DAN’S MOVIE DIGEST 41

IRON FISTDirector Steve Carr (Dr Dolittle) has signed on to direct Iron Fist, a’Marvel’ comic-book adaptation linked to Ray Park (Episode I’s DarthMaul) as the lead. ‘Artisan’ is targeting a 2004 release date. THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN’Variety’ reports that ‘Emmett-Furla Films’ has teamed up with producersIlya Salkind and Gale Anne Hurd to develop The Abominable Snowman.Salkind (executive-producer on Superman) held the rights to the legendof a Himalayan ape-man creature sometimes referred to as a yeti. BATMAN 5’4Filmmakers.com’ has listed Matt Damon (The Bourne Identity) as thestar of Christopher Nolan’s upcoming Batman movie. Is this true? Nobodyknows for sure just yet. GARFIELDChevy Chase will play a character called Dr Davis in the new live-actionmovie – obviously an in-joke to Garfield’s creator Jim Davis. LORD OF THE RINGS – THE RETURN OF THE KINGCanada’s ‘The Province’ talked to composer Howard Shore, who has seen arough-cut The Return of the King. Shore said: “I can tell you thathaving seen The Return of the King, it is a great film. It is amazing.”

KNIGHT RIDERSci Fi Wire talked to David Hasselhoff who gave an update on theupcoming Knight Rider: The Movie and an upcoming series…

“Right now it’s in this land of ‘Which way are we going with it?'”Hasselhoff said in an interview. “I think for the film, we’re going togo one way, and for the television series another way.” Hasselhoff saidthat he hopes to have an acting role in both the film and the series. “Ifigure James Bond’s about my age, so I could still be Michael Knight.”No start date is announced for either project.

THE MATRIX RELOADED – IMAXIMAX fans can enjoy The Matrix Reloaded in full massive-screen gloryjust a few weeks after its May release. Unlike Star Wars Episode II themovie will not have to be edited to fit the IMAX format. Even better isthat the third part, Revolutions, will have a concurrent release withits 35mm twin – a first for the movie industry. THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERAJoel Schumacher spoke with ‘IC Wales’ about budget concerns and pressureadapting the hit musical into a movie: “You’d be surprised at how littlemoney we’re getting, but we’ll try to make it work… you don’t want tofail and there are so many people who love this musical and the closestI’ve ever got to a period film is Veronica Guerin, which is 1996! Thenotion of Paris in 1870 is pretty lush, pretty gorgeous.”

Gerard Butler (Tomb Raider 2) has been offered the starring role of ThePhantom by Schumacher, but has not decided whether to take the rolebecause he is fielding other film offers – such as The Game of TheirLives.

Anne Hathaway (The Princess Diaries) and Emmy Rossum (Passionada) haveemerged as the top choices to play the female lead, Christine.

Alan Cumming (X-Men 2’s Nightcrawler) has revealed that he will also bestarring in Schumacher’s movie as the Theatre Manager. Cumming alsoreprises his role as Spy Kids’ original villain Fegan Floop in a cameofor Spy Kids 3D: Game Over.

RESIDENT EVIL II’The Hollywood Reporter’ reports that Second Unit Director AlexanderWitt will make his movie directing debut with Resident Evil 2, workingfrom a script by the original’s writer-director Paul W.S Anderson, whowill now produce. Production begins this August in Toronto. STAR WARS EPISODE IIIThe official Star Wars website confirmed that Episode III will furtherconnect itself to events in the original Star Wars trilogy in “new andsurprising ways”. Familiar faces and places will return, including actorPeter Mayhew – who reprises his role as Chewbacca!

Mayhew said: “I’m delighted to return as Chewbacca. I think hisre-appearance in this film is a fitting way to tie the whole sagatogether, especially for Wookie fans.”

PETER PAN’The Age’ talked to Jason Isaacs (The Patriot) about the upcominglive-action adaptation of Peter Pan, in which he stars as Captain Hook &Mr. Darling.

Isaacs: “The versions we’ve seen before have never been what Barrieintended. It’s not about a boy who never grew up at all. It’s arites-of-passage movie about a 12-year-old girl in Victorian London in aquite repressive household who is told that she has to grow up, and inthose days there was no adolescence.”

“Wendy is so traumatised here that she runs off to Neverland, and onereason you have the same actor playing Mr Darling and Captain Hook isthat you never know if Neverland is a real place or one that Wendy’sinvented to work out what she’s going to do about this growing-upbusiness.”

SUPERMANIt appears that director McG (Charlie’s Angels 2) is now circling theSuperman project Brett Ratner recently abandoned over castingdifficulties with the producers (some want a new face for Superman, somewant a star-name). McG was one of the original contenders, but had topull out because he was still committed to Angels 2. X-MEN 2’The Daily Telegraph’ interviewed star Hugh Jackman about thepossibility of more X-Men sequels. Jackman thought the franchise couldcontinue indefinitely, saying: “They don’t really have to rely on theexisting format because there are so many characters in the pantheon ofthe comic-book series. The younger characters, which Wolverine mentors,could take up the mantle and do just as good a job. It is limitless andthe characters could grow up with the fans.”