According to TMZ the new Chronicles of Riddick movie has been pretty much killed thanks to money problems.
From the sounds of things, money has been a constant issue on the set of the new Riddick film. It has even gotten to the point that Vin Diesel has gone on record to say that he would consider working for scale in order to get an R-rated version of the film made. It’s been reported that the owner of the studio in Montreal where the film is being shot changed all the locks and kicked everyone off the set last Wednesday.
According to Michael Trudel, the owner of the studio, this happened because the production company failed to pay its fees on time.
TMZ is also claiming that “sources connected to production tell us several members of the crew have not been paid in over 2 weeks … and are very concerned about getting their money.”
Now personally I could care less if another Riddick movie gets made. I thought the only movie worth seeing out of the bunch wasPitch Black. Dark Fury was terrible and Chronicles of Riddick wasn’t much better.
“Canada is so cold, please let me back in the studio.”
Independence Day is a movie I genuinely adored as a kid, and ironically love as an adult. It’s got all the best ingredients of a ’90s blockbuster – Will Smith, explosions, aliens and a dog jumping out of a fireball. Sure, there are some Grand Canyon-sized plot holes and, well, everything mentioned here, but it certainly is fun to watch aliens blow up cities.
Movies are art!
Gamma Squad reports that Roland Emmerich has been working on scripts for two back-to-back sequels to ID4 since 2009, and in that time Fox has been trying to wrangle Smith into returning to his old role, though Big Willie hasn’t been very receptive to their offers:
“Fox started working on structuring a deal to sign him back in early 2009, but the world’s last bankable action star was seeking $50 million to shoot both ID2 and ID3 back-to-back, and Fox balked at so large a price tag in combination with Emmerich’s own hefty salary demands to direct.”
While no one’s ready to give up on The Fresh Prince yet, Fox has stated they’re willing to go through with production with our without Smith, and that the two sequels will be able to function as standalone movies.
All of this is irrelevant, of course, unless they can bring back Jeff Goldblum…
By now you must have seen the short teaser for the new Mission: Impossible project. Well, yesterday the full trailer for Ghost Protocol was released. Granted it’s more or less just an extension of the shorter promo that has been making the rounds, but it gives us a slightly better look at the plot, and rounds out the supporting cast a little more. Check it out here:
The fourth movie in the franchise obviously stars Tom Cruise, along with Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Josh Holloway and others, and hits theaters December 21, 2011. I’m looking forward to seeing what Brad Bird can do with the series canon, and I’m happy to see more of the IMF.
Akira is the latest title to go down the Hollywood remake poop-chute, and about a week ago it was reported that Garrett Hedlund(TRON: Legacy) was at the top of the list for the role of ‘Kaneda’. While rumors of Hedlund playing the gang leader and sweet motorcycle-owner remain pretty thin, Gamma Squad reports roles have been offered to former Harry Potter co-stars Gary Oldman and Helena Bonham-Carter.
Oldman would play ‘Colonel Shikishima’, the man in charge of tracking down the not-yet cast Tetsuo, and Bonham-Carter would take on the character of ‘Lady Miyako’, “a high priestess and former test subject of a secret government project led by the Colonel,” who as far as I can remember was not originally a part of the Anime film. It’s difficult to say how the new Akira will turn out; the original movie is a cult classic, and it was one of the very first Anime films I ever saw. Suffice it to say, I was too young and new to the genre to get most of it, but from what I remember it’s a very complex, very cool and visually impressive sci-fi story set in future Japan.
How director Jaume Collet-Sera will translate that to an Americanized Hollywood picture remains to be seen, but just having Commissioner Jim Gor…uh, Gary Oldman attached would get me on their side.
Welcome back to the Hero Express, your one-stop sometimes SPOILER filled shop through the news filled world of superhero’s in Film, TV, Video Games and whatever else floats your boat. This is the Hero Express for October 19th, 2011
On Thursday it was revealed that Patty Jenkins, who most notably directed Charlize Theron’s award-winning role in Monster, will be behind the camera on Thor 2. Jenkins has also had a hand directing episodes of several great TV shows, including Arrested Development and The Killing. The sequel is slated for a November 15, 2013 release date.
Judge Dredd Director ‘Wasn’t Fired’ – (Gamma Squad)
Last week news came out that the director of the Judge Dredd remake, Peter Travis, had finished shooting when the project’s screenwriter Alex Garland (28 Days Later) kicked him out of the editing room. Travis was supposedly kicked to the curb and refused access to the rest of the film’s post-production. Well, the two have released a rainbows-and-unicorns joint statement claiming these reports were completely false:
“During all stages of the filmmaking, ‘Dredd’ has been a collaboration between a number of dedicated creative parties. From the outset we decided on an unorthodox collaboration to make the film. This situation has been misinterpreted. To set the record straight, Pete was not fired and remains a central part of the collaboration, and Alex is not seeking a co-director credit. We are all extremely proud of the film we have made, and respectfully suggest that it is judged on viewing when it’s released next year.”
