There have been plans to make a movie based on EverQuest, the popular Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game, for some time now. But with the game seemingly past its prime (although we hear EQ membership is trending up again), we were all beginning to wonder if the flick would actually happen. It certainly wouldn't have been the first game-to-film adaptation to be announced with much fanfare and to subsequently languish in development. However, sources tell IGN that Sony Pictures is still determined to bring the property to the screen. We recently learned that the studio is teaming up with former Marvel Studios honcho Avi Arad to make the movie based on the Sony Online Entertainment title. Reliable sources have informed us that Sony views the project as a potential blockbuster release for either 2009 or 2010.
For the unindoctrinated, EverQuest is based in the fantasy world of Norrath during the Age of Turmoil. The game's lands are inhabited by numerous races that you'd expect to find in a game like this -- humans, elves, barbarians, trolls and ogres, just to name a few. Each character belongs to a class such as druid, warrior, enchanter, ranger, rogue, or wizard, that defines their abilities and shapes their overall development. The players can engross themselves in an innumerable number of quests (hence the title), while playing with a group or going solo. The adventures are set in a vast world comprised of diverse landscapes that are inhabited by fairies, dragons, werewolves, orcs and other fantastical creatures.
Now, with the EQ movie seemingly on deck, it's time for us to take a closer look at how the flick might play out...
Story: Shrouded in Mystery
We've been told that 300 writer Michael Gordon has been tapped to pen the screenplay. The plot, as you might expect, is being kept tightly under wraps, but we know that the film will feature some of the most prolific characters in EverQuest lore. With the vastness of the game's backstory it could seriously go anywhere, but our best suggestion, and one we think the filmmakers are most likely to explore, would be to center the game around Firiona Vie, the sexy female high-elf featured in EverQuest's iconic box art.
The film could track a diverse group of characters -- with the most popular classes and races being featured in the main cast -- on a quest to rescue the kidnapped Firiona from the Iksar. Or the movie's action might center on the prolific conflict between Firiona and her nemesis Lanys T`Vyl. Each scenario offers plenty of opportunity for exploring the coolest parts of the game. We'd also split the cast into groups -- a la Lord of the Rings: the Two Towers -- and cut back and forth between their quests.
Director: Ghost of a Chance
With a writer already in place, the obvious question becomes: Who will direct the EverQuest movie? We think it's possible that producer Avi Arad will call on his pal Mark Steven Johnson, director of Ghost Rider and Daredevil, to helm the EQ flick. And while Johnson, who is also an established screenwriter, has not exactly struck gold with his comic book adaptations, we think he's shown enough potential that we'd consider trusting him with EverQuest. Johnson is currently writing the pilot for HBO's adaptation of Preacher (he's also executive producer on the series), but as far as we know he has no other plans after that, so availability isn't an issue.
We aren't anticipating the studio going after any really big names to fill the director's chair, but there are still plenty of other choices
Recent reports stated that the filmmakers behind the forthcoming Bond 22 were looking for a beautiful Latina actress to play the next Bond girl. Now there's word of two Brazilian actresses who are said to be up for the coveted role. MI6.co.uk claims that Brazilian news reports are linking Juliana Paes, 28, and Fernanda Lima, 30, with the Bond girl role. The site adds that both actresses are expected to film screen tests in the U.S., although the actual shooting of Bond 22 will take place abroad (possibly in Panama). Juliana Paes's credits include the TV series Pe na Jaca and America, while Fernanda Lima has also appeared on Pe na Jaca as well as Bang Bang
Mike Allred has given fans the skinny on the current status of the movie adaptation of his comic book Madman, which George Huang will direct and Robert Rodriguez will produce for Dimension Films. Comics2Film.com points out that Allred told Newsarama.com that he and Huang have now completed a second draft of the screenplay. "It can be a struggle to figure out exactly what the movie should be. It's where it's faithful to the original series, but also feels contemporary and in the now," Allred explained. "The bottom line is that all the elements I'm excited about are in there, and all the moments that I think the most diehard fans would want are in there," he revealed. "Right now, we're waiting on the studio notes, and hopefully we'll get the green light and be able to start casting and scheduling. Otherwise, we'll go back for a new polish and start up again. But that's the exact situation we're in now
Goodbye, John Rambo. Hello, Rambo to Hell and Back. That is the new title of the Sylvester Stallone vehicle, according to Lionsgate's publicity site. Rambo to Hell and Back is slated for release January 25, 2008. Set in Thailand, Rambo revolves around a group of Christian aid workers who recruit Rambo to guide them up the Salween River to deliver medical supplies to the Karen tribe of neighboring Burma (a.k.a. Myanmar). When the missionaries fail to return, Rambo is persuaded to take a group of mercenaries back into the war-torn border region to find them. What follows is a descent into hell on earth. Stallone writes, directs, produces and stars as Rambo. The pic was filmed on location in Thailand. Also starring are Julie Benz as "Sarah," Matthew Marsden as "Schoolboy," Graham McTavish as "Lewis," Rey Gallegos as "Diaz," Jake La Botz as "Reese," Tim Kang as "En-Joo," Paul Schulze as "Burnett," and Ken Howard as "Arthur Marsh
