A Long Shadow Cast

Director Sam Raimi has long proven he has a singular talent for bringing offbeat material to the big screen. I would even argue that the Spider-Man movies are indeed Raimi's most "mainstream" movies of his filmography...

Stax of IGN-Filmforce makes my point for me with the following item:

IGN scoop confirmed and clarified.

IGN Movies exclusively reported last week that Sam Raimi and screenwriter Siavash Farahani were involved with a project that would bring Street & Smith heroes such as The Shadow to the big-screen.

Now The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that Raimi will indeed be bringing The Shadow back to theaters. Raimi and Josh Donen's Buckaroo Entertainment will produce The Shadow along with Michael Uslan's Comic Book Movies, Llc/Branded Entertainment banner. Farahani is indeed penning the screenplay.

"I've been a passionate Shadow fan ever since I was a kid and have long dreamed of bringing this character to the screen," Raimi advised THR.

The trade paper claims Raimi is not attached to direct at this time but IGN has been informed otherwise by sources.

THR also did not have any further comment on IGN's report that the film might also include appearances by other Street & Smith heroes so that remains only a rumor at this time.



What a great fit! The character has already been adapted for the big screen once before with a very mixed result. If anyone can do justice to this 75 year old mythology--Raimi can. I can't wait to see what he does with the material...

That Was Then--This Is Now

Remember my suggestion turned rumor that actor Matt Damon would be the perfect choice to play the younger Captain Kirk in Star Trek XI directed and produced by J.J. Abrams?

While no official casting for the next Star Trek flick has been announced as of yet...

According to a story that appeared on the IESB website back on September 15th 2006, Kara Warner wrote:

...Well, today during The Departed press junket in New York, the IESB had the chance to ask Matt exactly that, “Is there any truth to the rumor that J.J. Abrams has approached you to play James T. Kirk in the upcoming Star Trek movie?

”Damon was quick to say he hadn't heard anything about it. His publicist added that Abrams was joking when he said he would choose Matt to play Kirk and it's nothing serious.

As we followed his publicist into the elevator we got a little more, "I think that it [the rumor] came out of a junket he [Abrams] was doing in Asia for Mission Impossible [III] and from my understanding it was one of those hypothetical questions actors always get about who they'd like to work with and JJ threw Matt's name out there. But we've never heard anything on our end. I even called Endeavor, Matt's agency, to see if they had heard anything - they hadn't.

There has been nothing from Paramount and I haven't heard anything from JJ's camp. I'm sorry there's nothing more interesting to report."



Now some 3 months later Ian Spelling of Sci-fi Wire posted this story today:

Damon: I'd Play Kirk In Trek XI

Matt Damon told SCI FI Wire that he's open to assuming the role of Capt. James T. Kirk in the proposed 11th Star Trek movie, but denied previous rumors that he is already in line for the iconic role, which was originated by William Shatner.

"If the script was good, I'd do it," Damon said in an interview while promoting his latest film, The Good Shepherd.

"But, yeah, I heard that [rumor]. I think J.J. Abrams or somebody said that at press junket or something, and it got picked up [by the media and Star Trek fans]."

If Damon were to win the role of Kirk, he would become the first actor to play the character since Shatner played him in the original 1960s Trek and its subsequent spinoff movies.

Abrams, who co-created ABC's hit SF series Lost, is set to co-write and produce Trek XI and may direct [Directing confirmed] it as well...

Pretty much everything surrounding Star Trek XI remains a rumor at this point. Abrams is overseeing the project, and he's confirmed that he had courtesy conversations with Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, who played Spock, but other than that, nothing official has been released yet about the film's plot, casting or other key details...

I really think Damon would work out very well if he were to do the film...And now that he is open to reading a script what have they got to lose...Then Again, This Is Star Trek--And There's Quite A Lot To Lose--If The New Film Does Not Work...Still Damom's got my vote...

Going My(an) Way

Mel Gibson's Apocalypto took first place at the U.S. box office (14.1 million) over the weekend--But not by much...The Holiday in 2nd place only had $.7 million less in tix sold with 13.5 million. While Blood Diamond landed way back in the fifth spot--taking in a disappointing $8.5...

The Myans Can Claim A Box Office Victory...For Now

In his usual Weekend Report for Box Office Mojo, Brandon Gray writes:

'Apocalypto' eked out a victory over 'The Holiday' during a modest weekend...

Get more Mojo here

Over at Variety, Ian Mohr tells readers:

"Apocalypto" turned out to be one hell of a date movie.

Helped by couples who made up 82% of the pic's Saturday audience -- a number that surprised even tracking experts -- Mel Gibson's subtitled Mayan movie rose above the director's recent off-set controversy to top the weekend's domestic box office among plenty of competition.

Pic took in $14.1 million in 2,465 engagements for a per-screen average of $5,747.

That was enough to edge out Sony's traditional romantic comedy "The Holiday," from director Nancy Meyers, which opened at No. 2 with $13.5 million from 2,610 playdates. Starring Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Kate Winslet and Jack Black, pic scored a per-screen average of $5,172.

In other new openers, Warner Bros. -- which has been on a roll with its CG-animated "Happy Feet" -- opened political adventure "Blood Diamond" in 1,910 engagements for a take of $8.5 million. Per-engagement average for the pic, about the mining of conflict diamonds in Sierra Leone, stood at $4,458.

Studio also sent out family pic "Unaccompanied Minors" in 2,775 playdates to bring in $6.2 million.

"Apocalypto" dug into "Diamond's" shimmer as both pics aimed to draw primarily male auds.

But Disney won the weekend by also bringing in more females than the studio had been anticipating. Before the weekend, a Mouse House rep had described "Apocalypto's" demographic as "all male," in part because of pic's violent content.

"We see this as the blog conversation or water-cooler conversation of the week," said Disney distribution head Chuck Viane of the pic's crossover appeal. "This film is so creative, so fresh and different. There's so much competition that in this marketplace you have to delineate yourself."

Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" bowed to $83 million-plus in 2004, after major studios snubbed the pic and Gibson went with an indie release. Project wound up grossing more than $370 million domestically.

"Apocalypto's" appeal left "Diamond" flawed, and Warners' domestic distribution head Dan Fellman said the tally for the pic -- starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connolly and Djimon Hounsou -- was slightly less than the studio had been hoping.

But he added that Warners had purposely released the pic in a more limited run to start, and that biz would build through the holidays as awards nominations and critics' best-of lists are unveiled.

"Holiday," meantime, played to a primarily female aud, with 65% of its ticket sales from the fairer sex. Women over 25 made up most of that group, comprising 57% of "Holiday's" biz. Meyers' last pic, "Something's Gotta Give," opened to $16 million and a No. 1 ranking in December 2003; it went on to cume $124 million by April.

