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Dan Owen reviews
I s s u e # 1 3 01 3 A p r i l 2 0 0 5
BOND 21Daniel Craig (Layer Cake) is expected to be the new James Bond, beatingClive Owen – who now feels Bond would be career suicide after winningnumerous awards for his role in Closer. GARFIELD 2Despite the movie’s bad critical drubbing in the media, the movie did goodenough business to warrant a sequel. Director Tim Hill (Muppets In Space)will helm the project, but it isn’t known of the original cast (and voicetalent of Bill Murray) will be back. MEG’New Line Cinema’ is going ahead with a movie based on bestselling novelMeg, about a voracious prehistoric shark, with Jan De Bont (Speed) set yodirect.
The studio is fast-tracking production with the goal of a summer 2006release. Meg has a budget of $75 million.
In the nove, an 80-foot-long ancestor of the great white shark, technicallyknown as carcharodon megalodon (dubbed “Meg”) is discovered by a present dayadventurer.
For more information, visit the author’s official website:Steve Alten.com
SUPERMAN VS BATMANYes, that old chestnut has reared it head again! We know Andrew Kevin Walker(Seven) has penned a script, but now the new Batman (Christian Bale) wasrecently interviewed and let slip that he’s contracted to do two more Batmanmovies and then Superman Vs Batman (with new Superman Brandon Routh).
But was Bale having a laugh, or should this be taken seriously…?
THREE BAD MENBritain’s own Simon Pegg (Shaun Of The Dead) has joined Brendan Fraser andWoody Harrelson in the cast for Paul Weiland’s black comedy Three Bad Men,reports ‘Production Weekly’.
Written by Peter Straughan and set in the US, the film is about a trio ofhit men who start new lives in the suburbs but find it impossible to escapetheir past.
The film starts shooting in June. Amazing what Shaun Of The Dead’s USsuccess has brought its leading star!
WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE’Paramount’ has signed writer-director Stephen Sommers (The Mummy) to remakeclassic sci-fi drama When Worlds Collide, reports ‘Variety’.
In the original, scientists discover that another planet is veeringdangerously close to Earth, and they make plans for a small group of humansto leave the planet before the inevitable deadly collision.
X-MEN 3As most of the X-Men cast only signed up for two movies originally, ‘Fox’have been trying to get the main players to sign on for the third movie.
British director Matthew Vaughn will helm the new movie, and screenwriterSimon Kinberg has revealed that James Marsden’s Cyclops has been written into the third film, saying: “I’m trying to write him so he only has to comeback for a couple of weeks. But he’s definitely a part of the movie.”
Ian McKellan has stated that he will return for X-Men 3, saying: “X-Men andits story is about mutants, about people who feel disaffected with society,and whom society is hard on, appeals most to young blacks, young Jews andyoung gays. That’s why I did the movie and that’s why I intend to do thethird movie if it happens.”
‘Variety’ reports that Famke Janssen (Jean Grey) and Hugh Jackman(Wolverine) have both agreed to return, while Halle Berry (Storm) andPatrick Stewart (Professor Xavier) are still in negotiations. Rumour alsohas it that Vinnie Jones is set to land a role, no doubt due to hisconnections with director Matthew Vaughn.
X-Men 3 is scheduled to be released on 26 May 2006. A potential spin-offmovie for Wolverine is still being looked at, as well as a spin-off forMagneto. So would Ian McKellen reprise his role for that? “If my characteris in it and if he’s my age. They might bring Magneto back but it may be theyoung Magneto. Who knows?”
WEBSITES
Aeon Flux(weblink)
Paramount Pictures has updated the official Aeon Flux site with a newFlash intro worth checking out. The site for the sci-fi action flick,starring Charlize Theron (Monster), includes downloads and plot synopsis,with more to come!
Hopefully Aeon Flux will be a hit for Charlize Theron, although I’m not sureif recent Oscar winner should tackle superhero movies – it didn’t HalleBerry any good starring in Catwoman after Monster’s Ball, did it?
TRAILERS
Fantastic Four – International Internet Exclusive Trailer(weblink)
Okay, the last superhero movie franchise not turned into a blockbuster movie (until now).
That’s the one: Mr Fantastic (stretchy guy), Invisible Girl (duh…), TheHuman Torch (flying flame guy) and The Thing (rocky strongman), face-offagainst Dr Doom (metal mask guy).
Haven’t the signs been bad with this movie?
Yes, but then again – fans weren’t too enamoured with X-Men before it cameout, so they’re not always a good benchmark.
Does this trailer belay fears?
It goes some way to restoring faith, yes. The effects seem much improvedover previous glimpses, and the humour is glimpsed more evidently. In factChris Evans looks particularly charismatic.
Cool. So one to look forward to?
Oh yeah! It may not be as successful as Spider-Man, but I can see thisbeing a family-oriented X-Men hit.
Bewitched – Trailer 1(weblink)
Ahhh, the classic TV series… given a 21st-Century spit n’ polish, I see.
Yes, Nicole Kidman steps into the shoes of witch Samantha. Comedian WillFerrel is playing her husband Darren.
So is this going to be another typical rehash of the TV series?
Interestingly, no. The movie actually concerns a TV remake of the ’60sseries, wherein Ferrel (an actor cast as Darren) seeks his ideal co-star forSamantha the witch. The kicker is that once Ferrel discovers Kidman as hismuse, he later discovers that… she really is a witch!
