Film Junk » Fantasy

Brad Bird to Go Swimming with Sea Monsters?

Sean — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:48:54 +0000

Now that Brad Bird has proven that he can handle a live action film just as well as an animated one, everyone is on the edge of their seat waiting to find out what he will choose for his next project. We've been hearing for years about 1906, a disaster movie he's been wanting to direct about the massive earthquake that hit the city of San Francisco, but as of last year he was still rewriting the script and trying to reduce the scope of the film. However, now this week we are hearing reports that he may be circling another project that was once supposed to be a Robert Zemeckis gig. The movie is called Here There Be Monsters, and it is a historic epic about John Paul Jones, a naval commander during the American Revolutionary War. There is a twist, however... the story also involves giant sea monsters! According to Vulture, Brad Bird has recently been holding meetings with Legendary Pictures, who are producing the film. They seem to have a thing for monster movies lately, what with Pacific Rim and the Godzilla reboot also in development. Brian Helgeland (Robin Hood, Mystic River) wrote the script for Here There Be Monsters based on an original idea by Legendary founder Thomas Tull, and it involves Jones being hired to investigate the disappearance of merchant ships in the North Atlantic, only to find that a giant sea monster is responsible. So... Master and Commander meets Clash of the Titans? I'm game. While this could be just another mash-up of historical fact and genre fiction, the thought of Bird bringing his action set pieces to a naval battle definitely has me intrigued. Still, I can't help but wonder what other tantalizing projects he might be getting offered right now. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is definitely opening even more doors for Brad Bird, I just hope he doesn't give up on writing his own material as well. What do you think of this premise? Would you like to see him direct more live action stuff or would you prefer to see him stick to animation?

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Star Wars Live Action TV Show to Introduce Time Travel?

Sean — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:16:03 +0000

I want to make it clear right up front that this next story is nothing more than a big fat rumour, but since Star Wars fans are willing to argue over just about anything, I figured it might be worth mentioning. We all know that George Lucas has been working on a live action Star Wars TV series for quite some time now, but back in 2010 he announced that the series was being put on hold for a few years because it was not yet economically feasible. With a proposed title of Star Wars: Underworld, the series is expected to fill in the gap between the prequels and original trilogy by focusing on the seedy underbelly of the Star Wars universe. Now this week there is a rumour floating around the web stating that the show might introduce a sci-fi element that has been completely absent from Star Wars up until now: time travel. Is George Lucas getting ready to go back to the future? The good folks over at Ain't It Cool News recently received information from an "untested source" about the plot of one of the first episodes of Star Wars: Underworld. The story in question revolves around "a group of bandits acquiring the capability of time travel, and using it to travel back in time to stop Darth Vader from ever existing." This would potentially involve revisiting the prequels and stopping Anakin before he turns to the dark side. If this is true, it could be a pretty dangerous idea to bring to the mix. It's very easy to get carried away with time travel and to start altering continuity (yet again) or to use it as a band-aid solution for every problem. On the other hand, I can't say that I'm not intrigued by the possibilities. Once again, we have no idea if this rumour is reliable in any way, but it doesn't seem all that far-fetched either. Would you like to see time travel introduced to the Star Wars universe? Do you have faith in Star Wars: Underworld or have you completely given up on George Lucas at this point?

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Adam Sandler to Star in Candy Land Movie

Sean — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:30:13 +0000

As we all await the shameless Transformers clone that looks to be Peter Berg's Battleship, it appears that the pieces are already being set up for Hasbro's next board game movie. No, unfortunately it's not Ridley Scott's Monopoly that we're talking about, but rather Candy Land, based on the popular game where you embark "on a magical journey through fantastical lands made of candy, sweets, and ice cream: the Peppermint Forest, the Gum Drop Mountains, and the Lollypop Woods." Kevin Lima (Enchanted) has been attached to direct for a while now, but the project will be changing hands from Universal to Sony. More importantly, they've also secured a pretty big star in order to guarantee the movie's success: the Sandman himself, Adam Sandler. The Candy Land movie will be co-produced by his company Happy Madison Productions. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hasbro is currently in negotiations to move the project from Universal to Columbia Pictures, where Adam Sandler typically hangs his hat. They had a four-year deal set up at Universal where they were planning to develop four or more movies based on board games and toys, but the only one that actually got off the ground was Battleship. Sony has already been developing a Risk movie with Hasbro, and now that they had a big hit with The Smurfs last year, they are also looking to do more family-oriented films. Sandler will star in the film and also co-write the script with his buddy Robert Smigel, which means they'll probably just be throwing out the old script that was penned by Tropic Thunder writer Etan Cohen. Although this might seem like the latest in a long line of lowest common denominator cash grabs for Sandler, the idea doesn't seem all that different from a movie he did back in 2008 called Bedtime Stories. It's definitely an opportunity for some unique and vibrant visuals, although something tells me there will be plenty of fart jokes as well. What do you think, could a Candy Land movie actually be good? Does Adam Sandler have any interesting movies left in him or has he long since stopped caring about quality?