Traditionally that can be a tough demo to grab over the frame, as women over 25 tend to be prepping for the holidays. Sony feels the pic will have legs as its core aud continues to show up.

Gibson pic also possibly spelled bad news for New Line's Christian-themed "The Nativity Story," which fell to the No. 8 slot , taking in $5.5 million to raise its cume to $15.7 million in two weekends of release...

Article Continues...

For his weekend wrap-up Joshua Rich of EW writes:

No apocalyptic end for Mel as his movie tops the box office, although on a low-profit weekend...

Gibson better enjoy being #1 while he can. Roger Friedman of Fox News writes in his latest 411 column:

Mel Gibson’s brutally violent "Apocalypto" finished first for the weekend, with $14.1 million.

However: it was only in first place on Friday, taking the No. 2 on Saturday and No. 3 on Sunday.

Watch for "Apocalypto" to do a slow sink over the week as the novelty of seeing Mayans getting harpooned in the neck peters out.

Meanwhile--Tonight in prime-time:

The Chicago Bears take on the St. Louis Rams in a Monday Night Football match-up...

It should be a fun game to watch since both teams have quarterback issues...

Follow Directions

The ingredients for this, the latest edition of Cinema Stew include: A second direct to home video sequel for a sci-fi flick; Star Trek XI "officially" gets its director and may get pushed back to 2009; Director Spike Lee is about to cause a "riot"; Mist gets its man and an action star turns himself in...

Stax of IGN Filmforce starts things off

Another sequel is reportedly in the works to the 1997 cult fave Starship Troopers, based on the novel by Robert A. Heinlein. Phil Tippett directed 2004's direct-to-video Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation, which was scripted by Edward Neumeier.

Now Neumeier, who also scripted the first Troopers as well as Robocop, will script and helm the second sequel. Neumeier will be making his feature directing debut on the pic.

The filmmakers are negotiating with Casper Van Dien to reprise his role as Johnny Rico. ProductionWeekly.com claims that Rico is "now a General in the Terran Mobile Infantry embroiled in a vast interplanetary war with the 'Bugs.'"

Starship Troopers 3 begins filming this March in South Africa and will be shot in hi-def

I liked the original Starship Troopers quite a lot. But I have avoided Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation ...It would be nice to see Casper Van Dien return I guess. Even though I think they are just beating a dead franchise with a third trip to the well

Jill Goldsmith of Variety updates us on how things are going over at Paramount Pictures/Viacom:

Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman said Paramount is in a "very good place creatively" but needs to diversify its revenue stream to defuse the intrinsic volatility of the film business.

The exec, three months into his new gig, wasn't specific. But he recently said the studio wants to beef up its TV operations, which mostly moved to CBS after the company split.

The studio has "a good mix of products," he said, with tentpoles plus targeted pics, some built around Viacom's MTV, Nickelodeon and, soon, BET brands.

And "DreamWorks brings a tremendous creative talent," he told investors at the CSFB media conference Monday. "I think we are well on our way to remaking the studio ... I'd like to see it go back up to the level it was -- it was once a business that was making $400 million-$500 million a year."

He touted "Dreamgirls," which had its Gotham premiere Monday night, and upcoming Eddie Murphy starrer "Norbit." "Transformers," out this summer, could potentially become a franchise for [the studio], he said.

And he noted the studio is bringing back "Star Trek" in 2008 or 2009. "We're revitalizing it in a new and interesting way," he said.

J.J. Abrams, who recently inked a film deal with Par, is set to direct...

...Still, Dauman said, "We can do a much better job of monetizing our digital presence."

I am not surprised that J.J. Abrams will be calling the shots on the next Trek film...I'm surprised it took so long for someone in the know to make it official. Was there anyone out there who actually thought Abrams wouldn't direct it?

Michael Fleming also of Variety is next up:

Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment are teaming with helmer Spike Lee on "L.A. Riots," a drama framed around the racially charged April 1992 riots.

John Ridley will write the script. Brian Grazer will produce.

Lee, who's also developing an "Inside Man" sequel for the studio and Grazer, said the goal is to have a script in front of [studio president] Donna Langley before business closes for the holidays.

Project could well be his next feature and shoot next year.

The riots, which followed the acquittal by a white jury of four police officers who were videotaped beating black motorist Rodney King, caused the death of 55 people, thousands of injuries and close to $1 billion in damage.

Lee, who's coming off the HBO docu "When the Levees Broke," about Hurricane Katrina's aftermath, said he and Grazer fixed on the idea together and felt the subject matter was ripe for a revisit.

"This isn't about some cavalcade of stars, but rather a truthful and realistic examination of what happened, what the ramifications were and where we are now, in hopes that something like this doesn't happen again," Lee said.

Grazer said the subject matter was "the best way to use Spike's power as a filmmaker, to tell an even-handed story that gets beyond the iconic pictures that we all remember. I was most interested in looking at the idea of universal group dynamics that manifest themselves under the highest amount of stress and to get all these points of view as they converge into each other and ignite in flames."...

There's no one better suited to tell the story of April 29th 1992 better than Lee

Click here for more of the story...

Sci-Fi Wire has the next item in the line-up via UGO.com:

Punisher star Thomas Jane told UGO.com that he has signed on to star in Frank Darabont's adaptation of Stephen King's novella "The Mist." Jane revealed the casting while a UGO.com correspondent was talking with him this week:

"Well, I have an e-mail from Frank right here," Jane told the site. "Why don't we open it and see what's going on with The Mist? [reads] He says that he just heard my deal closed today, and he's happy and looking forward to working with me."

Darabont (who directed the film adaptation of King's The Shawshank Redemption) will helm The Mist for Dimension Films, based on his own script. A spring production start is envisioned. Published in 1985 as part of King's short-story collection Skeleton Crew, "The Mist" takes place in a small town where a thick mist engulfs the area, killing those caught in its darkness.

The Mist marks Jane's second involvement in a King-spawned project: He also starred in Dreamcatcher. "I think it's destined to be some kind of cult classic in a weird B-movie way, only in that no one has ever spent $80 million on a movie where weasels come out of your ass," Jane said.

Another casting rumor made official...

And finally Wesley Snipes is officially indicted in person for tax fraud, according to the International Herald Tribune...TMZ has more...

That's all the Stew for now...

My Thoughts On The Donner Cut Of Superman II

After a long wait of almost 30 years, Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut is finally here...

Before I get into the specifics about the DC--Some Background:

In the decade of the 1970's Superman The Movie and 80% of its sequel Superman II were shot simultaneously.

Originally conceived by director Richard Donner and writer Tom Mankiewicz as a two-part story...The 2 friends, along with a talented cast and crew of hundreds, set out to make us "believe a man can fly"....They succeeded beyond all measure.

