Weekly Entertainment & Movie News

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New image from Spider-Man 2

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Harrison Ford to Star in The Wrong Element
Source: Coming Soon

Harrison Ford will star in The Wrong Element, a thriller to be financed and distributed by Warner Bros. The film was written by Joe Forte. A director will be signed soon, says Variety.

Ford will play the security chief for a global bank whose family is kidnapped. He's asked to topple his own security safeguards and steal $37 million from the bank to save his family. Then he has to stop the kidnappers, who've created a complex trail that will make him look guilty of embezzlement.

The film will be the next project for Ford, whose plans to reprise his Indiana Jones role were dashed after he, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas felt they needed a new script.

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David Hayter Rewriting New Line's Iron Man
Source: Coming Soon

X-Men and X2: X-Men United screenwriter David Hayter has signed on to rewrite Iron Man, New Line Cinema's adaptation of the Marvel Comics character, says The Hollywood Reporter. Alfred Gough and Miles Millar wrote the previous draft.

In the comic, Iron Man's real identity is that of billionaire industrialist Tony Stark, who develops an armored suit that lets him fly and shoot repulsor rays. The comic debuted in the 1960s, and Iron Man's origin involved Stark being a prisoner of the Viet Cong. The comic evolved into Stark fighting spies, both political and industrial, while also battling alcoholism.

The film will reportedly reflect a modern world climate, as well as modern technological, political and societal trends.

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Sky Captain Flies to September 17
Source: Coming Soon
Paramount Pictures has moved writer/director Kerry Conran's Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow from June 25 to September 17. The move takes the special effects action-thriller, starring Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, and Giovanni Ribisi, away from the crowded summer. A September release also gives the studio a chance to do special events at Comic Con in San Diego, which takes place from July 22-25.

In the film, famous scientists around the world have mysteriously disappeared and Chronicle reporter Polly Perkins (Paltrow) along with ace aviator Sky Captain (Law) are on the investigation. Risking their lives as they travel to exotic places around world, can the fearless duo stop Dr. Totenkopf, the evil mastermind behind a plot to destroy the earth? Aided by Franky Cook (Jolie), commander of an all-female amphibious squadron, and technical genius Dex (Ribisi), Polly and Sky Captain may be our planet's only hope.

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Terence Stamp Confirmed as Stick in Elektra
Source: Superhero Hype

The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that "The Haunted Mansion" star Terence Stamp will play Stick in Elektra...

Terence Stamp, who played the superpowered villain General Zod in 1980's "Superman II," is finalizing a return to the comic book genre with a role in Regency Enterprises and 20th Century Fox's "Elektra." Rob Bowman is directing the "Daredevil" spinoff from Marvel Studios. Jennifer Garner toplines. As the title character in "Elektra," Garner will play a beautiful and deadly assassin who was trained by the Hand, a clan of mystical ninjas. When she turns her back on them, they want her head. Stamp is in final negotiations to play Stick, Elektra's blind mentor, who has fighting abilities of his own.

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Day of the Dead Remake Had Been Greenlit?
Source: MovieHole

The “Dawn of the Dead” remake is only about the coolest retool we’ve seen all year. Bloody, Fun, well-written, and predominantly, funky, it again cements fans beliefs that there truly is still a place for horror in this ever changing industry.

With the success “Dawn” has had, it’s inevitable that the studio’s going to want to get a sequel off the ground, and Bloody Disgusting rounded up the rumours pertaining to it.

Both Aint it Cool and Creature Corner are reporting that “Day of the Dead” is on the fast-track, but warn it’ll be so cheap and nasty you might want to just save your bucks and buy yourself a copy of the inevitable “Dawn” DVD when it’s released. "While in one ear I have a source telling me that producer Richard Rubinstein is gearing up to do Day as a follow-up to Universal's successful Dawn remake with "major" financing, I've got someone else pointing me towards AICN where Moriarty says, too, that Rubinstein is eyeing to do something quick.", says Creature Corner.

James Gunn, writer of “Dawn”, says he probably won’t be back for the sequel.

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1968 Night of the Living Dead In Color?
Source:Bloody Disgusting
In 1968 George Romero released one of the most influential and terrifying horror films of all time, Night of the Living Dead (review). The film was presented in black and white, and was still one of the scariest films ever, now it's being released on DVD in color!

Over at Off Color Films, they write, "A true cult classic -- and one of the scariest movies of all time. The dead are walking, and hunger for human flesh. A group of panicked survivors are barricaded in a deserted farmhouse while the army of flesh eating zombies hovers outside their door. Now experience the bone-chilling terror in color for the first time on DVD.

This over-the-top disc includes a restored original black and white version, and a color version that will thrill the horror film fan and horrify the film purist. We?ve added a 5.1 surround sound mix, and bonus features including a hilarious audio commentary by Mike Nelson of Mystery Science Theater 3000. In addition to having you rolling on the floor with laughter, Mike will teach you how to concoct and drink numerous Zombies. Watch for the 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead in COLOR this Halloween.

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Darren Aronofsky Directing Watchmen
Source: Coming Soon


Ain't-It-Cool-News talked to screenwriter David Hayter about the upcoming Revolution Studios Watchmen adaptation and has revealed that Requiem for a Dream director Darren Aronofsky will helm the project.

The site says that as soon as Aronofsky has completed Warner Bros.' The Fountain, he will be bringing the characters to the big screen. The film's writer, David Hayter, was previously believed to be directing, but that didn't go through.

