Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...
Well, the trades are just now starting to report that Ted Griffin has been fired from his untitled GRADUATE update. I’ve heard various reports now ranging from fifteen days to one week of shooting had taken place, but whatever the case, the story we reported first was indeed accurate. He’s off the film.
And now it looks like Rob Reiner is stepping in to take over as soon as they rehire people in some of the key departments. Interesting choice. It was obvious they couldn’t let this one just hit a shelf and die, since they have some fairly top-heavy pay or play deals with the primary cast, including Jennifer Aniston, Shirley MacLaine, and Kevin Costner. I’m curious to see if they use any of the footage Ed Lachman shot for Griffin, or if they scrap it all and start over with Reiner at the helm.
Now... about that GREEN LANTERN story that ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY ran. I know many of you have rushed to send us e-mail to say that “you were wrong! They’re not making it!” but did you actually read the story?
Missy Schwartz wrote the article which talks about how DC is working to follow the Marvel Studios model in how to successfully translate their comic properties to the screen. Remember... DC and ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY are both owned by Time-Warner, and right now, they are doing their best to paint themselves as a company that is finally doing things right. They’re still wincing from the critical and financial beating that CATWOMAN took, and they’re nervous about anything that smells like business-as-usual over there. Here’s the exact quote regarding GREEN LANTERN:
”But fret not, true believers! Warner Bros and Black say it’s all rumor: ‘I took a meeting with someone who has the rights, but there’s no [GREEN LANTERN] script,’ the actor tells EW. ‘I’d be interested if there was a really good writer attached, but it’s far from a [done deal].’”
As denials go, that’s a fairly half-hearted one. Without naming names, my original source on the story is placed fairly high up the food chain at Warner Bros. and may in fact have some direct influence on what is or isn’t getting made over there. And when the GREEN LANTERN deal came together, that information was leaked because they were very curious about the reaction you, the potential audience, were going to have. After all, Jack Black is a geek icon right now, so you’d love that, right?
The overwhelming response here and across the entire Internet was a fairly strong indication that they misjudged you guys, and the message has gotten through loud and clear. I know people think that we hate TalkBack, but that’s just not true. At its best, this is exactly what is great about it. You guys get a chance here to speak directly to the people making these decisions, and you get to speak passionately about what you feel. When I get frustrated by it, it’s because of the worst of TalkBack, which is like the worst of the Internet at large: children just looking to smear poop on the wall. I’ll be honest... I’m considering starting a column at the start of each week that would be written by you, where I collect the best of the week’s previous TalkBacks, where we spotlight some of the great ideas you guys have had, or where we simply let the most impassioned of you have your turn with the conch to make sure people don’t miss it. I see a situation like this, where a studio most assuredly changed their mind no matter how hard they spin it in public, and it reminds me of just what it is I love about this give and take with all of you. Keep it up. You got this one right... not us.
"Moriarty" out.
