Foxx Joins Willis For 'Kane and Lynch'

It has been announced, or more accurately leaked, that Jamie Foxx is set to join Bruce Willis in the video-game action thriller ‘Kane and Lynch’.

Last year it was announced that Willis had committed to the role of Adam ‘Kane’ Marcus, a death row convict seized while travelling to Ol’ Sparky by the notorious gang The7, Kane’s previous employers. The breakout is not sentimental. Kane has 72 hours to locate a doomsday device that The7 believe he stole, or his wife and daughter will be murdered. Joined by fellow sprung inmate Lynch, a psychotic prone to violent outbursts, they begin their search against the clock.

Deadline Hollywood has reported that it was non-other-than screenwriter Kyle Ward who tweeted the inside scoop on Foxx’s latest casting. While no official announcement has been made, its more than likely the duo will report for filming in August.


The project is certainly intriguing, boasting a concoction of elements that can cover History of Violence, Commando and any Dan Brown novel. Yet, there is one element that cannot be ignored: big screen adaptations of video-games are consistently poor. Will Kane and Lynch attain the echelon of success? It certainly has a strong lead cast, and producer Adrian Askarieh boasted that Ward has produced "one of the best action scripts he's ever read". Still, we'll wait for a trailer before allowing anticipation to grow.
MATT RICHARDSON

This Is The Final Destination, All Change Please, All Change.

After releasing The Final Destination it would be reasonable to assume that the Warner’s and New Line franchise had come to a close. But logic and candour can never overcome bottom-line profit; especially as Alan Horn, speaking at ShoWest, has announced that another movie is in development.

Yes, apparently death’s grand design, so effective at ensnaring photogenic teenagers, a revolving feature of its precedents, has not yet developed the cunning needed to expire the franchise itself.

The announcement did not indicate whether series stalwarts Glen Morgan, James Wong or David R Ellis would be along for the plane ride? Check, car ride? Check, roller-coaster ride? Check, speedway chase? Check. Well let’s just say, by any means of transportation that this feature will be brought to a 3D screen near you, they are currently not on board.

MATT RICHARDSON

Owen Wilson:Turkey in Disguise.

Bedrock Studios have launched their first project, the CGI family orientated ‘Turkeys’, announcing that Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson are set to star.

Turkeys will mark the first venture for the newly established Bedrock Studio’s. The studio formed through a union of Cary Granat’s Granat Entertainment and Reel FX, run by former ILM executive Ed Jones. They have set themselves a challenging mandate: To develop and produce franchise films in the range of $35 million and under.

The film revolves around Wilson and Harrelson as two poultries in motion through time. With the feathered time-travelling duo attempting to influence their future fate; plucked, stuffed and on the Thanksgiving table.

Oscar nominated animator Ash Brannon, once of Pixar, and credited as co-director on Toy Story 2, is charged with bringing the project to the big screen. Brannon certainly has good pedigree, after leaving Pixar to join Sony; he helmed the enjoyable penguin documentary comedy, Surf’s Up. 

It will be written and produced by John J Strauss (There’s Something About Mary) and David I. Shern (Open Season 2). For now we will concentrate on the former, rather than the latter as a source of potential for this project.

MATT RICHARDSON

Burton To Visit The Addams'

With Alice in Wonderland fast becoming the highest grossing film of the year, and of Tim Burton’s career to date, it may be unsurprising that his latest project sees him in familiar territory, with a 3D animated stop-motion project centred on The Addam’s Family.

According to Deadline Hollywood, Burton will source inspiration from the Charles Addam’s original illustrations first seen in the New York Post, that have been purchased by Universal’s Illumination Entertainment.

Characteristically, Addam’s original incarnation of the delightfully ghastly Addam’s family, are at first glance, distinctly suited to the style that Burton has made his own in previous animated features The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride.

Indeed, it is a staple of Burton’s back catalogue to seek light in dark and life in death. It is this fascination with all things abnormal, that on paper, this project offers Burton the perfect scope to deliver more of the same.

