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January 25, 2002

Working on MINORITY REPORT together was apparently so much of a thrill for Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise, that they've decided to team-up again.  Cruise's production company, C/W Productions, is developing a script based on the novel GHOST SOLDIERS, that tells the tale of the survivors of the infamous WWII Bataan Death March.   Spielberg will direct and Cruise will star in the film that would be a joint production between Universal and Dreamworks (currently having success together with A BEAUTIFUL MIND).  While this certainly sounds like an interesting project, keep in mind Spielberg still has CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, INDIANA JONES 4 and many other films on his plate.  This film could either take priority and film directly after CATCH, or go the way of MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA, which after may years in development, finally saw Spielberg exit this week.
 

January 25, 2002

Something fishy is going on in the world of AUSTIN POWERS.  I first became suspicious that something was amiss when I visited the official site (www.austinpowers.com) to see if any new information had been posted.  Instead of seeing the GOLDMEMBER teaser page though, I saw the old SPY WHO SHAGGED ME page. Strange, I thought.  Didn't think much of it until I was looking at the caption of the POWERS promotional still we ran earlier this week.  It referred to the film as AUSTIN POWERS 3 not AUSTIN POWERS IN GOLDMEMBER as it had previously been titled. That's when I decided to do some detective work.  I tried to download the teaser poster from the New Line website.  It had been removed.  I also looked for the logo of the film, which used the GOLDMEMBER subtitle. Also gone. I was pretty sure at this point I wasn' t being paranoid, so I reached out to New Line to try to get to the bottom of the situation.  I still haven't heard back yet (see UPDATE below).

Garth, from Dark Horizons, threw his hat into the mix today with a report on his site claiming that NLC has asked all theaters to remove copies of the poster and stop showing the teaser trailer that premiered a few weeks ago. The reported reason was that reaction to the marketing campaign was very cold and New Line wants to try a fresh approach. So they're removing all references to GOLDMEMBER and starting anew.  What will the film be called now?  Not sure.  But New Line hit this one dead on.  The poster and trailer were both stale and this film was going in the wrong direction.  If this is indeed the case, I applaud them for taking the steps now to correct the problem.  Stay tuned for more info on this developing story...

UPDATE!!! - Two different developments to the story since I last updated.  First, I was able to finally contact someone from New Line for their comment on the issue.  They did confirm that the subtitle "Goldmember" was officially out and they would be working on a new title soon. I asked if this was a creative or business change and I was told politely that they couldn't comment on that.  It was also confirmed that all theaters (and now all online partners) were asked to remove anything mentioning "Goldmember" immediately.  So if you've got yourself an AUSTIN POWERS IN GOLDMEMBER poster, consider it a collector's item.

Our second, unconfirmed report, comes from a scooper to JoBlo who claims that the reason behind the switch is that MGM, who owns the rights to James Bond, threatened to sue over the use of the name "Goldmember."  They claim the character and subtitle are too close to the James Bond film GOLDFINGER. Whether this has anything to do with the change remains to be seen, but this is the report we're getting.  Thanks to Scott for that specific heads-up.
 

January 25, 2002

Who will prevail in the battle of prestigious Howard Hughes biopics?  Will it be the Christopher Nolan/Jim Carrey version?  Or will it be the Martin Scorsese/Leonardo DiCaprio version?  Previous beliefs held the Carrey version to be the frontrunner considering it gained the rights to the foremost biography on the multi-millionaire.  But while that film is still working on a script, Scorsese's version already has a script (written by John Logan) and a tentative start date this Fall.   Both sides are aware of the other and are anxiously trying to be the first out of the gates. Scorsese and DiCaprio have put their planned Alexander the Great film on the side to concentrate on this film first.Michael Mann (ALI) was originally to direct DiCaprio in the film but stepped aside thinking Carrey's version was moving ahead sooner. Scorsese's interest sparked though and he's rushed to get the film moving, keeping Mann on as a producer.  Logan's script isn't the dark tale of Hughes we've all heard - it ends before the 1950s when he turned into the infamous recluse.
 

