‘Hitman’ Video Game Comes to Big Screen
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: 20th Century Fox, Action, Adaptation, Casting, Upcoming Releases,
It’s been done with Broadway plays, popular novels, comic books…even commercials. It’s adaptation, and it helps Hollywood keep churning out those hits. Hitman won’t be the first video game to be pushed from gaming into ticket sales; it won’t even be the first film to feature a cool-as-ice assassin. It will be though the first flick to be produced by Adrian Askarieh—the Hollywood newcomer who also plans to release a film adaptation of Spy Hunter in 2009.
Hitman will come to theaters later this month with Timothy Olyphant in the lead as Agent 47. Askarieh, a former entertainment attorney, admits that he is a gamer. He’s also a businessman and sales for Hitman suggest success beyond the gaming consoles; in the last 7 years, 10 million copies have been purchased worldwide. The game developers aren’t involved in the movie, however, and Jans Peter Kurup (a developer on all four Hitman games) is reserving his opinion until he sees the film. The movie plot is derived from all four Hitman games according to Askarieh.
Hollywood Reporter
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‘Angels & Demons’ Set February Start
Posted by David Onda Categories: Columbia Pictures, Action, Adventure, Drama, Mystery, Religious, Sequels, Thrillers, Casting, Filmmaking, Scripts, Upcoming Releases,
Yes, there were a couple things about the movie version of Dan Brown’s controversial and critically acclaimed novel The Da Vinci Code that didn’t quite match up, but does that mean it wasn’t a good movie? Yeah, Tom Hanks looked kind of dumb with long hair, and his Boston accent was kind of lame, but it still wasn’t a bad film. That said, we should all be glad that Akiva Goldsman is working over time on the script for the film’s sequel (and novel’s prequel), Angels & Demons, to get it done before that pesky writer’s strike.
Ron Howard will return to direct the sequel which will begin filming in February under the Columbia Pictures banner. And yes, for those of you who are dying to know, Tom Hanks and his academic mullet will be back as well.
ComingSoon
Will Rape Scene in ‘The Kite Runner’ Be Removed?
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: DreamWorks, Adaptation, Drama, Books, Upcoming Releases,
A best-selling novel’s film adaptation is now facing trouble only one month away from its theatrical release. The Kite Runner, written by Khaled Hosseini (A Thousand Splendid Suns), tells the story of two friends who grew up together in Afghanistan. In one important scene, Amir, does nothing to help his friend, Hassan, who is being raped.
Unfortunately, the family of the young boy who filmed this crucial plot point wants those frames left on the cutting room floor. Rape is considered completely undignified and against Afghan culture. If the movie is seen in their country, they worry they’ll be ostracized or harassed for making Afghans look poorly. They don’t think people will be able to separate fact from fiction. According to 12-year-old Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada, the actor who was paid $10,000 for the role, he was never given a script and would not have accepted the job had he known about the violent scene. (Why he chose to shoot the scene anyway is not made clear. The family admits they did find out about the rape several days before it was filmed.)
Kite’s producers, Bennett Walsh and Rebecca Yeldham, claim they’ve spoken to the family since the scene was filmed last year. According to Walsh and Yeldham, they were given the greenlight provided the content was portrayed in a sensitive manner. Conversely, Ahmad’s father asserts the producers told him the scene would be cut when they were confronted about it. He also says the company has promised to ‘take care of the family’ if they became victims of any backlash.
At this point, the producers have not said whether the scene will stand. Meanwhile, the Marc Forster film is scheduled for release on Nov. 2nd.
Click here for an update on the now-delayed film.
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| USA Today
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Narnia Film Delayed
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Disney, Adaptation, Adventure, Family, Sequels, Upcoming Releases,
Production has been delayed on the third Narnia movie installment The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Originally scheduled to hit theatres May 1, 2009, the movie now won’t be released until May 7, 2010. Production was supposed to begin this January, but has now been pushed to next summer. The delay has been attributed to the young stars of the film, as execs are saying it’s very challenging to work out scheduling difficulties. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, the second flick in the franchise, was supposed to be released this December. It won’t be out until May.
Read More | Yahoo! News
DVD REVIEW: ‘Away From Her’
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Lionsgate, Drama, Romance, DVD Reviews,
As I was putting the DVD of Away from Her back in its case, I noticed this line on the cover: Sometimes you have to let go of something you can’t live without. Of all the vague, cheesy and misleading taglines on most movie posters today…I couldn’t have chosen something more apt for this film. The next best thing would have been: If you loved that weeper ‘The Notebook’, this movie will rip your heart out.
Away is the feature-length directorial debut from actress Sarah Polley, who’s probably best known by younger audiences as Ronna from Go. She is also credited with adapting the screenplay from a short story by Alice Munro (‘The Bear Came Over the Mountain’). Atom Egoyan, Polley’s director in her breakthrough film The Sweet Hereafter, served as the movie’s executive producer.
