It was announced a little while back that Jonah Hill and Russell Brand - who played British rocker and sex crazed Aldous Snow in the fantastic Forgetting Sarah Marshall - would be teaming up for an Apatow produced movie titled Get Him to the Greek. Well, it turns out that Brand will be reprising his role as Aldous Snow in this movie, according to CHUD.
The movie will follow a recently graduated insurance adjuster (Hill) who is hired to accompany the rock star from London to a concert at Los Angeles’s Greek Theater. Of course, hilarity and unpredictable events ensue. No word on whether or not Jonah Hill is playing the same character as he did in Sarah Marshall, but I highly doubt it.
Everybody must have been impressed with Nicholas Stoller’s work directing Sarah Marshall (which was his directorial debut), because he’s on board to direct again although this time he’s taking on the role of writer as well. I reckon the studio enjoyed the $60+ million this made domestically and the 85% approval rating from critics.
I’m more than convinced Brand can carry a movie on his shoulders and I’m interested to see how this turns out. I can think of far worse ideas for a spin-off.
I loved the trailer for Flash of Genius that Marina wrote about a couple weeks back. Now I love the poster even more. The little guy versus the big corporation. Got it!
Hooray for good posters (now if only they would use this as the eventual DVD cover, right swarez?).
I‘m still wading through a bit of the straggling pieces of goodness that came out of SDCC and one of the things that has come up repeatedly in both written reports and podcasts is just how great the trailer for The Wolf Man looks.
A remake of the 1940’s classic, this new incarnation stars the fantastic Benicio Del Toro as the changeling, Anthony Hopkins as his father (and wow, he looks like he’s actually acting rather than phoning it in!), Hugo Weaving as the man tracking the killer and Emily Blunt brilliantly cast as the love interest. With this caliber of cast, I’m not surprised at the reaction from fans - this must be a great script to attract such talent but indeed, it does seem that a few people were bracing for the worst.
The project is being directed by Joe Johnston who has been hit and miss over the years, bringing projects as good as The Rocketeer and October Sky and then just as mediocre with Jurassic Park III and Hidalgo (though the latter did have a great performance from Viggo Mortensen). Johnston was noticeably missing from the Comic-Con panel which was led instead by make-up artist Rick Baker, considered a leader in the business, who gushed over the fact that they had chosen to go with make-up rather than CG effects for nearly everything - except the transformations.
The trailer is cam-corder quality but this under-cover brother managed to keep the thing still and quiet so the quality is better than some of the other leaked footage we’ve seen until now. The first thing that came to mind was that the it vaguely reminded me of From Hell which is a very good thing. I can’t wait to see the “official” release of the trailer.
Stumbled across some pictures today of Jenna Jameson in her “zombie that’s hot” role. I don’t know what else to say. Can’t say I’m a big Jenna Jameson fan, but I do like me some flesh-eating zombies and I like strippers, so I’m sure to enjoy Zombie Strippers for what it is; camp and all.
Although I have to say that having Robert Englund in your low-budget horror flick is starting to be a bit cliché.
I‘m a man who enjoys simple things. Long walks through the woods at dusk. Dew on the grass on an early spring morning. The laughter of babies. And a poster like this below, with James Bond simply walking over a hill and holding a big-ass gun. It gets the point of the upcoming movie across very well. He’s on his own, he’s pissed, and he is going to use big guns.
File this one in the rumor folder, but word has it Johnny Depp might take on the role of Tommy Lee in Mötley Crüe’s biopic movie based off their hot selling auto-biography, “The Dirt.”
With all of the rigamaroll that’s been going on with getting that film into production, I think it’s unlikely Depp has signed on for this one. The news comes from a quote from Tommy Lee who simply said he thinks Depp would be perfect for the roll and that he’s “the best actor ever.”
On top of that, Depp has Alice in Wonderland on his mind and rumors of Gilliam trying to give Don Quixote another try, he’ll probably be busy for a while. And let’s be honest, with Tommy Lee (not the most responsible guy in the world) in charge of getting the film together, I’d say this is a huge shot in the dark.
Still, I love The Crüe and thought the book was pretty entertaining - one of the better band bios I’ve read (and I’ve read quite a few). And Depp would probably be a good fit to play the part. I just can’t believe the production will be big enough (if it ever happens at all) to warrant or attract an A-list star like Johnny. We shall see though.
I‘ve talked at length at the possibility that maybe, just maybe, the upcoming Terminator Salvation will not only be good, but perhaps manage to restart the franchise. Then I got a little excited about the teaser trailer and now, the folks at IFC have edited together a good chunk of the panel discussion from SDCC. It’s an interesting watch and I’m particularly impressed by Anton Yelchin’s serious approach to the material and how well McG works the room. This guy is a charmer.
