A new full-length trailer has appeared online for the upcoming Nicolas Cage-starring fantasy adventure-thriller, Season of the Witch. If you only come to Screen Rant for your movie news then you might not have heard of or seen much from this movie but there was a short teaser trailer (a sort of Halloween sneak-peek) that surfaced not long ago and we now have the new full-length trailer to make up for it.

Season of the Witch stars Nicolas Cage as, “a 14th century Crusader who returns with his comrade to a homeland devastated by the Black Plague. A beleaguered church, deeming sorcery the culprit of the plague, commands the two knights to transport an accused witch to a remote abbey, where monks will perform a ritual in hopes of ending the pestilence.”

The film is directed by Dominic Sena, who’s worked with Cage before on the remake of Gone In 60 Seconds (which I hold as a guilty pleasure movie, I have to admit), and is written by Threshold creator/writer, Bragi F. Schut. As Alex Billington over at First Showing says, the movie would look a lot better if it weren’t for Cage being in “cheesy mode” once again and sticking out like a throbbing sore thumb, a side of Cage that’s surfaced far too often in a lot of his recent movies (Ghost Rider, anyone?).

Nonetheless, if you look past Cage there are some genuinely creepy and atmospheric looking moments to be found. The premise is great and the production design is wicked. Check the trailer out for yourself, thanks to Trailer Addict (it first appeared online at Fandango):

Alongside Cage, Season of the Witch stars Ron Perlman, Claire Foy, Christopher Lee, Stephen Campbell Moore, Robert Sheehan and Stephen Graham – Perlman and Graham are enough to get me to watch it (the latter is really building up a great career for himself, and, well, the former is frickin’ Hellboy – ’nuff said). As I said, apart from Cage I really like the look of this one.

What do you think of the trailer for Season of the Witch? Does Cage stick out for you or does he suit the role well in your eyes?

Season of the Witch is set to hit theaters on March 19th, 2010.

Sources: TrailerAddict and Fandango

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Back in August we reported on the fact that prolific film actor/editor/producer/director, Larry Fessenden, was attached to direct the upcoming inevitable remake of Juan Antonio Bayona’s excellent Spanish-language horror film, The Orphanage (or “El orfanato” to use its Spanish name). Fessenden had reportedly co-written the script with the ultra-busy Guillermo del Toro (who produced the original and is performing the same duties for the remake), and was tapped to bring the creepy tale to English-speaking audiences who may not have seen (or maybe not even have heard of) the original.

However, just a few short months later the guys over at JoBlo have learned exclusively from Fessenden himself that he most likely won’t be directing The Orphanage remake. On the set of his upcoming project, the post-apocalyptic vampire film Stake Land (Fessenden is producing), he told Joblo the following:

“THE ORPHANAGE was two years of waiting. Working on the script with Guillermo was a very exciting experience, but then I got into a casting miasma and that’s where the thing is; I think they’re gonna do it another way, actually. So I think I’m out of it. Hopefully they’ll still use my script, but I’m not sure I’m directing it anymore. That’s Hollywood for ya.”

It doesn’t sound absolute 100% concrete Fessenden is out, but chances are if he was still set to be at the helm he would know for definite and wouldn’t be sounding so unsure. I reckon, what with del Toro still on-board to produce, that they’ll use the script the two of them worked on together. Having said that, if another director gets brought on-board and has some new ideas of where to take the remake, del Toro may want to take his and Fessenden’s co-written script and rewrite it with the new director by his side. It’s too early to tell, but that’s certainly a possibility, I think.

Fessenden is a busy man (not quite as busy as del Toro, but I don’t think ANYONE is), with three films he’s producing (Bitter Feast, Stake Land and Hypothermia) that follow a plethora of films already on his resume. I’m not familiar with Fessenden’s work, so I can’t really say if he was a good choice for Orphanage remake, but it certainly sounds like he was passionate about it. It’s just one of those cases where differences in opinion over what a film should be has caused the departure of one of the key players. As Fessenden says – that’s Hollywood for ya’.

Side note: it’s very strange that Fessenden is apparently off the project as word is del Toro handpicked him as a sort of protégé for being a, “filmmaker who [understands] the conventions of the horror genre and could execute a movie that would be as scary and disturbing as the original but in an American context.” You’d think if del Toro likes him that much that they’d try and work around any problems to keep Fessenden on-board as director. Strange…

Larry Fessenden with Guillermo del Toro

As for who should direct The Orphanage now, I personally think someone like Alfonso Cauron (Children of Men) or Frank Darabont should be given a shot at it. Cuaron, just because I think he really knows how to bring out the humanity in his films (his turn at directing Harry Potter 3 resulted in the most rewarding film of the franchise, IMO) and I don’t think you can really go wrong with Darabont, the man responsible for The Shawshank Redemption (one of the best films ever, IMHO) and last year’s The Mist (a film I liked a lot more on second viewing). Those are just a couple of directors I can think of that I’d like to see at the helm of this.

Having said that, I’d just like to make it clear that I am not happy about Hollywood taking yet another great foreign language film and remaking it into a most likely dumbed-down version just because you have to read subtitles to watch the original (either that or a badly dubbed version). I’m holding on for dear life to the fact that del Toro – producer of the original – is back producing the remake and in that way it will work out well. But I doubt they’ll get anywhere close to the original in terms of quality. I could be wrong, but that’s just my thought on the matter at this point in time.

As far as we know, a lead actress to play the adoptive mother with a troubled son is still being looked for by New Line. Perhaps the actresses the studio has on the shortlist was one of the contributing factors in Fessenden departing the project. Who knows.

What do you think of Larry Fessenden not directing The Orphanage remake anymore? Who would you like to see direct instead?

No release date has been set for The Orphanage as of yet. We’ll keep you posted.

Source: Joblo (thanks to /Film)

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The day has come for all us Lost fans when we can start officially marking our calendars for the air date of the season 6 premiere. ABC has announced that the sixth and final season of Lost will kick off on Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010 with a three-hour event, that is, a one-hour recap show (as per usual) shown at 8:00pm, followed by the two-hour season premiere entitled “LA  X” (the space is intentional, FYI) at 9:00pm-11:00pm.

Moving from last year’s Wednesday night slot, season six of ABC’s hit mystery show will settle in on Tuesdays, mainly because it doesn’t want to compete with ABC’s Wednesday comedy-show lineup (nor did they want to move the successful line-up to another day to make way for Lost). The schedule for later in season 6 is still being worked out, but it’s being purported that the new series V will follow Lost at 10:00pm. If we continue without breaks/hitches, the Lost series finale will air on May 18th, 2010.

So hooray for Lost fans who now have a set start date to look forward to. But on top of that news comes another few pieces of info related to casting and the rumored break-up of the season into two parts. First off, a few of the recurring cast members from previous seasons are now official series regulars (like the rest of the cast, a la Jack, Kate, Sawyer etc). They are: Nestor Carbonell (we’re supposedly gonna’ get a flashback episode for his character of Richard Alpert – finally!); Ken Leung (who plays the wisecrackin’, Miles Straume); Jeff Fahey (who plays the rough and likeable pilot, Frank Lapidus); and Zuleikha Robinson (who plays the mysterious Ajira Airway flight 316 passenger, Illana).

