Welcome to another Weekend Movie News Wrap Up. It’s almost St Patrick’s Day, which is great for everyone, but as I’m Irish it means that I can drink Guinness all day long and no one will look down on me. Well, no more than usual.
That’s enough about me though, I know that you don’t read this item to discover my social calender so I’ll cut to the chase and give you your movie news fix from the past week.
This week we have news on : Mad Max: Fury Road, George Lucas’ Red Tails, The Punisher : War Zone, Wolfgan Petersen’s Uprising and a new version of Heavy Metal.
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1. Newsweek spoke with George Miller about the fourth Mad Max film: Fury Road. He is quoted as saying:
Well, the first one will be a Mad Max game. Because what happened was, we were all ready to go, within eleven weeks of shooting the next Mad Max movie, Fury Road. This was way back when the war in Iraq started, and that really threw this out for a whole host of reasons, not the least of which was that the American dollar crashed against the Australian dollar. And apart from that, just insurances, getting vehicles and stuff there on container ships–all that slowed down around the world. So we had to move on to Happy Feet, because that was going to take a long time.
He also says that Mel Gibson was all but signed to the film six years ago, but that when he makes the film it will be without Gibson, as he is too old.
Now Miller wants to make a Mad Max video game before he puts the film into production. Miller says:
The movie was in a very highly advanced stage of preproduction when we stopped it. It’s all prepared, but now I want to stop and do the game and get those schedules in sync.. In other words, I’m delaying the movie in order to do a really good game. Normally what happens everyone’s scrambling to finish a game so it can coincide with the release of the movie.
My interest in this thing has just nose dived if Mel Gibson isn’t involved. Mad Mel is Mad Max!
2. George Lucas has said that the long in gestating Red Tails could be released by the end of the year and that he will then go on to ” do a Coppola” and direct art house style films. Lucas says:
We’re getting towards a script, and probably start shooting before the end of the year, and it should come out next year, maybe. That’s probably going to be the last movie I do, apart from my own movies, but my own movies are going to be more esoteric and probably will come and go in a week and be in one or two arthouses. It’s basically the same as what Francis is doing.
I don’t see Lucas getting behind a camera again to direct, but would have said that fifteen years ago about the chances of another Star Wars film. We will see.
3. The Punisher: War Zone website is now live. There’s not a great deal to see, but you can have a peek at a couple of stills. I’m looking forward to this.
4. Wolfgang Petersen will direct Uprising, a Sci-Fi thriller penned by Charles Leavitt. According to Variety :
(The) story revolves around the resistance efforts of some citizens after Earth has been occupied by a powerful alien race.
Sounds like it could be good. Sounds like it could be crap. Time will tell, but I’m quite a fan of Petersen’s work so I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
5. Paramount Pictures will produce an animated film based on the magazine Heavy Metal. The film will be made up of different stories, each directed by a different director. David Fincher will direct one segment, while Tim Miller and Kevin Eastman will direct also. More directors will be added soon.
That’s it for now, see you next week!
Sources: Newsweek , Comingsoon , PunisherMovie.com , Variety
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13 Comments
Regarding Miller’s interview - “we had to move on to Happy Feet”
Isn’t that always the way with Holloywood?
‘well, we can’t make our post-apocolyptic road rage movie, I guess we have to go with plan B, the dancing penguins’.
I love it.
“it will be without Gibson, as he is too old” - newsflash George, he was old 6 years ago too, no one cares. Just make the stinkin’ movie already.
I couldn’t help it… I found it rather funny to have a guy who was in the middle of working on a Mad Max movie have to drop it because he had to go work on “Happy Feet.”
Vic
I can’t believe Miller worked on Happy Feet. talk about polar opposites. Lol..!
Talking about (Mad Max 4)….the story I heard back 6 years ago was that Mel Gibson had a script he wanted to produce “Passion of the Christ” and he was trying to get Warner Bros to co-produce and distribute.
Mel was about to sign on to do MM4 and at the last minute requested a better script (stalling for time) because (WB) hadn’t agreed to co-prod. or distribute “Passion”.
Warner Bros claimed they passed on “Passion” but in reality they wanted to change alot of stuff in the script. Mel got pissed and tried to sell “Passion of the Christ” all over town. He had a tough time getting what he wanted out of Hollywood so he passed on Mad Max 4 and broke off to completly produce “Passion” on his own.
As we all know Mel’s, Passion of the Christ film went on to do Star Wars box office and set new trends in Independant films.
Warner Bros could of had Mad Max 4 and the Passion, but threw them both away in the name of control and greed.
They eventually made up but I still don’t see Gibson in a Mad Max film anymore.
Being a fan of Xbox I guess I will look forward to this new Mad Max game but I have a feeling if the game dosnt sell or do well you won’t get another Mad Max film.
The film Doomsday bombed massivly this weekend. It was billed as another Mad-Max type of film. It barly made 2 mill.
With Mel now Directing/Producing id be surprised if we see him act in films again.
Wow, that’s a fascinating (and totally believable) story. Freakin’ Hollywood, eh?
Vic
Punisher, meh…
Hey Naill do you drink your Guiness warm?
That Uprising project sounds cool.
Another Heavy Metal film sounds great but I doubt they will ever duplicate the awesome first Heavy Metal film.
That one was a masterpiece. The second one was just a total piece.
I’m not holding out however. They just can’t capture the essence of the first Heavy Metal. That was the 70/80’s just not the same anymore. I remember it even had an R.rating.
I for one see Lucas leaving Sc-fi?
Maybe I’m wrong. But it sounds that way if he expects to make films that last a week or 2. Gheesh whata positive attitude?
Anyway
Cheers Naill!
Right with ya 790
I was going to say something about how great the first Heavy Metal was but I was afraid people would think I was a perv. It really have great story-telling and mix of animation styles
Lucas sounds a little creepy
“blah blah blah Francis blah blah Francis blah movie”
His next project is about a director stalking a more talented director
Right on Panda, Heavy Metal had one of the best soundtracks of all time, as it should have. Great short stories that all surrounded a main story about evil.
The animation was brilliant, dark and sometimes funny.
I reccomend anyone over the age of 18 to rent Heavy Metal. Its awesome.
The second film don’t even bother it had nothing in common.
The only way to have Guinness is at room temperature- none of this chilled stuff!!
Thanks Niall. Cheers from Burbank California.
Cool weekend news post btw.
Panda, maybe people already think that.
I saw HM as a teen and don’t remember it, except the movie poster got my attention. I think I would appreciate various animation styles more today.
DAOH!!
Remember that poster with the logo and the huge flying (Joust) looking bird with the hottie raising a massive sword.
She’s in the final story. What made the film cool was that it was full animation but it had nude women, drugs, swearing and violent action scenes.
Matter of fact I think the film scarred me for life. Haha’s
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