Archive for the ‘Universal Pictures’ Category
I love how H’wood pounces on anything based on a graphic novel these days – even when that graphic novel hasn’t been published yet. Such is the case with the recent acquisition by Universal Pictures and Oni Press’ Frenemy of the State. Rashida Jones will write the script with Will McCormack, though Jones says she will not star in the movie.
“It’s intended for a girl much younger than me, about age 20, an interesting age for girls as they make that scary jump to adulthood,” she said. “She has lived a life of privilege, attended the best schools and learned every language, but her obsession with spying on exes gets her into trouble and she is recruited to be a spy in exchange for not going to prison. There is a comic element to it, this girl who is so conscious of social standing and wearing the right shoes, suddenly becoming responsible for these dangerous, life-threatening missions.”
The movie is being produced by Brian Grazer and Eric Gitter, who just wrapped the Scott Pilgrim movie.
The Hollywood Reporter is circulating news that BrYan Singer has been tapped by Universal Pictures to produce and direct the big screen adaptation of Battlestar Galactica. Thanks to a power outage, and a two-year-old who fills up the TiVo with crap children’s programming, I’ve not had a chance to watch the final four episodes of the series, so I have no idea if Singer jumping on board for a movie franchise is a good idea or not.
There is no script for the new “Galactica,” though insiders have said the feature is to be a complete reimaginging and will stand separately.
If it does stand separately, it’s going to be a really strange movie, as I doubt audiences will be interested in yet another interpretation of the Galactica series, especially when the large fan base has a huge love-on for the just wrapped series. Since it is Friday, what say you Major Spoilerites? Do you have any interest in seeing a movie redux of Galactica Returns?
There’s rumor going about that Dark Horse and Universal Pictures may be teaming up to bring the comic book publisher’s Fear Agent to the big screen.
“Agent” centers on a colorful, borderline alcoholic astronaut named Heath Huston, a Texan who works as a so-called fear agent, the last of a dwindling breed of spacemen whose mission it is to fight threats to the planet Earth, which is partly destroyed during the course of the series.
It’s only an open writing deal write now (meaning they need to find a writer and like what they see) before anything proceeds.
Who would have guessed that the original Atari Asteroids game would have four studios in a bidding war over who would get the rights to produce the movie. Universal Pictures apparently paid the most money, with Matthew Lopez writing the screenplay.
9o minutes of a space ship spinning around in space blowing up stuff real good doesn’t sound too exciting, so Lopez will need to come up with an original story to wrap around the 1979 game concept.
Dark Horse Entertainment has announced the next picture to come out of its production pact with Universal Pictures: The Secret, an adaptation of 2007’s critically acclaimed graphic novel and comic series.
Scott Milam, who wrote the forthcoming remake of the horror classic Mother’s Day, has been signed to write this adaptation. Milam’s other projects currently in development include Bedlam for RKO/Twisted Pictures, Ab Tak Chhappan for Paramount Vantage with Jinks/Cohen producing, and Karnival at Rogue with Michael Zoumas producing.
The Secret tells of a group of high-school seniors who play a silly prank, only to see it backfire when one of their friends vanishes without a trace.
Gore Verbinski had previously announced his next big project following the Pirates of the Caribbean was to direct an adaptation of teh video game Bioshock from Take-Two Interactive. However, once the budget balloon to well over $160 million, Universal Pictures put a hold on the production.
The film was originally to be shot in Los Angeles, which is probably the biggest contributor to the high cost. Universal and Verbinksi are looking for other places to shoot the flick, with London being bandied about as a possible cheaper venue.
Gerard Way’s Umbrella Academy has been picked up to be turned into a live action movie by Universal Pictures. Fans of the My Chemical Romance frontman will be disappointed to learn that he will not be writing the big screen adaptation, and fans of the series might be disappointed to to discover Mark Bomback, the guy behind the Constantine script, has been hired for the task.
Bomback also wrote Live Free and Die Hard, and the recent Race to Witch Mountain. Oh well, at least the comic book was a fun read.
Image Entertainment and Universal Pictures are teaming up to bring The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft to the big screen. I’m a huge fan of H.P. Lovecraft, and while I’m excited about this news, it is more interesting that Universal made the announcement two weeks before the comic book hits the shelves.
Created by Mac Carter and Jeff Blitz, book borrows elements from Lovecraft’s life, such as his family’s struggle with mental illness and his own bouts with writer’s block, and transforms the young writer’s darkest nightmares into reality when he comes across a book that puts a curse on him and lets the evils he conjures up loose on the world.
The movie could be directed by Ron Howard, with the script being written by Carter.
No word on release date, but it can’t come soon enough.
Viper Comics has sold the film rights to Villains to Universal Pictures in a deal in the mid-six figure range.
