Category Archives: Movie Adaptations

Jumanji Reimagining In Production For Sony

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After spinning a hit out of The Amazing Spider-Man, producer Matt Tolmach has been set by Sony Pictures to produce its reimagining of Joe Johnston’s 1995 pic Jumanji along with original producer William Teitler.

Original exec producer Ted Field will return to executive produce with his Radar Pictures exec Mike Weber.

The plt followed two kids who play an old magic boardgame and release a man (Robin Williams) as well as many dangers that can be stopped only by finishing the game. The new film will likely tweak the premise and refashion the story for present day.

Despite most remembering the film version, the story of Jumanji is actually based on a short story of the same name written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg. The children’s book was released in 1981. The biggest notable difference between the plots of the short story and the film is the ending. In the movie, after everything is undone, the children’s parents are having a christmas party that is attended by the man they met playing the game (as he is no longer inside the game). While in the story, the children simply see two young boys carrying the Jumanji game preparing to start a new game for themselves.

Jumanji initially grossed $263 million worldwide, and the source material of a children’s book lends itself to the sort of visual spectacle Sony has come to expect of its tentpole franchises.

The decision to update the “Jumanji” property reflects the studio’s mandate to increase the focus on films for family audiences, as Sony has found great success with its “Smurfs” franchise and the animated pic “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs,” which has a sequel on the horizon.

Tolmach is also developing Oren Uziel’s Black List script “The Kitchen Sink” with director Robbie Pickering, as well as an untitled royal wedding comedy from “500 Days of Summer” scribes Michael H. Weber and Scott Neustadter.

The Hobbit Becomes A Trilogy

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Peter Jackson confirmed last week that The Hobbit will be made into three films to become a trilogy.

The director said in an official statement:

It is only at the end of a shoot that you finally get the chance to sit down and have a look at the film you have made. Recently Fran, Phil and I did just this when we watched for the first time an early cut of the first movie – and a large chunk of the second. We were really pleased with the way the story was coming together, in particular, the strength of the characters and the cast who have brought them to life. All of which gave rise to a simple question: do we take this chance to tell more of the tale? And the answer from our perspective as the filmmakers, and as fans, was an unreserved ‘yes.’

We know how much of the story of Bilbo Baggins, the Wizard Gandalf, the Dwarves of Erebor, the rise of the Necromancer, and the Battle of Dol Guldur will remain untold if we do not take this chance. The richness of the story of The Hobbit, as well as some of the related material in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, allows us to tell the full story of the adventures of Bilbo Baggins and the part he played in the sometimes dangerous, but at all times exciting, history of Middle-earth.

So, without further ado and on behalf of New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Wingnut Films, and the entire cast and crew of “The Hobbit” films, I’d like to announce that two films will become three.

It has been an unexpected journey indeed, and in the words of Professor Tolkien himself, “a tale that grew in the telling.”

Cheers,

Peter J

The first and second films were shot back-to-back in New Zealand and are currently in post-production; principal photography began on 21 March 2011 and completed on 6 July 2012. While the third film will make use of footage originally shot for the first and second films, it will require additional filming as well.

n April 2011, Jackson revealed through his Facebook page that he is filming The Hobbit at 48 fps (frames per second) instead of the normal 24 fps:

“We are indeed shooting at the higher frame rate. The key thing to understand is that this process requires both shooting and projecting at 48 frames/s, rather than the usual 24 frames/s (The great majority of films have been shot at 24 frames per second since the late 1920s). So the result looks like normal speed, but the image has hugely enhanced clarity and smoothness. Looking at 24 frames every second may seem ok—and we’ve all seen thousands of films like this over the last 90 years—but there is often quite a lot of blur in each frame, during fast movements and if the camera is moving around quickly, the image can judder or “strobe.” Shooting and projecting at 48 frames/s does a lot to get rid of these issues. It looks much more lifelike and it is much easier to watch, especially in 3-D.”