Staying on the casting side of things, it’s also now known that Emilie De Ravin who plays Claire Littleton – a character who was absent for the whole of Season 5 – is now back for the whole of season 6 as a regular. I guess we’ll finally get to know why in season 4 she left her baby, Aaron, in the jungle for Sawyer to find, and was later seen mysteriously in Jacob’s cabin… can’t wait for that explanation! The only piece of disappointing Lost news is the fact that Henry Ian Cusick, who plays Desmond Hume, is NOT listed a regular for season 6 – although we’ll most likely be seeing a fair amount of his character in a recurring role.

However, maybe the best piece of news to come out is that Lost WON’T be taking the rumored mid-season break for the Winter Olympics. We reported on that little stinker at the end of last month but it appears that with the start date of February 2nd, and the Olympics starting on February 12th, it’s just not feasible to interrupt things so soon into season 6.

So there you have it, we now know when one of the best TV shows around (personally I’d say THE best, but that’s just me) will premiere its final season. I’m gonna’ be VERY sad (literally, I’m not joking here…) when Lost is finished: no more mysteries, no more Jack, Locke, Kate, Sawyer, Ben, or Hurley; no more baffling and wonderful mysteries to ponder; no more Smoke Monster; no more running through the jungle… I could go on and on.

I’ve put my faith in the writers that they’ll end the show in a way that’s satisfying and feels “right.” They’ve gotten us this far and I’m fully confident they’ll end it as best a show like Lost can be ended. I’m shaking with excitement already .

Are you as much of a Lost fan as I am? What do you think of the cast members that have been “promoted” to regulars? Are you glad that the show won’t be taking a break for the Winter Olympics or did that possibility not even bother you?

As stated, the two-hour season 6 premiere of Lost will air Tuesday, February 2nd on ABC at 9:00pm.

Source: /Film and DarkUFO

• Final Season Of Lost Interrupted By Winter Olympics
• Lost Final Season Panel: Comic-Con 2009
• Dominic Monaghan Back For Final Season of Lost?
• Michael Emerson (aka Benjamin Linus) Talks ‘Lost’
• Title Of ‘Lost’ Season 6 Premiere Revealed!
• Weekly TV Wrap Up – July 2nd 2009

Rising star Sam Worthington continues to build quite a career for himself: he’s already starred in Terminator Salvation, and has both James Cameron’s Avatar and the remake of Clash of the Titans on deck, two huge properties I think you’ll agree. Now, adding to that ever-growing list of Worthington movies is The Last Days of American Crime, an adaptation of an upcoming comic book/graphic novel of the same name from Radical Publishing.

Comic creator Rick Remender created and wrote The Last Days of American Crime, and Mania reports that he will also pen the script for the big-screen adaptation. The comic is described as, “a heist thriller told against a sci-fi backdrop.” From Radical’s website, here’s the synopsis:

In the not-too-distant future as a final response to terrorism and crime, the U.S. government plans in secret to broadcast a signal making it impossible for anyone to knowingly commit unlawful acts. To keep this from the public, the government creates a distraction, installing a new currency system using digital charge cards.

Enter: Graham Brick. A career criminal never quite able to hit the big score, Graham intends to steal one of the charging stations, skip the country and live off unlimited funds for the rest of his life. But the media has leaked news of the anti-crime signal one week before it was to go live…and now Graham and his team have just a few days to turn the crime of the century into the last crime in American history.

Mania reports that Worthington will play the character of Kevin Cash (catchy, eh?), a safecracker who (along with his beautiful girlfriend, Shelby) is enlisted at the last minute in the “last crime in American history” mentioned above. It’s strange, as you’d think Worthington would be cast as the lead, who presumably is the guy who sets up the crime. Then again, maybe the film adaptation will focus on the safecracker and thus Worthington will end up being the lead. The latter seems possible, considering the sort of roles Worthington has been getting as of late.

Remender has been developing the American Crime movie in concurrence with the comic, and word is he’ll have a major hand in how the film turns out. Along with having created and written the source material, and penning the script for the big-screen version, he’ll also serve as either a co-producer or exec producer. Radical Publishing’s chief, Barry Levine, along with Michael Schwarz will also produce the pic.

On top of Worthington, additional cast members and a director will reportedly  be announced pretty fast, and the actors they’re bringing in will supposedly be “A-list Hollywood people.” This comic really must be something if there’s this much interest and activity around the adaptation before it even hits comic store shelves! Remender described the project to Mania:

“It’s really motivated by Mamet’s ‘Heist’ film and James Ellroy’s [novel] ‘American Tabloid’… Ellroy being an example of the kind of hard-boiled crime that has a socio-political backdrop and Mamet’s ‘Heist’ a very well-thought out film that focuses on the heist itself.”

I really dig the idea of American Crime – it puts a cool and unique spin on the often-visited sub-genre of the heist movie. For whatever reason, this reminds me of the upcoming vampire flick Daybreakers, in that it takes one sub-genre (heist movies) and meshes it with another (futuristic sci-fi). It reminds me of Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report for pretty much the same reason (crime thriller mixed with sci-fi).  It’s still early, but chalk me up as looking forward to this film.

What do you think of the idea behind American Crime? Are you glad to see Sam Worthington get so many roles?

The first issue of The Last Days of American Crime hits comic store shelves this December. There’s no word on when the movie will start shooting/hit theaters.

Source: Mania and Radical Publishing

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Back in September we reported on the financial troubles of movie studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (or MGM for short). The studio has racked up a debt of a whopping $3.5 billion (yowza!) and, at the time, it was, “teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.” The company has two big properties currently in its possession, those being the Bond franchise and the upcoming Hobbit adaptation.

Luckily, but not surprisingly, both those properties are quite safe, with Warner Bros. stepping in to foot the bill for production on The Hobbit, while also handling domestic distribution for the film (which will be split into two parts). As I said, no surprise there that the two franchises are safe (guaranteed box office bank if ever there were any), but it was nice for that to be made official.

However, specific film properties aside, the trouble for MGM at large is that it was possibly going to auction of its assets. And now, only a couple of months later, we get word that’s exactly what’s happening. Variety reports that MGM has been given an extension until January 31st, 2010, from paying interest on their massive debts (which is the second time an extension has been granted, the first being until December 15th), and is going to be using that time to start, “a process to explore various strategic alternatives including operating as a standalone entity, forming strategic partnerships and evaluating a potential sale of the company.”

Sources close to MGM say that the studio’s investment bankers, Moelis and Co., are overseeing the sales process. However MGM’s current management will remain in place to take care of feature development and the general continuing of production. A statement issued on Friday from MGM reads:

“The lenders took this action in support of the company’s ongoing efforts to develop and evaluate long-term strategic alternatives to maximize value for its stakeholders… MGM appreciates the continued support of its lender group for the process it is undertaking.”

