Sparkle (Jordin Sparks) and Emma (Whitney Houston) star in this first image from TriStar Pictures’ SPARKLE.

SPARKLE is a remake of the 1976 film and tells the story of the title character Sparkle (Jordin Sparks), the youngest of three sisters and a music prodigy who struggles to become a star while facing issues that are tearing her family apart. Starring alongside Houston in the musical drama are Grammy® nominated and platinum recording artist Jordin Sparks (“American Idol” winner, Season 6), Derek Luke (Antwone Fisher, Captain America: The First Avenger), Mike Epps (Jumping the Broom, Friday After Next), Carmen Ejogo (I, Alex Cross, Pride and Glory), Tika Sumpter (What’s Your Number?, “Gossip Girl”), Omari Hardwick (Kick Ass, The A-Team) and Grammy® Award winner, Cee-Lo Green.

SPARKLE is being directed by Salim Akil (Jumping The Broom) from a screenplay written by Mara Brock Akil (“The Game”, “Girlfriends”) and produced by Debra Martin Chase (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Just Wright) along with Salim Akil, Mara Brock Akil, T.D. Jakes and Curtis Wallace (Jumping the Broom, Not Easily Broken). Whitney Houston is also Executive Producing along with Gaylyn Fraiche (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2), and Howard Rosenman (Sparkle, The Family Man). Original music provided by multi-Platinum and Grammy® Award-winning artist R. Kelly. “SPARKLE is a movie I have wanted to remake for a long time and I am so glad to finally see my wish come true and to be part of this stellar team of actors and producers,” said Houston.

Shooting on SPARKLE began principal photography in Detroit, Michigan in October 2011. The film is due in theaters August 10, 2012.

The problem with Hollywood’s take on THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO is familiarity.  It’s such a good, engrossing murder mystery that I actually envy moviegoers who have not seen the Swedish version from just two years ago and are lucky enough to have the film’s many twists unfold surprisingly. That’s not the new film’s fault though and David Fincher, who was announced as the director almost as soon as the Swedish version reached our shores, has done an outstanding job, not only of bringing this story the screen, but stamping it with his personal style.

Fincher has made a supremely sensuous and hypnotic thriller, and one that’s likely to become a major hit. A mystery girl’s disappearance from a remote, inaccessible island kicks off the plot. Intrepid investigative Journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig), under investigation for libel, is hired by aged tycoon Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer) to look into the 40 year-old mystery of his 16-year-old niece, who suddenly disappeared without a trace. He assumes she was murdered, and before he dies, he wants to see the killer found and punished. Punk cyber-hacker Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) checks out Mikael as a preliminary to his hiring, and is herself intrigued by the old mystery. The two team up and find themselves pursuing a family of Nazi perv serial killers. Anyone who’s seen the Swedish version (or has read the book) knows what truly dark and depraved business is in store for this improbable pair of sleuths.

Lisbeth Salander (aka: the chick With The Dragon Tattoo), a victim of sexual abuse and institutional cruelty, is already a major literary heroine, and the intense Rooney Mara, a virtual unknown, is liable to become a major star with this role. She’s not nearly as severe-looking as Noomi Rapace outside this film, but actually is made up to look even more shocking than her Swedish counterpart. Her slight, sinewy frame covered in body piercings and tattoos – is remarkable, as is her performance. Mara is ferocious, notably during the face-offs between Lisbeth and her sexually abusive court-appointed guardian. Daniel Craig underplays the lead and lets Ms Mara steal the film along with Stellan Skarsgard as the darkest of the Vanger family black sheep, capturing and conveying the charismatic essence of  evil.

After a couple of  mainstream-friendlier films (BENJAMIN BUTTON and SOCIAL NETWORK), we’re back in more familiar Fincher territory, rife with violence, darkness and nightmarishly horrific behavior. It works well as a good procedural mystery, with clues carefully tracked down in old photographs and newspaper archives, and is an exhilarating whodunnit as Mikael and Lisbeth uncover a 1950s serial killer in the Vanger family history. Cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth and composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, all deliver outstanding work. The explicit sex is downplayed relative to the Swedish version, but not the violence and the new film is not without its flaws. They’ve set in in Sweden but the actors all speak English in vague, mumbly Swedish accents, except Craig, who speaks in a mumbly British accent. I’m not sure why they didn’t just transport the drama to America.

The last act of GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, an epilogue concerning Lizabeth helping Mikael expose the financier who  ruined him, seems anticlimactic taking place after all the serial killer shenanigans have been resolved. I don’t recall this bothering me in the Swedish film but perhaps the screenwriters could have better woven in that subplot. On balance though, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO is an icily sleek work of sustained suspense, not for everyone, but an outstanding drama and it is highly recommended.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

FOOTLOOSE, the movie that made a cinema icon of future trivia game star Kevin Bacon. Since that film’s release there’s been a full-fledged Broadway stage musical ( now a staple of community theatre groups ) with original songs combined with the movie’s radio-friendly pop tunes. This is not a film version of that. The characters do not burst into song, but there’s plenty of spontaneous dance numbers set to re-mixes of those 84 movie tunes and a few new songs. Will this new film from director Craig Brewer ( HUSTLE AND FLOW ) become the dance-along entertainment of future sleepovers and pajama parties?

