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Lots of Familiar Names in the WGA Nominations
Filed under: Awards, Scripts, Oscar Watch
Nominations for the 61st annual Writers Guild of America awards are in, with a lot of names that will probably come up again in two weeks, when the Oscar nominations are announced.In the original screenplay category, the films and their authors are Burn After Reading (Joel Coen and Ethan Coen), Milk (Dustin Lance Black), Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Woody Allen), The Visitor (Tom McCarthy), and The Wrestler (Robert Siegel). The Coens won WGA awards for Fargo and No Country for Old Men, and Allen has won four times, most recently for 1990's Crimes & Misdemeanors.
For adapted screenplay, the nominees are: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Eric Roth), The Dark Knight (Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan), Doubt (John Patrick Shanley), Frost/Nixon (Peter Morgan), and Slumdog Millionaire (Simon Beaufoy). Roth previously won this award for Forrest Gump, and Shanley won for Moonstruck. If you're wondering, The Dark Knight counts as "adapted" because it uses pre-existing characters. (The Oscars have the same rule.)
What does this mean for Oscar-watchers? In the adapted category, of the 120 nominees since 1984 (prior to that the WGA had separate categories for drama and comedy), 90 of them -- 75% -- have also been nominated for Oscars. But 11 of those WGA-but-not-Oscar nominees have happened in the last eight years alone, and some folks think the WGA-omitted Revolutionary Road and/or The Reader might get some Oscar love.
The original screenplay category is almost exactly the same story, with 31 WGA nominees not getting Oscar nods, 14 of those in the last eight years. Among the much-praised original screenplays that might get Oscar attention despite being overlooked by the WGA are Rachel Getting Married and Synecdoche, New York.
The WGA awards will be announced Feb. 7. You can see the entire list of nominees, including documentaries and TV shows (yay 30 Rock!), here.
McG Heads '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea'
Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Deals, Scripts
Almost three years ago, there was word that New Line was going to remake 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea -- Disney's first live-action film that starred Kirk Douglas and James Mason. In 2007, Sam Raimi said he was looking over scripts (as producer, not director), and then nothing. The project just seemed to fade away. Well, while there's no remake on the immediate horizon, Variety reports that we are going to get an origin story courtesy of Disney and helmed by McG.The project is called 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Captain Nemo, and will (obviously) feature Nemo as he creates the Nautilus. Bill Marsilli penned the screenplay, and Disney is fast-tracking this puppy to film sometime this year -- presumably before the director kicks the next Terminator into gear.
I wouldn't be surprised if this means that New Line (under Warner Bros.) gets that remake cooking to compete with, or go alongside Disney's creation. Should it happen, it would be nice to two companies compete on something complimentary rather than repetitive (think Steve Prefontaine or Truman Capote). Regardless, McG is certainly making a solid name for himself, but what of Nemo's origin? Do you want to know, or do you just want him and the Nautilus to be a mystery of the sea?
'White Lipstick' Lives Again in the 'Hairspray' Sequel
Filed under: Music & Musicals, RumorMonger, Scripts, Remakes and Sequels
I think its time that John Waters gets a phone tree going, lassos in his worldwide band of freaks and friends, and introduce Adam Shankman to a different sort of life. He needs to get wild. Besides tackling Bye Bye Birdie, there's more Hairspray sequel news, courtesy of MTV, that has its quirky perks and boring pitfalls.The sequel will be titled Hairspray 2: White Lipstick -- which just so happened to be Waters' original title for the 1988 film (without, of course, the "Hairspray 2" part). And it does have some Waters zaniness, according to Shankman: "[The treatment] is amazing, but it's crazy. There are things in there that I was like 'Can we do that?' It's real John Waters-y stuff, and it was more like a sequel to his movie than to our movie. Which I love, because then that becomes re-interpreted."
But don't expect too much quirk -- this is Shankman, so his crazy scale definitely isn't equivalent to your run of the mill Waters fan. Sadly, one of the things to go is Zac Efron taking acid and having "trippy conversations with acne on his forehead." (Wussy!) Things from the treatment he'll probably keep: Edna's addiction to diet pills, a new villain -- which means that Michelle Pfeiffer and Brittany Snow are most likely out, and lastly, someone (other than Link) will get drafted for Vietnam.
Any guesses? Any hopes for this White sequel?
