MOVIE NEWS
BASIC INSTINCT 2
The Herald Sun reports that Sharon Stone (right) will star in a sequel to Basic
Instinct now that her fight with the film's producers is over.
And she may appear nude again in the follow-up. "I'm like, 'Does anybody
want to pay $12 to see me naked?"' the 46-year-old said. "I'm like, 'I guess
it's OK."'
Michael Douglas will not appear in the sequel, and Stone said she would have
a younger lover this time. "Somebody should be younger," she said.
Stone was suing producers for $19 million over the collapse of the project,
but said yesterday a settlement had been reached.
ALEXANDER THE GREAT (LUHRMANN'S VERSION)
'E! Online' confirmed that director Baz Luhrmann's epic movie Alexander The
Great is not dead yet because of Oliver Stone's upcoming version. Leonardo
DiCaprio is likely to take the lead, with Nicole Kidman as his mother,
Olympia.
The 'Telegraph' reported that Luhrmann opted to scrap the movie because he
wanted to take a year off and spend time with his production designer wife,
Catherine Martin, and their new daughter, Lillian, born last October. The
story was subsequently picked up by the 'New York Post'.
However, disputing those accounts, Luhrmann's representative, Maria Farmer,
said the filmmaker has not scuttled his historical biopic on the Macedonian
conqueror, and is still firming up plans for his next cinematic outing.
Farmer: "Baz is currently in Europe working on the final draft of his script
for Alexander The Great. When he completes that draft he will decide whether
Alexander is the next film on his slate. We do not know where these reports
have originated from. They certainly did not come from Baz."
Oliver Stone's version is released on 5 November, with Colin Farrell in the
lead, opposite Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins, and Val Kilmer.
BEOWULF
One of the oldest poems in English literature is being turned into a
Hollywood movie, says The Hollywood Reporter.
Beowulf, the epic tale of man vs. monster, is set up at Warner Bros., and
will be written by rookie screenwriter Matthew Sand, a former SoHo art
dealer with a background in art history.
Written in Old English and dating back to the eighth century, the
blood-soaked poem tells the tale of Beowulf of the Geats, who is called to
slay Grendel, a monster that is attacking a Danish kingdom. After defeating
Grendel, Beowulf slays Grendel's mother and then clashes with a dragon.
FANTASTIC FOUR
Jessica Alba (TV's Dark Angel, right) has been cast as Susan Storm in The Fantastic
Four, says The 'Hollywood Reporter', meaning the core cast is now in place -
finally! Alba is currently filming scenes for Robert Rodriguez's Sin City.
No word yet on whether she'll be dying her trademark dark hair blonde, but I
suspect so...
BIG BUG MAN
Brendan Fraser is in talks to provide the voice of the titular animated
character Big Bug Man. The movie concerns a hapless guy who works for a
crooked candy company and, in a mishap, gains the odd powers of a slew of
insects that have bitten him. In his final performance, Marlon Brando
recorded a supporting voice role for the picture.
BOND 21
Variety has learned that executives on the next James Bond instalment are
keen on filming in Prague and have begun talks with studios and service
companies. However, it looks like a decision may be waiting on the
completion of a script.
CHRONICLES OF NARNIA
'NarniaWeb.com' reports that the four child leads for The Chronicles of
Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe have been announced.
The 'New Zealand Herald' says that the four children are Georgie Henley, 9,
from London, who plays the lead character Lucy; Skandar Keynes, 12, also
from London, who plays Edmund; Anna Popplewell, 15, from West Yorkshire, who
plays Susan; and William Moseley, 17, from Gloucestershire, who plays the
eldest brother Peter.
Meanwhile, 'The Dominion Post' also revealed that Jim Broadbent (Moulin
Rouge!) will play the role of the professor in the film.
FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
Clint Eastwood and Steven Spielberg are teaming up to bring the story of the
Battle of Iwo Jima to the big screen, reports 'Variety'.
Eastwood will direct an adaptation of Flags of Our Fathers: Heroes of Iwo
Jima for Spielberg's 'DreamWorks' studio. The 1945 battle was a turning
point in the Pacific; in just one month, 22,000 Japanese and 26,000
Americans died, and the battle produced one of World War II's most enduring
images: a photograph of six soldiers raising an American flag on the flank
of Mount Suribachi, the island's commanding high point.
