Back Seat Producers

The 65th annual Venice Film Festival opens on Wednesday with a screening of the Coen Brothers’ Burn After Reading. Stars George Clooney and Brad Pitt are expected to attend. The film, however, is not among the 21 films entered in the official competition. Also expected to attend the festival — and screenings of films they’ll be appearing in — are Kim Basinger, Charlize Theron, Mickey Rourke, Debra Winger, and French actress Juliette Binoche. The seven-member jury is headed by German filmmaker Wim Wenders.

According to IGN, “J.J. Abrams was in New York today to discuss his upcoming Fox TV series Fringe, but during the event the topic of his Star Trek reboot of course came up.” Unfortunately, Abrams dismissed rumors of any cameos from other original members of the Enterprise crew. “No, the only cast member from the original films is Nimoy,” he told the assembled press. The article also states that the film, which is in post-production right now for a summer 2009 release, is “evolving.” “We’re not done with it but we are working on it still. There have been cuts and, as everything goes, [it’s] an evolution. I’m hoping the final cut is a few weeks away. But we’re definitely circling.” Star Trek opens May 8, 2009.

Woody Harrelson has signed on to star in the horror comedy Zombieland, which Ruben Fleischer is directing for Columbia Pictures, says The Hollywood Reporter today. Written by the team of Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, Zombieland revolves around a mismatched pair of survivors who find friendship and redemption in a world overrun by zombies. Harrelson plays one of the men, a zombie fighter named Albuquerque. Gavin Polone and his Parish Films shingle are producing. Harrelson recently starred in Semi-Pro and is in production on Roland Emmerich’s 2012. He has the Will Smith starrer Seven Pounds in the can and wrapped Bunraku, a martial arts noir that mixes live action and animation.

According to Firstshowing.net another new comic adaptation is headed for the big screen – The Boys. First published by Wildstorm and later by Dynamite Entertainment. The book follows a CIA squad, known as “the boys”, whose job it is to keep watch over superheroes and eliminate them should they become a threat. Aeon Flux and The Tuxedo writers Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay have been brought on to write the adaptation of the comic, which will begin production under Neal H. Moritz. No director has been attached. This is one of many projects that Moritz has announced recently.

E! reports that Although Stargate: Atlantis wasn’t reupped for a sixth season but the Sci Fi Channel has announced plans to launch a second spinoff of the cult hit, titled Stargate: Universe. The new show will premiere early next year as a two-hour TV movie before sliding into its regular weekly time slot next summer. Stargate, which has been airing on the tube in one form or another since 1997, is the cable network’s longest-running franchise. After debuting on Showtime, SG-1 came over to Sci Fi following its fifth season. Based on the film, the TV version centered on a secret military team whose mission was to probe the uncharted stargates throughout the galaxy. It ended its 10-season run in 2006. Stargate: Atlantis, blasted off in 2004, continued that story as a team of explorers found their way into a new galaxy and encountered an enemy called the Wraiths. That show will wrap up with a two-hour movie this season. The Universe action will be set in deep space and follow a new team of scientists and military men who stumble upon an ancient unmanned spaceship. No word on casting but producers expect guest appearances from the SG-1 and Atlantis ranks.

Variety reports that after getting some unenthusiastic reviews Babylon A.D. helmer Mathieu Kassovitz is seeking to distance himself from the film, which opens Friday — even though the version reviewed was the director’s international version, and Fox is not releasing the film overseas. In an interview with AMCtv.com, Kassovitz called the sci-fi thriller “pure violence and stupidity,” with parts of the film resembling “a bad episode of ‘24.’ ” Sources close to the production, who likened Kassovitz to the mercurial Billy Walsh character on Entourage, called the AMC comments just the latest in a series of headaches involving Kassovitz.

According to Film Junk French filmmakers Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury (Inside) were previously attached to direct the Hellraiser remake, but once they dropped out of that project, there were rumours that they had entered talks to do the Halloween sequel. It seems that this is now pretty much confirmed. The duo had this to say about the project: “It’s a proposition we couldn’t refuse… Our vision will be done with utmost respect, with a continuity of [Zombie’s] work but also a real evolution of the world he set in place.”

