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Geek Daily: The 'Ghostbusters' Are Back, Warner Bros Takes a 'Headshot", & More

Filed under: Action, Deals, Paramount, Warner Brothers, Fandom, Newsstand, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels



There's a lot of little stuff scattered online today, so I'm combining it all into one post for your easy reading. And the art above? A Halloween treat that's tastier than a mini-Snickers, longer lasting, and a lot less damaging to your waistline. (Substitute the mini-Snickers for your trick-or-treat of choice -- oh, those were the days!)

The news of a third Ghostbusters film has many (including myself) a little nervous. You want to see them return, but you don't want to see the Ghostbusters nuke the fridge alongside Indiana Jones, the Skywalker clan, and John McClane. But there's one way to get a fix without seeing your childhood heroes abused onscreen -- and that's in a comic book. And the Ghostbusters have one, a mini series courtesy of IDW. It hits shelves today, and MTV's Splash Page has a six page preview. It looks like a hell of a lot of fun -- and I really hope my shop has a copy left for me. My childhood obsession (and crush on Venkman) is flooding back already.

Now on to the rest of the news:

Variety reports that Warner Bros has optioned Alexis Nolent's French series Headshot (Du plomb dans la tête) This is the third book of Nolent's (who publishes under the name Matz) to be optioned -- James Mangold has Cyclops in development with Warners, and David Fincher has The Killer over at Paramount. Headshot tells the story of an unlikely alliance between a hitman and a cop, after both men see their partner die. Seeking revenge, they discover they share an enemy, and have more in common than they realized. I hope they both have similar dorky hobbies and problematic children rather than some dark and twisted background, but it's probably the latter. It hasn't been published stateside, but if you're fluent in French, there's a preview here.



Stuff and Things: October 14th, 2008

Filed under: RumorMonger, Fandom, Newsstand

Here's a round-up of some stuff (and things) currently causing waves online:

-- Word has it the first full length trailer for J.J. Abrams' Star Trek will debut in front of [insert popular film here] this November. TrekMovie claims it will be a "real trailer" with actual "footage from the film." Imagine that! If it does indeed premiere in November, the most likely place for it will be before Quantum of Solace on November 14th. In a related piece, Abrams has confirmed the running time to be about two hours.

-- Principal photography on Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds (new spelling) has begun in Germany (see initial poster to the right), and what appears to be the full, final cast has been announced (and it includes some familiar Tarantino regulars). Joining Brad Pitt will be Diane Kruger, Mélanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, Daniel Brühl, Eli Roth, Samm Levine, B.J. Novak, Til Schweiger, Gedeon Burkhard, Paul Rust, Michael Bacall, Omar Doom, Sylvester Groth, Julie Dreyfus, Jacky Ido, August Diehl, Martin Wuttke, Richard Sammel, Christian Berkel, Sönke Möhring, Michael Fassbender, Mike Myers, Rod Taylor, Denis Menochet and Cloris Leachman. Yeah, you like that last one, right?

-- With the Sex and the City movie slowly becoming the new Citizen Kane for women, a whole slew of ladies are looking to "get in" on the sequel in some capacity. The latest appears to be Jennifer Lopez (or J-Lo) who, sources say, is itching to sign up. They note, "Jennifer has got her heart set on joining Carrie and the girls. The bosses are trying to think of a way of fitting her in without it being cheesy." [via Hollyscoop]

Jean-Jacques Annaud Heading to 'Kashmir'

Filed under: Action, Drama, Independent, Thrillers, Deals, Scripts, Newsstand, War

Another day, another intriguing project from Ryan Kavanaugh and his Relativity Media shingle. According to Variety, their latest script acquisition is D. B. Weiss' Kashmir, which has already attracted the interest of director Jean-Jacques Annaud.

Weiss' script revolves around three ex-mercenaries who receive a tip as to the location of a terrorist who boasts a $30 million bounty on his head. For that kind of money, they decide to brave a trip into Kashmir, the volatile region between Pakistan and India. And because nothing is ever so simple as heading into a dangerous region to hunt a terrorist, all three men have their own reasons for the journey, and their working relationship is sorely tested.

The idea comes from those early days of the War on Terror, when the U.S. government actually was putting up wanted posters -- it's a sign of how much has happened that I can't remember if anyone ever collected on them. Annaud, ever the adventurist, has every intention of shooting as close as he can to Kashmir, and is traveling to Pakistan with Weiss for research.

While I'm a bit tired of terrorism plotlines, the story has all the classic marks of a Western -- and I'd love to see it tackled as such. Annaud certainly does grueling journeys (inner and outer) and sweeping vistas well, though the final result can be wanting. Here's hoping he can take the best parts of Enemy at the Gates and combine it with his eye for landscapes, and give us a good old fashioned bounty hunt.

'Twilight' Sequel Already in the Works?

Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Thrillers, RumorMonger, Fandom, Newsstand, Remakes and Sequels



Here's a question: Should any studio greenlight a sequel based on advanced buzz and before the original even hits theaters? Sure, if you're a fan of the Twilight novels, I suspect you'd want the studio to greenlight, like, a billion Twilight sequels, like, right this second -- but wouldn't it be a risky move? Nikki Finke over at Deadline Hollywood claims Summit's already prepping the sequel (New Moon), though that's about as far as she goes with it. Finke, however, does state the obvious: that even though the first Twilight film isn't due out until November 21, the latest trailer was viewed over 3.5 million times in 48 hours, the Twilight soundtrack has already hit the Top 5 Best-Selling Albums on Amazon (despite the fact that it doesn't come out until November 4th) and the merchandise for this sucker rivals that of the boy wizard, Harry Potter.

Okay, so obviously there's an audience for not one film, but two -- yet what if that audience doesn't like the first installment? Is that even possible? Is this the sort of film fans will love no matter what the final product looks like? And do you really take a chance greenlighting a sequel with a film whose audience is not comprised of the oh-so-lucrative teen male population. Are teen and pre-teen girls (and their moms) enough to carry this entire franchise?

And for you Twilight fans out there: While early, is there anything different you'd like to see from the sequel?

Stuff and Things: October 13th, 2008

Filed under: Action, Comedy, Drama, Fandom, Newsstand, Movie Marketing, Politics, Images



Here's a round-up of some stuff (and things) currently causing waves online:

-- Moviefone has launched the latest installment of Unscripted, featuring stars Josh Brolin and Elizabeth Banks discussing their new film W. using reader questions and some of their own. Additionally, above you'll find some newly-released art for the film. Heh.

-- After breaking up with Paramount, Dreamworks has officially found a new f*ck buddy in Universal, so says Variety. The two signed a seven-year worldwide distribution deal.

-- Darren Aronofsky's The Fighter looks to be in trouble. Now that the writer-director is working hard on that Robocop remake, seems this other flick is being neglected. Brad Pitt has apparently dropped out, and Mark Wahlberg -- who's been training for the role for over a year -- doesn't seem to know the film's current status. All that being said, Slashfilm claims their scouting locations in Mass.

-- A few photos of Mel Gibson on the set of Edge of Darkness have appeared online, most of which show the man going full-Diddy, forcing some woman to hold an umbrella so the sun doesn't, ya know, shine on the poor man. In case you forgot, this film marks Gibson's return to acting as a homicide detective investigating the death of his daughter. See image to the right, click to see enlarge. [via Crabbies Hollywood]

-- A theme park in the UK is actually moving forward with a ride based on the Saw films, called Saw - The Ride. I bet folks will just kill to get on it. HAR! Apparently, we're looking at a ride with "beyond vertical drop of 100-degree from a height of 100ft, as well as a rather sinister sounding "three inversions" to add to the fun." Who's down? [via IGN]

Guillaume Depardieu, the 37-year-old son of Gerard Depardieu, died today in Paris from a bout of acute pneumonia. Depardieu, who's starred in upwards of 20 films, struggled with drugs and drinking over the years.

A few new images of Samuel L. Jackson and the late Bernie Mac in the new film Soul Men have arrived in the Cinematical inbox. Check them out in the gallery below.

Gallery: Soul Men

A First Look at Dr. Watson, a Second at Sherlock

Filed under: Action, Classics, Mystery & Suspense, Warner Brothers, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Remakes and Sequels, Images



The Sherlock Holmes photos appearing online are almost disappointingly fast, aren't they? JustJared already has a second set up -- this time, we get a glimpse of Jude Law as Dr. Watson ... and well, he looks like Law in a mustache. I was hoping for a frock coat, at least! But what's more interesting is the second look at Robert Downey Jr. in costume as the great detective. He's considerably more polished this time around, which suggests several of our commentors were correct, and we may have glimpsed Holmes disguised as a member of the lower class. With the rate these photos are pouring in, we may see Rachel McAdams in full corset soon -- and the costume geek in me can't wait to see what she's wearing as Irene Adler.



First Look at Robert Downey Jr. as 'Sherlock Holmes'!

Filed under: Action, Classics, Mystery & Suspense, Warner Brothers, Newsstand, Remakes and Sequels, Images



With Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes kicking off in London this week, it wasn't going to be long before we got a glimpse of Robert Downey Jr. in Victorian costume. And a bunch have popped up on JustJared, accompanied by some bedraggled extras.

