Nineties comedy Soapdish is the latest casualty of Hollywood’s remake craze. Writer/director/actor Ben Schwartz has just been hired by Paramount to pen the remake.
Ben Schwartz should bring the necessary humor to the script considering his experience writing for Robot Chicken, the crudely humorous stop-motion animated TV series. He is also credited with writing Hugh Jackman’s opening number at the Academy Awards last year, so I think his comedic credentials are established.
For those of us Stateside desperate to see Danny Boyle’s new play “Frankenstein” (playing at the London National Theatre this month), there is hope. A new trailer has been released, following an announcement that Boyle’s stage adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel will be broadcast to select theatres internationally (and that includes 85 theatres here in the States).
Just when you are convinced that Vin Diesel is one-dimensional, out comes news of his original 18-webisode series called The Ropes. Diesel co-created and will produce the series, which is based on the stories of nightclub bouncers.
According to a report in Variety, Diesel’s company One Race Films and Fox Digital Entertainment and Samantha Vincent are producing the web series based roughly on Diesel’s experiences “working the door.” The theme of this series has a personal connection to Diesel, as he worked as a bouncer for years before his acting career took off. In another homage to his modest beginnings, Diesel will cast mostly unknown actors and actual former bouncers to play the lead roles. He is also expected to make an appearance here and there.
Casting for Dario Argento’s new Dracula 3D is underway, with Rutger Hauer reportedly signed on to play Van Helsing. Riding high from his Hobo with a Shotgun buzz, it looks like we’ll be seeing more of the Dutch actor who found fame as a replicant in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner back in the 80s.
According to a Slashfilm report, Hauer will play the role of famous vampire hunter Van Helsing in Argento’s upcoming Dracula 3-D. Hauer hasn’t aged as well as some in Hollywood, but kudos to him for going the non-cosmetically altered route. Besides his au naturel look, Hauer can still command some attention on screen. Over the last couple of years he has regularly popped up in smaller roles, but the recent success of Hobo with a Shotgun at some notable film festivals (and it will be showing at Austin’s SXSW next month too) has garnered a decent amount of buzz.
Funnymen duo Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) are back together for the upcoming sci fi/comedy Paul. Named after a wise-cracking alien (voiced by Seth Rogen), Paul will have its North American premiere next month at Austin’s upcoming film festival SXSW.
So just when you think the Trey Parker/Matt Stone duo (responsible for South Park) has offended all susceptible demographics, out comes news of an upcoming “The Book of Mormon” Broadway musical. According to The Hollywood Reporter, creators Parker, Stone and Robert Lopez say that this musical is not meant to just be “cynical and Mormon-bashing, but hopeful and happy.” Hmmmm….
Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth) announced that he will produce a 3-D, stop-motion animated version of the classic fairytale Pinocchio. But unlike its Disney predecessor, this Pinocchio will be a darker, edgier tale (think Nightmare Before Christmas, but even more surreal). According to a report by Deadline, del Toro will partner with the Jim Henson Company to produce this twisted re-imagining.
Though geared towards a young adult audience, the new sci fi I Am Number Four entertains with sleek special effects, big scary aliens, and lots of superhero action. The fact that it’s somewhat immature and deals with coming-of-age issues doesn’t dull the thrill of this exciting sci fi film, in theatres everywhere on Feb. 18th.
Alex Pettyfer stars as Number Four, the last of nine “superhero” aliens from the planet Lorien. When his planet was attacked by the big bad Mogs he and eight other children were sent to Earth for protection and hiding. The Mogs subsequently destroyed all of Lorien, so Number Four and his compatriots are the last of their very special kind. Each has a “legacy” that appears as they age; a special individualized power in addition to superhuman speed, strength and agility. Each of the Numbers has a guardian warrior from Lorien to watch over them and make sure they aren’t discovered.
Richard Kelly, the director of atmospheric sci-fi film Donnie Darko, is working on a new thriller called Corpus Christi. Reportedly there are no supernatural elements in his new film, instead, it revolves around an Iraq War vet and his strange relationship with a grocer.
In somewhat of a departure for Kelly, Variety reports that his new project will have a more traditional narrative flow. It also won’t rely on supernatural or metaphysical elements, unlike many of Kelly’s past works including Donnie Darko, The Box, and Southland Tales. It’s hard to imagine a film written and produced by Kelly and Darko Entertainment partner Sean McKittrick to not bend the genres a little. Another baffling addition to the list of producers is Eli Roth (writer/director of Cabin Fever).
Remakes, reboots and re-imaginings: America’s appetite for regurgitated cinema seems insatiable right now. This year (according to a Box Office Mojo report) there will be over 25 sequels in theatres, an all time high, and that’s NOT counting remakes and reboots. Eek.
I would like to think American wouldn’t put up with the cheap rehashing of once-popular flicks. But Hollywood’s obsession with sequels and reboots proves there is still a market for them. In other words, people are still plunking down good money to see (usually) inferior sequels. It’s hard to live in a world where Big Mommas part 3 still has an audience.
