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I could have sworn that Anton Corbijn (a good friend of Ian Curtis, and director of the only Joy Division music video) was going to direct a film about Ian and Joy Division... I wonder if this is the same project

Aug. 04, 2006

Bale digs spurs into 'Yuma' redo

By Borys Kit and Tatiana Siegel

Christian Bale is close to a deal to star opposite Russell Crowe in James Mangold's "3:10 to Yuma." Relativity Media is stepping in to finance the film, which has been without a home since Columbia Pictures put it into turnaround earlier this summer.

The move is certain to give Mangold a sigh of relief as the Western remake is taking a tortuous journey to the screen. Columbia spent four years developing the film, which it had hoped to start filming this summer.

Tom Cruise had been circling the film for his follow-up to "Mission: Impossible III," with Eric Bana rumored to be in pursuit of a role as well.

But by June, Cruise and Bana were no longer in the mix, and Columbia put "Yuma" in turnaround, leaving producer Cathy Konrad and Mangold to shop the project to various studios.

Fox 2000 was believed to be the front-runner based on Konrad and Mangold's relationship with topper Elizabeth Gabler, who championed their "Walk the Line."

Now, Relativity plans to finance the film, either in whole or in part, and is currently in negotiations with Columbia. Relativity has not yet lined up a distributor.

Relativity sees the movie as a one-off project, separate from its other business with Sony, Columbia's parent company. In May, Relativity sank $385 million into 11 Columbia films, a move that came on the heels of its investment of $400 million in January into the production costs of an additional 11 of the studio's films.

"Yuma" is based on the 1957 film that starred Glenn Ford as captured outlaw Ben Wade, who finds himself in the custody of small-time rancher Dan Evans. The rancher is secretly trying to take the outlaw to a railway station to catch a train to Yuma for the outlaw's court date. A battle of wills ensues.

Mangold's take sees Crowe as the outlaw and Bale as the rancher. Michael Brandt, Derek Haas and Stuart Beattie have all contributed to the screenplay.

The movie is on track for a fall shoot, after the Endeavor-repped Bale films "I'm Not There," Todd Haynes' fractured Bob Dylan biopic. After "Yuma," Bale, who has "The Prestige" opening Oct. 20, will then segue to his "Batman Begins" sequel, "The Dark Knight," which is scheduled to start shooting in late winter or spring.

Is Snake Plissken Leaving This Planet with Carpenter?
Get more on Rumor Control | Posted 08.05.06 @ 02:52 pm ]

It has been 25 years since Kurt Russell made his first appearance as the bad ass Snake Plissken in John Carpenter's Escape from New York, now it looks like Russell and Carpenter are teaming up once again, this time to leave Earth. Escape From Earth is the title of the third entry to the franchise, according to our anonymous scooper. Inside you can read the unconfirmed scoop, which we'll be looking into this week...

Anonymous writes in:
"A major meeting was held at Paramount last week with both John Carpenter and Kurt Russell in attendance. The topic -- preparing for a third entry in the Snake Plissken chronicles entitled Escape From Earth.

Apparently, Carpenter completed a script for the project eight years ago but the studio has now taken an interest in it after Russell demanded doing it before signing on with the studio for a three picture deal.

Although the screenplay is being kept under tight wraps, I'm told (by another anonymous) who was lucky enough to take a peek at the first thirteen pages that the script takes off immediately where the previous left off and features our planet en-route to Armageddon.

It looks as though Carpenter will push-off the production of Psychopath with Titan Productions and collaborator Todd Farmer in order to ready this entry for a 2008 release.In the first film, which takes place in 1998, the US President crashes into Manhattan, which is now a giant max. security prison, a convicted bank robber is sent in for a rescue.

David Jacobson has signed on to write and direct the crime drama, Roadside Picnic for Columbia.

The futuristic story is based on the book by Russian writers Boris and Arkady Strugatsky where an alien visitation occurs, and gangs of smugglers plunder the lucrative artifacts left behind, says Variety.

There is no production schedule for Roadside Picnic.

Fletch F. Fletch wrote:Finally! Altho, isn't Russell getting a little long in the tooth for this?

From imdb.com: Zooey Deschanel has beaten Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears and Scarlett Johansson to the coveted role of Janis Joplin in the forthcoming movie biopic of the tragic singer. Pop punk Pink was originally director Penelope Spheeris' first choice to play the late rocker, but pulled out, blaming the movie's producers for turning the casting process into "some circus pop contest - who's the 'it' girl who wants to play Janis." However, Almost Famous beauty Deschanel, 26, has signed to play Joplin in The Gospel According To Janis, which starts filming in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in November. "Piece Of My Heart" hitmaker Joplin died of an heroin and alcohol overdose in a Hollywood hotel room in October 1970 at the age of 27.