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Game of Thrones Season 2 Trailer

Sean — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:47:17 +0000

I don't think it's a stretch to say that the second season of Game of Thrones is one of the most anticipated returns of a TV show we've had in quite some time. The first season went out on such an epic note that it's been agony waiting for the story to continue, and while I suppose the books are always there for people who don't want to wait, who the hell's got time for that? HBO has released the first full trailer for the new season this week, and although it's fairly vague, it certainly seems to hint at big things for Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage). "Winter" can't come soon enough. Game of Thrones Season 2 premieres on HBO on April 1st; check out the trailer after the jump and see what you think.

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Darren Aronofsky’s Noah to Film This Summer

Aaron — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:48:40 +0000

It looks as if director Darren Aronofsky will finally throw his hat into the ring of big budget filmmaking this year as his epic Biblical tale Noah gets off the ground at Paramount. His regular director of photography Matthew Libatique has stated that shooting will begin by this July with an eye on a Fall 2013 release. For such a large scale story, an appropriately hefty $130 million budget is planned. The script has been undertaken by John Logan (Hugo) and, as far as the content goes, this retelling will not be skipping over the more adult subject matter that often gets ignored. While it's certainly exciting to hear confirmation that Noah will happen, perhaps a wait-and-see approach is still best given Aronofsky's track record with proposed high-profile projects. Actors like Christian Bale and Michael Fassbender have been attached to portray the titular character in the past, although neither are attached at the moment. By shooting in the summer, Fassbender probably won't be able to fit the film into his schedule since he'll be busy shooting Steve McQueen's new film Twelve Years a Slave at that time. Whoever ends up with the role, expect it to be a big name to hang that sizable budget on. It has also been revealed that the film will feature a semi-antagonist role in the form of a character who constantly doubts that Noah is doing the will of God. That's not exactly revelatory news since that's how the story goes, but perhaps Aronofsky and company will have their own twist on the overall dynamic. Does this news give you hope that we will actually see Noah hit theaters next year?

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Spielberg Close to Signing on for Moses Movie

Sean — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:36:25 +0000

As Mel Gibson will tell you, moviegoers seem to love it when you mix the Bible with some good old fashioned violence, and if Warner Brothers has their way, Steven Spielberg could soon be directing a gritty biblical epic of his own. They've been trying to set up a movie with the working title of Gods And Kings that tells the story of Moses from a somewhat new perspective. Sure, we all know that he freed the Jews from slavery and received The Ten Commandments from God himself, but according to some interpretations he was also a fierce warrior and may have been a commander in the Egyptian army that once led them to victory against the Ethiopians. It's not entirely clear what version of events will be portrayed in the film, but this is intended to be a "Braveheart-ish version of the Moses story" and they are hoping that Spielberg can "direct it with the gritty reality of Saving Private Ryan." Sounds like a guaranteed blockbuster if you ask me. According to Deadline, Warner Brothers has been hounding Spielberg to direct this project since September, but for a while it was unclear if he would be available (he just finished Lincoln and is now currently working on Robopocalypse). Fortunately for them, he seems to be into the idea and has continued to negotiate with them. If all goes well, a deal is expected to be finalized by the end of the month. The script was written by Stuart Hazeldine (Paradise Lost) and Michael Green (Green Lantern), and the project is being produced by Dan Lin (Terminator Salvation) and Matti Lesham (Paula Abdul: Cardio Cheer). It's unclear if this is related to another Moses biopic that was being set up at Fox a couple of years ago. They are aiming to start production sometime in March or April of next year, so if Spielberg does sign on, it would definitely be his next project after Robopocalypse. What do you think, are you interested in seeing Steven Spielberg direct a bloodier and grittier version of The Ten Commandments? Could this be even bigger than The Passion of the Christ?

