Father Geek here with Elston's 1st Weekly Review of Hollywood's work week for 2002, and guess what? He doesn't have a 10 Best, or Worst, or Medium Flicks list for us to wade through and bitch at each other about. I guess "List Season" is offically past here at AICN, sooooo here's Elston's report on what little work came out of Tinseltown the last few days, because now its time for...
The WEEKLY RECAP...
Happy New Year, guys. Just a quick recap of the news from the holidays.
Not a lot of stuff, but a few good tidbits here and there.
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TAKEN FROM VARIETY AND HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
* Dimension Films has picked up SCARY MOVIE 3: EPISODE 1 - LORD OF THE
BROOMS, written by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. It's about an orphan
who goes on a magical journey around the world to fight evil. Production
begins in March.
* Erik Jendresen will adapt material from Sebastian Junger's nonfiction book
FIRE for a bigscreen feature by DreamWorks. The book chronicles the fight
to contain raging forest fires in the Western U.S. as well as Junger
reporting from the front lines in Kosovo, Afghanistan and diamond-smuggling
networks in Sierra Leone.
* Peter Segal (NUTTY PROFESSOR II) will direct Adam Sandler and Jack
Nicholson in the comedy ANGER MANAGEMENT for Revolution Studios.
* Matt Schulze will star opposite Jason Statham in the action movie THE
TRANSPORTER for Luc Besson's Europa Corp. Besson and Robert Kamen wrote the
script to be directed by Corey Yuen. It's about a man whose job is to
deliver packages without asking any questions. Things get complicated when
he breaks those rules. Hong Kong actress Shu Qi also stars.
* Steven Culp and Dina Meyer join the cast of STAR TREK: NEMESIS for
Paramount Pictures and director Stuart Baird. Patrick Stewart, Jonathan
Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina
Sirtis, Whoopi Goldberg, Tom Hardy, Majel Barrett, Kate Mulgrew and Wil
Wheaton star.
* Michael Madsen is in talks to play a rogue CIA agent in MGM's latest James
Bond film as well as join the cast of Miramax's KILL BILL for Quentin
Tarantino. The actor also will star in the indie pic BLUEBERRY, based on
the French comic books of the same name, for director Jan Kounen
(DOBERMANN).
* Ray Park has joined Antonio Banderas and Lucy Liu in Franchise Pictures'
action pic ECKS VS. SEVER for Thai director Kaos. Alan McElroy (SPAWN)
wrote the script. Park will follow that pic with IRON FIST, based on the
Marvel Comic, for director Kirk Wong.
* Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez (THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT) will write and
direct THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT 3 for Artisan Entertainment.
* Ellen Pompeo (upcoming BABY'S IN BLACK) is in negotiations to star in Todd
Phillips' comedy OLD SCHOOL, starring Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn and Will
Ferrell. The actress is also in talks for a role in CATCH ME IF YOU CAN,
starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks.
* Rapper Eve will star alongside Vin Diesel, Samuel L. Jackson and Asia
Argento in the spy thriller XXX for Revolution Studios and director Rob
Cohen.
* Dennis Hopper, Donnie Wahlberg and Deborah Unger have joined LEOPOLD
BLOOM, starring Joseph Fiennes, Elisabeth Shue and Sam Shepard, for director
Mehdi Norowzian. It's about a young mother plagued by a tragic mistake that
results in her alienating her little boy. Meanhwhile, a brilliant writer is
released from prison after serving a 15-year sentence and begins working at
a diner. The stories meet as the man must overcome his to save the little
boy as well as himself.
* Elizabeth Mitchell and Spencer Breslin will star opposite Tim Allen, David
Krumholtz, Judge Reinhold and Wendy Crewson in the Disney pic SANTA CLAUSE
2. Shooting begins next month for a planned holiday 2002 release date.
GUNN SHOTS
(NOT from the trades)
* Visit This Site for info on producer Curtis Hall's
Civil War film WICKED SPRING, "the most ambitious Civil War film ever made."
* For locations/showtimes and info on Ivan Rogers' film FORGIVE ME FATHER,
visit This Location.
* Heard of the new online series that may be going to the Sci Fi channel?
If Not, Click Now!
* Rubbergash Productions is announcing Sick Puppy Festival 2002 taking place
February, 15th 2001, San Francisco, California. Check it out My Just Clicking for more info.
* Panorama Entertainment's David Mamet/Joe Mantegna collaboration LAKEBOAT
now has a website: Click here to visit it.
Happy New Year. Hope the theaters are fun in 2002.
Until next week...
Elston Gunn
elstongunn@hotmail.com
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