Sunday, September 02, 2007

More Spliced Film

I hope you enjoy these cinema related items that have caught my eye over the last week and a half or so...

--On Tuesday, August 21st, film score composer John Williams was a guest of The Berkshire Museum, in Massachusetts.

During his presentation--Williams expressed his "excitement to start work on the next Indiana Jones movie", which he said he will begin in October.

The still untitled 4th Indiana Jones film is set for release on May 22, 2008.

At the same event; When asked if he was hoping to score the last Harry Potter film, Williams said with "confidence that he thinks he will be back for the last Harry Potter movie", and then added that "he hopes he is".

The film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is expected to be released in 2010.

--Gideon Raff, the director of the remake of the Jamie Lee Curtis 1980 horror film "Terror Train," spoke to Shock Til You Drop from the set of the film in Bulgaria and said this film has, "nothing to do with the original."

He goes on - "I'm a big fan of that film, but this is not a remake, it's an original screenplay. It's about a group of American athletes competing in Eastern Europe and they're supposed to get on a train to continue the competition. And our group of people miss the train 'cause they went partying the night before. They get on a different train to catch up with their teammates and horror ensues. I researched real crimes that happen here in Eastern Europe and based it on that.

"No illusionist like David Copperfield in the original?

"There is no magician. No...no David Copperfield, that's very '80s."

Thora Birch, Derek Magyar, Gloria Votsis, Kavan Reece, and Gideon Emery all star in the film.

The production is utilizing both a fully-functioning old fashioned train (replete with long corridors and wooden interiors) and a few built train cars to meet some specifications called for in the screenplay

-- Anthony Michael Hall is playing an investigative TV reporter in "The Dark Knight" who's jealous of Bruce Wayne and not Edward Nygma as earlier rumors suggested.

--The joke, is on us! Christian Bale's comments that Russell Crowe has a cameo in "The Dark Knight" were not to be taken seriously, but the story has been picked up by an awful lot of folks.

- According to an interview with director D.J. Caruso, his Disturbia star Shia LaBeouf is set to get the lead role in the film version of "Y: The Last Man" comic book.

-=David Duchovny told the TV program Access Hollywood that he has read the script for a proposed X-Files sequel based on the hit TV show

"I have," Duchovny told the entertainment news magazine. "But I'm sworn to secrecy legally, actually. If I were to tell you anything about, it ... I would be sued."

In July, Duchovny told a group TV reporters that a second film was in the works and that co-star Gillian Anderson was on board as well.

Series creator, Chris Carter, and co-executive producer Frank Spotnitz wrote the screenplay.

"We're going to try to keep it under wraps and try to keep it a surprise," Duchovny said. "You know, unfortunately, I think with so much media attention on show business, ... it's almost impossible to think of, like, a Sixth Sense coming out now."

Spotnitz told SCI FI Wire last year that the sequel's story would not rely on the show's convoluted alien-invasion-conspiracy mythology, but rather would be more like one of the show's stand-alone episodes.

--The Hollywood Reporter estimated that the total box office has reached a record $4.11 billion this summer, led by the sequels Spider-Man 3 and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End . The total take surpasses the $4.009 billion record set during the summer of 2004.

Superbad from producer Judd Apatow, became only the third film in this competitive summer to reign as leader of the pack for two weekends in a row, with a domestic total of $68.6 million.

The Aug. 24 weekend marked the seventh weekend in a row in which box office was stronger than the comparable weekend a year ago. The 108 films tracked by The Hollywood Reporter collectively grossed $108.5 million, a 5 percent improvement over the $103 million grossed during the comparable period in 2006.

--The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) will honor the late László Kovács.

--On the heels of the new Halloween's release, director Rob Zombie just signed a new pact with The Weinstein Company's Dimension Films,

--In case anyone out there would care to know. the winner of On The Lot was Will Bigham. The ratings challenged series wont be back

--Dwayne Johnson a.k.a. The Rock will reteam with Andy Fickman director of his forthcoming film The Game Plan, for Disney's Witch Mountain, the studio's new version of their 1975 film Escape to Witch Mountain

Filming begins this March, according to Variety The trade says The Rock "is in negotiations to play a Las Vegas cab driver who gets tangled up with pair of siblings who have magical powers.

The film's plot reportedly "advances the storyline from the original Escape to Witch Mountain." The original 70's film was an adaptation of a book by Alexander Key.

The latest draft of the Witch Mountain script was penned by Matt Lopez for Gunn Films,

--Thanks to the ratings success of High School Musical 2, a Disney spokesperson confirms to TV Guide that plans have changed for the next film in the series.

The first two direct-to-cable TV movies have proven such huge success stories that a third film was already planned, a feature set during Halloween entitled "Haunted High School Musical".

Now it seems, the third entry will be centered on the fast-growing "kids'" senior year. The gang are all back - despite the fact none of the major stars have yet inked deals.

Disney has also just announced that they'll release the second film on DVD this December 11th. The the extended edition, running 111 minutes, includes a never-before-seen music sequence, rehearsal footage and music videos.

How this potential scandal will affect the popular franchise and those plans is any one's guess...



Did Vanessa Take Naughty Pics Of Herself For Zac?; A Tabby Says "Yes"


--Robert Downey Jr. is joining Jamie Foxx in the fact-based drama The Soloist as reported in Variety.

--The original prop of Luke Skywalker's lightsaber from the first Star Wars movie will be sent into space aboard the space shuttle Discovery in October to commemorate the film franchise's 30th anniversary, according to a joint announcement from Lucasfilm, the Space Center Houston and Southwest Airlines on Aug. 27.

The prop was flown to Houston on Aug. 28 from its home at Lucasfilm headquarters in Northern California.

An actor dressed as Chewbacca will hand the lightsaber over to representatives from NASA's Space Center Houston during a ceremony at Oakland International Airport.

Upon landing in Houston, the lightsaber will be escorted by costumed stormtroopers, alongside R2-D2 and other Star Wars characters, to a caravan of Hummers with a police escort. It will be transported for safekeeping to NASA's Space Center Houston, where it will be secured inside the vault once used to store samples from the moon until it is ready for its trip into space.

--An official site is up for the upcoming multi-disc DVD release of "Blade Runner: The Final Cut"

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