It's an odd week to be writing up, very little on the news front that could possibly excite anyone. That said I was interested in an unusual box office related piece which taken in conjunction with one film that I was planning to bury after the jump makes a fascinating leader.
Untitled Yang Guifei project
Or why Hollywood may stop being the Holiday destination for talent.
At CinemaCon's annual conference for U.S. theatre owners an interesting statistic was dominating the first day. Warner Bros. noted a 65% expansion in the Chinese Film Market in 2010, and with 3 new screens opening every day on average the total take in China is likely to outstrip the U.S. within the decade. Given the pummelling the U.S. box office is getting at the moment this could come sooner than they project. Overall studios will therefore need to be more mindful of the potential of overseas, especially Chinese, exports.
At present there's a strict quota on American films shown in China but whilst the Communist government is planning to relax that it will take more to persuade the audiences to switch to non-homegrown talent. Just look at France which still enjoys a thriving market for French produced films. As audiences and box office take increase the knock on effect will be an increase in budgets for Chinese films. With increasing budgets comes increasing salaries and before you know it everyone wants to work for the Chinese film industry.
Which brings me to the second story - it has already started. Antoine Fuqua, the very American director of Training Day and Shooter has been recruited to direct a tragic period epic about the relationship between the 8th Century Emperor Xuanzong and of the four most celebrated beauties of ancient China Yang Guifei. It's an immensely popular story in China, celebrated in poetry, art (like the example below) and opera over the years and it will certainly be a challenge to bring it to the silver screen.
With a budget of 200m Yuan (about $30m) it will add considerable international cachet to both the project and Fuqua which could substantially improve it's international box office potential. Whether Fuqua is the right (most subtle) person for the job is another question, as is the delayed Tupac Shakur biopic which he was due to film this summer.
Whatever happens though this is definitely something to watch out for.
Read on for Zombies taking over the world (if they can get the money) and politically challenging women (being fought over by men). Plus the latest casting news and round up of new projects kicking off production.
World War Z
Those of you who thought the big screen adaptation of Max Brooks' excellent Zombie Apocalypse novel was dead in the water (excuse the pun) fear not as funding discussions between Paramount and other studios in order to get together enough money to do it justice. The bad news is that they obviously think they need a lot of money to do it justice - given that the unique selling point of the book is that it's all done in interviews which shouldn't need much cash at all that makes me think it will be a lot more expansive and - potentially - rubbish.
Untitled Gertude Bell biopic
British minor aristocracy meddling in the Middle East seem to be the order of the day at the moment. A few weeks ago we looked at the potential biopic of Lady Hester Stanhope and today it's Gertrude Bell CBE (above), the archaeologist, writer and all-round good egg. Active on behalf of the British Government during the First World War she is credited, along with T.E. Lawrence of uniting the Arab tribes in order to fight the Ottoman Empire. After the way her work was instrumental in establishing what is now Iraq. Ridley Scott is saying he wants to direct a film of her life (cannily mixing the proto-feminism of Thelma and Louise with the geopolitical knowledge of Kingdom of Heaven) but he'll have to duke it out with Werner Herzog who's been planning a film of her life for many years. Now that's a celebrity death match I'd pay to see, my money's on Herzog getting out of the gate first after all Scott's already linked to about a dozen other projects.
Casting News
The biggest casting story this week is for Roger Michell's Hyde Park on Hudson, which we briefly discussed last week, not that we have a replacement Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter (as the British royals on a jolly to the States) but Bill Murray has signed on as Franklin D. Roosevelt. Superb casting there, both with the look and the mix of humour and gravitas that only Murray can bring to the screen. We're on cameo alert with the confirmation that Johnny Depp will paint a little in Martin Scorcese's Hugo Cabret and the latest potential obligatory Avengers trailer for Thor which might be Jeremy Renner in full Hawkeye mode, which at least makes more sense than Samuel L.'s Nick Fury who we've met before (I still doubt it's necessary). Talking of Renner some websites have been reporting he's close to being announced as Matt Damon's replacement for The Bourne Legacy. I doubt that's true - wouldn't the character be just a bit too close to his Mission: Impossible franchise-stealing Brandt.