The new Scotty and Sulu have been beamed up. British comedic actor Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) has been cast as Chief Engineering Montogomery "Scotty" Scott in the new Star Trek movie, while John Cho (Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle) has been cast as helmsman Hikaru Sulu. The film will reunite him with director J.J. Abrams, who directed Pegg in Mission: Impossible III. The Hollywood Reporter broke the casting news, and adds that Captain Kirk's parents will also be characters in the film and are yet to be cast. Also not yet cast is the role of Captain Christopher Pike, the Enterprise's first captain. The role of Scotty was originated on the small screen by the late James Doohan, while George Takei (Heroes) played Lt. Sulu. The Paramount picture begins filming next month for a Christmas 2008 release date. The script was penned by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. The Trek cast includes Eric Bana, Anton Yelchin, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana and Leonard Nimoy. Chris Pine is considering the key role of Kirk
We Own The Night reunites director James Gray with two of the stars of his crime drama The Yards, Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Wahlberg. The film, penned by Gray, takes its title from the motto of the NYPD's 1980s street crimes unit. Set in 1988, the story follows Bobby Green (Joaquin Phoenix), the manager of El Caribe -- a Russian-owned nightclub in Brooklyn's Brighton Beach. He lives a carefree life with his beloved girlfriend Amanda (Eva Mendes), spending every night in a drug-induced haze of music and partying. Bobby, however, is not who he seems; his real surname is Grusinsky and he's the black sheep son in a family of NYPD officers. Bobby's brother, Joseph (Wahlberg), and dad, Burt (Robert Duvall), are veteran cops out to bring down the burgeoning Russian mob -- a mission that leads them to raid El Caribe. This bust not only enrages Bobby, but also incurs the wrath of vicious gangster Vadim Nezhinski (Alex Veadov) who seeks to get even with the cops who crossed him. After Vadim retaliates, Bobby and Amanda find themselves caught in a war between the cops and the mob. Bobby finally chooses which side he's on and tries to make amends by helping the cops target Vadim, who doesn't realize Bobby is actually a Grusinsky. [ignvideo]object_ID=954930&downloadURL=http://moviesmovies.ign.com/movies/video/article/812/812858/we_own_night_091407_flvlowwide.flv[/ignvideo] We Own The Night employs one of the oldest and most melodramatic chestnuts of the crime genre -- friends/siblings who find themselves on opposite sides of the law -- which has been done in everything from Angels With Dirty Faces to the current Showtime series Brotherhood. (This hoary cliche actually has a basis in fact, as anyone from certain neighborhoods in New York, Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia could tell you.) Thankfully, Gray's characters are weighty and dimensional enough to allow the viewer to overlook the generic nature of the story. Gray also manages to spice up such familiar genre set-pieces as a car chase and the climactic showdown. A car chase-ambush is made even more gripping by setting it in a (CG-animated) rainstorm and showing it only from the point-of-view of one driver. The final shootout in a field of weeds is obscured by smoke, a creative decision that generates some genuine tension in what otherwise seems like a preordained outcome. The film opens with Phoenix graphically groping a boob-baring Mendes, a sequence that elevated the movie to three stars before it even hit the five-minute mark. Mendes has never looked more sultry than she does here (that is until the stress of being caught between the cops and the mob takes its toll on her). While she's certainly not the strongest member of the cast, this is arguably her most demanding role to date (which becomes clear post-groping). Wahlberg -- who earned an Oscar nom last year for his portrayal of a streetwise cop in The Departed -- finds the vulnerability in his role as the decorated favorite son. Duvall can play the demanding dad and tough boss in his sleep by now, but he -- like Wahlberg -- finds the chinks in his steely character's armor. The movie, though, belongs to Phoenix, who makes Bobby a sympathetic antihero even at his weakest and most selfish. He nicely captures Bobby's growing sense of responsibility and the toll it takes on this once-free spirit as he comes to accept his destiny
