Enjoy...
Thursday, March 01, 2007
More Star Trek Casting Rumors
From TrekToday:
First came the rumours that J.J. Abrams would direct Star Trek XI, then the rumours that he would not, and finally the confirmation that he will. Now the rumour that Matt Damon will play Captain Kirk - debunked by both Star Trek insiders and Damon's reps - has returned with a vengeance.
IGN Movies cites studio sources who have told the web site that the roles of James T. Kirk, Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy may go to three very big name stars: Damon, Adrien Brody and Gary Sinise.
Damon is said to be in talks with Paramount to take over the role originated by William Shatner, who has won two Emmy Awards for his more recent role as Denny Crane on Boston Legal. Brody, an Academy Award-winning actor for The Pianist, is reportedly negotiating to play Leonard Nimoy's iconic role of Spock.
Both Shatner and Nimoy have said that they would be interested in appearing in Star Trek XI as older versions of their characters if they liked the script, and Nimoy added that he believed his contract entitled him to image approval for any actor playing young Spock.
Sinise is the current star of CSI: NY and is said to be in discussions to play physician Leonard "Bones" McCoy, a role originated by the late DeForrest Kelley. A Golden Globe winner, Sinise previously appeared in the space epics Apollo 13 and Mission to Mars.
Recent rumours have also suggested that Scottish actor James McAvoy might be in talks to play engineer Montgomery Scott, and IGN claims that Lost's Daniel Dae Kim, who previously played Corporal Chang on Enterprise, may be in line to take over the role of Sulu from George Takei, who is currently appearing on NBC's hit series Heroes as the father of a Star Trek fan.
Until Paramount makes an official announcement, all casting rumours should be considered just that. The original story is at IGN Movies.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Autobots, transform & roll out!
So there's a new Transformers movie coming out this year. A "new" one? Yeah, remember the original? Probably not. I think the same few people saw it who also saw Tron.
Anyway, this was one of my favorite cartoons growing up. Unlike many brain-dead cartoons of the 80's where each episode was a self-contained story, Transformers had a continuous story line that tied the episodes together in sequence. A few others also did this like GI Joe, Star Blazers, Robotech, etc. Those were my favorites too.
The leader of the good robots, Optimus Prime, was voiced by Peter Cullen. He was very distinctive and really conveyed the strength & wisdom of the character.
In an interview on USATODAY.com, he credits the inspiration for the voice to his brother:
Sadly, he said he never received a fan letter during the time of the TV series. He didn't realize his popularity until just recently. I have to say I've been a fan for a while, and I've recognized his voice in several commercials, movie trailers, and other shows (eg: the evil KARR in Knight Rider).
Using Peter for Optimus just got them a huge boost in ticket sales. Dedicated fans will flock to see the new movie and will drag along their friends and significant others to see and hear the new version of a childhood fantasy.
Anyway, this was one of my favorite cartoons growing up. Unlike many brain-dead cartoons of the 80's where each episode was a self-contained story, Transformers had a continuous story line that tied the episodes together in sequence. A few others also did this like GI Joe, Star Blazers, Robotech, etc. Those were my favorites too.
The leader of the good robots, Optimus Prime, was voiced by Peter Cullen. He was very distinctive and really conveyed the strength & wisdom of the character.
In an interview on USATODAY.com, he credits the inspiration for the voice to his brother:
I think Optimus was more -- his voice came more of substance of character. I kind of modeled Optimus Prime's voice out of many people I had known over the years, my family especially. My brother was a captain in the Marine Corps, and a very big hero in my life. His approach to serious situations was always calm and controlled an authoritative. So my brother is in there. Even my dad, too, (and) former friends who have now departed but are strong in my memory.
Sadly, he said he never received a fan letter during the time of the TV series. He didn't realize his popularity until just recently. I have to say I've been a fan for a while, and I've recognized his voice in several commercials, movie trailers, and other shows (eg: the evil KARR in Knight Rider).
Using Peter for Optimus just got them a huge boost in ticket sales. Dedicated fans will flock to see the new movie and will drag along their friends and significant others to see and hear the new version of a childhood fantasy.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Star Trek XI Casting
From IGN.com:
Matt Damon is rumored to play Kirk.
...Scottish actor James McAvoy is likely to be given the role of Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the upcoming Star Trek prequel. Paramount is naturally keen to get a native Scotsman to fill the boots of the late James Doohan, whose accent and personality lent much charm to the original Star Trek series and films. (Interestingly enough, Doohan himself was not Scottish, but rather a Canadian actor with a talent for foreign accents.)
His more notable credits include The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (as Tumnus the Faun), The Last King of Scotland, and the Children of Dune miniseries (as Leto Atreides II).
Matt Damon is rumored to play Kirk.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
And the crystal ball says...
Here are future predictions for these amazing books being turned into movies - who knows if IMDB is pulling our leg.
2007
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 7/13
Based on the very famous books by J.K. Rowling.
