Tuesday, October 14

• Twilight Sequel New Moon Already in the Works?

  The premiere of Twilight may still be over a month away, but that hasn't stopped Summit Entertainment, the independent production house backing the adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's teen vampire romance novel, from jump-starting production on a sequel. According to Deadline Hollywood Daily's Nikke Finke, Summit CEO Rob Friedman is "already readying" a follow-up, which would presumably be based on New Moon, the second book in the Twilight timeline.

  Greenlighting a sequel (if that's indeed the case -- Ms. Finke's post is frustratingly vague on the matter) before a film's release might strike some as a risky maneuver, but Summit has reason to be confident, as unprecedented anticipation among teens and tweens has effectively rendered Twilight critic-proof. Which means the relatively low-budget flick (estimated at around $37 million) will likely become profitable in its first week in release.

  Still undetermined is what exactly Finke means by "already readying." Has the script for New Moon been completed? Have stars Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart had their schedules cleared for shoot dates? Has pre-production started? We'll be sure to keep you posted as details emerge -- if indeed there are any details.

  
  

  Posted 10/14/2008 by Thomas

  Related: Twilight | New Moon

• Tarantino's Basterds Begins Production in Germany

  Quentin Tarantino's war epic Inglourious Basterds (yep, that's the correct spelling) recently started production in Germany. The pic features a gigantic cast that now officially includes Brad Pitt, Mike Myers, Diane Kruger, Melanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, Daniel Bruhl, Samm Levine, B.J. Novak, Til Schweiger, Gedeon Burkhard, Paul Rust, Michael Bacall, Omar Doom, Sylvester Groth, Julie Dreyfus, Jacky Ido, August Diehl, Martin Wuttke, Richard Sammel, Christian Berkel, Sonke Mohring, Michael Fassbender, Rod Taylor, Denis Menochet, and Cloris Leachman.

  According to the release from Weinstein, Basterds starts out in a German-occupied France. Shosanna Dreyfus (Laurent) witnesses the execution of her family by Nazis. She manages to escape to Paris where she forges a new identity as the owner of a cinema.

  Meanwhile, Lt. Aldo Raines (Pitt) organizes a series of retribution attacks by Jewish soldiers known as "The Basterds." They join German actress and undercover agent Bridget Von Hammersmark (Kruger) on a mission to take down the leaders of The Third Reich.

  A specific release on Inglourious Basterds has not been set, but Weinstein confirms that it will release in 2009.

  
  

  Posted 10/14/2008 by Jeff

  Related: Brad Pitt | Mike Myers | Quentin Tarantino | Diane Kruger | Inglourious Basterds

Monday, October 13

• Gibson Won't Mimic Stallone, Nixes Lethal Weapon 5

  Give Mel Gibson some credit: He may be nuttier than a fruitcake, but at least he still has his dignity. Director Richard Donner confirmed to the Los Angeles Times today that the Braveheart Oscar winner and owner of Malibu has opted against starring in a proposed fifth chapter of Lethal Weapon -- a move that signals, as Donner puts it, that the project is now "dead in the water."

  Gibson's decision bucks the recent trend, established by fellow aging action stars Sylvester Stallone and Harrison Ford, of going back to the well and resurrecting long-dormant franchises like Rambo and Indiana Jones in the hopes of staying relevant. Lethal Weapon 5 had been gathering steam of late thanks to the efforts of writer/director Shane Black, who penned the first Lethal Weapon and had hoped to write and direct the proposed re-boot.

  
  

  Posted 10/13/2008 by Thomas

  Related: Mel Gibson | Richard Donner | Lethal Weapon | Shane Black

• Scott Returns to Sci-Fi with Forever War

  Director Ridley Scott is wasting little time moving on after Body of Lies stumbled out of the gate this weekend to the tune of $12.8 million despite the Leo-Russell star power.

