Last month on the /Filmcast, Eric Vespe, better known as Quint from Ain’t It Cool News, mentioned that he is surprised that Hollywood hasn’t tried to remake Brewster’s Millions yet — especially since it’s such a perfect high concept comedy premise, the kind Hollywood loves. Either someone in Hollywood was listening (doubtful, but you never know) or Quint was able to accurately predict what Hollywood would do next, because Warner Bros has hired a screenwriting team to write a new take on the story.
Michael Diliberti and Matthew Sullivan have been hired to adapt a new film based on the 1902 George Barr novel, which has gone on to be adapted for stage and screen almost a dozen times. The 1985 comedy directed by Walter Hill and starring Richard Pryor and John Candy was one of my favorite movies to watch as a kid. It’s definitely not a great film, but its a lot of fun. The story followed a poor minor league baseball player who inherits $300 million from an unknown rich relative. But only under the stipulation that he waste all $30 million in 30 days, with no assets to show for it, without revealing to anyone, including his closest friends, the stipulations of the $300 deal. Watch a clip from the movie embedded below. The original novel, which involved a slightly different storyline, with a lot smaller money figures, is available for free on Google Books.
The screenwriting team doesn’t have any prior produced writing credits, but garnered some good buzz with a spec called Comic-Con. The buddy comedy tells the story of two friends who devise a plan and execute a heist at Comic-Con in order to save their beloved neighborhood comic shop from the danger of an evil corporate takeover.
Monday, August 17, 2009
The Sequel You’ve Been Waiting For: White Chicks 2!
OK, strictly speaking, I don’t know if a sequel to White Chicks is actually the worst idea of the day, because I’ve never seen White Chicks. And, if things go well, I may never. (Which is a closed-minded attitude I rarely take, but life’s too short, and there are too many other good movies, to see White Chicks.) THR reports that Marlon and Shawn Wayans will return as FBI agents who pose as white women. Keenan Ivory Wayans will direct, and all three Wayanses are writing.
Astoundingly, the first film did over $100m worldwide — $70m domestic and $42 foreign, according to Box Office Mojo. That’s an insane amount of money for a film I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone talk about. THR is cagey about the plot of the new film. The trade uses that fantastic line “the logline for the new entry is being kept under wraps,” but perhaps this will break out as a Gremlins 2 sort of sequel. Weirder things have happened, and the old energy that powered In Living Color could still be dormant somewhere. (How I hate seeing the people responsible for that anarchic show going down the road of terrible comedy.)
The original film followed two disguise-happy FBI siblings who start off tracking drug dealers who package their product in ice cream boxes. They blow that case and are given one last chance to redeem themselves with the FBI by protecting a pair of Hilton-like heiresses from a kidnapping plot. When the girls are in a car accident, the agents disguise themselves as their charges and live brief lives as two wealthy white girls. Just researching and writing out that synopsis almost makes me want to see the film, because the role-reversal comedy opportunities of living out the lives of two wealthy white women are pretty obvious. Oh, who am I kidding? There are still Bunuel movies I haven’t seen, and I’ll let him tackle class comedy for me.
Astoundingly, the first film did over $100m worldwide — $70m domestic and $42 foreign, according to Box Office Mojo. That’s an insane amount of money for a film I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone talk about. THR is cagey about the plot of the new film. The trade uses that fantastic line “the logline for the new entry is being kept under wraps,” but perhaps this will break out as a Gremlins 2 sort of sequel. Weirder things have happened, and the old energy that powered In Living Color could still be dormant somewhere. (How I hate seeing the people responsible for that anarchic show going down the road of terrible comedy.)
The original film followed two disguise-happy FBI siblings who start off tracking drug dealers who package their product in ice cream boxes. They blow that case and are given one last chance to redeem themselves with the FBI by protecting a pair of Hilton-like heiresses from a kidnapping plot. When the girls are in a car accident, the agents disguise themselves as their charges and live brief lives as two wealthy white girls. Just researching and writing out that synopsis almost makes me want to see the film, because the role-reversal comedy opportunities of living out the lives of two wealthy white women are pretty obvious. Oh, who am I kidding? There are still Bunuel movies I haven’t seen, and I’ll let him tackle class comedy for me.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
District 9 Hovers Above the Box Office
The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend.
