Thursday, September 24

• A CGI Popeye in the Works?

  In an article primarily focusing on a Ghost Rider sequel and other Marvel Comics movies currently in development, Variety reports that a CGI Popeye movie might be heading to the big screen.

  Avi Arad, the man credited for dragging Marvel out of bankruptcy and setting it up to become a producer of its own film properties, left the company in 2007, but he hasn't left the characters behind. Arad, who is producing the Ghost Rider and Spider-Man franchises at Columbia, said that Marvel characters can be mined for movie ideas for decades.

  I had this poster of the Marvel universe, with these beautifully drawn characters, and we used to say you could throw a dart, hit a character and make a hit movie under the Marvel brand. There is [a] long list yet to be unleashed.

  According to the article, Arad is separately developing an adaptation of the popular Japanese anime property Ghost in the Shell for DreamWorks, and has secured the rights to Popeye, which is expected to be made as a CGI-animated feature, rather than a live-action movie like Robin Williams' 1980 box office disaster.

  
  

  Posted 09/24/2009 by BrentJS

  Related: Avi Arad | Popeye | Ghost Rider

Saturday, July 21

• Arad to adapt Fablehaven

  As the uber-lucrative Harry Potter saga nears its end, Hollywood execs continue to search for the next Potter-esque franchise to adapt for the big screen.

  In an exclusive interview with ReelzChannel.com, former Marvel honcho Avi Arad announced today that he's optioned the film rights to Fablehaven, a series of fantasy novels penned by Mormon writer Brandon Mull. "It's a totally magical thing and it's gonna be a big deal," said Arad. "I think it'll be an amazing movie."

  Arad stopped short of comparisons to J.K. Rowling's work, however. "It's very different than that," he noted. "Harry Potter is Harry Potter; I wouldn't want to make another one." 

  Credited by many with rescuing Marvel from the brink of bankruptcy with his successful film adaptations of the X-Men and Spider-Man comics, Arad continues to diversify beyond the world of comic book-related properties. His latest project, Bratz, is based on MGA Entertainment's popular line of dolls.

  
  
  Next Showing: Bratz opens nationwide on August 3rd

  Posted 07/21/2007 by reelz

  Related: Avi Arad | Bratz