Almost a decade after they lit up the screen in the acclaimed Elizabeth, Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, and director Shekhar Kapur reunite for the follow-up Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Even more lavishly produced than its predecessor, Elizabeth: The Golden Age is, like the 1998 film, a thriller gussied up as a costume drama, but it makes the same mistake that so many sequels do: it mistakes bigger for better, overwhelming the viewer with so much music, spectacle and melodrama as to nearly squelch the human drama. Elizabeth: The Golden Age opens in 1585 and finds the queen still being harangued by her staff, notably chief adviser and spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham (Rush), about finding a husband and producing an heir. She entertains a number of royal suitors, but is charmed the most by the dashing Sir Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen) -- a pirate and explorer who has just recently returned from the New World. Raleigh tells the monarch and her court about how he established a colony there in honor of the Virgin Queen -- Virginia -- and shows off the gifts he has brought back for her, namely tobacco, potatoes and gold. The Spanish ambassador, however, doesn't take too kindly to the presentation of the gold, since the swashbuckling privateer Raleigh stole it from Spanish vessels. Tensions between Spain and England, two powerful empires in their prime, are already at a fever pitch since King Philip II of Spain (Jordi Molla) plunged Europe into holy war. (For those of you who skipped class, Spain is a Catholic nation, while England is Protestant.) These are the days of the Inquisition and Elizabeth and her advisers fear that Spain will bring such terror to their shores. Philip II, however, isn't the only royal pain for Elizabeth. There's also her cousin Mary Stuart of Scotland (Samantha Morton), an imprisoned Catholic monarch, and a cell of Jesuit zealots (led by Rhys Ifans) who are out to assassinate Elizabeth. Long story short, Spain launches its superior armada to conquer England and, well, if you don't know what happened to them then you really did miss class, didn't you? Amidst all this international intrigue, Elizabeth falls for Raleigh, but appears poised for heartbreak again when he becomes taken with the queen's beloved lady-in-waiting, also named Elizabeth but who goes by Bess (Abbie Cornish) for short. Raleigh may have sought the queen's favor in order to fund his next expedition, but he finds that destiny has something else in store for him. [ignvideo]object_ID=40176&downloadURL=http://moviesmovies.ign.com/movies/video/article/826/826433/elizabeth_golden_ints_flvlow.flv[/ignvideo] Subtlety is hard to find in Elizabeth: The Golden Age. The film's bodice-ripping passion is the stuff of romance novels featuring Fabio on the cover, and the film's political subtext is far too on the nose for its own good. (Even the score is over-the-top at times.) It is not reading too much into the film to see Philip II as a substitute for George W. Bush, portrayed by Molla as an awkward zealot whose piety fuels his policy to wage war on whomever he perceives as a threat. On the other hand, the Catholics of this film are almost a stand-in for Muslims -- but, unlike Philip II, Elizabeth refuses to trample the rights of her subjects whose religion happens to be the same as her enemies -- while the Jesuit assassins operate like a terrorist cell. The film goes out of its way to make its metaphors transparent, as if screaming, "This isn't some period movie! This is really about today!" The Spaniards here are reminiscent of both the Klingons as portrayed in the original Star Trek series (swarthy war-mongering charlatans), as well as Mexican bandidos in any number of spaghetti westerns
On Friday, October 5, 2007, IGN took a sneak peek at the I Am Legend Second Life Survival game. Based upon the forthcoming adaptation of Richard Matheson's classic science-fiction novel of the same name, the Second Life Survival Game offers fans an opportunity to go inside the world of the film and explore its physical universe while inhabiting a number of different characters. "Follow my creepy Darkseeker," says John Limpert, a Warner Bros. representative who in second life plays one of the creatures that Robert Neville (Will Smith) squares off against in the film. Currently I am dressed casually in a t-shirt and jeans, the generic uniform for Second Life characters before they are personalized before their users. "What we've done is set up these kiosks [that] tell you the basic fiunctionality of Second Life. First we're talking about how to move the camera, and this one is about communications. Chatting and the social aspect of this is great because [your conversation shows up] if you type something in there and hit return." My character's hands oddly mirror my own efforts to converse in the Second Life universe. "What you may have noticed is that when you [converse], it will look like your avatar is typing on a keyboard," Limpert explains. Because I have not explored Second Life before, he offers a few caveats before we proceed into the game. "It's a little complicated if you aren't already set up with using a headset on your computer," Limpert says of the chatting process, "but once you've done it once it's pretty easy. The hilarious thing about voice chat is that not only are you able to talk to whoever you want, but you also will see your avatar gesturing as you talk." As if on cue, my on screen counterpart nods and looks in Limpert's direction as he explains the process to me via telephone. "We spent a lot of time on communications because this is a game, you've got a goal, but really we wanted to let people know that the really cool part about this is when you work with other people and the fact that unlike most games you go out and play, everybody's a real person in Second Life. There's no bots, there's no A.I. people." Limpert's Darkseeker runs off to another location where a set of billboard displays shows the various physical forms your character can take. "We've made a set of kind of default skins that you can change the way you look." Basic diagrams show human, animal and Darkseeker forms. Another Warner representative Sara Van Gorden explains, "As you can see, players of Second Life get a choice of really