you see actors wearing them. The costumes seem to fit better when the medium chosen is a digital one.”

The article goes on to describe how Spielberg took great pleasure in using James Cameron’s performance-capture technology, which allows the director to see his actors perform in real time as digital replicas, and why he equates it to painting.

“It made me more like a painter than ever before. I got a chance to do so many jobs that I don’t often do as a director. You get to paint with this device that puts you into a virtual world, and allows you to make your shots and block all the actors with a small hand-held device only three times as large as anXbox game controller.

When Captain Haddock runs across the volume, the cameras capture all the information of his physical and emotional moves. So as Andy Serkis runs across the stage, there’s Captain Haddock on the monitor, in full anime, running along the streets of Belgium. Not only are the actors represented in real time, they enter into a three-dimensional world.”

While Avatar has divided audiences in terms of story quality (I for one loved it), very few people are arguing over how impressive the film’s performance-capture technology was. In my opinion, beyond the film’s massive action sequences, Cameron’s technology allowed for the most natural and realistic looking mo-cap performances that we’ve ever seen. The fact that Spielberg, who is already fairly brilliant at working with actors, has been able to delve even deeper into the directorial process through this technology is a great thing that will make Tintin a much better movie than it could have been as few as two or three years ago.

What do you think? Does Spielberg’s description of filming Tintin make you excited to see the film? Is James Cameron’s performance-capture technology a good thing for movies?

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secrets of the Unicorn is scheduled to hit theaters in 2011. The film is expected to premier internationally first, in late October/early November, and then on December 23rd in the United States.

Source: LA Times

I really envy good graphic designers. Sure, I’ve tinkered with Photoshop in my time, but with the exception of mastering the clone stamp tool, I’ve never really had a knack for putting together cool pieces of design. Maybe that’s why I spend so much time here on Screen Rant highlighting cool alternative movie posters (like these Star Wars travel posters or these minimalist Quentin Tarantino posters).

Recently, the folks at /Film tipped us off to some more alternative movie posters by graphic designer Brandon Schaefer. Unlike the other poster sets we have previously highlighted here at Screen Rant, Schaeffer’s work does not follow any specific theme except for the fact that they’re all well-known films. Spanning movies both old (Jaws) and new (The Dark Knight), Schaefer’s work combines a retro minimalist flair with a strong attention to detail that invites viewers to consider their favorite films in a different light.

I have picked out eight of my favorite posters below, but there are many more to see at Schaefer’s Flickr page. Additionally, if you would like to purchase any of these posters, you can find some of them on sale at Schaefer’s inPRNT.com account.

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What do you think? I know that these retro/minimalist style posters have become sort of a fad, but I think these are easily the best examples I’ve seen so far. Do any stand out as particular favorites?

Source: /Film and Schaefer’s Website

According to The Hollywood Reporter’s Risky Business Blog, director Oren Moverman (The Messenger) is in negotiations with Universal to rewrite and direct the studio’s untitled biopic of Nirvana front man, Kurt Cobain. The film, which will be partially based on the book Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain, was first broached by screenwriter David Benioff (Brothers) in 2007.

The list of great musicians who died before their time is a long one. Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison are just a few of the names that immediately spring to mind. While the death of each of these musicians is tragic, there is something unique about Kurt Cobain. Perhaps it is because, more so than any other musician on the “gone too soon” list, Cobain was seen as the voice of his generation. In retrospect, it’s no wonder why.

When they exploded on the national music scene in the early 1990’s, Nirvana struck a major chord with the youth of Generation X. Offering a stripped-down musical style led by Cobain’s rasping vocals and angst-filled lyrics, Nirvana’s music, along with that of the other grunge bands of the day, was more or less a direct response to the egotistical glam metal of the 1970s and 1980s. In a word, it was “real” and it turned Cobain into an unwilling celebrity almost overnight. Of course, Cobain was never very happy being in the spotlight, and his reticence to accept his celebrity, combined with his drug abuse and depression, ultimately led to his suicide in 1994.

Now, does all that make for good drama? Maybe yes, maybe no. As much of a fan of Kurt Cobain’s music as I am, I can honestly say that in the wrong hands a biopic of his life might not be a very interesting film. Luckily, with Moverman on board, that is definitely not the case.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to see Moverman’s first film, last year’s The Messenger, I would highly recommend watching it. While not perfect, the film, which follows two soldiers whose job is to inform next of kin about soldiers’ deaths, is a tremendous directorial debut. Featuring powerful performances by Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson (who was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar), The Messenger demonstrated Moverman’s ability to elicit genuine empathy from the audience through a combination of strong writing and very static, yet purposeful camera work.

