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Dan Owen reviews
I s s u e # 7 52 3 J a n u a r y 2 0 0 4
CATWOMANMore pictures from the publicity machine behind this Batman spin-off havebeen released. Starring Halle Berry, the buzz has been very bad on thismovie – with many predicting it will be the turkey of 2004. Time will, asalways, tell all… (see right) ALIEN VS PREDATORPeter Weller (RoboCop) has been cast in Paul W.S Anderson’s Alien VsPredator as John Yutani. Lance Henriksen (Aliens) has already been cast asCharles Weyland. Both characters are co-owners of the Weyland-Yutaniorganization mentioned throughout the Alien franchise.
HARRY POTTER & THE GOBLET OF FIREHarry Potter & The Prisoner Of Azkaban director Alfonso Cuaron and HarryPotter & The Goblet of Fire director Mike Newell have both been talkingabout their upcoming Potter films.
Cuaron told ‘The Associated Press’ that some themes in the third film aresimilar to how the cast is growing into their teens: “Harry goes through ajourney where he realizes that demons aren’t just things that go bump in thenight, but also can be painful emotions, worries about family, friends, thefuture, the monsters that lie within. And that’s a classic teenage issue.”
Cuaron added that he’s also trying to make the film more contemporary withthe characters wearing modern clothes under their school cloaks, followingthe intent of author J.K. Rowling.
Meanwhile, Mike Newell told ‘The Sunday Mail’ about his upcoming fourth movie,saying: “I think of myself as being really lucky. I’m going to make the mostexpensive film there has ever been. These things are not like ordinary filmsthey are world events. I have millions of 10-year-olds who must not bedisappointed. Making Harry Potter is like being President of Brazil. It is acolossal undertaking.”
Newell added that finding an 8-foot tall Frenchwoman to play Hagrid’s loveinterest, Madame Maxime, is giving him a major headache. “We are castingright now. I’ve been in Paris, looking for giant women and Frenchschoolgirls.”
THE HOBBIT’New Line Cinema’ has production rights to this prequel to The Lord Of TheRings, although ‘MGM’ and ‘United Artists’ own the distribution rights.
‘New Line’ co-chairman, Bob Shaye, has said “there’s a reasonablepossibility that we can negotiate an arrangement.”
So, until this happens The Hobbit on the big-screen remains a cherishedfan’s wish. Interestingly, ‘New Line’ also has the rights to produceoriginal prequels and sequels to The Lord Of The Rings – not based on any ofJ.R.R Tolkien’s novels!
SON OF THE MASK’Superhero Hype!’ has released the first image from the set of The Son OfThe Mask (see right). Due out in the U.S on 15 October, the sequel starsJamie Kennedy as cartoonist Tim Avery who acquires the mask of Loki (AlanCumming). Nine months later Tim and wife Tonya (Traylor Howard) are theproud parents of a bouncing baby boy, Alvey. But thanks to the Mask, Alveyis endowed with its powers, and when owners Loki and Odin (Bob Hoskins),want their Mask back, all hell breaks loose… THE FANTASTIC FOURAs production on the Fantastic Four movie begins to drag thanks to thedeparture of director Peyton Reed (Down With Love), what hope is there thatthe last major superhero franchise will appear on the silver screen?
Well, it appears actor Sean Astin (Lord Of The Rings’ Sam) is hoping he canpersuade the studio to let him take control. Astin directed the short-movieThe Long & Short Of It for The Two Towers’ DVD, and would plan to haveGeorge Clooney as Reed Richards and Orlando Bloom as The Human Torch.
Check outthis weblinkfor the full interview.
I, ROBOTThe screenplay to Will Smith’s upcoming sci-fi movie, directed by AlexProyas (Dark City) has been positively reviewed atthis weblink
SPIDER-MAN 2A picture from Sam Raimi’s sequel has been released showing Spidey gettingto grips with the villainous Doctor Octopus! (see right) THE RING 2’Sci Fi Wire’ spoke to actress Daveigh Chase, who says she’ll reprise her asevil Samara Morgan in The Ring 2.
Chase: “I will [go back to work] soon. They’re going to start filming inMarch. Unfortunately, I can’t say anything about it, [but] it willdefinitely be horrifying. They’re waiting until the last minute [to show methe script]. I’m pretty sure I’ll get to kill everybody again. That’ll befun.”
STAR WARS EPISODES VII, VIII & IX’Hotdog’ magazine has stated that actor Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) has acontract that stipulates his appearance in a seventh, eighth and ninthepisode of the Star Wars franchise. This would, of course, mean that GeorgeLucas plans to film a trilogy of sequels to his originals! SUPERMANJ.J. Abrams, who wrote the script for the proposed new Superman trilogy,told ‘Sci Fi Wire’ that the project is still moving forward: “I’m hopeful.It was a blast to [write]. I’m crossing my fingers. I hope they do it,because I’d love to see that movie. I love working with the director, McG,so we’ll see what happens. I’d love to make it work. There are somecandidates [to play Superman].”
TRAILERSVan Helsing – Trailer 1
A music biopic?
No, that’s Van Halen, stupid. Van Helsing’s the infamous vampire slayer fromBram Stoker’s Dracula.
Ah, Peter Cushing territory.
Correct. But for contemporary audiences, Cushing’s debonair blood-suckerdispatcher has been updated in the guise of Hugh Jackman’s hard-assedversion.
Hugh Jackman of Wolverine mullet-chops infamy?
Yes, the X-Men star is hoping to branch out from his Wolverine role byplaying a similarly hard-edged character. Well, it’s a step-up from donningtights in Kate & Leopold, anyway! Van Helsing should, at the very least,establish Jackman as one of THE action stars of the future.
So who’s behind Van Helsing and what’s it all about?
Written and directed by Stephen Sommers, who recently updated Universal’sThe Mummy in 1999, Van Helsing should be a horror nerd’s wet dream. Themovie has Stoker’s hero sent to Eastern Europe to defeat Count Dracula, theWolf Man and Frankenstein’s Monster.
Wowzers! That’s quite a line-up!
For pure entertainment value, this should be unbeatable. The trailer is fullto the brim with CGI effects (some very good, some okay), and the generalstyle seems to be a cross between Hammer Horror and the House Of The Deadvideo-game. The production values looks very high and there are somespine-tingling shots of a shadowy werewolf transformation, some super-fangedvampire babes, and a stagecoach set-piece.
Sounds like good fun! When’s it out?
7 May in the U.S. Probably sometime later that month for the UK.
US TOP 10 (CINEMA)All figures are weekend box-office gross.
- 1. Along Came Polly ($32.4m)
- 2. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ($12.4m)
- 3. Big Fish ($12.3m)
- 4. Cheaper by the Dozen ($11.8m)
- 5. Torque ($11.4m)
- 6. Cold Mountain ($7.9m)
- 7. Something’s Gotta Give ($6.7m)
- 8. My Baby’s Daddy ($4.4m)
- 9. Calendar Girls ($3.8m)
- 10. The Last Samurai ($3.7m)
UK TOP 10 (CINEMA)
- 1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (£2.37m) (£51.87m grossed to date)
- 2. The Last Samurai (£2.04m)
- 3. Lost In Translation (£1.05m)
- 4. Paycheck (£0.92m)
- 5. Peter Pan (2003) (£0.76m)
- 6. Love Actually (£0.58m)
- 7. Runaway Jury (£0.588m)
- 8. Cold Mountain (£0.583m)
- 9. Stuck on You (£0.42m)
- 10. The Girl With A Pearl Earring (£0.38m)
** IN THE PIPELINE **Note that these are UK release dates.
Email Dan Owen
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.