Cool News
WEEKLY RECAP: A look at the week that was...
Alrighty all you readerinos, Elston Gunn has come through yet again with another wonderful job of sifting through the billions of electronic pixels to bring you the latest and the greatest from them two, established journals of entertainment knowledge. Enjoy....
TAKEN FROM VARIETY AND THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
CASTING
* Tony Shalhoub (A CIVIL ACTION) joins GALAXY QUEST for DreamWorks
and director Dean Parisot (HOME FRIES).
* Joan Chen joins the Thanksgiving flick WHAT'S COOKIN' with Julianna
Margulies, Kyra Sedgwick, Mercedes Reuhl and Alfre Woodard.
* Matt Cedeno is now among the cast of PRICE OF GLORY, the boxing pic
at New Line with Jimmy Smits.
* Elizabeth Mitchell (upcoming NURSE BETTY) will star opposite Dennis
Quaid and Jim Caviezel in FREQUENCY for New Line.
* Diane Ladd joins the Sandra Bullock pic 28 DAYS. Mariane Jean
Baptiste (SECRETS & LIES) joins too.
* David James Elliot ("JAG") will co-star in THE SHRINK IS IN with
Courtney Cox and David Arquette.
* Craig Ferguson will star opposite Brenda Blethyn in SAVING GRACE
about a widow who turns her greenhouse into a pot farm.
* Andre Brougher ("Homicide") will co-star in the indie thriller A
BETTER WAY TO DIE about the FBI and Chicago underworld's search for a
missing federal agent.
(HARRY NOTE: Andre Brougher ROCKS! If you hear anything more on this film, let me know!)
* Kevin Corrigan, Richmond Arquette and Jennifer Aspen round out the
cast for SEE JANE RUN starring Clea Duvall.
* Catherine McCormack (BRAVEHEART) is in final talks to take a role
opposite Vanessa Redgrave and Ray Liotta in RUMOR OF ANGELS.
* Sophie B. Hawkins will star in Gigi Gaston's casino heist flick
BEYOND CITY LIMITS.
* LeAnn Rimes joins Brad Renfro and Elizabeth Perkins in UNDER THE
MIMOSA for writer/director Bo Brinkman. The story is set during the
Vietnam war and how it affects the choices of residents in a small
town in the South.
* David Arquette will take the title role in HONKY! as a dance show
host who can't dance.
* James Gandolfini (THE SOPRANOS) joins Jim Carrey in ME, MYSELF AND
IRENE.
* Cameron Diaz, Christopher Eccleston (ELIZABETH) and Jordana
Brewster (THE FACULTY) will star in THE INVISIBLE CIRCUS which
follows a teenager in search to find out more about her sister's
death.
* Brendan Gleeson (THE GENERAL, BRAVEHEART) joins MISSION:
IMPOSSIBLE II.
* Sara Gilbert has been added to the cast of HIGH FIDELITY for Disney
and director Stephen Frears. John Cusack also stars.
* Suzanne Krull (GO) joins both HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISMAS with
Jim Carrey and THE NEXT BEST THING starring Madonna.
* Anna Paquin and Melanie Griffith will star in the indie flick TART
written and directed by Christina Wayne. It tells the story of a
teen in an all girls school who discovers the world of sex, drugs and
nightclubs. Griffith and Antonio Banderas' Green Moon Prods. will
produce.
* Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman are set to star in MOULIN ROUGE for
director Baz Luhrmann--not a remake of the 1952 John Huston film.
It's a musical set in 1899 about a poet moving into a Bohemian
underworld and his affair with a nightclub star. Shooting begins in
October.
(Harry Note: Gosh... Isn't that old news?)
* Jet Li and hip-hop singer Aaliyah will star in ROMEO MUST DIE, a
kung fu "Romeo and Juliet" in the hood with Russel Wong, Delroy Lindo
and Isaiah Washington co-starring. Andrzej Bartkowiak (LETHAL WEAPON
4 cinematographer) will direct.
* Jennifer Jason Leigh and Brad Renfro are in final talks to play
mother and son who relocate to escape his father in SKIPPED PARTS
directed by Tamra Davis (HALF BAKED). Drew Barrymore will have a
cameo.
