Columbia confirms 'Amazing Spider-Man 2' & 'Babylon 5' actor O'Hare dies

 

In the “no huge surprise” category, Columbia Pictures has announced that Andrew Garfield and director Marc Webb will be back for The Amazing Spider-Man sequel set to be released on May 2, 2014. Emma Stone is also expected to be back. The screenplay is by Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci and Jeff Pinkner based on a previous draft by James Vanderbilt. The reboot of the franchise –a risky move by Columbia coming only five years after 2007’s disappointing Spider-Man 3 with Tobey Maguire as the web-slinger- has grossed over $750 million to date. 

Michael O’Hare, who helped launch J Michael Straczynski’s Babylon 5 series back in 1992, passed away on September 28, five days after suffering a heart attack that left him in a coma. The actor was 60. O’Hare played Commander Jeffrey Sinclair during the syndicated series first season, though before the second season started, he and Straczynski came to a mutual and amicable decision for the character to depart. He was replaced by Bruce Boxleitner for the rest of the series run, though he did return as guest-star in season two and a two-part episode in season three that completed his arc. Sadly, in the 20 years since that series began, the show has lost many of its casts, including Jeff Conway, Andreas Katsulas and Richard Biggs.

Universal hires Wiseman to helm 'The Mummy' reboot

Back in May, I noted that Universal had brought in writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci to help them reboot their properties of The Mummy and Van Helsing. While 1999’s remake of The Mummy that was helmed by Stephen Sommers -perhaps his only film worth seeing- it’s subsequent sequels, however, never lived up to the first film. Now the studio –in what seems to indicate they’ve entered into a new phase of production: the assembly line movie making- have hired Len Wiseman to helm The Mummy reboot. The hiring of Wiseman, who directed this summer’s huge bomb of a remake that was Total Recall and unleashed the (not in a good way) cheesetastic Underworld series, also highlights most studios inability these days to do anything original – that the only way they believe staying fresh is redoing their own movie catalog because it’s cheaper than finding talented new media. Despite the promise that this remake will be darker, I’m confident that no matter what Jon Spaihts writes, we’ll end up with a film that hits every color point on the paint-by-number velvet canvas.

'Untitled Web Series,' part 3

'A Knight's Tale' a TV series?; '47 Ronin' in deep trouble?; 'The Strain' to become a series; Sackhoff joins 'Oculus'

I never saw A Knight’s Tale when it was released in 2001, and though it had a solid box-office and helped cement the late Heath Ledger’s career, for the life of me, I never thought anyone saw a TV series in it. Still, today with studios and broadcast networks looking for cheap, short term profit in the property they already own, I guess we should not be surprised. So Sony Pictures TV and ABC have brought in Battlestar Galactica show runner and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine producer Ron Moore to develop it into a functioning series. Set in medieval times, the film had Ledger playing a peasant masquerading as knight all while interacting with real historical figures such as the poet Geoffrey Chaucer. But despite the setting, the film used anachronistic touches to entice kids into seeing the film -with Queen’s “We Will Rock You” used on the soundtrack and other things. The series would continue this trend.

Problem plagued 47 Ronin has forced Universal Pictures to take some drastic steps. While first-time director Carl Rinsch’s name may stay on the film, the studio has taken the editing process out of his hands. This move comes after the budget ballooned from $175 million to $225 million and need for a number of reshoots, including creating new scenes of star Keanu Reeves to be incorporated into the ending –apparently in Rinsch cut, Reeves was not even present in the final battle; now he's there and takes on a supernatural creature. Other additions, from close-ups and extra dialogue to a love scene, are all designed to boost Reeves' presence in the film. While it’s rare for a studio to take such action, in the ashes left by John Carter, one guesses that Universal does not want to take a huge write-off that came with that Disney film.

Battlestar Galactica’s Katee Sackhoff (currently on A&E’s exceptional Logmire) is joining the horror film Oculus, which already has casted Doctor Who sidekick Karen Gillen in the lead role. The plot begins a decade after a terrifying family incident left two young children orphans. Although her brother was charged with murder, Kaylie (Gillen) is convinced that a haunted antique mirror is the real perpetrator and years later wants prove that the mirror was responsible for destroying her family. Sackhoff will play Marie, the mother to a younger version of Kaylie. 

FX has landed a series adaptation of Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hohan’s vampire novel trilogy The Strain. The series will be run by former Lost co-show-runner Carlton Cuse. Both del Toro and Hogan will script the pilot, which will be directed by de Toro. Cuse will help develop the series and serve as executive producer/show-runner. Like Lost, The Strain is envisioned as having a limited run. Del Toro believes the books have enough story to fill three to five seasons of series, and that he would like to helm as many episodes as his feature schedule allows

NBC has put in development Midnight, Mass., a drama series based on characters from the Vertigo comic books and graphic novels published by DC Entertainment. Snow White and The Huntsman co-writer Evan Daugherty will write the adaptation. The Midnight, Mass. is about a sophisticated, sexy, globe-trotting husband and wife paranormal investigator team — based in Midnight, Massachusetts — that takes on supernatural foes, macabre mysteries and the most frightening creature of all: marriage. This is the second time NBC and Warner Bros. TV are taking a stab at a Midnight, Mass. drama series. 

