Weekend Movie News Wrap Up: July 27, 2008

Man, where does time go?

Hard to believe that The Dark Knight is now a distant memory (well, I can still hear the cash registers ringing).

It’s now time to look forward to a new batch of movies.  This week we have a horror remake bonanza featuring:

Leonardo DiCaprio entering The Twilight Zone, the return of Freddie Kruger in A Nightmare on Elm Street, MGM turn on the television and revisit Poltergeist and The Wolfman goes live.

1. Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company Appian Way have joined forces with Warner Brothers to try and buy the rights to the Rod Serling scripted episodes of The Twilight Zone in an attempt to get a feature off the ground.

It’s not sure if DiCaprio would star in the film (or films) or what format they would take. Way back in In 1983 Warner Bros released a four-segment film that was directed by the then hot fab four of Joe Dante, John Landis, George Miller and Steven Spielberg. The film was however released under tragic circumstances when star Vic Morrow and two children were killed on set during the Landis’ segment.

No director or writers have been attached - yet.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

2. New Line Cinema (or what’s left of it) is bringing Freddie Kruger back from the dead. They have hired scripter Wesley Strick to pen the remake of Wes Craven’s 1984 horror classic A Nightmare on Elm Street.

The remake is being produced by Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes production shingle.

The aim is that he film will be released next year on the 25th Anniversary of the original film.

Wouldn’t it just be cheaper to re-release it?

Source: Hollywood Reporter

3. MGM has decided to revisit the Poltergeist franchise. They are currently in the planning stages of remaking Tobe Hooper’s iconic 1982 horror film.

When the original film was released Steven Spielberg had to take out a full page ad in the trades to say that he didn’t direct the film.

I don’t think that he’ll have the same problem here.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

4. The website for The Wolfman has gone live. It features a pretty spolier free synposis and two pictures of the titular monster and Benico Del Torro and Anthony Hopkins in character.

There are also some words from an old Gypsy poem (and the original film starring Lon Chaney Jr.):

Even a man who is pure of heart,
And says his prayers every night,
May become a wolf,
When the Wolfsbane blooms
And the Autumn Moon is bright.

Spooky!!

Did I mention that this was a remake of a 1941 film?

Source: The Wolfman

That’s it for another week.

See you at the movies!!