The film opens in mid-party three years ago. The high school seniors of Bomont, Tennessee are drinkin’ and dancin’ the night away. But that night of fun ends in tragedy as five of them are killed when a truck plows into their car head on. One of the victims is Bobby, son of Reverend  Shaw Moore ( Dennis Quaid ). He speaks eloquently before he votes with the town council to ban public dancing within city limits , to the surprise of his wife ( Andie McDowell ) and daughter Areal ( Julianna Hough ). Jump ahead to the present day as young Ren McCarthy ( Kenny Wormald ) arrives in town. His mother died back in Boston ( Dad bailed on them ) and he’s come to live with his Aunt ( Kim Dickens ), her husband ( Ray McKinnon) and their two grade school age daughters. He’s stunned by the town’s ordinances ! And he’s given a ticket for playing his music too loud in the old VW bug he’s just fixed up! At church Ren is introduced to the Reverend and his family ( could there be sparks between him and Ariel? ). Seems that since the big accident Ariel’s been acting out. She’s fooling around with the older, thuggish, son of the owner of the local stock car track. Flirting with danger? Ren gets a job at a cotton gin, starts high school, joins the football squad, and befriends a team mate, Willard (Miles Teller ). He takes Ren to the local drive-in movie which doubles as a secret dance club. There Ren finally shares some sweet moves with Ariel ( to the consternation of her brutish beau ). From there Ren makes new friends and clashes with some of the adults ( particularly the Reverend ) as he decides to try and fight the dance band while getting closer to the lovely Ariel. With plenty of big musical numbers along the way.

So is this a big improvement in the original? Not by much. The dances are a bit more energetic, but they’re difficult to fully appreciate with the rapid, whiplash editing ( this is, after all, an MTV Production ). I’m reminded of how the great Fred Astaire reacted to new movie musicals. He thought the full body should always be shown during dance numbers. Can’t argue with “Mr. Top Hat”! With the new version Brewer works in some break-dancing and krunk along with country line dancing which often breaks the flow of action. As far as the acting the 84 model has it way over this. Screen newcomer Kenny Wormald has some athletic dance moves, but doesn’t have the same dangerous bad boy vibe of young Kevin Bacon. When he arrives in Bomont he looks like a prep-schooler on his way to audition for ” Grease “. It doesn’t help that by the film’s mid-point he’s hitting the Boston accent ” wicked haahhrd”. Hough of TV’s ” Dancing with the Stars” also has moves to spare, but flounders in some of the third act big dramatic scenes. Surprisingly, the usually energetic Quaid seems to be muzzled as a pretty soft-spoken pastor. The same goes for McDowell as his wife who doesn’t have much to do till close to the finale. There are a few bright spots in the cast. McKinnon shines as Ren’s sympathetic Uncle ( wish I could’ve seen more of the terrific Kim Dickens as his Aunt ). The movie’s MVP may be Miles Teller who shines in a loose, upbeat portrayal of Ren’s new best pal, the rhythmically-challenged, but sweet doofus Willard. For the pre-teen set, this will make for a great fun group night out at the multi-plex. For the rest of us, this new version may leave us appreciating that relic from long ago. Still any version of the Kenny Loggins tune is a toe-tapper.

Overall Rating: Three Out of Five Stars

Hey horror hounds! Courtesy of our friends at Entertainment Weekly here’s our first look at the cast of Tim Burton’s big screen version of the small screen classic, DARK SHADOWS. Now this is not the first time the Collins clan have made it to the movies. In 1970 MGM released HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS based on the daytime drama and starring most of the TV cast. NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS followed.

Here’s a bit of background on the cult favorite. Dan Curtis (BURNT OFFERINGS) created the “soap opera ” which debuted on ABC-TV in 1966. The main focus of the first episodes was the arrival of Victoria Winters in Collinsport, ME and her interactions with the secretive Collins family. The program languished at the bottom of the ratings until Curtis, in order to save the show from cancellation,decided to take a gamble and introduce a vampire into the Gothic series. Barnabas Collins as played by veteran stage actor Jonathan Frid caused a sensation on the daytime TV landscape. Youngsters flocked to the show, turning the mature Frid into a teen idol (featured many times on the cover of Tiger Beat and other magazines) and giving the producer a merchandising bonanza. Board games, model kits, comic books, paperback novels, and posters flooded the stores. There was even a comic strip in daily newspapers! A record album of the show’s eerie score by Robert Colbert was a huge hit and spawned a top 40 single, “Quentin’s Theme”. Unfortunately not even the additon of witches, werewolves, and other ghoulies could keep the mania going and the final episode aired in 1971.

Ah, but like any good vampire Barnabas did return. The show was soon syndicated to local stations. Devoted fans staged conventions featuring reunions of the cast members. Innovation produced new comic books in 1991. NBC revived the show as a prime time hour long drama in early 1991 while Warner Brothers TV produced a new two hour pilot film that never aired.

