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Elston Gunn's WEEKLY RECAP
Harry here with yet another fact filled film update from our man with the index cards, Elston Gunn. This one seems a bit small, but that's cause twas a slow week news wise with the major ink being dedicated to how BLAIR WITCH made as much as it has. Hopefully we'll be getting some exciting news this coming week, but for now... Here's Elston....
TAKEN FROM VARIETY AND HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
CASTING
* Jeffrey Wright (BASQUIAT) replaces John Leguizamo, who had schedule
conflicts with MOULIN ROUGE, as the villain Peoples Hernandez in John
Singleton's remake of SHAFT. Christian Bale joins the flick as well.
* Sean Penn and Sarah Polley are in final talks to star in THE WEIGHT OF
WATER for director Kathryn Bigelow and based on Anita Shreve's novel about
two couples traveling to Scandinavia where one of them is investigating a
century-old murder.
* Brendan Fraser joins Jennifer Lopez in THE WEDDING PLANNER about a wedding
planner who finds Mr. Right, but he is engaged to one of her customers.
Adam Shankman will direct the pic late this fall for Destination Films.
* Catherine Sutherland and Musetta Vander grabbed parts in THE CELL for New
Line and starring Jennifer Lopez, Vince Vaughn and Vincent D'Onofrio.
* Leo Rossi joins ONE NIGHT AT MCCOOL'S with Liv Tyler.
* Jenny McCarthy is now among the cast of Dimension's SCREAM IF YOU KNOW
WHAT I DID LAST HALLOWEEN.
* Amy Poehler joins Rob Schneider in DEUCE for Touchstone Pictures.
* Melissa George joins SUGAR AND SPICE for producer Wendy Finerman and
director Francine McDougall.
* Jimmy Fallon ("SNL") will play a band manager in Cameron Crowe's untitled
rock'n'roll pic.
* Peter Weller, Roy Scheider and Gordon Currie are set to star in the indie
action thriller FALLING THROUGH about passport counterfeiting at an American
Embassy in Paris.
* Paul Walker (SHE'S ALL THAT) is in talks to join SQUELCH with Leelee
Sobieski and Steve Zahn to be directed by John Dahl.
* Lili Taylor may star in an untitled Welsh comedy for director Phillippa
Cousins about a beauty queen who reappears in a village where she was
thought to be murdered.
* Chris Rock will voice the title character OSMOSIS JONES for Warner Bros.
about a streetwise blood cell. David Hyde Pierce and producer Joel Silver
will lend their voices as well while Brandy is in talks to voice the female
lead.
* Ethan Hawke may star in ANGELS for director Chris Eyre (SMOKE SIGNALS) and
Platform Entertainment about an ex-con who joins a desperate single mother
on a cross country road trip. Dens Johnson adapted his own novel.
* Joshua Leonard (THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT) is in final talks to star in the
indie feature IN THE WEEDS with Molly Ringwald, Eric Bogosian and J.P. Pitoc
for writer/director Michael Rauch about a group of waiters and the events
that take place during their shift at a SoHo bistro. Leonard will then go
from WEEDS to NAVY DIVER with Robert DeNiro and Cuba Gooding Jr.
* Michael Rapaport, Holt McCallany and Aunjanue Ellis all join NAVY DIVER as
well.
* Uma Thurman is attached to star in THE CUSTOM OF THE COUNTRY for
writer/director Christopher Hampton based on the 1913 Edith Wharton novel.
* Blues musician Chris Thomas King will be making his feature film debut in
OH BROTHER WHERE ART THOU for the Coen brothers. He'll play a Delta blues
musician. King will also record an album of songs from the film and new
ones inspired by the movie, though it will be separate from the soundtrack.
* Dash Mihok and Josh Hopkins have been cast in THE PERFECT STORM.
* Ashley Johnson, Rick Johnson, Mare Winningham, Michael Papajohn, Zachary
Ty Bryant and Meat Loaf star in RUSTIN about a girl who's kicked out of her
home by her religious mother and ends up on the doorstep of her estranged
father in the small town of Rustin.
* Helen Hunt is attached to star in the adventure film FROM ALICE TO OCEAN,
which USA films is in talks to make based on the true story of Robyn
Davidson, who crossed the Australian outback with three camels and a dog to
sort out her life.
