That Star Trek movie is doing well, so what franchises are next to get revived? Would you believe Alien and Buffy? In our weekend Genre movie news wrap-up we have details on those plus lots of news and previews for Transformers 2. There is also news on Ghostbusters 3, Iron Man 2 and even more previews, including Avatar, Toy Story 3, District 9 and much more.
MOVIE NEWS
Alien Prequel Confirmed; Carl Erik Rinsch Directing
This past Thursday, Bloody-Disgusting reported that 20th Century Fox was moving forward with a remake to "Alien" and had tapped commercial director Carl Erik Rinsch to helm the project. BD’s scoop was confirmed by producer Tony Scott, who told Collider.com the following:
Collider: 20th Century Fox is talking about remaking or redoing the original Alien. What’s going on with that?
Tony Scott: Yes, Carl Rinsch is going to do the prequel to Alien. He’s one of our directors at our company.
Scott — who’ll be working on the project with his brother Ridley Scott, director of 1979 original — added that he’s hopeful production on the film will begin by the end of this year.
Jon Favreau and Mickey Rourke Talk Iron Man 2
"Iron Man 2" director Jon Favreau revealed a bit about Tony Stark’s arc in the film in a new interview with Empire:
"Tony’s expected to be a role model and I don’t think he’s ready to be one. He’s under a great deal of pressure and when you’re under pressure, I think you find outlets for that. That’s one of the tensions of the film: it’s one thing to say you’re Iron Man, and another thing to actually become Iron Man."
Favreau also hinted that Stark’s friend Jim Rhodes, now played by Don Cheadle, will play a significantly larger role in the sequel: "Rhodesy is definitely stepping up in this film. Let me put it this way: Tony’s not the only person with technology in the film." Empire also got some thoughts from Mickey Rourke, who is playing the villain Whiplash:
"I’m having the time of my life!" he enthused about joining the Iron Man franchise. "It’s been really brutal, because my Iron Man suit weighs 23lb. It’s sort of a half-suit, with half my skin showing, with lots of Russian tattoos, because [Whiplash is just] out of a Russian-zone prison."
Set images [SCI FI Wire–more at Superhero! Hype/ComingSoon.net]
Writers Discuss Post-Strike Development of Transformers 2
Speaking at the BotCon convention in Pasadena this past Friday, "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman discussed the behind-the-scenes panic that surrounded the development of the film caused by the three-month writers strike back in November 2007. Orci told the audience that he and Kurtzman ended up cranking out a 20-page outline for the sequel that was used by the studio, the writers, producers and director Michael Bay during the strike. As soon as the strike ended, they huddled together with co-writer Ehren Kruger to get the script finished:
When the strike ended in February, Mr. Kurtzman and Mr. Orci were asked to get moving, post haste, on a full script for a movie that was already barreling toward the screen. But they were also lined up to work on the new "Star Trek" movie for Paramount, and a couple of other films that were all colliding because of the strike. So they hooked up with Ehren Kruger, a writer whose credits include "The Ring" and "Scream 3."
For several months, said the writers, they were repeatedly locked in a hotel suite with Mr. Kruger, with whom they divided the work. Mr. Kurtzman and Mr. Orci wrote pages. Mr. Kruger wrote pages. They swapped. Mr. Bay dropped by once in a while to demand: "What are you guys doing?"
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen previews
[more at SpoilerTV-Movies here and here and at ReelComix]
New shot of The Fallen [MTV]
New Shot of Optimus Prime [Collider]
TV Spot
Shia LaBeouf reveals The Fallen
Clip shown during MTV movie awards
Writer Ashley Miller Talks Thor
Television writer Ashley Miller ("Andromeda", "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" and now "Fringe") discussed his upcoming project "Thor" with CineFOOLS. Here are some excerpts:
CineFOOLS: The biggest challenge for Thor is his otherworld godliness. How do you make him approachable? And tie it in with the realism of Marvel movies?
AM: Thor’s powers are godly, yes. And his zip code is a little different. But at the end of the day, he’s a man. In the comics, Odin sends him to Earth because he’s not perfect. He’s brash, arrogant. Even over-confident. We all know that guy — some of us have even been that guy. Stan Lee’s genius was to give Thor-as-hero an emotional throughline we could all relate to, and knock him down a couple of pegs. So on that level, your question answers itself. The challenge is to dramatize that and make the audience see what the fans have known and believed about the character all along.