And now,long time fan Tim Burton is taking this Gothic epic to the big screen. Lets’ take a look at the residents of Collinwood. Starting from the far left is Helena Bonham Carter (THE KING”S SPEECH) as Dr. Julia Hoffman, psychiatrist, friend of the Collins family and (in the TV show) an aide of Barnabas. Next is Chloe Maretz (LET ME IN) as Carolyn Stoddard followed by Eva Green (CASINO ROYALE) as Angelique Bouchard, the witch who cursed Barnabas. The young lad is the disturbed David Collins played by Gulliver McGrath with his governess Victoria Winters played by Bella Heathcote (she’s also the spitting image of Barnabas’s long lost love Josette). Speaking of Barnabas, in the center is Johnny Depp (THE TOURIST) as the centuries old vampire. Seated is the family housekeeper Mrs. Johnson played by Ray Shirley. Next is Collinwood groundskeeper Willie (yup, Groundskeeper Willie!) Loomis played by Jackie Earle Haley (WATCHMEN) who releases Barnabas and soon becomes his ‘ familiar’. He’s followed by Roger Collins played by Jonny Lee Miller (TRAINSPOTTING) and family matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard played by Michelle Pfieffer (BATMAN RETURNS).

Synopsis:

In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet—or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy…until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive.

Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets. Matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) has called upon live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), to help with her family troubles.

Also residing in the manor is Elizabeth’s ne’er-do-well brother, Roger Collins, (Jonny Lee Miller); her rebellious teenage daughter Carolyn Stoddard (Chloe Moretz); and Roger’s precocious 10-year-old son, David Collins (Gulliver McGrath). The mystery extends beyond the family, to caretaker Willie Loomis, played by Jackie Earle Haley, and David’s new nanny, Victoria Winters, played by Bella Heathcote.

This group (along with horror film icon Christopher Lee and several original TV cast members) will welcome moviegoers back to Collinwood (cue the cascading waves and Colbert theme) when Warner Brothers releases the film on May 11, 2012

Written and directed by Rod Lurie (THE CONTENDER, THE LAST CASTLE), STRAW DOGS (2011) is actually a reasonably successful generic popcorn thriller, focused on revenge. On its own, its no better or worse than most of the Hollywood fare churned out each year. However, as a remake to Sam Peckinpah’s film, Lurie fails completely at capturing the same level of deep character development and situational tension. For those viewers who see STRAW DOGS (2011) without having seen the original, a population which is apparently frightfully large, the film works. Unfortunately, for those who’ve seen the original, I fear you’ll find it difficult to look past the remake’s inadequacies and be left with a foul taste in your mouth.

STRAW DOGS (2011) stars James Marsden (X-MEN, ENCHANTED) as David Sumner, making an effort to fill the shoes of Dustin Hoffman. David is an LA screenwriter, educated and relatively well-off compared to the residents of Blackwater, Mississippi. David and his attractive wife Amy (SUPERMAN RETURNS, THE RULES OF ATTRACTIONG) return to Blackwater, her hometown, to temporarily reside in Amy’s recently deceased father’s home while it’s repaired and David works on his latest screenplay.

Right from the beginning, the setup of STRAW DOGS (2011) is clear; city folk versus southern rednecks. On this level, Lurie hits the proverbial mark, turning the deeper, more meaningful film Peckinpah created into little more than an average home invasion flick, less chilling than THE STRANGERS. Charlie, played by Alexander Skarsgard (TRUE BLOOD) leads a pack of four ex-high school football stars from Blackwater, employed by Amy to repair the roof of her father’s barn. As it turns out, Charlie and Amy have a history that is destined to come back on her like bad Indian food.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. David makes an effort to apply this philosophy to his new, if only temporary home, but Charlie and boys won’t have any of that. This ultimately sets the tone for the rest of the film. Marsden does well enough as David, convincingly playing a generic Hollywood screenwriter type. His performance is centered on the trademark glasses worn by Dustin Hoffman in the original, constantly adjusting or fiddling with them as a crutch. I believed he was a pacifist, an atheist, and a coward.

Alexander Skarsgard, on the other hand, was probably the one factor in Lurie’s remake that I truly looked forward to, but found myself deeply disappointed. His performance was not bad, but rather very, very familiar. Charlie was essentially a slightly toned down version of Eric Northman from True Blood. I give Skarsgard credit for being really good at playing sophisticated creepy roles, even as a redneck, but there wasn’t enough depth to his performance and far too much of what we see so often on the HBO series. Regardless, he does offer some enjoyable moments in STRAW DOGS, so I can’t bring myself to write him off completely. Kate Bosworth is skinny, and she cries a lot in the second half.

Rod Lurie borrows heavily from Peckinpah’s visual repertoire with several shot-for-shot translations, including the final shot. He also delves into the genre pool of kill scenes, extracting moments of graphic violence that feel a little out of place in this remake but serve up excitement for the general audience like football fans rambunctiously hootin’ and hollerin’ over their home team’s touchdown. Amidst these vividly bloody moments is the final kill, with which I have a continuity issue.

Two performances truly stand out, but for two very different reasons. Dominic Purcell (BLADE: TRINITY) struggles with the role of Jeremy Niles, a mentally challenged man who is cast out and misunderstood by the town of Blackwater. He is the brother of Daniel, played by the terribly miscast Walton Goggins (JUSTIFIED). One of Lurie’s biggest mistakes was not casting Goggins as one of the four “straw dogs,” the term used by David to describe how Charlie and his boys fit into society. On the flip side, Lurie was brilliant for casting James Woods as the alcoholic, racist Coach Tom Heddon.

STRAW DOGS (2011) is well-shot, especially the opening sequence that develops the southern, swampy setting, even though the film doesn’t take place in a swamp. Lurie’s version makes no effort to embrace the gritty atmosphere of Peckinpah’s original, except for that final shot. I have a feeling this film will do fairly well at the box office, but will have to compete with Ryan Gosling’s meteoric new popularity as DRIVE opens simultaneously. For fans of Sam Peckipah’s original, I simply recommend avoiding this failed remake.

