Category Archives: Action / Adventure Movies

David Lowery in Talks to Direct PETE’S DRAGON Remake

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Ain’t Them Bodies Saints director David Lowery already co-wrote the screenplay for Disney’s remake of Pete’s Dragon, and now he is in talks to direct the film as well. The 1977 original was a musical that followed an orphan on the run from his abusive adoptive family accompanied by his best friend, an invisible dragon named Elliot. It was one of my favorite movies as a kid, and it is nearly unwatchable as an adult, mostly because of the terrible animation and effects. That’s a shame, because it has some really great songs.

The new version, co-written by Tony Halbrooks, is expected to take a different tone and will not be a musical, which is a shame, because (again) the original had some really great songs. Lowery’s most recent feature, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, is maybe tonally a bit different than what you’d expect from a Disney movie, but it also features a man on the run. And his 2009 feature, St. Nick, is also a story of kids who’ve run away from away from home. So it seems like a theme he’s drawn to, which makes me really intrigued to see what he’ll bring to the table.

On the whole, I’m a little ambivalent about the project. Like I said, Pete’s Dragon is unwatchable now, and I’ve kind of been wishing for a remake, but the songs, and particularly Helen Reddy’s performance of them, are a thing I don’t want to lose. So here’s the deal, David Lowery, make your probably more realistic movie, but let Reddy sing “Candle on the Water” over the credits, and we can call it good.

ASSASSIN’S CREED Movie Has New Writers

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Empire reports that there are new writers on board the upcoming movie adaptation of Ubisoft’s hit video game, Assassin’s Creed.

Michael Fassbender is still slated to produce and star in the film, however, it appears that the studio feels the need to bring in writers Bill Collage and Adam Cooper to weave the tale of the freerunning assassin.

The duo has previously written Accepted and New York Minute (that one starred Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen), and they got a story credit for Tower Heist. Not sounding so stellar, I know, but they have several higher profile, more prestigious films in the pipeline, including projects with Darren Aronofsky (The General) and Ridley Scott (Exodus). They’re also working on an adaptation of the novel Devil in the Grove, Jerry Bruckheimer’s Shake, and Luc Besson’s Transporter 4.

I am one who believes in the stigma associated with video games turned into movies. 90% just don’t seem to work. I love playing Assassins Creed, and I am a fan of Fassbender’s work. Hopefully the Cooper/Collage combo can bring an acceptable product for us to enjoy.

For right now the studio is still holding on to an August 2015 release date. Considering the fact that there is still no director attached to this film

TOP GUN 2 Will Have Tom Cruise Vs. Drones

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While promoting his book, Jerry Bruckheimer: When Lightning Strikes, Four Decades of Filmmaking, the mega producer reveals some information about Top Gun 2. First of all, the movie is still in the process of moving forward.

“We’ve been trying to get that movie made for 30 years, and I think we’re getting closer and closer.”

Don [Simpson] and I tried to develop something, we didn’t succeed. [Tom] Cruise took over, and he tried to develop something, and he didn’t succeed. Now we’re back at it.”

The first movie was released 28 years ago, and a lot has changed since then. The sequel will obviously reflect what is going on in today’s Modern Warfare. The producer goes on to explain  the basic plot of the film saying,

“The concept is, basically, are the pilots obsolete because of drones. Cruise is going to show them that they’re not obsolete. They’re here to stay.”

So I imagine we’re going to see a film that pits man against machine. It will be awesome to see Maverick step back into the cockpit of a jet to take down some drones to prove the worth of a real pilot. Tom Cruise is expected to reprise his role.

“It’s just getting to the starting place. Fortunately for Tom, he’s very busy, so you have to find a slot he can fit into and get a budget that Paramount feels they can make the picture.”

They still have yet to attach a new director to the project since Tony Scott passed away in 2012. It sounds like Bruckheimer and Cruise want this movie to get off the ground though.

Johnny Knoxville to Voice Leonardo in TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

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Pete Ploszek played the role of Leonardo while they were shooting the film, and Seinfeld‘s Danny Woodburn played Splinter. According to Deadline, the actors were always open to changing the voicing component and that those actors were only “guaranteed to physically perform the roles in costume.”

Knoxville and Shalhoub are fun choices to voice these characters. There’s no word on whether more actors will be cast to voice the other turtles, but it’s definitely a possibility.

“The city needs heroes. Darkness has settled over New York City as Shredder and his evil Foot Clan have an iron grip on everything from the police to the politicians. The future is grim until four unlikely outcast brothers rise from the sewers and discover their destiny as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The Turtles must work with fearless reporter April and her wise-cracking cameraman Vern Fenwick to save the city and unravel Shredder’s diabolical plan.”

Disney to Develop New INDIANA JONES Trilogy with Bradley Cooper?

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An interesting rumor surrounding Indiana Jones has hit, and it originates from our friends at Latino Review. They say that Disney and Lucasfilm are preparing to develop a new Indiana Jones trilogy if their sequel with Harrison Ford doesn’t work out.

There is still a chance that Ford will make a fifth film, but according to the site, “the window of making that happen is getting smaller and smaller. There is a date and if Indiana Jones 5 is not moving forward by then, the studios are 100% prepared to recast a younger Dr. Jones and ready up a new trilogy.”

The new films won’t necessarily be a reboot of the franchise, they are looking at it as more of a James Bond type situation. This means they are just planning to recast the role and continue the adventures the same what that Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig and others have done for Bond over the last 50 years. This was actually a part of the original idea that George Lucas and Steven Spielberg had for the character.

