Sci-Fi Movies Saturday: Captain America, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Ghostbusters III, Clash of the Titans 2, Dredd + more September 4, 2010
by Rosario T. Calabria , Filed under: Sci-Fi , trackback
In this week’s Sci-Fi Movies column we have new details on the Judge Dredd, Captain America, and Ghostsbusters III movies, plus there is lots of director updates on Wolverine 2, Deadpool, Clash of the Titans 2, and the next Fantastic Four movie, All that and more, including the latest casting bites, images and videos.
GENRE MOVIE NEWS
Judge Dredd movie, starring Karl Urban, will be called…
…"Dredd", just "Dredd". That’s according to IM Global, who is currently selling the $45M 3D film at the Toronto Film Festival. The film stars "Star Trek’s" Karl Urban as the title character. IM Global has also released a new synopsis describing the Pete Travis-directed film [via IGN]:
DREDD takes us to the wild streets of Mega City One, the lone oasis of quasi-civilization on Cursed Earth. Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) is the most feared of elite Street Judges, with the power to enforce the law, sentence offenders and execute them on the spot – if necessary. The endlessly inventive mind of writer Alex Garland and the frenetic vision of director Pete Travis bring DREDD to life as a futuristic neo-noir action film that returns the celebrated character to the dark, visceral incarnation from John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra’s revered comic strip.
In other news, Olivia Thirlby ("Juno") has joined the cast. Thirlby will play Cassandra Anderson, "the telepathic rookie who shadows Dredd".
New details on Ghostbusters III
We already know that "Ghostbusters III" is expected to feature a new team of Ghost Busters — handed the reigns from Egon, Peter, Ray and Winston — but there are now new details on the potential storyline of the third film. Bloody Disgusting reports that the film will focus on Dana’s (Sigourney Weaver) son, Oscar:
Early word from an insider is that the (hinted at) love affair between Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) and Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) has a much bigger impact on the franchise than just an angry Vigo (Wilhelm von Homburg).
From what we’re told, it will be revealed that Dana’s son Oscar is in fact Peter’s child as well. Furthermore, Oscar is now 21-ish and ready to take the reigns of his father’s ghost busting business!
In addition to Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson all returning, Rick Moranis (who would come out of retirement) and Sigourney Weaver are expected to reprise their roles. "Ghostbusters III" is being scripted by Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky ("The Office").
Captain America will feature several Marvel easter eggs
Director Joe Johnston revealed that "Captain America: The First Avenger" will include several easter eggs to other upcoming Marvel films [Comic Book Movie]:
"There are links between all the Marvel films, mostly ones that only the fans will pick up on. We have several subtle references to certain elements in Thor, but since Captain America is a period picture taking place in the ’40s, there are fewer opportunities for contemporary links to the rest of the Marvel universe. We can, however, create events in our story that will be paid off in Avengers and other Marvel pictures.
In other news, Stanley Tucci told Cinema Blend that his character Dr. Abraham Erskine, the man responsible for giving Steve Rogers his Captain America powers, will be in about six scenes. Although he has only a small part in the film, Tucci complimented the project and its script, saying it was "really well written". "Captain America: The First Avenger" is scheduled to hit conventional and 3D theaters on July 22, 2011.
Director updates: Liebesman to helm Clash of Titans 2 + Aronofsky & Slade battle for Wolverine 2, Rodriguez frontrunner for Deadpool
A number of high profile genre projects have made some strides in the last week on picking their directors:
- Jonathan Liebesman ("Battle: Los Angeles") has agreed to terms with Warner Brothers and Legendary Pictures to direct a sequel to Louis Leterrier’s "Clash of the Titans", Sam Worthington and Gemma Arterton are both expected to reprise their roles for the film, which will be written by Dan Mazeau ("The Flash") and David Leslie Johnson ("Red Riding Hood"). Greg Berlanti ("Green Lantern") wrote the treatment with the duo.
- In other directing news, Darren Aronofsky has been added to the shortlist of potential directors for the "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" follow-up. Deadline reports that Aronofsky and David Slade are the top contenders for the project, but Slade is still the frontrunner (Robert Schwentke was in the mix but has since opted out of the competition)
- And lastly, Robert Rodriguez continues to be the top choice of Fox to direct the "Deadpool" spin-off, but scheduling is an issue due to Spy Kids 4 and promoting Machete:
Fox interested in Bruce Willis for voice of The Thing in Fantastic Four reboot? + Director rumors
It has already been reported that Fox will use CG for the character The Thing in the "Fantastic Four" reboot, and now we have a name attached to potentially voice the character…Bruce Willis. Comic Book Movie reports that their inside source has told them Fox wants Willis to play Ben Grimm in an early scene/credits sequence and voice the new fully CG Thing. No word yet on if Willis will receive an offer from the studio. In related news, CBM reports that three directors are in contention for directing duties on the project: Joe Carnahan ("The A-Team"), David Yates ("Harry Potter") and James McTeigue ("V for Vendetta").