The project is set to be an independent imagining of the world of Addam’s, with Burton delving into the litany of the original illustrations. Previous incarnations of the ghoulish family have included the camp 60’s television series, and two Barry Sonnenfield directed comedies from the 90’s, starring Raul Julia and Angelica Huston. 

There is no writer yet attached, so this project is definitely one for the future. However, with Burton set to provide much of the visual look himself, his exhibit currently on display at a MOMA, may hint at a possible feel that he may adopt.

Undoubtedly, a ‘Burtonesque’ imagining of the immortalised family appears to be a perfect twisted match. However, It does raise a question, After Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd and Alice In Wonderland, is Burton overdoing the re-imagining route? After all his collection of short illustrated story poems in The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy, carry the potential for an entire casting of weird and wonderful new worlds. Surely, it is time Burton should resist his recent muse, and bring new focus to new ideas. 

MATT RICHARDSON

Breaking Dawn Seeks Indie Director, Oscar's Preferable, For Fun Long Lasting Relationship

With Eclipse set for release in July here in the UK, Summit Entertainment has cast their net in search of a new director to helm part 4 and 5 of the Twilight franchise. The first catches to be reeled in take the form of Bill Condon, Sofia Coppola, and Gus Van Sant.

This calibre of director, is not what you would expect to be within touching distance of the Twilight franchise. However, the financial capabilities of the Breaking Dawn finale, may just be enough to turn their head. According to Entertainment Weekly, Summit has put calls into all three, with only Bill Condon reportedly to have confirmed the approach.

Of the three, Coppola would be the interesting choice to lend gravity to Bella's character choices. Coppola has delved into angst ridden characters, evaluating their beliefs to who they are in context of their surroundings. She is best known for her Oscar winning Lost in Translation starring an aged Bill Murray and young Scarlett Johansson as lost souls in Tokyo, with their off-chance meeting fuelling a tender relationship. Her next directorial effort to hit the big screen is Somewhere, which revolves around a hard living Hollywood actor who is forced to re-examine his life after a surprise visit from his young daughter. 

Van Sant last offering last offering was to depict a biography of gay rights activist Harvey Milk, gaining an Oscar nomination for Milk. Lastly, Bill Condon, who's last big-screen outing was back in 2006 when he directed musical drama Dreamgirls. 

All three directors have crafted Indie film careers, this is telling, and suggests Summit Entertainment have reverted their thinking after replacing Catherine Hardewicke, who had at that point had drug addled teen in Thirteen on her resume, with the more Hollywood inclined Chris Weitz who had just completed The Golden Compass. But, it was Weitz that produced the clunky follow-up New Moon, to Hardewicke's slick Twilight original. 

Breaking Dawn the fourth installment of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight Franchise is set to be split in to two separate outings, with screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg already toiling with the adaptation. There is uncertainty behind such decision to split one book into two outings, but it is not the only one of its kind in development, with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and The Hobbit also heading in the same direction.

This will be the fourth change of director to the franchise, and it is the most telling. The complexity of delivering Breaking Dawn in its split form has sent the studio searching wider than one could have imagined, and as yet any director could be at the helm when the production begins later this year. 

MATT RICHARDSON

Selma Find's Its King

Precious director Lee Daniels has been scouring to find the right man to portray civil rights leader Martin Luther King in Selma, and now he has found him in British actor David Oyelowo.

Selma tells the tale of the historic Selma to Montgomery marches of 1965 which marked the emotional and political peak of the American Civil Rights campaign, with hundreds of activists left bloodied and gassed as they marched for the right to vote. The resultant reaction to the atrocities  dealt out to protesters, was an exponential growth in support that led to the change of racial equality.

Oyelowo will be seen next In George Lucas’ Red Tails, a story that centres on the first African American pilots to fly in combat in World War II. But, he is best known in the UK with his work on the BBC, with his roles in Spooks and The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency. Though, his appearance as Dr. Junji in The Last King of Scotland is very creditable, and provides Oyelowo with accumulation of projects that merits in substance and depth.

