I didn't see anything this weekend - mainly because I'm not going to travel all the way to London for a foreign language short anthology with decidedly mixed reviews - so I thought why not resurrect my news features. Back before my 2011 hiatus I was regurgitating news on a weekly basis, relaying the lovely readers with the odd casting gossip and production release that nudged my fancy. When I came back it was quietly shelved due to the enormous work involved - however I really miss scanning the web for the latest script options to see what might be coming up in 4 years time so it's back back back. Only now I'll only be doing it once a month and will in essence be waiting for the films that really interest me to go into pre-production on IMDb. So here we are, the first edition of the new monthly column "Coming Soon" dedicated to the best the movies to look forward to.
Skinny and Cat
Luckily we're starting with a headline grabbing return to directorial duties for Barbra Streisand following a 16 year gap since The Mirror has Two Faces was critically mauled. Furthermore it's a significant departure from her previous gigs - not only because she doesn't appear to be the star but also because the film will document the marriage of photojournalist Margaret Bourke-White and novelist Erskine Caldwell (presumably he's skinny, she's cat) between 1939 and 1943.
It's potentially a fascinating piece of modern history, Bourke White (pictured) remains one of the most influential figures in 20th century photography, the only Western journo in Moscow during the German invasion and also known for her Buchenwald pictures she met Caldwell in the mid 30's and collaborated on a number of projects highlighting the socio-economic effects of Dust-bowl Oklahoma.
I don't know what causes the breakdown in their marriage, but given it's two successful, arty and politically active figures in the turbulent 1940's I expect the narrative to be bursting with showy moments for the two leads, Colin Firth and Cate Blanchett and don't be surprised if one or both of them turn up at the Academy in 2015.
Read on for dancing penguins, disgraced politicians and the only news stories that really matter (to me, anyway).
American Bullshit
It's no surprise to see the 2010 blacklist script by Eric Singer making it into production, documenting the infamous FBI sting operation Abscam that took down Senator Harrison Williams (left) and 5 Representatives on corruption charges in the late 1970's radically changed the way America viewed it's politicians and ultimately clarified the way the FBI could handle corruption cases and the entrapment rules they must follow. Using a fake Sheikh (similar to more recent tabloid tactics) vast brides were paid through a holding company to purchase asylum in the US for the undercover agents.
There's a bit of a trend towards wacky Government shenanigans in the 70's that started with The Men who Stare at Goats and continues with Argo later this year so there's a proven audience for this sort of satirical patriotism. David O'Russell will direct with Christian Bale, Amy Adams and possibly Bradley Cooper starring.
Great Wall
I have mentioned Ed Zwick's semi-history of the only man-made object visible from space, so I won't go into it too much. Only to say I am a touch concerned by the early casting of Hanry Cavill and Benjamin Walker, both of whom have points deducted against them for faltering starts to their blockbuster careers - The Immortals and Abe Lincoln: Vampire Hunter respectively and both are noticeably not Chinese, and whilst I appreciate the addition of Ziyi Zhang to the headlining cast surely the story should focus on the generations of Warriors, Emperor's and Peasant's who were instrumental in the building of the wall.
Murder Mystery
Everyone likes a whodunnit, don't they? Admittedly most of us prefer to relax in front of the TV on a Sunday afternoon rather than head to the cinema but then again how often will you see Charlize Theron as one half of an American couple heading to a isolated European hotel (hopefully as cliched as the picture to the right) only to stumble upon the corpse of another guest. We don't yet know the tone, or the vital husband part of the casting, so there's limited reason for excitement, however if they go for a campy Agatha Christie feel I'm sure I'll be persuaded to see it.
Saving Mr. Banks
In spite of it's reputation as one of the greatest Children's films of all time Australian writer P.L. Travers was extremely reluctant to allow anyone to adapt her Mary Poppins series of books and was notoriously bitter about the final film, feeling it missed the tone of her writing and hating the animated sequences ordering Walt Disney to remove them - you probably know he ignored her request.
This sounds like a delicious blend of two headstrong figures butting heads over a cinematic collaboration so expect audiences and critics to love it. So far Tom Hanks is in to play Disney and Emma Thompson Travers with Colin Farrell as her father. If that sounds odd it's probably worth noting he died when the author was just 8, a demoted banker much like the Mr. Banks character brought to life by David Tomlinson, and no doubt the similarities between the father character in the book and Travers' own life will be highlighted.
Splinter Cell
Mark this down as a project I am vaguely curious about at this stage, but certainly won't be making any promises about actually seeing it. Based on the computer game (left) which in turn was based on an concept by best-selling author Tom Clancy... The game is virtually unique in that it positively encourages stealth and non-lethal tactics, in many ways emulating the blacks ops background that it's hero Sam Fisher possesses. There has never been a successful game to screen adaptation so plenty of healthy scepticism is required but with the right director and cast on board this does have potnetial to be a taut thriller.
Three Nights
Baseball is probably the most filmed sport outside of boxing, probably because it's relatively easy to understand the rules, is instantly connected to the American cultural experience and combines an element of team responsibility and individual attainment, so the sport has played host to a gamut of genre's from inspirational biopic (Pride of the Yankee's) to social realism (Sugar) to classic good vs. evil triumphalism (The Natural). Yet few of these films are actually about Baseball. So who knows if this latest Edward Burns and Billy Bob Thornton starer will actually be about the on-pitch activities in a play-off or about the diverse strategies employed by the coaches. My money's on Ed Burns' side winning either way.