Darren Aronofsky says he didn’t leave Robocop because of the 3D
The last bit of genre director news comes from Darren Aronofsky who says, contrary to earlier reports, he didn’t leave MGM’s "Robocop" project because of the studio’s desire to shoot in 3D, rather it was because of MGM’s dire financial situation: "The studio is in question, as everyone knows, with ‘The Hobbit’ and all that stuff, and ‘Black Swan’ was ready to go. It just became an easy decision.". In fact, Aronofsky says he’s open to shooting in 3D. And what about Robocop? Would he return if asked? "We’ll see what happens with it down the line," he said.
Mark Millar claiming Kick-Ass 2 has been greenlit
Mark Millar was on Radio 5 in the UK and according to a report via AICN, the "Kick-Ass" creator claimed that the sequel to the big-screen version has been greenlit due to strong DVD sales and it "will go ahead and be based on Millar’s follow up comic". Mark Millar has been known to exaggerate in the past (he still claims "Wanted 2" will be made), so don’t take this news as anything more than a rumor at this point. Also, the DVD sales of "Kick-Ass", while solid, are nothing to brag about. According to The Numbers, the DVD has sold 737,376 through three weeks (of data available) with revenue of $16.3M. Lionsgate paid $60M for the domestic and worldwide distribution rights and spent between $25-30M in advertising. The film brought in about $96M worldwide — studio’s take, on average, a little more than half of box office revenue — so "Kick-Ass" isn’t exactly a hot property for Lionsgate.
PREVIEW Videos & Images
Battleship
Set images (first look at Taylor Kitsch and Rihanna) [more at Rihanna Photo Daily and Just Jared]
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Promotional still [MTV]
Conan
Set images [more at Conan Movie Blog]
Cowboys & Aliens
Set image [The Sun]
Devil
Promotional stills [Fangoria]
TV spot: "Everybody believes in him a little bit" [Teaser Trailer / Daily Motion]
Fright Night
First look at David Tennant as Peter Vincent [Shock Till You Drop]
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Promotional stills [more at Empire Online, SnitchSeeker and Movies.SpoilerTV.com]
Let Me In
International (France) movie poster [IMP Awards]
Clip: "Car Attack" [Teaser-Trailer]
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole
International (Russia) movie poster [IMP Awards]
Machete
Red band TV spot [YouTube]
Monsters
Movie poster [Vulture]
Never Let Me Go
Clip [MTV]
Newt
Artwork (Note: The project is no longer in development) [more at Disney Pixar | Facebook]
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Set images (including first look at Ian McShane as Blackbeard) [more at PopSugar]
Resident Evil: Afterlife
International (Japan) character posters [more at IMP Awards]
Four clips [Collider]
Featurette [Collider]
B-Roll [Collider]
TV spot [Teaser-Trailer / Daily Motion]
Rise of the Apes
Set images [more at The MPCC via Blastr]
Source Code
First look (magazine scan) [Wet and Dark and Wild via Cinema Blend]
Sucker Punch
Promotional still [CruelFilms - and more at Teaser-Trailer]
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse
Promotional stills [Warner Brothers / YourEntNow]
Terminator 2
Terminator 2: The Opera [YouTube]
Transformers 3
Set video [YouTube / more via TLAMB]
Tron Legacy
IMAX and international (Japan) movie posters [ShockYa & IMP Awards]
Concept art for new Disney theme park, "ElecTRONica" [Disney Parks Blog]
MOVIE BITES
- M. Night Shyamalan says the idea he had for a sequel to "Unbreakable" has been "cannibalized…for one of the ‘Night Chronicles". Shyamalan added: "I fleshed it out more and more, and thought, ‘This could be a standalone movie,’" he said. "I’ll just say it: the third ‘Night Chronicles’ movie is what would have been the sequel [to 'Unbreakable']. So now I need to come up with a new idea." [MTV]
- DC Comics’ upcoming direct-to-video film "Superman/Batman: Apocalypse" will debut on the big-screen in Los Angeles (September 21, 2010) and New York (September 23). The DVD and Blu-ray will be released on September 28. [WB / YourEntNow]
- Alfonso Cuaron’s 3D sci-fi film "Gravity" may not get made: "Gravity…is suddenly in danger of falling back to earth after Angellina Jolie said no to a full court press and a big money offer to star in the film. It has put Warner Bros in a bind. The studio needs an actress who can hold the screen and draw an audience to an $80 million film."