In my mind, if Moverman takes the same approach with the Cobain biopic, he could have a major success. By and large, we know the Kurt Cobain story. What we need to see to make the film more than just a conventional music biopic is Cobain’s emotions. We have to be able to feel his tension as he becomes a bigger and bigger celebrity, and then feel his hopelessness as we follow his downward spiral toward suicide. I believe that Moverman is the right director to take audiences on that journey, and I am hopeful that he will reach an agreement with Universal soon.

What do you think of a Kurt Cobain biopic? If you’ve seen The Messenger, do you have any insight on why you think Moverman is right or wrong for this film?

Source: THR

You know, it’s been a while since we’ve talked about the film adaptation of Frank Miller’s seminal graphic novel Ronin. Sorry about that. To be fair, you can’t really blame us though. It’s actually director Sylvain White’s fault. You see, White has been pretty busy working on his current comic book movie, The Losers, which opens on April 19th. That film is now more-or-less wrapped up, so White has begun turning his focus back to bringing Ronin to the big screen.

In an exclusive interview with ComingSoon.net, White talked about his plans for Ronin and how he wants to take as much time as he needs to make sure that the movie is “done right.” No new writer is currently attached to the film, but White says that he is “working along with the studio executives developing the story elements and they’re attaching a writer in the spring to do a new pass on it.”

As far as his approach to Miller’s material (Ronin is considered by many comic fans to be one of the best graphic novels ever written), White had this to say:

“It’s a very complex graphic novel and it needs very careful attention…Of course to make a movie of that scale, you need a lot of money to pay it justice, especially with the incredible visuals that Frank Miller has in it, but at the same time, in order to get a lot of money to make the movie, it has to have enough commercial appeal, so I’m trying to balance those two things together to make the movie accessible but still smart and throw with all the great ideas and grand ideas that it has.”

White went on to explain that he understands the importance of getting this type of graphic novel adaptation just right and that he doesn’t plan on rushing the film into production.

“It’s a whole process to get it right. Some people rush and do it quickly and you end up with bad adaptations, which happens all the time. If they give me the time to do it, I will take it to do it right. There have been drafts that were ready to go supposedly but I want to take my time to make sure that it’s just good. The fanbase out there for this particularly iconic graphic (novel) is scrutinizing the project and I also don’t want to let them down.”

Considering White’s comments, as well as the fact that the producers behind Ronin (led by Gianni Nunnari) are the same people who brought Frank Miller’s 300 to the big screen, I feel confident that this adaptation could be pretty successful.

That being said, Ronin has been kicked around Hollywood for over ten years (director Darren Aronofsky was attached to the film all the way back in 1998), so there’s no reason to get prematurely excited.

What do you think? From his comments, do you think Sylvain White is the right man to helm a film adaptation of Ronin?

Source: ComingSoon.net

From the trendy teenage vampires of Twilight to the savage R-rated horror of The Wolfman (see our review here), it seems that everywhere you look in Hollywood these days you will find studios looking to cash in on classic movie monsters. Is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein the next classic monster tale to see revived interest from movie makers?

There are already a couple of Frankenstein films on the horizon, such as Lakeshore Entertainment’s contemporary fantasy I, Frankenstein and director Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein, but now we can add one more adaptation to the list. According to Variety, producers Ralph Winter and Terry Botwick are bringing Dean Koontz’s Frankenstein series of novels to the big screen through their production company, 1019 Entertainment.

If you’re unfamiliar with Koontz’s take on Frankenstein, which began in 2005 with his book Prodigal Son and is expected to end with a sixth and final novel in 2012, here is a brief blurb on the plot from the Variety article.

“[The story] places the doctor — a socially prominent and successful businessman — and his super-human original creation Deucalion in modern-day New Orleans…The story centers on a pair of street-smart detectives who encounter Deucalion while investigating a murder, leading them to a bizarre array of “engineered” humans.”

Interestingly, this isn’t actually the first time that Koontz’s modern sequel to Frankenstein has been filmed. A quick search of IMDB reveals that in 2004, prior to him writing the first novel in the series, Koontz worked with USA Networks on the development of a cable television series based on his ideas.

Because of creative differences with USA, Koontz decided to walk away from the project and the TV series never ultimately panned out. Before he left however, Koontz allowed USA to produce a made-for-television film of his concept as long as his name wasn’t attached. Here’s another fun factoid for you: The man who directed the made-for-TV Frankenstein flick was none other than Marcus Nispel, who is in the process of remaking Conan.