January 25, 2002

More upcoming movie pics here
 

January 25, 2002

Source: JoBlo.com

Sean Connery is in talks with Fox and director Stephen Norrington (BLADE) to star in the film THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN.  The film follows a group of famous British literary figures, including Dr. Jekyll and The Invisible Man, who are recruited by the Queen to stop the stereotypical evil genius. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Reports have it that New Line will release a new cut of LORD OF THE RINGS that will feature footage from the second film in the trilogy THE TWO TOWERS at the end.  Word has it that this will take place after the Academy Awards and will be longer than your standard trailer (which usually runs about 2 minutes and 30 seconds).  (New York Post)

Jay Wolpert, whose THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO opens today, will write the script for a live action version of THE SWORD IN THE STONE for Disney.  The film follows a young, pre-royalty King Arthur, who trains with Merlin the magician to build his strength and self-confidence. Wolpert is also working with Disney on the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN live-action film.  (Variety)

Al Pacino has signed on to play a small part in the Ben Affleck/Jennifer Lopez film GIGLI.  Details are still being worked out but Pacino would work the in the role in between days filming THE FARM with Colin Farrell. Pacino reportedly took the part as a favor to director Martin Brest who he worked with on SCENT OF A WOMAN. (Variety)

Frank John Hughes, who previously worked with Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks on the HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers," will get another opportunity to work with the team on CATCH ME IF YOU CAN.  Hughes will star as Hanks' assistant/protege in the film.  CATCH follows the true-life tale of conman Frank Abangale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) and the agent out to catch him (Hanks).   (The Hollywood Reporter)

Stephen Daldry, director of BILLY ELLIOT, is developing a film version of the award winning novel THE CORRECTIONS with Scott Rudin (SHAFT).  The novel was written by Jonathan Franzen (probably most known for his tiff with Oprah Winfrey and her bookclub) and follows three generations of dysfunction at Christmas time.  Daldry's next film, THE HOURS (on which he also worked with Rudin), has just wrapped and should hit theaters later this year.  (Variety)
 

January 25, 2002

Source: Warner Bros

click to read my interview with...

..Mandy Moore from "A Walk to Remember"
 

January 24, 2002

More upcoming movies from Dreamworks, Warner Bros & Fox here
 

January 24, 2002

Adam Sandler is currently deciding whether or not to accept an offer from Miramax to star in Danny Boyle's (TRAINSPOTTING) next film SOLOMON GRUNDY. Sandler met with execs at Miramax last week and is currently deciding on his next project after ANGER MANAGEMENT with Jack Nicholson, of which GRUNDY is an option.  The film, based on the novel by Dan Gooch, is a comedy that follows a man who lives his entire life in the course of one week.  The script, written by Robert Nelson Jacobs (CHOCOLAT), was reportedly written with John Cusack in mind, but that actor passed and producers met with Sandler to discuss his involvement in the project.  The GRUNDY novel is actually based upon an old nursery rhyme that goes as follows:

Solomon Grundy,
Born on Monday,
Christened on Tuesday,
Married on Wednesday,
Took ill on Thursday,
Worse on Friday,
Died on Saturday,
Buried on Sunday:
This is the end
Of Solomon Grundy.
 

January 24, 2002

Joining Liam Neeson and Billy Crawford in the cast of John Frankenheimer's prequel to THE EXORCIST will be the husband to the object of JoBlo's affection, Reese Witherspoon - Ryan Phillippe. Phillippe will play the role of Father William Francis, a priest and colleague of Neeson's Father Merrin who doesn't understand how the latter could lose his faith in God.  After coming face-to-face with the Devil himself, he soon learns the hard way.  The film takes place before the events in the original EXORCIST and follows a younger Merrin, played by Max Von Sydow in the original, who first encounters Satan while doing missionary work in Africa.
 

January 14, 2002

Source: Variety

As revealed in our Fox preview page, a date has been set for the upcoming DAREDEVIL feature film. Head over here to get all the juicy details on this film and many others you can expect in the coming months.  (Hint: it should make a nice romantic date next year...)

Bruce Willis will star in the comedy/thriller ME AGAIN, which so far, doesn't have a director attached.  The film follows a man suffering from amnesia who is trying to figure out if he's a hitman or a hitman's target.  The project should begin filming this Holiday season. (Variety)

Kathryn Morris has joined Val Kilmer, LL Cool J and Christian Slater in the upcoming thriller MINDHUNTERS.  In the Renny Harlin (DRIVEN) flick, Morris plays the female lead amongst a group of FBI recruits trapped on an island with a killer - who happens to be one of the trainees.  Morris just recently finished filming on MINORITY REPORT with Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg. (Variety)

A bootleg version of the trailer for RESIDENT EVIL has popped up online.  It's not the best quality but it gives you an idea of what to expect when you see the real deal attached to prints of THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES this weekend. Head over to our trailer archive to download.
 