* Angelina Jolie is in final talks to star in DANCING IN THE DARK for
Warner Bros. and director Michael Cristofer (GIA). The film is based
on Cornell Woolrich's WALTZ INTO DARKNESS set at the turn of the
century where a deceptive seductress marries a wealthy tycoon.
* Amy Madigan, John Heard and Jeffrey Tambor join Ed Harris' POLLACK
about abstract painter Jackson Pollack.
DIRECTOR/WRITER ATTACHMENTS
* Jeremy Brock (MS. BROWN) will adapt for the big screen Sebastian
Faulk's CHARLOTTE GRAY for Film Four.
* Ed Decter (THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY co-writer) will direct THE
NEW GUY for Touchstone Pictures about an uncool high school senior
who gets himself expelled so he can go to the town's other high
school.
* Tom Lennon and Ben Garant have written THE REVEREND PIMP DADDY
picked up by Columbia Pictures about a former pimp who changes his
life to become a minister.
* 20th Century Fox acquired THE MOB SQUAD based on the Details
magazine article by Tim Struby about a mobster who tries to go legit.
* Fox 2000 bought GOOD GOD by Yonatan Berkovits about a Harlem con
man who scams his way into heaven and impersonates God.
* Ingmar Bergman has written THE FAITHLESS to be directed by Liv
Ullman. Shooting begins in August on this picture about a woman and
her love triangle.
* Christine Lahti ("Chicago Hope") will direct MY FIRST MISTER
produced by Film Roman and written by Jill Frankly ("Seinfeld") about
an 18-year old and her relationship with a much older man.
MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCTION TIDBITS
* David Parfitt (SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE producer) has secured the film
rights to the novel SPINNERS by Anthony McCarten about a factory
worker who talks of an alien encounter and ignites a wave of
pregnancy scares in her town.
* Sony Electronics will join Panavision Inc. to develop filmless
digital cameras in time for Lucas to do the other prequels.
(HARRY NOTE: The results of that simple sentence will change filmmaking, both studio and independent, for all time. The world of film... even it's name... well... Interesting times we live in folks. Fascinating.)
* Producer Arthur Friedman has picked up the rights to DREAM LOVERS,
the story of Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee.
* Shooting begins September 8 on the DreamWorks pic THE LEGEND OF
BAGGER VANCE directed, starring, co-produced by Robert Redford.
Morgan Freeman may play the title role in this story about golf in
the 1930s.
* Touchstone Pictures has optioned columnist Dave Barry's novel BIG
TROUBLE, a comedy-thriller set in South Florida.
* United Artists bought the screen rights to Amanda Brown's LEGALLY
BLONDE for More Platt Prods. The pic is described as PRIVATE
BENJAMIN in law school where a blonde goes to Stanford to win back
her boyfriend.
* The Bubble Factory has acquired Walt Becker's LINK about
paleontologists searching for the key to mankind's past in Africa.
They discover the "missing link" and is much different than expected.
* New Line Cinema has picked up the rights to CHOICE OF EVIL by
Andrew Vachss about the hunt for a serial killer who targets gay-
bashers.
REMAKE OF THE WEEK: MYV Films has picked up the rights to the campy
TV 70s show LANCELOT LINK, SECRET CHIMP.
(HARRY NOTE: Oh my god.... I was joking about this with my friends a week ago.... This is one of them signs of the apocalypse)
And so ends this weeks recap. A lot of screen rights of novels
picked up by studios this week. Many of the stories sound very
interesting. LINK, CHARLOTTE GRAY, CHOICE OF EVIL, LEGALLY BLONDE,
BIG TROUBLE, SPINNERS...cool. *** Brad Renfro and Suzanne Krull
grabbed a couple of roles this week. *** MOULIN ROUGE...need more
info. Same goes for THE FAITHLESS. *** THE REVEREND PIMP
DADDY...great title. *** Some other pics are rounding out the
casting: GALAXY QUEST, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE II, 28 DAYS, SEE JANE RUN,
lots of others. Not a lot of "big" names this week, but that doesn't
matter. Casting is casting and the supporting roles can be just as
vital. For example, the teaming of Sara Gilbert with John Cusack is
just plain intriguing. Ditto Brad Renfro and Jennifer Jason Leigh or
David James Elliot and David Arquette. Interesting stuff. ***
ROMEO MUST DIE...comments? *** I'm not sure if the LANCELOT LINK
MTV thing is for the big screen or the small screen. Help me out.
