Yes, Universal Pictures is moving forward with their big screen adaptation of the Milton Bradley board game Candy Land. You remember the game right? I think everyone must have owned or played it as a kid, or at least the people of the 70’s-80’s generation. And it would be easy to poo-poo the idea of a big screen movie entirely. I could write a blog post about how Hollywood has run out of ideas in my sleep. Problem is, Universal actually hired some talented people to develop this project. It’s kinda like how Ridley Scott is attached to direct a Monopoly movie. You want to slam the idea entirely, but the people involved make you take a step back.
According to Variety, Enchanted director Kevin Lima is attached to direct Candy Land, based on a screenplay by Etan Cohen. Talk about a weird bunch of guys to hire to adapt a movie based on a board game.
And before you give me an earful, let me first give you a disclaimer: I’m not saying this movie is going to be good, I’m just saying I’m strangely interested due to the talent involved. I mean, the guy who was a writer on Beavis and Butt-head and King of the Hill is involved. He wrote both Tropic Thunder and Idiocracy. And Enchanted was the type of movie I should of hated but ended up falling in love with. It’s just… weird.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Warner Bros Wants Seven Batman Movies
While the sequel to The Dark Knight is just in the beginning stages of development, Warner Bros is already looking much further down the line. During today’s Time Warner earnings call, CEO Jeff Bewkes compared the Batman series to the Harry Potter film franchise, saying that they hope to release a long line of sequels.
“We look at Harry Potter. It’s fantastic to have franchises that last that long. We want to do that with Batman and Superman and perhaps Sherlock Holmes. The sequels are as good, with new characters added, as were the originals. That wasn’t the case in the years ago. Warners has more tentpoles as an on-going strategy that very much lifts its distribution and performance. We think that’s going to hold up our slate in the 2009 - 2010 period. We’ve got four more big tentpoles coming this year.”
I kinda get the impression that if Christopher Nolan does a third Batman film, it will probably be his last. He seems like a filmmaker that wants to move on to his own passion projects, and while Warner Bros has been very patient with him in regards to a Dark Knight sequel, the studio/company is clearly looking much further down the line. Warner Bros wants to make a lot more Batman movies? I know, this is a pretty obvious story, but it’s the first time that Time Warner/Warner Bros has said publicly that they are looking beyond the next film.
I know Zack Snyder has expressed interest in filming an adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns, and even got Frank Miller’s blessing at Comic Con last year. If Nolan isn’t interested in making a fourth Batman film, I would love to see Warner Bros take the leap and do the alternative future story with Snyder in the director’s seat. That way you could give the A-team (cast and crew) behind the Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and Batman 3 a break and still make another Batman flick. Sounds like a much better idea than possibility tanting the franchise with a Justice League movie featuring a recast younger Bruce Wayne.
“We look at Harry Potter. It’s fantastic to have franchises that last that long. We want to do that with Batman and Superman and perhaps Sherlock Holmes. The sequels are as good, with new characters added, as were the originals. That wasn’t the case in the years ago. Warners has more tentpoles as an on-going strategy that very much lifts its distribution and performance. We think that’s going to hold up our slate in the 2009 - 2010 period. We’ve got four more big tentpoles coming this year.”
I kinda get the impression that if Christopher Nolan does a third Batman film, it will probably be his last. He seems like a filmmaker that wants to move on to his own passion projects, and while Warner Bros has been very patient with him in regards to a Dark Knight sequel, the studio/company is clearly looking much further down the line. Warner Bros wants to make a lot more Batman movies? I know, this is a pretty obvious story, but it’s the first time that Time Warner/Warner Bros has said publicly that they are looking beyond the next film.
I know Zack Snyder has expressed interest in filming an adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns, and even got Frank Miller’s blessing at Comic Con last year. If Nolan isn’t interested in making a fourth Batman film, I would love to see Warner Bros take the leap and do the alternative future story with Snyder in the director’s seat. That way you could give the A-team (cast and crew) behind the Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and Batman 3 a break and still make another Batman flick. Sounds like a much better idea than possibility tanting the franchise with a Justice League movie featuring a recast younger Bruce Wayne.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Universal, Parisot Remaking Slap Shot
Universal Pictures has set Dean Parisot (Fun With Dick and Jane) to direct a remake of the 1977 hockey comedy classic Slap Shot.