* Johnny Depp will star with Christina Ricci in WWII pic THE MAN WHO CRIED
for Sally Potter and Working Title Films. Cate Blanchett and John Turturro
are in talks to join the pic which starts shooting next month.
DIRECTOR/WRITER ATTACHMENTS
* The Bubble Factory picked up Josh Stolberg's spec script BAD NOUGAT, a
dark and desperate romantic comedy in the vein of ABOUT LAST NIGHT....
* Joe Johnston (JUMANJI) will direct JURASSIC PARK 3 for Universal and
Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment. Spielberg came up with a story
which is being scripted by Craig Rosenberg. The studio hopes for an early
2000 start.
* Jerry Zucker is in final talks to direct RAT RACE, an ensemble road comedy
where the winner of a race gets $2 million. Paramount hopes to start
shooting late this year.
* MGM picked up the spec script MARRIED AND SINGLE by Jennifer Robinson
where a married woman and a single woman trade places for a week.
* Brad Christian will write the adaptation and may direct NEEDLES based on
William Deverell's 1979 novel where a drug using prosecutor is assigned to
indict his dealer.
MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCTION TIDBITS
* Producer Scott Rudin will turn Michael Cunningham's novel THE HOURS into a
feature. The story is about three characters in different eras related only
by a parallel in their personal lives--all linked, somehow, to Virginia
Woolf's MRS. DALLOWAY.
* Artisan Entertainment and the creators of THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT will
meet to discuss possible BLAIR WITCH sequels and/or prequels.
* Imagine's Brian Grazer and Ron Howard will produce BAY OF PIGS, an epic
war drama written by Shane Salerno about the invasion of Cuba in 1961.
Howard may also direct with Todd Hallowell (APOLLO 13) producing as well.
* Director Stephen Surjik exited the project BAIT due to creative
differences with the film's star Jamie Foxx. Shooting is still expected to
begin in Sept., but no new director has been chosen.
* Warner Bros. will develop the story of William Weatherford, who led the
Creek Nation into battle against Gen. Andrew Jackson's troops in the War of
1812, into a flick to star Matthew McConaughey. Clint McCowan is scripting.
It feels like recap lite this week. I blame the heat. BAY OF PIGS
sounds cool, OSMOSIS JONES grabbing Chris Rock is a plus and Joe Johnston to
direct JURASSIC PARK 3 is sure to spark a little conversation. OH BROTHER
WHERE ART THOU is getting pretty interesting...can't wait to here more. IN
THE WEEDS and NAVY DIVER are deep into casting...both films share the common
denominator of BLAIR WITCH's Joshua Leonard. Speaking of BLAIR WITCH, what
do you think about sequels and prequels?
Until next week...
Elston Gunn
elstongunn@hotmail.com
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+ Expand All
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You're SO dead on with that... No LOTR news to speak of, nothing major... and everywhere we turn, BLAIR WITCH this, BLAIR WITCH that... it's enough to turn a man's stomach. I'm getting to the point to where I wish I had never heard of the BLAIR WITCH.. although I might not be feeling this bad if that lame piece of trash hadn't been so God Awful... of course, that's just *my* two cents. Nice recap, Big E. Have a great weekend, everyone!
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Blair Witch sequels and prequels?
Hmm, sounds like the farmer is coming to milk old bessie for the 40th time today.
The idea is plausible if there are no more original ideas around. This can be a stable franchise if and only if any other films devoted to the story are done in a different style (perhaps cinematic). Although the back story is interesting, I do not think that a prequel will surpass the business done by the original. The Blair Witch Project was a great movie, in terms of marketing and word-of-mouth hype. And it scared me. Yet, it only satiated the here and now. Unless more product can be rolled out next week, there will not be any interest a year or two down the line. The future of this franchise might land some asses in the seats, but when has Hollywood ever considered leaving well enough alone?
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Aug 06, 1999 7:00:02 PM CDT
Oh...and about the sequels/prequels for Blair Witch...
by dr_frankenevil
I'd rather see a prequel to Chevy Chase's immortal "Under the Rainbow," and a sequel to "Superfuzz" than I'd ever want to see ANYTHING come of the Blair Witch again! Peace out... much love.
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Sarah Polley *and* Sean Penn? With Katheryn Bigelow to direct? While Bigelow has always skirted with the promise she showed in NEAR DARK, I think, depending on the script, a cast like this could put her over the top. This is definitely a project to watch.
