Almost three years ago, there was word that New Line was going to remake 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea -- Disney's first live-action film that starred Kirk Douglas and James Mason. In 2007, Sam Raimi said he was looking over scripts (as producer, not director), and then nothing. The project just seemed to fade away. Well, while there's no remake on the immediate horizon, Variety reports that we are going to get an origin story courtesy of Disney and helmed by McG.

The project is called 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Captain Nemo, and will (obviously) feature Nemo as he creates the Nautilus. Bill Marsilli penned the screenplay, and Disney is fast-tracking this puppy to film sometime this year -- presumably before the director kicks the next Terminator into gear.

I wouldn't be surprised if this means that New Line (under Warner Bros.) gets that remake cooking to compete with, or go alongside Disney's creation. Should it happen, it would be nice to two companies compete on something complimentary rather than repetitive (think Steve Prefontaine or Truman Capote). Regardless, McG is certainly making a solid name for himself, but what of Nemo's origin? Do you want to know, or do you just want him and the Nautilus to be a mystery of the sea?

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While I'm sure no film could compete with the drama that would plague the Earth if Fox succeeds in delaying Watchmen, there are still a horde of serious, troubling, tear-wrenching, and romantic dramas coming our way in 2009. The ante was increased tenfold in 2008 with films like the gut-wrenching Dear Zachary, but what of our new year?

2009 boasts:

January:
Not Easily Broken -- Struggling romance, re-evaluation, life-changing accidents -- the usual romantic and dramatic fare.
Yonkers Joe -- This is what happens when I Am Sam meets The Sopranos.
Notorious -- A "notorious" one of the B.I.G. variety.
Killshot -- A husband and wife (Thomas Jane and Diane Lane) get entangled with a con artist (Joseph Gordon Levitt) and over-the-hill hitman (Mickey Rourke).

February:
Free Style -- A race to a motocross title with a High School Musical star whose name sounds like a sandwich (Corbin Bleu).
New York, I Love You -- Paris, je t'aime for the Big Apple Crowd.
Two Lovers -- Typical romance, but with a stellar cast that ranges from Isabella Rossellini to Joaquin Phoenix to Elias Koteas.
Crossing Over -- Another look at immigrants in LA.

Filed under: Exhibition

Continue reading Discuss: The Dramas of 2009

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Let's ease into the new year with a couple of news bites of interest for Asian film fans. First up: the US distribution front: if you're like me, you'll have trouble naming more than two East Asian pictures that got any kind of theatrical release in the latter half of 2008; I'm remembering only the Japanese drama Love and Honor and Wong Kar Wai's meditative action remix, Ashes of Time Redux. Anything I'm forgetting?

This year, the release calendar looks pretty empty as well. Tokyo!, expected in March, compiles three short films set in the titular city, but only one from an Asian director, the very talented Bong Joon-ho (The Host). So it's welcome news to hear via indieWIRE that Regent Releasing has picked up the drama Departures (Okuribito) for US release this summer. Directed by Yojiro Takita, the film focuses on a Japanese death custom, specifically, "a professional who cleanses and clothes a body," as described in a review by Mark Schilling in The Japan Times. ("It's about finding your bliss, even if the world thinks your bliss is odd, icky and a marriage breaker.") Sounds intriguing!

Next up: A deal has been set for director Tsui Hark and star Andy Lau (Infernal Affairs, The Warlords) to make Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame per The Hollywood Reporter. Years ago, when Tsui was surfing a huge wave bringing cinematic bliss worldwide, with brilliant films like Peking Opera Blues and Once Upon a Time in China, this news would have set my heart on fire. Sadly, Tsui's most recent track record (including the incomprehensible Seven Swords and his lackluster segment of Triangle) has been disheartening, so I'm not terribly optimistic that this "period martial arts suspense thriller" will be his return to glory. They're aiming for a summer 2010 release in Asia.

Filed under: Cinematical Indie

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Normally I would've skipped this story and handed it to a writer who digs the more fantastical (like Elisabeth), but this little fairytale happens to holds a very special place in my heart. First off, Variety reports that D. J. Caruso (Eagle Eye) will be directing a (live-action?) version of Jack the Giant Killer, which is kinda similar to Jack and the Beanstalk, except Caruso's version will be more "adult" as it follows a young farmer who ventures off into the land of giants on a mission to save a kidnapped princess.

Why do I care so much about Jack the Giant Killer? Well, because it so happens that I played Jack in the third grade as part of my class' performance of -- yup -- Jack the Giant Killer. So speaking as someone who's battled those pesky giants before (and won!), this project will be no easy task. No word on where this leaves Caruso's adaptation of Y: The Last Man, which was supposed to start shooting early next year, but when they're looking for their Jack, one imagines the director will put a call in to the star of his previous two films first (ahem, I believe he goes by the name of LaBeouf).

