December 30, 2008

Danny Boyle's Johannesburg aka Ponte City (TBA)



Set in Johannesburg, South Africa and based on the novel "Ponte City" by Norman Ohler. Directed by Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, Trainspotting) and screenplay written by Michael Thomas (Backbeat). The film will involve around the Ponte Tower.



"The infamous structure was first built overlooking South Africa’s Johannesburg in 1975. Originally a prime location for the rich, white and powerful – with all the attendant problems of racism and intolerance - it fell into disrepair post-Apartheid and gained a reputation as a headquarters for various gangs. For a long time it was one of the most dangerous addresses in the world, eclipsing even Clacton-On-Sea during pension day."

December 23, 2008

Cartagena (2010)



Clive Owen (The International) is attached to the film written by Michael Ross (Turistas). It centers on an undercover agent who gets caught in a complex plot and must elude drug dealers and international agents if he hopes to survive. With films like Cocaine Cowboys and Escobar focusing on the Colombian drug cartels. It doesn't surprise me that we're seeing an influx of these type of films. Having Owen attached to the project peeks my interest even without a director named.

December 22, 2008

Return To Castle Wolfenstein (TBA)



Roger Avary (Pulp Fiction, Rules of Attraction) is writing and directing a live-action film based on the favorite first-person shooter. Davis Films (Resident Evil films) is taking production duties. Avary's legal problems could keep the production on hold and the director in prison. I wouldn't be surprised if the studio isn't already looking for a new director.

My Casting Picks



Donnie Walhberg or Nathan Fillion as Captain William Joseph Blazkowicz

December 21, 2008

Castlevania (2010)



Directed by Sylvain White (Stomp The Yard) and produced by Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil, Event Horizon). The project is ready to go according to Anderson but is waiting on the resolution of the actor's strike. Based on the long standing video game franchise which features Count Dracula as it's main villain. The shooting locations that have been rumored are Romania and Hungary. It's production has been halted many times, although if it shoots in 2009 we could see it released in 2010.

My Casting Picks



Simon Baker as Simon Belmont



Sean Bean as Dracula



Ben Foster as Alucard Tepes



Jamie Bell as Ritcher Belmont



Asia Argento as Shanoa



Maggie Grace (Taken) as Maria Renard



Zack Ward as Walter Benard

December 19, 2008

Forbidden Planet: Trilogy (TBA)



Warner Brothers and producer Joel Silver are developing an updated remake of the classic science fiction film. According to IESB, James Cameron has interest again and may direct. Cameron has been "eyeing" the project since 1998. They've hired J. Michael Straczynski who wrote for Babylon 5 and recently the script for Ninja Assassin. Latino Review is reporting that the project is a planned three story ark. This means it will be a trilogy with the first film a prequel rather than a remake. Depending on the progress of Battle Angel this could be next project for James Cameron. The film influenced a majority of science fiction properties which include Star Trek and the Alien series.



"a group of Earth scientists who are sent some 17 light years away to investigate what happened to a colony of settlers on Altair-4. They find a man with a secret and his daughter who somehow survived a hideous monster attack on their planet."

December 18, 2008

Films That Should Be Made: Golgo 13



Based on the Sonny Chiba film, manga, anime series and films. The story follows a famous hitman codenamed Golgo 13, who is a gun for hire. His international contracts have him involved with organized crime, governments and personal vendettas all over the globe. His only code is that completes every mission.



Quentin Tarantino is the perfect writer and director to give this character an update on screen. The world of Golgo 13 was hinted at within the Kill Bill world/movies. He may have touched upon the hitman genre with his previous projects. Although, Tarantino has yet to make a full feature based in the genre.



Sonny Chiba is a favorite actor of Tarantino and they worked together in Kill Bill.



Having both Chow Yung Fat and Jean Reno alongside Chiba would be a dream cast.

Films That Should Be Made: Neon Genesis Evangelion



A live-action film has been in development for years now. Weta Workshop (LOTR, King Kong) did a bunch of concept artwork for the movie. It's one of the better anime projects but is stuck in limbo. Although it's an Asian series the idea was to have a majority of the cast with European descent. Even to the point of renaming the characters. I'm sure ADV films will end up selling their rights to a major studio. I could see Warner Bros. or Fox bidding on the rights.

My Casting Picks




-Elijah Wood as Shane? (Shinji Ikari)



-Natalie Portman as Ray (Rei Ayanami)



-Amanda Seyfried as Kate Rose (Asuka Langley)



-Selma Blair as Susan Whitnall (Misato Katsuragi)

Cowboy Bebop (2010)



Keanu Reeves has confirmed his involvement, playing Spike Spiegel in the live-action film. 20th Century Fox is developing the movie which isn't much comfort to fans. With their inability to come up with a decent Marvel adaptation since X2 (Wolverine pending). Also with the awful looking Dragonball Evolution that seems to be geared towards eight year olds. The rather adult nature of the anime series could be watered down in yet again another tame PG-13 Fox disaster. While it's too early to start giving criticism to the project Fox is going to need a big named director and cast to pull it off.