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Ok, here's a bit that I found really really really really amusing. When Blair Witch was in limited release at all the arhouses, everyone who saw it was like "oh my god that movie kicked so much ass" including me, cuz don't get me wrong, I loved it. But once it went into wide release... now this is completely honest... 9 out of 10 people i have spoken to who have seen it HATED it. They thought it was boring and stupid. Why? It's not a mainstream movie, it's not for the "American Pie" crowd. But the odd thing is, it made $28.5 million this past weekend and it's undboutedly going to pass $100 million SOON and eventually $200 million. This movie will be huge, but.... so many people hate it. I will go on record to say that The Blair Witch Project is the most successful cult classic of all time. About the sequels? It was inevitable. I think they'll suck, because this movie ran on concept... it really didn't prove that the filmmakers were actually talented. The word is, we'll see it October of 2001 and it'll either go back to the 1940's or it'll go back to the actual "creation" of the Blair Witch. Either way, it'll be funny at best. Except the liscensing to go crazy... Blair Witch action figures, Blair Witch junior novels and of course Blair Witch: The Animated Series... or better yet Blair Witch: the cereal and it'll be a bunch of those little stick figures. I really really liked this movie but it wasn't the second coming of Christ like the media is making it out to be. It certainly wasn't scarier than Henry, Halloween, The Shining, or hell! even Candyman was scarier! But it WAS disturbing in that honest way. I still like Eyes Wide Shut, The Iron Giant, The Matrix, Election and An Ideal Husband better than this one. Still a great movie though and if you haven't seen it yet(and enjoy weird innovative low budget movies) you'll dig this one. Where's the X-Men news this week? Oh and is Ian McKellen really gay? I didn't know that till I got the Gods & Monster DVD and he hinted at it saying that he had much in common with James Whale. I didn't know he was gay... who woulda guessed, well they are better actors than us straight guys! Ok I'm done, this is too long of a post, bye.
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The only good cross-country road race movie was "The Gumball Rally." Darth, you forgot about The Blair Witch video game. I see it as a 'Doom' clone on the PC, and a 'Street Fighter' clone on Nintendo and Sony. BTW, Ian McKellan is gay (not that there's anything wrong with that).
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Oh please if there is a God do not let them make this wonderful film into just another franchise! Why can't they just let a film be good and be done with it anymore??
I have to agree with the above poster who said the hype was way over the top. I think the reason so many people are being dissapointed is because the advertising is totally misleading. This is not a SCARY movie, other than in the sense of the setting and weird circumstances, it is just VERY disturbing.The advertising is making people think they are going to see something that will make them really really scared, and while I still think it is a GREAT movie, it's just not that kind of film. Oh and HURRAY!!!! to that poster who mentioned the Gumball Rally, this is truly a funny and fun film, I have mentioned it on a couple movie sites and no one has even heard of it! YAY, I am not the only one! -
Blair Witch is awesome. A Blair Witch sequel would...hmm, how to put this...oh yeah, suck. A prequel would suck equally bad, if not more. This film had an intensely spooky atmosphere which was tragically tainted by the film's HOLLYWOOD promoters. Long live indie cinema (Pi, Clerks, Exotica...). Indie, good. Hollywood, Bad.
The creators of BWP are trying to go Hollywood, you make the connections... -
Aug 06, 1999 10:51:58 PM CDT
Alright, what is up with the 3 different endings to the Blair Wi
by spike lee
I have been hearing for the past two days that there are 3 endings to the Blair Witch Project. I have seen the film twice once at an art house and an a mall gigaplex and both endings were the same. It ends with the guy in the corner and then the chick gets knocked out. I love the sound the audience makes when they see the guy in the corner. Will the three endings be on the DVD?
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fricking kidding me!! A sequel to BWP would be, to paraphrase Jeff Goldblum in another sequel, "One of the worst ideas in the long, sad history of bad ideas." I really enjoyed the movie, and I do agree with the previous posters who say that the way the movie was promoted did the film more harm than good.
Making a sequel, or prequel, or whatever doesn't seem to be possible unless you're willing to through out what made the original stand out in the first place, and I for one would not want to see it. -
HA !!!!.....Darth Maul. Your post made me crack. I couldn't help it.