You Belong to Me
Rob Reiner may be more known for his slight sentimental output of the last ten years but it's worth remembering that at one stage his was one of the most reliable directors in Hollywood, bouncing from glorious comedy (The Princess Bride) to iconic coming of age drama (Stand by Me) to disturbing thriller (Misery) with deft professionalism. Hopefully his next project will be a return to form in the later genre as his psychiatrist hero accidently mentions enough of his personal life to send his psychotic patient into a Cape Fear like attack on the good doctor. At the moment it's still to be cast but Reiner has a lot of friends in Hollywood so expect a A-list family unit to boost the ticket sales soon.
The last time Reiner had a unbalanced protagonist there was no scrimping on either the tension or the genuinely terrifying violence - hopefully he'll still have the same nerve.
Thursday, 12 July 2012
On the trail of the Story (Coming Soon - July 2012)
Monday, 5 April 2010
Film News (05/04/10)
You would've thought that coming back after a few weeks off would mean there were literally hundreds of news stories to catch up on, however there have been surprisingly few. Perhaps it's just the wrong time of the year (post Oscars, pre summer) or perhaps the studios just aren't funding decent sounding films anymore? I know that right now there are only two films I want to see in each of the summer months, and with the current release dates set I'm currently looking at 34 films by the end of the year (down 8 on 2009). Still the following stories all caught my eye:
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Stephen Daldry has a serious reputation to protect, after all he has three best director nominations from three films - a bit of a record. So when he choses a project you know it's going to be serious and hard hiting. And Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is certainly hard hitting, based on the 2005 novel by Jonathan Safran Foer the film centres around a nine year old who lost his father in the September 11 attacks and has become obsessed with finding the lock that fits a key his father left him.
This could go either way but with Daldry's steady hand and Eric Roth providing the screenplay I'm fairly confident that it will flirt with pathos but won't drift into smaltz. 
Click on the jump for Swedish remakes, a Leonardo DiCaprio double bill, tragic surfers and a subtly named whodunnit... As well as all the release date changes from my six weeks on tour.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The first of the Millenium trilogy, the postumous works of Stieg Larsson, has barely opened in cinemas but with a huge following from the books it's no surprise that Hollywood is already working on an American remake. Set to direct the first will be David Fincher. This could be a perfect fit - the gothic sensibilities of the original and the macabre details could mark a return to the rain drenched streets of Se7en. Definitely one to keep your eyes on.
Hoover/Travis McGee
For you Leonardo DiCaprio fans out there it's always pleasing to see him trying new things - I personally believe he's one of the finest actors of his generation. Slowly he's proving himself as a box office draw even in more complex pictures (like last months Shutter Island) and that sort of pulling power will be absolutely necessary for the couple of projects I heard bandied about over the last few months. First up will be a straight biopics of J. Edgar Hoover, the man who created and ran the FBI. Incredibly powerful Hoover's long rumoured prediliction for cross dressing may mean this is a story just crying out to be told.
If the thrills you seek are a little more traditional then Leo's other film, Travis McGee, may be more up your street. It's essentially a knock off of the Bourne films which could mean a built in audience and sequel potential, as well as plenty of excuses to see cool fights and expensive hardware. 
Mavericks
Extreme sports don't lend themselves well to the medium of film. It's not like you have a team of different characters who can work together to beat all the obstacles in their way. Nevertheless a biopic of surfer Jay Moriaty is in the works. Moriaty was a world class surfer, breaking many reords and taking on any challenges, until his untimely death, aged just 23. I'm hoping this will buck the trend.
Murder Mystery
Can you imagine anyone having the balls to call a film Murder Mystery? It seems there are Disney producers who thinks that's a good idea. James Vanderbilt's script follows a Honeymooning American couple who stumble across a body and consequent intrigue in Europe. I'm going to be shouting my guesses right at the screen when that one comes out.
Release Date News
The Ghost - Shifting back a few weeks (presumably because I've already loaded up the trailer) is Roman Polanski's latest venture. Discover a conspiracy involving an ex Prime Minister on 16 April 2010.
Wild Target - It had been due to clash with Rupert Grint's other post-Potter film Cherrybomb about a teenager finding love so this hitman comedy did the decent thing and changed it's date. Learn to be a cold blooded killer on 18 June 2010.
Whatever Works - The last of my top 20 for 2009 (yes really) has finally got a UK release date, oddly Woody Allen's latest has taken nearly a year to cross the Atlantic. Get all angsty on on 25 June 2010.
Wall Street: Money Never SleepsThe Ghost - However advanced the publicity campaign for this 25 year later sequel it wasn't enough to stop it falling back 6 months to rumours of poor test screenings. Find out if greed is good on 24 September 2010.
Next Three Days - Russell Crowe's wife is banged up for a crime she did not commit, and rather than go through the courts he decides to break her out. It's not as simple as it first seems. Try a prison break on 07 January 2011.
True Grit - The Coen brother remake of John Wayne's classic Western will be coming out during the height of the Oscar season - strange as Bridges has just won his statuette so they could spend a few more weeks in post if they wanted. Avenge your fathers murder on 14 January 2011.
I have had my share of disappointments these last few weeks with New York, I Love You losing it's UK release - it's still tentatively looking at an August date but I'm waiting for confirmation. Oh, when will I get to see this movie?