It can be difficult for any movie to do big business once August hits, let alone grossing over $35 million in a single weekend can. It's even harder when a movie isn't a franchise sequel, has no bankable stars and is helmed by an unknown director. And yet, that's exactly what happened this weekend as Neill Blomkamp's sci-fi epic District 9 (Sony), starring Sharlto Copley, made with a production budget of just $30 million, dominated the box office with an opening weekend of roughly $37 million in 3,049 theaters, averaging an impressive $12 thousand per site. The combination of buzz from the movie's unique viral marketing department, solid reviews and the direct involvement of master filmmaker Peter Jackson certainly helped convinced people to go out to the theaters to see it.
Dropping 59% to second place in its second weekend, Stephen Sommers' action movie G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (Paramount) added another $22.5 million to bring its total to $98.8 million after ten days.
Also opening this weekend, Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams starred in Robert (Flightplan Schwenke's adaptation of the Book Club favorite The Time Traveler's Wife (New Line/WB). It took third place with $19.2 million in just under 3,000 theaters.
The Meryl Streep-Amy Adams cookbook biopic Julie & Julia (Sony) grossed roughly $12.4 million in its second weekend, off 38% from last weekend as it dropped to fourth place.
Taking fifth place, Jerry Bruckheimer's 3D animated animal action adventure G-Force (Disney) edged closer to $100 million with another $6.9 million over the weekend.
Jeremy Piven starred in the long-delayed Gary Sanchez Productions comedy The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard (Paramount Vantage), which brought in a disappointing $5.3 million as it debuted in 1,838 theaters.
The sixth installment of Warner Bros.' hit franchise Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince dropped to seventh place with $5.2 million and a five-week gross of $284 million.
In eighth place, the Sony comedy The Ugly Truth, pitting Katherine Heigl against Gerard Butler, took in $4.5 million to bring its total to $77.5 million.
Hayao Miyazaki's latest animated fantasy Ponyo (Disney) was released into 927 theaters on Friday, the widest release for a Miyazaki film in the United States, helping it take ninth place with $3.5 million.
Marc Webb's (500) Days of Summer (Fox Searchlight) rounded out the Top 10 with $3 million, having grossed just under $18 million to date.
Opening outside the top 10, Summit's musical Bandslam (Summit), starring Vanessa Hudgens, bombed with just $2.3 million in 2,121 theaters, a pitiful average of roughly a thousand per site.
The Top 10 grossed roughly $119 million, up 12% from the same weekend last year when Ben Stiller's war comedy Tropic Thunder topped the box office with $25.8 million.
In limited release, the Ashton Kutcher indie Spread (Anchor Bay) opened in 91 theaters, grossing just $117 thousand, while Davis Guggenheim's rock doc It Might Get Loud grossed an estimated $101 thousand opening in just 7 theaters.
It can be difficult for any movie to do big business once August hits, let alone grossing over $35 million in a single weekend can. It's even harder when a movie isn't a franchise sequel, has no bankable stars and is helmed by an unknown director. And yet, that's exactly what happened this weekend as Neill Blomkamp's sci-fi epic District 9 (Sony), starring Sharlto Copley, made with a production budget of just $30 million, dominated the box office with an opening weekend of roughly $37 million in 3,049 theaters, averaging an impressive $12 thousand per site. The combination of buzz from the movie's unique viral marketing department, solid reviews and the direct involvement of master filmmaker Peter Jackson certainly helped convinced people to go out to the theaters to see it.
Dropping 59% to second place in its second weekend, Stephen Sommers' action movie G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (Paramount) added another $22.5 million to bring its total to $98.8 million after ten days.
Also opening this weekend, Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams starred in Robert (Flightplan Schwenke's adaptation of the Book Club favorite The Time Traveler's Wife (New Line/WB). It took third place with $19.2 million in just under 3,000 theaters.
The Meryl Streep-Amy Adams cookbook biopic Julie & Julia (Sony) grossed roughly $12.4 million in its second weekend, off 38% from last weekend as it dropped to fourth place.
Taking fifth place, Jerry Bruckheimer's 3D animated animal action adventure G-Force (Disney) edged closer to $100 million with another $6.9 million over the weekend.