- Check out a script review of Guilermo del Toro’s "At the Mountains of Madness" at The Temple of Ghoul [via Blastr]
- "Flash Gordon" director Mike Hodges reveals that a sequel was intended, but a conflict between the film’s star Sam J. Jones and producer Dino De Laurentiis resulted in the sequel being dropped. [Total Sci-Fi Online via Blastr]
- Marvel’s "Runaways" is scheduled to begin shooting in March 2011 in Los Angeles under the fake production title "Small Faces". [Production Weekly via /Film]
- Barry Levinson’s sci-fi thriller "Isopod" has been re-named "The Bay". [Production Weekly]
- "Transformers 3" director Michael Bay says the film’s budget is not $400M: "Lester [Speight] is a moron. He has no clue about much, other then to try to get internet hype. He’s been on the movie a total of 10 days, the guys is just letting his ass talk. Movie is $ just above Revenge. He knows not to talk about this movie!"
- George Miller’s "Mad Max: Fury Road" will use 138 cars and bikes and features 298 stunts. [Transmoto via Moviehole]
- Robert Rodriguez’s "Machete" just edged out "The American" at the box office on Friday according to early estimates: $3.9M vs. $3.8M. The two films will finish a close 1 and 2 (too early to say which film will finish #1 for the weekend)… [Box Office Mojo]
- ..Check out interviews with Robert Rodriguez, Danny Trejo, Jessica Alba and Michelle Rodriguez. [Collider, (2)]
- …In last week’s box office, "The Last Exorcism" opened in second place with $20.4M, while "Avatar: Special Edition" opened in 11th place with $4.0M pushing the domestic cume of "Avatar" past $750M…
- …And in international box office last week, the four-week reign of "Inception" was ended as "The Last Airbender" expanded into Mexico and China to take in $20.3 million over the August 27-29 weekend (current worldwide cume is $252.9M). "Inception" was a strong second place with $17 million (current worldwide cume is $660.7M). [Variety]
- …Speaking of "The Last Airbender", director M. Night Shyamalan remains open to doing a sequel: "I don’t [know], because there are so many factors they take into account…I guess it will get into an area where it becomes a discussion — like pros and cons," he added. [MTV]
- "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn" screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg promises the on-screen birth scene will be "as intense as it is in the book," adding "I don’t think it’s about the amount of blood you show…It’s about the intensity of it. It’s on their faces. It’s all from Bella’s point of view when you’re seeing what’s going. It should feel visceral. I think it’s going to be pretty intense". [E! Online]
- Greg Strause, co-director of "Skyline", calls "total bullshit" on Sony’s accusations that he and his brother/co-director Colin ripped off Sony’s "Battle: Los Angeles": "…We work on a movie with aliens involved with it, if not every year, then every other year. We worked on ‘Avatar,’ ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still,’ ‘Invasion.’ It’s all about aliens. That’s what our company does. And everyone knows that" [MTV]
- Duncan Jones’ "Moon" follow-up "Source Code" will be released on March 11, 2011. [Film Source Code]
- Ridley Scott’s "Alien" prequels will take place 30 years before the events of the 1979 original: "The film will be really tough, really nasty," he notes. "It’s the dark side of the moon. We are talking about gods and engineers. Engineers of space. And were the aliens designed as a form of biological warfare? Or biology that would go in and clean up a planet?" [The Independent]
CASTING BITES
- Dwayne Johnson will star in "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island", co-starring Josh Hutcherson. A sequel to the 2008 hit "Journey to the Center of the Earth", the sequel which will be "loosely based" on Jules Verne’s "The Mysterious Island". Fraser starred in the 2008 film, but will not return for ‘Journey 2′. [Heat Vision]
- 20th Century Fox is said to be interested in Stephen Moyer ("True Blood") to play Dr. Doom in the next "Fantastic Four" movie… [Comic Book Movie]
- …Also, between the choices of Adrien Brody and Jonathan Rhys Meyers for the role of Mr. Fantastic, the studio is said to be "strongly leaning" towards Brody. [CBM]
- "Avatar" spoilers… Actress Sigourney Weaver leaves the door open on the possibility of her character returning for "Avatar 2": "She didn’t maybe die. Maybe she’s just in the tree…I’m not allowed to say anything, but he [James Cameron] certainly made a lot of notes over the last year of where to move on," Weaver said. "I think he really wants to keep the team together as much as he can." [Blastr]
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Scarlett Johansson are reported to be "loosely" attached to star in the Diablo Cody-produced adaptation of S.G. Browne’s "Breathers: A Zombie’s Lament". [Pajiba]
- Rami Malek ("The Pacific") has joined the cast of "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2" [ET Online]
- Sylvester McCoy has revealed that he is in negotiations for a role in "The Hobbit": "I am being cast in The Hobbit,” he said. “We’re currently in negotiations – there are two of us under consideration. It’s not the Bilbo role, but could be bigger." There are reports that McCoy could be playing Radagast the Brown. [Dunoon Observer/Argyllshire Standard via The One Ring]
- There’s a report that Universal Pictures wants James McAvoy to star in Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of the H.P Lovecraft novel "At the Mountains of Madness", but del Toro wants Tom Cruise. Chris Pine’s name has also been in the mix, but his busy schedule puts him out of the running. [Collider]
- David Koechner, Nicholas D’Agosto, P.J. Byrne and Ellen Wroe have joined the cast of "5nal Destination". Also, Tony Todd has been confirmed to be reprising his role as Mr. Bludworth. [Heat Vision]
- Sinqua Walls, Chris Carmack, Alyssa Diaz and Joel David Moore have joined the cast of David Ellis’ ("Snakes on a Plane") "Shark Night 3D". [Heat Vision]
- Marvel Studios has re-issued its casting call for the part of Nico in the upcoming big-screen adaptation of "Runaways". The new casting call makes clear they are seekingn Asian-Americans to try out for the role. [Racebending via io9]
Follow Russ on his website: Your Entertainment Now and on Twitter: Twitter.com/YourEntNow.