The first installment of the new trilogy, titled The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, will be released to theaters and IMAX on Dec. 14. Film number two, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, will follow on Dec. 13, 2013. The third film is expected to be released in the summer of 2014, according to ComingSoon, but the title has not yet been revealed.

To read the full press release, click here.

X-Men “Days Of Future Past” Heading To The Silver Screen

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Seminal X-Men story arc “Days Of Future Past,” will receive the big screen treatment, says producer Bryan Singer. The film will be a sequel to 2011’s X-Men: First Class, and while Singer didn’t say how true to the comic book the movie would be, but he did mention that some very new things would also be dealt with.

“It’s going to be very ambitious,” Singer says.

Singer says the film is still being written right now and will start shooting in a few months. Matthews Vaughn will return as director. While Singer couldn’t confirm the possibility of appearances of characters from the first four X-Men films, he did say that there was a strong desire to broaden out the universe.

“The X-Men universe is every bit on its own as big as the Marvel universe,” he says. “I think it’s time to reach out and explore it, and perhaps even bring some connectivity between the films. So, you may see some of that.”

The story arc “Days Of Future Past” features writer/artist team Chris Claremont and John Byrne and ran through Uncanny X-Men #141 and 142 in 1981. It deals with a dystopian alternative future where mutants are hunted by Sentinels and kept in internment camps. It stars Kitty Pryde, who transfers her mind through time into the younger present-day Kitty, who turns to the X-Men to prevent the political assassination plot that triggered the events. (This reality has been designated as Earth-811, by the way.)

X-Men: Days Of Future Past is scheduled for a summer 2014 release

Alan Ritchson and Bruno Gunn Cast In The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

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Another tribute is cast, according to Lionsgate, in the upcoming adaptation, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. The latest actor to join the sequel film is Alan Ritchson who is set to play a District 1 tribute named Gloss.

Like all the tributes in the 75th Annual Hunger Games (and the third Quarter Quell), Gloss is a former victor returning to the arena along side his sister Cashmere, who has not yet been cast. Gloss and his sister are relatively new winners of the games, as Katniss remembers watching them win when she was younger.

Ritchson has already taken to twitter to express his excitment for being involved in such a high profile film. He tweeted,

 “No words can express…To have the opportunity to portray Gloss in @TheHungerGames. To be a part of this great trilogy…just…so grateful. “

Fans may recognized Ritchson from his reoccuring roles in hit television shows such as “Smallville” and “Blue Mountain State,” as well as a handful of TV guest spots and feature film credits, including Spring Break ’83 and Fired Up!

Also announced this week was the casting of Bruno Gunn as Brutus in the project. Brutus was the male tribute from District 2 and is enthusiastic to get back into the arena. He won his Hunger Games shortly after Haymitch.

Ritchson and Gunn join fellow tributes Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, Jena Malone as Johanna Mason, Amanda Plummer as Wiress, Lynn Cohen as Mags, and Meta Golding as Enobaria. Woody Harrelson and Elizabeth Banks will also reprise their roles as Haymitch and Effie respectively.

Filming on Catching Fire is expected to begin next month in Atlanta, with the film set for release November 22, 2013.

Tim Robbins Signs Directing Deal For City of Lies

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Endgame Entertainment has announced that actor Tim Robbins has a signed a deal to direct the adaptation of Arthur Phllips’ short story, “Wenceslas Square.” Robbins is best known for his work as an actors but he had previously helmed three films in the 1990’s including the critically acclaimed Dead Man Walking in 1995. Robbins also directed a few episodes of HBO’s drama series, “Treme.”

City of Lies follows two spies who unsuprisingly fall in love while on separate missions in Prague. Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, whose credits range from The Life and Death of Peter Sellers to Captain America to Michael Bay’s upcoming action movie Pain & Gain, are adapting Phillips’ story, which aired on radio’s This American Life last summer.

