Father Geek here with another work-week report from that booming film industry half a world away put together for us by the stunning Ms. Tamsin, and E-mailed to Austin's Geek Headquarter's from tomorrow. Its none other than the...
AICN Downunder Film Report #35
Here is my latest report...
CHAOS
The writer of LANTANA, Andrew Bovell has been signed by Tribeca Films and Universal to pen the screenplay for a feature called CHAOS. Based on the 1999 Hideo Nakata-directed Japanese film KAOSU (why, why, why does Hollywood have to do this?!!!!), the film will be directed by Jonathan Glazer (SEXY BEAST) and will star Benicio Del Toro. Makes absolutely no sense that they have to remake films that have only just been made. Why don't they just put the money into marketing the original?
Bovell did say he is "planning to give the original version a complete overhaul". The story is about grifter who is hired to stage the kidnapping of a rich man's wife, but the woman dies.
Bovell also has a number of other projects in various stages of development ncluding an adaptation of the Arthur Miller play, A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, which is being co-produced by LANTANA star Anthony LaPaglia.
Bovell is also working with Melbourne director Ana Kokkinos on two feature films: THE BOOK OF REVELATION and WHO'S AFRAID OF THE WORKING CLASS. The latter will be adapted from the stage play that Bovell wrote with three other writers for the Melbourne Workers Theatre.
A sequel to that play, called FEVER , will be staged by the Melbourne Theatre Company in September.
The busy Andrew is also talking with LANTANA director Ray Lawrence about adapting Bovell's play, HOLY DAY into a film.
RAIN FALLS
Naomi Watts and Kate Beckinsale are currently in discussions to star in
the black comedy RAIN FALLS. Other cast memers include Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Thomas Jane, Amanda Peet and Ian Somerhalder.
MY MOTHER INDIA
Safina Uberoi has won the award for Script Writing at the 23rd NSW Premier's Literary awards, for her documentary MY MOTHER INDIA. The script writing award which was won last year by Christine Olsen for RABBIT-PROOF FENCE, is part of the prestigious awards established in 1979 by former premier Neville Wran to honour distinguished achievement by Australian writers. Uberoi's documentary is an account of the mixed marriage in India of two outsiders - a Sikh academic and his Australian wife.
THE YELTSIN PROJECT
Jeff Goldblum, Anthony LaPaglia and Liev Schreiber have signed up for the Showtime movie, THE YELTSIN PROJECT, which takes an introspective
look at Russian president Boris Yeltsin's amazing 1996 comeback in the election. The three actors will play elite American political consultants hired by a group of Russian businessmen to manage Yeltsin's bid for re-election. At the time, Yeltsin's term had been plagued by shaky health, the war in Chechnya, the blossoming organized crime, and a poor economy.
THE SIXTEEN PLEASURES
MDP Worldwide and its producing partner Neverland Entertainment have signed a first-look development deal with Handprint Entertainment. Their first film is THE SIXTEEN PLEASURES, starring Nicole Kidman as an American trying to save Renaissance works from a flood in Florence, Italy.
ST KILDA FILM FESTIVAL PRIZE MONEY
St Kilda Film Festival confirmed its status as Australia's premier short film event last night with the announcement of a $10,000 prize money for Best Australian Short Film. This increase, which more than quadruples the current award, will commence at the 2003 film Festival and will be the largest cash prize award for short film in Australia. This is added to the other $20,000 already offered by the festival.
YOU CAN'T STOP THE MURDERS
Miramax Films has acquired the Australian and NZ distribution rights to
YOU CAN'T STOP THE MURDERS, directed by stand-up comedian Anthony Mir and produced by Anastasia Sideris, it was announced by chairman of worldwide distribution Rick Sands. Mir also co-wrote and starred in the film, along with fellow comedians Gary Eck and Akmal Saleh.
The cast of YOU CAN'T STOP THE MURDERS also includes Australian comedians Stephen Abbott (The Sandman), Gary Who, The Umbilical Brothers, and Haskel Daniels as well as a guest appearance by Jimeoin.
Low budget feature YOU CAN'T STOP THE MURDERS, billed as a small town comedy about solving crime and dancing in line, concerns the tiny neglected town of West Bay where two local constables must team up with a big city detective to solve a string of bizarre murders.
GHOST SHIP
Garth from Dark Horizons sent me this link to his report on GHOST SHIP,
the film currently being shot in Queensland.
Queensland-shot flick:
Check it out at:
Just click here
Garth Franklin
Some MOVIEHOLE NEWS
THE MATRIX: RELOADED
Clayton Watson talks to TV Week today about his role as 'The Kid' in THE MATRIX RELOADED, and Moviehole's transcribed it.
"It's a great part", Clayton enthuses."He's 16 years old and eager to
be part of everything. I can't say much more than that". Watson admits it's hard juggling his day-job (TV's Always Greener) with the MATRIX gig. "It's difficult. But it's just a matter of doing one thing at a time. Because I landed THE MATRIX sequels before ALWAYS GREENER, they've written me out of about 6 episodes of Always Greener", he explains. "They've been great".
Watson admits THE MARIX is big, but not new territory. "Film is different because you have a lot more time to think about the scene and your motives", he says "and the scale is a lot larger, of course. But as far as the cast and crew are concerned, everyone's a professional whether they're working on film or TV".
"The enormity of it (THE MATRIX RELOADED) is amazing. Every time you walk into one of the studios you marvel at the size and lifelike look of the sets"
"I started filming in San Francisco last June, so it's a long gig!", he
adds. "My Matrix character wears such distinct make-up and costume that
it helps take you into the scenes. As soon as you walk onto the set you
know exactly where you are. I saw (the first Matrix) twice at the cinema. I fell in love with the film - I even bought it on DVD".
But how did he get the gig? "I remember my agent called and told me there was a role available in the film. I said 'Right...I have to have this role!' "The cast is amazing", raves Clayton. "We've got some good additions like Jada Pinkett Smith and Harold Perrineau Jr, and some great Australian actors like Steve Bastoni and Lachy Hulme".
Watson also has a good word to say about the local crew. "It's a great opportunity for those involved. Apart from the money it brings into the local industry, Australian crews are getting a reputation for being professional and being able to handle large-scale productions".
Clint Morris - Moviehole.net
NED KELLY
The legendary bushranger, Ned Kelly, took over a small rural
town yesterday says The Daily Telegraph. And this exclusive picture show just how Kelly spent the day outside the set in a bid to catch a glimpse of home-grown heart-throb Ledger, 23. They were clearly not worried by reports that Ledger has rekindled his relationship with an old flame, Melbourne model Christina Cauchi. The film's high-profile cast includes Lord Of The Rings star Orlando Bloom and Australian stars Joel Edgerton, Rachel Griffiths, Geoffrey Rush and Naomi Watts. Rush plays foppish Superintendent Hare, who hunts Kelly, while Watts plays the bandit's love interest Julia Cook. Orlando Bloom plays his lieutenant, Joe Byrne. Edgerton, recently seen as Owen Lars in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, plays one of Kelly's gang members.
Thanks to Clint.
That's it for this week.
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