Selma could well be a breakthrough role for Oyelowo, who will star opposite Hugh Jackman, as a racist sheriff who is charged with stopping the march at any cost. However, the project is currently under threat due to financial reasons. Pathe International had offered to invest a large financial backing to the project, before then scaling back its interest. Producers are currently shopping the script to other studios in order to generate much needed capital to get the project off the ground.

Given the importance of Selma's historical context, with this era fundamentally shaping the modern world, the project deserves its chance. On the back of Daniels success with Precious, and the bankable Jackman on board, executives may just take the gamble within the confines of realistic budget, due to the small market the film will resonate with.

MATT RICHARDSON

Rose McGowan Signs For Conan, Red Sonja Halted?

Nu Image/ Millenium Films has announced that casting for ‘Conan’ in its current titular form is completed, with the addition of Rose McGowan.

As shooting began in Bulgaria on Monday, the final pieces were pulled together, with variety reporting that McGowan has been brought in to play ‘an evil half-human/ half-witch’. But, the arrival of McGowan puts the ever-delayed Robert Rodriguez incarnation of Red Sonja in serious doubt.

After all, since the story exists in the same lore as Conan, it would be a strange decision to cast McGowan as a different character, if she was set to play Red Sonja in a later film.

Speculation that production has indeed halted has stirred ever since McGowan, who was set to star as the lead, and Rodriguez separated.

McGowan has held out in hope that she would indeed star as the female warrior, but it seems for now that she must be content with a role the Marcus Nispel reboot of ‘Conan The Barbarian’ due out 2011.

MATT RICHARDSON

 

Gandalf Speaks. We Listen.

Sir Ian Mckellen has confirmed via his website that production on The Hobbit, the prequel of-sorts to The Lord of the Rings trilogy helmed by Peter Jackson will begin in June for a year-long shoot.

Mckellen, who himself is returning to The Hobbit films as Gandalf says:

"The Hobbit’s two films start shooting in New Zealand in June. Filming will take over a year. Casting in Los Angeles, New York City and London has started. The script too proceeds. The first draft is crammed with old and new friends, again on a quest in Middle Earth".

Guillermo del Toro will direct both films, with Jackson co-writing the screenplay based on the J.R.R Tolkien's The Hobbit.The direction of the two films was revealed to TORN by Del Toro. He sees the book as the first self-contained film, with the second to act as 'an integral part of telling the story of those 50 years of history lost in the narrative'.  


Part One, was due to be released late 2011, with all Lord of the Rings released in December, it would be a fair bet that this trend continues. But, with post production likely not to start until both films are wrapped next, a more likely due date is December 2012.

MATT RICHARDSON

Sigourney Weaver is Queen of the Damned

After conflicting with blood-curdling demonic beasts since the 70’s, you may have thought Sigourney Weaver's time in the blood-red light of horror had past. Alas, she is damned to everlasting hell, well, as a vampire queen in Amy Heckerling’s “Vamps” at least.


According to Heat Vision, Weaver has signed to the romantic horror-comedy and is to play vampire Queen, Ciccerus. Heckerling wrote and is set to direct Vamps; a modern day tale about two young vampires ladies to be played by Alicia Silverstone and Krysten Ritter, who are lapping up the fast-paced New York night-life, that is until love enters the picture, and they are torn between jeopardising their immortality.

Undoubtedly, as it was Ciccerus who turned the ladies into creatures of the night, she will have a fang-gnashing say in the matter.

Production is due to start in late April.

MATT RICHARDSON

David Fincher set to tackle The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

With the Swedish release of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo hitting the Uk screens this week, it appears it is already in line for an English translation, with David Fincher reportedly in line to direct.

The story, based on late author Steig Larsson’s novel, revolves around the 40-year-old disappearance of a favourite niece, to aged tycoon Henrik Vanger. Journalist Mikael Blomkvist is enlisted by Vanger, and joined by computer hacker Lisbeth Salander, who is intrigued by the mystery as she investigates Blomqvist as a preliminary to his hiring. As the investigation progresses, they find themselves pursuing multiple serial killers.