Peter Steinfeld ("21") is writing the script; Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall will produce.
The original starred Paul Newman as the fading player/coach of a minor league hockey team. Trying to hype the Charlestown Chiefs for a possible move South, the coach ramps up interest by turning his team into a group of brawling thugs.
Peter Steinfeld ("21") is writing the script; Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall will produce.
The original starred Paul Newman as the fading player/coach of a minor league hockey team. Trying to hype the Charlestown Chiefs for a possible move South, the coach ramps up interest by turning his team into a group of brawling thugs.
Clooney and Sorkin Take The Challenge
Warner Bros. Pictures has set Aaron Sorkin to write The Challenge, a courtroom drama for George Clooney's Smoke House, reports Variety.
Clooney is producing with Smoke House partner Grant Heslov. Clooney may direct and hopes to play Navy lawyer Charles Swift in the drama about the effort by Swift and Georgetown U. law professor Neal Katyal to ensure a fair trial for Osama bin Laden's driver, Salim Hamdan, who'd been held at Guantanamo Bay for five years.
WB and Smoke House got started on the project over the summer by optioning Jonathan Mahler book "The Challenge: Hamdan v. Rumsfeld and the Fight Over Presidential Power."
The trade adds that the courtroom drama wouldn't debate Hamdan's guilt or innocence but chart the dogged efforts of the two lawyers who sue the president because they feel the U.S. government has broken the law and violated the Constitution.
Clooney is producing with Smoke House partner Grant Heslov. Clooney may direct and hopes to play Navy lawyer Charles Swift in the drama about the effort by Swift and Georgetown U. law professor Neal Katyal to ensure a fair trial for Osama bin Laden's driver, Salim Hamdan, who'd been held at Guantanamo Bay for five years.
WB and Smoke House got started on the project over the summer by optioning Jonathan Mahler book "The Challenge: Hamdan v. Rumsfeld and the Fight Over Presidential Power."
The trade adds that the courtroom drama wouldn't debate Hamdan's guilt or innocence but chart the dogged efforts of the two lawyers who sue the president because they feel the U.S. government has broken the law and violated the Constitution.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Box Office Taken by Liam Neeson's Angry Dad
The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend.
After two weeks at #1, Kevin James' Paul Blart: Mall Cop (Sony) was dethroned by an unlikely action-thriller produced and co-written by Luc Besson. Starring Oscar-nominated actor Liam Neeson, the high concept action thriller Taken exceeded expectations for Super Bowl weekend by grossing an estimated $24.6 million out of the gate in 3,183 theaters. Having been released last year just about everywhere except for the United States and Canada, the movie which features Neeson as a former government operative whose daughter Maggie Grace is kidnapped while on holiday, was able to build upon early buzz from other territories as well as strong commercials.
Dropping to second place, the family comedy Paul Blart: Mall Cop brought in a respectable $14 million in its third weekend to bring its total box office to $83.4 million.
In the past, horror movies have done very well over Super Bowl weekend, justifying DreamWorks' release of the ghostly The Uninvited, although it only made $10.5 million in its moderate release into 2,344 theaters, not exactly making waves compared to past Super Bowl horror offerings.
The family comedy Hotel for Dogs (DreamWorks) continued to be unstoppable, as it held onto fourth place for a second weekend with $8.7 million to bring its total box office to $48 million.
Clint Eastwood's highest-grossing movie to date Gran Torino (Warner Bros.) dropped down to fifth place, just $100 thousand behind the canine comedy, with a total gross of $110 million amassed since opening in December.
Danny Boyle received a coveted honor from his peers in the Directors' Guild (DGA) yesterday for his work helming the Mumbai epic Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight), which showed the smallest drop-off for a movie in the Top 10, adding another $7.7 million to its total gross of $67 million in sixth place.
The dark action prequel Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (Screen Gems) took a massive tumble in its second weekend with the prospect of facing two strong new genre movies. It dropped from 2nd to 7th place with a weekend gross of $7.2 million and $33 million total.
Renée Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr. were paired in the fish out of water romantic comedy New in Town (Lionsgate), which brought in a mere $6.8 million in its opening weekend in less than 2,000 theaters, averaging less than $3,500 per site.
The top 10 was rounded out by Lionsgate's horror remake My Bloody Valentine 3D and the New Line fantasy film Inkheart with $4.3 and $3.7 million, respectively.
