WEEKLY MOVIE NEWS

FH · 11-17-2003, 03:47 AM

Will Natalie Portman be the New Lois Lane? Source: Superman-V.com Sunday, November 16, 2003

Superman-V.com has posted an interesting casting bit for Superman. Could Star Wars' Padmé Amidala be the new Lois Lane?

Word reaches us that WB have more than just casting Superman on their minds. Rumour has it that one of the actresses they are looking at for Lois Lane is none other than Natalie Portman.

We asked her agent about this. Have WB been in talks with her about the part? They didn't deny it: "Nothing's conclusive"... What the heck does that mean!? Has she been in talks and nothing is signed and sealed!? Or are they refusing to deny it since they don't want to totally rule out the possibility of her going up for the role?

FH · 11-17-2003, 03:50 AM

Director Guillermo del Toro on His Upcoming Slate Source: Hellsite.com Saturday, November 15, 2003

Hellboy director Guillermo del Toro has provided an update on his upcoming projects on that film's official website's message board. Here's what's in the works and what is not:

MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS -being re-written until early spring, right now it is in the hands of my writing partner Matthew Robbins (SUGARLAND EXPRESS, DRAGONSLAYER, MIMIC,etc) so, there, we won't hear from the studio until -probably- spring of 2004. Cross your tentacles.

WIND IN THE WILLOWS Written. As of now, I am no longer attached to the project. I turned in my draft -co-written with MR- and the approach I planned proved to be very expensive and -probably weird- to the studio. It happens... I cherish a scene in which mr. Toad was paraded though London a bit like THE ELEPHANT MAN. Sigh- no wonder they found it weird...

CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON I have never been in development with this property. I just pitched a possible idea to do a Jules Verne sort of adaptation of the premise. I am now part of tha many guys that have "pitched" a CFTBL movie( Carpenter, Landis, etc) in a way I am relieved, Seeing the original with my daughter made me realize how perfect it is- Oh, Julie!

MONTECRISTO Written. Still looking for a way of making it happen.

MEPHISTO'S BRIDGE Written. It's been 10 years since I wrote this one... I need to rewrite it someday. It is a little dated. Many movies have done the Faustian Doppelganger bit since the scipt was written. Most notably that anarchic, misantropic masterpiece FIGHT CLUB.

DOMU Still in Lawyer Limbo after 5 years of negotiations.

LIST OF 7 Written by Mark Frost. Also in it's 10th anniversary... It has become a tradition to talk to Mark Frost every year and plan new ways of have this baby financed. When we wrote it, Steampunk had not yet taken hold. Many movies have done stuff like it now -with varying dgrees of success (WWWest, LXG, etc) but LIST OF 7 remains as powerful today as it was when we adapted the novel. K.W. Jeeter, Tim Powers, Mark Frost, brilliant mind in search for a movie, somewhere in the future.

COFFIN Outlined. There is a storyline written by Tim McCanlies (IRON GIANT, SECONDHAND LIONS) but we have not "nailed" it -no pun intended, sorry. Thankfully, Lightstorm is being very patient and I hope this one takes shape next year. The comic is incredibly interesting but I want to find the exact tone for it.

CRIMSON PEAK I am in talks about that one. I would love to be able to make a Gothic Romance much in the Bronte/ DuMarier mold but really creepy. I will start outlining the story and work on the outline quite soon.

FH · 11-17-2003, 03:52 AM

Val Kilmer Up for Captain America? Source: Butcher Saturday, November 15, 2003

'Butcher' sent us this rumor, of probably many more to come, about Marvel's Captain America movie. Take it with a big grain of salt for now...

HotDog magazine in the U.K, the issue on stands now, has an update on who might be the frontrunner for Captain America. They say Val Kilmer is the current favourite, commenting on his comeback of sorts in films like Wonderland and Alexander. This would be the second time Val has played a superhero right?

FH · 11-17-2003, 04:04 AM

From Ain't It Cool News

I don't know how much credability People mag has, but just saw this piece on a potential third Charlies Angels movie with Demi Moore!

She stole the show from them in "Charlies Angels : Full Throttle", and now Demi Moore might be about to steal the entire franchise from angelic Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu!