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Comments»
Thanks! BTW, it’s Karl Urban, not Keith Urban….
I think we knew who she meant. Nitpickers! Sheesh!
(Oh, yeah….forgot what website I was on.)
I think Ros is a guy. [/nitpick]
Excellent work once again, Ros!
Rosario, you need to be doing Intelligence for the government because you often find, and or, report stuff that Superherohype never does. Good job.
Brody for Reed? I don’t know about that. I’ve always thought Kirby re-vamped him after Jeffrey Hunter’s Pike. Just look at how much Reed fleshed out as a character just about the time that first pilot came out. That became very obvious to me when I saw it in on the big screen in the theaters a few years ago. (Something I’ve planed to present to TwoMorrows as a possible future article some day)
Bruce Willis for voice of The Thing in Fantastic Four reboot? I don’t see it. Chiklis had the ability to do the transformation voice pretty well.
What ever they do…just hope it’s good.
Don’t know if I have faith in it being good, but I like those Conan shots – for 3 or 4 reasons.
Isn’t it something, how each time Bill Murray’s had a new movie out, there’s all of a sudden “BIG” news out about Ghostbusters 3? It happened after Fantastic Fox, too. Regardless and in any case, if Bill Murray’s character (Venkman) is killed off in the new movie, the glaring, blatant, unavoidable fact will be that Venkman isn’t there–no matter who is hired to try and distract from that. If this movie kills off Peter Venkman, I’ll be really pissed, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. In the end after that, Sony Pictures will look foolish for going along with something like that.
Please, not more kick-ass movies. That would be as bad as an Ensign Sue sequel.
Murray said the movie was off because Year One was so awful. Ghostbusters 3 has more contradictory reports coming out with each passing month. At this point, I’m not holding my breath.
Also, both Bill and Dan have said there’s no way Rick Moranis will come out of retirement. So I think all these ‘reports’ are pretty much wishful thinking on someone’s part.
@ Petey
Hoisted on my own petard?
Strange mistake there on my part. Don’t know where my mind was.
And yes, I’m a guy.
Sony wants Ghostbusters III to happen, and I have no doubt it will…eventually.
Thanks for the comments and compliments, everyone.
I know the producers have said they want to make a HARD R Dredd movie, but I don’t think it would even make back it’s $40 million budget with the ‘R’. Anyone remember Punisher Warzone?
They really need to aim for a Hard PG-13 like the DARK KNIGHT.
Fantastic Four reboot is a good idea on paper (as the first two were kind of a waste), but so soon??? We’ll see…
And as for Clash of the Titans II; while I enjoyed the remake for what it was (a B-movie remake of another B-movie), I just don’t think it has enough gas for a sequel. Could be wrong on that.
David Tennant’s appearance in “Fright Night” (playing the Peter Vincent character created by the Roddy McDowell) is the ONLY reason I’ll see that one (he is the modern incarnation of McDowell IMO; a high-energy actor who can propel a project into overdrive by force of personality alone). Hope it succeeds. Loved his BBC Hamlet…
I feel no heat whatsoever from Ghostbusters 3; I just wish they’d call it quits on this idea. I enjoyed the first one, was so-so on the second and really think there is no where to go but down for the third.
It has a ‘the-party-ended-20-years-ago’ vibe to it…
The Planet of the Apes prequel “Rise of the Apes” has a potentially ambitious and interesting idea; just hope they steer clear of the Tim Burton mess and all of it’s trappings. Keep it as a standalone effort and it might be interesting (sounds like a more serious remake of “Conquest of the Planet of the Apes” from 1972; and that movie could use a serious rebooting).
Might have to check this one out.
As for Resident Evil 67 or whatever hell number it is? Never cared, and probably never will. It’s the first-person shooter game you can’t play.
Who cares?
Hope they put the Robocop sequel/reboot whatever-the-hell it is to bed for good now. They already got it sooo right in the first movie, and have struggled through two pedestrian sequels and several dull TV series to recapture lightning in a bottle. It’s NOT going to happen, guys!
Please move on…
Cowboys and Aliens looks like the only original, idea on the movie-scape horizon, and it looks like a lot of fun! Great cast and an interesting team behind the scenes as well.
It sounds kind of cool.
Can’t wait.