Richard Linklater to do ‘Last Detail' sequel

In an interview with MTV Linklater reported he's interested in making a sequel to the 1973 film 'The Last Detail', a film basically about three sailors getting drunk (Jack Nicholson, Randy Quaid and Otis Young). Linklater told MTV:

"I do like that movie, and there's a book by the same writer who wrote 'The Last Detail' back in the late '60s, Daryl Ponicsan. He wrote a follow-up novel that I've adapted. … I sent [Quaid] the script, and he'd be great. I hope he'll do it."

So at this point it's all just loose talk…

"I haven't even talked to Nicholson about it yet; I don't even know if he's read it. … It hasn't gotten that far down the line. They haven't made an offer to him yet or anything like that."

MTV also talks briefly about the plot of the book Linklater mentioned

"The novel has Buddusky running a bar and Quaid's Larry Meadows reuniting with him after the Iraq war takes his son's life. Rumors persist that Morgan Freeman is interested in taking over the role of Mule from the deceased Otis Young"

I've always thought 'The Last Detail' doesn't get enough credit and is kind of over-shadowed by Nicholsons other films from the same period like 'The Shining' and 'One flew over the Cuckoos Nest'. If nothing else it would be fun to see Nicholson and Randy Quaid back together. --source slashfilm

Antoine Doinel wrote:But a John Woo remake would have doves!

Fernando Meirelles to Direct Blindness

LONDON -- Fernando Meirelles is returning to Brazil to direct "Blindness," an English-language film based on the 1995 novel by Portuguese Nobel Prize winner Jose Saramago.

Book is a philosophical thriller about an epidemic of blindness that sweeps through an unnamed contemporary city and pushes society to the brink of breakdown.

The $25 million project is being set up as a Brazilian/Canadian co-production. It will shoot next summer in Sao Paolo, Meirelles' hometown, and Toronto.

The script is by Don McKellar, the Canadian writer-director-actor, who optioned the book with his producing partner, Niv Fichman of Rhombus Media.

McKellar also will play a supporting role in the movie. The other parts have yet to be cast.

Fichman will produce with Simon Channing-Williams and Gail Egan of London-based Pot Boiler Films, who produced Meirelles' last movie, "The Constant Gardener."

The other co-producers are Sonoko Sakai of Japan's Bee Vine Pictures and Andrea Barata Ribeiro of O2 Filmes in Brazil.

It was only after they offered the project to Meirelles that they discovered he had previously tried to option "Blindness" back in 1998, but had been rebuffed by Saramago.

Meirelles went on instead to make "City of God," the movie that first brought him international acclaim.

Like Meirelles before them, McKellar and Fichman were initially rebuffed by Saramago, who had never previously sold film rights to any of his books. "He told us that cinema destroys the imagination," Fichman recalls.

But the 83-year-old Nobel laureate relented after they flew halfway around the world to persuade him. Saramago also approved their plan to set the movie up as an international co-production, rather than seeking financing from a single U.S. studio.

Who's the one that makes ya feel good?
Who's the one that makes ya feel alright?

Larry Charles.

The Borat director has signed on to helm the biopic about Motley Crüe, the movie version of the band's autobiography "The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band." Obviously, this could very well be the greatest movie ever made. Even better news, is that hard core porn writer Rich Wilkes is responsible for transforming the tome into a screenplay. I wonder what parts of the book Mr. Wilkes will concentrate on in the movie adaptation. Vince mourning the loss of his daughter? Nikki Sixx's troubled past? Or banging Girls, Girls, Girls?

Nikki Sixx has said the band will remain deeply involved in the MTV/Paramount production that should see release in 2007.

Casting has yet to be finalized so start making bets on who will play who. The most obvious choice of having the band play themselves seems unlikely with the band currently on tour with Aerosmith and production set to begin in Fall.

Polanski to Police Rush Hour 3

The Oscar winning filmmaker is set to play a disagreeable French cop in the long awaited action comedy, one of several big name cameos.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006 at 12:01 AM
By Dennis Michael

Roman Polanski is going back to acting - very briefly - in Brett Ratner's upcoming comedy Rush Hour 3. Fox News reports Ratner has convinced the filmmaker to appear as a French cop who gives stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker some trouble as the film progresses. Ratner has also managed to convince European actors Max Von Sydow and Yvan Attal to appear in the film in cameos as well. Polanski won an Oscar as Best Director a few years ago for his work on The Pianist, but he was unable to come to the US to accept the award. If he steps on US soil, he's likely to be arrested. Polanski pled guilty to having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl back in 1977. He skipped bail and fled to France rather than face his prison sentence. That means he's unlikely to show up at the junket to do publicity for Rush Hour 3. Polanski's acting career high point was his cameo in Chinatown: Polanski directed the film, but also performed the bit part as a thug who slices Jack Nicholson's nose.

Fernando Meirelles to Direct Blindness