'Shazam!' is Dead, Says Writer John August
Filed under: Action, Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, Scripts, Newsstand, Comic/Superhero/Geek
So remember that whole Shazam! movie, with John August writing, Peter Segal (Get Smart) directing and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson starring as the villain, Black Adam? Last year we talked about this project a lot, wondering which actor would eventually play Captain Marvel, as well as teenager Billy Batson. In fact, as recently as November of 2008, Variety had reported that Shazam! was part of Segal's first-look deal with Warner Brothers. (The project was originally set up at New Line, but moved to Warners when they went under.)However, over on his blog, August says the project is now dead in the water after several re-writes, most of which came about after the studio wanted him to take the film from a lighter action-comedy to something much darker (a la The Dark Knight). And regarding the recent news that Segal would be directing, August notes that "press releases often have little relationship to reality." He does admit, though, that the movie may still happen ... just not with him onboard and not anytime soon. Which is a shame, because this pitch -- "Like Big, but with superpowers ..." -- definitely had potential.
Were you looking forward to Shazam!?
The Director of 'Jonah Hex' is ... Jimmy Hayward?
Filed under: Action, Horror, Deals, Warner Brothers, Scripts, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Western
If you watched Horton Hears a Who last spring and immediately thought "This is exactly how I see Jonah Hex," I would have demanded to know what narcotic you were on. Then, I would have had to apologize because you clearly weren't alone. Someone at Warner Bros was thinking the same thing, because according to The Hollywood Reporter, Horton's helmer Jimmy Hayward has stepped in as the director of Jonah Hex. After losing Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, the studio has been frantically searching for a replacement, as they hope to begin shooting in March or April. McG and Andy Fickman were both on the short list, and back in December, Lexi Alexander was reportedly interested in the script. Instead, they chose a former PIXAR man, who made his directoral debut with Horton Hears a Who.
From all reports, they're keeping the Neveldine/Taylor script, so there is that, but Hayward is expected to give it his own mark. Who knows, maybe it's a smaller step from Dr. Seuss to a scarred cowboy than I'm able to picture. You can even argue that animated films and comic books have a lot in common, so you can't really judge ... but it's still a surprising pick, all creative differences considered.
So, will the choice of Hayward tip the balance for Josh Brolin or not? THR is still listing him as attached, but last we heard, he was still undecided as to whether or not to take the lead -- and it all hinged on who was sitting in the director's chair. Will he approve of Hayward over Neveldine and Taylor? Or will he depart for the open prairie, leaving Hayward without a cowboy?
Clive Owen Gets Busy with Colombian Drug Cartels
Filed under: Action, Drama, Casting, Scripts
Colombia's dangerous drug cartels are skeee-rewed! The Hollywood Reporter posts that Clive Owen is teaming up with Mark Cuban and heading to Colombia to take on drug cartels in Cartagena.Turistas scribe Michael Ross is attached to write the screenplay, which focuses on an undercover agent who is embroiled in "a complex plot and must elude drug dealers and international agents if he hopes to survive." Okay, so maybe the cartels aren't screwed if Owen is running from them, but I don't think Clive will have any problem surviving these guys. If he does, they just have to give him a bunch of carrots and a baby to watch out for.
I'm sure this will be entertaining, but it's about time that Mr. Owen got that epic role -- the Indy/McClane/etc sort of blockbuster that gives him an iconic figure that's all his. He's certainly earned it by now. And no, I don't count Sin City. He's a great Dwight, he's only one of many black and white guys and gals in that one.
Details on David Fincher's 'Chef'
Filed under: Comedy, Paramount, Scripts
I'm going to try to not blame David Fincher for choosing to work on Chef (a comedy with Keanu Reeves) over the crime flick Ness -- but I'll be real honest with you: it ain't going to be easy. MTV recently spoke with the director, and Fincher finally opened up about the cooking comedy, and provided some tidbits on what he has in store for the flick. Fincher tells MTV that "It's like a celibate sex comedy if that means anything. It's really about the creative process," the filmmaker explained. "It's truly an aromatic art-form, making food. I love that idea. And I love Keanu's passion for that world."
There had been some speculation that Fincher was going to be working on an adaptation of Anthony Bourdain's best-selling memoir Kitchen Confidential, but it looks like Chef will be an original script. Fincher tells MTV, "They decided to go ahead and make 'Kitchen Confidential' as a [television] series. This is an original script that's very funny." There's been speculation that Reeves has been developing this project for some time, and that he might have also written it -- although Michael Kalesniko's name has also been tossed around as the possible writer -- and, as to be expected, the typically secretive Fincher isn't talking.
So even though I consider Fincher a bona fide genius (and hey, I've got nothing against Keanu Reeves), there's just something about Chef that smells a bit funky. It might be the combination of Keanu and comedy, or maybe I just can't see Fincher keeping it light -- and perhaps the idea of a "celibate sex comedy" isn't very ... well, sexy. Hopefully, they're both going to prove me wrong.
