Another 'Halloween' Remake: What Could Have Been

I'm not much for remakes in Hollywood nowadays - especially when it comes to classics - but this is one I'd actually be interested in seeing.

Federico D'Alessandro - Head Storyboard Artist and Animatrics Supervisor for the most recent Marvel Studios films including The Avengers - has released both a Pitch Reel and Keyframes he created for a now dead Halloween project over at Platinum Dunes (you know, Michael Bay's company) a few years back.

I have to say, while it is kind of odd they would remake the original John Carpenter classic (which is getting a wide re-release next month in theaters) considering Rob Zombie did it less than 5 years ago, the video and pictures do enough to sell the project.

D'Alessandro actually commented on the potential remake and what could have been, which you can read below:

"As a lifelong HALLOWEEN fan it would be a dream to direct a reboot of the franchise that's so near and dear to my heart. I created this animatic to show the tone and storytelling that I would bring to the project if I were lucky enough to have that chance. If you like it, please repost...if this gets enough hits, who knows, maybe I'll get that opportunity!"

“It turned out pretty cool, but unfortunately while I was in the middle of working on it, talks fell through between Platinum Dunes and the Weinsteins…so I missed the boat on that one,” D’Alessandro tells us. “With Halloween being re-released to theaters soon, and October coming up, I’m hoping that readers could get a kick out of seeing a horror themed pitch animatic for a major property.”

What do you think?

Source: SlashFilm

First Look at New 'RoboCop'

First day of filming, first photos of the title character.

Why can't all big budget films be this easy?

Today, we have our first look at Joel Kinnaman (The Killing) as Alex Murphy AKA RoboCop in director Jose Padilha's remake of the 1987 sci-fi classic.

The film - which just began filming in Toronto today - in set to be released August 9th, 2013 and also co-stars Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, and Samuel L. Jackson, as well as Abbie Cornish, Jackie Earle Haley, Michael K. Williams, Jay Baruchel, Jennifer Ehle, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste.

I'm not too thrilled with Hollywood remaking pretty much every hit film from the 80s nowadays (as soon enough they'll start plucking stuff from the 90s), but this picture seems to have enough talent behind it where it may be halfway decent.

Though I did think the same about another Paul Verhoeven classic, Total Recall, at this time last year as well.  How did that one turn out again?

In RoboCop, the year is 2028 and multinational conglomerate OmniCorp is at the center of robot technology. Their drones are winning American wars around the globe and now they want to bring this technology to the home front. Alex Murphy (Kinnaman) is a loving husband, father and good cop doing his best to stem the tide of crime and corruption in Detroit. After he is critically injured in the line of duty, OmniCorp utilizes their remarkable science of robotics to save Alex's life. He returns to the streets of his beloved city with amazing new abilities, but with issues a regular man has never had to face before.

Source: ComingSoon

Tom Rothman Leaving 20th Century Fox

Well this is a surprise.

Longtime Co-Chairman and CEO of 20th Century Fox, Tom Rothman, is leaving the studio beginning next year, January 1st, 2013.

Rothman - whose been with the studio for nearly two decades - sent out this letter to Fox employees today:

My Dear Friends,

I have decided that, after more than 18 years — the bulk of my adult working life — I am resigning as Chairman and CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment, effective January 1, 2013.  During my time at Fox, thanks to you, we have together accomplished more than I ever imagined possible, from the founding and nurturing of Searchlight, to overseeing the two biggest films in box office history, to consistently ranking at the top among studio profitability year in and year out (including our most recent strong fiscal year), and, most of all, making dozens of exceptional films that I believe will stand the test of time.  I’m proud as hell of that run.  But I’ve done the same thing, at the same place, for a long time (indeed, in the 75 year history of our studio, no one has supervised movies for longer except Darryl Zanuck himself).  I do need some new challenges and to write a new chapter.

I love Fox and all of you and take comfort knowing that, although there is never a perfect time to leave, because the slate for the next several years is in awesome shape, this is at least a pretty good one.  I know that Jim G. and all of you will continue our long tradition of winning ways, and I will be rooting hard for you.  I will also be around until the end of the year to help with the transition and celebrate some of the hits we are about to have.

