Category Archives: Movie Adaptations

A New Trailer for Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

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Ok, So I don’t partiularly like fishing in hardly any context… but I do like Ewan McGregor and he is as awesome as ever even in this film regarding fishing. CBS films recently released the new upcoming film, Salmon Fishing In The Yemen.

The film comes from Lasse Hallstrom and stars Emily Blunt, Ewan McGregor, Kristin Scott Thomas and Amr Waked.

It is an adaptation of the Paul Torday novel that was published in 2006. The official description is as follows:

Britain’s leading fisheries expert (McGregor) is approached by a consultant (Blunt) to help realize a sheikh’s (Waked) vision of bringing the sport of fly-fishing to the desert. He immediately thinks the project is both absurd and unachievable, but when the Prime Minister’s overzealous press secretary (Thomas) latches on to it as a “good will” story, this unlikely team will put it all on the line and embark on an upstream journey of faith and fish to prove the impossible, possible.

The film hits theaters march 9th and you can watch the brand new trailer below:

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Behind-the-Scenes Featurette

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Courtesy of CraveOnline, we now have behind-the-scene featurette for the upcoming film, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

Even though the film is not scheduled to hit theaters till June 22nd, there has already been tons of photo stills and two new trailers released for the film.

If you were a fan of the book Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (which has also been optioned for a film) then you will love this new project from Seth Grahame-Smith. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is also written by Grahame-Smith and follows our 16th president as he hunts down the undead and has vengeance against them.

The epistolary-style book is written as a biography of Abraham Lincoln, based on “secret diaries” kept by the 16th President and given to the author by a vampire named Henry Sturges.

When Lincoln is eleven years old, he learns from his father Thomas Lincoln that vampires are in fact real. Thomas explains to his son that a vampire killed Abraham’s grandfather (also named Abraham Lincoln) in 1786. Young Abraham is also shocked to learn that his beloved mother Nancy Hanks Lincoln succumbed not to milk sickness but rather to being given a “fool’s dose” of vampire blood, the result of Thomas’s failure to repay a debt. Lincoln vows in his diary to kill as many vampires as he can.

The cast for the upcoming film includes:

  • Benjamin Walker as Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States.
  • Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Mary Todd Lincoln, Lincoln’s wife.
  • Rufus Sewell as Adam, the lead vampire villain.
  • Jimmi Simpson as Josh Speed, Lincoln’s friend and assistant.
  • Dominic Cooper as Henry Sturges, Lincoln’s mentor in vampire hunting.
  • Anthony Mackie as William Johnson, Lincoln’s valet and friend.
  • Robin McLeavy as Nancy Lincoln, Lincoln’s mother.
  • Alan Tudyk as Stephen A. Douglas, an American politician from Illinois.
  • Marton Csokas
  • Cameron M. Brown as Willie Lincoln, Abraham and Mary’s son.

You can watch the featurette below:

Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper Caught On Film: Again!

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Jennifer Lawrence, the 21 year old star of the upcoming film, The Hunger Games is in full demand from Hollywood.

Lawrence who has just completed filming the House at the End of the Street, starring in The Silver Lining Playbook; which is in post-production; is now slated to play the female lead in upcoming adaptation of the period drama novel Serena. I’m not sure how she has the time to do this when she heads back into training for The Hunger Games sequel, Catching Fire in July.

Which means that Lawrence is set to reunite with Bradley Cooper on Serena, reports the Hollywood Reporter. This will be their second movie together as they just costarred in The Silver Lining Playbook. It’s good to know that Cooper and Lawrence are rounding out their acting chops, committing to films that should have a higher challenge rating in the ways of acting.

This may be the start of a new Hollywood screen couple. The last pairing I remember was Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler. Yes, that long ago. Since then I haven’t really paid attention.

Bradley Cooper, The Hangover star is also known for the movie Limitless; I didn’t care he was in the Hangover until I saw Limitless. Intelligence enhancer in an addictive pill? It sounds awesome! Cooper also has a full plate in acting. He’s expected to film The Hangover 3 later this year.

Darren Aronofsky was previously attached to helm the film Serena as director. This was to be alongside Angelina Jolie as the evil wife. It is now reported that Susanne Bier, director of In a Better World is also to direct Serena. Bier who is known for movies that tell tales about damaged people, appears to be a better fit to bring this tale of woe to life.