basic default avatars, and we wanted to up the ante on that by giving them custom clothing and skin - something a little better than the average." [ignvideo]object_ID=771901&downloadURL=http://moviesmovies.ign.com/movies/video/article/826/826512/i_am_leg_survive_date_101107_flvlowwide.flv[/ignvideo] Sarah walks me through the process of changing my appearance, including skin and clothing color, and then she and Limpert dart off to our next location. "Are you guys moving a lot faster than me or am I just doing this wrong?" I ask, bringing up the rear. Limpert instructs me to hit Control-R, and I promptly pick up the pace. (Information how to perform actions like running appears on the game's optimization screen, which is found on another set of "billboards.") While I run towards them, Limpert offers a broad outline of the set-up for the game. "An incurable, unstoppable man-made virus is basically killing everybody and the people that are left fall into infected and uninfected people," Limpert explains. "Your goal is to find a cure to this virus and survive." As I continue to pick up speed, he continues: "You can play as a Darkseeker, an infected human, or an infected dog, or you can play as an uninfected human of a police dog. You go in here and you get to actually choose your factions, specifically the class. You can be a dog class or a human class
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"It's really hard to find a good script in Hollywood," says George Clooney. "You'd think it'd be easy, but it isn't." He's speaking at the Toronto film festival press conference for his latest film, Michael Clayton. Also on the panel are director Tony Gilroy, actress Tilda Swinton, and producers Jennifer Fox and Steve Samuels. Clooney, a man who had moments before jokingly introduced himself as "Sir George", turns to his director as he says, sadly, "You read this script and you go, this movie's gotta get made. And they're not easy to make, you know, in this day and age." The film tells the morally ambiguous story of Michael Clayton (George Clooney), a law-firm specialist who is brought in to "fix" situations that can't be ironed out easily. Written and directed by theatre director and screenwriter (the Bourne films) Tony Gilory, Michael Clayton is clearly a story that Clooney feels needed to be told on film. As he says, "In the last eight films I've done I've been paid for two. You do the movies you do and the rest of them you do for as little as possible just because you want to get the movies made." What attracted Clooney to the project more than the "issue" was the strength of the screenplay. "You could take these characters and this story and put it into a medical drama or put it into a government drama. This movie is about flawed individuals. One of whom comes to realize that he's looking for redemption. It's about the decisions that are made based on your own self interest - at what point do you keep pushing the line of morality? We've done it for years, these kinds of films, and the reason we do them is because we do suspect corporate America, and with good reason. Between RJ Reynolds and some people, they've done some pretty shady things and we require a whistleblower. All of those things are very real, so I think that's why it resonated with me." Speaking as a screenwriter, Gilroy also thinks that what's more important are the larger questions the film asks. Gilroy doesn't see Michael Clayton as an issue film, but as a moral debate. "When I think of ideology, I think of Democrat, Republican. It's not really a blue-state, red-state political issue. There really isn't a political constituency for poisoning your children. It seems to me it's a moral film, not an ideological film." After a beat of silence, Clooney adds, "I think you should start saying it's a political film. If they laugh, it's a comedy." Tilda Swinton cuts in, "I think it's a film that isn't necessarily about lawyers or necessarily about Americans. I think it would be an insult to the film to say that it was. It's a film about human beings perpetuating inhuman acts. And I think it's too sophisticated a film to suggest any answers. We have inhuman acts perpetrated by human beings who love their wives and mothers and pat their dogs and can laugh at jokes. It's a question and it's a human question, and it could exercise any one of us, whether we work for a corporation or a bakery or even in the film industry." Known for being very politically-minded, Clooney says that he didn't approach the film trying to color the facts; he actually saw documents attesting that corporate "fixing", sometimes resulting in death, does happen. "Tony showed me things before we started. There are actual inner-office memos that are literally saying, from one department to another, if you recall this product it's gonna cost you three hundred million dollars - if you don't, it'll kill three hundred people a year and the class-action suit will cost three hundred thousand dollars. Those documents informed how I played the part. Because you can justify it. You can say that by laying off thirty thousand people, maybe three hundred die because of that." Quite a cut and dry way of looking at it, but, then again, that's the point of the film - to ask people to wonder where grey becomes black
Will Smith is set to reteam with
Ali helmer Michael Mann for the director's new film,
Empire, setup at Columbia Pictures.
Variety scoops that Smith will top the cast of the drama which is scripted by John Logan (Gladiator). Not much has been revealed about the movie's plot, but it's been disclosed that Smith will play a contemporary media mogul.