Directed by unknown David Yates.
With their warning about Lord Voldemort's return scoffed at, Harry and Dumbledore are targeted by the Wizard authorities as an authoritarian bureaucrat slowly seizes power at Hogwarts.
Prediction: f***ing awesome!
Into the Wild 9/21
Based on the book by Jon Krakauer who wrote this prior to Into Thin Air.
Directed by Sean Penn who also wrote the screenplay.
The young, idealistic Christopher McCandless abandons life as most of us know it for the Alaskan wilderness.
Prediction: really good.
Kite Runner 11/2
Based on the book by Khaled Hosseini.
Directed by Marc Forster who also directed Finding Neverland and Monster's Ball.
After spending years in California, Amir returns to his homeland in Afghanistan to help his old friend Hassan, whose son is in trouble.
Prediction: potential to be good.
Lovely Bones
Based on the book by Alice Sebold.
Directed by Peter Jackson who of course did LOTR and King Kong.
About a murdered 14 year old girl who recalls what happened from Heaven, as the incident affects those around her.
Prediction: should be very good with Jackson directing.
Peace Like a River
(Without a director or actors, I'm willing to bet the release date pushes.)
Based on the book by Leif Enger.
No director.
Billy Bob Thorton may have been cast to play the Dad.
A family tries to find their son after he is found guilty of murdering 2 bad guys who had been threatening them.
Prediction: could be even better than the book.
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Michael Chabon.
Directed by Stephen Daldry who did Billy Elliot and The Hours.
The film takes place in 1930s New York and is about two young cousins who create a comic book superhero named The Escapist, who "roams the globe, performing amazing feats and coming to the aid of those who languish in tyranny's chains!" The boys help usher in the golden age of comics, and through the years, The Escapist encounters adversaries similar to real-life figures.
Prediction: will have to work hard to beat the book.
2008
The Time Traveler's Wife
Based on the book by Audrey Niffenegger.
Directed by Robert Schwentke who directed Flightplan with Jodie Foster.
A man with a time-traveling gene uses his innate abilities to visit his lover at different points in her life. (The release date has already pushed after Brad and Jen divorced who bought the film rights.)
Prediction: near impossible to beat the book and jumping between them as kids and adults will be challenging. But hoping this will be even half as good as the book.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Based on the book by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Directed by David Fincher who directed Panic Room, Fight Club and The Game.
An odd romance sparks between a woman of 30 and a man who, at 50, begins aging backwards.
Featuring Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt.
Prediction: may be better the book but they should have done The Confessions of Max Tivoli Andrew Sean Greer instead.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Based on the very famous books by J.K. Rowling.
Directed by Anand Tucker who directed Shopgirl and Hilary and Jackie.
As Harry Potter begins his 6th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he discovers an old book marked mysteriously "This book is the property of the Half-Blood Prince" and begins to learn more about Lord Voldemort's dark past.
Prediction: like this won't be as f***ing great as the others.
2009
The History of Love
Based on the book by Nicole Krauss.
Directed by Alfonso Cuarón who directed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and
Y tu mamá también.
A long-lost book mysteriously reappears and connects an old man searching for his son with a girl seeking a cure for her mother's loneliness.
Prediction: With Cuarón directing the movie could be as great as the book.
The Memory of Running
Based on the book by Ron McLarty.
Directed by Alfonso Cuarón who directed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Y tu mamá también.
Follows an obese Vietnam vet who, still reeling from the death of his parents, finds out his sister has died in Los Angeles. He sets out on a cross-country trip on his bicycle in a bid to reclaim her body.
Prediction: Again with Cuarón directing this could be really good. Casting and screenplay are critical to capture the book's characters.
2010
Harry Potter and the Dealthly Hallows
Based on the very famous books by J.K. Rowling.
The last one to end the series.
Prediction: will be as great if not better than the others; sad to see it all end.
???
No mention, but these books would make outstanding movies.
Digging to America
By Anne Tyler about 2 couples who meet at the Baltimore airport for the arrival of the babies they adopted from Korea. The 2 couples stay in touch and follow the families as they gather throughout the years as the girls get older.
The Fugitive Game
By Jonathan Littman about Kevin Mitnick the legendary hacker who broke into corporate computer systems and stole source code to satisfy his curiosity never intending harm. After a well-publicized pursuit that made him notorious, the FBI arrested Mitnick in 1995 and today helps companies protect themselves from guys like him.
Flashforward
By Robert J. Sawyer. What would you do if you got a glimpse of your future and it looked bleak? Try to change things, or accept that the future is unchangeable and make the best of it? A group of physicists accidentally induce a consciousness shift that flashes everyone on Earth forward 21 years, experiencing several minutes of the future. But while everyone is out of their minds, their bodies drop unconscious; then the world reawakens to what happened as a result of those few minutes. Great story that keeps you guessing until the end.