Overall Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

CULVER CITY, Calif. (June 2011) – Columbia Pictures has optioned remake and sequel rights to Big Man Japan, which will be developed and produced into a new feature film by Neal H. Moritz through his Original Film banner, it was announced by Hannah Minghella, president of production for Columbia Pictures. Big Man Japan was a breakthrough hit in Japan in 2007 and a cult hit in the United States in 2009. Phil Hay & Matt Manfredi will write the new adaptation.

Set in a world where monsters wreak havoc, there’s one man who can protect the citizenry: Big Man Japan, who runs the Department of Monster Prevention. Using electricity, he can grow to be 10 stories tall and fight off the most menacing of monsters. The problem is that he’s not very good at his job and often causes as much damage as he prevents. The people believe he’s a joke – and not nearly as good at the job as his father and grandfather were before he took over the family business.

The option for all non Japanese language rights to the film were secured through Yoshimoto Kogyo Co, Ltd, and their affiliate Yoshimoto Creative Agency, Ltd, producers of the original film that was directed by Hitoshi Matsumoto.

Toby Jaffe will oversee development for Original.

NEAL H. MORITZ is the founder of Original Film. His most recent releases include Fast Five, which has taken in more than $540 million worldwide to date, making it the most successful film in the franchise, and Battle: Los Angeles, which has grossed more than $200 million worldwide so far. His next film is Universal Pictures’ comedy The Change Up. He is currently in production on 21 Jump Street and Total Recall, and he is in pre-production on Warner Bros.’ Jack the Giant Killer. His past titles include The Green Hornet, The Fast and Furious series, I Am Legend, XXX, S.W.A.T., Made of Honor, Gridiron Gang, Bounty Hunter, Evan Almighty, Sweet Home Alabama, Click, Vantage Point, Out of Time, Blue Streak, Cruel Intentions, I Know What You Did Last Summer, The Skulls, Volcano, Urban Legend, and Juice.

PHIL HAY & MATT MANFREDI most recently wrote the screenplay for the box office hit Clash of the Titans; they previously wrote the screenplay for the 2005 sci-fi thriller Aeon Flux. The writing partners made their screenwriting debut in 2001 with the critically acclaimed drama Crazy/Beautiful. Manfredi also wrote and co-directed with Hay the independent feature Bug, starring John Carroll Lynch, which garnered multiple film festival awards in 2002. Upcoming projects for Hay and Manfredi include the comic book adaptations R.I.P.D. and The Boys, both for producer Neal H. Moritz.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT
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Check out the new stills from Paramount Pictures’ upcoming remake of FOOTLOOSE. Will it live up to the original, Kevin Bacon film that gave us ”Jump Back” and “Don’t stop! Don’t stop! Make Ginger pop!” Who can forget the classic lines,

Ariel: “Do you want to kiss me?”

Ren: “Someday”

Won’t be the same if no one is sporting the t-shirt that says - DANCE YOUR ASS OFF.

Paramount Pictures Presents In Association with Spyglass Entertainment
A Dylan Sellers Zadan / Meron Weston Pictures Production
A Craig Brewer Film
FOOTLOOSE
Executive Producers Timothy M. Bourne, Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, Jonathan Glickman
Produced by Craig Zadan, Neil Meron, Dylan Sellers, Brad Weston
Story by Dean Pitchford
Screenplay by Dean Pitchford and Craig Brewer
Directed by Craig Brewer

Synopsis:

Writer/Director Craig Brewer (HUSTLE & FLOW, BLACK SNAKE MOAN) delivers a new take of the beloved 1984 classic film, FOOTLOOSE. Ren MacCormack (played by newcomer Kenny Wormald) is transplanted from Boston to the small southern town of Bomont where he experiences a heavy dose of culture shock. A few years prior, the community was rocked by a tragic accident that killed five teenagers after a night out and Bomont’s local councilmen and the beloved Reverend Shaw Moore (Dennis Quaid) responded by implementing ordinances that prohibit loud music and dancing. Not one to bow to the status quo, Ren challenges the ban, revitalizing the town and falling in love with the minister’s troubled daughter Ariel (Julianne Hough) in the process.

FOOTLOOSE will be in theaters on October 14, 2011.

In many ultra-affluent homes there’s an invisible , but clearly defined, line that separates the residents and the people hired to take care of them. Usually it’s a rigid code of conduct. This has been explored in TV shows like “Upstairs, Downstairs” and films such as THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE and DRIVING MISS DAISY.  A source of dramatic conflict occurs when one or both cross that line. THE HOUSEMAID explores this conflict in reserved Asian society. The film shares the it’s title from an influential Korean film from 1960, but the results of this conflict in 2010 are very different from the earlier work.