Comeback queen Demetria Gene Guynes, or Demi Moore as she's better known, is looking at starring in another "Charlie's Angels" film. In fact, she's looking at headlining it, producing it and calling the shots on all future instalments of the hit film series.

Having reportedly impressed the pants off studio execs - at Sony - with her performance as angel gone bad Madison Lee in the most recent sequel, Moore is whispered to be in talks with the studio about reprising the character for a third film. But with Demi Moore back on board, all three former Angel's want off.

Drew, Cameron and Lucy have been furious with the ex-Brat Packer ever since she stole the film, and later hogged the lens at each consecutive premiere. Most of the time, because she arrived at the last minute with Ashton Kutcher, Bruce Willis and her kids. When Cameron was asked about Demi by one intrepid TV reporter, she said, "I don't want to talk about her. The movie isn't all about her."

Well from here on it, it might actually be about her. Moore is said to be in talks with both the studio and Barrymore about furthering the "Charlies Angels" series at her own production company, Moving Pictures . The actress has suggested that the next film focus largely on Madison Lee pre-Full Throttle, when she was the Angel's no.1 hot shot agent. "Demi has plans to do two or three films based on the Madison Lee character, that would be set in the early 80's. From the sounds of it, the other girls aren't invited. From the sounds of it, she might just get her wish".

FH · 11-17-2003, 04:33 AM

Kill Bill (DVD): TheManRoom reports that the first installment of Quentin Tarantino's latest will arrive on February 3 on disc, 2.5 weeks before Volume II's theatrical release.

FH · 11-17-2003, 06:33 AM

Donner Says Gibson Interested in Lethal Weapon 5 Source: The Calgary Sun Monday, November 17, 2003

Timeline director Richard Donner, who helmed all four of the "Lethal Weapon" films, feels there's still life in the franchise that has netted more than a billion dollars worldwide.

"I have the story in my head for a fifth and final Lethal Weapon, but it's all up to Mel Gibson," says Donner. "It would be 24 hours in the lives of Riggs (Gibson) and Murtaugh (Danny Glover). The last couple of times I talked to Mel, it really seemed he was interested in doing one more."

"I really want to put the franchise to bed properly," Donner adds.

ericgtr · 11-17-2003, 07:11 AM

I thought they finalized it pretty well in 4. It's an excellent series and I would hate to see them blow it by trying to milk it for one more [img]images/smilies/icon_nono.gif[/img]

FH · 11-17-2003, 07:48 AM

Damn, I thought they should've stopped at 2. It went from being a somewhat-dark cop series, to a somewhat-comedic, buddy-flick. The creator of the series originally wanted to kill off Riggs in 2, but they wanted to keep this as a franchise.

FH · 11-18-2003, 03:56 AM

Scott Moving Forward with Tom Mix and Pancho Villa Source: Variety Tuesday, November 18, 2003

After 12 years of trying, director Tony Scott is close to getting his wish to turn the Clifford Irving novel Tom Mix and Pancho Villa into an epic-sized film.

The director is in Mexico scouting locations for the story of an idealistic actor who leaves the comforts of Texas to join up with a revolutionary who would not embrace modern technology, even when the government was conscripting German fighter planes to bomb him and tanks to blast his armies.

Intermedia is mobilizing the more than $100 million film for a fall 2004 production start, pending cast, financing and the imminent delivery of a script rewrite by Steve Zaillian, who is reworking his own draft.

"This is 'Lawrence of Arabia' meets 'The Wild Bunch,' a huge film with trains, cavalry, thousands of soldiers in uniform and on horseback," Scott told Variety. "This is a love story between two men from different planets, who educated each other. Pancho Villa knew the laws of life, and Tom Mix knew how to live in a modernized Western world."

FH · 11-18-2003, 03:57 AM

Dead End Director Eyes Shazam! Source: The Sandman Tuesday, November 18, 2003

With the success of the fan-favorite Batman: Dead End, director Sandy Collora has his sights set on another legendary hero!

Here’s what Sandy has to say about SHAZAM!

It’s pretty rare when a script captures my imagination and inspires me so much, that I have to read it twice, or even rarer still, THREE times. SHAZAM! By William Goldman is just such a script, but it’s something more… A lot more.