Ah, so they’re being clever-clever with the premise.
Exactly. But in a good way. The trailer seems to be more of a Will Ferrelcomedy vehicle than you’d imagine, but the second half gives us more of theexpected Kidman spell-casting – as Ferrel’s character needs to be taught alesson!
Sounds intriguing.
Yeah… could be a lot of post-modern fun! Wait and see…
US TOP 10 (CINEMA)All figures are weekend box-office gross.
- 1. Sahara ($18.1m)
- 2. Sin City ($14.2m)
- 3. Fever Pitch (2005) ($12.4m)
- 4. Guess Who ($7.02m)
- 5. Beauty Shop ($6.81m)
- 6. Robots ($4.65m) (total to date: $111m)
- 7. Miss Congeniality 2 ($4.18m)
- 8. The Pacifier ($3.12m)
- 9. The Ring Two (2005) ($2.87m)
- 10. The Upside of Anger ($2.50m)
UK TOP 10 (CINEMA)
- 1. Sahara (£1.37m)
- 2. The Ring Two (2005) (£0.96m)
- 3. Valiant (£0.90m)
- 4. Robots (£0.84m)
- 5. Be Cool (£0.79m)
- 6. Hitch (£0.76m)
- 7. Miss Congeniality 2 (£0.54m)
- 8. Constantine (£0.31m)
- 9. Hostage (£0.17m)
- 10. Der Untergang (£0.16m)
** IN THE PIPELINE **All the following are U.K. release dates, and are subject to change.
- 15th April 2005: Wild Side, The Amityville Horror (2005), New Town Original, The Edukators, The Interpreter (right)
- 22nd April 2005: Mean Creek, Beauty Shop, Chicken Tikka Masala, Scandal, Tarnation, Cursed, The Wedding Date
- 29th April 2005: The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, In Your Hands, XXX: State of the Union
- 6th May 2005: Palindromes, Andrew and Jeremy Get Married, Kingdom of Heaven, Twin Sisters, Brothers
- 13th May 2005: A Good Woman, Friday Night Lights, Seed of Chucky, Monster-in-Law, Ong-bak, The Jacket
- 20th May 2005: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (19th), What the Bleep Do We Know?, Only Human
- 27th May 2005: House of Wax, The Pacifier, Slander, Strings
- 3rd June 2005: Adam & Paul, The League of Gentlemen’s Apocalypse, Sin City, Brotherhood
- 10th June 2005: Silver City, Danny the Dog, Kung Fu Hustle, Insidde Deep Throat
- 17th June 2005: Mr and Mrs Smith, Mindhunters
- 24th June 2005: Wonderful Days, Torremolinos 73, Evil, Batman Begins
- 1st July 2005: Stray Dogs, Madagascar, DiG!
- 8th July 2005: War of the Worlds (2005), Sisterhood of Traveling Pants, Overnight
- 15th July 2005: A Lot Like Love, The Debutantes, Clean, The Wedding Crashers, One Love
- 22nd July 2005: Whisky, Fantastic Four (2005), The Devil’s Rejects
- 29th July 2005: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), The Descent
- 5th August 2005: Stealth, Because of Winn-Dixie, Nanny McPhee, The Skeleton Key, Dear Wendy
- 12th August 2005: The Island, Herbie: Fully Loaded, Fever Pitch (2005)
- 19th August 2005: Doom, Bewitched (2005), Dark Water, The Cave, The Adventures of Shark Boy & Lava Girl in 3D, Domino
- 26th August 2005: The Dukes of Hazzard (2005), Goal!, Bad News Bears
- 2nd September 2005: Cinderella Man, The Last Days, The Business, The Honeymooners
- 9th September 2005: The Man, Everthing is Illuminated, The 40-Year-Old Virgin
- 16th September 2005: Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, Four Brothers, Must Love Dogs
- 23rd September 2005: Pride and Prejudice (2005)
- 30th September 2005: The Perfect Man, Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, The History of Violence
- 7th October 2005: Red-Eye, Night Watch, Oliver Twice (2005)
- 14th October 2005: Wallace & Gromit Movie: Curse of the Wererabbit, The Longest Yard
- 21st October 2005: Aeon Flux, Sky High, Corpse Bride, The Pink Panther (2005)
- 28th October 2005: Noel, Flightplan, Halloween 9 (31st), The Dark, Final Destination 3D, Tickets
- 4th November 2005: Serenity, Legend of Zorro
- 11th November 2005: The Tiger and the Snow, In Her Shoes, The Moguls
- 18th November 2005: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The New World
- 9th December 2005: Underworld: Evolution, The Chronicles of Narnia: Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), Shopgirl
- 14th December 2005: King Kong (2005)
- 16th December 2005: The Hawk is Dying, Walk the Line
- 23rd December 2005: Brokeback Mountain
All the following are U.S. release dates, and are subject to change.
- APRIL: Amityville Horror (15), XXX State Of The Union (29),
- MAY: Kingdom Of Heaven (6), Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy (6), Star Wars Episode III (19)
- JUNE: Mr & Mrs Smith (10), Batman Begins (17), War Of The Worlds (29)
- JULY: Fantastic Four (1), Bewitched (8), Charlie & The Chocolate Factory (15), The Island (22), 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.
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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.