Just my opinion….
PLEEEASE!! No stinkin’ Tom Cruise in Del Toro’s Lovecraft film. The project deserves better than this. It deserves an ACTOR!
Yeah, looking forward to Cowboys & Aliens. Any word when we can expect to see a trailer… or at least a teaser? Oh, and doesn’t Daniel Craig look like he was born to wear that hat? I’m not a soccer fan but I hope England gets the World Cup in 2018. Only seems right to me. :)
Nice boobies in the Conan pics. ;-p
8 “there’s no way Rick Moranis will come out of retirement”
Oh, I think if Moranis is offered a cheque with enough zeroes on it, he can lay off golf for the four days it would require to film his simple cameo. That’s not coming out of retirement, but simply taking on a very short-term contract assignment for mucho dollars! Simplicity itself!
I kinda wanted to clarify that ElecTRONica is not a new theme park, but kind of a nighttime event/street party in the Hollywood section of the existing California Adventure theme park at Disneyland.
The review for the script of At the Mountain of Madness makes me very sad…if that will get filmed, it’ll the perfect way to ruin an excellent story.
12 – It’s Roddy McDowall, with an “a” not an “e.” And Mr. Tennant has some very big shoes to fill.
It will be interesting to see if or which of the various interpretations of the Space Jockey’s species in the novelisations, graphic novels, etc they will use in the Untitled Alien prequels.
In Alan Dean Foster’s novelisation of Alien, Ash describes the Space Jockey’s race as a noble people and hopes that mankind will encounter them under more pleasant circumstances. It also states that they were larger, stronger and possibly more intelligent than humans. Foster’s novelisation states that the Jockey was trying to warn humans away from the Xenomorphs.
In Steve Perry’s Earth Hive, the Space Jockey’s race are referred to as collectors because they collect Xenomorph eggs. In Michael Jan Friedman’s Aliens: Original Sin, the race is referred to as the Mala’kak. According to the comic book The Destroying Angels, the Xenomorphs caused the species to become extinct 1.6 million years ago.
Mark Verheiden’s Aliens graphic novel depict the Space Jockey’s race as malevolent; they refrain from attacking humans due to their immense hatred of their common enemy, the Xenomorphs, but they intend to wipe out and/or enslave humanity once their war with the Xenomorphs is over. In the series, a Space Jockey-like creature communicates telepathically with humans.
I hope that they include some of the following villains in Dredd:
Angel Gang, Mean Machine Angel, President Booth, Oola Blint, Judge Cal, Dark Judges, Judge Death, Rico Dredd, Armon Gill, Judge Grice, Morton Judd, Kleggs, Judge Kraken, Stan Lee, PJ Maybe, Nero Narcos, Sov Judge Orlok, Shojun the Warlord, Judge Sinfield
I look forward to seeing some of the following characters as well:
Judge Beeny, Judge Buell, Galen DeMarco, Dirty Frank, Chief Judge Fargo, Judge Francisco, Judge Giant, Judge Goodman, Judge Griffin, Judge Guthrie, Judge Hershey, Judge Janus, Judge Karyn, Judge McGruder, Mechanismo, Judge Niles, Judge Rico, Judge Shenker, Judge Silver, Judge Solomon, Judge Volt, Chopper, Vienna Dredd, Fergee, Yassa Povey, Jacob Sardini, Otto Sump, Walter the Wobot
As Judge Dredd, Karl Urban should be a hardcore badass like Christian Bale in the Batman films, Daniel Craig in the James Bond films, Matt Damon in the Bourne trilogy and Liam Neeson in Taken.
I hope that Shia LaBeouf will be the new lead in Ghostbusters III. He would have made a good Ghostbuster. He can definitely play the straight faced smart-ass that Bill Murray was. I hope that they model the title and tagline after Star Trek: Generations (1994) and call the film – ‘Ghostbusters: Generations’ and use the tagline – ‘Two generations. One destiny.’ It would be nice to see Murray, Aykroyd, Ramis and Hudson play mentors to the kids like Bruce Greenwood did in Star Trek as Christopher Pike to James Kirk.
Zeddmore: “Your father was captain of a Ghostbusters team for twelve hours.”
Spengler: “He saved 800,000 lives, including your mothers and yours.”
Stantz: “I dare you to do better.”
Venkman: “Enlist in Ghostbusters Academy.”
Shia LaBeouf’s character: You’re a scientist?
Venkman: Part-time.
I hope in the Captain America sequels, they will include: Rikki Barnes, Battlestar, Black Widow, Sharon Carter, Demolition Man, Diamondback, Falcon, Free Spirit, Golden Girl, The Invaders, Jack Flag, Josiah X, Nomad, Patriot (Eli Bradley), Bernie Rosenthal.
