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2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997
1-20 of 1156 articles from 2009 « Prev | Next »
Quentin Tarantino on why he turned down chance to direct Green Lantern
1 hour ago | The Geek Files | See recent The Geek Files news »
Given his very distinctive film-making style, what would a director such as Quentin Tarantino do with a superhero movie?
That may seem like a random thought with no basis in reality. But it transpires that Tarantino not only based his Inglourious Basterds on Marvel Comics' war series Sgt Fury and His Howling Commandos, but was asked to direct the big-screen adaptation of DC Comics' hero Green Lantern for Warner Bros.
Since then, Casino Royale's Martin Campbell ended up at the helm of Green Lantern, with Ryan Reynolds in the star role.
Tarantino explained to MTV: "I was offered the Green Lantern. Not since it's been a script, but just like, 'Hey we own the 'Green Lantern.' Would you like it?'"
He declined, although he insists he is a big comic book fan: "There's a little part of me that's like, 'Wow, if I was in my 20s, »
- David Bentley
Taylor Lautner is this year's boy: Paramount eyes for Max Steel
4 December 2009 11:35 PM, PST | Monsters and Critics | See recent Monsters and Critics news »
Team Jacob fans have some crowing to do. The sexy 17 (17!) year-old Taylor Lautner has eclipsed pasty, broody Robert Pattinson as the man of the year and The Next Big Thing in Hollywood. The man who muddies the great romance between Bella and Edward is set for the path of box office top dog. Tom Cruise? Will Smith? Brad Pitt? Ciao pescao. Nikki Finke of Deadline Hollywood broke an exclusive about Lautner, revealing: "Paramount has confirmed to me exclusively that it's hired 8-pack-abs Taylor Lautner for the lead in Max Steel, instantly creating perhaps the next young big action star." Team Jacob, start your engines. Finke blogs that the movie "Max Steel" will be "a four-quadrant popcorn movie in »
- April MacIntyre
Spielberg Leaves ‘Harvey’ Remake
4 December 2009 11:51 AM, PST | newsinfilm.com | See recent newsinfilm news »
Steven Spielberg has backed out of directing Harvey, a remake of the 1950 classic starring Jimmy Stewart.
The 62-year-old director spent several months developing the film, which was to be his next production and the first under the newly stand-alone DreamWorks. Fox was allowing Dw to fund 50% through their deal with Dubai-based Reliance, but the movie fell apart when Spielberg couldn’t find a star for the lead. Fox will continue to work on it.
The obvious choice, considering their history, was Tom Hanks. Except he declined to make… well, I’m not sure. Robert Downey Jr. was also “courted” for the part, according to Variety, but didn’t sign on. What is wrong with Hollywood that Steven Spielberg can’t get anyone to star in his movie? Where was his golden boy, Shia Labeouf?
The story, an adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Mary Chase, centers on a man »
- Jeff Leins
Spielberg No Longer Remaking ‘Harvey’
4 December 2009 11:08 AM, PST | ScreenRant.com | See recent Screen Rant news »
For a few months now it’s been known that Steven Spielberg was going to direct a remake of Harvey, the 1950 film starring James Stewart as a mild-mannered man who just happens to be best friends with a six-foot tall imaginary rabbit. Spielberg’s film was actually to be an adaptation of the original Pulitzer Prize-winning play that spawned the 1950 film, but it was still a remake in a sense.
However, news comes today from Variety that even though we’ll still likely see a Harvey remake, it won’t be with Spielberg at the helm. Even though he’s spent the last half year developing it, Spielberg delivered the news himself to 20th Century Fox this week that he won’t be helming the film. A spokesperson confirmed his quitting the project, although she wasn’t specific about the reason.
One of the biggest challenges for Spielberg was finding »
- Ross Miller
Spielberg Ditches Harvey Remake
4 December 2009 8:47 AM, PST | Reelzchannel.com | See recent ReelzChannel news »
Don't get us wrong. Steven Spielberg has definitely earned his place in cinema lore.
That said, the 62-year-old director has made some very questionable decisions as of late and, thankfully, two of them are now history. First, for some reason Spielberg thought it would be a great idea to remake the stomach-churning Korean horror movie Oldboy with Will Smith as the star. That blessedly fell through when Mandate and Dreamworks couldn't reach an agreement regarding the rights to the original Manga.
Today, Variety reports that another of Spielberg's not-so-bright ideas fell by the wayside. He's spent the last half-year developing a remake of Harvey, the 1950 James Stewart vehicle based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play. The story involves Elwood P. Dowd, an otherwise normal man who befriends an invisible, six-foot rabbit.