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I think its time that John Waters gets a phone tree going, lassos in his worldwide band of freaks and friends, and introduce Adam Shankman to a different sort of life. He needs to get wild. Besides tackling Bye Bye Birdie, there's more Hairspray sequel news, courtesy of MTV, that has its quirky perks and boring pitfalls.

The sequel will be titled Hairspray 2: White Lipstick -- which just so happened to be Waters' original title for the 1988 film (without, of course, the "Hairspray 2" part). And it does have some Waters zaniness, according to Shankman: "[The treatment] is amazing, but it's crazy. There are things in there that I was like 'Can we do that?' It's real John Waters-y stuff, and it was more like a sequel to his movie than to our movie. Which I love, because then that becomes re-interpreted."

But don't expect too much quirk -- this is Shankman, so his crazy scale definitely isn't equivalent to your run of the mill Waters fan. Sadly, one of the things to go is Zac Efron taking acid and having "trippy conversations with acne on his forehead." (Wussy!) Things from the treatment he'll probably keep: Edna's addiction to diet pills, a new villain -- which means that Michelle Pfeiffer and Brittany Snow are most likely out, and lastly, someone (other than Link) will get drafted for Vietnam.

Any guesses? Any hopes for this White sequel?

Filed under: Music & Musicals, RumorMonger, Scripts, Remakes and Sequels

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Technically, the news here is that the charges against W. stars Josh Brolin and Jeffrey Wright -- who were arrested last July at a Shreveport, La., bar for interfering with the arrest of another crew member -- are being dropped. A Shreveport City Court spokesperson told E! News that Brolin, Wright, and five others arrested at the same time are on what's called "district attorney's probation," meaning that as long as they stay out of trouble between now and their next court date, in March, all the charges against them will officially be dropped at that time.

Accounts of what happened at the bar that night vary wildly, but apparently the film's cast and crew were celebrating the end of shooting, things got rowdy, the cops were called, and a W. crew member, Eric Felland, got arrested. Wright and Brolin tried to talk the cops out of it, and they got arrested, too. A round of arrests for everyone! On the house!

But that's not all. In the process, Brolin was pepper-sprayed and Wright was Tasered. Now video footage of this has shown up, hosted at the sleazy-but-occasionally-useful TMZ.com. (We can't embed it, but you can watch it here.) In the video, you can see a post-spraying Brolin, now mellow and subdued, still trying to talk the cops into letting everyone go, and being handcuffed. Meanwhile, out in the street, Wright -- who appears to already be handcuffed -- is on the ground, being Tasered repeatedly for the duration of the video. What possible reason the police could have for Tasering a suspect who's already restrained and behaving calmly, I cannot imagine. No doubt "you weren't there, you don't know what happened" will be cited as justification for it.

Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Celebrities Gone Wild!

Continue reading Video Surfaces of Jeffrey Wright Being (Needlessly?) Tasered by Cops

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A brand spanking new Japanese Watchmen trailer has arrived online, featuring a good chunk of fresh scenes not included in any of the other trailers or behind-the-scenes videos. Surprisingly, it's heavy on the Nixon stuff for some reason while also highlighting Fidel Castro, JFK and the threat of nuclear war. The domestic trailers, however, barely showed these political leaders -- instead focusing more on the superhero/action aspect of the film -- which just goes to show the different ways they're marketing this flick to audiences all over the globe. The release date of March 28th at the end is, in fact, limited to Japan, so don't go freaking out yet -- Fox hasn't managed to delay our March 6th release, and if they want Wolverine to be successful with the fanboy community, they'll find a way to work this sucker out and allow Watchmen to hit theaters on time. But enough of my babbling, check out the trailer below and let us know what you think.



Update: The latest Watchmen journal, which talks about the Minutemen, can be found over on Apple.

Filed under: Action, Fandom, Movie Marketing, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Trailers and Clips

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Cinematical has gotten their hands on the first official image from Judd Apatow's Funny People, which yours truly recently named the comedy of the year. Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana and Jason Schwartzman star in this flick about a comedian who suffers a near-death experience. This is only Apatow's third time in the director's chair (40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up), despite the fact that his name has been attached to a slew of comedies over the past couple years. On his latest, Apatow notes: "I'm trying to make a very serious movie that is twice as funny as my other movies. Wish me luck!" For more on the comedies of 2009, check out our discussion post over here. Best comedy of 2009? Maybe. Most anticipated? Definitely.

