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Tuesday, December 13, 2011

$$ Flow Issues Hurt Paradise & Lancelot

2 high profile pics find themselves in a bit of a cash shorfall at this hour...


A month before production was to start on the theological war epic "Paradise Lost"--word comes that the film will be delayed at least by several months says Deadline.

The film takes John Milton's classic 17th century poem "Paradise Lost" story and reimagines it with a family friendly, action-oriented slant that might be shot in 3D.

This film was done casting and follows the fallen angel Lucifer (Bradley Cooper) who, after being cast out of Heaven, mounts an army that battles the forces of good. Michael (Benjamin Walker) Lucifer's brother and the leader of said good forces


The suits insist the film isn't scrapped, and the budget will be reworked to bring the cost down--Paradise Lost's $120 million budget was apparently already exceeding those estimates by 10-15% due to the extensive green screen work and VFX involved in creating the story of Lucifer's fall from grace and the war between the forces of heaven and hell. A new start date hasn't been announced yet but it's likely to move forward sometime after Easter, or even sometime around mid-year.

Camilla Belle and Diego Boneta will pair up as Adam and Eve Casey Affleck will play the part of Gabriel, the chief of the angelic guards who watch over Paradise Djimon Hounsou has been cast as the Angel of Death Callan McAuliffe will play the role of the Archangel Uriel, one of the first seven archangels created by God and the dedicated second-in-command to Michael who leads Heaven's army against Lucifer's rebellion. Dominic Purcell will portray the angel Jerahmeel who falls in love with Lucifer and is renamed Moloch after becoming his right-hand man. Rufus Sewell will play Samael, Lucifer's partisan who urges him to start the rebellion in Heaven.

Alex Proyas is directing the pic.

A few hours after word that "Lost" has been delayed, Deadline says that Arthur & Lancelot is also facing money woes.

Game of Thrones star Kit Harington, was to play King Arthur while The Killing star Joel Kinnaman won the role of Lancelot beating out Harington and a slew of other contenders. Marion Cotillard had been offered the role of Morgana, Gary Oldman was wanted for the role of Merlin.

The pic started as a $90 million contemporary style re-imagining of the legend has the studio worried that the cost could blow up to as much as $130 million - too much for a film with two unproven leads.

The studio paid $2 million to acquire Dobkin's script and essentially discarded two other Arthur-themed projects it had in development

The film was written and would be directed by David Dobkin (Wedding Crashers) as well as a co-producer with Lionel Wigram--while Jeff Kleeman serves as executive producer.

The studio has told Dobkin to to try to set the picture up elsewhere if he can.

Casting changes are sure to occur on both pics

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