Father Geek here with Gunn's latest Weekly Recap for those of you who want to catch up on all the week's news out of Hollywood. Harry and I spent the day yesterday in San Antonio at their wonderful Alamo Quarry Theatre. Why, you ask? Well, that's one of the test locations for the reissue print of SUPERMAN. Actually, it's not really a reissue print, it's a restored, enhanced print with new (to the viewer) footage added by Richard Donner.
When we arrived at the turn-of-the-century (1900) cement factory turned into modern multiplex we noticed a few guys hanging out in the lobby with various "Man of Steel" t-shirts on and struck up a conversation. One of these fans had driven in from California just for this event, another from Beaumont, Texas 300 miles away, another from Dallas 250 miles to the north. In a hallway we met a geek who had flown in from Utah, and another (wearing a solid gold Superman shield around his neck) who drove in from Houston 200 hundred miles east of S.A. These guys were jazzed. Ol' Father Geek just hopes that the Warners "powers-that-be" realize that each of these fans represents thousands in their hometowns that would support a general release of this fantastic motion picture.
Well, enough of me, here's Elston's report...
TAKEN FROM VARIETY AND HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
CASTING
Well, enough of me, here's Elston's report...
TAKEN FROM VARIETY AND HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
CASTING
CASTING
* Bokeem Woodbine (3000 MILES TO GRACELAND) and Verne Troyer (THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME) are in final talks to co-star in the heist pic IN GOD WE TRUST, opposite Christian Slater and Val Kilmer. Peter Antonijevic (SAVIOR) will direct.
* Paul Giamatti and Amanda Detmer will join Frankie Muniz in Universal Pictures' PAY OR PLAY (aka LOST AND FOUND) for director Shawn Levy, about a young boy whose essay for school lands in the hands of a move producer who turns it into a hit flick. The boy then goes to L.A. to seek credit. Isaiah Washington is also in talks to star.
* Pete Postlethwaite joins Kevin Spacey in Miramax's THE SHIPPING NEWS. Lasse Hallstrom directs.
* Karl Bury ("Freakylinks," "Party of Five") and Catherine Dent (SOMEONE LIKE YOU) have been cast in Frank Darabont's THE MAJESTIC for Castle Rock Entertainment.
* Steven Culp (13 DAYS) and Clea DuVall will star in George Huang's HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER for HBO/Cinemax. Tyler Mane (X-MEN), Jason Marsden (WHITE SQUALL) and Karim Prince ("Freakylinks") also star.
* Peter Gallagher and Jared Harris join Adam Sandler and Winona Ryder in Columbia Pictures/New Line Cinema's DEEDS for director Steven Brill.
* Halle Berry is in final talks to star in MONSTER'S BALL for director Marc Forster and Lions Gate Films. The project centers around a man, Hank, who lives with his racist father and his twentysomething son. Hank and his boy work for the local prison where they are preparing for the execution of a black inmate. Hank ends up falling for the inmate's widow.
* Nicole Kidman is in talks to star in Lars von Trier's upcoming pic DOGVILLE. Stellan Skarsgard and Katrin Cartlidge may also star.
* Meryl Streep will have a small role in Steven Spielberg's MINORITY REPORT for Fox/DreamWorks. Tom Cruise and Colin Farrell star.
* Jackie Chan and Rowan Atkinson may star in HIGHBINDERS, an action comedy about a Chinese immigration officer who is killed and returns from the dead with superpowers.
* Seann William Scott will star in the heist/rave pic STARK RAVING MAD. Shooting begins May 14 in Vancouver. Drew Daywalt and David Schneider will direct from their own script.
* Tom Hollander (MAYBE BABY) joins Robert Altman's GOSFORD PARK, starring Emily Watson, Ryan Phillippe, Helen Mirren, Jeremy Northam and Kristin Scott Thomas.
* Jason Alexander will join Gwyneth Paltrow and Jack Black in SHALLOW HAL for 20th Century Fox and the Farrelly brothers, who will direct/produce from their own script. It's about a boy whose dying father's last words of advice are for his son to spend his life with only young, beautiful women. However, 28 years later, the son, who sees women only as objects, meets an unattractive woman but sees only her inner beauty.