Three Oscar-nominated movies expanded nationwide this weekend with Stephen Daldry's The Reader, starring Kate Winslet, coming out just ahead of Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler, starring Mickey Rourke, both earning roughly $2.4 million over the weekend.
Having already been playing in many cities since Thanksgiving, Gus Van Sant's Milk finally expanded nationwide into 882 theatres, hoping to capitalize on its own Oscar nominations, but ended up in 18th place with just $1.4 million.
After two weeks at #1, Kevin James' Paul Blart: Mall Cop (Sony) was dethroned by an unlikely action-thriller produced and co-written by Luc Besson. Starring Oscar-nominated actor Liam Neeson, the high concept action thriller Taken exceeded expectations for Super Bowl weekend by grossing an estimated $24.6 million out of the gate in 3,183 theaters. Having been released last year just about everywhere except for the United States and Canada, the movie which features Neeson as a former government operative whose daughter Maggie Grace is kidnapped while on holiday, was able to build upon early buzz from other territories as well as strong commercials.
Dropping to second place, the family comedy Paul Blart: Mall Cop brought in a respectable $14 million in its third weekend to bring its total box office to $83.4 million.
In the past, horror movies have done very well over Super Bowl weekend, justifying DreamWorks' release of the ghostly The Uninvited, although it only made $10.5 million in its moderate release into 2,344 theaters, not exactly making waves compared to past Super Bowl horror offerings.
The family comedy Hotel for Dogs (DreamWorks) continued to be unstoppable, as it held onto fourth place for a second weekend with $8.7 million to bring its total box office to $48 million.
Clint Eastwood's highest-grossing movie to date Gran Torino (Warner Bros.) dropped down to fifth place, just $100 thousand behind the canine comedy, with a total gross of $110 million amassed since opening in December.
Danny Boyle received a coveted honor from his peers in the Directors' Guild (DGA) yesterday for his work helming the Mumbai epic Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight), which showed the smallest drop-off for a movie in the Top 10, adding another $7.7 million to its total gross of $67 million in sixth place.
The dark action prequel Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (Screen Gems) took a massive tumble in its second weekend with the prospect of facing two strong new genre movies. It dropped from 2nd to 7th place with a weekend gross of $7.2 million and $33 million total.
Renée Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr. were paired in the fish out of water romantic comedy New in Town (Lionsgate), which brought in a mere $6.8 million in its opening weekend in less than 2,000 theaters, averaging less than $3,500 per site.
The top 10 was rounded out by Lionsgate's horror remake My Bloody Valentine 3D and the New Line fantasy film Inkheart with $4.3 and $3.7 million, respectively.
Three Oscar-nominated movies expanded nationwide this weekend with Stephen Daldry's The Reader, starring Kate Winslet, coming out just ahead of Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler, starring Mickey Rourke, both earning roughly $2.4 million over the weekend.
Having already been playing in many cities since Thanksgiving, Gus Van Sant's Milk finally expanded nationwide into 882 theatres, hoping to capitalize on its own Oscar nominations, but ended up in 18th place with just $1.4 million.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Weekly Ratings: 1/25 – 1/30
Sunday Ratings: CBS Sweeps with a Hot Case and Good Loving
7 pm/ET
60 Minutes dominated with an audience of 14.16 million, kicking off the Eye's Sunday sweep in total viewers. ABC, however, led each hour in the 18-49 demo.
8 pm
An early airing of Cold Case topped the pack with 13.33 million viewers (up eight percent from its last fresh outing). Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's mission to makeover an entire town averaged 11.6 mil over its two-hour run.
9 pm
The battle of the TV-movies pitted CBS/Hallmark's Loving Leah against the first half of NBC's The Last Templar mini. With both trailing Extreme Makeover, Leah claimed second with 11.7 million viewers. Templar took third with 9.85 mil.
10 pm
A repeat of Housewives' moving 100th episode drew 6.6 mil, and bested both Leah and Last Templar in demos.
Monday Ratings: House Hits New High, 24 Keeps Ticking
8 pm/ET
House repeated as champ, delivering a new season high of 15.56 million total viewers ((up 800K week-to-week). And next week's episode? Very powerful stuff. The Bachelor similarly enjoyed a season's best — 10.58 mil, up 670 thousand. Superstars of Dance placed fourth (behind CBS comedy repeats) with 6.7 mil (up 260K).
