Monday, September 21

• Celebrity Cameos in Zombieland Started with Patrick Swayze

  The creative team behind Zombieland has tried to keep the zombie comedy's celebrity cameos secret, but screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick recently mentioned a list of celebrities that won't appear, including names as diverse as Bill Clinton and Jean Claude Van Damme. Reese told ShockTilYouDrop that the idea behind having a celebrity cameo began with Patrick Swayze, who passed away last week after a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer.

  That was many years ago, before he got sick. It was [going to be] a Patrick Swayze zombie. They got attacked by him zombified and we had these wonderful moments where they found a potter's wheel and there's Columbus [Jesse Eisenberg] on the wheel and these other hands come up behind him and it's Patrick Swayze the zombie. Ultimately, they fight and Patrick bull rushes Tallahassee [Woody Harrelson] who grabs him and lifts him into the air, a la Jennifer Grey, and smashes him into a pillar.

  Reese claims that Zombieland did obtain a terrific cameo from someone, but it's unfortunate that the Swayze scene was not to be.

  
  
  Next Showing: Zombieland opens October 2
  

  Patrick Swayze Remembered

  A look at the late 57-year-old actor's career

  Posted 09/21/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Patrick Swayze | Rhett Reese | Paul Wernick | Zombieland

Tuesday, September 15

• R.I.P. Patrick Swayze

  Patrick Swayze, best known for his role in 1987's Dirty Dancing, has died following a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. Swayze followed up his breakthrough role with even greater success with the supernatural romance Ghost, turning him into a household name. While he never quite recaptured the success of Ghost, roles in Road House and Point Break gave him a certain level of permanent cult status.

  In the following years Swayze kept a lower profile, but a key role as the pedophilic inspirational speaker in Richard Kelly's Donnie Darko introduced him to another generation of movie lovers. He will be missed.

  
  

  Posted 09/15/2009 by reelz

  Related: Patrick Swayze | Ghost | Dirty Dancing | Road House | Point Break

Friday, August 10

• Movie news: Dancing with Shiva, Powder Blue, Awaken the Dragon, and Mr. Big is back!

  The news just keeps getting better for Sex and the City fans.

  According to Variety, Chris Noth, aka Mr. Big, has indeed signed on to reprise his role for the Sex and the City movie!! Given, it's hard to imagine they would have moved forward with the project without him, but still, it sure is nice to have it confirmed.

  As we reported last month, Anne Hathaway has signed onto Jonathan Demme's ensemble piece, Dancing With Shiva. Today's Variety says the actress will be joining Bill Irwin (Lady in the Water, The Laramie Project), Anna Deavere Smith (The West Wing, Rent) and Debra Winger (Terms of Endearment, Forget Paris) in the comedy, which was written by Jenny Lumet. Filming begins next month in Connecticut.

  Three more have signed on for the Timothy Linh Bui Christmas indie, Powder Blue, says The Hollywood Reporter. Patrick Swayze (Dirty Dancing, Ghost), Kris Kristofferson (Blade, The Wendell Baker Story), and Eddie Redmayne (The Good Shepherd) have joined the cast. Swayze will play a sleazy strip club owner, Redmayne will play a mortician who falls in love with a stripper who works there (Jessica Biel), and Kristofferson will play a corporate crime organization head. Could be quite interesting...

  And finally, Warner Independent has plans to do a noir-style remake of the 1973 Bruce Lee martial arts classic, Enter the Dragon. According to Variety, the remake, which will be called Awaken the Dragon, will be written by producer Kurt Sutter (The Shield). Sutter will also be making his feature directing debut on the project.

  
  

  Posted 08/10/2007 by reelz

  Related: Anne Hathaway | Kris Kristofferson | Patrick Swayze | Chris Noth | Eddie Redmayne | Sex and the City | Dancing with Shiva | Powder Blue | Awaken the Dragon

Wednesday, May 16

• Whoa! Point Break sequel in the works

  Looks like the legions of cinephiles clamoring for a sequel to the Keanu Reeves/Patrick Swayze surfer crime thriller Point Break will finally get their wish. Variety reports that Point Break co-writer Peter Iliff will write and direct Point Break 2.

  The long-awaited follow-up, set 20 years after the events depicted in the first film, will chronicle the efforts of a a surfer/Navy SEAL to track down a criminal gang in Southeast Asia.

  According to Variety, producers are searching for "a young male action star at the same stage in his career as Keanu was."

  Good luck. I don't envy the unfortunate casting director faced with the herculean task of finding an actor able to match Reeves's legendary depth and range.

  Maybe DiCaprio is available.

  
  

  Posted 05/16/2007 by reelz

  Related: Keanu Reeves | Patrick Swayze | Point Break