DAN’S MOVIE DIGEST 133

“It’s kind of an incredible feeling, I’m scared. If I do Mission: Impossible3 that is going to be so exhilarating. I’m so excited, I just can’t wait todo stunts and get all into it.”

Mission Impossible 3 is slated for a summer 2006 release.

CASINO ROYALEThe 21st Bond movie will begin shooting early next year, under the helm ofMartin Campbell. A new 007 has not been cast yet, with new rumours surfacingthat Pierce Brosnan could still return.

A spokesman commented: “We haven’t confirmed any of our locations for CasinoRoyale. We’re awaiting our director Martin Campbell who should come aboardin June, and we hope to start shooting in January 2006, although there’s nodefinitive date.”

KUNG FU HUSTLE 2’Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group’ is developing a sequel to StephenChow’s Kung Fu Hustle, says ‘The Hollywood Reporter’.

The crazy action-comedy, from Stephen Chow, who also brought cult hitShaolin Soccer to life, is due for release in the UK soon.

THE DARK CRYSTAL IIThe ‘Jim Henson Company’ is planning to make a sequel to its 1982 fantasyclassic The Dark Crystal, reports ‘Variety’.

Titled The Power Of The Dark Crystal, the new movie is written by DavidOdell (The Dark Crystal) and Annette Duffy. No director is yet attached tothe film, which starts shooting this Autumn for a 2007 release. It willcombine live-action animatronic characters with CG animation.

The story is set many years after the original, which was helmed by Frank Ozand Jim Henson. Original heroes Jen and Kira are now King and Queen, andmust fight to save their kingdom when the crystal is once again split.

The company is also developing an animated series, interactive games andother media as well.

All figures are weekend box-office gross.

• 1. Monster in Law ($23.1m)
• 2. Kicking & Screaming ($20.2m)
• 3. Unleashed ($10.9m)
• 4. Kingdom of Heaven ($9.63m)
• 5. Crash (2004) ($7.02m)
• 6. House of Wax (2005) ($6.56m)
• 7. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005) ($5.05m)
• 8. The Interpreter ($4.59m)
• 9. xXx: State of the Union ($2.13m) (aka xXx2: The Next Level)
• 10. Mindhunters ($1.91m)

UK TOP 10 (CINEMA)

• 1. Kingdom of Heaven (£2.53m)
• 2. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (£1.78m)
• 3. xXx2: The Next Level (£0.55m)
• 4. The Wedding Date (£0.52m)
• 5. The Interpreter (£0.50m)
• 6. The Amityville Horror (2005) (£0.36m)
• 7. Guess Who (£0.27m)
• 8. Valiant (£0.17m)
• 9. Sahara (£0.14m)
• 10. Robots (£0.12m)

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

• 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.

• MAY: 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.