Funny People hits theaters on July 31.

Gallery: Funny People

Filed under: Comedy, Fandom, Movie Marketing, Images

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There's just something so gratifying about a vigilante flick isn't there? Sure, they might be a little silly, but you're usually guaranteed a very satisfying night at the movies. Now that F. Gary Gray's Law Abiding Citizen is back gearing up for production, The Hollywood Reporter has announced that four new cast members have just signed to star alongside Gerard Butler and Oscar winner Jamie Foxx in the thriller; they are: Michael Gambon, Leslie Bibb (Iron Man), Colm Meaney and Theresa Randle (Bad Boys II).

In Citizen, Butler plays a successful assistant D.A., who finds himself at the center of a plot for revenge hatched by Foxx after he's been screwed by the legal system. When Foxx discovers that one of the men responsible for the death of his wife and daughter is about to go free, he targets everyone who had either something to do with the murder, or the impending legal deal.

Citizen is the first film to come out of Butler's Evil Twins shingle, and it's had some high-powered help along the way -- including a rewrite by Frank Darabont, who was also set to direct at one time, but there were some personnel changes and now Gray, a former music video director, is at the helm. Not to mention the script is still scheduled for a polish by Sheldon Turner (The Longest Yard) before the film starts production on January 21st.

Law Abiding Citizen will arrive in theaters later this year.

Filed under: Drama, Thrillers, Casting

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Pineapple Express
It might seem like your everyday stoner comedy, but Pineapple Express is a strange comedic beast. It was helmed by dramatic indie filmmaker David Gordon Green, it brought Huey Lewis and the News back to the world of cinema songwriting, and, of course, it gave us an excellent duo to get high with -- Seth Rogen and James Franco. Buy it on DVD or Blu-ray.

Righteous Kill
Righteous Kill is right, but not in the way that makes the eyes blaze with excitement, but the way that makes you groan in disappointment. While joining heavy weights Robert De Niro and Al Pacino was a big to-do, that was the only noteworthy piece of this police v. serial killer story. Still, it's Rob and Al, so if you're curious: Rent it on DVD or Blu-ray.

Disaster Movie
Oh, if only we could be back in the days of Airplane. Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer show no signs of stopping their terrible spoof addiction, and this time it's all about disasters. Need I say more? Skip it on DVD or Blu-ray.

Hit the jump for more new releases.

Filed under: New Releases, DVD Reviews, New on DVD, Home Entertainment

Continue reading Spin-ematical: New on DVD for 1/6

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No matter what I say, I think most of us out there are never going to believe that the follow-up to Neil Marshall's The Descent could ever live up to the original. But, these latest stills from the sequel certainly make me feel a little better about the whole idea -- well, that and the fact that Marshall acted as a 'hands-on' producer for the flick. Still photographer Ollie Upton recently released a whole whack of still photographs from the flick on his website (check them out below) and it looks like things certainly haven't gotten any better for our heroine since we last saw her.

James Watkins' (My Little Eye) script centers on Sarah Carter (Shauna Macdonald), who has emerged from the Appalachian cave covered in her friend's blood, and borderline catatonic. When she is forced to go back down in the caves to help locate her missing companions, she is haunted by visions of what had happened, and as the rescue party ventures further into the caves, Sarah starts to lose her grip on reality. Of course, you can count on the 'Crawlers' making another appearance, and from then on you know things are going to go bad ... very, very, bad.

The Descent: Part 2 will be released in the UK on May 15th, but so far there have been no dates announced for North America. Stay tuned to Cinematical for any updates on a US release, otherwise, those of us on this side of the pond might have to wait for the DVD.

Gallery: The Descent 2

Filed under: Horror, Lionsgate Films, Remakes and Sequels, Images

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When you've had trouble getting financing, had to move to a new company, and lost your lead actor, things don't bode well. So, how do you increase confidence in a film about Tintin? You grab Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, naturally. Ohhhh yes, folks!

Variety has confirmed that Pegg and Frost have been cast as Thomson and Thompson -- the mustachioed and bumbling detectives. While they might not be completely identical like the almost-matching men from the comic, I would love to see Simon and Nick dressed up as the pair. This whole deal might be performance capture, but maybe, just maybe, some promo material could be live action? Or maybe a brief live-action short to accompany the film? Please? (If you haven't already guessed, I'm a rabid fan of Hot Fuzz.)

Production is supposed to start in a month, but we're still without our star -- the one who will have to fill Thomas Sangster's shoes. With Pegg and Frost attached, along with Andy Serkis as Captain Haddock, who could hold their own? Freddie Highmore?