My Casting Picks



-Kate Beckinsale as Faye Valentine



-Hugo Weaving as Jet Black



-Alexis Bledel (Sin City) as Edward

December 16, 2008

Bad Boys 3 (2010)



Michael Bay has publicly stated that he would be up for another sequel. Depending on the schedules of actors Will Smith and Martin Lawrence we could see the movie as early as 2010. Will Smith was quoted telling Bay this year “We need Bad Boys 3". I'm sure there's already a script because the third installment has been talked about since 2003. At this point it's up to producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Michael Bay and Columbia Pictures.

December 13, 2008

Films That Should Be Made: Assassin's Creed



With large scale films being developed based on video games such as Prince of Persia. It won't be long until titles like Assassin's Creed are looked at. The story is set in 2012 when Desmond is kidnapped by a company. He's used as a test subject on a machine that recalls memories of past ancestors. Desmond recalls the memories of Altaïr ibn La-Ahad one of his ancestors. Altaïr is part of the "Assassin Brotherhood" during the Third Crusade (1191) in the Holy Land. I think the story is very interesting but will need a lot of reworking so it can work on screen.



I could see J.J. Abrams directing the project if they keep the science fiction element in the story. Also actress Kristen Bell (Sarah Marshall) did some voice acting on the first game and could be cast in the film.



Chris Pine (Smokin Aces, Star Trek) as Desmond/Altaïr.

Cameron Crowe's Deep Tiki (TBA)



Cameron Crowe best known for writing amazing coming of age stories like Fast Times At Ridgemount High and Almost Famous, both films audio biographical. He'll will write and direct the new comedy set in Hawaii. It will star Reese Witherspoon and Ben Stiller (an odd pairing). The project recently has been delayed.



"Ben Stiller stars as a 37-year-old disgraced US weapons consultant named Brian Gilcrest, who is disliked by most everyone. His only friend is a techie named Jeremy “a super-smart and highly aware computer”. As a response to aggression from China, Gilcrest is deployed to a dormant military base in Hawaii to supervise the launch of an advanced spy satellite. Together with the anal and humorless Major Lisa Ng, he must secure the blessings of the native Hawaiian council before the launch. Gilcrest also gets a chance to meet with Tracy (likely Witherspoon), the one love of his life who got away, along with her husband and two kids. On the island he discovers himself."

December 12, 2008

Rosemary's Baby (2010)



One of Platinum Dunes remakes will be an update of the classic. With rumors of big names attached to The Birds remake. I wouldn't be surprised to see the same with this film. Reese Witherspoon is someone I think could pull off the role of Rosemary. At this point the film is still in development.



"A young couple, Guy and Rosemary living in Manhattan. Shortly after settling into their new apartment, Rosemary becomes pregnant and slowly falls very ill. Paranoia and suspicion of witchcraft at work ensues."

Platinum Dunes Cult Project (TBA)



Platinum Dunes producers Brad Fuller and Andrew Form told Sci-Fi Wire that they are planning on making a new horror film based on a satanic cult. They will be re-teaming with writer Scott Kosar on the untitled project. Kosar wrote both Amityville Horror and Texas Chainsaw remakes.


"It is a story about a college girl whose brother dies, and she goes to investigate his death and finds he was into some pretty freaky stuff. She wants to get to the bottom of it. And doing so, has to see some things that maybe she didn't want to see. That are unsettling."

Babylon (TBA)



Paul Giamatti and Anthony Mackie (Half Nelson) will star in indie action thriller.Set in Kingston, Jamacia the film will focus on a Rasta from the isolated hills of Jamaica. Giamatti will play a British minister, both of whom accompany a 12-year-old Jamaican boy from the Kingston ghetto as they try to outrun gangsters. It's not too often we are exposed to Caribbean stories, which is a nice change of pace. I expect this to be along the lines of City of God or Elite Squad type of film.

December 11, 2008

Safety Man (TBA)



The new comedy stars John C. Rilley, Marisa Tomei and Jonah Hill. The Duplass Brothers will direct, this will be their first mainstream film. The premise sounds slightly familiar, yet having Reilly and Hill working off each other in a full feature sounds great. In Walk Hard the two have a couple comical moments together. That movie is also a prime example of why Reilly should headline more comedy flicks.