Mann's most recent directorial effort was last year's movie adaptation of Miami Vice. He mostly recently collaborated with Big Willy as producer on Peter Berg's Hancock (p.k.a. John Hancock, p.k.a. Tonight, He Comes) which stars Smith as a down-and-out superhero with a bad image who gets aid from a corporate public relations consultant.
Smith can next be seen on the big screen in I Am Legend, which opens on December 14.
Empire shares its title, but should not be confused with another in-development production, the movie adaptation of Orson Scott Card's novel of the same name that producer Joel Silver has cooking at Warner Bros
Leonardo DiCaprio is now set to star in the politically-themed drama
Farragut North, an adaptation of Beau Willimon's stage play that's setup at Warner Bros.
George Clooney, today's Variety says, will produce and is considering directing the project.
Willimon, a playwright who has worked for several political campaigns including Howard Dean's 2004 presidential run, is penning the script.
The story reportedly revolves around an idealistic communications director (DiCaprio) who, while working for a fast-rising presidential candidate, falls victim to the backstabbing and trickery of rival politicians.
The play will make its Broadway debut next year with Jake Gyllenhaal in the stage role, Variety says.
It's unclear when production on the project might get underway
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The next trailer for The Dark Knight will reportedly debut around December, possibly attached to the release of another Warner Bros. picture, I Am Legend, which opens Dec. 14. Batman-on-Film.com was "told that there's a chance that it could premiere online via TDK's viral marketing campaign as the teaser was released last summer (July at Comic Con)." The site also claims a one-sheet for the Christopher Nolan-directed sequel is expected soon and that it won't merely be the Bat-logo seen on the official film site. [ignvideo]object_ID=752133&downloadURL=http://moviesmovies.ign.com/movies/video/article/819/819296/dark_knight_tease_091107_flvlowwide.flv[/ignvideo] In other Bat-news, Christian Bale has spoken to KeysiKFM.com about how the fighting style used in Batman Begins -- Keysi Fighting Method -- will differ in The Dark Knight. "We've gone a bit further with Keysi...I'm actually learning how to do it more realistically than ever before, though it's such an extreme way of fighting," Bale revealed. "There are literally moves where you tear someone's cheek away from their face, or rip their nose off." OUCH
Warners Bros. will distribute the newly retitled Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins in North America. The studio previously released Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. Terminator Salvation will begin filming in early 2008 and will cost less than T3. John Brancato and Michael Ferris penned the screenplay for production company Halcyon. Variety reports that the fourth installment "seeks to reinvent the cyborg saga with a storyline to be told over a three-pic span." As Halcyon co-CEO Derek Anderson explained, "This is set in the future, in a full-scale war between Skynet and humankind." Producer Moritz Borman added, "The third film was really the conclusion of what happened in the 'now.' You will find the most-loved characters, but the intention here is to present a fresh new world and have this be the first of a trilogy." According to Variety, "no final decision" has been made about a director despite the buzz about McG helming the movie. Another question mark is the inclusion of Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was elected governor of California after T3. The producers said it's possible that Arnie could shoot a cameo depending on his schedule and interest
Land of the Lost is officially on its way to the big screen. The movie adaptation of the classic genre TV series by Sid & Marty Krofft has been given the go-ahead by Universal for a March production start.
For those that haven't been following the project's development, this new school version will take the spoof-ish route and will star Will Ferrell as a disgraced paleontologist who finds himself in a strange world inhabited by dinosaurs, monkey people and reptilian Sleestaks. Ferrell's character is accompanied by his assistant, and a macho tour guide, two roles that have not yet been cast.
Brad Silberling (Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events) will direct from a script by Chris Henchy and Dennis McNicholas.
