C Wayne Owens' Movie
& TV News is a daily newsletter featuring news gathered from all over
the net with the newest and hottest movie and tv scoops. It is heavily
weighted towards SF and Fantasy film, but if it's news (and not just Celeb
gossip) it will be here, and be here weeks before the TV News shows even
touch on it.
MOVIE & TV NEWS
The
Possibility of Fireflies
Dominique
Paul will make her directorial debut on an adaptation of her novel "The
Possibility of Fireflies." Kelly
Preston will play a single mother whose husband has abandoned her and
her two daughters. Michelle
Trachtenberg plays the older daughter. Joel
Stevens is one of a long list of executive producers, as is Musician
BT, who is also composing
music for the film which will shoot in January in South Carolina.
Variety
reports that both Universal
and Fox have pulled
out their financing for the movie version of Microsoft's
"Halo."
Rumors are that the $135 million dollar budget has ballooned past $200
milion, though representatives of producers Peter
Jackson and Fran Walsh
have denied this. Other scuttlebutt say the real problem comes from arguments
with Microsoft over profit sharing. Microsoft is already negotiationg with
other possible partners, while pre-production continues. Ken Kamins, a
rep for Jackson and Walsh, said: "Universal,
on behalf of both studios, asked for a meeting with the filmmakers just
prior to the due date of a significant payment. Basically, they said that
in order to move forward with the film, the filmmakers had to significantly
reduce their deals. They waited until the last minute to have this conversation.
Peter and Fran, after speaking with their producing partners and with Microsoft
and Bungee (the studio
that designed the original game), respectfully declined."
Finding
Nemo: The Broadway Musical
The
Walt Disney Co. has announced that "Finding
Nemo," the 2003 feature produced by Pixar
Animation, will now become a Broadway musical. Initially the production
will be presented as a "short-form"
(30 minutes) musical at the Walt Disney
World theme park in Orlando. Using puppets created by Michael
Curry, who co-created the puppets for the stage version of Disney's
"The Lion King,"
previews will start next month, while the official premiere takes place
in January.
James
McAvoy told Empire Online
generally about the Universal Pictures' adaptation of the comic series
"Wanted!"
and, specifically, his role as Wesley Gibson: "He's
[Gibson] an arsehole. A complete geek [at this moment the cordon rope topples
over]. There you go! He does things like that! He's a complete and utter
failure, but he begins a mission to avenge his father's death."
Directed by Russian filmmaker Timur
Bekmambetov, the original Top Cow
Publishing series is by
Mark
Millar and J.G. Jones!
The story tells of momma's boy Wesley Gibson who finds out that his dissociated
father is an assassin known as "The Killer."
On his father's demise, Wes finds he's inherited his dad's perfect aim
and skill with any weapon and is then recruited into an organization of
super villains.
John
Hurt has taken the lead in director Alex
de la Iglesia' "The Oxford Murders."
An adaptation of the Guillermo
Martinez novel, the tale tells of a young mathematics specialist studying
in Oxford who lodges with a woman who, he finds out later, worked on the
Enigma Code during World War II. Returning home one afternoon he finds
the author of a book on the mathematics of serial killers waiting outside
and when they enter, they find the woman murdered in her wheelchair.
Big
Screen Fraggles
The
1983 HBO cult hit Jim
Henson's "Fraggle Rock"
is becoming theatrical feature. Developed by Ahmet
Zappa (younger son of Frank
Zappa) the film will be a full-length live-action musical fantasy starring
the classic characters. Lisa
Henson, who serves as co-CEO of the Jim
Henson Co. with her brother, Brian,
said: "(Zappa) recently created his
own fantasy property ('Mighty
McFearless'), and we had him in to talk about books and movies. During
that conversation, I had an intuition that he might be a 'Fraggle Rock'
fan. He jumped out of his seat when he heard our idea of making 'Fraggle
Rock' into a feature-length movie. The Fraggles didn't really get into
the human world on the series, so we plan to make the movie more about
the intersection between the Fraggles and the humans. We're taking the
movie as far as we can independently because the company has a big personal
investment in how the movie turns out."
SCI
FI Wire reports that Guillermo
del Toro told them that he wants to make a more faithful film version
of Roald Dahl's "The
Witches," which was filmed before, in
1990, by Nicholas
Roeg. He told them: "I liked a lot
of the Roeg film, but I really, really disliked that the ending was changed,
because I think the essence of the Dahl story is that the kid remains a
mouse. Having said that, how the hell do I know that they won't change
it on me again? They probably did that to Nicholas Roeg. So it may happen
again. But I want to try. Growing up, it was my favorite Dahl book. It
was my favorite, because the witches represent adulthood. They represent
the world. They represent all things that f - - k up a kid. And I always
thought it was great that the grandmother and the boy were essentially
the same age and, therefore, were susceptible to witches that were in the
guise of respectable old ladies. I thought Dahl has that subversive streak
in him. It was there in his Unexpected tales, but it was also in his children's
books. And much like H.H.