Blair Witch ...the cereal?...lol.......shaped like little stick figures.......(i am curious though-marshmallow?)
lol...N-E ways.....Sequel?....lets dont do it. Lets stop while we are ahead. Its a safe bet....don't over saturate the industry . It was a one trick pony....and we all know it. Don't get me wrong. I like the film . I actually engoyed it. But there is no need to ADD a sequel to something that already has established a point in the market. Let the other companies make THEIR Blair Witch movies.....I wont mind if Artisan plans on releasing a sequel in a different light (i.e.- not a documentary)....maybe a spoof of TBWP?.....who knows...its open for many ways-to go......but i hope they chose the right way ..for us....the fans.
>>>WINKIE<<< -
"Whassa behind me, is not important." If ever there was a flick for the backyard, this is it. Great fun.
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Man, I was certain that Sean Penn swore he wouldn't act in any more films. Not that I'm complaining he is though. Great actor.
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i think i liked this movie better when it was called the wedding singer
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So y'all don't like my subject line? Sorry, I'll pick a new one... any suggestions if it REALLY has to go? I don't like "Wipe Your Ass Kids" I think that's kinda lame actually. Something clean and classy, but witty. Anything sexually oriented is nice. I'm glad my post made you laugh, but I was more angry than funny when I was writing it. Sean Penn didn't swear he would never act again... he swore he would never act in a HOLLYWOOD film again... indie flicks only. He also publicly bashed Nick Cage cuz he made Con-Air and Face/Off... ummm sorry Mr. Penn, but Face/Off was better than anything YOUVE done since Fast Times! Oh sure, you were in Carlito's Way so we should all just kiss your ass. Just cuz he has an Oscar and a following doesn't make him any less! Speaking of selling out... who was your last wife? Sorry... just don't like that man's attitude. so Ian McKellen IS gay.. that explains a lot I mean... he was gay in Tales of the City, suggestively gay in Apt Pupil, gay in Gods & Monsters. That man fuckin rocks regardless of his sexual orientation. Speaking of Tales of the City, that was on Bravo last week, I LOVE that miniseries, it's fanfuckingtastic. I love the sequel too... More Tales of The City, but they ditched Chloe Webb and there's just a bit too much graphic male on male action for my tastes. I liked it when they kept it clean the first time around but that's SHOTIME for ya... I heard they're doing a Further Tales of the City, is this true? Does anyone know anything about this? Well Armistead Maupin was cool... and gay... I just found out today that MIchael Stipe is gay... and yesterday that Kevin Williamson is gay!!! I really don't mean to sound sexualist(sexist isn't the right word i guess) I am just perplexed by the fact that ive found out that so many people are gay in the past week... James Whale? I didn't even know that till I saw Gods & Monsters. Clive Barker???? Gay or straight, Mr. Barker is one fucked up man. Hellraiser is one fucked up movie, but it sucks cuz well Clive sucks as a director (see Lord of Illusions). He's great as a storyteller tho which is why Candyman is a CLASSIC! Ok I'm rambling again... gays in hollywood? Let's discuss!!! Me? I'm stickin to my Katie Holmes :) Come on talkbackers, this talkback is too boring, let's fight about something!
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I know most everyone will disagree with me, but I think that it could be cool, if done right, to just remake Blair Witch in the traditional Hollywood style. That would take the whole idea of this being something that really happenned a step farther, because we all know that if this was a true story, and it did really happeen then Hollywood would be all over it in no time. I'm not saying that it WOULD be cool, just that it could be. Either way I think that it would be interesting to see the differences and compare the two of them.
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oh the sun tries to burn me, but you won't let it!!
god dammit, just when my shattered movie faith is somewhat restored by TBWP, something has to come along and fuck it up. Unfortunately, it appears that the thing fucking it up is none other than the makers of TBWP. Blair Witch was a movie that was essentially made for nothing, made outside of the traditional hollywood system, had no big stars or anything like that, and still went on to make tens of millions of dollars because it was awesome. (i don't even want to get into the hype surrounding it, that's a whole new post.. whenevr people ask if it's good, i tell them yeah as long as you dont' expect it to be) To make a sequel to this movie would completely invalidate my feelings about Blair Witch and the filmmakers, it would cast a shadow of greed and financial whoring on them and ultimately lead to the production of a sub-par sequel/prequel that i would personally ignore with all my might. for the love of god, DON'T DO IT! Billy Idol out -
About that uma thurman tidbit, I don't believe she has been confirmed yet for LOTR. Does this info preclude that bit of casting rumor for LOTR?