2007
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 7/13
Based on the very famous books by J.K. Rowling.
Directed by unknown David Yates.
With their warning about Lord Voldemort's return scoffed at, Harry and Dumbledore are targeted by the Wizard authorities as an authoritarian bureaucrat slowly seizes power at Hogwarts.
Prediction: f***ing awesome!
Into the Wild 9/21
Based on the book by Jon Krakauer who wrote this prior to Into Thin Air.
Directed by Sean Penn who also wrote the screenplay.
The young, idealistic Christopher McCandless abandons life as most of us know it for the Alaskan wilderness.
Prediction: really good.
Kite Runner 11/2
Based on the book by Khaled Hosseini.
Directed by Marc Forster who also directed Finding Neverland and Monster's Ball.
After spending years in California, Amir returns to his homeland in Afghanistan to help his old friend Hassan, whose son is in trouble.
Prediction: potential to be good.
Lovely Bones
Based on the book by Alice Sebold.
Directed by Peter Jackson who of course did LOTR and King Kong.
About a murdered 14 year old girl who recalls what happened from Heaven, as the incident affects those around her.
Prediction: should be very good with Jackson directing.
Peace Like a River
(Without a director or actors, I'm willing to bet the release date pushes.)
Based on the book by Leif Enger.
No director.
Billy Bob Thorton may have been cast to play the Dad.
A family tries to find their son after he is found guilty of murdering 2 bad guys who had been threatening them.
Prediction: could be even better than the book.
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Michael Chabon.
Directed by Stephen Daldry who did Billy Elliot and The Hours.
The film takes place in 1930s New York and is about two young cousins who create a comic book superhero named The Escapist, who "roams the globe, performing amazing feats and coming to the aid of those who languish in tyranny's chains!" The boys help usher in the golden age of comics, and through the years, The Escapist encounters adversaries similar to real-life figures.
Prediction: will have to work hard to beat the book.
2008
The Time Traveler's Wife
Based on the book by Audrey Niffenegger.
Directed by Robert Schwentke who directed Flightplan with Jodie Foster.
A man with a time-traveling gene uses his innate abilities to visit his lover at different points in her life. (The release date has already pushed after Brad and Jen divorced who bought the film rights.)
Prediction: near impossible to beat the book and jumping between them as kids and adults will be challenging. But hoping this will be even half as good as the book.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Based on the book by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Directed by David Fincher who directed Panic Room, Fight Club and The Game.
An odd romance sparks between a woman of 30 and a man who, at 50, begins aging backwards.
Featuring Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt.
Prediction: may be better the book but they should have done The Confessions of Max Tivoli Andrew Sean Greer instead.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Based on the very famous books by J.K. Rowling.
Directed by Anand Tucker who directed Shopgirl and Hilary and Jackie.
As Harry Potter begins his 6th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he discovers an old book marked mysteriously "This book is the property of the Half-Blood Prince" and begins to learn more about Lord Voldemort's dark past.
Prediction: like this won't be as f***ing great as the others.
2009
The History of Love
Based on the book by Nicole Krauss.
Directed by Alfonso Cuarón who directed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and
Y tu mamá también.
A long-lost book mysteriously reappears and connects an old man searching for his son with a girl seeking a cure for her mother's loneliness.
Prediction: With Cuarón directing the movie could be as great as the book.
The Memory of Running
Based on the book by Ron McLarty.
Directed by Alfonso Cuarón who directed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Y tu mamá también.
Follows an obese Vietnam vet who, still reeling from the death of his parents, finds out his sister has died in Los Angeles. He sets out on a cross-country trip on his bicycle in a bid to reclaim her body.
Prediction: Again with Cuarón directing this could be really good. Casting and screenplay are critical to capture the book's characters.
2010
Harry Potter and the Dealthly Hallows
Based on the very famous books by J.K. Rowling.
The last one to end the series.
Prediction: will be as great if not better than the others; sad to see it all end.
???
No mention, but these books would make outstanding movies.
Digging to America
By Anne Tyler about 2 couples who meet at the Baltimore airport for the arrival of the babies they adopted from Korea. The 2 couples stay in touch and follow the families as they gather throughout the years as the girls get older.
The Fugitive Game
By Jonathan Littman about Kevin Mitnick the legendary hacker who broke into corporate computer systems and stole source code to satisfy his curiosity never intending harm. After a well-publicized pursuit that made him notorious, the FBI arrested Mitnick in 1995 and today helps companies protect themselves from guys like him.
Flashforward
By Robert J. Sawyer. What would you do if you got a glimpse of your future and it looked bleak? Try to change things, or accept that the future is unchangeable and make the best of it? A group of physicists accidentally induce a consciousness shift that flashes everyone on Earth forward 21 years, experiencing several minutes of the future. But while everyone is out of their minds, their bodies drop unconscious; then the world reawakens to what happened as a result of those few minutes. Great story that keeps you guessing until the end.
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