Concert Information and Family Fun
Search the site Browse the site
Features:
Film notesJuly 25, 2001 (LOS ANGELES) - DreamWorks Pictures has picked up the epic kung fu action-adventure pitch "Hammer of God," which Stephen Norrington will direct for the studio. The project reteams Norrington with DreamWorks head of production Michael De Luca, the former New Line production president who oversaw the director's 1998 hit feature "Blade," which he also wrote. A sequel is due out next year from New Line. "God" will be written and produced by Stephen Chin, who co-wrote and produced the Larry Clark-directed "Another Day in Paradise." The pitch, set in the 1580s, is about a Jesuit priest who travels to China with the Portuguese armada and ends up drawn into a war between the emperor of China and the Shaolin temple. In the process, he undergoes a mystical transformation that leads him to become a Shaolin monk and propels him into a confrontation with both the Chinese Imperial army and the Portuguese conquistadors. (The Hollywood Reporter) (LOS ANGELES) - Antonio Banderas and Lucy Liu are in negotiations to topline Franchise Pictures' action film "Ecks vs. Sever," which will mark the North American feature directorial debut of Thai filmmaker Kaos. The project will begin shooting in the fall. The project reteams Banderas and Liu, both of whom starred in Touchstone Pictures' 1999 "Play It to the Bone" for director Ron Shelton. Chris Lee ("Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within") is producing the project, which is described as "Bad Boys" meets "The Professional." Written by Alan McElroy ("Spawn"), "Ecks vs. Sever" is the story of two Terminator-like undercover agents named Ecks (Banderas) and Sever (Liu) who think they are competitors but find that they have a common enemy. (The Hollywood Reporter) (LOS ANGELES) - Second unit director and stunt coordinator David Ellis is on board to make his feature directorial debut on New Line Cinema's "Final Destination 2." Negotiations are set to begin this week. Ellis, who most recently wrapped second unit work on the Warner Bros. features "Matrix Reloaded" and "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," has worked as a second unit helmer on 34 feature films, including "Exit Wounds," "The Perfect Storm," "Clear and Present Danger" and "Fatal Attraction." "Final Destination 2," written by Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber, is a sequel to the 2000 film about a group of teens who cheat death and find themselves on the run from deadly forces. Ellis has also provided stunt work on 52 features, including "Batman & Robin," "Days of Thunder," "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" and "Lethal Weapon." (The Hollywood Reporter) (NEW YORK) - Indie distribution outfit Artistic License Films has picked up domestic distribution rights to helmer Steven Cantor's feature documentary "Bounce: Behind the Velvet Rope." The company is planning a September rollout for the project in New York. "Velvet Rope," which won the Audience Award at the 2000 Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, is an inside look at the lives of nightclub bouncers in New York and London. The project was produced by Cantor with Daniel Laikind through the duo's Stick Figure Prods. banner. Kip Evans served as associate producer. Cantor received an Oscar nomination for his 1993 short documentary "Blood Ties: The Life and Work of Sally Mann," which profiles the controversial photographer. Artistic License snapped up U.S. distribution rights this month to writer-helmer Cory McAbee's surreal sci-fi musical "American Astronaut," which screened in dramatic competition at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. The indie distribution outfit is in release with Sande Zeig's "The Girl" and brothers Adam and Kipp Marcus' "Let It Snow." (The Hollywood Reporter) (LOS ANGELES) - Outfest, the 19th annual Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, crowned Courtney Love and director Michael Cuesta's "L.I.E." winners at its Sunday night awards ceremony at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood. Love won best actress honors for her starring turn as a woman drawn into a romantic relationship with her best friend (Lili Taylor) in the indie feature "Julie Johnson," while double winner "L.I.E." took home the Grand Jury Award in the American narrative feature category. "L.I.E.," about a 15-year-old New York boy's relationship with a much older man, also garnered a best actor trophy for teenage star Paul Franklin Dano, who shared the award with Kett Turton of "Gypsy 