Here is a synopsis for the novel Serena, written by Ron Rash, published in 2008:

“The year is 1929, and newlyweds George and Serena Pemberton travel from Boston to the North Carolina mountains where they plan to create a timber empire. Although George has already lived in the camp long enough to father an illegitimate child, Serena is new to the mountains–but she soon shows herself to be the equal of any man, overseeing crews, hunting rattle-snakes, even saving her husband’s life in the wilderness. Together this lord and lady of the woodlands ruthlessly kill or vanquish all who fall out of favor. Yet when Serena learns that she will never bear a child, she sets out to murder the son George fathered without her. Mother and child begin a struggle for their lives, and when Serena suspects George is protecting his illegitimate family, the Pembertons’ intense, passionate marriage starts to unravel as the story moves toward its shocking reckoning.”

So in the film Silver Lining Playbook, Cooper and Lawrence become a couple in what I suppose will be a feel good romance movie about enjoying life. In Serena, they act like the ultimate married couple out to destroy one another, running through the woods in a Hunger Games, killer lumberjack fashion. Hopefully if they have a third movie, it’ll be about a couple that pit their children against one another like in a pokemon battle.  That’s what my parents did.

 

Battle Royale: Complete Collection Soon To Be Released In North American

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If you have read The Hunger Games, but haven’t seen or read Battle Royale, then you are missing out. But for the first time in North America, BATTLE ROYALE and BATTLE ROYALE: The Complete Collection will be available on Blu-ray™, DVD and digital download on March 20th from Anchor Bay Entertainment.

BATTLE ROYALE. A title that has shocked, thrilled and unnerved audiences. A film whose fiendishly simple premise has inspired many imitations, including the upcoming The Hunger Games motion picture. The film is based on the 1999 global best-seller by Koushun Takami, the futuristic tale first came to the screen in 2000, directed by the legendary Kinju Fukasaku. Authors, filmmakers and film fans the world over consider the film and its 2003 sequel Battle Royale II: Requiem sacred cinematic classics.

The official press release for the film describes the plot taking place in the near future, the economy has collapsed, unemployment has soared and juvenile crime has exploded. Fearful of their nation’s youth, the Japanese government passes The BR Law: Each year, a 9th grade class is sent to a remote island where they will be locked into exploding neck collars, given a random weapon, and forced to hunt and kill each other until there is only one survivor left. Chiaki Kuriyama (Kill Bill) and screen legend Takeshi Kitano (Boiling Point, Brother) star in the movie that has been argued, acclaimed and banned around the world. More than a decade later, it remains one of the most savage, shocking and emotionally powerful films of all time. Now experience the complete Director’s Cut of Kinji Fukasaku’s uncompromising masterpiece — nominated for 10 Japanese Academy Awards® — available uncensored and unrated for the first time ever in America.

 

Altered Carbon To Be Produced by Mythology Entertainment

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 Mythology Entertainment which was recently formed by Brad Fischer, Laeta Kologridis and James Vanderbilt, have optioned the film rights to the novel Altered Carbon, written by Richard Morgan.

Mike Medavoy and Arnie Messer will act as executive producers for this film, while Kologridis; who’s worked on Shutter Island and Avatar; will be adapting Altered Carbon for the big screen aside David Goodman; previously an executive producer of The Family Guy and the writer behind the Futurama Star Trek parody episode, “Where No Fan Has Gone Before.” Heh, he’s dead Jim.

The film which was initially to be developed by Warner Bros. back in 2006, but has turned over to Mythology Entertainment.

Altered Carbon is described as a “hardboiled science fiction novel” that is set five hundred years in a dystopian future. Here’s the official synopsis from the author Richard K. Morgan’s website:

“In the 26th century mankind has spread through the galaxy, taking its religions and racial divisions out into the cold arena of space. While tensions exist and small dirty wars flare up every now and then, the UN Protectorate maintains an iron grasp on the new worlds, aided by its very own elite shock-troops; the Envoy Corps.

Meanwhile, what religion cannot guarantee technology has already delivered; when your consciousness can be stored in a cortical stack and routinely downloaded into a new body even death has become little more than an inconvenience. As long as you can afford a new body…

Ex-UN Envoy Takeshi Kovacs has been killed before; it was a hazard of the job, but his last death was particularly brutal. Needlecast across light years of space, re-sleeved into a body in San Francisco on Old Earth and throw into the centre of a conspiracy that is vicious even by the standards of a society that has forgotten how to value life, he soon realises that the shell that blew a hole in his chest on Harlan’s World was only the beginning of his problems…”

So it’s a cyberpunk fantasy and crime story. The story follows the specially trained Kovacs who’s now leaped into the body of a nicotine addicted hard-boiled ex-cop. A very rich and powerful man has recruited Kovacs because he believes someone murdered his last body, and wants the soldier to find out the truth about the incident.

 “Altered Carbon is one of the most seminal pieces of post-cyberpunk hard science fiction out there — a dark, complex noir story that challenges our ideas of what it means to be human when all information becomes encodable, including the human mind,” said Kalogridis.