Jeremy Piven starred in the long-delayed Gary Sanchez Productions comedy The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard (Paramount Vantage), which brought in a disappointing $5.3 million as it debuted in 1,838 theaters.
The sixth installment of Warner Bros.' hit franchise Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince dropped to seventh place with $5.2 million and a five-week gross of $284 million.
In eighth place, the Sony comedy The Ugly Truth, pitting Katherine Heigl against Gerard Butler, took in $4.5 million to bring its total to $77.5 million.
Hayao Miyazaki's latest animated fantasy Ponyo (Disney) was released into 927 theaters on Friday, the widest release for a Miyazaki film in the United States, helping it take ninth place with $3.5 million.
Marc Webb's (500) Days of Summer (Fox Searchlight) rounded out the Top 10 with $3 million, having grossed just under $18 million to date.
Opening outside the top 10, Summit's musical Bandslam (Summit), starring Vanessa Hudgens, bombed with just $2.3 million in 2,121 theaters, a pitiful average of roughly a thousand per site.
The Top 10 grossed roughly $119 million, up 12% from the same weekend last year when Ben Stiller's war comedy Tropic Thunder topped the box office with $25.8 million.
In limited release, the Ashton Kutcher indie Spread (Anchor Bay) opened in 91 theaters, grossing just $117 thousand, while Davis Guggenheim's rock doc It Might Get Loud grossed an estimated $101 thousand opening in just 7 theaters.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Downey Jr. to Play the Vampire Lestat!
Bloody-Disgusting reports that Universal Pictures is going to reboot Anne Rice's "The Vampire Chronicles" and is in talks with Robert Downey Jr. to play the vampire Lestat Du Lioncort!
Lestat was previously played by Tom Cruise in the 1994 adaptation of Rice's Interview with the Vampire, which co-starred Brad Pitt, Christian Slater and Kirsten Dunst. Stuart Townsend later played Lestat in the 2002 film Queen of the Damned, which co-starred Aaliyah and took elements from the author's "The Vampire Lestat" and "The Queen of the Damned."
The series of novels also includes "The Tale of the Body Thief," "Memnoch the Devil," "The Vampire Armand," "Pandora," "Merrick," "Blood and Gold," "Blackwood Farm" and "Blood Canticle."
Downey Jr. recently wrapped Iron Man 2 and has Sherlock Holmes arriving on Christmas Day.
Lestat was previously played by Tom Cruise in the 1994 adaptation of Rice's Interview with the Vampire, which co-starred Brad Pitt, Christian Slater and Kirsten Dunst. Stuart Townsend later played Lestat in the 2002 film Queen of the Damned, which co-starred Aaliyah and took elements from the author's "The Vampire Lestat" and "The Queen of the Damned."
The series of novels also includes "The Tale of the Body Thief," "Memnoch the Devil," "The Vampire Armand," "Pandora," "Merrick," "Blood and Gold," "Blackwood Farm" and "Blood Canticle."
Downey Jr. recently wrapped Iron Man 2 and has Sherlock Holmes arriving on Christmas Day.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Bryan Singer To Reboot Battlestar Galactica?
Entertainment Weekly has confirmed this report with Universal Pictures — Bryan Singer is signed on to direct a feature film version of Battlestar Galactica, which isn’t expected to be a continuation of the most recent Ron Moore Sci-Fi channel television show, but instead a complete re-imagining of the original 1970’s series. Original report follows below.
According to HitFix, Universal appear to be on the verge of engaging Bryan Singer to produce and also maybe direct a new Battlestar Galactica feature film. Quite a surprise, huh?
You may recall that before the Ron Moore TV series of recent years, Singer was working on a pilot for a reboot of the show himself (some Cylon concept art from their efforts is at the head of this post). That one was halted by in the aftermath of September 11th, 2001 after the Sci-Fi network became sensitive to similarities between the planned plot and real-life tragedy. Would Singer be looking to return to a similar storyline here? I think we can be pretty certain his film won’t be in any way tied into the recent series.
McWeeny is rather skeptical that Singer would sign up to direct a film based upon a premise still so fresh in the public consciousness, but I’m not so doubtful, personally. Would Universal really be the driving force here? I’d expect a conservative cautious studio to take some convincing that there was money here. Or maybe they just want some of that Star Trek dollar?