This film begins on a busy evening at a downtown market. The bustling night is momentarily disrupted when a young woman leaps to her death from one of the buildings. A worker at one of the eateries, Eun-yi (Jeon Do-yeon), and her room mate try and get a better look at the body. The next morning, back at their apartment building, Eun-yi is visited by Miss Cho (Yoon Yeo-jeong), the maid of a rich family. Eun-yi has been hired as an au pair for the growing household. Eun-yi is taken to the opulent home and is introduced to the lady of the house, Hae Ra (Seo Woo). Hae Ra is due to give birth to twins in the next few months. Besides helping with the household chores, Eun-yi’s main responsibility will be looking after the seven year old daughter Nami (Ahn Seo-hyeon). Shortly Eun-yi meets the master of the house, Hoon (Lee Jung-jae), a powerful, successful businessman. Later Eun-yi is dazzled by Hoon’s skills at the piano. That night Hoon is frustrated by the unaccommodating Hae Ra in the bedroom. A few days later Eun-yi accompanies the family to a cottage in the woods. Late one night Hoon enters Eun-yi’s quarters. They share a bottle of wine and the bed. This becomes a regular occurrence upon their return to the main house. Miss Cho stumbles upon one of the trysts. Later, she observes changes to Eun-yi’s body-she must be pregnant. Miss Cho brings this to the attention of Hae-Ra’s domineering mother Mi-hee (Park Ji-young). Mi-hee swears that she will take care of this before the birth of her new grandchildren. What will become of Eun-yi and her baby? And will Hae Ra learn of her husband’s affair?

THE HOUSEMAID unfolds slowly as it presents this mansion’s opulence and the strict codes of conduct for the working women. The introduction of the affair is similar to an early Hollywood studio tearjerker. The performances are all very engaging. Do-yeon makes Eun-yi, a sweet, fragile young woman who is dazzled by all the trappings of wealth. Yeo-jeoung ‘s Miss Cho starts as very stern, hardened women but later becomes sympathetic when she has finally has endured enough in dealing with this family. The family is anchored by Jung-jae’s imperious, manipulative, cold Hoon. Woo’s Hae-Ra’s is a spoiled, uncaring brat, while her mother may be the film’s biggest villain. Ji-young turns her into an evil, Lady Macbeth-like harridan. The movie’s an interesting look at the class system in Korea. But, I should forewarn you that the film’s wildly over-the -top, almost operatic ending may seem out of place after the more realistic proceedings. If you can handle such abrupt changes in tone then you’ll appreciate THE HOUSEMAID.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Barbra Streisand to star in the movie remake of GYPSY…does that sound like a good idea?

It’s a tremendous idea! Barbra would be breathtaking as Mama Rose and a project like this has the potential to be one of the greatest adaptations in film history, not to mention it would be a great bookend performance for La Streisand. And the score won’t have to be altered for a less capable actress/singer.

Ok so Barbra’s on board – but who would direct? It has to be someone strong enough to direct Barbra in her first musical in over 30 years. It’s a daunting task for even a seasoned director – she’s a handful…and on a musical?!?

Barbra Streisand has met with Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents to discuss starring as Rose, the mother of all stage mamas, in a film version of their 1959 musical “Gypsy,” the two men said in telephone interviews on Wednesday. Mr. Laurents, who wrote the book for “Gypsy” and directed its 2008 revival on Broadway starring Patti LuPone, said that Warner Brothers and Joel Silver were attached as producers, but that no director had been chosen.

Contrary to a report in The New York Post on Wednesday, Mr. Laurents said that Ms. Streisand would not direct the film; she once wanted to, he said, “but playing Rose is enough to make her happy.” Ms. Streisand, who won an Academy Award for best actress in 1968 for the film musical FUNNY GIRL, has been interested in doing GYPSY for many years, Mr. Laurents said, “but now things are serious and a movie is truly in the works.”

As for the rest of the casting, Tom Hanks’ name has come up for the role of Herbie, the former agent turned manager. I would’ve gone for Dustin Hoffman as Herbie, but Tom Hanks is good. He’s the perfect type – it was Jack Klugman in the original Broadway production with Ethel Merman; and Karl Malden in the 1962 movie with Rosalind Russell (so you can see where they are going with this).

Natalie Wood starred as the shy older sister Louise in the movie. I think Anne Hathaway would be perfect in this role. She is the right type and she can really sing! And while I’m granting myself wishes, Baby June should be played by Kristen Bell; and Tulsa, the boy she elopes with would be a perfect vehicle for the talents of Joseph Gordon Levitt – “Make ‘Em Laugh” on SNL anyone? Genius. Well, here’s hoping!

Source: NY Times

Sony Pictures has announced that the Johnny Depp-Angelina Jolie romantic thriller THE TOURIST is now set to open December 10th, according to Box Office Mojo. Oscars anyone?

A remake of French thriller ANTHONY ZIMMER, THE TOURIST features Depp as an American vacationing in Venice, Italy, who, while attempting to romance Jolie’s character, becomes embroiled in a web of international intrigue and suspense. This year has already been a good one for Depp and Jolie, as they have each had hits in ALICE IN WONDERLAND ($334.2 million) and SALT ($104.2 million and counting), respectively. Directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, who won the Best Foreign Language Oscar in 2007 for Cold War drama THE LIVES OF OTHERS, THE TOURIST will debut opposite THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER and David O. Russell’s THE FIGHTER.

THE TOURIST, written by Julian Fellowes, Christopher McQuarrie, and Jeffrey Nachmanoff, also stars Paul Bettany, Rufus Sewell, and Timothy Dalton. GK Films, which financed the film, and Sony Pictures will distribute it.

Lionsgate via YAHOO! Movies has released this exciting new trailer for Paul Haggis’ THE NEXT THREE DAYS.

This….looks…FABULOUS!! Crowe and Neeson together – good night nurse!! As you can tell, I’m more than a little thrilled about this remake of the 2007 French film “Pour Elle” (Anything For Her) by Fred Cavaye’.