The CW is developing a sci-fi series that will resemble District 9 somewhat. Called Oxygen, the series will focus on a pilot program by the government that attempts to assimilate a group of stranded humanoid aliens who’ve been living in a forced segregation camp. To keep viewers interested, the drama comes from competing agendas from both humans and aliens, and, of course, prejudice. And everything will hang in the balance –will it be saved or destroyed- when there is a flourishing relationship between a human girl and an alien boy?

Days of Our Lives' Will and Sonny Kiss!

'The Great Gatsby' now to bow May 2013

It is safe to say, May 2013 will be either a huge month for films, or go bust with so many to choose from. Warmer Bros. has decided to hang The Great Gatsby out to dry on May 10, after yanking the film a month or so ago from its original Christmas Day release. This now puts the film in competition with tent-pole blockbusters like Iron Man 3, which opens on May 3rd and Star Trek Into Darkness, which opens on May 17th. Plus it will have to deal with both Fast Six and The Hangover 3, which open on May 24th.

Now some can say this is an alternative programming, that while Iron Man 3 should dominate the first 2 weeks of May, a film like The Great Gatsby might be able to pilfer off some people who don't care to see the Robert Downey, Jr. film in week two of May and want something different -which based on the trailer- Baz Lurhmann's adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, seems to be. And while the film is not a sequel, it is a remake.

The hardest aspect of marketing Gatsby is just who really wants to see it. Some have called it Moulin Rouge 2, which highlights Lurhmann's visual style over substance (the Australian director is not known as one who seems to really care about the story), and its clear this will not be true to the novel's tone. Student's and young adults may want to see it, if only because they were forced to read the novel in English or their AP classes. And the last big screen version, which came out in 1974, was highly panned by critics and movie goers.

Adults may want to also, but since the film is designed to appeal to the visual audience -all sound and fury-, it may also turn them off because the pitch and atmosphere is not what they'll be expecting in a film that is, in its basic format, a period piece. Another words, don't expect Masterpiece Theater, because what you are really getting is modern day actors speaking modern day dialogue, with modern day dialect and with a modern day musical score attached to the soundtrack. 

This may appeal to the ADHD crowd, woman and gay men, but I suspect The Great Gatsby will have to be four star film, a 100% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes before anyone beyond that small demographic will see it.

Adele scores a 'Skyfall', 'Bates Motel' gets a new Norman; Gunn to helm 'Guardians'

20 year-old British actor Freddie Highmore (Finding Neverland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Spiderwick Chronicles, August Rush) has signed on to play young Norman Bates in A&E’s upcoming series Bates Motel, which serves as a prequel to Alfred Hitchcock horror classic Psycho. The series will examine the relationship between mother and son and what drives the young-man to become the killer in the classic movie. Vera Farmiga has signed on to play Norma Bates, the domineering mother that somehow drove her child to kill. Also, has been noted elsewhere, showrunner Carlton Cuse seems to understand that this new series could be interpreted as reworking of the Showtime movie from years ago called Psycho IV: The Beginning. So to distance themselves from that and all other continuity issues, it seems the Bates Motel will be more of a reimaging of Norman Bates life; which means now Norman has an older brother named Dylan, played by Max Thieriot. Of course this now begs the question how Norman and Norma become so entangled when there is an older brother out in this universe (because even in the movie and its sequel’s and prequel’s, Norman was always an only child). Is this a good wrinkle or desperate grab to find a viewing audience who would not normally want to sit down through another rehash of this franchise? 

New Line acquired the rights to Maggie Stiefvater‘s young adult novel The Raven Boys before it is release in early September.  Akiva Goldsman will produce the adaptation, “a love story with a twist revolves around the offspring of psychic parents who is told that if she find her true love and kisses him then he will die.”

It’s been rumored for months but has finally been confirmed that British singer Adele has been handed the job of writing and performing the title song to the James Bond film Skyfall. While the Bond songs have all been hits, the last two from Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, failed to ignite the music world. For that, you have to go back to 1985’s View to a Kill, which was performed by Duran Duran at the height of their popularity. Since then, only Garbage’s The World is Not Enough and Madonna’s love it or hate it Die Another Day have had any radio play, and each has not achieved the success that Duran Duran's tune did, which became the only song in the storied franchise to hit #1 on the singles chart. I’ll be curious to see if she can chart this song as high as the hits from her last album, 21. Thomas Newman, who has scored many films as far back as 1984 and has written all the music to Sam Mendes’ films, will score his first Bond film with Skyfall.