I look forward to seeing the other villains in the sequels including Aleksander Lukin, Armadillo, Baron Zemo, Batroc the Leaper, Crossbones, Doctor Faustus, Flag-Smasher, Grand Director, Hate-Monger, Nefarius, Porcupine, Protocide, Scourge, Serpent Society, Serpent Squad, Sin, Ultimatum, Viper (Madame Hydra).
Prequels, sequels, remakes, reboots. And a potential high quality, hard SF, original project like Gravity is frozen. I hope they find an appropriate actress. Some are known to be around in Hollywood.
On the positive side: Bruce Willis as the Thing would be awesome.
I’m very excited about Source Code. If you haven’t seen Duncan Jones first film Moon you need to. One of the best Sci-fi films ever. Right up the with Wrath of Khan, Undiscovered Country, 2001. I could go one. It’s good.
Let Me In: a European poster for an American remake of a recent European film. In your face, Europe!
#8
Just to be clear, I didn’t mean wishful thinking on your part! Rather on the part of Bloddy Disgusting, et al. I re-read what I wrote and realized it could have seemed like I was directing that your way.
#16
Again, I’m going by what Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and dozens of others have said (including Moranis himself). He hasn’t made a live action film since 1997. Of course he could pull a Nimoy and come out of retirement for this, but if it’s a cameo as you’ve suggested, there’s only so much money the studio will be willing to pay him. He isn’t Nimoy, and he doesn’t have the same cultural pull. Nor is he really essential to a Ghostbusters movie. I love the guy and he’s very funny, but it’s not like he made Ghostbusters what it was.
In terms of the movie itself, Bill Murray has always given conflicting reports, but his last statement on it was that Year One sucked, and since those were the guys that Ramis wanted to write the movie, the project was pretty much dead. I’m sure the studio would like to capitalize on Ghostbusters nostalgia, but if the script sucks and Murray won’t do it, what’s the point?
THAT’S supposed to be “Peter Vincent”!? When I first saw the picture at the top of the article, I thought it was Snake Plisskin!
@ 19
Was typing your note to correct someone’s typo worth the time and effort? What pleasure do you derive from it?
Just curious. I see it all the time here. Most posts are probably typed late at night between bites of stuffed-crusted pizza and swigs of Bud Light Lime. We’re not in school. We’re here for fun. Why the constant corrections? Seriously.
29 – If you are just curious and not trying to antagonize.
McDowall is a less common spelling of this surname. This fine actor had his name misspelled by professional reporters throughout his life and even had it misspelled in TV and film production credits.
I believe he deserves to have his name spelled correctly by people now that he is gone and only his legacy lives on.
So, yes, I felt it was worth my time and effort — which are my concern and not yours — and certainly more worthy of time and effort than posts that question whether it was worth the time and effort. So, Mr. Kettle, this is Mr. Pot saying you’re not so different than I am. You just have your own particular forms of pet peeves and OCD.
Live and let live, will ya?
I just don’t like seeing the surnames of one of my favorite actors constantly misspelled by professional and amateur writers alike.
29 — Surname, singular, that is. See, I even fix my own typos.
So, that is the pleasure I derive — giving a fine actor just the simple courtesy and respect he deserves.
Is your curiosity now sated?
Dr. Sauron, played by Malcolm McDonald.
32 – Good one! If I was being pompous, I pin is now successfully stuck in it.
I really just wanted to see Roddy’s last name spelled correctly — in the spirit of FYI to everyone rather than nitpicky criticism.
In any case, thanks for the levity!
Didn’t Malcolm McDonald used to sing for the Doobie Brothers?
Are they ever going to tell us who’s playing Bilbo in The Hobbit? It’s been like two years. Make up your minds already!
A pin, not I pin.
Sorry, JA. Oh! Damn typos!
Boy, for once I’m glad Chris Pine’s schedule is so full. He really, REALLY doesn’t need to be in anything based on Lovecraft. I like my Captain Kirk to have sanity, thanks.
And Ghostbusters 3….it DOESN’T NEED TO HAPPEN!!! You want Ghostbusters 3, play the dang video game!
OUT, damn typos!!
You’re funny, Brett!
Nevermind Ghostbusters, all that aside I stil hold out hope for any possibility of seeing Bill Murray in a captain’s chair in Star Trek’s sequel.
conan looks like a boy-scout!!!!………The can (and is) only one CONAN : ARNOLD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“…but since Captain America is a period picture taking place in the ’40s, there are fewer opportunities for contemporary links to the rest of the Marvel universe.”
Have Captain America rescue young Magneto from a World War II concentration camp with the help of Wolverine. I thought it worked pretty well when they did it in X-Men Evolution: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlYmlFEdzjE
25… “Moon” was pretty good, but more than a little on the ’slow’ side.
“Moon” is a classic. It was meant to be on the ’slow’ side as it was inspired by “2001: A Space Odyssey”. Most “hard” sci-fi moves along more slowly because the emphasis is on story and character rather than action and visual effects. I’m glad to see there’s a sequel on the way.
@38: “Multiple exclamation marks…. a sure sign of a diseased mind.”
