News: March 20th-26th 2000

Old Movie News:
March 20th-26th 2000

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The Sidewalks of New York: Nadia Dajani ("Ned and Stacy") has inked to join Heather Graham in helmer Ed Burns’ feature “The Sidewalks of New York,” according to Variety.

Mimic 2: Cinematographer Jean de Segonzac ("Homicide: Life on the Street") will be making his feature directing debut on "Mimic 2." According to Cinescape, the sequel will focus on the first film's supporting character Remy, played by Alix Koromzay, who will now take on the human sized bugs. The film, which has a budget in the $10 mill range, is scripted by Joel Soisson ("Prophecy III"), and will start production this May in Los Angeles. There's no word on if the first film's stars, Mira Sorvino and Jeremy Northam, will appear.

Rollerball: LL Cool J ("Any Given Sunday") is joining Chris Klein in MGM's "Rollerball" for director John McTiernan. "Rollerball" will be an update of Norman Jewison's 1975 cult classic about a futuristic society in which corporations have replaced countries and a violent game known as Rollerball is now the recreational sport of the world. The new version, set in 2005 and last scripted by John Pogue ("The Skulls"), tells the story of Rollerball superstars (Klein, LL Cool J) who clash with the team's owner, a ruthless and unscrupulous Russian businessman who will even resort to murder to win higher ratings for the game. According to THR, the project will start shooting mid-July in Montreal.

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Saving Silverman: Comedian Jack Black ("High Fidelity") is in final negotiations to receive a $1 million payday for a lead role in "Saving Silverman," THR states. Jason Biggs ("American Pie") and Steve Zahn are circling the Dennis Dugan-helmed project that centers on a pair of buddies who conspire to save their best friend from marrying the wrong woman.

Kingdom Come: Whoopi Goldberg is in final negotiations to star in comedy-drama "Kingdom Come," with LL Cool J ("Any Given Sunday") and Don Cheadle ("Mission to Mars") said to be circling the picture as well. Doug McHenry ("Jason's Lyric") will shoot the Fox Searchlight project. According to Variety, "Kingdom Come," written by David Dean Botrell and Jessie Jones from Botrell's original play, takes place over a weekend as a family gathers to mourn the death of its patriarch.

Gladiator: Review for the epic action/drama "Gladiator." Some spoilers. Thanks to 'Brian' over at The Cinema Files.

Traffic: A review of Steven Gaghan's "Traffic" script, dated December 3rd, 1999. The film will star Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Major spoilers. Thanks to Stax.

Outlaws: Cate Blanchett has committed to star with Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thornton in "Outlaws," a romantic comedy that Barry Levinson will start shooting for MGM in September. Variety reports that Blanchett agreed Tuesday to play the female lead in the project, which is being called a contemporary "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." Written by Harley Peyton, the picture is based on the true story about a pair of bank robbers who wind up fighting over the affections of a woman who they may or may not have kidnapped during a heist.

Pearl Harbor: Tom Sizemore ("Saving Private Ryan") has joined the cast of "Pearl Harbor," scheduled to begin production April 8th. Sizemore joins Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Ewan Bremner, Guy Torry, Cuba Gooding Jr., James King and Kate Beckinsale in the story of two Navy pilots and best friends (Affleck and Hartnett) who fall in love with the same Army nurse (Beckinsale). According to THR, Sizemore will play a rough-edged mechanic who banters with the pilots and is in charge of maintaining the base's planes and equipment. He also assists the pilots as they fight back during a surprise attack.

Quiller Solitaire: John Travolta is looking to reteam with his "Battlefield Earth" director Roger Christian on MGM's "Quiller Solitaire." No deals are yet in place, but should one be reached, the duo will embark on a potential franchise a la James Bond. "Quiller" is based on a series of novels about a British secret agent, written by Elleston Trevor. Come fall, Travolta is looking to don a gangster's suit, playing Moe "The Gimp" Snyder in an untitled project based on a 1930s torch singer Ruth Etting whose career was launched and dominated by Snyder. The project will be directed by Harold Becker. According to THR, Travolta is still reading two other scripts, while still circling the Joel Silver-produced "Swordfish" that Dominic Sena ("Gone in Sixty Seconds") is first in line to direct at Warner Bros.

The Panic Room: Director David Fincher ("Fight Club") will next take on Columbia Pictures thriller "The Panic Room" for producers Gavin Polone and David Koepp, who sold the project as a spec script to the studio last month in a high-profile deal worth an estimated $4 million. Set in a newly purchased New York brownstone, the story centers on a 30-ish divorced woman and her daughter who must hide in a "panic room" in order to escape intruders, but they still must fight for their lives. THR states that Nicole Kidman is circling the project, which is on the fast track, though no start date has been confirmed.

I Was Amelia Earhart: Julianne Moore is in early talks to star in "I Was Amelia Earhart." The Fine Line Features project is based on Jane Mendelsohn's fictionalized 1996 biography of the famed aviatrix, and is being directed by Fred Schepisi ("Six Degrees of Separation"), who is also rewriting the script. Variety reports that a deal for Moore would require that "Earhart" take flight immediately following "Hannibal."

The Man Inside: Phoenix Pictures has picked up Chris Haddock's action comedy script "The Man Inside" for Jan de Bont to produce through his Blue Tulip Prods. Described as being in the vein of "Rush Hour" and "Bad Boys," the script follows two FBI agents who go undercover in prison to crack a kidnapping ring. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the project is slated to start production this summer.

Till Human Voices Wake Us: Guy Pearce and Helena Bonham Carter have signed on to star in the indie metaphysical love story "Till Human Voices Wake Us," which will mark the feature directorial debut of screenwriter Michael Petroni. "Voices," which Petroni also wrote, is the story of a man (Pearce) who is haunted by the presence of a dead childhood sweetheart (Bonham Carter) when he returns to his rural hometown after a long absence. According to The Hollywood Reporter, production is slated to begin in May in Australia.