January 23, 2002

Daryl Hannah has joined the cast of Quentin Tarantino's next film KILL BILL, where she has signed on to play an assassin and Uma Thurman's character's nemesis.   Hannah joins Thurman, Warren Beatty, Lucy Liu and Michael Madsen in the film which follows "The Bride" and her quest for vengeance against those who put her in a coma - namely a bad dude named Bill.  Hannah has said she will be doing extensive physical training for the part that will require both karate and swordfighting.  Man, this is shaping up to be even more bad-ass with every passing day!...
 

January 23, 2002

 Whether the film will be Americanized or not remains to be seen. While this film seems to be gathering much more speed, Steven Soderbergh and Ridley Scott both had separate projects with a similar theme in development. With Stiller attached as producer and Farrelly Brothers collaborator Ricky Blitt, you can expect this version to lean heavy on the humor angle.
 

January 23, 2002

To clarify reports that had Steven Spielberg claiming a fourth INDIANA JONES picture would be his next after CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, E! Online contacted the director's spokesperson.  Here's an excerpt from the article which you can read in full here:

In addition, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed on Tuesday that Spielberg had officially left his capacity as director aboard MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA.  He is still attached to produce and a new director is expected to be announced within the next month.
 

January 23, 2002

Source: JoBlo.com

The Director's Guild of America have announced their five nominees for Best Director of 2001. The winner of the DGA award has gone on to win the Best Director Oscar every year since 1949 except in 5 instances (Variety). And the nominees are:

Ron Howard - A BEAUTIFUL MIND
Peter Jackson - LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
Baz Luhrmann - MOULIN ROUGE
Christopher Nolan - MEMENTO
Ridley Scott- BLACK HAWK DOWN

Joe Johnston (JURASSIC PARK 3) will direct Disney's 2003 big summer flick HIDALGO, a film about the world of horse racing.  According to Variety it's an "action-adventure Western set in 1890. The film is an underdog tale of a cowboy who travels throughout the world with his mustang, Hidalgo, to compete against Arabian thoroughbreds in a dangerous race." (Variety)

A whole bunch of new promotional stills from RESIDENT EVIL have been posted online over here, but act quick - they could be removed once Sony gets wind of it.

The poster for Disney's summer film THE COUNTRY BEARS can be checked out (and bought as well through eBay) right over here
 

January 22, 2002

As I state below, the Golden Globes last night were a major snore.  But if there's one good (great, in my eyes) thing to come out of last night, it appears we have confirmation from both Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford that a fourth INDIANA JONES film is a go.  One of Fox's reporters caught up with Spielberg, his wife Kate Capshaw and Ford at a Globes after-party and here's what he found out:

Spielberg also revealed later in the interview that he would no longer be directing MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA.  "I'm not going to do it...It's over," the director told Fox. Click here to read the entire report by Roger Freidman of Fox News.
 

January 22, 2002

p.p.s. - In case anyone was keeping score, I put a whoopin on that boy of mine. 5-3 final score with Dad walking away victorious.  What pisses me off even more is I had 3 more picks right that I changed at the last minute.  Could've really cleaned up, but I'll settle for this easy victory.

Check out all the winners from the Golden Globes here
 

January 22, 2002

Here comes Honest Abe again.  This time he just got finished reading the latest film to be produced by the Farrelly Brothers and will reportedly star Johnny Knoxville.  Let's see Abe's thoughts on THE RINGER:

THE RINGER (positive, minor spoilers)
Steve is a your basic office schlub and when he tries to get himself a better position, he inadvertently costs the janitor a couple of fingers (don't ask!) Welcome to The Ringer, the latest helping from the Farrelley Brothers. The basic plot is about a normal guy who enters the special olympics with the plan to win the gold, dethrone the champion, and have his uncle bet on the games so they can both clear their debts. Sounds like good family fun right? I'll admit after the first few pages I thought this was just gonna be a typical dumb slapstick comedy that tries to hard but I was so wrong. This is actually a comedy with good intentions and it portrays the athletes of the special olympics as people not needing our sympathy but people who are just as competitive and for lack of a better word, "normal" as the rest of us schlubs. Steve's uncle Gary is in it to the mob for several grand so he's the one who comes up with the idea of rigging the olympics so assuming the identity of "Jeffy", Steve enters the race thinking he'll clean up only to realize how out of shape he really is. The champion is Jimmy but as we'll see, Jimmy is really not a nice guy. Enter Lynn, a volunteer at the olympics who takes Steve under her wing to help him compete. (Gee, think Steve is gonna fall for her???) One of the things I liked best was the way their relationship was handled, especially the development of Lynn's character and her motivations. Some of the other athletes such as Billy, Thomas and Mark are able to see past Steve's lie but they actually help him in his quest to defeat Jimmy. Steve really comes to care for these guys and at the same time really gets in touch with himself and his unfinished goals. Sounds mushy at times but it really is handled with a fair amount of taste (come on, it can't be all clean, it's the Farrelleys). I was impressed at how the majority of the characters are well developed and you really do get to care for the athletes (except Jimmy cause he's a prick). Bottom line: I'd definitely catch this most charming little comedy that thankfully isn't nearly as gross-out as it could have been. There are a few squeamish moments (it's the FARRELLEY!) but it's quite restrained and instead focuses on character motivation and plot.
 

January 22, 2002

Got some interesting information on the next films from directors Paul Thomas Anderson and Cameron Crowe.  First up, Anderson may follow his untitled Adam Sandler comedy with a musical.  BOOGIE NIGHTS star Mark Wahlberg spoke recently about his talks with Anderson and this project and said, "me and Paul Thomas Anderson have discussed [a musical] at length. Just a matter of finding the right thing. He's actually writing one, which is going to be crazy, a Paul Thomas Anderson musical. A lot of cocaine."  He went on to hint that the script is actually finished saying, "this is a kind of like a weird action drama thing he wrote. Kind of like the Chest and Brock movie, the characters we came up with in Boogie Nights, but a real, full-blown action feature with these guys running around crazy."  Anderson has said previously that the musical number in MAGNOLIA was his way of practicing for a musical project he hoped to make one day.  Could this be that film?...

As for Cameron Crowe, the director passed on CATCH ME IF YOU CAN with Leonardo DiCaprio to instead work on his own script for his next project.   While out promoting VANILLA SKY, the director said it would be a complete 180 from SKY and would be more like his earlier projects.  "It's a little bit like the style of JERRY MAGUIRE," Crowe says, "but it's an ensemble character comedy-drama. It's actually more like SAY ANYTHING."  He went on to say that he's half-finished with the script but gave no hints on when filming would begin.
 

January 22, 2002

Remember how Sony gave the public the chance to design the final one-sheet for RESIDENT EVIL in a contest?  Well, the five finalists have been posted and you have until January 25th to vote on your favorite design.  Just click here and pick the one you like best.  Now, I mean no disrespect to those who are finalists in this contest cause I'm sure they worked hard, but man these posters stink! I'm no graphic designer by any stretch of the imagination but I thought I'd try my hand at creating one just for laughs. My designs looked almost exactly like three of the five they picked and in the end, I was too embarrassed to submit mine cause I thought they were awful (which they were).  Part of the blame should lie on Sony who gave out a crappy logo and not the best images in the world.  Well, they've made their bed and now they've gotta lie in it...

January 22, 2002

Source: Variety

The official sites for BAD COMPANY and THE SWEETEST THING have opened up further.  The COMPANY site has a lot of cool information and stills, but the SWEETEST website is far from sweet with just a trailer and a teaser image.  More should be on its way soon.

A picture of Kenneth Branagh as Gilderoy Lockhart in HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS can be found here. Looks like a pretty sharp dude if you ask me...

Over the weekend a whole mess of new stills from ATTACK OF THE CLONES popped up online. Apparently they were included in the latest issue of "Star Wars Insider" magazine and then scanned in. Click here to see shots of Anakin, Padme, Count Dooku, Jango Fett and Yoda.

Wanna find out how you can be in JEEPERS CREEPERS 2?  Find out all the information here, including a detailed breakdown for each cast member and how you (yes, YOU) can audition for any of the roles you find yourself fit for.