If Singer cares about this film as much as his history with the Galactica concept would suggest, I’d not at all be surprised to see him take on as much control as possible. So while there’s every chance he won’t direct, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see it at all. After all, Superman Returns did fly in while Smallville was actually on the air.
This is almost certainly the same project that Peter blogged about in February, possibly a little mutated. At that time it seemed that the new movie would be tied in to the 1978 series and that original producer Glen Larson would be producing and working on the script. I’m guessing Singer was in orbit at that time, just that nobody caught on.
It seems, from where I’m standing, that there’s a core fanbase behind the recent Battlestar Galactica but across the public at large, just a vague awareness. This shouldn’t prevent a new version, of course, but I’d also expect it to create some minor confusion. If nothing else, it could ‘mistakenly’ shift a few copies of the recent DVDs to those who fall for the Singer movie.
One of the useful links in the HitFix article was to an interview from the unofficial Battlestar companion with Tom De Santo, Singer’s co-producer on the aborted 2001 series. He explains just how they would have tied in with the original series and, interestingly enough, it would have been a straight sequel with, for example, Dirk Benedict coming back to reprise the role of Starbuck. Now… they won’t try that again, will they? No… of course not… right?
According to HitFix, Universal appear to be on the verge of engaging Bryan Singer to produce and also maybe direct a new Battlestar Galactica feature film. Quite a surprise, huh?
You may recall that before the Ron Moore TV series of recent years, Singer was working on a pilot for a reboot of the show himself (some Cylon concept art from their efforts is at the head of this post). That one was halted by in the aftermath of September 11th, 2001 after the Sci-Fi network became sensitive to similarities between the planned plot and real-life tragedy. Would Singer be looking to return to a similar storyline here? I think we can be pretty certain his film won’t be in any way tied into the recent series.
McWeeny is rather skeptical that Singer would sign up to direct a film based upon a premise still so fresh in the public consciousness, but I’m not so doubtful, personally. Would Universal really be the driving force here? I’d expect a conservative cautious studio to take some convincing that there was money here. Or maybe they just want some of that Star Trek dollar?
If Singer cares about this film as much as his history with the Galactica concept would suggest, I’d not at all be surprised to see him take on as much control as possible. So while there’s every chance he won’t direct, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see it at all. After all, Superman Returns did fly in while Smallville was actually on the air.
This is almost certainly the same project that Peter blogged about in February, possibly a little mutated. At that time it seemed that the new movie would be tied in to the 1978 series and that original producer Glen Larson would be producing and working on the script. I’m guessing Singer was in orbit at that time, just that nobody caught on.
It seems, from where I’m standing, that there’s a core fanbase behind the recent Battlestar Galactica but across the public at large, just a vague awareness. This shouldn’t prevent a new version, of course, but I’d also expect it to create some minor confusion. If nothing else, it could ‘mistakenly’ shift a few copies of the recent DVDs to those who fall for the Singer movie.
One of the useful links in the HitFix article was to an interview from the unofficial Battlestar companion with Tom De Santo, Singer’s co-producer on the aborted 2001 series. He explains just how they would have tied in with the original series and, interestingly enough, it would have been a straight sequel with, for example, Dirk Benedict coming back to reprise the role of Starbuck. Now… they won’t try that again, will they? No… of course not… right?
St. Elmo's Fire is Coming to ABC
ABC is developing "St. Elmo's Fire," a contemporary take on the 1985 movie that launched the filmmaking career of Joel Schumacher, says The Hollywood Reporter.
The network landed the dramedy series project, executive produced by Schumacher, Topher Grace, Dan Bucatinsky and Jamie Tarses and to be written by Bucatinsky.
The film starred Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy and Mare Winningham as friends who had just graduated from Georgetown University and chronicled their adjustment to adulthood.
The series version will use the movie as a takeoff point and as an inspiration as it introduces six new friends: three boys and three girls.
What will remain is the setting -- Georgetown and St. Elmo's Bar & Restaurant, now called St. Elmo's Bar & Grill, where the friends hang out.
The network landed the dramedy series project, executive produced by Schumacher, Topher Grace, Dan Bucatinsky and Jamie Tarses and to be written by Bucatinsky.