Sources:

Variety

Film Junk

E

FirstShowing.net

THR

According to the Playlist Nicolas Cage has signed on to the lead in Matthew Vaughn’s (Stardust, Layer Cake) adaptation of the Mark Millar comic book Kick Ass. Also signed on are Aaron Johnson (The Illusionist, Baker Street Irregulars) and Lyndsy Fonseca (Heros, Desperate Housewives).

Kick Ass, originally written by Mike Millar and illustrated by the venerable John Romita Jr., centers on a high school outcast named Dave Lizewski, played by Johnson, who decides to become a superhero even though he has no athletic talent or ability. Complications arise when he runs into real bad-guys.

Fonseca will play Dave’s secret crush. Unfortunately for Dave she believes that he is gay. 

Cage will be playing an ex-cop obsessed with bringing down a drug kingpin. Cage’s teenage daughter, played by Chloe Moretz, is a trained assassin.

The film is being independently financed due to several studios having already passed on the project because of it’s very violent content.  

Kick Ass is scheduled to begin shooting in the fall.

Sources:

The Playlist.blogspot

THR

IMDB

Variety reports that Ben Affleck has signed on to the new Mike Judge (Beavis and Butt-head, Office Space) vehicle Extract. 

Affleck, who turned 36 last week, will be playing an ambulance chasing attorney opposite Jason Bateman (Hancock, Juno) who will be playing a down on his luck flower extract factory owner. 

Also starring is Clifton Collins Jr ( NBC’s Fear Itself, JJ Abrams’ Star Trek) as an employee of Bateman’s character who loses a body part in a freak workplace accident, Mila Kunis, (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Max Payne) and Kristen Wiig (SNL). 

Affleck is also starring in the romantic comedy He’s Just Not That Into You and the crime thriller State of Play both for release in ’09.

Sources:

Variety

E!

The BBC reports that Twentieth Century Fox has applied to a Los Angeles court to block the release of Watchmen, based on the comic books written by Alan Moore. Fox, which says it bought film rights to the series in the 1980s, has been given the go-ahead to launch an injunction against rival Warner Bros. Fox said it “will be asking the court to enforce our copyright interests”. The movie has already been filmed and was due for release 6 March. Last week US District Court Judge Gary Feess said Fox could hold some of the rights to the material, even if it did not hold all rights. Fox spokesman Gregg Brilliant said it planned to stop the release of the movie and “any related Watchmen media that violate our copyright interests in that property”. His Warner Bros counterpart, Scott Rowe, said: “The judge did not opine at all on the merits, other than to conclude that Fox satisfied the pending requirements.”

The South Carolina state Senate has appointed a committee to review incentives designed to give South Carolina a much bigger role in the movie industry. The Film Incentives Study Committee met Aug. 19 with the state Commerce Department, the Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department and officials from various state colleges to discuss efforts to help the industry at the state level.

According to Joystiq the big screen adaptation of Spy Hunter, the 16 bit arcade classic, has hit another speed bump. Director Paul Anderson (Alien V Predator) appears to have been taken off the pic by the studio. This is the second directorial change for the film, the first being the loss of John Woo.

/Film says that a Veronica Mars movie is still under discussion. They report that in an interview with EW series creator Rob Thomas said that he’s had “a few conversations” with Mars executive producer Joel Silver. Thomas says that he’s too busy right now, “But as soon as I have any free time, that’s my top priority.”

Sources:

BBC

SC.gov

Joystiq.com

Latino Review.com

/Film

MSN

Detroit News

In an effort to establish a new theatrical distribution model for independent filmmakers Dylan Marchetti has announced the formation of VARIANCE FILMS. The former THINKFilm director of distribution and marketing, says that Variance Films will allow lesser-known films to bridge the gap between self-distribution and traditional theatrical distribution.

 “Variance Films will represent the best of the old thinking and the best of the new, adapting both to the reality of today’s marketplace,” said Founder and President Dylan Marchetti.  “While there is no shortage of independent films being made today, there are far too many noteworthy films that are struggling to find distribution and often winding up going straight-to-video.  Variance Films is designed to take these smaller films to theaters – tailoring each release to the specific film for the specific US markets, even when it doesn’t fit the standard theatrical NY/LA expansion model.  And we will have a strong acquisitions component, so we’ll soon be a staple at festivals and markets, chasing after films we believe in.” 

