OLD THINGS I'VE FOUND! YET STILL DISTURBING!AquamanThe movie version of Aquaman has been in development for years. It may finally be getting off the ground, but don't get excited just yet... Back in 2001, producer Bill Gerber told IGN FilmForce that he was working to get a live-action film going and that the idea of an animated Aquaman feature was also being explored. Unfortunately, those plans may have fallen through and Warner Bros. seems to be exploring the idea of taking the "screwball comedy" approach. (If you listen closely you'll hear the collective groaning of comic fans everywhere.) Producers Alan and Peter Riche (Starsky and Hutch, The Mod Squad) are now developing the film and Ben Grant is writing the script.
Batman BeginsWarner Bros. has Batman Begins, their darker reboot of the Batman franchise, set for a July 1, 2005 release. Memento director Christopher Nolan is helming the picture from a script by David Goyer (Blade, Dark City). Christian Bale stars as Bruce Wayne/Batman in this origin story. All signs indicate that this is the adaptation that fans have always wanted. Villains include the more realistic Ra's Al Ghul and the Scarecrow. In addition to Bale, the film stars Ken Watanabe, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman, Rutger Hauer and Tom Wilkinson.
- - Holding a gun?
Batman Begins SequelRumor has it that the studio is already developing a sequel to Batman Begins with Bale and much of the cast returning. Chris Nolan will also likely be back with screenwriter David Goyer. Rumored villains for the sequel include Harvey Dent/Two-Face (possibly played by Guy Pearce or Jude Law) and The Joker (maybe portrayed by Lachy Hulme from The Matrix Revolutions).
Batman vs. SupermanA flash in the pan... this project was announced a couple of years ago, but quickly died. Director Wolfgang Petersen was attached to direct, but the project was abruptly placed on hold when Petersen opted to shoot the period epic Troy instead. Warners may also have decided to restart their Batman and Superman franchises independently before teaming them up. It's possible that this project could get up and running again one day.
Blade: TrinityNew Line's third installment in the Blade franchise hits screens this December. The film is a bit different than the previous two movies in the series. Wesley Snipes reprises his role as the titular hero, but this time he's joined by a pair of young stars. Jessica Biel is playing vampire hunter Abigail Whistler, the daughter of Kris Kristofferson's character (who's also back for the film); and Van Wilder actor Ryan Reynolds will play a vampire hunter named Hannibal King, who teams up with Abigail. The film has Blade joining forces with another anti-vampire group, the Nightstalkers, to stop the blood-thirsty creatures and their resurrected leader Dracula in a plot for world domination. Nice!
Captain AmericaThe rights to a Captain American movie had been tied up by a lawsuit between comic book veteran Joe Simon and Marvel, but the suit has since been settled, meaning a film version of Captain America could be made. Mark Gordon and Gary Levinsohn of Mutual Film (Saving Private Ryan) had been in talks with Marvel in 1999 about producing Captain America. Larry Wilson (Beetlejuice) and Les Bohem (The Alamo) reportedly worked on a script when it was set up at Artisan.
Daredevil 2Despite early reports that Fox and Marvel would be bringing Ben Affleck and director Mark Steven Johnson back for another installment of Daredevil, it isn't likely at this point. Affleck badmouthed the idea during a press event and the studio hasn't seemed hot for it either. Instead, Marvel and production company Horseshoe Bay are focusing entirely on the Elektra spin-off starring Jennifer Garner ? more on that on page two...
DeadpoolMarvel wants to make a Deadpool movie, but it isn't really off the ground yet. There was an offer out to the David Goyer to direct, but he seems to have turned it down. He says he "decided to move on to the other projects." Ryan Reynolds, who stars in Goyer's Blade: Trinity, had been rumored for the lead role, but without Goyer at the helm he may not be involved. No further developments yet.