Finally, let me say, how eternally grateful I will always be for the privilege and the honor of having had this job, and above all else, working with you all –  quite simply, the best, most talented, and the kindest colleagues in the world.  If I can leave you with one thought, it’s this:  for all these years, I have tried to do the job with, above all else, integrity.  I think our company stands for doing what is right, even if that is not always easy, and for prizing honesty and forthrightness.  I hope that you will carry that mission forward.  As for me, a bunch of you guys know what the tattoo on my ankle says.  It’s what I wish for us all:  “Excelsior”!

With Love and Gratitude,

Tom

What's ironic about his departure is that Fox's film division has been having some of its greatest critical and commercial success in recent years with hits like X-Men: First Class, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and Chronicle (not to mention the planned sequels to those films, two of which that already have release dates).

Jim Gianopulos (another co-chairman with Fox) will be taking over all film-related duties starting next year.

Maybe he'll go ahead and let Bryan Singer make a legit X-Men 3?

Nah, wishful thinking.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Trailer and Poster for 'Smashed'

'Jesse?  Whatcha you doing in there?'

Nah, I'm only kidding, that's not Jesse Pinkman.  Though it is ironic the character he plays in this film is struggling with drug and alcohol like his Breaking Bad counterpart.

Anyway, the trailer and poster are listed below for the indie drama, Smashed, starring the aforementioned Aaron Paul and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

This actually looks like a pretty good comedic drama, similar to Half Nelson and Juno, both which went on to earn Oscar noms.  We'll see how this one plays out.

Smashed hits theaters October 12th.

Kate and Charlie like to have a good time. Their marriage thrives on a shared fondness for music, laughter... and getting smashed. When Kate's partying spirals into hard-core asocial behavior, compromising her job as an elementary schoolteacher, something's got to give. But change isn't exactly a cakewalk. Sobriety means she will have to confront the lies she's been spinning at work, her troubling relationship with her mother, and the nature of her bond with Charlie.

Guess Who's Playing Joe Paterno?

In news that shouldn't shock anyone, a feature-film is moving forward about Penn State's once legendary, now infamous head football coach, Joe Paterno.  Along with this, Michael Corleone himself, Al Pacino, is attached to play the title role.

The picture will be built around the newly released New York Times Bestseller, Paterno, a biography written by Joe Posnaski that was in the works long before the recent, national scandal.

While the biographical novel is said to focus on Paterno's early life and rise as one of college football's most prestigious coaches, his tragic fall from glory centered around his former assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky's pedophile crimes and Paterno's own ignorance in the matter will be the main selling point of the film.

No word yet on who will direct or what actor will play Sandusky (can't imagine it would be a heavily sought after role), but expect much news to break on this project in the coming months.

As for Al Pacino playing JoePa...couldn't be a more perfect choice.

Source: Deadline

Bruce Willis To Star In 'American Assassin'

Bruce Willis has entered negotiations to star in CBS Films' adaptation of the Vince Flynn novel, American Assassin.  The picture is set to be produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura (Transformers) and directed by Jeffrey Nachmanoff (Traitor).

Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz (The Last Samurai) wrote the script.

In the film, Willis would play a CIA operative and mentor to the film's central hero, Mitch Rapp.  Rapp is a former Syracuse grad student and current CIA agent who joins the military after his girlfriend is killed in a terrorist attack.

Filming is expected to begin next Fall with an eye now on casting the title role of the young protagonist.

The novel is officially described as follows:

'American Assassin' tells the story of legendary CIA agent Mitch Rapp. Long before he began hunting terrorists, Rapp was a gifted college scholar/athlete. Then, tragedy struck and Rapp was recruited into the nation’s most elite covert operations program. After completing training designed to teach the kind of lethal skills necessary to target our most dangerous enemies, here and abroad, he is a man reborn with a mission of retribution.

Source: Variety, ComingSoon

Jim Carrey Joins 'Kick-Ass 2'

So is this considered a career jumpstart or setback?

Yes, Kick-Ass 2 is an anticipated film, but it's not a highly-anticipated film.  Even though it's set to be released the middle of next June - the heart of the summer movie season - it's a follow-up to a modestly successful comic-book adaptation where not even the original film's director, Matthew Vaughn, is returning (he's moved onto bigger and better things with the X-Men franchise).

Anyway, Deadline reports Jim Carrey (you know, once one of the biggest box office draws on the planet) has officially joined the cast of Kick-Ass 2 in the role of Colonel Stars.

The film is set to start filming in just a few days but the sequel's new director, Jeff Wadlow (Never Back Down), has confirmed the casting on his Twitter page:

“6 days till we start shooting… and we officially have our Colonel. Alrighty f’n then!”