As the release date for the first film loomed, it was decided to halt production on II, in favor of finishing the first part. Once that movie was in the can and in theaters , everyone would return to complete the rest of II..

However, by this point tensions between Donner and producers--Alexander Salkind, his son Ilya, and Pierre Spengler--were so bad that Donner was fired before he could finish part II. Director Richard Lester was brought in, to not only finish the film, but rework many scenes as well. This reboot was necessary in order for Lester to receive a director credit on the film...

I must admit, the first time I popped the Donner Cut of Superman II into the DVD player, I got a few goosebumps as things got under way....

The basic story of the film is the same as it is in theatrical version. It's the way Donner gets from points A to B and so on that's different...

Some examples:

Gone: The entire post credit Paris sequence in which a bomb, detonated in space by Superman (Christopher Reeve) releases the three villains from Krypton...Replaced with a scene from the first film of the Man Of Steel disposing of one of the missiles hijacked by Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman)--causing the trio's escape.

Gone: Scenes between Superman and his biological mother Lara (Susannah York) are replaced by scenes between Supes and his biological father Jor-El (Marlon Brando)

Courtesy: IGN/WB

Gone: The scene in The Honeymoon Haven in which Lois (Margot Kidder) discovers Clark Kent is Superman with him tripping over a (pink) bareskin rug. Replaced with Lois pulling a gun on our hero--forcing him to reveal his secret...

The ultimate question of which version is better is a toughie though--Watching the Donner Cut made feel like kid again and that I had traveled back in time to some alternate reality--there's some really great stuff here...But I actually think the theatrical version paces better. I'm sure that Donner would have addressed this issue had he been allowed to finish the film...I know this may sound like a cop out--the 2 versions each have things that work in them and some things that don't.

For example, the Jor-El scenes are much more meaningful to me than the Lara theatrical stuff. It's the whole Father/Son dynamic. The whole Clark is Supes reveal put into motion by Lois is much stronger as well. The Phantom Zone villains seem a bit more menacing. The battle over Metropolis is more streamlined--Gone is Lester's campy schtick and sight gags in that sequence...

The biggest issues I had with the Donner Cut has to do with some of the editorial choices made: (Beware Spoilers!!)

DC producer Michael Thau and Donner chose to score this version by laying in music from the first film. While I love John Williams' work. I have to admit it was a bit of a distraction hearing music that fits the first movie so well, used for this cut. At times the score sounded out of place and disjointed I wish they could have found a way to use more of Ken Thorne's arrangements. I think that would have worked better.

The Donner Cut has Supes sleeping with Lois before he gives up his powers...While this solves a major plot issue I had with Bryan Singer's Superman Returns-- only till the end of the DC. Still, it begs the question, why does he need to give up his powers at all? If he can have his abilities and be with Lois anyway--Why bother asking for Dad's permission.

Folks have complained that the DC lifts the time travel ending of the first film--Supes turning back the world, to undo the damage done by the villains and to make Lois forget that Clark Kent is Supes. At face value, that criticism is a valid one. And indeed, Lester's Super smooch ending was considered as the ending for the DC, but remember, Donner never had the chance to finish II the way he had wanted or could have. Therefore, I can see them reusing the concept again, since Superman The Movie would have originally ended with the Zoners escape cliffhanger...I think using it to save Lois in One packs more of an emotional wallop though. I'm fine with our hero turning back the world again in lieu of using the kiss from Lester's cut

Given that, Superman does reverse time in this version though...Why does Clark go back to Ron's Diner to give Rocky (Pepper Martin) the bully a taste of his own medicine--if their fight never happened? Yes it's still funny but it makes no narrative sense.

All of that said, I am thankful for the chance to finally see this stuff, and that Donner is finally getting to close the book on a very painful chapter of his career. The DC, while far from perfect, is still a must see. After you see the DC you may never look Ar Superman II the same way again...

The bonus material on the DVD includes a touching intro from Donner, 8 minutes worth of deleted scenes, most of which, I've seen before in various TV cuts of the film. There's an alternate prison escape for Luthor though that's "new" and a lot of fun. Restoring The Vision is a 13 minute featurette that discusses the restoration process of Thau and his team. The most worthwhile extra on the disc is the audio commentary from Donner and Mankiewicz.

It's obvious that Donner is still very hurt by what happened between him and the producers, The duo get pretty quiet whenever Lester's footage appears on screen to help fill in some of the gaps. Otherwise it's filled with some great production tid-bits Some of which are repeated from their 2001 track for the first film. Still, the track is solid

Donner says he was fired without reason. Ilya Salkind maintains in the audio commentary for the theatrical cut that Donner was invited to finish 2 but refused as long as "Spengler was still on the film"--via an interview in Variety. Assuming Salkind is telling the truth--why have Lester on the set to mediate during the first film (as stated on the other DVDs) if they weren't thinking of replacing Donner at some point --that was before the Variety story? What a shame...

At least some of that "wrong" has now been put "right"

Apocalypto, Now

I think it's safe to say that. of all the new films opening today, all eyes are clearly more focused on Mel Gibson's Apocalypto (reviews)--wondering how the English subtitled epic will fare with movie-goers...Meanwhile: There's also: Blood Diamond (reviews). starring Leonardo DiCaprio (using possibly the worst fake accent for a movie ever) Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly--directed by Edward Zwick.

On The Run In Blood Diamond

The Holiday (reviews), a star-packed, yule-themed romantic comedy from writer/director Nancy Meyers...And finally, we have the very Home Alone-esque kids comedy Unaccompanied Minors (reviews)...

Ian Mohr of Variety writes:

...The biggest wild card at this weekend's box office is Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto."

Subtitled pic, set in an ancient Mayan kingdom and sporting extreme violence, skews to an all-male demo.

Pic will roll out on 2,465 screens.

But the big question is whether the helmer's offset antics will turn off his fan base.

Notices so far have been solid, with talk of an awards season run, and Disney has mounted a concerted PR push to turn attention to the pic and not Gibson's persona.

Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" took in more than $370 million domestically in 2004.

Meanwhile, women will want in on Columbia romantic comedy "The Holiday," bowing at 2,610 playdates. Nancy Meyers pic stars Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jack Black and Jude Law.

And Warner Bros. is hoping to gain ground with political action film "Blood Diamond," from director Ed Zwick and starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Pic bows at 1,900 theaters.

Warners also is bowing "Unaccompanied Minors,"...

The rookies are duking it out over a frame that's still crowded with long-legged holdovers "Happy Feet" and "Casino Royale."

Article Continues...

Over at Entertainment Weekly, Joshua Rich thinks that Mel Gibson's latest passion will be No. 1 by Monday morning:

"Apocalypto" will finally serve the penguins of "Happy Feet" their marching papers

Personally, I don't really think Gibson's personal issues will affect the numbers for Apocalypto, more than the whole subtitle thing might. At least The Passion of the Christ (2004) had a built in Christian audience going for it. A film about the Myan culture is a tough sell even without subtitles...Will be interesting to see what happens come Monday.