The movie, Variety scoops, will be budgeted at around $100 million. It reportedly had to be toned down from $125 million before getting the greenlight
Chris Pine (Just My Luck, Smokin' Aces) is reportedly in negotiations to play Captain James T. Kirk in director J.J. Abrams big-screen re-ignition of Paramount's Star Trek franchise. Mike Vogel was previously rumored to be the frontrunner for the role. The Hollywood Reporter broke the news about Pine, 27, playing Kirk, and adds that the actor is also set to re-team with Smokin' director Joe Carnahan for White Jazz. Pine would play George Clooney's partner in it. According to THR, "The biggest stumbling block to getting both roles at this point might be scheduling. Sources said Trek will shoot from November through March, while Jazz has a mid-January start. Although both sides are trying to sort out the date puzzle, it is possible that Pine and his camp could be forced to choose which role to take. Paramount is not sitting idle while negotiations are under way, with sources saying that the studio is looking for backup actors to have on deck." (You hear that, Mike Vogel?!) Ironically, Pine's father, CHiPs star Robert Pine, has appeared on episodes of Star Trek: Voyager and Enterprise. The elder Pine's co-star on CHiPs was none other than Worf himself, Michael Dorn. Oh, but this isn't the only Star Trek casting news that broke tonight. Although two Kiwi actors -- Russell Crowe and Karl Urban -- were reported to be under consideration for the role, it turns out that Aussie star Eric Bana has been cast as the villainous "Nero" in Trek. StarTrek.com made the announcement this evening, followed by a report at Variety.com. Online scuttlebutt has it that Nero will be a Romulan. Bana's credits include Hulk, Troy, Munich, Chopper and Lucky You. He will next be seen as Henry VIII in The Other Bolelyn Girl
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IGN paid a visit last fall to the set of
The Comebacks, Fox Atomic's sports spoof opening Oct. 19. The Tom Brady-directed comedy stars David Koechner as Lambeau Fields, a down-on-his luck coach -- no, make that the worst coach
EVER -- who seems poised for a comeback when he's hired to coach a struggling college football team called, well, the Comebacks. Managing to parody nearly every sports movie ever made,
The Comebacks sees Lambeau redeem his miserable life by getting the chance to lead his misfit team to the championship. Pierce College in Woodland Hills, CA was selected to stand in for the Texas university (Heartland State) that's home to the Comebacks, and the surrounding arid suburbia certainly evoked the Lone Star state. The most notable aspect of this set was its low-key demeanor; indeed, the atmosphere on set felt more like that of an enthusiastic class on a cool field trip than the usual tense and tired film production. While the jury's still out on whether audiences will find
The Comebacks fun, it was evident that the cast and crew enjoyed making the film despite the heat and rigors of "playing" football. On the day we visited the set, filming was taking place on the Pierce football field. In addition to the main cast and crew, a smattering of extras endured hours in the hot sun to play fans in the bleachers while a gaggle of gorgeous young ladies playing cheerleaders heated things up even more. We observed director Tom Brady shooting a scene where Coach Fields, incensed by a referee's call, throws a tantrum on the sidelines. He hurls asides his clipboard, then his cap and finally his dentures and glass eye (much to the shock of his team, all played by relative newcomers). Unfortunately, we have confirmed that this scene does not appear in the final theatrical cut of the film. [ignvideo]object_ID=860889&downloadURL=http://moviesmovies.ign.com/movies/video/article/809/809628/comebacks_trlr_e_091907_flvlowwide.flv[/ignvideo] "The thing that attracted me to it when I first read the script was it's more than just a parody movie in the
Scary Movie vein or a
Date Movie kind of thing," director Brady told IGN. "It had a great story with a lot of heart that held up on its own anyway. The story of this coach who's got his last shot at redemption and is trying to hold his family together and his rebellious daughter and her relationships. It had the potential to be a classic comedy movie on its own, and in the telling of this story we get to echo and make fun of all those clichés and conventions of all those other melodramatic sports movies, football movies. So we can kind of have our cake and eat it, too."
"Lambeau Fields has dirtied every coaching water he's ever waded in. He's a perennial loser," Koechner explained during a break in filming. "He is the guy that sent the Stanford band onto the field against Cal State Berkeley that one year. He's the guy that distracted Bill Buckner in the '86 World Series. He's the guy that instructed Tyson to bite Holyfield's ear. He's never won anything ever in his life, and he gets recruited to take on this college football program and he does. That's where the excitement begins. We get to lampoon the overraught coaching and sports dramas. So it's a lot of fun. It gives you a lot of latitude. Everything has an emotional base, every scene because it's a touchstone of all these films you've seen before." To prepare for his role, Koechner viewed footage of real coaches as well as several popular sports movies. "They sent me a lot of clips. There's a lot of real stuff that we're doing and I don't know if I'm at liberty to give those away but they are very funny. ... Basically, every football movie that's been made in the last 10 years is lampooned in one way or another
