Ain't It Cool News (www.aintitcool.com)
Movie News

Elston Gunn's WEEKLY RECAP

Father Geek here posting Elston's new WEEKLY RECAP for 2001. Not a terribily lot of news for you due to the holidays and all, but there's some nice tidbits all the same. The Spring Strikes affects on several flicks Father Geek was looking forward to like TERMINATOR 3, TRUCK 44 starring Sam Jackson, or Quentin Tarantino's KILL BILL to name a few is one bit of unwelcome news I could have lived without. Johnny Depp in CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND would be real nice though.

Now to Mr. Gunn and the FIRST recap of the new millenium...

TAKEN FROM VARIETY AND HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

CASTING

* Ray Park (EPISODE I, X-MEN) will play the title role in Artisan's IRON FIST, based on the Marvel Comics character. It's about a Westerner who was raised in a secret temple and can channel his lifeforce into his fist which can strike with the force of an iron. He returns to the United States to seek revenge for the murder of his parents. John Turman (FREEDOM) will write the screenplay.

* Cole Hauser (TIGERLAND, PITCH BLACK) joins Colin Farrell and Bruce Willis in HART'S WAR for MGM and director Gregory Hoblit. Shooting begins this month in Prague.

* Claire Danes and Joaquin Phoenix will star in IT'S ALL ABOUT LOVE for Danish writer/director Thomas Vinterberg (THE CELEBRATION). It's about a world-famous ice skater and her husband who are on the brink of divorce, but try to fight for their relationship. Shooting starts in April.

* Mark Ruffalo (YOU CAN COUNT ON ME) joins Robert Redford in THE CASTLE for director Rod Lurie (THE CONTENDER). James Gandolfini is also in talks to star. Production begins March 19 in Nashville. David Scarpa and Graham Yost scripted.

* Hilary Swank is in talks to star in CHAMBERMAID for Revolution Studios and writer/producer John Hughes. Shooting will begin in March or April. It's a Cinderella-esque story about an American chambermaid who falls for a British gentleman.

* R&B singer Sisqo is in talks to join Cuba Gooding Jr. and James Coburn in the dogsled adventure pic WINTERDANCE, based on the book by Gary Paulsen, for director Brian Levant. The pic starts shooting later this month.

* Colin Hanks ("Roswell") will star in Paramount's ORANGE COUNTY for director Jake Kasdan (THE ZERO EFFECT) and MTV Films. Catherine O'Hara, Harold Ramis, Lily Tomlin, Schuyler Fisk and Mike White also star. White (CHUCK & BUCK) wrote the script about an overachieving high schooler whose guidance counselor mistakenly sends out the wrong transcripts in his name to Stanford University.

* Johnny Depp is being courted by director Bryan Singer to star in CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND. Depp is also considering starring in Icon Prods.' ELIZA GRAVES about a young doctor working in an asylum who falls for a patient.

* Jude Law, Emily Watson and Kristin Scott Thomas will star in Robert Altman's upcoming period film GOSFORD PARK. Helen Mirren and Michael Gambon may also star. Production begins in March. The story takes place in 1930s Britain at a hunting party where there is "a murder in a house where the masters are surrounded by numerous servants." Altman says the script is inspired by Jean Renoir's classic LA REGLE DU JEU.

* Nick Nolte is in negotiations to star in DOUBLE DOWN, a remake of the 1955 French film BOB LE FLAMBEUR, for writer/director Neil Jordan. The original film centers on a gangster/gambler who attempts to pull off one last casino heist in a French resort. Jordan wrote the adaptation, based on the original script by Jean-Pierre Melville (who also directed the original) and Auguste Le Breton.

DIRECTOR/WRITER ATTACHMENTS

* Steven Lisberger is writing, with Richard Jeffries, and will direct a sequel to Disney's 1982 sci-fi cult film TRON. It will follow a computer hacker who transports himself into cyberspace to pull off the ultimate hack.

* Peyton Reed (BRING IT ON) will direct the Fox 2000 romantic comedy DOWN WITH LOVE, which is said to be an homage to the Rock Hudson/Doris Day pictures. Eve Ahlert and Dennis Drake wrote the script to be produced by Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen (AMERICAN BEAUTY).

* Lars von Trier will direct the dramatic thriller DOGVILLE entirely on stage at a former military barracks near Copenhagen and will star a yet-to-be cast Hollywood actress. The project, set in a small American mountain village, will be produced on HDTV and will start shooting in July.

* Wayne Wang is in talks to direct STOMPANATO, a film about the rocky relationship between gangster Johnny Stompanato and actress Lana Turner. Martin Elfand and Benny Atori are producing the pic along with Stonelock Pictures.

MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCTION TIDBITS

* Singer-songwriter John Hiatt will write at least five original songs for THE COUNTRY BEARS, the Walt Disney Co. family film which begins shooting next month. It's inspired by the Country Bear Jamboree Disneyland attraction and centers on a young bear who tries to reunite the Country Bears band for a benefit concert.

* Several projects expected to begin production before the anticipated spring strikes now look as though they may have to wait--for one reason or another. These include TERMINATOR 3, the Richard Donner/Michael Crichton project TIMELINE, TRUCK 44 starring Samuel L. Jackson for director Peter Berg, Quentin Tarantino's KILL BILL and the Jay Roach-directed comedy 50 FIRST KISSES.

* Disney has postponed production on the sequel to THE SANTA CLAUSE due to script problems. Don Rhymer (BIG MOMMA'S HOUSE) wrote an earlier version with a rewrite penned by Peter Martin Wortmann and Robert Conti (WHO'S HARRY CRUMB?). The Tim Allen-starrer was to begin production in the spring for a November release.

* The MGM film BASIC INSTINCT 2 is threatening to be shelved if the production doesn't soon cast a male lead to play a young shrink who encounters Sharon Stone's Catherine Trammel character. David Cronenberg is set to direct.

Happy 2001. Not a whole lot of news this week, but I guess you'll have that this soon after the holidays. I believe the Ray Park/IRON FIST tidbit was the first big news of the year. Sounds fun already. So does the Altman film, ORANGE COUNTY, STOMPANATO, DOGVILLE and DOUBLE DOWN (though aren't there a couple of projects already in development centering on the "one last heist" theme?). I never thought of Johnny Depp doing CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND. Hope that project continues to progress. And the cast of THE CASTLE looks rather promising. I pray some good movies will be made this year.

Hope you have a great year and an exceptional millenium. Until next week...

Elston Gunn

elstongunn@hotmail.com

Readers Talkback
comments powered by Disqus