Source: CHUD Academy Award-winning writer Peter Morgan (The Queen, Frost/Nixon) is reportedly attached to pen latest installment in the James Bond franchise. Neal Purvis and Robert Wade will also share writing credits on the film, which should land in theatres by 2011 at the latest. Morgan certainly won’t be the first Oscar winner to put words into 007’s mouth. Crash’s Paul Haggis served as a writer on both 2006’s Casino Royale and 2008’s Quantum of Solace. Quantum... (more...)
Anna Chi’s Dim Sum Funeral covers the same territory the more renowned Chinese helmer Wayne Wang has tread many times before (and tread better). The film is an overly melodramatic and soap operatic look at four estranged, westernized siblings who return home to honor their late mother’s wishes for a traditional Chinese funeral. Despite a game cast, this ho-hum dramedy won’t even be a blip on the box office meter in limited release, but may find a more receptive audience when it... (more...)
The life, career, faith and activism of internationally renowned Senegalese singer Youssou N’dour forms the backbone of Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi’s beautiful follow-up to her 2003 debut film, A Normal Life. Fans and newcomers to N’dour’s music will be equally enthralled by the finely observed, patiently wrought documentary, a bracing paean to a man whose gentle manner and guileless ability to reconcile seeming social, religious and political contradictions has taken on new... (more...)
Paul Devlin’s documentary lives up to its wonky-dynamic title, the acronym for Balloon-borne, Large Aperture, Sub-millimeter Telescope (plus exclamation point). Combining hard science, human interest and suspense, BLAST! is a stimulating introduction to astrophysics and a fine tribute to scientists of all stripes who engage in taxing fieldwork. The movie’s pedagogical value makes it a natural for unspooling in educational settings and at specialty festivals. After a targeted theatrical... (more...)
Friday Morning Update (8:10 a.m. PT):: The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 has gained momentum on Fandango.com. As of 8 a.m. PT, the action flick is responsible for 21% of sales, barely trailing UP at 24%. Meanwhile, Hangover has sold 15%, and Imagine That represents a mediocre 7%. Thursday Afternoon Update (5:10 p.m. PT): Both The Taking of the Pelham 1 2 3 and Imagine That have failed to make a dent in the world of online tickets sales. As of 5 p.m. PT, Pelham was responsible for 9% of sales, and Imagine... (more...)
Source: THR Amy Poehler, known for her roles in Baby Mama and NBC’s Parks and Recreation, is set to star in Lunch Lady, based on a children’s graphic novel series written and illustrated by Jarrett Krosoczka. The rights to the film have been picked up by Universal. Universal’s Baby Mama ended up with a domestic haul of $60.5 million, and Poehler won positive reviews for her over-the-top supporting performance as woman being paid to have a child. Read More →
Source: THR Brittany Murphy will reportedly lead the cast of director Darin Scott’s Something Wicked, a psychological thriller. Murphy’s career has stalled a bit considering that she hasn’t appeared in a film since 2006. Her last major hit came thanks to some voice work she provided to Happy Feet, which grossed nearly $200 million domestically. Murphy was also recently cast in Sylvester Stallone’s action extravaganza, The Expendables. That project also stars Stallone, Jason... (more...)
Source: Variety German director Marcus Nispel has officially signed on to helm the remake of the popular fantasy franchise Conan. The highly anticipated project has been in the works for several years and may now finally get off the ground with this new signing. Nispel will be working from a script written by Thomas Dead Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer and production is scheduled to being later this year. This won’t be Nispel’s first shot at remakes; the director worked previously on a set... (more...)
Video Event of the Week: Is it Warner Home Video’s 40th anniversary director’s cut of Woodstock, featuring eight gazillion hippies and an hour’s worth of previously unseen performances (including a peak set by Creedence — yay!)? Could Paramount’s new Blu-ray version of Glenn Close boiling Michael Douglas‘ bunny in Fatal Attraction possibly make the cut? Or against all the odds, might Sony’s DVD or Blu-ray of the five o’clock shadow that is Clive Owens... (more...)
Judging by the reaction that it received during the midnight showing at my local multiplex, I would say that Tony Scott’s remake of The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 is going to enjoy mostly positive word of mouth. Much like May’s Angels & Demons, Pelham is a summer movie for adults. It’s full of plenty of action, but there’s also some deeper issues to chew on. Is the new Pelham better than the 1974 original? No. Of course, it’s such a radically different film that such... (more...)
