New Films in Production

[Antoine Doinel]

2009 PREVIEW

PROBABLE 2009 RELEASES - These are done, in post, or wrapping up filming, but don't have a scheduled release date. They're in roughly the order of "readiness."
IN THE CAN

Margaret (Kenneth Lonergan)

This is turning into Lonergan's Heaven's Gate. Not only is the film being hit with two lawsuits, but word is that Lonergan has been unable to come up with a cut he is satisfied with (he has final cut on the film). Scorsese apparently saw a cut in 2006 and said it was a "masterpiece" (Thelma Schoonmaker was brought it at one point to try and help with the editing), but it looks like it's going to be awhile before seeing this film will even become a possibility.

[kaujot]

According to SlashFilm, Rodriguez is only producing the Predator reboot. There is no director currently attached.

[LQ]

...and another sacred cow is being led to slaughter

Variety reports that a remake of Videodrome is in the works.

[knives]

What next, the Virgin Spring remake?

[HarryLong]

What next, the Virgin Spring remake?

SHHHH!
They'll hear you.
(Besides wasn't that the LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT remake?)

[knives]

What next, the Virgin Spring remake?

It appears I was looking to the wrong movie.

[Antoine Doinel]

Wall Street 2 shoots this summer with Michael Douglas and Shia LaBeouf. Oliver Stone is directing.

[stroszeck]

I like the new potential title: "Money Never Sleeps."

["membrillo"]

Apparently, both Wahlberg and Bale were on HBO's 24/7 coverage for the Pacquiao/Hatton fight. They were at Freddie Roach's gym, watching Pacquiao train.

Which would make ZERO sense since Mickey Ward and Manny Pacquiao have completely different styles and completely different approaches to camp.

If anything my guess is that they were at Wild Card to watch Freddie Roach, who is old school New England like Ward is.

Anyway, Marky Mark has been wanting to make this movie FOREVER - If I remember correctly, in boxing circles word first got out in 04, maybe 03...i think it may have been right after Ward vs Gatti I (suprise, suprise - marky mark jumping on a bandwagon???) Where was he when Ward fought Emanuel Agustus???

In any event, Mickey Ward's real story is in fact a great story just like most other little known fighters, even though he was a VERY limited fighter. However, I would expect this film to be complete shit.

So is Marky Mark, going to drop about 60 pounds for this role???? Ward mostly fought at jr. welter.

[Antoine Doinel]

Jason Statham wants to sing.

Mike Leigh's untitled new film is going to market at Cannes. No details on the plot yet, but it will star Jim Broadbent, Imelda Staunton and Phil Davis.

[Matt]

Christopher Lee and Hammer Films, together again.

[Antoine Doinel]

Michael Winterbottom's next film, The Killer Inside Me, has started filming in Oklahoma. It's based on a pulp novel by Jim Thompson.

[flyonthewall2983]

Coyote Ugly II almost a go.

[Antoine Doinel]

Rachel Weisz is Hedy Lamarr.

[knives]

If she tweezes her eyebrows I see it.

[dx23]

American Gladiators - The Movie. Coming soon to a theater near you.

[Zumpano]

Dino biopic (sadly) a thing of the past? Scorsese now plans to direct a Sinatra biopic for Universal Pictures. Script by Phil Alden Robinson.

Let the cast guessing game begin. I'll start: DiCaprio!

[Jeff]

Scorsese now plans to direct a Sinatra biopic...Let the cast guessing game begin. I'll start: DiCaprio!

I know Scorsese gets a lot of shit for casting DiCaprio in everything, but I'll actually be very disappointed if he doesn't use him here. There's simply not a better choice.

[domino harvey]

They could Benjamin Button Joe Piscopo

[visuallyimpaired]

"Film Comment" reports Leos Carax will direct not one, but two full length sequels to his 1/3 part of "Tokyo!" with his favorite actor Denis Lavant and superdooper model Kate Moss (the next Anita Pallenberg?) in "Merde in USA" and "The Beast".

At the rate Carax works wonder if this will ever see the light of day.

[Zumpano]

I know Scorsese gets a lot of shit for casting DiCaprio in everything, but I'll actually be very disappointed if he doesn't use him here. There's simply not a better choice.

No shit-getting from me. I'm 100% with you Jeff. Your photo side-by-sides sealed the deal for me. The dude's got the chops. Can he sing? Does it matter?

[Antoine Doinel]

I would've preferred a Dino biopic - imo just a far more interesting and tragic life (the death of his son which led him on a downward spiral ending with his death, alone, on Christmas Day). I would imagine his estate and probably Jerry Lewis would probably put the kibosh on any details that would make it remotely interesting. Also, I doubt Sinatra's estate is going to allow anything that would remotely suggest just how deep Sinatra's mob ties went ("....there had to be a lot of trust that he would tell this story in a way that didn't destroy (Sinatra's) memory"). Hell, when he was alive Sinatra didn't like anybody talking about it. I also wonder how they'll construct the Sinatra/Farrow romance (he was kind of an asshole to her in the end, though he did call her years later and said he could arrange to have Woody Allen's legs broken if she wanted).

I hope that the Sinatra thing, along with many other projects Scorsese invariably gets attached to, gets put on the back burner and I hope Scorsese takes a lead from Coppola and tries to wrap up his more personal projects in the next few years.

The seven circles of development hell.

Abel Ferrara + 50 Cent + Forest Whitaker = Jeykl & Hyde.

[James]

Abel Ferrara + 50 Cent + Forest Whitaker = Jeykl & Hyde.

50 Cent, huh? When's the last time you could go to your local mall and see an Abel Ferrara movie?

[jackford]

Ferrara to transform 'Jekyll'

Abel Ferrara is taking another walk on the wild side with a re-imagining of Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," which will be contemporized and titled "Jekyll and Hyde."
Forest Whitaker and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson are attached to play the lead roles in the classic tale about a doctor who invents a potion that unleashes his violent alter ego.

Glasshouse Pictures' Brett Walsh and Cheetah Vision Films' Randall Emmett are producing; Luc Roeg, Michael Robinson and Andrew Orr are exec producing for U.K. production banner Independent.

Sean Walsh, Bonnie Timmermann and Chris Lighty also receive exec producer credits.

Independent is handling international sales on the project, which will begin lensing in late summer.

"The combination of such formidable talent in front of and behind the camera will turn this wonderful gothic story into a modern classic for a whole new generation," said Roeg.

Interesting casting! Nevertheless, Whitaker worked amazingly well with Ferrara in Mary and I bet Ferrara will do amazing things with 50 Cent, after seeing the astonishing performance he got out of Madonna in Dangerous Game. And of course, any Ferrara is good.

Here's some additional information on the project prior to the official announcement.

Abel Ferrara gives new faces to JEKYLL AND HYDE

It’s a takeoff on DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE, with Forest Whitaker as Dr. Jekyll and 50 Cent as Mr. Hyde,” the actor tells us, adding, “It's gonna be played totally straight. In this movie, it’s the rich white people who get terrorized, and I’m going to be playing one of those white guys. This is a really great project; he wrote it as a modern-day version of the story.

Hopefully this actually gets released in North America, unlike Ferrara's last few films.

[Matt]

I've seen and enjoyed a lot of Jekyll & Hyde movies and a lot of Abel Ferrara movies, but this sounds like the worst of both worlds. By the way, that's Nicky Dee talking about playing "one of those white guys," not Forest Whitaker or 50 Cent.