Producer Lloyd Levin described the film as, "It's about a group of superheroes who reunite to figure out who is trying to kill them off."

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Peter Jackson Collects The Lovely Bones
Source: Coming Soon

"The Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson and partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens are in talks to adapt Alice Sebold's best-selling novel The Lovely Bones after completing King Kong, reports Variety.

"Bones" is a heartbreaking tale narrated by a 14-year old girl -- after she has been raped and murdered. From heaven, she observes her shattered family's attempt to heal, as a detective tries to solve the case and as her killer moves along his demented path.

The film rights are controlled by British-based FilmFour and producer Aimee Peyronnet, who made an option deal in 2000 based on the book's first 100 pages. Talks with Jackson & crew are early and no deal has been made yet, adds the trade.

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Weir Recognizes a Pattern at Warner Bros.
Source: Coming Soon

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World director Peter Weir is attached to direct Pattern Recognition, a thriller at Warner Bros. Weir will co-write the script with David Arata.

The film follows the adventures of a marketing expert who finds herself in a dangerous puzzle when she's hired to track down the source of a strange collection of video footage on the Internet.

William Gibson published the novel last year through Penguin Putnam.

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Black Sabbath & Kidnapped Remakes in the Works
Source: Coming Soon


Gale Anne Hurd's Valhalla Motion Pictures and David Allen's Kismet Entertainment Group are teaming to produce remakes of Mario Bava's Kidnapped and Black Sabbath.

The Punisher writer/director Jonathan Hensleigh will contribute to the script development and may direct one of the thrillers. Jeff Davis (Retribution) has signed to write Kidnapped, centered on three bank robbers on the run with three unwitting hostages.

"Sabbath," released in 1964, is a three-part horror film that culminates with Boris Karloff portraying a vampire who must kill those he loves.

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Cedric the Entertainer Goes Back to School
Source: Coming Soon
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cedric the Entertainer will star in MGM's remake of the Rodney Dangerfield comedy Back to School. David Ronn and Jay Scherick are writing the script.

The new version will be based loosely on the 1986 Orion Pictures comedy, which grossed 91.3 million domestically. Co-written by Dangerfield, the film followed the exploits of a fun-loving businessman who enrolls in college alongside his disheartened son to help him get through school.

Cedric can currently be seen in Johnson Family Vacation and is shooting MGM's Be Cool, the sequel to Get Shorty. He next appears in Paramount Pictures' Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events and will also star in Paramount's remake of The Honeymooners.

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A Star Trek Prequel in the Works?
Source: Coming Soon
According to TrekWeb, "Star Trek" producer Rick Berman has dropped the first hints of a new theatrical project for the franchise to UK's Dreamwatch magazine.

Speaking in issue #117, Berman confirms for the first time that he is now developing a Star Trek feature film project: "I am involved in the very early stages of what could be the next Star Trek movie," reveals Berman, in an excerpt provided by Dreamwatch. "It's something I will be producing with two other producers."

Unwilling to offer many details he cryptically describes it as "a prequel" without any further elaboration. The names of his producing cohorts will have to remain unknown for now, as well.

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Romijn-Stamos Knows What Turns You On
Source: Coming Soon
Godsend star Rebecca Romijn-Stamos talked to MTV about her new independent movie shooting in May called Whatever Turns You On.

"It's this quirky sort of romantic comedy that sounds really fun," she said. "It's about people who are in group counseling for their weird sexual fetishes. And my character is a girl who gets off on making traffic violations in front of motorcycle cops so she can meet them and try to get them to go home with her. But it never works, so she just keeps on getting tickets."

Romijn-Stamos will also reprise her role of Mystique in X-Men 3, coming in May of 2006. "It's grueling and the hours in the makeup chair are a pain in the butt, but...it's really such a great thing to be a part of, and all those people are so fun."

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Gary Cole on board American Gothic
Source: MovieHole
He’s been busier than a nymphette at Christmas over the last few years, with roles in those “Brady Bunch” films and guest-spots on series like “The West Wing”, but Gary Cole’s never fit as snugly into a role as he did Sheriff Lucas Buck on TV’s “American Gothic”.

The bad news? Cole’s not likely to do the unavoidable “The Brady Bunch go to Afghanistan” telemovie. The good news? He’s signed to reprise his role as the devilish sheriff for the previously mooted “American Gothic : The Movie”. Heck, how could they have done a movie without the guy!?

Producer Craig Marquardo [“Sway”] says Cole was on board the moment he heard that it was a go picture.

The film – which will be a re-telling of the events of the television series – has also signed original cast members Brenda Bakke, Nick Searcy and Jake Weber. It’s believed many of the other original players – including young Lucas Black, who’s now too old to play the role of the child, Caleb – will be replaced. Sam Raimi is circling the film as a possible directing gig.

The hold up on the film has been the pending sale of Universal to NBC. But according to The Hollywood Reporter, that’s being sorted out as we speak. After several months of exploration, the Federal Trade Commission informed both sides Tuesday that it will not oppose the combination of General Electric's NBC unit and Vivendi Universal's entertainment operation. European regulators had already given the transaction the go-ahead. NBC and Vivendi Uni said in statements late Tuesday that they plan to complete the merger within "the next few weeks."

“American Gothic” aired from September 1995 to July 1996. Executive Prodced by Sam Raimi and Robert G. Tapert and created by Shaun Cassidy, it told the story of a charming small-town Sheriff who seems to be posses a hellish power that’s used on anyone who gets in the way of his plans. It was axed after only one season, but developed quite a following in that short amount of time.