"a recently divorced man who meets the woman of his dreams. However, she has a teenage son, who has no interest in sharing his mother with a new man."

The Lost City of Z (TBA)



Based on the novel by David Grann. The film will be directed by James Gray (We Own The Night) with Brad Pitt starring. Pitt seems to have an attraction to period pieces these days. The novel was inspired by the true story of Colonel Percy Fawcett who's story helped influence Indiana Jones.

"focuses on the British explorer Colonel Percy Fawcett, who went searching for the so-called City of Z in the Amazon, but mysteriously disappeared in 1925."

Eric Roth's Sci-Fi project (TBA)

Oscar winning screenwriter Eric Roth is talking about writing a science fiction film. Best known for his scripts for Forest Gump, Munich, Benjamin Button and The Insider. Roth has been talking about developing an "intelligent" science fiction film. Which sounds very ambitious even for him. He compares it to the intelligance of 2001 with the mythology of the Star Wars saga. While this is all well and good, science fiction always needs a "strong" director behind the lens. I'm going to compose my excitement until I learn which director has been hired.

Greenburg (TBA)



Written and directed by Noah Baumbach best known for his breakout film The Squid & The Whale. Baumbach has also worked with Wes Anderson writing scripts for Life Aquatic and Fantasic Mr. Fox. Recently two of the project's actors (Mark Ruffalo and Amy Adams) have left the project. Ben Stiller has signed on to replace Ruffalo. There isn't much known about the project but Baumbach has a history of family based dramas. It's assumed he could stay with this direction.

December 9, 2008

David Fincher's Chef (TBA)



Keanu Reeves and David Fincher are working together on a new film. Reeves will star as the main character. This seems a different direction for Fincher which could be great or terrible idea. The script was written by Steven Knight who previously wrote Eastern Promises and Shutter Island.

“A Michelin-level chef tries to make a comeback from major personal issues. He gathers his old friends together as his ‘dream team’ and ends up falling in love with the newest member of the group.”

47 Ronin (2010)



Variety reports that Keanu Reeves will star in the epic period piece for Universal Pictures. Having nothing to do with the Frank Miller comic or the Jean Reno/Robert D. European thriller. The movie is based on the Japanese tale of the legendary 47 Ronin who seek revenge after the death of their master. Many of the Ronin give their lives in the process then preform ritual suicide. Reeves will play one of 47 disgraced samurai. Described as stylized version of the story. Incorporating elements from "Lord of The Rings" with gritty violence like what was seen in "Gladiator". Set in Japan during the winter of 1702, the film has epic written all over it. A director has yet to be named with the plan to shoot next year. I've been a massive fan of samurai mythology hoping Hollywood would take up this famous legend.

-Below is the trailer to the Japanese movie made in 1994.

December 8, 2008

Bourne 4 (2010)

Director Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon are waiting on the next script. Before signing on to the fourth installment of the Bourne series. George Nolfi (Ocean's 13, Bourne Ultimatum) has been hired to develop an original script, since they won't be using sources from the Bourne novels. They instead will be using Robert Ludlum's "The Parsifal Mosaic" as inspiration for the next movie. The novel is not part of the Bourne series.



"deals with a U.S. spy who falls in love with another spy who is revealed to be a double agent just before her death. When he retires from the business, though, the spy learns that she may still be alive and sets out to learn the truth."

December 7, 2008

David Fincher's Devil In The White City (TBA)




Director David Fincher is piling on the projects these days. Screenwriter Eric Roth who worked with Fincher on "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" revealed that the director was interested in developing another film together. The film would be an adaptation of the novel by Erik Larson. Fincher seems set on more serial killer themed films which is fine with me and other fans of his previous films.



"Their fates were linked by the magical Chicago World’s Fair of 1893, nicknamed the “White City” for its majestic beauty. Architect Daniel Burnham built it; serial killer Dr. H. H. Holmes used it to lure victims to his World’s Fair Hotel, designed for murder. Both men left behind them a powerful legacy, one of brilliance and energy, the other of sorrow and darkness."

December 5, 2008

Punisher War Zone 2 (TBA)



Ray Stevenson told MTV that he's signed on for sequels playing Frank Castle. While this all depends on the success of War Zone's box office and DVD sales, I'm sure they would ask director Lexi Alexander to return. The first film may have a lot of it's issues mainly a poor script and odd performances from other actors. If they refine the next film they could have a franchise on their hands. It's brutal and over-the-top violent action scenes could make this the new Blade. There is a market for these type of action films.



Stevenson also revealved ideas for the second film. Which includes a plot involving a white slavery ring bringing in prostitues from Europe. He's also dropped a name of a possible villain Barracuda. If they bring in the Russian Mob I could see them reworking the character General Zakharov into the story.