Board Games

Actor/director Clint Eastwood got an early gift from The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures--for his film Letters From Iwo Jima...

Clint Eastwood arrives for the Japan premiere of his new movie "Letters from Iwo Jima" in Tokyo in this November 15, 2006 file photo.. Photo Credit: REUTERS/Yuriko Nakao


Steven Zeitchik of Variety has all of the NBR winners of the event:

The kudos season kicked off Wednesday with a nod to Clint Eastwood and Warners as the helmer's Japanese-language "Letters From Iwo Jima" took the National Board of Review's prize for best picture.

NBR is a group made up of film educators and other professionals with no official ties to the biz. While its workings are not well known in Hollywood, an NBR nod can help set the tone for the awards season and top 10 lists that follow.

Martin Scorsese nabbed the director prize for his mob Warner Bros. drama "The Departed."

Searchlight's "Last King of Scotland" brought home the actor prize for Forest Whitaker, who portrays dictator Idi Amin. Helen Mirren scored the actress nod for her role as a conflicted Queen Elizabeth II in Miramax's "The Queen."

Pedro Almodovar's female-centric "Volver" won the prize for foreign film. Al Gore's environmental warning "An Inconvenient Truth" won for docu while Pixar's "Cars" nabbed the prize for animated feature.

It was a red-letter day for Warners, which in addition to Scorsese's nod made the top 10 list with "The Departed" and "Blood Diamond." And Warner Independent grabbed a spot on the list with "The Painted Veil." "Flags of Our Fathers" is a co-production between Par and Warners.

Fox Searchlight also turned in a stellar performance, landing three films in the top 10: "The History Boys," "Little Miss Sunshine" and "Notes on a Scandal," while Fox 2000's "Devil Wears Prada" also rated a spot.

All told, Fox and Warner Bros. units scored eight out of the 10 spots; Par Vantage's "Babel" and Paramouunt's "Flags of Our Fathers" were the only films that didn't come from one of the two companies...

Djimon Hounsou of "Blood Diamond" and Catherine O'Hara from "For Your Consideration" were the winners in the supporting acting categories....

Get more NBR winners here

Law And Order

Actor/director George Clooney has taken early steps to produce a film version of author John Grisham non-fiction book, The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town...

Clooney Goes "Buy" The Book

Michael Fleming and Pamela McClintock of Variety write in today's edition:

Warner Independent Pictures and Smoke House partners George Clooney and Grant Heslov are buying screen rights to John Grisham's nonfiction tome "The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town."

Deal is the second in the past two weeks between WIP and Smoke House; Clooney and Heslov earlier came aboard to produce "White Jazz."

Details are still being worked out in the Grisham deal, but Clooney and Heslov are solely producing at this point.

Published in October by Doubleday, "Innocent Man" is the true story of a gross miscarriage of justice that sent Ron Williamson to Oklahoma's death row for 11 years for a murder he did not commit. Among the flimsy evidence: eyewitness testimony from the man ultimately convicted of the murder.

Deal is the first studio pact in several years for Grisham, whose last novel adaptation was the Joe Roth-directed "Christmas With the Kranks." After "The Firm" became a blockbuster, such Grisham courtroom thrillers as "The Rainmaker," "The Client" and "A Time to Kill" routinely sparked fevered auctions and seven-figure movie deals, culminating in a then-record $8 million deal from New Regency for "Runaway Jury."

Even before studios stopped paying outrageous sums for books, Grisham and his longtime editor-dealmaker David Gernert changed the way they sold his titles. After a self-imposed hiatus on deals, Grisham returned but became more interested in quality control and less interested in big paydays...

Article Continues...

For the most part, I have enjoyed many of the Grisham-themed films that have been released, over the years. I'm also a bit of a sucker for the fact based film. Grisham is an excellent storyteller--I'm hoping he can be tapped to write the screenplay for the project...

The "Write" Stuff

Dave McNary of Variety has an update on that possible strike of the Writers Guild of America that I mentioned in the last edition of Cinema Stew

...In a message sent to members over the weekend, WGA West president Patric Verrone amped up the hostility with a spirited defense of the guild's decision to spurn an offer to launch negotiations in January in favor of waiting until September. Guild's current contract expires on Halloween.

Verrone also hit back at the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers a week after the AMPTP announced the WGA's plans to put off negotiations. He accused the AMPTP of duplicity, histrionics, bullying, manipulating public opinion, ignoring history and refusing to negotiate over new technologies.

"The recent saber rattling by the AMPTP is designed to frighten us and our entertainment industry co-workers both above and below the line," Verrone said. "The AMPTP asserts that, by refusing to negotiate early, we will force our employers to make rash business decisions to prepare for an inevitable strike. That simply flies in the face of the last 18 years of Writers Guild history. In the past five WGA MBA (minimum basic agreement) negotiations, we have been able to reach agreement without a strike, even though, in most cases, we did not begin negotiations more than a few months before the contract expiration date."

And he insisted WGA leaders aren't aiming for a work stoppage -- even though studio and network execs are now planning for that scenario by accelerating production and stockpiling scripts.

"The last thing we want is a strike, and we hope we won't be pushed to that result by conglomerates that declare windfalls to Wall Street and plead poverty to us," he said. "Rather than trying to manipulate public opinion in the press, our employers could be working with us to develop business models that make the talent community feel included, respected and reasonably rewarded. If that is the agenda they want to put on the table, we will gladly pull up a chair."

The AMPTP had no comment Monday on the letter. AMPTP president Nick Counter had expressed frustration last week over the guild's decision, asserting that the new tech issues are so complex that they need to be negotiated as soon as possible.

Counter also contended last week that WGA West exec director David Young had reneged on a WGA proposal in October to start bargaining in January. Counter said last week that after he had agreed to launch negotiations in January and proposed setting aside the second and fourth weeks, Young then withdrew the offer because the WGA board had decided to delay negotiations until the fall.

But Verrone's missive portrayed a different sequence of events. He said the AMPTP had proposed late in the summer that negotiations start on Nov. 30, with the WGA then proposing starting early next year and the AMPTP responding "angrily" by saying it would not meet until September 2007 and then proposing a month later that talks start in January.

"We declined, citing the extremely odd sequence of their proposals," he added.

Verrone asserted that the AMPTP refused to include discussions over Webisodes, reality TV, product integration and streaming video in early negotiations. And he said the WGA's strategy is aimed at achieving the best deal at the bargaining table...