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Steven Spielberg, director of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, told IGN that development is going well for his collaboration with Peter Jackson on Tintin. While it was previously announced that the directors plan on making Tintin a trilogy of films, Spielberg said that Jackson will direct the first installment and he will direct the second, with an option for them to co-direct the third if they don't find a suitable filmmaker to take over the reins. Speaking from the set of Indy IV, Spielberg said that the film will be shot entirely with motion-capture technology, which is familiar to Jackson after King Kong and the Lord of the Rings films but still relatively new to Spielberg. The director said that each filmmaker will shoot 30 days of motion-capture: Spielberg will shoot his in the United States while Jackson will shoot in New Zealand. Spielberg also said that the special effects will be produced by Jackson's Weta Workshop, but a high-speed internet connection between the two locations will allow the production to receive and process images quickly. (Whether this will require additional security measures given the recent Indy IV thefts remains to be seen
Steven Spielberg, director of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, told IGN that Transformers 2 is rapidly being prepared for production. Spielberg, who executive-produced the first film, said that the story will be going out within the next 30 days. The original Transformers followed the adventures of a young boy named Sam Witwicky (Shia LeBeouf) who finds himself caught up in an intergalactic struggle between two groups of shape-changing robots. Spielberg said that the producers want to get the film going before the possible Writer's Guild strike occurs. Speaking from the set of Indy IV, Spielberg also said that Le Beouf will be returning to the role of Sam for "multiple" Transformers films
On Tuesday, October 9, 2007, IGN visited the set of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull at Universal Studios in Hollywood, Calif. While on set, director Steven Spielberg spoke briefly to journalists about the production, which he said was two days away from completion, and offered a few insights about the methods by which the film was shot. According to Spielberg, he is shooting Indy IV on film instead of using digital video, despite producer George Lucas' encouragement to use the newer technology. The reason for this, Spielberg said, was because he wanted the film to remain true not only to its predecessors in the series but also to the original serials which inspired Indiana Jones' initial creation. Additionally, he said that the effects work was approximately 70 percent practical and 30 percent CGI, although the computer-generated work will be obvious (presumably backdrops and large set pieces). Spielberg also confirmed that the Russians are the villains in The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which he said is accurate given the film's 1950s time period. He said that from the film's opening shot you can immediately tell who these villains are and why. When asked about actor Shia LaBeouf taking over the mantle of action hero from his co-star Harrison Ford, Spielberg coyly said that LaBeouf has a lot of big things in his future. At the same time, he indicated that LaBeouf has to make multiple Tranformers movies before he can move over and take on the fedora and bullwhip of Indiana Jones
It's becoming increasingly likely that Hollywood screenwriters are going to stage a walkout come Nov. 1 as talks between the Writers Guild of America and the major studios continue to deteriorate faster than Britney Spears' physique. A writers' strike could seriously impact some of Hollywood's biggest upcoming movies, including Bond 22 and Justice League of America. MI6.co.uk points out an article in the British newspaper The Guardian, which claims that Bond 22 and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince are "likely to be affected" by the walkout. It should be noted, however, that Potter has already begun filming, while Bond 22, which Oscar winner Paul Haggis is still rewriting, doesn't begin filming until mid-December. Justice League, another reported possible victim of the looming WGA strike, will reportedly go before cameras in early 2008. The Guardian adds, "The WGA had been expected to join forces with the DGA [Directors Guild of America] and the SAG [Screen Actors Guild] in the summer, rather than on November 1, when its current contract with studios expires. The possible strike is over royalties from sales of movies over the internet and on DVD, which are not covered in the current deal between the various guilds." Today's Variety adds that a "possible lockout is also being discussed
On Thursday, October 11, 2007, IGN will be interviewing none other than director David Cronenberg. In addition to discussing his latest movie, Eastern Promises, the filmmaker will offer IGN readers a unique opportunity to ask him questions about any- and everything having to do with his illustrious career. IGN will select the questions based upon reader emails and comments left on this story and ask them on-camera during the interview. While IGN reserves the right to refuse asking any question we deem inappropriate or disrespectful to Cronenberg, we encourage you to come up with your craziest and most creative inquiries. The interview questions and answers will appear in coming days on IGN Movies
The movie rights to the graphic novel
The Last Christmas have been picked up by Hollywood Gang Prods. who are hoping to bring the twisted Image Comics holiday tale to the big screen.
No talent is attached to the project just yet, but Variety reports that Hollywood Gang's Craig J. Flores will executive produce.
Penned by Brian Posehn and Gerry Duggan, The Last Christmas tells what happens at the North Pole while the rest of human civilization is ravaged in a nuclear holocaust. As the entire planet plummets into chaos, a mob of road warriors break into Santa's Workshop and kill the elves and Mrs. Claus. Suicidal, Santa tries to hang himself on his Christmas lights, but he cannot die as long as there is at least one child on Earth who still believes in him.
As it turns out, one young Santa-believing boy and his hot mom are living in what's left of San Francisco, fighting off zombies and gangs, and trying to keep Christmas alive. Santa sets out to pay them a visit, not with the intention of spreading Christmas cheer, but to kill the boy and put an end to their misery. However, the grizzled St. Nick has a change of heart and the trio team up to save the world... and the holiday.