–T. Pratchett
Moon was absolutely incredible. any sort of sequel makes me very happy
Transformers 1 and 2 were some of the worst films since The Phantom Menace! Why are they bothering making a 3rd?
#44
One word: profit.
#35.
I imagine there’s a lot of sore arms with you guys sticking pens (sic) in them.
Wasn’t Malcolm McDonald a stern business professor whose student body lovingly nicknamed “Dr. Sore-on?” Although what Howard needed with a business prof is beyond me – maybe student body parts?
Wasn’t “Soar ON!” what the Human Torch used to say before engaging in flight?
Gossip tells us that the Human Torch would yell, “FLAME ON!!” before heading off for a weekend at Fire Island!
36 – Thank you, Harry, and right back at you!
Hey, I’m starting an Erica Durance fan club! Wanna join?
Sure, Brett! As soon as I start to admire untalented, silicon-inflated flakes, I’ll let ya know!
Well, Harry, I never said it was based on acting ability!
And she is one of my favorite silicon-based life forms since the Horta!
“reins,” not “reigns.”
Sore-On, apply directly to the forehead!
@ Brett
No, really…I was just curious. I’m a big fan of Roddy McDowall because of my huge interest in Planet of the Apes as a kid.
It does bug me though when people here seem to delight in finding typos and are compelled to point them out in a forum like this…especially when directed at the authors of the articles. They work hard to provide fodder for our interests…and we thank them with criticism. (Like the very first poster.) It’s not like we’re here to read to Harvard Law Review.
Like you….I’m all about the courtesy.
And levity. Levity is good too.
54 – Hi Check. Thanks for checking in.
I apologize for reading too much into your post. Most typos I ignore also. The English teacher in me does get in some hackles over it though.
Sounds like we’re very much on the same page about the late, great Mr. McDowall, though, and largely for the same reasons.
Most typos I deal with just fine, but I do like to see his name spelled correctly as he is one of my all-time faves. Somewhere out there, there’s a TV movie that he stars in with Shatner! I have an idea that it’s probably pretty cheesy, as many TV movies from the mid-90s were, but I am going to find it, take Lactaid (sp? ;-) ) and not just watch it, but bask in it.
In the meantime, here’s a great quote I found online from McDowall: “I enjoyed being in movies when I was a boy. As a child you’re not acting –you believe.”
When I was a child, this man made me believe that a chimpanzee could think, feel, talk, emote and reason. What goes around comes around, I guess. I miss him. He was truly one of a kind.
Glad to meet another McDowall fan (if only he’d guested on a “Star Trek” episode) and Apes fan here. Take it easy. And thanks for clarifying!
Brett
I think the TV movie starring Shatner and McDowall was called Dead Man’s Island which also starred Morgan Fairchild and Barbara Eden!
(tongue in cheek) Talk about a stellar cast!!!!
Harry – I think your spot on, now that my memory is jogged. Now I really gotta see this beast!
With all the sudden conviviality around here, only one thing started to run through my mind:
“Smile and smile… I don’t trust a man who smiles too much!”
@ Brett
I assume you’ve seen/own the POTA DVD set? The behind the scenes disc was fantastic and hosted by Roddy. But I can’t help wondering if he knew he was sick at the time he was filming it. Certainly adds a bittersweet element as I watch it from time to time.
Do you remember when he did a guest spot on Carol Burnett. He came on stage in a tux…but in full apes make up. I remember she asked him what role influenced him the most…and he started reciting dialog from a Shakespeare role. Funny stuff.
I still have a complete set of the Planet of the Apes magazine that Marvel did back in the early 70’s. So (and to get back on the subject of the thread) I’m looking forward to Rise of the Apes. Hope they don’t screw it up a la the Burton version. Huge disappointment in that one.
“DREDD takes us to the wild streets of Mega City One, the lone oasis of quasi-civilization on Cursed Earth. Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) is the most feared of elite Street Judges, with the power to enforce the law, sentence offenders and execute them on the spot – if necessary. The endlessly inventive mind of writer Alex Garland and the frenetic vision of director Pete Travis bring DREDD to life as a futuristic neo-noir action film that returns the celebrated character to the dark, visceral incarnation from John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra’s revered comic strip”
Do I really want to see this…NO!
@42 @44 — This movie will not a sequel to “Moon”. It is a different sci-fi story.
60
So, what you’re saying is, you DREAD seeing DREDD!
This movie could very well go where angels fear to DREDD!
@ “26. Magic_Al – September 5, 2010
Let Me In: a European poster for an American remake of a recent European film. In your face, Europe!”
You’re– *proud* of America’s chronic lack of imagination…? 0_o
#55. Brett Campbell “…if only he’d (McDowall) guested on a “Star Trek” episode…”
Well, I suppose the closest you are going to get to that is his recurring performance on the FANTASTIC JOURNEY television series. DC Fontana serve as story editor over there for a bit and I believe wrote one episode featuring him.