..."We will maintain a calm approach, even when the AMPTP engages in histrionics through the press," he said. "If you have any questions, comments or ideas for me or David Young, please do not hesitate to call or write. We are all in this together."

Read the complete article here...

Of course, there's still plenty of time for all parties involved, to alter the current time-table. Meanwhile, it sure is fun watching both sides spin the problem to their advantage--Looking forward to the next round in this bout.

We Three Kings

The top films in the U.S., stayed exactly the same, for the second straight weekend. Happy Feet, Casino Royale, and Déjà Vu., all enjoyed a comfy combined lead over the handful of new releases.



As usual, Brandon Gray of Box Office Mojo leads off the analysis of the numbers

'Happy Feet' [$17 million] and 'Casino Royale' [$15.1 million] led the post-Thanksgiving weekend, while ' The Nativity Story' [at #4 with $8 million] had a meager opening...

Get more Mojo right here

Variety's Ian Mohr is up next:

...Warner Bros.' B.O. champ "Happy Feet" reigned for a third straight frame, while Sony's "Casino Royale" followed closely behind and Disney's sci-fi thriller "Deja Vu" took third for the second frame in a row.

The last CG-animated pic to lead domestic box office three weekends straight was 2004's "Shark Tale"; "Shrek 2" matched that mark earlier that year. Both those toons were from DreamWorks.

New rollouts had a tough time drawing auds: Widest newbie of the frame, New Line's "The Nativity Story" on more than 3,000 playdates, birthed just over $8 million to bow fourth on the charts.

Pic, directed by "Lords of Dogtown" helmer Catherine Hardwicke, saw a per-screen average of $2,603 -- "on the lower end" of what the studio had been hoping, New Line distribution head David Tuckerman said.

Horror pic "Turistas," the first movie from Fox genre arm Atomic, took in $3.5 million off 1,570 to hit No. 8 in its bow. Pic had been acquired for about $4 million.

MGM's latest installment in the "Van Wilder" teen comedy series -- from the Bauer-Martinez label -- barely made the top 10, grabbing $2.29 million off almost 2,000 engagements. Per-screen average was below $2,000 as teen auds were still turning out for Fox's "Borat," which took in another $4.8 million; its total tally is $116.3 million.

"Happy Feet" dropped 54% from the previous frame but still managed to rake in another $17 million, raising cume to $121 million domestically. Per-engagement average was a plump $4,481.

Previously this year, only "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" led the B.O. three times consecutively...

Article Continues...

Finally, Joshua Rich of Entertainment Weekly, writes in his weekend wrap-up

"Happy Feet" and "Casino Royale" are tops for a third straight weekend, while new releases fail to make a mark...

All Work And No Play...

In this latest edition of Cinema Stew...

A remake of a classic 8o's comedy is finished before it really begins; A sequel to a film from last summer is given a green light; More Borat; A box office report for '06; Is a Writers strike looming? And playing the race card

The IGN Staff (via Variety) gets things started:

Fox Atomic has officially scrapped their planned remake of Revenge of the Nerds which had been set for a Summer 2007 release.

Word of Nerds' nixing comes after the production was halted earlier this month when Emory University in Atlanta booted the production off campus. Nerds had relocated to a smaller college elsewhere in Georgia, but word is that it just didn't feel right. And the studio was reluctant to look for yet another location while continuing to pay everyone involved in the production.

Rumor has it, according to today's Variety, that Atomic's head honcho Peter Rice wasn't all that enamored with the footage he'd seen. "Everybody worked very hard on 'Revenge of the Nerds,' and we're all extremely disappointed that we can't move forward," Rice said in a statement.

Much like the original, the new film was to tell what happened when a college campus is turned upside down by a group of freshmen misfits who wage an all-out battle against the jocks during Greek Week.

Fanboys director Kyle Newman was helming the redo of the 1984 comedy which was to star Katie Cassidy, Jenna Dewan, Dan Byrd, Christopher Marquette, Ryan Pinkston and Nick Zano. McG and Adam Brody were producing Nerds.

The original Revenge of the Nerds is a comedy classic and would have been a tough act to try and top, I wonder what happened to get the production kicked off that first campus? Didn't school officials know what they were getting into when they agreed to be a part of the process?

Next up,'Da Vinci Code' Sequel To Be Made, says Studio Briefing:

A sequel to the blockbuster movie adaptation The Da Vinci Code is in the works. Scriptwriter Akiva Goldsman, who adapted the Dan Brown novel for the screen, has reportedly been paid $3.8 million to write the sequel. However, it's said the sequel will not be an original story, but will actually be based on Angels And Demons, the book which precedes The Da Vinci Code.

Sources claim the plot, which sees cryptologist Robert Langdon, played by Tom Hanks, help a woman to discover the links between her father's death and secret society conspiracies, will be altered so that it can follow on from the first film. It is expected the movie will be released in 2008.

Critics may have hated the The Da Vinci Code movie...But it still made a ton of dough worldwide and recently debuted on DVD. Hence, the prequel is moving forward.

Borat: A One-Time Wonder?

Although Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan passed the $100-million mark at the box office over the weekend, Universal Pictures may already be "feeling buyer's remorse" over its agreement to pay Sacha Baron Cohen $42.5 million to make a follow-up film in the guise of his gay Austrian fashion designed Bruno, the Los Angeles Times observed (in a story published this past Monday).

According to the newspaper, the studio is concerned about the numerous lawsuits filed against Fox, which released Borat, and the possibility that Baron Cohen may now be so well known that he will be unable to dupe enough people into participating in his on-camera hoaxes. Entertainment lawyer George Hedges told the Times: "Once you have a high-profile situation and you have lawyers circling around, your risk factor is higher."

Sacha Baron Cohen = Overexposed

Box Office Offsets Last Year's Losses

So far this year, total box-office revenue is up 5.5 percent above last year when it was down 5.2 percent from 2004. And, after declining every year for three consecutive years, attendance is up 3.9 percent. (In 2005, it was down 7.1 percent.)

Analysts attributed the upswing to a larger output of films this year, appealing to a wide range of moviegoers. (Last Monday's) Los Angeles Times observed that by the end of the year, 154 films will have had wide openings in at least 1,000 theaters -- a 17 percent increase over 2005.

Total domestic box-office revenue for 2006 now stands at $8.4 billion, compared with $8 billion at this date a year ago. (Last year marked the first time since 2001 that the box office failed to pass the $9-billion mark.)

Does this mean the "slump" is considered over?

It's time to cue the ominous music...

Producers Sense Writers Strike

Appearing to foreshadow a tough year ahead for labor relations in Hollywood, the head of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) said Monday that he had been "rebuked" by the Writers Guild of America, West after he proposed early contract negotiations.

