New Films in Production

[miless]

Not at all. McCarthy is one of the greatest living writers (IMO), and adaptations should only be attempted by those willing to actually graple with his prose and his style (and not visually imitate it like I suspect the Coens have). In that sense, one of the directors who I think is best suited to a McCarthy adaptation is David Cronenberg.

Cronenberg would be great (especially with his current direction)... actually, I'd love to see Cronenberg do a western (how paranoid and bizarre would that film be?) Cronenberg, IMO, is not not neccessarily suited for The Road... but he could do a kickass job with Blood Meridian or any one of "The Border Trilogy"

[Michael]

I'm not a fan of McCarthy's post-Blood Meridian works. The Road is pretty dreadful. However I adore his early Southern works such as Child of God and Outer Dark. I can't even imagine Child of God turning into a movie. Very sick book if not the sickest book I've read other than American Psycho.

[jesus the mexican boi]

Re: THE ROAD, if directed by Brett Ratner. Too funny.

[miless]

Re: THE ROAD, if directed by Brett Ratner. Too funny.

I was just going to post that!
brilliant...

[Hai2u]

Rififi remake. Starring Al Pacino.

[miless]

Rififi remake. Starring Al Pacino.

is Al Pacino going to be in every remake of a film in the collection?

[dadaistnun]

New film not in production:

Polanski drops out of Summit's Pompeii due to schedule conflict

Jeremy Kay in Toronto

Roman Polanski has left the forthcoming production of the epic drama Pompeii due to scheduling conflicts.

The director pulled out after Summit International indicated it may have to postpone principal photography in Europe next summer due to concerns over a possible industry strike.

Summit International is selling worldwide rights and is searching for a replacement director with producers Robert Benmussa and Alain Sarde. The film is not part of Summit entertainment's domestic release slate.

"I put a lot of work and energy into the development of Pompeii, so it is not without regret that I have to decline my further involvement," Polanski, whose schedule does not allow him to accommodate an uncertain start date beyond 2008, said.

"In order to ensure that a film of this calibre and scale is produced in the manner required, the producers have pushed back the film to a time that will accommodate the production needs," Summit International chief executive officer Patrick Wachsberger said.

"While we are saddened that Roman will not be available to direct the film, we know we will work with the renowned film-maker and our friend in the near future."

"We understand that Roman cannot wait indefinitely for a start date after having worked on this project for more than nine months," Benmussa and Sarde said.

Based on Robert Harris' novel, Pompeii centres on a young engineer caught up in political intrigue as Mount Vesuvius is about to erupt.

I never was that excited about this project in the first place, so I'm not particularly heartbroken.

[Barmy]

Maybe Tinto Brass can do it now.

[LeeB.Sims]

Has anyone heard any rumors of Gus Van Sant doing a movie based on Tom Wolfe's The Electric Cool-Aid Acid Test? This is one of my absolute favorite books and I would be ecstatic to see Van Sant's take on it. It's the slightly fictionalized story of counter-culture hero and one of Oregon's own legendary icons, Ken Kesey. Highly recommended reading. Anyway, the possibility of a film adaptation was apparently alluded to in a recent issue of a local Portland paper called Willamette Weekly, but I can't seem to confirm it.

[miless]

Has anyone heard any rumors of Gus Van Sant doing a movie based on Tom Wolfe's The Electric Cool-Aid Acid Test? This is one of my absolute favorite books and I would be ecstatic to see Van Sant's take on it. It's the slightly fictionalized story of counter-culture hero and one of Oregon's own legendary icons, Ken Kesey. Highly recommended reading. Anyway, the possibility of a film adaptation was apparently alluded to in a recent issue of a local Portland paper called Willamette Weekly, but I can't seem to confirm it.

yes, I believe that it is in production now.
I met him (Gus) recently and he said that Harris Savides wanted to shoot it on 16mm (I also got to meet Ken Kesey's widow).
I believe that he also wants to incorporate actual footage of the 'event' into the film.

[LeeB.Sims]

Thanks Miles, I thought that maybe you, being a fellow Oregonian, would have the inside scoop on this. I never knew just how inside it would be though! How/when/where did you meet Gus and Faye Kesey? That's got to be an interesting story. He's kind of a personal hero of mine.

[Jem]

Baz Luhrmann's film "Australia": Unofficial site

[Solaris]

Not sure what's happening with this film, but Encounters at the End of the World appears to be Herzog's latest film.

[DrewReiber]

Brandon Routh is Dylan Dog

Directed by "Snakes on a Plane" David R. Ellis and written by the "Sahara"/"A Sound of Thunder" screenwriters. Man, that's so depressing.

The only positive here is that Routh seems to be making interesting choices (this & Informers).

[dadaistnun]

Brandon Routh is Dylan Dog

I love how that article says

Dylan Dog's graphic representation was inspired by English actor Rupert Everett.

and then neglects to mention Dellemorte Dellamore.