Captain Marvel is one of my favorite superheroes. I’ve always been drawn to him because Billy Batson was like every fifteen-year-old boy I knew… he was like me. The only difference is Billy Batson was given the power of being the mightiest hero in the world, something every young boy hopes to be in one way or another.

But, as so eloquently put in another of my favorite comic book movies; "With great power, comes great responsibility." After the reality of being Captain Marvel has manifested itself in his psyche, Billy is faced with a dilemma that is played out impeccably in this script.

Goldman has truly captured the spirit of Billy Batson’s plight, both as Captain Marvel, and as a fifteen-year-old boy trying to figure out his place in the world. Like it’s tremendously successful predecessors “SUPERMAN” and “SPIDERMAN”, Goldman has stoked this script's furnace with what most comic book films lack… HEART.

I FEEL this film… I SEE this film… every moment, every frame… every ounce of trepidation and frustration Billy feels, every detail of Captain Marvel’s costume, every magnificent beam of magic hour light that bathes his muscular frame with the girl in his arms as he majestically floats skyward.

I had always hoped that someday, someone would make a SHAZAM! movie, now I sincerely hope with every fiber of my being, that someone will be me.

New Line Cinema is producing Shazam! - SHH is ready when they are to get ShazamHYPE up and running… Captain Marvel was created by C.C. Beck in 1940.

FH · 11-18-2003, 04:00 AM

Michael Dougherty Confirmed for Wake the Dead Source: The Hollywood Reporter Tuesday, November 18, 2003

The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed recent rumors that X2: X-Men United co-writer Michael Dougherty will adapt Wake the Dead...

Michael Dougherty has been tapped to write "Wake the Dead," a feature adaptation of the horror comic set up at Dimension Films. The deal is worth mid-six against high-six figures, sources said. Described as "Flatliners" meets "Frankenstein," the story follows four college kids who set out to reanimate objects and raise the dead. The "Dead" comic was originally penned by Steven Niles and distributed by IDW Publishing. Niles' horror comics are all the rage around town right now: His "30 Days of Night" is set up at Columbia Pictures, and his "Criminal Macabre" is set up at MGM.

FH · 11-18-2003, 04:20 AM

Supposedly, you can see Natalie Portman's nips at this link.

FH · 11-18-2003, 09:23 AM

Fantastic Four Moved to 2005, Hulk 2 Gets Writer Source: Marvel Enterprises Tuesday, November 18, 2003

In today's Marvel Analyst Day Webcast, Marvel Studios' Avi Arad announced that the Fantastic Four movie at 20th Century Fox has been moved to the summer of 2005. Marvel and Fox were previously targeting a December, 2004 release date. Marvel also expects the toy line for Fantastic Four to be as big as Spider-Man, with many licensees already very interested in the property.

Arad also said a new writer for The Hulk 2 has just been hired. A TV show based on The Hulk movie may also be coming in the future.

Avi Arad added that X-Men 3 will be coming in 2006.

FH · 11-19-2003, 03:44 AM

Dimension Films Discovers The Lost Years of Merlin Source: The Hollywood Reporter Wednesday, November 19, 2003

Dimension Films is in talks to pick up a pitch from scribe Simon Kinberg based on The Lost Years of Merlin, a popular series of books by T.A. Barron. Lorenzo di Bonaventura is attached to produce the film.

The five-book "Merlin" series, which has nearly 2 million copies in print, follows the magical adventures of Emrys, a boy with no memory of his past who will one day become the legendary Merlin, one of the most powerful wizards of all time. The books deal with themes of sacrifice, forgiveness and destiny, set against a backdrop of Welsh mythology and Arthurian lore.

Dimension is hoping to create a franchise much like the "Harry Potter" and "The Lord of the Rings" movies.

FH · 11-19-2003, 03:47 AM

Jaime King Now Up for Wonder Woman? Source: Shannon Tuesday, November 18, 2003

'Shannon' sent in another casting rumor from the latest issue of UK's HotDog magazine...

British movie mag, HotDog, says that Jaime King made an impression in her action boots in "Bulletproof Monk", and is now in talks with the studio about a feature film version of "Wonder Woman". I take it, the Joel Silver thing.