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Dan Owen reviews
I s s u e # 5 21 8 J u l y 2 0 0 3
KING ARTHUR’Sci-Fi Wire’ spoke with producer Jerry Bruckheimer about King Arthur,the medieval epic currently filming. He confirmed that the film will bepartly based on Sir Thomas Malory’s 15th-century Le Morte d’Arthur, theoriginal telling of the legend which formed the basis of the variousincarnations afterwards, and will carry a “hard R rating” with the storyconcentrating a lot on the massive battles.
As for the Merlin connection: “There is [some magic], but it’s going tobe real. In other words, the Picts used to paint themselves from head totoe, either blue or green, to blend into the trees, just like theSpecial Forces. So you’re going to look at the trees, and you’re notgoing to see anything. And all of a sudden, these men are going to comeout of the trees. So that’s kind of Merlin’s magic”.
Actress Keira Knightley (Pirates Of The Caribbean) also talked about themovie, in which she stars as Guinevere: “I don’t think it’s going to bea family film. I think we’re just going for reality. So don’t thinkCamelot or Excalibur. Think kind of more Gladiator. So it’s going to befascinating.”
AUSTIN POWERS 4’The Boston Herald’ has touted Demi Moore to star as the next PowersGirls in the expected fourth Austin Powers movie. BLADE IIIThe third adventure for Wesley Snipes’ vampire hunter begins productionon 22 September 2003. ‘Filmjerk’ revealed that the plot “finds Bladejoining forces with two vampire hunters – part of a group called theNightstalkers -as they tackle the powerful and ruthless villain DanicaTalos.”
“After harvesting the superior blood of the ancestor of all modernvampires, Talos has resurrected the man now known as “Drake” (notice themodernization of the Dracula name) from a century-long sleep in thehopes of finally getting world control for all vampires.”
“Blade, along with the band known as the Nightstalkers, must stop themfrom unleashing a virus that will kill all the vampires – but only aregiven one chance to make it work”.
New characters include Whistler’s athletic daughter Abigail, the comedicvampire hunter Hannibal King, and two humans who brand Blade as a sickindividual who’s a threat to society.
CONSTANTINE’The Early Report’ indicates that the Hellblazer comic-book adaptation,starring Keanu Reeves, will be released on 17 September 2004. GARFIELD’Variety’ reports that Will & Grace star Debra Messing will voice therole of Arlene, Garfield’s girlfriend, in the new live-action movie.
INDEPENDENCE DAY 2Will Smith recently spoke about his upcoming movie projects: “I’mworking now in Vancouver on a film, called I, Robot – to be out nextsummer… big Fox [movie], you know, blockbuster robots fighting,blowing up.”
“The translation we take it into 2035. So we take the technology, andit’s pushed slightly ahead of the technology that Asimov had envisionedwith his robots. And our story, I actually play a detective who isinvestigating a robot-on-human murder. I wasn’t familiar with [the book]prior to the film.”
I, Robot is directed by Alex Proyas, and also stars Bridget Moynahan.
So what about Independence Day 2? Smith: “I think that will neverhappen. But it’s Hollywood, you never know. You never can say never. ButI’m pretty doggone sure that will never happen.”
INDIANA JONES 4Executive producer Frank Marshall told ‘Sci Fi Wire’ that screenwriterFrank Darabont is still writing the screenplay for Indiana Jones 4.
Marshall: “It’s basically the same kind of story that we had in thefirst three movies. It’s up to us to maintain the integrity of theproject. That’s why it’s taking a long time on the script. We want thestory to be good enough.”
Producer Kathleen Kennedy also said that she expects star Harrison Ford,director Steven Spielberg and producer George Lucas to defer theirsalaries in lieu of back-end deals to ensure a reasonable budget.
JURASSIC PARK 4Sam Neill spoke to ‘The Sunday Mail’ about Jurassic Park 4, saying:“They have a story that defies ‘sequelitus’ by building on what’s gonebefore, and not just repeating it. I don’t like to count my chickensbefore they hatch, but I think this will exceed expectations. I’mlooking forward to it, actually.”
And the plot of JP4 has finally been revealed. Don’t read on if you hatespoilers:
- “65 million years ago, a terrible disease plagued the Earth whichbrought about the extinction of the dinosaurs. In the early eighties,when InGen cloned the dinosaurs, they also brought this disease backwith them and it has been present ever since before Jurassic Park (thusexplaining the sick Triceratops and Brachiosaur).