Variance’s first release, WALKING ON DEAD FISH, a co-release with Dutchmen Films, opens in New Orleans on September 5, 2008 with a regional expansion on September 19, 2008.  A documentary in the vein of “Hoop Dreams,” WALKING ON DEAD FISH, narrated and executive produced by Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw, and directed by Franklin Martin, tells the story of the East St. John High School football team’s 2005 season.  The under-funded school 12 miles from New Orleans took in over 450 displaced students in the weeks after Katrina, and twenty of them joined the football team when the coach declared all positions were open (just one week before the season began). 

 Marchetti, who recently left THINKFilm after a successful stint working on films such as the acclaimed documentary “Nanking” and the drama “The Air I Breathe” with Brendan Fraser and Sarah Michelle Gellar, has been distributing films for several years and developed a reputation for finding smaller films with breakout potential.

WALKING ON DEAD FISH director Franklin Martin said, “Variance Films and Dylan Marchetti’s passion and commitment to the powerful message sent by WALKING ON DEAD FISH and the people of New Orleans, made my decision to walk away from traditional distribution easy.  Belief in making our country a better place through the medium of film; how rare.”

“WALKING ON DEAD FISH is a great example of the kind of movie that would slip through the cracks if released in a rote fashion,” Marchetti said.  “It’s not a New York or Los Angeles kind of movie at first glance – it needs to get some momentum behind it, and we’re going to do that by opening it in ‘football country’ and slowly expanding it.  We want the buzz to drive us into the major markets, rather than the other way around.”

 Variance’s next release, Vince Di Meglio’s SMOTHER, is a dark comedy starring Diane Keaton, Dax Shepard, and Liv Tyler and will open in the top five markets on September 26, 2008, with a national expansion to follow.  Academy-Award Winner Diane Keaton plays Marilyn Cooper, an overbearing mother whose son Noah (Shepard) keeps her at arm’s length.  Already facing pressure from his wife Claire (Tyler) to have a baby, Noah loses his job and finds an unwelcome houseguest on his couch (Mike White, in a hilarious supporting role), and thinks things can’t get worse.  When Marilyn shows up crying (dressed in a pumpkin suit with her six dogs in tow) after a fight with her husband, and Claire quickly offers her the guest room, he’s proven quite wrong.  Slowly inching her way into every aspect of his life, the film follows the extended family as they tenuously find a middle ground.

Sources:

Variance Films Press Release

Variety

#1 Tropic Thunder from Paramount/Dreamworks debuts at #1 this weekend bringing in $26 million from 3319 theaters. Thunder cost $92 million to make.

#2 The Dark Knight from Warner Bros. takes the #2 spot this weekend bringing in $16.8 million for the weekend, thats down 35%, putting its total earnings at $471,493,000. The Dark Knight showed in 3590 theaters, down 435 and cost roughly $185 million.

#3 Star Wars: The Clone Wars from Warner Bros. debuts in the #3 spot this weekend bringing in $15.5 million from 3452 theaters. Clone Wars budget is unknown.

#4 Mirrors from Fox debuts at #4 bringing in $11.1 million from 2664 theaters. Mirrors budget is unknown.

#5 Pineapple Express from Sony debuts at #2 this weekend bringing in $22.4 million. Express showed in 3072 theaters and cost $27 million to make.

Rounding out the top 10 are:

#6 The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor: Weekend Gross: $8,609,000 down 47.8% / Theaters: 3363, down 415 / Gross: 86,649,000 / Budget: $145 million.

#7 Mamma Mia!: Weekend Gross: $6,498,000 down 20.8% / Theaters: 2771 down 423 / Gross: $116,415,000 / Budget: $52 million

#8 The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants: Weekend Gross: $5,930,000, down 44.5% / Theaters: 2714, up 7 /  Gross: $32,147,000 / Budget: $27 million

#9 Step Brothers: Weekend Gross: $5,000,000 down 45.2% / Theaters: 2648 down 534 / Gross: $90,888,000 / Budget: $65 million

#10 Vicky Cristina Barcelona: Weekend Gross: $3,710,000 Debut Weekend / Theaters: 692 Debut Weekend / Gross:$3,710,000 / Budget: Unknown.

A note on “Gross”: On average, studios will earn approximately 55 percent of the final gross.

Sources:
Box Office Mojo