#61.
If you liked that take another look up there at Disney’s attempt to franchise Verne.
59 – Yes, dreadful film by Burton. Sorry that Charlton Heston cameoed in it. Happy for Roddy that he didn’t live long enough to see it (although I’m sure he would have been more gracious about it than most) or the “Poseidon” remake.
I have that boxed “Apes” set in VHS. If McDowall knew he was ill at the time of the documentary, he kept it hidden from everyone up until the time he knew it was terminal.
I saw the sketch on the Burnett show in the ’70s, and it is on a VHS I purchased of the A&E Biography produced on him after his passing.
Apparently when he called Carol Burnett to tell her of his illness, he first listened at length to her describing her shoulder pain and need for surgery before he told her his news.
About the time of the final stages of his illness, he was quoted as saying, “I have been battling something I cannot win, and I am withdrawing from the field with honor.”
He was a class act all the way to his end, and was a genuine rarity in Hollywood — a true gentleman.
64- When I was a kid, and into “Apes,” I remember thinking that it might have been him as the Metrone (sp?) that appears at the end of “Trek’s” “Arena.” The part could have been written for him, it seems to me.
Here’s to hoping they do Conana justice, those pics do put me in mind of my old Savage Sword collection when Ernie Chan drew him and he was the original Ale and Whores guy!!!
so many good movies….that all seem to darn far away
Polly want a cracker (of a movie)?
#26 – Dude, I was JUST thinking the same thing! Can you imagine living in Sweden and walking by the US poster thinking “Didn’t we just see that?”
It’s going to be pretty hard to do justice to the original Swedish version of “Let The Right One In” – but who knows, I loved me the hell out of “Vanilla Sky” though the original “Abre Los Ojos” was already a masterpiece, so we’ll just have to see what ‘Let Me In’ has to offer. Who knows, it might just be on the level.
And what’s up with this whole ‘No Kick-Ass II’ vibe? I mean, how in the name of Scotty’s Mustache can Paul Anderson get away with making 2349872934872 of those GOD AWFUL Resident Evil movies (a rant in itself) and there still be all this iffy talk about Millar being on the fence for another Kick-Ass – how can it be? Arrrrgh the injustice! XD
- 24thCRS
13. Go watch “Jerry Maguire” and “Born on the Fourth of July” and then say Tom Cruise isn’t a good actor.
71 – Just happened to catch some of “Jerry Maguire” at the laundromat on Sunday, and … Tom Cruise isn’t a good actor.
Hey, that was very therapeutic! Thanks for the suggestion.
And don’t let the hack anywhere near Lovecraft!
Also, it seemed to me that the only decent thing about Maguire was the Who soundtrack.
How all those dreadful pieces of sound-bite, catch-phrase dialogue have made their way into pop culture’s collective conscious is beyond me:
“You had me at ‘hello,’” “you complete me,” “show me the money.”
Pee-yuke! Show me the bucket where I can throw up. Over-rated film. Dreadfully over-rated actor.
Ya got that right, Brett!
Man, Brody is NO ‘Mister Fantastic’!
He’s already been miscast in King Kong and Predators, and I’d really hate to see him cast as ‘head’ of the ‘Fantastic Four’ now…
They already blew the first ‘Fantastic Four’ attempts, and this doesn’t bode well either. I really hoped this would be a big step up from the earlier versions, but Brody will make them WORSE!!
What the hell are the casting agents thinking?
Harry, we birds of a feather will have to flock together someday!
Oh, and what the hell is Del Toro thinking about wanting Cruise for his ‘At The Mountains Of Madness, while we’re at it?
Fair enough Spielberg used him for ‘Minority Report’, but I sure didn’t want to see him in his ‘War Of The Worlds’ remake.
74 -”What the hell are the casting agents thinking?”
They’re thinking about saving money by hiring lower tier stars rather than bona fied “A-listers.”
76 – Cruise was plain god-awful in “WoW.”
Me @ 77: Oops! Bona FIDE.
Brett, c’mon up for a visit to “live chat”. It’s a friendly bunch!
“Alfonso Cuaron’s 3D sci-fi film “Gravity” may not get made: “Gravity…is suddenly in danger of falling back to earth after Angellina Jolie said no to a full court press and a big money offer to star in the film. It has put Warner Bros in a bind. The studio needs an actress who can hold the screen and draw an audience to an $80 million film.”
old news. natalie portman has already been cast for the role. that was a good move since portman actually has real acting talent unlike jolie who can’t keep her mouth shut about world affairs. she thinks she is a saint who was put her to save humanity.
now i will actually see the movie with portman cast in the role.
btw those photos of conan are awesome! wenches and grog – at least they are getting that part right.
80 – Harry, will do soon! Thanks for the invite!
Haha, I can hear it now,
“Conan, what is best in life?”
“Crush your enemies, see them driven before, and check out the boobies of their women!” XD
- 24thCRS