- 1. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl ($46.6m)
- 2. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen ($23.0m)
- 3. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines ($19.4m)
- 4. Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde ($12.0m)
- 5. Finding Nemo ($8.4m)
- 6. Charlie’s Angels 2: Full Throttle ($7.1m)
- 7. Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas ($4.3m)
- 8. 28 Days Later ($4.2m)
- 9. The Hulk ($3.6m)
- 10. The Italian Job (2003) ($2.7m)
- 1. Charlie’s Angels 2: Full Throttle (£1.58m)
- 2. Bruce Almighty (£1.51m)
- 3. Daddy Day Care (£0.79m)
- 4. Veronica Guerin (£0.27m)
- 5. 2 Fast 2 Furious (£0.27m)
- 6. The Matrix Reloaded (£0.1219m)
- 7. Whale Rider (£0.1216m)
- 8. The In-Laws (£0.10m)
- 9. Wrong Turn (£0.08m)
- 10. Identity (£0.05m)
- July 2003: “Bad Boys II(18), “Exorcist – The Beginning” (18), “Dumb & Dumberer” (18), “Spy Kids 3” (25), “Tomb Raider II” (25)
- August 2003: “American Wedding” (1), “Cursed” (8), “Jeepers Creepers 2” (29)October: “Kill Bill” (10), “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (17), “Underworld” (TBC)
- September 2003: TBA
- October 2003: TBA
- November 2003: “Matrix Revolutions” (7), “Looney Tunes – Back In Action” (14),Around The World In 80 Days” (21), “The Cat In The Hat” (21), “DirtyDancing 2” (21)
- December 2003: “The Last Samurai” (5), “The Alamo” (12), “Lord Of The Rings -Return Of The King” (17), “Garfield” (19), “Lemony Snicket” (19), “PeterPan” (25) Page Content copyright © Dan Owen, 2003.
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Now this disease has become fully active in the dinosaurs and they’reall getting very ill. When dinosaur carcasses start washing up on theshore of Costa Rica, a team (including Alan Grant) is called out to findout what’s going on.
They head to the islands to study the dinosaurs and find out about thedisease, known as DX. They also discover the disease is transferable tohumans and could possibly bring on our own extinction”.
Producer Kathleen Kennedy told ‘Sci Fi Wire’ that novelist WilliamMonahan has completed a first draft of the script for the movie. Kennedysaid that the third sequel will move off the islands seen in the firstthree films: “Let’s just say it takes place someplace else. It will notbe green. We will not go back to the jungle.”
William Monahan makes his screenwriting debut on the upcoming Ridley Scott filmTripoli, which is what attracted Kennedy to the writer: “[Tripoli is a]very different genre than what we’re talking about doing with Jurassic,which is why I’m excited about Jurassic, because I think he’ll bringsomething to it that’s going to make it feel fresh.”
No director has been approached yet but the plan is to release the filmfor Summer 2005.
KILL BILLQuentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill will be split into two films. The firstpart (tentatively titled Kill Bill Volume I) will be release on 1October, with the second part to follow 2-6 months later.
ICE AGE 2Actor Dennis Leary talked with ‘Empire Online’ and confirmed somerumours about Ice Age 2. The CGI sequel is definitely being made, withLeary saying: “Truth is, I said to these guys we should make the sequelat the same time we make the original. But studios hate to spend moneyuntil they have a guarantee in their hands. So now they’ll have to paytwice as much to get it done and it’ll take twice as much time. But inprinciple we’ve all agreed that if it worked we’d all go back in. Ithink there’s a story – the people at Fox are working on one right now.I think they’re talking about going back into the studios somethingaround late Fall”.
“It’ll be the three of us without the baby, obviously! If [animatedfilms] a hit they make tons of money! Future actors out there – take theback end on animated films! Guaranteed extra money.”
PREDATOR 3Speculation about a third Predator movie is raging again, with ‘The ZReview’ stating that a screenplay draft by Robert Rodriguez (From DuskTill Dawn) is being mulled over. Rodriguez’s plot apparently sets theaction aboard a 17th-Century sailing ship.
Another rumoured script features Arnold Schwarzenneger and DannyGlover’s characters, from the first two movies, being captured and takento the Predator’s homeworld.
STAR WARS EPISODE III’TheForce.net’ and ‘LOK Magazine’ spoke with actor Peter Mayhew abouthis reprising the role of Chewbacca.
Mayhew said: “I was told by George Lucas that I would be playing a largepart in the story including the delivering of two twin babies andplaying a role in a major battle scene that involves many war machines.”
“Sadly, I have not read those sequences of the script yet. Lucas onlygives us copies for that days shooting. But from what I’ve seen, itlooks good. Of course, I really don’t have any lines [he laughs].”
“Lucas has really changed his writing style from back when he wrote theoriginal trilogy. He is much bolder and willing to push the envelope inboth settings and dialogue. In fact, the opening action scene involvingmany Wookiees takes place on one of the many new planets seen in thismovie.”
SUPERMANOrlando Bloom (Pirates Of The Caribbean) is the latest name to bementioned as a possible candidate for the role of Superman in thestill-stalling project.
US TOP 10 (CINEMA)All figures are weekend box-office gross.
UK TOP 10 (CINEMA)
Note that these are US release dates.
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.