DeathlokAnother Marvel hero, Deathlok, may be on his way to the big screen. Lee Tamahori (Die Another Day) had been the frontrunner to direct the Paramount-based adaptation, but he's no longer associated with the project. The new potential director is Paul McGuigan (Gangster No. 1, Wicker Park). The script was penned by Stu Zicherman and Raven Metzner with a rewrite by Road to Perdition scribe David Self. Deathlok will be "about a suburban family man who is unwittingly made a test subject for technology research that slowly turns him into a living computer."
Dr. StrangeMarvel wants to bring the Master of the Mystic Arts to a theater near you. It doesn't seem like a sure thing, previously published Marvel documentation had the film tentatively set for a 2005 release, but that's obviously not gonna happen. The oft-mentioned David Goyer was once attached to the film, but it looks like he's no longer involved. Fantasy casting has Jim Caviezel or Guy Pearce in the title role.
ElektraElektra, starring Jennifer Garner, hits the big screen on January 14. The film picks up where Daredevil left off, as the beautiful and deadly assassin Elektra Natchios is revived by the Order of the Hand, a clan of mystical ninjas who helped train her. She is assigned by the Hand's leader, Kirigi, to kill Mark Miller (Goran Visnjic) and his young daughter. But Elektra soon befriends them and turns her back on the Hand. She discovers that Miller's grandfather was a friend of her former mentor, Stick (Terence Stamp). Together they must take on Kirigi and his deadly crew. The Regency Enterprises/20th Century Fox project was shot in Vancouver under the direction of Rob Bowman (The X-Files). Marvel Studios is producing the film along with Horseshoe Bay.
Fantastic FourFantastic Four, from 20th Century Fox, opens July 1, 2005. The film stars Ioan Gruffudd as Reed Richards, Michael Chiklis Ben Grimm/The Thing, Jessica Alba as Sue Storm and Chris Evans as Johnny Storm. n**/Tuck actor Julian McMahon plays Dr. Victor Von Doom. Ralph Winter is producing the film. Tim Story (Barbershop, Taxi) directs from a script by Michael France and Mark Frost. Currently filming in Vancouver, the filmmakers are aiming to craft a fun, enjoyable flick without making it campy
The FlashThere's nothing much going on with The Flash on the film front. The WB had announced that they'd be making a Smallville-inspired Flash series, but the only thing we've seen is the character's recent appearance on Smallville. No word yet on a legit Flash project.
Ghost RiderThis long-in-development project is getting underway soon with writer-director Mark Steven Johnson (Daredevil) at the helm. Nicolas Cage is starring in the lead role. The film will start shooting on January 31, 2005 in Melbourne, Australia. The story reportedly pits Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider against Blackheart, the son of the devil. Cage, who has wanted the project for years, says, "Ghost Rider's been cursed by the devil but he's not going to let the devil win. He sold his soul out of love, he was trying to save his father's life, and then he got tricked by the trickster. But because he did it out of love the devil can't get him. He can outfox the devil and use his powers for love and good, which is interesting."
Green ArrowRumors of a Green Arrow flick got started around the time that Kevin Smith revamped the character for DC Comics in early 2001. Producer Bill Todman worked to put a screenplay together for a while, but this project seems to have gone into hibernation. No further updates at the moment.
Green LanternGreen Lantern, like Aquaman, may be brought to the big screen in an unexpected fashion. Rumor has it that Warner Bros. is hoping to sign Jack Black (yes, you heard us right) to star in a "zany comedy version, a la The Mask." Sounds crazy, but it could be true. We'll let you know if anything further develops.
Hellboy 2Writer-director Guillermo Del Toro is expected to return along with the principal cast of the first film. There's no word on the storyline for flick at this time, but we know that it's being developed with a 2006 release in mind. If the second installment is as successful as the first, Del Toro and Mike Mignola would like to make a third film in the series.