J. Nicholas Counter told [the] Los Angeles Times [on Tuesday] that he had offered to begin negotiations in January, but that his proposed had been rejected by WGA Executive Director David Young, who proposed that the talks begin in September. The writers' contract expires on Oct. 31. Counter told [the]... Times that the refusal raises the possibility of a strike and he suggested that it may cause the studios to accelerate production of films and stockpile scripts

I remember the strike of 1988 and that affected TV more directly than it did films. If a strike does happen and it goes beyond, say 8 weeks, then tinstletown can hit the panic button.

Casting Companies Put Out "Whites Only" Signs

Despite federal law barring discrimination in employment based on race, 69 percent of all casting notices this past summer specifically asked for white actors, according to a study by the UCLA School of Law and the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, and reported in [Friday']'s Los Angeles Daily News. "Casting directors take into account race and sex in a way that would be blatantly illegal in any other industry," Study author Russell Robinson observed.

The study also found that ethnic minorities were not cast in about 80 percent of first-, second- and third-billed leading roles. "When we get to the bus captains and the busboys [roles], then we get into the Latinos," commented Alex Nogales, president of the National Hispanic Media Coalition.

The results of the study come as no surprise to me. Minority actors often get short changed.

That's all the stew for now...This afternoon the Chicago Bears have a rematch with the Minnesota Vikings to win...Rex Grossman has the start...He better have a good game...The team needs a consistent QB as things move ahead

Slipped Discs

On Wednesday November 29th, my Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition box set arrived...

Upon opening the 14 disc set, I confirmed that the problems, as previously reported on, were indeed real. At that point, I called the 800 number, leaving my name and telephone number with the Warner Home Video representative on the other end of the receiver--who sounded very overwhelmed by what I'm sure was a never ending stream of calls...I was promised a call back within 24 hours. By late afternoon on Friday I hadn't heard back from them...I decided to call back on a hunch, based solely on the fact that I was unsure if the person I spoke with the first time actually took down my info

It's a good thing I did call a 2nd time--Things sounded a lot calmer on the other end this time around...WHV will send out a postage paid return envelope..I will send back defective Disc One of Superman The Movie Special Edition (with the wrong sound mix) and the Superman III disc (sent out minus bonus material)

Photo Courtesy Superman Homepage

Once WHV gets the mislabled discs--corrected DVDs will be mailed in exchange

In the meantime, I am working my way through the set, and will have much more to say about it by next weekend...

Post Turkey Day Slowdown

After a busy start to the holiday '06 movie season, the studios have slowed things down quite a bit as December begins...There's not a big opener among the new releases this week. None of them, as I write these words, are impressing critics all that much either.

The seasonal film, The Nativity Story (Reviews) appears to be pretty boring: The horror flick Turistas (reviews) looks like a rip-off of Eli Roth's H 0 S T E L from last year; The comedy sequel National Lampoon's Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj (reviews) gives every body's favorite second banana Kal Penn a chance to carry a movie; Meanwhile, the dramedy 10 Items or Less (reviews) and Christmas at Maxwell's (reviews) open very small...

Olivia Wilde, Melissa George and Josh Duhamel star in Fox Atomic's Turistas

Ian Mohr of Variety writes about the current cinema landscape:

Jesus vs. James Bond.

That unlikely matchup will indeed unfold this weekend at the U.S. box office as New Line preps "The Nativity Story" to do battle with Sony holdover "Casino Royale," as well as Warner Bros.' B.O. champ "Happy Feet" and Disney's second frame of sci-fi thriller "Deja Vu."

New Line will put "Nativity" in 3,183 playdates as the frame's widest new rollout.

Frame following the Thanksgiving glut is a traditionally slow affair. Other wide openers will include MGM's "Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj," bowing on 1,979, and Fox genre banner Fox Atomic's first release, horror pic "Turistas."

"Nativity" continues Hollywood's more aggressive targeting of the faith-based crowd in the wake of "The Passion of the Christ."

"Turistas," meanwhile, will be a litmus test for Atomic topper Peter Rice, who also runs the studio's specialty label Fox Searchlight.

"Wilder" comes as MGM makes a bold year-end push: Studio has nine pics rolling out between Thanksgiving and New Year's...

Standing in the way of the new releases will be holdover "Happy Feet," which has turned a flock of singing CG-animated penguins into B.O. behemoths this season and won the past two weekends.

Pic has passed $100 million in two frames, and Warners sees "Happy Feet" as having the legs to last through January and take in $200 million.

"Casino Royale," meanwhile, which has settled for No. 2 the last two weekends, is still tracking just behind "Happy Feet" with strong numbers

Article Continues...

In his weekend box office preview, Joshua Rich of Entertainment Weekly thinks Happy Feet will three-peat

It'll be deja vu all over again...

RIP Shirley Walker (1945-2006)

Composer Shirley Walker died of a brain aneurysm at the age of 61.

I first heard of her, while fellow composer Danny Elfman was being interviewed about his score on 1989's Batman...He had mentioned that she had conducted the orchestra during the scoring sessions of the film--Walker had made a career out of doing that job on many films. Films like True Lies (1994), A League of Their Own (1992), and Days of Thunder (1990), just to name a few... Talk about unsung hero.

Walker's skill at conducting and orchestrating music written by others, of course, led to a prolific solo career in both film and TV. She would return to the superhero genre, composing music for the popular animated series "Batman" (1992), its feature length sequel, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm ('93), the live action film Memoirs of an Invisible Man and Escape from L.A. for director John Carpenter. She had also scored all three Final Destination films and the 2003 Willard remake. Her last film is the 2006 version of Black Christmas (the original movie is a classic)

For more on Walker, read the Hollywood Reporter obituary by Chris Morris.

An Axe To Grind

Like Detective John McClane in the Die Hard films, and globe trotting adventurer Indiana Jones(?)... Another iconic character from 80's cinema is getting set for a comeback...With the intention of not only reviving a once thriving franchise--but a very talented man's now genre centric career as well.

Pamela McClintock and Dave McNary of Variety have the preliminary details:

Eddie Murphy is hitting the beat for "Beverly Hills Cop IV," working with Paramount in collaring Lorenzo di Bonaventura as producer.

The new regime at [at the studio] is keen on reviving the classic action-comedy franchise, which features Murphy as detective Axel Foley.

Murphy will work closely with [Paramount] and di Bonaventura in reinvigorating and updating the once-lucrative property. Project is out to writers.

Axel Foley Is Coming Back To A Theater Near You

Thesp, who will next be in theaters with "Dreamgirls," has always been attached to star in the fourth installment.

The first two pics in the franchise, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and his former partner Don Simpson, did enormous box office.

"Beverly Hills Cop," released in 1984, grossed more than $234.7 million domestically and another $81 million overseas. The next installment, released in 1987, took in more than $153.6 million in the U.S. and another $146 million overseas.