The novel which was published in 2002 reminds me of two pieces of science fiction work. The description of a power UN Protectorate over multiple worlds reminds me of televisions Firefly; also released in 2002; and the portion where consciousness travelling done via “hyperspatial data-casting” reminds me of the Ender’s Game series by Orsen Scott Card.

The optioning rights for the film also covers two more novels called Broken Angels and Woken Furies in the Takeshi Kovacs series.

While Altered Carbon is an exciting science fiction and crime hybrid, it does make one think about what the future holds for the human spirt. I’m suddenly plagued by questions about whether the soul exists anchored only to one body, or if it’s truly the sum of our memories and skills. Either way, I hope the film doesn’t turn into another carbon copy of other sci-fi movies that have been cranked out.

 

John Carter Sequel Already In The Works?

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Disney’s John Carter adaptation hasn’t even been released yet and the writers has already begin work on the sequel. Comingsoon.net recently reported that Stanton and his co-writer Michael Chabon have begun talking and planning for the sequel.

John Carter is the big screen adaptation of the series written by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The sequel is tentatively being called, John Carter: The Gods of Mars, based on Burroughs’ second novel.

This IS only talk though. The project hasn’t actually been green lit by Walt Disney Pictures, but chances are that if John Carter does well in the box office that the sequel will move forward. After all, Disney will need to contend with hit series movies like the popularity of The Twilight Saga and the upcoming Hunger Games. With the popularity growing in the field of franchised movies, Disney will definitely want to jump of the bandwagon with their own movie series to promote.

Word is, is that the movie  is awesome enough to merit a sequel but those of us who haven’t gotten a sneak peek of it, will have to wait till the film opens on March 9th.

Jennifer Lawrence, Katniss Everdeen, The Hunger Games

Hunger Games Star Credits Mom For Role

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Jennifer Lawrence, Katniss Everdeen, The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games hasn’t even hit theaters yet but fans and critics alike are already talking about star Jennifer Lawrence’s role in the film. Lawrence portrays the main character of the film and book series, Katniss Everdeen. We haven’t seen her in the role yet, but from the trailers her performance is already buzzing. But this star credits one person for taking the role, her mother.

Lawrence recently revealed in a new interview with Total Film that if it weren’t for her mom pushing her to take the role, she might not have taken on the film.

When it came to the lead role in The Hunger Games, Lawrence told a story of how her mother called her a “fraidy cat” when she was considering passing on the film. Her reasons being that she was worried that it might be to big of a project for her to take on.

“I always got asked why I did indies, not studio films, and I said it was about the script, it’s not about how big it is,” Lawrence relates. “And she was like, ‘This is a script you love, a character you love, and you’re about to turn it down because of the size of it? You’re a hypocrite!'”

Lawrence also revealed that it was actually her mother who read the book first and suggested that she consider auditioning for the role.

“My mom has a terrible habit of reading books, telling me to read them and then me doing the movie – she did the same with ‘Winter’s Bone.'”

Either way it happened, I am happy Lawrence decided to audition and take the role. I can’t blame her though for thinking it might be to big of a project. If you have read all three books you know that it only gets harder for our lead character as the story progresses. Thankfully, she has signed on for all four movies based on the trilogy and I am sure this series will rock the world.

The Hunger Games is the film adaptation of the book of the same name written by Suzanne Collins. It is based on the first book in the trilogy followed by Catching Fire and Mockingjay. You can read the article about why The Hunger Games casting for the film is perfect here.

The Hunger Games Becomes an Adventure Game

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In an associated pairing of entertainment mediums, a new social media game will be released the same day The Hunger Games hits theaters. The game, like the film is based on the popular young adult book series by Suzanne Collins. It’s called The Hunger Games Adventures; Games-Game would have been silly; and will be launched on March 23 of this year with the movie.

It used to be Saturday morning cartoons, action figures and cereal.  Social media games are now the new ploy to capitalize on something that is popular right now.

Funtactix, an independent game developer is no stranger to movie tie-in games. Previously they’ve put out online games based on the animated movie Rango and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.

This focus on creating games based on movies comes at a time when others in the industry are wary of touching that game genre.

Which doesn’t come to me as a surprise. Games based on movies have never been good, unless it’s sub-based on Lego. Then it’s cool. Yes, the children do make certain titles popular, but it’s only because parents buy these games for them, hoping it’ll shut them up or win them points with child services. My nephew for example will go absolutely nuts for anything based on the animation Cars. He’ll play a Cars game, but then he’ll drop it after five minutes in favor of angry birds. Anything beyond the age demographic of 6 – 12 is reaching for a developer hoping to make a movie based game.