While Bruce Campbell isn’t the hottest property in Hollywood - and by that, I mean every studio is banging on his door (although if they had any sense they would be) - he is royalty, a demi-god even, among movie nerds such as myself. He is the ultimate B-movie star. He is one of the biggest cult icons in America. And of course, he has Sam Raimi and their creation that is the Evil Dead trilogy to thank.
Since the third installment - the more comical, Middle Ages set Army of Darkness in 1992 - superfans have been drolling for another sequel to bask in the witty, sarcastic goodness of Bruce Campbell as Ash. And over the past sixteen years, there have been mumblings about the possibility of one by Raimi and Campbell both. But then as it would turn out, Raimi would become one of the hottest directors in Hollywood with the Spider-Man trilogy (which consumed something like seven years of his life) and he put any plans for another Evil Dead movie aside. Then a couple years ago, he brought up the possibility of an Evil Dead remake, which both delighted and infuriated fans. Then once again, things quieted. Just this past weekend as Comic-Con though, Raimi brought up to idea of a sequel again, and it seems like it may actually get closer to becoming a reality.
“I love working with Bruce Campbell,” Raimi said. “He’s super willing to do anything to make it right. He’s a very funny guy, but mostly he’s got this quality where he will physically do anything to get the shot done right, so I would love to work with Bruce again because I’d love to test those limits. I’d love to make another Evil Dead picture. And actually that’s in the wheelhouse. I’d like to work on it with my brother Ivan [Raimi] when he comes up next week.”
It’s in the wheelhouse. He’s working on it with his brother next week. Cool. Will this get anywhere? It’s hard to tell, but I don’t think I’m alone in hoping so. Granted, most of the sequels released the past few years have been cringe-worthy, but despite Raimi’s failure that was Spider-Man 3, I still have plenty of faith in the man, and I’m always itching to see Bruce Campbell take on lead roles (which happens far less than it should). Thanks to /Film for the heads up!
Director: Julian Jarrold (Kinky Boots, Becoming Jane) Writers: Jeremy Brock, Andrew Davies Producers: Robert Bernstein, Kevin Loader, Douglas Rae Starring: Matthew Goode, Ben Whishaw, Hayley Atwell, Emma Thompson, Michael Gambon MPAA Rating: PG-13 Running time: 135 min
There is a certain amount of expectation that comes attached to a work adapted for film from a novel as prestigious as Evelyn Waugh’s “Brideshead Revisited”. Things are even trickier when the book has already been transferred, to much acclaim, to the small screen starring Jeremy Irons in the lead role. Few novels can survive multiple treatments but Austen has done just fine and though I’ve never seen the mini-series, Brideshead Revisited is just as successful.
Adapted from the novel by the multiple award winning writing team of Jeremy Brock and Andrew Davies, the film is a recounting of the memoirs of Captain Charles Ryder, a painter whose life becomes intertwined with that of the aristocratic Marchmain family when he meets Sebastian Marchmain at school. Sebastian and Charles become good friends, though it’s clear from early on that Sebastian is interested in more than just friendship, but things get complicated when Charles is invited to Brideshead, the Marchmain’s ancestral home, for the summer. While there, Charles falls in love with Sebastian’s sister Julia and becomes acquainted with the family matriarch, the cold Lady Marchmain and from that point on, his life becomes forever connected with that of the Marchmain’s. That is the bones of the plot that hold up Brideshead Revisited but as with any great film, it’s the meat on those bones that makes it unforgettable.
I‘ve never been a massive fan of the X-Men. I remember the Saturday morning cartoon with only mild enthusiasm and the movies…they were fine - the third was hugely disappointing. That said, I did like the characterizations and some of the casting and of everyone involved, I had two favorites: Patrick Stewart as Professor Xavier and an, at the time, little known actor named Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. The boys liked him because he kicked ass and the ladies…lets just say Jackman is easy on the eyes.
When they announced that the X-Men films would continue as stand alone character films, I’m not sure anyone outside comic land really cared, especially taking into consideration the left turn taken by the third entry into the franchise. But when it was announced that Jackman, now a bankable star, would be back in the role, casual fans started to pay attention.
As hinted at by the film’s title, X-Men Origins: Wolverine tells Wolverine’s origin story as set up by the writers of the previous X-Men films (I’m not sure how it ties into the comic books, if at all) and along for the ride are a few other characters, some of which were missing from the previous films namely Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool (I had no idea), Liev Schreiber as Sabretooth (I recall a small appearance in one of the movies), Dominic Monaghan as Beak and my favourite of the bunch Taylor Kitsch as Gambit (finally!). Sadly, Brian Cox isn’t back to reprise his role as William Stryker but they’ve brought in Danny Huston to take over.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about this entire project is that the film is being directed by Gavin Hood, still best remembered for his multi-award and Oscar winning film Tsotsi and last year’s better than expected Rendition. This is not exactly what I had expected from the director but if he’s willing to stretch this far, I’m willing to at least give it a look.