Synopsis:

Life seems perfect for John Brennan (Russell Crowe) until his wife, Lara (Elizabeth Banks), is arrested for a gruesome murder she says she didn’t commit. Three years into her sentence, John is struggling to hold his family together, raising their son and teaching at college while he pursues every means available to prove her innocence. With the rejection of their final appeal, Lara becomes suicidal and John decides there is only one possible, bearable solution: to break his wife out of prison. Refusing to be deterred by impossible odds or his own inexperience, John devises an elaborate escape plot and plunges into a dangerous and unfamiliar world, ultimately risking everything for the woman he loves.

From Highway 61 Films and Lionsgate, along with a screenplay from producer-director Paul Haggis, THE NEXT THREE DAYS will be in theaters on November 19, 2010.

Exhibitor Relations has posted a FRIGHT NIGHT update over on Facebook.

FRIGHT NIGHT remake starring Colin Farrell and Anton Yelchin has scared up a release date: October 7, 2011. And yes, it will be in 3-D…

Oh great. Another unnecessary remake. Another 3D movie. Apparently Hollywood’s original story well has run dry.

DreamWorks remake of the 1985 film is about a teen (Yelchin) convinced that his new neighbor (Farrell) is a vampire. FRIGHT NIGHT’s cast includes Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, Toni Collette, David Tennant, Imogen Poots, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse.

With a story from Tom Holland, FRIGHT NIGHT’s original director and screenwriter, the screenplay is from Marti Noxon of tv’s “Buffy The Vampire Slayer.”

From producers Michael De Luca and Alison R. Rosenzweig and director Craig Gillespie (MR. WOODCOCK, LARS AND THE REAL GIRL), filming begins this summer in New Mexico.

Who could wait for this spectacle after the trailer debuted in April. And now PIRANHA 3D will be in theaters a week earlier. Giddy anyone? C’mon… raise your hands.

In case you missed it:

Oh Christopher Lloyd, you’ve been gone far too long from the silver screen, especially when you’re popping out lines like, “piranha hunting in packs.” Don’t even get me started on the whole deal of Richard Dreyfuss/JAWS/Matt Hooper showing up in the movie. (Insert big smile here.) From the looks of it, Ving Rhames assumes the Chief Brody part. Sign me up for this trip… pronto!

From director Alexandre Aja (The Hills Have Eyes) comes the new action thriller PIRANHA 3D. Every year the population of sleepy Lake Victoria explodes from 5,000 to 50,000 for Spring Break, a riot of sun and drunken fun. But this year, there’s something more to worry about than hangovers and complaints from local old timers; a new type of terror is about to be cut loose on Lake Victoria. After a sudden underwater tremor sets free scores of the prehistoric man-eating fish, an unlikely group of strangers must band together to stop themselves from becoming fish food for the area’s new razor-toothed residents. The films stars Jessica Szohr (Gossip Girl), Steven R. McQueen (The Vampire Diaries), Elisabeth Shue, Jerry O’Connell, Ving Rhames, Adam Scott, Richard Dreyfuss (JAWS), Christopher Lloyd, and Kelly Brook.

What a great way to end the summer. Where do I buy a ticket?

PIRANHA 3D will be in theaters on August 20, 2010. Follow the movie on Twitter and “Fan It” on Facebook.

Trailer courtesy: YAHOO! Movies

From YAHOO! Movies comes this video clip where director Harald Zwart and composer James Horner discuss the Asian influence on the movie’s symphonic score from THE KARATE KID.

I’m such a huge fan of James Horner and his film scores. I have ever since sitting in the theater and hearing those loud trumpets come blaring through the screen. Beginning with the music from BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS thru STAR TREK II: WRATH OF KHAN onto ALIENS and finally his Oscar-winning score TITANIC.

Synopsis:

In Columbia Pictures’ remake of the 1984 film, THE KARATE KID, 12-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) could’ve been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother’s (Taraji P. Henson) latest career move has landed him in China. Dre immediately falls for his classmate Mei Ying – and the feeling is mutual – but cultural differences make such a friendship impossible. Even worse, Dre’s feelings make an enemy of the class bully, Cheng. In the land of kung fu, Dre knows only a little karate, and Cheng puts “the karate kid” on the floor with ease. With no friends in a strange land, Dre has nowhere to turn but maintenance man Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), who is secretly a master of kung fu. As Han teaches Dre that kung fu is not about punches and parries, but maturity and calm, Dre realizes that facing down the bullies will be the fight of his life.

It pales by comparison to the original and Mr Miyagi’s infamous ”Wax on….wax off.” Rated PG for bullying, martial arts action, violence, and some mild language, THE KARATE KID opens nationwide Friday, June 11th.

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New Line Cinema’s job in getting an ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK remake of the ground and into theaters has been an up and down struggle for some time now.  Now, it appears, the studio is going with someone who has a little bit of recent luck in the remake department.  Hollywood Insider is reporting THE CRAZIES’ director, Breck Eisner, is in negotiations to take the helm.

Of course, this doesn’t mean Eisner definitely has the job, nor does it mean we’re going to be seeing an ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK remake in theaters in the very near future.  With the way directors come and go on projects these days, Eisner could be onto something entirely different by the time you finish reading this article.