Hulk 2Director Michael France had been rumored to be taking over the franchise after a lackluster first installment, but that rumor proved false. Hulk screenwriter James Schamus has reportedly worked on a script for a possible sequel, but the status isn't clear. Rumor has it that The Hulk 2, if it goes forward, may feature the emergence of the gray-skinned Hulk, familiar to fans of the comic. Schamus previously stated that he was considering The Leader and The Abomination as possible baddies.
Iron FistIron Fist is setup at Lions Gate Films, but there's been little progress. In a previous incarnation, director Steve Carr (Daddy Day Care, Dr. Dolittle 2, Next Friday) was to helm the Marvel project. Filmmaker Kirk Wong (The Big Hit) was also previously attached to the project. John Turman wrote the initial drafts of the Iron Fist screenplay before being replaced by a pair of unnamed scribes. Ray Park, Episode I's Darth Maul and X-Men's Toad, was once attached star as the title character. We're still waiting for more from LGF.
Iron ManNew Line Cinema has hooked up with screenwriter David Hayter on the project and they're currently seeking a director. The hope is to have an Iron Man flick up and running by early 2005. Sources advise IGNFF that Hayter's script is very "Tom Clancy-esque" in tone and that it involves the conflict between Tony Stark and his father Howard over Stark Industries. The Armored Avenger's origin has been updated from the Vietnam back story used in the comics. Actors like Tom Cruise and Nicolas Cage have been mentioned for the project over the years, but with Cruise doing War of the Worlds and Cage doing Ghost Rider, neither are likely to come on board.
Luke CageFilmmaker John Singleton is directing Luke Cage from a script by Ben Ramsey. The cast hasn't been announced yet, but singer-turned-actor Tyrese Gibson is rumored to be up for the lead role. The film is slated for a 2005 release. Online reports claim that the villian in the film will be Diamondback, the man who framed Cage and had him sent to prison. Luke Cage is a former gang member who is framed for a crime. In prison, he volunteers for a medical experiment that goes awry, giving him superstrength and bulletproof skin. Using his newfound powers, Cage escapes and becomes a hero for hire.
MageSpyglass Entertainment had been developing Mage with producers Andrew Cosby and Ross Richie, but there hasn't been movement on the project in a long time. Cosby has rewritten a screenplay based on a previous draft by John Rogers (Queen & Country). He claims that Mage will feel like LOTR's Sauron returning to a modern-day, urban world, and an ordinary man will have to rise up as a hero and challenge him. Mage may or may not still be in the works.
The PhantomA new version of The Phantom, no relation to the horrible 1996 version which starred Billy Zane, is in development at Crusader Entertainment and Hyde Park. The film's producers say that they're working on a contemporary story that will be much closer to films like Spider-Man and The Matrix. Hyde Park's CEO Ashok Armitraj said, "The fact is this character is terrific and has been followed by people around the world. There is a great history there, the whole legend of the Phantom, how it was handed down four centuries with the vow to take on piracy and bad guys, these people out to destroy the world." The script for the new version will be written by Steven De Souza (48 Hrs., Die Hard, The Flintstones). Amritraj says they're determined not to make the same mistakes the first film did. Despite the producer's enthusiasm, the status of this flick is unknown.
Plastic ManThis comic book project is dead in the water. Back in 1995, two brothers named Wachowski penned a screenplay for a Plastic Man movie. And although the brothers would go on to remarkable success after creating The Matrix, their Plastic Man script lay on a shelf collecting dust. As IGN FilmForce's Stax puts it in his review of the screenplay, "The Wachowskis' ideas were, unfortunately, a few years ahead of their time (as well as too expensive to be realized back in 1995)... but they could certainly be accomplished now. ... Plastic Man could still be brought out of the mothballs if Warner Brothers and the Wachowskis had any interest. ... Alas, it's been a long, complicated road for Plastic Man thus far so don't hold your breath for it."