Phillip Noyce previously was attached to direct before dropping from the project. Endgame’s James D. Stern is producing along with Ira Glass and Alissa Shipp of This American Life. Endgame will finance the movie, with its Julie Goldstein overseeing production and Douglas E. Hansen exec producing.

Robbins is repped by UTA and 3 Arts Entertainment. Markus and McFeely are repped by UTA and attorney David Colden.

There is now word on when the project is expected to begin or a projected release date.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers Heads to City of Bones

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The City of Bones adaptation, based on the novel by Cassandra Clare, has finally found it’s Valentine. And no not the red and pink kind. The main villain of the YA novel series, Valentine Morgenstern, will be played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Valentine is said to be one of the most powerful shadowhunters in the world and has a special connection with main character Clary. He also strives to make the world “pure” at any cost.

Meyers joins Lily Collins as Clary Fray, Jamie Campbell Bower as Jace Wayland, Robert Sheehan as Simon Lewis, Jemima West as Isabelle Lightwood, Kevin Durand as Emil Pangborn, Robert Maillet as Samuel Blackwell, Lena Headey as Jocelyn Fray, Jared Harris as Hodge Starkweather, and Godfrey Gao as Magnus Bane.

City of Bones follows a young teen girl, Clary Fray, who discovers she is the descendant of a line of Shadowhunters, a secret cadre of young half-angel warriors locked in an ancient battle to protect our world from demons. After the disappearance of her mother, Clary must join forces with a group of Shadowhunters, who introduce her to a dangerous alternate New York called Downworld, filled with demons, warlocks, vampires, werewolves and other deadly creatures.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is expected to be released on August 23, 2013.

Meta Golding Cast As Enobaria In The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

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The Hunger Games: Catching Fire has almost finished casting all the new members with their recent announcement that Meta Golding will play Enobaria in the next adaptation.

Lionsgate announced Tuesday that the actress had been cast in the role of the brutal and heartless tribute from District 2. Golding is most known for her regular role in ABC’s Day Break along with recurring roles in CSI, Criminal Minds and House.

In the novel, Catching Fire, written by Suzanne Collins, Enobaria gained attention and notoriety  for ripping open another tribute’s throat with her teeth in the 62nd Hunger Games. She later had her teeth cosmetically altered to resemble fangs. Katniss Everdeen (played by Jennifer Lawrence) meets the vicious tribute when she is pulled into a special 75th Hunger Games, called the Quarter Quell, where she comes across Enobaria, a fellow victor.

Golding joins main cast members Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, Liam Hemsworth as Gale, Woody Harrelson as Haymitch and Elizabeth Banks as Effie. New cast members also include Jena Malone as Johanna Mason,Philip Seymour Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee, Amanda Plummer as Wiress, Lynn Cohen as Mags and Tony Shaloub as Beetee. The role of Finnick Odair is still unfilled according to Lionsgate.

Christian Bale Offered Role In The Creed of Violence

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Actor Christian Bale is in early negotiations to star in Todd Field’s The Creed of Violence. Field, most known for his work on Little Children is adapting the film from Boston Teran’s acclaimed fifth novel of the same name.

The book tells the story of the 1910 Mexican revolution from the perspective of small-time assassin Rawbone and young Bureau of Investigation agent John Lourdes. The unlikely pair are forced to cooperate to infiltrate the Mexican criminal underground, encountering thieves, smugglers and professional killers.

Bale is being considered for the role of Rawbone. There is no word yet on whether the deal will be closed.

Universal will distribute the film, which is being produced and financed by Cross Creek Pictures. Field will be writing and directing.  Brian Oliver, head of Cross Creek, previously compared the upcoming project to Heart of Darkness.

“Teran’s novel brings a unique perspective to U.S. imperialism for oil in the early 20th century,” Oliver said.

The film’s producers are projecting an early 2013 release date in the American Southwest and parts of Mexico.

