DAN’S MOVIE DIGEST 60

GLADIATOR II’Empire Online’ talked to director Ridley Scott, who revealed moredetails about Gladiator 2: “It’s written. We’ve already done quite a lotof work and the draft’s in now. The target would be early 2005.”

“It’s the next generation. Roman history is so exotic that any part ofit is really fascinating. History is far more exotic than anything youcan dream up. The film will take the next step, which is [Lucilla’s]son, Lucius.”

No casting decisions have yet been made (although Connie Nielsen’scharacter is expected to appear) and Scott insists that the sequels’action will take place outside the Coliseum, abandoning the firstmovie’s gladiatorial focus. “No, no we can’t do that again. We’ve donethat. I wouldn’t touch gladiators again. I mean, I wouldn’t touch thegladiatorial side again; we have to go to the next step. “No, there willbe more politics and praetorians. The parts that are interesting, whichalways lead to conflict.”

BATMAN 5Christian Bale (American Psycho) has been cast as a younger Bruce Waynein director Christopher Nolan’s new Batman movie. The high-profile ofthis role should mean Bale’s chances of succeeding Pierce Brosnan asJames Bond are now very, very low indeed.

Rumour also has it that Bale is contracted for a Batman sequel and willplay the role if the continually stalling Batman Vs Superman movie isever made.

In related news, ‘Batman On Film’ also put forward the rumour thatDennis Quaid (Innerspace) is under consideration to play a “slightlyyounger but middle-aged” Commissioner Gordon!

THE BOURNE SUPREMACYJoan Allen is in talks to star with Matt Damon in The Bourne Supremacyas CIA officer Helen Landy, a character who’s tracking down Jason Bournethroughout the film.

PLANET OF THE APES 2’ET’ reports that Mark Wahlberg is interested in starring in a sequel toTim Burton critically drubbed Planet Of The Apes remake. POLICE ACADEMY 8Michael Winslow, who played walking sound-effect Jones in the PoliceAcademy movies, has confirmed that an eighth movie is in the works! TERMINATOR 4Arnold Schwarzenegger and wife Maria Shriver were interviewed on TheOprah Winfrey show recently, with Arnold confirming his film career’sstatus if he is elected as Governor of California: “Obviously I will notbe able to do movies anymore because I will be busy for many, many hoursevery day working on the mess that is out there in California. It willbe a lot of work and a huge challenge. So my movie career I will have toput aside. But this is much more important to me now.”

Alien – The Director’s CutIn space nobody can hear you scream – again. To mark the 25thAnniversary of Ridley Scott’s horror masterpiece, Alien is beingre-released to cinemas – with many deleted scenes seamlessly re-insertedback into the film.

All figures are weekend box-office gross.

• 1. Once Upon a Time in Mexico ($23.4m)
• 2. Matchstick Men ($13.0m)
• 3. Cabin Fever ($8.6m)
• 4. Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star ($5.0m)
• 5. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl ($4.5m)
• 6. Freaky Friday ($4.0m)
• 7. Jeepers Creepers II ($3.0m)
• 8. Seabiscuit ($2.7m)
• 9. S.W.A.T. ($2.7m)
• 10. Open Range ($2.7m)

UK TOP 10 (CINEMA)

• 1. Calendar Girls (£1.76m)
• 2. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (£1.15m)
• 3. American Pie 3: The Wedding (£0.66m)
• 4. Tears of the Sun (£0.40m)
• 5. Jeepers Creepers 2 (£0.37m)
• 6. Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Circle of Life (£0.26m)
• 7. The Lizzie McGuire Movie (£0.19m)
• 8. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (£0.179m)
• 9. Spy Kids 3D: Game Over (£0.173m)
• 10. The Order (£0.16m)

Note that these are UK release dates.