Remember, there's only about ten more days to vote for the nominees in the First Annual Golden Schmoes Awards. Click here and vote in a variety of different categories for your top five.  We'll tally up all the votes and narrow it down to the most popular five, from which a winner will be voted on by you the people.  So don't delay!  Vote for the nominees now!!
 

January 21, 2002

Got a whole bunch of sweet new stills today from some of New Line's major upcoming releases.  That includes BLADE 2, AUSTIN POWERS IN GOLDMEMBER and yes, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS.  Check these babies out below!!

Thanks to New Line for providing us with these pics!  For more information on these films and more, check out their official website at www.newlinecinema.com.

January 21, 2002

And how did our experiment go? Mike (dad) Sampson's picks (see below): 5 out of 13 (38%) and Indy (son) Sampson's picks (see below): 3 out of 13 (23%). Yikes!

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
Sissy Spacek (IN THE BEDROOM)
Halle Berry (MONSTER'S BALL)
Judi Dench (IRIS)
Nicole Kidman (THE OTHERS)
Tilda Swinton (THE DEEP END)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
Russell Crowe (A BEAUTIFUL MIND)
Will Smith (ALI)
Kevin Spacey (THE SHIPPING NEWS)
Billy Bob Thornton (THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE)
Denzel Washington (TRAINING DAY)

BEST MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
MOULIN ROUGE
BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY
GOSFORD PARK
LEGALLY BLONDE
SHREK

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Nicole Kidman (MOULIN ROUGE)
Thora Birch (GHOST WORLD)
Cate Blanchett (BANDITS)
Reese Witherspoon (LEGALLY BLONDE)
Renee Zellweger (BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY0

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Gene Hackman (THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS)
Hugh Jackman (KATE & LEOPOLD)
Ewan Mcgregor (MOULIN ROUGE)
John Cameron Mitchell (HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH)
Billy Bob Thornton (BANDITS)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
NO MAN'S LAND
AMELIE
BEHIND THE SUN
MONSOON WEDDING
Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN (AND YOUR MOTHER TOO)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Jennifer Connelly (A BEAUTIFUL MIND)
Cameron Diaz (VANILLA SKY)
Helen Mirren (GOSFORD PARK)
Maggie Smith (GOSFORD PARK)
Marisa Tomei (IN THE BEDROOM)
Kate Winslet (IRIS)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Jim Broadbent (IRIS)
Steve Buscemi (GHOST WORLD)
Hayden Christensen (LIFE AS A HOUSE)
Ben Kingsley (SEXY BEAST)
Jude Law (A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE)
Jon Voight (ALI)

BEST DIRECTOR - MOTION PICTURE
Robert Altman (GOSFORD PARK)
Ron Howard (A BEAUTIFUL MIND)
Peter Jackson (THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING)
Baz Luhrmann (MOULIN ROUGE)
David Lynch (MULHOLLAND DRIVE)
Steven Spielberg (A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE)

BEST SCREENPLAY - MOTION PICTURE
Akiva Goldsman (A BEAUTIFUL MIND)
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen (THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE)
Julian Fellowes (GOSFORD PARK)
David Lynch (MULHOLLAND DRIVE)
Christopher Nolan (MEMENTO)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE - MOTION PICTURE
Craig Armstrong (MOULIN ROUGE)
Angelo Badalamenti (MULHOLLAND DRIVE)
Lisa Gerrard & Pieter Bourke (ALI)
James Horner (A BEAUTIFUL MIND)
Howard Shore (THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING )
John Williams (A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE)
Christopher Young (THE SHIPPING NEWS)
Hans Zimmer (PEARL HARBOR)

BEST ORIGINAL SONG - MOTION PICTURE
"Until…" - KATE & LEOPOLD (Music and Lyrics: Sting)
"Come What May" - MOULIN ROUGE (Music and Lyrics: David Baerwald)
"May It Be" - THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (Music and Lyrics: Enya)
"There You'll Be" - PEARL HARBOR (Music and Lyrics: Diane Warren)
"Vanilla Sky" - VANILLA SKY (Music and Lyrics: Paul McCartney)

Discuss the Golden Globes with others here

See how your predictions came out here
   

The 2002 Movie Preview !

Below is a list of movies that are coming out next year. Want more info? Click on the links...