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Bone Comic Book Adaptation Gets a Writer and Director

Sean — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:43:18 +0000

I've heard a lot of great things about Jeff Smith's Bone over the years, and yet I still know next to nothing about it. The black-and-white indie comic was published between 1991 and 2004 and spanned some 65 issues. Apparently the series revolves around three white, bald creatures who also happen to be cousins named Phoncible P. "Phoney" Bone, Smiley Bone, and Fone Bone, who are exiled from their hometown of Boneville. It is an epic fantasy series with a lighthearted, comedic tone and was eventually re-released in colour through Scholastic, selling over a million copies. With those kind of numbers, it makes sense that someone would want to turn it into a movie; Warner Brothers acquired the rights back in 2008 and are just now starting to move forward with it. Last week they announced that P.J. Hogan (Peter Pan) will direct the film from a script written by Patrick Sean Smith (Greek). The news comes courtesy Heat Vision, who note that it is Patrick Sean Smith's first foray into feature films, although his background with a popular ABC Family show will seemingly be put to good use. In addition to directing the 2003 version of Peter Pan, P.J. Hogan is also known for directing Muriel's Wedding, My Best Friend's Wedding and more recently, Confessions of a Shopaholic. The article does not specify whether the movie is planned as a live-action / CG hybrid or full-on CG, but the production house behind it will be Animal Logic, the same folks who did Happy Feet and Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole. I assume the plan is also to turn it into at least a trilogy of films, because no one options a property nowadays that doesn't have franchise potential. So what do you think? Has anyone out there read Bone and, if so, are you looking forward to a big screen adaptation?

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Rob Marshall to Direct Adaptation of Into the Woods

Aaron — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:40:49 +0000

Director Rob Marshall may not be a fanboy favorite after Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides, but since that film earned over $1 billion at the box office, Disney is eager to work with him again. To that end, they've annouced that Marshall has been tapped to direct an adaptation of the Broadway hit Into the Woods for the studio. Written by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, the musical "intertwines several classic fairytale characters, including Cinderella, Rapunzel and Little Red Riding Hood, with the story of a baker and his wife’s attempt to have a family." Interestingly, Lapine and Sondheim will be collaborating with Marshall on the project with the former penning the script and the latter expected to write new songs. Into the Woods will return Marshall to the genre that gave him success with Best Picture winner Chicago (although there's also Nine to consider as well...). So, we now have another potential big budget fairytale film in development after hearing about Tim Burton's possible Pinocchio movie earlier this week. I have a feeling that with Mirror Mirror and Snow White and the Huntsman hitting later this year, this trend will probably die down before either Marshall or Burton start shooting their films. That is, if Marshall even makes Into the Woods his next film. He also has a remake of The Thin Man in development with Johnny Depp already on board. As for the next Pirates movie, it seems a ways off with the script still being polished. Which film would you most like to see Marshall take on next?

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Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters Delayed to 2013

Sean — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:28:55 +0000

Believe it or not, we've got yet another fairytale being reinvented for the big screen, this time taking the well-known German story Hansel and Gretel and putting a genre spin on it. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters stars Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton as the titular brother and sister who narrowly escape being eaten by an evil witch living in a house made out of candy. Picking up fifteen years later, this movie finds the duo now making a living as bounty hunters who kill supernatural beings. Because, of course they would! Although we hadn't heard much about it, the film was due to be released in March; alas, production problems seem to have pushed the theatrical release back another whole year. Entertainment Weekly debuted the first official photo from Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters last month, and at the time they mentioned that a trailer would be soon to follow. That trailer never came, which definitely seemed to indicate that something was wrong. Now this week Paramount has announced that the movie will hit theatres on January 11th, 2013 instead, although a full explanation for the delay was not given. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is being directed by Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow). Despite Jeremy Renner's involvement, I can't say I had high expectations for this project to begin with, and the new January release date doesn't indicate much confidence from Paramount either. The delay may also cause some confusion as Michael Bay is working on a Hansel and Gretel 3D movie of his own and it could also potentially release sometime in 2013. Are you interested in seeing Hansel & Gretel as bounty hunters or are you already getting sick of fairy tale flicks and high-concept genre mash-ups?