So what assets does MGM have to offer? Well, they include the likes of a 4,000-title library, the logo, the United Artists operations, rights to the James Bond franchise and half-ownership of the upcoming Hobbit films. You’d immediately think that other studios would be licking their lips right about now and you’d be right: Possible buyers include Time Warner, News. Corps (which owns 20th Century Fox) and Lionsgate (Get it? LIONsgate? MGM’s logo is a roaring lion… Okay, never mind…).

There was a rumor at the beginning of last month that the Bond franchise was maybe moving from MGM to Fox, but soon thereafter MGM contacted the guys over at Film School Rejects directly to let us all know that wasn’t the case. However, in light of this recent news, even though Bond won’t be moving studios, per se, if another studio snaps up MGM then the Bond franchise would by extension be owned by someone else.

Man, this whole MGM ordeal really is tossing and turning in a relatively short period of time, isn’t it?…

What do you think of MGM being officially for sale in light of their recent financial troubles? Which studio do you think will make the purchase?

Stay tuned for developments.

Source: Variety

• MGM On The Edge of Bankruptcy [Updated]
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Today we get yet another piece of news that another classic video game is being adapted… Okay, that’s not true, but I couldn’t resist…

Actually, this isn’t news that the classic arcade game, Space Invaders, is being brought to the big-screen – it’s actually the announcement that actor-turned-screenwriter, Justin Theroux (Tropic Thunder, Iron Man 2), is on board to write a romantic comedy called Space Invader (no affiliation with the video game), with Will Arnett attached to headline.

It’s okay, you’re forgiven for assuming the worst …

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Theroux has been brought on board to pen Space Invader, which he also might direct. The film is a romantic-comedy set up at Fox, and has Arnett attached to star as a man who decides to go to space after he suspects that his long-time girlfriend, an astronaut, is cheating on him with another space-walker.

Davis Entertainment will produce Space Invader – a studio responsible for such comedy fare as The Heartbreak Kid, Norbit and Daddy Day Camp (yikes!) – along with Principato/Young. The project was originally set up at Fox Atomic, but moved over to the larger company when Atomic was shut down over six months ago.

I know the plot of Space Invader sounds like it has a high level of potential to stink up every movie theater it plays in, but Theroux has more than proven himself with his first script, last year’s Tropic Thunder. Time will tell if his being tapped to write  Iron Man 2 solo when he didn’t write the first was a good idea or not. But something tells me that the studio has SOME faith in Theroux, if they allowed him to write one of their biggest upcoming movies on his own.

One quick thing I want to make note of: It’s curious they were allowed to use the title “Space Invader” because of its similarity to the arcade game of a few decades ago. I know it’s not the same name (the game is Space InvaderS), but the majority of folks will assume this comedy has at least SOMETHING to do with the arcade game. Maybe not for those, like yourselves, who read daily movie news, but the average movie goer who turns up on a Friday night and sees “whatever” will probably confuse the two.

Do you like the sound of Space Invader? Does Theroux writing and possibly even directing it affect your looking forward to it or not? Do you think the similarity of the name to the classic arcade game will be an issue?

No release date has been set for Space Invader yet.

Source: THR (thanks to Joblo)

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The mega-successful and critically acclaimed Dark Knight had hardly hit theaters last year and already there was high anticipation (at least in the geek/online movie circles) for Batman 3. We have heard rumor after rumor after rumor about the third installment, including everything from Christopher Nolan not returning to Eddie Murphy playing The Riddler (I would have given up on life if that latter one was true), all turning out to have a distinctive lack of truth to them.

One of the biggest desires of Batman fans is that Nolan comes back to direct, since he did such a good job with the last two Bat-films, breathing fresh life into an effectively dead franchise with Batman Begins and knocking just about everyone’s socks off with The Dark Knight. But will he come back to direct the third? Well, we’re still not sure, but “a solid and longtime source” over at the usually reliable Batman-On-Film says that Warner Bros. will finalize plans for Batman 3 in January of next year.

BOF notes that it’s not certain that there will be an actual official announcement, but they don’t seen any sense in keeping some key points a secret. The main pusher on this is Nolan’s Inception, which hits theaters next July. Next January is about the time the marketing craze will start for Inception (the rumored $200 million budget demands nothing less, I think) and if Nolan is on-board, I don’t see why they wouldn’t announce him before Inception’s marketing starts. He’ll be getting asked Batman questions relentlessly during that time, so it makes sense for WB to announce their plans either way (”to direct or not to direct, that is the question…” ).

BOF’s source also points out the obvious in that WB will be going ahead with Batman 3 with or without Nolan at the helm. They’re apparently operating on the assumption that he will return to do another, but aren’t setting all their plans on stone to coincide with his return. Basically, they’ll have to workout everything they can around Nolan’s questionable involvement as director, before moving ahead with or without him when the time comes to make that decision.

I know I’m just one of many fans to say this, but I really, REALLY hope Nolan returns to direct Batman 3. What he did with Batman Begins was nothing short of a miracle, and he did the unthinkable after that and topped Begins with The Dark Knight. I know the performance of Heath Ledger as The Joker is what most people talk about when they discuss TDK, but it flat-out would not have been as good as it was if Nolan hadn’t directed it. I personally would like to see him return to direct one more, cap off his input to the franchise/character with a trilogy, and move on after that and let someone else have a crack at it. But that’s just me.

Do you expect to see an announcement from Warner Bros. early next year of their plans for Batman 3, including whether Nolan will direct or not? It’s probably a silly question with an obvious answer, but would you like to see Nolan return? If by any chance the answer is no, who would you like to see direct instead?

And of course, it’s never to early to start wondering: What will Batman 3 be about?

We’ll keep you informed on the validity of WB’s supposed planned Batman announcement. Stay tuned.

Inception hit theaters on July 16th, 2010.

Sources: Batman-On-Film (thanks to Film School Rejects)

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Wow, I didn’t see this one coming. According to Variety, Warner Bros. has halted moving forward with their remake of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. On top of that, McG, who was set to direct, is off the project, and will now concentrate on other things such as the Warner Bros. drama, Dead Spy Running.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea seemed to be moving ahead pretty well, with a tentative shooting start of February, 2010. McG even said not that long ago that they’d already looked at different shooting locations including Japan, France and Canada. The Terminator Salvation director sounded pretty enthusiastic back in August when he talked about such things as how he was planning on contemporizing the story while still maintaining the spirit of adventure from the original 1870 story and 1950’s movie.

There’s no real word on why Disney has halted 20,000 Leagues, nor why McG has left the project (the latter is probably because he doesn’t wanna’ wait around for Disney to put it back on track). With regards to McG, as stated he’ll move on to concentrate on Dead Spy Running (written by Syriana scribe, Stephen Gaghan), and he’s still attached to Terminator 5. However, the fifth Terminator movie is currently in limbo as the franchise works its way through the courts.

The closest the 20,000 Leagues project had to casting was Will Smith being eyed as one of the two leads (which was really just McG wanting him to star), but apart from that no cast was set, so small disappointment there…

As for Disney, it certainly isn’t short of big-budget adventure films to fill our movie screens with: on top of Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides (which is clearly a priority), they also have John Carter of Mars and the quite highly-anticipated Tron Legacy. So it’s not like they NEED 20,000 Leagues to tide them over. Nonetheless, I think it’s a shame the film isn’t moving forward (at least for now); even with McG at the helm I was still looking forward to what Disney would deliver with such a great story to work off of.