It’s been hinted for well over a month, but it’s now been confirmed that James Gunn (Super) will direct Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.  He’s also rewriting Chris McCoy and Nicole Perlman‘s script.  Gunn is a more or less an inspired choice as he’s a bit offbeat, which could help this film, as it’s probably the oddest movie Marvel could choose to bring to the screen -I mean, it does has a talking space raccoon. According to The Avengers writer/director Joss Whedon, Gunn is a perfect choice to direct it. “He has a very twisted take on it, but it all comes from a real love for the material. It’s going to be hard for the humans to keep up. I know he’s going to come from left field and I’m going to go, ‘What?’ And then, ‘Of course, why didn’t I think of that?’ And then I’m going to beat him!” The movie is scheduled for August 1, 2014.

Lost’s Ken Leung and Amy Irving have scored recurring roles on ABC’s midseason conspiracy drama Zero Hour, which stars ER’s Anthony Edwards as an editor of a skeptic magazine, who after 20 years, becomes involved in one of the most extraordinary conspiracies in human history. Irving will play a seemingly innocent, philanthropic and ordinary mother who turns out to be anything but. Married into money and well connected to the community through the charity that she runs, her plans border on both mysterious and dangerous. Leung will play Father Reggie, a mysterious priest who knows more than we initially think. 

Since Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, both the movie studios and broadcast networks are working overtime to bring fairy tales (also known as public domain characters) to the audience’s eyes. Most of the classic stories are being reimaged as dramas and procedurals –Once Upon a Time and Grimm in particular, but the CW has the new version of Beauty and the Beast (but FOX has Sleepy Hollow with Ichabod Crane partnering up with a female cop, as well as another series that will update Peter Pan’s The Lost Boys). And that small network is where a new take on Alice in Wonderland has landed from producer McG. The broadcaster has announced Wunderland, a story that recasts Alice as a cop who discovers a secret, fantastical underworld just below Los Angeles. Strikingly, this sounds like the plot to their own Beast series, except that one is set in New York and features an attorney.

Untitled Web Series...Episode 2

'300' prequel & 'Star Trek' sequel get a name; We'll get 'Rim' in 3D as well

The 300 prequel, which up until recently was called 300: Battle of Artemisia, will now be dumbed further down and from this point on will be known as 300: Rise of an Empire. I’m guessing the simpler title was designed for the American audience; their depth and breadth of history study being limited to the last 50 or 70 years.

Meanwhile, people who’ve become obsessed with finding and reporting news before anyone else, has come up with what looks like the title for J.J. Abrams sequel to his reboot of Star Trek. Someone, trolling the sites where domain names are registered by movie studios, has informed entertainment websites that the film will be titled Star Trek Into Darkness. Yeah, no semicolons, no numbers, not even an ellipse. 

DreamWorks has acquired the rights to Leigh Bardugo’s young adult novel series The Grisha Trilogy. The first book, Shadow and Bone was released in June. Harry Potter producer David Heyman will produce alongside Jeffrey Clifford. The plot follows a young woman who must learn to control her newly discovered power in order to save her country from the Shadow Fold, a creature-filled darkness that threatens to overrun the land. Books two and three are due in 2013 and 2014.

During post-production on The Avengers, director Joss Whedon and many actors that have appeared in his TV shows –Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly and Dollhouse- filmed an updated version of William Shakespeare’s comedy Much Ado About Nothing. The film stars Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Nathan Fillion, Fran Kranz, Jillian Morgese, Sean Maher, Clark Gregg, and Reed Diamond and was lensed at Whedon’s own house in Malibu over a two-week period. Now Lionsgate, which released his and Drew Goddard’s Cabin in the Woods this past Spring, has acquired the film. “I’m thrilled to be working with my cronies at Lionsgate again, and with The Roadside team,” Whedon said. “That they all embrace a Shakespearean romance with the same enthusiasm they had for Cabin in the Woods shows that they’re exactly the mad fools we want to be partying – I mean working – with.”

Cartoon Network has greenlighted two new animated series, one called Steven Universe, from Adventure Time writer-artist Rebecca Sugar, and is a coming-of-age story told from the perspective of Steven, the youngest member of a team of magical Guardians of the Universe. The other is Uncle Grandpa, from Pete Browngardt, is based upon an Emmy-nominated short and follows the exploits of everyone in the world’s “magical” uncle and grandpa. Both will premier in 2013.

A&E has greenlighted a new drama from Transformer director Michael Bay and former The X Files writer James Wong. Occult centers on a FBI agent who returns from administrative leave after going off the deep end while investigating his wife’s disappearance. Eager to be back on the job, he is paired with an agent with her own complicated life who specializes in the occult. Together, they will solve cases for the newly formed occult crimes task force. 

ABC is developing another fantasy series called A Kingdom Far Away. It is described as a fantasy adventure about a quirky family surviving together on a lawless frontier…a magical land where monsters are real, and one young woman’s unlikely destiny is about to change their lives forever.

Much to director Guillermo del Toro mortification, his upcoming Pacific Rim will be post-converted into 3D. The director has said in interviews that he did not want to convert the movie –and did not film it in 3D- because of the sheer size of the robots and kaiju monsters that battle each other. But money rules everything, and Warner Bros no doubt couldn't resist the higher ticket prices for a 3D release.