The inside source for the site told them that the studio is looking at several actor to replace Ford, but Bradley Cooper is at the top of their list to crack the whip. They also say that Shawshank Redemption writer and director Frank Darabont could work on developing a film for the franchise again. I would love to see Darabont work on an Indiana Jones film. He previously pitched an awesome idea that never happened, which you can read about here. There’s no word on if this will be the one he would develop, but it would be pretty amazing.

It will be interesting to see what happens with all of this. Even if Ford does make another Indiana Jones film, chances are somewhere down the line they will follow through with the plan of recasting the character and develop a new trilogy.

If this all turns out to be true, I think it’s fine because it’s in line with the original idea that Lucas and Spielberg had. I Also think Cooper could be a solid replacement for Ford. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

New Origin Story for NINJA TURTLES Movie Revealed

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The trailer for producer Michael Bay and director Jonathan Liebesman‘s Teenage Mutant Ninjas Turtles movie will be released this Thursday, but it was screened at CinemaCon earlier today. The trailer reveals the new origin story for the Ninja Turtles, and if you want to wait to find out what that origin is until the trailer is released then don’t read beyond this point….

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Ok, are we good?

Thanks to Badass Digest, who saw the trailer, we learned that April O’ Neil’s father and Shredder created the ooze that turns the turtles into ninjas. It’s actually a much better origin than the alien one that was first leaked. Here’s a brief description of the trailer.

At first the trailer hides the turtles – there’s voice over from William Fichtner’s Shredder explaining the city has gone to shit. We see criminals with automatic weapons and buildings exploding and maybe – just maybe! – it seems like this could be a Hobo With A Shotgun version of a city in decline. It turns out that this version of Shredder hates that crime and violence, and so he started a program to create heroes. That’s juxtaposed with TCRI ooze canisters and experiments. You know, the ooze that created the turtles. The ooze that Shredder made… with April’s dad. Yes, the VO is Shredder telling April he and her dad made the turtles.

I’m a huge fan of this franchise and this little change in the origin linking Shredder, April O’ Neil, and her father to the creation of the turtles doesn’t really bother me. In the end, they were still transformed by the ooze, and the fact that the villain and O’Neill are linked to their creation should make for an interesting plot line. What do the rest of you Ninja Turtle fans think?

Two New Photos From Hercules, Starring Dwayne Johnson

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On Tuesday, we’ll get the first trailer for MGM and Paramount’s Hercules, but first USA Today has released two new photos from the July 25 release. Directed by Brett Ratner, the action adventure stars Dwayne Johnson, Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, Joseph Fiennes, Peter Mullan, John Hurt, Rebecca Ferguson, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Aksel Hennie, Reece Ritchie and Tobias Santelmann.

The film is based on the Radical Studios graphic novel “Hercules: The Thracian Wars.” Everyone knows the legend of Hercules and his twelve labors. Our story begins after the labors, and after the legend…

Haunted by a sin from his past, Hercules has become a mercenary. Along with five faithful companions, he travels ancient Greece selling his services for gold and using his legendary reputation to intimidate enemies. But when the benevolent ruler of Thrace and his daughter seek Hercules’ help to defeat a savage and terrifying warlord, Hercules finds that in order for good to triumph and justice to prevail… he must again become the hero he once was… he must embrace his own myth… he must be Hercules.

Two New Photos From Hercules, Starring Dwayne Johnson

Two New Photos From Hercules, Starring Dwayne Johnson

Peter Pan Cast in Warner Bros’ PAN

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Warner Bros. and director Joe Wright have cast the young Levi Miller (Terra Nova) to play Peter Pan in their movie Pan. The director spent a long time looking for the right actor to take on the role of Pan, and I guess this is the kid that matches his vision for the film. He will join Hugh Jackman who will play Blackbeard, Garrett Hedlund who will play Hook, and Rooney Mara who is in talks to play Tiger Lily.

I find this following statement really interesting, “Wright is planning to create a world that is very international and multi-racial, effectively challenging audiences’ preconceived notions of Neverland and reimagining the environment.” Why do I think that’s interesting? Because everyone who’s been cast in the movie so far is white. I don’t see any multi-racialness going on at all yet.

The script for the film was written by Jason Fuchs, and the film will be a new take on the classic story. It’s set during WWII and “follows an orphan who is kidnapped by pirates and brought to Neverland, where he discovers he’s destined to save the land from the pirate Blackbeard.”

Ghostbusters Reboot to Shoot in Early 2015!

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Ghostbusters Reboot to Shoot in Early 2015!Following the tragic loss of Harold Ramis last month, it was reported that the script for a third Ghostbusters film was being reworked. Now, Deadline brings word that Ivan Reitman is stepping down as the film’s director and will help in finding a replacement as the studio targets an early 2015 production in the Big Apple.

The storyline is rumored to focus on a new generation of Ghostbusters with cameos from the original stars written into the script.

“[W]e now have a draft that is very good,” Reitman tells the outlet. “That the studio is very excited about… It’s a version of ‘Ghostbusters’ that has the originals in a very minor role. When I came back from Harold’s funeral, it was really moving and it made me think about a lot of things. I’d just finished directing Draft Day, which I’m really happy with and proud of. Working on a film that is smaller and more dramatic was so much fun and satisfying. I just finally met with Amy and Doug Belgrad when I got back. I said I’d been thinking about it for weeks, that I’d rather just produce this Ghostbusters. I told them I thought I could help but let’s find a really good director and make it with him. So that’s what we’ve agreed will happen.”