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Disney’s Maleficent and Matterhorn Movies Land Directors

Sean — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:52:11 +0000

After the massive success of both The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and Alice in Wonderland, it's no surprise that Disney is continuing to pursue new movies based on fairy tales and theme park rides. Just as last week was coming to a close, we received updates on two previously announced projects that fit into both of these categories. The first, Maleficent, is yet another live-action take on a classic fairy tale, this one based on Sleeping Beauty but told from the perspective of the story's villain, the self-proclaimed "Mistress of All Evil." Angelina Jolie is currently attached to star. The other project, currently untitled, is an action adventure film based on their popular Matterhorn roller coaster from Disneyland. Disney has reportedly hired two filmmakers for the projects, and in both cases, they are first-time feature film directors looking to make a name for themselves. According to Deadline, Maleficent will be directed by Robert Stromberg, a visual effects designer known for such films as The Aviator, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. He also won Oscars for Art Direction for both Avatar and Alice in Wonderland. Clearly he has plenty of experience working on big budget blockbusters, but can he make a successful transition to director? Either way, he's certainly a less exciting name than Tim Burton, who was once rumoured to be interested in the project. As for the Matterhorn movie, Variety reports that a guy named Brian Beletic will be taking on this project. Beletic is a commercial and music video director whose previous credits include Dead Prez's "Hip Hop" and Cee-Lo's "Closet Freak". The plot synopsis is as follows:

"A young group of five explorers and adventure seekers... each with a specific skill set, are brought to the remote backcountry of the Pennine Alps, where the Matterhorn is located, under various guises for a trek across one of the planet's remaining untouched realms, skiing, snowboarding and mountaineering as they encounter some of the world's most beautiful, but also perilous environments. In the face of life-threatening mountain conditions, they unravel the truth about one another, as well as why they were brought there, and ultimately uncover a mountain secret that may cost them their lives while facing off against a covert organization with a long, yet secret history of global exploration."

What do you think, can Disney weave some magic and turn another theme park ride into a successful movie franchise? Which one of these projects are you most looking forward to?

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Tim Burton to Direct Live-Action Pinocchio with Robert Downey Jr. Starring?

Aaron — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 03:21:17 +0000

With films like Alice in Wonderland and Sleepy Hollow, Tim Burton has some experience bringing classic stories to life and it now looks as if he could be adding another to his filmography. Warner Brothers has a live-action version of Pinocchio in the planning stages and Burton has shown an interest in directing. In fact, he already has a top choice to headline the adaptation - none other than Robert Downey Jr., who is reportedly keen on working with the auteur. But before you go trying to picture Downey Jr. as Pinocchio, he'll be playing the role of Geppetto, the woodcarver who creates the titular marionette. Neither Burton nor Downey Jr. have signed deals yet, but Burton is in talks with Warner Bros. at the moment. The script comes from Pushing Daisies creator Bryan Fuller and is supposedly well-regarded. Warner Bros. would like to fast-track Pinocchio if Burton and Downey Jr. should sign on, although that will largely depend on whether Burton wants to make it his next film. He's also been attached to Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children at Fox and he's also busy finishing his upcoming movies Dark Shadows and Frankenweenie. Fairytale material like Pinocchio has become quite popular as of late with TV shows like Once Upon a Time and Grimm, so I'm sure Warners would like to capitalize on the trend before it ends. Burton certainly seems like the go-to guy for this type of story, especially after Alice in Wonderland had its box office success. However, it will also have to compete with a 3-D stop motion take on the same story that is being produced by Guillermo del Toro. Would you be excited for a retelling of Pinocchio with Tim Burton in the director's chair or would you rather see him tackle a different film?

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Alan Taylor to Direct Thor 2

Sean — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:19:30 +0000

I'm guessing it was a pretty merry Christmas for director Alan Taylor, who Marvel officially named as the new director of Thor 2 just prior to the holidays. We reported last week that he was one of two names they were considering to replace Patty Jenkins, the other being Daniel Minahan. Both have most recently worked on HBO's Game of Thrones, which seems to have been the main draw for Marvel, although Taylor's credits also include the 1995 crime comedy Palookaville starring William Forsythe and Vincent Gallo. So, did they make the right choice? I'm not sure that there is a huge difference between Taylor and Minahan since both of them are mostly known for their television work, but the important thing from Marvel's point of view is that the movie's November 15th, 2013 release date will remain intact. After the recent rumours that Patty Jenkins was actually fired from Thor 2, you can bet that Taylor won't do much to rock the boat, he'll just come in and get the job done. Will Thor 2 suffer because of it? I guess we'll find out soon enough.

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