The franchise ran into trouble with the release of "Beverly Hills Cop III" in 1994. Pic grossed only $44 million domestically.

Bruckheimer wasn't involved with the third entry and won't be a producer on "Beverly Hills Cop IV" considering everything else he has on his plate.

Di Bonaventura, who has a producing deal at [the studio], said it will be a challenge to do the fourth installment as well as the previous films [Gee ya think?].

"Axel Foley is one of the great action-comedy characters, a character that Eddie loves. I'm lucky enough to help bring it back," di Bonaventura said. "This genre is missing from the landscape."

Murphy is in post-production with "Norbit." He also reprises his voice role in the upcoming "Shrek the Third"

While I certainly have nothing against family movies, Eddie Murphy really has been pigeonholed by them over the last few years. And I welcome his return to mote adult roles--ala Dreamgirls--I'm not sure about this one. Beverly Hills Cop III really stunk up the joint. The fact that there's not even a first draft of a script yet is troubling. For this to work at all-it needs a really really good screenplay for Murphy to work with. Right now, I don't see it happening and then, there's the questiion of who will direct the picture

Can You Feel The Electricity In The Air?

It's almost time to put on those stylish tuxedos and designer gowns kids...awards season is right around the corner! Are you as "excited" as I am?

The folks over at The independent Spirit Awards have announced their latest list of nominees

Dave McNary and the Variety Staff have the rundown:

Fox Searchlight's offbeat family comedy "Little Miss Sunshine" and ThinkFilm's drug-addiction drama "Half Nelson" picked up five nominations each to lead all contenders for the 2007 Independent Spirit Awards...

The two pics each received best feature noms, joining IFC's "American Gun," First Look's "The Dead Girl" and Picturehouse's "Pan's Labyrinth."

Don Cheadle and Felicity Huffman announced the nominations in 13 categories Tuesday morning at the Sofitel Hotel. Winners will be revealed Feb. 24, the day before the Academy Awards.

Film Independent, which administers the awards, decided last year to limit nominations to films with budgets under $20 million...

Article Continues...

In more film award news: The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has made the decision to allow Mel Gibson's controversial new flick Apocalypto (opening December 8th) and Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima (opening in limited release on December 20th)--A companion film to his already released Flags of Our Fathers-- to compete in the Best Foreign Language Film category for the 2007 Golden Globes...

Justin Chang and Timothy M. Gray of Variety pick up the story from there:

...though neither is eligible for an Oscar in the foreign-language category.

In an already-confusing awards season, this development points up one constantly befuddling factor: the rules of the various voting orgs.

Unlike AMPAS, the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. has no limits on how many films can be considered from one country. So in the Globes shortlist of 56 pics, there are multiple titles from Italy, France, China, Germany, Spain and India under consideration.

The Hollywood Foreign Press considers any film submitted by its producers, but the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has a complicated system. Each country can submit only one film, to be determined by a voting body in that country -- and the Academy has to recognize that voting body.

However, the U.S. has no org to submit foreign-language films and would not recognize any ad-hoc group that formed to submit a film.

If a film is made in the States in a foreign language -- whether it's a Native American tongue or French or Urdu -- it will not be eligible for a foreign-language Oscar. (If a group of Native Americans formed to submit a film to the category, the Acad would not recognize it.)

That's what happened with Mel Gibson and "The Passion of the Christ" a few years ago. It was nominated for cinematography, score and makeup but was ineligible as a foreign-language film...

Article Continues...

The 64th annual Golden Globe Awards will take place on Monday January 15, 2007, in a live telecast on NBC-TV

Sorry 'Bout That

Today is Superman DVD Day:

Among the sets and individual discs, of Man Of Steel adventures being released today, is The Ultimate Superman Collection...

The folks at Warner Home Video have issued an apology for the the whole DVD debacle that I told you about last Saturday. They are taking care of the problems faster than I thought they would. Before I get to the statement--a refresher on the problem:

The Special Features were omitted from the "Superman III: Deluxe Edition" in the 14-disc "Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition." Furthermore, disc one of "Superman: The Movie - Four Disc Special Edition" did not include the original 1978 Dolby Digital 2.0 mix as advertised.

The statement/solution:

Warner Home Video wants to extend apologies to all of our loyal Superman fans who've waited so patiently for these great collections and has taken immediate steps to correct these errors with the intention of standing behind our product 100%.

Replacement discs can be obtained by calling:

800-553-6937 between the hours of 7 AM and 7 PM Pacific Standard Time. The exchange program applies only to purchases of the "Superman III: Deluxe Edition" in the "Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition" and to disc one of "Superman: The Movie - Four Disc Special Edition," available as a single title, as well as in "The Christopher Reeve Superman Collection" and in the "Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition."

According to various Internet reports, fans who have already called the toll free phone number, "Superman III" will be replaced sooner (with roughly a one week turn around). The "Superman: The Movie" replacement disc is going to take a bit longer, since the DVDs need to be entirely re-authored.

I'm glad that the "suits" stepped up to the plate and took swift action to rectify the issue. Apology accepted. That said, whoever let this "error" occur in the first place should be put on some sort of probation (and hung upside down barefoot with someone using a feather to tickle them--two hours everyday for a year).

I'll let you know what happens when I call the 800 number for myself...And how fast the replacement discs find their way to my doorstep...

No Small "Feet"

The preliminary Thanksgiving weekend numbers are in...And once again, the animated penguins of Happy Feet sang and danced their way to the top of the box office. Skating past both Casino Royale (still, the latest Bond flick is the ' Biggest Global Bond Ever; #1 Overseas With $200+ Mil Worldwide...) and the Denzel Washington, sci-fi action er Déjà Vu...



From Box Office Mojo's Brandon Gray:

'Happy Feet' [$37.9 million] and 'Casino Royale' [$31 million] dominated the box office again over Thanksgiving weekend, with new release 'Deja Vu ' [$20.8 million] at a distant third...

The Mojo continues right here...

While over at Variety, Ian Mohr writes in today's edition:

The penguins are powerful.

Warner Bros.' "Happy Feet" crossed the $100 million mark after just two weeks in release, dancing to a five-day Thanksgiving take of $51.5 million. Three-day perf of $37.9 million from 3,804 playdates made for a plump per-engagement average of $9,975....

Of the frame's new openers, Disney's "Deja Vu" and Fox's "Deck the Halls" fared best, while Warners' "The Fountain," MGM's expanding "Bobby" and New Line's rock comedy "Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny" all struggled mightily for attention in what's sizing up to be a very crowded holiday movie season.

"Deja Vu," the Denzel Washington starrer from producer Jerry Bruckheimer, bowed at No. 3 with $29 million over five days off 3,108. Pic hit $20.8 million over three days for a per-engagement average of $6,704. Opening was Washington's seventh of more than $20 million.

