Random News of the Week (September 23 - October 5, 2008)

Believe it or not, they have brought in Kenneth Branagh to direct the big budget film THOR for 2010. This could actually work folks. This guys’ got talent and I’ve been waiting for him to have a big chance to take it to the next level. This could be a “Sam Raimi doing Spiderman” type of move.

Kirsten Dunst has confirmed that she will be back for both SPIDER-MAN 4 and 5. She didn’t accidently tell us all the villains this time though.

Jon Favreau talked about the progress so far on IRON MAN 2. He is actively writing the script with Justin Therous and they are still trying to decide on who the villain should be. They have an interesting take on the Mandarin that would allow them to incorporate a whole pantheon of villains (that doesn’t sound good). "I am confident that 2010 is achievable if we continue working together as we have for the past few months. It has to be great, though. It has to be great."

The Star Wars THE FORCE UNLEASHED game isn’t that great. Now, word is out that a film adaptation is on its way. The director said, "It's not impossible. Never say never. George [Lucas] has looked to tell new 'Star Wars' stories through the games and with the entire Star Wars Expanded Universe, and then he has also shown a willingness to let the characters come into the films. Look at Aayla Secura, a creation in the [Dark Horse] comic books who became part of the theatrical films."

The director of SURF’S UP, Ash Brannon, is currently working on a live action YOGI BEAR film. It will be in the same vein as SCOOBY-DOO. It was only a matter of time.

Some interesting news is out this week about the sequel to 300. Zack Snyder is still direction and Frank Miller is still working on the story. “Snyder also said it will take place between the Battle of Thermopylae and the Battle of Plataea, the battle that narrator Dilios is at while re-telling the story of King Leonidas and the mighty Spartans to a new group of warriors at the end of 300. As Dilios says, there's a whole year between Thermopylae and where he currently stands.”

A DAREDEVIL reboot is possibly in the works. Tom Rothman talked a little about what they might do. According to him, they are “seriously considering it currently.”

Scorsese and De Niro are teaming once more for a mob crime drama (wow, big surprise) called I HEARD YOU PAINT HOUSES. This is a reference to mob slang for splattered blood. It has been written by Steve Zaillian (SCHINDLERS LIST, GANGS OF NEW YORK).

This is just brilliant news. Steven Seagal is going back to the well. He wants to put UNDER SIEGE 3 on the fast track. But here is the hook, he wants to do some kind of sci-fi or supernatural elements in it! “I personally want it to be something more modern... In other words... I wouldn't mind if it was about something more mystical or...maybe extraterrestrial in nature. Some real government top secrets instead of just the typical"

Zack Snyder talked a bit about WATCHMEN this week. The film currently runs 163 minutes but could be cut back a bit more. In regards to the lawsuit that could threaten the film, he says “they would have come and stopped us if they wanted to. But they haven't yet. We are having fun. And we are just making a movie."

So it turns out, the whole plot twist with Robin Hood playing more of a bad guy while the Sherriff of Nottingham plays a more sympathetic character, may be more interesting than we thought. Ridley Scott’s NOTTINGHAM project is now saying that Russell Crowe may be playing BOTH the Sherriff of Nottingham AND Robin Hood. Too cool! It looks like Christian Bale is out on this but that is ok if they go this direction instead.