As for realism, i have to ask you back: what does that mean? If the standard is, does he throw his back out if he hurls the hammer a little too hard… probably not. He’s a god. He’s incredibly strong. He can fly. He tosses lightning bolts. There’s nothing realistic about any of that. But he also bleeds. He struggles. Life kicks him where it hurts the most. Dramatically speaking, the powers and Asgard are gravy. The meat — and what makes it a Marvel movie — is the character.
Head on over to CineFOOLS to read the rest of the interview. "Thor" is scheduled to hit theaters on May 20, 2011.
New ‘Buffy’ (With No Joss Whedon Involvement) In Development; Whedon Responds
Roy Lee and Doug Davison of Vertigo Entertainment are working on big-screen remake/re-launch of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". Joss Whedon has no involvement in the film, but original director Fran Rubel Kuzui and her husband, Kaz Kuzui are attached. THR notes that the producers "do not rule out Whedon’s involvement but have not yet reached out to him." EW’s Michael Ausiello contacted Whedon for his comment
EW: What do you think about this Buffy movie they’re making without you?
Whedon: I hope it’s cool.
More From Dan Aykroyd on Ghostbusters 3
Dan Aykroyd has a bit more to say about the upcoming "Ghostbusters 3". Speaking with the Guardian Guide, Aykroyd elaborated a little further on what they have planned for the film [via /Film]:
There’ll be a whole new generation that has to be trained and a leader that you’ll all love when you meet her. There’ll be lots of cadets, boys and girls who’ll be learning how to use the neuron splitter and the inter-planet interceptor – new tools to enable them to slip from dimension to dimension.
NEW IMAGES
Avatar
Official concept art [MarketSaw]
The Book of Eli [more at SCI FI Wire]
District 9
Viral marketing [more at Flickr (via Sci Fi Scoop)]
The Final Destination (3-D)
Teaser poster [UGO]
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
International poster [Empire]
Green Lantern: First Flight [one more at io9]
The Last Airbender [two more at /Film]
Nightmare on Elm Street
Set images, including a look at Freddy (Jackie Earle Haley) [more at JoBlo]
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World [more at edgar wright here]
The Twilight Saga: New Moon [one more at SCI FI Wire]
Set images [more at STYD]
NEW VIDEOS
77
Trailer
Interview with director Patrick Reed Johnson [via AICN]
Blood: The Last Vampire
Sneak Peek: The first five minutes
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
45-second preview
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnussus
Clip [via SCI FI Wire]
Land of the Lost
Clip
Watch another clip at MTV
TV Spot
Pandorum
Second trailer
Toy Story 3
Teaser trailer
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Sneak peek at the new trailer [via SCI FI Wire]
MOVIE BITES
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Paul W.S. Anderson’s video game to film adaptation of "Castlevania" is officially dead. [Bloody-Disgusting]
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"Land of the Lost" director Brad Siberling is interested in making a sequel to 2004’s live-action "Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events". The sequel would be done in stop-motion animation. [SCI FI Wire]
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Disney is moving forward with a remake to the cult 1986 sci-fi film "Flight of the Navigator". The studio has tapped Brad Copeland to write the project, while original executive producer John Hyde will return. [THR]
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Check out SCI FI Wire’s report from the set of WB’s Denzel Washington starrer "The Book of Eli". [SCI FI Wire]
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"Terminator Salvation" is headed to TNT in 2011 as part of a 13-film WB package recently agreed to along with sister cable network TBS. "Watchmen" and "Inkheart" are also part of the deal. [THR]
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Meanwhile FX has snagged the TV rights to "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian". The film will become available to FX in November 2011. FX already purchased the TV rights to "Star Trek", "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" and "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen". [Variety]
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"The Twilight Saga: New Moon" stars Robert Pattinson, Ashley Greene and Kristen Stewart are all in Italy filming scenes for the sequel. [E! Online]
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Zachary Levi ("Chuck") can next be seen in "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" this Christmas day. Check out an interview with the star at SCI FI Wire.
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Two new viral websites for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" have launched: therealeffingdeal.com and gianteffingrobots.com [MovieViral]
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"Terminator Salvation" director McG talked about the [SPOILERS–highlight to view] Arnold Schwarzenegger cameo, what crime Marcus Wright committed, continuity with the other three "Terminator" films and more in a fan Q&A session with MTV.
