Film News (07/03/10)

A big catch up on three weeks worth of news, although this does mean we have to edit out some of the less exciting stories (at least in my humble opinion). I've not had the time to do any production or release date news, other than one new film that I've already shown the trailer for. I'll update on all that after my return from the tour.

Contagion

Without doubt the most interesting project coming is from one of my favourite directors - Steven Soderbergh. It concerns an outbreak of a deadly virus spreading worldwide, with an incredible cast of white coat wearing scientists battling to stop it. When I say incredible cast I mean it - currently attached are Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard, Gwynneth Paltrow and Laurence Fishburne. It's difficult to try to second guess how Soderbergh will play this. It will be coming after the popcorn black ops pic Knock Out so I'm thinking this may end up being more introspective like a more populated Andromeda Strain.



Read on for virtual reality wars, two types of gangsters, a modern day Lady Macbeth and lots of wild animals.



Dot War

It's a crazy sounding project, as reporter by Pajiba, based around the idea that a video game programme gets recruited by a shadowy government agency to battle terrorists using virtual equipment. I'm not completely sure what they mean by virtual equipment, does that mean it's not really there? Will it be drones? Will the whole thing be a spin on Tron where the action takes place inside a computer? Whatever the case there's certainly an audience for this sort of mindless fun.

I Heard You Paint Houses

During the press junkets for Shutter Island Scorsese let slip that he's currently working on a project that will reunite him with former frequent star Robert De Niro. We know nothing more than that but rumours are it's the biopic of mob hitman Frank Sheeran. On related news the idea bumping around that Lars von Trier was going to remake Taxi Driver seems to have thankfully disappeared.

Savages

If Italian gangsters aren't quite your thing how about Mexican drug cartels? Based on Don Winslow's forthcoming novel it concerns a couple of drug dealing friends from Laguna Beach (who it should be said work the entire business growing and selling their own Marijuana), when a mutual girlfriend is kidnapped they devise a dangerous scheme to rescue her with paying up. Depending on the tone of the novel - will this be a stoner comedy or a dense polemic - this could well be worth watching, and if the leading trios relationships are carefully drawn will this be a Butch Cassidy for the 21st century?

Serena

Is Anjelina Jolie circling the adaptation of Serena: A Novel by Ron Rash? It's about the wife of a North Carolina woodsman in the 1920's who slowly becomes more ruthless and violent until she decides to murder her husbands son from a previous marriage. It's like a reverse Changeling, which sounds fun.

We Bought a Zoo

Cameron Crowe may have finally settled on a follow-up to his critically panned Elizabethtown in the adaptation of the Guardian columnist's memoir about the renovation of a Devon country house and Wildlife park attached. Alongside the general highs and lows involved with Llamas and tigers there's also the drama of fighting the cancer that Benjamin Mee's wife contracts. I've missed Crowe's lightness of touch, so I'm hoping he will actually take this project seriously.