Production News
I've been on IMDb again. So sue me. The following projects, all of which we've mentioned before, have kicked off the production process: TV to movie adaptation The Man from U.N.C.L.E, Ski dramedy Woodchucks, Monk Meditation Silence and the Anjelina Jolie version of Cleopatra (now with David Fincher rumoured as director). This is on top of Hype Park on Hudson and the Yang Guifei project mentioned above.
The following, though, I had never heard of until I checked this week.
Bumped
Well, it existed yesterday, but it's already been pulled into obscurity (in development) on IMDb. I know nothing but it's a comedy called "Bumped" from the director of Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure and Man of the House so could be great fun or utterly dreadful.
Castro's Daughter
A biopic of Alina Fernandez, the exiled daughter of Fidel Castro (natch), who fled Cuba in 1993 (disguised as a bewigged Spanish tourist). Since then she's written a tell-all autobiography (below) and now hosts a Miami based radio programme which looks at Cuban politics. It's unlikely to be completely balanced.
Sunday, 3 April 2011
Is the tide about to turn? (Film News - 02/04/11)
Monday, 17 January 2011
20 for 2011: 12 - Hugo Cabret
A surprising choice from Martin Scorsese jumps out of the screen at Number 12: Hugo Cabret.
Martin Scorsese has dipped his toe in different genre's before, he done period, musical and "women's" pictures (The Age of Innocence, New York, New York and Alice doesn't live here Anymore respectively); and yet we were all surprised when he annouced this project a children's film to be made in 3D. Should we have been shocked?
Whilst it may be a departure there are plenty of signs that Scorsese would want to make a film like this. Primarily the film is set in Paris in the 1930's, a world in which Society was changing rapidly with the old class structures disappearing. There will alo be plenty of opportunity to ape the styles of his heroes Powell and Pressburger with garish and striking colour palettes, and using stories within stories in the structure. Finally the mysteries in the book revolve around the cinema legend Georges Melieres, pioneer of early animation techniques, and we all know how much Scorsese likes to preserve old films. In many ways this is a culmination of all his hobbies.
With the recent re-release of Peeping Tom Thelma Schoonmacher has been making the rounds and in interviews she has often brought up the sheer mass of detail Scorsese is working on, you can guarantee he's taking the 3D filming process seriously. You add to that a cast led by Ben Kingsley, Jude Law and Asa Butterfield (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas) as Hugo then this is virtually unmissable.
Friday, 31 December 2010
Ben Kingsley
Happy Birthday to
Ben Kingsley
67 today
If we have learnt just one thing in 2010 it's that you shouldn't completely trust Ben Kingsley. He's either lying barefaced (as in Prince of Persia) or just evading the truth (like Shutter Island) and I doubt he bucked the trend in the Bollywood con movie Teen Patti. Next year though he's set to play Geogre Meliere in Scorsese's Hugo Cabret and I con imagine he's a heroic and honest figure in that so maybe he's on the turn.
Wednesday, 29 December 2010
Jude Law
Happy Birthday to
Jude Law
38 today
2011 is going to be a very exciting year for Jude Law fans, of course he'll be reprising his Dr. Watson for the blockbuster sequel, but he'll also be starring to two 3D movies by respected directors. Martin Scorsese's Hugo Cabret and Steven Soderbergh's Contagion will both feature Jude gorgeous features being thrust out of the screen at us.
Saturday, 3 July 2010
Lies, damned lies (and Film News - 03/07/10)
OK, I'll admit it. There are two big fat elephants in the room. I want them to go away, you want them to go away, they're making it difficult to concentrate on the mushroom vol-au-vents of this weeks news and they don't go with furnishings at all. So if talking about the elephants can remove the elephants here goes. I am not interested in seeing Meryl Streep playing Margaret Thatcher, espeically not if it wil be directed by Phyllida Mamma Mia Lloyd. Mark Ruffalo has said he's working on a film adaptation of The Normal Heart - I've pretty much given up on my chances to appear in a local staged version of it (not that I've had a no yet) and it's still a little raw. Have they gone now? OK, lets move onto the rest of the news.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
If you have any knowledge of the British involvement in Iraq you will know a Walter Mitty is a pejorative term for middle ranking intelligence officers who admit we went to war on a lie. That said the original 1947 film (below) starring Danny Kaye and directed by Norman Z. McLeod was a curious romp about a serial fantasist, continuously creating wild alternative lives to remove him from his dull day-job and overbearing mother until a real life adventure (involving crown jewels and shady European criminals) drags him out of his depth. There have been several attempts over the years to resurrect the character, with actors like Jim Carrey, Luke Wilson and Mike Myers all circling the role at one point. The latest star to have an interest is Sacha Baron Cohen, and he might just be able to make the remake a reality. Personally whilst I was underwhelmed by Borat I think he might just be perfect for the role, and will be able to bring both the cocksure attitude and the parcical action together.