Fox's Christmas comedy "Deck the Halls," meanwhile, decorated the studio's coffers with $12 million over three days and almost $17 million for five by appealing mostly to females.

Fox's holdover "Borat" rounded out the top five, taking in $15.4 million over the five-day holiday to raise it cume to nearly $110 million. "Borat" is now being boosted by repeat biz, as the demos on an R-rated comedy give the studio access to just so many eyeballs...

Article Continues...

Finally, for his holiday wrap-up, Joshua Rich of Entertainment Weekly shares this headline:

"Happy Feet" dances to the No. 1 spot for the second weekend in a row.

Leftovers

In this Thanksgiving weekend edition of Cinema Stew: A remake of a remake is headed our way; An update on that tug of war over The Hobbit movie; Get ready for a different kind of film about a team in the National Hockey League; Borat's finds himself in more legal trouble over his hit film; and there's even more of a reason to "hate" Warner Bros. than there was yesterday...

Variety via IGN had this story on November 17th, 2006:

Universal Pictures and Strike Entertainment are hooking up to bring a remake of John Carpenter's The Thing to the big screen, reports Variety ['s Michael Fleming]

The script for the new movie will be written by Battlestar Galactica executive producer-writer Ronald D. Moore. Moore is a veteran of sci-fi TV, having written and produced numerous episodes of recent Star Trek series and Roswell.

Original producer David Foster will executive produce the new movie. Strike partners Marc Abraham and Eric Newman will produce and the company will co-finance the picture.

Producers are actually calling the newly planned film "a companion piece" to Carpenter's 1982 movie that deals with a shape-shifting creature from outer space that terrorizes researchers at an Antarctic facility.

Carpenter's film was itself an indirect continuation of the 1951 Howard Hawkes pic The Thing from Another World. Both movies were inspired by the John W. Campbell, Jr. novella "Who Goes There "

I am a huge fan of both John Carpenter's The Thing and The Thing From Another World from 1951. And even though I can't seem to get into the latest version of Battlestar Galactica...I have great respect for Ronald D. Moore just the same...I'm a little puzzled by the term "companion piece" Just what does that mean? They better not screw this one up..

The World Entertainment News Network has the next 3 items:

Zaentz Rings in Jackson for Prequels

As Lord of the Rings fans mounted a protest following word that New Line had dropped Peter Jackson from consideration as director of The Hobbit and another Lord of the Rings prequel, producer Saul Zaentz has given assurances that Jackson will indeed direct the two films.

A German website, Elbenwald.de, posted an interview with Zaentz, who acquired the rights to the works of the late Rings writer, J.R.R. Tolkien, in 1976 (the Saul Zaentz Company owns Tolkien Enterprises), in which Zaentz says, "It will definitely be shot by Peter Jackson. ... Next year The Hobbit rights will fall back to my company.

I suppose that Peter will wait because he knows that he will make the best deal with us. And he is fed up with the studios: to get his profit share on the Rings trilogy he had to sue New Line. With us, in contrast, he knows that he will be paid fairly and artistically supported without reservation." (The preceding quotation is a translation that appeared on TheHobbit-Movie.com from the German interview posted on Elbenwald.de.)

Sounds pretty definitive to me...Don't ya think?...I'll keep you in the loop...

Maple Leafs Allow Film About Gay Hockey Player

The Toronto Maple Leafs, one of hockey's preeminent teams, has agreed to cooperate in the production of Breakfast With Scot, about the coming-out of a gay player, the Toronto Star reported (last Friday)  The team's approval -- they'll allow their uniforms to be worn by the film's actors -- came after the script was green-lighted by the National Hockey League. Leafs general manager John Ferguson told the newspaper: "On our end, we're certainly not trying to make a statement. ... We agreed to host them and we're comfortable with it." The Star described team captain Mats Sundin as "taken aback" by the notion of the movie and quoted him as saying, "There's never been a gay hockey player come out that I know of. ... I'm sure it's going to be talked about".

The fact that the Toronto Maple Leafs are cooperating is a good thing...It lends even more realism to the project, that otherwise, would be difficult to create..

Cohen Hit with Further Legal Trouble

British funnyman Sacha Baron Cohen is facing further legal woes after a US woman who featured in his latest movie claims she was misled. Cindy Streit, who owns an etiquette business, filed a complaint on Thursday with California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, requesting an investigation into possible violations of the California Unfair Trade Practices Act.
Streit was approached by a representative from a Los Angeles-based company called Springland Films wishing to arrange an etiquette session for an "international guest from Belarus Television", which later featured in Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan.

Streit said she arranged both a sit-down session with Borat, played by Cohen, and a dinner party with some of her friends. Clips of both meetings appear in the movie, including an embarrassing toilet incident. She recalls, "I had taught him to excuse himself. He did that correctly and went upstairs. The next thing that happened is that he came down the stairs holding this plastic bag with whatever was in it. My horror was that he had brought a bag of faeces to my dinner table."
Gloria Allred, Streit's lawyer, insists her client was told the episode "will be filmed as part of a documentary for Belarus Television and for those purposes only." However, a spokesman for the movie's distributor, 20th Century Fox, brands the claims "nonsense."

What's this--like the third "Borat" related lawsuit since the movie opened? I hope Cohen saved some of his money from the film--So that he can pay all of his mounting legal bills...

Finally Geoff Boucher of the LA Times wrote an excellent article about the Tuesday release of Superman II - The Richard Donner Cut:

...What's truly historic here is that Donner was given Warner Bros. resources and the blessing of his old foe, Ilya Salkind, to recut and reimagine a movie that was once a poisoned memory. Warner Bros. has even bundled it with the Reeve movies in a giant boxed set of "Superman" DVDs, giving Donner's revisionism more credibility. One thing they didn't give him was a paycheck.

"I didn't negotiate it at the beginning of the talks to do all this, so they said it was too late once we were underway," said Donner, whose next project is slated to be "Sam & George," starring Mel Gibson. "In the old days, when there was honor, they would have taken care of me. It's ridiculous and shows a lack of class."

Warner Bros. execs say they are laying out big money for the re-edit, advertising, marketing, etc. But really, the most compelling subplot in all this is that Salkind will make more money off "The Donner Cut" than the man whose name is in the title.

The entire article can be found here...

Sure, Richard Donner could have, and probably should have, negotiated with WB for some cash on this... But when he didn't the studio should have given him something for his troubles--just the same. Oh wait! That's right, the money that they would have paid Donner with--went instead , to those folks making sure that The Ultimate Superman Collection 14 disc set left the plant free of any problems. It sure is a good thing that the studio had enough money to do that...Yes indeed--a damn good thi--oh...

...This afternoon, it's the Chicago Bears verses QB Tom Brady and the New England Patriots....