Check out IGN Comics for more on The Last Christmas
Superman Returns star Brandon Routh will reportedly star in Dead of Night, the feature film version of the SAF Comics horror title Dylan Dog. David R. Ellis (Snakes on a Plane) is said to be attached to direct. Comics2Film.com points out an article at ComicBookResources.com about Routh's reported involvement with the Arclight Films production. The news originated in SAF's September catalog, which also claims the film has a $35 million budget and will begun production soon on location in Connecticut. Created by Tiziano Sclavi, Dylan Dog was first published in Italy by Sergio Bonelli Editore and was later released stateside by Dark Horse Comics. The series followed Dylan Dog, a nightmare investigator who lives in London. He always wears the same clothes and is riddled with phobias
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We like sci-fi just as much as the next guy so we've got to admit we're pretty excited about checking out the new trailer for Doug Liman's Jumper, which drops here on Wednesday, October 10. Based on the book by Stephen Gould, the film is the first in a trilogy. The official website (which you should probably visit and explore around on) spells it out nicely: "For almost as long as there have been "Jumpers" there have been those that hunt them. These people are called Paladins -- an ancient sect that has long recognized the threat that Jumpers pose to the world, the Paladins have evolved into an elite organization of warrior-like individuals who find and kill Jumpers around the globe. Over the years, the Paladins have cultivated a special skill -- the ability to sense when a Jumper is about to Jump in the vicinity. This heightened awareness gives the Paladins a much needed tool to use when battling the Jumpers. Today, Paladins are so good at killing Jumpers that few make it to adulthood. When Jumpers start Jumping around age 5, their youth and inexperience makes it easy for Paladins to track them." We're there. Trailer on October 10, 2007. Here
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New Line Cinema has announced that Sam Elliott will host a ceremony to unveil the worldwide trailer for the upcoming fantasy film The Golden Compass. The trailer premiere, scheduled for 8:30 PM on Tuesday, October 9, coincides with the opening of the ice rink at Rockefeller Center in New York, NY, where two massive LED screens will offer fans a chance to view new footage from the film for the very first time. The Golden Compass trailer premiere at Rockefeller Center is part of a global marketing campaign by New Line to show the footage, which also includes events in Italy, Japan, Germany and Holland among other countries. As part of the campaign, party attendees in selected locations will be eligible to win a trip to London for the world premiere of The Golden Compass on November 27, 2007. The Golden Compass is an adaptation of the first chapter in Philip Pullman's beloved His Dark Materials trilogy. The film is written and directed by Chris Weitz (About a Boy) and stars the aforementioned Elliott (Hulk), Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Eva Green and the voices of Ian McKellen, Ian McShane, Freddy Highmore and Kathy Bates
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After months of rumors online, the gist of the plot of the forthcoming live-action Justice League of America movie has been revealed, including confirmation of which characters will be in the George Miller-directed film. According to Entertainment Weekly, which says it "has obtained an early version of the script," all "seven original members of the Justice League — Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and the Martian Manhunter — are featured in an origins story about the superhero conglomerate. The plot revolves around villainous businessman Maxwell Lord and involves cyborgs called OMACs (One-Man Army Corps), who can take over humans and turn them into killing machines. There are epic battle scenes between Superman and Batman, as well as Superman and Wonder Woman, and League could spawn a slew of additional franchises if it's successful." Kieran and Michele Mulroney penned the screenplay. JLA will reportedly begin filming this February in Australia for a summer 2009 release. EW, which recently reported that Jessica Biel was no longer in the running to play Wonder Woman, now claims "Biel is in early talks to play Wonder Woman in League, but as with (Batman star Bale and Superman star Brandon Routh), the studio might be wary of a crossover; one source says that her contract is unlikely to guarantee that she'd be the star of any future Wonder Woman feature." IGN contacted Biel's reps at CAA today who advised us that she is no longer in talks for JLA. There may be another -- and nastier -- reason why a Wonder Woman spin-off film might be questionable now. According to DeadlineHollywoodDaily.com, Warner Bros. president of production Jeff Robinov recently decreed, "We are no longer doing movies with women in the lead." This is reportedly in response to the lackluster performance of two recent female-driven Warners releases, The Invasion and The Brave One. As Comics2Film.com points out, "such a mandate would spell doom for the long-in-development Wonder Woman movie. It's inconceivable that a studio would dismiss the opportunity to make use of one of the few remaining iconic superhero characters yet to be adapted for modern movie-goes, but if Robinov's decree is real, then (Warners) may do just that
Bionic Woman writer-executive producer Laeta Kalogridis will rewrite the long-gestating vampire thriller Darksiders for New Line Cinema. Kalogridis' work will reportedly amount to a "major overhaul" of the project, which follows an FBI agent who teams with vampires to stop a weapons dealer. Tom S. Parker and Jim Jennewein penned the original spec script that New Line bought in 2001. According to Variety, "Once Kalogridis finishes her rewrite, the project will go back out to directors." Jonathan Hensleigh and David Goyer were previously attached to the project. Alison Rosenzweig and Geyer Kosinski are producing