But did we expect him to look like this? Most people see Holmes in securely buttoned down tweed, complete with deerstalker cap and pipe. But that image was invented by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's illustrator, Sidney Paget. His description on the page was a bit different: "His very person and appearance were such as to strike the most casual observer. In height he was rather over six feet,and so excessively lean that he seemed to be considerably taller. His eyes were sharp and piercing, save during those intervals of torpor to which I have alluded; and his thin, hawk-like nose gave his whole expression an air of alertness and decision. His chin, too, had the prominence and squareness which mark the man of determination. His hands were invariable blotted with ink and stained with chemicals, yet he was possessed of extraordinary delicacy of touch, as I frequently had occasion to observe when I watched him manipulating the fragile philosophical instruments." He was also frequently described as "Bohemian" and would slip into a lethargic lifestyle between cases.

So there you go -- lethargic, with a carelessness hand hygeine. Ritchie will probably get flak for "reimagining" the character, but Holmes was never a put together fellow. How many cocaine and morphine addicts do you know who are, anyway? (Yeah, I know that's been cut from this PG version, but I wouldn't be surprised if it pops up in the way they're tackling the character in production.)



Seth Rogen is 'With Cancer'

Filed under: Comedy, Independent, Casting, Deals, Scripts, Newsstand

I predict that the news you are about to read will result in many people shocked, shocked! that someone would make a comedy about cancer. Even The Hollywood Reporter sounds a little uncertain about the news. But once you read the film's plot, I think you're going to see exactly what kind of movie this is.

Mandate Pictures has bought I'm With Cancer, an autobiographical comedy by Will Reiser. Seth Rogen, the busiest man in Hollywood, is set to costar and produce the film alongside his writing-producing partner Evan Goldberg and The Daily Show's Ben Karlin.

Reiser's script is based on his own battle with cancer, and is centered around an up-and-coming 25-year-old who discovers he has the disease. I think you know where this is going. This isn't going to be some spoof of serious illness, or run with the idea that coming down with cancer is funny. Cancer is going to be about a young man trying to deal with something that could kill him, finding the humor in hospital situations, and using it to stay sane. Laughter is the best medicine, and all that. Given that Reiser obviously conquered his disease to co-produce this movie, I bet it will even have a happy ending. You know what I'm also willing to bet on? Medicinal marijuana jokes. If there isn't at least one, I will eat this post.

Jamie Foxx is Gerard Butler's 'Law Abiding Citizen'

Filed under: Action, Drama, Independent, Thrillers, Casting, Scripts, Newsstand

Gerard Butler's RocknRolla week has gone rather sour, poor lad. (And I do mean that.) But maybe he can keep cheerful at the idea that Law Abiding Citizen is finally moving forward again. If you remember, this is the first film Butler will be producing under his Evil Twins shingle, and he snagged Frank Darabont for the director's chair.

Now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Mr. Butler has snagged himself a pretty big costar: Jamie Foxx. Butler will play a successful assistant D.A., who finds himself in the middle of a vigilante plot hatched by Foxx, who has been screwed over by the legal system and discovers that one of the men responsible for killing his wife and daughter is about to be set free. All who participated in the deal and the killings are fair game for his revenge. It's going to be a lot of fun watching Butler and Foxx square off.

Possibly better than Foxx's casting is that they seem to be keeping the original plot. When Darabont became attached to the film, the press release suggested that the story was revamped to center around a criminal mastermind rather than vigilante justice. Who wants to see a Hannibal Lecter knockoff over a Harvey Dent clone? Not I, I like my moral ambiguity and Batman style justice. No word on when this starts shooting, but let's hope it's soon. I think Butler could use some good news -- and a safer outlet for his own vigilante justice.

First Reviews of 'W.' Trickle In

Filed under: New Releases, Lionsgate Films, Celebrities and Controversy, Newsstand

Oliver Stone's W. has screened for the more important among us, and I am pleasantly surprised to report that people are not openly laughing at it. Some seem downright impressed. Here, for example is David Poland on The Hot Blog:

"[Josh] Brolin should be nominated for the Oscar. We'll see whether the crowd around Best Actor is too big for him to crack, but it is a letter perfect performance that looks much, much easier than most critics and audiences, I think, will understand . . . . The only downside is that the movie doesn't offer the massive supporting cast a lot of big awards-style moments. They are just really, really good. And that really should be enough."

Variety's Todd McCarthy is a bit more mixed than Poland, but concedes that W. "offers a clear and plausible take on the current chief executive's psychological makeup and, considering Stone's reputation and Bush's vast unpopularity, a relatively even-handed, restrained treatment of recent politics." And Kirk Honeycutt over at The Hollywood Reporter says that though the film is more bold than it is good, "Stone goes out of his way to give Bush a fair hearing."

Over the summer, I guffawed at the notion that Stone was going to be fair and sympathetic to Bush in W., but it looks like I may be eating those words before too long. Apparently the problem people are having with the film isn't its politics but its lack of formal audacity, which is the opposite what I expected to hear. But it's certainly good to learn that Stone at least attempts a serious treatment of the subject -- those script pages that Slate "leaked" a while back could have fooled me.

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