One of the six soldiers was Navy corpsman John Bradley. Bradley never
mentioned his experiences to his family, and it was only after his death in
1994 that his son James discovered his father's heroism. James Bradley wrote
the Flags Of Our Fathers book, which was published in 2000, with Ron Powers.
Eastwood and Spielberg previously collaborated on 1995's The Bridges of
Madison County, which Eastwood directed and Spielberg produced. The script
for Flags Of Our Fathers will be written by Paul Haggis, who is currently
co-writing The Million Dollar Baby with Eastwood, who is also directing with
Hilary Swank in a leading role.
THE GREEN LANTERN
Jack Black (School Of Rock) has been cast as superhero Green Lantern, for a
comedic version of the superhero character.
THE HOBBIT
'Variety' reports that it's increasingly likely that 'Time-Warner', who own
'Warner Brothers' and 'New Line Cinema', will purchase 'MGM' - because
'Sony' were unable to deliver a final offer for the company.
Buying 'MGM' would give 'Time-Warner' a nice little bonus, too - namely the
worldwide theatrical and television rights to any future movie version of
J.R.R Tolkien's The Hobbit!
Therefore, 'New Line Cinema', which released The Lord Of The Rings trilogy,
would be able to pursue the film for Peter Jackson to, hopefully, direct...
(DVDfever Dom asks: Will PJ come up with better CGI than
the 1980s computer game (right), though? :)
THE ITALIAN JOB 2
'Paramount Pictures' has assigned producer John Goldwyn to begin work on a
sequel to recent U.S Italian Job remake. 'Variety' reports that, while the
plot is still being thought out, St. Tropez, Paris and the Swiss Alps are
probable shooting locations.
There's no word yet on who from the original U.S cast will return, but I
doubt Oscar-winner Charlize Theron will be quite so eager to appear these
days...
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 3
Director Joe Carnahan (Narc) has dropped out of helming Mission Impossible 3
because of those oft-mentioned creative differences, according to 'The
Hollywood Reporter'.
The Tom Cruise sequel was scheduled to begin shooting next month in Berlin.
Also confirmed for the cast are Scarlett Johansson (Lost In Translation),
Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix), Kenneth Branagh (Harry Potter) and Ving
Rhames (Pulp Fiction). Hopefully this is an indication that M:I-3 will
actually feature a team (which was the whole point of the TV show) and not
devolve into another Cruise/Bond hybrid.
SEE ARNOLD RUN
'A&E' is in talks with German actor Jurgen Prochnow (Judge Dredd, right) to play
the role of Arnold Schwarzenegger in its upcoming biopic about the
muscle-bound actor, entitled See Arnold Run.
'The Hollywood Reporter' says the cable channel has already cast Roland
Kickinger (Son Of The Beach) to play a younger version of Arnie in the film,
which will focus on his successful bid to become governor of California as
well as his early bodybuilding career.
The project is scheduled to begin shooting next month in southern California
and could be released as early as late-2004.
LADY LUCK
Lindsay Lohan (Mean Girls) is in final talks to star in Lady Luck for $7
million, reports 'Variety'.
Director Donald Petrie (How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days) will helm the comedy
about the luckiest girl in the world (Lohan) who, through a chance encounter
with a perennial loser, finds her good fortune swapped for his incredibly
bad luck.
The script was originally written by Jonathan Bernstein, James Greer and
Mark Blackwell, but then rewritten by I. Marlene King.
LAND OF THE DEAD
George Romero is set to direct Land Of The Dead, a horror film that
continues his decade-spanning zombie saga.
'Variety' says the film, written by Romero, will begin production this
October in Winnipeg or Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh was the site of shooting for
Romero's original 1968 zombie trilogy.
In the film, the zombies having taken over the world and those left alive
are confined to a walled-in city that keeps out the corpse corps. Anarchy
rules the streets, with the wealthy insulated and living in fortified
skyscrapers.
The drama revolves around a group of scavengers who must thwart an attempt
to overthrow the city while the dead are evolving from brainless slow-moving
creatures into more advanced creatures.
Romero had been developing Diamond Dead, a black comedy musical that's being
produced by Scott Free and Andrew Gaty, and he also scripted an adaptation
of the Stephen King novel The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, which he may direct
for Canadian financier Don Archibald and 'Lions Gate'.