View the official summary for The Creed of Violence below:

“Mexico, 1910. The landscape pulses with the force of the upcoming revolution, an atmosphere rich in opportunity for a criminal such as Rawbone. His fortune arrives across the haze of the Sierra Blanca in the form of a truck loaded with weapons, an easy sell to those financing a bloodletting.

But Rawbone’s plan spins against him, and he soon finds himself at the Mexican-American border and in the hands of the Bureau of Investigation. He is offered a chance for immunity, but only if he agrees to proceed with his scheme to deliver the truck and its goods to the Mexican oil fields while under the command of Agent John Lourdes. Rawbone sees no other option and agrees to the deal—but he fails to recognize the true identity of Agent Lourdes, a man from deep within his past.

As they work to expose the criminal network at the core of the revolution, it is clear their journey into the tarred desert is a push toward a certain ruin, and the history lurking between the criminal and agent may seal their fates.”

There is no word on when the film is expected to be released or other talent that may be attached to the project.

Guardians of the Galaxy To Get A Rewrite

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It was recently announced that Chris McCoy has been tapped to rewrite Guardians of the Galaxy, a new space adventure movie from Marvel Studios. The film is part of Marvel’s second wave of movies, and according to The Hollywood Reporter, it is the only new title among the group. The rest are sequels featuring Iron Man, Thor and Captain America.

The Guardians of the Galaxy are a fictional superhero team that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Guardians first appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 2) #1 in May of 2008.

The comic series was published to wide acclaim. The May 2008 sales estimate for the first issue was 39,854 copies, making it the 61st top-selling comic title that month. The first and second issues sold out as well but were reprinted in a special collectors edition.

The film was officially announced at Comic-Con in July.

Though there have been multiple incarnations of the Guardians team in the comic series, the film’s team will include Dax the Destroyer, a human resurrected as a green warrior tasked with killing Thanos (the villain featured in the teaser scene at the end of The Avengers), Groot, a giant tree-man, Star-Lord, a gun-wielding alien-human hybrid and vigilante, Rocket Raccoon, a genetically engineered raccoon who uses explosives, and Gamora, the sole survivor of her species, saved by Thanos to be his assassin, but now fights against him.

Nicole Perlman, a graduate of Marvel’s former writing program, wrote the previous draft of the script, according to THR.

For more information about Guardians of the Galaxy, click here. The film is scheduled to be released on August 1, 2014

Philip Seymour Hoffman On Plutarch Heavensbee and Catching Fire

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Lionsgate announced a few weeks ago that the role of Plutarch Heavensbee has been cast with the role being filled by renowned actor Philip Seymour Hoffman. Many were surprised by this casting as Hoffman is most known for his serious roles in films such as “Doubt,” “The Ides of March,” “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead,” “Capote,” and “Cold Mountain.” (Though he was also gold in the comedy film Along Came Polly.) 

Hoffman recently spoke about why he chose the role. A major fact, he explained, was the character he would be portraying.

“I liked the people involved. It’s a great group of actors. It’s a great environment. And the character was something I was attracted to. It was just an interesting role,” Hoffman recently told EW.com.

Plutarch becomes the head gamemaker during the 75th Hunger Games Quarter Quell in Catching Fire and eventually helps the main character Katniss.

“He’s somebody who’s part of the revolution, but you don’t know it. The idea that somebody would be risking themselves in such an extreme way to join something that’s that dangerous because he thinks it’s the future…that’s interesting stuff, you know?” he continued.

Before taking the role, Hoffman revealed he hadn’t even read the novels. However, once offered, he read the entire series and watched the first film to catch up.

 “It’s good. I’ve read the script, which is true to the book — I kinda ruined it for myself. But I’m reading it anyway, because I really want to find out everything I need to know about this guy,” Hoffman said in the interview.

Hoffman is expected to return for Mockingjay part 1 and 2, a two part film based on the third and final novel.  The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is due out in theaters Nov. 22, 2013.