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Dan Owen reviews
I s s u e # 7 63 0 J a n u a r y 2 0 0 4
BOND 21Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai (right) has hinted toMI6.co.ukthat she is definitely still up for a role in James Bond 21, despite both ‘EonProductions’ and her own agent denying links between the actress and thenext Bond instalment.
Rai: “Once we’re past the discussion stage and something is finalized, I maybe able to shed some light. But let me say here again that with nothing onthe anvil as yet, I cannot comment. Right now, ‘my lips are bonded’, oopssealed! Ha, ha, ha!”
Rai can next be seen in Gurinder Chadha’s Bride & Prejudice opposite MartinHenderson, and she’s also joined the drama Chaos with Meryl Streep.
BATTLE ANGEL ALITAJames Cameron (Terminator 2) was at the Arclight seminar in Hollywoodrecently and told the crowd he’d be returning to direct a big-budget sci-fimovie that will push the boundaries of special-effects, after being inspiredafter a screening of Lord Of The Rings – The Return Of The King.
It’s expected that this project will be Battle Angel Alita, a huge projectthat was beyond the capabilities of effects studios in the 90’s, where 3Dwill play an integral role!
THE BOXWriter-director Eli Roth (Cabin Fever) is set to helm The Box, apsychological thriller loosely derived from the 1980’s revival of TheTwilight Zone.
The Box concerns an unhappy married couple who receive a small wooden box ontheir doorstep. At the push of a button, the box brings its bearer instantwealth but also instantly kills someone the bearer doesn’t know.
Roth will co-write the script with Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko), with the TVepisode itself loosely adapted from a Richard Matheson short story calledButton, Button.
Production on the project is expected to start this year.
THE PASSION OF CHRISTMel Gibson’s controversial biopic of Jesus Christ is released later thisyear. But for now, take a look at the striking one-sheet poster. (seeright). THE FOUNTAINEllen Burstyn (Requiem For A Dream) was interviewed by Joan Rivers beforethe Golden Globes and revealed that she will begin filming The Fountain thisAutumn with Darren Aronofsky directing.
So, it appears Aronofsky has managed to resurrect this epic sci-fi thatwould have starred Brad Pitt…
THE HITCH-HIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXYThe project is moving ahead with Bill Nighy and Martin Freeman cast asSlartibartfast and Arthur Dent, respectively. Garth Jennings (Hammer &Tongs) is aboard to direct from a script by Carey Kirkpatrick (Chicken Run)that author Douglas Adams personally approved.
The whet appetites everywhere, this potential design for Marvin The ParanoidAndroid has been released. (see right)
KING KONG’E! News Daily’ interviewed Naomi Watts (The Ring) and director PeterJackson at the BAFTA/LA luncheon recently, and Watts confirmed she is set tostar in Jackson’s King Kong remake. Watts: “I will sit in the hand of KingKong.”
Jackson added that he wants “to approach King Kong as a drama, not as afantasy, not as anything other than a straight drama and explore what wouldreally happen in that situation and I think would be interesting.”
Filming on King Kong is set to begin in August for a 14 December 2005release date.
In related news, Jackson also told The One Ring.netthat the extended version of The Lord Of The Rings – The Return Of The Kingis clocked at a mammoth 4 hours 10 minutes!
TRIPODS’Disney’ have received a screenplay draft from Terry Hayes (Mad Max) basedon the Tripods book trilogy, made into a 70’s BBC TV series. The proposedmovie would be a trilogy, concerning the child survivors of an alieninvasion.
P.J Hogan (Peter Pan) or Frank Darabont (The Green Mile) are beingconsidered by ‘Disney’ to direct.
MEET THE FOCKERSDustin Hoffman has agreed to star as Ben Stiller’s father in a sequel toMeet The Parents. Director Jay Roach (Austin Powers) will return for thesequel, which begins pre-production in March for a 22 December release.
Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Teri Polo and Blythe Danner are set to return,although the role of Mrs Focker is still to be cast. Ben Stiller himselftold ‘USA Today’ that “my dream is Barbra Streisand” and rumours has sincearisen that Streisand is indeed
In the sequel, Ben Stiller’s in-laws now meet his own parents – the relaxedFockers, who are mismatched with the uptight Brynes’ from the offset.
SUPERMANThe latest rumours from ‘Ain’t It Cool News’ suggest that singer BeyonceKnowles is ready to sign on the dotted line to play Lois Lane, with JohnnyDepp as criminal mastermind Lex Luthor. Oh, the horror!
US TOP 10 (CINEMA)All figures are weekend box-office gross.
- 1. The Butterfly Effect ($17.0m)
- 2. Along Came Polly ($16.3m)
- 3. Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! ($7.3m)
- 4. Big Fish ($7.1m)
- 5. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ($6.7m)
- 6. Cheaper by the Dozen ($6.3m)
- 7. Cold Mountain ($5.0m)
- 8. Torque ($4.4m)
- 9. Something’s Gotta Give ($4.0m)
- 10. Mystic River ($3.3m)
UK TOP 10 (CINEMA)
- 1. Scary Movie 3 (£3.49m)
- 2. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (£1.55m)
- 3. The Last Samurai (£1.23m)
- 4. Lost In Translation (£0.92m)
- 5. Cold Mountain (£0.67m)
- 6. Peter Pan (2003) (£0.56m)
- 7. Paycheck (£0.53m)
- 8. Love Actually (£0.365m)
- 9. The Girl With A Pearl Earring (£0.363m)
- 10. Runaway Jury (£0.27m)
** 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.