Anyway, now that the trivia is out of the way, let’s hear what you think. Does the plot of Koontz’s Frankenstein story sound appealing? Of all the Frankenstein films coming out, which one seems the most interesting?

Source: Variety

Riding high on the critical success of her Academy Award-nominated film The Hurt Locker, director Kathryn Bigelow is looking to bring her talents to the small screen for the pilot episode of a new HBO series. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bigelow has signed on to direct the pilot for The Miraculous Year, a new series by writer John Logan (who has penned such major Hollywood hits as The Aviator and Gladiator).

According to THR, The Miraculous Year is an “examination of a New York family as seen through the lens of a charismatic, self-destructive Broadway composer.” THR also categorizes the film as a “light, family drama.”

While the series is different than the material Bigelow typically takes on (namely thoughtful and high-intensity action films), I have no doubt that she will do an excellent job with this pilot, particularly when paired with a writer as skilled as Logan. Although she’s directed for television before, this will be the first time that Bigelow has directed a pilot episode of a television series.

As THR notes in its article, Bigelow’s jump from the big screen to television is not unprecedented and is actually becoming quite common for major Hollywood directors. In addition to Bigelow’s work on The Miraculous Year, HBO has a number of Hollywood heavy-hitters in its wings, including Michael Mann (directing the new series Luck) and Martin Scorsese (Executive Producer of the new series Boardwalk Empire).

Over the last few years, I’ve argued that the best and most original ideas in Hollywood can be found on TV. Whether it’s a hit network drama like Lost or a basic cable sci-fi epic like Battlestar Galactica, many recent TV shows have been more willing to take bigger creative risks than their silver screen counterparts. Personally, I think the success of television over feature films (where everything is either a remake, reboot, or adaptation of a board game) can be seen nowhere more clearly than on HBO.

Bigelow at work

Just look at some of the hits HBO has churned out in the past 15 years: The Sopranos, Sex and the City, The Wire, Deadwood, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Big Love. Among its premium cable competitors, HBO’s long history of successful original programming is unprecedented.

Given the freedom that HBO offers to directors and writers, not to mention the channel’s ability to offer more adult-oriented programming, it’s no wonder so many great shows get their start there. Given this fact, along with its star-studded production team, I would be very surprised if The Miraculous Year wasn’t a success.

What do you think? Does this show sound interesting to you? Do you think that there is better writing on TV than in feature films?

Source: THR

According to Empire, Ryan Gosling has taken over Hugh Jackman’s place in the lead role of Drive, an adaptation of a short novel by James Sallis. The film has also changed directors, switching from Neil Marshall (The Descent) to Nicolas Winding Refn (writer/director of the critically acclaimed film, Bronson). Empire learned about the changes from Refn himself during a brief chat about his upcoming projects.

Considering that it’s been almost two years since we last talked about Drive, I can’t say I’m surprised to hear about these changes. In Hollywood, it’s not uncommon for movies to sit in development hell for months, years, or even decades. Obviously, in this instance, there was something going on behind the scenes that just wasn’t clicking. Perhaps with Gosling and Refn on board, the film will gain new life.

In case you don’t recall what Drive is about, the film will center on a man (Gosling) who is a stunt car driver by day and a getaway driver by night. For some more information, here’s an excerpt of review of Sallis’ novel from Amazon.

“Drive…combines murder, treachery, and payback in a sinister plot resembling 1940s pulp fiction and film noir. Told through a complex, cinematic narrative that weaves back and forth through time and place, the story explores Driver’s near-existential moral foundations while revisiting its root cause: his hardscrabble, troubled childhood. Dark and gripping, Drive packs a powerful punch.”

From the description of the novel, it sounds like the protagonist is a pretty gritty dude. While some may think that Gosling is too soft to play that kind of role convincingly, I disagree. While I think that both Gosling and Jackman are terrific actors and either of them would probably be good in the role, there’s something about Gosling that strikes me as a more believable everyman than Jackman. While I haven’t read Sallis’ novel (though it sounds like something I’d enjoy), my initial impression is that this guy isn’t meant to be an action hero, which, fair or not, is how Jackman is perceived among most audiences.

Like I said though, I haven’t read the book so I really have no frame of reference for the character. Have you Screen Rant readers out there read it? If so, what’s your take on the casting change?