83." The awards, dubbed Outies, were doled out at a ceremony hosted by comic writer Bruce Vilanch. Celebrity presenters on hand included Paris Barclay, Lauren Ambrose, Bill Brochtrup, Lanai Chapman, Julie Delpy, Yvette Freeman, Michelle Greene, Meredith Scott Lynn, Adam Shenkman and "American Beauty" producer Bruce Cohen. (The Hollywood Reporter) (LOS ANGELES) - When 20th Century Fox's new incarnation of "Planet of the Apes" marches into boxoffice battle July 27, the film, much like its hero, will carry with it the hopes of a nation of people. But rather than a society of humans oppressed by primates, this anxious nation is comprised of studio executives optimistic that director Tim Burton will lead them to the dawn of a new franchise. The widely touted "Apes" has long been expected to become one of the summer's biggest performers, and the film is uniquely positioned to become a cash cow for Fox in a host of related fields. The original 1968 Charlton Heston-led film spawned four follow-ups at a time when sequels were relatively rare, and while the studio has taken great pains to emphasize that Burton's "Apes" is not a remake but a "reimagination," it is hoping to recapture the magic that made the original something of a pioneer in the history of modern motion pictures. (It is interesting to note that Richard Zanuck, the then-Fox studio production president who greenlighted the original, serves as a producer on this year's model.) Nor is the studio alone. Across the board, Hollywood is looking to resurrect what was once its safety net _ the franchise film. And so far, the strategy seems to be working. (The Hollywood Reporter) (LOS ANGELES) - American actress Nora Zehetner will star in the title role of the low-budget indie feature "The Song of the Rose" for Russian director Sergei Livnev. The project will shoot on location in Minsk, Russia, early next month for producer Marius Balthunas. Zehetner is the sole American actress in an all-Russian cast. The English-language film, written by Vadim Sokolovsky and Chris Siverton, will see Zehetner play Rose, a Jewish-American girl in her early 20s who is caught in the midst of the 1941 Nazi invasion of Russia during a visit with her distant relatives. She is befriended by a young Russian army captain (Uri Kolokol) whose unit was decimated by the Nazi forces. The two make their way to safety and spark a romantic relationship. Zehetner recently wrapped shooting HBO's "Point of Origin" opposite Ray Liotta. She next appears in Universal Pictures' "American Pie 2" and the indie features "Sticks & Stones" and "Tart." She also recently wrapped shooting the pilot "American Soap" opposite Jonathan Taylor Thomas for 20th Century Fox Television. (The Hollywood Reporter) (PARIS) - The 27th Deauville Festival of American Cinema will pay tribute to Burt Reynolds and Julianne Moore, whose latest movie, "World Traveler," directed by Bart Freundlich will have its world premiere at the Normandy event, organizers said Monday. Reynolds will receive his tribute at a premiere screening of Bill Bennett's thriller "Tempted." A retrospective of Reynolds' work will also unspool, but details are not yet final. Moore will also be honored with screenings of her previous films, including "Hannibal," "The End of the Affair" and "Boogie Nights," in which she starred with Reynolds. (The Hollywood Reporter) (LONDON) - Pathe Distribution _ the U.K. theatrical releasing arm of France's Pathe Entertainment _ on Monday snapped up all U.K. rights to the comedy "Dinner Rush." The French company picked up the film, directed by first-timer Bob Giraldi, from U.K.-based sales, distribution and marketing company Entertainment Capital Group Worldwide for an undisclosed sum. Pathe aims to release the film "later this year," according to a Pathe representative. Produced by Lou Digiamo and Patty Greaney, and written by Brian Kalata and Rick Shaughnessy, the film is set at an Italian restaurant in New York and stars Danny Aiello, Edoardo Ballerini, Vivian Wu, Mike McGlone, Kirk Acevedo, Sandra Bernhard, John Corbett and Summer Phoenix. Access Motion Picture Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of ECG, plans to release the film in the United States this fall. (The Hollywood Reporter) |
Copyright © Cox Radio Interactive & Cox Radio, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy
By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement. Please read it.
Shopping is provided in association with amazon.com.
© All Media Guide, LLC. Portions of content provided by All Music Guide®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.