Posts Tagged ‘Universal Studios’
Posted by bob in Reviews on August 12th, 2008
The recent earthquake that shook us all in Los Angeles has inspired J.J. Abrams (Cloverfield) to team up with screenwriter David Seltzer (The Omen) to craft yet another disaster film for Universal Studios, which perfected the genre back in the 1970s. According to the story in The Hollywood Reporter, this is not a remake of Universal’s Earthquake but an entirely new story. While still finishing up Star Trek for its May 2009 release, Abrams has already begun work on the new untitled project. Any details are still kept under wraps, however we do know Abrams will produce the film along with Bryan Burk and Sherryl Clark through Bad Robot.
Posted by bob in Films, News on August 11th, 2008
Rogue’s The Strangers is coming to DVD on October 21. The film was made for a mere $9 million and had a domestic gross of $52,597,610, so it was hugely profitable for the studio. A Blu-ray edition will be released the same day.
The film will presented in rated and unrated form but note the unrated clocks in just two minutes longer so don’t expect anything substantially different. Other features include:
• Theatrical version
• Deleted scenes
• “Elements of Terror” featurettes
Posted by bob in Films, News on August 10th, 2008
The Dark Knight continues to rule the box office as it takes the number one position for the fourth weekend in a row, the first time any 2008 release has achieved this. Its estimated haul of $26,030,000 pushes its domestic take to $441,541,000, faster than any movie in history.
In its second weekend Universal’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor dropped -60.2%, taking in just $16,113,000. With a total of $70,671,000, it chugs along although there has to be some concern that bad word of mouth, poor reviews and steep drop off may mean the franchise is running out of steam despite director Rob Cohen already talking a fourth film. (more…)
Posted by bob in Films, News on August 9th, 2008
In response to the jarring demand for David Carradine as an absolutely must-have in Paul W.S. Anderson’s remake of Paul Bartel’s classic Death Race, Carradine received a call to play a brief role. Carradine, who played Frankenstein in Bartel’s original film, is now the voice of Frankenstein played by Jason Statham. He commented, “All of a sudden, they got a brilliant idea to have me voice Frankenstein in the beginning, because [Statham's] got a big mask on anyway. They ashcanned the original voice and put me in it, so that would satisfy the fans watching this film that really and truly is another movie, not Death Race 2000.”
The remake from Universal opens August 22.
Posted by bob in Films, News on August 8th, 2008
You can’t turn around without seeing an interview with writer/director David Goyer these days. After all, he’s co-written the hottest movie of the century and has his next project in post-production. With The Dark Knight out and The Unborn being finished, he’s been turning his attention to other scripts. He’s completed a new draft of The Flash for Warner Bros. and is lined up to direct from his script for 20th-Century Fox’s X-Men Origins: Magneto.
Then there’s that other project he’s talked about on and off these last few months. He finally sat down with MTV to talk about his take on H.G, Wells The Invisible Man. The movie is being written for Universal Studios, naturally. “I’m working with some conceptual artists in tandem with writing the script,” he revealed to the network. “I’m actually working with one of the artists from Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. So it could be Magneto, or it could be The Invisible Man next.” (more…)
Posted by bob in News on August 6th, 2008
Video Watchdog is reporting that the pre-United States censor cut of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho was aired on the German television station RTL. A German site compares the broadcast with the most recent Universal Home Entertainment DVD version.
The Tooth Fairy, starring Dwayne Johnson (Get Smart), has been given a June 19, 2009 date from 20th Century Fox. It’s a family-fantasy that now opens a week after Eddie Murphy’s fantasy-comedy Nowhereland.
Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Possession moves from January 9 to January 23, 2009.
Posted by bob in Films, News on August 6th, 2008
Mummy director Rob Cohen told MTV News about his thoughts on where the franchise can go after the current installment in the series. After all, they managed to move all the major elements from Egypt to China so it shows the themes are global in scope.
“Rick [O’Connell], because he was treated by the pool of eternal life, Rick is now immortal. I’d love to explore how that plays out for him,” Cohen told the network. “Another spoiler, Jonathan [John Hannah] winds up with the artifact in this film and he doesn’t realize, nor do we, what its powers are. In my mind, that artifact still has a lot of prizes in it, the eye of Shangri La, this big diamond.” (more…)
Posted by bob in Films, News on August 4th, 2008
De fortabte sjaeles o is a Danish thriller from director Nikolaj Arcel that was released last year but has been snapped up by Universal for an English-language remake. Arcel is already on board to helm the adaptation, to be written by Jennifer O’Kieffe. The title translates to Island of Lost Souls but is not related to the 1933 film based on H.G. Wells’ The Island of Dr. Moreau.
This story is about a teen whose brother is possessed by the spirit of an 18th century magician which plunges her into one of those battles between good and evil which has been raging for centuries
Posted by bob in Films, News on August 3rd, 2008
After a strong Friday showing, it looked as if The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor might topple The Dark Knight from the top of the box office. However, mostly negative reviews seem to have scared enough people away so it opened at number two for the weekend. It took in a healthy $42,450,000, under Universal’s estimates, but was beaten by Batman, who brought an additional $43,800,000 to Gotham City. The film now has earned a total of $394,887,000 in just three weeks and will clear the $400 million hurdle any minute now.
Showing surprising durability, Brendan Fraser’s other summer film, Journey to the Center of the Earth finished its fourth week in fifth place, taking in $6,875,000, totaling $73,140,000. (more…)
Posted by bob in Films, News on July 31st, 2008
Wes Craven likes to stay busy as seen by his current slate of projects. He told ShockTillYouDrop.com that after the remake of Last House on the Left and 25/8, he and Rogue Pictures are likely to tackle a remake of his 1991 film The People Under the Stairs.
“It will be a remake, not directed by me, but something Marianne Maddalena will produce after she completes The Last House on the Left,” he told the site. Both films in the works will be out in 2009. (more…)
The recent earthquake that shook us all in Los Angeles has inspired J.J. Abrams (Cloverfield) to team up with screenwriter David Seltzer (The Omen) to craft yet another disaster film for Universal Studios, which perfected the genre back in the 1970s. According to the story in The Hollywood Reporter, this is not a remake of Universal’s Earthquake but an entirely new story. While still finishing up Star Trek for its May 2009 release, Abrams has already begun work on the new untitled project. Any details are still kept under wraps, however we do know Abrams will produce the film along with Bryan Burk and Sherryl Clark through Bad Robot.
