DAN’S MOVIE DIGEST 183

Eddie Murphy (right) is set to return to his ’80s comedy action franchise, reprisinghis role of wise-cracking cop Axel Foley.

Interestingly, this is the fourth 80s franchise currently being resurrectedfor modern audiences; following Die Hard 4, Rocky Balboa and SylvesterStallone’s attempt to get Rambo 4 up and running.

HE-MAN’Fox 2000′ studio producer Rodney Ferrell has confirmed to ‘Moviehole’ thatthe proposed new He-Man live-action movie has stalled.

Ferrell: “This was a project set up at ‘Fox’ but in the recent months wegave the project back to ‘Mattel’ and are no longer involved.”

STAR TREK XIIt has been confirmed that J.J Abrams (Mission Impossible III) will directthe eleventh next Star Trek film, after being attached as executive producerand co-writer for a few months.

His Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof and Bryan Burk will co-produce. Thescript is being written by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (MI-3) and is aprequel focusing on the early days of Captain Kirk, Spock and Dr McCoy.

Matt Damon has been rumoured to be taking William Shatner’s iconic role ofKirk, although this has not been confirmed.

SWEENEY TODDAlan Rickman (right) is joining Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha BaronCohen in Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd musical, playing Judge Turpin.

Todd is the story of a wrongfully imprisoned barber in Victorian England whosets out to seek revenge on the judge who imprisoned him.

Production is planned to begin filming in early-2007 for release late nextyear.

All figures are weekend box-office gross, including Sunday estimates(at the time of posting):

• 1. Happy Feet ($17.5m) (total to date: $122m)
• 2. Casino Royale (2006) ($15.1m) (total to date: $116m)
• 3. Deja Vu ($10.9m)
• 4. The Nativity Story ($7.85m)
• 5. Deck the Halls ($6.68m)
• 6. The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause ($4.89m)
• 7. Borat ($4.75m) (total to date: $116m)
• 8. Turistas ($3.58m)
• 9. Stranger Than Fiction ($3.36m)
• 10. Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj ($2.31m)

UK TOP 10 (CINEMA)

• 1. Casino Royale (2006) (£5.30m)
• 2. Flushed Away (£3.10m)
• 3. The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (£1.00m)
• 4. Borat (£0.77m)
• 5. Deck the Halls (£0.60m)
• 6. Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny (£0.38m)
• 7. Stranger Than Fiction (£0.36m)
• 8. Jackass Number Two (£0.31m)
• 9. El Labertino del Fauno (£0.24m)
• 10. Dhoom 2 (£0.23m)

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

• 8th December 2006: The Heart of the Game, Happy Feet, The Covenant, The Holiday (right), Frostbite
• 15th December 2006: Eragon, Gone, Grounded, The Upside of Anger, Deep Water, Dead Man’s Cards, Black Christmas
• 22nd December 2006: Zoom, Flags of Our Fathers, Deja Vu
• 29th December 2006: Night at the Museum (26th), It’s a Boy Girl Thing

Page Content copyright © Dan Owen, 2006.