If I missed anything, don't hesitate to put it in the Talk Back.
Enjoy your weekend and keep the emails comin'. Oh, and congrats
to those who got in Cannes. It's going to be a good year.
Until next week...
Elston Gunn
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if you don't reco'nize the names Tom Lennon and Ben Garant, they were members of the (third) greatest sketch comedy show to grace the boob-tube (next to UCB and KITH) "The State."
too bad viva variety was (is?) such an ass-wiping.
"I'M GONNA DIP MY BALLS IN IT!!" -
So how does it work anyway? Will it store entire films in the computer? Can they end up with the same kind of beautiful quality on video like "A Bug's Life?" Man, this is so sudden. I know Lucas wanted to improve films, but cool!
Oh, and is Lucas going to be hands on with the DVD of Star Wars? Fox DVD's have an annoying flaw--they freeze for a second at the end of one scene, ususally early in the movie. Is that explicable? -
Yikes! IT looks like Jet Li has decided to commit career suicide. I'm not the biggest fan of Shakespear, but I *HATE* when writers get their ideas prostituted like this...
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I've seen both perform on the same stage, and the UCB blew away The State. I haven't been as impressed with the UCB on television, but when you see them in a live sketch comedy environment, they really are second to none.
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Old Will was the master of retooling old material for his own purposes. In fact R & J originated witht the Italian writer Bandello and was adapted in English by Arthur Brooke before the bard got near it. Jet Li and Aaliyah are an intriguing combo; maybe we'll see some Shaolin bumping and grinding because both of them are sexier than old Leo and Claire on a good day.
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Bergman's FAITHLESS and Ed Harris' POLLACK... I know they are at the beginning stages, but please keep an eye on them. Maybe a MORIARTY script review??? Moriarty, you there? That would make my day.
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I just heard that Keanu Reeves is petitioning for the part of Strider AKA Aragorn. I am hoping that this is A. a rumor, or B. a sick joke. I agree that he did a good job in the Matrix. He has been getting better in his acting techniques (devils advocate was good) I just dont think he is ready to play this part. What do you think?
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When I was younger Lance Link really made me laugh. I still have fond memories of that show. I hope the remake is faithful to the original because the cocept is still funny and could be great if it's done right. I HOPE this movie doesn't suck....
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I have looked at the previous talkbacks concerning LOTR. It is a shame that a few bad mouthers have to ruin it for all of us. I was just informing people on the latest rumor (even though I hate rumors) Its ust a shame we cannot discuss this without the possibility of someone getting their panties in a bunch.
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Obviously u hasn't seen any HK movies of JC, Jet Li or CYF ...I understand that their movies have no sex screens...and that probably why u think they are *unentertain* .fucking pervert...go rent yourself some porno ...old man
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How can you take a book called "Waltz into Darkness" and change it to "Dancing in the Dark"? Isn't it obvious that the former is a much better title. I know nothing about the project and lord knows I'm not attacking the Boss (You better come to my town this year you mutha) but it just strikes me as strange.
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Forget all that, let's rejoice in the fact that two more singers are being given acting jobs! I for one have been waiting years and years for LeAnn to take the talent she displays in her videos onto the big screen! What presense! What charisma! What... the hell is going on? It's not like there are too many good roles for actresses that they've got to slough the surplus off on amateurs. Goddess help me! (Although Sophie B. in a Vegas heist flick is just too pricelessly campy for words. How 'bout a gender-bent Ocean's 11? Anyone got the cohones to try that one? Anyone? Bueller?) I can't wait for Shania'a big screen debut. Oh wait, yes I can. My mistake.
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