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Dear Sirs. Congratulations on your nw film success. Although many people did not enjoy it, I thought The Blair Witch Project was phenomenally good. It was well executed, and well acted. You could say you got lucky, or the film was made by the editing, whatever you like. The film was good. The multimedia aspect of it was interesting, too. To my memory, I have not seen a film hit so many aspects of the media before - Web Site, Companion CD, upcoming book/dossier - and they were all well done. I know the folks at Artisan did most of it, and you advised them on it. They did well. Now, Artisan has the rights to any sequel/prequel possibilities for Blair Witch, after you sold the rights to them. You made a cool million-five, and maybe a few points, I don't know. I know the actors got points in the film, mostly as a joke because you didn't think the film would be successful. They surely are laughing now, but that's okay - they deserve it. Here's the point. IF ARTISAN WANTS TO MAKE ANOTHER BLAIR WITCH FILM, DO NOT GET INVOLVED, IN ANY SORT OF WAY. Artisan is an interesting indie studio, that wants to become Miramax. They want that kick franchise film to put them into high gear, much like Scream did for Miramax. Blair Witch sure looks like the IT. But if you want to be filmmakers of any caliber, you would steer yourselves away. You already have a comedy coming down the pike - Heart of Love, I think it's called. It's good that you're expanding yourselves in the medium. Try your hands at a science-fiction film, or a historical drama, or a kick butt action-adventure film. Get your feet wet in every aspect of filmmaking. And maybe, 20 years down the road, you might want to revisit the woods outside Burkittsville again, with the acquired maturity of your filmmaking, and see what you can do. But not now. Do you really want to be Kevin Williamson? The first Scream film was a success, and his name was thrown around more than Quentin Tarantino, if that's possible, so Williamson turned into a churner of product, and no more. If he has another great film up his sleeve, well, let's just say he's wearing a long-sleeve shirt that's several sizes too large for him. Do you want that? If you do, and you want to be assured of a job, for the next five years, anyway, then by all means, go that route. But if you want to be daring, and be innovative, and be immortal in film, you just have to walk away. Let the studio heads at Artisan make another shitty sequel after sequel. You will be blameless. Your reputations as filmmakers will be safe. And, like I said before, maybe you'll come back in 20 years and have a whol new interesting take on the subject. That's fine. But for now, just stay away. Keep your integrity. And maybe you might become Great. It's too early to tell now whether or not Blair Witch is a fluke. Don't let it be. Stay away from it. Sincerely, a Film Fan.
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here's some news on the sequel.
it will be called Return to Blair witch. and will star John Travolta, Adam Sandler and Nicolas Cage.
the basic plot is that the three actors saw a screening of The Blair Witch Project and were spurred into action to go into the woods near Burkittsville and follow the exact tracks of the original Three film makers, oh yeah, the actors are bringing along Jan De Bont also to film their rescue mission documentary style. The Stars hope to find out what happened to the film makers. Hopefully the four "New Filmakers" will all disappear and never be heard from again.
Spoiler coming up.
The "Blair Wotch" turns out to actually be Sean Penn in his best roll since "Bad Boys"
Alternate titles for this sequel are:
Cannibal Holocaust 3
and The Third Broadcast.
well i hope you like the info.
See ya.
Now it's dark. -
While I liked this movie, I fully
realize most people won't.
Its 70% psychological (SP?), and
30% imagination/paying attention to the movie/doing your pre movie homework.
On thoughts of a sequel?
Haxan has it smart: Their next
project is a comedy. Though Artisan wants a sequel. Big surprise there. Of course it wont make half as much cash, as about half the people who have seen this one don't like it...
Could one be done right? Possibly, but doubtful. Its like this boneheaded idea for a new Friday the 13th movie. It will probably suck. Same with thoughts for another Halloween.
When you make a fine movie with a good ending that doesn't have a stupid "Here's a sequel setup!!" thing in it, let it end on a good note. Why end up with another series that gets made fun of for going deep into the land of suck?
I wish the Scream people would have realized that after reading Scream 2's screenplay.....
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* Lili Taylor may star in an untitled Welsh comedy for director Phillippa Cousins about a beauty queen who reappears in a village where she was thought to be murdered.*
OOO, if the actor who is rumored to play in this is who I think it is, I will be running to the theater as soon as it comes out. I would love more details! :)
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