Spielberg's initial choice for Dowd was Tom Hanks, but Hanks declined, since he did not want to reprise a role already made legendary by Stewart. »
- Rich Z Zwelling
Spielberg Stops Imagining ‘Harvey’
4 December 2009 6:46 AM, PST | ReelLoop.com | See recent Reel Loop news »
Steven Spielberg is a rare movie icon whose catalog of film is known even to those who don’t go see movies. He deserves that status, after a career of directing films that almost always deliver the goods.
But lately he’s become flighty, picking up projects here and there, while dropping others. Spielberg announces Interstellar and Lincoln, and then we don’t hear any details about them. He talks up an Oldboy remake with Will Smith and then dumps the project. Now that he’s also officially abandoned his adaptation of Harvey, I’m wondering: what’s making him so nervous about all these projects? Is it because he feels that he must return with a grand slam after the critical reaction to Crystal Skull?
Spielberg spent half a year developing Harvey, a Mary Chase play about a man and his giant rabbit that was so wonderfully executed by Jimmy Stewart in 1950. But apparently, »
- John Cooper
Hollywood Ink: He Killed Da Rabbit
4 December 2009 6:00 AM, PST | Movieline | See recent Movieline news »
· So it looks like Harvey, Steven Spielberg's snorey mcsnorefest remake of the 1950 Jimmy Stewart-as-dude-with-invisible-giant-rabbit-for-a-friend film, is getting tossed into a big vat of boiling water and being turned into bunny soup. Variety says Tom Hanks passed, then next choice Robert Downey Jr. demanded rewrites; by the time the director started looking at third choices, the thought of Will Smith pitching "'Sup Rabbit? (The Harvey Rap)" for the closing credits rendered the project utterly unbearable to even Spielberg. We suppose it bears mentioning we completely saw this coming. [Variety]
Next in Ink: An Entourage movie; the Sexiest Man Alive makes his next move; Gun, With Occasional Music. »
Spielberg Drops Harvey
3 December 2009 10:14 PM, PST | EmpireOnline | See recent EmpireOnline news »
It's not a good year for remakes shepherded by Steven Spielberg: first his Oldboy project with Will Smith shuts down, and now he's walked away from a new version of Harvey.Spielberg has been developing the fresh adaptation of Mary Chase's play, which was originally adapted into a beloved 1950 film starring James Stewart, for months now. But he's had real trouble finding someone to take over the role. Tom Hanks was floated as the natural successor to the role of Elwood P Drood, but the actor didn't want to be involved despite his long friendship with the director. With his first choice out of the picture, Spielberg turned to Robert Downey Jr., but despite suggesting changes to Jonathan Tropper's script, the Iron Man star didn't see eye to eye with Spielberg and also passed. The biggest loser here might well be 20th Century Fox, which had been »
Will Smith's son kicks his way into the big time
3 December 2009 4:05 PM, PST | The Guardian - Film News | See recent The Guardian - Film News news »
The Karate Kid remake takes the fight to China
To the Great Wall of China, where the scion of one of America's foremost acting families prepares to make his leading child debut opposite an icon of the People's Republic, in a coolly anticipated reimagining of one of the most important movies of the 80s.
To wit, Will Smith's boy, Jaden, is to star opposite Jackie Chan in The Karate Kid. Or The Kung Fu Kid, as it is to be known, after Chinese financiers insisted production be shifted from Japan to China. These same constraints appear to have necessitated the rebranding of Mr Miyagi to Mr Han, who is shown in the first on-set pictures released this week looking on semi-indulgently as little Jaden high-kicks his way to centre-stage atop the Great Wall.
Does the casting of Chan presage a movie one would want to watch? Over to the original film's star Ralph Macchio, »
Hancock sequel held up, says director Peter Berg
3 December 2009 1:22 PM, PST | The Geek Files | See recent The Geek Files news »
Back in August, two writers were hired by Columbia to pen a sequel to the Will Smith superhero hit Hancock.
Director Peter Berg said the follow-up would expand on the original's mythology by introducing other immortal beings.
But he also indicated that despite the studio's desire to fast-track the project, all the key players were busy and there was no 'burning imperative' to rush right back into it.
Now Berg has admitted there will be a long wait for the sequel to come together.
Speaking to Latino Review, he said: "It's being written now and it's an issue of everybody involved in Hancock. There are so many cooks in that particular kitchen that it's so busy and Will [Smith] has kind of taken time off to be with his kids.