Spy Game: Brad Pitt may be reteaming with his "A River Runs Through It" director Robert Redford, this time in front of the camera in "Spy Game." Redford is nearing a decision on taking the starring role of a CIA agent who during his last day at the agency must mastermind the rescue of a protege captured by the Chinese. Pitt is said to be eying the younger agent's role. THR states that Redford and Pitt are interested in working together and they see "Spy Game" as a great vehicle. The director is Mike van Diem ("Karakter"). Meetings and negotiations have yet to begin.

The Year Without Santa Claus: Production designer Bo Welch has come aboard to direct Warner Bros.' "The Year Without Santa Claus," a live-action feature film remake of the 1974 holiday classic claymation television special. Welch will segue to the project following his directorial debut on "Sprockets," starring Mike Myers. WB hopes to have "Santa" ready for a Christmas 2001 release, THR reports. The TV special, based on Phyllis McGinley's novel of the same name, has Santa deciding to take a break from Christmas, causing two of his elves to embark on a mission to convince him that the Christmas spirit is important to everyone. Their search takes them to Southtown, USA, where it never snows on Christmas because the evil Miser Brothers - Heat Miser and Snow Miser - won't allow it.

Posters: One for the drama "Black and White," directed by James Toback ("Two Girls and a Guy"). Also one for "Where the Heart Is," a drama/comedy starring Natalie Portman, Ashley Judd, Stockard Channing and Joan Cusack.

Planet of the Apes: Richard Zanuck has signed on to produce Twentieth Century Fox's "Planet of the Apes." While he has sometimes paired with her and other partners in producing films, Zanuck said he will be the sole producer on "Apes." The project is aiming to start production in the fall for a summer 2001 release. Tim Burton ("Sleepy Hollow") directs. Zanuck said the script by Bill Broyles will undergo some revisions.

Crim Law: Columbia has bought "Crim Law," a drama to be scripted by Stephen Peters ("Wild Things") for Michael Douglas to star in. The film is being designed for Douglas to play a seasoned professor who presents his first year law students with a hypothetical murder case to be used for a mock trial in the classroom. When the defendant in the case is found innocent, all parties realize they've come upon an airtight way to commit murder, and the actual case precedent is exercised as an actual murder by someone in the class. According to Variety, Peters has already started writing.

Beyond Borders: Kevin Costner may be back on board Mandalay Pictures' "Beyond Borders" for director Oliver Stone. Costner joined the project back in October with Catherine Zeta-Jones co-starring, but one by one, the trio disbanded. Zeta-Jones turned her attention to Traffic" and Stone took on the remake of "A Star is Born." According to THR, the actor is said to be looking for his next project and if "Borders" screenwriter Caspian Tredwell-Owen's new draft (due in a couple of weeks) reads well with the star, Costner may find himself coming back to the love story set against the backdrop of worldwide humanitarian efforts.

Eye in the Door: Jonathan Demme has his eye on directing a feature film adaptation of Pat Barker's 1995 novel "Eye in the Door," which Demme is developing through his production company Clinica Estetico. The project, which does not yet have a start date, is being written by Ol Parker ("It Was an Accident"). According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film will be released through USA Films' October Films label. "Eye" is a psychological thriller set in London during World War I. The story centers on a soldier in the internal espionage division of the British army who finds himself under investigation. The novel is the second in a trilogy.

The Mummy 2: Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is joining the cast of Universal's "The Mummy 2." Johnson had been circling the role of the Scorpion King, but is now in final negotiations to play the ruler of all evil who is brought forth from the undead. Original cast members Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo and Oded Fehr are back on board, as is writer-director Stephen Sommers and producers Jim Jacks and Sean Daniel. According to The Hollywood Reporter, shooting begins in May.

Finding Forrester: Anna Paquin recently joined Sean Connery and F. Murray Abraham in Gus Van Sant's "Finding Forrester." Paquin will play the inter-racial love interest of a black high school basketball star/boy genius (Robert Brown). Variety reports that the project is about Brown's prep school relationship with Paquin and an older J.D. Salinger-type writer (Connery) who has never written a follow-up to his acclaimed first novel.

Hannibal: A review of Steven Zaillian's revised "Hannibal" draft, dated February 9th (2000). Major spoilers. Thanks to Stax.

Cross Dressing: Gary Tieche ("Speaking of Sex") has been hired to adapt Universal Pictures' "Cross Dressing" from Bill Fitzhugh's novel of the same name. According to The Hollywood Reporter, director-producer Tom Shadyac is on board to develop the comedy about two brothers - one a priest, the other an advertising executive. When the priest dies, his brother figures out a way to scam an insurance company.

Spy Kids: Kelly Preston has signed on to star opposite Antonio Banderas in Dimension Films' action-comedy "Spy Kids" for writer-director Robert Rodriguez. Banderas and Preston will play the roles of husband and wife in "Spy Kids," which revolves around a pair of youngsters who must save their world-class secret agent parents from imminent danger. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Preston is scheduled to start May 1st on the production, which will shoot in Texas and South America.

Untitled Comedy: Warner Bros. has picked up scribe Ty King's untitled action-adventure-comedy spec script for Martin Lawrence to star. The script will now undergo a rewrite to be tailored for Lawrence. Referred to as "The Untitled Martin Lawrence Action Comedy," King's campy script is described as "Ghostbusters" meets "Clash of the Titans." The story follows a guy (Martin) who unwittingly stumbles upon an art shipment that revives demons and monsters of ancient Greece. THR states that the studio sees the project as a potential franchise and is hoping to spin off merchandise and video games.

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