It’s that time of the week again – Mid Week Movie News Wrap Up.

This week

It looks like Brett Ratner may have some issues when it comes to directing Conan; Samuel L. Jackson and Jim Caviezel are Blown; DiCaprio talks Akira; we have more news on Simon Pegg’s Paul and Ennio Morricone is a Basterd!

1. Earlier in the week it looked like like Brett Ratner would indeed be helming the Conan, reboot/ remake/ re-imagining/ adaptation for Millennium Films. Seems like someone, somewhere jumped the broadsword.

The LA Times spoke with the films producer Avi Lerner and the potential director and both said that Ratner’s involvement was far from secure.

Lerner said:

“We still have a few obstacles. Brett is only committed if we agree on a budget, on how to do the special effects and exactly where we’d shoot the film.”

Meanwhile Ratner was a little less enthusiastic:

“Let me make this very clear, I am not doing Conan now. This is totally premature. For now, ‘Conan’ is only a development deal. I have a deal at Paramount and I’m doing Beverly Hills Cop first, no matter what. Avi shouldn’t be telling you or anyone else in the press what I’m doing.”

Ouch. That does not sound like a good moviemaking partnership to me.

At least Eddie Murphy will be happy.

Source: The LA Times

2. Jim Caviezel and Samuel L. Jackson will star in Blown, a London based action thriller.

According to The Hollywood Reporter:

“The film centers on Will Matlock (Caviezel), a top MI5 operative whose routine investigation of a global corporation leads him to discover an imminent terrorist attack. Jackson will play Julian Lezard, the businessman who engages him in a high-stakes game of wits and deception.”

I’m quite a fan of old Jimbo. He did star as the world’s most famous carpenter after all. The next two are Harrison Ford, and John Carpenter!

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

3. Leonardo Dicpario’s production company Apian Way is developing a film based on Anime classic Akira. It appeared that the Titanic star would be a shoe-in for a role. Not so, says the actor.

DiCaprio said:

“We’re waiting for the final draft of the script. I’m a big fan of Japanese anime – that and another project called Ninja Scroll we’re trying to get developed and made into a movie, and I know there a lot of loyal fans out there of the project and die-hard fans, so we’re going to try to do the best job we possibly can and we’re not going to make the movie until the script is in the right shape.”

Source: Splash Page

4. Star Trek’s Scotty Simon Pegg’s next film - Paul has a few more details courtesy of Variety. Apparently the film (which is to be directed by Superbad’s Greg Mottola) will be about :

“Two British slackers who after visiting Comic-Con go on a road trip to Area 51 where they encounter a small alien named Paul, who enlists them to help him find his way home.”

I don’t know about this, it sounds quite generic, and I feel that I’ve seen it before.

Source: Variety

5. Legendary composer Ennio Morricone will allegedly compose the score for Quentin Tarantino’s forthcoming Inglorious Basterds.

Pretty cool news, but I have to say that I’m more excited about seeing Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables.

Source: Tarantino Info

That’s it for now. See you at the movies!

• Iron Man Screenwriters Working on Akira Movie
• Live-Action ‘Akira’ Movie Is Dead
• Conan Update: Ratner Out, McTeigue In?
• What Inglourious Music Will The Basterds Be Put To?
• Beverly Hills Cop IV ‘A Huge Priority’ For Paramount
• Sam Jackson To Return As Nick Fury – Over & Over Again