However, it does raise some interesting questions about the new film.  Not that it means a whole lot, but Eisner has previously worked with Matthew McConaughey on SAHARA and Timothy Olyphant on THE CRAZIES.  While many would groan at the former sporting the Snake Plissken eyepatch, putting Olyphant in the role might not be the worst decision known to man.  Until recently, Gerard Butler was attached in the role, so, whoever ends up starring in the film actually has more than just Kurt Russell’s shoes to fill.

What is your choice?  Is Breck Eisner a good pick to take on the remake of a John Carpenter classic?  Who should take on the role of Snake Plissken in the upcoming film?  Let us know by shooting us a comment below.

Of course, he is.  In fact, I’m surprised there hasn’t been any real talk of a TOXIC AVENGER remake until now.  The original film, which became the banner for Troma Entertainment, came out in 1984 and has since generated four sequels, an animated TV show, and even a stage production.  The latter has recently picked up a Lucille Lortel Awards nod for Outstanding Musical.

Nonetheless, Deadline New York is reporting Akiva Goldsman, Richard Saperstein, and Charlie Corwin will be serving as producers on the remake.  The new film will be a family friendlier version of Toxie (that’s his nickname).  It will reportedly have the 90 lb. nerd who is transformed into a hulking, crime fighting beast via a vat of toxic waste taking on environmental challenges.

This will be the second Troma retread backed by Saperstein, who is also behind the Darren Lynn Bousman-directed MOTHER’S DAY.  No writers have been hired yet for TOXIC AVENGER, but expect development to move quickly.

And then two projects became one.  We let you know a few weeks ago that director David Fincher was circling two, different projects, the Bobby Fischer biopic, PAWN SACRIFICE, and the US remake of THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO.  Evidently, Fincher likes girls with tattoos more than he likes chess, because the latter project won out.  According to the Playlist, DRAGON TATTOO has been confirmed as Fincher’s next film.

Rumors of Carey Mulligan being groomed for the lead role are just that, rumors.  Fincher evidently wants an unknown for the role, and Sony, who is behind DRAGON TATTOO and Fincher’s next release, THE SOCIAL NETWORK, couldn’t be happier with Fincher right now.  THE SOCIAL NETWORK, by the way, is set to release in October.  Fincher plans to begin shooting DRAGON TATTOO around this same time.

While it still irks me somewhat to see a US remake of THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO already in the works, I have faith Fincher won’t just make a retread of a film we’ve already seen.  If he’s come on board, that means he has an angle he has found with the original story that will make it his own.  It will be interesting to see how the two films, the original, Swedish film and Fincher’s, will compare.

It’s been 12 long years since Matthew Broderick GODZILLA nearly destroyed New York City.  Believe it or not, since then, there have been six GODZILLA movies released in Japan, and Warner Brothers and Legendary Pictures figure it’s time for another US reboot.  The announcement came today that the iconic, massive lizard with a penchant for subway cars and who can blow flames from his mouth will be coming back to American theaters.  The new film is set for a 2012 release.

Legendary Pictures announced Monday they had acquired rights to the film from Toho Co. but that the Japanese-based film studio would still release the film in Japan.

Says Thomas Tull, Chairman and CEO of Legendary Pictures:

GODZILLA is one of the world’s most powerful pop culture icons, and we at Legendary are thrilled to be able to create a modern epic based on this long-loved Toho franchise. Our plans are to produce the GODZILLA that we, as fans, would want to see. We intend to do justice to those essential elements that have allowed this character to remain as pop-culturally relevant for as long as it has.

I think, if you read between the lines, this means there won’t be any baby GODZILLA’s to cash in on the JURASSIC PARK craze and I have a feeling a home pregnancy test won’t come into play this time around.  Jean Reno, though?  Always welcome.

Legendary says a director will be announced soon.

Now, this should have been the second poster Warner/New Line released for their NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET remake.  It’s different.  It’s slick.  It’s a little creepy.

Just one note, completely black out the girl’s face.  Make her a faceless victim, and make Jackie Earle Haley’s Freddy and the hallway the star of the thing.  This inclusion of an actor’s face seems a bit like they are going for the SCREAM/I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER structure, which, essentially, made the 20-somethings-posing-as-teens the stars of the film rather than the killer of the piece.

Nonetheless, there is very little I dislike about this poster.  Even that little inclusion of a period at the end of the tag line:

“He knows where you sleep.”

As if that’s the final word on Freddy and the way he is going to find you.  So far, so good on all aspects of the marketing for this film.  Let’s just hope Platinum Dunes and Samuel Bayer deliver where Marcus Nispel couldn’t with this FRIDAY THE 13th remake.

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET is set for release on April 30th.

The man rocks a mean coffee mug.  That, we cannot take away from the grizzled, bleach blonde Stephen Lang, who thumped Sam Worthington a time or two in AVATAR.  I guess that makes the guy suited to play the villain role, because news broke today over at Latino Review that Lang has been offered the part of the heavy in the Marcus Nispel-directed reworking of CONAN.

What say us?  Well, before we give our own, person opinion, let’s give a description of who the people behind CONAN were looking for.

Khalar Singh is in his 40s to 50s, Asian or Middle Eastern, Central Asian, Mongol, Turkish, or Persian, open to all ethnicities; commanding in size and manner, a warlord and formidable warrior, brilliant, cruel, weathered and tanned by the many campaigns he has waged and won. He is driven in his quest to find the Queen of Acheron and has been building an empire to do so.