For those unfamilar with the comic-book, Colonel Stars - or The Colonel - is a founding member of Justice Forever, a crime fighting group that recruits the main heroes from the first film.

Here's hoping Carrey turns in an inspired performance.  It would be a great lead up to Dumber & Dumber 2.

Kick-Ass 2 hit theaters June 28th, 2013 with returning cast members Aaron Johnson, Chloe Grace Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and Nicolas Cage as well new additions Lindy Booth, Donald Faison, and John Leguizamo.

Source: Deadline, Twitter

Trailer for 'Love and Honor'

It seems as if every year another run-of-the-mill romantic drama comes out where a soldier falls in love with a girl only for their passion to be tested by the world around them.

Fortunately, this film, Love and Honor, looks rather refreshing for that 'genre' as it's set in the 1960s during the Vietnam War.

Starring Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games, The Expendables 2), Love and Honor tells the story of a young soldier who helps his best friend re-capture the heart of his girlfriend on a clandestine trip home from the warfront only to find true love himself in the process during a time of protest and social revolution.

You can view the trailer below, however, take note of how - in hindsight - people of our country who would actually wanted to harm the men and women who fought for our freedom while they lived it easy back home.

Pretty screwed up.

Untitled Twelve-Year Film Project

I remember reading about this project years ago, like freshman year of high school 2002.  It was a reported film that would encapsulate a married couple's raising of their son from his days in 1st grade through his send off to college.  Ethan Hawke would play the father, Patricia Arquette the mother, and an unknown child actor - Ellar Salmon - to play their son.  Here was the catch though:

It would take tweleve years to film.

That's right.  The idea - from director Richard Linklater - was to film every year the boy aged to capture full authenticity.

I honestly forgot about it and when it popped in my head time to time, shrugged it off as probably an April Fool's joke I had misread...until yesterday.

Reading through a story that the team of Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, & Richard Linklater were working on a third entry in the Before Sunrise/Before Sunset series, entitled Before Midnight, I came across a mention of this Untitled Twelve-Year Project (formely titled Boyhood) and was shocked.  It was real and this was the first mention I had seen of it in, well, 10 years.

Anyway, doing some research on the project, it started filming way back in 2002 in Linklater's hometown of Austin, Texas and has been filming there every year since.  Which means next year will be the last year of filming for a project that started well over a decade ago.  Pretty remarkable.

No pics, videos, or really any info for that matter has been released for the film besides it's general premise.  I will say this though, regardless how the film turns out good, Oscar worthy or not, bra-fucking-o to everyone working on this.  Not many in Hollywood or feature film for that matter would have the balls or dedication to pull off such a project.

Can't wait until it's complete.  Just two more years!

New Cinematic Batman to Debut in 'Justice League'?

If this turns out to be true, then it's sad Warner Bros. didn't learn a thing or two from Christopher Nolan; going the Marvel route instead.

Batman-On-Film is reporting - and when news comes from there, you listen - that apparently the new cinematic Batman, post-Christian Bale, will debut in 2015's Justice League, following next year's Man of Steel.  From that point on, it lays the groundwork for all solo Batman films to exist in the JL universe.

As Bill "Jett" Ramey states in his report (and I full well agree with his opinion), this can do nothing but diminish the creative control and artistic freedom a new director would want to bring to the character for solo films.  He would have to stay within the confines and constraints of a 'universe', per what Marvel Studios does.

Which brings me to the issue I have with WB wanting to emulate Marvel.

While Marvel might be basking in their Avengers success and their Phase 2 plan or whatever it may be for the rest of their superheroes, many years from now, their films will be dismissed as nothing more than entertaining, popcorn fluff.  Christopher Nolan's 'Dark Knight Trilogy' on the other hand, will gain recognition and accolades for years to come; maybe one day popping up on AFI's Greatest Films List.

This is why WB is wrong.  If they want to make entertaining, crowd pleasing superhero universe films, good for them.  But it's short-sighted.  Speaking in terms of establishing a long-term legacy, give a passionate director the same artistic freedom you gave Chris Nolan, because his films are going to stand the test of time.

One last thought too.

If the plan is to have a JL film as a launching pad for DC universe superheroes, why is WB releasing a Chistopher Nolan produced Superman film next year?  Doesn't make much sense now does it.

Source: Batman-On-Film