Random News of the Week (June 16 - June 22, 2008)

This really good news if it turns out to be true. Word is that Ridley Scott has asked Christian Bale to play Robin Hood in Ridley’s next film called NOTTINGHAM. The new version pains the Sheriff of Nottingham (who will be played by Russell Crowe) as a more noble character forced to work for a tyrant, whilst Hood himself will be portrayed as a much darker and dangerous personality than previous incarnations. This sounds SO much better than Kevin Costner as Robin Hood.

A description is out for the teaser trailer for TERMINATOR SALVATION which will play in front of THE DARK KNIGHT. It opens with footage of people out in every day life. Christian Bale voiceovers something like: "I always knew it would happen"... Than a pause... "They told me I could stop it." The same people begin looking to the sky.... "That I could save us". Looks of horror come across their faces as he says, "They were wrong". Music rises as we cut to black for a second. The Terminator theme starts. NEXT SUMMER appears on the screen... We get a quick shot looking out over a sunny desert, and then a shot of Bale, in badass commando uniform and very recognizably the same guy who plays Batman, being lowered into a huge bunker of weapons. THE FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE rolls across, and we get mixed clips from inside one of the survivor bunkers as seen in Terminator 1 - but they look more concentration campish; very crowded, shots of Bale walking with a large crowd. And then the word... BEGINS. The music quickly rises as we get shot of a huge truck racing down a high way, a shot or two of a helicopter flying mixed with more close ups of the actors when Bale whispers, "They're coming". It all goes quiet. Massive drums blare the beginning of the theme (again) but this time much louder, more pumped up, as we get a metallic silver T that morphs into a 4. We then get the big money shot of the trailer. Its Bale on a motorcycle with some girl on the back. They speed through a door of what looks like a warehouse toward us. As soon as they pass the screen, a huge terminator on wheels, a lot like the one they battle in the first one, smashes through the wall, chasing them. It looks awesome. It then says: Memorial Day 2009.

David Carradine will have a cameo in the upcoming remake of DEATH RACE.

There is a rumor out that Josh Brolin is in the runnings to take over the role of Snake Plissken in the ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK remake. Gerard Butler dropped out several months back.

AICN confirmed this week that Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming INGLORIOUS BASTARDS film will actually be cut into 2 films. So he’s doing the KILL BILL treatment on this one also. I’m excited to see this project finally get off the ground.

Some new figures are out on THE INCREDIBLE HULK this week and it looks like the new film isn’t doing any better than the 2003 version. In fact, in the day by day average, the 2003 HULK actually had a bigger opening weekend and larger day to day total. The supposed failure of Ang Lee’s film actually grossed $130 million which is where the new film is on pace to do also. This may mean that a sequel is less likely but I think that Marvel Studios is keen to do more regardless and $130 domestic ain’t bad. That being said, IRON MAN has grossed $300 million in it’s first 48 days and currently stands as the 27th most successful film of all time.

It was confirmed this week that George Lucas will NOT be directing RED TAILS. The story focuses on the Tuskegee Airmen and the racism the World War II airmen faced. Lucas will serve as executive producer on the project which Rick McCallum and Charles Floyd Johnson are producing. George not directing is probably a good thing although, we’re ALL still waiting for George to do one of his more esoteric projects he’s been talking about but all we’re getting is Star Wars spin-off’s and this film.

Very sad news this week. Stan Winston died. He was best known for his oscar winning special effects work. Most notably, he was in charge of special effects for Terminator, Jurassic Park, Aliens, and Predator. But he also worked on Edwards Scissorhands, Batman Returns, Big Fish, and most importantly, The Thing! He most recently created the IRON MAN suit that Downey Jr. wore and worked on some top secret designs for James Cameron’s AVATAR.

Sam Raimi is developing to direct a novel by the scribe of GONE BABY GONE and MYSTIC RIVER called THE GIVEN DAY. The story is set in 1919 Boston, a time of turmoil as soldiers returning home from WWI bring back an epidemic of Spanish influenza. The narrative specifically deals with attempts to unionize the police department have set the stage for a historic strike and two cops take center stage.

Len Wiseman (UNDERWORLD, LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD) has been officially announced as the director the GEARS OF WAR film for New Line. Chris Morgan (THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS, WANTED) has been hired to write the screenplay.