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Ryan Reynolds, who played Deadpool in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine", confirmed that he’s involved in the recently announced spinoff "Deadpool": "I’m meeting with them all the time," he said. "We’re in constant contact, and it’s just a matter of breaking the spine of the story and figuring out what it is and who’s the villain." [SCI FI Wire]
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DreamWorks Animation unveiled their full 2009-2012 slate of films, which includes "Oobermind" (November 5, 2010) starring the voices of Robert Downey Jr. and Tina Fey and "How to Train Your Dragon" (March 26, 2010). [Variety]
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Sam Raimi is open to introducing even the most obscure super villains in "Spider-Man 4", but says it’s "more about finding the villain that represents the best story for Peter [Parker]." [MTV Splash Page]
CASTING BITES
- Universal Pictures and Working Title Films have added Seth Rogen, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader and Jane Lynch to "Paul". They join already cast Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in the Greg Mottola-directed sci-fi comedy. [Variety]
- Chevy Chase has joined the cast of the time-travel comedy "Hot Tub Time Machine". Chase will play a mysterious repairman who dispenses pearls of wisdom and may or may not be behind the metaphysical road trip. [THR]
Follow Russ on his blog: Your Entertainment Now and on Twitter: Twitter.com/YourEntNow.
The Toy Story 3 trailer won’t show up for me… is Joss Whedon not apart of that either? Rough week for him…
I can’t wait for Transformers 2, Iron Man 2, which also reminds me of another anticipated flick, Sherlock Holmes… Ghostbusters 3, I surprise myself at how easily I smile at the idea. Buffy though? Ugh… I dunno, I got into the show during season 1, and lost interest before season 2 was over. I felt like it was lost potential. Never got into the movie. And I feel like the market is too saturated with vampires. I dig SOME of the genre, but am picky. Smallville & Torchwood are more like what I thought Buffy should’ve been.
Now I know why Fox told my agent to get lost in regards to my “ALIEN V” treatment.
I saw the MTV movie awards, and the Transformers preview….not for nothing, but does Megan Fox come off as kinda of…snobby? She seemed that way when Andy Sandberg made fun of her in the opening act.
Oh, BTW: Bruno’s butt in Emenem’s face was hilarious!!
Lastly, the movie I’m looking forward to the most on this list is Toy Story 3….it’s about time!!
WWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Toy Story 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope the “Alien” prequel will show us more of the Space Jockeys.
The Alien prequel might sow the seeds for things that go on in the background of the other films and make an Alien 5 possible at some point.
No problems with the Buffy movie. The Kuzuis own the rights and, even if they made a mess of the original movie nearly 20 years ago, they allowed Joss Whedon to make the TV show.
I’m not going to hold a mediocre film against someone two decades later. If they hire a good writing and directing team, there’s no reason that the new Buffy film can’t be good. Frankly, I can’t believe there would be enough viewers out there to make a Buffy film with the original cast (most of whom are in their 30s and 40s) work. Get back to basics: High School as Hell, little blonde girl takes back the night!
Ghostbusters 3: hmm. We’ll wait and see!
“Paul W.S. Anderson’s video game to film adaptation of “Castlevania” is officially dead.”
AMAZING!
I think it’s great that they’re restarting the Alien franchise. Never liked the AvP-idea, although I’m a fan of the video games and (to some extent) the first AvP film. But a ***prequel***??? That could only involve the aliens and the Space Jockey race, maybe their home planet. (??) How do humans fit into such a framework? Weyland-Yutani? That’ll be interesting. In the end I’m with #7 (Dom)… such a prequel would only be a good thing if they continued with Alien 5 later on, with Ripley or a good ersatz-Ripley. To be honest, they should ignore Alien Resurrection and declare it non-canon. ;)
Alien prequel = ew. The only reason the sequels were interesting was Sigourney’s Ripley. The creatures are way overused by now and have lost most of their scarines and originality.
Plus, they seam to be rushing they seem to be rushing it and it is a FOX movie so …
“Buffy though? Ugh… I dunno, I got into the show during season 1, and lost interest before season 2 was over.”
Odd, as the show only really picked up about 3 seasons later.
If I’d started watching from Season 1, I probably would’ve given up long before you did.
Buffy without Whedon? What an utterly pointless idea.
I have read nothing to indicate that Ghostbusters 3 exists anywhere other than Dan Aykroyd’s imagination.
That Toy Story 3 teaser seriously just made my day!
Has anyone heard about an Indy V with Harrison Ford and Crowley co-star Brendan Fraser as Indy’s 2nd cousin?
13. andrew c
It’s definitely happening: writers have already been assigned, casting for the original leads has been confirmed and it looks like Harold Ramis might be directing!