9 pm
24 inched up a bit to best nearly all comers (save for a Two and a Half Men repeat) with an audience of 12.13 million. (That President Taylor gives a damn fine pep talk, doesn't she? Top Moment, I say!) Part 2 of NBC's The Last Templar miniseries dug up 8.27 million viewers, down 16 percent from its Sunday premiere.
10 pm
Trailing both a CSI: Miami repeat and The Last Templar, ABC's True Beauty attracted seven million viewers (up 18 percent).
Tuesday Ratings: Scrubs Comes to Life as Mentalist Sits
8 pm/ET
American Idol led the night with 25.2 million total viewers, a 12-percent increase over last week's Obama-cized setback. NCIS placed a strong second with 19 mil, up 500K. The Biggest Loser gained eight percent, weighing in with an audience of 11 mil.
9 pm
A Mentalist repeat won the hour, copping 15.13 million viewers. Placing third (behind Biggest Loser) was Fringe, which matched last week's 12.1 mil. Scrubs surged 13 percent, averaging 5.08 mil across back-to-back episodes. ("What is Elmo, a seal?")
10 pm
Without a Trace topped the hour with 12.8 million viewers, up 400K. An SVU repeat (7.1 mil) bested ABC's What Would You Do? thingamabob (6.3 mil).
Wednesday Ratings: Lost, Lie to Me, Life on Mars and More
8 pm/ET
American Idol — which had better provide daycare in Hollywood! — led the pack with nearly 27 million total viewers, a week-to-week gain of 1.57 mil. Katie Couric's prime-time news foray drew 6.45 mil. Knight Rider revved up 22 percent to deliver 6.13 mil, its biggest audience since Oct. 22.
9 pm
Bolstered by its Idol lead-in, the nonetheless entertaining Lie to Me led with 12.11 million viewers, down a mil from its premiere. Lost was No. 1 in demos and drew 11.07 million, dipping just 300K from its season opener.
10 pm
Trailing a CSI: NY repeat, Law & Order delivered 8.89 million viewers, up 500K. Life on Mars returned to an audience of 6.5 mil, down 18 percent from its ages-ago last fresh episode.
Thursday Ratings: CSI Bounces Back, and a Super 'Natural
8 pm/ET
A special Thursday blast of American Idol was special indeed, topping the night with 24.27 million total viewers. Coming in fourth — and besting an Ugly Betty repeat — was Smallville, which at 4.18 mil was up 10 percent week-to-week.
9 pm
With Grey's Anatomy on bed rest, CSI bounced back from last week's grim Grissom-less debut to deliver 20.08 million viewers (up 15 percent). Hell's Kitchen placed second with 11.08 mil. Supernatural's "After School Special" got excellent grades, scoring the series' second-best audience of the season — 3.58 mil (up 18 percent).
10 pm
Eleventh Hour won the hour with 12.7 million viewers, up 400K. Handicapped by the Grey's repeat/weak lead-in, Private Practice (7.67 mil) plunged 20 percent.
Friday Ratings: Friday Night Lights Holds Steady
8 pm/ET
Behind a Ghost Whisperer repeat, Howie Do It stayed in second, but dipped another five percent (to 5.24 million total viewers). Wife Swap claimed third with 5.05 mil. Opposite decreased competition, both Everybody Hates Chris and The Game enjoyed gains of about 300K, each hitting 1.9 mil.
9 pm
A Flashpoint repeat was the night's most watched program, with 8.44 million viewers. Trailing the first hour of 20/20, Friday Night Lights put up numbers on par with its second episode — about four mil. Now airing Fridays, the CW's 13: Fear Is Real scared up just over a mil.
10 pm
A not-new Numbers topped the hour with 7.44 mil, besting 20/20's second hour and Dateline.
7 pm/ET
60 Minutes dominated with an audience of 14.16 million, kicking off the Eye's Sunday sweep in total viewers. ABC, however, led each hour in the 18-49 demo.
8 pm
An early airing of Cold Case topped the pack with 13.33 million viewers (up eight percent from its last fresh outing). Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's mission to makeover an entire town averaged 11.6 mil over its two-hour run.
9 pm
The battle of the TV-movies pitted CBS/Hallmark's Loving Leah against the first half of NBC's The Last Templar mini. With both trailing Extreme Makeover, Leah claimed second with 11.7 million viewers. Templar took third with 9.85 mil.
