Thomas Hayden Church recently stopped to talk with Jeffery Lyons on ReelTalk and when speaking his choice of roles, dramatic vs. comedic, Church said he was “probably going to do a huge science fiction drama at Disney called John Carter of Mars.” If anything, Church is at least in negotiations to play a role in the Edgar Rice Burroughs adaptation alongside Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins who were announced earlier this week. The film is being directed by Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, Wall-E) and begins shooting this November in Utah as Stanton is going for a more “naturalistic” style than Star Wars.
Based on the novel “A Princess of Mars”, the movie follows Civil War vet, John Carter, who is transplanted to Mars, where he discovers a lush, wildly diverse planet whose main inhabitants are 12-foot tall green barbarians. Finding himself a prisoner of these creatures, he escapes, only to encounter Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium, who is in desperate need of a savior.
Yahoo has premiered the trailer for the upcoming film based on Audrey Niffenegger’s 2003 novel, The Time Traveler’s Wife. Starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams, the film is about a Chicago librarian (Bana) has a genetic disorder that causes him to time travel when he is stressed. Though he disappears often for long periods of time, he tries to build a romantic relationship with Clare Abshire, an artist (McAdams).
The Time Traveler’s Wife was directed by Robert Schwentke (Flightplan) and adapted by Jeremy Leven (The Notebook) and Bruce Joel Rubin (Ghost). That’s a powerhouse of drama right there. Prepare to cry your eyes out.
Earlier tonight reports popped up from New York, Chicago, and Washington DC of a teaser playing before films in which Michael Moore spoke directly to the audience, then asked them to donate money while ushers walked up and down the aisles handing out collection plates. WTF, right? The stunt was, in actuality, Michael Moore’s teaser for his latest film which chronicles the current economic crisis.
A comical look at the global financial crisis and the current troubles with the U.S. economy during the transition between the incoming Obama Administration and the outgoing Bush Administration. The film is currently untitled, and no release date has been given.
Kevin Lima is attached to direct Warner Brothers update of The Incredible Mr. Limpet, a story about a man who turns into a talking fish. The 1964 original starred Don Knotts as an otherwise bland sort who, after his transformation, becomes a World War II hero when he helps spot and thwart enemy warships for the Allies. The picture was a live action-animated hybrid, with Arthur Lubin directing the live sections and Robert McKimson helming the animated parts.
The new project has been through several iterations, with Mike Judge attached to direct at one point. Lima is currently also attached to the period sorcery tale The Spook’s Apprentice, the studio’s update of Tom Thumb, titled Thumb, and he’s also on board to direct Universal’s big-screen version of Candyland.
Screen Gems recently won a spec auction for Michael Cunningham’s scary genre thriller. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Hours said he’s always been a huge genre fan, and would argue the finer points of the Hostel series with producer Douglas Wick. “While I was writing about Virginia Wolff, my mind was never far removed from the idea of girls in bikinis being hacked up by guys wearing hockey masks, and I vowed that if I ever had a good idea, I would write one of these scary movies,” Cunningham told Daily Variety.
Beautiful Girl concerns a shy but brainy high school girl who returns for senior year after having slimmed down six dress sizes. She finds herself flirting with the handsome English lit teacher, but the mutual crush turns deadly when the teacher’s obsession with the student compels him to exact maniacal revenge on everyone who was cruel to her.
“We’ve become such genre paisans, and when I showed the script to Doug, he showed it to Clint [Culpepper], and it was instant love,” Cunningham said. “This summer, I will finish a novel where nobody gets anything gouged out of them, but my plan is to then write another idea I have for an actual monster movie. As it turns out, we sometimes find we can do more than one thing in our lives.”
Anna Faris, Christina Applegate, and Amy Poehler have been recording their parts to be sped up to portray the Chipettes in the upcoming, ahem, “squeakquel” to Alvin And The Chipmunks. “It’s really, really cute, really fun. It’s been great. I’ve been having a blast doing that work,” Faris said. “I’m a Chipette! And they make my voice sound even more annoying than it already is.” Though the actresses don’t provide their own singing voices, Faris promises that they do sing. “The Chipettes do sing. They won’t even let me be a Chipmunk singing,” Faris laughed. “I think that’s the dirty little secret,” she said, grinning. I just hope it’s not Beyonce. “It’s adorable. It’s a great cast, and it’s been a lot of fun.”
Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel hits theaters Christmas Day.
Brittany Murphy has just been cast in Something Wicked directed by former producer Darin Scott. The film, a psychological thriller, also stars Shantel VanSanten (The Final Destination) and John Robinson (Elephant, Lords Of Dogtown) in the story a teenager and his girlfriend, who is way out of his league, whose lives are thrown into chaos when her parents are killed. Joe Colleran, who is producing, wrote the script from a story by Joseph Mungra. The pic is shooting in Oregon.
Bruce A. Evans (Mr. Brooks), the guy that made Kevin Costner AND Demi Moore almost bearable again (in the same movie, no less!), is set to helm the thriller Diver for Intrepid Pictures. Scripted by Diane Ademu-John, the film follows a messed up former police officer who gets pulled into the top secret New Orleans-based Diver program. In the program, the officer and others go into the minds of the newly dead to experience what they thought before they died. They use this information to solve crimes. Sounds interesting. Hey, at least it’s not another remake.
Zulay Henao, Caleb Steinmeyer, James Russo, Bill Sage and Tracy Middendorf will star in the drama Boy Wonder for New York-based Boy Wonder Prods. The film is set to be written and directed by Michael Morrissey (Off the Hook). Boy Wonder follows a guy (Steinmeyer) who is looking for whoever killed his mother during a carjacking. At the same time, a string of vigilante murders in Brooklyn are being investigated by a homicide detective (Henao), who gets involved with the guy’s revenge quest. Sage and Middendorf play the guy’s parents, and Russo plays a hit man.
Steinmeyer and Middendorf were both on tv show Lost; Middendorf in the third season as Bonnie and Steinmeyer as a high school age John Locke in the fifth season. Shooting begins Monday in New York.
Danny Boyle, coming off the success of a ton of Oscars for Slumdog Millionaire, has signed a three year deal with Fox Searchlight and Pathe Pictures. Both studios were instrumental in distributing Millionaire. Under the terms of the deal, Searchlight and Pathe will co-finance and co-produce Boyle’s projects. Boyle has produced three films for Fox Searclight previously, including 28 Days Later. He has not decided on a follow-up yet.
Source: 
Source: 
Source: 
Source: 
Source: 
Source: 
Source: 
Source: 
Source: 
Cinemafique 