THQ announced last month that it will no longer work on kids licensed games like Kung Fu Panda 2 or Up. Which makes sense as the initial market was for child fans of the movie back in 2008. It’s been 4 years since, so they might have upgraded to murder simulations and car jacking.

Two years ago, Take-Two Interactive Studios’ then-CEO and president Ben Feder declared to attendees that “Licensing content is dead.” according to Gamasutra. Well the same can be said about movies based on games. Take the Super Mario Bros. Movie of 1993 up to Prince of Persia: Sands of Time in 2010; How was Jake Gyllenhaal Persian?

Funtactix doesn’t think movie tie-ins are dead though. Sam Glassenberg, the CEO of Funtactix had this to say to Gamasutra about the problems with games based on films:

“The console-based film games business is rapidly disappearing. The game quality has fallen for years, and consumers have come to realize this, resulting in a collapse of the console-movie-games market.”

“The production cycle for a good console game has grown to two to three years, which is longer than the production window for a film… Hitting day-and-date on a quality game is a near impossibility.”

Glassenberg however points out that social game developers; say games for Facebook; can bring a Facebook title to market in months, instead of years. This makes it possible for those developers to put out; what is considered high-quality for social media; games at the same time with a movies debut.

Console games are at a distinct disadvantage due to product shipping, selling and review. Social media games on the other hand are instantly available online and free; so long as you don’t buy the credits to give you the needed advantage over others.

Game development is a tricky business overall and requires knowledge of trends, cost analysis, marketing and great workers. Then maybe a decent game on top of all that. I should know. I beat Dev Story, the 8-bit simulation where you manage your own game company and try to create a million-selling game.

‘Hunger Games’ Film Director Says It’s a ‘Very Faithful Adaptation’

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If you are like me, you are counting down the days till The Hunger Games hits theaters. But if you have read the books you are probably a little frightened of what they might do with the beloved trilogy. (There have been very few times when a film adaptation wasn’t off base from its source). However, according to a recent sit-down with the director of the film, Gary Ross, we know a little better what to expect from the adaptation. Continue reading →

Magic Kingdom for Sale – Sold! To Warner Bros.

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Warner Bros. Pictures has bought a magic kingdom, and it isn’t Disney Land. Terry Brooks, the author of the Shannara fantasy novel series also wrote a series called the “Magic Kingdom of Landover”. The first of the series is Magic Kingdom for Sale – Sold! Had it’s film rights optioned by Warner Bros. reports Variety.

First published in 1986’s, the story follows a talented but depressed trial lawyer who finds an advertisement in an upscale Christmas catalog; reminiscent of those huge Sears catalogs with a massive toy section I used to fawn over as a kid. The advertisement offers a magical kingdom for a million dollars by a man named Mr. Meeks.

As most lawyers have been brought up to crush the dreams of others, he buys this otherworldly magical land and hijinks ensue.

Publishers Write-Up includes:

“Landover is a genuine magic kingdom, complete with fairy folk and wizardry, just as the advertisement promised. But after he purchases it for a million dollars, Ben Holiday discovers that there are a few details the ad failed to mention.

Such as the fact that the kingdom is falling into ruin. The barons refuse to recognise a king and taxes haven’t been collected for years. The dragon, Strabo, is laying waste to the countryside, while the evil witch, Nightshade, is plotting to destroy the world. And if that isn’t enough for a prospective king to deal with, Ben soon learns that the Iron Mark, terrible lord of the demons, has challenged all pretenders to the throne of Landover to a duel to death – a duel no mere mortal can hope to win.

But Ben Holiday has one human trait that even magic can’t overcome. Ben Holiday is stubborn.

Magic Kingdom for Sale – Sold! is the first book in a gripping fantasy of mystery, magic and adventure from the author of the world-famous Shannara series.”

This almost sounds like a reboot of The NeverEnding Story 1984, “A troubled boy dives into a wonderous fantasy world through the pages of a mysterious book.” says IMDb. Except it’s a big shot lawyer with money instead of a whiny kid with wishes. I can almost imagine this movie will be Iron Man to the Batman like Never Ending Story. Light and funny about the antics of real people abusing their power, instead of dark, serious and brooding. Hmmm… The book also came out two years after the NeverEnding Story. Coincidence?

The movie will be produced by Akiva Goldsman’s Weed Road Pictures; I Am Legend, Hancock; Andy Cohen’s Grade A Entertainment, and Weed Road’s Kerry Foster and Alex Block.

Universal Pictures has previously tried to adapt the story back in 2005 with a script by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, while Stephen Sommers was attached to direct. I guess the magic just wasn’t there anymore.