  Scott has signed on to direct The Forever War, based on Joe Haldeman's 1974 novel. The director had planned to direct the film more than two decades ago, but complications with rights delayed the project. Forever will mark Scott's first Science Fiction effort since 1982's Blade Runner.

  Forever War tells the story of an American soldier sent into space to battle an alien enemy. When he returns, he finds that the planet has aged 20 years although he has only aged a few months.

  Variety reports that Fox 2000 has acquired the rights for Scott to direct under his Scott Free production banner. The group will be seeking a writer immediately, although Scott's next project will likely be Nottingham with Russell Crowe. Scott also has a few other projects in development as well, so it is unclear as of now exactly where The Forever War will fall into that slate.

  Source: Variety
  

  
  

  Posted 10/13/2008 by Jeff

  Related: Ridley Scott | The Forever War

Sunday, October 12

• Box Office Results: Chihuahua Repeat

  

  Title	Weekend	Total	Analysis
  Beverly Hills Chihuahua	$17.5M	$52.5M	Disney's talking animal family comedy in top spot for 2nd straight week.
  Quarantine	$14.2M	$14.2M	Horror flick just misses slashing Chihuahua.
  Body of Lies	$13.1M	$13.1M	Leo and Russell combo falters.
  Eagle Eye	$7.4M	$70.5M	Tweeners continue to show the Shia love.
  Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist	$6.5M	$20.8M	Quirky romantic comedy holds strong and doubles meager production budget.

  
  

  Source: BOX OFFICE MOJO

  
  

  Posted 10/12/2008 by Jeff

Friday, October 10

• New Watchmen Footage Raises New Questions

  When director Zack Snyder recently unveiled almost 30 minutes of dazzling new footage from Watchmen to select members of the press, the lucky journalists in attendance received the most revealing look yet at the long-awaited adaptation of Alan Moore's legendary graphic novel. The footage, while certainly impressive, raises new questions about whether Snyder's two-hour and 43-minute epic will be able to satisfy both mainstream movie audiences and hardcore Watchmen fans. Check out our thoughts on the subject.

  
  
  Next Showing: Watchmen opens March 6, 2009

  Posted 10/10/2008 by Thomas

  Related: Watchmen | Zack Snyder

• Will Spiraling Economy Hurt Oscar-Season Box Office?

  Last weekend clearly proved that our nation's spiraling economy hasn't yet stopped parents from ponying up the cash to divert their kids' attention for a few hours. And what of Shia's two-week run with Eagle Eye? Well, clearly parents are also still dropping their kids off at the mall with cash for some much-needed peace and quiet on the home front.

  But as the financial crisis continues to unfold, will moviegoers turn to less expensive forms of entertainment such as home video, television, or, gasp, going outdoors?

  This weekend's offerings should be a strong indicator as four major offerings hit screens covering a broad base of the moviegoing public. For the family set, there's the fantasy City of Ember or the inspirational sports tale The Express. For the over-18 crowd, Hollywood power players Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe headline one of the first entries in the Oscar race, Body of Lies. And for those ready to get into the spirit of Halloween a few weeks early, there's Quarantine.

  While none of these releases ignited the critical mass with overwhelmingly positive reviews, all scored in the mediocre to mildly positive range on Rotten Tomatoes.

  If you've opted to stay home this weekend, check out Thomas Leupp's story on this week's DVD releases.

  
  

  Posted 10/10/2008 by Jeff

  Related: City of Ember | Quarantine | The Express | Body of Lies

• Body of Lies Meets Chinese Democracy

  Axl Rose, front man for Guns N' Roses, has been working on Chinese Democracy for over a decade. Numerous delays have plagued the album, leaving fans and critics speculating that it may never be released.

  Signaling a possible light at the end of the tunnel, the single "If the World" is included in Body of Lies -- it plays over the final credits. The news might just make it worth a trip to the theater this weekend for those fans growing weary of Appetite for Destruction.

  Body of Lies, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, is now in theaters.

  
  

  Posted 10/10/2008 by reelz

  Related: Body of Lies