9. Schultz/10. Agent69
There were some substantial gaps inbetween the Alien films, meaning there’s the opportunity to fill them creatively and perhaps to reconceptualise the Aliens, which is what Ridley Scott and Sigourney Weaver have both said needs doing.
Post-AvP2 (assuming anyone sane wants those films to be ‘official’) and pre-Alien, there’s room for a human encounter with the Aliens which leads to the Nostromo being diverted to LV-427/Acheron.
Post-Alien, there’s room for Ripley’s message to be received and deliberately buried, while one or more human/alien adventures take place across the next half-century.
Post-Aliens, theoretically, there could be another Ripley/Newt adventure.
Post-Alien 3, there might be ways around Ripley’s death: maybe the Ripley in Alien 3 is a clone from the unseen post-Aliens adventure! ;)
As for Alien Resurrection: best ignore that weird, failed black comedy.
12. Nick Cook
Buffy without Joss Whedon isn’t pointless. I love the show, but I’ve got enough distance from it not to be a Whedon sycophant (and, let’s face it: some people on the web think he’s Bill Shakespeare, Jesus and Father Christmas tied up in a pretty bow!)
A good writing and directing team can make a good Buffy movie. A bad one can’t. I’m a Buffy fan and I like a lot of Joss Whedon’s work, although his movie CV thus far has a number of failures (Alien Resurrection, Titan AE, Atlantis: the Lost Empire, Serenity, the original Buffy film) alongside his big success: Toy Story. And I don’t consider Serenity’s success in movie polls to be anything more than heavily-organised nerdboy block voting – no bugger even went to see Serenity and Buffy, the TV show, never had exactly stellar ratings.
A good movie writer can write a good Buffy film. If Whedon hadn’t spent so much time slagging off the owners of Buffy while they allowed him to make the show, maybe they’d have gone straight to him.
#17
Sorry Dom, but in this situation I disagree with you. A Buffy film without Whedon *is* a terrible idea.
The fact that the Kuzui’s can make the film without Joss says more to me about the rather uneven power structure with regard to ‘ownership’ in Hollywood than it does about them being ‘nice enough’ to let him make the TV show. Buffy was his creation, and while the Kuzui’s provided financing, the fact that they can simply toss the name on whatever drivel they like without his consent is pretty ridiculous. And given most accounts of how he was treated, I don’t blame him for slagging off the Kuzuis.
Also, most of Whedon’s ‘failures’ involved other folks tinkering with his scripts and ideas, such as Alien Resurrection and the original Buffy movie, neither of which resembled the originals as penned by Whedon. And he’s also done numerous uncredited rewrites such as X-Men, Twister and Speed (most of the dialog in there belongs to Joss). I think you might be dismissing his resume too quickly.
Serenity might get a lot of fanboy love, but it also received an enormous amount of critical love, as did Buffy & Angel. People hold Joss up to ridiculous heights (I, for one, thought Dollhouse should have been canceled), but there is a reason why he’s thought of so highly.
There are times where a concept can go beyond its original creator and times where it just doesn’t work. Much as I think it was a mistake to make a Terminator without James Cameron, I think making a Buffy story without Joss will have equally disastrous results.
I’ve often felt that Alien either needs to go epic — which would probably require a PG-13 rating which would be devastating.
Or make it as small and as cheap as possible and in space.
I have wanted to write an Alien screenplay since I was 7. I had a really creepy idea for a fifth alien recently. Involving using human clones, which is one of the ways that Ripley came into play, as guinea pigs for finding new elements of torture for interrogation in a time of war. It took place on a space station. And there was a really great scene in which the Alien chesbursted through a man, and then through the woman he was having sex with.
This is all quite irrelevant. The point is I’m a big fan and very excited.
#17.
Yeah that’s a fair point, any good writing team that gets the show could do a good Buffy movie. That said, I honestly do not see the point in doing a Buffy reboot when the Whedon version is still so young, and still has mileage in it.
This really strikes me as cashing in (oh, the Star Trek reboot’s been a big sucess, and vampires are popular).
I don’t worship at the altar of Whedon, but I give him credit where it’s due. He’s a talented guy, whose willing to take risks. Sometimes he hits gold, sometimes he doesn’t. But I don’t see any huge value in a Buffy reboot at this point. Maybe in twenty years or so, but not this soon.
What I can’t believe is hearing the amount of people who gush over Dollhouse just because Whedon is involved.
The show sucks, plain and simple, and SHOULD have been cancelled over TTSCC.
Toy Story 3 just makes me smile. I’m looking forward to watching this next year.