The film stars the beautiful Julie Christie (Fiona) and Gordon Pinsent (Grant) as a couple still madly in love after 45 years of marriage. Their peaceful existence in their cozy cabin is eventually interrupted by a series of signs. Signs they tried to do their best to ignore. Unfortunately, it comes to a point where Fiona’s memory lapses prove too worrisome to simply brush off.
Click to continue reading DVD REVIEW: ‘Away From Her’
Jennifer Hudson Joins ‘Sex And The City’ Movie
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: New Line, Adaptation, Comedy, Casting,
Jennifer Hudson is proving (to many jealous women out there) that her career did not peak with a silly little Oscar. The Academy Award winner has now been cast in the big screen version of Sex and the City.
The former American Idol contestant will be joining Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis in the Big Apple. After months of talk, production on the HBO show-turned film will finally begin next week.
While plot details have yet been leaked, we do know that Jennifer will play Carrie Bradshaw’s assistant (Louise). Any guesses out there as to what that means? Did Carrie become a full-time writer at Vogue? Does this mean she will actually be working outside of her apartment…in an office?
Read More | Hollywood Reporter
Box Office Breakdown: Geeks Fight Off Statham, Jet Li
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate, New Line, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Weinstein Company, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Drama, Foreign, Horror, Music, Musicals, Romance, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists, New Releases,
No, you are correct. Superbad is one of the few movies that has managed to stay at #1 for more than one week this summer. The movie that only cost $20 million to make now shares the Two-Timers title with Spider-Man 3 and Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End. (And I’m guessing those movies cost a bit more to produce).
Not only did the high-schoolers hold back the action-packed War (starring Jason Statham and Jet Li), but so did the aging Bourne Ultimatum and British goof Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean’s Holiday).
Unfortunately, the Top 5 was so testosterone-laden that it didn’t leave any room for the film adaptation of The Nanny Diaries. I’m wondering if more women were eager to see that hunky Statham than be reminded of their bratty kids waiting at home…
1. Superbad, Sony, $18,044,369
2. The Bourne Ultimatum, Universal, $12,472,215
3. Rush Hour 3, New Line, $11,706,643
4. Mr. Bean’s Holiday, Universal, $9,889,780
5. War, Lionsgate, $9,820,089
6. The Nanny Diaries, Weinstein Co., $7,480,927
7. The Simpsons Movie, Fox, $4,317,689
8. Stardust, Paramount, $3,872,560
9. Hairspray, New Line, $3,265,384
10. The Invasion, Warner Bros, $3,093,428
Box Office Breakdown: It’s Super To Be Bad
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Disney, New Line, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Horror, Music, Musicals, Romance, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Books, Lists, New Releases,
The Judd Apatow train is bound to hit a roadblock at some point—but for the time being, it’s full steam ahead. Superbad opened impressively with over $30 million this weekend making it the third Apatow-related project in a row to accomplish this feat (the others being Talledega Nights and Knocked Up). This is, of course, not taking into consideration the uber-sleeper hit The 40-Year-Old Virgin.
Meanwhile, there was nothing super about Nicole Kidman’s latest outing. The Invasion, the latest version The Body Snatchers, scared up a dismal $5.9 million (and that’s despite Daniel Craig’s hunky presence). But I predict a much stronger outing for these two later this year with The Golden Compass.
Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: It’s Super To Be Bad
Box Office Breakdown: Audiences Not Yet Tuckered Out
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Disney, New Line, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Music, Musicals, Romance, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists, New Releases,
Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third, Pirates, Ocean’s, Bourne and now Rush Hour 3. All six three-quels premiered directly at the top of the heap this summer.
Unfortunately, a six-year gap between the second and third Rush installments may have led to what some would consider slightly disappointing receipts. On any other occasion, a $50 weekend would be something to brag about. But considering it pales to the $67.4 million brought in by the 2001 predecessor, it’s only worth a pat on the back.
But really, the Disappointment of the Week honor should really fall on Cuba Gooding Jr. When you’re accepting rejected scripts from the man who played Norbit, you have to wonder where it all went wrong (two words: Chill Factor). Sadly, Daddy Day Camp was originally slated to be a straight-to-video release but somehow tested well enough to be released in theaters. Who knows? Maybe Gooding can pull a Halle and go straight-from-Oscar-to-Razzie.
Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Audiences Not Yet Tuckered Out
Box Office Breakdown: Bourne Breaks Bank
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Disney, Lionsgate, New Line, Paramount, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Family, Music, Musicals, Political, Romance, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists, New Releases,
Matt Damon may still be vying for People magazine’s ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ title—but he has one thing that George Clooney and Brad Pitt don’t have: the biggest debut for an August opening ever.
The Bourne Ultimatum‘s $70 million take improved upon the previous Bourne installments and gave Damon his largest weekend to date (and that’s including all three Ocean’s movies).
Meanwhile, Lindsay Lohan should be happy that she’s holed up in rehab again—though seeing her movie kicked out of the Top Ten would have probably sent her there anyway. Apparently theatergoers can only handle one movie about Bratz at a time…
Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Bourne Breaks Bank
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