News Tuesday: 10 June 2008

Universal Unveils Yet Another Inspirational Sports Film

According to the press release, The Express (coming 3 October) is “Based on the true story of college football hero Ernie Davis, the first African- American to win the Heisman Trophy. His fight for equality and respect forever changed the face of American sports, and his story continues to inspire new generations.” The film will star Dennis Quaid and Rob Brown. Here are some early photos:

Weinsteins Wants You to Channel Your Inner Igor

In connection with their upcoming animated film, the Weinstein Company offers you the opportunity to put on your best “Igor” impression. Winners will have their voice added to the final film, expected sometime this fall. More information can be found here.

Disaster Movie gets a Pair of Teaser Posters

After consistently devaluing the big screen spoof with their increasingly sophomoric efforts, the writing/directing team of Jason Friedbeg and Aaron Seltzer are back with another parody. Oddly enough, they seem to be taking the genre right back to where it started – the Zucker/Abrams/Zucker classic Airplane!, which was, after all, a lampoon of disaster films.

Jumper to Become a Franchise – from IMDb

According to WENN and the Internet Movie Database, Actor Hayden Christensen is set to return to the developing Jumper franchise for a further two movies. The new DVD coming out today confirms the plans to create a trilogy for the solid sci-fi hit. According to the actor, “We’re talking about it. I know that they’re having those conversations, I hear about them. It was set up to become that – a trilogy – if it did well. And I think they’re happy with how it did so they want to make another one. But I don’t think they’re rushing to get into production.”

Sam Raimi Wants Spider-Man 4 – from IGN

Apparently, the stories about Raimi being less involved in the future of the Spider-man franchise were wrong, or maybe the director of the three previous popcorn smashes is indulging in a little wishful thinking. Whatever the case, you can read his thoughts about the fourth go round for the webslinger here.

MPAA Pulls Plug on Kevin Smith’s Porno Promo – from /Film

Just last week, we noted that the Clerks auteur had released a Red Band teaser for his upcoming comedy Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Well, apparently Quick Stop Entertainment, Smith’s internet locale, didn’t get permission from the MPAA to “broadcast” such content across the web. The whole stink gets aired out over at SlashFilm.com.

My Fair Lady Getting a Remake – from Variety

From the official press release:

Considering the talent involved the first time around, it seems hard to imagine that anyone would seriously consider remaking this Oscar winning effort. Still, producers Cameron Mackintosh and Duncan Kenworthy are convinced they can “update” the material by adding more of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion to Alan Jay Lerner’s musical book. Initial reports had Keira Knightley and Daniel Day Lewis as the new Eliza Doolittle and Professor Henry Higgins, but with the There Will Be Blood star hopping projects for the big screen version of Nine, casting remains unclear. Read more here.

DiCaprio to Produce/Star in Atari Story – from THR.com

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Leonardo DiCaprio plans on bringing the story of ’70/’80s video game giant Atari to the big screen. Writers Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman hope the star will play Nolan Bushnell, engineering student and computer geek who went from fixing broken pinball machines to creating the company responsible for the first major arcade game – Pong. The rest of the story can be found here.

DVD releases of Note for 10 June

Be Kind Rewind

The Bucket List

Funny Games (2008)

Invisible Target – Read the SE&L Review Here

John Adams: The HBO Mini-Series

Jumper

The Other Boleyn Girl

Witless Protection

Box Office Figures for Weekend of 6 June

#1 – Kung Fun Panda: $59.8 million

#2 – You Don’t Mess with the Zohan: $40.3 million

#3 – Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: $22.9 million

#4 – Sex and the City: $21.3 million

#5 – The Strangers: $9.2 million

#6 – Iron Man: $7.4 million

#7 – The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: $5.5 million

#8 – What Happens in Vegas: $3.4 million

#9 – Baby Mama: $2.2 million

#10 – Made of Honor: $2.0 million

Films Opening This Week:

General Release:

The Incredible Hulk – Bruce Banner searches for a cure to his raging inner ‘demon’ while the Army plots to use his power as a weapon. With Edward Norton and Tim Roth. Rated PG-13

The Happening – A sudden, unseen epidemic causes innocent citizens to kill themselves in startling violent ways. It’s up to the survivors to figure out why. From M. Night Shyamalan. Rated R

Limited

Quid Pro Quo – With comparisons to David Cronenberg’s Crash, a young reporter, paralyzed after an accident, discovers a subculture of fetishists. Rated R

Baghead – a group of independent filmmakers head out into the woods to brainstorm a script. They are instead terrorized by a stranger in a bag. Rated R