"There are so many people involved in that, from Will to his partner James Lassiter to Akiva [Goldsman] to Michael Mann, myself »
- David Bentley
'Hancock 2' Stalled By Scheduling Issues, Says Director
3 December 2009 5:46 AM, PST | MTV Splash Page | See recent MTV Splash Page news »
Director Peter Berg is still hoping to fly alongside "Hancock 2," but that plane isn't ready for takeoff just yet.
During a visit to the set of Berg's currently filming "Battleship," Latino Review learned that the director's intentions to dive into a "Hancock" sequel have been stifled by a variety of factors, not the least of which are the busy schedules of himself, Will Smith and their collaborators.
"It's being written now and it's an issue of everybody involved in 'Hancock,'" Berg said of the movie's development. "There are so many cooks in that particular kitchen that it's so busy and Will [Smith] has kind of taken time off to be with his kids."
"There are so many people involved in that, from Will to his partner James Lassiter to Akiva [Goldsman] to Michael Mann, myself and to get us all in the same room just like this where we »
- Josh Wigler
Leo gets animated
3 December 2009 3:42 AM, PST | JoBlo.com | See recent JoBlo news »
It's true, they all shall fall. One by one, nearly every A-list actor has given in and voiced an animated character at one point in their careers. Sometimes, it has great results, like Tom Hanks voicing Woody or George Clooney as Mr. Fox, but it can go the other way as well. Just ask Will Smith and Angelina Jolie in Shark Tale, a movie where celebrity voices weren’t enough so Dreamworks actually had to make the fish Look like them. Ugh. Well, one of the only remaining holdouts has... »
- Paul Tassi
More New Photos from Karate Kid
2 December 2009 11:07 PM, PST | ShockYa | See recent ShockYa news »
Columbia Pictures recently released this new movie still from the upcoming remake “The Karate Kid” aka Kung Fu Kid by director Harald Zwart (The Pink Panther 2) and starring Jackie Chan (Rush Hour 3, Chinese Zodiac) and Jaden Smith (The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Pursuit of Happyness). Synopsis: Will Smith’s son Jaden Smith stars in this updated version of the 1980’s film that starred Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita. While the new film will be set in Beijing, it will borrow elements of the original plot, wherein a bullied youth learns to stand up for himself with the help of an eccentric mentor. Jaden Smith’s character moves to Beijing with his [...] »
- Brian Corder
Smith Puts Hancock Sequel On Hold
2 December 2009 11:21 AM, PST | WENN | See recent WENN news »
The upcoming sequel to superhero comedy Hancock has been put on hold to allow Will Smith to spend more time with his family, according to director Peter Berg.
The moviemaker recently confirmed Smith and his co-star Charlize Theron will both reprise their roles in a follow-up to the hit 2008 movie.
But Berg admits they have put plans for the second film back because the superstar actor is taking a break from movies to enjoy life with his wife, Jada, and help his son, Jayden, tackle a starring role in the new Karate Kid picture.
Berg is adamant Hancock 2 will get made, but it may take longer than first expected.
He tells The Latino Review, "It's being written now and it's an issue of everybody involved in Hancock. There are so many cooks in that particular kitchen that it's so busy and Will has kind of taken time off to be with his kids and his kids are now making all kinds of films. There are so many people involved in that, from Will to his (business) partner James Lassiter to Michael Mann, myself and to get us all in the same room just like this where we can all talk and then agree on anything, you've never met a group of people that have a harder time agreeing on anything.
"It's like the Israeli peace process times a thousand how tough it is to resolve. I think it'll happen though. We just have to kind of get in the same room for some consistency." »
No ‘Hancock 2′ Anytime Soon
2 December 2009 11:03 AM, PST | ScreenRant.com | See recent Screen Rant news »
There’s been much talk about a sequel to the 2008 surprise superhero hit, Hancock, with conversation picking up particularly when it comes to the cast of Will Smith, Charlize Theron and Jason Bateman possibly returning to do another. Director Peter Berg said a few months ago that everyone was excited to return, but not long after that Bateman came out and said he hadn’t heard anything about him returning (we’re still not sure if that cluelessness was applicable to Smith and Theron, too).
