New Films in Production

[ianungstad]

Some info on the latest from Todd Solondz "DarK Horse" via Indiewire. I'm having a hard time imagining Christopher Walken and Mia Farrow in a Todd Solondz film...should be interesting.

t’s kind of a miracle to see that Todd Solondz is already shooting another movie, “Dark Horse,” with long-time collaborator Ted Hope (“Happiness,” “Storytelling”). It’ll be the shortest time between projects for Solondz, who has always taken a few years before making another film, given how difficult it is to get his idiosyncratic films financed and produced.

While his most recent “Life During Wartime” received some of the best reviews of Solondz’s career, it’s also made the least amount of box office, which probably has as much to do with changing audience habits (it was released by IFC Films, famous for its VOD strategy, after all) as Solondz’s cache.

But still, you have to wonder how Solondz does it: He is one of the few American directors working consistently since the ‘90s who has not compromised his vision one iota and has managed to keep making movies every few years, despite the fact that the industry, at large, would seem to have little use for his provocative cinema. Thankfully, it seems, actors appreciate Solondz a lot more than audiences: “Dark Horse” stars a great cast, including Justin Bartha, Selma Blair, Mia Farrow, Jordan Gelber, Donna Murphy and Christopher Walken.

According to the release, the film is about Abe (Gelber), a 30-something who lives with his parents, reluctantly works for his father (Walken), and avidly collects toys. When Abe isn’t playing backgammon with his mother (Farrow), he’s trying to romance Miranda (Blair), another 30-something who has moved back in with her parents after her literary/academic career crashed. Out of desperation, Miranda agrees to marry Abe, and the two begin to plan their life together. But, just when it looks like things are starting to go right for Abe, everything goes horribly wrong.

The movie is being shot by ace cinematographer Andrij Parekh (Blue Valentine, Cold Souls), which should promise a piece of work that is as smart looking as it is sure to be smartly written.

[Rhaegar]

Verhoeven announced three more projects over the last couple of months. One deals with Dutch occupation in Indonesia (the mystery of the East versus the military dominance of the West), a noir about the Mexican drug trade (one he really wants to make) and a movie about a couple who ask a student to be their surrogate mother but they find out that she is psychopathic. I think he wants to keep his options open, because so many projects failed over the last years.

[Markson]

The news is everywhere, but it may as well be posted here: after a long and troubled history (that continues), The Hobbit is officially greenlighted, with Jackson at the helm.

[colinr0380]

Some plot details of von Trier's apocalyptic Melancholia are filtering out.

[flyonthewall2983]

I'm pretty sure most on this board wouldn't give a hoot in hell who will direct and write the Wolverine sequel. Today, that changes.

[Finch]

I wouldn't bet against Fox asking for reshoots or even taking the film out of Aronofsky's hands.

["membrillo"]

Some plot details of von Trier's apocalyptic Melancholia are filtering out.

So, its filming in Sweden and there will something falling from the sky slamming into the planet.

Will this also be dedicated to Tarkovsky?

[Ishmael]

[quote=""membrillo""]

Some plot details of von Trier's apocalyptic Melancholia are filtering out.

So...there will something falling from the sky slamming into the planet.[/quote]
Let's hope it's not a gigantic church bell.

[colinr0380]

[quote=""membrillo""]

Some plot details of von Trier's apocalyptic Melancholia are filtering out.

So, its filming in Sweden and there will be something falling from the sky slamming into the planet.[/quote]
But apparently this occurs at the start of the film, seemingly getting around the inevitable 'downer Von Trier ending'! It sounds like it could be a strange combination of the structure of Epidemic and the films Possession, When Worlds Collide and Last Night at the moment (and funny that Udo Keir will have been in both Armageddon and this!)

[Grand Illusion]

[quote=""membrillo""]

Some plot details of von Trier's apocalyptic Melancholia are filtering out.

So...there will something falling from the sky slamming into the planet.

Let's hope it's not a gigantic church bell.[/quote]

I laughed.

["membrillo"]

[quote=""membrillo""]

Some plot details of von Trier's apocalyptic Melancholia are filtering out.

So...there will something falling from the sky slamming into the planet.

Let's hope it's not a gigantic church bell.[/quote]
So its Von Trier's remake of "Night of the Comet" dedicated to "The Sacrifice"

[terabin]

Good news - a sci-fi project for Sam Raimi - remake of the '60s British film The Day of the Triffids.