No Captain Nemo for McG…

Are you surprised Disney has put a halt on their 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea? Are you glad McG isn’t directing anymore? If the project ever does get started up again, who would you like to see direct?

Stay tuned to Screen Rant for any updates to this story.

Source: Variety

• 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea Remake Gets A Rewrite
• McG Updates ‘20,000 Leagues’, Prepping Terminator 5
• Sam Worthington Talks Avatar, Terminator Reaction & More
• Rob Marshall Confirmed To Direct Pirates of the Caribbean 4
• Pirates 4 To Be The Last For Johnny Depp? [Updated]
• Disney Promises Depp In Pirates 4

We got word at the end of July this year that Pirates of the Caribbean 4 may have found its director in Rob Marshall (Chicago, Nine). Since then we’ve found out the name of the film ( On Stranger Tides); what it’s probably going to be about; that it’s going to be based on a book; and even that Johnny Depp may not be coming back (although Disney promised we’d see him in the fourth one, at least).

However, now we get the news that Marshall is confirmed to be directing Pirates of the Caribbean 4. According to a tipster over at AICN who attended a DGA screening of Marshall’s latest, Nine, Marshall replied to a question about what his next project would be by name-dropping Pirates of the Caribbean. Here’s what he said:

“‘Y’know, it’s something that I was offered and never in the world thought I would do but then I was like ‘why not?’… I’m doing ‘ Pirates of the Caribbean….”

So even though it was rumored, and looked pretty damn likely back this summer, it’s still nice to hear confirmation come from the Marshall himself. On top of that, another nice little piece of info that might be of interest to you Captain Jack Sparrow/Depp fans out there is that Marshall said he, “had a wonderful meeting [with Depp] and that they’re both excited to work together.”

Pirates of the Caribbean 4 is to be based on a 22-year-old book also called “On Stranger Tides” by author Tim Powers, using the plot of the search for the Fountain of Youth. It’s a very fitting thing to build a story around for a Pirates movie, and with Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley unlikely to be back for the fourth (we’re slightly more confident about Knightley not returning), it means they can use that plot to concentrate on Captain Jack and perhaps Captain Barbossa, who IMO are the two best characters in the franchise.

As for Marshall, I’m not going to lie and say it’s an excellent choice just for the hell of it. He’s most definitely not the first name I would think of to pick up the reigns after Gore Verbinski left. His theatrical directing debut back in 2002 was the multi-Oscar winning Chicago, and he has upcoming the Daniel-Day Lewis, Penelope Cruz and Nicole Kidman-starring Nine (also a musical) – neither film is exactly overflowing with hidden treasure or drunken pirates (or maybe the latter IS - time will tell …)

However, as I said when he was rumored back in July, it’s refreshing to see Disney think outside of the box and get a director who you wouldn’t immediately think of (although I’m sure they’ve pondered asking Steven Spielberg at one point). I really hope Marshall can bring something new to the table and drag this franchise out of the confusing and uninspired pit it wallowed in with the second and third movies.

What do you think of Marshall apparently being the one to definitely direct Pirates of the Caribbean 4? Would he be your first choice or have you got a long list of other directors before you’d get to him?

Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides is supposedly to start shooting next Spring, and has a general release date set of Summer 2011.

Source: AICN (thanks to /Film)

• Pirates of the Caribbean 4 May Have Its Director!
• Title Revealed For Pirates of the Caribbean 4
• Pirates 4 To Be The Last For Johnny Depp? [Updated]
• Disney Promises Depp In Pirates 4
• Keira Knightley Says No To Pirates 4
• Bruckheimer Talks Pirates of the Caribbean 4

[Update: Not so fast!  Awaken the Dragon screenplay writer Kurt Sutter is questioning claims of Rain's involvement!]

A few months ago we gave you an update on the planned remake of the classic Bruce Lee martial arts flick, Enter the Dragon, this time renamed Awaken the Dragon. The main part of the update was that Latino Review had a “confirmed source” which said that Korean pop-star-turned-action-star, Rain (currently starring in the awesome-looking Ninja Assassin), was going to be filling Lee’s shoes in the lead role.

Fast forward a few months, and it appears that Latino Review’s scoop was right on the money, as a video interview over at Cinemablend featuring Rain himself confirms that he’s at least considering the Awaken the Dragon role. Of course, he doesn’t give much away, but does hint that he’s talked to the studio about it and would be up for playing the role if he’s officially offered it. I share Katey Rich from Cinemablend’s thoughts that WB is probably holding off to see how Ninja Assassin does at the box office before they commit Rain to another big action flick.

Awaken the Dragon has already got The Shield writer/producer Kurt Sutter handling the script, as well as making his directorial debut. The film is said to be changing up the story of the original Enter the Dragon just a bit: it will now be about a lone FBI agent who pursues a rogue Shaolin monk to get him to participate in the world of underground fight clubs. WB is apparently looking for an already-established and well known American actor to play the agent, and now we know they’ve at least got Rain in mind for the ass-kicking monk.

I’ll admit I was dubious when Rain was announced to be starring in Ninja Assassin, simply because he’s only done a handful of films, performing in supporting roles that aren’t anywhere near as intense and physical as a film like Ninja Assassin demands. However, after seeing all the stuff that’s come out from the film (such as the official trailer and clips), any doubts I had about Rain being a legitimate action star have officially been eradicated.

Rain in Ninja Assassin

That all said, I would absolutely love to see Rain take on the lead role in Awaken the Dragon, even if the film is yet another questionable remake. Enter The Dragon is a classic, no doubt, and I’m always wary when Hollywood decides to redo a classic. But it sounds like they’re really trying to add something different to the mix with the story/style (Sutter is planning a kind of neo-noir), and Rain possibly starring in it sounds good to me.

UPDATE: Following the posting of this article Screen Rant was promptly contacted by Awaken the Dragon screenplay writer Kurt Sutter, where he questions the claims that Rain is in line for this role!

According to Sutter:

I just wanted to update you on my status with the “dragon” remake. Unfortunately, the project was a victim of the writer’s strike and I was forced to abandon it because of my commitment to “Sons of Anarchy”. If Rain is attached, I am no longer involved in the project, nor is my original pitch (neo-noir) valid. Honestly, and I could be wrong, but I find it hard to believe that any actor is attached to this project because as far as I know it has stalled in development at Warner Bros. I fear you could be the victim of wishful self-promotion. The next time someone interviews Rain, they should ask if he’s read the script or met with the director.

Would you like to see Ninja Assassin’s Rain, star in Awaken the Dragon? Do you think a redo of Enter the Dragon is called for or is it yet another that should be left alone?

Ninja Assassin hits theaters on November 25th, 2009 (next Wednesday).

There’s no word on when Awaken the Dragon will start shooting or be released.

