DAN’S MOVIE DIGEST 116

THE DUKES OF HAZZARD

The first image of Jessica Simpson as Daisy Duke in the movie adaptation of80’s TV series The Dukes Of Hazzard has been released (see right)

FULL MOON FEVERDirector Renny Harlin (Exorcist The Beginning) will develop a feature basedon the upcoming graphic novel, Full Moon Fever, for producers AdrianAskarieh and Daniel Alter.

Created by X-Men and Superman comic-book writer Joe Casey for publisher’AIT’/’Planet Lair’, the story is set in the near-future and revolves arounda group of blue-collar workers who shuttle to the moon to repair the firstlunar base, only to find it deserted. They soon discover that they’re notalone as they become prey to a pack of ravenous werewolves.

The high concept hook of putting werewolves on the moon, where on the lunarsurface, it’s always full, allowing the creatures to constantly be in thetheir lycan form appealed to Askarieh when Casey first pitched him theproject at this past summer’s San Diego Comic Con.

Alter likened the project to another comic-book series that was picked up by’Sony Pictures’ and director Sam Raimi in a bidding war two years ago,entitled 30 Days Of Night – where vampires stalked an Alaskan town inperpetual darkness of much of the year.

BATMAN BEGINSSee right for the new poster that’s been revealed… NEXT’Revolution Studios’ is in talks with Julianne Moore (Boogie Nights) to playthe female lead in Next opposite Nicolas Cage, reports ‘Variety’.

Cage is also attached as a producer, while Lee Tamahori (Die Another Day)will direct the sci-fi thriller about a federal agent (Moore) looking forpeople who can help predict terrorist acts. Her search puts her in pursuitof a man (Cage) who has the ability to see his own future and take adifferent path if he chooses.

Gary Goldman adapted Philip K. Dick’s short story The Golden Man for themovie, which begins production after Moore finished filming Freedomland inthe spring.

Nicolas Cage is about to start filming Ghost Rider in Australia forwriter/director Mark Steven Johnson (Daredevil).

SUB-MARINERDirector Christopher Columbus (Harry Potter 1 & 2) has been hired to helmthe latest ‘Marvel’ comic franchise – Sub-Mariner.

‘Marvel’ CEO Avi Arad and former ‘Universal’ productionpresident-turned-producer Kevin Misher are producing the film along withColumbus and his ‘1492 Productions’.

David Self (Road To Perdition) has written the script and will executiveproduce the film about Prince Namor, a half-amphibian man from the kingdomof Atlantis. Namor is a troubled rebel with a fierce temper, who has bothhelped the human race and fought against it when humankind polluted hisunderwater kingdom.

All figures are weekend box-office gross.

• 1. National Treasure ($17.0) (total to date: $110m)
• 2. Christmas with the Kranks ($11.2m)
• 3. The Polar Express ($10.8m) (total to date: $96.1m)
• 4. The Incredibles ($9.02m) (total to date: $226m)
• 5. Closer ($7.71m)
• 6. The Spongebob Squarepants Movie ($7.66m)
• 7. Alexander ($4.76m)
• 8. Finding Neverland ($2.82m)
• 9. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason ($2.76m)
• 10. Ray ($1.89m)

UK TOP 10 (CINEMA)

• 1. The Incredibles (£4.18m)
• 2. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (£1.69m)
• 3. Christmas with the Kranks (£0.77m)
• 4. The Forgotten (£0.49m)
• 5. The Grudge (2004) (£0.22m)
• 6. The Manchurian Candidate (£0.17m)
• 7. Churchill: The Hollywood Years (£0.148m)
• 8. The Merchant of Venice (£0.147m)
• 9. After the Sunset (£0.139m)
• 10. Veer Zaara (£0.135m)

All dates are U.K release dates, and are subject to change.