[DrewReiber]

Well, this saved my day. According to Film Ick:

The Katacomb Klub

Two names to recently have made news here on film ick, in one way or another, are to come together in The Katacomb Klub. Firstly, there's director Michele Soavi, previously responsible for Dellamorte Dellamore, mentioned just this morning; second, screenwriter Charles McKeown who has co-written, with Terry Gilliam, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus.

Soavi hasn't officially signed for Klub yet but is in negotiations, with production set to take place sometime next year, I believe in his native Italy.

Soavi actually has more direct links to Gilliam, shooting second unit on The Adventures of Baron Munchausen and The Brothers Grimm, in which he was responsible for almost every shot of the 'mud mimic' sequence.

[Lino]

Park Chan-wook gets interviewed at Sitges and talks about his future projects:

[quote]BLAKE: What can you tell us about your next film Bakjwi?

PARK CHAN-WOOK: Bakjwi is the Korean word for “bat.â€

[flyonthewall2983]

Cage makes some moves on 'Wrestler'

NEW YORK -- Nicolas Cage is in talks to star in screenwriter Robert Siegel's indie drama "The Wrestler."

The film, now in development at Darren Aronofsky's Protozoa Pictures, centers on Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a 1980s-era star pro wrestler who has become a burnt-out shell of his former self. After he has a heart attack during a small-time match, a doctor tells him he could die if he fights again.

In an effort to build a new life, Robinson takes a job at a deli, moves in with an aging stripper and tries to build a relationship with her son. But the prospect of a rematch with his old nemesis the Ayatollah proves too tempting to resist, even if it means risking his life.

Brooklyn-based Protozoa, named after Aronofsky's 1993 short, has been behind all of the director's features, including "Pi," "Requiem for a Dream" and "The Fountain." The possibility of Aronofsly directing could not be confirmed at press time, and it's unclear if Cage's Saturn Films will jump on board to produce as well.

from imdb.com:

Days after Chris Pine decided not to accept director Joe Carnahan's offer to co-star with George Clooney in White Jazz but accept the role of Captain Kirk in the next Star Trek movie instead, Clooney has also quit the project. In a statement, Grant Heslov, Clooney's producing partner, blamed scheduling problems. However, today's (Tuesday) Los Angeles Times, reporting on Clooney's departure, commented, "Well-connected Hollywood wags think that the faltering fortunes of Michael Clayton might have had a little to do with Clooney getting cold feet about jumping into a period noir piece, the last few of which -- Hollywoodland and The Black Dahlia -- have bombed at the box office." On his official blog Carnahan said that he intended to perform a "full court press" to find a replacement and indicated that the man he has in mind would be "perfect to take over the role." Carnahan added: "I want this movie really, really bad. BAD. And I'm willing to go to the ends of the earth to pull it off."

[Jeff]

Tony Scott's remake of The Taking of Pelham One Two Three is about to film with Denzel Washington and John Travolta says Variety. The only good thing I can see coming of this is a potential reissue of the subpar DVD of the original film.

[DrewReiber]

The only good thing I can see coming of this is a potential reissue of the subpar DVD of the original film.

Yes, please.

[mogwai]

Looks like Malick's next movie is finally moving forward:

Ledger and Penn Climb Tree of Life
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
October 30, 2007


Heath Ledger and Sean Penn are in talks to star in Tree of Life, with River Road Entertainment finally bringing writer-director Terrence Malick's long-gestating drama to life.

The Hollywood Reporter says Ledger would take the lead opposite an actress to be determined, with Penn in a supporting role.

Malick also is in talks, with principal photography set to begin in March.

River Road founder Bill Pohlad will produce with Sarah Green, Malick's producer on his last feature The New World.

[kaujot]

Try as I might to like him, I really can't stand Penn as an actor.

[miless]

Try as I might to like him, I really can't stand Penn as an actor.

What are your thoughts on Penn's role in The Thin Red Line?

[kaujot]

Try as I might to like him, I really can't stand Penn as an actor.

What are your thoughts on Penn's role in The Thin Red Line?

I can't really honestly say, as I've only seen the movie once, and it was about a year and a half to two years ago. But this has motivated me to consider putting it back in the DVD player (once I have 3 hours to spare), and will get back to you.

But so many of his roles seem to just scream, "Pleeeeeease give me an Oscar!" or "Look at how transgressive this role is!" Perhaps it's both Penn the actor and Penn the person. Though, for the most part, I enjoyed his direction of Into the Wild. It was just the horrible choices in music he made that ruined it. And his glorification of a stupid kid.

[Andre Jurieu]

But so many of his roles seem to just scream, "Pleeeeeease give me an Oscar!"

Too funny. While describing Penn's overblown and overrated performance in Mystic River, Mike D'Angelo summarized the entire thing as "IS THAT MY OSCAR IN THERE! IS THAT MY OSCAR IN THERE!"

Not that I totally agree with him, but I can see where you're both coming from on that viewpoint. I can't stand Penn's public personality, but I don't mind his acting when he dials it down to about a 5 and avoids idiotic choices (I Am Sam comes to mind). I actually think he's a very underrated director, though I've purposely stayed away from Into the Wild, since I can't stand Emile Hirsch.