Munro, Dahl has a very definitely sophisticated point of view on what
the children's world is. That script is written. It's budgeted and awaiting
a green light."
The
Complete Harveytoons Collection
On
November 7th, Classic Media
is set to release The Complete Harveytoons Collection, with all 312 digital
restorated animated shorts from Harveytoons. Including Casper the Friendly
Ghost, Baby Huey, Herman and Katnip, and Little Audrey the set is much
anticipated (Heck, I know plenty of people who would spent the SRP of $25 for a complete set of Caspers). More info here.
Advertisements
will now be appearing on bags of popcorn at the movies this weekend. DenTek
Oral Care Company is distributing 570,000 popcorn bags to theaters
including samples of DenTek Floss Picks attached to them, with the words:
"Don't you just hate it when popcorn gets
stuck in your teeth?" The bags also feature
$1-off "zip coupons."
David Fox, DenTek President said: "We want
to give consumers a great opportunity to try our product, and then give
them an incentive to buy some."
Bucky
O'Hare
Neal
Adams has founded Buzzworthy, a production company that will focus
on Adams' feature film projects. The first of those will be the CGI-animated
feature "Bucky O'Hare,"
which Adams is directing and producing. Larry
Hama scripted, based on Adams' 1980s comic book series. The story centers
on an anthropomorphic hare who, with a crew of other mammals including
one boy, battles toads in an intergalactic war. "Bucky" was a 1991
cartoon series. Adams said: "We're
starting to get into features in as strong way. The computer animation
has made us double our income and given us a whole different outlook to
what we do." Here
is the official site (complete with a Bucky cartoon).
Universal
Studios is producing new line of original direct-to-video movies based
on the novels of R.L. Stine. The first "R.L.
Stine Presents" release is "Don't
Think About It," which starts principal
photography Wednesday and is targeted for Halloween 2007. Glenn Ross, executive
vp and general manager at Universal
Studios Home Entertainment Family Prods., calls Stine "a
master of 'safe-scare' storytelling, which has been a phenomenon in children's
publishing but remains one of the most underserved categories in filmed
entertainment."
Henry
Czerny spoke to SCI FI Wire
about the story of killer zombies and domesticated zombies titled "Fido."
K'Sun Ray plays Timmy,
a boy whose pet zombie, Fido (Billy
Connolly) is his best friend. Also in the cast are Dylan
Baker and Carrie-Anne
Moss as Billy's parents; Czerny plays Mr. Bottoms, a Zombie Wars hero
and the boss at Zomcom, the company that keeps the bad zombies fenced out
and manufactures the collars that keep the domesticated zombies in control.
Czerny said: "I think it's a riot. It's
a wonderful satire. It's a love story on some level, of course, but it's
a wonderful satire, and it's a discussion, from my point of view, about
the use of fear to govern. Obviously, it's timely. It's so lateral in its
demonstration, in its presentation, and it's so evocative and humorous,
to a certain extent, because this kid befriends a zombie as he would a
dog. And there are people who are terrified of the zombie. Basically, the
film is a discussion on if we generate our fear and we see things as purely
fearful, of course they always will be, and we'll have to build bigger
fences. If we can turn around and see, if you will, the experience, the
fearful thing, as something we've manifested on some level to teach us
how to deal with fear, then we've got a whole different planet. That's
one of the themes, through my filter, that's in Fido, and that was thrilling
to do, even though the character I play is nefarious."
So, is it a gorefest, with lots of scares? Czerny said: "No,
no, no. It's far too tongue-in-cheek for that. It's far too whimsical a
style to go there. But my character gets his humorous comeuppance at the
end. Actually, it's not so much a comeuppance, because it's not that kind
of a story. It's not an indictment, if you will; it's more of a discussion."
Lionsgate will likely
release the Canadian film later this year or in early 2007.
SCI
FI Wire told Lance Henriksen
that dirctor Michael Bay's
production company, Platinum
Dunes, was planning a remake of "Near
Dark." He reacted thus: "Oh, man, I
hadn't heard that. It's one of my favorites, Near Dark. If they were smart,
what they would do is get a hold of [Henriksen's co-stars] Bill
Paxton, Jenette Goldstein
and me, and do something that starts as a prequel to Near Dark. They need
to have a conversation with us, because, man, Billy Paxton and I have been
talking about this, about what we would do, if we did a prequel. And really
great stuff came up. So it would be very wise of them to connect with us.
Paxton and I as hot as ever to work on it. We all had so much fun doing
Near Dark. We really created a lot of it, right there on the set. So put
out a message, man. Tell them we're sitting by the side of the road, waiting
for them to drive by, if you know what I mean."
Disney
Non-Fat
The
Walt Disney Company
has announced minimal
nutritional standards as part of any licensing deal it signs with food
companies. These new guidelines prohibit marketing deals where "total
fat exceeds 30 percent of calories for main and side dishes and 35 percent
for snacks, saturated fat exceeds 10 percent of calories for main dishes
and snacks, and added sugar exceeds 10 percent of calories for main dishes
and 25 percent for snacks." The guidelines
officially begin once current licensing deals expire in 2008. They also
announced that restaurants in their theme parks would change their default
side-orders from French fries to healthier alternatives such as salad or
applesauce and that all trans fats would be gone from restaurants by 2007
and in licensed food items by 2008.