The graphic novel, by Adam Cogan and Ryan Cody, puts super bad guys center stage. The plot, told from the baddies’ perspective, follows a young man who is failing at life and finds purpose when he meets a Svengali-style villain who takes him under his wing.
Universal has hired Matt Jennison and Brent Strickland to pen the adaptation, with Viper’s Jessie Garza co-producing. Jennison and Strickland are the duo behind Wonder Woman for Warner Bros.
I’ve not read the title, but checking out the preview (after the jump), I can instantly tell I like the art style and color scheme,. As far as the duo writing the adaptation goes, Jennison and Strickland have not had their Wonder Woman script move into production, and no one has sent me any leaked scripts (hint, hint), so I have no idea how they’ll approach the title.
Sad news for Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson, Universal Pictures has decided to pull out of the three picture deal for the CGI adaptation of Tintin. The biggest reason for the break in the deal wasn’t Spielberg trying to break DreamWorks away from Paramount, but the $130 million budget. In a day an age where $130 million seems like a drop in the bucket for a franchise that could literally net Universal ten times that in world wide distribution, something certainly seems fishy. Perhaps it was the 30% of gross Spielberg and Jackson wanted – meaning Tintin would have to gross $425 million before it broke even and Universal started seeing a profit.
But fear not Herge fans, the duo have taken their proposal to Paramount… oh, yeah, that whole split thing might be a hang up. Paramount has had the proposal for several weeks now, so it Tintin is simply awaiting a yay or nay from the suits.
Say What!? Universal Pictures just cut a deal to bring that most awesome of ’70’s shows Sigmund and the Sea Monsters to the big screen. Dana Gould of The Simpsons fame will be writing and producing.
“Sigmund” originally ran on NBC from 1973-75, and the show was a staple in reruns on local TV stations for the rest of the decade. After the sea monster is booted from his home by his nasty brothers for being too nice, Sigmund is befriended by two friends who stash him in their clubhouse.
As a wee lad, I remember going down to the basement, turning on the B&W (that’s black and white for you young’uns) and being mesmerized, and a bit frightened by the freaky monsters on the screen. I haven’t seen anything about the Land of the Lost film with Will Farrell, but I’m hoping it is done seriously. If Universal takes Sigmund seriously, it could be E.T., but with sea monsters instead of aliens.
I really thought we’d see a H.R. Pufnstuff movie before Sigmund and the Sea Monsters…oh, wait, Sony is developing that right now.
Boom! Studios has announced it is teaming with Universal Pictures and Producer Marc Platt to turn Steven Grant’s graphic novel 2 Guns into a motion picture. Company founds Andrew Cowsby and Ross Richie will also produce through the company’s Boom! Entertainment banner.
2 GUNS was created and written by Steven Grant, a veteran comic book scribe well known for developing Marvel Comics’ THE PUNISHER into a franchise character. Story follows two thieves targeting a mob bank – unknown to either, they’re both undercover agents. They pull off their heist, only to find out they’ve stolen cash from a CIA black bag operation, not the mob, and are now in over their heads. Project is targeted to be a throwback to classic 80s buddy movies in the vein of LETHAL WEAPON and 48 HOURS, but with a modern spin. Grant is well known to comic book fans for his online Comic Book Resources column Permanent Damage as well as his work on the Dark Horse Comics character “X” and the Marvel series X-MAN.
If you want to find out what all the hub-bub is about, Boom! is posting a page a day from the 2 Guns comic on the company website.
Radical Publishing has been getting a lot of play this week; the small publisher has announced its five-issue Hercules: Thracian Wars series is being turned into a feature film for Universal Pictures. Today it was announced, Hancock’s Peter Berg will produce and direct the adaptation with Ryan Condal writing.
This announcement is really interesting as there are already two other movie studios producing Clash of the Titans-esqe movies set to debut within months of each other. With the addition of Hercules, we could be seeing a release slate similar to the Alexander/Troy movie battle a few years ago.
That massive fire that broke out this morning on the back lot of the Universal Studios ended up destroying quite a few things – among them a huge King Kong exhibit and the courthouse square used in the Back to the Future movies was destroyed.
The blaze began around 4:45 a.m. PT (7:45 a.m. ET) Sunday. Two “prop” buildings, a chapel, and a popular ride called the “Cyclone” were among the damaged structures, according to Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Frank Reynoso.
The Universal Studios Theme Park did open at noon today, and those expecting to see the MTV Movie Awards can rest assured that the “awards” show will go on.
The Oni Press titles Resurrection has been options by Universal Pictures to be turned into a feature film, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
“Resurrection” begins where most other alien invasion movies end, centering on a group of survivors trying to take back control of the planet after an apocalyptic invasion.
This is the third title from Oni Press that has been optioned in recent months, and points to Hollywood’s continued interest in comic titles and properties.
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