Arcana Comics and Legacy Filmworks Team Up
Filed under: Action, Horror, Independent, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Deals, Scripts, Newsstand, Comic/Superhero/Geek
It's always cool to see the indie comic publishers getting movie deals -- especially a crazy, multi-film one. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Arcana Studios and Legacy Filmworks are teaming up for no less than five adaptations. The first up is Paradox, based on the three issue series by Christos Gage, who also penned the film's screenplay alongside his wife, Ruth Fletcher Gage. It will be directed by Stargate: Atlantis helmer Brenton Spencer, and star Kevin Sorbo. Sorbo will play a cop of a parallel Earth (is there any other kind?) ruled by magic, who finds himself investigating a series of murders committed by the unknown force of science. You might snicker at the premise, but one of the characters is Winston Churchill, who gets to be a 130-year-old sorcerer. You can check out a preview here.
They've also lined up Martin Shapiro's Chopper, which follows a headless, ghostly biker named Jeremiah Payne. As the Angel of Death, he patrols the streets and exterminates sinners. You can check out a preview, but read fast, they're actually planning to start shooting next month. My favorite of the lot is Jay Busbee's Sundown, which sees a journalist and a small-town Arizona sheriff hunting down vampires. Cowboy hats and the supernatural is an automatic win for me.
The other films have yet to be determined -- Arcana has some gloriously pulpy stories in its library, so the possibilities are rather endless. Got any favorites you'd like to see, or recommend to your fellow readers?
Jack Ryan Has a New Writer
Filed under: Action, Thrillers, Mystery & Suspense, Paramount, Scripts, Newsstand, Remakes and Sequels, War
Jack Ryan will live again, if Paramount gets their way. According to The Hollywood Reporter, they've hired Hossein Amini to pen a brand new Jack Ryan picture for the studio. Amini is best known for his classic literature adaptations like Jude, The Four Feathers, and The Wings of the Dove (for which he was nominated for an Oscar). But he seems to be moving into action films these days, like the upcoming Elmore Leonard adaptation Killshot, and he's currently working on James Sallis' Drive for Hugh Jackman. So, Tom Clancy should be a relative breeze in comparison to Leonard, Sallis, and Thomas Hardy.
However, he won't actually be adapting a Clancy book -- Amini will be penning an origin story that reboots the character into a young man, and puts him at the center of an original story. Paramount is hoping that Ryan can become a new franchise, just like they're aiming for with Star Trek, G.I. Joe, Transformers, and Avatar: The Last Airbender, among others.
But really ... is Jack Ryan really worth franchising? I enjoyed The Hunt for Red October and Patriot Games like most of the civilized world, but am hard pressed to name anything very memorable about Ryan. He's not James Bond, with cars, women, and martinis, or Bourne with his amnesia, lethal skills, and boxes of passports. What is he, other than a smart guy who thwarts international plots? I've never read the books, so I could be missing something important. But from what I can see, he just has a cool name, and that translates to a brand these days?
Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie, Together Forever
Filed under: Action, Drama, Foreign Language, Thrillers, Deals, Mystery & Suspense, United Artists, Warner Brothers, Scripts, Newsstand, Tom Cruise, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels, War
Okay, maybe Tom Cruise and Valkyrie screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie won't be together forever ... but they are in for a very long haul. Variety reports that McQuarrie is penning no less than three projects for Cruise to star in. The first up is likely to be The Tourist, which has Cruise and Charlize Theron attached as the leads. A remake of the French thriller Anthony Zimmer, the original script was penned by Julian Fellowes. McQuarrie is quickly rewriting it so that the film can begin shooting by March.
The pair also might be returning to World War II, as McQuarrie and Mason Alley are teaming up to write Flying Tigers, the real life story of a volunteer fighter squadron that was formed to assist the Chinese in fighting the Japanese during WWII. Cruise isn't formally attached, but he has been itching to do another fighter pilot movie since the days of Top Gun.
But the most intriguing film on the McQuarrie-Cruise slate is the UA project The Champions, which McQuarrie is penning and producing alongside Guillermo del Toro. Based on the British television series about super-powered government agents, it's now being developed for Cruise to star in. It was inevitable that Cruise was going to want in on this whole "superhero" trend -- the aura around his Tropic Thunder costar Robert Downey Jr. was espcially hard to miss. How could he not want some of that? Remember, he's already attached to Sam Raimi's Sleeper, so he's obviously waking up to the trend and franchise potential of superpowers. Well, best of luck to McQuarrie and Cruise -- may the relationship be a fruitful one.