Source: Cinemablend

• ‘Ninja Assassin’s’ Rain To ‘Awaken The Dragon?’
• Six Awesome New ‘Ninja Assassin’ Clips
• Official Trailer for James McTeigue’s Ninja Assassin
• First Official Ninja Assassin Poster
• Steven Spielberg & Will Smith ‘Oldboy’ Remake Dead!
• New Clips & TV Spots: Pandorum, Zombieland, Ninja Assassin & More!

A little over three months ago we reported on the news that the mindlessly fun 2008 movie, Death Race, was going to be getting a sequel – or rather, as was reported at the time by Shock Till You Drop, a prequel that would lead up to the first Death Race and Jason Statham’s antics as top driver Jensen Ames.

And now, thanks to SpoilerTV we get some info on both what the plot and the characters will be , by way of casting call info. Nothing has changed in terms of it being a prequel, in fact this news is kind of a confirmation of that. It will indeed take place before the first film, this time being called Death Race: Frankenstein Lives (Frankenstein is the name of the top driver, FYI, they’re not just trying to turn it into a horror movie for no reason…).

So what is writer Tony Giglio (overseen by the first film’s director, Paul W.S. Anderson, who’s serving as exec producer on this one) going to bring to the car-driving mayhem this time around? Something different to the first one, maybe? Perhaps going a bit more serious this time, exploring the collapse of the U.S. economy and such that led to the state of the affairs we witnessed in Death Race? Apparently not, as by the sounds of the following info, it’s almost an EXACT replica of the original (inevitably minus Statham and Co. from the first). Along with a one line plot description, here’s just some of the casting call info for some of the main characters:

STORY LINE: Newly arrived at Terminal Island, a prison for the most nonredeemable of convicts, CARL “LUKE” LUCAS must prove his mettle in a race to the death…

[CARL "LUKE" LUCAS]

In his 20s-30, American, European, British, Australian, Latino, etc., handsome and confident, with a hint of danger, Lucas has been in trouble since the age of 12. Right-hand man to a notorious mobster for twelve years, he is sent away for life

after killing a cop in the course of robbing a bank. Offered a deal by the DA if he turns state’s evidence, Lucas opts to take his chances behind bars, where he soon captures the attention of a violence-peddling television producer. Possessed of some serious driving skills, assertive, strong, and charismatic, Lucas is a natural fit for the ultimate test, aka, the “Death Race.”…LEAD (2) STAR NAMES PREFERRED – ANY NATIONALITY, ANY ETHNICITY

[SEPTEMBER JONES]

In her 20s – early 30s, a model turned journalist, September is is “insatiably ambitious and eye-poppingly gorgeous,” a woman who knows how to use what she’s got to get what she wants. She’s callous and self-serving, dressed provocatively, with the soul of an ice-pick, but the brains to know how to market violence to the masses. When ratings for her gladiator-style television show begin plummeting, September is quick to come up with the “Death Race” concept, thrilled by its stunning success sptv050769…LEAD (2) STAR NAMES PREFERRED – ANY NATIONALITY, ANY ETHNICITY

[ELIZABETH JAYNE CASE]

In her 20s – early 30s, and sexy, she is a card girl for the fight matches, later a navigator when the prisoners are forced to test their driving skills. Intelligent (valedictorian of her high school class), decent, with a good heart, Case landed in prison after killing her abusive cop husband. Quick to come to the aide of girl in peril or help Lucas outwit an adversary, she’s a courageous, admirable young woman. Teamed with Lucas for a death race, the chemistry soon heats up between the two…LEAD (16) STAR NAMES PREFERRED – ANY NATIONALITY, ANY ETHNICITY

[DOUGLAS WEYLAND]

In his 30s – 60, American or foreign, bold, opulent and self-indulgent, the CEO and Founder of the Weyland Corporation, he is a opportunist at best, a man who makes millions on the backs of others. Clearly not immune to September’s come-hither charm, he agrees to produce a televised gladiator-style series of fighting matches, later disappointed by the ratings. However, he’s quite impressed when September’s idea for a race to the death has the viewers tuning in again…LEAD (11) STAR NAMES ONLY – ANY NATIONALITY, ANY ETHNICITY

For the rest of the info, you can head over to SpoilerTV.

If you’ve seen the first Death Race, you’ll already recognize a lot of what’s described above. Now I must get to the obvious question, namely, why even make this prequel? It’s clearly not bringing anything new to the table, and it’s apparently going straight-to-DVD, so it’s not like it’s going to collect on a huge box office return (the first one made decent money, doubling its $45 million budget to make almost $100 million if you count DVD sales).  And it remains to be seen whether any of the original cast, notably Statham, will make a return, but logic story-wise (since it’s a prequel) that just doesn’t make any sense.

I said it when this prequel was announced – I really enjoyed Death Race for what it was and wouldn’t mind a sequel. I wouldn’t be terribly excited about it, but at least I’d give it a shot. But this prequel… I realize it’s all about the driving carnage, but c’mon, they could’ve come up with something a LITTLE different than just copying the first.

What do you think of the info for the Death Race prequel? Have you seen the original and do you think what they have in store for the prequel is going to be more fun, or just a more of the same?

Death Race: Frankenstein Lives is supposedly to start shooting on February 22nd, 2010. No release date (theatrical or DVD) has been set as of yet.

Sources: SpoilerTV (thanks to Joblo for the heads up)

• Death Race Prequel On The Way
• New Trailer For Gerard Butler’s ‘Gamer’
• TV Ratings: ‘V’ Down 27% In Second Week
• Jason Statham Updating Charles Bronson Hitman Role
• ‘The Little Shop Of Horrors’ Remake On The Way
• Steven Soderbergh Prepares To ‘Knockout’ Audiences

The reports obviously keep on coming in about the continuing box office success of two popular movies, the super-low-budget Paranormal Activity and Michael Jackson’s This Is It. However, it’s come to a point to take note of the milestones achieved by each film: Paranormal Activity has crossed the $100 million mark domestically, and This Is It has made $200 million worldwide.

Paranormal Activity

We’ll start off with Oren Peli’s low-budget supernatural horror-thriller, which has been touted (including by our own Kofi Outlaw) as a genuinely creepy film (or totally hated on for being “lame”). It opened in U.S. theaters on October 16th (after many very limited screenings that got some serious word-of-mouth going) and the last time we reported on its money-making success, it had reached the $87 million mark.

However, in an official press release from Paramount comes the news that Paranormal Activity’s $100 million achievement makes it the highest grossing R-Rated thriller of the last ten years, and places it comfortably at the #5 spot of highest-grossing horror/supernatural releases of all time. That is a HECK of an achievement for a film that was made for less than $15,000, I think you’ll agree.

Here’s some of the press release from Paramount, where Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brad Grey, talks about the success of the film:

“What is truly amazing about PARANORMAL ACTIVITY is the depth of commitment from fans who demanded to see it… Adam Goodman, our head of production, believed in the film and championed it from the very first screening. This box-office milestone is also a testament to Oren Peli’s considerable talents as a filmmaker. All of us at Paramount are proud to have been involved with his revolutionary project.”

If you’re interested, you can read the rest of the press release over at /Film.