10 pm
A repeat of Housewives' moving 100th episode drew 6.6 mil, and bested both Leah and Last Templar in demos.
Monday Ratings: House Hits New High, 24 Keeps Ticking
8 pm/ET
House repeated as champ, delivering a new season high of 15.56 million total viewers ((up 800K week-to-week). And next week's episode? Very powerful stuff. The Bachelor similarly enjoyed a season's best — 10.58 mil, up 670 thousand. Superstars of Dance placed fourth (behind CBS comedy repeats) with 6.7 mil (up 260K).
9 pm
24 inched up a bit to best nearly all comers (save for a Two and a Half Men repeat) with an audience of 12.13 million. (That President Taylor gives a damn fine pep talk, doesn't she? Top Moment, I say!) Part 2 of NBC's The Last Templar miniseries dug up 8.27 million viewers, down 16 percent from its Sunday premiere.
10 pm
Trailing both a CSI: Miami repeat and The Last Templar, ABC's True Beauty attracted seven million viewers (up 18 percent).
Tuesday Ratings: Scrubs Comes to Life as Mentalist Sits
8 pm/ET
American Idol led the night with 25.2 million total viewers, a 12-percent increase over last week's Obama-cized setback. NCIS placed a strong second with 19 mil, up 500K. The Biggest Loser gained eight percent, weighing in with an audience of 11 mil.
9 pm
A Mentalist repeat won the hour, copping 15.13 million viewers. Placing third (behind Biggest Loser) was Fringe, which matched last week's 12.1 mil. Scrubs surged 13 percent, averaging 5.08 mil across back-to-back episodes. ("What is Elmo, a seal?")
10 pm
Without a Trace topped the hour with 12.8 million viewers, up 400K. An SVU repeat (7.1 mil) bested ABC's What Would You Do? thingamabob (6.3 mil).
Wednesday Ratings: Lost, Lie to Me, Life on Mars and More
8 pm/ET
American Idol — which had better provide daycare in Hollywood! — led the pack with nearly 27 million total viewers, a week-to-week gain of 1.57 mil. Katie Couric's prime-time news foray drew 6.45 mil. Knight Rider revved up 22 percent to deliver 6.13 mil, its biggest audience since Oct. 22.
9 pm
Bolstered by its Idol lead-in, the nonetheless entertaining Lie to Me led with 12.11 million viewers, down a mil from its premiere. Lost was No. 1 in demos and drew 11.07 million, dipping just 300K from its season opener.
10 pm
Trailing a CSI: NY repeat, Law & Order delivered 8.89 million viewers, up 500K. Life on Mars returned to an audience of 6.5 mil, down 18 percent from its ages-ago last fresh episode.
Thursday Ratings: CSI Bounces Back, and a Super 'Natural
8 pm/ET
A special Thursday blast of American Idol was special indeed, topping the night with 24.27 million total viewers. Coming in fourth — and besting an Ugly Betty repeat — was Smallville, which at 4.18 mil was up 10 percent week-to-week.
9 pm
With Grey's Anatomy on bed rest, CSI bounced back from last week's grim Grissom-less debut to deliver 20.08 million viewers (up 15 percent). Hell's Kitchen placed second with 11.08 mil. Supernatural's "After School Special" got excellent grades, scoring the series' second-best audience of the season — 3.58 mil (up 18 percent).
10 pm
Eleventh Hour won the hour with 12.7 million viewers, up 400K. Handicapped by the Grey's repeat/weak lead-in, Private Practice (7.67 mil) plunged 20 percent.
Friday Ratings: Friday Night Lights Holds Steady
8 pm/ET
Behind a Ghost Whisperer repeat, Howie Do It stayed in second, but dipped another five percent (to 5.24 million total viewers). Wife Swap claimed third with 5.05 mil. Opposite decreased competition, both Everybody Hates Chris and The Game enjoyed gains of about 300K, each hitting 1.9 mil.
9 pm
A Flashpoint repeat was the night's most watched program, with 8.44 million viewers. Trailing the first hour of 20/20, Friday Night Lights put up numbers on par with its second episode — about four mil. Now airing Fridays, the CW's 13: Fear Is Real scared up just over a mil.
10 pm
A not-new Numbers topped the hour with 7.44 mil, besting 20/20's second hour and Dateline.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