A PHILOSOPHICAL INVESTIGATION
'Variety' reports that X-Files creator Chris Carter will direct the thriller
A Philosophical Investigation for 'Paramount Pictures'. Carter and his
X-Files associate Frank Spotnitz have signed on as co-writers and will
produce with Mace Neufeld.
Based on the novel by Philip Kerr, the story is set in the near future where
genetic testing is mandatory to identify individuals predisposed to
violence. The plot centres on a female Scotland Yard inspector who's drawn
into a cat-and-mouse game when a sociopath computer expert finds himself on
the list and decides to kill the others on it.
Neufeld hopes the script will be ready in a few months. No casting has been
set. Carter is currently adapting the book The World Of Ted Serios and
intends to direct for 'Dimension Films'. Spotnitz recently wrote Doomsday
Crossing for 'Revolution Pictures' and will also direct a remake of Star
Chamber for FX, which he co-wrote.
STAR TREK XI
While speaking with Star Trek Communicator, Star Trek producers Rick Berman
and Brannon Braga hinted at the direction of the eleventh Trek movie.
Apparently, the plan is to film a prequel movie set before the Original
Series of Captain Kirk's era, but later than TV's Star Trek Enterprise
series.
Star Trek XI will centre on the Federation's first encounter with the
Romulans, sparking a huge war and the eventual formation of The Neutral
Zone. In Trek chronology, the Neutral Zone was created in 2160, just six
years in the future of TV's Enterprise.
TERMINATOR 4
Screenwriter John Brancato told 'Latino Review' about his next job -
scripting Terminator 4 as a Schwarzenegger-less vehicle (although the
Austrian Oak may appear in a cameo).
Brancato: "We did have to think about a new franchise character. [Arnold
Schwarzenneger] couldn't carry the movies anymore. So that caused us to
have, I think, a pretty novel approach about what the new Terminator would
be like. What directions would it go in? Again, they made me actually sign
things that I would not leak. As much as I would like to brag about the
script, I can't really tell you!"
SUPERMAN
Director Brian Singer (X-Men) has accepted an offer to helm the new Superman
movie by with his X-Men cohorts Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris. Nothing is
known about the movie, except that J.J Abrams' script is being abandoned,
and the movie will not start the franchise from scratch.
Singer's Logan's Run remake is now on hold, as is X-Men 3 unless the studio
decide to go with a new director.
Singer has also commented on his involvement with the Superman franchise,
saying: "My interest in Superman dates back many, many years. In fact, it
was the Richard Donner classic film that was my day-to-day inspiration in
shaping the X-Men universe for the screen. I feel that Superman has been
late in his return and it is time for him to fly again."
SHADOWMANCER
'Universal Pictures' have acquired the rights to G.P. Taylor's best-seller
Shadowmancer, and will adapt it for the big screen with 'Fortitude Films'
producing.
Taylor's 17th-century tale is about a group of kids who try to steal an
ancient relic that will be used by an evil sorcerer to bring darkness to the
world.
'Fortitude' have already agreed buy to Wormwood, Taylor's second novel,
which is a current best-seller in the U.K., and will be published in the U.S
this autumn.
STRANGER THAN FICTION
Will Ferrell (Elf) is in talks to star in the comedy Stranger Than Fiction,
which Marc Forster (Monster's Ball) will direct for 'Senator International'.
The film, written by Zach Helm, revolves around an IRS auditor whose life is
interrupted by the sound of a personal narrator who knows his every thought,
feeling and action, including when and where he will die.
This September, Ferrell starts filming the long-awaited Bewitched movie
alongside Nicole Kidman. His projects for next year include the Woody Allen
film Melinda & Melinda, and Kicking & Screaming with Robert Duvall.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
'Paramount Pictures' is contemplating remaking The Ten Commandments for the
third time, according to 'The Hollywood Reporter'. Mark Gordon is on board
to produce, and screenwriter Charles Randolph is about to meet with the
studio about writing the biblical epic.
First released in 1923, the Cecil B. DeMille film was a silent, mixed
black-and-white footage with early Technicolor film and featured Theodore
Roberts and Charles de Rochefort. DeMille revisited the epic as a 1956
feature starring Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner and Anne Baxter. That film was
nominated for seven Academy Awards, including best picture.
The trade says Gordon and Randolph are interested in fashioning a serious,
research-based treatment of the subject.
** IN THE PIPELINE **