[flyonthewall2983]

The next Batman movie will be titled The Dark Knight Rises, and will not feature The Riddler as (wildly) rumored. Nolan is also in the process of casting the female lead, hoping more for a new face as opposed to an established star.

[mfunk9786]

I am a moron.

Love,
M. Funk

[kaujot]

Erm, the female lead in the last one died?

[Mr. Ned]

Stupid choice. I was hoping for something oriented with the comic book mythos like Shadow of the Bat, or something with more oomph like Batman 3: How Bruce Wayne Got His Groove Back.

[ianungstad]

You can watch the latest short film from Terry Gilliam, "The Legend of Hallowdega" at it's website.

The whole purpose of the short film is to drum up publicity for NASCAR. Personally, I thought it was awful. David Lynch and Spike Jonze have both done advertiser-sponsored short films recently for Dior and Absolut Vodka which were much better than this...

A shame. I guess Gilliam needs to earn a paycheck now that Don Quixote seems to be shevled AGAIN.

[Roger Ryan]

You can watch the latest short film from Terry Gilliam, "The Legend of Hallowdega" at it's website.

The whole purpose of the short film is to drum up publicity for NASCAR. Personally, I thought it was awful. David Lynch and Spike Jonze have both done advertiser-sponsored short films recently for Dior and Absolut Vodka which were much better than this...

A shame. I guess Gilliam needs to earn a paycheck now that Don Quixote seems to be shevled AGAIN.

Yeah, it wasn't too good, but then I don't expect much from these web-based short film advertisements. I didn't find Lynch's Dior ad any better than this. Both Lynch and Gilliam seem to be directing off-the-cuff with little planning, but with obvious attempts at including quirky moments that reflect their own particular styles. I should check out the Jonze one; I suspect he would have a better grasp at how to do these things.

[knives]

The Jonze one is pretty good. Not perfect, it tries too hard to be quirky and the lead female deserves no sympathy, but it manages to get the emotions going by the end.

[FerdinandGriffon]

The Jonze one is deplorable. Every "indie" cliche in the book and an ad for the worst kind of masochistic codependency to boot. Plus it just rehashes the whole man-in-a-suit gimmick that Jonze did for a music video way back in the 90s.

[chaddoli]

Did this guy just add a bunch of famous people as producers on his imdb page?

I mean, look at this website

[Markson]

Did this guy just add a bunch of famous people as producers on his imdb page?

I mean, look at this website

I'd been hoping for Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan to finally work together again.

[Grand Illusion]

Did this guy just add a bunch of famous people as producers on his imdb page?

I mean, look at this website

Here's the "trivia":

Director Leonardo Corbucci asked Alfonso Cuarón to send a "special" letter to the local Bulgarian production crew, to ask them to assist Corbucci in achieving a complicated helicopter scene which the crew were reluctant to shoot as they thought it was impossible. After 6 months of preparation the sequence was finally shot. Corbucci framed Cuarón's letter to remind the crew that in movies, nothing is impossible.

Safe to assume there is no such letter?

[Cosmic Bus]

Andrew Dominik, Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Sam Rockwell gang up again for Cogan's Trade.

[ianungstad]

from deadline:

When Wes Anderson is ready to make a movie, talent comes running. I'm told that Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand and Tilda Swinton are all in talks to star in Moon Rise Kingdom, a script that Anderson wrote with Roman Coppola and which Anderson will direct late next spring. Scott Rudin is producing with Anderson.

Indian Paintbrush, the financier/production company bankrolled by billionaire Steven Rales, is in early conversations to fund the film and come aboard as producer. Rales, who recently installed Rudin's longtime president Mark Roybal to run the company and step up its output of auteur-driven prestige films, has a strong relationship with Anderson. Rales was involved as a producer in Anderson's The Fantastic Mr. Fox as well as The Darjeeling Limited. Both films were produced by Rudin.

Moon Rise Kingdom is set in the 60s. Two young adults fall in love and run away. Leaders in their New England town are sticking the idea that they've disappeared and go in search of them. Norton will play a scout leader who brings his charges on a search. Willis is in talks to play the town sheriff who’s also looking, and who is having an affair with the missing girl’s mother, the role McDormand is in talks to play. Murray, a regular in Anderson films, will play the girl's father, who has his own issues.