Paranormal Activity has still to open in my neck of the woods (Scotland, UK), but that will change in a couple of weeks (it opens November 25th here). I’ve heard a lot of good things about it, and I look forward to seeing what the people involved have gotten out of such a low-budget film, and, of course, just to see for myself what all the fuss is about. It’s made A LOT of money so far, particularly in comparison to the minuscule (in movie budget terms) amount of money it had to play with. Good for it, I say.

How about Michael Jackson’s This Is It? Keep Reading…

• Add Your Name to the ‘Paranormal Activity’ DVD Credits
• New Clip From Michael Jackson’s ‘This Is It’
• Paranormal Activity Theatrical Trailer
• Paranormal Activity Adds More Showtimes and Theaters
• Will ‘This Is It’ be Bigger than ‘Spider-Man’ and ‘Harry Potter’?
• It’s Official: Michael Jackson Tour Rehearsals Will Be a Movie

We reported last month that the reason we haven’t seen a sequel to the mega successful sci-fi blockbuster, Independence Day, is because 20th  Century Fox is apparently stalling because of money. Personally, even if the first film’s star, Will Smith, would demand a hefty paycheck to return, I still see an Independence Day sequel making insane bank, even after the cost of a crazy marketing campaign (see director Roland Emmerich’s latest disaster flick, 2012).

Having said that, on the creative front at least it seems that Emmerich would love to do another one. And to further that, he recently spoke with MTV about doing an Independence Day 2, and said that it might even be split into two films (or perhaps he means just two separate films, one following the other’s story). Emmerich told MTV:

“What we want to do in the next – it’s actually two movies – we want to do a bigger arc… ‘Independence Day’ was always like the king who leads his troops into battle against an evil force, and that stays like that.”

He chimed in with a possible title he has in mind – “ID4-ever, Part I and II, maybe?” I don’t see how that works since ID4 isn’t the official title of the first movie, so I don’t see how working “4″ into the title as a pun really works. Maybe a joking tone on Emmerich’s part doesn’t come across in text…

He told MTV that’s there’s no script for the film, but there’s something being cooked up, at least, and noted that Will Smith would be involved in the next one:

“”There’s an idea… The idea is just to continue the story and actually I don’t know how many years ago this was—twelve, thirteen, fourteen years ago—and just continue where it ended.”

Emmerich obviously didn’t go into any details about what story he has in mind specifically, but did go on to promise that , “one day we will do it and that the story will stay firmly on the planet… It’s always about earth and that earth gets invaded.”

That last part is great to hear, as IMO the whole point of the first one was about Earth (the place we’re all used to) being invaded by an alien (pun intended ) life form. I’m not exactly sure how they’re going to do that again without it seeming like just a repeat of what we saw in the first film, but I’m certainly digging the idea of continuing the story, with the same characters played by Smith and Bill Pullman (as the President).

Would you like to see more of Will Smith’s Captain Steven Hiller?

As I said when the whole “Fox stalling ID4 2″ story appeared last month, I certainly wouldn’t mind another Independence Day movie; however I also wouldn’t be mad if they scrapped the idea. It’s perfectly fine as one film, and I see no outright NEED to make another. Having said that, it sounds like the direction Emmerich is thinking of going in is a solid one, and who knows, it could bring back some of the character development and quality storytelling that’s been missing from most, if not all, of his movies since.

What do you think of the direction Emmerich seems to be thinking about taking a followup to Independence Day? Do you agree it’s fine left at one movie or should more be made?

Independence Day 2 is still in the early idea stages, with no word of a release date as of yet.

Source: MTV

• Fox Stalling Independence Day Sequel
• Comic-Con: Destructively Fun Times With 2012
• ‘2012′ International Trailer
• For July 4th: Three Movies That Represent The American Spirit
• ‘2012′ To Have Spin-Off TV Series 2013?
• ‘2012′ To Have Spin-Off TV Series 2013?

No matter how it silly it may seem that the Saw franchise has gone on for this long, it doesn’t stop them from making money and (I stress this word) consequentially making more. We reported back in July that Saw VII was already in the works before the sixth one came out (they’re pretty much automatic cash for the studio so they have no problem putting that kind of faith in it).

However, what wasn’t known at the time (either that, or it flew passed us quicker than we could catch it) was that the seventh installment of Saw would be in 3D. Yes, even the franchise that effectively kicked off the torture-porn phenomenon less than 10 years ago has jumped aboard the 3D bandwagon. And something tells me the technology isn’t going to be employed subtly (read: correctly)…

Saw III, IV, V and VI screenwriters, Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton (The Collector) are returning for the next installment, and two more after that, as we learned recently (that’s NINE frickin’ Saw movies!). David Hackl – who helmed the fifth film in the franchise (although weirdly not the sixth) – is returning to direct the seventh. Shock Till You Drop reports Lionsgate has already set a release for Saw VII 3D on October 22, 2010, just in time for Halloween – man, we’ve just put our pumpkins away and they’ve already set a date for when the next Saw is going to be unleashed upon us…

I wonder how much longer the Saw franchise will keep on going – will nine be it? Or will they go one more to round it up to a nice number 10? I can’t imagine they’d go many more than that. I mean, it’s already beyond ridiculous how much they’ve dragged (yes, dragged) this series on, milking it for all it’s worth and more. But if we get to the point of a world where Saw XIX exists (that’s Saw 19 if you don’t know your Roman numerals ), I think we might as well give up as a species…

No really, Jigsaw, feel free to stay dead…

What do you think of Saw VII being released in 3D next year? Do you agree the franchise has dragged on way passed its sell by date? Or is there plenty of more blood left to flow before they should finish things off?

As stated, Saw VII in 3D has a release date of October 22nd, 2010.

Source: ShockTillYouDrop

• Lionsgate To Continue Saw Franchise
• Saw VI Teaser & First Clip, Saw VII On The Way
• New Theatrical Saw VI Trailer
• Saw VI: Halloween Blood Drive Nurse Photo Shoot
• New Stills from Saw VI
• New Behind-The-Scenes Footage from ‘Saw VI’

Back in March Screen Rant reported on yet another horror remake to be put into the works with Dreamworks’ Fright Night. At the time the producers had been put in place but no writer. Jump forward 8 months and a writer has been found in the form of Marti Noxon, who’s a regular writer on AMC’s classy Mad Men, as well as having worked on the hit vampire series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

The original Fright Night was written and directed by Tom Holland (Child’s Play, The Langoliers) back in 1985, and was about a teenager (William Ragsdale) who discovers his new next door neighbor (Chris Sarandon) is a vampire. However, he’s the only one who knows it, as no one will believe him.

I remember the original Fright Night pretty well, although I can’t seem to recall the comedy element from the “horror-comedy” label that’s being thrown around to describe it. Maybe I need to watch it again before this remake hits the silver screen… The Hollywood Reporter says the film will keep the horror-comedy tone while modernizing the effects.

The annoyance of Fright Night being yet another remake in the works aside, they certainly have got a well-suited writer for it in Noxon. Mad Men may not resemble the type of film this should be, but her history of writing and producing both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off show, Angel, will serve this remake well (at least as well as possible).