Read on for spooky families, magical automatons, sequelitis, international terrorists and the production that's hacking itself to death, as well as the latest production updates from IMDb.
The Addams Family
Fans of the original Charles Addams cartoons (Right) depicting a gothic ghoulish family in an unspecified US location can rejoice as the stop-motion adaptation might not be a complete fabrication. Producer Christopher Meledandri has confirmed he is working on the project, with the aim of asking Tim Burton, or one of his close pals, to direct.
Hugo Cabret
Scorsese's Shutter Island follow-up started filming this week with an extensive list of thespian talent annouced to support Chloe Moretz, Ben Kingsley and Sacha Baron Chen (him again). Including the venerable Christopher Lee, Ray Winston and Jude Law. I'm not sure how they'll all fit into the Children's novel or who will play Melies, but as soon as I know more you'll be the first I share it with.
Mad Max: Furiosa
File this under rumours that make me mad. News from down under indicates that George Miller is prepping a second return to the Mad Max (original on the left, there will be no Mel this time round) universe to be filmed at the same time as Fury Road and to be released soon after. My advice: don't do it. Make one story, concentrate on that. If it does well then you can make a sequel. Thank you.
Nagasaki Deadline
As we anxiously await Spike Lee's feature follow-up to the disappointing Miracle at St. Anna (not that I'd know, it was never released here) we have been given a steady drip drip of potential projects. The latest is a terrorist themed thriller, in the vein of 24 with a FBI agent attempting to prevent two independent attacks on US soil. Lee has shown a shrewd hand in regards to action, with The Inside Man so this could be one to watch.
Scream 4
If you have been waiting 11 years for the fourth installment of the Scream franchise then please be wary that it might be dreadful. The production seems to be going hostface on itself with cast being replaced on a daily basis and even scriptwrite Kevin Williamson now shunned. On the plus side Mary McDonnell (Donnie Darko, Dances with Wolves, Battlestar Galactica) has joined the cast list. P.S. the killer is revealed if you star at the picture on the right until your brain fries.
By the way if you have been waiting for 11 years you should pop over to read Glenn Dunks at Stale Popcorn. He's reviewing the first three movies scene by scene. It's an utterly barmy endeavour, but great fun and worth dropping by for his witty and insightful work.
Production News
Once a month I scour IMDb, looking to see which films mentioned here have gone into production (only about 40% do, you know) and seeing if any other projects catch my eye. The ones covered include Steven Spielberg's War Horse, musical prodigy drama Song of Names, Cage and Kidman together at last in Trespass, the Tupac Shakur biopic, the second part of The Twilight Saga: Breaking (records) Dawn and The Chaperone, from the makers of WWF. As ever some other films came up which I had no idea about:
La Ligne Droite
French director Regis Wergnier, bst known for the Catherine Deneuve starring Indochine, has conceived, written and is now directing this under the radar number. My French is a little rusty, but I tink it means the straight line, which is suitably crytic.
Forrest of Mirrors
CIA conspiracy thriller about the cold war and US involvement in Latin America. Could be diverting, could be trash.
Janis Joplin
The most intriguing is this biopic about Rock and Blues singer Janis Joplin which has appeared under Fernando Meirelles (I was looking to see if 360 was in development). Janis tragically short life and astounding musical influence has been touted for a film for some time, but I can't remember seeing a story that attached it to Meirelles, in fact I've not seen anthing sine there were three projects all in development with Zooey Deschanel, Renee Zelleweger and Pink as propective Joplins back in 2006. I don't know if this is the real thing, but let's hope it is, Joplin's story is immensely cinematic.
Oh, and I must tell you this month we've reached the point when I can safely say I can do a 20 for 2011 (my annual countdown on my most anticipated films) as there are 20 films filming or in post set for next year that I want to see now. Admittedly for the time being they include Scream 4 but we're still six months away so plenty more can kick off. There is one film I mentioned today that's a shoe-in though. Like to hazard a guess which one?