Almost every movie news bit on this thread upsets me! G.I. Joe keeps looking worse every time I learn more (Why is there no accent on the Baroness?), Transformers looks as worthless as the first one, Ackroyd sounds like he’s lost his mind, a new Buffy sans Mrs. Gellar is sickening, blahhhhhh!
18. sean: ‘A Buffy film without Whedon *is* a terrible idea.’
See above for why I think it isn’t.
‘The fact that the Kuzui’s can make the film without Joss says more to me about the rather uneven power structure with regard to ‘ownership’ in Hollywood than it does about them being ‘nice enough’ to let him make the TV show.’
What? That they bought Buffy, lock, stock and barrel from him, found the financing and made the film? Can’t see anything wrong with that. If you sell your apartment to someone else, you can’t complain if they choose to redecorate it!
‘Buffy was his creation, and while the Kuzui’s provided financing’
No, the Kuzuis bought the script, went out there and got financing for the film themselves. Even Joss admits that nothing would have happened without Fran in particular.
‘the fact that they can simply toss the name on whatever drivel they like without his consent is pretty ridiculous.’
Again: why does it have to be ‘drivel’?
‘And given most accounts of how he was treated, I don’t blame him for slagging off the Kuzuis.’
Joss was allowed on set, which is more than most writers are, and says it was his decision not to give notes to the actors because he felt that would be unfair to the director. Sadly, Donald Sutherland apparently clashed with Fran, who was a relatively inexperienced director. The Kuzuis allowed the TV show and its spin-off to happen, taking a back seat (IIRC, they are based in Japan.) It’s then that the regular abuse of the first film started.
‘Also, most of Whedon’s ‘failures’ involved other folks tinkering with his scripts and ideas, such as Alien Resurrection and the original Buffy movie, neither of which resembled the originals as penned by Whedon.’
Actually, AR is almost word for word Whedon’s screenplay (I’ve got it on a shelf somewhere), as is the Buffy film. It’s how those words are performed that is wrong. And that says something for weaknesses in Joss’s writing: that the only person who can properly direct a Whedon script is Whedon himself. You can only blame other people so much and it seems to be a recurring theme with Whedon fans that it’s always someone else’s fault!
‘And he’s also done numerous uncredited rewrites such as X-Men, Twister and Speed ‘
So what? His name isn’t on those films?
‘I think making a Buffy story without Joss will have equally disastrous results.’
On the other hand, a fresh writer given the freedom of creating a completely separate script based on the concept could do a bang up job. Wait and see is the best option for now. All this might be for nothing anyway!
20. Nick Cook: ‘That said, I honestly do not see the point in doing a Buffy reboot when the Whedon version is still so young, and still has mileage in it.’
In fairness, Buffy’s best years were behind it by the time it moved to UPN and Angel seasons four and five were controversial to say the least (I loved all of Buffy and Angel, incidentally, including Beer Bad.)
But what is Buffy about at its core? Growing up. High school as Hell. The little girl takes back the night from the monsters. SMG (age 32) has long since walked away from Buffy and all the cast are really to old to work in a movie that effectively is about fifteen-20 year olds growing up. Even allowing for the whole ‘adults as kids’ high school thing in the US, having Alyson Hannigan (age 35) playing an early 20-something wouldn’t work.
Buffy, the TV show, has a small, very enthusiastic following and appealed to sections of liberal academia and some critics, but a film continuation of a television show about being a teenager-to-early-20-something when many of its actors are well on their way to 40 (Nicholas Brendan, age 38) or even 50 (James Marsters, age 47) would be no way to get a cinema audience in.
A reboot of Buffy is the only sensible way to do a movie now. And given how impossible everyone seems to think it is to adapt a Whedon script, perhaps, therefore, a new writer is the way to go!
Toy Story 3!!!!!! :D
When I saw “Terminator – Salvation” the other night, which incidentally I liked quited a bit, I saw previews for a movie called “District 9.” Never heard, read or seen anything about that before.
Anyone know anything about it? From its look, it kinda reminded me of a grittier version of “Alien Nation.”
#26: oops, answering my own question… now I see there is a link to that same movie here today on this thread… oops (wiping egg off my face)
#24.
Dom, I’d have to disagree that a reboot is the *only* way to go, but I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree. :)
28. Nick Cook – ‘Dom, I’d have to disagree that a reboot is the *only* way to go, but I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree. :)’
In fairness, I think it’s the only way to go for a theatrical film. If they can come up with (and sell) a TV show that takes a new direction with the existing mythology from Buffy and Angel, then they should go for it. :)
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