DAN’S MOVIE DIGEST 143

Of course, nobody seems to have realized that Mars Attacks – a Tim Burtonturkey from ten years ago – has already tapped the game’s sensibility…

APOCALYPTCOActor/director Mel Gibson is getting back behind the camera with the actionfilm Apocalypto, which he also wrote. ‘Walt Disney Pictures’ will distributedomestically and Gibson’s company ‘Icon’ will handle foreign territories.

‘Variety’ says Apocalypto is set to begin production this October in Mexicofor a summer 2006 release. Gibson will produce along with ‘Icon’ partnerBruce Davey.

Gibson will not star in Apocalypto and may not use a star for the film,which is set in an ancient civilization some 3,000 years ago. The title is aGreek term which means “an unveiling” or “new beginning.”

Consistent with such Gibson films as Braveheart and The Passion Of TheChrist, the script depicts abundant action and violence.

GOD OF WAR’Universal Pictures’ has secured the movie rights to video-game God Of War,created by ‘Sony Computer Entertainment’. ‘Mosaic Media Group’ alumniCharles Roven and Alex Gartner will produce the feature adaptation.

In the game, players can unleash the power of the Gods and embark on amerciless quest as Kratos, an ex-Spartan warrior driven to destroy Aries,the God Of War. Armed with lethal double chain-blades, Kratos must carvethrough mythology’s darkest creatures — including Medusa, Cyclops and theHydra…

X-MEN 3’IGN Filmforce’ has learned that actress Ellen Page will play the role ofKitty Pryde in X-Men 3, which director Brett Ratner starts filming next weekin Vancouver for a 6 May 2006 release.

Page can next be seen in Hard Candy soon, and she also starred in the TVseries Trailer Park Boys. The site adds that the part of Warren “Angel”Worthington’s father has not yet been cast.

All figures are weekend box-office gross.

• 1. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) ($28.3m) (total to date: $114m)
• 2. Wedding Crashers ($25.7m)
• 3. Fantastic Four (2005) ($12.6m) (total to date: $123m)
• 4. Wedding Crashers ($12.4m)
• 5. Bad News Bears ($11.4m)
• 6. War of the Worlds (2005) ($8.93m) (total to date: $208m)
• 7. Hustle & Flow ($8.02m)
• 8. The Devil’s Rejects ($7.07m)
• 9. Batman Begins ($4.73m) (total to date: $191m)
• 10. La Marche de L’empereur ($4.38m)

UK TOP 10 (CINEMA)

• 1. Fantastic Four (2005) (£3.54m)
• 2. Madagascar (£3.27m)
• 3. Wedding Crashers (£1.84m)
• 4. War of the Worlds (2005) (£1.75m)
• 5. Dark Water (2005) (£0.48m)
• 6. Batman Begins (£0.29m)
• 7. The Descent (£0.26m)
• 8. Kicking and Screaming (£0.24m)
• 7. Mr & Mrs Smith (£0.0836m)
• 10. Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya? (£0.0831m)

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

• 29th July 2005: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), The Skeleton Key, 29 Palms, Shallow Ground, Whisky
• 5th August 2005: Herbie: Fully Loaded, Stealth, Because of Winn-Dixie, Stealth, The Devil’s Rejects, Beautiful Boxer, Yes, Dear Wendy, The Last Days, Wolf Creek
• 12th August 2005: The Island, Fever Pitch (2005), The Rising, Supercross, Crash (2004), Primer
• 19th August 2005: Bewitched, Paradise Now, R-Point, Danny the Dog, Me and You and Everyone We Know, Bewitched (2005),
• 26th August 2005: Sisterhood of Traveling Pants, The Dukes of Hazzard (2005), Bad News Bears, Intruder, The Cave
• 2nd September 2005: The Business, The Honeymooners (2005), Red-Eye, On a Clear Day, Vital
• 9th September 2005: Cinderella Man, Land of the Dead, Rock School, The Man, The Longest Yard
• 16th September 2005: Four Brothers, Must Love Dogs, Pride and Prejudice (2005)
• 23rd September 2005: The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Revolver
• 30th September 2005: Goal!, Corpse Bride, A History of Violence, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, Aeon Flux, The Perfect Man, Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, The History of Violence
• 7th October 2005: Night Watch, Oliver Twist (2005), The Constant Gardener, Serenity, The Kinky Boot Factory
• 14th October 2005: Wallace & Gromit Movie: Curse of the Wererabbit, Lord of War, The Dark
• 21st October 2005: Nanny McPhee, Murderball, Elizabeth Town, Syriana, Sky High, Broken Flowers
• 28th October 2005: Doom, Flightplan, The Legend of Zorro
• 4th November 2005: V for Vendetta, The Exorcism of Emily Rhodes,
• 11th November 2005: Everything is Illuminated, The New World, Hustle & Flow, In Her Shoes
• 18th November 2005: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• 2nd December 2005: Tickets
• 9th December 2005: Hey Mr DJ, Just Like Heaven, The Chronicles of Narnia: Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), Shopgirl, Brokeback Mountain
• 14th December 2005: King Kong (2005)
• 16th December 2005: The Hawk is Dying
• 30th December 2005: Stray Dogs
• TBA: The Adventures of Shark Boy & Lava Girl in 3D, Domino, The Pink Panther (2005), Halloween 9, Final Destination 3D, Noel, The Tiger and the Snow, Underworld: Evolution, Walk the Line

All the following are U.S. release dates, and are subject to change.

• JULY: The Dukes Of Hazzard (29)
• AUGUST: 3001 (5), Doom (5), Deuce Bigelow European Gigolo (12),
• SEPTEMBER: Birth Of The Pink Panther (23), Legend Of Zorro (23), Serenity (30), Spy Hunter (30)
• OCTOBER: Wallace & Gromit (7), The Fog (14), Land Of The Dead (21)
• NOVEMBER: Cars (4), Harry Potter 4 (18), Brother Grimm (23)
• DECEMBER: Chronicles Of Narnia (9), Underworld 2 (9), King Kong (14), The Producers (24), Zathura (21), Mad Max Fury Road (31), Die Hard 4 (31)

Page Content copyright © Dan Owen, 2005.