Sony inked a deal for the English translations late last year, with Scott Rudin set to produce, and American Gangster scribe Steven Zaillian charged with producing a first draft. Now, according to NY magazine Vulture magazine, David Fincher is linked with the project. By delighting Sony Executives with The Social Network, the story about the founders of Facebook, the project is Fincher’s to refuse.

Of course, some will speculate the need for such a conversion. Especially given the fact that Director Niles Arden Oplev’s incarnation: ‘Man sam hator kvinnor’ (Men who Hate Women), released to critical praise.

But, the tantalising spectre of such event would be, of course, the inclusion of David Fincher. After all with Seven, Fight Club, and The Zodiac on his resume, Fincher is no stranger to murky-thrillers that endeavour towards shades of grey.

Fincher, it appears, is a man on a mission of late, with the Variety reporting that Pawn Sacrifice is another project linked with the director. Pawn Sacrifice is a biopic of American Chess Champion Bobby Fischer, depicting the period of his rise up to the ‘Cold War’ championship battle in 1972, against Boris Spassky.

But, that’s not all. We reported only last week that Fincher is attempting to resurrect his 3D animated anthology, Heavy Metal. With James Cameron and Zach Snyder already reported to be onboard the project.

MATT RICHARDSON

Emma Stone in Crazy, Stupid Love

Not only does Steve Carell’s latest project now have a title, Crazy, Stupid Love. But, it also has a possible new cast member: Zombieland’s Emma Stone.

According to Vulture, Stone is currently in negotiation with Warner Brothers to star opposite Steve Carrell and Ryan Gosling. However, details in to her possible role weren’t clarified, since it is pivotal, and potentially a massive spoiler.

The film, will find Cal Weaver (Carrell) as a recent cuckolded husband, struggling with self- respect, trying to reconnect with his children while being guided from no clue to GQ with the ladies by Gosling.

From the outset, Stupid, Crazy Love reads like the lovechild of Carrell’s 40-year-old Virgin and Dan Real in Life. But, arguably this is no bad thing. Carrell’s career peaks with the characters that are self-deprecating, out of touch and lady challenged. After disappointing with Evan Almighty and Get Smart, at least this project has the potential to put Carrell back on the pedal stall.

Dan Fogelman (Bolt) penned the script with I Love You Philip Morris directors John Requa and Glenn Ficarra, with the cameras set to commence as soon as Carrell has completed his commitments to the The Office.

MATT RICHARDSON

Chris Evan's Joins Puncture

 

Chris Evans has been missing from our screens since last year’s so-so action fantasy Push. But, he has signed onto his next project: Indie drama, Puncture.

The film, revolves around the current state of healthcare in America, and will see Evans’ as drug addicted lawyer Mike Weiss, who must come to terms with his own demons while suing a healthcare corporation.

Directed by duo Adam and Mark Kassen, they were drawn to the project through its relevant context.

“From the moment we heard about this story, we connected to what it says about the current state of medical industry and the flawed hero that tries to fix it”, Adam Kassen tells variety.

 

The shoot has commenced in Houston, with Jesse L Martin, Michael Biehn, and Marshall Bell filling out the cast, working from Chris Lopta’s script.

The big question, of course, is this: will the film critique the healthcare system directly, akin to homophobia in Philadelphia, or will the focus shift attention to the tribulations of Evans character? The potential success of Puncture, relies on the execution of balance between the two. 
MATT RICHARDSON

Kristen Stewart is ‘Backwords’.

Kristen Stewart is busy cranking up on the projects between Twilight downtime. After ‘The Runaways’ and ‘Welcome to the Rileys’, she has signed on to her next project; Backwoods.

According to Showbiz 411, Stewart will co-star alongside Julianne Moore. There are no further details as yet about the story, however the film will be directed by Moore’s husband, Bart Freundlich, and will centre on the end of the world.

‘Backwoods’ is very much in early development with further members yet to be cast, but the cameras should start rolling by the summer.

MATT RICHARDSON