Anna Kendrick and John Francis Daley in Talks to Join RAPTUREPALOOZA
by Matt Goldberg Posted: May 3rd, 2011
Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air) and John Francis Daley (Bones) are in talks to join Craig Robinson in the apocalypse comedy Rapturepalooza. The story centers on a couple (presumably Kendrick and Daley) trying to run a sandwich shop after the Rapture has sucked up all the God-fearing folk. Matters are made worse when the Anti-Christ (Robinson) chooses Kendrick’s character to be his new bride. THR reports that Paul Middleditch will direct from Chris Matheson’s script, which is described as “Zombieland meets The Big Lebowski“. Rapturepalooza is the first film under Lionsgate’s new “microbudget” initiative to create films that cost $2 million or less.Kendrick recently co-starred in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and will next be seen alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen in the cancer dramedy 50/50. As for Daley, in addition to co-starring on Bones, he’s got a successful screenwriting career going. He co-wrote the script for the upcoming comedies Horrible Bosses and Burt Wonderstone, and last February he was hired to co-write a remake of National Lampoon’s Vacation with writing partner Jonathan Goldstein.
........ http://collider.com/anna-kendrick-john-francis-daley-rapturepalooza/88726/
Scott Mann Hired to Direct SEVEN SAMURAI Remake for The Weinstein Company
by Matt Goldberg Posted: May 3rd, 2011
Remaking Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai is an exercise in futility* but so is railing against remakes. They’re going to happen, and they’re probably not going to be as good as the original, but you’ll always have that original. The Weinstein Company is remaking Seven Samurai but that doesn’t mean Harvey Weinstein is coming to my house and confiscating my Criterion Collection Blu-ray. Variety reports that the studio has hired Scott Mann to helm the remake (written by Young Guns screenwriter John Fusco). The new Seven Samurai will have a $60 million budget, reset the action from feudal Japan to modern-day Thailand, and replace the samurai with paramilitary contractors. It’s a smart update because as we all know, the age of the paramilitary contractor is coming to an end and those mercenaries who work for companies like Blackwater are truly noble and tragic figures.
Mann’s been receiving some attention for his recent film The Tournament, but The Playlist says the flick is “pretty turgid overall.” For those who’ve never seen Seven Samurai, I’ve included a synopsis for the film after the jump, but I want you to promise me you’ll see the movie ASAP. Deal?
Hugh Jackman May Reteam with Shawn Levy for FANTASTIC VOYAGE Remake
by Adam Chitwood Posted: May 3rd, 2011
It looks like Hugh Jackman may be reteaming with his Real Steel director Shawn Levy quite soon. Apparently Jackman is Levy’s first choice to star in his James Cameron-produced 3D remake of Fantastic Voyage. If you missed the 1966 version, the story centers on a group of scientists who shrink themselves in order to enter a colleague’s body and save him from a blood clot. Deadline reports that Jackman and Levy got along “famously” when filming Real Steel, and Jackman now has an opening in his schedule with The Wolverine now scrambling to find a director post-Darren Aronofsky’s departure.
A new draft of the script, by Shane Salerno (Shaft) and Laeta Kalogridis (Shutter Island) is expected soon, with the tone of the film now including a “dramatic love story,” so it sounds like movement on the project is picking up quickly. Jackman isn’t locked into the role yet, and no offer has been made, but it does look like Levy has settled on a favorite. Real Steel is set to hit theaters on October 11th.
Cameron Crowe Tweets First Images from WE BOUGHT A ZOO
by Adam Chitwood Posted: May 3rd, 2011
Here’s something I never thought I’d say: Cameron Crowe is on twitter. The writer/director now has a twitter account, and today released the first images from his new film We Bought a Zoo. Based on the memoir by Benjamin Mee, the film tells the story of a man who decides to buy and run a zoo with his family following the death of his wife. The cast includes Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Patrick Fugit (Almost Famous), Elle Fanning (Somewhere), J.B. Smoove (Date Night) and John Michael Higgins (Yes Man).
The images give us our first look at Johansson and Fugit, as well as a nice snapshot of Damon’s character and his family (complete with his wife, played by Stephanie Szostak). We got our first peek at Damon in character back in January via some rather uninteresting set photos. Crowe is simultaneously releasing his Elton John/Leon Russell documentary, tweaking his Pearl Jam documentary Pearl Jam 20, and starting post-production on Zoo. Hit the jump to check out the images. We Bought a Zoo hits theaters December 23rd.
Pearl Jam frontman and singer-songwriter Eddie Vedder is no stranger to film music, having released his first solo album in 2007 as the soundtrack to Into The Wild (starring Emile Hirsch) for which he won a Golden Globe in 2008. Additionally, Vedder has contributed solo material to numerous other films too, including Dead Man Walking, A Brokedown Melody and Reign Over Me. Crowe’s preference of Eddie Vedder/ Pearl Jam shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise when you learn that he has also been directing an as yet untitled documentary about the group. He probably has Jam on the brain.