Filed under: Animation, Casting, Newsstand, Comic/Superhero/Geek

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When I was given the task of outlining the geek year ahead of us, I thought it was a relatively easy task. Watchmen, check. Wolverine, check. Star Trek, check. Hmmm, nothing in June, gratuitous Harry Potter reference for July, does G.I. Joe count because of the Marvel comics ... and so on. Erik Davis suggested Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Avatar and Terminator: Salvation - I included the first two, then promptly fell asleep before adding the third. (I had been up all night. I live like a bat.)

Privately (and now publicly, ha ha) I wasn't sure G.I. Joe, Transformers 2, Terminator: Salvation or Avatar counted as geek films. But as one commenter astutely pointed out, "geek" isn't exactly an official genre, so who is to say what is a geek film and what isn't? Well, what better place to debate this than The Geek Beat - and what better time to define it than in the first installment of 2009?

To me, a geek film is something that mainstream audiences don't necessarily embrace, something they may even snigger at. That's why I restricted "geek films" to be movies based on (or accompanied by) graphic novels and comic books. (I also had to loosen the definition in order to pad it out a bit with selections like Sherlock Holmes and GI Joe because hey, there's not that many comic/superhero films this year.) But it's also why I included Star Trek, which falls out of comic territory, but invented geekdom. Trekkers/Trekkies flew the flag when no one else did. So did Star Wars fans and if there had been some kind of Star Wars film on the 2009 slate, I would have included it too.

Filed under: The Geek Beat

Continue reading The Geek Beat: Defining the Geek Genre

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Cinematical has just received this exclusive poster for Sunshine Cleaning, starring Amy Adams, Emily Blunt and Alan Arkin. The film follows a down-on-her-funds mom (Adams) who, in order to raise money to send her son to private school, listens to the advice of her father (Arkin) and starts up a crime scene cleaning business with her sister (Blunt). Adams and Blunt together seems like a recipe for success, and advanced buzz on the film -- which comes to us from the producers of Little Miss Sunshine -- is pretty positive so far. Directed by Christine Jeffs and written by Megan Holley (nice female duo at the top there), Sunshine Cleaning hits theaters on March 13th.

Click below for a larger version of the poster.

Gallery: Sunshine Cleaning

Filed under: Comedy, Fandom, Movie Marketing, Posters

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So remember that whole Shazam! movie, with John August writing, Peter Segal (Get Smart) directing and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson starring as the villain, Black Adam? Last year we talked about this project a lot, wondering which actor would eventually play Captain Marvel, as well as teenager Billy Batson. In fact, as recently as November of 2008, Variety had reported that Shazam! was part of Segal's first-look deal with Warner Brothers. (The project was originally set up at New Line, but moved to Warners when they went under.)

However, over on his blog, August says the project is now dead in the water after several re-writes, most of which came about after the studio wanted him to take the film from a lighter action-comedy to something much darker (a la The Dark Knight). And regarding the recent news that Segal would be directing, August notes that "press releases often have little relationship to reality." He does admit, though, that the movie may still happen ... just not with him onboard and not anytime soon. Which is a shame, because this pitch -- "Like Big, but with superpowers ..." -- definitely had potential.

Were you looking forward to Shazam!?

Filed under: Action, Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, Scripts, Newsstand, Comic/Superhero/Geek

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If you watched Horton Hears a Who last spring and immediately thought "This is exactly how I see Jonah Hex," I would have demanded to know what narcotic you were on. Then, I would have had to apologize because you clearly weren't alone. Someone at Warner Bros was thinking the same thing, because according to The Hollywood Reporter, Horton's helmer Jimmy Hayward has stepped in as the director of Jonah Hex.

After losing Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, the studio has been frantically searching for a replacement, as they hope to begin shooting in March or April. McG and Andy Fickman were both on the short list, and back in December, Lexi Alexander was reportedly interested in the script. Instead, they chose a former PIXAR man, who made his directoral debut with Horton Hears a Who.

From all reports, they're keeping the Neveldine/Taylor script, so there is that, but Hayward is expected to give it his own mark. Who knows, maybe it's a smaller step from Dr. Seuss to a scarred cowboy than I'm able to picture. You can even argue that animated films and comic books have a lot in common, so you can't really judge ... but it's still a surprising pick, all creative differences considered.

So, will the choice of Hayward tip the balance for Josh Brolin or not? THR is still listing him as attached, but last we heard, he was still undecided as to whether or not to take the lead -- and it all hinged on who was sitting in the director's chair. Will he approve of Hayward over Neveldine and Taylor? Or will he depart for the open prairie, leaving Hayward without a cowboy?