Producers on Fright Night are Michael De Luca, Michael Gaeta and Alison Rosenzweig, and Mark Sourian is overseeing the project for the studio.

Will Fright Night be one of the rare horror remakes that’s actually worth watching? Well there’s always a chance, and with the writer they have on this I’d say the chances are considerably higher than they would otherwise be. Having said that, there’s always a chance it could suck as much as the tons of other remakes out there. Let’s hope for the more positive of the two.

What do you think of the writer they’ve got for the Fright Night remake? Is this remake worthy or is it just another in a long line that should be left unmade?

No release date has been set for Fright Night yet.

Source: THR

• Remake Of Fright Night Is In The Works
• ‘Buffy’ Reboot Without Joss Whedon?
• Re-Animator Remake Coming In 3D
• Poltergeist Remake Delayed
• Rob Zombie To Remake ‘The Blob’
• ‘Saw’ Director James Wan Making ‘Castlevania’ Movie

One of most fun-looking martial arts movies to come along in awhile is Ninja Assassin. It stars Korean mega pop star, Rain (in his first leading action role) and comes to us from director James McTeigue as well as The Wachowski brothers, the team who brought us the excellent comic book adaptation, V For Vendetta.

Ninja Assassin is about a ninja who defects from the orphanage where he was trained, only to be hunted by his ninja clan brethren whose very existence is considered a myth. But, as with a lot of these types of movies, the plot doesn’t really matter – all that matters is that the action is kick-ass and that certainly looks to be the case with this film.

Thanks to the guys over at Collider we have six new clips from Ninja Assassin, all provided within the one video player for your viewing convenience . Check the clips out below:

Awesome stuff. I’m really digging the effects employed during the fighting, particularly the swooshing and swiping of the blades, which are reminiscent of the knife scene from the aforementioned V For Vendetta. Rain at least LOOKS the part here, which is impressive considering this is his first real lead action role, coming off of a few supporting roles in a handful of other films, and of course, his huge music career.

I don’t know if it’s the somewhat cheesy dialogue or Rain himself, but from a couple of those clips it appears Rain might not be the greatest of actors. But since when has that held back any of the best action stars (i.e. Arnie, Seagal, Van Damme)? As long as Rain can pull off the over-the-top action convincingly, that’s all that counts in my eyes – and by the looks of it, he accomplishes that.

What do you think of the latest clips from Ninja Assassin? Do you think Rain fits the role? Are you excited for this movie?

Ninja Assassin opens on November 25th, 2009 in the U.S., and on January 8th, 2010 in the UK.

Source: Collider

• Official Trailer for James McTeigue’s Ninja Assassin
• New Clips: Ninja Assassin & Survival of the Dead
• First Official Ninja Assassin Poster
• ‘Ninja Assassin’s’ Rain To ‘Awaken The Dragon?’
• New Clips & TV Spots: Pandorum, Zombieland, Ninja Assassin & More!
• Rain Still In Line For ‘Enter the Dragon’ Remake? [Updated]

I think just about every fan of Park Chan-wook’s 2003 Korean masterpiece, Oldboy, can breathe a lot easier now and for the foreseeable future. Back in July we told you that an Oldboy remake (or new adaptation of the source comics) directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Will Smith was sadly back still in development. A complicated mess of legal turns meant that any original troubles that may have hindered the project had disappeared, and at that time it looked like we’d all have to face a world where an Oldboy remake existed.

Well, not anymore!

According to a “trusted source” at Latino Review (and these guys are usually pretty spot-on when it comes to this sort of stuff), Spielberg and Smith’s Oldboy remake is firmly dead… on the ground… with its tongue cut out (Oldboy fans, you know what I’m talking about). Word is that Mandate and Dreamworks (who both were in the process of securing the rights) couldn’t see eye-to-eye, and the big one, Dreamworks, has walked away from the project.

So no Dreamworks = no Spielberg on this one, and Latino Review reports Smith is out as well. And thus, at least for the time being, there’s no Oldboy remake in the works. I said it when the project worked its way back on track at the beginning of July (and I quote), “I, and just about every other Oldboy fan out there, can only hope another problem arises that hinders and hopefully even cancels this remake project altogether.” About as poignant a statement, especially now, than anything Martin Luther King Jr. or Gandhi said. Okay, maybe a BIT less poignant …

As /Film points out, this isn’t to say that we will NEVER see a U.S. remake (oops, sorry – new adaptation) of Oldboy – perhaps even sooner rather than later – as it may get taken somewhere else to get made. A smaller studio than Dreamworks may be a better fit for the project, as opposed to the powerhouse of Dreamworks and Spielberg. And, of course, there’s Smith, who I personally think is a bad choice for the lead role -  not because I don’t think he’s suited for it, but his star status will draw away from everything else (I’d always be watching Smith and not his character). To further my sentiment from a few months ago – I hope this project stays dead this time.

Are you glad that (at least for now) the U.S. remake of Oldboy is dead? Are you glad Spielberg and Smith won’t be involved? Do you agree they should leave the original (both film and graphic novels) well alone?

This most likely won’t be the last piece of news/info to come out about this, so stay tuned to Screen Rant for developments.

Sources: Latino Review and /Film

• ‘Oldboy’ Remake Status: Sadly Back On Track
• SR Pick [Video]: Milo Ventimiglia Reenacts ‘Oldboy’ Fight Scene
• Steven Spielberg Producing Martin Luther King Jr. Biopic
• Family Trouble Over Martin Luther King Jr. Biopic
• Spielberg News: Lincoln Still On Deck, Downey Jr. To Star In Harvey?
• Spielberg to Remake ‘Harvey’

Back in 1995, director David Fincher and screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker (The Wolfman) collaborated on what is now touted as a “crime classic” and “a blueprint for modern serial killer movies.” That movie was Se7en, and I totally agree with all the praise that’s been heaped upon it (it recently featured in our “Horror Plus” series).

Now, 14 years later, Fincher and Walker are going to be collaborating once more, this time on an adaptation of the novel The Reincarnation of Peter Proud for Columbia. THR’s Heat Vision Blog reports the news of their involvement, along with producer Michael De Luca (Blade, Ghost Rider). The author of the book, Max Ehrlich, adapted it into a movie in 1975 of the same name, so I guess in a way this movie is a remake by Fincher (there’s that “remake or new adaptation” question again). According to THR:

“‘Proud’ centers on a college professor who begins having recurring dreams and nightmares and, realizing they are images of a past life, decides to search out the source of the visions. With his girlfriend in tow, he discovers a woman and her grown-up daughter who are keys to his past life.”

Sounds like a perfect match for Fincher’s often gritty and off-kilter style, although the first movie that sprung to my mind was the Jim Carrey-starring The Number 23 (which, admittedly, I actually liked). The 1975 adaptation – a supernatural thriller – apparently drew controversy at the time because of a subplot [SPOILER ALERT!!!] involving incest [END SPOILER]; I just wonder if Walker will write that into his new version (I haven’t read the book so I don’t know if that subplot was concocted just for the movie). The creative team are going to go back to Ehrlich’s original novel as their source, and are said to be contemporizing the story.