The film starred Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy and Mare Winningham as friends who had just graduated from Georgetown University and chronicled their adjustment to adulthood.
The series version will use the movie as a takeoff point and as an inspiration as it introduces six new friends: three boys and three girls.
What will remain is the setting -- Georgetown and St. Elmo's Bar & Restaurant, now called St. Elmo's Bar & Grill, where the friends hang out.
Happy Madison Making Rick Dempsey Comedy
Columbia Pictures and Happy Madison have acquired a script by Johnathon Schaech, Josh Wolf and Richard Chizmar that comedically explores an incident in the life of ex-Baltimore Orioles player Rick Dempsey, whose Little League coach turned out to be a bank robber.
Variety says the script was written with input from Dempsey, the scrappy ballplayer who was named MVP of the 1983 World Series.
"Our pitch was, it's 'Catch Me if You Can' meets 'Bad News Bears' with a touch of 'Bad Santa,'" Schaech said.
Dempsey's coach, John Jennings, steered the team to a Little League World Championship in 1963, did time for his crimes and died of cancer after his release from prison.
Variety says the script was written with input from Dempsey, the scrappy ballplayer who was named MVP of the 1983 World Series.
"Our pitch was, it's 'Catch Me if You Can' meets 'Bad News Bears' with a touch of 'Bad Santa,'" Schaech said.
Dempsey's coach, John Jennings, steered the team to a Little League World Championship in 1963, did time for his crimes and died of cancer after his release from prison.
Alex Holmes Steering DeLorean Biopic
Alex Holmes has been hired to direct a biopic of car designer John DeLorean that Time Inc. Studios and XYZ Films will produce.
Holmes, who most recently wrote and directed the HBO and BBC miniseries "House of Saddam," developed the DeLorean script with co-writer Rob Warr. They had previously collaborated on the BBC TV series "Dunkirk."
The DeLorean film will tell the story of how the auto industry maverick's glamorous life came crashing down when he was caught in an FBI drug trafficking sting, only to be acquitted on grounds of entrapment.
Holmes envisions the pic as a crime thriller with a tragic hero at its heart.
Holmes, who most recently wrote and directed the HBO and BBC miniseries "House of Saddam," developed the DeLorean script with co-writer Rob Warr. They had previously collaborated on the BBC TV series "Dunkirk."
The DeLorean film will tell the story of how the auto industry maverick's glamorous life came crashing down when he was caught in an FBI drug trafficking sting, only to be acquitted on grounds of entrapment.
Holmes envisions the pic as a crime thriller with a tragic hero at its heart.
Tin Cup Director Goes to Q School
Tin Cup director Ron Shelton has signed for Q School, a golf comedy he will direct based on a script he co-wrote with "Cup" collaborator John Norville.
Dennis Quaid and Tim Allen are eyeing starring roles in the project, which David Friendly is producing via his Friendly Films Productions. The indie aims to start shooting in the spring.
"School" is described as a comedy in which a group of hopefuls battle it out in a competition to make the PGA Tour, with both their game and their personal lives sometimes ending up in the drink along the way.
Shelton's credits include Bull Durham and White Men Can't Jump.
Dennis Quaid and Tim Allen are eyeing starring roles in the project, which David Friendly is producing via his Friendly Films Productions. The indie aims to start shooting in the spring.
"School" is described as a comedy in which a group of hopefuls battle it out in a competition to make the PGA Tour, with both their game and their personal lives sometimes ending up in the drink along the way.
Shelton's credits include Bull Durham and White Men Can't Jump.
Predators to Start Filming Sept. 28
Production Weekly says that director Nimrod Antal is scheduled to beging filming Predators on September 28 at Robert Rodriguez's Troublemaker Studios in Austin, Texas.
Produced by Rodriguez, the new film is said to involve a very intense group of people stranded on a Predator planet discovering unspeakable horrors - that are not always from outside their group.
20th Century Fox is releasing the sci-fi action-adventure, written by Alex Litvak and Michael Finch, on July 7, 2010.
Produced by Rodriguez, the new film is said to involve a very intense group of people stranded on a Predator planet discovering unspeakable horrors - that are not always from outside their group.
20th Century Fox is releasing the sci-fi action-adventure, written by Alex Litvak and Michael Finch, on July 7, 2010.
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