Source: Empire

When you think of awesome comic book movies, what comes to mind? The Dark Knight? Iron Man, perhaps? Whatever movie pops into your head, the odds are good that it’s not Daredevil. That film, which came out in 2003 and starred Ben Affleck as the “Man Without Fear,” received mostly mixed reviews from critics and never really hit it off with hardcore comic fans. (I’ve heard that the director’s cut of the film is significantly better, though I’ve never seen it myself.)

Considering the public’s general dissatisfaction with Daredevil, as well as the fact that Fox was in danger of losing their rights to the character, it’s no surprise that they decided to move ahead with a reboot of the franchise. If they don’t learn any lessons from what didn’t work in the first film, however, a reboot may be a moot point.

Of course, no one can speak to the failures of Daredevil better than Mr. Matt Murdock himself, Ben Affleck. In a recent interview with MTV, Josh Horowitz asked Affleck if he thought Daredevil missed out on the new “Golden Age” of comic book films. Affleck responded with disarming honesty saying, “We missed a lot in that movie.” He went on to explain how Hollywood has embraced the comic book movie and began putting major resources behind creating A-level films.

Check out Affleck’s comments below.

I certainly agree with Affleck’s assessment of comic book films post-Batman Begins. While there are still plenty of duds, I think studios have seen how much value there is in not just throwing out a generic action movie, but crafting a genuinely unique story that both celebrates the source material and brings something new to the character.

What do you think? Did Daredevil miss out on the “Golden Age” of comic book movies? What would you do if you were writing the film to make sure that the reboot surpasses the original?

Source: MTV

I must be the offbeat movie posters guy here at Screen Rant. A couple of weeks ago, I shared some pretty cool minimalist style posters based on the works of director Quentin Tarantino. Today, I’m sharing some equally cool posters inspired by Star Wars.

Coming our way via Collider, these posters, created by artist Justin Van Gendersen, re-imagine the various planets of the Star Wars universe as travel destinations. Offering sleek minimalist designs against a distressed-looking background, the travel posters span the galaxy from Tatooine all the way to the Dagobah system.

Scroll down to check out all five of the Star Wars posters. For more of Justin’s work, including a pretty cool Tron Legacy poster, check out his Flickr Page.

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While I don’t enjoy these as much as I liked the Tarantino posters, I definitely still think they’re cool and I wouldn’t mind hanging one on my wall. My personal favorite is the Hoth System. What can I say? I’m a sucker for groups of slanted lines.

Hopefully, the artist sees the positive feedback his posters are getting around the web and decides to revisit the Star Wars universe again. If he does, I have an idea. Instead of making posters for the planets of the Star Wars universe, why not make posters for the various businesses of Star Wars. Wouldn’t a vintage-style poster for the Mos Eisley Cantina be awesome? He could do one for Tosche Station too — “Now with Power Converters.”

Do you like these posters? What do you think of my businesses of Star Wars idea? Do you have any of your own ideas for a cool set of reimagined movie posters?

Source: Justin Van Gendersen via Collider

Last week, Screen Rant wistfully reported the death of Miramax Films. The studio, which was founded by Harvey and Bob Weinstein in 1979, led a charmed existence for many years as it turned out countless independently produced hits (Clerks, Pulp Fiction, and Trainspotting just to name a few). In the past few years, however, the Disney-owned company had fallen on hard times and, apparently, wasn’t worth the investment anymore.

So, how much is Miramax worth? According to a recent article in The New York Times, Disney is currently shopping the company for the great value of approximately $700 million. For your purchase, you get the Miramax name, as well as control of the company’s 700-film library (which comprises over 200 Academy Award nominations). Sounds like a bargain to me! Now, where’s my wallet…

In all seriousness though, $700 million for Miramax doesn’t seem like a terrible investment. While Disney has never released official numbers on its profit margins from Miramax films, the Times article states that “analysts estimate that the Miramax library generates more than $300 million in annual DVD and television revenue.” Assuming those numbers are accurate (though a nagging feeling tells me they might be less) who wouldn’t be interested in acquiring Miramax? Early speculation on some of the potential buyers includes Summit Entertainment, as well as “several private equity groups and at least one other independent studio.”

One sticking point in the eventual sale of Miramax is what will happen to the studio’s remaining six releases, including the Keira Knightley film Last Night. While it’s more than likely that Disney will release some or all of them, it’s not clear when they will hit theaters, or how much marketing support they will receive.

What do you think? Is $700 million a fair price for the studio that practically owned independent film throughout the 1990s and early 2000s? Do you have any multimillionaire friends who might be interested in going in on this purchase with me?