This first trailer premiered at Comic-Con last week and though the quality of the footage isn’t good, the material seems adequate. Nothing really stands out and it’s a bit odd seeing Schreiber move like a feline but aside from that, pretty blah. Perhaps a good version will change my mind but at this point, I’m unimpressed.
I know what you’re thinking: O REALLY? Well, even though it may be common accepted knowledge at this point, every time I read something the man has to say, I become more and more convinced, and I’m really hoping somebody intervenes and gets the man out of the public spotlight and the movie industry before he pisses off the wrong estranged fanboy. This time, he’s been rambling on about a fifth installment of Indiana Jones again over at the Times Online, and what he has to say makes baby Jesus cry.
“We were hoping for box-office figures like that [really... you did it for the money? Who would have thought], which is, ultimately, with inflation, what the others have done, within 10%,” Lucas explains. “So, we squeaked up there. Really, though, it was a challenge getting the story together and getting everybody to agree on it [*cough* Frank Darabont *cough*]. Indiana Jones only becomes complicated when you have another two people saying ‘I want it this way’ and ‘I want it that way’ [probably should have listened to Harrison and Steven a little more], whereas, when I first did Jones, I just said, ‘We’ll do it this way’ — and that was much easier. But now I have to accommodate everybody, because they are all big, successful guys, too, so it’s a little hard on a practical level. If I can come up with another idea that they like, we’ll do another [let's hope not]. Really, with the last one, Steven wasn’t that enthusiastic [gee, I wonder why]. I was trying to persuade him. But now Steve is more amenable to doing another one [why Steven, why?]. Yet we still have the issues about the direction we’d like to take. I’m in the future; Steven’s in the past. He’s trying to drag it back to the way they were [umm... wasn't that the point with the new Indy?], I’m trying to push it to a whole different place [CGI gophers and swinging monkeys]. So, still we have a sort of tension [because he's pissed you made a shitty movie]. This recent one came out of that. It’s kind of a hybrid of our own two ideas, so we’ll see where we are able to take the next one [hopefully right to the dumpster].”
This short explanation explains quite a bit about the latest Indy installment. As the self-proclaimed biggest Indiana Jones fan this side of the Mississippi, I do not support another sequel. Not in the least. If you missed my review/rant on Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, check it out right here.
Looks like the Pixar folks are getting set for their next feature. Scheduled for release in May 2009,Up is the “coming of old age” story, about an aging hero and his clueless sidekick as the two travels the globe, fighting beasts and villains.
It’s hard to tell from this teaser which doesn’t show much of anything other than the hero but it did manage to put a little smile on my face. I’m surprised that there’s such limited amounts of information on the film. We do know that it stars the voice talent of Christopher Plummer as, I’m assuming, our lead, but aside from that and the fact that it’s being directed by one of the Monsters Inc. co-directors, the production is still pretty hush-hush. Oh, and did I mention that this is also the first Pixar film to be released in Disney Digital 3-D? Yeah, 3D.
We’ll keep you posted on updates until then, have a peek at the colourful teaser!
A little while back, Jonathan posted the first image of Josh Brolin as President Bush. It’s safe to say that that magazine cover caused as much controversy as the announcement that button pushing Oliver Stone was behind the film about the currently US president.
I’m tempted to think that this has disaster in the making written all over it. To begin with the film is about a president that isn’t only still alive, he’s still in power. To make matters worse, Stone hasn’t exactly been on a roll with his last few films. There’s a lot at stake here and frankly, this trailer doesn’t suggest that we’re in for anything more than initially expected: a collection of potshots at the current president. I have my issues with Bush but I’m not sure this is the best approach to the situation and though it could be fun to watch and I haven’t lost complete faith in Stone, this trailer doesn’t do anything for me.
It was announced a little while back that Jonah Hill and Russell Brand - who played British rocker and sex crazed Aldous Snow in the fantastic Forgetting Sarah Marshall - would be teaming up for an Apatow produced movie titled Get Him to the Greek. Well, it turns out that Brand will be reprising his role as Aldous Snow in this movie, according to CHUD. 
Adapted from the novel by the multiple award winning writing team of Jeremy Brock and Andrew Davies, the film is a recounting of the memoirs of Captain Charles Ryder, a painter whose life becomes intertwined with that of the aristocratic Marchmain family when he meets Sebastian Marchmain at school. Sebastian and Charles become good friends, though it’s clear from early on that Sebastian is interested in more than just friendship, but things get complicated when Charles is invited to Brideshead, the Marchmain’s ancestral home, for the summer. While there, Charles falls in love with Sebastian’s sister Julia and becomes acquainted with the family matriarch, the cold Lady Marchmain and from that point on, his life becomes forever connected with that of the Marchmain’s. That is the bones of the plot that hold up 