Production
Weekly reports that Sean
McNamara will direct the live action feature film "Bratz."
Bratz is one of the best selling toy franchises in the world.
Naomi
Watts has been offered the lead in the Michael Bay remake of Alfred
Hitchcock's 1963 horror classic "The
Birds." Leslie
Dixon is re-working the script about the Northern California town beset
by the aviary antagonists.
O'Donnell
To Do Nip/Tuck Spin-off
Rosie
O'Donnell confirmed she will star in a "Nip/Tuck"
spin-off show as a lottery winner who sleeps with her plastic surgeon.
The character was such a hit with fans, producers approached her about
starring in her own show. In her "Ask Ro" section of her internet blog,
she was asked the question, "Is it true
ur in talks for a spinoff series starring as Dawn
Budge?" O'Donnell posted the message,
"Talks r over. I said yes."
The new series is to be shot in New York City, so O'Donnell can also continue
hosting "The View."
Michael
Caine, who will once again be Alfred "The
Dark Knight," spoke to SCI
FI Wire and said that he made suggestions to director Christopher
Nolan about what his character should do this time: "I
was talking to the widow of the man who wrote Batman, and she said that
he wrote a marvelous scene that [we] should do in [our] next movie. She
told me that he wrote a sequence where Batman was trying to get bad guys,
and he wanted to use the butler dressed as Batman as a ruse, and then go
back around behind him. So I said to Christopher - - and I don't know whether
he's going to use it, because he won't tell you anything about the script
- - but I mentioned this to him, because I thought that this was a great
idea. I think that if he dresses me as Batman, it could be one of the funniest
sequences in the history of movies. Can you imagine what I would make out
of that? Trying to get into the Batman suit and then running around the
woods [while] he's going around the [other] way to try and get the bad
guys? See, you're already laughing, and those films are very serious. My
job is to bring the humor of the sort of ordinary person being in that
situation, which is what I am. I'm just waiting to get the script. Every
time I ask him for it he says, 'I haven't finished it.' I know he's finished
it, otherwise [Warner Brothers] wouldn't have given it the go-ahead."
On
his MySpaceblog
Director Jon Favreau asked
comic fans today for ideas on a possible Virginia "Pepper" Potts, Tony
Stark's assistant, in the upcoming "Iron
Man!" Response, reportedly was "huge."
The film is scheduled to open May 2nd, 2008.
The
new animated feature based on Mike
Mignola's graphic novel, "Hellboy:
Sword of Storms," will debut Oct. 28 at
9:30 p.m. ET/PT on Cartoon
Network's Toonami. The story shows us a university professor who opens
a forbidden scroll and is then possessed by the twin demons of thunder
and lightning. Those demons seek to return to the world to then wake their
brothers, the dragons. Hellboy (Ron
Perlman), joins a folklore expert and a psychic, travels to Japan and
finds the sword of storms, the only weapon that can defeat the demons.
Here is the trailer,
and here is their website.
An
adaptation of the novel by Brian
Garfield, "Death Sentence,"
is currently shooting in South Carolina under the direction of James
Wan. The story tells of a father (Kevin Bacon) seeking revenge for
a gang attack on his family. John
Goodman plays an arms dealer and the boss of a drug ring. Aisha
Tyler and Kelly Preston
also star.
You
are a superhero who feels he must romance a married housewife to fix his
existential crisis. How hard would it be to choose Charlize
Theron for that role? Well, in the Columbia
Pictures/Peter Berg
directed "Tonight, He Comes,"
Will Smith makes that
easy choice. Variety reports that
production starts in May for a summer 2008 release.
Jawbreaker
Among
his upcoming projects Oliver
Stone lists "Jawbreaker."
Based in part on a memoir of the same name by Gary Bernsten, the story
is focused on America's response to the terrorist attacks with the invasion
of Afghanistan and hunt for 9/11 mastermind Osama Bin Laden. Bernsten coordinated
the efforts of the CIA and Special Operations Forces to end Taliban rule.
Stone purchased rights to Jawbreaker several months ago saying: "There
was a lot of political bullshit about Afghanistan"
leading up to the release of "World
Trade Center."
Local
new video from CBS television stations is to be available on Yahoo Inc.
under a new syndication agreement with the companies sharing revenue from
advertising sold next to the CBS content. The deal was scheduled to begin
tomorrow (October 17).
If
you're interested in what's happening in the entertainment world, then
signup for this newsletter. Wayne scours all the top websites for the
latest entertainment news and sends them out every day for your pleasure.
There's a particular emphasis here on Science Fiction and Fantasy. Big
news items like Star Wars, Star Trek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and just
about anything by Steven Spielberg.
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