Filed under: Action, Horror, Deals, Warner Brothers, Scripts, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Western

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If you were wondering which film would get remade next, or which musical, look no further! On the heels of Hairspray, and even Fame, The Hollywood Reporter posts that Adam Shankman is gearing up to remake Bye Bye Birdie for Columbia.

The company has been trying to get this remade for ages, under many guises. It was once going to be re-imagined into a hip-hop musical, and both John Chu and Tina Fey (that I'd want to see!) have circled the project. Right now, there's no word on who will be the new writer, nor an indication of how Shankman will handle the film. I would assume, however, that it won't get reimagined, but rather updated with sparkly face and new, sassy dance moves -- if Hairspray is any indication.

But who on earth could fill the shoes ones tapped away by the likes of Dick Van Dyke and Jason Alexander? I would be the opposite of surprised if Zac Efron got tapped for the lead, but it's time Mr. Shankman got a new lead. Any ideas?

Filed under: Music & Musicals, Deals, Remakes and Sequels

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So Erik-with-a-k covered the coming comedies of 2009, Scott was all over the horror picks (though his inclusion of Race to Witch Mountain still boggles my mind), Eric-with-a-c nabbed the family-friendly fare, and Elisabeth went over the geek fodder that awaits. But while I respect their calendar years and made-up math alike, I've opted to divide my list of 2009's action and adventure flicks into four categories: Action Flicks I Couldn't Care More About, Action Flicks I Couldn't Care Less About, Action Flicks That I Hope Surprise Me, and Those Which Fell In Between. Enjoy!

Action Flicks I Couldn't Care More About: First and foremost -- Watchmen (March 6th). It's one hell of a graphic novel and looks to be one hell of an adaptation (with or without the Giant Blank), and come Fox or high water, it'll see the light of day soon enough. Then there's Public Enemies (July 1st), which has me sold on not the subject matter, but sheer pedigree: Michael Mann directs Johnny Depp and Christian Bale as '30s gangsters. (It doesn't hurt that the earliest word ranges from damn good to great.) On the skimpier side, I can only hope that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (July 17th) streamlines its source material as the previous one had, and I can only hope that Crank 2: High Voltage (April 17th) lives up/down to the depravity of its predecessor. There's one last action movie that I couldn't care more about because, well, I've already seen a version of it. The international cut of Taken (January 30th, though reportedly opening with some R-dodging trims) is about as brisk and butt-kicking as one might hope out of a man-on-a-mission kidnapping thriller, and if you disagree, I'll send Liam Neeson to change your mind.

Filed under: Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Thrillers, Mystery & Suspense, Disney, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Brothers, Fandom, 20th Century Fox, The Weinstein Co., Quentin Tarantino, Johnny Depp, Harry Potter, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels

Continue reading Discuss: The Action Flicks of 2009

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For the past few years, Gary Oldman has been the man shining the bat signal high into the sky. But before Christopher Nolan took on the world of the Dark Knight and reinvented it, there was a different Commissioner in town -- Pat Hingle, who lost his battle with blood cancer on Saturday at the age of 84.

In 1989, he became Commissioner James Gordon in Tim Burton's Batman, filling the role through all four of the films -- from the great Michael Keaton days, all the way through to the abysmal and embarrassing Batman and Robin. But while his law-enforcing time in Gotham might be his most recognizable role, it's only a small portion of his work. His 54-year career took him from recent films like Talladega Nights to Muppets from Space and Splendor in the Grass, and even his first (uncredited) role as Jocko in On the Waterfront back in 1954.

Rest in peace, Mr. Hingle. You will be missed.

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Jim Carrey's Yes Man struck me as an awful waste of a terrific premise.

Far from the retread of the Liar Liar gimmick that some people claim, Yes Man's central conceit really resonates, and gets at a simple but profound truth: saying "no" to opportunities is safer and easier, but saying "yes" is more rewarding and fun. Literally having the main character start saying "yes" to everything is not my preferred way of tackling this issue, but it could easily work as a goofy, absurdist approach. Jim Carrey's track record may be bruised, but the actor is still a national treasure. And Peyton Reed's filmography contains some films that managed to be thoughtful despite their staunchly populist aims.

What an unpleasant surprise, then, to see a film so terminally mired in the worst Hollywood comedy conventions. It's hard to be meaningful or even sincere when everything is hideously distorted to fit the confines of hoary old formulas, complete with scenes that don't fit, but which a movie like this simply must contain. Yes Man winds up shrill, manic and unpleasant (albeit sporadically funny) when it should have been breezy, earnest and simple.

Filed under: Comedy, New Releases, From Page to Screen

Continue reading From Page to Screen: 'Yes Man'

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