However, when Berg sounded pretty excited about directing Hancock 2, that was before he landed the Battleship gig, a big-screen adaptation set for release in 2011 with a production start date of Spring 2010. That ties Berg up a lot for what I would guess would be the better part of a year. And that appears to be one of the big reasons why we shouldn’t expect Hancock 2 anytime soon. »
- Ross Miller
Barbara Walters's 10 Fascinating People of 2009 Will Include Exploited Kids, Thank God
2 December 2009 10:20 AM, PST | Movieline | See recent Movieline news »
In 2007 she chose Victoria Beckham. Last year she chose Will Smith and Tom Cruise. And now, for this year's "10 Most Fascinating People" special, Barbara Walters will recap 2009 by interviewing another handful of celebrities who come factory-built with soundbites (Kate Gosselin, Lady Gaga) and discussing the most talked-about veiled youngsters of the year -- Michael Jackson's children. I can't decide what's worse: waiting on whether they'll be interviewed by the most self-consciously austere interviewer in primetime, or if "experts" will fill time and weigh in on their strife for an 11-minute segment. A near-full list of fascinating people, and a proposal for a more interesting way to organize this tradition, after the jump. »
Lots of Details About Peter Berg’s ‘Battleship’
2 December 2009 9:38 AM, PST | ScreenRant.com | See recent Screen Rant news »
As if the idea of a movie based on the board game Battleship wasn’t worrying enough, it was recently announced that the bad guys are going to be aliens. Although, Fyi, take my opinion about the antagonists with a big grain of salt, as I don’t think a Battleship movie is a good idea to begin with.
It appears that studio Universal and director Peter Berg have been lending their ears to the negative reaction their Battleship movie has gotten – particularly about the aliens being the “villains,” and so the studio sent some journalists and bloggers to the U.S.S. Sterett, where they got a chance to ask questions to Berg about the project.
Thanks to reports from Latino Review and Chud, we now have some insight into what shape Berg’s Battleship may take:
Those lucky enough to get invited to this thing managed to get »
- Ross Miller
First Official “The Karate Kid” Photos: Jaden Smith & Jackie Chan
2 December 2009 8:19 AM, PST | Filmofilia | See recent Filmofilia news »
People Magazine has published the first official photos from Will Smith-produced remake of “The Karate Kid“. It features Jaden Smith as Dre Parker and Jackie Chan as Mr. Han.
Dre is a skateboarding video game buff who moves to China after his single mother is forced to go there for work. Unable to speak Chinese, Dre finds it hard to settle in, and gets beat up by the local bully. Mr. Han (Chan) is a maintenance man who spots his black-eye and offers to teach him both martial arts and Chinese, so he can defend against the students at the nearby school of kung-fu.
The Karate Kid Poster
Talking to People, Jaden was quick to point out that his training for the film doesn’t just consist of painting fences or catching flies with chop sticks:
“I trained every day for four months with Master Wu [the film's fight coordinator],” Jaden, 11, tells People »
- Allan Ford
Hollywood Man Peter Berg Shows Off His Battleship
2 December 2009 6:51 AM, PST | FilmShaft.com | See recent FilmShaft.com news »
Actor-turned-director Peter Berg has been discussing his latest projects with Latino Review and gave updates on Hancock 2, The Rundown 2 and even talked about why he dropped his planned remake of sci-fi classic Dune last month.
It’s been an interesting career for Berg who began in bit parts and supporting roles in a plethora of top films: from Copland to Collateral. Earlier this decade he switched from his acting day job to directing features. He is currently one of Hollywood’s most entertaining filmmakers. Scoring a massive hit with last year’s Will Smith anti-superhero actioner Hancock, he’s seemingly picking his next projects with glee. Next on the slate (after Lone Survivor) is the boardgame adaptation called Battleship.
Berg picked up the film back in May, but since that initial announcement cinephiles have been scratching their heads over how the simple boardgame might be converted into film. You »
- Martyn Conterio
Four Images from Karate Kid Remake
2 December 2009 6:36 AM, PST | ScreenRant.com | See recent Screen Rant news »
Sony has released the first official images of The Karate Kid remake (formerly known as The Kung-Fu Kid). The images, which come to us courtesy of /Film, show Jaden Smith’s character, Dre, training with Jackie Chan’s character, Mr. Han; splashing around with his Chinese girlfriend; and showing off some pretty impressive flexibility.
To be honest, none of these four pictures are particularly exciting to me. I guess I’m still having a hard time wrapping my head around why there is a remake of The Karate Kid in the first place. I’m not being ironic or nostalgic when I say that the original Karate Kid is one of my favorite movies to watch. I enjoy the story, the acting is solid, and I like how the movie has a message without pandering to the audience. Plus, you know, it has that Joe Esposito song, “You’re the Best Around. »
- Rob Frappier
2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997
1-20 of 1156 articles from 2009 « Prev | Next »
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