Did George Lucas Murder my Childhood? (Film News - 30/10/10)

I've been catching up properly with the news since last week's minor update, unsurprisingly there's been loads of stuff out there with some amazing looking projects on the way, as well as some stories which are just a tiny bit more depressing. There's also a short update on the latest box office release dates, so here goes:

Star Wars 7 (and 8 and 9)

The title is obviously reaching for controversy, and this first story may just tip into caricature, but like many nerds on the net part of childhood and indeed my love of cinema is defined by George Lucas' 1977 masterpiece. Like many fans I went to see the prequel trilogy and was largely disappointed by the continuous milking of this particular cash cow.

That said the films have been OK. Whatever your gripes about the cardboard characterisations and the overdose of CGI, and certainly accepting they're lesser than the original trilogy, they were fairly enjoyable romps. In many ways I am therefore a milder version of some fans which berate the prequels as an insult to their childhood in that I would better classify them as a unnecessary afterthought.

The latest news from Lucasfilm is an inevitable 3D conversion of the 6 films already out there, so far so blah, I don't think it's terribly necessary but if George needs a few more Millions I can't say I blame him. What is interesting is that it's possible that a third trilogy is being prepped to follow these 3D conversions (potentially starting in 2018 ish) which harks back to the old rumour that Star Wars was originally conceived as a nine movie series with the third set concerning the rise of the Jedi following the destruction of the Empire.

Darth Vadar makes his very first appearance in 1977, unlikely to make it to the next trilogies.

I would personally rather see Lucas try something else, something closer to his heart rather than his wallet, but I have no doubts that if another Star Wars live action film was ever made I would be at the front of the queue to see it. What about you? Should George ever be allowed near a camera again or are his crimes too horrific for redemption?

Read on for more sci-fi sequels, 1970's pop groups, prison dramas, cyborgs, archers, zombies, prostitutes and the horror of Val Kilmer.



Avatar 2/3

Jim Cameron, happy to stick with his latest money making scheme, is proud to present a second and third visit to Avatar which will hit our screens in 2014 and 2015 respectively. Whilst I have no doubts about the quality of the green screen action which will obviously continue to blow us away I am concerned that he's giving himself very little time to write a decent script.

Bee Gees Biopic

Everyone's favourite disco singing brothers from the Isle of Man are potentially going to be featured in a warts and all biopic about the rise to fame in the 1970's. Culminating in their hugely successful soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever.

OK, OK, so this "story" originally appeared in the Daily Mail so I very much doubt that it's real but it is an excuse to have a musical interlude. Hit it boys:



Cell 211

Paul Haggis has obviously enjoyed the process of making prison-break movie Next Three Days with Russell Crowe. We know this because he's already been linked with another prison set thriller, also for him to adapt from a European original (albeit Spanish this time not French). Celda 211 was an Goya award winning 2009 production directed by Daniel Monzon which concerns a prison guard who gets involved with a riot on his first day in a new penitentiary. Sounds juicy enough to gets some great talent involved in the main role at least.

Machine Man

We haven't had any new Darren Aronofsky news in almost days so I was far from shocked to hear about another project that's passing by his desk. Although it's not too far from another film he was going to make, the aborted Robocop, this story (adapted from Max Barry's novel) concerns an engineer who "upgrades" his own body with titanium and then becomes the target for criminals. Darren must've been really desperate to watch Robocop.

Agincourt/Big Tuna

Michael Mann's last two movies (Miami Vice and Public Enemies) both underperformed in cinemas so it was hardly surprising to see him retreat back to TV movies for his next project. But now "Luck" is finished Mann is itching to return to the multiplex. Two of the options announced this week are an in depth look at the pivotal Battle of Agincourt between England and France in the 15th Century (famous for it's victory through the quality of the English archers, right) and a biopic of Chicago crime boss Tony Accardo. I like to see my favourite directors branch out into different things so I'm hoping Mann plumps for Agincourt (which is based on the novel by Bernard Cornwell), and Mann's proved he has an eye for period action with Last of the Mohicans so we know he can handle this.

Pride & Prejudice & Zombies

I'm not sure how this bizarre Jane Austen spoof has managed to become a publishing sensation (cover right) although I deeply suspect it's just a passing fad. However the success has inevitably led to a big screen adaptation. So far we've seen a bit of a revolving door on the casting but it's looking like Scarlett Johannson, Bradley Cooper and Tilda Swinton (Yay!) are tipped to star in the final movie. Whilst I am sure this won't be a great movie there's something so deliciously car crash about it that's making me interested.

Squirrel to the Nuts

Peter Bogdanovich has been MIA for nearly ten years now, since his Hearst/Chaplin picture The Cat's Meow - criminally underrated at the time - but it looks like his most recognisable disciples are planning to push him into another movie. Noah Baumbach and Wes Anderson are producing his latest picture which is reportedly a screwball comedy along the lines of What's Up Doc which connects a hooker, theatre director and a private detective. This is almost certainly the closest to art-house I'm bringing up this week so hopefully Peter will finish it through and we'll get a chance to see something a little different.

Twixt Now and Sunrise

Since returning to movie making Francis Ford Coppola has made a couple of personal projects with differing results (Tetro was excellent, Youth without Youth less so) so it's a little surprise to see he's taking up horror/thriller picture. Val Kilmer will star as a Stephen King like horror writer who finds the events from his latest novel start to segue into reality. Coppola has a unique visual eye so expect this to be sumptuous even if the plot sounds horribly familiar.

The last time Coppola tried horror it was with the beautiful, if confused, Bram Stoker's Dracula (above).

Casting News

I'm only going to mention one film here and not so much for the extensive rumour mill surrounding the casting - literally every hot-right-now actress under 35 with any intellectual back catalogue has been listed - but also because of the plot details which may or may not have been leaked. The Alien Prequel may well have Noomi Rapace, Anne Hathaway, Natalie Portman, Abbie Cornish, Lance Henrikson and James Franco. Or more likely none of them will end up in it but there you go. The leaked plot details - which could well be fake - involve the space jockey(s) using mind control to attempt to breed humans. Sounds interesting except that the two victims happen to both be men. So this might push the boundaries of rape on screen, or it might just be about a heterosexual man's irrational fear of anal sex. I don't expect this plot detail to make it to the final film - let's see.

Release Dates


My Soul to Take - Wes Craven's latest horror movie, the one that isn't Scream 4, has inexplicable moved back one week in January - given that it's bombed in the US look out for later shifts. Run away from a deranged killer on 21 January 2011.

Biutiful - The festival sensation has polarised audiences at it's every showing with it's utter bleakness being either a major selling point or a shocking turn off but veryone agrees Javier Bardem gives a sensational central performance. Seek out police corruption on 28 January 2011.

That's it: four weeks since our last update and only 2 release schedules have changed at all which is a testament to how quiet things are as we head into the awards season. Except there has been some bad news. Flipped, the coming of age movie from Rob Reiner has disappeared from the schedules just two weeks before it was due to be released. I'm very disappointed as it looked quite watchable. Maybe it will come back in time.