* Kathy Bates will star opposite Jack Nicholson in New Line Cinema's ABOUT SCHMIDT for writer/director Alexander Payne (ELECTION). She'll play a mother whose son is set to marry the daughter of a man who objects to the marriage.
* Patrick Warburton ("Seinfeld"), Robert Joy (SWEET NOVEMBER), Greg Germann ("Ally McBeal") and Ken Marino ("The First Years") join the Fox 2000/New Regency Prods. comedy JOE SOMEBODY starring Tim Allen, Julie Bowen, Jim Belushi and Kelly Lynch. John Pasquin will direct from a script by John Scott Shepherd.
* Monica Potter, Henry Thomas, John Hannah and Anthony LaPaglia will star in I'M WITH LUCY, a romantic comedy about a woman who is recently dumped by the guy she thought was Mr. Right, then finds herself on several unsuccessful blind dates. Eric Pomerance scripted. Jon Sherman (BREATHING ROOM) will direct.
* Gerard Depardieu and Marie Bonnevie star in I AM DINA for director Ole Bornedal. Pernilla August and Christopher Eccleston also star. It's based on DINA'S BOOK by Herbjorg Wassmo.
DIRECTOR/WRITER ATTACHMENTS
* Jon Purdy will direct the drama, based on the first novel in a series by Joseph F. Girzone and adapted by Brad Mirman. It centers on a possible second coming of Christ to a small U.S. town. Shooting begins May 1.
* Mark Medoff will direct CHILDREN ON THEIR BIRTHDAYS, based on the short story by Truman Capote, about an 11-year-old girl who moves to Branchville, Ala., and immediately makes an impression on the residents. When she and her pals team up to outsmart a con man, the town is changed forever.
* Malcolm Clarke will direct, and Jake Eberts will produce, the documentary ILLUSION which focuses on the true story of Kurt Gerron, the German-Jewish actor/director who was persuaded into making a 1944 propaganda film for his Nazi captors while imprisoned at the Theresienstadt concentration camp in Czechoslovakia.
* Stephan Elliott is writing and will direct SINGING MARGARIDA, a drag-queen comedy musical feature for Revolution Studios. The story follows a student who must return to his home in Rio de Janeiro for a family wedding. He brings with him his wife, whom he married to get his green card. However, not far behind them on their trip is the student's boyfriend, a singer who arrives as a woman.
* Edward Zwick is in talks to direct Fox 2000's drama KHE SANH, which is being written by William Broyles Jr. and produced by Tom Hanks, about how a priest's faith is challenged by his experiences at that besieged outpost during the Vietnam war. The project is based on the 1,500 page diary by Ray Stubbe, who served as a Navy Chaplain for the 1st Battalion, 26th Marine Regiment at Khe Sanh from July 1967 through most of the 2 1/2-month siege that ended in spring 1968.
* Martin Campbell will make a sequel to THE MASK OF ZORRO, which is now being written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, writers of the 1998 original. However, Campbell may first direct THE NOTEBOOK, based on the Nicholas Sparks novel, from a script by Jeremy Leven.
For script news, check out my weeky script report at
Screenwritersutopia.com. Thanks!
MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCTION TIDBITS
* Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group picked up the worldwide rights to Tsui Hark's action thriller BLACK MASK 2: CITY OF MASKS from producer China Star Entertainment. A U.S. release is targeted for next year. The pic is shot in English and stars Andy On, Jon Polito, Tobin Bell, Tyler Mane and Traci Elizabeth Lords.
* Dimension Films has acquired DUKE NUKEM: THE MOVIE from Threshold Entertainment and will partner with the company to bring the game to the big screen. No script yet, but an early story line follows Duke as he takes travels into deep space to intercept an alien ship on a collision course with Earth.
* Code Red grabbed the North American distribution rights to Kiyoshi Kurosawa's latest film, CURE, which will be released nationally in the summer. The film centers on an enigmatic drifter with hypnotic abilities that cause normal people to commit strange copycat murders. Although each killer stays at the scene of the crime, they can't recall the events that led to the killing.