I’m guessing Fincher will first be focusing on his Facebook movie, The Social Network (he’s set to start shooting very soon), before he moves onto Peter Proud. But when he does move on, I’ll be very glad to see him return to the thriller genre, which he has proven a master of, with the likes of Se7en, The Game, Panic Room and Fight Club (to some extent). His last two films – the fantastic Zodiac and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – saw him put on his classy hat. Now let’s see him get down and dirty all over again…

What do you think of Fincher and Walker re-teaming for Peter Proud? Does the premise sound like a good fit for Fincher’s style? Have you seen the 1975 adaptation of the novel?

The Reincarnation of Peter Proud currently doesn’t have a set shooting or release date. Stay tuned.

Source: THR’s Heat Vision Blog

• A Look At David Fincher’s Animated Film ‘The Goon’
• Three Join Cast of ‘Let The Right One In’ Remake
• Status Update: Facebook Movie Gets the Green Light
• ‘Tron Legacy’ Writers Set To Write Ouija Board Movie
• Sam Worthington Is A “Tourist” With Charlize Theron
• ‘The Social Network’ Wants to be Your Facebook Friend

We learned early this summer that Universal is planning a Battleship board game movie, then a couple of months ago Peter Berg (Hancock) was tapped to direct, and a release date was set for July 1st, 2011 (apparently it’s been changed to August 5th, 2011). Berg has described the Battleship movie as, “an epic naval action adventure,” that is, “a contemporary story of an international five-ship fleet engaged in a very dynamic, violent and intense battle.”

That was enough to go on at the time, but what Berg DIDN’T mention was who the enemy was going to be…that is, until now. On Friday, Latino Review got a scoop that confirmed (their words, not ours) from a source that the foes the “hero” battleships were presumably going to be battling against are… wait for it… aliens! That’s right, extraterrestrials presumably attacking earth for our wonderful resources (what’s left of them, that is…).

Echoing Latino Review’s reaction – REALLY? Aliens? That’s what they’ve come up with as the antagonist for the Battleship movie? Not only is it quite unoriginal when you consider the amount of alien invasion stories that have graced our screens, but in my eyes it’s a flat-out bad idea. Having said that, my judgement may be clouded as Battleship is just one in a long line of board games that I just don’t see working on the big-screen.

As has been one of my biggest points of discussion with all these board game movies in the pipeline: why call this movie Battleship? The logical answer is to capitalize on the name recognition – however, the plot they’re going with – an alien enemy – has nothing to do with the original game (to quote fellow Screen Rant writer, Rob Keyes – “Is there an edition of electronic Battleship that I missed?” ). To be fair, ANY plot will have that problem as the game didn’t HAVE a plot or story – it was just two people at either side of a vertical board putting pegs into it as they guess their opponent’s ship positions. I don’t see why they can’t just make a new movie about alien-battling ships without falling back on a Hasbro board game… Urgh, I just don’t see the incentive in making this thing.

To plays devil advocate on my own devil’s advocacy, I have to admit I’m sort of curious to see how Battleship turns out, particularly with Berg at the helm. He’s hasn’t got a perfect track record (as much as Hancock was fun in parts, its huge potential wasn’t made the most of IMHO), but he’s shown he’s got the talent to make something interesting out of an initially bad/boring/cliched (whatever…) idea, notably in the completely messed up Very Bad Things. I haven’t got much hope for Battleship (Whiteout screenwriters, Erich and Jon Hoeber writing it doesn’t exactly inspire confidence) but I’m fully willing to be proven wrong.

What do you think of the enemy in the Battleship adaptation being aliens? Do you think adapting this particular board game into a movie is a good idea? Or is it just another in a long line of those that should just be left in the box?

The last we heard, Battleship is set to start filming in Spring 2010, and has a release date of August 5th, 2011.

Source: Latino Review (thanks to /Film)

• Peter Berg Confirmed For Battleship, Release Date Set
• Does The Battleship Board Game Movie Have A Director?
• Candy Land, Monopoly, Battleship and Stretch Armstrong Updates
• Hancock 2 Gets 2 Writers
• Bateman Pumps the Brakes on Hancock 2 Casting Rumors
• Peter Berg Talks Hancock Sequel

Probably THE spectacle movie of 2009 is going to end up being Roland Emmerich’s latest big-budget disaster flick, 2012, which focuses on the Mayan prophecy that the world will end in December of the year 2012. The $200 million, special-effects laden, film stars the likes of John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Woody Harrelson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton and Danny Glover, and is set to crash into theaters in a week’s time.

However, with a film of this size, you know the buck rarely stops at one. In this case, Emmerich is already looking ahead at making more out of his latest disaster tale. Recently news surfaced that there was a 2012 sequel spin-off  TV series in the works (yes, they’re thinking about furthering this seemingly finite disaster story). But wait, how can there be a sequel, in any form, of 2012… isn’t it supposed to be about the end of the world? That’s what I thought, but apparently that’s not exactly the case. Thanks to Cinemablend we have some info on what the spin-off show might take:

[SPOILERS ahead]

As was speculated by a lot of people, the series would be called 2013, and apparently it will focus on the aftermath of the cataclysmic events that swarmed the world in the film. Emmerich says, “it’s not the bright happy future everyone was imagining [when the film ends].”

“At the end of the film, there is a band of survivors on giant rescue boats. The series follows those boats to Africa, where they land and find survivors of the massive tidal wave that struck the continent, and they’re none too happy about having been left behind.”

[End of SPOILERS]

As for what kind of tone the show would have, Emmerich made mention of both Lost and District 9,which, as Cinemablend points out, leads us to believe it will entail complex and very involved storylines, a huge cast and gritty realism. That all sounds great, but what I wanna’ know is what kind of budget it will have? I mean, 2012 had a couple of hundred million to play with to make the effects look jaw-dropping (granted, we haven’t seen the movie yet, but from the trailers that appears to be very much the case). However, that’s just not feasible for an ongoing TV series, and since a lower budget (usually) means less impressive special effects, the TV series is inevitably going to pale in comparison to the movie.

Would a TV budget maintain the spectacle of 2012?

That’s assuming that the TV series would follow suit in terms of spectacle being the focus. Just because the movie is about spectacle doesn’t mean the TV series can’t use that as a launching point to focus on other elements, such as characters and storytelling (something I think we can all admit isn’t the strengths of Emmerich’s films). I’m not saying it will, but there’s always a possibility.

Of course, this is all talk at this point as 2012 has yet to open and prove itself a box office success. I have no doubt that it will make an absolute ton of money, considering the amazing visual effects it boasts, along with the fact that it’s suited to audiences worldwide (it’s the world that’s in peril, not just America!). But all the same, Emmerich and Co. will need to hold off to see how it does at the box office before they go ahead with their plans for making anything more out of the property.

What do you think of a 2012 sequel spin-off TV series being planned? Are you surprised to find that there’s more to the story beyond the movie? Since the TV show can’t really have the same gargantuan budget, what do you think it would be like?

2012 opens in theaters on November 13th, 2009. Now word on when 2013 would hit the airwaves.

Sources: Cinemablend (thanks to SciFiWire)

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