PowersFrank Oz has been link the directing gig for this project and at one time he was expected to move on to it after finishing The Stepford Wives. It's unclear if that's still the case. For those unfamiliar with the comic series, Powers centers around detective Christian Walker, a special homicide officer in charge of cases that often involve superpowers. In the film, Walker will lead an investigation into the one-by-one murdering of a band of superheroes that had been securing peace and enforcing good will in the country. Some of these supporting super-characters include Cheshire, Retro Girl, Blast, Lizzie Bordon, Fury, Diamond, The Sift, Elemental, Shotgun, Johnny Royalle, and The Fat Fish Gang.
PreacherPreacher has been in and out of development for years. The project has solidified with Rachel Talalay (Tank Girl) set to direct from a screenplay by comic creator Garth Ennis. James Marsden (X-Men's Cyclops) is up for the lead role. This production may get officially off the ground in the near future.
The Punisher 2We hear that Tom Jane will be back for a sequel based at Lions Gate Films. There were rumors that the sequel wouldn't go forward due to the lukewarm domestic box office performance of the original, but sources tell us otherwise. During a recent interview, Jane sets up the sequel this way: "I know that the scene at the end of the first Punisher where I go up and take everybody out, that's going to be the opening of Punisher 2 where he'll be taking out another set of guys in another place ? whole other context."
Rising StarsMGM has the rights to J. Michael Straczynski's Top Cow comics series Rising Stars and has been developing the project for some time as a possible trilogy by MGM. Straczynski has written a screenplay, which has since been rewritten by Anthony and Joe Russo (Welcome to Collinwood). Rising Stars focuses on a group of 113 young people who, as a result of a mysterious flash in Pederson, Illinois in 1969, now have special abilities. Dubbed "The Specials" by the government and raised in a special school, the Specials forge relationships that will carry them through their lives. These people have grown into adulthood having to come to terms with their powers in a world that both worships and fears them. To make matters worse, someone has been killing off The Specials. Could it be one of their own? This film definitely isn't on the fast track.
Shazam!This classic DC comic features Captain Marvel a.k.a. Billy Batson who discovers that he can call on the powers of an ancient Egyptian wizard, Shazam. The project is setup at New Line where Oscar-winning scribe William Goldman (Dreamcatcher) wrote the original draft of the screenplay which was rewritten by Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolow, the duo that penned Toy Story, Cheaper by the Dozen and Garfield. It sounds like they're going the tongue-in-cheek route. The only casting rumor has linked Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to the Captain Marvel role, but what hasn't The Rock been linked to? Stay tuned.
Silver SurferAfter languishing in development hell for years, Silver Surfer may be catching a wave soon. Fox has had the rights to the project since the late '90s, but nothing has ever come of it. Last year Marvel's Avi Arad told the media, "Silver Surfer is just starting with Fox, no writer yet." Screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker (Seven, Sleepy Hollow) was previously attached to the project. Keep an eye out for this one to materialize.
Spawn 2The next Spawn movie has been in development for a really long time and McFarlane and friends are still in no hurry ? they want to get it right this time. Last we heard, Hans Rodionoff, the film's latest screenwriter, was penning a draft that featured the detective characters of Sam and Twitch. He says, "One of the challenges of doing a movie where the protagonist is a demon is that it's kind of hard to feel for that character. One of the things Niles and Todd did with the last draft was have it be more of a Sam and Twitch story. ... The problem is it became solely a Sam and Twitch movie and there wasn't enough Spawn." Maybe it'll actually happen...
Spider-Man 3Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and the rest of the gang will be back for a third Spidey flick. The movie is slated for a May 4, 2007 release. Filmmaker Sam Raimi is already at work on the script. He told IGN FilmForce, "I'm writing the story with my brother Ivan right now. Ivan worked on the other Spider-Man movies with me, he helped me, uncredited. We're trying to determine the best personal journey for Peter Parker to go on in the third picture. We would like to make it a story that makes the series feel complete. We want to try and understand where the love relationship between Mary Jane and Peter is at right now, and have a progression so it seems logical to the audience and something they'd like to see and they can feel involved with. I'm trying to find the theme, which I think I've found now, that can reverberate with audiences and is still true to the character of Peter Parker and Spider-Man. So I'm wrestling with those basic issues right now." The rumored villains for the sequel include Lizard and Venom.
