MOVIE NEWS
THE PRODUCERS
First it was a classic comedy movie starring Gene Wilder... then it became a
smash-hit stage musical with Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane... so now The
Producers returns to the big-screen - but as a musical!
It's certainly a unique evolution of Mel Brooks' fantastic original, and The
Producers should become a huge success given its unfailing pedigree, when it
hits theatres in December.
The one-sheet poster has just been released (see right).
CASINO ROYALE
'Empire Online' spoke to director Martin Campbell (Goldeneye, The Mask Of Zorro) about
the status of the next Bond movie, Casino Royale.
He said that there are more than the rumoured four contenders (Daniel Craig,
Henry Cavill, Sam Worthington, Goran Visnjic), adding: "we're still working
on the script, we're casting. We've tested actors and we're looking at tests
to see how they come out, doing all that. As yet, nobody; we haven't decided
on anybody - and I don't think anybody is the front-runner. I think we're
looking at the tests very objectively, and taking our time with it because
the point is that whoever plays it has to do three movies, it's a huge
commitment."
He added that the list of names is probably more like 8 or 10 right now, and
that they are searching for an actor at the age of "about 28, 30-31".
Campbell was also asked why Paul Haggis (Million Dollar Baby) was brought on
board to rewrite the script.
"If you read the book, the relationship between Bond and Vespa was a very
complicated one. The idea was to get some character into her, to make her a
very strong girl so she stands up to Bond; she's his sort of equal.
Certainly, psychologically speaking - and it needs someone like Paul to pull
that off. To bring out genuine character - and also to bring the humour.
Gone will be the awful one-line clunkers. Hopefully there will be a little
bit of wit in this one."
Campbell also confirmed that Casino Royale would be grittier and more
realistic than Die Another Day.
HALO
The movie adaptation of the hit XBOX video-game seems to be picking up some
decent pedigree, with news that director Peter Jackson (The Lord Of The
Rings) will serve as producer on the movie alongside his partner Fran Walsh!
HALLOWEEN
The 'New York Times' reports that The Weinstein Company is expected to make
its biggest profits with two Michael Moore films in the next two years.
Fahrenheit 9/11.5 is a sequel to last year's blockbuster and would examine
the run-up to the 2004 presidential election and is projected to deliver $47
million in profit; while Sicko, about the health care industry and health
maintenance organizations, is projected to deliver $52 million to the bottom
line.
The newspaper also adds that the Weinsteins took with them rights to various
franchises after separating from 'Disney' on 30 September, where they ran
'Miramax Films'.
Under the separation agreement between the Weinsteins and 'Disney', the
brothers were given sequel rights to 15 franchise or potentially franchise
projects, including a remake of Halloween.
They also took 13 TV projects from Disney, including future seasons of
Project Greenlight and Project Runway; a pilot called Emergency Sex, on
United Nations aid workers; a potential reality series based on the movie
Rounders; and Dangerous Company, a series for 'NBC' based on a novel by
Peter Bart, the editor of the trade publication 'Variety'.
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE III
British actor Simon Pegg (Shaun Of The Dead, and Doctor Who, right) has landed himself a role in
director J.J Abrams' Mission Impossible III, playing a colleague of Tom
Cruise's Ethan Hunt.
Abrams himself is clearly a British comedy fan, as he already cast The
Office's Ricky Gervais in Alias and Gervais was also set to star in M:I-3
(in Pegg's role?) Maybe John Cleese will show up in Lost?
** IN THE PIPELINE **