However nowhere in the statement did they mention that remaking Dredd was in any way a good idea.
If you’re anything like me, even the balls-out kooky Nicolas Cage didn’t save the first Ghost Rider, so word of a sequel didn’t exactly sound like a great idea. With that in mind, New York Comic-Con got a completely different impression on Spirit of Vengeance, at Ghost Rider 2‘s movie panel. In addition to behind-the-scenes clips and some footage already released in the first teaser for the film, the audience got to see some new stuff – Really freaking cool stuff, by the sound of it.
A couple notable examples:
“- A gang of thugs start shooting Ghost Rider, over and over and over. One guy freaks out and runs up to his face and starts shooting right into his skull. Ghost Rider fire barfs all over him.”
“When [Blaze] becomes the Ghost Rider, spikes pop out of the jacket, it all felt a little 80s,” Taylor explained. “What if the jacket was like a werewolf and it transforms from leather to this black bubbling tar?” “More visceral less Melrose,” Neveldine chimed in.”
Spirit of Vengeance keeps pushing the idea of a ‘re-imagining’ in the sequel, which looks to be the right move. More details on the panel here.
Quick and dirty final story: Frank Miller announced at NYCC that he will be working on new Sin City books in collaboration with Dark Horse. This news came as part of a pretty deep Legendary Comics panel, which in addition to Sin City, discussed Miller’s 9/11-based comic, Holy Terror, and a new ambitious Legendary series titled The Tower Chronicles. That’s all for this week! I can’t believe the most interesting part of this week’s HE for me is Ghost Rider 2. Until next time!
After the disgraceful, garbage juice-bloated monstrosity that was Revenge of the Fallen, Michael Bay returned to his roots with a “Less talk and more blow shit up” philosophy that roped me right in. Transformers: Dark of the Moon should have been the most enjoyable of the franchise for a lot of Transformers fan. I love, love, LOVED the first movie and the introduction into the Michael Bay Transformersverse, but with Dark of the Moon we were able to dispense with the pleasantries and have an all out Autobot-Decepticon brawl that essentially leveled Chicago and left the Lincoln memorial busted up like so much rubble. The movie had everything I loved about the first one, with less of what we were subjected to in Revenge of the Fallen. Not to mention my favorite addition of all with ‘Sentinel Prime’, voiced by the man, the myth, the Vulcan: Leonard Nimoy.
Now, I was under the impression that the 3rd Transformers movie was the end of the road for Michael Bay and company because that’s what was said, but there was no effin’ way that Paramount was dropping the exploding money generator that is the Transformers franchise, so a part 4 was inevitable. The only question was who will star in it and who will direct it.
With Shia supposedly not coming back for a fourth hurrah, we were fed the rumor that has not been heard from again about Jason Statham starring. Personally I don’t think there should be any humans. I’m ready for a Transformers movie with only Transformers starring in it. You know it’ll never happen but a guy can dream, right?
The next big question was who could possibly replace a genius like Michael Bay? Well pretty much anyone who can make stuff blowing up on-screen look impressive is my answer. Give me McG, give me Roland Emmerich. The list could go on for a little bit. But with Dark of the Moon I was completely used to Bay’s popcorn movie, action directing style so you won’t hear me complaining if he returns, which it certainly sounds like is happening. Worst Previews:
Rumors started flying that a fourth film will soon happen, since Paramount Pictures will never give up such a lucrative franchise. And now comes word from Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner that the company has been in active discussions with Paramount, Steven Spielberg and director Michael Bay to develop “Transformers 4.”
The goal is to make an announcement before the end of the year, so a decision will be made soon. And not only that, but now IGN is reporting that there may be a Transformers 4 and 5 being shot back to back if it all comes to fruition. Color me super happy-excited!
Variety is now reporting that not only is another film being planned, but the studio is considering shooting a fourth and fifth installment back-to-back.“Nothing is set in stone, but screenwriter Ehren Kruger is said to have an idea for the next installments that the studio is high on, and has only begun engaging with writers,”
Shia LaBeouf will not be back, but those rumors about Jason Statham taking over the franchise? The action star is being considered. And according to Variety, Bay very well might be directing these films as well (and not just exec-producing), despite all his past talk about being done after three.
Can Bay truly pass on a franchise whose last movie grossed over a billion dollars? Hell naw man! If Shia is smart he’ll do a couple of passion projects before gearing up for another ride with the robots in disguise.
From the sounds of things, money has been a constant issue on the set of the new Riddick film. It has even gotten to the point that Vin Diesel has gone on record to say that he would consider working for scale in order to get an R-rated version of the film made. It’s been reported that the owner of the studio in Montreal where the film is being shot changed all the locks and kicked everyone off the set last Wednesday.
Grizzly Bomb 