The Sub-MarinerDavid Self (Road to Perdition) is scripting and executive producing this epic at Universal. Chris Columbus, director of the first two Harry Potter films, is onboard to direct. Persistent casting buzz has pegged Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as the frontrunner for the role, but take that with a grain of salt. There's no word on when production might commence, but Marvel has stated that they'd like to shoot for a 2006 release.
SupergirlReports surfaced online last year that Warner Bros. was developing a live-action Supergirl flick with screenwriter/producer Akiva Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind, Batman & Robin) attached to write the script. He has since declined and will produce only. Online reports claim that Melissa George, who was on ABC's Alias, is one of the actresses up for the lead role. It appears that the studio is prepping for a 2006 production start.
SupermanWarner Bros. has got their man. After a long and extremely drawn out casting search, unknown Brandon Routh has signed a three picture deal with the studio to play Clark Kent/Superman in two Superman films and possibly a Batman/Superman crossover. X-Men helmer Bryan Singer is directing. Filming begins early next year in Australia for a summer 2006 release. There's no word on the story, but the screenplay was penned by Michael Dougherty & Dan Harris. Jon Peters, Bryan Singer and Gilbert Adler will produce.
Teen TitansReports say that Akiva Goldsman (mentioned above as Supergirl writer/producer) is developing a live-action feature film version of DC Comics' Teen Titans for Warner Brothers. Brad Follmer, Chris Carter's assistant on The X-Files, has written two drafts of the screenplay. This would be a live-action version and not really linked to the Teen Titans animated series on the Cartoon Network.
WatchmenWatchmen is set-up at Paramount with Darren Aronofsky directing from a screenplay by David Hayter (based on the graphic novels by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons). Simon Pegg (Shawn of the Dead) is up for the role of Rorschach in the film. Producer Lloyd Levin (Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life) told IGN FilmForce, "We have a great adaptation by David Hayter that absolutely celebrates the book. It's a great adaptation of it. It's very faithful." The film adaptation has been in development since the late 1980s when scribes Sam Hamm (Batman) and filmmaker Terry Gilliam both took a stab at the classic comic.
The Wonder TwinsWarner Bros. and Gaylord Films have optioned the rights to The Wonder Twins. The studio has made plans to develop a live-action family-oriented feature film around the Hanna-Barbera characters, in the vein of Spy Kids and Scooby-Doo. The movie will be produced by Hunt Lowry and Casey La Scala. There hasn't been much talk of this project since it was announced, but it could come eventually.
Wonder WomanThis project is in development hell over at Warner Bros. Last year the studio scrapped their previous work on the film and decided to start from scratch with a script by Laeta Kalogridis (Alexander, Birds of Prey). Kalogridis' new script will deal with the origins of the classic comic book character. The laundry list of writers previously attached to the project includes Philip Levens (Smallville), Todd Alcott (Antz), Jon Cohen (Minority Report) and Becky Johnston (The Prince of Tides). Producer Joel Silver says, "I want to make it. I'm working on the script. We've got to get it right." Casting rumors have linked everyone from Lucy Lawless to Sandra Bullock to the role, but nothing is even close to happening on this one.
X-Men 3Director Bryan Singer recently ankled this project to make Superman, and there isn't a new helmer yet. Buffy creator and fan favorite Joss Whedon had been linked to the gig, but no offer has been extended. Screenwriter David Hayter has reportedly said that the character most likely to be introduced in the next film is Beast, but nothing is official yet. The plotline may deal with Jean Grey's emergence as Phoenix. X-Men 3 is slated to begin filming next June for a Summer 2006 release.
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