Okay, Lang is 57, and he seems like the kind of man who could easily be driven to build an empire under the bones of his crushed enemies.  He also seems like to hear the lamentations of their women, but that’s another story altogether.  What really cries foul in this whole decision and screams of reactive cinema is the second line of description on Singh.  Asian or Middle Eastern, Central Asian, Mongol, Turkish, or Persian.

Stephen Lang is from New York City, and, were it not for the $2.5 billion AVATAR has made worldwide, his name wouldn’t even be in the running for the CONAN Role.  In fact, I would go so far as to say this is probably the worst example of reactive film making I’ve seen in recent memory.  Okay, Michael Bay using “Battle Without Honor or Humanity” to show off the new Camaro in TRANSFORMERS probably beats it, but this is right up there.

Don’t get me wrong.  There is nothing wrong with Lang.  He is a fine actor, and AVATAR along with PUBLIC ENEMIES last year proved he has what it takes to show off his bad ass side.  However, there are fine Asian and Middle Eastern actors out there who would probably be more suited to play the role of a man whose surname is Singh.  Besides, we want Lang free and clear if they ever decide to bring Cable into the X-MEN movies.

Here are just five of those suitable choices:

Tadanobu Asano

Where he is from: Yokohama, Japan

Where you know him: ICHI THE KILLER, SURVIVE STYLE 5+, MONGOL

Personally, who I think would be the ideal choice is a man whose move to high-profile, Hollywood fare I’ve been championing since first seeing him going crazy in Takashi Miike THE KILLER.  Asano has what it takes to play villainous, charming, and absolutely insane.  Plus, as we’ve seen from most of his movies, he has what it takes to stand up to someone like Conan physically.  He’s young.  Asano only turns 38 this year, but, as proven in MONGOL, he wears the weathered look well.  Of course, worry not if you’re a fan of Asano.  He can next be seen in Kenneth Branagh’s THOR, and that’s just about enough to make up for him not getting this part.

Oded Fehr

Where he is from: Tel Aviv, Israel

Where you know him: THE MUMMY (’97), THE MUMMY RETURNS, RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPE and EXTINCTION

Okay, maybe not the best choice when it comes to acting ability or in regards to filmography pedigree.  Oded Fehr hasn’t made the best choices in his career, and one has to look at his work on Showtime’s “Sleeper Cell” to see the best acting the man has to offer.  Regardless, he is quite cool, and could definitely teach Jason Momoa a thing or two in the charm department.  He is 39, so that puts him just outside the casting’s age requirement.  Of course, they put the offer out to Stephen Lang.  Their requirements are flimsy at best.

Hiroyuki Sanada

Where he is from: Tokyo, Japan

Where you know him: THE LAST SAMURAI, SUNSHINE, SPEED RACER, “Lost”

Sanada should have broken out a long time ago.  It’s been seven years since THE LAST SAMURAI, and it is still easy to reflect how memorable he was in the small but effective part of Ujio.  Since then, he’s had bit parts here and there, and is more than likely going to achieve some notoriety with his turn as Dogen on this final season of “Lost.”  Of course, Sanada has been acting in film since his tiny part in 1974′s THE EXECUTIONER.  Since then, he has put on around 70 films to his credit.  He would be perfect for the part of Singh.  At 49, he’s in the perfect age range for the part, he’s very cool, and he has proven time and time again he has what it takes both in the acting department and the physical department to bring the villainous role to bad ass life.  Oh, you aren’t sure about the physical side?  Just watch the first 10 minutes of this week’s “Lost”. You will be proven wrong.

Choi Min-sik

Where he is from: Seoul, South Korea

Where you know him: OLDBOY, LADY VENGEANCE

Gotta be honest here, I only know Choi Min-sik from three films, the two mentioned above and TAE GUK GI, but only one of these roles proves he has what it takes for the Singh part in CONAN.  Granted, there probably aren’t any Ace Hardwares anywhere in Cimmeria, so it may be hard for Singh to get his hands on a claw hammer.  Nonetheless, I’m sure Min-sik could find other, more dangerous weapons just as suitable as he found that damned hammer in OLDBOY.  Plus, he took on around 50 or 60 guys in OLDBOY and made it look convincing that he was winning.  I’m sure he would have no issues at all with making Momoa look like a chump.

Shohreh Aghdashloo

Where she is from: Tehran, Iran

Where you know her: THE HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG, “24″, “FlashForward”

Okay, I know what you’re thinking.  This is ridiculous and I must be smoking something very pure if I think Shohreh Aghdashloo would make a decent villain(ess) in the upcoming CONAN movie.  But think of how interesting and different it would be for Marcus Nispel and crew to rewrite the character and make it a female antagonist who has, somehow, built an empire around her shoulders.

Sean Hood was recently brought in to do a fresh rewrite on the screenplay, anyway, and, while he isn’t the last bastion for groundbreaking screenwriting, he could have a few tricks up his sleeve.  Sure, there probably wouldn’t be any hand-to-hand action between Singh and Conan if this were to come to pass, but that’s what henchmen are for, right?  I say screw conformity and go with the freshest and most interesting (not to mention about as distanced from “reactive” film making as you can get) choice imaginable.  Role with Aghdashloo as Singh.  If for nothing else, I just want to see what she looks like with bleach blonde hair.

CONAN is set to begin filming later this year.