Source: The New York Times

Almost two years ago, the famous King Kong ride at Universal Studios Hollywood was lost in a backlot fire. After shedding many tears over the signature attraction, Universal announced the creation of a new King Kong attraction, which would use extensive 3D technology and be modeled after Peter Jackson’s blockbuster 2005 film. Now, according to an article in the Los Angeles Times, the new ride is set to premiere this summer after more than a year of development. That’s right, it won’t be long now before a whole new generation of children wet their pants at the roar of the world’s greatest ape.

According to the article, which comes our way via /Film, the ride is being billed as the “largest 3-D exhibit in the world” and will debut during peak tourist time. Here are some additional details on the ride.

If the new technology works as designed, park visitors will not only see Kong in three dimensions but also smell his banana breath, feel the gust of wind as he jumps over the guests and sense the ground quake when the ape engages aTyrannosaurus rex in a life-or-death battle. The Kong attraction will be one stop on the park’s back lot studio tour ride.

During a recent preview of the technology, a dirty, battle-scarred Kong stared menacingly out from two 180-foot-long by 40-foot-tall screens that wrap around the trams that will carry visitors. In another scene, a 35-foot-tall T. rex stepped over the trams, turned to the audience and bared its massive teeth.

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The new ape will resemble the Kong from the 2005 film, right down to the broken canine tooth and the scars over its right eye. Other creatures and scenes from the movie, including caves, giant bats and dinosaurs from Skull Island, will also appear on the four-story-tall screens.

When the attraction is complete, guests on the studio tour will board a tram that will enter a 200-foot-long soundstage, Johnson-Redrow said. Guests must don 3-D glasses for the 2 1/2 -minute attraction.

Inside the building, the tram will stop over a “tram-mover” system, powered by massive air bags that will lift, shake and drop the tram, giving guests the feeling of being jolted during the battle between Kong and the T. rex, she said.

The 180-foot-long screens will curve around the tram so that the 3-D images seem to surround the passengers. A system of fans, sprayers and other devices installed in the building will spew air, water and odors at park visitors to bring the images to life, she said.

I’ve never been to the Universal Studios Hollywood Theme Park, but I have been to Universal Studios Orlando and I can say without reservation that the original King Kong ride was awesome. It really is too bad that they decided to scrap it and replace it with a ride from The Mummy. Being nine at the time, I was probably the perfect age for King Kong (old enough to not get too scared and young enough to not whine like a punk about how unrealistic it was). That being said, I’m not going to wax nostalgic and complain that this new-fangled 3D version won’t live up to the original.

As a huge fan of Peter Jackson’s King Kong, I actually think this new ride will be pretty cool. From the description, it sounds like it will be a totally immersive experience. In fact, the 3D technology being used on the ride comes from Weta Digital, whose stunning work on Avatar have helped propel that film to more than $2 billion in worldwide box office grosses. Given the scale of Jackson’s film and the tremendous legacy of the King Kong franchise, I think using 3D is the right choice to reintroduce King Kong to park visitors.

What do you think? Does the new 3D King Kong ride sound like something you’d be interested in checking out?

Source: LA Times via /Film

You know what I love? Quentin Tarantino movies. You know what else I love? Minimalist art. How lucky is it then that I found this set of awesome minimalist-style tribute posters for all seven of Tarantino’s movies over at Collider? Using simple bold colors and clever designs, these posters by artist Ibraheem Youssef capture the essence of each one of Tarantino’s films and would look great on any QT fan’s wall.

Scroll down to check out all seven of the posters, which are displayed in chronological order by the year of their release.

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Pretty cool, right? I like that it takes you a couple seconds to get the inspiration behind some of the posters. When the meaning of the designs finally dawns on you, it’s a good feeling (like you’re part of a really cool, but really nerdy inside joke). The best thing about these posters is that Youseff is selling limited edition 11″x18″ prints and 24″ x 36″ posters of them at his website.

A word of warning, though. If you want them, you will have to act fast as it appears that some of the poster-sized prints are already sold out. If I had more wall space, I’d definitely pick one up. Heck, I might anyway. Who needs pictures of family and friends when you’ve got cool movie posters, right?

I like all of these posters so much, I’m having a hard time picking my favorite. Right now, I think it’s a toss-up between Youssef’s clever interpretations of Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Kill Bill Vol. 2. Which one is your favorite? Would you like to see any other director get the minimalist treatment?

Source: Ibraheem Youssef via  Collider